Storms On the Horizon, Chapter 17

Storms On the Horizon, Chapter 17
         Sisterhood Like Moon Pies

  "W-we're not gonna be able t'go home agin, are we?"

  "Ah told ya not to look out the window..."

  A short period of silence followed before, "Big Mac?"

  "Don't look out the window."

  "Big Mac! Answer me!"

  A massive red nose descended upon the yellow filly and hoisted her, protesting, into the air. The pony attached to the nose placed his younger sister on the far side of the seat.

  "Move me all ya want, but that ain't gonna stop me from askin'!"

  Big Macintosh sighed and looked out the window of the train. The black plume of oily smoke painted an unsightly smear upon the blue sky. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that it was going to come to something like this. He just wished that it hadn't.

  "Well? Can we go home or not?"

  "No, Apple Bloom. We can't. Not fer a while anyway."

  The somber answer put a damper on the young pony's demanding. "So where're we gonna stay then?"

  "Until this whole situation blows over, we're gonna stay in Canterlot. Ah'm sure the princess'll put us up."

  Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged excited glasses. "We get to stay in the palace! We get to stay in the palace!" they squealed in unison.

  Apple Bloom was significantly less ecstatic about the change of venue. "What about afterwards?"

  "Ah...don't know... But we'll figure somethin' out." He forced a smile to show to the young pony.

  "Ooh! Ooh! You could stay with me and Rarity! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!"

   "Thanks fer the offer there, Sweetie Belle, but we'll cross that bridge when we git there."

  The bow-wearing filly sniffed. If we git there... She reached down and softly stroked the fiery-plumed back of the sleeping Philomena, trying to distract herself from her lack of a home. The phoenix trilled slightly from under her wing. "Atta' girl..." Ah hope AJ is all right...

  "Attention, passengers!" The door at the end of the car slid open. "We will be pulling into Canterlot station within the next five minutes. If this is your stop, be warned that the carriage service to the city is currently not running. The inner city has been placed on lockdown. You are welcome to stay at the station for the night to wait out the lockdown. Should you wish to return to your original destination, you may do so free of charge, and your initial ticket shall be refunded. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

  "All right, girls, this here's our stop. You have your things ready to go?"

  Each of the three fillies jumped to the cabin floor, where Apple Bloom began passing out saddlebags from under the seats.

  "Thanks, darlin'." Big Macintosh took his bags from the small pony. "Sweetie Belle, would you carry Angel Bunny fer me?"

  "Sure!" The unicorn member of the Crusaders very gently nosed the rabbit in question as he slept at Philomena's feet. "Angel? Angel, wake up. I'm just gonna put you up on my back, okay?"

  "Apple Bloom? D'you want to carry Philomena?"

  It took significantly less time for the earth pony filly to rouse the dozing avian and she was soon perched upon the filly's yellow back.

  A series of three whistle blasts announced the arrival into Canterlot Station. Brakes hissed and the cars shifted, unbalancing one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Now, when we git off, Ah want you three to stay in front of me at all times, okay?"

  "Why? This is just a train station, isn't it?"

  "Eeyup. But Ah'm not takin' any chances. Y'all are stickin' with me until we get to Canterlot, understand?" Three "Uh-huh's" were his answer, one from each Crusader. "Alright then. Let's go." The red earth pony started ushering his charges toward the door and the platform beyond. Steam rolled across the platform, pushed by a brisk breeze. "C'mon, girls. Let's git inside and find us a way to git to Canterlot."

  Not many ponies moved throughout the station, probably due to the citywide lockdown. The only ponies present were those that had been on the incoming train. "Lookie there!" Apple Bloom pointed across the terminal. "Infermation!" The three fillies broke into a run. Big Macintosh followed at a significantly slower trot. "Uhh, excuse me, miss? Ah've got a question."

  The unicorn mare working the desk leaned forward to see her addressor. "Of course! What can I do for you, little one?"

  "Ah'm sorry to bother ya, miss, but we're lookin' to git a ride to Cainterlot."

  Big Macintosh arrived just in time to hear, "I'm sorry, dear, but we haven't had any carriages running today. The inner city is on lockdown; Princess Celestia's orders."

  "But we really hafta git to Cainterlot! Ya don't understand; this is important! Please!"

  "Manners, Apple Bloom." her brother softly reminded. "Ah'm sorry, miss."

  "Oh, it's quite all right. She's adorable. Is she yours?"

  "Mah sister. We were just on our way to Canterlot to meet some family. Are you sure there's no other way to Canterlot?"

  "You could walk, but the city itself is barred from any traffic in or out. I do apologize for the inconvenience. We'd be happy to provide you with blankets for the night if you wish to stay until tomorrow."

  "You'd better. At least until we've got an idea of what we're doin'."

  "Of course. One moment, please." The brown-maned mare ducked behind the counter briefly, coming back up with a small pile of blankets. "Here you are, sir."

  "Much obliged, miss." The farmer pony nodded in gratitude, draping the blankets across his back. He started to turn away, when he caught glance of the fiery avian upon his sister's back. The one with the messenger harness... "Beggin' yer pardon, miss, but might you have a pencil and paper Ah could borrow?"

  "I do." A well-sharpened pencil and several sheets of parchment floated over the desk.

  "Thank ya kindly. Ah'll have it back to ya in just a moment."

  The party of four excused themselves off to a small corner of the terminal. "What's the paper for?" Sweetie Belle asked.

  "Ah'll feel worlds better once we're inside the Palace an' we've got that there book into the Princess' hooves. We ain't got the time to sit here and wait out a lockdown. We need to git a letter to the Princess, an' Philomena here's gonna help us do it."

  "Trrrr..." Hearing the mention of her name, the phoenix turned an inquisitive eye to the earth pony. She watched him spread the parchment upon the floor, ready to be scribed.

  "Okay, who wants to write our letter?"

  "I'll do it." the unicorn filly volunteered. "Rarity's had me practicing my writing." She took the pencil within her mouth and nodded to the stallion.

  Slowly, so as not to outspeak Sweetie Belle's writing, Big Macintosh began dictating. "Dear Princess Celestia, We were able to find the book you were lookin' fer. We did have a slight change of plans, though. Three pegasi attacked us and set fire to Sweet Apple Acres. The girls and Ah have the book. Have Philomena lead you to us when you receive this. Big Macintosh."

  The finished letter was twirled up and slipped into Philomena's harness. "We ready to go?" Apple Bloom glanced up at the avian upon her back.

  "Eeyup." At his urging, the Cutie Mark Crusaders led the earth pony outside, where he had the phoenix hop over to his foreleg. "All right, Philomena. Y'know what to do; find Princess Celestia and bring her back here."

  The phoenix nodded and winged to the sky. Four sets of eyes watched her until she disappeared from sight. A crisp breeze rolled across the front deck of the station, sending shivers through each of the small fillies. "Brrrr..."

  "C'mon, girls, let's git back inside... We've jus' gotta wait fer the princess now. Y'all three should take a nap; y've had a busy day."

  As usual, there was protest to the idea of a nap, provided by a one orange pegasus filly. "But I'm not tired! I'm full of energy!"

  "A likely story, missy." the orange-maned stallion chuckled. "Ah saw ya noddin' off durin' the train ride. C'mon, a quick nap'll do ya good."

  "Oh all right..."

  Thankfully, the three blankets were rather large, easily able to accommodate three fillies. One blanket was spread upon the ground, another was rolled into a makeshift pillow, while the third was finally pulled over the little ponies. A crude bed, but it would suffice for the moment.

  "Let us know when the Princess gets here, okay?"

  "You got it, Sweetie Belle." Each one of the three fillies received a quick kiss on the forehead, and when he reached his sister, the red earth pony softly whispered, "Now don't ya go worryin' yer tail into a knot, okay? Everythin's gonna be all right."

  "If you say so..."

  Big Macintosh retreated to a nearby bench, where he could keep the fillies in the corner of his eye. He watched them until they fell asleep, which didn't take too long. Despite her protests, Scootaloo was actually the first to go. He chuckled lightly and glanced out the window, where his jollity took to the sky like Celestia's phoenix. AJ, if y've seen that there smoke, y'all're probly worried sick...

-------------------------

  Given the happenings in Canterlot Palace, worry seemed to be the only thing on anypony's plate.

  The two alicorn sisters remained in bed, Luna under the blankets, Celestia seated next to her. Every now and then, the night blue alicorn would sniff a little and wipe her eyes.

  "Are you sure that there's nothing I can do to help, Luna?"

  She nodded weakly. "I'm sure..."

  "Luna..." The elder alicorn rested a hoof upon her sister's shoulder. What can I do to help you...? "Luna, talk to me..."

  "What's to talk about? Y-you saw my dream... She locked me on the m-moon, Celestia..."

  Celestia's eyes widened for an instant to let realization pass through. "You...you're scared of being imprisoned on the moon?" The look that Luna turned to her sister almost stopped Celestia's heart. "I...I had no idea that you remembered any of that..."

  "I wish it were that simple... Every day for one thousand years, she would force me to stare at the earth until I broke down. Every day it took longer and longer... Finally, I stopped giving her the satisfaction; I just kept it inside... But it still hurt, 'Tia... It hurt so m-much... It hurt...and she liked it..."

  "You've been holding all of this in since you returned, haven't you?"

  Again the dark blue pony's head bobbed slowly up and down.

  "Luna, why didn't you tell me? I would have been happy to help you."

  "Y-your sentiments are well-received, Celestia, but this is something that I need to fight with."

  "But nopony said you needed to fight alone. We're in this together."

  "Celestia, I'm-" A massive white wing flipped itself into Luna's mouth, deciding that she was done speaking.

  "Luna, I don't like playing this card on you, and Harmony forbid I should ever have to do it again, but I am your older sister, and I will not let you do this alone. I don't doubt that you have the capacity to do this on your own, but I am not okay with watching you struggle with this burden, especially when it was my use of the Elements that gave it to you."

  "You didn't know what the spell would do; it's not your faul-"

  "Luna...I'm helping."

  "So that's it? That's the last word on the subject? There's no chance for me to talk you out of it?"

  "None at all."

  For a second, Celestia took her sister's challenging glare as a sign of defiance, but there was no reason for worry. Luna lowered her head and murmured "Thank you."

  The sun-marked princess extended a wing and pulled her sister closer. "Do you feel any better now?"

  "It'll be a long time before I'm 'better.' I am glad for your help, though."

  "I see... Hold on..." Celestia slipped off the bed and cantered over to the bookcase. A collection of eight books floated from the shelf. One by one, the tomes filed past her pink eyes, pages flipping. "No...no...no...no... Ah-hah!" Seven books were returned to the shelves. "All right, Luna, get dressed and come with me."

  "What? Why?"

  "Trust me." Celestia winked, wiggling the one book she still held with her magic.

  The blue alicorn shrugged. "Fine. I'll meet you in the hallway. Give me a moment."

  It wasn't three minutes before the sisters had reunited in the hallway as had been requested. "All right, follow me." Without waiting for any sort of answer, Celestia started down the hallway, humming to herself."

  What in Equestria has come over you, Celestia? What's in that book?

  "You coming, Luna? The surprise in this book is for you."

  "What?" Luna's curiosity put her hooves into a swift trot. She quickly drew even with the taller alicorn. "Where exactly are you taking us?"

  "You'll see."

  "What's in that book then?"

  "You'll see that too."

  "Fine..."

  There was no other mention of the book for a good five minutes. Without warning, Luna made a surprise grab for the tome, to which Celestia responded by teleporting the book away."

  "'Tia!"

  "Come now, Luna. You're over two thousand years old."

  "You're one to talk, playing keep-away with a book! Hypocrisy is not a good color on you, dear sister."

  "Perhaps not, but I think I'm more of a summer anyway." The book winked back into existence as if nothing had ever happened. "Come on. We're almost there."

-------------------------

  "The kitchen? Why are we here?"

  Yellow magic passed the book to the Moon Goddess, already opened to a specific page.

  "No... Where did you get this?"

  "What did you think my bookcase was full of dusty old spellbooks?"

  "No... I mean, this is the recipe for...for moon pies that Mother used to make us as foals. How did you come by it? This...is even her writing..."

  "It should be; that's her recipe book. Now, what's say we see if we can't make some?"

  "Really? I haven't had one of those in years!"

  "Let's go then!" Celestia eased open the kitchen doors with a great wing. All activity in the bustling kitchen immediately stopped at the presence of the royal sisters.

  "Your Highnesses!" The head chef ceased his proceedings to properly address the sisters. "What brings you to my humble domain?"

  "Good morning, Five Star. " Celestia nodded in greeting. Her mother's recipe book traded auras down to the chef pony, still opened to the recipe for the preferred pastry. "How many of these ingredients do we have in the larders?"

  Five Star pondered the yellowed pages for a moment, complete with hoof-to-chin tapping. "Heavenly Moon Pies... Not a recipe I usually see cross my ovens...but... Sugar...butter...cocoa powder...marshmallow crème... Yes, I do believe we have all of these. How many pies would you like this to make?"

  "Two dozen."

  "Very good. I'll get started on these immediately and have them up to your chambers within the hou-"

  "Thank you, Five Star, but that won't be necessary. Luna and I shall be preparing these ourselves. If you could fetch us the ingredients and utensils, we'd be happy to get out of your mane."

  "O-of course! Feel free to choose any oven you wish and I'll be right with you."

  Obviously, none of the ovens or counters were built for operators of alicorn height, but the sisters would make it work. The provided aprons were also more than a bit short. There weren't many other options though.

  "Here you are, your Highnesses!" Five Star returned, pushing a two-tiered serving tray stocked with all manner of ingredients and utensils. "Do let me know if you need any help."

  "Of course." Celestia dipped her head to the unicorn, who promptly turned and scurried off to survey the rest of his kingdom. The Sun Goddess-turned-pastry chef nosed through the various sacks and bottles, seeking the cookbook. "Ah! Here we are." She passed this to Luna, continuing her trip through the ingredients. "What do we need to get started?"

  "Let's see... Set oven to 400 degrees...done... Ready?"

  "Go."

  "Two bowls, butter, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder."

  One by one, each of these items floated off of the cart. "Now what?"

  "Is there a cookie sheet on that cart?"

  "Ummm..." Shuffling was heard as items were pushed about. "Wait, yes. Here it is."

  "Let me see it." The book was moved to a nearby stand for easy viewing. Luna's eyes traced the instructions once more. "It says 'lightly grease the sheet.' Pass me the cooking oil, 'Tia."

  "While you do that..." Without a word spoken or a step missed between them, Luna moved to the side, allowing Celestia to take her place. "I'll get started with step two." Bowls and ingredients lined up before Celestia. Her eyes glanced at the book and the ingredients started filing into the two bowls according to recipe. Magic placed a whisk in each bowl, spinning each to a fine mix. The dry bowl was then slowly poured into the wet, whisk twirling steadily.

  "Are you almost done with the dough?"

  "Just finished. Give me the sheet." Muffled laughter was not the answer she was expecting to meet. "What's so funny?"

  "Y-your face..." Luna giggled around her hoof.

  "My face?" Mirrors were not readily available in a kitchen, so Celestia grabbed the next closest thing. Her reflected expression in the pot lid was distorted and quite comical, but she could still see a layer of brown dust covering her muzzle and most of her face. "Oh. I see."

  If there's one thing that magic cannot do, it's disguise laughter. Luna's efforts weren't doing a very good job either. "Pffft!"

  Celestia's eyes darted from her tittering sister to the spoon lying next to the chocolate batter and a mischievous smirk crossed her face.

  Luna's eyes, however, were still closed from resisting laughter, so the batter-laden spoon heading for her nose went unnoticed. "Ack! What was that for, Celestia!?"

  "Now we match." she replied cheekily.

  "Funny..." Luna muttered. Behind Celestia, the jar of marshmallow crème unscrewed its lid. A dollop of its contents floated out, with one target in mind.

  "Apbthbb!" The sweet, sticky condiment was magically shoved into the Sun Goddess' mouth and nose. "Okay, okay, we're even. You're certainly feeling better, I see."

  "You could say that."

  "Good to hear. I'd give you a hug, but...we might make more of a mess than it's worth..."

  A genuine smile crossed Luna's face; something that Celestia had not seen in far too long. "It's the thought that counts, 'Tia."

-------------------------

  With all silliness between them expended, the rest of the baking went off without a hitch. The marshmallow filling was prepared and the cookies were baked and finally filled. After returning the utensils (cleaned, of course) to Five Star, the sisters took their creations and their leave of the kitchen.

  The cookies smelled absolutely delicious and Luna couldn't wait until they were back in Celestia's room to try them. She removed one of the moon pies from the plate, her stomach growling in anticipation. "Mmmm..." That first bite was nothing short of bliss and the rest of the cookie disappeared in short order.

  "How did we do?" Celestia noticed the pastry fitting itself into her sister's mouth. "Are they as good as Mother used to make?"

  There was no hesitation in Luna's answer. "No. Not even close. They're good, but they're not that good."

  A wing lightly nudged the younger alicorn. "Gee, thanks..." Another cookie removed itself from the plate floating alongside the white alicorn. One bite later and the agreement was unanimous. "Okay, you're right. Mother made them better." she commented, nudging the door to her room open. She set the plate down upon her nightstand and turned her magic toward straightening her bed.

  Luna remembered all too well what had happened in this room an hour earlier. That oppressive, strangling feeling slowly started crawling up her spine again. Absentmindedly, she took another moon pie to distract herself, eventually noticing something sitting under the plate. Magic carried this over to her as well. The Great Guide to All Things Gemstone... A quick inspection revealed two different dog-eared pages. "What were you looking for in this book, 'Tia?"

  "Which book would that be?"

  "This one here."

  The elder alicorn pondered the floating book before her for a minute. "The Great Guide to All Things Gemstone? Where did you find this?"

  "On your nightstand, under the moon pies."

  "Funny... It wasn't there this morning..." Celestia cracked the encyclopedia to the first marked page. "Peridot? Why in Equestria is..." Further reading stifled the flow of words from the princess' mouth. "Look at this, Luna. Second paragraph."

  The Moon Goddess wiped some wayward crumbs from her mouth before reading. "Legend says that if this gem is set in gold and worn, the stone will develop its full potential as a talisman, and will have the power to eradicate terrors of the night, such as fearsome visions and nightmares."

  A broad smile appeared on Celestia's face. "I think we just found a solution to your problem that might let you get some real sleep."

  "Really? You think so?"

  "She calls herself Nightmare Moon. It's worth a try."

  "I suppose..."

  "Still..." Celestia turned the book every which way, looking for...well, she didn't really know. Something. "I find it odd that this book just up and appears on my nightstand. I know that I didn't get it. I didn't even know this was in the archives..." Curiosity flipped the tome open to the second marked page. Then, just like that, Celestia knew where the book had come from. "Mother..."

  "Mother? What are you talking about?"

  The Sun Goddess' voice was warm, just above a whisper. "Mother put this book there for us to find."

  "Are you sure?"

  She nodded. "She...appeared to me earlier today, just after you fell asleep. I... was in a very hard place, Luna. I was at wit's end; I didn't know what to do. This page here clearly details a counterspell one can perform that absorbs the magic from all nearby sinkstones, rendering them useless until recharged. Remove the magic and the pony wearing the disguising sinkstone is revealed. One less thing to worry about. Let's head back down to the research wing and-"

  "Kreeeh!"

  Pecking and scrabbling at the window diverted Celestia's attention. "Philomena!?" A yellow aura popped the latch on the window and the phoenix came flapping inside. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Celestia held the phoenix upon her foreleg, nuzzling her fiery head.

  "Trrrrrt..." Philomena opened her harness case to fetch the message within, which she presented to her master.

  The alicorn's brow furrowed at the scribed words. "Philomena, fly down to the chariot run. Luna and I will meet you there when we're ready."

     Luna watched as the avian shot from the open window like a flaming arrow. Something...building far off on the horizon, above the Everfree Forest, caught her eye and finally beckoned her to the window as well. "What was in that letter, 'Tia?" she asked, only half paying attention, busy as she was trying to make sense of what she saw. Oh no...

  "That was Applejack's brother. He found the book that very possibly contains a ritual for complete separation. Wherever he is, he has foals in his care, and I'm not about to see one of them hurt."

  "We're probably going to need a plan then."

  "Why do you say that?"

  The Princess of the Night looked back over her shoulder. "Wasn't there a storm over the Everfree Forest the night Fluttershy's and Applejack's chariot went down and over Canterlot the day Twilight was taken?"

  "'Storm?'" Celestia felt a claw dig into her stomach at that word. "What are you looking at?"

  Luna pointed a hoof out the window. "See for yourself."

  As much as she hated it, the alicorn knew what she was going to find upon looking outside. The view did not disappoint. Black, roiling clouds were quickly gathering over the sea of trees that was the forest. So quickly that Celestia could see the storm growing even now. "We do need a plan...and I know just where to start."

  "To the armory?"

  Celestia's golden helm slid pointedly over her head. "My thoughts exactly."

  As the sisters galloped from the room, they passed a lone guard. He watched them until they disappeared from sight. He then glanced into the chambers, spying the book left open upon the bed.

-------------------------

  "Ah! Your Highnesses! I did not expect to see you again so soon. I hope things are going well."

  "That's why we're here."

  "If you would be so kind as to ready my armor." Luna nodded to the blacksmith pony."

  "Of course, your Highness." The black, enchanted metal floated from its case. Luna moved as needed as the pieces sought their proper locations. "There. Is there anything else you require of me?"

  "Yes. Prepare our weapons."

  The blacksmith swallowed in surprise. The royal sisters rarely called upon their weaponry; only in times of dire need were they used. "O-of course. Excuse me."

  Within a few minutes, the blacksmith had disappeared and returned, bringing with him several objects. Two of these, both two-foot long scabbards built of a polished black leather emblazoned with a simple crescent moon, he presented to Luna. He laid their harness across her back, adjusting it so that the sheaths rested just under her wings.

  The Moon Goddess' horn took hold of the handles protruding from the sheaths and quickly pulled them out. As the obsidian handles came free, a curved blade, honed to a wicked edge, sprang forth from each one. She twirled them about, magically testing their heft. She nodded in silent satisfaction and replaced the scythes.

  With one princess satisfied, the unicorn faced the other, giving to her a three-foot marble staff, topped at either end with a spiked head built from the same metal as her armor. While she tested this weapon, he went about fastening a mail of golden scales to the outside of her extended left wing. In about the time that it took him to finish, Celestia had finished her test swings, placing the morningstar upon her back.

  "Thank you, Hammerfall. That will be all." After acknowledging his response, Celestia turned to her sister. "Ready the Wonderbolts, then meet me on the chariot run. I've got one more thing to do."

-------------------------

  A strong wind tugged at the manes of the eight ponies standing upon the chariot run hewn into the mountainside.

  "All right, Wonderbolts, listen up!" Celestia barked. "Luna has called you to attention because we have witnessed another storm breaking over the Everfree Forest. We have need of your speed, power, and overall flying ability. This is not your average rogue storm. Previous intelligence suggests that we are up against something capable of retaliation and rational thought, so precautions have been taken. We're racing the clock, so I'll keep them brief. We will be following Philomena to the extraction point. We make the pick-up and go. I'm not expecting this to be a clean run; I fully expect this 'storm' to give us chase, so once you receive the passengers, you [i]fly[/i] for Canterlot. Luna and I will provide aerial support and I have established three breakpoints. When we call out one of these, two of you will break from the chariot and find the unicorn team I have stationed there. You will create as much atmospheric disturbance as possible to slow the storm down. Soarin, Spitfire, you are to stay with the chariot until the last breakpoint. Are we understood?"

  "Yes, ma'am!"

  "Lead the way, Philomena!"

  At her master's command, the phoenix spread her wings to the sky, roaring into a living flame.

  "Hooves up, Wonderbolts!" Spitfire called out. "Follow that bird!"

  Luna and Celestia made sure the chariot went airborne before following. "Let's go, Luna."

  "Right."

  The alicorns left the ground like arrows from a bow, easily catching up to Celestia's chariot. Luna flanked the vehicle's right, while her sister took the left, For the next twenty minutes, the only sound past any ears was rushing wind. Beyond Philomena, Luna kept her eyes fixated upon the black storm clouds on the horizon.

  "Kraaah!" Philomena let out a piercing cry, circling above a structure far off in the distance.

  "Celestia! Look! The train station!" Luna shouted over the wind.

  The Sun Goddess' eyes flicked from her sister down to the station and out to the building storm.

  Which had also noticed Philomena's signal, apparently.

  "You're kidding... Luna! With me! Let's put some wind under our wings!"

  Luna nodded. A heavy clap of her wings sent her rocketing after the sun-marked pony. Countryside flew by at a quick clip, bringing the station closer with it. When it drew even with her, the alicorn rolled over and closed her wings.

-------------------------

  "Kraaah!"

  The phoenix' sharp cry startled Big Macintosh, who had been dozing down in the train station. He sprinted outside, eyes to the sky. A gold point of light came falling from the blue, dropping like a meteor. Instinct closed his eyes. The foomph! of wings opened quickly was the next thing he heard. "Princess Celestia."

  The battle-ready alicorn nodded curtly in response. "The foals with you; they are unharmed, yes?"

  "Sure. They're inside takin' a nap."

  "Rouse them. Quickly. We are running on borrowed time."

  The orange-maned pony nodded, running back to the sleeping fillies. "Girls? Girls, wake up."

  "Hu-hunh?"

  "Git yer bags and take Angel outside. Quick now!" While they were doing so, the stallion quickly, if messily, gathered the blankets, returning them to the clerk. On his way back, a massive peal of thunder rocked the train station. By the time he was outside, Celestia had been joined by another alicorn and a chariot.

  "Big Macintosh, take the little ones with you in my chariot." Celestia instructed. "Luna and I will make sure you have a safe flight."

  "'Safe flight?'" Sweetie Belle echoed. "Why would we-"

  "Celestia? We need to leave. Now."

  No sooner had the words fallen from Luna's mouth than the storm's fury broke directly overhead. Rain, lightning, wind, everything was unleashed upon the station.

  "Quickly, girls, into the chariot!" Celestia ushered the Cutie Mark Crusaders toward the vehicle, shielding them from the rain.

  A dome of blue light fell over the group, just in time to absorb a bolt of lightning very obviously thrown their way. "I'll keep this spell around us as long as possible, but we need to make some distance!"

  "You heard the Princess! Lean on those harnesses, Wonderbolts!"

  Luna followed the chariot into the air to make sure they were protected by her spell. The six ponies in the harnesses were Equestria's number one flying team for a reason; they quickly put up a safety cushion before the storm front. "It's working, Celestia!"

  "Stay sharp. We're not home yet." Long, slow wingbeats carried Equestria's Sun Goddess up to the chariot's side. "Are you four doing all right?" she asked.

  From their huddled position against Big Macintosh, the three fillies nodded shakily.

  "Good. We should be back in Canterlot soon-"

  "Gaaah!"

  "Luna! What is it!?"

  "That...last bolt wasn't lightning..." She forced one eye open against her splitting headache and fought to re-level her flight. "It was dispel magic...!"

  "What exactly does that mean?" Big Macintosh asked.

  As if in answer, Luna's protective field flickered once and vanished.

  "Weapons out, Luna! We'll have to do this the hard way!" Celestia's horn lit itself with an angry yellow flame.

  Two scythes sprang from the scabbards under Luna's wings. She flashed her sister a playful glance. "Have we ever had it easy?"

  Celestia returned the grin before disappearing in a flash of yellow light. Her point of reappearance was several feet above the chariot, right in the path of an oncoming bolt. She pirouetted, catching the lightning upon the curved surface of her wing shield and rebounding it back into the clouds. In the same pirouette, the princess swung her morningstar so that one of the two heads snaked out on a magical chain to intercept another lightning bolt, swatting it away. Then, in another flash, she was away to repeat the process.

  Luna had no wing shield to speak of, but she was no worse off. The lightning bolts were coming at a frantic rate and the Princess of the Night was keeping up wonderfully. Her scythes were spinning like two pinwheels caught in a hurricane, catching lightning inside their twirling blades before tossing it back into the cloudbank. On occasion, she would summon a jet-black vortex to harmlessly swallow the entire bolt.

  They were so enraptured with the magical dance of the two princesses that none of the passengers expected what came next.

  Celestia's voice rang out over the storm. "Breakpoint Alpha! Go!"

  The two outermost Wonderbolts severed their leads and broke off into a steep banking dive. The chariot shuddered violently as the remaining Wonderbolts sped up to compensate for the loss of power.

  Apple Bloom hugged her brother's foreleg and whimpered quietly.

  Behind the chariot, a pair of massive tornadoes erupted into the sky. The high winds tore into the clouds, shredding them like tissue. This was no natural storm, though; it parted itself around the cyclones and continued chase. Lightning bolts filled the air once again.

  Celestia flashed out of the way as Luna sent a scythe spinning through the space she had been instants before. "Hah!" The royal sisters were fighting lightning and winning. "Breakpoint Beta! Away!"

  At Luna's command, another pair of Wonderbolts peeled off from the chariot. "Think you can keep up, Soarin'?"

  "Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."

  A doubling of the pegasi's speed was necessary to keep the chariot's course true, but the Wonderbolts were up to the challenge.

  "Girls, look. We're almost there." The earth pony stallion nudged the fillies and pointed to the cliffside city.

  "We're almost there, Wonderbolts!" Celestia shouted to the pegasi. Curtains of rain slashed through the air, one after another; visibility was near zero. Both of the princesses were fighting on instinct and everypony knows that that will only get one so far...

  One bolt that got in a little too close succeeded in grazing Luna's flank. Without a second thought given to what might happen, a cry of pain slipped from her mouth. "Aaah!"

  Celestia's protective instinct immediately shoved the battle fury from her mind. "Luna?"

  With that one lapse in attention, the defenses had fallen and the chariot was vulnerable. In situations such as this, weak links are oft the first broken; so it was with the chariot and the Wonderbolts in their harnesses. A single bolt went through the pin connecting the two, removing all power from the chariot. Above the ringing in her ears, Celestia caught the wails of sheer terror from the three Cutie Mark Crusaders. "I've already lost one chariot this week, I'm not losing another... Luna! Cover me!"

  The Princess of the Night had witnessed the accident too and required no further convincing. The scorch upon her flank was completely irrelevant, now weighed against the lives of other ponies. She broke into a dive after the plummeting chariot. A burst of magic whipped the surrounding air into a sphere of gale-force winds that drove off any storm clouds in its path.

  When she drew a bead on her falling targets, Celestia's magic was finally able to grab the chariot, its five passengers, and all of their belongings. "Hold that shield, Luna!"

  "You've got about a minute. Move." The use of magic was risky, all but inviting another bolt of dispelling magic their way. Luna had little choice in the matter, though. There was no way she could spin her scythes fast enough to protect a group this big. She had to take it. The first bolt that slammed into the shield sent a massive shock down Luna's horn, straight into her mind. Her wings involuntarily locked up and her flight path dropped a few feet before recovering. She did manage to hold the spell though, which was all that mattered. The chariot run was coming up fast, but not fast enough. "Pick it up, Celestia! I don't think I can repel another one of those!"

  She was right. The second bolt that came in lanced right through the barrier and dropped onto Luna's armored back. Thankfully, her armor dissipated the electrical energy, leaving only concussive force. Combine that with her locked-up wings though and the Goddess of the Night was still taking a hard tumble onto the chariot run. "Hahhh... That...hurt..." One by one, she gathered her hooves underneath her and struggled into a standing position, scythes at the ready.

  Meanwhile, Celestia had made it safely to the tunnel, guests and all. Big Macintosh never thought he'd be so relieved to feel solid ground underneath his hooves again. "Thank ya, yer Highness."

  "There will be time for gratitude later." Celestia ushered the red earth pony and his charges into the tunnel. "You must get these foals to safety. Head down this tunnel, shelter in the guard barracks. Remain there until Luna or I fetch you and then only if we call you by name."

  "Right. C'mon, girls." A row of unicorn guards fell in behind the earth pony, sealing off the tunnel mouth.

  "Let nothing pass this point." The Sun Goddess gave one final order to her guards then turned and galloped down the chariot run to where Luna stood fighting off lightning bolts like a madpony. "Are you holding up all right? Dispel magic isn't easy to defend against."

  "'Tis but a scratch. I've endured worse, sister. The foals, are they safe?"

  "Indeed. Shall we finally return the fight?"

  Luna's two scythes clicked together so that they resembled a stringless crossbow. A bolt of magic manifested upon the shaft of the weapon. "Let's." Shots began flying from the weapon like the rain from the clouds. Some intercepted lightning bolts, while most sought paths through the clouds, punching holes as they went.

  Celestia's efforts were met with no more success than her sister's; the clouds were reforming faster than could be dissipated. After ten fruitless minutes of struggling, she drew the proverbial line. "Enough!! Shield your eyes, everypony!"

  The twin-headed morningstar of Equestria's Sun Goddess began spinning, gaining speed enough to pay out fifteen feet of enchanted chain behind each spiked head. Faster and faster it spun, until each morningstar became brighter than its namesake.

  Luna dared not cast eye upon the spell being conjured by her sister; it was almost too bright, even behind closed eyes.

  "My apologies, everypony. You may open your eyes."

  "An impressive display," Equestria's night princess commented as her blades slid back into their sheaths. "but perhaps a little excessive for a last resort, yes?"

  "Perhaps. But it was no less effective for it. Come, we've further business."

  Leaving pristine blue skies behind her, Celestia pointed herself toward the tunnel. Her charges were not yet home.

-------------------------

  "How is your head feeling, Rainbow Dash?"

  "I'm fine, Fluttershy... Go check on Applejack..."

  "A-are you sure? I c-could get you more ice for y-your ice pack...or something..."

  "I'm. Fine." The glare from the mare's magenta eyes nearly knocked the Element of Kindness onto her flank.

  Nearly all volume had fled from the yellow mare's voice at her friend's stare. "O-okay then..."

  The rainbow-maned pony huffed as her timid friend slowly backed away. Ice clacked upon ice when her head returned its gaze out the window again.

  "You don't have to be like that, Rainbow." Twilight called from Applejack's bedside. "She was only wanting to help."

  "I don't know if you've noticed, Twi', but we're kinda beyond help here! Sweet Apple Acres is up in smoke, Applejack is out like a light, and the pony responsible for that is sitting right next to you!"

  In any case other than this, makeup is intended to positively accentuate one's features. When one has been crying for the past hour, however, not so much. At the words from the Element of Loyalty, Rarity looked up. The mascara she had put on as part of her morning routine had traced two sloppy, black streams through her white coat. She quickly wiped her eyes, succeeding only in smearing the mess all over her foreleg. Pristine and lady-like were the last words Rainbow Dash would have used to describe her right now.

  "Rainbow Dash! What happened to Applejack is not Rarity's fault!"

  "Right! And I suppose it was you that knocked her out with magic, huh, Twi'!" The sarcasm rolling from the pegasi's mouth was as obvious as her six-colored mane.

  The purple mare opened her mouth to defend Rarity once more, but quickly shut it when said pony walked straight past her.

  Rarity's voice was a little hoarse and broken from her periodic fits of sobbing, but still she spoke with strength. "L-look, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for what happened to Applejack, I-I truly am... Forgive me f-for assuming that there was...any compassion or understanding underneath that greasy scrap of cloth you call a mane!"

  "What!?"

  "Perhaps you haven't noticed...but I might have just lost my only sister! Some ponies actually worry about their family, you...you...feather-headed...inconsiderate excuse for a ruffian!"

  "That's it!"

  Twilight barely had time to conjure a spell to grab the tail of the cyan pegasus. "Sit down, Rainbow Dash. Sit down and fold your wings. You're not helping anypony by flying off the handle like that."

  "What about Rarity!? She's off the hook just like that!?"

  Twilight shook her head. "I didn't say that. But if we let hooves start flying again, somepony else is going to get hurt!"

  "My goodness...so much shouting..."

  Twilight's reprimanding bowed before the regal voice, as did she when its owner entered the room. "Princess Celestia..."

  "We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

  The Element of Loyalty yelped like some kind of foal's toy as Twilight's magic gave her tail a sharp yank. "N-no... You're not."

  "It's fine, Rainbow Dash. I heard enough from the hallway."

  "M-my apologies, y-your Highness..." Rarity sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "I...lost my tongue..."

  "It's quite all right, Rarity; besides, there's somepony here who'd very much like to see you." The sun-marked pony nodded to Luna, who stepped aside...

  ...and let three fillies charge in.

  "Rarity!"

  "Sw-Sweetie Belle!?" The young filly pressed herself up against the older mare. Y-you... I t-thought..."

  Sweetie Belle looked at the black smear upon her flank from her sister's forelegs. "Have...you been crying, sis?"

  Rarity had her younger sister in the tightest of embraces, and she had no intention of letting her go. "I-I have... I...I thought I h-had lost you..." As if the mere mention of those words could wrench her sister from her, the white unicorn tightened her hug around the filly, silent tears falling from her eye. "H-hold still for a moment..."

  Sweetie Belle felt the embrace fall away, replaced moments later by the familiar tug-release, tug-release of her sister's hairbrush. "Sis?"

  "Y-your mane is a m-mess, Sweetie Belle... A lady must always look her best..."

  "Right..." Her best... The Crusader's light green eyes kept looking from the black smear upon her flank to the ruined makeup upon her sister's face. Finally, she reached up and began rubbing the mascara away.

  "Sweetie Belle... What are you-"

  "A lady must always look her best."

  "O-of course..." New tears appeared in Rarity's eyes and she nodded. "H-how could I forget...?" she laughed softly. "So, who brought you back, darling?"

  From the unconscious Applejack's bedside, Apple Bloom let out a desperate "Big Mac!"

  Seconds later, the large red earth pony rounded the corner into the room. "What is it, Apple Bloom?"

  Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat or two (probably two) when she saw the apple-marked stallion set hoof in the bedroom. Not in Celestia's lifetime did she ever expect to see him. Not here. Not now. Not in the middle of all this. Still, his being here meant she had to ask him one thing. Before he could reach Apple Bloom, Fluttershy inserted herself in his path. "C-c-can I t-talk with you...? I-in the hallway...?"

  A moment of pondering and the farmer pony nodded. "'Scuse me, Apple Bloom. Ah'll be right back."

  In the few second out to the hallway, Fluttershy must've played the ensuing conversation out in her head at least a dozen times. Swallowing, she turned to face the stallion...and met with a raised hoof.

  "Ah know exactly what yer lookin' fer." Big Macintosh's snout disappeared into his saddlebags, coming back out with a very familiar face.

  "Angel Bunny!" The mare scooped up the rabbit in her forelegs. "Oh my goodness! Where did you find him?"

  "Little fella was hunkered down in the forest b'hind yer house. Took some callin' 'fore he came out. Didn't really trust me at first; still don't think he does, really..."

  From Fluttershy's cradling embrace, Angel Bunny shot a cold glare at the earth pony.

  "He's just a little picky, that's all. Thank you though." The pegasus mare floated up to the farmer stallion's cheek and very lightly kissed him. Then, as if coming out of a trance, her eyes opened wide as serving trays and she recoiled in shock. "O-oh...m-my...I-I'm...sorry... I...uhm...oh my..."

  "Shhh... It's fine. Ah'm jus' glad Ah could help ya out. Now, could you help me with somethin'?" Through the pegasi's following recollection of Applejack's unconsciousness, Big Macintosh remained...thoughtfully silent, only nodding every few words. "Ah see... Is Rarity doin' all right?"

  "Now that she knows Sweetie Belle is okay, she'll be a lot better."

  "Big Mac! What's takin' ya!?"

  "That...would be fer me." A silent consensus was reached between the two ponies to return to the room. "What's the matter, Apple Bloom?"

  The filly's small voice had become squeaky with worry. "AJ's not wakin' up! I-is she gonna be okay?"

  Twlight's tail descended upon the filly's back. "Of course she is. I've been watching her for the past hour. She's just resting right now."

  This answer was less than sufficient. "But why won't she wake up!? Ah'm scaired! Ah want her to wake up now!"

  "Ugh... Be quiet, ya blasted rooster! Sun ain't up fer 'nother five minutes!"

  The voice brought all attention to the orange pony's bedside.

  "AJ!? AJ, are ya awake? AJ! Wake up!" Apple Bloom called once more.

  "All right, fine! Darn rooster..." The orange cowpony shifted about under the blankets, still dreaming. It wasn't until she went to sit up that she properly came to. The charred patch upon her back was a little tender and it stretched ever so slightly. "Aagh!"

  "Take it easy there, AJ."

  "Big Mac?" A mixture of relief and surprise glinted through the pained tears in Applejack's green eyes. "Apple Bloom?" A long sigh passed her lips as she fell back to the pillow. "Thank Celestia y'all're all right..."

  "Go ahead." the princess giggled. "I'm right here."