Three

The battle was fierce, and brutally short.

When the waves receded and the fight was deemed over, it was unclear who the true winner had been. But out of fear that argument would draw out another battle, the enemies shut their mouths and went on their way, afraid of invoking more terrible warfare if they were to continue to insist. Such was the way of war.

Muse took a small drink of water from the river. She wanted to stick her whole head underwater and drink deep, but Ivory warned that drinking too much could make the ponies sick. Downstream, the unicorn was washing the dirt, ash, blood and sweat from her coat and mane. Ivory was doing a much more thorough job than Muse had, the pegasus noted. Partly because of her unicorn magic levitating water to harder to reach areas; but also Ivory seemed much fussier than the other mare. Muse had been content to scrub out the worst of the grime and then hope soaking in the water would get out more caked on stuff.

Magpie Muse found a spot on the sand and stretched out, examining the injury to her front hoof. It was still tender to touch, but at least it wasn’t infected. Sighing, she lowered her hoof and stared out into the desert. She had to admit, there was a flicker of hope in her now, fighting to burn amidst the gnawing worry that plagued the pony.

“So, we can get to Apploosa?” She turned her head to the unicorn.

“The river runs right by it,” Ivory confirmed. “We can just walk along the river.”

The pegasus nodded, standing and stretching her wings.

“Then we should set off.” Her eyes trained on the horizon. “Just in case.”

“I’m telling you, Muse.” The creamy unicorn said walking along the shallows of the river. Muse followed after her, fluttering though the air. Ivory’s face took on a set, determined smile. “We’re going to get to Apploosa, and hear all about the Princesses taking on Tartarus.”

“I bet.” Muse muttered, looking at the sky in concern. No stars. Strange light. Monsters. “Everything will be just fine.”

It was becoming their manta. Muse wasn’t sure she liked that idea.

They ambled along the river. Even Muse was lulled out of her hyper wariness by the presence of the river. The world was at least a little safe now that she knew they had water. Less than an hour after they set out however, Muse began convinced of the possibility that something was in the deeper water of the river. She cajoled and wheedled Ivory, insisting that the unicorn move further from the river. Finally Ivory had to stare the pegasus down, and simply wait for the flighty pony to grumble and take off again.

“I just don’t want you to stumble into trouble while I’m in the air.” Muse complained the next time she landed for a break. Her wings already began to ache. She looked at the sky, judging the time to be mid afternoon. They wouldn’t make it to Apploosa by nightfall. Not unless they turned into a pair of Wonderbolts. Beside her, Ivory sighed, getting accustomed to the non sequitur conversation starters.

“I understand that you’re worried, but really. We live in Equestria. Princess Twilight has spent the past, what, seventy years protecting all of ponykind. Sometimes things have slipped through. But really, have you ever felt unsafe?”

“Yes.” Muse protested. “Last night!”

“So, you were at the epicenter of one of the times things slip through. The Princesses handle this stuff all the-“

“They weren’t from this world!” There, she said it. Muse snorted, walking in silence. Those monsters. Those things, the way they just demolished that train, ripping ponies apart like they were irritating bugs. They weren’t right. Muse had felt it since she first saw them. She felt it when their afterimage burned in the back of Muse’s mind. They just weren’t right.

“Of course they aren’t,” Ivory replied stubbornly. “They’re from Tartarus.”

Muse made a very unpony-like sound, screwing her eyes shut. Exhaling as violently as she could, Muse stalked over to the water to get a drink. After a long drink, she ducked her head underwater, letting her frustration leak out into the water. Ivory nudged her. Muse blew a few angry bubbles and opened her eyes, looking at the little waving underwater plants. She smiled a little, seeing a fish dart by. It must be nice, she thought. Being a simple little fish. Ivory chose that moment to jab her hoof between Muse’s ribs.

“What the buck was that for?” Muse growled, her head jerking out of the water. Ivory said nothing, and instead pointed at a distant cloud of dust head their way.

“Something is coming.” She said, blankly.

The two stared at the dust cloud, Muse’s feathers all tensing and quivering. She took flight, her wings shaky and her heart beginning to erratically thump inside her chest. She shut her eyes, counting to ten. It will be alright, she told herself. They can still run, the pony reminded herself. Now, it was time to focus.

The dust cloud was small, too small for the terrors by the train. It was still moving fast though. Muse doubted they could outrun whatever was headed towards them. She turned, trying to come up with a plan. A small outcrop of rocks stood out in Muse’s mind. They were close to Ivory. If the two could make it to the rocks and find a place to hide, maybe it would pass them by. Invigorated by the plan, Muse returned to the ground, where Ivory was waiting, her face a mask to whatever the pony was thinking.

“It’s small, but fast.” Muse reported. “If we move, we can make it to some rocks-“

“What, you want to hide?” Ivory scoffed. “It could be a rescue squad.”

Muse stared.

“Are you bucking serious?” The pegasus stalked towards Ivory. “We are the only ponies out here who weren’t ripped to shreds

by tentacles and monsters. Did you see anyone else escape that train?”

“No, but-“

“We need to go,” Muse cut the unicorn off, heading towards the outcrop she had seen. Ivory didn’t budge, instead sitting down while shooting Muse a glare. Muse turned, whining in frustration. “Stop being so blind, Ivory. Do you want to die?”

“You’re so worked up about the train, you aren’t thinking.” Ivory snapped. “What if it is somepony? You’d rather run around in a panic than group up with others. Maybe danger is over there, but maybe answers are too.”

“Fine, you really think it’s a pony?” Muse shouted as her amber eyes narrowed into spiteful slits. “Why don’t I just go fly over to the harmless pony?”

Ivory paused, only for a moment. Uncertainty and doubt flickered in her eyes in that moment. Then she tossed her mane back and huffed. “Go ahead. Prove yourself wrong then.”

Muse let out a strangled cry of anger as she kicked off into the air and soared towards the dust cloud. Let Ivory eat her words, Muse thought bitterly. The pegasus hoped Ivory felt awful when the monster inevitably snatched Muse from the sky and plucked off her wings like an insect. Maybe then Ivory would learn about caution and stranger danger. The stupid unicorn would feel so guilty, getting Muse violently killed. The thought of Ivory’s mental torment consoled Muse as she flew towards certain doom.

Below her, the dust cloud had stopped moving. Hovering in the air, Muse squinted, trying to make out a shape in the settling air. A dark, misshapen form sprawled on the sand, motionless. Probably a trap, Muse thought darkly. She looked back towards the river, where Ivory was undoubtedly squinting and struggling to see the action. Muse’s face contorted into a cantankerous scowl. Slowly, the pegasus flew lower, towards the shape. As she drew closer, the mare could smell burnt flesh and blood, making her stomach threaten to expel the precious water inside it. The pony coughed, continuing on. Let Ivory get a taste of fear, the grey pegasus smirked to herself. Muse would just get close enough for the thing to notice her, and then Ivory had to see the monster. Her hooves found the ground, and Magpie blinked in surprise. That wasn’t supposed to happen. She looked at the still form, cautiously. Instead of a monster wriggling to consume her, there was a large, dirty looking stallion, covered in a slippery coat of sweat. Muse stared at the new pony, stunned, taking her several moments to think of helping the stallion. She approached, crouching close to his face, listening to his labored gasps. His body was filthy, and coated in mud and blood.  The mare eyed him for a moment, before reaching out and poking him.

“Hey.” Muse whispered. “Are you alive?”

Two green eyes opened, staring up at her.

“W-Water.” The stallion rasped. That was enough for Muse. She wriggled beneath one of his forelegs and stood, trying to guide him to his hooves. Groggily, the stallion reacted, getting up and stumbling along. The small pegasus wobbled back to the river, her knees buckling occasionally at the weight. Each time they went down, Muse went back to shoving and prodding the stallion. There was a gnawing feeling in her gut each time he collapsed, terrified that he wouldn’t live. Whoever he was, he’d come so close to the river. He couldn’t die. If he did, it’d be Muse’s fault.

Every time though, those green eyes would open, and he’d stagger back up, fighting for a few more steps. As the pair approached the river, Muse could feel Ivory’s huge eyes on them.

“Shut up.” Muse growled. “Don’t say a thing.”

Ivory took a few steps back, watching as Muse unceremoniously pushed the stallion into the water. He came to with a gasp and a snort, looking around wildly. He paused, looking around at the water and a deep laugh rumbled from the stallion’s chest, full of relief and joy. Ivory and Muse glanced at each other as the stallion drank. They had become three.

The stallion was an earth pony, built tall and solid, with a deep chest and a strong muzzle. What Muse thought had been caked on patches of mud turned out to be dark brown pinto spots over a dusty brown coat. His mane and tail were a dirty blond that fell in a long tousled mess. His cutie mark though… Ivory and Muse huddled together, watching the stallion drink and scrub the grime from his body. Muse’s bright eyes fixated on the stallion’s flank, which might have once been fairly attractive and nice to look at. Now though, his rear was a mangled vision. The fur of his left side was burned away, and the angry red flesh beneath had a rippled, melted look. The stallion had cringed when water touched the burns, but Muse imagined that the water had to relieve something of the pain. The other side was shredded, as though a cheese grater had been taken to it. Ragged strips of bloody flesh hung limply from shallow gouges that erased his cutie mark- his identity from existence.

“I was grabbed by…something. Some monster huge, with- it had tentacles stronger than a pony.” The stallion spoke, his green eyes resting on Muse. The pegasus blushed, looking away. Her expression must have been one of disgust, but the stallion seemed to take it in stride. “I was working on a train…in the conductor’s room, front of the train. The monsters- they, it struck there first. Busted right through the window. The conductor saved me- he shoved me to the side and then they snatched him up. I watched him-“

The stallion lost the ability to make words for a moment, standing and looking down into the swirling water. He shuffled his hooves, kicking up a cloud of mud from the bottom of the river. He cleared his throat and straightened, nodding to himself.

“He was a good pony. A good pony.”

The earth pony lost himself in thoughts again. Ivory and Muse glanced at each other again. Perhaps saving this pony was a bad idea. His injuries rang an alarm in Muse’s head; she had enough to worry about. How was she supposed to address those wounds? She could already smell the wounds festering. They needed to be properly cleaned and dressed. If he collapsed from the injuries, she wouldn’t be able to drag him for long. Then there was the misty-eyed look in his eyes, and the slow, depressed manner of his movements. Muse already had to deal with Ivory’s neurosis; how many other broken ponies could the mare handle?

While Muse was busy evaluating how useful the stallion was to her, Ivory broke away. The light-coated mare approached the stallion, raising a hoof to touch his side. Ivory attempted to smile- though Muse suspected the mare was more used to scowling at ponies from behind books.

“We were on the train too.” Ivory said, her voice strained somewhat. “We were sharing a cabin and…I was awake when it hit. I heard something slam the train off the tracks. I thought it was bandits, or buffalo-“

“An entire tribe of buffalo couldn’t hit a train that hard.” The stallion replied sharply. The pony shook his head, sighing. “No. Those things were bigger than a house. I saw’em rise up. They ripped the conductor carriage right off. The whole thing.”

“How’d you escape?” Ivory asked, her bows furrowing together. Muse straightened, listening with active interest now. The stallion paused, his eyes getting distant, as he spoke slowly.

“I was helping the conductor. He was an old pony, needed some help up front. Then, we noticed the sky. The stars, they were winking out. One by one. He thought it was the Night Princess up to somethin’ but…it was unnatural. I knew it wasn’t Luna. We didn’t know what to do, or who to call for, so we just sat there. Watching the last star go out. And then, They were there. They grabbed the conductor, gutted him and tossed his carcass away. That’s when they ripped the car off the rest of the train. I hit my head, was out for a minute. Next thing I know; is pain. Those barbs digging into my flank.  I started kicking, biting, and fighting the damn things. I swung a lit lantern at them, and the tentacle went up along with myself. Must have pissed them off, ‘cause they ripped me out of the train and tossed me away.  Once I came to, I headed-“ the stallion paused. “I headed to Appleloosa.”

The earth pony gave Muse a weary smile.

“I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for you. I thank you. Both of you. I’ll do anything I can to get you both out of this desert safely.” There was an underlying sincerity in his promise that was a little scary in its intensity. His green eyes were round and grave as he looked at them both like a knight vowing his life for his maiden. Muse felt blood rise to her cheeks and a smile brightened her face.

“Well then, I think we can all rest easier knowing there’s a gallant knight in our party now.” She teased, trotting towards her companions. The earth pony ducked his head, humbly.

“I’m no knight, miss.” He answered. Muse laughed.

“True knights come in all shapes and sizes.” The pegasus said, mocking his gravity. A smile quirked the stallion’s lips, in quiet exasperation.

“Well then, what do I call my maidens fair?” He replied, playing up his new role. Muse offered her hoof.

“Magpie Muse.” The stallion took it, nodding. He looked to Ivory next, taking her hoof.

“Ivory Spire.” The stallion’s spotted face crinkled curiously.

“Ivory?” He questioned, looking at Muse and back to the other mare. “Funny- I took you as more of a buttermilk-“

Ivory’s polite demeanor vanished with a scowl, and the unicorn glowered at the two as Muse struggled to hide her laughter.

“Yeah.” Ivory huffed; finally speaking after the stallion’s worried expression softened her enough to stop her from snarling. “I get that, occasionally.”

The unicorn fumed for a moment longer, before snapping out.

“What do we call you?”

“Dusty.” The stallion smiled, thought this time the sweetness didn’t reach his eyes. Muse thought his eyes for a moment flickered towards his mangled flank. “…Just Dusty, miss.”

The pegasus hid her curiosity in a smile and a playful nudge to Dusty’s ribs.

“Well Ser Dusty, let’s go to Appleloosa.” She gestured to the horizon. “I think we could all use a stronger drink than water.”

“I’ll buy.” Dusty joked, smiling for real this time. Ivory shook her head.

“I have a feeling that pegasus would drink your pockets dry.” The unicorn quipped. Muse drifted in the air above them, grinning devilishly.

“I could certainly drink more than your delicate unicorn senses could comprehend.” She retorted. Ivory’s horn lit up.

“Come down here and say that, featherhead.” The unicorn taunted. Muse stuck out her tongue.

“What are you going to do to me, revoke my library card?”

Dusty chuckled lowly. The mares shared a smile, in higher spirits than they had been in since before the train. They weren’t alone anymore. They were going to Appleloosa. Everything was going to be just fine.

        “Nah, my family isn’t a train family.” Dusty was saying as the group walked along. “But I wanted to experience things other than what the family business was all about. I wanted to see what was out there, see what work I could do other than what my cutie mark said I should do.”

The mares looked at him blankly.

“What?” Ivory said, frowning deeply. Dusty continued, choosing his words carefully.

“It didn’t sit right with me- letting my cutie mark determine what work I could do. It might be my destiny, but it doesn’t mean I have to drop everything to do what my destiny says is best for me. I think we ponies take things too literally. Maybe the Creator wanted us to look deeper within ourselves to discover what our cutie marks mean; and more importantly, what else we have in us beyond that.”

Ivory gaped at the stallion.

“But. Our cutie marks are a gift from Princess Celestia- a gift from the energies that surround us all and connect us. Why wouldn’t you do what your special talent is, what your passion is. “

“I don’t believe my mark was what my passion is.”

“What? Of course it was your passion. That’s what a cutie mark IS.” Ivory replied irritably. Dusty sighed, accustomed to the argument.

“Look, I just don’t see why a pony can’t go off and be good at loads of things. It doesn’t have to be your special talent for you to be good at it.” He explained, trying a new angle. Ivory shook her head.

“If the Princess could hear you.” She grumbled, shaking her head. An unreadable look crept over Dusty’s face for a moment. Muse landed between the two, before he could finish thinking up his retort.

“You’re part mustang, aren’t you?” Muse asked him, deftly changing the topic. Dusty looked surprised. The pegasus smiled and nodded at his pinto coat.

“Only ponies with mustang blood have spots, right? Besides, it sounds like you’re echoing some of their stories about the Creator.” She explained, before adding dryly. “Stories are a part of my special talent.”

Ivory shook her head.

“Aren’t mustangs just earth ponies who lived in the desert?” She asked, in confusion. Muse and Dusty both shook their heads.

“Mustang history is obscure, but there are a few legends about where they came from.” Dusty said. “All that is known for sure, is that they’re separated from the Creator’s energy.”

The cogs in Ivory’s head clicked together.

“…Meaning?” She asked, her nose wrinkling in thought.

“They don’t always have cutie marks.” Muse interjected. “They’re…tainted. Not pure pony. So, the connection they have to the Princesses and the Creator is diminished.”

She glanced at Dusty. “... Sorry.”

He shook his head.

“Nah, no need to apologize. It’s been explained in crueler ways.”

“I’ve never really heard much about mustangs.” Ivory admitted apologetically. “I’d only seen pictures of famous mustangs in history books. They don’t come to Trottingham often.”

“Not since a mustang colt was murdered by a hate group.” Dusty said a tinge of bitterness in his voice. The mares looked at him, shocked. “It was ages ago. Still, mustangs remember.”

He looked at the two mares, who still looked disconcerted and appalled. The stallion smiled softly.

“The Princesses protect Equestria from evil, but still cannot fathom how to protect others from the evil lurking within their precious little ponies.” He quoted. Muse frowned, the quote niggling at her, though she couldn’t place it. The trio walked in silence for awhile, nopony quite sure of how to move past the unfortunate conversation and the idea that ponies could be villains. After a few minutes of silence, Muse took to the air again, and Ivory shrank back, eventually trailing behind Dusty. Dusty’s words continued to make Muse feel guilty somehow. Ponies weren’t evil, she thought. There weren’t hate groups. Whatever Dusty thought about Trottingham was biased and clearly slanted in favor of making it seem as though mustangs were prejudiced against. Muse argued against that notion; after all, Since the Zebra Proclamation by Princess Twilight forty years ago, all non-ponies could own property and were considered citizens on the same level of ponykind. How could Dusty say mustangs were treated unfairly? It wasn’t ponies’ fault that mustangs had a bad reputation. Maybe if the ancient mustang tribes had been nicer-

No. Muse shook her head clear of those thoughts. She didn’t think that was the right way to think. But what was? The pegasus groaned internally, her head throbbing. She needed a break; a hot bath. A long hot bath with steam rising and foamy scented bubbles covering everything. And then a massage, done by talented hooves and a heavily alcoholic cider. Everything just needed to stop.

The off-colored sun began to dip down behind the swath of desert landscape ahead of them. The night sky started to peek through the sun’s final rays, inky and empty. The stars refused to appear. Looking down, she saw Ivory and Dusty beginning to settle in beneath a formation of rocks that provided slight shelter. The stallion looked up at Muse and signaled for her to land. As she reached the ground, Muse discovered that Ivory and Dusty had resumed bantering over his theological musings.

“So where do you call home when you aren’t blaspheming the Princesses?” The unicorn asked, laying down with her forelegs crossed. The stallion grinned.

“Oh. I say blasphemies at home too.” Dusty pulled out a bundle of tubers tied together with reeds, passing it to Muse. She saw two other bundles in front of both Ivory and Dusty.

“I recognized these. Some-somepony showed them to me once.” He said. “It’s food.”

“Was Buttermilk here prying out an origin story from our knight?” Muse smirked, settling down between the two. Dusty let a low chortle escape.

“Only after we hear yours.” He answered smoothly. The pegasus hesitated, swallowing the roots she had shoveled into her famished mouth. They were earthy and tart, but not the worst thing she had bitten into.

“Mine’s easy,” She dismissed. “I’m from Cloudsdale, originally. My dad was a factory repair-pony. My mom was in weather control. She was a quality inspector, so we traveled a lot. We’d go to local sites of weather control; and she’d inspect them, and make them more efficient. Bring them up to speed on changes made to protocol. I moved to Manehattan after finishing basic school. My folks weren’t too happy. I wouldn’t even agree to live in the local Cloudsdale branch of Manehattan that hovers above the city. I wanted to be in the city. Breathe in the dirt and grime and hardship. I knew what my passion was. Experiencing everything out there, weathering the worst life can hurl in your face- I was meant to see all of it, collect all of it. And create stories from it.” Muse paused, sighing wistfully. “So that’s what I do. I write stories, I perform them, and I collect them.”

Ivory looked up from her supper, eying the pegasus skeptically. “Are you any good?”

“Any good? I’m bucking good!” Muse shot back, her feathers bristling defensively. Ivory arched an eyebrow.

“Okay, prove it.” The unicorn pursed her lips together. “Tell us a story.”

Muse sucked in her cheeks, thinking. She had a good head for stories, for collecting them by ear or by page. She had myths from ancient ponies, tales from the griffons, and from beyond Equestria; not to mention original gems that slumbered in her mind. Chewing the inside of her cheek in absent thought, the mare nodded slowly, choosing a legend told by ponies long since dead:

“When Equestria was still young, and ponykind still infants to the world, great beasts of myth and monsters of Tartarus ruled the lands.” Muse’s voice lowered to a smooth, velvety tone that warmed the ears of the ponies listening to her. “The weather was wild and uncontrolled, and the sun and the moon fought each other in the sky, leaving no room for night or day. One of the greatest creatures from that time was the windigo stallion, Sleipnir. He was a gleaming stallion with sinewy legs and golden hooves that outpaced the speed of thought and the stretch of time. He was the whistling wind that rustled through trees, and was so swift he could travel the world in a breath.”

Her hoof etched out a vague illustration as she spoke. The lines in the sand twinkled in the dimming light, and seemed to breathe with life. The more Muse's companions looked at the etchings in the sand, the more they appeared to twist with vitality at every word Muse let flow past her lips.

“Sleipnir was boastful of his speed. He would often trot through the manes of ponies, his words wafting in the wind. ‘I am truly greatest of creation.’ He bragged. ‘Find a pony who can outpace me once and I’ll give him my golden hooves. Find a pony that can outpace my twice, I’ll teach him how to reach the land of the dead and if he outpaces me thrice, I’ll teach him how to return.’

Word came to Sleipnir one day as he was tickling the hairs of foals that a pony had taken up his challenge. Sleipnir laughed, hearing that it was a simple earth pony. ‘I expected a unicorn to try to trick me with their magic, or a pegasus to challenge me through the air. But a mud pony? What can he do?’ So Sleipnir invited the pony to his home, and made a feast to honor the challenger. The mud pony arrived, covered in garb. ‘To hide his shame upon defeat’ crowed Sleipnir. The pony said nothing in return.

The next morning, Sleipnir awoke to find the pony waiting in the fields.

‘The ocean is to the east,’ The windigo challenged. “Beat me to it and back, and the first of my prizes will be yours.”

The pony, still covered in cloth, said nothing. Sleipnir smiled, confident of his victory over this mute mudpony.

‘Why don’t you have a headstart?” The stallion offered. The pony bowed. And then began to run, long legs skirting over the grass and hardly touching the green blades. Sleipnir watched the pony disappear in the distant and noted that truly, he was the fastest mudpony Sleipnir had espied. The windigo felt uneasy, and without further pause, raced after the pony.  He reached the salty air of the ocean in a heartbeat, and galloped back to his home, cackling with confidence. As he approached his home, his servants raced towards him, trembling with fear.

‘Do not fret,’ Sleipnir assured them ‘I’ll go find the brave fool and save him from exhaustion.’

Wordlessly, the servants pointed, and there was the hooded pony, kneeling respectfully at Sleipnir’s arrival.

‘He cheated! He double-backed when my back was to him!’ cried Sleipnir. The servants all protested, and pointed to the mudpony again. The mysterious pony withdrew a pink shell from his folds of cloth and dropped in before Sleipnir. It still smelled of the sea. Fuming, and foaming with rage, Sleipnir relinquished his golden hooves.

The next morning, Sleipnir awoke and again the pony waited for him.

‘You cannot trick me today!’ snarled the great stallion. ‘You will have no headstart today.’

The pony bowed.

‘Bring a snowflake fresh from the peak of the mountains to the north back to this spot before me, and you’ll have the second of my prizes.’

The windigo hardly finished his sentence before bolting off, leaving the pony behind. Sleipnir reached the mountaintop and plucked a snowflake from the air, and headed back to his abode. ‘There’s no trace of the oafish pony. He must have tuckered out and quit long ago.’ He laughed all the way to his home.

There was silence greeting him at the gate.

‘Where are my servants?’ the stallion bellowed. ‘Why are they not serving me drink and praise for finally ridding myself of that mute oaf?”

He entered his hall, and the windigo found the cloaked pony waiting for him, kneeling respectfully. A glistening snowflake was in the mudpony’s hooves. This strange pony had already taken Sleipnir’s magic hooves. The windigo suddenly feared the loss of all his secrets that made him mighty. Hastily, he spoke:

‘You can have your promised gift if you like. Or- or, beat me one last time, and I’ll give you anything you desire.’ The pony bowed, in agreement.

The third morning, Sleipnir was up before the mysterious pony, having spent the night scheming.

‘Without my hooves, I have been handicapped.’ He complained. ‘It is only fair that you too have a handicap.’

He produced a long, heavy chain.

‘You are a mudpony, how about you pull something? Are you as strong as you are fast?’

The masked pony nodded, silently.

‘Then pull the sun.’ Sleipnir challenged. ‘Pull the sun around the world before I can, and I will give you anything in your heart you desire. But! If I win, I too get to have anything I want.’

This pony’s head on a pike danced in the windigo’s eyes. The mudpony bowed, lowering his head. The heavy chains wrapped around the pony’s chest, and the pony’s muscles strained against them, the weight of the sun holding him back. Finally, Sleipnir felt that he would best this irritating pony. The race began and Sleipnir bolted though the air, looking back to see the pony’s hooves digging into the dirt and he pulled against the sun.

Partway around the world, with no sign of the cloaked pony, Sleipnir relaxed, letting the current of the air carry him. He imagined returning to his castle to see the pony having failed to take a single step. Sleipnir would kick the damnable pony’s head clean off, and never again would mortal ponies dare challenge the greatest stallion in creation. As he dreamed, Sleipnir felt a ripple of heat prickle over his skin. He looked behind him and started at the sight: Muscles pulsing, rippling beneath the bindings, the cloaked pony galloped across the sea, the sun soaring in the sky behind him. The sun’s heat burned at the cloth covering the mudpony, and it caught fire; making the pony look fiercesome as he bore down upon Sleipnir. The two sprinted neck and neck across sea and plains, The wind chasing the sun across the world. Sleipnir strained, trying to keep his pace with the blazing pony. He turned, looking at the mudpony as the final stretch came upon them. The mortal pony dug in, and with long legs that kissed the ground, pulled ahead of the great windigo. He watched as the sun disappeared ahead of him, helpless to stop the impossible pony. When he finally arrived to his domain, Sleipnir stared at his conqueror.

‘I knew no stallion could best me.’ He said weakly. Still aflame from the glorious sun, a tall and lean mare with a flowing golden mane stood before him.

‘I am Aesif.’ She said, shrugging off the chains. He bowed before her.

‘I will give you anything.’ Sleipnir said, honor bound.

Her eyes blazed.

‘I want your fealty.’  She demanded.

‘Unwaveringly.’ He answered. Aesif stepped closer.

‘I want the sun.’ She commanded. ‘To give my ponies night and day.’

‘Only you are beautiful and fleet enough to guide the sun through the sky.’ Sleipnir agreed. Aesif drew closer, and he could smell her sun-kissed scent.

‘You.’ She whispered. Sleipnir looked up in fear and wonder. ‘I want you.’

‘I’m yours,’ The windigo vowed, his eyes unable to move from the pony. ‘Forever’

And so the fleetest of ponies captured the wind and made him love her. Every day they chased each other across the sky, yearning for one another. Every night they found each other, and Aesif made Sleipnir hers again, and again, until she birthed their offspring: the fleetest and most untamable ponies to roam Equestria. She named her children Mustangs, and let them run free with their father dancing in their manes and their mother guiding the sun to nourish them.”

The starless night bore over the three ponies in full. Ivory and Dusty sat frozen, hypnotized by Muse’s story, her illustrations dancing and writhing in their minds. Muse shut her eyes, and exhaled, her throat feeling rough from use. She got up and walked to the river, taking a few sips. Slowly, her companions came out of their trance. By the time Muse returned, Ivory was blinking around, dazed. Dusty smiled, quietly.

“Oh.” Ivory intoned, vaguely. Muse shrugged.

“The story was on my mind.” She said, glancing over to Dusty. The stallion nodded, appreciatively.

“Stories are your thing,” he agreed, his voice softened with nostalgia. "Not even my mother told that mustang myth that well.

“I could see it all.” Ivory mumbled, shaking her head. Muse laughed and stretched out. "That really is special."

"Only for campfire stories," Muse dismissed with a shrug. Ivory tipped her head, not paying much attention to what the other mare was saying.

"I've never heard of Aesif. Is she some other name for Princess Celestia?" The unicorn asked. Dusty snorted.

"She's a mustang myth, not many pony schools teach those." He said. "But she's definitely not Celestia."

“Be careful, Ser Dusty. You're starting to make Ivory suspect you're a heretic.” Muse teased, watching the two with a relaxed amusement. The pegasus nodded to Ivory’s flank: her cutiemark depicting an opened book with a key fitting into it. “I think it’s your turn now, egghead.”

Muse could see a blush tinge Ivory’s pale cheeks in the night.

“I can’t do anything like that. I’m just a librarian.” Ivory mourned, shaking her head.

“Well, I bet you could catalog a hundred books before we finished a dozen.” Muse smiled encouragingly. Ivory laughed.

“You wouldn’t believe the state I found some archives in.” She said, shaking her head. Dusty tipped his head with interest.

“Archives?” He asked, politely. The mare nodded.

“I helped restore the historical records in various museums and libraries. There was one in Whinnipeg, the mess was dreadful. And some of the documents were left to crumble…”

The mare continued to tell her story, growing more animated and excited at the state her books had been found in. Hair bristled along Muse’s spine and she found her eyes and attention pulled away. A large collection of clouds drifted idly towards the three, moving like a sluggish barge in the sky. It looked crafted, not something wild. Muse got to her hooves, a feeling of familiarity tugging at her senses. It drifted closer. The clouds brought something to the tip of her tongue, but a piece of the puzzle remained unfilled in her head.

“Muse?” Ivory voice came from behind the pegasus. Muse shook her head in disbelief.

“That’s my parent’s neighborhood.” She realized with a sharp inhale. Her amber eyes were wide, dilated in fear. “That’s Cloudsdale. Th-That’s part of Cloudsdale. It broke off…”

The pony took a few steps towards the cloud formation. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out her thoughts. Cloudsdale. It was one of the greatest cities in Equestria. One of the oldest cities. Pegasi had used the nomadic city as a homebase since… Since Commander Hurricane. It was built with pegasi magic to resist all sorts of weather. A typhoon couldn’t break the city up, not with all the ponies working up there, keeping it together. Her companions trailed after her in concern.

“Magpie, what are you doing?” Dusty asked in concern as the pegasus’ wings unfurled. She looked back at her companions briefly, brows furrowed together.

“That’s my parent’s neighborhood.” She repeated as though that explained everything. “I. It broke off. Why?”

“Muse, don’t you dare leave us.” Ivory demanded, stepping towards the pegasus nervously.  “You promised.”

“It’s my parents…” Muse whispered. And then she leapt into the dark sky, hurling herself towards the clouds. Behind her, Muse heard her friends screaming at her, but she ignored them. Cloudsdale didn’t just break off. Neighborhoods didn’t wander off into the wild.