Empire of Mercy
Copyright© 2025 by Daelyx Len Auphydas
Chapter 19: Pancakes
For the first time since the incident, when Twilight awakes the following morning it is with a hint of a hopeful smile on her face. She lingers in the intermediate space between wakefulness and dreaming for what seems like ages, soaking in the comfort of her present position, before finally pulling her head out of the dense mass of white fur before her to look around. The sun has yet to rise, and her brother is still sleeping, she can feel the rising and falling of his chest with each breath he takes. It’s a comforting rhythm, something that grounds her in the moment.
With a yawn, Twilight climbs up Shining Armor’s frame and lightly touches the tip of her horn to his. There’s a familiar electric sensation that passes through her horn as the two ponies’ magic contact one another, stirring Shining Armor from his sleep. It’s an intimate gesture between unicorns, because of how much you can tell about a pony by feeling the magic inside of them; the protective warmth of Shining Armor’s, and the curious intensity of Twilight’s.
Shining Armor yawns and affectionately nuzzles his little sister before rolling over onto his back, one each of fore and hind legs still curled around Twilight from underneath while she halfway rests on his barrel. “What time is it?”
Twilight cranes her head over and squints as she struggles to make out the hands of the clock in the dark. “Uhm, 5:27 ... I can’t quite make out the second hand. Thirty or so, I think.” She reports, frustrated at her own inability to be any more precise.
Shining Armor nods and rests his head back against the pillow again. “That’s good, we still have a while before the sun rises. I think Celestia wanted to see you for breakfast today.”
Twilight stiffens at the mention of Celestia, but she nods her head. “R-right. Okay.” Meekly, she buries her face down into the space between Shining Armor’s shoulder and chest.
Shining Armor frowns. That anxiety isn’t going away that easily, seemingly. He just hopes that Princess Celestia knows what they are doing, and can help his little sister.
The two lay there for perhaps another fifteen minutes, before Twilight shakily retracts her limbs, and rolls away. “Okay, I’ll take the first shower. I need to make sure I’m ready.” Twilight announces, standing up.
Shining Armor nods. “Go ahead, I’ll tidy up out here.” It would make it easier on his sister if he personally makes sure she has everything on her exhaustive and wholly unnecessarily long list packed.
Just in case.
Shining Armor nods to the three palace guards stationed downstairs as he passes by them. The bat-winged chiropterans are obviously tired, and seem relieved that their shift is over, with the sun rising. Chiropterans are always in high demand in the guard, owing to their natural talents as night watchponies.
The short walk towards the palace is somewhat awkward, for the simple reason that the chiropterans and siblings are walking in the same direction at about the same pace. As a result, Shining Armor is thankful when they reach the palace and are finally able to go separate ways. There is trepidation in every one of Twilight’s steps, growing ever more as they near Celestia’s tower.
Greeting the two right at the bottom landing of the stairwell that encircles the tower, a gryphon descends the steps. Yelping with fear, Twilight dives behind Shining Armor and peeks out from behind him, but Shining Armor just cradles Twilight’s shivering frame next to him while smiling. “Fancy meeting you here, Glyndwr!” That meant Rainbow Dash had already been deposited with Celestia. Shining Armor ponders internally why Celestia had chosen that gryphon as Rainbow Dash’s guard, it seems like an odd choice.
“Well, you know how it is, just running an errand.” The gryphon’s eyes flick towards Twilight, gaze softening. “I’m headed to mess now.”
Shining Armor nods. “I’m sure I’ll see you there, after my own ‘errand’.” The guardspony feels the edges of his mouth twitch upwards. As the gryphon steps around the pair of siblings, Twilight bumps into Shining Armor, cueing the older pony to glance back at her. “Something the matter, Twi?”
“Um ... You’re going to the barracks for breakfast after you drop me off?” Twilight asks, brow furrowed in concern.
Shining Armor shrugs. “I mean, I would assume so. The breakfast is for Celestia’s students, and it’s not like you’re going to need my protection while you’re with them.” As he reaches the door, Shining Armor barely has time to knock a single time before it’s telekinetically pulled open. The alicorn is looking far better than the last time Twilight saw her, her composure relaxed, face gentle and reassuring; it’s hard to believe it really is the same pony from that fateful day.
Rainbow Dash is there, too; her ribs are wrapped in bandages and braced to make sure she doesn’t move too recklessly, but she otherwise looks relatively alright, sipping from a cup of apple cider. Spike is sitting right beside her, lightly draped under one wing. As soon as Twilight enters the room, both the pegasus and baby dragon beam over at her, waving excitedly.
“I’m glad to see you, my student.” Celestia nods to Twilight with a wispy smile; Though she is trying to put on a casual atmosphere for the two fillies, there is still a ghost of worry behind her eyes. “It’s been too long since we met like this. I’m dearly sorry for my absence, but there were certain matters I could not put off attending to. But now, with luck, things can begin to go back to normal.” Celestia gestures at one of the seats, and Twilight takes it, but hesitates before responding.
“ ... Um, Princess, would it be okay if Shiny ... Ehrm, I mean, my bodyguard, could stay while we eat?” Twilight asks.
Celestia carefully controls her expression-any sign of disapproval would be counterproductive-but can’t help feeling a twinge of dismay. Whatever progress she’d made with helping the filly come out of her shell had seemingly been totally reversed, with how stiffly formal she’d returned to being. Nodding, Celestia smiles warmly at Shining Armor. “Of course, your brother is more than welcome.”
Shining Armor glances back at the door, before hesitantly taking his seat. Guess I’m not going to see Glyndwr at the mess hall after all, then. Oh well, it isn’t a big deal. “Thank you, Princess. It is an honor.”
“If you’ll excuse me, though, if I’m going to have another guest, I had best make another plate of pancakes” Even as the Princess flutters up from the table, Spike pries himself away from Rainbow Dash’s side, and the little dragon awkwardly runs over to Twilight on all four warbly, unsteady legs.
“Tw-Twai Layt!” Spike exclaims excitedly, both of his stubby forelimbs wrapping around Twilight’s leg.
“Oh, Spike, I missed you too.” Twilight hugs the little dragon close to her chest. “How was he? Was he well behaved?” Even as Twilight asks, she lowers her neck, allowing the little dragon to clamber up onto her back.
Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. “‘Well behaved?’ You sound like a mom.” The pegasus teases. “He was fine. Better than fine, he kept me company when I needed it. Though I hear he threw a huge fit every time he had to leave to go potty or when the doctor was giving me a checkup.”
Twilight cranes her neck around to look at the little dragon. “Spike, you know better than that.” She scolds, though her stern countenance doesn’t last long against Spike’s gleeful hugs around her barrel. With an indulgent shake of her head, the filly fondly runs one hoof over Spike’s frills, causing the dragon to giggle and beam happily.
“You sure have taken to your charge quickly.” Shining Armor observes, leaning over closer to his sister. “I think someone missed you.”
Twilight nods. “Mhm. Well, he is my responsibility, the Princess said so. I ... Oh, what was I thinking leaving him here, I should have...”
“It’s no concern, Twilight.” She is cut off by the reassuring voice of Princess Celestia returning to the conversation, now with five plates of pancakes, setting them down before each and every creature present. “You were in need of time to yourself, and Spike was quite attached to your peer here. Though, in the future it would be best if you told me before needing time off to yourself, but it must be obvious to everypony present that there were extenuating circumstances.” Clapping both hooves together with a modest smile, the princess surveys the gathered ponies. “Well! It’s been too long since we were all gathered like this in one place. I am glad to see both of you seem to be recovering well from your ordeal.”
“I mean, I guess I’m able to walk around again.” Rainbow Dash replies with a healthy dose of ingratitude as she waves her one good wing. “I don’t like being stuck on the ground like this, though. Especially not with who-knows-who still out there.”
Shining Armor frowns and leans over just past Twilight to evaluate the pegasid’s condition. She’s noticeably limping, weaker on one side with that wing bandaged over and the opposite ear bound in a mound of gauze. Still, she seems possessed of an appropriate degree of spunk, restlessly tapping her better hoof on the tile beneath her.
Celestia simply nods in acknowledgement, taking a long sip of tea. “Yes, I imagine it must be difficult for somepony such as yourself to remain grounded. But Bonezaw tells me that you are healing well, and at your age the body recovers quickly. I’m sure you’ll be flying again in no time.”
Rainbow Dash puffs out her chest proudly and throws up a salute. “Ha! You know it. Some proper flight fuel doesn’t hurt, either.” The pegasus licks her chops, staring down at her pancakes hungrily. “The infirmary food honestly isn’t half bad, but it’s nothing next to this.”
Celestia raises one hoof to her mouth, suppressing a short giggle. “It’s good to know the centuries of practice have paid off. Well, don’t stand by on my account, dig in! You too, Shining Armor, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of cooking for you before.”
Shining Armor sits bolt upright, throwing one hoof up in salute. “No, sir! But I am sure it will be delicious!” Levitating a fork up into the air, he parts the perfectly fluffy stack of pancakes into a bite sized chunk before delivering it into his mouth. Eyes lighting up, he salutes again in a faux formal gesture, taking the time to chew and swallow before continuing. “ ... Can confirm! It is every bit as delicious as Twilight said!”
The noise of hungry, and slowly relaxing ponies fills the cozy space of the room, the flippant behavior of Rainbow Dash and casual tone of Celestia doing a wonder to relax the anxiety of Twilight and excessive formality of Shining Armor. In good time, the mind of the former moves back to more familiar pursuits; that of knowledge.
“Princess?” Twilight’s voice is hesitant, and she only continues once Celestia turns her full attention to the filly, nodding for her to continue. “So, if things are going back to normal ... Does that mean we can resume lessons?”
Celestia pauses, her eyes flicking back to Rainbow Dash for a moment (Who is presently in the process of trying to fit a stack of ten pancakes into her mouth at once), before nodding. “If that is what you wish. Though I believe it would be best if we focused on magical theory for the time being, so that your peer does not miss anything.”
Rainbow Dash, her good ear swiveling over towards the princess at hearing herself mentioned, pauses her decidedly barbaric display of consumption, taking the time to swallow the current tuft of fluffy syrup-drowned pancakes she’d already ripped off from the mound on her plate. “What do you mean miss anything? Why would I be missing something?”
“I would not ask you to return to your studies while you were still recovering. Especially since you are not in fit condition to practice any of the skills you are more at home with.” Celestia explains, gently. “I was simply thinking that Twilight and I might focus on more academic subjects for the time being, just until-”
Twilight is struggling to suppress a growing grin at the thought of having her tutor all to herself when Celestia is interrupted by Rainbow Dash slamming her one good hoof on the table and shaking her head firmly. “Nu-uh, no way. I’m not going to just sit around waiting to feel better.” The pegasid’s cheeks heat up as she continues, fighting through her instincts. “B-besides, if I’m grounded right now anyways, it’ll give me time to ... catch up on some of the subjects I struggle with.”
Everypony is silent for a long moment, until Shining Armor’s incredulous voice breaks the silence. “ ... Are you saying you want to study?”
Rainbow Dash flashes Shining Armor a look of reluctant mortification. “I ... It’s not like I want to, I just...” The pegasus shuts her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath and turning to Celestia. “Look. You thought it was important for me to learn about magic and other dull stuff like that, right?”
Celestia frowns hesitantly before slowly nodding. “I ... Yes, it is my opinion that a more well rounded skill-set will give you many more opportunities in life and help refine your capabilities in a more holistic manner than mere flight training alone could accomplish. However, given recent events, I don’t think anypony could blame you if you wanted to-”
“So there we have it. If Celestia thinks I should learn more, then I guess I should.” Rainbow Dash cuts the alicorn off again, eliciting a gawk of dismay from Twilight at the sheer audacity of the pegasus. “And if I can’t fly, then I should be doing something useful with my time.”
“Rainbow Dash.” Celestia’s voice takes on a more authoritative tone, perhaps warning the pegasus not to interrupt her again. “I am happy that you are taking your studies seriously, but you needn’t push yourself so hard.”
Rainbow Dash takes a shaky breath, before shooting a brazen look up at Celestia, jabbing a hoof forwards. “Why shouldn’t I? You are pushing yourself that hard, aren’t you? You took the time to visit me in the hospital every day even though you already have your hooves full, not only running Equestria, but organizing the investigation too! And I haven’t seen you take a break once!”
Celestia stiffens in place, surprised, while Twilight gawks in silence. “I ... That is not...” For once, Celestia seems at a loss for words. “It’s not the same, Rainbow Dash. I have a duty to all of Equestria as well as to the students I took in of my own volition. You are still just a filly, you shouldn’t be burdened by responsibility.”
“Not the same? I came here ‘of my own volition’ too, you know!” Rainbow Dash declares, growing more excitable as she speaks. “And because I did, I ... Somepony...” The filly’s voice breaks, and she looks down towards the ground.
Celestia extends one of her brilliant white wings to gently pull Rainbow Dash closer, drawing the filly’s gaze up to her own sorrowful eyes. “Rainbow Dash, what happened was not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for things beyond your control.”
Rainbow Dash sets her jaw, looking almost sickened, but her eyes burn with a fierce determination. “Look, I, I just need to do this. Okay? Please don’t make me fight for it ... I-I’ll focus and I’ll study and do whatever else I need to, so please just...” The filly trails off.
One could easily hear a pin drop in the silence that follows, not a pony touching their food, until Celestia finally lets out a reluctant sigh. “Very well, Rainbow Dash, if that is truly what you wish. For now, though, please do your best to relax and enjoy yourself. I think I am within my rights to ask at least that much of you, am I not?”
Rainbow Dash sits back on her haunches, and slowly nods her head. “ ... Yeah. I can do that.” Granted, working up an appetite again after that outburst might be challenging.
Then again ... If there is any food in Equestria that could manage to reel her back in, Rainbow Dash ponders with a wolfish grin as she surveys the half-eaten plate before her, it would definitely have to be Celestia’s pancakes.
While on one hoof it is true that Rainbow Dash is quite serious about her intentions to study, it is equally true that getting even a motivated Rainbow Dash to focus is a bit like herding cats.