Night Errantry

by Bronetheus

First published 10th of August, 2012

Princess Luna and Zecora travel Equestria and beyond to battle evil and inspire virtue in the good.

In ages past, stories of warriors traveling the land, righting wrongs, defending the weak and needy, and engaging in epic deeds and romances, inspired many, both citizen and soldier. Princess Luna should know, because she was there for almost all of them, recorded many, exaggerated a couple, and outright fabricated a few. They have fallen into obscurity during the centuries of relative peace Equestria has enjoyed, but after the invasion of the Changelings nearly killed her sister, a chance encounter on the road finally convinces Luna that those ancient tales of chivalry need to be brought back. With a mysterious zebra joining her on the path, the quest begins, and for the first time in many, many years, Luna is completely unsure of the ending to her story.

New cover image by http://zoarvek.deviantart.com/

Chapter 1: The First Sally Begins

“Congratulations on another victory that should have been thine,” Princess Luna remarked to her sister, co-ruler, and, as of recently, endless source of frustration.

“Excuse me?” Celestia turned away from the newest stained glass pane that had just been finished.

She was standing in one of the most ancient halls of Canterlot Castle, where she was inspecting the craft that had gone into the depiction of Equestria's recent victory over the changelings. Though the workers would not openly admit it, they had been relieved to be able to make a commemorative window that only featured two ponies, rather than Twilight Sparkle and all of her friends, for once. The stylized images of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence fit together perfectly, surrounded by a heart-shaped aura. The darkness of the changelings and their queen was beautiful in its own way as well, particularly in contrast with the expanding ring of pink magic that was expelling them from the portrait.

“Chrysalis was within thy grasp,” said Luna, “and yet the day was won by Mi Amore Cadenza. Tell me that is not ridiculous.”

“Luna, you weren't there.” Celestia's brow was starting to furrow. It had been doing that a lot lately whenever Luna came by to speak to her. It had been difficult enough to adapt to living together once again over the past couple years, but in the weeks since the attack on Canterlot, they had both been on edge, alternating between arguing with and ignoring each other, over everything from affairs of state to palace noise levels.

“But,” she continued, “you should still be aware that the queen had been feeding on true romantic love for months, and the room was full of innocent ponies besides. It's not like I could have let out my full power there. There would have been nothing left but scorch marks.”

“Ha!” Luna laughed sharply. “Such tough talk, Celestia! Thou knowest the truth though.” She stepped up to her big sister, nearly muzzle to muzzle. "'Twas thy failures that allowed any of that to happen in the first place.”

Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. “Little sister,” she said, “did you really just waltz in here to say that I am a failure?”

“Nay, I have plans to discuss.” Luna's hoof scuffed the carpet, as if she were preparing to charge. “But come to think of it, I would not be surprised 'tall if a dragon could literally dance a waltz into this chamber and conduct all manner of mischief without thou being able to stop it.”

“I know what this is about.” Celestia would have only looked slightly perturbed to most ponies, but she still would have been the same calm, loving, patient Princess she always was. To Luna, however, it was clear that she was on the verge of hitting something, in a very kind and understanding, but nevertheless very forceful, manner.. “You're feeling guilty because you weren't there to help.”

“Preposterous!” Luna's shout drew the attention of the two guards, obviously new recruits to replace their recent losses, posted outside the door. They quickly resumed looking outward in stony silence when they saw the expression in her eyes.

“Where were you, again?” The volume of Celestia's voice rose as well, along with her stiffly straightening neck.

“I was asleep! Forgive me for being tired after spending the night patrolling all of the earth and sky for a threat that, thanks to thee, already lay within these very walls!”

“And the sound of two armies fighting wasn't enough to wake you up?” Celestia asked. “Are you that lazy?”

Luna faltered for a moment. She was slightly unprepared for the generous and good-natured Celestia to start making caustic comments of her own. That only made her angrier though, enough that her wings unfolded and stiffened to the tips.

“I sleep in the caves near the mountaintop,” she said. “It brings comfort to me to repose up there where the bats reside.”

“If you didn't feel such an overblown need to be so cold and distant,” said Celestia, “then maybe you would have been able to do a little more. Didn’t your time in Ponyville teach you anything? Don't project your own flaws onto me.”

“I am doing no such thing!” Luna jabbed Celestia's golden, bejeweled collar with her hoof, creating a tink sound that reverberated with earth-shattering volume in the expansive hall. “I nearly lost y—thou nearly died, and thou art doing nothing about it! And thou namest me 'lazy'?”

“Just because what I’m doing isn’t obvious to you,” Celestia said, her voice quavering slightly as she forced it to stay gentle and warm, “doesn’t mean I’m doing nothing.”

“Why then keep to such secrecy even from me?” Luna demanded. “I am thy flesh and blood! I can help, if thou wouldst but let me! I know thou dost not trust me fully, and rightly so, but it is ludicrous that all I have been able to see is thou conducting the business of government as if nothing has happened. So why?”

Celestia's own wings flared outward now. She drew her body up further, taking full advantage of her greater height, and Luna felt a primordial, irrational fear. Celestia's white coat seemed purer, the soft, luminescent colors of her mane brighter. It brought to Luna's mind visions of the eerie calm that had radiated from Celestia’s very soul when she had used the Elements of Harmony to banish her from Equestria. No anger or hate in all of Luna's years had ever compared to that sorrowful, determined look of tranquility. It was an easily-swallowed fear, since Luna had felt it many times, but it was there nonetheless.

“I don’t know,” Celestia said simply. “Maybe because you’re still so full of fear. You’re afraid that you're not strong enough either. That's the question that keeps you up well past dawn every day, isn't it?”

“I am not afraid!” Luna backed away and began to pace, conveniently allowing her to avoid her sister's eyes. “Afraid for thee, perhaps, but of nothing else in this world, nor any other.”

Lowering her voice drastically, to be absolutely certain that the guards did not hear, Celestia whispered. “Ever since mother left, you've worn such a brave face, just like she told you to. It has worked well for a very long time, but you don't have to wear it around me. It's okay...”

“Mother is dead,” said Luna, too angry to think of lowering her voice at all, “and thou shalt be as well unless thou takest the military threats to this realm more seriously.”

“How can I possibly—” Stopping herself short, Celestia sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hoof. “Luna, we are having the exact same argument we did a week ago. You said you had plans to discuss—let's just discuss them.”

“That suiteth me,” said Luna as she stopped pacing in front of the new window Celestia had been admiring. “I am going to visit Twilight Sparkle. We are well past due for our monthly grammar lessons, and I wish to socialize with her for a time. Perhaps a night or two, if thou canst manage without me that long. Have thou any message for me to give?”

“I did just fine for a millennium without you,” Celestia said, a cold edge sneaking into the warmth and grace she always forced into her voice by will and habit. “I believe I will be okay. Just give her my regards.”

“Thou callest this 'just fine'?” asked Luna. She shook her head and started to walk away. “I—I shall see thee soon, dear sister. Leave the light on for me.”

“Always,” Celestia answered automatically, though it would take far more than that for her inner tranquility to return. As Luna walked through the doors, Celestia began the ritual search for morning coffee... and scribbled a quick, hurried note to the guards at the castle gate.

“Oh, and that window is ugly,” Luna called back, letting loose a parting shot. “The greens and pinks chosen do not complement each other, and the heart motif was tired and cliched even in my time. I would replace it at once.”

Several minutes of stalking darkly through the halls, causing servants and nobleponies to scatter like mice out of her path, and Luna finally reached the castle’s exit. Descending the steps from the castle to the courtyard, Luna groaned when she saw what was already waiting at the base, no doubt thanks to Celestia. A sleek, shining golden chariot, flanked on all sides by strapping mares and stallions in platinum and gold hued armor, had been pulled up. She considered taking to the air, but one of the royal guards saluted her and informed her that the transportation for her voyage had been arranged. There was no way to avoid this with dignity intact. Muttering silent curses at her sister, she returned the salute and mounted the chariot.

Later that day, a giant, amorphous, blue blob was ponderously making its way through a fully-ripe wheat field, absorbing whole sections of it, so that stalks of wheat danced and dissolved inside its translucent body. The detachment of royal guards stood ready, spears set, in defense of a family of earth pony farmers. The guards would have attacked the thing long ago, except that their charge, Princess Luna, was hovering in the air, wreathed in golden fire, and kicking great bursts of it at the creature with her front legs. She used her magic to form a light blue barrier around the fire, but the concentrated heat, and the occasional stray lick of flame, kept all the other ponies at bay.

The blob tried to roll away before the onslaught, but Luna pursued it. She burned it until it sizzled and popped, splitting into dozens of smaller globs. They stopped moving after a few seconds of quivering, then they boiled away to nothing. When the last of them were gone, the aura of fire surrounding the Princess vanished, and she swooped down to where her guards were set. The extended family was cowering with their knees and heads bowed to her. Though the small blaze behind Luna was contained, the magical field that held it was transparent, so the fire still illuminated her with long, haunting shadows. Her severe countenance only magnified the effect.

“Is anypony injured?” she asked them quietly but clearly. She kept her volume much lower than she usually would have when addressing her subjects, out of concern for the tiny foal crying in a cradle. The family shook their heads. She addressed the pony that looked to be the oldest. “We are relieved. We decree that thou and thy kin will be compensated in full for the damages done today. Go to the nearest judiciary and tell them this when thou seest fit.”

Luna considered extending her hoof for the head of the household to kiss, but she doubted that he would have any more idea what to do than the villagers of Ponyville had. Celestia stands too little upon ceremony, she reflected. She contented herself with commanding them to rise, and imparting the Traditional Royal Farewell. She let loose a burst of pale light from her horn that brought a brief sensation of warmth and calm to all those present. The foal stopped crying for a few minutes, and the rest of the family stopped shaking. Then, without a further word, she turned to leave them. She stood in the field with her entourage, in order to make sure that the fire ran out of fuel, and did not damage the farm any further. Her face was an impassive mask the whole time. Once this portion of the field was finally nothing but embers and ash, Luna cancelled her spell and set off again for the highway. The earth ponies watched the Princess and her guards leave. Several of the family members nodded and smiled at them. One, however, was muttering under her breath as she slammed a hoof down on a rake that had been caught in the flame, finishing its destruction. Another pony simply concentrated on quieting the infant who had resumed crying.

“It was just a gel, Your Highness,” said the leader of the ponies-at-arms, once the group was out of the family’s ear-shot. She had completely forgotten his name, she realized. “With all due respect, you should have let us take care of the creature ourselves. We were ordered to see you safely to Ponyville, after all.”

“We saw how the guard handles matters at the wedding,” Luna replied with a harsh glare at her subordinate. He gulped as she continued. “Our safety was not compromised, and we are in no hurry. A brief foray to aid our distressed subjects is an acceptable delay.”

“I—I understand, Princess,” he spoke again, with a brief stutter. “But gels have never harmed a pony. We stop almost all of them anyway, though. Only a couple slip through every year, and all they do is eat some crops, then return to the Everfree Forest. I don't think it was worth the risk, especially since you almost set the field on fire.”

“Thy opinions were not sought after,” said Luna with a loud huff that sent tendrils of smoke out of her nostrils. Her speech picked up a magical amplification to it, the traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, which added significant force and volume to her already-strong statement. The other guards silently implored the one who had been speaking to shut up. They soon arrived at the road and took up their positions, except for Luna, who did not mount the chariot.

“All we require are direct answers to these questions,” she continued. “Where exactly in the forest do these gels reside, and what are their numbers?”

They were all silent, except for one pony who coughed.

“How can you not know!?” her voice approached full volume. “Have there been no scouting missions? No pursuits?”

“No, Your Highness,” said another guard. She whirled to face him, and he did his best to keep from cringing. “Rather, we, uh, did send some, but they did not find any useful information. Again, because the gels don’t directly harm us, we’ve been trying to focus on threats that do.”

“Then those scouts are as weak as your dolt of a Captain,” she spat, causing the soldiers to bristle at the insult to Shining Armor and their comrades, but they kept their peace. She began to pace back and forth as she launched into a rant that seemed to be only partially directed at them. “The more I think about it, the more I realize that he shares a great deal of the blame. If he had not neglected his paramount position with a hasty marriage of the highest profile, the security of Canterlot would never have been compromised. But,” she began to shout again, “Celestia is the worst of all for allowing it. Softer than jelly beans, all of you. One defeat by an overweening changeling, and suddenly she is terrified for our safety and sends six ponies on a voyage with us to Ponyville. Does she think us that powerless? Or does she assume we must be spied upon constantly?

“This is not your concern! As your Princess, we command you to return to Canterlot at once!”

“We can't do that...” the leader said. “We are of the Day Guard, and so Princess Celestia's orders supersede those of Your Highness...”

“Perhaps so, but my power supersedes yours.”

The other ponies had only enough time to widen their eyes in shock as Luna's horn prepared a spell. With a flash of blue electricity, a wave of magic swept over all of them, and their eyes grew too heavy to keep open. Five slumped to the ground, heavy armor and weapons clattering on the pavement., but the leader, a middle-aged, red-coated unicorn, flicked his horn to life in time to counter the effects of the spell on himself, although too late for his comrades.

“What is the meaning of this?” he shouted. “We are your loyal subjects! Why do you assault us, Your Highness?”

One of Luna's eyebrows cocked. She had put a great deal of force behind that spell, yet one of the ponies had resisted it. She studied him briefly. His red hair was close to the color of rust, and his dark brown, streaked mane gave the appearance of even more advanced rust on his head. His eyes were a rare bright yellow color, which meant that the defensive aura he was projecting around himself was also yellow.

“Because we have a mission to complete,” she answered. “Alone. And we require a head start before Celestia discovers it.”

“This is a serious matter that the two of you need to resolve,” the guard said gruffly. “Come back with me and we will sort it out.”

“No,” Luna said. “And take care of the tone thou takest when speaking to us.”

“Then I hereby challenge you to a magic duel, Your Highness,” he announced, making sure his posture was firm and his back was straight as she stared at him in disbelief.

“A ma—, a magic—” A riotous roar of laughter burst out of Luna's throat. “A magic duel!? We are the Element of Magic! What dost thou hope to achieve by a duel!?”

“No,” he said, putting all of his years of training in facial control to the ultimate test. “The unicorn Twilight Sparkle is the Element of Magic. I can and will defeat you, if I must.”

“A brave sentiment,” said Luna with complete seriousness. “Tell us thy name, that we might record it in the epic which we are composing of our deeds.”

“I am Sergeant Gethsemane Heartstrings,” he said as he removed his helmet, allowing his reddish-brown horn to be completely free. “My terms are these: If I win, you come back to Canterlot with me with no further trouble. If you win, we part ways here, and I tell Princess Celestia that I don't know where you went. Do you accept?”

“Gethsemane.” Luna rolled the sounds around in her mouth. “That is an ancient and noble name. We once wrote of a pony hero who bore the same title. The hero of the third battle of Cloudsdale, if we recall.”

“I wouldn't know,” Gethsemane said. “It was my grandfather who cared about myths and history and stuff like that.”

“That is a shame,” Luna remarked. “Thou sharest much of their spirit. If there were more ponies like thee in the guard, we daresay that Equestria would be in far less dire straits than it currently is.

“In any case, we accept thy challenge. And we shall limit ourselves only to spells which it is possible for a mortal to master in his lifetime, out of deference to thy limitations.”

“Oh, thank you,” he said through gritted teeth, striking a steady stance. “Were you the Element of Kindness or Generosity too, by any chance?"

Luna ignored his sarcasm and dropped into a stance as well, all traces of mocking and mirth now gone from her appearance. Being the challenged party, it was traditionally her right to declare the draw and decide who went first. She allowed him to cast the first spell.

Gethsemane summoned a red dot, which scrawled his name in elegant, cursive, sparkling script in mid-air. Luna admired it for half a second, then wrote her own name plus her full list of noble titles using her own pale blue dot. They almost couldn't see each other through the long, glowing list.

Taking her turn, the Princess cast an animation spell on the armor of one of the unconscious guards. With turquoise light surrounding his armor, the snoring guard began an intricate rear-legged dance.

Sweat began to drip from his body as the Sergeant intensified the brightness of his horn, forcing out enough magical power to animate another suit of armor. Using his own yellow telekinetic field, he made the second unconscious pony dance with the first, mirroring his movements almost perfectly. The sleeping ponies twirled like puppets in a mockery that would have made him laugh in nearly any other situation.

Dismissing her spell, Luna waited for her opponent to begin his turn. He gratefully, let his snoring subordinate go, setting her down as carefully as he could and quietly apologizing for the embarrassing display. He then drew on one of his latest tricks for his next spell. Gathering the drops of sweat from his body, Gethsemane condensed them right before their eyes, his yellow magic forcing the water to mix with the air until a tiny blue storm cloud formed at eye level in the distance between the two ponies.

Luna smiled inwardly at the miscalculation. Elemental manipulation was one of her strongest abilities. While his spell had caused a veritable heat wave of energy to form around his head, her counter barely drew a few sparks from her horn. With it, she not only expanded his cloud, but formed it into a funnel cloud, and then a miniature tornado, which she guided over to his fallen helmet. The helmet was sucked into the vortex. With delicate precision, Luna maneuvered the whirlwind so that when she stopped it, Gethsemane's helmet fell perfectly into place on top of his head. He grunted at the slight impact, but otherwise he did not move.

Now it was her turn again. Her entire horn shimmered with blue light as she took hold of the tornado and began to transmogrify its basic elements, piece by piece. She changed the very essence of the particles of air and water, forming them instead into sparks of yellow and orange fire. She spread the swirling, airborne mass of flame into a hollow ring circling above their heads.

Gethsemane watched it spin in the air, his jaw hanging open. He snapped it shut again when he realized that he would have to perform a similar spell. He grimaced, closing his eyes tightly and grunting as he wracked his body to come up with enough magic to do anything like what the Princess had done.

He collapsed. He looked up and saw the fire still rotating above him, having not changed or moved at all from all his exertions.

“That's something mortal ponies can do?” he said in disbelief.

“Indeed,” Luna answered. “Not easily, no, but we did not deceive thee. The duel was well fought. Know before slumber overtakes thee as well that thy defeat was honorable.”

The ring of flame transformed into a ring of blue lightning as she suddenly switched its nature to her sleeping spell. Gethsemane yelped in surprise but threw up a quick shield, putting all the energy he had left into countering the weight of the Princess's magic, which was bearing down on his mind like a mountain.

“Stop!” he shouted. “It is my duty to report to Celestia!”

“And thou shalt,” said Luna. “But first, thou must rest.”

The sergeant sank to the ground, finally snoring along with the rest of his squad. Just as she walked over to his sleeping form, the sun sank below the horizon. She watched him with both sadness and respect, and with a certain giddiness. Night had come, and the excitement of the duel had filled her with energy. She felt like she could stay up for a week.

“I shall remedy all of this,” she said softly.

Luna lifted herself up several feet into the air with her wings, spread her legs wide, and summoned all of her energy to create a magnificent moonrise tonight. The white orb was completely full. She made it larger than usual in the sky, making it cast a bright light over the entire the landscape. It drowned out many of the stars, but still, enough of them could be seen to let all ponies know that the night had truly arrived. “I shall remedy it even if I must burn the entire Forest to ash! I shall protect this land and make it truly mine again...”

She landed, then stomped off the road to the west, making her way to the edge of the Everfree with her heart set to a low boil. I had the Elements of Harmony once, she thought. I had loyal companions who believed in courage and honor. And I still possess the same virtues and strengths that I did then, do I not? Just because I do not have the Elements nor my fellow chevaliers anymore does not mean that I can not yet make a difference.

She paused to reflect on those ancient days, which she had not done in a long while. There was little reason to, with the magic of friendship warding off the worst evils in the world, and with the Elements of Harmony—their full power now unlocked—to defeat any that made it through. Back then she had to devote much more of her energy to combat than she had over the past year of her return from exile, the guard was smaller, and the threats were greater, but at least then she had known for sure that she was making the world safer. Up until recently, Equestria had apparently enjoyed centuries of security, yet they were still vulnerable to invasion? Monsters could still roam the land in relative freedom? With so many soldiers killed by changelings, and with many more whose morale had been shaken by Princess Celestia’s defeat, the situation could only get worse. Things do not have to be the way they were, but they should be better. ‘Tis not right. I have sat on my rear too long already, and it is time for me to do something.

Somewhere far, far down beneath her tough, powerful demeanor, Luna squealed with foalish delight. Adventure awaited!

Author's Notes:

The ease with which Luna overcomes the challenges she faces in this chapter is a deliberate nod to my source material, and not a sign of things to come. In fact, in just the next chapter, she faces a worthy set of foes, and in the third, she confronts a threat that she is not the least bit prepared for. Stay tuned!

Chapter 2: Evil Enchantress

The Everfree Forest was not a place many ponies ventured into, and definitely not at night. Most ponies were not, however, armed with the might of the moon and the magic of an ageless Princess. With her horn sparkling blue and purple like her dark flowing mane, Luna stomped through the thick growth ahead of her. Conjured winds pushed aside any vines or branches they could. Any they couldn't force aside were cut to pieces by a swirling mass of curved moonsilver blades, which bent and cracked like sharp metal whips, slicing all before them. The dense flora on the forest floor tried to stop her movement, but her hooves tore through it easily thanks to her magically increased strength.

The rush of letting a small bit of her raw power loose, without having to restrain herself to avoid hurting other ponies, was exhilarating. She had been longing to do this since coming back to Equestria. It was dangerous, risky, and perhaps a little stupid to make so much of a spectacle in this place, but that was the main reason she loved it. It also meant she didn't go down the path of brooding she tripped into so easily. Here, now, she could instead focus on simple, concrete obstacles being cast aside with her power. None of her emotions could compare to the feeling of the thick ground yielding before the trampling of her hooves. Besides, if anything did come at her, that would make the whole affair simpler. Fighting was half the reason she was here.

Her heart was soaring so high that she almost didn't notice that one creature remained in her way. Straight ahead, she saw a pony-shaped figure standing in front of a bent, gnarled tree. The tree had been carved into a crude dwelling, with a simple wooden door and open windows, from which emanated an eerie green glow. Strings of bones and bells rattled loudly in the wind, with large, colorful masks completing the tree’s decorations.. The figure stood upright in the doorway of this tree and held two bubbling bottles in its hooves.

"What is all this commotion?" an angry, accented shout came forth. "Stop or I shall unleash my potions!"

The Princess of the Night made her way into the clearing. Her blades stopped spinning, but they continued to sing with the vibrations caused by their fluid metal. She reared back on her hind legs, stretched her wings out to full length, made sure her jet black crown could be seen prominently, and pointed a menacing hoof at the offender.

"What?" she demanded in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The wind picked up speed and force. "We are the moon, the stars, and the great dark void which lies between them, and we suffer not such feeble threats! Who art thou to tell us to halt!?"

"I am the occupant of this humble hut," the other retorted, managing to stay on her hooves despite the buffets of air, "and you have disturbed my slumber with your noisy cuts!"

"Thy hut and thy body are in our way! Remove them, insolent wretch, or prepare thyself to face the conse—"

Princess Luna stopped, dropped to all four legs again, and stepped forward to get a better look. As she thought, it was a zebra. They were intelligent and much like ponies in their manner, so Luna decided a less-intimidating approach might be better. She folded her wings and dismissed her spells. The swords appeared to melt back into the moonlight itself, and the winds died down to gusts, then to a light breeze. For her part, the other set down her potion bottles. The two regarded each other for a few moments.

"We know thee," Luna said, without any magical amplification this time. "It was thou who filled the heads of the little ones of Ponyville with terrible tales about us during the Nightmare Night past."

"My name is Zecora," she said calmly, "and I know you as well. What brings Princess Luna to this place where I dwell?"

”That is not thy business,” Luna responded. “While we are somewhat displeased with the difficulties we encountered that night, we bear thee no further ill will. Forget our threatening outburst.”

“I did not know you would come back, and I did not mean my performance as an attack...” A cloud seemed to pass over Zecora’s eyes, and her strange voice became heavier. “This may seem an odd request, but will you come in for a moment and rest?

“For what possible reason would we desire to enter this place?” Luna shot a disapproving glance at Zecora’s house.

“Because the longer you stay outside a stranger,” said Zecora, turning her dark gaze carefully all around the empty clearing, “the greater the chance of bringing monsters and danger. Please come in, before they return with all their kin."

"Thou fearest them and not us?" Luna asked, maintaining her rigid and regal bearing.

"I fear them, you, and much more, but if I let my fears rule me I would never leave my door. I am not without my defenses. I simply seek to avoid conflicts using my other senses. You are more than capable of defending your own body, but my skills at defending mine are relatively shoddy. For this reason my enchantments keep my presence hidden, but only if no one attracts attention unbidden."

”Very well then,” Luna acquiesced. “Because thou wouldst apparently be endangered by our refusal, then as a representative of the dual crown of Equestria to a foreign ally, we accept. Please allow us entry."

Zecora eased open the door to her home and stood aside to allow Princess Luna to pass. As she walked inside, the she gave a curt nod to her host, then peered around curiously. The green light came from the colored fire of a boiling cauldron in the middle of the house's single room, along with of the same color, placed at regular intervals along the walls. Most of the smell came from the cauldron, giving a sharp, tangy flavor to the air, like a shot of over-ripe juice, beneath which hid a mixture of melting wax, smoke, and exotic powders. Neatly arranged and labeled shelves of reagants, herbs, tinctures, and other sundries, dominated the walls. More masks also adorned the interior. Each one was unique in shape, color, and exaggerated expression. They ranged from pure rage to absolute calm, from uplifting happiness to teary despair. All of the masks cast long, flickering shadows with burning green eyes and mouths across the room.

The occupant of the tree hut soon followed, shutting the door tightly as she entered. She gently tapped her guest on the shoulder, pointing toward a stack of silk cushions in the corner, then she sat down on one already lying in front of her pot. Luna levitated a pillow off the stack and placed it a respectable distance away, facing Zecora, then sat down.

Outside, eyes of all sizes, shapes, and colors quietly peered out from the darkness. Most contained some mixture of hunger, anger, and malice, but they kept their distance.

"Thou asked us what brought us here," Luna spoke up, scanning the trees carefully for any real threats. "We must keep our own counsel on that matter, but we can say that we had not a hint that thy home was here. This fact raises a troubling question. Wert thou aware of the magical nature of this path? ‘Tis one of the ley lines that bind the world together. Thou must surely have chosen this spot deliberately, but we did not think any being without innate magic could do so."

"Magic is a skill that can be learned," Zecora said as she picked up a ladle from a bucket of water and doused out the flames beneath her cauldron. "It is simply that most who try end up burned..."

As the bright, green fire diminished, a dim, white light started to take its place. The stars in the Princess's mane twinkled, but they shone as if through a shroud, lending a wispy and ghostly aspect to the room's ambiance. Zecora took great interest, and smiled for the first time as her previous anger fully passed. She said a foreign word that Luna thought she vaguely recognized.

"What didst thou say?" she inquired. "It sounded like an old word for 'terrible'."

"The word I said was 'Raahanda'.’ In my native tongue it means ‘great awe’.”

"We may recall a form of that language," Luna said, resisting the urge to scoot her cushion closer, but failing to resist having her ears perk up. "It was not spoken by zebras in our time, however. How did that come to pass?"

"Hundreds of years before my birth," Zecora explained as she began to scoop out samples of her brew, and carefully poured them into red glass bottles, "the Arabian horses dreamed to conquer the earth. They spread far and wide, but as always, their empire fell due to pride. In the future I can tell you much more, but for now I would rather offer a drink, and a question, than discuss ancient lore."

"Oh yes," Luna said, reluctantly putting aside her questions for the time being. "We could not help our curiosity. Whatever thou hast to spare would be appreciated."

Zecora got up and approached a shelf labeled "Drink" in the Arabic language. A clear pitcher full of sparkling water was held out to Luna. While she gratefully received the pitcher in her hooves and downed a small gulp, she took a moment to glance at the rest of the signs, and recognized some. "Poison", in particular, caught her interest. Avoiding conflict indeed. The Princess offered the pitcher back, and Zecora took the same amount of water before passing it over again. Luna was greatly pleased with herself for having guessed the proper protocol correctly.

"So," Zecora said between drinks, "how much do you know about this frightful wood? The travel plan you seem to be using is less than good."

The Princess felt like she should have been angry at these words and many more that had already been spoken. Her temper was certainly already on edge tonight for several other reasons, but it didn't stir. She gazed thoughtfully around her odd surroundings and wondered why that could be. Is there some magic here? I probably would have noticed that, but it is possible. Does it matter? She is being kind enough for a stranger, and I shall be gone soon. There is no reason to worry.

"We must admit, we know less than we probably should. Nevertheless, we are powerful. Few things in this world could stand before us."

"But why trouble yourself with dangerous fights when I can show you a safe path on which to alight?"

Luna scoffed and turned her head toward the windows. None of the things she saw looming there were the least bit frightening. "The more dangerous the dangers, the greater the need for us to confront them. We are here to protect our subjects from the horrors that have sprung from this place, not to sneak and hide."

"That is a very noble cause, but it is not the monsters which give me pause. There are innocents in this forest too, and they may be put in great peril by you."

Neither Zecora's pleasant voice nor expression had changed, but suddenly Luna felt her face flush slightly, both in subdued anger, and in regret. Although her shoulders remained set proudly, she cast her eyes downward. "Thou saidst that we have done thee wrong on that account, and yet thou offerest us shelter and now guidance as well? We do not understand."

Zecora was silent for a while. Lost in contemplation, she mechanically finished pouring her mixture into the bottles, then set them aside. She stood on her hind legs over the empty pot, resting her fore legs on its cool edge. She was going to move it out of the way to be cleaned, but the last few trails of steam and smoke rising up from the bottom caught her eye. She watched each black and white wisp disappear into the air, then sighed, blowing the particles to wherever her breath might take them. "Qaratab," she said finally.

"What?" Luna raised an eyebrow along with her question. "'Sister'?"

"'Kindred spirit'. I saw and heard what happened on Nightmare Night, and it was hard to bear it. Even though things were put right, I regret spreading such fright. I saw each look on your face, from bad to good, and in them I saw a pony who stood where I too once stood."

"We do not know what to say to that," Luna said, and noticed a touch of sadness in her host's eyes. She suddenly realized that her own eyes might have showed the same thing.

"You asked. It is no matter. I simply gave my answer.”

Silence stretched out between the two equines. She is being quite forward and presumptuous, Luna said to herself. While she is obviously not a diplomat, this is still inappropriate and annoying. Still... Under scrutiny, it did seem like Zecora's calm exterior was hiding a great many things below the surface. It would only be natural for there to be some similarities. Her home is a thousand miles away, and mine is a thousand years away. She is right though. It does not matter. There is work to be done.

"We should depart soon," Luna broke the silence, but spoke with some reluctance. "Hath the danger to thyself passed?"

"Danger is never truly out of sight," the zebra said as her smile dimmed just a little bit. "But I believe I shall be safe for the night. There is some advice I must impart, before you go and depart."

"What is it?" Luna asked as she stood up, tipping her horn to Zecora and turning toward the door.

"Through this forest is a secret road," Zecora said, and got up as well, walking to the door and holding it open with her hoof. She bowed, then gestured outward with the other hoof. "It is a mile west from my abode. You will know it by a red-marked stone ring. Follow it, and to your destination it will bring. It is a longer but safer path, less likely to attract a monster's wrath."

"We thank thee," the Princess of the Night said, halting at the door for a moment. "This was a pleasant meeting, despite the initial circumstances. The stars will watch over thy dreams, madam Zecora."

"Alhaale, Princess," Zecora replied. A humble blessing to someone greatly respected, if Luna recalled correctly.

Luna stalked back into the woods. Zecora watched her go for a minute or two, then quietly shut her door. One by one, the green-flamed candles inside were snuffed out.

Luna, while keeping a watchful eye on the animals of the Everfree, looked to the west for a minute. She thought about the “safer” path, but decided against it. What safety was there in willingly ignoring threats to her subjects? In order to make this a proper patrol, she would have to cover at least half of it on hoof. She marched forward with determination, letting her unicorn horn guide her way.

Even with her mind alert and guarded, she still unwillingly gave room for part of it to wander away from her. At first, she thought of her meeting with Zecora. Luna wished she'd had time to ask the stranger more questions, particularly the ones about her language and history, even though the zebra didn't seem to relish answering them very much. She decided she would stop by again on the way back, and she would be more careful about Zecora’s safety then, hoping their conversation would go more smoothly as a result. At the thought of carefulness, however, Luna's mind jumped away to her last encounter with Celestia.

“'I trust you completely Luna,'” she said out loud in a mocking tone. “'Just take these six guards of mine to spy on you and report back to me and I'll be totally fine with you leaving to save my kingdom!' Yes, well, the sleep spell I used on them will last for at least a day, but I will be sure to send a letter about everything this adventure taught me about friendship when I am done. 'Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that it is a miracle that Equestria has held together for a thousand years without me. Thy faithful sist— yah!”

Luna yelped and ducked instinctively as a giant claw swiped where her head had been not a second before. She tucked herself up and rolled backward before a second claw attacked, then sprang to her hooves. She had just enough time to get a good look at her assailant before the third claw came at her.

The thing she had initially dismissed as an oddly-shaped rock was something else entirely. It was all claws, or things like them. Talons connected to razors, which connected to beaks, which connected to spikes, with nothing but glints of metal in the gaps between them. All of them moved as if they were the thing's actual limbs. The only sound it made was the harsh ring of sharp edges grating against sharp edges as it somehow came forward, using whichever appendages happened to be in the right spot to drag itself along the ground. It was... a claw golem? Why would one even make such a thing?

She shoved her puzzlement aside for now, instead darting forward to meet the third strike with a block from her sparkling metal shoe. It stung and the clang made her whole body shake, but it gave her enough of an opening to drive her other hoof into the ground with thunderous force. A wide crack opened in the earth underneath the monster. Not enough to swallow it, but it was enough to make it lose its balance, making the killing blows it had coming at her from both sides narrowly miss.

The Princess quickly took a few steps back, then began to summon energy into her horn. Concentric patterns of lightning formed around it, which she gathered into a crackling blue orb before launching it at the reeling golem. With a flash and a deafening crack of thunder, it was electrocuted. The air reeked of ozone as the various pincers, teeth, and hooks twitched and fell apart, leaving only a large, featureless metal ball they had been connected to.

“Huzzah!” Luna shouted and jumped on top of the remains. “My first of many victories in this strange new world! Oh, happiest of nights!”

Her celebration was interrupted by three beasts trying to stealthily make their way toward her, each from a different direction. One of them looked like a pony, another like a fox, and the last like a deer. A key difference, however, was that each was horribly mutated. The pony had a totally featureless face except for pincers and a maw where its mouth should have been, and its vertebrae grew out of its back and into fungal tubes made of bone. The fox had only three legs, two normal ones in front, and an enormous, muscular rear leg with protruding spikes all over it. Its head was covered with the same bony tubes as the pony's back was. The deer was almost normal, except its antlers were open at the tips and they were spewing out noxious green clouds of spores. Its eyes still had a glint of awareness in them, even through the milky, moldy green and white sheen that overlaid them. None of them made any sound.

At the same time, Luna felt a gap open underneath one of her hooves. The sphere had opened up in a jagged pattern, like a row of teeth. She took to the air in a flash, avoiding the mouth as it clamped back down. Hovering in place a safe distance away with her wings, she watched in annoyance as all but a few of the pieces of the golem reassembled themselves.

The fox leaped up toward her with the strength of its huge leg, but she gave it a powerful kick straight downward, smashing the earth and a few of its bones. Luna then stretched her front legs out wide, while her eyes sparked into shining white orbs. She swooped straight down, with an arc of purple-and-black-hued fire forming just ahead of her. As Luna landed on the fox-thing and drove it farther into the ground, the arc erupted, setting everything for several yards aflame. The first attacker was burned to a crisp, while the other three backed away from the explosion. She could sense some of the extreme heat surrounding her, but the fire itself parted around her body.

Gathering some of the fire back into her direct control with her magic, Luna charged out of the circle of fire, straight at the mutated pony. Several sharp attacks bit into her flank during the charge, but the pain only urged her on faster. She slammed the dark flames, and then her body, into her target. The maw snapped at her frantically, but even as it burned alive it emitted no other sound. She put an end to the chattering by piercing the thing's skull with her horn, realizing too late how foolish the attack had been. The beast stopped moving immediately, but a cloud of spores puffed out of the fungal tubes along its back as it did so. Luna couldn't avoid inhaling some of them, even though she coughed hard and beat backwards with her wings.

She turned around as quickly as she could during her stumble, seeing that the golem was some ways off, but drawing steadily nearer. More urgently, the former deer was running full-speed at her, with its fume-spewing antlers pointed straight ahead. She stood up on two of her legs again and drew her wings back as far she could. A blue shimmer appeared around them. Luna held herself steady to wait for the right moment. She almost faltered when that moment came, because in its eyes she saw nothing but terror, an odd thing for such an aggressive monster. She grit her teeth and forced herself to save the angst for later, gathering all her might into her wings and flapping them forward. An enormous blast of wind, with trails of purple and black smoke from the fire following in its wake, sent the creature flying straight into the other monster's claws. The golem ground the thing up quickly, drawing it in as it did so, toward the mouth that had reopened in the central sphere. The animal that used to be a deer did not even open its mouth to utter a noise, although the absolute terror in its eyes remained. The cloud of green spores the creature produced as it died were mostly taken in by the claw golem, the rest being blown away by the lingering breeze her blast of wind had stirred up.

Luna sized up her last remaining opponent. It was missing a few of its appendages, probably from her earlier shock to it. She guessed that a few more ought to do it - or one big one. The air around her horn grew hazy with heat and energy in preparation for her spell. Before she could release it, however, something small went flying through the air from behind her and into her target. It flew through a gap that her earlier attack had left in the mass of claws and hit the metal sphere with a smash—a glass bottle breaking. Claws, pointed beaks, teeth, and everything else crashed to the ground in rapid succession as the metal core was eaten up by sizzling acid. It could no longer advance, instead only managing to flail uselessly in place before it stopped entirely.

Luna turned, and for a moment she saw nothing behind her. Only with the mystical aid of her nocturnal eyes did she see where the bottle had come from. A thin, sleek cheetah crouched low to the ground, with bags and pouches tied around its midsection. Luna’s eyes widened when she realized that the cheetah was not yellow around its spots, but a grayish-white, and it seemed to have a ghostly second pair of eyes directly behind the first. The second pair she recognized.

“Zecora?” Luna called out. She remained in her battle posture, just in case.

“I have some things with which to aid, but first we should put out that fire you made,” the cheetah said in a low, tense tone, which was simultaneously Zecora's and not Zecora's. The sing-song rhyming pattern remained, but there was a second male voice that overlapped with hers. It seemed to Luna’s acute senses that anything with normal hearing would not have been able to hear both.

“What art thou doing here?” she asked. “I thought thou hadst remained back for fear of thy safety?”

She watched as the cheetah carefully and silently walked toward where her dark flames were still burning. Catching a closer glimpse of the profile, Luna saw the same spiral pattern on the hind quarter that Zecora had on hers. It had to be her, somehow. Luna decided to take the advice, since a black flame would probably not be a good thing to let burn here anyway.

“I shall put it out and save thee the trouble,” she said, and used her long, glowing horn to concentrate as much moisture as she could over the circle of fire. A tiny but dense blue cloud gradually came into existence. Luna flew over and landed on it, then proceeded to hop up and down gracefully, causing rain to pour out. With the springing effect of jumping on the cloud that pegasus magic gave her, the thrill of victory returned to her once more. She grinned wide and laughed, which caused a miniature lightning strike to fly out of the cloud along with the rain. Luna laughed more as a regular red fire sprang into existence next to her purple one. She pulled more water from the surrounding air into the cloud in response, expanding it and making it even more fun to jump on. Her laugh took on a slightly maniacal quality as rain poured over the two fires. Much of her royal dignity was lost during this process, but she didn't care in the least. If Zecora hadn't called out to her that the fires were out, she might have continued in this manner for some time.

“Thus does my legend grow,” she said triumphantly as she floated down to where Zecora waited. “I thank thee for thy assistance, my friend, though it was unnecessary.”

“You now call me ‘friend’?” Zecora sounded vaguely amused. “And when, pray tell, did the royal ‘we’ end?”

“Uh...” Luna trailed off and looked around awkwardly as her horn and eyes stopped shining. She still continued to beam even in her awkwardness. “Yes. There is no one else out here, so...”

A serene smile that was very reminiscent of Zecora’s spread across the cheetah's face, but it went away when Luna suddenly began to cough fiercely. Puffs of green gas came out along with her phlegm. Right about then her natural adrenaline also wore off, and she finally felt the gashes that had been dug into her side.

“Curses,” she said in between coughing fits. “I knew I should have been more careful. This is going to take days to heal.”

“Those would take weeks, bandaged and treated.” Zecora reached a paw into one of her bags and began to rummage through it. “And a cure for the poison is also needed.”

“Healing is one of the gifts which we of royal blood possess,” Luna explained, wincing and hacking. “I am particularly gifted in this area. I have suffered far worse poisons. Rest assured that I will not transform into a mushroom colony.”

“That is very impressive,” the cheetah said as she, or he, pulled a purple bottle out and offered it to Luna, “but it is wise to have a cure that is more aggressive.”

“Only if thou takest some as well. I am sure I am endangering thee with my coughing...”

“That is a good deal, we can tell. Let us drink, so the curse we may quell.”

Luna floated the bottle over to herself, pulled off the cork and drank a gulp of it. It tasted delicious, like fresh grapes and a touch of mint. She was about to ask if it was actually medicine, and not in fact grape juice with mint in it, when she noticed the burning sensation in her lungs almost immediately abated. Her cuts still hurt a lot, but at least now the wounds weren't being disturbed by coughing fits.

“Well,” she said, nodding her head, and floating the bottle back to its owner. “That was probably the most pleasant healing elixir I have ever had. I thank thee, madam Zecora.”

“It is an easy thing to produce,” Zecora said modestly after downing a gulp of the stuff as well. “I have plenty, as long as we are careful of its use. If it would not cause too much aggravation, would you reveal to me our destination?”

“‘Our'?” Luna said with a cocked eyebrow and a chuckle. “Hast thou now adopted the royal ‘we’ in my stead?”

“I must say no,” the zebra-turned-cheetah replied, laughing as well, “but I am too curious not to follow.”

“Hmm,” Princess Luna's face turned more serious. “I am not sure. I do not know precisely what I will find there, but some of it may be of great importance. Secret importance, to me alone.”

“If you find anything like that,” Zecora said firmly, “I promise it is nothing I will look at. Please be assured that I will never reveal what you have obscured.”

Luna was impressed by her vow, so she bowed her head in acquiescence. “Aside from the time of chivalry, it has almost always been guards or fellow soldiers following me on expeditions such as this one. A shapeshifting mystic zebra from another continent would be a welcome change, even if only for a brief time. Very well. Only remember that I shall hold thee to thy word.”

Zecora smiled, seemingly genuinely. Luna eyed her warily, but then began to lead the way forward. In deference to her companion's wish for a little more stealth, she agreed to rely solely on her agility to work around the strange and often-dangerous flora that barred their way, rather than on the more-fun route of blasting or cutting it away. They were mostly silent for the remainder of the journey, which took most of the night. Luna was silent because it gradually hurt more and more to talk, even with the medicine. Zecora was silent because her personality was slightly different from earlier. She was much more reticent, and when she had to speak, she spoke quickly, as if trying to get it over with as soon as possible. Questions and possible answers about the severe change in Zecora’s appearance and voice consumed Luna's thoughts, but she wanted to wait for a more comfortable time to ask. The prospect of such an interesting conversation, combined with the memory of her first conquest in over one thousand years—even though it had been small, and with unneeded aid—made her feel very light. So light that, whenever the terrain afforded them the opportunity, her wings reflexively lifted her up to travel a few feet above the ground. If she were alone, she may have added some pirouettes too.

In this spirit, she and Zecora finally came upon the misty chasm that separated the forest from the ancient palace. The rope bridge was still there, barely.

“Once we cross here,” Luna whispered, surveying the dark, mist-shrouded shapes of the ruins with a wistful look. “We shall be safe. Nothing born of darkness can cross this barrier... except for me. Or Nightmare Moon, I should say...” She shook her head, then flew across the gap. She looked back and noticed her partner wasn't following. The cheetah was stuck there, with a grim face.

“I have wondered why I could not pass like this,” she said. “Give me but one moment, and then I can cross the misty abyss.”

She set down the bags at her sides. Then she dug her paws into her neck and began to pull out, as if trying to tear her own head off. Luna gaped in horror and started to fly back. As the cheetah pulled, blood trickled from around its head. Its black spots also somehow trickled, only they flowed along the skin, up its body, and gathered at the face. The paws and fur turned fluid and did the same, until all of the cheetah's distinctive features had melted and gathered in an inky, swirling blackness on the front of its face... which then came off with a harsh, fleshy ripping sound. The body was instantly shaped like a zebra's again, and its hair was striped gray and black, with a spiked mane of the same colors, and the spiral mark on its side. The face was Zecora's, with no hidden extra eyes now.

Luna was speechless, so Zecora spoke for her.

“Many different forms and shapes,” she said with a little less happiness in her “normal” voice, “for many different storms and scrapes.”

The mask she now held in her hooves was small, shaped just right for her face. It was yellow with black spots, and white whiskers were painted onto its surface. Aside from holes for the eyes and mouth, those were its only features. Nothing appeared unusual or magical about it. She placed it inside one of her bags, where Luna caught sight of three more similarly-sized masks. “I needed stealth and speed for this task, so I chose to wear Baqir's mask.”

Luna also observed a bright ring of blood around Zecora's neck, on top of similar scars that would normally have been covered up by her jewelry, which she had evidently not brought with her. “Art thou well? There is blood around thy neck...”

“I do not feel that great,” Zecora said, frowning for the first time since Luna had met her, “but nothing can be done except to wait. In a minute the blood will stop flowing, and then you and I can get going.”

Luna waited patiently, thinking carefully about what to say. Before she could decide, however, Zecora's bleeding stopped, and she nodded that she was ready. Looking behind her as much as she could to judge Zecora's health, Luna began to make her way across again. The zebra tested the bridge with one leg and found she had no trouble. The frown disappeared from her face as she trotted across, joining Luna in her eager but careful crossing.

Chapter 3: The Pony of the Lake

Daylight was approaching. Princess Luna was growing tired, and the pain from the claw attack on her side was throbbing, but she had to continue on. She had to know if there was anything left here at the palace, particularly the jewel for her crown. If she could find that, she could use its power to locate the source of those gel monsters, and a couple more kinds she had recently added to the list. She wondered how much her list of foes to vanquish would expand along the way. As she walked into the cracked stone courtyard that led to the keep, she turned her head back to her zebra companion.

“Zecora, there is something I must ask thee. Those twisted abominations with the fungal tubes growing out of their bodies—what were they? One of them was a pony...”

“Far to the west lies a deep and inviting fresh water lake,” Zecora said, following close behind. “But those who approach it soon find that they have made their last mistake. The very water is filled with corruption and disease, and the desperate ones who drink from it become like zombies.”

“I see. Then it is of the utmost importance that I destroy that place on my way back. Canst thou show me the way?”

Zecora was silent as she surveyed the ruins of what used to be Luna's home. Zecora had been here several times in the past. Not searching for anything in particular, but very interested in this unique piece of Equestrian history. Much to her disappointment, she had never found anything but some old statues and rare herbs. Nonetheless, the Princess seemed to think there was something here, so Zecora would follow her. It was a little disturbing to learn that she was “born of darkness” while wearing her special masks, but it was not surprising considering their origin.

“That I can surely do,” she finally said, “if it is that vital to you.”

“‘Tis indeed,” Luna commented as she pushed open a rotten, wooden door.

Dark bats stirred on the ceiling of the long hall, which looked to be an audience chamber with a simple, raised platform at the end. The walls were mostly intact, except for the windows that had grown larger than intended as stones had fallen out. As the pair made their way along the ragged carpet, the bright, red eyes and the black wings of the bats opened up. They left their perches, and began to circle through the rafters far above. The Princess smiled up at the creatures. As if on cue, they swooped down to circle around her, surrounding her in a tiny black tornado. Zecora was startled, but chuckled at the sight.

“I am told the box is still here,” Luna said after nothing resembling a conversation, with a touch of excitement in her statement. The bats flew away as one, and then hovered in place around a rectangular space in mid-air, off to the side of the room, behind a collapsed stone pillar. After a brief blue aura of magic appeared around Luna's horn, a large, ornate, blue chest with black trim poofed into existence, then landed on the floor with a heavy thud. The bats continued hovering, as if waiting for further orders.

Luna motioned with her hoof for Zecora to stay back, and asked her to look away. Zecora bit her lip, but she obliged. Luna stepped closer to the object, where she saw a faint, white light emanating from the key-hole. Or rather, the horn-hole, the kind used by powerful unicorns to make sure that only they could access the contents. With a giddy sigh, half-apprehensive and half-excited, she slowly pushed her horn inside, and sent a small amount of magic running through the lock. It clicked, and as she drew her head back, the top of the chest swung open. Against the will of every bone in her body, Zecora held down her ears to block out the tantalizing aroma of those sounds.

The contents of the chest were draped with a silver-hooded cloak, delicately embroidered with black stars of five tiny points. A dark circle representing a new moon was sewn into the center. Unfortunately, huge bits of it were ripped, eaten, or otherwise missing, rendering it useless for practical purposes. Though it caused a dazzling, spectral shine when the moonlight hit it at just the right angles, Luna quickly tossed it aside with a “hmph.”

Princess Luna quickly forgot about it as she removed the next set of items. They were a full set of white plate and chain armor, made to fit a tall but slender pony, with a hole in the helmet for a horn and holes in the breastplate for wings. The plates were etched with long, winding, elegant lines that gave the impression of thin cirrus clouds passing over a bright moon. Large patches of rust marred the impression, however. The moon the clouds were passing over was more like a blood-red one. Luna sighed deeply and put the armor to the side as well.

There were two more things left inside. One, a thick book bound in black leather and magically locked with a five-pointed metal star, she frowned at. At the sight of the other, her eyes lit up and she immediately pulled it out and held it up to her eyes. It was an oval, just small enough to be held in the sole of her hoof cap, made of white marble with black veins. She put it in place at the middle of her royal crown, then waited expectantly. The marble fell off and clinked onto the floor. Only then did she notice that one of the veins was actually a crack.

She had been relatively calm up until then, but at this she whipped her rear legs around and kicked the chest mightily, sending it crashing through the wall. The chest remained intact solely thanks to its enchantment. Blocks of stone crumbled, and the keep shook ominously, but nothing came crashing down on them—for now.

“This is not possible,” she declared in an angry, booming voice. She began to stomp back and forth around the floor, with her head bobbing up and down and her tail flicking back and forth with irritation. “They cannot decay in there! I sealed it!”

“What is the matter?” Zecora whirled around, and shouted over the noise. “You're going to make this whole place shatter!”

Luna halted, then took several deep breaths, exhaling them through her nostrils. “My possessions have rotten, despite a magical seal only I can break. Something is wrong.”

“I'm sure they are things we can remake. For now, why don't we concern ourselves with that lake?” Zecora gazed at her with kindness. The audacity of the look, combined with its concern, made the Princess stop her pacing.

“That is a good idea,” Luna answered as her expression softened and her rage ebbed. “But art thou not tired? It is nearly dawn. More importantly, what interest is this of thine, that thou wouldst follow me toward potentially mortal danger?” While her face was no longer etched with anger, it was now twisted by a suscpicious grimace as she looked Zecora up and down.

“Yes, I am very tired,” the zebra said and turned to look to the sunrise in the east. A very bright, cloudless morning was beginning. “Yet there is much to accomplish before the rest I have desired. Directions are not as useful as a guide, so I hope you will bring me along for the ride. As for my motivation, that is not something I would make a long oration. I made a promise that I would, in order for me to do good.”

“That is it?” Luna looked bewildered. “A vague promise?”

“Promises hold a great deal of weight, especially when given to one who is great. I made my vow to the sun, so you see I must stay until the battle is won.”

“What?” Luna recoiled, lifted one front hoof up, and widened her eyes. “Surely thou dost not mean Celestia?”

“I met her only one time,” Zecora said, “while I was running from a great crime. Here she let me stay, but only if I aided any ponies who came my way.”

“Is there naught in which she doth not mettle?” Princess Luna let out a bitter sigh. “Art thou going to be her spy and tell her I passed through as well?”

“That may be how she wishes me to behave, but I never promised to be her slave. I did not say I would reveal who, and that is not what I intend to do.”

“I hope that is true. I am so weary of the way she watcheth me, as if I shall turn back toward evil at a moment’s notice.” She shook her head slowly, then, with a startled look, began quickly gathering up the contents of her chest in a cloud of blue magic, hoping Zecora had not gotten a good look at them. She cast a new illusion spell on it as soon as it closed. The zebra had been looking curiously at the display, but it was dark enough that she could not have seen much. Luna hoped. She sighed with relief, then thought of what she should ask next. “Whence cometh thy ‘cutie mark’? Only ponies get those.”

“I gave it to myself, you see,” Zecora said as she looked back at the stylized, black spiral that adorned her flank, “so I might recall my vow more clearly.”

“Gave it to thyself?” Luna stared at the image as well. “Thy abilities become more mysterious by the minute.”

“Maybe, but it is just a minor trick. A simple illusion that sticks like a tick.”

“This is all quite a lot to take in...” Luna walked very close to Zecora, so she could look hard into her eyes. “I have one more question. What is this great crime thou spokest of?”

“It is quite complicated,” said Zecora, returning the stare steadily, “but put simply, in murder I was implicated.”

“I shall not travel with one who still harbors such impulses.” Luna’s jaw stiffened. “I know very well what it is like to sin, and I have no desire to demand the details of yours, provided they will not impact the future. For my own sake... and theirs.”

“It is by far my greatest regret, to be sure. You have my solemn promise—”she paused for a second to blink slowly as she said that word—“that I am no longer so impure.”

“I shall take thy word as a token of thy honesty,” Luna spoke in an ominous tone. “Let us both hope that this matter is settled. Now, art thou sure of being my temporary guide?” Zecora gave a firm nod. “I see. Whether thou art innocent or not, I must still treat thee as such until it is proven otherwise. Thou shouldst stay back and allow me to protect thee.”

“If you're that concerned about this task, then I shall wear a mask. I believe I have just the one—”

“No,” Luna said hastily, and grabbed Zecora by the shoulders with her hooves. “Whatever sorcery that may be, I can not allow it in my presence. The blood still stains thy coat!” Now it was Luna's eyes which were full of concern.

“Princess, please allay your fears. I have been doing this for many years. You are correct that it is painful and unsightly, and in calling it sorcery perhaps you judge rightly. However, I do not use them as did my master. In order to do good here, I must be stronger, wiser, and faster. These souls are not my slaves. We are partners in leading the helpless away from early graves.”

“Come, let us walk as we speak,” Luna said. She gestured for Zecora to lead the way. As the two crossed the bridge back into the forest, the sun finally peeked over the horizon. Almost gratefully, the Princess of the Night allowed the moon to finally set completely on the opposite side of the sky. She squinted even in this gentle light. It would take some time for her eyes to adjust. Luckily, all she had to do was follow her guide. “I accept that what thou sayest may be true. Of course, thou art not my subject, and as such I can not actually forbid thee to do anything. It was merely a request. Do whatever thou must for thy own survival, as long as it does not harm those who deserve no harm. If that happens, I must intervene.”

Turning around to take a long look at Luna before they once more ventured into the jungle ahead, Zecora gave a reassuring grin. “For now I will honor your request, unless my life is endangered by our quest. Mustaslim.” Conceding a conflict. With that, she began winding her way through the branches, bushes, and brambles. Luna followed, wincing as various things brushed up against the already-scarred wounds on her side. The sensation pleased her though, reminding her how rapidly she was healing. After another hour of tromping through the woods, with twists and turns like a labyrinth of flora, they came upon a small brook. Zecora, with an odd smile on her face throughout the entire journey, explained that this fed into the lake and began to follow it downstream.

For Princess Luna, it was much different walking through the Everfree Forest after visiting her decrepit home. She walked slowly, overwhelmed by how much this entire area had changed. There used to be cities, villages, roads, inns, and ponies of all kinds here. Now they were all gone, replaced by swamps, hydras, strangling vines, poisonous flowers, corrupted animals, and many more dangers she fully expected to encounter in the future. But she also saw many harmless creatures, and Zecora could not be the only fully-intelligent, potentially-innocent being here, either. Burning the forest down, which Luna had contemplated mostly in a fit of anger anyway, was no longer a viable option.

If she were not so deeply connected to the natural ebb and flow of days, she might have thought it was midnight this far in. From there her thoughts wandered to the sun, then to her sister. She wondered if Celestia had started looking for her yet, or if it was still just guards scrambling around like they were chickens missing their heads. Either way, Luna was running low on time. To get her mind off of the subject, she asked if her companion had any insight into what they would be facing and how to defeat it.

“While I can only guess at its purpose,” she said, “I have seen something swimming just beneath the surface. The air is thick and pungent like that of a marsh, so you should use your magic against a place so harsh. That was the first and only time I have gone, but things may have changed because it has been so long. I wish I could be of more aid, but it’s a trip I was not eager to have remade.”

“Speaking of such,” said Luna, ducking under a tree limb that lazily tried to grab her, then forcing it to back off with a sharp kick, “thou appearest almost eager to make the trip now. Thou hast not stopped smiling since we left. Why?”

“I can not say what has transpired,” she responded, looking around carefully to make sure nothing was grabbing at her, “but when I'm around you, I feel not a little inspired.”

“I have used no enchantment on thee, if that is thy fear.”

“Fear? It may be that way for some, but the longer I'm here, the less afraid I become.”

Sensing a subtle change in the smell and consistency of the air, Luna concentrated for a moment in order to form a protective bubble around the two of them. A translucent blue sphere popped into existence and rolled along with their steps, purifying the air that passed through it. She explained that to a surprised but bemused Zecora, then continued her earlier thought. “No pony has been as open to me as thou hast been since my return, which seems an especially odd thing to say considering I know so little about thee and thy past. Yet I find myself not overly troubled by that fact, because what thou hast shared hath been so important and frank. I am not sure what else to say, save that I appreciate thy presence now. It has been a tremendous help on my mission.”

“Rahimaka,” Zecora said happily.

Bless me? thought Luna. Something like that.

Only a few more minutes passed before their destination became clear. There was always something odd about the trees, a different something depending on which part of the forest one was in. Here, the “regular” trees gradually gave way to giant white-capped mushrooms. A yellow and green haze rolled along the ground underneath them. The water of the lake, perhaps a mile across, seemed untouched, but Luna could sense that it was being held that way by some form of magic. More streams fed into and out of the main body of water, and along each of them patches of mushroom trees dominated the landscape.

There were at least three former animals around the edges of the lake. Even with the large, blue aura enveloping them, Luna and Zecora seemed to escape notice. Perhaps the creatures were too busy, or were drawn more by other senses than by sight. One of them, a squirrel whose tail had been replaced by tendrils with mushroom caps on the end, was gnawing on a tree with its toothless mouth. Another, a cockatrice whose eyes were, perhaps thankfully, now a collection of fungal tubes spitting green toxin into the air, was just mindlessly trying to eat a rock. The third was a brown wolf who laid on the ground, completely still. It had the same self-awareness and terror in its eyes that the deer Luna had killed in the earlier battle had.

“I am not sure I have enough potion,” whispered Zecora, when she saw that Luna was heading toward the wolf hastily, “to cure a thing that has been robbed of motion.”

“Wilt thou try?” Luna hissed back. She knelt before the wolf and willed her aura to engulf it as well. Its breathing quickened as soon as this happened. “See! This one can be saved, can it not?”

Zecora was already opening her pack. After the doses they had both taken earlier, only half a bottle out of the two she had brought remained. “This seems dangerous, to revive a creature who may awake ravenous.”

“Wolves can be reasoned with,” said Luna, “but I will restrain him if need be.”

“Okay,” Zecora replied after a couple seconds of consideration. She knelt beside Luna and very slowly reached out to part the wolf's jaws with her hooves. It did not so much as blink, even as its sharp, glistening teeth were exposed. She positioned its head so that the drought would go down the throat and began to pour. His esophagus opened, and he drank the remaining contents greedily. When the bottle was empty, Zecora stepped back as far as she could while staying inside Luna's purifying force field.

The milky eyes of the wolf faded away, and after a single beat it leaped up and began snapping wildly at Luna with fierce growls. In response, she brought a hoof down on its throat, and held the rest of its body in place with her legs. It yelped and attempted to struggle, but her prodigious strength kept it pinned. During the hold, the wolf gradually appeared less and less deathly ill, and its clear eyes darted around wildly, confused, hungry, afraid, and angry. But it finally realized that its struggle was useless, and relented. Luna eased the pressure off of its throat.

“Be still,” she commanded. “We are going to give thee water.” Her horn cast a blue field around one of their canteens and levitated it over, hovering it in place above the wolf's mouth.

“You're a pony,” said the wolf in a dry, raspy male voice. “You know we eat ponies right?” He noticed Zecora. “And zebras?”

The Princess ignored the comment and tipped the container over, giving one small gulp at a time. He savored each one like it might be his last, then shut his eyes.

“Tell us of this lake,” Luna said. “We are going to put a stop to this.”

“Got separated from my pack, came to the first source of water I could find, then noticed my own body turning against me the more I drank. My brain was starting to go when you got here. Some type of infection. That's all I know. Now could you get off of me please?”

“If thou tryest to eat us we shall slay thee,” Luna said menacingly, then backed off of the pinned wolf.

“What's with this thou stuff?” he asked, getting up slowly on wobbly legs.

“Second-singular pronoun. 'Tis not that difficult to comprehend. Now enough with the inane questions. What is thy name?”

“I'm Breca,” he said, squinting up at the pony who was even taller than he was. He seemed to see her for the first time, and was struck dumb. The river-like movement of her mane and tail was mesmerizing, especially when taken together with the way her collar and shoes glittered, as if made of crystal. Her face was grim and determined, a look made even darker by her black crown and the shimmering resonance of power coming from her unicorn horn. Her eyes were a mystery he could only begin to fathom.

“We are the royal crown of Equestria, Princess Luna of the Night,” she paused in the middle of her speech to proudly point at herself, chest puffed out, then swept the hoof over to where Zecora was watching warily. “This is madam Zecora. Well met, Mister Breca. After we have dealt with this menace, we shall heal thee and lead thee to safety if possible.” To punctuate her declaration, she slapped her hoof back down on the ground, causing a slight rumble.

“Thanks,” he said, still distracted by the sight before him, “I should really just get back to my pack now though. You don't have to heal me or anything.”

“Absolutely we do,” said Luna emphatically. “Thou canst barely stand, and the air is choked with poison besides. We would be remiss in our duty if we were to abandon thee.”

“Your duty?” the wolf looked genuinely confused as he questioned her. “To wander around the Everfree Forest saving dying carnivores?”

“No,” Luna spoke solemnly, even more so than usual. “We have vowed to succor the poor and needy, to defend the weak and helpless, to honor and respect all those of virtue and goodness, and to destroy all that which is vile and corrupt. Species is not mentioned in our code, and that is by design.” She seemed to be reciting her words from a very old memory.

“You're strange...” Breca said, with a little wonder in his bewildered voice now.

Zecora was a little less surprised than the wolf, though still caught somewhat off-guard, when Luna laughed deeply and heartily at these words. The laugh was perhaps a little too loud, however, as the two other infected creatures they saw earlier turned to face the trio. The deformed animals did not advance though; in fact, they backed away. Luna and the others soon saw that this was probably because a dark shadow beneath the surface of the water was approaching them with astonishing speed. A blinding, green light burst out of the water to hover in the air above the coast, and Luna immediately leaped in front of the other two into a defensive battle stance.

The light gradually resolved into the outline of a pony, a white-coated mare with a black mane. The lower half of her body, instead of ending in two legs and a tail of hair, tapered off into a wet, scaly, finned fish-like tail. Her horn glowed with the same green as the light, encasing her in a levitation spell.

“Princess Luna!” she exclaimed with a gurgling distortion in her voice caused by the folds of gills that lined her neck. Her rheumy, sea-green eyes glimmered with joy. “I knew you would return! As soon as I saw the signs, I woke up and—”

“Hold,” Luna commanded, and was obeyed. “What is the meaning of this? Who art thou?”

“Oh yes,” she said, shaking her head and smacking it with her hoof. “Of course. I can be so simple sometimes. It would have been a very long time for you, but for me it was just yesterday. I'm Thin Mint, one of your apprentices. I've changed a bit, but surely you recognize me!”

The Princess gave the mare a confused and disturbed look, with one of her forelegs raising reflexively as if to back off. While she did stand her ground, Zecora and Breca backed off as far as they could, with very similar looks.

“Yes,” she said slowly as the memories rose to the surface of her mind. “I do. Is this the – the research I asked thee to conduct?”

“It is!” Thin Mint shouted, clapped her hooves together, and beamed. “I didn't have long to really perfect things before your rebellious sister rolled in, so I had to memorize my results and hide here. I've been able to wake up a few times for the past—what is it?—thousand years, and that's how I learned to swim, but you're probably not interested in that. I know you will be interested in the fact that ever since your return, things have been quiet enough for me to do a test run of my techniques. The poison is a nearly-complete success. I can control anything it has infected, but only so much at a time. Pretty much this area you see around me. The animals are too much for me except one or two at a time, but somepony of your power... Here, let me dust this place off so I can share the results with you!”

With a flash of green magic, the unicorn created a space about twenty yards around completely free of the poisonous fog. She flopped down onto land, standing with her hooves at the edge of the lake, and flapping her tail excitedly against its mild surf. Her cutie mark was still visible above her transformed legs—a pair of crossed candy canes.

Luna stepped forward out of the purple field she had created, but left it up for the others she was protecting, just in case. Zecora ran to the edge to try to stop her, but halted there, seeing she was too late. She unclasped the packs containing her potions and masks as Luna stopped directly in front of the strange pony creature. Zecora’s body tensed up to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

“Things are not as they were, my student,” said Luna. “This must stop immediately.”

“Huh?” Mint said with a blink. “But you made me promise. Are you testing me?”

“This is no test. What thou hast created is an abomination, and dark indeed was the day that I forcefully extracted obedience from a pony such as thyself.”

“An abomination? No way. Look!” She waved her hoof toward the forest and concentrated, then a huge cloud of vapor poured out as the cap of one of the mushroom trees burst open. Even though she smiled at this accomplishment, her watery eyes started to drip. “And I could grow that back in a couple days! Think what you could do with this. If you give me something to write with, I can give you my exact projections. I have them committed to my mem—”

“Stop,” said Luna through grit teeth. “Mint, I release thee from thy oath. Dost thou understand? Thy task is done.”

“Good one, Your Highness,” Thin Mint scoffed. “Even a second-year apprentice knows your oath spell doesn't work like that. I may not have been your best student, but nopony could ever remember things like me. I'll never forget anything you taught me, and I'll never forget anything you told me to do. And you told me to work on this weapon so you could use it to stop the tyrant Celestia. Maybe this isn't good enough for that goal by itself, but it will help. I swear!”

“I see I shall have to destroy all of this myself,” the Princess said, forcing her lip not to quiver.

A look of horror struck the apprentice's face. “Oh gosh,” she gasped and recoiled away, moving closer to the water. “Please, no. If I've done something wrong, punish me however you want. I'll clean the whole castle, I'll put out the fires with my hooves, I'll even go to the basement again. Just don't destroy my work. You know what that will do to me...”

Luna answered by stepping forward hoof-deep into the water.

“No!” Mint glanced down at those hooves in a panic and started using her slick tail to slither back into the lake. Her horn began to glow once again. “I won’t let you!”

“‘Tis not up to thee!” Luna flung herself forward fast enough to knock her own blue-lit horn against Thin Mint’s. Their respective colors swirled in a whirlpool of light, and the water beneath them started to ripple. As the colors deformed before their eyes, Luna and Mint saw their vision of each other and the whole world around them distort...

The young filly Thin Mint’s throat was dry from all her profuse sweating. The draft of her thesis was being reviewed by Her Highness Princess Luna herself. With a quill dipped in dark red ink, she was circling words, writing notes in the margins, and making absolutely no sound except for an occasional grunt. She barely even seemed to know the student was there. Mint swallowed hard at the turn of each page. When the last one had turned, the thick folio landed with a smack on the hard floor between the two. She gulped and prepared herself for the worst.

“We had not considered this particular application of the theory of metastatic magic before,” Luna finally said. “There are numerous errors to correct before we will consider this for a public defense, but it hath potential.”

“I am sorry for wasting your time, Your Highness. I...” Thin Mint paused and tried to shake her head clear. “Wait, what?”

“We hope that question is not indicative of the level of attention thou payest to thy studies,” said Luna impassively, “or thou wilt be in for a very short stay here.”

“It is not...” The white unicorn’s hooves shuffled as she used her telekinesis to tuck her work back into her bag.

“Good. We would hate to see such creativity go to waste. Thou mayest leave now.”

Thin Mint bowed, exited the room, then ran down the hallway toward her dorm with a sound halfway between a whoop and a sob.

Meanwhile, Luna brought one of her scrolls of student lists before her, and made a note to keep an eye on that one in particular.

“What art thou doing to me?” barked Luna as Thin Mint broke their horn-lock and dove neck-deep into the lake.

“Reminding you of what you mean to me,” the deformed pony gurgled. The aura around her horn intensified while increasingly-larger waves swept up against the shore. “How much I gave to you. Then you’ll see you need me. You will need me!”

Luna suddenly felt like she had been struck in the back of the head. She turned around and saw that the sensation was due to her barrier around the others collapsing, The ominous, green fog was slowly rolling back in. Zecora was frantically mixing something using a series of vials. Luna growled as her eyes ignited with white fire, giving her enough power to reinforce the barrier just in time. The fog was closing in on her as well though, and there was no way she could form another bubble while still having enough concentration to counter the spell Thin Mint was using on her.

“Let them go,” Luna bellowed, the force from her voice blowing back the air to give her a few more seconds to think. “They have nothing to do with this!”

“You can’t scare me with those eyes, not anymore!” Mint swam farther out into the lake and began circling. “I have dreamed terrible things down here, Your Highness. If you come in and meet my friends, yours are free to go.”

Luna took one huge breath of what little fresh air remained around her, then lunged at Thin Mint. The “sea pony” was too slippery though, and she effortlessly slid out of Luna’s grasp, sending the Princess straight down into the deep, blue lake.

Luna heard distorted shouts coming from the surface above her, but they were soon replaced by distant, ancient voices which seemed to come from every direction, as if the now-turbulent water itself were speaking to her.

“I think that with the correct heraldry,” Thin Mint, then a third-year student, was saying as she struggled to keep up with the Princess’ long strides through the hallways of the academy, “and a Come To Life spell, it should be possible to do what you’re suggesting, but—”

“Think?” Luna interjected, “Or know? Be confident in thy assertions. Can it be done or not?

“I know it can,” her student replied, “but I can’t do it by myself...”

“We never expected thee to do it alone. We shall assign a research team, which will practice on dead plants or other such organic tissue. Thou wilt head this team.”

“Wow, I—”

“Prove to us that this is not a wasted gesture, fledgling. Do not thank us until then.” She dismissed the apprentice with a wave of her hoof.

“Of course, Your Highness.” Mint bowed, and set off toward the library. “I shall start right away!”

Luna blinked hard, mentally pushing back against the mess of illusions before her. She caught sight of the wake of a finned tail heading downward and swam with rapid, powerful strokes toward it. It was all she could do merely to keep it in view. Other shapes fought for her attention at her sides: the water-logged corpses of ponies staring blankly at her. She was as used to such traumatic flashbacks as one could be, having lived with them for millenia, but this was different. These corpses were actually here, and they were trying to move. At least six of them were slowly and clumsily following her. In that moment of distraction, Thin Mint’s mind pushed against hers once again.

“Thy social skills leave much to be desired,” Luna said to Thin Mint, who had been at the academy long enough to have grown into marehood. “The answers to many of our questions were extremely awkward. Still, thou hast answered most of them to our satisfaction. Consider thy thesis accepted. Congratulations.”

Mint’s heart skipped a beat and, without thinking, she threw her hooves around the Princess’ neck. All the other assembled students shared in Luna’s stunned silence. After a pause, Luna gently removed her student’s hooves. Her mentor did not glare or scowl though, like she expected. Instead, Luna said in a low voice. “It is inappropriate to show affection to me in this manner; it is a severe breach of royal decorum. However, I understand. I am happy as well. Thou art a good student whom I am pleased to include in the ranks of my apprentices.”

Luna’s air supply would be gone in a matter of minutes. She realized that even if she did manage to catch her mark, she would not be able to fully counter the spell before she drowned. She would have to overpower Mint’s will. Realizing the full implications of that caused her gut to sink into a dark, terrible pit. But it was too late. She had to do this. Waves rocked across the lake as Luna sent her own memories through the mental link between them.

Thin Mint stood at the top of a stone stairwell, shivering in her graduate student robes. She trembled less at the pitch-black darkness that stretched out behind her than at the vision that stood in the light at the doorway. It was Princess Luna, only her body was covered with scars, her armor had been dented and cracked, and thick, black tar was dripping from her hair and feathers. Worst of all, her scowl was unlike any Mint had seen before, and she had seen a lot of her teacher’s scowls. This one seemed almost... reptilian.

“Get thee down those stairs,” Luna said in a strained rasp, her voice scratching from the scar that split straight across her jugular. “Thy spell was worthless in my fight, and attempting to use it cost me several wounds I should not have received. Worse, it nearly cost me a kill.”

“I’m sorry!” Mint pleaded. “I thought a spell for simultaneous illusions would be extremely helpful!”

“Ignorant foal!” Luna stomped onto the stone, causing a crack to spread down to the step where her apprentice was standing. “I have no reason to hide from those pathetic beasts, and trying to do so was a distraction. I can only pray thy time in the darkness will allow actual inspiration to strike thee again, as it hath in the past.”

A whimper was the only reply Thin Mint could manage before the heavy, iron door slammed shut. A clank echoed in the deep, winding stairway as the lock turned. Far in the distance below, she could just barely make out the sound of heavy breathing, previous memories of which she had almost managed to repress.

“I was weak back then!” Mint’s words burbled up from the depths. Her grip on Luna’s mind slipped just slightly. “But I’ve been practicing, even while I was sleeping! I’m strong now!”

“Thou hast been practicing evil arts,” Luna projected her words toward Thin Mint’s mind along with a renewed assault, “which I spent centuries battling. Dost thou truly think victory is possible?”

“Yes, because I’m fighting for my life! When have you ever fought for your life!? You have no idea what it’s like to be terrified of your own death!”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. But thou knowest death well.”

Thin Mint clutched the tear-soaked letter to her chest. With her magic, she was carefully packing what few possessions she kept in her dorm into a suitcase.

“Where art thou going?” a familiar voice said as her door was violently pushed open.

“M-My mother is...” she stammered hopelessly, unable to continue her sentence while retaining any semblance of dignity before her liege and teacher.

“Out with it,” said Luna with an imperious gaze. “We have no patience for thy simpering.”

Thin Mint passed the letter to the Princess. After quickly reading it, she crumpled the paper and tossed it into the corner. “What reason is there to pack thy belongings over a death in the family? Send a letter, and they will be fine.”

“But my sister needs me,” Mint said mechanically, staring at the ruined letter. “My father isn’t well enough to care for her, and she’s still young.”

“She can wait until thy work is done.”

The white unicorn lay down on the floor and bowed her head, staring at the lines between the stones. “I don’t know when it will be done, Your Highness.”

“I am sorry,” Luna said with no regret in her voice, “but it is too late to turn back. Thou hast sworn to me that thou wilt complete this task, and so thou shalt. Put aside these distractions. I, and by extension Equestria itself, need thee.”

Resolve burned in the pupil’s heart as much as the fear of breaking her magical oath. The Princess had given her such a huge opportunity. Yes, family could wait. Thin Mint would just have to work around the clock, and send them back what money she could. The kingdom and its defense is what truly mattered. More than that, Princess Luna herself needed her...

But the money she sent made no difference. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, her father succumbed to the same disease her mother had. Luna took the last letter he sent her and burned it without reading it, like she had burned all of the letters Mint tried to send. Luna commanded an aide to make sure that Mint’s sister Candice did not starve, but other than that the Princess paid the issue no mind. The young, orphaned filly had to work constantly to pay off all of her parents’ medical bills.

Fed up with the perceived silence, Candy finally showed up at the academy’s steps one day and demanded to see her sister. Luna stood at the top of its steps, and told her that Thin Mint was too busy to see her. The project she was working on was too important. She would write when she could, and she may be able to visit in a few years. “Begone at once,” Luna finally commanded.

“That is just the kind of coldness I would expect from a pony who cares nothing for her own sister,” Candy said, watching the royal night guard glance nervously back and forth between her and the Princess. “Everypony knows all the tension recently is because of you—”

Candice yelped as Luna leaped all the way down the steps and landed with a thunderous crack right in front of Candy. She was sent sprawling by the force of the landing. Luna walked over as if to help her stand, but first she craned her neck down to whisper into Candy’s ear.

“Thou art lucky we are in public,” she said, her voice dripping with silky venom, “or I would make thee feel what coldness truly is. Thy sister is mine, and if she doth mean anything to thee, thou wilt flee this place and never return.”

The Princess lifted her head up, then almost-violently hoisted her subject back onto her hooves.

“We gave thee a command,” Luna said loudly enough for others to hear now. “We shall give thy sister thy love, but thou must depart now. Farewell.”

Luna involuntarily tried to cry out as her mental hold almost broke completely. Bubbles formed out of all the air left in her lungs. They ascended out of her grasp and were replaced with a flood of water. Slimy, rotten hooves grabbed at her from all sides. She continued to struggle against them, mentally and physically, and she might have succeeded if she were not so focused on protecting those on the surface from the toxic mist of the lake. Darkness was creeping in along the edges of her vision, and what little she could see was the blue and white light of her own magic slowly fading and being replaced with green.

Thin Mint, in her present form, so different from, yet so similar to, the eager, young pony she had seen in the previous visions, swam up close. She cupped Luna’s face in her hooves and spoke with twisted compassion to her. “Promise me,” she said. “Promise me that you need me, and this will end.” Luna made no attempt to speak, focusing all her energy on maintaining the protective orb she had cast above the surface. Thin Mint gave her former mentor a heartbroken look, then caressed the Princess’ mane for the first and last time... Suddenly, both ponies felt the sensation of a third mind intruding on the link.

“Come, little Pip, now don’t you fret,” Zecora said to a pirate-costumed foal. “Nightmare Night’s not over yet. We still have candy left to give, so Nightmare Moon might let us live!”

Zecora liked Twilight Sparkle’s plan. Maybe it could help salvage the situation, which for a brief but shining moment had been full of smiles and laughter. It at least might mitigate the damage to Luna and Ponyville that Zecora felt her stories had helped cause. As the foals were led off to give the traditional offering of candy to the “statue” of Nightmare Moon, she tugged gently at the hem of Twilight’s robe.

“I should have known better,” Zecora said quietly to Twilight. “This follows my past almost to the letter.”

“It’s not your fault,” Twilight reassured her. “This is right where Nightmare Moon came back a little over a year ago. It makes sense for everypony to be afraid of her.”

“But did you see her expression? She stands on the very brink of depression.” Zecora’s face was more downcast than Twilight had ever seen it.

“It’ll be okay. I still think you should come.”

Zecora nodded and smiled. She made sure the spiders—which were alive and slowly moving, but nopony had seemed to notice that all night—were still safe in her mane, then followed the unicorn back into the woods.

A short time later, Zecora looked on with apprehension as Luna performed the pre-planned scare. She started out as a stone statue, then morphed into the Nightmare herself, sending the ponies, children and adults alike, running away in terror, then finally transformed back to her normal self, spitting out her false fangs into her hoof. The mystic and knowledgeable zebra could not help but think of the physical changes of chemistry that she had studied as she watched the process. She wondered if such a thing could be done to a soul too. It was an idle, pointless thought, but it made her hopeful for the future anyway.

Zecora watched in delight as Pipsqueak returned, then ran up to the Princess and tugged on her mane.

“It’s fun,” the tiny pony said during their brief conversation. “Scary, but fun!”

Zecora backed away unnoticed into the foliage, quietly praying for blessings upon Luna in her journey. The foreigner hoped it would be easier than hers had been so far.

The visions all broke with a mental and physical snap from both ponies. Seizing the opportunity that faintest glimmer of happiness had given her, Luna finally managed to wrap her mind around Thin Mint’s will, and just barely summoned enough energy to crush it. Mint let out a bubbly shriek as her horn cracked. Then she watched in horror as it began to crumble into dust. The pony corpses seizing Luna broke down right along with the horn, their skeletal forms drifting down to the bottom of the lake to remain there forever. Mint’s magic had been broken, since she had thrown every ounce of strength she had into that one spell. Now that it had failed, she would be unable to bring the goals Luna had demanded of her to fruition, and so the curse of the oath-breaker was rapidly coming for her. Black, smoky tendrils grew like vines all over her body, spreading pain wherever they went and filling the water with inky darkness. Her howls were the last thing Luna heard before slipping into unconsciousness.

Zecora struck Luna’s chest firmly, causing her to spit out a stream of water. She shot up, coughing and gasping for air. Once her vision recovered enough to make sense of her surroundings, she saw that she was at the shore of the lake. The toxic mist had diminished greatly in thickness, and no more of it was being pumped into the air. She could feel some of the spores inside her, but they were not growing or spreading. The two beings she had struggled to protect had obviously inhaled some as well, but no further harm seemed to be coming to them now. She tried to smile at that victory, at least, but the attempt only caused her to cough again.

Luna noticed that both of them were looking off to the side, toward some sound that she could barely make out. She turned her head and saw that Thin Mint had washed ashore, whispering to herself as her body was gradually enveloped by more external veins of darkness. Her gills were twitching and her tail was lashing from side to side. Luna crawled over toward her.

“I failed, I failed...” Mint was repeating over and over, with salty tears mingled with fresh water flowing out of her rheumatic eyes. Her cries intensified as she saw the particles of her white horn being carried away and dissolving into the steadily-calming eddies in the middle of the lake.

“No,” Luna croaked as she dragged her body to Mint’s side, “thou art studious, intelligent, creative, and most of all, loyal.” She looked long into the twisted eyes of Thin Mint, who tried her best to return the stare, but her eyes only rolled around and shut tightly in agony. “Thy only failure was choosing to be loyal to me, and thus to the monster I became. Thin Mint, I am so sorry...”

Mint curled up tightly, wrapping her hooves around her torso. Luna gently laid a hoof on her forehead, right where her horn had been. While the pain didn't stop, it didn't seem so bad now as her mistress allowed her mind to focus on other things. Happy memories. The one that stuck out was the day she got her cutie mark. It seemed so dumb to think about it now that her own sovereign had killed her and everything she had spent a millennium creating, but all she could see was the happiness on her dear Candy’s face when she won back their treats from a pair of bullies with all the righteous fury of a unicorn foal. The sugary canes were half-eaten and covered with snow, but the siblings had devoured them anyway, and they were absolutely delicious.

“I hate you,” she said with her last breath, just before the black tendrils closed around her eyes and forced them shut forever. Luna's gaze stayed locked there, even after all consciousness was gone.

Planting one hoof at a time firmly in the earth, Luna very deliberately willed herself to stand, then turned to face the wolf she had gone through all of this to save. “Mister Breca,” she said at a volume little more than a ragged stage whisper, in a forced but proud tone. “The immediate danger hath passed. Regretfully, we cannot lead thee anywhere, but we shall attempt to mend thee with what little power we have left. Please take care, and remember that if we come upon thee threatening our subjects or other innocents, thy life shall be forfeit in this same manner.” She enveloped him in her magical light, and he began to glow the same color as the moon. He coughed violently, and the last remaining spores in his body came out and burned away to nothing. The healing magic tried to fix him further, but Luna’s horn sparked and sputtered until no more light could come from it. Once the glow stopped, Luna let out a strained, ruined sigh. Two of her hooves gave out from under her, but she furiously pushed herself back up in order to stand as tall as she could... for now.

“I won't do any of that,” he said. “Ever. Thank you. I won't forget what you've done for me...”

Seeing that Princess Luna had no more words forthcoming, he nodded to her, then to Zecora, and loped off up one of the lake's streams, disappearing ahead where the normal, uninfected trees stood.

Once the wolf was far out of sight, Zecora stepped up to Luna and searched her face for... anything.

“What was that?” Luna asked incredulously.

Zecora summoned up her courage and rested a hoof on the shoulder of the Princess, who stiffened and ground her teeth. She looked down at the hoof, then at who it was attached to, with a withering glare that likely would have sent any of her subjects scrambling away in fear. This foreigner just stood there, her great fear overtaken by her greater compassion. After the heavy toll levied on Luna these past few days and nights of arguments, inner turmoil, and bitter struggle of all kinds, this final sight was too much. Before Zecora could remove her touch, Luna exploded with a loud, choked sob, then threw her forelegs around the other body with such force that they both fell to the ground. Burying her face in her friend's neck, Luna cried until the zebra's black and white striped hair was soaked with tears. Zecora didn't mind. She simply returned the embrace and waited.

When the tears were spent and the last of her dry sobs abated, Luna drifted off into an exhausted, dreamless rest. Before sleep could overtake her as well, Zecora brought out one of her bottles and sprinkled a fine silver dust in a circle around them. Even if it didn't ward everything off perfectly, it would at least wake them if something tried to come at them. She settled back in against Luna and dreamed of her distant home.

Chapter 4: Always

Luna awoke gradually, dimly aware that dusk, her early alarm, had come. Feeling no great urge to move quickly, she sat still and surveyed her surroundings. Entwined with her was Zecora, still slumbering. The green and yellow mist that had choked the area the night before had cleared while she slept. Small land animals and chirping birds were slowly returning to the area, but she had felt no danger while sleeping, so evidently most of them were still afraid of this place. That, or possibly afraid of the magic circle of silver dust that surrounded the two of them. Luna thanked Zecora for the foresight, who responded by twitching a leg and snoring.

Then there was the lake. At its shore, the body of her apprentice, Thin Mint, still rested. There must have been another way. Maybe Celestia could have helped, or Twilight Sparkle? But instead I charged in and knowingly took a pony's life. Was I angry? Guilty? Full of righteous fury? She couldn't even remember feeling anything except the adrenal rush of letting her power loose, then the depression at hearing the last words “I hate you,” from somepony who had cared about and trusted her. She had ended a great danger here in the Everfree Forest, to be sure, but she found herself doubt-ridden and brooding anyway. “Curses,” she said, with a melancholy sigh. None of her fellow Palatins de la Nouvelle Lune had brooded quite as much as she did in the early days of chivalry, but she considered that her right. She founded the order, so the weight of their actions always stayed with her to some extent. Perhaps, in time, she should bring the organization to life again? Whether Celestia wanted to admit it or not, recent events proved that Equestria did need warriors, and exceptionally virtuous ones at that. From what the Princess of the Night had observed of modern ponies, she did not think virtue would be hard to find. Celestia had treated their ponies well in that regard. It was finding those with the strength and will to perform great deeds that was the problem. In any case, Luna, and perhaps one other, would have to be enough for now. Once she resolved her business at the palace of the royal pony sisters, and in Ponyville, she would have to start her plans and battles in earnest. Come what may, she looked forward to the fight, even in her current anger and despair.

Some time during her brooding, she realized that Zecora had woken up, and was watching her. Zecora’s enigmatic closed-mouth smile sprang instantly to her face. It was becoming less and less enigmatic each time Luna saw it, but in a way she hoped it always continued to have at least a little bit of that quality. Zecora’s voice had that mysterious edge as well as she groggily greeted, “Qaratabi sadati.”

Luna smiled, much to her surprise. “Many thanks yet again,” she said, disentangled her body, and stood up, stretching and shaking the stiffness out of her muscles and joints. “It was thou that saved my life last night, was it not? How?”

“All I did was use a mystic brew,” she said, “which gave you the strength to pull through.”

“But I felt thy mind.” Luna dug at the ground with one hoof, intently watching the hole she was digging. “Thou wert with me.”

“The Everfree Forest is abundant with the powerful and strange,” Zecora explained, “provided one is educated on what to change. In the capital of my home nation, I received the very best in education.”

“Well, I think...” Luna paused, stopping her scratching at the ground, but not looking up.

Zecora lifted up her bags and tied them to her sides once again, glancing over at her friend to indicate that she was still listening.

“I know thou hast a home here, and a life, but... I would like thee to travel with me. Not forever—I would not ask that— but for a brief span, at least. We could accomplish great things together...” Luna finally raised her eyes. Their severe redness only intensified the fiery resolve behind them.

“To tell you a secret,” Zecora replied, “I was going to do that without you asking it.”

“Oh, thou mischievous sneak,” Luna shouted delightedly as she grabbed Zecora and jumped up with her. The Princess hugged her new-found friend over both shoulders ceremoniously, then unceremoniously dropped her, not realizing that, in her excitement, she had started flying in place unconsciously.

“Ow,” Zecora put it briefly.

Luna apologized profusely, but could not help laughing during and after the apology. Neither could the one she had dropped. Their fit lasted much longer than the amusement alone would have suggested, and before long they were just doing it to let all the tension and pain out. When they were finally done, Luna spoke up again. “I am greatly pleased to hear that. However, I must complete a couple of tasks before I go, and... I would like to perform them alone. Canst thou make it home safely now?”

“I can,” said Zecora, dusting herself off from the drop. “But you will not like the way. I will have to resort to sorcery, as some might say.”

“About that,” said Luna. “May I... watch it?

“That does not make much sense. I thought you could not allow it in your presence?”

“I spoke hastily out of fear,” the Princess replied, shaking her head. “It is obviously something that is a great part of thee, so I would see it, with thy permission.”

“Well, it would not be right to hide,” Zecora said as she opened up the pouch that contained her masks. She pulled out a large black one. For holes, it had small eyes, but big lips and big nostrils. Around its edge a mane of coarse black hair was pasted. “Here, the soul of an ape named Moussa is inside. In life he was a brawler without peer, and also a great drinker of beer. But are you sure you want to see? I can do this out of sight just as easily.”

Luna nodded without hesitation, so Zecora shrugged a little, untied her sacks, then held the mask up to her face. She closed her eyes and focused, and after a few seconds her body jolted as the wood of the mask grew out into sharp splinters, which pierced her neck and trapped it like a vise. She dug her hooves into the ground, shaking and closing her eyes tighter, but did not utter a sound. The black wood continued to grow and spread over her body, and as it passed it caused her form to twist and bend with crunching and cracking noises. Her spine became more upright, her front legs became giant paws, and her size more than doubled, mostly with muscle and bone, but also with a thick layer of hair. The hair was black in normal sight, but to Luna's vision, it was also interspersed with white stripes, just like a zebra's coat. The face was the last part to transform. Zecora's eyes appeared to recede a great distance from Luna, and replacing them was a pair of wild yellow ones. Her mouth was stretched into a grin that displayed her fearsome fangs, and her wrinkled snout huffed out a breath of hot air as the process completed. Only at that moment did anything magical appear to happen to Luna's supernatural senses. Her puzzlement was nearly as great as her regret at seeing her companion go through so much pain.

“That was worth the hurt,” Zecora said along with another, closer voice, which was guttural and boisterous, “because now, great strength I can exert.”

“It...” Luna stammered, staring up at the gorilla that towered over her. “It does not seem so to me. That looked as though it caused thee great distress.”

“I will heal in an easy way,” the voices said, the body brushing the comment off with a wave of a huge paw. “You won’t even notice it after a day.”

“That is not what I meant...” she trailed off, then hopped up into the air and used her dark wings to hover in place at eye level with the gorilla. “There is nothing to be done for it now though. Tell me truly, thou art still Zecora, correct? The zebra I cherish is still in there in some way, is she not?”

“We are the same being in this form,” he said as he scratched himself. “Into each other, we transform. Moussa is what is seen on the outside, the body in which we reside. I am still present, so please, do not lament.”

“That sounds... extremely familiar,” said Luna, a familiar, nauseating feeling of corruption rising up from deep inside her. “We have more in common than I could ever have imagined. And thou canst simply remove the mask, whenever thou wishest?”

“I can do so, but only because I am a such a pro.” The gorilla flashed a smile that was simultaneously funny and threatening. “And that is quite true. If these spirits disliked me, a struggle would ensue. It is a struggle I may win, but if I fail they could take my skin.”

“This is such dangerous magic,” said Luna, putting her front hooves on his massive shoulders. “How didst thou come across it?”

“I will tell you another time,” he said, patting her on the back as gently as possible. “For now, I would like to go rest and clean off this poison grime. We can also complete our preparations and ease our frustrations.”

“Yes, that is a good idea. But first, how should we address thee? I do not think it would be wise to call thee 'she' and 'Zecora' when around others, but I also do not want to get used to knowing thee as anyone but her.”

“Zecora is an excellent name in my humble view,” he said, rubbing his chin, “but using ‘Moussa’ would be the best thing to do. At least, that is so in company. Out here, I’ll always be Zecora to thee.”

Luna thought she had run out of tears last night, but her eyes still found enough water to well up slightly. She came in for a hug, the two shared an incredibly-size-mismatched embrace, and then Luna settled back onto the ground. “Meet me in Ponyville, shall we say, three nights hence?”

They agreed on the date, and then Moussa hoisted Zecora's supplies easily over one shoulder and walked back into the woods. He waved goodbye, and Luna was left alone... with the corpse of Thin Mint.

She turned and walked to the edge of the lake where it rested. Mint did not look at peace at all. Catching a glimpse of herself in the water, neither did Luna. Her mane had split ends and tangles all over it, distorting the flow of the nebula there. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, and her coat was a frazzled mess. Fortunately, her wound had completely healed, leaving no visible trace, and she had regained some of the energy she had spent on all her spells, particularly the difficult healing one she had tried to use on that wolf.. She briefly wondered what he was doing now, and hoped her mercy had not been a mistake. It had been before. Then again, she thought, looking into the dead, black eyes of her erstwhile pupil, lack of mercy had been a mistake in the past as well.

“Thou art not a true sea pony,” Princess Luna said to her, “but I shall commend thy spirit as one. I hope it is what thou wouldst have wanted.”

She found a nearby tree and pushed it over, completely uprooting the tall evergreen with barely more than a grunt. She raised one of her hooves, conjured, and bound a magical blade of fluid moonsilver to it. With her tool's melodic hum echoing across the expanse of the lake, Luna cut through the tree's bark as easily as running a hoof through water. After approximately half an hour, with the sun almost under the horizon, she had hollowed out a crude canoe from the tree. She carried it back to the lake, gently lifted up Mint's body, and laid it inside. After a prolonged stare, she gave the boat a hard shove. When it came near to the center of the water, the Princess raised a hoof and slammed it back down furiously. The grief in her spirit, and in her accompanying cry of rage, was enough to conjure a small cloud and a bolt of lightning out of nothing. Nature itself bent to perform her funeral rite. The bolt struck the canoe with a bang of thunder that sent the creatures that had wandered to investigate the area scrambling for cover. It was enveloped in fire quickly. As it burned, the sun set completely.

Luna closed her eyes and lowered her horn, bringing forth the moon with a gentle nudge instead of a mighty push like last night. It was full, and would be nearly so for a few more days, so its bright light mingled perfectly with the reflection of the red flames in the water. Satisfied that the task was done, she beat her wings and took to the sky. She did take one more look at the site of the pyre before heading onward, and it was even more beautiful from this vantage point. The moon and fire made it look like a giant red eye staring up at her. She turned from its gaze with both relief and shame, then began her flight back to the ruins of her castle. I shall add thee to the list of those I shall dedicate my conquests to, she promised.

Less than an hour's flight later, she had reached her destination. An unmistakable figure stood atop the palace's tallest remaining tower, searching the sky. Before Luna could react, Princess Celestia, resplendent in her perfectly-groomed white coat and multi-faceted mane, spied her approach. Celestia waved, but even from this distance, Luna knew what her face would look like. She would be looking at her kindly, but not happily. She fully expected to be hearing some variations on the word “disappointment” soon. Resigning herself to her fate, the Princess of the Night landed next to her sister, straight into a stance very fitting for royalty. She folded up her wings crisply.

“You look terrible,” said Celestia, in a tone simultaneously humorous and concerned.

“Thou hast no idea,” Luna replied, with very little humor in her own tone.

Chapter 5: Dear Princess Celestia

"You know," Princess Celestia said to her younger sister, "when you told me you were going to Ponyville to visit Twilight Sparkle and practice modern grammar with her, I expected you would deviate from that plan a bit. I did not expect you to render your guards unconscious, take off into the Everfree Forest, and come here to our ancient castle, of all places."

"Let us practice now," said the bedraggled, red-eyed Princess Luna. "There are some things you canno- can't- predict. You are not omniscient."

"Please don't mock me," Celestia said, reaching out to tenderly brush a stray lock of mane out of Luna's face. She flinched, but did not back off or turn away. "It already hurts enough to see you like this. Will you please just tell me why?"

"I am sorry for mocking thee," she said with genuine contrition. "'Tis a lowly thing, one of the vices I am prone to. If thou wishest me to work on my shortcomings, however, thou shouldst also be working on thy weaknesses."

"Luna, we were talking about why you're out here all alone, not about how weak you think I am."

"I am not out here alone. I have made a friend already."

"You have?" Celestia asked, her eyes widening a tiny fraction.

"Do not sound so shocked," Luna said, huffing and turning her head to the side. "I happen to be a very likable pony."

"Actually, I completely agree. I'm happy for you, truly, but again- why did you leave?"

"Art thou sure thou wouldst know?" Questioned Luna, turning back to look into her sibling's eyes. Celestia's face dropped a little at the gloominess of the question, but she nodded, so Luna went on, choosing her words carefully and deliberately. "Well, before I say, I want to make one thing absolutely clear. My love for thee is unconditional. It is the deepest emotion I have ever experienced, and no fear, rage, hate, romance, jealousy, or friendship has come close. I am so happy to have had the chance to be with thee again." She paused, and Celestia nodded in understanding, then urged her to continue.

"Dost thou remember how I said that I have been away from our subjects for so long, and how I need to go out into the world and apply the lessons of friendship for their, and my, benefit? I also said that they needed to know their sovereign, and that I needed to know them. That was all true, but it was a layer of cake frosting on a pile of steaming refuse. The heart of it is that my envy of thee grows day by day, and with it so does my anger and depression.

"Thou art so full of grace and beauty and love, while I struggle simply to avoid making a fool of myself, or worse. Let me clarify, though. I am used to these emotions. I have dealt with them for so long that they are nearly a part of me. The reason I am out here is to put an end to them, to make them gone. And they are gone when I am out in the field, sleeping under thy sun and feasting on the wild grasses. They are gone when I am planning a journey or concocting a strategy. They are gone when I meet an enemy in battle and lay them low. They are gone when I am saving others. In short, they are gone when I am doing something more important with my life than galas and petty politics.

"If I do these things enough, I believe I shall be able to halt the rise of all the nasty feelings I have toward thee, or perhaps even overcome them completely. All I know for sure is that I shall accomplish nothing of the sort by staying with thee in Canterlot."

Celestia was silent, stunned and contemplative. Luna matched the silence, slightly worried about what her sister would say, but still surprisingly calm. It had felt so good to finally say those things to her directly.

"So you want to be the hero again," Celestia said slowly. "And you want to run away from me and your government in the process. Take care where you're running, Luna. Look at these old ruins around you. This place has changed much, but you know we both remember it quite clearly."

"Do not dare twist my words, sister," said Luna, her wings spreading out sharply with a gust of cold, musty air. "That will never happen again."

"Maybe not, but what if something worse happens? What if you die?"

"I would rather die right now loving thee," Luna said quietly, lowering her head and closing her eyes wearily. "Than live forever hating thee."

Celestia bowed her head as well, resting it on top of Luna's with their horns crossing. "What is it you want me to do, dear sister?" She whispered. "Do you want me to go away and ignore you? I can't do that. You're still a Princess of Equestria, and you are so important here. This country needs us both almost as much as I need you."

"Let us not worry about that now," Princess Luna retorted. "Everything always has to be a plan with thee. I do not even know how long thou hadst been engineering events for my return, or how far ahead thou hast plotted thy contingencies. By the stars, I can practically see all of those wheels spinning even now. Celestia, they are all dust in the wind. Tonight is what is important."

"Are you lecturing me? I thought that was my job."

"I am only an amateur. Thou art still much better at it than me."

The two of them shared a laugh which seemed to lower the temperature of the air by several degrees.

"Speaking of which..." Luna drew back from her sister's embrace and stood straight up. She balanced herself with her outstretched wings and brought her fore hooves up to her face as she bounced left and right on her hind hooves. A mocking but challenging fighting stance. "Thou art going to become even softer without me around. Better to get as much practice in as possible now."

"Oh Luna," Celestia said with a kindly smile. "You know I can't do that. I've already been gone for so long looking for you, there are probably petitioners lined up from the audience chamber all the way to Ponyville. Perhaps another-" POW.

In mid-sentence, Princess Celestia bounded forward with blinding speed and shoulder checked Luna in the gut, sending her flying off the ruined balcony they had been perched on.

"That is it!" Luna shouted as she cackled and started flying around the tower. She lifted her crown off of her head and throwing it down to her older sister. "Improvise!" Celestia caught it in her teeth, then took her own crown off with her hooves, setting them both down on the tower before leaping into the dark, clear evening sky herself.

Luna halted her circling and executed a quick flip to reverse her course, sending her body hurtling into Celestia's. The impact sent them spiraling sideways in the air like a funnel cloud as they grappled for position with each other. Hooves pressed against faces and limbs as their wings flapped frantically. Seeing an opening, Luna thrust out a quick jab right into Celestia's muzzle, then took advantage of the split-second stun to wrap around behind and get her sister in a head lock. Before she could even start to squeeze, however, she realized she was hurtling rapidly toward the ground, having been flipped straight over Celestia's shoulders with a powerful toss.

Instead of trying to stay in the air, Luna tucked up her body and braced for the impact. She slammed into the earth, creating a small crater in one of the stone pathways surrounding the keep. She executed a perfect roll to minimize the damage to her body and then sprang to her feet. Celestia was streaking down straight at her, hooves outstretched, which her younger sister met precisely with her own. The sharp crack of their meeting sent waves of pain through their entire skeletons. Luna used the downward momentum to allow herself to fall onto her back. She left another painful crater, but at the same time reared her hind legs up and swung a strong kick at Celestia's exposed underside. Instead of letting her fly upwards from the force, however, Luna grabbed Celestia's hooves and put her whole body into a huge horizontal toss of her own. The larger white-coated Princess sped along the dirt and stone for dozens of yards, dirtying her greatly and making the soft, shimmering colors of her mane and tail begin to flow in all directions, knocked completely out of their perfectly-combed locks.

Tiny bits of blood were trickling from their nostrils and lips as the two royals circled each other from the great distance.

"I had forgotten how liberating this could be," Luna spoke in between ragged breaths. Her lungs were definitely going to bruise from this. "Out here, I can cry and scream and let everything out. I do not have to bottle up and always make sure I am wearing the proper face and speaking in the proper voice. I can make my own propriety!"

"Luna dear," Celestia said, her own breathing a little labored as well. “You’re making the mistake of giving me time to think.”

"And what art thou thinking?" Luna asked as she carefully closed the gap between them.

"I'm thinking that you're too tired and injured to win."

"My goal is not to win," said Luna as she used her wings to give herself a final burst of speed and wind up a huge haymaker kick at Celestia's face. She sidestepped the blow just in time, then delivered a quick one-two kick in response. Luna's lithe, lanky body flowed around the counters, then her elbow rammed into Celestia's shoulder. She winced, but then stepped in close to strike Luna's side powerfully. They stayed pressed tight and close for several minutes, pummeling each other in the side and stomach with increasing ferocity. They very nearly crossed the line from sparring to outright combat.

Eventually, Celestia took such a huge risk that Luna was too stunned to capitalize on it. She raised both her fore legs high into the air, completely exposing her belly, then brought the hooves together and sent them crashing down onto the top of Luna's head. Luna hit the ground again, with several inches of rebound from the rocky grass.

"Then what is it?" Celestia asked while panting hard.

Luna leaped up with a feint uppercut. As soon as she saw which way Celestia dodged, her rear legs swung around and up, crunching against Celestia's chest. While the older sister was reeling, the younger jumped on top of her, knocking her onto the ground. Luna scrambled to try to get in a pinning position. After several minutes of intense struggle, she finally succeeded. Her feathered wings were set at full length and her whole body was twitching with barely-contained fury as she held Celestia to the ground.

"My goal is to hit thee," she said, causing a stream of spittle and blood to drop out of her mouth and mar what little purity there was left in Celestia's white coat. "Hard."

Celestia responded by ramming her forehead upward into Luna's skull. She couldn't quite break free of the pin even then, likely because the sudden blow had intensified her younger sibling's wild, dark, bloody visage and the freakish strength that came with it.

"Surrender. Now." Luna demanded in a voice that shook the rubble around them. While she waited for a response, she didn't notice that Celestia had unfolded her wings, at least not until it was too late. With a single, mighty backwards flap, the pair was tipping the opposite direction and the situation was completely reversed. Just before Luna could hit the ground with her back though, Celestia spun her around to land on her stomach, while keeping hold of her two front legs. Luna's shoulders nearly popped out of position as the elder Princess held her in place with one knee on her back.

"Who-" she said in between gasps for air, her limbs shaking from exertion, "is soft - now!?"

Luna's horn suddenly began to glow, as did Celestia's hooves in the same light blue color. With a single telekinetic yank, she was on her stomach as well, landing hard enough on Luna to knock the wind out of both of them.

"You cheated," Celestia groaned after she collected her breath, not moving another muscle.

"All is fair in love and war," was what Luna said, or something like that. Her voice was muffled from being buried several inches into the dirt.

"Ugh, what an- ouch- atrocious saying. What does that -ack - even mean?"

"It means that the objectives are so important- herk- that little care can be taken as to the means, if necessary."

"Objectives?" Celestia said disgustedly, coughing up a small gout of blood. "What are the 'objectives' of love?"

Luna was silent for a long time, during which she turned her head to try to ease the burning in her lungs. It helped little, since they were battered, perhaps even punctured, and she had inhaled some dirt and stone besides. It was nice to be able to see her bright star-studded sky though, even if it was through only one good eye and a fraction of a bruised one. "I will get back to thee on that..." she said finally.

"Please do," Celestia whispered, finally summoning up enough energy to roll off of Luna's body and onto the sweet, soft grass. And a few sharp pebbles, but she paid them little mind. With a grateful gasp, Luna rolled over as well, so that now the two were next to each other, resting supine and gazing far above.

"And it is the old Luna that believed that anyway," said the Princess of the Night, watching and helping the full moon tick slowly across the arc of the sky. “Not me.” She sighed and stretched out with a protracted yelp, but she had to make sure everything was set and healing properly. "Truly, I shall miss thee, despite my earlier harsh words. I know what I said was hurtful, but sometimes there is no other way to tell the truth. Understand that I was not attempting to be nasty merely to cast barbs upon thee."

"Shh," Celestia responded, doing the same stretching that Luna had with just as much noise. "I am hurt, it's true, but you don't have to explain the sometimes-terrible necessity of telling the truth to me. I was honored you trusted me enough, actually, and glad to hear how you really felt, even if it wasn't all positive."

They both attempted to say more, but their severe injuries fully caught up with them at the same moment. Besides, they also realized that most of their words just now had been superfluous anyway. They had said all they truly needed to say with their kicks and strikes during the battle, and so they rested.

It took several hours of wordless but not noiseless healing before the two of them were well enough to stand. Luna stood up first and gallantly offered her hooves to help Celestia up. She took them gratefully, and they looked at each other quietly for a few minutes, each contemplating how terrible they both looked.

“If you're going to miss me so much,” said Princess Celestia, “why not write me occasionally? Perhaps- once a week?”

“So help me,” Luna replied, rolling her eyes, “if thou askest me to send thee reports on the magic of friendship, I shall drop a comet on thy head.”

Celestia brushed off the comment with a wave and a laugh. She suddenly remembered something, and unfurled her wings to test them out. Seeing that the pain in her muscles was not excruciating enough to prevent their use, she flew up to the top of the tower they had met on. She brought back down their royal crowns, one golden, one black. She gave Luna the golden one, and in imitation of that nearly-forgotten ritual that had changed their lives forever, the two sisters bowed their heads and slowly set each crown on its owner.

“What art thou going to tell thy soldiers?” said Luna as she rose up and surveyed the tapestry of welts and bruises on her sister.

“Oh, probably that I had to slay a monster or two. That will give them a nice fit. That, and that you're perfectly okay and they no longer need to search for you. Oh, and you really should apologize to Sergeant Heartstrings. He was only doing his job, which is to protect you.”

“Who?”

“The leader of the detachment I sent with you, which you cast a sleep spell on? That was very impressive, by the way. Six trained ponies at once is not easy.”

“Oh right,” Luna said with a proud smile. “Him. I shall be sure to do so. Tell him I shall send a letter, which will have to suffice until I am able to apologize directly.”

“So,” both of them said simultaneously, and spent a few seconds working out who would speak first. It was Celestia.

“I must be going. Thank you for the practice. If you need anything else from me, you know how to find me. Farewell, Princess Luna.”

“Farewell, Princess Celestia.”

Celestia hopped majestically into the air and flew off as quickly as she could. Luna noted with a smirk that she was clutching one of her sides, before realizing that she herself was doing the same.

“I shall get thee for this.”

With that, the battered, broken, but still-proud royal mare stepped back into the keep, where she dispelled her illusion to reveal her ancient chest. Seizing a bit of vine, she fashioned a makeshift rope and then, against the protests of her entire body, hoisted the incredibly weighty object onto her back and tied it to herself. With many strained beats of her wings, she was finally able to lift off. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself above the treeline. The bats of the castle followed her in a black cloud as she flew back towards the road, creating a menacing procession of creatures of the night that no monster of the Forest attempted to molest, at least this time.

About an hour after midnight, Luna's flight brought her to a rustic-looking town she didn't recognize. It was laid out very similarly to Ponyville, except that its central plaza was a huge mosaic of Celestia's cutie mark, and the roads and buildings were all made of brick. The railroad ran close by as well. She was about to continue on her way and ignore their gaudy sun worship when she noticed something was wrong. The buildings were falling apart, and ponies were running out of and between them. And- the ground was shaking! An earthquake!

She dove down as quickly as she could, untying her vine and letting her treasure chest land with a great thump on the grass. She and her small army of bats swooped into the plaza. Several ponies noticed the spectacle- but not enough. Telling her servants to begin circling the square and turning the Canterlot Voice on full blast, she called out.

“Citizens! If you are outside, gather here in the square! If you are inside, wait away from falling objects and windows until we can rescue you! Do not exit the buildings yet!”

As she spoke, she levitated several hunks of brick that were falling off some of the larger buildings, halting them in mid-air over cowering ponies. She kept doing this over and over, until a large portion of the buildings was under her direct control. She kept a great deal of rubble from fully collapsing, but the mental concentration required by this and trying to keep herself upright as the ground shook was straining her faculties. With grim determination, however, she held on as best she could.

“If anypony is in there,” she yelled, describing one of the town's shops that no longer seemed to be falling apart. “Leave at once!”

Three dusty ponies came scrambling out and nearly halted at the fearsome image of the wounded and blood-stained Princess Luna, wreathed in a blue aura along with what must have been half the town. Their fear of the quake was greater, however, so they soon joined her, albeit unsteadily, along with a couple straggling families, tearful mothers, and wailing foals.

Shortly afterward, Luna noticed that the burden of holding the collapsing rubble had lessened slightly. Looking around, she saw that two of the unicorn ponies that had gathered around her had gotten the same idea she had, and now some of the debris was also wreathed in orange or green light. She pointed out several more buildings to evacuate, asking one of her subjects what they were called to make the process easier, and slowly the number of ponies in the square grew. So too did the number of unicorns endeavoring to hold the village together with her. A kaleidoscope of auras lit up the night, and acted as a beacon for more and more terrified residents. The earth continued to shake violently, but thanks to their sturdy hooves and the support of their fellow citizens, the ponies managed to keep from getting injured by falls and other accidents. Some of them even seized opportunities to run into buildings the unicorns had stabilized and rescue the elderly and foals, and those trapped under debris or otherwise unable to move. Luna was impressed, because she was about to order them to do exactly that.

Once all of the ponies in sight had been carried out of danger and into the square, they pressed against each other for support and comfort, looking nervous and worried. The unicorns continued to hold up the rubble for now, just in case anypony was missing. In the meantime, nearly everypony was talking, some about Luna, but most asking around to make sure their loved ones were okay.

“Be silent,” Luna roared at the sky, which accomplished the dual purpose of silencing all the voices and getting them to cower close to the ground, where their balance would be sturdier. “We must perform a head count immediately. The authorities of this town will assist us. Everypony else remain calm and do not move!”

The main earthquake had subsided by then. Aftershocks would likely come, but the mayor used the moment's respite to approach Luna to give the number of inhabitants, a little over one hundred, and then dispatch all of the town's pegasus ponies to help count with her. There appeared to be three missing. Circling the town, they made out no sign of them- until they saw the railroad track. All of the pegasi knew something was wrong, but only Luna could see exactly what- the rails had twisted and bent, and three tough-looking earth ponies were trying desperately to bend them back in place... because a train was approaching in the distance. Seeing that those missing were outside of the village, Luna dropped her levitation spells carefully, and the rest of the unicorns did the same.

“Oh come on,” Luna said in exasperation when she saw how close the train was. She did not mean it literally, but she was surprised and proud that the ten ponies flying with her took it as such and quickly raced alongside her to the track. The tired, grunting earth ponies were shocked at the sight of the new arrivals but did not stop their work until Luna suddenly commanded them to do so.

“What?” one said. “There's a train coming!”

“We know,” replied Luna as she closed her eyes and started to focus a great deal of energy around her horn. “But we have enough power to heat the metal. Stand back for now.”

The metal beams began to glow, first orange, then white. Sparks flew, and all the other ponies gazed in wonder at the image of the Princess that the sparks lit up in a strobe effect. They very nearly mimicked the flowing stars in her mane. Before the metal had cooled at all, Luna put her hooves to it and began to bend the tracks straight and true, with a sickening searing sound and the smell of burning hair, skin, and keratin filling the air. Some of her subjects tried to stop her, but she brushed them off with powerful snaps from her wings and continued to push. The train was close enough for its lights to be seen and its horn to be heard.

When she had magically cooled the metal off enough, she informed the others and they immediately set their hooves to the task. The beams were now pliable enough that they just might make it in time. Encouraged by the thought, they all redoubled their efforts through the pain, because there was not enough time to cool the metal enough to keep it from burning them. They sweated and strained with their whole bodies into the push and with their rear hooves digging deeper and deeper into the earth behind them, even the mighty Princess.

At last, they withdrew once the tracks were straight enough, for the time being. All except for Luna, who required them to be straighter. Were it not for them shouting at her and trying to pull her away, she may well have been run over. Instead, the ponies all swung back with her and landed in a huge pile just as the train passed by. It bumped and slid, but it just barely stayed on its course. There were many ponies staring with amazement and gratitude out of the windows as they whizzed by. The pegasi and earth ponies raised up a cheer, and before she realized what was going on, they had hoisted a wide-eyed Luna onto their backs.

She maintained perfect composure as they carried her back to town, not letting slip the slightest hint that she was in agony. When they sat her down at the gathering of the rest of the settlement, she noticed many more grateful and tearful faces than frightened ones. The fields of their minds had not been furrowed with dread by too many terrible legends about her, it seemed. Her appearance gave many pause, of course, but the mayor strode forward and, to her surprise, bent down to kiss her hoof. With the utmost courtesy she extended it for him, and then he lowered himself onto his knees, as did the rest of the crowd.

“On behalf of the ponies of Starfield,” he said, “I offer our deepest gratitude to you, Your Highness. Thank Celestia you-...” He bit his tongue, sure she was glaring down at him for those words. She was, but she breathed in and out through her nostrils, counted to ten, and then responded.

“No, thou and thy ponyfolk are right to thank Celestia. She has sewn the seeds of thy valor in this soil, and tonight all of us tended those plants until they blossomed and bore fruit. All of you are exemplars of what ponies should be.”

“Nevertheless,” he went on, continuing to bow deeply, “it is you we should thank most, Princess Luna. Please, let us tend to your injuries.”

“Nay,” she said. “Our only rest lies in the field now. All we ask of this noble town is water and grazing, for that is all the sustenance a chevalier requires.”

“Might I ask what a 'chevalier' is?”

“Yes, but first thou and thy subjects must rise. And actually, we also require parchment, ink, and a pen. We shall inform our royal counterpart of what has transpired here immediately.” She nodded as the assembled ponies got off their bent knees, and a few of them ran off to find the items she mentioned. “In the meantime, we hereby officially commend the courage and virtue of the residents of Starfield, and we offer these gifts as both a monument and as a continued service to them.”

She looked up at the bats hovering overhead and, taking their cue, they all flew down to perch wherever they could. Many on Luna, more on the remnants of buildings, and some on any pony who would let them. “They are intelligent and obedient. You need only get to know them.” Her words did little to assuage the creeped-out looks the ponies were giving each other about the dark “servants” with sinister red beads for eyes, but they still thanked her profusely.

While she and many others partook of refreshment (some mimicking her minimalist style), she took the parchment and wrote out a quick letter.

While she wrote, she defined what she said earlier briefly. “A chevalier is one of an ancient order of warriors we created, and of which we were the first. It is our sacred duty and calling to roam the troubled areas of the land and lay those troubles to rest however we can. There are no doubt some stories of these adventures in your library, which has hopefully not been destroyed, but they focus much on battles, so they are hidden away simply for want of readers. However, our lives were never easy on any front, and so feats of strength, tests of virtue, hopeless and hopeful loves alike, and tangled vines of intrigue were quite common as well. It will not be necessary to read them though, because word will soon reach your ears of the new chapters we are adding to the sagas. Your Princess has taken up the mantle once again, and we are at your service. Call upon us whenever there is an injustice of any kind that must be corrected.”

There were some yawns, but Luna chose to attribute them to exhaustion and ignore them in favor of the looks of interest she had garnered, and particularly the looks of wonder some of the foals were giving her. When she finished the letter, she spoke to all of them again. “There. Unfortunately, we are not trained in the arts of modern repairs, so we have sent for teams of experts which should arrive quickly. We shall also check on the occupants of that train, should they require assistance. We must be on our way. Remember, dear citizens, that you did well. We are proud. May the stars watch over your dreams.”

She dipped her horn to them and performed the Traditional Royal Farewell. Combined with the high emotions of the rest of the evening, the gentle glow from Luna's horn drove many to tears. They watched the letter vanish into the air as she sent it to Canterlot, then looked on with broken hearts as they saw that Luna was limping away, but somehow with royal dignity. She did not look back or wave, but the bats she had given them squeaked with what might have been happiness at their new friends and masters.

Not wanting to put too much strain on her burnt, tender hooves yet, Luna dragged her box of artifacts along the path with her magically. It was not too taxing by itself, but she soon felt the weight of everything else on top of it, and she collapsed several hours before dawn. She lowered the moon early tonight so that she could pass out in peace. The Princess of the Night slept like a stone through the whole day.

Just as Celestia finally arrived at her private chamber, the tingling of arriving mail traveled up her horn. She allowed the transfer to continue, opened the scroll, and read:

“Dear Princess Celestia,

There has been an earthquake in and around the village of Starfield. All emergency assistance has been rendered and no lives were lost, but the infrastructure has suffered significant damage, including the railroad. Its stop gap repairs will hold locomotive traffic for now, but it will require professional attention 'ere long. I am afraid I can be of little further use to these villagers.

I noticed something interesting during this disaster. Perhaps it is a fluke or a statistical outlier, but many of the citizens of this town were able to overcome their panic and work together to minimize the losses. They obeyed my commands without hesitation, and they took great initiative as well. I have officially commended them and given them some of my servants in honor of their courage and strength. If thou seest fit to send them a token of thy own, I would be in thy debt.

I am setting out to Ponyville now (in truth, this time), and I should reach it next evening. If my last visit is anything to go on, this adventure will be worthy of a ballad or two, for it will be at least as harrowing as the ordeal of the earthquake. Blessings upon thee.

Thy peerless sister,

Princess Luna

P.S. How are thy ribs?

Chapter 6: Magic Makes It All Complete

The moon was waning, beginning its descent into that thin crescent shape Luna loved so much. She stared up at it while flying low through the fields of grass and wheat toward Ponyville. She used a levitation spell to carry her box of artifacts along with her, giving her hooves time to heal from their horrific burns from the previous night. She had bandaged them with some scavenged leaves and reeds, together with a bit of magic, but they still hurt immensely. It was worth it though, she said to herself. I am now going to have to get used to having some injury or another most of the time anyway.

Her thoughts became slow and meandering like a steady stream. Each one blurred into the next peacefully, and her cares were forgotten. Maybe this was the right path for me to take after all. Whatever happened in Ponyville, the quirky houses of which were now becoming visible, would go a long way toward answering that question.

Princess Luna carefully flew her way over to the library, trying not to attract any attention. It was late enough that she could blend into the sky easily, even with her cargo. She came to a landing on one of the pegasus doors there and peered inside.

Twilight Sparkle was still awake, composing something on parchment by the light of a single candle. Spike was asleep, but her other assistant, the owl, was wide awake. His head twisted around to look at Luna, who gazed pointedly at Owloysius. The member of the night's symphony hooted at her. Twilight did not notice. She also did not notice when her pet landed on her head. Sighing, Luna decided she would have to intervene directly. She eased open the door very quietly, and then -

“Twilight Sparkle!” Her voice thundered into the room. Spike and Twilight cried out and jumped several feet into the air, and the unicorn began casting defensive spells on both of them before she even fully realized she was doing so. She is learning well. “It is I,” she said in a much quieter voice as she strode to the edge of the candle's range. She stood erect in the shadows, her face illuminated and cast in sharp but ever-changing angles by the soft glow of the stars in her mane and the flickering fire of Twilight's candle.

“Princess Luna...?” Twilight ventured cautiously, composing herself and bowing down. Spike, meanwhile, did the same, but from the safety of his blankets. Owloysius flew up to perch on Luna's shoulder, hooting his salutations.

“Yes,” she replied, giggling at the fright she had caused. “I am sorry for disturbing thee in such a manner, but it was too droll to resist.”

“It's no problem,” said Twilight, laughing nervously before rising to look up toward the second story window where the Princess had entered. “I was actually waiting for you. I just expected, you know, the front door. But it's fine either way! I'm putting the finishing touches on my lecture for tonight.”

“You prepared a lecture,” Luna said as more of a statement of dread than a question.

“Yes! Do you want to come down and have some tea and food Spike made before we get into it?”

“I made tea and food?” A muffled question came from the small bed. Twilight glared, but Luna saved the day yet again.

“I require neither,” she said. “I am - eager to participate in thy lecture, but I must borrow a book first. Dost thou have 'The Adventures of Dona Zapeta'?”

“Hmm,” Twilight's brow furrowed. “Is that one of those old myths about fighting and such? I mean, I probably do have it here somewhere, but...”

“Section 18, under Z.” Spike's voice was clearer now as he peaked his head out from under his covers. Both ponies gave him a quizzical glance, while the dragon looked at the ground and scratched his head. “I, uh, read a couple of those, sometimes. I think they're kind of cool.”

“Truly?” Luna's mouth curved up slightly at the edge. “Excellent taste. Please get it for me.” While Spike went off, rubbing his eyes and mumbling, to find her request, she turned back to Twilight. “I also need to speak to thee in private. It is extremely important. Please come up here.”

“Should I bring my notes?” Twilight asked with a gleam in her eyes.

“Certainly,” said Princess Luna, unwilling to dash the earnest young scholar's hopes.

Spike came running up with a copy of “The Adventures of Dona Zapeta,” a book with yellowed, torn pages that had been rebound many times. Luna lifted it out of his hands with her magic, thanked him politely, and walked back onto the balcony, bidding Owloysius to go back to his wooden perch. Spike grumbled, but Twilight gave him a gentle pat on the head and a kind word before she followed Luna. It helped a little, so he curled back up into bed.

“So what's this about, Your Highness?” Twilight asked.

“One moment.” Luna's horn sparked briefly, and a thin, clear sphere of magic surrounded them. “There. To all the rest of the world, we are having a normal, pleasant conversation about “you”s and contractions. But we shall actually be speaking of something else. I expect thou wilt try to copy this spell at some point—do not deny it—so let me offer the warning that I have never been able to make it last longer than five minutes, and that it takes me hours of rest between castings. I am sure that, given time, a pony of your talent could do much better. I simply want thee to be careful. In any case, this is why I am here.”

Twilight started to burst with questions as Luna pushed the trunk she had carried with her over. She rested one front hoof on it, and used the other to signal Twilight to stop asking why she couldn't find this spell in Canterlot.

“Inside this chest are objects from my distant past,” Luna spoke with a gravity that made Twilight Sparkle hush instantly. “They are, unfortunately, broken. Some can be repaired more easily than others. Even more unfortunately, the most valuable of them is beyond my knowledge and power to restore. Moreover, it should not have even needed such a restoration to begin with, due to its enchantments. What I request is for thou to uncover the cause of the decay and, if possible, to fix it.”

“I would be honored!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. She started to say more, but Luna silenced her again.

“Do not speak so hastily. If thou wishest to undertake this task, it must be done in the utmost secrecy. No one, pony or otherwise, can know of it. Above all else, Celestia must not know I have this under any circumstances.”

After taking a few moments for that to sink in, Twilight began to shift from hoof to hoof and scrutinize the ground intensely. “Um...”

“I understand thy hesitation. The reason for such secrecy is that the artifact I speak of greatly aids in the arts of scrying. She and I both had one long ago. At first it was merely a useful tool that we did not turn much thought toward. But as the centuries wore on, and she saw some of the - things I began to do with it, she destroyed hers and replaced it with a worthless gem, and she would have destroyed mine if I had not hidden it. But that was before, when I had already started to become twisted and transformed. Thou hast made me whole, and thou hast seen my spirit in the process. I know it, because I have seen thine. Surely thou canst tell that I would not use such a thing for any ill purpose now. I have undertaken a journey to help all ponies, nay, all creatures, in need of aid. With thy help, this journey could be made much easier by allowing me to find threats, instead of merely reacting to them. I can explain further, but first I need thee to swear...” Luna stopped speaking as a powerful urge to cast her oath spell welled up from deep inside her. The image of Thin Mint's eyes enveloped tightly with ugly black vines stuck in her vision.

“I know who you are,” Twilight said suddenly. “You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon.”

“W-What?” Luna backed away until she hit the edge of the balcony, and then tried to back away farther. “No I am not!”

“Huh?” Twilight tilted her head. “I just asked what you needed me to swear. It sounded really important.”

Just then, the image of her dead student was replaced with Twilight Sparkle staring at her, and then that magnificent, familiar spark in the unicorn's eyes. Luna stared back, her heart stopped pounding, and she moved away from the railing.

“We shall have to speak of this later,” Luna said, unfolding her wings. “Please, keep that safe fro - for me. I shall return next evening.” Without waiting for a reply, she took off, leaving her large blue and black box and the book she had asked for behind with Twilight.

Soon after, Princess Luna landed in one of the perfect green fields outside of the village. She paced back and forth, lost in thought. Twilight's accusation hadn't come from her mouth, but from that place inside where Luna had first heard the voice of the Nightmare. Are the Elements of Harmony still working their magic on me? Was it something Twilight did? Is the stress getting to me and driving me insane? Was I already insane?

While the questions she pondered were definitely troublesome, Luna's face grew placid, and her pacing gradually became slower until she stood perfectly still. A warm breeze washed over her body, sending the tangled mess of her mane flapping in all directions. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth with each gust. “A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you." Twilight Sparkle's voice again, right in the spot where she had been so often tempted and tested an age ago. In her trance-like state, Luna let the words flow over her just like the wind.

Before she realized it, dawn had come. She hastily lowered the moon, tucked all her stars away, and hid herself underneath some tall stalks of grass.

Performing her waking stretches was much less painful than the night before, so Luna decided to get in some light exercise as well. She watched the light of dusk slowly fade while doing a couple sets of pushups, wing pushups, and situps. She practiced a few basic elemental manipulation spells, such as directing airflow with subtle movements of her feathers, and spinning small sections of the earth with precise twists of her hooves, until the sun set, then she finally brought out the moon. Nothing special tonight. Luna was too busy thinking of what to say to Twilight when she returned.

She crept back into town and found the library lit brightly with many candles. She was not in much of a mood for fun, so she simply knocked on the door with three heavy stomps. The door opened slowly, and a sheepishly-smiling Twilight Sparkle beckoned her to enter. Twilight's eyes widened when the extra candlelight gave her a good look at all the damage that had been done to Luna's body, but she said nothing. The floor was littered with books, most of them very old. There were even a few scrolls among the carnage. Tucked safely into a corner was the chest Luna had brought with her.

"It's just you and me here," said Twilight. "I gave Spike a vacation with my pet owl at Sweet Apple Acres. The whole town is having a big hoedown there tonight, so I'm sure they're having lots of fun. Not as much fun as I've been having though! I've found references to something called a 'crown jewel,' which sounds an awful lot like what you were talking about last night. I-"

"Twilight Sparkle," Luna interrupted quietly. "I want to speak of something else first. To be clear, thou didst not attempt to cast any spells upon me last night, correct?"

"Of course not! I would never, Princess!"

"I did not think so. When I asked thee to swear something to me, I heard thy voice speak, but the words did not come from thee. Rather, they came from inside me. Not like a thought, but like another presence. Hast thou ever experienced anything similar?"

"I don't know," Twilight said. "I don't think so. Can you tell me more about it? Maybe you're just stressed out. I know weird things start happening to me when I get stressed. Have you been sleeping okay?"

"I am grateful for the concern," Luna said with a forced smile, "but I do not feel as if I can say much more. I simply wanted to rule out a couple of possible explanations. Let us not dwell on it. Wilt thou accept my apologies for my rude exit last night?"

“It's nothing,” said Twilight, emphatically shaking her head, “really. I wouldn't even call that rude compared to what I've had to put up with from my friends in the past. Anyway, I realize now that it isn't the reason you came here at all, but do you want to practice your speech while we talk? It's totally fine if not. I can just give you my lecture notes later on if you want them too.”

“That is acceptable,” Luna pronounced. “Or fine. Whichever. My time on the road will be long, and I am sure I will need the knowledge at some point.”

“That reminds me,” Twilight said as she began to sort through her organized mess, looking for the right reference to start with. “How long are you going to be gone? Doesn't Celestia need your help governing?”

“I will be gone until I - I'm no longer needed,” Luna said, shifting into a stilted but still much-improved version of her earlier attempts at modern speech. “I'm not sure how else to put it. She will be fine without me though. I'm going to write her regularly as well.”

“That's great!” Twilight levitated an old scroll onto her lectern and began to study it with a magnifying glass. “I know how much she loves getting letters. Just imagining the look on her face when I send her one of my reports makes me happy. But you probably already knew that. Sorry.”

“Don't be sorry,” Princess Luna reassured her and stepped forward to peer at the scroll as well. “Knowing that she has you as a friend will make the separation easier for both me and Celestia.”

Twilight had the appearance of a puppy who had been given a particularly delicious treat, but she swallowed it and changed the subject. “So, is this picture more or less like the scrying thing you mentioned?” She pointed at a drawing of an oval, exactly the size of Luna's gem, with very similar veins drawn through it.

“Yes,” Luna said. “That is a crown jewel. I'm amazed by how quickly you found this.”

“It took a while,” Twilight said humbly, though with the puppy-look returning to her features. “There wasn't a whole lot else I was able to find, but this”--she swept the scroll to the side and set an ancient book in its place--”talks about where they might have come from. The author speculates that they were made by dragons.”

“They were not,” said Luna, “but a dragon's talents could possibly be enough to repair them.”

“Yikes. Well, hopefully I can dig up something else. The only other pieces I could find that seem to relate describe – some really terrible things...”

“Like what?” Luna had to prod, in spite of Twilight's horrified and depressed tone.

“Like Nightmare Moon using her crown to spy on a banquet full of powerful unicorns, then casting some type of destructive spell through it...”

“Nightmare Moon never had a crown jewel,” the Princess said very carefully. “I had sealed it away at that point.”

“Wait, then that means...” Twilight looked ill, and her eyes teared up.

“I didn't become corrupt overnight. The things I chose to do led me down that path. I paved my own way right to the Nightmare's doorstep, and the whole time I thought I was just doing what was necessary to fight evils like her. I was wrong and I regret all of it, but I make no other excuses. I did what I did. Celestia is afraid I'll do the same things again, and you probably are too. You're both right to fear. I can't say what the future will hold, but I have to do this. Please understand.”

“I do understand,” Twilight responded, holding back her tears. “Like you said, we somehow connected when I used the Elements of Harmony. I know who you really are, and I believe in you, Princess.”

Luna immediately turned away from the lectern and wrapped her neck around Twilight's shoulders, squeezing her gently. The stunned unicorn managed to return the hug for a moment before Luna pulled away.

“I don't think stress is my greatest problem now,” Luna said, “but it still is one. I should do something about that. What time does that spa in town open?”

The water in the tub Luna reclined in was nearly solid red for the second time. Even she had been surprised by how much blood she had caked in her hair, to say nothing of the surprise of Twilight and the two spa employees tending to them. Aloe and Lotus Blossom were doing their best to be calm and professional. They had never tended to a Princess before, and they rarely saw this much blood and gunk on anypony. They opted for the minimal approach, speaking only when spoken to and pretending not to listen to Luna read an old book to Twilight Sparkle. It was getting harder though, because Luna was getting more and more animated during the reading, splashing a lot of bloody water around and nearly sending their utensils flying out of their grasp.

“'Zapeta swore by the code of her calling to guide the pilgrims to the Lost Mountain.'” Luna placed a hoof over her heart. “'They gave the greatest thanks they could, being but poor peasants. But for a flower of chivalry such as the great Dona de Alicante, the gratitude of the poor was one of the greatest gifts of all. They trekked up the sacred path with cloths wrapped around their faces to protect from the dragon smoke. Even then the air was too thick, and the coughing loud. It grew to such a din that Zapeta's surpassing-sharp ears would have closed up, had they not picked up a distant rumble from overhead.'” Luna sprang half-way out of the tub suddenly, her wings wide open, spraying water and sending Aloe reeling backwards. “'An avalanche! She shouted to the pilgrims, then gathered all four of the foals in her mighty teeth and sprang to action. Her legs kicked aside rocks even bigger than she was, and she was regarded as large even by other horses,, and she—ouch--!” A brush had gotten stuck in her mane. Luna turned to glare at the timid spa pony, but she stopped herself from saying anything harsh. “It is well. Please continue thy brushing, madam.”

Aloe nodded and took the brush back in her teeth. Across the room, Lotus Blossom was having a much easier time with Twilight, who was only giggling or gasping occasionally as the action of the story required. Her bath water had also not needed to be changed yet. Plus, her mane was not magical, and so it didn't occasionally spark and flash when being touched.

Luna continued her animated reading of the adventure of the Lost Mountain, but tried for the third, but not last, time that morning to keep herself relatively still in order to make her caretaker's work easier. The locks of Luna's mane, which had started out a dark but unmoving blue and purple due to being spaced apart and split, gradually coalesced into their natural scintillating pattern as the combs brought them together. Both of the attendants and Twilight stared as the nebulous river came to life, but the Princess herself did not notice, lost in telling her tale.

“'The first two groups had made it across the chasm in safety,'” she went on, “'but the bridge of stone they had used in their crossing collapsed! With a cascade of boulders baring down, Dona Zapeta's mind raced to come up with a way to save the four ponies who remained on this side with her. There was only one way. She bent down and commanded them to climb onto her back, quickly! Even on her broad shoulders there was barely enough room for them, but she hoisted the burden with the strength and determination of a farmer hoisting a sack of grain for her family. Taking ten steps back, she grit her teeth and charged straight toward the gap! The ponies screamed as she leaped into the air - !'” At this, Luna tossed the book out of harm's way, then launched herself completely out of her bathtub, landing with a huge splash in Twilight's. The entire room was drenched with pinkish water and filled with the laughter of the Princess and Twilight Sparkle.

The drenching included a gaping pair of ponies that had just entered the shop. Luna instantly and happily recognized one as Fluttershy, the pony who had started to coax her out of the habit of using the Royal Canterlot Voice all the time. The other, Rarity, she had met only in passing, but she had heard much about her from Celestia, Twilight, and various nobles in Canterlot. Both of the newcomers were mortified, though for different reasons. Fluttershy remained more than a little terrified of Luna, whereas Rarity was about to feint from the embarrassment of being seen in this state by royalty. Twilight greeted them in between fits of laughter, while Luna exited the bath to stand in front of them. Both went onto their knees as low as possible, one to hide her fear, and the other to hide her untidiness.

“You are my friends,” said Luna. “Do not bow so low. Rise and join us.”

“Excuse us,” Lotus Blossom said pleasantly. “We are going to need to get more water for the baths. It will be a few minutes. We are so sorry for the delay.”

Everypony assured them it was alright, and then they scampered out of the room quickly.

“I also apologize for getting you soaked,” Luna said after they left, “dear Fluttershy and miss Rarity.”

“What about me?” Twilight asked in mock-offense.

“Thou wert already wet.”

“Not with whatever all this ick is!”

Twilight and Luna laughed, Fluttershy mumbled an apology of her own for having disturbed them, and Rarity cleared her throat over it.

“Well,” she said, striking as dignified a pose as she could manage under the circumstances, “I can see moving our spa dates to the early mornings was a good idea, Fluttershy. Why, now we have the honor of spending the time with Princess Luna herself!”

“Yes,” Fluttershy squeaked. “I'm sure it will be very – nice.”

“Please,” Luna entreated, “tell me everything you have been doing. It has been too long.”

Aloe and Lotus had returned, bringing with them four extra ponies. The small establishment's entire staff, in fact. They had set to work immediately, cleaning all four ponies thoroughly filing horns, giving hooficures, brushing coats, steaming manes, offering all the best to their famous guests. Luna was much better behaved now that she was doing more listening than talking.

Rarity was telling the group how well her gem-studded costumes for Sapphire Shores had been received. “The Canterlot Round Table even mentioned my boutique in their latest edition! Can you imagine? Being an Element of Harmony is all well and good, but I truly feel like I've made it now.”

“That's wonderful Rarity,” Fluttershy said amid similar compliments by the others. “I think you've always made it though. Um, that doesn't really make sense, does it? Sorry...”

“No, I know exactly what you mean! Thank you! Now, why don't you tell the Princess what you've been doing, my dear?”

“Oh,” Fluttershy spoke up a little louder after Rarity's encouragement. “Okay. Angel and I have been counting bird eggs. There are going to be a lot of new ones this year, especially robins! Isn't that exciting? I've also been doing a lot of exercise with Rainbow Dash. She's so talented! She's going to get into the Wonderbolts for sure this year. Who knows, maybe I could too one day.”

“The Wonderbolts?” Luna asked while her unburnt hooves were being delicately filed. “Is she not setting her sights a little low? Those ponies are glorified stage magicians. Miss Rainbow Dash is a true prodigy and a hero just like the rest of you.”

“Oh, I completely agree,” Fluttershy actually managed to smile directly at the Princess as she said this. “I'll support her either way though. I'm just glad she's been getting nicer. Sometimes we all just need a little kindness.” That last sentence seemed wrong to Luna somehow, but she couldn't quite place why. Even with the awkward way Fluttershy was speaking, it didn't seem to fit with the rest... “I think Tank is really getting to her,” she continued, oblivious to Luna's puzzled gaze. “That's her pet tortoise. That I gave her. He can actually fly, and – sorry. Nevermind, I'm rambling.”

Luna returned the smile, and the fear on Fluttershy's face faded a little. “Rambling is what we are here for,” she said. “But my time is drawing short. This has truly been lovely. Thank you so much for spending this morning with me.”

“Princess Luna, why don't you read some more of that story for us before you go?” As Twilight asked her question, Aloe and Lotus nearly groaned out-loud.

“I would love to,” Luna replied, “but I must discuss something in private with miss Rarity. It is time-sensitive, because I will be leaving tomorrow, and I know not how long I will be gone. I know it would be cutting thy time here short, but wilt thou meet me in thy shop?”

“Of course Your Highness,” Rarity bowed her head. “Please excuse me Fluttershy. You know how much I hate missing these chances to spend time together.”

“It's alright,” Fluttershy said. “Twilight will be here with me, right?”

“Sure thing!” Twilight exclaimed as Lotus applied some highlights to her mane.

Now that she felt gorgeous enough to be in the Princess' presence, Rarity exited the spa with a slight hop in her trot. Luna followed her with her book wrapped in a levitation aura, feeling refreshed as well. They had done a good job caring for her, and she had written them a generous royal disbursement certificate as a tip.

“I must stop and get something,” Luna said. “Give me but a few minutes, and I shall meet thee in thy store.”

Rarity nodded and rushed off in a blur. Meanwhile, Luna returned to the library. She discovered it was still empty. Come to think of it, she had only met a couple ponies bowing to her along the way here. The villagers must have had quite the party. She was thankful for the relative calm. Starting a huge fuss here was the last thing she needed now. It was probably inevitable, but she hoped it could wait a little while.

She found her chest and inserted her horn into the lock. She brought out the silvery, shining cloak and draped it over one shoulder. She considered taking the journal as well, but decided against it for now. I will write in it when I return, she promised herself. Luna locked the chest, then set off for her rendezvous. Tired-looking ponies were trickling back in from Sweet Apple Acres along the way. She did her best to be polite and regal enough for them, but she was very relieved when she finally made it to the Carousel Boutique. There would certainly be a crowd by the time she left, so she began preparing herself mentally.

Rarity flashed her perfect up-scale-salespony smile and walked over to the Princess. “Your Highness, I am honored that you wanted an audience with me. I have some divine seasoned hay sandwiches and a bottle of '83 Vanhoover wine, a most excellent vintage I say, assuming it's not too early for you. I always start my day with a small glass. I know none of it is exactly royal quality, but...”

“Normally I would not partake of any of that,” Luna said, “royal quality or not. But since thou took the trouble to prepare it for me, honor compels me to accept. Thou art most gracious.”

As they sat down to enjoy the refreshments, Luna presented the tattered hooded cloak she had brought to Rarity. “Oh my,” was her first response as she was mesmerized by the way the silver thread reflected polychromatic light back, with the light composed of different colors depending on the angle of view. She breathed another “oh my” in a much different tone once she noticed the huge holes in the thread. She looked to the Princess for permission, then took the cloth to begin examining it up close. She put down her meal and intently took in every little detail, from the measurements of the hood, to the embroidered black circle on the back, to each individual black star woven into the cloak.

“I shall be most pleased if thou couldst patch this for me,” said Luna. “There will be many cold and wet nights ahead of me. I shall pay thee most generously.”

“Pay me?” Rarity gasped, nearly slack-jawed. “Not in a million years, Your Highness! Why, it would be payment enough merely to work with this material. What is it?”

“That is moonsilver thread. Moonsilver is a very light, flexible metal – found only on the moon. Because making a trip there is not a little out of my way, I shall make due with patches of the sturdiest cloth thou hast.”

“I cannot allow such a crime against fabulosity to go uncorrected,” Rarity said – before speaking.

The effect did not outwardly distract Luna this time, though her heart began to beat a little faster.

When Rarity's lips actually moved she said, “Oh, that is truly dreadful. Nevertheless, I shall do my best. How soon do you need it?”

“By tomorrow morning, if that is possible.”

“It will be done by tonight!”

“Well,” said Luna, “do not hurry it too much. I am very patient.”

“Consider it done,” Rarity replied, then resumed eating her sandwich and sipping her wine.

The two finished their brunch. It would have been in silence if Rarity had not started humming to herself in between bites. Luna did not say anything about it. She simply grinned and nodded her on. Rarity flushed, but continued her quiet melody anyway.

“Thy manner is most charming,” Princess Luna remarked as she stood to leave. “I wish that we had been able to spend time together sooner. However, I must go rest now. I thank thee for the food and in advance for thy services.”

“My pleasure on both accounts, Your Highness.” Rarity beamed. “Pleasant dreams!”

Luna tipped her horn, Rarity gave a graceful, ladylike dip, and the two parted ways.

On her way out to the fields, Luna saw that a crowd had gathered in the town square, led by the Mayor – and Pinkie Pie. All the ponies except the pink one bowed deeply to her.

“Hi,” Pinkie said loudly and trotted forward. She threw one fore leg around the very-stiff shoulders of the Princess. “How are you doing?”

“I am doing well,” Luna said in a monotone. “Thanks for asking. And thou?”

“Just fantastic! I got as many ponies as I could together as soon as I heard you were here, because this is a really special day.”

“It is?”

“Yes! You're the Princess of the night, but you're out here during the day. How often does that happen? Never, that's right! Do you know what that calls for!?”

“A par--” Luna began, trying to shift away from Pinkie's grasp.

“A Small And Brief Welcome Celebration!” Pinkie Pie shouted triumphantly. “All these beautiful ponies here are going to give you a super special gift, then we're going to leave you as alone as you want to be!”

“You – are?” Luna gaped at her captor.

“Yep,” Pinkie replied. “Then we should have a spooky midnight dance party when you leave! I mean, we won't if you don't want to. I'm not so insensitive that I'd throw you an unwanted surprise party. But what could be more fun than that?”

“Uh,” the Princess started, looking around at all the smiling faces in the crowd. What is going on here? “I do love to dance, but I do not wish to make a big scene of my departure. Perhaps – perhaps next time I come?” I can not believe I just said that.

“Aww...” Pinkie Pie and much of the crowd sighed.

“Fine.” Luna rolled her eyes as her subjects cheered and clapped their hooves on the pavement.

That expression soon changed into a wide beam as she saw the little foal Pipsqueak make his way out of the mass of ponies, carrying a wreath of dark iris blossoms with him. Before he got the chance to say anything, she scooped him up in her hooves and squeezed him close.

“Hey favorite Princess,” he said, squirming until she set him back down. “This is for you. We made it to show how much we missed you!”

She lowered her neck so Pip could place the wreath on her. She rose back up slowly, gazing at him, at the rest of the town, then back to him again, completely silent the whole time. Not a sound came from the crowd either. She took in and exhaled a very deep breath.

“My friends,” she addressed the assembled citizens, “it seems as though I have made a great error in judging what kind of reception to anticipate when I arrived here. I thought that last Nightmare Night might merely have been a fluke, and that I would be shunned again. Or worse, I thought that the celebration this time would be even wilder, and that I would be forced into all manner of events I wanted no part in. Instead I have been shown great respect and courtesy. There is something of equal importance I would like to share with you, but I will do so just before the dance party. Farewell for now. Th-Thank you all...”

Luna bowed to them, choking down a sob, then resumed her path. To her continued surprise, Pinkie Pie did not follow her. Instead, she grinned and waved, with Pip on top of her head doing the same. Then they both dashed off.

By the time Luna finally got far enough into the grass outside of town that she guessed she would not be stumbled upon, it was already noon. Not as much rest as she would have liked, but it would have to do. She took off her wreath and gazed at it until sleep finally took her.

That night, the moon was a bright crimson and the sky was completely clear of clouds. No lamps were carried out to the field where the party would be, but none were needed. The grass and leaves were practically glowing red themselves due to the size of the moon in the sky. The air was hot but not muggy, so all kinds of animals aside from ponies roamed the open spaces, seeking relief with every gentle wave of wind. It was the perfect atmosphere for the wild set that the DJ was organizing at the head of the shiny outdoor dance floor that Pinkie Pie maintained a few minutes off of the road to Ponyville.

On the raised wooden stage that the speakers were set upon, Princess Luna stood in front of nearly everypony in the village. She wore their wreath of irises proudly around her neck. Her repaired cloak was clasped around her body by the collar bearing her crescent moon symbol. Rarity had filled the holes with a purple cloth that perfectly matched the outlines of Luna's mane, and she had taken the extra time to continue the pattern of small black stars on the patches as well. As the cloak flapped in the breeze along with her mane, an aurora of bright colors flashed before the eyes of the crowd, in stark contrast to the sinister red glow that surrounded them.

“I wish to tell you a story,” she said loud enough that all could hear without her needing to use a microphone. “Or part of one. It concerns a time and a land both long gone, but its meaning still concerns us today. I do not need to remind any of you of the trials you have faced in only the last two years. They have been great, but so far you have been greater. Be not frightened when I tell you that even worse threats lie ahead, for you will soon see that even the greatest of terrors can be overcome if there are enough beings of virtue, courage, and strength to face them. Listen well, and I shall tell you of the deeds of a very old friend of mine.

“Her name was Zapeta, and she was a horse who lived in the country that you now call Andalusia. She lived by a code very similar to ours of friendship, except that she was also required to possess extraordinary bravery, for she lived in a time and a place full of conflict, where the wicked preyed on the weak, where there was no Tartarus to lock away the monsters, and where there was no treaty that bound dragons from violence.

“I do not know what it is called now, but southeast of Equestria there is a mountain that was then known simply as the Lost Mountain. Dona, or Lady, Zapeta trekked the thousand miles there in order to consult with a wise but fearsome dragon named Oracle, who had a divine gift for predicting the future.”

“Excuse me,” a voice called out from behind the stage. “I know I am early, but I would like to interrupt, because I happen to know this story by memory.”

Laden with bags, sacks, and pouches that took up almost as much space as her body, Zecora approached the stage. The crowd mumbled and gossiped, and the din grew to a fever pitch when Luna bounded over and extended her hooves to help lift the zebra onto the stage. They held hooves for a moment longer afterward.

“Dost thou truly know this adventure?” Luna whispered.

“Yes,” Zecora replied as she smiled warmly at Luna. “In my training as a teller of stories, it was one of the first I sought out in my queries. Perhaps I can help tell it.” Zecora raised her voice so the crowd could hear her. “If, of course, your subjects will permit.”

With a wave of affirmative hoof stomping starting with a grinning Princess Luna, Zecora painstakingly removed all of her gear, then drew out some green powders and potions that many ponies there recognized.

“If I recall,” Zecora projected her storyteller's voice which, while not as loud as Luna's, could still be heard by most ponies if they pressed closer. They eagerly did so, just in time for a spray of green dust to be blown out over them. “Dona Zapeta wished to learn if and when a gruesome doom might fall. She had heard a prediction of a great tidal wave, so she went to find a way to save her home from that early grave.”

A towering illusory crag hung over the ponies' heads, with clouds of sickly green smoke spewing from its peak. The image lit up a circular green aberration of color against the black sky and the red light of the moon.

“She ran as fast as she could to the mountain's base,” she continued, “but she soon saw that she could not keep up that pace. For a group of pilgrims were going to seek the Oracle's wisdom too, and she vowed to see them safely through.”

“Indeed,” Luna interjected. “It was a harrowing journey, but through her selfless virtue and bravery, they all arrived safely, though shaken, at the cave of Oracle. Normally he demanded treasure for his prophecies, of which the peasants carried their entire lives' supply, but my friend implored him on behalf of herself and her charges to answer their humble questions in the name of good and honor.”

“Did he not laugh at that?” Zecora asked as she twisted the smoke of the mountain into a huge dragon's head with teeth like blades and eyes like coals. She made it laugh and threw black powder toward the apparition. The powder ignited very briefly, lighting up the scene with flashes of fire. “To him, a horse was nothing more than a gnat.”

“Yes, but no gnat was Dona Zapeta de Alicante,” Luna said, stalking back and forth across the stage, each turn presenting a whole new array of shimmering colors to her audience emanating from the combination of her mane and cloak. “She stared the massive dragon directly in his eyes and asked the question of one of her companions, who wished to know if the season's weather would be right for growing wheat. Enraged by what he perceived as the irrelevance of the question, he breathed his dark flame above their heads as a warning. All cowered except for my friend, who asked of Oracle another of their questions.”

“So that process continued, until the dragon decided to make of them some delicious food. As the dragon lunged down to bite--”the green smoke dragon did the same as the crowd screamed--”Dona Zepeta leaped into his mouth without any fright. She knew that with all the fire he had wasted, tonight she and the pilgrims would not be tasted. With all her might she kicked out one of his teeth, and as he roared in pain she slipped out to take shelter underneath.”

“And then she pressed his own tooth against the single gap in his scaly armor. Because it was her calling to be courteous in all circumstances, she apologized for invading his home and threatening him in this manner, even as she held one of the few things that could penetrate his skin to his heart. The dragon relented, and told her that a sorcerer was planning to send the tidal wave on the next solstice as a sacrifice to increase his power. The sorcerer's lair was far out into the ocean, a place few horses dared to tread.”

“Yet she decided she would go there, with her heart free of dread.” Zecora released the image of the dragon into a cloud of smoke, which hung over the dance floor as if it had come from a fog machine.

“Oh my gosh,” the goggled DJ Vinyl Scratch hurried over to the Princess and whispered. “Your Highness, please tell me I can start the music now. This is perfect.”

“I was not finished,” she said, then sighed. “But very well. I think they got the point.”

With a shout of joy, Vinyl lowered the pin onto her first record and ran over to the microphone. “Alright everypony, let's spin it!”

As the opening licks to “Iron Mare” played, Luna levitated a squealing but smiling Pipsqueak over to the stage with her and Zecora. She showed him a few steps, with her head banging with the rhythm, and he joined in with some banging of his own tiny head. Several other ponies jumped onto the stage as the deafening sound of stomping hooves joined in with the deafening sound of the speakers.

“Thou art amazing at improvisation,” Luna shouted to Zecora.

“That is not so much the explanation,” Zecora yelled back as she shrugged and joined in the dance with the other two. “It is that you and I have so quickly developed a close relation. I know your words well, and I am sure mine you could foretell.”

“I would not go that far. In any case, it is so good to see thee here!”

“I planned on waiting, but then I saw all the noise and light you ponies were creating. Who could ignore such a dance floor?”

The noise and light grew greater as the night wore on. The shadows of ponies danced in the cloud of green dust, surrounded by a landscape bathed in scarlet light. Luna's multifaceted flashing cloak reflected the lasers and lamps from atop the stage, making its effect even brighter and more dazzling. Despite doing the same thing at the hoedown yesterday, Ponyville moved and cheered through the whole night.

Chapter 7: Castle Blueblood

Several nights of quiet, tranquil travel later, the moon was back to its normal white color, and some clouds had rolled in to darken the crescent's already-diminished glow. A light rain began to fall, so the pair of adventurers traveling the road lifted up the hoods of their cloaks. They were both weighted down a fair bit with several tightly-sealed packs and bags apiece. Luna had insisted on shouldering half of Zecora's luggage herself, making her look much less dramatic than she had at the party. Her burnt hooves no longer pained her greatly, but she did resort to her magic or wings sometimes when they had to crest a particularly steep hill in this rolling green stretch of country road.

“Why didst thou bring so much?” Luna asked during one such stretch, followed by a flash in the distance, then a roll of thunder. “We can forage for what we need, dear friend.”

“Foraging will find us ample supplies,” Zecora replied, “but to leave that wild Forest without some trinkets would be most unwise. If you are carrying too much weight, that's something I could easily elate.”

“Oh please.” Luna hefted her burden up higher. “I would carry all of it if thou wouldst let me. What are these 'trinkets' thou speakest of?”

“Concoctions and alchemical ingredients. Whatever my role in a conflict requires for expedients.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Luna ruminated. “Without magic, it is good to prepare for a variety of situations. Although – thou hast magic. Art thou willing to explain that to me now?”

Zecora halted in her path, and Luna followed suit. Zecora stared intensely for several seconds. “I will do so, if you are sure you wish to know,” she said, followed by an affirmative nod by the Princess. “Well then. I come from the great city of Timbucktu, which is the den and jewel of zebras and many other races too. I studied at the University there, and I became close with another student of whom I was not yet wise enough to beware. He studied the old spiritual myths of my kind and he believed that with new knowledge they could be usefully combined. I helped him practice binding such energy with stolen magic, not yet knowing how the results would be tragic.”

“What dost thou mean, 'stolen magic'?” asked Luna, trying to get a good look at Zecora's eyes underneath the shadow of her hood.

“He had taken the horn of a unicorn,” the zebra said dispassionately, “and told me it had been given to him, rather than torn.”

Luna cringed, and her brow furrowed into a furious scowl. “That is evil.”

“I can not deny that,” Zecora said, trying to meet her companion's intimidating gaze, “but I was young and full of the legendary curiosity of the cat... Do you want me to continue?”

“Yes,” Luna insisted, her wings twitching.

“It did not take us long to go too far down that avenue. Because no natural spirits presented themselves, we made some ourselves. With a trip to the city's prison, we were finally able to realize his vision. We bound a soul into a mask, where it would be forced to do whatever we asked. While wearing it, we acquired the prisoner's power, but some of his personality also carried over.”

“Doth this – 'friend' of thine still live?” Luna asked as more clouds gathered overhead, brought there into a swirling aerial whirlpool by her emotions.

“I do not think so,” Zecora said, glancing upwards with a little worry. “I suppose that anything is possible though. Anyway, to use this magic on a criminal was bad enough to do, but soon he began selecting victims based on whatever traits he wanted to view. Before long my friend turned his eyes toward me and decided that it was my intelligence he wanted to see. He nearly succeeded in tearing off my face, but my fight gave the spirit he wore just a moment's space. As it tried to overpower his control, I stole what masks and tools I could and fled out of that abominable hole. The last thing I heard before leaving was their two voices screaming.”

By this point, the lightning strikes had gotten much closer, close enough that the thunder could be heard almost immediately. The rain intensified, and Luna's wings suddenly burst out to half span.

“What else?” she asked as her tail flicked back and forth violently.

“I could not go back home,” Zecora said, dropping her head and closing her eyes. “What I had done condemned me to be alone. I wanted to find a way to break the curse, but since I had not taken the horn, it proved impossible to reverse. That was the original reason I came to Equestria―“

“So thou couldst steal the magic of our subjects!” Luna shouted with an accompanying crack of lightning and thunder directly over their heads, bright enough to light up her enraged face completely.

“If I had to,” said Zecora, who stood completely still before the onslaught. “And I might have, if I had not met Celestia.”

Luna's agitated wings had lifted her several inches off the ground, but she fell silent at the mention of her sister's name.

“She forgave me and offered me a place to stay,” Zecora continued. “I could not have imagined a kinder thing in all my days.”

Luna forced herself back onto the ground, then placed one of her hooves under her friend's chin and gently lifted her head up. Zecora's eyes were blinking back tears while the Princess' flashed with the reflections of distant lightning. “I am not as kind as my sister,” she said. “I would not have forgiven thee so easily. But I suspect I am not alone in that. Thou hast not forgiven thyself either, even after all this time.” She stepped closer, folding her wings back up and twining her neck with Zecora's. “I am sorry I became so wroth with thee. I do not know what came over me.”

“I think I know,” said the zebra, rubbing her neck against Luna's. “It is because my past also brings up your own woe. You would not have gotten so angry if you did not care, my dear mare.”

Luna changed the subject back after a brief pause. “What happened after thou sawest Celestia?”

“I left for the Everfree Forest and took up residence inside, and for many years I tried. But over time I grew distracted by innocent wanderers who would die unless I acted. It was compassion that moved me to don one of those masks again, and I believe that is what saved me from my teacher's terrible sin. The spirits inside did not resist much, and they came to accept me like an old friend's touch. I still want them to be free, but... it has been twenty years. I feel as if my life has a different purpose now, and I'm beginning to see exactly how.”

“Wilt thou ever go back home?” Luna inquired as the storm grew in intensity above them.

“Is it truly my home? I miss my parents and the many wonders in that city of gold, but to go back alone? I'm not sure I can be that bold.”

“Thou art brave enough to live alone surrounded by monsters, not to mention brave enough to leave that behind and travel with me. Thou dost undervalue thy virtue. But besides, why must thou go alone?”

Zecora drew back from their hug and was surprised to see Luna's mouth curved into a slight smile. “We have more important things to do, don't we?” she said. “At least, as far as I can see.”

“If the one who taught thou this black art still lives, finding him would be very important. Thou art correct that there are things I must tend to in Equestria first, but with thy leave, I would like to make thy city a destination.”

“A destination?” Zecora asked. “You have not even told me our adventure's first location.”

“Ah yes,” Luna said and began to travel along the road again, her hooves slushing in the puddles of mud and water that now filled it at regular intervals. “I must go see a very old dragon.”

“Oh.”

The thunderstorm was continuing at full strength when they came upon a river, the banks of which were nearly flooded. There was a bridge across it however, which still stood high enough above the rising water to be crossed. As they were about to step onto it, a female voice called out from a bush on the opposite bank.

“Hey there! You got your toll ready?”

“Toll?” Luna halted in her tracks and peered at the bush. She could make out three pony-like shapes hiding inside it. “There are no toll taxes in Equestria.”

Some voices whispered for a moment, before the previous one spoke again. “There are in this part! New law, passed by – uh – the Prince!”

“You waste our time.” Luna began crossing the bridge while, unseen behind her, Zecora undid some of the straps on her pouches and pulled a few small items out. “Go home.”

Three ponies jumped out from behind the plant, two of them brandishing blowguns in their teeth. Three more came out from a cleverly-disguised rock behind Luna and Zecora similarly armed. All six were earth ponies in leather armor.

“I should also mention,” the evident leader said, “that there is a temporary 'Inclement Weather' increase on the tax. Obstructing its collection is also worth a penalty. Please miss, don't make this difficult.”

“Banditry?” Luna said as a cold white glow began to pulse inside her hood. “In Equestria? By ponies? What cruel jest is this?!”

Darts shot out from five of the guns, and the leader quickly moved to pick up hers.

With two powerful flaps of her wings, Luna sent all but one flying back. The last stuck in her neck, where she could feel its numbing poison start to spread. It wasn't strong enough to seriously hinder her, but it was annoying nonetheless. She grunted and quickly glanced back to make sure Zecora was okay. For a moment all she saw was her luggage, then she made out the zebra herself crouching in the grass to the side of the road, wrapping something around her hooves.

To help ensure Zecora would not be targeted, Luna released a bit of her magic into her cape, magnifying its thread's prismatic nature enough that it cast rays of rainbow light into the sky. She then took to the air and began flying straight toward their leader. She called down a blast of lightning directly in front of her, which sent the group sprawling for cover and set their hiding place on fire.

“I thought you said that one had wings!” one of them shouted. “She's using magic!”

“Where is the other one!?” one from the other group yelled at the same time, before he let out a yelp and collapsed on the ground. Looking down, he saw that a pair of bolas had wrapped around all four of his legs, knocking him off balance and ensnaring him.

“Everypony run!” the leader commanded before taking a desperate shot of distraction at Luna. It worked, because the telekinetic aura Luna had wrapped around the body of one of the bandits disappeared as the dart stuck into her chest. With the thunder overhead rumbling along with her frustrated and pained growl, Luna barreled down at her attacker.

“I can't!” the one with the bolas around his legs responded.

“Neither can I!” said another, who had gaped with horror as thick tree roots burst out of a cloth bag that had landed at his feet and began tangling themselves around his hooves.

The three remaining ponies scattered, dropping their weapons in their haste to get away. One of them narrowly avoided being captured by a second pair of bolas, but one of the balls clipped a hoof. His frantic run became a frantic hobble. When they heard his cry for help, his two companions turned back to assist him. Before they could grab hold of him however, a small silver tube landed in the middle of the trio. After a second of stunned silence, thick black smoke started to pour out of it. They tried to get away and coughed fiercely, but the gas had already invaded their lungs and consciousness was slipping away rapidly.

Simultaneously, Luna knocked the bandit leader's blowgun away with one fore-hoof, then slammed the other across her face. By the time the gun landed on the ground, she was already knocked out, and her limp body flopped down next to it.

“Halt!” Luna roared at the last two ponies trying to flee. Just in case the Canterlot Voice were not enough, she stomped her front hooves into the ground, and two lightning bolts quickly followed suit directly in the bandits' paths. They screamed and tried to hide in the grass. “We can see you. Come back here at once!”

The two of them shared a wide-eyed look, gulped, and then walked back. They threw themselves on their knees in front of Luna before she even drew her hood back to reveal her ebony crown. They glanced up at it and started shaking.

“M-mercy, please,” stammered one. “We d-didn't know―”

“Explain this madness,” Luna demanded as Zecora appeared behind her, dragging the group she had captured by a thick hemp rope. “And we may be lenient. Why were you doing this?”

“We were banished from our homes,” she said as her partner remained silent. “We needed to eat but nopony would hire us, so Quicktail over there―”she gestured at the bandit leader sprawled on the ground―”suggested that we had to take money.”

“Do not blame another for your crimes,” Luna retorted. “How could you possibly be banished? That is the harshest sentence in this land. What did you do?

“Nothing!” the other pony shouted suddenly. “They said we were changelings!”

“That is absurd,” said the Princess, turning her eyes toward him. “Dost thou expect us to believe that?”

“It's true! The Prince himself pronounced the sentence.”

“What Prince? Who is the lord of this land?”

“Blueblood the Elder, Your Highness,” the first pony spoke with a resigned sigh. “He lives in a castle a few hours' journey to the north.”

“We shall take you there, where we shall discover your true crimes, and where you will be made to answer for them.”

Luna and Zecora engineered a quick rope system that would allow them both to carry all the unconscious ponies without dragging them along the ground. Luna had to hoist some of their packs in a telekinetic bubble as a result, but she did not want her wayward subjects in any worse condition. She stomped off toward the northern path, stumbling a few times as her body struggled to combat the numbness the poison was spreading. As Zecora followed, with the two bandits that remained awake walking in front of her and behind Luna, she gave them a cryptic smile. They took particular notice of the saturation of their coats then, and shivered.

The castle looked lonely. Unlike most in Equestria, no village had sprung up around it. There were towns scattered along the roads leading there, but the fortress itself stood alone atop a hill, proudly surveying the plains for many miles. It was rough-hewn and small, and could not have housed more than a hundred soldiers and their support staff at full garrison. A single sentry patrolled all four sides of the wall that night. He was on the opposite side when Luna and her party came within sight, so she shouted to him.

“Sentry,” she said, her voice clear and loud even over the din of the storm, “Lower the drawbridge and announce the arrival of Princess Luna.”

He grabbed his spear and hastened over to the other side. “W-Who goes there!?”

“We have already said!” She flew up, getting close and high enough that he could see her horn and her crown. “Go!”

The guard fumbled for a trumpet and blew three quick blasts on it. Candles were lit, and some angry grumbles were heard from the direction of the barracks. They were quickly silenced when he formally announced who had arrived. There was a click, and the drawbridge began to lower. When the portcullis was raised, Luna, Zecora, and the prisoners entered Castle Blueblood.

An honor guard quickly ushered them into the inner keep, where they would be out of the rain. They gave each other concerned looks and whispers about who the ones traveling with her were, but they decided it was best not to challenge the Princess. Luna caught a snippet of “but what if she's a changeling too” and shot a glare at the offending pony. He and all those near him said nothing more as she stepped onto the thick blue carpet of the audience chamber.

She and Zecora set down the bound, soggy, groaning, half-conscious ponies they had been carrying, then put down their packs. She told the two completely-aware bandits to kneel and be silent unless spoken to. Some servants tried to take their luggage, but she waved them off. Some candles in the hall had been hastily lit, but most of the illumination came from the stars in Luna's mane, drawing more than a few gasps from the audience. Luna breathed a grateful sigh that they were too entranced by the sight to notice that she was still wobbling and stumbling a little from the darts she had been struck with.

Hastening out of a hallway on the opposite side of the room was an older, well-groomed unicorn stallion with chestnut hair and a deep black mane. He wore a blue crystal amulet, inside of which was a single frozen drop of blood. The same imagery was part of the hair of his flank as well. He paid his obeisance to Luna, exchanged a polite but standoffish introduction with Zecora, then took a long, hard look at the outlaw ponies they had brought with them.

“What game is this?” Luna asked. “Thou art the Prince? Where are thy wings?”

“Hmm?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “I do not have any.”

Zecora gently nudged the pony named Quicktail fully awake, but held a hoof up to her mouth to gesture for her to be silent, for now. They both watched on, the prisoner with fear and anger, and Zecora with a simple, curious, peaceful expression.

“Then thou art laying false claim to the title of Prince?” Luna's voice bit into the air between them.

“Certainly not, Your Highness! I have paid for the title. I have the documents with my seneschal, should you like to peruse them.”

“What!” Luna's outburst caught everypony in the room by surprise. Some jumped, others reeled back, and others struggled to maintain their composure. “Royalty can not be bought and sold like some commodity! The sacred blood of kings flows within us, and to falsify one's lineage in such a manner is sacrilege!”

“I do not understand,” the 'Prince' said, shuffling his hooves. “I paid the fee directly to Celestia herself. Did she not tell you?”

“We shall take this matter up with her directly then,” said Luna, her blood pumping fast as she struggled to keep her body under control.

“If it please Your Highness, call me a Duke,” Blueblood said, bowing to the ground again. “That is what I was before.”

“So be it.” Luna turned to Quicktail and motioned for her to step forward. “Duke Blueblood, this mare and her companions were illegally operating a toll across a bridge in thy lands. We have apprehended them and brought them here for further justice, since clearly banishment is not enforceable here.”

“I remember you,” the Duke said. “You were accused of the crimes of treason and espionage for collusion with the Changeling Kingdom. I told you to leave my borders.”

“So they are changelings then?” Luna pressed.

“There is of course no way to be sure,” Blueblood the Elder said with a sigh, “but all the evidence pointed toward yes. But even if they were not, what was I to do? Send them back to live amongst their accusers?”

“Jail them!” Luna suggested. “Send them to Canterlot to be sure! Use thy wisdom! Thou canst not just banish thy subjects under suspicion of crime.”

“Your Highness,” he said, looking around at the many ponies in the hall. “Might I request a more private audience?”

“We shall oblige,” she said, “on one condition. This zebra, madam Zecora, stays with me.”

He gave the smiling, exotic foreigner a strange look, and she responded with one of her own. “I accept your condition. Guards, remove these ruffians to the cells, then everypony quit this chamber.”

As she was removed, Quicktail spat on the luxurious carpet. Soon the room stood empty, save for Blueblood, Luna, Zecora, and their supplies.

“Princess,” he said, “may I speak freely?”

“Of course.” Luna bent her head down briefly. “We are offended by thy presumption of royalty, but thou art still high nobility, and thus due all the considerations a sovereign must give.”

“I do not have enough ponies-at-arms,” the Duke said, his shoulders hunching forward wearily. “And the royal guard is stretched too thin to patrol the frontier regularly. We have been facing a steady rise in crime, in attacks by creatures from beyond the border, and in a host of tensions among the surrounding communities as a result. And...” He stopped, closing his eyes tightly.

“What is it?” she demanded.

“It is a personal matter,” he responded, shaking his head slowly. “Nevermind, Princess Luna.”

“It is obviously relevant, or thou wouldst not have thought of it. We would have thee tell us if so.”

Blueblood stared hard at the floor. “Your Highness, I was going to keep silent about this, but your prying into my personal life is the final straw. Your conduct here has been most unbecoming of royalty. Your rudeness and arrogance both to me and to my subjects, not to mention bringing foreigners and possible infiltrators into my hall, does your august nature very little credit.”

Luna's mouth gaped open for several seconds. Just as she was about to use it to unleash a torrent of abuse, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned and stared back into Zecora's eyes. Luna's reflection there said almost as much as the tender look her companion was giving her.

“I..” she said, her eyes turning away to survey the ceiling.

“You remind me of my son,” the Duke said.

Luna stayed quiet, her eyes shifting along with her thoughts, trying to find anything to say that wasn't wrong in some way. Part of her said that he was right, but that she had to correct his breach of protocol somehow. Another part said she should let it go. A very loud part suggested that she should give up and simply lay verbal waste to the usurper.

“I was worse, father,” interrupted a white unicorn colt who entered the room from one of the inner doorways. He was very finely groomed and handsome, even in spite of the disfiguring scar that split his face in half. His cutie mark appeared to be an eight-pointed compass rose. He bowed to the Princess and continued. “Forgive me for intruding, Princess, but I hoped I could help explain our situation. I am Prince Blueblood the Younger.”

“Son,” said the Elder, putting his hoof on his forehead, “I asked for a private audience...”

“But I was there,” the son implored. “I know better than anypony what to expect.”

“Let the Princess decide.” He grunted.

“We...” Luna shook herself out of her reverie, having paid little attention to the exchange. “We would hear what thy son hath to say...”

With a smug smile cast at his glaring father, Blueblood the Younger cleared his throat and began to speak. “Last year I decided to take a commission as an officer in the Equestrian army. I cut a particularly dashing figure in the uniform, and things got even better when I and the ponies under my command were transferred to Canterlot. Of course, then the changelings came. A member of my unit was one of them, and he led half of my soldiers to their deaths in an ambush. We escaped, thanks to yours truly, but I will never forget that betrayal. Equestria is at constant risk of even more incidents like that, yet neither my father nor the kingdom can seem to spare enough ponypower to deal with it.”

“The changelings are no longer a threat,” Luna said, while the Duke looked ready to strike his son. “Most of them have been killed and their queen's power hath been broken. If there are any left in Equestria, they will be smart enough to continue to hide themselves and do no harm.”

“No harm?” Prince Blueblood said. “Look at what happened to my beautiful face! They will scar our land in the same way!”

“They were among us long before the invasion,” explained Luna. “They caused no such scarring then. We shall take all due diligence in rooting them out, but things will be much as they were before. Better, since no new ones will arrive for many years.”

“Better, except for the fact that we are too weak even to defend our own borders!”

“Enough!” the Duke shouted. “We are –“

“Nay.” Princess Luna cut them both off with a wave of her hoof. “He is correct in that regard. That is one reason that we are here. We are hoping to inspire more ponies to take up arms in their own defense, and if possible to find those rare few who are willing and able to devote their lives to the calling.”

“I heard of that,” the younger Blueblood said. “You gave a speech to that effect after saving Starfield from an earthquake.”

“Word of that has spread here already?” Luna grinned. “Superb.”

“If I may interrupt,” Zecora suddenly spoke, just before either of their two hosts could resume their argument, “this probably all seems somewhat abrupt. Why do we not retire and do this next morning, when you can have a bit more warning?”

The Bluebloods seemed momentarily surprised to see her there, despite the fact that she had been standing in plain view the whole time. Both of their upper lips curled up slightly, but the Duke replied respectfully. “Thank you for your concern. It is very late, but we will stay up all night if that is what the Princess wishes.”

“We desire for you to rest,” Luna said, mentally smacking herself for not keeping track of how late it was. “Come morning, we shall discuss the fate of the bandit ponies we captured. Please prepare a chamber for our companion. We shall not be sleeping ourselves, so do not concern yourselves with our accommodations.”

The nobleponies bowed to her. “We shall do as you ask,” said the Elder. “Madam, if you will follow me...”

Zecora, completely unfazed by the distrustful facial expressions they had given her, shared a smile with Luna and then trotted off to bed. Some of the castle's servants came by to ask if she would like the traveling packs carried now, and this time she told them to carry the items to Zecora's room.

The prison cells were in a very similar, ill-maintained state to the rest of the castle, and their residents looked about as comfortable as the soldiers in the adjoining barracks did, which was not very much. The bars were thick but rusty, the mattresses were big but full of holes, and the water was clean but unreliable. The prisoners became even less comfortable when the Princess of the Night herself showed up to speak with them, sweeping majestically into the room and replacing its dismal light with her own scintillating white and blue aura.

“Why did you bring us back here?” Quicktail demanded after being dazzled by it for a couple moments. The red hair of her mane and coat was soaked and matted, and she occasionally shivered and chattered her teeth along with her companions. She also winced as the huge bruise on the side of her face began to swell. Despite all that, she stood up to face Luna head-on.

Luna took a quick look to make sure any nearby guards were asleep or distracted. “Because we know you are not changelings. Now we must discern why you were believed to be such.”

“Because it's a witch hunt in this place,” she said, snarling. “If you're from out of town, or you don't have anypony to vouch for you, or even if you're just kind of a loner, half the ponies out here are willing to blame you for anything bad that happens these days.”

“And which of those wert thou, Quicktail?” asked Luna, pointing a hoof steadily at her.

“Actually,” the bandit replied, pacing around the perimeter of her cell, “since this doesn't really matter anymore, I was always kind of a bully. I guess I just made a few too many enemies. That and “I was at home” isn't a very good alibi, whether it's true or not.”

“So that is why thou convinced these others to join thee in robbing ponies that had nothing to do with the matter?”

“We never hurt anypony!” she blurted out.

“From what we can tell,” Luna said with a cocked eyebrow, “you never helped anypony either.”

“We helped each other!” Quicktail retorted. “That's what it's all about, right? Friendship and harmony?”

“The philosophy extends a bit farther than one's immediate band of outlaws.” Luna chuckled and stepped right up to the bars. The prisoner stopped pacing and joined the two or three other bandits who were awake in staring at her. From this vantage point, Luna could see her cutie mark clearly: a red ring of fire. “Tell us – where didst thou learn to use blowguns so effectively? Whence comes thy knowledge of ambushes? Where didst thou acquire paralytic poison? If we were not so accustomed to toxins, we would be unconscious several times over by now.”

“I had a brother in the military.” She shrugged. “Taught me a lot before he went off to die.”

“Evidently he did not teach thee enough,” Luna said, drawing an angry snort. “We do not say that merely because we were able to best thee, but also because thy talents and energies have been turned toward an ill purpose. In any case, we are going to vouch for the identity of thee and thy companions. What thou dost afterward is up to thee, but we would advise a careful examination of the consequences of thy actions. Also, consider what alternatives might open up with a voucher from Princess Luna. Once thy commuted sentence is served, of course.”

“Ha!” Quicktail turned her head up and laughed. “What's to stop me from just going right back to what I was doing?”

“Nothing save the bruise on thy cheek, and the expectation of more in the future. Risk it at thy own peril. If thy own health does not concern thee, then imagine the same happening to thy friends. Good evening.” She stepped back to nod at the entire group, then exited the room, casting it back into the dim yellow candlelight instead of a glorious array of magical starlight.

The bandit leader was the only pony in the building who dared to laugh when she saw the Princess lose her balance and slam into a table, breaking all the glasses on it and splintering the wood. She regained control of her poisoned body, apologized to a few startled bystanders, then resumed her walk at a slower, more dignified pace. Quicktail chuckled to herself a few more times before crawling into her cot to try to get a couple hours of sleep.

“We can not just let them go, Your Highness!” Duke Blueblood protested.

“We are not suggesting any such thing,” Luna countered. “Their sentence should be commuted to a lesser one than banishment. Our spell has ascertained that they are not changelings, and so they are still thy subjects, criminal or no. Simply confiscate their weapons and armor, let them serve as laborers until they can pay back what they stole, then keep them under a close watch. Perhaps even here in thy castle.”

The lesser ruler scoffed. “You say 'simply,' but there would be nothing simple about any of that!”

“Must we make it a command?” Luna said in a monotone.

“This is a gross abuse of my feudal rights, Your Highness,” he said coldly. “But no, you do not need to do so. The Bluebloods are and always will be loyal and honorable.”

The two ponies were alone once again in the audience hall, this time with the rays of the sun spilling through the windows and drying up the remnants of the night's storm. Luna had taken the time to bathe and brush her coat and mane, which, while not as relaxing at a castle as it was at a spa, still helped to rejuvenate her and clear her mind. She had also polished her collar and shoes to a mirror shine, but even seeing their twinkling had not completely restored her confidence. The 'Prince' had donned an imperious purple robe and a laurel wreath on his crest to indicate his lord-hood. I wish Zecora were here, Luna said to herself as she recalled Blueblood's words about her arrogance and rudeness. It is good that she is acclimating to my sleep schedule though.

“We meant no slight against thy family,” Luna said diplomatically. “And – we apologize for – giving the impression of incivility last night. Thou shalt be treated with all the respect thou art due in the future.”

“Think nothing of it, Princess,” he said. “I merely spoke emotionally and out of turn. It will not happen again.”

“Listen,” said Princess Luna. “We wish to explain the reasoning behind our decision. We have seen this effect in the past. During difficult times, some ponies are pushed to the edges of society. They are not evil, but they see no alternative but to turn on that society. If we show them a new niche to fill, they may fill it. All it requires is giving them an honest opportunity to turn their talents toward something positive and productive.

“These ponies we brought with us are not evil. When we fought them, they did not intend to kill. When the tide turned against them, their leader ordered them to flee and then tried to hold me off so they could do so. When some could not escape, they stopped to help each other. If they can apply that spirit to the world outside of each other, they could play a useful role, mayhap as hunters, soldiers, guides, or scouts.

“Of course, we can not guarantee any reform. Should they do more harm, inform us, and we promise to take full responsibility. Wilt thou give this plan a chance?”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “Your promise of taking the responsibility has convinced me. I will see what I can do.”

“We thank thee, Duke Blueblood,” Luna said, smiling very slightly.

Their business concluded, the two of them retired to the dining hall, where a simple but filling lunch had been prepared. Luna mostly kept to herself, partaking of little more than the rules of hospitality dictated, and conversing politely only when spoken to. She spent the lunch and the next couple hours simply observing. The servants gossiped about her as soon as they thought they could not be heard, speaking as often about her business here as about the nature of her relationship with Zecora. The various courtiers did the same, though they were bold enough to try to subtly worm what they wanted to know out of her. The young Prince Blueblood was scarce, but she caught him staring at her on several occasions, and staring at himself on several more. The lord of the castle and its lands grew more and more disheveled as the day wore on due to the steady stream of ministers and petitioners who came on urgent business. And the business did indeed seem urgent, as he was obliged to send out a flurry of letters throughout the day. What a miserable state of affairs in this province, Luna thought more than once.

Eventually, she excused herself and said she would go sleep for a few hours in the field. Despite the shock and protests, she insisted that she would not be comfortable anywhere else. She commanded them to tell Zecora to prepare their supplies for departure when she woke up, and then flapped up to one of the castle's windows.

"One more thing—“ she called back to Blueblood the Elder. “Thy son is also a Prince? How doth that work? Did he also pay for the title?”

“Yes,” he responded with a groan. “Against my commands he saved up his money to get it for himself, knowing full well that I would pass mine on to him. His self-absorption would not allow him to wait.”

“Tell him this then. If he truly wishes to help this realm and himself, he will follow our example and take to the road. Should he prove himself, it could be that one day we shall make his name “Sir Blueblood,” a title that will do him and thy family far greater honor than any that can be bought.

“We shall be back tonight to collect madam Zecora and our traveling packs, and then we shall take the road southeast. For now, we hope thou dost continue to rule with wisdom and courage. Farewell.”

With that, she leaped out of the window. After a few minutes of lazily circling in the warm afternoon air, she spied an appetizing batch of grass, then came to rest on it, where she grazed idly during a session of deep thought and brooding that prevented her from sleeping.

“Come on, Luna,” she pep-talked herself. “What doth the opinion of one little lordling matter? What would he know about the way royalty should behave anyway?”

Like Celestia, said a small part of herself.

Luna growled violently and wrapped her hooves around her ears as if to block out that voice. She was grateful that the sheer exertion of forcing her thoughts away from that path caused her to slide into a deep slumber.

Too deep though, as she awoke several hours past what should have been moonrise, and only then because of the sounds of distant shouting coming from inside the castle.

Chapter 8: Dust In The Wind

"Those ponies stole my chickens!" yelled a middle-aged earth pony mare in a straw hat, pointing a hoof at a group of similarly-attired ponies.

"We did not!" said another earth pony mare in the opposing group, which numbered half a dozen.

The elder Blueblood—Prince, or Duke, or whatever his status was after Princess Luna's berating—stood between the two parties. His eyes were bloodshot and his lids were baggy, but he forced himself to nod or grunt at the appropriate moments during this impromptu evening audience in the castle courtyard.

"I saw you leave the castle with a full sack the same night my flock disappeared," insisted the accuser, "and now, a few weeks later, you've come back with an empty bag. What was in it?"

"If I may," the Duke interjected, silencing both parties instantly, "where did you all go? There is much work to be done here, and your absence was noted."

They collectively shuffled their hooves and studiously avoided their lord's gaze.

"Is this something you must tell me in private?" Blueblood asked.

"No, Your Highness," a younger stallion said. "We went to see Oracle. But we bought the sacrifice! We didn't steal it."

"Not only thieves," the mare in the straw hat said, "but superstitious colluders with dragons as well! Your Highness, this family has clearly lost its way."

The family grumbled and rabbled before Blueblood interrupted again. "Why did you go to that place?"

"Well..." they all looked at each other in turn, before another young buck continued.

"We wanted to ask if the weather would be favorable for our crops this year—"

"What?" the Duke growled. "Of course it will. Our pegasus squads have upheld their schedule."

"Maybe in this part of the province, but..." Seeing the stern looks from the rest of his family, the speaker fell silent.

"Whatever the case," Blueblood's voice increased in volume, so that the various spectators could hear as well, "I henceforth forbid anypony to venture to that mountain. It is a horrible thing to offer up innocent animals to be consumed by that beast, and neither I nor Princess Celestia approve of the practice. If there are problems with your harvests, they will be formally petitioned to your local weather teams. If they cannot solve the issue, the petitions will be sent to me and I will deal with them myself. Are my commands clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness," chorused the assembled ponies.

"Now then," he said, turning his exhausted eyes to the mare who had lost her chickens, "since there are no witnesses to back up your story, you will have to settle for restitution of damages. What was the value of your flock?"

"One thousand bits, your Highness."

"You will have to rebuild using two hundred and fifty," Blueblood the Elder said with an inward groan after quickly calculating this month's expenses. "Speak to my seneschal and she will arrange the payment. Now, is this affair settled?"

Though the mare had many more words on the tip of her tongue, she kept them in and simply nodded. The family agreed with eager nods.

"Then I must retire to my chamber to attend to other affairs of the government," he said, reflexively yawning and rubbing a half-closed eye as he spoke. "Seek out one of my advisers if there are any further grievances. Good evening."

With a sweep of his elegant robe, the Duke withdrew, hauling himself up the steps to the inner keep, where his bedchamber called to him.

"I am so sick of this," he muttered to himself as he strode through the stone hallways. "First those bandits, then the Princess, and now that dragon."

"Do not forget, weary lord, that a certain zebra must not be ignored."

Blueblood gasped and drew back as he noticed the glint of Zecora's golden earrings and bracelets in the moonlight. She stood by a window, covered by a shadow yet still in plain sight, but he had taken no notice of her until she spoke. He was about to summon his guards, but instead he found himself listening carefully as she continued.

"I admit, I listened in a bit, and I have some words to speak, with your permit."

"Forgive me, but I must ask," he said, "do all zebras speak in the manner in which you do? It is difficult to understand."

"I believe it is just me," she replied, "and it is vital to keep my identity. It is not something which I can safely cease, but I will try to give my clarity an increase. To return to what I said before, will you hear what I say upon this score?"

"Please speak," he said politely, though his smile was offset by narrowed eyes.

"I will then be very quick," she told him. "These events will likely make Luna somewhat sick. Do not speak of it when she returns, and allow me to see to what she learns."

"Who are you to ask me to deceive my Princess?" Blueblood glared at her.

"'Deceive' is such a nasty and ugly word," Zecora said, returning his glare coldly. "We are telling the truth which is prefered. And if you must know, I believe this dragon's lair is where we will next go. Who am I to tell you what I portend? I am one who will follow her there; perhaps, one might say, a friend."

"I suppose her crown, her wealth, and her magical abilities have nothing to do with it then?"

"Read into my motives whatever you desire," she said, her voice on the edge of anger like a stew about to boil. "I know what I'm doing, and I am no liar."

"If you were not evidently important to the Princess in some way, I would have you arrested, zebra."

Zecora bounded straight into Blueblood's path, turning to bring her face just inches from his. "Even if I were not exempt, you would still fail in your attempt." Her eyes flashed with the fire of conviction.

Just as he was drawing himself up to properly respond, a familiar voice boomed from outside, above the castle bailey.

"Fear not, citizens! Tell us what has befallen this place and we shall mend it at once!"

"Well," said Zecora, stepping aside to trot back down the way they came, "that is my cue, and so I bid you adieu. Remember what I spoke, or beware of what you provoke."

Blueblood continued on down a few more twists and turns. With a gruff noise at the two guards standing watch over his chamber, he kicked the double doors open forcefully, then slammed them closed.

A crowd gathered underneath Princess Luna as she circled in the air. Confused and awed words stuck in their throats. The ponies cringed as she drew a breath to repeat herself, but just then Zecora came down the steps and into the courtyard.

"Zecora!" Luna said, flapping her wings slower and slower so that she could float back to the ground. "We heard cries and shouts! Is the castle under attack?"

"No no, my very good friend," Zecora said with an amused grin. "A simple argument, which has come to an end."

Luna leaned in and whispered. "Did they take issue with thee? 'Twas vain and foolhardy of me to leave thee alone..."

"That is not at all the case. I was happy to sleep in this place. They had very soft sheets, and many delectable eats. You should have stayed, rather than lying in some glade."

"I wish no more for such comforts, but I shall endure them if I must in order to rest closer to thee from now on."

Zecora nodded happily as Luna spun around to address the gathered peasants, laborers, craftsponies, and nobles who had come to watch. And to bow, as a quick afterthought.

"'Tis a great relief that you are safe. Thank you for your respect and hospitality. We wish we could stay longer, but many deeds of honor and glory call to us. Pray tell, where is Du—Prince Blueblood, that we might pay him our respects before our departure?"

After receiving directions, she and Zecora ascended the steps to where Blueblood the Elder was resting. The pair of guards around the doors saluted the Princess, then announced her arrival to their lord, who groaned his assent.

"We are most grateful for thy hospitality," she said immediately, barely giving him time to stumble out of bed. "And we doubly thank thee for putting aside thy prejudices and grievances and allowing madam Zecora to stay here. Yet alas, we must continue our journey. Wilt thou keep us apprised of the situation here, particularly in regards to those prisoners we brought? We are greatly concerned."

"How shall I do so if you are traveling, Your Highness?" asked the pony lord.

"Send a letter to Princess Celestia, and she will relay it to us."

"Ah," Blueblood said hesitantly. "Of course. Well, you do me and my family great honor with this visit, Princess Luna. Is there anything I can offer you before you go?"

"Thou hast already given more than enough," said Luna courteously. "Good evening, Duke Blueblood, and may the stars watch over thy dreams.”

"I wish you all speed and fortune, Your Highness," he said. As he emphasized the last two words, he cast a quick but meaningful look at Zecora, whose expression remained simple and tranquil the whole time.

The travelers then left to gather up their belongings. Luna saluted her subjects as she exited toward the opened outer gate of the castle. Her cloak billowed in the same supernatural wind her mane did—while Zecora's plain brown cloak remained almost motionless in the light evening breeze—and the effect of the dazzling flashes of light was heightened by the emotional glow of the Traditional Royal Farewell. The flashes created reflective patterns like multi-colored lightning strikes in the wide, staring eyes of the inhabitants of Castle Blueblood. Only in the eyes of its lord, who gazed down from a crenelation on top of his fortress, was there a hint of anything but awe. While he experienced that too, he also experienced terrible apprehension.

Luna and Zecora watched the green and brown plains of southeast Equestria roll by as the darkness of night deepened. Luna noticed that a storm of dust from the steppes of Andalusia was blowing straight toward them, and she guessed that at its current speed it would be on them the next day. That is odd, she thought. Are these storms not usually stopped by pegasi long before they reach this far? In preparation, she and Zecora pulled the hoods of their cloaks up and wrapped bits of cloth around their muzzles.

Past these plains, as Luna recalled, would be the rocky, deserted Cadiz mountain range, where several of the great dragons kept their lairs, including that of the Lost Mountain. She found her mind and body simultaneously drawn toward and repelled by the coming storm. They were nearing the frontier of Equestria, and going much farther would mean her leaving for the first time since her banishment to the moon. It was a necessary journey though, because it might help ascertain what ominous decay had befallen the treasures that she had sealed away in her former palace. I hope the situation around the Everfree Forest doth not deteriorate much further before I can return, she reflected. At their current pace, she estimated that they would be at the base of the mountain in a fortnight.

The two equines passed much of the time in silence, not least because opening their mouths could mean a throat full of sand. But during lulls in the winds, some of which were nights apart, they discussed snippets of their pasts. Luna spoke of her time as the commander of Equestria's military, which was concurrent with some of her journeys as the first chevalier. She bombarded Discord's fortresses with shining white comets, led an army of fully-armored pegasi against the griffons high in the dark skies, and devoted much of her free time to seeking out singular evils that she alone would be able to face.

"I loved to fight," she said. "'Twas a thrill and a rush unmatched in my experiences. I can perfectly recall when we went to war with the minotaurs. I charged one of their champions, and smote the bull upon the ground. Even now I see his yellow eyes brimming with rage." She smiled, and her wings fluttered. "I see his razor-sharp horns that would have gored me but for my dodging an inch further. I see his shock as my horn pierces his chest. I feel the warmth of his blood upon my muzzle. I taste his lifeforce on my tongue. I smell the fear of the warriors who had idolized his prowess mere moments before...

"Anyway..." she said, quickly shaking herself from that train of thought as her facial expression fell, "while I see that so perfectly, I can not remember the faces of some of my closest comrades. Ponies, griffons, donkeys, and others whom I promised never to forget, they have all faded away. I do not even remember some of their names.

"That is part of the reason I became so bitter in the first place. I felt as if I had sacrificed so much for my subjects, yet all those who had appreciated it gradually died off and were forgotten, sometimes even by myself. The common folk forgot them, and so they forgot me. Meanwhile, they praised Celestia to no end, because she was the skilled administrator and the benevolent face of the government. She was the one who was meant to be seen." Luna's countenance darkened, and she paused for a few minutes as a fresh wave of dust rolled in. This was just as well, as it allowed her some time to compose her feelings.

"I see my greatest mistake now, however," she went on after coughing harshly, as her long speech had allowed a stray cloud of particles to enter her lungs. It did not deter her from finishing. "I never asked for help. There were many around me who would have been eager to do so, but I had seen so many die already. I cut myself off from them so that I would not lead them toward similar fates. Moreover, I viewed myself as a martyr, a pony who could do the necessary dark and terrible things so that others would not have to, allowing them to live at peace in the light of day. But this notion was born more from selfish pride than from true compassion. Which reminds me...

"Tell me honestly, dost thou think I am currently too arrogant? Too prideful?"

Zecora's moment of reflection was brief, perhaps a little too brief for Luna's liking. "If you must know, Princess, then my answer must be yes." Luna's jaw set tightly. "But it is your confidence which inspires me to make such a difference. Your pride is something that could be improved, but I hope and pray it is never removed."

"I am very grateful for thy forthrightness," said Luna as she flexed her wings underneath her cape, as if simply reminding herself that they were there. "The words of Blueblood caught me quite off-guard, and they have stuck with me longer than I thought they would. I should have stripped him of land and title upon the spot, yet it is, in all likelihood, for the best that thou wert there to support me and cause me to consider my words more carefully."

She sighed and looked up, willingly taking a few light gusts of sand in the face and the accompanying coughing fit so that she could see the waning moon for a moment, shining brilliantly even through its obfuscation by the storm. "I am aware of my flaws, but it was not until he pointed them out that their possible extent occurred to me. If it is that bad, then I am concerned about what will happen when we get to the mountain. As I am sure thou art aware, dragons are quite proud themselves. The young ones will not know me, and so there may be... difficulties. Of course, I can defeat them if need be,"—Zecora rolled her eyes from the safety of the shadow cast by her hood—"yet I do not wish to expose thee to any unnecessary danger. Before I decide my course of action, I should like to hear any advice thou hast to offer on this subject."

"One thought does occur to my mind," Zecora replied. "Why not adopt a disguise and leave your crown behind?"

"I do stand out more than a little, my friend," Luna said, chuckling slightly.

"I can fix that with little difficulty, for I have things that can change much physically. Tell me what you desire to be, and shortly after, a brand new look you will see."

"Hmm," said the Princess. "That may be a wise path to pursue. I shall give it some thought. For now, daylight approacheth. Shall we rest here?"

She pointed to a steep, grassy hill which, with some work, would afford them some protection from the wind. They quickly set up a makeshift shelter, then laid down inside. They wrapped their legs around each other, huddling together against the intensifying storm.

In turn, Zecora went into greater detail about her country. She spoke lovingly of the city in which she was born, Timbucktu. One of the shining jewels of what used to be the Arabian empire, the mud-brick city, once home only to zebras, was now a bustling multicultural metropolis that boasted of having the finest scholars and shrewdest merchants in the whole southern continent. These professions remained dominated by zebras, who were famous for their peculiar thought processes and their accepting, pony-like regard for all life. It was they who forged the trade routes that brought the city its wealth of treasure and knowledge, and it was they who founded the University for which the city had become most renowned.

"Even as a small little foal," Zecora said, "learning there was my greatest goal. My father trained me in the older ways, but I didn't want to be a shaman for all my days. But I did meet my dark mentor, as I said, so maybe I should have chosen that instead."

She sighed deeply. "But it is of happier things I should speak, so allow me to paint a picture at which you can peek." She cleared her throat, and her voice slid into a different poetic meter than she normally used.

"At sunset the polished bricks in amber gleam,

Light reflects off of the glass domes.

A flurry and a flutter of white dreams,

Robed figures running to class with their tomes.

“They learn of plants and mirrors and songs,

Religion and art critiqued by great minds.

The mysteries of nature and our inner wrongs,

Dissected and studied by creatures of all kinds.

“Curiosity is one's greatest strength,

Knowledge the height of virtue.

All across the University's length,

Understanding is what they pursue.

“My heart times a perfect rhythm of skipped beats,

The space between them is most beautiful of all.

I long to join the storm of white sheets,

Then I can answer that emptiness's call."

She sighed again, though more lightly this time. "This I wrote a day before I enrolled, which at the age of sixteen was quite bold. I wrote it in the language of your race, for rhyme was a fun challenge to embrace. Both of my parents were a little displeased, but they could never stop me once my curiosity was seized. Alas, but a year before my graduation, the crimes of which I spoke compelled flight from my nation. I have never ceased my studies, though, and for that I believe I have much to show."

"It is definitely so," Luna said slowly, after taking a minute to reflect on everything she had just heard. "Zecora, thou art beautiful. And not only for thy knowledge."

"Come now, you flatter me quite a lot," said Zecora, instinctively turning away to hide her blushing, despite the layers of darkness from the night, the storm, and her cloak's hood blocking her face. "Let us set up camp here, upon this spot."

Luna grinned and assented. They set up a cloth barrier around an outcropping of rock, then drank and ate lightly. They shook the layers of dirt off of their packs, their clothing, and each other. The travelers curled up together and slept another day away.

At long last, Luna and Zecora stood at the base of the crimson crags that formed the barren Cadiz mountain range. The mountains, while not especially tall, had started to serve as a windbreak, and so the remnants of the previous weeks' storm were no trouble. It was finding and then ascending the specific mountain they sought that may have been trouble.

“Zecora,” Luna said, looking up at the first mountain along their way, which peaked nearly a mile above them. “Canst thou fly?”

“Yes, I can indeed,” she said, oblivious to the irony in Luna's voice, “I am prepared for many needs.”

“Wait, what—” Luna cocked an eyebrow. “Oh.”

“If you wish, you can watch once more, but be careful what you ask for.”

“Go ahead,” Luna said, facing her companion resolutely.

Zecora brought out a third mask. The wood was painted white, with a golden metal beak protruding from the center. On the top, an array of dark-hued feathers had been glued, ranging from black to soft gray. As Zecora pressed her face into the mask, it dug into her neck with wooden splinters, just like the others. The spread of the magical white wood enveloped her quickly, cracking bones and stretching flesh as it reformed her body into that of a lion, with the limbs of a bird of prey. Something moved under her skin on both of her sides, and then those somethings burst forth from her skin with a spray of blood; a pair of wings, with feathers that alternated colors just as the zebra's stripes did. Meanwhile, Zecora's face became that of an eagle with the same plumage as her wings. Her eyes were sharp and yellow, but they shone more like beacons than like predatory searchlights.

“In company, call me Aquitaine,” the griffon said, her second voice much softer and more refined than Luna expected from any of the race. Zecora began to preen the blood off of her feathers with her beak. “She is whose soul this mask contains.”

Luna's eyes did not widen and her mouth did not gape quite as much after this time witnessing the transformation. I shall have to grow even more accustomed to this, she told herself yet again.

“Well then,” Luna said, staring at the completely transformed face that was now looking back at her calmly. “This mountain is only the first part of the journey. There is another one between here and our goal, and then the Lost Mountain will be the highest. We must not forget our luggage either.”

“Will it then be too hard?” Zecora said in her strange double-voice, gently poking Luna in the ribs with a clawed finger. “Maybe this is a path we should disregard.”

“Nonsense!” Luna made a sound halfway between a scoff and a giggle as she batted the finger aside with her wing. “With my magic and my wings we shall be fine. I shall carry our luggage and spot for thee if thou must climb. 'Twill be difficult, but we shall prevail.”

“I have no doubt,” said the griffon-zebra. “Let us begin to climb this route.”

Beating their wings at a steady pace, Luna and Zecora flew far above the sharp, jagged rocks that adorned the nearly lifeless mountain. It was wide and shaped chaotically, but they spotted a narrow gorge that would allow them to proceed straight through.

Luna turned her head back to keep an eye on Zecora's progress as they wound their way through the small gap in the rocks. Zecora was sweating already, after only half an hour of flight. Luna considered that she may have to carry her friend eventually, possibly with her telekinetic magic, but for now she was grateful that Zecora had a mask that allowed her to fly. Even if it used to be a living, thinking being...

“Malay!” Zecora shouted a warning.

Luna turned just in time to see one of her wings get pierced straight through by a sharp, tiny cliff along the wall of the gorge. She screamed and drew it back, hovering lopsided as she surveyed the damage. About half of that wing was now useless. A bone toward the end had been broken, and now she could only flap partially, and only then because her body could take the agony of doing so.

Her companion came to hover beside her to take a look as well. “We must land very soon, before your wound makes you swoon.”

“I am well enough,” said Luna through her grimace, noticing with dismay the splatters of blood she was leaving on the stone with each stroke of her wings. “Let us make it through the gorge first. It should only be another quarter hour.”

Zecora was going to object, but she decided it would be better to get to steady ground quickly without argument. This time, it was she who was keeping an eye on Luna. The Princess was struggling, but she still managed to increase her speed enough that Zecora's griffon wings could barely keep up. Luna did not turn back anymore, so she easily dodged the rest of the dangers in the pass. As soon as she spotted a plateau that seemed safe to land on, she made right for it and folded up her wings for the final few feet, causing her to crash into the ground. Even so, the pain of her ungraceful landing was less than the relief from not having to flap her injured wing anymore.

Before Zecora even completed her own landing, she was pulling medicine and bandages out of her packs. She rushed over to her comrade and administered what aid she could. The pain subsided, but as it did, the situation started to fully sink in. Luna stamped the ground in frustration, causing shards of flint to fly out in every direction.

“It seems we shall need thy tools sooner than anticipated,” she said, gazing up at the second peak, through which she could neither remember nor perceive a shortcut.

“Why do we not rest?” Zecora protested. “Let us heal before we continue our quest.”

“No. I shall stop when the sun must rise, and not a moment sooner.”

“Let us stow away our packs at least, so that our burden may be decreased.”

“Very well then,” Luna said. “Pick what we shall need, and I shall cast an illusion spell upon the rest.”

Down to carrying essentials such as water, bandages, and climbing tools, the two adventurers made their way toward the next mountain in their path. Luna tied one end of their rope around her torso, just in case she fell and both her magic and her wings were too slow to react, while Zecora grabbed the other end and flew up as far as the length would allow. She dug a hook into the crimson rock, secured the rope to it, and then tugged to signal Luna to climb.

Hoofholds along the climbing path were sparse. Using her tail and good wing to balance herself, Luna leaped from perch to perch, casually swinging her lithe body upwards at a speed that astonished Zecora. With all four of her legs, her tail, her wing, and occasionally her mouth, all working in perfect concert, Luna reached the first hook before Zecora even realized that she was staring. After being shaken out of her stare by Luna's quizzical expression, she grabbed her end of the rope again and flew up to find another hold for the hook.

The ascent took several hours, and the descent several hours more. It was well past midnight when Luna and Zecora finally reached the bottom of the second mountain. The Lost Mountain was taller and steeper than the previous one. Luna's patience with this slow process was wearing thin much faster than her endurance was though, and so she decided to start devoting some of her magic to the task as well. With her horn glowing softly, she made her own holds in the rocks with powerful strikes of her hooves, sometimes using them to climb vertically or even at acute angles to shorten the journey. Zecora bit her lip and tightened her hold on the rope when Luna attempted these stunts, but even with her wound, Luna seemed to be doing as well as ever.

Whenever she or her companion needed a moment to rest or plan the route, Luna waved one of her legs and used her magical aura to pull out sections of rock firm enough to stand upon. She also risked several short teleportation jumps. She figured that she easily had enough power to cross the whole mountain with a single spell, but doing so without sight of her destination and without the ability to fly would be suicidal. But she neglected to tell her friend about the spell beforehand, and so Zecora was caused a great deal of consternation when the rope first went slack.

The “griffon” still had her concerns even after the explanation, so she continued to insist on the method, but now it was more for her own reasons than Luna's. The extreme height did not bother Princess Luna much, since she still had the instincts of a natural-born flier, even if she didn't currently have the ability. Zecora, however, was only a tourist, and seeing the plateau from which they had started this climb vanish into the darkness filled her with vertigo. She tried to keep her need for perches under control using various active meditation techniques that had served her well during her decades of familiarity with fear. She carefully and randomly controlled her breaths, kept various portions of her body perfectly still, and counted uncommon patterns of numbers in her mind. The terror remained with her, but now it was a spectator rather than a master, allowing her to focus on efficiently managing the hooks so that they could move faster.

The Princess complained that the rope was only slowing her down, but Zecora cited vague, unknown dangers as her reason. Luna did not bother arguing; she just let it go and continued to throw her mind and body at the challenge before her. Her muscles strained and the shine of her horn grew brighter. The sweat on her skin and hair was refreshing. The huge rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins filled her with vigor. With only a few more leaps to go before reaching the top of the valley where Oracle's cave would be, Luna began to grin. She did not even notice that in the last steps, she had completely yanked the hook out of the cliff-face, and had dragged a startled Zecora along with it. Striking a triumphant pose, she finally surveyed her destination. Zecora flew into position next to her and did the same, but first turned to ask Luna why her jaw was gaping.

“I.” The cave was still there, a huge black hole at the other end of the valley. The valley itself, however, had been dug even bigger, and not by a natural force. It was huge, and it was home to a veritable city of canvas tents, wooden carts, and hundreds of bodies moving between them even in these pre-dawn hours. “What.” To the right, what had been, one thousand years ago, an impenetrable wall of spiky crags, had become a smooth stone road which sloped gently down into the frontier of Andalusia. “What the.” Massive poles were erected on each side of the road, and a huge canvas banner was spread between them, on which a sign had been painted.

WELCOME TO THE LOST VALLEY! THE WISDOM OF THE AGES AWAITS!

All sacrifices are final, but 100% satisfaction with prophecies is guaranteed or your money back.

“What in the hay is this!?” Luna bellowed, causing hundreds of heads to turn toward her simultaneously.

“My, that is a lot of eyes,” Zecora whispered. “So much for your disguise.”

Chapter 9: Oracle

A sea of faces stared up at Luna and Zecora. From atop the crest of the valley, with the first rays of pre-dawn light spotlighting them for all to see, the pair cast a sidelong glance at each other. Luna heaved a sigh at her own shocked outburst that had drawn all this attention. Before any of the mules, griffons, young dragons, cows, deer, horses, and much more, could formulate a response, she continued.

"We wish to speak to the dragon known as Oracle," she said, her thunderous voice echoing against the valley walls, which caused a few unwary creatures to be knocked off balance. "Let him come forth, or take us to him."

"Get in line, pony!" shouted one of the dragons nearby, a silver-scaled bipedal teenager with red spikes. He gestured at the entrance to the village of tents that surrounded them, drawing her attention to the fact that they were indeed in some kind of line, leading from the broad road at the valley's entrance, all the way up to the opening of the cave. Several others close to the speaker voiced the same sentiment.

Luna's ear twitched. She disappeared after a quick turquoise spark from her horn, then immediately afterward she was standing at the valley floor, several feet from the dragon. Some of the more timid bystanders jumped and backed away. Zecora, in her silver-and-ebony-feathered griffon form, quickly took flight to join the Princess.

"We do not wish to wait," said Luna, her face rigid, "but we will if we must. However, in either eventuality, we shall not be addressed as 'pony', nor as anything else in the insulting tone thou didst just use."

With Luna more clearly in view now, the dragon could make out her sparkling hoof caps, her shining collar, her starry mane, her unadorned, ebony crown, and the emotional tempest that she was only barely managing to hold back behind her stony eyes.

He glanced furtively at his fellow dragons who were watching, then sneered. "Well, excuse me, Princess of whatever. My dad's very clear on the subject though. Everyone waits their turn, no matter how important they think they are.”

“If thy tone doth not change forthwith,” Luna said as her tail swatted back and forth in aggravation, “we shall consider this a challenge.”

“Oh, that's rich. Your poor little wing is already broken. Let's not risk breaking the rest of you, okay?” The spikes along his spine sprung to attention with the sound of razors grinding against metal.

Luna advanced, the dragon moved to block her way, and Zecora finally came to a landing beside them.

“You must watch your temper,” Zecora said in an urgent whisper, “lest we provoke danger.”

“'Tis not my temper that need be watched.” Luna calmly unbound the magic around one of her metallic shoes, removed it, then hurled it directly into the young dragon's snout. Everyone who was not a dragon immediately backed as far away as they could, while still being able to see the events unfolding. The dragons stood their ground, watching with tensed muscles and wary eyes.

“We are going to the back of the line now,” said Princess Luna in a carefully-restrained voice. “When our business here is concluded, thou and thy seconds will meet us upon the top of that ridge, away from any bystanders. Tell us thy name so that we may know from whence the satisfaction of our honor will come.”

The dragon picked up the shoe and growled. “It's Alexios. Who are you? And when you say 'our' honor, are you talking about your griffon buddy there too?”

“This mouth speaketh on behalf of all citizens of Equestria, so it is proper for its speech to use the royal 'we'. Thy duel will be solely with Luna, Princess of the Night. Our boon companion Ze—Aquitaine—will be our second.”

At the sound of Princess Luna's name, a buzz began to swarm through the crowd.

“You mean Nightmare Moon?” Alexios asked, with much of his arrogance and swagger replaced by a quiet, serious tone. “I've heard stories about you. You're a terrible enemy of our kind, and I look forward to facing you.”

“We shall never again be known by that name,” said Luna, “and the days of evil are behind us. We follow the honorable codes of harmony and chivalry now, and thou shalt soon see their righteousness in action.”

The Princess wrapped her telekinetic aura around her shoe, yanked it out of the dragon's talons, and replaced it on her hoof. Then, without another word, she, and the former griffon noble whom Zecora was magically merged with, turned to walk toward the Lost Valley's entrance. Many stared at them openly, but most contented themselves to go about their business while stealing frequent glances and gossiping with each other. Individuals, families, even entire clans, had all gathered together here at the ancient dragon's lair, once a closely guarded secret. Along the well-trodden path, the two adventurers passed numerous brightly-colored tent stalls, around which Luna's erstwhile audience had begun to reassemble.

“Chickens here!” pitched a burly minotaur as he aggressively held a live chicken out to anyone who wandered by. “Ten bit sacrifice, right here! Give it to the dragon and you'll be able to get a glimpse of months into the future!”

“Five bits for dead!” shouted a competitor, a black-robed horse. “You, sir, are you squeamish about watching a dragon eat a live sacrifice? Have a pre-killed one. Just as good for predicting the future at half the price!”

“Get your interpretations here!” said a tall, skinny horse with a small pair of glasses perched precariously on his muzzle. “If your prophecy was too vague, we'll tell you what it means for three bits!”

Luna's face was as emotionless as she could manage. It took a few minutes of awkward silence, but finally Zecora worked up the nerve to speak.

“Oh, Luna sweet,” she said, shaking her head, “why perform that feat?”

“Look around,” she responded, staring pointedly at a small group of cows who were leading a leashed pig up the road. “This is not right. What should be a holy place hath become a common carnival, wherein petty merchants prey upon the hopes and fears of the commoners. The injustice of it maketh my blood boil. I know I should have stood down, but... I could not. I am sorry. If it be any consolation, the duel will not be to the death.”

“But you could still be harmed,” Zecora exclaimed, “so I am yet alarmed! It is pointless vanity, and to follow through would be insanity.”

“Zecora... I am getting better. Did I force my way to the front of the line? Did I attack the offenders on the spot? No. Thou hast much wisdom for thy years, but thou art not me. My soul cryeth out to live in a pure world of raw magic and unbridled passion, yet it liveth in a world of straw and twigs. Dragons understand some of this.”

She turned her eyes toward the beaked face of her friend, who was already gazing at her with a tenderness that made Luna's heart catch in her throat. “L-Let us speak of other things... I have a question for thee. I have kept it to myself for some time, because I am accustomed to oddities and idiosyncrasies, but it is a topic which may distract me from this barbarous scene. Wherefore dost thou speak in meter and rhyme?”

“It is an important trick,” echoed Zecora's voice along with that of Aquitaine the griffon, “that helps my soul to stick. I practiced for many years, so that I could master my fears. With this mastery came control, and thus my mind stays whole. When a mask I am wearing, it maintains my bearing.”

“Ah, I see,” Luna said. “'Tis like a mnemonic device for thy spirit. Quite clever. But do not others find it suspicious to hear different creatures all speaking in the same manner?”

“So one might conceive, but you see what you believe. As you may well know, much is easy with dark magic in tow.” Zecora immediately clamped her beak shut after saying that. Somewhat to her relief, Luna did not look angry. She rubbed the bags under her eyes, she yawned, and no violent tirade came forth. She continued walking mutely.

Zecora started to question how relieved she should be by Luna's reaction. She ran her talons through the long, silky plumage that adorned her eagle's head, and spoke up again. “If I might also ask something, why do you still speak as an old king?”

Luna, taking note of the time, took a moment to nudge the moon over the horizon when the sun rose opposite. She had to close both of her eyes against the light of dawn, only able to see where she was going by keeping open a tiny slit with one eyelid.

Because Zecora's eyes were not nearly as sensitive, she viewed the scene with a soft intake of breath. The sandy cliffs that surrounded the gorge lit up like formations of amber. Their irregular, slightly translucent shape, combined with the unique angles from which the light came, played subtle tricks with the shadows. Apparitions of jovial and menacing faces from all manner of species manifested. A sheer cliff-face hosted a theater of malformed actors producing a slow, enigmatic play as the sun rose in the sky. Zecora's eyes lit up, and her mind began to race with thought. She reflected on her studies of optics at the University of Timbucktu, trying to calculate the exact techniques used to create these effects. She became so absorbed in the mental exercise that it took her a minute to notice that Luna was answering her earlier question.

“—so of course I can speak otherwise. But I feel it doth honor my mother to remember her in even this small way. I also happen to enjoy the way I sound.”

Zecora laughed, and the edge of Luna's mouth curled upwards unbidden.

“Excuse me, Your Highness,” a young male pony's voice interrupted, followed by a deep bow from him. “Please take our place in line.”

Luna looked askance at the caramel-colored unicorn. As she prepared to respond, three more unicorns trotted in to join him—bearing dead chickens. They went down on their knees as well, tipping their horns to her respectfully.

“Nay,” the Princess responded with a frown. “We shall wait our turn.”

“Please, I insist,” the first pony said. “You saved the lives of me and my friends.”

“We did?”

“Yes,” he replied with a tear in his eye. “The night of the earthquake in Starfield, we were on the train bound for Canterlot. So it’s the least we can do to thank you.”

“But it is not the most you can do. We would be more greatly pleased if you returned those chickens and went home.”

The friends shared a look among themselves. Their ears flattened to the sides of their heads. “But why, Your Highness?”

“Tell us first,” Luna said, “why you came here at all.”

“We have friends and family who are serving in the army in the north. I mean, we've prayed to the sun, the moon, and the stars, but with things as they are...”

“We want to be sure,” said another unicorn, who had a scar on his side and a clipped ear. “So we're asking Oracle for his wisdom and protection.”

Luna began to pace back and forth to keep her entire body from shaking. It took her nearly a minute to speak, during which Zecora shared a tiny bit of the newcomers’ dread.

“What can he do for you?” Princess Luna finally said. She stopped them from replying with a cutting motion from her foreleg. “Do not answer that. We shall tell you. Nothing. Prophecy is not a thing which can be bartered, no matter what that accursed sign and these amoral vultures who call themselves merchants say, and he hath no more power to affect what happens to your loved ones than you do. Nay, he hath less, for you could be there by their sides. Right now. Instead, you are here, slaking the lust and greed of others to comfort yourselves. We are ashamed, and you should be as well.” She took a long, ragged breath that made her chest quake. “We shall not command you to return, but reflect on this. Why do you not go to them yourselves?”

All of the group's heads were bowed, and a couple were on the verge of tears.

“We are not warriors, Your Highness,” croaked the stallion with the scar. “And we have already lost so much, to parasprites, gels, timberwolves, Discord, changelings... What use would we be? My special talent is woodcrafting. His is singing. Hers is weaving baskets. What do you want us to do?”

“Listen to me.” Luna stared at each one of them in turn. They gasped as she removed her royal crown and set it carefully to the side. She knelt down so that she would be at eye level with them. “I speak to you now, not as your sovereign, but only as a fellow pony. As you have seen, the world is dangerous, and it becometh more dangerous with each passing night. Perhaps you blame me for this? Or Celestia? Do not answer. It matters not what you think, only what actions you undertake. And what I see is a group of good ponies whose hardships have obscured from them a vital truth.”

Luna's horn glowed, and with its magic she brought one of their chickens over to her. She carefully untwisted its broken neck, then tenderly stroked its feathers.

“The ones on whose behalf you have come are afraid as well,” she continued, returning the chicken to them. “Think you that soldiers do not feel fear? There is no pony who knoweth fear better than the one who fights. I have seen it countless times in the eyes of ponies I have led into battle, and I am sure they have seen it in mine. The first step to combat fear is to share it with those who love you. Forgetting this lesson is what turned me toward darkness...” She stared hard into the lifeless eyes of the small creature she levitated before her.

“After you have shared your fear, there are many paths to take. All ponies are capable of combat. Never think otherwise. Be it with magic, or flight, or the strength of our legs, we can all fight. Those who are able-bodied should seek regular training, regardless of their calling. If circumstances prevent you, or if you simply choose not to, then find another way. Write them. Visit them. Gather money and goodwill to support them. Honor them with every piece of wood you shape, with every aria you sing... with every basket you weave. If they do not return, the community will remember them through you and your actions. No matter what you choose, please, do not let that remembrance be through the deaths of innocent animals. Do not tarnish them with sacrifices to a dragon's greed.”

The ponies she was addressing stood in silence for a long time, transfixed by her words. As she stared at the Princess's luminous mane, the mare with a trio of baskets for a cutie mark spoke.

“But why are you here, Your Highness? Did you come to put a stop to it?”

“I am not sure,” Luna said thoughtfully. “I knew Oracle long ago. Back then this was not a business, but a sacred rite. He gave his prophecies when they were imparted to him by the divine powers that chose him, and he did not require such gaudy sacrifices. On rare occasions, he would ask directly, and sometimes, he would even get a response. I thought it would be the same today, so I came to see if he could tell me aught of a catastrophe that hath befallen some artifacts of mine. Whatever the case may be, I shall not take part in this chicanery. If he will not tell me without my doing so, then I shall go.”

Luna's crown floated back onto her head, then she drew herself up from her crouch to once again stand over a head taller than her subjects. “So what will you do?” she asked.

The friends whispered among each other for a moment. “We will go back.” They all nodded dejectedly. Luna frowned as she watched them turn to leave, heads hanging, tails limp between their legs.

“Hold,” she said. “Before you go, remember that you are doing the right thing. We know it must seem as if you came so far for nothing, but you have not. Tell us your names and where you live, and your Princess will remember you.”

“Alimento at your service,” said the caramel stallion, who had an image of a loaf of bread on his flank.

“Shrubcut,” the wood crafter with the scar said.

“Lily Springseed,” said the basket-weaving mare. “Or just Lily, if it please Your Highness.”

“And I,” said the last pony, whose cutie mark was a golden gate laced with green ivy, “am Old Esquire. I actually only just turned twenty. That's just what my dad was called, and his dad before him, because we've all been household servants, and...” He noticed the facial expressions from the other ponies. “Excuse me. I'm honored to meet you, Princess Luna. These three have no home currently, so they are staying with me in one of my master's mansions. Fancy Pants has donated his estate on Northcolt Road to the homeless, and I perform some minor duties there. I was given leave, but not for this purpose. I wish I had told him the truth now. Maybe he would have stopped us.”

“We believe we know the place thou speakest of, Old Esquire,” Luna said. “Go back there and expect word from us. If not personally, then by letter. In return, however, thou and thy friends must beseech everypony you know not to undertake this same journey. 'Tis far to go for false comfort.”

The quartet thanked her, bowed, then joined the second, less-organized line that was leaving the valley. They glanced back at their Princess many times. Lily waved before being ushered onward by the others.

“There is nothing wrong with false hope,” said Zecora, “if it helps one to cope.”

“Excuse me?” Luna asked, raising a foreleg in surprise. “False hope is a lie, and lies are not harmonious.”

“You had no right to decide from whence their succor is supplied.”

“So thou art completely satisfied with the fact that they purchased a dead animal, killed by these very creatures, for the purpose of receiving blasphemously false fortune?” Luna stepped closer to her griffon-zebra companion, and a few of their neighbors in line started offering to give up their places to others around them.

“If that is what it takes,” Zecora responded, holding her ground. “Your subjects should be free to make mistakes.”

“Do not dare tell me how to rule,” Luna growled. “I was a renowned leader before thy nation even existed!”

“I can only judge the actions I see.” Zecora's griffon wings spread out. “And there are some with which I don't agree.”

“There are more, are there?” Luna asked, bearing an increasingly severe expression. Her hooves ground into the road with a slight quake as she advanced two more steps. “What else have I done wrong, foreigner?”

Zecora's head reeled back as if she'd been struck when Luna pronounced the word “foreigner” in much the same tone as the nobles at Castle Blueblood had. After a moment of shock, her face turned back toward anger. “In one such event,” she said, heedless of the inner voice telling her not to speak further, “you gave ponies who attacked us a chance to repent. If you act like such a fool, you should expect questions to your rule.”

Princess Luna tried to flap her wings, forgetting that one had been broken the night before. The bones had mostly reformed, but the muscles had yet to knit themselves back together completely. Heedless of the pain, she ripped its feathers out of the bandages Zecora had applied. It began beating with its twin, lifting her several feet in the air, allowing her to more effectively project the full force of her glare. The crowd hastened to back away as an eerie wind picked up, carrying with it tendrils of black and purple smoke. When she spoke, however, her voice was quiet. “And to think I was on the verge of allowing thee to enter into my audience with Oracle. Surely thou knewest how angry I am to see this sight, yet thou dost provoke me anyway. Thou hast done nothing but question me since we arrived!”

She paused, narrowed her eyes, and cocked her head to the side. “Come to think of it, why art thou even with me this far? Thou hast done so much to aid and comfort me, yet what have I done to make thee so devoted? In fact, I would venture to say that the hardship in thy life hath increased significantly since we crossed paths. Thy mystery hath been charming until now, but I shall not abide it in one who—”

Suddenly, superimposed over the bloodshot, glistening eyes of Zecora, she saw the purple ones of Twilight Sparkle.

“One who...” Her vision filled with tiny sparks of light, as if she were wearing a veil of stars. She landed to steady herself—and to stop the splitting ache in her injured wing.

“If my thoughts and feelings you wish to know,” said Zecora as she turned to walk away, “seek me out when you finish your show.” She took to the sky and went back the way they came, through the treacherous mountains.

Luna raised a hoof toward her friend desperately as her mouth tried to form words, any words. She attempted to fly after her, but only managed to get a few dozen feet in the air before her bad wing forced her into a crash landing. She coughed up dust as she struggled back to her hooves, pushing away a kindly minotaur who had stooped down to help her up. She went back to her place in the line, to which no one objected, and stood there in a glowering trance.

Luna picked up on little about the world around her during her brooding. Shapes, large and small, went by her in both directions. There was sweat on her body, probably from the rays of the sun beating down on her. She was drawing closer to a huge, shadowy hole cut into the red rock. Inside of its darkness, a familiar shape was floating in the air. With a coat of alabaster, a mane of onyx, and a thick covering of seaweed and slime, the sea-pony form of Thin Mint beckoned her closer with its two remaining, non-mutated hooves. Wordlessly and without a trace of emotion visible, she heeded the call, and nearly ran into a boulder in the process. She stumbled and shook her head as she corrected her bearings, keeping track of the forms which were not vanishing into thin air as they made their way into the dragon's lair.

“Ah, Luna! I have been expecting you,” said a distant voice—distant in space, or in time, she wondered—, deep and dark like the voice of the cavern itself. “I would like to say it is because of my divine power, but alas, it is simply because I heard you shouting from all the way in here.”

Gradually, Luna's vision sharpened again. The cave was dotted with stalagmites which were unnaturally arranged in measured intervals. Around each of them was a stacked pile of gleaming bits and scintillating jewels, the size and composition of which seemed to vary according to the height and position of the stalagmite. In the center of this massive, abacus-like array was a bloody, scorched stone slab. The smell of cooked meat filled her nostrils, and to her disgust and secret delight, her mouth began to water, just like it did when she had been corrupted. Before this simple yet grotesque altar, the massive dragon sat.

Oracle's scales were white steel, and his spikes gray iron. The sunken, ashen eyes with which he regarded Luna had a metallic quality to them as well. Catfish-like whiskers hung down to the floor, so long that they had to curl up like ropes. Most noticeably of all, his belly was enormously bloated, and he was in the process of chewing to add more to it when the Princess entered.

“Attendant!” he called into the dark as he licked his claws clean. “Serve some refreshments to the line. This prophecy is going to take a while. Don't come back in until she leaves either.”

A smaller dragon, though still an adult, slithered past Luna to execute the command, scrunching his snout at her as he passed. She did not acknowledge the look, but continued staring straight ahead.

“I understand,” said Oracle after his attendant had left, “that you have something of a moral objection to my operation? Did I hear that correctly?”

“I wish to know why thou hast dishonored thy gifts so thoroughly,” Luna responded. “This is not the way I remembered thee.”

“Ah,” he said, scratching his chin and settling into a comfortable prone position on the floor. “Well, it just so happens that, about a millenium and a half ago, a certain pony Princess published a book in which the Lost Valley was mentioned. It had a little bit about a horse who came by and threatened my life when I demanded too much money from some poor peasants for my visions. It was—shall we say—off, in some particulars, but it didn't matter. Soon, instead of five visitors a year, I was getting ten, and they began to behave less like supplicant pilgrims and more like demanding customers.”

“Art thou saying this is my fault?” Luna was too tired even to glare, though she tried. “Zapeta was a friend, and I believed the world needed to hear her story, that part especially. 'Twas about standing up for the poor against all odds. I did not harbor any animosity toward thee. Moreover, these are still thy actions. I forced nothing upon anyone.”

“Oh, I'm well aware,” the dragon said, stretching his huge legs. “But this is the best way to make everyone happy. Those who seek me out can get some advice which may turn out to be relevant to their lives, I get to stay in here to eat instead of having to raid farms and gem mines, and my servants turn a comfortable profit. As do I, of course. This would not be much of a hoard otherwise.”

“That is disgusting.”

Oracle sighed, filling the cavern with noxious fumes that made Luna hack and wheeze. “Maybe so,” he said. “In truth, I always admired your steady, firm scruples. Even to us old and jaded dragons, it was heartening to see that some in this world could hold to such virtue. That is why it was such a blow when you began to hunt us.”

“I hunted those that I believed did wrong,” Luna objected, although not as forcefully as she would have liked. “Nothing more.”

“You don't have to justify yourself to me, Princess Luna. More than any other, I understood what happened to you. You fought the darkness itself, and for a time the darkness overcame you. That is why I divined your return for Celestia, free of charge.”

“What? That prophecy was yours?”

“Don't sound so surprised.” He laughed, rubbing his rotund belly. “That was classic Oracle. I'm particularly proud about 'the stars will aid in her escape.' Simply beautiful.”

“What was so special about that?” Luna asked. “Any astronomer could have predicted that alignment.”

“Of course.” Oracle smiled. “But only I could have foreseen that it would take a truly exceptional pony to free the real you. Nightmare Moon might have escaped with the aid of starlight, but Princess Luna escaped with the aid of the stars of magic themselves, whose light sparkles in the eyes of the pony who bears its mark. That is a connection which works its changes upon you to this day, via the channel of the Elements of Harmony.”

Luna realized her jaw was hanging open, so she closed it. “Anyone could have heard about her,” she mumbled. “'Twas nearly two years ago.”

“Think what you will.” He shrugged. “Just know that I am glad that the second part came true. I would not have enjoyed eternal night. I should warn you that many dragons will not be this understanding, unfortunately. I'm told that one of my young sons is among them.”

“He was extremely rude to me and to my friend,” Luna said with a downcast look and a blush. “My honor demanded satisfaction.”

“Luna, he is a child,” he said, shaking his head. “Of course he should know better, but the responsibility to avoid conflict falls on the adult, especially when that adult is so much stronger.”

“It is too late now,” said Luna, glaring into the middle distance to avoid the father's stern gaze. “He was challenged in front of other dragons.”

“Yes, I know, just...” Oracle pressed his tongue against the gap where the warrior Zapeta had kicked out one of his teeth. “Do not hurt him too much.”

“I shall not. I give my most solemn word.”

“Anyway, I'm sure that's not why you came here. What is your question?”

Luna inhaled slowly and closed her eyes. “I wish to know why the artifacts I sealed away in my palace before my banishment have decayed to near-uselessness, despite their enchantments. In order to obtain this answer, I offer one of these artifacts, my cloak, as a sacrifice.” She took the cloak off and levitated it over to the altar, draping the lustrous moonsilver cloth over the ugly slab.

“Keep it,” he said, taking it delicately in his claws to avoid making more holes that would need to be patched. “It's going to be a cold winter this year.”

Luna stared as he placed the cloth back in front of her, but she remained quiet.

“Now, give me a few moments.” Oracle closed his eyes and forced his body into a crouching position. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs to the point of bursting. Then, with his face close to his altar, he began to blow on it. As the tendrils on his snout sparked and started to hover in the air, his breath became a small, steady spout of flame. The spout changed colors as the dragon’s trance deepened. First crimson, then verdant green, then piercing white, then a color that could only be perceived or described by one of the world's ageless beings. When his breath finally drew low, Oracle opened his eyes and peered into the dense cloud of multi-colored smoke that now filled his lair.

“They aren't saying much to me,” he mumbled in a soft, distracted voice, as if he were only dimly aware of Luna's presence. He reached out toward a patch of red smoke, which fled out of his grasp at the last second. “But I think that's because the pieces are already in place. We're just not far enough away.”

“What, pray tell, does that mean?” Luna asked, shielding herself from the smoke with a filter made of her magical turquoise light.

“Ah... the answer was right under your hooves. You met an old student of yours some time ago, did you not?” He cornered a patch of rainbow-hued mist and searched its light from every direction.

“Yes. I did.” Luna's head and shoulders sagged, followed by a shudder when she remembered seeing that student in her daze less than an hour ago.

“Well, surely you didn't think she was the only one?” He tapped on a rock formation with his claws until it shattered. He took careful note of exactly where its pieces landed, his eyes opening wider.

“I did not think about that, but what difference would others make? I sealed that chest so that not even Celestia could access its contents.”

“Therein lies your problem,” he said, nodding firmly after studying the way the dark haze danced around a splatter of blood that had stained the rock during an earlier ritual. “You designed the spell thinking only of your sister, as if she were the greatest power in the world. She may very well be, but this isn't a question of strength, it is a question of direction. Ponies with a magical style much different from hers, who got a glimpse of your style first-hoof, and who have had a thousand years of undeath to work on the problem, however...”

“That is impossible,” Luna stated flatly.

“Yes, it is always possible for something to turn out to be impossible,” Oracle said, twirling his whiskers in his fingers. “But I can't shake the image of you descending into a lake, with a mare's voice entreating you to come meet her friends.”

“I did, and I killed those zombies with Zecora's help.”

“There was someone else there with you? I only see a wolf, who was in no shape to do much of anything. If that's true, you should definitely ask this 'Zecora' about everything. If I were in a situation like the one you appear to have been in, I would not fully trust my own senses or memories. The friends the voice was speaking of were not zombies, from what I can tell.”

Luna shook her head slowly as her mind raced. “I will... I will do that. I—I think I must depart now. I thank thee so much for thy time, I shall pay you back when I—”

“I require no payment from you,” Oracle said, “provided that you come back and give me the answer to this question when you find it. The powers have not spoken to me in this manner in a very long time. Be careful!”

Luna turned and dashed out of the dragon's lair, galloping hard through a bewildered mass of pilgrims. Without even slowing down, she cast a teleportation spell to transport herself to the top of the valley. She reached the end of the plateau there in seconds. Just as she was about to spread her wounded wings to glide back in the direction Zecora had flown, a snarling voice stopped her.

“Are you trying to run away from your own challenge?” called out Alexios, flanked by two other teenage dragons.

“We do not have time for this!” Luna said through a clenched jaw.

“I'll make it quick,” he said, cracking his knuckles. “My terms are wrestling, until surrender or unconsciousness.”

I am such a fool, Luna said to herself as she turned toward the dragon. He was breathing small puffs of red fire which were reflected in the black pools of his eyes. She matched his display by letting out a large burst of glowing indigo fire from her own mouth. All three dragons had to consciously force themselves not to draw back in shock as she strode through the burning air, completely untouched by its heat. At ten paces from her opponent, she halted and set herself in a proud, wide four-legged stance, with both of her wings spread out to full length. I shall trust anything that giveth me a surface to cry upon. Idiot!

The platinum-scaled challenger charged, opening with a wide haymaker—which was only a feint for a grab with his other claw. Luna stopped both attacks by rearing back, positioning her front hooves right where each of his elbows were going to be, and slamming down.

'Tis a wonder I have not been led to my death already.

Alexios screamed as his forearms snapped.

Or have I?

With a gutteral roar, he launched himself upward, his teeth bearing right down on Luna's neck. Luna flipped onto her back and kicked upwards with her rear legs. The incredible force of the blow broke the dragon's snout and crushed his windpipe. Alexios staggered, trying to open an airway with his broken arms.

Perhaps I died in the lake, and this is all but a dark dream.

Luna felt other sets of claws descend upon her sides. She also felt a jolt of electricity as she called down arcs of unnatural blue lightning to ward them off. Her mane and tail sparked and spread out, standing on end from a potent combination of static and adrenaline.

Maybe I am still on the moon.

With the distractions out of the way, she leaped onto her opponent and pinned him to the ground. One hoof set to work closing his throat further, while the other began to press down over his heart to end things once and for all.

Where I belong.

“No!” she suddenly heard herself scream. Unlike the other times she had been on the precipice of doing something horrible, this time she stopped herself before any visions of the Elements of Harmony and their words came to her. Their voices did indeed try to well up from that Nightmare-shaped hole inside of her, but they retreated as soon as she stepped off of Alexios. They almost died away completely as she channeled a vast amount of her power into a single healing spell. She launched a ray of white energy at the young dragon, and then she turned to fly away as fast as she could. She could not even hear the protests of her bad wing over the fury of the tornado of sand and lightning that her display of power had kicked up in the Lost Valley and its environs.

“'I am getting better',” she quoted her earlier self mockingly to the violent winds. As she glided to where she had left her supplies, where she hoped Zecora would be waiting, she let out a sound that had elements of both a laugh and a cry of anguish, but was neither.

Chapter 10: Art Thou Player, or Audience?

Zecora, having restored herself to her natural zebra form, stood alone on a rocky plateau, balancing herself on one hind leg and meditating. There were peals of thunder from the direction of the Lost Valley, but rather than let them distract her, she focused on their lack of rhythm to further clear her mind. She surmised that she would need all the clarity she could get for when Luna arrived.

With her mind perfectly still, it did not take long for Zecora to be able to make out the beating of wings coming in her direction. She frowned. Luna's healing was amazing, but from what she had seen, there was no way the Princess's wings would be in good, painless condition for flying yet. Once the timing of the wing flaps grew loud enough, the lids of her eyes rose to watch Luna come into view. Her frown deepened when she noticed the state she was in.

Luna's mane was beyond disheveled; it had been slashed into ribbons, creating dozens of tiny nebula rivulets, some flowing in various different directions, others hanging limply from her scalp. Worse, the rest of her body had been attacked as well. Her sides were marred by claw-shaped patches of crimson stains, several of which were still open and dripping. But the only thing Luna seemed to notice with her reddened, unblinking eyes, was Zecora. Every muscle in Luna's body was just as tense, even after she came to a hard, earth-cracking landing a few dozen feet away.

“If a stone you want to be,” Zecora whispered to herself as she slowly, precisely pulled herself out of her meditation posture and assumed a simple, sturdy, four-legged stand. “Then a stone you will also see.”

“Zecora,” Luna said, her voice sharp and taut like a metal wire. “We must find a safe place to speak. I fear I may soon be followed.”

Having anticipated a need for privacy for one reason or another, Zecora gestured toward a formation of stone that formed a sort of canopy, blocking anything underneath from view from all angles but a single, ground-based one. With neither a word nor a look, Luna walked rigidly toward it, and sat in the center of the natural tent. She kept both wings, one of which was missing entire swaths of feathers, fully splayed. Her chest was held out proudly, making the sparkle of the crescent moon on her collar clearly visible even in the light of midday.

Zecora settled in with much less fanfare, although this was because she was consciously forcing her limbs to move casually and “naturally.” Were it not for her willpower, she feared that her body would be shaking and having difficulty obeying even simple commands.

There were several false starts to the conversation as they both moved to speak at the same time. At the third or fourth attempt, Luna's voice finally found her.

“Tell me what happened at the lake,” she demanded.

“Before we speak of the past,” Zecora said, her eyes pointedly glancing at Luna's wounds, “we should heal you quite fast.”

“My body is well!” She stamped on the ground. “Answer me. The only wound thou canst help me heal is the cut of suspicion that I have been deceived by thee.”

“I have kept some things obscured,” said the zebra, turning her face away. “But not out of malice, be assured.”

“Assume I am not assured.” Luna took several strained steps forward. “Assure me now.”

Zecora inhaled deeply, then very slowly exhaled. “When you sank to the lake's floor, I found you drowning before a strange door. It was wide open to the tide, yet very dry inside. I pulled you tight, then swam to its soft light.”

“Hold,” Luna interrupted. “Before then, didst thou see my apprentice, Thin Mint? Were there other corpses of ponies nearby?”

She nodded. “All lay dead, silent on the water's bed.”

Luna's steely gaze wavered for a moment, but she motioned for the story to continue.

“The cavern glowed like the moon, and out of smooth white stone it was hewn. There were three shapes ahead, and they filled me with dread. No less fearsome were their voices, which spoke darkly of future choices.”

“Were they ponies?” Luna began moving closer, and Zecora indicated that they were. “Didst thou learn their names?” Luna was close enough that Zecora could see her eyes getting wider, more desperate. The zebra shook her head. “What did they look like?” Luna's breath was hoarse and hot on Zecora's coat.

“They were mystically masked, so I cannot answer what you asked.”

Luna stood still for a second, then deflated. She slumped to the ground at Zecora's feet, grit her teeth, and shut her eyes. “Tell me what they said to thee,” she grunted as she let the fresh pain of her injuries wash the memories from her mind.

“They were expecting the Princess of the Moon, but you had come too soon,” Zecora said, taking a couple steps backwards. “Academicians, they said they were, and great power I could infer. Among them Mint was numbered, but by her death, they did not seem encumbered. They told me to take you away. They would send a signal when I was to cease delay. Having seen what only one had done to you, challenging them was something I feared to do.”

“What did they sound like?” Luna sat still. “Were they young, old? Male, female? Were they angry, hateful, disappointed? Tell me something...”

“They were a stallion and two mares, and it was difficult to decipher their airs. If I had to guess, there was some joy in their address. Perhaps slightly surly, but only because you were there too early.”

“They were happy to see me?” There was a hopeful, guilty crack in Luna's question. She shook her head violently, then spoke to Zecora again. “What was this signal thou spokest of?”

“I am very sorry, but they did not tell me. They said that one as wise as I should often look to the sky.”

“Thou must take me to them before that happens,” Luna said, her eyes fluttering open into a steady glare at the rock beneath her feet. “I need to see them. If more ponies from my Academy do indeed yet live, then we are all in dire peril.”

“There is no need for such haste,” said Zecora. “Given time to prepare, why put it to waste?”

“There again is that foul taste,” Luna's angry stare traveled up to meet Zecora's eyes. “Thy questioning of me. Pray tell, before what happened at the lake, why didst thou bother to follow me at all?”

“Do you want to hear that now,” Zecora replied hesitantly, “with much else already furrowing your brow?”

“I do not want it. I need it now. I love thee, and I cannot bear such deceit from thee any longer!” Luna felt a huge pit open in her stomach when she realized what she had just said, and the pit grew wider when she realized that it was too late to take it back.

Zecora did not seem fazed. Increasing Luna's frustration even further, her companion seemed more calm than ever.

“There are many reasons,” Zecora spoke softly, sitting down so that her face was level with Luna's, “and to list them all would take seasons. First, I am drawn to those with power. Though sometimes that can turn sour.” She raised a hoof to her neck, running it along the golden rings that once again obscured the deep scarring that the use of her enchanted masks caused. “It is also true that I grew on tales of you. Some were dark, of course, but even in the worst you had such magnetic force. By long rote, I even learned tales you wrote. Warriors whose great, pure love made them blessed, those are the ones I remember best. Then I saw you in the flesh, and that wonder became fresh.”

Zecora's heart was beating quickly, and blood was rushing to her cheeks. She forced herself to continue anyway. “In many ways, you're intriguing, if you take my meaning.” She paused, trying not to fidget as she awaited Luna's reaction.

“Art thou saying thou hast romantic feelings for me?” Luna questioned flatly.

“I would perhaps not protest, but that does not describe it best. Or maybe it does come thence, if you mean it in a classic sense. Inspired by your great glory, I want to do things worthy of your story. Maybe then you would deign to look upon me the same.”

“I believe I know well that flame,” said Princess Luna. “I was often alone for great periods of time even before I was imprisoned in the moon. At times that it became too heavy a burden to bear, my heart would often reach out for the first warm embrace that would have it. With such loneliness and desperation, so too comes vulnerability. It is most unwise to even contemplate such things so soon, when one has been by oneself for one thousand years—or for twenty. I was a fool to open up, and thou wouldst be the same.”

“Oh, is that the deal?” Zecora's emotions got the better of her serene exterior, and she scowled. “Are you saying my feelings aren't real?”

“I am saying that thy feelings, whatever they may be, could possibly have been exaggerated by two decades of solitude and an overactive imagination.”

“What an atrocious intimation,” Zecora protested, unconsciously rhyming her last word with what Luna had said.

“I only suggest it because I have felt it too!” Luna defended herself. “And probably much more keenly as well. Be offended if thou must, but remember that I am no little foal for thou to speak down to. I have much wisdom of my own to offer, if thou wouldst but listen.”

“Well, I am listening now,” Zecora said, pulling her face back to a neutral expression. Still, Luna had been around her long enough to be able to make out the pain and anger in her eyes. “If you have any truths to avow.”

“Now that thou dost mention it...” Luna trailed off, frowning and searching what little of the sky she could see from beneath their hideout. Zecora waited patiently for several minutes while Luna sat in deep contemplation.

“It is interesting that thou shouldst mention my stories now,” she said, gazing at the distant crags of the mountains, “when I was beginning to believe that such a path may be what is best for thee. It could help thee, easing thy guilt, smoothing the path to thy future, but it is not purely a gift, and so I have been hesitant to mention it. But after thy words moments ago, I must ask now. If one is to base one's life around a story, then one must take great care to ensure that it is a virtuous story. Such faith hath changed many lives in my time, and it could change thine as well. But there is a code that must be followed. Wilt thou hear it?”

“I already follow a code, though I do question the road.” Zecora cocked her head to the side. “Let me hear the words plain, then I can choose for which to strain.”

Luna stood up. She cleared her throat, and a magical effect not unlike a quiet version of the Royal Canterlot Voice accompanied her recitation. Instead of projecting far into physical space, the words dove deep into spiritual space, as if it were Zecora's own inner voice speaking them as well.

“Lorsque la lune se lève prochaine, je chevaucherai pour combattre au noms de mon amis et gens.
Tant qu'un souffle m'animera, les terres qui sous me pieds seront préservées du mal.
Aucun obstacle ne me retiendra, aucun appel à l'aide ne m'échappera.
La nouvelle lune ne me surprendra jamais deux fois en un même lieu.
Je me donne coeur, corps, et âme à la sainteté que je cherche: l'honnêteté, la loyauté, le rire, la générosité, la bonté, la magie.
Tous ces sont très excellent, mais la vertu la plus importante est de les inspirer dans d'autres.
À cette fin, L'Honneur est tout. Au moyen de la Chevalerie, je seras devenu L'Honneur.

Zecora only knew the basics of Griffonçais, but she understood the speech perfectly.

When next rises the moon, I shall go forth to fight in the name of my friends and kin.
Whilst I draw breath, the land beneath my feet will remain untainted by evil.
No obstacle will stand before me.
No plea for help will find me wanting.
No new moon will look upon me twice lest I be judged idle.
I give my body, heart and soul to the sanctity which I seek: honor, loyalty, laughter, generosity, kindness, magic.
All are great, but the most important virtue is to inspire them in others.
For this, Honour is everything. Through Chivalry, I shall become Honour.

"It is lovely, but unclear," Zecora remarked. "What is this honor you hold so dear?"

“One fasts for a full cycle of day and night, then speaks this vow the following dawn.” Luna's tone took on a very slight bombastic quality, while she closed her eyes with a hint of haughtiness. “Afterward, one spends the day in contemplation of exactly that meaning, while keeping vigil over the castle. The vigil is over when the moon rises again...” She opened her eyes quickly when she remembered something. “But of course, because I no longer precisely have a castle, we would have to find something of equal worth for thou to stand in guard of.”

“It gives some food for thought,” said Zecora, scratching her chin, “but I may be too old to be taught.”

“Nonsense.” Luna dismissed the idea with a wave of her hoof. “I devised it when I was well beyond six hundred years of age.”

“I am not quite that old,” Zecora said with a throaty chuckle that broke through all of the remaining layers of tension in the air at once, “and not yet an ugly sight to behold.”

Luna smiled with enough warmth that its combination with her bloodied, pain-wracked body was not overly-terrifying. “If I may ask, what code dost thou uphold?” She raised her brow at herself when she realized she had just rhymed with her companion—and not for the first time, either.

“It has fewer pretty lines of verse,” the zebra replied, “which makes it much easier to rehearse. 'All in life you do, comes back tenfold to you.' The general thrust is to behave like the world is just. Whether it is or not, that is what I was taught.”

“There is a great deal of merit to the idea,” Luna said. “I have encountered creeds that gave me much more pause. But what does one do when one's own deeds have been unjust?”

“That, I am still learning.” Zecora sighed, reflecting on her powers and the things she had done to acquire them. “The cycle of karma is ever turning...”

Luna's gaze softened, and she came close to reaching out to touch her friend. Instead, she searched the sky for a few moments, and she was surprised that she didn't detect any movement on the horizon. “Hmm,” she continued. “Whilst thou thinkest of my offer, there is a middle path I should like to try. Thou art familiar with the concept of guided meditation, I assume?” Zecora said she was. “Then I have an idea that could help us both. When I was attuned to the Elements of Harmony, I regularly took my fellow chevaliers along mystical reflections upon their nature. ‘Twas often a profound experience which made us all closer. I have not tried it since I lost my connection to the Elements, but that should only intrigue thee more, yes?” She grinned.

“I must agree,” Zecora said, trying not to sound too eager, “if it can be done safely.”

“'Tis perfectly safe by itself. Yet, I think now is not the correct moment. It would not do to be disturbed.”

“Yes, I too would be perturbed if our inward search were curbed.”

“I dare say we have been around each other too long,” said Luna, laughing and shaking her head.

Both of them stopped speaking and sat in silence under their rocky shelter. Each searching one another's eyes, they attempted to resume the conversation as it had begun, with awkward false starts. This time, however, instead of one voice finally forging ahead, the silence was broken by a huge, guttural roar from the east.

Peeking out from under the outcropping of rock, Luna was momentarily stunned to see the massive, bulky silhouette of Oracle himself flying toward them. Other, smaller shapes had joined in a formation around him. There looked to be six of them, three younger dragons, and three griffons. She pulled her head back in.

“It pains me to even think this,” she told Zecora, “but we must stay under here to hide. With what I have learned today, it is paramount that we make it back to Equestria safely. Curse this day!” She fidgeted and scratched violently at the earth as the flight drew closer and closer.

Zecora, meanwhile, was deeply regretting that she had stored most of her supplies in the cache they had hidden before climbing up the mountain. Still, she took a quick inventory of the few potions she had at her sides, and concluded they would be at least enough to escape. Then there was the mask of Aquitaine, but... She shivered and hunkered down, following Luna's advice to hide, for now.

The three other dragons with the ancient prophet were, as Luna expected, his son Alexios, and the seconds he had brought with him for their duel. She did not recognize the griffons. They were dressed in ruffled, bejeweled, white blouses, and each wore a blade at their hip. Nobility.

“You are certain she went this way?” asked one of the griffons, a female with the severe, determined air of a matriarch. A family crest showing two crossed keys on a red field was sewn into the shoulder of her shirt. It was not a device Luna recognized, but she doubted there were many noble houses left over from a thousand years ago. The griffons, and all the dragons except Oracle, landed alongside her. The elder dragon continued circling overhead.

“Yes, Lady Adelaide,” said Alexios. “But if she is now a griffon, as you said, she could be far away by now.”

“She is not a griffon,” she said. “She is merely playing at being one. She can't have gone far. According to her accomplice, she can't safely wear my sister's face for long enough to cross these mountains. No, I think she is hiding.”

Luna took a long, hard look at Zecora, who was crouching low and appeared to be trying to crouch lower. Her ears were flat, her entire body was still, and her eyes were fixated on the ground. She looked up in surprise when she felt Luna's hoof gently stroking her shoulder.

Luna's eyes widened suddenly. She put up a quick barrier spell as the rock they were hiding under was ripped from the ground. They were left staring up at Oracle's form looming in the air above them, nearly blotting out the sun with his bulk.

“Princess Luna?” he said in shock. “What are you—oh dear! Did you lose your duel with my son? You look awful!”

“It's the zebra!” The trio of griffons screeched and drew their blades. They started to advance, but they slowed upon seeing Luna, and a look from the dragon stopped them completely.

“Did thy son not tell thee of our duel?” Luna asked, thoroughly confused. “Art thou and thy party not searching for me?”

“No, should we be?” Oracle set the rock in his claws down, then came to a landing on the plateau, most of which he now occupied. “We're looking for that zebra behind you.” He turned his slitted eyes toward Zecora, looking her over with a heavy frown. “Are you going to come quietly?”

“What is the meaning of this?” Luna demanded. “Zecora is our companion and an honorary citizen of Equestria besides. She goes nowhere.”

“She is a liar, a murderer, and a necromancer,” the griffon matriarch Adelaide growled. “Are you aware of her crimes, honored Princess? I can't believe Equestria would not extradite such a villain if so.”

“We are aware of some terrible deeds she has committed,” said Luna, “which were two decades ago. She is here to atone, and we are keeping a personal eye upon her until we have judged the matter.”

“If I may speak,” Zecora said directly to Adelaide, “I am she whom you seek. What is it you are here to do, now that your search is through?”

“To put you on trial for the killing of my sister, Aquitaine, in the city of Timbucktu. Which was, as the Princess wisely reminds us, twenty years ago, but some faces stay fresh in the memories of us mere mortals for quite some time. I did not expect to see you in the Lost Valley yesterday, but I am not about to let the opportunity slip by me. So, as our esteemed friend the prophet asked, are you going to come quietly?”

“If I am found guilty,” she said, “what is the penalty?”

“Execution.”

“Ah.” Zecora shook her head. “Then I will absolutely not. I may be found, but I am not caught.” She stood there firmly, almost as amazed by her defiance than the others around her were.

“What!?” the griffon yelled. “Then you will die where you stand, monster!”

She charged forward, only to find Princess Luna's body in the way, her wings, mane, and tail spreading majestically and protectively around her. Luna swatted the rapier aside with one leg with a force that sent it and its wielder sprawling in two different directions.

“Not another step!” Luna commanded, her powerful voice echoing all around them. The griffons who had moved to join the coming fight froze. The dragons, she noted with interest, had not moved in the first place.

“Let me finish, if you please,” Zecora said. Luna watched, stunned, as she strode in front of her, mere paces away from the griffons. “Even if it won't appease. I have been seeking a way to give her soul a place to lay. As Isra should have said, destroying the mask will not calm the dead. I know you see me with disdain, but your sister is not in pain. When I have finished helping Luna with her quest, I will do my utmost to put her to rest.”

“How dare you try to comfort me,” the sister said. “You are sick, and I pray whatever journey you are on puts your diseased mind in the dirt. Give me that horrible mask, and we will solve the problem ourselves.”

“Do you know better what can be done than do the rulers of the moon and sun?”

“Listen well to our words,” Luna pronounced, hushing everyone present, “for we know what true darkness is better than all of you. Zecora is not it. She has confessed her mistakes, and she now seeks to do right. Anyone can change, and it is a great crime to deny that possibility forever with talk of vengeance and death.”

“The dead cannot change, Your Highness,” Adelaide said slowly, standing up and walking over to where her sword fell. She replaced it in her scabbard.

“To whom dost thou presume to speak?” Luna answered with a dark flash in her eyes. “That is exactly our point.”

“Well,” Oracle chimed in as the three griffons and the two equines stood off against each other. “It seems we will have something of a diplomatic incident on our appendages if you wish to pursue this path, Lady Adelaide. I am truly sorry, but I can't be part of that.”

“I already knew that,” she told him, her voice dripping with disgust. She faced Zecora again. “Fine. Go and hide behind the flanks of your pony Princesses. Aquitaine's spirit can wait, and so can I. At the very least, I have been able to bring your accomplice to justice.”

“Is my former mentor dead?” asked Zecora with surprise. “I have heard nothing since I fled.”

The griffon noble smirked. “That's funny. He said you were his master.” She spread her wings. “I leave you to contemplate his fate. And I am sorry to have met you under circumstances such as these, Princess Luna.” She tipped her head respectfully, to which she received nothing but stony silence, and her group flew away into the sky.

“I hope you understand that I can't have your friend coming back to the valley, either,” said Oracle, stroking one of his tendrils.

Luna looked at him blankly, then over at Alexios, who was staring at her with a mixture of fear and hatred she remembered all too well.

“It is best that I not return either,” she said quietly. “I broke my vow to thee.” The eyes of the old dragon grew almost as wide as those of the younger ones. “In our duel—”

“I lost, father,” the son interrupted hastily. “She just cast a healing spell on me after the battle. That's all.” His seconds agreed that that was all.

“That is quite noble of you, Princess Luna. Why—”

“I am not finished. I did cast a healing spell upon him, but that is because he would have died if I had not. The duel was not to the death, yet I attempted to kill him. I broke the terms, and I broke my word. I have disgraced my name and my honor. Thou shalt not see me again.”

Oracle sat utterly still for several moments, his gigantic eyes boring into Luna's. “I pray that I do not, for the sake of both of us,” he said in a heartbroken tone. With a mighty gust from his wings, he lifted himself into the air again. “You two make quite a pair...” he said in an enigmatic monotone, then departed toward his cave.

The look from Alexios before he followed was full of even more fear and hate than before. Luna kept her face expressionless, looking firmly at him the whole time. With a tense silence, she watched them fly back into the mountains. When they were finally out of her sight, she turned to Zecora, who had been watching her in the same way. She stuttered for a moment in surprise.

“A-Art thou prepared to meditate?” Luna inquired. “I believe that it would be quite beneficial to both of us to do so after that experience.”

Zecora took the mask they had been speaking of earlier from a strap on her back. She stared hard at the wooden, painted artifact with the beak and array of white and black feathers sticking out of it. Her expression was an enigma even to Luna. “Yes,” she said softly.

“Excellent,” said Luna. “Put that aside for now, please.” She pointed toward the mask, and Zecora set it down with reverence and sorrow. “I suspect that what thou hast told me today is not the entire truth, and I do not mean to impugn thee by saying so. I understand better than nearly anyone in this world the many and important reasons one can choose to keep secrets. As thou didst just see, telling the truth can sometimes lead to great detriment. But it is yet the right path, because virtue makes us strong. Today hath been some small measure of progress for us both, and I am extremely grateful for it. In honor of the occasion, let us reflect first upon the Element of Honesty.”

Luna sat on her rear and folded her hind legs inward so that her hooves were touching. She brought her forelegs together in the same manner. Zecora assumed the same upright pose opposite her.

“Follow my voice, Zecora, and see with my eyes as I gaze upon Harmony itself.” She spoke with the same enchanted voice that she had used with the chivalric vows earlier. Gradually, with each gentle but piercing word, she felt a mystical string sliding out of her heart, going in search of something. She fought a brief moment of panic, but let it go when she remembered that that was how some of her friends had described the experience, far in the past. Zecora's eyes seemed to register the same sequence of events from panic to calm.

The mystical cord touched something vast and magnificent, and then everything about Luna's surroundings vanished, from the sight of the sky, to the feel of the rock, to the warmth of the air. She experienced absolutely nothing, at first. Then she spoke into the darkness as, one by one, sensations returned to her, completely different from the ones she had left behind.

“I am confined in darkness,” Luna said in a cool, deep tone. “My form is large, and my prison is small. It is hard, but also nurturing. I know that it is protecting me. Yet I yearn for freedom. Bits and pieces of my true self poke at it, trying to find a way out. I can not tell how long it takes, but eventually a shard of the shell breaks off.

“I stretch out into the new world. It is solid but granular, like soil. It is brighter, but still dark. It is still nurturing, but out here there is nothing to protect me. I stretch further, and more and more pieces of my self follow me out of the prison. I shudder and cry as things in the dark deplete me, eating my body even in this, my most vulnerable of states. Other things take my food without a thought toward me. Some of my self starves, but most of it lives. I and all of my fellows who left our dark protector mourn, but we also rejoice, because we are one, and as one, we go upwards. Toward the air, toward the light.

“We burst through the earth, and we are greeted by the smile of the sun. The wind caresses us. Clouds come from far and wide to cry tears upon us. Are they tears of joy or of sorrow? They feed us all the same, and we grow, finally stretching out and up. Becoming our true size.

“Finally, we can grow no more. We are so tall, the sun is so warm, the earth is so cool. We tower over our brothers and sisters, and we can see the vast, green country rolling outward in all directions. It is perfect.

“It is so perfect that the clouds come again, and they urge us to grow still more. That energy, with nowhere else to go, sprouts all over our body, yielding buds of flowers and fruits. So small at first, but like us, there are other, truer selves locked inside them, which are at once us and not-us. They grow as well. We watch them, we feel them, and we are so proud and happy. But then they feel an emotion we too once felt, lifetimes ago. The desire for freedom.

“We cling to them. They are too small. They will be eaten. They will not get to grow to their true size. They weigh upon us heavily, until finally we have no choice but to let them fall. We are pulled down to the earth with them, as we become one of them and are locked back inside another prison. This time, we admonish ourselves for calling it a prison. This is merely another turn of a vast, silent wheel. We wait.”

The string of her soul that had left her coiled back into place, and Luna opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Zecora opening her eyes at the same time, followed by a smile full of wonder—and love. She sat up abruptly when the third thing she noticed was that it was already night, and the stars had come out. Are they twinkling in Zecora's eyes, she asked inwardly, or are those tears? Is there a difference anymore? Why am I wondering about that first, and not how long the meditation took?

Princess Luna swallowed hard. Her mouth was dry, and she had not yet raised the moon. Water, then her royal duty. Everything else could wait. She went in search of the gear that she had cast her illusion spell on the previous night, with Zecora following her silently. Once the spell was undone, she pulled forth one of the canteens of water from their packs. It was nearly at her lips when she stopped herself, remembering a night that seemed so long ago now: the night that they had met. She turned to Zecora and held it out, offering the first sip to her. Zecora held it with slightly trembling hooves, but she took a gulp without spilling any, then offered it back. They passed the water back and forth in deep silence, while a brilliant white moon rose from the horizon to their side.

Author's Notes:

There are a lot of things I should note, but the one that immediately springs to mind is: if you actually know French, I'm sorry. :P

Chapter 11: Lighthouses on Distant Shores

Back on the barren, dusty plains between the Cadiz mountains and the frontier of Equestria, the sounds of argument filled the dry night air.

“But when you arrive, what plan will you contrive?” Zecora asked.

“If thou dost truly love and honor me so much,” Luna retorted, “then why dost thou presume I do not already have a plan?”

“It is out of that respect,” said Zecora, “that I wish you to reflect. You may have a plot. I do know not. But in the past, you have acted quite fast. With danger you always flirt, and that leads you to be hurt.”

“I am the master of my pain.” Luna pointedly ignored the re-bandaged wing that was bound in a sling at her side and the chafe of scars all over her skin. “I use it or discard it as I see fit. I do not cower in fear from it, nor should any who aspire to great deeds.”

“What, then, of death? All is done, after your last breath.”

Luna frowned and began to fiddle with the weight distribution of the packs and bags she was carrying. “That is exactly why 'twould be better for thee to stay behind,” she said once her thoughts were gathered, though she continued to occupy herself with her packs. “The danger of death is far greater for thee.”

“You know I cannot leave your side,” Zecora said, reaching over to help adjust Luna's luggage, “after all we have chosen to confide.”

Working together, they managed an arrangement that was well-balanced, while also minimizing discomfort to the Luna's healing body. She spoke her gratitude, then continued walking, looking up at the stars as they rolled ever-so-slowly by far above her. Her blinks, along with her breaths, grew long and languid.

“I know it may hurt to say,” Zecora said, breaking the brief silence, “but you regret our trust, plain as day.”

Luna's eyes traced over a constellation as her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. The urge to tell reassuring lies was quickly overwhelmed by the memory of the peace she had felt while meditating on elemental Honesty with Zecora. She recalled being the fruit of the tree, and she recalled the longing it felt to fall and be free.

“Aye,” she finally replied, “in some ways. In placing my blood and honor on thy side without truly knowing thy past, I may have erred. I feel a deep, dark certainty that thou wilt hurt me in some manner before all is said and done.” She lowered her head so that she could look over at Zecora, who was gazing silently toward the horizon. Zecora felt the look, but continued staring ahead, fidgeting with the jewelry that covered her scars in between steps.

“But all I can do is hope that that pain will not cut too deeply,” Luna continued, drawing her eyes slowly along every part of her companion, as if trying to memorize her. “'Tis too late to forget it all. I have come to care for thee too much, and my life and duty have become too entwined with thine. I am sure many would think this a foolish path, but I learned long ago to trust my heart above all else in this world.”

Zecora's only reply was to turn to look at Luna as she finished her speech, and to blush under her scrutiny. They continued to walk through the night, the air heavy with things that could have been said. When dawn broke and the time came to rest, they did not embrace each other as usual. They laid on the ground, both of them tossing and turning, failing to sleep. Eventually, Luna reached over to gently cradle Zecora's hooves in hers. They both sighed heavily and closed their eyes after that, sleeping much more soundly than either expected to.

The next few nights of travel were still somewhat uneasy, but they were not devoid of happiness. Zecora shared a few humorous stories she knew, eliciting some chuckles from Luna. She also took care to change the bandages on the Princess's wing regularly. Though it was healed enough to barely need the attention after the first night, Luna did not object, and even subtly leaned into the tender ministrations. They spoke of little else besides directions and basic survival, but they both visibly brightened each time the other's voice pierced the dull noise of the constant wind.

One night, as the two reached the top of the first hill, Luna's heart jumped, threatening to leap out of her throat. In the distance, far beyond what non-nocturnal eyes would be able to see, she got a glimpse of tall, emerald grass. It smelled like rich, tilled soil and sunlight, even after the sun had set. It was Equestrian grass. Her hooves felt almost itchy, and her lustrous tail came under fleeting conscious control to show her excitement with some subtle swaying.

“Zecora,” she said with a broad smile. “I am going to run. Come catch me, or continue walking. It matters not to me.” Luna then bolted forward, slowed only slightly from her full speed by the weight of all the baggage she was carrying. She hardly noticed the burden though. Her thoughts were consumed with the idea of having her home beneath her feet again. She was, however, keenly aware of the loud, breathless laughter with which her mouth was filling the empty night.

“Head starts are not fair, you sneaky mare!” Zecora was some yards distant, but still close enough to yell and be heard over the pounding of Luna's hooves on the earth.

Luna simply cackled and pushed herself harder, until she was at last surrounded by high walls of grass. She galloped through them with her eyes closed, her wings twitching as they tried to unfold and carry her away into the sky. She ignored them so that she could instead take in the comforting, giving feel of the soil below. Not even a fleeting thought of Celestia, and how the two of them used to run together like this, could take away the effect that coming home of her own free will had on her. It was only her and the earth.

After a few minutes of freedom from thought, she realized she could no longer hear Zecora running behind her. Reluctantly, she slowed down and veered her course into a constant angle, so that she was cantering in a circle in the middle of the dark, lonely field. Panting, she waited for Zecora to catch up with an enormous grin on her face.

“Avaunt, my friend!” she called out. “The world waiteth not!”

Luna strained her eyes around her, but could not make out even the faintest rustle of grass that wasn't caused by her. She did take notice of a pebble-sized sack suddenly flying at her though, with enough warning for her to put up a magical shield to block it. She cursed as the thud of the bag falling onto the ground was followed by a blinding flash of green, alchemical light, dazing her. Exotic, playful laughter then ran past her, growing faint as it disappeared ahead.

“Cheater!” Luna barked at full volume, bolting off in the direction of the sound even before the brief effects of the flash wore off. She stumbled slightly, but her keen hearing and instinctual connection with the ground kept her on her feet and in more or less the right direction.

Though slightly annoyed by the trick, Luna couldn't help but smile. All ya gotta do is have the right attitude, the voice inside her said in a drawling accent she had only encountered once before. Loosen up a bit. Be positive. Play a few games. Have some fun.

Is it truly this easy for most ponies? her own voice countered. Should it be?

The reflection was making her fall behind, and she could not have that. Redoubling her efforts, she tore through the field as fast as she could. As soon as she could see the black, white, and gold blur of Zecora ahead of her, Luna cast a levitation spell to remove the bags from her own side, then reached out with her magic to unburden Zecora as well. The zebra looked around in surprise as a soft azure aura divested her of her luggage.

She was even more surprised when a dark shape descended from the heavens and landed on top of her, driving her to the ground. She knew it was Princess Luna, but instinct kicked in and she started to wrestle against her attacker. The two of them rolled in the dirt as they struggled for position.

Luna's movements were held back. She could easily win if she wanted to, but it seemed like she wanted to play instead. Zecora became even more sure of that when Luna began to giggle. Zecora joined in with the fit of laughter, even though it was taking all of her strength to fend the Princess off even momentarily.

Zecora could resist no more, and found herself shoulder-pinned under a grinning, panting Luna. Their faces were close enough that their heavy breathing rustled the soft hair on the coats of their necks. The twinkling stars in Luna's mane sparked as they brushed against Zecora's skin, sending light static shocks through both of them. Zecora's eyes searched the face of her companion, darting between her deep, passionate eyes and her lips. Luna froze.

“No,” she said. Her grin disappeared, and she heaved herself back up. She took a few steps backwards and repeated herself. “No.”

Zecora's wounded frown lasted for only a fraction of a second before it was replaced by her usual blank, mysterious smile, but it was long enough to make Luna turn and begin to walk away, just in time to hide the tears that welled up in her eyes. She cast a burst of magic, causing the pair's luggage to teleport to where they were standing. She saddled herself in silence, and Zecora rolled onto her hooves and did the same with movements that she had to force steady.

Luna's ears perked up sharply at the sounds of shouting and metallic clanging in the distance. There were few times in her life when she had been more relieved to hear the sound of battle. She took off in its direction, leaving Zecora behind, bewildered and even more hurt, as the noise was still too distant for her less-sensitive hearing to pick up. After a second of shuffling indecision, Zecora ran after Luna anyway.

They could both smell the scene long before they could see it. It smelled like the burning furnace of a train, mixed with heated metal and singed flesh and hair. Luna spread her wings and let the speed of her gallop lift her upwards, then flapped them furiously onward when she saw what was happening.

A group of pony soldiers, lightly armed and bearing the blood-drop insignia of House Blueblood, was engaged in a melee at a crossroads with a pack of carbon dogs—mindless cousins of the diamond dogs, whose blood was made of pure fire. The dogs snarled and snapped in raging bloodlust, which some said was caused by the constant sensation of their bodies burning. They dug their charred black teeth into any living thing they could reach, which, Luna noted with relief, did not include the two fragile, elderly stallions who cowered to the side of the road.

Luna had only heard of carbon dogs before from Celestia, and from what she had learned, they had never been spotted outside of the Everfree Forest. She tried to figure out how they could have gotten here, hundreds of miles from that accursed place, in the minute it took her to reach the site of the battle, but she could not.

The heat from the five dogs was so intense that there was a rolling haze over the whole area, giving a mirage-like quality to the eight ponies fighting. Luna was surprised by their tactics, with deft strikes, nimble dodges, and no sounds from their mouths except a code of whistles they were using to indicate threats and maneuvers.

One of them stood out from the rest. He had either lost or not worn his helmet. The formerly styled blonde locks of his mane were matted to his recently groomed white coat by sweat and heat. His determined scowl made the disfiguring scar running across his rugged features deform his face even further. He was not exactly ideally handsome in this moment, but as he leaped in the way of an attack on one of his allies, letting the dog's bite melt through his armor in order to drive the blade in his teeth through its heart, there was something primal and mythic about him. Thanks to the waving heat around him, he shimmered in the night like the reflection of the moon on a dark pool of water, and Princess Luna was mesmerized. The distant but noticeable ache of desire in her jaw shook her out of the momentary trance, and she dove in to join the battle.

To her slight dismay, it barely lasted long enough for all of the ponies to realize that she was there. She got in a pair of extremely satisfying kicks on one of the pack, shattering the coal of its bones and causing its inner fire to fizzle out, before the violent work was done. She turned and, oblivious to the stares of the other soldiers, locked gazes with the sky-colored eyes of Blueblood the Younger. He stared back, and somehow managed to smile with a sword held in his mouth. He replaced the weapon in its scabbard and was about to speak, but the moment was interrupted by a voice from underneath one of the helmets.

“You pin-headed ponce!” a young mare shouted. “We could have finished forty seconds earlier and without your buddy there getting a chunk of his flank bitten off if you hadn't charged in too early and ruined my shot!”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” he said with sonorous sarcasm and arrogance. “Was I too—”he whipped his head back, causing his shining mane to fall perfectly back into place behind his ears—”distracting?”

The mare who spoke took her helmet off and threw it to the side, revealing a short, vibrant red mane, and a slightly darker shade of red for her coat. Combined with the voice, Luna's memory clicked. It was Quicktail, the head of the highway robbers who had accosted her and Zecora on the journey out of Equestria. Luna was sure that the same cutie mark, the burning ring of fire, was hidden underneath the mare's ill-fitting guardpony armor.

“No, just tactically dense,” she replied as two other ponies, two of the same bandits Luna and Zecora had defeated, also removed their helmets. Her former followers nodded in agreement, while Blueblood and the four remaining ponies that Luna didn't recognize—militia, she assumed—tensed up. “And dense in a lot of other ways too.”

“Be that as it may,” Blueblood said dismissively, “we have some frightened civilians to comfort. Pardon me.” He turned his back to her and strode toward where the two elder ponies stood. They were no longer shaking, but they still looked around in a confused squint.

“Oh yeah, real noble of you,” said Quicktail. “You're just doing that because the Princess is here. Hi Luna.” She nodded in Luna's direction while the rest of the ponies went down on bended knee. Blueblood began speaking to the old ponies in a low voice while Luna responded to the greeting.

“Thou art lucky that we have had a mostly good night,” she said darkly, “or we would be greatly displeased by thy lack of respect. Hail.”

“You know I'd never intentionally do anything to displease you, Your Highness.” Quicktail's voice approached half-sincerity, though the majority of it was still mocking. “Neither would my boys, right?”

The two ponies she gestured toward, a chestnut colt with a long, luxurious tail that was normally only fashionable among mares, and a bay stallion with piercings all over his ears and nose—all of which were currently empty except for one ear-ring—both laughed nervously.

“We are pleased to hear that,” said the Princess with a stony stare. She turned her attention toward her companions. “You fought bravely, for brigands. Tell us your names, that we might honor you as well.”

“Locke,” said the younger pony with the long tail, scratching at the ground with his hoof and avoiding Luna's eyes.

“We are not brigands—” Quicktail interjected.

“And I am Cider Pop, or just Pop,” said the bay pony, talking over Quicktail. “In fact, it would probably be best if you only used 'Pop' in any official commendations. My family doesn't like to be reminded that I exist.”

“Duly noted,” said Luna. “Excuse us for a moment, we must speak with our subjects over yonder.”

She tipped her horn to them, and then strolled over to where Blueblood was conversing with the elderly pair, who had wrapped their forelegs around each other's shoulders for support. Along the way, she looked around for Zecora, whom she spotted bent over one of the carbon dogs, scraping some of its scorched fur into a pouch. She reasoned herself out of her instinctive revulsion by reminding herself that all of Zecora's concoctions had been useful so far.

“—our deepest thanks, young man,” one of the earth pony stallions was saying. “You remind me of our son.”

“Your son?” Luna asked. “Are you not both males?”

“Look at that, Moss!” The one whose cutie mark displayed a blue-and-white-striped lighthouse gasped, pointing a hoof at Luna's mane. “The stars are so bright tonight, I feel like I could almost reach out and touch them.”

“You're as blind as you are crazy,” said the other, whose flank bore the image of a bed of crimson flowers. He turned to Luna and Blueblood. “Don't mind Alexander. He's gone a bit senile in his old age and ow—!” He yelped as Alexander bit into his neck with a playful grin.

“It's a sign,” said Alexander, after the bite. “Prince Blueblood was meant to save us, so we could make it to the lighthouse in time.”

Blueblood posed and preened, and much of the attraction Luna felt toward him drained away like water through a sieve.

“We shouldn't even have needed to be saved!” Moss stamped a frail old hoof on the ground. “When we were fillies there wasn't anything more dangerous than bunny rabbits on this road! What in the name of Celestia is going on?”

“Calm down, Moss.” Alexander nuzzled his partner's cheek. “You're going to give yourself another heart attack.”

“Who cares? It's almost our time anyway...”

“Tell us,” said Luna, “wherefore are you venturing so far anyway? This road runneth along the very border of Equestria.”

“We're going to the lighthouse on the southern shore,” Alexander said wistfully. “I think it must be... forty years ago, we found our son there, left all alone next to the sea. We raised him there, and it's where we had to place his grave a few years ago too. This will be our last trip.”

“Even if it weren't for the rampaging monsters,” Moss added. “No pony should outlive their children, and it seems like our bodies agree on that score.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Luna said gently. “Let us take you there in safety, gentle sirs. 'Tis not long out of our way.”

“What did you say?” Zecora seemed to slide in from the shadows of the night, momentarily startling everyone but Luna. “I thought you could make no delay?”

“This is my duty, Zecora,” Princess Luna said with an annoyed twitch of her ear. “I cannot simply leave these ponies here.”

“Ladies, if I may,” Blueblood said, stepping between them with a debonair smile. “I'll take them there with my patrol, so you can go on your important Princess business.”

“Excuse me!?” Quicktail shouted, stomping over. “We need to take these crazy coots—no offense—back to the garrison so we can get on with the patrol. What if there are more of those things out here?”

“Then it's a good thing an amazing warrior and his entourage are here to protect them, isn't it?” answered Blueblood, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Oh, for crying out l—okay, fine.” She shook her head. “You're the boss.”

“That is a noble offer, young Blueblood,” Luna said, the drain of her attraction starting to close up slightly. “We are pleased that thy priorities have not been sullied by too much emphasis on rigid duty. Only let us have a moment alone with our subjects first.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” he said, and rejoined his party, followed closely by Quicktail, whose lip was curled up into a look of disgust that seemed to have seen a lot of use lately.

“Thou as well, Zecora. Please.”

Zecora nodded slowly before retreating in a different direction from the others. Her smile remained, but her ears appeared to drop ever so slightly.

Once she was alone with Moss and Alexander, Luna lowered herself onto her knees, so that she could more easily see into their eyes. “Do you mind if we speak of personal matters for but a moment?”

“Sure, why not?” Moss said. “You seem like a polite young lady.”

“It's getting close, though, my dear husband,” Alexander whispered. “We need to be there tonight.”

“Hey, we'll make it. Quit being such a negative nelly.”

“What was your son's name?” Luna asked quietly.

“We called him Beacon,” said Alexander. “He was our little star. I only wish he'd found somepony special to share his light with before he was called back. Maybe had children as well.”

“I want to state, for the record, that he came up with the name,” Moss put in quickly. “It just sort of stuck after that.”

“Thou seemest fascinated with stars, Alexander.” Luna sat down and looked up at the sky with a trace of longing on her face. The couple shared a look, then shrugged and sat down too as she continued. “I am as well. Gigantic balls of light, heat, and power, burning so brightly that they can be seen throughout the universe. They do not intend for their light to be used to guide us. Indeed, many stars some consider to be part of 'constellations' are in fact unfathomably far apart, so far that it would take aeons of travel without a moment's rest to reach each other. Yet their light guides us all the same. Beautiful, is it not?”

The other two could hold back no longer, and finally burst out into wheezing, hacking laughter. Luna flushed, and for a fraction of a second, she felt like a filly who had said something an adult would describe as “precious.” She had not felt anything close to that sensation since she was, in fact, a filly, a time which was so heavily obscured by mental fog that it would take a great deal of effort to recall much of anything.

“W-What are you laughing at?” She tried to keep the anger out of her voice, but something in her tone still must have caused them to cease laughing.

“I'm sorry, dear,” Moss explained. “It's just that everypony knows that stars are the great herd of our ancestors and descendants, watching over us. What you said sounded like something you'd hear out of a beatnik teacher at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“I see...” Luna muttered, looking down at her hooves.

“She might be right,” Alexander said, scooting over to her and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “We don't know. That's just what makes the most sense to me, considering how often shooting stars show up when ponies are born or die.”

“Actually, that is...” Luna stopped herself. They clearly did not recognize her, even up this close. Why would they believe she could control the night sky? “Would you like to hear... a dream I once had, about shooting stars?”

“Yes,” said Alexander. “And we won't laugh this time. Promise.” He poked Moss in the side pointedly, who feigned shock and offense.

“I dreamed that some of them are not actually stars 'tall, but collections of earth, gas, and water spinning 'round the sun, just as our world does. When they are far from the sun, they are hard, cold, and invisible to us. Every once in a long while, they approach our great star, and its heat causes them to melt and burn, creating vast trails of glowing stardust behind them. That is when we see their streaks across the night.

“There are... some that say that the Princess of the Night can control how fast or slow they move across the sky. Yet eventually, all must go. However, when they do, they do not burn up and die as meteorites do. They simply freeze again, hiding from us, but they are still there, always. They can be counted upon to return one night.”

She paused for a moment, and then voiced the sick fear that she had been suppressing since Zecora had told her the truth about her meeting with Luna's ancient apprentices. “And soon one draws near, which I do greatly fear.” Luna remembered that, for once, she wasn't speaking to Zecora, and looked away from the sky, back to them. “But that is nothing you need be concerned about. Forgive an old mare for rambling.”

“Nonsense,” said Alexander, and Moss nodded his head in agreement, to his surprise. “That was beautiful. And you're not old at all! You couldn't be a day over thirty.”

“And just Beacon's type too,” Moss added with a smirk that was at once dirty, happy, and sorrowful.

Luna laughed, loudly and sincerely. “That may be right.” She stood up, still laughing and not knowing why. “Forgive my outburst. I have been extremely emotional lately...”

“It makes sense,” Alexander said with a soft smile. “Moss is a dirty old stallion, after all. He has made even the purest snow laugh before.”

“Hey!” his husband protested. He thought a moment. “Okay, that’s fair, actually.”

“Before I go, will you answer me another question?” Luna inquired, finally choking down her chuckling. They both nodded even as they playfully kicked and bit at each other. “How did Beacon die?”

Their laughter stopped, but the couple still continued sneaking in occasional nips with an almost youthful energy. “He got lost in the Everfree Forest,” Alexander answered. “We didn't—stop it, Moss!—we didn't see him again until the meteor shower the following night.”

Luna looked down at them with a melancholy frown. “I see. Once again, I am sorry for your loss. Talking with you has been a great comfort for me, and I hope I have offered you some small measure of the same.”

“Actually, now that you mention it, yeah,” Moss said with a quizzical turn of his head. “I haven't felt this lively since, well, since Beacon was around. Did you cast some kind of funky spell on us?”

“Don't be rude, Moss. She clearly didn't.”

“Oh, how would you know? You're the one who thought the stars were so close you could touch them.”

“They are! Look!” Alexander reached out and touched Luna's mane, causing the magical stars near his hoof to shift and spark.

Both Alexander and Moss squinted and stared as Luna quickly turned out of his reach.

“I know you saw that.”

“Saw what?” asked Moss innocently.

“Oh, come on!”

Luna graciously took her leave of them, walking over to where Blueblood's party was just finishing dressing their light wounds and re-arming themselves.

“See those two to the lighthouse safely,” Luna commanded, loud enough for all of them to hear. “It is important. You will all be rewarded for your deeds this night when next we have the opportunity. We thank you for your service to Equestria.”

All the ponies bowed to her, even Quicktail—although her bow was accompanied by subdued mumbling—and then Luna set off down the road. Zecora silently slid in next to her, and Luna acknowledge her presence with a slow nod.

“Now why didn't she let me talk to them too?” Blueblood was asking as the adventurers left.

“Maybe because she realized that you were only doing what you thought would earn her favor?” Quicktail offered.

“Do you really think I'm that shallow?” he asked, with a completely un-ironic look of shock on his face.

“Isn't there a fancy word for questions like that? 'Theatrical' or some such?”

“The word you're looking for, my dear,” Blueblood said patronizingly, “is 'rhetorical', and I was—hey!”

Luna, picking up the conversation and the ensuing laughter from Quicktail and her two comrades, shook her head as her mouth bent into a tiny, unbidden smile.

Luna set the pace of the next several nights of travel as fast as she guessed that Zecora could comfortably go. It was not as fast as she would have been alone, but she was still impressed by her companion's increasing stamina. Luna was further impressed by the fact that she never once complained. What Zecora eventually did bring up was worse, in some ways.

“About what may have been a kiss,” she said during one of their meal breaks, “will you please just listen to this?”

Luna's eyebrows furrowed, but she gave a slight nod of assent.

“I am already over it,” Zecora said, smiling placidly. “But don't be confused by that nit-wit. He cares for nothing but himself. Take care, lest he put your heart on his shelf.”

“Such words of jealousy do a poor job of convincing me that thou art 'over it',” Luna said doubtfully.

“It was friendly advice.” She shrugged. “You will not hear the subject twice.”

“Good,” said Luna, chomping fiercely on her ration of grass. “With what is to come, I have no need of any such distractions, nor dost thou. Tomorrow evening we should clear and focus our spirits. I cannot begin to guess what powers over the mind my pupils may have developed. I believe that another round of meditation is in order, before we begin the last leg of our journey back to the Everfree. Thou dost not have to join me in the trance, but... 'twould mean much to me.” Luna's annoyance softened, and a foreleg twitched as its instinct to reach out and touch Zecora was only barely overridden.

“I will meditate on my own,” Zecora replied, “but when you fight, you won't be alone.”

“I suppose that is all I can expect at the moment.” Luna's eyes dropped to the ground. “I thank thee.”

Their meals finished, the pair sat up again and resumed running through the night. Luna drew what comfort she could from the light of the moon and stars, and the warmth of the soil, and she tried not to think of the coming comet that may be the signal the Academicians had told Zecora to watch for. Meanwhile, Zecora felt the itch of the scars on her neck more acutely than ever.

Author's Notes:

I probably should have noted this a while ago, but FiMFiction didn't have author's notes until recently, so I didn't think of it. "Thou" is second person singular, and "you" is the archaic plural form of it. So Luna's speech there isn't inconsistent. When she says a variation of "thou", she is speaking to one character. When she says "you", she is speaking to multiple characters. As for her slipping in and out of the royal we, she generally tries to only use it when she is addressing groups of subjects she doesn't know personally. But unlike her use of second person pronouns, this is something she's actually struggling with in the story, so having some inconsistency is deliberate.

Chapter 12: Karma (Part 1)

I feel spread out, bloated even. And I am expanding farther. My skin is rubbery. No, it is rubber, and I am filled with air. Through a distorted pink lens, I see a group of foals giggling and playing. One nudges me with his head, and I go sailing across the room onto another's head. They pass me back and forth. I want to laugh as well, but I have no mouth.

Eventually, the children are called away by older voices. I am left alone with my thoughts as I float up and bump against the ceiling. It is a high vantage point. I can see a huge gathering of ponies eating cake, smiling, and laughing. They have forgotten about me. But I have not forgotten them. Nor have I forgotten that for a moment, I shared in their happiness perfectly. That comforts me, even as the air starts to slowly seep out of my body. Days and nights pass, and I am neglected in favor of other merriments.

Yet wherefore should I be envious? Hath not the cake as much right as I to make them happy? Is not the cake's life shorter and more violent besides? And what of the games? Have the children not a choice in the matter? Would I not, by demanding they play with me, be denying them the very essence of what brings them joy?

My philosophy is brought to an end as one of the foals finally comes toward me! I have sunk down to the floor by this point, but I like to imagine I rise just a little at the sight of her.

She is carrying a needle in her teeth. She has come to pop me. I am not afraid. Death holds no power over the bringers of joy. The party is over, but the instant of perfect connection among me and the three foals will remain forever. A memory of diamond and steel that will continue even after it is forgotten, because it has shaped who they are. The very air that made me who I was will be a part of their world forever.

She jabs me. I feel pain, but only for a fraction of a second. My insides rush out of me, spilling everywhere invisibly as my skin flies through the air like a jet. She yelps in surprise at the loud popping sound I make. The yelp transforms into laughter like a puddle evaporating into the sky under the light of the midday sun. Her face is full of rapture. It is the last thing I see before darkness claims me, and I could not have asked for a finer sight.

Luna snapped out of her meditation with the same violence with which she had felt the sting of the needle. The trance had only lasted an hour this time, but she felt urgently hungry and thirsty, as if she had had nothing for a week. She sat on the grass in gloomy contemplation, as she carefully moderated herself through drinking an entire flask of water and eating several rations of hay.

Some distance away, Zecora was busy chanting what was either a language Luna had never heard before, or a sequence of nonsense syllables. As she did so, she was grinding a series of stems, roots, and fruits into a fine power, then filling a shallow clay bowl with the powder. With her eyes closed through the whole process, she added water to the mixture and stirred, until a gray-green slop of grainy consistency was left. Zecora poured the viscous liquid into two earthenware jars, not missing a beat with her meditative chanting the whole time, which she continued for several minutes afterward.

Luna waited patiently for Zecora's eyelids to open and for voice to drift off, then slowly stepped over to her friend.

“What was that?” she asked.

“The first of precautions we will need,” Zecora responded, “if what you fear is true indeed. This one will strengthen our hearts, and for our minds I will use all of my arts.” She carefully took out a single bio-luminescent green berry and plopped it into one of the jars, causing a blast of green mist to fly out of it, before she corked both bottles tightly. “And for myself some extra defense, because my power is not as immense.” She tucked the containers into her saddle packs.

“That is most wise,” said Luna. “I am glad to have thee with me for what is to come.”

Zecora smiled. “That reminds me of one thing. Why do we not find others to bring?”

“I have considered that, but thou knowest already that I would do this alone if I could. This darkness be on mine own head, and by my deeds it must be made right.”

“Even if I did agree, then what about me?”

Luna stood there, completely still, holding Zecora's calm gaze. “Qaratab,” she answered, causing Zecora's eyes to widen slightly. “As thou said'st so long ago, our spirits are as kin. I could no more leave thee behind than I could leave my wings, or my eyes, or my compassion.”

Zecora stiffly turned away, walking back toward the road on which they had been traveling. Luna heard faint sniffling, and she simultaneously did and did not regret her words.

“We should continue on,” Zecora called back, “there is much ground to cover before dawn.”

“Indeed.” Luna sighed, mostly at herself. “We are likely a week distant from the forest at our current pace, which puts us well ahead of any astronomical events my students could have referred to in speaking with thee. I do have to take a detour to Ponyville, but that will take less than an evening. Still, 'tis best to hurry. Surprise is the most effective weapon 'gainst plotters and schemers.”

Zecora mixed several more concoctions during the journey, but spoke little. 'Tis strange, Luna wondered one night as they sat opposite each other over a small fire. As a tactician and warrior, I know how valuable what she is doing is. But truly, all I wish is for her to speak to me as she did before. I miss her voice, so deep, rich, and wise. I have gone and ruined that though, have I not?

Luna tried not to hint at her feelings, however. It was probably better, she reasoned, to wait until she had resolved the present situation before trying to make sense of the future.

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna softly, crouched next to the bed of the mare in question.

Twilight's eyes shot open, but Luna kept her from crying out with a gentle hoof laid on her mouth.

“I am truly sorry to come before thee in this manner,” Luna whispered, “but I would prefer that my presence here be not known.”

She drew her hoof away, and Twilight sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. A thin, upside-down crescent moon hung in the sky outside of her bedside window, like a wicked smile. Wisps of black, smoke-like clouds drifted across the night, obscuring the light of the stars. All Twilight could see around her in that minimal light was a muted silver twinkle coming from the Princess's ensemble. Conversely, Luna could make out the surprised, curious, and groggy expression of Twilight perfectly, and it brought a familial smile to her face.

“Didst thou tell Celestia of the items I asked thee to keep here?” Luna asked bluntly.

“What?” Twilight looked genuinely shocked. “Of course not!”

“Truly?” Luna raised a hoof and scratched at her chin. “I do not mean to impugn thy honor by saying this, but I thought that thy relationship with her would have overcome any obligation thou felt toward me.”

“Well, you asked me to keep it a secret. Are you saying you wanted me to tell her?”

“No, I did not. It simply... changes things. In that case, didst thou attempt to look inside?”

“No, Princess Luna,” Twilight said. “And I'm a little hurt that you think I would. A friend doesn't snoop in their friends' belongings.”

Luna suppressed a chuckle. The statement was delivered almost like an essay summary sentence. “I apologize. Do not worry over it, my dear Twilight Sparkle. All will soon be well. Trust in me.”

As Twilight woke up further, she remembered something else. “By the way, I also found another possible reference to crown jewels in my research—which I also kept secret, just for the record. You probably already know, but I thought it was interesting...”

“What is it?” said Luna.

“There are allusions to at least two unicorn kings having some type of magical gem in their crowns,” Twilight said. “One passage says that Argent II used his scrying powers to find Equestria. The book never mentions the gem again though, and that doesn't explain how the other tribes found Equestria either, and”—she noticed an accent of lecturing in her voice—”and that probably doesn't help you figure out how to put yours back together. Nevermind.” She shuffled her hooves against her cushion.

“Nay, thy efforts have not been wasted.” Luna stepped close enough that even Twilight's non-nocturnal sight could make out the light blue of her eyes in the surrounding darkness. They stood out in the interior of the treehouse almost as much as Luna's magically twinkling collar and hoof caps. “If that is all that one as intelligent as thyself could find, then 'tis quite likely that I am venturing out to meet the only entities who can repair it forthwith.”

“Princess Luna...” Twilight whispered, looking straight down at the floor.

“Yes?” During the middle of her turn to go and fetch the chest that she had hidden in Twilight's home, Luna stopped.

“Is there something I can do to help?” Twilight continued, getting out of her bed and standing up to face the Princess. “Or maybe something somepony I know can do to help? We're familiar with adventure and danger. Maybe not as much as you are, but you can never have too much support.”

Luna silently spread her wings and prepared to glide down to the ground floor from Twilight's balcony. “Thou art quite correct in that regard. However, should my plan fail, 'twill fall upon the Elements of Harmony to protect Equestria in my stead. 'Twould be most ill indeed if our nation were to lose us both in one stroke.”

“Hearing you talk like that just makes me think somepony should come with you even more.” Twilight's voice was full of curiosity, anger, worry, and hurt. Luna's mind was torn among reaching out and comforting her, rebuking her condescending tone, and asking her to come along after all.

“I shall have thou and thy friends with me, thanks to the Elements. But I shall tell thee more of that upon my return.” Luna smiled as she realized what a tease that would be to Twilight, but she did not want to elaborate further just yet. Instead, she swooped down to where her invisible treasure chest sat. Her passing produced only the faintest breeze against the copious blankets surrounding Spike's slumbering form, and even the sound of her releasing the spell and undoing the lock with her horn only caused him to roll slightly to his left.

For now, Luna took only the cracked, black-veined marble that had been her crown jewel. She could come back and get the other items once she had discovered for certain whether or not her apprentices had been the cause of their decay. With the gem secured in her saddle bag, Luna cast the illusion spell on the trunk again, then flapped her way to one of the windows.

“Fare thee well, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, taking a long, lingering look at the pony who, without even knowing her, had once saved her from absolute darkness. Twilight's muffled shout for her to wait nearly stopped Luna from launching herself off the balcony, but she swept into the blackened sky nonetheless. Lights turned on in the library as she left. Luna hoped Zecora's expert guidance would be enough to keep Twilight from finding their trail.

Zecora was waiting at the edge of town, holding the mask she had made from the griffon lady Aquitaine's soul. Luna set down a respectful distance away, taking in the scene silently.

“If you could undo your greatest ill,” Zecora said in a somber, almost mournful voice, “would you make truth of that will?”

“I would not,” Luna replied, with hardly any hesitation. “Whatever power I may possess over the past is nothing compared to that which I can exert over the present and future. 'Tis better to focus my energy there, rather than to seek out some miracle that could undo what evil has already been done, without also undoing the good.”

“Yet here we stand on the edge,” said Zecora, “ready to face your past within this massive hedge.”

“Yes, of course.” Luna made an uneasy half-frown. “I suspect thou wert not speaking of mine own past, however. What troubles thee, Zecora?”

“It is overstating to say I am troubled. It is only memories, which to the surface have bubbled.” Zecora put the feather-decorated, beaked mask back in one of her bags, then turned to face Luna. She smiled wanly, though in a slightly warmer fashion than the cat-like sliver of moon hanging in the sky. “I have also been thinking of your chivalric vow, and I finally understand what to do now. I may not be able to make all amends, but there are some evils which I can cleanse.”

“Thou speakest almost like one of my paladins,” Luna said. “Though to be honest, that surpriseth me. As a role model, I have been... inconsistent.”

“To see where your heart truly lies, I am more than enough wise.” Zecora began to take steady steps toward the boundary of the Everfree Forest, which was even darker than the rest of the night. “Your errors make you real, and reality shows the worth of one's ideals. I am glad you are not just a story-book, for it also means giving myself a look.”

“Zecora, I...” Luna followed her companion's steps, only dimly aware that several clouds were beginning to coalesce into one far above her head, a storm cloud willed there by her subconscious.

Zecora looked back to see Luna keeping her face stern and rocky, just as she always did when fighting back her against turbulent emotions. “Everything will be okay, Luna dear,” she said. “Our path will soon be clear.”

Zecora took Luna along the safe trails. Though the Princess of the Night longed to do battle with whatever possessed the leering, hungry eyes just beyond her vision, she knew that she had to save all of her energy tonight.

Ever since the storm cloud had followed her into the woods, she seemed to have even more of that energy, in fact. She felt every part of her, from her horn to her hindlegs, pulsing with new vigor. But it wasn't as if the forest was giving her strength, it was more as if Equestria had been holding her strength back. But that could not be, could it? Reflecting on the implications made her nearly lose her balance on the narrow cliff she and Zecora were currently circling around, sending a few pebbles falling into the bubbling, yellow-green mire far below.

Two heads of a blue-scaled hydra shot up from underneath the muck with a huge splash and peered in the direction of the pebbles. Luna and Zecora were well-hidden by foliage, but Luna's hooves and wings twitched, and a couple sparks escaped from her horn. She grit her teeth and willed herself not to fly off and slay the beast, even before Zecora could lay a hoof on her to hold her back. Reluctantly, she crouched down beside the zebra and waited.

The two heads of the hydra opened their gaping maws wide, reared back—and let out an enormous, simultaneous yawn, before diving back under the water of the swamp. Its third head remained asleep the entire time.

Once the danger had passed, Luna reflected on the conversation they had recently had about the past and decided that now was the time to ask. “Zecora, is thy fourth mask a pony?” she whispered, although even her whisper had a firm, commanding volume to it now. “I have never seen it used, and thou takest some pains to hide it.”

Zecora looked straight into Luna's eyes. She chewed her lip uncertainly for a second, but then she pulled off one of her bags and dug through her belongings, accompanied by many clanks and cracks of clay and glass. She finished searching and held up the final mask that she had carved.

Or rather, that she had not carved. It was almost completely blank; the mask was simply a plain mahogany board with two eye holes carved through it. It was devoid of any other work or decoration.

“It is something of a reserve,” Zecora said with a rare frown on her face, “and I wondered long what use it could serve. If the Elements had failed to defeat Nightmare Moon, using it on her is one path I might have hewn.”

Luna's jaw dropped in horror and anger, and lightning flashed across the sky not too distant from them.

“I know now what folly that would have been,” Zecora quietly but quickly added, with a wince at the crack of thunder that followed the lightning. “Your ponies saved me from much sin.” She slid her eyes away from Luna's and began to trace the wood's patterns of rings and knots that served as the mask's only adornment.

“Zecora,” said Luna, scowling, “burn it. Leave that corruption behind thee.”

“It is unsafe to do that tonight,” Zecora said, “but when this is over... I might.”

“'Twould be foolish not to. Temptation is not a thing one should court.”

Zecora nodded but said no more. The pair continued their journey through the Everfree Forest, Luna with her face etched in deep lines of melancholy thought, and Zecora focusing on avoiding the copious dangers that surrounded them.

At last, after hours of pressing through a mixed gauntlet of obstacles from jungles, swamps, and deciduous forests, Luna and Zecora returned to the massive, miles-long lake. The immediate area was still scorched, lacking any foliage or large animals, but there was no diseased mist, and the water had become fresh and clean—for swamp water. A small, dark mass of clouds had followed them, however, driving off the small critters that had come to explore the desolation. A few bats and owls circled in menacing silence through the sky, drawn there by the vision of their Princess of the Night.

As Luna stared into the murky depths of the lake, she noticed that, to her right, Zecora was wrapping her bags in large, smooth leaves which she had collected along the way. Zecora explained that they would provide some water-proofing, and Luna allowed her to do the same with her own luggage. She could have easily cast a spell to solve that problem and the breathing problem as well, and indeed, she was aching to do so, but there was a good chance that this encounter could try all of her abilities. She had to save every bit.

Luna looked to Zecora, trying to think of something to say. Should she offer her companion one last chance to back out? Should she pour her heart out? Should she offer heroic words of encouragement in the face what was to come? Express her doubts? Thank her for being here at all?

Zecora smiled at her, not mysteriously or condescendingly, but knowingly and happily. The smile seemed to radiate not despite everything they had been through, but because of it, even the negative. Zecora's face had brightened from a cold, distant comet to a close, shining one. All of Luna's words died on her tongue when she saw it. It was real and true, and she felt like she was at least partially responsible for it. She felt humbled, proud, and exhilarated all at once, a rush of emotion so intense that she forgot to smile back and merely stood there, dumbfounded.

Almost as if to spare Luna the awkwardness of fumbling for words, Zecora made her way out into the lake. She swam above the surface, her long neck protruding from the water and her wet tail floating behind her.

Luna hesitated at first, as violent memories of the last time she had been in the lake came back to her, but she shook it away. Be bold. She strode into the water and caught up to Zecora quickly with long, powerful strokes, aided by using her wings as paddles. She moved so fast, in fact, that she didn't realize how cold the water was until she was nearly submerged in it. Her teeth chattered, although she noted, with a small degree of pride, that there was a chattering sound coming from in front of her as well.

Zecora came to a stop after only a short distance, considering the vast expanse of the lake. She was chewing something dark and black, and when she swallowed it, her eyes flashed a pure golden color. When the flash faded, her pupils had grown to nearly the size of her entire irises, wide enough to let in large amounts of light, yet also shielded by a thin, filmy secondary set of eyelids. She took a deep breath and then dove down, followed closely by her friend.

It wasn't as dark as Luna remembered, nor were there any corpses trying to grab her, not even hallucinatory ones. Doubly bolstered by the increased magical power she felt here in the forest, and by the sight of familiar black and white hair leading the way, she was not afraid. Which was a good thing, because they were swimming farther down than she thought the lake went, and only her dark-adjusted eyes allowed her to keep track of Zecora. And it was only with the consumption of that sight-enhancing substance that Zecora was able to lead her anywhere.

Indulgently reflecting on how brave she was, Luna inadvertently swam right into Zecora's backside, only narrowly avoiding jabbing her with her horn. A watery “ouch” reached Luna's ears, but the zebra looked back at her and pantomimed a laugh, then turned back around. Making her way to float side by side, Luna saw that Zecora had stopped at the lake's floor and was digging at a pile of silt with her hooves. Luna joined in, both casting aside the slick, grainy substance until their hooves struck something smooth and solid. Uncovering more of it, they revealed a pristine, rust-less, metal portal. It was open to the lake, yet not a drop of water was passing through. A faint tingle of ambient magic teased Luna's horn.

Through the portal was a dry, curving tunnel of smooth, white stone, although its whiteness was barely visible even to Luna. It was not glowing, as Zecora said it had been when she was here last. That could signify either that they were unexpected, or that it was a trap, but there was only one way to find out. Besides, Luna felt certain that she could adapt to and overcome anything that was thrown at her. After all, she had taught her adversaries the very fundamentals of magic and more.

More importantly though, inside the portal there was air. Even though she had extensive practice in holding her breath, she still felt a strong urge to get out of the black, frigid water. She splashed through after Zecora, both of them passing through the barrier with no difficulty, only a slight tickling sensation, and landing on the hard rock inside. The abrupt changes in pressure and gravitation hurt, causing her ears and joints to pop, but she was too relieved to be able to breathe again to care. It was better than nearly drowning, like she had when fighting Thin Mint.

It was almost as cold down below as the water had been. She and Zecora likely would have been shivering even if their coats and manes were not soaked. Luna's heightened senses could neither smell nor taste anything, giving her the odd but distinct impression that the air even smelled cold. The lack of sound was also deafening. The only external sound she could hear was the icy water of the lake dripping off of their bodies and splashing on the stone. She looked up and caught glimpses of fish swimming above them, as if the opening to the tunnel were the glass of an aquarium suspended over their heads.

After a few moments to catch her breath, Zecora went to work undoing the leaves binding Luna's saddlebags, and the Princess returned the favor. Then Zecora hoofed a vial and sprinkled the black powder inside it on the leaves. Within seconds, the large leaves were completely dry, all of the moisture outside of them absorbed into the powder. She brushed the substance off, revealing fresh leaves that looked as if they had just come right off the tree. She then began to bind them around her hooves. The leaves were smooth and thick enough, Luna realized, that it would muffle her steps. With an appreciative nod, Luna bound her hooves the same way. She was unused to trying to be so stealthy, but Zecora had proven the approach's value in the past.

Luna felt a jab of pain in her head, like an abrupt and acute headache. She heard a grunt next to her as well. Zecora quickly took out the two jars that she had prepared earlier that week, and offered one to Luna.

“This happened to me before,” Zecora whispered, so faintly she was almost subvocalizing. “Let me know if you need more.”

Luna took a sip of the lumpy soup, and the headache dulled. Another, longer swig, and it was gone entirely. She mouthed her thanks, and they continued on. What was that? she wondered. 'Twas not natural. Do they know we are here, or is that a passive defense? She became even more alert now. Whatever came at her, she would have spells ready to deal with it, and her raw strength if they failed.

The path did not diverge, but it twisted and turned extensively, at times going down, then up, then straight. All light was gone now, and only by carefully feeling their way along the passage did they find their way. Several more times, the piercing pain returned, each time fiercer than the last. Zecora's mixture still worked, but it was over halfway empty, and the last flash was so intense that Luna felt herself getting dizzy and disoriented, even after the pain was gone. Zecora was stumbling a little too. Luna reached out with one of her wings and wrapped it around her shoulders. It would not be very useful as physical support, but she hoped it would provide some spiritual comfort. Zecora did seem to move a little more confidently at the touch. Luna smiled to herself.

She suddenly whipped the wing in front of Zecora, blocking her path. She had heard something, a rustling sound like cloth moving against stone. Crouching down, she cast her first, and probably not last, spell of the night. She carefully layered the magic so that her horn wouldn't glow as she enchanted her senses, magnifying her sight and hearing significantly.

The stone was carved and maintained so well that only then could she make out the cracks where the blocks had been fitted together. The rock shone faintly to her as well, like the light of the most distant stars that could be seen from Equestria. They had nearly reached the end of the tunnel, which opened into an atrium supported by four arched doorways, one of which they were about to pass through, and two highly polished columns. One was white, inscribed from plinth to capital with black writing, and the other was black, etched with white symbols in the same manner. The words were a mixture of a dizzying array of Equestrian dialects, separated by huge distances in space and time, which the writer or writers had somehow worked into semi-coherent sentences. It appeared to be some kind of haphazard, confused collection of rudimentary spells, but before she could start to decipher it, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned, and her eyes widened as she found Zecora's lips pressed against hers. Her feathers fluttered, stirring a gentle breeze around the pair. This was the first attempt anyone had made to kiss her in literal ages. She slowly lowered her eyelids and returned the kiss once, but only once, making it a warm but chaste peck. Then she pulled away, her face furious. She was already mentally rehearsing a tirade about inappropriateness, audacity, extremely poor timing, and... her thoughts froze.

There was something rough and grainy on her lips, like sand. She licked at it instinctively, and immediately cursed herself for doing so. All of the headaches that she had previously drunk away seemed to return all at once. The world spun, her knees quivering. Zecora was backing away into the darkness, through the archway, her ears flat against her head, her tail tucked between her legs.

“What is the meaning of this?” Luna demanded, but with a slight slurring to her voice. Her lips and tongue were going numb. There was a ringing in her ears preventing her from hearing her own words. Whatever this was, her supernatural healing ability somehow could not keep up with it. Just as she stepped forward to pursue the retreating Zecora, the columns in the atrium, and every inch of stone that the secret complex was made out of, burst into full light. Luna screamed. She was too sluggish and distracted by the kiss to cancel her sense-heightening spell in time, causing even the pale moonlight the stone was now emitting to sear her eyes in agony.

Luna pressed her front hooves against her eyes, trying to block out as much light as possible. Her hindlegs were unable to keep her steady in her current state. She stumbled backwards, collapsing to the floor of the tunnel. She focused her healing capacity on her eyes, a task which she dimly noted was much harder now than it should have been. Her horn felt like it too was becoming numb. Still, she managed to repair enough of the damage to open her eyes.

She saw Zecora still backing away, moving between the bright pillars toward the doorway opposite the one they had just entered. Luna charged after her, her dark wings spreading out wide to take her into an airborne tackle. Right as she reached the halfway point between the columns, Luna watched in confusion and horror as the image of the zebra disappeared in a puff of green smoke. She whirled around rapidly. Another Zecora, her head now bent all the way to the ground and her face flushing bright red, stood in a third archway. Behind the zebra, three ponies wearing dark purple robes stepped out of the tunnel.

Luna leaped at them, only to find her dive stopped short by an invisible wall of electricity that sparked to life around her hooves. She screamed again as the energy burned and cracked against her legs. She struggled to press forward. Every inch she gained increased the pain exponentially. Her horn crackled and sparked, sending out powerful but half-formed spells that did little but crack and blacken the stone around her. They were blocked by the shield as well.

Peels of thunder shook the entire underwater cavern as lightning strikes flew out from the cloud that Luna had formed on her way to the lake. But even that only shook some dust free. Luna fell back, teetering on the edge of collapse. Entire patches of her coat had been burned away, replaced by black singes. Her hooves were bleeding from the quick. Her split, frayed tail was thrashing back and forth wildly. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. Her body was shaking from the poison, but even that and her involuntary stumbling seemed to have rage behind them. Her face was bent beyond simple anger into an avatar of cold fury as she re-evaluated her tactics.

“Zecora,” one of the hood-covered ponies, a female, said softly, “I know this might be painful for you to see, and I know we didn't give you much choice in the matter, but I want to thank you for doing this anyway. It was the right thing.”

Meanwhile, Luna was pounding at the floor of the chamber with all of her might. She smashed and pulverized huge chunks of stone, so hard that her metal shoes bent and broke. She cast them aside with a growl and continued to dig until her hooves were cracked and gushing blood. She managed to get three feet down before her impaired regeneration simply couldn't keep up with the damage that she was inflicting on herself. Supporting herself on her knees, Luna ground her teeth.

“Just give me the spell you spoke of,” Zecora replied, emotionless and unsmiling, “and I will then retire up above.”

“Are you sure you want to give up that power, though?” a second voice, harsher and meaner, and also from a mare, said. “Transformation is a difficult feat even for the most powerful of unicorns, much less a zebra.”

Zecora nodded, her eyes still cast down. At the edge of her vision, she could see Luna pacing in pained, hobbling steps around her prison, and she could feel the weight of the Princess's gaze bearing down on her soul.

“As you wish,” the first, kinder voice said. A black telekinetic aura wrapped around a scroll from inside her robe and floated it over to Zecora, who grasped and unrolled it. As Zecora read, the robed pony spoke again. “With the mystical reagents listed, and with that incantation, you should be able to unbind a spirit from a physical object. Why you would want to is beyond me, but zebras have always been odd creatures.”

Satisfied with the contents, Zecora tucked the scroll along with the rest of her belongings. “Understanding me,” she said, her voice laced with thinly-veiled scorn, “is not a feat I expect from you three.”

“Goodbye then,” the second mare said brusquely.

“We will probably not see you again,” the first said, “since you won't remember how to get here, so farewell, Zecora. I hope you find what you're searching for.”

Zecora began to walk toward the exit, studiously avoiding looking up.

“That is how it is to be then?” Luna said, slurring but still projecting the full force of her emotions into her voice. “'Twas all a lie? A more cowardly and false-hearted creature I have never met.”

Zecora's steps faltered, but she continued her departure.

“Thou art a fool!” Luna spat. “If thou hadst simply asked me to help, we could have found a solution. Instead thou trustest to their aid?”

Zecora entered the tunnel they had come in.

“Liar!” It burned her throat to use it, but the Royal Canterlot Voice came out of Luna's lungs with a will of its own. Her wings beat the air furiously, making her body hover several feet off of the floor. “Thou vile betrayer! Come and face me, whelp!”

The black and white tail of Zecora disappeared around the first bend in the passageway.

“Come back! I—I command thee!” She flew at the force field again, to even less effect and more pain than before. Luna inhaled the smoke from her burning flesh and entered a severe coughing fit, which caused her wings to falter and her body to crunch into the ground.

“Do not leave!” she shouted between bursts of coughing, her magic too drained now even to amplify her voice. “Do not... do not leave me here alone. Please...”

Nothing appeared from down the tunnel for a few moments, but then there was a flicker of a shadow. A shape rounded the corner quickly, and her heart soared. But only for a moment. The equine that entered the chamber had a stark white coat, a dark mane, and green ooze caught in both. Moreover, her lower body was not equine at all, but more like a huge fish's tail. Luna felt a kind of sad terror as she saw Thin Mint once again.

None of the three robed ponies who now stepped into her view seemed to notice the newcomer. Indeed, when Luna blinked, the apparition was gone. She blinked again and it returned, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The three ponies in front of her looked blurry and indistinct, but her other student... she looked so real. She could even smell the seaweed in her hair. Luna resolved to keep her eyes open as long as she could, to keep the one real thing left to her around just a little longer.

The trio of less-real ponies pulled back their hoods. Even with her mind at its sharpest, it would have been hard to remember them clearly, but they were somewhat familiar. They had to be the former students of hers whom Zecora had talked about. They were all unicorns, wearing the simple Academy uniform robes.

Reluctantly, Luna pulled her stare off of Mint's hopeful, comforting smile to look at the ponies who were starting to speak to her.

She looked at the lone male first. His cryptic smile reminded her of Zecora's, although where Zecora's was steady and stable, his seemed just on the edge of snapping, as if it were ready to turn into a hateful frown, an insane laugh, or a cruel sneer at any moment. Actually, she knew that expression, and she shuddered when it finally clicked whom she was staring at. Nickle Waltz had performed unethical, sociopathic experiments on children. Even on her worst days, when she was closest to becoming Nightmare Moon, Luna bore a special place in her heart for children. None of the foals were permanently harmed, but he was, by means of the Princess's punishment of magical and chemical gelding. She could not fathom why he would choose to continue to follow her after that, yet there he stood, looking as young as the last time she had seen him.

Her eyes moved over to the next pony, who, mercifully, did not stir up any such troubling memories. In fact, she barely stirred any memories at all. Platina was a completely mediocre student who happened to be gifted at taking tests. Between exams, all she seemed to do was socialize with better students and, Luna strongly suspected, copy their assignments. It always struck Luna that Platina was more interested in being close to power than actually obtaining it herself. She must have grown past that to have survived a thousand years with her youthful, vibrant silvery hair unmarred by any signs of the whiter tone of old age. That would have taken more than simply knowing powerful ponies.

The last was Willowleaf, or so she guessed. Little remained of her body. Her neck was bare bones, except for an intact voicebox leading to a mouth that was mostly skin on one side, and mostly bare muscle on the other. Her eyes were still the deep brown they had been before, but they were framed by only the barest essential tissue that she would need to form facial expressions. Luna suspected that not much of her body remained underneath the robe either. It was all animated by a subtle nimbus of black energy, which commanded the joints and bones where no nerves or muscles remained. She had seen worse monstrosities, but she winced at the sight of this one, because Willowleaf had been such a meek, unassuming pony. Almost like Twilight's friend Fluttershy. Why hath she done this to herself?

Willowleaf spoke, which was an unsettling sight even for a pony as well-traveled as Princess Luna, and not diminished in the least by the gentle tone she used.

“Try to forget her, Princess Luna.” Willowleaf turned toward the door and, for an instant, Luna thought she was talking about Thin Mint. “Like you said, she betrayed you.” Ah, she must be speaking of Zecora then. Is that better or worse? “We are your true friends, whether you see us as such or not. Even though, long ago, you changed from Celestia's definition of 'good' to your own, and now apparently back again to hers. Even though we were separated by impossible time and distance, we never forgot you, and we labored for so long to bring you back.

“Even though you didn't come back to us right away when we freed you, and even though you've changed greatly from the Princess we knew, we're still your faithful students. And unlike the love of Celestia, that zebra, or your common subjects, our love is not conditional upon your behavior.”

“Your love?” Luna snapped raggedly. “What love is it to poison and imprison a 'friend'?”

Willowleaf frowned. “We only did that because we need to talk, and based on what we've heard about your actions and attitudes since being brainwashed by the so-called Elements of Harmony... you probably aren't going to like what we have to talk about.”

Luna's face slumped against the cold, hard floor. She laid there so perfectly still and unblinking for so long that her three apprentices began to share nervous glances among themselves, while the ghost of Thin Mint gurgled through her gills in something approximating laughter. Not mocking, cruel laughter, but the kind of sound she might have made as a happy young filly. Or a happy mare, if I had not brought ruin to her in her youth.

“Your Highness?” Willowleaf said gently. “Will you hear us? It's important.”

Princess Luna didn't move.

“Okay. We'll wait here until you're ready.”

“Like we always have,” added Platina in a cold, yet patient and understanding voice. Waltz nodded and grinned wider. He turned his head to look where Luna was looking, almost as if he could see the vision of her fourth student too.

They all laid down on the floor, watching her silently as Luna's red, burning eyes, desperate for just one blink that she refused to give them, gazed intently behind them.

Her mouth twisted into a crooked smile, and a burbling chuckle escaped from her throat. All things considered... 'tis rather amusing how stupid I have been. The chuckle turned into a laugh, and then a cackle, and then a howling guffaw. With her eyes still transfixed, unmoving, Luna beat her legs against her prison in violent merriment.

Chapter 13: Karma (Part 2)

Hot blood pooled on the stone, creating a sharp contrast in temperature to Luna's face. One side was exposed to the damp, chilly air of the underwater chamber. The other part was warmed as it laid in the shallow pool. The blood was just close enough for it to brush against her lips. The smell and feel of it induced an ancient hunger within her.

The first time she had tasted the flesh of a pony, in the heat of battle against a rebellious noble house, had been horrible. She was only using her mouth as another weapon, caught up in the haze of war. That is also what she told herself the second and third time she did it. Eventually she stopped spitting it out. Doing so would only be a distraction in a fight, after all. Then she had started burning the flesh first. She might catch unpleasant diseases otherwise. Then she had developed a way to turn her teeth into fangs, for more efficiency.

The place where her fangs used to be ached, similar to how, in ancient times, she had felt a phantom pain in the leg she had lost while fighting the dragons with Celestia. If poison and pain had not drained so much of her magic, she might have worked the transformation again now and changed her teeth. As it was, she could not even control her body enough to swallow the extra saliva she was producing.

“Are you hungry, Your Highness?” Willowleaf's quiet voice wormed its way out of her disfigured mouth and broke the long silence.

Luna was so strained from keeping her lids open for so long, her eyes burning and watering, that she could almost ignore her pupil's current skeletal form and envision her body the way it used to be. She had a soft, eternally fuzzy brown coat, framed by a wild, unkempt green mane, of which not a trace remained. Her tail had been so long that it used to drag on the floor, but now there was no hint of a tail under her robe. Still, Luna was able to graft the image from the past onto the present and, after nearly an hour of silence in the softly glowing chamber, that ability finally made the Princess deign to speak.

“I desire not the food of this place,” she whispered hoarsely from the floor, letting her tongue taste her blood as she spoke. “Speak your peace, my students, and let us be done with this farce.”

Nickle Waltz and Platina looked to Willowleaf, who took the cue to step forward, just at the edge of the magical barrier that held Luna. She cleared her misshapen throat.

“We need you to help us overthrow Princess Celestia,” she said, quietly but firmly.

Luna choked out a sore, painful laugh. “Never,” she said. “I would sooner starve to death in this unholy place.”

“I was afraid that would be your response,” said Willowleaf, “so I organized a list of reasons why you should. You can think about them while you're putting yourself through that pain meaninglessly.”

Luna waited silently.

“One. Equestria has become unstable and complacent under her rule. Another invasion, or another magical or physical disaster, and ponies will end up being ruled by something else.”

“A civil war is supposed to improve upon that situation, then?” Luna asked, letting her eyes drift upward to study the writing on the shining pillars between which she was imprisoned.

“No, but a strong ruler whom ponies revere as a warrior and savior could certainly hold it together much more effectively.” Willowleaf's eyes followed Luna's. “Which brings me to point number two. If you help us, we can help you solidify that role even further. As you may or may not have discovered, the treasures you sealed and hid before your banishment have decayed. We did that, in anticipation of a situation like this. We can restore them. Consider that.

“Encased in your armor, you would be invincible. With your crown jewel functioning once again, you could find the lairs of all sorts of fell creatures. It's one thing to save a town from an earthquake. It would be completely another thing to save Equestria from the entire Everfree Forest.”

“Release me, and I can do that more then adequately already,” said Luna.

“It will get worse if you don't cooperate,” Platina spoke up suddenly.

Willowleaf's eyes, though surrounded mostly by bone, still managed to express a glare. “Platina, don't—”

“You're the one who suggested being honest with her,” she shot back, talking over the other student's soft-spoken objections, “and I completely agree. That being the case, Your Highness, you should know that most of the 'monsters' of the forest are creations of Thin Mint and myself. Its environment was created by all four of us together. Both of these projects allow us to hide more effectively and, in the event that you refuse to help us claim the lives we deserve, they also serve as leverage. Because, you see, hydras, manticores, cockatrices, and timber wolves are but a taste of the horrors we can unleash upon Equestria, if you force us to do so.”

“Tell me,” Luna said, as she began to decipher the beginning of the binding spells that were written on the room's columns, “what lives do you think that you deserve?”

“We have had enough of studying magic and power simply to continue existing,” said Platina. “All it has brought us is fear and loneliness. We want to live. We want to enjoy the security, comfort, and luxury that should be due to your most loyal subjects. And we can't do that with Celestia in power. Her dogmatic arrogance would lead her to kill or imprison us on sight.”

“She would not be wrong to do so.” Princess Luna scowled. “You have caused much suffering and strife in the service of your own selfish desires.”

“That isn't true.” Willowleaf raised her voice high enough to interject. “While it is true that we want something close to normal lives, it's also true that we've given up... a great deal of ourselves to return you to your home and to see you in your rightful place as ruler of this land.”

“Without inquiring of me first.”

Just the first sentence of the jumbled mix of dialects on the pillars was taking a long time for Luna to decipher. Even if she hadn't wasted so much of her energy in a blind fury, dispelling their wards would be no easy feat.

“We can't help that,” Willowleaf said. “We thought you would be pleased with us, judging from the fact that your last command, a thousand years ago, was for Thin Mint to create ways to destroy Celestia, should you be defeated.”

“I was a different pony then,” Luna muttered, “and that command was one of the greatest mistakes I have ever made. It cost her life, and the blood is upon me.”

“We don't hold that against you,” said Willowleaf reassuringly. “She was important to us, but not as important as you are.”

“Mint would certainly be useful right about now though,” Platina remarked.

Luna looked to each of her four—three—students in turn. There was an earnestness to their expressions, including Nickle Waltz's demented smile, that caused her heart to ache. She could feel the pain in her chest over the screaming of her wounded hooves.

“This is madness,” she said, staring hard at them. “Are you not powerful enough to do this yourselves? What of the Elements of Harmony? What of me, after my usefulness is at an end?

“We have thought through all of that,” Platina said dismissively.

“And what we didn't consider,” Willowleaf said, “you can certainly help us with. As for those questions specifically, do you think ponies will accept us as their rulers? We need somepony with legitimacy and experience.

“The Elements of Harmony are a danger, but they can be beaten. There are many ways to do so.

“And we don't mean you any harm, now or in the future. You're not just a tool to us. Why can't you see that?”

“Because I am lying in mine own blood, trapped in an agonizing magical shield that you created, after being tricked here by a valued and trusted friend. While in this state, you are asking me to betray the one being I love most in the world. I shall not help you, neither as a tool, nor as a ruler. Begone.”

“Your Highness, listen—”

“Get out!” Luna's shout was accompanied be a sprayed mix of blood and saliva.

Platina and Willowleaf bowed low, scraping their horns against the stone floor, the most profound gesture of obeisance a unicorn can make. They turned to disappear down the doorway they had entered by, but stopped short when they realized that Nickle Waltz wasn't following them. In fact, he had stepped closer to Luna. With a sparkling, mystical warding symbol floating in the air above his head, he walked right through the barrier until he stood above the Princess.

“Waltz, what the hell are you doing?” Willowleaf's voice nearly reached the volume of a shout.

“I told you he would do something like this,” Platina remarked sardonically.

The smile had drained from his face, then filled almost instantly with a look of sheer dread. Up close, Luna could see that he was sweating and trembling. He knelt down to the floor, leveling his wide eyes with hers.

“Damnit Platina, would you please contribute something besides “I told you so” for once?” Willowleaf was saying in the background.

Platina snorted derisively. “If I didn't happen to be right so often, maybe.”

“I may be wrong sometimes, but at least I have original thoughts sometimes too!” Willowleaf rushed back to the barrier. To Nickle Waltz she said, “Get out of there! She's still dangerous!”

Platina planted her rear in the doorway and looked on dispassionately. “Original thoughts, which you then delegate to others, because you know you'll screw them up.”

“Trouble in paradise, my student?” Luna whispered to Nickle Waltz.

He flinched at her words, but then shakily reached toward her. He delicately cradled one of her bleeding hooves in his.

“Let go of me,” Luna said, her face darkening. “I may be weakened, but I am not yet so weak that I can not slay thee.”

An amber aura appeared around his horn. She prepared to summon all the energy she had left to defend herself. His aura floated out a bundle of gauze from inside his robes, which he began to magically unwrap.

“Do not bother,” Luna said, pulling her leg away from him. He stood still, but the floating bandages followed her movement. “I shall heal naturally soon.”

The cloth must have been enchanted, because a soothing coolness spread upward from her hoof as the gauze was slowly, shakily wrapped around her. She stopped resisting, but kept up her suspicious glare. At the edge of her vision, she saw Willowleaf watching the scene and chewing what remained of her lip nervously.

“This means nothing,” said Luna. “Thou art a monster, Nickle Waltz. Thy sins were great even before my banishment. I can scarcely imagine what evil thou hast wrought in my absence.”

“I know that,” he said. “I am a terrible pony.” He didn't stutter, precisely; each word was fully formed and clear, but there was a halt between each one, as if he were constructing it from a faded memory and struggling to make sure it sounded like it was supposed to. “No, not a pony at all. But I don't kill and I don't let things die. If I see a wound, I heal it.” He blinked and exhaled a long, shaky breath. “I'm sorry,” he added.

Luna watched as her wound was expertly bound, and did not object when he moved to her other hoof. He worked with concentration and swiftness through his fear, but something about the way he had said “I don't let things die” gnawed at her gut. She held her tongue though, trying to focus on the magical healing sensation that was coursing through her body. No one else spoke the whole time, and so the chamber was filled with tense silence until the bandages were done being applied.

As soon as her student was done with his ministrations, Luna leaped up from the ground and wrapped her forelegs around his throat. She fluttered up into the air, which allowed her to squeeze her legs around his midsection, putting him in a hold from which she could push the air out of his lungs and then block his throat. She put all of her dwindling strength into making sure he could not escape, but the effort was wasted. Nickle Waltz was not resisting. She looked at his face, and saw there a placid, vaguely euphoric smile. Luna came close to faltering at the sight, but it was too late. She had made her move, and now she had to press it.

“Release me,” she commanded her wayward subjects, “or I shall tear his head from his body!”

“Princess Luna, please,” Willowleaf said slowly. “I can tell you've been through so much since you returned to Equestria... Don't add killing another of your most faithful followers to your burdens.”

“What wouldst thou know of what I have been through?” Luna demanded. “Nothing makes sense anymore. This world seemeth the same as mine, yet it is not, and so much of that is my fault. My beautiful home hath become a dangerous jungle. My dear sister knows me not, and mayhap never will again. Everything I trusted and believed in hath abandoned me. I have attempted to kill. I have killed! I tried to keep true to my virtues, my instincts, and the love of those around me. And... and look where it has brought me...” Her limbs went limp, dropping a gasping Nickle Waltz to the ground. His smile faded as he scampered back outside the forcefield. Luna kept hovering in mid-air, her head dropping as her eyes welled up with tears.

“Yes, I see where it has brought you,” said Willowleaf. “Back to us, whose love is true.”

Even the cold, distant Platina nodded, along with her two compatriots.

“We will release you,” the half-skeleton of a pony went on, “on one condition: that you swear not to harm us. And when I say 'swear'...” Her horn glowed, as did those of the other two, in a pattern of magic that Luna instantly recognized: they were somehow starting to cast the powerful oath spell that she had created and used on Thin Mint. “I mean swear. Do that, and then let us eat and talk as mentor and pupils, at least... if not as friends.” Horrible though Willowleaf's rotten smile was, it was so hopeful and sincere that a few undignified tears began to escape from the confines of Luna's eyes.

“Thou askest too much,” Luna said, cursing herself as her voice cracked into a painful croak. “My duty, my deepest desire, is to defeat evil like this.”

“Your duty, if it ever truly existed, is to a country that no longer exists,” said Willowleaf. “You just said that this world is not the same is yours.”

“But if you ruled,” Platina said, “you could make it so once again, if you wished. You could slay all the dragons you like, so long as the three of us stay safe. We may be terrible by Celestia's standards, but we have no desire to wreak the kind of havoc a dragon attack or changeling invasion could.

“Of course, we would prefer to find some way to undo the damage the Elements of Harmony did to your mind, but our research has offered little possibility of that path. So barring that, we do believe that some sort of compromise is possible. If you're willing.”

The three of them looked at her with a note of desperation. She wanted to scream at them to go away, if only so they couldn't see her cry. But it was too late. The damage was done, and she was trapped, in every sense of the word. She carefully laid her body back onto the ground, noting that her wounds were now cold and numb, free of pain. She sobbed quietly, her face buried into her legs. Though closing her eyes meant that she would probably lose sight of the apparition of Thin Mint, that no longer concerned her. There was no one to hold her this time, nor did she want there to be. This was hers alone to bear.

“I know the reports said she was emotionally unstable,” Platina whispered, “but this is ridiculous.”

“Show some respect,” Willowleaf countered acidly.

Luna could barely hear their comments. She was so tired. It wasn't until she closed her eyes that she realized the full extent of her exhaustion. The tears burning against Luna's singed face started to feel different somehow. Her whole body felt different. Lighter. She realized that her mind had cleared and she had fallen into a trance, or a dream. She felt the familiar touch of an Element of Harmony on her spirit and, in her struggle to reject its influence, she found herself both experiencing the vision and looking upon it from the outside.

She was soaring through a vast blue sky. The tears had turned to raindrops that gathered on her coat as her body flew through the occasional perfectly fluffy cloud. It was hard to tell at first, but she was moving fast, so fast that she was repeatedly passing the sun and moon in their orbits. The surface of the planet was an indistinct green, brown, and blue blur, and the sky above was a whirling mess of light. Just when she thought a pattern was developing in the blurs, she or they shifted course, and everything changed.

There was no stable point of reference. She felt dizzy and lost. Luna tried to slow down, but her wings were not her own. No slowing. No stopping. Always forward. How could she stay true to anything, with the world going by so quickly?

A tiny pink butterfly floated next to her. Was it keeping up with her, or was she flying so fast now that she was circling the earth back around to it over and over? It offered no answer. Instead, it danced around her body, drawing her eyes in loops and twirls. She laughed, and grew so distracted by the butterfly that she crashed into the sun.

If she had been fully into the trance, the pain might have rendered her unconscious. Instead, the searing inferno of the star served to force her back onto her feet, standing bolt upright, wincing, and grinding her teeth. With short, shallow breaths, she took control of the agony, passing her consciousness from head to tail along her nerves like one might roll a fine wine around one's tongue. The fierce flame of the sun in her mind did not feel good, but it was real, invigorating and comforting. It was just the shock she needed to begin to focus on her actual surroundings again. Odd that it should come from a waking dream.

Her trio of captors looked stupefied, and also small and distant, like the ground she had been soaring above. And down here, locked below a vast lake in a cold, stone dungeon, nothing could be more distant than the sun. Luna felt caught between them, but at the same time, apart from them, as if watching the scene from outside of her body.

I am beset on both sides by plans that are centuries old. If I have any hope of extricating myself from them, then I must do something neither side will expect. I must make them struggle to keep up with my movements. But what...

Luna immediately thought of the end of her vision. She knew exactly what. If her aimless, floundering actions over the past few months had arranged enough pieces within her grasp, there was one thing that could flip the table. Most of her resources would probably side with Celestia, in the end, but she could use that to her advantage as well. But first things first: getting out of my prison.

“Very well then,” the Princess pronounced, “but I have a condition as well.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness,” Platina said, as nicely as she could, “but you're hardly in a position to bargain.”

“Wrong,” said Luna. “You three need me far more than I need you. Be not concerned though. My condition is not onerous.”

The apprentices shared a brief look.

“Why don't you tell us your condition,” Willowleaf said, “and then we'll go from there.”

“If we are going to perform this terrible deed,” Luna said gravely, “then we are at least going to do it properly. What this means is that I shall swear not to kill any of you, but you and I shall also swear to kill no more ponies. None must die to execute my plan, not even Celestia.”

“What?” asked Platina, suppressing a laugh. “How are you to usurp control of an entire nation without at least some death?”

“Leave that to me.” Luna's horn started to shine. “Cast the spell, and I shall complete it with my oath not to kill you. Let that be proof of my sincerity, and let it show that you can trust me to fulfill your purpose.”

“I'd say that's a good starting point, at least,” Willowleaf said. “I would very much like to release you from there safely.”

Nickle Waltz, Platina, and Willowleaf resumed casting the spell, weaving multicolored patterns of magic through the air like a trio of jugglers, passing shining fragments and phrases back and forth among each other. They had actually improved upon Luna's work, making the process more efficient and less taxing. In some small way, she was proud to see that little accomplishment from them.

The strands of magic started to wrap around her soul. She fought back panic as they rattled around her like chains, threatening to bind her forever. Be bold.

When the time came for speaking, Princess Luna struck a confident pose, grateful that her body had been numbed to the point where she did not even wince when she stamped her broken hooves against the stone. “I, Luna, swear upon pain of death, that I shall not kill thee, Willowleaf, nor thee, Platina, nor thee, Nickle Waltz, unless you should ever attempt to kill me. If this vow is sound, let the spell be complete and my life be bound.” As the words exited her mouth, they gained a smoky, ethereal substance and joined the swirling jumble of shining symbols in the air.

They thought for a moment, scrutinizing the symbolic shapes that Luna's words had taken for hints of deception. Satisfied, and somewhat surprised, that Luna intended no loopholes to exist in her vow, they nodded, and the glowing glyphs bound themselves to the smokey manifestation of what she had said, then everything blinked away in a flash of moonlight. In that instant, the metaphysical chains which she had felt winding their way around her closed in and locked tightly around her mind, blocking off entire avenues of action, and putting a dangerous warning barrier around even thinking of those avenues. It was done.

'Tis justice indeed that I now know what this feels like, she thought somberly. Luna closed her eyes and hung her head, ashamed and afraid of what she had just done. Mother, please forgive me. I wish I could say that this would be the last time I would dishonor thy memory, but my work there hath only just begun.

She heard a faint sizzle in the air and glanced up. The barrier that had surrounded her no longer buffeted her mystical senses with waves of power. Tentatively, she stuck one of her undamaged hooves out where she had been made so painfully aware the shield was, and felt nothing. With a couple steps forward, she discovered that it was gone.

Luna's erstwhile apprentices bowed to her, including Nickle Waltz this time, and she acknowledged them with a nod of her head.

“Thank you, Princess,” Willowleaf said. “You have no idea how much this means to us.”

Luna looked at her blankly. “I am hungry,” she said, ignoring the comment. “Take me to the surface.”

“We have food down here—” Platina began.

“'Tis not pony food for which I hunger.” Luna carefully began to walk toward the exit, awkwardly favoring her forehooves so that she would not risk damaging the magical gauze on them. “I also need rest, and I must sleep under the sky, not in this dismal place.”

They acquiesced with a minimum of reluctance, which surprised Luna, walking beside her as they went down the glowing stone passage. When they reached the portal which Luna had come through with Zecora, the students worked together to create a bubble of air which would not only provide them all with air, but float them safely to the lake's surface with no swimming required. Luna was relieved. She was worn out and cold enough already.

Once the party's magic bubble broke the lake's surface, Luna spread her wings and started flying to the shore.

“Don't try to escape, Your Highness,” Willowleaf said softly. “Please.” Her horn, along with those of her companions, was glowing brighter, preparing to unleash any necessary spells.

“Fear not,” Luna shouted as she landed on the solid ground of shore. “I am with you now, and you are with me.”

They dismissed their spell, splashed into the water, and swam quickly after her. When they finally caught up, Platina and Willowleaf gaped at what Luna was doing, while Nickle Waltz watched with both horror and curiosity.

One of the mid-sized forest animals, perhaps a raccoon or a badger, that had returned to the area was being roasted with purple fire, which was contained by the turquoise aura of Luna's magic. She dismissed the fire and immediately bit into the animal's hot, charred flesh, accompanied by a growl from her and a sick ripping sound from the meat. The apprentices turned away quickly. Platina gagged.

“Of all the terrible things you have witnessed and performed,” Luna said, through a mouth full of cooked meat that had once been, and still looked like, a living thing's body, “this is what crosses the line?”

“No, it's fine,” Platina said, breathing deeply and trying to recover. “I knew you ate meat back in our time, but I had never seen it before. Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive,” Luna said, crunching as she ground the creature's bones in her teeth. “I simply found it interesting, in a rather dark manner.”

After less than five minutes of wet, frenzied feasting, barely anything but bone remained. Princess Luna sighed contentedly and performed some easy stretches with her legs and wings. She peered up at the sky, still full of stars, but with the faint glow of pre-dawn surrounding them.

“I am going to sleep now,” she said quietly. “You may rest here as well, but do not disturb me.”

A deep, dark sleep overcame Luna almost immediately after closing her eyes. Not even dreams dared to intrude upon her.

The Princess of the Night awoke languidly and without hurry. As she dully pulled the moon up from beyond the horizon, she rolled onto her belly, flexing her wings and popping her neck. She noticed that the bandages on her feet had been removed, and the hooves had healed completely. The rest of her body, and more importantly, her magic, were also well on their way to recovery, thanks to her satiating meal the night before. She saw that her saddlebags and cloak had been removed too, but, basking under the white brilliance of the full moon, she did not much mind.

“We found the jewel you used to wear in your crown,” said Willowleaf, who was resting alone in the grass several yards away. “I hope you don't mind, but we took the liberty of repairing it, as a token of our good faith.”

The small marble gem floated over to Luna, surrounded by her student's black telekinesis. It was now free of cracks. Only the normal black veins remained on its smooth surface.

“We left that cloak intact though, aside from washing it. It's drying over on that branch.”

“Where are the others?” Luna asked as she took the jewel in her own telekinesis.

“We decided to take shifts watching you,” said Willowleaf. “They are sleeping not far off. Shall I go get them?”

“Yes, go,” Luna commanded, then put the crown jewel in place on her tiara.

With an immensely satisfying click, the gem stayed in place in the center. It melted and molded itself back into the crown's design, creating tiny, irregular strips of pure white, encased and en-caged in the black metal surrounding it. She set to work using it immediately, neither knowing nor caring if her apprentices had returned to see.

It was strange and difficult to try to push her power through a focus again, since she usually let her magic spill forth from her, raw and unfiltered. After a few failed attempts and some cursing, she finally got a basic far-seeing spell channeled through the jewel. The effect was phenomenal. Whereas normally she would only have gotten the most vague impressions of her target area, such as whether or not anything was moving there, and whether or not any magic was present, with the aid of the crown jewel, she saw the ruins of her castle even better than if she were there. In addition to huge visual detail, down to the tiniest blade of grass, she could clearly and distinctly make out the kaleidoscopic lines of magic that coursed through the place, without having to cast a magical sight spell on herself first.

“Huzzah!” she shouted triumphantly, despite herself.

“You're welcome,” Platina said laconically from behind her.

“Spare me thy dull wit.” Luna scowled, and scowled deeper when she felt her cheeks flush. Thankfully, she was facing away from the returning students. “I have much work to do. I mean to find any and all places where the blue, amorphous monsters known as 'gels' hide, and I mean to do so tonight. There is a score to be settled.”

She turned to face them, her features severe, imperious, and dangerous, an effect that was only enhanced by the caked blood and tears on her coat. The solid, dark ring of dried entrails around her mouth completed the look.

“While I am doing so,” she said, “fetch unto me as much writing material as you can find. There is an announcement that I shall have to make to all of Equestria once I have finished my bloody work in this accursed wood. I must do what Celestia refused to do and finally claim our birthright for myself. Though I want it not, and though to take it would be to spit in the faces of my entire family, the time hath come. See that you are prepared.”

“What does that mean?” the quiet pony-lich asked, voicing the confused looks the other two had. “We're pretty well-versed in history and matters of royalty, but we can hardly prepare for something when we don't know what you're talking about.”

“Then sit on your rears and wait for my announcement. You will be the first ponies to hear it.” As confident as her voice seemed, the ashy bitterness in the tone was unmistakable. “I shall give us what we deserve...”

Chapter 14: The Once and Future Queen

Aside from faint, muffled squishing and popping sounds, gels did not make much noise when they died, so Luna's imagination helpfully filled in the gap with distant memories. As she listened to the echoes of ponies screaming and begging for their lives, she repeated to herself that this time would be different. It was a forced and hollow mantra, but it let her cling to what little sanity she had left while the last lair of these blue, amorphous monsters finally burned to ash.

In a twisted way, she longed for the voice of the Nightmare to appear to whisper promises of power and respect in her ear. At least then Luna would have something besides herself to struggle against, and if she failed to resist its temptation, she could blame some small part of her actions on the demon. Words did materialize, but they were her own, from several nights before when she had made her arcane vow to overthrow Celestia.

I swear, upon pain of death, that I shall remove Celestia from the crown and throne of Equestria.

When her students had examined the intent of her words and found no trace of deception, those vile things had actually wept tears of joy. She still felt nauseous when she imagined the sight. Even though she had managed the small victory of extracting a similar promise from them to kill no ponies during the fulfillment of that vow, she still had to get away from them immediately afterward. She refused to even wait the couple days it would take for them to undue the damage they had done to her armor, to her continued regret.

They had compelled her to take the vow, yes, but they had not forced her, and there had been no demon's corrupting influence. All the responsibility rested solely on her shoulders. The Nightmare was gone, and there was only Princess Luna now.

Or at least, she was pretty sure it was only her. She heard steps coming through the woods behind her, and turned to see a band of brightly-colored ponies walking toward her. After the dark and muted colors of Zecora, Willowleaf, Platina, Thin Mint, and Nickle Waltz, it was almost literally unbelievable to see splashes of white, pink, orange, purple, blue, and yellow moving through the branches.

“Of course,” she said. “The Elements of Harmony are at work upon me again. Here come visions of them to torment me.”

“Huh?” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Torment you? We came to help.”

Luna blinked, then blushed. “Excuse me, my dear subjects,” she said, a smile lighting up her face for the first time in many nights as Twilight and her five best friends came fully into view. “It hath been—”she looked up at the moon and compared it with her internal clock; it had been five days”—some time since I last slept, so I am somewhat scatterbrained. It is so good to see you though. Well met!”

Her smile turned into a confused frown when they didn't smile back at her. Most of their faces vacillated among fear, concern, and disgust, with Fluttershy hiding her face in the back. Then Luna realized that she had neglected her training and experience as a warrior and had not checked her body for damage. She examined herself and understood exactly why they were looking at her like that.

Her skin, coat, and mane were nearly invisible under layers of scars, bodily fluids, and swamp muck, which, even with her accelerated healing, had swollen into nasty infections over the past several nights. The bare skin that was exposed was marred by deep scars, thanks to claws and burns from everything from timberwolves to swamp dragons. Most of her tail and half of her flank was still completely missing from when a hydra's head had snuck up on her while she was busy fighting the other heads. Most worrying of all was her left wing, which was bent in three different directions, all of them wrong. It would take hours of concentration to set the bones correctly again.

Her body's vast supply of adrenaline was beginning to ebb, and she felt the suppressed pain clawing up to the surface, threatening to overwhelm her. Luna clenched her jaw tightly. Tighter still as the six of them started to converge around her, talking over each other about how terrible she looked and how they could help. She could swear she saw sparks in their eyes. What would happen if they attempted to use the Elements upon me?

“Stay back!” she cried, and the six other ponies took a surprised step backwards. “I—I mean to say, that the danger hath passed, and I shall be well soon. I thank you for your concern.” Do not try to banish me, or I shall have to hurt you.

“But your wing is broken,” Fluttershy said, mustering up the resolve to stand next to the appendage in question and peer at it. “You shouldn't try to heal that on your own.”

“No kidding!” Rainbow Dash blurted as she flew over, not to have her own courage upstaged by Fluttershy's. “Even a sprain is no joke, and I've had my share of those. Could you imagine if I actually broke my wing? That would be terrible.”

“Why don't ya come back to town with us, Princess?” asked Applejack from a respectful distance. “I know it's temptin' to tough it out on yer own, but some things jus' shouldn't be done by yerself. I'd say getting' all kinds of messed up from here to Tuesday qualifies.”

“No!” Luna shouted, the Royal Canterlot Voice blowing everyone's manes and tails back with its force. She paused for a second, then lowered her voice. “Rather, I will, but I would prefer to follow alone. Give me but an hour or two to rest and recuperate. I know the way.”

“It's dangerous in the Everfree Forest though,” Twilight lectured. “You of all ponies should know that.”

“Actually, this part of it is not dangerous,” Luna said. “Not anymore.”

“Now that you mention it,” said Rainbow, “there was a definite lack of danger for us to defy while we were out looking for you. That's weird.”

“Yeah.” Twilight looked behind Luna and saw the field of dying embers where the gels' pond used to be. “A whole week of searching, and we didn't encounter anything more dangerous than mosquitoes.”

“Which are more of a threat than you give them credit for, Twilight.” Rarity huffed indignantly.

“Oh, come on!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ya got bit once.”

“Twice, I'll have you know, and the one on my cheek is going to absolutely ruin my complexion.”

“Half of this darn place is a swamp! Did ya really expect yer fancy magic to protect ya forever?”

“Did you have anything to do with that?” Twilight asked Luna, ignoring the others. “The lack of cockatrices, hydras, and carnivorous plants, I mean. Not the mosquitoes.”

“Aye,” Luna answered. “I have decided to put an end to the threat that this forest poses to our land. I know its secrets better than Celestia does, and I am more capable in combat than she, so it naturally falls to me to undertake this quest.”

“Oh, no.” Fluttershy squeaked. “I mean, it's scary, but there are lot of innocent animals here too. And some scary animals that are also innocent.”

Luna recalled her first meeting with Zecora in the zebra's tree hut, where she had brought up exactly that point. Some more innocent than others, she thought bitterly, as she was unwillingly reminded of her erstwhile traveling companion. At least this was the first time Luna had thought of her since she began her campaign, being too caught up in the thrill of battle for much brooding.

“I know, Fluttershy,” Luna said, trying to be as gentle as she could through all the physical and emotional pain she was swallowing. “That is why I am not burning the entire forest. As I said, I know its secrets, so I know where the threats lie.”

“You still shouldn't be out here fighting them alone.” Twilight resumed her lecture. “And don't give me that nonsense about how we're too valuable to risk. So are you! We were really worried about you, and from the looks of things, we had every right to be!”

Twilight's stamped a hoof at the end of her exclamation. The desperate anger in her eyes caught Luna off-guard. What am I doing? She inquired of herself. Silence was her only answer.

“Guard thy tongue, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna reprimanded. “We may be friends, but I am still thy sovereign as well.”

Twilight's ears went down immediately, but she did not apologize for nor retract her words. Luna was secretly proud. The others fell silent at the outburst too.

They are only acting in this manner because of thy insane behavior, Luna. Reassure them. She conceded that she had a point there.

“After giving the matter further thought,” Luna said, filling the awkward silence, “I actually seem to be well enough to travel now. Moreover, this place pleaseth me not. I shall be glad to put it behind me. Let us go.”

She brushed past the six ponies with a limping stride. Her ears twisted back reflexively, but from the pond she heard only the silence of death. She went back and forth between being annoyed and being glad that it was shortly drowned out by the renewed chatter of six sweet voices.

Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. One blast of power, and they could undo me and all my plans. Luna was not so much afraid of that happening, though, as she was afraid of what she might do to them if they tried. The dark, morbid thoughts made her shudder. Perhaps it would be better for Equestria if they defeated me, but the oath I made to overthrow Celestia would doom me to death if they did. I have much to do before I die.

She watched Rarity fuss prettily over her insect bites, while the unicorn tried to cover up the fact that she was doing so. She listened to the deep, easy drawl of Applejack, as if the sound of it gave every conversation topic full, serious weight. Even whatever random topics happened to pop into Pinkie Pie's head. Luna was grateful for them, actually, because Pinkie's outbursts distracted the group from talking too much about Luna. Perhaps Pinkie could sense how tired she was getting of politely evading their questions, and was looking out for her. Maybe she was even doing it consciously. Fluttershy's innocent fretting over Luna's every step was endearing, as were the oblivious, casual aerial tricks Rainbow Dash was performing right in front of a Princess with a broken wing. And through it all, Twilight led the way with quiet resolve. Her gait and the movement of her tail suggested she was still greatly agitated, but not even that could stop her from putting on a brave face.

Yes. Luna sighed quietly. Much to do indeed. I can only hope that there will not be too much damage that they will need to repair. And maybe, just maybe, they will come to appreciate the good that could come out of this. Maybe I can as well.

Fluttershy's cottage had no right to be this peaceful. It was even more packed than usual, with her dozens of species of animals now sharing sleeping space with six average-sized ponies and one larger Princess. Yet, save for the latter, they were all sleeping soundly next to each other, buried in piles of fur and cushions.

The place also stank of waste, or at least it had, before the eye-watering bitterness of Luna's infections filled the air. The medicines Fluttershy had prepared smelled nearly as bad, but they were very soothing and effective. Luna's heart broke a little when she contemplated how often her gentle caretaker must have to treat severe injuries to be this good at medicinal alchemy.

Princess Luna gazed out of the window of her little alcove, apart from the others, at the dark space in the sky where the new moon resided. It looked just like the symbol on the cloak she had left under the lake, just like the sigil of the Palatins de la Nouvelle Lune. How many times over would I be dead, had I bound myself to those oaths instead? she pondered.

She drifted off to sleep early, wondering if her world would ever be that simple again.

Only to be awakened a short time later by a hoof gently nudging one of the few non-bandaged areas on her body. She almost reacted with a yell and a sharp kick, as that would have been the proper response for the past few nights in the forest. But Luna was in Ponyville, and it was only an orange earth pony that was nudging her, her Stetson hat held respectfully off of her blond head. Applejack flinched when she saw the momentary look of wild ferocity in Luna's eyes, but she held steady. It passed quickly, replaced by a one-eyed glare that looked more like she was dozing off than like she was annoyed; one of her eyes had bruised so badly that it was completely shut.

“I'm real sorry, Princess,” whispered Applejack. “Can we talk fer just a minute? It might be kinda important.”

“Of course, Applejack,” Luna answered, starting to sit up, then immediately regretting it and lying back down with a soft groan. Thanks to her wounds, she would have to address this subject without the usual regal dignity. “What is it?”

“Well, a couple months back,” Applejack said, “I was out plantin' some flowers in the garden when I got this weird feelin', like somepony was walkin' on mah grave. Then it felt like you were sittin' right next to me, and Zecora was with ya too. I didn't know what was happenin', but it seemed like ya'll were in trouble.

“I didn't think much of it at the time, but now, with Zecora missin' from her hut, and findin' you in the forest lookin' like ya did, I ain't so sure...”

“Zecora is missing?” Luna asked. And they can feel it when I meditate upon the Elements? Perhaps that was not so wise.

“Yeah,” said Applejack. “Nopony's seen her since she went off with you. Is she okay?”

If there is any justice in the world, no, Luna said to herself. “I am unsure,” she said out-loud. “We parted ways some time ago, but I assumed that she would make it back safely, being as skilled in wilderness survival as she is.”

If she hath not come back here, where would she try to go? Luna frowned, and Applejack's earnest face became even more sympathetic, perhaps mistaking the meaning of the frown. Assuming her guilt over her crimes was not completely manufactured, then she could be going toward Timbucktu... Perfect!

“My dear Applejack,” she said, putting on a troubled facade, “couldst thou convince the others to go in search of her for me? I have urgent business to attend to in Canterlot before I can seek her myself.”

“Sure, I guess.” Applejack laughed nervously. “Uh, I mean, of course, Yer Highness. I just didn't know if ya wanted me tellin 'em about mah vision thingy or not, but if'n ya say it's alright, I will.”

“Excellent,” said Luna, sighing with relief, though probably not for the reasons Applejack thought. “I shall give the details of where I saw her last when the others wake up. I shall also reiterate this point then, but I want to make it specifically to thee now, as well: be discreet. She may have enemies here in Equestria, or she may encounter angry, prejudiced ponies who would blame any foreigner for this land's recent troubles. Try not to draw too much attention in this quest.”

“Well, we ain't exactly known for subtlety, Princess.”

“Please try, just the same.”

Applejack nodded.

“Is there anything else I can help thee with?” Luna inquired.

“No, ma'am, that's it.” She flipped her hat to hang on the end of her tail and got up to reclaim her place in the pillows. “Thank ya very kindly fer listenin' to me. I was afraid ya'd think I was crazy.”

“Not at all.” Luna stretched her neck and the one leg that she could move without causing herself pain, then slowly closed her eyes. “I thank thee for coming to me with this information. Pleasant dreams to thee and all thy kin.”

“Goodnight, Princess.”

Luna's hooves felt like lead. She had been cooped up in bed for days, drifting in and out of sleep regardless of whether it was day or night, and now, with the dusk, her circadian rhythm was screwed up enough to make her sluggish and groggy when she should be feeling most energized.

More than that, though, saying goodbye to Twilight Sparkle and the rest had been a draining and stressful experience. She was sincerely thankful for their aid, which had shortened her wing's healing time down to just a few more hours now, and their promise to search for Zecora had potential to distract two possible wrenches that could be thrown into her plans, but it was hard work hiding her fear. What if they find out? What if they see what I am truly feeling, hear what I am truly thinking?

They were only separated by a few yards at this point, but it felt like the six of them were waving at her from the other side of a vast chasm. She gave them a smile, making it big to be sure they saw it. She realized that was silly, but considering that this may be the last time she ever saw them, she allowed herself that indulgence.

Then Luna turned her eyes toward Canterlot, the gleaming metropolis on the mountain that sat at the end of the wide, lolling road under her leaden hooves. She dragged them upwards and slouched her way toward the city.

Two nights and days of almost constant walking followed. Luna's restless mind would not allow more than ten or twenty minutes at a time of sleep. But that was nearly superfluous anyway, for watching the rich, green country of Equestria roll by, with nary a monster, disaster, or spoiled crop encountered, was a soothing balm all on its own. Whether it was the stalks of amber wheat reaching up toward the sun, or the crickets conducting orchestras in honor of the moon among the wild flowers, each minute provided new sights and sounds to heal the Princess. The only distraction was the distant roar of the train to Canterlot, the brisk business of which explained the dearth of ponies walking this ancient highway, but that too had a benefit, in reminding her of her subjects, the most wonderful things of all about this land. Peace had returned to this one small section of Equestria.

Other places were not so lucky, she knew, but soon those areas would reap the benefits of her protection as well. Her entire homeland would be this beautiful and serene again, the way it had been ages before...

She stripped off her splints and bandages hours earlier than she had originally expected to. Cautiously, Luna stretched her wing out. She began to laugh when she only felt the invigorating discomfort of flexing strong muscles that had gone unused for too long. Her body was nearly flawless now. Only the largest scars were still visible, and even then only under a rich sheen of dark, fresh hair. Her lustrous tail flowed in the mystical breeze perfectly again. Her legs were strong and sturdy, and they carried her quickly. Luna enjoyed the sound of her laugh as well, now that it was free of scratching and rasping. Her delighted roar scared off the crickets, but she could not stop herself. She laughed until she was crying and gasping for breath.

Then, at last, she stood at the base of the castle's steep mountain. It was mid-morning. The crag blocked her view of the sun, but she could see its brilliant light peeking around the edges, as if the mountain were crowned with fire. Princess Luna spread her wings and took to the air, beating steadily upward toward her goal: the royal palace.

On the way up, she remembered something she had forgotten in the bustle and misery of the past week. The arrival of the great comet, through which Zecora had implied Luna's apprentices would contact their zebra conspirator, had already arrived the night before. She could feel its enormous, sparkling tail tracing its way across the void, even now in the middle of the day. The three students had not mentioned any such signal, and Luna had not thought to ask. Was that another of Zecora's lies? A red herring to distract and mislead her? Or perhaps it heralds the coming of a dark and terrible evil! She laughed. Prophecies are rubbish.

Princess Luna was not questioned by the guards—who were rather sparse today, she noted—even after coming to a landing at the balcony to Celestia's private chambers. Just as she hoped, her sister was lying on her bed, preparing decrees like she always did this time of day. Celestia looked up from the parchments sprawled before her and in random directions all around the bed, and smiled.

“Hello, Luna,” she said, delicately levitating her pen back into its pot. “I've been expecting you.”

“Is that so?” Luna replied, picking up one of the declarations on the floor and glancing at the contents. Authorization for some cloud bridge construction program. She scoffed and tossed it aside. “Why no triumphal parade, then? My campaign hath been a rousing success thus far.”

Celestia climbed off the luxurious canopied bed and made her way across the floor, stepping carefully around her documents.

“Has it?” she asked. “Take a look at that treaty under your rear left hoof. I had to give up quite a bit of money to keep Oracle happy with us, after your stunt in his valley.”

“Thou knewest of his operation?” Luna looked down at the treaty. That is a lot of bits. “And thou didst nothing to stop it?”

“How could I?” said Celestia. “He is one of the founding members of the Dragon Conclave. It's unfortunate, but the reality of leadership is having to make decisions like that.”

“Aye, and he was but a pup, when we were at the height of our power,” Luna said. “So tell me, with all of that money going to him now, where are we getting the money for new bridges?” She picked a paper at random. “Or railway extensions?” Another. “Or the War Relief Fund?”

“More taxes,” Celestia responded simply. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“Nay,” said Luna. “My problem is still with thee.” She shuffled her hooves, her wings twitching.

Celestia remained still, her only movement being to close her eyes. “So you do still hate me.”

“Not as much as I hate this entire charade.” Luna began to stalk around the room. She slapped Celestia's pot of ink as she passed it, spilling it all over the fresh, white linen of the bed. “How long hast thou been preparing this speech? How long did it take to drudge up all of these scraps of paper to try to prove to me how hard thou art working to keep this realm together? I already know!”

Celestia opened her eyes and gazed sadly at her sister, but she kept quiet and let Luna continue.

“I appreciate everything thou hast done for Equestria,” Luna said. “Thou hast bathed the ponies of this magical land in nurturing light and love, and they have grown noble and virtuous. Some have even grown capable. But thou dost not have the wherewithal to reap that harvest and let them prove the strength that thou hast given them. Thou art content to coddle them into complacency.”

“The alternative is terrible,” Celestia said pointedly. “I don't want them to become hardened, cold killers. Ponies were not meant for that.”

“Damn thy 'want'!” Luna whirled around to face her older sister again, her face scrunched into a furious scowl. “Equestria does not need public works. Before the dragons or the griffons decide to take it for their own, it needs a true army, and an experienced pony to lead it!”

“And it needs a conquering hero to hail too, I suppose?” Princess Celestia picked up the spilled ink pot and dabbed around with her bedsheet, trying to limit the spread of the damage to only a few documents. “Is this another little rebellion, Luna? Will it be eternal night again? Or maybe you were thinking of founding a 'Lunar Republic' this time?”

“No.” Luna lowered her eyelids and her neck. “And I would suggest taking this more seriously.”

“I am taking this very seriously,” Celestia said. “As seriously as I take all threats to Equestria.”

The silence that followed was thick and heavy, as if it were filled with thousands of years' worth of memories and words, all crowding around the two sisters, begging to be spoken.

“Thou art working hard,” Luna finally said, raising her eyelids to reveal nothing but blank, glowing, white orbs, “and thou art tired. I have come to inform thee that such effort will no longer be necessary. Henceforth, I shall do all of it. The time hath come for thee to rest, Celestia.”

“This is your last chance to stop this insanity, Luna,” said Celestia, with an infinite compassion that sickened her sister. “We can work this out, but you have to calm down.”

Luna's horn crackled and surged with a mixture of silver and blue energy. “There can be no compromise this time, Celestia.”

Using the crown jewel that was now woven into the structure of her crown, Luna's casting of an astral sight spell was nearly effortless and instantaneous. Overlaid over Celestia's chamber, she now saw the magical plane between the stars and planets stretching out all around them. She also saw the elaborate array of wards and spellweaving that protected Celestia's form. More importantly, though, she saw the thin, nearly invisible strand of energy that metaphysically connected Celestia to the sun. Luna followed it with her eyes until it led all the way up to the glory of the sun itself.

Its power was nearly overwhelming. It seemed not just to occupy all of her vision, but to reach into her mind and shine into her deepest memories as well. Luna knew that was just a cosmetic effect; Celestia could not actually read her thoughts. Still, it was a disconcerting feeling.

Nonetheless, the sun was warm, but it did not burn, even when its raging furnace came down to where she stood and completely surrounded her, leaving her seeing nothing but fire and Celestia, the two of which started to seem one and the same. Gradually, the complicated spell matrix that Celestia used to control the sun's movement casually, and to protect it from threats, came into view as well

It looked startlingly familiar. It was much like the one Luna used with the moon and the stars. In fact, it was so much like the one Luna used, that she realized with joyous shock that the spells weaving through the sun were exactly as she remembered them, ages ago. While the web of purple and golden thread around the star was fiendishly complex, full of fail-safes, dead-ends, and counter-measures, Celestia had not changed it in over two thousand years. She could do this.

Luna gathered and focused her energy, forming an ethereal silver spear, which she hurled with all of her magical power at the thread that connected Celestia to the matrix. She even added some physical strength by stomping the ground and shouting a wordless battle cry, both of which caused mirrors to shatter and wood to splinter.

The mystical link cracked and sparked, splitting like a piece of rope being cut, but it did not break.

“Luna, what are you doing?” Celestia's mouth was not moving. The sound seemed to come from the inferno of the sun itself. Her own eyes were glowing brightly now as well, just like Luna's. “Wanting more power, whether your reasons are selfish or not, is one thing. But to take the sun from my control would throw the entire world into chaos!

“Moreover,” she continued, her eyes narrowing over the shining blankness filling her eye sockets, “you are trying to assault something that I have successfully protected since I was a filly. You can't possibly hope to succeed.”

Then a counter kicked in. The dangling pieces of golden “rope” shot toward Luna with blinding speed. They tried to wrap around her legs and trip her. She fought her instincts and allowed them to do so, causing her to hit the floor with a great crack and a spray of important official papers.

Without the distraction of trying to defend herself, Luna was able to get in another strike before Celestia could stop her. The shaft of energy she controlled cut at the mystical rope again, and this time, the cut went completely through. There was an explosive ripple, both in the astral plane and in Celestia's private chambers, a wave of golden light that shook nothing physical, but quaked the spirits of everything and everyone for miles. Celestia gaped in horror and panic as she felt the sun out of her direct grasp for the first time since she had earned her cutie mark.

The horror turned to grim resolve, her brow furrowing even further around her intensely shining eyes. Celestia brought her wings to their full span and gathered her own magic to her horn. With golden and purple sparks of light bursting all around her, she tried to quickly repair the link.

Luna, however, had already moved on. Something was streaking toward them. Fast. A ball of fire, trailed by bits of molten matter that stretched countless miles through space, was streaking right at the sun. The comet slammed into the outermost of Celestia's protective spells around her star with astronomical force. Immediately, the spells fought back, guiding the impact away from the most important centers of the web and softening the blow on the lesser areas. Countermeasures went to work disassembling the immaterial aspects of the comet, which remained intact long past the material aspect had been turned into plasma and absorbed by the star.

Confident that something as mighty as Equestria's sun could withstand a mere comet, Celestia almost did not notice that a faint trace of moonlit magic had hitch-hiked on its back. Using its signature, Luna was able to focus her power right past Celestia's first line of defense and, having seen where the most valuable spell components rested, she directed her sharp shafts of silver light to strike directly at them.

They held for a few moments longer than Luna expected, since her elder sister had brought her full power and attention to bear on that problem instead. Even then, the attack was too focused, and caught the sun's guardian too off guard. The centers of the outer web of spells collapsed, thread after thread spinning off into nothingness as Luna hammered at them with bolt after bolt of energy.

Fluidly shifting her mind away from that task, she went back to the tether Celestia had been trying to reconstruct, and stamped it out. This time, she bound her own chaotic magic along the path of ley energy. Celestia could break through it, but it flowed and adapted like liquid silver, so that any breakthrough would be temporary. More importantly, even breaking through it once would take up time, giving Luna the breathing room she needed to navigate her way through the more dangerous second and third tiers of Celestia's stellar defenses.

“Enough!” Celestia roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice, the first time Luna had heard her use it since the Summer Sun Celebration 1,500 years ago. Even more stunning, Celestia's eyes were no longer white, but a sickly green, with purple smoke billowing out from around them.

Luna reeled, both in her wild attack on Celestia's control of the sun, and physically in the room, bumping into a dresser.

“Dark magic?” she breathed in shock.

“Why not?” Celestia shouted. “It is not inherently corrupting, and if it brings this farce to an end, I will use it gladly!”

“I know well that it is not inherently evil,” Luna said, trying to buy herself time. To no avail. Her assault was crumbling rapidly as ugly, jagged rays of gray and purple magic cut her spells to shreds. “That is just the last thing I expected to hear from one as pure and perfect as thee!”

“There is much you do not know about me, Luna,” Celestia said, somehow using the loud, commanding Royal voice with the quiet determination that matched her expression. Her greatly magnified casting was snagged only momentarily by the morass of Luna's warding that prevented her from reforming her connection to the sun. “You will soon see just how much. I have been preparing for the necessity of fighting you since you first started down this path. I wish it had not come to this, but since you chose to come here and face me as an enemy, then this is how it must be!”

“That is thy greatest mistake, there,” Luna said, clinging desperately to the last fraction of hold she had over Celestia. Her reinforcements were dispelled almost as soon as they were cast, draining her energy further and further. She was starting to slump, and her eyes were starting to fade to their normal color. “Preparing only for fighting me.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia demanded, barreling down on Luna's physical form, backed by all the fury of a wounded but still fiercely burning sun.

“I mean that I may not be as old and wise as thee,” Luna said. “I may have made many mistakes, and acted too rashly and emotionally when the situation called for calm and logic. But I am not stupid enough to have come to face thee alone.”

Completely alien magic suddenly appeared all around the two of them. The three black bursts of darkness, like negative stars torn out of the fabric of space, were not coming from Luna. They grew “brighter,” replacing both the light and the darkness around them with pure nothingness, and their fire, colder even than the void, started to burn Celestia's magic away.

She countered with every spell she could think of, driving each of them back in turn. But as one star shrank and was pushed away, the other two continued eating away at her matrix of spells. They pushed through the holes Luna had made in it, and Celestia shouted wordlessly in pain and frustration as the stars started to melt through the second layer. Celestia's counterspells were powerful and backed by the darkest magic ponies had ever discovered, but she had spent so much time preparing them specifically to fight Luna, the one pony who rivaled her in magical power. As a result, while much of the lesser, but still quite powerful, foreign magic was destroyed in her attacks, it simply kept growing and adapting. They knew more about her spellcasting style than she did about theirs. Much more.

Luna pulled herself back up to all four feet, her dark wings now outstretched, and rejoined the magical melee with a swarm of meteors, each shining with the ghostly light of the moon. Far above the sky of Equestria, the barrage plowed through binding after binding around the sun. Celestia, dark energy billowing from her eyes and horn, was hard pressed, assaulted on four sides at once. She cast her eyes about in the physical realm, hoping to find some sign of the newcomers, but the furious arcane duel that was taking place had turned the room into a roiling, bubbling haze. Paper and wood was burning, stone was melting, and green, purple, and black smoke was pouring out of the windows, obscuring sight.

She launched her body at Luna, slamming into her with all the might she had, but Luna dug her hooves into the molten stone and pushed back. The two of them were pressed forehead to forehead, eye to eye, their horns burning like pillars of fire.

“Guards!” Celestia called in a booming voice that made Luna's ears pop at this distance.

“They are not coming, Celestia,” growled Luna. “My temporary allies have seen to them as well.”

“Who!? Who could possibly—“ All the color drained from Celestia's face. The third and final layer of spells she used to control the sun was almost gone. Her destiny, her special talent, was about to be adrift in space, with no one to guide it. Her eye twitched as she glared into Luna's eyes, but it was a hollow, defeated glare. The points of black energy were descending on her now, as was Luna's magic. “No. I will not let this happen!”

Lances of solar energy kicked at the advancing threats. Their power stung Luna, and held the four attackers off for several more minutes. Celestia calculated each of her attacks for maximum effect, but the time of the calculation itself allowed her attackers time to adapt and improvise. Even so, one errant blow of power struck Luna's horn, causing it to crack. She screamed as the crack in the bone widened, and the viscous, glittering, enchanted marrow oozed forth from the opening.

The scream turned from pain to fury, and Luna's now dangerously unfocused spells lashed out more randomly and uncontrollably than before. Celestia's intellect and millenia of practice could not keep up with all of the directions of assault at once.

It was over. It was now only a question of how much damage the assailants would sustain in the victory. The answer was a substantial amount.

By the time Celestia's horn ceased to shine and her eyes returned to normal, Luna had only the barest shreds of magical energy left, most of which was bound up in one secret spell. One of her companion stars had also winked out completely, its wielder unconscious behind the illusion glamor that Luna had cast on the castle balcony directly below this one. Combined with layer after layer of semi-permanent spells, the illusion had escaped Celestia's notice in the confusion of battle.

Likely Platina's star that went out, Luna guessed. She was always the weakest.

Celestia collapsed to the floor, bringing Luna down with her. The sisters lay on their sides against the stone, which was now smooth and cool again, though greatly deformed from the battle. Their heads were pressed close to each other. Celestia's purple eyes were still bright with the eternal peace and harmony she radiated, despite the anger and fear that filled the rest of her expression, and they refused to let loose a single tear.

“So what now, Luna?” Celestia coughed, turning her head so the splatter of blood would end up on Luna's coat, rather than in her face. “Are you going to banish me to the sun for a thousand years?”

“Banish my own sister?” Luna said, her question and every word after it advancing on Celestia like a tide of drawing daggers. “How monstrous! Who could ever do such a thing?”

“Play the poor victim all you like, sister,” said Celestia, “but know this. If you harm Twilight or any of her friends, I will kill you.”

Luna smiled. “I am pleased to hear thee say that.” She reached up to try to brush her elder sibling's mane, who swatted the leg aside forcefully. “I apologize profusely for ever calling thee weak. I see now that thou art stronger than even thou knowest. If thou hadst but updated thy defenses, or faced me with allies, there is a distinct possibility that thou couldst have defeated me.

“But that was not meant to be, I see now. As such, here is the 'what now': Thou art going to attend my coronation gala, wherein thou shalt formally renounce all titles and claims in this realm, giving custodianship of them unto me. What thou dost with thy life after that... is no concern of mine.” Luna looked away.

“Your coronation gala?” Celestia asked. “What, are you going to become Princess of the Day as well?”

“No. Wait but a moment, and thou wilt see.” Luna sat up and stepped out onto the balcony. Crowds from all over Canterlot were gathered in the streets below, staring and gossiping about what was happening in Celestia's tower. She freed up the energy she had bound up in keeping her apprentices invisible, and then Celestia saw the three violet-robed unicorns who had incapacitated her skeleton garrison—the rest of the guard being out of Canterlot on thinner and thinner patrols—and had supported Luna in the struggle for the sun.

The silver-coated Platina was unmoving on the floor, while the healer Nickle Waltz attempted to coax her awake. Willowleaf was standing in a defensive posture, albeit shakily. The two conscious unicorns looked harried and drained, with scorch marks all over their horns.

“Bind Celestia quickly,” Luna commanded them. “But do not cause her undue harm, or I shall have your heads, curse or no curse.”

The ever-grinning Nickle Waltz and the skeletal shell of a pony that was Willowleaf advanced on Celestia. She fought back ferociously, shattering bones, knocking out teeth, and singing their flesh with weakened but still potent bolts of energy from her horn. But slowly, the sticky, metallic cord the two of them conjured latched onto various parts of her body. Soon, her hooves were bound together tightly.

Then, in the final triumph and insult, they touched their horns to hers. The force she directed against them as they did so sent them flying across the room, but in her weakened state, the momentary contact allowed them to do what she feared most. Black ichor now coated her horn, and not even a basic levitation spell could penetrate its thick suppression. Cut off from the sun, cut off from her sister, cut off even from the most basic light spell, Celestia finally gave up. She went completely limp, her face becoming an impassive mask, only watching blankly as Luna did whatever it was she was about to do. But not even then did she cry. She was too proud, too shocked, and the gears in her head were too busy turning, trying to find a way out of this.

The Princess of the Night was slowly and carefully bringing up the moon and the stars... without lowering the sun first. It was only a little past noon, and ponies all over were staring in shock as the sky darkened. The deep hued blue of the night wove into the light blue color of the day, creating a scene like an all-encompassing sunset. At the same time, the shadow of the full moon passed directly in front of the sun, causing a total solar eclipse that was years off astronomers' schedules. It significantly darkened the day, but the light cast by the combination of the edges of the sun peeking out from behind the moon, along with the stars that Luna forced into great enough brightness to be visible, created such a different shade of daylight that ponies all over gasped and marveled. It was as though a great, yellow lamp were being cast through a prism that refracted only silver, red, and purple, shrouding Equestria in the colors of royalty and blood.

Luna reached up toward the union of the sun and moon and, when she pulled her hooves away, she had somehow plucked the very corona from around the eclipse. She held its flowing black and amber metal in her hooves, staring at it long and hard. The circle solidified into a solid ebony and gold crown, thick, straight, and heavy, completely unadorned. Just under its surface, the two colors were slowly but constantly shifting, as if fighting for dominance.

She held her body straight, erect and proud despite the ravages her battle with Celestia had inflicted upon it. Luna placed the newly forged crown upon her brow, where it melted and fused with the black and silver crown of the Princess of the Night. She turned to enter the room once again, her face shining with cold serenity. The amber, black, and silver mixture of light pouring out of the weighty crown on her head filled the entire room. It was entirely unnatural, but in the same way a great painting or a stirring piece of music were unnatural. It was not natural to cry simply at a semi-random arrangement of pigments, or vibrations of the air, or patterns of light, but the mere sight of the crown and the passionate dignity with which it was worn brought forth those deep feelings in all those who could see it, even denizens of Canterlot far outside of the room.

Luna's two conscious apprentices looked at each other in bewilderment, completely unsure how to fit this development into their plans. Nonetheless, they prostrated themselves before her.

“Go forth and spread the news,” said a voice that was clearly Luna's, though darker and deeper, quiet but thick with layers of meaning that the unicorns felt entirely unable to comprehend. “Leave a pamphlet for the former Princess of the Day as well. I shall tend to Platina until she is well.”

Willowleaf levitated a scroll over to where Celestia was bound, before she and her compatriot fled the chamber. They barely even waited until they were down the hallway before Willowleaf launched into a desperate rant about what they were supposed to do now. Luna lost the words, but she heard the tone perfectly, and smiled.

Celestia turned her eyes toward the “pamphlet.”

Hear ye, citizens of Equestria!

The following facts are unknown to most of you, not out of malice, but out of perceived irrelevance, yet in light of recent events, they have become of great importance. Equestria has been in a state of regency for two thousand years. When the parents of the Princesses Celestia and Luna died, Their Highnesses stepped in to bring balance, peace, and prosperity. Yet that gaping hole has never been truly filled, and the eventual, inevitable result is the strife any of you can plainly see around you. If you have not felt it yourself, you surely know a pony who has.

The Princesses have tried their best, but it has not been enough. Celestia has ruled by herself for one thousand years. She has done everything she can, and it has drained her. As a result, she is unable to step in and take her birthright as the eldest member of the royal family. Instead, Luna has volunteered to take up the abandoned mantle and become Queen of Equestria. Celestia is still a powerful individual to be respected and admired, but she is no longer ruler. All decisions now rest with Luna.

She now controls the sun and moon herself. The eclipse that fills the sky will end a week hence, after the official coronation takes place in the newly rebuilt and renovated Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, henceforth to be known as the Everfree Fortress. Owing to the wise administration of Celestia and the skillful martial might of Luna, the forest surrounding it, once a place of terror, is now a place of peace. No pony, no being of any race, who desires to come celebrate the coronation will come to any harm. It will be a time of joy and renewal, where Luna will guide you all by the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars, all together, to help you through this difficult transition.

Rejoice, citizens! The true and rightful monarchy of Equestria is at last restored, and the crown will lead ponykind to glory and happiness! Long live Queen Luna!

“Mother won't be happy when she hears about this,” Celestia remarked wryly, after reading it three times to make sure she was actually reading what she thought she was.

“If she is displeased,” Luna said severely, “then let her corpse come stop me, if it can.”

“Think, Luna,” Celestia said, her tone tinged with just a speck of pleading. “You're an amazing warrior and an inspiring figure, but are you prepared for the stewardship and the diplomacy that come with being sole ruler? The compromise and the hard choices?”

“More than thou knowest,” said Luna, her voice closer to normal now that they were alone, but still changed in some fundamental way that Celestia did not yet fully understand. “I am ready and willing to face any challenge.”

Chapter 15: Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

Luna's body was glistening with sweat, despite being surrounded by dark, smooth marble and having walked deep into a subterranean dungeon. The entire weight and heat of the sun seemed to be bearing down on her as the vast celestial machinery struggled to resume its natural course across the sky. Though she knew exactly how to keep the moon in place, the effort of doing that and simultaneously holding the sun through sheer force of will was causing her to furrow her brow and glare at everything around her. That was just as well, she mused, for she was about to face something far mightier than a star.

As she pushed open the heavy stone door that led into her sister's prison cell, Luna had to forcibly remind herself of that fact when confronted by the sight of Celestia's condition. She was sprawled on a pile of simple white cushions which Luna had provided, spread wall to wall, except for one corner where an odorous hole had been left. Their fabric, along with Celestia's coat, was stained with dirt and blood. Celestia's tail was completely still, the sparkling magic of her very essence beginning to fade from it. The same had already happened to her mane, which was now muted and matted around her face. Framed by the coarse strands of messy green, pink, purple, and blue hair, Celestia's eyes were wide open, and they looked ready to burn a hole in one of the walls. She did not so much as blink when Luna entered the room.

A blast of heat like the opening of a furnace hit Luna as soon as she stood in Celestia's presence. Despite the anti-magical green slime dripping from her scorched horn, the former Princess of the Day was leaking pure power. Millenia of pent-up solar magic was escaping, trying to find its way back to its master. Luna let it go; she knew Celestia was not controlling the magic consciously. It was only her defensive spells completing their final unraveling. The magic's return would make the sun more difficult to control, but it was easier to deal with a powerful but inanimate object than with an ancient and crafty pony. Her sweating intensified, now dripping off of her body and landing on the cushioned floor, causing tiny pink rivulets of grime to slide across the pillows.

“Where is the rest of the Royal Guard?” Luna asked, watching Celestia's unmoving eyes. There was a tiny lump in her throat, but her question barreled right past it. Though they came out forcefully, her words still sounded so strange to her. Her tone seemed to transform until it became calm and soothing in a way it never had before. It reminded her of Celestia's voice, and that reminder made her scowl even harder.

“I sent them out to deal with some military threats to Equestria,” said Celestia, her speech cracked and dry. Luna had provided plenty of food and water, but the heat seemed to be drying Celestia up like a desert. “Just like you wanted, Luna.”

“Prevarications and equivocations,” Luna said, adjusting the new, thick silver crown on her head so that her sweating would not make it slip down in-regally. “That is where most of them have gone, and I am surprised and grateful that thou finally tookest my advice to heart, late though it was. But several units are unaccounted for. 'Tis only a matter of time before I find them. Make matters easy upon us all and tell me now.”

Celestia's answered by closing her eyes. Combined with the rigid hold she was keeping over her facial muscles, this rendered Celestia completely unreadable to her sister.

Luna reached out telekinetically, her blue aura now tinged with bright silver and golden rays that considerably brightened the dank cell, and took hold of Celestia's front leg, which had been broken during the battle. Celestia winced, but did not resist, as Luna carefully lifted it up and placed a pillow underneath for more elevation. She was tempted to wrench the leg right out of its socket for a moment, and that moment made her stomach turn.

“When I find them, they will suffer worse fates than this if they have been plotting sedition against me.” Luna found her speech again becoming gentle and calm, though her mind was filled with vengeful images of traitors locked in dungeons. She would have to figure out what was wrong later. For now, she shrugged it off.

“In any case,” she continued, sighing heavily as she breathed the hot, dry air around her, “I come hither also to tell thee that in three hours, I shall be taking the court to our ancient palace. My allies will have finished restoring some of its glory by the time we arrive. I sorely wish that thou couldst see it first, but thou art surely aware that we must transport thee in secret. I am sorry.”

“My sister,” Celestia said softly, opening her eyes and finally turning them to look at Luna. The Queen's lip shook, and she tried to force the lump in her throat down deeper. “Those 'allies' of yours have to be stopped. I recognize them now. They used to be students of yours, didn't they? I thought they all lived out their lives and died in Tartarus centuries ago, but it seems I was mistaken...” Celestia lifted one of her feet and used it to carefully rub her parched, red eyes. “I don't care what happens to me, but you have to do something about them before it's too late. Can't you see that?”

Luna's horn crackled to life with even brighter magic, casting a spell over the room that made Celestia look around in puzzlement when nothing visibly changed. The sound coming out of the room, however, was being subtly altered.

“I know that they need to be stopped.” She turned away so that Celestia had to strain to hear her shaking whisper. “And if a certain someone holds my love as dearly as she claimed, stopped they will be. Unless and until she makes that choice, however, I must stay here and limit the damage they cause as much as possible. I have bound them to oaths not to kill ponies, and—”

“Why?” Celestia said, as much a plea as it was a question. “Why are you doing all of this? This is your home!”

“This was my home!” Luna retorted, whirling around with her wings outspread. “Now it is a broken, hollow shell of its former glory. I have no place now and, unless I make one for myself, I never shall. Thou shalt never understand that... but my students do. As evil as they are, at least they know what I have been through. What I yet suffer even now...” A pair of tears broke up the determination in her eyes, before evaporating in the high heat of the cell.

“I shall be much aggrieved to see them go,” she went on, “but justice demands it.” She sniffed her nose and stiffened her neck.

“If justice demands it,” said Celestia, “then why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you help me stop them?”

“Because I promised them lives of peace and comfort, free of thy reign,” Luna answered. She stared hard at an empty stone wall as several more tears turned to vapor before her eyes. “I made no guarantee about the length of those lives, save that I would not end them myself. And that is a promise which will kill me if I do not keep it.”

“You're going to have someone kill them, then?” Celestia inquired, without the shock or horror that Luna was expecting, that she was feeling herself. It was only a quiet, simple question.

“If that is what she chooseth to do,” Luna replied.

“What if she does nothing?” Celestia said. “You're putting an awful lot of power in a single piece.”

“'Tis true that she hath betrayed me,” said Luna, her face falling into a blank expression, “and given me up unto darkness as a sacrifice. But, as ridiculous as it may seem, I have to believe that our time together meant something, over the months we traveled alone, the victories we achieved, the thoughts and feelings we... we...”

Luna's blurry vision lifted to see Celestia's eyes staring wide, her face downcast, her unbroken foreleg twitching slightly as if to reach out and comfort her younger sister. Luna huffed and flexed her wings before folding them back up at her sides smartly. “Be that as it may,” she said, “if I am wrong, then Twilight Sparkle and her friends will convince her to do something, or they will take matters into their own hooves.”

She raised her head higher, drawing attention to the mirror-like shine of her simple metallic crown. All traces of the powerful crown jewel bound to it were hidden in its construction. “Besides, with the new authority conferred upon me by control of both the day and the night, I can more effectively limit the excesses of my apprentices. They have become long-lived, but I do not believe them to be truly immortal, and so I shall outlive them.” Luna glanced around fitfully, then shook her head. “That is all I can say. I can keep the spell of secrecy up no longer.”

Celestia pressed her muzzle into the nearest pillow, facing away from Luna. “Thank you for the warning,” she said. “Three hours should be enough time for me to pack.”

The edge of the younger sister's mouth twitched as she set her jaw tightly. “Dost thou think this a jest?” she asked through grit teeth.

“No,” Celestia said. “I was just trying to lighten the mood a little bit.”

Harsh words started to come forth, but died on Luna's tongue. She sighed and lowered her head, asking quietly, “Is there aught I can bring for thee, my sister?”

“No, thank you,” whispered Celestia.

The final shred of magical luminescence in Celestia's tail dissipated, and the temperature in the room started to fall. Queen Luna turned to leave. She paused at the doorway for a fraction of a second, long enough for her heart to sink at the realization that her sister was not going to say anything else to her. But what should she say? Luna chided herself. I no longer need her approval for anything. Cease acting like a child.

After exiting the cell, she closed the door with a controlled, steady kick from her rear leg. She refused to allow herself to look back as she ascended the long, hidden stairway back to the palace, where a considerable amount of damage control and intrigue awaited her attention.

Queen Luna, after having summoned a brief magical rainshower and a brush to restore a small semblance of proper cleanliness to her coat, stood as still as the statues that surrounded her on the manicured grass of the palace's courtyard. She regarded the assembled members of the Royal Guard, about a dozen in all from both Night and Day, with a slow, steady gaze, holding the eyes of each one in turn for several seconds. They endured it silently, and, except for the ones who had come back from a mission minutes earlier, they wore their polished armor, some white and golden, others silver and black, perfectly. They held their chests out firmly, even under Luna's intense scrutiny.

“We are given to understand,” she said, her slightly amplified words causing the grass and leaves around her to sway gently, as if in a steady breeze, “that the diamond dogs have taken a great number of our citizens into bondage in recent months. Is this so?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said a guard in the front rank, one of the ones whose armor was dented and covered with dirt.

“Your Majesty,” Luna corrected, as her voice, subdued yet powerful, blew through the hair in his mane.

“I'm sorry?” he asked, glancing at the soldiers around him, who offered no help.

“The proper appellation for a queen is 'Your Majesty',” Luna said. “Please see to it that thou and all those under thy command remember this. The same goes for all of you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they answered in unison.

“Very good.” She smiled at the guard, looking him directly in the eyes as she did so. She saw his mouth move slightly as if to smile back, but he managed to check it and keep his face still. This one must be a fresh recruit. Is the situation truly so desperate that they must have raw soldiers lead missions?

“Now then, thy mission was to rescue some of those taken captive, was it not?” He answered in the affirmative. “How many didst thou save?”

“Four ponies, Your Majesty,” he said, drawing his pose up a little higher, “and two cows.”

“That is a great relief. And how many diamond dogs didst thou slay?”

The soldier frowned a little, one hoof almost starting to dig into the ground underneath him. “That was not within our mission parameters, so we—”

Luna raised a hoof. “We desire only the answer to our question,” she said,“not an explanation.”

“None.”

“Very well then.” The Queen put her hoof back down, turning the motion into a step to start strolling side to side in front of her soldiers. She moved slowly and deliberately, with a supernaturally soft step, each hoof landing on the grass so lightly that the blades bent back to their normal, upright positions when she stepped off of them. Her eyes scanned the massive clouds rolling in in the distance from all directions.

Why was she so calm? This latest evidence of how far the Royal Guard hath fallen should be filling me with rage. Yet... It was her voice, she realized. The sweet resonance of her speech was soothing even her tumultuous emotions. She could still feel the emotions, and give them voice if she chose, but her instinct now was to exhibit perfect control.

“We are not going to reprimand thee for following orders,” she said, paying close attention to the way each syllable washed over her heart and cast a cool balm over its wounds, “but in the future, that will not be acceptable. From now on, we are going to truly fight those beasts, not simply delay their evil.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” spoke another guard within the ranks, whose voice sounded strikingly familiar, “we don't have the forces to conduct a war. We're barely holding together as it is.” The speaker was a rust-colored unicorn with yellow eyes.

“Ah, Sergeant Heartstrings, yes?” Luna asked, stepping through the parting ranks to stand directly before him. The middle-aged unicorn nodded and saluted. “We apologize for our behavior months ago, when we left thy protection to strike out on our own, rendering thee unconscious in the process. 'Twas a most unchivalrous deed to do.”

She waved off whatever he started to say, not caring whether it was an apology of his own or more disrespect. “Thou dost speak the truth,” she said. “We do lack the forces currently. That is why today, we are sending out a call to arms across this land and raising an army that shall meet us at our ceremonial coronation, where we shall personally equip and train it.”

“An army, Your Majesty?” Gethsemane Heartstrings said, mouth slightly agape along with those of all his comrades. “Equestria hasn't had a standing army since... well, since the time of Nightmare Moon.”

“We are not Nightmare Moon,” Luna said, with a stamp of her hoof which bent the grass underneath all the way down. “Our Argent Army will not bring eternal night, but drive back the diamond dogs and free all of their slaves. Then it will be ready to face whatever other threats wait at our doorstep.”

She cut off the couple soldiers who were about to speak. “We shall hear no more objections. We have considered this subject thoroughly, and it is the best course of action available to us, regrettable as it is. The matter is closed.

“You will send forth our command to all settlements in this realm, then see to it that the requisite number of volunteers, and conscripts if need be, are brought to our fortress in an orderly manner. More detailed instructions will be written to each of you by the next tolling of the bell. Is this understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they replied, as their Queen stepped back to the front of the line.

Heartstrings' eyes were shifting, and he kept opening his mouth, then quickly shutting it again.

“Is there another matter which troubles thee, Sergeant?” Luna asked.

All eyes moved to him.

“Where is Celestia?” he asked, standing at a firmer attention than before. He was surrounded by gazes both shocked and supportive.

“As our announcement explained,” answered Luna, her face a carefully controlled mask of inscrutable peace, “she is taking a period of convalescence from the stress of running this realm.”

“Nonetheless,” he pressed, “it would... greatly ease our hearts, not to mention those of the civilians, if we could only see her...”

“Unfortunately, that is not possible.” Luna turned her back toward them. “We shall see if she will be willing to communicate via letters, however.

“One final order of business,” she said, turning her head back so that they could see her clear, tranquil eyes. “As the co-ruler of a foreign nation, it is improper for Shining Armor to serve as Captain of the Royal Guard of Equestria any longer. We expect a list of possible replacement candidates by the time of the coronation. That is all. You are dismissed.”

She heard their salutes and nodded at them while walking, ghost-like, back toward the palace to begin packing her luggage and writing the necessary decrees. Between the twin effects of her own calming influence on herself, and excitement at the prospect of once again leading an army into battle, these tasks took her much longer than expected. Luna was still fantasizing about standing at the head of a mass of ponies of all breeds, shining with polished steel and unmatched virtue, ready to take on an entire wing of dragons, when the third bell, synched to carefully calibrated hourglasses, rang from the clocktower. Time to depart.

The Everfree Fortress lifted out of the mist like five long, gray unicorn horns pointed toward the darkening sky, one tower on each corner, and one in the middle. The clouds above them burned with illumination from the sun's corona, and the very tips of the 'horns' matched the glow with a magical luminescence from inside their windows. Red and white smoke was billowing out of one of the peripheral towers, which, mingling with the mist of the forest and the stormclouds in the sky, bathed the area in a deep, dark, hot glow for miles.

The sounds of metal crashing against metal echoed in the deep, cloudy fissure in the earth that served as the Fortress's moat.

Deep in the castle's armory, Nickle Waltz and Platina were hammering out the last impurities that remained in Luna's ancient suit of armor. As they finished each piece, Luna levitated the plates to herself and strapped them into place. Slowly but surely, her body was being covered with layers of flowing moonsilver chain and plate metal. The ebony specks in the material swirled and twisted in a scintillating pattern, gradually coalescing into long, inky streams, which Luna stared at closely, following each line's path across her legs.

“Your Majesty,” Platina cut in gently as she let go of a pauldron she was levitating, causing it to splash into the enchanted pool of water next to the forge. The high, vaulted chamber filled with steam, which struggled to get out of the armory's many windows. “Would you be so kind as to heal us? This is hard work with a concussion and several broken bones.” She pointed to the bruises and scars that Celestia's rage had left on them.

“Suffering breeds character,” Luna said, beating her wings forcefully to help cool off the room. “You are doing all the work with your horns anyway. Your own healing spells will suffice.”

The wan, cryptic smile of Nickle Waltz twitched whenever the hammering got too loud, but the two apprentices made no other complaint.

“Pray tell,” said Luna as she buckled glimmering greaves onto her legs, “where is Willowleaf?”

Platina glanced at her compatriot, but he offered no assistance but a slightly wider smile.

“She is...” Platina said, avoiding Luna's firm gaze. “She is... on a date.”

Luna's eyes flashed, and shot over to the other student. “Is that true?” she demanded of him.

He nodded once.

“You mean to tell me,” Luna said, starting to walk around the chamber with her tail swishing against the ethereal currents through which it normally flowed, “that less than seventy-two hours before I am to be formally recognized as Queen of Equestria, one of my most trusted advisers is out courting? And how is that even possible? Her body is a hideous abomination!”

“With a little bit of magic, she cleans up very well,” Platina said as she put another piece of armor in the pool of water to cool off. “While I completely agree with your sentiments, Your Majesty, she's had her creepy eyes on a certain stallion nearby for a long time. I bet the flighty little thing just couldn't wait any longer. You've still got us though!” She beamed at her teacher.

Luna barely heard the comment, suddenly mesmerized by flashes of dreams and glories long gone as she held her old helmet in a forehoof, turning the light, ornate, deceptively strong bucket of metal around slowly. It looked so much like the one she had worn as Nightmare Moon—but not for long. With her royal crown held in a levitation field, she coaxed its materials to expand wide enough for her to place it around the helmet's crest. Shrinking the regal band back until it fit perfectly, Luna smiled slightly and marveled at what a difference a hard-fought but ultimately symbolic ring of metal could make. She sighed deeply as she went back onto her hind legs, using her hooves instead of her magic to place the helm, the final piece, upon her head.

She smiled triumphantly at her companions, both of whom had gone pale, eyes wide. Her smile vanished.

“What is the matter with you?” Luna asked, dropping back down to all four legs.

“Y-You look...” Platina started to say, the usual perfect poise of her voice shaking.

“Terrible,” Waltz finished with a gasp as the gelding instinctively tucked his tail between his legs.

“Good,” said the Queen, fully extending her wings and advancing toward them slowly. Her slim body loomed larger under the bulk of her armor, as though she had grown to fill it up. The helm shrouded her face in shadow, except for the faint gleam of her placid blue eyes from deep inside the darkness.

They went down on their knees, shaking and touching the tips of their horns to the ground. Stepping between them, Luna wrapped one wing around each of them, and pulled their bodies close into a feathery embrace.

She closed her eyes, fighting back tears of sorrow and shudders of revulsion alike. “I love you,” she whispered. She wanted it to be a mere lie, only a manipulative gambit to keep them under hoof, but as soon as the words came out, she realized that they were also true. Seldom in her long life had Luna hated herself more than at that moment. She had given her love to worse candidates though. They may have created the Everfree Forest and all the monsters in it, but at least they had stayed loyal to her. The same could not be said of a certain zebra she had recently met.

“Thank you,” said Luna. She felt the pressure of choked-back sobs coming from their bodies as she cradled them against her shining armor.

“Tell me,” she spoke again gently, “how did you manage to make your lives endure so long?”

There was a long and significant pause, into which she inserted, “Please.”

“We each did it a different way,” said Platina. She brushed her muzzle against Luna's soft, dark feathers, leaving a couple of them slightly damp from tears that had finally forced their way out. “We didn't really share how with each other, either.”

“Dost thou wish to tell me in private, then?” Luna asked. She used her wing to deftly wipe her apprentice's face.

“No, it's fine,” she said. “You both deserve to know. I—I discovered, or rather, I perfected one that somepony else discovered, a way to significantly lengthen my lifespan with blood magic. Every ten years, on a full moon, I used to bathe in the blood of other ponies.” She flinched and tried to back away from Luna's wing hug as she finally told her secret. The Queen shot her a steely look, but tightened the hug just enough to provide reassurance, without making it seem like the embrace was a prison. Platina relaxed, but only a little.

“Luckily for me,” she continued, “the blood of non-speaking animals works just as well, although I need more of it in that case. I can live for at least a few more decades without breaking my promise to you.”

“I see,” said Luna, her voice flat and calm, though her heart felt like it was burning. How many ponies hath she murdered to preserve her existence over a thousand years? “And what of thou, Nickle Waltz?”

“I sacrifice pieces of my mind,” he said simply, as if it were an easy and obvious thing to do.

“What?” Platina and Luna both asked simultaneously.

“The pieces of my brain that I need less than others can be re-purposed and reassigned as they decay,” he explained. “I won't be able to live much longer with this method, but I'm just happy it will have been long enough to see you given the respect and authority you deserve, Luna.”

“That explains so much,” Platina commented with a chuckle. Luna remained quiet and contemplative, but did turn her head to stare down at Nickle Waltz. His mysterious smile disappeared as he stared back into her eyes.

Luna lowered her neck toward the floor and sighed. She blinked slowly and deliberately. All was silent in the room, except for the roaring fire of the mystic furnace that they had neglected to put out when the work was done.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves running through the refurbished halls of the palace came to Luna's ears. She perked up and caught snippets of giggling.

“Hello everypony, sorry I'm la—“ Willowleaf's voice stopped abruptly, followed closely by her legs and her huge, malformed grin, as she skidded to a stop around the corner and saw the scene in the forge. “Wow,” she finished, her hazel eyes looking dumbstruck at Luna's fully armored form.

“Platina was correct,” Luna remarked, lifting up her wings and beckoning the new arrival to the group hug with their tips.

“Correct about what?” Willowleaf said, hesitating, with a suspicious glare at the pony in question, who only smiled at her in response.

“Thou dost clean up well.” There was no sarcasm in Luna's tone.

Willowleaf looked down at herself, smiling bashfully. Some of the illusions she had cast on herself were beginning to wear off, showing glimpses of her true corpse-like form, but what remained showed a glowing pony in the prime of her youth. Her leafy green mane was tussled coquettishly, and she was not wrapped in her apprentice's robe, revealing well-brushed, sleek, smooth brown hair, particularly around her namesake cutie mark. Her long, verdant tail had been swaying with excitement, but now it was perfectly still.

The material components of the spells she had worked upon herself were starting to come undone, leaving a small trail of twigs and grass in her wake. She frowned as she watched the pieces of her disguise fall off.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said as she prostrated herself before the Queen.

Luna cleared her throat, then curled the tips of her wings forward again. “Come join us, Willowleaf,” she said, a request more than a command, but still one the apprentice felt compelled to follow. She stepped forward, and Luna stretched her wings out wide so she could encompass all three ponies. “The work is done, and we were speaking of other matters. I realized that I have come to love you three, just as before, and I wished to know how you have managed your long lives. Wilt thou tell me?”

The brightness of Luna's teeth shone out from the semi-mystical shroud of her helmet, like gleaming rows of bone in the darkness.

“I'd rather not,” she said, rubbing her foreleg with her hoof and biting her lip.

“Is it truly something so terrible that we cannot speak of it?” Luna asked. “Remember, I vowed not to harm thee.”

“I think it is, yes,” said Willowleaf, staring at her rapidly deteriorating appearance in her reflection on Luna's armor.

“As thou wilt,” Luna said. After a minute of silence, she released the three ponies from her wings and stepped back, regarding them solemnly. “So, I take it since thou hadst time to socialize, that the preparations for the arrival of our guests are complete.” Willowleaf nodded. “Excellent. I command only that thou and thy fellows wait in the shadows, attending to any problems that may arise, until after the ceremony is complete. After that, you are free to pursue whatever diversions you wish, provided they are in keeping with the oaths we have made. I cannot give you much direction beyond that, but I do wish to say that it is my hope that you will try to live the peaceful lives you could have had, if you had never come to my Academy.”

“That's the plan,” said Platina. “Let me tell you, partying is going to be much easier without Celestia around to recognize me.”

“We have a queen for the first time in literal ages,” Willowleaf said, the remnants of her lip curled into a sneer, “and you're going to spend the time partying? Really?”

Platina snorted and gaped. “You're one to talk. You blew off working on Luna's armor so you could go get laid!”

“It's not like that!” Willowleaf stamped her hoof. “We haven't even kissed yet.”

“Like he could! You hardly have any lips left, dear. He's going to find that out eventually.” Platina smirked as Willowleaf fumed. The illusion spell automatically brought a blush of anger and embarrassment to her fading, ethereal cheeks.

“Shut your pie-hole, Platina! You—“

“Enough!” Luna shouted, silencing the pair instantly. “Now, remember that, though your lives are your own, you are still citizens of Equestria. As that land's ruler, I may require advice or other brief assistance from time to time. If you are going to partake in such revelry, make sure that it does not stray too far. I may have need of you again. Farewell for now.”

She motioned for them to leave with a mighty sweep of her wings, then turned to extinguish the forge. Luna listened to them bow and scrape their way out of the room and disappear into the caverns of the fortress. After they were out of earshot, she used her telekinesis to bring over the tattered moonsilver-thread cloak she had discarded while being equipped. She sniffed back a single tear and drew it back around her body, fastening the purple and silver patchwork of fabric, courtesy of Miss Rarity, to her collar.

Once the cape was donned and the mighty magical fire was extinguished, she flapped her way up to the highest window in the room and squeezed out of it. As she flew up to the top of the tower, she savored every breath of fresh air. The armor was enchanted to become lighter when worn, so she could breathe calmly and easily while flying straight upward. Luna landed precariously at the tip of the restored spire.

Her eyes scanned the horizons. Many dark clouds were coming toward the forest, while the rain and lightning bottled up inside them were being held in by Luna's will, waiting to be unleashed upon her enemies. Their color was diminishing the harshness of the crimson glow that permeated the sky, giving the trees and the plains far in the distance a muted, magenta tone.

Also on their way, she saw, were trails of ponies, escorted by her winged Royal Guards of the Night, just in case any beasts had slipped through her massive purge of the woods. There were not many arriving yet. Luna knew that fear, uncertainty, and sheer distance would keep many citizens away, even with the fake letters from Celestia she had sent across the land, but she could not afford to wait. She would have to make do with whoever came.

Over the next several “days”, most of Queen Luna's time was spent greeting and reassuring her guests. It took each group of arrivals some time to adjust to her imposing figure, but the armor, shadowy helmet and all, was an important part of her image and her message. She welcomed farmers, merchants, travelers, militia, weatherponies, and townsfolk of all trades. Several thousand occupied the huge mustering grounds and rooms of the fortress, with only a few needing to stay in tents on the periphery. Only a fraction of them were recruits for the army, but Luna smiled with them all, spoke with them, and provided them with food and amenities just the same. She would have recruits aplenty soon enough, she reminded herself.

The principal nobility of Equestria came as well, except for one one glaring absence. Luna talked to many members of the Houses Heartstrings, Aurora, Noctis, and even the young Sparkles, but nowhere could she find any of the nobles or bannerponies of House Blueblood.

“'Loyal to the last drop', indeed!” she muttered their motto, scowling. Standing at the edge of the misty chasm around the castle, she found a large, conveniently located rock and kicked it into the gray abyss. The loyal, hoof-picked members of the Royal Guard that she had enlisted to work the crowd carefully directed the general public's attention away from the scene.

“Some of us still are, Your Majesty,” a familiar male voice said from off to her side. He was wrapped in a cloak, with the hood drawn over, but her keen eyes clearly saw the lustrous blonde locks of mane, the deep blue eyes, and the long, rugged scar that hid underneath.

Luna's wings immediately flew out and lifted her straight toward him. She grinned as she landed face-to-face with Blueblood, the force of her flapping blowing back his hood. “Blueblood the Younger!” she cried. “How farest thou?”

“No!” he cried, hastily drawing his hood back up. “The crowd must not see me! Not like this!”

“Wherefore not?” she asked, placing her forehooves on his shoulders. “Thou art a warrior and a hero. We should be celebrating thy arrival!”

“Yes,” he said quietly, his eyes shifting around quickly, “but I can't let just anypony see my face like this. And besides, I'm not technically supposed to be here at all...”

Luna raised a quizzical eyebrow, realizing in the brief pause how close she had come to him and his face. He hadn't shied away from her touch at all, but she nevertheless withdrew, feeling some color rising to her cheeks. Thankfully, it was well-hidden by the dual protection of the shadow of her helmet and the dark hair of her coat.

“My father forbid the entire family from coming here,” he explained, “unless and until Celestia is restored to the throne.”

“He cannot simply decide that!” Luna yelled. “By his feudal contract he owes me his presence and a levy of militia!”

“Oh, I know,” said Blueblood. “That's why I came anyway. You have my support, and the support of those loyal to me. Which, I admit, is not as many as it should be, but I know that I will get what I deserve in good time.”

“In that case,” said Luna, the bright smile returning to her features, “I am doubly happy to see thee! Thou hast my thanks.”

“That is all I need, Your Majesty,” he bowed, grinning back at her.

He oversells the part, Luna thought with some amusement. But even that hath its charm...

“By the by,” she said, “did the old pony couple make it to their lighthouse safely?”

“Of course!” Blueblood smiled, puffing up his chest a little.

“Superb news!” Luna's wings began to flutter again, but she eventually forced them to be still this time.

“Well, they both died not long after...”

“I am sure they passed in true peace. That was a noble deed, good sir.” She lowered her head to peer under his hood, so she could look into his eyes. He met her gaze with the steadiness of a Royal Guard veteran.

“I have another question,” Luna said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. His ears perked to attention instantly. “What will it take to get His Grace, thy father, on my side? What does he care for?”

“That's a tough one,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “He's one of those types that cares a lot about honor and prestige. He loves my mother, and I'm his only child, so obviously I'm important to him too. Other than that, I don't know. Reading, maybe?”

“Oh, that is more than enough,” Luna said, a vaguely predatory look flashing momentarily across her eyes. “I shall come find thee after my speech. We have something important to discuss.”

“I will be looking forward to it with bated breath.” He actually had the boldness to wink at her. After a second to get over her surprise, Luna laughed in a manner that could almost have been described as a giggle, then made her way from the chasm back to the central keep of the castle. She could have just as easily walked there, but she definitely felt like flying at the moment. Many ponies gaped in surprise, making signs of the sun and the moon with their hooves, as she soared above them.

Luna directed her course upward, flying up to perch on the top of the central spire of the Everfree Fortress. From there she peered down over all the ponies who had heeded her call. Earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi mingled with each other, most of them oblivious to the fact that they were standing in the very place where Luna and her sister had been born, and where her fateful transformation into Nightmare Moon had taken place. With her wings and forehooves outstretched, she towered over the entire congregation, which was starting to lull into silence even before she began to speak in her new, regal voice.

“Citizens of Equestria,” she addressed, a mystical wind carrying each of her soft but steady words directly to the ears of all those present, “it gladdens our heart to see so many of you here. With a great many evils closing in upon us from all sides, it cannot have been easy to leave your work and homes behind to come here. But it was absolutely necessary, and we shall tell you why.”

Luna walked slowly across the roof of the keep, her eyes gazing down maternally but sternly at her audience as she spoke. “The world doth not care for ponies. We, the Queen, do care, and we care deeply, but it is impossible for us to stand against all foes at once. Many of you know personally what lies in wait out there, and those of you who do not, certainly have friends and acquaintances who do.

“The solution is difficult, but simple. If the world will not care for us as we care for each other, then it will respect us. It will fear us. If we show the diamond dogs, the griffons, the dragons, the Arabians, and all the rest, that we are not to be trifled with, then we shall secure true peace not only for ourselves, but for our friends and children.

“How do we know this?” she asked, leaning over the edge of the precipice to lock eyes with still more of her subjects. The ponies upon whom her gaze fell stood like statues, silent and transfixed as they stared up at her. She amplified the natural awe by causing the sun to brighten behind her, making its corona peek even farther out from behind the moon with a brilliant silver shine. The new waves of light caught in the prism of her moonsilver garments, bathing the crowd in darkened hues of the rainbow. “Because, while it was the Elements of Harmony that ultimately defeated Discord long ago, it was our martial ability that led our army to victory against the forces of chaos. Without us and the many brave warriors under our command, we and our sister would never have been able to reach the lord of chaos in the first place.

“With such a victory secured, even the dragons convened to recognize Equestria as a worthy political entity. You have shown courage and strength of virtue merely by choosing to come here, and these are the foundations upon which we shall build just such another victory, this one even more glorious than the last. With a true Queen at its head, the Argent Army will be invincible.”

Luna paused amidst absolute silence. Not even thunder from the clouds rolling in dared to break the spell. She leaned to an open window nearby and whispered, “Remember, Celestia. Not a word or movement off of the script we agreed upon. Come forth, recite it exactly, and then retire. I shall be watching thee.”

With her head held high, Princess Celestia stepped out onto a balcony near the top of the castle keep. Her injuries had all healed, but her tail and mane had almost completely reverted to the shade of light pink with which she had been born. She graced the crowd with a smile, the sorrow of which only Luna was close enough to see, and they returned the grace with a furious stamping of hooves that would have shaken the foundations of any non-magical castle.

“It is...” she started in the Royal Canterlot Voice, though even its intense volume took several moments to calm the crowd down. “It is with a heavy heart that I recognize the truth of Luna's words. I have loved and guided you all as if you were my own children, but ever since my defeat at the battle of Canterlot, it has dawned on me that love and guidance are no longer enough. You will have to fight if you want our home to survive.”

Celestia's neck tensed up slightly, the muscles working hard to keep her voice from cracking. “And after centuries of watching you learn, grow, and thrive, I realize that that is something I can't bear to watch, let alone conduct myself. My love compels me to leave Equestria. Like I have transferred the control of the sun, so too is this country's crown, and all of its hereditary wealth and titles, now officially remitted to the stewardship of Luna, the true Queen, so that she may lead you where I cannot.

“You will—you will not see as much of me as you are used to from here on,” she went on, glancing behind and up, toward Luna, who motioned for her to finish quickly. “I need time to reflect on the past and the future. Perhaps one day I will return to serve Equestria and the Queen as a Princess, but that day is far off. Until then... until then, remember that I am so proud of you, and I—I... I...” The magical volume of her speech broke as Celestia's body was wracked with a single sob.

Luna joined her on the balcony, pulling her close into a hug that left each sister's mouth right next to the ear of the other.

“How could you do this to us, Luna?” Celestia breathed, another sob causing her to shudder.

“Thou hast made Equestria into a land worth fighting for,” Luna whispered back. “All I am doing is furthering its development into a land that can also fight for itself.”

“The pegasus ponies tried that,” said Celestia. “Constant warfare and oppression were the only results.”

“This will be different,” Luna said, pulling away from Celestia and turning to face the multitude of ponies again, but still whispering sidelong to her sister. “That was when they were a single tribe which knew nothing of true virtue. Now they are part of one harmonious whole. 'Tis glory that awaits us, Celestia, not endless strife.” Luna's eyes seemed to be staring far away, well past the horizon, and she had a hint of a smile on her lips.

“The glory of killers,” Celestia spat quietly as she gave one final wave to her subjects and then exited the balcony.

“Begone, hypocrite!” Luna shot back, her lip and wings twitching as she suppressed her emotions. No reply came from the darkness inside except the descending echo of hooves against stone, making their way back down to the dungeon under the watchful eyes of Platina, Nickle Waltz, and Willowleaf.

“We know that this is difficult news to bear,” Luna announced to the stunned herd, “yet we know that you are strong enough to bear it. Likewise do we know that you are strong enough to join our army. Many of you have come here at the behest of the Royal Guard for just that purpose. However, the more of us there are working together, the quicker and more thorough shall be the peace we earn. Thus do we call everypony here who is capable to come forward to be trained by the most ancient and experienced general and warrior in the world, Queen Luna.”

Luna closed her eyes and waited several seconds. When she opened them again, her heart sank to the depths of her soul. She had not expected most to heed her call, but she had at least hoped to see more than the several dozen volunteers that were raising their hooves or stepping up to the base of the tower.

What did I do wrong? She fretted, looking at the thousands of ponies who remained still, scuffling their feet and looking anywhere but upward. Was it a mistake to bring Celestia forward? Did my words not stir them? As she frantically searched for a way to salvage the situation, there were some cries and a burst of movement off to her left. Luna squinted, making out a small foal pushing his way through the throng.

“I'm ready!” Pipsqueak shouted up at her, swishing around the metal blade in his mouth that replaced the wooden one he bore when he had dressed as a pirate for Nightmare Night. “I'm going to fight for the best queen ever!”

Pip's parents were trying to catch up to him, but Luna was faster. She leaped down from the tower and landed right in front of him, her graceful passing barely rustling the grass underneath her. Her heart jumped back up to its proper place in her chest as she lifted the child up to eye level with her. She smiled warmly at him while he thrashed about in an attempt to display how much his swordfighting had improved.

“Child,” she said, so quietly that only he could hear her. “This means so much to me. That is why I must apologize for what I am about to do to thee.”

“Huh?”

Before Pip's confusion could turn into fear or any other emotion, she took off into the air, with his body held tightly in her hooves.

“Behold, citizens of Equestria,” she said, holding him up high. “This child, too small even to have a cutie mark, is brave enough to fight for peace. Doth he have aught that you lack? Are we to to stand by and have our children fight for us? Come! Let us give young Pip a world in which his courage will be celebrated and honored. Rally to Pip!”

One by one, more hooves raised. More dozens, then hundreds, then a thousand of all breeds and ages were volunteering to be part of Luna's army. She sighed with relief and returned Pip to his frightened parents. She chastened him for taking one of his parents' knives, but told the three of them that he would be a fine addition to the armed forces of Equestria when he was older. His protests that he was ready now were drowned out as Luna clapped her hooves together to applaud the volunteers, resulting in another earthquake of stomping.

When Luna entered the antechamber of her private quarters, she was surprised to find that Blueblood was seated on one of the room's few purple cushions, patiently waiting for his audience with her, rather than demanding that the guards admit him at once. As he scrambled to his feet in order to bow deeply, she took another cushion in the torch-lit, windowless room. She inclined her head and smiled at him.

“Please be seated,” she said. Luna did so first, making herself as comfortable as she could in a full suit of plate and chain metal, magical though it may have been. She regarded him closely, her eyes lingering on the disfiguring scar he had received while fighting the changelings. “Now, I have had some time to reflect on thy father's disobedience. I think I have a solution.”

“What is it?” he asked, with no trace of the normal prickly self-consciousness about his wound now that he was alone with Luna.

“Well, 'tis obvious that thy father cares much for his family,” Luna answered, “so there are two options. The first is for thou to remain here as my hostage. Thy welfare would be dependent upon his behavior. If he is faithful and true, then thy life here will be happy and splendid. If his treachery persists... well, it doth not bear contemplation. While I believe such a course will make him see the light, it leaves a sour and ignoble taste upon my palate.”

“You're joking around with me, right?” Blueblood's eyes flitted toward the exits, which were closed, and, he remembered, guarded by leathery-winged members of the Royal Night Guard.

“Certainly not,” said Luna as she scooted closer. “The second option is considerably less unpleasant, but it requires far more effort from both of us. Become my husband, and the marriage alliance will force the Duke into compliance.”

“Y-Your husband?” he said, stammering as his eyes widened. “That is... truly flattering, but... I hardly know you, and—“

“Be thankful thou art living in a time and place such as this one,” said Queen Luna. “In others, it was and is common for spouses not even to meet until the day of their wedding. Verily, thou likest me well enough, is that not so? I find myself possessed of a certain fondness toward thee as well. Strong marriages have been built upon far less.”

“Right, but... I don't love you.” Blueblood flinched, but Luna's expression remained relaxed and calm.

She waved an armored hoof dismissively. “Of course not. I love thee not either. Love is not a necessity, Blueblood. I would have thought that even in this permissive age the nobility would understand that. Besides, love may come in time. It has in the past, for friends and acquaintances of mine as well as for two of my previous marriages. At the very least, being confined to my private quarters and my campaign tent would be better than being confined to the dungeon, would it not?”

He stood up shakily, muscles tensing as if ready to bolt. “This is outrageous! I came here to help you, and you're treating me like this?”

“With honor and respect?” said Luna, a frown darkening her features. “Mayhap I have not taken thy feelings fully into account, but this situation is larger than thy selfish feelings. Dost thou think I would not also prefer to marry one whom I love deeply? But I cannot rule Equestria with a quarter of its lands refusing to pay me obeisance! Be glad I am giving thee a choice 'tall!”

“Your Majesty, I think you're beautiful, powerful, and amazing, but I won't be your hostage!”

Blueblood ran to the door. Before the guards had the chance to fully enter the room and seize him, his entire body was wrapped in the swirling blue, silver, and gold aura of Luna's telekinesis. He kicked and struggled mightily, but she lifted him several feet into the air, rendering the flailing of his legs useless.

“If thou dost indeed hold me in such high regard,” she said, rising up and walking forward to stare at him, just out of the reach of his kicks, “then would spending thy days and nights by my side be such a horrible thing?

“Know also, Blueblood, that the title of Prince-Consort awaits a noble of lesser rank who marries a reigning Queen. 'Tis perhaps not as lofty a position as that earned by a true alicorn Prince, but thou wilt have gained the position legitimately, rather than with filthy lucre, rendering far more prestige unto thee than that of the false Princes that now litter this land. Thou wilt achieve more glory and power than thy father could have dreamed.

“If thou wilt not heed thy heart, nor thy reason, then heed thy ambition.”

Luna waited for her guards to secure the manacles around her now-motionless prisoner before releasing him from her magical grip.

“Think well upon my proposal,” she said, then turned to the two guards. “Take him to a suite and see to it that he has every comfort, but do not allow him to leave the room for any reason until we command otherwise.”

They saluted, then dragged a stunned Prince Blueblood down the hallway. Luna quietly shut the door.

A few minutes after Blueblood departed, she went into her sparse, stony bedchamber, where she looked quietly out of its solitary window. She spared her bed, which was more of a large, simple mattress, only a brief glance. Though she had not slept the entire week, no ill effects from sleep deprivation were upon her. She felt tired from the light but constant exertion of controlling the entire sky, but she was not exhausted. Perhaps this was another change that came with being Queen? Either way, she realized with some measure of relief that it was now “noon” of the seventh “day” of the solar eclipse, so she would finally be able to relax somewhat.

Her horn glowed fiercely, creating a haze in the air around it, with bright crescent moon and sunburst symbols forming and superimposing themselves atop her crowned head as she finally righted their respective celestial bodies. Luna lowered the moon, slowly at first, to give her eyes and those of her subjects time to adjust to the sun's returning radiance. The clouds that she had gathered helped, likely preventing a few cases of blindness. Luna's eyes tracked her beloved moon's descent. When it fell below the horizon, she let out a terrific gasp, as though she had been holding her breath for days. She panted for a few moments, then collected herself, stretching and groaning as the sun's great burden finally lifted from her. Guiding it along its normal course would be relatively easy now, she imagined.

After catching her breath, the vast herd of ponies that was still camped all around her castle caught her eye. They were marveling and gasping at the awe-inspiring sign of the sun suddenly returning to its full glory, the moon being drawn back like a veil. Many of the group pointed to the window in which she stood, where both actions had been magically performed by the same single pony. Prayers and exclamations of joy and wonder buzzed in the air.

Her guards gave the assembled ponies several minutes to overcome their terror and awe—and some of the newer guards needed those minutes themselves—then they began organizing the ponies into small squads as she had commanded. The militia from the great Houses and the recruits from today alike were quietly but amiably smiling, laughing, and chatting amongst themselves, despite all that Equestria had been through, despite all that they had just seen. The sight both chilled and warmed Luna's heart, because while it was sorely needed evidence that the sacrifices she was making were worthwhile, these ponies would need to start taking this much more seriously if they were to become a true military force. Luna would have to break them, then construct soldiers out of the pieces.

She searched for Pipsqueak, but could not find the foal in the bustle. She longed to hold him, to laugh and play with him, to tell him everything was going to be alright, as much for her own benefit as for his. Yet, at my first sight of him in months, I used him as a prop for cheap political theater...

“Just as well.” She sighed. “Training this rabble will consume most of my time anyway.” Luna unfolded her wings and took flight out of the window. “Let us begin.”

Author's Notes:

This update was going to take even longer, because it also had sections about what Zecora is up to. But I'm making that its own chapter because a) her part isn't finished yet, while this is, and it's been well over a month since I updated, b) the perspective switching felt like it was detracting from the stories of both characters, despite some thematic similarities linking them together, c) this chapter was getting long enough as it is. So expect an update on the adventures of everyone's favorite zebra within a week or so, which will take place contemporaneously with this chapter.

Chapter 16: Zecora Alone

Aquitaine d'Anjou, formerly the 11th Grand Duchess of the Western Gates of Griffrance, and now a disembodied spirit bound to a mystical mask, circled Zecora slowly through the air, with her eyes narrowed and locked on the zebra as if she were her prey.

“You're really going to do this?” she asked, her tone turning upward with hints of both suspicion and hope. “What makes you so sure I won't simply keep your body forever?”

Zecora ignored Aquitaine's predatory gaze, instead squinting up at the strange red, purple, and bronze eclipse that had persisted for what had to be “days” now, neither the sun nor the moon budging at all from their positions far overhead. Huge, dense clouds passed quickly across the sky, moving west toward Equestria, and wherever they cast their shadows on the sky, twinkling stars could be glimpsed amidst the fiery backdrop.

On a high, steep cliff in the distance stood the Tower of Ibis, ancestral home of the Anjou family and seat of power of the current Grand Duchess, Aquitaine's younger sister Adelaide. The ivory building stretched up into the sky like a needle made of bone, so far that the tip of it was lost among the storm clouds. The gigantic red banners with two golden keys crossed upon them, which hung from the tower's balconies, were flapping violently as the wind billowed past them. Few griffons flew as the unnatural celestial phenomenon continued, but they could still be seen peeking out from its large, open-air windows.

Zecora's artificial spiral “cutie mark” had been itching intensely ever since the eclipse started. The way her whole body felt fine except for that one patch of skin had to be a sign, and it was one she felt compelled to act on. The risks were great, but she would have help.

“You wouldn't dare keep her body.” A low growl from the spirit of the cheetah Baqir materialized, along with his faded image. “If you do, we'll haunt you until the end of your days.”

“I'm sure,” Aquitaine remarked with a flick of her claw. “But, since you'd still be bound to your masks, there's nothing you could actually do about it.”

“That's not fair,” he said. “Or right.”

“Are we fighting about this again?” asked Moussa the ape, appearing from thin air to join the conversation.

“I'm only asking,” said Aquitaine. “This is a huge gamble on so many levels, Zecora. What if Isra isn't here? What if he doesn't know how to get the ingredients to disenchant the masks? What if they kill you? What if one of us takes control? I think you owe it to us to at least explain your reasoning for this insanity.”

“Isn't it obvious?” Moussa said, grinning broadly. “She's got the hots for the Princess.”

Zecora lowered her face from the sky down to the ethereal trio. Her eyes widened a tiny fraction. It was a rare occurrence for all three of them to manifest at once, but she closed her eyes and smiled anyway at the light jab. She shook her head slowly, then began to carefully construct an infiltration plan in her mind's eye, using the general layout that her griffon friend—no, her prisoner and murder victim, she reminded herself with an inward frown—had provided.

“Ignoring the vulgarity of that expression for now,” Aquitaine said, “that still seems like a bit of leap. So what if she does? After that business at the lake, Luna's never going to forgive her, no matter how many griffons she defeats or how many crimes she atones for.”

“That's really harsh,” Moussa said as he put a massive, protective paw on Zecora's back. “You don't know that.”

“It's the truth!” Aquitaine shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. “Do you honestly think she's going to take Zecora back, ever? Indeed, she wasn't too keen on the idea to begin with, as I recall.”

“The best advice I have to give,” Zecora cut in as she sat gradually lowered herself into a sitting position, where she could take off her packs and begin going through their contents, “is to prove your love by how you live. I don't care whether she takes my heart, as long as it is whole when I depart.” She kept up her smile, but inside, she felt as if the butterflies in her stomach were being sucked into a vast, empty pit, where not even light from the stars could reach her.

“That's deep,” said Baqir quietly, habitually licking his non-physical paw.

“Very romantic,” Moussa agreed.

“It is meaningless garbage,” Aquitaine said. She folded her arms across her chest as she hovered in the air.

Moussa laughed a gut-heaving, barrel-bellied laugh, which, Zecora had always thought, was the only way he knew how to laugh, no matter the relative humor of the situation. “Ignoring the vulgarity of that statement for now,” he said, mimicking the haughty, high pitched nasal tone of the griffon noble as well as an enormous gorilla could, “the fact is, we're staring at a possible ticket out of this world and finally onto the next. Isn't that what you want?”

“She'll never love you like you want her to, Zecora,” Aquitaine said very quietly, then became silent and turned her head toward the tower. Her wing beats slowed as she stared at it, and her beak closed even tighter. Her tail swayed back and forth.

“It matters to me not one whit,” said Zecora, filling the long silence with her deep voice and with the clanking of organizing her wide assortment of potions and herbs. “It won't be your problem once I have your ticket.

“And if my old partner does not lie inside,” she went on, turning her attention to the other two companions and gesturing with a hoof toward the tower, “then we keep looking, until all the earth has been tried.”

“Alright, if that's what you want,” Moussa said, clapping his big hands with volume and finality.

“So what are you going to do?” Baqir asked.

As she explained the plan, Zecora carefully concealed the masks under her cloak, but in such a way that she could access each one at a moment's notice. The blank fourth one she kept tucked away and tried not to think about what she was about to do with it.

Once the preparations were complete, she took the mask of the cheetah from its hiding spot. The apparitions faded away, for now. Then the familiar pain shot through Zecora as she placed the carved mask on her face. The wood pierced her skin and worked its way inside to wrap around her bones. Along with it came the potent magic that she had used to make it, with the soul inside following close behind. Her body twisted and warped, and so did her mind. As Baqir took temporary control of the body, she withdrew her consciousness a step and began to repeat a controlling, centering rhyme she had composed decades ago, when she had first begun her experiments in Timbucktu.

I walk on the edge of my soul, until, one day, my spirit will be whole.

With her hooves replaced with swift, silent paws, Zecora stalked toward the Tower of Ibis, her sleek new form low to the ground, hidden in the dry, sparse grass. She stopped at irregular intervals in order to make sure any watchful eyes passed her over as just a wandering animal, or a gust of wind.

The spire loomed larger and larger, until it dominated her vision. Zecora circled the perimeter of the tower slowly and carefully, observing it and comparing it to the plan in her mind. The grand entrance was over thirty-feet above the ground, and its massive portcullis was lowered. There was one smaller door hidden among a pile of rocks on the ground level, guarded by a pair of griffon soldiers with their distinctive red tri-corner hats resting atop their heads. Sharp rapiers glinted in the harsh light, as did their elegantly waxed mustaches. While Zecora dabbed two blowdarts in a bottle of sleeping poison, the two conversed.

“—yes, Guillaume arrived with the news just an hour ago,” the first said, reclining against a rock and sharpening his talons with it.

“It has to be fake,” said the second, with a derisive snort. “Can you imagine it? An army of ponies? The image makes me faint with laughter.”

“Perhaps,” the other replied as he examined the edges of his claws. “Them having a queen now seems to be true enough though, from the report.”

“Oh, please,” the grinning soldier said. “Do you also believe those ridiculous tales of unicorns levitating and launching Ursa Minors like catapults and pegasi flying faster than sound?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good, I was worried about you for a moment. I do hope the part about Celestia stepping down is true though.” The laughing griffon leaned forward eagerly. “If she is actually gone, they're ripe for being shown what a true army looks like.”

“You know our royal family won't do that,” his compatriot said, with a very slight sigh. “Although, I've heard that the duchess had a sour encounter with this new 'queen' of theirs. Maybe she'll decide to launch an expedition of her own.”

“That would be most amu—“ Thwip. He slumped to the ground as a dart pierced his neck, its fast-acting paralytic effect preventing him from even uttering a sound.

The second dart was narrowly avoided by the first griffon, who spotted the gray-and-black colors of the cheetah's fur a fraction of a second early enough to dodge. Zecora growled, then lunged out from her hiding place in the grass. She tackled him by the shoulders, but she was unable to place her paw on his throat before he could let out half of a shriek. As she struggled to keep pressure on the soldier's windpipe, Zecora tried to reach back and grab the bottle of poison.

Her letting go of the pin slightly allowed the griffon to rake his claws against her legs and back. He couldn't reach his blade, but his sharp talons were still causing a great deal of damage. Zecora grimaced and clamped her teeth over her lip as blood poured down her sides. Just as the pain was about to become unbearable, she managed to grab hold of the bottle, then pour a shot down the griffon's gasping throat. She relaxed her hold on his neck as the slight overdose took immediate effect, his eyes closing and his legs going limp.

Zecora climbed off of the guard, quickly stowed away her potion, then immediately dashed for the side of the tower. She was barely in time, as several griffons inside had heard the commotion and were leaping out of windows above to start patrolling the air. Zecora studied the little barred gate as she pulled some bandages out to staunch her bleeding. She winced at the agony of binding them up so fast, but she had to move as quickly as possible.

The doorway led directly into a torch-lit stone hallway, but the gate blocking the way had no room for handles or keys. As she suspected, the passage was controlled from inside. Her blundering miss of the second guard had taken too much time for her to construct a contraption to attempt to reach the controls, so instead, Zecora reluctantly made use of some of her magically bottled supply of hydra's spit, which corroded the metal on contact. She heard more griffons shrieking just above her. They must have spotted her handiwork. Before they could land, Zecora pushed her way through the melting bars carefully. She hadn't given the acid enough time to work, so even with her care, some drops of it still splashed onto her, completely burning away bits of hair and skin before she could dab it off.

Repeating her mantra in her head was becoming more difficult through the haze of pain. She felt her consciousness drifting away from control of the body, right as focusing on the layout of the building was most critical. Though Baqir's consciousness was making no moves to take her place, she decided to be cautious and chew an entire paw-full of numbing tapdragon leaves as she ran down the hall. The effect on her pain was fast, allowing Zecora to speed through the narrow passageways of the lower level in relative comfort.

They were cramped and twisted, alternating between sloping up and down, left and right. There were no windows at all, making this an especially torturous prison for the sky-dwelling griffons. Plenty of torches lined the halls, however, many of which Zecora snuffed out in a random pattern as she ran by, hoping to confuse the pursuit as well as darken the area for added stealth.

Zecora sniffed the stale air. As a zebra, she would not have been able to make out the faint odor of rust and excrement coming from the path leading down to the dungeon. Using her superior cheetah senses, she could mostly follow the correct path, with the occasional hasty diversion to put out torches and spread her scent along different passages.

She could hear the steps of her initial pursuers, as well as shouts and openings of doors coming from above her. They were still far in the distance, but she needed to make up as much time as possible now that she had bungled her entrance.

As the smells of the prison became more intense, Zecora slowed her pace, her eyes constantly scanning all directions. There was a thick wooden door with metal bars to the prison itself, one of very few she had seen in this twisting labyrinth of storage rooms and dead-ends. She came to a stop right before it, then urgently rapped at it with her knuckles.

“Eh?” A griffon's face appeared at the bars at the top of the door. “Who's there?” At first, he didn't see her, as his eyes were expecting a figure much higher from the ground. As soon as they widened at the sight of a cloaked cheetah, Zecora spat the mushy remains of the tapdragon leaves she had been chewing in his face. They had no special effect left, other than the surprise of having a thick green wad of muck suddenly blocking his vision. He almost screeched, but Zecora leaped up, pushed her skinny forelegs through the bars and wrapped them around the guard's neck. Pulling him forward tightly, so that the metal was cutting off his airflow, she whispered.

“Be at ease. Stay silent, and use the keys.”

Grunting and choking, he reached to his belt and put the keys in the lock of the door. As soon as she heard the latch turn, Zecora pounded the griffon's skull against the door hard enough to knock him out. She pulled the door open, jumped inside, then shut it again as fast as she could while still keeping relatively quiet.

The prison was a massive pit that plunged down hundreds of feet. The wide, earthen walkway that spiraled down along the pit's edge was dotted with cells, but almost all of the ones she could see were empty. The few griffons in sight were frail, sky-starved husks. They tried to see what was happening above, but were too far away. Zecora spared the pit a long enough glance to determine that no other guards were approaching, then went to work.

With her now half-empty bottle of sleeping potion unstoppered, she pulled the guard's beak open and put in a few drops, ensuring he would stay unconscious for about an hour. She snatched his keys from the lock, then grabbed his collar in her teeth. Zecora dragged him over to the plain desk he had presumably been sitting at, then hid him underneath. She crept out and began a quick but still-cautious descent down the spiral of prison cells.

The smell was overwhelming to her new nose. The cells here were rarely cleaned, and the dark bars were thick with flaking red rust. The few griffons behind them regarded the passing cheetah with a mix of apathy, surprise, and hunger. One tried to reach out and grab her, but Zecora dodged out of the way, leaving him holding only a few threads of cloak and fur.

Halfway down, Zecora stopped in her tracks. In a dungeon full of creatures crossed between lions and eagles, the Arabian horse inside this cell stuck out instantly, despite lying down in the cell's darkened rear with his eyes closed. Though his brown coat and black mane had lost their youthful luster, and he had become thin and ragged with age and starvation, his face could be no other's. This was Isra, the scholar who had advised and guided her when she first enrolled in the University of Timbucktu. And who, the last time she had seen him, had strapped a knife to his forefoot to attempt to cut off her face and make it into yet another of his—their—masks.

For a long moment, Zecora was unable to move. She could feel phantom steel pressing on her neck. Beads of sweat fell to the floor. With steady breaths, Zecora forced her heart to stop beating so quickly, so that she could focus on finding the right key from the guard's chain. As she approached, she saw that Isra's eyes had opened, and the dark blue irises were boring into her. He lifted his head to get a closer look, making one of Zecora's rear paws inched away reflexively.

“I don't imagine you're here to free the rebels, then,” Isra whispered faintly and hoarsely in his dusky accent. “Do I know you?”

Zecora said nothing and focused on trying keys in the lock. She growled at how many there were. There couldn't be more than a dozen prisoners in the place, yet the warden apparently kept keys for every single cell on the same ring.

“Let me save you the trouble,” he said, straining to raise his voice above a whisper, and coughing from the effort. “If you have come here to kill me, know that I am marked for execution anyway. If you have come to free me, know that, no matter how far I may flee from this place, freedom will forever be beyond my grasp. In either case, you are wasting your efforts.”

Zecora struggled not to look at her partner in alchemy—and crime—from years ago, instead concentrating firmly on the keys, which she was still fumbling with by the tenth one. Her ears perked up as she picked up raised voices and eagle's cries getting closer. She looked at the decrepit state of the metal holding the Arabian inside. There was a much quicker way to do this. There was likely to be some sort of physical confrontation soon as well, so the form of Baqir was losing usefulness.

Digging her claws into the side of her neck where the magical wood had fused with her, she tore the mask off so quickly that it had the appearance of flesh while it was still partially attached to her, presenting the gruesome and bloody image of a cheetah ripping its own face off.

“No,” gasped Isra. His eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight of the cheetah's body growing and deforming into that of a zebra, and one he recognized, as distant in his past as she was. “No!” His voice was too dry and out of use to raise to a shout, but it was still loud enough to potentially draw attention. “Guards! Down here!”

“Silence, you damned fool,” Zecora hissed as she put Baqir's mask safely back into the straps inside her cape, then brought out the huge mask of Moussa the ape. “I will save you from this fate so cruel.”

“I don't believe that for a second,” he replied. “Help!” He resumed his pained pleas. “Down in the dungeon!”

“Believe it or not, then,” she said. “I am taking you from this pen.”

Zecora slapped the mask onto her face, its material burrowing into her neck while she was still gushing blood from the violent removal of the previous mask. Her eyes narrowed and watered, but thanks to the lingering effects of her herbal sedative, she was not in agony—yet. As her body more than doubled in size and its previous owner's spirit was called up from the depths of her psyche, Zecora knew that she would need more, or larger, neck rings to hide the scars from this day.

Isra had fallen silent as he watched her form break and twist into a hulking, black-and-white haired gorilla. She emitted not a single utterance of pain the whole time; bones cracking and flesh ripping and stretching became the only sound from her. The brown, hooded cloak Zecora had been wearing looked almost comically undersized attached to her now-bulging neck, but Isra was not laughing. When the gorilla grabbed the bars of the cell, Isra backed into the corner, shaking as Zecora used her new strength to break the rusted metal apart completely.

Steps came closer and closer. Zecora grunted and hefted the prisoner onto her shoulder with one mighty grab. Isra's emaciated muscles attempted to resist, but they were no match. Holding him in place with one hand, she bounded back up the spiral.

A party of four griffon soldiers suddenly slammed the door open, rapiers drawn. Their beaks gaped open at the scene before them, but they bravely trained their blades on Zecora nonetheless. Two of them jumped up and performed a flying charge at her. The first she slammed into the floor with an open-palmed slap, knocking him out instantly, but the second dodged her follow-up backhand and drove his blade into her arm. She roared and tried to grab him. The soldier darted through the air, letting go of his sword to avoid her swings.

His two conscious comrades ran at Zecora at ground level. Right as she finally managed to get her hand around the airborne griffon, she felt the blades of the other two pierce her legs. She screamed, and her vision began to blur.

...on the edge of my soul, until... until... what—what rhymes with soul? Zecora's mind reeled. Moussa, overcome with the thrill and rage of battle, moved in to fill the vacancy her spirit was leaving. He was so intent on the feeling of joy the experience was giving him that he didn't realize Zecora was slipping. She tried to reach out and grab him, to shout and yell at him, but he was busy punching griffons in their faces, howling, laughing, and beating his chest. The last thing she felt before falling into darkness was an itch in her hand, a longing to hold a mug of beer, just like in the old days, before she was murdered...

When Zecora came back, her eyes shot open, and they were now glowing with a soft yellow light. She groped through her cloak for something, anything to help her focus. Her hooves—she was dimly, distantly aware that she should be pleased that she had hooves—seized upon a bulbous purple flask. Inside was a brew of fermented lavender root mixed with sea serpent's tears. It was normally most useful as a food purifier and preservative, but it also had a strong alcoholic kick that Zecora sorely needed. At least, she hoped it was her who needed it, and not someone else.

She examined her body. She was only partially relieved to discover it was that of a zebra again, because she was lying in a pool of warm blood, which was still dripping from the rips in her neck and the sword wounds in her limbs.

Zecora expanded her investigation. She was lying on her back on a smooth balcony of polished ivory. It must have been higher up the tower, because the clouds looked close enough to touch. Zecora stopped herself from childishly reaching out for one, instead incorporating the motion into a slow, painful struggle up to her feet. She glanced inside her cloak in the process, noting with a sigh of relief and a cringe that Moussa's mask was stowed inside, its edges caked with flesh that it had torn off of her neck.

“Might I have some of that as well?” asked Isra as he stepped from the shadow of the balcony's doorway. He glanced at the flask she was putting away.

“Not a drop for you,” she said in a throaty rasp, glaring and forcing her shaking legs into a tense, defensive stance. “I am not the fool you once knew.”

The Arabian backed up slightly with a forced laugh. “Zecora, I just watched you take on an entire wing of griffon chevaliers, then climb halfway up the side of a tower, carrying me over your shoulder the entire time. If I harbored thoughts of harming you, they have long since been cowed and banished.” He lowered his neck and closed his eyes. “Use me as you will.”

She sternly regarded his craned neck, which bore only a couple very old scars. She looked to her own, which was littered with scars currently hidden by blood, and shuddered. The pain is somewhat numb, she thought, but what have I become?

“It is almost sad to see,” Zecora said, trying to shove that thought aside, “what you have come to be. Where is your fire? That passion I used to admire?”

Isra had come to represent so much to her over the years, in her weaker moments when she thought that far into the past. In her mind, he was this dark, menacing figure who served as a warning about the need to be constantly vigilant when uncovering less-than-savory knowledge. He towered over her psyche at those times, silently reminding her that charisma and intelligence are noble things, but they can be so easily twisted.

Now he was this skinny, quiet thing, and Zecora was angry at him for it, so thoroughly vexed that all she could do was fume. It was like he had betrayed her all over again, as if trying to kill her had not been enough. Now he had the nerve to be so gentle and calm after everything they had done together? How did he have more right to be at peace than she did?

Yet, she also found that the rhymes were coming more easily to her.

“The fire is still here,” he said, placing one hoof over his heart, “despite many years of prison-keepers trying to smother it. I have surrendered it to a greater power now, where it is out of their reach.”

“Does that hollow fetter truly make you feel better?” Zecora frowned and shook her head. “You follow a religion we did deride, and suddenly you are whole inside?”

“I never said that.” Isra sighed heavily. “Look, clearly this is not a wise topic of discussion. I am sorry.”

“You do not get to say that, you useless, sniveling rat!” Zecora raised her voice, and might have been shouting if the searing pain in her throat was not putting a limit on her volume. “If you possessed any flame, you would not be this tame.”

Isra's eyes opened for a moment, and for that moment Zecora leaned forward in heavy expectation, but he only glanced sidelong at the sky before lowering his head further. He said nothing. Zecora ground her teeth.

She was surprised at the vehemence of her own words, until she remembered the last time she had been this angry. It was when Twilight Sparkle and her friends had burst into her hut and accused her of being an evil witch, after she had tried to warn them that they had been standing in Poison Joke. But they had been very apologetic when she made them believe she wasn’t one—at least, not anymore. Maybe she should do her old mentor the same courtesy? She sighed, stopped grinding her teeth, and tried to look at Isra how the ponies of Equestria had taught her to look at all living things. Seeing the light in him, as they said, was no easy task. If his faith has set his life right, then that is some kind of light. I must learn not to project. He does not live to be what I expect.

“All I need to know,” she said slowly and deliberately as the rage ebbed away, “is where I must go.” Zecora gestured up with one hoof. “Tell me how many bricks until I find your bag of tricks.”

“My tricks?” he said, opening his eyes to look quizzically at her. He quickly shut them again when met with her hard, unblinking golden stare. “You mean my ritual components? What little I had left is kept under lock and key by the duchess, whom I'd imagine is toward the top.” He gulped. “Do you mean to forge me into a mask as justice for starting all this, and trying to kill you? That's... very poetic.”

“I...” Zecora looked out at the sky. Still red, still eclipsed. Her memory flashed to that fateful moment in the field, when her face had been so close to Luna's. The Princess's beautiful eyes—the exact same color as Zecora's, when they weren't glowing like they were now—were briefly bright with hope and possibility, and they must have once been even brighter. Maybe, she presumed, a little bit like her own. An old, powerful murkiness had crept over Luna's eyes, but they still shined. It was when Zecora had seen the way the light and dark of Luna's gaze mingled and shifted together that she had become truly smitten. She had obviously misread Luna's signals, but how could she do anything but attempt to kiss her in that perfect, balanced moment?

Zecora winced. She was going too long without fulfilling her internal rhyming compulsion, and her mantra was now too tainted by trauma to help with it. Perspiring slightly, she tried to funnel her thoughts into couplets again.

If our hearts had only been aligned, perhaps I too might have shined.

Zecora doubted there was much of a spark left in her own eyes, but there must have been a tiny bit of good in her for the Equestrians to accept her as much as they had, or for Luna to invite her on her quest.

She also thought of the last time she had seen her love—broken and bleeding on a cold, dark floor, lost and alone, pleading for her not to leave. Zecora wanted to reach back through time and touch her, to shout her true feelings to the heavens. They would have been mere words to the Princess, but at least then she would have been left with something besides betrayal and silence.

Perhaps they would have meant nothing to you, but... She paused. “You” was an incredibly easy Equestrian word to rhyme, but memories of Luna were clouding Zecora's every thought. But they would certainly have been true. She managed to finish, sweating harder now.

However, saying anything to Luna would have made the trio of unicorns suspicious, made them scrutinize her more closely. They might have discovered the tiny vial she had hidden up above right before diving into the lake, in which she kept the memory of their hiding place. They might have realized that she was going to come back for them.

“I am sorely tempted,” Zecora finally continued, “but from death you are exempted.” Isra, although he was shifting his feet after Zecora's long silence, still would not look at her. “I am going to break this curse if I can, and put an end to the pain we began. I have the knowledge to banish this vice, and for it I have paid a heavy price.”

Then again, she had done much good with the masks. With Baqir's claws, she had torn up the infestation of strangler vines that had been encroaching on Ponyville. She had swatted countless massive, blood-sucking house-flies with Moussa's hands. And there was the time she and Aquitaine had flown a lone, broken-winged pegasus, stranded on a solitary cloud, through a swarm of angry flying monkeys to get her to safety. Could she give up such power? Moreover, would she stand a chance at defeating the unicorns who caused all of those woes without it?

Most importantly, why was she having these doubts now? She needed to get moving.

I climbing up this tower, and—no... Zecora clenched her teeth and tried again. I am trying—trying to climb this tower, but wasting time pondering power.

She glanced around urgently, immediately noticing how much more yellow-tinted her vision had become. Zecora had never drifted this far out of control of her body before. She had not fought actual soldiers before either, much less done so while weighted with guilt, wounds, and sorrow, so it made sense. To use another mask now would be foolish, but it was the quickest way up, and she had promised...

She held the feathered mask of the former griffon duchess before her, so that she was gazing into the eye holes cut in the wood.

“I place in you my trust,” she said. “Go up and do what you must.”

“What about me?” said Isra, lifting his head back up slowly. He finally watched her with rheumy, distant eyes, and there was a tight frown barely visible on his features.

“When the task is done,” Zecora said very slowly, with long pauses to think between phrases, “I'll return, and then you will run. If you truly wish to die, then do it close to home, not under this foreign sky.”

“That's it?” He sighed through his nostrils. “All the trouble of breaking me out, and you don't even care what happens to me? ...Zecora?”

Zecora was barely listening, having placed Aquitaine's mask in position on her face. As her shape shifted grotesquely, she instantly felt her body and spirit under assault. The griffon was yearning to see her sister once again, and Zecora had to improvise a quick series of meaningless sonnets to keep her actions from being overwhelmed by that desire. She stuffed every last bit of tapdragon root she had in her beak and tried as hard as she could to bring her soul back to its center.

She hovered in the air for a few moments as she chewed, then came to a decision with a firm nod. She grabbed Isra as delicately as she could and tried to bring him up too. He might have been useful as a distraction, but after everything, she could not leave her mentor behind. It felt right to bring him along to see this. It was a struggle to carry him though. Her wings flapped furiously, only to fly up at a crawl.

She had never been a good flier under the best of circumstances, but Aquitaine had been decent enough. With that realization, the second presence inside her body stepped forward and claimed a small fraction more of control. Absolutely numb to almost all sensation, even the vertigo at seeing how extremely far away the ground was, Zecora ascended, happily oblivious to the cliff her mind was balancing on.

At least, she thought distantly, the guards would be looking for an ape or a cheetah, not a fellow griffon. If questioned, she could say she was transporting the prisoner under Adelaide's orders or something. In the yellow fog that surrounded her sight, it seemed like a perfect plan. There were a few griffons circling the skies, but none of them seemed to notice her.

Isra, meanwhile, had closed his eyes again, and his lips were muttering a common Arabian prayer.

“Let me live as long as life is better for me,” he said in Arabic.

“And take my life if death is better for me,” Zecora finished with him, to her surprise and chagrin. He smiled faintly, despite the claws that were wrapped around his torso. Zecora smiled back in spite of herself as she stealthily glanced inside each window she passed.

Most were well-furnished but empty rooms, with lavish red curtains that could be opened or closed by the occupants. All the curtains but one were open. Zecora hazily realized that her instincts were taking her toward the closed one. A pale green light was emanating from its edges. There was some sort of enchantment that blocked all sights and sounds from leaving the room, and, she somehow knew, it also served as an alarm.

That will not halt my motion, she said to herself. For that, I have just the potion. It took her several tries to find the correct rhyme, and she wasn't sure if she got the meter right, but it was something. She was still slipping, but slipping a little more slowly.

Zecora shifted Isra around so that he was clinging to her back. He neither yelled nor resisted, but meekly did as she wished. It was still hard to believe this broken thing had once seemed so wise and confident. She chuckled bitterly when she realized that the same thing could apply to her as well. If the citizens of Ponyville could only see her now. Then again, his appearance could easily be deceiving her, which also applied to her more than they knew.

With her claws free, she found her pouch of cockatrice dust and sprinkled it around the edges of the window. Once the ward was broken, she parted the curtain with a single talon and peeked inside.

The high-ceiling room was sparsely decorated. The colorful tapestries and paintings of famous battles and Anjou family members looked starkly out of place surrounded by little else but white, smooth-cobbled chunks of bone. There were a couple of doorways to adjacent rooms, a couple of cabinets with glass flower vases resting atop them, a bed with red silk curtains encompassing all four sides, and a rich, dark wooden desk. Adelaide d'Anjou, clad in a golden-threaded, red cloth tunic, sat at the desk, quickly scribbling notes on parchment. She jumped up when she heard Isra's hooves being set on the floor, followed by Zecora's claws.

“Sis?” she said without thinking, her eyes widening at the sudden sight before her. “What are you doing here with—” She gasped and flapped her way toward the exit. “Oh, no. You're the intruder!”

As Adelaide reached for the door handle to call for help, the distress on her face reminded Zecora of the fear and fury Luna had felt when she was imprisoned by her students. How could she have done that to someone she loved?

“Wait!” Aquitaine shouted, taking full control of Zecora's voice.

Zecora barely noticed the coup. Wait. The word reverberated across her drifting consciousness. Was it actually love? Luna was a walking epic poem, a book containing thousands upon thousands of stories, all bound up into one beautiful whole. To be so obsessed with such a thing, even though it now likely wished her dead, made the storyteller within Zecora glow and sing. But in order to love someone, did you not have to consider what they wanted? But she had done that. Luna wanted her to be better, to be pure and noble, didn't she? And how could she be pure in and noble unless she corrected her greatest mistake? She thought that was what Luna would have wanted her to do, but Zecora realized, far too late now, that she had never asked.

“I've taken control of Zecora's body, little Sis,” Aquitaine said. “I don't know for how long. Hopefully forever, but it will at least be long enough for us to talk.”

“No, this is a trick.” Adelaide scoffed, but her claw dropped from the door handle. “Do you think I'm a fool, Zecora?”

“It's true. Think. Don't you remember that Zecora has a compulsion to rhyme? I am not rhyming. It's really me, Adelaide. Please believe me.”

“But...” Adelaide dropped to the floor, but only with her hind legs, so that her eagle claws could be ready to strike in an instant. “But why is he here, then?” She gestured toward Isra, who had backed into a corner of the room. His head was bowed in deference and prayer.

“I suppose Zecora got sentimental in her last moments,” Aquitaine said, waving him off dismissively. “We can throw him back in the dungeon momentarily. But we truly do need to talk first.”

Zecora became aware of a very new sensation: falling. She attempted to reach out, to yell a warning to Aquitaine.

“No, Zecora,” she said in her throat, inaudible to her sister. “I'm not done yet.”

Zecora wanted to shout something about Aquitaine being a traitor, but she was overwhelmed with bitter amusement about the tragic irony of that thought. She could not find a rhyme in time anyway. Wait, something about rhyme and time...

The room she had been in only had a light breeze, but now wind was whipping through her coat at an increasing rate. The golden filter on her sight was fading, replaced by darkness. She saw herself, or what had been herself, hugging a stunned and crying Adelaide, and then all was emptiness. Zecora found herself in a black, moonless, starless night. The feel of the wind on her body slowly dissipated. She imagined that she was still falling, but there was no point of reference around her to be sure. She could just as well be floating.

So what did she feel for the Princess of the Night, then? While that feeling too was fading rapidly, it was the only emotion she had left, so she spent a great deal of time examining it. It was awe, and lust, and morbid curiosity. It was danger and excitement. It motivated and inspired her. But she still could not say whether or not it was love.

Love. Shove. Dove? No, unless speaking of the bird...

The bird. Feathers. Griffons. Zecora's mind seized on that train of word association like a lifeline. That was it. If she turned her imagination around like so, like turning a mental key, the mask should start to automatically unwind from her bones. It was a good thing she had thought of that contingency years ago, before this delirious day, nearly the most violent and confusing one she had ever experienced.

Far, far above, after several minutes of tearful conversation attempting to sum up the past twenty years, the feathers around Aquitaine's neck began to saturate with blood. The mask was slowly unwinding from her spine and trying to pull out of her skin. She growled and swished her tail around.

“Sis, what's wrong?” Adelaide said, reaching out to dab some cloth on the widening wound.

“It seems Zecora put in some kind of failsafe,” said Aquitaine, swatting away the cloth, “in case something like this happened. I doubt I have much time left. Listen—“

“Damn that zebra!” her younger sister shouted. “Hasn't she tormented us enough?”

“Be quiet,” the elder commanded. The spark of rage in Adelaide's eyes subsided for a moment, but it did not go away. “Good. Now, when my time here is up, Zecora should be unbinding me from this mask. Whether she actually does or not is irrelevant. You must let her go either way.”

“What!?” she shrieked. “Never!”

“I told you to be quiet!” Aquitaine could feel her skin trying to pull itself off. She grasped her neck in an attempt to keep it on just a little longer. “Zecora is the only one who can stop the necromancers who have seized control of Equestria. If she doesn't, there will be chaos, maybe even war.”

“Good,” Adelaide said, puffing out her chest as she defied her sister's commands to be quiet. “I'm not afraid of an army of ponies.”

“How about an army of your fallen comrades, then?” Aquitaine asked softly.

“Then I'll raise our banners and destroy them now, before they have the chance,” said Adelaide. Her feathers became less rustled and rigid, belying her confident words.

“Little Sis.” Aquitaine sighed. “Oracle will intervene if you try to invade Equestria without obvious provocation. There are more important things you have to focus on. I can tell from your bare claws that you haven't married yet, and I saw no children—”

“Seriously?” Adelaide let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-roar. “The world is, according to you, teetering on the brink of chaos, I have your killers in my grasp, and the important thing I have to worry about is getting married and popping out a kid!?”

“Yes,” Aquitaine said seriously. “You're the last of our line. Unless you have a legitimate daughter before you die, our family's lands will pass to the crown, after which they will likely be divided among our enemies. Please, Adelaide. You have to stop dwelling on the past and look to the future...”

“Dwelling on the past? So you're perfectly fine with what that monster did to you?” Adelaide narrowed her eyes. “Wait. This is a trick, isn't it? You haven't really taken control of her body, have you?”

“Don't be ridiculous, Sis,” Aquitaine said, her voice straining as another tear opened up in her neck. “No, it's me, and I have not and will never forgive her, but I'm trying to be realistic. There comes a time in everyone's life when they must choose which scars they will continue to pick at forever, and which ones they will leave be. The dance of grudges has to end somewhere, and it is the duty of the strong and powerful to put their feet down and stop it themselves. Are you going to be strong, Adelaide?”

“Spare me your lectures, you striped freak,” said Adelaide as she pulled a thin, silver necklace with a single small key attached to it off of her neck. She tossed it to Aquitaine. “To think that you almost fooled me, Zecora. Take the ingredients you need. Release my sister's spirit from this curse, and I promise to make sure you're dead before I eat you. If you try to trick me, you won't be so lucky.”

Tears welled up in Aquitaine's eyes. They dripped to the floor and became lost in the small puddle of blood she was standing in.

“I wish I could have seen your wedding, Sis,” she croaked. “You would make a lovely bride.”

Her feathers flattened sharply to two dimensions, forming something like a black, inky, abstract painting of a griffon. They flowed up her body, as if being sucked forward to her face. She continued to mouth tearful words as her sister stared, motionless and silent. There was a blinding flash, the rattle of wood hitting the floor, and then Zecora was standing in Aquitaine's place.

“That is rather tough talk,” Zecora said, her voice scratching and gurgling as the ripped, bleeding flesh on her neck took its toll, “for a sheep far from her flock.” Gold-tinged smoke streamed from her eyes.

Adelaide's wings stretched out and her brow furrowed into a glare. “I'm not afraid of you.” She moved slowly to her bed, but always, Zecora noticed, with her eyes fixed on her. Adelaide reached underneath her canopied mattress and pulled out a long, curved white box, carved gracefully out of a single femur from some large beast. It slid across the floor until it smacked into Zecora's hooves, coming to a stop. “My soldiers are just a short call away, while you have no one but a pathetic husk of a horse to help you, if he even will. Besides, you're not looking so well, whereas I am perfectly healthy.”

Zecora spent a few minutes unlocking the box, trying to stay slow and steady. She needed to keep a watch on the duchess's twitching talons, and she needed to move carefully, lest her blood loss and dizziness adversely affect her.

Opening it, she sighed shakily, punctuating the sigh with a hacking cough. Not even that pain could dull her smile. Inside the bone case was everything else she would need for the ritual she had been given by Luna's students. Amidst piles of mandrake roots, tapdragon leaves, and bags of multi-colored ash, there was a vial nearly full of dragon's blood. Along with the small supply she had benignly conned from the dragonling Spike, saying she needed it to cure a disease he had not actually had, it would be enough to release all three masks, with a little to spare.

She looked at Isra. Her soft blue eyes were barely visible behind the sunny glow surrounding them, but they had a hint of expectation, a silent question.

“No,” he said quietly from the corner. “You don't need my help. Whether you realize it or not, you're trying to use me to make peace with your past. I won't sacrifice my own peace for that. If you desire absolution, that is a path you will have to walk alone.

“Yet...” He gazed solemnly at Zecora as she began to arrange the ingredients, starting by sprinkling a circle of purple powder on the floor. “Consider what you're doing. You are about to make everything we did amount to nothing, in the end. Yes, it was wrong, but we discovered so much. You cannot simply throw such knowledge away. If you will not use the masks, then you should give them to someone who will.”

Zecora came to a gradual halt. She stopped etching lines in the ivory with her hooves and frowned deeply. The weight of the masks hidden under her cloak seemed to increase, causing her to stumble and awkwardly attempt to correct her balance, although blood loss probably had much to do with that. Her itchiness, long-masked by more acute pain and by mind-altering substances, now grew more urgent. Zecora scratched at the spiral mark on her leg as she thought.

“That is not a righteous course,” she said, “but it would be good to have a horse. These three were somewhat less than saints, but adding you would draw no complaints.”

She took a step toward Isra, then, seeing him flinch, she drew two steps backwards. She shook her head furiously and squeezed her eyes shut. All she could see now was golden light, which continued to stream out from underneath her eyelids.

“O beloved protector of night,” she whispered, “impart your wisdom unto my sight.” All Zecora got from her plea were memories of her own lies and deception. She stifled a cry and stamped at the floor. She paced back and forth, back and forth, hooves clicking loudly.

“Hurry it up,” Adelaide said, tapping her claws on her desk and rolling her eyes.

Zecora's eyes shot open and flashed, the glow completely overwhelming all other color in them.

“Despite what your sister has said,” Zecora spoke in a low tone, “I may just take you instead. It would be trite to give up the gift of flight.”

She altered her course clumsily toward Adelaide. Zecora reached inside her cloak to pull out a long, jagged obsidian knife, but her hoof fumbled with it and it clattered to the floor. As she tried to retrieve it, her rear bumped into a cabinet, and one of the vases resting on top of it fell and shattered.

The sound jolted Zecora like a shock. Her head shot up, her ears became erect and rigid, and her eyes darted around wildly, surveying the area as if making sure she was truly where she seemed to be. She thought she heard screams, pleas for mercy, familiar voices begging not to be hurt. She thought she heard her voice whispering sad, hollow reassurances, the kind her parents had given her when she had been frightened by shadows as a child. She thought she felt her victims’ blood all over her body, but it was only her own.

“Obviously you need some time to think about this,” said Adelaide, inching farther away from the bloody zebra in her room. Without warning, she unleashed a loud, guttural cry of distress, which drew shouts from all over the tower. “Luckily, there is plenty of room in the dungeon.” She quickly assumed a defensive stance, but Zecora was not moving toward her.

Zecora was instead focusing all of her attention on her breaths, letting each one fully into and out of her lungs. Unexpectedly, it was not the words of Luna, whom she thought she had such intense passion for, that came to her then. She heard the recent words of Aquitaine, who had stood firmly, if judgmentally, with her in struggle and adversity in a mystic forest for so many years.

It is the duty of the strong and powerful to put their feet down and stop it themselves. Are you going to be strong...?

“I must let go of our hollow tale,” she said in a rough, choking whisper, “if I am going to prevail. Luna, this is what I must do, but not only for you.”

As the sounds of dozens of griffons approaching from every angle grew louder, Zecora hastened to finish assembling the ritual components. The whispers in her ears slowly coalesced until they formed three distinct voices she knew well. She swallowed hard and refused to allow their dying words to enter her head.

“My dear companions three,” she said, “can you perhaps forgive me?”

“I do,” Moussa said in a booming tone that banished all the whispers. “You've come a long way, and I understand why you do what you do. Doing this for us is good enough for me.”

“Maybe,” said Baqir, much more quietly, but there were still no dark whispers behind him. “It depends on where you go from here. I am both relieved and sad that I won't be around to see it.”

“Absolutely not!” Aquitaine screeched. “Especially not after you threatened my sister. I appreciate all the good you've done, but it doesn't balance the scales in the slightest. I hope whatever afterlife awaits you is as cold and hollow as your heart, Zecora. Although...” Her volume dropped, so that it no longer hurt Zecora’s ears. “I would be satisfied if you only lived a difficult and painful life, then got to rest in peace afterward...”

“So a no, a maybe, and a yes,” Zecora said, a smile slowly forming on her lips. “I can and should expect no less.”

Adelaide opened the door of her room and let out another shriek. Soon, the thump of boots, the click of talons, and the whoosh of wings were heard down the hallway, drawing rapidly closer.

With the circle complete, Zecora poured the dragon's blood into the geometric grooves she had carved in the white floor. The red fluid filled the lines and began to glow, bathing the entire room in dark red light. Zecora, her body lit from below by the blood, and from above by the yellow light in her eyes, pulled forth the mask of Aquitaine first, placing it in the center of the circle. She vocalized the chant using her lungs as much as possible and avoiding overusing her throat. It was scratchy and raw, but instead of distracting her like before, the pain was now allowing her to focus and complete the ritual quickly.

It took only a few seconds before Zecora felt a strong tug in the pit of her stomach. There was a snap audible only to her, and then a piece of her soul was gone. At the same time, the wood rotted and decayed at an incredible rate, leaving only a small pile of black organic matter after mere seconds.

The feeling made her retch and shake, but only because that piece had been there so long, not because it was truly hers. It was an alien thing that she had grafted on with dark magic. She felt empty and purposeless for it not to be there, as if her stomach, her “gut”, had been taken out, but she had lived up until her days at the University without it. She resolved that she would have to learn to do so again.

There were griffon shadows in the hallway as Zecora reached for the next mask. After another hasty yet potent chant, Moussa's soul left her as well. Now she felt like her lungs were gone, or perhaps more appropriately, her liver. The ability to speak, and the ability to filter out toxins; she felt as if she had lost both, and she would soon die without them.

Slumping to the floor, gasping for air, Zecora struggled to place Baqir's mask in the center of the ritual circle. It slipped out of her hooves and slid across the floor, right as an entire squadron of griffons-at-arms burst through the doorway. She tried to curse, but only succeeded in gurgling and planting her face into the ivory floor roughly. She struggled to find purchase with her hooves and lift herself back up, but they kept slipping in blood, or simply having their strength give out.

“Take her alive,” Adelaide commanded her guards, who were on the brink of stabbing Zecora dozens of times before the duchess spoke. “But don't hurt her any more than necessary, and see that her wounds are tended to well once she's down there. I want her to look presentable when her pony Princess comes to save her.”

She scowled and wiped the last of her tears away with a fierce flick. “Bring me some more parchment as well,” she said. “I have a letter to send to Equestria.”

Adelaide looked down at Zecora and smiled in the fearsome, hungry way griffons do so naturally. “This 'queen' cares for you a lot, doesn't she?” she asked, but she did not wait for a response. “She risked a dragon's wrath to save you, after all. She'll come to rescue you and, assuming her and her little play soldiers don't get torn to pieces by dragons, she will die here at the talons of a true griffon army. Hopefully those 'necromancers' you mentioned come too. Then I'll be able to exact retribution on you by taking someone you love before executing you, and I'll also be saving the world in the process. That doesn't happen every day.” Her smile widened. “I'm so glad you decided to come here, after all.”

Zecora's last sight before being bound, blindfolded, and beaten into unconsciousness, was Isra creeping out from the corner and sliding Baqir's mask into the center of the crimson circle. The last thing she heard was Isra perfectly repeating the chant she had just used, with the deep vigor he had in the old days. Her last sensation was the final piece of her overgrown soul being ripped free at last. It felt like her heart was removed, something small and subtle, but powerful and important.

Without any of those organs to drive her, what was she now?

Chapter 17: Dreams of War (Part 1)

“Follow our words. Close your eyes and let our voice guide you inward.” Luna's crown, and the magic jewel within it, lit up with a magnificent series of white rays, which flooded the training field and the trainees' minds with the energy of a potent sleep spell.

When the dazzling light cleared, Ensign Brandywine Breeze found herself flying through the air, much like the usual training dreams, in which she and her squadron practiced formations and maneuvers under Luna's watchful gaze. The five of them were flying next to her as always, but this time felt different. Not only was Luna nowhere in sight, but the air tasted stale, and the sky had a subtle orange tint to it. It was like a sunset, except there was no sun visible, nor a moon. As she pondered where the light could be coming from, she noticed a flicker of movement to the side. There was a gigantic black thunderhead at her nine'o'clock, which she had somehow completely missed until now, and something big was moving inside.

Scanning the area in the intermittent flashes of lightning coming from within the cloud, Brandywine got a better look at it. Or them. They were long, wispy forms that seemed to be made of purple ink, and they flowed just as quickly. There were a lot of them.

“Do you all see that?” she said to the rest of her flight. They turned and nodded, as surprised by the sight as she had been. “We should take a look.”

“Yes, it could be trouble,” the squadron commander said. “Everypony stay in tight formation. We're going in.”

Banking to the left, the pegasi swept straight toward the enormous cloud. Even before they drew closer, it seemed to grow and expand, until it was filling their entire field of vision. Brandywine rested a hoof on the spear bound tightly to her flank, getting ready to either tighten or unlimber the weapon at a moment's notice, depending on whether she would need to charge or fend off a close attack.

At the exact moment that the weight of the steel started to become reassuring, she heard a loud scream in between the strikes of lightning. It was coming from inside the cloud. The commander altered course toward it, and Brandywine and the others followed, forming a sharp arrowhead flying straight at the source of the scream.

They made contact with the cloud, and it was like trying to fly through molasses, and about as easy to see through too. A lightning bolt flashed in front of the squadron, narrowly missing them, but still singing off half the mane of the lead pony. He flew on at the same speed though, even increasing it as they heard another scream, thick and distorted by the atmosphere around them. They could start to make out words in it.

“Brandy!” a stallion's voice shouted. “Brandy, where are you?”

“Dad?” In her confusion, she fell slightly behind the others, but quickly recovered her composure and joined them again. They looked at her, just as confused.

“They took Gale!” he said from off in the distance, relief mingling with the terror already in his voice. “We have to find her!”

“Where did they take her?” Brandywine shouted back.

“I think they took her up, but I can't tell which way is up in here.”

She could vaguely recall which direction was up, so she immediately started flapping her wings harder to generate more lift. She expected the rest of the squadron to follow her, but they were still flying toward the voice of her father.

“Ensign Breeze,” the commander called out. “Get back in formation!”

“Come on, it's this wa—“ She was cut off by the sound of a foal screaming, which came, as her father had thought, from somewhere up above.

“Don't worry, little sister! I'm coming for you!” She grit her teeth and flew faster, dimly aware that it was faster than she ever could have flown in the real world. Something about that nagged at the back of her mind.

“Breeze! Back down here, now!” She did not hear him calling to her, his voice lost amid the crashes of thunder all around them. All she could clearly hear was Gale's crying. With a twitch of frustration, he started leading the rest of the squadron upward as well to try to catch up to Brandywine.

The crying grew louder and louder, both because she was getting closer, and because Gale was in more and more distress. Finally, she tore through a break in the cloud and came to the source: a pair of the inky, formless monsters she had seen before, which were perfectly mimicking pony sounds. Gale was nowhere in sight. It was only one of the shadows, crying in that high-pitched wail Brandywine had come to know so well before marching off to war. The shape continued crying just like her younger sister as it advanced on her, forming sharp, jagged pseudopods on its body.

“Get out of the cloud!” she screamed down to the rest of the squadron. “It's a trap!”

More shadows flowed into being around her, and down in the path of her comrades. They were all forming their bodies into menacing instruments that seemed designed to inflict maximum pain. She turned away from the ones in the cloud clearing, earning some deep, agonizing scores along her flanks in the process, but she was quick enough that she could still make it down to intercept the monsters heading toward the other recruits.

Brandywine put all the force of gravity and her body together into one powerful buck into the nearest one. The thing shimmered and shook from the impact, causing it to lose its aim on her wingpony. It whirled around and drove its cleaver-shaped appendage right into her gut instead. It was so cold, as if it were sucking all the warmth out of her. She summoned every once of the strength she had left to kick it off, sending it spiraling down back into the cloud. She shouted at the others to get out while she held them back. She turned to face the next one that was about to attack her squadron.

“Brandy, behind you!” her wingpony cried.

She kicked back without thinking, her strike finding home on something. But that something, or one of the countless others now materializing around it, grabbed hold of one of her hindlegs and chopped it cleanly off. Her scream was cut short as a swirling purple razor sawed its way across her throat.

She was trying to scream in the dream, and as she woke up, her effort resulted in a deafening screech of pain and horror. Brandywine was held back from bolting away by a set of dark, strong legs. Her eyes darted around wildly, expecting the monsters to have somehow followed her into the real world, but instead they saw Queen Luna's face, which was set in a stony featureless-ness. Luna was speaking to her, and Brandywine managed to hear the words even over her own howling.

“Focus, Ensign,” said the quiet, rock-solid voice of the Queen. “Extend thy wings. Stretch them out.”

For a few moments, Brandywine kicked and bit at her own sovereign without thinking. Luna bore the assault without flinching, even when the strikes missed her plate armor and made contact with what little flesh she had exposed, keeping a firm grip the entire time. Eventually, it dawned on her that even if Luna were a monster in disguise, there was no escape from this hold. And the voice did not seem like that of a monster. She was unable to relax yet, but she did manage to follow the instructions and unfold her wings. They were clamped so tightly to her flank that it was like uncoiling a steel spring, but she did it.

“Wonderful,” Luna continued gently. “Now, focus on the sensations they are conveying. Feel the cool air of this night brush against thy feathers, as soft as thy infant sister's first breath.”

“How-how did you know about—“

“Mind that not,” Luna said, gradually easing her grip on her shaking soldier. “Pay attention to the air currents. Remember that thy young sibling will need to know about them when thou teachest her to fly.”

Brandywine let out a series of body-wracking sobs. After each one, her shivering became slightly less violent, until she was finally standing still in Luna's embrace. She was breathless and red-eyed, but her heartbeat was slowing down. She glanced around, suddenly acutely aware that everyone around was watching silently. Color flooded to her face and she dropped her head, as if instinctively trying to bury it. She felt the cold metal of Luna's hoofcap under her chin, lifting her head back up.

“Art thou calm now?” Luna asked.

Brandywine's cheeks were still burning, and her face was soaked with tears, but she had stopped crying and shaking. She nodded.

“Then tell me what went wrong.”

“There were too many of them.” Brandywine winced. “There was nothing I could do. I fought so hard, but there were just too many...”

“No. The enemy numbered less than thy squadron.” Luna kept her tone neutral, trying to make it a statement of facts, rather than a value judgment. “Because thou didst not stay in formation, these few were able to penetrate it and overwhelm thee and thy comrades from all sides.”

“I-I'm sorry, ma'am!” Brandywine's lip quivered slightly.

“Do not apologize,” Luna said, taking the hoof that had lifted the Ensign's head up and using it to brush her frazzled, sand-colored mane. “Mistakes will happen. That is the purpose of these exercises. That, and to suss out the true worth of our soldiers. To that end, sacrificing thyself to ensure the safety of the rest of thy squadron was a most noble act, with which I am greatly impressed. Once thou hast had time to rest and reflect, we shall perform the drill again. Remember thy mistake, but remember thy virtue as well.”

Luna stepped away several paces and saluted with one foreleg crossed over her brow. Brandywine Breeze returned the salute, trying to look professional despite her face's repeated twists into almost-smiling and almost-crying.

“Return to the training field in one hour,” said the Queen. “Dismissed.”

As Luna watched the young mare go, her heart raged with a mixture of pride and sorrow. She took a moment to shove it away, to push it down to the unconscious depths of her soul, then turned to the line of recruits that remained. Nineteen more squads of six ponies each remained before the death drills were done for the night. Each dream took only seconds, and was more of an emotional drain than a physical drain, so Luna had been going through hundreds of ponies each night. At this rate, her army of nearly eight thousand souls would have the minimum training they needed in less than a month. They would have to train more on the march before she could truly call them ready, but with as many enemies as Equestria had, she could not afford to wait any longer than that. She was thankful that the diamond dogs were such a disorganized rabble, which her relatively small, elite force would be ideal for fighting.

Luna hardened her heart and beckoned the next group forward, already wondering what she could do to manipulate them into making a fatal mistake. Each dream required an intimate, though temporary, connection to the pony's deepest thoughts. What she learned about each of them was nothing new, but the nature of the work made them seem like the most important thoughts in the world while she was within their minds.

This one's mother was unkind to him. He left home at a very young age, and his only support was another runaway. The runaway is here in the army somewhere... and now in this one's nightmare. What will he do when his best friend since childhood betrays him and sells him to the enemy?

These three siblings came together. How far will they go for each other? How much will they suffer, that the others might be delayed pain a moment longer? Which will be the first to kill for the others? The first to die?

This one joined the army to try to find something worth living for, or to die in the process. She has not found it, so she plans to hang herself unless she dies in the first battle. Will she be so keen on strangling herself when the slavers come and beat her to it, when she feels every moment of suffocation in the dream?

This one's brothers were taken by slavers. He has joined to seek vengeance. But can he raise his hoof against them when the slavers force his stronger brothers to fight him?

This one left his one true love behind, to whom he had just proposed. He believes he is fighting to keep her safe, but what if she is not as safe as he thinks she is?

This pony is full of passion and patriotism. The first time she saw Celestia with her own eyes, she decided to devote her life to civil service. Now she hopes to serve Equestria at the vanguard of an army of righteousness. She knows it will need her to fight, but what if all Equestria truly needs is for her to die?

On, and on, and on, the dreams went, destroying entire universes of memory and feeling. Everything the recruits thought to be good and sacred about themselves, as well as everything vile and shameful, was swept away in a maelstrom of torment until there was nothing left but tears and wreckage. In the eye of this storm stood the dark, shimmering form of the Queen of the Night, resplendent in her shining armor. Silently, using only her soulful gaze, she let them know what they would need to survive and rebuild. Obedience. She had been there before, more than once, that was what her eyes were telling them. She had had her spirit rent apart and consumed, and the only thing that had allowed her to continue on was obedience to a strict code of conduct. If they followed her path, she wordlessly promised them that then when death truly came for them, there would be no fear, nor shame, nor regret. When pain inevitably visited, they would have the tools they needed to defeat it.

When it was all over, and the exhausted recruits were back in their tents crying alone or—she hoped—comforting each other, Luna felt the deepest part of her spirit ready to burst. She needed to do something physical, to remind herself that she existed, that she was not just a wicked mare of darkness who brought death to innocent ponies, and she needed to do it now. Her frantic eyes settled on a team of earth ponies who were digging defenses for the base camp. She moved among the many large, white-canvas tents, toward the earth ponies, as fast as she could without drawing any strange looks from the soldiers going about their duties. When the engineers saluted her, Luna almost neglected to salute back before throwing herself into the hard labor.

Luna stripped off her boots and dug her hooves deep into the earth, scooping up huge sections of dirt and throwing them aside. Though her hooves lacked nerves, the magic of the earth pony part of her soul could still feel every speck of dirt and all its possibilities. Combined with its numberless siblings, it could provide nourishment for plants, or for worms. It could be walked upon. It could provide shelter. It could simply exist. Or, as was the case currently, it could be dug and fashioned into fortifications designed to defend against the slave-trading diamond dogs, who did not understand or appreciate its primordial magic. Not like the earth pony engineers beside her did.

The squad of six was also digging, making a wide trench around the perimeter of the Argent Army's new camp. The muggy night air was thick with the smell of sweat, both theirs and the Queen's. As nearly an hour passed, Luna could feel through the vibrations of the earth that their strokes were becoming slower and sloppier. She paused and gradually drew her breathing down, looking up at the gloriously bright full moon as she rested. A soft, easy smile came to her lips when she saw the shadows of a patrol of pegasi pass over the moon's face.

Luna noticed, with a slightly broader smile, that the ponies beside her did not stop their work when she did. Only when she commanded them to cease did their legs stop moving.

“Your shift is at an end,” she said, facing her soldiers as they came to attention. Some of their legs were quivering slightly, but they had spent just spent hours doing hard labor, after all. “Before you go—“she pointed at one of the six”—Engineer Bright. Tell us where the support beam for this section should be placed.”

The yellow-coated mare in question delivered a crisp “Yes, ma'am!”, then closed her eyes. Luna recognized the way the soldier's body began to sway. She was communing with the land, making herself one with its altered form. Luna wished she had more time and practice at it, because while it came naturally to earth ponies, it was difficult even for elder ones, much less for a pony who had been born a unicorn.

The engineer walked out of attention, which drew some reflexive, nervous gulps from her comrades. Luna made no sign that this was a breach of discipline, however, so they quickly relaxed, as much as they could with their legs locked and their eyes straight ahead, at least.

Engineer Bright swayed from one end of the trench to the other, letting the lay lines of the earth guide her movements. Finally, she stopped and opened her eyes. “Here, ma'am!” she said, tapping the ground with one of her hooves, then resuming her stoic posture.

“Excellent,” Luna replied. She had followed her soldier's movements closely, and having a collapsible beam there would indeed create a good choke point should any tunnelers try to assault the camp. “You are dismissed.”

The earth ponies shared a brief look, then the commander spoke. “Ma'am, we respectfully request to stay on for another shift.”

Luna suppressed her grin. It would be unseemly for them to know how happy the request made her. They must have noticed that she had not slept, and seldom rested, ever since becoming Queen. She did still tire, but sleep was an unnecessary luxury now, and with her secretive yet semi-regular diet of meat—including a delicious feast on a wild fox earlier—tiring was rare. So as she made the ponies around her work in shifts, she continued to toil at whatever tasks needed to be done with only brief breaks.

“It is time for another group to assume this duty,” she said. “While we appreciate your enthusiasm, we must deny your request. Go inform the next group scheduled, then retire.”

The soldiers each raised one foreleg up. She saluted as well, then watched them climb up the bank of their trench.

When the next team of earth ponies arrived, Luna spent a few minutes instructing them to erect a support beam and begin digging a tunnel perpendicular to the trench, and sloping down, deeper into the earth. She informed them that she was going to eat and rest for ten minutes, levitated her armored boots back onto her feet, then stalked off, wind rushing in her wake. She had to stop herself from galloping to her tent, forcing her steps to be measured and firm. The labor had helped, but not completely. Killing dozens of ponies, most barely into their twentieth year, was not so easily forgotten, even if the murders were only in dreams.

The Queen's campaign tent was a rich purple color outside, with gold embroidered along its pointed edges. That was the only concession she had made to her political position. Inside, there was nothing but the grass on which it was pitched, not even a rug or pillows, save for a plain brass basin in which to wash herself. She flung her crown on the grass as she dashed for the basin and plunged her head inside its lukewarm water. It almost relaxed her tense muscles, but a flashback of the last time she had been submerged in water suddenly assaulted her. She imagined the glassy eyes of the undead ponies that lived under the lake where she had faced Thin Mint, and she could feel their hooves on her body, trying to pull her farther down. Luna felt Thin Mint's hoof brush slowly through her mane.

She tore her head out of the water, choking back a scream. In her panic, she knocked the tub over, spilling its contents on the ground and herself.

“That's... not the entrance I was expecting,” someone said from the other side of the tent.

Luna cursed silently as she remembered that she had requested that Blueblood the Younger be brought to her tent tonight. He stood up straight and watched the scene with a studied indifference. Water was abundant where the army had camped, but most of it was from wild streams and lakes, and fine grooming was not in great supply, so his white coat had become stained and disheveled. She did not think he looked any worse for it; if anything, she liked him even more this way. It made him look rugged and dangerous.

“Pardon that outburst,” said Luna as she straightened herself up. She floated the crown back onto her head and clenched her abdomen, trying to force back the depression and panic that had almost seized control of her. “I have been working hard. That is all.”

“It's fine,” he said. A cough, then, “Do you mind if I ask why you had me brought here?” There was an edge to his voice that seemed both eager and frightened.

Luna cocked an eyebrow. “Not for that,” she said. “Such trysts do hold a certain appeal, but I greatly prefer the comfort and security of the figurative marital bed.”

Blueblood sighed. Whether the sigh was one of relief or of regret was hard for Luna to tell.

“Uh, actually, I meant why did you bring me along on the campaign at all?” he asked. “Especially if I'm going to spend all of my time alone and under constant guard. It seems highly unnecessary.”

“I did not wish to leave my attendants in charge of both thee and Celestia,” Luna replied cautiously. “Since this march would be too hard on my sister in her current state, that left thee to bring. I apologize for the extreme supervision, but it is necessary, considering the risks. Besides...”

He cocked his head as Luna paused for a couple seconds. She stared off to his side, unable to look directly at him.

“Remember how thou remarked that we know nothing about each other?” she finally asked. “Consider this... an opportunity to rectify that problem.”

She laid down on the ground, her body upright but relaxed, or as relaxed as it could be. It was easiest to forget her troubles during combat, but sometimes conversation also temporarily banished the demons.

“Come lie upon the grass with me,” she said softly, “and let us converse.”

“Do you have any pillows or anything?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck and surveying the nearly empty tent.

“Nay.” Luna looked him up and down disapprovingly. “What, didst thou never sleep upon the ground during thy duties as a commander?”

“We always stayed at a barracks when I was stationed at Canterlot,” said Blueblood, “and we stayed at the finest inns when I was patrolling my father's lands.”

Luna simply shook her head, not trusting herself to comment further on that matter. Instead, she looked at him and waited.

“Well, I suppose I can't get any dirtier.” Blueblood complied.

The two of them sat on the tall grass in silence for several moments. Luna opened her mouth to speak, but out of nowhere, she found that she could not think of anything to say that would not sound either condescending or meaningless to him. She stared at his scarred face and its one-and-a-half blue eyes, which shimmered with the reflected light of the stars in her nebulous mane. She soon realized that her cheeks were flushing. Really? she admonished herself. This is not thy first crush, Luna. At least she was not smiling bashfully at the ground and tracing heart shapes in the dirt. Why was this so difficult? Zecora had been so comfortable and easy to talk to...

Her body and mind immediately seized up as if caught in a trap. Blueblood tilted his head quizzically at Luna as she shivered. She felt more phantom sensations, this time of Zecora's legs tenderly wrapping around her as she wept over the death of her student. Zecora's muzzle brushed softly back and forth against her neck, and Luna started to grind her teeth. She preferred the previous tactile hallucinations. At least they did not come along with a heap of pleasant, unwelcome emotions. She swallowed the heavy lump in her throat and tried to ignore the false sensations, as well as Blueblood's extremely confused expression.

“So,” she finally got out. “Hast thou been married before?” O stars, she groaned inwardly. How romantic.

“I can't say I have, no,” said Blueblood, even more bewildered.

“That was an idiotic question,” Luna said, shaking her head. “Forget it. What I meant to ask was—if thou hadst been to wedding ceremonies before. I wish to know what they are like now, so that I do not inadvertently commit any breaches of etiquette.”

He looked down, then shook his shining yellow mane with a scoff. “They are dreadfully dull affairs, I'm afraid. Full of ponies who claim they want to get to know you, but who really only want your wealth or status. Or they're disasters, like the wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor...” Unconsciously, Blueblood reached up to scratch his scar with the back of his forefoot. “You're not a changeling, right?” There was a jesting air to his question, but also a paranoid, fearful edge at the back of his voice.

“That is not possible,” Luna said. “No mere changeling could ever command the celestial bodies as I do.”

He laughed, a little too hard. “That's good.”

“Assuming our wedding is not a disaster, then,” Luna said, talking over his laugh with a roll of her eyes, “what should it have? Should I provide cake? If so, what flavor, or flavors? What is the modern protocol for inviting guests? Be there any styles of fashion that I must needs avoid?”

“Oh my, you haven't been reading those atrocious bridal books, have you?” Blueblood scrunched up his muzzle.

“There are books upon this subject?” Luna asked. “I shall inquire with Twilight Sparkle when next I see her, then. She will know what I should do, or she will know of books that will elucidate the matter for me.”

An odd twinge struck the strings of her heart when she mentioned Twilight. Where is she now? she wondered, a hint of guilt in the back of her mind for sending her and her friends on that fool's errand to find Zecora.

“Honestly, though,” Blueblood said. “Why even bother? You do everything else your own way. Why not do your wedding your own way too?”

“I have not been married for one-hundred and twenty-two years.” Luna's eyes fell downward, and her voice became small and quiet. “Or rather, that length, plus another thousand more, I should say. Is it wrong of me to want the day to be... perfect?”

“No, I suppose not.” Blueblood shifted his body, like he was trying to find a less-dirty patch of earth to lie on.

“I was hoping for thy input, as well.” Luna lifted her head up, smiled, and tentatively reached out to touch one of his hooves. “This is not an ideal situation for either of us, I know, but I believe we should attempt to make the most of it.”

He stared down at her hoof and, after hesitating for a couple seconds, put one of his on top of hers. “Okay,” he said, forming his mouth into a smile that did not seem completely forced to Luna.

“Excellent!” She laughed lightly, with Blueblood joining in a second too late. “Anyway, what wouldst thou like to know about me?”

“Hmm. Give me a minute to think.” He drew one of his yellow locks into his mouth and chewed on it as he thought. Luna's heart fluttered a little bit at the cute image. Less than thirty seconds later, he said, “I can't think of anything at the moment.”

“What?” Luna's eyes flashed and she put her other forehoof on top of his, creating a tight stack of three hooves. “I have lived through ages. I have seen empires rise and fall. I have built wonders and conversed with legends. I helped to found this very nation! And there is nothing, not one thing, that thou canst think to ask me?”

“That's the problem!” Blueblood protested, attempting to squirm away. “There's just too much to ask. I don't know where to begin.”

Luna kept her eyes narrowed, but let go of his leg.

“Why don't you ask me something?” he suggested.

Luna's mouth worked silently for a few moments. Somehow, she had not planned for that eventuality. She had assumed that conversation would flow naturally from him asking about her epic, storied life.

“Why do I have to?” she said. “I asked first.”

“You certainly don't have to,” he said quickly. “It was just a thought.”

“Thoughts are good. We should reflect together in silence, I think.”

They spent the rest of the ten minutes that Luna had allotted for them to speak in dead silence. She listened to the sounds of her soldiers marching, eating, and talking, with a genuine happiness in her heart. She wished that she had been able to bridge the gap between herself and her groom, but maybe tomorrow evening would be better.

Sighing, she lifted her head and watched him for a moment. “Our time is at an end for tonight. I shall see thee tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Blueblood replied, pretending to intently study a dandelion that was blooming in the tent.

Luna called for her guards to take him back. She did not waste a moment in idleness, lest a greater darkness than a sad, uncomfortable conversation descend on her again. Instead, she picked herself up and walked straight to the largest tent in the camp, where she would be conducting her first meeting with her new council of war. It was hard not to look back and watch him go, but she managed to keep her neck stiff and straight ahead.

Three ponies besides Luna sat in the grass inside of the tent, leaning over to look at the map that had been spread on the smooth tree trunk that served as the tent's table.

She had selected a provisional captain for each division of the army.

The earth pony “infantry” was commanded by Gumball, a common baker whose fuchsia-colored hair had been burned in many places from oven accidents. Without complaint, even with a measure of satisfaction, she also served as both the army's quartermaster, and its head cook. She relished each job with a silent serenity that impressed Luna.

The unicorn “artillery” was commanded by a young scion of House Heartstrings named Lyra. Luna would normally have been wary of selecting a pony whose uncle had recently been chosen to command the Royal Guard, but Luna discovered in the dream training that Lyra's family did not even know she was here. If anything, her presence here was a boon that would help to ensure the loyalty of the Heartstrings.

Finally, the pegasus “cavalry” was commanded by one of the rare draconic hybrid ponies named Basilea, who had, until recently, served as a charioteer for the Night Guard. She, like most of the strange dragon-spawned cousins of the pegasi that lived in the caves of Canterlot Mountain, was fiercely loyal to Luna. When they heard of the formation of Luna's expedition, they resigned their prestigious positions for places in the common ranks of the army.

After a thorough lecture on what their roles in the army would be—in short, to serve as her voice wherever she was not present, and to administer the logistics of her general orders—Luna went over the plan of attack.

“Our first target will be the city of Barkstone,” Luna said, pointing it out on the old, ragged map she had found of the area. “As the diamond dogs are not expecting our assault, taking it should be easy, provided we prepare appropriately...”

There was a stir of movement outside of the tent, and the flaps were drawn aside. There stood Gethsemane Heartstrings, frequent bane of Luna's existence, his rusty coat covered with the gold-and-white parade armor of the Royal Captain.

“Guards,” Luna said, glaring past the new Captain toward the two armored stallions posted at the entrance flap. “This pony is not a member of our war council. Why is he within this tent?”

The guards glanced at their superior, who began to speak for them.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” he said. His head was bowed, but his eyes were wide open, and fixed on Luna's. They flickered to Lyra for an instant, showing a moment of surprise, but soon refocused themselves. “There is a grave matter that we must discuss, and it cannot wait any longer.”

“We decide what can and cannot wait,” Luna said icily. “Not thou.”

“I am sorry, but not this time,” said Gethsemane Heartstrings. “For the past few nights this camp has been filled with the screams of innocent ponies, and we have heard some talking about dark nightmares you have visited upon them. The Royal Guard demands an explanation.”

One of Luna's ears twitched, but otherwise her body remained perfectly still. “We can recall many nations,” she replied slowly, choosing her every word carefully, “in which it was, in former days, illegal to question royalty. A few still remain today, no doubt. While we respect the Royal Guard's decision to name thee as Shining Armor's replacement too much to dismiss thee, thy continued disrespect is forcing us to seriously consider adding Equestria to that ignoble list.” She suddenly pounded a hoof on the table, causing everyone but the stoic members of the guard to jump.

“But happily for thee, the tradition of the guard selecting its own officers is one which we are unlikely to change as yet. We require its support as the solid, experienced core of our army... for the moment.”

She did wonder briefly why the tradition existed at all. It had not been so before her banishment. Perhaps it was a way for Celestia to keep a check on herself, by increasing the guard's autonomy? Or perhaps it had been meant as a check on Luna, should she return...

“However,” she went on, “if this insolence continues, we shall learn to make due without you. Is that clear?”

Captain Heartstrings closed his eyes slowly and spoke in a weary, gravely tone. “The character of these recent events and those a thousand years ago was too similar to be ignored. It has always been our duty to protect the royal family, even if it must be from themselves.”

“Did Celestia always tolerate such questioning from her own guard?” Luna asked, scraping at the ground as if preparing to charge. Heartstrings looked ready to make some reply, but he held his tongue as she continued speaking. “Thou knowest nothing of 'events' from a thousand years ago. If thou did, then thou wouldst know that these training methods were instituted by both Celestia and myself, and the peerless soldiers that were produced as a result were instrumental in defeating all of our foes, from Discord's legions of chaos to King Sombra's ensorcelled crystal lancers. Our drills are tried and true. Yes, they cause pain and distress, but it is a tiny fraction compared to what our ponies would suffer without the benefit of our guidance. Art thou satisfied now, Captain?” Luna practically spat the title at him.

“I am satisfied if you are, Your Majesty,” Heartstrings said as he bowed low.

“We are relieved,” she said, not even bothering to hide her scorn. “See to it that the rest of the Royal Guard knows that as well.” She flicked a hoof toward the exit. “Now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He tilted his head again to her, then turned to Lyra. “And Lyra, your parents are worried sick about you. You really should tell them where you are.”

“Sure, uncle,” Lyra said, scratching her mane nervously. “I'll get right on it.”

He nodded stiffly, then left.

Luna cleared her throat. “Let us take this opportunity to note that each of your positions are tentative, pending actual engagement with the enemy. They are based on our current judgment of your character and abilities, and nothing more.” She looked pointedly at Lyra for a fraction of a second. “In this army, rank is based solely on merit, not social position, nor political connections.

“Now, where were we? Ah, yes, Barkstone. First, we shall need cloud material. A huge quantity of it...”

The council listened intently, with mounting wonder, as the Queen explained exactly how the war would begin...

It took less than a fortnight for Luna to finish the basic training, much less time than expected. This was good, because tension with the Royal Guard was worsening, and she was making little progress in her courtship of Blueblood. The latter problem was insignificant and petty in the grand scheme of things, but it was sometimes the little things that got to Luna the most. Battle would make for a fine distraction. There would be much more drilling on the week-long journey to diamond dog territory, but the soldiers were now at least disciplined enough to march.

Each Captain organized their forces into thick columns. Luna watched them from a nearby hilltop, the morning sun at her back, as thousands of ponies formed up to march. Squadrons of pegasi broke away and flew ahead to serve as advance scouts, while the remainder of them stayed on the ground to conserve their wingpower.

The soldiers finished preparations quickly, considering most of them had never even dreamed of being in an army before now. After only a couple months, Luna believed they would be able to meet her expectations. She did not berate them for it now, though. She simply observed and waited, savoring the vibrations that coursed through her body as her beloved trainees stepped off to war.

The city of Barkstone stood at the crossing of two major roads, going north-south and east-west. It had once been part of the Principality of Equestria, but Nightmare Moon's rebellion had seen it change owners many times as the war-weary ponies withdrew and consolidated farther from the frontiers. The city had gotten its name from the unique, brown-streaked rocks that had been used to build it, and the diamond dogs kept calling it that as a pun on “bark”, a mockery of the fact that ponies named so many things the same way.

It had become a large, multicultural hub for the unsavory. Minotaurs who rejected lives in Equestria, exiled or adventuring griffons, horses of all sizes and nationalities, even young, questing dragons all passed through, frequently to purchase the many wares the diamond dogs scrounged up from their vast network of underground settlements. Not the least of which were slaves, which could command a high price since slavery was illegal in the large, economically powerful nation of Equestria, and Celestia had demanded the same laws from all her allies. Barkstone, being the only above-ground settlement the diamond dogs controlled, served as a natural center for their lucrative trade in captives to and from the rest of the world.

It was a misty morning on the grassy plain surrounding the city when the Argent Army attacked. The first thing the inhabitants noticed was the roll of distant thunder. Then they noticed a gargantuan, pitch-black storm cloud coming in at unnatural speed from the east. The few scouts that came back alive told how the cloud was teeming with heavily-armed ponies above, below, and even inside. There was scattered laughter, and only half-hearted attempts to organize a defense... until the first lightning bolt streaked out of the sky and struck a tower, sending brown shards of stone flying in every direction and scorching the lone sentry within.

The alarm went up. Nearly everyone tried to flee at first, but most of the exit tunnels had been collapsed in a series of equally unnatural earthquakes, and whenever a group moved toward any gate but the eastern one, that gate would be pounded with a barrage of lightning, as well as by multicolored blasts of purely magical energy. No single leader arose to tell them to do so, but the diamond dogs grabbed whatever sharp implements they could get their paws on and rushed out of the only gate the ponies were not attacking. Some bodyguards and miscreants of other races joined them, but there were still thousands of diamond dogs in the city, and their home was under attack, so they formed the bulk of the hastily assembled militia. Over a thousand rushed out to meet the attackers, with thousands more waiting in the ruins, hoping they would be overlooked in the bombardment, so they could strike back if they had to.

Outside of the gate, less than a hundred yards away, a two-hundred-strong phalanx of sturdy, spear-strapped earth ponies had stealthily assembled under cover of the storm cloud. At the head of the formation stood the largest pony most of the defenders had ever seen: a tall, lanky mare with her firm, taut muscles hidden almost completely under a full array of glowing silver armor. She wore a tattered cloak that flapped violently in the increasingly fast wind, and the motion created a rainbow of light in its thread, as if it were encrusted with tiny diamonds. The mare's ethereal mane and tail also created a similar effect, though they were blowing more calmly and in a different direction, like they were caught in a completely alien wind that no one else could feel. Her coat was such a dark shade of purple, and the light of morning so scarce now, that she appeared to be black.

A simple metallic band was wrapped around her helmeted head. With the long, spiraled horn that glowed faintly jutting out of the helmet, and the dark-feathered wings that stretched straight up from her sides, it soon became obvious to even the slowest among them that her metal band was a crown, and that they were facing something they were not the slightest bit prepared for. Still, there were many more of them, and ponies were meek and cowardly at heart.

Luna, eyes burning bright from under the shadow of her helm, sent a small flare up with her horn, signaling the heralds to sound the charge. Trumpets blasted, the lightning and unicorn spell strikes ceased, and the infantry ran across the field, with the pegasus cavalry flying out from their positions inside the cloud to join them from above. With quick aerial dives, the pegasi pinned the enemy down long enough for the other three earthy pony phalanxes hidden in the shadow of the cloud to advance and surround the haphazard army. Though the thunderhead moved forward with them, engulfing the entire town in darkness, no rain poured down, enhancing the eeriness of the phenomenon.

Although these tactics' effect on the morale of the diamond dogs was devastating, the militia's actual casualties were relatively low. The unicorns were unused to actually casting attack spells, despite the Queen's constant, day-and-night firing drills with them, and in the face of truly inflicting harm on others outside of dreams, many of them had not felt compelled to correct their aim. The spear-wielding pegasi had been pulling up from their dives too soon, causing glancing blows that should have been skewering kills, and complete misses that should have been hits.

Most of the earth ponies at Luna's side were advancing only because she was with them, and because their herd mentality nudged them on. Their kicks with their sharp, steel-cleated shoes were sluggish and lacking confidence. Instead of thrusting the spears strapped to their barrels through the bodies of the dogs, they allowed the enemy to merely be driven back by the threat of being skewered. The thick layers of chain metal barding each soldier was draped with were effective against the claws and farming implements wielded by the diamond dogs, but several of the ponies were still wounded or killed.

Now that the infantry had made close contact, the unicorn artillery began to fulfill their secondary function: levitating out and healing the wounded. Auras of every color and strength mingled to lift the blood-dripping bodies away quickly, although not quickly enough to prevent their comrades from getting a good look at the holes and tears that had been inflicted upon them.

Fear gripped the entire line with each casualty, but Luna continued to move forward. More slowly than she would have liked, than her body yearned to go, but still forward.

“Stay steady!” she urged them at full volume, a blast of speech that shocked the enemy and even surprised some in the pony army. “The slaves within are counting on you to restore their freedom. Fight!”

At the forceful insistence of a single ancient pony who could control the entire sky, whose voice boomed like thunder across the entire battlefield, the army had little choice but to fight onward.

As the ponies pushed themselves to follow their Queen's commands, Luna was facing a struggle of her own. With soldiers being wounded, sometimes killed, all around her, she was becoming acutely aware of the powerful oath spell that bound her not to kill any ponies. One misplaced strike, and the curse would kill her. Not only did she have to hold herself back so she would not break the formation and undermine the discipline of the line, but she also had to hold back lest a spell or kick run out of control and cause collateral damage. As a result, stomping on the dogs' bodies, blasting them with elemental magic, and fending off their counterattacks was not as satisfying as it could have been.

In a way, Luna was glad for that, because not getting lost in the rage of battle gave her enough clarity of mind to recognize when the enemy was defeated. With their backs pressed against the crumbling city walls, pegasi circling overhead like vultures, waiting for one of them to break ranks, and their escape routes collapsed by magic, the diamond dog garrison threw down its weapons and cowered on the ground.

“Halt!” Luna bellowed, stopping her assault and raising one leg straight up as a signal to the army. They stopped attacking immediately, although she was unsure whether to attribute the swiftness of their obedience purely to discipline. “Divisions two through five, secure the perimeter. Division six, bind those who have surrendered and gather them at the eastern gate. Squadrons one and five of division one, form with the Queen.” Something felt right about once again using the Royal Canterlot Voice to command a military force.

As the majority of the army spread out to maintain hold of the city, twelve earth ponies, from squadrons near her which had only sustained minor wounds, formed up in a line at her sides. Luna began walking through the central roadway of Barkstone, leaving a bright red trail on the rough-hewed stone.

Most of the citizens were diamond dogs, but there were a scattering of other races watching from the windows, especially from the many inns. The streets that she and her entourage passed were all empty, and many of those windows were packed with fearful faces. Though she was still watchful for signs of ambush, Luna was very confident that seeing the city's defenders completely routed in less than ten minutes would make any would-be freedom fighters think twice.

Then she turned the corner around a huge, gaudy, gem-encrusted inn, and her eyes fell on the town's slave market.

Cowering in crowded, stinking metal pens all around the mosaic plaza were the usual victims of diamond dog raids: cows, donkeys, deer, and, of course, ponies. Some still had a spark of life left in their eyes, but most of them had long since resigned themselves to wearing the thick iron chains that bound their limbs together. The chains were modular too, so they could be attached to other slaves, or to ropes, or to the holding pens, as they were now. A marvel of ingenuity.

Luna tried her hardest to turn her scowl to a look of stern compassion, like she had seen Celestia use so often, then stepped forward and prepared to speak. The words died in her throat when she saw one particular mare.

Black coat, brown mane, brown eyes, a painter's brush for a cutie mark. She was physically unremarkable, save for one detail: her belly was swollen. Luna noticed the distinctive odor of afterbirth in the mare's cell before she saw it. She could not have given birth more than a few days ago, probably less. Luna followed the mare's sunken, hollow eyes across the street to a different holding cell, where a tiny black-haired foal, his body still not completely dry, had already had chains clamped to all four of his small legs. Leading out from those chains was another set of links attaching him to an emaciated deer. He was bound so tightly and awkwardly that his already-weak limbs would not allow him to stand.

Luna turned to the soldiers at her side, who were still taking in the entire scene with their jaws hanging open.

“Gather up the slave merchants in this town,” she said to them. “Find any of your comrades who are not busy and enlist their aid. Go through every single building until you find all of them, then bring them here.”

The ponies hurried away, shouting Luna's orders to other squadrons.

As she waited for them to return, Luna set about dismantling the pens. “Dismantling” in this case meant bending and tearing the bars apart using only her hooves. Those inside stepped out cautiously through the openings, very few daring to look at her face. Luna herself was somewhat glad she could not see it at the moment.

She started with the cell the foal was in, and soon after made her way to where his mother was imprisoned. The mother's eyes stared up at Luna vacantly before sliding back down to her child, who was struggling to exit the cage with the deer next to him.

As the last of the cages was destroyed, Luna saw that some diamond dogs, wearing fine clothing and jewelry, had started to trickle into the square, herded there by pony soldiers. She ignored them and set about her next task: the breaking of the chains. She tried to speak to the captives, to reassure them before she did so, but her tongue would not yet obey her. Instead, she pulled each set of chains flat on the ground, lining them up carefully...

Thankfully, most of the slaves were too drained or exhausted to resist or even react as she reared back, pumped her forelegs in a wheel, then brought them down on the links with a terrific slam that sent chunks of metal and pavement alike flying through the air. Two stamps for each prisoner and then they could walk freely once again. A third, if they were attached to someone or something else. It was intense work, as the market was packed with nearly a hundred imprisoned souls, but she was filled with vigor and determination to see it done.

Luna did not want to do the newborn pony either first or last. She wanted to give him and his mother long enough to recognize what she was doing, to try to lessen their fear, but she also wanted to reunite them as soon as possible. She went to him after freeing about ten others. As she stepped toward the foal, he began to wail. Aside from the distant shouts of Luna's soldiers rounding up the merchants, his shrieking cries were the only sound that could be heard in the city.

The crying got even louder as she pounded his chains with her boots, splitting them apart instantly. She turned briefly toward the deer whom the child had been bound to, and saw that she was crying as well, though in complete silence. She nodded to Luna, then looked away, shuffling off to another group after Luna broke her bonds too.

Very carefully, Luna reached down toward the screaming infant. His crying intensified, but she scooped him up nonetheless. She held him to her neck and began to hum a deep melody that did little to quiet him, nor the emotions raging inside her. She walked carefully toward the mare with the paint brush cutie mark and, still without a word, laid the child at her feet.

The mother's eyes were wide, uncomprehending. Instinctively, her hooves were reaching out to hold and stroke her son. The motion pulled at the chains on her hindlegs, causing her to tumble over with a loud smack. She barely seemed to notice her fall. In fact, she appeared grateful for it, as it allowed her to crawl her way over to her baby and finally touch him again.

The baby, however, did notice her fall... and was giggling at it. All the tears that were flowing from him before were transferred to his mother like a kind of magic, and she sobbed and wailed as she pulled the laughing child to her.

Meanwhile, Luna took advantage of the mare's position to smash the metal keeping her limbs locked awkwardly together. She did not notice that she could now squeeze her son even tighter, but Luna did not expect her to.

“Ma'am,” a soldier said. “These are all the slave merchants we could find, based on documentation and testimony.”

Luna turned and saw that fourteen diamond dogs had been forced into a row by the rough press of her soldiers.

“Well done,” she remarked to the earth pony squadron commander who had spoken. Then, she fixed her gaze on the dogs. “Which of you is responsible for this?” She gestured toward the mother and son, who were both still nearly oblivious to the outside world.

They did not respond quickly enough for her liking, only mumbling and shuffling their paws. Luna stalked forward in a rush of motion that sent the dogs scrambling to get away, though they were pushed back into place by the ponies standing behind them.

“Who thought themselves the master of these two ponies?” she shouted, the sound threatening to burst their ear drums. “Who dared to claim ownership of them?”

This time, the diamond dogs pointed... each at a different one of the fourteen. A couple even changed their minds and started pointing at another merchant midway through.

“Absolutely disgusting,” said Luna, her lip curling up. “Not a shred of honesty nor integrity among you. We should have expected no less, of course. Have ye no hearts at all?”

She seemed to be waiting for a response, rather than asking a rhetorical question. Most of the fourteen said nothing. A few said “yes”, and one said “no... I mean yes.”

“There appears to be some uncertainty in the matter.” Luna's voice was cold, distant, and dangerous. “How can we know, unless we look?”

“It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this," said the place where Nightmare Moon had been, using Celestia's voice. Luna snarled at the oh-so-wise condescension of the Elements of Harmony and tore a spear out of the grasp of the nearest soldier. In the blink of an eye, she stabbed it into the chest of a diamond dog, its gore-tipped point jutting out of his back. The other thirteen shouted and tried to run, but her horn glowed with tendrils of white-hot magic that lashed out and grabbed their paws. They tripped and fell as the aura drew them inexorably toward her. Luna struck with the spear again and again, their external screams mingling with her internal screams of rage, hate, and guilt.

Only one sound overcame the cacophany that flooded her senses, and that sound was the only thing that kept her salivating jaws from clamping down and eating the flesh of these vile creatures. A foal's cry. The sheer terror and distress of the infant snapped her back to reality, to the fact that she had just killed fourteen surrendered beings who may not have been directly responsible, and to the fact that her army was watching her every action.

She turned to her troops, expecting horror and revulsion. What she got was steady, disciplined stares. If they were disturbed by the scene, they were hiding it expertly. Her stomach nearly turned. That was exactly how she had moulded them to be...

Suddenly, Ensign Brandywine Breeze stepped out of the crowd. She stared into Luna's eyes, and Luna saw that, for this soldier at least, horror was not being hidden. It simply was not there to begin with. Brandywine began to stamp her hooves on the street, at first a little timidly, but picking up strength and volume as Luna watched. The Queen willed her jaw not to drop.

The mare was applauding the grisly scene, using hooves that, little over a month ago, had been used mainly to cradle her newborn sister. She was soon joined by many others, including the Captains Gumball and Basilea. Most of the army was still occupied with the duties they had been given, but the several dozen ponies nearby who had no specific tasks generated a lot of noise. The earth under the entire city shook, and the inhabitants holed up in its buildings drew as far away from the windows as they could.

“Search the city for any other slaves,” she forced herself to say, silencing the applause. “Take them, along with the freed ones here, to the eastern gate. Give them food and water, but not too much at once, lest they become ill.”

Luna looked down at the slaughtered bodies of the slave merchants and tried to ignore the slight trembling in her knees. What she had done to the dogs did not hurt nearly as much as what she had done to the her own army, that they would so whole-heartedly approve of what she did. The fact that over a hundred captives were now free helped. Without her, they would have lived out the rest of their lives in mindless servitude, fear, and pain. But it did not help as much as she would have hoped.

“And leave these corpses here to rot,” she pronounced. “Let the inhabitants of this accursed town see and smell what their evil hath wrought.” And me, she finished. Let me see and smell the evil that I have wrought as well.

Luna desperately wanted to flee, if only for a few minutes. She looked up to the thundercloud the army had brought along. Its size and darkness had diminished significantly after all the lightning strikes they had kicked out of it, each one draining the magic that held the cumulonimbus together, but it was still dark and secluded enough to make a fitting place to brood. Her wings started to twitch slightly, but she forced them to stay folded. She could wallow in her rising anger and depression later. For now, there was a great deal more work to be done, funerals for the fallen to be held, and battles to be fought.

Author's Notes:

This is part one of three, this time. The other two parts are not complete, but a lot has been written for them, and I think this part reaches a good cut-off point until I can finish the whole bit. Thank you all for your patience!

I want to give special thanks to Stryke for helping overcome my doubt and writer's block about this chapter. Without him, it might have taken me even longer.

Chapter 18: Dreams of War (Part 2)

Nearly eight thousand pony warriors gathered outside of the collapsed walls of Barkstone. Some were on guard duty, some were watching over the freed slaves, and others were tending to the two dozen wounded that remained unhealed, but even those who were preoccupied were listening to Queen Luna's words, projected over the plain like a steady summer wind.

“Tonight, we honor the fifty-three ponies who gave their lives in service to our noble cause.”

Luna had taken down a thick tree trunk and used it to construct a pillar, standing at about her height if she stood on her hindlegs, at the epicenter of the fifty-three graves that had been solemnly dug in the field by her and many earth ponies. She enchanted the tip, and with a surge of her will, it lit up with silver light, a magical, long-lasting torch shining brighter than the moon.

“Take ye a branch from the trees of the earth, light it upon the mystic fire of this torch, and hold it aloft toward the sky. Thus shall we honor the valiant dead.” With her magic, Luna lifted a stick from the ground, touched it to the flame, and passed both the fire and the permanency enchantment along to it. Then she floated it over to the pony nearest to her, one of many who had begun to wander in and form a series of ad-hoc queues around the graves. He took it very carefully in his teeth, although the fire gave off no more heat than standing in a patch of sunlight during the spring. Luna favored the earth pony Engineer with a small smile as he took a place standing beside her.

“Our royal person shall stand here in vigil for the departed until we raise the sun, six hours hence.” She said, already taking the branch from the next pony. “Those of you who have not been assigned specific duties by your commanders are welcome to join us for some or all of that period, provided you will be rested enough to march, come the morn.”

“Captain Heartstrings,” Ensign Brandywine Breeze whispered from the middle of the growing crowd. “Could you translate what she's saying for me, ma'am?”

“You can call me Lyra,” she said, nudging Brandywine in the ribs. “We've been through that much together. And yes, at ease, you have my permission to speak frankly for this conversation, and all that jazz.” Lyra waved her hoof around dismissively.

“Luna said that this whole 'captain' thing is probably temporary, besides,” Lyra went on. “I'll most likely be a grunt like you again before long, especially if my uncle keeps pissing off the Queen.” Lyra sighed and watched as droves of ponies stepped forward, pieces of wood held carefully in their wings, telekinetic auras, forehooves, and even mouths, to have them lit with the cool fire. “Anyway, I'm pretty sure she's saying that if you want to mourn the dead, you can take a twig or something, light it on the big magic torch she's got there, and hold it up for as long as you feel you need to. Just as long as you make sure you have enough energy in the morning, since we're moving out at sunrise.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you, ma'am.” The Ensign saluted.

Lyra saluted back after another sigh. “You enjoy making me have to do that, don't you?”

“No, ma'am,” said Brandywine, smiling but keeping her tone serious. “At least not entirely. I... I think it's important to show respect for your superiors. After everything that's happened the past few weeks, it's... comforting.”

Lyra made a noncommittal grunt, caught off-guard by Brandywine's frankness. After chewing her lip for several seconds, she moved closer to the other mare and said quietly, so the crowd around them wouldn't be able to hear, “About that... I heard you led the applause when the Queen executed the slave merchants.”

“Yes, ma'am.” The soldier's chest puffed up slightly.

“Doesn't it seem wrong to you?” Lyra asked. “To just kill them without a trial or anything?”

“Why should it? We didn't give the diamond dogs trials during the battle.”

“Yes, but they were armed. Fighting us. These were unarmed civilians who had surrendered.”

“I'd guess the same would apply to everypony they enslaved during their careers, too,” said Brandywine. She stared into the huge white fire ahead, the ambient light growing brighter around it as more and more ponies added their own pieces to the flame. Despite its brightness, it did not hurt her eyes at all to look.

“I'm not good at this argument thing,” Lyra replied, her gaze wandering around the ground. “It just bothers me.”

“You should talk to Queen Luna, then, Lyra. Maybe she can explain it better than me.”

“I... Maybe.” Lyra rubbed her forehead for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and when she opened them again, she was grinning over at Brandywine. “I'm going to get something to eat. See you around, soldier!”

Lyra turned away and left before even acknowledging Brandywine's salute, and another pony moved forward to take her place.

Ahead, Luna turned to the next pony in the line, and her eyes widened to see the young mother she had freed from the slave market, with her foal hiding beneath her legs. She went to one knee before her ruler, who quickly ushered her back up.

“You should both be resting,” Luna said sternly.

“I can't sleep,” she replied, a small crack sneaking into her voice. “And neither can my child. And I—I feel like I owe it to these ponies.”

“Thou owest us nothing. We have done our duty, and naught more. But if it ameliorates thy burdens to join us, then we bid thee welcome.” Luna's gaze was bordering on soft, which seemed to be the only thing keeping the child from crying at the sight of her. “However, if either thou or thy child seem to be in any pain, we shall insist upon sending you back to the healers at once.”

“I understand. Thank you.” She bent down to take the stick she had brought back in her teeth.

“May we...” Luna started. Her mouth closed and her eyes shifted away for a moment.

The mare paused, neck halfway to the ground. “What?”

“May we ask your names?” Luna said, so softly that the mother had to strain her ears to hear.

“Huh? You don't have to ask permission for that, Your Highness.” She cleared her throat and flashed an awkward, toothy smile. “I'm Scarlet, and my child doesn't have a name yet. I... I couldn't...” The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Luna's face drew close enough that her mane filled all of Scarlet's vision, like a second night sky swirling right in front of her eyes. She was mesmerized, and so was the nameless foal.

“I understand,” said the face within the sky. “Wilt thou do me the honor of allowing me to name him?”

“I don't want to argue, but wouldn't the honor be ours, Princess?” Scarlet's eyes trailed away as she followed one particular point of light in Luna's mane, traveling all the way down from her scalp to her smooth ends like a slowly falling star.

Luna smiled, and even felt little urge to correct the title. “Whomever the honor belongs to, is that a yes?”

“Of course!” The mother lowered her head so she could look at the little child underneath her. “Hey there, little one,” she cooed gently. “You can come on out. It's okay. Mom's here.”

The child stepped out a few paces, and then was gently nudged forward by his mother's muzzle. For a moment he looked ready to start shrieking again, but as Luna removed her helmet, crown and all, he calmed down. The foal sat perfectly still, staring up at Luna as she bent down to gently lift him in her forehooves. He fidgeted as their eyes met.

His eyes were a deep chestnut, giving a very dark aspect to him when combined with his charcoal coat. His fuzzy mane and tail, however, were a soft turquoise color, which, Luna imagined, would slightly lighten that impression as they lengthened with age.

“What is his father's name?” asked Luna as she surveyed the markedly different mane colors of Scarlet and her baby.

“Probably Thunderlane, judging from the mane,” she said.

“...'Probably?'” Luna's lip curled up slightly in confusion and discomfort.

“Yes, I'm lucky enough to have three special someponies in my life,” said Scarlet, followed by another quick grin, and another equally quick fade into a frown. Tears rimmed her eyes. “Oh, gosh! It has to have been about a year now. They must be so worried about me, if they don't think I'm dead...” Through her tears, she suddenly noticed Luna's uncomfortable reaction. “What's wrong, Princess? Was it something I said?”

The Queen sighed. From delving into the memories of her army, she knew that such multi-partner relationships had become somewhat common, especially among earth ponies. While experiencing the echoes of that love while performing dream drills with them was powerful, having lived through centuries of unquestioned prejudice was powerful too.

“Pardon my reaction, Miss Scarlet,” she said. “I have had some difficulty in adjusting to the... the mores of this era. It was impolite and uncouth for me to show that difficulty at a time such as this.” She looked back and forth between the mother and child. “In any case, you should both be at peace. We are sending a detachment to escort all of you home. You will be reunited soon.”

Reddened eyes crying yet more tears, Scarlet remained silent as Luna focused her attention back on her son.

“Tzimistos,” Luna pronounced. “The wild, righteous lightning which the tribal pegasi believed was sent by their gods to smite the wicked. That would be a fitting name.”

“It certainly is... unique!” Scarlet said, her forced grin becoming a genuine smile as her foal floated in a cloud of Luna's blue energy, giggling the whole way, back onto the ground at her feet. The two of them nuzzled and laughed.

Luna was so distracted by the sight that she almost forgot all about the herd of ponies around her, waiting to be granted torches for the vigil. She hurriedly lit the one lying next to Scarlet and planted it carefully in the ground next to them, so as not to disturb the tender moment. She heard a muffled, sobbing “Thank you” as she turned to light the next torch, and felt ready to weep tears of joy herself. This was not the time nor the place, however, so she pushed it aside, for now.

The number of torch-bearers continued to grow.

The next morning, the silver fire was extinguished as dawn broke over the city. Luna summoned Captain Basilea, and commanded her and five hundred of the pegasus cavalry to escort the freed slaves back to Equestria. She saw many tearful expressions of gratitude from the slaves who had not been completely broken, but the one that stuck out the most was Scarlet turning around to wave goodbye several times as they set off down the road. Little Tzimistos waved too, but only when his mother told him too. He did not even seem to know what he was waving at, but he was smiling. That was enough.

Then, after leaving another detachment of five hundred to garrison the city of Barkstone, the army pulled back the rubble from the collapsed tunnels around the town.

A unicorn was assigned to each squadron that descended into the earth. Each unicorn had been taught a special illumination spell by Luna and others of more advanced magical ability—such as Lyra and, to her surprise, Gethsemane Heartstrings—that projected light to a point of the caster's choosing, rather than centering on their horn. With the paths lit by a splendid array of vivid colors playing over the gray caverns, the army marched deep under the ground.

The tunnels were huge and extensive, branching off into many different paths, and opening into vast chambers, some hundreds of feet high. They had long since been mined of anything valuable. There were some wooden shacks, canvas tents, and smaller stone hollows, but they had all been quickly abandoned as the army approached. Some had cooking fires still burning, roasting the meat of the creatures of darkness that inhabited the tunnels. After making sure no one was looking, Luna sneaked bites of them as she passed. She frowned when she discovered bats over the fires, as they were among her favorite animals... but meat was meat. They tasted just as good. Besides, her not needing to dip into the rations of hay and grass that they had brought along meant more for the army. There was precious little in the way of vegetation down here, after all. It was a noble thing she was doing, Luna told herself.

Except for a few animals who fled quickly when the glittering torch spells neared, the tunnels were also devoid of life. Luna guessed that the intelligent inhabitants had fled to the nearest diamond dog warren. The map she had with her had proven correct so far, and if the accuracy held, that warren would be an abandoned dragon's hoard that had been ancient and unoccupied even back when she had been banished to the moon. It was named simply Dragon's Hoard on the map, and that was what the citizens of Barkstone called it. It would take over three days of regular marching to reach it. This was good, as it allowed Luna to make camp—or rather, three interconnected camps, since not even the largest caverns were big enough to hold all the soldiers—and continue their training.

While they were awake, Luna taught her ponies to defend themselves in absolute darkness. Then they trained for every possible angle and time of attack in more dream training. They succeeded, or they died, sometimes multiple times. Loath as she was to admit it, Luna did have an easier time with each one. It was no different than when she had prepared ponies to face Discord. Indeed, her descent into evil and possession did not truly begin until an army was no longer needed, and she began facing threats alone. She hoped that this army would not suffer as severe casualties as that one had, because the death of so many whom she had such an intimate connection with is part of what had spurred Luna to combat evil by herself instead. Luckily, what she had seen of the diamond dogs so far made that seem unlikely. Despite that, she began to mentally prepare herself for the agony of losing many, should it be necessary. It hurt and disgusted her to be imagining the true, final deaths of these brave, selfless warriors, but it was better than the alternative.

Delving into the psyches of her soldiers grew less and less tiring each time too, both for them and her. In fact, it began to become a source of comfort for Luna. Though each dream lasted only a few seconds, those few seconds were ones in which the greatest problems she faced were unkind parents, unfaithful lovers, or stressful days at work. While she roamed their minds, she did not have to worry about the fate of Equestria, the darkness that was slowly enveloping her spirit, or the guilt and betrayal that chipped away constantly at the walls around her heart.

It was also a surprise and a reassurance when their problems were similar to hers. Though it had not ended in imprisonment and temptation to evil for any of them, many of the soldiers had been betrayed by those they loved at some point in their lives. None of their siblings were powerful alicorn Princesses, but many did have spats and genuine conflicts with their family members. None of them had to manage affairs of state and disloyal subjects, but plenty had experience running a large household or an unruly family. Inside their memories, she learned more about life in modern Equestria, and about herself, than she had in two years walking the land, than since the last time she had trained an army, even.

A tense peace settled over Queen Luna, a kind of cease-fire between the bitter rivals that were the good and evil parts of her soul. She first realized how much it was affecting her when she found herself speaking easily with Blueblood during one nightly rendezvous.

“Thou wouldst look most fetching in a tuxedo of a pale blue pallor,” she said, sitting next to him on the cold stone floor inside her tent. They were so close that her flowing mane and tail would occasionally brush against him, a fact which both of them had noticed wordlessly. “A color that would at once call to mind a shade of silver and match thine eyes as well. What sayest thou?”

“I say I'd look good in any color,” said Blueblood, flipping a lock of hair out of his face. “So whatever you think is best.”

“Confidence is a most attractive trait,” Luna said with a wry smile, “provided that it can be backed up by deeds. I must confess that I have seen but little to warrant it as yet.”

“What?” He gaped. “Didn't you see me fighting those carbon dogs? I was like silk lightning.”

Luna laughed uproariously, and Blueblood continued to feign shock, though a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Silk lightning,” she said in between gasps. Then her eyes lit up and her laughter ceased. “Wait! That is an even better idea!”

“It is?”

“Oh, indeed!” Luna swept onto her feet in a smooth, elegant motion that sent a jolt through Blueblood's body. He shifted his sitting posture. “I wish that Miss Rarity were here so that she could capture my vision. Thou simply must wear silk, and it should be yellow, or white, perhaps both, in color. That can be matched perfectly with what I plan to wear.”

“'Rarity'? Why does that name sound familiar?” Blueblood remarked, chewing on a strand of his mane. He shook his head and shrugged. “No matter. That sounds lovely, Luna. What is it that you intend to wear?”

She turned back to look at him—noting with a small degree of satisfaction that his eyes flicked up from her rear as she turned—and paused for a moment. That was the first time he had called her 'Luna.' She was unsure why that felt so significant, but it did.

“I shall have to tell thee on the morrow,” she said with a soft sigh. She had hundreds more soldiers she needed to train today.

“You're just trying to keep me in suspense, aren't you?” he said, adding an overwrought sigh of his own.

“It is possible.” Luna grinned, then stepped toward him. She craned her neck down to his sitting form and kissed his forehead lightly, right at the base of his horn. She could see goosebumps on his skin even through his thick coat. “Fare thee well, my sweet Prince-to-be.”

“Take care of yourself, Your Majesty,” Blueblood said, a slight quaver in his normally smooth voice.

The royal guards Luna summoned to take him away seemed even more tense than usual. Surely they do not plan to move against me while we are still down below the earth? She tried to keep from frowning until Blueblood and his escort were gone. Mayhap 'tis only the darkness wearing on them. I could be imagining it. Either way, I should transfer his guardianship to the army soon.

“Do you have a few minutes?” Lyra asked, scuffing at the rock under her hooves as she stood before the Captain of the Royal Guard. “It's important.”

Gethsemane was in the middle of a conversation with a gold-armored mare. They were standing before one of the huge silver bonfires that were cool to the touch, but radiated comfortable heat as far as their light reached, which the most magically inclined in the army helped set up each time they made camp. He looked over at his niece and flashed a small smile. “Of course I do, Lyra.” He nodded at the guard. “Excuse us for a moment,” he said to her. She then marched off, her face locked in a stiff, serious expression.

“Okay, uh...” Lyra had rehearsed this conversation many times, but the words failed to come nonetheless. She closed her eyes and stamped at the ground. “Um...”

“Lyra, what's bothering you?” In a sudden movement that caught Lyra completely by surprise, he moved forward and wrapped his neck around hers, hugging her close.

“The executions,” she whispered into his dark red mane, not returning the hug, but not backing away from it either. “The Queen is very important to me. I love and respect her, but that... that didn't feel right, uncle.”

He nodded. “So you have a difference of opinion with her, and you came to me for advice on how to handle it?”

“Maybe,” Lyra said. “Should I talk to her? It seems like a bad idea, since she always gets so mad at you whenever you disagree with her. But I'm not sure this is something I can bottle up either.”

“Ah, the Heartstrings curse,” said Gethsemane distantly. “Knowing our own hearts compels us to know the hearts of others as well, and drives us to expose all of that knowledge.”

“That gobbledygook again?” Lyra groaned. “Sorry, I don't know about all that. I'm just confused. Luna surrounds herself with ponies who disagree with her, but then she blows up at them when they contradict or challenge her. It doesn't make sense.”

“Lyra, the Queen is... sick,” he whispered, even more quietly than before. “She has the instinct to attract some advisors of talent and conviction who will not simply nod their heads and agree with whatever she says. Under normal circumstances, that is simply good politics that results in an efficient and effective administration. But... she is also insane, and part of that insanity is an addiction to melancholy, with a large side-helping of pride.”

“Insane?” Lyra pulled into the hug now, if only to make absolutely sure they wouldn't be heard. “Uncle, she's not crazy. She's just going through a lot.”

“That's true, and that's exactly why she needs ponies by her side with the courage to stand up to her.”

“So I should do it?”

He stepped back from the hug and looked deeply into her big golden eyes, which seemed to be already losing some of their figurative luster. He had no idea how many times she had watched her own death while undergoing Luna's training. “If you're completely prepared to tell an immortal alicorn monarch that she's wrong, sure,” he said flatly.

“Hey, you do it all the time,” Lyra said, forcing a laugh and patting him on the back. “It can't be that hard.”

“It is.”

“Uh...” She searched for some sign of a joke as he said that, but Gethsemane's expression had turned completely serious. He was going back into stoic, unflinching guard-mode. “Okay. Thank you for the advice, uncle.”

“Anything for my family, Lyra,” he said pointedly.

She held back several biting remarks about that motto and its relation to his sister, Lyra's mother, who had disowned her for refusing to marry a stallion and instead moving in with another mare. Honestly, who besides that old nag gives a rumpshake about the family line and the traditions of the nobility these days? She thought for a second. Actually, Luna probably does. Oh, this is going to go so well...

Lyra gulped, waved a farewell, and made her way to the Queen's campaign tent, pitched in the middle of an adjoining cavern. She was assaulted by wave after wave of sentries barking “Captain present!” and “All's well, ma'am!”—some of which were adorably mispronounced as “All swell”—but instead of being annoyed, Lyra found it reassuring. Sure, the rank was basically at Luna's whim and had only been tested once in battle, but it was some measure of authority she could bring to bear on the discussion.

The guards told her that Luna was at the training ground presently, though that was obvious enough from the screams and sobs that were echoing in the vast subterranean hall. Lyra decided to wait until she returned, chatting with the two stallions in the meantime. It was mostly a one-sided conversation, with the occasional grunt or monosyllable from them, but it cleared her mind and calmed her pounding heart.

The quick heartbeat returned, although not quite as fast, when, ten minutes later, the screams stopped, and Luna's fully-armored bulk appeared, trotting briskly directly at her. She reflexively stepped aside as Luna walked straight past her into the tent, with only a brief nod and a gruff “Captain” as a greeting.

“Ma'am?” Lyra called into the tent. “May I speak with you, please?”

“One moment, Captain,” Luna replied tersely. There was a sound of water splashing, the clipping of heavy metal boots on stone pacing back and forth, then a calmer beckoning from Luna. "Enter."

Lyra walked in to see Luna standing still, facing the wall of the tent, next to a basin of water. Her face, what was visible of it from under her bright silver helmet, was still dripping.

“What is it?” Luna asked, staring blankly at Lyra from the corner of her eyes.

“It's about what happened after the battle yesterday,” she said, forcing her knees to stay steady. “In the marketplace.”

“Please proceed to the point, Captain Heartstrings.” Luna turned away, dipping her hooves into the basin and using them to splash more water on her face. “I am quite weary.”

Lyra hesitated, but only for a few seconds. “I believe that killing those merchants was wrong. We should discuss what to do next time something like that happens, ma'am.”

“'Twas wrong, was it?” Luna turned around, stretching her wings out slowly, but keeping them flared as they reached full width. “Wherefore dost thou think so?”

“Because they were unarmed, and they had surrendered.” Lyra held her ground as Luna slowly advanced toward her. “I know they've caused a lot of misery, but I was always taught that everypony—everyone—deserves a second chance.”

“Is that so?” Luna's eyes searched hers from behind an inscrutable mask. “Even the worst, most irredeemable monsters?”

Lyra swallowed and nodded as she stared back. It was not so much that she wanted to challenge the Queen, as that she could not tear her eyes away from the intensity of her gaze. “Yes, I believe so. We should have given them a shot, at least. A trial or something.”

“Wouldst thou feel the same way,” said Luna, “if they had taken Miss Bon Bon and bound her in chains instead?”

Lyra thought about that scenario, feeling very cold as she did. “I, uh.” Lyra's stare wavered, and she looked away from Luna to study one of the walls intently instead. “I don't know for sure, but I'd like to think so.”

“'Tis something thou shouldst turn some thought toward,” Luna said, folding her wings back up and walking over to the other side of the tent. Her steps sounded with heavy thunks as she made her way across, although not as heavy as her massive suit of plate suggested. “This world is a dangerous place, and we must be prepared for all eventualities.”

“So, you think trials are a bad idea then?”

“They will slow us down,” said the Queen, “and speed is one of our most valuable tactical assets in this war.”

Lyra swallowed hard and licked her lips, trying to wet her completely dry mouth. “In that case,” she said, “I'm resigning. Quitting. Leaving. Uh, whatever the correct term is.”

Luna turned to regard her solemnly, her eyes flashing with something that was similar to, but not quite, anger. “Even if I am in agreement?”

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean, what?” Lyra cocked her head sideways.

Luna sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as her head lowered. “What I did was rash and impulsive, and not in keeping with the spirit of justice which I strive to serve.” Luna's stern voice became softer, less imperious, though still somewhat intimidating since it was coming from underneath a magical helmet. “I did not want to see a repeat of that event before this conversation, and now that desire has been doubled.

“I would be sorely grieved to see thee go, Captain Lyra. Thou art the only pony in the entire army who has expressed any disapproval with those executions to me. Such moral clarity and courage is more valuable than any tactical advantage.”

Lyra stood there in dumbfounded silence.

“Is that all thou wished to discuss?” Luna asked.

Lyra managed a nod.

“Excellent. I have much to attend to this evening. Rest assured, however, that I shall reflect on a nobler course of action for us to pursue next time. I shall not simply kill them. Good evening, Captain.” Luna nodded toward the exit.

Lyra saluted, Luna saluted back, and the unicorn left the tent in a slow, heavy walk, as if she were dazed and would lose her footing if she moved any faster. Once she was a sufficient distance away, Lyra reared back, performing wheels with her forelegs, and let out a victorious yelp, drawing confused looks from the soldiers nearby. She coughed and plastered her best innocent grin on her face.

“Carry on,” she told them with a forced laugh.

The Argent Army marched for another solar day, though only Luna knew that. All the army knew was that their entire bodies ached, though less so with each march. Her magical sense of time allowed her to keep the soldiers on a tight, regular schedule, a detail that helped maintain discipline as the darkness deepened, and the landscape began to change. Instead of gray stone, the caverns gave way to tunnels of shining, smooth obsidian, with shards of it jutting out like teeth at irregular intervals. The obsidian absorbed much of the light cast by the unicorns' spells, turning even the brightest pink and red auras into pale, muted caricatures that danced ominously against the sharp, jagged outcroppings of the black stone. Luna explained that this was a passive effect resulting from ancient exposure to dragon's breath, but the ponies grew tense and guarded.

More so when there had been still no sign of diamond dog activity as they set up camp for the night. Luna kept to the same schedule she had been, though she had to occasionally remind some ponies what they were supposed to be doing. They were getting distracted by phantom noises and sights. She imagined that, without their training, they would all be well and truly spooked by this point.

Tonight was one night that she wished she did not have perfect reckoning of time. Time had dragged all day in anticipation of the night, which would be the last one before the next battle, and also her next meeting with Blueblood. But now that she had set the sun, time did not move much faster.

The night was not without its highlights, of course. She relished putting the brigades through the usual physical exercises. Running, doing push-ups and wing-ups, climbing, and stretching were always sources of joy for her. She enjoyed her discussion of strategy with her two remaining army Captains. She had developed a profound new respect for Lyra, and Gumball, the infantry captain, had made a special dessert for the meeting: chocolate cupcakes. They were not as good as a fat, juicy woodland creature would have been, but they were tasty nonetheless. She would not go so far as to call everything else she had to do boring by any means, especially the dream training, but she was restless and excited.

The time finally came. She opened the flap of her tent and saw him there, waiting silently. It was difficult to stay on her guard when he smiled at her, but she tried. She set aside her helmet and went to him, surprising both of them as she entwined her neck with his. Luna hugged Blueblood for a few awkward seconds, then took a few steps back.

“I trust thou art well?” she asked.

“Actually, no.” The smile drained from his face, and from hers in turn. “There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about.”

No one ever says that when it is to be a good talk, Luna said to herself. Outwardly, she regarded him with concern and nodded, urging him to elaborate.

“I feel useless,” he said, staring down at his hooves. “I hate being cooped up like a pet while other ponies are out there fighting and dying. When the next battle comes, please let me fight.”

Luna eyed him suspiciously. From his tone and steady, level body language, he seemed to be earnest. It would also be foolish for him to try to escape with diamond dogs and other beasts no doubt prowling the tunnels. She liked him a great deal too. Even more now, after seeing more evidence that there was a warrior's heart under the soft exterior. But she still had enough presence of mind not to extend that goodwill to genuine trust. She shook her head.

“I cannot risk losing thee, my Prince-to-be,” she told him, brushing a hoof tenderly against his cheek. “I know this must be frustrating, but for reasons both personal and political, I cannot allow that. I am sorry.”

He shrugged, although in an exaggerated way that gave Luna the impression that the rejection affected him more deeply than that. “It was worth a shot,” he said. “So, tell me about this dress of yours.” The smile returned, though Luna noted that his eyes were not entirely part of the expression.

She was about to tell him when the sound of quick hoofsteps approached the tent. The face of an earth pony sentry burst through the tent flaps. He would have entered completely, if not stopped by the pair of royal guards outside.

“Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty,” he said in between panting breaths. “The advance scouts have encountered a small party of diamond dogs, carrying a white flag. They say they want to talk terms.”

“Ha!” Luna retrieved her helmet, scoffing as she buckled it back on with her telekineses. “It appears as though thou shalt not have to fight anyway, Blueblood. What wretched cowards!”

She commanded the sentry to lead the way, pausing at the entry to tell Blueblood that they would continue their conversation when she returned. She enlisted a squadron of beefy earth pony infantry to accompany her, more for the message than out of genuine need for protection, then set out. The camp was buzzing with the news, rumors flying back and forth at the edge of her hearing. Luna did her best to tune them out.

The party did not have to travel far before reaching a crossroads in the obsidian tunnels. In the middle of it stood five diamond dogs, all wearing white togas and each carrying large sacks at their sides. The tallest among them held a long pole in one paw, to which a tattered white cloth had been attached. He inclined his head as Luna approached.

“Who art thou?” she said, somewhat undiplomatically.

“I am Ludwig of Dragon's Hoard,” he said in the least-broken Equine Luna had ever heard from a diamond dog. He sounded almost like a native speaker. “I come as an ambassador from my people to yours, in the hope that we can come to an understanding.”

“You are to give up the buying and selling of sapient beings, then?” Luna said, with narrow eyes and a clenched jaw.

“Not precisely,” Ludwig replied. “But you could buy the freedom of many with this offering we have brought you.” He motioned to three of his companions, who dumped out the contents of their sacks. Bars and coins of silver and gold poured out of the cloth, littering the floor with precious metal.

“You have sorely misjudged us,” Luna said coldly as she kicked the money away from her feet, “if you think we can be bought off like common mercenaries. We are ponies. It seems the world hath forgotten what that means.”

Ludwig sighed. “You might want to accept the offer. This crop of slaves is rapidly becoming a lot of trouble, what with a vengeful army of magic ponies descending to free them.” He folded his paws behind his robe and nodded at his fourth companion, who upended his sack, which was darkly stained. There was a wet cracking sound against the floor. “If they are not bought up soon, we are going to be forced to chalk them up as losses.”

Luna looked down and saw the severed head of a pony, a handsome young stallion whose coat had been a light, shining blue color before becoming stained with blood. His eyes were still wide with pain and horror. From the look of the cuts on the neck, the decapitation had been neither quick nor clean.

“I would hate to see that happen to all of our current stock,” the diplomat said airily, “but unless this rampaging pony army goes away, it will most likely come to that.”

“Take your vile, tainted money and leave our sight at once.” The temperature of the cold cave dropped even further as Luna spoke, judging from the shivers coming from both parties. “If you do not, we shall destroy you, flag of truce or no.”

“I do hope that is an agreement,” said Ludwig in a practiced, yet tense, tone of neutrality. “We'll be watching for a few days. If you're not gone by then, they may all end up in this sad state.”

As the diamond dog delegation hurriedly gathered up the money and began backing away in the opposite direction, Luna removed her moonsilver cloak with purple patches in the tears, courtesy of Rarity. Her gaze was locked on them the entire time as her horn lit up. They flinched at the mere sight of her casting a spell, though it was only levitation. Her magic carefully wrapped the severed head in the cloak and tied it shut. Luna slung the sack over her back and, after one last smoldering glare at the diamond dogs, she turned around to rejoin the army.

Neither she nor the six ponies flanking her spoke a single word on the way back. But the tension and anger in the air were palpable. It was centered around Luna, but much of it was coming from them as well. The earth ponies did their best to remain stoic, but Luna did not expect complete success after an event like that, so she gave them some leeway. As soon as they returned to camp, Luna ordered the squadron to begin packing their gear. They gaped in shock and impotent fury, but they did as they were told. Then, in her full royal voice, said, “Captains Gumball and Heartstrings, to the campaign tent at once!”

She did not need to clarify that she meant Lyra, because that was the only Captain Heartstrings to show up at the huge white tent in the central cavern. Gumball offered both of them some vegetable soup, which Luna turned away, but which Lyra consumed with gusto.

“Captain Gumball,” Luna said, her voice distant and quiet, “Thou art to begin preparations to abandon camp and to prepare the soldiers for forced double marches. They must be ready to move quickly and at a moment's notice.”

Both Captains eyed the wrapped-up cape that Luna had dropped off in the corner when she entered. “What happened, ma'am?” Gumball asked with genuine worry.

“I do not have time to explain. Go and execute my order.” Luna's voice was set to a slow boil, though the cold fury did not seem to be directed at either of them. The infantry captain saluted quickly and dashed out of the tent.

“What about me?” Lyra asked, unconsciously shying away as Luna's intense eyes sought hers again.

“I have a special assignment for thee,” Luna said. “Thou attended Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns alongside Twilight Sparkle. Is this not so?”

“Kind of,” Lyra answered sheepishly. “I mean, I'm nowhere near Twilight's level, and I was never technically admitted to the school. I kind of snuck in.”

“Yes, I was quite amused by that, in fact,” Luna said. “Forging the paperwork, showing up for classes with the confidence that thou belonged there, making friends and alliances for a year before anyone even noticed the deception. I can think of no more suitable candidate for this mission. There are a few spells thou must learn, and then thou art going to sneak into Dragon's Hoard."

Author's Notes:

Yeah, that's right. Two updates in one month. I must be some kind of machine. The third and final part of the diamond dog war will be finished soon too. It's going to be a hoof-biter!

I would also like to note that the idea about Lyra's backstory, which will be explored more next chapter, is not entirely my own. I haven't copied it detail for detail, but the inspiration for it came from her backstory in Ether Echoes' wonderful ”Through the Well of Pirene. Just wanted to give credit where it's due.

Chapter 19: Dreams of War (Part 3)

“I don't want to offend you, ma'am,” Lyra said slowly, “but there are a few problems with sending me on a stealth mission.”

“Such as?” Luna sat down on the hard, smooth obsidian on which her army's command tent had been pitched.

“For one, I'm green. Like, really green. They'll see me coming miles away. Plus I've got these loud clippety-cloppers.” Lyra knocked her forehooves together. “And lastly, I'm not actually a ninja.”

“I do not know what a 'ninja' is,” said Luna, “but rest assured, I have considered potential problems, and I have solutions for them. Be seated, and I shall explain.”

Lyra sat as well. She fidgeted a great deal more than Luna, who sat with serene stillness, except for the constant waving of her tail and mane. First, she explained her meeting with the diamond dog party, and what was wrapped in her cloak in the corner of her tent. Luna told her of the threat that had been made, and how marching on Dragon's Hoard now with the whole army could result in a massacre of the slaves residing there. Lyra turned a more vivid shade of green as red fury rose to her cheeks as well.

“The solutions to the problems thou mentioned are quite simple,” Luna said. “We shall color thee with charcoal. Wear a cloak, and utilize a horn-light suppression spell should it become necessary to use magic. As for thy hooves, wrap these around them.” Her horn sparkled, and a patch of large green jungle tree leaves floated over to Lyra.

“That's seems simple, I guess.” Lyra felt the leaves with the back of her feet. They were very soft and smooth. “I was expecting some fancy spells and such.”

“These are valuable magic conservation tricks, particularly necessary for young conjurers such as thyself, that were taught to me by... by someone I cared for.” Luna's eyes fell, the sorrowful expression clashing with the power and aggression conveyed by her black-veined silver armor.

Lyra thought it best not to touch that one at the moment, so she instead redirected the subject. “But I've still never done anything quite like this before. Yes, I did sneak into the Headmaster's office at Celestia's school, but my life wasn't in danger, not to mention the lives of others.”

“That is merely a question of proper training,” said Luna, lifting her head back up after a few more seconds of brooding. “Time is short for us, but providing proper one-on-one training will not take much objective time.”

Lyra swallowed and clenched her abdomen, not out of fear, but to harden her resolve. Dream training was never easy, but it was powerful.

“There is one issue without a simple solution, however,” Luna said with a weighty frown. “The spell training would require much practice, even within thy mind. Too much. There is a speedier alternative, and that is to target thy arcanolimbic system.”

Lyra could have sworn she would never hear that word again after leaving Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but she did vaguely remember it. “The neural structure that binds strong emotions with certain spells, right? The thing that gives us an affinity for spells related to our special talents?”

“Indeed,” Luna answered, a measure of impressed satisfaction in her voice despite the frown. “'Tis good to know that Celestia's curriculum hath not devolved completely into useless, coddling nonsense.

“Yes, if I impart to thee powerful, recent memories which involved my use of these particular spells, then thy system should build the requisite connections. It would only be temporary, but it should allow thee to master this magic in short order.”

“I've never heard of that.” Lyra's eyes were practically glowing with wonder, and her tail was almost wagging. “It sounds fascinating! When do we start?”

“Hold a moment,” Luna said gravely. “I have done this but rarely. The results can be unpredictable. Moreover, the memories that are surfacing regarding these spells... some of them are of a disturbing nature. Thou mayest briefly feel some measure of what I felt, and think some of my thoughts. They may change thy opinion of me irrevocably.” Luna's frown twisted into an expression of apprehension, perhaps of fear. She stood expectantly before Lyra. Her gaze had a distant sadness to it.

“If it means preventing the diamond dogs from killing their captives,” Lyra said without hesitation, “then I'll do it. This is too big not to.” She stopped for a second. Her body was at steady attention, but her eyes flickered with brief uncertainty. “But why me? There have to be ponies in the army you trust more than me. And I know for a fact that there are more powerful unicorns out there.”

“If power and trust were all that this mission required,” Luna replied, flicking her hoof aside, “then I would simply do it myself. This will require finesse, and I am not subtle. Also, as a matter of fact, there is no pony in this army whom I trust more than thee. I do not know if thou wilt stay loyal to me personally, but that is not the kind of loyalty I truly need. Holding to virtue and principle are what is needed. I choose to believe that when the time comes, thou shalt display that loyalty.”

“Okay, then.” Lyra bowed her head as she thought over the words of high praise. “I'm ready.”

“Excellent,” said Luna as she stood up and stepped closer to Lyra, until they were inches apart. Luna's telekinesis quickly and efficiently divested Captain Lyra of her cloak and armor, which was then stacked and folded neatly in one corner of the tent. From across the room, a black lump began to levitate off the floor. It floated over, and Luna gave a questioning tilt of her head. Lyra nodded her final assent, and the charcoal began sliding across her coat at Luna's command.

As the work of altering Lyra's appearance continued, the two of them locked gazes, and Luna's horn began to glow with a smoky white aura, flecks of gold swirling within it. “The first spell I have to teach is an invisibility enchantment. 'Tis best used on objects, but it is possible to use it on other living things, and even thyself for extremely brief periods.”

Luna dipped her head, touching the tip of her horn to the tip of Lyra's. Hers, in turn, began to glow with golden light, and random spurts of images, emotions, and thoughts were pushed awkwardly into her mind.

She saw Luna in the ruins of her ancient palace alongside Zecora. For fractions of a second at a time, Lyra felt the heartbreak Luna experienced at seeing her home in such a state. It felt like it had been only days since she had slept, ate, and played there, but now it was a ruin. She also felt flashes of Luna's curiosity and attraction toward the strange zebra. The most crystal-clear experience in the memory, though, was finding where Luna had hidden her old store of treasures in a shroud of invisibility. Lyra actually felt as if it were her own horn dispelling the magic around the ancient chest. Then there was a murky pang of confusion, despair, and rage when the armor, cloak, jewel, and journal inside, the only material objects Luna had specifically wanted to save before becoming Nightmare Moon, turned out to have been ruined.

Lyra shuddered like she had been jolted by an electric shock when Luna cast the illusion spell on the chest again. It was a rush of power that she had never experienced before. A new sensation, like a strong itch, tingled at her horn.

“Art thou well?” Luna asked in the present, with genuine concern. The piece of coal had stopped moving for a minute, but now it resumed its steady rhythm, each stroke moving Lyra's minty green hair closer to black.

“I've never been better,” Lyra said as a big grin spread across her face. She choked back a giggle as the charcoal reached a ticklish spot on her belly. “What's next?”

Luna quirked an eyebrow up at the other mare. After a moment of studying her expression, Luna nodded. “The second spell induces sleep. With difficulty, I have cast it upon large groups before. Thou art skilled for thy age, but I would nonetheless not recommend attempting the spell on more than one target at a time. Art thou ready?”

This time, the Queen imparted to her a memory that hit closer to home, and gave her a stronger arcanolimbic reaction as a result. She saw Luna on the road, surrounded by a group of royal guards, including her uncle, who was then just a sergeant. Luna's frustration, loneliness, disappointment, and pride mingled with Lyra's own shock as Luna used the sleep spell on the unsuspecting guards. Then, after a brief but tense magic duel, she felt Luna cast the spell on her own uncle.

Luna did not speak. Instead, she waited silently, watching Lyra's reaction carefully. The only sound in the tent was the charcoal brushing softly through her mane.

“I see what you mean,” Lyra said in a small voice. Belying her quiet words was the gold-tinged magical aura that had now surrounded her entire body, which she was staring at in awe. “That wasn't easy to watch. But I feel like I could put a whole pack of dogs to sleep!”

“That feeling will not last,” said Luna, pulling her horn away for a moment. “Take care, lest thou become overconfident. Remember, thou shalt be alone out there. Conservation will be critical.”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand.” Lyra resisted the urge to press their horns immediately back together and resume the training. “Oh, what about a flight spell next!?”

“A flight spell?” said Luna. “We are underground. What purpose would that serve?”

“You never know,” Lyra responded.

“That would be too much of a drain for too little gain,” Luna said. She winced after a fraction of a second as she heard the words out-loud.

“Aww.” Lyra groaned in almost-childlike disappointment. “Oh well. Anyway, I'm ready for more when you are, ma'am.”

The other royal eyebrow raised this time. “Do not rush me, Captain,” she said with an outward thrust of her jaw.

“Sorry,” Lyra muttered, looking down, but still twitching and glowing.

“The third enchantment will enhance thy senses,” Luna went on after a short glare. “This particular memory may cause some pain in addition to the swell of confidence thou art apparently experiencing. Please, do not...”

“Do not what?” Lyra's mouth fell into a worried, sobered frown.

“Nevermind.” Luna shook her head, then leaned it forward again to bring their horns back together. “Thou shalt be fine. Let us resume.”

Lyra now experienced Luna's memory of her second visit to the huge lake in the middle of the Everfree Forest. With the enchantment Luna had placed on her senses, Lyra saw, smelled, and felt Zecora walking beside her. In Ponyville, she had never given the zebra much thought, herself, but seeing her through Luna's eyes made her breathtaking. Zecora seemed flawed but noble, wise, and kind. And a passionate kisser, apparently... until the rest of the memory slammed into her. Lyra smelled and tasted the poison that Zecora had applied to her lips, she was nearly blinded by the underwater cave suddenly being lit up with mystical light, and she was overwhelmed by the despair that had taken Luna when her apprentices imprisoned her.

Lyra felt a strange tugging sensation in her mind. She realized that Luna was trying to end the memory, but Lyra was unconsciously pushing to see more of it. Her innate curiosity was enough for her to catch a few more minutes of the scene, and to hear the conversation they had. She heard their mutual vows not to kill any ponies in pursuit of their goals, and Luna was preparing to make a second vow when the link cut abruptly.

“Oh, Luna,” Lyra whispered, “I'm so sorry.” As their heads drew apart again, Lyra lowered hers to wrap around Luna's neck.

Luna's eyes went wide and her body stiffened in reaction to the sudden hug. “This is—this is not appropriate,” she said quietly. Because her ear was pressed to Luna's neck, Lyra could make out a small, choked sound coming from inside it.

Lyra stepped back slowly, her eyes downcast. “I'm sorry, ma'am. That stuff with your students is really heavy, and I can only imagine what that's like, but I do know how it feels to care deeply about somepony, but not being sure if you should, and—“she glanced up to see the look on Luna's face“—and I'll shut up now. Right after I say that even though what she did was wrong and hurtful... I know love when I see it. You shouldn't let her being a zebra, or a mare, stand in the way of that love.”

“That will be quite enough!” Luna shouted as she slammed a foot onto the earth, causing a small quake that split the stone beneath them. The dark lump of coal clattered to the floor as Luna briefly lost control of the levitation spell. Lyra flinched and flattened her ears. “This is a war, not a counseling session!”

Lyra did not dare lift her eyes, but she could see and almost feel the intense glare the Queen was giving her. She gave a small sound of surprise when she felt Luna's horn touch hers again.

“The final spell alters sound,” Luna told her before lifting the charcoal back up and preparing to initiate the psychic connection again. Her tone was short and clipped. “It can be extremely potent, because it can change entire conversations to innocuous babbling, or create silence where there is tumult. As such, it requires an equally potent memory from me. Art thou prepared?”

“Sound alteration is actually my specialty!” Lyra managed to beam in spite of what she had just experienced. “Did you know I got my cutie mark by mimicking my music teacher's voice to the Headmaster? I wonder if he ever figured out it was actually me talking from the other side of the door. Really saved my skin from expulsion there. Wait, of course you knew that. Well, here's a more recent one.” The memories Luna had given her did not hurt quite as much as she babbled about her past, so, as Luna stared in disbelief, she continued.

“A while ago, Bon Bon decided to try her hoof at acting, and she wanted me to change her voice for the part. We nailed it, and she was great, but the spell, ah, lasted a couple weeks longer than I was going for the first time. We laugh about it now, but she wasn't too happy with that at the time...” She glanced at Luna, saw the slight doubt there, and glanced away, chuckling quietly. “That was a couple years ago. I've improved it a lot, I promise.”

“Be that as it may,” Luna said as her doubtful frown lifted slightly, “more fine control of thy specialty would be most advantageous, would it not?”

Lyra gulped, nodded, then felt another surge of energy enter her body with the touch of Luna's horn, even more powerful than the ones before.

She saw Celestia lying on the floor of a prison cell—mangled, dirty, and bloody, hardly at all like the shining beacon of warmth she had been when Lyra had seen her up close last, years ago.

When she had finally been discovered falsifying records to show that she was actually enrolled in Celestia's school, the Princess herself had stepped in to prevent her immediate expulsion. Lyra's parents had come to pull her out anyway after hearing about the scandal, but she would never forget Celestia's words to her before that.

“Such tenacity,” she had said with a smile full of overwhelming grace. “Temper it with a touch more wisdom, Miss Lyra Heartstrings, and you will go far. ”

Now there she was in Luna's memory, a hollow shell of the glorious monarch she should have been. From the conversation that followed, and the bewildering array of Luna's emotions that assaulted Lyra's mind, it quickly became obvious that Luna herself had done this to the Princess, and was keeping her in this dungeon. Lyra was filled with horror, but the memory was so intense that she was unsure how much of the horror was her own, and how much of it belonged to Luna.

Through it all, Lyra did manage to notice when Luna cast the sound alteration spell. It was difficult, and would only work for a brief time when used for this purpose, but... why had Luna cast it? The only things they talked about were some vague words about Luna's ancient apprentices needing to be stopped, and some stuff about Zecora. The confusion lingered as Luna withdrew from her in the present.

Lyra was stock still, searching her feelings carefully. It was hard enough simply to differentiate which ones were hers, but once she managed that, her terrified eyes closed, and she breathed a long sigh.

“I get it now,” she said in a hushed voice. “You played me.”

“Pardon?” said Luna. “I do not understand the expression.”

“You tricked me,” Lyra said. She was still glowing with light, and her body was brimming with power, but her tone was distant, wounded. “Used me. Bamboozled me. You strung me along long enough to know that I wouldn't refuse this task, no matter what I learned. You took advantage of my curiosity to see your memories, and my conviction to do what's right. Now, if I succeed on the mission, you get the slaves freed, and then you can deal with me at your leisure. Plus, while I'm gone, you can move against my uncle without having to worry about which side I'd land on. And if I fail, the only pony besides your apprentices who knows the truth about Celestia will be dead. Half the reason I left my family was to get away from games like this...”

“Attend carefully to my words,” said Luna as she began to pace back and forth across the tent. She continued her work disguising Lyra, now working her way through the long strands of the Captain's tail. “I shall not dignify most of that wild speculation with a response, but I absolutely must say that I do not wish to see thee fail. If that happened, I would be forced to take drastic action to secure the safety of the slaves.”

“What 'drastic action'?” Lyra began to edge away slowly, but Luna altered the course of her pacing to block the exit.

“Art thou familiar with siege warfare?” Luna asked.

“Yeah, of course.” Lyra reluctantly stopped backing away and stood her ground. “Cutting off a fortress or city's supplies until they surrender. It was used a lot in the old days, and it's still pretty common outside of Equestria.”

“Then thou hast not seen it as I have.” Luna's gaze drifted far away, and her voice grew deeper and darker. “'Cutting off supplies” is a rather sanitary phrase to describe forcing the population into starvation and into the desperate, vile acts which are often committed as a result. The morale of the defenders must be driven down to convince them to surrender as well. Diseased corpses are dropped on the population, captured enemies are killed outside the walls, they are bombarded with spells day and night...”

“Even if that weren't horrible,” Lyra said as Luna stared off into space, continuing to mouth silent words to the air, “wouldn't that just make the diamond dogs kill all their slaves? Then even if we—if we do all that, we'll still have failed.”

“Indeed,” said Luna, forcing her eyes shut for a few seconds. She shivered almost imperceptibly, then reopened them to look at her Captain, her eyes focused again. “That is why I developed a different way, long ago. Some would call it better, some would call it worse, but all recognized its effectiveness.”

Right in front of the flap in the campaign tent, Luna's wings fluttered out to full length. She began stretching, unfurling them far enough to loosen her muscles. Lyra's thoughts were no longer about escape, though. Her ears were pointed forward, completely focused on what the Queen was going to say.

“With the help of the finest students of my Academy,” Luna said, arching one wing over the opposite shoulder, “I constructed a ritual that could reach into large groups of minds and inflict upon them such horrific dreams as can only be imagined. Those most affected, the soldiers and rulers upon whom my wrath was focused, often became catatonic with terror. If they did not, they still felt it every moment, whether they slept or not. Either way, fear spread like fire. The longer they waited to surrender, the more anger, hate, and guilt I felt, and because the ritual was specifically designed to be fueled by those emotions, their dreams also worsened with time.”

Luna stretched her other wing in the same fashion as before. “The castles and cities I conducted this ritual upon gave themselves unto me with nary a drop of bloodshed. Word spread, and before long, others surrendered without my army even having to march upon them. They were eager to avoid the fury of the moon-marked mare who spread horror in the wake of her dark night.”

“You used that against ponies too, didn't you?” Lyra asked. Her tone was not judgmental. She was too awed to feel much of anything else at the moment.

“Yes,” Luna replied, keeping her wings spread but relaxed as she finished her stretching. She turned her head from side to side, staring at each feather as she spoke. “My sister and I were wise and virtuous, but we were not perfect. We made mistakes as rulers. After enough years had passed for the memory of Discord's suffering to become history, those mistakes began to take root in the hearts of many in our realm.

“There were a series of revolts against our rule. In order to spare her the pain of forcing them back into the fold, I willingly took the duty upon myself. Those rebellions may have been small, but they were the first times I sacrificed my virtue and principle upon the altar of 'the greater good.' How could we protect our little ponies, I reasoned, if they did not obey our commands and contribute to our coffers?

“So the rebels fell, many bearing mental wounds for the rest of their lives. I saved thousands on both sides from death, but was that the story they told?” She chuckled, coldly and bitterly. “No, they told their children to beware the Princess of the Night, lest she descend from her frozen palace on the moon and break their minds to her will.

“The griffons and other enemies of our nation were the first to call me Nightmare Moon. At first, I bore the title proudly, because it meant they feared us, enough to avoid war when they otherwise might have fought. Who can say how many more deaths my fearsome reputation prevented? But hearing my own citizens refer to me as Nightmare Moon was the greatest pain I had ever felt.”

Tears started to brim at the edges of Luna's eyes, but she wiped them away with a snarl.

“The very same ponies to whom I had devoted lifetimes of struggle, service, and sacrifice, for whom I had shed countless tears and drops of blood, for whom I had killed, called me a monster and a tyrant. I, who had risked my life to free them and keep them safe, who had founded a worldwide martial order devoted to virtue, I, a monster!” Luna was pacing again, more quickly this time, raving as the river of power in her hair swept through the air, creating the illusion of a swarm of comets inside the tent. “After only a couple of mortal generations, they refused to leave their homes at night, and they shut their windows from the bright glow of the moon and stars, no matter how beautiful and comforting I tried to make the sky. After that, 'twas only a matter of time before darkness consumed me.”

Lyra sat down heavily to keep from toppling over. She stared at the smooth black floor and contemplated teleporting away. She eventually shook her head. The charcoal was going over her coat for a third layer, and over the course of Luna's speech, it had begun grinding into her skin slightly unpleasantly. Luna did not seem to notice.

“And the students who helped you make that ritual were the ones I saw in your memories, right?” Lyra asked, after a flash of insight.

“It took over a dozen ponies to craft that arcane working,” Luna said, slowing her pace and wiping some spittle from the edges of her mouth, “but yes, those four were among my assistants in the endeavor.”

There was a silence that felt a great deal longer to them both than it actually was. To Lyra's surprise, Queen Luna broke the silence first.

“I blamed them for what I had done,” she said in a small, wooden voice, “even though they were only assisting with what I had ordered them to do. I threatened them, I cursed them, I hurt them...” Luna bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, breathing hotly for a few seconds before she could resume speaking. Lyra shifted her body slightly so that the edges of the charcoal would not pierce her skin under the increased pressure.

“I was trying to drive them away. But no matter how much I abused them, they stayed close. They considered the fault to lie with Celestia. They said that her misrule had caused the rebellions. They said that she had used me to stop the revolts, knowing that her hooves would remain clean if I took the blame. I tried to believe them. I wanted to, and I also did not want to. That contradiction caused a rift in my soul, and through it the demon was able to tempt me. The rest... well, the result was plain enough at the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville, three years ago.”

Another long pause began. The two of them listened to the sounds of the camp. It was bustling with the activity of soldiers gathering their gear, and the barking of their superiors repeatedly telling them that this or that item was too heavy for a forced march. Whispers hung in the air as well, mostly audible only to Luna, about what was going on. It seemed no one nearby knew precisely what had happened yet, but they were already directing each other to the squad that had gone on the diplomatic expedition with Luna.

Lyra let out a grateful sigh as the pressure of the coal stroking decreased. Luna quietly directed her to close her eyes, and then blackened her eyelids as well. Lyra blinked, wrinkled up her nose, then sneezed violently directly into Luna's face. The Queen flinched with surprise, but before Lyra had time to become properly mortified, Luna laughed softly and set the piece of coal—now much smaller—aside.

Lyra sighed again, taking advantage of the drastic decrease in tension to voice her mind again. “So, on top of everything else I just learned, I also have to succeed, or you'll use a spell you made with the creators of all of the monsters in the Everfree Forest to unleash pain and death on an entire city.”

“Not death,” Luna corrected, wiping her face off with the back of her forefoot. “I can shield some from the worst of the ritual, especially ponies, as I know their minds better, but those whom I do not shield may perhaps wish for death. They will have nary a thought to spare for killing slaves when the nightmares come to them.

“I have developed a vast reservoir of the emotions that fuel this spell. Though I am stronger and wiser than I once was, I... I am afraid of what it may do, to them and to myself.”

Luna turned away and strode to the sack she had taken the charcoal from. Digging through it with her hooves, she pulled out a cape of a deep black hue. Walking over on her hindlegs, and carrying it in her forelegs, she draped the cloth over Lyra's body and tied it around her neck with a deft telekinesis spell. The cape was light and smooth to the touch, and within it were sewn many pockets of various sizes and levels of concealment.

“I have set more than far enough down this path over the last several years,” Luna said as her hooves adjusted and smoothed the cape. Then she took up the jungle leaves she had shown Lyra earlier and began tying them to her feet. “I take full responsibility for the fact that, in the end, this is my choice. But I am asking for help. I cannot forge the best possible path alone, as I once thought I could.”

“Of course I'll still do it, but, with all due respect, I'm not sure I'll be doing it for you, ma'am. I... I need time. To think. I'm sorry.” Lyra stared at her hooves, which had also been colored black.

Luna frowned deeply, but no angry reprisal or bitter rant came. “Think if thou must,” she said in a much quieter voice than Lyra had expected, “but do not let it distract thee from thy mission.”

“What should I do, exactly?” Lyra said as she investigated the various lumps and protrusions in her pockets. “What are my objectives?”

Luna's tone slipped into a military briefing style, which she welcomed with a tiny flutter of her wings. Lyra imagined that Luna much preferred this subject over the previous one. “The first objective is reconnaissance, to determine the location and disposition of the city's slaves. The second objective is to move as many as thou canst out of the city, or to a central location within if evacuation is not possible.”

Lyra thought for a second, then shook her head. “I'm really going into this blind, huh?”

“Not entirely. I have not been to this place for an entire age, so I am not able to divine every last detail of the area, but my scrying spells have produced some fairly accurate ground-level maps of the area. There is one in thy left middle pocket.

“Aside from that, much of the reason I am assigning this mission to thee is that I trust thy judgment.” Luna tried to give Lyra a small smile, but the latter mare continued to frown deeply. “Thou art greatly talented in the areas of adaptability and speedy decision-making.

“We will not be able to communicate over this distance, but the mental connection we shared today will allow brief signals, which will be experienced as small pulses in thy horn, to be sent back and forth. Once the objectives have been completed to thy satisfaction, send me one such signal. If completing them becomes impossible, send me two. If there is an emergency or a significant change in the tactical situation, send me three signals in rapid succession. Likewise, I shall send thee a signal when I am to begin the ritual. Thou hast twenty-four hours from thy departure before that happens. Questions?”

“That's really all the time you can give me?” Lyra chewed her lip.

“I dare not risk longer,” Luna replied. “That may even be too long, since the army is not moving from this location until this mission is complete. The diamond dogs will surely notice that we are not retreating entirely. Moreover, I am unsure that our psychic connection will last much longer than a day. Thus, that is the timetable with which we must work. Is there aught else?”

“No, ma'am.”

“Good hunting then, Captain.”

“'Good hunting'?” Lyra's face twisted. “That's a bit macabre for a stealth mission. I don't want to kill anyone if I don't have to.”

Luna laughed and managed a bigger smile this time. “Of course. The rules of engagement for this operation are entirely at thy discretion. 'Good hunting' is merely what soldiers used to say to one another rather than 'good luck', for the latter phrase implies that anything but the warrior's strength and skill are necessary.” Luna stopped for a moment and regarded Lyra's expression solemnly. “That being said, I would encourage thee not to hesitate to kill, should it become necessary. Mayhap thou art thinking that they are only defending their home, but do not forget that their home is built upon a system of suffering and oppression.”

“I... I'll keep that in mind, ma'am.” Lyra saluted and turned to go, but she stopped at the tent's flap. “I actually have one more question, ma'am. Why am I going alone? With such a risky operation, it seems like it would be a better idea to send more than one pony, so they can watch each other's backs and fill gaps in each other's skills.”

“It also introduces more risk of detection,” Luna said immediately. “Listen, Lyra. If thou hast no faith in my honorable intentions, then at the very least, have faith in thyself. Steel thy soul with conviction and courage, and thou shalt accomplish great deeds. We can do this if we work together, and then justice will be done.”

“Yes ma'am,” Lyra said, then stepped out into the muted silver light of the camp.

She was accosted almost immediately.

“Captain Heartstrings, is that you?” said a shocked voice from around the corner of a nearby tent. Brandywine Breeze stepped into view, mouth gaping.

“Maybe,” Lyra muttered, walking briskly toward the camp's exit.

Ensign Breeze fell in slightly behind her. “So you're a ninja now?”

“I guess so.” Lyra glared at the ground in place of glaring at her subordinate.

“That's so cool,” Brandywine said. The two of them made their way through dozens of ponies who were rushing about to prepare for the march. Lyra tried to lose Brandywine in the crowd, but the pegasus was too nimble and determined. “So what's the word, ma'am? Are we rushing in to give those damned dogs what they deserve? Or does the Queen have something else in mind?”

“I'm not at liberty to discuss the Queen's plans, Brandy,” Lyra said, channeling Luna's memories to muster up a small bit of ice in her tone.

“Okay,” Brandywine said with a dejected sigh. “Just tell me we're not retreating. We can't retreat after they cut off that poor slave's head! After all we've done, we can't run back home with our tails between our legs!”

“Brandy!” Lyra shouted, causing the Ensign to stop in her tracks. “I can't do this now. Also, stop spreading rumors when you don't know what's going on!” Lyra reached the first of the perimeter checkpoints and showed the guards her rank insignia, a circle of five silver stars, which was now pinned to the inside of her black cloak. They looked shocked, but waved her through anyway. Brandywine, whom the guards crossed their spears in front of, was shouting formal apologies at her, but the young Captain Heartstrings was already tuning her out. Her eyes, along with her thoughts, were locked on the darkness that yawned like a great, grinning maw before her. She swallowed hard, magically stretched her every sense out, then ran into the abyss.

Luna sat still, mulling over the conversation. One detail in particular stuck out: that Lyra said she was being sent away so that Luna could move against the other Captain Heartstrings while she was gone. That child hath been around far too many nobles for far too long, she thought, shaking her head, but I should check on him nonetheless. Once I see Blueblood again.

She made her way back to her private tent, noting with satisfaction that the soldiers were gradually becoming more organized. But there was a tension there as well, because they had received orders to prepare to move quickly, but no orders about where or when to move. Luna did her best to present an air of confidence and reassurance to her warriors, but it was too early to tell them what was happening. She did not yet know herself where she would order the army.

Suddenly, Luna froze. There were no royal guards posted outside her tent. Now that she thought about it, she had not seen any royal guards at all in the camp, and when she had loudly summoned “Captain Heartstrings” earlier, only Lyra had appeared. That could have been a coincidence, but maybe not. She dashed inside quickly, no longer concerned with appearances.

It was empty. He was gone.

Luna whirled around and ran up to the nearest pony, a yellow-haired earth pony who saluted and came to attention immediately at her approach, despite the watery redness in her eyes and the grinding of her teeth.

“Engineer Bright,” Luna said after a fraction of a second to recall the soldier's name, “hast thou been on duty here long?”

“Approximately three hours, ma'am,” she replied.

“Where did the royal guards posted outside of our personal tent go?”

“Approximately one hour ago, I saw Royal Guard Captain Heartstrings approach. He conversed with the two guards posted there, and the three of them left, along with Prince Blueblood. I assumed it was under your orders, ma'am.”

“Which way did they go?” Luna demanded, her voice shaking.

“Up the northeastern tunnel, ma'am,” said Engineer Bright.

“I see.” Luna gave the soldier a salute. “Carry on.”

She ran at the fullest speed she could manage in the dim, crowded camp. The northeastern tunnel was the rearmost line of defense, and back in the direction the army had came. If he is hurt... Luna growled and used her wings add more speed to the run.

Luna slowed down as she neared the guardpost there, calling out to them before she reached it. “Lieutenant Apple, hath a group of royal guards come this way?”

“Yes'm,” a green colt drawled. “They headed back up about an hour ago, I reckon.”

“Curse their hides!” Luna yelled. She started to continue straight past the checkpoint, but something stopped her.

“Did ya not want 'em to leave, ma'am?” Lieutenant Apple asked. “I apologize if'n that's the case. I take full responsibility for the mistake.”

“No, no,” said Luna. “That is, I mean to say, yes, I did not want them to depart, but there is no way thou couldst have known that. I shall not punish thee. All I command is that thou and thy company mention nothing of what you have seen here to anyone save myself. Is that understood? Good. Resume thy post, Lieutenant.”

That was when Luna realized what had stopped her from dashing off after Blueblood right away. If she left the camp now, discipline might break down. An unorganized, chaotic herd of ponies would be a much easier target than a strictly regimented encampment. But if she did not leave, she would be losing the only true piece of leverage she had over a sizable portion of Equestria's political and physical power. With House Blueblood opposed to her rule, Equestria would be severely weakened, whether they openly rebelled or not. He was... too important to her for her to just let him be taken away.

Her teeth ground harder as her head turned back and forth between her army and the pathway along which the guards had taken her Prince-to-be.

At a careful gallop, Dragon's Hoard was only a few hours away. For Lyra Heartstrings, they were long hours. Not only did she have to extend her sight and hearing down every twisting branch of tunnel to make sure nothing more dangerous than a batmole was lurking about, but her head was also swimming with thoughts.

Lyra was forced to concede that her uncle may have been right. Luna was insane. But then, thinking back on the experiences Luna had shared with her, still fresh in her mind, Lyra wondered what pony would not be. She must have gone a little crazy herself to be doing this mission. Was it contagious?

Celestia had not given up her throne willingly. Luna had overthrown her. She may have been forced into it, but the fact remained that the Princess whom Lyra had received so much wisdom and clemency from had been betrayed and locked away. Now she was working for the Princess—the Queen, legitimate or not—who had done it. How could she justify that?

A quieter thought, which she tried to suppress, came to her then. Why had Celestia not done anything about the diamond dogs before? True, it was only since the changeling invasion that their slave raids had become a significant problem, but that had still given her months to respond. Moreover, the raids had still happened occasionally for as long as Lyra could remember.

That was the thought that echoed in her mind as she began to smell something awful. Sulfur mixed with burning hair was wafting up from the downward-sloping tunnel. She drew part of the cloth of her cloak over her face to try to shield herself from the worst of it. Lyra also imagined that she had well and truly completed the ninja look now. She almost laughed, but doing anything but breathing in short, controlled bursts might have resulted in vomiting.

As she was about to reduce the power she was putting into the sense enhancement spell, she started to make out the beginnings of the “suburbs” of Dragon's Hoard. There were wooden shacks and cloth-draped holes in the obsidian walls, the same kind of shelter the underclasses had used outside of Barkstone. Lyra carefully watched and listened as she slowly drew closer to them. Only a rare animal or two stirred inside them, but Lyra searched each one anyway. Caution was more important than speed at the moment.

At last, she laid eyes on the city itself. Her golden eyes peeked out from behind two long, pointed spears of obsidian that stuck straight up out of the ground, and surveyed all that they could from her vantage point about a hundred yards away.

It was like looking at a huge black crown resting on a dais several miles in diameter. The walled city, with sharp-angled towers protruding at varying yet symmetrical heights almost to the roof of the enormous cavern, was surrounded by a deep, unnaturally smooth moat. Or at least it would have been a moat, if it were not empty. As it was, it was just a very deep, very wide pit. There was one drawbridge made of steel in sight, currently raised. The bottom of it was blackened and warped, as if it had been exposed to high heat on a regular basis. The entire city was lit by red light emanating from magma-filled tubes that lined the streets. The light, and the long shadows it cast on the huge obsidian cavern, was constantly shifting as the molten rock flowed through the pipes. Lyra would have applauded the ingenuity on display, if it did not look so darn... sinister.

Lyra drew out the map of the city and studied it for the third time, frowning at it. Considering the fact that Luna had said she had not done the best job with it she could have, the level of detail was astounding. It included not only every street, but every alley and alcove as well. Luna's educated guesses as to the uses of some of the larger buildings had been elegantly written in the margins of the parchment as well. She even included the educational factoid that the magma pipes were also used to provide heat for the underground metropolis. However, the map had one crucial flaw. It stopped at the city walls, and thus entirely neglected the gigantic pit that encircled them.

“Welp,” Lyra whispered. “That's a big pit, and there's only one bridge over it. It sure would be nice if I could fly or something. But 'we are underground', she said. 'What purpose would that serve?' she said. Go bite a horseapple, Your Majesty.”

She meant it as good-natured ribbing, and only to herself at that, but just the same, Lyra craned her neck around, expecting Luna to somehow appear and give her a week of armor polishing duty for insubordination. She was about to kick herself for being ridiculous when the gesture actually allowed her to spot some movement at the edge of her vision.

Coming out from another tunnel closer to the drawbridge, a trio of diamond dogs was hauling a cart laden with gems. About five helmeted heads popped up from the wall's battlements and shouted down to the newcomers. She focused her magic, taking great care to control it enough that her horn would not start to glow, and stretched her ears forward.

Lyra did not understand much of the diamond dog language, but there seemed to be a hostility to the conversation of yelps and barks. Definitely something about a “war” and “no refugees.” The dogs who had brought up the cart took a few gems from it and pointed back and forth between the gems and the guards. She heard something about “understanding”, and she could swear she saw one of them wink. This is a heck of a spell, she thought with wonder, followed by an alien up-swell of anger and pain. Too bad it reminds me of Luna and Zecora whenever I use it.

The helmets disappeared. A few minutes later, the drawbridge began to lower. As soon as it thunk-ed down onto the stone on the other side, the three new arrivals hurried across with their cart full of precious stones. It was a good thing for them that they did, too, because it started to rise again before they had made it all the way across.

Lyra slowly released most of the energy she had been funneling into the sense enhancement spell, keeping only enough to prevent any passersby from getting the drop on her. As she relaxed her magical muscles and let go of the artificial emotions that came with them, she began turning her mind to the more mundane task of plotting. She schemed in the dark for several minutes, idly scratching herself as she thought—and quickly stopping herself each time, so as not to ruin her disguise.

Then Lyra stood up on her hind legs and began adjusting her cape so that it covered most of her body, especially her mane and tail. She pulled the hood over her head and, using two twigs from a nearby hovel, created two elongated points underneath the hood, higher than her horn. She gathered power to cast her voice alteration spell, adding some of the arcanolimbic power imparted by Luna to be absolutely sure it was perfect. It made her queasy to recall the beaten image of Celestia that came with those memories, but there was no room for mistakes here. She whispered several tongue-twisters and it took everything in her power not to burst out laughing.

Her preparations complete, Lyra strode out from her hiding place with purpose and confidence, walking effortlessly on her hind legs. Who's weird for practicing that all the time now, Bon Bon? She grinned, and the grin got wider when she realized that Bon Bon would probably answer something like, “Still you, love.” Hopefully followed by some nuzzling and kissing.

Lyra walked right up to the edge of the pit and, before any of the guards could challenge her, she shouted, “I am Rusa Kitanenos, duly-elected King of the Black Mountain minotaurs, and I demand entrance to your city so that I may conduct business!” It was bit of a gamble to say it in Equine, but that was the general language of trade in most of the world.

Also, Lyra's voice came out as a male, boisterous, basso rumble, and she struggled to repress a fit of howling laughter.

Some quick, confused whispering and yipping issued from the guardpost across the drawbridge.

“There's a war on, Your Majesty,” said a nasally diamond dog. “Business is closed.”

“What's your name, kid?” Lyra asked loudly, folding her forelegs over her chest to look important, and to hide her hooves from scrutiny.

“Rufus,” he answered hesitantly. Another diamond dog spoke immediately after him in their language. Lyra could piece together enough to figure out that he was translating their conversation for the others.

“I like you, Rufus.” Lyra laughed heartily, and she threw in a little extra magic to make the laugh echo in the cavern. “You've got a good head on your shoulders, a strong sense of duty. I really admire that, especially considering how rare it is in the brokering business. Tell you what. You let me in, and I'll guarantee you a cut of my profits. Ten percent straight off the top. What do you say?”

There were more hurried whispers, this time between two of the guards—Rufus and the translator. It seemed like Rufus very much did not want the latter to tell the others everything she had just said. Lyra smiled. Eventually, Rufus growled in a low tone, ending their conversation.

“Make it fifteen,” he said begrudgingly. Lyra could not see the guards clearly from her vantage point, but she had the delicious image of him glaring at the translator for depriving him of some of his bribe.

“Fifteen!” Lyra shouted. “So you're a good guard and a good negotiator too? A double threat! We'll have to talk about you joining my team once I wrap up my business here. You have yourself a deal!”

Lyra fought down the urge to do some hoof-pumping as the drawbridge lowered. She strolled across it smoothly, and this time it did not start rising until she was all the way across.

She found herself underneath a high archway made of stone, with a portcullis—currently raised, thankfully—separating the post from the city. There were small stairwells to either side, and there was currently one fully-armed and armored diamond dog waiting at the bottom of each, with more coming down from the ramparts. They eyed her, clearly expecting someone much larger and more bull-like. Enough of her features were covered up that it was still possible she could be a minotaur, though, as long as she gave them no reason or time to think she could be anything else.

They were all wielding bows, swords, metal claws, or some combination of the three, and they all wore heavy plate armor. This was no border-town garrison. Lyra picked the one who had the most decorations on his armor and fixed her yellow eyes on him.

“I know you're wondering where my money is, Rufus,” she said. “A smart kid like you would have to be. To be honest, I haven't made it yet. But my business is making deals happen. Because I'm such a decent guy who just wants everypo—sorry, I spent way too much time in Equestria recently—everyone to get along, they insist on paying me good money for it. You won't regret this, Rufus, I promise.”

“How long will you be staying?” the dog she was talking to asked. Lyra had guessed his identity correctly, it would seem. Another diamond dog who had come down the same stairwell started muttering, but she could not understand him with so little of her mystical resources currently devoted to extending her perceptions.

“Hard to say, especially if there's a war on like you said.” Lyra looked down the wide cobblestone boulevard that the gateway opened onto. There was no one walking on it for quite some distance, and there were plenty of side streets and alleys in view. “I'd love to talk about that more, but I have a meeting scheduled. Can you direct me to the Broker's Guild?”

Rufus gave her some vague directions.

“So how do I get in touch with you, kid? Is this your usual post?”

“Yes,” he said, buffing up a smear on his armor with the back of his paw. “I have the honor of keeping watch over the only way in or out of Dragon's Hoard. Just ask for me when your business is done.”

“Will do!” Lyra flashed him a smile, her white teeth joining her eyes in clashing wildly with her black outfit and body. “Take it easy, everybody!”

She continued her way into the city, upright and proud, past a group of flabbergasted diamond dog soldiers, ready to take on the world. Then she heard a lot of sniffing sounds.

“Wait,” another diamond dog said, probably the translator, since he said it in Equine. “What's that smell? Smells like... coal?”

Oh, crap. “Probably all this sulfur in the air,” Lyra said, waving a carefully covered hoof dismissively, “messing with your noses.”

“You don't smell like a minotaur either.”

“I already told you I've spent a lot of time in Equestria. I go where the work is, buddy.”

She turned to leave again, making it almost to the portcullis before she was commanded to halt. Lyra was preparing to turn around and indignantly claim outrageous discrimination when her ears caught the distinctive sound of bowstrings being drawn back.

“Nut-bunnies!” she cried, with the word “nut” coming out in her macho minotaur voice, and the word “bunnies” coming out in her regular, high-pitched pony voice as she dismissed all of her spells to concentrate on escaping.

Lyra immediately went to all four hooves and dashed for the end of the gateway. Several well-aimed warning shots completely missed her thanks to the drop; they might have hit her forelegs or shoulders otherwise. The diamond dogs shouted, barked, and ran after her. The worst sound, however, was the click as one of them pulled a lever, and the heavy metal portcullis was released. Lyra threw her body into a low, desperate slide, praying to as many stars as she could remember in the microsecond of time she had.

The steel spikes of the portcullis caught the very edge of her cape and a little bit of her mane too. She yelped and ripped both out so she could resume running. The diamond dogs started yelling at each other, presumably because they had just blocked themselves off from chasing her. Still, Lyra had noticed that the gaps in the bars were large enough to fire arrows through, and judging from the sound of more arrows being drawn, they realized it too.

“Serpentine, serpentine!” Lyra reminded herself, and she started zigging and zagging back and forth down the street, making for the second-nearest alley. The nearest would be just what they would be expecting, and right now she needed to do the unexpected.

“It's a pony!” she heard from behind her, in both the diamond dog and pony languages. While her mane was black as night, it was definitely a mane, and her horn was hard to miss. One of the guards began a loud, steady bark, which was soon answered from other locations in the distance, which were in turn answered by more barking farther away. Great, I sounded the alarm already.

Several more arrows whizzed by Lyra, one sailing by right next to her ear and lodging itself in a barrel nearby. They may not be the brightest bunch, Lyra thought, but some of them can really shoot.

She heaved a sigh of relief as that was the last volley they could get off before she turned into the alleyway she had been running for. The alley was lit by only one thin tube of flowing magma, which also did not do as good a job of heating the area as the two huge pipes on the connecting boulevard did. She was between two tall buildings, one that seemed to rise up, fully-formed, from the obsidian around it, and another that was made of bright red bricks. If she remembered the map accurately, the brick building was an apartment, while the other was a military storehouse. They were both probably well-secured now, but apartments, Lyra knew, tended to generate a lot of trash. In fact, there was a large pile of it in this very alley.

She knew it would not matter much, but she still took in a deep breath before diving into the pile of refuse. She positioned herself to have a good, easy view of both ends of the alley, and then settled in to wait. Lyra gulped when she saw, from underneath an inordinate amount of banana peels, that two diamond dog soldiers had entered the alley. As they drew nearer, she gathered energy to ready Luna's invisibility spell just in case, using the strength of Luna's memories of her ancient palace to make sure it would work. She held her breath and her power simultaneously. It would be best not to use such a difficult spell so early in the mission, but things were not looking good.

The sniffing, searching diamond dogs walked within only a few feet of Lyra's hiding place... and kept moving. They were padding along quickly, probably expecting a pony to continue running. Lyra caught a whiff of some old eggs and briefly wished she had done that instead. She knew it was for the best though, because despite some pretty large search parties moving up and down the streets both to her left and right, no one else gave the alley a second glance.

After ten minutes of a true test of her endurance, the alarm barks died down, and the patrols slowed to one every five minutes or so. Slowly, carefully, she took advantage of the lull to bring out her map.

The central slave market would probably be a good place to start. And, of course, it was smack dab in the middle of the city. The smell she was surrounded by dampened her ninja's confidence somewhat, but Lyra picked several possible routes to memorize, stowed the map away, and nodded firmly. She would just need to wait for a gap in the search parties, then she would be off. She was Lyra Hearstrings, and she could do this, even if almost everything had gone wrong so far. Nowhere to go but up.

Author's Notes:

I was all set to put up an informative but apologetic world-building blogpost when I realized, with the help of the illustrious Stryke, that I had enough material for a full-length update already. It does mean this will actually be a "four-part chapter", but I hope there's enough awesome here for you to forgive me a little sprawl. It turns out the characters had a lot more to say than I thought they would in my outline. I love when that happens.

Chapter 20: Dreams of War (Part 4 of 4)

Luna galloped up the tunnels, heedless of any dangers that may have begun to sneak back in the wake of the army. The darkness was nearly total, but with a spell that transformed her eyes into the sharp, narrow ones of a dragon, that was little impediment to her speed. She did crash into a few walls, but not nearly as many as she would have if she tried to rely on nothing but a light spell, and her armor absorbed the impacts besides. The bruises would likely heal before she noticed them.

At each major intersection, Luna focused her will into her crown, calling upon the power of the jewel inside to aid her far-seeing spell. While she did not know the area well, she did know Blueblood well. His hair, his scent, his scar, his selfishness. Each time, she caught a perfect glimpse of him, still shining in her vision despite the dirt and betrayal. The sight of him surrounded by her own royal guards made her force her aching legs onward even faster. They were moving at a quick but steady pace, and if she sprinted, she should be able to catch them in less than an hour.

She only slowed at all when she started to feel hoofbeats ahead. It was faint, but Luna's earth pony magic was rarely mistaken about what she felt through through the earth. Thinking back to her maps, Luna carefully searched the next few tunnels for one of the secret alcoves and hidden passageways that the creatures of the deeps had fashioned out of the black stone. If she could cut them off at the next pass, she could end all of this foolishness.

One such passage was hidden on the ceiling of one of the taller sections of tunnel. Luna flapped her powerful wings up toward it and managed to squeeze her bulk inside. It was a small but smooth hole, probably bored by a magma-breathing monster of some kind. Luna recalled her decades spent training with the tiger yogis of Rajastan. Using that knowledge and a bit of magic, she stretched and contorted her limbs in distinctly un-pony ways, making good progress through the twisting tunnel. It was not long before she noticed her eye slits begin to narrow. They were adjusting to a dim, multi-hued light coming from the end of the tunnel. She thought of Lyra then, and hoped her captain would forgive her for what she was about to do.

"Alright, that's enough!" Rufus shouted at the alarm dog, covering his ears with his paws. He gave the dog a quick kick to emphasize the point. He yelped at the blow, stopping his loud, rhythmic barking. The other alarm dogs on the wall followed suit. “They got the message.”

He watched the initial pursuers go after the minotaur, or pony, or whatever it was, but when they disappeared from sight, Rufus turned his attention to the remaining guards nearby.

“We're going to keep this search quick and organized,” he said to his assembled pack, pacing back and forth in front of them. “Teams of two, with check-ins every ten minutes. Capture the intruder alive if you can, but kill her if you have to. Unicorns are the most dangerous breed of pony. Start with the farthest streets in this sector, secure them, then work your way in. Got it?”

“What will you be doing, Rufus?” one guard asked.

“Making sure the gate is secure, obviously,” he replied, a low growl coming from deep in his throat. “This could easily be a distraction. Any other useless questions?”

They answered in the negative, then formed into pairs, and began running into the city, weapons drawn. Once Rufus was sure everyone except for the two dogs in the floor above protecting the drawbridge controls was gone, he tentatively pulled out the bribes he had collected for the day.

“Have to hide these before the bosses get here,” he muttered. He took a moment to admire the gems, hoping this would finally be enough for him to buy his first servant.

He had been saving for months, determined to find a product that could do all the menial tasks at home for him. He was a soldier; he did not have time to cook, and the work was frankly beneath him. He deserved better. Rufus prayed that this whole business about executing all the pony slaves was just a bluff. Broken ponies made the best workers. Bonus if he could get a bright-plumed pegasus—with clipped wings of course—to show off to everyone he knew.

Going over to a loose stone in the wall, he pried the block out to reveal his stash. It was practically bursting with gems and coins. Pushing as hard as he could, Rufus managed to stuff the sack inside. He would have to transfer it home once this pony nonsense blew over, but for now, he managed to wedge the block back in place and sprinkle a fresh line of scent-defeating powder along its edges.

Once his lucre was hidden, Rufus brought out a map of the city and spread it out over the table. As he munched on his ration of cheese for the day, he called in each of his subordinates one by one and told them which areas to search. Also one by one, he received reports that they had found nothing. An hour passed, then another, and there was still no sign of that cursed pony. He felt like flipping the table over, or throwing it at someone, but no one was in sight.

As soon as the party of royal guards and the young Blueblood, their horns shining brightly, was about to pass the exit of the secret tunnel, Queen Luna leaped down from it. She did not so much as spread her wings to slow her descent, taking the impact of the twenty-foot fall entirely on her metal boots. The ground shook and cracked, the guards reflexively assumed defensive stances, and Blueblood screamed.

“Nightmare Moon!” he yelled. He lacked a weapon, but he went into a fighting stance anyway a fraction of a second after the guards surrounding him did.

Luna tilted her head at him. The eyes. Since she was surrounded by the light of several unicorns' spells now, she blinked, and her slitted eyes returned to her natural pony ovals. Despite that, he was still stricken still by fear. She felt the hurt of seeing that look on his handsome face even through the roiling mass of anger inside. Luna attempted to harness both emotions as she spoke.

“Whither do you go?” she demanded, meeting the wary, almost-as-fearful stares of each guard in turn. “We have not given you leave to depart.”

Captain Heartstrings stopped pointing his spear at her, and the rest of the company followed suit. He still leaned on the vertical shaft, however, in a pose from which he could quickly bring it back to bear.

“We learned that Prince Blueblood has been kept in your camp against his will,” he answered. “Because we are obviously neither needed nor wanted by your side, I made the decision to return him home.”

“Thou cannot possibly be unaware that such a decision is not within thy power.” Luna growled. “Return him to me at once.”

“He isn't yours.” Gethsemane Heartstrings tensed, lowering his stance. His soldiers, some with shaking knees, also crouched.

“This is treason,” Luna said quietly, drawing her body up higher in response to their aggression. Her neck was stiff and straight, and she thrust her chest out toward them. If she were unarmored, it would have made her completely vulnerable. In her full suit of moonsilver plate, it made her grim and defiant.

There were fourteen of them, six unicorns, four pegasi, and four earth ponies, and only one of her, and despite all her power, she would die if she killed one of them. They did not know about that curse, of course, but that made it no less dangerous. These guards were no match for her individually, but working together, there was a good chance they could subdue or kill her. Even so, she did not waver. Luna knew that this confrontation had been destined to happen since the moment she took the crown.

“Your Majesty, if I may?” Blueblood suddenly pressed forward. There was a quiver in his voice, but he managed to stand between Luna and the guards before anyone could stop him. “I'm afraid there has been some miscommunication here.”

“What?” Both the Queen and the Captain demanded to know what he meant at the same time.

“You see, I originally was there against my will, and I may have let that slip to some of the guards.” He sighed and shook his head. “Completely unintentionally, I mean. I had no idea they would plot to take me away. I was just going along with what they said. But by the time they decided to act, my wonderful time spent with you had turned me around. I wanted to stay. I tried to tell them, but...”

“You lying snake!” Captain Heartstrings spat at Blueblood's hooves, which he automatically tried to remove from the line of fire, unsuccessfully. “This was your idea!”

“All I said was that I wanted to go home.” Blueblood closed his eyes. By the time he opened them again, they were turned toward Luna, with actual tears brimming around the edges. “But now, not if that means leaving my bride.”

“You're going to stay and marry the pony you just called Nightmare Moon?” Gethsemane asked, his body frozen in place.

Blueblood walked to Luna's side slowly, then turned around to face the royal guards. He jumped slightly as he felt feathers brush his back. Luna had unfolded one of her wings and draped it protectively over him. The gesture was kind and intimate... but the look on her face was not. He gulped.

“Y-Yes.” He managed to croak, and the wing hug tightened, a little too much to be entirely comfortable.

“There,” said Luna, craning her head down to glare at Blueblood with her brow furrowed, while she kept watch on the party of guards out of the corner of her eyes. “Now there is no further reason for us to quarrel. Stand down.”

“Hello there, sergeant,” a languid voice said to Rufus from across the table. It was very nearly flung at the voice’s head.

Ludwig, the official “delegate” of the city council, stood there in his pure white robe, flanked by two armed guards whose clothing was anything but pure. Some of the bloodstains could not have been more than a day old.

“What do you want?” Rufus demanded, perhaps a little too loudly.

“Oh, I want for nothing,” Ludwig said, holding up his paws innocently. “As always, I am here on behalf of others. In this instance, I represent the Diamond Doge.”

“Th-The Dogfather?” Rufus felt his mouth start to dry. The Diamond Doge was the oldest and most powerful patrician in the entire Underdark, the closest thing the diamond dogs' loose confederation of mercantile city-states had to a leader. He had been visiting Dragon's Hoard when the city was locked down due to the advancing pony army, and he had not been in a very good mood since then. “What does he want with me?”

“Standard inquiries, I'm sure,” said Ludwig, rolling his eyes. “I highly doubt it has anything to do with the impropriety of you letting any outsider with enough money buy their way in.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Rufus said, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two burly guards next to Ludwig. They were bigger than he was, and they had better weapons, too. “And even if I did, the fact would remain that all the other gate commanders are doing the same thing.”

“I really, truly, do not care.” Ludwig turned away. “Come along.”

“I'm on guard duty,” Rufus protested. “And we're kind of in the middle of a situation. I can't abandon my post.”

“Evidently, someone thinks you already have.” Ludwig did not turn around. “Just close the gate for the day. I'm sure our brave and noble dogs of war can handle one enemy agent. Now, are you coming, or are you so tired from your duties that my associates here need to carry you?”

“No, no, I'm fine.” Rufus gulped, followed them out of the gateway, and used his keys to lock it down. He informed the gatekeepers that he was leaving, and they lowered the inner portcullis with a sharp clang that made Rufus flinch. Flanked by the enforcers, he was led to the wealthiest neighborhood in the city.

Shacks and tents gave way to obsidian apartments, rising higher as they moved down steadily wider and better-maintained streets, which in turn gave way to long fields of imported flora. Palm trees, rose bushes, and blue grasses almost grew over the path, though some of it had started to turn brown. With the water supply being rationed, even the rich had to prioritize between drinking and watering the lawns separating them from the rest of the city.

Every now and then, Rufus caught glimpses of shapes moving through the trees. They had animals down here too? His desperation to live such a luxurious life swelled up again.

The trees parted, and, though he had seen the sight several times during his time in the military, he still had to catch his breath. The houses—the mansions, the palaces—here were made out of polished stone and marble of every bright color imaginable, brought in at what must have been tremendous cost from faraway cities. The entire neighborhood was covered by a vast enchanted tarp, which radiated a white color that those who had been to the surface claimed felt just like the morning sun. Rufus would not know, but one day he vowed he would. For now, he basked in the alien but comforting glow, sniffing at the wealth of scents the patricians imported so that they would not have to smell the rest of the city. The flowers, incenses, candles, and shrubs almost made him forget why he was being brought here.

The huge iron wall with barbed wire decorated like rose vines did a good job reminding him, though. Ludwig stopped before the entrance to the mansion and hailed the private security dogs inside. The building at the end of the small rock road was not the most ostentatious in the neighborhood, but it did boast a working fountain and some elaborate columns, which evoked an ancient dignity surpassing the other houses.

The party followed the path and, once again, Rufus flinched when he heard the gate shut behind him. He was led through hallways containing vases and artifacts which he had to stop himself from trying to stuff in his coat. The carpets felt warmer and softer than his bed. Well, the marble floors were probably softer than his bed, but that was beside the point.

A cough drew Rufus out of his greedy reverie, turning his attention to the lush red couch across the room from him. Reclined on it was a corpulent old dog whose face was so thick that Rufus could not see his eyes from this distance. Next to him stood a distinguished-looking gentledog in a black tuxedo. As Rufus and his “escort” entered, the dog on the couch began to mumble something in a language he did not recognize. The dog in the suit bent down respectfully, turning his ear toward the Diamond Doge's flapping jowls.

“The Dogfather wishes to know,” he translated, “if this is the commander of the gate.”

“Tell us where Celestia is, and we'll consider surrendering.” Captain Heartstrings stared at Luna and the young Blueblood. The other guards continued to stand ready, even the guards of the night.

“My sister's location is no concern of yours,” Luna whispered.

“She is the rightful ruler of Equestria,” he responded. Before he had even finished the sentence, he was lunging forward, his back legs sending him flying forward with his spear gripped tightly in his forelegs. It was pointed toward one of the knee joints in Luna's armor. She had expected him to try to disable her rather than kill her, and having correctly anticipated his movement, Luna was able to roll to one side with liquid grace. Gethsemane's spear struck the obsidian floor with a shower of sparks. In the sudden influx of bright light, Luna saw four more spears coming toward her in the same manner. She also saw Blueblood backing well out of the way. Her expression turned fiercer.

The first two, coming toward her from the front, she deflected with a translucent hemisphere of scintillating white and blue magic, sending sparks of the same hue flying in every direction. The second two attackers rushed her from the sides, just around her shield. The stallion to her right was aiming poorly, so with a slight adjustment of the angle of her body, she absorbed the entire blow with her armor. The equal and opposite reaction he got in return sent him sprawling to the ground at her feet. Luna took advantage of the position to deliver a light jab to his helmet, which was still powerful enough to disorient and stun him for several seconds.

The mare charging from the left was angling her spear to push upward and into the plates on her belly. At the last second before impact, Luna's wing flew up, swatting the spear away and sending the guard sprawling onto her back. Luna rotated the wing and used it to conjure a small, smoky vortex that sent the attacker skidding and spinning even farther across the floor.

Just then, Luna felt the impact of four powerful lances of magical energy striking her shield, the strongest from Captain Heartstrings. She grunted viciously as she pushed back, forcing the wall of energy slowly toward them.

“Luna, above you!” Blueblood shouted to her. She flicked her head up soon enough to block the diving kick from the first pegasus, but the second slammed his foot directly into her spine. Her legs gave out from the combined force of gravity and his body, and she hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of her. As she struggled for breath, Luna rolled to her back and bucked at her attacker, but he had already flown out of range. The force of the kick was still enough to generate a blast of wind and knock him off course, sending him careening into a wall.

The attack had diverted Luna's attention away from her magical shield, allowing all six unicorns to unleash attack spells at her and score several hits. Her armor absorbed the blows, but the kinetic force was enough to send her rolling and crashing across the ground. Luna bared her teeth and rose slowly to her feet. Her rear was now to a wall, so she did not have to put nearly as much energy into her barrier, but it was taking a lot of concentration to maintain. It would significantly reduce her reflexes in fending off the rest of the party, seven ponies closing in on her from both sides.

All while Blueblood watched from the sidelines. He had picked up the spear from the pegasus who had slammed into the opposite wall and was tentatively nudging him with it. The royal guard was not moving, nor breathing. A cold claw closed around her heart.

“No!” she screamed. The outburst of sound was backed by magic, but it would have given everyone in the tunnel pause even if it were not. They faltered for just a moment. She whipped her magical shield to the side, sending the bolts of magic bouncing far down the tunnel and out of the way. Luna dropped the defensive spell and focused all her energy into her legs and wings. With another shout, she rushed forward, propelling herself to the other side in a blur. She sent the unicorns scattering like bowling pins and halted before the collapsed guard. Blueblood backed away from her, but all of Luna's attention was focused on the body.

A soft verdant light began to radiate from her horn, and it created a smoky tendril that wound itself lightly around the fallen royal guard. The spell told her that his heart was still beating, but if she did not get him breathing again soon, he would die in less than a minute... and she along with him. The very curse she had created would seize and destroy her body for breaking her oath to kill no ponies, if the guards behind her did not kill her first. Luna willed the green smoke into the pegasus's airway and began working on healing his lungs.

Sudden pain threatened to break the delicate spell entirely. Before she could think to create another shield between herself and her attackers, they had closed the distance and driven four strong kicks at her sides and hind legs. Luna felt herself jostled back and forth as they struck her only seconds apart. One kick bent her knee the wrong direction and would have broken bones if not for her reinforced armor. She howled and roared, kicking blindly with her good leg, but if she put too much attention on defending herself, she would not be able to heal the unconscious guard's lungs. She redoubled her efforts on the spell, making the smoke force him to breathe and circulate his blood until she could repair him enough that he could breathe on his own.

“What is she doing to him?” a royal guard said, raising her voice above the tumult.

“It can't be good,” Captain Heartstrings shouted back. “Stop her!”

“Ye—“ Rufus started to answer the Doge, but Ludwig jammed a paw into his mouth.

“Of course, Dogfather,” Ludwig said with a bow and a smile that helped ease the displeasure on the faces of the Doge and his translator. “I have brought him as you asked. Do you wish me to stay?”

The tuxedoed dog nodded. He spoke quietly into the Diamond Doge's huge, floppy ear, then listened as another torrent of mumbling came forth.

“While the Dogfather admires his determination to better his station in life,” he said in their common language again, “he questions the wisdom of him doing so during a time such as this.”

“I am sure he regrets his actions, Dogfather,” Ludwig said, paw still in Rufus' mouth.

It took every ounce of self-control he had not to bite, or at least growl.

“He may speak now,” the translator said after listening to more of the Doge's deep, grumbling, incomprehensible speech.

Ludwig bared his teeth as he withdrew his paw, and Rufus returned the gesture.

“I don't, Dogfather,” Rufus said with a snarl, stunning everyone in the room, from the stoic guards to the dog in the expensive suit. “I'm a dog of war, not some sniveling lawyer, and I won't be treated like this another second.” He strode forward several feet, only stopping when he heard the pull of bowstrings from behind several elegant tapestries and drapes. “For your information, it was a unicorn glamoured to look like a minotaur, and minotaurs are still allowed to buy passage into the city. I did nothing wrong. In fact, I'm doing something wrong now by being strong-armed into coming here instead of leading the search myself!”

Once he was done with his tirade, Rufus felt like the floor was dropping out from under him. The guard dogs rested their paws on the hilts of their swords, and the Diamond Doge's face darkened as his companion bent down and slowly interpreted what Rufus had said.

“Be that as it may,” the Doge said through the voice of his interpreter, “the fact that there is now a pony in the city constitutes a breach of the ultimatum delivered to Equestria. After speaking with the council of your fair city, the Dogfather has convinced them to stop equivocating and take action. All pony slaves in the city are to be put to death immediately, and their heads are to adorn spikes along the walls.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Rufus demanded.

The dog in the suit bent down closer as the Doge's voice became quiet and menacing. “The Dogfather's first instinct is to have your head join them, but since he is not the ruler of this city, and because he is a generous and forgiving lord, he has persuaded the city council to give you a different task as a second chance. You are to oversee the aforementioned slaughter until it is complete. Do that, and your life will be spared.”

“What, that's it?” Rufus glared and stood his ground, despite the guard dogs inching closer to him. He gulped. “Fine, but killing civilians isn't in my job description. I expect to be compensated if you're going to use my skills for something so far beneath me.”

The translator told the Diamond Doge what Rufus said with a grave, pale face. The Doge, however, began to laugh, sending his rolls of flabby skin rippling along his body. Then he spoke softly again, and Rufus thought he caught a glint in his beady eyes.

“The Dogfather says you will be rewarded handsomely... if you do as he asks.”

The Doge extended one of his paws, pointing a huge diamond ring directly at Rufus. Somehow, he was not dead, though he could still feel the arrows pointed on him as he crossed the distance to pay his respect to the Doge.

“Yes, Dogfather,” Rufus said as he kissed the diamond, vowing that one day it would be his. “Thank you, Dogfather.”

The Diamond Doge gave him a talisman, a necklace carved from jade and adorned with diamonds in the facets, each diamond delicately etched with the family seal of the Doge. He said a few more words directly to Rufus in the old language The gentledog standing at the side of the couch did not translate them. From the look Rufus saw in the old patrician's rheumatic blue eyes, he concluded that that was for the best.

Luna felt the pressure of six unicorns uniting their efforts into a single counterspell. Her head felt heavy. She squinted and winced as she breathed more green smoke into her patient, and she watched in dismay as auras of six hues swept most of the smoke away. She saw more spears coming toward her. Though she did her best to dodge, three of them got past her defenses.

Two of the strikes were blocked by a downward slam of another spear, wielded by Blueblood. The third struck her side hard enough to create a huge dent in her mystical plate and crack her ribs. The metal point of the weapon shattered in the process, and the wooden haft splintered into useless shards, but that was a small comfort for the incredible pain pressing on her mind.

Luna heard the sounds of steel against steel, hooves striking armor and flesh, behind her. She did not know what Blueblood was thinking, trying to take on so many by himself, but if it bought her a few more seconds to complete her spell, she would not object.

“I must heal this one, lest he die,” she said hoarsely over her shoulder, tasting blood with each word. “Defend me but a few seconds more.”

He grunted and mingled the remaining energy of Luna's shield with a novice shield spell of his own. Neither spell by itself would have been enough, but together, it formed a sufficiently strong barrier against magical and physical attacks to keep most of the guards at bay. It did not completely surround them, however, so two guards were able to close in and attack Blueblood with the butts of their spears. Having apparently taken his cue from Luna, Blueblood did the same in trying to make his attacks nonlethal. He was a good warrior, but not good enough to avoid several crunching blows that made Luna wince in sympathy.

The guard she was administering began to take slow, ragged breaths. He was still unconscious, but he was stable now. The icy touch in the pit of her soul lessened slightly, and she came close to laughing with joy, despite him being an enemy. Instead of laughing, Luna focused her excited energy on whirling around and unleashing a multi-pronged spear of dark purple magic from her horn. The energy struck the guards nearest to Blueblood at the base of their hooves. They fell, screaming in agony as their hooves cracked and burned inside the superheated boots they wore. It was nothing that intensive healing spells could not cure, but it would slow them down greatly.

One of the ones to fall was a unicorn, leaving only five to begin blasting her with spells again. This time she was ready. Luna took Blueblood's flimsy but appreciated shield spell in her aura and magnified it, creating a nearly impenetrable bubble of force. A barrage of spells of fire, lightning, and pure magic of many shades were reflected from her into the walls of the cavern, creating a raging cacophony of colors which the obsidian rock dulled and absorbed.

The unicorns finally let up their attack. They were panting hard, and one of them had a scorched horn that would now be useless. Another's horn was sending out a cascade of weak sparks. It was time to finish them.

Luna smiled a wicked smile and took one step forward. The guards regrouped, the still-moving non-unicorns forming a wall around the magic casters. As soon as she went one step forward, she felt a touch at the tip of her horn, as if it had been lightly tapped with a hammer. She shook it off as a side effect of bearing the full brunt of so many spells at once and took another step forward. Then she felt a distant, hazy mix of emotions that were clearly not hers. Desperation, hope, eagerness. Lyra was calling her.

Luna's movement ceased, and at the same time, her mind began to race. If she did not leave to lead the army right away, she would be jeopardizing the lives of every slave in Dragon's Hoard even more than she already was. But if she did not finish and exile these traitors, the royal guard would surely turn against her en masse. Moreover, they might be able to recapture Blueblood and take him home. Without him as a hostage, Blueblood the Elder would be uncooperative at best, rebellious at worst.

Why could Lyra not have taken a little longer?

“It's too bad you're not long for this world,” Ludwig remarked as he strolled out of the estate with Rufus. “That was mildly interesting. Dare I ask where that sudden bout of backbone came from?”

“None of your business, whelp,” Rufus spat back. “Am I free to go, or do you politicians want to jerk me around some more?”

“No, we're quite through... for now.” With a gesture, the huge bodyguards fell in around Ludwig and followed him to another of the mansions, presumably on another errand. He called back as he strolled away, “Oh, and that was too formal a situation to mention it before, but you smell like garbage. You may want to consider a bath too.”

“I'll save the bath for after I take care of your pony problem for you.” Rufus turned on his heel and strode away, making for the central market, which was quite a distance away. There were no carts or anything to commandeer, but he had to pick up other soldiers for this little task anyway. He recruited a gang from among lower-ranked and particularly ruthless soldiers he met along the way. Just twenty of them, so as not to draw too many forces away from the search parties.

Already he missed the wealthy quarter. There were no exotic plants to smell, the only sights to see were the occasional sculpture depicting the ancestral benefactors of the city to the unwashed masses, and the crimson glow of the heating tubes was a very poor substitute for the soft light of the pseudo-sun.

Rufus idly inquired how the search was going as he pined. There had been numerous sightings of the black figure they had taken to calling “Goldeneyes”, but many of them were rumors from the lower classes and could not be trusted. More promising, given a loose definition of “promising”, were reports from slaveholders of their servants vanishing. Some of them claimed to see a black shape somewhere nearby when it happened, but none could agree on what it looked like. One said it was a diamond dog, another a minotaur, another a pony, and yet another an incorporeal shadow being. The one feature they did agree on was a pair of bright yellow eyes shining from the darkness... watching them before they disappeared into the shadows again.

“Just find her already!” Rufus told the soldiers whom he was not recruiting for his current job. “If you're not going to use your heads, you can at least use your noses!”

He turned to the dogs following him. “As for you, I want you going door to door to find everyone who owns a pony slave. Tell them that the Diamond Doge has graciously offered to buy the ponies at double the going rate, for the inconvenience. Then bring them to the indoor market. I'm going ahead to seal off the area.”

Along one of the city's central avenues, with the slave market visible in the distance, Rufus saw a sight that made him groan and scrunch up his nose—beggars. He would have to shove his way through a mob of useless roustabouts.

“Please, sir, my food rations for the week are gone, and I have a child!” a black-coated dog pleaded, pawing desperately at him with her weak, scrawny legs. The sentiment was echoed by several more of them, pressing closer and closer, getting black grime all over his uniform.

“Don't touch me!” Rufus kicked them away, sending them whimpering back to the alley they probably lived in. “I'm a defender of this great city. I am not a charity. Maybe you should be more careful with your rations next week, idiots!”

Another group of beggars swarmed him halfway down the street, then another as he neared the end. He had to draw his blade and threaten them with it just to get through, his other paw clutching the diamond necklace to keep them from grabbing it. What should have been a five minute walk ended up taking half an hour. It was somewhat jarring to see so many of the destitute in one place. If that pony army had not shown up, the city guard would have had enough resources to deal with them.

“Barking ponies!” Rufus yelled as he shoved a particularly aggressive panhandler into the wall of a building. He whined and rubbed his side as he crawled away.

Finally, he reached the market. No one was there at the moment, save for a few soldiers and guard dogs. The fountain, molded out of the ubiquitous obsidian that the city was made of, but trimmed with gold filigree, had long since been shut off. There were few stalls left, most having been requisitioned by the army to make barricades. The huge steel viewing cages were also empty—the slaves had all been moved to one of the massive, sprawling warehouses that dominated the opposite edge of the market. The only sound Rufus could hear was the rush of molten rock as it was pushed through the pipes lining the buildings. There was not even anything to smell, and in the absence of scents, Rufus finally noticed that he kind of did smell like trash.

He cursed the beggars again. Flashing the Diamond Doge's seal to his superiors in the area, he got them to start sealing off the market, only allowing in his soldiers as they dragged in ponies from all over the city. Their equine heads were bowed to the ground, and they had to be pushed into walking faster—the ones who were not being carried or dragged in unconsciousness, at least. Rufus directed them into a warehouse with the others, separate from the one holding the other species. Soon all the ponies were gathered inside and the door was slammed shut. He reached into his coat for his keyring to lock them in, but found nothing. He checked again, then a third time, then patted himself down. His keys were missing.

Sweating and laughing nervously, he began to search everywhere in the market. As the keeper of the gate, it was Rufus's most important duty to handle the keys. If anyone found out they were gone, that would be the end of his career, if not his life.

With the dual purpose of distracting his comrades from his frantic searching, and accomplishing the task given to him by the Diamond Doge, Rufus assembled all the dogs of war in the plaza and relayed what the Dogfather had said. Since he could no longer simply lock them in, burn the building down, and have the Doge pay for it, Rufus told them they had to go into the warehouse and kill each pony themselves.

The dogs gave each other long looks. None of them moved.

“You'll all be paid extra for performing this service,” Rufus said, holding aloft the Doge's necklace. “The Dogfather has given his word.”

The hounds moved reluctantly... but they moved. The twenty of them he had rounded up filed inside with their weapons drawn, while the others blocked off all of the windows and exits in case any tried to escape. Rufus saw the terrified faces of the ponies within, huddling together and shaking. With each swing of the door, the dogs drew closer, and the ponies tried to back farther away. But there was nowhere to go. The ponies, from the old workhorses too tired and broken to even think of fighting back, to the young, recently captured mares and stallions who put themselves in the way to protect the others with their own bodies, were all trapped. As the doorway finally closed, the screams began.

“Blueblood,” Luna said, spreading out her wings and casting a sparkling spell on them, “I am departing to lead the army now. Thou said thou wished to fight. If that was not another arrogant deception, then climb upon my back now and join the battle to prove it.” She cast another spell on her eyes, transforming them into vertical slits again. She could see every escape route perfectly. There was one tunnel branch that was big enough to fit both of them, but small enough that the guards could only pursue them in pairs at most.

Luna felt his weight on her back, warming her even through the thick layers of her magical armor. She shivered and beat her wings, taking her several feet off the ground. The guards rushed forward to stop her as Luna flew as fast as she could to her planned exit. They got in several kicks and spells. The strikes slowed her down, but she grit her teeth and flapped her wings harder. Carrying herself, a suit of plate armor, and an adult unicorn at anything resembling quick speed was only possible thanks to the aid of her horn and the strength and stamina of her earth pony body. Luna heard a few cries of pain from directly behind her. Blueblood had been hurt as well. As she navigated the tunnels in complete darkness to escape the guards, her heart warred between concern for him and satisfaction that he had received what he deserved for betraying her.

“Luna,” he said, his smooth voice marred only slightly by pain, “I need to tell you—“

“Be thou silent, fool,” she commanded coldly, banking hard to take a narrow passageway. She barely avoided slamming into the wall, and Blueblood must have sensed it coming too, because his legs squeezed around her body. “They can follow us by our voices.”

She saw him nod out of the corner of her eyes. He clung tighter and tighter to her as she picked up speed. Her heart was pounding, her nostrils were flaring, and blood and excitement were rushing through her like a drug. That drug was all that kept her from worry, anger, and guilt. There was a battle to fight, and if she was fast enough, she could save the innocent and deliver justice to the guilty. The clarity was intoxicating.

Once she was certain they were not following her, Luna folded her wings and connected with the ground. It barely slowed her speed, as her legs had already been wheeling through the air. At a full sprint, Luna carried herself and her betrothed back to the camp.

“Can I just explain, please?” he asked.

Luna responded with icy silence as she ran through the dark.

“I was going back to try to convince my father of your good intentions,” said Blueblood. “I only needed a good distraction, then I could get away without any problems. Then we could work out our marriage on more... equal terms. Or at least not as captor and prisoner. I didn't think you would come after me with everything else going on.”

“Dost thou think me some lovestruck filly?” Luna narrowly juked to the side to avoid colliding with a stalagmite, then resumed her speech in between panting breaths as if nothing had happened. “That I will bend my actions to a few honeyed words? I have become over-affectionate in recent nights, 'tis true, but that mistake will be rectified forthwith.” Luna ducked under a low-hanging cave entrance, lowering her body enough so that her passenger could fit through as well. “Thou art a means to an end. Thou, and this marriage, mean nothing to me beyond that. Is that clear?”

There was a short pause, where the only sound was Luna's frantic breathing, the pounding of her hooves, and the wind whipping by their ears. “Yes,” said Blueblood. “I... I'm sorry.”

Luna ignored his extra comment and re-focused her efforts on the run.

She noticed the silver fires of the camp well in advance of her companion, which reminded her to transform her eyes back to their previous shape once it was mostly a straight sprint to the guard posts.

She had forgotten how tiresome it was to always be shifting her body back and forth simply for the sake of propriety. For a moment, Luna considered not bothering and keeping the superior slitted eyes as she had centuries ago, but she had to begrudgingly admit that that would go over about as well as it had with Blueblood. It drained her of a little more magical power, but it was her only choice.

With the transformation spell, she finally remembered to take stock of her remaining magic. The fight had drained her considerably, and she had already funneled a significant chunk of her power into Lyra's special training. Her emotions remained strong, but they felt distant and dulled. That meant she possessed about half of her full strength now, she guessed, although she had not pushed herself this hard since seizing the crown from the sun's corona and becoming Queen. Perhaps she had new reserves she was yet unaware of, or so she hoped. If she stopped feeling anything, that was her signal that she would be running on reserves. Her spells would be powerful then, for a brief while, but they would also be dangerous, to her and everyone around her.

If that were not reason enough to rely less on spell-casting, there was also the simple fact that, perhaps in reaction to her dwindling magical ability, her wings and muscles were brimming with energy, eager to be used. And after the events of tonight, she was eager to oblige.

“Guards!” she called out in her new royal voice, the gently firm tone that now cost her no magical effort at all. Strangely, it felt like one of the powers she had that was intrinsically connected to the celestial bodies themselves, rather than her horn, like the ability to feel the natural, unassisted movement of the stars and moon, or to perfectly reckon the time. “Make way for the Queen!”

After barreling past the shocked sentries, Luna began commanding everyone in earshot—which was quite, quite far—to form ranks. As she herded the scrambling soldiers into their squadrons and formations, she turned to Blueblood, who had been following her in numb silence.

“Dost thou truly desire to fight?” she asked severely, stepping slightly aside to let a soldier rush past to join his formation. “Or was that another of thy lies?”

Blueblood frowned thoughtfully, then closed his eyes and sighed. “No, it wasn't,” he whispered.

“Then let this battle serve in place of thy manipulative speech,” Luna said. “Sway me with deeds, not words.” She began trotting away, glancing around to make sure her army was assembling in order. “Seek out Captain Gumball and have thyself equipped,” she called back to him as she pointed out the rendezvous point to a confused squadron. “She will assign thee a position. Good hunting.” By way of parting, she gave him a brief but withering stare.

After quickly commandeering a six-pony squadron to “escort” Blueblood to the Captain, Luna took flight and flapped her way to the largest of the tunnels. There, column after column of ponies had assembled, silver fire glistening off of their armor and weapons bright enough to beat back the shadows of the catacombs. There were still many straggling in. As she hovered in the air waiting for them, she felt another signal through her horn. Then another, and another. Then a rush of repeated, obnoxious taps. Presumably, Lyra was sending the distress signal, and was too excited to remember she was only supposed to send three signals at once.

Luna shook her head, sending back a single strong pulse that stopped the wave of signals abruptly. Message received. Whatever was happening, she no longer had time to wait.

“To Dragon's Hoard, double-time, march!” she ordered. “Stay with your squadrons, but otherwise, do not stop running until we reach the city. Quickly!”

The same ethereal wind that blew through her hair also carried her words to each individual's ear, and they were moving before she had even finished exhorting them. Her volume was loud to them, but no more so than a nearby shout. Their faces reacted with determination, even excitement in some. The Queen's face nearly matched theirs, though the excitement was closer to cold, dark fury.

Ten minutes after it began, the screaming stopped. Rufus had never heard horses die violently before, but it was a sound he would never forget. The surreptitious search for his keys was not much of a distraction, so he tried to think of the clink of all the gold coins he would get for this instead, but the horrific bleating of the little ponies’ death cries drowned it out. At least he had been clever enough not to have to do it himself. Nonetheless, he had to go in and tell them what to do with the bodies.

Where he expected to find a pile of pony bodies, Rufus found a heap of unconscious diamond dogs. He was too stunned to even register the sight before the door closed behind him. As soon as it did, he heard a fierce shout to his left.

“Hi-ya!” Something hard and black slammed into the side of his head, sending him sprawling across the floor. As he struggled to his feet, Rufus found himself facing a line of collared and chained slaves... bearing the weapons of his soldiers. He spun around, drawing his own sword just in time to swipe at the figure who had kicked him.

It was a pony—the pony, the one who had pretended to be a minotaur and tricked him—standing on her hindlegs, with her forelegs raised in some exotic martial arts stance. She was grinning as she spun out of the way of his strike. Though her cape had been sliced, and she had small cuts all over her body, she was still moving as gracefully as if she were a biped. He started to shout for help.

“Don't bother, mutt,” said the pony, whose horn was blazing with a golden aura. “No one outside hears or sees anything I don't want them to.”

Rufus snarled and rushed at her, right as the armed slaves to his rear tried to grab him. He was hopelessly outnumbered. Not every pony had a blade, but hooves could be just as deadly. But he was one of the city's chosen defenders, and he would not go down without a fight. At the very least, he had to kill “Goldeneyes” first. With a hate-filled snarl, he lunged at her again.

The black pony ran straight at him and, at the very last second before his blade would have pierced her gut, she threw herself onto her back, sending her body sliding under his legs. Before he could even stop running forward, Rufus was falling, a hoof pressing into his back and pinning him to the floor.

“Hey,” she said, peering down at him as she placed two more hooves on him. He growled and bit at the wood next to his face. As if beating him so easily were not enough, she was also stronger than him. He continued to struggle, but it was of no actual use. “You're Rufus, right? Long time, no see. From your end, anyway.”

He could see her huge smile out of the corner of his eye. Her teeth were shiny and perfectly straight. Barking ponies.

“Here's what's going to happen, Rufus,” said Goldeneyes. “You're going to go out there and tell your hounds that it's done. Once they're cleared out, I'm going to use these—”she lowered her tail down to eye level to show him the keyring dangling on it—“to go open the cages of all the slaves in the other warehouse. Then I'm going to lead them out of the city gate. You're not going to follow us.”

“Why in the earth would I do that?” Rufus said, growling and spitting in the gaps between each word.

“Think about it.” Goldeneyes pulled the keys out of his reach again, putting them into a pouch inside her cloak. “I've only been here a few hours, and your slaves are already whispering about me, your poor are already mumbling about rations, your soldiers are already getting mutinous. Imagine how much damage I could do if I had a whole day. Or a week. You can say goodbye to your dreams, mutt.”

“I'm going to be dead if I don't report back with my keyring anyway.” He sighed, then gulped. This was it. “Just kill me now.”

“Sheesh, so dramatic,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Is that all? I'll just give you the keys back when I leave then. All better! Though I may have to make a copy of the key to the drawbridge. For strategic purposes, you understand.”

Rufus paused in his useless struggling to escape the pin. “You what? You'd just give them back? I don't believe you.”

“Look over there.” The pony spy let him up enough so he could turn his head to where the diamond dog soldiers lay. They were still breathing. “I had their lives in my hooves, and I chose not to take them, just like I'm choosing not to take yours now. Like I could have taken yours the whole day. I've been watching you, following you, and I've seen you do some terrible things, things that made me want to choke the air out of your abusive, greedy lungs. But everyone deserves a second chance. Straighten yourself up, and maybe you'll die a noble warrior's death when we take this city, instead of a mass-murdering coward's slow death in Tartarus. Hey, you might even live! Wouldn't that be something?”

There was something in her melodious voice, a passion and conviction that gave Rufus several long seconds of pause. It was also pause enough to think, to connect what she was asking of him with the fact that the fire coming from her horn had been slowly dimming this whole time, and was now almost out.

“Well?” She pressed.

“Alright,” he said, injecting utter defeat into his voice. It did not take much effort. He did feel defeated... but not yet utterly so.

Goldeneyes blinked a couple times. Then she kicked his blade away, where one of the slaves picked it up in his teeth. She backed off slowly and let him stand up. As she walked away, she nodded to the armed slaves that were moving to surround him, cutting off his escape routes. That was fine. He only needed to wait.

He saw that the enemy agent had walked over to the corner and started to speak with one of the slaves, an earth pony with a deep green coat. Her feet looked like they had been crushed, and they were bleeding all over the floor. Likely a punishment for an escape attempt. Rufus scoffed as he listened to their whispered conversation.

“Emerald, we're going to go soon. Can you walk at all?”

“No,” the slave whimpered, huddling into a ball. “She-she-she broke a-all of my l-legs.”

He could hear Goldeneyes grind her teeth from across the room. “I'm going to try to heal you a little bit, at least enough so you can help some of us carry you. Okay?”

“O-Okay...”

“Give me your left foreleg,” Goldeneyes said gently. Emerald did as she asked, but slowly and shakily. She gently cradled the broken limb in her front hooves.

Whatever spell she had been casting had to be stopped to use the healing spell. Rufus found his opportunity sooner than he thought he would have. The pair of them jumped as he let loose the loudest howl he had ever uttered in his life. His captors beat him down with the blunt portions of their weapons, but they could not silence him fast enough. Soon hounds were pouring in through the doors and windows, drawing their weapons as soon as they saw the tableau before them.

“Nutbunnies!”

The fastest of the soldiers, with Luna at their head, were met by a small band of diamond dogs outside the city gate, holding up a large white flag. Luna snarled as she saw the familiar white toga of Ludwig, the “diplomat” who had brought a slave's head to try to scare her away. She commanded a halt, and in the harsh heat of the river of molten rock now flowing around the city, they waited. More and more caught up, the dogs outside the wall becoming increasingly agitated as the amount of armed, glaring ponies in view swelled exponentially.

“First,” Ludwig said, his voice dripping with faux politeness, and also quivering slightly, “you should know that if we aren't allowed back into the city unmolested, the garrison has been given the order to slaughter your precious ponies.”

Luna snorted with seething disgust in response, and he sighed and wrapped his front paws behind his back.

“Now then, on behalf of the Most Serene Diamond Doge and this city’s illustrious council, I have been sent with a proposal for you, O' Queen. We will give you all of our ponies, free and unharmed.” The dogs in the delegation around him nodded vigorously. “Then there will be peace, yes?”

Luna stared at the diamond dog, studying the forced steadiness of his eyes. They were humble and desperate, but also calculating. Were they trying to buy time with this charade? She turned to look back at her army, crowded in the branching tunnels until they disappeared behind the twists and turns.

Ruse or not, he was offering what she began this war to accomplish. She reasoned that she had disrupted their trade enough by seizing Barkstone that it was unlikely they would resume taking ponies as slaves any time soon. Could she risk more of her soldiers' lives to send the dogs a clearer message? But on the other hoof, could she leave all the other thinking, speaking, feeling beings down here to their miserable fate? As she gazed over the cloaked, chain-armored soldiers behind her, their spears shining harshly in the red light of the moat, the image flashed through her mind of that pony slave whose severed head the diamond dogs had sent to her..

No, she decided, as that pony's face mixed with features of each of the fifty-three soldiers who died to get the army here. I must end this now.

“We have a different proposal.” Luna said, facing the dogs again, her voice short, thin, and sharp, like a knife. “Surrender, release all of your captives, ponies and all other races, and never enslave another so long as you live, or we shall put you and all who oppose us to the spear. Then we shall take your children and teach them to despise your memory for the remainder of their lives.”

Luna reared back on her hind legs, grabbed the spear from a surprised soldier next to her, and planted the butt of the weapon in the earth at her feet, using it and her now-extended wings to balance herself as she continued to speak.

“Every day, we shall teach them to hate your names, to curse the evil you have wrought upon the world. Every day, we shall march them by the deep pit that will be your collective grave and have them spit upon the soil that hides your pathetic corpses from our sight.”

The light of the magma actually diminished with her words, its red glow being gradually overtaken by the soft, silvery shine emanating from Luna's regalia.

“Every day, they will feel nothing but shame and remorse for having been brought into this world by such odious monsters as you. When they dream, they will dream happily of a world in which not one of you ever existed.”

Nearly all of the light in the cavern was gone, as if absorbed by Luna's very voice. Her armor gave off the only illumination that could be seen in the darkness for a great distance.

“Or you can accept our terms, and we shall leave.” She stamped her spear against the ground as punctuation, creating a web of cracks in the obsidian floor. “Choose.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Luna could see that one by one, unicorn horns were sparking to life in perfect, disciplined harmony. Their illumination and warding spells brought the tunnels to light again with a brilliant, soupy, amorphous glow of nearly every color imaginable. The matching eyes underneath each radiant aura had become tired and hard, but starkly beautiful. To Luna, they looked like a field of rare gems, more precious than all the stones their canine enemies coveted so much.

“That's... quite tempting,” Ludwig said with a bored sniff. His entourage was showing much less bravado, their eyes shifting rapidly, looking for escape routes. “However, threats are a game for the weak. Contrary to what you might believe, we are not weak, so I won't bother with threats. I have only a list of facts.

“The honored council of this city has amassed an army of professional mercenaries behind these walls, and every one of them has seen more of battle than your rabble of peasants. Barkstone was a fluke, where you caught brave but poorly armed militia dogs in a cowardly surprise attack. Now you face true dogs of war, as well as griffons, minotaurs, and equines from as far away as Andalusia.” He bared his teeth in a mocking approximation of a smile. “They outnumber you at least two-to-one, as well.”

“Merely two-to-one?” Luna swept one of her wings forward, causing a few of the diamond dogs to flinch. She gestured with its pinions toward the city. “We refuse. Go back inside your walls, and let battle be joined.”

Ludwig gave a sweeping, exaggerated bow, then led his group back to the bridge. The diamond dogs were hazy and indistinct as they crossed, the massive heat in the air distorting the images of their bodies.

Luna quickly scanned the walls as she handed the spear back to the soldier she had taken it from. Sure enough, she saw a wide variety of creatures arrayed against her, all of them with fierce weapons and fiercer visages. She narrowed her eyes, watching them ready their weapons. That allowed her to find what she was looking for.

She used her wing to point again, this time at a section of the wall midway between the gate and the first guard tower.

“Form the wedge there!” Luna commanded, her deep, regal voice sounding crystal-clear to every pony in the cavern.

Most of the practice for it had taken place in increasingly fantastic and deadly dreamscapes, but the soldiers still executed the plan with quiet, grim efficiency.

An entire column of pegasus cavalry, one hundred strong, took to the air. By groups of two, they lifted fifty waiting earth ponies to carry with them. At the same instant, a huge, shimmering, cone-shaped shield appeared in front of them. The column flew forward across the moat of magma, their shield sending out showers of rainbow-colored sparks as missile weapons careened off the barrier. Some of the unicorns were sweating and grunting by the time the pegasi reached the other side, but the shield held perfectly. They had seen too many of their comrades “die” in training for it to be otherwise.

The pegasi deposited their earth pony passengers on top of the walls, then provided air support for them as they fought the rush of defenders on the walls. The shield was not powerful enough to keep out anything but arrows and rocks, so it was dropped and cast again on the next column due to cross. Some of the unicorns had to be rotated out to recuperate—the mercenaries had unleashed a hellish barrage against their magic barrier.

Luna managed to warn the unicorns of what was coming next precious seconds before it happened. The enemies armed with ranged weapons turned their sights on the unicorns providing protection for the wedge. Thanks to Luna's warning, the reserve artillery had time to form a defensive dome around their comrades before the same tidal wave of missiles struck them.

Luna also saw that the defenders clustered together in one section of the wall to concentrate their fire. Immediately she leaped up, beating her wings straight toward it with a wolfish smile on her face.

“Second wedge, form on me!” she shouted as she grabbed an earth pony soldier, hoisted him onto her back, then grabbed another underneath his forelegs. It was not far to cross, but she still had to put her entire body into each flap of her wings. She flapped even harder as she passed above the river of fire. It was hundreds of feet below her, but filling steadily from sluice gates in the chasm, and even from this distance, the heat was causing her to sweat.

Sparks flew before her eyes, drawing her attention back to the wall. Some of the enemy had seen her coming, but the unicorn artillery squadrons were working hard to keep the translucent cone of energy solid around her and the groups of pegasi carrying earth ponies at her sides. There was a presence in the cone that felt simultaneously more and less intimate than the others. There was a pony there whose dreams she had not graced. “Prince” Blueblood was protecting her.

As soon as she crossed the midway point of the moat, Luna saw many diamond dog defenders turn and run. It had to have been because of her visage, since they had not fled from the other point of assault, even as more and more strong, sturdy earth ponies were shuttled across. She could feel that her eyes were glowing white, she could still see the lunar shine of her armor, and the thought of Blueblood had likely not softened her features.

There were other diamond dogs on the wall, burly ones with thick armor, who were not so intimidated by the Queen of Equestria and the Princess of the Night flying straight toward them in all her glory. There were also minotaurs and griffons among them, who roared and shrieked challenges at her. Even a few young dragons in the bipedal adolescent stage of growth had been hired.

She told the two soldiers she was ferrying to brace themselves as she finally reached the wall. Then Luna set the first one down to her left and motioned for the one on her back to climb off to her right. Together with the first line of soldiers who had formed the wedge, they readied their weapons to charge. Instead of flying back to bring across more earth ponies, Luna joined the line herself. She bore no external weapons, but the stone of the wall cracked and splintered as she planted her feet down, letting the enemy know that she required none.

As soon as the shield around them dropped, the dragons among the enemy dashed forward to breathe fire upon them.

“Cloaks up!” Luna shouted as she swept her wings in quick, sidelong arcs, generating enough wind to send much of the fire breath to the side, some even into other defenders. They screamed as they caught fire, but so did several ponies in the line. The cloaks were enchanted to deflect some punishment, but not a full blast of dragon's breath, and some of them did not get their cloaks up in time anyway. As much as it pained her, she would have to tend to the wounded later. Now, they needed to take the wall as soon as possible.

“Charge!” came the cry from both sides, though Luna's voice drowned out all others. Minotaurs, griffons, and dogs of war dropped their ranged weapons and surged forward with blades and cudgels to give the dragons time to recover enough energy to pour out their inner flame again. She would not give them the chance.

Spears struck home to both sides of her, the infantry utilizing every trick she had taught them to maximize their reach and impact. Not only did they resist the disorganized but much, much heavier charge of the menagerie of larger races, but they pushed back. They may not have specifically faced these creatures during training, but several of the nameless horrors Luna had conjured to face them were as large or larger. Caws, barks, and roars filled the cavern, and they seem to grow even more intense as Luna herself waded into the fray.

As they all pushed, dodged, stabbed, struggled, bled, and died, Luna heard a new sound—a wild symphony of thumping coming from inside of her, so deep that it seemed to shake her bones, but seemingly audible only to her. It was, she realized, the heartbeats of her soldiers. She could feel their blood as if it coursed through her own veins. The sound caused her pain when her warriors were hurt, and some notes of the music ceased to play, but more steadily arrived, borne on the wings of more heartbeats. Soon, the pain of wounds and death was drowned out by the quick pace of hearts that swelled with excitement, that exulted in this chance to protect and avenge the innocent.

“Everypony, burst through that door at once and make for the gate!” Lyra shouted. With the weapon-bearing ponies taking the lead, the hundred slaves stampeded out of the warehouse.

“Emerald, we need to go now!” Lyra said urgently. “I'm going to carry you on my back, and it's probably going to hurt a lot. I'm sorry!”

Before Emerald could protest, she was crying and sobbing as she was hoisted onto Lyra's back. The unicorn's magic and forelegs combined to help keep her relatively still, but Lyra's awkward two-legged run still made for a bumpy ride. It was a fast one though, and they were soon stampeding right along with the rest of the herd.

Lyra alternated between yelling encouragement and direction to the others, and whispering assurances to Emerald.

“Everything is going to be okay. Luna is coming for us.”

“Who's th-that?”

“You'll see.” Lyra blinked away her tears, running with all her might. “You'll see soon. Don't worry.”

With a cry of ecstatic joy that unnerved seasoned veterans on both sides of the conflict, Luna ducked the mighty sweep of a minotaur's axe, which would have taken off her head and that of the two soldiers next to her if they had not taken a cue from her and also dodged. For a split second, their two hearts found the same rhythm as hers, before rejoining the orchestra. As the enemy tried to regain his balance from the strike, Luna flowed forward, low to the ground like a snake. In another snake-like movement, she unleashed a sudden and furious attack, jumping up with the full power of her back legs and wings working together, hard enough to send her forehoof sailing straight up into the minotaur's chin and beyond. She roared in triumph, and hundreds of ponies nearby did as well, without consciously knowing why—their hearts knew. She also heard a horrific snap after the uppercut, but just in case, she put all her weight and power into landing on his chest as he fell, crushing his ribcage. Luna stepped forward from his corpse, her head low, radiant eyes squinting.

The minotaur who rushed up to take the fallen one's place in the line hesitated for a fraction of a second at the sight. Right as he was shaking himself out of it and preparing to crush her with his enormous flanged mace, she jumped into the air, landing with her forehooves on his shoulders. He immediately reached up to try to claw her off, but he met only the scrape of her metallic armor. Luna twisted her body, now perpendicular to the ground, then jabbed a hoof into either side of the minotaur's head. His helmet was dented inward from the attack, which gave her a firm grip. Holding on tightly, she cursed, grunted, and started to let her lower body fall, using every ounce of her strength to force the enormous beast into a spine-cracking suplex. His mace swept around wildly as he found himself flying down into the second rank of defenders, killing or scattering them. Luna was on her feet again in an instant, now that she had cleared a path to the dragons.

Luna had hardly taken a step forward before all the dragons in range breathed their fire on her, and her alone. She let loose an otherworldly howl that was equal parts surprise, pain, and rage, as, without a cloak to defend herself, the magic fire scorched her armor and exposed flesh. She threw her magic into a hemisphere of solid energy, but that only prevented more fire from reaching her. The flames that were already on her body continued to burn. One of her eyes burst from the heat, and the feathers of her exposed wing turned to ash. Both would regenerate, but not any time soon.

Luna forced her burning legs to move forward during the attack, so that after the few agonizing seconds it took for it to be over, she was face to face with half a dozen fire-breathing monsters. She turned her one-eyed glare upon them as smoke rose from the blackened bones of her wing. As she closed the distance to them, the group of pony warriors by her side broke through the enemy lines, having been saved significant time and damage by the dragons' decision to focus on her instead of them. Their heartbeats were synchronized with hers, so that they all knew where every limb of the others would be, where each source of danger was. They also felt Luna's pain, and she in turn felt their anger at the ones who had caused it. In a harmonious flurry of kicks, stabs, and even some bites from Luna, the soldiers wove in and out of attacking and counterattacking, dodging claws and then stabbing precisely at the weak spots in the dragons' scales. All of the dragons were brought low in less than a minute.

As Luna stamped the life out of the last of them, she whispered into the wind, “Captain Gumball, if the first wedge is not making progress, reinforce it now. If it is, order the final wedge at a place of thy choosing.”

She chanced a brief glance back in the direction they had come. At least twenty ponies were unable to move onward, but still breathing. She did not relish the duty to inform Engineer Turner's family of his death. Though she was old, Mom could possibly find a job again, but little sister had not even found her cutie mark yet. They would receive his full five years' worth of pay, but what about after that? Would they have to sell grandpa's house?

A flash of steel shook Luna back to reality in time to turn her wide, smooth side plates into an oncoming sword, sending the blade harmlessly away from her. She swung her body around and kicked the diamond dog who was holding it cleanly off the wall, where he crashed through a nearby brick building.

“Begin shuttling across our best healers as well,” she said, amending her previous order. “We have severe burn casualties.”

More and more earth pony infantry arrived and formed ranks around her. There were limps, bloody wounds, horrible burns, and simple tired bodies, but the little ponies had slain the nearest defenders. The sight of the extensive damage to Luna's body gave them only brief pause, as she turned toward the gate and rallied them onward.

“We must lower the drawbridge!” she yelled so that only those in natural ear-shot—still quite far with her voice—could hear. “Follow your Queen!”

After heavy fighting, the army of ponies secured the gate to Dragon's Hoard. They were able to lower the bridge and defend it from the garrison and mercenaries as their reinforcements crossed. Another pitched battle took place at the gate, but it was one which heavily favored the ponies. They had spent lifetimes drilling for this moment, they had air support that vastly outnumbered the griffons and flight-capable dragons among the enemy, they had distractions in the form of two other breaches in the walls, and they had an ancient alicorn general who seemingly could not be killed.

The enemy's array of vastly different tactics did not help their situation either. The dragons were formidable, but because millenia-long lives potentially awaited them, they were quick to withdraw when the tide turned against them. The minotaurs required such a wide berth to fight effectively that they created easily exploited holes in the defenses. The griffon chevaliers—Luna had seethed when she was briefed that they dared to call themselves that—were too proud and arrogant to work as a unit with other species. The band of caribou Bearzerkers, clad in their eponymous pelts and attacking with their sharpened antlers, battled almost as fearlessly and ferociously as Luna. Once the cocktail of hallucinogens and narcotics they imbibed before battle set in, they would not stop fighting until they were dead.

There was one foe whom it wounded her to fight more than the others, though they were thankfully few in number—full-size horses from Andalusia, one of the remnants of the former Arabian empire. Most of them were taller and broader than she was, than Celestia was, even, and each had the raw strength of several earth ponies. They had short blades attached to each of their feet, and their long, dark braids were held in place by daggers, which they whipped around skillfully and to deadly effect.

Yet for all their aggression and power, they fought with more honor than the other opponents. When a pony was too wounded to fight, the horses backed away, allowing them to be pulled out of danger to await healing. They put themselves in harm's way to move the dead away from the risk of being trampled; not just their own dead, but ponies as well. When they came within range of Luna, they tried their best to get away from the smaller ponies around them and engage her in single combat, no doubt hoping to win great prestige from a contest, win or lose, with the ruler of the night itself. Throughout the wrestling, the melee at the bridge gave them a wide birth, letting each side's champions decide their contest.

Their blades were practically useless against her armor, so they had to try to overcome her with strength alone. Though she was smaller, she was just as strong, and more agile besides. It was nonetheless thrilling to lock legs with such mighty giants and rely on, to think about, nothing but the stretch and pull of her muscles as she maneuvered for position.

Those muscles screamed at her to stop, but the pounding pulse of her blood and the blood of her comrades urged her on. With more effort than she could last recall putting into a combat, she spun around, above, to the sides, behind each challenger, wrenching at their legs, pushing at their hooves, squeezing their necks, until she finally pinned them, five in a row. After defeating the last, her chest was heaving and her coat was so slick with sweat that it was starting to drip out of the gaps in her armor. Remembering how such duels had been done long ago, Luna used the horses' daggers to cut off their braided manes. Each one ceased all resistance once she had done so.

As she tossed the fifth warrior's braid to the side, she remembered a phrase she had often heard at the end of duels such as this.

“Fil-imtehaan yokram il-mar' aw yohaan, ” she said with grave sincerity. 'At the time of a test, one rises or falls,' was its literal meaning, and in her time, Arabians and other inhabitants of their empire had spoken it in duels of honor. From the fact that Zecora had spoken the language, Luna guessed that it must not be completely dead. She hoped they would recognize it.

The horses froze.

“The language of the prophets,” one towering mare gasped. “None but the most learned scholars know it.”

“Who is this we face?” said a gray stallion.

“You stand before the true Queen of Equestria,” Luna replied as she bent down to help one of the limping fallen return to his comrades. “You have proven your worth to us. Why continue to fight this hopeless battle for such a vile, unrighteous cause?”

“We have a contract and our word, which are sacred,” the Andalusian mare said. She looked around her, where the rest of her band nursed their broken bones and wounded pride. “Yet you have bested our mightiest warriors alone... I believe that we have done all we can. The letter of our agreement has been fulfilled, if not the spirit. We will return the money and quit the field.”

The Andalusians walked straight down the central boulevard without raising another weapon, heads held high. They completely ignored the exhortations of their employers to fight, pausing only briefly to fling sacks of coins at their feet. Having seen the respectful treatment of the dead and wounded by the foreign horses, and seeing that Luna did not pursue them, the ponies allowed them to go, despite the disproportionate casualties they had inflicted.

Luna found it distantly interesting that her thousand years of exile had produced so little in the way of new tactics and strategies to surprise her, though she was pleased to find that some cultures still placed value on courage and honor. Her pondering was cut short as a new wave of diamond dogs joined the fray to replace the mercenaries she had defeated.

They were by far the least interesting of her foes. These warriors were mildly more skilled than the garrison of Barkstone, but they were still weak and cowardly. After only a second to recover her breath from wrestling the Andalusian mercenaries, she set her eye upon them and charged.

Her kicks sent them flying off the bridge, howling as they plunged into the magma below, or they knocked the dogs back hard enough to cause ripples of chaos in their ranks. The weaker-willed dogs soon broke and ran for their homes, and a few more mercenary companies were now cutting their losses and withdrawing as well. She bore the brunt of every attack, and was the rallying point of every counterattack. But enough of the enemy held that it was going to be a hard slog to push into the city. Luna gradually came to realize that time was being wasted. They needed to break through, and they needed to find out where to go to find Lyra. For that, she would need a better view.

Luna could not get a clear picture of the battlefield from the street, which was piled high with makeshift barriers and the bodies of the enemy. As she withdrew a few ranks into the formation of ponies, she reluctantly reached deep into her soul and pulled out enough magic to augment her regeneration, specifically directing it toward her ruined wing. Soldiers from both sides watched in awe as her flesh reformed and sprouted fresh new feathers in less than a minute. Their awe was not diminished by her biting her lip, quivering, and kicking during the process, for the feathers that grew back were darker than the void.

The rejuvenation spell was far from perfect. As she flew straight up, she had to favor one side heavily, and the pain was excruciating. She would not be doing anything more than hovering for at least another night, and that night would not be pleasant.

Luna was all set to rely on her armor to protect her from the inevitable wave of arrows, when a magical shield formed around her. A tear slid out of the tear duct that had not been destroyed as she felt the presence of her unicorn soldiers again... and Blueblood among them. Luna shook her head and squinted down the road, looking past the missiles bouncing harmlessly off of her shield.

It did not take her long to spot any activity that was out of the ordinary. Coming down a side street in the distance, she saw a soot-colored figure running on two equine legs, using its other two legs to hold a pony on its back. Seeing Lyra alive was enough to make Luna smile by itself; the addition of hundreds of unchained slaves following Lyra broadened the smile considerably. It fell away, though, when she saw how many diamond dogs were pursuing the group, and the desperation with which the mostly unarmed rear guard fought to keep them back. They were fighting street to street, buying their fellow captives a few seconds at a time whenever they could. Luna found her heart swelling at the sight.

“Lyra!” she shouted, causing the Captain to slow down and look all around herself in confusion. “Make for the eastern gate, down the street two turns to thy left!”

Lyra recovered her composure and resumed running at full speed, following Luna's directions without hesitation. As soon as she saw Lyra on her way, Luna stopped moving her wings, grunting and finally releasing her clenched teeth. The force of her landing sent shockwaves through the ground, and might have broken her hooves if not for her armored boots. She took a moment to stretch, and to correlate what seemed to be the weakest spot from the air with the equivalent spot in the enemy line on the ground. Then she galloped forward, charging at an angle toward a group of diamond dogs whose shields had either been lost or broken. Luna did not even pause to attack them, relying on the sheer momentum of her body to carry her through. It did, though the forest of spears wielded by ponies following at her heels also encouraged them to get out of the way.

That part of the enemy formation shattered completely, and ponies from the back ranks rushed forward to fill it. Luna and upwards of a hundred of her warriors made it through before the defenders managed to close the gap. The shouting reserves and wailing wounded of the enemy she found behind the front line tried to get to their weapons in shaky terror, but Luna ignored them as well. Through a combination of surprising them, inspiring fear, and bounding over every barrier in her way, she left the field of engagement completely. A few of her brave hundred got bogged down in skirmishes, but she pressed on. She would be back to help them soon enough.

She turned a corner, and Lyra would have run straight into her if Luna had not slid out of the way just in time.

“Whoa!” Lyra's eyes went wide, and they stayed wide even after she recognized the Queen.

“What is the matter, Captain?” Luna said, already turning and motioning with her forehoof toward the gate. “Follow me! There is little time!”

“R-Right,” Lyra said, shaking her head and putting a determined expression back on her face. She turned to the pony on her back, whose head was swaying dizzily. “We're almost there, Emerald. Stay with me.”

The pony groaned in response, and Luna figured out why Lyra was carrying her—her feet had been broken. Her hooves were still cracked and dripping blood. Luna turned around completely and began running back the way she had come before anyone could see the rage and hatred on her face.

She wrapped her magical essence around those emotions as she ran, harnessing them into one enormous spell that she doubted she could even pull off completely. But total success was unnecessary. It only had to be good enough.

“Protect their rear!” she ordered the soldiers who had come with her. “I shall take the lead!”

As her soldiers rushed to the back of the disorganized column of fugitives Lyra was leading, Luna turned her full attention on the enemies in front of her. She formed a mental bubble around as many diamond dogs as she could—targeting it by species was the safest way to ensure no ponies were caught in the effect—and created an imaginary framework for the magic she was working. With every step she poured more and more energy into it, until her horn was blazing and rippling with a mixture of white and blue light. She grit her teeth to force herself not to slow down as the spell sapped her physical strength too.

When she finally unleashed her magic, the cavern shook with a deafening pop, an alien sound to most who could hear it, that was much like the aural inverse of an explosion. A brief aura of light appeared around the diamond dogs along the street, and, a second later, the ponies at the gate found themselves thrusting their spears into empty air, save for a few griffons and minotaurs who were still in the fight. Then there were hundreds of screams behind them, as the displaced enemies reappeared over the moat and fell into the molten river below.

Finding themselves completely abandoned and surrounded, the mercenaries surrendered.

Seeing a clear path back to her army, Lyra pushed her legs as hard as she could. Emerald whimpered from her back as they moved down the practically deserted street. She glanced behind her to make sure the others were okay—they were making it. All of them. Thanks to the sacrifice of a few pony soldiers taking a stand against their pursuers, every single former slave was on their way to freedom. In between feeling like her chest was going to burst from heavy breathing, Lyra felt like she was about to cry.

She actually did cry when she felt something slam into her exposed underside, but it was a cry of shock, then of pain. There was an arrow shaft sticking out of her belly. Her running slowed, and soon another arrow joined the first, closer to her neck.

Taking advantage of the fact that they would no longer need to be shooting into a swirling mass of friend and foe, diamond dog archers had taken positions on the rooftops and began raining arrows down on everyone in the street, both civilians and soldiers.

Lyra gasped as she started to fall. Her instincts told her to roll to the side, but if she did, Emerald might get hurt more. She tried to brace herself as she slammed onto the stone, driving the arrows deeper into her body. Her preparations were not enough. Lyra screamed and saw stars dancing in front of her eyes, darkness creeping around the edges of her vision.

Emerald rolled off of her back and weakly shook her. Lyra tried to tell her to get down, but her words only came out as blood. It turned out that she did not need to get down, however. Lyra realized, through an oppressive blanket of agony, that not all of the stars she was seeing were in her head. There were points of light flashing all around her, all around the escapees behind her—arrows bouncing off a barrier of magic. Then there were more stars, closer, flowing gently across her field of vision.

It was Luna's mane, a few short yards away. Seeing that gentle river of stars one last time... it was so comforting. Lyra wanted to dive in and swim forever. She just had to make sure that Emerald and the others were safe first, then she could go...

Luna's horn was sending blasts of white-hot starfire at the archers, burning them to ash and melting the stone they were standing on to slag. Lyra had never seen anything like it. The diamond dogs tried to fire back, and although Luna was outside the bubble that protected Lyra and Emerald, the arrows bounced off of her plating harmlessly. They could no more hurt her than they could hurt a star. Her body was wreathed in a blaze of white glory that had to have been brighter and hotter than the sun, yet looking at it hurt Lyra's eyes no more than staring at the moon.

And then some white unicorn with a blond mane dashed to Luna's side. Lyra waved her hoof and mumbled, trying to get him to stop blocking her view of Luna’s majesty. He responded by running toward her and casting spells. Her annoyance lessened a little because they were healing spells, and also because she could look through his legs and see Luna again.

But what she saw then was shocking—Luna's knees were quaking. The Queen, the Princess of the Night, was stumbling to the ground as her horn sparked and sputtered. She was shouting challenges and insults in several dead languages as she sank down to the earth, but impossibly hot fire still shot from her horn and drove the diamond dogs into full retreat.

Then again, I could be hallucinating this whole thing since I'm rapidly losing consciousness, was Lyra's last thought.

Lyra awoke with every part of her hurting, except the two places where she had been shot, which were tingling dully. Her eyes opened gradually; somehow her eyelids hurt too. She saw a ceiling of whitewashed stone above windows that opened into a soft light that felt almost like the sun. It was not quite the same though. Lyra flicked her ears around and heard her voice groaning, joining several other voices nearby. She tried to turn her head to see them, but a sharp shock of pain emphatically told her 'no.'

She still had a decent view though, and she could listen well. Ponies were murmuring and bustling all over hard, expensive floors. Paintings and sculptures stood over cots and blankets that held the wounded, whose cries of pain and distress were muted but noticeable. It was a diamond dog mansion turned into a field hospital.

As she was smiling at the thought, Luna entered through a grand double door of solid oak, stepping quietly toward her. The medics rushed to give the commander their reports, but she waved them off. She was coming straight for Lyra, and a deep, irrational fear gripped the wounded Captain.

Luna was still fully armored, though Lyra had gotten used to that. Combined with the fact that one side of her face was now a scorched, half-healed mess, though, it was fairly intimidating. The worst part was not that Luna's skin on that side of her body had been blackened by fire. It was that the hairs which were already growing back were also pitch-black, and the eye on that side was a slitted, dragon-like eye. The eye on the unburned side was still soft, blue, and wide, but the other one... Lyra had seen it laughing in Ponyville years before, as the voice below it declared that the night would last forever.

Lyra tried to keep her breathing normal as Luna came to a halt several feet away and gazed down at her. There was worry and compassion in her look... from both of her eyes.

“Captain Heartstrings,” she said, so quietly that the ponies in the beds next to Lyra could not hear, “there is a grave matter we must discuss, which, unfortunately, cannot wait for thee to fully heal.”

“Is Emerald alive?” Lyra met Luna's stare.

“Whom?”

“The pony I was carrying.”

“Oh.” Luna blushed slightly. “Yes, she is alive. It may be a long time before she regains use of her legs, but she will not die this day, nor will the hundreds of other slaves locked in those warehouses... thanks to thee.”

“I'm glad.” Lyra smiled, thin and sad. “Say 'hi' to her for me. So, what's this grave matter?”

“The royal guards have turned against me,” said Luna, “including thy uncle. They have escaped to the surface, where they will likely begin to foment rebellion against my rule.” Luna turned her head away, perhaps not realizing that she turned it so that Lyra could only see her 'Nightmare eye'. “In recognition and appreciation of thy momentous deeds in freeing the slaves of Dragon's Hoard, I shall not ask thee to choose between me and thy family. I give the leave to depart honorably, as soon as thou art healed. Thou canst return to thy kin, before any possible hostilities occur.”

Lyra was silent for a full minute, which made Luna squirm and lower her head, with a nervous, doubtful frown on her lips and her ears flattened to the side of her head. There... there was the Princess Luna whom Lyra knew.

“Doth my new appearance disturb thee?” Luna asked quietly.

“No, that’s not it, I’m just thinking,” Lyra said quickly. “Honestly, you’re lucky. Facial wounds are way sexier than belly wounds.” She forced out a halting laugh.

“It is because I have been fighting underground,” Luna explained anyway. “Because I was not conscious enough to direct my body’s regeneration after it was damaged in the battle, it repaired into a form more suited to this environment. That is all.”

“It’s fine, ma’am, really.” She flashed Luna a smile, and Luna slowly, timidly smiled back. Lyra could not help herself from checking Luna’s teeth—they were still normal, no fangs or anything. Luna’s smile vanished when she noticed the scrutiny, and Lyra frowned as well. She wanted to tell Luna that she had not meant to, that it was her silly subconscious fears only, but the words did not come. Instead, she changed the subject.

“But back to your other question,” she said. “In case you haven't noticed, I don't care for my family all that much.”

“Family is still family,” Luna said, literally taking a step back. “Your blood binds you all together, through light and dark.”

Lyra sighed and looked over at a healer who was carefully tending to a soldier with full-body third-degree burns. “Ponies say stuff like that a lot. Not usually that dramatically, but they do. I know how important your family is to you, too, so please don't take this the wrong way. But to me, there has to come a time in your life where you realize that some things are more important than family.

“They're not out here toppling a government based on slavery. I am. So screw 'em. I'm with you, Luna.”

“Think with care, Lyra,” Luna said, moving closer, leaning her head to loom over Lyra's bed. There were the stars again. Lyra felt the distant urge to giggle like a child. “What of Bon Bon? They could make her life very difficult.”

“She can take care of herself. She's a big pony.” Lyra frowned. “But if it wouldn't be too much of a burden, I'd like to bring her here with me, if she's willing.”

Luna turned her neck away, and tears began to drip onto the floor.

“Did I say something wrong?” Lyra asked, trying to sit up before her aching body swatted her down again.

“I am unworthy of such loyalty,” Lyra barely heard Luna whisper.

“I'll be the judge of that.” Lyra struggled to move again, but it looked like she had been cut up a lot more than she thought. She hissed and settled back down. “Oh, crap. Pretend I'm hugging you right now.”

“That will not be necessary.” Luna removed her helm, crown and all, and bent her neck down to gently drape over Lyra's. For a brief instant, Lyra panicked. She’s going to gobble me up! But Luna only brushed their cheeks together and whispered, “Get well soon, my champion. I am so proud...”

Luna withdrew from the hug in halting, awkward degrees, then stood there smiling bashfully and self-consciously for a few seconds. She coughed, averted her eyes, and turned to leave the tent at a dignified walk. The dignity was shattered, however, when stopped in her tracks, ears straight up, then dashed out of the doorway. Her wings flared out in the process—which allowed Lyra to see that one of them had black feathers now. She swallowed that irrational fear again.

“Gosh, Luna, it wasn't that awkward,” she said, but Luna was already gone. Her crown and helmet were still there by Lyra's bedside. “Must be important. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this stuff for you. Captain Lyra's on the job...” She promptly drifted off to an exhausted sleep.

As soon as Luna left the commandeered field hospital, she heard the sounds of distant commotion more clearly—weapons clashing and voices shouting, coming from the town square. Despite the pain and lengthening of recovery time involved, she used her wings to soar above the streets—still favoring one side—to get there.

In the central plaza, a group of her warriors had rounded up twenty or thirty well-dressed, jewelry-wearing diamond dogs. They were forcing the dogs onto their knees—then cutting off their heads. There was already a bloody pile of about five of them, with the bodies they had been attached to left to bleed out into the street.

Nothing but the full, traditional Royal Canterlot Voice would do for this. “Stand down at once!” she cried, then folded her wings to begin a rapid descent. Her soldiers stopped immediately, some in the middle of their beheading strikes. Her landing sent chunks of obsidian flying yards away. Luna glared at the scene, uncertain where to begin, as the forty ponies involved formed into a line and saluted her.

Luna could clearly hear the fearful whispers of “Nightmare Moon” from some of the diamond dogs. Her ear twitched at the moniker, but she did not correct them.

“What is happening here?” Luna demanded, the slit in her left eye narrowing. The diamond dogs froze in place, too terrified to do anything but empty their bladders. “We demand an explanation!”

They were all of relatively low rank—the highest soldier involved was a sergeant—but it was Ensign Brandywine Breeze who stepped forward to explain.

“We are executing the slave merchants of this city,” she said simply, “as you did in Barkstone.”

“You are killing unarmed civilians who have surrendered!” Luna bellowed. A crowd of ponies and diamond dogs alike was starting to inch their way into the outskirts of the market.

Luna knew the fire that caught in Brandywine's eyes then. She had seen it in the mirror many times. “These 'unarmed civilians' break the legs of our earth ponies, saw off the horns of our unicorns, and clip the wings of our pegasi! Not only do they enslave us, but they mutilate us too!”

“Then let them be tried and imprisoned, not killed!”

“I don't understand, ma'am,” said Brandywine. “You killed them yourself in Barkstone. It seemed to cause you some emotional distress then, so we agreed that we would take the ugly task upon our own shoulders to spare you from it. Did we not do the right thing?” There was a desperate, pleading edge to the Ensign's question.

Luna saw the large crowd of citizens and soldiers alike that was watching from the wings of the ugly display, and it caused her to hesitate. How could she keep moral authority with one group, without losing it with the other? She swallowed bitterly.

“That will soon be decided,” she pronounced. “You are hereby ordered to stand down and submit to the judgment of our tribunal. Tomorrow, we shall judge you as we judge them.”

Luna gestured to the pile of decapitated heads, and to the lucky diamond dogs who narrowly avoided that fate. Brandywine and many of her companions gaped as if daggers had pierced their hearts, but they lowered their weapons and allowed Luna to escort them to a mansion she had re-purposed to serve as a brig.

She wanted it to serve as a holding area for suspected slave merchants, not her own soldiers. Had she trained them improperly? What had she done wrong? Doubt constantly plagued Luna's mind as she prepared to direct the annexation of the city of Dragon's Hoard, and with it, likely the rest of diamond dog territory. She did not know how, or if, to punish her soldiers. She could reprimand them only for breach of discipline, but even the moderate diamond dogs would decry a double standard. But she could not execute or imprison her own troops, especially not for doing exactly what she herself had done. And what of the merchants? Should those whose involvement in the slave trade could be proven be killed, imprisoned, exiled... perhaps even pardoned, to ease the transition?

Luna missed her sister's gifts for diplomacy and administration, but Celestia was not here, and she was not the anointed Queen. Luna had the support of the heavens, and her brave, virtuous captains. Her convictions were in tatters, but they remained alive. She had to trust that those things would be enough.

In any case, the external war with the diamond dogs was all but over. Equestria had prevailed, but had Luna?

Author's Notes:

Since I found out that 'doge' is some kind of tumblr meme, I thought I should mention that the Diamond Doge is inspired by these guys, not said meme: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge

Chapter 21: Death and Judgment

Two hundred and forty. That was the number Luna kept repeating to herself as she prepared for her meeting with the so-called Diamond Doge. It was a tragic number of lives to lose, certainly, but it inspired her as well, for she had expected to lose many more against so vast a force as the one that had been assembled to defend the city of Dragon's Hoard. She was sorrowful about each one who had died, as she had known them almost more intimately than family, but she was also proud. Proud of how hard they had fought, and proud of what their sacrifice had accomplished. Two hundred and forty.

Luna's new, personal entourage of soldiers, selected to replace the royal guards who had abandoned and betrayed her, soon opened the door of the warehouse in which she was sitting. She had no desire to have an audience with this Doge in one of the city's ostentatious mansions. They were currently serving as hospitals, homeless shelters, and barracks, their previous inhabitants given rent-free apartments elsewhere in the city for the trouble. The garish attempt at creating sunlight in that upscale area of the city also caused her, as the new Princess of the Day, a slight physical pain, like a headache.

Most importantly, there was still blood on the ground in this warehouse. She did not want this dog to be at all comfortable in his surroundings.

Luna's guards marched in, leading in an upright diamond dog in a black tuxedo, who was using one foreleg to support an older, squatter dog adorned with more jewelry and fine cloth than he could possibly have a right to. His belly scraped the ground as he padded in on all four of his legs. The first diamond dog produced a silk cushion and placed it for the Doge to sit upon.

The Doge leaned over and spoke to his attendant in a raspy, garbled voice, in a language different from the ones all the other diamond dogs here had used, yet Luna could understand him clearly. “Ask her what her demands are so we can get this over with,” he was saying.

As the dog in the suit turned to translate, Luna raised a hoof toward him. “I heard that perfectly well,” she said, staring straight at the Diamond Doge with her two radically different eyes. “As Queen, it is our duty to be well-versed in a wide array of languages.” She also injected a small amount of magic into the words of both parties to make them understood, but they did not need to know that.

“Thy services are not required,” she added, glancing at the Doge's companion and flicking her hoof outward. “Begone.”

The two dogs looked nervously at each other, but eventually the Doge reluctantly nodded toward the exit. The suited diamond dog departed with a stiff bow. Luna's guards went as well.

The large loading doors slid shut with a slam, leaving the two leaders completely alone. Luna's sparkling armor and the starlight in her hair illuminated the space faintly. The silver light cast flickering shadows among the pile of crates with the slow, wavy movement of her mane and tale. She basked in the silence as she stared down at the bloodstains between them. The Doge looked all around him, his tiny, sunken eyes following the shadows as if they were living things, stalking around the edge of the light. Much of that effect was deliberate manipulation on Luna's part, but she kept her horn from glowing and giving that fact away.

“Returning to thy previous remark,” said Luna, lifting her gaze to bore into the Doge's frightened little eyes, “our demands are simple. We have been informed that it was thou who gave the command to massacre the pony captives in this city. Is this true?”

He tried to stare back, but he could only withstand the furious intensity of Luna's glare for a fraction of a second. He tried to pretend the shadows had distracted him. “Does it matter what I say?” he asked softly. “You've already made up your mind.”

“Indulge us,” Luna said, “and assume that we have not. Wilt thou answer our query?”

“Are you going to kill me like you did the masters of Barkstone?” the Diamond Doge said, shaking enough that his rolls were starting to jiggle. “Like you did the ones in this very city? I assure you, I am far more valuable to you alive than dead.”

“Is that so?” Luna lifted herself into a full standing position, but instead of walking toward him, she went to the broken window and examined the sharp edges of the glass, still not cleaned up from the battle earlier.

“Yes, and I am not only referring to money,” he explained. “I have connections. I have respect. Think how much easier your rule would be with me using those things to your advantage.” The Doge smiled at her.

Luna did not even turn her head toward him. “Indeed. This endeavor would be much easier that way.”

“I'm guessing this war has drained your country's coffers somewhat, has it not?” The Doge shifted to a more comfortable position on his cushion. “I would be happy to make a contribution, except that much of my savings are in other cities. I would need my freedom to go get them.”

“Freedom...” Luna rolled the word around in her mouth, tasting it. “That word soundeth foul coming from thy lips, death merchant.” Without warning and with barely a sound, Luna bounded across the room until she was face to face with the Diamond Doge, who was instantly paralyzed by the sight. “Didst thou command the massacre?”

Luna's eyes narrowed, her one dragon-slit pupil shrinking until it appeared like a sharp blade.

“Yes!” he blurted out, then began babbling in a torrent of mumbles that Luna had a hard time following. It was mostly equivocations about how the council agreed to it, had pushed for it even, and it was just a bluff, and it was her fault really, and, and, and...

Luna cut him off with a sweep of her foreleg. “How many slaves dost thou own?” she asked in a voice laced with frost.

“Ponies, or in total?” he said, followed with an immediate slap to his forehead by his paw. “They are in the other cities anyway! I only brought a small retinue with me here.”

Luna lowered her neck farther, causing the Diamond Doge to attempt to push away on his cushion. “Once they are all freed—and freed they shall be—a great reckoning awaits thee, dog. We shall not kill thee. Thou shalt be tried according to our laws. If thou art found guilty, Tartarus awaits. We pray that thy durance there shall give thee time to reflect upon the true nature of thy crimes.”

Her horn lit up with white light, which then surrounded the doors as well. Once they were open, pony soldiers filed inside.

“Until we meet again,” Luna said, watching as they carried the shivering little dog away. She took several minutes to compose herself, to stop thinking about how many dozens or hundreds of ponies might be even now suffering abuse in the other diamond dog cities. When she was finished, or as finished as she could be, she embarked on a more personal, but no less unpleasant, mission.

“Good evening, young Blueblood,” Luna said, her voice tense and slightly inquisitive.

“Hello,” he said flatly. Blueblood was attempting to brush out his coat and mane with a worn, coarse brush. It got caught frequently, and he had to add more power to his levitation spell to remove the knots, curls, and mysterious, dirty objects caught on him.

“I wanted to give thee my thanks,” said Luna as she invited herself into the vacant apartment which he had been assigned to stay in, one of the many left behind by fleeing refugees. “Thy help was invaluable to our efforts.”

“That's great,” he replied, snarling as his brush caught on some dried blood and nearly ripped part of his mane out.

“And...” Luna shifted her weight among her hooves as she struggled to put her thoughts into words.

Blueblood said nothing, merely looking with disgust at the split ends that had resulted from getting the blood out.

“And it appears as though I may have made a slight error in my judgment of thee,” Luna finished. “Thou saved many lives by risking thine own to rush to the slaves under that storm of arrows.”

“Yes, I know.” Blueblood had moved on to a smooth section of hair along his neck, but his tone was still short and frustrated.

“Hast thou never groomed thyself before?” Luna asked, stepping closer to him. “Allow me.” She started to cast her own levitation spell around the brush, but he ripped it away.

“I've got it,” he said.

“In this state, thou must bathe first, Blueblood, or this will all be for naught!” Luna reached out to try to take the brush in her hooves, but he floated it to the other side of his neck.

“I said I've got it!” Blueblood snapped and slammed one foot on the floor.

Her head drew back from the shout as if she had been struck. Hot anger boiled in her heart, but she had been indulging that part of herself so much lately that she paused for a second. That second allowed Luna to control her words and regard her fiancée thoughtfully.

“I am sorry I spoke so harshly to thee before,” Luna said. She held her head high, but there was a halting uncertainty to her words. “Please, let us make peace, and not quarrel over it.”

“Quarrel?” Blueblood walked to the other side of the apartment, clumsily brushing himself along the way. “Who's quarreling? I haven't even raised my voice.”

Luna ground her boot into the floor, but thought before speaking again. In fact, she thought for several seconds. A deep, worn frown formed on her mouth.

“Blueblood, hear me...” She waited, but, since he gave no obvious sign that he was either listening or not listening, she continued. “If it is thy wish, I give thee leave to go home. I should never have kept thee against thy will to begin with. It was an action devoid of justice and honor, and if rectifying it costs me politically, then so be it.”

“Uh, what?” Blueblood dropped the brush and turned his head back toward her, one eyebrow raised. “I thought that particular issue was settled when you attacked the royal guard to claim me!”

“They attacked me!” Luna raised her voice along with his, but then took a deep breath and calmed herself again. “That matters not in this issue,” she said more quietly. “All that matters is that thou art free. Do with thy freedom what thou wish.” She stepped to the side, giving him a clear path to the doorway, and informed the guards to let him pass.

Blueblood did not move.

“If thou art concerned for thy safety,” Luna added into the silence, “then I give my word that I shall send sufficient guard to conduct thee to Equestria securely.”

“Since when have you been so wishy-washy?” Blueblood asked. Seeing Luna's puzzled expression, he rolled his eyes. “Ah, another of those modern expressions you steadfastly refuse to learn, despite years of exposure. It means you're not sticking to your positions. You keep going back and forth on your decisions and opinions. When we met, every time you decided something, that was that. What's different now?”

“There is a great deal that is different,” Luna said slowly, only partially successful in keeping the dark rage out of her voice. “But it is no concern of thine now. Thou canst return to thy duties patrolling thy father's lands, or resume partaking of the luxuries of Canterlot, or whatever thy desire may be. I do not require thee to stay here.”

“I am going to stay though,” he said, a hint of anger in his tone too. “Ignoring, for a moment, the distinct possibility that you'll change your mind tomorrow and hunt me down again, the fact is that I had my chance and I failed. It is my fate to be here. You say I am free?” He chuckled bitterly. “No, Your Majesty. Nopony is free. Some of us can deviate from the script a little more than others, but the acts are already written.”

He lifted his brush back up with his telekinesis and began running it through his long blond tail. “Besides, why would I want to leave? There are many beautiful, brave, strong mares here who I'm sure would love to spend time with a Prince and a war hero.” Blueblood smiled and flicked his tail as he groomed it.

“Thou art no Prince, and thou shalt not prey upon my soldiers like that, thou vulgar cur!” Luna yelled. From far, far overhead came a rumble, like there was a thunderstorm on the surface.

“Prey upon them?” Blueblood looked aghast. “I would do no such thing. I promise you, they'll be coming to me. And I would appreciate their attentions a lot more than those of the mares I met all the time in Canterlot.”

“No!” Luna said with a command-like finality that surprised even her.

Blueblood's grin widened. “My, that was certainly... decisive. Very much an improvement.”

“Pardon me?” Luna stalked toward him, ignoring the faintly flirtatious ministrations he was performing on his tail and hindquarters with the brush.

His smile shrank as she stared him down, but it did not vanish completely. “Listen, Your Majesty,” Blueblood spoke softly and earnestly, without his usual debonair swagger. “I said I would marry you, and I will, if you will still have me. I will play my part, for the good of Equestria. But, while your reaction to my teasing suggests you might have some feelings for me, as I do for you, I would take it as a great kindness if we spoke as little as possible when we're not at formal engagements.”

“That suiteth me perfectly well!” Luna stomped back out to the hallway. “I shall see thee at the wedding, then!” She slammed the door shut with a spell, only because she thought kicking it closed might have shattered the entire wall. She left the building, taking the guards with her, and resumed her royal duties for the day. There were patrols to coordinate, and scouting parties to send out to the other cities in preparation for their occupation. Blueblood could wait.

Dealing with the food shortage was the following item on her agenda. There was enough to go around, barely, but most of it was concentrated in the paws of merchants and aristocrats. Luna tried to be diplomatic, to appeal to any sense of morality they had, but that only got so many on board. Once she resorted to intimidation, however, they all fell in line, lowering their prices and making hefty donations to the army's food distribution efforts.

She had accomplished her goal, but Luna still walked through the streets frustrated and in low spirits.

“Is there aught I can accomplish without force?” she whispered to the small alley shortcut she was taking. “I cannot even marry without threats. I thought this time would be different. I told myself it would be different for hundreds of years. I...”

Luna's thoughts became too deep and dark to fully express with words. She wandered the stone avenues, barely registering the salutes of the sentries she passed in her brooding. By the time she arrived at the location where she was to meet with the Andalusian mercenaries, her face had fully become a blank slate.

She rounded a corner to see a mosaic plaza built over the omnipresent obsidian. The tiles depicted a black dragon rearing back and breathing fire down the largest boulevard connected to the crossway. Nearly half of the tiles, though, had been pried loose, and probably sold. Just as she felt ready to wallow in her anger again at the blatant disrespect for art and beauty, she saw the tall Andalusians standing in the center of the piece... bowing to her.

Startled by the image, Luna failed to begin the speech she had planned for when she met them. Instead, she stared in dumb silence.

“Good evening to you, Your Majesty,” said a mare with a mahogany coat and hardly an inch of mane on her head. Luna remembered her as one of the ones she had defeated during the battle.

“To you as well, warriors,” said Luna. After her acknowledgment, the mercenaries rose from their bows. They were showing her respect, but not fealty. “Please forgive our lack of manners, but there is much to be done. We can spare but little time for this meeting.”

“It will not take long, mighty one,” the mare said. “I am Aliya al-Jamal. I have been chosen to speak on our behalf while our Amir recovers from her wounds. As you are pressed for time, I shall introduce the rest of our warriors at a later date. For now, we offer you aid.”

“What manner of aid?” Luna turned her head to the side and eyed them skeptically.

“Knowledge, the greatest of all,” said Aliya. “We know these realms under the earth well. The cities of the diamond dogs have been waging proxy trade wars against each other for decades, using mercenaries such as us. We have taken only as much money as we need to survive, for it is the opportunity to test our mettle against the creatures of the other mercenary armies that drives us.

“As a result, we have been to all of their cities. We know the disposition and experience of armies throughout the Underdark. We also know the other mercenary captains personally, as well as some of their capabilities. We offer this knowledge to you freely, as a token of our esteem.”

“We would be most grateful for such information,” Luna said, “but would divulging it not prevent any future employment?”

“Most likely,” Aliya said, turning to look at the braid-less warriors by her side. “In truth, your words during the siege struck us to the core. We had not considered the consequences of the battles we were fighting. What could thirty horses do to change such a situation anyway? We have been humbled, both by your strength and by your integrity.”

“I am reminded of the words of the prophet Saadiq,” a stallion said solemnly, bowing his mane-less head. “'Beware the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and God.' He must have heard the prayers of the oppressed in this city, and answered them with you.”

Luna's cheeks flushed, but they were hidden from the sight of the Andalusians by her helmet.

“In light of this,” Aliyah continued after she and the others had whispered their well-wishes on the prophets, “and the fact that you will likely face many powerful foes in the times ahead, we offer ourselves to you. Will you have us?”

“I...” Although they could not see her blushing, the Andalusians no doubt noticed her uncertain tone. “We can perhaps come to an arrangement. But we pay only a living wage, and we ration all of our food as a matter of discipline.”

“Such a situation would be quite familiar to us,” said Aliyah, “and more likely to do honor to the prophets as well.”

“We shall need to consider this further,” Luna said, chewing on her lip. “For now, please share with us what information you deem pertinent.”

“There are but few diamond dog mercenary companies,” Aliyah explained, “and the ones that do exist could easily be bribed into neutrality, if you wish. I say fight them anyway, but of course, that is not our decision.

“The most dangerous of your foes will likely be the griffons, because they are the only ones besides us who fight for things aside from money. They have a passionate need to acquire glory and renown, which some in their culture value more than gold. When greed and emotion mix, dangerous fighters are born, as I am sure you well know, Your Majesty.”

“As for…”

Luna cut the Andalusian off with a slight raising of her hoof. “It would be better if this information were delivered to one of my captains,” she said. “There is… much on our mind, currently.”

“As you wish, mighty one,” Aliyah said, bowing her head courteously.

After sending the mercenary horses off to speak with Captain Gumball, Luna made her way back to her unfurnished quarters near the middle of the city. Along the way, she chanced to see Blueblood and, before she even knew what she was doing, she hid in the shadows to avoid him seeing her.

Now that Blueblood was free to roam the city, he was indeed attracting a lot of attention. The soldiers who approached him as Luna stalked from the darkness were hesitant due to his engagement with Luna, but they still offered to buy him drinks and play games with them. He graciously accepted the offers. Luna heard him turn them down gently whenever they suggested more intimate activities, with him citing his upcoming wedding as his excuse, a gesture which discouraged some soldiers, but made some swoon all the harder over him.

She did not confront him over the scenes, as much as her heart may have wanted her to. Instead, she turned and vanished.

As the day drew on, Luna kept up a calm, commanding face in public. It would not do for a Queen to show such petty jealousy. But when she was alone, she found herself sobbing and clenching her abdomen to keep from making too much noise.

“This is absurd,” she whispered to the dark, abandoned storeroom in which she hid. “I am weeping like a foal over some insufferable stallion. I have not wept since... since...”

Perhaps it was better to be crying over a rocky relationship than over betrayal, corruption, and murder. She allowed herself five minutes, surrounded by darkness, with only the dim red glow sneaking in from the edges of the doorway to illuminate her tears. Then she wiped them away, quickly healed her bloodshot eyes, and went back to work.

As Luna helped oversee the distribution of food to the diamond dogs who had lined up in huge queues stretching down every nearby street, no one asked her why she looked partially like Nightmare Moon, nor did she offer any explanation. She got many looks from her soldiers, but they were not looks of fear or disapproval, no matter how much her inner voice told her they were. In stark contrast to the diamond dogs, whose looks were mixtures of awe and terror, the ponies saw her with sympathy and understanding, while still respecting her enough to execute her orders faithfully. She found it remarkable, although less surprising once she thought back to the connection they had shared with her during the battle.

Luna had not connected that quickly or deeply with her warriors in many an age. Those near her had been like parts of her own body. In another battle or two, that might happen with the entire army. It entailed risks, of course, as she felt the loss of even one as keenly as if they were her own child or sibling. But it created a peerless fighting force. She would have to continue their training, and soon. It would be a relief to not have to train hundreds per night over and over though. There was no longer any rush, and they had proven themselves in real, physical battle.

Nonetheless, as she watched them hand out packages of bread and vegetables to the starving poor of Dragon's Hoard, Luna decided that they had earned a brief respite. Which reminded her that she had earned some as well. She had scheduled half an hour for grooming and relaxation, a fact that seemed bizarre to her. She hardly ever scheduled anything, and now here she was detailing precisely how much time per day to relax. It sounded like something Celestia would do...

Luna shut that path of thought down immediately. She would get very little relaxation if she thought of... her. So, as she walked back to her quarters, she thought of possible training exercises she could do with her army, a much more comfortable and less guilt-ridden topic.

After wrapping up her allotted time of bathing—hot running water was one of the few things in the city that was not loathsome—and brushing, trying and failing to meditate, and perhaps a little brooding, Luna strolled out to the balcony of her apartment. Before she could begin sighing and gazing darkly out at the city below, she heard the sounds of commotion from down the street. A column of armed ponies was marching through the gates, over five hundred strong. Captain Basilea had returned from her mission to escort the slaves of Barkstone to Equestria. Luna flew down to meet them at once.

The bat pony commander did not seem the least bit perturbed by Luna's half-Nightmare appearance. Her race had the largest repository of lore about Luna and Nightmare Moon in Equestria though, so she likely already knew it was possible. They also had similar eyes themselves. The pegasi that came with her were a little more wary, but Luna had confidence that their comrades would soon help them understand. She directed them to Captain Gumball's command post, where they would be assigned quarters throughout the city. She thought she saw some unfamiliar faces in the crowd, but Luna's attention was drawn to Basilea, who was saluting her crisply.

“Welcome, Captain,” Luna said, raising her foreleg sharply. “If thou art tired, I give thee leave to rest before giving me the report.”

“I am well, ma'am,” Basilea replied, a little out of breath, with her dark coat shining with sweat. “Well enough to convey the most important information, at least.” She turned her head from side to side. “So, did we miss the war?”

“For the most part.” Luna smiled. “There remain many details to attend to, but we have broken the mightiest power they could throw at us. 'Tis a pity thou wert not here with us. The moat of magma would have been less of an obstacle with more fliers.”

“Moat of magma?” Basilea smiled back awkwardly, her fangs getting in the way. “It seems as though I have missed many interesting things.”

“Do not despair, my captain,” Luna said. “There is much fun left to be had as well. While most of the other cities have surrendered, some continue to resist. But first, what is this 'important information' thou spokest of?”

“Ah, of course.” Basilea dug in the pockets of her cloak, producing two scrolls. One was bound with Equestria's royal seal, the other with a seal that Luna could only dimly recall. It depicted two golden keys pressed into red wax.

“These were given to me by messengers from the southeast,” Basilea said. “Twilight Sparkle tried to send them to Celestia, but her dragon's sending spell did not work. When the situation was explained to her, she asked that they be delivered to you instead.”

“I see.” Luna opened the first letter and read.

“Also, ma'am,” Basilea continued, “at every village and town where we stopped, we had to turn away volunteers for the army. Hearing about the captives of the diamond dogs whom we returned, ponies came for miles along our path to be recruited. I told them that I must defer to you in this matter, although I did take the liberty of bringing along some of the most promising candidates. I hope I did not overstep my authority.”

“No, no,” Luna waved a hoof distractedly. “I am pleased with thy initiative. I...”

She read the last few lines of the letter over and over, sighing when they did not change.

“What is it, ma'am?”

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends have found Zecora,” said Luna in a tone of forced steadiness.

“Is that not a good thing, ma'am?” Basilea asked. “You are close to her, are you not?”

“My relationship with her is irrelevant,” Luna said, more defensively than she had intended. “She is a foreign national who was extended the protection of the crowns by Princess Celestia. Now the griffons have taken her prisoner, and they refuse to negotiate for her release with anyone but me.”

Luna tore open the other sealed scroll.

To Luna,

Be you Princess, Queen, or common pony, we will have words.

I have not forgotten how you humiliated me before my comrades and the dragon Oracle, casting me aside as an annoyance. Nor have I forgotten that you did so in defense of a fugitive criminal who has done incalculable harm and injustice to my family. I have heard that you consider yourself some paragon of virtue, but I say that you are just as much a hypocrite as your sister.

I do not call you a coward, but I do say that cowardice is the only vice you lack. It seems Zecora disagrees, but of what value is the opinion of a traitor and assassin? You can always tell someone's character by the company they keep, it is said.

The zebra is locked away in my castle, where she can do no more to defile this world. I had planned to execute her, but I am instead keeping her alive long enough for you to see her one last time before I run my blade through your neck.

Whether you come and duel me according to the code of your precious chivalry, or whether you stay away and wait for my army to come to you, we shall meet soon. If you think the treaty of neutrality with Oracle will protect you, you are mistaken. We are more than willing to take the long way around, and if he decides to intervene anyway, we are more than capable of putting down a dragon and still having enough troops to lay waste to your pathetic army afterwards.

I don't know where you might be when you get this, so I'll give you a couple months. But after that, Luna, you had better come to me, or I will come to you.

In the name of House d'Anjou,

Adelaide, the first of her name

“Is all well, Your Majesty?” Basilea's calm, dry voice cut into Luna's reverie, which had lasted for several minutes after she finished reading the letter.

“I am summoning a meeting of the captains in one hour,” said Luna, taking both scrolls into her aura as she turned to leave. “Wilt thou be rested enough by then?”

“Yes, ma'am!”

“Dismissed,” Luna called over her shoulder as she steadily returned to her quarters. Once back in the almost-bare apartment, she locked the door tightly and slumped against it. She was still in that exact position when it came time for her to go, only distantly aware that any time had passed at all.

“That is an absolutely trap-tastic letter,” Lyra declared in the campaign tent, which had been erected in the middle of the city's central plaza. She had just come from giving testimony at the slave merchant trials, so she was still wearing an exceedingly shiny and exceedingly impractical parade uniform—form-fitting chain armor made of gold, covered with tassels and adorned with medals Luna had awarded her.

“I am well aware,” Luna said, clad once again in her moonsilver cloak, which grateful former slaves had begged to wash for her. After she had removed the severed head inside to prepare for the mass funeral ceremony, of course. “Still, this is a missive that cannot be ignored.”

“What's this treaty she refers to here?” Gumball asked, pointing her hoof at the relevant section of the letter.

“That,” said Luna with a shake of her head, “is one of the measures taken by Princess Celestia to safeguard Equestria's borders during my absence. As she is not as gifted in the ways of war as I am, she had to find other ways to protect our subjects. In exchange for gold and gems, Oracle agreed to prevent any armies from passing through his domain, which encompasses the frontier between Equestria and Griffonce. From what I understand, he hath served as a great deterrent to other would-be invaders from the east as well.”

“Perfect!” Lyra said, grinning. “Let's march in there and give 'em what-for then!”

“I admire thy enthusiasm,” Luna said, “but that will not be possible. The treaty applies both ways. No army of ponies may cross his territory without being attacked either. Moreover, the occupation of the Underdark must be conducted justly, and that would not be possible if we were all to leave.” Luna took a deep breath. “Thus, as the griffon's quarrel is with me, I shall go by myself.”

“You cannot be serious,” Basilea blurted, then clamped her mouth shut.

“I am,” Luna said, favoring Basilea with an understanding glance rather than an angry glare. “I have every confidence that this army could defeat Oracle and the griffon army, but I will not risk their lives for one zebra... no matter how important she may be to me.”

Luna stared down at herself, hardly believing she had just said that.

“You don't have to take the whole army,” Gumball said gently, “but that doesn't mean you have to go alone either.”

“Yeah!” Lyra agreed, nodding vigorously. “You should at least take me, and maybe your blushing bridegroom too.”

“I need thee here,” said Luna, lifting her eyes, but not her head, “though perhaps I should indeed bring Blueblood. We shall need to marry soon, because the journey will require me to pass through his father's lands. I imagine that the elder Blueblood will want to see that his son is in good health...”

Luna blinked slowly as she trailed off. While she was busy trying to calm her emotions, her captains continued to speak.

“Should we have the wedding here, then?” Gumball inquired. Her tail was wagging slightly, and there was a glint in her eyes, no doubt from seeing all the food she would get to make for everyone.

“Sure, why not?” Lyra shrugged. “It would still be better than Princess Cadence's wedding. Before joining up with the army, I had nightmares about that one all the time.”

“I am not sure this is the appropriate place for such a celebration,” Basilea interjected. “Many have died here, on both sides. This should be a time of mourning for us all.”

“Well, that's totally depressing, 'Lea,” said Lyra. “It doesn't have to be today, but wouldn't a wedding be just what we need to lift our spirits? Everypony here has been through a lot. They need something to look forward to, I say.”

“I agree,” Gumball said, her mouth watering as she stared dreamily off into space. “The cake ingredients I could get at the markets here would be heavenly. Who doesn't look forward to cake?”

“It would still be disrespectful,” Basilea said sternly, “not to mention unwise.”

“Are you all quite done analyzing my wedding?” Luna spoke up suddenly, raising her head once again. The three other heads in the tent bowed slightly to her. “Good. I agree with Captain Basilea. The wedding shall not be held here, but instead in my fastness in the Everfree Forest. It will be a small ceremony. Because it is not a long journey there, one of you can be spared long enough to attend, should you so desire. Up to fifty non-essential soldiers may also come. The other details, such as food, music, clothing, and so forth, will be decided by my bridesmaid.”

“Who's your bridesmaid?” all three asked.

“I do not have one, as yet,” Luna answered, somewhat sheepishly. “I was hoping one of you three would do me that honor. Thou, Basilea, gave the first slaves we freed back their homes, a gift of incalculable value. Thou, Gumball, conducted the siege of Dragon's Hoard with skill and courage. And thou, Lyra, risked all to prevent a horrific massacre of the very souls we came here to protect. If I could ask each of you to be by my side when I am wed, I would.”

“Which one of us do you want, then?” said Basilea, a deep blush rising to her face.

“I leave that to you,” Luna said as she began rolling up the scrolls and getting to her feet. “This is not a command, but a request, from one mare to another. I would love to discuss it further, but we all have much to do. I shall set out tomorrow evening, so there is more than enough time to decide. Any questions?”

“Just one,” Lyra said. “You're not going to take whichever one of us ends up being your bridesmaid, trap them in a gooey cocoon, and feed on their love, right?”

Luna rolled her eyes and snorted. “Any more questions like that, and I just may.” She flashed them a wicked, amused grin as she left, and the captains shared a brief but genuine laugh together.

After the funeral that evening, where Luna helped the strongest earth ponies carve massive graves in the obsidian cavern, she made sure to schedule only relatively minor tasks for herself, such as signing decrees and overseeing reconstruction. Later that night, she would have to stand in judgment of her own soldiers, and she needed her mind clear and focused.

For a moment, she considered trying to sleep. She did not feel the urge to do so, even after all she had done for the past few weeks, but she wondered if it might not be a good idea anyway. If it would help her see things more clearly, it would be worth a shot. But it had been so long that she was not sure she could prevent herself from dreaming. Luna was afraid of what she might dream if her subconscious were allowed to roam free. With the emotions and experiences she had been through lately, the results could be disastrous, not just for her, but for those around her too.

So, in the interest of not inflicting horrible dreams on herself or others, Luna continued her long, sleepless vigil, turning the sun and moon endlessly over the world even though she could not see them.

She arrived at the courthouse early, allowing her to catch the end of the day's slave merchant trials. As she passed through the thick oak doors, she wrapped nearby shadows around herself like a veil, so that her appearance would not cause a disruption. If anyone scrutinized her, they would see through the deception, but the eyes of all but the guardponies were locked on the proceedings.

Ahead, past rows of benches packed with ponies, diamond dogs, and several other species under the watchful eyes of armed pony sentries, Captain Basilea now presided as judge. Gumball had been conducting the proceedings with competence previously, but Basilea was an actual student of law. Luna also wanted her for the job because she possessed a more grave, neutral aura. Luna respected Gumball greatly, but she had become quite emotional during previous sessions. If anything, it made Luna respect her more to hear that she had choked up with fury and sorrow while the slave witnesses were relating the abuses they had suffered, but in this delicate matter, appearances were extremely important.

Basilea wore a parade uniform similar to Lyra's, though the metallic parts of hers were stained purple, with the tassels and padding colored a shade of maroon. She sat upright behind a desk made of the same rich wood as the doors, her forelegs crossed patiently on its surface. The desk was piled high with papers—transaction records, witness testimonies, identification forms, and so on. She was reading each one carefully as the two counsel standing before the desk waited.

Representing the state of Equestria was Captain Lyra, whose nearly omnipresent grin was nowhere to be seen. Her face was set into a grim expression, which Luna did not think suited her at all. Evidently the diamond dogs in the audience disagreed, however, if the pointing and hushed, dreadful whispering about “Goldeneyes” was any indication.

Seated on cushions behind Lyra were five former slaves, each one bearing some kind of injury. A pegasus with bloody bandages wrapped around the bases of his wings watched the proceedings dispassionately. Two unicorns, their horns sawed down to nubs smaller than a newborn foal's, looked on with dry, red eyes. There was also a young doe there with bruises all over her body. She wore a furious scowl that stood in stark contrast to the depressed, defeated faces of the others. Finally, the pony named Emerald was there as well, having been wheeled in by an army medic, since all four of her legs were bound in large, stiff casts. She appeared ready to burst into tears at any moment. All five of them had brands burned into their flanks—the ponies' brands directly over where their cutie marks used to be.

To Lyra's side stood a familiar face—Ludwig, clad in his customary spotless white toga, who was representing the alleged slave owners. Although “alleged” was only a technicality at this point. Their complicity in the slave trade had been proven already through seized documents and multiple witness accounts, from diamond dogs and ponies alike. All that remained was to determine the extent of their involvement, and to pass down sentences accordingly.

“...and if the slaves' overseers were overzealous in their protection of the owners' assets,” Ludwig was saying, more to Lyra and the pony stenographer than to the judge, “it was done without my clients' knowledge. They would never condone such abuses.”

“What of the brands, then?” countered Lyra. “They clearly show the family crests of your clients.” Venom entered Lyra's voice, which Luna was totally unaccustomed to hearing.

“The brands were for their protection, counselpony,” said Ludwig without missing a beat. “If an unowned pony were to walk the streets of Dragon's Hoard, they would be vulnerable to all manner of depredations. It was an act of compassion to clearly mark them.”

“An act of compassion!?” Lyra whirled to face him and started scraping one hoof against the shining obsidian floor. “Listen, you disgusting—“

“Counsels, be silent, please,” said Basilea, glancing up from her reading. “If you are bored with the entry of this evidence into the official record, you will keep it to yourselves.”

“Of course, Your Honor,” they both said. Ludwig added a flourishing bow and a smile to his words, while Lyra silently fumed.

The whispers from the observers in the courtroom grew louder once the two representatives stopped talking. Luna listened carefully, especially to the diamond dogs. Even they were appalled by the damage done to the slaves. Luna was confused and disgusted that they had somehow not noticed it before. Perhaps hearing the slaves actually describe what it was like for a unicorn to be without their horn, or for a pegasus to be without their wings, had opened their eyes. Luna hoped so, because even though it was in the distant past, she could clearly remember times when both had happened to her.

Her horn had been sliced from her head in the middle of a three-day battle with a rampaging tarasque. It had been difficult to defeat it with access to only the most wild, uncontrolled magic, but she managed to lead it far enough away from civilization that the only collateral damage she did was to the terrain. But after the fight, it had felt as though she was cut off from the vast web of life. Where before Luna had felt herself part of a greater, wondrous whole, after that, she had barely felt connected to herself. It was as though a huge part of her had been suddenly, painfully paralyzed. It had taken years for her horn to grow back, and years more to regain enough control over her magic to cast a minor levitation spell without it blowing up in her face. And that was as an alicorn... a normal unicorn might never have recovered.

Luna had also lost her wings, or rather had them ripped from her body, when trying to hunt down the renegade dragon Fafnir. His followers had hoped to keep her from following him by preventing her from flying. She had not been skilled enough back then to heal her wings quickly, and so she was without the freedom of the sky for days. She had eventually trapped and slain the dragon by hiding in a wild thunderstorm, as she had still been able to cloudwalk, but knowing that any misstep during the battle meant she would have plummeted to her death had been terrifying. For months afterwards, as her wings had slowly, agonizingly grown back, Luna distinctly remembered how soul-crushing it had been to have an entire half of the world violently cut off from her.

She was glad she had come early. She had a much clearer idea of how to deal with her wayward soldiers now.

“There,” Basilea declared, stamping the last paper in the pile with her hoof. She unfurled her wings and cracked her neck as she stretched her legs. “I find this evidence to be relevant to the case. The court will take an hour recess to allow for the military tribunal, and for the counsels to compose themselves, then we will examine the evidence in detail.” She sorted the documents into two stacks and carefully balanced them on her leathery wings, carrying them over to where the stenographer sat scribbling with his stylus.

“Anyone who is not a member of Equestria's military will now clear the courtroom,” Basilea said as she returned to her desk, took the gavel in her teeth, and banged it twice.

The guardponies among the audience began gently but insistently leading the civilians out.

A few minutes later, the soldiers who had been killing the suspected slavers after the siege were led in. The tribunal assembled before them—Luna, Lyra, and Basilea. The three did not sit behind the desk, but instead stood in the middle of the floor, only feet away from the prisoners. The prisoners stood stoically, chests out, shoulders back, but Luna could feel the pain in their eyes as clearly as if it were her own.

“I shall read the charges,” said Luna, glancing at the clerk who still remained in the room, “so that they may be recorded. You stand accused of the deliberate killing of unarmed civilians, and of doing so without the knowledge or consent of your superior officers. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the only two prescribed punishments for this offense are permanent banishment, and death by beheading. Do you understand the situation as I have explained it to you?”

“Yes, ma'am!” the accused said. It was almost as one voice, except for the quivering of a few.

“The most senior officer involved will now step forward and explain this group's actions to the tribunal.” Luna met the eyes of each soldier, remembering the intense training of each one, recalling all they had accomplished in the army's battles so far. Sergeant Blossom stepped out from the ranks.

She was a tall, stocky earth pony with a ragged green mane and a dark blue coat, giving the impression of a deep pond with strands of seaweed floating in it. Her voice was low, resonant, and contrite.

“Upon the conquest of the city,” Blossom said, “we set out to seize incriminating documents before they could be destroyed. In the process, we accosted several individuals who appeared to be holding slaves. The slaves were... they were beaten and broken. We were not prepared to see the damage that had been done to their horns and wings, since we had seen nothing that extreme in Barkstone.” She sighed deeply, her mouth twitching at the memories. “We decided to follow your example and execute those responsible. We were not completely thorough in our verification process, due to the heightened state of our emotions, and we take full responsibility for that weakness on our part.”

Lyra bit her lip during the speech, her eyes gradually lowering until she was staring down at her hooves. Basilea and Luna looked on with level gazes.

“That example of mine cited,” said Luna with a great deal of effort, “was a mistake. I too was experiencing a heightened state of emotion, and I momentarily lost sight of the fact that, outside of the chaos of battle, imprisonment is always preferable to death. Reform is always possible.”

“You think they would have reformed!?” Ensign Breeze spoke up from the middle of the prisoners.

“Be quiet, Ensign!” Sergeant Blossom hissed, but Luna was already standing up and answering.

“It is not my place to say,” Luna said, “nor is it yours. But this argument serves no purpose.” She began circling around them, not actively trying to be menacing, just making sure that each of her soldiers got a good look at her. “As you may have already surmised, this tribunal is a formality. I have already decided what shall be done with you.”

Though their hard stares remained locked straight ahead, some of the soldiers began to sweat.

“We are constructing a school in this city,” Luna said, “a place where we can share our knowledge and our wisdom with the denizens here who have been so sorely lacking them. I am leaving for Equestria 'ere long, and I shall be sending back teachers, doctors, mechanics, professionals and volunteers of all kinds, each of whom will have much to give.”

The soldiers on trial stopped sweating, and their disciplined stares developed a slightly confused aspect to them.

“Your task will be to refurbish the grandest mansion in the town for this purpose. When you are not on camp duty, this will be your life. You will make it ready for their arrival according to the specifications of our engineers.

“It will not bring back the dead, to be sure. Indeed, perhaps the world is a brighter place for them not being in it, but no matter what the case may be, you must strive to create good to fill the void in the tapestry of life left by their passing. Otherwise we risk more evil taking the place of that void.”

Luna stopped circling, standing directly before Brandywine, whom she knew to be the true instigator of this episode.

“Lest you think this is a light punishment I am setting before you, know that I have struggled with this very conundrum for centuries. It could be that you will learn nothing from it, but I encourage you to be creative and proactive in identifying ways to give to this community in positive ways. They have suffered so much negativity. These diamond dogs need open hearts to light their way, now that we have extinguished the suffocating fires of oppression.”

She turned away sharply and went back to join Lyra and Basilea. They were both silent and still as statues.

“As for the breach of discipline involved in performing this deed without direct orders,” Luna pronounced, “your camp duties for the next month shall consist of the hardest and most unenviable labor we require. Meditate on all I have just told you as you are digging latrines and hauling away rubble.” She finally took a moment to breathe, then said simply, “That is all.”

She motioned for the guards to open the doors and told them to escort Sergeant Blossom and her comrades to the construction site to begin their task immediately. She gave a curt nod to her captains, then left without a further word. Not knowing what else to say, the two of them began preparing for the diamond dog trials to resume.

Luna spent the next half an hour preparing for her departure. It was not as though she had much to pack—only some hay and writing supplies, really. But each step took several extra minutes. She was packing her memories too, and that was not a quick process. Several times, Luna stopped her preparations and simply stared out of the windows. She watched some citizens walk by calmly, even waving at the pony soldiers they passed, while others went by carefully, as if afraid of incurring the wrath of the soldiers. One such patrol immediately caught her full attention.

Ensign Breeze was in it, and her group was passing by a family of five beggars. They were no longer homeless, thanks to the ponies' redistribution of housing, but they were still painfully skinny and clothed in rags. Brandywine said something to her sergeant, and the patrol halted. She went over to the family, who flinched and backed into a wall as she approached. She stopped, set down her spear, and took off her saddlebags. Rummaging through them, she produced several hoof-fulls of carrots, celery, and bread—several days' worth of rations.

Luna turned her ears all the way forward and reached out with her magic.

“Take it,” Brandywine said as she pushed the food toward them. “I'm not hungry.”

The diamond dog pups devoured as much food as they could, and once they had had their fill, the parents came in and ate the rest.

“What do you say, little ones?” the father said, gently nudging his puppies.

“Thank you, ma'am,” the three children chorused.

The parents nodded with tears filling their eyes. Brandywine nodded back. She was smiling, but it was a small, sad smile. She walked back to join her patrol, but before she could get back in formation, the other members of her squadron were going through their own packs. The family refused to accept any more food from them, instead pointing them down the street, where more hungry beggars waited.

“We don't have enough for all of them,” the sergeant said, frowning.

“We should still do what we can, sir,” said Brandywine.

Her commander thought for a moment. “And so we will. But make sure to keep at least half a ration for yourselves, everypony. We're no good to anyone if we're starving too.”

Luna watched them distribute what meager supplies they had for several minutes, her heart swelling with pride. Perhaps there was hope for that one after all. Then she remembered what she was supposed to be doing, realized she already had everything she needed for the journey, and departed her quarters.

A significant portion of the army, and a surprisingly large crowd of mostly lower-class diamond dogs, had gathered at the gate to see the Queen and her entourage off. Blueblood was performing his part admirably, pressing close to her and smiling and waving at the crowd. Luna draped a wing over his back tenderly. Another piece of her heart broke when he subtly flinched away from the touch, but she could not blame him for it. She took a deep breath, shoving that hurt deep down inside and focusing her attention on the crowd.

“Subjects of Equestria, new and old,” she spoke, ethereal wind carrying her voice to all of them, “hear our words. It pains us greatly to depart at such an important moment, but a grave matter has arisen in another country, and only the Queen can resolve it.

“But take heart, ye of virtuous spirit! Even from afar shall we protect your dreams. And beware, ye who possess black hearts, for we shall see your sins, and restful sleep shall be ever out of your reach.

“We shall return as soon as this other crisis is resolved. You shall be ever in our thoughts in the meantime. If you be well and do well, the stars shall always watch over you.”

Luna inclined her head, and the soldiers immediately went down to their knees in a mass bow. Many of the diamond dogs followed suit. She hoped that was because some of them actually respected her, but if they were doing it out of fear... Well, hopefully the fear would keep them in line, at least.

“Guess who's going to be your bridesmaid?” Lyra whispered from a couple feet away. “Spoiler alert! It's me. The three of us decided I've already done the most death-defiance, so I should get a break. Plus, I'd like to actually be part of a wedding that doesn't go horribly wrong, for a change.”

Luna's smile could never match the size of the grin Lyra was sporting again, but it threatened to come close. “I am most pleased to hear that,” Luna said. “Is everything in readiness?”

“Yes, ma'am!” Lyra said.

Luna, Lyra, and Blueblood walked out of the gate, with the specially picked honor guard of fifty ponies spreading out in front of and behind them. The moat was now mercifully drained of magma, so crossing the bridge was much easier and less harrowing this time.

“Wait!” a mare shouted just as the gates were about to be closed. “I came all this way to join up, and you're leaving already? I thought we were friends!”

They turned around to see an earth pony with a bright red coat and an even brighter red mane pushing her way through the crowd.

The rear guard were about to stop her, but Luna commanded them to let her by.

Quicktail ran straight up to her and stopped. She stood there for several moments, panting and trying to catch her breath. “Whew!” she said. “I came running as soon as I heard your voice. Where are you going?”

“How could that possibly be thy concern?” Luna asked, her head cocked to the side. “What art thou even doing in this place?”

“Your bat pony captain thought I showed a lot of promise,” Quicktail said, “so she let me tag along. By the way, hi, Bloody!” She winked and waved at Blueblood, then turned to Lyra. “Hi, pony I don't know yet!”

Lyra mumbled a stiff greeting.

“Shouldn't you be patrolling my father's lands?” Blueblood asked. “For that matter, where is the rest of your merry little band of reformed robbers?”

“Actually, that's another reason I'm here.” Quicktail moved closer and began speaking conspiratorially through her teeth. “I may have a little bit of an ulterior motive for coming.”

“Forgive me if I am not beside myself with shock,” Luna drolled.

“Ha ha,” Quicktail countered sarcastically. “You see, after Prince Blueblood here took off, the other Prince Blueblood decided that me and my mates weren't trustworthy. He had us locked up. Okay, so we had actually broken some minor laws too, but you and I both know why he really did it.”

“And why is that?”

“Because we're friends with you, of course!” Quicktail's smile grew wider, and Lyra's frown grew deeper. “So, I made a remarkably daring escape and set out to find you. I was hoping you could use your queenliness and such to get my mates pardoned. In return, I'll join your army, and I imagine they will too. Or perhaps you're more inclined to a good old-fashioned regime change in his duchy. We can help with that too. You know, set up his much wiser and more handsome son to rule in his place?”

“I will do no such thing!” Luna protested, but already the political gears were turning in her head. “Absolutely not,” she emphasized, which only caused her to consider the possibility more.

“Hey, forget I mentioned it then.” Quicktail laughed stiltedly. “So, can I come along? Please?”

“No way,” said Lyra. “You're a thief, and you attacked Luna!”

“I didn't mean it,” Quicktail said, holding up her forehooves. “Honest. Besides, I've given up my life of crime to serve Equestria. Right, Bloody?”

“From what I've seen, yes,” Blueblood put in. “She was quite loyal and talented during our patrols, if a bit obnoxious.”

Unnoticed by the others, Luna's lip quivered slightly as she thought she heard a slight emphasis on the word “talented.” She tried to brush it off, but her jealousy had grown to oversize proportions over the last couple days.

“Hmph,” Quicktail grunted. “That last bit was uncalled for. But thanks.”

“Let us consider it while we are on the road,” Luna pronounced. “We are wasting time. Art thou prepared to march, Quicktail?”

“Yep!”

Luna's eyes narrowed. “That will be 'yes, ma'am,' or 'yes, Your Majesty', from henceforth.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The former bandit leader put on an over-the-top haughty air of nobility as she responded.

“This is a really bad idea, ma'am,” Lyra said. “She's trouble. With all due respect, of course.”

“I can hear you, pony-I-don't-know-yet,” said Quicktail.

“Yeah, I know.” Lyra's hoof started to scrape the bridge as her glare intensified. “What of it?”

“You can at least insult me to my face, pinhead.”

“Fine,” Lyra said as she closed the distance between them, getting so near that their muzzles pressed together. “This is a really bad idea. You’re trouble.”

“Can we please save the backbiting for another time?” Luna groaned. “Walk at opposite ends of the column if you must. Either way, we are leaving. Now.”

“Oh, I can already tell this is going to be so much fun!” Quicktail said, backing away from the staredown and throwing her forelegs around the two nearest ponies, who happened to be Lyra and Blueblood. “Does anypony know any good songs?”

“I do, actually,” Lyra said as she extricated herself from Quicktail's grasp with a disgusted sneer. Lyra turned toward Luna, shook away the ugly confrontation, and regarded her solemnly. “I was going to sing it next time we marched anyway, so I might as well do it now. It predates the classical era, but it's easy to pick up if anyone doesn’t know it...”

Lyra moved ahead of the others, taking her into the front group of guards and away from Quicktail. She began to beat out the rhythm with her gait.

Luna stopped in her tracks, chills traveling up her spine, as Lyra began to sing in a clear, soaring soprano. Then she slowly took up the same gait and jumped in, singing heartily, but not so heartily that she would drown out Lyra’s voice. Blueblood and the soldiers followed along as best they could, but Luna knew this song by heart. It had originated in the olden earth pony tribe, but once the tribes were united, it had become one of Equestria's most beloved marching ballads, sung by countless ponies as they defended their hard-won home from countless threats. Luna and Celestia had marched to face Discord's legions with their entire army singing its words. However, true war had become so rare in modern times that only the oldest history books even mentioned the march.

“Wander my friends, wander with me, like the mist on the green mountains, moving eternally,” part of it went, translated from old Equine.

Luna was glad that silence prevailed once the song trailed off, because she could not have spoken any words to Lyra at this gesture. Tears ran openly down the Queen's face as she marched back to Equestria.

Author's Notes:

Putting full song lyrics in stories always looks a little weird, so here's the full version, with lyrics in both modern and the pre-classical earth pony dialect of Equine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc8pHIAV9v8

Yes, I did borrow it from Battlestar Galactica. I regret nothing.

Chapter 22: The Fire Inside

“So you beat me to Blueblood, huh?” Quicktail said as she marched next to Luna, a lascivious, lopsided grin on her face. “You minx.”

“Thou speakest of him as though he is some grand trophy,” Luna replied, scanning the dark paths for any signs of danger and pointedly not looking at Quicktail.

“Maybe not for you,” said Quicktail, flipping her bright, ruby-colored tail back and forth. “But he could have made me a princess and set me up for life.” She sighed heavily. “No biggie though. I'm happy for you, friend! If you need a best mare, just let me know.”

Luna snorted quietly and poured more energy into her light spell. The caves had transitioned from obsidian back to more common gray rock, though they still had a smoothness to them that suggested artificiality. There were also many similar tunnels branching off. Throughout the journey, Luna had noticed many indistinct shapes darting away from the edges of the light.

Lyra quickened her pace and joined them, coming up to Luna's other side.

“Ma'am,” Captain Lyra said, “have you noticed the increase in temperature over the past mile?”

Quicktail chuckled. “How long did it take you to come up with another way to say 'it's getting hot in here'?” she said.

“Indeed I have, Captain,” Luna said, casting a significant glare at Quicktail, who backed away with an exaggerated grin while humming an unfamiliar song. “I have also noted a distant sound underneath us, like the flowing of a great volume of liquid. We are likely about to pass over a magma channel.”

“Anything we should be prepared for, ma'am?”

“No. These caves have many. We have actually passed several others, which only my heightened senses have allowed me to detect. We shall be safe.”

Lyra nodded, but she also maintained the same pace to keep at her side. Unbeknown to Lyra, Luna marginally slowed down her gait to allow her to stay there more easily.

“So, how are you?” Lyra asked in a hushed voice. Luna was at the head of the party, so they were already somewhat separated from being overheard, and the sound of fifty armored soldiers marching generated a lot of noise, but they both knew that Luna would be able to hear her fine.

“I am not asked that question often...” Luna was tempted to dismiss it, and if it had been any other pony, she likely would have. Instead, she reflected. What she saw in the reflection was a huge and ugly thing, which would not be easy to speak about. The image of Lyra running toward her, carrying a maimed pony on her back, and shielding the slave from arrows with her own body, appeared in her mind's eye briefly. It stayed there long enough, though, to make her try to put words to what she felt.

“In truth,” she said at last, “I am disturbed by what I have seen down here, and wroth as well. These diamond dogs have been inflicting such abuse upon us, and Celestia hath done naught? I can scarcely believe it.”

“I'm sure it's complicated.” Lyra frowned and lowered her head. “But I know what you mean.”

The scattered tents of the fringes of Barkstone gradually came into view, only now they were occupied once again. Diamond dogs gave the armed party of ponies a range of looks from terror to fury, but they all did so from the safety of the shadows. Luna watched them carefully, and they shied from her gaze as though it were a physical weapon.

“I am beginning to realize that,” she said. She considered asking Celestia about it when she returned to the castle, but she was still unsure she was ready for any sort of conversation with her sister. 'Tis amusing. I can face down armies and monsters, yet I shrink from the thought of looking my sister in the eyes.

“You should talk to her,” Lyra said, shaking her out of the reverie. Luna turned a startled eye toward Lyra, but the captain was busy dutifully scanning the opposite section of the tunnel for trouble, and did not notice her surprise at the perfect guess of her train of thought. “It doesn't have to be about that, specifically, but you're getting married. Your sister should know that, at least, shouldn't she?”

“Would that truly be a good idea?” Luna asked.

“I don't know.” Lyra shook her head. “Maybe just think about it?”

Luna's marching slowed further as she pondered, and Lyra had no trouble keeping up with her then.

“Anyways,” said Lyra. “Do you mind if I ask you about one more thing?”

“I do not see why not,” Luna said, dipping her neck in a gesture similar to a walking shrug. “We have several hours left before we reach the city.”

“Okay.” Lyra took a moment to lick her lips and swallow. “You... you've been married before, right?”

“Indeed.” Luna looked straight ahead, closing her eyes fractions of a second longer than necessary to blink. A soft, barely detectable sigh passed through her lips. “Whence cometh this question?”

“Well, I'm curious,” Lyra said as she cleared her throat. “Have any of your marriages been to an earth pony?”

Luna raised an eyebrow at Lyra. “Yes. My romantic past is not something I tend to dwell upon though.”

“It's true I wouldn't mind hearing about your experiences,” Lyra said as she smiled gently, “because you're a pretty stand-up lady, but you don't have to tell me. I mainly wanted to know what the wedding ring customs were in your time. For... research.”

“Research?” Luna laughed gently when the wheels clicked and she figured out why Lyra wanted to know. “Then I shall happily oblige. Customs varied widely with time and place, as anyone as intelligent and educated as thou art no doubt aware, but I shall tell thee a story that may be enlightening.

“The first time I married an earth pony was also the first time I married for love. He was our court jester, and I greatly enjoyed the mockery he would cast upon the nobility at our court. I was, however, less than impressed when he turned his japes toward Celestia and myself for the first time. I do not recall over what. I seethed in silence for several nights, until Celestia suggested that a more constructive alternative might be to play a trick upon him in kind. I am quite fond of trickery, so I spent several more nights planning all manner of stunts.”

Luna's mouth curved into a wry smile.

“It would have been poor form to humiliate him in front of other ponies, so I resolved to catch him alone. Oh, he did set off several of my traps and schemes, but unfortunately, I had concocted so many of them that I lost track and... wound up triggering many of them myself. That was how I ended up outside of his room, suspended in a net and covered in tree sap, while he ended up in the doorway with a bucket of honey upon his head and with his coat dyed a cacophonous array of garish pastels.

“I warned him not to move, because there were more tripwires set across his threshold. When he heard my voice, he said my name and laughed. Even through the bucket, his voice resounded with a surprising warmth. 'Twas infectious and insidious, and I found myself joining him in his mirth.

“I had arranged for the royal guard to be patrolling elsewhere that night, and I had cleared out the nearby rooms using one excuse or another, so no one was there to hear us. Nor to help us. Unless I used my magic to get us out, we were stuck, though I felt no special desire to do so quickly.”

Luna's smile remained small, though over the course of her speech, it had spread along the rest of her face, wrinkling her nose and lighting up her eyes. She saw Lyra suppressing a very undisciplined giggle.

“When at last our guffaws ceased,” Luna continued, “I attempted to explain myself, but he told me there was no need. He understood, though he also told me that he was now bound by the honor of his profession to repay me in kind. I felt no wrath at the thought. Indeed, as I explained to him, I relished the opportunity to match wits with a pony aside from my sister, for a change. He accepted the challenge with much bravado, even in the face of my centuries of experience and magical ability, rightly pointing out that I had done just as much to myself as to him. In that moment of absurd courage, I felt it. That spark in one's soul that can change it forever, if it is properly fed and stoked. Hast thou felt something like that, Lyra?”

Lyra was in so rapt a state of attention that she did not notice the question at first. Then she jumped a little and spent a second adjusting her already perfectly situated helmet. “Yes,” she replied. “Yes I have. When my sweetie... when Bon Bon gave away a batch of candy to some fillies who said they had lost their money, I happened to pass them on my way to make an order of my own. I noticed a full pouch of bits hidden under the ringleader's belt. I was outraged. I hated seeing such a generous and gorgeous pony being taken advantage of like that, and I might have used those exact words when pointing it out to her.

“I was so mad that I didn't see her blushing until I replayed the scene in my head later. But you know what she said to me? She said, and I remember this like she's saying it now, 'You have to have faith in other ponies. Even if they did mean to trick me, at least they'll have money to spend on other things to make them happy.'”

Lyra nodded once, grinning, with a faraway look in her eyes. “Yeah. I felt a spark then.” She turned to look at Luna again. “But could you continue what you were saying, if you don't mind?”

“I suppose I can,” Luna said, one corner of her lip curled up. “The trickery escalated rather quickly, before transforming into something more. I usually try to reign in my tumultuous passions with firm commitments and clear rules, not only in love but in all aspects of my life, yet this was one time when I embraced them completely instead. Our affair was all the more scandalous, and thus all the more exciting for me, due to his unremarkable lineage and un-prestigious profession. And I am rambling. I should explain why I am mentioning all of this, probably...”

“Nah,” said Lyra. “I get it. You loved somepony the ponies around you didn't approve of, and that caused you some problems. You're saying it's like my situation with Bon Bon.”

“Not exactly alike,” Luna put in quickly. “I did not have to endure the pain of familial rejection. I am merely trying to convey that I can relate a small fraction to thy situation.”

“Hey, I'm not offended.” Lyra offered a reassuring smile, which helped to lessen the frozen panic on Luna's face a great deal. “Honestly, I'm happy you're coming around and trying to understand where I'm coming from.” She stepped a little closer for a moment, angling with her shoulder as if to gently bump Luna with it, but Lyra took a quick glance back at the other soldiers and resumed walking straight ahead.

“But anyway,” she said, clearing her throat, “the two of you got married despite the objections of your court, right? How did it happen? Was it super romantic?”

“Oh yes, quite.” Luna laughed, a soft and quiet sound that was nevertheless as clear and distinct as a bell, even over the sound of marching boots. “I made the night sky perfect, with the full moon shining down upon us through a canopy of blossoming cherry trees. Fireflies danced around us, creating a pattern of light like a scintillating diamond. Beneath a shower of shooting stars, I presented him with an exquisite silver torque and asked him to be my husband. In retrospect, my efforts may have been rather... overwrought, because he thought I was playing another trick on him at first. I was quite wounded by his laughter, and I responded with fury. I would not speak to him for many days.”

Luna sighed softly, closing her eyes for a few moments and relying on sound and her earth pony magic to guide her steps. As she did, she got the distinct sensation that something had changed far underground. It felt like the roar of a river, though not one of water, and it was getting closer. Her eyes snapped open.

“We shall have to finish this discussion in a moment,” she told Lyra. Then she raised her voice so the rest of her company could hear. “Soldiers! Quicken your pace by two steps. Something is coming toward us from below.”

“What's going on?” Lyra asked in alarm, as she and the other soldiers dutifully sped up.

“It could be nothing,” said Luna, “or it could be some manner of ambush. See that everyone is prepared.”

After checking on the troops, then having a brief, barb-filled argument with Quicktail over military procedures, then trying to get Quicktail and Blueblood to at least agree to march in formation, Lyra returned. Her smile was gone. Luna immediately resumed their previous discussion, hoping to see the expression again.

“To come to the point, when my sweet jester at last agreed to my proposal, rather than wearing the torque around his leg, he had his septum pierced and placed it there. Not to be outdone by that rapscallion, I did the same.”

“Whoa, wait a second,” Lyra interjected. “You had your nose pierced?”

“Yes, I did. I had to have it done many times, in fact, because my body would regenerate the piercing in short order whenever the ring was removed. Thus, I endeavored to wear it as often as possible.”

“That is so cool.” Lyra giggled as professionally as she could.

“Thanks?” Luna looked down and might have shuffled her feet if she were not marching. “Anyway, the point of my story is that one must know one's potential spouse and, more importantly, one must be adaptable to their wishes. Make the initial gesture as romantic and ideal as possible. The practicalities can, and, I believe, should come only later.” Luna gave Lyra a knowing wink. “Particularly if one plans on marrying a very practical pony.”

Lyra marched on in silence, since her breathing was becoming quicker now that they were marching at about the pace of a trot. Luna guessed that the lesson she told Lyra to take away from the story was not actually all she was thinking about. When Lyra spoke again, her question proved it.

“How do you deal with it?” Lyra said in between carefully controlled breaths. “I mean, losing ponies that close to you over and over for hundreds of years... it can't be easy.”

“Aye, 'tis not easy,” Luna replied, still smiling wanly and not even sweating at the pace. “But it would be a disservice to myself and to their memories to close off my soul and become a cold and distant husk. I do not always succeed in avoiding that fate, but that is not who I wish to be...”

Luna saw Lyra instinctively ready all the muscles she would need for a walking hug, but then she relaxed them. Luna was momentarily disappointed, but it could wait. Not least because the heat was getting closer... and it was beginning to run parallel to their course as well.

She squinted down each side tunnel they passed, and could make out a faint orange glow emanating from somewhere past the twists and turns of the rock. As it grew closer, a lone diamond dog stepped out from among the ramshackle dwellings of the cave slums to block their path. He wore a toga, like many of the upper classes, but his was colored a dark purple, with black trim. In his paws he carried a black staff that had a smooth, bright sheen to it. Around his neck was draped a necklace of half a dozen horns. Unicorn horns. Each of them were glowing a different color, as were his eyes, shining so brightly that they seemed to burn.

Everyone but Luna stopped in their tracks, mouths gaping more the less formal training they had received. Luna herself pounded forward with a snarl on her lips, her head lowered, her eyes narrowed.

“That's far enough!” the diamond dog shouted. He raised his staff and a shimmering barrier of six colors appeared between him and the advancing Queen, covering the entire passage.

Luna pulled her neck back and stopped, scanning the barrier warily. It sparked and crackled with intermittent flashes of crimson, violet, cobalt, gold, brown, and green. Each flash, she realized, once belonged to a pony's eyes. She knew she could power through one unicorn shield easily enough, but she was less certain about six. With a low grunt, Luna began to stalk around the shield, searching for a weak point. Her tail flicked back and forth wildly, and her breathing came fast and hot out of her flared nostrils.

She was so distracted by her emotions that she only heard the yelps and howls around them when everyone else in her entourage did. What few diamond dogs were still watching from windows and tent flaps quickly hid themselves completely as carbon dogs, their magically animated, furnace-like 'cousins', poured in from the side tunnels. Instead of flying into a mindless rage like when Blueblood and Quicktail had fought them, however, they simply took up positions at every possible escape route, which required at least a hundred of them. Even from that distance, the fire inside their bodies was hot enough to make the ponies sweat.

“I take up hermitage in the Everfree Forest for a few decades,” the diamond dog with the staff said, “and suddenly ponies have taken over my country? My apologies, princess, but I cannot allow you to cut off my research supply, and the cheapest way is to buy slaves. Will you please reinstate the trade?”

“What?” Luna said, stopping in her pacing and looking aghast. “Of course not! We shall wipe the wretched practice from existence wherever we find it.”

Behind Luna, Lyra was busy giving commands to the fifty members of the honor guard. Blueblood, and even Quicktail, obeyed her as well, with only minor grumbling from the latter.

“You've fought these things before, right?” Captain Lyra asked. “If the two of you have any special tactics we can use to defeat them, now would be a good time to share.”

“Hit them,” Quicktail said. “Hit them really hard.”

“That's it?” Lyra scowled at the glib response.

“What my dear friend is trying to say,” interrupted Blueblood, sliding himself between the two mares before they could advance on each other, “is that it's useless to target their vital organs, because they're animated by some other force. The only way to take them down is to do enough damage to their bodies that the magic dissipates.”

“Oh,” Lyra said. She craned her neck from side to side, even up slightly, sighing as she calculated the odds. They were outnumbered by at least two-to-one, probably more, against a tough and unfamiliar opponent. “Is that all? Let's get ready then. Form up!”

Grabbing her spear from the luggage the procession had dropped, Lyra put herself at the head of a bristling phalanx of fifty armed ponies. They waited in silence as the carbon dogs stared at them with their hollowed-out, fire-lit eye sockets.

“I thought you'd say something like that,” the diamond dog said after a few moments of reflection—and reinforcing his magical shields. “In that case, give me your horn, and everyone here can walk away from this without suffering any harm.”

“Who art thou to make such preposterous demands of the Queen of Equestria?” With a sweep of her hoof and a flash of light from her horn, Luna shattered the first layer of the magician's defenses. Behind her, the carbon dogs growled, but held their position, for now. “And where didst thou acquire that robe? I have seen its like before.”

“I found it lying around in the forest,” he said with a shrug. “No one was using it. Why does it matter? I am nobody important. Simply a humble wizard who wishes to study in peace and become immortal, the same things anyone wants, really. A true alicorn horn would help me tremendously with both.”

“Why would I possibly agree to such a thing?” Luna stepped forward, pressing her face as close as she dared to the crackling energy of the diamond dog's shields. She made sure it was close enough for him to see her eyes.

“I assume you've noticed that you're surrounded, and so I can conclude that the death of your soldiers doesn't concern you too much.” He started backing away slowly as Luna searched for any other weak points in his wall of energy. “And you clearly think my offensive powers are not strong enough to stop you. That leaves me with only one option for negotiation.”

The wizard's staff began to crack, blacken, then glow a fiery orange, as if it were filling up with magma. Then he leveled it at one of the nearby hovels.

“I can and will make an army out of these poor peasants,” he said with steel in his voice. “Maybe the death and binding of mere diamond dog civilians into my very own carbon dogs won't bother you, but the doubling of the size of my little entourage just might.”

Luna fixed him with her hardest stare. “None of those paths will end with thou leaving these caves alive.”

“Who can say for sure?” he said. “Either way, you're going to suffer quite a bit to get there. Why not forget all that and agree to a sure trade? The removal of a horn is entirely painless. Physically, at least. I even hear it's possible for some ponies to regain some magical control eventually.”

As Luna stood there for several seconds in silence, muscles throughout her body shaking from her hard she was clenching them, her companions called out to her.

“You can't seriously be considering this, Your Majesty,” shouted Lyra. “Right? We can handle ourselves. You take him down.”

“I would prefer to get out of this situation alive, thank you,” Quicktail stage-whispered.

“You despicable coward.” Lyra's discipline in holding formation overrode her desire to go kick the ex-bandit in the face.

“The most we've ever faced of these things is twenty, and that was not easy by any means. This is suicide.”

“Quicktail may be right,” Blueblood said, involuntarily scratching the scar on his face with the back of his foot. “But I'd prefer to go down fighting like the hero I am, regardless. Don't take either of those deals, my dear fiancée.”

“Equestria hath officially annexed these lands, and thus I am now the sovereign of these innocent diamond dogs,” Luna replied, loudly enough for her voice to echo throughout the cavern, perhaps even to carry to the exit in the distance. “As long as I draw breath, I shall not allow any subject of mine to come to harm through my actions!” She sighed and gazed upward at the tip of her horn. “Someone fetch me a saw-blade from the luggage.”

“No way!” Lyra yelled, bursting out of the spear formation to face Luna. “Look at all the damage he's done with unicorn horns. What do you think he's going to do with yours? Won't that cause just as much harm in the future?”

“I can only deal with what I see before me,” Luna replied, her tone level and stern, her muscles still tensed. “I shall deal with the future when it cometh.”

While the others argued, Quicktail slid silently over to where the party's packs had been dropped and began rooting around. A few moments later, there was a clang as a serrated hack-saw landed by Luna's feet.

“Before you rip into me, pinhead,” Quicktail said quickly as Lyra whirled around in shock and fury, “take a look over there. Mister staff-dog is getting impatient... and getting an itchy trigger finger. We're running out of time to debate. Luna needs to decide now.”

The dark-robed diamond dog's forelegs were indeed shaking as he held the staff pointed at one of the inhabited homes, and droplets of lava had begun to leak from it.

Luna lifted the saw in her forehooves.

“Lower thy weapon,” she said softly. “I shall do it.”

The wizard returned his staff to a resting position and gradually drew down the power stored within. The molten rock that had leaked out hardened quickly, forming another layer of sleek obsidian on its surface.

The entire company of ponies strained to see what was happening while still keeping their eyes on the carbon dogs.

Luna placed the saw against her horn. She began to draw it back and forth, very slowly at first. Pony horns, and alicorn horns in particular, were extraordinarily tough bones. She could easily break the teeth off of the blade if she went too quickly.

Her soldiers, particularly the unicorns among them, winced as the chamber filled with the sound of metal grinding against bone. Several times, Lyra and Blueblood took steps forward to stop their Queen from the act, but they went still at the sound of growling carbon dogs inching closer to them.

Lyra decided to plead one last time.

“Even if this mutt doesn't immediately decide to kill us, Luna... how will you rescue Zecora without your horn?”

Luna paused in her sawing for only a second, then resumed the process as she spoke. “I plan to see my... friend very soon, but not without a clear conscience.”

Lyra's head sank.

Luna continued to stare down the diamond dog, whose eyes had ceased glowing and returned to their natural ruby color. She did not even blink as dusty flecks of her own horn fell in front of her face.

After only a few minutes, it was over. Except for a tiny nub, Luna's horn, her magical focus and an integral part of her very identity, dropped to the cave floor. Without its power to direct and control her spells, her unicorn magic was now as much of a danger to herself and her allies as it was to her enemies. She knew from past battles that the horn would grow back, thanks to her regeneration abilities, but she did not know if it would be soon enough to continue her plots as planned. Luna knew this in her mind, but her heart carried only the hope that what she had just done would actually save lives.

She kicked it contemptuously to the edge of the forcefield blocking the tunnel.

“Well?” She growled. “Take it.”

“I...” The diamond dog smiled awkwardly. “I would be much more comfortable if you'd take just a few steps away first, Your Majesty.”

Luna stepped backwards, her gaze never wavering from the wizard's eyes. Once she was several yards away, he lowered a portion of his shield, ran forward to grab the horn, and dashed back under its protection as quickly as he could. Luna stood unmoving the entire time.

As the magician held the dark horn in his paws, he began to laugh joyously.

“Thank you!” he shouted. “Thank you so much! This is just what I needed. You are truly a most magnanimous monarch. Have a pleasant journey.”

With a gesture of his staff, all the assembled carbon dogs began retreating back the way they came. Several found their way to his side. Only once he had gathered about fifteen of them and backed away a few more yards did he drop his protection spells.

As soon as they went down, Luna's wings and legs sprang into action. She was too heavy in her armor to get a good flight going quickly, so she simply used her wings to generate some lift and add a little, critical extra speed to her run. Just as the diamond dog turned around to counter the sudden rush, Luna leaped onto the first of his bodyguards and crushed it beneath all four of her hooves.

“We had a deal!” he screamed, scrambling away and blasting fire spells in Luna's general direction. She dodged some, and positioned herself to allow others to merely scorch her armor. “I thought you had honor!”

Carbon dogs began pouring out of every tunnel and crevice, surrounding Luna's soldiers and cutting her off from them. Their furious, strangely hollow-sounding barks and growls were deafening.

“No amount of honor weighs more than the lives of my subjects!” Luna shouted over the din.

“I am truly sorry you decided to take this path,” the wizard called back, “but so be it. You will regret this.”

After forming a screen of carbon dogs that would keep Luna busy for at least a few seconds, he turned his staff to the nearest tent so that he could begin adding to his army. He gathered the spell in his staff, pointing it at a trio of diamond dogs too frozen by fear to run out of the way.

“No!” Luna screamed, pushing forward with all her might. Her enemies piled on top of her, finding the gaps in her armor and raking their hot claws against her flesh. When she threw one off, another took its place. She could not reach the wizard in time.

Behind him, a different kind of mass bark sounded. It was a more natural one, loud but uncertain, and it came from a group of more than a hundred diamond dogs who had grabbed whatever was nearby—pans, sticks, bones, tent poles—and were charging straight for him. He wavered just long enough in deciding whether to attack them or his original targets that the first few of the ragtag army were able to reach him. They tried desperately to wrench the glowing staff from the wizard's grasp.

The barking of the underclass of Barkstone gradually coalesced into a kind of battle cry, and into a word: “Luna!”

The staff was soon knocked out of the wizard's paws and sent sliding toward the originally intended victims of his carbon dog creation spell. Blasting his immediate attackers back with reserve spells from the unicorn horns around his neck, the magician rushed for the staff in a blind panic. Right as he was about to reach it, a phenomenal gust of air sent him flying into the opposite wall of the tunnel with a crack.

After creating the small twister with both of her wings, Luna immediately returned them to a relatively safe position under her cloak, so that the increasing number of attackers she was facing could not easily maim her. A few of her feathers were ripped or burned during the moment of vulnerability, but not enough to keep her from flying.

As the dazed wizard struggled to his feet, he found the three diamond dogs in the tent pointing his own staff at him. They were shaking so much that it took all three of them to hold it steady, and it took all three of them to fiddle with it enough to figure out how to release the spell. Before they could, he threw up every defensive spell he could think of, backed up by the formidable, lingering might of the horn of the Princess of the Night.

When the spell was released, he focused all of his mystical ability on reflecting it from the point of impact. Yet the spell was well designed. Before it made contact with his shield, the stream of white, sparkling magic fire made a sharp turn and blasted straight into the ground, melting through the rock like paper. Then, only an instant after he felt the heat underneath his feet, the energy blast burst up from the ground inside his shield. The surpassing strength of his shield now worked against him, trapping the blaze inside as it immolated its original wielder. He did not even have time to scream. When it was over, the spells all dropped, and the wizard had turned into simply another part of the mindless horde.

Without a leader to direct them, the remaining carbon dogs, while still ferocious, blood-thirsty fighters, became little more than a rabble. The diamond dog allies around Luna swelled tremendously as well, and under her clear, confident command, they were able to form something resembling a line against the magical abominations. As they called her name over and over with every unskilled but courageous attack, Luna tried to force her way through to reestablish contact with her ponies.

Her soldiers had formed a ring of spears around their wounded and were fending off the carbon dogs bravely. A severely burned Lyra, her hair so black she might have passed for a “ninja” again, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Quicktail, whose unarmored body was covered with cauterized claw marks. One strike from both mares at the exact same time was enough to bring down one enemy. Like clockwork, they would pick out an advancing monster, wind up, and then both stab into its body at the same moment, before winding back up and repeating the process. Luna was proud of the sight, but the fact that they were still being wounded and worn down in the process cut her pride short. It turned around completely into dismay when she saw that Blueblood was not among the fighters... his white body, marred by deep burns, lay motionless in the center of the phalanx.

Unable to see Luna's face from beneath the shadow of her helmet, the group cheered when they caught sight of her.

“Have courage, warriors!” she cried, giving much similar encouragement as she pressed her way through to finally meet up with them. Desperation seized her and she ran forward, heedless of the heat and claws that were searing her flanks. She instinctively tried to cast a spell, but the first few sparks that popped out of her amputated nub combusted violently before she could even form them into anything besides raw energy. At least, she thought, the sparks exploded while she was surrounded by foes, rather than allies.

Joining the ranks of the pony spear-wielders at last, Luna and her new battalion of diamond dogs trapped the enemy in a flexible pincer attack. Assaulted from both the front and the back, the carbon dogs were all killed with only a few more casualties, mostly among the untrained Barkstone citizens.

Growling with primal fury, Luna scanned the battlefield for any remaining enemies. The heat became even more oppressive as their bodies burned to ash, but none of them were moving. Satisfied that the battle was over, she immediately turned and pushed her way through the exhausted but cheering soldiers to get to the wounded. There was a single medic dashing back and forth among five injured ponies. Five more were dead. Luna flew to the side of Blueblood the Younger, dropping to her knees in the process.

His chest rose. He was among the former group of casualties... so far.

“My Prince!” she shouted, wrapping her forelegs around the parts of his neck that had not been burned. “Do not leave me!”

Repressing a healing spell before the exploding sparks from it could kill Blueblood, Luna lifted her head to the medic.

“Will he recover?” she said, with rivulets of tears running down her face.

“I don't know, ma'am,” he responded in a clipped voice. “I can check again in a few minutes, but right now I need to focus on the ones I know I can save.”

Only Luna's intimate knowledge of the realities of war kept her fury at the dismissive response at bay. As she had trained him to do, the medic had to put the highest priority on the soldiers he was most confident of being able to treat, to reduce the number of deaths. So instead, she looked back down and cradled her bridegroom's head as gently as she could.

Lyra soon appeared and began trying to cast healing spells on the wounded too, but the spell fizzled out almost immediately and she collapsed to the ground, becoming another unconscious casualty for the medic to try to save. He grit his teeth and checked her condition.

“Bad, possibly critical,” he mumbled. “Low priority.”

Luna wept with every inch of her body. Her rough, ragged sobbing was the only audible sound in the vast cavern.

After this was all over, her students, who wore robes just like the one the diamond dog had, owed her a lot of answers.

Author's Notes:

An update! I know the chapter is rather short for such a long wait, but hopefully it is epic enough to make up for that.

Chapter 23: Demons

The medic kept casting glances at Luna as he worked his healing spells. She had refused to let go of Blueblood while he worked, so he was forced to move awkwardly around her to get to the worst burns.

“Thou art performing an admirable job, Lieutenant Lime,” she said, deliberately referring to him as a rank higher than his current one.

Lime grimace of concentration as he delicately pulled the smoke out of Blueblood's lungs, turned into a slight smile at her, but he was too focused on the spell to be able to say anything. As soon as the green aura left Blueblood's body, he began to cough roughly. His eyes squinted at the pain this caused his burns, but as it subsided, he opened them. He gradually blinked them into focus and brought them to rest on Luna's face, less than a foot away from his. They widened significantly at the sight.

“He is out of immediate danger, ma'am,” said Lime.

“Hmm?” Luna was distracted by the gaze of those soft blue eyes which she had thought, briefly, she might never see again. “Oh, yes, thou hast my deepest thanks.”

“Do I look that bad now?” Blueblood whispered. “You're staring at me...”

“Thou hast never looked better to me,” said Luna quietly as Lime returned to the rest of the wounded.

She took a deep breath, nodded to herself, then firmly pressed her lips to his. She parted his small gasp of surprise farther open with her tongue and kissed him with fervor. When he began to overcome his shock and respond with equal passion, all fears Luna had held of experiencing a traumatic reminder of her previous kiss with Zecora were banished from her mind. This was her choice, and his.

Luna broke away from the kiss. Blueblood's disappointed groan turned into a moan of pleasure as she nuzzled at his long, tender neck. His entire body shuddered as she then sank her teeth into it.

Luna's head immediately jerked away. She forced her breathing to slow, her mouth to stop watering, trying desperately to bottle back up her desire... and her more literal hunger, awakened by the flesh-cooking smell that had suffused the cavern. She bit her lower lip, hard, and turned away.

“So I do look bad,” he mumbled weakly as he rested his head back on her neck. “I guess I taste bad too. Sorry about that.” His eyes drifted shut as he cuddled up to her. They shortly snapped back open as he felt his body being shaken.

“Do not even think of dying now,” Luna warned him.

“I wasn't!” Blueblood protested. “You're just warm, and I'm tired...”

Luna went rigid, except for swallowing the lump in her throat, but she made no move to disengage herself from Blueblood either.

“Sleep, then,” she whispered, willing herself to relax. “Thou art safe.”

“Don't need to tell me twice.” His eyes closed again as he rested against her. Luna could tell from subtle body cues that he was not actually asleep, but she allowed him the small ruse. She was more concerned that he did not seem concerned by anything that had just transpired. Was he that badly wounded? Was he not afraid of her?

Luna turned her face away quickly before she could dwell on that further.

She had been expecting an audience after what had happened between her and Blueblood, but everyone's gaze was instead locked on Lyra.

Captain Heartstrings was as extensively burned as Blueblood, and maybe more deeply as well. It was difficult to tell how bad her condition was, especially since she was fading in and out of consciousness, but she was breathing. Luna watched the medic work intently, fighting back a brief pang of useless guilt over the fact that she had not been watching the entire time. The smoke which the medic was pulling out of Lyra's lungs was stained with dark flecks of blood, and her breathing was becoming shallower.

“I could use some help here,” Lime managed to say as his horn started to spark and blacken.

All the unicorns in the group, though their horns were in similar or worse states, rushed forward. Luna instinctively made to do the same, causing Blueblood to let out a pitiful groan. She settled back down, growling at how useless her lack of controlled magic had made her.

“First of all, one at a time!” Lime shouted as he ended the healing spell. “Second, anypony with some blood left will do, not just unicorns.”

The whole company, save for the unconscious, gathered in several lines a short distance away from where Lyra was being treated. They were joined by a growing crowd of diamond dogs who had been looking on intently the whole time, but who had not drawn much attention until there were suddenly dozens of them. They pressed as close as they could to see what was going on, while keeping a wary distance from the pony soldiers. They had dropped their makeshift weapons and now stood wringing their paws and chewing their lips.

“Excuse me, coming through,” a mare said loudly as she shoved her way through the line. Quicktail, limping awkwardly due to both her hind legs being bound in bandages and splints, ignored the many annoyed looks as she appeared in front of Lyra and Lime, carrying a long satchel across her back. “I know exactly what you're doing, and I can help.”

“Oh you do, do you?” the medic said with a scowl as he checked Lyra's extremely weak pulse, and pulled back an unburnt section of hair to note the pale, clammy skin underneath. “Also, you shouldn't be putting any weight on your legs for at least a week.”

“I appreciate the advice, not-doctor.” Quicktail's mouth was drawn in a tight line, and Luna was able to notice many other subtle signs that she was fighting back a lot of pain. Opening the satchel, Quicktail drew out two thin bamboo shoots that had been hollowed and sharpened. “But this pony literally stepped into fire to save me. I'm not going to let her go until I can tell her how stupid that was.”

“Where did you get those?” Lime said.

“The Hearth Fairy, of course.” Quicktail pulled out a flask from the satchel and poured its contents over a small area on two of Lyra's legs. The air filled with the stench of highly concentrated alcohol. Then, with steady precision, she took one needle-like piece of wood in her teeth and guided it toward a vein in one of Lyra's legs.

“Okay, we can put the blood through that one, I suppose,” the medic said, frowning. “But what's the second one for?”

“Water and medicine,” Quicktail replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Pinheads always think they know everything about healing. Watch and learn.”

Lyra did not even flinch as either needle entered her body. Lieutenant Lime repeatedly objected that what Quicktail was doing was extremely unsanitary and dangerous, but glancing at the captain's unmoving form was enough to keep him from stopping her.

“Let her work,” Luna said. Many of the assembled ponies and diamond dogs jumped, so intent on Lyra that they had almost forgotten the Queen was there. “I trust her.”

“Aww.” Quicktail flashed Luna a sappy smile through teeth that were holding a third bamboo needle, which she jabbed into the first volunteer, allowing the transfer of blood to Lyra. Once her mouth was free again, she spoke. “We're bee eff effs now!” The irreverent tone was broken a little by Quicktail's wincing and a slight crack in her voice, but the bright red mare kept up a brave face.

Luna shook her head, more out of bemusement than rejection. Neither she nor anyone else said anything as the seconds crawled slowly by. Lyra lay unmoving, a black, bloody mess on the cavern floor with only a few traces of minty green hair left. Half of the shining lyre on her flank had been burned away completely, and it was difficult to see the other half. Her bright eyes remained closed. Two minutes in, she stopped breathing.

Lime and Quicktail snapped at everyone to stop panicking. Outwardly, they did, though Luna was sure she was not the only one there who felt like the ground was being ripped out from under her. A muffled “ouch” from Blueblood was the only thing that made her realize she was tensing her every muscle. She slowly eased her grip on him, setting him down gently as she rose to her feet. She walked in a numb daze toward Lyra's body. The two caretakers took turns breathing air into their patient's damaged lungs, but Luna knew it was useless. Her eyelids closed, and her steps became shaky. She welcomed the salty pain of tears as she wept as silently as she could.

“Um, Your Majesty?” A voice and a shaky hoof momentarily shook Luna out of her despair.

“What?” she demanded of the soldier next to her, who visibly flinched at the word.

“I, I just wanted to know if you were alright,” he whispered, trying not to attract the attention of the rest of the party.

“Of course I am not!” Luna snapped, drawing the attention to them anyway. “The closest thing I have had to a true friend in ages lies dead at my feet, and it is my fault!”

“It's going to take more than that to kill me, bestie,” Lyra said faintly.

Luna blinked several times, but what she had thought was a corpse was in fact still breathing... and speaking to her.

“I also noticed you going all kissy on Blueblood,” Lyra continued with a wink. “Do I get one too?”

Everyone nearby smiled and even engaged in some nervous laughter, except for Luna. Instead, she inched her way forward on shaky hooves, her lips quivering. The crowd parted for her, allowing her to reach Lyra. Luna buried her face into an unwounded part of Lyra's neck and began to pour out the last of her tears. Her thanks for Lime, Quicktail, and everyone else rushed out in a sobbing torrent.

“All in a day's work,” Quicktail murmured as she wiped the sweat from her brow, then began easing herself down to the ground to pass out.

Shortly afterwards, guards were posted and messengers were sent to bring escorts and healers from Barkstone. Food was distributed, and those who could sleep did so. The rest sat in silence or low conversation, taking their quiet and melancholy mood from their leader.

“I would speak with thee a moment, Blueblood,” said Luna as she drew him aside. “'Tis a rather delicate matter, but...”

“What is it?” he asked through a mouthful of hay. He turned to her, still chewing, but did set down the ration. He began to tap one of his hooves against the ground when Luna took a few seconds to respond.

Luna stared down at his hoof, more to avoid looking him in the eye than out of wrath at his impudence. “When we kissed earlier,” she said quietly, “I was lost in the moment. I did not mean to be so forceful. I trust I did not hurt thee?”

“You're apologizing for that?” Blueblood swallowed his food and suppressed a laugh. “That was amazing.”

“That may be true.” Luna's face flushed, and several seconds of silence followed before she spoke again. “Be that as it may, it reminded me of a topic I should have broached much sooner. Due to the... coercive nature of our relationship, I do not wish to press the issue of thy husbandly duties, insofar as the bearing of foals. We shall forgo that stage of our wedding night, and I shall give thee as much time as thou needest to be comfortable with our mating. I must be just in my passion, and for that, I must be sure there is more than simple desire behind it.”

After a moment of silence to process what exactly she was saying, Blueblood groaned. “Wait, really?” he said. “You're going to deprive me of the only good thing about our wedding?”

Luna's stare, blazing with fire, lifted from his feet to his eyes, which quickly darted away.

“What I meant to say was, ah,” Blueblood said, coughing and mumbling in between his words, “was that it's the best thing about our wedding. No, I mean one of the many, many good things!”

Stammer as he might, Luna was already stomping away from him. Blueblood sighed and went back to his meal. In a few moments, she felt silly getting so upset about such a trifle, but it was too late to go back now. She reminded herself to do better in the future, then moved on.

Luna sought out Lyra next, once the Captain was sufficiently rested for the medic to not insist she sleep. Luna informed her of her plans.

“You're leaving without us?” Lyra whispered, which was the loudest voice she could muster at the moment.

“Yes,” said Luna, holding on of Lyra's hooves in her own—one of the few areas of her body that was not wrapped in bandages. “I must... speak to my students quickly. The speed required for the journey would impede thy recovery. This company shall join me when all of its members are healed.”

“Going alone is insane,” Lyra protested with surprising strength, given her fragile condition. “Please don't. We need you.”

“I must,” Luna said, “I cannot have my groom nor my bridesmaid in such condition at my wedding, besides. Rest, then come to me when thou art able.”

“I guess my bravery recently has been a little too inspiring.” Lyra smiled. “I'll have to tone it down next time, or who knows what you'll do.”

Luna breathed out in a short huff, but her face lit up into a broad smile. “Jest as much as it please thee, but know that this is not farewell. I shall return.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lyra squeezed Luna's hoof weakly. “I just want you to return alright.”

“Do not fear for me, Captain,” Luna said as she began to stretch her wings. “Fear for those who would stand in my way.”

Luna waited for most of the party to fall sleep, then crept through a small gap in the patrol patterns. She momentarily felt the urge to go correct the guards, but then she remembered she was supposed to be sneaking out. It was too small a lapse for anyone but the Princess of the Night to sneak through, anyway.

Surrounded by the tender embrace of the night sky, Luna almost came to believe her own bravado. She felt the light of the stars pulse around her, her pumping wings invigorated by the energy they cast out into the darkness. The Princess of the Night focused on the orbit of the moon, passing the time of the flight back to her castle by losing herself in its rhythm. She laughed heartily, stopped for a moment and blushed when she realized how embarrassing and manic her laughter must sound, then continued laughing anyway.

She was so lost in exultation that she nearly flew right by her destination. Wheeling back, she set herself down in the courtyard. The restoration work was coming along nicely. Scaffolds dotted the outer walls, which had now mostly been built back to their former height. There were trees, gardens, and a few surprised guards who saluted and bowed once they recognized her. Luna saw the small camp of workers, sleeping in a big pile in the middle of the grass, and smiled. She tiptoed around them so as not to wake anyone when she opened the door to the inner keep. It did not take her much hunting to find the quiet voices she was looking for.

“Do you have that palm oil, by any chance?” she heard Platina ask. A shaky male voice responded in the affirmative. “Excellent! A lady could get used to this.”

Luna pushed open the door to that chamber with her wings spread, casting a towering silhouette in the entrance. Her student shrieked and tumbled off the massage table she had been laying on, while her attendant shrieked even louder and hid under it.

“Your Majesty!” said Platina, taking several attempts to right herself as she kept tripping over the masseuse. “I didn't expect you back so soon. Would you like a massage?”

“I would prefer an explanation,” Luna muttered, then turned to the table. “Leave us.”

He left in a blur, tripping over his words and his feet in his haste to leave. Once he had departed, Luna kicked the door closed with a rear leg.

“I was attacked by a diamond dog, who wore a robe which bore the same symbols as thine.” Luna stepped closer, slowly. Platina backed away from her advance. “Have I become so inconvenient already? Did you think I would fall so easily?”

Platina stared at the remnants of Luna's horn with wide, quivering eyes. “I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you okay?”

“No!” Luna slammed one hoof into the massage table, spilling pleasantly scented oil all over the floor. “Thanks to thee, I must deal with assassins on top of all else! And what is all this? Wert thou so sure of my death that thou hast already delved into a life of idle luxury?”

“Luna, please, just tell me what happened,” Platina pleaded as her rear pressed into the corner. “We can talk about this.”

“Aye, we can.” Luna felt a searing pain in her forehead—magic was sparking out of it, and from the wound on her horn, burning white plasma dripped down onto her face and the carpet, scorching whatever it touched. “Begin doing so now.”

“What's going on here?” a soft voice, lifted harshly, demanded from the middle of the room. Luna turned to see the remnants of a teleportation spell dissipating from Willowleaf and Nickle Waltz.

“What are you doing to Platina?” Waltz added, chewing his lip.

Luna reached her forehoof back, preparing to strike Platina. Immediately, the horns of all three apprentices began to glow. Waltz's sparked in a chaotic, prismatic array of colors. Willowleaf's poured out darkness, which seemed to sap the very light out of the environment around her. Platina's had only a faint glow, but it was enhanced by a slow trickle of blood that began to form along the twists of her horn's bone.

“I don't know what this is about,” Willowleaf said quietly, “but I suggest you lower that hoof. This will not go well for you.”

“Monsters!” Luna snarled. “I shall see you burn for your crimes. Come heaven or hell, I am done running. We finish this now!”

“Brave words,” said Willowleaf, moving closer to Luna very cautiously, “though foolish. We are your servants. You've won. Why are you attacking us?”

“She thinks we sent some diamond dog magician after her,” Platina offered.

“Another step and I shall cave in her skull!” Luna shouted. Her raised leg twitched.

Willowleaf stopped. “Okay, easy. We can solve this. I can tell you with some certainty that Platina is far too much of a bigot to stoop to teaching a lesser race the secrets of magic. For my part, I do not have the... social acumen to do any kind of teaching. So, dear Waltz, was this your doing?”

“Not that I remember,” Waltz said, his eyes tracking the small, chaotic fireworks caused by his spellcasting.

“I think you can see, with all due respect toward my dear comrade, that he is far from a devious mastermind. So what's really going on here?” Willowleaf's rotting face narrowed into an expression resembling suspicion.

“Dost thou truly think I am to be so easily misled?” Luna asked. Against her will, her own horn responded to the incredible upswell of magic in the area and began reflexively attempting to focus it, causing even more starfire to drain out.

“Given that you're turning on your only true friends and allies left in the world over such flimsy evidence... yes. Yes I do. But I am not lying, and neither are they.” Willowleaf held her head high as she spoke, quite a change from the constant awkward hanging Luna remembered.

Luna's eyes flashed with fury, but before she could even begin her kick, Nickle Waltz teleported between her and Platina.

“Stop it!” he shouted, rearing back and spreading his forelegs out to protect her. “Leave her alone!”

“Out of the way, fiend,” Luna commanded with a dark edge to her voice.

“We might be fiends,” Waltz countered sheepishly. “But we... we are what you made us.”

“Do not attempt to blame me for your crimes. You have had a thousand years to live and develop without me.”

“M-Maybe,” he said, shaking, swallowing and licking his lips repeatedly, “but you defined us in our formative years.”

“And you commanded us to continue our work in your absence,” Platina said as she stepped up to support him and keep him from falling over.

“We also brought you back,” Nickle Waltz said. “Though I'm starting to wonder who 'you' is exactly. Are we talking to Luna, or to Nightmare Moon?”

Tension crackled in the air almost as furiously as the defensive spells being cast.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Willowleaf said through the side of her clenched jaw. “We talked about this. Emotionally unstable? Violent? Altered moral compass? Ringing any bells?”

“I don't care anymore, not after this display!” Waltz said, leaning on Platina for support as he regained some control over his voice, and then unleashed it in a torrent of quick words. “Yes, we really cared about Thin Mint, and we're still really mad that you killed her, but we would never hurt you. Did you ever stop and think that maybe this diamond dog stole magic from us, or was taught by someone else we don't know about? How about we try to figure that out, instead of throwing accusations around?

“Sure, some of us care about you as a pony more than others do, but that doesn't mean we want you dead. Even those of us who don't love you as much still want you in power, because maybe, just maybe, you'll listen to us. Celestia never would.” He took a deep breath. “Luna, was it you, or was it Nightmare Moon who ordered us to find a way to break the prison and work against Celestia's reign? Who was it who made Thin Mint enter a pact to make sure we did so?”

“That is a meaningless question,” Luna answered quickly, though she lowered her hoof slightly, ostensibly to steady herself. “It was a gradual process. I cannot say for certain. What is thy point?”

“How can you not say for certain mere days before you were banished? You were doing a lot of things Celestia would not have approved of long before that. When did you—sorry, I mean Nightmare Moon—resolve to kill her?”

“Nickle, please.” Willowleaf interjected. “Don't do this now.”

“I never wished to kill my sister until the possession was complete,” said Luna. “I love her.”

“You sure talked an awful lot about how much easier things would be without her in your way,” Platina said as her horn began to glow a brighter shade of red, and a little more blood seeped out of it. A second later, a book materialized in the air next to her. Luna recognized it immediately; it was a journal of hers, which she had stored in the chest with her crown jewel and armor. The book opened with Platina's magic, and the pages began to turn.

“Thou hast no right to read that.” Luna raised her leg again, hoof pointed up. “Give it back, now.”

“What does it matter?” Platina shrugged as she continued flipping through the pages. “We've all read the whole thing already. I just brought it here in case you forgot.” The page-turning slowed as it reached the middle, and Platina started to make a show of reading it, darting the book back and forth just out of Luna's reach.

“You know, there's a lot of interesting material in here. Battles with monsters, adventures in the realm of dreams, resentment against Celestia and her attempts to control you, accounts of the usefulness—or lack thereof—of certain students of yours, anger and bitterness about the fact that no one remembered your sacrifices, even when you arranged the stars themselves to remind everyone. Good stuff. But you know what it's missing?” Platina reached the end of the journal and paused briefly, matching Luna's stare. “Any mention of demons. Any hints of possession. Any change in writing style or topics. Why could that be?”

Luna stared for a few more seconds before responding. “Because I would not put such things in a journal anyone could read, nor couldst thou recognize the signs even if I did.”

“I could tell,” Nickel Waltz said. “Demons were one of my specialties. You... you didn't seem like you were possessed, in person or in writing.”

“This is pointless!” Luna shook her head and turned her eyes toward the ceiling. “Celestia saw me change. I was going to speak to her anyway, and now doing so can clarify this balderdash as well.”

Platina glanced at Luna's black coat, then her slitted eye, and then her mouth. “We've seen you change too, for the second time now. The only thing you're missing is the teeth.”

“I am going to see my sister,” Luna said flatly. She swept out of the room with her blunt teeth bared and a growl in her throat. Her apprentices prepared to defend themselves, but she paid them no attention. They shared a look, then followed her at a safe distance, but they did not try to stop her. She marched down toward the dungeons with purpose.

That purpose began to waver as her path took her past the throne room of the palace. Even though renovations were well underway, blasted rubble, broken furniture, and burned tapestries still littered the halls. Because time had passed so differently while she was imprisoned, it seemed like this place had been whole only a few years ago. She could still remember what those thrones looked like before she—before Nightmare Moon—blew them to pieces trying to destroy Celestia. Out of the corners of her eyes, for the briefest of instants, Luna saw everything exactly as it had been a thousand years ago. But if she focused on it, it was gone, and nothing remained but ruin.

Her eyes were already burning by the time she reached the stairwell that led to Celestia's cell. Luna took each step slowly, telling herself that she did not want to let blurred vision make her stumble. She was a warrior, and warriors did not let fear control their actions.

With that thought in mind, Luna kicked open every door between her and her sister. Some of them were made of metal or stone. It made no difference to her, save for welcome jolts of pain in her legs from the sturdier barriers. She was not yet done kicking when she reached Celestia's prison, but that surplus of energy drained away quickly at the sight before her.

Celestia sat in one of the far corners of her cell, her head bowed under the weight of the black magic-suppression crystals clinging like leeches to her horn. Her coat was filthy, and her limp, faded mane hung in a tangled mess over her face. Her eyes were closed, and her face was without expression. Luna could tell through her breathing that Celestia was awake, but the deposed Princess made no movement to acknowledge her presence. She simply lay there, apparently lost in thought. Or playing some kind of mind game with Luna.

Luna snarled at that idea, and nearly slammed the thick, magically reinforced bars between them. Instead, she closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and lightly tapped the wards with the back of her boot. The shock of doing even that was painful, but the sound and the shower of sparks caused Celestia's ears to perk up and her eyes to flutter open. She had to blink them several times to get her vision to adjust to what scant light there was down here; Luna tried not to think about how long they had been closed.

“You were crying before you got here, sister,” Celestia said in a croaking, raspy, yet still infuriatingly gentle voice. “What's wrong?” She looked at where Luna's horn should have been and her eyes widened. “Did they hurt you?”

“That was my doing,” Luna replied. “Simply another casualty of war. I should be asking thou the same thing. I told my students to treat thee well. This is absolutely not acceptable.”

“They haven't done anything to me,” said Celestia as she slowly rose to her feet, one leg at a time. One of them shook, but she quickly forced it to stop. “I wish they would, honestly. Enduring taunts, threats, and insults would be preferable to having no one to talk to. Food just teleports in, and waste teleports out... usually.”

“I shall not allow this callous treatment to continue, sister,” Luna said, her brow furrowing.

“Why does it matter to you?” Celestia began to close the distance between them, careful step by careful step. “I'm out of your way, and you're free to wage your wars and right the world's wrongs. I see your horn has been one casualty, as you said. How many others have there been?”

Luna felt her blood begin to boil. “Enough to stop the cruel enslavement and disfigurement of our subjects! Hast thou any idea what they suffered in the depths of the earth?”

“I personally arranged to buy back as many as I could. I am painfully aware of their circumstances.” Celestia's face was now as close as it could be to Luna's without touching the magical barrier in place, making the bags under her eyes clearly visible.

“What?” Luna growled. “Thou paid those thieves for their crimes? Rewarded them for their acts of war? No wonder they have grown so bold in their raids!”

“What should I have done instead, Luna?” Celestia asked in a voice much softer than the grinding of Luna's teeth. “The royal guard had already been stretched so thin that there was a security breach at Tartarus. Our few allies would not risk war for the sake of a few dozen ponies a year. I don't have the ability to enter ponies' dreams and turn farmers and merchants into deadly warriors in a matter of days.”

“Thou couldst not have done it as quickly as I, no, but thou still possessed the ability to raise an army. Equestria adores thee, sister. They would gladly have marched under thy banner to free our brethren.”

“Marched to their deaths, you mean?”

“Some causes are worth dying for!” Luna slammed her hoof against a bar near Celestia's head, causing a wave of pure agony to shoot through her body as dark, unnatural lightning shot out from the point of impact. She staggered back, biting her lip, but she kept her eyes open and locked furiously on Celestia.

“That is easy to say when you're not the one doing the dying,” Celestia said, turning her head to the side and away from Luna's pain and anger. “Do you think there have not been times, over a thousand years, when I tried force over diplomacy? I have seen so many ponies die at my command, and then I have turned around and been berated when I sought to deal with threats on my own instead. I am the last of the royal line, they told me. I cannot risk my life fighting armies and dragons. And you know what? They were right, especially when I have always been better at negotiating than fighting. Gold and gems are such a small price to pay for peace.”

“Those are the excuses of a coward!” Luna declared, stamping her shocked, smoking hoof on the floor in spite of its protests. Spit flew from her mouth as she raged. “How thou can call such an unjust world a peaceful one is beyond my comprehension. What a pathetic—”

Luna's rant was cut short by the sight of a tear sliding down Celestia's cheek, accompanied by the barely audible sound of sobbing.

“I...” Torn between love and anger, Luna found herself able to do little but stammer. “Uh.”

“We should have worked together,” said Celestia, once she had taken complete control of her voice again. “I should have begged you not to leave. We could have avoided all of this, and solved all of the problems you mentioned. Now look at us.”

“I would still have left,” Luna said as she turned her head to the side and huffed. “This palace looks so much like the one in which I grew up. But it is not. It hath changed, and I have remained the same.” Her eyes slid closed. “As I said before, I have no home.”

“I know.” Celestia nodded slowly. “I don't pretend to understand, but... you do have friends. We can help you find a new home.”

“Friendship is not enough!” Luna pounded her hoof into the floor, spreading even more cracks along its surface. “If my travels have taught me anything, it is that. I have tried friendship, and look at me!” She spread the black feathers of her wings and stared at Celestia. “This is all I have to show for it! Friendship was supposed to heal me, to make me better, to banish the demons. Yet the monster still shows itself. What is the meaning of this? What did the Elements do to me?”

“I can only guess, Luna.” Celestia's eyes traveled along Luna's body, staring at the blackened parts which were not obscured by bright, shimmering armor. “I have thought a lot about it, especially while I have been down here. I am not sure you really want to hear my thoughts, however.”

“Speak.” The force of the word was broken by a slight tremor in Luna's voice. It came out sounding more like a question or a plea than a command.

“When Twilight Sparkle and her friends used them,” said Celestia after a deep, calm breath, “I believe you reverted to the last time your conscience was entirely clean. This was both mental and physical, which is why you appeared as a younger version of yourself. After that, it was up to us to ease you back into society. And we failed you, all because I underestimated the influence your memories and lingering negative emotions would have on you.”

Luna frowned deeply. “Thou hast not mentioned what became of Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia took another few breaths. “Luna... I do not think there ever was a Nightmare Moon, not truly.”

“Thou witnessed my transformation!” Luna shouted, loud enough to echo throughout the dungeon. “Then I tried to kill thee! I would never have done that, Celestia!”

“I saw some magic, yes... but I do not think it was anything more than you lowering an illusion spell. You never wanted most ponies to see the physical effects battle had on you. As for trying to kill me, remember, your conscience was weighed down by even more dark deeds back then than it is now. It is not outside the realm of possibility.”

“Thou art mistaken,” Luna said as she clenched her jaw. “A demon spoke to me. It drove me on and eventually possessed me.”

“I do not know for sure whether that is true or not,” Celestia said, “but I know you have had hallucinations in the past, especially after traumatic battles. Maybe the Elements of Harmony gave you a temporary reprieve from them. That seems like the simpler explanation to me.”

Luna stood completely still, watching her sister's body language. Celestia was standing just as still, so the only hints came from her face, which looked worried. Concerned, perhaps, and afraid. Instead of rising, Luna's anger sloshed back and forth in her heart, as if she were unsure what to do with it. So it settled there and began to take a deeper hold.

“So it is my destiny to look and feel as I do now, it would seem.” Luna continued speaking over Celestia's protests. “My past and my pride have hung themselves around my neck once again, dragging me down toward the truth. I have always been Nightmare Moon.”

“No.” Celestia stamped her own hoof now, not as powerfully as Luna had, but still enough to shake the floor. “You are Princess Luna, and Nightmare Moon is nothing more than a callous nickname given by those who do not understand you.”

“'Those who do not understand me'?” Luna repeated bitterly, which revealed the slowly sharpening points of her teeth. “No one understands a warrior better than her enemies. They knew all along, while my friends and family pretended that I was well. I am not well, Celestia. My mind is in shambles, and the most basic acts of kindness and mercy come as a struggle to me. I often think that the code of chivalry is the only thing keeping me from far greater evil.”

“Stop this, please,” said Celestia as she closed her eyes. “You are not some unfeeling stone that has to rely on external input to be normal. You react too strongly, too viscerally, to be the emotionless husk you're claiming you are. Ponies like that have to think and study behavior, and even then the imitation is usually lacking. No. You feel. You feel so much that when you hurt, the pain blinds you to the truth.”

“Time hath been unkind to our relationship,” Luna said as she turned away from her sister. “Thou art speaking of a pony that exists only within thy faulty memory. I am not she.”

“No, I'm speaking about what I've seen over the last few years since your return. I remember how proud and satisfied you were to hold court again. I remember your embarrassment and eventual amusement when we explained ponies don't like to be called 'peasants' anymore. I remember how close you became to Twilight, and how much you looked forward to visiting her. I remember how scared and angry you were when I almost died...”

Over the course of her speech, Celestia's tears had grown from tiny drops to streaming rivulets. She scowled as she wept, and her voice came out in a tight clip.

“And now you are turning all of that into a huge mistake. You had a chance I never did: to be truly close to ponies. For ponies to see you as one of them. They might fear, revere, or respect you... but they will never be your friends.”

“Oh, what a tragedy,” Luna drolled. Then her voice became flat and quiet. “After the Elements of Harmony were unleashed upon me, my friendship is what thou asked for. Not my forgiveness for a millennium of isolation disproportionate to my crimes. And for a moment, thy friendship is actually what I thought I desired! I should have listened to my anger then, rather than my loneliness, and rejected thy foalish pleading.” She paused and started to slowly walk away. “At least this way, I shall be losing friendship to restore Equestria's rightful place in the world.”

“Luna,” said Celestia, whose eyes Luna could feel burning into the back of her head. “Where is Twilight Sparkle?”

“She is serving as a temporary ambassador to the griffons,” Luna said. “After my wedding, I shall be departing to relieve her and resolve the situation there myself.”

“Twilight is very capable, but that seems a little dange—“ Celestia paused for a moment, as did Luna, realizing what she had just said. “Wait, your wedding? When did this happen? Were you going to tell me?”

“I...” Luna turned around, facing Celestia's pained face once more. “I planned to, yes, but the conversation did not... develop in that direction.”

“Oh, Luna...” A faint smile played across Celestia's face. “Who are you marrying?”

“Wherefore art thou smiling, sister?” Luna snapped as blood rushed to her cheeks.

“Pardon me, Luna.” Celestia inclined her head in deference. “It's just that even though you're wearing that warrior's form of yours, you're still blushing at talk of being married. It... it gives me hope.”

“Prince Blueblood the Younger,” Luna mumbled as she turned to leave.

“Oh?” It took Celestia a few seconds to realize that Luna had answered her question, then she chuckled. “He's certainly handsome.”

“He is more than merely handsome,” Luna replied, a touch more petulantly than she intended.

“I didn't mean to offend you, sister. I just don't know him very well. He must have many fine qualities for him to have won your heart.”

“He cares not for me,” said Luna. “This is a political arrangement, which will give me peace, and give him wealth and status. That... that is all.”

“You deserve better than that, Luna,” Celestia said.

“No,” Luna replied, fighting back tears. “I do not.” She turned and began to ascend the steps. “I shall see to it that your living conditions are improved forthwith. Farewell.”

Finally, with one slow blink, Luna's dual vision resolved itself into one, dispelling the subtle illusion magic she had not even been aware she had been casting on herself. The edges of the objects around her sharpened, and her gaze pierced the shadows more easily. The vertical slits had to narrow as her ascent carried her closer to the moonlight, but even the light from far above was clearer.

Willowleaf, Platina, and Nickle Waltz waited silently at the top. She raised her eyes to them, but said nothing.

“We've been talking, Your Majesty,” Platina began.

“We just want to ask...” Waltz stuttered.

“What can we do to prove our loyalty to you?” Willowleaf finished.

“Several things,” Luna replied. “First, I wish you to forge two pairs of rings. One pair for me and my bridegroom, and the other for a dear friend of mine and her lover. I shall give you designs for them shortly. Will you do this for me?”

“Of course,” they said, nodding. “Anything else?”

“Yes. You shall take better care of Celestia starting immediately, as I am sure you heard us discuss.”

“But she is the reason we had to skulk and hide for a millennium,” Platina protested, “and she's the pony who imprisoned you in the moon. We owe her nothing, and neither do you.”

“She is my blood, and you owe her more than you know.”

“Is that Luna talking, Nightmare Moon, or the Elements of Harmony?” she asked with a cruel sneer.

“I shall phrase it this way,” Luna said, staring deeply into her student's eyes. “I spent my millennium of exile, during which you 'skulked and hid', dreaming of what I would do upon my return to those who had wronged me. I invented torments which defy the ability of any language to adequately describe. Improve her condition, or I shall visit them upon you.”

Platina glared and bared her teeth until the other two apprentices nudged her, then she backed down with an accommodating smile. “Of course. So, if we do all that, you'll believe that we know nothing about whatever attacked you?”

“After but one more task,” Luna said, walking to one of the arrow slits along the tower so she could watch the sun rise at her command. “Pack your belongings. I shall require your assistance with a ritual I intend to perform at the border with Griffonce. Once the wedding ceremonies are complete, I need you to travel there with me. We have much to do.”

Chapter 24: Marry the Night

When not overseeing wedding preparations, Luna spent much of her time watching and waiting, standing still on the castle's balconies and ramparts through day and night. She had entered a kind of brooding, meditative state as she attempted to make sense of where exactly she had gone wrong. It was no simple task, for there were so very many pieces.

She did not pause to eat, nor to sleep, but only to make sure her trio of apprentices were making the effort to improve Celestia's living conditions. Bitterness and hostility were still the reigning emotions whenever they interacted with the former Princess, but at least now she had pillows and a clean room.

Luna saw one of them approaching from the small, overgrown path through the forest toward Ponyville. It was hard to recognize her at first, but memory supplied the difference; it was Willowleaf, wrapped in illusion magic again, so that she appeared like the young, vibrant pony whom Luna had known from the distant past. Willowleaf was moving at a slow but energetic pace, as if trying to contain her huge, giddy smile. Luna raised an eyebrow at the image. Smiles from that one were quite rare to begin with.

The sight made Luna question her own appearance. She looked down at herself. She had removed her armor and boots, and now she was only wearing her iron-colored crown. Her body was black as pitch, black as oil, which the purple in her tail and mane served only to make more obvious. But she had already decided that she was not going to run from this; Equestria would see her as she truly was, and they would either accept her, or they would not. Luna steeled her resolve, but no amount of mental preparation could eliminate the lingering fear that even Twilight Sparkle and her friends would reject her, not to mention the rest of her subjects.

As Willowleaf neared the castle, she began making a more earnest attempt to rein in her emotions. She swallowed and set her mouth in a grim line, only for it to turn upwards again. She tried to slow herself down, only to involuntarily speed up again. She eventually shook her head and made her way across the bridge. The rapid clicking of hooves filled the silent halls, growing closer and closer to Luna's room.

“Luna?” Willowleaf called quietly when she finally reached the door. “I have some news for you.”

“Enter,” said Luna, turning her head back to observe as the suddenly lively student opened the door.

“Your blushing bridegroom has reached Ponyville,” she said. “He should be here in less than a day!”

“Is that all?” Luna asked. “Thou seemest to be inordinately happy about this event.”

“Oh, no, that's...“ Willowleaf blushed—Luna noted with respect and awe how much skill had gone into this illusion spell—and began studying the floor. “That's something else.”

“It must be important to thee,” Luna said, turning her body around all the way to fully watch the other pony. “Such emotion is passing rare.”

“Well, it, it's—kind of personal.”

“I am interested in thy life, Willowleaf, but I shall not force the matter.” Luna made her way toward the door. “Tell me, or not, as it please thee, but either way, I must begin preparations for Blueblood's arrival.”

“I'm pregnant,” Willowleaf whispered as Luna passed near her, chewing her lip.

Luna stopped in her tracks. “What—how—how is that even, I mean...”

“How is it possible, you mean? “Willowleaf smiled gently and nodded. “It's fine. That's a reasonable question, considering the state of my body. Would you like some company during your preparations? I can explain it as we get ready.”

Luna coughed and tried to speak a couple times before finding her voice again. “Very well then,” she said. “I would be greatly pleased to have some assistance.”

The two of them made their way down to the great meeting hall. Luna almost started using her magic to take down the tapestries, but then grimaced as she remembered that her regrowing horn was in nowhere near a state for such delicate work. Instead, she asked Willowleaf to help her as she flew up to remove them with her own hooves. Her goal was to have the rest replaced with the restorations Twilight's friend Rarity had done before nightfall.

“So, it's true that most of my body has decayed,” Willowleaf said as her aura of black magic began taking some of the current decorations down, “but I have made sure to preserve my womb, second in importance only to my brain. Those are the only two things my magic can't make up for. Wow, it sounds simple now that I say it out-loud, but it definitely wasn't simple to do.” She giggled softly.

“I see...” Luna swooped down to a chest she had brought up from storage. There, she began rummaging through the pile of cloth inside to find the perfect replacement for the centerpiece. “Please forgive my rude reaction earlier. I was simply surprised.”

“Don't worry about it,” Willowleaf said. “That could have gone a lot worse.”

“Who is the father?” Luna asked.

“He lives in Ponyville, as you might have guessed. Did you meet anyone named Honeycomb during your visits?”

“I cannot say I have.” Luna placed a banner depicting her House crest, a blue crescent moon on a white field, behind the hall's throne, then thought better of it and put the flag of Equestria back there. Instead, she put the banner to its right, from the point of view of the entrance. “Tell me of him.”

“I don't really know what to say. He's wonderful.” Willowleaf sighed wistfully. “I'm a very lucky pony.”

“Does he know about your... condition?”

“N-No, I—“

“You should tell him.” A third voice entered the conversation. Platina, yawning and blinking her bleary eyes, entered the room. “That's a scene I would love to see.”

Before Willowleaf could even think to respond, Luna slammed her hoof into the wall, cracking its hastily repaired exterior.

“No!” Luna shouted. “I shall not suffer this meaningless sniping any longer! This is going to be a wonderful night, the happiest night of our miserable lives, even if I must drag it there kicking and screaming!”

The other two ponies stood there in silence, glaring at each other, but not daring to do more.

“Sorry, did we come at a bad time, ladies?” Another new voice appeared from the direction of the entrance. All three of them turned to stare as Blueblood strolled in at the head of the soldiers Luna had parted with less than a week ago. Even Lyra was there, limping in on a wheeled harness, with one foreleg in a cast, and with most of her body covered in bandages, but still smiling. Luna rushed toward them as Platina and Willowleaf backed away guardedly.

“What are you doing here so soon?” Luna cried out. “My last report said you had only arrived in Ponyville but a few hours ago. You should still be resting!”

“Well, we made good time,“ Blueblood said. “The roads are much quicker thanks to you, my—“

Lyra cut him off. “I ordered them to keep marching. I figured if I could make it here, so could they. And... we were worried about you.” Lyra cast a brief but meaningful glance at Willowleaf and Platina.

“That was rather foolish, Captain,” Luna said. “I could have waited another day. Still, I am quite glad to see you all again.” She smiled at her soldiers, and they smiled back. “Now, your Queen is commanding you to rest. My friend Platina will show you to the guest wing.”

“So glad you all could make it,” Platina said, recovering quickly and flashing a greatly exaggerated smile. “It's not too much farther, if you'll follow me...”

Lyra gave Luna a questioning look, and Luna nodded discreetly. Lyra then followed at the head of the soldiers with a gait slower and more cautious than seemed strictly necessary due to her injuries.

“Thou as well, Blueblood,” Luna commanded.

“But I—“

“No. Go. We shall see plenty of each other tomorrow.” Luna smiled even bigger, causing Blueblood to blush and follow along with the others. Her grin faded as she resumed her work, but some of it remained in place for the rest of the night.

“You're inviting us to your wedding?” Nickel Waltz asked as he and the other two students stood before Luna the next morning. “Me? After—after everything?”

“Of course,” Luna told him. “I know none of you are perfect, but you are dear to me, and I would be remiss if I did not at least extend the offer to you.”

“I'll definitely be there!” Platina said, laughing. “This is going to be great.”

“I think I'll sit this one out,” Willowleaf mumbled, hanging her head. Her illusion spell had faded, so she had donned her robe again, and was now trying to hide in its hood. “Maybe if it were longer than a few hours away, I could psyche myself up for it, but...”

“Aw, come on, Leafy!” said Platina as she threw a foreleg around Willowleaf's shoulders. “Live a little!”

Willowleaf grit her teeth. “Thank you for the invitation, Luna. I'm really happy for you, but even that many other ponies is too much for me to handle.”

“I completely understand the desire to keep one's own company,” Luna said as she gently extricated her from Platina's grasp. “I shall save a portion of the desserts and liquors for thee.”

All four of them shared a brief but genuine laugh.

“Wilt thou at least assist in dressing me?” Luna asked.

“I would love to,” Willowleaf replied.

They ventured to a room in the castle containing a huge mirror that took up almost the entirety of one wall. Luna's dress was already waiting there.

It was relatively simple to wrap the white-gold silk around her body, though the various loops and frills took time, and the shimmering, translucent train had to be carefully worked around her tail. The real challenge was the headpiece. Using magic to separate only a few strands of Luna's mane at a time, the students carefully wove dozens of tiny reflective crystals into the constantly moving skyscape of her hair. The crystals amplified the natural glow the hair gave off, filling the entire area with dark, rolling waves of moonlight. A laurel of white roses and white leaves was placed around her crown.

Luna closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the castle coming to a small semblance of life while they worked. More ponies were trickling in, close friends and family of the soldiers with her, as well as chamberlains, messengers, and servants to assist with the preparations. She heard a string band setting up and practicing, cooks shouting orders to each other, and sounds of mostly quiet conversation. She did notice a loud yelp from Lyra as soon as Bon Bon arrived, and she chuckled lightly—she had made sure to send Lyra's companion a direct invitation.

At last, the work was done. Luna stared at her reflection for what seemed like only a moment, but an hour had passed before a light tap and a quiet message informed her that all the guests had arrived. Once the food was done, they would be ready to begin the ceremony. Her trio of assistants took their leave, after spending some time staring as well. There was a strange twisting sensation in her belly, an excited nervousness she had not felt for a very long time. Luna took a deep breath, then made her way down to the main hall.

The sixty-odd guests stopped what they were doing and audibly gasped as she entered the room. She nodded to acknowledge them, then walked to the simple, cushioned stone slab she had elected to use as a throne. She sat down slowly. As Luna met the stares of each of the ponies in the hall, one by one, she carefully measured her breathing and thought through her words.

“We extend our heartfelt greetings and gratitude to all of you,” Luna pronounced. “This shall be a wondrous day, and it is an honor to have you here to witness it.”

Luna knew that all of them weren't gaping at the color of her coat, especially since most of them had already seen her with it, but it felt like it. She did her best to swallow the fear and continue speaking.

“We recognize that this is a difficult time for Equestria,” said Luna. “However, we believe the difficulty of our lives makes occasions of celebration such as this all the more important. We must not forget to search for joy, meaning, and... and happiness. This is as much a reminder to you as it is to our own royal person. We hope and pray that each of you will also find these things tonight.”

Luna cleared her throat and blinked several times. “Now, let the bridegroom approach the altar.”

The stringed instruments began to play again, filling the hall with a bittersweet melody that drove more than a few of the audience to tears. Blueblood entered at the same time, bearing a bouquet composed of a dozen unique types of white flowers in his teeth. His mane was perfectly coiffed and shone like polished gold. His suit was made of white silk cut from the same roll as Luna's dress, and it shimmered as he made his way down the carpet, drawing many envious, even lascivious stares.

Luna rose to greet him as he ascended the small platform to the throne. She gave him her best attempt at a reassuring smile, and Blueblood responded by smiling through the stems of the flowers he was carrying. Luna laughed softly and took the bouquet in one of her arms.

“Let us now speak our vows,” Luna said as she locked eyes with Blueblood. “As was tradition in our time, the bride shall speak them first.”

The couple searched each other's eyes for several long seconds. As the time passed, Luna's belly tickled with apprehension and, judging from Blueblood's expression, so did his. The crowd practically held its breath as they waited.

“I... I promise to be true to you through the inevitable changes life brings,” she said, her voice loud and clear. Perhaps a little too loud, as Blueblood winced slightly. Her cheeks flushed and she lowered the volume. “I will remain by your side in times of want and times of plenty. I promise to give you all the love, courtesy, respect, and attention a good union demands. When we are ill and when we are well, when we grieve and when we rejoice, I will love and honor you all the days of my life. I offer my trust in you, in turn vowing to be faithful and understanding from this day forward. Thus do I swear.”

She did not even attempt to stop the tears that flowed from her eyes as she spoke—that would have been a hopeless battle. Remembering every time she had heard and spoken those words, Luna reasoned that there was no other rational response. She blinked them back as the more-composed Blueblood gathered his own words.

“I did not know you well at all when we first met,” he said, his voice steady, his smile even. “To be completely honest, I still do not. But it is my honor and privilege to begin rectifying that. Your heroism and leadership are a bright flame blazing above a murky ocean, and it has lighted my way as surely as it has lighted the ways of all your subjects. I promise that I will cherish and honor this fire of yours for all the days of my life. Uh... thus do I swear?”

Luna nearly recoiled at his words. She did not see any trace of deception on his face, and the heartfelt, personal nature of his vows caught her off-guard. She even felt slightly guilty that hers were so cold and distant in comparison. Nevertheless, she forged ahead with the ceremony.

“Then, by the power vested in me by the sun, the moon, the stars, and the great, dark void that encircles them, I declare us husband and wife.”

Leaning in carefully, Luna pressed her lips to his, and he responded eagerly. They kissed for a few moments as the audience stomped, cheered, and threw flower petals all around them. Eventually, Luna pulled her head back and rested it on Blueblood's, as he did the same. As she withdrew, she tossed the bouquet into the crowd. Lyra, deep in conversation with Bon-Bon, was smacked right in the face with it.

“Let the celebration commence!” Luna declared.

On cue, the band started playing a jauntier tune, and chefs began bringing out their dishes. All the ponies in the hall danced and cheered, doing both more passionately once Luna and Blueblood descended from the throne's platform to join the rest of the crowd.

Luna reared back on her hind legs and held a hoof out to Blueblood, which he accepted with a grin. She deliberately kept her wings folded, so that she would have to rely on him for balance during the dance, as he would have to rely on her. Each leaning into the embrace of the other, they began a series of simple steps in perfect time with the beat. As the music picked up speed, so did their dance steps. They were soon going so fast that one wrong move would send one of them plummeting to the floor, but Blueblood proved to be a capable dancer. He did start to breathe harder as they spun and dipped across the hall, but that was just as much due to excitement as effort. Luna grinned wider and pulled him closer as the next song began.

Few ponies paid attention to Platina or Nickle Waltz during the celebration, except to laugh and toast the former when she began dancing on her hind legs on top of a table. The latter simply sat in a corner, staring and nursing a small plate of greens.

Once Blueblood became too tired of dancing, Luna drew him to one of the feast tables. She found it hard to tear into the fruits and vegetables there with much gusto, but Blueblood dug in happily. Of more interest to her, however, were the various beers, wines, and liquors being served. Before long, a couple of the waiters were having to devote their duties almost solely to refilling the Queen's cups. Luna began to draw some concerned looks as her conversation and laughing grew louder and less restrained.

During one particularly raucous story she was telling, Luna banged the table, causing several of her cups to spill.

“Zecora had this trick she used to refill her cups,” said Luna as she picked up the drinks and dabbed at the spills with a cloth. “She would simply wave her hoof over the top, and it would be full again. I never quite figured it out. I wish she were—were here, so she could... so she could...”

Luna looked around in confusion. The music had stopped, and a significant portion of the crowd was staring at her. That was when she felt the heat of tears on her face, and noticed the quivering in her voice.

“Continue playing!” she shouted at the musicians through her sobs. Luna's tears fell into her cup as she downed the rest of her wine in one gulp.

The band began a hasty, initially discordant number to cover the situation, while Blueblood chatted up the ponies around him.

“Fabulous suit, sir. Oh yes, I am quite happy. No, we haven't decided on a place to honeymoon yet. Exquisite headpiece, darling. Where did you get it?”

A small, sad smile crossed Luna's mouth as she listened to him speak in that manner to anyone who approached her for the duration of the party. It made it less noticeable to their guests how melancholy and withdrawn she was growing, and she was grateful for it. It also made her less upset that her drink servers had stopped coming by. More and more, Luna simply longed for this party to be over, so she could be alone with her shame and embarrassment.

They got their chance to withdraw a couple hours later, a short while before midnight. During a lull in the festivities, Blueblood thanked the audience on her behalf and then strode confidently into one of the side passages. He had to stop shortly, however, as he had no idea where he was going. Luna brushed by him and began leading the way.

“Are you alright, my Queen?” Blueblood said as they strolled down the hallway.

“Aye,” she responded. “My hardy constitution ensures that I recover from drunkenness quickly... My behavior will take longer to recover from, I am afraid.”

“I'm sorry.” Blueblood quickened his pace so he could walk next to her, gently nudging her side with his head as he did so.

“Do not be,” Luna replied, sniffling. “Thou hast been of great assistance to me tonight. I shall not forget it.”

Their steps grew slower as they neared Luna's room.

“Listen,” Blueblood said, his voice quiet but deep, as he stared at the brilliant display of light created by the crystals woven into Luna's mane. “You said you wanted to be sure it was more than just desire. Have I not proven that tonight?”

Luna paused and turned to regard him carefully. “I said that mostly for my benefit. But, to be completely honest, I still do not know what to do...”

“To the world, we are married,” he said, taking a single step forward. “Why not act as though we truly are?”

“Ar... Art thou sure that is thy desire? I do not know if this is right...”

“Maybe this will answer your question.” Blueblood took another step, getting close enough that he could lean his neck up and kiss Luna. She tensed, but did not resist, so he deepened the kiss with every movement of his lips. She responded with giddy eagerness, and they were soon kissing passionately.

Without breaking their embrace, Luna spread her wings and began to hover, scooping Blueblood's entire body into her forelegs as she rose. He let out a muffled cry of surprise, then laughed and kissed her even more vigorously. Luna flew out of a nearby window and began to rise through the chilly night air. She felt him shiver against the wind in her grip, and responded by holding him closer to herself. She carried her husband high into the sky, getting far above the highest tower of the castle before she even realized what she was doing. Silhouetted against the moon, the new couple shared a wild yet tender moment, before Luna finally flew him back down and through the drapes covering the balcony of her bedchamber.

Luna lay across Blueblood's back for a long time, listening to his steady breathing, smiling as she rose up and down slightly with his every breath. She concentrated on the calm beat of his heart against her belly. It had a hypnotic quality to it that sent her into a calm trance, where she was only dimly aware of the passage of time. It almost made her decide to join him in the realm of dreams. Surely they would not be so bad after such a mostly pleasant day?

The distant but rapidly approaching sound of hooves broke her from that reverie, and she sighed. Luna climbed off of Blueblood, who was in such a deep sleep that he barely stirred. She walked to the door, shaking the weariness from her body and stretching her sore limbs. As soon as the running came to a stop in front of her bedchamber, Luna yanked the door open. A pony in a hooded purple robe, caught just as she was about to knock, stumbled into the room.

“I always hated it when you did that,” Willowleaf said. She had covered herself carefully, but the stumble allowed Luna to catch a glimpse of the thin green mane and rotting body of her apprentice.

“One must always be on one's guard,” said Luna, a wry smile on her face.

“Yes, about that.” Willowleaf adjusted herself into a more dignified posture, then lowered the volume of her whisper even lower than it normally was. “We have a major problem.”

“Why does that concern me?” Luna demanded. “The moon hath not even set upon my wedding night, and already I am being bothered.”

“It's about our guest,” Willowleaf explained. “Please come with me, Your Majesty.”

“What's going on?” asked the muffled, groggy voice of Prince-Consort Blueblood from inside the room.

“'Tis nothing, my dear,” said Luna as she went over to him. She bent down and softly kissed his forehead. “I am leaving for but a few minutes. Go back to sleep for now. I shall return.”

“Oh, okay,” he murmured. “I was dreaming that I had married the loveliest pony in the world. Nice to know it's true in reality too.”

Luna rolled her eyes and returned to Willowleaf, who was staring at Blueblood with a small frown on the remains of her face.

“What is the matter?” Luna asked.

“Nothing...” Willowleaf bowed her head and turned to begin leading the way. Luna walked behind, keeping a careful yet concerned eye on her student as they quietly made their way through the halls and down into the castle's depths.

Once they were out of earshot, Willowleaf began running again, and Luna followed suit. She knew where they were going, but every hurried step she took carried more and more dread.

Finally, they reached the dungeon, and the empty cell where Celestia had been kept.

Luna sighed. “Well, the peace was nice while it lasted.”

Chapter 25: The Devil You Know

Twilight Sparkle sat alone in the great hall of the Tower of Ibis, her small form dwarfed by its high ceiling, sweeping arches, and wide balconies that opened directly into the sky. The room was completely unfurnished except for a few cushions, magnifying the diminutive emotions the room evoked. The countryside was visible for miles at this height, which was part of the reason Twilight was focused on her quill and parchment. There were towns and cities nestled among the mountains and plateaus surrounding the tower, but there were also the beginnings of an army camp, full of the calls thousands of griffons. Her stomach nearly turned over when the smells wafted up to her snout--they were cooking meat. With a quick Parfum spell, Twilight was able to block most of the stench. She exhaled heavily, then focused her attention back to her work.

She had already taken all the architectural and cultural notes she could about what she had seen of the Western Gates of Griffrance, and she had now resorted to doodling to pass the time. She was working on a sketch of herself eating cake with Celestia when a loud clunk caused her to jump. A massive, metallic door at the far end of the hall had opened, and a griffon wearing armor and a thin, silver circlet entered.

Twilight looked the griffon over, staring, but trying not to, when she noticed that the armor was made of leather.

“So, your Princess has chosen to delay, has she?” Duchess Adelaide d’Anjou said, projecting her voice to fill the entire hall as she approached Twilight’s cushioned spot on the floor. She did not sit. “I thought my letter was clear about the situation.”

“Thank you for meeting with me, Your Grace,” Twilight replied, hastily moving her parchments around to cover her idle drawings. “I was hoping we could discuss that. I think we could work something out that would be beneficial to both of our nations.”

“I approve of your manners,” the Duchess said, “but manners alone will not be enough to resolve this conflict.”

“But what do you want? You really want Princess Luna to come here to duel you over one zebra?”

Adelaide laughed. “Of course not! I was hoping she would refuse to come, in fact. I hate them both, yes, but do you really think I’d be able to gather such an army if this were merely a personal vendetta?” Her wings stretched to their full span as she paced back and forth in front of Twilight. “The fact is, Ambassador Sparkle, your country is weaker than ever. One of your leaders is gone, and the other is dangerously unstable. So you conquered some Diamond Dogs? They are craven merchants, not warriors!” She stopped pacing, and her eyes narrowed as they gazed into the distance. “It is time your lands came under the stewardship of rulers who can properly exploit them.”

“That’s it?” Twilight could not keep the shortness from her voice. “You just want to conquer? What do you gain from conquest? Surely you agree that trade would be more profita—”

“To Tartarus with trade!” Adelaide shrieked, causing Twilight to wince and flatten her ears. “That statement only goes to show how weak you ponies have become.”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “We only want peace, Your Grace. Will you at least talk to Luna? I know we can find some common ground!”

“You only want peace, huh?” One of Adelaide’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that why your army is marching east as we speak?”

“I’m sure they’re just moving back to Canterlot,” Twilight said, trying to cover the fact that her eyes widened momentarily. “Protecting the capital, or training exercises. I’m not a military commander.”

“I know aggression when I see it,” Adelaide said. “I don’t appreciate being toyed with, you know. But no matter. Your attempt at delay will accomplish nothing. I was waiting for a few more High Lords to assemble here anyway before I strike.”

Twilight stood very still for a few moments, looking into the griffon’s fierce countenance. Finally, she turned away and shut her eyes. “I don’t know what happened to you to make you think this way,” she said. “All I know is that things would be better for everypony if we could work together. Harmony keeps all of us safe, and it’s the best path to a full, happy life.”

“Even your language disgusts me.” Adelaide scoffed. “You have baked your own perceived racial supremacy into your very words!”

“If you’d prefer, I have studied Griffançais a little bit,” Twilight said, forcing herself to smile. “I’m sure we could have a conversation in that.”

“That will not be necessary.” The Duchess turned away. “It is clear that you have not come to surrender, so this conversation is pointless. I will not sully my honor by attacking a diplomat who has not wronged me, but you and your friends should watch yourselves on the roads.”

Twilight began placing her belongings back in her pack. “Please, can I at least see Zecora? I want to make sure she’s okay.”

A cruel smile formed on Adelaide’s beak. “Why, of course you can. Take a look outside.” She gestured with one claw toward one of the giant balconies, pointing toward another balcony on another section of the tower. There, an oversized golden birdcage had been hung on a chain, swinging widely with each turbulent gust of wind that blew past this high up in the mountains.

But the cage was empty.

Adelaide stared for a few seconds, then a horrific scratching sound filled the hall as her claws dug into the stone floor. “How.” Her voice was low and choked.

“I hope you’re eventually able to see how important friendship is,” Twilight said as she gathered magic into her horn. “If not, you’ll see just how strong ponies really are.”

“You!” Adelaide screamed as she bared her claws and lunged for Twilight. She felt them dig into flesh, and she heard a brief shout of pain, but a second later, nothing was there. The Duchess looked down at the red blood dripping down her claws, then formed them into a fist and slammed the fist into a nearby pillar. Her anger thus channeled, she drew herself together and began calling for guards to lock down the tower and the surrounding area.

Miles away, Twilight appeared among the rest of her friends in a windy mountain pass. She stumbled and gasped, woozy from the exertion of teleporting so far. It had only been possibly for her at all because she could see the general area from her vantage point in the Ibis great hall.

Once she had righted herself with the assistance of a few steadying hooves, Twilight smiled at each of them and reassured them that the gashes on her flank were just surface wounds. Her smile faded away, however, when she noticed the unconscious, emaciated body over Applejack’s back. Zecora’s ribs were visible, but they were at least occasionally rising shakily with labored breathing.

“Good job, everypony,” Twilight said. “I know what you just did must have been very hard, but I have to ask a little more from you. We need to get back to the border and send a letter to Luna as soon as we can. How fast do you think we can go?”

“Not too fast,” Applejack replied. “Even if all of us were as good at runnin’ as me and Dash, Zecora ain’t doin’ so good. We gotta take the time to take care of ‘er.”

“Okay, just go as fast as you can everypony. This might take a few days, but we’ll be okay as long as we stick together.”

The darkness seemed to have shades, shades that swirled and blended together like condiments in coffee. Each of them were terrible and comforting in its own unique way. They embraced her like an old family member. It had become so familiar to her that she had come to resent the light for intruding, despite it being technically more pleasant. Comfort was more important than pleasure now.

The shapes she saw in the light made even less sense. Garish colors clashed against each other like brightly uniformed armies battling, and even the most innocuous sound they made felt like the clash of weapons. She tried to withdraw into the darkness, but it gradually became apparent that that was a fight she could not win. A pink shape demanded, in a frustratingly non-demanding way, that she join the world of light.

“Mufurha,” the shape seemed to say, as aggressive as a quiet, gentle whisper could be.

She tried to ignore the demand and fold herself back into the darkness, but it would not return, as if it sensed the danger it would be in if it approached now.

“Zecora,” the shape said. The sound was the same as before, but the one hearing it had changed. With the change came a painful clarity.

“No,” Zecora rasped, her voice even quieter than Fluttershy’s. “There is no Zecora. Only darkness, weakness, faithless, endless.”

“Um.” Fluttershy rested the back of her foot on Zecora’s head to test her temperature, then reached down to gather more blankets and tuck her patient into them. “I don’t really understand what you mean, but you’re safe here. This is my cottage. Do you want some water? I’ve been giving you some the past few weeks, but you weren’t really awake for it, so I couldn’t give a lot at once. I’m sorry.”

“S-Sorry?” Zecora licked her dry lips with her dry tongue, an instinct more than a solution. “Yes. Sorry. I never should have trusted them. I never should have trusted myself. I should have trusted her. Oh, beloved moon, I am so sorry, starry, sorry…”

“Wow, even when you’re tired or upset, you’ve always rhymed everything.” Fluttershy fetched a cup and gingerly held it up to Zecora’s mouth. “What happened to you?”

Zecora responded by simply staring at Fluttershy’s face with her bloodshot, unblinking eyes.

“Fluttershy!” There was a slightly panicked shout in the distance, coming from outside the cottage. Before she could respond, Rainbow Dash had already zoomed through one of the windows that opened into the cool, cloudless night. Zecora transferred her stare to Rainbow, who responded by forcing out a totally cool laugh.

“Oh, hey Zecora!” she said. “Looks like you’re doing better. Great, glad to hear it, but, uh, Fluttershy—we need you at the library. Can your animals take care of Zecora for a little bit or something?”

“I don’t know, Rainbow,” Fluttershy replied. “She just started talking again, so she could really use my help right now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that.” Rainbow Dash swooped closer to take a look at Zecora—and stopped looking very quickly. “You know I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. But the army just arrived in town, and they’re—well, you’ll see. The important part is that we might need the Elements.”

Fluttershy sighed and started softly singing a few sweet, melodic bars to gather together the most nurturing animals who stayed with her. Once the various chipmunks, birds, raccoons, dogs, and bears stood in front of her, she instructed them in exact detail how to care for the patient. A very impatient Rainbow Dash hovered in the air the whole time, forelegs crossed, but she said nothing. Once the task was complete, Fluttershy waved goodbye as she flew out of the window and toward town.

The moon loomed directly over the peak of the mountain of Canterlot, illuminating the entire city in soft silver light. All was still and calm on the nearly deserted streets; the residents now knew an army of griffons was gathering for war. Not even the Elements of Harmony could stop it, and the populace was still ambivalent about their new Queen and her army, despite their success in freeing Equestrian slaves from the Diamond Dogs. No one had seen Celestia in weeks, though they were at least relieved that Twilight Sparkle and her friends had managed to escape. Uncertainty was the dominant force in popular opinion.

One solitary figure disturbed the peaceful streets, a tall pony in a billowing cloak who dashed along the cobblestones. She occasionally glanced back and quickened her pace, despite there being no visible sign of pursuit. Even so, she ducked into alleyways and shortcuts frequently, and, whenever out of sight, used her bright sunlit magic to teleport short, random distances away.

Princess Celestia steadily made her way toward the castle in this manner, but not toward the keep. Her destination was the courtyard gardens.

“Maybe we should stay out of this completely,” Fluttershy suggested from her corner of the library. “It’s all so—not nice.”

“It ain’t nice either that I got soldiers crawlin’ all over mah farm,” Applejack said, slamming her hoof down on the table. Fluttershy flinched. “Oh, sorry darlin’. It just gets my goat that nopony even asked. They plopped down a bag o’ bits in front of us and said they were gonna stay in the fields for a couple days, and somehow that was that.”

“Surely it’s fair that they paid you, at least?” said Rarity as she gently patted Applejack’s hoof with her own.

“That ain’t the point,” she muttered. Her eyes dropped down to the table. “We leave town for a couple weeks and suddenly everything is up the creek without a paddle!”

Twilight Sparkle looked slowly around at each of her five closest friends. They had barely returned from their mission to Griffrance, and already they had to deal with another crisis. They sat around the main table of the Golden Oaks Library, their faces underlit by a single candle in the center. Judging from how much the candle had burnt down, they had been discussing the arrival of the vanguard of Princess—Queen?—Luna’s army for over an hour, but they were no closer to any kind of agreement. Mayor Mare had been heard arguing with the commanders of the advance battalion all day, but she had as yet made no announcement to Ponyville, so Twilight decided that the six of them needed to take some action on their own. What that action should be was a different matter.

Rainbow Dash and, to a lesser extent, Applejack, were advocating kicking the army out entirely. Rarity and Fluttershy said that they should just go along with what the soldiers said, welcoming them the same way they would welcome a visit by the Royal Guard. Pinkie Pie more or less agreed with the latter two, proposing throwing a big welcome party for them. The key problem, from Twilight’s perspective, was that they simply did not have enough information. Why were they here? They would not need to pass through Ponyville if they were heading toward Griffrance. Was Luna coming to Ponyville soon? Where was Princess Celestia?

“I think we should just ask them what their intentions are,” Twilight said, slightly louder than the others were speaking, though still somewhat hushed. “It doesn’t seem like they’re here to hurt us.”

“Yeah, that’s totally naive,” Rainbow Dash said as she rolled her eyes. “They might not have done anything super bad yet, but they’re definitely up to no good.” She started flying in place above her seat, crossing her forelegs over her chest.

“How can you say that, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie asked, her jaw dropping. “Some of them are good friends of mine!”

Rainbow Dash managed to roll her eyes even harder. “Everypony is a ‘good friend’ of yours, Pinkie. That doesn’t mean anything. Besides, these ponies have been fighting a war. How do you know they’re the same ponies you knew? Daring Do was never the same after her first battle.”

“They’re still good ponies,” Pinkie replied, but with slightly less bubble in her voice.

Dash simply shook her head.

Celestia moved somewhat more slowly through the Canterlot gardens. She needed to catch her breath, but she also felt less need to check behind herself as frequently here at this place, the seat of her power for so long. Now, she mostly stared down at her hooves as she dragged them across the cobblestones. Her brow was furrowed, and her ears stood straight up.

Her pace slowed down, then gradually came to a stop when she felt she had reached her destination. The dark presence of the statue of Discord was unmistakable.

Celestia raised her head up, causing the hood of her cloak to drop back, revealing her drawn, pale, deeply lined face. There was another difference as well—no crown rested atop her head anymore. She narrowed her eyes at the imprisoned draconequus, deepening the lines on her face even further. Her horn began to glow as the Princess summoned every last bit of magical strength that remained in her. As the glow spread around both her body and Discord’s, she removed her cloak and threw it over him, obscuring the statue completely. The glow reached the brightness of a star, and as the otherworldly pursuers that her enemies had summoned from the darkness howled in the distance, both Celestia and Discord vanished.

Twilight Sparkle sighed as Pinkie Pie’s and Rainbow Dash’s argument about the soldiers spread to the others around the table. Except for Fluttershy, who retreated further and further behind her mane. It had gotten to the point where Spike was lazily throwing pillows at them as he tried to sleep upstairs. He missed entirely, but it succeeded in drawing Twilight’s attention.

“Listen everypony!” she said for the third time. She disappeared in a burst of teleportation magic and appeared standing on the table, surprising the others enough to get them to stop talking. “Maybe Luna didn’t get our letters for some reason. We need to let her know that Zecora is safe. Once she hears that, I’m sure she’ll stop doing—whatever it is she’s doing. You can come with me, or you can stay here, but I’m going to go talk to the commanders right now!”

Twilight jumped off the table and began taking long strides toward the door, trying not to look back to see who was moving to follow her yet. Several of them had started to when the dimly lit room suddenly filled with sunlight, along with the cries of a startled Spike. The entire group turned their eyes to the second floor, where the dragon was staring dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of Princess Celestia and a tall, narrow object draped in cloth.

The light burned for less than a second, but its intensity made it impossible to look directly at Princess Celestia’s face, where her eyes burned brightest of all. Then the light disappeared as quickly as it came, draining from Celestia’s body like blood from a gaping wound. Only the single candle remained as Celestia slumped to the floor and sighed raggedly. Twilight Sparkle immediately dashed up to help her mentor. The other ponies followed after a few seconds of silence, but Celestia was already supporting herself with one leg on Twilight’s shoulders by the time they arrived.

“Thank you, Twilight,” Celestia said, the edge of her lip curling up into a tiny smile. “I’m glad to see you.”

“What happened to you, Princess?” Twilight said as she struggled to hold Celestia up. The Princess was severely weaker and skinnier than the last time they had seen each other, but she was still over twice Twilight’s size.

“I’ll get to that in a moment,” Celestia replied as the smile disappeared from her face. “First, have any of you been hurt?” Her deep purple eyes met each pony’s, and the dragon’s, eyes in turn. Only Twilight managed to hold the gaze for longer than a fraction of a second.

“No, of course not,” Twilight replied, to an array of confirmations from the others. “You’re the one we should be worried about! Please, sit down on the bed here.” Twilight started trying to lead Celestia toward the bed, but Celestia did not budge.

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” the Princess said. “It is Equestria that is in danger. Luna has taken over everything and I—I wasn’t able to stop her. I only barely escaped with my life, thanks to some timely aid.”

“Taken over everything?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean?”

Celestia closed her eyes. “The sun, the moon, the stars. The army, the very hearts of so many ponies.” Her voice cracked for a second before she could swallow and bring it under control. “And she’s using them to start a war she can’t win.”

“Good thing you came to us then!” Rainbow dash did a quick loop in the air and struck a pose. “We’ll just zap her with the Elements of Harmony and everything will be back to normal.”

“I’m afraid it isn’t that simple, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said as she slowly shook her head. “That may work on some of her new allies, but all of this is truly Luna’s choice, and the choice of those who follow her. The Elements won’t have any effect on her.”

“They did last time,” Applejack said. “What’s so different about this time?”

“That was peeling away the stain of thousands of years of darkness and hatred. Now, all of that is gone, and she—she is still making the same choices.” Tears appeared around Celestia’s closed eyelids. “This is who she truly is, who she truly was all along! I was simply too blinded by love to see it.”

“Love isn’t blinding, Princess,” Fluttershy put in quietly but firmly as a couple tears came to her own eyes at the sight of Celestia’s.

“That may be, Fluttershy,” said Celestia, gracing her with a strained yet tender smile, “but either way, I see the situation clearly now. It was hard not to, when she had me imprisoned and threatened my subjects if I did not relinquish my crown. She fought and tried to kill me. My own sister tried to take my life, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy stammered and took a couple steps back. “But—but she must have had a good reason. Or maybe she was tricked. Maybe it was a changeling. I don’t know. She’s scary sometimes, but she wouldn’t do something like that.” A pause. “Right?”

Silence fell for a few moments amid awkward looks and averted eyes.

“Well, we may not be able to use the Elements,” Rainbow Dash finally said, “but we can still fight! Where is she?”

“Against Luna alone, fighting may have worked.” Celestia shook her head. “But her army has been brainwashed to support her to their death, and she is backed by three ancient, powerful unicorns. I utterly failed to defeat them on my own, but I witnessed their strength myself. They are so powerful that fighting them together would only get all of you killed.”

“Then what do we do?” Rarity groaned, throwing her hooves up.

“I do have a plan, Rarity,” Celestia said evenly. “It does involve the Elements of Harmony, and thus I must ask you all for your assistance once again. We may not be able to defeat Luna from the lofty position she holds now, but there is one being who can.”

Very little of her magic had recovered from the teleportation spell, so Celestia used her hooves to remove the cloak from the statue of Discord. Celestia ignored the line of bewildered faces and continued speaking.

“I know Discord cannot be trusted, but we don’t need to trust him. We only need to explain that if he does not help us, then he will be turned back into stone. I assume you’ve cast that spell I mentioned that will prevent him from hiding the Elements again, right, Twilight?" Twilight nodded. "Then I believe his desire for freedom will outweigh his pride in this case. It is a desperate plan, but Equestria’s fate hangs in the balance.”

“Have you forgotten what happened last time he was free?” Twilight asked, mouth still agape.

“Yeah, it was amazing!” Pinkie Pie said, beginning to vibrate slightly. “So delicious.” Then, against the combined glares of everyone else, “I mean, bad too, but also delicious. Things can be both!”

“I have not forgotten.” Celestia’s voice was distant, colder for a brief instant. “Which is exactly how I know that Luna and her army will not be able to stand against his power. Once he has taken care of them, we can simply seal him away again. It is not without risks, but risks are preferable to the certain suffering of war.”

“But what will we do if we get rid of Luna’s army and the griffons attack?” Twilight asked. “The Duchess told me that they only want to conquer us.”

“They are only responding in kind to a neighboring nation raising armed forces,” Celestia explained calmly. “If those forces are disbanded, then we can negotiate. Please, trust me, everypony. I have been ruling this land for a long time. I have known this Duchess and her entire family line since they were eggs.”

“I trust you, Princess,” Twilight said, completely without hesitation. Once Twilight said so, the others readily agreed.

“Well, assuming Discord is the best solution here,” Twilight continued, “I really don’t know how we’d convince him to do this.” Twilight chewed on her lip for a moment, then her eyes suddenly widened. “Unless we use a Reform spell! He is a spirit, isn’t he? So the right spell, with enough power behind it, could make him good. If he’s good, then he’ll want to help us!”

“There—there are spells that can do that?” Applejack said, one eyebrow raised high. “Just turn somepony evil, good? That don’t seem right.”

“No, not somepony,” Twilight said as she began scanning her bookshelves for the right magic book. “It only works on spirits. And how can making a spirit be good not be right? Especially one as dangerous as Discord? I think—I think this might actually work.”

“That does sound a bit—beyond the pale, even for unicorn magic,” Rarity said with a slight frown.

“Better to just keep him in stone,” Rainbow Dash said, “but if we gotta release him for this, then this Reform spell thing sounds like the way to go. If you go around hurting ponies as much as Discord has, you don’t get to decide to keep being bad.”

“All the wonderful things of having Discord around, with none of the terrible things?” Pinkie Pie drooled. “Where do I sign?”

Twilight found the book she was searching for, a heavy grey-covered tome bound with thick, sturdy string. She let out a barely contained squeal, then flipped through the stiff pages of parchment to find the right spell. Twilight began reading through it a couple of times as everyone else gathered around her.

“Whatever you ladies decide,” Spike said as he crawled into his bed and covered himself back up with his blanket, “I’ll be here. Hiding—provhiding—providing moral support.”

“Alright, once we—”

"No!"

They all turned to stare at Fluttershy, the source of the sudden shout.

“Never,” she continued, unblinking. “I will never, ever be part of something so evil, and I can’t believe you girls are even considering it!”

Tears streaming down her face, Fluttershy turned and ran completely out of the library, vanishing into the darkness of the night. They all called after her, but she did not reply, or even slow down.

Celestia gave Twilight an even, controlled look. “Go speak to her, Twilight. We can’t do this without her, but more importantly, we’ll all be in danger if Luna’s army finds out I’m here.”

Twilight nodded, then raced after her friend. It did not take long to catch up, especially since Fluttershy had stopped only a little farther down the street, next to the town’s fountain, standing stock-still as she stared at the water inside. As Twilight approached, she saw in the reflection cast on the water that Fluttershy’s face was twitching slightly.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said as she slowly walked a couple steps closer, “I know this is a lot to take in at once. My mind is still reeling. But please, can we talk about this?”

Fluttershy’s only response was to dip one hoof in the water and slowly stir it, fracturing and distorting her reflection in the fountain.

“I’m scared too, believe me.” Twilight came up next to her friend and draped one foreleg over her shoulders. “But just like anything else we’ve done, we can do this if we stick together.”

“You don’t understand.” The voice was barely above a whisper.

“Huh?”

Fluttershy swallowed as her expression slowly turned into a scowl. “You don’t understand. The rest of you, Discord tempted and tricked into going against who you were. Not me. When I refused, he made me turn bad. He used his magic to completely violate my mind, and it was the most awful thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t do that to somepony else! Not even Discord himself.”

Her voice had been becoming more and more broken as she spoke, but now, a full torrent of tears fell from her eyes and splashed into the dark, cool water of Ponyville’s fountain.

Twilight was stunned into silence for several minutes, only having the presence of mind to hug Fluttershy closer to her. The sound of her friend’s gasping, pained sobs made Twilight’s eyes well up too, and soon they were both crying into the coat of the other as they held each other close.

“I never knew,” Twilight said, gently stroking her hoof through Fluttershy’s mane. “I’m so sorry.”

“It-it’s not your fault.” Fluttershy swallowed hard to keep her voice from cracking again. “I never told you.”

“Listen, we can think of something else,” said Twilight. “I won’t use the spell, okay?”

“But I don’t want anypony to be hurt because of me,” Fluttershy said. “They shouldn’t have to suffer because I’m weak and pathetic.”

“Hey.” Twilight frowned as she took Fluttershy’s face in her hooves and looked into her eyes. “Don’t ever say that. You’re not weak. It takes a lot of guts to stand up for something like you just did.”

“But I…” Fluttershy was interrupted by a commotion coming from farther down the street. The door to the Mayor’s House had opened, and two silhouettes appeared in the light coming from inside.

“For the last time,” a cool, clipped female voice said, echoing down the street. “This is not a discussion, Bru. If you won’t make the announcement, then we will. We’d prefer to do things with your cooperation, but we don’t have to. Simple as that.”

Twilight and Fluttershy heard Mayor Mare respond, louder than the other pony. “Gumball—sorry, Captain Gumball, I don’t know what happened to you out there, but you’re not the pony I knew. She never would have simply gone along with a coup.”

“‘What happened to me’?” Captain Gumball repeated, shaking her head. “Well, isn’t that just the icing on the cake. The instant I do something you don’t like, suddenly I’m a broken, messed up stranger. Fine, Bru. Stay on your high pegasus, same as always.” She turned her head to look at several more figures inside the building. “Soldiers, take Miss Mare to the farm. I’m assuming command of this settlement until the current crisis is resolved.”

The now-former Mayor Mare’s shouts of protest were cut short by a gag being tied into her mouth. As the Mayor struggled against her captors, Captain Gumball silently walked away from the house. Fluttershy and Twilight realized with a start that she was coming straight toward the fountain, her hard eyes scanning the homes along the way from beneath her gleaming, decorated helmet. The Captain did not seem to have noticed the two yet, but nonetheless they both bolted back to the library.

They returned to tense silence, broken only by the clattering of dishes as Rarity cleaned up after preparing tea for everyone. The group inside the library stared at the panicked looks on the faces of Twilight and Fluttershy.

Celestia, still standing despite the clear strain in her legs, finally spoke up. “What happened, Twilight?”

“Somepony from the army just had Mayor Mare kidnapped.” Twilight replied. “She said she was ‘assuming command’ of Ponyville.”

“Then things are more dire than I thought.” Celestia began walking slowly down the steps to the first floor. She forced her legs not to wobble along the way. “Fluttershy.” Celestia’s gaze was firm as she stood before her. “Are you truly not going to use your Element?”

Fluttershy flinched, but only slightly, at Celestia’s tone. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I don’t think I can.”

Twilight instantly recognized the subtle look on Celestia’s face—it was the exact same look she had when Twilight nearly sparked a riot with the Want-It Need-It spell.

“And why—” Celestia began.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight cut in quickly, “what if we use the Elements to free Discord, but don’t use the Reform spell? Could we do it then?”

“Letting Discord loose without using the Reform spell?” Rainbow Dash said. “Are you crazy?”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, stare locked firmly on the floor. “That still seems really dangerous.”

Celestia turned away from the rest of the ponies, walking to the window to stare out at the dark sky. Her eyes were locked on the moon.

“Holding the threat of being turned to stone again over him would still be effective,” she said. “It is not ideal, but it’s a better plan than doing nothing, especially if the army is already seizing Ponyville. We are running out of time, my little ponies. You must do something quickly.”

Twilight looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Princess Celestia, biting her lip as her ears flattened. Everyone was silent as they thought over the implications, too focused on them to even argue.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Twilight finally said. “We’re going to go talk to Gumball. Including you, Princess, if you’ll come with us. We won’t let them capture you again, no matter what.”

“I will not,” Celestia pronounced, her head jerking back to glare at Twilight, “and neither should you. That is beyond foolish.”

Twilight clenched her throat to hold back a sob, then set her face hard. “Maybe it is, but we have to try. I’m sorry for letting you down.”

Without waiting for Celestia to respond, Twilight marched out of the library. Her friends stared at the Princess for a moment in stunned silence, then began to file out after her. Only Spike remained behind to see the tear fall down Celestia’s cheek.

“Captain Gumball! This is Twilight Sparkle and her friends. We would like to speak with you, please.” Her voice echoed through the deserted streets, starting from her position by the town’s fountain.

Gumball was down a side street, preparing to knock on one of the shop doors when she heard the call. Before she could even walk all the way to the fountain, armed pegasi had swooped out of the night sky and were forming a perimeter around the plaza. The six friends huddled together, facing outward so no one’s back was to the soldiers. Only Fluttershy was shaking, but a steady hoof on her shoulders from Applejack got her to stop.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Gumball said as she approached slowly. She took the time to wave one hoof at the soldiers to make sure they would not unholster their spears, though they had not yet made any move to do so. “I’m glad we found you. Hello to the rest of you too.”

“Hey Gumball,” Pinkie Pie said after swallowing the lump in her throat. “How have you been?”

“Pinkie!” Gumball smiled, stepping through the perimeter of pegasi so she could converse more directly. “I’ve been well enough. A depressing lack of cake on the march, but such is the life I’ve chosen. How about yourself?”

Pinkie chewed on a stray lock of her mane even while she was speaking, causing her words to get jumbled slightly. “Great! But, also a little weirded out. By, uh, all this.”

“I understand,” Gumball said. Her eyes moved from Pinkie Pie over to Ponyville’s fountain. “This is a weird situation. I assume that’s what you all wanted to talk to me about?”

“Yes,” Twilight said as she stepped out of the huddle to stand face to face with Gumball. Her eyes widened when she noticed that the guards subtly loosened the weapons on their flanks in response, but she kept moving forward regardless. “We’ve heard a lot of troubling things recently, and we need to know what’s going on. Did Princess Luna not get our letters?”

“The Queen did receive your letters, yes,” said Gumball. “She is very grateful to you for securing the foreign national, but she has been a bit too busy to reply personally. I don’t know the details, but something major has happened. Her Majesty has been very—very focused of late. That’s part of the reason she sent us here to secure Ponyville.”

“Secure it? Against what?” The Captain met Twilight’s gentle, almost pleading voice and stare bravely.

“Threats!” Gumball said. “I’m sure you know about the army the griffons are putting together. Nopony knows where Equestria’s other enemies might strike next, either. Doesn’t it make sense to make sure the Elements of Harmony are safe?”

“We’re just fine, thank you,” Rarity said from behind them. “Now, please be a dear and tell us why you’re really here.”

Gumball sighed. “This doesn’t have to be difficult, everypony. All I want is for you to come with me peacefully to a secure location. The Queen will keep you safe there.”

“Equestria doesn’t have a queen,” Rainbow Dash shouted as her wings began to unfold. “It has Princesses, and maybe only one now.”

“Come on, please! Equestria is at war. We can’t afford to lose you, now more than ever!” Gumball reached out to the circle of friends, but they just eyed her outstretched hoof warily. She sighed again, stamped her foot down, and closed her eyes. “Fine. If you won’t come, then give me the Elements. Those, we absolutely must keep from the enemy.”

Twilight looked toward her library, tears forming around her eyes. “I’m sorry, everypony,” she said. “I got us into this mess.” Then she looked at Fluttershy. “Will you use your Element now? Ponyville, maybe all of Equestria, is at stake.”

Fluttershy was on the verge of crying as well. “Okay,” she whispered.

As soon as a hint of magic appeared on Twilight Sparkle’s horn, the pegasus soldiers dashed in with the assistance of a boost from their wings to grab the other ponies. Simultaneously, Gumball leaped onto Twilight’s back and tried to tackle her to the ground. The others were all preparing to fight, hoof-to-hoof, but just before the pegasi could close the short distance, the group of friends disappeared in a flare of violet magic. Captain Gumball disappeared too, caught in the area of Twilight’s spell.

Moments later, Gumball was being pinned down by Rainbow Dash and Applejack on the floor of the Golden Oaks Library. Even for athletes like them, it was a struggle to keep the seasoned veteran down. Meanwhile, Twilight was casting a spell to summon the Elements of Harmony to them as Celestia looked on, haggard but not frowning.

The artifacts shimmered into existence on each pony just as Gumball noticed the statue on the second level. Her eyes went wide and she started to tremble; she had been in Ponyville the last time Discord was loose. Visions of that time had featured prominently in her deep-dream army training, so she was not completely paralyzed with fear, but she was still beginning to sweat.

“Wh-What are you doing?” Captain Gumball screamed. “Have you already been lost to the enemy?”

Twilight ignored her pleas, instead turning to Fluttershy as she started to gather the energy of the group’s love into her crown. “You’re really brave, Fluttershy. I’m proud of you.”

“As am I,” said Celestia, smiling gently as she watched the Elements being used.

Scintillating rainbows of energy radiated out of each of the six friends, enveloping the whole building in a vibrant glow. They were levitating in the air now, freeing Gumball, but at this point she could do nothing but stare slack-jawed at the scene. She could hear the shouts and hoofbeats of her troops converging on the location, but she already knew it would be too late. The bright swirls of color collected into a whirling pool of radiance around Twilight Sparkle’s crown, causing a loud, deep, bone-rattling sound to permeate through Ponyville. Then the pool shot out a ray of magic that blasted the statue of Discord apart, shattering it.

The air filled with the sweet smell of chocolate and the sound of cracking joints as Discord flexed his stiff limbs.

“Now, Twilight,” Celestia commanded before the dust had even settled.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, eyes downcast. Then her horn lit up again, and she recited the rhyme of the Reform spell she had memorized.

“In silence be bound,

Your dark heart be still.

You will not make a sound,

And never again do ill.”

Discord’s exaggerated stretching and yawning was interrupted by a pained gagging sound. A tearful Fluttershy looked on, mouth hanging open. The draconequus recovered from his brief fit of gagging, which was soon replaced with harsh, cold laughter. Fluttershy took to her wings and fled out of the nearest window.

“I have to say,” Discord said, watching her go with a broad smile, “I didn’t think you had it in you, Twilight. Well done!” He began clapping his paw and claw together, and a chorus of conjured applause joined him.

“Did it not work?” Rarity asked as her horn lit up with magical energy, preparing to cast what limited defensive spells she knew.

Rainbow Dash finally shook herself out of her shock and took off after Fluttershy.

“Just let her go, Rainbow,” Discord said, but she was already out of earshot. “You all got what you wanted, in a manner of speaking. Yes, it did work. Though in the future, dear Miss Sparkle may want to check the fine print on her spells. I have to do what you want me to, which is quite annoying, but I certainly don’t have to be nice about it. That part I like.”

“Oh, great,” Applejack said, stomping a hoof on the wooden floor. “I told ya’ll this was a bad idea!”

“It is the best idea we have available,” Celestia said. She stepped forward slowly, then with great effort, drew herself up to her full height in front of Discord. “I assume you heard our conversation. As long as you stop Luna and her army without killing her, you are free. That sounds like a fair deal to me.”

“It would sound like that to you, wouldn’t it?” Discord rolled his eyes as he floated lazily into the air. He folded his arms behind his head and crossed his legs, as if relaxing on an invisible hammock. “But really, it only matters what Twilight wants, since she’s the one who cast the spell. Also because she’s just so precious. Well, Twilight? Is that what you want me to do?” He grinned at her.

Twilight closed her eyes and reflected. She breathed in and out slowly, while everyone else remained completely silent, including Discord.

“Yes,” she said at last, with careful control of her voice. “Please capture Luna, so she doesn’t endanger Equestria anymore.”

“Wonderful,” Discord exclaimed, disappearing in a flash, then reappearing kneeling in a suit of shining plate armor. “Your wish, my command, and all that rot. Don’t worry though, we will absolutely be discussing the delicious rift that you just created in your little group when I return. It’s going to be magical.”

Author's Notes:

Huge thanks to Stryke and RockstarRaccoon for helping me get this chapter together, finally.

Chapter 26: The Battle of Burning Candy (Part 1)

Luna marched with the bulk of her army down the well-trod countryside road to Ponyville, on their way to invest and fortify the lands of her new in-law, Blueblood the Elder, and hopefully in the process strengthen Equestria’s position with the griffons. She held her neck straight and upright, but her eyes were downcast. A deep, malignant emptiness had taken root in the core of her body, and it made her every step feel sluggish. Yet it was all she could do. She vaguely knew that the moon was out in its full glory, her ears half-heard that the air was filled with the sound of crickets and other insects, and she numbly felt the earth shake under her hooves as the soldiers’ boots pounded into the dirt in perfect rhythm. She even mumbled acknowledgment at the reports of her servants’ failures to find Celestia, but they were all automatic responses at this point.

Luna had hoped that her new marriage would lighten her spirits a little, but the loveless arrangement only magnified her detachment. Blueblood made a fine husband, perhaps a great one. He always put forth the effort to make himself look presentable when with her; he brought her wild flowers to snack on several nights along the march; and he tried to distract her from her dark moods with whatever inane comments sprang to mind. She appreciated him and his efforts, but only in an abstract way. Every time she started to truly enjoy his company, the fact that she had coerced him into it was there in the shadows, lying in wait like a predator about to pounce. The pleasant feelings quickly fled.

Despite her distracted state, Luna was able to feel something distant but powerful suddenly try to yank the moon out of her soul’s grasp. She gasped and came to a stop as her spirit clung desperately to it. Her widened eyes searched the sky for any sign of what could be doing this, and she noticed that a gigantic, dark thunderhead cloud was gathering in the east, filling up the sky like spilled ink on the canvas of stars.

The entire army stopped its march as Luna did, and Captain Lyra came trotting up briskly.

“Ma’am, is this a planned storm?” she asked, her eyes flicking quickly from Luna to the cloud.

“‘Tis assuredly not,” Luna replied. Sweat was beginning to form on her brow as she struggled to keep the celestial bodies on their paths. “Captain, signal a halt and form ranks. We are unable to perform the Royal Voice at this time.”

“But what—”

“Now!” Luna yelled. Lyra’s head jerked back, but she quickly recovered, saluted, and began ordering the army to assume a loose battle formation. The earth pony infantry assembled into arcing squares, which protected massed batteries of unicorns whose horns began creating a riotous display of spell colors. Meanwhile, the pegasi formed long columns which hovered in the sky, ready to beat back the storm clouds if necessary.

Near Luna was the baggage train, where Prince-Consort Blueblood, Willowleaf, Platina, and Nickel Waltz stayed in several of the enclosed wagons, as a point of prestige, and also so Luna could keep some of them out of sight of most of the army. The door to one of them began to open.

“Back inside!” Luna commanded. She heard a posh yelp as the door slammed back closed.

Meanwhile, the enormous cloud was advancing closer and closer, and Luna finally saw what was so unnatural about it--it looked full to bursting with rain, but not a single drop fell, nor was there a single flash of lightning. It simply got bigger, taking up more of the sky and blocking out the stars.

Then suddenly, the clouds parted and rays of light as bright as the sun shot out, illuminating the entire area with the brilliance of dawn. Luna squinted and tried to adjust to the sudden brightness. As she blinked, she could barely make out distant voices singing. It sounded like an angelic choir performing a deep and ominous chant. Trumpets and organs accompanied them as they grew louder and louder.

“Hold steady!” Luna said, but the chorus had soon gotten so loud that only the closest troops could hear her, and she was too busy fighting off the attack on the celestial bodies to communicate her will through telepathic bond. It was unnecessary though, as their discipline still held.

As the music reached its climax, a huge figure who looked to be as tall as a dozen ponies, wearing a voluminous white robe, began descending from the heavens. One eagle claw and one lion paw were held high as Discord floated down to the earth, his robe flapping in an increasingly fierce gale. The columns of aerial cavalry circled at a safe distance from Discord, but they did not move to attack yet. The singing quieted down to a low, fast-paced chant as he finally stood before Luna.

“Your Majesty,” he said, rolling his r’s as he bowed deeply to her. “What an honor to finally meet you. And what an honor for you as well, that I have finally arrived.”

“This is impossible,” Luna breathed, eyes narrowed up at the giant figure before her. “There hath been much chaos, aye, but no amount should be enough to break the spell of the Elements of Harmony at their full power.”

Discord gave a full-throated laugh. “Is that what you think happened? Oh, my dear Luna, no. Come, let us parley, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“We have no reason to treat with thee.” Luna growled. “Thou art foolish indeed to come before us now, at the height of our power.”

“Me, a fool?” Discord said as his white robe transformed into a colorful jester’s outfit. The unseen choir continued its epic song. “I suppose that’s fair. But really, there’s no need for such hostility. I’m not here to hurt you, just to bring you back to your beloved sister unharmed.”

“Forgive us if we find that difficult to believe,” said Luna.

The doors to several of the other covered wagons opened, and her three students stepped out to join her. Like the rest of the soldiers, though, they stood a good distance away, waiting to see what Luna would do.

“It’s true! Cross my heart and hope to die.” Discord crossed an X over his chest, then fell over, with giant X’s appearing where his eyes were. His mouth, however, continued to move. “Honestly, she couldn’t handle another second of this mess, so she came to me. She practically begged me to help! You should have seen it. She got Twilight Sparkle and her friends to release me, all so I could stop you.”

Luna’s brow furrowed even further. “C-Cease this prattling, or face our wrath.”

“Yikes!” Discord vanished, then a second later he reappeared in his white robe, this time with majestic white-feathered wings spreading out from his back. “I couldn’t believe it either, really. Celestia, whose first response to every crisis is to talk, and talk, and talk, and on and on and on!” He rolled his eyes and lolled out his tongue. “Yes, that Celestia! She didn’t even try to come speak to you, like she did with Tirek. With me. With practically everything in Tartarus. She unleashed me, one of her oldest and greatest rivals, and told me to ‘deal with’ you. And then if that weren’t enough, Twilight went along with it! It was quite the scene, let me tell you. Imagine that. It just--it breaks my heart how thoroughly they’ve given up on you...”

Luna felt the empty pit inside her grow. She swallowed hard. “They—they would not give up on me. They believe in me…”

“Belief only goes so far, Luna,” Discord replied, shrinking down to a more modest half-dozen ponies of size, but maintaining his angelic form. “Lyra believes in you too, but, well, why don’t you ask her how Celestia escaped from your prison?”

He smirked and pointed at the captain, just as she came running back to Luna’s location for further orders. Lyra stopped in her tracks and stammered, while Luna stared at her, expression empty.

“I can explain!” Lyra said. “I was trying to help you, I swear!”

“‘I swear’, eh?” Luna’s voice was deep and sharp. “‘Twould be wise to avoid such oaths in my presence. How was this to help me, Captain?”

“For one thing,” Lyra replied after a gulp, “I thought she would get the Elements and maybe use them to help you, or something. I didn’t think she’d release Discord!”

Luna said nothing, and Lyra could do little but smile in the silence, equal parts embarrassed, awkward, and hopeful.

“Don’t be so hard on her, Luna.” Discord teleported right next to Lyra, where he gently patted her back. Lyra responded by yelping and flipping away, her horn instantly blazing with golden light. “She is a bit player, at best. Much more central to this piece is the fact that they instructed me to stop you without killing you. And, alas, I must do as they say, for they have temporarily bound me with a Reform spell. Not that I want to kill you, of course. I actually quite like you. You’re all dangerous and broody, it’s very exciting. No, it’s the forcing me to stop you part I don’t like. I think you’re doing a wonderful job ruling! I’m not sure I could have done better myself.”

Discord gave her a slow clap.

“Honestly, I don’t want to kill anypony. I never have, so that part is no big deal. You know first-hoof that I tried to keep ponies alive as long as possible back when I ruled Equestria. Why can’t you all be immortal? Death is the ultimate buzzkill, the ultimate end to the party. It’s far more amusing to keep you all around and see how much I can make you dance.”

“I did not expect them to have such little regard for the self-determination of another being,” Luna said, as her emotions finally recovered enough to speak again.

“It’s quite simple, really.” Discord took a few steps closer to her, ignoring the bristling of weapons all around him in response. “They’re afraid of you. I mean, look at you. Black coat, snake eyes, all armored up, and scowling constantly. Is it any wonder? I’m practically quivering with fear myself.”

“Thou ought be,” said Luna as she stepped closer herself. “I would relish the chance to be rid of thee for good.”

“But why? We’re practically in the same boat. You’re bound by outside forces just as much as I am. Why don’t we help each other out? If you come along quietly, I can release you from these silly oaths of yours. It’s just unicorn magic. It wouldn’t be the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but I definitely could.”

Luna looked back at Willowleaf, Nickel Waltz, and Platina, who were visibly tensed, but otherwise unmoving. “That simply? I doubt it.”

“Doubt all you want, the offer is on the table regardless.” Discord made a wooden table appear in the space between them. On it, a single scroll appeared, with the words she had vowed to her former students so long ago written on it.

“What wouldst thou even gain from such a deal?” Luna peered down at the scroll, feeling a massive jumble of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her as all the memories surrounding those words resurfaced.

I swear, upon pain of death, that I shall remove Celestia from the crown and throne of Equestria.

“It would be easy.” Discord waved his paw casually. “I mean, you’ve basically already fulfilled the oath. It’s just a matter of unraveling all those nasty lingering death curses involved.”

“I…” Luna’s eyes read the words, over and over. She heard many voices speaking to her at once, so many that it was hard to tell that someone was actually speaking in the present.

Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Zecora, and thousands of other voices all spoke at once, sometimes speaking words another had spoken according to her memory.

"So you want to be the hero again."

“I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon.”

“You are Princess Luna, and Nightmare Moon is nothing more than a callous nickname given by those who do not understand you.”

“I’ll always be Zecora to thee.”

“Did they hurt you?”

“They might fear, revere, or respect you... but they will never be your friends.”

“I trust you, Princess.”

Luna clenched her belly to keep from crying out. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from coming.

Discord chuckled. “They didn’t remind you that was a possibility, did they?”

“Because it isn’t,” Willowleaf said as she came to stand at Luna’s side. “As long as Celestia is free, she could come back and take over. I am not going to live in hiding again, not ever. My child will not grow up under that tyrant’s reign.”

“Oh, hello.” Discord smiled, one eyebrow quirked up even more than normal. “I don’t believe we’ve met. And your past is an interesting blind spot in my sight. How very curious.”

“Luna, I know things have been difficult lately.” Willowleaf gingerly touched one of Luna’s hooves with hers, ignoring Discord completely. “But we are here for you. We always have been.”

Luna stayed quiet.

“Excuse me, what?” Discord craned his head in between Luna and Willowleaf. “Aren’t you one of the ponies who cast this curse in the first place? That’s a rich statement, coming from you.”

“We learned what Luna taught us,” Platina responded, raising her head so she could look down her nose at Discord. “As she showed us countless times, a pony must be fierce to get what she desires. So we had to be sure Luna would follow through. It’s only fair, considering Luna invented the curse and used it on a good friend of ours.”

“A very good friend,” Nickel Waltz cut in quietly. He blushed as his eyes darted at anything but the ones involved in the conversation.

“Ah, friendship,” Discord said venomously, arms crossed. “The source of all our woes. Luckily, we won’t have to worry about that for a good long while. Twilight betrayed the trust of one of her precious friends to do this, so the Elements will be useless.”

“That is good news, at least,” Platina said.

“Which one was it?” Luna’s soft voice finally asked.

“Eh?” Discord raised one of his long eyebrows.

“Which friend did Twilight betray?”

“Who cares?” he said. “Their names are all stupid anyway. The important thing is that this represents a magnificent opportunity for all of us. With you free of this curse nonsense, you’d be free to exploit that opportunity to the fullest.”

“I care,” Luna lifted her eyes up to glare defiantly at Discord. “And no matter how much they hurt me, nor how much I hurt them, I realize now that I always shall care. Since the Elements will not be able to conquer thee, then it falls to me. Argent Army, attack!”

The Royal Canterlot Voice boomed for miles as Luna reared back and shattered the table into splinters with her forelegs. Shortly after, the sky filled with arcs of attack spells and spear-armed pegasi diving. There was a finger snap that also seemed to boom for miles, and the entire battlefield was instantly replaced with a gigantic, vibrantly colored mass of foam and cotton candy. The spells blasted and burned the purple, pink, and red fluff in their way, but the matter grew back so quickly that little headway could be gained. The charging earth and pegasus ponies, meanwhile, were caught. Though they struggled with all their might and tried to cut each other out with their weapons, most of the soldiers were being slowed, then engulfed. Shadows could be seen struggling inside the foam.

The only area that was not full of the attacking candy was a small dome immediately around Discord, Luna, and Willowleaf. Everyone else was caught in the gigantic mass of expanding sweetness. It was quiet in the dome, the shouts and screams of the warriors being muffled and appearing to come from a great distant. Luna, however, was not idle. Pure white energy spiraled up the grooves in her mostly regrown horn, and hovering above the tip appeared the ghostly image of a crescent moon. With the spell, Luna created a bubble around herself, which she was focusing on gradually expanding. Any conjured cotton candy that the gleaming white bubble came in contact with was instantly vaporized.

Discord winced for an instant, but otherwise simply gave her a bored stare.

“Really, Luna?” he said. “After all we’ve been through together? You know, you were always my favorite. You’re far less boring than Celestia. Easier to get a rise out of too.”

“Willowleaf, aid me!” Luna’s body shook as she focused even more power through her horn, making the force field push out far enough to start to free the first few ranks of soldiers.

At the same time, Discord scowled and fought back with an unseen effort of his will, causing the bubble to shrink once again.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Willowleaf said. She put a hoof underneath her robe and patted her swollen belly. “It’s too dangerous for me to fight. Besides, everything he said makes sense. Without the Elements of Harmony, this land is ours. I think you should stop struggling and accept the deal. Please, if not for us, then for yourself.”

“This creature wants only to rule the land himself!” Luna shouted as she forced her quivering limbs to slowly move closer to Discord. “How blind must thou be?!”

“If a simple Reform spell can leash him,” Willowleaf said, “I doubt he’s much to fear.”

“Hey,” Discord protested. “I heard that.”

“So be it,” Luna said. “I shall reap the glory alone.”

She snarled as she swung her body around and hurled her hind legs directly at Discord’s face. He was so surprised by the attack being non-magical that he did not have time to teleport away, so her hooves slammed right into his jaw, sending spit and purple-colored blood flying everywhere.

“I’m sorry, Luna,” Willowleaf said, backing away from Discord’s hateful glare. “I have to think of my child. I’ll do what I can for you without fighting though.”

Pure darkness spilled forth from her horn and engulfed her body. Once it completely covered her, it dripped away, seeped into the ground, and Willowleaf was gone.

“Just as well,” Discord said as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “It would make the poor dear very sick to see what I do to ponies who mar my beautiful visage.”

With another hard, surprisingly loud snap of his fingers, Discord made the entire environment that was not contained within Luna’s magic completely disappear, replacing it with a black field full of nothing but distant stars. The ground around Luna’s bubble hung there in the void like a stray island. Discord too was gone. All Luna could detect of him was his voice, which pounded at the edge of the force field like the fist of a deity.

“That was a lucky cheap shot, nothing more. You and your little army are mine now, Princess.”

Author's Notes:

Gonna have to do another split with this part of the story, since it was getting really long, and the other parts could use a little touch-up too. Good news is, that means quicker updates for a few weeks!

Once again, massive thanks to Stryke and RockstarRaccoon for their help pre-reading.

Chapter 27: The Battle of Burning Candy (Part 2)

Lyra’s horn burned with energy, focused to a fine enough point to cut through the huge mass of sticky fluff around her. Pieces melted away from the extreme heat of the spell, but were being replaced by others almost as fast. She could hear shouts and cries for help as the candy wrapped around her fellow soldiers and pulled them down into the earth. It seeped into their mouths, but even then the ponies did not stop struggling, even minutes later. The candy appeared to be infused with oxygen, allowing it to sustain life even as it slowed and imprisoned the ponies trapped inside.

A squadron of earth ponies nearby were trying to pull one such unlucky prisoner out.

“Leave her!” Lyra yelled. “We need to clear a path to other unicorns so we can focus fire!”

“But Captain, we have to rescue them,” one of the soldiers protested.

“They can still breathe, somehow,” she replied, kicking away a tendril of cotton that had started making its way up one of her rear legs. “So they’re going to have to hold on. All of us will be joining them if we can’t organize at least one artillery battery.” She pointed one foreleg toward the area her magic was currently focused on clearing. “I can hear spells coming from that direction, so kick, stab, slash, bite if you have to, but get me through!”

With one final glance at their comrade’s futile kicks from within the bubble, the soldiers rushed to Lyra’s side to obey. They chopped with their spears and short hoof-blades, others resorting to stomping on the pieces and tearing at them with their teeth after losing their weapons. After a piece was separated from the rest of the mass, Lyra carefully swung her glowing beam of light toward it to destroy it before it could rejoin the rest. This way, they were able to make slow but steady progress through the barrier. The sound of spellcasting grew steadily louder.

Luna stared out at the emptiness around her. She could do more than simply see it, however. She felt it, deep within her body, and it suffused every part of her. The burning anger she had felt when Discord had mocked the Elements, her former friends, had drained away, and now all she could focus on was the nearly complete darkness around her. The distant stars twinkled at Luna as she tried and failed to determine where the void stopped, and where she began.

An enormous, disembodied claw appeared from the darkness and began squeezing Luna’s barrier. She struggled to sustain it, but she could feel it giving way. At one point, it was pushed in enough that part of her leg was actually outside the bubble. She screamed as she felt the blood in that leg turn into something solid and sharp. Luna focused that scream into a burst of power and used it to renew her spell. As soon as her leg was protected again, her body began working to reverse whatever Discord’s chaotic magic had done to her blood. That process was painful as well, but it was beginning to subside.

As the blinding agony withdrew, her thoughts cleared. Those thoughts turned to recalling Discord’s words, and the fact that Willowleaf had chosen not to fight beside her.

Luna turned the anger at that abandonment into more spells. Discs of pure light appeared around her. What little air there was shimmered with the energy as they grew brighter, then blasted out of the shield and into the claw. They sliced through its flesh, causing trails of purple bubbles to begin floating through space in every direction.

She watched in dismay as the damage was repaired in an instant.

He is right, she thought. An army, no matter how mighty, is not enough to defeat him. My bravado is only causing pain, to others and to myself.

Luna stopped casting her attack spells and focused on her defenses.

Lyra and her party finally burst through a particularly thick patch of candy, and they immediately noticed that the clearing was filled with the sound of deep, maniacal laughter.

A unicorn with a silvery coat and mane stood there, eyes wide and hungry, her face stained with streaks of red liquid. The entire area was cast in a dark, crimson glow thanks to her spells, which appeared to be forming out of the blood dripping from the spiral groove in her horn. The red energy that leapt from the horn at the cotton candy dissolved it with a touch, expanding the clearing even farther. The energy then flowed back into her horn, which seemed to invigorate the pony each time.

“Where are you, Discord?” Platina shouted. “I want to see you bleed!”

“What the heck?” Lyra exclaimed.

Platina whirled around to face the new voice. “Who are you?” Her spells remained active, and turned toward Lyra.

The soldiers instantly began spreading out into a defensive formation, and Lyra’s horn lit up with golden light.

“You don’t recognize us?” Lyra said. “You’ve been traveling with us for weeks.”

Platina blinked away the blood that had dripped into her eyes, then squinted at the group. “Ah, indeed,” she said. “Pardon me, I thought you were another chaos figment for a moment. What brings you here, sweetheart?”

The ancient unicorn’s voice had quickly become sedate and calm, but she was still sending lashes of blood out at the cotton candy around them, almost as if it were an afterthought.

“I was hoping to gather together enough unicorns to cut our way out of this mess,” Lyra said. Her horn stopped glowing, but she still kept her eyes locked on Platina. “It sounded like there would be a lot more in this area, based on the number of spells we heard.”

Platina smirked and dusted one of her hooves off on her chest. “Yes, well. I can see how one might think that. I suppose you want my help, then? Well, luckily for you, our interests happen to align in this situation. You should be aware, however, that we have been dimensionally shifted. Luna is not in the same place she was before, so if we expect to find her, we will need to find an aspect of Discord.”

“And… how do we do that?” Lyra took a couple steps closer, and the soldiers with her relaxed slightly, but not entirely.

“How do you think?” Platina asked with a twisted grin. “If you want to attract a spirit of chaos, then cause chaos!”

“You’re giving up already?” Luna saw a face in the darkness—not Discord’s, but her own, how it appeared now. Black-coated, black-horned, with slitted eyes and sharp teeth. The voice came from her. “Pathetic.”

Luna stared into the reflection of her eyes. She was distantly aware of Discord continuing to laugh and taunt her, but that sound became more and more muffled.

“I know,” she whispered, blinking away the beginnings of tears. “I am pathetic. The only reason I attacked was that I was wroth, now I… I don’t know. I have no worth to these ponies, not even to mine own sister. Not any longer.”

“So what?” Nightmare Moon scoffed. The rest of her body began solidifying, creating an unarmored copy of Luna’s form just outside of the warding spell. “Why are you looking to them to tell you you’re worthy? Leaving aside the fact that they can never truly understand you, value wouldn’t come from them anyway.”

“Dost thou think I have not also looked within?” Luna scowled, and her spell inched outward slightly, which had the side effect of increasing her air supply. “No matter how much I focus on the good deeds I have done, nor recall the good qualities ponies have told me that I possess, nor indulge in frivolity and forgetfulness, I have not been able to find any hint of my true measure. There is simply… simply nothing there.” Luna choked, her eyes finally breaking away from the ones staring back at her to look down at her feet. “Naught but a hollow, malicious numbness.”

“Still such a foal,” Nightmare Moon replied, smirking. “It doesn’t come from within, either.”

“Hold a moment,” Luna said. Her eyes slide back up to the image. “The Elements of Harmony should have banished thine image from my mind. Wherefore am I seeing thee now? Some trick of Discord’s, doubtless.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “‘I’ am here because I am you. Not seeing me before was your own blindness.”

“But… why now?”

Nightmare Moon stepped forward, completely solid now, and joined Luna in the bubble of energy without any apparent struggle. “Because certain things are holding you back, and you need to be reminded of what those things are, just like in the past.”

“The past, when thou told me that my sister is what held me back?” Luna said, holding her ground as the Nightmare walked closer. “Forgive me if I am not overflowing with trust in thee at the moment.”

“I don’t give a damn whether you trust me or not, though the irony of that statement is quite amusing.” The Nightmare chuckled. “The point is, you’ve always known that the only way to advance is to eliminate obstacles. If that obstacle is your ego, then, well, the solution is clear, I think.”

“My ego?” Luna tensed now that Nightmare Moon was close enough to feel her breath. “I have precious little ego left. How can it be obstructing me?”

As Luna finished her question, she noticed a distant flash of light from across the sea of stars. One of them seemed to be moving, or growing brighter, or getting larger; something was changing about it. She also observed that Discord’s claw was no longer visibly pressing on her magical shield.

“Oh, please! Your ego is the most important thing in the world to you!” Nightmare Moon’s voice snapped her attention back. “The pain of having it bruised is so real, isn’t it? And real things are better than false things. You know that. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that feeling has been quite useful in the past, as well as entertaining. But it may be time to try something else.”

“What is the use?” Luna sighed and studied the single, solitary patch of earth she stood upon, drifting through space. “It is clear how little my struggle truly matters, now. Not even my family will remember me fondly. I just want to follow this path to its end, and then all will be over… I shall not have to hurt anyone again. No one will have to rely on me anymore. They will not see me as a villain, nor worse yet, lift me up as a hero.” Her eyes closed. “I desire only to be gone.”

“Then be gone!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “Stop whining about it and do it!”

Luna’s barrier shrank, and with it, her supply of oxygen shrank as well. She could already begin to feel the burning sensation as her breath came up short. Her innate regenerative magic worked to heal the damage being done to her body, but it would only be a matter of time before she succumbed. Her knees buckled and she slumped down to her solitary patch of earth as the anti-chaotic magic bubble was slowly squeezed inward by Discord’s claw.

“Captain, can we really trust this unicorn?”

“Not entirely,” Lyra responded to the whispered question. “Be on your guard, of course, but I think we all want the same thing here...”

The soldier nodded as Lyra continued blasting and cutting at the pink blobs and tendrils surrounding them. As powerful as her spells were, she could not help but stare at the very different display before her.

Platina had conjured a massive, interlocking network of dark, red magical sigils in the air, each of them backed up by whips of blood. Occasionally they flashed brightly, and every piece of candy between them was vaporized. Soldiers came tumbling out of the holes thus created, whom Lyra had to catch in her own magic, since Platina did not seem interested in making sure they didn’t fall painfully to the ground.

After she gently set them down, Lyra helped the rescuees through retching up the candy that had filled their lungs, then calmly explained the situation so they would not panic at the method of their rescue. This way, the ranks gradually swelled, including a number of unicorns who helped Lyra get rid of the few pieces that escaped Platina’s spells—mostly pieces that threatened to engulf them from the rear.

On top of the quick elimination of Discord’s mass of conjured cotton candy, Lyra noticed a constant, slight shimmer around Platina’s body, the telltale sign of a sustained invisible barrier. Lyra knew Luna’s former students were powerful, but this was something else.

“Face me, spirit!” Platina called to the sky, which was now almost visible thanks to her efficient work. “Are you afraid? Is this the limit of your power? Some fake cotton candy and a mass teleportation spell? You’re pathetic!”

“I am certainly not afraid of the likes of you.” Discord’s disembodied voice sounded all around them. “Nor am I pathetic. I’m not the little creep who had to hide from Celestia.”

“Yes,” Platina said, her smile widening. “Yes. More! Tell me what a creep I am, spirit. At least I have the excuse of being abused and threatened into my alicorn obsession. What reason do you have? Does the little draconequus have a crush?”

“If you think this is going to bait me into coming directly to you,” Discord said, “then you’re delusional. But of course, I’m sure you already knew that.”

Platina sighed. “Too bad. If you don’t want to play, then I guess we’ll have to go home. This place is far too boring.”

More blood surged out of Platina’s horn, then spread around herself and Lyra’s unit in a solid bubble. Lyra stared at her own murky reflection in the oozing wall of liquid, then she looked up at the dark, dripping dome that hung over their heads. A few of the soldiers gasped and shuffled, but Lyra told them to hold.

A deep, angry growl shook the ground, and then the dome was suddenly ripped away. Discord’s gigantic, leering face looked down at the group.

“We can’t have that, now can we?” he said. “Nopony is allowed to be bored under my rule. Come here.”

Discord gestured with one huge claw, and then Platina was pulled off the ground by an unseen force. Her barrier became visible as it crackled and sparked with purple energy. It temporarily singed the claw he had gestured with, but the force still pulled her upward, toward his smiling face.

Platina pointed all of her sigils toward Discord’s face and unleashed a blast of crimson energy that caused the whole area to shake. The face disappeared in a blink, causing the blast to shoot off into the sky. She remained held by the invisible spell, and grunted as her body began to be squeezed by it.

Below, without the work of Platina’s sigils to keep it at bay, the cotton candy was rapidly advancing on Lyra and her troops. With a thin beam of light conjured from her horn, she directed the magic of the unicorns with her into focused barrages, giving them all a specific point to fire on. A dazzling array of bright spells pushed back Discord’s conjurations, but the pace was much slower without Platina’s assistance.

“Cavalry!” Lyra commanded, causing the pegasus ponies in the party to snap to attention. “Help her! We’ll clear a path!”

A small wing of pegasi flew up toward Platina without hesitation. At the same instant, unicorn artillery shots from below began clearing away any candy that got too close to their wings. Meanwhile, the earth ponies prevented any from sneaking up too close to the formation, with their own hooves and teeth if necessary.

The pegasi took hold of Platina with their legs and tried to pull her back down to the ground. Her face, red from the pressure being exerted on her body, scowled at them. Unable to speak, she gestured with her head toward an area above them. With hardly any words needing to be spoken, a few of the ponies who still had their spears broke off in that direction, while the rest strained to pull away the unseen hand that was crushing the unicorn.

“Ow!” Discord’s cry of surprise and slight pain echoed all around them as the spearheads found purchase on… something. The ponies could not see what they had stabbed, but the pressure on Platina was released for a moment. The unicorn took advantage of the relief to teleport away in a spray of blood that splattered on the coats of the entire unit.

Chapter 28: The Battle of Burning Candy (Part 3)

There was a thunderous snap, and then Luna and her island were floating in a vast orange sky. Nightmare Moon was gone, and she was alone again. No ground could be seen anywhere, only various black clouds formed into the shapes of sneering, laughing faces. In a thousand jeering voices, all ones she recognized from as far back as her childhood, the clouds continued Discord’s tirades.

“No one will ever love you as much as they love me.”

“You’re a coward.”

“You’re worthless.”

Luna no longer cared about keeping Discord from seeing her tears, especially now that the change in environment resulted in a renewed supply of air. Her body automatically gasped for it, the indignity of it making her even angrier, which in turn made the sobs come harder. It did not take long, however, for the anger to turn within. Any enemy she could have turned her wrath toward was simply too far away.

Falling down on the grass, Luna tried to cover her ears with her forelegs, but that only made the taunts louder.

“I looked up to you, and you let me down.”

“You’re a disappointment.”

“I can never trust you again.”

Her spell of protection began to falter. Sparks of energy flew off of her horn as its glow subsided. The shield shrank even further, allowing the clouds to get closer. They pressed on the border with their twisted, mocking faces and shouted their abuse at her.

An ancient warrior’s instinct reminded Luna to focus on and correct her breathing. She possessed little conscious desire to do so, but she nonetheless found herself deliberately concentrating on each inhalation and exhalation. She tried to think only of the sensation of the air passing through her mouth, filling her lungs for a count of three, and then flowing back out through her nostrils. Luna was just about to close her eyes to collect herself further when she noticed that the sky was moving.

Everything was passing upwards; her island was falling. She peered over the edge and saw that a vast, green sea was rapidly rushing up to meet her.

The breathing exercise prevented her from panicking. Luna began to beat her wings in an attempt to fight the heavy press of gravity on her. Discord, wherever he actually was, must have noticed, as that force of gravity instantly increased massively. Her wings were not strong enough to overcome the now-enormous weight, nor could her legs even lift her body up.

Luna’s instincts took over again. Instead of continuing to struggle, she let the tension flow out of her muscles, loosening her body up for the coming impact.

Platina reappeared several yards away, gasping for breath and calling her floating sigils back to her. She had them face out in all directions, her eyes warily scanning every possible angle of approach.

“Platina,” a soft whisper said, “you’re wasting time. Please take a moment to think.”

She whirled around in time to see a pony-shaped shadow… stepping out of Platina’s own shadow.

“About time you showed up,” Platina said hoarsely. “Help me out here.”

As Willowleaf separated her rotten body from Platina’s shadow, a part of the shadow came along with her, forming a dark, billowing robe to cover herself.

“As I said, that’s a waste of time,” Willowleaf said gently. She glanced at Lyra and the rest of the soldiers with them as they were battered around by Discord’s invisible magic. “Luna is his goal. Your desire to fight this spirit is just your ego doing your thinking for you.”

“Are you suggesting I let this creature try to usurp our position?” asked Platina, scoffing. “It is a threat to us.”

“Maybe so,” Willowleaf said, “but it’s out of our hooves now. He has Luna in a different plane. I have sent her a… vision of sorts that should help, but the rest is up to her. Now we’re just going to get in the way.”

“Hmph.” Platina turned away in time to direct her attack spells toward a snake-like tendril of cotton candy that was trying to wrap around a group of five soldiers. The explosions showered their coats with even more blood. Their wide eyes stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the multi-front battle happening all around them.

“I am serious, Platina.” Willowleaf stepped closer, and Platina instinctively took a step back at the sight and smell of her body. “No matter who wins, the forced dispersion of this much magical energy at once could very well obliterate the entire area. For miles, at least.”

Platina said nothing. Instead, she took note of where Captain Lyra painted her magical mark, and sent several of her floating, bloody disks of magic to aid the barrage. Most of it was directed near soldiers that were being pinned down or tossed around like ragdolls by Discord’s unseen hands. Laughter echoed in the clearing… though the ponies were making progress again. More trapped soldiers tumbled out of new spaces cleared.

“Please,” Willowleaf continued. She patted Platina's shoulder with one hoof, everything around the it gone except the bones, the hoof itself, and the pitch-black energy holding it all together. “I know we’ve had our differences, but you’re still a… a valued colleague. I don’t want to lose you over something like this.”

Platina’s face was set in a hard line, her jaw clenched as she was forced to direct her spells to multiple different locations. “Luna is much less useful to us without her army,” she said. “I’m going to get as many as I can out of this mess, and then we're going to destroy this spirit. You underestimate me, as always, if you think I haven't thought of how to contain the dispersion. So you can help, or not. I don’t care.”

Willowleaf gazed silently at her companion for a few long moments, then shook her head and began to melt into her shadow.

Luna felt much of her body break as she crashed into the ocean. Her defensive spell was still active and lessened some of the impact, but she still slammed into the surface hard enough to completely shatter the patch of earth that had been brought along with her when Discord’s assault first began. Alone with only a much-diminished bubble around her, Luna sank into the green sea.

Her first thought was how warm the water was; it was hotter than the air she had just fallen through, and hotter than her own body. Next, she wondered if she should even bother trying to swim out. Experience showed that Discord could keep this magic up for a long time. Luna’s will, however, was rapidly crumbling. There had been too much to process, in too short a time. Her desire to disappear was now stronger than ever.

Luna sank deeper, her eyes staring up at the quickly dimming orange light above.

“What now?” she asked the dying light.

Just then, Luna felt herself brush up against something behind her. She turned her body to look, but the water was too dark to make out anything but a vague shadow.

“What the heck?” A burbling voice came to her through the water. It sounded like a mare, and one that was distantly familiar. “Watch where you’re… Oh, no.” The figure laughed bitterly. “Are you serious? It’s not enough for you to ruin my life? Now you have to ruin my afterlife too?!”

As Luna’s eyes adjusted further to the darkness, the shape resolved into a black-maned mare with a white coat… with a fish’s tail replacing the lower half of her body.

Luna stared at Thin Mint, who swam just outside the magic shield and glared intensely. “This is not possible,” Luna declared. “None hath seen the dead before.”

“Go away,” Thin Mint said. She crossed her forelegs over her chest. “This is my ocean.”

Luna looked from side to side. “I would point out that thou art the one blessed with gills, whereas I am trapped within this shield.”

“I don’t care!” Thin Mint tried to shove Luna’s bubble away, to no avail. “This is my spot!”

“Would that I could,” Luna said. “I am not sure that I can find my path back at this juncture.”

Thin Mint scoffed through her gills, which resulted in a strange bubbling sound all around them. “Are you dead too, then?” she asked, leaning her head closer and squinting.

Luna looked down at her body, and at that moment she remembered that she should have run out of air several minutes ago. She was still breathing, but that could simply be instinct. “I… I suppose I must be,” she whispered.

“Great,” Thin Mint said. “So you decided to come here, of all places. Why?”

“I was not aware that I had a choice in the matter,” Luna replied. “Perhaps it is because of the overwhelming guilt I have always felt over thy fate.”

“Spare me your crap!” Thin Mint pounded a hoof on Luna’s barrier. “You never cared about me! If you do feel guilty, it’s only because you didn’t get enough of what you wanted. All my research, and I... I mean, it still wasn’t enough for you.”

Luna regarded this pony whom she had wronged so much, her heart threatening to burst as she recalled how innocent and eager Thin Mint had once looked, that day she first came to Luna’s Academy as a young foal. Luna wondered what had possessed her past self to stop fighting alone, to take on companions and to teach students. Celestia could have taught them everything she knew and more. Luna was redundant at her best, an active harm to the world at her worst, and the proof was right before her, admonishing her for her vain excuses. She knew this, but the excuses kept coming anyway.

“That is not true,” Luna protested as she reached out a hoof toward her former student’s hoof. “‘Twas not thy research I valued, but thy spirit. Breaking it is among my deepest regrets.”

Thin Mint looked Luna up and down. “You… you’ve changed. The Princess I knew wouldn’t have thought up a lie like that, at least. What’s your angle?”

“I have no ‘angle.’” Luna stared down into the dark water below. “It seems that my struggles are at an end, so there is no reason for falsehoods any longer. In truth, there never was. I should have always been forthright with thee. Half-truths are not the way of the Element of Honesty.”

The artificial sea pony sighed, a gesture that filled the water around them with bubbles and more distorted sound. Several minutes of silence followed as the two of them stared at each other, Luna drifting slowly down, and Thin Mint treading water at level with her.

“As long as we’re talking honestly, then,” Thin Mint finally said, “you should know I’ve told half-truths too. When I… when I died, I said I hated you…”

“I remember,” said Luna, hope surging in her heart for the first time since this all began.

“Well, I do.” The hope drained as quickly as it came. “More accurately, I despise you. I always wondered what my life would have been if I had never met you. Maybe I could have started a family, or maybe I could have created some spells ponies will actually remember me for, or I could have just lived a quiet little existence and died peacefully. Regardless, I can see no way it wouldn’t have been vastly improved. Yet even so… I guess that isn’t everything I feel.”

Luna waited for her to continue, but she was simply staring down at the abyss they were floating toward. “What else is there?” Luna prompted.

The pause continued for a few more moments, then Thin Mint answered quietly. “Admiration, respect, concern. I do wonder how much of it is brainwashing, but it’s there regardless. I guess it can’t be all brainwashing, because even before I knew you, I saw that you took in ponies who were… maybe not the highest exemplars of friendship or morality. You gave ponies from the shadows a chance, instead of letting them live in darkness, forgotten. You understood them, understood us. I’m grateful for that, even if it was a trick to turn us into your pawns.”

Luna felt more warm tears flowing down her cheeks. She did not bother wiping them away. “If that is true, then… canst thou ever forgive me?”

“No,” Thin Mint said with a firmness that broke Luna’s heart yet again. But then her student forced a small smile. “No, I can’t forgive you. But there can possibly be… understanding.”

Luna smiled too, closing her eyes as her whole body shook with sobs.

Once the tears passed, she opened her eyes, squinted at Thin Mint, then whispered again, “I suppose now is when thou ask me to lower my shield for an embrace, Discord?”

“Oh, come on,” Thin Mint said, throwing her hooves up in the water. “I looked at all your memories of Thin Mint, and I recreated her exactly as you saw her last. That essentially makes me her, Luna. That means I can absolve you of all your so-called sins against her. All it takes is one hug, and you’ll be right as rain.”

“Thou art not her,” Luna said, placing the small remaining kernel of light she had just found within herself into her spell. “But aye, that does make thee enough like her to offer… something.” The white energy crackled as it came rushing out of her horn, expanding her barrier at an explosive rate. Not just Thin Mint’s body, but the entire ocean was pushed away in seconds, leaving Luna hovering in the middle of a white void, her eyes glowing along with her horn. “I thank thee for the reminder of what little strength I do possess.”

Discord’s true form, face full of rage, was flying straight toward her from a great distance away. He was inside the expanded anti-chaos shield, which was causing pieces of his body to constantly dissolve and disappear. He was constantly reforming them as well, resulting in a trail of Discord pieces cluttering the empty whiteness that now surrounded them. “Luna,” he called out, “why are you bothering with all this? You have nothing left to fight for. It’s over!”

“‘Tis not over!” Luna shouted. She began to beat her wings so that she was flying directly toward Discord. “Thou art correct; I do indeed have nothing left. I know that I shall likely never be close to the ones I love again. There is too much pain there, too much regret and animosity. But I shall always have memories of calmer times, when we could laugh freely. I had the good fortune to attend the spa with Twilight Sparkle, to meditate with Zecora, to share pranks with Celestia… and to learn the world’s secrets with Thin Mint. I must carry those memories forward, as they are good and true. They must not be forgotten.”

The distance between them was still large, but it was rapidly closing as they both gained speed.

“Really? That’s it?” Discord produced a series of confetti bombs to throw at her. Luna ignored them completely, letting the explosions singe her flesh and the confetti shrapnel pierce her body. She regenerated quickly enough. “Memories are what you’re clinging to? Give me a break. You’ll never get to make new ones like that again, and over the centuries even the strongest of them will fade away. You’ll be all alone, a sad old mare sitting on a useless throne in a dying land. Assuming, of course, that I’m not ruling it instead.”

The two of them were now only dozens of yards apart. Luna kicked out with her foreleg using all the momentum her wings could gather. Discord saw the physical attack coming this time, and so he vanished just before it could connect. Luna also saw it coming, so before she had even finished the kick, she was preparing a teleportation spell. With a flash of moonlight, she reappeared behind his new location, then drove both of her rear legs into his back.

Discord went flying down into the empty whiteness. Instead of falling forever in it, however, he came to a sudden stop with the sound of bones breaking, and glass cracking. Cracks started to form in the entire space. Luna helped them along with another kick, causing the universe to shatter and fall away in countless pieces of nothingness.

When they disappeared, Luna hovered, wings flapping, above the enormous forest of cotton candy Discord had created. In the center of it, however, was a crater, where his bleeding body lied. Snarling, Discord forced himself to rise up, popping his limbs back into place where necessary. He prepared to snap his fingers again.

“If thy desire is truly to rule,” Luna yelled down to him, “then come and take my crown!”

Author's Notes:

One more part left! Thanks again to the usual suspects, and thanks for reading!

Chapter 29: The Battle of Burning Candy (Part 4/4)

The massive thunderhead that had heralded Discord’s arrival split into hundreds of smaller clouds, and each of them began to glow with a pale red light. The clouds sparkled and shimmered as they formed a gauntlet around Luna’s aerial position from every direction. She kept track of them with her peripheral vision, but her attention was focused on Discord himself, who was looking around at her army struggling valiantly against his forest of cotton candy, shaking his head.

The moment Luna turned down to begin a dive toward him, dozens of the smaller clouds broke off from formation and flew straight toward her. She swatted most aside with her hooves and bursts of magic, but a couple slipped through. She felt a cold sensation where they passed through her, leaving heavy blocks of cherry-colored ice to try to weigh down and distract her. Luna clenched her teeth and flapped her wings faster.

Discord simply stood still, waiting for her and idly filing his claws. He occasionally glanced up as Luna burst through cloud after cloud. He responded by yawning and circling his paw, which caused even more of them to slam into and through her. She hissed and coughed, but did not waver from her course.

At the last moment before impact, Luna noticed that the light was reflecting off of Discord’s body in a strange way--she was diving straight toward a mirror image. Rather than stop, however, she transferred all of her weight into the strike, causing her to pass through the image and slam into the ground, deepening and widening the crater even further. The ice exploded off of her body from the impact, breaking into thousands of colorful shards before vanishing. Magic surged through her hooves and into the earth itself, and she focused on the deep connection she could feel through the soil.

The surface of the earth was roiling with chaotic energy, but the deep, steady magic within it remained strong. It was the truth, standing tall within a sea of lies. By turning her mind toward that truth, Luna could discern exactly where the “true” Discord was. The rest were mere aspects, portions of his power that could act independently, but which could be freely lost with little consequence to his core being. Losing aspects would weaken his power, but only losing his true self could destroy him.

As she expected, this true self was far away from the currently visible one, and also shuffling among several different copies. Discord had always been careful, but Luna was more connected to her magic than she had ever been. A small, grim smile formed on her lips as her eyes tracked where the real Discord was moving. They were invisible to most, but sight was an unnecessary luxury. She could sense his location within her soul.

Meanwhile, commanders called for any ponies who could move to reform their ranks. Many of them had lost their weapons, but they nonetheless gathered together, facing toward the solitary figure of Discord they could see. At least half of the gigantic dome of cotton candy still remained, but thousands of ponies were now free, enough to create a formidable line.

The draconequus snapped his fingers, and then hundreds of fully-armored copies of Discord riding very undersized, colorful stuffed animals appeared in an opposing formation. The false Discords set their mint candy cane lances toward the ponies and charged, the tiny legs of their mounts carrying them deceptively quickly. Banners bearing his face flapped in the wind. Pegasi dived down to harass and slow the charge, but more and more Discords were springing into being by the second.

The two forces met with an earth-shaking clash. The strikes from the candy lances were all designed to be surface wounds, and all the wounds they delivered were instantly closed and “cauterized” with a green, minty-fresh concoction. Thus, the ponies could continue to fight, at least until the pain and exhaustion overwhelmed them.

The larger, “commander” Discord cackled from the sidelines.

“Do you hear that?” Lyra gasped. “Over there, it sounds like a charge!”

Lyra and her band of soldiers could feel the ground shaking beneath their hooves, but it was currently the least of their worries. Dozens of hooked puppet strings had descended from the top of the dome of candy and plunged into the limbs of any ponies they could reach. Ponies who were caught began attacking their own allies, albeit with non-lethal bites, kicks, and holds. The attacking ponies remained conscious the whole time, staring wide as they were forced to watch their own bodies turn against them.

“It’s just a distraction!” Platina called back, her eyes glinting as her bloody magic blasted at the colorful ceiling above them. It was so effective that the sky was almost visible now through the translucent wisps of cotton. “He knows we’re cornering a significant portion of his power. I can feel it ahead. He’s trying to turn us away.”

“How do we know this isn’t the distraction?” Lyra shouted as she shoved away a captured earth pony with the broken shaft of a spear she had found.

Platina started a full-throated laugh, but she was cut off by a massive, disembodied dragon claw bursting out of the ground and closing around her. Lyra tried to cast a missile spell to help her, but the bolt was intercepted by the leaping body of one of the soldiers under Discord’s control. It burned a hole in his stomach as he fell to the ground, the puppet strings dis-attaching.

“No!” Lyra screamed. She tried to rush over to help him, but more ponies got in her way. Tears were in the eyes of many of them. Lyra reared back into a two-legged stance, her forelegs gripping her spear tightly. Jaw clenched, she focused her magic on creating the strongest barrier around herself that she could. The golden energy brightened and sparked as the bodies were flung at it by the puppet strings. Half a dozen ponies were unwillingly pounding against Lyra’s shield. It took all her concentration to hold it and still move forward toward the claw.

The claw, meanwhile, was starting to sink back down into the ground.

Lyra struck out with her broken staff the moment her barrier finally crumbled, aiming for the legs of the nearest pony in an attempt to disable them. She heard bones breaking, and the soldier’s eyes winced, but the legs kept moving, kept trying to kick and grab her. Weeping openly now, Lyra gathered up her energy for a teleportation spell, something she had relatively little practice with. However, the pile of puppeted ponies who leapt on her disrupted her concentration, causing the spell to fizzle out, and her body to fall to the earth.

Seconds before losing consciousness, Lyra felt the earth rumble, even closer than the earlier charge.

Discord’s claw, halfway into the ground, stopped moving, shuddered, then exploded in a shower of gore. As the pieces rained down, Platina levitated in the air, cackling. With waves of her hooves, her magic shot into the bodies of a nearby group of ponies Discord was controlling. The affected ponies yelped and jerked around wildly, as Platina used their own blood to wrestle against the puppet strings for control of their bodies.

Her face strained, and became drenched with sweat and blood, but the soldiers gradually began moving as she directed, and not as Discord directed. She sent dozens of them, even the earth ponies, soaring into the air, toward where the huge vision of Discord’s face looked down. Its eyes widened at the sudden reversal, and then the face winced as their hooves and weapons slammed into him.

The face disappeared with a flash, and that flash was soon followed by another, closer to the ground, just to the side of Platina’s vision. A tiny version of Discord appeared there, looking like it was trying to escape. Too late, the new Discord saw that his location was already surrounded by bloody arcane sigils floating in the air, turned inward toward his exact spot.

“Got ya,” Platina whispered, grinning. Discord screamed as an interlocking lattice of red energy beams shot through his body from every direction.

“Not fair!” he shouted. “There’s no way you could have known where I was going to appear!”

Platina’s grin turned into a smirk. “No way, unless I’ve been studying chaos magic for hundreds of years, that is.”

The tiny voice screamed louder, and then Discord’s aspect exploded in a shower of sparks and potpourri. Everything he had conjured in the vicinity, including the cotton candy, instantly vanished with him.

“Lyra, sweetheart,” Platina called down to the Captain, who was beginning to regain consciousness. “This is no time to be napping. We need to defeat more of these copies if we hope to weaken Discord enough.”

Lyra looked at Platina’s body, which was now so soaked with blood and viscera that barely a trace of her silver coat could be detected. Then, her eyes were drawn up to her soldiers, who were still suspended in mid-air thanks to Platina’s manipulation.

“Oh, my apologies,” Platina said when she noticed where Lyra was looking. She set them down gently, with a placating smile. “I got a bit carried away. Shall we?”

Lyra observed the rigid, wary faces of the soldiers who were set down, but she also saw that the entire environment for dozens of feet around them was devoid of anything created by Discord, replaced with a heavily damaged but otherwise natural field of grass. She sighed.

“Lead the way.”

Luna shouted a wordless battlecry and hurled herself through the ice clouds blocking her way. It would have been less painful if she had had time to don her armor, but pain was an afterthought now. Her entire world was a tunnel pointing straight toward the true form of Discord.

Most of the ponies in the chaotic melee a short distance away could not see her, but hearing her shout caused their morale to surge, and they began gaining ground on the army of Discords.

Discord was so busy laughing and clapping at the display that he did not notice that Luna was charging at him until too late. He decided to answer her earlier physical attacks with one of his own, and extended his claws so that they would dig into her leaping body. They did, and she screamed, but Luna had so much momentum by then that she bent his arms back and slammed into his body. As the two of them tumbled to the ground, Luna reared her head back, then plunged it down toward his neck, where she sank her long, sharp teeth into his flesh.

Ponies at the front line were momentarily confused by the sight of Luna apparently attacking the air. The confusion lessened when they heard Discord’s pained yowl from the same direction.

Discord struggled with all of his limbs to pry Luna’s jaws off of his neck, but that only caused his flesh to tear faster. His panic subsided after a second, and he willed himself into an entirely different location.

Floating hundreds of feet in the air, Discord expected the pain to stop. It did not. He looked down and saw that Luna’s teeth still clung to him.

“How the—!” he started to say in a choked, rasping voice. Discord made a hacking sound as her mouth squeezed down on his windpipe. Then he saw it. Luna’s throat was making large gulping motions; she was drinking his blood, and through it, she was connecting her essence to his. That was how she followed him. He forced himself to remain calm, and figured out exactly what would get her off of him.

Luna’s mind was a swirling maelstrom of rage and hatred. Every crime Discord had ever committed was part of that storm, playing out in her mind’s eye. She felt every moment of the pain he had inflicted on ponies, her ponies, and then she felt them again as she remembered the years she spent trying to repair their shattered minds in the wake of ending his rule. So many had ended their lives before she could help them, and the ones she could help were never the same.

Celestia had tended to their newly rescued subjects during the day, by healing their bodies, comforting them with kind words and warm embraces, and restoring order and predictability to their daily lives, but she could not go with Luna into the realm of dreams. Luna tried to tell her sister of what she saw there, but after several times of only being met with uncomprehending gazes and platitudes, the words stopped coming. Luna learned to cope on her own.

Now it was no longer Discord’s neck she was biting. Her eyes widened when she saw it was a dark blue-coated pony’s neck. Luna’s own self, as she had looked those many centuries ago, stared back at her, struggling to escape her attack. Renewed anger swelled up in her as the younger her fought and screamed.

Coward! She screamed back at herself. Thou never searched for aid because it was too difficult? Because one single pony was incapable of understanding? Die, thou ignorant foal!

Luna wrenched her head back and forth, tearing out her own throat. She could not breathe, though some life still remained in her body. Luna drank the blood pouring out of her wound in between body-wracking sobs.

Discord saw the events play out as well, as their minds were already entwining. Desperate, he teleported them again, and they were instantly surrounded by molten rock. He had teleported them into an active volcano. It was by no means pleasant for him, but being a spirit, he was more resistant to it than Luna was. He wished he could laugh as he felt her screams of agony vibrating pleasantly through his body.

The heat was so intense that her regalia melted away in an instant. Her magical crown melted too after a few more seconds, and the jewel inside it shattered. The volcano was not, however, working as expected on Luna herself. Even after a minute in the magma, Luna’s teeth were still clamping hard onto Discord’s throat. Most of her body was a charred, ruined mess, but she was regenerating much faster than he expected. Even through all her muffled screams, she refused to teleport away. So he teleported them somewhere else instead.

Following in the trail Platina confidently blazed, Lyra’s party swelled to hundreds of warriors. They hacked their way through the wispy pink mass in their way as fast as they could. There were a variety of animals living inside the candy now, with the bodies of natural creatures, but all with the face of Discord. They leapt out, snarling and trying to claw and bite the ponies. The creatures were easy for them to defeat, but they were a distraction and a delay.

Platina occasionally glanced back at them, tapping one of her feet as she waited for them to catch up to her. All the ponies who were not actively working on hacking through the candy had their weapons within easy reach, and eyed the ancient sorcerer warily.

“Come on, Lyra!” Platina said with an eager grin. “I can sense something powerful in the next clearing. It must be another aspect!”

Lyra could sense it too, and it was a sensation that caused a cold sweat to break out on her back. She steeled herself for what lay ahead, but she refused to move any faster than she felt her unit could handle.

Platina tore the largest opening she could in the remaining wisps of candy before the clearing, and then jumped through, prepared to face a horde of chaos beasts or a draconequus sorcerer. What she did see caused most of her spells to dissipate as her concentration faltered.

The army’s baggage and passenger wagons were circled just ahead, but they were undamaged. Prince-Consort Blueblood could be seen in the gaps between them, protecting the wounded and civilians from the wagons with a blue shield spell powerful enough for Platina to momentarily quirk one of her eyebrows at it. She did not completely lose her concentration until she saw what was outside of the circle of wagons, however.

Two copies of Discord were sprawled across the ground, their bodies shriveled, shrunken, and colorless. Between them stood Platina’s fellow student, Nickle Waltz, though standing might have been too strong a word. His head was dipped down and huddled up, and his legs were shaking. His eyes darted around all sides, and widened considerably when he noticed the entire battalion of ponies charge into the clearing.

“What the heck?” Platina said, striding forward first. “What happened here, Waltz!?”

“Please don’t yell at me,” he muttered, cringing away from her.

Platina groaned. “I am not yelling at you, honey, I am simply… surprised.”

“It wasn’t my fault.”

“What wasn’t your fault?” She tilted her head at him.

“Nothing,” he said, finally forcing himself to stop retreating as Platina stopped a few feet away from him and the Discord corpses. “Anything?”

Platina rolled her eyes. “Please just tell me what happened here,” she said, much more gently than before. “If you don’t mind.”

“I was just with those nice ponies over there,” he replied, looking over toward Blueblood and his group. Lyra was already moving toward him and asking him what was happening. “Then these spirits showed up and started using some kind of magic. I… I was just thinking that they seemed different. They didn’t look real at all. Next thing I knew, they were dead. I said I was sorry, but the rest of the ponies ran away from me and circled up.”

“You didn’t cast any spells?” Platina stared, slack-jawed. “Didn’t use any magic?”

“I don’t think so. Should I have?” Nickel Waltz said. “Sorry.”

“Stop apo—” Platina stopped herself short, instead rubbing between her eyes and sighing. “Look, you didn’t do anything wrong. Just wait here for a moment, okay?”

He gulped, but nodded. “Okay.”

Platina sidled up to Lyra and Blueblood, who were already engaging in a whispered conversation.

“I don’t know if it’s a threat or not,” Blueblood was saying. “I’m just telling you what I saw.”

“Hey, I know that,” Lyra said. “All I mean is that it doesn’t seem possible, not that I don’t believe you.”

“I’m telling you, we need to do something before it’s too—” Blueblood clamped his mouth shut as soon as he noticed Platina approach.

Platina arched an eyebrow at him. “Please, finish your sentence, dear,” she said. “Don’t mind me.”

“I was simply trailing off naturally,” Blueblood said, his lips forming a rictus smile.

“Something you want to tell us about your friend, Platina?” Lyra asked. “Our illustrious Prince-Consort says that those Discords just melted in front of him, and nopony here even saw a spell being cast.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Platina said. “He’s harmless. Unstable, but harmless.”

“That… doesn’t sound very harmless to me.” Lyra frowned, and Blueblood nodded along with her words.

Platina sighed. “Look. Back in our day, Luna… came down on him the hardest. I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. Perhaps he did. He never directly hurt anyone, but that urge was there, and he may have been planning to. But he’s practically a completely different pony now. Waltz was a bit unhinged even before that, and the centuries of solitary study have done his mind no favors. Even so, I know him better than any of you. I know that the mere thought of violence sends him into panic. When I tell you that he isn’t a threat to you, I mean it. It was only because Willowleaf and I were there to support him that he was able to help Luna against Celestia at all.”

“Okay, then how did somepony like that manage to defeat two Discords in seconds?” Blueblood protested.

“He has always had insights that the rest of us can only barely comprehend.” Platina shrugged. “Perhaps he has learned to cloak his magic, and you just didn’t notice it. Why worry about it? He saved your precious rears. You should be thanking him!”

Platina turned away from them and stomped off, back toward Nickel Waltz. He backed away from her advance at first, so she slowed herself down deliberately and forced a smile.

“Waltz, honey,” she said tenderly, “everything’s fine. We’re going to head over there and help out our new soldier friends now, alright?”

“Help with what?” he asked, his eyes focused on the sky that was peeking out from the ruined wisps of cotton candy above them.

“With defeating Discord, of course,” she said. “I know you can do it. I will be here with you the whole time, alright?

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Waltz said, “but thanks for the offer.”

“Why won’t it be--hey, I’m talking to you. What are you looking at…?” Platina followed his gaze up to two figures in the sky.

Luna and Discord battled there for a few seconds, then disappeared, and a few seconds after that they reappeared elsewhere in the sky. The whole time, they were blazing like a multicolored sun due to all the magic pouring from them.

“Holy ponyfeathers,” Lyra said after a quick gasp. “That’s way too much energy in one place. We need to get a shield up now, in case it blows! Come on, unicorns, let’s get working!”

Lyra was tired and drained, but she started to gather all of her arcane reserves for a protection spell. Most of the unicorns around her did as well, including Nickel Waltz after some gentle guidance from Platina. There was one pony who did not join in, however.

“Blueblood!” Lyra shouted. “Aren’t you supposed to be good at shields? We need you now more than ever!”

“What about Luna?” Blueblood asked quietly.

“Luna...” Lyra glanced from him, up to Luna as she battled with Discord, then back at Blueblood. “She can take care of herself. She wouldn’t want us to throw our lives away for help she doesn’t need.”

“Now is when she needs help the most!” Blueblood began preparing his own separate protection spell, and pointed it high into the sky.

“I…” Lyra chewed on her lip, staring up into the brilliant light above them.

“If you could help, I would appreciate it,” Blueblood said, grunting as he poured all the magic he could into the spell he was preparing. “I’m not about to lose her… her position now that we… I mean, I, have come so far.”

Lyra eyed Blueblood’s face, which was etched with internal conflict, but also what seemed to be genuine concern. She sighed heavily. “Alright, everypony! Change of plans. Divide the barrier between us and the Queen. We’re all going to get through this!”

Amidst a sea of cheers and grim smiles, only one voice protested.

“You can’t be serious,” Platina said. “That’s going to weaken the spell by far more than half, simply due to the divided attention. If you try to protect everyone, it will be too weak, and you’ll end up protecting no one!”

“It’s going to have to be strong enough,” Lyra replied, glaring hard. “That’s just the way it is.”

The look Platina returned was just as intense. “Then you’ve killed yourselves.” She shook her head. “Very well, do what you will. My shield will be over us, and only us. That way at least some of us will survive.”

“Suit yourself.”

Hundreds of magic trails of every color swirled above the group’s heads, gathering energy and waiting for the right moment to be cast. Everyone who was not focused on building the spell stared up at Luna and Discord, as they teleported all over the sky, and exchanged massive blows with each other when they could be seen. Some of them could feel the earth shake with each of the strikes.

Discord clawed and kicked at Luna whenever they were not teleporting, and she responded by slamming her own hooves into his body. The blows caused a great deal of pain, but their main use was as a distraction from the true battle unfolding. The pair teleported again under Discord’s power.

This time, they appeared on the bottom of the ocean. The overwhelming pressure crushed Luna’s body, and her lungs screamed for air, but repaired themselves just as quickly as she drew more of Discord’s life energy into herself.

Discord tried to use the connection developing between them to overwhelm Luna’s soul with chaos and pain, but that soul was burning too brightly. The orderly procession of the heavens she and her sister had spent millennia developing gave her spirit, ragged and tormented as it was, a deep, unwavering connection to reality. He could, perhaps, sever that connection, but it had still imprinted itself on Luna in a fundamental way. All the energy she took from him was being transformed into her own.

Gradually, Luna perceived a change in the energy she was consuming. She knew it was not real, only a perception like when her younger self had appeared, but the sensation itself was real to her. It felt darker, yet more familiar. Now, it was Nightmare Moon she was biting into. The black mare held herself with too much contempt and dignity to scream, but Luna could see the pain and terror in her eyes.

Good! her inner voice yelled. 'Tis but a fraction of that which thou caused to my subjects!

Nightmare Moon sneered, clearly wishing her throat were free so she could retort. It was pointless to speak them, however, since Luna already knew well what they would be.

I do not care that it is my fault! Justice shall be done for hurting them, for all those years of manipulating and abusing them for thine own gain! Even should it mean my death, I shall never allow thee to walk this earth again!

Nightmare Moon, too, fell before her, her blood taken to fuel Luna’s magical reserves.

Discord tried every place he could think of that would interrupt Luna’s attack. The top of mountains. The depths of the void. Places where time moved in random directions. A dimension where everything was inside out. A dimension where all the senses were interchanged randomly. Inside his own body, then hers. Places that defied all description. But Discord soon realized that nothing could remove her, because she had seen all of this and more within the minds of ponies who endured his rule, back in ancient times. Not only that, but her body was now brimming with chaos magic, giving her nearly the same resistance to it that he had.

His fury did at least allow him to pull away enough to speak.

“No, damn it!” he said, coughing with his last breaths. “You don’t get to win. I win! I always win! If I don’t, then nopony does!”

Discord teleported them back to the skies above the candy battlefield, where everything he had summoned was rapidly fading away. Luna’s army thought they had routed Discord’s forces, and were cheering over the fallen copies. Discord responded by gathering up the remnants of his power within the copies, and focusing it into the roiling vortex of chaos energy that was focused around Discord and Luna. The vortex was growing more and more unstable.

Luna, too, gathered up the remnants of her power, and made use of the magic she had consumed from Discord to prepare one enormous spell. To cast a shield large enough to cover her army took nearly all the energy had left. Trying to include herself in the protection took all of it. She was much closer to where the epicenter would be, so she was not sure it would be enough, but she had to try. Luna had come too far, seen too much, to die now. But if her spell managed to save even one of her subjects, then that was enough.

She began to worry at Discord’s neck.

“Luna, don’t do this,” he struggled to say. “You’re going to hurt everypony here, including yourself. Your spell isn’t going to be enough!”

Luna bit down harder, silencing him. The struggle gradually faded from his body, but pure hate and fear remained on his face.

Then, Luna felt her entire universe explode with light, sound, heat, every experience imaginable and unimaginable. Discord’s essence shattered into infinite pieces and scattered around her. Her senses were overwhelmed, and responded by shutting down.

Her world was an empty void, cut off from all sensation. Even her own memories drifted away, until there was no self left to experience the deprivation.

The first feeling that returned was a gentle wind. Then sounds carried on that wind. A voice, who she remembered, calling out a name she realized was hers. Luna! it was shouting. The voice sounded strained and exhausted, but determined. Her first instinct was to fight the emotions that came flooding back then, but… she did not. She let them wash over her, and every piece they touched revitalized her spirit. As her soul reforged itself, her physical awareness gradually returned as well.

There were clear blue skies all around her, a sight which made Luna want to weep, but her tear ducts had not been restored yet. She was floating, and not under her own power--there was a magical shield around her, not composed of simply one color, but hundreds of colors, working together to protect her. Her ruined throat emitted a dry sob when she looked down and saw her soldiers, her friends, were all safe, and they were using their magic in unison to bring her gently down to the ground. Luna didn’t know how her spell had been strong enough, but it had.

Pegasi flew up to meet her as she drifted down. Luna felt so full, so complete, at the sight that she did not immediately notice what was missing. It hit her when she looked at the sun. It had risen on its own, and the light of dawn was gradually spreading over the fields of Equestria. She no longer felt magically connected to it, nor to the moon. More than that, she realized that no one was controlling it. The sun was moving under its own power for the first time since Discord’s reign.

Luna’s ears perked up as the sound of ponies cheering reached them. She smiled, slowly closing her eyes as she began to heal.

Author's Notes:

Finally finished! Thanks to RockstarRaccoon for prereading, and to all you loyal readers.

Next up, the fallout of all this. And what are the griffons up to?

Interlude 1: The Greater Good

Celestia waited patiently on the library’s second floor. Patience was a skill she had perfected over eons, and she needed to put it to good use now. But her heart stung whenever she happened to look at the innocent yet determined faces of the Elements of Harmony as they watched over their prisoner, Captain Gumball. Celestia solved that particular problem by gazing out of the window. It did not seem like the others felt the change in the sky, but she did. The sun and the moon were moving on their own, something that had not happened since before the days of the ancient Unicorn tribe. And, since the sky was not also currently full of pink clouds or other such nonsense, that must mean that Luna had won the battle against Discord.

While she was full of despair and fear that her last, desperate effort had failed, Celestia could not help but be a little in awe of her sister, who had accomplished what not even both of them together, using the Elements of Harmony, could.

As she felt a yawning chasm open in her gut, Celestia recalled how much she used to hate rulers who made painful decisions “for the greater good.” How easy it was to fall into that line of thinking, she thought, especially when one was the sole, uncontested ruler of a country. She had struggled against it for centuries, but in the end, the weight of lives had simply become too great. With each passing generation, Celestia saw that it was not only living ponies whose lives depended on her, but all ponies after them too. What did anything, especially the mere feelings of one Princess, matter compared to that?

Doubt crept up on her, as it always did during these rare moments of silence. She squeezed her eyes shut and held a hoof to her forehead to try to forestall the coming tide, but the questions came anyway. Had there been another way she hadn’t seen? Even if her plan succeeded, would doom come to Equestria anyway? Who was she to toy with the lives of her loved ones like this? Could she ever get back what her decisions had cost her?

No matter how hard she wished them to, no tears would come. That was a privilege Celestia had decided she did not deserve.

Celestia heard the soldiers coming well before the door was kicked in, but she made no move to escape. All the windows were quickly blocked by pegasus ponies with spears. Earth ponies and unicorns filed through the entrance with dizzying speed, ready to fight after all the commotion they had heard. But Celestia still did not move, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends took their cues from her, tensing up but not fighting.

Applejack slowly stepped off of Captain Gumball’s back, once she saw that they were surrounded. Gumball got to her feet and spoke to her soldiers.

“Stand by for a moment,” she said. “I must speak to Princess Celestia.” Gumball walked slowly up the creaking wooden stairs, to where Celestia stood. The Princess was ignoring the spears bristling around her and looking into the eyes of the ponies wielding them. They wavered much less than she expected.

“What’s on your mind, Gumball?” Celestia asked quietly. There was a deep sadness to her tone, buried under the gentleness like ancient treasure.

“Just… why?” Gumball asked, taking a second to form each word. “Why did you do that? Why did you release Discord?”

Celestia sighed. It was a good question. “I thought it was the best choice available to me, that’s all. Anything else I could say is just an excuse. I have… many excuses, but none of them are truly reasons.”

“But you didn’t even try to work things out!” Gumball stomped one of her hooves, and Celestia saw the tears she was unable to cry formed in the Captain’s eyes instead. “Don’t you care what effect this might have on the rest of us!? How can you be so selfish!?”

“Pardon me?” Celestia frowned, her wings twitching as if to spread. She forced them to stay folded, but only barely. She drew her body up, making it clear how much larger she was than any pony around her, and her voice deepened to match. “Did you just call me selfish? Me?”

A Gumball that hadn’t been reforged with the discipline of a soldier of the night would almost certainly have quaked at the hint of Celestia’s former glory she displayed. As it was, she hesitated for a moment, but continued speaking confidently afterwards.

“Yes, I did! You’re so in love with your own image as a just ruler that it never even crosses your mind that you could be wrong.”

Celestia’s tail swished violently, and she snorted through her nostrils. “It crosses my mind constantly, little pony,” she said through grit teeth.

Gumball waved off the Princess’s glare. “That doesn’t mean anything. If you actually seriously considered your actions, you wouldn’t play these stupid games with our lives. Your angst is just an indulgence for you, one of the only things you can still feel in your endless, meaningless existence!”

Celestia’s face darkened. “I never thought Luna could brainwash others enough that they would start regurgitating her talking points,” she said. “No matter. Capture me or kill me… Either way, I will not be judged by the likes of you. I am done with this conversation!” She slammed a hoof into the floor, smashing the board to splinters.

Gumball glared back at Celestia with all the emotional weight she had absorbed during her dream-training with Luna. But the emotions weren’t entirely her own, and they were up against the countless ages behind Celestia’s emotions, so in the end, it was Gumball who looked away.

“Tie them up,” Gumball said to her troops. “I want every available unicorn with them around the clock to counter the first sign of any magic. Nopony here so much as casts a light spell without my permission.”

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight Sparkle asked, her voice shaking as soldiers holding ropes closed around her and her friends. “What should we do?”

“Please, don’t resist,” Celestia said, eyes closed. “I don’t want anypony else to suffer today.”

The Elements of Harmony gaped and stared, numbly going along with the motions of the soldiers tying them up.

The captives were quickly moved to the Mayor’s house, where the army had set up a bustling command post. Celestia was left with Twilight and her friends, under the watchful gazes of dozens of guards, as well as the occasional glance from Gumball as she sat at Mayor Mare’s desk, reviewing maps, reading lists, and signing orders.

The same despair Celestia felt was clearly visible on the faces of the Elements, as they could do little but stare at the floor. But she had to be strong for them, so she mustered every last bit of regality she had left to hold herself upright and speak to them calmly. No small feat without a crown and with a dirty and ragged body, but the former Princess of the Day managed it.

“It’s going to be alright, everypony,” she said. “The responsibility for the decision is mine alone. They aren’t going to hurt you.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t help!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “What’s going to happen to you?”

“That’s up to Luna,” Celestia said, staring at the wall. “My fate is in her hooves now.”

“This is all so messed up,” Pinkie Pie, whose hair had long since ‘deflated’, muttered. “How did this happen?”

“I, for one, don’t think we did anything wrong,” Rarity said as she tried to hold her head as high as Celestia held hers. “Celestia’s arguments were sound and convincing. These ponies have no right to hold us here.”

“No,” Fluttershy whispered. Tears were flowing out of her eyes, causing everyone else present to get at least a little choked up. “We did do something wrong, Rarity. We can say it was for a right reason, but that doesn’t make it not wrong.”

“You are being held for your own safety,” Captain Gumball interjected as she fired off a batch of letters to waiting courier ponies. “We are well aware of the hold Celestia has over you, and how easily she can manipulate ponies into doing her bidding. I blame her for what happened, not any of you.”

“‘Our own safety’?” Applejack said the words as if they were rotten food she was spitting out. “What in the hay does that mean?”

“I don’t have to tell you that,” Gumball spat back. Then she closed her eyes and sighed. “But I will, because I respect the Elements of Harmony, and it may have some bearing on what is to come. Aside from the obvious reason of keeping you from releasing more ancient evils to fight a petty war of succession, we’ve received reports that a massive griffon army has crossed the eastern frontier. A couple months’ march away, much less if they fly the whole way here. The guard and local nobleponies are fighting as hard as they can, but they are going to lose without reinforcements. I’ve sent word to the rest of the army, but who knows if they’re even alive anymore…”

Gumball’s face darkened. “So Celestia’s actions may have critically weakened our fighting force exactly when they’re needed most.”

“She didn’t do it on purpose!” Twilight protested. “She only wants what’s best for Equestria!”

“That may be, but the fact is that we are more vulnerable now than we have ever been. Because of this, it is our duty to protect what is most precious to us. And that’s you six.”

“Hold on,” Celestia said, her eyes narrowed, the wheels in her head turning. “How did they cross so quickly? The dragon Oracle would never have allowed it.”

“I don’t know,” the Captain replied with a shrug. “The reports are sketchy. Maybe he’s in league with them. He can obviously be bought, since Celestia sends him our gold regularly.”

“He would never…” Celestia bit her lip, and her own gaze finally dropped to the floor along with her fellow prisoners’.

“Is that true?” Twilight quietly asked Celestia. “Do you send gold to this dragon?”

“Yes, as payment for protecting us from Griffrance. And it has worked for hundreds of years. I can’t imagine why he would suddenly change his mind now.” Celestia frowned.

“Payment to a dragon who fleeces animals from all over the world for food and sacrifices, profiting both ways.” Gumball shook her head. “A fine ally indeed.”

Celestia’s frown turned into a hateful scowl, but she kept silent.

“I suppose your excuse for letting the diamond dogs enslave us is the same,” the Captain continued distractedly as she drew some figures on one of her maps. “That it was the only way to keep Equestria together?”

Celestia silently seethed for several moments, to the point where Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy reflexively edged away from her slightly. She had declared the conversation over, but the pain and anger caused by Gumball’s words was too much to bear. When Celestia finally spoke again, her voice was distant and clipped.

“Did you know, my little pony, that Equestria used to be twice its current size? A thousand years ago, I had my sister to protect our borders. When I lost her, I tried, at first. I fought so hard against so many enemies who suddenly sensed weakness. And I succeeded… where I could be. I couldn’t be everywhere.” Her eyes rose, meeting Gumball’s with quiet fury. “If you had seen the ruined cities, the burned farms, and the mutilated corpses, I think you might have decided to consolidate the realm too. Even then, I had to compromise. Yes, I ignored a low level of diamond dog raids, because I couldn’t put a stop to it and simultaneously keep the Everfree Forest in check, ward off aggressive dragons, root out changelings, and defend against griffons.

“I wish I were strong enough to do all of that, but I’m not. I can’t just turn farmponies into elite warriors in a month, and I’m simply not as… aggressive as my sister. And more importantly, I can’t watch this whole country suffer because of my decisions, or my indecision. The choices I have to deal with every day would break ponies like you.”

Gumball regarded her former Princess quietly for a long time. The entire room was still, the only sound papers the march of hooves from patrols outside. “First of all, stop calling us your ‘little ponies’. It’s creepy and demeaning.” Her voice was low, but seemed to boom in the silence. “Secondly, are you going to give that same speech to the families of the ponies we rescued from servitude?”

“I have been practicing doing so for a long time,” Celestia replied. “Though I may never have the chance now. I held out hope for so long that Luna and I could work together, just like we used to. But our time apart has changed both of us too much. It is time for Luna to make those decisions… if she can.” She sighed deeply, bowing her head. “I give up. If she wishes to be Queen, then the throne is hers.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, either,” Twilight Sparkle said, in a somewhat timid voice at first. “She’s hurting just as much as you are, Princess, maybe more, and I don’t think that’s a good condition to run a country in. Especially not now that we’ve probably made her even more hurt and angry.”

“What are you saying, Twilight?” Celestia asked, one eyebrow raised.

“I’ve been reading a lot about how other countries do things lately,” said Twilight. “And I think this whole incident proves that what we need most is more than just a change in ruler. We need a new way to rule, before both of you destroy Equestria!” The volume of Twilight’s voice surprised her as much as anyone else in the room.

“I’m not sure our citizens are ready for that,” Celestia said. “And the middle of an invasion doesn’t seem like the best time to do it, either.”

“Luna has earned the right to rule,” Gumball said. She stamped one of the letters she was sending out with force, startling Fluttershy, who yelped. “She is a strong, brave, and just leader, and she’s just the hero we need to put these monstrous griffons in their place.”

“Even if she is all those things, she’s also emotional, proud, and irrational!” Twilight said. “For her sake too, she needs to step back! We ponies can work together, just like we always have. We were strong enough to survive before the Princesses came. I believe we’re strong enough to survive without them for a little while.”

“I’m sorry,” Gumball said as she rose from her seat and stomped over to where Twilight was tied up. “Were you under the impression you had a say in the matter? You’re a prisoner and possibly a traitor who tried to assassinate the Queen.”

Twilight’s ears flattened as she leaned away from Gumball. “Please, it’s just an idea! All I ask is that you let us talk to Luna about it. I know she’ll listen to me!”

Gumball scoffed and marched back to her desk. “It isn’t up to me,” she muttered. “Just stay quiet, and don’t try anything funny.”

The prisoners all looked at Pinkie Pie, but she was hiding behind her un-curly mane.

Author's Notes:

I know this might seem short for six months of work, but don't worry, this isn't all I have! I'm just dividing it up into sections and posting one while I tweak the others. The next one will probably be in a week or so.

Interlude 2: For Glory

“That’s odd,” the dragon Oracle said, stroking his long whiskers as he counted the day’s earnings from sacrifice sales, and casually munched on one of the actual sacrifices, a dragon-fire-roasted leg of a sheep. “Attendance has been going down this month. Does no one want to know the answers to all their problems anymore?”

“May I speak, Your Oracleness?” one of the attendants for his cave lair, a much younger, smaller dragon asked. She bowed with great ceremony and flourish, mostly so the looming presence of her master would know where she was at all.

“Yeah, sure,” Oracle replied, his giant eye dwarfing a single gold coin he delicately held up between two spear-like talons. It was stamped with an imprint he had never seen before, and he was trying to determine its country of origin.

“It may have to do with the army of griffons assembling to the east,” the attendant said. “They have been attacking travelers to feed themselves, and not as many creatures are desperate enough to risk that, even to bask in your magnificence.”

Oracle sighed, a gesture that noticeably warmed the cavern they were in. “I suppose I’ll have to do something about that, then,” he said as he stretched. He scratched one of his claws against his prodigious gut and yawned. “In a bit, anyway. I’ve still got a few things to take care of here.”

“Of course. Your wisdom is without parallel.”

Several minutes of silence followed, with the attendant standing perfectly still, unacknowledged, in her exaggerated subservient pose. Eventually, suspecting no further questions were forthcoming, she inched her way into a side passage, holding the pose the whole time.

Once Oracle finished his counting, he looked around to make sure the chamber was empty. With a satisfied nod, he reached across the cave and brought his divining censer over to himself. He took a deep breath, held it for seven seconds precisely, and then breathed a long, thin trail of his blue-and-white dragon fire into the container. The wisp of flame circled around the censer’s rim as Oracle closed his eyes and focused on what he wished to see.

However, no shapes formed from the flame, and no sounds echoed in the cavern. With a grunt and a curse, he went through the steps again, concentrating harder. This time, he almost caught a glimpse of Duchess Adelaide’s face, but then there was a blinding flash and a loud snap. When Oracle blinked his eyes open, the flame had been extinguished.

“That’s just rude,” he grumbled. “And more importantly, there shouldn’t be any way for a griffon to block my sight… Attendant!”

Oracle’s shout brought the attendant scrambling back into the chamber, already apologizing for her momentary lapse of responsibility. He ignored the babbling.

“Have all petitioners sent away,” he told her. “I’m going to be leaving on a business trip tomorrow. If anyone asks, no refunds, but feel free to give them divination vouchers. Until then, I’m going to sleep. No disturbances.”

“Absolutely, Your Oracleness.” The attendant eventually left again, once Oracle had sat silently long enough.

Oracle stretched his limbs all over his lair and yawned wide enough to swallow lesser dragons whole. He then curled up on top of his hoard, licked his lips, and went to sleep. His dreams started soon, as they always did for the Divine Dragon.

He dreamed of his oldest son, Alexander, who had left on a “quest” shortly after his failed duel against Princess Luna. He had been humiliated by how easily a mere pony had broken his body, but as Oracle told him tales of her deeds in ancient days, that humiliation turned into purpose: he would become stronger, then challenge her again.

In the smoke of his breath, Oracle had seen his son duel tyrannical nobles, bring bandits to justice, and even stand up to other dragons who attacked or offended him. Alexander definitely focused more on the valorous aspects of chivalry, but the seed was there. Luna was still capable of planting them, Oracle saw. He was pleased his friend still had it in her.

He heard shouts in his dreams, and at first he thought they were cheers coming from a village of griffon peasants Alexander had protected from a rival noble's raid. But some of the din sounded a bit too much like dragon voices. Oracle opened his eyes and realized his attendants were rushing into the chamber, arms flailing.

“The griffon army is here!”

Oracle groaned and rolled his eyes. “It is far too early for this. Where are they?”

“All around the mountain!” an attendant answered. “Thousands of them, tens of thousands!”

“Very well then,” he said. “Take cover.”

As the attendants scrambled back into other passages, Oracle spread his wings and jumped, crashing into the ceiling of the cavern. A huge amount of debris shook loose, and the whole mountain quaked. A few of the smaller dragons yelped, and even the larger ones gaped at the display of power. And because they had rarely seen their master move this much.

“Damn.” Oracle grunted. “I used to be able to do that in one try.”

He picked out the weakest place in the ceiling, an area where a couple rays of sunlight could be made out through the rock. He crouched down, then jumped again, focusing all his weight and power on that point.

Oracle burst through the ceiling and out into the open air, sending a shower of rock down the side of his barren, red mountain domain. There was a cacophony of eagle shrieks as a few members of the griffon horde were caught in the explosion. Hovering above the burst peak of his desert lair, Oracle roared.

“We had a deal!” he yelled, voice shaking the ground. “No griffons go past the border. Period! Go back where you came from this instant!”

There were many fearful shouts and a small number of fleeing griffons, but Oracle was surprised to see that most of them stayed in position. The runners being shot out of the sky with arrows may have had something to do with that.

A small band of griffons, clad in leather armor full of well-polished studs, were flying toward him. He gathered up fire into his lungs, causing a fierce blue glow to emanate from his mouth. He growled at them in a low rumble, but did not release the flame yet.

Duchess Adelaide, resplendent in her ducal tiara and necklace, led the approaching band from the front, bringing them to a hovering halt about a hundred yards away.

“You are not our lord,” she shouted back. Her voice did not have the power to shake the earth, but it still carried far. “By what right do you order us around?”

“If right of honor is not enough to convince you,” Oracle shot back, “then maybe right of might will be!”

He released the flame he had stored, sending a huge gout of blue fire at the griffons. They were completely engulfed in the expanding bloom of his breath, and many unlucky common soldiers were killed by the massive heat alone. The leaders dealt with, Oracle turned to swipe the rest of them off of his mountain with his claws and tail. As he reached back to strike, however, he heard laughter from the direction he had launched his first attack toward.

Adelaide and her entourage were still there, surrounded by a magical barrier made of dull grey light, shining like noon on an overcast day. In their talons were small, pointy objects the magic was projecting from--unicorn horns. They had golden rings around the base of the horn, which also glowed with the same muted energy.

Oracle roared again, his fury mounting. Every dragon had a kind of treasure they valued above all others, and ponies were his treasure. “You sacrilegious monsters! How did you get those?”

Adelaide roared back, not nearly as loudly, but with just as much fury. The tone of her cry signaled the entire army to charge at the dragon they faced. Most of the soldiers were peasant levies armed with nothing more than their beaks and claws, but thousands of griffon claws attacking Oracle could very well pierce his scales. The higher classes of griffon were armed with spears and swords, some of which had a faint aura of enchantment around them. This group stayed back for the moment, content to let the fodder advance for them.

As soon as his body had regenerated enough fire, Oracle released another ball of blue flame from his mouth. This time, he turned his head in an arc, sending the breath through the sky and down the slopes of the mountain. More magic shields sprang to life, colored with the same pale grey aura, but not enough to protect all of the charging griffons; it seemed only the elite had access to these profane artifacts, and they mainly used them to protect themselves. Hundreds of griffons burned to ash, and the smell of burning feathers and flesh filled the red canyons and crags.

Then thousands more took their place, spurred on by a mixture of fear and bloodlust. Oracle’s claws raked the ground around him, trying to pin and crush the griffons there before they could leap into the air. At the same time, he swung his tail around side to side, trying to swat the flyers out of the sky. Oracle killed many hundreds this way as he waited for more dragon fire to be alchemically fused inside himself.

Griffons finally got close enough to swarm all over his body, trying to get a hold of his scales and rip them off. He howled and tried to sweep them away with his tail, but some of them managed to hold on. He reared back and beat his wings to help, but like the rest of his body, they had atrophied from disuse and were not strong enough to fend off the most tenacious of the attackers.

Oracle extended his neck and blew out another powerful blast of fire, killing hundreds more griffons as they dove and scrambled toward him. The screams echoed all the way to distant valleys.

After this burst of dragon fire, the commanders and elites of the griffon army signaled their own charge. Having actually trained in warfare, they were able to dodge Oracle’s lumbering swipes much more easily than the initial wave. With their weapons held high, these griffons began screaming piercing war cries as they aimed themselves directly at the points where their underlings had managed to rip holes in the dragon’s armored skin. The dragon attempted desperately to stop them, but they were too fast and too many. Dozens of blades were driven into him. The mountain shook with the dragon’s pain and rage.

He beat his wings harder and jumped into the air, flying up and away as fast as he could. The griffons, however, were faster, and they harried him the whole way. As he looked down to try to track his pursuers, Oracle noticed his attendants in the rocky wreckage of the mountain’s peak. Each of them had a weapon in their claws, defending themselves, but they were in the process of being pecked to death by a tide of griffon beaks. The invaders were devouring his attendants, some of them his own children. He had intended to escape, but the grisly sight of their blood flying and their flesh being torn off caused him to circle back and angle his body for a dive.

Knowing the dragons would be protected from the heat, Oracle breathed a massive trail of fire before him as he swooped over the mountain. The entire peak was now an azure inferno so hot that the stone itself was melting. Swarms of griffons struggled to flee behind the safety of their stolen magic shields. The barriers could only get so large though. The griffons inside them already simply watched as their burning comrades clawed uselessly at them, begging for entrance.

As Oracle landed amidst the flames, he became acutely aware of the pain--there were wounds all over his body, and one rear leg in particular was bleeding profusely. Favoring it heavily, he ran toward where his attendants had fallen. He cried out to them, but heard no response. He cradled one of their limp bodies in his huge claws.

She had green scales and a deep ebony crest. Her delicate gossamer wings had been torn off, and there were open wounds all over her body. The attendant was so young that he had not bothered to remember her name. Oracle could not even recall if she was one of his children or not. He had simply taken them for granted for so long, too comfortable to imagine ever falling from his perch. He cursed his blindness until his body shook, then, with his teeth bared, whirled to face the invading army.

The dragon charged through the masses without regard for the wounds they were inflicting on him, crushing and smashing his way to the leaders. His mouth was smoking, nearly all the dragon fire in his body having been spent. But with some sustenance, he would be able to metabolize more. Oracle focused his advance on the Duchess Adelaide, whose guard were handing her new weapons after her previous ones had gotten lodged in his body. With his maw opened wide, his claws extended, he leaped toward her.

Adelaide twirled out of the way of his mouth, then dipped between his claws. She even had time after the acrobatic dodge to stab her sword into his eye. Before Oracle could retaliate, Adelaide had already left the blade embedded there and was flying back to her unit, activating her horn barrier on the way. He tried to follow her, but his steps were becoming heavier, and the bleeding leg had stopped responding at all to his commands.

Many griffons were dying to his strikes and bites, but the squawks of fear and pain were gradually turning to ones of excitement and triumph. Oracle tried to make another jump, but missed his footing and fell onto his side. Before he could right himself, soldiers were swarming over his body, scratching and stabbing any weak points they could find. From the one eye he could see out of, he stared up at the Duchess, hovering over him with her talons on her hips.

“It’s been too long since anyone in this world has slain a dragon,” she declared with a smirk. “And to think, it might have been even longer if you had just stayed out of politics. It works for me though. Your head will make a fine trophy for my tower.”

“I’m not slain yet!” Oracle released the last bit of fire his body could produce, so quickly that Adelaide’s plumage caught fire before she could bring up her shield. He laughed as she screamed at her army to destroy him. Her companions quickly put her out, but not before half of her feathers had burned away, leaving a smoking bald patch along her entire left side.

Roars and shouts filled the air surrounding the mountain. Weapons plunged deep into Oracle’s body, and with each one, he moved a little slower, killed a few less of his attackers. Gradually, he stopped moving entirely. His physical vision faded, leaving only his holy vision of the future. What he saw was not enough for him to die happy, but it eased some of his regrets.

The victorious griffons cheered… The cheers died off slightly when they realized how much of the hoard was lost; most of the precious gems and stones had survived the battle, but Oracle’s dragon fire had turned the gold into a molten mess. The griffons started squabbling and fighting over who got what before the gold had even hardened again. There were also disputes over the feast rights of their foes. There were more casualties as a result of these disagreements, but Adelaide paid them no mind. These arguments were the honorable dues of victory. Her sights were set firmly on the western horizon.

“You have done well, warriors!” Adelaide proclaimed to them. “You have more than earned the feast of gold and flesh that awaits us in Equestria. What you see here will pale in comparison, I promise you! Salvage what you can of the hoard, and then we march! For glory!”

“For glory!” the masses below her shouted back, when their mouths weren’t full of spoils.

Chapter 30: The Aftermath

As Luna floated to the ground, surrounded by vibrant trails of fire and magic, she tried to think. The remnants of Discord’s prodigious power burned and sputtered away outside of the bubble she was in, while the bits of it that she had consumed from him churned equally chaotically inside her body. It was a literally electrifying sensation that made her hairs stand on end and her heart race. Every color in the sky seemed more vivid than ever before, and she had to close her eyes to have a chance of focusing her thoughts. Even then, ghostly colors swirled under her eyelids, and phantom sounds played at the edges of her hearing.

Within her now, she realized, was enough raw power to defeat Celestia. She would not have to kill her, either. She could bind Celestia in a prison of chaos, or sever her connection to magic entirely. Then Luna would be free to unite her nation, and make it truly strong again, as she had resolved to do many months ago.

Or, she thought, perhaps it would be better to destroy the Elements of Harmony. They were a valuable tool that had protected Equestria many times before, but if they were used against her now, they would undo all the work she had done, all the sacrifices she had made for the country’s sake. She would still have to overcome Celestia eventually, but that would be easier without that obsolete artifact to worry about. With a united Equestria, the Elements would be unnecessary. No foe could stand up to her then.

Luna opened her eyes and looked down at her army. She was close to the ground now, and she could hear their ragged cheers through the bubble. She gazed at their faces, so full of pride, exhaustion, sorrow, and love, and felt the same emotions sparking inside her as well. The feelings were made even more intense by the chaos magic.

One more thought occurred to her. She recalled that night long ago in the Everfree, when her students had first found her again. Luna remembered the spell they had forced on her, and she felt its grip squeezing her heart even now. Discord’s magic would be enough to sever that connection, but it would expend all of that power, and maybe some of her own as well. Luna wondered if she would be strong enough to conquer the challenges ahead without it. Celestia and Twilight Sparkle would not forgive her just because she broke this one spell, and there were many monsters and nations moving to challenge her...

More worryingly, doing that would break its hold over her students too, allowing them to once again hurt and kill ponies, just as they had for centuries before. Having seen them in action, Luna was uncertain she could defeat them even working together with her sister, much less alone and without Discord’s power to use.

Luna touched down gently, and the sphere of magic around her popped, allowing her to experience the full volume of the voices shouting shakily but triumphantly around her. She attempted to give them a smile, but the most she could manage was half of one. The nearest soldiers took that bittersweet expression as a sign to pile on her. She cried out in surprise, and a small but rapidly growing measure of joy. The sound prompted more ponies to join them, forming a massive cuddle pile from which only Luna’s face extended. From her trapped position, her eyes searched the gathered crowd for the faces she needed to find.

The first she saw was Prince-Consort Blueblood’s. The non-smiling half of her face twitched up for a moment as he approached. He reached up with one of his hooves and brushed one of her cheeks, causing them to flush.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Your Majesty,” he said quietly.

Luna responded by thrusting her neck out farther from the pile and kissing his lips deeply. Surprised by the sudden passion, he stood there dumbstruck for a few moments before returning it.

As she felt the warmth of the bodies surrounding her, combined with the desire of the tongue dancing with hers, she knew there was only one choice to make regarding the power she had absorbed.

With a brief but mighty burst of willpower, it was done. Unnoticed by anyone around her, the chains on her heart were shattered. The acute enhancement of her senses disappeared, and her head stopped spinning. The eternal power withdrew from her, scattering to the winds of the ether, leaving the raw sensory input she received drab in comparison. However, the strength of the emotions Luna shared with her companions remained unchanged, lending a subdued warmth to what she experienced that had not been there before.

Eventually, she broke away from Blueblood.

“I noticed ‘twas thy magic that embraced me first,” she whispered. “I am… grateful for that, and I…” Her eyes welled up with tears. “And I love thee, truly.”

“Oh,” Blueblood said, eyes going wide. “Uh. I know that. Er, I mean—”

“Well, isn’t this sweet,” another voice said. “You sure can pick them, Luna.”

Luna giddy smile faded as she turned to glare at Platina, who was supporting and being supported by Nickel Waltz. Both of their faces looked drawn and pale.

Behind them, and all around the battlefield, soldiers with shaking legs were willing themselves over to the cider casks and foodstores, then breaking the contents out amidst scattered, but enthusiastic, cheers.

“‘Tis good to know that you two are more constant and true than your leader,” Luna said to Platina. “Whither did she go?”

“Who?” She half-dragged Nickel along with her until they were standing in front of Luna. “Oh, you mean Willowleaf? She’s not my leader, first of all. And who knows where she went. She’s as mercurial as she is unlikeable.”

The pile of ponies climbed off of Luna when they sensed her trying to stand up fully. They did not go far, however, instead forming a battle line just behind her. Luna’s battered body twitched and shook slightly from the effort, but she managed to hold herself upright.

Now that her attention was brought to her body, she noticed another change. There were little cuts and bruises all over her, wounds that were so small, and thus usually healed so quickly, that she almost never bothered to think of them. This time, however, Luna realized that they were not healing any faster than a normal pony’s would. Whether it was because she had lost her connection to the celestial bodies, or because some of her own essence had been expended with Discord’s, Luna’s supernatural vigor had decreased drastically. Doubt began to gnaw at her gut--had she made a mistake in her choice?

“Please,” Luna said finally. She would have to worry about that later. “Enough of the falsehoods. I tire of this game.”

Platina quirked her head. “Falsehoods? Please. As if I would ever lie to you. Don’t you remember what you did to me last time I tried that?”

Luna almost physically recoiled from those memories. “I--I do. I am sorry. However, I am not that pony any longer, and…”

Platina squinted as she looked Luna up and down. “You do seem… different now, but who said you had anything to be sorry for? It was a valuable lesson about power and a pony’s relationship to it. I’m grateful, if anything.”

She looked down at Nickel Waltz, who was staring off into space and occasionally mumbling incoherently. Her eyes grew moist.

“I honestly don’t know where old ‘Leafy is,” Platina continued. “She’ll make herself known when she wants to. That’s the way she’s always been. But… I’m thinking Waltz and I should do the same.”

“What dost thou mean?” Luna asked. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she searched Platina’s face.

Platina refused to meet Luna’s gaze. She surveyed the battlefield instead, taking note of the growing number of ponies who had managed to shake off the terror of the battle and were already frolicking and laughing with each other.

“Waltz wouldn’t make it through another fight like this,” Platina said. “Perhaps he hasn’t even made it through this one… He’s going to need someone to get him back into fighting shape. He’s… useless to us like this.”

“I can care for him,” Luna replied. “I do not yet know if I can enter the realm of dreams any longer, but I still possess eons of experience treating illness, within and without.”

“No thank you!” Platina shouted. Luna took a stunned step back. “You’ve done quite enough for him, Your Majesty!” She took a deep breath and swallowed her tears, then spoke in her usual, carefully controlled voice. “What I mean to say is, he needs someone who knows him well, from both before and after his change... It’s kind of you to offer, but we will be going. Best of luck to you.”

“I am afraid I must insist.” Luna spoke in a low voice, her wings spreading wide.

“You can’t be serious,” Platina said. “If you harm us, you’ll… oh. Oh no.” Platina’s eyes widened, and even more color drained from her skin. She tried to bolt, but ran face-first into a wall of soldiers. Platina snarled as she gathered magic into her horn, causing blood to trickle from the tip. She looked around frantically, searching for a weak point or an opening.

“That is enough,” Luna said imperiously. “Thou hast fought enough for one day.”

“Yes, for you!” Platina shouted. Unable to escape, she pulled a barely responsive Nickel Waltz tightly to her and gulped hard. “Why are you doing this, after we just risked our lives for you?!”

“This is as much for your benefit as for mine.” Luna sighed as she stepped closer and fully observed Platina’s tearful anger, side-by-side with her companion’s complete lack of present awareness. “I shall not simply throw you into a dungeon to be forgotten. I shall help. Go along quietly, and we can all begin to heal.”

While Platina’s rage increased, the intensity of her magic decreased. She hung her head as the drops of blood dripped onto her white coat. All she did was glare up at Luna. “Bite me, you stuck-up old nag.” She spat.

Luna was keenly aware of the fangs still resting in her jaw. She ran her tongue over them, focusing on the sharp sting she felt when she drew blood. How long would it take for the blood to stop flowing? She wondered. She shook her head and motioned to her subordinates nearby. “Chain them up, and bind their horns.”

She turned away from Platina’s twitching face and went to find her Captains.

It did not take long to find Basilea, who was darting through the air, giving orders, collecting reports, and generally managing the chaos of victory as best she could. Luna flew up to intercept her, and Basilea came to a halt, hovering in place and briefly saluting.

“Our dear moon is victorious,” the bat pony said with a small, wry smile. “I never doubted.”

Luna chuckled, and her heart swelled. “That is good to hear, though I must confess that I did doubt.”

“I kept the vigil in your memory for many years before your return,” Basilea said. “That experience showed me that there can be no true faith without doubt. So you’re already at least halfway there to believing in yourself again.”

“I thank thee for thy kind words,” Luna said, smiling wide. “It is truly comforting and inspiring to have such worthy allies. Speaking of which… hast thou seen Captain Heartstrings?”

“Lyra?” Basilea rubbed her chin with one hoof. “Hmm. I’m sorry, but I haven’t. Do you think she’s been hurt?”

“‘Tis more that we must discuss our next action, and soon,” Luna said, “though now I also worry for her safety.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” said Basilea. She flew up next to Luna. “Here, I’ll help you look.”

Luna and Basilea soared over the battlefield together in their search. This gave Luna her first clear look at the situation--and what she noticed first was the overwhelmingly sweet, sugary smell that permeated the area. It was like an entire city’s baking district had exploded at once. The land was also ripped apart. Huge cracks, divots, and craters spread over the plain, upturned earth completely obscuring the road for miles in either direction. It reminded her of the surface of the moon. The devastation could be fixed, but it would take the concentrated effort of talented earth ponies working for years to do so. Even then, there would likely be random bursts of chaos magic, and the lingering smell of candy, in this place for decades to come.

Lyra was not among the throngs of ponies celebrating; Luna spotted her distinctive minty coat by itself, sitting next to another pony lying on the ground, unmoving. She and Basilea touched down a few yards behind Lyra, who was staring at the blue-coated unicorn beside her. He was dead.

Lyra turned to look with her reddened eyes at Luna’s approach. She stood up straight and saluted robotically. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” she said in a hoarse voice. “This is my fault. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

“Pardon?” Luna asked, brushing one of her hooves against Lyra’s neck in an attempt to comfort her. “Wherefore comes this apology? What happened?”

“In… in the battle,” Lyra started, staring at the ground. “Discord was… puppeting us, literally puppeting us. I was aiming for his claws, but the strings pulled Lieutenant Heartswell into the path of my spell. I didn’t think it would be enough power to kill somepony, but…”

“Thou art not the only pony this has happened to,” Luna replied. Her voice was deep and grave, filled with old fury at the tyrant she had overthrown an age ago. “It is not their fault, nor thine. Discord is to blame for this atrocity, and he hath now paid the ultimate price for his crimes.”

“But he… he’s still gone. If I had just been a little more careful…” Lyra sobbed drily, having already spent all her tears. “I’m sorry. This is really undisciplined of me. What do you need?”

Luna’s voice softened. “I will, firstly, require thee not to deny thine essential ponyhood in the name of discipline.” She reached out with her wings and gently pulled Lyra closer to her using them, wrapping her forelegs around Lyra’s neck in the process. Lyra responded by quivering and sobbing a few more times. “This is a serious matter that I will need to work through with all who experienced it. That is best done in dreams, in my experience, so I pray I still possess that ability... For now, let us simply gather together and discuss what to do next. Canst thou do that much?”

“O-Of course,” Lyra said, nodding firmly.

Luna smiled as she let Lyra go from her embrace. “I am relieved,” she said. She gestured with her head for Basilea to join them a respectful distance away from the corpse that had distressed Lyra so much. The three ponies huddled together.

“The truth is,” Luna continued, “I need advice. When I think of what hath transpired here this day, a great tempest rages within my heart, so violent that it is difficult to tell which is the right path to tread. If there even be a path. As my Captains, your judgment I trust above all others. Simply put, what should we do henceforth?”

They looked at Luna, then at each other, both frowning. Lyra spoke first. “Well, it’s clear that Ponyville should be our next destination. Gumball is waiting there, and it’s a very important location, both strategically and tactically. Are you asking if we should go now, or give the army time to recover?”

“Nay, my query is more fundamental than that.” Luna watched her soldiers, drinking and eating with each other a short distance away from the conference. “I wonder if there should even be an army at all, now that I need not support the vile ambitions of my erstwhile students.”

“You don’t?” Lyra’s head cocked to the side. “When did that happen?”

“Today,” said Luna. “I used what I had consumed of Discord’s essence to end the curse. Now I am free to do as I will, but so are they, and I fear the act may have taken much of mine own ability with it. I do not know if I am strong enough to face the challenges before me…”

“That’s wonderful news!” Lyra bounced in place for a second, but then forced herself to stop, coughing awkwardly. “I mean, I would be thrilled, at least. I couldn’t bear that those musty old freaks had so much power over you.”

Basilea fluttered her wings and started hovering just above the ground. “This is indeed momentous news,” she said. “I do understand your fears, however. Having as much power as you did for so long, it must be quite jarring to suddenly have less. But be aware, personal magic is not the only kind of power…”

“Yeah,” Lyra said, grinning. “You have us. Plus your bravery and compassion, heck, all your virtues, those haven’t gone anywhere! This isn’t over, not by a long shot!”

“All those things I may have,” said Luna with a small smile, “but they mean little without a goal toward which to strive.”

“A good first step,” Basilea ventured, “would be to remove from power a Princess who would do such a thing as we just endured to her own citizens, and her own sister. In other words, I see no reason to deviate from our original plan.”

Lyra’s face fell. “But can’t we work something out, peacefully? Now that Luna has no reason to... do questionable things sometimes, Celestia just has to come around. She has to!”

“That’s very naive, Lyra,” Basilea said. She started hovering perpendicular to the ground, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Celestia released great torment upon us to secure her own power. Luna, on the other hoof, willingly gave up a tremendous magical advantage so that she could once again serve her nation in good faith. It is clear to me which alicorn should rule Equestria, and which should be banished.”

Lyra looked down at the ground, chewing on her lip. “Then we’d have to fight other ponies, maybe in Ponyville itself. I… I don’t know if I can do that.”

“What I am gathering from this discussion,” Luna interjected, “is that the question of rulership is still important to the ponies under my command. Is that fair to say?” She waited for them to nod, which they did. “Then it is clear to me that, no matter what, our next step must be to march to Ponyville. When we get there… well, I do not desire to fight my sister, even now, after this… foul betrayal. The mere thought of seeing her scorcheth my soul. Yet the time for words appears to have passed. What other option is there?”

Lyra silently rubbed one foreleg with the other, not looking at either pony around her.

“I am keenly aware of thy conflict,” Luna quietly said to her. “Thy closest companion liveth in Ponyville, doth she not? I wish to see her harmed no more than thee. That is why I wonder if it would not be better to go around Ponyville completely, and sally to face the griffon army. If we can prove the army’s value thusly, perhaps the country would unite behind me willingly.”

“That would give Celestia time to consolidate and recover,” Basilea said. “I advise against it.”

Luna sighed, rubbing the space between her eyes with her hoof. “The only other choice is for me to leave entirely. If I were gone, there would be no need for any of this conflict…”

“Now you’re being naive, Your Majesty,” Basilea said, returning to the ground and folding up her leathery wings. “I can no longer accept Celestia as my monarch, and neither can most of the ponies with you here. Moreover, I’m not sure we can defeat the griffons without you. You are a magnificent and talented leader. Despite everything I’ve learned training under you, I doubt I could ever command half as well.”

“I don’t necessarily agree with the first part of that,” Lyra said, frowning, “but I can say for sure that I don’t want you gone either. You’re important to us in so many ways, Luna.”

Luna extended her wings to both of her Captains, then pulled them in close. Eyes rimmed with tears, she spoke slowly, so as not to choke up and sob. “But what if I fail? N-Not only my magical power, but my emotional resilience too, are so much diminished. I-I do not know if I can do this…”

“Succeed or fail, we will be with you.” Basilea wrapped her own wings around Luna and Lyra. They were not as soft and comforting as feathers, but the contact was still warm and gentle. “To the end of all.”

“Don’t give up yet, Luna,” Lyra said. “You have more power than you think.”

Luna finally released her tears, weeping softly for a few minutes as her Captains supported her. She was wounded, afraid, and angry, but she had to move forward. Together with her soldiers. Comrades. Friends.

“Then let us march to Ponyville,” Luna said, after she had somewhat recovered. “Come heaven or hell, I shall face it.”

Author's Notes:

As usual, thanks to the awesome Rockstar Raccoon for pre-reading!