Shattered Realms

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: Once in a Bloomoon
Chapter 2: For Her Eyes Only
Chapter 3: The Reclaimer

Prologue

Darkness. Darkness was from whence it all came, and how it would all end. Darkness. It was both the womb and the tomb of the universe. Uncanny how those words sound so similar. It mattered little, however. Both would have the same meaning, if they did not already. These thoughts passed through the Initiate's head as the lines of reality blurred before his vision. The scene became confused and muddled, a blur of disconnected bodies. There were many gathered around him, all obviously enjoying themselves, all frozen in time to him, all unaware of His presence among them. Anonymity had been a vital skill among their Order for millennia; he would not even be counted among the Initiates, unless he could master this art himself. The life and light faded from the scene before him, becoming a swirl of colorless miasma. He felt it draining all life from himself too, until he became nothing but consciousness in a Sea of Darkness. There was nothing to be thought or felt here; only the Darkness mattered. The Initiate could sense something else in the Sea. There were others were coming. He began to see small specks of light in a direction he decided to call above him. He then experienced a sensation which he thought must be being lifted towards the lights. Those lights, cold and unblinking, did not seem any closer as he approached them. The Initiate could only sense where they were relative to him, and he was now upon them. He sensed more lights coming from all manner of directions now, and some that were just coming into being. They were all coming to the one Place this night, the one night of the year when they must all meet. Their Order was scattered far and wide across the world, some even further. Each year their Order grew slightly more, with fresh Initiates. So it had been done for thousands of years and would continue until the universe ceased.

The Initiate now sensed thousands of lights all around him, but they did nothing to cast away the Darkness. Darkness here was absolute, a fact. Gradually, the Initiate sensed fewer lights tricking into existence around him. The time was nearly upon them, the time for the Ageless Ones to manifest. His Mentor had said to absorb, and nothing more. The Ageless Ones are the other absolute in this world of Darkness.

There were now no more lights entering this plane of existence. All about the Initiate, like stars on a clear summer's night, bright pinpoints of varying size and potency. He knew there were others like him here, other Initiates, from other places, with something different to offer the Order. His Mentor was also out there among the multitudes, but his skills were too feeble to distinguish her from the Others. This thought no longer mattered, for a wave was sweeping through the Darkness, and through the lights. A collective sentiment from the gathered consciousness reached the Initiate and he was swept up into it. The Ageless Ones were upon them. They did not arrive from any direction, nor did They manifest Themselves like so many lights had. No, the Ageless Ones merely made Their presence known, for it was within Their consciousness that every other consciousness now existed. Before the Ageless Ones, all was laid bare. All the knowledge and experience gathered by the Order from that past year was accumulated and evaluated. The Initiate could feel his own essence evaluated. He and many others would be scrutinized for induction into the Order. If they passed, they would continue under the tutelage of their respective Mentors, until they became Mentors themselves. If they did not pass, their consciousness would float into the Dark Void and assimilated by the Ageless Ones, never again to walk in the Tangible Realms. There was no sense of the passage of time in this place; the Initiate could not fathom how long the scrutiny and assimilation lasted.

It ended with no sudden forte, but the Initiate could sense the end. A simultaneous release of all consciousness present, but no more than simply a release. Each had taken more with them than they had entered with. The Initiate knew he had passed scrutiny, for he felt his usefulness to the Order reflected in the purpose he was charged with. Not a word had been spoken, but he knew His purpose for the Order now. The lights were now drifting away or blinking from existence in this realm. The Initiate could feel himself regaining tangible senses. The Darkness was changing to gradients of blacks and greys. His sensations began to attach themselves to tangible thoughts and words. As the last bit of the Dark World faded from vision, his purpose found a voice in his head.

"Find."

_____________________________________________

"Bartender! I'll take two ciders down this way!" The hefty brown stallion behind the bar skillfully sent two Apple Ciders down the bar to the caller, a well-built grey colt. The revelry of the Summer Sun Celebration filled the confined tavern with audible and bright banter. Ponies were packed in wall-to-wall, around each table, enjoying the gaiety of the celebration. As he picked up the two ciders, the grey colt winked at a nearby mare with a rich cherry-red mane. She giggled and shied away. The colt walked over to the table at which she was staying, setting both ciders at the table.

"Care for a drink m'lady?"

The mare giggled again, replying, "why, what a gent you are, sir! I've been surrounded by ruffians all night! You are a pleasant change, indeed!"

The colt grinned and gave her another wink. "Been having some trouble? I have seen some strange characters in this barn tonight. Why, did you get a look at the weirdo guy sittin' over there?"

He gestured to a table near the wall, only to find it unoccupied.

"What the hay? Coulda swore he were here a second ago!"

"What was he like?" Inquired the mare, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Strange lookin' guy. Had some dark cloak with a hood covering his head. He was mutterin' some things under his breath earlier too. Guess he decided he'd had enough to drink and took off."

"Well, he doesn't matter to us, does he?" said the mare."Now, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Outside the cheery tavern, the shadows of night were taking their hold on the land. Stars began winking from under the deep veil of twilight. Under the moonless sky, a lone figure was galloping down the forest road, not a sound from his hooves. His pulse raced and his senses heightened. The cool night air rushed passed him, whistling in his ears. He could not stop. He was not meant to stop. He had a purpose.

"Find."

Chapter 1: Once in a Bloomoon

Chapter 1Once in a Bloomoon

"But it isn't late enough yet!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "The moon hasn't risen to the middle of the sky!"Pinkie turned to Applejack, a pleading look in her eye.

Applejack stomped her hooves nervously and stared up at the dotted starscape. The moon was certainly taking its time.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack were standing together out in the middle of the eastern field of Sweet Apple Acres, a field that was currently unused by the Apples. They stood side by side in front of a small patch of upturned dirt, awaiting an uncommon event. The sight of two ponies out so late would have been strange to anypony. The full moon enveloped the landscape in a pale glow and painted eerily long shadows on the ground. The night sky was perfectly clear and the air was refreshingly cool.

"Like I told you, Applejack, we need to wait for the full moon to be directly overhead. It's the only way that the Bloomoon will grow!"

"I know, Pinkie," said Applejack as she turned to face Pinkie, "but we've been waitin' out here for hours, and I'm gettin' a mite chilly."

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Now how could you, Applejack, be chilly? I've been out here as long as you, and I'm not a chilly filly."

"Well....that don't stop me from shiverin'." She shuddered.

"Really? You feel kinda chilly? How chilly can a filly really be?" giggled Pinkie. "Don't you worry your noggin! Your friend Pinkie is here to cheer you up!" Pinkie gave Applejack a little nudge with her elbow. " It's the least I can do for bringing me out to your field this late."

Applejack gave a faint smile. "Thanks Pinkie, but this whole thing is still makin' me uneasy. I mean, look," she said, gesturing to the tree line to the east of them. "Right on the edge of the Everfree Forest. I swear some unnatural magic brings the whole place to life at night. Why else do you think we don't grow apples out in this field?"

"Because we're growing Bloomoon out here, not apples! We could never grow Bloomoon under apple trees! We'd be silly chilly fillies for that!"

"Yes, but...wait, what!?"

Pinkie's skewed, yet accurate logic gave Applejack a moment's pause before she replied.

"Erm...yeah. But Pinkie, I have seen some strange things out in this here field."

Neither spoke a word for a few seconds. The apple trees in the distance rustled faintly under a breeze. Pinkie remained silent, waiting for Applejack to continue. Pinkie grew impatient when Applejack began to look around, suddenly unworried.

"Well? Don't leave me hanging on that! I've gotta know now! What kind of strange things have you seen?"

"What? Wait, you....you really wanna know what we've seen out here?" replied Applejack with a raised eyebrow. " I...I don't really feel like tellin' you about any of it. 'Taint a pleasant experience."

Applejack tried to look away from Pinkie, but Pinkie dashed around in front of her, quick as lighting.

"C'mon! Really? You give me a big, juicy tidbit of mystery, then you just drop it?"

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. She knew she wouldn't get out of this. She mentally chided herself for saying anything at all.

"You really want to know?"

"I really, really, really, really, REALLY, want to know!"

"Then ya gotta know this first!"

Even though they were all alone in the field, save for a few nocturnal creatures, Applejack gestured for Pinkie to come closer as though she was about to confide a secret. Applejack lowered her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke.

"I aint told nopony about this yet Pinkie. This whole story has stayed inside our family for some time now. We just haven't wanted ponies to think we had been....y'know....'out in the orchard too long' or somethin'. This is all real personal to us, so please don't go sharin' it with anypony. Please?"

"Yes, yes of course!" Pinkie enthusiastically covered her eye with her hoof. "Pinkie swear!"

As Applejack prepared to share her story, it seemed as if an ambient numbness had settled over them. The soft rustle of grass and cool breath of wind faded into the background of sensations. Pinkie hardly even gave a second glance at the owl whose shadow passed over them on its way back to the Everfree Forest. It gave a distinct yet unnoticed hoot as Applejack began her tale.

"Several seasons ago we tried planting apple trees here, but they never grew. We tried all the farmin' techniques we knew, but they wouldn't grow at all. We had no idea what was the problem with this land. It seemed fertile enough, and there was plenty of open space. Several months after we first planted them, Granny Smith went out once more to see if the trees had sprouted yet. She came back claiming that they had all sprouted into fine apple trees. She thought for sure that the field contained some magic to make regular ol' apple trees grow like that. So me'n Big Macintosh and Applebloom went out with Granny Smith to see for ourselves."

"What happened?" inquired Pinkie excitedly, "What did you find?"

Applejack breathed deeply and exhaled steadily before she continued. "We came up to the field together, but it looked like it had when we left it; an open field of newly tilled land. Not a single sprouting tree in sight. Granny Smith swore that there had been trees here when she had come out earlier. We all thought she was a little of her rocker. She does have her moments from time to time."

"I know there's more to it than that, Applejack! "

Applejack paused warily. "Well....indeed there was more Pinkie. We seen lots of strange stuff here."

"Like what?"

Applejack scratched her chin and thought for a moment.

"Ah! I remember now! A week after Granny Smith had claimed to seein' things, Applebloom went out to the field and came back claimin' the whole thing was flooded! I went out to see fer myself, but saw no such flood."

"Hmm, maybe Applebloom and Granny Smith just need to get their eyes checked. I don't think I could live with floods flooding my vision all the time either, " Pinkie giggled.

As she rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that evening, Applejack replied, "It wasn't just some screwy eyesight that got us all worked up about this place! And b'sides, Applebloom aint one fer tellin' fibs."

"So, c'mon then! What other kinda weird stuff happened out here?"

"Well, after that, we've just been tryin' to ignore this field."

"That's it?" replied Pinkie skeptically. "You just decided to leave it alone? That doesn't seem like a big deal." She began to look disinterested and pawed at the ground distractedly.

"Well," sighed Applejack, "it wouldn't have been a big deal, if Big Macintosh hadn't gone missing."

Upon hearing this, Pinkie quickly shot up to face Applejack. "Wait, when did that happen? I don't remember you telling us he ever went missing."

"We found him pretty fast, but for the entire day we had no idea where he was. We found him before we ever needed to tell anypony else."

Applejack paused a moment to look up at the sky and seemed to drift off, then continued. "Though we didn't know for sure, we all figured he was out harvestin' the orchard all day. When he didn't come back that evenin' we all went out to the fields to search for him. 'Bout midnight we had searched every acre of the orchard without findin' him. Applebloom suggested we check out the east field, so we did. When we came out here the field was all basked in moonlight. In the light we could see Big Macintosh sittin' right out in the middle, just starin' at the sky. As we walked up, he didn't turn to us. He just kept starin' at the stars. When I saw his face....whew...it gave me the willies. No expression whatsoever, his eyes kinda glazed over. I waved my hoof in front of him and even shook him a bit, but he didn't budge. Then Granny Smith came up 'n smacked him. That woke him up. Boy howdy, that woke him up. He suddenly snapped up and galloped all the way back to the house. Next day he was fine, but he aint told any of us what happened out there."

"I'm still not convinced, Applejack," said Pinkie indignantly. "You've claimed that your family have all seen crazy things out in this field, but I know you. So, out with it! What did you find here?"

Applejack bit her lip nervously, a bead of sweat sliding down her cheek.

"I think I told you all you need to hear, Pinkie. Can't we just leave it at that? This field gives us all the creeps and we don't much like talkin' about it."

Pinkie's sat down firmly in front of Applejack with both forelegs crossed, her typically beaming face replaced by knitted brows and a pouting frown.

"Applejack, you've had a pretty great story going on so far. You've almost got me convinced! But, in my opinion, spooky stories are much more fun when you put yourself into them. I gotta hear about what you've seen now!"

Applejack stepped back, almost offended. "Whaddaya mean, spooky story? My family has been scared stiff of this field, and yer actin' like this is some kinda joke?" She made a bad attempt to stifle a laugh as an offended cough. She knew her ruse couldn't get much further, though it sounded as if it had already derailed.

" Well duh! Of course it's only a spooky story," said Pinkie as she rolled her eyes," but you haven't even finished it yet!"

"Oh, what's the point? Ya already know it aint true!"

"That's not the point of a good story though! It doesn't need to be true, it just needs to entertain. But a good story needs some kind of good ending, or at least a good cliffhanger. Up until this point your story has been building up small bits of tension, and it's just begging for you to release it!"

"Oh come on now, Pinkie! I didn't really think this story would go anywhere! You just kept demanding more from it! And how long did you know it was just a spooky story anyway? I thought I was tellin' a pretty convincin' tale!"

"Well, your storytelling obviously needs work. I kept asking so that you could get to the good part! The part when you're supposed to give everypony the willies!"

It was Applejack's turn to frown now. It seemed that Pinkie was the one pulling the ruse the whole time, and just to get Applejack to finish her story.

"Pinkie, I got nothin' left to say!" She stared at the ground, slightly disappointed, and kicked a nearby stone with her hind hoof. Both ponies watched as it sailed clear into the trees edging the Everfree Forest. Pinkie turned to her friend, still waiting for some kind of conclusion to Applejack's unfinished story.

Glumly, Applejack turned to face Pinkie. "Shucks, I only wanted to keep tellin' this thing as long as I could convince you it was true. Guess I didn't do such a bang-up job 'o that."

Pinkie shook her head."Oh Applejack," she said, "you need to act less like you're lying and more like you are telling the truth. You need to convince yourself that what happened is true before you can convince anypony else." Pinkie paused and scratched her chin pensively. "Well, you can't totally convince yourself that it was true. Just keep one hoof in reality and the other in a fantasy world. I do it all the time!"

"It may be easy for you to live in a fantasy world, but I aint too good at it myself. What kinda advice wouldja give me?"

"You've gotta use your own imagination, silly! Just picture it in your mind." At this point Pinkie sat down and closed her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "Now, practice like me! Start drawing new pictures in your mind of where you are."

"Alrighty then. I'll give it a try. What should I think about?"

"For starters, you can use the picture of this field. Kinda creepy lookin' huh?"

Applejack took a seat beside Pinkie and drank in the scene. The moon was nearly to the center of the sky, basking the entire field in a pale light.

"Well, this field ain't too scary. It's all lit up by the moonlight. Only the trees out yonder are wrapped in creepy shadows."

"Right! So now you can imagine those shadows too! They're creepy and dark," Pinkie began to crawl low to the ground and spoke with her best ghostly voice. "And who knows what could be lurking around just inside them!"

Pinkie began circling Applejack, giving off a few ghostly "oooohh!"s .

"I can imagine this scene just fine," said Applejack, pushing Pinkie's wailing head back, "but it don't feel rightly creepy enough yet."

"You need to add more details to your picture. More sensations and feelings. You can make it happy or sad. Cheery or scary."

"So what do I do if I want it to be scary and convincin'?"

"Think of things that scare you personally and add them into the picture."

Applejack shivered. "Ugh. That's a place I don't want to go, no sir."

"Now you're getting it!" cheered Pinkie. "When you've thought of it to the point where you don't wanna think about it anymore, then you have convinced yourself to be afraid of it, and then you can convince others to be afraid."

"G-gosh Pinkie," Applejack stuttered, "this is all pretty darn creepy. I never thought about no ghost story like this before."

Pinkie smiled reassuringly in response.

"Oh sure it's scary, but afterwards you need to think of the fun side of being scared! All this scary stuff makes your nerves go on edge. It builds up tension and excitement. Of course being scared is scary when it happens, but afterwards you realize the rush you got from it. That's what keeps me coming back for scares when I can find them."

Applejack looked pensive for a moment, then snapped up suddenly.

"I think I got an ending for ya, Pinkie!"

"Great! Let's hear it!"

Applejack took a deep breath before beginning.

"So, one night I came on out to this field, just goin' about business as usual, but there was something not quite right."

Before she could continue, Pinkie stopped Applejack with a wave of her hoof.

"Whoa there, you're already loosing me. Where's the details? You gotta pull your listener in, like they're in the story too! Stop acting like it's only a story! This really happened!"

"Sheesh, you got some high standards."

Pinkie's response was merely a gesture with her hoof for Applejack to start over. Applejack sighed as she pondered a new method to tell her story, then she continued.

"It was a right beautiful day. The birds were chirpin' as they flew from tree to tree, and the sun was shinin' warm an' bright. It was a kind of day that the world just seems to work out alright. As soon as I set hoof in this field, everything changed." She paused again to take a wavering breath.

Pinkie had begun to lean in, intrigued. "What? What changed? What did you see?"

"First thing I noticed was that I couldn't hear the birds chirping any more. It was real sudden, like the sound had just been.... I don't know.... turned off. There just suddenly weren't no noise. Then I began to feel all cold and saw that the sun wasn't a bright or warm as it had been. The light was almost grey, like the light of a bright full moon." She pointed up to the moon hanging in the sky. "It was a stale light that gave the apple trees behind me impossibly long shadows. Then I noticed that the shadows of the trees themselves were stretchin' in the wrong direction. The sun was up to my left with the trees to my right," Applejack gulped, " but their shadows still came in towards me."

Pinkie was fixated by the tale, not blinking or moving a muscle.

" I remember seeing those shadows swaying back in forth like the trees were in some sorta humdinger of a storm. I looked up at the trees themselves, but they weren't movin' at all. Their shadows kept getting longer, stretchin' across the field until they curled themselves around me. After that I lost my cool pretty darn quick."

Applejack paused for a moment to take another deep breath. Pinkie sat listening silently, eyes and ears wide open.

"I tried to yell or run or somethin'. It felt like the ground had caught hold of my hooves and had rooted them. When the shadows fell over me it suddenly got ice cold. My breath came out in short gasps, and I still couldn't cry out. The cold seemed to push all the air outta me and I began to feel dizzy. With all my will I told my legs to start movin' to get me outta here, to get me anywhere but here. My head was spinnin' and my whole body was numb. After that I don't remember much, but I remember the fear I had. I was terrified. Terrified of what would happen. Terrified that it may never end. Every second I felt that fear, and I was trying to escape it. Eventually, somehow, I was able to move my legs, and once I got 'em going, I didn't stop 'em fer nothin'. I ran as hard as I could back through the orchard to the farmhouse."

Applejack turned slowly, her eyes wide and white as the full moon.

"What gets me most is how each of us saw or experienced something different here. It's like the field knows when somebody different comes and shows something different in response. I don't care if you believe me or don't, but this field just aint natural. It's....alive somehow."

The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of the trees in the orchard and the occasional chirp of a cricket. Pinkie had not said anything in a long while. Applejack looked up to see Pinkie staring back at her, incredulously.

"Oh come on! Really Applejack?"

Applejack grinned sheepishly in response. "Ok, I know there are kinks I need to work out, but I made some progress, right?"

"Oh, don't worry Applejack," said Pinkie cheerily, "your story was really cool and scary, just not quite convincing enough. Don't beat yourself up too much."

"You did that plenty enough for me already," Applejack huffed.

"I beat you up? Not a chance! If anything it's the other way round! I think your story almost bored me to tears!" Pinkie giggled.

"Oh really?" Applejack stared back at Pinkie with a grin. "As I recall, halfway through my story, you were leanin' so near me that you woulda fallen flat on your face if I moved back any further. Not only that, but if your eyes woulda gotten any rounder and wider, anypony would mistake 'em for cabbages during harvest season. I had you caught and reeled, at least for a while there!"

Pinkie rolled her eyes back at Applejack. "I suppose it did at least do one thing for us that was useful," said Pinkie gesturing at the sky, "It helped move the moon to the center of the sky for us."

"What in the hay do you mean?"

"I mean that it helped us pass the time!"

"Oh...yes. I guess it did at that."

Both ponies turned to look at each other, grins on their faces. Both began to chuckle together, which gradually built up into full blown laughter.

"Hehe! So Pinkie, what in tarnation is 'sposed to happen with this here plant now?" Said Applejack as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

Both stopped laughing momentarily. They had been so caught up in storytelling that they had forgotten the purpose of their late night escapades. This realization started up another fit of laughing and their mirth was redoubled.

"Whew," puffed Applejack, "but seriously, what is supposed to happen with this thing?"

"I honestly don't have a clue!" Pinkie said, suddenly bolt upright and serious. "This is a very, very, very, very, very, rare flower from Zecora's homeland. She told me it would only bloom in direct and full moonlight on a moonlit night as bright as tonight. We don't always get such a bright moon as this, that's why the flower is called 'Bloomoon.'"

"It can only bloom in full moonlight? Doesn't it need to sprout first?"

"Look, it already has!" said Pinkie as she excitedly gestured at the ground.

Applejack quickly turned to see for herself. What she saw sprouting before her eyes had certainly not been there a few moments earlier. A strange, pale shoot was probing its way up through the dirt at a surprising rate. At its tip, a visible bud was already rapidly expanding. The shoot continued to rise from the ground like a string of scarves from a magician's sleeve. As it rose it also thickened to accommodate its own weight as well as the weight of the bulb, which was very nearly the size of an apple. The stalk rose nearly four feet before it stopped growing vertically, but it continued thickening a little longer. At this point, the bud also began to peel away to reveal a delicate and beautiful bloom. The blossoming flower was very soft white in color and looked like fragile gossamer. In it center was a star shaped bell which contained bizarre white pollen spores. This was all surrounded by round, lace-like petals which would catch the slightest breeze like miniature sails. The frail blossom seemed to reflect the moonlight as it gave off a faint glow, but Applejack was unsure if the light really came from the blossom itself. Both beheld the beauty of the flower with wide, approving eyes.

"Golly Pinkie. That sure is some flower you've got yourself there. It grew faster'n anything I ever laid eyes on. Even our zap apples take a few days to ripen"

"Yep, but just like your zap apples, the Bloomoon has some kinda magic in it. It's related to the moon, of course."

"Did Zecora tell you what she needed it for?"

"Actually, Zecora didn't tell me that she needed it. Twilight was the one who gave it to me."

"Well, what did Twilight need it for then?"

"Dunno. It seemed important though. She looked super-duper nervous when she gave it to me. She just wanted me to learn more about it from Zecora and then plant it. I guess she's doing some research on its properties."

Applejack yawned drowsily, her eyes reflected the pale glow emanating from the flower. "Now how are you plannin' on gettin' this back to Zecora or Twilight? It looks delicate enough that a fly's sneeze could blow it over."

"It's a magical flower, silly!" replied Pinkie. "It may not look it, but it's pretty sturdy. See?"

"Ah...w- wait a sec....!"

Applejack bit her lip nervously as Pinkie leaned her full weight against the Bloomoon. To her great surprise, not a leaf, petal, or stalk was broken. When Pinkie stepped back, the Bloomoon sprung back to its initial position, its seemingly delicate petals fluttering as it waved back and forth.

"It won't stay like this forever, though," said Pinkie as she watched the flower spring back energetically. "It can only be like this for a few days, which is why we won't be able to take it to Zecora or Twilight just yet. It would be really really tough to remove the entire plant right now. Believe it or not, this thing has rooted itself like a tree and won't budge."

"So again I ask, what are we goin' to do with it?"

"I was about to tell you! Sheesh!" Pinkie replied, slightly irritated. "The magic that makes it strong will wear out in a few days. When it has worn out it really will be as delicate as it looks, so we will need to work fast and gently." As she spoke she let out a stifled yawn and her eyelids began to droop.

"So it should be fine for a couple days then, right?" asked Applejack, supplementing Pinkie's yawn with her own.

"Yep, but I'm not going to wait here until it is. It's really late and I'm bushed."

"Oh now you decide it's really late," mumbled Applejack.

"I never think it's too late for anything," Pinkie said cheerily, another yawn escaping her mouth. "But my body likes to make up my mind for me a lot."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I agree with your body and mine right now. Why don't you just stay over at my place tonight? It's too late to be trottin' back to Sugar Cube Corner."

Pinkie paused and thought for a moment. "Hmm, I don't know," she said hesitantly, "I wouldn't want to be late to help the Cakes tomorrow morning..."

"I'd ask your body what it thinks. I'm pretty sure it will accept my invitation. Don't fuss over tomorrow mornin'. I'll just come with you to Sugar Cube Corner and explain the situation to the Cakes. I'll even bring some of our fresh Golden Delicious apples for 'em to makes some treats with. Whaddaya say?"

Pinkie sat and thought a moment longer, then looked up with a faint smile. "Okie dokie. My body and brain just had a chat, and they'll both accept your offer."

"I'm glad," said Applejack with a resolute yawn, "I would hate to leave one or the other out alone tonight."

On the inside both laughed uproariously, but were too tired to manage much more than a few chuckles as they walked back across the field to the Apple's farmhouse.

Chapter 2: For Her Eyes Only

Chapter 2

For Her Eyes Only

Applejack awoke with a start to find Pinkie standing directly above her.

"Gah! What are you do-.....did I oversleep!?"

"Nope!" replied Pinkie in her customary cheery tone. "I just thought you would like a sunshiny, friendly face to be there when you woke up!"

Rising laboriously from her bed, Applejack stretched and rubbed her eyes. Even through squinted eyelids Pinkie's beaming face was clearly visible. Applejack gave a weak smile in response.

"Thanks for thinkin' of me Pinkie," she said as she put on her favorite hat. "But next time, you don't need to sit on me."

"Oh, whoopsie! Sorry 'bout that!" Pinkie said when Appplejack gave a loud "Ooof!" as Pinkie stepped off of her.

Applejack gave a final yawn and headed out of the room, Pinkie Pie cheerily bounding behind her. Applejack's nose tested the air and a warm smile spread across her face. A delicious scent was wafting up from the kitchen.

"Mmm, somethin' sure smells good, doesn't it Pinkie?"

"Sure does, and I'm glad you think so too! That's my new super special breakfast that I made before I came and woke you up!"

Although Pinkie had her quirks, one could always count on her to be a magnificent cook, not to mention a magnificent friend. In Applejack's book, these two ingredients made for one fine breakfast.

"Well Pinkie that was mighty considerate of ya. I certainly am famished. What did'ja whip up this mornin' anyway?" Applejack sniffed the air a few times, "No mistaking the smell of baked apples there. Mmmm, (sniff) honeyed oats as well."

"Yessiree! I just used a few things I found around your pantry. Just a few apples, oats, honey, and batter. I call 'em Applejack Flapjacks!"

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at the name. "Ha! That'll fit in just perfect here, so long as they don't replace me!"

"They could never replace you, Applejack! They couldn't buck apples nearly as well, or even eat apples nearly as well!"

"Maybe, but I bet..." she stopped right as she and Pinkie reached the bottom of the stairs. Their friend Twilight Sparkle burst through the front door, breathless.

"Twilight?!? I didn't expect you here this morning! You're just in time for some breakfast!"

All Applejack received in response was Twilight's anxious face as she struggled to find her breath.

"What is it? You seem like you've got something important to say, Twilight," said Applejack knowingly. "Whatever it is, I hope it can be said over a good breakfast. Did you get a whiff of the vittles Pinkie's whipped up? Why, they smell nearly as good as..."

"There's no time, Applejack!" burst out Twilight breathlessly. Then, quickly turning to address Pinkie, she inquired, " I need to know where exactly you planted the Bloomoon last night."

"Umm, well sure! Applejack and I can both take you out to where we planted it!" said Pinkie, a slightly quizzical look on her face.

"Hold up a second," interjected Applejack. "Just what is the fuss and worry all about?"

Twilight stomped her hooves impatiently. "I'll explain to you both on the way, but we need to get going now!"

"Alright," sighed Applejack, "breakfast will just have to wait."

With that the three exited the Apple's house at a brisk trot through the back door.

You could not ask for a more pleasant morning on the Apple Farm. The sun was shining warmly through a cloudless sky. Calm morning breezes gave birds and butterflies a pleasant aerial terrain to glide about within. The breezes carried the various rich scents of the Apples' orchards and mixed with the scent of recently damp earth. All the sights and smells of this beautiful morning were wasted on the three preoccupied ponies. As they left the back porch, the warm and sweet fragrance of Pinkie's Applejack Flapjack's followed them a short distance. Applejack felt her stomach rumble longingly.

"I hope this won't take too long, now what exactly is all the hullabaloo about here, Twi?"

Applejack quickened her pace to catch up to Twilight so that she might hear her explanation.

"That Bloomoon you two planted last night may be in danger. I'm not yet sure myself what kind of danger. Princess Luna wanted word of this whole endeavor to be uncommon knowledge, but I'm afraid word has gotten out somehow."

"Well I'm glad you told me before I accidentally let the word slip, Twilight. You can bet that I will keep this tight, but in the future I suggest you let a pony know before something like this comes up," said Applejack with a wink.

Pinkie looked worried upon hearing this. "Oh! Was I supposed to be keeping a secret about planting the Bloomoon, Twilight? I'm sorry. Applejack and I both planted it together, but we haven't told a soul! Well, not a soul besides Zecora. I didn't know that..."

"I know you didn't know, Pinkie," interjected Twilight. "It's my fault for not telling you to keep a secret right when I asked you to plant it. Even so, I know both of you can keep this secret from ever escaping our circle. I am quite certain that neither of you let the word get out."

Their pace quickened as they neared the clearing where Pinkie and Applejack had planted the magical flower the previous night, and breathed a collective sigh of relief to find it still rooted firmly in the ground. Without the ethereal moonlight to bask in, the Bloomoon looked less luminous, but no less delicate in the morning sun. The light filtered through its petals, revealing a remarkably complex network within them. The patterns within seemed geometrical and crystalline, as if each petal was made of snowflakes. The three approached it, closely examining it for any damage.

"Whew! Thank goodness! It seems to be perfectly fine"

Applejack wiped sweat from her brow, breathing heavily.

"Ugh! T'aint right workin' up a sweat like this before a proper meal!"

"At least it's safe for now," sighed Twilight. Her unicorn horn glittered and her eyes closed in momentary concentration typical for casting of a spell.

"I've cast a spell to keep anypony from getting too close to it. It should hold long enough."

"Long enough for what?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight didn't seem to take notice of Pinkie's question. Already turning to leave, Twilight motioned for Pinkie and Applejack to follow. "We should hurry back now. Princess Luna is expecting a report on the plant's condition."

Confused, Applejack inquired, "Just how big a deal is this little plant anyway?"

"Princess Luna herself has charged me with the proper growth and security of this magical plant. I'm not yet sure what it is for, but if it has anything to do with what she told me about while I was in Canterlot, then it is of utmost importance."

Applejack shook her head. "I'm just about through with all these halfway explanations. You're gonna have to give us the full scoop on this whole thing. I wanna know just what we're getting our hooves into here."

Twilight hesitated. She knew that she could put her full trust in any of her friends, but trust was not what concerned her most.

"I..can't tell you everything right now, girls," sighed Twilight, "Pinkie, I'm sorry I got you involved in this whole matter in the

first place. I just can't risk the two of you knowing any more about this than you do already."

The three approached the farmhouse, only to be met by Applebloom suddenly bursting through the back door. She frantically ran up to meet them.

"Sis! There's a couple 'o big guards here to see Twilight! Where is she?" Upon noticing Twilight, her eyes widened. "Oh, Twilight! There's some..."

"Wait....what!?" exclaimed Twilight, galloping inside without so much as a glance at the bewildered Applebloom. Pinkie and Applejack followed swiftly behind her, equally confused.

"Hey! Can't I get some kinda explanation for this!?" came Applebloom's plea, only to be answered by the loud slam of the farmhouse door swinging shut behind Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie's delicious breakfast, now growing stone cold, was still sitting uneaten on the kitchen table. Granny Smith, despite the commotion, was snoring away in her favorite rocking chair. The rustic and homely scene of Apple's house was interrupted by the presence of two stately royal guards standing imposingly in the front doorway. Both stood a full head taller than any of them in the room. Except for their manes, tails, wings, and faces, none of their bodies were visible beneath the stately silver armor they both wore. At first, one could not be sure there even were bodies beneath the silver shell, for their coats were jet black. One could look into the helmet and see nothing but darkness and a pair of seemingly disembodied eyes.

This was the royal guard of Her Majesty, Princess Luna, whose sworn duty was to protect the princess above all else. That they would be here in Ponyville was strange indeed.

"The princess must be here herself," thought Twilight. After her close encounter on the streets of Canterlot, Princess Celestia had ordered much firmer security and a personal guard for her sister. In light of recent events, would Princess Luna dare to send her personal guard away from her side? Could the safety of the princess rely on her royal guards being present in Ponyville if the princess herself was not here? Twilight shuddered to think of what that might imply.

"Sirs, where is the princess now?" inquired Twilight. "I can't imagine she would send her royal guards away, not after the recent events in Canterlot."

One of the jet black stallions stepped forward. His armor made no sound as he moved and his hooves made hardly more than a faint tick on the wooden floor. "We would not be here if it were not in the interest of Her Majesty's safety," he replied sternly. "We demand to be taken to the Bloomoon at once."

"Yes sir, at once." Twilight, infused with a sense of duty, ushered the two stallions through the house and out the back door. Applebloom, who had not left the back porch, watched them pass with mouth agape. The two moved like shimmering phantoms, with such fluidity they seemed to be flying rather than walking.

The profound lack of noise the pair produced as they moved disturbed Twilight slightly. She knew that they were following, but made so little noise that she could not be sure how close they were to her. Her heart did a summersault as she turned to see them gliding right next to her, their shimmering helmets winking occasionally from beneath their flowing black manes. With a chill, Twilight thought of the Windegoes, the mysterious wintery wraiths that fed on the negative emotions of ponies. From the descriptions of Windegoes in her books, she could easily picture them right beside her in a suit of silvery armor, and wreathed in dark billowing clouds instead of ice. As she pondered the overall aura the royal guards cast, it began to make more sense why Princess Celestia would order such enigmatic and fearful guards for her sister. Protection was as much about mental presence as it was physical. But she didn't have much more time to think about it as they were fast approaching the spot where Pinkie and Applejack had planted the Bloomoon.

"Pinkie! Applejack! In my rush, I'd forgotten all about them!" Twilight mentally scorned herself for running out on her friends like she did, but she knew they would understand. The gravity of the guards presence asserted the need for haste.

As they approached the Bloomoon, Twilight lowered the protective ward she had placed earlier.

"Here it is, sirs," Twilight said, breathlessly. She noted how, despite their quick pace, the two stallions showed no signs of fatigue.

The frail flower took in the combined shadow of the two stallions as they approached it steadily. They bent their heads to carefully scrutinize the Bloomoon, making sure that no harm had come to it in the short span of its existence. After a short while, they both ceased their examination, satisfied with the condition of the flower. The one who had first spoken to her narrowed his gaze toward Twilight.

That was the first time she had looked directly into the eyes of either of the guards. She had been avoiding their eyes as their other features, by comparison, seemed less disturbing. But now she could not avoid the directed gaze of the ebony stallion. When she looked into his eyes, she could not look away. The eyes of that stallion were a pure and brilliant white. So beautiful and captivating they were she did not want to look away.

"We find the condition and growth of the Bloomoon to be satisfactory, but it must be protected from any harm until it has reached maturity. It is therefore necessary that we keep constant watch over the Bloomoon until that time."

His voice suddenly snapped Twilight out of the trance she was slowly falling into. She blinked, and averted her gaze from his captivating eyes.

"What on earth are these creatures? " She cast the thought aside.

"Of course, sirs. I understand," she responded. "I will personally see that you have all you need for the next few days. I can provide you with food, water, and any oth-"

"That will not be necessary," interjected the second stallion.

"I'm sorry?" Twilight said, taken aback.

"We will not require any physical sustenance. We wish to only be free of distraction or interruption until the Bloomoon has reached maturity. You may leave now." He dismissed her with a wave of his hoof.

Twilight struggled to inquire further, but the piercing gaze of the stallion's brilliant eyes and the commanding tone in his voice dissuaded her. She turned and left without a glance back, the gaze of the two stallions following her until she reached the tree line.

Over the hill a short way off, she could see Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Applebloom running to meet her. She suddenly realized that she had been holding her breath since she had left the presence of the royal guards. The thought of their imposing figures and wraithlike movements, their chillingly calm and commanding voices.

"And their eyes!" she thought with a shudder. So deep and enchanting their gaze was. She had lost herself in its ethereal beauty. How had she become so enraptured by them?

"Twilight! Everything okay sugar cube?"

"Hmm? What? Oh...yes," came her hesitant response.

"You seem a bit...off," Applejack said, concerned. "I can see it in your eyes. You don't seem all...here right now. Did something happen?"

"No....no. Nothing....happened...."

Twilight began to drift off again. What about those eyes had held her in such a spell? She tried to picture what had just happened. Those eyes were so deep, so flawless. It was just like holding up a gem to refract the sunlight. If she moved at all, that perfect image might be lost.

"Twilight!" Pinkie's voice broke through her daze.

Twilight shook herself and saw her friends staring at her with concerned looks.

"It had something to do with those guards, didn't it. Right when I saw 'em, I knew somethin' was off about 'em."

Twilight nodded wordlessly.

"In that case, I don't think we should dally 'round here. 'Taint doin' any good to any of us."

"You....you're right, Applejack. Let's head back. There's nothing more we can do here right now."

Applejack paused in mid-stride. "Wait a sec, are those two just gonna stay there?"

"Yes, they are. They are going to keep, around-the-clock watch over the Bloomoon until it is fully mature. I knew that Princess Luna needed this flower, but I did not think her need would be so dire to send her royal guards to protect it."

"What's a little flower going to do for Princess Luna's safety?" asked Pinkie.

"If you knew more, then it would be your safety at risk too, and I can't let that happen."

"Whoa there, girl. I don't think you fully understand."

Twilight looked over to Applejack, who was staring back sternly.

"Appljack, I know what you are going to say, but I don't...."

"No, I won't hear it," interrupted Applejack. "You listen to me. We're your friends, and we care as much about your safety as you do ours."

"I know you want to help, but please, this isn't....."

"You don't want us to get hurt, and I understand that. But you can't just brush us off that easily. Whatever danger you're trying to protect us from is also a danger to you."

"Applejack...please..."

"We may be at risk if you tell us, but we'll be sharing that risk together. We'll have each other's backs. If one of us gets into some trouble, we'll have an idea of what to do."

"But you don't know what..."

"Nothin' doing, sister. You need us to share this burden with you, whether you know it or not."

Twilight heaved a great sigh. Applejack could be particularly stubborn when it came to assisting her friends. There was no point in arguing the matter.

"Applejack...are you finished?"

"Depends. You gonna share the truth behind all this?"

"You know, you can be very stubborn at times."

"Pssh! And you aren't?" huffed Applejack. "Look at what you've been trying to keep from us! By not telling us you hope to protect us, but do ya think your friends are just gonna stand by and wait for somethin' bad to happen to you?"

Twilight could see the pleading resolve in Applejack's eyes. Her friends meant the world to her. She knew that they all cared as much for her as she did for them. She sighed deeply, her heart heavy and torn.

"Applejack, Pinkie, I know this will be hard. Hard for all of you to accept this. I'm afraid this is how it must be. What I know.... the thought of what harm might come.....I simply can't...."

Twilight bowed her head sadly as she trailed off.

Applejack noted her friend's distress and felt slightly ashamed to have kept pestering her. She gently raised Twilight's chin with her hoof.

"Hey, Twi? I'm sorry I kept buggin' you to tell us. You just mean so much...to all of us, that I can't bear the thought of you carryin' some potentially dangerous secret all by yourself. I care too darn much about you! We all do! And you know that if ya ever need help, we're here for you!"

"Yeah!" added Pinkie, "We'll always be there for you when you need us! Like that time you got captured by dogs so that you could hunt down gems for them! We all came looking for you, remember? Oh wait, that was Rarity, wasn't it? Oh! But how about that time...wait...no, that was Fluttershy. Oh! But then there was that time...."

"I think what Pinkies gettin' at is that we're all gonna stand by you, no matter what! We're all friends, and we'll do anything to help you out."

"...Just like the time that you....no, no....that was Rarity again. But, wasn't it you who...."

"You don't need to tell us this secret, sugar cube. We know that you're just tryin' to protect us. But help us help you too. If anything at all happens, you come to us and we'll be there to help, licketty-split!"

Twilight perked up, gladdened by the love and understanding of her friends.

"Thanks for understanding, girls. It means a lot to me. If I ever need help, I'm glad I can count on you."

"You can count on me too, Twilight!" burst Applebloom, who had been listening the whole time.

"Thanks, sweetie!" said Twilight, chuckling.

Applejack's rumbling stomach gave everybody a sudden start."Well, I'm sure starvin' now, girls. Pinkie's breakfast has likely spoiled by now, too."

"Nonsense!" Pinkie exclaimed, gleefully. "With good friends around to enjoy it, a breakfast is never spoiled!"

"I s'pose I could agree with you there, but we should head back now. I'm afraid if I don't get some food in me soon, my stomach might just shrivel up like a leaf, then I'd never be able to enjoy yore cookin' again!"

"That just sounds silly, Applejack!" said Pinkie, already trotting back to the farmhouse. "I don't think your stomach has the will to give up, not when there's splendiforous food around!"

"Look who's talkin' here! I seen you clear a full table faster'n you can say 'pickle barrel!'"

"Pickle barrel? What about Kumquat? Or even.....say it with me....Chimicherrychanga!"

"You started it," said Twilight, grinning over to Applejack.

"Yeah, gimmie a good smack before I do somethin' stupid like that, please?" said Applejack as she put her hooves in her ears.

"....Pickle barrel! Kumquat! Pickle barrel! Kumquat! Chimicherrychanga!...."

Pinkie Chimicherrychanga'd all the way back to the back porch of the farmhouse, the others following behind with exhausted expressions.

Back at the field, the two silent sentinels stood obdurate before the flower, Pinkie's giddy chanting becoming fainter and fainter.

"Their presence is a sufficient distance from us, brother."

"The time is exact. The preparations have been made, brother. I am fully at your disposal."

"Excellent. We have not a moment to spare. Let us begin."

Chapter 3: The Reclaimer

Chapter 3

The Reclaimer

The midday sun shone high and hot in the Saddle Ariabian sky. Gaudy sunshades draped erratically over the entire bazaar did little to abate the piercing heat. Hot winds blew through the sand-blown alleyways and into open windows, clattering loosely hinged wooden shutters. Ponies and creatures from far across and beyond the land of Equestria milled about the bazaar despite the uncomfortable conditions. Traders, both exotic and local, displayed their precious wares, hoping eagerly to draw the attention of potential customers. The din of buyers' and merchants' haggling added to the crowded confusion of the bazaar. Midst the confusion, an ornately garbed zebra stood quibbling with an obstinate herb merchant.

"What you see here is what is worth and no more!" the zebra insisted. She pulled back her silk veil to reveal her stern eyes, letting the merchant know she was not one to be trifled with. The old grey pony merely gazed back indifferently.

"Ye don't know 'ow 'ard these 'erbs be t'come by 'round 'ere. Ye gots te grow 'em in soft groun' dat'll hold moisture. Look 'round ye! Aint be many places 'round here that ye kin grow 'em!"

On the brink of flying into a rage, the zebra shoved her hoof into the pouch she kept under her robes and withdrew another hoofull of gems. The merchant eyed the steadily growing gem pile, then looked up to address the fuming zebra. He noted the wealth of rings, anklets, and necklaces adorning her with a raised eyebrow.

"If ye give me that as well," he said gesturing to a jewel encrusted anklet, "then we'll have ourselves a barter."

At this, the zebra swept up her gems, outraged.

"Swindler! Cheat! You'll get no such business of mine!" She reached to place the gems back into her pouch, only to find it missing from beneath her robes. She immediately pointed an accusing hoof at the old merchant.

"A thief! Give me back what's mine, you charlatan, gem-scrounging, louse!" Her eyes flamed rage and hatred at the flimflamming trader. He put up his hooves in protest.

"I don' have yer gems, witch!"

"LIAR!!"

The squabble went largely unnoticed by the countless other arguments throughout the bazaar. None but an unassuming brown griffon really heard their angry shouts as he walked away from the scene, grinning.

A griffon's grin is quite an odd thing, if you've ever seen one grin, for they have only a beak and no teeth with which to grin. This leaves a griffon with its beak cracked open in a toothless smile. For this reason, a griffon's grin is much more odd, and infinitely more sly.

"The fools would probably squander 'em on pointless frivolities," mused the griffon to himself. He tucked the purloined pouch under his wing as the zebra's angry shouts merged with the countless other noises of the bazaar. As he joined with the throng of bargain hunters, his tail deftly explored nearby pouches or saddle bags for anything worthwhile. He casually slipped his talonless claw into the cloak pocket of a nearby stallion, who was completely oblivious to the griffon's presence beside him. He withdrew his claw sourly, finding nothing within, and continued to slide coolly through the mass. As he surveyed the crowd for another target, he slid his tail beneath his wing with the gold ring it had just picked off of a nearby mule. A fairly decent find. Not entirely by accident, he bumped into a mare crossing his path.

"Oof! Oi, watch where you're goin'!" she said angrily.

"My mistake," he replied, bowing. She continued on her way, huffily, the bag of bits she carried on her hip a fraction lighter.

Grinning, he put the coins into a pouch beneath his wing as he continued muddling though the bazaar. From beneath his other wing, he withdrew an ebony medallion he knew he would soon need. Skillfully, he ran it over and across his claw, a trick he would be unable to do with talons. In fact, he possessed a great many skills that talons would otherwise inhibit, skills he had all acquired through a necessity to survive. He had always been shunned by society as a runt, freak, or some other variance of verbal abuse. But he didn't need to be served on a silver platter. Society was his orchard, and he harvested without prejudice. Young or old, rich or poor, it mattered little to him. He harbored no deep grudge against a society that had ostracized him. He merely felt entitled to take what he needed as he needed it. No longer did he even foster hatred against his father for mutilating him so many years ago. He eyed his talonless claws as he remembered; the jagged blade of the knife, the harsh cut, right through the quick. It marked an important day for him, one he would remember each time he saw his disfigured claws. From that day he was forced to lead a life of hardship, gaining him the skills that made him who he was.

The crowd was no less thin when he arrived at his destination: a small gem appraiser at the corner of the bazaar. Pushing aside the flap of fabric that served as a door, he entered the confined shop. The griffon surveyed the shop until his eyes rested on the counter. A fair number of lamps cluttered the counter, along with magnifying instruments and other tools of the appraiser's trade. Upon hearing a patron enter, the wizened appraiser walked in from the back room. The old dark green pony was bent from years and had to squint to see the creature who entered. He placed his large glasses upon his nose, which seemed to aid him little.

"Whet izzit ye be needin' t'day?" he said, coughing a bit.

Placing the ebony medallion on the counter, the griffon replied, "I'll need to know the value of this."

The appraiser sat himself in a rickety old wooden stool behind the counter and straightened his glasses. Squinting more than would seem to allow sight, he turned it over in his hoof. He muttered a few things to himself before bringing a lamp and a magnifying glass closer. He turned it over once more and noticed the symbols printed on the back. He gave a surprised splutter. The griffon cracked a grin, knowing the appraiser recognized the meaning of the medallion.

The old pony quickly shoved the medallion back to the griffon.

"S-second door to your left," he coughed, gesturing at the door to the back room.

"Thank you," replied the griffon with a cool grin. He swept off silently to the back room, the old appraiser looking on apprehensively.

A solitary lamp lit the hallway to the back room. The griffon came upon the second door on the left and entered the small room. It was filled with brooms, worn out lamps, and a few other odds and ends. The griffon immediately began scanning the wooden floor for the latch he knew would be there. Pushing aside a few buckets, he found what he was looking for. He lifted the latch to the trapdoor with relative ease, allowing a few rusty lamps to roll off with a dull, metallic clang. Below he could see the staircase, unlit except by the light from the hallway. He entered it smoothly and let the trapdoor close with a thump behind him. He was now in total darkness feeling his way down the stairs, keeping close to the walls. He could see a faint light indicating the bottom of the stairs and made his way towards it. As he approached the bottom of the stairs, heavy smoke of incense began to congest his senses. He was now at the bottom of the staircase, looking into stone walled room. He could not be sure how large the room was; between the darkness and smoke haze his vision was somewhat limited. A small shaft of sunlight filtered down through a grate in the ceiling. Dimly lit specks from smoldering incense burners shone weakly in the dim haze. Through the darkness, the griffon could see two tendrils of smoke moving together, as if attached to the same source. A deep, icy voice came from the darkness.

"Come. Come closssser."

The griffon levelly addressed the disembodied voice.

"Mentor, it is I."

"Ah, you have arrived at lasssst," the voice hissed, "I have been exssspecting you."

The two smoke tendrils moved out of the darkness, connected to two, pale nostrils. Behind the nostrils was a long, scarred muzzle and head of an ancient dragon; a wyvern. The wyvern moved slowly into the light, revealing a fraction of its long, lithe body. The scales along its whole body were pale blue. Parts of its body showed scars, and old skin clung to it in places. Its forked tongue flicked out and its nostrils flared, testing the air. Its eyes were milky white, stricken by blindness. As its head came into the light, one could still sense some malign intent behind those blank eyes.

"I have brought you a gift," said the griffon, reaching beneath his wing. He revealed the pouch of gems and placed it before the wyvern.

The ancient wyvern sniffed it, opening it with his forked tongue.

"Ah! Most exssselent!"

He began to shift through the gems, sniffing and tasting each one in turn. He was looking for something specific in the gems that few still had the skill to discern.

"I see you have someone new at the entrance, Mentor," said the griffon.

"Indeed," the wyvern replied, still sifting through the pouch. "The last one's eyesight was too keen for hisssss own good. He ssssaw.....too much."

He continued his meticulous evaluation of the gems. Many gems he simply set aside on the ground. He had gone through nearly the entire pouch when he found what he was looking for.

"Yesss, thissss is what I need!" he said, holding up a sapphire triumphantly. He swallowed the tiny gem in one gulp. No sooner had he done so, a soft blue glow began to run down the length of his body. The lithe coils of his body and tail filled the entire room with the pale glow. He shook himself letting all the dead skin that had clung to his body fall off. A subtle change was taking place. His pale blue scales began to regain some color. Some of the scars along his body grew smaller and disappeared. Some of the whiteness in his eyes faded, and you could tell now that his eyes were once a deep blue. His transformation complete, he settled back.

"I will need many more like that before I fully regain my sssstrength," he hissed. "Shame that sssso few ssstill exissssst."

"Mentor, I will bring more on my return," said the griffon reverently.

"Yessss.......yesss. But for now, there are things we must discussss."

"I know, Mentor. My purpose is clear, but my path is not. I know not what my next step should be."

The wyvern narrowed his sightless eyes towards the griffon as he sorted through the few gems remaining in the pouch.

"And what did the Ageless Onesssss reveal as your purposssse?"

"Reclaim."

The wyvern growled deeply, a sly grin spreading across his scarred muzzle.

"Ah yesss, you have been chosen by the Ageless Ones. Chosen for a special tassssk."

"What is this task they wish me to do?"

The wyvern tossed aside the pouch, having finished with the gems. Turning to address his pupil, he spoke slowly.

"The Ageless Onessss predicted a time of dissssorder, a time of upsssset," he leaned in closer to the griffon. "A time when the core of our Order would crumble."

The griffon nodded gravely. He knew what secrets the Order protected. He knew what would happen if the Order was to fall.

"Ssssso, the Ageless Onesssss laid plans for sssssuch a calamity. You are key to this plan, as are others. You are The Reclaimer."

"But what do the Ageless Ones need of me? What must I do for them to protect the Order?"

"I know not the deep workingsss of their planssss. You must learn for yourssself. I can, however, direct you to where you sssshall learn."

"Tell me. I am at the disposal of the Ageless Ones."

_______________________________________

The old appraiser sat pondering the enigmatic griffon who had gone into the back several minutes ago. He shuddered as he recalled the symbols on the ebony medallion. He was instructed not to ask questions about their meaning, or the business that his mysterious benefactor conducted. That is the way he decided to keep it. No questions asked. What could he do? He was only a humble gem appraiser. He was desperate. His benefactor came to him, asked him for help in return for the healing of his daughter. Now, he saw no way out of these dark dealings, the nighttime "feedings", and no questions asked. What sort of creatures would be doing business with his benefactor? His reverie was interrupted by the sudden swoosh of the back door, causing him to nearly fall off his stool. Wordlessly, the strange brown griffon exited the shop without giving the appraiser a second glance.

"No.....questions.....asked," he thought, closing his eyes. He realized that he had been holding his breath since the griffon had burst through the back door. Shakily he exhaled.

"No questions asked."

Out in the bazaar, the crowds were dissipating as was the oppressive heat. The Reclaimer bowed his head as he began muddling through the crowd, unnoticed. He now had a purpose and direction. From his Mentor's instructions, he knew what he must do. The need of the Order was dire. He would not let them down.

"The Timekeeper," he repeated to himself, "She holds the answers I need for my task."

He began to casually appropriate the supplies he would need for his journey, mentally estimating what he would need.

"Canterlot is a fair distance," he mused, "I'll probably need more."