In a bleak hospital room, in a lifeless hospital bed, Pinkie Pie laid. Her chest barely rose and fell. One wouldn’t be able to tell she still lived if not for the beeping of the machine reading her heart.

Aside from the machine, the only other movement was of the single, deflated balloon tied to one of the corners of the bed. It hung at only half the length of the string, floating gently in the air-conditioning. Her room had once been full of balloons and streamers, colourful and bright, like the pony who inhabited it. Cupcakes and treats had flooded in at the beginning, but when she stopped eating them, they stopped coming. Gifts and well wishes had flooded in as well, but when she stopped smiling, ponies stopped finding the time to send them. She used to have visitors too, but her silence was just as hard for them to hear as it was for her.

Her heart used to beat with ease, but when broken, the line eventually fell flat. As her final breath was expelled, her lips formed two words.

“Finally, Solace."

Her Dilemma

From: Fluttershy

To: Twilight Sparkle

One Hundred and Ninety-Nine days after the death of Rarity

Dear Twilight,

I must confess something. I didn’t talk to Applejack about coming with us.

I’m so sorry.

We aren’t where we should be. We aren’t the same friends that we used to be, and I know if I told her about you guys, she wouldn’t believe me. She’d think that I’m crazy, and I was afraid that she may stop me from coming. You and I have been talking about all this like it’ll be a picnic, but to Applejack it’ll sound crazy. Paradise is a scary thing to think about actually going to.

Maybe Rainbow told you to bring room for one more. It’s not for Applejack, but for Princess Luna. I’ve fallen in love with her, and I want to bring her with us. I know I’m not helping the situation, and if she can’t come, I understand, but at least it’ll be a time to say goodbye.

Love,

Fluttershy

Fluttershy had had a lot of things on her mind as of late. All her life, she’d considered herself a loner. For whatever reason, ponies hadn’t wanted to talk to her or make friends. Some tried, but it was just too much at times to receive them with any sort of grace. If at least one pony decided to talk to her in a month, it was a good month.

She’d plan her response, rehearse it, and try to pep herself up for it, but it never worked. The moment would come that a handsome stallion would ask her name or a friendly looking mare would ask how her day had been. In that moment, every thoughtful preparation would dash from her mind as though afraid of being used. There would be silence, awkward flitting eyes, and then the moment would pass. They’d move on from her and never look back, every time leaving her wondering what was wrong with her.

And then the most amazing thing happened.

She suddenly had friends, best friends at that, and she became part of something greater. They had fallen right into her lap without effort. The ignition of her spark as the Element of Kindness was more than a destined calling. In it laid her hope for a life without loneliness. The apparent nature of the elements almost required her to have friends, and by their power, those friendships would persevere. How could a team of ponies carrying such an ancient power ever be split up? It was impossible, a cosmic infallibility. As the sun rised, the elements would stay together.

She used to think that at least. Now, it was hard to say what she stood for anymore. Could she really describe the last few months of her life as living as the epitome of kindness? Was she really the Element of Kindness, or would have any other pony who ventured with Twilight that night so long ago have become the Element of Kindness in her place? The elements changed as ponies passed on, and maybe her time was up.

Her precious, unbreakable ties to her friends had evaporated into thin air, or maybe had never really been there in the first place. The more she thought, the more she began to think the latter. None of them ever really cared for her before the elements came along. Rainbow Dash claimed to have, but it was always about ‘protecting’ her, never about understanding her. After the elements, it almost felt obligatory to be friends, like if they didn’t maintain good relations Twilight would write a letter to Celestia condemning them.

The pen she had been chewing in her mouth fell out, bouncing off her chest and hitting the ground. She hardly noticed it, too deep in thought to react. After some time it occurred to her that her mind was blank. She sighed.

“Angel…” she said.

The bunny was reading through a sewing book when she said this, and he perked his ear

“I—I don’t know if I can make it to Canterlot. Midnight is only half a day away,” she said, thinking of her promise to Rainbow Dash. “What if Celestia doesn’t let me see Luna? Would it be so bad to pretend none of this ever happened?”

She looked at the letter she’d written. It had yet to be sent.

“And who am I even writing to anymore? How do I know it’s Twilight, or Rarity, or any of them? It’s not real. Applejack couldn’t see what I was holding…” she said, nodding to herself. “And even if it was, I did the right thing for myself and made sure I’d never be able to reach Rainbow.”

Angel rolled his eyes.

“Luna said that Celestia would detain me, and I’d be betting so much on the idea that Celestia will want me and Luna together. And really,” she continued. “What right do I have to be so blessed to write to friends that I shouldn’t have in the first place? It was dumb luck that I met them. There are ponies out there who’ve lost husbands or wives who deserve to have one last letter. Me? I’ve been using them to play make believe.”

She let a tear escape and felt disgusted by it. “I’ve become so uselessly spoiled that I even believed myself worthy of a princess. And how—”

Angel interrupted Fluttershy with a hard slap. She hadn’t even noticed him climb on the table. He stood there with his arms crossed and his foot thumping against the floor, wearing that look he always wore when he was really tired of hearing her complain.

She looked at him agasp, mouth hung open. How dare he? Where did he get the authority to look at her in such a way? Fluttershy wanted to hit him back.

“Angel, don’t tell me what to do,” she growled. “You’re just as spoiled as I am. You didn’t go through what I went though. Maybe if you did, you would realize that neither of us deserve anything!”

He pointed at the door. Fluttershy didn’t look because she already knew what was there. Resting next to the door were two saddlebags filled with only enough supplies for a one-way trip. She prepared it last night, and cringed when she thought about what kind of pony packed it.

The pony that packed it was full of hope. She remembered smiling about the over-the-top packed lunch she’d fixed for herself with all her favourite snacks. There were bits inside for her favourite ice cream when she got there, a poem she wrote for Luna, a book that she hadn’t finished yet, and a surprise ticket for the bunny in case he wanted to come. The ending to the book was supposedly a tearjerker, but ideally she wouldn’t need it. The train ride would be long though, and if nothing else, she wanted to take Angel to share her last hours in Equestria with him.

All of that now sat in a lonely corner next to her door.

“What about it?” she said, annoyed. “I’m probably not going to go, and even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. Nothing matters.”

On her desk was a picture of her friends. It caught her eye and as soon as it did, memories flooded her mind. The best years of her life were with them, and she knew in her heart they wouldn’t give up on her. They weren’t giving up on her. They were trying to include her, to bring everyone together, and she was sulking over her desk.

She took a deep breath and grimaced.

It didn’t matter that she had been an element of harmony before. It didn’t matter if she was currently an element of harmony. It didn’t matter why she became friends with her five best friends. That had been the fate given to her by the elements. From now on, she would follow the fate she gave herself.

And what mattered more than anything was being there for the ponies she cared about.

“You’re right, Angel” she said. “I could be miserable. I’m gonna be miserable. This is all probably in my head, but even if it is, I’m not gonna go down without a fight.”

In a few swift movements, she shattered the jar of silky white dust, patted her hoof into the stuff, stamped it onto the letter, put it in an envelope, licked the seal, and threw it up in the air behind her. She was certain she looked very cool during the whole process as the letter disintegrated into dust.

The next step was to spin out of her chair, not caring if it fell to the ground, pick up the saddlebags with her wings, pop Angel onto her back with her rear leg, and fly off to the train station.

“Come on, Angel, let’s go.”

*

Angel spent most of the ride in Fluttershy’s lap, hugging her around her waist and looking sad. Since they had a booth all to themselves, Fluttershy decided to read the story she brought out loud to him. It was about a pony trapped on a magical boat that let them sail through life, watching it like a sideshow attraction. Over the course of the trip they lost control, and the ship took them through life at frightening speed.

It was a commentary on one’s mortality and the anxiety that the inevitability of death brings on. The final chapters weren’t as sad as she was expecting, but they did make her think. The fear of death shaped ponies, whether it provoked or paralyzed them. It was primal, instinctual, but if all went as planned, she’d never feel it again.

The thought of Paradise itself was comforting, but it was the method by which she would get there that made her anxious. Part of her wondered if Rainbow Dash was going to kill her. It was gruesome, but it made sense, more sense than any other explanation. If Paradise was the afterlife, then what else could get her there aside from dying?

She finished the book and considered these things in silence for some time, scratching Angel behind the ears as she did.

When the train arrived at the security checkpoint outside Canterlot, it stopped. Two guards filed in through the connecting car doors. Each one took one aisle on either side, and formally began asking ponies questions and searching their belongings.

Fluttershy took a deep breath as one of the guards entered the compartment right before hers.

“This is it, Angel,” she said.

He perked his ear.

“You remember how to get to her, right?”

He nodded.

“I’m not sure if Luna’s gonna be there, and if she isn’t, I don’t expect miracles, but the next places to check would be the dungeons and Celestia’s room. Other than that, be safe.” She kissed him on the top of the head and hugged him tightly.

A few tears escaped him. They were tiny, but Fluttershy could still feel them against her shoulder.

“I love you, Angel. One day we’ll be back together, I promise.”

They had one last moment. After which, he hopped out of the compartment with a small note in a side bag.

It read, help. celestia has me.

If Celestia really did do something horrible to her, Angel would be her last hope. If she couldn’t reach Luna, maybe Luna could reach her.

The guard finished up with the previous group of ponies and opened the door of her compartment. Fluttershy put her hooves in her lap and looked down.

“Name?” demanded the guard.

She jumped. “I—um... Fl-Fluttershy.”

He snickered and flipped through the papers on his clipboard. She looked up at him. His face was familiar, but it took a moment to remember where she recognized it from. He was the general who delivered the first letter from Apple Bloom. He seemed more relaxed this time around, and she noticed a light midwestern accent come through in his voice.

He looked up from his clipboard before tossing it onto the seat across from hers and sitting down himself. He leaned forward a bit, a concerning smile on his face.

"Ya know, I remember you," he said. "Ever since Princess Luna made me into a feather-flipping courier, I've been wonderin' what's so special about that pegasus?"

Fluttershy didn't look up or speak.

"Took me right off of my desk and told me that this letter needed to be delivered personally by 'only the most important of military ponies'." He said the last part in a facsimile of Luna's usual loud, monotone way of speaking.

There was a silence. Fluttershy’s blood boiled. No one makes fun of Luna.

"It was embarrassing, but hey." He tossed his hooves in the air and leaned back, letting them rest behind his head. "I'm a soldier, gotta follow orders, right?”

More silence. His veil of friendliness was clear as glass. The happier he looked, the more Fluttershy hated him. She flinched when he spoke again.

“You’re important,” he said with a sudden harshness. “More important than ya have any right to be, a threat to all of Canterlot, and yet ya don’t even speak. You don’t do anything.”

Fluttershy glared at him with as much intensity as she could muster. Some ponies told her that she could stop the world from turning with the fire that burned behind her bright, cerulean eyes. It stopped weaker-willed ponies in their tracks and could shake even the most terrifying of creatures. She hadn’t been sure how a General of the Guard would react to her stare, but was definitely satisfied when his arrogant smile fell right off his face.

“Are you going to hurry up and detain me already?” she chided cooly. “Because I have things to do today and all your talking is wasting my time.”

There was a look of pure terror that bloomed across his face for a split-second before his training kicked in. A good soldier could never show his enemies fear. His expression steeled over, passing from fearful doubt to practiced stoicism. It had been the briefest loss of all composure, but nevertheless it was priceless.

“Miss Fluttershy, come with me,” he said.

She followed him out and came to face to face with three more familiar ponies who happened to be passing by. One was Lance, another was Trixie, and the last was the nurse who had looked after Twilight on that first trip to Canterlot.

“Fluttershy?” said Lance.

“Lance?” she replied.

“Shy, yellow pony?” said Trixie.

“Lily!” said Lily.

“Corporal, report,” said the general.

Lance stood at attention. “I’ve apprehended Trixie Lulamoon and Princess Illustrious and am taking them in for interrogation.”

The general raised a brow. “Well done, Corporal. I think you already know who this is. The princess will be pleased, won’t she? Three in one day.”

“She will.”

Fluttershy and Lance exchanged glances. She sent him a pleading look. If anything, she knew Lance would be a better bet for getting out free than the general. It wouldn’t have been the first time he had broken protocol to help her. In the past it was better for everypony to simply think Luna was in her room, and not flying off somewhere more private.

“General, permission to take Fluttershy in as well. As commanding officer of today’s searches and processing, it’s my responsibility to that see all suspects be processed to interrogation,” said Lance.

The general gave him a hard look. “Permission denied.”

“Sir, I cannot breach protocol.”

“I said, permission denied.”

“Sir, these orders are a royal decree—they supercede the brass.”

The general stood up tall and got right in Lance’s face. “Corporal, are you trying to be smart with me?”

Lance didn’t move nor flinch, staring straight ahead with trained discipline. “No, sir. I’m simply following orders.”

“And what are you going to do if I take her to Celestia myself? Arrest me?” he hissed. “Do you think she will approve of such misconduct?”

Lance fidgeted, being the first to show a sign of discomfort. The general smiled.

“I thought so,” he said finally. “Corporal, I’ll be writing you up for your insubordination later. Fluttershy, come with me.”

As the general led her away, Fluttershy shot Lance another pleading look, but all he could do was turn away.

After their impasse with Fluttershy, Trixie and Lily followed Lance through a few more cars. All along the way they saw guards performing similar security searches. There was no hiding it, or even an attempt to cover it up—Celestia was looking for something. What that something was was the grand question. It was on everyone’s mind, though most could afford to disregard it. To them it was a minor inconvenience and maybe some fuel for conspiracy talk.

“Lance, are you going to help us?” asked Trixie in a hushed voice.

He looked back and gave a small nod without speaking. It was stern and cold.

The three of them came to an unusual doorway on the long side of one car. To the unaware, it would have looked like a design mistake. It was an expensive looking oak door with elegant, gilded designs etched into it and a brass pineapple for a handle. It stuck out like a sore thumb against the plain aluminum cars and cheap upholstered seats. Having studied magic formally, Trixie knew it was a portal. Not common in most parts, but academics never resisted any sort of application of magic to ease even the simplest tasks.

She watched as Lance muttered a few words and drew his hoof across some of the etchings with precision. There was a churning and clanking of metal that seemed to originate deep and far beyond the door, followed by a click. Lance pushed it open.

The room was dark, with only a single lamp. The dimensions of the room were impossible to assess, as darkness shrouded everything beyond the light of the lamp. There were no visible ceilings or walls aside from the one the door decorated. Inside was a simple metal table and three chairs. Trixie wondered if the dimensions of the room were some sort of optical illusion, or if the darkness really went on forever.

Trixie looked over to her unusual and young companion, who had her nose less than an inch from the door.

“This—” Lily said. “Trixie, do you know what this is?”

Trixie smirked. “It’s a portal.”

Lily batted a hoof at her. “I know, but it’s still neat! Do you know the logistical implications of instant travel?” she ranted. “Economics would effectively become agent centered and entirely based off of the unique point in time in which preference happens.” She plopped down to her rear and scratched her chin. “How come I haven’t seen this yet, and why only now?”

Lance huffed. “Ladies, please step into the interrogation room.”

Trixie did as she was told without speaking, Lance followed, and Lily was last, lagging behind to get one last look at the door. Once the portal closed, Lance dropped his rigid military posture and let out a deep breath. He crossed over to the table, sat himself down, and propped his legs up onto the table as though he’d just come home from a long day at work. A few moments of silence prompted Trixie.

“You are Captain Lance, then?” she asked.

He took his time to answer, the question seemingly churning over in his mind. He stared up at the endless, dark ceiling for a few good moments and then down at Trixie.

“Firstly, I’m a corporal, and secondly, I need to know what you’re doing with her.” He pointed to Lily.

“Hi!” replied Lily, waving.

He rolled his eyes. “Illustrious, please do not make light of the situation.”

“Trixie isn’t with her. We met on the train. Why? Is she important?”

Lance took his hooves off the table and sat forward, glaring at Lily. She was still sitting on the ground like a dog, a big, innocent smile across her face. Over a few agonizing moments, Trixie felt the air thicken.

“Princess Illustrious is an enemy of the state. She is a threat on par with the Changelings, King Sombre, and any sort of malicious entity that could inflict lasting harm on entire regions. ”

Trixie exchanged glances with both of them. Lily maintained her pseudo-cheeriness for the most part, but her muzzle flared and her brow twitched.

“Really?” said Trixie. “Call Trixie a skeptic, but she doesn’t believe that this little filly could have drawn Canterlot’s ire. And we are not exactly on good terms with Canterlot either. The enemy of our enemy is—”

“Our friend, I know,” said Lance, equal parts exasperated and agitated. “But can you close your big mouth?”

“You two are enemies of—Canterlot?” piped Lily as the light bulb flashed in her mind. “Are you attempting to commit treason?”

Lance held a hoof to his face. Lily looked back and forth between the two, before silently saying “oh” and smiling with clever, knowing eyes. In all her years, Trixie had never been the best at keeping secrets. Her close friends could all testify to that.

“Illustrious, you are going to answer a few questions, and then you’ll be escorted to a cell,” said Lance, trying to recollect control of the situation.

“Trixie thinks you’re being a bit harsh.”

“I think they should have sent a different pony instead of you,” he growled.

“Under what jurisdiction is my crime under?” asked Lily.

“The Crown of Canterlot, Canterlot Metro,” he said without missing a beat.

“And what am I being charged with?”

“Are you done talking?” he chided.

“Under the Articles of the Union of Cities, I have a right to know what I’m being charged with. This is unlawful arrest.”

“You haven’t been placed under arrest. This is detain—”

“Incorrect. My freedom is restricted and I have not committed an offense in plain sight or witnessed one. That is arrest. Now tell me why I’m here and what I’m being persecuted for.”

More agonizing silence.

Trixie, as much as any other pony, didn’t like being walked all over. Sure, she would probably ask an officer the same question if he had randomly arrested her, but right now that didn’t feel like the best decision. With the monarch kidnapping ponies and shutting down the capital city and all, it felt like no amount of arguing about technicalities would help Lily’s situation.

There were always stories about ponies disappearing to the government, and it was always implied that such incidents probably didn’t follow due process. It was an era of fear and control, and it didn’t help that Trixie was conspiring against a monarch to hide a potentially powerful magical artifact.

Trixie thought she should say to Lily, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, kid, but held her tongue. It wasn’t her conversation to butt in to.

“You’ll have to take that up with Celestia,” said Lance, finally.

“Do you even know what I’ve done?” prodded Lily. “Let’s presume that this ‘Celestia’ has no real charges against me, and you condemn me to whatever punishment she prescribes. Being punished for doing nothing wrong isn’t right nor just, and you’d be the hoof that did it.”

“I’m presuming that? Now, you presume this.” He was angry, the sort of controlled anger that was infinitely more terrifying than shouting. “How about you presume that I have a job to do, and that job supports a family. Presume that I don’t have the luxury of picking what orders to follow if I want to keep said job, or more importantly, my freedom.”

Lily closed her mouth and pursed her lips. She opened it a few times more, as if to speak, but never did.

“Ms. Lulamoon, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know to get to Spike, who will take it from there. Initially I was going to go with you, but Illustrious needs to be reported to the brass.”

“And if I refuse?” said Lily. “I haven’t received due process, and likely won’t, so I don’t see why I should bother complying.”

“Illustrious, don’t do this—”

“Be reasonable. If I am an enemy of this Celestia, why would I go to her? Explain why that makes sense—”

“You’re a threat to Canterlot!”

“I can help you.”

“What about my family?”

“What about my life?” she cried.

“That—” He wagged his hoof at her. “That is not my problem.”

She stood up, dropped all her cheeriness, and surged her horn alight with magic. A wild glint shone in her eyes. Her mane, which had been blue with white streaks, began to glow. A pair of wings formed onto her body in a blinding, technicolour light, becoming solid in a flash. “Do you want to see a magic trick, Corporal? I have many.”

“Illustrious, stand down!” he commanded.

The moisture in her eyes began to glow bright white, and a single, beaming tear streaked down her face. The brilliance of her coat grew until she was bright as lightning, illuminating the corners of the room. “This is a trick my Auntie Rarity taught me…”

“Rarity? The fashion designer?” asked Trixie.

“Do not try and stop me, Trixie.” Lily’s voice sounded distant, like an echo across a canyon.

Lance knocked the table over and braced himself behind it. “Don’t do this Illustrious!

“Trixie knows your aunt! She wasn’t aware that Rarity had another sibling who had a child! She thought Sweetie Belle was her only sister.”

Lily looked at her, searching. Lily, as Trixie saw it, began to ‘power-down’, and her serious demeanor disappeared as quickly as it had manifested. The light of her coat waned, her wings flittered away into airy light, and she fell to her flank. She locked her huge, suddenly hopeful eyes with Trixie as though she’d been adopted from an orphanage. If there had been a more fickle pony in the world, Trixie was none the wiser. Apparently, she had said the magic word.

“You—you knew my auntie?” whispered Lily, nearly inaudible.

“Well, not extraordinarily well, but Trixie was also a fan of her last fashion line, and was told stories of her.”

Lily’s enormous eyes begged her for more details. She probably wanted to hear about what great friends they must have been. All Trixie could think of was how she once turned Rarity’s hair green and sent her wailing to the salon. And there was that time she enslaved all of Ponyville, Rarity included.

“There was a time where Rarity worked under Trixie, and we shared some interesting rapport.”

“You were her supervisor?”

“Sort of...”

“Princess Illustrious, will you be coming quietly, or do I need to call in reinforcements? We will take you down!” bellowed Lance.

She snapped her attention back to him. “No. And do not dare threaten me, as I will send you to a place arguably worse than death. I can’t be for certain, as I have not died before, but it’s a really common saying and I feel empowered saying it!” she exclaimed.

“Well, that’s just great,” he muttered.

“Trixie!” barked Lily.

“What?” Trixie shouted back, subtly mocking Lily’s loudness.

“I’m about ninety-five percent sure we are going to the same place. Are you going to see my mother?”

“The concerned mother, Stella? Yes.”

“One-hundred percent sure, then. After we find her, I need you to show me where Rarity lives. Lance, where does ‘the Spike’ live?”

“Royal Canterlot Library in-house lodging, suite fourteen,” he said, defeated.

“Also, Rarity passed some time ago,” added Trixie.

Lily turned and locked eyes with Trixie. Her brow was furrowed. Trixie felt herself sink a little, like Lily had not believed her, or was wanting to know if there was any hint of untruth to it. At once her expression lightened, and Trixie was relieved.

“Thank you. Trixie, we must go. My colour is running grey.”

Trixie pondered the meaning of ‘grey’ for a moment before shaking it from her head. Lily seemed intently focused on accomplishing something, and Trixie wasn’t going to stand in the way of that. As long as she got the book to Spike without Lily noticing it and doing—something—to it, maybe she’d get to be home by dinner time.

“Remind Trixie where we are going again,” she said.

“You know, I’m not entirely sure. I’d like to get into the castle, but you ponies have messed up my sister’s doors. This one could lead to anywhere in the castle.”

Lily approached the door, but instead of chanting words like Lance had done, she magically cast forth a small blade of pure light and held it up to her face. She turned it over and looked at it like an old friend before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and gashing her left shoulder with it. Lily squeaked in pain.

The blade dissipated. She grit her teeth as she dabbed her hoof into the fresh wound. A small bit of glistening, bright red blood covered the tip of Lily’s hoof. In a single fluid motion she magically drew more blood to her hoof and used it to write upon the door’s etched markings. Once she was done, the wound began to glow and was sealed.

It was painful for Trixie to watch, and she wasn’t surprised when she heard grinding metal from far beyond the door, followed by a click. Lily glanced Trixie’s curious eyes.

“I have no dissertation on this sort of magic,” commented Lily. “It is literally a pain to use, but the elaborative properties of enchanted blood as a catalyst really have no equal.”

“Trixie thought blood magic had been forgotten long ago—and for good reason.”

“Indeed, I’ve noticed a lack of ‘Colour Magic’ since I got back. I was hoping you’d be able to explain this.”

“Colour magic?”

Just then, the door opened and Trixie saw a pony that drained all the colour from her face. Sprawled out across a large cushion was a pony writing a letter. The pony looked up and locked eyes with Trixie. Her smile wanted them to come forth, but wasn’t warming in the slightest. Trixie could feel the weight of the treasure she’d been tasked with guarding grow heavier.

“Trixie, Illustrious, so good of you to bring me my diary,” said Celestia. She brought a teacup to her lips and sipped gently.

Behind the forcefield of a magical holding cell, Fluttershy sat waiting for the train to arrive at the station in Canterlot. The guards fitted her into a special straightjacket that held her wings snug against her body and could only be opened by key, along with a pair of manacles to keep her from running.

She glared at the two guards who dressed her with the same intensity that she had before with the general. It was as amusing to see them never make eye contact with her. They whispered under their breath to make sure that she couldn’t hear a single thing they said, and performed their task quickly and efficiently, minimizing the time they actually spent in the same room as her.

From behind the magical screen, Fluttershy saw the general mutter something to a nearby officer, who then walked into another room. He returned with a small wooden box. A hole then opened up in the screen.

“Private Stomp, apply this damper,” said the officer before he levitated the box into the room.

One of the guards with Fluttershy opened the box and took out a hairpin in the shape of a butterfly. The box then retreated back through the hole in the screen, which closed up behind it.

Fluttershy squinted at the ornament skeptically. “What’s that?” she asked.

No response. The one guard placed it into her mane just above her ear, while the other finished restraining her by applying a few more padlocks to her vest. Once done, the screen opened, they left through it, and it closed. She didn’t bother struggling against her bindings. All she did was go sit on the bench provided in the cell and stare with all she had at the ponies beyond the screen.

A few minutes later, Fluttershy could feel the momentum of the train slow and hear its brakes screeching. When it finally stopped, the screen went totally black, leaving her alone in darkness.

Some time passed, and she took the opportunity to fall asleep to see if she could reach out to Luna.

When she woke up, she found herself in a more conventional looking prison cell, one with iron bars and cold, stone walls. She still wore the wing restraining vest and hairpin, but now chains bound her legs to each of the corners of the cell. Just outside was a wooden table with a lantern atop it. A pegasus who resembled a dead tree in winter sat at it. He had an ashen grey coat with thin, skeletal limbs and a gaunt face. His eyes were so sunken in that she could scarcely see the colour of them. About him was a cunning, calculating aura Fluttershy would have expected from a hired killer or jaded librarian. Aside from the table and the guard there was a staircase leading up to a wooden door, and what was beyond that could have been anything.

He sat with his legs propped up, watching her from behind those two dark sockets, totally motionless. Had it not been for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Fluttershy would have suspected a skeleton was watching her. He wore a name badge. “Commander Parry”.

However, minor in comparison to that fact that she had just slept and didn’t keep track of how long. The deadline was still midnight.

“Pardon me, but do you have the time?” asked Fluttershy.

His head moved ever so slightly from left to right and back again.

“Can I have some water?”

He gave the same response.

She crossed her hooves in front of her and rested her chin upon them, unable to look away from Parry, and eventually phasing out on him.

*

Five or so hours passed without incident, and as time went on, Fluttershy felt sicker and sicker. Angel should have reached Luna by now. He was small, and his stubby legs could only carry him so fast, but he was deceptively quick. More often than not, she’d be feeding him and look away for a moment only to find him in another room of her cottage. The thought of him being captured made a pit of bile in her stomach.

Every passing second added to the sickness and her feeling of hopelessness. There was only going to be a small window of opportunity for her meet up with Rainbow Dash and she was beginning to think she had already missed it. There was no telling how long she had been out for. It could have been an hour, five, or maybe eight, and added to how long she had spent in the cell, midnight could have already passed.

She had spent the entire time looking at Parry with big, sad eyes. He was like a statue, in the same position as he had been when the general first left, but after so much time, maybe he was more willing to have a conversation.

“Not much of a talker?” she asked.

No response, not even a nod of his head.

“It must be a boring job to sit here and watch me all night.”

Still no response.

She tweaked her head a bit to get a better look at his face.

“Hey, you. I’m talking to you, come on. I’m bored.”

He was as still as a statue.

Fluttershy squinted at his dark sockets, but couldn’t even see the glint of his eyes.

Was he asleep?

She spat on the surface of one of her dirty manacles, trying to polish it off on her coat. It wasn’t very shiny, but enough so to catch the light of the candles in the cell. She angled it just right to cast a glare on his face, and he didn’t seem to react at all. She squinted and saw that his eyes were closed.

Fluttershy took the glare off him lest he awake. Of all the things to first consider, she thought it very unprofessional. How easy would it be for a criminal to capitalize on a sleeping guard? It was just the prisoner and one guard in what appeared to be a mostly soundproof cell. The thought of every guard sleeping on the job whilst guarding dangerous criminals made Fluttershy uneasy until it occurred to her that this was something she needed to capitalize upon.

The keys to her cell, which were only held loosely on his flank, now suddenly felt in reach. She looked around her cell for something to fish them with, but the cell was spotless. Maybe if she could tear her straightjacket apart and tie a weight to one end, she could toss the weighted end through the key ring and drag it back.

After a few minutes of gnawing, the fabric had barely even frayed, let alone rip any threads. Maybe in a day or two she’d have the strip she needed, but with the time constraints she was working under it wasn’t practical. Still she made sure to file that idea away for future consideration if she missed her chance and needed a long term escape plan.

“He’s asleep,” she muttered to herself. “He’s got the keys. How do I get them?”

For some reason, it felt like the answer was staring her straight in the face, but nothing presented itself to her.

“What would Twilight do?” she asked.

That was obvious. She’d use magic or try befriending him. For Fluttershy, both of those were out of the question.

“Okay, how about Luna?”

Luna would also use magic. She went through all her friends and assessed what they’d do. Rainbow Dash could travel at the speed of sound, so that probably meant something. Applejack would break out by pure force, Rarity would use magic or seduce the guard, and Pinkie Pie would do… something.

It was at this point that she realized that among all her friends, she was the only one that couldn’t break out of jail. Not a particularly marketable talent, but still something that made her feel like the weak link yet again.

She wasn’t though, there was something she could do, and it was staring her straight in the face. She considered giving up and trying to wake him to use the ‘befriending’ tactic, but then it hit her.

Luna wouldn’t just use any magic, she’d use dream magic, something that Fluttershy was more than familiar with. Luna had never intended to teach Fluttershy the art of dream walking, but after sharing so many dreams it happened on its own.

Fluttershy had never tried pushing her way into a pony’s dream other than Luna’s, but magically it was all the same as doing it to anyone else. Knowing that time was of the essence, she put herself to sleep with a speed that could only come from too much practice.

*

Fluttershy woke up in the meadow she and Luna commonly dreamt in. It was night-time, the moon in full, and the flora glowed like a soft, luminescent blanket across the rolling hills. It was a place of peace, beauty, and memories, and helped put her into the state of mind she needed to move between dreams. Luna had always emphasized the importance of having a sort of “home” dream that was unique and meaningful to her. In case something went wrong, or she needed to retreat and recollect, she had a place to go in easy reach.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and brought Parry to mind, imagining his every feature and mannerism. There wasn’t a lot to go off of, but she was happy when she opened her eyes and saw a new red brick, tudor-style building in the distance. It held likeness to the bricks that constructed it—square, blocky, and uninspired. It could have been flipped over or placed on its side and no one would bat a lash. It had tall windows evenly spaced out between three floors, and a pair of heavy wooden doors. All the windows except for one on the second story at the very far left were dark.

Fluttershy recognized it as one of the buildings of the Royal Military Academy. She chewed her bottom lip as she sized up the building and what it could mean as far as the dream went.

Luna had strongly advised against her using dream magic to influence ponies. In the wrong hooves, such power could be used to manipulate, control, or even torment ponies in a way that they couldn’t resist. Fluttershy listened, but never gave her much credence. Sure, Luna might be able to attempt such feats, but that’s because she had millennia to practice. The average pony wasn’t so skilled. Fluttershy was supposedly alright at it, but that was all in theory.

Even despite all her warnings of its danger, Luna was always very excited to show her certain techniques after the initial weariness passed. Fluttershy had learned two schools of thought for influencing a pony with dreams. Either one directly reveals themselves to the dreamer openly and talks with them, or they attempt to manipulate the dreamer’s perception of reality by confusing them about what was or wasn’t the dream.

Luna had favoured the former, acting with purpose clear to the dreamer. She’d regularly enter the dreams of the citizenry and give them moral guidance as their princess, almost always succeeding.

Fluttershy, however, liked the idea of the second. She’d already lost so much of her own ability to distinguish between what was and wasn’t a dream. Sometimes what happened in life felt surreal, things that could never really happen, where her dreams provided sense and stability. Part of her held a sneaking suspicion that when she first visited this meadow, that was the first time she really woke up.

She flew up to the window, making sure to stay out of sight, and pressed her ear against the wall. Ponies were talking inside.

“What have you done to them?” asked the voice of Parry.

“They’re… pacified,” said the voice of Fluttershy.

Fluttershy cringed for two reasons. One, that Parry was apparently already having a dream about her, and two, because she hated the sound of her own voice.

“We’re going to stop you. All of you. The elements must be brought to answer for their crimes,” said Parry.

“You don’t want to stop us—me, that is.”

Then Fluttershy heard laughing and sounds of kissing.

Her eyes popped wide open, and she blushed intensely as she listened on. It was probably really fortuitous that this exact thing was happening, and maybe Luna would have been able to capitalize on it, but all she could do was fan herself and pretend this wasn’t happening. It was just wrong on so many levels. She closed her eyes and hummed a tune to herself to cover it up.

Almost as soon as it began, it ended, the disturbing sounds replaced by casual conversation and the bustle of day.

When she opened her eyes again, she was sitting at a table with her hooves gripping a newspaper. She flipped the page and peeked out from over it. The dream had become a small Canterlot coffee shop. The smell of coffee was thick, there was a glass case-counter with baked goods inside it, and ponies around her chatted quietly or typed on their typewriters. She saw herself standing in line with Parry. He and her dream copy self were discussing the menu.

The dream had moved quickly, and that usually meant a lot of time was passing in the real world. If she didn’t intervene soon, there was a chance he’d wake up. In cases like this, Luna instructed her to treat every change in the dream like it was her last chance.

Confusion between what occurred in dreams and real life wasn’t as uncommon as some believed. Most ponies could begin to vaguely suspect certain dream world things had actually happened, but usually didn’t act upon them unless it was reinforced in the real world. To begin, she needed to give him the command, and then hopefully remind him of it somewhere else in the dream. If she kept pushing the idea, she might be able to fabricate a new memory that appeared like a real life exchange and convince him to act upon on it in real life.

She saw the general walk in through the front entrance of the shop and decided it was the time to act. He beelined straight for Parry.

Fluttershy set the paper down and went to cut him off. Before he could get Parry’s attention, she tapped him on the shoulder from behind. He turned around, still wearing that arrogant grin from their last conversation. She chopped him upwards in the throat and felt something break. Normally that would have concerned her, but she knew it was a dream, and finally seeing that grin fall off was satisfying. As he choked out a silent cough, she kept her arms at his neck and pushed him up and backward. He was heavy, but with a powerful wingbeat she managed to lift him up by his neck and slam him on his back.

No one in the shop reacted, and Fluttershy knew they wouldn’t. If the dreamer didn’t see it, it didn’t happen.

He laid there, his mouth hung open and eyes bugged out of his head. After a few twitches and futile swipes of his hoof at her, he laid still. Fluttershy undressed him, making sure to take note of every notable physical feature he had. There was a scar on his left foreleg, just above the knee. He had a typical military crew cut. His jaw was a little wider than she remembered.

They were all important details for her dream magic to work properly.

After donning his clothes, which were a little too big for her, she approached Parry and tapped him on the shoulder, just like the general had tried to do.

He turned around and saw Fluttershy, now a perfect illusion of the general. Parry’s eyes flitted between the dream Fluttershy next to him and the real Fluttershy, and a guilty look riddled his face. “Sir!” he said.

“Can you tell me what I’m seeing right now?” replied the incognito Fluttershy.

Parry looked her right in the eye and said, “No, I can’t.”

Fluttershy gestured to her dream self. “You’re fraternizing with the enemy.”

“Sir, I can’t help it.”

“Do you even remember Celestia’s orders?” she snarled.

“Of course.”

“What were they?”

“She stays in the cell until further orders.”

“You have a new order. Take her to Luna before midnight. The spell’s about to begin.”

Fluttershy blinked and was back at the Royal Military Academy. This time she was inside one of its many dark halls. The only light was coming from a crack beneath the door next to her. Walking towards her was her dream self. When dream Fluttershy saw her, she screamed, but Parry wouldn’t hear it. Fluttershy proceeded to subdue herself in a way similar to how she subdued the general: a quick chop to the throat and a body slam.

It was much less satisfying than doing it to the general.

She stepped into the room and saw Parry sitting on a bed with as sad a look as his gaunt face could manage.

“When we first saw each other in the cell, just earlier today,” she started, “I thought about you, but we can’t be together.”

“What’s this spell you and Luna are casting?” he pleaded.

She crossed over to him and sat on the bed, taking his hoof in hers. “Don’t you know who I am? I was that pony who stayed with Luna.”

For the first time, Fluttershy could really see the eyes in his sunken sockets. They were sky blue, and sparkled with tears.

“That was you?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“So, you love her?”

Fluttershy nodded again.

“Figures.”

*

Fluttershy awoke to the sound of the barred door being opened. The shackles that chained her legs to the corners fell off and clattered against the floor.

“Come with me,” said Parry.

Fluttershy never had to work so hard in all her life not to smile. She couldn’t wait to tell Luna all about what she just managed to do.

“Trixie, I think we are true friends now,” said Lily.

“Really? And what makes you say that?”

“A pony once told me that a good friend bails you out of jail, but a true friend will sit in the cell with you and say, ‘wow, we really screwed up’.”

Trixie sighed. She rattled the chains that held each of her four legs bound to the floor of the small, dark cell. Lily was right next to her in similar bondage. In both of their manes was a magical hairpin that dampened magic useage and could only be removed with magic. Lily’s was in the shape of a rose, and Trixie’s a silver star.

“Or might I say, ‘you screwed up’,” said Lily.

Trixie let a chuckle escape as she shook her head.

Lily went on. “It was you who broke the law in a tangible way. I almost had her convinced of my innocence until you threw the diary at her and pled for mercy. That makes me a potential accomplice, and the law gets really meticulous when we start getting into that technicality—”

Trixie wanted to tap her hoof to show her impatience, but the chains made that impossible, so she resorted to excessively sighing and eye-rolling.

“Is something the matter, Trixie?”

“Trixie does not think threatening Princess Celestia is a good bid at innocence—”

“I told her that she had no viable evidence for my crime. I don’t even know what my crime is. She was attempting unlawful arrest!”

“And then you threw a table at her.”

“She provoked me.”

“Are you going to break us out or not?”

“I...” Lily trailed off into silence.

She looked up and down Trixie’s form in such a way that would have made her blush in any other circumstance.

“I—umm—,” began Trixie.

“Attempt to lick my throat,” said Lily.

She stuck her chin out at Trixie, exposing her adam’s apple.

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Trixie gingerly stuck out her tongue, but realized she needed to stretch as far as she could to do as Lily asked. Just barely could she reach that soft patch of skin below the jaw.

“Can you bite me and draw blood?” said Lily tersely. “I need to use my colour.”

“Umm… stick your ear out. Maybe I can bite it.”

“It won’t be enough, I’m going to need a pool that I can stick my nose in and draw with.”

“Where do you want me to bite then?”

Lily stuck her neck out and Trixie’s eyes grew wide. Now it was very clear what Lily had been thinking about.

“You’re joking right?”

“Look at our positions in space and consider our options.” Any amount of immaturity previously present had left Lily. Her eyes and expression were grave. “We need my blood, and a sharp object to cut me with. Unfortunately we need a lot because I need to draw with my nose. Your teeth are the only sharp object in reach of a part of me that will bleed enough. You can’t reach my shoulder, and I am so not enduring permanent facial scarring for this.”

“Will you be able to make yourself stop bleeding in time?”

Lily looked up at her hairpin. “I don’t know… I’ll draw as fast as I can.”

Trixie was silent. She went to open her mouth around Lily’s exposed neck, but drew back. Out of nowhere, she began to tear up.

“Lily, I’ve never killed a pony before...” she cried. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I mean, this is how ponies kill themselves, slitting their throat. You could die...”

Lily looked at her and smiled.

“I’ve been in worse places before,” she said. “I’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll get you out of here.”

Trixie’s face crinkled up and she tried to hold in her sob. Lily crossed her neck with Trixie’s.

“It’s okay, I’ve lived long enough,” she whispered into her ear.

That made Trixie burst out, sobbing and crying openly, though she still tried to hold it in. She looked at Lily’s exposed neck and in a quick motion, she bit into her soft flesh. That salty, copper taste flooded her mouth. Her tears mixed with the blood and it all dripped to the floor.

Soon her “true friend” was cold and lifeless on the ground.

Parry led Fluttershy down the familiar halls to Luna’s room, passing more than two dozen guards who gave them skeptical looks. Parry didn’t seem fazed, but that was expected, his stern unfeeling expression like that of a stone statue. Fluttershy, however, couldn’t help but worry that someone would notice she shouldn’t be out walking around. If she passed by Celestia, the general, or any pony who knew how important she apparently was, it wouldn’t be a very long chase.

It all passed without incident, though. Soon she faced the front door of what had become her true home, Luna’s observatory and personal chambers. Parry approached the two guards who flanked the door. They clicked their heels at attention.

“Commander,” said one of the guards.

“Lieutenant,” replied Parry. “Dispatch to Celestia that Fluttershy has arrived at Luna’s Observatory and then return to your post.”

The guards exchanged glances.

“We weren’t notified that Fluttershy would be changing custody,” said the same guard.

Parry huffed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Not everything is told to everyone. Regardless, those are your orders.”

“Commander, with all due respect, Princess Celestia is currently visiting with her sister just inside."

“I suppose it should be a short walk then.”

Fluttershy’s heart stopped. The pony she couldn’t afford to run into was in the one place she needed to be. If there was a worse place for Celestia to spend her evening, it escaped her imagination. Her luck must have run dry from her miraculous dreamwalk with Parry.

Behind her the hall was empty. Maybe she could run from them. Maybe if she broke one of the windows, she could escape. Midnight couldn’t be long now, and making it to Paradise without Luna was still preferable to being locked up in a dungeon.

The guard wore a flat look. Yes sir,” he said. He opened the door and slipped through.

Fluttershy felt her heart pounding in her throat. It was happening again. She was going to black out from sheer stress. It happened so often that she learned the signs: the sudden, random fear of having a heart attack, cold sweat that dripped, the feeling of her lungs freezing up. Part of her hated the fact that she could identify each and every sign, but still couldn’t do anything about it.

More importantly, of all times in her life to have a panic attack, this moment had to be the single worst moment. She always imagined this to be her shining moment to be awesome, sweeping a princess off her hooves and taking her to Paradise. Maybe she’d even say something cool. But here she was, on the cusp of a mental breakdown. They’d open the door and see her crying on the floor. Just the thought of paralyzing on the spot ended up doing just that.

She wanted to cry, but something about the thought of breaking down struck her. How odd would that be? The implications of tonight challenged the nature of fate itself. There was so much mystery and uncertainty. Crying had a time and place, either when no one was around to see it, at funerals or when she got hurt. But sometimes it didn’t make sense at all.

Like now, when her friends had found a way to reach out from beyond the grave. If they could move the world and heavens just to include her, she could at least be brave enough to do her part.

She took a deep breath and her heart rate returned to normal.

The guard returned through the door. Fluttershy faced him head on.

“Two things,” he said. “First, Princess Celestia advises Commander Parry to not sleep on the job, and that there will be repercussions for his incompetence.”

There was a pause as all eyes fell on Parry. He did his best to remain stoic, but Fluttershy knew that the rug had been pulled out from beneath him. Once it was clear that he wasn’t going to say anything, the guard continued.

“Secondly, despite this, Fluttershy’s presence is allowed, but not required. At this point in time she is not in the custody of the state.”

Fluttershy blinked.

“I can go free?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am. However, you should know that the offer is tentative. You’re not being pardoned for your offenses, but more given a head start at running.”

“Really, Celestia said that? Why?” asked Parry, eager to deflect.

The guard nodded. “You know, Commander, I’ve just stopped asking questions altogether. It’s not like doing so makes anything make any more sense. Anyway, we’re not meant to question orders, no matter how odd they sound.”

Parry nodded and with that, the guard turned to Fluttershy.

“Ma’am,” said the guard. “It may not be my place to speak, but you seem like a good pony mixed up in the wrong things. Maybe you’ll have to run, but it’s better than tempting our princess’s good will.”

Fluttershy took a moment to gather everything she was just told. Celestia was somehow aware of Parry’s sleeping on the job, and maybe to the same extent, her dream-walking. Yet, she seemed unconcerned. As strange as it was, there was a more pressing matter to consider. Why had she been offered a choice?

Celestia’s intent had never been clear to her, but she could only either want or not want Fluttershy around Luna for whatever reason. It could also have been that Celestia wasn’t sure, but that seemed unlikely, and it still didn’t make sense for her to leave it up to Fluttershy.

Then it hit her.

“Unless she wants what I want…” she whispered to herself.

“What was that, ma’am?” asked the guard.

“Oh, nothing. Let me through, please.”

He raised his brow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Very well.” He turned to Parry. “You’re dismissed, commander.”

Parry threw him a half-hearted salute and left. She watched him go, having the weird thought of knowing it’d be the last time she’d ever see him. It wasn’t that she particularly liked him, but it was another reminder of the finality of her choice should it all go as planned. There was an unnamed feeling that she had learned to both love and hate. It came on the last day of school or the last day of working a long time job. It was this weird anxiousness and eagerness all wrapped in one.

The door opened for Fluttershy and she stepped through, leaving Equestria behind her.

Celestia sat sprawled out upon a couch on the balcony at the far side of the room. The moonlight showered her in a silvery sheen that gave her an other-worldly glow. The princess had always maintained a regal aura about her, but now it defied description. She looked so light and sleek that the couch probably would be surprised to know a pony laid atop it. Where other ponies might try to imitate such poise, she held it effortlessly. It was perhaps this detail that made her so uncanny.

A book lay open in front of her. She turned a page, her hoof but a gentle breeze to it.

“Your choice has always been an interesting one to me,” said Celestia without looking up. “I offer you freedom every time and you never take it.”

“Where’s Luna?” demanded Fluttershy.

“She’s sleeping,” Celestia replied, raising her arm and rolling her hoof in the direction of the bed. “You may be tempted to go and try to awaken her, but I’d suggest you resist that temptation.”

“Why is that?”

“She won’t wake up until the time comes.”

Celestia looked up and locked eyes with Fluttershy, and somehow, with that simple expression, reminded her that the pony who sat on the other side of the room was more than the powerful, immortal ruler of Equestria. Celestia radiated an aura of dangerous, eccentric curiosity, like she didn’t understand Fluttershy, or ponies in general, and would like to sate her curiosity with an autopsy.

“I wouldn’t fret, however,” continued Celestia. “She’ll wake up tonight, because tonight is very special, as you probably already know.”

“It’s a night just like any other,” lied Fluttershy. She didn’t bother going to check if Celestia was right about Luna not being able to wake.

“Let’s suppose it is.”

Celestia closed the diary, got up, and crossed over to one of the many elaborate astronomical devices that littered the space. Luna had every sort of telescope, star-charter, and sextant in the world, all connected by a massive clock contraption that rested like a skeleton against the inner-dome of her observatory. Dials and levers sprung out in odd places with no rhyme or reason.

“Let’s suppose neither of us has any paramount reason to be here. Is there anything I might be able to do for you? I am but a humble servant to all of Equestria. I might have some answers to your questions.”

“You want to talk?”

Celestia turned a large dial on a device clockwise, causing it to whir. She watched it with the same bored disinterest one would give an office desk plaything like a drinking bird, zen fountain, or floating globe. It appeared like her small effort would put some grand clockwork into motion as it began to wind up, but it fizzled back into silence.

When Fluttershy stole her eyes away from the device, she found Celestia staring straight at her with the same bored look. “Only if you’ll entertain it,” she said.

“Sure,” said Fluttershy.

Celestia’s expression didn’t change, but Fluttershy approached her anyway and moved a few dials on the same device. It whirred in a similar way, but this time a small orb above them lit up with heavenly light. Around the room, devices similar in construction but different in purpose began churning with tiny spinning sprockets. Five orbs affixed to various parts of the contraption projected the expanse of the universe into the space around them.

“You’ve spent a lot of time around Luna,” said Celestia, intrigued by the display.

“I have,” Fluttershy replied. “So, my first question. Why separate Luna and I? What purpose does that serve?”

Their words were quaint, and to Fluttershy they felt like little more than idle banter. The projected star charts held more appeal than their exchange.

Celestia sighed. “As you can probably gather, your relationship with Luna has been of concern to me,” she said. “I thought separation would douse it, but I was wrong. And I’m going to have to ask you to end it as a favor to me, Equestria, and even Luna.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to do that for you.”

“Do you ever wonder what sort of state you’ll leave Luna in upon your death?”

“You’re asking me to consider what will happen if I fall in love with Luna and leave her behind?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes.”

“I already have,” Fluttershy said nonchalantly.

“Have you?” Celestia asked, her tone sharpening. “Do you know what happened the last time she gave her heart to a pony and had it broken?”

Fluttershy was silent, and her eyes drifted in the direction of the bed, where Luna’s form slowly rose and fell.

“Nightmare Moon. She tried to kill herself by becoming Nightmare Moon. I didn’t seal her in the moon to save Equestria. I did it to stop her from destroying herself.”

Celestia crossed over to small sextant, and adjusted a few knobs, moving it less than a few millimeters. A series of small holes in it cast a shadow across one of the floating orbs, dimming a space to isolate a specific constellation. It was in the likeness of Nightmare Moon, sitting and looking heavenward to what must have been the moon. A starry stream of tears fell from both eyes, several drops suspended in time as they fell to her hooves.

“This is what she’ll become if you continue on,” said Celestia.

“I’m not giving up on her...” replied Fluttershy. “She hasn’t given up on me.”

Celestia shook her head and sighed. “Fluttershy, please. I know it might seem unlikely, but I only come to you out of desperation. I will not fault you for finding love, but Luna is a pony of passion. Your life with her will be the calm before the tempest. The love she has for you will turn to pain, and that pain will undo her.”

Fluttershy stood up to Celestia unafraid. “I suppose we’ll have to see about that, because I’m not changing my decision. Kill me if you want, but this life isn’t worth living if it’s not with her. I only hope that the next one is worth living without her.”

“Fluttershy,” said Celestia. “I don’t want to do this to you. I’m withholding one piece of information to save you the heartache, but I’m willing to reveal it for my sister. Please, when she awakes, tell her you’ve forgotten about her and don’t look back. We don’t have to do things the hard way.”

“Tell me what you wish. I’m not afraid.”

Celestia frowned before pulling another lever on the clockwork contraption. It whirred to life as she pulled another. She turned a dial and a large arm of the device swung through the air. Fluttershy stepped out of the way as a wayward gear dropped down. Celestia pulled and yanked at every protruding piece of brass that stuck out from the device.

It all came together, folding in on itself, until finally a chest was all that was left. The thing ticked and churned. Celestia turned a dial on the front of it like a safe, forward twice and backwards once. There was a click and the gears slowed to a stop.

Silence permeated the air. Fluttershy waited to see if she’d do anything else. For the first time, Celestia wouldn’t make eye contact with her, and instead looked to the distance. Celestia blinked a tear to her cheek.

“What’s inside the chest?” asked Fluttershy

“The truth that makes you forget about Luna forever.”

“Really? Then why not tell me that first?”

“I needed to know how far you’d go for her. I gave you choices and ways out of this horrible situation, and every time it’s always the same,” she said. “You forego your freedom for her, you ignore her sister who begs you, you forsake her well-being and Equestria’s safety, and then at the end you learn that you stand on nothing.”

Fluttershy showed no change, no anxiousness or fear. She stood watching Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, begin to cry in front of her.

“I’ve seen you do these things more times than I can count,” said Celestia. “I tell you every time that you have the power to choose. You could have something at the end of the night if you would stop being stubborn. Go home. Forget about all this and you might learn to live with it.”

“I’m going to look, but I don’t fear for Luna. She’ll be alright, I promise.”

Celestia shook her head, her face scrunching up in more tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry the future has been the same.”

For a moment nothing happened, but then Celestia suddenly clenched her eyes and brought her hoof to shield them. She exchanged glances with Fluttershy one last time before quickly making a break for the door.

Fluttershy watched her go, heard the door slam behind her. The thought of going after her crossed her mind, but it was only to put off the inevitability of opening the chest. She kneeled down and lifted the lid.

Inside was a small stack of letters, an inkwell and quill, and a jar of dust. She picked up the letters and flipped through them. It took a moment, but she began to cry. The full weight of what she held in her hooves didn’t hit her until a few good minutes after she started crying, but when it did, she knew why she had to let go of Luna.

In her hooves, she held her own letters, the ones she’d sent to Twilight and Rarity. Notes filled with the hope that maybe one day she’d be able to see them again, and Celestia had those letters in her possession.

From there, everything fell into place. Paradise had been a lie. She wouldn’t live forever. One day she’d die, and if Celestia was telling the truth, that meant Nightmare Moon.

Luna began to stir. Fluttershy watched her awaken in horror. She began to back up, looking for somewhere to run. The entire room led to balconies and she could fly off with ease, but should she? The more time she spent around Luna, the more she’d hurt her. The feeling of being afflicted with a virulent disease overcame her. She should get away. Go somewhere far and secluded.

Never dream again.

When that thought crossed her mind, her heart grew heavy.

Luna sat up on the bed and looked around the room. A mixture of pleasant surprise and confusion riddled her face upon seeing Fluttershy. Nonetheless, it turned into a smile.

“Hey,” said Luna with a groggy playfulness. “What’re you looking at?”

Fluttershy blushed, scarcely able to breath. Seeing her smile was like having a shard of glass gutted in her stomach. “I, um… You, I guess.”

Luna patted the bed. “Well, come sit. I missed you.”

Fluttershy did as Luna asked and sat next to her in a rigid position, twiddling her hooves in her lap. Luna gave her an inquisitive look.

“Something the matter?” she asked, poking Fluttershy in the side.

Fluttershy didn’t wince or squeal like she usually would have. Luna frowned and put her arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” said Luna. “I know you’re mad at me, but please know I haven’t forgotten about you.”

Fluttershy placed her hoof on Luna’s and turned towards her.

“I’m not mad…”

Their lips slowly moved towards one another. It was in this moment that Fluttershy finally understood what was at stake.

Ever since she fell in love with Luna, she wondered what their last kiss would be like. It was a small thought always in the back of her head. Would they drift apart in their later years and forget about it? Or would they cherish every moment together and be able to part with one of them on her death bed?

They connected briefly and broke apart. There was a pause, and Fluttershy wondered if that had been it. She couldn’t even remember the sensation. Maybe that was a fitting end to what they had. They pulled apart and gazed at one another. Fluttershy could feel her eyes growing wet again.

That couldn’t be it. She barely felt anything.

Luna was frowning, sadness apparent on her face. “Something is different about you...” she said.

Fluttershy’s face scrunched up. She didn’t want to be different. She didn’t want anything to have changed. “No!” she cried. “That was horrible!”

She grabbed Luna with both hooves and pressed their lips together. Their breath exhilarated into each other’s mouths. Electricity surged between them.

Fluttershy didn’t want it to end. Some things in life were just too incredible to let go of, and this time she’d make it last.

The slippery wetness of her lips, that unforgettable flavour of mint and fresh water that she tasted as their lips opened up, and the warmth of her tongue—it was the most wonderful sensation in the entire world. Reality melted away and all that was left was this exchange. They weren’t in Luna’s room, they weren’t on a bed, they weren’t even ponies anymore. All that mattered was the play that took place between their open mouths.

Fluttershy broke away momentarily to grab hold of Luna and press her back to the bed. She got a good look at her princess and saw that she was blushing like mad. It all came back to her.

What was she doing?

What had been the already hard task of ending her relationship with Luna had just been made so much harder. Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, letting her forehead duck to run against Luna’s breast.

“Are you alright?” asked Luna.

There was a heart-wrenching silence.

“I love you,” replied Fluttershy, her face scrunching up.

“I love you too.”

“I love you so much, but I’m afraid.”

“Don’t be,” said Luna, holding Fluttershy’s chin up and giving her a peck on the lips.

“We’re not going to be together forever. When I d-die, Celestia told me you’re g-gonna try to hurt yourself, and I don’t want you to...” Fluttershy trailed off into incoherent babble.

Luna was quiet, tears trailing her cheeks now. She held Fluttershy’s head in her arms, stroking her mane.

“Are you gonna do it?” asked Fluttershy, sitting up. “Are you gonna try to kill yourself?”

Luna shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to. The last time I tried, I was put into solitary confinement for one-thousand years.”

“No!” cried Fluttershy. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but all I want to do is work this out with you. I believe with all my heart, that we will be together forever. I can’t tell you what will happen, and I don’t know if I can make any promises, but I’m gonna try really hard if you’re willing to work with me.”

Luna searched Fluttershy’s eyes before smiling and kissing her.

A deafening boom rang out through the air. To most, it would have sounded like something had exploded, and even though Fluttershy hadn’t heard that sound for almost a year, she knew she’d recognize it anywhere.

She looked out beyond the balcony and saw a massive rainbow shockwave.

“It can’t be...” said Fluttershy.

“What? What can’t be?” asked Luna. “You speak of the noise and not our romance, correct?”

As the boom faded and echoed off into the distance, she heard a thunderous applause. She took to the air and landed out on the balcony. Below, she saw a massive conjugation of ponies all dressed in formal attire gathered in the courtyard. Luna followed her outside, curious as well.

“Fluttershy, who’s getting married?” she asked.

Fluttershy shrugged, leaning over the balcony and squinting her eyes to see the tiny figures far below.

Bewilderment forced Luna’s hooves to the railing as well. “Those are royal horns,” she mentioned. “This is a royal wedding—in the middle of the night?”

A pair of figures were meeting with the crowd, and Fluttershy strained to see if she could make out who they were. “Oh my goodness,” she whispered. “It’s Cadance and Shining Armor…”

There was a second rainboom. A few moments later, a massive purple dragon with green scales grew through the roof of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. On the streets of the market, Fluttershy could hear somepony singing a song about generosity.

Back in the room she heard herself and Luna giggling. Another Luna and Fluttershy were back in their bed cuddling, seemingly unaware that they were being watched by themselves.

The real Luna and Fluttershy exchanged wide-eyed looks.

“Is t-that—?” stammered Fluttershy.

“What in the world…?” replied Luna.

Before they could really manage any further reaction, some heavy panting drew their attention to a cyan pegasus sitting on the balcony next to them.

“What up, Fluttershy?” said Rainbow Dash.

No words at all came to Fluttershy, though it didn’t matter because Rainbow Dash wasn’t waiting for a response.

“You know—” she huffed. “If Pinkie ever tries to tell you how to rebuild all of time and existence, ignore her and listen to Twilight.”

Fluttershy blinked.

“Also, that whole Paradise thing has gotten a little messy.”

Stella approached Trixie and the dead princess. Trixie was crying over the corpse, wailing and bawling.

“Trixie…” said Stella.

“You!” said Trixie, an accusing hoof outstretched and pointing. “Is this all worth it? Trixie killed a pony! Is your diary worth this?”

Stella looked down at Lily and sighed.

“What? Don’t you have anything to say? Maybe a tear to shed?”

Silence.

After a few tense moments, Stella finally spoke. “Illustrious, you were always so dramatic, resorting to the most grandiose solution to any problem.”

“What?” asked Trixie as if struck with a daze.

“Trixie, something really big is happening, and as much as I’d like to think it was all my fault and that I can fix it alone, I can’t. I need Lily.”

Stella’s horn stub sparked and Trixie’s hairpin fell out.

“Don’t worry, Lily will be fine. She, like my other girl, runs home when she has a problem. It was all we had before those witches we call ‘princesses’ decided to ruin my children’s one chance at a normal life.”

“She isn’t dead, then?” asked Trixie, wiping her nose. “Trixie didn’t kill her?”

Stella laughed a shrill, startling laugh that made Trixie’s blood run cold. “Dead? I’m not so sure I really know what death is anymore!” she exclaimed. Her wild smile faded into a frown and she sighed. “All I want, for me and my daughters, is to live. And is that so much to ask?”

Trixie was silent. In her strange relationship with Stella, she’d seen her as a quiet, studious sort of pony. Sometimes she said some offshot things, but Trixie figured no pony was reasonable all the time.

“No, no. My little Lily went home. It can’t ever be that I finally find one of them and they stay with me. They’re there for a few months and then they’re gone, always just out of reach,” she said. “Trixie, never have kids, because they’ll break your heart worse than any silly boy could.”

“Alright then. Why are you telling Trixie all this?” she asked.

“Because, Trixie,” Stella said. “I don’t have half the magic I used to, and I need someone with enough magic to help me stop Twilight Sparkle from following through with her plan. She’s stumbled upon magic she doesn’t understand.”

Trixie magically popped the lock of the cell and swung the door open. “Twilight Sparkle? What could she possibly be doing that’s so evil?”

“Bless her heart, but the blasted unicorn wants to forge the destinies of others, and she needs to be stopped. I tried it one time and it didn’t work out too great.” Next Chapter: Her Happily Ever After Estimated time remaining: 44 Minutes