Interesting Timesby Timothy48ChaptersPrologue (Reworked)Chapter 1 (A Whale of a Tale)Chapter 2 (Wake Up)Chapter 3 (In a New World)Chapter 5 (Ancient History)Chapter 6 (Meeting the Neighbors)Announcement Chapter 4 (Secrets Reveled)Prologue (Reworked)Interesting Times By Timothy48 Prologue As the sun dipped below the Equestrian horizon, Princess Celestia let out a small sigh of relief. It had been more difficult than usual to put the Sun to bed, and the effort had taxed her greatly. Shaking her head slightly, she walked over to her favorite rug in her room, levitating a book towards her from a nearby shelf. She lay down to enjoy a light read before bed. Settling herself in a more comfortable position on her rug, she opened the book to read. However, before she could start, a strange feeling came over her. Like a cold wind blowing across her body, despite the warm summer’s night. Looking around, she stood up with a sigh and walked out onto her balcony. She looked out into the gathering darkness. Seeing nothing amiss, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt her magic building around her horn, its glow increasing with each passing second, until it looked as if a miniature sun had blossomed at the tip of her horn. She held the spell for a few more moments and then, released her hold upon the it, allowing the light to quietly fade from her horn. Shaking with exhaustion, a look of worry crossed her face. Gazing up into the night sky, she could see dark angry clouds covering Luna's beautiful stars. While below her balcony, white tendrils of mist could be seen covering the gardens. As she turned to walk back into her chambers, she thought. What is happening? All across Equestria, from the busy streets of Manehattan, to the quiet homes of Ponyville, from the dry desert around Appleoosa, to the cold and snowy mountains of the north, a white mist settled over the land. The sky gradually became enveloped in dark angry looking clouds. Princess Celestia sat quietly in her chambers, pondering the situation, the minutes slowly ticking by. Having come to a decision, she rose from her comfortable rug and walked to her bedroom doors. She opened one slightly and asked one of the white pegasus guards to fetch her sister Luna. The confused guard gave a salute with his wing and trotted off to find the princess of the night. Celestia quietly closed the door. Taking a quill in her magical grasp, she began to write a short letter to her faithful pupil. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock at the door. “Come in dear sister.” she called out. Princess Luna stepped through the door, shutting it softly behind her. Her starry mane flowed gracefully behind her, forever caught in an eternal ethereal wind. Small stars twinkled and shone from her night colored mane. As she approached, a look of concern crossed her face. “What troubleth thou dear sister?” Celestia hid a small smile at Luna's choice of words; whenever Luna became nervous of excited, she tended to slip into her old speaking habits. She would even, on occasion, fall back too using the Royal Canterlot Voice. Especially when she became very emotional or nervous. Even when a pony was sitting right next to her, much to the detriment of said ponies hearing abilities. Sighing, Celestia replied. “Did you feel anything a short time ago?” When Luna nodded her head, Celestia continued. “Something is happening, though I'm not sure what; I have never felt magic this cold or powerful before.” Luna looked towards the balcony doors and replied. “Nor have We dear sister. It felt so... alien. We do not believe it is of our world.” Celestia nodded. “I believe you are correct and if that is indeed the case, then the question becomes. ‘Where did it come from and what is its purpose?” Luna shook her head, unable to supply the answer both mares were seeking. Then, noticing the piece of paper and quill resting at Celestia's hoofs, she asked. “Who art thou writing to?” Giving a weak smile, the Sun Princess replied. “My most faithful student. If I know her, she should still be awake, studying no doubt.” With a quick flourish of her quill, she finished the letter, and sealed it. Closing her eyes, she called upon an ancient spell that had been taught to her by a wise and friendly dragon. Her horn pulsed with magical energy for a short second and then with a pop! the scroll disappeared in a puff of green smoke and flames. Luna wrinkled her nose at the stench of dragon fire. “What didst thou write?” “I explained what was happening to the best of my knowledge and asked for her to come to Canterlot with her friends.” “Doth thou really think that the Elements of Harmony can do anything?” Celestia shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not, but we won't know for sure unless we try.” Luna nodded. “How shall they travel here? The roads will be treacherous in this mist and the weather to be in the midst of a storm.” “A mass teleportation spell. I explained to Twilight in my letter about how to set up the runes properly.” Luna nodded once more. She was about to say something more but was interrupted when a scroll appeared in a flash of green fire and smoke. Quickly unrolling the letter, Celestia read Twilight’s reply. Dear Princess Celestia, I have also noticed this phenomenon as well and was about to send you my own letter when yours arrived. I have already made the necessary preparations and am waiting for my friends arrival. I will send you another letter oncewe are ready to depart. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle “We will need a bigger room if we are to perform the teleportation spell correctly.” Luna nodded in agreement. Without another word, the two sisters trotted out of the room and made their way towards the royal throne room. After about an hour, another letter appeared in the air in front of Celestia. Quickly reading it, she nodded towards Luna. The two of them took station on the opposite sides of the room. Closing their eyes, they began to channel magical energy through their horns, a soft glow began to fill the room, growing in intensity until, with a large flash and loud pop six, pastel colored ponies stood in the middle of the room with looks ranging from confusion to calm determination. The six stood in a circle each wearing their own Element of Harmony. Twilight quickly shook her head to clear away the post teleportation haze, and quickly walked over to where Celestia stood. “We came as quickly as we could Your Highness.” she announced bowing her head. Celestia smiled, “Thank you for coming, Twilight and for bringing your friends; unfortunately we do not have much time. The magic is building rapidly and I am afraid of what will happen when it reaches its peak.” Twilight glanced at her friends, then nodded to the princesses. “What do you need us to do?” “I need you to use the Elements to help Luna and I dispel this magic before it can do any harm. By ourselves, Luna and I are not powerful enough to dispel the magic, but with the Elements, we should have no trouble.” “Has something like this happened before Your Highness?” Asked Rarity. Celestia shook her head, “No, not in Luna’s or my own life times. However, this magic is not benign; it is full of darkness, fear, sadness, and… hate. I have never felt anything so cold and powerful before. However we have no time. I can feel the magic reaching its climax. if we do not do something soon, it will be too late. Now everyone gather around Luna and I in a circle.” The six ponies did as they were instructed, each taking up a position in a circle around Celestia and Luna. Celestia looked to Twilight and nodded her head. Twilight gave a quick nod and, closing her eyes, reached out with her magic. She could feel the warmth of her friend’s elements, and she could feel the power of both princesses. However, she could feel a cold chill at the edge of the magical warmth; it felt similar to that of standing next to a campfire in the dead of winter,warmed on only one side while the biting air attacked the other. Screwing up her face in concentration, she reached out to grasp the magic of her Element. She felt the familiar warmth and power course through her body. At the same time, she sensed Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s magic aura envelop her and her friends as each of their respective Elements came alive. She could feel the magic flow towards Celestia and Luna. The amount of magical energy in the room was almost overwhelming. Twilight felt herself becoming exhausted very quickly, but she had to remain strong. As the magic continued to flow into the two solar sisters, Twilight sensed the alien magic shift suddenly; it was no longer steadily building up around them. It had noticed the group’s efforts to try to dispel it and reacted. A soft moan began to sound, quickly building into an unearthly wail, a deep cold settled on the room and an angry wind picked up, seemingly from nowhere, bowling over all but Celestia and Luna, breaking the magical focus of all. The warm magic quickly dissipated, consumed by the cold magic. Fed by the new magical influx, the wind intensified and the wail rose higher in volume till it sounded like the shrieks of the damned. The temperature in the room dropped even further. As she fought the magic, Celestia could feel the demonic magic shift its focus to her. The wind around her intensified further still. Celestia feared the shrieking would consume her very sanity. She felt battered and bruised and she could feel blood flowing down her face, from numerous cuts sustained from objects that the wind had dislodged in the throne room, and seemed to be using as weapons to strike both her and her sister. She could feel consciousness fading from her, but she could still feel her sister as well as her student and her friends, fighting on, despite all the wind could do. Almost as if it could sense her determination to stay awake, the magic shifted its focus ever so slightly. While still keeping pressure on the two royal sisters. It began to work its vile magic on the six friends, pounding on them and wearing at them like the sea would a rocky shore. Until one by one, they began to succumb to its powerful beatings. Buffeted by the gale, Twilight felt herself losing consciousness as the shrieks beat upon her mind and the wind her body. Bleeding from numerous wounds and cuts, Twilight felt despair. She watched helplessly as her friends were beat upon before finally succumbing to the nefarious magic. Fluttershy went first, followed by Rarity and Pinkie Pie; Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the last to go. The magic had focused the majority of its power on one target, and upon breaking it, it would move on to the next with redoubled fury. Now, it was just Twilight, Luna, and Celestia. The edges of Twilight vision began to blur as she slipped away into darkness. She saw both Celestia and Luna collapse, their bodies battered and bruised, blood running from both their noses and ears. Blood poured from the wounds to form a crimson lake on the floor. Twilights vision faded to merciful darkness. Author's Note Okay wow, first of all I would like to thank both of my new pre readers/editors. Sorren, and Spanner/Dex for helping me to make this chapter more presentable. Thanks guys, means a lot to me. Gonna be working on fixing up all the other chapters as well. So for all you new readers thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope you come to enjoy it and to all of my current readers. Thank you for all of your advice on how to make this story better. Timothy48 Chapter 1 (A Whale of a Tale)Chapter 1 A Whale of a Tale “It’s a whale of tale and it’s all true I swear by my tattoo!” 500 miles North of the Hawaiian Islands, July 11, 1908 AD, 5:03AM The North Pacific was rarely ever calm, and today was no exception. Captain Joshua Phelps, captain of the tramp freighter SS Marlin Spike, stood on the bridge with the ships wheel grasped firmly in his callused hands. He was tall, standing a shade over six feet. He wasn’t what you would call a handsome man. What with his closely cropped brown hair, strong jaw, and weathered look. However, he wasn’t ugly either. Least the ladies didn’t say anything about it when he was in port on liberty. As he fought with the wheel, he prayed that both he and his ship would make it through this hell-spawned blow in one piece. The Marlin Spike, while only four years old, was still just a freighter ship and a small one at that, displacing only about four thousand tons fully loaded. As her prow scythed through the massive fifteen foot swells, the torrential rains and howling wind pounded against her hull in a dull roar. While struggling to keep the ship under control, Joshua made a mental note to himself. If we ever get out of this alive, I will never take this route again! I sure hope like hell that the cargo doesn’t break loose with the pounding this tub is taking! As if to drive home his point. The Marlin crested yet another wave and dropped down into the trough on the other side, like a punch-drunk prizefighter. Suddenly the door to the rear stairwell burst open, and Joshua’s second in command, Patrick Fitzgibbons stumbled through the doorway. His dark green rain slicker dripping salt water, and his flaming red hair plastered to his scalp. His green eyes were full of panic as he yelled over the roar of the sea. “Cap’n, there’s water in the forward cargo hold!” A chill ran down Joshua's spine. If there was water in the forward hold, then that meant that either one of the hatches hadn’t been dogged shut properly, or it had popped open from the rolling and bucking of the ship. Alternatively, there could be a hole or burst seam somewhere in the hold. Either possibility was bad and if left unchecked could sink the Marlin. With no port or land within five hundred miles, that scenario could only end with all hands lost at sea. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Joshua asked, “How bad is it?” Patrick replied, “Bad enough that it’s slowly beginning to overwhelm the water pumps sir. I give us about six hours or so before we’re in real trouble.” Joshua simply nodded, and turned back to look out through the rain spattered windows as he continued to fight the storm Four hours later and the flooding had only worsened. The Marlin was having difficulty cresting the waves and now rode noticeably lower in the water. Thankfully, the cargo had not shifted, yet, but if the storm did not abate soon it would all be moot. As the Marlin crested yet another wave, Joshua noticed that it wasn’t as high as the ones before it. Could it be? Yes! The weathers clearing! He thought, a sigh of relief escaping as he slumped slightly against the ship’s wheel, exhaustion catching up with him. As the minutes passed, the waves grew smaller and smaller and after a half hour or so, the rain was all but gone. Joshua let out another sigh of relief at their good fortune at having cheated Davy Jones again. As he was straightening up, Patrick burst onto the bridge. “Cap’n!” “Yes Mr. Fitzgibbons?” “It looks like we might make it sir!” He replied, a big grin on his face. “Now that we don’t have as much water coming in through wherever it was coming through, the pumps are able to keep up better now. Though we’re still taking on water, but it’s less than what it was earlier.” “Do you think we can make Hawaii?” “No idea sir, worth a try though.” Patrick replied, Joshua simply nodded. Looking out through the windows he saw that the ship had taken a fearful pounding. The forward crane was bent at an angle and it looked like the generator that powered it had been torn from its mounting, being washed overboard during the storm. Debris littered the deck and it looked like several of the lifeboats had been pretty well smashed to kindling. The ship rode low in the water by the bow and had a slight list to starboard. “Hey Cap’n,” Patrick called out. Joshua turned his attention back to Patrick and asked, “Yes Mr. Fitzgibbons?” Pointing towards the north Patrick replied, “I think that storm blew us off course sir, according to our maps there isn’t supposed to be any kind of land near us.” Sure enough, Joshua could see the distinctive dark smudge of land on the horizon. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen miles if that. Wherever they had been blown to, it offered the possibility of civilization. Therefore, with land in sight, Joshua turned the wheel to port and slowly the Marlin Spike changed course towards the unknown. Several hours later, the Marlin Spike was plodding less than a mile off the mist-shrouded coastline. Joshua stood on the port bridge wing and stared out through his Zeiss binoculars at the misty tree covered shore. Seeing nothing, he lowered the binoculars and leaning on the rail pondered what he was seeing. The colors seem different somehow. They look more...cheerful and warm, almost as if they were out of some painting*. He snorted in amusement at the thought, Course I haven’t slept in over two days! Could just be my sleep deprived mind playing tricks on me. As if that were a cue, the mist suddenly lifted revealing a small rocky island with a lighthouse perched atop it. Normally this would not have been a startling sight. However, on this occasion as Joshua brought his binoculars back up to his face, he could clearly see that this was no ordinary lighthouse. It rose above the island by a height of about one hundred feet and was painted in bright gaudy pink and yellow stripes. He could just barely make out what looked like little hearts adorning the iron railings. Which ran around the balcony near the top of the lighthouse, about where the lantern room would be located. Shifting his attention away from the lighthouse, Joshua could also see a small cottage a little further down the side of the island, about midway between the lighthouse and water’s edge. To its side was a small garden that looked to have seen better days. Further down Joshua could see a weathered dock, and standing on it staring back at him was a small brightly colored pony clad in a yellow rain slicker and rain-boots. ~oOo~ The day had not started well for Misty Spray, the keeper of the Rocky Island Lighthouse. She had woken up that morning to one of the worst storms that she had ever seen in her short time as a lighthouse keeper. The wind had been blowing so hard that it had nearly blown her roof off. She had silently thanked whatever pony had originally built the cottage for its sturdy construction. After taking stock of her supplies, she determined that she had enough food for around three weeks, five if she cut back on her portion sizes. Thanks to the natural spring on the island, she did not have to worry about water at least. Her mood however, was not improved by the fact that a thick mist had descended upon the island following the storm. After having finished checking the food supplies, she decided to head on up and check the lighthouse for damage. In addition to checking the rest of the island for further damage inflicted by the storm. So after putting on her yellow raincoat and boots, along with grabbing her old brass lantern in her mouth, she made her way up towards the lighthouse. Walking outside she noticed that her garden had not been as lucky as her home. In fact, it had been completely destroyed. Walking down to the weathered dock where she tied up her little boat, she could see that it too had been destroyed in the storm, stranding her on her island until the monthly supply boat came by to resupply the lighthouse. Sighing, she turned around and made her way back up the stone path towards the lighthouse. As she made her way up the stone path, she grumbled to herself. Its times like these that I wish I had been born a unicorn instead of an earth pony. I hate the taste of brass. When the supply boat comes next, I really need to remember to ask for a nice wooden lantern handle to replace this nasty metal one. After several minutes of walking and grumbling, she reached her destination. Opening the door to the lighthouse and shining the lantern around the room as best as she could, she looked for any obvious signs of damage, such as cracks or broken windows. Not spotting any, she was about to head back to her cottage when she spotted a small stream of water dripping down from above. Grumbling to herself some more, she slowly made her way up the iron stairs towards the lantern room. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she immediately saw the source of the water. The door to the balcony had been blown open during the storm allowing rainwater to enter the lantern room. Thankfully, after a quick inspection, she found that both the lantern and the mechanism that turned it appeared undamaged. After having shut and locked the door, Misty Spray made her way back down the steps towards the bottom. Walking out into the weak morning sunlight, Misty set her lantern down and extinguished the flame inside. Picking it back up in her mouth, she began making her way back towards her cottage. When suddenly she spotted a large dark object out of the corner of her eye slowly making its way through the mist that still clung to the bay surrounding the lighthouse. Turning her head to get a better look, she nearly dropped the lantern as her jaw went slack from astonishment. Quickly remembering that she still had the lantern in her mouth, she closed it with an audible click. Before her, sliding through the morning mist covered bay, was the strangest ship that she had ever seen. Quickly setting the lantern back on the ground, Misty Spray ran down the narrow stone path towards the dock, skidding to a halt at the end of it. She saw that the ship had come even closer and was now only a few hundred yards away allowing her to see it more clearly. It was not as big as some of the ships that plied Equestria’s oceans, but it was larger than most she had seen. It was colored an ugly gray, with streaks of rust running down the sides of it. There was a squat wheelhouse amidships, with a large and equally gray funnel behind it billowing black coal smoke as the ship continued along its path. She could also see two large cargo cranes. One situated both fore and aft of the wheelhouse. The forward crane appeared to have been damaged, possibly during the storm, as it was leaning precariously over one side of the ship. The ships deck was littered with debris. In addition, she could also see some strange creatures running about trying to clear the deck. One of them appeared to have spotted her standing on the dock and was now looking towards her with some strange device in its…hooves? Shivering, she squinted her eyes to get a better look. All of the creatures stood on two legs instead of four and seemed to all be wearing what she assumed were their version of a raincoat. It was then that she noticed that the ship had stopped and that the creatures were lowering a small boat over the side of the ship. From her viewpoint she could see five of the creatures, including the one who had been watching her from the wheelhouse, get in and slowly lower it down to the choppy water below. Oh sweet suffering Celestia, the creatures are coming this way! Looking around in a panic Misty was about to bolt for her cottage when she heard a voice call out. “Hello the lighthouse! Can you hear me?” Misty froze. The creature had just called out to her in Equestrian! The creature called again, “Hello, can anyone hear me?” Of course, I can hear you. I am standing right here on the blasted dock! Misty thought, slightly annoyed that the creature didn’t seem to realize that she, Wait a tick! They don’t realize I can understand them! They must think I’m just some dumb animal! Now Misty wasn’t just annoyed, she was incensed. How dare they think of me as just some common animal! Well I’ll sure give them a surprise when they get here, by Star Swirls beard see if I don’t! ~oOo~ As the boat and its crew of five drew closer to the battered dock, Joshua noticed that the brightly colored pony that he had spotted from the wheelhouse earlier, was still standing at the docks edge. An eerily human like expression seemed to form on its face as they approached, which left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Shaking his head and chalking it up to seeing things again, most likely due to stress and an acute lack of sleep, Joshua continued looking for the lighthouse keeper. Spotting nothing but the strange looking pony, Joshua called out, “Hello the lighthouse! Can you hear me?” Nothing. It was as if this pony were the sole inhabitant of the island. Trying once more and cupping his hands around his mouth, Joshua bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Hello, can anyone hear me?” Still no response, shaking his head once more, he decided that the lighthouse keeper was either still sleeping, or was far enough away that he couldn’t hear Joshua’s calls. “What ya t’inkin Cap’n?” Turning his attention away from the island, Joshua replied to his first mate, “Either he’s still sleeping or he’s too far away to hear my calls. Either way, we need to know where the hell we are. On top of that, we used up more coal than I’m happy with fighting that storm. We’re going to need to find a place where we can refuel.” Patrick simply nodded. Drawing alongside the dock with the odd pony still standing there watching them. Joshua noticed that it was colored an odd shade of light blue, with a short sea green mane. Its eyes were ridiculously large and were a deep blue in color. As Joshua leapt from the boat to the dock, the pony cringed away from him. As if he were some hideous monster, not really knowing what to do, Joshua said to the frightened pony in as soft a tone as he could. “Easy there fella, no one’s going to hurt you.” This seemed to calm the strange pony somewhat. Now that he was on the same level as it, he could see that it was built different than most of the other ponies/horses he had seen. For starters, its facial structure was just… wrong. Instead of the normal elongated muzzle, that all equines possessed, this one’s was much shorter. It was almost as if a person had tried to humanize it. Its legs were thicker and less defined than a normal equine’s. Though the strange looking boots it wore, covered up its hooves, Joshua would have bet that they too would look wrong as well. In addition, this pony also seemed thinner than a normal equine, in fact it was so thin Joshua half expected to see its ribs. However, when it moved slightly, he could see that it was well fed and seemed to exude a sense of catlike grace. Height wise, its head came up to about Joshua’s chest, making the pony a little over four feet tall. The most unnerving part of the whole affair was that it just wouldn’t stop staring at him! He had never seen an animal with this kind of focus before. Other than maybe a wolf or dog and even then, it was only because of instinct. This pony had a look of intelligence about it. He could tell as he sized it up, that it was returning the favor. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and feeling like a fool he introduced himself, “My name is Captain Joshua Phelps of the SS Marlin Spike, this is my second in command Mr. Patrick Fitzgibbons,” He said as he pointed to Patrick, who looked at him like he had just gone and lost his mind. Maybe I have, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. He continued on, “We are in need of repairs as well as fuel and provisions. Would you be so kind as to inform me where we are and where we may find the nearest port, please?” The pony plopped down on its hindquarters, much like a dog would, and replied in a soft feminine voice, “Pleased to meet you Captain, I am Misty Spray, keeper of the Rocky Island Lighthouse.” Even though he had been half expecting it, it still took him by surprise, for his crew it was worse. They sat there staring at this pony- no, this mare, with their mouths hanging open, looks of utter surprise and bewilderment on their faces, one of them looked close to passing out in surprise. A smug grin formed on her face as she continued, “To answer your question as to where you are, you’re roughly one hundred miles south-west of Manehattan.” One of the crewmembers manning the boat hesitantly piped up at the familiar sounding name, “M-manhattan? This doesn’t look like New Jersey.” Misty Spray looked over at him and shaking her head, she replied, “I think you misunderstood me, I said Manehattan, not Manhattan, wherever that is.” Joshua quickly asked, “What is this land called?” Misty turned her attention back to Joshua and replied, “Equestria. Why where did you think you were?” Joshua looked back to his men, and could see a look of panic settling across their faces. He quickly turned back to Misty and asked. “Do you happen to have a map of this, ah, ‘Equestria’ by any chance?” Misty nodded her head and picking herself up, quickly trotted back to her cottage. Once she was out of earshot Joshua turned back towards his men and said in a firm tone. “Alright men, we seem to have found ourselves in a new land. However unless proven otherwise I say that we are still on earth.” One of the crewmembers asked in a shaky voice, “H-how can you be so s-sure sir?” Giving his most reassuring smile Joshua explained, “Look at the sun, it hasn’t shifted its position in the sky. This means that we are still heading towards the east. If we were no longer on earth, it is highly likely that we could have been facing a completely different direction. Second, take a good look at the land. The colors are off sure, same with the water. However, if you remember farther out to sea, the water remains the same color that we are familiar with.” This seemed to mollify his men a little, for which Joshua was grateful. The last thing he needed right now was his crew losing it. Turning, he saw Misty Spray returning from her cottage, a map case slung around her neck. Upon reaching him, she tilted her head forward, allowing the strap to slip off her neck, the case falling to the dock with a soft thump. Picking it up and extracting the map from its protective case, Joshua unrolled it and inspected it. Whoever had made it had certainly earned their pay. The map was highly detailed, showing many of the towns, cities, and major features that made up the country known as Equestria. It even showed their current position with a small red dot and above that the words Rocky Island Lighthouse. However, this looked to have been added after the map had been finished. Looking up from the map Joshua asked, “Would it be possible for us to borrow this map?” Misty looked down at her hooves for a moment then responded, “I… I guess it would be alright, so long as you made sure it was returned in good condition!” Smiling Joshua nodded his head and made a show of carefully putting the map back in its case. Misty giggled at his performance and shaking her head, asked, “Not to be rude or anything but what do you call yourselves?” Joshua felt confused for a moment at the question, but then it dawned on him what she meant, and with a chuckle he replied, “As a species we call ourselves humans, however we have many different nations and thus we generally identify ourselves after our countries.” “And what is your country called?” Misty inquired. Joshua felt himself puff up with a little pride when he replied, “The United States of America.” ~oOo~ It was several hours later, with the sun moving towards the western horizon, that Joshua and his men returned to their ship. Turning to look back over his shoulder Joshua could see Misty Spray waving at them, slowly turning so as not to upset the boat Joshua waved back. Once both parties had gotten over their shock and initial awkwardness, Misty had offered Joshua and his crew some food. Of which they were heartily thankful for, after they had settled down on the dock with their food. They had struck up a conversation. They had spent the next few hours answering each other’s questions about their respective countries and making small talk. The sailors had regaled Misty with their many stories of life on the high seas and their experiences. They had laughed and carried on, until Misty had taken off her raincoat, thus revealing her cutie mark for the humans sailors to see. When Joshua first saw it, he couldn’t help but stare. It was the strangest thing. A small lighthouse with its light cutting through a cartoon like fog, emblazoned right there on her flank. At first, she looked confused, and then as realization dawned, she explained to the human sailors about cutie marks. How they formed when a pony discovered their so-called ‘special talent’ and how no amount of magic, (that had elicited a few raised eyebrows and winks between the sailors) or wishing could make it appear early. She even told them her story about how she had gotten hers, of which sadly Joshua couldn’t remember much of. (Something about a school ‘field trip’ to a lighthouse near her hometown or something like that.) By that point, he had felt like a sponge that had soaked up too much water and couldn’t soak up anymore. However, it was a refreshing break from the responsibilities of life, which as the boat approached the Marlin came rushing back. Like some particularly annoying birds coming home to roost. As they drew alongside the ship, Joshua scrambled up the wooden and rope ladder and quickly stood on the foredeck. In the time that he and his picked crew had been gone, the remaining crew had managed to clear the deck of most of the debris and make small repairs. As he walked towards the port side hatch that led to the bridge, he heard a voice call out to him. “Captain!” Turning he spotted his chief engineer, Marcus Scolly. He was a short man, with a powerful build. His arms were covered in a thick forest of black hair, and he sported a fierce beard that covered most of his face giving him the look of a pirate. His nose was misshapen, probably from one of the many times he had gotten into bar fights and had it broken. He had a nasty temper and a drinking problem, which didn’t help his temper, but he was the best damn engineer this side of a shipyard. Sighing Joshua turned away from the hatch and asked wearily, “Yes Mr. Scolly, what it is?” “Well sir, for once I’ve got some good news.” Joshua raised an eyebrow and motioned for Scolly to continue. “Well sir, ya know that we’re still taken on water right?” Joshua nodded, “And ya know how this kooky lands water is colored differently than ours, right?” Joshua nodded impatiently, “Well I got to thinking, if the water is a different color than the water in the hold, then maybe I could pinpoint some of the leaks sir.” “And did you?” Asked Joshua in a hopeful tone, Scolly’s answering smile was all Joshua needed to know. Clapping the man on the shoulder he exclaimed, “Well done Mr. Scolly! I’ll be sure to slip a little bonus into your next paycheck.” Scolly brightened at this and still grinning nodded his thanks to his captain, and then turning away, left with a little bounce in his step. Ducking through the hatchway Joshua made his way up the stairs leading to the bridge. Humming a spritely tune, despite fatigue rapidly catching up with him, he thought happily to himself, At least I roughly know where we are now, and best of all, it sounds like most of the major leaks are plugged. The only thing that I need to worry about now is running out of fuel. Nevertheless, if what Misty says is true, even that shouldn’t be a problem. Upon reaching the bridge, Joshua informed the helmsmen of their new course. After completing this task, he wearily made his way towards his cabin, down on the portside of the ship. Closing the door behind him, he kicked off his shoes. Took off his coat and hat, and with a sigh of relief laid down on his cramped cot, seconds later he was fast asleep. ~oOo~ The darkness was everywhere. A cold wind blew through Twilight's mane as she stood on some sort of barren plain. Where am I? The last thing I remember was we were trying to use the Elements of Harmony to dispel that magic and then… it all went wrong. Shaking her head to try to clear the memory of seeing Celestia and Luna wounded and bleeding on the throne room floor. She looked around at her new surroundings. A few dead and gnarled trees stood upon a small rise a little ways off, a broken fence standing at the foot of it. Dead grass clung to the rotten fence posts and looking around Twilight couldn’t see anything else except for this little hill. Curiosity getting the better of her, she slowly made her way over to the fence. As she approached it, she saw a small point of light under one the trees at the top of the hill. Quickening her pace, she soon reached the fence and rather than try to find a way around it. Twilight elected to simply jump over it. Landing safely on the other side, Twilight could see that there were several oddly shaped rocks nearby. Cautiously walking up towards one, she discovered to her horror that it was not in fact a rock, but a tombstone. One of many that stretched out as far as the eye could see. “What is all of this?” Twilight whispered, “I’ve never seen so many graves before.” “Hehe, well that’s not a big surprise there little missy. After all, this here is the final resting place for a lot of people.” Twilight spun in place, startled by the dry, scratchy voice. She looked around wildly for its source. “Over here, by the light. Come on over, I don’t bite.” Snapping her gaze to the soft yellow light she could see a lone figure lying against one of the dead trees. She couldn’t see much of him as he wore a long tattered brown cloak. His old and dusty hat pulled down low over his face, hiding it from her view. Approaching cautiously, Twilight could see that the source of the light came from an old and battered lantern, set on a long pole. To the left of the pole sat a couple of crates with a shovel and pick resting against them. A small wooden cart was parked a few paces beyond the crates and tools. Slightly to the right of the pole lay the cloaked figure and there, not more than a pace or so from his hooves sat an open unfinished grave. Gulping hesitantly, Twilight asked, “So, uh, what’s your name?” Shifting slightly the figure replied, “You should be able to figure that one out by yourself kiddo.” A cold shiver ran down Twilights spine at his reply, “Why would I know your name? I’ve never met you before in my life.” The figure simply chuckled, or at least that’s what Twilight assumed he was doing anyways, it actually sounded more like he was about to expire. “I have many names, but you can just call me Than.” “Is that short for something?” Once again, the figure chuckled, which was starting to grate on Twilights already frazzled nerves. “Thanatus, my full name is Thanatus, but like I said, you can just call me Than.” “Okay then, Than, can you tell me where I am?” The figure simply shifted and said nothing. “You’re not going to tell me are you?” asked Twilight, an annoyed tone in her voice. To which Than replied, “You got it kiddo.” “Why?” Letting out a raspy sigh, Than replied, “Because you’re not ready to know that yet my dear. In fact you shouldn’t even be here in the first place.” His statement confused Twilight, and she was about to inquire further when Than said, “Stop,” bewildered, Twilight gave Than a confused look, somehow he must have seen it through his hat. “Listen kiddo, there are many mysteries in life, some you can solve, others that are best left buried and forgotten. This is one of those best left alone, for now anyways.” Shifting once more, this time he looked to be checking something in his cloak, a watch maybe? “Times up kiddo, time for you to leave this place. Your friends are waiting for ya, best to not keep them waiting now.” The cold wind, which had been barely noticeable up till now, at that moment picked up in its intensity, quickly building towards gale force. Blowing dirt and sand threatened to get in Twilights eyes and blind her. Squinting against the harsh wind, she could barely make out the form of Than. He had risen from his resting spot, picked up his shovel and had begun to dig. Above the howling of the wind, she could hear his voice, as clear as if the wind were nothing more than a whisper. He sang the most haunting song that Twilight had ever heard. The words flowed over her as she felt herself being pulled away from the hill, as if by an invisible rope. Oh, Death, oh Death, Won’t you spare me over til another year? Well what is this that I can’t see, With ice cold hands taking hold of me, Well I am death, none can excel, I’ll open the door to heaven or hell, Whoa, death someone would pray, Could you wait to call me another day, The children prayed, the preacher preached, Time and mercy is out of your reach, I’ll fix your feet til you can’t walk, I’ll lock your jaw til you can’t talk, I’ll close your eyes so you can’t see, This very air, come and go with me, I’m Death I come to take the soul, Leave the body and leave it cold, To draw the flesh off of the frame, The earth and worm both have a claim, She tried to cry out for Than to help her, but her words were lost to the wind. She felt herself falling. Falling into darkness once again and still, she could hear his voice as he continued to sing. O, Death, O, Death, Won’t you spare me over til another year, My mother came to my bed, Placed a cold towel upon my head, My head is warm my feet are cold, Death is a-movin upon my soul, Oh, Death please consider my age, Please don’t take me at this stage, My wealth is all at your command, If you will move your icy hand, Oh the young, the rich or poor, Hunger like me you know, No wealth, no ruin, no silver no gold, Nothing satisfies me but your soul, O, Death, O, Death, As he reached the end of his song, Twilight could barely hear his words. As if they were at the far end of a long tunnel. As darkness claimed her once more the last three lines echoed in her mind. Won’t you spare me over another year? Won’t you spare me over another year? Won’t you spare me over another year? ~oOo~ Canterlot General Hospital, Room 12, July 12, 1908 6:14 am Twilight awoke with a start, thrashing around in a blind panic, she attempted to break free of her confining prison. However, a terrible pain lanced through her skull dazing her slightly. She fell back upon her bed panting from her struggle with the beds sheets. Wait a minute, bed sheets? Opening her eyes again, Twilight could see that she was in some sort of hospital room. The walls were painted a warm yellow color and an overhead ceiling lamp provided the majority of the rooms illumination. Though, a little light leaked in through cracks in the boards covering the windows. Turning her head, she saw a small night stand, with a bedside lamp and clock resting on it, and that was the extent of the rooms furnishings. No other beds, just her’s, which meant she had the room to herself for the time being. It was at this point that she realized that she had to go to the little filly’s room. Really badly. So quickly looking around, she spotted a pull cord next to her head. Reaching out with her mouth, she grasped it in her slightly weakened grip and pulled. A musical chime sounded and within moments a unicorn nurse bustled in. “Finally awake eh?” she asked, Twilight simply nodded, “Alrighty then, what can I get for you?” “Bathroom?” rasped Twilight, her throat dry from lack of moisture, the nurse simply nodded and ducking back out into the hallway brought a bedpan in. Twilight's eyes widened, as the nurse set about getting her ready. Looking up the nurse noticed Twilights expression, “Sorry honey, doctor’s orders. You’re in no condition to get out of bed right now, so it’s either the bedpan or…” Her voice trailed off. Twilight simply sighed and nodded. After having taken care of business, she asked the nurse. “Where are my friends?” “Don’t worry, they’re going to be alright, though when they brought you girls in, I had my doubts. But Dr. Stitches is very good at what he does. He expects you will all make a full recovery, so long as you follow his instructions.” She finished in a warning tone, almost as if expecting Twilight to immediately try to go against the doctor’s orders right then and there. “Now, I expect him to be along shortly to give you a check up and see how you’re doing. In the meantime…” She never got to finish her sentence, for at the moment the door to Twilights room flew open as if by an invisible wind and there, standing in the doorway in all his chaotic glory. Wearing a goofy pair of bedazzled red sunglasses and sporting a grin that even Pinkie Pie would be jealous of, stood the creature she thought she would never see again. Discord. A/N Well here we are. Back at the beginning. I apologize for the length of time it took for me to get this done. I was originally going to republish this chapter with chapter 2 but decided to give you guys a little Thanksgiving gift so to speak. Anyways, I'd like to give a BIG thank you to my editor Shoggoth, without whom I would still be blissfully writing on with a broken story. Now, I'm sorry if there wasn't a lot of new stuff in this chapter, Shoggoth and I mainly just fixed grammar errors and several plot holes. Chapter 2 on the other hoof, will have new dialogue, so that is something to look forward too. In addition, it is nearly halfway done and I hope to have it out this coming week. *Finally, in regards to Equestria's different shade of color that has been bugging everybody since this story came out. When I originally wrote the story, I was planning on using magic as a sort of 'cartoonification' force. However, that idea was scrapped after several hours of discussion with Shoggoth. Instead, we decided that the 'painting' like colors would be more believable if we simply blamed the sun. And yes, the color will fade and become more Earth like in time. In addition, our little ponies are once again canon height. Chapter 2 (Wake Up)Chapter 2 Waking Up If people were meant to pop out of bed, we’d all sleep in toasters. -Author Unknown Canterlot General Hospital, Room 12, July 12, 1908 6:25am “D-Discord?! H-how did you escape?!” Twilight gasped, her concern growing as she stared at the draconequus. “Oh, it wasn’t difficult really, what with all that chaos and disharmony the other night.” Discord replied smoothly. “I mean really Twilight, you should have figured that out on your own.” continued the draconequus mockingly Twilight replied heatedly, “S-shut up you overgrown jigsaw puzzle! When the princesses find out that you’re free, they’ll stop you!” Discord rolled his eyes and replied, “Oh, reduced to petty insults and empty threats now? My my, how the mighty have fallen. Still, as much as I would love to trade insults with you Twilight, I have things to do. Therefore, I need you to pay attention to what I have to say and try and keep an open mind.” Twilight just stared daggers at him, “Well I guess I’ll just have to settle for sullen quiet then.” Taking his sunglasses off and walking over to one of the boarded windows, he clapped his hands together, causing the wood to change to glass. Looking out over the street, Discord became unnaturally quiet. After a minute, he sighed and continued, “You and many ponies do not like me Twilight.” Nah, what would make you think that? Thought Twilight sarcastically, but she remained silent. “However, that doesn’t change the facts, Equestria is in trouble.” Twilight felt her ears perk up at this bit of information. Still facing the window Discord continued, “When that magic cast its spell. Equestria was ripped from its place in the old world, and thrust into a new one. What effects this will have is anyone’s guess.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his paw, letting out a sigh, “Twilight, I am not an evil monster.” “Yeah, right. Now pull the other one Discord.” snorted Twilight derisively. Removing his paw from his nose Discord turned from the window. The look upon his face frightened Twilight. It was a look of barely contained fury. In a deceptively calm tone, Discord replied. “I am notevil, I am chaotic. There is a very large difference between the two and you would do well to remember that.” He paused for a moment, taking a deep calming breath before continuing. “You like to read, Twilight.” It was not a question. “Tell me, in all of the books that you have read, have you ever come across one instance in which I brutally killed or maimed a pony for fun or just in general?” When Twilight failed to reply he continued, “I thought not. If I had, Celestia would have made sure that it was published and cried from the rooftops. Want to know the reason why I didn’t kill ponies?” He paused awaiting her reply, when she didn’t reply he stated. “What fun is a corpse or a half-dead pony? None, that’s what.” He sighed, the anger draining from him leaving him tired. “I wasn’t always like this you know. I used to love order and harmony.” “W-what are you talking about?” asked Twilight nervously. Discord simply sighed. “I used to be known by another name, many centuries ago. This was back before Equestria was founded and before anypony knew that Celestia and Luna even existed.” He paused, as if recalling a memory and basking in its happy glow. Then he blinked and his face returned to its serious expression. “I was worshiped by the ponies under my care, much like your Princess Celestia and Luna would later be, as a god. I brought forth the sun and moon-” “Wait, you mean that at one time you controlled both the sun and moon?!” Twilight exclaimed, interrupting the Chaos Spirit. Discord gave a snort. “Of course I could, still can in fact, I’m sure you remember how easily I was able to control both sun and moon the last time you met me. Anyways, as I was saying, I performed many of the same duties as Luna and Celestia do today...and some that they don’t.” “Huh?” Giving a small smirk, Discord said, “Chaos, my dear Twilight. Just as ponies need the sun and moon to live, so to do they need chaos. After all, if there were no chaos, there would be no order and that just wouldn’t do. I was responsible for the careful balance of order and chaos. I walked a thin line, too much of either and bad things would happen, I likened it to a balancing act and I let that balance slip one day.” “What happened?” asked Twilight, slightly fearful of his answer. “I’m not sure. Some of my memories are a little fuzzy from age.” When Twilight gave him a disbelieving look he replied a bit defensively, “Hey, you try living for a few thousand years and see how much you can remember from that far in the past.” He took a calming breath before continuing, “Anyways, what I can remember is that one morning, I suddenly woke up with a strange urge for cotton candy. Since there wasn’t any cotton candy available at the time, I simply snapped my fingers and poof! all the clouds became cotton candy. Them being able to rain chocolate milk was just a bonus. Needless to say, my subjects were not happy and after having sated my urge, I dispelled the clouds. Though when I used my powers of chaos for my own pleasure, I think something inside me changed.” “What do you mean ‘changed’?” she asked. “Well, my personality began to shift. I started playing small scale pranks on ponies. Harmless little things, like changing their coat color or turning the floor slippery underneath them. I also tried to shirk some of my duties. Often times I would miss important meetings because I decided to instead go out and play a prank or just take a nap. In addition, I found it harder and harder to call upon my powers of Order as time went one. Finally, as I continued to use my Chaos powers for my own enjoyment, I found that I needed to pull off bigger and bigger chaos to get the same...I guess you could call it ‘buzz’ as the first few times. The end result being that I fell over the edge and became what you see before you today.” Giving a small smile, he sat down on the edge of Twilight’s bed. “If it wasn’t for Celestia and Luna, I would have destroyed the land that would become Equestria in time.” He fell silent once more, a look of pain crossing his face. “Twilight, you have no idea how much it hurts, these old memories. Many of which I haven’t thought of in nearly a millenium.” A single tear escaped from the corner of his eye. Twilight pretended not to notice. Instead she found her mind abuzz with questions. What is he up to? The last time we faced him, he didn’t act like this at all! It’s like...something changed him between then and now or maybe something is changing him right now as we speak! She felt her eyes grow wide at the thought. If Discord could be changed, what about the rest of them? She gave a little shiver, remembering what had nearly happened the last time she and her friends had experienced a personality change. Twilight gave her head a small, but firm shake. Snap out of it Twilight! So far the only one who is acting oddly is Discord...and well he was always a little weird to begin with. But if what he is saying is true, then that means that maybe his powers have been ‘reset’ or something. Hmmm, can magic change your base personality? I better add that to my experiments list. Augh! Now is not the time for that! She mentally berated herself. Meanwhile Discord had remained silent, lost in his many memories. Finally, he resumed speaking. “When I turned into Discord, I lost everything I held dear. At the time, I didn’t care. So lost was I in my chaotic euphoria that I didn’t notice everything falling apart around me. My kingdom collapsing under the chaos, my friends and subjects abandoning me in droves. Though, I can’t blame them really. After all, I had turned their world upside down, sometimes quite literally. I had gone from a ruler of order and harmony to one of chaos and disharmony. Tell me Twilight, which would you choose if you had any options?” Twilight simply lay there saying nothing. Discord sighed and shook his head, another small tear slid from his eye as another painful memory surfaced. They sat like that for a time, neither one saying a word, finally Discord called out, “You can come out from under that bed nurse, I promise I won’t turn you into a marshmallow or something like that.” A small squeak could be heard from under the adjoining bed and the unicorn nurse slowly crawled out from underneath. Now that she was slightly more coherent and not having to use the bathroom. Twilight could see that her nurse was slightly older than her, her coat a light gray in color and her dark brown mane tied up in a bun. Her eyes were a light blue and right now were about the size of dinner plates as she stared at the draconequus. Edging gingerly around him, a nervous smile plastered on her face, she nervously said, “N-now I’ll j-just leave you b-both t-to chat with e-each other. C-call me if you need a-anything.” With those words, she zipped through the door and down the hall. Twilight and Discord stared after the mare before looking at each other. They both gave an awkward chuckle at the silliness of the situation before Twilight said,“Hehe, now that she is gone maybe you can tell me how you really escaped.” Turning his attention back to her Discord replied, “It was as I said, with all the chaos and disharmony in the air that night, it was relatively easy to break free. However,” He paused, stroking his chin hair thoughtfully, “Now that I think about it, it was too easy. The last time I broke free, I used up a goodly chunk of my power, even with the help of those three adorable little fillies. Hence the reason you were able to shrug off my magical personality reversal spell so easily. This time however, the magical seal was much weaker, almost as if something had drained it of most of its power. Something that would normally take centuries to accomplish. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, you wouldn’t believe how boring it can get when you’re a statue. But still, I’m left wondering what could have so easily sapped a spell that was placed upon me by the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight lay there for a moment, thoughts floating through her head. When suddenly, an idea struck her, “Discord, how do you feel?” “What do you mean, how do I feel? I feel fine, a little drained perhaps…” His voice trailed off suddenly. Looking around the room, he spotted a nearby nightstand and focusing on it snapped his fingers. The nightstand remained a nightstand. Blinking, he tried again, this time it changed colors becoming a nice bright pink. “Now that’s odd,” He looked down at his paw then back at the now pink nightstand confused. “What’s wrong?” asked Twilight confused. “Well, when I tried working my chaos magic on the nightstand the first time. I tried to make it dance. Normally that would be foal’s play, but now, for some reason, I just couldn’t. Almost as if my chaotic magic were drained as well, that didn’t happen last time I was set free. In fact it’s never happened before. I mean sure, when I broke out the last time, my chaos magic was suppressed thanks to the lingering effects of the Elements of Harmony spell upon me. But this...this is a different feeling, it’s as if my magic has been taken from me.” As he had continued speaking, Discord had become increasingly alarmed at the prospect of losing his magic. Turning to Twilight he said, “Try and lift that book on the nightstand with your magic.” Turning her attention to the book Twilight tried to focus her magic on the book. Slowly a faint purple aura surrounded the book. As she attempted to lift it, she suddenly realized that her magic was nearly exhausted and before she could release her magical hold on the book. Her magic gave out with a faint pop! sound, the book landing on the table with a solid sounding, thump! Twilight simply stared at the now motionless book, a frown etched on her face. “Hmm, it seems that your magic has been affected as well,” muttered the draconequus. Turning his attention back to the purple mare, he noticed that she was still frowning at the book. Clearing his throat he asked gently, “Twilight, are you alright?” When she didn’t respond, he raised his voice a little and snapped his finger next to her ear. “Twilight? Equestria to Twilight. Hello? Anypony home in there?” Her ear twitched at the sound of him snapping his finger, causing her to look at him. Her frown still etched on her face. “Very funny Discord.” “I thought it was funny.” he muttered. Twilight rolled her eyes and asked, “Can’t you take anything seriously?” “Of course I can...I just choose not to.” he replied. “Besides, you were acting strange. Something on your mind?” Her frown deepening, Twilight brought a hoof to her chin in thought. After a few moments she replied, “It’s just odd, I’ve only suffered magical burnout once in my life, when I was still very young and it didn’t feel anything like this.” “And how do you feel?” inquired Discord. “I feel...exhausted. Like I just ran a hundred miles and performed a complex spell at the end of it.” she replied. Discord gave a smile at her reply. “Well my dear Twilight, it sounds like you are suffering from a good old case of Magical Drainitis. In other words, you were hit by a magical combat spell that stole your magical reserves.” “Huh?” Throwing his head back, Discord let loose a gleeful cackle. “Haha! So you don’t know everything there is to know! I was beginning to worry.” If looks could kill, Discord would have been nothing more than a pile of ash by this point. “What are you babbling about?” an exasperated Twilight asked. “I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that you don’t know much about advanced combat magic. After all, Equestria hasn’t been to war in several centuries and since Celestia had that knowledge locked away long before you were born, well...” he trailed off, awaiting Twilight’s response. Twilight considered herself an even tempered mare, but like anypony. She could only take so much before losing it. “FOR FAUST’S SAKE! WILL YOU JUST TELL ME ALREADY?” she screamed in frustration. Discord simply sat there, waiting for her to calm down before continuing as if nothing had happened. “Alright Twilight, what would you like to know?” The now panting and disheveled mare looked at him like she would love nothing better than to strangle him right then. However, after a few moments and a few calming breaths she asked, “Will you please just explain what you are talking about concerning combat spells and what they have to do with me?” “Well it’s quite simple really. You, myself, all of Equestria really, were hit by a large magical draining spell. The purpose of such a spell is to deny a pony, be they Earth Pony, Pegasi, or Unicorn of their magic and to transfer the magic to the caster. Thus accomplishing two things. One,” He held up his index finger to enhance his point. “To gather the magic of the enemy pony for use by the caster. Two,” He held up another finger, “Is of course, like I said earlier, to deny the enemy of their magic, thus rendering them weak and easier to kill. In our case, it seems that the spell was meant to sap the power of the Elements of Harmony and use it to power up the casters spell. Thus transporting us here, wherever here is.” he let his hand fall back into his lap, a smug grin on his face. Twilight ignored his smile and said, “But, I’ve taken all of the magic courses at Princess Celestia’s school and I’ve read a large portion of the Royal Libraries collection of spell books. How come I haven’t come across any of those spells before you mentioned them today?” “Because Celestia didn’t want you or any other pony to read about the subject of war. She has done her very best to erase all traces of war from the land. Going so far as to destroy entire libraries worth of books and scrolls on the subject.” Twilight stared dumbstruck at him. The mere thought that hundreds, maybe even thousands of books and scrolls had been burned and on Celestia’s orders. She had difficulty wrapping her mind around the concept. “How…how do you know all of these things? You’ve been locked away for over a thousand years in stone.” “I may have been locked away in a stone prison for eons but I still know what goes on in Equestria. Wherever or whenever there is chaos, I know about it. In a way, I suppose that everything that has ever gone wrong in this land has been caused by me in some way or another. Even though I may have been physically trapped in stone, chaos is not so easily held. It is merely weakened, not contained.” Twilight simply nodded, then asked, “Discord, may I ask you a personal question?” “Hmm? Oh, I suppose so.” “Have you always been called Discord?” She asked quietly. He was silent for a moment, momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject. “No I haven’t. Though, it’s been so long that I can’t remember my old name. Besides, I’ve grown used to my new one, after all, it’s just a name.” He gave a small smile before suddenly rising and saying, “I had better pay my ‘respects’ to Celestia and Luna and see how their doing.” He made his way to the door. However, before he could leave Twilight called out. “Wait! You’re not going to do something…chaotic are you?” Looking back over his shoulder he replied somewhat tiredly, “Twilight, I’m too tired and drained to do anything chaotic. Besides, right now a little peace and quiet sounds kind of nice. So relax and get some sleep, if you want I can come back later and we can talk some more, if that’s alright.” “Yes, I think that would be alright, thank you...Discord.” He simply smiled as he left the room. Leaving Twilight to ponder the things that they had spoken on during his stay. ~oOo~ As he walked along the hall, Discord thought to himself, That went well all things considered. Now comes the hard part. As he walked, he noticed that the halls were conspicuously empty of life. Stopping at an intersection, he pondered which way to go. Spotting motion out of the corner of his eye, he turned and saw a small nurse trying desperately to enter a locked broom closet. Sighing, he approached slowly and asked softly, so as not to further frighten the poor mare. “Do you know where I might find Princess Celestia or Princess Luna?” The mare lifted a shaking hoof and pointed down the hall. Discord gave his thanks and continued on his way. He soon found himself in front of two Royal Guards, one of the Lunar Guard, a female pegasus, the other of the Solar Guard, a male unicorn. The moment they spotted him, they made ready to attack. The unicorn charging his horn with a spell, though Discord could see that his magical aura was weak and nearly transparent. Which meant that the guard had at most one spell left in him before magical exhaustion took over. The pegasus mare had lowered herself into a defensive crouch, her wings spread in a clear threat gesture and a scrowl evident on her face. Hoping to keep the situation somewhat pleasant, Discord gave them his most charming smile and said, “Good morning, I take it that you two lovely and loyal guards are guarding the Princesses?” They stiffened slightly, as if preparing for an attack, Discord quickly continued, “I am not here to pick a fight, I am simply here to see Princess Celestia and Luna. There are some important matters that must be discussed.” The two guards looked at each other, then back to him. After a moment of tense silence, the stallion released his spell. Allowing him to use his magic to open the door a crack, lean in and say in calm voice, as if everything were normal, “Your Highness, the Lord of Chaos is here to see you...shall I send him in?” Someone replied, but Discord couldn’t make out the words, the guard nodded his head and turning his head back to him, his face like a stone mask, he replied, “Alright, you may pass. However,” He lowered his voice and leaned forward menacingly, “If you in anyway try and harm either of our Princesses, I will personally turn you into so much paste.” If he had been at full power, he would have simply laughed and turned the guard into something funny, like a chicken perhaps. However, in his current condition, Discord felt that discretion was the better option. So simply nodding his head, he allowed the guard to open the door for him and walked into the room. The sight that greeted him was not pleasant. Both of the Royal Pony Sisters looked terrible, they were each connected to a multitude of medical machines. In addition, both were wrapped in a myriad of bandages, several of which were stained a deep crimson from blood loss. Their ethereal manes were missing, either shaved away by the doctors or lost during their battle with The Magic, Discord suspected the latter. From the little patches of non-bandaged coat that he could see, Discord thought, Not one inch isn’t either bruised or bleeding, it’s a wonder they even survived. Even if they are demigods, there’s only so much a body can take before it breaks. “Discord,” His ears twitched at his name, looking towards the bed to his left he saw that Celestia’s head was turned slightly towards him. Even though her eyes were completely covered by bandages. Discord had the distinct feeling that Celestia knew exactly where he was in the room in relation to her and her sister. “Please, sit down. Tell me, how are you feeling?” she rasped. Slightly surprised by her soft tone, seeing as how last time they had met, she had been ready to blast him into little chaotic dust bunnies. Complying with her request, he lowered himself into a soft chair near her bed and replied, “I’ve been better, I would ask you the same thing, but I think I can already guess the answer.” Celestia chuckled softly, which quickly turned into a racking cough. Surprising himself once again at the concern he felt, Discord began to rise but Celestia weakly waved a hoof at him to remain seated. How does she do that? Thought Discord, seating himself again, he asked, “How is Luna?” “She is weak, though not as bad as me. The doctors have done all they can for the both of us, but do not hold much hope for a complete recovery. However, I think they might be surprised by our recuperative abilities.” Nodding his head Discord replied, “Yes, I remember our first…encounter. I had thought that I had soundly trounced the both of you. However, I was mistaken, much to my chagrin.” A small smile crossed Celestia’s lips at his reply. “You have changed Discord, I can feel it,” When he failed to deny it Celestia continued, “You do not emanate chaos and disharmony like before, its aura is weaker. What has changed?” Discord looked down at his paws and remained silent for a time, finally he spoke, “I do not know, but the more time that passes, the less I feel like causing chaos. My chaotic power is all but gone now, like it was being slowly drained. In its place, I feel another power creeping in at the edges. One I haven’t felt in a long long time...” His voice trailed off. Celestia simply lay there waiting for him to continue, finally he let go a massive sigh and finished, “It almost feels like before I fully embraced the powers of Chaos. I must confess, I’m surprised that I can even remember what the powers of Order felt like!” Celestia remained silent for a time. Finally she said, “Discord, I know that we have had our...differences in the past.” Discord gave a harsh snort. “That, my dear, is probably the greatest understatement I have ever heard.” A small smile crossed Celestia’s face at his reaction. “Perhaps, but it is true. You and I have rarely seen eye to eye in the past.” “...and this has bothered you?” She gave a small nod. “Yes, it has. I understand the need for your...magic Discord. If there were no chaos there would be no order. It is just the nature of things. Do you remember the first time we met?” He chuckled at the memory. “Ah, the good old days. If I remember correctly, I turned your mane a very complementary shade of pink that day.” Celestia groaned at the old memory. “Please don’t remind me.” Discord gave a chuckle at her discomfort. “Oh come now Celestia, you have to admit that that color suited you very nicely.” If Celestia could, she would have rolled her eyes. “While I am sure you found it nice. I on the other hoof didn’t. Furthermore, the fact that you placed a time enchantment on my mane did not help matters either.” “It only lasted what, six, seven hundred years?” he replied innocently. “Seven hundred-forty years, four months, two weeks, five days, nine hours, thirty-six minutes and twenty four seconds to be exact.” Discord simply stared at her. “You actually kept time on how long your mane was pink?” he asked incredulously. A faint hint of a blush graced her cheeks as she replied, “Well, I was kind of mad at you for doing that to me, among other things.” Discord sighed. “I agree, our first meeting could have gone smoother. Though, as I’m sure you know by now, you two caught me near the end of my fall.” He looked up at the ceiling, a look of longing on his face. “If you could have only seen it before it all went south. It was much like Equestria is today, except...more.” “More?” inquired Celestia. Discord nodded. “More wealthy, happy, productive. I could go on for hours, but I think that our time would be better spent here in the present.” Celestia gave a small nod. “Yes, I think that would be best.” She paused for a moment, as if afraid of asking the most obvious answer. “Discord?” “Yes?” “Now that you are free. What are you going to do?” she asked hesitantly. Discord idly stroked his goatee while he pondered his response. What am I going to do? Most of my powers seem to have been drained. Furthermore, I find myself feeling less...chaotic. Maybe...maybe I could change things up a bit, give order a chance. After all, if I always stay chaotic. Wouldn’t that be the same as being orderly? Fitting into a nice little mold, doing my ‘job’ in the grand scheme of things. And what fun is it being chaotic if you can’t change your mind on what you do every once in awhile? He gave a slight nod of his head and said, “I think I’ll take a break from chaos. At least for a little while.” Celestia felt her eyebrow try and rise, only to be blocked by the bandages covering her eyes. Instead she simply said, “I find that difficult to believe. After all, you did cause pain and terror for your own enjoyment not that long ago.” “You have a point. Though I think some of it was due to my unique powers.” “How so?” Discord shifted slightly in his chair. “I’m sure you heard about what I did to Twilight and her friends during my last visit?” Celestia nodded, Discord continued. “Well, Chaos Magic is a two way street my dear. It affects everything and everyone around it, especially those that cast it. It affects their appearance, personality among a host of other things. My point is that by using it, an entity becomes changed by it. Take my form for instance. You think I always looked like this?” Celestia gave a shake of her head. “I had always wondered about your appearance, but I never really had enough time to really look into it.” “Just as well. It would probably have driven you mad or at the very least made you extremely frustrated.” Celestia didn’t know how to respond to that, so she simply elected to remain silent. They remained like that for a time, neither speaking, the only sound that could be heard was the quiet ticking of the wall clock. A knock on the door broke the silence. “Enter.” commanded Celestia. The door opened and a pegasus guard entered the room, “Yes, what is it?” she asked wearily. The guard paused, taking in the sight of Discord, calming sitting in his chair. He blinked in surprise and for a moment, he appeared to ready himself to attack the draconequus. However Celestia, sensing the sudden tension in the room said, “Do not worry my little pony. There is no danger here today, please, tell me what news do you bring?” The guard, still keeping a wary eye on Discord replied, “Your Highness, I have brought the preliminary damage and casualty reports.” He walked forward, and set a rather full pair of saddlebags down at the side of the bed. Reaching in with his wing, he pulled out a thick scroll, and unrolling it began to read, “Ponyville reports six ponies lightly injured, with no deaths and light to moderate damage. Mayor Mare’s current estimate is around fifteen to eighteen thousand bits in damages to the town and surrounding area. The city of Cloudsdale reports seventeen injuries, some critical. They also report five fatalities.” The news of the deaths struck Celestia like a hammer. The injured, while bad, could recover. Death however, was a more permanent affliction. Clearing his throat slightly, the guard continued, “They report that the damages were moderate to severe and are estimating the initial cost around forty to sixty thousand bits in damage. The weather factory has also been badly damaged and will be out of commission for the foreseeable future.” Celestia let out a soft groan. The news just kept getting worse and worse. With the weather factory out of commission, managing the weather just became much more difficult. She asked the guard, “Did they say how long till it was back in operation?” He shook his head and replied, “They didn’t give any solid numbers Your Highness, nor did they say how much it would cost to repair. But from the preliminary reports on the damages it could be anywhere from eight to ten months, maybe longer, before it can resume full operation. Of course these are only guesses.” He shrugged his wings and asked, “Do you wish for me to continue Your Highness?” Celestia weakly nodded her head, clearing his throat again, he continued, “Fillydelphia reports heavy damage, so far there are no reported deaths and only around forty injured. Damages are still being assessed, but so far the total is over one hundred thousand bits and climbing.” Celestia winced at the amount, what with the damages to Ponyville, Cloudsdale and Fillydelphia the treasury was looking at a massive hit in bits to help pay for all of the damages to the public infrastructure. Not to mention the amount of bits the insurance companies would need to shell out to individual ponies and businesses. Even with insurance and government aid, the hit that the average pony was going to take was going to be bad. What made it worse was that these were only three locations! What about the damage to Canterlot, Appleloosa and the hundreds of other towns and cities across Equestria, how would they be able to pay for it? The guard drew in another breath but Celestia cut him off, “Thank you, that will be all for now. Leave the reports here and I will have one of my clerks read the rest to me. You are dismissed.” “Your Highness.” He saluted, and giving Discord one last glance, performed a smart about face and trotted out of the room. Once he had left, Discord picked up the scroll and began to read. He whistled softly at the amount of damages and the casualty list it contained. “That bad?” “Yes it is Celestia, hundreds of ponies are hurt, many are homeless, and there are millions in bits of property damage. I doubt even Icouldn't have done this much damage in such a short period of time.” He shook his head as he continued to read. “I don’t think the treasury will be able to pay for all of the damages to public buildings and utilities. At least not all at once. Though, according to the report, the death toll is fairly low in comparison to the amount of damages. So I guess you have something to be thankful for.” “Even one death is too many,” She replied, tears beginning to stain her bandages. Discord sat in his chair awkwardly as he watched his old rival cry. After a few moments of nervous shifting, he very gently and awkwardly laid a paw on her fetlock as Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, Guardian of the Sun and a thousand and one other titles, cried for the dead. After nearly a quarter of an hour of quietly sobbing, Celestia gave one final sniff and after accepting a tissue handed to her by Discord, wiped her face as best she could. Looking at her, Discord asked, “Feel any better?” Celestia gave a slight hiccup. “No, but I shall endure. Just as I have for over a millennium and will continue to do so for millennium more.” A soft groan from the bed behind him caused Discord to turn his head. Looking over his shoulder, he could see that Princess Luna was slowly blinking her eyes and looking around in a daze. Unlike Celestia, Luna was in slightly better condition. Her eyes were uncovered, and while she didn’t look great, at least she didn’t look like death warmed over. Turning her head slightly and wincing at the pain, she saw Discord looking at her over his shoulder. Her eyes opened wide in shock and she let out a soft gasp. Luna stared in near horror at the sight before her and like any good princess she attempted to remove said horror. Unfortunately, her magic, like her sisters and Discords was dangerously depleted and her attempt at spell casting simply gave her a splitting headache. Growling slightly she said, “What are you doing here you demon?” Discord looked at Luna with a hurt expression. “Now that’s not a very nice thing to say...Woona.” “Don’t you DARE call us by that name!” spat Luna. “If We could, We would have turned thee to dust!” “Luna.” “If thou wast responsible for this...” “Luna!” “What is it Tia?” Luna all but screamed at her sister. Celestia took in a deep breath to calm herself and then said, “Luna, Discord was not responsible for what happened.” Luna made as if to protest. Celestia cut her off by saying. “It was not him Luna. For once Discord is innocent of any wrongdoing and so far he has not caused any trouble. Isn’t that right Discord?” she asked, turning her attention to the draconequus. “Hmm? Oh, of course Celestia. No trouble here.” he gave his widest smile, hoping that that Luna would believe him. Giving a harsh snort, Luna replied, “Very well, though We shall be keeping our eye on thee Discord.” Discord simply nodded, relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with an enraged Luna. Oh, he wasn’t worried about her blasting him with her magic, seeing as she was in the same boat himself and Celestia. What he really wanted to avoid was her using the Royal Canterlot Voice, especially at close range. He happened to be quite fond of his hearing. An uneasy silence descended on the room. With Celestia laying on her cloud bed in front of him and Luna glaring at him from behind. Discord, in one of the few times he could remember, felt very uncomfortable. Just as he was about to speak in an attempt to break the tense silence, Luna said, “Tia, we need to talk. Alone.” Taking that as his cue, Discord quickly left the room leaving Celestia and Luna alone. Once she was sure that he was gone, Luna turned to face Celestia. After shifting slightly to get more comfortable she asked, “Celestia, what is going on? Since when are you and Discord nice to each other?” “Since today apparently. Though I think that there is something else on your mind that is bothering you.” Luna let out a sigh and said, “Sister, what shall we do with him? The Element Bearers can not wield their elements at this time. Moreover, we do not know how long until they will be able to do so. Nor would it be possible for us to...remove Discord, as we are far too weak at this time to do so.” Celestia simply lay in her bed, humming quietly to herself while she thought. After several minutes, she gave a small smile, one that instantly put Luna on edge. “Sister, please tell Us that thou art not planning something that We would not like.” “Fine, I won’t tell you then.” Celestia replied playfully. Luna simply groaned and gingerly placed a hoof to her forehead in tired frustration. “That is not what We meant Tia and thou knowest it.” Celestia chuckled, “Forgive me Luna. I could not resist.” Her tone however quickly grew serious. “All joking aside though, I believe I have a neat little solution to the problem of Discord.” “We await your grand plan with bated breath.” replied Luna sarcastically. “You haven’t even heard my idea and already you are against it.” Luna rolled her eyes. “You could say that yes.” “Why? You always liked my idea’s in the past.” Celestia replied, her tone one of slight disappointment. “That was when We were both young and inexperienced as to the way things work. We have since come to the realization that thy plans tended to go awry in the most spectacular of ways.” Celestia gave a harumph at Luna’s reply. Rolling her eyes once more Luna continued, “Though, We suppose that We could hear thy plan before We condemn it to the trash.” Slightly irritated at Luna’s attitude, Celestia debated on whether or not she should share her plan with her sister. The battle between her ‘Foalish’ side and her ‘Mature’ side was brief, with Maturity coming out on top. Foalishness slunk away to pout in the back of her mind and plot its silly revenge on Maturity at a later date. Taking a deep breath to once more calm herself, Celestia said, “It’s a simple plan, one that, admittedly, is still forming in my mind and is dependant on him following a certain train of thought.” Luna took in a lungful of air to begin her already forming rebuttal. Celestia however, quickly rolled over anything her sister might have said. “However, I believe he will at least be willing to listen to my idea.” Luna let her lungful of air out in an explosive sigh and asked tiredly, “And just what is your plan?” Celestia gave Luna a smug smile and replied, “Give him a position within the government.” Luna simply stared at her sister in shocked silence. Her face a mask of confusion and horror. After several moments, her brain and mouth were able to resume functioning. “Thou art mad! Why wouldst thou place that foul beast in charge of our peaceful nation?” Celestia simply waited till her sister’s rant ran down, which took several minutes. Finally, sensing that she was nearing the end of her speech, Celestia softly replied, “Luna. I know that it may seem crazy for me to say that, but I think it would work.” “Why do this? Why not just banish him from our lands and be rid of the monster? After all, he was thine enemy for many years and he caused much suffering for his own enjoyment. Why allow him the chance to do more damage?” “Because we need to keep an eye on him. I agree with you, he has done many horrible things in the past. However, he hasn’t killed anypony, directly, or indirectly.” “That thou knowest of.” interjected Luna. Celestia nodded her head. “I know, he has done many terrible things. But that is one thing he has not done.” When Luna didn’t shoot back with a verbal retort, Celestia continued. “Do you remember that old saying? ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” “Yes, but what does that have to do with giving Discord power over the country?” was her reply. “Everything. He wouldn’t be in our position as rulers of Equestria. Instead he would be below us, another layer if you will, in the running of the government. We would still have the final say in anything he does or approves.” Luna remained skeptical. “We do not know if this shall work Tia, nor if we should even try it. How canst thou be so certain he will not try and betray us?” “I don’t, call it a...feeling.” She fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. Her silence however, didn’t last long. “But if I allow him to leave, it would be much more difficult to keep an eye on him and you know that Luna.” “But why must thou put him in a position of power? Why not just place him on some out of the way manor and leave it at that?” complained Luna. “I had thought of doing just that. However, there is one thing that you are forgetting when it comes to Discord.” “And what pray tell is that?” “Discord does not do ‘bored’ well. If we just hide him away in a remote manor or other location. He will quickly become bored and when Discord becomes bored...” “...bad things happen.” Luna finished. “Exactly, if we placed him in a position of power. He will have plenty of things to do, which should keep his paws full for the foreseeable future. In addition, being in that position means that he will be more exposed to scrutiny. With everypony ‘watching’ him, it will make it more difficult for him to try anything contrary to our wishes. Though, I doubt he could try anything by this point.” Luna cocked her head in confusion. “How canst thou be so sure dear sister? He could be just pretending, waiting for you to give him what he wants. Then when he has it, he would betray us, all for the sake of his precious chaos.” “Perhaps, but I do not think he would and even if he did. I doubt could pull it off, his powers have been critically weakened. It is unlikely that he could create the kind of large scale chaos he was infamous for in the past. In fact, I doubt he could create small scale chaos at this point.” “So, thou wouldst have us place him somewhere within the government, all so that we may keep a better eye on him? In addition to keeping him occupied?” inquired Luna. Celestia nodded. “I believe that with his chaotic powers reduced, he will be more...accommodating to our requests. Furthermore, he will be close by and easier to watch and who knows? He might be useful. He did rule a successful empire for many years before he snapped.” Luna remained silent for a time, mulling over Celestia’s argument. She still thought her sister was crazy. Offering Discord, of all beings, a position of power all for the sake of ‘keeping an eye on him’. Still, she was willing to at least listen to the rest of her sisters plan, and who knew? Maybe it wouldn’t blow up in a most spectacular fashion like her many other plans. “Very well then, let Us hear thy plan for him.” ~oOo~ Discord meanwhile was getting bored. He didn’t do bored well; a trait that had gotten him into trouble in the past. Running an empire had been both fun and challenging in the beginning, but as the years had gone by, the day to day tedium had worn on him. So, like had told Twilight earlier, to help alleviate his boredom, he had begun to do little pranks and silly things to amuse himself and his subjects. At the time he had thought ‘what could go wrong?’ Of course, everyone knew how that had ended. He shook his head to try and clear away the old repressed memories. It was getting harder to do so, as his Chaos Magic continued to weaken. He gave a grimace at the thought of completely losing it. No more chocolate rain, such a pity. I bet that pink mare in Ponyville will be most disappointed, in addition to myself of course. He gave a sigh. Though I suppose it is for the best, being turned to stone is a rather unpleasant experience. While he had been standing there lost in thought, the two guards had been keeping their eyes on him, neither one making a sound. The three of them remained that way, while they waited for Discord to be called back in. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a muffled voice could be heard calling out from behind the closed door. The Lunar guard opened the door slightly and poked her head inside. After a minute of muffled conversation, she pulled back and addressed Discord as if he were just an ordinary pony. “The princesses will see you now.” Giving a nod, he calmly strode back into the room. Striding up, he resumed his seat in the chair between the two sisters beds. Leaning back, he folded his paws neatly in his lap and awaited the sisters decision on his fate. “Discord,” began Celestia. “After much discussion between myself and my sister. We have come to a decision. You shall be given another chance. In exchange for this chance, you will be required to swear an oath of obedience and to serve Equestria as a public servant.” “What if I refuse?” asked Discord. Luna answered him, her tone cool. “Then thou shalt be entombed once more in stone.” “Hmm, both of those options sound unpleasant.” “Unpleasant or not, those are your only two choices Discord. We shall not allow thee to roam free, causing chaos as thou wish.” “How do you know if I’ll keep my word should I go with option one?” he asked. “You are familiar with Geas spells are you not?” inquired Luna. Discord immediately became wary. “Yes, yes I am. Why do you ask?” Luna gave a small, unpleasant looking smile. “Because, that is what shall be placed upon thee when thou swearest fealty to us.” “I...see. I am not sure if I am comfortable with the direction that this conversation is going though.” Discord replied uneasily. Luna’s smile simply got wider and more unpleasant looking. “It is either this, or returning to the gardens as a statue. Thou mayest profess that thou art a ‘changed’ being, but We do not believe thee. Those are the conditions if thou wish to remain free.” Discord gave a snort. “Yes, ‘free’. Good one Luna, I can either choose legal slavery, or I could go back to being a lawn ornament. What a wonderful pair of choices.” Celestia felt a little guilty at Discords reply. While it was true that she had at one time hated him, her hatred had cooled over the centuries. In its place had formed a sense of pity for him. Though make no mistake, she had been plenty angry the last time he had broken free of his stone prison. But much of that anger had stemmed from her fear and worry at the time, fear of him and his strange powers and worry over the well being of her subjects. However, that was then, this was now and now she needed to calm both her sister and the draconequus. Clearing her throat, she said, “Discord, I am...sorry that it must be this way, but my sister is right to worry.” “Of course she is right to worry. I may not have all of my powers right now, but that could change at any time and if my Chaos Magic returns, my personality will most likely become unpleasant again. Though I am still hesitant to take on a Geas without knowing its punishment should I break it.” “Shouldst thou break thy oath, it would return thee to a statue.” came Luna’s reply. Discord mulled their proposal over in his mind. If I accept, I would in effect be in servitude to them, with the threat of returning to stone hanging over my head. On the other paw, if I refuse, they’ll just summon the Elements of Harmony and I’ll be right back in the garden. Being pooped on by pigeons. He gave a slight shiver at the thought. The sound of Luna clearing her throat impatiently brought him back to the present. “Sorry, I was just weighing my options.” Luna cocked an eyebrow at the draconequus. Returning her gaze with his own, he continued. “It appears that I am caught in a nice little web and here all I wanted to do was to pop in, say hi and be on my way.” He gave a sigh. “Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen now.” “Stop stalling Discord, do you have an answer for us or not?” “Fine, since you seem to be in such a tearing hurry Luna, I’ll give you my answer.” He paused, savoring the last few moments of his freedom before saying, “I’ll do it. It’s either that or being a statue and that is something I would very much like to avoid.” Celestia gave a relieved smile, while Luna simply grunted. “Very well then, shall we begin the ceremony?” she asked. “Hold on. I thought that you both weren’t in any condition to use magic?” Luna snorted. “I thought that thou knew better. Seems that I was mistaken.” Discord cocked an eyebrow inviting further comment from the indigo alicorn. Rolling her eyes she said, “It is true that our powers are considerably weaker now.” A sudden thought struck Discord and he gave a mocking smile. “Does that mean you can’t control the moon and stars anymore Luna?” A dark look descended over Luna’s features and she spat back, “Of course We can not call upon our Lunar powers you simpleton. However, We do not need to move the moon in order to place the Geas on thee. Now, kneel before Us.” she commanded. Discords smile vanished and his left eye started twitching. “Be very careful how you speak to me Luna. I may not have my Chaos powers at full strength, but I could still give you grief.” “I doubt that. Still, thou art wasting time. Now kneel, so that We may begin the ritual.” Grumbling to himself Discord knelt before Luna’s bed. This is so humiliating. “Bow thy head.” commanded Luna. Discord did so, still mentally grumbling at the injustice of it all. “Close thine eyes and repeat after Us.” “Fine.” he replied as he closed his eyes, waiting for Luna to begin. Clearing her throat, Luna began. “I Discord, do solemnly swear,” “I Discord, do solemnly swear,” he repeated. “That I shall obey and serve without question, the laws and statutes of Equestria and that I shall never go against them or The Royal Pony Sisters, Celestia and Luna.” continued Luna. After having repeated the words, Discord felt a cold chill fall upon him. That must be the Geas taking effect. Funny, I don’t sense much in the way of power being exerted by Luna. He shook the thought off as she continued speaking, “I shall carry out the duties assigned to me by them without question and fulfill them to the best of my current abilities.” He repeated after her once more, the cold continuing to grow around him. Luna’s voice had since risen in power and volume and while not quite at the levels of the Royal Canterlot Voice, it was still pretty loud. “Finally, I Discord, do solemnly swear to renounce both my Chaos powers and my chaotic ways. Choosing instead the path of order and harmony and do swear to protect them to the best of my abilities. This I so swear and if I shall break this oath may I be returned to my stone prison.” The cold was swiftly becoming unbearable for the draconequus. He felt his teeth chattering and barely managed to chatter out the final words of the oath. As the final word left his lips, the bitter cold ceased and in its place a rising warmth could be felt. At first he welcomed the warmth as it reinvigorated him, but when it continued to climb in its intensity he began to worry. What is happening to me? I feel like I am burning! He tried to open his mouth to scream as the pain became intolerable, but he found that his mouth was sealed, preventing him from speaking, or in this case, screaming. Finally after what felt like an eternity of pain, both his body and mind could take no more and merciful blackness greeted him. When he awoke, he found himself laying on the floor. Every part of his body hurt, like he had been beaten, stretched and squeezed. Groaning he tried to sit up but found himself unable to. A smug voice permeated his pain fogged brain. “Ah, I see that thou art awake now Discord. Tell me, how was thy nap?” “B-bite me Luna.” was his reply. “Tsk, tsk, now is that anyway to speak to thy mistress?” she replied sweetly. He was about to give a retort when Celestia spoke, her voice loaded with disappointment. “Luna! He is not your servant, anymore than you are his mistress. Just because you cast the Geas does not make him yours.” Even though he couldn’t see her face, Discord could imagine the look of shame on Luna’s face at Celestia’s rebuke. “F-forgive Us sister, We are not sure what came over Us.” Celestia sighed. “You used one of your old Geas spells didn’t you?” When Luna didn’t reply Celestia sighed again. “Luna, I thought we had agreed that you wouldn’t use them again. You know what they did to you all those years ago.” Discord was confused. What is she going on about? Old Geas spells? Blinking away some of the pain induced blur, he once more tried to stand, only to once more fall over on his side. “Thou wouldst do better if thou tried standing like a normal pony Discord.” Shaking his head, Discord asked, “What are you talking about?” “I mean that thou shouldst try standing on four hooves, rather two. Twould be much easier We would think, given your current...condition.” she replied, a trace of smugness tinging her voice. Grumbling at the cryptic reply, Discord made to stand once more. However, now that the pain had worn off, he finally noticed that something was amiss. Why can’t I feel my paws? Looking down at where his paws used to be his eyes widen in surprise. Instead of seeing his familiar lion paw and eagle claw, a pair of normal pony hooves greeted him. “Gah!” he exclaimed. Tearing his eyes away from his hooves, he looked around the room for a mirror. Spotting one in the far corner, he scrambled over to it and peered into it. The reflection that greeted him wasn’t that of his draconequus body, instead it was that of an amberish gray unicorn. He spent the next few minutes looking himself over in the mirror. The first thing he noticed was that he was actually a little bit taller than the average unicorn, stopping just shy of five hooves in height. Both his tail and mane were cut short, the tail only coming down to just above his hock and his mane remaining as it was when he was a draconequus. In addition, they had retained their dark gray color. Sadly, his trademark goatee and snaggletooth were gone, in addition to his eyebrows, which were now standard size ones, instead of the bushy ones he used to have. Letting his eyes wander upwards, he saw that he now sported a horn. Unlike a normal unicorns horn, his was slightly longer and had a sharper tip. When he looked into his eyes he saw that his irises had remained a crimson red. However, the rest of his eyes had lost their yellow coloring and were now a standard white, in addition, both were now the same size, unlike his previous forms. He didn’t know how long he stood there staring at his reflection. Finally managing to tear his gaze away from the mirror, he slowly turned around, so as not to get his legs tangle up. “What have you done to me Luna?” he exclaimed. She gave a cold smile, one that instantly put Discord on edge. “It was part of the Geas, did We not tell thee?” She replied mockingly. Waving her hoof dismissively, she continued on. “No matter, what is done is done. To answer thy question better, We placed a special Geas upon thee. One that We created shortly before our fall. The Geas, in addition to binding the being upon whom it was cast upon, to the caster, can also be used to change their outward appearance. We used that spell to create the bat ponies that made up Our old guard back then. Though, nowadays it is a simple armor enchantment, similar to the one that Celestia uses for the Solar Guard.” She gave a longing sigh. “No matter, that was the past. Anyways, that is the reason you are no longer a draconequus.” “That still leaves the question of how you just cast an advanced spell with so little magic.” Her smile grew wide and proud. “Normally a spell of this type would require a large amount of power. However, this particular spell doesn’t.” “I don’t follow.” Discord said. “It is simple. Instead of using Our magic, We used yours for the binding ritual instead. The little Chaos magic you still had was used to bind the Geas to you as well as change your outward appearance.” Discord stood there, looking at Luna, an unreadable expression on his face. Finally he gave a shrug and asked, “Now what?” Luna blinked, surprised slightly by his reaction. “What do you mean ‘now what’? Art thou not angry?” “I wouldn’t say angry, more like annoyed, but this is the hand that fate has dealt me. So I will just have to play it.” he shrugged and stumbled over to the chair in between the beds. Celestia had been silent for most of the exchange. Discord couldn’t tell if she was just waiting for the right time to speak or if she had fallen asleep. “Discord.” she said. So much for being asleep. he thought. Outloud he said, “Yes Celestia?” “While we may have been enemies in the past. I hope that we can put that behind us and move forward with our lives.” “Yes, yes, I know. Bury the hatchet and all.” he sighed. “Why don’t we just cut to the important stuff and skip the flowery prattle?” he asked. “Very well then.” clearing her throat, Celestia continued. “Since you are now bound by your oath to serve and protect Equestria. It is only fitting that you be given a position from whence you can accomplish this task. Thus, I Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, decree that the office of Chancellor be created and that Discord be appointed to said office at once.” Discord blinked. “What?” A groan could be heard from Luna’s bed as Celestia gave a weak chuckle. “I’ve always wanted to do that.” He tone however, quickly turned serious. “All silliness aside, both Luna and I have already begun the process of transferring more of our governmental powers over to our little ponies.” “But I thought you two loved your jobs?” asked Discord sarcastically. If she could have, Celestia would have rolled her eyes at him. “Please Discord, while I love my little ponies, neither Luna or I want to keep doing this forever. We can’t keep holding their hooves for them anymore. They need to learn how to stand on their own, instead of relying solely on myself or Luna when things get difficult. That is part of the process of growing up after all.” “I had always thought that you had coddled them a little too much. Especially after Luna’s...episode.” replied Discord. Celestia sighed sadly. “Yes, I have coddled them a little too much over the years. However, I began to realize my mistake several years before Nightmare Moon’s return. That was the main reason I sent Twilight to Ponyville. I knew that she was one of the Elements and that she would be able to gather the rest together...and well you know the rest.” Discord rubbed his chin in thought. “I had wondered at the time of my last return, why you didn’t just zap me like you did the last time you and I faced each other. Are you saying that you were holding back?” “Not so much ‘holding back’ as just letting my little ponies do things for themselves for a change.” Celestia replied. Discord gave a small smile. “Well, it looks like you still don’t think they are ready for the the big colt shoes yet. If I am reading this right, you giving me this Office of the Chancellor.” Celestia inclined her head slightly. “In a way. You do have experience running a country, even if you did go insane at the end from boredom.” “Well, noponies perfect.” he replied with a sheepish grin. “Quite.” came the reply from behind him. “Though it pains Us to say this, Tia is right. There are very few ponies who are actually qualified to lead the country at this time. Thus, you need to step up and fill that hole, at least for the time being.” Oh this is going to be so much ‘fun’, I can just tell already. he thought to himself sarcastically. Taking a deep breath and turning to fully face Luna, he replied, “Not like I have much of a choice in the matter now do I?” “No, not one little bit.” came her reply. “So that means that thou hath better get working. Though we should find something to cover you with, at least while thou art in public.” This confused Discord. “What are you talking about Luna?” She simply pointed to his flank. Looking down he could see that it was blank. Terrific, not only am I bound in an unwanted Geas and stuck in an unicorn body. But now to add insult to injury, I happen to be a blank flank! While it did occasionally happen, in which a foal didn’t earn their cutie mark while they were young. Adult blank flanks were rare and they generally tended to avoid public attention, for obvious reasons. So this little development presented a problem for the group. The sudden arrival of a previously unknown unicorn, who also happened to be a blank flank, so soon after the reported sightings of the Spirit of Chaos roaming free about Canterlot would call unwanted attention to Discords new form and if it did get out that he was in fact the self same Spirit of Chaos, things could bad real fast. With a sigh of resignation, Discord replied, “Alright, so on top of being made into a pony, I now have to wear clothes. Terrific. I can’t remember the last time I wore a piece of clothing, though I do remember that I was somewhat partial to carvets.” Rolling her eyes Luna called out, “Corporal!” The door opened and in stepped the bat winged mare. After giving Discord a slightly confused glance, she turned to her princess and bowing deeply asked, “Yes Your Highness?” “What you and your fellow guard are about to hear and witness today is to remain a secret between us. Understand?” When the guard gave a solemn nod, Luna continued. “This pony here,” she waved a hoof Discord. “Is Discord, the jigsaw puzzle of a creature you saw earlier, he has been placed under a Geas spell. The result is that his form has changed, in addition to him working for us now.” The guard nodded at the appropriate points, but remained otherwise, silent. “Now, what We need thee to do, is to find him some clothing that will cover him and his blank flank.” The guard leaned slightly to one side to get a better look at his flank. Flushing slightly, he turned to one side giving her a better look. After staring at him for a few moments, she nodded her head and asked, “Do you have a preference as to what you wish to wear?” Shaking his head Discord replied, “No, I just need something large enough to cover my flank, it doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive looking.” The guard nodded and bowing her head slightly, replied, “I will see to it personally, is there anything else you need?” When Discord shook his head, the guard continued. “I shall return shortly with your new cloths. If you will excuse me.” Discord simply nodded, as the guard bowed her head in respect to the princesses and performing a smart about face, left the room. When she was gone, Discord turned to Celestia and said, “Well, that went well I think.” “I must agree, however I think a change of name wouldn’t be a bad idea either.” Sighing Discord replied, “I know, I wish it wasn’t needed but…” “Chancellor Discord just doesn’t really cut it, does it?” Chuckling ruefully, he replied, “No, no it doesn’t, I will need something new.” He sat back on his haunches and pondered for a short time. Finally, he nodded and announced. “For lack of a better name to go with my new ‘job’ I have decided on…Legal Accord.” “Chancellor Legal Accord.” Celestia tasted the word and finding nothing seriously wrong with it, said, “Well, it’s not what I would have picked for you Discord, but it will do.” Luna nodded her head in tact agreement and said, “We find it a strange name to call thyself, but if that’s what you want, then by all means.” “It is. I agree it is a strange name, but it just popped in my head and wouldn’t leave, so I guess I’m stuck with it.” He smiled at his little joke, but then he grew serious. Picking himself up from his sitting spot, he began pacing. “Getting back to business, I assume you plan on keeping an eye on me, so who shall be my new ‘secretary’?” Celestia pondered this for a time, running through the list of names of possible candidates in her head, finally she gave a satisfied grunt and said, “I believe that Raspberry Tea would be an adequate secretary and watch dog for you. She is quite pleasant, in addition to being efficient in her duties. Not to mention, she also makes a rather wonderful raspberry tea.” “Do you want to tell her or should We tell her dear sister?” asked Luna. “Why don’t you do it? After all you can still see.” replied Celestia. “Very well then, We shall compose a message for her as soon as we have a quill and parchment.” With that out of the way, both Celestia and Luna gave Discord a quick rundown on some of the new duties that he would be assuming in the coming days. The clock on the wall was nearing six o'clock before the guard finally returned. She was loaded down with several large brown bags on her back, each full of clothing. She carefully placed them on the floor in front of Discord for his inspection. Looking them over carefully, he pulled the first item out of one of the nearby bags. It was a white long sleeved shirt, with plenty of lace giving it a slightly frilly look. The sleeves were full and dropped at the shoulder, while the collar was a simple stand-up type. The cuffs of the shirt were gathered around where the hock would be when worn and had lace trimming. Nodding his head in approval, he selected the item and after a minute or two, had put it on. After he finished tightening the straps and buttoning it up, he turned back to the now opened bags and selected from them a simple white cravat. Expertly tying it around his neck, he thought to himself. Heh, looks like I still remember how to tie these things, fancy that. Once he was satisfied with it, he then selected a simple green waistcoat with golden trim. With brass colored buttons down one side and a small breast pocket to the other side. Upon trying it on, he found that the coat extended nearly to his flanks and giving a satisfied grunt turned his attention back to the pile of clothes in front of him. The next item, which completed the ensemble, was a long green greatcoat, with golden trim, large brass buttons down the front and deep pockets on either side; its sleeves coming down to just above the cuff of his shirt. However, the best part of the coat was that it completely covered Discords blank flank. The coat even had a small piece of cloth that could be fastened under the tail by a small button to one side, to prevent to the coat from riding up the ponies back. Turning, he walked over to the nearby mirror, and inspected himself in it. Given the present circumstances, he thought he cut an impressive figure. While most ponies preferred to run around without clothes on, and admittedly he did as well, he wasn’t allowed that luxury at this time. Finishing his inspection, he turned back to see Luna looking at him, an appraising look on her face. “Not bad, it covers your blank flank at least, so that is good. Though We have to ask,” She said turning to the guard who was still standing near the pile of clothing, “where did you get all of these old styled clothes and why?” “They were the only clothes I could find in his size Your Highness. As to where I found them, they were in one of the local clothing stores back storage rooms. The proprietor said they were for a play, however the ponies organizing it never came to pick them up.” replied the guard. “Did you give this pony a pay receipt for the clothes?” asked Luna, the guard simply nodded, “Good, then you are dismissed. Thank you.” “As you command, Your Highness.” Saluting the princess, the guard turned and left the room. Leaving the two princesses and former Spirit of Chaos alone once again. After a moment of silence, Celestia spoke. “I believe it is getting late and I am sure that you are tired Discor-forgive me, I meant Accord. If it is alright with you, we can arrange to have a room made available for you tonight. Tomorrow we can go over the rest of your new duties and responsibilities, if that is alright with you?” “Always the diplomat, Celestia.” ‘Accord’ chuckled. “But yes, I think that would probably be for the best right now. You two need your rest as well as I.” “Very well, when the guard changes in the next few minutes, I will have one of them show you to your rooms.” replied Celestia. “Thank you.” was his reply. They didn’t have to wait long for the changing of the guard. After having given her instructions to the Solar Guard concerning Discords new lodgings for the evening. Celestia bade him a good night, while Luna simply waved a hoof dismissively in his direction. Giving stiff bow of his head in Luna’s direction, he gave a return goodnight to Celestia and followed the guard out of the hospital and into the gathering twilight. ~oOo~ SS Marlin Spike, July 12, 1908 6:20 pm As the Marlin Spike plodded along off the picturesque Equestrian coast, Joshua, having finally gotten some rest, stood on the port bridge wing and thought to himself. What strange event has brought this land here? It is obvious that this place is not a natural part of our world. If that is the case, then where did it come from, and what will happen to the world now that they are here? A soft tap from behind him interrupted his thoughts, turning he saw Patrick standing behind him holding two steaming hot mugs of coffee. Offering one to Joshua, who accepted it with a ‘thanks’, he strode over to the railing to Joshua’s right and leaning his arms on it asked, “What are you thinking about Cap’n?” Blowing on his coffee to cool it slightly, he took a sip and replied, “Just thinking about our new neighbors.” He waved with his free hand indicating the shoreline, “Wondering where they came from and what brought them here to our world.” “You honestly think they came from another world Cap’n?” “I do, it is the most logical answer.” Patrick shook his head and replied, “I guess the truth is stranger than fiction sometimes. So, we still heading for that port town the lighthouse keeper told us about?” Joshua simply nodded his head and took another sip from his mug, smacking his lips together he said. “This is some good coffee, who made it?” “I did sir, me momma’s own secret recipe.” “Your momma knows how to brew good coffee,” remarked Joshua. “She should sir, she owns a little coffee shop in San Francisco, or did anyways. The quake nearly leveled it and the fires finished it off.” He replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. “Is she alright?” “Oh yeah, she’s fine, sad over the loss of her business, but fine otherwise, thanks for asking Cap’n. I got a letter a couple of months ago from her, saying she planned to try to start it up again.” “Good to hear, if she ever does get it back up and running, I’ll make it a point to stop in and have me a cup of coffee.” A smile slowly spread across Patrick's face, nodding his head in thanks, he turned to leave when a shout from forward caught his attention. Looking over the railing he called out, “What’s wrong Mr. Clauss?” Clauss shouted back up, “Sir, there’s debris off the starboard bow and what looks like a pony floating on a piece of wreckage!” Joshua and Patrick looked at eachother, then rushed over to the starboard bridge wing. Looking towards the bow, Joshua could indeed see debris floating on the surface of the water. Looking out across the floating debris, he spotted the stranded pony clinging to a chunk of timber. He shouted down to the deck below, “Get a lifeboat over the side and pick em up!” Sailors hastened to obey and in a few minutes where rowing over to the poor pony with all their strength. Joshua had already rang the engine room to stop and by the time the lifeboat had picked the pony up and were on their way back the Marlin had come to a stop a few hundred yards further on. As the lifeboat drew alongside, Joshua realized that they had no way to bring the pony on board. Hooves were not really designed to grasp things, like ladder rungs. Joshua was about to order one of the crew to get a couple ropes, when to his amazement the pony actually began to climb up the ladder! Hooking its front hooves around the upper rung it would then bring its rear legs up, much like a man would. Joshua was amazed at the dexterity of the pony. Before long the pony was standing on the deck and one of the crewmen draped a woolen blanket across its back. Joshua quickly made his way down to the deck and in short order, was standing in front of the waterlogged pony. The pony looked slightly different from Misty Spray, instead of having a humanized looking face this one’s looked more like a normal equines with an elongated muzzle, it still had the huge eyes that Misty had, except these ones were a slate gray in color. Its mane was a light orange and its coat was a purplish-blue in color. It was also few inches taller than Misty had been and when the pony moved, Joshua could see the powerful muscles rippling just beneath the its skin. As he looked the pony over, the pony looked him over, much like Misty Spray had done. Finally, Joshua cleared his throat and said, “My name is Joshua Phelps and I am the Captain of this ship, may I ask you for your name?” “Names Sea Kelp, it is a pleasure to meet you Captain Phelps, I must thank you and your…crew for rescuing me. Normally the weather isn’t something I have to worry about this time of year. Guess that’s not the case today.” Replied the pony, which Joshua now realized, was a male, a stallion if his memory served him right. “What were you doing out here, and where’s the rest of your crew?” Asked Joshua. “You’re looking at it. I’m a one pony show, kelp fishing isn’t as profitable as it used to be, so I do most of the work myself. One of the reasons I ended up in the drink. Most of the sheltered kelp fields have been depleted and under Princess Celestia’s order, they are to remain protected until they recover. So I had to travel farther to harvest kelp than normal and I guess my little boat wasn’t as seaworthy I thought it was.” He sighed and looked back over his shoulder with a sad expression. It was an expression Joshua had seen before, when a captain and his surviving crew had been brought into Manila harbor a couple years back. The captains steam ship had been struck by a typhoon and he and his crew had been lucky to escape with their lives. However, losing one’s ship was never easy. “I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your ship, how long have you been in the drink?” The pony put a hoof to his chin and thought for a moment, before replying, “I reckon a little over a day.” He shrugged his shoulders and said, “It is kind of hard to tell when you don’t have a watch or clock to keep time with, but it really doesn’t matter I guess. You’re here, I am rescued and if you could just drop me off in Manehattan I would be grateful.” Joshua nodded his head and replied, “We were already on our way to Manehattan when we spotted you drifting, so it’ll be no trouble. Though I gotta say you are quite calm given the situation.” “What is there to worry about? You were kind enough to pick me up, so I won’t say boo to that. Yes, you look strange to me but I’m sure I am equally strange in your eyes as well.” Joshua mulled that over and simply asked, “Can we get you anything to eat?” “If you would be so kind, I haven’t had anything to eat in a while. If you have it I would be most grateful for kelp on pumpernickel bread with mustard sauce.” “I don’t think we have any kelp, sorry. However, we do have pumpernickel bread and I’m pretty sure Cookies got some vegetable soup cooking right now.” Kelp looked a little crestfallen at the news of no kelp, but brightened up when he heard they had pumpernickel bread and vegetable soup cooking. “A nice warm bowl of soup would be nice I think and if you would be willing to spare a loaf of pumpernickel I would be very thankful indeed.” Joshua smiled and motioned for one of the crew to take Kelp below to the galley. However, before Kelp left, Joshua called out. “How far are we from Manehattan?” “Oh not very far, no more than a few hours at the most, in fact you should be able to see the cities lights on the horizon when the sun sets.” replied Kelp as he was taken below to get dry and have a hot meal. “Thank you, now you have a good dinner Mr. Kelp.” Sea Kelp simply waved his thanks as he disappeared below deck. Joshua turned his head towards the horizon as the Marlin Spike once more got underway, continuing on its long, strange journey into the unknown. A/N Well, here we are. The second chapter, sorry for the length of time it took for me to get this rewritten. I found that I had to add a lot more dialogue than I thought I did. As always, special thanks goes to my awesome editor Shoggoth who helped me get this thing ironed out. Anyways, it is here now and I'm going to go to bed. Till next time! Chapter 3 (In a New World)Chapter 3 In a New World Toto, I don’t think we're in Kansas anymore. -Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. SS Marlin Spike, Manehattan Harbor, July 12, 1908 10:30pm Joshua stood on the bridge of the Marlin Spike as he guided it into the Manehattan Harbor. Outside, the lights of the city danced across the dark ocean's surface. Off to his side stood Sea Kelp and Patrick. It had been several hours since they had pulled the poor pony from the ocean, and he had been dried off, fed, and given a woolen sweater that fit him surprisingly well. Out of the corner of his eye, Joshua caught a look of pain on the ponies face. Turning his head towards him, he asked, "Is there something wrong?" Turning his head, Sea Kelp looked up at Joshua and replied, “It’s just hard to come back to your home and find it’s been wrecked is all.” Looking back out the window at the harbor, Joshua saw what Kelp was talking about. Many of the waterfront buildings were damaged and some had even been outright destroyed. Small boats glided across the water debris choked harbor, working to fish out the larger pieces of debris so that they wouldn’t become navigational hazards for small craft later on. In addition to the smaller boats working to clear the harbor, Joshua could see several larger boats nearby, working hard to try and put out some fires along one of the wharves. Other boats were tied alongside partially sunken hulls, and what they were doing Joshua could only guess at; Most likely salvage or searching for anyone trapped inside. Taking a deep breath, Joshua replied, “It can be rebuilt, maybe even better than before.” “I know, but… it still hurts.” Sea Kelp replied. “I don’t even know if my friends or family are alright or if they even have homes anymore. Looking at the damage, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them were without a home now, and with my boat sunk, how will I be able to help them rebuild?” Joshua didn’t get a chance to reply, as at that moment a bright light lit up the bridge with a white glare, forcing everyone to shield their eyes from its intensity. The light quickly moved away from the bridge and down over the ship’s hull, an amplified voiced called out from the darkness. “Unidentified ship, heave to immediately and prepare to be boarded for inspection!” Joshua quickly made his way over to the engine order telegraph and rang the engine room to stop the ship. As the Marlin Spike lost momentum, Joshua ordered the forward anchor dropped to prevent the Marlin from drifting in the debris-choked harbor. Striding out onto the starboard bridge wing, Joshua looked down and spotted the source of the light. It was a small pilot boat with several ponies on board. A horned pony who stood at the bow of the boat seemed to be the source of the light. Joshua felt that he shouldn’t be surprised. After all, if there were talking ponies, why not throw an honest to god unicorn in the mix?As the boat drew closer, the light winked out. Hearing a scuff behind him, Joshua looked back over his shoulder and spotted Kelp trotting up to the rail. Pointing with his chin Joshua said, “I take it that that bright light coming from that pony’s horn was some kind of spell?” Sea Kelp gave a nod. “You are correct Captain, it’s just a simple light spell, so you don’t need to worry about it doing anything to your ship.” “Are you saying that you people have spells that can do things to people? Like turn them into frogs or something?” Sea Kelp snorted and replied, “I wouldn’t be surprised, though I doubt many unicorns could use them. A spell like that is extremely complicated and would require the caster to be both knowledgeable and powerful enough to correctly cast it. Most unicorns just use their magic for simple things, levitation of objects being the most common application. So relax Captain, the odds of you being turned into a frog are about as good as you getting hit by a meteorite.” “Oh, well that’s good to know then. So do you happen to know the fellow with the spotlight spell down there?” “I do,” replied Kelp, “His names Bright Beam, Officer Bright Beam. He’s the senior customs official for Manehattan, course he’s the only customs official in Manehattan. Though I expect that might change soon.” “Wait, you mean that there is only one customs official for an entire port?” asked a bewildered Joshua. “Pretty much, it’s not like there are a lot of trade regulations that must be followed or ships to bring in goods for that matter. Not to mention that Princess Celestia hasn’t seen fit to ban many goods that do come into Equestria through trade. Most of these docks aren’t even used that much. In fact, many of those warehouses were either empty or only half-full before they were destroyed.” Sea Kelp replied, shrugging his shoulders. Looking out over the railing, Joshua could see that Officer Beam had reached the top of the ladder, that had been thrown over the side for him and his party, while him and Sea Kelp had been talking. “Personally I think he’s a bit of a pompous ass myself. Always trying to hassle either myself or the other kelp fishers who make this their home just because he hasn’t enough to do and we happen to be the only ones he really has to inspect on a regular basis.” “Why’s that?” “To make sure we aren’t fishing where we aren’t supposed to. Believe it or not, but there is a difference between kelp plants from one location and those of another. Surprising I know, but that’s really the only thing he has to do around here other than the occasional goods ship from one of the islands or a passenger ship on its way elsewhere.” Joshua watched as Patrick greeted the stunned unicorn, who had suddenly found himself surrounded by strange looking creatures. Turning his attention back to Sea Kelp, Joshua asked, “I thought that this was a prosperous city?” “Oh it is, just not down by the waterfront.” He sighed before continuing, “Even though we have Princess Celestia and now her sister Princess Luna to guide us and protect us, we still have places where things aren’t always rosy, if you get my drift?” Joshua simply nodded in reply, he was about to ask another question when the sounds of a heated argument drifted up from below, leaning over the railing, Joshua called down. “Mr. Fitzgibbons, what seems to be the problem?” Turning around and craning his neck, he shouted back, “Sir, this…customs officer seems to think we have some sort of contagious disease, he wants to quarantine us until further notice!” Said official replied to Patrick’s statement by amplifying his voice so that it was loud enough to wake the dead, “I did not say that! I said that you wouldn’t be allowed to leave your ship until I hear from my superiors back in Canterlot!" Patrick with his hands clapped over his ears and with a look of pure murder on his face, rounded on the customs officer. Possibly intending to pitch him over the side for nearly deafening him with his shouting. However, before he could respond in any way, Joshua yelled down to him. “Mr. Fitzgibbons!” Patrick, his ears still ringing from the officer’s loud voice, turned back to his captain and replied, “Yes Cap’n?” “I want you to rein in your temper and see to it that we are securely anchored for the night.” replied Joshua in an authoritative voice. “Y-yes Sir, I’ll see to it immediately.” With that, he was off to see to his duties. Joshua looked back at the customs officer and said, “Officer how long will it take for us to be allowed to come ashore?” The customs officer replied in a slightly lower tone, “A few days, maybe a week at the most. I am unsure, what with the condition of the countryside and the many damages to our fair city.” he simply shrugged. “Well, we shall require coal to maintain power for the pumps, and if we are here much longer than a few days we will require fresh provision to be brought aboard.” “That is acceptable. I will do what I can to see to it that you are supplied with coal in the morning and I am truly sorry that this is necessary. No offense, but I do not feel comfortable allowing you…beings to run loose without consulting a higher authority first. I hope you understand?” Joshua nodded and replied, “Those are valid point’s officer. However, I have a kelp fisher on board that we picked up on our way here, his name is Sea Kelp and I was wondering if this quarantine applied to him as well?” Officer Beam closed his eyes and tapped his hoof on the deck for a moment then replied, “I believe that he can leave without any trouble, if he is nearby I can take him back to shore with me when I finish my inspection.” “Yes, in fact he’s right here next to me.” Joshua waved Sea Kelp over, who gave the officer a wave from the bridge wing railing. “Ah very good, yes please send him down. We’ll place him in the boat until we are ready to leave, so that we do not forget him.” He chuckled at his little joke, turning serious, he asked, “Now that we have that cleared up, I must ask you for your shipping manifest and that I be allowed to inspect the cargo holds.” “Alright, I’ll be down shortly.” responded Joshua. He quickly fetched the shipping manifest from the ships safe and met Officer Beam near the hatch leading down into Hold #2. He had already said goodbye to Sea Kelp as they had made their way down from the bridge to the main deck. It had been an odd experience shaking a pony’s hoof, but Joshua felt that there would be many more strange experiences to come. As he approached Officer Beam, he took in the unicorn’s features. He was shorter than Sea Kelp by a couple of inches and sported a short-cropped mane and tail with a dark blue coat. His eyes were light green and as Joshua approached he could see that the stallions cutie mark looked like a flashlight with a beam of light emanating from one end. Over these features he wore a simple uniform; A blue shirt with white trim and silver buttons and a similarly colored cap. On said cap was a small silver shield badge. Squinting his eyes slightly, Joshua could see that the emblem was that of a stylized sun with two crossed anchors over a crate in front of the sun. The officer sported another similar badge over his right breast pocket, the only difference between the two was the 001 stamped on the lower portion of the badge. Nodding his head to the unicorn Joshua said, “Hello Officer Beam, I am Captain Joshua Phelps.” “Captain, I will try and make this quick. However, I will make sure any suspicious cargo is properly inspected and any attempt to interfere with my inspection will be considered a criminal act and will be properly prosecuted by an Equestrian court of law. Do you understand what I have just told you?” Joshua nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Good. Now if you will please surrender your shipping manifest to me, we can begin.” Joshua handed him the manifest and followed him down into the bowels of the cargo hold. Several hours later, Bright Beam returned the manifest to Joshua with a small sigh, as if he were actually disappointed that he didn’t find anything illegal.“Alright, you pass the inspection. However, you and your crew are still confined to the ship. Any attempt to leave the ship will be met with a swift reaction. You have been warned, now if you'll excuse me I must go. Good night Captain Phelps.” He bowed his head and quickly left, as he lowered himself over the side of the ship he called out, “Oh, before I forget. I must ask you to not interact with anypony that might try to talk to you while you are in quarantine.” Joshua asked, “How come?” “Because I said so.” He replied, in the same tone of voice a parent with an annoyingly curious child might use. With that said, he finished lowering himself over the side and slowly climbed down the ladder. After they had cast off from the ship and were a fair distance from the battered freighter. Bright Beam turned to see Sea Kelp looking at him from the stern of the boat, motioning for Kelp to stand next to him, he said, “Now, I want you to tell me everything you know about these creatures.” Canterlot Castle, Map Room, East Wing, July 14, 1908 12:03 am Accord looked up at the large map on the wall and thought back upon the events of the last couple of days. After having left the hospital after his encounter with Celestia and Luna. He had followed the guard across the city towards the castle and his new room. The city was a mess. Many of the windows had been blown out during what many were beginning to call ‘The Event’, and as a result the streets were a sea of sharp glass shards. Thankfully, the middle of the street was relatively clear of glass so the going was easier. Several of the buildings that they passed were little more than rubble now, while others had been damaged to varying degrees.As they approached the castles main gate Accord saw that the two gate guards continued their routine of standing like statues, making no move to stop him or his escort. I guess having a royal guard for an escort helps speed things along. He thought. Shrugging his shoulders, he kept walking several paces behind his escort. Looking up, he noticed that the castle had taken a real pounding. Every single window had been shattered, and the two large double doors had been blown completely off their hinges. In addition, several sections of the castles wall had large holes in them. Thankfully the curtain wall surrounding the castle, while also damaged, remained relatively intact. Passing through the open space where the door had once occupied, Accord looked around the interior of the castle. Put quite simply, it was a wreck. Paintings were scattered everywhere, many were ripped and torn, and much of the furniture was ruined. Papers were scattered across the floor and there appeared to be some structural damage in the form of cracks in the floor, walls and ceiling. What had once been a beautiful and elegant castle, kept clean and spotless by an army of servants, was now little more than a ruin. The place felt like the life had been sucked from it and a pall of despair and fear hung heavy in the air. Ponies wandered about aimlessly, unsure of what to do. Taking a deep breath Accord made to speak, however the guard stopped him. “What are you doing?” asked the guard. Accord blinked, What am I doing? None of these ponies know who I am, nor do I think they care at this point. He let his breath go with in an explosive sigh. “Nothing, nothing at all. Come on, let’s go.” he said to the guard, who simply shrugged and continued on. After several detours, around hallways that were deemed unsafe for regular travel. They arrived at the room where Accord would be staying. Turning to Accord, the guard said, “Here we are, if you need anything do not hesitate to ring the castle staff.” Nodding, Accord thanked the guard and pushed the doors open with a hoof, stepping through into the darkened room. After flicking a nearby light switch on, he shut the door and looked around the room. It was rather spartan for a palace guest room. Other than the four poster bed, a nightstand, wardrobe, bookshelf and nearby writing desk there wasn’t anything else here. No paintings, no rugs, even the bookshelf was empty of anything. Hmm, this must be one of the lesser used rooms. Giving a shrug, Accord made his way over to the bed, giving it a quick once over, he found that the sheets were both clean and fresh. Giving a satisfied nod, he proceeded to carefully remove his clothes and place them in the currently empty wardrobe. Once he was finished, he pulled the covers back on his bed and after having turned the lights off, climbed into bed and promptly fell asleep. He was awoken early the next morning by the incessant prodding of somepony’s hoof against his shoulder. Grumbling to himself, he cracked an eye open and muttered, “What do you want?” A female voice replied, “It is time to start the day ‘Mr. Chancellor’.” Oh joy. It seems that my ‘secretary’ has arrived. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up. Looking to his left, he saw an Earth Pony mare looking impatiently at him, a slight frown gracing her face. “Raspberry Tea I presume?” he asked. She gave a shallow bow and replied, “At your service ‘sir’.” While he lay there, Accord looked over his new ‘secretary’. He supposed that she would be pretty, if she bothered to smile at all. Instead, her face was stoic mask, betraying nothing. Now that’s what I call a poker face. He thought to himself as he lay there, looking over the rest of her features. Her mane and tail were a reddish raspberry color, both of which were well kept. Her mane falling to the right side of her face, along with it being longer in the front, ended up obscuring one of her deep blue eyes from view. Her coat was a powder blue in color and when she turned, he could see that her cutie mark was that of a cup of tea, raspberry leaves and a scroll. While he had been laying in bed, his secretary, for lack of a better word, had set about opening the window curtains; Allowing sunlight to pour into the room and causing Accord to scrunch up his face as his eyes adjusted to the new light level. Deciding that he had wasted enough time, he rolled out of bed with a sigh and proceeded to ready himself for the day. While he went about his new morning routine, Raspberry pulled a list out of her saddlebags and rattled off Accords schedule for the day. “Once you have finished getting yourself ready, we are to meet with Captain Shining Armor-” “Wait, what about breakfast?” asked Accord, just as his belly gave a low grumble. Raspberry gave him an annoyed look and said, “Well if you had been up earlier, you wouldn’t have missed the morning meal. Now,” Accord groaned at the prospect of having to wait till the midday meal, while Raspberry continued speaking, uncaring of his plight. “As I was saying, we will be meeting with Captain Shining Armor to go over security arrangements for yourself, among other things. In addition, Celestia and Luna’s secretaries will also be present and will help bring you up to speed on various developments within the kingdom.” ]Accord paused, his right hoof halfway through his overcoats sleeve. “Wait, I thought that I hadn’t been appointed as Chancellor yet.” “You haven’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t familiarize yourself with the current workings of the government and get things arranged ahead of time. Princess Luna expects to have your swearing in ceremony as soon as she is released from the hospital after all.” “As soon as...just how long does she think she will remain there?” he asked. “A couple more days, at least. That is what she said in her letter.” she replied offhandedly as she continued to look over her list, while she waited for Accord to finish dressing. “She also mentioned creating a ‘Background’ for you before we meet with anypony.” Fumbling with the buttons of his coat, as his magic was still recovering and he wasn’t used to using a unicorn's horn, Accord asked, “So what does that entail then?” Raspberry looked up from her list and cocking an eyebrow asked, “Well, we need to cover the basics; where you were born, who your parents were, where you went to school at and so on and so forth. Basically make it so that when you are questioned about it, or if it comes up, you can keep your facts straight so that your cover isn't blown. Some ponies still haven’t quite forgiven you yet for what you did a few years ago.” Accord’s face visibly blanched at the thought, giving his head a slight shake he said, “I would assume that you would alter the records appropriately, so that they match up with my ‘story’?” She gave a dismissive flick of her hoof. “Of course, who else do you think they would trust with something like this?” “Of course, so what happens now?” “Well, you can tell me where you were ‘born’ for starters.” she replied. Giving a sigh Accord said, “Fine, now let’s see.” He paused for a moment, taking the moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “I was born to two unicorn parents. Honest Ledger, my father, was an accountant for a small shipping firm in Fillydelphia. My mother, Red Ribbon, was a seamstress and she worked with a well to do fashion designer just a few blocks from our home.” While he was speaking, Raspberry Tea was busily taking notes. Noticing that he was getting a little ahead of her, Accord slowed down and let her catch up before continuing. “When I came of age I went to one of the local public schools. I was a bit of a loner, mainly from my lack of a cutie mark-” “Hold up.” she interrupted abruptly. Finishing her current sentence, she looked up and asked, “So you never received your cutie mark as a young colt?” He nodded his head. “Correct, of course it wasn’t for lack of trying. I tried everything I could think of to try and discover it, but as you can see,” he turned and slightly lifted his coat up, exposing his blank flank. “I never got it.” “So what happened next?” she asked, pausing once more. “Well, since I didn’t have any friends to speak of while I was in school, I spent a lot of my time studying. As a result I graduated near the top of my class. Following graduation, my father suggested working for him in an apprenticeship. Since I hadn’t really tried anything like that before, I kind of hoped I would be able to gain my cutie mark that way, sadly it didn’t happen.” Raspberry gave a soft hum and asked, “So your father got you a job at the company he worked at?” “Yes.” was his reply. “And what did you do there?” Accord shrugged. “I mainly did odd jobs, filing papers, cleaning up the office, occasionally doing some of the accounting, with my father watching over me carefully of course.” Raspberry scribbled a few more notes and then asked, “What did you do when you left your parents home?” “Well, after saving up enough money from working for with my father, I applied for entrance to Fillydelphia Law School. By this time, I had taken to wearing clothing that covered my blank flank in an effort to try and blend into society.” More note scribbling and she said, “I see. And why did you pick law school, seeing as how you were still a blank flank at the time.” Accord shrugged. “Just because a pony doesn’t have their cutie mark doesn’t mean they can’t be interested in things. It so happened that law and civil affairs interested me at the time, hence the reason I tried my hoof at that type of career.” “What happened while you were in school?” she inquired. “I was generally ignored by my classmates, giving me plenty of time to work on my studies. Seeing as how I wasn’t distracted by little things like...parties.” he said the word like it was something disgusting. “I graduated near the top of my class and after leaving school took up a job offer with a small law firm. A few years later I accepted a job offered to me from the civil service, joined and worked my way up the ladder.” She remained silent for a moment, putting the finishing touches on her notes before looking up and saying, “Well, it’s not much, but I guess it will do for now. We’ll have to sit down sometime and really iron out the details of your ‘past’ so that the records can be properly altered among other things.” Accord cocked an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean, ‘among other things’?” “Don’t worry about that right now.” She said, before looking at the clock on the nearby fireplace mantel and saying, “Now, you have been stalling long enough. Let’s go.” And with that she brushed past Accord and through the door. Accord rushed to catch up with her. Walking through the castle, Accord noticed that today the castle’s staff seemed to be in a somewhat better mood. I guess having something to do helps keep your mind off your worries. He thought idly. On several occasions Raspberry would stop and talk with a castle staff member about one thing or another. Accord, naturally, was left out of the discussion and thus felt kind of awkward, just standing around doing nothing while he waited for Raspberry to finish with her little chat. Finally, after the fourth time she had stopped, a slightly irritated Accord asked, “I thought we were on a schedule?” She continued walking straight ahead, not bothering to turn her head as she replied, “We are, however we do not have to be there for a few more minutes.” Accord gave an irritated sigh as he followed along behind the increasingly irritating mare. After two more stops, they arrived in front of a pair of solid looking oak doors. Turning to Raspberry, Accord asked, “So where are we?” Raspberry opened the door and stepped through while replying, “The Royal Map Room. It’s one of the few magically reinforced rooms in the castle.” Accord found himself in a large room, the first thing he noticed about the room was that it was nearly spotless in its appearance. In addition, unlike a lot of the other windows in the castle, the one to his right was surprisingly still intact. Continuing his inspection of the room, he spotted a massive map of Equestria taking up a section of the far wall. Sweeping his gaze across the rest of the room, he noticed several bookshelves, each filled with large tomes of knowledge, lining the rest of the walls. Finally, in the center of the room was a round oak table that had been polished to a mirror gloss finish; several padded stools were set around it. While he had been examining the room, Raspberry had taken a seat on one of the stools. She waited while Accord finished looking around, and when his curiosity seemed satisfied, she cleared her throat and said, “If you are done gawking at everything, we need to get ready to meet with Captain Armor and their Highness's secretaries.” Accord simply grunted, settled himself on a stool next to Raspberry and waited for the other three ponies to arrive. It wasn’t more than a few minutes before the doors opened once more and in strode Shining Armor. His white coat and cerulean colored mane both well groomed and maintained, along with his armor being polished to a high sheen. Striding up to an empty seat, Shining removed his helmet and placed it next to him as he seated himself at the table. Placing his hooves in front of him, he gave a respectful nod to Raspberry Tea. However when he turned his gaze to Accord, his eyes narrowed slightly. Accord couldn’t tell if it was from suspicion or if that was his way of showing confusion, Accord suspected that it was the former rather than the latter. It was only reasonable that Shining would be more suspicious of unknown ponies in the wake of the recent attack upon Canterlot by the Changelings. After sitting in awkward silence for several moments, Accord opened his mouth to try and break the silence. However, he was interrupted by the double oaken doors being violently swung open and two ponies stride into the room. Said ponies seemed to be in the middle of an intense debate. “I’m telling you, Moonlight, this whole thing sounds dodgy to me. I mean, have you ever even heard of this pony before?” Moonlight replied with a roll of her eyes. “Of course not, I don’t have time to keep track of every single pony that is employed by the princesses. I have far too many important things to be doing and so do you.” “But still...” continued her companion, so engrossed were the two ponies that they failed to realize that they had in fact reached their destination and that there was an audience present. While the two were arguing, Accord took the moment to study them. Moonlight was obviously Luna’s secretary, seeing as she had the same theme as the Lunar guard. Bat wings, golden dragon eyes, purplish grey coat and a dusky purple colored mane and tail. Her demeanor was rather cool and collected, unlike her companion who seemed more energetic and outgoing. Speaking of said companion, Accord looked him over and wondered how in Equestria this stallion had become Celestia’s personal secretary. Everything about him screamed slob, his brown mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed in months and his khaki colored coat was looking a little rough as well. In addition, his hazel colored eyes just wouldn’t. Stay. Still. It was like the stallion had guzzled four gallons of the strongest tea ever brewed. Not too mention all the twitching his body was doing. Accord hadn’t even been introduced to the stallion yet and he could barely stand him already. The argument would most likely have continued but for the sudden sound of Raspberry clearing her throat, which brought the two of them up short. “Moonlight, Sun Scroll, so glad you could finally join our little meeting.” The two ponies, startled by her voice, each gave a surprised squeak and immediately looked like a pair of foals caught doing something naughty. “If you are both quite finished with your little debate, we have important matters to discuss.” Giving a sheepish look, the two quickly sat down. Once she was satisfied that everything was in order, Raspberry rapped a hoof on the table, gaining everypony’s attention. “Now that we are all present and ready to begin, shall we get started then? Shining Armor,” the stallion turned his head towards her at the sound of his name. “What is the current status of the Royal Guard here in Canterlot?” “Uh, well the Guard has sustained a few casualties, but from my understanding their injuries are minor and they should be available for duty in a few days.” “Good, and how many guardsponies are there currently in Canterlot?” she inquired. “Well right now there are four hundred and sixty effective personnel, ma’am. Not counting new recruits who are in training." “And how many new recruits are there Capitan?” “Seventy, ma’am.” he replied. Raspberry nodded and after scratching out a few notes on a nearby piece of paper with her quill, asked, “What of the emergency services? Police, fire, and medical?” At this question, Shining looked slightly nervous. “I-I’m unsure ma’am, I’m just the head of the Royal Guard after all.” Raspberry gave an unimpressed sniff and jotted a few more lines down before turning her attention to Celestia’s secretary. “Sunscroll,” he lifted his head up from off the table, “Do you have Celestia’s schedule for today with you?” He blinked once, before realizing what she wanted and levitating a thick sheaf of papers out of his saddlebags. “Um, yes I do actually.” After fumbling with them for a minute, he continued, “Uh let’s see here...the next appointment that Her Highness was to have this morning was with the Minister of Agriculture.” “And what were they going to discuss?” asked Raspberry. Sun Scroll fumbled with his papers for a moment trying to find the correct one. Finally, he managed to find the right one. “Ah-ha! Here it is!” he said happily, while waving with his hoof. Raspberry rolled her eyes. “Wonderful, now suppose you share with us what it says?” “Ah, sure.” he cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing. “Well, Princess Celestia was going to go over several new plans on increasing food output with Minister Greenbean.” Raspberry made a ‘go on’ motion with her hoof. Giving a shrug Sun said, “That’s all there is ma’am.” Raspberry facehoofed. “Was there any other appointments that she had that day?” Comprehension dawned on Sun’s face. “Oh! Uh, no there was not. The rest of her day was to either be used to catch up with paperwork or to be free time for Her Highness.” “I see,” she turned attention to Moonlight, “Now what about Princess Luna’s schedule?” “Pretty much like her sisters. I had assumed that they wanted to spend time together and catch up on some missed paperwork.” replied the batpony. “Well then, I guess that will make things easier for you then Accord.” said Raspberry. Clearing his throat, Accord replied, “I suppose so, though you still haven’t introduced me yet.” Rolling her eyes, she replied, “I was getting to that. Everypony,” she waved a hoof in Accords direction, “this is Legal Accord. He is to be helping us with the relief effort, in addition to the running of the government while Princess Celestia and Luna are recovering in the hospital.” Shining Armor raised a hoof slightly before asking, “So what you are saying, is that this pony,” he indicated Accord with a wave of his hoof. “Is now our new boss.”Raspberry nodded, “Essentially, yes. Like I said earlier, he will be standing in for the Princesses until they are able to resume their duties.” The three ponies each looked at each other, as if silently holding their own meeting, before turning their full attention on Accord. Accord felt nervous at the sudden shift in their attention to him. Feeling a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face, he gave a nervous gulp and asked, “I-is there something wrong?” “You could say that.” replied Shining Armor. “I find it highly irregular that you, a pony that we know nothing about and that we have no record of entering the city, is suddenly placed in charge of the current disaster relief effort. In addition, I have received reports from several sources that state that Discord has broken free and is currently at large and we know that he can change his form. So forgive me if I find your sudden appearance here in the halls of power a little...odd.” Accord felt his anxiety rise, which for him was something that almost never happened. Back when he was Discord, the only time he had ever felt fear or nervousness was just before and during the times he got his flank kicked by the Elements of Harmony. But for some reason he was feeling nervous. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden? Is it because I am no longer a draconequus? Okay, take a deep breath and calm yourself, so far it’s just Shining being paranoid, trouble is, he’s right. On the other hoof, you’ve got both Celestia and Luna’s backing, just keep cool and you’ll be fine. Taking a deep breath, Accord replied, “So are you implying that I am in fact Discord?” Shining made to reply, but Accord cut him off. “Because that is just silly, if I were Discord, I wouldn’t be sitting here getting things back in order, now would I?” “He’s right Shining,” interjected Raspberry. “I can personally vouch for him and so can the princesses. Accord is a special pony, one who has been in Princess Celestia’s employ for a long time. I suppose you could consider him to be a sort of firepony. Whenever a problem crops up, he’s the one who is sent to get it sorted out.”Shining still looked unconvinced. Letting go a sigh, Raspberry said, “Look, you can go and ask Princess Celestia and Luna if you want, their answer will be the same as mine. Accord was originally brought in to help with some financial difficulties that needed some straightening out, it just worked out that he was here at the time of The Event.” “What about Discord?” pressed Shining. “You can’t just write him off, if he is on the loose, then we need to be extra vigilant and if he does raise his ugly head, we need to be ready to take him down.” “Your concerns have been noted Captain, but you need not worry, Princess Celestia has seen to the matter.” “Actually, it was Luna who took care of that little...ah, problem.” interjected Accord. Shooting him a glare, Raspberry said in a slightly sarcastic tone. “Thank you for that correction Accord,” turning her attention back to the others she continued, “As I was saying, the matter has been taken care of and you need not worry about it. Now are there any further questions or concerns before we move on with the meeting?” Sun Scroll’s hoof immediately shot up. Giving a sigh, Raspberry said, “Yes Sun Scroll, you had something to ask?” “I do,” he replied, “I was wondering what Accords cutie mark looks like.” Accord’s face didn’t move an inch, but on the inside he was panicking. Oh great, what am I going to do now? If I reveal that I am a blank flank, Shining Armor’s suspicions about me will only return with full force. But if I lie about having one and it’s found out that I don’t have one, it will only make things worse! Looking over at Raspberry, hoping that she would give him a hoof, sadly she simply stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. Silently growling to himself, Accord could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Taking a deep breath and hoping what he was about to say wouldn’t come back and bite him on the flank, he said, “Well, the truth of the matter, is that I...” “That you what?” pressed Sun Scroll, curiosity lacing his voice. Giving a heavy sigh, Accord finished lamely. “I’m a blank flank.” An awkward silence descended upon the room, Sun Scroll idly rubbed his hooves on the table, suddenly very interested in the table top. Finally, an awkward cough from Shining broke the silence. “So,” he began, “Were you planning on sharing this little bit of information with us?” Accord didn’t like Shining Armors tone, not one bit. Giving him a steady look, Accord said, a touch of coolness tingeing his tone. “If memory serves me right, pressing a pony about their cutie mark when they don’t want to talk about is consider rude.” While Sun Scroll flinched at the reply, Shining didn’t even bat an eyelash, instead he shot back. “Well keeping secrets from ponies can not only be considered rude, but dangerous as well.” “Do you have a problem with me Captain?” Shining narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I believe I do, there are some things that are not adding up and I intend to find out the truth.” Accord made to retort, but the sound of a hoof striking the table top, with such force as to sound like a thunder crack, cut him off. “Captain Shining Armor, Legal Accord has been appointed to his current position by Princess Celestia herself. If you have any problems with this current arrangement then you can take them up with her. In the meantime, you will behave and cooperate with Accord in all matters. Do I make myself clear?” Shining looked like he had bitten into a rather sour lemon. “Crystal.” he ground out. Satisfied that he wouldn’t cause anymore disruptions, Raspberry turned to Accord and said in a more softer tone, “Why don’t you give them the short version of your life? So as to try and lay to rest any silly suspicions that somepony,” she said this bit while looking at a sulking Shining Armor, “might have.” “Well, I suppose so.” He said and clearing his throat he told his ‘past’ to the other ponies in the room. After he had finished his abbreviated tale, the others, save for Shining, seemed content with the story and turned their attention to Raspberry. Seeing that he was finished, she went over the remaining points that they were to discuss during the meeting. Leaning forward, so that he could rest his forelegs on the table in front of him, Accord simply listened to the conversation as it took shape around him in silence. It was several hours later before the meeting wound down and good thing too, his stomach was growling up a storm from not being fed that morning. Feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, Accord looked around to see if anypony had heard. Thankfully, the others didn’t seem to have noticed. Turning to Raspberry, he asked, “Since we seem to have exhausted all of the important business, suppose we break for dinner?” Nodding her head, she replied, “Sounds good to me.” Looking up at the clock on the wall she said, “We should have about a half hour before the evening reports and petitioners begin arriving, so if we want something to eat we better go now.” Turning to the other ponies at the table, she said, “If there isn’t anything else to discuss at present, I say that we adjourn for a half hour break and reconvene at half past six.” After gathering their things together, the five of them filed out of the map room and towards the staff dining hall. Sun Scroll and Moonlight walked ahead of the group, Sun Scroll talking at what felt like a mile a minute. Moonlight meanwhile bore up under the verbal onslaught surprisingly well all things considered and she even seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Raspberry Tea and Shining Armor meanwhile had inserted themselves into the middle of the group and seemed to be in the middle of a heated conversation. Accord meanwhile was content to remain at the back of the group, after all, he barely knew any of the ponies and two of them weren’t exactly friendly towards him. Raspberry seemed professionally distant to him, while Shining Armor on the other hoof seemed openly hostile and suspicious towards him. Which tended to limit potential conversation options considerably. So it was in this setting that they arrived at the dining halls entrance. The smell of delectable food wafting out from within causing Accords mouth to water in hungry anticipation. The two unicorn guards, upon seeing the group of ponies trotting towards them, opened the double doors with their magic, allowing Accord and the others to pass through unimpeded. The dining hall they entered was rather modest, the ceiling only being about twice the height of the average pony. In addition, both the tables and chairs were more...worn than in the main dining rooms elsewhere in the castle. The tables were scratched and stained, same with the chairs and stools, many of which didn’t even match their neighbors in color or even style. That wasn’t to say they were ready for the dump yet, but their days of being used by the nobility and visiting dignitaries were long past. The rest of the room was about the same as one would find else where in the castle, white walls with golden trim, chandeliers, with their magical illumination orbs hanging from the ceiling and the marble tiled floors completing the rooms look. Taking a seat at a nearby table in between Raspberry and Shining Armor, Accord waited impatiently for the waiter to arrive to take their orders. In the meantime, the rest of the group took their seats around the table. Accord didn’t feel like talking at the moment, so he simply rested his head on the table and closed his eyes in an effort to avoid conversation. Sadly, it didn’t seem to work. “So Accord,” cracking an eye open, Accord saw that the speaker was none other than Sun Scroll. Letting loose a heavy sigh he asked tiredly, “Yes Sun Scroll, what is it?” The other stallion nervously played with his hooves for a moment before gathering the courage to say, “You never did tell us what happened to your family after you finished law school.” If Accord hadn’t had his eyes closed, he would have rolled them in exasperation. Didn’t this stallion ever shut up? He wondered sourly. However the words never left his mind, instead he said, “I don’t want to talk about it right now Scroll. It’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten at all today.” The other stallion blinked, confused at his reply. “Oh? Why would that have anything to do with what happened to your family?” Accord instantly felt his temper flare. The combination of the events from yesterday and his lack of food today. In addition, of having to put up with Shining Armor’s hostility and Raspberry’s indifference to him. In addition to the stress of the meeting had put in a bit of a foul mood. So having Sun Scroll continue prying into his personal life and then, when he tried to politely tell him to drop it, blow it off like it wasn’t a big deal, really got him hot under the collar. Lifting his head off the table, Accord turned to fully face Scroll and said in the most even tempered voice he could manage. “Sun Scroll, I’ve had a really long day today, on top of the disaster that was yesterday has left me feeling really wrung out. So if you would be so kind as to drop the subject and leave me in peace I would be grateful.” “Oh, sorry, didn’t know you had a rough couple of days. Believe me, I know the feeling, ever since everything went crazy, I haven’t had a chance to get any sleep.” Well that would most likely explain his unkempt appearance and annoying demeanor. Thought Accord, I suppose I owe him an apology of some sort for being terse with him earlier. Opening his mouth to respond, Accord was suddenly interrupted by Shining Armor when he leaned in and whispered in his ear. “We’ve all been up since before The Event, working hard to get things back in order, so sleep has been difficult to come by. Not that you would know that, seeing as how you were enjoying that luxury last night.” He said, a sneer evident on his face. Accords cooling temper suddenly flared up again, and was even hotter now. Accord considered himself an even tempered stallion and it took a lot to get under his fur, but when it did, one of two things would happen. One, he would explode into a volcanic fury, which had only happened once and it had not been pretty, ponies still avoided the badlands even to this day. The second thing that could happen would be that he would manage to rein his temper in. Thankfully for everypony’s health, he went with option two. Taking a deep breath, Accord abruptly stood, bumping the table and catching the attention of the other three. He gave Shining a piercing glare and without a word stormed out of the dining room, slowing down only to snag a couple of sandwiches from a passing waiters tray with his recovering magic. Angrily striding past the two guards, neither of whom batted an eyelash at the angry unicorns passage, he turned in a random direction and stormed off. The sound of somepony shouting his name drifted out of the dining room. He ignored it however, in favor of lengthening his stride, so as to put as much distance as he could between himself and the others. He soon found himself in a deserted part of the castle, alone with his thoughts. As he walked along, he felt his temper cooling once more. What is Shining Armors problem? Why is he such an ass towards me? Is he like that to every new pony or is it just me? Shaking his head, he stopped in front of a recently repaired window that overlooked a portion of Canterlot below. Looking out the window, a question that had been stewing in the back of his mind came to the forefront at that moment. It is strange, this Magical Event has laid whole buildings low, but has left others next door, completely intact with next to no damage. What’s more, what could have been powerful enough to pull Equestria out of its world and into this one? He shuddered suddenly, a strange sensation overcoming him, like something was watching him from the shadows. He looked around trying to spot the source of his discomfort, but upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, turned his attention back to the window and his thoughts. My chaotic powers are all but gone now, in addition to any inclination I might have had to cause chaos. It is strange, even my memories are blurring of the time I was Discord. What could be- His thoughts were interrupted by an unknown voice. Hehe, the reason is simple Discord. I hate competition and brother, you’re some pretty tough competition. So why take a risk of you mucking everything up here like you did back in your world. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” commanded Accord. Oh, I don’t think so, at least not yet. It would ruin the surprise, and that’s no fun! You should know this. After all, you were the ‘God of Chaos’, least until you came here. No, you’re in my house now and you’ll play by my rules. Ya got that pal? “What are you babbling about? What are these so called rules, of yours?” Figure em out. I ain’t telling you nothing pony boy, that wouldn’t be any fun now would it? Accords patient was wearing thin by this point and he spat, “Tell me or so help me I’ll-” You’ll what? Yell, kick, and scream, maybe cry for your momma? Don’t make me laugh Discord, this is exactly what you used to do. Manipulating everyone around you for your own enjoyment, speaking in confusing riddles, turning everyone against each other, all for your own fun. Karma’s a bitch ain’t it? The voice laughed at its own wit before saying, Hehe, you know Discord. You and me, were a lot alike, or at least we were…until you royally screwed everything up! Now you’re just a sad little pony with no powers who thinks he’s still powerful. Well I got some news for you Discord. You’re nothing more than a little minnow swimming with sharks, if ya ain’t careful you’ll get chomped! Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve got work to do. With those words, the presence left. Accord found himself alone with the mysterious beings harsh words, It’s true, my powers are all gone now, An oppressive weight seemed to fall upon his back. A feeling of helplessness descended upon him as he stared out at the battered city. Letting loose a heavy sigh, he began mentally ticking off his current troubles. So I guess this is it, I’ve lost my powers over chaos and change, not to mention my body has been forcefully changed so that I don’t ‘scare’ anypony. Not too mention, I’m now bound to carry out the will of my former adversaries and if I step out of line it’s back to the garden as a nice decorative statue. My ‘secretary’ is actually a spy who was assigned to keep a watch on me and make sure I behave and if I don’t she’ll blow the whistle on me and then whoosh! it’s back to the gardens. What’s worse is I somehow seem to have made an enemy out of Shining Armor and on top of everything else, there’s a mysterious being running around trying to make my life more difficult! He leaned his head against the cool window panel, a powerful headache beginning to form at the base of his skull.The sound of hoofsteps approaching caused him to look up. “Oh, it’s you.” he said coolly. Raspberry stopped a few paces from him, an uncertain look on her face. Finally she took in a lungful of air and said, “Hey.” Turning to face her, he asked, “Yes?” “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” “Well, you found me.” ]Fighting down a sudden burst of irritation, she calmly replied, “Yes I have and we both have to get back to the map room before the evening reports arrive. In addition, to dealing with any new problems that may crop up.” Giving a weary sigh, he nodded and said, “I suppose, though I doubt it will be pleasant for anypony, seeing as how Captain Armor seems to have developed a distinct dislike of me.” Raspberry looked away while rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof awkwardly. “About that,” she paused as if unsure of how to proceed. Finally she just gave a sigh and said, “Shining Armor won’t be there.” Cocking an eyebrow, Accord said, “Oh?” “Yes, after you stormed off, I confronted him about it and after having a...discussion with him about it, I told him to go and get some rest.” “I take it he wasn’t to thrilled about it.” Raspberry shook her head. “No he wasn’t, but he’s wound so tight right now, that unless he gets some rest, I’m afraid he’ll snap. It doesn’t help that this hasn’t been a good for him to begin with, what with your return earlier in the year and the failed Changeling invasion a few months ago and now this.” “I see.” was his reply. Rubbing her temple with a hoof, Raspberry said tiredly, “I also told Moonlight and Sun Scroll to hit the hay as well, so it’ll just be you and I until tomorrow morning.” “Well then, I suppose we should be on our way then.” and with that he turned and trotted off, with Raspberry falling in behind him. As they walked, Accord couldn’t shake the feeling that he was once more being watch by that irritating spirit. Straightening his shoulders, he felt the feeling of despondency leave him as a sudden surge of determination welled up inside of him. I might have lost much of my powers, but I still have the basics, and even if I can’t perform the magic anymore, I still remember how to manipulate and deceive. That’s better than nothing. So with that thought, he held his head high and prepared himself for whatever was going to be thrown at him next. ~oOo~ Unfortunately for Accord, it seemed as if the universe had it out for him, for he had quickly found himself inundated with ponies seeking somepony, anypony in charge to give them direction and guidance. He had had to not only assure everypony that came through the double oak doors that not only were Celestia and Luna still alive, but that they would recover in time. In addition, he had had to deal with several high-ranking nobles, who had inquired as to the Solar Sisters health, including Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Shining Armors new wife if Accord remembered correctly. Apparently, word had spread that both Celestia and Luna were on their deathbeds and the flood of concerned ponies that had inundated the hospital. Which had forced the hospital staff to bar everypony, including family, from entering the princesses wing of the hospital, so that they could get their rest. Accord had made a mental note to release an official statement dispelling the rumor as soon as possible. Thankfully all that was need, was a quick explanation that the rumors were untrue and that Celestia and Luna were fine. Satisfied that everything was fine, she had retired to her home for the evening exhausted. Now with the clock about to chime one o'clock in the morning Accord let out a loud yawn and thought, If there is one thing that I will miss from my days as a god it will be the ability to go for long periods of time without sleep. Looking up at the map, he saw the various symbols emplaced on it and thought, At least it isn’t as bad as we thought it was. Death toll is down below a thousand across the country and those who are injured haven’t even broken ten thousand in number…yet. But the damage, He shook his head, the damage reports had kept flooding in and the price tag had only kept rising. Currently the treasury was looking at a total of over seventy million bits in public property damage alone and this was only the second day after The Event. At this rate, Equestria will go bankrupt, He ran a hoof through his mane and sighed,There is no way the government can pay for all of this, not unless there were massive cuts in the budget along with a tax. But at the same time, the citizens can’t afford to shoulder a tax increase right now, so the question becomes, how can we pay for it all? Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, turning, he called out in a weary voice. “Enter.” The door open and a guard poked his head in and said, “Sir, there is a messenger from Manehattan here to see you.” “I suppose it’s more damage reports,” Sighing, he waved a hoof and said, “Send them in please.” The door opened wider and in walked a mailmare. She was a pegasus with a black mane and tail, a single orange highlight running through both. Her coat was a burgundy in color and her cutie mark was a rolled scroll pierced with an arrow. She had a pair of flying goggles draped around her neck and a pair of special saddlebags strapped to her back. The bags were secured with a strap that hooked underneath her and one that fit snuggly around her neck to prevent the bags from falling off during flight. These bags were often worn by pegasi flyers, as they sometimes have to perform aerial maneuvers that would dislodge a normal saddlebag from their backs. She came up and bowing her head in respect, announced, “My name is Cinder Flare and I have a letter from an Officer Bright Beam in Manehattan. It was to be delivered to either one of the Princess’s or if they were unavailable to deliver it to the next pony in charge. Which I guess means you, if you would sign here please.” She pulled out a clipboard from her bag and waited for Accord to sign, when he finished, she tucked it back in her bag and turned to leave when Accord called out, “Wait please, I might need your services later.” Shrugging she leaned up against a wall and patiently waited for him to give her her next assignment. Accord opened the letter and began to read, To whom it may concern, I, Officer Bright Beam, customs officer of Manehattan am writing this letter requesting instructions on a most important matter. A large ship has entered Manehattan Harbor. It is not from Equestria nor any other country that we know of. According to the ships papers it is registered in a country called, the ‘United States of America’, in addition, the crew is also of an unknown species. However, they seem peaceful and speak Equinic fluently. I respectfully request instructions on how to proceed. Currently I have the ship quarantined in the harbor. In addition, the ‘American’ ship has picked up a local kelp fisher. I am currently questioning him and according to his initial testimony, these beings are quote, “quite nice and helpful” end quote. I however, am unsure on how to properly handle the situation. I therefore respectfully request further instructions on how to handle this matter. Sincerely, Officer Bright Beam, Equestrian Customs, Manehattan. Accord finished reading the letter and setting it on the round table, turned back to the mailmare. “Cinder Flare was it?” he asked. “Yes sir, what can I do for you?” she replied. “Are you up to a return trip tonight?” he asked. “Sure, I’ve got plenty of juice left, where do you need me to deliver the message?” “Manehattan, specifically Officer Bright Beam. However, it will be a short time before I require your service so why don’t you go and get a little something to eat and take a short break?” “Sounds good to me, a nice daisy sandwich sounds like it would the spot nicely.” she replied happily. Nodding his head, Accord called out, “Guards,” A guard poked his head in with a questioning look. “Please show Ms. Flare to the kitchen, she’s had a long flight and is in need of some food.” “Yes sir,” Motioning with his hoof he said, “If you will follow me ma’am.” As Cinder Flare and the guard pony left, Accord gave a weary sigh and turning to Raspberry, said, “Well can’t say I was expecting this.” She nodded, before asking, “What now?” Accord rubbed his chin in thought before saying, “I suppose I should respond to Officer Bright Beam’s letter.” “What will you say?” Accord was silent for a moment, before replying, “I will send him instructions to keep the mysterious beings quarantined until further instructed.” Raspberry simply nodded. Turning his attention back to the map, he pondered, I wonder how Celestia and Luna will react to this new revelation? ~oOo~ As Cinder Flare trotted behind the guard, she took in the sights of the castle. Everything was a mess outside of the map room where that important unicorn was. She was a curious pony by nature, with a weakness for strange and interesting objects. Her home in Cloudsdale was full of strange objects that she had found while she was out, normally when she was doing her mail route. She had found such strange things as a steel bar bent into a pretzel, a colorful rock, and even a few pretty seashells, just to name a few. She particularly enjoyed meeting new ponies and due to her friendly nature would quickly befriend them, though sometimes the pony in question didn’t return her sentiments. Such as her current escort, who had polity told her that he had no desire to be her friend and that she should just be quiet. Therefore, she had reluctantly complied, though she still thought he was being a big grouch. After having traveled in silence for a time she couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “So, where are you from?” The guard gave her an annoyed look and said, “Ma’am, please be quiet, it is against regulations for guards to chat while on duty.” “Oh, okay.” she replied disappointedly. Finally, they arrived at the kitchens and the guard said, “This is the kitchen, do not leave it until you are sent for.” “Okay, sounds good. See ya later Mr. Guard!” Cinder cheerily waved at the guard as he left. Turning back to the currently empty kitchen, she rubbed her hooves together and said, “Okay let’s see where they keep the bread!” It was nearly two hours later when a different guard came to get her, in that time she had made herself a sandwich and eaten it. In addition, she had cleaned her plate and those left out by the kitchen staff, which was around two hundred or so and had just finished putting the last one away. She didn’t handle boredom well. The guard simply stood in the doorway and said, “If you are finished playing dishwasher, your presence is required in the map room.” “Okay, okay. Sheesh, somepony’s pushy.” She followed the guard back towards the map room. As she followed along behind him, she noticed several other ponies cleaning and fixing up the corridor. She spotted a brown earth pony removing a small cracked granite bust of Celestia and immediately she was standing next to him a wide smile stretched across her face and asked, “Hi, I’m Cinder Flare! You’re not going to throw that out are you?” The earth pony looked from her to the guard, who simply stood back with an expression on his face of, You’re on your own pal. “Uh…well it is damaged, so yes, I am.” “Can I have it?” she asked excitedly. “Uh…why?” “Cause it looks so cool, especially with this crack and everything! So can I have it, pretty please?” she said while batting her eyelashes at him in a playful manner. Looking back at the guard who merely shrugged, the earth pony replied, “I…guess?” “YAY! Thank you!” She grabbed the bust and after having transferred all of the stuff in one bag to the other, she carefully placed her prize in her bag and trotted happily down the corridor after the guard, leaving the confused earth pony behind. Upon reaching the map room, Cinder found herself once more in the presence of the strange unicorn with the green and gold coat. He looked at her and said, “Here is the instructions for Officer Bright Beam, I need these taken to him immediately. In addition, I want you to tell him that I will arrive a few hours after the arrival of this letter so make sure he understands that these tasks must be completed quickly.” “Understood sir!” She gave a salute and after having stowed the letter in her saddlebags turned and quickly made her way out of the castle. Upon reaching the outside, she put her goggles back on and adjusted them so that they would sit properly. Spreading her wings, she took off into the sky, the weight of the bust in her left side saddlebag throwing off her balance slightly. However, she quickly became accustomed to its weight and automatically compensated for it, after all it wouldn’t be the first time she had an unbalanced load. Turning southeast, she flew on into the night, savoring the feeling of flight. The cool breeze as it caressed her feathers, the whistle of the wind as it rushed past her ears and the best part of all, the view. It was almost as if she could see forever, down below she could see a small hamlet. A few lights could still be seen at this late hour, casting pools of golden light on the ground below. It was an exhilarating feeling, one she was grateful to have whenever she wanted to. She felt sorry for those earth ponies and unicorns that would never be able to experience this feeling. Catching a weak thermal, she rose in altitude and spotting a fluffy cumulus cloud she stopped for a rest. Looking out over the dark countryside, she sighed in bliss. This was the life, open sky with no worries in sight. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, the clouds fluffiness inviting her to take a nice nap. Her eyes closed for a moment, it had been a long day and she was tired, surely nopony would blame her if she just caught a few winks? It became even more difficult to stave off sleep. However, a sudden chilly breeze caused her to become wide-awake, it was almost as if it were saying, No time to sleep now dearie, you have a job to do. You can sleep later. Shaking her head, she said to nopony in particular, “Almost drifted off, that wouldn’t have been good,” Looking around herself at the night sky she said to no one in particular, “Thank you.” With that, she readjusted her goggles and continued on her way. She managed to make Manehattan just as the sun was rising in the east. Looking around, she quickly spotted a large group of ponies gathered round a small wooden building near the docks. Angling her wings, she quickly descended and after giving a shouted warning landed near the door of the building, which had a large sign over the it saying, Manehattan Customs Office. Quickly trotting towards the door, she found her way blocked by a local police officer, he looked down at her and said, “State your business.” “My name is Cinder Flare and I’ve got a message for Officer Bright Beam from Canterlot.” She reached in her saddlebag and waved the aforementioned document at him. The police officer looked it and her over one more time then said, “You may enter.” Giving him a courteous nod, Cinder walked through the door. She soon found herself in a plain office, a pair of uncomfortable looking wooden chairs sitting near the door. A few filing cabinets lined one of the walls, with a clock ticking quietly away above them. A large window to her right let in light and a large beat up metal desk sat in the middle of the room, sitting behind that desk writing furiously was Officer Bright Beam. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a while, his mane was a mess and his uniform was wrinkled. A cup of long forgotten tea sat to one side, having since become cold. When he failed to look up from his writing, Cinder Flare cleared her throat and said, “Delivery for an Officer Bright Beam from Canterlot.” His head came up like a dog who had found a scent. Quickly he dropped the pencil from his magical grasp and got out of his chair, trotting around the table he said, “Thank you, this must be the instructions from Canterlot.” He quickly signed his name on the receipt and tore open the letter. Rapidly scanning it, he let out a sharp gasp and grabbing his cap, ran out the door barking orders. Leaving a confused and tired Cinder Flare in his wake. Looking around the office once more, she spotted a folding cot in the corner that she had somehow missed earlier, and without a moment’s hesitation she unfolded it and laid down for some well-earned rest. ~oOo~ The sun was nearing its zenith as the sky carriage, carrying Accord and Raspberry Tea reached Manehattan Harbor. The pair of pegasi guards pulling the carriage flared their wings as they came in for the final approach. The area they had landed in had been cleared several hours ago by local police officers and had then been cordoned off to prevent any prying eyes. As the carriage rolled to a stop, Accord looked over the area, Less damage than in Canterlot, but still quite a bit. Shaking his head, he stepped down from the carriage, followed by Raspberry and after thanking the two guards trotted over towards a small tent that had been set up on one of the wharves. Magiking the flap aside he strode in and was greeted by the sight of two individuals. One, a unicorn was dressed in a custom officer’s uniform and was presumably Officer Bright Beam. The other however was a different matter. Accord assumed that this must be the captain of the ship he had seen at anchor in the harbor. He stood on two legs and other than the top of his head, he was hairless. At least Accord assumed as such since the being was covered in clothing, much like Accord, who had changed out of his previous outfit after one of the guards had found more clothing that fit him. Opting for a more simple outfit with less frills and sturdier coat more suited for travel than his previous outfit. The being’s clothes were simple and well worn. Accord could see numerous stains and repaired tears in both the pants and coat. Both of which were a faded dark blue. The two leg held his beat up hat in his hands and as Accord studied him, the fellow seemed to become nervous. Finally, Accord said, “My name is Legal Accord and I am a representative of Her Highness Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” A look of surprise, or what Accord assumed was surprise, crossed the beings face, Accord continued, “I have been instructed by the Princesses to find out if you and your people are dangerous to the well being of this nation. What say you?” The two leg shifted nervously then spoke, “While I can’t speak for every nation out there, uh, Mr. Accord, I can say that we in the United States would probably favor peace.” Accord arched an eyebrow and asked, “What do you mean probably favor peace?” “Well, I am but a humble merchant captain, I don’t exactly have the ear of President Roosevelt. However, the United States, to the best of my knowledge, doesn’t bully its neighbors unlike other countries out there.” “Do you happen to have a map of your world?” Accord asked politely. Nodding his head the captain replied, “Yes I do, it is over here.” He pointed to the table behind him on which a large map had been spread out. Walking up to the table, Accord looked at the map carefully. To his surprise, he found that it was in Equinic. In addition, there were many countries spread across its surface. In addition to this ‘United States’ that the two leg had spoken of, Accord saw many other countries, some larger than the United States and others smaller. The one that intrigued him the most was the country called ‘Russia’ it stretched across an entire land mass and was easily the biggest out of all the other countries. Turning to look at the two leg Accord finally asked, “What are you called, and what is your name if I may ask?” The two leg replied, “Well if you’re referring to my species, then we call ourselves humans, as for my nationality it is American and my name is Joshua Phelps.” Accord processed this new information, mentally tasting each word, finally he said, “Tell me Captain Phelps, what do you know about this country?” He tapped the one called Russia. “Honestly not much. I know that they have a czar as their ruler,” When he saw the look of confusion on Accords face he clarified. “I believe a czar is like a king, only with more power or some such. I honestly don’t know, I’ve never put into a Russian port so I’ve never had the chance to ask.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “I know that they recently lost a war with Japan over a territorial dispute a few years back.” Accords ears perked up at the mention of the word war, he turned to fully face the captain and calmly asked, “You said that they were at war recently?” When Joshua nodded Accord continued,” And how often are war’s fought?” Shrugging again he replied, “I don’t really know, offhand I guess it really just depends on your definition of a war. The last big war that the US fought was the Spanish American war back about ten years ago. We took Cuba, some small Pacific islands and the Philippines from Spain in that one. Before that, we had our civil war, which was a little over thirty years before the war with Spain. Of course, there are always minor skirmishes and border clashes between countries. Then there was the whole rush to colonize Africa and what not, Brits got into a fight with the natives and won. Though, I never really paid much attention to that sort of thing.” He shrugged again. Officer Beam and Raspberry Tea, just stared at him, their mouths agape. Accord meanwhile kept his face calm, Hmm, a war every thirty years, or less? The very idea is ludicrous, how would they pay for these wars, and why would there people willing allow such events to happen so frequently? I must have more information! Keeping his face a mask of disinterest, he asked another question. “So if these countries are constantly fighting, what kind of military's do they have and how big are they?” Joshua cracked a small smile and replied nonchalantly, “Oh, depends on the country, some have conscription like Russia and Germany. While others have voluntary service, like the US, the size of the military also depends as well. Some countries have vast armies, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, while others are content with much smaller armies.” This time Accord had a harder time keeping his face impassive. Hundreds of thousands? How do they pay for them, or feed them or take care of them? It’s beyond comprehension! Before and even when I was Discord, I never had more than a small guard of no more than a few hundred, mainly to handle the small stuff I couldn’t be bothered with. After all, when you’re a powerful being why would you need an army? But here he was confronted with the realization that Equestria was not only in a new world, but that the natives were prone to extreme bouts of violence and that Equestria was virtually defenseless against them. Accord did not look forward to giving this news to Celestia, not at all. Author's Note Wow, it's been well over a month since last update. Sorry about that, December was not a good month for me. Getting sick with Bronchitis and then getting better just in time for the holiday rush on top of getting ready to head back to college left me drained. But I finally got this thing done, ~yay! Standard shoutout now, I would like to thank my editor, Shoggoth, for helping me get this train wreck sorted out. In addition, Cinder Flare is the OC pony of RazgrizS57, and that should just about wrap this up. Oh, one last thing, if you guys spot any errors let me know please. Thank you. Chapter 5 (Ancient History)Chapter 5 Ancient History Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. -George Santayana Canterlot Catacombs, July 14, 1908 10:43am The next morning, Twilight once again found herself inside the catacombs of Canterlot Castle with Princess Luna, Legal Accord, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. However, unlike the last time she was here, she had come prepared. Her saddlebags were full of paper and quills for note taking, and she had packed a light lunch in case they took longer than last time. However, sleep had not come easily for her last night, as a multitude of question had been on her mind that night. So it was a less than rested Twilight that greeted the dawn. Thankfully, Applejack and Rainbow had taken it upon themselves to bring Fluttershy and Rarity up to speed on what they had experienced last night; something Twilight was grateful for as it was one less thing she had to worry about as she hadn’t been able to sleep. She had decided to write down what she could remember from their visit to the catacombs beneath the castle and she also had several questions that she wanted to ask Luna about that she hadn’t thought of the day before. In fact, right now seemed like a good time to ask one of those questions. Clearing her throat, she asked Luna politely, “Your Highness, may I ask you a question?” Turning her full attention towards her, Luna replied, “You may, and please when we are not in a formal setting you may all call me Luna.” Nodding her head, Twilight said, “Of course You- I mean Luna.” Gathering her thoughts she continued, “I was wondering about that weapon you showed us last night.” “The rifle?” asked Luna. Momentarily confused at the word, Twilight quickly realized what Luna was referring to and replied, “Yes, the ah, ‘rifle’.” “What did you wish to know about it?” inquired the Lunar Princess. “Well, I was wondering why it was designed that way, and I was wondering what other types of weapons came before it.” Nodding her head, Luna replied, “While I do not know all of the details of the weapons history, I do know that before this particular weapon was designed, that firearms of the period were almost exclusively used by either unicorns or those with the means to wield them, such as griffons or diamond dogs.” “Wait you mean those dogs actually had weapons like this?” asked Rainbow Dash incredulously. Luna chuckled and replied, “Yes, they did, but from my understanding they were crude designs. If what Tia says is true, and I have little reason to doubt her, most of the weapons the diamond dogs used during the war were manufactured by us and given to them for their use. Though what they did with them after the war I do not know, after all Geo Dogs don’t really have a single nation.” “Geo Dogs? I thought they were called Diamond Dogs?” asked Rainbow. “Well that is the name of one of the clans that inhabit these lands. But they are actually a fairly recent group, if what I have heard is to be believed. Geo Dogs however is what their species is referred to in a general sense, just as we are referred to as ponies rather than as Equestrians on occasion.” “So what you’re saying is that there are more clans than the Diamond Dogs out there?” Luna nodded. “Correct, Rainbow. Many of these clans live in remote locations and tend to keep to themselves, and just like ponies they differ in many ways. Both in appearance, temperament, customs and history, just to name a few things.” She waved a hoof as if trying to clear away some smoke and said. “But I digress, back to your question Twilight. The main reason this rifle is built the way it is, is because we no longer had to rely solely on unicorns or those with paws to wield these weapons. Before the creation of this weapon, our firearms were of a much different design.” “What did they look like?” inquired Twilight. “They were just simple metal tubes with a touch hole at one end to ignite the powder.” Luna replied. “Really crude and not very effective, but over time they were improved upon. However, we found that, baring unicorns and those with dexterous means, the only way for earth ponies or pegasi to use the weapons with any kind of ease was with a lever underneath it. However, that type of trigger was still cumbersome to use and proved to be somewhat dangerous. Accidental discharges were common and the lever triggers were prone to breaking making them unpopular with the troops. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much of a choice but to continue using that type of trigger, if we wanted more than just unicorns equipped with firearms. That is until the development of the magical harnesses.” “Why was that so important?” wondered Applejack. “Well, up till the invention of the self contained cartridge I showed you yesterday, ponies had to load the weapon from the muzzled using loose powder and lead balls. Needless to say, the process was slow and cumbersome to the extreme if one was not a unicorn or possessed claws.” She paused for a moment as if unsure how to continue. Finally she said, “With their discovery, ponies were no longer confined to one type of firing mechanism and nor were the soldiers of other nations; it also made loading the weapons much easier. However, the harnesses were not easy to make, as they required a significant amount of time and effort to allow them to work properly. I think there’s a book somewhere around here about how to make and maintain them.” She looked around the room, a slightly confused expression on her face, before turning her attention back to the group. “Well, I’ll have it found later if you are interested in their design. Anyways, as time went on experiments were conducted in ways to make these weapons more efficient for ponies to use, until we arrive that the design you see today.” While they had been talking, the group had continued walking along the row they were currently in and had soon found themselves at the very same boxes as the night before. During her lecture, Luna had pulled the rifle from its protective box and with a strange looking knife, which she had also pulled from the same box as the rifle, pointed out the various features of the weapon as she was explaining. Twilight, who had levitated a quill and parchment from her bags, had been busily scribbling while Luna lectured on about the history of firearms. Pausing in her note taking she looked up and asked, “Okay, but that still leaves the question of why the weapon has that type of mechanism. Since we have magic wouldn’t it be easier to just dispense with the,” She consulted her notes for a moment and then continued, “external firing mechanism and instead just interact directly with the…” She glanced back down at her notes, searching for the term she was looking for. However, Luna had failed to cover the inner workings of the rifle so she was without a term for what she wanted to ask. Thankfully, Luna supplied the term she was looking for. “You mean the firing pin? Well, there had been experiments along that line of thought. However, it soon became apparent that most ponies, and even some unicorns, had difficulty interacting with something they couldn’t see. In addition, it was just easier from a production standpoint that this design was the ultimate winner. This allowed for a standard type of rifle to be fielded by the allied forces, and with the harnesses and this rifle it could be done.” “Wait, allied forces?” asked Twilight. “Yes, the Grand Alliance, as it was called, comprised of Celestia’s forces, the Zebra’s, Griffons and Geo Dogs, among other contributors, during the Nightmare Wars. However, those four were the ones who comprised the bulk of the fighting forces.” Twilight furiously scratched her quill across the paper she held with her magic, an intense expression upon her face as she drank in Luna’s words and committed them to paper. Finally, when she had caught up she asked another question. “So, now that we know a little more about the rifle what about the bullet?” Luna blinked and with her magic summoned the bullet in question; it was a simple straight brass cylinder with a rim at one end and a lead bullet at other. She let Twilight take a few notes and even draw a simple illustration of the cartridge before she continued speaking. “As you can see, this is the type of ammunition that is used with the rifle. However, rather than have me explain how it all works, it would be better if you just read the manuals that came with them.” she said while pulling out a sheaf of bound parchments from another box. Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of reading, while Rainbow Dash simply groaned at her friends egg headedness. Shooting Rainbow a look of annoyance, Twilight opened her mouth to give a retort but a look from Applejack stilled her voice. Instead, she turned back to the Princess and after accepting the manual and placing it in her bag for further study later, said, “Thank you Your Highness, I’ll be sure to go over it later this evening.” “Hey, what’s that over there?” Inquired Rainbow, pointing over towards the far wall where a row of tarp covered objects rested. Motioning for Accord to push her bed, he began to make his way towards the far wall, where the covered object’s rested. When Luna was next to one of the mysterious tarp covered objects, she used her magic to rip the dusty cover from it, revealing a somewhat familiar looking object. “Hey, that kind of looks like Pinkie Pie’s party cannon.” observed Twilight. Luna cocked an eyebrow at Twilight’s comment. “Pray tell, where did Pinkie Pie acquire a cannon in the first place and why would she use it for parties?” Shrugging, Twilight replied, “I have no idea where she got it, all I know is that she uses it to help her set up party decorations and stuff. Don’t ask me how she does it, cause I don’t know and the last time I tried to figure her out, I nearly went crazy from the attempt.” “I...see.” clearing her throat, Luna continued, “Well, at least you know what this is, so I won’t have to explain how it works or anything like that. But I can say that this particular model doesn’t fire parties out of its mouth.” While the cannon did kind of look like Pinkie’s, the resemblance was only passing and Twilight had no doubt that she wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of what it fired. Taking a closer look, she could see that the cannon had two iron shod wooden spoke wheels on either side of a long metal barrel. Which had been so well polished when it was originally stored that it still gleamed a soft silver under the light cast from above. The barrel sat on a thick wooden axle that was reinforced with wide bands of metal wrapped around either side for additional strength. A pair of pivots were connected to the barrel on either side and were centered above the wooden axle. Walking around towards the rear of the cannon Twilight could see that somepony had wrapped additional metal bands around this end of the cannon's barrel and had then for whatever reason put an odd looking handle at the end of it. Luna chuckled at Twilight’s careful inspection of the gun and said, “I can see that you have a few questions Twilight.” Twilight absently nodded as she continued to inspect the rear of the cannon. Directing Accord to move her closer to the back of the piece, Luna asked, “What did you want to know?” Still staring at the gun, she absently replied, “Well, I was kind of wondering what this is, it looks to be some kind of mechanism, possibly to load the cannon?” she looked up, a look of hopeful questioning on her face. Luna nodded. “You are correct, this cannon here is a three-inch breech-loading field gun and fires a simple shell and powder bag arrangement rather than loose powder and ball. According to Celestia, these cannons were the last to ever be made and are our most advanced field pieces. This,” She tapped the end of the gun, “Is, as you guessed, the breech and when you rotate this handle here,” She demonstrated by grasping the handle in her magic and rotated it, causing it to open outward and to the right on a pivot. “You open the breech of the gun, and you’re now ready to load the shell and powder bag into it. To close it, just reverse what you did to open it and then prime the powder bag with this rod here,” She waved the aforementioned rod in her magic and demonstrated how to ‘prime’ the powder bag by putting the end of the rod in a small hole near the breech of the gun. “And now all you have to do is put the friction primer in and you’re now ready to fire the gun.” Which she proceeded to do, by placing one of the ends into the hole and then said, “Now all one must do now to fire it is to pull this lanyard hard enough and it will cause the friction primer to ignite the powder in the breech of the gun.” She removed the lanyard from the hole and placed it back in the pouch she had taken it from. Turning back to the group, she pointed at a screw type device underneath the breech of the gun and said, “This is an elevation screw; it allows the gun crew to change the elevation of the guns muzzle to affect the range the shell will fly when fired.” Having finished her impromptu lecture Luna waited for anymore questions from the group. Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and asked, “So, um, is there anything else like this down here?” “If you are referring to more cannons, then yes. Celestia said she had at least one battery’s worth of each type of artillery piece stored down here after the end of the war and the signing of the treaty. In addition, she had several thousand shells for each gun stored here, as well as replacement parts should the any of the preservation spells lose their potency over the years.” “Oh, okay.” Looking around, Rainbow asked curiously, “So what other kinds of weapons and stuff are down here that you could show us?” Laughing softly, Luna replied, “Oh many things Rainbow. Accord, if you could float me over that way, I think there is something that you might all find interesting.” Doing as he was instructed, Accord floated Luna’s bed further down the aisle. Asking him to stop in front of a large pile of rocks, Luna pointed at the pile and asked, “What do you think this is?” The three friends gathered around the rock pile and inspected it most carefully. Finally, Rainbow said, “It’s a pile of rocks with weird carvings on them.” Luna laughed and replied, “Well, yes it is now, but that is not entirely correct.” “I don’t follow.” said Twilight confused. “Well, I guess you could say that it was always a pile of rocks. However, at one point it was hoped that they could become so much more. This pile of rocks, and others like it, were an experiment to try to find a way for soldiers to assault heavy fortifications without taking heavy losses. Alas, it was not to be, the thing never worked properly and remained a dream.” “What do you mean by that? How was it was supposed to help soldiers assault heavy fortifications?” asked Twilight. “Well I do not know all of the details, but from what Tia told me, these rocks would form together when activated and turn into a walking wall of sorts, preventing the enemy from inflicting gruesome losses on us. In addition, it could also pick things up, such as large boulders, and throw them at enemies, among other activities.” “Really? That is so cool! Could you imagine the stuff you could do with this?” Rainbow exclaimed excitedly. Nodding her head, Twilight said, “Yes, I could definitely see the many applications, other than combat, that this could be put to. It is a shame it didn’t work though. Do you know why it didn’t work Luna?” “I’m not sure. I too found my interest piped by this and decided to read up on the original development teams notes and blueprints. The theory and design were sound. However, from what I found it was almost impossible to control and seemed to take too much energy on the part of the spell caster to maintain.” Twilight scribbled a few notes on her quickly growing pile of papers and asked, “How did one operate it?” “From the notes I read, it was through a modified Come to Life Spell, which gave the caster a greater degree of control over it. However, as I said before it was terribly draining and would quickly exhaust them after only a few minutes. They never managed to figure it out sadly. If you want, I could get you their research notes and material if you’re curious.” Luna generously offered. “Oh, would you? I would be most grateful Your Highness! This is a really interesting idea and I would love to know more about it.” replied Twilight gratefully. Giving Twilight a nod, Luna replied, “I will see to it that you receive everything you require. It may be possible that you could even unlock the secret of getting this to work.” Twilight's eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed. “A chance to work on something as old as this. Oh thank you Your Highness!” Luna gave a shallow nod.“You are welcome.” she said. Turning her head away from the group, she swept a hoof across the room saying, “As you can see, this is only a small portion of the many wonders of the past that rest within this room. Many of these wonders are dangerous, others less so.” She paused for a moment as if considering something, before continuing her train of thought. “Shall we continue the ‘tour’ or are you three ready to head back?” The three friends looked at each other and then Applejack spoke up, “If it’s alright with you Princess Luna, we’d like to continue.” “Alright then. If Accord would be so kind as to take me over that way, I think there are a few things that might still surprise you.” ~oOo~ Several hours later Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack sat around a table in the hospital's cafeteria and discussed what they had been shown. “I don’t know Twilight, I mean yeah some of that stuff is pretty neat, but at the same time it’s also kinda scary. Not that I’m scared or anything.” Rainbow Dash hastily added, putting on a brave face, even though Twilight could see that she was scared inside, as was Twilight herself. Applejack probably felt the same way as the other two on the subject of war. It was a scary subject, though some of the things that the Princess had shown them looked like they could be put to more peaceful uses with a few changes made to them. The stone warriors were a prime example. From the few notes she had read already they represented a major breakthrough in the field of Animation Magic. Being able to control several thousand pounds of rock even for a short time was a major accomplishment. Twilight remembered her first Winter Wrap Up when she used a Come to Life Spell on a snow mover and accidently caused an avalanche. However, that was nothing compared to the stone warriors. Not only were they more complicated than the snow mover was, but also much different in the way they were operated. The snow mover was a wheeled vehicle, while the stone warriors moved by walking; their massive forms more similar to a mountain troll than a wheeled plow. Or at least in theory. Reality had dealt that dream a harsh blow. From the initial field report, the creation had stumbled about like a drunken pony. What was worse, it tended to crush whatever it tried to pick up and hold in its ‘paws’. All in all, it had been a poor performance. In spite of that, the designers had not been discouraged and instead attacked the problems with gusto. By the time the project was canceled, they had managed to iron out most of the problems except for the power issue, and if the project had been allowed to continue, Twilight had no doubt in her mind that they would have perfected it in time. In the end however, they hadn’t had the chance, so now it fell to another generation of inventors and mages to figure it out. Even from the few notes she had read, Twilight already had several ideas and a partial theory developed on the subject and was eager to get to work. However, first things first: it was time to bring the rest of her friends up to speed on the latest ‘tour’ of the catacombs. In addition, they would need to write up a ‘report’ on their initial findings and thoughts about what they saw, heard, and experienced, As well as any recommendations on what they as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony felt was safe to release to the general public. Twilight felt that it might take awhile to write up the report, as already Applejack and Rainbow were arguing over something that they had seen. When Rarity and Fluttershy eventually joined the discussion it only got worse. Twilight felt the beginnings of a headache coming on and moaned silently to herself. It’s going to be a long day. Canterlot Hospital, Celestia and Luna’s Room, July 14, 1908 7:03pm As Accord opened the door to Celestia and Luna’s room, he heard muffled voices on the other side. Glancing at Luna, he quirked an eyebrow. Luna simply shrugged and said, “I didn’t know we were going to have visitors either so don’t look at me.” Without saying a word Accord opened the door, and with Luna’s bed in tow, walked in to find that Celestia had not one but two visitors. One, a tan furred griffon, was shorter than Accord; the top of her head barely reaching above his shoulder. Her head feathers were the standard white commonly found among the species, though speckled with black as if someone had flicked ink on her face. She wore a simple, yet fashionable suit that gave her an air of class and importance. Turning his attention to the other visitor, Accord felt a twinge of surprise at the sight of the zebra standing before him in the room. He sported a simple brown cloak that covered most of his body, and carried himself with a certain athletic grace that bespoke of years of training, possibly in one of the forms of zebra martial arts. Hearing a soft cough, Accord turned to see that Celestia was now sitting up in her bed, which was a marked improvement over this morning. Her eyes however were still covered by bandages. The doctors were still hesitant on removing the bandages due to fear that it could further damage her eyes as it was still unclear what had caused the initial damage. From what he had heard, they likely wouldn’t be safe to remove for at least another week. Accord felt that they were being pessimistic, but better to be safe rather than sorry. Another quiet cough brought his mind back from its wanderings and he said, “Forgive me Your Highness, I was lost in thought.” Celestia gave a maternal smile and replied, “That is alright Accord, I am glad that you two have returned. It turns out that we are not the only ones to come through to this world during The Event. May I introduce you to Ambassador Gazeti, representative to Equestria of the Zebra Council.” The ambassador solemnly inclined his head without speaking. Turning to ‘look’ at the griffon, Celestia continued, “This is Countess Maria von Eisenburg, representative to the King of Griffons, Gustav II.” She also inclined her head, declining to speak as well. Celestia spoke once more, “Everyone, this is my soon to be chancellor, Legal Accord.” Seeing as how neither the Countess nor the Ambassador had spoken, Accord felt it was only appropriate that he follow suit, declining to speak as well. An awkward silence descended on the room as the two ambassadors and Accord looked each other over. Finally, Luna, having grown tired of the silence inquired. “Celestia you said that both the Zebra Lands and the Griffon Kingdom have also come through with us?” “Well, yes and no to both. It seems as though a part of their respective countries have come through with us. In addition, they seem to have taken far less damage than us, which could help us tremendously in helping rebuild our nation.” replied Celestia. She was about to continue when the countess interjected, “Ja, it iz true.” Her thick griffon accent making it slightly difficult for Accord to follow as she continued speaking, “I haff been informed zat a modest portion of our country haz come through vith yours. Sadly, our capital did not, und ve are vithout a central government at zis time...” She said, suddenly trailing off, at a loss of what to say next and simply waited for someone else to speak. It was a rare sight to see a griffon unsure of anything, especially one of the nobility. Who were taught from birth to never let weakness or uncertainty show lest they allow their enemies an opportunity to cause them harm. She must be shaken indeed, if she is allowing her uncertainty show as easily as she is now. Thought Accord, it was at this moment he felt the need to speak, and so he asked, “How much has come through?” “I vas told dat most of ze Vestern Mountains came through, I vas also told zat a part of za Immergrün Tal came through with it as vell. Though I am unsure of vat else might have come through at zis time.” Settling her wings, she waited for someone else to ask any further questions. When none were forthcoming, she took a slight step back as if relinquishing the floor from someone else to speak. Turning to the ambassador, Accord inquired, “And what of your lands?” He simply looked back at the chancellor for a short time before he answered in a deep bass voice. “Roam did not come through, that much we know. It seems as though this Mist you speak of did not reach beyond the Wazi River.” If what he said was true, and if memory served him correctly, that meant that nearly a third of the Zebra Lands had come through with them. In addition, that meant that some of their richer coalfields had also come through. Hazarding a guess he asked, “Does it end right at the Wazi River along its entire length?” “Not quite on the river, no. There are several miles between the banks of the river and the ocean that swallowed the rest of our lands, we are currently unsure of the amount that has come through at this time. I only just now learned that any of our lands had come through this morning. However, we are fairly confident that all the land that is to the north of the Wazi came through.” Nodding his head in understanding, Accord pulled up a mental map of the world. The Wazi River started in the southern mountains of Equestria and flowed down into the savannah region of the Zebra Lands. The river’s path seemed to flow in a southeasterly direction before turning sharply towards the north after about seven hundred or so miles. It then continued for an additional five hundred miles or so before emptying into the sea. If one were to look at it on a map, they would see that it looked a lot like a lopsided triangle. The land on the northern side of the river was a combination of flat land, which if it were properly irrigated and maintained, would make decent farmland, to the south and rolling wooded hills that quickly turned to steep mountains in the northern parts. This is where several of the rich coalfields lay, and on which Equestria relied on to power its infrastructure. The Griffon Kingdom was another matter; the Eisen Gebirge Range was rich in mineral deposits. Principally iron ore. Hence, the name, which translated meant ‘Iron Mountains’ in Equinic. In addition, it stretched for nearly a third of Equestria’s length, though the Griffon Kingdom only controlled about half the range. The Immergrün Tal or Evergreen Valley as it was known in Equestria, was a picturesque valley whose unique weather patterns kept the valley green year round. It was also home to a sizable town and provided a small amount of the Kingdoms domestically grown food; principally cheese and meat. If what these two say is true, then that means not only is Equestria not alone in this world. But also with area’s that are potentially intact and that can help us in the rebuilding process. Of course, the fact that they have lost both of their central governing bodies will hurt them badly. Which means they might not be able to…Unless. A sudden idea struck him at that moment and turning to the two representatives, he asked. “It is obvious that all three of our nations are in dire straits. Yours are without effective leadership, and ours is badly damaged.” It was at this point that the countess interrupted him. “Vat do you vant from us? Zer iz no governing body to approve of any treaty zat ve might come up with.” The ambassador nodded and said, “I agree, I have no authority from the Council and even if I did it would require the Council to ratify the treaty to make it legal. Unfortunately, they were left behind.” “I understand. However Mr. Ambassador, if my recollection of zebra law is correct, in the event that the Council is unable to perform its duties, the various tribes could each send a representative to negotiate on their behalf in any treaty negotiation. Am I correct in that assessment?” asked Accord. “You are, but that depends on them being willing to surrender themselves to your rule and I know that there are many southern tribes that still remember The War.” Accord could hear the captial letters slamming into place when the ambassador mentioned the war. “Mr. Ambassador, the Nightmare Wars were nearly a thousand years ago. Surely the various tribes have moved on?” inquired Accord in a pleading tone of voice. Ambassador Gazeti merely snorted in contempt. “Do you take us for fools? Unlike you short sighted ponies, we zebras remembered our history and we made sure that it wasn’t forgotten. So that when the day came, we would not be taken in by your scheming lies again. So to answer your question Mr. Accord, no the tribes have not ‘moved on’ as you so hoped. They remember the pain and afflictions that befell our people and how we were simply cast aside when we had outlived our usefulness.” Accord stood there shocked, though not surprised, at the Ambassadors response. Finally he managed to say, “Mr. Ambassador, holding a grudge against our people for some perceived injustice from the past is-” “Perceived injustices?!” shouted the now enraged ambassador, cutting Accord off. “How dare you mock my people? How dare you mock those who gave their lives protecting your precious princess and her court followers, Only to have their sacrifices trampled on and ignored when the danger was past! If it wasn’t for the fact that our nations have since begun mending our relations I would spit in your eye and take my leave!” Stealing a glance at Luna, whose eyes had taken on a pleading look, Accord took a deep breath and said, “Ambassador Gazeti, I apologize, I lost my temper and chose my words...poorly.” The ambassador gave an annoyed snort, but refrained from speaking. Encouraged by this, Accord continued, “I did not mean to mock your people or those who gave their lives protecting Princess Celestia during those dark days. However, that doesn’t change the current situation, our two peoples have found themselves in a strange new world. I do not know how much the Princess has told you yet, but just a few days ago a strange iron ship carrying an entirely different species sailed into Manehattan Harbor. It’s captain has informed me that this new world we find ourselves in is a rather...violent one.” The ambassador’s face didn’t so much as twitch, but his posture changed ever so slightly. Where before he radiated hostility pure hostility towards Accord, now he was less belligerent, though he remained unconvinced. Accord however would take whatever he could get. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I do not know if your people will accept this offer but, at the very least pass it on so that they may think on it. We wish for you to become our partners rather than servants, our nations have been peaceful neighbors for hundreds of years. I would hope that, coupled with our fair trade relations would be enough to overcome any past slights.” he finished hopefully. “Some things, time can not heal. There are those who despise Equestria for what they did to us those many years ago. However, I will forward your message to the various tribal elders when they meet to discuss our people's future at a later date.” Accord nodded his head and replied, “That is all we ask.” Inclining his head respectfully towards the two princesses, the ambassador quickly departed. Turning his attention to the griffon countess, Accord asked, “And what about you?” She flicked a claw dismissively. “I vill of course relay any message you vish to send. Though I doubt zat my people will be so ready to embrace zis new...arrangement.” “Very well then, I will have one of the staff deliver the official proposal to your embassy as soon as possible.” replied Accord. “Sehr gute, I as promised vil relay it to back to vat is left of my country. If zer is nothing further to discuss, I bid you good day.” and with that she too left, leaving just Accord and the two princesses in the room alone. Sighing, Celestia shook her head and replied, “Not as bad as one would expect for your first diplomatic meeting, though it could have probably gone better.” “I’m sorry Your Highness. I fear I might have pushed them away.” responded a sullen Accord. “What’s done is done, and for the record, what happened wasn’t your fault Accord. After the war our nations did not part on the best of terms.” Taking a deep breath she forced a smile on her face and asked, “So how much of the catacombs did you show Twilight and her friends?” “As much as we could, I might have glossed over some of the more…outlandish ideas but they got the gist of it. Twilight was particularly taken by that stone soldier project. In fact she wanted to continue development if of it, if that is alright with you, Tia.” replied Luna, a little tiredly. Even though she hadn’t left the comfort of her cloud bed, it was still tiring to be shunted around everywhere and try to answer every single question asked by a certain curious lavender unicorn. Nodding her head slowly Celestia turned her attention back to Accord and asked, “What of the diplomatic team that you said you were assembling?” “From my understanding Raspberry is handling the details as we speak.” he replied. “Who all is to be on the team?” inquired Celestia. “Well, I had originally wanted the Bearers to do it. However, they are in no condition for a journey of that kind at this time. So I instead selected several others who I think might do just as well.” Summoning a folder with his magic, he proceeded to list the ponies on the team. “I felt it would be prudent to have Fancypants lead the delegation, I have heard that he seems to influence others with relative ease. In addition, he is calm and focused, not to mention cultured, which will be an asset during their visit to the United States.” Flipping a page, he continued, “Though she doesn’t have much experience at diplomacy I thought your niece Princess Mi Amore Cadenza would make a fine second to Fancypants. Her ability to spread love wherever she goes and to quell any arguments that may arise will be an invaluable asset. In addition, the fact that a member of the royal family as part of the delegation should add additional credibility to it. As for the security aspect, I believe that I left that in the capable hooves of Shining Armor, so I do not know who will be assigned to the detail as of yet. However, I did tell him that he could not go with them. He seemed disappointed at that, can’t imagine why.” Both Celestia and Luna chuckled, Accord simply smiled. Clearing his throat he continued, “In addition to the security detail and our two negotiators, the team will have two courier pegasi to deliver messages quickly. In addition to the couriers, there will be a small staff of clerks, chefs and doctors, just in case something should happen while they are away. As I doubt that there is any human doctor remotely qualified to operate on a pony, this way we can cover all of our bases so to speak.” Both Celestia and Luna nodded their heads in agreement of Accords assessment. Inclining her head slightly Luna inquired, “Will there be anypony else for the negotiation team other than Fancypants and Princess Cadence?” “At this point I am unsure. Fancypants might want to have his wife along, but other than that I cannot see any reason for having anypony else on the team at this point in time.” “I believe that you are correct in your assessment Accord, having too many ponies might cause unforeseen problems. I believe it is wise to keep the delegation as small as possible. How many ponies do you think there will be in total?” inquired Luna. “At this time I can only guess, but it is unlikely to exceed twenty at most.” he replied. Luna simply nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling tired. Opening them part way she said, “If there is nothing more to discuss, then I think our meeting is done.” Accord nodded and replied, “I think so too. I will bid you both good night.” Bowing his head in respect, he trotted out of the room. As he trotted through the halls of the hospital, he passed both doctors and nurses; those of which for the most part either spared him a passing glance or ignored him completely. Thankfully, word of the return of Discord hadn’t spread and his disguise seemed to be holding… for now. Shaking his head, he turned down another long hallway and nearly ran into Twilight Sparkle, who seemed to have her nose buried in a book, as was normal for the librarian. What wasn’t normal was the large amount of papers stuffed into her saddlebags and floating behind her in her magical field; which, from the looks of it, had recovered much of its magical strength over the past few days. As he looked down at her, she looked up, gave him a sheepish smile, and said, “Ah, Mr. Accord. I was looking for you.” He quirked an eyebrow and asked, “Oh, is that so? Well it seems that you have found me. What can I do for you Ms. Sparkle?” She gave him a smile and replied, “Well, after quite a bit of discussion the girls and I have finished our report about the…catacombs.” The last part she had spoken at barely above a whisper. As if she were afraid, there might be a spy close by. Chuckling slightly, Accord replied, “Well that’s good, so which of these papers are your report then?” Twilight blinked in confusion and replied, “All of them.” Accord felt his jaw drop and his eyebrows try to touch his maneline, stuttering from astonishment he said, “You mean that this is your entire report?!” He indicated her saddlebags and the papers floating behind her with a hoof. She looked at him funny and replied, “Yes, is that a problem?” He sighed and said, “Twilight, while I appreciate your thoroughness, I don’t have time to read all of this!” He waved his hoof at the mess of papers once more, “Do you happen to have a summary or maybe point me at the most important points of the document?” Giving him a frustrated look she cried, “It’s all important!” Visibly calming herself slightly, she sighed and finished, “Though I suppose if you give me an hour or two, I could have a summary written for you. Of course that means I will have to put off my research project, and I will have done all this work for nothing.” She gave a little sad pouty face as she looked at the papers Accord sighed and replied in a tired tone said, “No, no. I, will just have to skim them to the best of my abilities, thank you for your time in writing this report Ms. Sparkle.” Visibly brightening she replied happily, “Great! Here you can take my saddlebags,” She floated her saddlebags off her back and placed them on Accords, “And here are the rest of the papers.” Floating the papers over to him Accord took them in his magical grasp and said, “Thank you, now if you will excuse me I had better get to reading them. Good night Ms. Sparkle.” “Good night!” With a large grin on her face, she quickly skipped down the hallway. It was then that Accord realized that he had been ‘played’, muttering to himself, he muttered, “That little…. Well played Twilight Sparkle, well played.” Shaking his head, he resumed his journey back to ‘his’ office. Later that evening Accord sat in ‘his’ office, which actually belonged to Celestia. However since she was unavailable for the near future, he thought it would be a waste of space not to use it. At least until Her Highness resumed her duties. Currently he was skimming through Twilights report when the clock on the wall chimed eleven. Setting the paper down he rubbed his eyes and looked about the room. It was about what one would expect from a reigning monarch; a marble fireplace sat in a corner near the double oak doors, and a soft white carpet graced the floor with a sun stylized after Celestia’s cutie mark adorning the middle of the floor. Bookshelves sat against the walls and were full of the books, scrolls, maps and varieties of knick-knacks and bobbles that one would expect a monarch to collect over the years of their reign. A large window was set into the wall behind him and looked out over the city of Canterlot. To the left of the window sat an old chest. Stained and worn with age, and not wishing to pry, Accord had refrained from looking in it. Though the temptation was great at times, he had managed to resist it. To the right of the window sat a small corner table, on which sat an elegant vase, with beautiful golden flowers carefully resting inside. Then, of course, there was Philomena’s perch, which sat near the fireplace. Currently it was occupied by the phoenix, who at this moment was looking at him with an unreadable expression upon her face. However, if he had to guess what she was thinking it would probably be something along the lines of. What are you doing in Celestia’s chair, and when’s she going to come in here and kick your flank straight to the moon? Shaking his head at the thought, he turned his attention away from the bird and back to the mound of papers laying in the IN basket. Sighing, he plucked the top paper from off of the pile. Looking it over he quickly determined that it could be delegated to somepony else and placed it in the corresponding pile. Shaking his head in exasperation he thought, Honestly, I wonder how Celestia even had time to breath! Let alone run a country and keep it in as good condition as she did for as long as she has! “Boggles the mind.” He said aloud. Sure does doesn’t it? Accord felt ice run up his spine and his hair stand on end. Philomena let out startled squawk and flapped her wings, her head swiveling, looking for the unknown voice. Heheh, so you can hear me too little birdie? Well, that’s fine, you can’t speak to no one, so I’m going to just ignore you for now. Accord felt the presence turn its attention back to him. Trying to bring his heart rate back under control he managed to choke out, “What do you want now?” What, can’t I just drop in and say hi every now and again old buddy, old pal? “You are not my ‘buddy’!” Accord spat back. Now is that anyway to speak to your old friend? “You’re no friend of mine.” he growled. The voice fell silent for a moment, as if it were analyzing him. Finally it said, You don’t remember me do you Discord? “Kind of hard to tell who you are when you’re invisible.” Accord shot back. True, true, but to think that you would completely forget about me! Me, you’re bestest old pal back before... the voice trailed off, as if uncertain it should continue. “Back before what?” asked Accord irritably. Back before you went crazy. replied the voice. Accord blinked, placing his hooves on the desk in front of him he said, “Perhaps you should explain yourself a little better.” What’s there to explain? You and I were in charge of our worlds and you got attached to your charges and went nuts. Simple as that. But enough of history, I’ve got a red hot scoop for ya, so ya better be paying attention! “What? If you did something-” Accord slowly rose from his seat, a look of anger on his face. I didn’t do anything ‘bad’, if that’s what you’re thinking. When Accord let out an impatient growl, the voice quickly continued, But I can see you’re getting impatient, so here’s the scoop chief. You guys are moving a bit too slow for my tastes so I’ve decided to hurry things along a bit. Your secrets out, you’ve been discovered. Accord rolled his eyes and sarcastically replied, “No, really? What made you think that? Perhaps the American ship that steamed into Manehattan Harbor the other day perhaps?” That’s not what I’m talking about you ninny. A fishing trawler, specifically a Japanese vessel has not only spotted your fair land, but they’ve spotted some of your people and just so that they aren’t called crazy when they get home. They decided to take on a few... ‘passengers’, if you will. “WHAT!?” Accord practically screamed, thankfully the special sound muffling spells seemed to prevent the guard outside from hearing his startled shout. It would occur to him later that for his safety, he should probably try to find a way to dispel the magical sound barrier. Or at the very least, leave the door open so that they could hear him. Did you not hear me? You should do a better job of cleaning out your ears in the mornings Discord. But anyways as I was saying, yes, the crew took on some ‘passengers’, just so they aren’t locked up in the looney bin when they get back. You understand don’t you? In a barely controlled voice Accord asked, “Did they take these ponies against their will?” Naw, they went willingly, oddly enough. But regardless, if you thought the cat wasn’t out of the bag before, it is now. When that ship makes Japan, it’s going to cause quite the stir among the higher ups. If you want to get the first punch in you had better do it fast, because the Imperial Navy’s going to be knocking on your front or back door, which ever, before long. Accord sat there paralyzed, his thoughts were flying around at a thousand miles an hour and yet going nowhere. Finally, a thought smacked him in the face and he raced out of the room as though his tail were afire. Slamming open the doors with such force that he startled the two guards standing to either side, he barked, “One of you, go and get Fancypants right now!” “Y-yes Sir!” replied the guard to his left and with a hasty salute, was off like a shot. Turning to the other one Accord said, “I want you to remain here and you will not speak a word of this incident to anyone and I want you to tell my orders to your partner when he gets back. Do I make myself clear?” “C-clear S-sir!” He replied nervously, unsure of what Accord was referring to, but deciding to agree anyway so as not to draw the obviously spooked stallions ire. With that dealt with, Accord retreated back into the room. After having sat back down, he smoothed out his clothing and waited for Fancypants to arrive. Nearly twenty minutes later, both the guard and Fancypants came puffing into the office. Dismissing the guard with a wave of his hoof, Accord looked over the celebrity unicorn. He wore his trademark suit and monocle, his light gray coat had a slight sheen of sweat upon it. If this bothered the unicorn, he didn’t show it. His azure mane and mustache had somehow managed to remain slicked back and in order with nary a hair out of place. To all intents and purposes, he appeared to be outwardly calm and collected, however his sapphire eyes betrayed his inner agitation. Waving to indicate a nearby cushion Accord said, “Mr. Fancypants,” “Fancypants is fine Mr. Accord.” interjected the prosperous unicorn. “Fancypants then. The reason I have called you here is to see how soon you and your team will be ready to depart for the United States.” Accord said calmly. “I beg your pardon?” “I believe you heard me, I have just been informed that…events have conspired to move our timetable up. If you are able to, I hope that you can leave tomorrow. I will send a message to Captain Phelps to make all the necessary preparations for your stay aboard his ship while you make your journey. This was our agreed upon payment for services rendered unto him in the repair and resupply of his ship. So I will ask once more. Are you and your team ready to go now?” Slightly taken aback by the strange turn of events, Fancypants replied hesitantly, “I suppose we are as ready as we can be, given the current situation. If it is alright with you, my wife wishes to go with me and the delegation.” Accord nodded his head in approval and Fancypants let out a silent sigh of relief. “Excellent, I have two clerks, a chef and a server. Two pegasi couriers and of course, six guards and their commander, a Lieutenant Stalwart Shield I believe.” “Well I suppose if there is nothing further that you need, then I will give the order to have your things and staff moved to Manehattan tonight. I would advise that you make haste as well, Ambassador Fancypants, for your ship will sail with the morning tide. Do I make myself clear?” “Crystal.” he replied. “Good, then you are dismissed.” Nodding his thanks, Fancypants quickly left to see to the last minute preparations for the voyage. Leaving Accord alone with both Philomena and the Spirit, which reminded him that he was there, by speaking. Still quick I see, that’s good, wouldn’t want this to be a one sided affair after all. I’ll see ya around Discord, but before I go, I’ve got one last thing to say. “Then say it already.” I know it might not mean like much, especially after our first meeting, but, I am sorry for this. But you didn’t leave Us a lot of choice in the matter. I have to go now, I’ll see you later. And with that the being departed, leaving Accord alone with Celestia’s pet, his churning thoughts and his paperwork. Author's Note Well here it is finally. Chapter 5 is up and good to go so enjoy! As usual, special thanks goes to my editor Shoggoth who is awesome. Chapter 6 (Meeting the Neighbors)Chapter 6 Meeting the Neighbors Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies. -Jane Austen Honolulu Harbor, July 18, 1908 10:14am As the Marlin Spike steamed into Honolulu Harbor, Joshua looked out over the port bridge-wing rail at the scene before him. It was a hive of activity, with ships of every size and description going about their business. Small skiffs could be seen weaving in and out between the larger freighters and passenger ships as they slowly plodded along towards their destinations. While the docks looked like an ant hill had been kicked over, further on large cranes could been seen loading and offloading cargo from those ships tied up to the wharves. Beyond that passengers ships were busy loading or unloading their human passengers and their belongings. In addition, everywhere he looked, Joshua could see naval ships; some were at anchor, while others were slowly steaming along about their business, and all of them were painted a bright white. Rubbing his chin stubble thoughtfully, Joshua mused. Hmm, looks like we came in at nearly the same time as the ‘Great White Fleet’ put in, wonder how those navy boys are going to react to my passengers? Shaking his head, he turned away from the railing and walked through the wheelhouse. He gave a nod to the sailor manning the ships wheel as he made his way down the stairway. As he made his way towards the ship’s galley, to see if he could get another cup of coffee to help pry his eyes open, he nearly ran into Fancypants, the Equestrian ambassador. Which, Joshua thought to himself, Is a rather strange name for a person who doesn’t actually wear pants. However, he quickly pigeonholed that thought, and instead asked. “So Mr. Ambassador, how are you feeling?” Since they had left Manehattan, several members of the diplomatic team had come down with seasickness. Even Fancypants, whom Joshua had learned owned his own yacht, had looked a little green. “Much better I must say. It has been sometime since I was aboard a ship. My responsibilities back in Canterlot have, up until now, kept me quite busy.” He gave a chuckle, “Though unfortunately, the good lieutenant has still not yet fully recovered from his…condition.” The lieutenant in question, Lieutenant Shield, had become violently ill and had spent the majority of the voyage with his head in either a bucket or a toilet. Command over the security detail had therefore fallen to his second in command, Sergeant Hawk, one of the two pegasi guards assigned to the group, the other being Private Thunder Cloud. The two of them were the only guardsponies who had not come down with seasickness during the voyage. Regardless, it wouldn’t be long before the Marlin Spike docked, and the poor ponies could feel firm ground under their hooves once more. Realizing that his thoughts had caused him to remain silent for longer than he had intended, he responded slightly embarrassed. “Sorry about that Mr. Ambassador; I got lost in thought there for a moment. Anyways, I’m glad you are feeling better. I suspect you’re going to need to be in top form when you go to speak with the Territorial Governor.” “Oh? Why is that?” inquired Fancypants. “Well, I don’t know much about diplomacy or anything, being but a humble merchant captain, but I do know I perform better during a contract negotiation, when I’m fully rested and ready to go.” The unicorn nodded his head in understanding. Giving a charismatic smile, he replied, “Well then, I suppose I had better go and ‘freshen’ up.” Turning to leave, he paused to look over his shoulder. “How long before we tie up Captain?” Joshua scratched his chin in thought before replying. “No more than an hour or two I’d think. Even though the navy’s hogging most of the docks, there should still be a few open. If not, then we’ll just have to anchor out of the shipping lanes and row to shore.” He shrugged his broad shoulders while Fancypants mulled his response over. Nodding his head once more, he said. “I suppose if it cannot be helped then we will have to make the best of it. Thank you Captain, you have been most helpful. I do hope that we haven’t inconvenienced you too terribly.” Joshua merely shook his head in reply. After all, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. I was going to be late to begin with. Chances are when I do make port, the company will declare me in breach of contract, and there’s a good chance that I won’t see a dime from them. Tightwads, he thought bitterly. He had been due in Seattle three days ago, and according to his contract with the shipping company, every day he was late they knocked ten percent off his paycheck. So chances were, by the time he actually reached Seattle, he would be lucky if they gave him enough to cover his fuel costs. Being a tramp steamer captain was hard work, and one wasn’t given much in the way of respect either. Although, now that Equestria has shown up, I might find good work there. He shrugged again, and seeing that Fancypants was looking at him with a rather odd look replied, “It’s alright Mr. Ambassador, the cargo will keep, and if it wasn’t for your land showing up when it did, I’d be on the bottom of the ocean right now, so thanks.” Fancypants nodded his head; he still looked confused, but decided not to press the issue at that moment. Instead, he cleared his throat before replying, “You’re welcome.” Nodding his head once more, he walked out of the corridor leaving Joshua alone. Standing there for a moment, Joshua shook his head and continued on his way to the galley. When he finally reached his destination, he found that his first mate was pouring himself some coffee and whistling an old sea tune between his teeth. Walking up next to him, he picked up the coffee pot his first mate had just set down, and pouring himself another cup, remarked. “Seems we put in at an interesting time, wouldn’t you agree Mr. Fitzgibbons?” Taking a sip from his cup Patrick nodded. “Aye, looks like the whole damned navy’s sitting in the harbor, doesn’t it sir?” “That it does, hope we can find some dock space to tie up to, otherwise we’re going to have to anchor offshore and row in.” He grimaced at the thought of trying to negotiate the busy harbor with several ponies in the long boat with him and the crew. He gave an inquiring look at his second in command, who merely nodded his head in agreement. He too could see that it would be a very difficult experience for all involved if they had to do it that way. “Well I suppose I should head back up to the wheel house and see if I can get us some dock space.” Patrick absently waved goodbye as he bent to refill his coffee cup once more. ~oOo~ It was nearly noon before the Marlin Spike finally docked. The few tugs that were in the harbor had been busy with the naval ships. Moving them from the refueling pier or nudging them back into their designated docking spots. Joshua had finally managed to signal a tug and the little boat had shepherded the freighter like a dog would a sheep. Once the Marlin had come as close to the pier she dared, Joshua had ordered the engine room to cease all forward movement with the engine telegraph and the little tug had done the rest. Though she looked small, she was powerful and within no time the Marlin Spike was tied up next to the pier. Breathing a sigh of relief at yet another successful docking maneuver, Joshua gave the helmsman a pat on the back and left the bridge. As he exited into the noonday sunshine, he took in the sight before him. Fancypants and his wife were standing near the railing and a small crowd had gathered to gawk at the two ponies from the dock below. The rest of the diplomatic team was getting itself sorted out near the starboard hatchway. Joshua spotted Lieutenant Shield inspecting his soldiers; he still looked a little under the weather. However, he seemed to be in possession of most of his faculties and finished the inspection without incident. Turning he spotted Joshua and waved him over, speaking in a hushed voice he asked. “Well, what do we do now?” Turning his back so that no one could see or hear him speak Joshua replied. “We wait I guess. I’m sure that word is even now making its way to the governor as we speak. We should probably inform the port authority on what’s going on. However, since that crowd on the dock keeps growing, I think it might be a wise idea to keep the gangway up until the local authorities arrive to help keep things under control.” The lieutenant nodded his head in agreement and replied, “I believe that would be wise. I will instruct my stallions to maintain watch over the delegation, and when we do finally leave, to make sure no one is separated from the group.” When Joshua nodded his head, Shield continued, “Will you be coming with us Captain?” Joshua thought about that for a moment and replied, “It would probably be a good idea, yes.” Looking down at his wrinkled and dirty clothing, he gave a sheepish grin and said, “Might also be good idea to change into something a little more…respectable. I think I might have some clean clothing around here somewhere. If you will excuse me I think I’ll go and freshen up.” Shield simply nodded and turned back to his subordinates and began barking out orders. ~oOo~ It was nearly an hour later before a horse drawn carriage arrived at the docks. Still standing by the railing with his wife, Fancypants noticed the carriage approaching. He was taken aback by the sight of the two dun colored ponies, their harnesses jingling as they walked, pulling the carriage behind them. Neither one had a cutie mark on their flanks. Nor did they exhibit any kind of intelligent, independent thought beyond what the driver, with the use of the reins he held, told them to do. Quickly schooling his expression into one of calm, he looked over the carriage itself and its occupants. It was all black with a pair of brass lanterns to either side and had a collapsible awning that afforded the passengers a small degree of protection from the elements. In addition, it had two spacious seat benches arranged in a vis-à-vis style. The driver, who appeared to have a darker skin color than that of his passenger, who rode in the back of the carriage, was a well-dressed man in a top hat and black swallowtail jacket. In addition, he wore a cream-colored waistcoat over his white shirt and a black bowtie. Looking at the sole passenger in the carriage from his vantage point, Fancypants could see that the passenger was also male. He wore a stylish black three-piece suit, with a top hat perched upon his head. Unfortunately, that was all he could make out from his current position. Turning his attention away from the carriage with its mysterious passenger, he looked out over the still growing crowd. It looked like there were people from all walks of life standing there on that dock. Fishermen to prosperous businessmen, stevedores to policemen and looking more carefully at the crowd, he could see scores of young children, many of whom seemed to be working down here on the docks. Shaking his head at the thought of child labor, he turned and spotting a newly cleaned up Joshua and called out to him. When Joshua walked up to stand beside him he asked, “I say Captain, are those children down there working?” Looking out over the rail Joshua spotted the children and replied with a shrug. “Probably, though from the looks of it, all they're doing right now is just gawking at you.” “Shouldn’t they be in school, or at home with their mothers?” asked Fancypants, taken aback by Joshua’s calm dismissal of young children performing difficult labor. “Many families can’t afford to do that, once the kids are old enough to work, they send them out to get a job. Take me for instance; I started my career working down on T Wharf in Boston. I’d help unload the daily catches that the fishermen brought in. After doing that for a few years, I signed up on a fishing schooner and worked my way up the ladder, and well, here I am.” He waved his arm to indicate his ship. “How old were you when you started working?” Joshua rubbed his freshly shaved jaw for a moment in thought and then replied. “I figure I was about six or seven when I started, why do you ask?” Fancypants felt his mouth hang open at the statement, Six or seven years old?! From what Joshua’s told me about his species that is quite young, and they let young children work at that age? It’s, it’s. When he couldn’t think of a word to describe how he felt, he simply shook his head in wonderment. Joshua looked at him with a confused expression on his face, finally he asked. “Is there something wrong with a child helping to support their family?” “Not inherently, but back in Equestria we have a number of laws against such things for a variety of reasons; protecting the youth from exploitation being one of them. Of course, that's a long and involved discussion best saved for later.” replied Fancypants. Joshua noticed he sounded slightly uncomfortable talking about the subject and simply gave a nod, letting it go. Looking back over the crowd, Fancypants spotted the carriage as it finally came to a stop. The lone passenger stood, staring up at Fancypants and his wife for a few moments before visibly shaking himself and stepping down from the carriage. Joshua had already given the order to lower the gangway and as it was being lowered, Lieutenant Shield and his squad stood close by, ready to be the first down the ramp to secure the area. When the ramp was secured, they charged down, their metal shoes generating an intimidating amount of noise. Immediately, the crowd back away from the charging ponies, leaving a large open semicircle around the bottom of the gangway with the carriage at its apex. As Fancypants slowly made his way down the ramp, he noticed that the human had climbed down from the carriage and stood patiently waiting. Drawing closer. he took in the man’s appearance, he stood nearly as tall as Joshua did and his black, well cut suit and top hat gave him the air of authority. In addition, he sported a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, a large mustache and chin beard that completely hid his mouth from view. This, in Fancypants opinion made him look like he had a small furry creature glued to his face. His hair was a dark brown with some white hairs beginning to show and his eyes were a warm brown in color. While Fancypants had been looking over his appearance, the man had been doing the same, and to his credit, he hid his emotions fairly well. Coming to a stop before the man, Fancypants bowed his head respectfully and said in his best diplomatic voice, “On behalf of Her Royal Highness’s, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Co-rulers of Equestria, and Regents of the Sun and Moon. I solemnly and respectfully request that, I, Fancypants, royally appointed Ambassador of Equestria, Be allowed to open diplomatic negotiations with the government of the United States of America.” Even before he had finished speaking, he had noticed that the crowd had gone deathly quiet. The man who he had just addressed had a look of pure shock on his face. Which given the circumstances was understandable. After all, if what Joshua had told him was true, animals in this world did not have the same kind of intelligence as those in Equestria and they most certainly did not talk! However, the man quickly composed himself and replied in a slightly strained voice, “I am Governor Walter Frear and on behalf of the United States of America. I welcome you to the territory of Hawaii Ambassador Fancypants.” When finished speaking, the crowd, which had remained silent throughout the verbal exchange, exploded into a frenzy of noise. Some cheered, others yelled words that were lost in the general bedlam. However the majority just talked loudly with their neighbors over this new revelation they had just been witness too. Either way, Fancypants thought, This is going to be interesting. Washington DC, The White House, July 18, 1908 7:12pm President Roosevelt, having finished eating dinner, sat down in a comfortable chair in his private sitting room. Relaxing further, he reached over to the nearby table, picked up a book and opening it began to read. However, he had barely read half of a page before a soft knock sounded on the door interrupting his reading. Suppressing an irritated sigh, he called out, “Yes what is it?” An aide walked in, holding a telegram and handing it to the President, replied in a hushed tone, “It’s from Hawaii, Mr. President.” Opening the telegram, Roosevelt began to read. What was written on the message made his eyebrows climb towards his hairline. Scarcely believing what he had just read, he turned to the aide, an incredulous look on his face. “Are you sure that the message wasn’t garbled?” The aide nodded and replied, “Yes Mr. President, we had them reply three different times and it is the same message. In fact, as you can see the telegraph is ‘signed’ by no less than three different individuals, all claiming this to be true.” Roosevelt sat in his chair, stunned at the news he had just been handed. Quickly the gears in his mind began whirring as he sat there. If not only the Territorial Governor and the Chief Justice claim this to be true, but also Rear Admiral Evans, then as hard as this is to believe, it must be so! Shaking his head at the absurdity of it all, he turned back to his aide and said, “Alright, if this is true then the whole game has just changed.” Sighing, he continued, “Arrange for a train to take me to San Francisco and from there, a ship to Hawaii. I want to be there as soon as possible. I also want you to arrange a meeting with the Vice President, Secretary of State and the Secretary of War and the Navy immediately.” “Right away Mr. President! Do you want me to send up some coffee for you sir?” Roosevelt simply nodded his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose said, “And send up some aspirin too, I feel a headache coming on.” “Of course Mr. President, do you wish to meet with your advisors in the Oval Office?” “Yes.” was his reply. Nodding once more, the aide left Roosevelt alone with his thoughts, as he hastened to carry out his orders. Sighing once more, Roosevelt set his book down on the nearby table, and rising to his feet, walked over to the nearby window. As he looked out over the White House grounds, a quiet thought entered his mind. Small, cute looking magical horses, well this should prove interesting! Canterlot Castle, Celestia’s Office, July 18, 1908 2:32pm Accord sat and contemplated the ink blotter on his desk. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the wall clock and frankly, it was getting on his nerves. He had managed to catch up with the backlog of paperwork that had accumulated in the absence of the Royal Pony Sisters, and he’d even managed to keep up with all of the new paperwork that always seemed to multiply like parasprites when one wasn’t looking. However, he now found himself with little to do and if there was one thing that drove him nuts, it was not having anything to do. Sighing, he rose from behind his desk, deciding to go and see how Celestia and Luna were doing. Opening the doors with his magic, he trotted out of his office. The two guards coming to attention as he passed them. Giving them both a nod, he continued on his way. It had been nearly a week since he had been ‘released’ from his prison. In that time, he had not only forsaken the ways of chaos, but had managed to become Celestia and Luna’s chief advisor and regent in their absence. He found it somewhat surreal, for as long as he could remember he had been an enemy of the two sisters and now here he was, helping them run their kingdom. Shaking his head as he trotted along, he looked around at his surroundings. Most of the damage had been repaired over the past few days. However, the throne room would take a while longer, as there were some major structural repairs that were required, such as the massive cracks in the floor and ceiling. Of course, that was insignificant compared to the other events that had occurred during the past few days. The first shock had come shortly after the diplomatic team had left. Celestia and Luna finally admitted that they were no longer in control of the sun or the moon respectfully. Accord had had his suspicions when he had seen the sun and moon continue with their celestial dance as normal. However, as it was beyond his control, he simply decided to not worry about it. Instead, he had focused his attention on helping Luna write her upcoming speech and organizing the event. Her speech and the whole purpose of the event had originally not been much more than her making an appearance to help calm those ponies still worried over the health of at least on of their monarchs. During the speech the following morning before a crowd of nearly five thousand ponies, many of them nobles and other high-class individuals with a smattering of lower class individuals, she gave her address. It hadn’t been anything overly dramatic nor long, but apparently it had struck a chord with her subjects. Stopping by a large window, Accord closed his eyes and recalled the events of that day. ~oOo~ A large crowd of ponies stood waiting in Canterlot Square for Princess Luna to make her first real speech since returning from her banishment on the moon. The sudden sound of blaring trumpets cut through the crowds chatter, silencing them almost instantly. The eyes of every pony turned, nearly as one, towards the large platform that had been hastily erected at the far end of the square, just in time to see the small group of figures who were now ascending the stairs. The first was Princess Luna. Her casts had been removed the previous evening, though she still sported a limp. Following close behind her was Accord. However, Princess Celestia was notably absent, as she was still confined to bed. So in her place, she had sent her most faithful student to represent her instead. Looking back over his shoulder, Accord saw that Twilight looked a little nervous as she followed closely behind him as he walked across the platform to stand next to Luna. He couldn’t see what the deal was. After all it wasn’t as if she had to give a speech! Banishing those thoughts to a faraway corner of his mind, he instead turned his attention back to the large crowd of ponies, watching as Luna slowly strode forward, taking her place behind the simple wooden podium. Setting her notes down in front of her, she made sure that they were in their proper order. “Citizens of Equestria,” she began. Her voice easily carrying across the large square, “I have been given the honor of addressing you this fine summer day.” She paused a moment, looking down at her note paper. “Many of you are probably curious as to the recent Event that has left much of our beautiful land in ruin. You are probably wondering what caused it, why it affected us the way it did and what kinds of long term effects it will have on our fair land. Rest assured, my sister and I, along with many of Equestria’s brightest minds are addressing these questions even as I speak.” As Luna’s words rang out over the square, Accord could see many of the ponies look to their neighbors, their faces no longer etched with fear and worry. Unfortunately, there were still many who stood staring up at Princess Luna, their faces a mask of worry and fear. What Luna said next, did little to lay their worries to rest. Cutting right to the heart of the matter, Luna said, “What we have been able to determine so far is that Equestria, and portions of the surrounding lands, have been displaced from our homeworld into a new one. Ignoring the obvious problems such a situation entails, we have also come into contact with the native species of this new world. Calling themselves Humans, they stand upright much like a Minotaur, are more or less furless, and as far we can tell, the do not seem to possess any magic.” An incredulous murmur spread quickly through the crowd at the thought of a species completely without magic. Luna waited a moment for the crowd to quiet down before continuing, “It should also be noted that these humans have a large number of nations spread across the face of this planet. That, however, is where we are concerned. From the little information we have acquired so far, the current political climate of this world has far more in common with pre-Equestrian times than what we have today. Simply put, there are wars, have been wars, and most certainly will be more wars between them...and, we fear, us.” Another concern tinged murmur ran through the crowd at Luna’s latest announcement. Accord thought that it was understandable that they would be concerned over finding out that their cozy lives were now for the most part, now gone. Accord knew that the next words that Luna spoke would either send the crowd into a panic, or pull them back from the brink and set them towards a purpose. Taking a deep breath, Luna squared her shoulders and said, “However, we are not without means of defense. The Royal Guard-” “Was useless during the Changeling invasion! The only reason we’re not Changeling food right now was because of Princess Cadance and her husband!” shouted an unknown pony in the crowd. Accord couldn’t see Luna’s face from his current vantage point, but judging from the way she was grinding her forehoof into the stage’s floor. He figured that she was using every ounce of willpower to restrain her frustration. After half a minute of silence on her part, Luna raised her head high and declared, “Yes the Guard was not up to the task of repelling Queen Chrysalis and her Swarm. That is why changes are being made. From now on the Guard will no longer be Equestria’s sole defense force. Instead it will be joined by the soon to be reestablished Royal Army and newly created Navy, both of which will begin immediate expansion programs in order to properly safeguard our nation. Furthermore, my sister and I have found it necessary to delegate many of our lesser duties to others whom we deem capable of assuming the responsibilities. Therefore my sister has since created the Office of Chancellor and named Legal Accord to be its first Chancellor.” she said, turning to wave Accord forward with a hoof. Slowly, he made his way over to stand next to the lunar princess in acknowledgement of her announcement. “And now I will turn the podium over to Legal Accord.” she said. Stepping aside and allowing Accord access to the podium. Giving a slight nod of his head, he took his place behind the podium and clearing his throat, said, “Thank you Your Highness. As Her Highness said, I have been called to the newly created Office of Chancellor. This post will act as an additional layer in the running of Equestria, with its primary function being that of lightening the day to day workload of our princesses so that they may better focus on more important matters.” He paused for a minute, looking out at the crowd before him. He could see that many of them looked uncertain, some even looked a little scared. However, here and there, he could see those whose faces were not of fear or uncertainty, they looked almost...determined. Determined to face whatever life may throw at them and willing to meet it head on and overcome it. Realizing that he hadn’t said anything for a time, Accord gave a small shake of his head and said, “I am sorry, I seemed to have lost my train of thought there.” A small chuckle echoed through the crowded square. Clearing his throat however, Accord quickly moved on. “I am sure that many of you still have questions over what will happen and what will be expected of you over the next few months. Rest assured, there will be instructions sent out to the various towns and cities around the country, you can find them at your local post offices, libraries and town halls. In addition, the news service will have a column dedicated to getting the necessary information to you in a timely manner.” Sparing a quick glance towards the sun, Accord finished his small speech saying, “The road ahead will not be an easy one to travel. However, ponykind has been down this road before, and we have persevered through hardships similar to those we now find ourselves in. All that is needed is for us to band together and help one another if the other should stumble. Thank you for your time, I yield the podium to Princess Luna.” Bowing his head, he stepped gracefully to one side as Luna resumed her place behind the podium. “Thank you Accord. After this speech is concluded I shall swear you in as the first Chancellor of Equestria in the palace throne room.” Luna turned her attention from Accord back to the crowd. “I thank you all for coming here this day.” Lifting a hoof up, she made a small sweeping motion with it as she finished her speech. “I ask that all those who have been invited to attend the swearing in ceremony please make your way towards the castle now.” And with that, she turned and made her way towards the stage’s exit. The crowd broke out into a murmuring buzz as ponies slowly made their way to the square’s exits. Each lost in their own musings and discussions on what lay ahead. ~oOo~ Opening his eyes as the memory faded from his mind, Accord noticed that one of the castle servants was looking at him oddly. Giving no sign of his embarrassment, Accord continued on his way towards Celestia’s chambers. The doctors had decided that she was well enough to leave and thus, she had been released from the hospital the previous evening. Accord quickly found himself face to face with one of the Royal Guard. The guard coming to attention as Accord asked, “Is Her Highness accepting visitors at this time?” “Yes sir, in fact, Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Her Highness’s personal doctor are already inside. From my understanding sir, the doctor is going to remove her eye bandages today.” Nodding his head in thanks, Accord opened the door with his magic and walked through. The first thing he noticed was that the room was dark, with only a small amount of light creeping in around the edges of the closed curtains. Peering into the gloom he called out, “Your Highness? Why is your room so dark?” A soft chuckle emanated from within the gloom. “Ah, Accord. I am glad you could make it. The doctor was just about to take my eye bandages off. That’s why the rooms so dark.” A second voice spoke up. “Yes, her eyes have been in the dark for over a week and we didn’t want to place any undue strain on them. Hence, the dark room, it will allow us to remove the bandages without unnecessarily risking further damage to her vision.” A soft rustling and soft sniff followed before the doctor continued, “Now, if you would be so kind as to shut the door I can get started.” “Oh sorry.” Feeling his embarrassment rise, Accord carefully shut the door and after allowing his eyes adjust to the gloom, made his way to Celestia’s bed. He managed to make out the shapes of both Luna and Twilight on the other side, and looking to his right, spotted the doctor. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make out any kind of detail, as the room was too dark for him to see him as anything more than a pony shaped shadow. Moving carefully, the doctor began the process of removing Celestia’s bandages. After several minutes the process was completed. Celestia slowly blinked her eyes. Even with the low amount of light in the room her eyes still needed to adjust to it. She groaned in pain as she felt a headache coming on, the doctor asked, “Tell me what you see Your Highness.” A few more minutes passed before Celestia replied. “Dark fuzzy shapes,” Blinking further in an effort to clear her vision, she turned her head towards one of the curtains and asked, “Would somepony please stand near the curtain over there so that I can see you in the light?” Accord walked over and stood next to the drawn curtains, pulling an edge back a little he allowed a small amount of warm sunlight to play across his coat. Celestia lifted her head slightly and squinting remarked, “I fear that my eyesight hasn’t fully recovered doctor. All I can see is a fuzzy pony shape standing by the window.” The doctor gave a tired sigh and replied, “That's to be expected. After so long in the dark, it will still take some time for your eyes to readjust now that they are being used again.” Turning to Accord he asked, “Mr. Chancellor if you would be so kind as to slowly pull the curtain back so that we may gauge how bad her eyesight really is, I would be grateful.” Accord nodded and slowly began to open the curtains, stopping when Celestia hissed in pain at the light. “Do not look at directly at the light Your Highness; turn your head so that you are looking towards the darker side of the room. Then slowly turn your head until you are completely facing the window.” Celestia did as the doctor instructed and after nearly an hour was able to look at the window without too much pain. “Very good. Now, please tell me what you can see, has it gotten better, worse, remained the same?” he asked softly. His tone both respectful and professional. Squinting, Celestia replied, “A little better, everything is still fuzzy, but I can more or less tell who is who based on size and color.” “I see, would you please read me the three letters on this piece of paper Your Highness?” He gave Celestia a simple piece of note paper with the letters A, C,and D written on it in large bold print. However, after several minutes of squinting futilely at the paper from various distances, Celestia admitted defeat. “I am afraid Doctor Heart that I can not read them.” Letting go another sigh, Doctor Heart replied, “Well I guess that’s that then.” Reaching into his bag he said, “I thought something like this might happen, so I brought along some test glasses for you to try out, just in case.” Lifting out several pairs of odd looking glasses, he proceeded to lay them out carefully on the nearby bedside table. Grabbing the nearest pair in his tan colored magic he said, “So let’s try out a few pairs and see which one works the best for you.” It was a little over an hour later when he finally finished his examination. “Well Your Highness, it seems that you will need new glasses for your near vision as I understand you already use reading glasses on occasion?” At her nod he continued, “Well in addition to that, you’ll also need glasses for your distance vision too, I’m afraid.” “I see.” she said simply. “I’m sorry Your Highness, but it looks like you will need glasses for the rest of your life, or at least until they develop a spell that restores eyesight. Whichever comes first I suppose.” He shrugged his shoulders before carefully placing the test glasses back in his bag. Pulling out a pencil and paper he jotted down some notes and nodding his head said, “If you will excuse me Your Highness, I will go and arrange to have your new glasses made. They will be ready in a day, no more than two at the outside. In the meantime, I recommend that you continue to remain in bed. However, if you promise to be careful, you can get up for a few minutes every three or four hours.” “Thank you Dr. Warm Heart, you may go now.” Nodding his head, he quickly took his leave. As soon as he was gone, Twilight let out a sniff. Turning her head, Celestia gave her a loving smile and said soft cooed, “Shh, it is alright Twilight Sparkle, I can still see. Albeit not very well, but I can still see and I am alive that’s all that really matters right now. Besides, I’ve heard glasses are in vogue this season.” Twilight gave a slight hiccup before smiling and saying, “I remember Rarity mentioning something along those lines the other day. But still,” Celestia gently placed a hoof to her student’s lips, quietly shushing her. “I know Twilight. It will require some adjustments to be made. However, I have lived through change and adjustments for millennia. Change is normal for me and I will become used to this new one in time. So please don’t fret over something as small as this.” She gave a maternal smile and letting her hoof fall to her side asked, “Tell me Accord, has there been any reply from either the griffons or zebras?” “No Your Highness, there has not, they’re still mulling our proposition over at this time.” “I see. Well then, how are things progressing with the military?” she inquired. “So far nothing major to report. Princess Luna and myself showed the Catacombs to the local guard commanders, Shining Armor in particular showed a keen interest in the items stored there.” Replied Accord. “In addition, the task of bring everything to the surface and making sure it still work’s will take a little time. However, the work is progressing smoothly and we already have a small selection of weapons and other items ready for a demonstration in the next few days.” “Oh? Why so soon?” asked Celestia. “Well, it was actually Shining Armors idea. He’d just received the initial reports from Manehattan regarding the humans and was of the opinion that the sooner we familiarize ourselves with the ‘new’ equipment, the better. Right now he and a group of hoof picked guardsponies are pouring over the recovered training manuals.” Celestia gave a small nod and motioned for him to continue. Clearing his throat before he continued, Accord said, “In addition, the more…sensitive parts of the collection of books and material have been moved to a more secluded section of the Catacombs and sealed off. As per your standing orders on the matter.” Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgment. Accord, however, sensed that Celestia might be more comfortable if he changed the subject. Turning to Twilight suddenly, he asked, “So tell me Ms. Sparkle, how goes your research with the Stone Warrior?” “Hmm? Oh that. Well I haven’t really had time to look at it properly since it was moved from the Catacombs. But I did get a chance to look over some of the texts and I must say that I am impressed at its potential. I mean, while it was designed to be used primarily as a weapon of war, it has so many other application potentials. I can’t wait to get to work on it. I would like to start either today or tomorrow at the latest.” Her face assumed a far off expression, as if looking at only something she could see. “Just imagine it; we could use them to lift heavy loads without the use of a crane. Or carry loads over ground unfit for a wagon or cart, maybe even use them for mining or construction!” Accord let Twilight continue speaking, and as she transitioned to less sensitive topics, he noticed that Celestia began to relax. By the time Celestia had finally drifted off to sleep, the sun had begun to set on the western horizon. Twilight however was still going, oblivious to her sleeping mentor. Quietly walking around the bed, Accord placed a hoof on the unicorns shoulder, cutting her off mid sentence. When she looked up at him, he tipped his head towards Celestia’s sleeping form. Twilight, upon seeing her mentor asleep, let out a soft gasp and smiled sheepishly up at him. “I think we should go now, let her catch up on her sleep.” he said quietly. “I think you’re right.” Turning to look at the princess of the night, Twilight softly asked, “Are you coming with us Princess Luna?” Luna shook her head. Placing a hoof on her sisters head, she gently stroked her returning mane. Twilight and Accord quietly left, leaving the two sisters alone together. Out in the hallway, Accord asked, “So, I heard that several of your friends are going to return to Ponyville?” Twilight nodded her head. “Yes, Applejack and Rarity. They said that they had responsibilities that they needed to see to. Applejack with her farm and Rarity with her boutique. Fluttershy mentioned that she could stay here for a few more days, to help keep Pinkie Pie company. Though, she said she’d have to return home soon, so as to tend to her animals. As she said that Angel Bunny couldn’t do it all himself and Spike really can’t take care of both the library and help with Fluttershy’s animals at the same time.” “I see, and what about you? Will you return to Ponyville or will you remain here?” “I will probably remain here; Spike and Owloysius should be able to take care of the library for a few more days. Though, I should send a letter to Spike with detailed instructions.” She sighed, “Oh who am I kidding? Spike can’t do it all by himself and with the way things are going, I’ll have to spend most of my time here in Canterlot. I suppose after I’ve finished a few things up here, I’ll head back to Ponyville and get my affairs in order before moving back to the castle.” Twilight's head hung low, as if its weight were too much for her neck muscles to hold up. Sensing the need to say something, Accord remarked, “Twilight, I’m sure it is…difficult for you, moving back to Canterlot from Ponyville and all. Especially after all of the things you and your friends went through together. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit them occasionally or write them letters. In fact, if you want, I think I could arrange for you to have a train pass so that you could go and see them whenever you wanted to without having to worry about your bit purse.” Twilight’s head came up, a hopeful smile quickly forming on her face. “Really? You would do that for me?” Accord simply nodded his head in reply. Twilight surprised Accord with a squeal of joy and hug. “Thank you, thank you so much! This means a lot to me and I’m sure it will mean a lot to the girls as well.” Releasing him from her embrace, she blushed slightly as she realized that she had just hugged a pony that she barely knew. A moment of awkward silence falling over them before she asked, “So, you mentioned earlier that they had begun emptying the Catacombs?” Clearing his throat slightly, he replied, “Yes I did. Shining Armor wanted to inspect the weapons and acquaint himself with their functions as quickly as possible. He seemed quite eager to get his hooves on the ‘new’ training manuals.” Twilight gave a soft chuckle. “Well he is my brother, and while he was never as interested in reading books as I am, if it has something to do with the Guard or protecting ponies, it has his undivided attention.” she said simply. Accord gave a chuckle while nodding at her reply. “That’s good to hear Ms. Sparkle,” he came to a sudden stop, his chuckling fading as he looked out a window. The setting sun turning the sky a bright crimson. “We will need ponies like him all too soon I’m afraid.” Twilight looked on silently as Accord let go a tired sigh. She slowly crossed the short distance between them, coming to rest next to him. Neither one said anything for a time. Finally however, Twilight looked up at him and quietly asked, “Mr. Chancellor-” “Accord is fine when we’re alone Ms. Sparkle.” interrupted Accord. “Only when you call me Twilight in return.” she replied playfully. Nodding, he said, “Deal.” Giving a nod in return, her smile growing just a little, Twilight took a deep breath and picked up where she left off. “Accord, you were aware that Discord has returned right?” Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Accord hesitantly asked, “Um, w-why do you ask Twilight?” She turned her gaze back to the window, staring out across the palace gardens as the last rays of the setting sun grew dim. “He came to visit me a few days ago. While I was in the hospital.” she said simply. “Oh? And, um, what was he like?” asked Accord uncertainly. Twilight cocked her head slightly in thought, pondering his question. Finally she replied, “I’m not sure, at first he acted like he did the first time we met, but as time went on he sort of...mellowed. But that wasn’t what I wanted to ask you about.” Accord suddenly found himself sweating a little. One of the things that had been discussed between Luna, Celestia and himself had been that his existence as Discord was to be kept as quiet as possible. As such, in less than two days, with the general outline he had given to Raspberry the day after his binding, Luna had seen to it that Accords papers were ‘in order’ as she had put it. Birth and medical records, school grades, doctored photo’s, even library fines, nothing was overlooked, except to tell the Elements of Harmony. “Oh, and just what did you want to ask me then?” he asked warily. “Well it’s been several days since I last saw him and I had some questions that I wanted to ask him.” she replied nonchalantly. “I see. Well, um, I’m afraid that Discord is currently...unavailable right now.” Twilight gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean ‘unavailable’?” Clearing his throat in an effort to buy him so precious time, Accord smoothly replied, “Princess Luna and Celestia decided that it would be better if word didn’t...get around, about his reappearance.” “You mean he’s been reimprisoned?” Accord shook his head. “Not quite, after giving his word that he would behave, the princesses decided to have him moved to a more...private location, away from prying eyes.” Twilight gave him an unconvinced look. “I find that difficult to believe.” “Because of the fact that the last time he appeared in Equestria, he nearly plunged Equestria into eternal chaos. I’m not sure that the princesses would be very trusting or forgiving with his track record. No matter what he said, promised or did in their presence.” “Well...Luna did place him under a Geas spell, to insure his good behaviour.” he replied, a sour look on his face. When Twilight made to ask him another question, Accord cut her off. “I’m sorry Twilight, but that’s all I can tell you without further approval from the princesses. I know you’re an Element of Harmony and multiple time saviour of Equestria. But I can’t tell you any more than that, and I would ask that you keep even the small amount I have told you quiet.” Letting go a defeated sigh, she said, “Alright, I guess I’ll just have to ask Princess Celestia the next time I see her then.” Accord breathed a mental sigh of relief at having dodge that little problem. However, he didn’t let any of his relief show as he and Twilight resumed their slow walk down the castle hall. Author's Note Oh my sweet Luna! How this chapter sucked! (Parts of this chapter might not be to the highest quality and if there's something that doesn't mess with the previous chapters, well I suppose just chalk it up to me taking so long to freaking fix this chapter.) I am really sorry that this took so long guys, but thanks to school and me restarting my previously dead social life. I ran out of creative juices for this story. I found I didn't have the will to work on this story. So I started another! Huzzah! The fun has been doubled! As well as the work load. But hey it was a silly idea and I ran with it. Anyways, if you guys find any errors that my editor and I missed let me know. As always special thanks goes to my editor Shoggoth. Announcement Announcement Well sorry to do this to you guys, but my editor, Shoggoth, is currently in the middle of getting his house ready for selling. So I have no idea when he will return and as his services were necessary for fixing this story I have decided to put this one on the shelf for now. When my editor returns I will get back to work on getting the next rewritten chapter up. Really sorry about this. -Timothy48 Chapter 4 (Secrets Reveled)Chapter 4 Secrets Revealed If you would keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend. -Benjamin Franklin Canterlot Hospital, Celestia, and Luna’s room, July 13, 1908 10:17pm A deep silence filled the room, broken only by the slow ticking of the clock on the wall. Accord sat between the two cloud beds and he looked exhausted. Ever since assuming his new duties as the princesses stand in, he hadn’t gotten much sleep and it showed. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark bags under them; his clothing was rumpled and he just exuded an aura of exhaustion. After his meeting with Captain Phelps, he had returned to Canterlot. Upon arriving, he had set about gathering a small team of ponies to form a diplomatic mission to the United States as soon as possible. In addition, he had sent a short letter describing what he had learned from the human captain to Princess Celestia. This was the main reason he now found himself sitting here in the hospital room with the two princesses. He had received a message from Celestia less than an hour ago asking him to come and speak with her as soon as possible, and when she meant as soon as possible, she meant now. So, he had come at once, leaving the preparations for the diplomatic mission in the capable hooves of Raspberry Tea. Upon his arrival at the hospital, Celestia had questioned him about the humans and Accord had told her everything that he knew. As he spoke, Celestia had become quieter and quieter, finally Accord finished speaking and awaited her response. After a long minute of awkward silence, she spoke. “You’re sure he wasn’t trying to mislead you Accord?” “I am positive, Your Highness. Like Applejack, I can spot a lie immediately. After all I was once the Lord of Disharmony you know.” He said, while rubbing a hoof against his chest, of course, Celestia was unable to see the action, thanks to the bandages covering her face. However she did manage to get the gist of what he was doing through his tone. Several days had already passed since The Event, and thanks in large part to an Alicorn’s amazing healing abilities, Celestia’s wounds were noticeably better. In fact, if he looked close enough, Accord could see a little bit of pink fuzz beginning to show where her mane used to be. Luna was also making a quick recovery, with many of her bandages having been removed. She’d even been allowed to get out of bed and walk about the room for a short time. Even looking closely, Accord couldn’t see her bruises, but that was more due to the fact that her coat color hid them very well. In addition, he noticed that her mane was slowly beginning to regrow as well, and much like Celestia’s, was also actual hair instead of the ethereal magic that they normally sported. Shaking his head in effort to focus his thoughts, Accord said, “Princess Celestia-” “Celestia is fine when we are alone Accord,” cut in the Sun Princess. “Alright, Celestia.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “What are we going to do? From what I understand if these human nations find out that we are without a powerful military and that we possess desirable resources, namely gems and vast tracts of arable land, they might try and subjugate us.” Celestia let out a mournful sigh and replied, “I know, Accord. I pray that they will seek peaceful coexistence with us, but we need to be ready in case they do not. I have spent most of the morning thinking about that since I received your letter earlier today. However, before I go any farther I must ask, what is the current situation?” Taking a deep breath Accord replied, “Well, the death toll is under a thousand so far. In addition, the amount of injured ponies still seems to be relatively light, no more than twelve thousand so far. Many of them light injuries. However,” He paused and took another deep breath before he continued, “The amount of damages is staggering. Unless we can find a way to help defray the costs, the populace will be feeling it for years, if not decades to come. I have spent hours trying to come up with some way to fix this problem, but nothing I can think of is enough.” “How much, Accord?” asked Celestia, silently dreading the answer. Sighing, he replied, “Over eighty million bits so far and still climbing.” Celestia winced at the price tag. Even though the Equestrian economy was doing okay, a large shock, such as The Event, could send it into a tailspin. Couple that with the massive drain on the treasury due to the enormous amount of damages suffered and one had a recipe for disaster. While Equestria still had a strong economy, based around agriculture and local artisans, it had in recent decades begun to feel the strain of an expanding population. As a result, heavy industries such as steel mills and factories had begun to appear across Equestria; many of them serving local or regional needs in an attempt to keep up with the growing demand for goods. Unfortunately, due to the relative age of the Equestrian industries, imported steel from the Griffin kingdom was still preferred due to its higher quality. This was in large part due to the greater experience of the griffon steelmakers when compared to their pony counterparts. As a result, Equestria’s main exports were low value agricultural goods, moderate amounts of artisan made goods and small amounts of high quality, high value gems. However, without a large heavy industrial base, Equestria was in a delicate position. With the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale out of commision for the foreseeable future, along with the widespread damages to the rest of the nation, they would be too tied up with recovery to do anything else. There was no way that Equestria could both rebuild and arm itself at the same time. Unless they could-. A thought struck Celestia and she said, “Accord.” “Hmm?” “Tell me, did this Captain Phelps describe the sophistication of their weapons?” Accord blinked in confusion and replied, “Yes, but I don’t see how that will help us. We don’t have any weapons that would be able to match them, nor do we have the knowledge on how to build any. Right now, our best bet would be if someone out there took pity on us and threw us a few weapons.” He shook his head in resignation. However, it was at that moment he saw a small smile cross Celestia’s face, looking at her in confusion he asked, “Why are you smiling?” At his question, Celestia’s smile widened even more, finally she responded. “Accord, I think you’re giving up too easily.” Throwing his hooves up in the air, he exclaimed, “Well excuse me Your Highness if I’m a little pessimistic!” He stood up and began pacing while he ranted, Celestia for her part simply lay back and waited for him to cool off. “I mean, according to Captain Phelps, many of these nations possess large armies numbing in the hundreds of thousands, all of which, might I add, are well equipped with highly advanced weapons! If even half of what he described to me is accurate, the guard wouldn’t simply be beaten if they fought them, they would be annihilated. How can swords and spears hope to combat these so called ‘firearms’ of the humans?” “They can’t.” she said simply. “Exactly! So how do you propose we keep some human nation from gobbling us up like a dragon would a tasty gem?” he replied exasperatedly. “Do not dismiss the power of magic Accord, it can be used in more ways than you think.” Rolling his eyes Accord, shot back, “One little problem Celestia, only unicorns can actually cast those spells and if you want them to be of any use, then they must be cast by powerful unicorns.” “You’re referring to my faithful student and her brother Shining Armor?” inquired Celestia. Accord ceased his pacing. “Well, I was think more along the lines of Twilight, as I wasn’t aware that Shining Armor was her brother.” Celestia simply smiled before saying, “Well he is, and he is quite protective of her.” Accord groaned. “Perfect, so now it becomes even more important that my secret remain so, otherwise I’ll have to find someplace very deep to hide until he expires from age.” This time, Celestia didn’t smile, she laughed. It was a soft musical sound, one that could soothe a ponies heart in an instant. Unfortunately, Accord’s heart wasn’t soothed. “How can you laugh at a time like this?” he said, before resuming his pacing. Celestia by this point had managed to calm her laughter and simply said, “Oh Accord, I’m sorry, but you just reminded me of my student just now.” Stopping, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, “In what way?” “You’re worrying over something minor, if Shining Armor did discover your secret then I or Luna would simply explain to him what was going on.” “Yeah, and in the meantime he’ll be slinging spells at my flank.” replied Accord sarcastically. “Well, no plan is perfect.” quipped Celestia. “Speaking of plans, what do we do about our situation? We have no ‘modern’ weapons, nor do we have a military large enough to combat anything the humans may throw at us.” Celestia remain silent for a time, Accord almost thought that she had fallen asleep before she said quietly, “Accord, what I am about to tell you is a closely guarded secret, only I fully know of it.” Accord stopped his pacing, eyes riveted on the Solar Diarch, even Luna, who had been lightly napping, opened her eyes and turned her attention to her sister. Clearing her throat slightly, before continuing, Celestia said, “It was nearly a hundred years after my sisters defeat and subsequent banishment following the Nightmare Wars.” “Nightmare Wars?” asked Accord, confused. “I had thought that you and Luna had simply dueled in the sky and that everypony else had either watched in horrified wonder or coward below in their homes.” “That is the...short version of the story. What is not mentioned is the effects of Luna’s corruption and later banishment.” Now both Accord and Luna were fully interested in Celestia’s story. Shifting slightly on her bed, so as to get more comfortable, Celestia continued, “The Nightmare didn’t just corrupt Luna, but all of us to certain degrees, the only one not affected by its influence was you, but that was only because you were stone at the time.” “What do you mean that it wasn’t just Luna that was corrupted?” “Just that. When the Nightmare took control, it used Luna’s powers to spread its rot throughout Equestria, infecting the hearts of all it touched, including me. During the battle with it, I chased it from one end of the world to the other and everywhere we went, destruction and chaos followed. It was a miracle that you didn’t break free during that period.” Accord placed a hoof to his chin in thought and tried to recall any memories that he might have had at the time. Nothing came to mind. Giving his head a shake, he turned his attention back to Celestia, who after having taken a small sip of water had resumed her tale. “It wasn’t until years later that I realized how deep the damage had gone during that fight. Even the act of banishing Nightmare Moon spread her corruption further. When it was all over, the Old Kingdom of Equestria was no more, the ponies faith in me had been badly shaken. In addition, many of them saw their current misfortunes as the fault of Luna and I, since in their minds, Luna had allowed herself to be possessed and I hadn’t seen the signs in time.” “Sister, twas not thy fault, We should have not hid Our feelings from thee.” Celestia gave a weary sigh. “Luna, for the last time, you need to let that go. What’s done is done and nothing we can do will change it, the best we can do is to learn from it and move forward.” “We...I mean, I know, but...” she trailed off uncertainly, allowing an awkward silence to fall upon the room. After looking back and forth between the two sisters, Accord cleared his throat and asked, “So what happened next?” Celestia sighed once more before saying, “I was removed from the throne of Equestria by a coup of angry ponies who wanted to blame me for the tragedy that had befallen them. So with a heavy heart I fled the remains of the old capital, which has since become the Everfree Forest.” She paused, recalling the painful memories of that troubled time. Shifting once more, she continued, “Even though I had fled from the capital and was now considered an enemy by many. I still continued to raise the sun and the moon, partly in the hopes that the hearts of the ponies would be softened at the sight of the sun and moon continuing their dance across the sky.” “...And did it?” Celestia nodded. “It did, it took time, but in the end many came to realize that it wasn’t my fault that things had turned out the way they had. Many of them even forgave Luna her trespasses against them, convinced that she wasn’t in her right mind when everything happened. However, things were far from ideal for my followers and I. We were forced to seek shelter in the Zebra Lands to the south, for fear of annihilation by those who opposed me.” “I wasn’t aware that the Zebra’s would grant you, let alone be able to provide you with, protection from your enemies.” Celestia smiled. “It wasn’t easy convincing them to aid us, but in the end the promises of pony help with their lands helped sway them to look after us.” “Let me get this straight here, in exchange for protecting you and your people, you would have your ponies help the zebra’s with the weather?” asked Accord. “And much, much more. It is thanks to the efforts of the earth ponies and unicorns that the Zebra’s are able to use magic through their potions and alchemy. In addition to the increase in their quality of life.” “Interesting, but I don’t see how that will help us with the human problem.” “I’m getting there, be patient.” she paused for a moment to recollect her thoughts. Finally she nodded and said, “Now during this time, the Code of Harmony had fallen into disuse. Ponies no longer followed the five Elements of it, Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness and Generosity. Instead, they turned their backs on Harmony and followed the Code of Disharmony, Dishonesty, Sadness, Disloyalty, Hatred and Greed. Just as the Nightmare had wanted them too. For because of her influence, however weak and small it may have been, it was enough to turn ponies into monsters and because of this, ponies went to war. At first it was only against those who threatened them, dragons, griffins, minotaurs and the monsters of the world, just to name a few.” “I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere.” said Accord. Celestia nodded. “You are correct. In time the ponies learned to fight well and were no longer content to let the others make the first move.” “So they elected to strike their enemies first.” finished Accord. Celestia gave a tired nod. “Yes, they did. Over the years weapons technology had progressed at a rapid pace. Swords and spears had given way to cannons and firearms. Spells had become more and more dangerous. Many of them could, in the hooves of a powerful and skilled enough pony, kill hundreds at a time.” Accord cringed slightly at the thought of all that destructive potential in the hooves of a single pony. It’s a wonder that they didn’t blow themselves off the face of the planet. He thought in wonder. Turning his attention back to Celestia he asked, “So what did you do?” “At first, nothing. In my grief I allowed myself to become blind to the disaster unfolding across the land. I was so overcome with sadness and anguish, that I could barely raise the sun and the moon at times.” she replied, a touch of sadness coloring her voice. Taking a deep breath she continued, “After a time, a single nation emerged from the chaos that was Equestria and it became known as the Equestrian Commonwealth. It didn’t take long for the Commonwealth to unite all of the warring factions under a single banner and when they did.” “They came after you.” finished Accord. Celestia nodded. “Yes, they did. They saw myself and those who had gathered around me as a threat. One that could not be allowed to remain.” “So one day they decided to ‘take care’ of you and your subjects?” inquired Accord. “Yes, it caught both us and the Zebras by surprise. For years we had stayed out of Equestrian politics, contenting ourselves with rebuilding and raising our families.” she gave a mournful sigh. “The war lasted for a long time. Even though the Commonwealth had caught us off guard. We, along with the help of the Zebras and later the Griffons and Dog Clans, managed to beat them back to the gates of Canterlot were they finally surrendered to us.” “What happened then?” asked Accord. Celestia gave another mournful sigh. “You have to understand something, the war had left its mark upon the land, whole area’s had been left a desolate wasteland. In fact, the badlands to the southeast, are the result of heavy fighting and use of dangerous magic.” “Wait, the badlands have been around since before Luna’s banishment. In fact, I was the one who created them in the first place when I lost my temper!” Celestia nodded slightly. “That may be true Accord, but the constant fighting in and around the badlands only made them grow in size, in addition to becoming even more desolate and dangerous.” she gave another sigh and continued, “So after the war ended and I had been restored to the throne, reconstruction commenced. However, many ponies had lost friends and loved ones during the war and many just wanted to forget it entirely.” “So you obliged them.” “I did. It took a few years, but the results were worth it. All nations involved in the war agreed to destroy and or hide away their weapons and the knowledge on how to make them. Furthermore, it was also decided that the events leading up to, during and after the war should be left vague for later generations. Hence the old mare's tale of Nightmare Moon among other things. So over the years, as the generation that grew up during that time passed on, the knowledge of the horrors and realities of the war passed on with them.” "Wait a moment," Accord said skeptically, "For a group as obsessed with writing things down as ponies are, you expect me to believe that a war of that magnitude was just 'forgotten' like a bad dream?" “Of course not,” Celestia replied. “There were ponies who passed on the tale to the next generation, there were even some who wrote down their experiences during the war. However, most of those manuscripts have either been lost to history or locked away in somepony’s attic, forgotten. Some have, over the years, been confiscated and destroyed by the government, as they contained dangerous information that if used, could kill hundreds of innocents. But other than those isolated incidents, the war has for the most part been forgotten.” “Well that’s all well and good, but I still don’t see how this helps us with the humans.” said Accord. “Well, it’s simple really, remember how I said that those involved in the fighting either destroyed or hid the knowledge?” asked Celestia, emphasizing the word hid. It took a moment for Accord to recognize where she was going with her thought, but when he did, it was like a bolt of lightning struck him. “Are you saying that you-” “Hid them away? Yes, I do. After the war I ordered most of the weapons and knowledge of war to be destroyed. This was done in an effort to preserve the peace, in line with the treaty that I signed. However, what I didn’t tell anyone, was that I secretly ordered copies of the books and scrolls to be stored under Canterlot Castle, along with a copious amount of…items.” Accord felt like he had been hit by a train, the mere thought that just beneath his hooves lay the tools and knowledge of war, undisturbed since their entombment. Shaking his head in amazement, he asked, “Why?” “Why would I order the careful hiding of the means to wage large scale war underneath Canterlot?” she asked. “It’s simple, really. While I prayed for peace, I knew that someday these very weapons, along with the knowledge needed to use them and make them, would be needed. Even though I didn’t like it, I had to see to it that Equestria could quickly prepare itself in case danger presented itself.” Accord nodded his head slowly. “A wise ruler does not leave their country open for conquest. So, what all did you have secreted away down there?” he asked curiously. “Maybe it is best if you just saw for yourself. Of course you will need a guide and unfortunately I am unable to leave this room. However, Luna is not, and I’m sure that she would be thrilled to give you the ‘grand tour’.” If he could have seen her face properly, Accord figured that she would have had her so called ‘troll’ face on. Celestia was known to have an odd...quirk or two. The Lunar Princess rolled her eyes before sarcastically replying, “Oh sure, I would just love to go and show them around the catacombs. Trouble is Tia, that I have a cast on one of my legs and while I am able to hobble about our room with relative ease, the catacombs are another matter entirely.” “Oh? I had thought the doctor removed it earlier today?” replied her sister innocently. Luna rolled her eyes in exasperation and said, “See what I must put up with Accord? It’s a wonder I am still sane.” Celestia merely grinned before replying, “Oh Luna, you know you enjoy our ‘quality’ time together.” Accord simply sat in between the two cloud beds waiting for the two sisters to cease their verbal sparring, all the while thinking quietly to himself, I am so glad that I do not have any siblings. Sighing wearily, he cut in, “Would you two please stop your bickering? Not that I don’t mind a little chaos every now and then, but you two are starting to give me a headache.” Luna gave a sheepish smile and Celestia felt herself blushing slightly, quickly clearing her throat she said, “My apologies Accord.” Shifting slightly she continued, “Now, as I was saying earlier. I am sure that we could arrange to have Luna guide you through the sealed chambers. Besides only she or I can open the sealed doors, and since I am confined to quarters as it were, that leaves only one other alternative.” “But how will I descend all those nasty stairs with my leg in a cast?” whined Luna. “Oh hush. You just don’t like the catacombs. Accord can push you along on your cloud bed with his magic easily enough, or have a pegasus do it for him.” replied a slightly irritated and tired Celestia. Sighing Luna replied, “Very well then, if I must.” Accord looked confused, “Why wouldn’t you want to go down into the catacombs?” “Because, they remind me of…my failures and I would rather not remember them. After all it is because of my fall that these things exist at all.” “I…see.” Quickly clearing his throat he asked, “When do we leave?” Luna looked to Celestia, then back and replied, “I suppose now would work just fine.” Nodding his head Accord replied, “Very well, I’ll go and get a nurse to help get you situated and then we can go.” Luna simply waved a hoof in acknowledgement as Accord left to find a nurse. After having tracked down a nurse that could interact with the cloud bed, Accord had patiently waited outside the room while Luna was made ready for transport. While he waited he thought, I wonder how Twilight and her friends are doing. Hmm, maybe they should come with us. They are the bearers of the elements after all and I’m sure Twilight would just love to get her hooves on all those books and scrolls down there. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening and saw Luna’s bed come floating out of the room, with the pegasus nurse pushing it along. As they came abreast of him, he asked, “Luna, what do you think about bringing Twilight Sparkle and her friends along with us?” Luna glanced at Accord and after giving it some thought, replied, “You know that isn’t a bad idea, Celestia and I were already planning to tell them. Might as well do it now and get it over with.” “My thoughts exactly,” Turning his attention to the nurse he asked, “Nurse, do you think we could stop by Twilight Sparkles room?” Inquired the former draconequus. “I don’t see why not, it’s on our way towards the exit, in fact if I remember correctly she and her friends are visiting with each other as we speak, even if it is rather late in the evening.” “Excellent, well then let us go and meet with them then.” he replied. A short journey later and they found the six mares sitting on cushions in a small side room, presumably where family and friends would visit with those in the hospital. As they entered Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly stood up and bowed low at Princess Luna’s arrival. Accord noticed that the three mare’s wounds had mostly healed by now and other than a few remaining bandages, looked fine. Rarity and Fluttershy on the other hoof remained seated, Fluttershy on her cloud bed, with one of her wings bandaged and her right foreleg in a cast. While Rarity remained seated on her cushion, both her forelegs were in plaster casts, according to the doctors a candle stand had fallen across her legs during The Event. Thankfully, it was a clean break and they would heal just fine according to the doctors. As Accord looked around the room, he happened to spot her wheelchair in the corner. The final pony in the room, Pinkie Pie, failed to even notice them, her hair was completely straight, and her coat seemed to have dulled in color becoming a grayish pink. Her eyes were downcast and she seemed like she was in a trance. “Your Highness! I didn’t know you were up and about! I thought you were still confined to bed?” exclaimed Twilight. Luna gave a small smile and replied, “I was, however events have forced me to leave my room. However, before we go any farther, I would like to introduce to you Legal Accord,” She waved her hoof to indicate Accord, who in turn bowed his head in greeting. “He is here to help Tia and myself get things put back in order.” “What do ya mean, ‘put things back in order’?” drawled Applejack. Luna lifted her hoof to her chin and pondered the question for a moment before replying, “Well, as you can see, Tia and I are in no condition to lead the country at this time. In addition, even when we are finally released from the hospital, we are to ‘take it easy’ at least that is what the doctors said. Which will require some restructuring of the government.” “What do you mean ‘restructuring’?” asked Rainbow Dash. Luna became quiet for a few moments, while she tried to find the right words to say. Finally, she gave a wing shrug and said, “As you all know, Celestia for many years has not only raised the sun, but the moon as well, in addition to her duties as princess of Equestria.” The others simply nodded, continuing, Luna said, “Well, this has been fairly taxing on her and even though she is an Alicorn, even we have our limits and I’m afraid she’s reached hers.” “What do you mean?” asked Twilight. Luna gave a tired sigh. “There is much that you do not know Twilight Sparkle. I doubt that Celestia has had a real day of rest since the time of my banishment.” “I don’t understand.” “I didn’t think you would Twilight,” Luna gave another sigh before continuing, “It is like this: Celestia is the one who makes all of the decisions regarding internal and foreign matters. Oh sure, she has advisors and ministers who handle some of the burden. Yet for whatever reason, my sister set the government up so that in the end most of the decisions would fall on her shoulders.” “Now why in the hay would she do that?” inquired Applejack. Luna shook her head and said, “I honestly do not know. However, what I do know is that the current government set up is no longer as effective as it used to be.” “What’s wrong with it?” asked Rainbow Dash, cocking her head to one side. “The problem with the government Rainbow, is that everypony focuses their attention on Tia and to a lesser extent, myself. Thus, if either Tia, myself or both of us are…unavailable, then the government would be unable to function properly. In addition, it is a very tiring way to govern the kingdom, add that on top of our duties of raising and lowering both the Sun and Moon and well I think you get the idea. However, Tia plans on having Accord here take our place as the head of government.” “But, if he does that, then what happens to you and Princess Celestia?” asked Twilight, concerned at the thought of Celestia and Luna no longer ruling Equestria. Luna chuckled and replied, “Have no fear Twilight, Celestia and I will return after we have recovered sufficiently from our injuries. However, that will take some time, though I am sure that we could be cleared for some ‘light’ duties during our time off.” A collective sigh escaped from five of the six friends, Pinkie was the only one to remain silent. Upon noticing Pinkie’s lifeless like state, Accord asked, “Is there something wrong with her?” The room grew quiet and several of the ponies in the room shifted uncomfortably, finally Twilight replied, “We don’t know, physically she’s fine. Emotionally or mentally, well we’re not so sure, after she woke up…well it was like all her happiness had been sucked out of her, or like her soul had been traumatized by what happened that night. The doctors don’t know, I don’t know and I doubt that there is anypony out there that does.” She gave a weary sigh. “It hurts to see her like this, but we hoped that by talking or interacting with her, that she might snap out of it. No such luck.” She hung her head in sadness; a few tears slowly rolled down her face and fell to the floor. The rest of her friends were likewise downtrodden. Accord replied, “I am sorry about your friend, hopefully a cure for her condition can be found.” A chorus of ‘thanks’ were spoken by the five friends, turning Accord asked Luna, “Should we tell them now or let them remain with their friend?” Luna pondered for a moment, while the group of Ponyvillians looked on with curious looks on their faces. Finally, after nodding her head she replied, “Yes, I think that this would be acceptable.” Turning to her nurse she said, “Thank you for your assistance, you may go.” The nurse nodded and slowly trotted out of the room, once she was gone Luna turned back to the group and said, “What I am about to tell and show you, if you are willing, is not to be shared with anypony else. This information is very secretive and dangerous and the general population is not ready for it, yet. Do you understand and are you willing to keep silent until otherwise told?” The five friends huddled together and hastily conversed with one another. After a short space of time had passed, they turned back and Twilight replied, “We are, Your Highness. What is it that you wish to show us?” “Very well then, follow us.” turning her attention to Accord, she signalled him to push her out of the room. Several minutes later Luna, Accord, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack found themselves in front of a rather plain stonewall in one of the lower levels of Canterlot Castle. It had been decided to leave Rarity and Fluttershy behind with Pinkie Pie. Both because their injuries would make it difficult for the group during their journey through the Canterlot Catacombs and to keep an eye on Pinkie whose condition had remained unchanged. “Alright, before we go on, there is something that I need to share with you.” Twilight cocked her head to the side and asked, “What is it princess?” In a hushed voice, Luna continued, “Yesterday, Celestia and I were informed that Equestria has been...displaced from our original world.” Twilight’s brow knotted together in confusion. “Original... Wait, what? How?” she exclaimed. "You mean that while we were asleep, something managed to move the entire country onto another planet without anyone seeing it?" Rainbow added. Luna nodded. “In essence, yes. That would be correct. Now are you all sure you wish to proceed with this? Some of these…artifacts may not be pleasant to look upon.” Luna continued, cutting off any further questions from the trio. The three mares looked at each other in varying states of confusion over the previous news, before hesitantly nodding their heads in agreement. Luna nodded in turn and shifted her gaze back to the wall. Closing her eyes, she felt her magic flow through her horn, a soft blue aura surrounding it. Leaning forward, so her horn gently touched the wall, she poured more power into it, until with a faint pop, her magic faded away. At first nothing happened, after a moment of silence, Twilight turned to Luna and opened her mouth to say something. However, her words died on her tongue when a small blue dot appeared in the center of the wall and quickly spread along seemingly invisible lines set into it. As the ponies watched, a large intricately carved rune began to emerge before them; its glowing blue lines seemed to plus in a rhythm of sorts, like that of a heartbeat. However they weren’t able to appreciate its strange beauty as suddenly the lines ceased moving, and with a small burst of light the stonewall disappeared, revealing a dark stone corridor. With Accord pushing her cloud bed with his magic, Luna and the small group of ponies made their way down into the Catacombs proper. The stonewall rematerializing behind them, plunging the corridor into darkness, except for the small pool of light cast by Accords magic. However, with a quick flick of her horn, Luna’s magic caused torches to burst to life along the passageway. The group followed quietly behind the Lunar Princess as they made their way deeper into the Catacombs. As they continued onwards, the cobblestone floor and walls eventually gave way to solid stone. While they were walking along the passageway, Twilight noticed that the torches had started appearing with greater spacing, which left wide pools of darkness in between them. After a time, without any way to gauge the distance traveled, the floor slanted downwards, leading further into the mountain. It wasn’t long before they came to a set of spiral stairs, the flicker of the torches dancing on the walls as Luna asked for Accord to halt here and angling her head slightly, she called back over her shoulder. “This is your last chance to turn back, my friends. I would understand if you were uncomfortable going any further. However, if you wish to continue be warned that what you are about to see will shatter everything you think you knew about our history. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Applejack stepped forward with a determined expression on her face and replied, “Yer Highness, Ah’d be lying if ah said ah wasn’t a mite uncertain, but we’ve come this far. We’ll see it through.” Rainbow Dash nodded her head in agreement and added, “Yeah, I mean we’re going to find out about all this stuff anyways right? So might as well get it over with now.” Luna shook her head slightly, “You don’t understand. Yes, eventually everypony will know about most of our history. However, you three, and if they desire it, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, will know things that no other pony will ever know. There are some things that are best left hidden.” she finished quietly. Twilight felt herself become even more nervous, however if her friends were ready to see what was down below so was she. Steeling herself she said, “We are ready Princess, no matter what.” “Very well. Accord, if you will proceed?” Accord simply nodded. While he did not know the extent of the technological advancement between the times he was imprisoned as Discord and the Nightmare Wars, he had a fairly good idea that the three friends would be shocked, possibly even horrified, at what they were about to see. However, if they were willing to take the plunge then he wouldn’t stop them. Descending the spiral stairs was not easy, especially while trying to make sure that Luna’s bed didn’t get away from him. While a pegasus would have been better suited to moving it, unicorn magic would do in a pinch. He managed however, and soon the party found themselves at the bottom of the staircase. All around them was inky blackness, the only source of light being the torches behind them and Accords magical aura, if one looked real hard one could barely make out stacks of what looked like boxes nearby. With a wave of her horn, Luna caused the room to become bathed in light. Everypony in the group save for Luna gasped in awe at what they saw. Imposing pillars covered by elaborate carvings towered above them, helping to support the roof. Large glass orbs, hung from the ceiling by thick heavy chains, now glowed with a shifting yellow light. The room was less a room and more of a cavernous cathedral, stretching off in all directions. Looking around, Twilight noticed that a beautiful mosaic that depicted various scenes from the past made up the entire floor. Twilight lifted her front hoof and saw a unicorn dressed in some sort of antique armor holding in its magical grasp a strange blunt looking spear that belched smoke and fire from the end of it. Confused, she was about to ask Luna what kind of spear did that. However, when she looked up, she saw that Luna and Accord had moved further down the long aisle and seemed to be inspecting some boxes. Looking around, Twilight could see that the rest of the cavern was full of boxes and large crates set in a grid pattern. Squinting her eyes slightly, she could barely make out the shape of some large unidentifiable objects covered with tarp along the far wall to her right. Looking to her left, she saw something that made her inner bookworm squeal with delight: Row after row of bookshelves bursting at the seams with scrolls and books rested against the far wall. Looking back towards Luna, she could see that the princess was still busy with the boxes, and deciding that a quick peek wouldn’t hurt, she trotted over to the ancient shelves. Picking a shelf at random, she scanned the titles until she came to an ancient tome entitled Experimental Spells, carefully pulling it off the shelf, with her slightly recovered magic, she opened it and began to read. The first page was a simple index with chapter numbers and simple descriptions of what was contained within the chapter. Flipping to the first chapter, entitled Anatomy Spells, she began to read, however she quickly had to shut the book lest she lose her dinner. Learning how to strip the hide off a pony that was still alive was something she never thought a pony would come up with and it sickened her. “Now it’s stuck in my head!” She whimpered to herself. Gingerly putting the tome back, she slowly made her way back to the group. When she returned to the group, Applejack asked, “Y’all right there sugercube? You look bit green around the gills.” “I-I’m fine, just…feel a little light headed is all, probably from walking down all those stairs.” She said, before giving a weak smile. “Well alright, if you say so.” replied a concerned Applejack. Shaking her head to align her thoughts, she mulled over what she had read. Could this be what Luna was referring to? If so then I could understand why she was acting like she was earlier. Shivering slightly, Twilight looked around once more. This entire cavern is full of dangerous knowledge. The question however, is why would Luna want to share this with anypony? A sudden clinking sound caused Twilight to look over to where Luna and Accord were standing. Luna seemed to have pulled something out of a box and was now closely examining it. Looking around, Twilight spotted Rainbow making silly faces at an unfamiliar looking helmet, while Applejack was watching Rainbow and her antics and shaking her head. Clearing her throat Twilight said, “Girls, why don’t we go and see what Luna’s doing?” “Huh? Sure.” replied the chromatic pegasus as she lazily flapped her way over to Luna. Applejack simply nodded and trotted over, Twilight falling in behind her. As they approached, Twilight could see what Luna was holding in her magic. It appeared to be some sort of strange harness, with what looked like gems set in it at certain spots. As she came up next to the cloud bed, Luna noticed her and said, “Ah Twilight, I was just about to call you and your friends over. Tell me can you guess what this does?” She asked holding the strange looking harness before Twilight. Twilight looked it over trying to puzzle out what it did. However, she couldn’t and admitted defeat. “I have no idea Princess Luna, though I’m betting you know.” Luna smiled and said, “I do, but I will need some help in showing you.” Turning her attention towards Applejack, she asked, “Applejack would you come over here please?” Looking perplexed, Applejack walked over and stood next to Princess Luna. “Uh, sure. What do ya need me to do?” she asked. “Just stand still.” replied Luna as she made some minute adjustments to the harness. Giving a nod of satisfaction, she slipped the strange looking harness on the apple farmer. Looking down at the harness in curiosity, Applejack asked,“Uh, Yer Highness, what’s this?” Twilight also wondered what kind of purpose the harness served. Striding closer to her friend, she bent down so that she could more closely examine the harness better. The first thing that she noticed was that it was made of some kind of supple material that felt organic. In addition, it contained four gemstones that Twilight had, at first glance thought were diamonds due to their clearness. However, upon closer inspection, she found that they now had a slight orange tint to them. In addition, the gems were set at certain locations on the harness, two near the shoulders, one on the back, and finally one set in the center of the chest. Each gem was seated in a simple silver bezel that had been bonded to the harness, probably through magic, causing them to be nearly flush with the surrounding material. Possibly to help prevent the gems from being caught and ripped from the harness during daily activities. The harness itself was worn similar to that of a vest. After she had satisfied herself with the way the harness was seated, Luna replied, “That my dear Applejack is a special harness that will allow you to channel your magic and use it in a more controlled fashion.” After looking down at the harness for a moment Applejack asked dubiously, “So what saying Yer Highness, is that this here harness will let me cast spells like a unicorn or something?” Luna gave a knowing smile and said, “Something like that Applejack. You are an earth pony, and while you might not have a horn like Twilight or Accord, you still possess magic; as does everypony. The only difference between a unicorn and an earth pony or a pegasus is that unicorns are born with a different way to channel their inner magic.” Twilight felt her mouth hang open at the revelation and after regaining the ability to speak asked. “But Princess Luna, how is this possible? It goes against all known theories of magic!” “You just answered your own question Twilight Sparkle; it goes against all known magical theories. However, and this is no false claim I make, it really does work. You are aware of how all ponies are born with magic?” Twilight nodded, “And you know that the reason only unicorns can use it in the way they do is because they are able to focus it?” Twilight nodded her head once more, a thoughtful look overcoming her face. After a brief moment, a look of comprehension dawned on her face. “I think I get what you’re saying now. Without a way to control their magic, earth ponies and pegasi just shed their magic without really doing anything noticeable. Right?” Luna’s face lit up with a large smile. “Exactly! These harnesses allow them to exert a small amount of control over their magic and use it much like a unicorn would use theirs.” “Well then, if they allowed ponies to use their magic more fully, why were they sealed away?” asked Twilight. Luna looked unsure for a moment, then shrugging slightly replied, “I’m not sure, as I was sealed in the moon at the time. Celestia would know more than me. However she did mention that one of the reasons that she had these magical harness sealed away was that it was a condition of the treaty that ended the Nightmare Wars.” “Nightmare Wars? What were those?” asked Rainbow, perplexed at the name. Luna sighed and replied, “The Nightmare Wars were the most terrible and destructive wars that we, as a species, have ever encountered. They lasted for many years, hundreds of thousands were killed, and large swaths of land were rendered useless. At least that’s what Celestia told me; after all, I was locked up in the moon at the time.” she gave a weak smile. However the smile didn’t last. Giving a tired sigh, Luna continued, “And you all have heard of the Nightmare Wars, just not in any kind of detail.” “Huh? What the hay is that supposed to mean?” “Rainbow!” hissed Twilight, embarrassed by her friends somewhat rude behavior. Luna merely smiled and said, “Be at ease Twilight Sparkle, I am not offended.” Turning her attention back towards the cyan mare, she said, “Let me clarify.” she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing, “It is like this. When the fighting ended, much of Equestria lay in ruins and almost every family was suffering from the loss of a loved one. You could probably understand why they would want to forget about it, and from what Celestia has told me, they kind of did.” “What do you mean by ‘kind of’?” inquired Twilight. “Well, many ponies refused to write down or even talk about their experiences during the war and if they did, the records have either been destroyed or lost to time. Furthermore, and granted this is all from Celestia’s memory so some of the details might be a little off, from what I understand, many strides in technology were made during the wars, but because of the price paid for them, ponies didn’t want to use them. So they fell out of use and were also lost to the ravages of time, hence the reason for this room and for the reason as to why that harness is down here.” “But why would ponies want to fight each other so suddenly?” asked Applejack. Luna’s head bowed low in sorrow. “It is my fault. When the Nightmare corrupted me, it also spread its corruption across the land, infecting anything and anyone I came near. Not even Celestia was safe from its corrupting influence.” “But didn’t the Elements banish Nightmare Moon to the moon?” asked Twilight. “Yes, they did, but they didn’t cleanse the Nightmares influence from the hearts and minds of the those it had infected. And since it was wiped away, it festered and grew. Even though it was locked away in the moon, the combination of distrust and pain allowed it to control to a degree those it had taken over.” “So the story of Nightmare Moon is...” “Incomplete, yes Twilight that is correct. The version of events that you know of is the only one to have survived the ravages of time and even then, many ponies still didn’t know that much about it.” “So what happened to those who Nightmare Moon corrupted?” asked Rainbow. “I don’t know, and neither does my sister, at least not for sure. Over the centuries she’s come up with several theories concerning it. One of which is that those most heavily corrupted by the vile magic were killed during the war, while the rest of those afflicted simply learned to ‘live’ with it so to speak. From what Tia could tell, the magic wasn’t passed on to the next generation, but she is not completely sure.” she finished, shrugging helplessly. The four other ponies exchanged glances, before Applejack hesitantly asked, “So...does that mean that when Nightmare Moon came back the second time, she ‘infected’ us again?” Luna blinked, surprised at the thought. Placing a hoof to her chin, she contemplated the idea for a time. After several minutes of tense silence, she looked back at the others and replied, “I do not think that you have reason to worry. If anypony had been infected, they would have shown signs of it by now. Moreover, the fact that I was cleansed of that...affliction instead of being sent back to the moon, bodes well for all involved. Most likely, if any corruption did occur, it was cleansed when you girls used the Elements on Nightmare Moon.” Twilight and her friends breathed a sigh of relief at Luna’s pronouncement. Looking around the room, Twilight finally said, “So, this room. It’s full of things to hurt ponies with.” Luna nodded somberly. “Yes Twilight, it is. Many of these devices have only one purpose. To kill and destroy everything they touch. Others, such as that harness that Applejack is wearing, can be put to other uses. Believe it or not, but ponies got to be very clever when it came to the art of war and it looks like we will have to once more become clever at it.” she finished sorrowfully. “But…why? I mean, yeah sure there’s been some weird stuff going on lately. But that doesn’t mean we gotta go to war does it?” inquired Rainbow Dash hopefully. “I can only hope. However, and I want you three to keep it to yourselves for the time being, not only are we no longer in our world, but there’s a decent chance that the natives may be less than friendly.” At that, Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. “That’s why you are showing us all of this. You think we will have to use these weapons against them.” “I pray that it will not be necessary to do so. But if we have no choice, then…yes, ponies will need to kill those who threaten us. I wish it were otherwise, but from what we have learned so far, this world is a lot different than ours was and it’s people are in a constant state of armed tension.” At this point, Luna took a deep breath before continuing, “And, if the source is indeed correct, and I have little reason to doubt it, then every single nation on this world has at their call hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, and they are willing to use them to advance their own purposes.” This news hit the three friends like a runaway applecart, to find out that not only had they been ripped from their old comfortable world, but that they had been thrust into a new world full of violence and hate. Applejack was the first to recover her voice. “So, what do we do Yer Highness?” “Prepare, fair Applejack. We hope for peace but make ready for war. It will not be easy, nor pleasant. But if our nation is to survive in this harsh new world, then we will need to be ready.” replied Luna solemnly. A short silence fell upon the group. Shaking her head, Luna continued, “Enough, I have brought you here to see what our nation created to defend itself with, not to wallow in pity. Now Applejack, I believe those gems are charged enough for you to use them.” “Charged? What do you mean by that?” asked Applejack. “These gems feed upon your inner magical reserves, thus if they haven’t been worn in sometime then they require a short time to absorb your magic. In order to use them you must focus your mind; if you were to try to pick something up with them you must think about picking the item up. Try it with this lid here.” She lifted a lid and set it down in front of Applejack. “Now focus on that lid, imagine yourself picking it up.” When Applejack’s hoof moved to pick it up, Luna said, “No, do not use your hoof. Use your magic, focus on the lid with your magic. Do you feel a warm sensation?” When Applejack nodded, Luna smiled and said, “Good. That means that you have tapped into your inner magic. Now picture in your mind that you are picking it up without physically touching it.” An orange glow surrounded the lid and with sweat beginning to bead on her forehead, Applejack managed to lift the wooden lid off the stone floor into the air. As the lid came level with her head Applejack let a triumphant yell, while both Twilight and Rainbow looked on in amazement. Setting the lid back down Applejack tried again, this time she found it a little easier to lift it and with a smile of wonderment spreading across her face bowed low to Princess Luna and said, “Yer Highness, thank you for showing this to me. Ah never in all mah life thought ah would be able to do something like this.” “You’re welcome Applejack, though I feel I should inform you that like anything other type of physical endeavor you will need to build up your magical ‘muscles’ if you want to lift or carry anything heavier than a simple lid.” “Ah will Princess Luna, though ah was wondering, what’s the heaviest thing ya think ah could lift with this here harness?” Applejack asked inquisitively. Luna gave a soft laugh and replied, “Oh Applejack, ever the curious one aren’t you. The harness is actually not all that more capable than the average unicorn in terms of lifting ability. However, unlike a unicorn’s horn, those gems have a limit to what they can lift. The heaviest thing I have heard of that a pony can lift with that harness was when Celestia told me about a supply wagon that had become stuck in a mire during a campaign and they had to lift it free. However, that was only after the wagon had been emptied of its load and it taxed both the gems and the pony greatly, so I doubt you would be able to lift anything much heavier than that by yourself.” Applejack felt a little crestfallen at Luna’s reply. She had always prided herself on being strong and in top physical condition, and even though she tried hard not to be a show off, the news that she had little chance to really flex her magical ‘muscles’ was a little disappointing. However, she quickly decided that it wasn’t really that important and turning towards the lunar princess, she smiled up at her and replied, “Alright Princess Luna that seems fair ah reckon. Though ah just have one more question about these harnesses.” “Ask away Applejack.” “What are they made of? It feels…warm if that makes any sense.” “From my understanding it is derived from kelp and is magically enhanced to take the daily strains and abuses of life.” replied Luna. “Kelp?” asked Applejack as she looked down at the harness with confusion. “This doesn't look like it was made from kelp.” “Well, according to Celestia, the kelp has been magically altered into a more sturdier material. I’m not sure of how this is accomplished other than that magic is involved.” Carefully removing the harness, Applejack placed it on a nearby crate. Twilight and Rainbow moved closer so that they could get a better look. After a few moments of inspecting the harness, Twilight turned to Luna and said, “Your Highness, this harness could have been of great use for ponies, why hide it away?” Sighing, Luna replied, “I do not know all the details, but from what Celestia has told me, at that time everyone was tired of fighting. Many had lost loved ones and there was a great mourning throughout the world. Ponies had been fighting for so long that many thought of anything created during the war as...distasteful, and simply wanted to put the bad times behind them and move on with their lives. Celestia however, foresaw the need for such things as those that you see around you. Even though she was more than ready to also put the war behind her and move on, she realized that if it could happen once, it could happen again. So she commanded that examples of all weapons, in addition to copies of the books and diagrams on how to make them be hidden beneath Canterlot Castle.” She paused for a moment, turning her head to scan the nearby crates and boxes. Apparently spotting what she was looking for, she said, “I can see she even went so far as to have the tools that were used to make the weapons dismantled and stored here as well. I suppose she was just being paranoid at the time. After all she and what was left of the old Equestrian kingdom had been attacked without warning. So I suppose she was just planning for any and all possibilities.” She gave a wing shrug and fell silent awaiting a reply. Rainbow was the first to speak, “That doesn’t sound like our Princess Celestia, I mean she’s always so kind and…” “Peaceful?” supplied Luna. “Yeah, peaceful. I mean if everypony was tired of war at that point and they had destroyed all their weapons then why go through all this trouble?” “A pony can change a lot over time, Rainbow Dash. Even back then Celestia wasn’t what you would call ‘bloodthirsty’, but she was very protective and would do whatever it took to protect her subjects. Even if they didn’t like how she went about it. That’s why she kept this all a secret Rainbow Dash. If anyone had found out that she had not in fact destroyed all of these weapons and the knowledge on how to make them, it would have destroyed everyone’s confidence in her, possibly leading to her have to abdicate the throne. Thankfully however she didn’t get caught and never had to abdicate her throne. Instead what happened was that we entered an age of peace that lasted for hundreds of years and as time went on, ponies forgot about the war, simple as that.” Twilight found this hard to believe and stated, “They just forgot about war, just like that?” “Well it didn’t happen overnight, Twilight Sparkle. It took many years, but without the books and scrolls that contained the information about war and with the passing of the last generation that experienced it first hoof, it became muddled; and then finally disappearing altogether save in certain circles. Which, I am to understand, Celestia watches very closely. Now, shall we continue on or do you have any further questions on this subject?” asked Luna. When no one spoke up, she nodded to Accord resume pushing her bed with his magic. As they continued down the long row of crates and boxes, Luna showed the three friends various ancient weapons from spears to crossbows. However, it was when they came to a stack of long crates with the strange looking weapons that Twilight had seen the unicorn in the mosaic using before. When she asked what they were, Luna explained, “This, Twilight, was the pinnacle of weapons development at the time. They are called firearms; however many ponies back then just called them guns. This one was the last to be developed by our artisans and only a few hundred were made before the end of the war. It was the first to have an all metal self-contained cartridge.” “What is that?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rather than try to explain it to her, Luna simply took one out of a nearby crate, lifted it up to eye height, and said, “This is a rifle cartridge, often referred to as a bullet, which is this little piece of metal at the tip of it here.” She indicated the aforementioned part with the point of her hoof, “And it is what comes out of the barrel of the rifle when the powder is ignited inside the cartridge.” “That little thing doesn’t look like it could hurt somepony that bad.” replied the cyan pegasus. “Don’t be fooled by its size Rainbow Dash, a bullet can kill you faster than a sword or spear ever could. Or it could leave you in agony for days before you expired, if nopony tended to the wound. It really just comes down to the abilities of the shooter.” She gave a wing shrug once more and continued with her description of the weapon. Many of the words she used were unfamiliar to the friends, but the gist of it got through. It was a dangerous weapon, do not take it lightly or suffer the consequences. While it didn’t seem as intimidating as say a sword or spear, it exuded an aura of subtle power, it was shorter than a spear, being only about seven hooves in length from one end to the other. Its wooden stock, as Luna had called it, looked like it would fit a pony’s shoulder quite well and the wood had a warm reddish brown tinge to it. The metal of the weapon gleamed like polished silver in the glow of the overhead lights. Looking at it more closely, Twilight could see that the rifle was designed with a pony in mind. The ‘trigger guard’, as Luna had called it, was large enough for a pony to comfortably fit their hoof through. In addition, Luna had explained that when a pony pulled the trigger guard down, it would open the ‘breech’ of the weapon, which Luna had called a ‘falling block action’. Moreover, when the action was opened to put a new cartridge in, a small block of metal would extend from the body of the gun and ‘cock’ the ‘hammer’, which would allow the weapon to fire. Or at least that was what Luna had said, in all honesty Twilight was feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of information that had been thrown her way over the past few hours. Looking over at Luna she asked, “Do you think we could come back to this tomorrow Princess Luna, I don’t know about AJ or Rainbow Dash, but I’m exhausted.” Luna nodded and replied, “I think that might be wise. If you wish, you could recount what we have discussed with the others in your rooms when we return if you like. I admit that this must be very overwhelming for you three. I will admit that when Celestia first showed all of this to me and told me all that had transpired since my imprisonment I too was overwhelmed.” Turning to Accord she said, “It’s late, if you would be so kind as to take me back to my room Accord, I would be most grateful.” “Of course, Your Highness,” He began to push her bed along with his magic when she said, “And get yourself some good rest as well Accord. When was the last time you had any sleep?” He stopped for a moment and gazed off for a moment in contemplation before replying, “I’m not quite sure honestly.” She chided him, “Then get some sleep or you’ll make yourself sick and that will not do at all.” He gave a noncommittal grunt, but said nothing. As they made their way out of the underground store room, the lights dimmed and finally went out one by one, plunging the room once more into darkness. The artifacts could wait; they had already waited for many centuries, what were a few more days? As the small group reached the stairs and began to ascend, Twilight looked back over her shoulder at the now darkened room and thought. Why must it be like this? Why can’t we live together in harmony with these ‘humans’ like the other peoples of our old world? When no answer was forthcoming, she just shook her head sadly and hastened her pace to catch up with the rest of the group. Author's Note Well here we go. Chapter 4, up a whole 9 days before the month time limit was reached. I have achieved my goal! ~yay!~ Anyways, as usual a big thanks goes to Shoggoth my editor who has been a big help in making this train wreck of a story look good. And if you spot anything wrong let me know, quote of the problem sentence would be a good idea so that I can find the problem faster. Anyways, enjoy chapter 4!
Prologue (Reworked)Interesting Times By Timothy48 Prologue As the sun dipped below the Equestrian horizon, Princess Celestia let out a small sigh of relief. It had been more difficult than usual to put the Sun to bed, and the effort had taxed her greatly. Shaking her head slightly, she walked over to her favorite rug in her room, levitating a book towards her from a nearby shelf. She lay down to enjoy a light read before bed. Settling herself in a more comfortable position on her rug, she opened the book to read. However, before she could start, a strange feeling came over her. Like a cold wind blowing across her body, despite the warm summer’s night. Looking around, she stood up with a sigh and walked out onto her balcony. She looked out into the gathering darkness. Seeing nothing amiss, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt her magic building around her horn, its glow increasing with each passing second, until it looked as if a miniature sun had blossomed at the tip of her horn. She held the spell for a few more moments and then, released her hold upon the it, allowing the light to quietly fade from her horn. Shaking with exhaustion, a look of worry crossed her face. Gazing up into the night sky, she could see dark angry clouds covering Luna's beautiful stars. While below her balcony, white tendrils of mist could be seen covering the gardens. As she turned to walk back into her chambers, she thought. What is happening? All across Equestria, from the busy streets of Manehattan, to the quiet homes of Ponyville, from the dry desert around Appleoosa, to the cold and snowy mountains of the north, a white mist settled over the land. The sky gradually became enveloped in dark angry looking clouds. Princess Celestia sat quietly in her chambers, pondering the situation, the minutes slowly ticking by. Having come to a decision, she rose from her comfortable rug and walked to her bedroom doors. She opened one slightly and asked one of the white pegasus guards to fetch her sister Luna. The confused guard gave a salute with his wing and trotted off to find the princess of the night. Celestia quietly closed the door. Taking a quill in her magical grasp, she began to write a short letter to her faithful pupil. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock at the door. “Come in dear sister.” she called out. Princess Luna stepped through the door, shutting it softly behind her. Her starry mane flowed gracefully behind her, forever caught in an eternal ethereal wind. Small stars twinkled and shone from her night colored mane. As she approached, a look of concern crossed her face. “What troubleth thou dear sister?” Celestia hid a small smile at Luna's choice of words; whenever Luna became nervous of excited, she tended to slip into her old speaking habits. She would even, on occasion, fall back too using the Royal Canterlot Voice. Especially when she became very emotional or nervous. Even when a pony was sitting right next to her, much to the detriment of said ponies hearing abilities. Sighing, Celestia replied. “Did you feel anything a short time ago?” When Luna nodded her head, Celestia continued. “Something is happening, though I'm not sure what; I have never felt magic this cold or powerful before.” Luna looked towards the balcony doors and replied. “Nor have We dear sister. It felt so... alien. We do not believe it is of our world.” Celestia nodded. “I believe you are correct and if that is indeed the case, then the question becomes. ‘Where did it come from and what is its purpose?” Luna shook her head, unable to supply the answer both mares were seeking. Then, noticing the piece of paper and quill resting at Celestia's hoofs, she asked. “Who art thou writing to?” Giving a weak smile, the Sun Princess replied. “My most faithful student. If I know her, she should still be awake, studying no doubt.” With a quick flourish of her quill, she finished the letter, and sealed it. Closing her eyes, she called upon an ancient spell that had been taught to her by a wise and friendly dragon. Her horn pulsed with magical energy for a short second and then with a pop! the scroll disappeared in a puff of green smoke and flames. Luna wrinkled her nose at the stench of dragon fire. “What didst thou write?” “I explained what was happening to the best of my knowledge and asked for her to come to Canterlot with her friends.” “Doth thou really think that the Elements of Harmony can do anything?” Celestia shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not, but we won't know for sure unless we try.” Luna nodded. “How shall they travel here? The roads will be treacherous in this mist and the weather to be in the midst of a storm.” “A mass teleportation spell. I explained to Twilight in my letter about how to set up the runes properly.” Luna nodded once more. She was about to say something more but was interrupted when a scroll appeared in a flash of green fire and smoke. Quickly unrolling the letter, Celestia read Twilight’s reply. Dear Princess Celestia, I have also noticed this phenomenon as well and was about to send you my own letter when yours arrived. I have already made the necessary preparations and am waiting for my friends arrival. I will send you another letter oncewe are ready to depart. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle “We will need a bigger room if we are to perform the teleportation spell correctly.” Luna nodded in agreement. Without another word, the two sisters trotted out of the room and made their way towards the royal throne room. After about an hour, another letter appeared in the air in front of Celestia. Quickly reading it, she nodded towards Luna. The two of them took station on the opposite sides of the room. Closing their eyes, they began to channel magical energy through their horns, a soft glow began to fill the room, growing in intensity until, with a large flash and loud pop six, pastel colored ponies stood in the middle of the room with looks ranging from confusion to calm determination. The six stood in a circle each wearing their own Element of Harmony. Twilight quickly shook her head to clear away the post teleportation haze, and quickly walked over to where Celestia stood. “We came as quickly as we could Your Highness.” she announced bowing her head. Celestia smiled, “Thank you for coming, Twilight and for bringing your friends; unfortunately we do not have much time. The magic is building rapidly and I am afraid of what will happen when it reaches its peak.” Twilight glanced at her friends, then nodded to the princesses. “What do you need us to do?” “I need you to use the Elements to help Luna and I dispel this magic before it can do any harm. By ourselves, Luna and I are not powerful enough to dispel the magic, but with the Elements, we should have no trouble.” “Has something like this happened before Your Highness?” Asked Rarity. Celestia shook her head, “No, not in Luna’s or my own life times. However, this magic is not benign; it is full of darkness, fear, sadness, and… hate. I have never felt anything so cold and powerful before. However we have no time. I can feel the magic reaching its climax. if we do not do something soon, it will be too late. Now everyone gather around Luna and I in a circle.” The six ponies did as they were instructed, each taking up a position in a circle around Celestia and Luna. Celestia looked to Twilight and nodded her head. Twilight gave a quick nod and, closing her eyes, reached out with her magic. She could feel the warmth of her friend’s elements, and she could feel the power of both princesses. However, she could feel a cold chill at the edge of the magical warmth; it felt similar to that of standing next to a campfire in the dead of winter,warmed on only one side while the biting air attacked the other. Screwing up her face in concentration, she reached out to grasp the magic of her Element. She felt the familiar warmth and power course through her body. At the same time, she sensed Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s magic aura envelop her and her friends as each of their respective Elements came alive. She could feel the magic flow towards Celestia and Luna. The amount of magical energy in the room was almost overwhelming. Twilight felt herself becoming exhausted very quickly, but she had to remain strong. As the magic continued to flow into the two solar sisters, Twilight sensed the alien magic shift suddenly; it was no longer steadily building up around them. It had noticed the group’s efforts to try to dispel it and reacted. A soft moan began to sound, quickly building into an unearthly wail, a deep cold settled on the room and an angry wind picked up, seemingly from nowhere, bowling over all but Celestia and Luna, breaking the magical focus of all. The warm magic quickly dissipated, consumed by the cold magic. Fed by the new magical influx, the wind intensified and the wail rose higher in volume till it sounded like the shrieks of the damned. The temperature in the room dropped even further. As she fought the magic, Celestia could feel the demonic magic shift its focus to her. The wind around her intensified further still. Celestia feared the shrieking would consume her very sanity. She felt battered and bruised and she could feel blood flowing down her face, from numerous cuts sustained from objects that the wind had dislodged in the throne room, and seemed to be using as weapons to strike both her and her sister. She could feel consciousness fading from her, but she could still feel her sister as well as her student and her friends, fighting on, despite all the wind could do. Almost as if it could sense her determination to stay awake, the magic shifted its focus ever so slightly. While still keeping pressure on the two royal sisters. It began to work its vile magic on the six friends, pounding on them and wearing at them like the sea would a rocky shore. Until one by one, they began to succumb to its powerful beatings. Buffeted by the gale, Twilight felt herself losing consciousness as the shrieks beat upon her mind and the wind her body. Bleeding from numerous wounds and cuts, Twilight felt despair. She watched helplessly as her friends were beat upon before finally succumbing to the nefarious magic. Fluttershy went first, followed by Rarity and Pinkie Pie; Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the last to go. The magic had focused the majority of its power on one target, and upon breaking it, it would move on to the next with redoubled fury. Now, it was just Twilight, Luna, and Celestia. The edges of Twilight vision began to blur as she slipped away into darkness. She saw both Celestia and Luna collapse, their bodies battered and bruised, blood running from both their noses and ears. Blood poured from the wounds to form a crimson lake on the floor. Twilights vision faded to merciful darkness. Author's Note Okay wow, first of all I would like to thank both of my new pre readers/editors. Sorren, and Spanner/Dex for helping me to make this chapter more presentable. Thanks guys, means a lot to me. Gonna be working on fixing up all the other chapters as well. So for all you new readers thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope you come to enjoy it and to all of my current readers. Thank you for all of your advice on how to make this story better. Timothy48
Chapter 1 (A Whale of a Tale)Chapter 1 A Whale of a Tale “It’s a whale of tale and it’s all true I swear by my tattoo!” 500 miles North of the Hawaiian Islands, July 11, 1908 AD, 5:03AM The North Pacific was rarely ever calm, and today was no exception. Captain Joshua Phelps, captain of the tramp freighter SS Marlin Spike, stood on the bridge with the ships wheel grasped firmly in his callused hands. He was tall, standing a shade over six feet. He wasn’t what you would call a handsome man. What with his closely cropped brown hair, strong jaw, and weathered look. However, he wasn’t ugly either. Least the ladies didn’t say anything about it when he was in port on liberty. As he fought with the wheel, he prayed that both he and his ship would make it through this hell-spawned blow in one piece. The Marlin Spike, while only four years old, was still just a freighter ship and a small one at that, displacing only about four thousand tons fully loaded. As her prow scythed through the massive fifteen foot swells, the torrential rains and howling wind pounded against her hull in a dull roar. While struggling to keep the ship under control, Joshua made a mental note to himself. If we ever get out of this alive, I will never take this route again! I sure hope like hell that the cargo doesn’t break loose with the pounding this tub is taking! As if to drive home his point. The Marlin crested yet another wave and dropped down into the trough on the other side, like a punch-drunk prizefighter. Suddenly the door to the rear stairwell burst open, and Joshua’s second in command, Patrick Fitzgibbons stumbled through the doorway. His dark green rain slicker dripping salt water, and his flaming red hair plastered to his scalp. His green eyes were full of panic as he yelled over the roar of the sea. “Cap’n, there’s water in the forward cargo hold!” A chill ran down Joshua's spine. If there was water in the forward hold, then that meant that either one of the hatches hadn’t been dogged shut properly, or it had popped open from the rolling and bucking of the ship. Alternatively, there could be a hole or burst seam somewhere in the hold. Either possibility was bad and if left unchecked could sink the Marlin. With no port or land within five hundred miles, that scenario could only end with all hands lost at sea. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Joshua asked, “How bad is it?” Patrick replied, “Bad enough that it’s slowly beginning to overwhelm the water pumps sir. I give us about six hours or so before we’re in real trouble.” Joshua simply nodded, and turned back to look out through the rain spattered windows as he continued to fight the storm Four hours later and the flooding had only worsened. The Marlin was having difficulty cresting the waves and now rode noticeably lower in the water. Thankfully, the cargo had not shifted, yet, but if the storm did not abate soon it would all be moot. As the Marlin crested yet another wave, Joshua noticed that it wasn’t as high as the ones before it. Could it be? Yes! The weathers clearing! He thought, a sigh of relief escaping as he slumped slightly against the ship’s wheel, exhaustion catching up with him. As the minutes passed, the waves grew smaller and smaller and after a half hour or so, the rain was all but gone. Joshua let out another sigh of relief at their good fortune at having cheated Davy Jones again. As he was straightening up, Patrick burst onto the bridge. “Cap’n!” “Yes Mr. Fitzgibbons?” “It looks like we might make it sir!” He replied, a big grin on his face. “Now that we don’t have as much water coming in through wherever it was coming through, the pumps are able to keep up better now. Though we’re still taking on water, but it’s less than what it was earlier.” “Do you think we can make Hawaii?” “No idea sir, worth a try though.” Patrick replied, Joshua simply nodded. Looking out through the windows he saw that the ship had taken a fearful pounding. The forward crane was bent at an angle and it looked like the generator that powered it had been torn from its mounting, being washed overboard during the storm. Debris littered the deck and it looked like several of the lifeboats had been pretty well smashed to kindling. The ship rode low in the water by the bow and had a slight list to starboard. “Hey Cap’n,” Patrick called out. Joshua turned his attention back to Patrick and asked, “Yes Mr. Fitzgibbons?” Pointing towards the north Patrick replied, “I think that storm blew us off course sir, according to our maps there isn’t supposed to be any kind of land near us.” Sure enough, Joshua could see the distinctive dark smudge of land on the horizon. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen miles if that. Wherever they had been blown to, it offered the possibility of civilization. Therefore, with land in sight, Joshua turned the wheel to port and slowly the Marlin Spike changed course towards the unknown. Several hours later, the Marlin Spike was plodding less than a mile off the mist-shrouded coastline. Joshua stood on the port bridge wing and stared out through his Zeiss binoculars at the misty tree covered shore. Seeing nothing, he lowered the binoculars and leaning on the rail pondered what he was seeing. The colors seem different somehow. They look more...cheerful and warm, almost as if they were out of some painting*. He snorted in amusement at the thought, Course I haven’t slept in over two days! Could just be my sleep deprived mind playing tricks on me. As if that were a cue, the mist suddenly lifted revealing a small rocky island with a lighthouse perched atop it. Normally this would not have been a startling sight. However, on this occasion as Joshua brought his binoculars back up to his face, he could clearly see that this was no ordinary lighthouse. It rose above the island by a height of about one hundred feet and was painted in bright gaudy pink and yellow stripes. He could just barely make out what looked like little hearts adorning the iron railings. Which ran around the balcony near the top of the lighthouse, about where the lantern room would be located. Shifting his attention away from the lighthouse, Joshua could also see a small cottage a little further down the side of the island, about midway between the lighthouse and water’s edge. To its side was a small garden that looked to have seen better days. Further down Joshua could see a weathered dock, and standing on it staring back at him was a small brightly colored pony clad in a yellow rain slicker and rain-boots. ~oOo~ The day had not started well for Misty Spray, the keeper of the Rocky Island Lighthouse. She had woken up that morning to one of the worst storms that she had ever seen in her short time as a lighthouse keeper. The wind had been blowing so hard that it had nearly blown her roof off. She had silently thanked whatever pony had originally built the cottage for its sturdy construction. After taking stock of her supplies, she determined that she had enough food for around three weeks, five if she cut back on her portion sizes. Thanks to the natural spring on the island, she did not have to worry about water at least. Her mood however, was not improved by the fact that a thick mist had descended upon the island following the storm. After having finished checking the food supplies, she decided to head on up and check the lighthouse for damage. In addition to checking the rest of the island for further damage inflicted by the storm. So after putting on her yellow raincoat and boots, along with grabbing her old brass lantern in her mouth, she made her way up towards the lighthouse. Walking outside she noticed that her garden had not been as lucky as her home. In fact, it had been completely destroyed. Walking down to the weathered dock where she tied up her little boat, she could see that it too had been destroyed in the storm, stranding her on her island until the monthly supply boat came by to resupply the lighthouse. Sighing, she turned around and made her way back up the stone path towards the lighthouse. As she made her way up the stone path, she grumbled to herself. Its times like these that I wish I had been born a unicorn instead of an earth pony. I hate the taste of brass. When the supply boat comes next, I really need to remember to ask for a nice wooden lantern handle to replace this nasty metal one. After several minutes of walking and grumbling, she reached her destination. Opening the door to the lighthouse and shining the lantern around the room as best as she could, she looked for any obvious signs of damage, such as cracks or broken windows. Not spotting any, she was about to head back to her cottage when she spotted a small stream of water dripping down from above. Grumbling to herself some more, she slowly made her way up the iron stairs towards the lantern room. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she immediately saw the source of the water. The door to the balcony had been blown open during the storm allowing rainwater to enter the lantern room. Thankfully, after a quick inspection, she found that both the lantern and the mechanism that turned it appeared undamaged. After having shut and locked the door, Misty Spray made her way back down the steps towards the bottom. Walking out into the weak morning sunlight, Misty set her lantern down and extinguished the flame inside. Picking it back up in her mouth, she began making her way back towards her cottage. When suddenly she spotted a large dark object out of the corner of her eye slowly making its way through the mist that still clung to the bay surrounding the lighthouse. Turning her head to get a better look, she nearly dropped the lantern as her jaw went slack from astonishment. Quickly remembering that she still had the lantern in her mouth, she closed it with an audible click. Before her, sliding through the morning mist covered bay, was the strangest ship that she had ever seen. Quickly setting the lantern back on the ground, Misty Spray ran down the narrow stone path towards the dock, skidding to a halt at the end of it. She saw that the ship had come even closer and was now only a few hundred yards away allowing her to see it more clearly. It was not as big as some of the ships that plied Equestria’s oceans, but it was larger than most she had seen. It was colored an ugly gray, with streaks of rust running down the sides of it. There was a squat wheelhouse amidships, with a large and equally gray funnel behind it billowing black coal smoke as the ship continued along its path. She could also see two large cargo cranes. One situated both fore and aft of the wheelhouse. The forward crane appeared to have been damaged, possibly during the storm, as it was leaning precariously over one side of the ship. The ships deck was littered with debris. In addition, she could also see some strange creatures running about trying to clear the deck. One of them appeared to have spotted her standing on the dock and was now looking towards her with some strange device in its…hooves? Shivering, she squinted her eyes to get a better look. All of the creatures stood on two legs instead of four and seemed to all be wearing what she assumed were their version of a raincoat. It was then that she noticed that the ship had stopped and that the creatures were lowering a small boat over the side of the ship. From her viewpoint she could see five of the creatures, including the one who had been watching her from the wheelhouse, get in and slowly lower it down to the choppy water below. Oh sweet suffering Celestia, the creatures are coming this way! Looking around in a panic Misty was about to bolt for her cottage when she heard a voice call out. “Hello the lighthouse! Can you hear me?” Misty froze. The creature had just called out to her in Equestrian! The creature called again, “Hello, can anyone hear me?” Of course, I can hear you. I am standing right here on the blasted dock! Misty thought, slightly annoyed that the creature didn’t seem to realize that she, Wait a tick! They don’t realize I can understand them! They must think I’m just some dumb animal! Now Misty wasn’t just annoyed, she was incensed. How dare they think of me as just some common animal! Well I’ll sure give them a surprise when they get here, by Star Swirls beard see if I don’t! ~oOo~ As the boat and its crew of five drew closer to the battered dock, Joshua noticed that the brightly colored pony that he had spotted from the wheelhouse earlier, was still standing at the docks edge. An eerily human like expression seemed to form on its face as they approached, which left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Shaking his head and chalking it up to seeing things again, most likely due to stress and an acute lack of sleep, Joshua continued looking for the lighthouse keeper. Spotting nothing but the strange looking pony, Joshua called out, “Hello the lighthouse! Can you hear me?” Nothing. It was as if this pony were the sole inhabitant of the island. Trying once more and cupping his hands around his mouth, Joshua bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Hello, can anyone hear me?” Still no response, shaking his head once more, he decided that the lighthouse keeper was either still sleeping, or was far enough away that he couldn’t hear Joshua’s calls. “What ya t’inkin Cap’n?” Turning his attention away from the island, Joshua replied to his first mate, “Either he’s still sleeping or he’s too far away to hear my calls. Either way, we need to know where the hell we are. On top of that, we used up more coal than I’m happy with fighting that storm. We’re going to need to find a place where we can refuel.” Patrick simply nodded. Drawing alongside the dock with the odd pony still standing there watching them. Joshua noticed that it was colored an odd shade of light blue, with a short sea green mane. Its eyes were ridiculously large and were a deep blue in color. As Joshua leapt from the boat to the dock, the pony cringed away from him. As if he were some hideous monster, not really knowing what to do, Joshua said to the frightened pony in as soft a tone as he could. “Easy there fella, no one’s going to hurt you.” This seemed to calm the strange pony somewhat. Now that he was on the same level as it, he could see that it was built different than most of the other ponies/horses he had seen. For starters, its facial structure was just… wrong. Instead of the normal elongated muzzle, that all equines possessed, this one’s was much shorter. It was almost as if a person had tried to humanize it. Its legs were thicker and less defined than a normal equine’s. Though the strange looking boots it wore, covered up its hooves, Joshua would have bet that they too would look wrong as well. In addition, this pony also seemed thinner than a normal equine, in fact it was so thin Joshua half expected to see its ribs. However, when it moved slightly, he could see that it was well fed and seemed to exude a sense of catlike grace. Height wise, its head came up to about Joshua’s chest, making the pony a little over four feet tall. The most unnerving part of the whole affair was that it just wouldn’t stop staring at him! He had never seen an animal with this kind of focus before. Other than maybe a wolf or dog and even then, it was only because of instinct. This pony had a look of intelligence about it. He could tell as he sized it up, that it was returning the favor. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and feeling like a fool he introduced himself, “My name is Captain Joshua Phelps of the SS Marlin Spike, this is my second in command Mr. Patrick Fitzgibbons,” He said as he pointed to Patrick, who looked at him like he had just gone and lost his mind. Maybe I have, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. He continued on, “We are in need of repairs as well as fuel and provisions. Would you be so kind as to inform me where we are and where we may find the nearest port, please?” The pony plopped down on its hindquarters, much like a dog would, and replied in a soft feminine voice, “Pleased to meet you Captain, I am Misty Spray, keeper of the Rocky Island Lighthouse.” Even though he had been half expecting it, it still took him by surprise, for his crew it was worse. They sat there staring at this pony- no, this mare, with their mouths hanging open, looks of utter surprise and bewilderment on their faces, one of them looked close to passing out in surprise. A smug grin formed on her face as she continued, “To answer your question as to where you are, you’re roughly one hundred miles south-west of Manehattan.” One of the crewmembers manning the boat hesitantly piped up at the familiar sounding name, “M-manhattan? This doesn’t look like New Jersey.” Misty Spray looked over at him and shaking her head, she replied, “I think you misunderstood me, I said Manehattan, not Manhattan, wherever that is.” Joshua quickly asked, “What is this land called?” Misty turned her attention back to Joshua and replied, “Equestria. Why where did you think you were?” Joshua looked back to his men, and could see a look of panic settling across their faces. He quickly turned back to Misty and asked. “Do you happen to have a map of this, ah, ‘Equestria’ by any chance?” Misty nodded her head and picking herself up, quickly trotted back to her cottage. Once she was out of earshot Joshua turned back towards his men and said in a firm tone. “Alright men, we seem to have found ourselves in a new land. However unless proven otherwise I say that we are still on earth.” One of the crewmembers asked in a shaky voice, “H-how can you be so s-sure sir?” Giving his most reassuring smile Joshua explained, “Look at the sun, it hasn’t shifted its position in the sky. This means that we are still heading towards the east. If we were no longer on earth, it is highly likely that we could have been facing a completely different direction. Second, take a good look at the land. The colors are off sure, same with the water. However, if you remember farther out to sea, the water remains the same color that we are familiar with.” This seemed to mollify his men a little, for which Joshua was grateful. The last thing he needed right now was his crew losing it. Turning, he saw Misty Spray returning from her cottage, a map case slung around her neck. Upon reaching him, she tilted her head forward, allowing the strap to slip off her neck, the case falling to the dock with a soft thump. Picking it up and extracting the map from its protective case, Joshua unrolled it and inspected it. Whoever had made it had certainly earned their pay. The map was highly detailed, showing many of the towns, cities, and major features that made up the country known as Equestria. It even showed their current position with a small red dot and above that the words Rocky Island Lighthouse. However, this looked to have been added after the map had been finished. Looking up from the map Joshua asked, “Would it be possible for us to borrow this map?” Misty looked down at her hooves for a moment then responded, “I… I guess it would be alright, so long as you made sure it was returned in good condition!” Smiling Joshua nodded his head and made a show of carefully putting the map back in its case. Misty giggled at his performance and shaking her head, asked, “Not to be rude or anything but what do you call yourselves?” Joshua felt confused for a moment at the question, but then it dawned on him what she meant, and with a chuckle he replied, “As a species we call ourselves humans, however we have many different nations and thus we generally identify ourselves after our countries.” “And what is your country called?” Misty inquired. Joshua felt himself puff up with a little pride when he replied, “The United States of America.” ~oOo~ It was several hours later, with the sun moving towards the western horizon, that Joshua and his men returned to their ship. Turning to look back over his shoulder Joshua could see Misty Spray waving at them, slowly turning so as not to upset the boat Joshua waved back. Once both parties had gotten over their shock and initial awkwardness, Misty had offered Joshua and his crew some food. Of which they were heartily thankful for, after they had settled down on the dock with their food. They had struck up a conversation. They had spent the next few hours answering each other’s questions about their respective countries and making small talk. The sailors had regaled Misty with their many stories of life on the high seas and their experiences. They had laughed and carried on, until Misty had taken off her raincoat, thus revealing her cutie mark for the humans sailors to see. When Joshua first saw it, he couldn’t help but stare. It was the strangest thing. A small lighthouse with its light cutting through a cartoon like fog, emblazoned right there on her flank. At first, she looked confused, and then as realization dawned, she explained to the human sailors about cutie marks. How they formed when a pony discovered their so-called ‘special talent’ and how no amount of magic, (that had elicited a few raised eyebrows and winks between the sailors) or wishing could make it appear early. She even told them her story about how she had gotten hers, of which sadly Joshua couldn’t remember much of. (Something about a school ‘field trip’ to a lighthouse near her hometown or something like that.) By that point, he had felt like a sponge that had soaked up too much water and couldn’t soak up anymore. However, it was a refreshing break from the responsibilities of life, which as the boat approached the Marlin came rushing back. Like some particularly annoying birds coming home to roost. As they drew alongside the ship, Joshua scrambled up the wooden and rope ladder and quickly stood on the foredeck. In the time that he and his picked crew had been gone, the remaining crew had managed to clear the deck of most of the debris and make small repairs. As he walked towards the port side hatch that led to the bridge, he heard a voice call out to him. “Captain!” Turning he spotted his chief engineer, Marcus Scolly. He was a short man, with a powerful build. His arms were covered in a thick forest of black hair, and he sported a fierce beard that covered most of his face giving him the look of a pirate. His nose was misshapen, probably from one of the many times he had gotten into bar fights and had it broken. He had a nasty temper and a drinking problem, which didn’t help his temper, but he was the best damn engineer this side of a shipyard. Sighing Joshua turned away from the hatch and asked wearily, “Yes Mr. Scolly, what it is?” “Well sir, for once I’ve got some good news.” Joshua raised an eyebrow and motioned for Scolly to continue. “Well sir, ya know that we’re still taken on water right?” Joshua nodded, “And ya know how this kooky lands water is colored differently than ours, right?” Joshua nodded impatiently, “Well I got to thinking, if the water is a different color than the water in the hold, then maybe I could pinpoint some of the leaks sir.” “And did you?” Asked Joshua in a hopeful tone, Scolly’s answering smile was all Joshua needed to know. Clapping the man on the shoulder he exclaimed, “Well done Mr. Scolly! I’ll be sure to slip a little bonus into your next paycheck.” Scolly brightened at this and still grinning nodded his thanks to his captain, and then turning away, left with a little bounce in his step. Ducking through the hatchway Joshua made his way up the stairs leading to the bridge. Humming a spritely tune, despite fatigue rapidly catching up with him, he thought happily to himself, At least I roughly know where we are now, and best of all, it sounds like most of the major leaks are plugged. The only thing that I need to worry about now is running out of fuel. Nevertheless, if what Misty says is true, even that shouldn’t be a problem. Upon reaching the bridge, Joshua informed the helmsmen of their new course. After completing this task, he wearily made his way towards his cabin, down on the portside of the ship. Closing the door behind him, he kicked off his shoes. Took off his coat and hat, and with a sigh of relief laid down on his cramped cot, seconds later he was fast asleep. ~oOo~ The darkness was everywhere. A cold wind blew through Twilight's mane as she stood on some sort of barren plain. Where am I? The last thing I remember was we were trying to use the Elements of Harmony to dispel that magic and then… it all went wrong. Shaking her head to try to clear the memory of seeing Celestia and Luna wounded and bleeding on the throne room floor. She looked around at her new surroundings. A few dead and gnarled trees stood upon a small rise a little ways off, a broken fence standing at the foot of it. Dead grass clung to the rotten fence posts and looking around Twilight couldn’t see anything else except for this little hill. Curiosity getting the better of her, she slowly made her way over to the fence. As she approached it, she saw a small point of light under one the trees at the top of the hill. Quickening her pace, she soon reached the fence and rather than try to find a way around it. Twilight elected to simply jump over it. Landing safely on the other side, Twilight could see that there were several oddly shaped rocks nearby. Cautiously walking up towards one, she discovered to her horror that it was not in fact a rock, but a tombstone. One of many that stretched out as far as the eye could see. “What is all of this?” Twilight whispered, “I’ve never seen so many graves before.” “Hehe, well that’s not a big surprise there little missy. After all, this here is the final resting place for a lot of people.” Twilight spun in place, startled by the dry, scratchy voice. She looked around wildly for its source. “Over here, by the light. Come on over, I don’t bite.” Snapping her gaze to the soft yellow light she could see a lone figure lying against one of the dead trees. She couldn’t see much of him as he wore a long tattered brown cloak. His old and dusty hat pulled down low over his face, hiding it from her view. Approaching cautiously, Twilight could see that the source of the light came from an old and battered lantern, set on a long pole. To the left of the pole sat a couple of crates with a shovel and pick resting against them. A small wooden cart was parked a few paces beyond the crates and tools. Slightly to the right of the pole lay the cloaked figure and there, not more than a pace or so from his hooves sat an open unfinished grave. Gulping hesitantly, Twilight asked, “So, uh, what’s your name?” Shifting slightly the figure replied, “You should be able to figure that one out by yourself kiddo.” A cold shiver ran down Twilights spine at his reply, “Why would I know your name? I’ve never met you before in my life.” The figure simply chuckled, or at least that’s what Twilight assumed he was doing anyways, it actually sounded more like he was about to expire. “I have many names, but you can just call me Than.” “Is that short for something?” Once again, the figure chuckled, which was starting to grate on Twilights already frazzled nerves. “Thanatus, my full name is Thanatus, but like I said, you can just call me Than.” “Okay then, Than, can you tell me where I am?” The figure simply shifted and said nothing. “You’re not going to tell me are you?” asked Twilight, an annoyed tone in her voice. To which Than replied, “You got it kiddo.” “Why?” Letting out a raspy sigh, Than replied, “Because you’re not ready to know that yet my dear. In fact you shouldn’t even be here in the first place.” His statement confused Twilight, and she was about to inquire further when Than said, “Stop,” bewildered, Twilight gave Than a confused look, somehow he must have seen it through his hat. “Listen kiddo, there are many mysteries in life, some you can solve, others that are best left buried and forgotten. This is one of those best left alone, for now anyways.” Shifting once more, this time he looked to be checking something in his cloak, a watch maybe? “Times up kiddo, time for you to leave this place. Your friends are waiting for ya, best to not keep them waiting now.” The cold wind, which had been barely noticeable up till now, at that moment picked up in its intensity, quickly building towards gale force. Blowing dirt and sand threatened to get in Twilights eyes and blind her. Squinting against the harsh wind, she could barely make out the form of Than. He had risen from his resting spot, picked up his shovel and had begun to dig. Above the howling of the wind, she could hear his voice, as clear as if the wind were nothing more than a whisper. He sang the most haunting song that Twilight had ever heard. The words flowed over her as she felt herself being pulled away from the hill, as if by an invisible rope. Oh, Death, oh Death, Won’t you spare me over til another year? Well what is this that I can’t see, With ice cold hands taking hold of me, Well I am death, none can excel, I’ll open the door to heaven or hell, Whoa, death someone would pray, Could you wait to call me another day, The children prayed, the preacher preached, Time and mercy is out of your reach, I’ll fix your feet til you can’t walk, I’ll lock your jaw til you can’t talk, I’ll close your eyes so you can’t see, This very air, come and go with me, I’m Death I come to take the soul, Leave the body and leave it cold, To draw the flesh off of the frame, The earth and worm both have a claim, She tried to cry out for Than to help her, but her words were lost to the wind. She felt herself falling. Falling into darkness once again and still, she could hear his voice as he continued to sing. O, Death, O, Death, Won’t you spare me over til another year, My mother came to my bed, Placed a cold towel upon my head, My head is warm my feet are cold, Death is a-movin upon my soul, Oh, Death please consider my age, Please don’t take me at this stage, My wealth is all at your command, If you will move your icy hand, Oh the young, the rich or poor, Hunger like me you know, No wealth, no ruin, no silver no gold, Nothing satisfies me but your soul, O, Death, O, Death, As he reached the end of his song, Twilight could barely hear his words. As if they were at the far end of a long tunnel. As darkness claimed her once more the last three lines echoed in her mind. Won’t you spare me over another year? Won’t you spare me over another year? Won’t you spare me over another year? ~oOo~ Canterlot General Hospital, Room 12, July 12, 1908 6:14 am Twilight awoke with a start, thrashing around in a blind panic, she attempted to break free of her confining prison. However, a terrible pain lanced through her skull dazing her slightly. She fell back upon her bed panting from her struggle with the beds sheets. Wait a minute, bed sheets? Opening her eyes again, Twilight could see that she was in some sort of hospital room. The walls were painted a warm yellow color and an overhead ceiling lamp provided the majority of the rooms illumination. Though, a little light leaked in through cracks in the boards covering the windows. Turning her head, she saw a small night stand, with a bedside lamp and clock resting on it, and that was the extent of the rooms furnishings. No other beds, just her’s, which meant she had the room to herself for the time being. It was at this point that she realized that she had to go to the little filly’s room. Really badly. So quickly looking around, she spotted a pull cord next to her head. Reaching out with her mouth, she grasped it in her slightly weakened grip and pulled. A musical chime sounded and within moments a unicorn nurse bustled in. “Finally awake eh?” she asked, Twilight simply nodded, “Alrighty then, what can I get for you?” “Bathroom?” rasped Twilight, her throat dry from lack of moisture, the nurse simply nodded and ducking back out into the hallway brought a bedpan in. Twilight's eyes widened, as the nurse set about getting her ready. Looking up the nurse noticed Twilights expression, “Sorry honey, doctor’s orders. You’re in no condition to get out of bed right now, so it’s either the bedpan or…” Her voice trailed off. Twilight simply sighed and nodded. After having taken care of business, she asked the nurse. “Where are my friends?” “Don’t worry, they’re going to be alright, though when they brought you girls in, I had my doubts. But Dr. Stitches is very good at what he does. He expects you will all make a full recovery, so long as you follow his instructions.” She finished in a warning tone, almost as if expecting Twilight to immediately try to go against the doctor’s orders right then and there. “Now, I expect him to be along shortly to give you a check up and see how you’re doing. In the meantime…” She never got to finish her sentence, for at the moment the door to Twilights room flew open as if by an invisible wind and there, standing in the doorway in all his chaotic glory. Wearing a goofy pair of bedazzled red sunglasses and sporting a grin that even Pinkie Pie would be jealous of, stood the creature she thought she would never see again. Discord. A/N Well here we are. Back at the beginning. I apologize for the length of time it took for me to get this done. I was originally going to republish this chapter with chapter 2 but decided to give you guys a little Thanksgiving gift so to speak. Anyways, I'd like to give a BIG thank you to my editor Shoggoth, without whom I would still be blissfully writing on with a broken story. Now, I'm sorry if there wasn't a lot of new stuff in this chapter, Shoggoth and I mainly just fixed grammar errors and several plot holes. Chapter 2 on the other hoof, will have new dialogue, so that is something to look forward too. In addition, it is nearly halfway done and I hope to have it out this coming week. *Finally, in regards to Equestria's different shade of color that has been bugging everybody since this story came out. When I originally wrote the story, I was planning on using magic as a sort of 'cartoonification' force. However, that idea was scrapped after several hours of discussion with Shoggoth. Instead, we decided that the 'painting' like colors would be more believable if we simply blamed the sun. And yes, the color will fade and become more Earth like in time. In addition, our little ponies are once again canon height.
Chapter 2 (Wake Up)Chapter 2 Waking Up If people were meant to pop out of bed, we’d all sleep in toasters. -Author Unknown Canterlot General Hospital, Room 12, July 12, 1908 6:25am “D-Discord?! H-how did you escape?!” Twilight gasped, her concern growing as she stared at the draconequus. “Oh, it wasn’t difficult really, what with all that chaos and disharmony the other night.” Discord replied smoothly. “I mean really Twilight, you should have figured that out on your own.” continued the draconequus mockingly Twilight replied heatedly, “S-shut up you overgrown jigsaw puzzle! When the princesses find out that you’re free, they’ll stop you!” Discord rolled his eyes and replied, “Oh, reduced to petty insults and empty threats now? My my, how the mighty have fallen. Still, as much as I would love to trade insults with you Twilight, I have things to do. Therefore, I need you to pay attention to what I have to say and try and keep an open mind.” Twilight just stared daggers at him, “Well I guess I’ll just have to settle for sullen quiet then.” Taking his sunglasses off and walking over to one of the boarded windows, he clapped his hands together, causing the wood to change to glass. Looking out over the street, Discord became unnaturally quiet. After a minute, he sighed and continued, “You and many ponies do not like me Twilight.” Nah, what would make you think that? Thought Twilight sarcastically, but she remained silent. “However, that doesn’t change the facts, Equestria is in trouble.” Twilight felt her ears perk up at this bit of information. Still facing the window Discord continued, “When that magic cast its spell. Equestria was ripped from its place in the old world, and thrust into a new one. What effects this will have is anyone’s guess.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his paw, letting out a sigh, “Twilight, I am not an evil monster.” “Yeah, right. Now pull the other one Discord.” snorted Twilight derisively. Removing his paw from his nose Discord turned from the window. The look upon his face frightened Twilight. It was a look of barely contained fury. In a deceptively calm tone, Discord replied. “I am notevil, I am chaotic. There is a very large difference between the two and you would do well to remember that.” He paused for a moment, taking a deep calming breath before continuing. “You like to read, Twilight.” It was not a question. “Tell me, in all of the books that you have read, have you ever come across one instance in which I brutally killed or maimed a pony for fun or just in general?” When Twilight failed to reply he continued, “I thought not. If I had, Celestia would have made sure that it was published and cried from the rooftops. Want to know the reason why I didn’t kill ponies?” He paused awaiting her reply, when she didn’t reply he stated. “What fun is a corpse or a half-dead pony? None, that’s what.” He sighed, the anger draining from him leaving him tired. “I wasn’t always like this you know. I used to love order and harmony.” “W-what are you talking about?” asked Twilight nervously. Discord simply sighed. “I used to be known by another name, many centuries ago. This was back before Equestria was founded and before anypony knew that Celestia and Luna even existed.” He paused, as if recalling a memory and basking in its happy glow. Then he blinked and his face returned to its serious expression. “I was worshiped by the ponies under my care, much like your Princess Celestia and Luna would later be, as a god. I brought forth the sun and moon-” “Wait, you mean that at one time you controlled both the sun and moon?!” Twilight exclaimed, interrupting the Chaos Spirit. Discord gave a snort. “Of course I could, still can in fact, I’m sure you remember how easily I was able to control both sun and moon the last time you met me. Anyways, as I was saying, I performed many of the same duties as Luna and Celestia do today...and some that they don’t.” “Huh?” Giving a small smirk, Discord said, “Chaos, my dear Twilight. Just as ponies need the sun and moon to live, so to do they need chaos. After all, if there were no chaos, there would be no order and that just wouldn’t do. I was responsible for the careful balance of order and chaos. I walked a thin line, too much of either and bad things would happen, I likened it to a balancing act and I let that balance slip one day.” “What happened?” asked Twilight, slightly fearful of his answer. “I’m not sure. Some of my memories are a little fuzzy from age.” When Twilight gave him a disbelieving look he replied a bit defensively, “Hey, you try living for a few thousand years and see how much you can remember from that far in the past.” He took a calming breath before continuing, “Anyways, what I can remember is that one morning, I suddenly woke up with a strange urge for cotton candy. Since there wasn’t any cotton candy available at the time, I simply snapped my fingers and poof! all the clouds became cotton candy. Them being able to rain chocolate milk was just a bonus. Needless to say, my subjects were not happy and after having sated my urge, I dispelled the clouds. Though when I used my powers of chaos for my own pleasure, I think something inside me changed.” “What do you mean ‘changed’?” she asked. “Well, my personality began to shift. I started playing small scale pranks on ponies. Harmless little things, like changing their coat color or turning the floor slippery underneath them. I also tried to shirk some of my duties. Often times I would miss important meetings because I decided to instead go out and play a prank or just take a nap. In addition, I found it harder and harder to call upon my powers of Order as time went one. Finally, as I continued to use my Chaos powers for my own enjoyment, I found that I needed to pull off bigger and bigger chaos to get the same...I guess you could call it ‘buzz’ as the first few times. The end result being that I fell over the edge and became what you see before you today.” Giving a small smile, he sat down on the edge of Twilight’s bed. “If it wasn’t for Celestia and Luna, I would have destroyed the land that would become Equestria in time.” He fell silent once more, a look of pain crossing his face. “Twilight, you have no idea how much it hurts, these old memories. Many of which I haven’t thought of in nearly a millenium.” A single tear escaped from the corner of his eye. Twilight pretended not to notice. Instead she found her mind abuzz with questions. What is he up to? The last time we faced him, he didn’t act like this at all! It’s like...something changed him between then and now or maybe something is changing him right now as we speak! She felt her eyes grow wide at the thought. If Discord could be changed, what about the rest of them? She gave a little shiver, remembering what had nearly happened the last time she and her friends had experienced a personality change. Twilight gave her head a small, but firm shake. Snap out of it Twilight! So far the only one who is acting oddly is Discord...and well he was always a little weird to begin with. But if what he is saying is true, then that means that maybe his powers have been ‘reset’ or something. Hmmm, can magic change your base personality? I better add that to my experiments list. Augh! Now is not the time for that! She mentally berated herself. Meanwhile Discord had remained silent, lost in his many memories. Finally, he resumed speaking. “When I turned into Discord, I lost everything I held dear. At the time, I didn’t care. So lost was I in my chaotic euphoria that I didn’t notice everything falling apart around me. My kingdom collapsing under the chaos, my friends and subjects abandoning me in droves. Though, I can’t blame them really. After all, I had turned their world upside down, sometimes quite literally. I had gone from a ruler of order and harmony to one of chaos and disharmony. Tell me Twilight, which would you choose if you had any options?” Twilight simply lay there saying nothing. Discord sighed and shook his head, another small tear slid from his eye as another painful memory surfaced. They sat like that for a time, neither one saying a word, finally Discord called out, “You can come out from under that bed nurse, I promise I won’t turn you into a marshmallow or something like that.” A small squeak could be heard from under the adjoining bed and the unicorn nurse slowly crawled out from underneath. Now that she was slightly more coherent and not having to use the bathroom. Twilight could see that her nurse was slightly older than her, her coat a light gray in color and her dark brown mane tied up in a bun. Her eyes were a light blue and right now were about the size of dinner plates as she stared at the draconequus. Edging gingerly around him, a nervous smile plastered on her face, she nervously said, “N-now I’ll j-just leave you b-both t-to chat with e-each other. C-call me if you need a-anything.” With those words, she zipped through the door and down the hall. Twilight and Discord stared after the mare before looking at each other. They both gave an awkward chuckle at the silliness of the situation before Twilight said,“Hehe, now that she is gone maybe you can tell me how you really escaped.” Turning his attention back to her Discord replied, “It was as I said, with all the chaos and disharmony in the air that night, it was relatively easy to break free. However,” He paused, stroking his chin hair thoughtfully, “Now that I think about it, it was too easy. The last time I broke free, I used up a goodly chunk of my power, even with the help of those three adorable little fillies. Hence the reason you were able to shrug off my magical personality reversal spell so easily. This time however, the magical seal was much weaker, almost as if something had drained it of most of its power. Something that would normally take centuries to accomplish. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, you wouldn’t believe how boring it can get when you’re a statue. But still, I’m left wondering what could have so easily sapped a spell that was placed upon me by the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight lay there for a moment, thoughts floating through her head. When suddenly, an idea struck her, “Discord, how do you feel?” “What do you mean, how do I feel? I feel fine, a little drained perhaps…” His voice trailed off suddenly. Looking around the room, he spotted a nearby nightstand and focusing on it snapped his fingers. The nightstand remained a nightstand. Blinking, he tried again, this time it changed colors becoming a nice bright pink. “Now that’s odd,” He looked down at his paw then back at the now pink nightstand confused. “What’s wrong?” asked Twilight confused. “Well, when I tried working my chaos magic on the nightstand the first time. I tried to make it dance. Normally that would be foal’s play, but now, for some reason, I just couldn’t. Almost as if my chaotic magic were drained as well, that didn’t happen last time I was set free. In fact it’s never happened before. I mean sure, when I broke out the last time, my chaos magic was suppressed thanks to the lingering effects of the Elements of Harmony spell upon me. But this...this is a different feeling, it’s as if my magic has been taken from me.” As he had continued speaking, Discord had become increasingly alarmed at the prospect of losing his magic. Turning to Twilight he said, “Try and lift that book on the nightstand with your magic.” Turning her attention to the book Twilight tried to focus her magic on the book. Slowly a faint purple aura surrounded the book. As she attempted to lift it, she suddenly realized that her magic was nearly exhausted and before she could release her magical hold on the book. Her magic gave out with a faint pop! sound, the book landing on the table with a solid sounding, thump! Twilight simply stared at the now motionless book, a frown etched on her face. “Hmm, it seems that your magic has been affected as well,” muttered the draconequus. Turning his attention back to the purple mare, he noticed that she was still frowning at the book. Clearing his throat he asked gently, “Twilight, are you alright?” When she didn’t respond, he raised his voice a little and snapped his finger next to her ear. “Twilight? Equestria to Twilight. Hello? Anypony home in there?” Her ear twitched at the sound of him snapping his finger, causing her to look at him. Her frown still etched on her face. “Very funny Discord.” “I thought it was funny.” he muttered. Twilight rolled her eyes and asked, “Can’t you take anything seriously?” “Of course I can...I just choose not to.” he replied. “Besides, you were acting strange. Something on your mind?” Her frown deepening, Twilight brought a hoof to her chin in thought. After a few moments she replied, “It’s just odd, I’ve only suffered magical burnout once in my life, when I was still very young and it didn’t feel anything like this.” “And how do you feel?” inquired Discord. “I feel...exhausted. Like I just ran a hundred miles and performed a complex spell at the end of it.” she replied. Discord gave a smile at her reply. “Well my dear Twilight, it sounds like you are suffering from a good old case of Magical Drainitis. In other words, you were hit by a magical combat spell that stole your magical reserves.” “Huh?” Throwing his head back, Discord let loose a gleeful cackle. “Haha! So you don’t know everything there is to know! I was beginning to worry.” If looks could kill, Discord would have been nothing more than a pile of ash by this point. “What are you babbling about?” an exasperated Twilight asked. “I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that you don’t know much about advanced combat magic. After all, Equestria hasn’t been to war in several centuries and since Celestia had that knowledge locked away long before you were born, well...” he trailed off, awaiting Twilight’s response. Twilight considered herself an even tempered mare, but like anypony. She could only take so much before losing it. “FOR FAUST’S SAKE! WILL YOU JUST TELL ME ALREADY?” she screamed in frustration. Discord simply sat there, waiting for her to calm down before continuing as if nothing had happened. “Alright Twilight, what would you like to know?” The now panting and disheveled mare looked at him like she would love nothing better than to strangle him right then. However, after a few moments and a few calming breaths she asked, “Will you please just explain what you are talking about concerning combat spells and what they have to do with me?” “Well it’s quite simple really. You, myself, all of Equestria really, were hit by a large magical draining spell. The purpose of such a spell is to deny a pony, be they Earth Pony, Pegasi, or Unicorn of their magic and to transfer the magic to the caster. Thus accomplishing two things. One,” He held up his index finger to enhance his point. “To gather the magic of the enemy pony for use by the caster. Two,” He held up another finger, “Is of course, like I said earlier, to deny the enemy of their magic, thus rendering them weak and easier to kill. In our case, it seems that the spell was meant to sap the power of the Elements of Harmony and use it to power up the casters spell. Thus transporting us here, wherever here is.” he let his hand fall back into his lap, a smug grin on his face. Twilight ignored his smile and said, “But, I’ve taken all of the magic courses at Princess Celestia’s school and I’ve read a large portion of the Royal Libraries collection of spell books. How come I haven’t come across any of those spells before you mentioned them today?” “Because Celestia didn’t want you or any other pony to read about the subject of war. She has done her very best to erase all traces of war from the land. Going so far as to destroy entire libraries worth of books and scrolls on the subject.” Twilight stared dumbstruck at him. The mere thought that hundreds, maybe even thousands of books and scrolls had been burned and on Celestia’s orders. She had difficulty wrapping her mind around the concept. “How…how do you know all of these things? You’ve been locked away for over a thousand years in stone.” “I may have been locked away in a stone prison for eons but I still know what goes on in Equestria. Wherever or whenever there is chaos, I know about it. In a way, I suppose that everything that has ever gone wrong in this land has been caused by me in some way or another. Even though I may have been physically trapped in stone, chaos is not so easily held. It is merely weakened, not contained.” Twilight simply nodded, then asked, “Discord, may I ask you a personal question?” “Hmm? Oh, I suppose so.” “Have you always been called Discord?” She asked quietly. He was silent for a moment, momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject. “No I haven’t. Though, it’s been so long that I can’t remember my old name. Besides, I’ve grown used to my new one, after all, it’s just a name.” He gave a small smile before suddenly rising and saying, “I had better pay my ‘respects’ to Celestia and Luna and see how their doing.” He made his way to the door. However, before he could leave Twilight called out. “Wait! You’re not going to do something…chaotic are you?” Looking back over his shoulder he replied somewhat tiredly, “Twilight, I’m too tired and drained to do anything chaotic. Besides, right now a little peace and quiet sounds kind of nice. So relax and get some sleep, if you want I can come back later and we can talk some more, if that’s alright.” “Yes, I think that would be alright, thank you...Discord.” He simply smiled as he left the room. Leaving Twilight to ponder the things that they had spoken on during his stay. ~oOo~ As he walked along the hall, Discord thought to himself, That went well all things considered. Now comes the hard part. As he walked, he noticed that the halls were conspicuously empty of life. Stopping at an intersection, he pondered which way to go. Spotting motion out of the corner of his eye, he turned and saw a small nurse trying desperately to enter a locked broom closet. Sighing, he approached slowly and asked softly, so as not to further frighten the poor mare. “Do you know where I might find Princess Celestia or Princess Luna?” The mare lifted a shaking hoof and pointed down the hall. Discord gave his thanks and continued on his way. He soon found himself in front of two Royal Guards, one of the Lunar Guard, a female pegasus, the other of the Solar Guard, a male unicorn. The moment they spotted him, they made ready to attack. The unicorn charging his horn with a spell, though Discord could see that his magical aura was weak and nearly transparent. Which meant that the guard had at most one spell left in him before magical exhaustion took over. The pegasus mare had lowered herself into a defensive crouch, her wings spread in a clear threat gesture and a scrowl evident on her face. Hoping to keep the situation somewhat pleasant, Discord gave them his most charming smile and said, “Good morning, I take it that you two lovely and loyal guards are guarding the Princesses?” They stiffened slightly, as if preparing for an attack, Discord quickly continued, “I am not here to pick a fight, I am simply here to see Princess Celestia and Luna. There are some important matters that must be discussed.” The two guards looked at each other, then back to him. After a moment of tense silence, the stallion released his spell. Allowing him to use his magic to open the door a crack, lean in and say in calm voice, as if everything were normal, “Your Highness, the Lord of Chaos is here to see you...shall I send him in?” Someone replied, but Discord couldn’t make out the words, the guard nodded his head and turning his head back to him, his face like a stone mask, he replied, “Alright, you may pass. However,” He lowered his voice and leaned forward menacingly, “If you in anyway try and harm either of our Princesses, I will personally turn you into so much paste.” If he had been at full power, he would have simply laughed and turned the guard into something funny, like a chicken perhaps. However, in his current condition, Discord felt that discretion was the better option. So simply nodding his head, he allowed the guard to open the door for him and walked into the room. The sight that greeted him was not pleasant. Both of the Royal Pony Sisters looked terrible, they were each connected to a multitude of medical machines. In addition, both were wrapped in a myriad of bandages, several of which were stained a deep crimson from blood loss. Their ethereal manes were missing, either shaved away by the doctors or lost during their battle with The Magic, Discord suspected the latter. From the little patches of non-bandaged coat that he could see, Discord thought, Not one inch isn’t either bruised or bleeding, it’s a wonder they even survived. Even if they are demigods, there’s only so much a body can take before it breaks. “Discord,” His ears twitched at his name, looking towards the bed to his left he saw that Celestia’s head was turned slightly towards him. Even though her eyes were completely covered by bandages. Discord had the distinct feeling that Celestia knew exactly where he was in the room in relation to her and her sister. “Please, sit down. Tell me, how are you feeling?” she rasped. Slightly surprised by her soft tone, seeing as how last time they had met, she had been ready to blast him into little chaotic dust bunnies. Complying with her request, he lowered himself into a soft chair near her bed and replied, “I’ve been better, I would ask you the same thing, but I think I can already guess the answer.” Celestia chuckled softly, which quickly turned into a racking cough. Surprising himself once again at the concern he felt, Discord began to rise but Celestia weakly waved a hoof at him to remain seated. How does she do that? Thought Discord, seating himself again, he asked, “How is Luna?” “She is weak, though not as bad as me. The doctors have done all they can for the both of us, but do not hold much hope for a complete recovery. However, I think they might be surprised by our recuperative abilities.” Nodding his head Discord replied, “Yes, I remember our first…encounter. I had thought that I had soundly trounced the both of you. However, I was mistaken, much to my chagrin.” A small smile crossed Celestia’s lips at his reply. “You have changed Discord, I can feel it,” When he failed to deny it Celestia continued, “You do not emanate chaos and disharmony like before, its aura is weaker. What has changed?” Discord looked down at his paws and remained silent for a time, finally he spoke, “I do not know, but the more time that passes, the less I feel like causing chaos. My chaotic power is all but gone now, like it was being slowly drained. In its place, I feel another power creeping in at the edges. One I haven’t felt in a long long time...” His voice trailed off. Celestia simply lay there waiting for him to continue, finally he let go a massive sigh and finished, “It almost feels like before I fully embraced the powers of Chaos. I must confess, I’m surprised that I can even remember what the powers of Order felt like!” Celestia remained silent for a time. Finally she said, “Discord, I know that we have had our...differences in the past.” Discord gave a harsh snort. “That, my dear, is probably the greatest understatement I have ever heard.” A small smile crossed Celestia’s face at his reaction. “Perhaps, but it is true. You and I have rarely seen eye to eye in the past.” “...and this has bothered you?” She gave a small nod. “Yes, it has. I understand the need for your...magic Discord. If there were no chaos there would be no order. It is just the nature of things. Do you remember the first time we met?” He chuckled at the memory. “Ah, the good old days. If I remember correctly, I turned your mane a very complementary shade of pink that day.” Celestia groaned at the old memory. “Please don’t remind me.” Discord gave a chuckle at her discomfort. “Oh come now Celestia, you have to admit that that color suited you very nicely.” If Celestia could, she would have rolled her eyes. “While I am sure you found it nice. I on the other hoof didn’t. Furthermore, the fact that you placed a time enchantment on my mane did not help matters either.” “It only lasted what, six, seven hundred years?” he replied innocently. “Seven hundred-forty years, four months, two weeks, five days, nine hours, thirty-six minutes and twenty four seconds to be exact.” Discord simply stared at her. “You actually kept time on how long your mane was pink?” he asked incredulously. A faint hint of a blush graced her cheeks as she replied, “Well, I was kind of mad at you for doing that to me, among other things.” Discord sighed. “I agree, our first meeting could have gone smoother. Though, as I’m sure you know by now, you two caught me near the end of my fall.” He looked up at the ceiling, a look of longing on his face. “If you could have only seen it before it all went south. It was much like Equestria is today, except...more.” “More?” inquired Celestia. Discord nodded. “More wealthy, happy, productive. I could go on for hours, but I think that our time would be better spent here in the present.” Celestia gave a small nod. “Yes, I think that would be best.” She paused for a moment, as if afraid of asking the most obvious answer. “Discord?” “Yes?” “Now that you are free. What are you going to do?” she asked hesitantly. Discord idly stroked his goatee while he pondered his response. What am I going to do? Most of my powers seem to have been drained. Furthermore, I find myself feeling less...chaotic. Maybe...maybe I could change things up a bit, give order a chance. After all, if I always stay chaotic. Wouldn’t that be the same as being orderly? Fitting into a nice little mold, doing my ‘job’ in the grand scheme of things. And what fun is it being chaotic if you can’t change your mind on what you do every once in awhile? He gave a slight nod of his head and said, “I think I’ll take a break from chaos. At least for a little while.” Celestia felt her eyebrow try and rise, only to be blocked by the bandages covering her eyes. Instead she simply said, “I find that difficult to believe. After all, you did cause pain and terror for your own enjoyment not that long ago.” “You have a point. Though I think some of it was due to my unique powers.” “How so?” Discord shifted slightly in his chair. “I’m sure you heard about what I did to Twilight and her friends during my last visit?” Celestia nodded, Discord continued. “Well, Chaos Magic is a two way street my dear. It affects everything and everyone around it, especially those that cast it. It affects their appearance, personality among a host of other things. My point is that by using it, an entity becomes changed by it. Take my form for instance. You think I always looked like this?” Celestia gave a shake of her head. “I had always wondered about your appearance, but I never really had enough time to really look into it.” “Just as well. It would probably have driven you mad or at the very least made you extremely frustrated.” Celestia didn’t know how to respond to that, so she simply elected to remain silent. They remained like that for a time, neither speaking, the only sound that could be heard was the quiet ticking of the wall clock. A knock on the door broke the silence. “Enter.” commanded Celestia. The door opened and a pegasus guard entered the room, “Yes, what is it?” she asked wearily. The guard paused, taking in the sight of Discord, calming sitting in his chair. He blinked in surprise and for a moment, he appeared to ready himself to attack the draconequus. However Celestia, sensing the sudden tension in the room said, “Do not worry my little pony. There is no danger here today, please, tell me what news do you bring?” The guard, still keeping a wary eye on Discord replied, “Your Highness, I have brought the preliminary damage and casualty reports.” He walked forward, and set a rather full pair of saddlebags down at the side of the bed. Reaching in with his wing, he pulled out a thick scroll, and unrolling it began to read, “Ponyville reports six ponies lightly injured, with no deaths and light to moderate damage. Mayor Mare’s current estimate is around fifteen to eighteen thousand bits in damages to the town and surrounding area. The city of Cloudsdale reports seventeen injuries, some critical. They also report five fatalities.” The news of the deaths struck Celestia like a hammer. The injured, while bad, could recover. Death however, was a more permanent affliction. Clearing his throat slightly, the guard continued, “They report that the damages were moderate to severe and are estimating the initial cost around forty to sixty thousand bits in damage. The weather factory has also been badly damaged and will be out of commission for the foreseeable future.” Celestia let out a soft groan. The news just kept getting worse and worse. With the weather factory out of commission, managing the weather just became much more difficult. She asked the guard, “Did they say how long till it was back in operation?” He shook his head and replied, “They didn’t give any solid numbers Your Highness, nor did they say how much it would cost to repair. But from the preliminary reports on the damages it could be anywhere from eight to ten months, maybe longer, before it can resume full operation. Of course these are only guesses.” He shrugged his wings and asked, “Do you wish for me to continue Your Highness?” Celestia weakly nodded her head, clearing his throat again, he continued, “Fillydelphia reports heavy damage, so far there are no reported deaths and only around forty injured. Damages are still being assessed, but so far the total is over one hundred thousand bits and climbing.” Celestia winced at the amount, what with the damages to Ponyville, Cloudsdale and Fillydelphia the treasury was looking at a massive hit in bits to help pay for all of the damages to the public infrastructure. Not to mention the amount of bits the insurance companies would need to shell out to individual ponies and businesses. Even with insurance and government aid, the hit that the average pony was going to take was going to be bad. What made it worse was that these were only three locations! What about the damage to Canterlot, Appleloosa and the hundreds of other towns and cities across Equestria, how would they be able to pay for it? The guard drew in another breath but Celestia cut him off, “Thank you, that will be all for now. Leave the reports here and I will have one of my clerks read the rest to me. You are dismissed.” “Your Highness.” He saluted, and giving Discord one last glance, performed a smart about face and trotted out of the room. Once he had left, Discord picked up the scroll and began to read. He whistled softly at the amount of damages and the casualty list it contained. “That bad?” “Yes it is Celestia, hundreds of ponies are hurt, many are homeless, and there are millions in bits of property damage. I doubt even Icouldn't have done this much damage in such a short period of time.” He shook his head as he continued to read. “I don’t think the treasury will be able to pay for all of the damages to public buildings and utilities. At least not all at once. Though, according to the report, the death toll is fairly low in comparison to the amount of damages. So I guess you have something to be thankful for.” “Even one death is too many,” She replied, tears beginning to stain her bandages. Discord sat in his chair awkwardly as he watched his old rival cry. After a few moments of nervous shifting, he very gently and awkwardly laid a paw on her fetlock as Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, Guardian of the Sun and a thousand and one other titles, cried for the dead. After nearly a quarter of an hour of quietly sobbing, Celestia gave one final sniff and after accepting a tissue handed to her by Discord, wiped her face as best she could. Looking at her, Discord asked, “Feel any better?” Celestia gave a slight hiccup. “No, but I shall endure. Just as I have for over a millennium and will continue to do so for millennium more.” A soft groan from the bed behind him caused Discord to turn his head. Looking over his shoulder, he could see that Princess Luna was slowly blinking her eyes and looking around in a daze. Unlike Celestia, Luna was in slightly better condition. Her eyes were uncovered, and while she didn’t look great, at least she didn’t look like death warmed over. Turning her head slightly and wincing at the pain, she saw Discord looking at her over his shoulder. Her eyes opened wide in shock and she let out a soft gasp. Luna stared in near horror at the sight before her and like any good princess she attempted to remove said horror. Unfortunately, her magic, like her sisters and Discords was dangerously depleted and her attempt at spell casting simply gave her a splitting headache. Growling slightly she said, “What are you doing here you demon?” Discord looked at Luna with a hurt expression. “Now that’s not a very nice thing to say...Woona.” “Don’t you DARE call us by that name!” spat Luna. “If We could, We would have turned thee to dust!” “Luna.” “If thou wast responsible for this...” “Luna!” “What is it Tia?” Luna all but screamed at her sister. Celestia took in a deep breath to calm herself and then said, “Luna, Discord was not responsible for what happened.” Luna made as if to protest. Celestia cut her off by saying. “It was not him Luna. For once Discord is innocent of any wrongdoing and so far he has not caused any trouble. Isn’t that right Discord?” she asked, turning her attention to the draconequus. “Hmm? Oh, of course Celestia. No trouble here.” he gave his widest smile, hoping that that Luna would believe him. Giving a harsh snort, Luna replied, “Very well, though We shall be keeping our eye on thee Discord.” Discord simply nodded, relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with an enraged Luna. Oh, he wasn’t worried about her blasting him with her magic, seeing as she was in the same boat himself and Celestia. What he really wanted to avoid was her using the Royal Canterlot Voice, especially at close range. He happened to be quite fond of his hearing. An uneasy silence descended on the room. With Celestia laying on her cloud bed in front of him and Luna glaring at him from behind. Discord, in one of the few times he could remember, felt very uncomfortable. Just as he was about to speak in an attempt to break the tense silence, Luna said, “Tia, we need to talk. Alone.” Taking that as his cue, Discord quickly left the room leaving Celestia and Luna alone. Once she was sure that he was gone, Luna turned to face Celestia. After shifting slightly to get more comfortable she asked, “Celestia, what is going on? Since when are you and Discord nice to each other?” “Since today apparently. Though I think that there is something else on your mind that is bothering you.” Luna let out a sigh and said, “Sister, what shall we do with him? The Element Bearers can not wield their elements at this time. Moreover, we do not know how long until they will be able to do so. Nor would it be possible for us to...remove Discord, as we are far too weak at this time to do so.” Celestia simply lay in her bed, humming quietly to herself while she thought. After several minutes, she gave a small smile, one that instantly put Luna on edge. “Sister, please tell Us that thou art not planning something that We would not like.” “Fine, I won’t tell you then.” Celestia replied playfully. Luna simply groaned and gingerly placed a hoof to her forehead in tired frustration. “That is not what We meant Tia and thou knowest it.” Celestia chuckled, “Forgive me Luna. I could not resist.” Her tone however quickly grew serious. “All joking aside though, I believe I have a neat little solution to the problem of Discord.” “We await your grand plan with bated breath.” replied Luna sarcastically. “You haven’t even heard my idea and already you are against it.” Luna rolled her eyes. “You could say that yes.” “Why? You always liked my idea’s in the past.” Celestia replied, her tone one of slight disappointment. “That was when We were both young and inexperienced as to the way things work. We have since come to the realization that thy plans tended to go awry in the most spectacular of ways.” Celestia gave a harumph at Luna’s reply. Rolling her eyes once more Luna continued, “Though, We suppose that We could hear thy plan before We condemn it to the trash.” Slightly irritated at Luna’s attitude, Celestia debated on whether or not she should share her plan with her sister. The battle between her ‘Foalish’ side and her ‘Mature’ side was brief, with Maturity coming out on top. Foalishness slunk away to pout in the back of her mind and plot its silly revenge on Maturity at a later date. Taking a deep breath to once more calm herself, Celestia said, “It’s a simple plan, one that, admittedly, is still forming in my mind and is dependant on him following a certain train of thought.” Luna took in a lungful of air to begin her already forming rebuttal. Celestia however, quickly rolled over anything her sister might have said. “However, I believe he will at least be willing to listen to my idea.” Luna let her lungful of air out in an explosive sigh and asked tiredly, “And just what is your plan?” Celestia gave Luna a smug smile and replied, “Give him a position within the government.” Luna simply stared at her sister in shocked silence. Her face a mask of confusion and horror. After several moments, her brain and mouth were able to resume functioning. “Thou art mad! Why wouldst thou place that foul beast in charge of our peaceful nation?” Celestia simply waited till her sister’s rant ran down, which took several minutes. Finally, sensing that she was nearing the end of her speech, Celestia softly replied, “Luna. I know that it may seem crazy for me to say that, but I think it would work.” “Why do this? Why not just banish him from our lands and be rid of the monster? After all, he was thine enemy for many years and he caused much suffering for his own enjoyment. Why allow him the chance to do more damage?” “Because we need to keep an eye on him. I agree with you, he has done many horrible things in the past. However, he hasn’t killed anypony, directly, or indirectly.” “That thou knowest of.” interjected Luna. Celestia nodded her head. “I know, he has done many terrible things. But that is one thing he has not done.” When Luna didn’t shoot back with a verbal retort, Celestia continued. “Do you remember that old saying? ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” “Yes, but what does that have to do with giving Discord power over the country?” was her reply. “Everything. He wouldn’t be in our position as rulers of Equestria. Instead he would be below us, another layer if you will, in the running of the government. We would still have the final say in anything he does or approves.” Luna remained skeptical. “We do not know if this shall work Tia, nor if we should even try it. How canst thou be so certain he will not try and betray us?” “I don’t, call it a...feeling.” She fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. Her silence however, didn’t last long. “But if I allow him to leave, it would be much more difficult to keep an eye on him and you know that Luna.” “But why must thou put him in a position of power? Why not just place him on some out of the way manor and leave it at that?” complained Luna. “I had thought of doing just that. However, there is one thing that you are forgetting when it comes to Discord.” “And what pray tell is that?” “Discord does not do ‘bored’ well. If we just hide him away in a remote manor or other location. He will quickly become bored and when Discord becomes bored...” “...bad things happen.” Luna finished. “Exactly, if we placed him in a position of power. He will have plenty of things to do, which should keep his paws full for the foreseeable future. In addition, being in that position means that he will be more exposed to scrutiny. With everypony ‘watching’ him, it will make it more difficult for him to try anything contrary to our wishes. Though, I doubt he could try anything by this point.” Luna cocked her head in confusion. “How canst thou be so sure dear sister? He could be just pretending, waiting for you to give him what he wants. Then when he has it, he would betray us, all for the sake of his precious chaos.” “Perhaps, but I do not think he would and even if he did. I doubt could pull it off, his powers have been critically weakened. It is unlikely that he could create the kind of large scale chaos he was infamous for in the past. In fact, I doubt he could create small scale chaos at this point.” “So, thou wouldst have us place him somewhere within the government, all so that we may keep a better eye on him? In addition to keeping him occupied?” inquired Luna. Celestia nodded. “I believe that with his chaotic powers reduced, he will be more...accommodating to our requests. Furthermore, he will be close by and easier to watch and who knows? He might be useful. He did rule a successful empire for many years before he snapped.” Luna remained silent for a time, mulling over Celestia’s argument. She still thought her sister was crazy. Offering Discord, of all beings, a position of power all for the sake of ‘keeping an eye on him’. Still, she was willing to at least listen to the rest of her sisters plan, and who knew? Maybe it wouldn’t blow up in a most spectacular fashion like her many other plans. “Very well then, let Us hear thy plan for him.” ~oOo~ Discord meanwhile was getting bored. He didn’t do bored well; a trait that had gotten him into trouble in the past. Running an empire had been both fun and challenging in the beginning, but as the years had gone by, the day to day tedium had worn on him. So, like had told Twilight earlier, to help alleviate his boredom, he had begun to do little pranks and silly things to amuse himself and his subjects. At the time he had thought ‘what could go wrong?’ Of course, everyone knew how that had ended. He shook his head to try and clear away the old repressed memories. It was getting harder to do so, as his Chaos Magic continued to weaken. He gave a grimace at the thought of completely losing it. No more chocolate rain, such a pity. I bet that pink mare in Ponyville will be most disappointed, in addition to myself of course. He gave a sigh. Though I suppose it is for the best, being turned to stone is a rather unpleasant experience. While he had been standing there lost in thought, the two guards had been keeping their eyes on him, neither one making a sound. The three of them remained that way, while they waited for Discord to be called back in. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a muffled voice could be heard calling out from behind the closed door. The Lunar guard opened the door slightly and poked her head inside. After a minute of muffled conversation, she pulled back and addressed Discord as if he were just an ordinary pony. “The princesses will see you now.” Giving a nod, he calmly strode back into the room. Striding up, he resumed his seat in the chair between the two sisters beds. Leaning back, he folded his paws neatly in his lap and awaited the sisters decision on his fate. “Discord,” began Celestia. “After much discussion between myself and my sister. We have come to a decision. You shall be given another chance. In exchange for this chance, you will be required to swear an oath of obedience and to serve Equestria as a public servant.” “What if I refuse?” asked Discord. Luna answered him, her tone cool. “Then thou shalt be entombed once more in stone.” “Hmm, both of those options sound unpleasant.” “Unpleasant or not, those are your only two choices Discord. We shall not allow thee to roam free, causing chaos as thou wish.” “How do you know if I’ll keep my word should I go with option one?” he asked. “You are familiar with Geas spells are you not?” inquired Luna. Discord immediately became wary. “Yes, yes I am. Why do you ask?” Luna gave a small, unpleasant looking smile. “Because, that is what shall be placed upon thee when thou swearest fealty to us.” “I...see. I am not sure if I am comfortable with the direction that this conversation is going though.” Discord replied uneasily. Luna’s smile simply got wider and more unpleasant looking. “It is either this, or returning to the gardens as a statue. Thou mayest profess that thou art a ‘changed’ being, but We do not believe thee. Those are the conditions if thou wish to remain free.” Discord gave a snort. “Yes, ‘free’. Good one Luna, I can either choose legal slavery, or I could go back to being a lawn ornament. What a wonderful pair of choices.” Celestia felt a little guilty at Discords reply. While it was true that she had at one time hated him, her hatred had cooled over the centuries. In its place had formed a sense of pity for him. Though make no mistake, she had been plenty angry the last time he had broken free of his stone prison. But much of that anger had stemmed from her fear and worry at the time, fear of him and his strange powers and worry over the well being of her subjects. However, that was then, this was now and now she needed to calm both her sister and the draconequus. Clearing her throat, she said, “Discord, I am...sorry that it must be this way, but my sister is right to worry.” “Of course she is right to worry. I may not have all of my powers right now, but that could change at any time and if my Chaos Magic returns, my personality will most likely become unpleasant again. Though I am still hesitant to take on a Geas without knowing its punishment should I break it.” “Shouldst thou break thy oath, it would return thee to a statue.” came Luna’s reply. Discord mulled their proposal over in his mind. If I accept, I would in effect be in servitude to them, with the threat of returning to stone hanging over my head. On the other paw, if I refuse, they’ll just summon the Elements of Harmony and I’ll be right back in the garden. Being pooped on by pigeons. He gave a slight shiver at the thought. The sound of Luna clearing her throat impatiently brought him back to the present. “Sorry, I was just weighing my options.” Luna cocked an eyebrow at the draconequus. Returning her gaze with his own, he continued. “It appears that I am caught in a nice little web and here all I wanted to do was to pop in, say hi and be on my way.” He gave a sigh. “Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen now.” “Stop stalling Discord, do you have an answer for us or not?” “Fine, since you seem to be in such a tearing hurry Luna, I’ll give you my answer.” He paused, savoring the last few moments of his freedom before saying, “I’ll do it. It’s either that or being a statue and that is something I would very much like to avoid.” Celestia gave a relieved smile, while Luna simply grunted. “Very well then, shall we begin the ceremony?” she asked. “Hold on. I thought that you both weren’t in any condition to use magic?” Luna snorted. “I thought that thou knew better. Seems that I was mistaken.” Discord cocked an eyebrow inviting further comment from the indigo alicorn. Rolling her eyes she said, “It is true that our powers are considerably weaker now.” A sudden thought struck Discord and he gave a mocking smile. “Does that mean you can’t control the moon and stars anymore Luna?” A dark look descended over Luna’s features and she spat back, “Of course We can not call upon our Lunar powers you simpleton. However, We do not need to move the moon in order to place the Geas on thee. Now, kneel before Us.” she commanded. Discords smile vanished and his left eye started twitching. “Be very careful how you speak to me Luna. I may not have my Chaos powers at full strength, but I could still give you grief.” “I doubt that. Still, thou art wasting time. Now kneel, so that We may begin the ritual.” Grumbling to himself Discord knelt before Luna’s bed. This is so humiliating. “Bow thy head.” commanded Luna. Discord did so, still mentally grumbling at the injustice of it all. “Close thine eyes and repeat after Us.” “Fine.” he replied as he closed his eyes, waiting for Luna to begin. Clearing her throat, Luna began. “I Discord, do solemnly swear,” “I Discord, do solemnly swear,” he repeated. “That I shall obey and serve without question, the laws and statutes of Equestria and that I shall never go against them or The Royal Pony Sisters, Celestia and Luna.” continued Luna. After having repeated the words, Discord felt a cold chill fall upon him. That must be the Geas taking effect. Funny, I don’t sense much in the way of power being exerted by Luna. He shook the thought off as she continued speaking, “I shall carry out the duties assigned to me by them without question and fulfill them to the best of my current abilities.” He repeated after her once more, the cold continuing to grow around him. Luna’s voice had since risen in power and volume and while not quite at the levels of the Royal Canterlot Voice, it was still pretty loud. “Finally, I Discord, do solemnly swear to renounce both my Chaos powers and my chaotic ways. Choosing instead the path of order and harmony and do swear to protect them to the best of my abilities. This I so swear and if I shall break this oath may I be returned to my stone prison.” The cold was swiftly becoming unbearable for the draconequus. He felt his teeth chattering and barely managed to chatter out the final words of the oath. As the final word left his lips, the bitter cold ceased and in its place a rising warmth could be felt. At first he welcomed the warmth as it reinvigorated him, but when it continued to climb in its intensity he began to worry. What is happening to me? I feel like I am burning! He tried to open his mouth to scream as the pain became intolerable, but he found that his mouth was sealed, preventing him from speaking, or in this case, screaming. Finally after what felt like an eternity of pain, both his body and mind could take no more and merciful blackness greeted him. When he awoke, he found himself laying on the floor. Every part of his body hurt, like he had been beaten, stretched and squeezed. Groaning he tried to sit up but found himself unable to. A smug voice permeated his pain fogged brain. “Ah, I see that thou art awake now Discord. Tell me, how was thy nap?” “B-bite me Luna.” was his reply. “Tsk, tsk, now is that anyway to speak to thy mistress?” she replied sweetly. He was about to give a retort when Celestia spoke, her voice loaded with disappointment. “Luna! He is not your servant, anymore than you are his mistress. Just because you cast the Geas does not make him yours.” Even though he couldn’t see her face, Discord could imagine the look of shame on Luna’s face at Celestia’s rebuke. “F-forgive Us sister, We are not sure what came over Us.” Celestia sighed. “You used one of your old Geas spells didn’t you?” When Luna didn’t reply Celestia sighed again. “Luna, I thought we had agreed that you wouldn’t use them again. You know what they did to you all those years ago.” Discord was confused. What is she going on about? Old Geas spells? Blinking away some of the pain induced blur, he once more tried to stand, only to once more fall over on his side. “Thou wouldst do better if thou tried standing like a normal pony Discord.” Shaking his head, Discord asked, “What are you talking about?” “I mean that thou shouldst try standing on four hooves, rather two. Twould be much easier We would think, given your current...condition.” she replied, a trace of smugness tinging her voice. Grumbling at the cryptic reply, Discord made to stand once more. However, now that the pain had worn off, he finally noticed that something was amiss. Why can’t I feel my paws? Looking down at where his paws used to be his eyes widen in surprise. Instead of seeing his familiar lion paw and eagle claw, a pair of normal pony hooves greeted him. “Gah!” he exclaimed. Tearing his eyes away from his hooves, he looked around the room for a mirror. Spotting one in the far corner, he scrambled over to it and peered into it. The reflection that greeted him wasn’t that of his draconequus body, instead it was that of an amberish gray unicorn. He spent the next few minutes looking himself over in the mirror. The first thing he noticed was that he was actually a little bit taller than the average unicorn, stopping just shy of five hooves in height. Both his tail and mane were cut short, the tail only coming down to just above his hock and his mane remaining as it was when he was a draconequus. In addition, they had retained their dark gray color. Sadly, his trademark goatee and snaggletooth were gone, in addition to his eyebrows, which were now standard size ones, instead of the bushy ones he used to have. Letting his eyes wander upwards, he saw that he now sported a horn. Unlike a normal unicorns horn, his was slightly longer and had a sharper tip. When he looked into his eyes he saw that his irises had remained a crimson red. However, the rest of his eyes had lost their yellow coloring and were now a standard white, in addition, both were now the same size, unlike his previous forms. He didn’t know how long he stood there staring at his reflection. Finally managing to tear his gaze away from the mirror, he slowly turned around, so as not to get his legs tangle up. “What have you done to me Luna?” he exclaimed. She gave a cold smile, one that instantly put Discord on edge. “It was part of the Geas, did We not tell thee?” She replied mockingly. Waving her hoof dismissively, she continued on. “No matter, what is done is done. To answer thy question better, We placed a special Geas upon thee. One that We created shortly before our fall. The Geas, in addition to binding the being upon whom it was cast upon, to the caster, can also be used to change their outward appearance. We used that spell to create the bat ponies that made up Our old guard back then. Though, nowadays it is a simple armor enchantment, similar to the one that Celestia uses for the Solar Guard.” She gave a longing sigh. “No matter, that was the past. Anyways, that is the reason you are no longer a draconequus.” “That still leaves the question of how you just cast an advanced spell with so little magic.” Her smile grew wide and proud. “Normally a spell of this type would require a large amount of power. However, this particular spell doesn’t.” “I don’t follow.” Discord said. “It is simple. Instead of using Our magic, We used yours for the binding ritual instead. The little Chaos magic you still had was used to bind the Geas to you as well as change your outward appearance.” Discord stood there, looking at Luna, an unreadable expression on his face. Finally he gave a shrug and asked, “Now what?” Luna blinked, surprised slightly by his reaction. “What do you mean ‘now what’? Art thou not angry?” “I wouldn’t say angry, more like annoyed, but this is the hand that fate has dealt me. So I will just have to play it.” he shrugged and stumbled over to the chair in between the beds. Celestia had been silent for most of the exchange. Discord couldn’t tell if she was just waiting for the right time to speak or if she had fallen asleep. “Discord.” she said. So much for being asleep. he thought. Outloud he said, “Yes Celestia?” “While we may have been enemies in the past. I hope that we can put that behind us and move forward with our lives.” “Yes, yes, I know. Bury the hatchet and all.” he sighed. “Why don’t we just cut to the important stuff and skip the flowery prattle?” he asked. “Very well then.” clearing her throat, Celestia continued. “Since you are now bound by your oath to serve and protect Equestria. It is only fitting that you be given a position from whence you can accomplish this task. Thus, I Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, decree that the office of Chancellor be created and that Discord be appointed to said office at once.” Discord blinked. “What?” A groan could be heard from Luna’s bed as Celestia gave a weak chuckle. “I’ve always wanted to do that.” He tone however, quickly turned serious. “All silliness aside, both Luna and I have already begun the process of transferring more of our governmental powers over to our little ponies.” “But I thought you two loved your jobs?” asked Discord sarcastically. If she could have, Celestia would have rolled her eyes at him. “Please Discord, while I love my little ponies, neither Luna or I want to keep doing this forever. We can’t keep holding their hooves for them anymore. They need to learn how to stand on their own, instead of relying solely on myself or Luna when things get difficult. That is part of the process of growing up after all.” “I had always thought that you had coddled them a little too much. Especially after Luna’s...episode.” replied Discord. Celestia sighed sadly. “Yes, I have coddled them a little too much over the years. However, I began to realize my mistake several years before Nightmare Moon’s return. That was the main reason I sent Twilight to Ponyville. I knew that she was one of the Elements and that she would be able to gather the rest together...and well you know the rest.” Discord rubbed his chin in thought. “I had wondered at the time of my last return, why you didn’t just zap me like you did the last time you and I faced each other. Are you saying that you were holding back?” “Not so much ‘holding back’ as just letting my little ponies do things for themselves for a change.” Celestia replied. Discord gave a small smile. “Well, it looks like you still don’t think they are ready for the the big colt shoes yet. If I am reading this right, you giving me this Office of the Chancellor.” Celestia inclined her head slightly. “In a way. You do have experience running a country, even if you did go insane at the end from boredom.” “Well, noponies perfect.” he replied with a sheepish grin. “Quite.” came the reply from behind him. “Though it pains Us to say this, Tia is right. There are very few ponies who are actually qualified to lead the country at this time. Thus, you need to step up and fill that hole, at least for the time being.” Oh this is going to be so much ‘fun’, I can just tell already. he thought to himself sarcastically. Taking a deep breath and turning to fully face Luna, he replied, “Not like I have much of a choice in the matter now do I?” “No, not one little bit.” came her reply. “So that means that thou hath better get working. Though we should find something to cover you with, at least while thou art in public.” This confused Discord. “What are you talking about Luna?” She simply pointed to his flank. Looking down he could see that it was blank. Terrific, not only am I bound in an unwanted Geas and stuck in an unicorn body. But now to add insult to injury, I happen to be a blank flank! While it did occasionally happen, in which a foal didn’t earn their cutie mark while they were young. Adult blank flanks were rare and they generally tended to avoid public attention, for obvious reasons. So this little development presented a problem for the group. The sudden arrival of a previously unknown unicorn, who also happened to be a blank flank, so soon after the reported sightings of the Spirit of Chaos roaming free about Canterlot would call unwanted attention to Discords new form and if it did get out that he was in fact the self same Spirit of Chaos, things could bad real fast. With a sigh of resignation, Discord replied, “Alright, so on top of being made into a pony, I now have to wear clothes. Terrific. I can’t remember the last time I wore a piece of clothing, though I do remember that I was somewhat partial to carvets.” Rolling her eyes Luna called out, “Corporal!” The door opened and in stepped the bat winged mare. After giving Discord a slightly confused glance, she turned to her princess and bowing deeply asked, “Yes Your Highness?” “What you and your fellow guard are about to hear and witness today is to remain a secret between us. Understand?” When the guard gave a solemn nod, Luna continued. “This pony here,” she waved a hoof Discord. “Is Discord, the jigsaw puzzle of a creature you saw earlier, he has been placed under a Geas spell. The result is that his form has changed, in addition to him working for us now.” The guard nodded at the appropriate points, but remained otherwise, silent. “Now, what We need thee to do, is to find him some clothing that will cover him and his blank flank.” The guard leaned slightly to one side to get a better look at his flank. Flushing slightly, he turned to one side giving her a better look. After staring at him for a few moments, she nodded her head and asked, “Do you have a preference as to what you wish to wear?” Shaking his head Discord replied, “No, I just need something large enough to cover my flank, it doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive looking.” The guard nodded and bowing her head slightly, replied, “I will see to it personally, is there anything else you need?” When Discord shook his head, the guard continued. “I shall return shortly with your new cloths. If you will excuse me.” Discord simply nodded, as the guard bowed her head in respect to the princesses and performing a smart about face, left the room. When she was gone, Discord turned to Celestia and said, “Well, that went well I think.” “I must agree, however I think a change of name wouldn’t be a bad idea either.” Sighing Discord replied, “I know, I wish it wasn’t needed but…” “Chancellor Discord just doesn’t really cut it, does it?” Chuckling ruefully, he replied, “No, no it doesn’t, I will need something new.” He sat back on his haunches and pondered for a short time. Finally, he nodded and announced. “For lack of a better name to go with my new ‘job’ I have decided on…Legal Accord.” “Chancellor Legal Accord.” Celestia tasted the word and finding nothing seriously wrong with it, said, “Well, it’s not what I would have picked for you Discord, but it will do.” Luna nodded her head in tact agreement and said, “We find it a strange name to call thyself, but if that’s what you want, then by all means.” “It is. I agree it is a strange name, but it just popped in my head and wouldn’t leave, so I guess I’m stuck with it.” He smiled at his little joke, but then he grew serious. Picking himself up from his sitting spot, he began pacing. “Getting back to business, I assume you plan on keeping an eye on me, so who shall be my new ‘secretary’?” Celestia pondered this for a time, running through the list of names of possible candidates in her head, finally she gave a satisfied grunt and said, “I believe that Raspberry Tea would be an adequate secretary and watch dog for you. She is quite pleasant, in addition to being efficient in her duties. Not to mention, she also makes a rather wonderful raspberry tea.” “Do you want to tell her or should We tell her dear sister?” asked Luna. “Why don’t you do it? After all you can still see.” replied Celestia. “Very well then, We shall compose a message for her as soon as we have a quill and parchment.” With that out of the way, both Celestia and Luna gave Discord a quick rundown on some of the new duties that he would be assuming in the coming days. The clock on the wall was nearing six o'clock before the guard finally returned. She was loaded down with several large brown bags on her back, each full of clothing. She carefully placed them on the floor in front of Discord for his inspection. Looking them over carefully, he pulled the first item out of one of the nearby bags. It was a white long sleeved shirt, with plenty of lace giving it a slightly frilly look. The sleeves were full and dropped at the shoulder, while the collar was a simple stand-up type. The cuffs of the shirt were gathered around where the hock would be when worn and had lace trimming. Nodding his head in approval, he selected the item and after a minute or two, had put it on. After he finished tightening the straps and buttoning it up, he turned back to the now opened bags and selected from them a simple white cravat. Expertly tying it around his neck, he thought to himself. Heh, looks like I still remember how to tie these things, fancy that. Once he was satisfied with it, he then selected a simple green waistcoat with golden trim. With brass colored buttons down one side and a small breast pocket to the other side. Upon trying it on, he found that the coat extended nearly to his flanks and giving a satisfied grunt turned his attention back to the pile of clothes in front of him. The next item, which completed the ensemble, was a long green greatcoat, with golden trim, large brass buttons down the front and deep pockets on either side; its sleeves coming down to just above the cuff of his shirt. However, the best part of the coat was that it completely covered Discords blank flank. The coat even had a small piece of cloth that could be fastened under the tail by a small button to one side, to prevent to the coat from riding up the ponies back. Turning, he walked over to the nearby mirror, and inspected himself in it. Given the present circumstances, he thought he cut an impressive figure. While most ponies preferred to run around without clothes on, and admittedly he did as well, he wasn’t allowed that luxury at this time. Finishing his inspection, he turned back to see Luna looking at him, an appraising look on her face. “Not bad, it covers your blank flank at least, so that is good. Though We have to ask,” She said turning to the guard who was still standing near the pile of clothing, “where did you get all of these old styled clothes and why?” “They were the only clothes I could find in his size Your Highness. As to where I found them, they were in one of the local clothing stores back storage rooms. The proprietor said they were for a play, however the ponies organizing it never came to pick them up.” replied the guard. “Did you give this pony a pay receipt for the clothes?” asked Luna, the guard simply nodded, “Good, then you are dismissed. Thank you.” “As you command, Your Highness.” Saluting the princess, the guard turned and left the room. Leaving the two princesses and former Spirit of Chaos alone once again. After a moment of silence, Celestia spoke. “I believe it is getting late and I am sure that you are tired Discor-forgive me, I meant Accord. If it is alright with you, we can arrange to have a room made available for you tonight. Tomorrow we can go over the rest of your new duties and responsibilities, if that is alright with you?” “Always the diplomat, Celestia.” ‘Accord’ chuckled. “But yes, I think that would probably be for the best right now. You two need your rest as well as I.” “Very well, when the guard changes in the next few minutes, I will have one of them show you to your rooms.” replied Celestia. “Thank you.” was his reply. They didn’t have to wait long for the changing of the guard. After having given her instructions to the Solar Guard concerning Discords new lodgings for the evening. Celestia bade him a good night, while Luna simply waved a hoof dismissively in his direction. Giving stiff bow of his head in Luna’s direction, he gave a return goodnight to Celestia and followed the guard out of the hospital and into the gathering twilight. ~oOo~ SS Marlin Spike, July 12, 1908 6:20 pm As the Marlin Spike plodded along off the picturesque Equestrian coast, Joshua, having finally gotten some rest, stood on the port bridge wing and thought to himself. What strange event has brought this land here? It is obvious that this place is not a natural part of our world. If that is the case, then where did it come from, and what will happen to the world now that they are here? A soft tap from behind him interrupted his thoughts, turning he saw Patrick standing behind him holding two steaming hot mugs of coffee. Offering one to Joshua, who accepted it with a ‘thanks’, he strode over to the railing to Joshua’s right and leaning his arms on it asked, “What are you thinking about Cap’n?” Blowing on his coffee to cool it slightly, he took a sip and replied, “Just thinking about our new neighbors.” He waved with his free hand indicating the shoreline, “Wondering where they came from and what brought them here to our world.” “You honestly think they came from another world Cap’n?” “I do, it is the most logical answer.” Patrick shook his head and replied, “I guess the truth is stranger than fiction sometimes. So, we still heading for that port town the lighthouse keeper told us about?” Joshua simply nodded his head and took another sip from his mug, smacking his lips together he said. “This is some good coffee, who made it?” “I did sir, me momma’s own secret recipe.” “Your momma knows how to brew good coffee,” remarked Joshua. “She should sir, she owns a little coffee shop in San Francisco, or did anyways. The quake nearly leveled it and the fires finished it off.” He replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. “Is she alright?” “Oh yeah, she’s fine, sad over the loss of her business, but fine otherwise, thanks for asking Cap’n. I got a letter a couple of months ago from her, saying she planned to try to start it up again.” “Good to hear, if she ever does get it back up and running, I’ll make it a point to stop in and have me a cup of coffee.” A smile slowly spread across Patrick's face, nodding his head in thanks, he turned to leave when a shout from forward caught his attention. Looking over the railing he called out, “What’s wrong Mr. Clauss?” Clauss shouted back up, “Sir, there’s debris off the starboard bow and what looks like a pony floating on a piece of wreckage!” Joshua and Patrick looked at eachother, then rushed over to the starboard bridge wing. Looking towards the bow, Joshua could indeed see debris floating on the surface of the water. Looking out across the floating debris, he spotted the stranded pony clinging to a chunk of timber. He shouted down to the deck below, “Get a lifeboat over the side and pick em up!” Sailors hastened to obey and in a few minutes where rowing over to the poor pony with all their strength. Joshua had already rang the engine room to stop and by the time the lifeboat had picked the pony up and were on their way back the Marlin had come to a stop a few hundred yards further on. As the lifeboat drew alongside, Joshua realized that they had no way to bring the pony on board. Hooves were not really designed to grasp things, like ladder rungs. Joshua was about to order one of the crew to get a couple ropes, when to his amazement the pony actually began to climb up the ladder! Hooking its front hooves around the upper rung it would then bring its rear legs up, much like a man would. Joshua was amazed at the dexterity of the pony. Before long the pony was standing on the deck and one of the crewmen draped a woolen blanket across its back. Joshua quickly made his way down to the deck and in short order, was standing in front of the waterlogged pony. The pony looked slightly different from Misty Spray, instead of having a humanized looking face this one’s looked more like a normal equines with an elongated muzzle, it still had the huge eyes that Misty had, except these ones were a slate gray in color. Its mane was a light orange and its coat was a purplish-blue in color. It was also few inches taller than Misty had been and when the pony moved, Joshua could see the powerful muscles rippling just beneath the its skin. As he looked the pony over, the pony looked him over, much like Misty Spray had done. Finally, Joshua cleared his throat and said, “My name is Joshua Phelps and I am the Captain of this ship, may I ask you for your name?” “Names Sea Kelp, it is a pleasure to meet you Captain Phelps, I must thank you and your…crew for rescuing me. Normally the weather isn’t something I have to worry about this time of year. Guess that’s not the case today.” Replied the pony, which Joshua now realized, was a male, a stallion if his memory served him right. “What were you doing out here, and where’s the rest of your crew?” Asked Joshua. “You’re looking at it. I’m a one pony show, kelp fishing isn’t as profitable as it used to be, so I do most of the work myself. One of the reasons I ended up in the drink. Most of the sheltered kelp fields have been depleted and under Princess Celestia’s order, they are to remain protected until they recover. So I had to travel farther to harvest kelp than normal and I guess my little boat wasn’t as seaworthy I thought it was.” He sighed and looked back over his shoulder with a sad expression. It was an expression Joshua had seen before, when a captain and his surviving crew had been brought into Manila harbor a couple years back. The captains steam ship had been struck by a typhoon and he and his crew had been lucky to escape with their lives. However, losing one’s ship was never easy. “I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your ship, how long have you been in the drink?” The pony put a hoof to his chin and thought for a moment, before replying, “I reckon a little over a day.” He shrugged his shoulders and said, “It is kind of hard to tell when you don’t have a watch or clock to keep time with, but it really doesn’t matter I guess. You’re here, I am rescued and if you could just drop me off in Manehattan I would be grateful.” Joshua nodded his head and replied, “We were already on our way to Manehattan when we spotted you drifting, so it’ll be no trouble. Though I gotta say you are quite calm given the situation.” “What is there to worry about? You were kind enough to pick me up, so I won’t say boo to that. Yes, you look strange to me but I’m sure I am equally strange in your eyes as well.” Joshua mulled that over and simply asked, “Can we get you anything to eat?” “If you would be so kind, I haven’t had anything to eat in a while. If you have it I would be most grateful for kelp on pumpernickel bread with mustard sauce.” “I don’t think we have any kelp, sorry. However, we do have pumpernickel bread and I’m pretty sure Cookies got some vegetable soup cooking right now.” Kelp looked a little crestfallen at the news of no kelp, but brightened up when he heard they had pumpernickel bread and vegetable soup cooking. “A nice warm bowl of soup would be nice I think and if you would be willing to spare a loaf of pumpernickel I would be very thankful indeed.” Joshua smiled and motioned for one of the crew to take Kelp below to the galley. However, before Kelp left, Joshua called out. “How far are we from Manehattan?” “Oh not very far, no more than a few hours at the most, in fact you should be able to see the cities lights on the horizon when the sun sets.” replied Kelp as he was taken below to get dry and have a hot meal. “Thank you, now you have a good dinner Mr. Kelp.” Sea Kelp simply waved his thanks as he disappeared below deck. Joshua turned his head towards the horizon as the Marlin Spike once more got underway, continuing on its long, strange journey into the unknown. A/N Well, here we are. The second chapter, sorry for the length of time it took for me to get this rewritten. I found that I had to add a lot more dialogue than I thought I did. As always, special thanks goes to my awesome editor Shoggoth who helped me get this thing ironed out. Anyways, it is here now and I'm going to go to bed. Till next time!
Chapter 3 (In a New World)Chapter 3 In a New World Toto, I don’t think we're in Kansas anymore. -Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. SS Marlin Spike, Manehattan Harbor, July 12, 1908 10:30pm Joshua stood on the bridge of the Marlin Spike as he guided it into the Manehattan Harbor. Outside, the lights of the city danced across the dark ocean's surface. Off to his side stood Sea Kelp and Patrick. It had been several hours since they had pulled the poor pony from the ocean, and he had been dried off, fed, and given a woolen sweater that fit him surprisingly well. Out of the corner of his eye, Joshua caught a look of pain on the ponies face. Turning his head towards him, he asked, "Is there something wrong?" Turning his head, Sea Kelp looked up at Joshua and replied, “It’s just hard to come back to your home and find it’s been wrecked is all.” Looking back out the window at the harbor, Joshua saw what Kelp was talking about. Many of the waterfront buildings were damaged and some had even been outright destroyed. Small boats glided across the water debris choked harbor, working to fish out the larger pieces of debris so that they wouldn’t become navigational hazards for small craft later on. In addition to the smaller boats working to clear the harbor, Joshua could see several larger boats nearby, working hard to try and put out some fires along one of the wharves. Other boats were tied alongside partially sunken hulls, and what they were doing Joshua could only guess at; Most likely salvage or searching for anyone trapped inside. Taking a deep breath, Joshua replied, “It can be rebuilt, maybe even better than before.” “I know, but… it still hurts.” Sea Kelp replied. “I don’t even know if my friends or family are alright or if they even have homes anymore. Looking at the damage, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them were without a home now, and with my boat sunk, how will I be able to help them rebuild?” Joshua didn’t get a chance to reply, as at that moment a bright light lit up the bridge with a white glare, forcing everyone to shield their eyes from its intensity. The light quickly moved away from the bridge and down over the ship’s hull, an amplified voiced called out from the darkness. “Unidentified ship, heave to immediately and prepare to be boarded for inspection!” Joshua quickly made his way over to the engine order telegraph and rang the engine room to stop the ship. As the Marlin Spike lost momentum, Joshua ordered the forward anchor dropped to prevent the Marlin from drifting in the debris-choked harbor. Striding out onto the starboard bridge wing, Joshua looked down and spotted the source of the light. It was a small pilot boat with several ponies on board. A horned pony who stood at the bow of the boat seemed to be the source of the light. Joshua felt that he shouldn’t be surprised. After all, if there were talking ponies, why not throw an honest to god unicorn in the mix?As the boat drew closer, the light winked out. Hearing a scuff behind him, Joshua looked back over his shoulder and spotted Kelp trotting up to the rail. Pointing with his chin Joshua said, “I take it that that bright light coming from that pony’s horn was some kind of spell?” Sea Kelp gave a nod. “You are correct Captain, it’s just a simple light spell, so you don’t need to worry about it doing anything to your ship.” “Are you saying that you people have spells that can do things to people? Like turn them into frogs or something?” Sea Kelp snorted and replied, “I wouldn’t be surprised, though I doubt many unicorns could use them. A spell like that is extremely complicated and would require the caster to be both knowledgeable and powerful enough to correctly cast it. Most unicorns just use their magic for simple things, levitation of objects being the most common application. So relax Captain, the odds of you being turned into a frog are about as good as you getting hit by a meteorite.” “Oh, well that’s good to know then. So do you happen to know the fellow with the spotlight spell down there?” “I do,” replied Kelp, “His names Bright Beam, Officer Bright Beam. He’s the senior customs official for Manehattan, course he’s the only customs official in Manehattan. Though I expect that might change soon.” “Wait, you mean that there is only one customs official for an entire port?” asked a bewildered Joshua. “Pretty much, it’s not like there are a lot of trade regulations that must be followed or ships to bring in goods for that matter. Not to mention that Princess Celestia hasn’t seen fit to ban many goods that do come into Equestria through trade. Most of these docks aren’t even used that much. In fact, many of those warehouses were either empty or only half-full before they were destroyed.” Sea Kelp replied, shrugging his shoulders. Looking out over the railing, Joshua could see that Officer Beam had reached the top of the ladder, that had been thrown over the side for him and his party, while him and Sea Kelp had been talking. “Personally I think he’s a bit of a pompous ass myself. Always trying to hassle either myself or the other kelp fishers who make this their home just because he hasn’t enough to do and we happen to be the only ones he really has to inspect on a regular basis.” “Why’s that?” “To make sure we aren’t fishing where we aren’t supposed to. Believe it or not, but there is a difference between kelp plants from one location and those of another. Surprising I know, but that’s really the only thing he has to do around here other than the occasional goods ship from one of the islands or a passenger ship on its way elsewhere.” Joshua watched as Patrick greeted the stunned unicorn, who had suddenly found himself surrounded by strange looking creatures. Turning his attention back to Sea Kelp, Joshua asked, “I thought that this was a prosperous city?” “Oh it is, just not down by the waterfront.” He sighed before continuing, “Even though we have Princess Celestia and now her sister Princess Luna to guide us and protect us, we still have places where things aren’t always rosy, if you get my drift?” Joshua simply nodded in reply, he was about to ask another question when the sounds of a heated argument drifted up from below, leaning over the railing, Joshua called down. “Mr. Fitzgibbons, what seems to be the problem?” Turning around and craning his neck, he shouted back, “Sir, this…customs officer seems to think we have some sort of contagious disease, he wants to quarantine us until further notice!” Said official replied to Patrick’s statement by amplifying his voice so that it was loud enough to wake the dead, “I did not say that! I said that you wouldn’t be allowed to leave your ship until I hear from my superiors back in Canterlot!" Patrick with his hands clapped over his ears and with a look of pure murder on his face, rounded on the customs officer. Possibly intending to pitch him over the side for nearly deafening him with his shouting. However, before he could respond in any way, Joshua yelled down to him. “Mr. Fitzgibbons!” Patrick, his ears still ringing from the officer’s loud voice, turned back to his captain and replied, “Yes Cap’n?” “I want you to rein in your temper and see to it that we are securely anchored for the night.” replied Joshua in an authoritative voice. “Y-yes Sir, I’ll see to it immediately.” With that, he was off to see to his duties. Joshua looked back at the customs officer and said, “Officer how long will it take for us to be allowed to come ashore?” The customs officer replied in a slightly lower tone, “A few days, maybe a week at the most. I am unsure, what with the condition of the countryside and the many damages to our fair city.” he simply shrugged. “Well, we shall require coal to maintain power for the pumps, and if we are here much longer than a few days we will require fresh provision to be brought aboard.” “That is acceptable. I will do what I can to see to it that you are supplied with coal in the morning and I am truly sorry that this is necessary. No offense, but I do not feel comfortable allowing you…beings to run loose without consulting a higher authority first. I hope you understand?” Joshua nodded and replied, “Those are valid point’s officer. However, I have a kelp fisher on board that we picked up on our way here, his name is Sea Kelp and I was wondering if this quarantine applied to him as well?” Officer Beam closed his eyes and tapped his hoof on the deck for a moment then replied, “I believe that he can leave without any trouble, if he is nearby I can take him back to shore with me when I finish my inspection.” “Yes, in fact he’s right here next to me.” Joshua waved Sea Kelp over, who gave the officer a wave from the bridge wing railing. “Ah very good, yes please send him down. We’ll place him in the boat until we are ready to leave, so that we do not forget him.” He chuckled at his little joke, turning serious, he asked, “Now that we have that cleared up, I must ask you for your shipping manifest and that I be allowed to inspect the cargo holds.” “Alright, I’ll be down shortly.” responded Joshua. He quickly fetched the shipping manifest from the ships safe and met Officer Beam near the hatch leading down into Hold #2. He had already said goodbye to Sea Kelp as they had made their way down from the bridge to the main deck. It had been an odd experience shaking a pony’s hoof, but Joshua felt that there would be many more strange experiences to come. As he approached Officer Beam, he took in the unicorn’s features. He was shorter than Sea Kelp by a couple of inches and sported a short-cropped mane and tail with a dark blue coat. His eyes were light green and as Joshua approached he could see that the stallions cutie mark looked like a flashlight with a beam of light emanating from one end. Over these features he wore a simple uniform; A blue shirt with white trim and silver buttons and a similarly colored cap. On said cap was a small silver shield badge. Squinting his eyes slightly, Joshua could see that the emblem was that of a stylized sun with two crossed anchors over a crate in front of the sun. The officer sported another similar badge over his right breast pocket, the only difference between the two was the 001 stamped on the lower portion of the badge. Nodding his head to the unicorn Joshua said, “Hello Officer Beam, I am Captain Joshua Phelps.” “Captain, I will try and make this quick. However, I will make sure any suspicious cargo is properly inspected and any attempt to interfere with my inspection will be considered a criminal act and will be properly prosecuted by an Equestrian court of law. Do you understand what I have just told you?” Joshua nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Good. Now if you will please surrender your shipping manifest to me, we can begin.” Joshua handed him the manifest and followed him down into the bowels of the cargo hold. Several hours later, Bright Beam returned the manifest to Joshua with a small sigh, as if he were actually disappointed that he didn’t find anything illegal.“Alright, you pass the inspection. However, you and your crew are still confined to the ship. Any attempt to leave the ship will be met with a swift reaction. You have been warned, now if you'll excuse me I must go. Good night Captain Phelps.” He bowed his head and quickly left, as he lowered himself over the side of the ship he called out, “Oh, before I forget. I must ask you to not interact with anypony that might try to talk to you while you are in quarantine.” Joshua asked, “How come?” “Because I said so.” He replied, in the same tone of voice a parent with an annoyingly curious child might use. With that said, he finished lowering himself over the side and slowly climbed down the ladder. After they had cast off from the ship and were a fair distance from the battered freighter. Bright Beam turned to see Sea Kelp looking at him from the stern of the boat, motioning for Kelp to stand next to him, he said, “Now, I want you to tell me everything you know about these creatures.” Canterlot Castle, Map Room, East Wing, July 14, 1908 12:03 am Accord looked up at the large map on the wall and thought back upon the events of the last couple of days. After having left the hospital after his encounter with Celestia and Luna. He had followed the guard across the city towards the castle and his new room. The city was a mess. Many of the windows had been blown out during what many were beginning to call ‘The Event’, and as a result the streets were a sea of sharp glass shards. Thankfully, the middle of the street was relatively clear of glass so the going was easier. Several of the buildings that they passed were little more than rubble now, while others had been damaged to varying degrees.As they approached the castles main gate Accord saw that the two gate guards continued their routine of standing like statues, making no move to stop him or his escort. I guess having a royal guard for an escort helps speed things along. He thought. Shrugging his shoulders, he kept walking several paces behind his escort. Looking up, he noticed that the castle had taken a real pounding. Every single window had been shattered, and the two large double doors had been blown completely off their hinges. In addition, several sections of the castles wall had large holes in them. Thankfully the curtain wall surrounding the castle, while also damaged, remained relatively intact. Passing through the open space where the door had once occupied, Accord looked around the interior of the castle. Put quite simply, it was a wreck. Paintings were scattered everywhere, many were ripped and torn, and much of the furniture was ruined. Papers were scattered across the floor and there appeared to be some structural damage in the form of cracks in the floor, walls and ceiling. What had once been a beautiful and elegant castle, kept clean and spotless by an army of servants, was now little more than a ruin. The place felt like the life had been sucked from it and a pall of despair and fear hung heavy in the air. Ponies wandered about aimlessly, unsure of what to do. Taking a deep breath Accord made to speak, however the guard stopped him. “What are you doing?” asked the guard. Accord blinked, What am I doing? None of these ponies know who I am, nor do I think they care at this point. He let his breath go with in an explosive sigh. “Nothing, nothing at all. Come on, let’s go.” he said to the guard, who simply shrugged and continued on. After several detours, around hallways that were deemed unsafe for regular travel. They arrived at the room where Accord would be staying. Turning to Accord, the guard said, “Here we are, if you need anything do not hesitate to ring the castle staff.” Nodding, Accord thanked the guard and pushed the doors open with a hoof, stepping through into the darkened room. After flicking a nearby light switch on, he shut the door and looked around the room. It was rather spartan for a palace guest room. Other than the four poster bed, a nightstand, wardrobe, bookshelf and nearby writing desk there wasn’t anything else here. No paintings, no rugs, even the bookshelf was empty of anything. Hmm, this must be one of the lesser used rooms. Giving a shrug, Accord made his way over to the bed, giving it a quick once over, he found that the sheets were both clean and fresh. Giving a satisfied nod, he proceeded to carefully remove his clothes and place them in the currently empty wardrobe. Once he was finished, he pulled the covers back on his bed and after having turned the lights off, climbed into bed and promptly fell asleep. He was awoken early the next morning by the incessant prodding of somepony’s hoof against his shoulder. Grumbling to himself, he cracked an eye open and muttered, “What do you want?” A female voice replied, “It is time to start the day ‘Mr. Chancellor’.” Oh joy. It seems that my ‘secretary’ has arrived. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up. Looking to his left, he saw an Earth Pony mare looking impatiently at him, a slight frown gracing her face. “Raspberry Tea I presume?” he asked. She gave a shallow bow and replied, “At your service ‘sir’.” While he lay there, Accord looked over his new ‘secretary’. He supposed that she would be pretty, if she bothered to smile at all. Instead, her face was stoic mask, betraying nothing. Now that’s what I call a poker face. He thought to himself as he lay there, looking over the rest of her features. Her mane and tail were a reddish raspberry color, both of which were well kept. Her mane falling to the right side of her face, along with it being longer in the front, ended up obscuring one of her deep blue eyes from view. Her coat was a powder blue in color and when she turned, he could see that her cutie mark was that of a cup of tea, raspberry leaves and a scroll. While he had been laying in bed, his secretary, for lack of a better word, had set about opening the window curtains; Allowing sunlight to pour into the room and causing Accord to scrunch up his face as his eyes adjusted to the new light level. Deciding that he had wasted enough time, he rolled out of bed with a sigh and proceeded to ready himself for the day. While he went about his new morning routine, Raspberry pulled a list out of her saddlebags and rattled off Accords schedule for the day. “Once you have finished getting yourself ready, we are to meet with Captain Shining Armor-” “Wait, what about breakfast?” asked Accord, just as his belly gave a low grumble. Raspberry gave him an annoyed look and said, “Well if you had been up earlier, you wouldn’t have missed the morning meal. Now,” Accord groaned at the prospect of having to wait till the midday meal, while Raspberry continued speaking, uncaring of his plight. “As I was saying, we will be meeting with Captain Shining Armor to go over security arrangements for yourself, among other things. In addition, Celestia and Luna’s secretaries will also be present and will help bring you up to speed on various developments within the kingdom.” ]Accord paused, his right hoof halfway through his overcoats sleeve. “Wait, I thought that I hadn’t been appointed as Chancellor yet.” “You haven’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t familiarize yourself with the current workings of the government and get things arranged ahead of time. Princess Luna expects to have your swearing in ceremony as soon as she is released from the hospital after all.” “As soon as...just how long does she think she will remain there?” he asked. “A couple more days, at least. That is what she said in her letter.” she replied offhandedly as she continued to look over her list, while she waited for Accord to finish dressing. “She also mentioned creating a ‘Background’ for you before we meet with anypony.” Fumbling with the buttons of his coat, as his magic was still recovering and he wasn’t used to using a unicorn's horn, Accord asked, “So what does that entail then?” Raspberry looked up from her list and cocking an eyebrow asked, “Well, we need to cover the basics; where you were born, who your parents were, where you went to school at and so on and so forth. Basically make it so that when you are questioned about it, or if it comes up, you can keep your facts straight so that your cover isn't blown. Some ponies still haven’t quite forgiven you yet for what you did a few years ago.” Accord’s face visibly blanched at the thought, giving his head a slight shake he said, “I would assume that you would alter the records appropriately, so that they match up with my ‘story’?” She gave a dismissive flick of her hoof. “Of course, who else do you think they would trust with something like this?” “Of course, so what happens now?” “Well, you can tell me where you were ‘born’ for starters.” she replied. Giving a sigh Accord said, “Fine, now let’s see.” He paused for a moment, taking the moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “I was born to two unicorn parents. Honest Ledger, my father, was an accountant for a small shipping firm in Fillydelphia. My mother, Red Ribbon, was a seamstress and she worked with a well to do fashion designer just a few blocks from our home.” While he was speaking, Raspberry Tea was busily taking notes. Noticing that he was getting a little ahead of her, Accord slowed down and let her catch up before continuing. “When I came of age I went to one of the local public schools. I was a bit of a loner, mainly from my lack of a cutie mark-” “Hold up.” she interrupted abruptly. Finishing her current sentence, she looked up and asked, “So you never received your cutie mark as a young colt?” He nodded his head. “Correct, of course it wasn’t for lack of trying. I tried everything I could think of to try and discover it, but as you can see,” he turned and slightly lifted his coat up, exposing his blank flank. “I never got it.” “So what happened next?” she asked, pausing once more. “Well, since I didn’t have any friends to speak of while I was in school, I spent a lot of my time studying. As a result I graduated near the top of my class. Following graduation, my father suggested working for him in an apprenticeship. Since I hadn’t really tried anything like that before, I kind of hoped I would be able to gain my cutie mark that way, sadly it didn’t happen.” Raspberry gave a soft hum and asked, “So your father got you a job at the company he worked at?” “Yes.” was his reply. “And what did you do there?” Accord shrugged. “I mainly did odd jobs, filing papers, cleaning up the office, occasionally doing some of the accounting, with my father watching over me carefully of course.” Raspberry scribbled a few more notes and then asked, “What did you do when you left your parents home?” “Well, after saving up enough money from working for with my father, I applied for entrance to Fillydelphia Law School. By this time, I had taken to wearing clothing that covered my blank flank in an effort to try and blend into society.” More note scribbling and she said, “I see. And why did you pick law school, seeing as how you were still a blank flank at the time.” Accord shrugged. “Just because a pony doesn’t have their cutie mark doesn’t mean they can’t be interested in things. It so happened that law and civil affairs interested me at the time, hence the reason I tried my hoof at that type of career.” “What happened while you were in school?” she inquired. “I was generally ignored by my classmates, giving me plenty of time to work on my studies. Seeing as how I wasn’t distracted by little things like...parties.” he said the word like it was something disgusting. “I graduated near the top of my class and after leaving school took up a job offer with a small law firm. A few years later I accepted a job offered to me from the civil service, joined and worked my way up the ladder.” She remained silent for a moment, putting the finishing touches on her notes before looking up and saying, “Well, it’s not much, but I guess it will do for now. We’ll have to sit down sometime and really iron out the details of your ‘past’ so that the records can be properly altered among other things.” Accord cocked an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean, ‘among other things’?” “Don’t worry about that right now.” She said, before looking at the clock on the nearby fireplace mantel and saying, “Now, you have been stalling long enough. Let’s go.” And with that she brushed past Accord and through the door. Accord rushed to catch up with her. Walking through the castle, Accord noticed that today the castle’s staff seemed to be in a somewhat better mood. I guess having something to do helps keep your mind off your worries. He thought idly. On several occasions Raspberry would stop and talk with a castle staff member about one thing or another. Accord, naturally, was left out of the discussion and thus felt kind of awkward, just standing around doing nothing while he waited for Raspberry to finish with her little chat. Finally, after the fourth time she had stopped, a slightly irritated Accord asked, “I thought we were on a schedule?” She continued walking straight ahead, not bothering to turn her head as she replied, “We are, however we do not have to be there for a few more minutes.” Accord gave an irritated sigh as he followed along behind the increasingly irritating mare. After two more stops, they arrived in front of a pair of solid looking oak doors. Turning to Raspberry, Accord asked, “So where are we?” Raspberry opened the door and stepped through while replying, “The Royal Map Room. It’s one of the few magically reinforced rooms in the castle.” Accord found himself in a large room, the first thing he noticed about the room was that it was nearly spotless in its appearance. In addition, unlike a lot of the other windows in the castle, the one to his right was surprisingly still intact. Continuing his inspection of the room, he spotted a massive map of Equestria taking up a section of the far wall. Sweeping his gaze across the rest of the room, he noticed several bookshelves, each filled with large tomes of knowledge, lining the rest of the walls. Finally, in the center of the room was a round oak table that had been polished to a mirror gloss finish; several padded stools were set around it. While he had been examining the room, Raspberry had taken a seat on one of the stools. She waited while Accord finished looking around, and when his curiosity seemed satisfied, she cleared her throat and said, “If you are done gawking at everything, we need to get ready to meet with Captain Armor and their Highness's secretaries.” Accord simply grunted, settled himself on a stool next to Raspberry and waited for the other three ponies to arrive. It wasn’t more than a few minutes before the doors opened once more and in strode Shining Armor. His white coat and cerulean colored mane both well groomed and maintained, along with his armor being polished to a high sheen. Striding up to an empty seat, Shining removed his helmet and placed it next to him as he seated himself at the table. Placing his hooves in front of him, he gave a respectful nod to Raspberry Tea. However when he turned his gaze to Accord, his eyes narrowed slightly. Accord couldn’t tell if it was from suspicion or if that was his way of showing confusion, Accord suspected that it was the former rather than the latter. It was only reasonable that Shining would be more suspicious of unknown ponies in the wake of the recent attack upon Canterlot by the Changelings. After sitting in awkward silence for several moments, Accord opened his mouth to try and break the silence. However, he was interrupted by the double oaken doors being violently swung open and two ponies stride into the room. Said ponies seemed to be in the middle of an intense debate. “I’m telling you, Moonlight, this whole thing sounds dodgy to me. I mean, have you ever even heard of this pony before?” Moonlight replied with a roll of her eyes. “Of course not, I don’t have time to keep track of every single pony that is employed by the princesses. I have far too many important things to be doing and so do you.” “But still...” continued her companion, so engrossed were the two ponies that they failed to realize that they had in fact reached their destination and that there was an audience present. While the two were arguing, Accord took the moment to study them. Moonlight was obviously Luna’s secretary, seeing as she had the same theme as the Lunar guard. Bat wings, golden dragon eyes, purplish grey coat and a dusky purple colored mane and tail. Her demeanor was rather cool and collected, unlike her companion who seemed more energetic and outgoing. Speaking of said companion, Accord looked him over and wondered how in Equestria this stallion had become Celestia’s personal secretary. Everything about him screamed slob, his brown mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed in months and his khaki colored coat was looking a little rough as well. In addition, his hazel colored eyes just wouldn’t. Stay. Still. It was like the stallion had guzzled four gallons of the strongest tea ever brewed. Not too mention all the twitching his body was doing. Accord hadn’t even been introduced to the stallion yet and he could barely stand him already. The argument would most likely have continued but for the sudden sound of Raspberry clearing her throat, which brought the two of them up short. “Moonlight, Sun Scroll, so glad you could finally join our little meeting.” The two ponies, startled by her voice, each gave a surprised squeak and immediately looked like a pair of foals caught doing something naughty. “If you are both quite finished with your little debate, we have important matters to discuss.” Giving a sheepish look, the two quickly sat down. Once she was satisfied that everything was in order, Raspberry rapped a hoof on the table, gaining everypony’s attention. “Now that we are all present and ready to begin, shall we get started then? Shining Armor,” the stallion turned his head towards her at the sound of his name. “What is the current status of the Royal Guard here in Canterlot?” “Uh, well the Guard has sustained a few casualties, but from my understanding their injuries are minor and they should be available for duty in a few days.” “Good, and how many guardsponies are there currently in Canterlot?” she inquired. “Well right now there are four hundred and sixty effective personnel, ma’am. Not counting new recruits who are in training." “And how many new recruits are there Capitan?” “Seventy, ma’am.” he replied. Raspberry nodded and after scratching out a few notes on a nearby piece of paper with her quill, asked, “What of the emergency services? Police, fire, and medical?” At this question, Shining looked slightly nervous. “I-I’m unsure ma’am, I’m just the head of the Royal Guard after all.” Raspberry gave an unimpressed sniff and jotted a few more lines down before turning her attention to Celestia’s secretary. “Sunscroll,” he lifted his head up from off the table, “Do you have Celestia’s schedule for today with you?” He blinked once, before realizing what she wanted and levitating a thick sheaf of papers out of his saddlebags. “Um, yes I do actually.” After fumbling with them for a minute, he continued, “Uh let’s see here...the next appointment that Her Highness was to have this morning was with the Minister of Agriculture.” “And what were they going to discuss?” asked Raspberry. Sun Scroll fumbled with his papers for a moment trying to find the correct one. Finally, he managed to find the right one. “Ah-ha! Here it is!” he said happily, while waving with his hoof. Raspberry rolled her eyes. “Wonderful, now suppose you share with us what it says?” “Ah, sure.” he cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing. “Well, Princess Celestia was going to go over several new plans on increasing food output with Minister Greenbean.” Raspberry made a ‘go on’ motion with her hoof. Giving a shrug Sun said, “That’s all there is ma’am.” Raspberry facehoofed. “Was there any other appointments that she had that day?” Comprehension dawned on Sun’s face. “Oh! Uh, no there was not. The rest of her day was to either be used to catch up with paperwork or to be free time for Her Highness.” “I see,” she turned attention to Moonlight, “Now what about Princess Luna’s schedule?” “Pretty much like her sisters. I had assumed that they wanted to spend time together and catch up on some missed paperwork.” replied the batpony. “Well then, I guess that will make things easier for you then Accord.” said Raspberry. Clearing his throat, Accord replied, “I suppose so, though you still haven’t introduced me yet.” Rolling her eyes, she replied, “I was getting to that. Everypony,” she waved a hoof in Accords direction, “this is Legal Accord. He is to be helping us with the relief effort, in addition to the running of the government while Princess Celestia and Luna are recovering in the hospital.” Shining Armor raised a hoof slightly before asking, “So what you are saying, is that this pony,” he indicated Accord with a wave of his hoof. “Is now our new boss.”Raspberry nodded, “Essentially, yes. Like I said earlier, he will be standing in for the Princesses until they are able to resume their duties.” The three ponies each looked at each other, as if silently holding their own meeting, before turning their full attention on Accord. Accord felt nervous at the sudden shift in their attention to him. Feeling a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face, he gave a nervous gulp and asked, “I-is there something wrong?” “You could say that.” replied Shining Armor. “I find it highly irregular that you, a pony that we know nothing about and that we have no record of entering the city, is suddenly placed in charge of the current disaster relief effort. In addition, I have received reports from several sources that state that Discord has broken free and is currently at large and we know that he can change his form. So forgive me if I find your sudden appearance here in the halls of power a little...odd.” Accord felt his anxiety rise, which for him was something that almost never happened. Back when he was Discord, the only time he had ever felt fear or nervousness was just before and during the times he got his flank kicked by the Elements of Harmony. But for some reason he was feeling nervous. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden? Is it because I am no longer a draconequus? Okay, take a deep breath and calm yourself, so far it’s just Shining being paranoid, trouble is, he’s right. On the other hoof, you’ve got both Celestia and Luna’s backing, just keep cool and you’ll be fine. Taking a deep breath, Accord replied, “So are you implying that I am in fact Discord?” Shining made to reply, but Accord cut him off. “Because that is just silly, if I were Discord, I wouldn’t be sitting here getting things back in order, now would I?” “He’s right Shining,” interjected Raspberry. “I can personally vouch for him and so can the princesses. Accord is a special pony, one who has been in Princess Celestia’s employ for a long time. I suppose you could consider him to be a sort of firepony. Whenever a problem crops up, he’s the one who is sent to get it sorted out.”Shining still looked unconvinced. Letting go a sigh, Raspberry said, “Look, you can go and ask Princess Celestia and Luna if you want, their answer will be the same as mine. Accord was originally brought in to help with some financial difficulties that needed some straightening out, it just worked out that he was here at the time of The Event.” “What about Discord?” pressed Shining. “You can’t just write him off, if he is on the loose, then we need to be extra vigilant and if he does raise his ugly head, we need to be ready to take him down.” “Your concerns have been noted Captain, but you need not worry, Princess Celestia has seen to the matter.” “Actually, it was Luna who took care of that little...ah, problem.” interjected Accord. Shooting him a glare, Raspberry said in a slightly sarcastic tone. “Thank you for that correction Accord,” turning her attention back to the others she continued, “As I was saying, the matter has been taken care of and you need not worry about it. Now are there any further questions or concerns before we move on with the meeting?” Sun Scroll’s hoof immediately shot up. Giving a sigh, Raspberry said, “Yes Sun Scroll, you had something to ask?” “I do,” he replied, “I was wondering what Accords cutie mark looks like.” Accord’s face didn’t move an inch, but on the inside he was panicking. Oh great, what am I going to do now? If I reveal that I am a blank flank, Shining Armor’s suspicions about me will only return with full force. But if I lie about having one and it’s found out that I don’t have one, it will only make things worse! Looking over at Raspberry, hoping that she would give him a hoof, sadly she simply stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. Silently growling to himself, Accord could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Taking a deep breath and hoping what he was about to say wouldn’t come back and bite him on the flank, he said, “Well, the truth of the matter, is that I...” “That you what?” pressed Sun Scroll, curiosity lacing his voice. Giving a heavy sigh, Accord finished lamely. “I’m a blank flank.” An awkward silence descended upon the room, Sun Scroll idly rubbed his hooves on the table, suddenly very interested in the table top. Finally, an awkward cough from Shining broke the silence. “So,” he began, “Were you planning on sharing this little bit of information with us?” Accord didn’t like Shining Armors tone, not one bit. Giving him a steady look, Accord said, a touch of coolness tingeing his tone. “If memory serves me right, pressing a pony about their cutie mark when they don’t want to talk about is consider rude.” While Sun Scroll flinched at the reply, Shining didn’t even bat an eyelash, instead he shot back. “Well keeping secrets from ponies can not only be considered rude, but dangerous as well.” “Do you have a problem with me Captain?” Shining narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I believe I do, there are some things that are not adding up and I intend to find out the truth.” Accord made to retort, but the sound of a hoof striking the table top, with such force as to sound like a thunder crack, cut him off. “Captain Shining Armor, Legal Accord has been appointed to his current position by Princess Celestia herself. If you have any problems with this current arrangement then you can take them up with her. In the meantime, you will behave and cooperate with Accord in all matters. Do I make myself clear?” Shining looked like he had bitten into a rather sour lemon. “Crystal.” he ground out. Satisfied that he wouldn’t cause anymore disruptions, Raspberry turned to Accord and said in a more softer tone, “Why don’t you give them the short version of your life? So as to try and lay to rest any silly suspicions that somepony,” she said this bit while looking at a sulking Shining Armor, “might have.” “Well, I suppose so.” He said and clearing his throat he told his ‘past’ to the other ponies in the room. After he had finished his abbreviated tale, the others, save for Shining, seemed content with the story and turned their attention to Raspberry. Seeing that he was finished, she went over the remaining points that they were to discuss during the meeting. Leaning forward, so that he could rest his forelegs on the table in front of him, Accord simply listened to the conversation as it took shape around him in silence. It was several hours later before the meeting wound down and good thing too, his stomach was growling up a storm from not being fed that morning. Feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, Accord looked around to see if anypony had heard. Thankfully, the others didn’t seem to have noticed. Turning to Raspberry, he asked, “Since we seem to have exhausted all of the important business, suppose we break for dinner?” Nodding her head, she replied, “Sounds good to me.” Looking up at the clock on the wall she said, “We should have about a half hour before the evening reports and petitioners begin arriving, so if we want something to eat we better go now.” Turning to the other ponies at the table, she said, “If there isn’t anything else to discuss at present, I say that we adjourn for a half hour break and reconvene at half past six.” After gathering their things together, the five of them filed out of the map room and towards the staff dining hall. Sun Scroll and Moonlight walked ahead of the group, Sun Scroll talking at what felt like a mile a minute. Moonlight meanwhile bore up under the verbal onslaught surprisingly well all things considered and she even seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Raspberry Tea and Shining Armor meanwhile had inserted themselves into the middle of the group and seemed to be in the middle of a heated conversation. Accord meanwhile was content to remain at the back of the group, after all, he barely knew any of the ponies and two of them weren’t exactly friendly towards him. Raspberry seemed professionally distant to him, while Shining Armor on the other hoof seemed openly hostile and suspicious towards him. Which tended to limit potential conversation options considerably. So it was in this setting that they arrived at the dining halls entrance. The smell of delectable food wafting out from within causing Accords mouth to water in hungry anticipation. The two unicorn guards, upon seeing the group of ponies trotting towards them, opened the double doors with their magic, allowing Accord and the others to pass through unimpeded. The dining hall they entered was rather modest, the ceiling only being about twice the height of the average pony. In addition, both the tables and chairs were more...worn than in the main dining rooms elsewhere in the castle. The tables were scratched and stained, same with the chairs and stools, many of which didn’t even match their neighbors in color or even style. That wasn’t to say they were ready for the dump yet, but their days of being used by the nobility and visiting dignitaries were long past. The rest of the room was about the same as one would find else where in the castle, white walls with golden trim, chandeliers, with their magical illumination orbs hanging from the ceiling and the marble tiled floors completing the rooms look. Taking a seat at a nearby table in between Raspberry and Shining Armor, Accord waited impatiently for the waiter to arrive to take their orders. In the meantime, the rest of the group took their seats around the table. Accord didn’t feel like talking at the moment, so he simply rested his head on the table and closed his eyes in an effort to avoid conversation. Sadly, it didn’t seem to work. “So Accord,” cracking an eye open, Accord saw that the speaker was none other than Sun Scroll. Letting loose a heavy sigh he asked tiredly, “Yes Sun Scroll, what is it?” The other stallion nervously played with his hooves for a moment before gathering the courage to say, “You never did tell us what happened to your family after you finished law school.” If Accord hadn’t had his eyes closed, he would have rolled them in exasperation. Didn’t this stallion ever shut up? He wondered sourly. However the words never left his mind, instead he said, “I don’t want to talk about it right now Scroll. It’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten at all today.” The other stallion blinked, confused at his reply. “Oh? Why would that have anything to do with what happened to your family?” Accord instantly felt his temper flare. The combination of the events from yesterday and his lack of food today. In addition, of having to put up with Shining Armor’s hostility and Raspberry’s indifference to him. In addition to the stress of the meeting had put in a bit of a foul mood. So having Sun Scroll continue prying into his personal life and then, when he tried to politely tell him to drop it, blow it off like it wasn’t a big deal, really got him hot under the collar. Lifting his head off the table, Accord turned to fully face Scroll and said in the most even tempered voice he could manage. “Sun Scroll, I’ve had a really long day today, on top of the disaster that was yesterday has left me feeling really wrung out. So if you would be so kind as to drop the subject and leave me in peace I would be grateful.” “Oh, sorry, didn’t know you had a rough couple of days. Believe me, I know the feeling, ever since everything went crazy, I haven’t had a chance to get any sleep.” Well that would most likely explain his unkempt appearance and annoying demeanor. Thought Accord, I suppose I owe him an apology of some sort for being terse with him earlier. Opening his mouth to respond, Accord was suddenly interrupted by Shining Armor when he leaned in and whispered in his ear. “We’ve all been up since before The Event, working hard to get things back in order, so sleep has been difficult to come by. Not that you would know that, seeing as how you were enjoying that luxury last night.” He said, a sneer evident on his face. Accords cooling temper suddenly flared up again, and was even hotter now. Accord considered himself an even tempered stallion and it took a lot to get under his fur, but when it did, one of two things would happen. One, he would explode into a volcanic fury, which had only happened once and it had not been pretty, ponies still avoided the badlands even to this day. The second thing that could happen would be that he would manage to rein his temper in. Thankfully for everypony’s health, he went with option two. Taking a deep breath, Accord abruptly stood, bumping the table and catching the attention of the other three. He gave Shining a piercing glare and without a word stormed out of the dining room, slowing down only to snag a couple of sandwiches from a passing waiters tray with his recovering magic. Angrily striding past the two guards, neither of whom batted an eyelash at the angry unicorns passage, he turned in a random direction and stormed off. The sound of somepony shouting his name drifted out of the dining room. He ignored it however, in favor of lengthening his stride, so as to put as much distance as he could between himself and the others. He soon found himself in a deserted part of the castle, alone with his thoughts. As he walked along, he felt his temper cooling once more. What is Shining Armors problem? Why is he such an ass towards me? Is he like that to every new pony or is it just me? Shaking his head, he stopped in front of a recently repaired window that overlooked a portion of Canterlot below. Looking out the window, a question that had been stewing in the back of his mind came to the forefront at that moment. It is strange, this Magical Event has laid whole buildings low, but has left others next door, completely intact with next to no damage. What’s more, what could have been powerful enough to pull Equestria out of its world and into this one? He shuddered suddenly, a strange sensation overcoming him, like something was watching him from the shadows. He looked around trying to spot the source of his discomfort, but upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, turned his attention back to the window and his thoughts. My chaotic powers are all but gone now, in addition to any inclination I might have had to cause chaos. It is strange, even my memories are blurring of the time I was Discord. What could be- His thoughts were interrupted by an unknown voice. Hehe, the reason is simple Discord. I hate competition and brother, you’re some pretty tough competition. So why take a risk of you mucking everything up here like you did back in your world. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” commanded Accord. Oh, I don’t think so, at least not yet. It would ruin the surprise, and that’s no fun! You should know this. After all, you were the ‘God of Chaos’, least until you came here. No, you’re in my house now and you’ll play by my rules. Ya got that pal? “What are you babbling about? What are these so called rules, of yours?” Figure em out. I ain’t telling you nothing pony boy, that wouldn’t be any fun now would it? Accords patient was wearing thin by this point and he spat, “Tell me or so help me I’ll-” You’ll what? Yell, kick, and scream, maybe cry for your momma? Don’t make me laugh Discord, this is exactly what you used to do. Manipulating everyone around you for your own enjoyment, speaking in confusing riddles, turning everyone against each other, all for your own fun. Karma’s a bitch ain’t it? The voice laughed at its own wit before saying, Hehe, you know Discord. You and me, were a lot alike, or at least we were…until you royally screwed everything up! Now you’re just a sad little pony with no powers who thinks he’s still powerful. Well I got some news for you Discord. You’re nothing more than a little minnow swimming with sharks, if ya ain’t careful you’ll get chomped! Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve got work to do. With those words, the presence left. Accord found himself alone with the mysterious beings harsh words, It’s true, my powers are all gone now, An oppressive weight seemed to fall upon his back. A feeling of helplessness descended upon him as he stared out at the battered city. Letting loose a heavy sigh, he began mentally ticking off his current troubles. So I guess this is it, I’ve lost my powers over chaos and change, not to mention my body has been forcefully changed so that I don’t ‘scare’ anypony. Not too mention, I’m now bound to carry out the will of my former adversaries and if I step out of line it’s back to the garden as a nice decorative statue. My ‘secretary’ is actually a spy who was assigned to keep a watch on me and make sure I behave and if I don’t she’ll blow the whistle on me and then whoosh! it’s back to the gardens. What’s worse is I somehow seem to have made an enemy out of Shining Armor and on top of everything else, there’s a mysterious being running around trying to make my life more difficult! He leaned his head against the cool window panel, a powerful headache beginning to form at the base of his skull.The sound of hoofsteps approaching caused him to look up. “Oh, it’s you.” he said coolly. Raspberry stopped a few paces from him, an uncertain look on her face. Finally she took in a lungful of air and said, “Hey.” Turning to face her, he asked, “Yes?” “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” “Well, you found me.” ]Fighting down a sudden burst of irritation, she calmly replied, “Yes I have and we both have to get back to the map room before the evening reports arrive. In addition, to dealing with any new problems that may crop up.” Giving a weary sigh, he nodded and said, “I suppose, though I doubt it will be pleasant for anypony, seeing as how Captain Armor seems to have developed a distinct dislike of me.” Raspberry looked away while rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof awkwardly. “About that,” she paused as if unsure of how to proceed. Finally she just gave a sigh and said, “Shining Armor won’t be there.” Cocking an eyebrow, Accord said, “Oh?” “Yes, after you stormed off, I confronted him about it and after having a...discussion with him about it, I told him to go and get some rest.” “I take it he wasn’t to thrilled about it.” Raspberry shook her head. “No he wasn’t, but he’s wound so tight right now, that unless he gets some rest, I’m afraid he’ll snap. It doesn’t help that this hasn’t been a good for him to begin with, what with your return earlier in the year and the failed Changeling invasion a few months ago and now this.” “I see.” was his reply. Rubbing her temple with a hoof, Raspberry said tiredly, “I also told Moonlight and Sun Scroll to hit the hay as well, so it’ll just be you and I until tomorrow morning.” “Well then, I suppose we should be on our way then.” and with that he turned and trotted off, with Raspberry falling in behind him. As they walked, Accord couldn’t shake the feeling that he was once more being watch by that irritating spirit. Straightening his shoulders, he felt the feeling of despondency leave him as a sudden surge of determination welled up inside of him. I might have lost much of my powers, but I still have the basics, and even if I can’t perform the magic anymore, I still remember how to manipulate and deceive. That’s better than nothing. So with that thought, he held his head high and prepared himself for whatever was going to be thrown at him next. ~oOo~ Unfortunately for Accord, it seemed as if the universe had it out for him, for he had quickly found himself inundated with ponies seeking somepony, anypony in charge to give them direction and guidance. He had had to not only assure everypony that came through the double oak doors that not only were Celestia and Luna still alive, but that they would recover in time. In addition, he had had to deal with several high-ranking nobles, who had inquired as to the Solar Sisters health, including Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Shining Armors new wife if Accord remembered correctly. Apparently, word had spread that both Celestia and Luna were on their deathbeds and the flood of concerned ponies that had inundated the hospital. Which had forced the hospital staff to bar everypony, including family, from entering the princesses wing of the hospital, so that they could get their rest. Accord had made a mental note to release an official statement dispelling the rumor as soon as possible. Thankfully all that was need, was a quick explanation that the rumors were untrue and that Celestia and Luna were fine. Satisfied that everything was fine, she had retired to her home for the evening exhausted. Now with the clock about to chime one o'clock in the morning Accord let out a loud yawn and thought, If there is one thing that I will miss from my days as a god it will be the ability to go for long periods of time without sleep. Looking up at the map, he saw the various symbols emplaced on it and thought, At least it isn’t as bad as we thought it was. Death toll is down below a thousand across the country and those who are injured haven’t even broken ten thousand in number…yet. But the damage, He shook his head, the damage reports had kept flooding in and the price tag had only kept rising. Currently the treasury was looking at a total of over seventy million bits in public property damage alone and this was only the second day after The Event. At this rate, Equestria will go bankrupt, He ran a hoof through his mane and sighed,There is no way the government can pay for all of this, not unless there were massive cuts in the budget along with a tax. But at the same time, the citizens can’t afford to shoulder a tax increase right now, so the question becomes, how can we pay for it all? Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, turning, he called out in a weary voice. “Enter.” The door open and a guard poked his head in and said, “Sir, there is a messenger from Manehattan here to see you.” “I suppose it’s more damage reports,” Sighing, he waved a hoof and said, “Send them in please.” The door opened wider and in walked a mailmare. She was a pegasus with a black mane and tail, a single orange highlight running through both. Her coat was a burgundy in color and her cutie mark was a rolled scroll pierced with an arrow. She had a pair of flying goggles draped around her neck and a pair of special saddlebags strapped to her back. The bags were secured with a strap that hooked underneath her and one that fit snuggly around her neck to prevent the bags from falling off during flight. These bags were often worn by pegasi flyers, as they sometimes have to perform aerial maneuvers that would dislodge a normal saddlebag from their backs. She came up and bowing her head in respect, announced, “My name is Cinder Flare and I have a letter from an Officer Bright Beam in Manehattan. It was to be delivered to either one of the Princess’s or if they were unavailable to deliver it to the next pony in charge. Which I guess means you, if you would sign here please.” She pulled out a clipboard from her bag and waited for Accord to sign, when he finished, she tucked it back in her bag and turned to leave when Accord called out, “Wait please, I might need your services later.” Shrugging she leaned up against a wall and patiently waited for him to give her her next assignment. Accord opened the letter and began to read, To whom it may concern, I, Officer Bright Beam, customs officer of Manehattan am writing this letter requesting instructions on a most important matter. A large ship has entered Manehattan Harbor. It is not from Equestria nor any other country that we know of. According to the ships papers it is registered in a country called, the ‘United States of America’, in addition, the crew is also of an unknown species. However, they seem peaceful and speak Equinic fluently. I respectfully request instructions on how to proceed. Currently I have the ship quarantined in the harbor. In addition, the ‘American’ ship has picked up a local kelp fisher. I am currently questioning him and according to his initial testimony, these beings are quote, “quite nice and helpful” end quote. I however, am unsure on how to properly handle the situation. I therefore respectfully request further instructions on how to handle this matter. Sincerely, Officer Bright Beam, Equestrian Customs, Manehattan. Accord finished reading the letter and setting it on the round table, turned back to the mailmare. “Cinder Flare was it?” he asked. “Yes sir, what can I do for you?” she replied. “Are you up to a return trip tonight?” he asked. “Sure, I’ve got plenty of juice left, where do you need me to deliver the message?” “Manehattan, specifically Officer Bright Beam. However, it will be a short time before I require your service so why don’t you go and get a little something to eat and take a short break?” “Sounds good to me, a nice daisy sandwich sounds like it would the spot nicely.” she replied happily. Nodding his head, Accord called out, “Guards,” A guard poked his head in with a questioning look. “Please show Ms. Flare to the kitchen, she’s had a long flight and is in need of some food.” “Yes sir,” Motioning with his hoof he said, “If you will follow me ma’am.” As Cinder Flare and the guard pony left, Accord gave a weary sigh and turning to Raspberry, said, “Well can’t say I was expecting this.” She nodded, before asking, “What now?” Accord rubbed his chin in thought before saying, “I suppose I should respond to Officer Bright Beam’s letter.” “What will you say?” Accord was silent for a moment, before replying, “I will send him instructions to keep the mysterious beings quarantined until further instructed.” Raspberry simply nodded. Turning his attention back to the map, he pondered, I wonder how Celestia and Luna will react to this new revelation? ~oOo~ As Cinder Flare trotted behind the guard, she took in the sights of the castle. Everything was a mess outside of the map room where that important unicorn was. She was a curious pony by nature, with a weakness for strange and interesting objects. Her home in Cloudsdale was full of strange objects that she had found while she was out, normally when she was doing her mail route. She had found such strange things as a steel bar bent into a pretzel, a colorful rock, and even a few pretty seashells, just to name a few. She particularly enjoyed meeting new ponies and due to her friendly nature would quickly befriend them, though sometimes the pony in question didn’t return her sentiments. Such as her current escort, who had polity told her that he had no desire to be her friend and that she should just be quiet. Therefore, she had reluctantly complied, though she still thought he was being a big grouch. After having traveled in silence for a time she couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “So, where are you from?” The guard gave her an annoyed look and said, “Ma’am, please be quiet, it is against regulations for guards to chat while on duty.” “Oh, okay.” she replied disappointedly. Finally, they arrived at the kitchens and the guard said, “This is the kitchen, do not leave it until you are sent for.” “Okay, sounds good. See ya later Mr. Guard!” Cinder cheerily waved at the guard as he left. Turning back to the currently empty kitchen, she rubbed her hooves together and said, “Okay let’s see where they keep the bread!” It was nearly two hours later when a different guard came to get her, in that time she had made herself a sandwich and eaten it. In addition, she had cleaned her plate and those left out by the kitchen staff, which was around two hundred or so and had just finished putting the last one away. She didn’t handle boredom well. The guard simply stood in the doorway and said, “If you are finished playing dishwasher, your presence is required in the map room.” “Okay, okay. Sheesh, somepony’s pushy.” She followed the guard back towards the map room. As she followed along behind him, she noticed several other ponies cleaning and fixing up the corridor. She spotted a brown earth pony removing a small cracked granite bust of Celestia and immediately she was standing next to him a wide smile stretched across her face and asked, “Hi, I’m Cinder Flare! You’re not going to throw that out are you?” The earth pony looked from her to the guard, who simply stood back with an expression on his face of, You’re on your own pal. “Uh…well it is damaged, so yes, I am.” “Can I have it?” she asked excitedly. “Uh…why?” “Cause it looks so cool, especially with this crack and everything! So can I have it, pretty please?” she said while batting her eyelashes at him in a playful manner. Looking back at the guard who merely shrugged, the earth pony replied, “I…guess?” “YAY! Thank you!” She grabbed the bust and after having transferred all of the stuff in one bag to the other, she carefully placed her prize in her bag and trotted happily down the corridor after the guard, leaving the confused earth pony behind. Upon reaching the map room, Cinder found herself once more in the presence of the strange unicorn with the green and gold coat. He looked at her and said, “Here is the instructions for Officer Bright Beam, I need these taken to him immediately. In addition, I want you to tell him that I will arrive a few hours after the arrival of this letter so make sure he understands that these tasks must be completed quickly.” “Understood sir!” She gave a salute and after having stowed the letter in her saddlebags turned and quickly made her way out of the castle. Upon reaching the outside, she put her goggles back on and adjusted them so that they would sit properly. Spreading her wings, she took off into the sky, the weight of the bust in her left side saddlebag throwing off her balance slightly. However, she quickly became accustomed to its weight and automatically compensated for it, after all it wouldn’t be the first time she had an unbalanced load. Turning southeast, she flew on into the night, savoring the feeling of flight. The cool breeze as it caressed her feathers, the whistle of the wind as it rushed past her ears and the best part of all, the view. It was almost as if she could see forever, down below she could see a small hamlet. A few lights could still be seen at this late hour, casting pools of golden light on the ground below. It was an exhilarating feeling, one she was grateful to have whenever she wanted to. She felt sorry for those earth ponies and unicorns that would never be able to experience this feeling. Catching a weak thermal, she rose in altitude and spotting a fluffy cumulus cloud she stopped for a rest. Looking out over the dark countryside, she sighed in bliss. This was the life, open sky with no worries in sight. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, the clouds fluffiness inviting her to take a nice nap. Her eyes closed for a moment, it had been a long day and she was tired, surely nopony would blame her if she just caught a few winks? It became even more difficult to stave off sleep. However, a sudden chilly breeze caused her to become wide-awake, it was almost as if it were saying, No time to sleep now dearie, you have a job to do. You can sleep later. Shaking her head, she said to nopony in particular, “Almost drifted off, that wouldn’t have been good,” Looking around herself at the night sky she said to no one in particular, “Thank you.” With that, she readjusted her goggles and continued on her way. She managed to make Manehattan just as the sun was rising in the east. Looking around, she quickly spotted a large group of ponies gathered round a small wooden building near the docks. Angling her wings, she quickly descended and after giving a shouted warning landed near the door of the building, which had a large sign over the it saying, Manehattan Customs Office. Quickly trotting towards the door, she found her way blocked by a local police officer, he looked down at her and said, “State your business.” “My name is Cinder Flare and I’ve got a message for Officer Bright Beam from Canterlot.” She reached in her saddlebag and waved the aforementioned document at him. The police officer looked it and her over one more time then said, “You may enter.” Giving him a courteous nod, Cinder walked through the door. She soon found herself in a plain office, a pair of uncomfortable looking wooden chairs sitting near the door. A few filing cabinets lined one of the walls, with a clock ticking quietly away above them. A large window to her right let in light and a large beat up metal desk sat in the middle of the room, sitting behind that desk writing furiously was Officer Bright Beam. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a while, his mane was a mess and his uniform was wrinkled. A cup of long forgotten tea sat to one side, having since become cold. When he failed to look up from his writing, Cinder Flare cleared her throat and said, “Delivery for an Officer Bright Beam from Canterlot.” His head came up like a dog who had found a scent. Quickly he dropped the pencil from his magical grasp and got out of his chair, trotting around the table he said, “Thank you, this must be the instructions from Canterlot.” He quickly signed his name on the receipt and tore open the letter. Rapidly scanning it, he let out a sharp gasp and grabbing his cap, ran out the door barking orders. Leaving a confused and tired Cinder Flare in his wake. Looking around the office once more, she spotted a folding cot in the corner that she had somehow missed earlier, and without a moment’s hesitation she unfolded it and laid down for some well-earned rest. ~oOo~ The sun was nearing its zenith as the sky carriage, carrying Accord and Raspberry Tea reached Manehattan Harbor. The pair of pegasi guards pulling the carriage flared their wings as they came in for the final approach. The area they had landed in had been cleared several hours ago by local police officers and had then been cordoned off to prevent any prying eyes. As the carriage rolled to a stop, Accord looked over the area, Less damage than in Canterlot, but still quite a bit. Shaking his head, he stepped down from the carriage, followed by Raspberry and after thanking the two guards trotted over towards a small tent that had been set up on one of the wharves. Magiking the flap aside he strode in and was greeted by the sight of two individuals. One, a unicorn was dressed in a custom officer’s uniform and was presumably Officer Bright Beam. The other however was a different matter. Accord assumed that this must be the captain of the ship he had seen at anchor in the harbor. He stood on two legs and other than the top of his head, he was hairless. At least Accord assumed as such since the being was covered in clothing, much like Accord, who had changed out of his previous outfit after one of the guards had found more clothing that fit him. Opting for a more simple outfit with less frills and sturdier coat more suited for travel than his previous outfit. The being’s clothes were simple and well worn. Accord could see numerous stains and repaired tears in both the pants and coat. Both of which were a faded dark blue. The two leg held his beat up hat in his hands and as Accord studied him, the fellow seemed to become nervous. Finally, Accord said, “My name is Legal Accord and I am a representative of Her Highness Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” A look of surprise, or what Accord assumed was surprise, crossed the beings face, Accord continued, “I have been instructed by the Princesses to find out if you and your people are dangerous to the well being of this nation. What say you?” The two leg shifted nervously then spoke, “While I can’t speak for every nation out there, uh, Mr. Accord, I can say that we in the United States would probably favor peace.” Accord arched an eyebrow and asked, “What do you mean probably favor peace?” “Well, I am but a humble merchant captain, I don’t exactly have the ear of President Roosevelt. However, the United States, to the best of my knowledge, doesn’t bully its neighbors unlike other countries out there.” “Do you happen to have a map of your world?” Accord asked politely. Nodding his head the captain replied, “Yes I do, it is over here.” He pointed to the table behind him on which a large map had been spread out. Walking up to the table, Accord looked at the map carefully. To his surprise, he found that it was in Equinic. In addition, there were many countries spread across its surface. In addition to this ‘United States’ that the two leg had spoken of, Accord saw many other countries, some larger than the United States and others smaller. The one that intrigued him the most was the country called ‘Russia’ it stretched across an entire land mass and was easily the biggest out of all the other countries. Turning to look at the two leg Accord finally asked, “What are you called, and what is your name if I may ask?” The two leg replied, “Well if you’re referring to my species, then we call ourselves humans, as for my nationality it is American and my name is Joshua Phelps.” Accord processed this new information, mentally tasting each word, finally he said, “Tell me Captain Phelps, what do you know about this country?” He tapped the one called Russia. “Honestly not much. I know that they have a czar as their ruler,” When he saw the look of confusion on Accords face he clarified. “I believe a czar is like a king, only with more power or some such. I honestly don’t know, I’ve never put into a Russian port so I’ve never had the chance to ask.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “I know that they recently lost a war with Japan over a territorial dispute a few years back.” Accords ears perked up at the mention of the word war, he turned to fully face the captain and calmly asked, “You said that they were at war recently?” When Joshua nodded Accord continued,” And how often are war’s fought?” Shrugging again he replied, “I don’t really know, offhand I guess it really just depends on your definition of a war. The last big war that the US fought was the Spanish American war back about ten years ago. We took Cuba, some small Pacific islands and the Philippines from Spain in that one. Before that, we had our civil war, which was a little over thirty years before the war with Spain. Of course, there are always minor skirmishes and border clashes between countries. Then there was the whole rush to colonize Africa and what not, Brits got into a fight with the natives and won. Though, I never really paid much attention to that sort of thing.” He shrugged again. Officer Beam and Raspberry Tea, just stared at him, their mouths agape. Accord meanwhile kept his face calm, Hmm, a war every thirty years, or less? The very idea is ludicrous, how would they pay for these wars, and why would there people willing allow such events to happen so frequently? I must have more information! Keeping his face a mask of disinterest, he asked another question. “So if these countries are constantly fighting, what kind of military's do they have and how big are they?” Joshua cracked a small smile and replied nonchalantly, “Oh, depends on the country, some have conscription like Russia and Germany. While others have voluntary service, like the US, the size of the military also depends as well. Some countries have vast armies, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, while others are content with much smaller armies.” This time Accord had a harder time keeping his face impassive. Hundreds of thousands? How do they pay for them, or feed them or take care of them? It’s beyond comprehension! Before and even when I was Discord, I never had more than a small guard of no more than a few hundred, mainly to handle the small stuff I couldn’t be bothered with. After all, when you’re a powerful being why would you need an army? But here he was confronted with the realization that Equestria was not only in a new world, but that the natives were prone to extreme bouts of violence and that Equestria was virtually defenseless against them. Accord did not look forward to giving this news to Celestia, not at all. Author's Note Wow, it's been well over a month since last update. Sorry about that, December was not a good month for me. Getting sick with Bronchitis and then getting better just in time for the holiday rush on top of getting ready to head back to college left me drained. But I finally got this thing done, ~yay! Standard shoutout now, I would like to thank my editor, Shoggoth, for helping me get this train wreck sorted out. In addition, Cinder Flare is the OC pony of RazgrizS57, and that should just about wrap this up. Oh, one last thing, if you guys spot any errors let me know please. Thank you.
Chapter 5 (Ancient History)Chapter 5 Ancient History Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. -George Santayana Canterlot Catacombs, July 14, 1908 10:43am The next morning, Twilight once again found herself inside the catacombs of Canterlot Castle with Princess Luna, Legal Accord, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. However, unlike the last time she was here, she had come prepared. Her saddlebags were full of paper and quills for note taking, and she had packed a light lunch in case they took longer than last time. However, sleep had not come easily for her last night, as a multitude of question had been on her mind that night. So it was a less than rested Twilight that greeted the dawn. Thankfully, Applejack and Rainbow had taken it upon themselves to bring Fluttershy and Rarity up to speed on what they had experienced last night; something Twilight was grateful for as it was one less thing she had to worry about as she hadn’t been able to sleep. She had decided to write down what she could remember from their visit to the catacombs beneath the castle and she also had several questions that she wanted to ask Luna about that she hadn’t thought of the day before. In fact, right now seemed like a good time to ask one of those questions. Clearing her throat, she asked Luna politely, “Your Highness, may I ask you a question?” Turning her full attention towards her, Luna replied, “You may, and please when we are not in a formal setting you may all call me Luna.” Nodding her head, Twilight said, “Of course You- I mean Luna.” Gathering her thoughts she continued, “I was wondering about that weapon you showed us last night.” “The rifle?” asked Luna. Momentarily confused at the word, Twilight quickly realized what Luna was referring to and replied, “Yes, the ah, ‘rifle’.” “What did you wish to know about it?” inquired the Lunar Princess. “Well, I was wondering why it was designed that way, and I was wondering what other types of weapons came before it.” Nodding her head, Luna replied, “While I do not know all of the details of the weapons history, I do know that before this particular weapon was designed, that firearms of the period were almost exclusively used by either unicorns or those with the means to wield them, such as griffons or diamond dogs.” “Wait you mean those dogs actually had weapons like this?” asked Rainbow Dash incredulously. Luna chuckled and replied, “Yes, they did, but from my understanding they were crude designs. If what Tia says is true, and I have little reason to doubt her, most of the weapons the diamond dogs used during the war were manufactured by us and given to them for their use. Though what they did with them after the war I do not know, after all Geo Dogs don’t really have a single nation.” “Geo Dogs? I thought they were called Diamond Dogs?” asked Rainbow. “Well that is the name of one of the clans that inhabit these lands. But they are actually a fairly recent group, if what I have heard is to be believed. Geo Dogs however is what their species is referred to in a general sense, just as we are referred to as ponies rather than as Equestrians on occasion.” “So what you’re saying is that there are more clans than the Diamond Dogs out there?” Luna nodded. “Correct, Rainbow. Many of these clans live in remote locations and tend to keep to themselves, and just like ponies they differ in many ways. Both in appearance, temperament, customs and history, just to name a few things.” She waved a hoof as if trying to clear away some smoke and said. “But I digress, back to your question Twilight. The main reason this rifle is built the way it is, is because we no longer had to rely solely on unicorns or those with paws to wield these weapons. Before the creation of this weapon, our firearms were of a much different design.” “What did they look like?” inquired Twilight. “They were just simple metal tubes with a touch hole at one end to ignite the powder.” Luna replied. “Really crude and not very effective, but over time they were improved upon. However, we found that, baring unicorns and those with dexterous means, the only way for earth ponies or pegasi to use the weapons with any kind of ease was with a lever underneath it. However, that type of trigger was still cumbersome to use and proved to be somewhat dangerous. Accidental discharges were common and the lever triggers were prone to breaking making them unpopular with the troops. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much of a choice but to continue using that type of trigger, if we wanted more than just unicorns equipped with firearms. That is until the development of the magical harnesses.” “Why was that so important?” wondered Applejack. “Well, up till the invention of the self contained cartridge I showed you yesterday, ponies had to load the weapon from the muzzled using loose powder and lead balls. Needless to say, the process was slow and cumbersome to the extreme if one was not a unicorn or possessed claws.” She paused for a moment as if unsure how to continue. Finally she said, “With their discovery, ponies were no longer confined to one type of firing mechanism and nor were the soldiers of other nations; it also made loading the weapons much easier. However, the harnesses were not easy to make, as they required a significant amount of time and effort to allow them to work properly. I think there’s a book somewhere around here about how to make and maintain them.” She looked around the room, a slightly confused expression on her face, before turning her attention back to the group. “Well, I’ll have it found later if you are interested in their design. Anyways, as time went on experiments were conducted in ways to make these weapons more efficient for ponies to use, until we arrive that the design you see today.” While they had been talking, the group had continued walking along the row they were currently in and had soon found themselves at the very same boxes as the night before. During her lecture, Luna had pulled the rifle from its protective box and with a strange looking knife, which she had also pulled from the same box as the rifle, pointed out the various features of the weapon as she was explaining. Twilight, who had levitated a quill and parchment from her bags, had been busily scribbling while Luna lectured on about the history of firearms. Pausing in her note taking she looked up and asked, “Okay, but that still leaves the question of why the weapon has that type of mechanism. Since we have magic wouldn’t it be easier to just dispense with the,” She consulted her notes for a moment and then continued, “external firing mechanism and instead just interact directly with the…” She glanced back down at her notes, searching for the term she was looking for. However, Luna had failed to cover the inner workings of the rifle so she was without a term for what she wanted to ask. Thankfully, Luna supplied the term she was looking for. “You mean the firing pin? Well, there had been experiments along that line of thought. However, it soon became apparent that most ponies, and even some unicorns, had difficulty interacting with something they couldn’t see. In addition, it was just easier from a production standpoint that this design was the ultimate winner. This allowed for a standard type of rifle to be fielded by the allied forces, and with the harnesses and this rifle it could be done.” “Wait, allied forces?” asked Twilight. “Yes, the Grand Alliance, as it was called, comprised of Celestia’s forces, the Zebra’s, Griffons and Geo Dogs, among other contributors, during the Nightmare Wars. However, those four were the ones who comprised the bulk of the fighting forces.” Twilight furiously scratched her quill across the paper she held with her magic, an intense expression upon her face as she drank in Luna’s words and committed them to paper. Finally, when she had caught up she asked another question. “So, now that we know a little more about the rifle what about the bullet?” Luna blinked and with her magic summoned the bullet in question; it was a simple straight brass cylinder with a rim at one end and a lead bullet at other. She let Twilight take a few notes and even draw a simple illustration of the cartridge before she continued speaking. “As you can see, this is the type of ammunition that is used with the rifle. However, rather than have me explain how it all works, it would be better if you just read the manuals that came with them.” she said while pulling out a sheaf of bound parchments from another box. Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of reading, while Rainbow Dash simply groaned at her friends egg headedness. Shooting Rainbow a look of annoyance, Twilight opened her mouth to give a retort but a look from Applejack stilled her voice. Instead, she turned back to the Princess and after accepting the manual and placing it in her bag for further study later, said, “Thank you Your Highness, I’ll be sure to go over it later this evening.” “Hey, what’s that over there?” Inquired Rainbow, pointing over towards the far wall where a row of tarp covered objects rested. Motioning for Accord to push her bed, he began to make his way towards the far wall, where the covered object’s rested. When Luna was next to one of the mysterious tarp covered objects, she used her magic to rip the dusty cover from it, revealing a somewhat familiar looking object. “Hey, that kind of looks like Pinkie Pie’s party cannon.” observed Twilight. Luna cocked an eyebrow at Twilight’s comment. “Pray tell, where did Pinkie Pie acquire a cannon in the first place and why would she use it for parties?” Shrugging, Twilight replied, “I have no idea where she got it, all I know is that she uses it to help her set up party decorations and stuff. Don’t ask me how she does it, cause I don’t know and the last time I tried to figure her out, I nearly went crazy from the attempt.” “I...see.” clearing her throat, Luna continued, “Well, at least you know what this is, so I won’t have to explain how it works or anything like that. But I can say that this particular model doesn’t fire parties out of its mouth.” While the cannon did kind of look like Pinkie’s, the resemblance was only passing and Twilight had no doubt that she wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of what it fired. Taking a closer look, she could see that the cannon had two iron shod wooden spoke wheels on either side of a long metal barrel. Which had been so well polished when it was originally stored that it still gleamed a soft silver under the light cast from above. The barrel sat on a thick wooden axle that was reinforced with wide bands of metal wrapped around either side for additional strength. A pair of pivots were connected to the barrel on either side and were centered above the wooden axle. Walking around towards the rear of the cannon Twilight could see that somepony had wrapped additional metal bands around this end of the cannon's barrel and had then for whatever reason put an odd looking handle at the end of it. Luna chuckled at Twilight’s careful inspection of the gun and said, “I can see that you have a few questions Twilight.” Twilight absently nodded as she continued to inspect the rear of the cannon. Directing Accord to move her closer to the back of the piece, Luna asked, “What did you want to know?” Still staring at the gun, she absently replied, “Well, I was kind of wondering what this is, it looks to be some kind of mechanism, possibly to load the cannon?” she looked up, a look of hopeful questioning on her face. Luna nodded. “You are correct, this cannon here is a three-inch breech-loading field gun and fires a simple shell and powder bag arrangement rather than loose powder and ball. According to Celestia, these cannons were the last to ever be made and are our most advanced field pieces. This,” She tapped the end of the gun, “Is, as you guessed, the breech and when you rotate this handle here,” She demonstrated by grasping the handle in her magic and rotated it, causing it to open outward and to the right on a pivot. “You open the breech of the gun, and you’re now ready to load the shell and powder bag into it. To close it, just reverse what you did to open it and then prime the powder bag with this rod here,” She waved the aforementioned rod in her magic and demonstrated how to ‘prime’ the powder bag by putting the end of the rod in a small hole near the breech of the gun. “And now all you have to do is put the friction primer in and you’re now ready to fire the gun.” Which she proceeded to do, by placing one of the ends into the hole and then said, “Now all one must do now to fire it is to pull this lanyard hard enough and it will cause the friction primer to ignite the powder in the breech of the gun.” She removed the lanyard from the hole and placed it back in the pouch she had taken it from. Turning back to the group, she pointed at a screw type device underneath the breech of the gun and said, “This is an elevation screw; it allows the gun crew to change the elevation of the guns muzzle to affect the range the shell will fly when fired.” Having finished her impromptu lecture Luna waited for anymore questions from the group. Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and asked, “So, um, is there anything else like this down here?” “If you are referring to more cannons, then yes. Celestia said she had at least one battery’s worth of each type of artillery piece stored down here after the end of the war and the signing of the treaty. In addition, she had several thousand shells for each gun stored here, as well as replacement parts should the any of the preservation spells lose their potency over the years.” “Oh, okay.” Looking around, Rainbow asked curiously, “So what other kinds of weapons and stuff are down here that you could show us?” Laughing softly, Luna replied, “Oh many things Rainbow. Accord, if you could float me over that way, I think there is something that you might all find interesting.” Doing as he was instructed, Accord floated Luna’s bed further down the aisle. Asking him to stop in front of a large pile of rocks, Luna pointed at the pile and asked, “What do you think this is?” The three friends gathered around the rock pile and inspected it most carefully. Finally, Rainbow said, “It’s a pile of rocks with weird carvings on them.” Luna laughed and replied, “Well, yes it is now, but that is not entirely correct.” “I don’t follow.” said Twilight confused. “Well, I guess you could say that it was always a pile of rocks. However, at one point it was hoped that they could become so much more. This pile of rocks, and others like it, were an experiment to try to find a way for soldiers to assault heavy fortifications without taking heavy losses. Alas, it was not to be, the thing never worked properly and remained a dream.” “What do you mean by that? How was it was supposed to help soldiers assault heavy fortifications?” asked Twilight. “Well I do not know all of the details, but from what Tia told me, these rocks would form together when activated and turn into a walking wall of sorts, preventing the enemy from inflicting gruesome losses on us. In addition, it could also pick things up, such as large boulders, and throw them at enemies, among other activities.” “Really? That is so cool! Could you imagine the stuff you could do with this?” Rainbow exclaimed excitedly. Nodding her head, Twilight said, “Yes, I could definitely see the many applications, other than combat, that this could be put to. It is a shame it didn’t work though. Do you know why it didn’t work Luna?” “I’m not sure. I too found my interest piped by this and decided to read up on the original development teams notes and blueprints. The theory and design were sound. However, from what I found it was almost impossible to control and seemed to take too much energy on the part of the spell caster to maintain.” Twilight scribbled a few notes on her quickly growing pile of papers and asked, “How did one operate it?” “From the notes I read, it was through a modified Come to Life Spell, which gave the caster a greater degree of control over it. However, as I said before it was terribly draining and would quickly exhaust them after only a few minutes. They never managed to figure it out sadly. If you want, I could get you their research notes and material if you’re curious.” Luna generously offered. “Oh, would you? I would be most grateful Your Highness! This is a really interesting idea and I would love to know more about it.” replied Twilight gratefully. Giving Twilight a nod, Luna replied, “I will see to it that you receive everything you require. It may be possible that you could even unlock the secret of getting this to work.” Twilight's eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed. “A chance to work on something as old as this. Oh thank you Your Highness!” Luna gave a shallow nod.“You are welcome.” she said. Turning her head away from the group, she swept a hoof across the room saying, “As you can see, this is only a small portion of the many wonders of the past that rest within this room. Many of these wonders are dangerous, others less so.” She paused for a moment as if considering something, before continuing her train of thought. “Shall we continue the ‘tour’ or are you three ready to head back?” The three friends looked at each other and then Applejack spoke up, “If it’s alright with you Princess Luna, we’d like to continue.” “Alright then. If Accord would be so kind as to take me over that way, I think there are a few things that might still surprise you.” ~oOo~ Several hours later Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack sat around a table in the hospital's cafeteria and discussed what they had been shown. “I don’t know Twilight, I mean yeah some of that stuff is pretty neat, but at the same time it’s also kinda scary. Not that I’m scared or anything.” Rainbow Dash hastily added, putting on a brave face, even though Twilight could see that she was scared inside, as was Twilight herself. Applejack probably felt the same way as the other two on the subject of war. It was a scary subject, though some of the things that the Princess had shown them looked like they could be put to more peaceful uses with a few changes made to them. The stone warriors were a prime example. From the few notes she had read already they represented a major breakthrough in the field of Animation Magic. Being able to control several thousand pounds of rock even for a short time was a major accomplishment. Twilight remembered her first Winter Wrap Up when she used a Come to Life Spell on a snow mover and accidently caused an avalanche. However, that was nothing compared to the stone warriors. Not only were they more complicated than the snow mover was, but also much different in the way they were operated. The snow mover was a wheeled vehicle, while the stone warriors moved by walking; their massive forms more similar to a mountain troll than a wheeled plow. Or at least in theory. Reality had dealt that dream a harsh blow. From the initial field report, the creation had stumbled about like a drunken pony. What was worse, it tended to crush whatever it tried to pick up and hold in its ‘paws’. All in all, it had been a poor performance. In spite of that, the designers had not been discouraged and instead attacked the problems with gusto. By the time the project was canceled, they had managed to iron out most of the problems except for the power issue, and if the project had been allowed to continue, Twilight had no doubt in her mind that they would have perfected it in time. In the end however, they hadn’t had the chance, so now it fell to another generation of inventors and mages to figure it out. Even from the few notes she had read, Twilight already had several ideas and a partial theory developed on the subject and was eager to get to work. However, first things first: it was time to bring the rest of her friends up to speed on the latest ‘tour’ of the catacombs. In addition, they would need to write up a ‘report’ on their initial findings and thoughts about what they saw, heard, and experienced, As well as any recommendations on what they as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony felt was safe to release to the general public. Twilight felt that it might take awhile to write up the report, as already Applejack and Rainbow were arguing over something that they had seen. When Rarity and Fluttershy eventually joined the discussion it only got worse. Twilight felt the beginnings of a headache coming on and moaned silently to herself. It’s going to be a long day. Canterlot Hospital, Celestia and Luna’s Room, July 14, 1908 7:03pm As Accord opened the door to Celestia and Luna’s room, he heard muffled voices on the other side. Glancing at Luna, he quirked an eyebrow. Luna simply shrugged and said, “I didn’t know we were going to have visitors either so don’t look at me.” Without saying a word Accord opened the door, and with Luna’s bed in tow, walked in to find that Celestia had not one but two visitors. One, a tan furred griffon, was shorter than Accord; the top of her head barely reaching above his shoulder. Her head feathers were the standard white commonly found among the species, though speckled with black as if someone had flicked ink on her face. She wore a simple, yet fashionable suit that gave her an air of class and importance. Turning his attention to the other visitor, Accord felt a twinge of surprise at the sight of the zebra standing before him in the room. He sported a simple brown cloak that covered most of his body, and carried himself with a certain athletic grace that bespoke of years of training, possibly in one of the forms of zebra martial arts. Hearing a soft cough, Accord turned to see that Celestia was now sitting up in her bed, which was a marked improvement over this morning. Her eyes however were still covered by bandages. The doctors were still hesitant on removing the bandages due to fear that it could further damage her eyes as it was still unclear what had caused the initial damage. From what he had heard, they likely wouldn’t be safe to remove for at least another week. Accord felt that they were being pessimistic, but better to be safe rather than sorry. Another quiet cough brought his mind back from its wanderings and he said, “Forgive me Your Highness, I was lost in thought.” Celestia gave a maternal smile and replied, “That is alright Accord, I am glad that you two have returned. It turns out that we are not the only ones to come through to this world during The Event. May I introduce you to Ambassador Gazeti, representative to Equestria of the Zebra Council.” The ambassador solemnly inclined his head without speaking. Turning to ‘look’ at the griffon, Celestia continued, “This is Countess Maria von Eisenburg, representative to the King of Griffons, Gustav II.” She also inclined her head, declining to speak as well. Celestia spoke once more, “Everyone, this is my soon to be chancellor, Legal Accord.” Seeing as how neither the Countess nor the Ambassador had spoken, Accord felt it was only appropriate that he follow suit, declining to speak as well. An awkward silence descended on the room as the two ambassadors and Accord looked each other over. Finally, Luna, having grown tired of the silence inquired. “Celestia you said that both the Zebra Lands and the Griffon Kingdom have also come through with us?” “Well, yes and no to both. It seems as though a part of their respective countries have come through with us. In addition, they seem to have taken far less damage than us, which could help us tremendously in helping rebuild our nation.” replied Celestia. She was about to continue when the countess interjected, “Ja, it iz true.” Her thick griffon accent making it slightly difficult for Accord to follow as she continued speaking, “I haff been informed zat a modest portion of our country haz come through vith yours. Sadly, our capital did not, und ve are vithout a central government at zis time...” She said, suddenly trailing off, at a loss of what to say next and simply waited for someone else to speak. It was a rare sight to see a griffon unsure of anything, especially one of the nobility. Who were taught from birth to never let weakness or uncertainty show lest they allow their enemies an opportunity to cause them harm. She must be shaken indeed, if she is allowing her uncertainty show as easily as she is now. Thought Accord, it was at this moment he felt the need to speak, and so he asked, “How much has come through?” “I vas told dat most of ze Vestern Mountains came through, I vas also told zat a part of za Immergrün Tal came through with it as vell. Though I am unsure of vat else might have come through at zis time.” Settling her wings, she waited for someone else to ask any further questions. When none were forthcoming, she took a slight step back as if relinquishing the floor from someone else to speak. Turning to the ambassador, Accord inquired, “And what of your lands?” He simply looked back at the chancellor for a short time before he answered in a deep bass voice. “Roam did not come through, that much we know. It seems as though this Mist you speak of did not reach beyond the Wazi River.” If what he said was true, and if memory served him correctly, that meant that nearly a third of the Zebra Lands had come through with them. In addition, that meant that some of their richer coalfields had also come through. Hazarding a guess he asked, “Does it end right at the Wazi River along its entire length?” “Not quite on the river, no. There are several miles between the banks of the river and the ocean that swallowed the rest of our lands, we are currently unsure of the amount that has come through at this time. I only just now learned that any of our lands had come through this morning. However, we are fairly confident that all the land that is to the north of the Wazi came through.” Nodding his head in understanding, Accord pulled up a mental map of the world. The Wazi River started in the southern mountains of Equestria and flowed down into the savannah region of the Zebra Lands. The river’s path seemed to flow in a southeasterly direction before turning sharply towards the north after about seven hundred or so miles. It then continued for an additional five hundred miles or so before emptying into the sea. If one were to look at it on a map, they would see that it looked a lot like a lopsided triangle. The land on the northern side of the river was a combination of flat land, which if it were properly irrigated and maintained, would make decent farmland, to the south and rolling wooded hills that quickly turned to steep mountains in the northern parts. This is where several of the rich coalfields lay, and on which Equestria relied on to power its infrastructure. The Griffon Kingdom was another matter; the Eisen Gebirge Range was rich in mineral deposits. Principally iron ore. Hence, the name, which translated meant ‘Iron Mountains’ in Equinic. In addition, it stretched for nearly a third of Equestria’s length, though the Griffon Kingdom only controlled about half the range. The Immergrün Tal or Evergreen Valley as it was known in Equestria, was a picturesque valley whose unique weather patterns kept the valley green year round. It was also home to a sizable town and provided a small amount of the Kingdoms domestically grown food; principally cheese and meat. If what these two say is true, then that means not only is Equestria not alone in this world. But also with area’s that are potentially intact and that can help us in the rebuilding process. Of course, the fact that they have lost both of their central governing bodies will hurt them badly. Which means they might not be able to…Unless. A sudden idea struck him at that moment and turning to the two representatives, he asked. “It is obvious that all three of our nations are in dire straits. Yours are without effective leadership, and ours is badly damaged.” It was at this point that the countess interrupted him. “Vat do you vant from us? Zer iz no governing body to approve of any treaty zat ve might come up with.” The ambassador nodded and said, “I agree, I have no authority from the Council and even if I did it would require the Council to ratify the treaty to make it legal. Unfortunately, they were left behind.” “I understand. However Mr. Ambassador, if my recollection of zebra law is correct, in the event that the Council is unable to perform its duties, the various tribes could each send a representative to negotiate on their behalf in any treaty negotiation. Am I correct in that assessment?” asked Accord. “You are, but that depends on them being willing to surrender themselves to your rule and I know that there are many southern tribes that still remember The War.” Accord could hear the captial letters slamming into place when the ambassador mentioned the war. “Mr. Ambassador, the Nightmare Wars were nearly a thousand years ago. Surely the various tribes have moved on?” inquired Accord in a pleading tone of voice. Ambassador Gazeti merely snorted in contempt. “Do you take us for fools? Unlike you short sighted ponies, we zebras remembered our history and we made sure that it wasn’t forgotten. So that when the day came, we would not be taken in by your scheming lies again. So to answer your question Mr. Accord, no the tribes have not ‘moved on’ as you so hoped. They remember the pain and afflictions that befell our people and how we were simply cast aside when we had outlived our usefulness.” Accord stood there shocked, though not surprised, at the Ambassadors response. Finally he managed to say, “Mr. Ambassador, holding a grudge against our people for some perceived injustice from the past is-” “Perceived injustices?!” shouted the now enraged ambassador, cutting Accord off. “How dare you mock my people? How dare you mock those who gave their lives protecting your precious princess and her court followers, Only to have their sacrifices trampled on and ignored when the danger was past! If it wasn’t for the fact that our nations have since begun mending our relations I would spit in your eye and take my leave!” Stealing a glance at Luna, whose eyes had taken on a pleading look, Accord took a deep breath and said, “Ambassador Gazeti, I apologize, I lost my temper and chose my words...poorly.” The ambassador gave an annoyed snort, but refrained from speaking. Encouraged by this, Accord continued, “I did not mean to mock your people or those who gave their lives protecting Princess Celestia during those dark days. However, that doesn’t change the current situation, our two peoples have found themselves in a strange new world. I do not know how much the Princess has told you yet, but just a few days ago a strange iron ship carrying an entirely different species sailed into Manehattan Harbor. It’s captain has informed me that this new world we find ourselves in is a rather...violent one.” The ambassador’s face didn’t so much as twitch, but his posture changed ever so slightly. Where before he radiated hostility pure hostility towards Accord, now he was less belligerent, though he remained unconvinced. Accord however would take whatever he could get. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I do not know if your people will accept this offer but, at the very least pass it on so that they may think on it. We wish for you to become our partners rather than servants, our nations have been peaceful neighbors for hundreds of years. I would hope that, coupled with our fair trade relations would be enough to overcome any past slights.” he finished hopefully. “Some things, time can not heal. There are those who despise Equestria for what they did to us those many years ago. However, I will forward your message to the various tribal elders when they meet to discuss our people's future at a later date.” Accord nodded his head and replied, “That is all we ask.” Inclining his head respectfully towards the two princesses, the ambassador quickly departed. Turning his attention to the griffon countess, Accord asked, “And what about you?” She flicked a claw dismissively. “I vill of course relay any message you vish to send. Though I doubt zat my people will be so ready to embrace zis new...arrangement.” “Very well then, I will have one of the staff deliver the official proposal to your embassy as soon as possible.” replied Accord. “Sehr gute, I as promised vil relay it to back to vat is left of my country. If zer is nothing further to discuss, I bid you good day.” and with that she too left, leaving just Accord and the two princesses in the room alone. Sighing, Celestia shook her head and replied, “Not as bad as one would expect for your first diplomatic meeting, though it could have probably gone better.” “I’m sorry Your Highness. I fear I might have pushed them away.” responded a sullen Accord. “What’s done is done, and for the record, what happened wasn’t your fault Accord. After the war our nations did not part on the best of terms.” Taking a deep breath she forced a smile on her face and asked, “So how much of the catacombs did you show Twilight and her friends?” “As much as we could, I might have glossed over some of the more…outlandish ideas but they got the gist of it. Twilight was particularly taken by that stone soldier project. In fact she wanted to continue development if of it, if that is alright with you, Tia.” replied Luna, a little tiredly. Even though she hadn’t left the comfort of her cloud bed, it was still tiring to be shunted around everywhere and try to answer every single question asked by a certain curious lavender unicorn. Nodding her head slowly Celestia turned her attention back to Accord and asked, “What of the diplomatic team that you said you were assembling?” “From my understanding Raspberry is handling the details as we speak.” he replied. “Who all is to be on the team?” inquired Celestia. “Well, I had originally wanted the Bearers to do it. However, they are in no condition for a journey of that kind at this time. So I instead selected several others who I think might do just as well.” Summoning a folder with his magic, he proceeded to list the ponies on the team. “I felt it would be prudent to have Fancypants lead the delegation, I have heard that he seems to influence others with relative ease. In addition, he is calm and focused, not to mention cultured, which will be an asset during their visit to the United States.” Flipping a page, he continued, “Though she doesn’t have much experience at diplomacy I thought your niece Princess Mi Amore Cadenza would make a fine second to Fancypants. Her ability to spread love wherever she goes and to quell any arguments that may arise will be an invaluable asset. In addition, the fact that a member of the royal family as part of the delegation should add additional credibility to it. As for the security aspect, I believe that I left that in the capable hooves of Shining Armor, so I do not know who will be assigned to the detail as of yet. However, I did tell him that he could not go with them. He seemed disappointed at that, can’t imagine why.” Both Celestia and Luna chuckled, Accord simply smiled. Clearing his throat he continued, “In addition to the security detail and our two negotiators, the team will have two courier pegasi to deliver messages quickly. In addition to the couriers, there will be a small staff of clerks, chefs and doctors, just in case something should happen while they are away. As I doubt that there is any human doctor remotely qualified to operate on a pony, this way we can cover all of our bases so to speak.” Both Celestia and Luna nodded their heads in agreement of Accords assessment. Inclining her head slightly Luna inquired, “Will there be anypony else for the negotiation team other than Fancypants and Princess Cadence?” “At this point I am unsure. Fancypants might want to have his wife along, but other than that I cannot see any reason for having anypony else on the team at this point in time.” “I believe that you are correct in your assessment Accord, having too many ponies might cause unforeseen problems. I believe it is wise to keep the delegation as small as possible. How many ponies do you think there will be in total?” inquired Luna. “At this time I can only guess, but it is unlikely to exceed twenty at most.” he replied. Luna simply nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling tired. Opening them part way she said, “If there is nothing more to discuss, then I think our meeting is done.” Accord nodded and replied, “I think so too. I will bid you both good night.” Bowing his head in respect, he trotted out of the room. As he trotted through the halls of the hospital, he passed both doctors and nurses; those of which for the most part either spared him a passing glance or ignored him completely. Thankfully, word of the return of Discord hadn’t spread and his disguise seemed to be holding… for now. Shaking his head, he turned down another long hallway and nearly ran into Twilight Sparkle, who seemed to have her nose buried in a book, as was normal for the librarian. What wasn’t normal was the large amount of papers stuffed into her saddlebags and floating behind her in her magical field; which, from the looks of it, had recovered much of its magical strength over the past few days. As he looked down at her, she looked up, gave him a sheepish smile, and said, “Ah, Mr. Accord. I was looking for you.” He quirked an eyebrow and asked, “Oh, is that so? Well it seems that you have found me. What can I do for you Ms. Sparkle?” She gave him a smile and replied, “Well, after quite a bit of discussion the girls and I have finished our report about the…catacombs.” The last part she had spoken at barely above a whisper. As if she were afraid, there might be a spy close by. Chuckling slightly, Accord replied, “Well that’s good, so which of these papers are your report then?” Twilight blinked in confusion and replied, “All of them.” Accord felt his jaw drop and his eyebrows try to touch his maneline, stuttering from astonishment he said, “You mean that this is your entire report?!” He indicated her saddlebags and the papers floating behind her with a hoof. She looked at him funny and replied, “Yes, is that a problem?” He sighed and said, “Twilight, while I appreciate your thoroughness, I don’t have time to read all of this!” He waved his hoof at the mess of papers once more, “Do you happen to have a summary or maybe point me at the most important points of the document?” Giving him a frustrated look she cried, “It’s all important!” Visibly calming herself slightly, she sighed and finished, “Though I suppose if you give me an hour or two, I could have a summary written for you. Of course that means I will have to put off my research project, and I will have done all this work for nothing.” She gave a little sad pouty face as she looked at the papers Accord sighed and replied in a tired tone said, “No, no. I, will just have to skim them to the best of my abilities, thank you for your time in writing this report Ms. Sparkle.” Visibly brightening she replied happily, “Great! Here you can take my saddlebags,” She floated her saddlebags off her back and placed them on Accords, “And here are the rest of the papers.” Floating the papers over to him Accord took them in his magical grasp and said, “Thank you, now if you will excuse me I had better get to reading them. Good night Ms. Sparkle.” “Good night!” With a large grin on her face, she quickly skipped down the hallway. It was then that Accord realized that he had been ‘played’, muttering to himself, he muttered, “That little…. Well played Twilight Sparkle, well played.” Shaking his head, he resumed his journey back to ‘his’ office. Later that evening Accord sat in ‘his’ office, which actually belonged to Celestia. However since she was unavailable for the near future, he thought it would be a waste of space not to use it. At least until Her Highness resumed her duties. Currently he was skimming through Twilights report when the clock on the wall chimed eleven. Setting the paper down he rubbed his eyes and looked about the room. It was about what one would expect from a reigning monarch; a marble fireplace sat in a corner near the double oak doors, and a soft white carpet graced the floor with a sun stylized after Celestia’s cutie mark adorning the middle of the floor. Bookshelves sat against the walls and were full of the books, scrolls, maps and varieties of knick-knacks and bobbles that one would expect a monarch to collect over the years of their reign. A large window was set into the wall behind him and looked out over the city of Canterlot. To the left of the window sat an old chest. Stained and worn with age, and not wishing to pry, Accord had refrained from looking in it. Though the temptation was great at times, he had managed to resist it. To the right of the window sat a small corner table, on which sat an elegant vase, with beautiful golden flowers carefully resting inside. Then, of course, there was Philomena’s perch, which sat near the fireplace. Currently it was occupied by the phoenix, who at this moment was looking at him with an unreadable expression upon her face. However, if he had to guess what she was thinking it would probably be something along the lines of. What are you doing in Celestia’s chair, and when’s she going to come in here and kick your flank straight to the moon? Shaking his head at the thought, he turned his attention away from the bird and back to the mound of papers laying in the IN basket. Sighing, he plucked the top paper from off of the pile. Looking it over he quickly determined that it could be delegated to somepony else and placed it in the corresponding pile. Shaking his head in exasperation he thought, Honestly, I wonder how Celestia even had time to breath! Let alone run a country and keep it in as good condition as she did for as long as she has! “Boggles the mind.” He said aloud. Sure does doesn’t it? Accord felt ice run up his spine and his hair stand on end. Philomena let out startled squawk and flapped her wings, her head swiveling, looking for the unknown voice. Heheh, so you can hear me too little birdie? Well, that’s fine, you can’t speak to no one, so I’m going to just ignore you for now. Accord felt the presence turn its attention back to him. Trying to bring his heart rate back under control he managed to choke out, “What do you want now?” What, can’t I just drop in and say hi every now and again old buddy, old pal? “You are not my ‘buddy’!” Accord spat back. Now is that anyway to speak to your old friend? “You’re no friend of mine.” he growled. The voice fell silent for a moment, as if it were analyzing him. Finally it said, You don’t remember me do you Discord? “Kind of hard to tell who you are when you’re invisible.” Accord shot back. True, true, but to think that you would completely forget about me! Me, you’re bestest old pal back before... the voice trailed off, as if uncertain it should continue. “Back before what?” asked Accord irritably. Back before you went crazy. replied the voice. Accord blinked, placing his hooves on the desk in front of him he said, “Perhaps you should explain yourself a little better.” What’s there to explain? You and I were in charge of our worlds and you got attached to your charges and went nuts. Simple as that. But enough of history, I’ve got a red hot scoop for ya, so ya better be paying attention! “What? If you did something-” Accord slowly rose from his seat, a look of anger on his face. I didn’t do anything ‘bad’, if that’s what you’re thinking. When Accord let out an impatient growl, the voice quickly continued, But I can see you’re getting impatient, so here’s the scoop chief. You guys are moving a bit too slow for my tastes so I’ve decided to hurry things along a bit. Your secrets out, you’ve been discovered. Accord rolled his eyes and sarcastically replied, “No, really? What made you think that? Perhaps the American ship that steamed into Manehattan Harbor the other day perhaps?” That’s not what I’m talking about you ninny. A fishing trawler, specifically a Japanese vessel has not only spotted your fair land, but they’ve spotted some of your people and just so that they aren’t called crazy when they get home. They decided to take on a few... ‘passengers’, if you will. “WHAT!?” Accord practically screamed, thankfully the special sound muffling spells seemed to prevent the guard outside from hearing his startled shout. It would occur to him later that for his safety, he should probably try to find a way to dispel the magical sound barrier. Or at the very least, leave the door open so that they could hear him. Did you not hear me? You should do a better job of cleaning out your ears in the mornings Discord. But anyways as I was saying, yes, the crew took on some ‘passengers’, just so they aren’t locked up in the looney bin when they get back. You understand don’t you? In a barely controlled voice Accord asked, “Did they take these ponies against their will?” Naw, they went willingly, oddly enough. But regardless, if you thought the cat wasn’t out of the bag before, it is now. When that ship makes Japan, it’s going to cause quite the stir among the higher ups. If you want to get the first punch in you had better do it fast, because the Imperial Navy’s going to be knocking on your front or back door, which ever, before long. Accord sat there paralyzed, his thoughts were flying around at a thousand miles an hour and yet going nowhere. Finally, a thought smacked him in the face and he raced out of the room as though his tail were afire. Slamming open the doors with such force that he startled the two guards standing to either side, he barked, “One of you, go and get Fancypants right now!” “Y-yes Sir!” replied the guard to his left and with a hasty salute, was off like a shot. Turning to the other one Accord said, “I want you to remain here and you will not speak a word of this incident to anyone and I want you to tell my orders to your partner when he gets back. Do I make myself clear?” “C-clear S-sir!” He replied nervously, unsure of what Accord was referring to, but deciding to agree anyway so as not to draw the obviously spooked stallions ire. With that dealt with, Accord retreated back into the room. After having sat back down, he smoothed out his clothing and waited for Fancypants to arrive. Nearly twenty minutes later, both the guard and Fancypants came puffing into the office. Dismissing the guard with a wave of his hoof, Accord looked over the celebrity unicorn. He wore his trademark suit and monocle, his light gray coat had a slight sheen of sweat upon it. If this bothered the unicorn, he didn’t show it. His azure mane and mustache had somehow managed to remain slicked back and in order with nary a hair out of place. To all intents and purposes, he appeared to be outwardly calm and collected, however his sapphire eyes betrayed his inner agitation. Waving to indicate a nearby cushion Accord said, “Mr. Fancypants,” “Fancypants is fine Mr. Accord.” interjected the prosperous unicorn. “Fancypants then. The reason I have called you here is to see how soon you and your team will be ready to depart for the United States.” Accord said calmly. “I beg your pardon?” “I believe you heard me, I have just been informed that…events have conspired to move our timetable up. If you are able to, I hope that you can leave tomorrow. I will send a message to Captain Phelps to make all the necessary preparations for your stay aboard his ship while you make your journey. This was our agreed upon payment for services rendered unto him in the repair and resupply of his ship. So I will ask once more. Are you and your team ready to go now?” Slightly taken aback by the strange turn of events, Fancypants replied hesitantly, “I suppose we are as ready as we can be, given the current situation. If it is alright with you, my wife wishes to go with me and the delegation.” Accord nodded his head in approval and Fancypants let out a silent sigh of relief. “Excellent, I have two clerks, a chef and a server. Two pegasi couriers and of course, six guards and their commander, a Lieutenant Stalwart Shield I believe.” “Well I suppose if there is nothing further that you need, then I will give the order to have your things and staff moved to Manehattan tonight. I would advise that you make haste as well, Ambassador Fancypants, for your ship will sail with the morning tide. Do I make myself clear?” “Crystal.” he replied. “Good, then you are dismissed.” Nodding his thanks, Fancypants quickly left to see to the last minute preparations for the voyage. Leaving Accord alone with both Philomena and the Spirit, which reminded him that he was there, by speaking. Still quick I see, that’s good, wouldn’t want this to be a one sided affair after all. I’ll see ya around Discord, but before I go, I’ve got one last thing to say. “Then say it already.” I know it might not mean like much, especially after our first meeting, but, I am sorry for this. But you didn’t leave Us a lot of choice in the matter. I have to go now, I’ll see you later. And with that the being departed, leaving Accord alone with Celestia’s pet, his churning thoughts and his paperwork. Author's Note Well here it is finally. Chapter 5 is up and good to go so enjoy! As usual, special thanks goes to my editor Shoggoth who is awesome.
Chapter 6 (Meeting the Neighbors)Chapter 6 Meeting the Neighbors Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies. -Jane Austen Honolulu Harbor, July 18, 1908 10:14am As the Marlin Spike steamed into Honolulu Harbor, Joshua looked out over the port bridge-wing rail at the scene before him. It was a hive of activity, with ships of every size and description going about their business. Small skiffs could be seen weaving in and out between the larger freighters and passenger ships as they slowly plodded along towards their destinations. While the docks looked like an ant hill had been kicked over, further on large cranes could been seen loading and offloading cargo from those ships tied up to the wharves. Beyond that passengers ships were busy loading or unloading their human passengers and their belongings. In addition, everywhere he looked, Joshua could see naval ships; some were at anchor, while others were slowly steaming along about their business, and all of them were painted a bright white. Rubbing his chin stubble thoughtfully, Joshua mused. Hmm, looks like we came in at nearly the same time as the ‘Great White Fleet’ put in, wonder how those navy boys are going to react to my passengers? Shaking his head, he turned away from the railing and walked through the wheelhouse. He gave a nod to the sailor manning the ships wheel as he made his way down the stairway. As he made his way towards the ship’s galley, to see if he could get another cup of coffee to help pry his eyes open, he nearly ran into Fancypants, the Equestrian ambassador. Which, Joshua thought to himself, Is a rather strange name for a person who doesn’t actually wear pants. However, he quickly pigeonholed that thought, and instead asked. “So Mr. Ambassador, how are you feeling?” Since they had left Manehattan, several members of the diplomatic team had come down with seasickness. Even Fancypants, whom Joshua had learned owned his own yacht, had looked a little green. “Much better I must say. It has been sometime since I was aboard a ship. My responsibilities back in Canterlot have, up until now, kept me quite busy.” He gave a chuckle, “Though unfortunately, the good lieutenant has still not yet fully recovered from his…condition.” The lieutenant in question, Lieutenant Shield, had become violently ill and had spent the majority of the voyage with his head in either a bucket or a toilet. Command over the security detail had therefore fallen to his second in command, Sergeant Hawk, one of the two pegasi guards assigned to the group, the other being Private Thunder Cloud. The two of them were the only guardsponies who had not come down with seasickness during the voyage. Regardless, it wouldn’t be long before the Marlin Spike docked, and the poor ponies could feel firm ground under their hooves once more. Realizing that his thoughts had caused him to remain silent for longer than he had intended, he responded slightly embarrassed. “Sorry about that Mr. Ambassador; I got lost in thought there for a moment. Anyways, I’m glad you are feeling better. I suspect you’re going to need to be in top form when you go to speak with the Territorial Governor.” “Oh? Why is that?” inquired Fancypants. “Well, I don’t know much about diplomacy or anything, being but a humble merchant captain, but I do know I perform better during a contract negotiation, when I’m fully rested and ready to go.” The unicorn nodded his head in understanding. Giving a charismatic smile, he replied, “Well then, I suppose I had better go and ‘freshen’ up.” Turning to leave, he paused to look over his shoulder. “How long before we tie up Captain?” Joshua scratched his chin in thought before replying. “No more than an hour or two I’d think. Even though the navy’s hogging most of the docks, there should still be a few open. If not, then we’ll just have to anchor out of the shipping lanes and row to shore.” He shrugged his broad shoulders while Fancypants mulled his response over. Nodding his head once more, he said. “I suppose if it cannot be helped then we will have to make the best of it. Thank you Captain, you have been most helpful. I do hope that we haven’t inconvenienced you too terribly.” Joshua merely shook his head in reply. After all, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. I was going to be late to begin with. Chances are when I do make port, the company will declare me in breach of contract, and there’s a good chance that I won’t see a dime from them. Tightwads, he thought bitterly. He had been due in Seattle three days ago, and according to his contract with the shipping company, every day he was late they knocked ten percent off his paycheck. So chances were, by the time he actually reached Seattle, he would be lucky if they gave him enough to cover his fuel costs. Being a tramp steamer captain was hard work, and one wasn’t given much in the way of respect either. Although, now that Equestria has shown up, I might find good work there. He shrugged again, and seeing that Fancypants was looking at him with a rather odd look replied, “It’s alright Mr. Ambassador, the cargo will keep, and if it wasn’t for your land showing up when it did, I’d be on the bottom of the ocean right now, so thanks.” Fancypants nodded his head; he still looked confused, but decided not to press the issue at that moment. Instead, he cleared his throat before replying, “You’re welcome.” Nodding his head once more, he walked out of the corridor leaving Joshua alone. Standing there for a moment, Joshua shook his head and continued on his way to the galley. When he finally reached his destination, he found that his first mate was pouring himself some coffee and whistling an old sea tune between his teeth. Walking up next to him, he picked up the coffee pot his first mate had just set down, and pouring himself another cup, remarked. “Seems we put in at an interesting time, wouldn’t you agree Mr. Fitzgibbons?” Taking a sip from his cup Patrick nodded. “Aye, looks like the whole damned navy’s sitting in the harbor, doesn’t it sir?” “That it does, hope we can find some dock space to tie up to, otherwise we’re going to have to anchor offshore and row in.” He grimaced at the thought of trying to negotiate the busy harbor with several ponies in the long boat with him and the crew. He gave an inquiring look at his second in command, who merely nodded his head in agreement. He too could see that it would be a very difficult experience for all involved if they had to do it that way. “Well I suppose I should head back up to the wheel house and see if I can get us some dock space.” Patrick absently waved goodbye as he bent to refill his coffee cup once more. ~oOo~ It was nearly noon before the Marlin Spike finally docked. The few tugs that were in the harbor had been busy with the naval ships. Moving them from the refueling pier or nudging them back into their designated docking spots. Joshua had finally managed to signal a tug and the little boat had shepherded the freighter like a dog would a sheep. Once the Marlin had come as close to the pier she dared, Joshua had ordered the engine room to cease all forward movement with the engine telegraph and the little tug had done the rest. Though she looked small, she was powerful and within no time the Marlin Spike was tied up next to the pier. Breathing a sigh of relief at yet another successful docking maneuver, Joshua gave the helmsman a pat on the back and left the bridge. As he exited into the noonday sunshine, he took in the sight before him. Fancypants and his wife were standing near the railing and a small crowd had gathered to gawk at the two ponies from the dock below. The rest of the diplomatic team was getting itself sorted out near the starboard hatchway. Joshua spotted Lieutenant Shield inspecting his soldiers; he still looked a little under the weather. However, he seemed to be in possession of most of his faculties and finished the inspection without incident. Turning he spotted Joshua and waved him over, speaking in a hushed voice he asked. “Well, what do we do now?” Turning his back so that no one could see or hear him speak Joshua replied. “We wait I guess. I’m sure that word is even now making its way to the governor as we speak. We should probably inform the port authority on what’s going on. However, since that crowd on the dock keeps growing, I think it might be a wise idea to keep the gangway up until the local authorities arrive to help keep things under control.” The lieutenant nodded his head in agreement and replied, “I believe that would be wise. I will instruct my stallions to maintain watch over the delegation, and when we do finally leave, to make sure no one is separated from the group.” When Joshua nodded his head, Shield continued, “Will you be coming with us Captain?” Joshua thought about that for a moment and replied, “It would probably be a good idea, yes.” Looking down at his wrinkled and dirty clothing, he gave a sheepish grin and said, “Might also be good idea to change into something a little more…respectable. I think I might have some clean clothing around here somewhere. If you will excuse me I think I’ll go and freshen up.” Shield simply nodded and turned back to his subordinates and began barking out orders. ~oOo~ It was nearly an hour later before a horse drawn carriage arrived at the docks. Still standing by the railing with his wife, Fancypants noticed the carriage approaching. He was taken aback by the sight of the two dun colored ponies, their harnesses jingling as they walked, pulling the carriage behind them. Neither one had a cutie mark on their flanks. Nor did they exhibit any kind of intelligent, independent thought beyond what the driver, with the use of the reins he held, told them to do. Quickly schooling his expression into one of calm, he looked over the carriage itself and its occupants. It was all black with a pair of brass lanterns to either side and had a collapsible awning that afforded the passengers a small degree of protection from the elements. In addition, it had two spacious seat benches arranged in a vis-à-vis style. The driver, who appeared to have a darker skin color than that of his passenger, who rode in the back of the carriage, was a well-dressed man in a top hat and black swallowtail jacket. In addition, he wore a cream-colored waistcoat over his white shirt and a black bowtie. Looking at the sole passenger in the carriage from his vantage point, Fancypants could see that the passenger was also male. He wore a stylish black three-piece suit, with a top hat perched upon his head. Unfortunately, that was all he could make out from his current position. Turning his attention away from the carriage with its mysterious passenger, he looked out over the still growing crowd. It looked like there were people from all walks of life standing there on that dock. Fishermen to prosperous businessmen, stevedores to policemen and looking more carefully at the crowd, he could see scores of young children, many of whom seemed to be working down here on the docks. Shaking his head at the thought of child labor, he turned and spotting a newly cleaned up Joshua and called out to him. When Joshua walked up to stand beside him he asked, “I say Captain, are those children down there working?” Looking out over the rail Joshua spotted the children and replied with a shrug. “Probably, though from the looks of it, all they're doing right now is just gawking at you.” “Shouldn’t they be in school, or at home with their mothers?” asked Fancypants, taken aback by Joshua’s calm dismissal of young children performing difficult labor. “Many families can’t afford to do that, once the kids are old enough to work, they send them out to get a job. Take me for instance; I started my career working down on T Wharf in Boston. I’d help unload the daily catches that the fishermen brought in. After doing that for a few years, I signed up on a fishing schooner and worked my way up the ladder, and well, here I am.” He waved his arm to indicate his ship. “How old were you when you started working?” Joshua rubbed his freshly shaved jaw for a moment in thought and then replied. “I figure I was about six or seven when I started, why do you ask?” Fancypants felt his mouth hang open at the statement, Six or seven years old?! From what Joshua’s told me about his species that is quite young, and they let young children work at that age? It’s, it’s. When he couldn’t think of a word to describe how he felt, he simply shook his head in wonderment. Joshua looked at him with a confused expression on his face, finally he asked. “Is there something wrong with a child helping to support their family?” “Not inherently, but back in Equestria we have a number of laws against such things for a variety of reasons; protecting the youth from exploitation being one of them. Of course, that's a long and involved discussion best saved for later.” replied Fancypants. Joshua noticed he sounded slightly uncomfortable talking about the subject and simply gave a nod, letting it go. Looking back over the crowd, Fancypants spotted the carriage as it finally came to a stop. The lone passenger stood, staring up at Fancypants and his wife for a few moments before visibly shaking himself and stepping down from the carriage. Joshua had already given the order to lower the gangway and as it was being lowered, Lieutenant Shield and his squad stood close by, ready to be the first down the ramp to secure the area. When the ramp was secured, they charged down, their metal shoes generating an intimidating amount of noise. Immediately, the crowd back away from the charging ponies, leaving a large open semicircle around the bottom of the gangway with the carriage at its apex. As Fancypants slowly made his way down the ramp, he noticed that the human had climbed down from the carriage and stood patiently waiting. Drawing closer. he took in the man’s appearance, he stood nearly as tall as Joshua did and his black, well cut suit and top hat gave him the air of authority. In addition, he sported a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, a large mustache and chin beard that completely hid his mouth from view. This, in Fancypants opinion made him look like he had a small furry creature glued to his face. His hair was a dark brown with some white hairs beginning to show and his eyes were a warm brown in color. While Fancypants had been looking over his appearance, the man had been doing the same, and to his credit, he hid his emotions fairly well. Coming to a stop before the man, Fancypants bowed his head respectfully and said in his best diplomatic voice, “On behalf of Her Royal Highness’s, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Co-rulers of Equestria, and Regents of the Sun and Moon. I solemnly and respectfully request that, I, Fancypants, royally appointed Ambassador of Equestria, Be allowed to open diplomatic negotiations with the government of the United States of America.” Even before he had finished speaking, he had noticed that the crowd had gone deathly quiet. The man who he had just addressed had a look of pure shock on his face. Which given the circumstances was understandable. After all, if what Joshua had told him was true, animals in this world did not have the same kind of intelligence as those in Equestria and they most certainly did not talk! However, the man quickly composed himself and replied in a slightly strained voice, “I am Governor Walter Frear and on behalf of the United States of America. I welcome you to the territory of Hawaii Ambassador Fancypants.” When finished speaking, the crowd, which had remained silent throughout the verbal exchange, exploded into a frenzy of noise. Some cheered, others yelled words that were lost in the general bedlam. However the majority just talked loudly with their neighbors over this new revelation they had just been witness too. Either way, Fancypants thought, This is going to be interesting. Washington DC, The White House, July 18, 1908 7:12pm President Roosevelt, having finished eating dinner, sat down in a comfortable chair in his private sitting room. Relaxing further, he reached over to the nearby table, picked up a book and opening it began to read. However, he had barely read half of a page before a soft knock sounded on the door interrupting his reading. Suppressing an irritated sigh, he called out, “Yes what is it?” An aide walked in, holding a telegram and handing it to the President, replied in a hushed tone, “It’s from Hawaii, Mr. President.” Opening the telegram, Roosevelt began to read. What was written on the message made his eyebrows climb towards his hairline. Scarcely believing what he had just read, he turned to the aide, an incredulous look on his face. “Are you sure that the message wasn’t garbled?” The aide nodded and replied, “Yes Mr. President, we had them reply three different times and it is the same message. In fact, as you can see the telegraph is ‘signed’ by no less than three different individuals, all claiming this to be true.” Roosevelt sat in his chair, stunned at the news he had just been handed. Quickly the gears in his mind began whirring as he sat there. If not only the Territorial Governor and the Chief Justice claim this to be true, but also Rear Admiral Evans, then as hard as this is to believe, it must be so! Shaking his head at the absurdity of it all, he turned back to his aide and said, “Alright, if this is true then the whole game has just changed.” Sighing, he continued, “Arrange for a train to take me to San Francisco and from there, a ship to Hawaii. I want to be there as soon as possible. I also want you to arrange a meeting with the Vice President, Secretary of State and the Secretary of War and the Navy immediately.” “Right away Mr. President! Do you want me to send up some coffee for you sir?” Roosevelt simply nodded his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose said, “And send up some aspirin too, I feel a headache coming on.” “Of course Mr. President, do you wish to meet with your advisors in the Oval Office?” “Yes.” was his reply. Nodding once more, the aide left Roosevelt alone with his thoughts, as he hastened to carry out his orders. Sighing once more, Roosevelt set his book down on the nearby table, and rising to his feet, walked over to the nearby window. As he looked out over the White House grounds, a quiet thought entered his mind. Small, cute looking magical horses, well this should prove interesting! Canterlot Castle, Celestia’s Office, July 18, 1908 2:32pm Accord sat and contemplated the ink blotter on his desk. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the wall clock and frankly, it was getting on his nerves. He had managed to catch up with the backlog of paperwork that had accumulated in the absence of the Royal Pony Sisters, and he’d even managed to keep up with all of the new paperwork that always seemed to multiply like parasprites when one wasn’t looking. However, he now found himself with little to do and if there was one thing that drove him nuts, it was not having anything to do. Sighing, he rose from behind his desk, deciding to go and see how Celestia and Luna were doing. Opening the doors with his magic, he trotted out of his office. The two guards coming to attention as he passed them. Giving them both a nod, he continued on his way. It had been nearly a week since he had been ‘released’ from his prison. In that time, he had not only forsaken the ways of chaos, but had managed to become Celestia and Luna’s chief advisor and regent in their absence. He found it somewhat surreal, for as long as he could remember he had been an enemy of the two sisters and now here he was, helping them run their kingdom. Shaking his head as he trotted along, he looked around at his surroundings. Most of the damage had been repaired over the past few days. However, the throne room would take a while longer, as there were some major structural repairs that were required, such as the massive cracks in the floor and ceiling. Of course, that was insignificant compared to the other events that had occurred during the past few days. The first shock had come shortly after the diplomatic team had left. Celestia and Luna finally admitted that they were no longer in control of the sun or the moon respectfully. Accord had had his suspicions when he had seen the sun and moon continue with their celestial dance as normal. However, as it was beyond his control, he simply decided to not worry about it. Instead, he had focused his attention on helping Luna write her upcoming speech and organizing the event. Her speech and the whole purpose of the event had originally not been much more than her making an appearance to help calm those ponies still worried over the health of at least on of their monarchs. During the speech the following morning before a crowd of nearly five thousand ponies, many of them nobles and other high-class individuals with a smattering of lower class individuals, she gave her address. It hadn’t been anything overly dramatic nor long, but apparently it had struck a chord with her subjects. Stopping by a large window, Accord closed his eyes and recalled the events of that day. ~oOo~ A large crowd of ponies stood waiting in Canterlot Square for Princess Luna to make her first real speech since returning from her banishment on the moon. The sudden sound of blaring trumpets cut through the crowds chatter, silencing them almost instantly. The eyes of every pony turned, nearly as one, towards the large platform that had been hastily erected at the far end of the square, just in time to see the small group of figures who were now ascending the stairs. The first was Princess Luna. Her casts had been removed the previous evening, though she still sported a limp. Following close behind her was Accord. However, Princess Celestia was notably absent, as she was still confined to bed. So in her place, she had sent her most faithful student to represent her instead. Looking back over his shoulder, Accord saw that Twilight looked a little nervous as she followed closely behind him as he walked across the platform to stand next to Luna. He couldn’t see what the deal was. After all it wasn’t as if she had to give a speech! Banishing those thoughts to a faraway corner of his mind, he instead turned his attention back to the large crowd of ponies, watching as Luna slowly strode forward, taking her place behind the simple wooden podium. Setting her notes down in front of her, she made sure that they were in their proper order. “Citizens of Equestria,” she began. Her voice easily carrying across the large square, “I have been given the honor of addressing you this fine summer day.” She paused a moment, looking down at her note paper. “Many of you are probably curious as to the recent Event that has left much of our beautiful land in ruin. You are probably wondering what caused it, why it affected us the way it did and what kinds of long term effects it will have on our fair land. Rest assured, my sister and I, along with many of Equestria’s brightest minds are addressing these questions even as I speak.” As Luna’s words rang out over the square, Accord could see many of the ponies look to their neighbors, their faces no longer etched with fear and worry. Unfortunately, there were still many who stood staring up at Princess Luna, their faces a mask of worry and fear. What Luna said next, did little to lay their worries to rest. Cutting right to the heart of the matter, Luna said, “What we have been able to determine so far is that Equestria, and portions of the surrounding lands, have been displaced from our homeworld into a new one. Ignoring the obvious problems such a situation entails, we have also come into contact with the native species of this new world. Calling themselves Humans, they stand upright much like a Minotaur, are more or less furless, and as far we can tell, the do not seem to possess any magic.” An incredulous murmur spread quickly through the crowd at the thought of a species completely without magic. Luna waited a moment for the crowd to quiet down before continuing, “It should also be noted that these humans have a large number of nations spread across the face of this planet. That, however, is where we are concerned. From the little information we have acquired so far, the current political climate of this world has far more in common with pre-Equestrian times than what we have today. Simply put, there are wars, have been wars, and most certainly will be more wars between them...and, we fear, us.” Another concern tinged murmur ran through the crowd at Luna’s latest announcement. Accord thought that it was understandable that they would be concerned over finding out that their cozy lives were now for the most part, now gone. Accord knew that the next words that Luna spoke would either send the crowd into a panic, or pull them back from the brink and set them towards a purpose. Taking a deep breath, Luna squared her shoulders and said, “However, we are not without means of defense. The Royal Guard-” “Was useless during the Changeling invasion! The only reason we’re not Changeling food right now was because of Princess Cadance and her husband!” shouted an unknown pony in the crowd. Accord couldn’t see Luna’s face from his current vantage point, but judging from the way she was grinding her forehoof into the stage’s floor. He figured that she was using every ounce of willpower to restrain her frustration. After half a minute of silence on her part, Luna raised her head high and declared, “Yes the Guard was not up to the task of repelling Queen Chrysalis and her Swarm. That is why changes are being made. From now on the Guard will no longer be Equestria’s sole defense force. Instead it will be joined by the soon to be reestablished Royal Army and newly created Navy, both of which will begin immediate expansion programs in order to properly safeguard our nation. Furthermore, my sister and I have found it necessary to delegate many of our lesser duties to others whom we deem capable of assuming the responsibilities. Therefore my sister has since created the Office of Chancellor and named Legal Accord to be its first Chancellor.” she said, turning to wave Accord forward with a hoof. Slowly, he made his way over to stand next to the lunar princess in acknowledgement of her announcement. “And now I will turn the podium over to Legal Accord.” she said. Stepping aside and allowing Accord access to the podium. Giving a slight nod of his head, he took his place behind the podium and clearing his throat, said, “Thank you Your Highness. As Her Highness said, I have been called to the newly created Office of Chancellor. This post will act as an additional layer in the running of Equestria, with its primary function being that of lightening the day to day workload of our princesses so that they may better focus on more important matters.” He paused for a minute, looking out at the crowd before him. He could see that many of them looked uncertain, some even looked a little scared. However, here and there, he could see those whose faces were not of fear or uncertainty, they looked almost...determined. Determined to face whatever life may throw at them and willing to meet it head on and overcome it. Realizing that he hadn’t said anything for a time, Accord gave a small shake of his head and said, “I am sorry, I seemed to have lost my train of thought there.” A small chuckle echoed through the crowded square. Clearing his throat however, Accord quickly moved on. “I am sure that many of you still have questions over what will happen and what will be expected of you over the next few months. Rest assured, there will be instructions sent out to the various towns and cities around the country, you can find them at your local post offices, libraries and town halls. In addition, the news service will have a column dedicated to getting the necessary information to you in a timely manner.” Sparing a quick glance towards the sun, Accord finished his small speech saying, “The road ahead will not be an easy one to travel. However, ponykind has been down this road before, and we have persevered through hardships similar to those we now find ourselves in. All that is needed is for us to band together and help one another if the other should stumble. Thank you for your time, I yield the podium to Princess Luna.” Bowing his head, he stepped gracefully to one side as Luna resumed her place behind the podium. “Thank you Accord. After this speech is concluded I shall swear you in as the first Chancellor of Equestria in the palace throne room.” Luna turned her attention from Accord back to the crowd. “I thank you all for coming here this day.” Lifting a hoof up, she made a small sweeping motion with it as she finished her speech. “I ask that all those who have been invited to attend the swearing in ceremony please make your way towards the castle now.” And with that, she turned and made her way towards the stage’s exit. The crowd broke out into a murmuring buzz as ponies slowly made their way to the square’s exits. Each lost in their own musings and discussions on what lay ahead. ~oOo~ Opening his eyes as the memory faded from his mind, Accord noticed that one of the castle servants was looking at him oddly. Giving no sign of his embarrassment, Accord continued on his way towards Celestia’s chambers. The doctors had decided that she was well enough to leave and thus, she had been released from the hospital the previous evening. Accord quickly found himself face to face with one of the Royal Guard. The guard coming to attention as Accord asked, “Is Her Highness accepting visitors at this time?” “Yes sir, in fact, Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Her Highness’s personal doctor are already inside. From my understanding sir, the doctor is going to remove her eye bandages today.” Nodding his head in thanks, Accord opened the door with his magic and walked through. The first thing he noticed was that the room was dark, with only a small amount of light creeping in around the edges of the closed curtains. Peering into the gloom he called out, “Your Highness? Why is your room so dark?” A soft chuckle emanated from within the gloom. “Ah, Accord. I am glad you could make it. The doctor was just about to take my eye bandages off. That’s why the rooms so dark.” A second voice spoke up. “Yes, her eyes have been in the dark for over a week and we didn’t want to place any undue strain on them. Hence, the dark room, it will allow us to remove the bandages without unnecessarily risking further damage to her vision.” A soft rustling and soft sniff followed before the doctor continued, “Now, if you would be so kind as to shut the door I can get started.” “Oh sorry.” Feeling his embarrassment rise, Accord carefully shut the door and after allowing his eyes adjust to the gloom, made his way to Celestia’s bed. He managed to make out the shapes of both Luna and Twilight on the other side, and looking to his right, spotted the doctor. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make out any kind of detail, as the room was too dark for him to see him as anything more than a pony shaped shadow. Moving carefully, the doctor began the process of removing Celestia’s bandages. After several minutes the process was completed. Celestia slowly blinked her eyes. Even with the low amount of light in the room her eyes still needed to adjust to it. She groaned in pain as she felt a headache coming on, the doctor asked, “Tell me what you see Your Highness.” A few more minutes passed before Celestia replied. “Dark fuzzy shapes,” Blinking further in an effort to clear her vision, she turned her head towards one of the curtains and asked, “Would somepony please stand near the curtain over there so that I can see you in the light?” Accord walked over and stood next to the drawn curtains, pulling an edge back a little he allowed a small amount of warm sunlight to play across his coat. Celestia lifted her head slightly and squinting remarked, “I fear that my eyesight hasn’t fully recovered doctor. All I can see is a fuzzy pony shape standing by the window.” The doctor gave a tired sigh and replied, “That's to be expected. After so long in the dark, it will still take some time for your eyes to readjust now that they are being used again.” Turning to Accord he asked, “Mr. Chancellor if you would be so kind as to slowly pull the curtain back so that we may gauge how bad her eyesight really is, I would be grateful.” Accord nodded and slowly began to open the curtains, stopping when Celestia hissed in pain at the light. “Do not look at directly at the light Your Highness; turn your head so that you are looking towards the darker side of the room. Then slowly turn your head until you are completely facing the window.” Celestia did as the doctor instructed and after nearly an hour was able to look at the window without too much pain. “Very good. Now, please tell me what you can see, has it gotten better, worse, remained the same?” he asked softly. His tone both respectful and professional. Squinting, Celestia replied, “A little better, everything is still fuzzy, but I can more or less tell who is who based on size and color.” “I see, would you please read me the three letters on this piece of paper Your Highness?” He gave Celestia a simple piece of note paper with the letters A, C,and D written on it in large bold print. However, after several minutes of squinting futilely at the paper from various distances, Celestia admitted defeat. “I am afraid Doctor Heart that I can not read them.” Letting go another sigh, Doctor Heart replied, “Well I guess that’s that then.” Reaching into his bag he said, “I thought something like this might happen, so I brought along some test glasses for you to try out, just in case.” Lifting out several pairs of odd looking glasses, he proceeded to lay them out carefully on the nearby bedside table. Grabbing the nearest pair in his tan colored magic he said, “So let’s try out a few pairs and see which one works the best for you.” It was a little over an hour later when he finally finished his examination. “Well Your Highness, it seems that you will need new glasses for your near vision as I understand you already use reading glasses on occasion?” At her nod he continued, “Well in addition to that, you’ll also need glasses for your distance vision too, I’m afraid.” “I see.” she said simply. “I’m sorry Your Highness, but it looks like you will need glasses for the rest of your life, or at least until they develop a spell that restores eyesight. Whichever comes first I suppose.” He shrugged his shoulders before carefully placing the test glasses back in his bag. Pulling out a pencil and paper he jotted down some notes and nodding his head said, “If you will excuse me Your Highness, I will go and arrange to have your new glasses made. They will be ready in a day, no more than two at the outside. In the meantime, I recommend that you continue to remain in bed. However, if you promise to be careful, you can get up for a few minutes every three or four hours.” “Thank you Dr. Warm Heart, you may go now.” Nodding his head, he quickly took his leave. As soon as he was gone, Twilight let out a sniff. Turning her head, Celestia gave her a loving smile and said soft cooed, “Shh, it is alright Twilight Sparkle, I can still see. Albeit not very well, but I can still see and I am alive that’s all that really matters right now. Besides, I’ve heard glasses are in vogue this season.” Twilight gave a slight hiccup before smiling and saying, “I remember Rarity mentioning something along those lines the other day. But still,” Celestia gently placed a hoof to her student’s lips, quietly shushing her. “I know Twilight. It will require some adjustments to be made. However, I have lived through change and adjustments for millennia. Change is normal for me and I will become used to this new one in time. So please don’t fret over something as small as this.” She gave a maternal smile and letting her hoof fall to her side asked, “Tell me Accord, has there been any reply from either the griffons or zebras?” “No Your Highness, there has not, they’re still mulling our proposition over at this time.” “I see. Well then, how are things progressing with the military?” she inquired. “So far nothing major to report. Princess Luna and myself showed the Catacombs to the local guard commanders, Shining Armor in particular showed a keen interest in the items stored there.” Replied Accord. “In addition, the task of bring everything to the surface and making sure it still work’s will take a little time. However, the work is progressing smoothly and we already have a small selection of weapons and other items ready for a demonstration in the next few days.” “Oh? Why so soon?” asked Celestia. “Well, it was actually Shining Armors idea. He’d just received the initial reports from Manehattan regarding the humans and was of the opinion that the sooner we familiarize ourselves with the ‘new’ equipment, the better. Right now he and a group of hoof picked guardsponies are pouring over the recovered training manuals.” Celestia gave a small nod and motioned for him to continue. Clearing his throat before he continued, Accord said, “In addition, the more…sensitive parts of the collection of books and material have been moved to a more secluded section of the Catacombs and sealed off. As per your standing orders on the matter.” Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgment. Accord, however, sensed that Celestia might be more comfortable if he changed the subject. Turning to Twilight suddenly, he asked, “So tell me Ms. Sparkle, how goes your research with the Stone Warrior?” “Hmm? Oh that. Well I haven’t really had time to look at it properly since it was moved from the Catacombs. But I did get a chance to look over some of the texts and I must say that I am impressed at its potential. I mean, while it was designed to be used primarily as a weapon of war, it has so many other application potentials. I can’t wait to get to work on it. I would like to start either today or tomorrow at the latest.” Her face assumed a far off expression, as if looking at only something she could see. “Just imagine it; we could use them to lift heavy loads without the use of a crane. Or carry loads over ground unfit for a wagon or cart, maybe even use them for mining or construction!” Accord let Twilight continue speaking, and as she transitioned to less sensitive topics, he noticed that Celestia began to relax. By the time Celestia had finally drifted off to sleep, the sun had begun to set on the western horizon. Twilight however was still going, oblivious to her sleeping mentor. Quietly walking around the bed, Accord placed a hoof on the unicorns shoulder, cutting her off mid sentence. When she looked up at him, he tipped his head towards Celestia’s sleeping form. Twilight, upon seeing her mentor asleep, let out a soft gasp and smiled sheepishly up at him. “I think we should go now, let her catch up on her sleep.” he said quietly. “I think you’re right.” Turning to look at the princess of the night, Twilight softly asked, “Are you coming with us Princess Luna?” Luna shook her head. Placing a hoof on her sisters head, she gently stroked her returning mane. Twilight and Accord quietly left, leaving the two sisters alone together. Out in the hallway, Accord asked, “So, I heard that several of your friends are going to return to Ponyville?” Twilight nodded her head. “Yes, Applejack and Rarity. They said that they had responsibilities that they needed to see to. Applejack with her farm and Rarity with her boutique. Fluttershy mentioned that she could stay here for a few more days, to help keep Pinkie Pie company. Though, she said she’d have to return home soon, so as to tend to her animals. As she said that Angel Bunny couldn’t do it all himself and Spike really can’t take care of both the library and help with Fluttershy’s animals at the same time.” “I see, and what about you? Will you return to Ponyville or will you remain here?” “I will probably remain here; Spike and Owloysius should be able to take care of the library for a few more days. Though, I should send a letter to Spike with detailed instructions.” She sighed, “Oh who am I kidding? Spike can’t do it all by himself and with the way things are going, I’ll have to spend most of my time here in Canterlot. I suppose after I’ve finished a few things up here, I’ll head back to Ponyville and get my affairs in order before moving back to the castle.” Twilight's head hung low, as if its weight were too much for her neck muscles to hold up. Sensing the need to say something, Accord remarked, “Twilight, I’m sure it is…difficult for you, moving back to Canterlot from Ponyville and all. Especially after all of the things you and your friends went through together. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit them occasionally or write them letters. In fact, if you want, I think I could arrange for you to have a train pass so that you could go and see them whenever you wanted to without having to worry about your bit purse.” Twilight’s head came up, a hopeful smile quickly forming on her face. “Really? You would do that for me?” Accord simply nodded his head in reply. Twilight surprised Accord with a squeal of joy and hug. “Thank you, thank you so much! This means a lot to me and I’m sure it will mean a lot to the girls as well.” Releasing him from her embrace, she blushed slightly as she realized that she had just hugged a pony that she barely knew. A moment of awkward silence falling over them before she asked, “So, you mentioned earlier that they had begun emptying the Catacombs?” Clearing his throat slightly, he replied, “Yes I did. Shining Armor wanted to inspect the weapons and acquaint himself with their functions as quickly as possible. He seemed quite eager to get his hooves on the ‘new’ training manuals.” Twilight gave a soft chuckle. “Well he is my brother, and while he was never as interested in reading books as I am, if it has something to do with the Guard or protecting ponies, it has his undivided attention.” she said simply. Accord gave a chuckle while nodding at her reply. “That’s good to hear Ms. Sparkle,” he came to a sudden stop, his chuckling fading as he looked out a window. The setting sun turning the sky a bright crimson. “We will need ponies like him all too soon I’m afraid.” Twilight looked on silently as Accord let go a tired sigh. She slowly crossed the short distance between them, coming to rest next to him. Neither one said anything for a time. Finally however, Twilight looked up at him and quietly asked, “Mr. Chancellor-” “Accord is fine when we’re alone Ms. Sparkle.” interrupted Accord. “Only when you call me Twilight in return.” she replied playfully. Nodding, he said, “Deal.” Giving a nod in return, her smile growing just a little, Twilight took a deep breath and picked up where she left off. “Accord, you were aware that Discord has returned right?” Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Accord hesitantly asked, “Um, w-why do you ask Twilight?” She turned her gaze back to the window, staring out across the palace gardens as the last rays of the setting sun grew dim. “He came to visit me a few days ago. While I was in the hospital.” she said simply. “Oh? And, um, what was he like?” asked Accord uncertainly. Twilight cocked her head slightly in thought, pondering his question. Finally she replied, “I’m not sure, at first he acted like he did the first time we met, but as time went on he sort of...mellowed. But that wasn’t what I wanted to ask you about.” Accord suddenly found himself sweating a little. One of the things that had been discussed between Luna, Celestia and himself had been that his existence as Discord was to be kept as quiet as possible. As such, in less than two days, with the general outline he had given to Raspberry the day after his binding, Luna had seen to it that Accords papers were ‘in order’ as she had put it. Birth and medical records, school grades, doctored photo’s, even library fines, nothing was overlooked, except to tell the Elements of Harmony. “Oh, and just what did you want to ask me then?” he asked warily. “Well it’s been several days since I last saw him and I had some questions that I wanted to ask him.” she replied nonchalantly. “I see. Well, um, I’m afraid that Discord is currently...unavailable right now.” Twilight gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean ‘unavailable’?” Clearing his throat in an effort to buy him so precious time, Accord smoothly replied, “Princess Luna and Celestia decided that it would be better if word didn’t...get around, about his reappearance.” “You mean he’s been reimprisoned?” Accord shook his head. “Not quite, after giving his word that he would behave, the princesses decided to have him moved to a more...private location, away from prying eyes.” Twilight gave him an unconvinced look. “I find that difficult to believe.” “Because of the fact that the last time he appeared in Equestria, he nearly plunged Equestria into eternal chaos. I’m not sure that the princesses would be very trusting or forgiving with his track record. No matter what he said, promised or did in their presence.” “Well...Luna did place him under a Geas spell, to insure his good behaviour.” he replied, a sour look on his face. When Twilight made to ask him another question, Accord cut her off. “I’m sorry Twilight, but that’s all I can tell you without further approval from the princesses. I know you’re an Element of Harmony and multiple time saviour of Equestria. But I can’t tell you any more than that, and I would ask that you keep even the small amount I have told you quiet.” Letting go a defeated sigh, she said, “Alright, I guess I’ll just have to ask Princess Celestia the next time I see her then.” Accord breathed a mental sigh of relief at having dodge that little problem. However, he didn’t let any of his relief show as he and Twilight resumed their slow walk down the castle hall. Author's Note Oh my sweet Luna! How this chapter sucked! (Parts of this chapter might not be to the highest quality and if there's something that doesn't mess with the previous chapters, well I suppose just chalk it up to me taking so long to freaking fix this chapter.) I am really sorry that this took so long guys, but thanks to school and me restarting my previously dead social life. I ran out of creative juices for this story. I found I didn't have the will to work on this story. So I started another! Huzzah! The fun has been doubled! As well as the work load. But hey it was a silly idea and I ran with it. Anyways, if you guys find any errors that my editor and I missed let me know. As always special thanks goes to my editor Shoggoth.
Announcement Announcement Well sorry to do this to you guys, but my editor, Shoggoth, is currently in the middle of getting his house ready for selling. So I have no idea when he will return and as his services were necessary for fixing this story I have decided to put this one on the shelf for now. When my editor returns I will get back to work on getting the next rewritten chapter up. Really sorry about this. -Timothy48
Chapter 4 (Secrets Reveled)Chapter 4 Secrets Revealed If you would keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend. -Benjamin Franklin Canterlot Hospital, Celestia, and Luna’s room, July 13, 1908 10:17pm A deep silence filled the room, broken only by the slow ticking of the clock on the wall. Accord sat between the two cloud beds and he looked exhausted. Ever since assuming his new duties as the princesses stand in, he hadn’t gotten much sleep and it showed. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark bags under them; his clothing was rumpled and he just exuded an aura of exhaustion. After his meeting with Captain Phelps, he had returned to Canterlot. Upon arriving, he had set about gathering a small team of ponies to form a diplomatic mission to the United States as soon as possible. In addition, he had sent a short letter describing what he had learned from the human captain to Princess Celestia. This was the main reason he now found himself sitting here in the hospital room with the two princesses. He had received a message from Celestia less than an hour ago asking him to come and speak with her as soon as possible, and when she meant as soon as possible, she meant now. So, he had come at once, leaving the preparations for the diplomatic mission in the capable hooves of Raspberry Tea. Upon his arrival at the hospital, Celestia had questioned him about the humans and Accord had told her everything that he knew. As he spoke, Celestia had become quieter and quieter, finally Accord finished speaking and awaited her response. After a long minute of awkward silence, she spoke. “You’re sure he wasn’t trying to mislead you Accord?” “I am positive, Your Highness. Like Applejack, I can spot a lie immediately. After all I was once the Lord of Disharmony you know.” He said, while rubbing a hoof against his chest, of course, Celestia was unable to see the action, thanks to the bandages covering her face. However she did manage to get the gist of what he was doing through his tone. Several days had already passed since The Event, and thanks in large part to an Alicorn’s amazing healing abilities, Celestia’s wounds were noticeably better. In fact, if he looked close enough, Accord could see a little bit of pink fuzz beginning to show where her mane used to be. Luna was also making a quick recovery, with many of her bandages having been removed. She’d even been allowed to get out of bed and walk about the room for a short time. Even looking closely, Accord couldn’t see her bruises, but that was more due to the fact that her coat color hid them very well. In addition, he noticed that her mane was slowly beginning to regrow as well, and much like Celestia’s, was also actual hair instead of the ethereal magic that they normally sported. Shaking his head in effort to focus his thoughts, Accord said, “Princess Celestia-” “Celestia is fine when we are alone Accord,” cut in the Sun Princess. “Alright, Celestia.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “What are we going to do? From what I understand if these human nations find out that we are without a powerful military and that we possess desirable resources, namely gems and vast tracts of arable land, they might try and subjugate us.” Celestia let out a mournful sigh and replied, “I know, Accord. I pray that they will seek peaceful coexistence with us, but we need to be ready in case they do not. I have spent most of the morning thinking about that since I received your letter earlier today. However, before I go any farther I must ask, what is the current situation?” Taking a deep breath Accord replied, “Well, the death toll is under a thousand so far. In addition, the amount of injured ponies still seems to be relatively light, no more than twelve thousand so far. Many of them light injuries. However,” He paused and took another deep breath before he continued, “The amount of damages is staggering. Unless we can find a way to help defray the costs, the populace will be feeling it for years, if not decades to come. I have spent hours trying to come up with some way to fix this problem, but nothing I can think of is enough.” “How much, Accord?” asked Celestia, silently dreading the answer. Sighing, he replied, “Over eighty million bits so far and still climbing.” Celestia winced at the price tag. Even though the Equestrian economy was doing okay, a large shock, such as The Event, could send it into a tailspin. Couple that with the massive drain on the treasury due to the enormous amount of damages suffered and one had a recipe for disaster. While Equestria still had a strong economy, based around agriculture and local artisans, it had in recent decades begun to feel the strain of an expanding population. As a result, heavy industries such as steel mills and factories had begun to appear across Equestria; many of them serving local or regional needs in an attempt to keep up with the growing demand for goods. Unfortunately, due to the relative age of the Equestrian industries, imported steel from the Griffin kingdom was still preferred due to its higher quality. This was in large part due to the greater experience of the griffon steelmakers when compared to their pony counterparts. As a result, Equestria’s main exports were low value agricultural goods, moderate amounts of artisan made goods and small amounts of high quality, high value gems. However, without a large heavy industrial base, Equestria was in a delicate position. With the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale out of commision for the foreseeable future, along with the widespread damages to the rest of the nation, they would be too tied up with recovery to do anything else. There was no way that Equestria could both rebuild and arm itself at the same time. Unless they could-. A thought struck Celestia and she said, “Accord.” “Hmm?” “Tell me, did this Captain Phelps describe the sophistication of their weapons?” Accord blinked in confusion and replied, “Yes, but I don’t see how that will help us. We don’t have any weapons that would be able to match them, nor do we have the knowledge on how to build any. Right now, our best bet would be if someone out there took pity on us and threw us a few weapons.” He shook his head in resignation. However, it was at that moment he saw a small smile cross Celestia’s face, looking at her in confusion he asked, “Why are you smiling?” At his question, Celestia’s smile widened even more, finally she responded. “Accord, I think you’re giving up too easily.” Throwing his hooves up in the air, he exclaimed, “Well excuse me Your Highness if I’m a little pessimistic!” He stood up and began pacing while he ranted, Celestia for her part simply lay back and waited for him to cool off. “I mean, according to Captain Phelps, many of these nations possess large armies numbing in the hundreds of thousands, all of which, might I add, are well equipped with highly advanced weapons! If even half of what he described to me is accurate, the guard wouldn’t simply be beaten if they fought them, they would be annihilated. How can swords and spears hope to combat these so called ‘firearms’ of the humans?” “They can’t.” she said simply. “Exactly! So how do you propose we keep some human nation from gobbling us up like a dragon would a tasty gem?” he replied exasperatedly. “Do not dismiss the power of magic Accord, it can be used in more ways than you think.” Rolling his eyes Accord, shot back, “One little problem Celestia, only unicorns can actually cast those spells and if you want them to be of any use, then they must be cast by powerful unicorns.” “You’re referring to my faithful student and her brother Shining Armor?” inquired Celestia. Accord ceased his pacing. “Well, I was think more along the lines of Twilight, as I wasn’t aware that Shining Armor was her brother.” Celestia simply smiled before saying, “Well he is, and he is quite protective of her.” Accord groaned. “Perfect, so now it becomes even more important that my secret remain so, otherwise I’ll have to find someplace very deep to hide until he expires from age.” This time, Celestia didn’t smile, she laughed. It was a soft musical sound, one that could soothe a ponies heart in an instant. Unfortunately, Accord’s heart wasn’t soothed. “How can you laugh at a time like this?” he said, before resuming his pacing. Celestia by this point had managed to calm her laughter and simply said, “Oh Accord, I’m sorry, but you just reminded me of my student just now.” Stopping, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, “In what way?” “You’re worrying over something minor, if Shining Armor did discover your secret then I or Luna would simply explain to him what was going on.” “Yeah, and in the meantime he’ll be slinging spells at my flank.” replied Accord sarcastically. “Well, no plan is perfect.” quipped Celestia. “Speaking of plans, what do we do about our situation? We have no ‘modern’ weapons, nor do we have a military large enough to combat anything the humans may throw at us.” Celestia remain silent for a time, Accord almost thought that she had fallen asleep before she said quietly, “Accord, what I am about to tell you is a closely guarded secret, only I fully know of it.” Accord stopped his pacing, eyes riveted on the Solar Diarch, even Luna, who had been lightly napping, opened her eyes and turned her attention to her sister. Clearing her throat slightly, before continuing, Celestia said, “It was nearly a hundred years after my sisters defeat and subsequent banishment following the Nightmare Wars.” “Nightmare Wars?” asked Accord, confused. “I had thought that you and Luna had simply dueled in the sky and that everypony else had either watched in horrified wonder or coward below in their homes.” “That is the...short version of the story. What is not mentioned is the effects of Luna’s corruption and later banishment.” Now both Accord and Luna were fully interested in Celestia’s story. Shifting slightly on her bed, so as to get more comfortable, Celestia continued, “The Nightmare didn’t just corrupt Luna, but all of us to certain degrees, the only one not affected by its influence was you, but that was only because you were stone at the time.” “What do you mean that it wasn’t just Luna that was corrupted?” “Just that. When the Nightmare took control, it used Luna’s powers to spread its rot throughout Equestria, infecting the hearts of all it touched, including me. During the battle with it, I chased it from one end of the world to the other and everywhere we went, destruction and chaos followed. It was a miracle that you didn’t break free during that period.” Accord placed a hoof to his chin in thought and tried to recall any memories that he might have had at the time. Nothing came to mind. Giving his head a shake, he turned his attention back to Celestia, who after having taken a small sip of water had resumed her tale. “It wasn’t until years later that I realized how deep the damage had gone during that fight. Even the act of banishing Nightmare Moon spread her corruption further. When it was all over, the Old Kingdom of Equestria was no more, the ponies faith in me had been badly shaken. In addition, many of them saw their current misfortunes as the fault of Luna and I, since in their minds, Luna had allowed herself to be possessed and I hadn’t seen the signs in time.” “Sister, twas not thy fault, We should have not hid Our feelings from thee.” Celestia gave a weary sigh. “Luna, for the last time, you need to let that go. What’s done is done and nothing we can do will change it, the best we can do is to learn from it and move forward.” “We...I mean, I know, but...” she trailed off uncertainly, allowing an awkward silence to fall upon the room. After looking back and forth between the two sisters, Accord cleared his throat and asked, “So what happened next?” Celestia sighed once more before saying, “I was removed from the throne of Equestria by a coup of angry ponies who wanted to blame me for the tragedy that had befallen them. So with a heavy heart I fled the remains of the old capital, which has since become the Everfree Forest.” She paused, recalling the painful memories of that troubled time. Shifting once more, she continued, “Even though I had fled from the capital and was now considered an enemy by many. I still continued to raise the sun and the moon, partly in the hopes that the hearts of the ponies would be softened at the sight of the sun and moon continuing their dance across the sky.” “...And did it?” Celestia nodded. “It did, it took time, but in the end many came to realize that it wasn’t my fault that things had turned out the way they had. Many of them even forgave Luna her trespasses against them, convinced that she wasn’t in her right mind when everything happened. However, things were far from ideal for my followers and I. We were forced to seek shelter in the Zebra Lands to the south, for fear of annihilation by those who opposed me.” “I wasn’t aware that the Zebra’s would grant you, let alone be able to provide you with, protection from your enemies.” Celestia smiled. “It wasn’t easy convincing them to aid us, but in the end the promises of pony help with their lands helped sway them to look after us.” “Let me get this straight here, in exchange for protecting you and your people, you would have your ponies help the zebra’s with the weather?” asked Accord. “And much, much more. It is thanks to the efforts of the earth ponies and unicorns that the Zebra’s are able to use magic through their potions and alchemy. In addition to the increase in their quality of life.” “Interesting, but I don’t see how that will help us with the human problem.” “I’m getting there, be patient.” she paused for a moment to recollect her thoughts. Finally she nodded and said, “Now during this time, the Code of Harmony had fallen into disuse. Ponies no longer followed the five Elements of it, Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness and Generosity. Instead, they turned their backs on Harmony and followed the Code of Disharmony, Dishonesty, Sadness, Disloyalty, Hatred and Greed. Just as the Nightmare had wanted them too. For because of her influence, however weak and small it may have been, it was enough to turn ponies into monsters and because of this, ponies went to war. At first it was only against those who threatened them, dragons, griffins, minotaurs and the monsters of the world, just to name a few.” “I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere.” said Accord. Celestia nodded. “You are correct. In time the ponies learned to fight well and were no longer content to let the others make the first move.” “So they elected to strike their enemies first.” finished Accord. Celestia gave a tired nod. “Yes, they did. Over the years weapons technology had progressed at a rapid pace. Swords and spears had given way to cannons and firearms. Spells had become more and more dangerous. Many of them could, in the hooves of a powerful and skilled enough pony, kill hundreds at a time.” Accord cringed slightly at the thought of all that destructive potential in the hooves of a single pony. It’s a wonder that they didn’t blow themselves off the face of the planet. He thought in wonder. Turning his attention back to Celestia he asked, “So what did you do?” “At first, nothing. In my grief I allowed myself to become blind to the disaster unfolding across the land. I was so overcome with sadness and anguish, that I could barely raise the sun and the moon at times.” she replied, a touch of sadness coloring her voice. Taking a deep breath she continued, “After a time, a single nation emerged from the chaos that was Equestria and it became known as the Equestrian Commonwealth. It didn’t take long for the Commonwealth to unite all of the warring factions under a single banner and when they did.” “They came after you.” finished Accord. Celestia nodded. “Yes, they did. They saw myself and those who had gathered around me as a threat. One that could not be allowed to remain.” “So one day they decided to ‘take care’ of you and your subjects?” inquired Accord. “Yes, it caught both us and the Zebras by surprise. For years we had stayed out of Equestrian politics, contenting ourselves with rebuilding and raising our families.” she gave a mournful sigh. “The war lasted for a long time. Even though the Commonwealth had caught us off guard. We, along with the help of the Zebras and later the Griffons and Dog Clans, managed to beat them back to the gates of Canterlot were they finally surrendered to us.” “What happened then?” asked Accord. Celestia gave another mournful sigh. “You have to understand something, the war had left its mark upon the land, whole area’s had been left a desolate wasteland. In fact, the badlands to the southeast, are the result of heavy fighting and use of dangerous magic.” “Wait, the badlands have been around since before Luna’s banishment. In fact, I was the one who created them in the first place when I lost my temper!” Celestia nodded slightly. “That may be true Accord, but the constant fighting in and around the badlands only made them grow in size, in addition to becoming even more desolate and dangerous.” she gave another sigh and continued, “So after the war ended and I had been restored to the throne, reconstruction commenced. However, many ponies had lost friends and loved ones during the war and many just wanted to forget it entirely.” “So you obliged them.” “I did. It took a few years, but the results were worth it. All nations involved in the war agreed to destroy and or hide away their weapons and the knowledge on how to make them. Furthermore, it was also decided that the events leading up to, during and after the war should be left vague for later generations. Hence the old mare's tale of Nightmare Moon among other things. So over the years, as the generation that grew up during that time passed on, the knowledge of the horrors and realities of the war passed on with them.” "Wait a moment," Accord said skeptically, "For a group as obsessed with writing things down as ponies are, you expect me to believe that a war of that magnitude was just 'forgotten' like a bad dream?" “Of course not,” Celestia replied. “There were ponies who passed on the tale to the next generation, there were even some who wrote down their experiences during the war. However, most of those manuscripts have either been lost to history or locked away in somepony’s attic, forgotten. Some have, over the years, been confiscated and destroyed by the government, as they contained dangerous information that if used, could kill hundreds of innocents. But other than those isolated incidents, the war has for the most part been forgotten.” “Well that’s all well and good, but I still don’t see how this helps us with the humans.” said Accord. “Well, it’s simple really, remember how I said that those involved in the fighting either destroyed or hid the knowledge?” asked Celestia, emphasizing the word hid. It took a moment for Accord to recognize where she was going with her thought, but when he did, it was like a bolt of lightning struck him. “Are you saying that you-” “Hid them away? Yes, I do. After the war I ordered most of the weapons and knowledge of war to be destroyed. This was done in an effort to preserve the peace, in line with the treaty that I signed. However, what I didn’t tell anyone, was that I secretly ordered copies of the books and scrolls to be stored under Canterlot Castle, along with a copious amount of…items.” Accord felt like he had been hit by a train, the mere thought that just beneath his hooves lay the tools and knowledge of war, undisturbed since their entombment. Shaking his head in amazement, he asked, “Why?” “Why would I order the careful hiding of the means to wage large scale war underneath Canterlot?” she asked. “It’s simple, really. While I prayed for peace, I knew that someday these very weapons, along with the knowledge needed to use them and make them, would be needed. Even though I didn’t like it, I had to see to it that Equestria could quickly prepare itself in case danger presented itself.” Accord nodded his head slowly. “A wise ruler does not leave their country open for conquest. So, what all did you have secreted away down there?” he asked curiously. “Maybe it is best if you just saw for yourself. Of course you will need a guide and unfortunately I am unable to leave this room. However, Luna is not, and I’m sure that she would be thrilled to give you the ‘grand tour’.” If he could have seen her face properly, Accord figured that she would have had her so called ‘troll’ face on. Celestia was known to have an odd...quirk or two. The Lunar Princess rolled her eyes before sarcastically replying, “Oh sure, I would just love to go and show them around the catacombs. Trouble is Tia, that I have a cast on one of my legs and while I am able to hobble about our room with relative ease, the catacombs are another matter entirely.” “Oh? I had thought the doctor removed it earlier today?” replied her sister innocently. Luna rolled her eyes in exasperation and said, “See what I must put up with Accord? It’s a wonder I am still sane.” Celestia merely grinned before replying, “Oh Luna, you know you enjoy our ‘quality’ time together.” Accord simply sat in between the two cloud beds waiting for the two sisters to cease their verbal sparring, all the while thinking quietly to himself, I am so glad that I do not have any siblings. Sighing wearily, he cut in, “Would you two please stop your bickering? Not that I don’t mind a little chaos every now and then, but you two are starting to give me a headache.” Luna gave a sheepish smile and Celestia felt herself blushing slightly, quickly clearing her throat she said, “My apologies Accord.” Shifting slightly she continued, “Now, as I was saying earlier. I am sure that we could arrange to have Luna guide you through the sealed chambers. Besides only she or I can open the sealed doors, and since I am confined to quarters as it were, that leaves only one other alternative.” “But how will I descend all those nasty stairs with my leg in a cast?” whined Luna. “Oh hush. You just don’t like the catacombs. Accord can push you along on your cloud bed with his magic easily enough, or have a pegasus do it for him.” replied a slightly irritated and tired Celestia. Sighing Luna replied, “Very well then, if I must.” Accord looked confused, “Why wouldn’t you want to go down into the catacombs?” “Because, they remind me of…my failures and I would rather not remember them. After all it is because of my fall that these things exist at all.” “I…see.” Quickly clearing his throat he asked, “When do we leave?” Luna looked to Celestia, then back and replied, “I suppose now would work just fine.” Nodding his head Accord replied, “Very well, I’ll go and get a nurse to help get you situated and then we can go.” Luna simply waved a hoof in acknowledgement as Accord left to find a nurse. After having tracked down a nurse that could interact with the cloud bed, Accord had patiently waited outside the room while Luna was made ready for transport. While he waited he thought, I wonder how Twilight and her friends are doing. Hmm, maybe they should come with us. They are the bearers of the elements after all and I’m sure Twilight would just love to get her hooves on all those books and scrolls down there. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening and saw Luna’s bed come floating out of the room, with the pegasus nurse pushing it along. As they came abreast of him, he asked, “Luna, what do you think about bringing Twilight Sparkle and her friends along with us?” Luna glanced at Accord and after giving it some thought, replied, “You know that isn’t a bad idea, Celestia and I were already planning to tell them. Might as well do it now and get it over with.” “My thoughts exactly,” Turning his attention to the nurse he asked, “Nurse, do you think we could stop by Twilight Sparkles room?” Inquired the former draconequus. “I don’t see why not, it’s on our way towards the exit, in fact if I remember correctly she and her friends are visiting with each other as we speak, even if it is rather late in the evening.” “Excellent, well then let us go and meet with them then.” he replied. A short journey later and they found the six mares sitting on cushions in a small side room, presumably where family and friends would visit with those in the hospital. As they entered Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly stood up and bowed low at Princess Luna’s arrival. Accord noticed that the three mare’s wounds had mostly healed by now and other than a few remaining bandages, looked fine. Rarity and Fluttershy on the other hoof remained seated, Fluttershy on her cloud bed, with one of her wings bandaged and her right foreleg in a cast. While Rarity remained seated on her cushion, both her forelegs were in plaster casts, according to the doctors a candle stand had fallen across her legs during The Event. Thankfully, it was a clean break and they would heal just fine according to the doctors. As Accord looked around the room, he happened to spot her wheelchair in the corner. The final pony in the room, Pinkie Pie, failed to even notice them, her hair was completely straight, and her coat seemed to have dulled in color becoming a grayish pink. Her eyes were downcast and she seemed like she was in a trance. “Your Highness! I didn’t know you were up and about! I thought you were still confined to bed?” exclaimed Twilight. Luna gave a small smile and replied, “I was, however events have forced me to leave my room. However, before we go any farther, I would like to introduce to you Legal Accord,” She waved her hoof to indicate Accord, who in turn bowed his head in greeting. “He is here to help Tia and myself get things put back in order.” “What do ya mean, ‘put things back in order’?” drawled Applejack. Luna lifted her hoof to her chin and pondered the question for a moment before replying, “Well, as you can see, Tia and I are in no condition to lead the country at this time. In addition, even when we are finally released from the hospital, we are to ‘take it easy’ at least that is what the doctors said. Which will require some restructuring of the government.” “What do you mean ‘restructuring’?” asked Rainbow Dash. Luna became quiet for a few moments, while she tried to find the right words to say. Finally, she gave a wing shrug and said, “As you all know, Celestia for many years has not only raised the sun, but the moon as well, in addition to her duties as princess of Equestria.” The others simply nodded, continuing, Luna said, “Well, this has been fairly taxing on her and even though she is an Alicorn, even we have our limits and I’m afraid she’s reached hers.” “What do you mean?” asked Twilight. Luna gave a tired sigh. “There is much that you do not know Twilight Sparkle. I doubt that Celestia has had a real day of rest since the time of my banishment.” “I don’t understand.” “I didn’t think you would Twilight,” Luna gave another sigh before continuing, “It is like this: Celestia is the one who makes all of the decisions regarding internal and foreign matters. Oh sure, she has advisors and ministers who handle some of the burden. Yet for whatever reason, my sister set the government up so that in the end most of the decisions would fall on her shoulders.” “Now why in the hay would she do that?” inquired Applejack. Luna shook her head and said, “I honestly do not know. However, what I do know is that the current government set up is no longer as effective as it used to be.” “What’s wrong with it?” asked Rainbow Dash, cocking her head to one side. “The problem with the government Rainbow, is that everypony focuses their attention on Tia and to a lesser extent, myself. Thus, if either Tia, myself or both of us are…unavailable, then the government would be unable to function properly. In addition, it is a very tiring way to govern the kingdom, add that on top of our duties of raising and lowering both the Sun and Moon and well I think you get the idea. However, Tia plans on having Accord here take our place as the head of government.” “But, if he does that, then what happens to you and Princess Celestia?” asked Twilight, concerned at the thought of Celestia and Luna no longer ruling Equestria. Luna chuckled and replied, “Have no fear Twilight, Celestia and I will return after we have recovered sufficiently from our injuries. However, that will take some time, though I am sure that we could be cleared for some ‘light’ duties during our time off.” A collective sigh escaped from five of the six friends, Pinkie was the only one to remain silent. Upon noticing Pinkie’s lifeless like state, Accord asked, “Is there something wrong with her?” The room grew quiet and several of the ponies in the room shifted uncomfortably, finally Twilight replied, “We don’t know, physically she’s fine. Emotionally or mentally, well we’re not so sure, after she woke up…well it was like all her happiness had been sucked out of her, or like her soul had been traumatized by what happened that night. The doctors don’t know, I don’t know and I doubt that there is anypony out there that does.” She gave a weary sigh. “It hurts to see her like this, but we hoped that by talking or interacting with her, that she might snap out of it. No such luck.” She hung her head in sadness; a few tears slowly rolled down her face and fell to the floor. The rest of her friends were likewise downtrodden. Accord replied, “I am sorry about your friend, hopefully a cure for her condition can be found.” A chorus of ‘thanks’ were spoken by the five friends, turning Accord asked Luna, “Should we tell them now or let them remain with their friend?” Luna pondered for a moment, while the group of Ponyvillians looked on with curious looks on their faces. Finally, after nodding her head she replied, “Yes, I think that this would be acceptable.” Turning to her nurse she said, “Thank you for your assistance, you may go.” The nurse nodded and slowly trotted out of the room, once she was gone Luna turned back to the group and said, “What I am about to tell and show you, if you are willing, is not to be shared with anypony else. This information is very secretive and dangerous and the general population is not ready for it, yet. Do you understand and are you willing to keep silent until otherwise told?” The five friends huddled together and hastily conversed with one another. After a short space of time had passed, they turned back and Twilight replied, “We are, Your Highness. What is it that you wish to show us?” “Very well then, follow us.” turning her attention to Accord, she signalled him to push her out of the room. Several minutes later Luna, Accord, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack found themselves in front of a rather plain stonewall in one of the lower levels of Canterlot Castle. It had been decided to leave Rarity and Fluttershy behind with Pinkie Pie. Both because their injuries would make it difficult for the group during their journey through the Canterlot Catacombs and to keep an eye on Pinkie whose condition had remained unchanged. “Alright, before we go on, there is something that I need to share with you.” Twilight cocked her head to the side and asked, “What is it princess?” In a hushed voice, Luna continued, “Yesterday, Celestia and I were informed that Equestria has been...displaced from our original world.” Twilight’s brow knotted together in confusion. “Original... Wait, what? How?” she exclaimed. "You mean that while we were asleep, something managed to move the entire country onto another planet without anyone seeing it?" Rainbow added. Luna nodded. “In essence, yes. That would be correct. Now are you all sure you wish to proceed with this? Some of these…artifacts may not be pleasant to look upon.” Luna continued, cutting off any further questions from the trio. The three mares looked at each other in varying states of confusion over the previous news, before hesitantly nodding their heads in agreement. Luna nodded in turn and shifted her gaze back to the wall. Closing her eyes, she felt her magic flow through her horn, a soft blue aura surrounding it. Leaning forward, so her horn gently touched the wall, she poured more power into it, until with a faint pop, her magic faded away. At first nothing happened, after a moment of silence, Twilight turned to Luna and opened her mouth to say something. However, her words died on her tongue when a small blue dot appeared in the center of the wall and quickly spread along seemingly invisible lines set into it. As the ponies watched, a large intricately carved rune began to emerge before them; its glowing blue lines seemed to plus in a rhythm of sorts, like that of a heartbeat. However they weren’t able to appreciate its strange beauty as suddenly the lines ceased moving, and with a small burst of light the stonewall disappeared, revealing a dark stone corridor. With Accord pushing her cloud bed with his magic, Luna and the small group of ponies made their way down into the Catacombs proper. The stonewall rematerializing behind them, plunging the corridor into darkness, except for the small pool of light cast by Accords magic. However, with a quick flick of her horn, Luna’s magic caused torches to burst to life along the passageway. The group followed quietly behind the Lunar Princess as they made their way deeper into the Catacombs. As they continued onwards, the cobblestone floor and walls eventually gave way to solid stone. While they were walking along the passageway, Twilight noticed that the torches had started appearing with greater spacing, which left wide pools of darkness in between them. After a time, without any way to gauge the distance traveled, the floor slanted downwards, leading further into the mountain. It wasn’t long before they came to a set of spiral stairs, the flicker of the torches dancing on the walls as Luna asked for Accord to halt here and angling her head slightly, she called back over her shoulder. “This is your last chance to turn back, my friends. I would understand if you were uncomfortable going any further. However, if you wish to continue be warned that what you are about to see will shatter everything you think you knew about our history. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Applejack stepped forward with a determined expression on her face and replied, “Yer Highness, Ah’d be lying if ah said ah wasn’t a mite uncertain, but we’ve come this far. We’ll see it through.” Rainbow Dash nodded her head in agreement and added, “Yeah, I mean we’re going to find out about all this stuff anyways right? So might as well get it over with now.” Luna shook her head slightly, “You don’t understand. Yes, eventually everypony will know about most of our history. However, you three, and if they desire it, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, will know things that no other pony will ever know. There are some things that are best left hidden.” she finished quietly. Twilight felt herself become even more nervous, however if her friends were ready to see what was down below so was she. Steeling herself she said, “We are ready Princess, no matter what.” “Very well. Accord, if you will proceed?” Accord simply nodded. While he did not know the extent of the technological advancement between the times he was imprisoned as Discord and the Nightmare Wars, he had a fairly good idea that the three friends would be shocked, possibly even horrified, at what they were about to see. However, if they were willing to take the plunge then he wouldn’t stop them. Descending the spiral stairs was not easy, especially while trying to make sure that Luna’s bed didn’t get away from him. While a pegasus would have been better suited to moving it, unicorn magic would do in a pinch. He managed however, and soon the party found themselves at the bottom of the staircase. All around them was inky blackness, the only source of light being the torches behind them and Accords magical aura, if one looked real hard one could barely make out stacks of what looked like boxes nearby. With a wave of her horn, Luna caused the room to become bathed in light. Everypony in the group save for Luna gasped in awe at what they saw. Imposing pillars covered by elaborate carvings towered above them, helping to support the roof. Large glass orbs, hung from the ceiling by thick heavy chains, now glowed with a shifting yellow light. The room was less a room and more of a cavernous cathedral, stretching off in all directions. Looking around, Twilight noticed that a beautiful mosaic that depicted various scenes from the past made up the entire floor. Twilight lifted her front hoof and saw a unicorn dressed in some sort of antique armor holding in its magical grasp a strange blunt looking spear that belched smoke and fire from the end of it. Confused, she was about to ask Luna what kind of spear did that. However, when she looked up, she saw that Luna and Accord had moved further down the long aisle and seemed to be inspecting some boxes. Looking around, Twilight could see that the rest of the cavern was full of boxes and large crates set in a grid pattern. Squinting her eyes slightly, she could barely make out the shape of some large unidentifiable objects covered with tarp along the far wall to her right. Looking to her left, she saw something that made her inner bookworm squeal with delight: Row after row of bookshelves bursting at the seams with scrolls and books rested against the far wall. Looking back towards Luna, she could see that the princess was still busy with the boxes, and deciding that a quick peek wouldn’t hurt, she trotted over to the ancient shelves. Picking a shelf at random, she scanned the titles until she came to an ancient tome entitled Experimental Spells, carefully pulling it off the shelf, with her slightly recovered magic, she opened it and began to read. The first page was a simple index with chapter numbers and simple descriptions of what was contained within the chapter. Flipping to the first chapter, entitled Anatomy Spells, she began to read, however she quickly had to shut the book lest she lose her dinner. Learning how to strip the hide off a pony that was still alive was something she never thought a pony would come up with and it sickened her. “Now it’s stuck in my head!” She whimpered to herself. Gingerly putting the tome back, she slowly made her way back to the group. When she returned to the group, Applejack asked, “Y’all right there sugercube? You look bit green around the gills.” “I-I’m fine, just…feel a little light headed is all, probably from walking down all those stairs.” She said, before giving a weak smile. “Well alright, if you say so.” replied a concerned Applejack. Shaking her head to align her thoughts, she mulled over what she had read. Could this be what Luna was referring to? If so then I could understand why she was acting like she was earlier. Shivering slightly, Twilight looked around once more. This entire cavern is full of dangerous knowledge. The question however, is why would Luna want to share this with anypony? A sudden clinking sound caused Twilight to look over to where Luna and Accord were standing. Luna seemed to have pulled something out of a box and was now closely examining it. Looking around, Twilight spotted Rainbow making silly faces at an unfamiliar looking helmet, while Applejack was watching Rainbow and her antics and shaking her head. Clearing her throat Twilight said, “Girls, why don’t we go and see what Luna’s doing?” “Huh? Sure.” replied the chromatic pegasus as she lazily flapped her way over to Luna. Applejack simply nodded and trotted over, Twilight falling in behind her. As they approached, Twilight could see what Luna was holding in her magic. It appeared to be some sort of strange harness, with what looked like gems set in it at certain spots. As she came up next to the cloud bed, Luna noticed her and said, “Ah Twilight, I was just about to call you and your friends over. Tell me can you guess what this does?” She asked holding the strange looking harness before Twilight. Twilight looked it over trying to puzzle out what it did. However, she couldn’t and admitted defeat. “I have no idea Princess Luna, though I’m betting you know.” Luna smiled and said, “I do, but I will need some help in showing you.” Turning her attention towards Applejack, she asked, “Applejack would you come over here please?” Looking perplexed, Applejack walked over and stood next to Princess Luna. “Uh, sure. What do ya need me to do?” she asked. “Just stand still.” replied Luna as she made some minute adjustments to the harness. Giving a nod of satisfaction, she slipped the strange looking harness on the apple farmer. Looking down at the harness in curiosity, Applejack asked,“Uh, Yer Highness, what’s this?” Twilight also wondered what kind of purpose the harness served. Striding closer to her friend, she bent down so that she could more closely examine the harness better. The first thing that she noticed was that it was made of some kind of supple material that felt organic. In addition, it contained four gemstones that Twilight had, at first glance thought were diamonds due to their clearness. However, upon closer inspection, she found that they now had a slight orange tint to them. In addition, the gems were set at certain locations on the harness, two near the shoulders, one on the back, and finally one set in the center of the chest. Each gem was seated in a simple silver bezel that had been bonded to the harness, probably through magic, causing them to be nearly flush with the surrounding material. Possibly to help prevent the gems from being caught and ripped from the harness during daily activities. The harness itself was worn similar to that of a vest. After she had satisfied herself with the way the harness was seated, Luna replied, “That my dear Applejack is a special harness that will allow you to channel your magic and use it in a more controlled fashion.” After looking down at the harness for a moment Applejack asked dubiously, “So what saying Yer Highness, is that this here harness will let me cast spells like a unicorn or something?” Luna gave a knowing smile and said, “Something like that Applejack. You are an earth pony, and while you might not have a horn like Twilight or Accord, you still possess magic; as does everypony. The only difference between a unicorn and an earth pony or a pegasus is that unicorns are born with a different way to channel their inner magic.” Twilight felt her mouth hang open at the revelation and after regaining the ability to speak asked. “But Princess Luna, how is this possible? It goes against all known theories of magic!” “You just answered your own question Twilight Sparkle; it goes against all known magical theories. However, and this is no false claim I make, it really does work. You are aware of how all ponies are born with magic?” Twilight nodded, “And you know that the reason only unicorns can use it in the way they do is because they are able to focus it?” Twilight nodded her head once more, a thoughtful look overcoming her face. After a brief moment, a look of comprehension dawned on her face. “I think I get what you’re saying now. Without a way to control their magic, earth ponies and pegasi just shed their magic without really doing anything noticeable. Right?” Luna’s face lit up with a large smile. “Exactly! These harnesses allow them to exert a small amount of control over their magic and use it much like a unicorn would use theirs.” “Well then, if they allowed ponies to use their magic more fully, why were they sealed away?” asked Twilight. Luna looked unsure for a moment, then shrugging slightly replied, “I’m not sure, as I was sealed in the moon at the time. Celestia would know more than me. However she did mention that one of the reasons that she had these magical harness sealed away was that it was a condition of the treaty that ended the Nightmare Wars.” “Nightmare Wars? What were those?” asked Rainbow, perplexed at the name. Luna sighed and replied, “The Nightmare Wars were the most terrible and destructive wars that we, as a species, have ever encountered. They lasted for many years, hundreds of thousands were killed, and large swaths of land were rendered useless. At least that’s what Celestia told me; after all, I was locked up in the moon at the time.” she gave a weak smile. However the smile didn’t last. Giving a tired sigh, Luna continued, “And you all have heard of the Nightmare Wars, just not in any kind of detail.” “Huh? What the hay is that supposed to mean?” “Rainbow!” hissed Twilight, embarrassed by her friends somewhat rude behavior. Luna merely smiled and said, “Be at ease Twilight Sparkle, I am not offended.” Turning her attention back towards the cyan mare, she said, “Let me clarify.” she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing, “It is like this. When the fighting ended, much of Equestria lay in ruins and almost every family was suffering from the loss of a loved one. You could probably understand why they would want to forget about it, and from what Celestia has told me, they kind of did.” “What do you mean by ‘kind of’?” inquired Twilight. “Well, many ponies refused to write down or even talk about their experiences during the war and if they did, the records have either been destroyed or lost to time. Furthermore, and granted this is all from Celestia’s memory so some of the details might be a little off, from what I understand, many strides in technology were made during the wars, but because of the price paid for them, ponies didn’t want to use them. So they fell out of use and were also lost to the ravages of time, hence the reason for this room and for the reason as to why that harness is down here.” “But why would ponies want to fight each other so suddenly?” asked Applejack. Luna’s head bowed low in sorrow. “It is my fault. When the Nightmare corrupted me, it also spread its corruption across the land, infecting anything and anyone I came near. Not even Celestia was safe from its corrupting influence.” “But didn’t the Elements banish Nightmare Moon to the moon?” asked Twilight. “Yes, they did, but they didn’t cleanse the Nightmares influence from the hearts and minds of the those it had infected. And since it was wiped away, it festered and grew. Even though it was locked away in the moon, the combination of distrust and pain allowed it to control to a degree those it had taken over.” “So the story of Nightmare Moon is...” “Incomplete, yes Twilight that is correct. The version of events that you know of is the only one to have survived the ravages of time and even then, many ponies still didn’t know that much about it.” “So what happened to those who Nightmare Moon corrupted?” asked Rainbow. “I don’t know, and neither does my sister, at least not for sure. Over the centuries she’s come up with several theories concerning it. One of which is that those most heavily corrupted by the vile magic were killed during the war, while the rest of those afflicted simply learned to ‘live’ with it so to speak. From what Tia could tell, the magic wasn’t passed on to the next generation, but she is not completely sure.” she finished, shrugging helplessly. The four other ponies exchanged glances, before Applejack hesitantly asked, “So...does that mean that when Nightmare Moon came back the second time, she ‘infected’ us again?” Luna blinked, surprised at the thought. Placing a hoof to her chin, she contemplated the idea for a time. After several minutes of tense silence, she looked back at the others and replied, “I do not think that you have reason to worry. If anypony had been infected, they would have shown signs of it by now. Moreover, the fact that I was cleansed of that...affliction instead of being sent back to the moon, bodes well for all involved. Most likely, if any corruption did occur, it was cleansed when you girls used the Elements on Nightmare Moon.” Twilight and her friends breathed a sigh of relief at Luna’s pronouncement. Looking around the room, Twilight finally said, “So, this room. It’s full of things to hurt ponies with.” Luna nodded somberly. “Yes Twilight, it is. Many of these devices have only one purpose. To kill and destroy everything they touch. Others, such as that harness that Applejack is wearing, can be put to other uses. Believe it or not, but ponies got to be very clever when it came to the art of war and it looks like we will have to once more become clever at it.” she finished sorrowfully. “But…why? I mean, yeah sure there’s been some weird stuff going on lately. But that doesn’t mean we gotta go to war does it?” inquired Rainbow Dash hopefully. “I can only hope. However, and I want you three to keep it to yourselves for the time being, not only are we no longer in our world, but there’s a decent chance that the natives may be less than friendly.” At that, Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. “That’s why you are showing us all of this. You think we will have to use these weapons against them.” “I pray that it will not be necessary to do so. But if we have no choice, then…yes, ponies will need to kill those who threaten us. I wish it were otherwise, but from what we have learned so far, this world is a lot different than ours was and it’s people are in a constant state of armed tension.” At this point, Luna took a deep breath before continuing, “And, if the source is indeed correct, and I have little reason to doubt it, then every single nation on this world has at their call hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, and they are willing to use them to advance their own purposes.” This news hit the three friends like a runaway applecart, to find out that not only had they been ripped from their old comfortable world, but that they had been thrust into a new world full of violence and hate. Applejack was the first to recover her voice. “So, what do we do Yer Highness?” “Prepare, fair Applejack. We hope for peace but make ready for war. It will not be easy, nor pleasant. But if our nation is to survive in this harsh new world, then we will need to be ready.” replied Luna solemnly. A short silence fell upon the group. Shaking her head, Luna continued, “Enough, I have brought you here to see what our nation created to defend itself with, not to wallow in pity. Now Applejack, I believe those gems are charged enough for you to use them.” “Charged? What do you mean by that?” asked Applejack. “These gems feed upon your inner magical reserves, thus if they haven’t been worn in sometime then they require a short time to absorb your magic. In order to use them you must focus your mind; if you were to try to pick something up with them you must think about picking the item up. Try it with this lid here.” She lifted a lid and set it down in front of Applejack. “Now focus on that lid, imagine yourself picking it up.” When Applejack’s hoof moved to pick it up, Luna said, “No, do not use your hoof. Use your magic, focus on the lid with your magic. Do you feel a warm sensation?” When Applejack nodded, Luna smiled and said, “Good. That means that you have tapped into your inner magic. Now picture in your mind that you are picking it up without physically touching it.” An orange glow surrounded the lid and with sweat beginning to bead on her forehead, Applejack managed to lift the wooden lid off the stone floor into the air. As the lid came level with her head Applejack let a triumphant yell, while both Twilight and Rainbow looked on in amazement. Setting the lid back down Applejack tried again, this time she found it a little easier to lift it and with a smile of wonderment spreading across her face bowed low to Princess Luna and said, “Yer Highness, thank you for showing this to me. Ah never in all mah life thought ah would be able to do something like this.” “You’re welcome Applejack, though I feel I should inform you that like anything other type of physical endeavor you will need to build up your magical ‘muscles’ if you want to lift or carry anything heavier than a simple lid.” “Ah will Princess Luna, though ah was wondering, what’s the heaviest thing ya think ah could lift with this here harness?” Applejack asked inquisitively. Luna gave a soft laugh and replied, “Oh Applejack, ever the curious one aren’t you. The harness is actually not all that more capable than the average unicorn in terms of lifting ability. However, unlike a unicorn’s horn, those gems have a limit to what they can lift. The heaviest thing I have heard of that a pony can lift with that harness was when Celestia told me about a supply wagon that had become stuck in a mire during a campaign and they had to lift it free. However, that was only after the wagon had been emptied of its load and it taxed both the gems and the pony greatly, so I doubt you would be able to lift anything much heavier than that by yourself.” Applejack felt a little crestfallen at Luna’s reply. She had always prided herself on being strong and in top physical condition, and even though she tried hard not to be a show off, the news that she had little chance to really flex her magical ‘muscles’ was a little disappointing. However, she quickly decided that it wasn’t really that important and turning towards the lunar princess, she smiled up at her and replied, “Alright Princess Luna that seems fair ah reckon. Though ah just have one more question about these harnesses.” “Ask away Applejack.” “What are they made of? It feels…warm if that makes any sense.” “From my understanding it is derived from kelp and is magically enhanced to take the daily strains and abuses of life.” replied Luna. “Kelp?” asked Applejack as she looked down at the harness with confusion. “This doesn't look like it was made from kelp.” “Well, according to Celestia, the kelp has been magically altered into a more sturdier material. I’m not sure of how this is accomplished other than that magic is involved.” Carefully removing the harness, Applejack placed it on a nearby crate. Twilight and Rainbow moved closer so that they could get a better look. After a few moments of inspecting the harness, Twilight turned to Luna and said, “Your Highness, this harness could have been of great use for ponies, why hide it away?” Sighing, Luna replied, “I do not know all the details, but from what Celestia has told me, at that time everyone was tired of fighting. Many had lost loved ones and there was a great mourning throughout the world. Ponies had been fighting for so long that many thought of anything created during the war as...distasteful, and simply wanted to put the bad times behind them and move on with their lives. Celestia however, foresaw the need for such things as those that you see around you. Even though she was more than ready to also put the war behind her and move on, she realized that if it could happen once, it could happen again. So she commanded that examples of all weapons, in addition to copies of the books and diagrams on how to make them be hidden beneath Canterlot Castle.” She paused for a moment, turning her head to scan the nearby crates and boxes. Apparently spotting what she was looking for, she said, “I can see she even went so far as to have the tools that were used to make the weapons dismantled and stored here as well. I suppose she was just being paranoid at the time. After all she and what was left of the old Equestrian kingdom had been attacked without warning. So I suppose she was just planning for any and all possibilities.” She gave a wing shrug and fell silent awaiting a reply. Rainbow was the first to speak, “That doesn’t sound like our Princess Celestia, I mean she’s always so kind and…” “Peaceful?” supplied Luna. “Yeah, peaceful. I mean if everypony was tired of war at that point and they had destroyed all their weapons then why go through all this trouble?” “A pony can change a lot over time, Rainbow Dash. Even back then Celestia wasn’t what you would call ‘bloodthirsty’, but she was very protective and would do whatever it took to protect her subjects. Even if they didn’t like how she went about it. That’s why she kept this all a secret Rainbow Dash. If anyone had found out that she had not in fact destroyed all of these weapons and the knowledge on how to make them, it would have destroyed everyone’s confidence in her, possibly leading to her have to abdicate the throne. Thankfully however she didn’t get caught and never had to abdicate her throne. Instead what happened was that we entered an age of peace that lasted for hundreds of years and as time went on, ponies forgot about the war, simple as that.” Twilight found this hard to believe and stated, “They just forgot about war, just like that?” “Well it didn’t happen overnight, Twilight Sparkle. It took many years, but without the books and scrolls that contained the information about war and with the passing of the last generation that experienced it first hoof, it became muddled; and then finally disappearing altogether save in certain circles. Which, I am to understand, Celestia watches very closely. Now, shall we continue on or do you have any further questions on this subject?” asked Luna. When no one spoke up, she nodded to Accord resume pushing her bed with his magic. As they continued down the long row of crates and boxes, Luna showed the three friends various ancient weapons from spears to crossbows. However, it was when they came to a stack of long crates with the strange looking weapons that Twilight had seen the unicorn in the mosaic using before. When she asked what they were, Luna explained, “This, Twilight, was the pinnacle of weapons development at the time. They are called firearms; however many ponies back then just called them guns. This one was the last to be developed by our artisans and only a few hundred were made before the end of the war. It was the first to have an all metal self-contained cartridge.” “What is that?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rather than try to explain it to her, Luna simply took one out of a nearby crate, lifted it up to eye height, and said, “This is a rifle cartridge, often referred to as a bullet, which is this little piece of metal at the tip of it here.” She indicated the aforementioned part with the point of her hoof, “And it is what comes out of the barrel of the rifle when the powder is ignited inside the cartridge.” “That little thing doesn’t look like it could hurt somepony that bad.” replied the cyan pegasus. “Don’t be fooled by its size Rainbow Dash, a bullet can kill you faster than a sword or spear ever could. Or it could leave you in agony for days before you expired, if nopony tended to the wound. It really just comes down to the abilities of the shooter.” She gave a wing shrug once more and continued with her description of the weapon. Many of the words she used were unfamiliar to the friends, but the gist of it got through. It was a dangerous weapon, do not take it lightly or suffer the consequences. While it didn’t seem as intimidating as say a sword or spear, it exuded an aura of subtle power, it was shorter than a spear, being only about seven hooves in length from one end to the other. Its wooden stock, as Luna had called it, looked like it would fit a pony’s shoulder quite well and the wood had a warm reddish brown tinge to it. The metal of the weapon gleamed like polished silver in the glow of the overhead lights. Looking at it more closely, Twilight could see that the rifle was designed with a pony in mind. The ‘trigger guard’, as Luna had called it, was large enough for a pony to comfortably fit their hoof through. In addition, Luna had explained that when a pony pulled the trigger guard down, it would open the ‘breech’ of the weapon, which Luna had called a ‘falling block action’. Moreover, when the action was opened to put a new cartridge in, a small block of metal would extend from the body of the gun and ‘cock’ the ‘hammer’, which would allow the weapon to fire. Or at least that was what Luna had said, in all honesty Twilight was feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of information that had been thrown her way over the past few hours. Looking over at Luna she asked, “Do you think we could come back to this tomorrow Princess Luna, I don’t know about AJ or Rainbow Dash, but I’m exhausted.” Luna nodded and replied, “I think that might be wise. If you wish, you could recount what we have discussed with the others in your rooms when we return if you like. I admit that this must be very overwhelming for you three. I will admit that when Celestia first showed all of this to me and told me all that had transpired since my imprisonment I too was overwhelmed.” Turning to Accord she said, “It’s late, if you would be so kind as to take me back to my room Accord, I would be most grateful.” “Of course, Your Highness,” He began to push her bed along with his magic when she said, “And get yourself some good rest as well Accord. When was the last time you had any sleep?” He stopped for a moment and gazed off for a moment in contemplation before replying, “I’m not quite sure honestly.” She chided him, “Then get some sleep or you’ll make yourself sick and that will not do at all.” He gave a noncommittal grunt, but said nothing. As they made their way out of the underground store room, the lights dimmed and finally went out one by one, plunging the room once more into darkness. The artifacts could wait; they had already waited for many centuries, what were a few more days? As the small group reached the stairs and began to ascend, Twilight looked back over her shoulder at the now darkened room and thought. Why must it be like this? Why can’t we live together in harmony with these ‘humans’ like the other peoples of our old world? When no answer was forthcoming, she just shook her head sadly and hastened her pace to catch up with the rest of the group. Author's Note Well here we go. Chapter 4, up a whole 9 days before the month time limit was reached. I have achieved my goal! ~yay!~ Anyways, as usual a big thanks goes to Shoggoth my editor who has been a big help in making this train wreck of a story look good. And if you spot anything wrong let me know, quote of the problem sentence would be a good idea so that I can find the problem faster. Anyways, enjoy chapter 4!
