(UPDATED 6/7/2018)
Note: a minor thing mentioned in this chapter will retcon a minor thing mentioned in Book 9.
ALSO: I planned on using clips of episodes to get authentic/original dialogue. BUT… Hasbro's got a stick up their ass and is pulling the vids everywhere I go, so I have to go off of my (shitty) memory, ad-libbing, tell-not-show, and just plain not showing scenes. The fic WILL suffer for it, and for that I am sorry.
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE & CHARACTER PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Ponyville
Next Day – 8:45 AM
Yesterday evening's shocking revelation was still weighing a bit on everyone's minds, but they were getting along fairly well with it, partly by not really thinking too much about it, and by focusing on the pros of it whenever they couldn't not think about it. Right now, everyone was at Twilight's house, enjoying a group breakfast. They had mostly made small talk so far.
"So girls" Spike said to Gamma Team and Erika as he swallowed a mouthful of pancake. "What exactly are your real bodies like? Like, what's your species built like?"
"Well," Teana said, "our species is called 'Human'. We're tailless bipeds. We have hands like Spike's, except with four non-thumb digits instead of three, and we have nails made of hardened keratin on the tops of the digit tips instead of claws. Our feet have five digits with nails, too, and like Spike's feet, human feet have pretty much no significant dexterity compared to our hands."
"Which mammal group are you part of?" Twilight asked. "Feline? Canine? Ursine? Ungulate?"
"Primate" Teana replied. "Humans are technically apes. We're most closely related to chimpanzees, though our most recent common ancestor was somewhere between five and seven million years ago, so there's been plenty of time to evolve in a different direction. For instance, human body hair is – with the exception of the head, armpits, pubic region, and – in males – face and chest – sparse, short, thin, and leaves the underlying flesh exposed."
"But…" Rarity realized something. "If humans have almost no body hair, and walk around on two legs, then… Oh, my…" her cheeks went a bit pink.
"Yeah, that's why, for humans, clothes are a necessity, not an optional thing like for you ponies."
"W-What's your diet?" Fluttershy asked.
"Omnivorous. Fruits & veggies, grains, dairy, eggs, candy & sweets, meat… Oh, but don't worry; we only eat the meat of animals that we know are non-sapient."
"Hey, I've noticed something" Marie said. "If we're all ponies, then how come we still have pretty much the same tooth structure? Where we're from, horses & ponies, besides being non-sapient, are herbivores."
"Equestrians are actually omnivorous" Twilight replied. "And we have the same 'no eating thinking beings' thing as you. …Though there aren't many beings on this world that are wholly non-sapient – mostly fish and other sea creatures." She made a dreamy smile. "Mmmm, fillet of halibut…"
"So we've got eight transformed humans-"
"Seven" Ahsoka interrupted. "I'm not human. I'm an entirely different species from an entirely different planet. I'm a Togrutan. …Though, my people's physical structure is somewhat similar to humans', due to convergent evolution…"
"Oh, um, Rarity?" Sarah spoke up. "I was wondering if you could make something for me."
"Of course, dear. What is it?"
The pony-form teen placed a hologram projector on the middle of the screen, which then projected a 3D image of her human form, wearing a tight green shirt under an open brown jacket, and blue jeans, a grin on her face and a gravity hammer gripped in one hand and resting over her shoulder.
"This is me" she said. "See that brown jacket? I love that thing; wear it everywhere. I kinda feel incomplete without it. D'ya think you could make one for my pony body?"
"Sure, if I can get your measurements first."
"So that's what a human looks like…" Sweetie Belle said.
"A late-teenage female human who's unusually tall and 'developed' for her age, yes" Mai replied.
"Well, you weren't kidding about the flesh being clearly exposed" Rarity said.
"This is life-size, right?" Spike asked. "You're pretty tall, Sarah."
"The average height of an adult female human is about five feet, five inches" Shion said. "Sarah's five feet, ten inches, around the average of an adult male human. She's the tallest of us."
"What's with the lumps on the chest?" Scootaloo asked.
"Oh!" Pinkie said. "Lemme guess: humans are one of those 'able to mate all-year-round' species, so their females' mammary glands are always big, right?"
"…How'd you figure that out so quickly?" Marie asked.
"Eh, it was kind of obvious once I put the facts and observations together in my head."
"Yeah, among of-age human females, breasts are seen as sexual status symbol of a sort" Kaede said. "You can look up the details later."
"Yeah, I ain't lookin' at those right now" Rainbow Dash said, eyeing the hologram of Sarah's human form. "I'm looking at that awesome-looking hammer!"
"That is my personal favorite weapon" Sarah replied. "That's a gravity hammer. It has a retractable tungsten-carbide blade on the back of the head, and the head contains a gravitic drive that vastly increases the damage dealt by a blow, among other effects. I've customized mine to extend the battery life and make swapping the power core easier to the point where I can do it in the field in about 20 seconds, and I've also added a retractable spike into the bottom of the hilt."
Sarah deactivated the hologram, and she turned to Rarity. "So when should we do the measurements?"
"Hmm… This afternoon, at 3:15?"
"Sounds good!"
Just then, everyone saw as a glowing blue magical rune-circle appeared across the room.
"Someone else is transferring through…" Shion said.
With a flash of light, the new figure emerged. He had been briefed beforehand with the info sent back by the girls so far, so he wasn't too surprised to find himself in the form of a pony – in this case, a cute little pegasus colt, with a dull-red coat and a black mane & tail, and a Cutie Mark of a sketchpad (he did love to draw…).
Scootaloo wondered why her face felt a little hot all of a sudden.
The colt looked at the group in front of him, some of whom were trying to figure out who he was while others had figured it out but were keeping quiet. His eyes fell upon one of the fillies, a turquoise-furred unicorn with black hair and bright green eyes, wearing a skirt. It didn't take long for him to figure it out.
"Erika?" he asked.
As the girl recognized his voice, her eyes lit up, and with a happy squeal of "Timmy~!" she launched herself at him in a tackle-hug, knocking him over. As the two snuggle-hugged, the Mane Six looked on.
"Who's this cute lil' fella?" Applejack asked.
"That's Erika's boyfriend" Marie replied. "His name's Timmy. He's a real sweetheart, just like her. He's kinda shy, but nowhere near as much as she is. He's one of the few people who can get Erika to really open up and come out of her shell."
Fluttershy giggled. "They're adorable together."
Apple Bloom giggled as Timmy's new little wings fluttered in response to Erika kissing him.
"Awww~" was Sweetie Belle's opinion.
"Oh, I'm s-so glad you could make it, honey" Erika said, still happily clinging to her boyfriend.
"As if I'd let us be apart for any longer than necessary?" he replied with a smile, stroking her hair. "Laicixa, Mariko, Erio, and Caro were on a short assignment when I left, but they'll come over once they're done."
"Good. I d-don't like being apart from them any more than from you. Oh! C-Come and meet my new friends!"
-SCENE BREAK-
Same Day, 10:50 AM
Mai and Marie walked down the street, talking as they headed towards Twilight's house/library.
"So…" Mai said. "I kinda got a bit of a headache trying to sort out the relationship web you and Teana are part of. More so when I try to get the order things happened in sorted out."
"It's not that complicated" Marie replied. "Lemme break it down for ya. First, me & Kaede got together back in the Phoenix League's realm. Then, on Mundus Magicus, Teana found out that Kaede & I both had 'interest' in her, but we didn't do anything major. When we got to Midchilda, Subaru pounced on Teana the first chance she got, so they 'became one' on the first night back. Then, a couple days later, me & Teana hooked up. Then she rumbled with Takamachi and got stuck in the hospital from exhaustion & injuries for four days. Then when she got out, Kaede had her turn with her. Then, about a week or so later, Subaru pulled me, Kaede, and Teana together for four-person fun. …That girl's good with her hands…
"Meanwhile, around that time, Sarah and Ginga started playin' around. Then Ginga and Vice, who'd been flirting since before we got to Midchilda, got together and 'hooked up'. Then, about a week before Jail reared his ugly head, Ginga got Sarah and Vice to start doin' stuff together, with & without her along for the ride, though they didn't go 'all the way' yet. Then Sarah found out that Vice and Teana had the hots for each other, but before anything could come of that Scaglietti made his move, and we were too busy fighting to think about other stuff.
"Right when we got back to Midchilda after everything was sorted out, Nanoha & Fate invited Teana to join them for a night. Then, the next morning, Yūno showed up before Teana could leave, an' they did stuff but didn't go 'all the way'. Then, Sarah and Ginga pulled Teana aside and put her & Vice together; Vice ended up being Tia's first time with a boy, and they still 'do stuff' together fairly often. Then Ginga had her fun with Teana. Then she, Sarah, and Vice got a hold of Teana all at once; sis had her fun with Tia and consummated with Vice. Then, thanks to Ginga and Nanoha, Teana got to have Yūno and Vice at the same time; *grin* according to Vice, they drove her wild. And then, they got the futa-spell from the Vetus system and ran through all the possible combinations with that…
"So yeah, it isn't too complicated."
"Uh…" Mai looked a bit cross-eyed. "R-Right…"
"Oh, and sometimes Hayate 'does stuff' with Nanoha, Fate, and/or Yūno. And Fate & Signum 'do stuff' sometimes, too. And after we got a hold of those Age-Changing Pills from Ala Alba's realm, Vita sought Yūno out, and he & Hayate gave her a good time, I hear."
'I'll just stick with Shion, Kizuna, Satoshi, and occasionally two or more of them at the same time' Mai thought. 'Less confusing that way'
The two were interrupted by a rainbow-hued blur hurtling through the air in an arc, and crashing into Twilight's house. They ran for the scene, soon finding the Mane Six, Spike, and the rest of Gamma Team there amongst quite the mess (Erika & Timmy were hanging out with the Crusaders).
"What in the worlds happened here?" Marie asked.
"Rainbow Dash botched a trick" Shion replied.
"Rrgh, I almost had it!" Dash snapped. "Just a bit more speed! I know I can do it! I've done it once before!"
"As a filly," Fluttershy replied, "a-and you didn't even know you'd done it."
"That's beside the point! If I can do it without even being aware of it, then I can do it consciously!"
"Actually, there's something we humans call the 'Centipede's Dilemma'" Teana replied. "It's the folk tale of a centipede who had no trouble walking until asked how he managed all those legs. He started thinking about the process and immediately became unable to do it anymore. So it is entirely possible that whatever you're trying to do, you can only do it when you're not aware of trying to do it."
"But… But I need this trick! I need it for the Best Young Flyers competition tomorrow!"
"Then keep practicing and hope that you can get the hang of it in time. But it's probably gonna be an uphill battle the whole way."
27 hours later, Rainbow Dash would become the first pegasus to ever certifiably break the sound barrier in flight.
-SCENE BREAK-
Fluttershy's Cottage
Two Days Later – 9:30 PM
"There we go" Fluttershy smiled as she finished up. "All done!"
"Heh… T-Thank you, Fluttershy" Erika replied, wriggling around on her back a little. Being changed as a pony was an interesting experience, and she still wasn't entirely sure how Fluttershy had done it without fingers. She made to sit up and grab her skirt, only to be picked up into a hug by the motherly pegasus who'd just taken care of her. Shyly at first, she returned the hug.
"I d-didn't know you knew how to…"
"I've babysat plenty of times" Fluttershy replied. "I love kids."
Eventually, Fluttershy released the hug, and the little turquoise filly promptly reached out for her skirt. But then she stopped.
"Um…" she shuffled her hooves nervously. "D-Do you mind if I…"
Fluttershy quickly discerned what she was asking, and smiled. "Not at all. You can go about with it showing. I don't mind; in fact, I think it's pretty cute. And the Crusaders are asleep, so you don't have to worry about feeling uncomfortable around them."
"A-And Timmy, who's the only other one still awake, has seen me like this plenty of times."
"Are you sure you want to stay up for a while longer, dear?"
"Y-Yes. Being a part of the c-coalition has necessitated being awake for a l-little longer than I used to; Timmy & I usually go to bed around 11:00. Plus, I k-know that this world is peaceful, but… I'd still have peace of mind if w-we can be lookouts for a little while. And d-don't worry about staying up; Timmy c-can change me into my triple-thick nighttime one right before bed."
"Well… Okay… But no later than 11:15; okay, little filly?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am"
"…Why didn't you have me change you into a nighttime one?"
"B-Because they're so thick that I can't really walk in them. …And I k-kinda have to stay up late now, s-since one of the enchantments on the d-diapers the coalition provides is that they c-can't be removed until they've been… used…"
The two walked out of the side room, Erika rustling with each step, and found her little pegasus-form boyfriend waiting. He smiled.
"Decided to go without cover for a bit, eh?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah…" she blushed.
Fluttershy let out a sigh. "It's nice and quiet."
Then her eyes went wide.
"Too quiet…"
Quick as a whip, she shot toward the back window, peering out at her chicken coop.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no…"
"What's wrong?" Timmy asked.
"One of my chickens escaped, and it looks like the Crusaders went after it! The tracks lead to…" she started shivering "T-The Everfree Forest…"
"The one f-filled with dangerous predators?" Erika asked.
Fluttershy nodded. Erika's expression became serious, and then her body began to glow. She shifted form, emerging in her real/human form wearing a dark-green top and dark-blue skirt, with an armored piece on her upper left arm, and before Fluttershy could get a good look at the young human she immediately slapped the circular gem mounted in the center of the arm-guard. A flash of light enveloped her, and when it faded she stood in elegant, angular armor that covered her from head to toe, mostly a dull pink but with some sky-blue, silver, and white. In her right hand was the Stroke of Midnight.
"I'll get them back" she said, her voice slightly muffled by her helmet.
"W-What is that?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's called a Keyblade" Timmy replied. "It's an ancient and powerful Light-type magical weapon. Erika's one of a small handful of coalition personnel capable of wielding one. What she's wearing is, for lack of a better title, called Keyblade Armor. It provides boosted physical & magical protection, sealing against hazardous environments, and a Heads-Up Display."
"I'll be able to pacify any creatures that attack me or them" Erika said. "I'll get them back safe."
Fluttershy took a deep breath. "I'm coming, too. I know the forest pretty well, and… well, those girls are my responsibility."
"I'll watch the house" Timmy said. "If anything attacks, I can shift form and pull out the Sangheili Storm Rifle I have in subspace storage."
The two girls moved out, heading into the forest, following the trails. As they made their way into the deep, dark forest, Fluttershy stuck close to her well-armed young friend. They cautiously made their way down the trail, Erika keeping an eye on her HUD's motion tracker. As they neared a passage between two boulders, they saw a familiar silhouette; a smile formed on Fluttershy's face as she jogged up to the figure.
"Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you're here! The girls have gone missing and I was hoping if maybe you had seen the-AAAAAH!-!-!"
Erika sprinted up to the two… and gasped as she saw that Twilight had been turned to stone.
"W-What could've done this? F-Fluttershy, are there any creatures native here t-that can petrify people?"
"Yes" Fluttershy replied with equal parts seriousness and fear. "There's no doubt about it: there's a cockatrice in the area."
Being fairly well-versed in mythology, Erika gasped lightly. 'Petrifying gaze, like Medusa; body of a snake with the head and feet of a rooster… If I have to fight it, I'll have to cut out the visual feed of my HUD, and rely on sound, senses, and motion tracker…'
"We need to keep moving, and find the girls before it finds them!"
Fluttershy then took off, and Erika had to channel a little chakra into her legs to keep up. Up ahead, they heard a trio of terrified screams, and picked up the pace. Seconds later, they heard the high-pitched screams again. From up ahead came the Crusaders, running like Hell itself was after them. Hot on their heels was… Erika almost laughed; it was much tinier and more cartoonish than the cockatrices in the books she'd read. It was almost cute… but the beak full of sharp teeth, the glowing red eyes, and the fact that the Crusaders were terrified all hinted that it was more dangerous than it appeared.
"Girls!" Fluttershy commanded. "Behind me! Now!"
Erika then watched in astonishment as Fluttershy literally scolded the cockatrice into submission, forcing it to release Twilight (and Gertrude the Hen, and Fluttershy's legs) from the petrification spell, and then turn tail & run. The Crusaders all gathered around Fluttershy, excitedly chattering about how awesome she was.
"Hey, who's this?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Oh, this is Erika's real form… well, covered top-to-bottom in armor, that is."
"H-Hey, girls. We didn't know what we'd run into coming to get you, so… I t-thought it best to be prepared for anything."
"What's that cool-lookin' sword?" Scootaloo asked.
"This is a Keyblade, an ancient magical weapon of great power and versatile use. I'm one of nine m-members of the coalition capable of wielding one."
"Let's head back home" Fluttershy said. "It's getting late."
The quintet headed home, and the now-exhausted Crusaders were quickly out cold within a minute of crawling into bed. Erika returned to her pony form, until around 11:10 when she & Timmy went to bed (in their human forms, in the second guest room).
-SCENE BREAK-
Twilight's House/Library
Next Day – 3:00 PM
Twilight Sparkle poured over the book in front of her, hyper-focused on the task at hand. So focused was she, that it took Spike three increasingly-loud calls of her name before she heard him.
"Twilight! There's someone at the door for you!"
"Send them in!" she hollered back, still not taking her eyes off the book. She heard the door open & close, and could hear the hoofsteps walking towards her.
"Welcome to Ponyville Library" she said without taking her eyes off the book. "Please enjoy our wide selection of books. If you need any help, the reference sheet is posted on the wall near the stairs."
"I'd rather spend time with you, Twilight" a mare's voice replied. Twilight's eyes went open wide as she recognized it.
"It can't be…" she muttered, a bit of hope in her voice.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake…"
"C-Clap your hooves… and… do a little shake…" Twilight finished, slowly turning around.
"Hi!" the pink-furred alicorn greeted with a big smile.
A huge grin, full of childish glee, formed on Twilight's face, and she squealed girlishly as she hugged her visitor.
"Cadence!"
Cadence chuckled as she hugged her old friend. "I'm glad to see you too, Twilight. Four years is too long to go without hanging out with you."
"H-How was Zebrafica?" Twilight asked.
Cadence sighed. "That's a big reason why my diplomatic world tour took so long. I had to keep the Zebra Tribe Alliance and the Wildebeest Republic from going to war with each other over resources. And there was a third faction behind the scenes, mostly hyena and vulture extremists, trying to instigate armed conflict, which made my job harder. But we did it. The two factions have agreed to an indefinite armistice, and the third faction was exposed and dealt with. Thankfully, the lions agreed to mediate and to keep an eye on the two sides, make sure they don't break their agreement; the lions' king is wise and patient, so the area looks to be in good hooves… er, paws.
"I actually got back about a week ago, but I've just been so busy at the capital. I'm sorry I didn't come to visit sooner."
"It's okay; you're here now, and that's what matters. Oh, I can't wait for you to meet my friends!"
Cadence's smile grew; Twilight had always been a loner, so finding out from Celestia that the girl now had a circle of close friends…
"And Celestia told me all about our new friends from other realms…"
"Yeah… Isn't it amazing? I'm gonna go get stuff ready; then we'll go get my friends, and we can all have a picnic together!"
Cadence smiled warmly at her little friend's exuberance. As Twilight bustled around the house, Cadence found her thoughts drifting into the past, back to how she, Celestia, and Luna wound up on this world…
-FLASHBACK START-
3,200 Years Ago
Nobody had really seen the star-shattering conflict coming. It had all started when Celestia, desperate to end the hatred that plagued the ponies of that one little primitive world, broke one of the ultimate taboos, and sought the help of She Who Is End Of All Things. When they were sent to stop Celestia from reaching the planet, Cadence had, unable to bring herself to harm her sister, fled the battle. From what she'd heard, Luna had ended up switching sides to help Celestia, and Discord had jumped in on Celly's side as well. As an end result, Celestia made it through to the planet. Luna was punished by their Father by being reverted to an infant; he had likely planned to let her grow up a bit before then restoring her memories, having hopefully learned a lesson.
Then the tiny portions of the Void's Queen, the Windigos, fulfilled Celestia's command to put an end to the poisonous hatred… and they'd done it in a manner that left Celestia horrified, especially when they refused to stop. Faced with the magnitude of her mistake, Celestia had allowed herself to fully incarnate on the world so as to avoid detection from the family she now feared the response of; as an immortal, slow-aging filly no physically older than a five-year-old, she hid on the rapidly-freezing world, deaf and dumb to what was taking place out in the cosmos.
Then something unexpected and wonderful had happened: Celestia's gambit paid off in spades. The Fires of Friendship were forged, and the Windigos were destroyed.
But this did not go over well with the Entity of Heat-Death. She raged at the unexpected development, which not only proved her wrong, but destroyed those small portions of herself, causing her – Her! – pain. And she demanded disproportionate retribution: the extinction of the pony race.
Thus it was that Entropy began her campaign to eradicate these base creatures, only for the Alicorns to stand in her way. Her mate Havoc, and their children – Desire, Anarchy, Destruction, Strife, and Discord – followed in her wake; in return, Fauna and Ouranos, and their children, rose to fight them and defend the young world. And the Alicorn-Draconequus War began.
Cadence, unwilling to fight, had again dropped out, abandoning the war entirely, watching from a distance; her conviction to do so strengthened when the Fallen One, the dark alicorn Morning Star, was freed from his imprisonment and promptly pledged his assistance to Entropy and Havoc, against his Parents and siblings. The battles raged throughout all planes of existence, crushing worlds and tearing stars asunder. The galaxy trembled in fear from the awesome and terrifying powers clashing.
Celestia, meanwhile, had awakened down on Equestria, and even down there she could feel the terrible violence that now plagued the stars, and she knew: the end result of her gambit had triggered war between her people and Entropy's. She was terrified of what her family would do to her in retaliation if they ever found her again; her actions had resulted in this devastating conflict. So she made a painful choice: to protect herself and her world, she would tap into every last bit of power she had, and use it to shield and separate Equestria from the Pantheon and their war.
And thus, The Veil was created – a multi-dimensional barrier that rendered Equestria and the surrounding space-time concealed and shielded from what was outside, from the other alicorns and from Entropy & Havoc's children. So powerful it would be, that only the Four Elders would be able to even vaguely sense what took place within it. And Celestia would be completely unable to sense what took place outside it.
But while The Veil was forming, Cadence made her return into the war… just long enough to grab the infant Luna, to protect her from the war's rage, and then make a mad rush inside the barrier, making it through just as it closed completely. She was unable to keep hold of the baby alicorn, so she did the next best thing: she sent the filly to Equestria, to Celestia. Celestia found the reverted babe, and knew what had happened. And she took it upon herself to raise her little sister.
Cadence, meanwhile, was unable to find Equestria. Instead, she wandered the realms and worlds within The Veil, doing what she could where she could. Separated from the outside, the noise of the War was gone, replaced by an eerie silence. So she did what she could: searched, and waited.
And one day, she found what she'd sought.
-FLASHBACK-
Canterlot Castle
16 Years Ago
Celestia sat alone on her throne, feeling a tad morose and lonesome as usual. It had been 984 years to the day since she'd had to banish the thing that her little sister had become. It still weighed heavily on her. It wouldn't be long before the seal would weaken enough for Nightmare Moon to break free; just a handful more years. The potential bearers of the Harmony Elements had not yet emerged, but she supposed that made sense; right now, they'd all still be toddlers.
Her musings were interrupted as one of her Royal Guards came running in. "Your Majesty!" he cried. "Y-You have a very important visitor, milady!"
The wizened mare quirked an eyebrow. "Important in what way, Guardman?"
"Another like you, ma'am – another alicorn."
Celestia's eyes went as wide as can be, fear creeping into her heart. Had one of her family found her? Had some of them survived The War, and come to punish her at last?
"S-Send them in" she said, trying not to let her terror show in her voice.
Several seconds later, she gasped as she saw not the baleful gaze of Justitia, or the bone-scythe of Mortis, but the figure of the one sibling who'd refused to stand against her. She felt shock and relief mixing together.
"Hello, Celly" Cadence said.
"…Guards, please leave us" Celestia ordered.
"Ma'am?" the Captain said. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. …I have not seen this sister of mine in over three millennia. We have a great deal of catching up to do."
"O-Of course, milady."
The guards filed out, the door shutting behind them. Cadence and Celestia walked up to each other, and then embraced.
"I'm sorry I didn't stand by you back then" Cadence said. "And I'm sorry it took so long to find you."
"H-How are you here?" Celestia asked.
"When you formed The Veil, it didn't form all at once. I slipped through just before it closed. I don't know any more about what happened in The War after that than you do." Cadence looked around. "…Where's Luna?"
Celestia's expression became sad and morose. "The Luna you knew is no more, sister. Father likely meant to restore her memories upon her reaching a certain age. …That age is long past. Now, an attempt to give her the memories of her old self, when her new self's memories are so vast and well-rooted, would destroy her mind. The Luna of old is, essentially, dead."
"I… I see… Where is she now?"
Celestia sighed. "I'll have to start from the beginning. As the three tribes united, I did my best to raise Luna. When she was old enough, I… told her that we were the last of our kind; that the rest of our siblings had placed us on this world to protect us while they were all wiped out in a devastating war. …Soon, however, we discovered that we were not the only ones inside The Veil. Discord made it through as well, and around 2,600 years ago, he initiated a reign of chaos and suffering that lasted 1,300 years."
"By Mother…" Cadence swore with a whisper. "What happened to him?"
"Luna and I found and forged the Elements of Harmony – fragments of Mother's power. With them, we turned Discord to stone. He's presently the center decoration of the palace garden. After that, Luna and I were world-renowned as heroes, saviors. When the time came to place a new ruler to replace Discord, the ponies begged us to take the position. Eventually, we accepted. Discord's reign damaged this world in a few ways; most notably, this planet can no longer revolve under its own power. Instead, it must be given a portion of telekinetic magic to keep it spinning – a portion that only an alicorn can safely provide. Luna & I came to an agreement: I would give the planet what it needed to spin at sunrise, and she would provide the required energy of sunset.
"We came to be associated with day and night, respectively, and soon started to associate ourselves with it as well. …That's when the trouble started. Luna grew jealous and resentful that all the ponies frolicked in the day, but feared, shunned, and slept through 'her' night. I… I failed to see the warning signs until it was too late, when she fell victim to a corruptive force and the Darkness of her own Heart. I… Cadence, I let our little sister become a monster – a daemon. Luna is no more; in her place is Nightmare Moon, who sought to plunge the world into eternal night."
Cadence looked horror-struck. "W-What happened?"
"984 years ago to this day, I… did what I had to do to protect my subjects. I used the Elements of Harmony on her, and sealed her inside this world's moon. Nowadays, the legend of Nightmare Moon is seen as a fairy tale used to make children behave. Scarcely anyone knows the awful truth. …In 16 years, exactly 1,000 years from that day, the seal will break, and she will be again loosed upon a world that has forgotten her. There is a prophecy that the Harmony Elements will find new bearers, and they may be able to purify her, free her of the Corruption."
Cadence took a few deep breaths as she took it all in. Even here, safe from the War, her two lost siblings still found suffering and pain. Silently, she reached out and put a hoof on her sister's shoulder.
"I'm here now, sister" she said. "I'll stand by you when the time comes."
Celestia allowed herself a smile. "Thank you, Cadence. So… What will you do now?"
"Hmm…" Cadence thought. Then an idea came to her. Her form shifted, transforming into a younger body. "Maybe I could take up babysitting…"
-FLASHBACK END-
Cadence had spent the next several years being either a diplomat traveling the world, or Canterlot's most popular babysitter; the latter was how she'd met Twilight… and Shining Armor… When she'd returned a little while ago from Zebrafica, she'd been astonished to discover that lil' Twiley was one of the six Harmony-Element bearers, and that they had indeed succeeded in purifying Luna. Afterward, Celestia had introduced Luna to her other sister, with Cadence playing along with Celestia's story, telling Luna that, as far as she knew, they were the three last members of their people.
And not long after, something else had happened…
"Twilight?" Cadence said.
"Yes?" Twilight replied, having placed a picnic basket on the kitchen table.
"There's one thing I forgot to mention. You know how me and your big brother are… close, right?"
Twilight giggled as she recalled some of the lovey-dovey scenes she'd come across. "Oh, yeah."
"Well… A little while after we got back, he…" she blushed and smiled "asked me to marry him… and I said yes. We're getting married in five months."
Twilight gasped. "R-Really?! …And that means that you're…"
"…going to be your sister-in-law."
Twilight squealed again and latched on in another hug.
"I was wondering…" Cadence continued. "Would you like to be my maid of honor, Twilight?"
The young mare made a happy-gasp and started nodding vigorously, saying/squealing "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!"
Cadence chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it. Now… Shall we go find your friends?"
"S-Sure! Oh, I can't wait to tell them everything!"
As the normally studious and calm mare flitted about like a happy little child, Cadence smiled.
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time: A snag in a plan, and a Big Damn Rescue; yes, there will be some fightin' action in this fic.