Artemis Sparkshower

---

Specialist Artemis Sparkshower was tired.

Not quite 'flying all night to scout possible Changeling hive locations' tired, as she had been around that time last year, but this day and evening had worn her out. And even during that challenging mission during the Invasion, the one which garnered her an early promotion to specialist, Artemis hadn't been subjected to quite such an exhausting variety of experiences.

Penetrating into territory conclusively known to be inhabited by hostile aliens!

Defending herself and her VIP against an underground ambush!

Confronting shadow-demons from another dimension!

Going to the Moon!

Trying a delicious new kind of bean stew!

It was a lot to deal with.

To say nothing of the work she’d done earlier in the day: more practice-firing sessions of the Royal Engineer's Self Propelled Air Defense carriage. But in spite of how worn out she felt, she got the feeling that the rest of her four-pony-and-one-very-important-pony-who-isn't-actually-a-pony group was feeling it even more. Which was saying something, considering that Sergeant Ebonshield was operating in native terrain among her own kind, and Corporal Bound was an Earth Pony with magical stamina, while the Royal Engineer had so far been indefatigable.

Glamerspear's complete exhaustion, at least, Artemis understood. In addition to performing earlier in the day, her unicorn comrade had energetically contributed the most to the fight against Eb's brother Marcos, and without the aid of a powerful and ancient magical artifact as the pegasus possessed. Then after that harrowing encounter, she'd been dealt repeated shocks by the batpony sorcerer Ignacio's revelations.

Though to be fair, what he'd said had been shocking to Artemis, too. To think that just a few steps down in the Rookery could take her to another world! Not to mention his throwaway comment about what happened a thousand years ago -- which he'd flatly refused to elaborate on further today, much to her comrade's frustration.

But when Lily's expression turned to abject horror as the Balladeer of Ghosts explained the inner workings of the 'Eclipse Phase' magic powers, Artemis knew that that particular piece of information had hit the unicorn a lot harder than it did herself. With her understanding of magic, his talk of 'accursed shadows' from another realm must've meant something more.

As terrifying as the encounter with one of those shadows had been -- especially after learning it was her comrade's own extradimensional dark cousin -- Artemis wasn't quite sure she saw the difference between summoning shadows and whatever it was unicorns did with their magic.

But Lily did.

And she wasn't happy.

The pegasus could see her trying to come to grips with the problem, plodding along with her head hung low, her ears folded back, and her hooves heavy and slow. She hadn't even had the energy to put on those magical grip-slippers while traversing the mist-slick tiles of the Rookery's 'Cave of Pillars.'

Leaving Lily to her thoughts, Artemis looked ahead at Sergeant Ebonshield, still leading the group. Unlike the unicorn, the batpony was holding her head up high, striding confidently, and on their way out of the Rookery chatted amiably with the Royal Undermountain Constabulary's duty officer at the orchard checkpoint. But she spotted a lethargy in Purity’s eyes, a slowness to react to new visual sensations that pointed to her wrestling with her own frustrations. As friendly as the sergeant could be, she didn't often volunteer information about herself, so Artemis wasn't sure what exactly was weighing on her mind, but the pegasus thought she had a pretty good guess.

The fight with her brother, Marcos.

It was clear that Purity had wanted to avoid the confrontation by any means possible. When Marcos made it clear there were no such means, other than what was effectively suicide, she refused to knuckle under, threatening him back instead. His subsequent declaration that he'd had her two adolescent students killed in their sleep had shaken her up even more.

Artemis had never seen her truly furious before then -- not even when accosted by the seething València Fierropezuña, the Hatcheteer border guard who hassled their group the first time they’d tried to enter the Rookery. That anger at Marcos continued to boil even when it was revealed that her students had survived their ambush to come and help them defeat theirs.

She took no pleasure in overcoming her brother's trap.

And as for what she did to him…

The way Marcos goaded her beforehoof and Ignacio chided her afterwards, it was either mutilate or kill him, and it had been clear that she relished neither option.

Strange.

Despite what she'd said about family structure among the batponies -- that they were so disconnected to the point that what an Equestrian would think of as a 'family' didn't seem to exist in their culture at all -- her brother must really mean something to her. That was the best explanation Artemis could come up with for Purity’s behaviour, outside of the even stranger suggestion that somepony from a school of mercenary assassins didn't like killing -- which would certainly be inconvenient, given her profession!

Though maybe that was true, too.

Artemis’ eyes turned towards the brown pony walking alongside their VIP. If Glamerspear's exhaustion was clear to her, and she felt she had a good hypothesis about what was going through Ebonshield's mind, the way Honour slowly but resolutely slogged her way up the shadowy, winding passageway from the Cave of Pillars left her completely in the dark. It was hard to distinguish the corporal’s current behaviour from her usual laconic attitude.

Nevertheless, there was a difference.

Like Ebonshield, Honour also kept her chin up, though unlike Ebonshield she seemed to still be fully alert and awake. Yet Artemis constantly caught her glancing down, or up at the Royal Engineer, or back at herself and Lily, like the corporal had something on her mind beyond just vacating the Rookery with all due haste. That was what Anonymous had asked for, anyways, when they’d all been joined back together again. No more training, no visit with the iron-workers tonight. Just back to the palace, and sleep.

Everypony had agreed.

So what was weighing so heavily on Honour's mind, then? It felt like it had to be something more specific than just some general unease about being in the Rookery -- especially since she didn't seem to relax at all after passing through the R.U.C. checkpoint. Something to do with what happened to her and the Royal Engineer in the 'Lunar Sanctuary,' maybe?

Nopony had yet spoken up about their experiences while their group of five was split in three, but now that they were out of danger and back on the surface, amongst the blooming trees of Her Majesty's Royal Apple Orchard with their flowers' sweet fragrance still in the air in spite being closed up for the night, maybe that could change.

Artemis cleared her throat. "Corporal, what was it like in the Lunar Sanctuary? How did it compare to the Grand Hall of Stars?"

Honour breathed in and out before answering, but before she opened her mouth, the sergeant spoke up. "We should not discuss such things outside at present. He is not yet three hours of the morning, and the Night Guard still patrols outdoors. Until we enter the palace proper, we may be overheard."

‘Oh…’

‘I hadn't even thought about that.’

Despite having twice entered into the home of the batponies who formed Canterlot's Night Guard, Artemis hadn't really drawn a mental association between the Rookery's black cloaked Star Phase warriors and the Palace's dusky and dark-armored nocturnal guardians. Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell had had a hoof in that mental disjunction, for sure. She wondered if there was a particular 'School' of Star-Phase batponies that provided most of the members for the overnight shift on the castle's defensive walls and gates, as well as night-fighting barrier combat air patrol above...

From Ebonshield's accusation towards her brother, it seemed that a few of their attackers might have been drawn from the ranks of soldiers who were supposed to be on duty this very night. Either they'd abandoned their posts halfway through the shift, or else they'd failed to report in at the start of it, so as to participate in his murderous ambush. The thought of members of the Night Guard committing either of those treasonous derelictions of duty really eroded her trust in what was supposed to just be the Royal Guard's nocturnal equivalent.

Which was not to say that Royal Guardsponies didn't also commit their own sins, but the ponies of the Household Division were held to the highest standards! A couple of crimes like that would get anypony bumped out or hauled before a military tribunal, for sure.

Then again, that Lunar priestess had ordered every one of Marcos' fallen 'Swarming Meteors' hauled off to prisons, as well as the ringleader himself. Maybe they'll be kicked off the rotation for the Night Guard as well.

They ought to be.

Or maybe she'd even send them back to the Moon!

That might be for the best.

With a heavy sigh, more from the suppressed conversation than from those newfound concerns about Canterlot Palace's night-time defenders, Artemis looked up towards her VIP. In appearance, he much more matched Glamerspear, wearing his exhaustion on his sleeve, with slouched shoulders and a ponderous gait. But he took it a step further.

He wore his helmet up off his head, as he usually did outside of battle, but his armor plate was loosened, the straps dangling and metal clattering with nearly every step. With his shield slung on his back, he lazily balanced his mace across one of his shoulders, trying to hold it level with a minimum of effort, but even so, found a constant need to shift it from one side to the other as the weight became too much to bear.

‘I ought to offer to carry it for him, if he’s that tired.’

It was her duty, after all. But the corporal hadn't said anything, and it really was her role to take the lead in that sort of matter. The real question was, what had drained him so much? Was it just because it was his first combat experience?

Artemis remembered how she felt after her first real encounter. The adrenaline had taken a while to wear off, and she was hyper-alert for hours afterwards, but once the crash came, it was sudden. Was he going through the same kind of emotional roller-coaster? Yet, even though he had energetically answered Marcos' challenge, the Royal Engineer didn't seem to have gotten particularly emotional during the fight. Instead, he'd kept his cool and treated the fight as mechanically as he treated his duties, ordering a non-lethal approach at the critical moment. It still couldn't have been easy for him, but if he didn't have a hormone-fuelled 'high,' how could this be the corresponding 'low'?

Was it, again, something that happened in the Sanctuary?

Maybe the same thing that was affecting Honour?

Just what did those Lunars say or do to them?

Passing between a pair of pegasi Royal Guards, who stood to attention when they spotted the Royal Engineer behind her, Ebonshield pulled open one of the Palace's exterior doors and admitted them all inside.

Despite now being safe from the Night Guard's prying ears, still nopony spoke up. Artemis decided not to force the issue, and continued to escort the Royal Engineer to his chambers, in silence.

‘Hmm…’

Wondering about what was distracting all of Artemis’ comrades was probably distracting her, too. She put their concerns out of her head so that at least one member of their quaternion would be ready in case anything happened.

But nothing did.

Not that it was likely to; nothing much at all ever happened inside of Canterlot Palace at almost three o'clock in the morning. Except maybe during the Grand Galloping Gala -- which was less than a week away! Anyways, even if there was a threat from the Rookery, the only batpony who was supposed to be in the palace was with them. The others were all flying or on guard duty outside, and from the stern expressions that the guardsponies at the RUC checkpoint gave her sergeant, Artemis got the impression that the Night Guard wasn't trusted to operate without RUC supervision either.

In short order, Ebonshield and Honour pushed open the Royal Engineer's chamber doors, and their VIP slowly sauntered in. After scratching his chin, he pulled off his helmet and set it down on one of his work benches. A moment later, his mace joined it with a dull thud.

Anonymous turned to look back at his quaternion. "Let's call it a night. We can discuss this evening's events tomorrow. And whoever's on the morning shift, don't bother showing up until ten or eleven at the earliest. If there's no answer to your knock, go back to bed. I think I might easily sleep until noon."

Corporal Bound nodded. "Yes, sir. Would you like any help removing your armor?"

Managing a weak smile, he grinned his retort. "I would, but you've all got your own to remove, and frankly I think we're all too exhausted for cooperation to yield any gains in efficiency. I'll manage to undress myself on my own, and then I'm going to literally fall onto my pillow. I recommend you all do the same. Good night."

With a dismissive wave of the hand, he turned and ambled towards the small chicane in the partition wall which blocked off his bedroom area from the rest of his chambers. Honour gave a nod, and they all exited the room, heading towards the staircase leading to the servants' rooms.

‘Falling into my pillow does sound pretty appealing...’

But, as the corporal picked up the pace slightly, Artemis got the impression that they were going to be denied that pleasant feeling a while longer. As soon as the sergeant opened the door to their quarters, Honour pointed her towards the washroom door.

"Sarge, why don't you take first dibs on cleaning up?"

Then she looked back at Sparkshower and Glamerspear. "I want to talk to these two before we all get settled in."

Artemis glanced over at Lily, but she seemed too tired to be concerned about the nature of this impending conversation. Instead, she was already busy undoing her helmet-straps.

Honour pointed a forehoof at the ground. "Sit down. This will only take a moment, but I want to get the record clear right now, okay?"

At first the corporal had Artemis’ attention; now Honour had her curiosity. She lowered her hindquarters onto her haunches and Lily did the same.

With a sigh, Honour fixed the two of them in her gaze. “Look, here's the deal, okay? The Royal Engineer and I had a chat in the sanctuary, when we were alone for a bit. Sparkshower--"

She pointed her right forehoof at the pegasus. "...What I told you last night about Anonymous not knowing about a mare's tuft was true. He also didn't know about wing-boners, or horn anteglows, or any of that kind of stuff."

Honour lifts that forehoof menacingly. "But he does now. Which means the next time you, Sparkshower, spread your wings for him, or you, Glamerspear, put on a light show, he may notice. I told him what they meant, and I told him both of you found him attractive."

Lily choked on her own spit.

"KKKFFG-- Celestia, Corporal! What the buck'd you do that for?"

Their squad's commander fixed the unicorn in her gaze. "Because it's true. Because he deserves to know the truth. Because I don't want him to become the butt end of jokes about his obliviousness to female signals. And because he honestly didn't think he was attractive to mares at all."

With her helmet removed and floating in the air beside her, held in a teal telekinetic glow, Glamerspear glanced sideways. "Well, he isn't... Not at first, anyways."

Honour nodded. "Yes, and I told him that, too. But the takeaway for you two is that the next time either of you 'shoes subtly hits on our friggin' VIP, he might actually pick up on it and flirt back."

Glamerspear snorted. "So?"

Exasperated, Honour forcefully prodded her armored forehoof into the unicorn's peytral. "So, you'd better be bucking serious about it, because playtime is over."

Despite the saboted jostling, Glamerspear snorted even harder, grinning and furrowing her brow. "Sounds to me like playtime is just beginning. But if you're going to warn us against the consequences of promiscuity, why the buck did you send Ebonshield into the washroom beforehoof? She's the one who buckin' propositioned Anonymous flat-out."

Honour lowered her forehoof back down to the ground. "Yes, she did, but she made her intentions clear. Knowing those intentions, he turned her down. But just because he now knows what signs a mare can give him, it doesn't mean he knows what her intentions are. That means he's now in a more dangerous position, and I don't want him to get hurt by one of his own bucking guardsmares playing games with his heart, understand?"

After a moment, Glamerspear's grin disappeared, and she nodded. "Yeah, okay. Fair enough. No games without actually making sure he's game for 'em."

Honour turned to Artemis, raising an eyebrow. "Sparkshower, the Royal Engineer knows and appreciates the situation you're in. Even if he had recognized your flirting, he would have deliberately tried to avoid scooping you up on the rebound from your break-up. So stop taking out your current frustrations by hitting on him, okay?"

Artemis nodded, remorseful. It really had been an impulsive move to try sticking her tuft out at him, hadn't it? And after such a caring, tender conversation where he'd been so sympathetic and tried to offer so much help...

"Yes, Corporal... I understand."

She looked glumly down at the ground, and after a moment Honour sighed and gently grabbed her muzzle in two hooves, raising it up to look her in the eyes. "Look, I don't think it's a good idea while you're his bodyguard, but you are your own mare and you can make your own decisions. I'm just saying you've got to get yourself sorted out before he treats any attention from you as serious. He's a proper gentlecolt, and he's been through a bad break-up himself. He knows what it's like."

Artemis nodded again. "I know, Corporal. We talked about that. And I do think he's a fine colt." Shrugging, she extended her wings to the floor, and awkwardly rubbed her left forehoof against the opposite shoulder. "But you're right, I was really only sticking my tuft out at Anonymous because I was lonely, and he was available."

She sighed, shaking her head. If Anonymous had noticed her tuft and said or done something about it, that sure could have gone awfully wrong -- just like when she’d stomped on the Bradamante Lance's stirrup without pointing it in a safe direction first. There were still a few tender spots on her body from that battering the ground gave her.

"You don't have to worry about me doing it again. I won't until I'm good and over my last relationship, and even then not unless I'm sure about what I'm doing."

Honour lowered her forehooves and nodded. "That's all I'm asking for."

‘Good to know that that's settled.’

After an awkward moment in silence, the washroom door opened and Ebonshield emerged, having splashed some water on her muzzle. "Specialist Glamerspear, I think you should go next. I wish to speak a moment with the Caporal before we go to bed."

‘Does that mean she wants me to leave, or...?’

Stepping over as Lily entered the washroom and shut the door, the sergeant continued. "Specialist Sparkshower, you may remain if you wish. This is not a conversation private."

Honour furrowed her brow. "It might be. I have a couple of questions I want to ask you, too, Sergeant. I noticed a few things in the Rookery tonight, and I think you owe me some answers. Maybe they'll be uncomfortable."

‘Huh?’

‘What did Corporal Bound notice that I didn't?’

---

Suggested background music: Brian Eno - 'Prophecy Theme', from 'Dune' [1984]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4SwFhfNh1w

---

Ebonshield took a deep breath, but smiled as she sat down on her haunches near the pegasus, facing Honour. "Ah? You are the senior soldier, so please, go first. And I will have no discomfort."

The corporal licked her lips, fixing the batpony in her gaze. "You said you were the Seventh, the second-from-the-top rank in your 'Temple' or 'School' of assassins, beneath only your Eighth, 'Draxon'."

Ebonshield bowed her head. "Yes, this is correct."

Honour glanced away, flexing her jaw, then returned to stare at the sergeant. "Reverend Sister Lucretia let it slip tonight that Master Draxon is dead."

Artemis saw the batpony's vertical slit eyes momentarily pulse open wide. "She did?"

Honour nodded. "Yes. Right after you told her what had happened in the Grand Hall. Maybe you were still a bit distracted from what was going on, but I noticed."

‘That's true!’

Artemis remembered it now, as well. Ebonshield glanced over towards the pegasus, as if seeking confirmation -- which she duly supplied. "Yes, that's correct. The Lunar priestess said that Master Draxon would have 'saluted you, if he were still with us.'"

She saw a bulge behind Ebonshield's mouth as she ran her tongue over her teeth. The confirmation wasn't what she wanted; she wanted the denial.

Finally, the batpony shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose in the end this is no grand secret. Yes, Master Draxon is dead -- he died almost three years ago, long before the Great Mother returned to us. He was very old, and had been ill for some time; his passing was not unexpected. And as a result, I am the leader effective of the Temple of the Shining Stellar Dance."

Artemis was not sure how her specific rank really mattered at this point, but Honour stayed focused.

"So how come you're still Seventh?"

Ebonshield grinned, tilting her head and stretching her wings playfully. "This concerns the matter I wished to speak to you about, actually. By the rules of the stars, I could claim the title of Eight: 'When the master dies, the strongest apprentice takes their place.’"

Inhaling deeply, she folded her wings up again. "But these are not the rules particular of the Temple of the Shining Stellar Dance -- they are not the rules which Master Girolamo Draxon instilled in me."

She turned her head, as if looking straight through the walls at some indeterminate point a great distance away. "...He told me, 'To be the Seven is to be the finest of all the Stellar Dancers, the most skilled and the most accomplished. Whenever we spar, Pureza, you emerge victorious. This is why you are the Seven. But even when I lose, do you not in winning feel as if you have learned something new as well?'"

Her expression softened. "...I said that I did, for my master was always inventive and original in our duels, and he explained: 'That is why I am the Eight. Because to be the Eight is not to be the finest of all Stellar Dancers: to be the Eight is to be the finest teacher of the Stellar Dance. When I am gone and you have taught one of your students how to defeat you with consistency, then you too shall be the Eight.'"

Purity Ebonshield sighed. "For three years he has been gone. But I have not taken his position because, in truth, I am a poor teacher."

Artemis couldn’t help interjecting. "What? Sergeant, that's not true. You've done a great job with the Royal Engineer so far! He fought his first fight, just now, and he didn't even flinch!"

Honour turned towards the specialist as Ebonshield shrugged, smiling. "I think you are generous and attribute too much to my schooling. We have had only two lessons; I am still teaching only the most basic things. And our VIP is a learner most eager. This is not an evaluation honest."

She turned back to the corporal. "There are beneath me five Sixes, and I am unable to teach any of them well enough to beat me. But this is my problem, not yours, so do not concern yourselves. And, despite the unfortunate behaviour that you have seen from the Stars of the other Schools, the Stellars are above suspicion. Though they have remained on the Moon, my Sixes are as loyal to the Princess Luna as I am. As are all those beneath them, as well."

Honour nodded her head. "Okay. I do wish you'd come clean with this for us earlier. It would have made things a little clearer, and maybe a little less stressful."

Artemis wasn’t sure if knowing that her new quaternion member was the batpony master of assassins would have made things any less stressful twelve days ago. Probably just the opposite. At the time she’d met Ebonshield, Artemis didn't even know the batpony was an assassin at all! Still, it puts some things in perspective -- like why the Hatcheteers took Ebonshield's threat seriously on that first trip down.

A few other memories sprung to mind.

"Is this why the Reverend Mother Superior asked if you were still 'only Seven'?"

Ebonshield nodded. "Yes. Carmen does not understand why I cling to the rules of my dead master. To her, rules which are an inconvenience on the path to power are to be simply stepped over. And she thinks that her children, like her, should be in the highest positions possible. She knows that there is no difference within my school, whether I am Seven or Eight, but it means that the Eighths of other Schools do not treat me as a true equal, which diminishes my power. Though this is also because of my School; Girolamo Draxon the Stellar Eight was often treated with disrespect as well."

Taking a deep breath, she bowed her head and clasped her forehooves and wing-tips together in front of her. "...And this is why I need your help, Corporal Honour Bound. I am not confident that I am teaching the Engineer Royal properly. Even though the venue for his training belongs to my people, I need the experience of an Equestrian if his instruction is to be proper."

Honour raised her eyebrows, her ears flattening behind her head. "Me?? What am I supposed to do? I can barely avoid him lunging at me. And even that was your idea."

Ebonshield's reply was instantaneous. "Only because during the first training, he managed to grab me in spite of my suggestion that this would be impossible. And both he, and his Ghost whom the Balladeer Ignacio summoned for me to fight, were ultimately more dangerous with my daggers than with their maces."

She shook her head, sighing again. "Do you not see? I have already let our VIP down by allowing the minotaur Bronzehorn to fashion for him arms and armor as if he were a minotaur, instead understanding the creature which he is. And I have let him down again by suggesting that he would never be able to grapple with me or any Equestrian, even though this was proven false. I am trying to correct my mistakes, but the consequences for my errors come too fast, and I worry that more will come faster still! My failings as a teacher could become my failure as his bodyguard."

Ebonshield clasped her hooves and wings together again. "...Please, Caporal. With Carmen having decided that we are to be permitted in the Rookery, I believe there will be no further threats from my people for the moment, though I will tell you whatever you require to ensure he is defended from them. The threats here on the surface concern me -- for was the Engineer Royal not challenged to a duel before he had even thought to train as a warrior? This is why I am here; if there had not been a request urgent for a fourth member of this quaternion, Carmen may have had the time to persuade the Great Mother to take for him a Lunar instead of a Star. So, will you help me?"

The Corporal looked completely lost.

Artemis could understand that.

Eventually Honour whinnied out through her mouth. "I... I guess? I don't know what you want me to do. I have been in a few fights, but honestly, earth ponies like me aren't the true stars of the Royal Guard -- the pegasi and unicorns are."

Ebonshield rose up, grinning. "You do not need to be a 'star,’ Corporal. I am a 'Star,' and as you say, we have already a pegasus and a unicorn as well to defend the Engineer Royal. I want for you to be more proactive in our training. I want that you will suggest and recommend exercises particular which seem to you appropriate. If you wish, I will still present myself as 'in charge,' but I require your expertise and insight."

She shrugged, still smiling. "These qualities you must have, otherwise I think you would not have noticed such a trivial thing as what Lucretia mentioned. And if you were not also dedicated already to the proper defense and instruction of the Engineer Royal, I think you would not have confronted me about this either, yes?"

Honour nodded, slowly, though Artemis saw her shoulders and forelegs tense up a bit. "Okay. I'll try to take a more active role during the sessions."

Ebonshield waggled her left forehoof disapprovingly, reaching out with her right forehoof to touch the corporal's withers. "Master Draxon taught me: 'A good Dancer does not become tense, but ready.'"

Withdrawing her hoof, Artemis saw Honour relax a bit. "Though for now, I think, this would be best to become asleep. And since I have already finished, if there are no further questions for tonight, I will retire."

Both the specialist and the corporal acknowledged her polite bow, and as the batpony left for her room, Glamerspear emerged from the washroom, a towel wrapped around her head.

‘She really managed to have a whole shower just now?’

Artemis must have been tired not to have noticed that. Honour looked in her direction, suddenly appearing exhausted, and the pegasus nodded, politely acknowledging that the order of precedence meant the corporal was next. Anyways, Artemis needed to take her armor off before she could do anything in the washroom.

But there was one other thing she needed to take care of.

"Hey, Lily, can I ask you one thing before you go to bed?"

Looking considerably refreshed, though still sleepy, her unicorn comrade sat down in her doorway, drowsily looking over her back. "What's that?"

Artemis stepped over to her own door, adjacent to Lily’s. "Those... photos... you were suggesting that we take. Do you think we could look into that a bit more? Maybe do them this week?"

She hadn’t forgotten the unicorn’s suggestion for how to patch things up with Huckleberry -- before the whole situation blew up in her muzzle and he angrily confronted the Royal Engineer.

Glamerspear cocked an eyebrow. "Uhh... No offense, Sparks, but it's a bit late on that front, dontcha think?"

Artemis shook her head. "I don't want the photos for him, Lily..."

Licking her lips, she took a deep breath. "... I want them for me."

Trying to flirt with the Royal Engineer last night had put her in a real depression, when she’d thought that he wasn't paying any attention to her tuft. She felt big and awkward and ugly again, like she did before... before Huckleberry.

Well, it turned out Anonymous really wasn't paying attention, though only because he didn't know what he was supposed to be paying attention to. But still, the lingering question remained.

‘Am I a pretty pony?’

‘Can I be?’

‘Like the ones in those colts' magazines?’

Not that she’d probably ever show such photos of herself to anypony… But how else was she supposed to know what she really looked like?

As if having heard all of her internal conversation, Glamerspear nodded knowingly. "Okay. Yeah, sure. Ya know, I've got lotsa, like, jewellery and accessories and stuff if you want to go through it beforehoof. I know I said we should do them 'au naturel,' with maybe your armor, but a few trinkets never hurt. I guess this means you'll have to teach me how to properly use your camera, though."

Artemis smiled back. "It's easy, Lily. You won't have any trouble."

She yawned at her pegasus buddy. "Okay. Let's talk about it more tomorrow, alright? I gotta get my beauty sleep -- and you do too, fillyfriend."

‘Alright!’

With eager hopes for tomorrow, Artemis headed into her room and began to remove her armor pieces before bed.

Next Chapter: Chapter 113 Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 20 Minutes