---

Twilight sat in a corner booth in The Green Dragon, nursing a mug of something she’d never expected herself to ever be drinking: ale. On both sides of the same booth, four other ponies sat doing pretty much the same thing. Even Pinkie Pie, who had been laid up in bed for most of the day, had managed to come down to join them. Those who had been working all day to try and help the injured creatures looked exhausted. While Pinkie hadn’t done anything, she still looked weak thanks to her three months of refusing to eat. In front of them were a couple plates of bread, cheese and salad which a few of them were nibbling on quietly. Outside, the storm continued to rage on, buffeting at the windows and piling snow up around the buildings.

There were others in the tavern area, but they were mostly refugees from Ponytown who’s houses had been destroyed. The owners of The Green Dragon and the employees there were busy giving the refugees food and drinks and providing them with as much bedding as they could spare. A couple of foals were crying and asking their parents when they could go home, but for the most part it was pretty quiet.

Eventually, the silence grew unbearable for Twilight. Normally, she would have preferred the sound of silence since it relaxed her, but lately it hadn’t. Raising her horn, she cast a spell that surrounded them in a soundproof shield. None of the others seemed to notice or even look up, at least until she spoke. “H-Hey…um, girls? Can we talk?”

They all stirred and looked over at her, and Twilight almost felt herself shrink back into her chair. Despite their conversation before Rarity’s disappearance, the other ponies still looked fairly miserable, although right at that moment their exhaustion was what was more prevalent in their faces. Twilight hadn’t seen Applejack so tired since the incident at Apple Bucking Season years before. Rainbow’s wings, which were still useless from lack of exercise, hung loosely down and she had an equal amount of bags under her eyes that matched Applejack’s. Fluttershy was lying her head on the table, one hoof around her own mug, and Pinkie was sitting against a couple of extra pillows. “What is it, Twi?” Applejack finally asked, her voice hoarse from the yelling she’d done that day through the storm.

“I just…I guess I wanted to check in with you all and see how you’re doing,” she finally got out, knowing that it was probably a stupid thing to ask.

“We’re…we’re doing alright,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Tired as Tartarus, though,” Rainbow said, and Twilight heard a twinge of hopelessness in her voice. She looked at her wings. “I’m such a moron…”

“Hey now, don’t go spoutin’ that talk,” Applejack said, turning to Rainbow Dash.

“I am, though,” Rainbow said, sitting up straighter and holding up one of her wings. Twilight saw that it was vastly underpreened and there were feathers missing. “I didn’t take care of my wings like I should have, and now even if I had all of them, they’re too weak to do any good!” She looked down at her mug, glaring at it with self-loathing before she took a large swig and slammed it back down. “I can’t even help try to move this storm away…”

“That’s not true,” Pinkie replied in a weak but reassuring tone. Everypony turned to her. She was focused on the miserable looking Rainbow Dash as she continued, “You’ve been teaching other pegasi to help, right?”

Rainbow nodded. “Well…yeah, but-”

“No buts about it,” Pinkie interrupted, sounding a bit stronger in tone. “Sure, you can’t fly right now, but you’re doing your best to help all the same.” She turned to the rest. “You all are. Applejack, you’ve been helping to find survivors using that earth pony strength of yours. Fluttershy’s been helping with taking care of the children. Twilight, you’ve been using your magic to help lift debris off of other survivors and more. Everyone’s been working so hard…but I’ve been useless.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s not true,” she said. “I saw you earlier talking to a lot of the foals, telling them old adventure stories. If anything, it was a good distraction for them.”

“But that’s all I’m ever good for, a distraction,” Pinkie said mournfully.

“It’s still important,” Rainbow said, surprising the alicorn princess. “Honestly, I kind of wish I had a mom like you instead of the parents I got.”

“Rainbow! How could yah say such a thing?” Applejack said in alarm.

Rainbow turned to the earth pony farmer. “My parents…I love them, I really do, but I realize they never ever punished me. They were always praising me. Always.”

“Ain’t that a good thing?” Applejack asked.

She shook her head. “No…they did it for every little thing. Even when I lost at something, they would praise me. I wasn’t ever punished as a foal. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past months. I know it sounds like I’m pinning the blame on them, but I think part of the reason I was always boasting is because of them.” She held up her hoof. “Before you say anything else, I know I shouldn’t put all the blame on them. I’m the one who maimed Jason. I’m the one who did all that bragging and boasting. As a grown mare, I should have known better. Even so, I wish my parents had punished me before.”

“Is that why you asked us to keep your parents away from you?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow nodded. “I didn’t want to see them.”

“Yer gonna have tah sometime, Rainbow,” Applejack said.

Rainbow looked at her ale miserably, but slowly nodded. “I know,” she whispered.

“You want us all there when you do?” Fluttershy offered.

“Yeah…we don’t mind bein’ there, right girls?” Applejack asked, looking around.

Twilight felt a bit unsure, but seeing the slightly pleading look on Rainbow’s facehelped her with her decision. She nodded. “If you want us there, Rainbow Dash, I’ll gladly be there.”

“Same with me,” Pinkie said.

The look of relief on Rainbow’s face was immediate. A small smile formed on her face. “Girls…thank you.” She sat up and steeled herself. “Thanks for offering, but when this is all over, I need to do this alone.”

The other mares nodded in understanding. “That’s alright, Rainbow,” Applejack said, “ah git it.”

“We all do,” Fluttershy said. “No family’s perfect. Remember my brother?”

Rainbow smiled slightly. “Yeah…point taken. But he’s doing pretty well as a mane stylist now, isn’t he?”

“Last I heard he’d opened a shop in Manehattan,” the shy pegasus replied.

“That’s not cheap,” Twilight said, impressed. “Manehattan’s a pretty expensive place to live and work.”

“Well…having his sister be his first customer certainly helped,” Fluttershy said, a small smirk on her face.

Twilight and the other girls gasped. “You didn’t…” Pinkie gasped.

“What? Can’t a sister help her brother out by going there as an Element of Harmony?” Fluttershy asked, an innocent look on her face.

As the other mares chuckled and chided her, Twilight couldn’t help but smile. She took a sip of her ale, savoring the taste as it was actually quite good. Her smile froze on her face as the face of an angry Rarity and a disappointed Spike popped into her head. Rarity might have been acting horribly before, but she was still Twilight’s friend and she still cared for her. She just hoped that wherever those two were that they were safe. She then saw the bright blue eyes that belonged to the second human to appear on Equus, Gregory Graystone. She remembered how that Gwendolyn griffoness had shown them his first few moments in Tartarus. She hoped that he, too, would be safe.

Applejack noticed her somber expression and gently nudged the alicorn. “Yer still worried ‘bout Gregory, Spike, and Rarity, aintcha sugarcube?”

Twilight nodded and she looked around the table. She received looks of worry and concern now. “Oh, I’m sorry girls, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“We’re all worried about Spike, egghead,” Rainbow said in a presumable attempt to be reassuring. This, of course, earned her a gentle but firm under the table kick from Applejack. “Ow! Well, we are!”

“I’m worried about poor Rarity, too,” Fluttershy said.

“Hey, don’t forget Gregory,” Pinkie said with a slight frown. “After all, he’s been attacked by ponies, and these weren’t affected by Discord. Not that that’s an excuse anyway.”

“No, it isn’t,” Rainbow said in agreement, her wings lowering slightly.

“Ah hope that Gregory fella comes back, too,” Applejack said, “because ah’d like tah try and git tah know ‘im better. There’s something’ ‘bout ‘im that reminds me a little bit of Big Mac. Ah don’t know what, though.”

“I would like to try and get to know him, too,” Fluttershy admitted.

Rainbow shrugged. “I mean, he seems like a cool stallion…I mean, he’s a freaking Chancellor! I don’t know what that means exactly, but it sounds important.”

“He has a nice smile,” Pinkie said, “and he seemed really happy with that Gabby griffon.”

“Well, let’s just hope we get the opportunity, girls,” Twilight said. In truth, she wanted to get to know more about humans, and Gregory specifically. She didn’t want to make the same mistakes she made with Jason, but he knew about Jason, so she wasn’t sure if he wanted to befriend any of them. If he didn’t, she’d have to accept that, she knew.

“Hold on, didn’t ya tell us that Spike was ridin’ that there large dragon creature of his when he was caught up in all that magical hoo haw?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “A drake, and yes. They’re strong and powerful and can fly really fast, at least that’s what I heard from Princess Celestia.”

“Well, then that drake can kick the butt of anycreature down there,” Rainbow Dash said, thrusting her hoof in the air like a punch.

“I hope that drake can help protect them all, too,” Twilight murmured. “I hope they all come back…”

---

---

The young mage griffoness stared intently into the Eye of Osiris, still tracing back the message that had led to the attack on the Chancellor. She was growing tired. She’d been staring into the Eye for a full thirteen hours without any food or rest. She was growing quickly more and more frustrated. This pony network was incredibly complex. Messenger went to messenger with notes and such, and it seemed that whoever was behind this didn’t want anycreature discovering their involvement.

Currently, she was watching a dark gray earth pony stallion walking through the streets of Canterlot. This had occurred only a few days before the attack. He looked ordinary enough, acting like a typical pony just going about his business, but Gwendolyn had clearly seen him gently bump into another pony earlier, a unicorn mare, and he had placed the note into her saddlebag, so now he was walking backwards, just minding his own business. She was watching him at a somewhat sped up pace. Her griffon eyes could see details even at higher speeds. Currently, she was watching as his earlier self was looking at a flower stand with some interest and speaking with the owner.

As she watched the reverse conversation, she suddenly caught a glint of something metallic in the stallion’s left ear as he flicked away a small insect. Pausing, she slowly moved the scene forward, zooming in and peering closer. The ear moved back, and in that moment, she stopped the scene entirely. There, sitting inside the ear, was a very small white gemstone in the shape of a lily. She frowned, wondering if there was anything significant about it. Grabbing a pen, one that she’d gotten from Gregory, she wrote down the detail on a nearby piece of paper:

Object of note: lily shaped white gem embedded in pony stallion’s left ear. Probably unable to be seen by anyone else at eye level.

She put the pen down and stared at it. There was something about the gem that just felt off. She moved in the view as close as she could get it without harming herself. Despite being the only Imperial Mage left, she knew that even now she was still a novice when it came to dealing with the Eye. However, she noticed that while everything else in the scene she saw was completely frozen, this gem she looked at seemed to move.

She found herself staring at it, unable to look away. There was just something about it that felt intoxicating to look at. She felt a warmth spread over her body as she continued to look at it. The image began to dim, and the gem started to be the only thing she could focus on. Slowly, she reached her claw out towards it, her head tilting slowly.

A wave of pain arced through her arm as she touched the floating scene. She shouted in alarm and pulled her claw back. The feeling of warmth was gone, replaced only with a chill that was running down her spine. A chill which had nothing to do with the storm outside. She looked at the gem in the scene before her again and felt a revulsion she hadn’t felt before. She moved the scene back a second and with the gem gone the revulsion vanished.

Confused, she stood and walked towards the bookshelf, looking among the titles for anything that might be worthwhile to read. She found one she hadn’t read yet (she tended to read in the order that most mages were meant to read the magical tomes) titled Magical Gemstones And Their Properties. She opened the book to the table of contents. Among the gemstones listed, she saw not just one, but two that caught her interest. The first one was talked about in the third chapter of the book, the Aedstones. They were a type of magic crystal that appeared red and were found mostly in the Dragon Lands. Apparently they were like plants in that if you took a piece and planted it somewhere else, it would grow into the ground, spreading more and more magical power elsewhere. She filed that bit of knowledge away for later.

The second type, however, gave her pause. There was a small drawing of an eerily similar flower shaped gem near the end of the chapter. It was known as simply as the Sylvalin. It was a rare type of gemstone that naturally formed and grew like flowers in magically rich areas. They could ensnare the minds of any who stared at them, but that for the most part they were invisible to the naked eye. The author of the book admitted that there were probably other ways Sylvalin gems could be used, but they had no idea and weren’t about to go studying them because of their inherently dangerous nature. However, there was one caveat to them. If anyone were to look at them indirectly, whether through a mirror or something like that then disrupted the image, they would become immune to its effects. In fact, the very sight of a Sylvalin gemstone would repulse those immune.

She slowly turned and looked back at the still floating image. Swallowing hard, she put the book gently on her work table, then went back to the Eye of Osiris. Grabbing the pen, she wrote an addendum to her previous note.

Addendum: Sylvalin gemstone attached to a pony courier. Keep an eye out for these gems on other couriers.

After putting the pen back down, she resumed her research with renewed vigor.

---

---

Celestia stood staring at herself in the mirror. She had undergone quite the physical transformation for her return to her throne. The new crown she wore wasn’t new at all, but was in fact an ancient relic she’d worn in the early days of her rule, in times when she had been a bit harsher with her ponies. Not only that, but she felt like she was looking at somepony she didn’t recognize. Her new regalia had been specifically chosen from her wardrobe in an attempt to show the ponies under her rule that Mommy Celestia was gone for a while and that Princess Celestia Solaris, ruler of Equestria, had come back to whip her nation into shape.

Beside her, Luna watched her sister with interest in her eyes. “Is everything alright, Cellie? You look distressed,” she said with some concern.

Celestia turned and took in Luna’s new appearance as well. Like Celestia, all of Luna’s regalia was from various times during their earlier rule, and some were even partially like her Nightmare Moon regalia. “Distressed? Maybe.” She looked down at herself, then held up one hoof. “I feel really ridiculous in these, but at the same time I feel…powerful. Does that make sense?”

Luna walked forward and put a hoof on Celestia’s breastplate, looking up at her older sister with a smile. “You look fierce and powerful,” she said.

Celestia smirked and put her hoof down. “What’s so fierce and powerful about looking over ancient laws and documents?” she asked.

“Come on now, sister,” Luna chuckled, putting her hoof around Celestia’s withers, “you told me after I returned from the moon that every part of ruling is a battle. Even if it was exhausting for you, I could see that you had that fire in your eyes. The fire of Daybreaker.”

Celestia sighed and began to remove her crown and other regalia with her magic. “I always hated that name…”

Luna frowned. “And I always hated Nightmare Moon. The name, not my other persona.”

Celestia looked quickly over at her sister. “Luna, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Luna’s frown turned into a smirk and she began removing her own regalia. “I know you called me that when we were foals, but I don’t hold it against you anymore. We were young and foolish. But now? Now we are fully grown mares and can face our problems like adults…Fat Flanks.”

Celestia’s face broke out into a smile and she threw back her head and laughed hard. “Hah! Is that all you have to say, Twinkle Hooves?”

“You take that back!” Luna said, glaring at Celestia playfully.

“Or what, Cheese Breath?” Celestia replied with a smirk, “are you gonna tell mommy on me?”

“Yep! Mommy! Moooommmmyyyy!” Luna said, holding her hoof as if she was calling someone.

Celestia pretended to look scared and put her hoof over Luna’s mouth. “Hey hey! No telling,” she said. “I’ll get you some cheese covered bread as an apology.”

The two looked at each other, then their faces broke into laughter. They hugged each other, roaring in laughter with tears streaming down their cheeks as they slowly calmed down. Finally, Luna looked over at Celestia. “There’s that smile.”

Celestia was indeed smiling. She looked down at her sister and leaned in, nuzzling her cheek affectionately. “Thanks, Lulu,” she said, “you always know how to make me smile.”

“That’s what little sisters are for,” Luna said, “we are the goofy ones of the family, after all.”

Celestia snorted and lightly hit her sister on the side of the head with her hoof. “Come on, let’s get ready for bed. We have a lot to do tomorrow. Plenty of meetings which I’m really not looking forward to. Especially with Marchioness High Life.”

“But what about Count Fanciful Pants and his wife?” Luna asked.

Celestia nodded. “Why do you think I saved him and her for last. Those two really embody what it means to be a noble.”

Luna and Celestia separated, then stood. Celestia stood there, not as a princess anymore, but just as a pony. Luna still had her regalia on since this wasn’t her bedroom, but she had a smile on her face just as Celestia did. “I’m glad that Count Silky Pants managed to find a new lover and produce an heir after I was banished,” Luna said, “because I did miss him.”

“He was angry with me at first, but after a few years he apologized and forgave me,” Celestia said. “He married a Prench noblemare and had three foals, two fillies and a colt. He loved his wife, but he still missed you. I remember his wife was initially jealous, but she eventually understood and never held it against him that Silky missed you.”

Luna smiled a bit in remembrance. “I miss him too, but I am glad he found a mare to love.”

Celestia smiled. “Same here.” She leaned back and yawned. “Well, I need to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Luna nodded. “Bright and early. Goodnight, Cellie.”

“Night, Lulu,” Celestia said as she put a few more logs on the fire. After Luna left, she curled up in bed and stared into the flames for a little while longer. Normally, she’d read before heading to sleep, but after the day she’d had, she was completely confident that she would fall asleep fast. And she did.

---

---

Sunset shot awake with a start. She’d been having the strangest dream, and it had something to do with the Old West, but with her now being awake, the details of the dream were quickly slipping away, more so than most of her dream details did. Quickly, she sat up and scrambled for her dream journal, something she’d started keeping after she was first reformed by Twilight Sparkle. The pony, not the human. She put pen to paper and began to write as many details as she could:

Principal Celestia in Stetson and looking like someone out of a cowboy movie.

Old man in Star Swirl cosplay.

Big ship.

She frowned as the remnants of the dream left her mind before she could write them down. “Shit!” She tossed the pen on the ground in anger. It hit the floor with a clatter and rolled around, moving with the very slight motion of the ship.

She lay back down and sighed. It was still early, and the continental breakfast that was scheduled for the Luxe Deluxe didn’t start until eight. It was just around seven. She put her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling, letting the ship’s gentle rocking lull her into a doze. It was very relaxing and it somehow reminded her of when she was a foal back in Equestria. Her mother would rock her to sleep in her cradle and sing her favorite lullaby every night to her.

Without knowing just why, she began to sing said lullaby.

Hush my darling, hush my darling,
close your sweet little eyes.
For today is all over
Hear my sweet lullaby.

Sleep my darling, sleep my darling,
let the night watch thee oe’r.
Moonlight shining, starlight gleaming
as through dreamland you soar.

Dream my darling, dream my darling,
of the cool summer breeze.
Of the grass and of the meadows
and the rivers and trees.

When you wake, my little darling
all the night will have gone.
Sun will rise and bring the morning
and all will greet the dawn.

Hush my darling, hush my darling,
close your sweet little eyes.
For today is all over
Hear my sweet lullaby.

Sunset smiled, a tear in her eyes as she wiped said tear away. If there was one thing she missed about Equestria, it was her parents. They lived in a small hamlet north of Canterlot and were both farmers despite both being unicorns. When she’d asked them once why they wanted to be farmers despite them being reasonably skilled with magic, her father had said, “We want to get our hooves dirty, even if we use our magic to farm.”

Shame came over her as she remembered some of her last words to her parents. They had been cruel and she’d talked about farming as if it was a lowbrow job. The look of hurt on her parents’ faces at that time hadn’t fazed her, but now she was completely ashamed. She had wanted to return to Equestria many times, but she hadn’t been able to muster the courage to do so. Every time she tried, the looks on their faces came back to her and she couldn’t go through with it.

Just then, she heard the sound of buzzing going off from the nightstand next to her bed. Startled, she looked over and saw the journal to Equestria going off. Sniffing, she sat up and wiped her eyes and blew her nose before opening the journal. Judging by the impeccable hoofwriting, she knew it was Twilight.

Sunset stared at the page, a mixture of emotions running through her. She was still angry at Twilight for what she’d done to Jason, but at the same time she was deeply worried about Spike. She’d grown really fond of the little guy and had subconsciously begun treating him like the little brother she’d never had. While she tried thinking about whether to respond or not, Twilight began writing again.

Sunset slowly clambered out of bed, reached down and grabbed the pen before climbing back into bed and grabbing the journal. She began to write.

Sparkle, you really hurt me back then. You left me without any regards for my future here. Yes, I know I deserved my fall. I was a spoiled and selfish little bitch who wanted revenge, but you used the girls to punish me and get your precious crown back. Again, I’m not saying I’m blameless in this. I know what I did and I’ve accepted my punishment for what I did. But when I heard what you did to Jason just because he was a human, I knew you hadn’t learned a damned thing. You obviously let your gut instinct rule over you and-

Sunset stopped. What was she writing? She was just venting and not really saying anything worthwhile. She took a deep breath and tried again.

Let me try this again. It will take a while for you to earn back any trust I might have had in you. One of the only reasons I’m talking is that you’re the only way I can get information about Equestria and about Spike. I really care about the little guy.

As long as you understand that, then that’s a good first step. So, any news on Spike?

Huh, I see.

You said that Gregory was there as well, so basically Spike and anyone else caught up in it was just collateral.

What?! Wait until I get my hands on them! I’ll rip their fucking throats out!

I don’t think you are!

Sunset stopped. She looked at what she’d written and a feeling of guilt came over her. She sighed and continued to write…

Yeah, that really wasn’t fair. Sorry. I just really miss him. He’s like the little brother I never had.

Yeah, he’s a sweet kid. I have a feeling he’s growing up more now.

They’re doing alright. We’re on a cruise for the summer school break. Our Twilight helped organized it with our school and helped raise funds for it. Fluttershy’s been spending a lot of time with the onboard petting zoo, Pinkie Pie’s been having the time of her life, especially the sweets buffet, Rainbow’s been convinced some sort of magical event will happen and has been trying to find out where this supposed magical event will happen at, Applejack’s been trying to have fun, but she’s been somewhat seasick, Rarity’s been spending time with this cute guy she met in a small clothing store, and I’ve just been relaxing and enjoying time with my friends.

I’m not sure they’d want to see you right now. I told them about what happened and they weren’t too happy.

And how are things over there? What’s been going on? Spike mentioned that you were in Griffonstone.

Shit…was anyone hurt?

Wow…that sounds tough. Good luck with that, Sparkle.

Oh yeah, sure. Night.

Will do.

With that, the messages stopped coming in. Sunset put the book back on the end table and lay back down. It was now seven thirty-two in the morning. She stared up at the ceiling again, letting her mind wander. She let it wander back to Equestria, and mostly to her parents. She felt that gripping fear and shame coming back to her. She’d been so close to messaging Twilight three months ago and asking her to relay a message to her parents, but then Spike had let slip the incident with Jason. A part of her felt somewhat relieved she didn’t have to deal with it, but the guilt came back again. She knew she was using her anger at Twilight as an excuse to keep holding things off.

Quickly, she reached over, grabbed the journal and opened it.

Hey, one last thing before you sleep. Can I ask you a favor?

Sunset wasn’t expecting a quick reply, but only a few seconds later she saw Twilight’s hoofwriting.

When you get a chance, could you relay a message to my parents for me?

Thank you.

Sunset turned the page to a blank one after she wrote down her parent’s address on the previous page. She held out her hand to the tip of the page, and froze. Her heart was racing wildly and she was sweating nervously. What could she say to her parents? What words could she use to express her regret and sorrow?

After a few minutes, she took a deep breath, then began to write:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hi, it’s Sunset Shimmer. Your awful and wayward daughter. I’m sorry for not contacting you both sooner, but I wanted to write to you.

First, please let me apologize for what I last said to you. I was a rude and selfish mare and shouldn’t have said any of those things. I offer no excuses for my behavior, because there isn’t any. I’m a horrible daughter for what I said and did to you, and I am so very sorry. If you don’t want to forgive me, I’ll understand.

Second, I want to tell you what I’ve been doing since I disappeared. After I ran away from Princess Celestia, I ran through a magic mirror and ended up in another world. That’s right, another world. It’s a world full of humans, the same species as Jason Wright. I’ve made new friends and have been learning a lot here. There’s a lot that’s happened, but it’s a lot to write down.

You have every right not to believe me, but I learned a lot. I hope that you can forgive me and that we can see each other again. I have so much I want to tell you, but if you don’t want to see me then I’ll understand.

I love you both, and I miss you, and I’m very sorry.

Love,

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset turned the page once more to the previous page.

Thanks, Sparkle. And goodnight.

Just as Sunset put the book down, she felt a slight shiver running down her back. She pulled her blanket up as the shivering passed. Soon, it was gone. She looked out at the ocean, smiling a bit as she watched the waves moving in the cloudy morning skies. Letting out a deep exhale, she swung her legs out of bed. It was still early, but she knew now she wouldn’t get back to bed. She was too awake now. Her stomach grumbled, and she blushed a bit.

“Welp…time to get up,” she said, heading to grab a change of clothes before her morning shower.

---

---

Gregory sat on a bench that was on the balcony of the palace’s tallest tower, thinking about the events of the past night. Gabby was there as well, her arms and wings wrapped around him tightly as she slept peacefully with her face buried in the crook of his neck. His own arms were around her as he looked out at the scene before him.

After he’d woken up, he’d taken a few minutes to calm down. The strange change in his hair and eye color was something that had taken him by surprise, and even now he wasn’t too sure how he felt about them. But he hadn’t had much time to think about it as Rarity had been all over him after he’d woken up, concerned for his wellbeing and asking if he needed anything. He’d reassured her that he was alright and that she should get some sleep, especially if they would be leaving the city soon.

Despite it being so late, Gabby must have not been sleeping because when she’d heard the commotion, she’d flown to him and hugged the stuffing out of him, kissing him all over with worry and relief. She’d actually found his new hair and eye color attractive and complimented him on it constantly. The others who had appeared, like Zecora, Starlight, Gilda, Gallus, and even Gia. Dragon Lord Ember had also showed up, expressing her own relief that he had woken up. They, too, were amazed by his physical changes, but when Starlight used her magic to perform some sort of magical scan on him, she said she couldn’t find anything noticeably different about him. She did admit, however, that she had no basis for that and could very well be wrong.

He'd thanked them all, but asked that he be given some time to himself to recover. He promised to speak to them all the next morning. This seemed to satisfy them all except for Gabby, who refused to leave his side. He knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he honestly didn’t want her to go, either.

After that, he and Gabby both went to Daenerys to check on her. To his relief, Gregory discovered that, while the young drake was still asleep, she was warmer than before. Fluffle Puff was still there and snuggling up to the young drake, helping her to recover her body heat faster. The blanket was still over her and the two guards had rekindled the fire that kept her warm. He’d stayed with her for a while, dozing with Gabby beside him, the latter stroking his hair gently and commenting how handsome he looked. Finally, he’d gotten back up and headed back upstairs with her, wandering aimlessly while Gabby flew beside him. They found the stairs to the tower about ten to fifteen minutes into their meanderings. As they climbed up the dark tower steps, he noticed that his eyesight was now much better in the dark than it had been before, almost as if he was seeing through the eyes of a cat or something.

His ears ached slightly, as if they were being stretched at the tip, but they didn’t look any different at the moment. The ache would lessen when he pulled at the tips of his ears, however, but would return after a while.

He looked at the alien starscape above him, drinking in the cool early morning air. The sun hadn’t yet begun to rise, and the tower he was on was tall enough that it looked over the entire island. He could see a few lights in the farmlands below and more in the city, but for the most part the novan island hadn’t woken up yet. There were no clouds in the sky, just the bright twinkling stars. The breeze felt cool on his brow, a welcome change from the fever he had suffered for the past day.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door that they’d come through opened. Quietly, Gregory turned. He saw, to his complete astonishment, Jason Wright standing there. Behind him, he saw Chrysalis, still in the same bipedal shape he’d seen her in when he’d first woken several hours ago. Jason and Chrysalis were both wearing Atlantean clothes now, with Jason wearing a pair of gray trousers, thick leather boots, a dark red shirt and his black cloak. Chrysalis wore a long green silk dress and had a white scarf around her neck. “I told you he was here,” Chrysalis said, elbowing Jason with a smirk.

“Yeah, I know you did,” Jason said.

At the sound of the voices, Gabby stirred and lifted her head. She looked around, and when she saw Jason and Chrysalis standing there, she tensed up. Chrysalis held up her hands. “Easy there, little birdy,” she said, “we’re not here to fight. Jason here just wanted to talk to your boyfriend.”

Gregory looked at Jason. His fellow human had the scars of his injuries plainly visible on his face. A scar ran down one eye, the blind one. There was a lightning shaped scar pattern running down one cheek. Despite all of this, he seemed to stand tall and proud. Still, there was something strange about him. Gregory couldn’t be too sure, but he…smelled wrong. Looking down at Gabby, he ran his hand through her plumage gently and lovingly. “Why don’t you head back to our room and get a bit more sleep? I’ll be along.”

She turned back and faced Gregory with worry. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“I’ll be alright,” he said reassuringly. “Go ahead.”

Gabby slowly nodded after a few seconds of contemplation, stood, stretched, and spread her wings. She gave one last warning look at Chrysalis before spreading her wings and flying down. Chrysalis looked at Jason then. “I’ll head back to our room, too,” she said, smiling at Jason before turning and walking away. Gregory could see the humanoid changeling even swaying her hips.

Once the two of them were alone, Gregory stood and faced Jason. There was silence between the two of them. The breeze picked up slightly, blowing through their hair and rustling Jason’s cloak slightly. Finally, Gregory stepped aside and walked over to the balcony, leaning against it and looking out at the dark city. After a little bit, Jason’s heavy footfalls were heard approaching. Soon, Jason was leaning on the balcony just like Gregory. The two didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Finally, Gregory took a deep breath. “You know I used to hate that I liked My Little Pony. Not anymore, and I’m proud to be a brony,” he sang softly.

“Forever,” Jason replied hoarsely.

Gregory smirked a bit. “You know the song, then,” he muttered.

“I left Earth two years after it came out,” Jason said, “so of course I know the song.”

“Two years? When did you leave?” Gregory asked.

“Sometime in 2014,” Jason replied.

“September 2023 for me,” Gregory replied, “and the world’s gone even more to shit then. Hell, MLP ended back in 2019 and that led to G5 MLP set like a few centuries or so after the events of the G4 finale. But I have a feeling you’re not here to talk to me about all that, are you?”

Jason nodded. “There’s a lot we should talk about,” he said as he looked over the city below.

“Like what you did to Ponyville?” Gregory asked.

Gregory saw Jason stiffen at that, but nothing more. He took a deep breath. “If that’s what you want to talk about first, then go ahead,” he said.

Gregory turned, facing Jason, who to his credit had turned to face Gregory in turn. The two looked at each other until finally Gregory spoke. “I’m not going to lecture you about what you did,” he said. “I can understand your need for revenge, even if I haven’t gone through the three years of torment and hell you’ve been through, and I honestly have no room to judge you on your actions. I wasn’t there. I would have probably done the same thing, if not worse. If anything, though, I can safely say we’re both idiots.”

That caught Jason’s attention. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean that we both came here with the expectation that this was the exact same type of world that we knew from the cartoon,” Gregory explained, “but we were wrong. Hell, I should have realized it too. There are a couple examples of xenophobia in the later seasons that I just ignored. Rose tinted glasses, I guess. Naïve thinking at its finest, I suppose.”

Jason chuckled dryly. “You’re not wrong,” he said, “I mean, the changelings were the first to show me any form of kindness or even help. The motherfucking changelings! And all Discord did was remove the filters around the ponies’ reactions.”

Gregory nodded. “I was told that,” he said.

“Is that all you have to say about what I did?” Jason asked.

“What else is there to say?” Gregory replied. “If you were expecting me to yell and scream at you for what you did, then you’re wrong. What’s been done is done. It would do no good for me to yell at you.”

“Very well, then there’s something I’d like to ask of you, one ruler to another,” Jason said.

Gregory felt the seriousness in Jason’s tone, and he straightened. “What is it?” he asked.

Jason took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Before I ask, I want you to swear that you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to say. Not even Chrysalis. If she knew what I was planning, she’d be pissed and would probably do something stupid.”

That caught Gregory’s attention even more, but he just nodded and said, “Alright, you have my attention. What is it?”

Jason exhaled. “I have cancer,” he began, and before Gregory could say anything, he held his hand up. “Please wait, I’m not done.” Gregory held his tongue as Jason continued, “I don’t think I’ll live to see next year. I’ve been trying to fix it so that my subjects live in peace and safety, but we live in the Badlands. It’s not an easy life for them even if they never tell me. I’ve been keeping an eye on you just in case someone tried to hurt you. I’ll be honest, I was jealous of you at first. You got the welcome I never got. Still, I was worried about you so I asked one of my agents to look you over.”

“Ocellus, yeah,” Gregory replied.

“You know her?” Jason asked, sounding surprised.

“She’s a character in the last two seasons of the show,” Gregory replied, “but we’re getting off topic. Continue, please.”

Jason nodded. “I’m dying, and I want my subjects to have their future assured. They might have been the villains in the show, but they’re the only ones who ever gave me any real help in this godforsaken world. I want to repay them if I can. When I’m gone, would you and the Griffon Empire take them in?”

Gregory’s jaw dropped. This was all way too sudden. The only other human dying of cancer and asking him to take in an entire species? “You’re asking a lot of someone who just got the Targaryen makeover,” he said.

“Yes, I know I am,” Jason said, “but I’ve seen what you’ve accomplished in only three months. I know that Chrysalis would simply keep the changelings doing what they have been doing in the past. I don’t want that for them, or for her. I don’t know how long I have left…”

Gregory could see something in Jason’s expression, a pain that wasn’t physical, but emotional. A pain and a worry. “Oh my God…you love her, don’t you?” he asked softly.

Jason looked at Gregory with a completely serious expression. “Please look after them when I’m gone,” he repeated, “your empire is large and there’s plenty of land where they can settle and make a colony.”

Gregory heard a slight hint of desperation in his voice, and his heart went out to his fellow man. Jason might have committed acts of war against Equestria, but he was first and foremost a victim in this circumstance. He obviously cared for those under him, and Gregory could relate. He might have had the job of Chancellor thrust upon him without asking for it, but he knew that a leader had to take things seriously. He had to think of his people first and foremost. Gregory stood straighter. “In the event of your death, I will speak to the Imperial Council and extend an invitation to the changelings,” he said. “That’s all I really can do. I’m not an Emperor, Jason. I’m just a chancellor.”

“So was Palpatine,” Jason said with a smirk.

Gregory rolled his eyes. “I don’t have that kind of power,” he said, “but I’ll do what I can.”

Jason sighed, nodding slowly. “I suppose that’s all anyone can ask of you,” he said, turning and looking towards the east.

Gregory watched him for a bit, but when he didn’t move, he turned and looked in the same direction. What little horizon they saw was growing brighter as the faux sun began to rise. Gregory noticed that he was now able to see a bit farther than before. He watched a group of bats heading towards the mountains surrounding the floating island. He spotted a small herd of cattle in the farmlands lying in the grass, perfectly content. He even observed a young novan couple sitting in a tree and kissing, saying something to one another. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “You know,” he began, “before I took the plunge and came here, I pushed a camera through the portal I made. I took pictures of Ponyville from a distance, but that’s not all. I took pictures of Coruscant, Minas Tirith, the Red Keep, even the planet Vulcan from orbit. That last one almost destroyed my camera,” he said with a smirk.

Jason snorted. “You tried that spell out on all those fictional worlds and they were real?”

“What? It’s not like what we used to get here is limited to just the My Little Pony universe,” Gregory replied. “Sure, that Dark Web website said we could never go back to Earth, but it also said we could enter into any fictional universe we chose. Makes you think just how many people who went missing back on Earth found this website and went off to explore, say, the world of Futurama or the world of Supernatural.”

“Supernatural would be a stupid place to go,” Jason said. “Too many monsters.”

“Yeah, with God being the big baddie of the last season,” Gregory said.

“Shit, really?” Jason asked.

“I have all the seasons of Supernatural back on my laptop back home,” Gregory said, “but yeah, I doubt you’d have as much fun in Supernatural.” Jason nodded silently. He stared back out at the rising sun. They watched in silence as the sun slowly continued to rise. Just as the city was beginning to wake up, Gregory turned away and faced the door, leaning against the balcony with both elbows. “Have you considered some kind of magical means of curing your cancer?”

Jason glared at him. “You’d better not be talking about fucking ponies,” he snapped.

“Not at all,” Gregory said, “but there are other species in this world. You’re forgetting people like Zecora. And there’s a possibility that one unicorn Pinkie Pie clone might have found something in the Atlantean archives during her search. There are magical artifacts elsewhere that might be able to help cure you. And there’s the human world, too. The one from Equestria Girls.”

Jason turned away and shook his head. “Don’t…don’t give me false hope,” he said with a shaky voice.

Gregory went silent for a bit. “Sorry, I suppose that really isn’t any of my business,” he admitted. “You’re an adult, and you’re probably older than I am. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jason didn’t reply for a while. The sun continued rising, and Gregory figured that the conversation was over. “I’m gonna head back down and get a few hours sleep,” he said softly, pushing off of the balcony and walking towards the door.

“…Thanks for the concern,” he heard Jason muttering, although to Gregory’s ears it sounded more like a whisper than anything, “but there’s nothing you can do…”

Gregory pursed his lips, pausing midstride. He opened his mouth, closed it, and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then headed out, leaving Jason to watch the sun rise.

Five minutes later, he was under the covers in his room, with the still awake Gabby clinging to him as he closed his eyes. Despite his mind being in turmoil, he was still exhausted enough to fall asleep.

---

---

Fluffle Puff was dreaming about sailing on a sea of strawberries and cream on a licorice boat when she was woken quite suddenly to a small rumbling noise. Slowly, she opened her eyes only to see that the drake Daenerys had one eye open and was looking at the fluffy Pinkie Pie clone with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Immediately, Fluffle got off of where she’d been lying on top of the drake and rushed over to her. “Well, good morning,” she said, “you gave us a big scare last night, but you look like you’re feeling better now. Are you feeling any better? Hungry, maybe?”

The drake turned her head curiously, then opened her mouth. “Yes, some food would be nice, please,” she said in a young female voice.

Fluffle nodded and smiled. “Sure! I’ll tell the guards!” With that, she bounded off to the outside where the two novans were still standing. “Hey hey hey, guys! The drake’s awake and she’s asking for food.”

Paul nodded tiredly, then paused. He turned and looked at Fluffle wide eyed. “Did you say…she’s asking for food?”

“Yep! She said some food would be nice,” Fluffle said matter-of-factly. “Oh, and she did say please!”

Timothy turned and looked at Fluffle now. “Fluff, listen to yourself. You’re telling us that a drake talked?”

“Well, yeah,” Fluffle said with a giggle, “I mean, how else is she suppose to-?” Just then, it hit her. Her eyes widened and she turned and rushed back in to find Daenerys sitting on her haunches, brushing herself off with her claws. Timothy and Paul followed close behind and were quickly standing on either side of her. Fluffle stepped forward slowly, looking up at the tall drake with wide eyes. Clearing her throat, she said, “Um…did you say you wanted food?”

“Yes,” the drake said, “and if you have any, some raw meat would be nice, please.”

The two novans and pony looked at each other in awe and wonder. “So…um…somepony’s gonna have to tell Gregory about this,” Fluffle said as she looked at both guards. “Which one of us is it gonna be?”

Next Chapter: 38: Departure Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 54 Minutes