Chapter 1 – Guest from the north
Twilight for the fourth time tried to concentrate on the book of spells she had found in the castle of Two Sisters. The book was written in ancient Equestrian. Twilight had been fluent in the language of her remote ancestors since her childhood, and the alphabet presented no problem, but today the intricate flourishes of the ancient characters danced in front of her eyes not wanting to line up or to make sense. At last Twilight, aggravated, put the book on the table with a bang and left the library.
To sort out her tired brain she decided to use the long ago tested remedy – circle the palace along the corridor that went parallel to the outer wall around the entire building. While passing the back door she heard timid knocking.
Her friends usually entered through the front door and never knocked – after all, it was their palace too. The citizens didn't bother her when Equestria wasn't facing attacks from another villain or any other sort of serious trouble. The library had a separate entrance – up the stairs and to the second floor, and the subscribers knew it. So, who could it be?
Twilight opened the door, went outside and saw a young Earth pony – younger than Twilight herself, but obviously older than Applebloom. The unknown guest looked at her with deep-purple eyes, darker than Twilight's and a bit different in hue. There was a lot of sadness in those eyes.
To tell the color of her coat or mane wasn't possible – the poor thing, apparently, had walked a long path, so her fur was covered with a thick layer of dust. Her saddle bags, as dirty as their owner, were filled up to the brim, so the tired filly could no longer hold their weight, and her legs were about to give way.
During those horrible, though, luckily, brief days when Ranhorn occupied Equestria, the country was full of such sad, hungry, dusty ponies not knowing where to go. But Ranhorn had been locked in Tartar for a month, encased in an indestructible jar where the magic chest of the Elements coupled with the Crystal Heart sent him. Nothing was heard of the escape of any other villains – and the last letter from Celestia had arrived just half an hour before – so what made this young one undertake such a long trip?
'Good day!' said Twilight. "I can see you are very tired. Would you like to go into my palace and have a cup of tea? My friend has sent me a fresh apple pie."
The stranger's eye showed astonishment with the unexpected kindness of the royal being. She mumbled something – just like Fluttershy on the day of their first meeting – but then she seemed to get her bearings and uttered 'Thank you, Your Highness, but how can I enter your beautiful palace? I'm so dirty!'
Twilight smiled. It was a piece of cake for her to apply the cleaning spell she had learned from Rarity ages before – maybe during the first or second week of their friendship. The stranger's coat turned out to be a pleasant shade of light-blue – lighter than Rainbow Dash's but darker than Soarin's. Her mane and tail were pink – slightly darker than Fluttershy's. Twilight then used levitation to free her guest from her heavy saddle bags and carefully put them near the door. Now she could see the cutie mark – bright-red cranberries that looked beautiful and very real. Twilight felt a silly desire to eat them, but managed to conceal it and invited the stranger to enter for the second time.
Tea and Applejack's apple pie revived the hungry traveler, and she agreed to tell her story.
'My name is Blueberry Ice' she started 'I live in the village named Cranberry Marsh. We are in the north of Equestria – a bit to the south from the Crystal Empire. Most ponies in our village grow berries – cranberries, blueberries, cowberries and bilberries'. They are northern berries, which don't grow in places like yours, so ponies from the southern provinces gladly give good money for them. That's what my family did too.
'A month ago a terrible black storm-cloud flew above our village and threw a bolt of lightning. All houses, and ours among them, immediately burned to the ground. The second bolt of lightning destroyed our berry bushes. We didn't know what to do and just stood there and cried. But a few hours later magic light came, and our houses and plantations rose from the ashes like the Phoenix bird, about which my mother read to me when I was little. Even all our things were intact. We were happy that everything was back to the norm. Only I don't know what happened to my parents that day. I didn't notice anything at first, but the next morning they packed, took nearly all the money we had made selling berries and went out. Mom said they would be back soon, but they never returned. I started worrying and writing letters to mayors or different cities and towns asking them if two ponies resembling my Mom and Dad had been seen in their places, but nopony wrote back. I couldn't hire a private detective, for I had very little money left. So I decided to go to Ponyville to ask Your Highness's help. Grown ponies in our village often travel to the south to sell berries, and they all tell me that you are very kind and always help everypony. While I was on the road, I spent all my remaining money, and hotels no longer accepted me. I had to sleep on bare ground and eat wild grass. But I couldn't turn back before I learned anything about my parents.'
'Outrageous' thought Twilight when Blueberry finished her story. 'About time I sent a proclamation to my subjects and reminded them about the importance of helping those in trouble. After all, my friends and I never charge them for driving villains out of Equestria all the time! And that's a harder task than giving a roof for the night to this poor kid!'
'I will help you, Blueberry' she said out loud. 'You are tired. Spike will take you to the guest room where you can have a good sleep, unpack and take a real bath. I need time to talk to my friends and decide how to act.'
Blueberry, completely floored with such hospitality, mumbled her thanks for a long time yet, while Spike dragged her stone-heavy bags along the circled corridor. The guest room was done in Blueberry's own colors – blue and pink – and the exhausted traveler, as soon as she could reach the luxurious bed, fell onto it and was lost in heavy, worried slumber.
Chapter 2 – The search begins
'Dad has a dark-gray coat and a light-blue mane' Blueberry was telling. 'He is very tall, just like Mr. Cake. His cutie mark is three bilberries. And also he has a beard. Mom has a light-yellow coat, a little lighter than Miss Fluttershy's, and her cutie mark is one big cowberry. Her mane is dark red with a pink stripe. Mom is very beautiful. '
Twilight, hiding her smile, quickly levitated her quill over a scroll. Spike wasn't around – he had gone to deliver a huge pack of letters to the post office. Applejack had been writing to all her relatives – close and distant – to ask them if they had seen two strangers in some small village who, like the Apple family, could grow delicious food. Everypony placed a lot of hope on those letters – everypony but Twilight. She was already tormented by a premonition that this was a new mess they wouldn't sort out easily. A very bad premonition it was.
One after another, replies arrived. They weren't any consolation. Even the three older Princesses got involved in the search sending their guards to all corners of Equestria. Daring Do, at Rainbow Dash's request, visited a few shady characters in the south, who, she knew, practiced ponynapping for a living. Taking Blueberry with her, Twilight went to Zecora, but they got nothing from this trip to the Everfree forest apart from some revitalizing herbal tea. The worst premonitions started to come true, and the sadness in Blueberry's eyes that so hurt Twilight's kind heart at their first meeting came back more and more often.
Twilight felt her desperation physically as something heavy accumulating in her throat, hindering her breath. During these few days she had grown to love Blueberry and now treated her almost as her little sister. She definitely didn't want to let this nice little pony down. But what more could she do?
Blueberry was spending a lot of time in the company of Cutie Mark Crusaders. Three indefatigable fillies didn't care much that the new friend already had a cutie mark and that she was a few years older. They accepted her into their company, played games with her and even showed her their headquarters. It distracted Blueberry from her sad thoughts, but deep inside she understood that she couldn't forever make use of Twilight's hospitality. She had to go back home where her old Granny Peelberry was waiting for her and where the berries were withering slowly without proper care. She belonged in Cranberry Marsh.
For the road Twilight gave her enough money to make sure she wouldn't have to sleep in the mud again or eat inadequate food. Blueberry tried to refuse the gift, but the arguments of the entire mane six broke her resistance, and she took the purse. She promised Twilight she would write to her as soon as she reaches her village to tell her she has arrived safely and needs nothing. And Twilight, from her side, promised to continue the search for her parents and, should that be necessary, dig through the entire Canterlot library to find a special search spell if it ever existed anywhere.
She was doing just that when Celestia, directed to the library by Spike's letter, found her. She'd been looking for Twilight all day.
Chapter 3 – Explanation
'I did warn you, Twilight' Celestia said. 'A great many will come. To be honest, I hoped that Fate will give you and all of us a longer break, but even Princesses have no power over Fate. It so happened that when Ranhorn escaped from Tartar, he wasn't alone. He never guessed that, and he still has no clue – I didn't think it would be wise to enlighten him.
'Ranhorn, as you know, has no body. But, at least, he is visible to a naked eye, and he can do nothing about it. All he can do it to change his appearance slightly. As for his fellow traveler, she is completely invisible, which is why her presence remained a secret to Ranhorn during his entire quest. If he had known who was following him everywhere, he, most likely, would have tried to recruit her. But this villain had very different plans.
'Her name is Borlena. She managed to conceal the fact of her escape for a long time. She is a spirit without a body, and no one can either see or hear her. To start speaking she needs a body – somepony else's body. That body will let her do various evil deeds also, as soon as she is ready for that. I can only guess what happened next, but I don't think that my conclusions are far off the mark.
'Borlena followed Ranhorn, but not to help him. On the contrary, she wanted to ruin his plans. To achieve her own goal she needed full and happy ponies, not crying and homeless ones. That's why she temporarily took our side in that memorable battle.
'Do you remember how Ranhorn so unexpectedly fell asleep in the middle of the battle? Many were surprised then. Yesterday I went to Tartar to talk to him, and it seems he himself had been just as surprised. He blames Discord "the traitor". I thought so too at first, but Discord confessed to me recently that his initial plan had been different, namely, to neutralize Ranhorn using a huge cloud of cotton candy. Ranhorn's sudden nap made this move unnecessary.
'I'm almost sure that we must thank Borlena for this sudden help. One of those few abilities she has without a body is to send sudden sleep. Only she did not do it for the sake of good.
'When Ranhorn & Co flew above Cranberry Marsh, the villain couldn't help himself and destroyed yet another village, even though he was in a hurry for his most important battle. Among the crying residents there were Myrtle Peelberry Ice and Marshberry Jam Ice, Myrtle and Jam to their friends, the parents of our little Blueberry. Borlena liked Myrtle: she saw a beautiful and still relatively young pony, accustomed to healthy food and as sturdy as all northerners. But, most importantly, by that time Myrtle had been pregnant with two foals for some days. She didn't know it back then. Now she does, of course, but now she is no longer the same Myrtle. Borlena commands her body and mind.
'Borlena has always wanted children. Every time she was close to her goal, something prevented its accomplishment – the last time it happened, we stopped her with Luna. We locked her in Tartar. Borlena cannot give birth by herself – for that purpose she needs to steal a body too. If Myrtle gives birth before we free her from Borlena, her babies won't be hers. They will be Borlena's – two new evil spirits forever tied to the bodies of two charming foals, and we will never be able to sever that connection. It will be all over.
'As for Jam, Borlena keeps him near herself as protection for the body she has stolen. She abuses his love for his wife. Sooner or later she will find better protection, and then… you can guess what she will do with this kind and cheery stallion. We have to save Jam urgently.'
After such revelations Twilight sat on the library floor totally dumbfounded. The reality was scarier than all her deductions, than all the hypotheses she formed during those silent sleepless nights. Having never seen Myrtle or Jam, she was already prepared to risk her own life to rescue them. With her mind's eye she saw her dear little Blueberry. Why did that pretty, well-mannered, hardworking little filly have to face such a terrible fate? Why did it have to be her parents the horrible Borlena captured?
'The chest will not help you in this battle' Celestia continued. 'To fight with Borlena you will need the magic that is concealed in your own horn. And you cannot deal with her alone. Only two alicorns with a combined strike of their two magical beams can win over her. This time, my little sister Luna will go with you. As for me, it looks like I'll have to mess with both the sun and the moon once again. But that's alright – after all, I had to do it for a thousand years.'
At the council they all decided that Twilight's friends and Spike would accompany her only until they all together save Jam. The they would have to drag him away and let Luna and Twilight do their magic work together. They also decided to use Luna's chariot to move from one place to another – it was roomy enough to accommodate the entire gang, and Luna's own guards were to carry it. Twilight's youthful eagerness wasn't really approved by the royalty – she had to start behaving as a real Princess should. Myrtle and Jam had been discovered not far away from Las Pegasus, and that's where they all had to fly soon, but first they would travel northward. Celestia's intuition was telling her they needed to pick up Blueberry, and nopony dared to quarrel with that.
Chapter 4 – Cranberry Marsh
The beautiful northern village had never before received a visit of royal guests. At seeing the descending chariot everypony, as if commanded by a peremptory voice, fell face downwards. Luna and Twilight quickly made them all rise: they had no time for this nonsense. Blueberry wasn't among the residents who had come to meet them.
Twilight found her friend at the bilberry plantation. Blueberry distracted herself from sad thoughts by taking care of her berries. When she saw Twilight, she galloped towards her like a small filly, shouting her name. Then she insisted that Twilight just had to have some berries. Twilight had never tasted such delicious bilberries.
Upon hearing the news, Blueberry was happy at first, but then understood more of it and hung her head. When she learned that her help might be necessary to save her parents she didn't hesitate a second – just kissed the Granny and jumped to the chariot. A single tear appeared in the old's Peelberry's eyes and disappeared in the deep wrinkles of her cheeks. After her daughter and son-in-law so suddenly left home, she had no family left apart from her granddaughter. What if Blueberry weren't to come back?
Cranberry Marsh's residents generously endowed their guests with the fruit of their labor and implored to save their missing home-folks. Myrtle and Jam were well liked. They were good social mixers, willingly sang songs and could play several instruments. Besides, they never denied help to those who were in trouble.
Twilight felt a sudden desire to stay, so unexpectedly warm this northern land turned out to be. But she couldn't submit to her emotions. There was a long and trying flight in store for her, and a long and hard fight – probably, the hardest of all. She put her foreleg around Blueberry's body, while the little pony buried her nose in Twilight's mane; Luna signaled her guards, and the chariot soared into the sky.
Chapter 5 – Myrtle and Jam
In the forest, whose name they never learned, Myrtle did her magic with a kettle containing their peacefully boiling supper. Borlena knew how not to betray her presence, and Jam noticed nothing unusual about his wife's behavior, except her weird obsession with the idea that their foals needed to be born in Las Pegasus or, at least, near it. It was supposed to give them some privileges. For this reason she had taken him away from home a month and a half before and now she used this argument every time he suggested going back home. If he insisted, his wife's eyes started burning with such rage that Jam always preferred to change the subject. But he was homesick and missed Blueberry more and more every day. It was like a heavy stone pressing upon his heart. Every morning he tried to gather up his courage and talk to his wife on the banned subject, but every time, fearing Myrtle's wrath, postponed the all-important talk till the next day.
Jam had never heard of any privileges for those born in Las Pegasus, even though he was deemed one of the most educated ponies in his village and even subscribed to a Canterlot newspaper. And why go so soon if the little ones would be born months from now? Mares bear their foals for 11 months, and only two of them had passed, so what's the point in torturing themselves with this primitive forest life? Winter was about to come, adding to their problems. Of course, they were real northerners and didn't fear cold, but pregnant Myrtle needed warmth and comfort.
'Er… darling' started Jam, dropping yet another bundle of brushwood near their campfire.
'Yes, dear?' Myrtle's eyes sparkled with approaching rage.
'Er… nothing' Jam gave in yet again. Just as Shining Armor was unbelievably blind to the obvious changes in Cadance before their wedding, so was Jam to the completely altered character of his usually so gentle, caring wife, who had never before shown the slightest signs of anger or raised her voice at anypony. If sometimes the unusual intonation surprised him, he put it down to her pregnancy – it was well known that pregnant mares could behave weirdly.
When he went shopping to Las Pegasus he put on a wide-brimmed hat and some strange, old-fashioned clothes that covered him almost entirely. Myrtle insisted on such disguise. This was another banned subject – whenever Jam tried to discuss it, Myrtle would have a fit of rage. So Jam submitted, even though this outfit made him feel like a fool. But what wouldn't one do for the sake of the beloved wife and the mother of his future foals?
There was a sudden noise at a distance – a very odd noise. Myrtle's body strained; she huddled up as if gigantic wasps swarmed around her, ready to attack. The noise was similar to a stream of air cut through with something big and heavy. An air chariot could advertise itself this way. Soon the noise subsided. 'I'll go look what it is' Jam said.
Chapter 6 – Borlena
The chariot traversed the sky while Rainbow Dash, sore because she wasn't allowed to harness herself and show off, flew by, keeping the required velocity without a bit of a strain. Twilight, huddled in a corner, was deep in thought, looking in vain for answers to the questions that tormented her. Having failed, she made up her mind at last and addressed Luna.
'Your Highness, please forgive me for bothering you, but why didn't Princess Celestia want to send my sister-in-law – Cadance – with me this time? Do not get me wrong – I will feel honored to join you in a battle against Borlena, but this is… strange. Last time we fought together, and it wasn't that bad, and you have duties in Canterlot '
'That's right' Luna majestically smiled at the younger colleague. 'Sis was going to send Cadance at first. She didn't want to take care of both heavenly bodies again – it's quite tiresome, in fact. But a circumstance came to light… it's a secret for now, but I'm sure Cadance will tell you everything soon.'
'Okay' Twilight hesitated for a moment. 'Then another question. Why are we in such a hurry? There's a good nine months yet before Myrtle's foals are to be born.'
'It is not just about foals. Every day Borlena stays in possession of Myrtle's mind and body the chances at recovering Myrtle's true self diminish. They gradually merge, growing into one. If we wait nine more months and then separate them, the real Myrtle will never come back to her family. It will be just a body – without soul, or feelings, or memory. Worse still, she may even die during the separation. Even now, a month and a half since Borlena took hold of her body, there's a certain risk for Myrtle. But we have no choice. If Borlena ever has children, it will be tough on Equestria.'
Twilight went quiet. Bad news had been so much the norm for her lately that she never hoped to receive good news ever again. But every time she hoped it couldn't get any worse, the royal sisters seemed to have more in store for her – something she would prefer not to hear at all. She was glad that Blueberry was fast asleep and couldn't hear their conversation with Luna.
Meanwhile, it was time to descend. The chariot had crossed almost the entire Equestria from the north to the south in just a few hours. No train could ever match that speed. Luna, who knew the exact location of the fugitives' camp, signaled to the guards to go down at a considerable distance from it.
Here, in a thick southern jungle they were to have a council. Twilight volunteered to go the camp together with Blueberry and agreed to take full responsibility for the young pony's life. Luna was prepared to approve the plan when they heard a rustle. Dry leaves were being crushed by somepony's hoofs. A stranger was hiding behind one of the trees that surrounded the clearing.
'Show yourself!' Luna threw a spell that uncovered the hidden in the direction of the sound. Behind the trees, which became transparent at once, a tall, young and mortally scared stallion stood. His bright-blue mane was disheveled, and terror was apparent in his turquoise eyes.
'Dad!' Blueberry shouted with an unusually resonant voice and rushed towards the stallion. Jam hugged her, crying and whispering 'Daughter, my little daughter…' Then, coming to his senses, he asked 'Where are you from, Blueberry? How did you get here, so far from home? And why are Their Highnesses here and all these other ponies?'
'We have come to save you, Dad. And Mom.' In a few words Blueberry enlightened her father about the latest events.
'I don't believe it! It's impossible! You have been deceived, Blueberry! I will let nopony go near my wife! She needs a rest.'
Several voices started talking at once. All the ponies tried to convince Jam one way or another, but then Rainbow Dash's voice was heard. 'You don't believe us? Fine! Then go yourself and tell your wife that your daughter has come and wants to see her. You'll see her reaction. Do you realize what this kid had to go through to get here?' Rainbow flew up to Jam, put her nose close to his and looked him in the eye. Jam backed away. Upon thinking a bit he decided to take Rainbow Dash's advice.
'Darling, I've met our Blueberry over there, in the forest. Can you believe it, she has found us? She wants to see you. I have never seen her so grown. And so… sad.'
'What? Blueberry? What is this disgusting brat doing here? I'm not going to risk our mission because of Blueberry! Our babies have to get their privileges! I'm not going to let them dig about in the mud all their lives like their parents do, without a chance at any different future!'
Jam jumped back. Myrtle had always adored her daughter, always ready to do anything to make her happy with a new gift – a toy or a book. Blueberry had always had the best toys and dresses in Cranberry Marsh, and Myrtle had often gone as far as to Canterlot to get them. And now this! What Blueberry had told him didn't look so incredible anymore.
Suddenly Myrtle, who was nervously looking around, threw herself at him, as if he were an enemy.
'Traitor! Whom have you brought with you?' she shouted while trying to crush his throat with her hoofs. But Rainbow and Twilight flew towards them from behind the nearest tree and dragged Myrtle away from her husband. Twilight immobilized Myrtle with a spell and kept her so while Rainbow, muttering 'Told you so', was dragging Jam towards their chariot, though he was fighting hard. Then Luna appeared also. Having broken away from Rainbow's strong hoofs, Jam came running back to their camp.
Myrtle, surrounded by magical light emitted by the horns of two alicorns at once, shouted with a stranger's voice 'You won't defeat me! I'll come back, and all the ponies of Equestria will serve me! Me, Borlena!'
Jam covered his eyes with his hoofs and, kneeling, hid his face on the ground. His entire body was shivering, but he made himself refrain from screaming. The separation was long and difficult. At last, Borlena was successfully extracted from the stolen body and locked in a jar, from which she had escaped in Tartar. Luna and Twilight were hurriedly casting locking spells, so the villain wouldn't escape on the road. Then Celestia appeared out of nowhere, took the jar and departed without too many words. Twilight remembered the rest very vaguely – later, she could only recollect how Jam, mad with grief, shouted at them 'What have you done to my wife? She cannot get up! She doesn't recognize me!'
Chapter 7 – Amnesia
Myrtle was delivered to the best hospital in Canterlot. Quiet, as if crushed completely, Jam and Blueberry, taking turns, sat at her bedside round the clock. Doctors examined her one after another and then delivered a diagnosis – posttraumatic amnesia. Her future foals were safe, and Myrtle's own physical health improved with every hour. Bilberries, urgently delivered from her village, made her smile meekly, but she could remember neither her name, nor her loved ones'. The name of her village seemed to evaporate from her memory also.
Twilight often came to visit the patient. She brought a potion from Zecora and tried a few healing spells. Blueberry looked at her with hope; Jam, with indifference. Twilight knew perfectly that under that indifference he was hiding his dislike for her, but she understood his feelings and never took offence. When Myrtle got stronger, they discharged her and sent her to Cranberry Marsh hoping that at home, surrounded with her family, she would try and remember everything.
Jam, apparently, had accepted the status quo. His wife was alive, their foals were to be born in due time, and he believed that she would sooner or later learn anew to love him and their kids. He no longer hoped that she would ever remember anything. Only Blueberry did.
Month passed after month; leaves on the trees fell off and came out again. Twilight, in between times, conquered a couple of other villains. At the end of November Shining Armor and Cadance came to visit her in their crystal train and Cadance, when they were left alone, whispered to Twilight that she had been awaiting her first-born. Twilight was sincerely happy to receive such news and promised to spoil her nephew or niece rotten as soon as she had the chance. She had always loved little ones. She noted to herself that this, of course, was the secret piece of news Luna had mentioned and, no doubt, the best of all reasons to be excused from the fight with Borlena. Deep inside Twilight had been expecting something of the kind, and just hadn't wanted to spoil a surprise for herself. For the time being, she wasn't to share this knowledge even with her friends.
Letters from Blueberry arrived every week, as punctual as weekly papers. Twilight waited for each of them impatiently, hoping for some good news, but nothing ever changed. Myrtle had learned the names of her family members and neighbors anew and even grown to believe they were who they said they were, but remembered nothing that had happened before her separation from Borlena. At last, the time came for her foals to arrive.
Chapter 8 – Foals
Twilight, who was counting days, appeared in Cranberry Marsh on the eve of the momentous event and offered Jam transfer to Ponyville for the entire family, so that the little ones would be delivered in their wonderful hospital. Jam meekly resisted at first, but Blueberry's enthusiasm – the filly was rapturous when she heard about the suggestion – broke him. He'd been trying not to deny Blueberry anything lately. Still, they left Granny Peelberry at home to look after the berries.
Only Jam and Blueberry were admitted to the ward. Twilight was waiting at the entrance, impatiently pacing across the small courtyard and raising and lowering her wings synchronously with her worried steps. Finally, Sister Redheart walked out the door.
'There's no need to worry like this, Your Highness' she uttered with her well-known dry, emotionless voice. 'Myrtle's daughter and son, Sweetberry Ice and Coolberry Ice, feel just fine. It's okay for you to enter now. Jam and Blueberry have been asking about you.'
'Sister, please, tell me just one thing' Twilight implored. 'How is Myrtle's memory? Is there any improvement at all?'
'Sorry, Your Highness, but I have no idea what you are talking about' said Sister Redheart in the same dry voice. 'When I exited the ward she was telling her eldest what she had looked like and what she had been doing at night when she had been as little as those two. I wish I had such a memory!'
Twilight instantly turned to stone, losing at once her speech and the ability to move either her legs or her wings. The meaning of Sister's words was penetrating her mind slowly… very slowly. Finally she realized what had been said and kissed and hugged Sister Redheart, after which she rushed into the ward. For the first time since they met Jam was smiling. Before, he hardly justified the description of a "kind and cheery stallion", which Celestia had given him, but now his turquoise eyes shone with happiness. And who would be surprised by that?
And Myrtle… Holy Celestia, how beautiful was this common peasant from the north! Only now, for the first time, Twilight felt relaxed enough to notice that. Any beauty from Canterlot, all dolled up for a party, would fade beside Myrtle, even though she was wearing a simple hospital gown and had no false lashes, nor make-up. She needed none of this nonsense.
Twilight looked at Blueberry. The young pony brimmed with happiness. Twilight remembered their first meeting; the difference was such that it wasn't easy even to recognize Blueberry. Twilight hugged her friend and then knelt and carried out the royal ritual of blessing the newborn. Seeing her horn shine, Jam jumped nervously, but then laughed at himself.
Before the happy family departed to their own land new guests came to the ward. Sister Redheart, at seeing such a delegation, tried to stop them at the door, but then gave up. And they entered – Rarity with new clothes for the entire family including the tiny ones; Pinkie Pie with a cake and balloons; Applejack with apples, a jar of zap-apple jam and a barrel of cider for the happy Dad; Fluttershy with a white kitten for Blueberry, and Rainbow Dash with the latest Daring Do book adorned with the author's autograph. Spike came running after them and gave Myrtle a beautiful sapphire - it had been a challenge for him not to eat it!
Twilight arrived a bit later, but her gift was the best. It had magic in it, though who could have thought so looking at this little silver bell? Her friends, who had such bells too, understood at once – now there were seven of them, even if not quite officially yet. Blueberry got a little confused when they all offered her a group hug. And the chariot was already waiting outside to take the happy family home by the fastest and the safest route.
Epilog – Letter from Celestia
'Dear Twilight,
'I'm writing to you, my young friend, to share amazing and happy news: it is apparent that Borlena has left us and that she has suddenly ceased to exist in this world. Yesterday guards in Tartar were doing their usual inspection and while scanning Borlena's jar, discovered not a trace of any magic aura. They couldn't let her slip again – she was especially well guarded, and our new spells are such that she couldn't break or bypass them. So, Luna and I inspected the jar and concluded that, at least, one enemy had left Equestria for good.
'Now, you will probably ask me how an immaterial spirit could possibly die. I think, it happened because her further existence made no sense to her anymore. Even evil spirits need their existence to make sense in order to continue existing. When you and Luna separated her from Myrtle, she left part of herself in the body of the unfortunate pony, hoping to put her insidious plans into practice yet. We hadn't known about that ability of hers – and it teaches us not to underestimate our enemies. It explained Myrtle's amnesia – the part of Borlena's spirit was blocking her memory. But life itself has sorted it all for us and, when Myrtle gave birth to two foals free from Borlena's presence, Borlena understood that she wasn't destined to populate Equestria with her disgusting offspring. That was when her existence ceased to matter to her, and she disappeared. That was when Myrtle, at last, completely freed herself from Borlena's influence.
'But I was going to write about something else. You are, probably, surprised by the fact that I so rarely participate in fights with Equestria's enemies. I know that you won't judge me even in your thoughts, but your inquiring mind has to be seeking an answer to the eternal "Why?" question.
'There were days, my dear Twilight, when I was as young as you are now. In those days I wouldn't understand the today's me either. When the duration of your reign will be measured by hundreds or even thousands of years, you'll feel what I'm feeling now – the enormous fatigue. Believe me, it's very hard to rule for so many years in such a big and complicated country as Equestria. Years bring us wisdom and experience, but take away something else: the youthful drive, the energy. Even Luna doesn't understand me, but she has had a thousand years' break, and I haven't. Alas!
'Still, not so long ago I very nearly relived a bit of the past. When you and Luna were hurrying to your battle with Borlena, I was re-reading the old books and arrived at a scary conclusion – two alicorns might not be enough to handle the task of separation. A third element was needed. You already know why I couldn't send Cadance – we couldn't risk her heir. If Borlena had decided to leave Myrtle and switch to Cadance's body, the situation would have worsened enormously. I had to fly myself, having left all my royal duties. But when I arrived, I discovered with a big surprise that you had already completed your mission. All that was left for me was to take the jar and to deliver it to Tartar personally.
'I have been thinking a lot about it. Today, I believe, I can name the third magical element, the one that helped you that day. Not far away from you Blueberry, terribly worried, prayed continuously that your mission would succeed. It was her love – the magic of little Blueberry's love – that became the missing third element and tripled your strength in the battle.
'You already know a lot about the magic of friendship. At least twice you saw the magic of love doing the impossible when Cadance and Shining demonstrated it to us. But Blueberry's love – love of a daughter for her parents – is completely different, and its incredible potential is something we have yet to study. I believe that if we could see such a level of mutual affection and care in every Equestrian family, all those villains would be afraid to come here.
'I know what kind of a gift you gave Blueberry to mark your friendship. It was a generous gesture, but I understand. I won't leave this young pony without my attention either. A brilliant career is awaiting her in Equestria, and I know that she will be able to combine it with growing berries, just as Applejack combines her farming with the role of your advisor. They are amazing creatures, Earth ponies, and we, the alicorns, too preoccupied with our magic, can't really understand them. I'm glad that Applejack and Pinkie Pie have been among your friends from the start.
'A few more years will pass; the last villain conquered by your team will take his place in Tartar, and I, most likely, will, at last, retire. The day is near when state visits and handling the sun will be too hard tasks for me. On that day you, Twilight, will take my place. I know that you will be the best ruler of Equestria. You have always had a kind heart, and when you invited a peasant exhausted by the long road to enter your palace and gave her not just food and a roof, but also your sisterly love, you proved it again. I will be calm and confident on the day of passing the Equestrian throne to you.
Your friend and tutor,
Princess Celestia'
/story/384/chapter-all - Russian version