Knights of Equestria: Part 6

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Knights of Equestria, part 6: Hints of Things to Come

(A/N: Warning, this chapter contains some scenes of violence, as well as descriptions of mildly-disturbing content.)

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     Time passed. Noon slid into a summer afternoon of clear blue skies and warm breezes that caressed the skin and set leaves on their branches fluttering. Sitting on the front porch of her home, Applejack sat munching on a bowl of apple slices and looking at onto the rolling groves of Sweet Apple Acres with some well-deserved pride. It spread out for miles in all directions before her, reaching almost to the very edge of Ponyville itself.

     "Eyup, I reckon we bucked enough apples to support them good Pony folk for quite a while."

     To the left of Applejack, Granny Smith rocked in her chair and let out a snore that sounded suspiciously like "Give me some sugar, baby" in reply.

     Applejack chuckled and shook her head. That was Granny Smith for you. Then she looked back over the acres and acres and sighed. It really had had her nervous for a while. A lot of the food stores had been lost in the fire. Add to that the already-bought food in destroyed homes and that equaled a lot of hungry ponies. But after several long, sweat-filled days of work, they'd managed to gather up enough ripe apples to last until the regular supply trains made their way over.

     They. Applejack smiled at that. Her eyes shifted from the apple orchards to the barn. There she could just see her friend Rarity and brother Big MacIntosh, who in turn were watching the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing something or other. The orange earth pony watched as Big Mac said something to Rarity, followed by the unicorn holding a hoof to her mouth and giggling. This was promptly followed by Applebloom huffing and walking deeper into the barn, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

     "Boy howdy, that right there's the strangest coupling I've ever seen. I reckon either could've done worse, though."

     Applejack was smart. Not book-smart like Twilight maybe, but still plenty smart enough to recognize budding love. It was cute, in a way. Applejack had spent enough time with the Oranges in Manehatten to pick up on what would be considered "romantically romantic" from the fancy city folk, and was pretty certain the tale of a prim and proper lady falling for the strong, stoic workhorse who graciously took her under his roof would make for quite the popular dime-store romance. That or the trashy romance she knew Rarity liked to read. Applejack wasn't really sure of the difference. Still, she was happy for her friend.

     A flash of light and crack of thunder, and Applejack's attention snapped back to the apple orchards. Her eyes widened at the sight of the purple unicorn striding out from it, seemingly not noticing the fact that her teleportation spell had left a ring of charred trees circling around where she had appeared.

     Applejack stood up and watched Twilight Sparkle climb the steps up to the front porch. Something was different about her, the farmpony thought, and then she noticed what it was. Where there had once been a bright pink streak through Twilight's hair, there was now a black streak.

     "Uh, howdy Twi'. Haven't seen ya in a while, what brings ya around these parts?"

     Twilight smiled at Applejack, a warm, genuine smile that calmed Applejack down some. "Hello Applejack, sorry I haven't seen you in so long. I've been...well, I'm sure my idea of busy pales compared to yours, heh." The unicorn looked back at the charred trees in the orchard and blushed. "And uh, sorry for my rather dramatic entrance. I put a bit more power into my teleport than I had intended."

     "Oh, don't you none 'bout that," replied Applejack, waving a hoof. "I was just planning on clearing that grove out some anyhow. Least I know what's good for firewood now."

     "Of course, right." Twilight smiled again, until a loud grumbling came from her belly. She chuckled and blushed. "Sorry, I never got around to having lunch. I've been kinda busy. Bad, uh, heartburn."

     "Well golly, here," spoke the earth pony, holding out the bowl of apple slices with a smile. "Take all ya want, this'll cure what ails ya."

     "Thank you, very much." The unicorn levitated the bowl out of Applejack's hooves and began eating one slice of juicy apple at a time.

     For several minutes the two friends sat in silence, except for the rocking of Granny Smith's chair nearby and the munch and crunch of Twilight's rather enthusiastic eating. Applejack watched with mounting amazement as the purple pony finished off the whole bowl, the equivalent of six apples, before plucking three more from a nearby barrel of apples and eating those too.

     "Well golly, I guess you were hungry!"

     Twilight paused, her cheeks bulging with half-chewed apple. She swallowed the mouthful and blushed, chuckling in embarrassment. "Uh, sorry about that. I guess I was as hungry as I thought."

     "Oh, don't you worry none 'bout that," replied Applejack, before getting déjà vu. Shaking her head she smiled at Twilight. "If you want I can go inside and fix something up. I think we might have some apple pie left in the ice box..."

     "Oh no, that's fine," said Twilight, stopping the earth pony from going. "I actually came here for a reason, though I'd love to hang out and have some pie when I'm done."

     "Oh? And what reason might that be?"

     Applejack watched as Twilight's smile grew wider. Sweeter. Too sweet. "Would you kindly tell me where Rarity is? I need to talk with her."

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     "...and that's the story of how I got my cutie mark, ee-yup."

     A chorus of amazed exclamations came from the wide-eyed Cutie Mark Crusaders.

     "That was the most amazing story I've ever heard," mumbled a dazed Sweetie Belle.

     "Ah always suspected ah had the coolest brother in all of Ponyville, an' now ah'm certain of it!" shouted Applebloom.

     Scootaloo sat slumped on the barn floor, staring off into nothing. "I can't help but look back at my life before hearing that story and realize how incomplete it was. I can't imagine a fate worse than never hearing about how you got your mark, Big Mac."

     Off to the side some, Rarity wiped away at her tear-filled eyes and sighed. "So...beautiful..."

     Big Mac grinned and kicked at the dirt floor. "Well shucks everypony, y'all do this farmer too much honor. It wasn't nothing but a simple tale."

     "Big Mac, what're y'all doing in there?" came a shout from outside the barn. Everyone inside looked towards the barn entrance as the sound of two sets of hooves approached. "Y'all telling that story with the pirate and the three ghosts again? Knock it off, we've got some more company!"

     The half-open barn door opened all the way and Applejack trotted in, followed a few paces behind by Twilight Sparkle. When she entered the purple unicorn's eyes went straight to Rarity. She began to say something, before without warning she was tackled to the ground by three over-excited fillies.

     "Twilight Twilight Twilight!" shouted Applebloom. "Where ya been? We haven't seen y'all around town in days! Mah sis and Rarity were getting right on worried 'bout ya!"

     "Yeah!" shouted Scootaloo next. "Whenever I visited Rainbow Dash in the hospital they said you were already out, so why haven't you been helping with the reconstruction?"

     "And I have a new song!" finished Sweetie Belle, as usual not quite lined up with the thoughts of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.

     Twilight flailed beneath the collective weight of the filly trio, while to the side Applejack, Big Mac, and Rarity all shared a laugh at her expense. Rarity especially, Twilight noted, seemed to be enjoying the show. "My, Twilight, you don't look very comfortable down there."

     Twilight Sparkle shot Rarity a glare that would have made lesser ponies burst into flames.

     After a few more seconds of death-hugging, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom climbed off of Twilight. The Ponyville librarian groaned as she climbed back to her hooves. "Girls, would you kindly not jump me like that again?" The three fillies all giggled and nodded. Twilight smiled. "Good. And answering in no particular order; Scootaloo I haven't been helping with the reconstruction work because I have been busy trying to find out how the fire started and make sure it doesn't happen again, Sweetie Belle I would love to hear your new song when I have more free time, and Applebloom I didn't mean to make anypony worry about me. That's actually why I here."
Looking away from the CMC, Twilight looked back up at Rarity. "There are...some things we adults need to discuss. Would you three kindly go outside for now?"

     "Aww, but Twilight!" Applebloom stomped her hooves. "We're big ponies, let us stay!"

     Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but then Applejack stepped in. "Now girls, you listen to Twilight. Go on down to town and deliver a batch of apples to the Cakes, would ya?"

     At this suggestion all three little fillies seemed to light up. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS APPLE DELIVERERS!"

     By the time Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Big Mac all regained their hearing the terrible trio was already gone. Rarity sighed and shook her head. "I have Sweetie Belle, Applejack has Applebloom. I wonder if Scootaloo's parents have to deal with this."

     "That doesn't matter right now," spoke Twilight drawing all their attention back to her. She took a small step toward Rarity, her face set into a frown. "There is a lot we need to discuss. Things to put into order. First off, I'm sorry."

     Rarity blinked. She couldn't have heard that right. "I'm sorry, but what?"

     Twilight lowered her head just a bit, looking down at the straw-strewn floor. In the back of her mind she began counting the pieces of straw in her field of vision. "I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there for you after you and Sweetie Belle lost the Carousel Boutique. I'm sorry I couldn't save it that night. I'm..." Twilight swallowed, a sudden lump in her throat as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. On the ground there were 359 pieces of straw. "I'm sorry for failing you as a friend."

     Silence filled the barn. Rarity, Applejack, and Big Mac stared at Twilight as the quivering pony's strength seemed to crumble before their eyes. Unbidden, all the dark, spiteful thoughts she had been having towards her fellow unicorn swirled through Rarity's head, making her feel suddenly sick and oh so foolish. What had she been thinking? Applejack had told her Twilight was just being Twilight, not some...horrible...cruel...Rarity couldn't understand where these ideas had ever come from in the first place.

     "Oh, darling..." Before Rarity could say anymore Twilight looked back up, locking eyes with Rarity, and the other unicorn recoiled back. The torrent of emotions in those eyes... "D-darling...?"

     "But it had a purpose! I never meant to hurt any of your feelings, but I had to work! I had to try my best to find how the fire started, make sure it never happened again! Make sure none of you!" Twilight whipped her head around left and right, looking pleadingly at everyone there. "I had to make sure none of you could be hurt like that again! What if next time I'm asleep when it happens, or out of town, or caught by surprise and buried in rubble, or-"

     Applejack shut Twilight up by pulling her into a bone-crushing bear hug. "Twilight, you silly pony, hush now. You don't need ta ask for our forgiveness, 'taint none needing to be given."

     "But...but I..."

     "Sugarcube, y'all are always worrying, always tryin' ta keep track of every little thing. But you don't have to worry about this, Twi'. You don't have to worry." As Applejack hugged Twilight she could hear her sniffling, trying to fight back tears. She smiled to herself at this. "Come on girl, let it out. Don't lie to yourself, just let it all out."

     Twilight sniffled once more, and cried.

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     Fluttershy sighed as she shut her cottage door behind her. Finding Rainbow Dash collapsed on the floor had been horrible. One of the worst things Fluttershy could say she had ever experienced. Seeing Pinkie Pie's smile crumble at the same sight had been even worse. There was something not right, not natural seeing the pink pony's colors dulled, her poofy mane hanging flat. Dead. Not seeing Twilight there had just been strange.

     Worse of all to the pink-maned Pegasus came afterwards. After Doctor Whoof had run off looking for Twilight, she and Pinkie had worked together to carry the unconscious Rainbow Dash to the hospital. The hospital...

     "I'm sorry Miss Fluttershy, but in the state you're in I just can't let you work right now. You can't help. Go back home, rest."

     The head nurse's words echoed through Fluttershy's mind, making her slowly slump to her knees. Unable to work. Unable to help her friends. Worthless, so worthless. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Angel...Angel Bunny, come here...I just need someone right now..."

     The familiar thump-thump of the rabbit's hopping did not come to Fluttershy's ears. She looked up as the clip-clop of pony hooves came instead. "Who-"

     ZZZZSZZZZIZZZZLZZZZEZZZZNZZZZCZZZZEZZZZWZZZZIZZZZLZZZZLZZZZFZZZZAZZZZLZZZZLZZZZ

     Slowly, Rarity stepped forward as Twilight pulled away from Applejack. Though her own eyes were misty she gave her fellow unicorn the best smile she could manage. It wasn't much. "Darling, I feel I too should be apologizing. Lately I've been having such...unladylike thoughts and feelings towards you. I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt like I should have, and I'm so sorry."

     Twilight looked at Rarity and did her best to smile as well. With a handkerchief from Applejack she worked to dry her eyes. "Don't...don't worry about it, Rarity. I would've done the same thing in your position. And besides, sometimes...sometimes, ponies look like they're doing the wrong thing when they're doing the right thing, right?"

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     Wood shattered as Fluttershy's body smashed against her den coffee table. The air rushed out of her in a soundless scream, painting her yellow lips with flecks of red. Several of the larger splinters dug into her back, breaking the skin and spilling forth rivulets of blood. Her legs flailed, wings flapping against the ground, until a sudden kick to her side sent Fluttershy rolling across the floor.

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     "I mean, think about when Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, and Princess Celestia was forced to seal her into the moon! Of course most ponies understood why she had to do that, that she had no choice if she wanted to save Equestria. But others, oh...others saw her as a tyrant. They, they were horrified at the idea of imprisoning your own flesh and blood for a thousand years, all alone, cold, with nothing but her bitterness and anger. But what would they have done in Celestia's place, right? They weren't there, they didn't face the choice. They had no right to condemn her! She did her best!"

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     A crack rent the air as Fluttershy's head smashed against her own kitchen counter. A gash across her forehead sent blood pouring down across her face, turning her vision red. Her front hooves scrabbling for a knife from the sink she twisted and stabbed backwards as best she could. A cry of pain told the Pegasus that she had hit her mark, so she stabbed again, and again, and again.

     After the fourth stab the hooves holding her down pulled back, allowing Fluttershy to move. Quickly grabbing a second knife between her teeth she turned around to face her attacker. "Get away from me!"

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     "Sugarcube..."

     "You're right, AJ, that's so long ago we need a more recent example. I know, us!"

     "Darling..."

     "I bet none of you ever gave it much thought, but I did. I couldn't help myself. I never can help myself, I have to give everything every little bit of thought I can." Twilight paced the length of the barn. "Think that Celestia placed us like chess pieces. The greatest chess game ever. You, Rarity, you, Applejack, all the others, you were all given those jobs for the Summer Sun Celebration just to meet me. And when the time was right I was sent to meet all of you in just the order I did."

Twilight was pacing fast now. Her voice grew more and more frantic with each word. "Each meeting leading into the next perfectly to make you all like me and me...tolerant of you. Even Pinkie. Even Pinkie was planned to have enough time to throw together a party for me. Some might be horrified at the princess for this, but not me! Because I understand!"

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     Fluttershy screamed as her knives, her only weapons, were driven straight through her wings into the wall behind, pinning her there. She kicked and flailed, sobbing as she fought to pull herself free; get at the pony standing just out of reach of her hooves. But each movement sent pain throbbing from her wings through her whole body. So slowly her struggles weakened until she just hung there, legs limp at her sides and beneath her.

     Slowly, with tears dyed red running down her bruised cheeks, Fluttershy looked up at her attacker. "Why...just why?"

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     "...why are you talking like this, saying all these strange things!?"

     Twilight stopped pacing. She looked at Rarity and something changed in her eyes. The predominant emotion shifted. "Because...because I am Celestia. And because earlier today I was killed after Rainbow Dash drove a knife into my heart because you didn't sense the horror illusion still lingering on her!"

     The echoes of Twilight's last few words, screamed, rendered the other three ponies silent. Big Mac's and Applejack's mouths hung slack, while Rarity's knees threatened to give out beneath her. It felt like all the world was looking at her for answers and she had none. "I...I..."

     "You nothing!" Twilight's eyes lit up, blinding white light pouring from them as she began stepping backwards to the barn's exit. "Were you too weak to sense it still there? Too untrained? Too troubled? Then...then I'll make you stronger! I'll make you skilled! I'll erase your troubles from the face of Equestria! For all of you, no matter what!"

     "Twilight, wait!" But no matter how loud Applejack or Rarity yelled, it was too late. Twilight had teleported away.

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     "Why...just why?"

     "...why?" Fluttershy watched as the other pony walked towards her, totally sure of her safety. And she was right. There was nothing Fluttershy had the will or strength to do anymore. "Because I need a few things from you. And now I am about to have them."

     Strong cyan eyes met violet eyes, and something broke in Fluttershy. Her lips twisted down into a snarl, her breath coming in harsh rasps as she glared at the unicorn. "We were friends! Friends, you monster! I trusted you, I loved you! And you do this to me, you sick, demented, f-fiend! I hate you! I want to kill you! KILL YOU, YOU SICK FREAK! I HATE YOU, HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!"

     Blood vessels ruptured in Fluttershy's eyes, turning them a horrible red as, for the first time in all her life, she used the Stare on another pony. The pony staggered back a few steps, before stopping and smiling. Her horn suddenly lit up with a sickly yellow glow and Fluttershy screamed. Her body thrashed about, the knives pinning her to the wall tearing her wings apart as something was torn from her. A swirling pink light spilled from her mouth, twisting as it coalesced into a golden necklace with a butterfly-shaped opal at its center. Before their eyes the jewel disintegrated, leaving the necklace plain; unclaimed.

     The yellow glow faded from the unicorn's horn. The necklace dropped down to the floor with a clunk, followed soon after by Fluttershy as the knives were pulled from her. Fluttershy barely had enough strength left in her to keep her eyes open, watching as the other pony scooped up the Element of Kindness from the ground and placed it in a bag. "You'll...you'll never be able to use that Element...Twilight Sparkle."

     The purple pony turned away and began trotting to the door. "I don't have to use it. I just need it away from you. Goodbye, Flootershy."

     Fluttershy's eyes widened, before her world went dark.

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     Princess Celestia touched down to the earth, wings flaring out before tucking in close to her sides. Beneath her hooves the hot desert soil shifted and crunched with her weight. It sent a vague feeling of warmth up through her legs, passing completely unnoticed by the sun princess as she surveyed the scorched land. Blackened husks of buildings stood in messy little rows, interrupted here and there by buildings that had collapsed completely. Smoke drifted up from everywhere, up into the cloudless blue sky. The lanes were littered with debris; shattered glass; overturned carts and carriages; personal items discarded in mad rushes to escape.
Nothing remained of Appleoosa but smoke and ash.

     Tears welled up in Celestia's eyes. She made no move to stop them as they spilled down her cheeks and splattered to the ground. "I was too late. I failed them." It had been a young town. A fresh town. Its whole life had lain before it, its history waiting to be made. What stories could have been told, what adventures could have been had, what generations upon generations of ponies could have lived their lives. And now it was all gone, robbed from the world.

     Celestia sank to her knees and sobbed over the losses, heedless of how the ruins she kneeled in marred her pristine white coat grey with ash. It was here when the stench finally hit the princess. She reeled back, nearly taking flight as the sickeningly alluring aroma of cooked flesh filled her nostrils and mind. Her wings flapped erratically, kicking up dust and ash as she threw her head forward and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground.

     The next moment she was off, soaring higher and higher until she burst free of the clouds of smoke that had cast the ruins of Appleoosa into a twilight gloom. Once she was back in the sunlight she commanded, some of the nausea left, but the horror remained. Always, always Celestia had hoped and believed for the best, even with the worst of disasters. Foolish as it was, up until she had smelled it all herself she had hoped whatever casualties there had been had died painlessly, with as little suffering as possible. But Celestia knew better now; already she could hear the screams on the wind, the whimpers as flames licked at blackening flesh, the cries for help, for relief, for a final release from the pain...

     Princess Celestia feared death. For thousands of years she had watched it take all ponies she ever grew to know. Sometimes they were young when they were taken, in a horrible accident, or sickness. Sometimes they were older; favored adventurers who wandered into the wrong cave, or fell afoul of some roving bandits. Most often though they were old, lying in bed and surrounded by their closest friends and family. A quiet, peaceful death...that Celestia feared most of all. Because after untold millennia, she understood that by the time that death finally came for her, there would be none left to stand by her bedside, save her sister.

     Celestia shook her head, banishing the thoughts. There was no use in allowing oneself to be overwhelmed by emotions such as those. Still though she allowed the tears to flow freely as she looked back down at the town, its gutted carcass little more than a smudge on the earth from how high she was. She let her eyes wander, and that was when she saw it. Another rising trail of smoke several leagues to the north, pass a plateau. A new emotion welled up in Celestia's chest as she spread her wings and began soaring towards the source. Was it possible...did she dare hope?

     With these thoughts fueling her speed it took scant seconds to reach her destination. Passing over the final ridge Celestia looked down on a massive herd of buffalo, spread out over the plains. Celestia could see many ponies mingled throughout the herd, mostly concentrated near the center around a massive fire.

     "A funeral pyre," Celestia whispered as she glided down towards the herd. Several cries rang out when she was spotted, and two earth ponies, a mare with a caramel coat and a large train-pony broke off to meet her as she touched down to the ground. They made to bow down, but before they could they found themselves scooped up against Celestia by her wings.

     "Oh, my little ponies..." Celestia held them close, as a mother hugs a child, pressing her muzzle to theirs. "I am so overjoyed to find some of you safe and sound!"

     "P-Princess!" The caramel pony quivered in equal parts shock at the entirely informal closeness, and primal need of it, while her male companion had simply fainted. After a moment of indecision she gave in and hugged back, letting the white coat soak up the tears dripping from her eyes. "Oh Princess, it was so t-te-terrible!"

     "Shhh, hush now, child..." Celestia nuzzled the ponies muzzle and neck, willing an aura of calm onto her. Slowly the caramel pony's sobs weakened, until eventually she fell silent, asleep. Celestia gently placed her and the male pony onto the ground, and then looked up at the crowd of ponies and buffalo that had formed around her. To every pair of tear-filled eyes she imparted some of her own aura of calm, smiling as she saw the sadness and despair lessening. This time, when she spoke she spoke to all hearts, not just the one.

     "My little ponies, and brave buffalo, I am so happy to see so many of you safe. I felt a most terrible event from my castle in Canterlot and rushed here without delay. However, I am too late, and I am so, so sorry for that." Many of the ponies in the crowd shuffled and looked away, uncomfortable at seeing their princess and divine sovereign actually crying. The listening buffalo, having never seen the princess before, were mostly in awe at the sight of a pony bigger than them. "Who is in charge here?"

     The crowds shifted, and a young buffalo girl stepped out of it towards Celestia. Several bandages wrapped around her head, Celestia saw, with more covering a burn along her right flank. "That would be my father, Ch-Chief Thunderhooves...your highness. I will take you to him."

     "Thank you."

     It was a little more than a minute later when Celestia ducked into the main tent of the camp. Unlike the others it was rectangular, and roughly the same size as the Ponyville town square. In it were rows upon rows of the injured. Some slept, some lay groaning in pain from burns and broken parts, and others lay silent, staring up at the ceiling with dead eyes.

     Celestia let her aura flow out as she passed through the aisles, feelings of calm and peace washing over the ponies. At this some fell into peaceful sleep, while others looked up and, upon seeing their princess, began crying out in the best they could approach to joy. Celestia listened to them all, burning each individual voice to her ageless memory. She would never forget.

     At the far side of the tent from where Celestia entered was Chief Thunderhooves. He stood beside a pony-made cot, looking down at the amber-yellow coated pony that lay on it on his back. Celestia flinched at the state the pony was in. Severe burns covered his right foreleg and shoulder, spreading out a bit onto that side of his chest and back. More burns spread over his hind legs, while his tail was simply gone. And the right side of his face...Celestia did not want to know what could have warranted THAT to be the only burn actually covered, hidden by a white veil.

     Silently Little Strongheart left Celestia's side and took the earth pony's, gently caressing the uninjured side of his face. Celestia herself went to the buffalo chief's side. "Chief Thunderhooves?"

     Chief Thunderhooves turned to her and inclined his head. "Princess Celestia. Your ponies here have spoken much of you. They always knew you would come."

     Celestia smiled, though her eyes shone with held-back tears. Then, before the eyes of everyone present, she bowed to him. "I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for protecting and caring for my little ponies as you have. Please, know that until the day Equestria itself dies, I, Princess Celestia, will be in your debt. If ever you need aid, just send the word."

     Chief Thunderhooves smiled and returned the bow with one of his own. "Likewise, your highness. I pledge-"

     "Celes...tia..."

     The two leaders fell silent as they realized the pony in the cot was now awake. Celestia looked down to see the uncovered eye wide open and locked on her. Something in it unnerved her. It was...wild. She leaned down close to him. "Young pony...Braeburn. What happened?"

     The bloodshot eye left her and began to swirl around in its socket. When Braeburn began to speak it was with a raspy, smoke-tortured voice. "It was a regular...evening...I was in...the orchards with...Little Strongheart. We were...suddenly clouds...came out of nowhere. So dark...and there was nothing but silence...Silence all around...then...then fire began to rain from the sky..." Braeburn fell into a fit of coughing, and when he stopped the cloth over the right side of his face was stained with red. "The orchards were engulfed...it's all l-lost...we ran back to town...found it burning too...saloon began crumbling, I pushed Strongheart away...ahhh...the embers, it's all over my face...it b-burns...why...nothing but silence..."

     "Why..." Celestia quickly put Braeburn into a dreamless sleep, and then made to turn away to look at all the other cots. So it was just like all the other towns and cities she had found...

     "Rainbow..."

     Celestia froze. She turned back to the sleeping pony, noticing her buffalo companions were also confused by the word. She took a step closer and listened.

     "Rainbow...the Rainbow...it comes...she comes..."

     Celestia's eyes widened. "Is it possible...oh Cronus, my father, after nearly 2,000 years...?"

     "Princess?" Thunderhooves watched as Celestia turned away from the still-mumbling pony and began trotting to the door. "Princess, what is the Rainbow?"

     Celestia paused at the tent flap and turned to look back at Thunderhooves, Little Strongheart, and all the ponies. She smiled as tears, now of joy, streamed down her cheeks. "It is something wonderful, Chief. Everything is going to be okay."