Standing Tall

by Retsamoreh

Chapters

Chapter 1: Prelude to the Deluge
Chapter 2: Raindrops
Chapter 3: Campfires

Chapter 1: Prelude to the Deluge

Chapter 1

Prelude to the Deluge

"Lost time is never found again."
--0--

--0--

This story begins in the small town of Retsamoreh.

Two young humans, both no older than seventeen, stood in front of a wooden gate. Behind the gate was a farm, and although neither of the men really had a clue as to why the farm should be guarded, they didn’t complain. They wore light leather armor, although the reason for it was again beyond them. One happened to be much taller than the other, and his name was Lawrence.

“Psst...” came the obnoxious whisper of his companion, shattering the daydream Lawrence was engrossed in. He quickly swept the fragments into the corners of his mind and placed his full attention on ignoring his comrade.

"Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssst!" A drop of spit clung to the side of the tall man's face.

"PSSSS-"

"Enough!" the man barked, finally turning his head towards his friend. "Simon, friend, I do know you are impatient, but we cannot abandon our posts. You know as well as I do that you'll have to go in your armor, unless Giles comes to relieve yo-"

"No no, mate. Ah just dunno what we'll do when the kid makes his way over ‘ere." Simon interrupted. He held up a gloved hand and pointed down the dirt path. They both leaned slightly forward, straining to get a good look at the child strutting towards them.

The boy looked to be about five years of age. His dirty, poorly groomed blonde hair bobbed on his head as he walked down the path, attempting to mimic the gait the higher-ranked guards used. Against one shoulder he held a thin stick, grasping the thicker end like a sword. His small tunic flapped against his legs as the autumn winds rolled through the hillside.

Completely forgetting about his previous adventure as the noble guard of the kingdom, the boy charged towards the two. Lawrence and Simon couldn't help but smile, at least until their eyes flicked up once again to the other man. The guard-turned-child stabbed his stick into the ground as he stopped, grinning up at the two. His father was still a ways behind, so Lawrence spoke up.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of seeing the young lord today?" he asked, knowing full well that the boy only thought of them as two silly guards with odd accents. It never hurt to be polite, he figured. The child plucked his stick out of the ground, only to slap the side of it against Simon's shin.

"Owwwuh! Honestly!" Complained Simon, wincing. Lawrence only glared at him, wishing at least one of them could disappear altogether. Catching his eye, Simon shrugged, brushing a bit of the red hair out of his eyes. "Well thah..." His eyes dropped to the ground, blood rushing to his face. "Well just s'prised me is all."

Lawrence looked back at the kid, eyes flicking once up to his approaching father. He opened his mouth, holding the stick like a sword again. "Father says he has ah new job for you." Lawrence stood straight up, staring wide-eyed at a still red Simon.

"You don’t think he aims to put us on the pig duty again, do yah Lewris?" Simon asked with his voice frozen in fear, eyes far wider than Lawrence's. The only immediate reaction that Lawrence had was to continue staring at his friend, before finally sighing.

"Law-rence, Simon," he said, over enunciating his name for the thousandth time before he looked back at the ground. "I refuse to worry about it, and if we are put back in charge of that horrific job, I'm taking the night shift." He looked back up and gave a wry smile in Simon's direction.

"Thas not fair, them pigs are always awake during the day!" Simon said, with his voice on the verge of cracking. "Oh," he whispered, eyes going wide again as he snapped to attention. Lawrence followed, hearing the heavy footfalls of their superior.

"Now, Richard, did you scare these two fine soldiers?" joked the tall form of a man. He wore a brown, almost gown-like shirt and leggings with a cape draped over his shoulders. His pants were tucked into his leather boots, his normal attire when he wasn't hosting a feast. Lawrence certainly remembered their last feast, even if it was years ago.

"Oh he weren't bothering us, Sir Theobald," Simon said impassively, taking a moment to glance at the striking figure as he stopped behind his son. "But he did say somethin’ about you giving us ah new job, dint he Lewris?" Lawrence didn't answer, only biting at his lower lip in annoyance.

Theobald laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "I see he did, judging from the looks on your faces before I arrived. There is nothing to fear, and stop standing so straight all the time. You'll break your backs. You're just lookouts, you know." Simon almost instinctively breathed out a small sigh and let his shoulders relax, a content smile appearing on his face. Lawrence kept ready, silently assuming it was some sort of test.

The lord continued, smiling warmly. "I was on my way to the blacksmith when my son reminded me I needed to speak to you two. We have no more need for these fields to be guarded. The griffon camp has moved east," Lawrence glanced at Simon, who had a slightly worried look creeping onto his face, "which is the reason you are both being moved up to the regular ranks. Giles will be down here tomorrow with your new armor and weapons. Lawrence, you are an expert bowman, I hear."

Lawrence couldn't suppress the small grin on his face. "Yes m'lord. I believe myself to be an excellent bowman and an adequate swordsman. Simon is-" Lawrence lowered himself a bit, shoulders dropping slightly as Theobald interrupted him with a raised hand.

"Yes, I know your friend is good with an axe, youngest son of a woodcutter and all." Lawrence glanced over at the now-beaming Simon, who was fidgeting slightly in his armor. "As I said before, you'll both be getting new armor and weapons. You may accompany me to the blacksmith to be fitted, if you wish." Theobald turned around, waving one hand at Richard. "Come along, son."

The boy turned around and lazily walked after his father. Lawrence stared at Simon for a moment, both grinning. For them, finally, the long and tireless hours of standing guard over the fields were over. Lawrence wouldn't waste his efforts shooting down wolves or foxes who got too close, and Simon wouldn't have to continue complaining about how his armor itched. Being in the regular ranks of Retsamoreh's guard was considered an honor... as well as a bit of a relief.

Lawrence adjusted the shortsword hanging from his belt and marched after the two ahead of him. Simon jogged to his side, still grinning. "An this means we get extra rations, right, Lewris?" Lawrence dropped his smile as his friend spoke, taking a moment before nodding. Several meters ahead of them, Theobald raised a hand and stopped, turning his head to address the two.

"You two, if you could pause for a moment. I forgot what day it is." Theobald lowered slightly to the ground, his cape folding against the dirt. He held one arm around Richard, the other pointed towards the sky. "She’ll be here, son. Keep looking."

The child drew his attention from his stick to the sky, staring eagerly at the few clouds in it. Lawrence and Simon stopped, their grins wiped from their faces. Simon shuffled closer to his friend, leaning a bit to whisper, "He don mean what I think he does, does he?" Lawrence stared at Simon, wondering why they had the misfortune of being paired together.

"There!" Theobald said, grinning to his son before looking back up at the sky. The other three followed his gaze. A small yellow dot burst through the clouds above, scattering bits of white as the cloud dispersed. Richard simply stared in awe at the sight.

Lawrence and Simon frowned. "No rain again, m'lord," Simon said. It was a glum, almost whispered statement. Simon and Lawrence both stared at the ground. No rain seemed to be the new status quo for the past few months.

Theobald nodded, reaching into his pouch for something. "Yes, I expected to do this in a more private area but my timing has been off. Have you ever spoken to a pegasus, Simon?" He pulled out a small square mirror and held it above him, slowly turning it to catch the light of the sun.

Simon and Lawrence both looked up. "No m'lord, ah don think Lewris 'as either," Simon said. Lawrence lightly bit his lower lip again. Richard continued gaping at the yellow creature flying above, tearing the clouds apart.

The pegasus stopped, and Lawrence felt its gaze. Like a rock, its descent was nearly instant. Lawrence and Simon flinched at the speed, faster than any arrow Lawrence had ever fired. In moments they could make out the details. Yellow fur and feathers, mostly. A wild maroon mane flowed behind it, bouncing as the pegasus landed merely two meters from Theobald, the tip of its head at level with the man’s chest.

"Hey, why the flashy thing? I can’t do my job if I can't see!" it barked in an aggravated female tone. She ruffled her wings a bit, glaring expectantly at Theobald, eyes growing wider as she studied him. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Theobald. It's been so long," she sputtered out, sitting on her haunches and using one hoof to move her mane away from her face. "Why'd you need me down here?"

Theobald frowned. He still crouched on one knee, so he was eye level with the pegasus. "I need to ask why we haven’t been receiving the rain that’s normally on our schedule. It currently isn't a problem, but I still feel the need to ask." He paused, still holding one hand on his son's shoulders. “However, that can wait. Introductions are needed. This is my son, Richard." His grip tightened around his son for a moment, everyone but the two guards smiling. "Richard, this is Sunset Dancer. She rules over our skies and delivers our rain."

Sunset bowed in front of Richard, making him giggle. Lawrence and Simon took a few tentative steps back to give Theobald some space to talk without them leaning over his shoulder. Richard reached out to the pegasus, grinning. “Can I feel your wings?” he asked, craning his neck to get a good look at Sunset’s side.

“I, ah....” Sunset looked up at Theobald, who nodded. “Sure, kid.” She turned to her side, and lifted one wing out for Richard to touch. She looked up and addressed Theobald as Richard ran his small hands through her feathers. “He’s nice, Theobald. You and your wife did well.”

Theobald responded with a sad smile, and waved his hand dismissively. “Indeed. How have you been? It’s been years since we last spoke, what with your constant traveling between Skyhome city and here, and merely to push a few clouds around....”

“It’s really no trouble, and I’m- Ow! Don’t pull on that! Ah, um, I’ve been fine, Theobald. I got engaged.”

“Really?” Theobald comically stroked an invisible beard, grinning. “As long as it has been, I specifically remember you saying you didn’t plan on that. Alas! We may discuss these matters in private, later.” He turned to look at the two guards shifting uncomfortably behind him, "these two fine men are Simon and Lawrence,” he said, still wearing his diplomatic smile. Lawrence offered a small grin and a nod towards Sunset, and Simon took a deep bow.

“Greetings. It is a pleasure,” Lawrence said.

“Allo, miss,” Simon said at the same time. Theobald fully turned his back to the pegasus, and pointed at the two.
"Could you entertain Richard for a moment? I must discuss private matters with Sunset."
Lawrence opened his mouth to reply, “ye-”

"Yes m'lord, will do," Simon interjected. Lawrence sighed as Theobald and Sunrise walked away. For a while, the awkward group stood there, staring expectantly at one another. Simon blinked a few times, and Richard blinked back. Lawrence glanced up at Sunset, who hovered at Theobald's eye level, exchanging words that grew quiet as the two stepped away.

Richard huffed, picking up his stick and thwacking it against Simon's shin a second time. Simon gave a low growl in the direction of his assailant, both of them grinning. "Arruh! I'm ah bear and I hungers fer little lords today!" he roared. Richard laughed, running down the hill past him, dropping his stick sword as he pumped his short legs. "Raahh! COME'ERE YOU!"

Lawrence dragged the palm of his hand across his face and sighed.

--0--

The town of Retsamoreh remained nearly the same for a good amount of time. It wasn’t until the 16th year that the gradual, almost unnoticeable decrease in rain became apparent.

On behalf of Theobald, Sunset Dancer begged the nearest pegasus city, Skyhome, for rain. They denied her, and in her spite she dropped everything and moved to Retsamoreh with her husband and foal. Her husband later fell ill and died.
With drought hanging over the town, it fell into chaos. Other towns and cities stopped trade due to the loss of the crops and other tradable goods, and the townspeople began losing hope. Stephan and Fordwin, the two most clever men living in Retsamoreh, proposed the idea of making the dangerous and long journey to seek the favor of the two gods residing in the great city of Kuiper. Theobald, seeing no other way to save his people, brought his best guards and his advisor together and set off to Kuiper in a last-ditch attempt to save his people.

This is not that story.

--1--

Kuiper had always been an especially safe place. Not because of the Pegasus Guard which constantly patrolled the streets and walls, nor the isolation from danger, nor the imposing marble walls themselves. Certainly, the guards had their effect on the populace, and the city’s distance from danger also helped. Much rather, Kuiper housed five of the most powerful living beings on the planet. Four of them were considered to be gods in different parts of the world.

However, the denizens of Kuiper didn’t refer to the first two as gods, they called them “King” and “Queen”, just as they always had. The other two were “The Princesses” as a pair, or otherwise just “Princess”.

The Kuiperians called the last one “Sir”. His real name was Morning Star: Royal Advisor to the King and Queen of Equestria. As the Steward of the palace, his duties revolved around tending to visiting dignitaries and relaying important messages, but he also watched over the two princesses residing within the palace walls.

The palace, also known as “the Great Tower”, was located in the middle of the city and could be seen for miles away in any direction. As isolated as it was, Kuiper was no stranger to imposing architecture, and the impossible height of the Great Tower could send a pegasus into cold shivers. It had to be a frightening place to live, most ponies agreed, and they had no idea how the royal family could stand it.

To be honest, the Royal Family didn’t. They loved it. The Princesses had always adored the simple joy of being higher in the air than everypony else. The air wasn’t too thin, and it was easy to get used to, even after a single night. The King and Queen never really paid the height any mind, or, if they did, they never showed it.

The Princesses had shown great interest in astronomy, and being closer to the sky allowed for a better study of the stars. They would often perform observations and studies from a private balcony, far above the lights and noise of the city below.

--1--

"He's just so stuffy all the time, isn't he?" Celestia said, resting her head on the desk in front of her. The only other occupants of the desk were several books and a messy looking star chart.

"Yes," Luna muttered, sitting on a pillow near to her sister. She craned her neck to peer at the chart. A bronze telescope stood a few feet next to her.

"Truly, I can understand a little bit, being the captain of the guard, but really! It's not like Gallant has real combat experience. He’s practically useless!" Celestia cast her sister a sideways glance.

"Do be fair, he does try, sister," Luna said softly. The chart zipped from the table and floated next to her head, and she turned around to face the telescope. “You really ought to give him some slack.”

"I suppose he does..." Celestia stood up, following her sister to the telescope. She peered curiously down at the young Alicorn. "You do realize there won't be any stars out for a few hours, right?"

"Mom always says to be prepared," Luna replied, slowly moving the telescope into position. "So I wanna be prepared." She pressed one eye against the lens, closing the other.

Celestia tapped her hoof to her chin for a moment, before promptly saying, “did Morning Star tell you anything about the human Lord who’s supposed to reach us tonight? Mom and dad made me sit through court again. Very dull."

Luna looked away from the telescope and moved back to the desk, levitating the chart next to her. "Actually, he should be here by now. He and his party are probably all being escorted to the throne room at this very moment. Mom, Dad, and Morning Star all agreed to meet with Theobald right before they were let into their guest rooms. He said we could watch, if we wanted.”

Celestia looked at her sister for a moment, before turning back to the low archway that led back into the personal living room and general study for the two Princesses. "Really? That would be interesting... I haven't seen a human since Lockewin was invited for a feast celebrating the final defeat of the griffon army. That was years ago. I was so young, and you weren't even born yet."

"You told me that already, you know," Luna said, slowly walking next to Celestia's side, “and are we going to go meet them or not? This is rather exciting, and I’d rather not wait any longer." She beamed up at Celestia, who returned the gaze with equal force. They walked in-step, Celestia shutting the balcony doors behind them.

The study was a mess, as usual. Papers, books, various mathematical instruments, and empty inkwells were strewn across the tables, and the bookshelves were just as chaotic. Hours before, a certain captain of the guard named Gallant Venture had chastised the Princesses about it, saying that if the humans saw the junk they might think littler of them. "Princesses," he had insisted, "are not sloppy."

A silky voice drifted from the hallway outside, the same one that woke the girls up each morning. Morning Star, talking in the most regal, profound, and scholarly tone they had ever heard, which was surprisingly easy for him. "This floor is mostly dedicated to the two Princesses, Luna and Celestia."

"Sir Star, is that- Oh, hello there," Luna said, sticking her head out the door. She caught sight of the tall unicorn stallion and his retinue of even taller humans. All of them wore thick leather garments, each looking weary and bored. As soon as they saw Luna, though, they instantly straightened, looking curiously at her. They began sputtering greetings and impromptu bows.

"Your Highness."

"Your Majesty."

"It's an honor to be in your presence."

"Your eyes are lovely."

"An honor to- Simon! Don't talk to her like that!" The tallest of them glared at a short, red-bearded man, jabbing him in the ribs with an elbow. Luna giggled and gracefully walked the rest of the way into the hall, which wasn't much of a hall- more of an inner-balcony. The Great Tower was mostly hollowed out, with various marble walkways bridging the open spans in an odd chaotic order that only the architects knew. It was designed, of course, so that one could look straight down and see the two thrones of the King and Queen.

Celestia followed closely behind Luna, eliciting more bumbled greetings from the visitors. Both of them stopped in front of Morning Star, each staring curiously at whichever human looked to be interesting, which happened to be all of them.

Morning Star was a glass-like unicorn, not bulky or muscular in any way, shape, or form. His white coat and silver mane only exaggerated this fragile appearance. His mark was a simple, seven-pointed gold star, seemingly nothing special at first glance.

"The human Lord, Theobald, is still downstairs discussing things with your parents. These are his loyal guards. They've had a long trip, and I imagined that giving them a tour of 'The City of the Gods' would be a nice break."

"A pleasure to meet you all. I am Princess Celestia," the elder and taller of the two Alicorn Princesses said, proudly holding her head high. She wasn't fully grown, certainly not yet, but that didn't stop her from appearing any less regal. "This is my sister, Princess Luna." She paused, carefully eyeing the closest of the guards, the short one with the beard. "Your names?"

"Simon, ma'am," he said, smiling brightly at her and giving a clumsy bow.

The tall guard next to him straightened his shoulders and puffed his chest out, staring impassively at the Princesses. Celestia could tell he held his appearance in higher priority than some of the other guards. His long, light brown cloak looked completely un-torn, though obviously weathered from travel. A bow was draped around his back, still strung. The ends of a few arrows stuck out from the quiver. "Lawrence, your Majesties," he deadpanned, giving only a curt nod. The act reminded Celestia of the many palace guards she ran into during her daily routine, making her smile.

"Colin, milady."

"Bennet."

"Fulk."

Each gave their own bow or nod of the head, and a few awkward moments passed before Morning Star spoke up. "I could pause the tour and take you all down there. By the time we reach the throne, they'll have most likely finished the, ah... negotiations. Would you all find that to be acceptable?"

"Fine with us," they said in unison, each stepping to a side of the balcony to let the Princesses and Morning Star pass.

"Royalty first, 'ah course," Simon said, gesturing for the Princesses to pass. Luna smiled at him as she and Celestia walked to the front of the party with Morning Star a few steps behind them. The group began the steady trek down the inside of the tower, and the sounds of foot and hoof on marble echoed around the vast interior.

"I take it your trip went smoothly?" Celestia asked, glancing quickly at the guards. The one that called himself Lawrence lightly tapped a hand on Simon's shoulder before speaking up.

"For the most part, yes. We ran into some trouble in Neighton, and after we left, but that was to be expected."

"What happened?" Luna questioned, earning a quick glare from Celestia for her inconsideration. Lawrence coughed into his hand, clearing his throat, and he glanced nervously at his companions. The other guards just nodded, silently electing Lawrence as their voice.

“Almost a day after we left the town, we were ambushed by a griffon raiding party. We've never fought griffons, but we held our ground... We lost Hugh and Theobald's advisor, Alard."

"Bless their souls," Simon muttered.

"Another unfortunate victim was a brilliant pegasus bard named Lyric. He had offered his services as an entertainer, and.... It really wasn't a fair fight. I'm surprised we got out of it without losing more. Couldn't have done it without Simon and Fulk. They're brilliant warriors."

"Ah really am, aren't I?" Simon said, earning another elbow from Lawrence.

"Shush, you. Anyways. The rest of the journey was tame in comparison. Just traveling, and sometimes stopping the entire group for one of Simon's 'tinkle' breaks.” Lawrence stopped short, swallowing nervously at the slip of tongue. “Some of these men are an asset when it comes to the battlefield, but drive you insane when it comes to long trips."

Celestia chuckled, taking a turn and leading the group through a longer stairwell. "You are here now, though, are you not? We will be sure to provide you with comfortable accommodations.”

There was a long pause as Celestia steered the group directly down the stairs. Slowly, they lost their formation. Celestia lead, with Lawrence and Simon walking on either side of Luna. Morning Star walked in the middle, a few of the guards trailing behind him. Luna looked up at Lawrence, who towered over both Celestia and herself, and grinned. "So how many griffons did you kill, Sir Lawrence?" she asked.

"Four," he answered, "of course, Simon has convinced himself that I 'stole’ one of them, so you can make of that what you-"

"He did!" Simon complained, earning a grimace from both Celestia and Lawrence. Luna just stared on in an innocent awe. "An Ah got ten of the buggers!" he finished with a smug smile, raising a thick finger in the air for added emphasis.

"How very grim. You sound like you enjoyed it, and you did, didn't you?" Celestia piped up from the front, glaring back at Lawrence and Simon without a single misstep.

"Part of the Retsamoreh Guard Oath is to never enjoy such an act,” Lawrence said. “We strictly.... eh. It's complicated. Simon just likes his job, thinks that every griffon he offs means he's saving a life. I really wish we didn’t have to resort to violence with them, but sometimes defending yourself is simply the only option."

"It's true," Simon spoke up from the other side of Luna.

"Well that's very noble, then," Celestia said before staring hard at Luna. "Don't ask any more awkward questions, please," she hissed.

"T'aint really awkward," Simon muttered absent-mindedly. Luna moved up next to Celestia, looking up at the elder Alicorn with big, beaming eyes. Celestia held her ground with an iron will, and after a minute or so Luna gave up.

Wherever there was space on the inside of the Great Tower, the higher-ups had decided it fit to place a statue. Specifically, statues of whomever they deemed important enough to make statues of. War heroes and previous leaders, mostly. Anyone could tell that whoever made the statues favored ponies, as there was a notable lack of griffons or dragons, and only four humans.

A pair of towering humans stood hand-in-hand in the long line of statues, each adorned with a small crown. Celestia glanced at them as the group passed, and her mind drifted to years past. Morning Star had made sure to give them all the information possible on the two, known as Omir and Siromi. The two, as Morning Star had told them, were the first human leaders to set foot in Equestria. “Anypony with a basic knowledge of Equestrian history would know about them and the historic founding of the human city of Solis,” he had said. “What they wouldn’t know, of course, is that the legend that Omir was blessed by your parents was indeed true, though not the reason Solis thrived as the legend suggests.”

Her eyes and thoughts were drawn to the third human statue. Most ponies wouldn’t know who he was, unfortunately, but “Such was life,” Morning Star explained, “However,” he had dryly stated, walking over to an oversized map in their study, “it’s no lie that Equestria would be very different without Sir Lockewin. His strategies revolutionized warfare as we knew it and still play a vital role in our defense today, as his politics have lasted until now, keeping the peace between us and the griffons. It is a shame he faded into obscurity so quickly.”

She spared only a half-second glance at the last of the statues. It had perplexed her and Luna during their studies, and Morning Star had admitted even he, an adviser to the rulers of the country, did not have any knowledge of its identity other than the simple plaque reading “The Knight” at its base. When she and her sister had questioned her parents about it, her father had simply raised an eyebrow and smiled bemusedly down at them. “That statue is of a friend,” he had said, “it does not concern you nor Morning Star.”
"HALT!"

Everyone, pony or otherwise, instantly moved to peer over the side of the railing. Luna and Celestia looked towards the thrones, and everyone else looked at Theobald, who stood straight in front of the thrones with an outstretched arm from which an obscured, roundish object hung - Theobald, who stood now in front of two very stone-like Alicorns resting still on their thrones. Their bodies were now devoid of all color, and their long manes not longer flowed from an invisible wind. Definitely statues.

The pegasus guard surged into the rest of the throne room, headed directly for Theobald. The Lord of Retsamoreh turned around slowly, simply holding out the object in the direction of the onrushing guard. The white stallion began skidding to a stop, a silent scream plastered onto his face. His body stopped in front of the human, the white of his coat and silver of his armor dulled to stone grays. A low, almost metallic chuckle emanated from Theobald.

Luna and Celestia stared on in horror, faces blank and mouths hanging open. Morning Star, as well as all of the Retsamoreh guards, were now standing about ten meters back and off to the side, staring at the two Princesses with cold eyes. A quick nod was shared between the humans and the royal advisor, and Lawrence stepped forward, coughing into one fist while the other one drew the bow draped around his back.

"Excuse me..." he said, reaching for the contents of his quiver. The two young Alicorns turned around just in time to see him pull the arrow back. Beside him stood Morning Star, wearing a completely unreadable expression. Simon and the other guards reached to their sides and gripped their weapons, unsheathing their swords in almost complete unison. "I'm afraid, as beautiful as your eyes are.... I’m sorry."

"What? B-but why?" Celestia sputtered, trying to wrap her mind around the situation. She gave a horrified look at Morning Star, who only stared right back with a stone cold expression. "Sir Star.... y-you're with them. W-why?"

"Because," he said, a sliver of a frown playing upon the corner of his lips, "your parents are - were, tyrants. You love them too much to see that the choices they've made have put the entire planet on the verge of disaster. The unneeded drought in Retsamoreh was the last straw. There is nothing more to be said, other than that I’m sorry it had to come to this. Goodbye."

Celestia glanced down at Luna, only to see her sister frozen in place and staring at Lawrence. She followed her younger sister's gaze, realizing that the arrow was pointed directly at Luna's head.

"No...." she said, closing her eyes in concentration. Lawrence and Morning Star stared as her horn began to glow, beams of light bouncing off the marble inside of the Great Tower.

"Simon," Lawrence muttered through the corner of his mouth. Without a word or even a grunt in acknowledgement, the burley red-bearded man lunged, one arm swinging his massive broadsword as he closed the distance between him and his target. Lawrence let go, and the first and only arrow in the five-minute rebellion was fired. Simon launched himself into the air with surprising agility. The arrow flew without a sound, and there was a terribly ghastly silence.

There was a terribly ghastly noise that sounded exactly like two princesses briefly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, accompanied by an explosion, and a clatter as an arrow smacked into the floor.

There was a terribly ghastly silence, and it continued for what felt like ages. Celestia kept her eyes clenched tight, shivering from both fear and the strain of the magic she had just used. For the briefest of moments, her mind went completely blank.

"S-sister?" Luna asked, gently prodding the stark white young Alicorn with her hoof. Celestia's eyes sprung open, and she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. She looked at their surroundings, brain overloading with information as her vision swirled in a mess of dark foliage.

"I- Uhm. Y-yes?" Celestia staggered to the side, coming into contact with a hard, rough surface. She slid down it until her right legs were splayed out and her left legs were curled under her. Luna appeared from the blur of reality, bending down to look worriedly at her fallen sister. The feeling of the bark rubbing into her skin seemed distant, as did the other woodland sounds. There was only Luna's voice calling out to her.

"What- What's wrong? What happened?" Luna gasped out, looking around worriedly before setting her sights back on her sister, both taking ragged breaths. Luna stared down at Celestia, Celestia stared out at nothing, and they stayed that way for what felt like hours.

Luna blinked. Their breathing had returned to normal, and Celestia had closed her eyes. Luna took a deep breath of the dry air, and slowly lowered herself to the ground. With her legs curled under her like wilted flowers, she leaned on her sister. The forest was still quiet save for the gentle swaying of the branches and the occasional chirping of a bird in the distance. It felt dry, unnaturally so for the woods, and the faint smell of pine wafted through the trees.

The forest was silent, save for the muffled, ragged sobbing of a dark blue princess.

"Tia?"

The wind rustled through the leaves of nearby trees, as if in answer.

"Tia. Wake up," Luna said, prodding her sleeping sister in the side, just above the wing. It was dark, and even darker clouds obscured the moon. The only light in the forest was the dull blue glow of Luna's illuminated horn, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Lighting things was her sister's specialty. She tentatively prodded the unconscious form of her sister once more, and suppressed a whimper.

A gale ripped through the forest, bending the trees and causing a shiver to run down Luna’s spine. In the distance, lightning snapped, lighting the sky for a moment. Heavy droplets smacking against the treetops reached her ears. The storm was coming closer.

"Tia... please wake up," she begged, grimacing as she forced down tears, "I don't want to have to carry you...."

The glow on the tip of Luna’s horn faded to nothing, and she began casting a levitation spell. The unconscious princess was carefully lifted off of the ground and bobbed gently next to Luna. Lightning flashed again, and in moments later Luna felt the sharp sting of raindrops as they pelted her back. Celestia, even in the rain, refused to awaken.

"It's not safe here," Luna whispered to herself, looking around the darkened trees. Each one seemed to menace her, as if she and her sister were unwanted interlopers and the trees themselves wished them gone. "We should get to a clearing...." she muttered, barely hearing herself as thunder roared overhead.

Luna sniffled, and brought a bare hoof up to brush the sopping wet mane out of her eyes. Her eyes tightened as she mustered up all of her courage before walking deeper into the mob of trees. They seemed to loom directly over her as she made her way around them, simply waiting to spring upon and destroy the intruders. The tiny alicorn flinched as lightning flashed above her and a wave of thunder rumbled around her. Any moment now, she reasoned, Theobald's thugs would come from the trees and strike her down. They would take Celestia away from her just like Theobald took her parents.

No, she told herself, they won't. They won't get away with it. Her hooves scraped at the ground. I won’t let them. She pressed onward, finally stumbling upon a small clearing of short grass. The wind roared like a hurricane, and she could sense they were in the middle of the storm. The large raindrops had long since battered her senseless. She made way to the middle of the clearing, and set Celestia down.

Trembling before her sister’s limp form, she gathered a deep breath. "Hello?" she called out, her voice strained and mind racing, "Help! Somepony, help us! Can anypony... hear us? ... Help...."

She pointed her horn at the sky and at the menacing clouds over her. The sky answered with another roar of lightning and thunder. Her horn flashed once, and a sphere of dark blue light launched upwards, exploding into a deep blue light. She did it again, and then again, and so many times she lost count. As long as there was a chance someone would find them, she continued. She had to. The rain pelted her, and the wind bit at her, and ever so slowly, the cold crept up her legs and through her coat. Her conviction crumbled away, and the alicorn slumped down. The blackness descended upon her, enveloping the world, and it tipped her into oblivion.

And she fell.

--1--

Thud.

"Fordwin, I appreciate your aid but I really have to be going to meet with-" Thud. Another book fell into the young man's already overflowing arms, making his shoulders drop from the added weight. "-because if I don't he'll be irritated and he's already barely calmed down from yesterday's incident in the bakery and I really just need the one book-" Thud. Another heavy tome fell from the tutor's hands and into his arms. "-so if you could please just give me it because like I said-" Thud. This time the new book began sliding forward, and the talkative man was forced to stop mid-sentence in order to secure the sliding book with his chin.

There was a brief, tense silence as the other man descended the library's ladder. He wore a simple robe, as was customary for the wizened-in-age and the knowledgeable. His beard touched his chest, and the thin grey wires of his surviving hair clung to his bald head. An almost mocking smile appeared as he held up a small brown leather book. His voice sounded weary, as would that of any man who had lived long enough, but it still had spark - a sense of hopefulness that clung to every word.

"Edwin, my child, you must know those books by heart before you can even open this one." He quickly pushed the book into his robe, setting it inside of a hidden pocket, the weight of the book showing a bulge on the outside of the coat.

"Et least giff me something teh holl them wiff," Edwin muttered, face going red from strain and the embarrassment of inhibited speech. Fordwin chuckled, pointing a thin finger at a nearby table. Edwin frowned and shuffled over, a relieved breath escaping as he dropped the pile onto the dull wood, and he chose a book at random and tucked it under the crook of his arm. "Alright, okay. I'll be back here tomorrow to pick these up because I'll have to grab, probably, a wheelbarrow or get one of the farmhands to pull a cart, or pull the cart myself... No, that would make me sweaty, I loathe being sweaty. Anyways, tomorrow, because I have to-"

"You never told me why you wanted this book in the first place," Fordwin interrupted, the sly smile still hanging on his face as he circled around the table. His eyes glanced at the bookshelves around them, though he knew by heart where each book would be placed.

"Ah. Um. Richard wanted it, actually. He asked me to research it for him while he consults the new guards with Giles. I just didn't know it'd be so much work, 'cause you know I'm used to working hard but that is a lot of readin-" He cut himself off. Fordwin hunched over the table, eyes downcast. The ancient scholar let out a deep breath and looked up at Edwin, a frown set in his wrinkled face.

"Is, um, something the matter, Fordwin? I... Uh..." Edwin balked and bit his lower lip. Fordwin didn't answer, but looked solemnly down at the table again. After a few more awkward seconds, Edwin Edwin waited uncomfortably for a response, but Fordwin’s gaze remained fixed downard. Well, it seemed this conversation was over. He shuffled over towards the large oak door, opening it wide. He stopped, looking back at the other man. "I'll just... Uh, make sure to tell Richard that I'll start tomorrow and then I'll be back with the cart or the-" He quickly shut the door, the sound echoing through the empty hall he had stepped into. "-bye." he muttered, mostly to himself.

Edwin faced the window adjacent to the study's door, looking straight at the sun. It was about six in the afternoon, he figured, and then walked off. The sound of his boots on the stone floor reminded him of how empty the place had been for the past year, growing more empty since Theobald and the guards had left.

Edwin absently nodded in respect as he passed a painting of the lord and his son. He mostly remembered the day the piece was made, though the memory was riddled with holes, but he could not forget its entirety. He had stood alongside the painter, a wealthy man sent all the way from Cira, and handed him extra brushes or paints whenever he called for them. Edwin never liked the painting itself, but he always felt a sense of accomplishment when he passed the piece. The nod was in respect for himself for enduring an entire day of standing around and doing nothing, of course, not Theobald or Richard.

The hallway ended with another door, and he paused in the late afternoon sun. There were no flowers, nothing but dry grass and the smell of waste hovering near the pig farm. Home, he thought as he pulled open the door.

The door shut with a low thud as he turned to look at the old building. Home, he thought again, seconds before mentally scolding himself. Edwin turned, sparing a glance at the few buildings on the other side of the road before beginning to walk. It's temporary, you fool. Stop thinking you'll live here happily ever after, because before you know it Theobald is going to come back empty-handed and we're going to pack up and move to the coast. You'll probably be separated from Richard and end up as - "Some random student mulling about the nearest library, because he's not going to be able to pay for your-" Edwin stopped in his tracks, biting the inside of his cheek in frustration. He had begun talking out loud again. Desperate for something to distract him from his thoughts, he pulled the book out from under his arm and started walking once again.

The leather was dyed blue, not uncommon for the newer books of the age. Some sort of fad in Cira must have caused the sudden love of blue dyes. The title, The History of Magic-based Artifacts, had been written in gold ink on the front. At least he had grabbed one that might be interesting. Edwin opened the book down the middle and flipped past a couple pages, waiting until a new section started.

Somebody in the real world called out to him, and he ignored it. He knew who possessed the voice, a lovely women named Clarice that he sometimes saw sneaking food to Lawrence and Simon. Nevertheless, he was in a hurry and couldn't afford idle chat, not like he cared for her anyway. The town didn't even need guards.

Edwin looked down at the page, continuing to ignore his surroundings as he walked down the road. The clusters of buildings shrank and the road thined as he left the more heavily populated area. The dirt turned into dead grass that stretched over the hillside, exactly where he was headed. Edwin kept the majority of his concentration on his book, leaving it to his subconscious to direct his legs where he wanted to go. Unknown to him, he began to read aloud.

"The Scabbard of Ulthwitz the Trivial Master was then passed down to his son, Lawrence of Gandera. There were several years of peace before the remnants of the Griffon army descended upon the city. Lawrence was killed during the battle and the scabbard was lost in the ruins and has not been found. Along with preserving the sharpness of swords placed in it, the scabbard also had the uncanny ability not to suffer the effects of time. Historians propose that it is most likely buried somewhere in the ashes, and will probably be found at some point in the future." He stopped talking, suddenly aware of another presence. He had a pretty good idea of who it was, so he simply kept walking, this time silently.

After another ten seconds of walking, an annoyed voice came from his left, “why'd ya stop reading, Edwin?"

He simply refused to look down, knowing the consequences he would suffer if he did. All he could do was snap at the childlike voice, narrowing his eyes as he forced himself to glare at the ground a few yards ahead. "I'm sorry, but you know how I feel about reading out loud, and you know how I feel about you, Sunrise. I thought your mother ordered you to never bother me again." At that he gritted his teeth, face turning slightly redder.

"Well, mom did say I needed to stop bothering you, but she's off at Skyhome to get something. Said if I was bored I should talk to mister Richard or mister Fordwin, but Richard is off doing things with sir Giles and Fordwin is creepy. I promise I won't bother you too much, alright?!" He took a moment to think of a reply, eyes thoughtfully scanning the horizon of the hill they were ascending.

"You're bothering me right no-"

"Can you please read another story? One with a better ending?"

Edwin sighed, closing the book and putting it under his arm in one fluid movement. He finally spared a glance at the yellow filly beside him. The oversized blue eyes boring into his own. "Most of them end like that one," he deadpanned, desperately attempting to avoid a long discussion, even if he knew it was coming. "In fact, yes, most of them do end like that. Maybe except a few you've already heard about, like Omir and Siromi's crowns. But I think most of them just end with the hero dying and the magic item being lost to history. In fact, a lot of regular stories end like that as well. I personally love the tragedy of it-"

"Those are stupid endings," Sunrise said, forcing Edwin into silence as he thought his next words over carefully. Sunrise's mother would toss him off a cloud if he told the filly that not having a happy ending was just like real life, but years of Fordwin commenting on his loose tongue getting him into trouble eased him into a reluctant silence. His respite lasted only a few moments, unfortunately. Sunrise piped up a new topic as they crested the hill.

"You think they'll give mom some rain this time?" came the innocent-sounding question, and Edwin pondered for another few steps. He looked down at Sunrise to reply. She was staring indignantly at a patch of rough-looking grass with such an unexpected intensity that Edwin half-expected it to burst into flame. Uhg, fire. The last thing they needed was a fire.

"I'm tired of eating this dumb nasty grass."

Edwin couldn't help but chuckle. Another moment passed before he thought he could speak properly again. "I can't say I know what the grass tastes like, so I'll have to go with your opinion, Sunrise." His mind shifted to different, rambling thoughts again, flashes of mental pictures that went by faster than he could properly catch them.

They began the slow trek down, the angle so shallow it could hardly be called a descent. Along their left side stood a long wooden fence, broken or crumbling in several places. There were no animals of any kind to be seen behind the fences, only the dull green of dead grass and sometimes the tall head of a weed. There were no bugs buzzing, no birds chirping, and the sound of water flowing down the creek embedded in the right side of the path was long absent. The sound of silence was normal, except to Edwin and a few others who always found it unsettling, and today was no different for him. He turned to Sunset, who was still diligently following him, and reluctantly attempted to begin conversation in order to retain his sanity.

"How have you and the others been holding up?" He asked, trying to sound somewhat normal. They passed another destroyed section of the fence, old splinters strewn across the road. Edwin kicked a large splinter, and the piece landed a few yards in ahead of them. He mentally slapped himself from continuing his question, doing his best to utilize the self-control Fordwin always ordered him to use.

"Oh. Everyone is acting like they're fine, but Daffodil is planning on leaving for... Uh, Neighton, I think. He said there's a lot of other good earth ponies there and since there's a river near it he'll always have water, I think. Chrys... Chrysanthemun.. Chr-"

"Chrysanthemum, her name is Chry-"

"-Yea, Chrysanthenumum, she said if Daffodil goes she'll go with him. I like her a lot so I'll miss her if she does leave, but Daffodil is already packing..." Sunrise looked at the ground, frowning in thought. "And Roots said we only have enough bread to last until next year anyways... Something about the soil being dead here."

Edwin adjusted the neckline of his shirt. His eyes scanned the trees for smoke, the telltale sign of where Giles and Richard would be. Far off to the right of where he knew the path lead, he could see the thin tendrils sneaking over the woods. He mentally marked the spot and continued walking.

The silence already ebbed at his mind, and he wondered why Sunrise hadn't countered with a few questions of her own. It's everything that's been happening, he realized. Every other family is packing up and moving to the nearest human or pony town, for the sakes of their own children. Sunrise Chaser had already lost several of her good friends. That explained her recent interest in constantly bothering him. The epiphany made his mind reel, and he attempted to start another conversation.

"How is your flying progressing? Your mother told me she was teaching you whenever she could, alas I know she has her duties to carry out, being the only pegasus in the town," he asked, smiling down at her. Sunrise instantly brightened, returning the smile to him after her mind registered the question.

"Oh, yea! I can get off the ground now and hover a little. I can't really move forward though. Mom said I should just keep practicing until she comes home. Wanna see, Edwin?" she chirped. He sighed, and the only response he could give was a solemn shake of the head.

"Not now, Sunrise," he said, but quickly decided to add something when he saw the smile drop from her face, “but you can show me when we get to Richard, you know it'll take him a while to take off his armor, so you can do it then, alright?"

Sunrise beamed up at Edwin, her large eyes somehow wider. "Really? Alright!"

"Just remember not to bother him if he tries strikes up a conversation on the way back. I'm his advisor before your friend," Edwin said as they entered a darker area of the woods. The sun was beginning its descent. Beams of light were shining through the leaves, showing Edwin and Sunset all of the dust floating through the air. He tried his best not to sneeze at the sight of it all, but he did anyway and Sunrise giggled.

"I'm your friend?"

Edwin’s mind stopped in its tracks, but somehow his legs wandered on with a mind of their own. Meanwhile, his mind rifled through its library, gazing over every dictionary and thesaurus it had at its disposal. On one hand, he found Sunrise annoying with her constant interruptions while he was reading, or running errands. The other hand felt the weight of his earlier epiphany; if this kept up, Sunrise would have no one to turn to but her mother, and Sunset was almost constantly gone.

He looked forward. "Yes." He said solemnly, doing his best to sound sincere. He mentally drilled that answer into his mind, just to ensure he didn't do something stupid later on. As soon as he said it, the two turned along the path to see the smithy standing out amongst the trees. An L-shaped barn towered next to it, painted a dull grey and with a shield hanging over the double doors. The smithy itself was minuscule in comparison to the barn, and it had a simple design. The shield bore three seven-pointed gold stars, each one smaller than the other, placed on the shield in an awkward looking triangle.

Fordwin's teachings came back to him as he stared at the shield. The real Shield of Lockewin hung inside the manor study, the sign of their town, and each guard bore the star etched into the back of their earlobe.

It was a delicate task, the etching, but the scars meant something to each guard. It gave them something tangible to hold on to -to fight for- even if no major conflicts had arisen since the Griffon Wars, which Lockewin himself had fought in. The brotherhood of the guard still stood, proudly marching under the banner of Retsamoreh. The guard was human based, as Giles and Theobald had no idea how to teach a pony how to fight and neither of them knew one who could. It had been that way for a long time, but no one complained. Not many of the ponies liked violence anyway, as if it screamed against their nature.

He lost view of the shield as they took the last steps towards the large door, and turned his thoughts towards what he would do if his call remained unanswered. He chose to simply, as the pegasi sometimes said, "to wing it".

"Giles! Richard!" Edwin shouted at the door, the sudden sound making Sunrise flinch. He ignored the young filly’s discomfort and rapped the door several sharp blows with the bottom of his fist. He underestimated his own strength and the door swung open a foot. He sighed and opened it the rest of the way, eyes peering cautiously inside. To his front was a simple desk, piled high with various charts and sketches of swords; measurements and codes that looked like gibberish to Edwin lay there as well. To his left was a shelf, several half-finished bits of weaponry placed on it.

Edwin closed the door before Sunrise could glimpse through. Without saying a word, he instantly drudged towards the barn building. His mind brimmed with possible outcomes and probabilities as dozens of scenarios played out in his mind. Tactics was the only subject that Fordwin taught Edwin and Richard at the same time, and Richard thought ahead at least seven steps. It was a good thing Edwin knew Richard like a good book.

He stopped at one of doors, and turned to a slightly confused Sunset. "They're in the woods, probably sparring." He pulled at the metal handle, a resounding click rewarded him. The door swung open with a groan as he stepped inside.

The first room of the "barn" threatened to burst with weaponry. Several pikes, spears, swords, and various polearms glinted on the armory shelves. It was not the most magnificent sight as quite a few were weathered from vigorous trainings; the newer and better weapons were always taken to the guardhouse near the manor. In the middle of the room stood a table, whereupon sat a pile of shields.

Edwin sighed and turned to an awed Sunset, suddenly realizing she had never been allowed into the armory. He silently cursed himself as he walked to one of the racks. "Stay there, Sunrise," he muttered, fingers sliding along the length of a worn scabbard. "Richard hates not finishing things, so I'll have to intervene and stop it myself." He glanced at her still-puzzled face and grinned. "I mean, he and Giles are pretty evenly matched out there. They could be at it for a long time once we get to them, and Richard would be incredibly cross with me if he found out I let him slip out of schedule. Therefore, I must place myself in the match to stop them."

He picked out a round shield from the table and ran his fingers along the edges, looking at it longingly. He paused for a moment before he continued speaking. Sunrise stared at a menacing-looking axe and ignored him. Edwin stopped talking and stood in the doorway, staring blankly at a still-awestruck Sunrise.

"Mom never lets me come out here," Sunrise stated while trotting to Edwin. They left the barn side by side. He looked down at her, gently biting his lower lip in thought. "Cause of the danger."

"The wolves? Nobody told her that we drove the last of them out just recently?" Edwin asked, raising an eyebrow. He spun on his left heel and walked the long length of the barn, towards a line of trees that marked the border of a small clearing. Sunrise took a breath as if to say something, but Edwin quickly moved to interrupt. "Well, or she is talking about the armory. In fact, that's probably it, isn't it?"

"Yea! She said that Giles is a bad influenza, or something, but Richard is okay because he's gonna be the new lord if Theobald never comes back." Edwin winced at the mention of Theobald, and made a silent prayer to the gods that they'd all return safely. He didn't have the experience to become an official advisor yet.

They both stopped at the tree-line, tensely staring at each other. Edwin was in thought, choosing his words carefully. The filly huffed, scrunching up her face in impatience.

"Yes, yes that would make sense. You pegasi are, well, according to Fordwin and his books, very arrogant and elitist, but normally stray from violence..." he said, looking through her. "Anyways," he said quickly, snapping back to reality and resuming his walk into the forest, “it's best we get moving before the sun sets, and Richard cannot be late for the meeting and I'll be held responsible if he is late. Then I'll get yelled at by Fordwin and will probably have to sit through another few lessons about diligence," he said, his voice gradually sounding more and more stressed as he thought about the situation. Sunrise giggled.

Edwin and Sunrise kept silent for a minute, working around a large fallen tree. Through gaps in the thick trees before them, he could see they were headed down into another small clearing. Memories of events from long ago grabbed for Edwin's attention. Edwin soon found himself in the middle of tall grass. At its tallest point, it came to his chest. Sunrise Chaser stood awkwardly beside him, nearly hidden and camouflaged by the tall, pale grass.

For a moment he stared at the ground, both his arms going limp as his mind wandered. Sunrise left him there, and began absentmindedly chewing on a blade of grass that taunted the filly by poking her in the face.

"We do a lot here, you know. Mostly training, but talking as well," Edwin said abruptly. He reached out, with his right hand, plucking one of the wheat-like blades from the ground. Sunrise peeked up at him for a second, before continuing her revenge on the grass.

"This is boring, where's Richard?" Sunrise quipped. She stared at Edwin as if he had been ignoring her for the past few minutes. He pursed his lips and glared at her, with surprising speed he brought up the blade he plucked earlier and balanced the blade on her muzzle. She sat on her flank, giggling up at it and Edwin, her orange mane bouncing.

"He's in the trees, preparing to execute his poorly thought out trap," Edwin said, smiling knowingly. He straightened up and spun around. Sunrise's eyes bulged, shrinking at the sudden change.

"Wah-"

"Now would be a good time to do that hovering thing you learned," Edwin said, glancing back at Sunrise. His eyes grazed over the trees, looking and listening for the smallest changes. "Richard, you are absolutely horrible at traps and we both know it. Just come out so we can get this over with," he called, face suddenly set in a concentrated grimace. Sunrise stared into the air, her small wings outstretched and her face scrunched up in concentration.

From opposite sides of the clearing emerged two men. One was tall and thick. He wore old, scratched leather armor that looked slightly too small. He was bald, and bore an almost unnoticeable scar from his forehead to left ear. Mean, tough, and overall rugged, as Fordwin often described his unofficial nemesis, for the two constantly quarreled over which methods of teaching were best suited for Richard and Edwin.

Giles stood in an aggressive stance. He smiled as he unsheathed his own broadsword. The other man was nearly as tall as him, but far leaner. His leather armor wasn't old or worn, but was painted grey, and looked one size too large. The metal pieces gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting brightly across the grass.

Richard, who raised a hand to move the scraggly blonde hair from his eyes, laughed. "Yes, but I love traps."

"You are so awful at using them though, really."

"So?"

"You see, Richard, traps are best done when the enemy least expects it. I can understand your logic, expecting that I would be far too sentimental about this place to notice you giggling in the trees, I nearly was. However, you forgot that we play chess together. I know all your strategies."

"Eh, fine. Do you surrender?" Richard shrugged, rolling his eyes and halfheartedly pointing his sword at Edwin. The black-haired student nodded, and was rewarded with both men sheathing their swords. "Glad to see you, Edwin." Richard laughed, and they walked to meet one another. Edwin clapped his hand on Richard's back in the embrace and quickly drew away.

"Ah, and you as well, fair Sunrise Chaser," Richard said, moving over to where Sunrise hovered eye-level with Giles. The blacksmith stayed silent, and his teaching day was over and that meant it was time to operate by the only-speak-when-spoken-to motto. He and Sunrise stared quizzically at each other, as if they were in one of her "staring contests", something Edwin had always abhorred, thinking it far too frivolous for his tastes.

"I'm glad to see you've made such dramatic progress on your flying skills. A tad late for a pegasus, but given your mother's recent job-oof," Richard said, interrupted by a sharp elbow to the side courtesy of Edwin. They glared at each other for a moment before Richard followed the silent advice. "I'm proud of you."

Giles turned, disinterested, and walked back to the smithy. Sunrise dropped to the ground and trotted over to Richard, who in turn knelt to hug her. The embrace was brief, but it was enough time to make Edwin smile before they let go. "I'm very serious, Sunrise. I am proud," he whispered, ruffling a bit of her orange mane before facing Edwin.

"Now, you need to tell me about this meeting," he said, lapsing into a commanding voice that Edwin knew all too well. The three followed behind Giles as he explained the reason for the sudden gathering.

"Alard sent back his falcon, Richard. It's dated two days ago, but it confirms that your father and the rest of them are nearing Kuiper. There was a fight near Neighton, though. They lost Hugh, and their guide, and Alard was badly injured." Richard nodded solemnly, paying his silent respects to the well known guard. "In the letter, Alard estimated that they would be in Kuiper within two days. Do you know what that means, Richard?"

They grinned at each other, knowing the question didn't need answering. Sunrise had gone ahead to attempt conversation with Giles, who mostly grunted at everything she said.

"Added on to that, the letter also said that they got their hands on some sort of magical artifact on the way there. Alard said he suspected he knew what it was, but he didn’t give any hints." Richard raised an eyebrow, no doubt just as confused as Edwin was when he read the letter earlier in the day. "So I went to Fordwin, and asked him about it. He said that Alard couldn't possibly be talking about 'what I think he's talking about' and didn't even answer me, so I had to use the excuse that you wanted me to research it for you,” Edwin paused, letting Richard chuckle at his impression of the old scholar. "The only thing he offered was a bunch of books on magical artifacts, and then mentioned that there was a book that happened to mention whatever it was, but I had to read all the others first. Kind of annoying if you ask me." Edwin kicked at a fallen branch, sending it flying into the side of a nearby oak.

"I guess I'm just mad he's keeping this all hush-hush and mysterious, you know how he is, right? He made it sound as if this thing is pretty sodding important. In fact, I think it is important. Probably some ancient forgotten relic with impossible power. Maybe Theobald can use it to bargain with the gods? Stephan said they love collecting artifacts..." Edwin trailed off as they arrived at the armory, Richard and Giles breaking off to remove their armor. Edwin waited patiently beside Sunrise, awkwardly shuffling one foot .

"So Sir Theobald made it to Kuiper? Whadder we gonna do if they don't give him rain?" Sunrise questioned, looking quizzically up at Edwin. He slid down against the wall so he could face Sunrise at eye level, and smiled.

"Tell you what, you can come to the meeting if you stay quiet, got it? I don't think Fordwin or Stephan would mind... at least as long as you stayed quiet, right? You can listen to our plan there," he whispered. Sunrise responded by taking a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks, and nodding vigorously.

They both laughed.

--1--

"What you're suggesting is ludicrous, Stephan. We cannot simply abandon the town while we're so close to fixing this. Entire. Mess," Richard barked, slamming his fist on the table in frustration. His eyes turned to slits, and the weathered priest glared back defiantly. "Where would we even go, Solis? Neighton?" He spat the last word.

"We'd never even make it to Solis, and Neighton still carries decades-old grudges. The only thing we-" Richard argued. A sharp grunt from Stephan breaking into his speach. Richard sighed and buried his face in his hands. Edwin, sitting on the far end of the table with a half asleep Sunrise in the chair next to him, moved his gaze from one man to the other. His mind was stuck and no matter how much he wanted to voice his opinion, nothing seemed to come out other than a sharp sigh. Stephan shattered the silence.

"I have many friends in Neighton, Richard, and I could easily make a request to merge our populaces. Otherwise we cannot-"

"I could care less if those greedy merchants love us, the people there will not accept our lot, to them we are but struggling farmhands! Fat lot that opinion did them when we stopped trade. Hah-"

"How dare you even-"

"-and their economy-"

"-may the gods witness my-"

"-bloody deserved it!"

"-day you take rule from your father!" Stephan and Richard huffed, both leaning over the table. Only a foot of distance separated them, and they were panting hot breath in each others’ face. In the corner of his eye, Richard could see that Edwin had slightly slumped into his chair, mind reeling from the urge to do something.

Fordwin, sitting in the chair farthest from the group, stood up. The moon shined from behind the window, illuminating his grey hair like a white halo. "Excuse me, but we have not discussed the two last things on the schedule," Fordwin said, and everyone shifted simultaneously, offering their attention. Stephan and Richard eyed each other, but slowly slid down into their seats. "The first matter is what we will actually do if Theobald succeeds in convincing the gods to lend us a helping... hoof, and the second is something far beyond many of you." Richard blinked. "Stephan and I will discuss it alone." Richard snorted, rolling his eyes. No one paid it any mind, except Giles, who chuckled to himself.

"Now, Richard, I know you have a lot to say about this first matter, but Edwin came to me earlier and said he had a few thoughts." Fordwin stretched out an open palm in Edwin's direction. The young advisor straightened in his chair, one hand scratching at the stubble on his face.

"Erm, yes. You know that several families, of both our species, have left for the closest town or ... city, though I'm not sure anyone has actually bothered to leave for Solis..." This elicited several nods from those present. "We might not be able to get them back, even if the drought ends and all.... Ah, yes. We might be able to send out an invitation or apology or something-"

"Good riddance, I say," Richard interjected. Stephan glared at him, and Edwin didn't continue speaking until Richard coughed into his hand and muttered an apology, "go on."

"I estimated how long it might take for any rain to come at all, and it's been roughly a week. A day for negotiations, a few more to send messenger hawks or pegasi out to build the rainclouds, and then another few for them to get here. We might lose another family or two during that, so we might need to warn them."

"Well we 'cud issue a town meet'n," Giles said.

"We haven't had one of those since Theobald left, and before that we had one every other four days. The townsfolk have fallen out of that habit, and might decide it best not to come," Stephan said dryly.

"We could put a ban on leaving, use the few guards we have left to make sure nobody leaves," Richard thought aloud. Everyone stared at him wide-eyed, causing him to bite his lower lip in frustration. Why did you even bother to think that, Richard? Edwin thought.

"I think we should stick with the town meeting idea, Richard. Erm, if you'll consent to lead it," Edwin said, his voice raised only slightly above a murmur.

"Very well."

"Alright." Edwin made a gesture, opening the table for debate. Richard found himself growing impatient. Hurry up and speak already, he thought. "Good. Now, say next year we're back to normal, well, the first normal. Not the now normal... Ah, should we take up trade with Neighton and the outlying villages again?"

"Absolutely not," Richard said instantly, slapping his hand on the table. He could see Stephan grimace, and gladly returned the look. Taking advantage of the silence, Richard continued, "they abandoned us when we first began asking for water, so we stopped trading what little crops we had left. That's how it goes."

"Richard, I must remind you that your father placed me in charge, not you. Offering to trade with Neighton and further improve their dwindling trade empire may gain us good favor," Stephan pointed out.

"Their merchants can rust in their sleep for abandoning us, that's what my father said, and I'm following him," Richard muttered through clenched teeth. Edwin understood his position. Neighton and Retsamoreh had always had tense relations, tense relations lasting so long that nobody remembered why they were so tense in the first place.

"We will be taking up trade with Neighton whether your pride can take it or not," Stephan said with finality. The room hung in silence for a while, “anything else, Edwin?"

"That's all I got on such short notice," came the tired reply.

Richard slowly stood up, still glaring at Stephan. "Well, gentlemen. I believe we've finished here. Time to leave Fordwin and Brother Grouch to their own discussions." He looked at Edwin and gestured towards the half-asleep filly in the chair beside him. "You'll be responsible for Sunrise tonight. Now let's go."

Edwin only nodded in reply, the long day suddenly weighing down on him. He unceremoniously plucked Sunrise from the chair and cradled her in his arms. By the time he had gotten to the door, Richard was already halfway down the hallway and the heavy oak door slammed shut behind him. Edwin sighed and pushed it open with his back, spinning back around only to see the agitated face of Richard Heir of Retsamoreh, tapping his fingers against his side.

"Stephan is a t-tough nut to crack, eh?" Edwin managed to stutter out, doing his best to attempt a smile. “I mean, he’s really stubborn and sometimes that can be a problem-” He failed, and Richard was inches away in mere seconds, hissing into his ear.

"You are my advisor, Edwin. Don't you ever forget it. We are not friends in that room, we are partners." With that, Richard turned and stormed down the rest of the hallway. A resounding thud could be heard as a door slammed somewhere else in the building. Edwin sighed, Sunrise blinked wearily. A few words seeped through from the Stephan’s conversation with Fordwin, each muffled by the thick door.

“...now that we’re alone, Stephan, I have grave news...”

“...you really think they...”

He trudged down the winding hallways of the manor he called home, weighed down by both Sunrise and his own thoughts. The musty air in the house felt a lot heavier than usual. Light from the candles didn't seem to be as bright as it should be.

Legs and body falling into autopilot, Edwin backed into his bedroom. Dust floated around in the dim candlelight and the only thing heard was the creaking of the floorboards. The room was brown, save for an old maroon rug. A simple bed sat in the far left corner, a dresser on the right, and a desk and chair in the middle. Edwin knew every nick and scratch on that desk. The desk was new when he got his hands on it, and he spent hours studying on the dark wood surface, sometimes taking his quill and scratching at the edges. He stood there for a long time, staring out the dirty window and into the dying forest below.

It was one of those moments where a man made the decision to keep thinking about something, or take action and think later. He gently set Sunrise onto his bed. He didn't bother to pull the covers over her, and the room was always hot during the summer and tonight was no exception. The wooden chair he sat on offered no comfort, the edges digging into his skin.

Edwin sat in that chair for the entire night, his thoughts sometimes drifting off to his relationship with Richard, or flowing back to the future of the town. He couldn’t keep his eyes open for long, the siren call of sleep dragging him down into a deep slumber.

Everyone in the town, human and pony, fell asleep that night. This wasn't a common occurrence, as Fordwin or Stephan would often stay the night in the observatory, staring at the stars. However, clouds rolled in at about the same time Edwin closed his eyes, preventing any stargazing. The guards, or at least the two Theobald left behind, had decided that that night would be a good night to sleep through.

Those two guards were the last in the town to fall asleep and the first ones to wake up. They awoke laying against a bit of the manor designed to look just like a castle wall’s battlements, something Fordwin argued gave the building “flair”. They knew what would happen the next day, too. Fordwin would most likely be up early, smacking them on their heads and offering some rude words that they'd soon forget. That was a routine they had performed over many days.

Normally, anyone who awakes soaking wet in the middle of a drought will be surprised and possibly agitated or even furious at their assailant. These two guards were not an exception when they woke up to just that.

Suffice it to say, they were rather surprised at what they saw when they did wake.

Chapter 2: Raindrops

Chapter Two

Raindrops

"Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys."

--2--

"Edwin! Edwin!" came a shrill voice, shattering whatever dream the young man was having. He didn't open his eyes, but he was obviously awake at that point. His throat was dry. That was the first thing he noticed. The second was that his entire body felt sore for reasons he didn't understand and at that point in time was just too lazy to want to.

"Mmmmm..." he groaned, still keeping his lips shut. Another second and he had enough saliva to crack his lips open without splitting them, but still only opened them halfway. "Nunnow Fordwin, it's Saturday. Wec'n work on the map t'mrrow."

"Edwin! Look outside the window, quick!" chirped the voice again, and it sent Edwin's mind reeling. It certainly wasn't Fordwin talking. Memories from the night before revealed themselves, and his eyes opened.

"Wussit, Sunrise?" he muttered, slowly blinking away the rough dryness from around his eyelids. He could feel the filly bouncing around the desk, even if his vision was too blurry to see it properly just yet. There was another noise, too, something he didn't recognize. It faded into the background and he ignored it.

There was a sharp intake of breath from his left side, and he reached up to rub his eye. "Rain! There's rain!" Both eyes shot open, resulting in him accidentally poking one. He jerked them closed again at the sudden pain.

"Sunrise, that's not poss...." He trailed off, suddenly recognizing the pattering sound on the room. He cracked his good eye open, looking out the window. It was still dirty, but lines of water could be seen sliding down on the outside. His other eye opened slowly. He glanced down at Sunrise, still to his left and bearing a massive grin, and back to the window. "Golden feathers of the goddess," he muttered, ignoring the protests from his tired body as he stood up and walked to the window in one swift motion, his joints creaking and snapping. He looked back at Sunrise, realizing they both wore the same grin.

"Rain!" They shouted in unison.

"Hahah! Rain! Yes," he continued, stretching his arms out, “let us go tell Richard!"

--2--

Richard had already known, and before long everyone in the entire town had woken up. Ponies and humans alike laughed in the rain, and the few children there were sliding into mud puddles that had grown overnight. Sunrise had joined them after asking Edwin for permission, and he had nodded, silently noting that she had asked him in the first place.

Edwin stood with Richard only several meters from the mansion door, both silently taking in the rain. Fordwin was nowhere to be found, and neither was Stephan, and Giles was no doubt attempting to save anything he had left out overnight. The two servants and guards who lived in the mansion were freed from their duties, though the guards had caught a cold from sleeping in the rain.

First the first time in over two years, Edwin thought, the air finally smelled.... He couldn't describe it, but it just felt right. It was the smell of fresh rain. It was the smell of hope. It was amazing.

"My father... he did it. He somehow managed to convince...." was all Richard managed to breath out. Edwin was looking down on the town's main road, watching the celebration. People taking each other's arms and doing impromptu dances. He looked over to Richard, who shared the same wide smile.

"Dear Richard, may I hug you in the most brotherly of manners?" Edwin inquired, barely containing a smirk.

"Yes you may, dear Edwin!" Richard replied gaudily, spreading his arms out to embrace his advisor. There was a squelching noise as they collided. It was a two second long hug, just enough to appreciate it. To share a genuine act of friendship like that was a rare thing, and Edwin realized he couldn't remember he had even hugged anyone besides Sunrise or her mother. The depressing thought was quickly pushed aside.

They drew apart, turning to face the road once again. The main path veered to the right before coming upon a hill, and Giles could be seen descending it with what could only be interpreted as a skipping jog. Even at a distance, Edwin could see the massive splashes of mud that flew up with each step splattering against the blacksmith's boots and trousers. He also couldn't mistake the look of worry etched upon the hard face.

"Maybe his roof has a leak and he's worried his work will rust over?" Richard laughed, noticing the look as well. Edwin laughed with him. Richard sighed and looked back to Edwin, “I am going to go find Fordwin and Stephan, and ask them to help organize that town meeting. You go see what Giles is so worried about, and keep the villagers in-check if need be. I'll be in the chapel if you need me, else I'll be in the study."

Edwin nodded and waited for Richard to shut the manor door behind him before starting to walk down the main road. A woman was excitedly chattering to a brown earth pony and looked up as he passed them. "Edwin! They did it, didn't they? That means Lawrence is in Kuiper!" She called. Edwin stopped to face them.

"Indeed! It's certainly quite a miracle, Clarice. You've been brave, letting your husband go off adventuring like that,” he said, taking a pause to move his soaking hair out of his eyes. He looked down at the earth pony and nodded in greeting. "Hello, Roots. I suppose you'll be staying with us? I know that you and a few others were planning on leaving us within the month."

"Yeah, we wore gonna leave..." came the hesitant reply. Edwin looked over his shoulder to keep track of Giles, who was gradually getting closer. He looked back down at Roots, who quickly flashed an innocent smile. "But'f this keeps up, now we'll just hafta stay, won't we-" The rest was lost to Edwin as Giles slipped and fell forwards, splashing face first into a puddle down the road with a painful sounding rush of air coming from his mouth. Edwin’s head jerked towards the commotion, and he bolted towards the fallen smith, leaving a surprised look ingrained on the faces of Clarice and Roots.

Edwin arrived just as Giles got to his feet, attempting to wipe a line of mud from his face, but only succeeding to smear it across one eye. Giles stared at Edwin with his good eye, his chest rapidly expanding and retracting with each pant. It was a few moments before either were able to formulate any coherent words. Edwin held back by his attempt not to laugh at Giles, his face scrunching up into a bulging mess, and Giles was busy regaining his breath having sprinted nearly half a mile in the downpour.

"Where... I- where's Richard?"

"He's in the chapel, Giles. You may want to clean yourself off first, though," Edwin deadpanned, crossing his arms and doing his best not to grin.

"Ahhh... Stephan c'n rust himself solid, I walk into his church however I please," Giles muttered, slapping a hand on Edwin's shoulder as he walked past. He winced as a bit of mud sprayed on his side. He desperately attempted not to admonish Giles for the unnecessary dirtying of his shirt, and instead attempted to focus all of his hate upon a single drop of rain that sat on his slick shirt, which promptly evaporated.

He stayed like that for a moment, listening to the joy mixing in with the rain and swirling around him in pointlessly confusing ways. He felt odd - not really odd in a bad way, but odd in an alien way. It was like a lightness in his chest that was trying to escape and couldn't, at least not without his permission. It began raining harder, and he rubbed his eyes. In the background noise, he heard his name break through. He knew the voice, and though he couldn't see where it came from, he called back. "Sunrise? That you?"

"Behind you, Edwin!" Sunrise called, and Edwin smiled, spinning around on one heel to face her. She was but two feet behind him, her soaked mane plastered against her body. It was comical, but for some reason Edwin didn't feel like laughing. If he did, he might not stop. "Eeeeeeeeeyah! Isn't this great? Everyone is so happy!" The words bounced around in his mind for a moment, and his mouth hung open in attempt to reply.

"Indeed they are. Listen, Sunrise?" He said, smiling softly like he knew a parent might. "Why don't you follow me to the chapel? It's raining harder than it was minutes ago, and I don't want you to get caught in this storm, I mean, if it gets any worse. "

Sunrise looked sunken, but nodded. "Fine. But only because I’m cold."

"Yes, and your mother would drop me off a cloud if you caught ill because I let you play in a storm. Onwards," Edwin half-joked, pointing in the direction of the large chapel building, which stood next to the manor. Its worn bell could be seen in the dim light. Off in the distance, thunder rumbled. Even though all the advisor could think about was how painful being dropped off a cloud actually would be.

Edwin and Sunrise stopped for a moment to listen to it fade away. "Huh, I'd nearly forgotten what thunder sounds like. Imagine that," Edwin whispered before continuing on. The only sounds that accompanied them on the rest of their brisk walk to the church were the squelches of mud and the sounds of the downpour. Edwin took note that Clarice and Roots were no longer standing outside their respective homes, and the main road was slowly emptying.

The two large windows cut into the wall on either side of the heavy double doors. They were simple doors and windows, no intricate carvings or designs adorning them. The windows served their purpose, to let in light. There were obscured flickers of yellow light on the other side. Stephan had lit candles to compensate for the sun being hidden.

Without bothering to knock, Edwin grabbed one of the ancient-looking metal door handles and pushed his shoulder into the door. It slid open and he was buffeted with hot dry air. He opened the door wide enough to let Sunrise trot in before turning around to close it. Voices floated around the walls, though he knew he and Sunrise were alone in this particular room.

"...Giles, just one more moment please..."

"...I know you don't appreciate my input, milord, but you really need to..."

Edwin turned to Sunrise, who was running a yellow hoof through her mane. "I'll only be a moment, Sunrise. I just want to see what Giles is up to, and, uh, then we'll be off." She nodded, clenching her teeth and attempting to wring her tail dry. Water poured down on the floor, and Edwin chucked as the hair snapped back into an uncharacteristically poofy state.

The chapel was just as it always had been. Dry, and tasteless. The town had only recently begun using it to conduct meetings, hold celebrations, conduct marriages, or simply as a place to sit and pray for guidance. Nobody did the latter anymore, not since Kuiper had been discovered to be the root of their drought problem. Even the ponies, who were far more loyal to the gods than humans were, had begun to doubt their faiths.

There were the oak pews, of course. Beside each pew was a thin and tall window, and on the arm of each pew sat a candle. Several of the candles had been lit, and Edwin leaned down to blow out a withering one as he passed it.

Beyond the pews was not a stage, but a simple desk. It looked akin to the one in Edwin's room, and he had always found that odd. On its old, dusty surface was an even older and dustier tome, an inkwell, and a yellow feathered quill donated by Sunset. In the book were the recorded decisions and happenings of the town, the last one being recorded over a month ago, when Theobald left.

Behind the desk were two doors. One was opened halfway and lead to a staircase winding upwards into darkness, and the other was shut tight. The hushed voices came from there, and he slowly wandered over to it.

"...saying that something went wrong..."

"...no other explanation for the suddenness of..."

"...at the door..."

There was the steady thump of shoes on wood and the door creaked open just wide enough to reveal a very aged-looking Stephan. When he recognized Edwin, he lowered his head, eyes dropping to the ground. "Good, Edwin. You're here." The priest turned to face someone else in the room. "Fordwin, I assume we trust Edwin? ... Alright." The door was opened farther to reveal the chapel study. The walls were lined with bookshelves, which in turn were filled with ancient leather-bound tomes. Chairs were positioned in each corner, and a square table sat in the middle.

Fordwin sat behind the table, holding his head in his hands. Richard was standing with his shoulders raised and hands behind his back, facing the window but craning his neck backwards to look at Edwin. Giles stood next to Richard, looking stone-facedly at the scholar. Stephan moved over to the side to let Edwin by, and he walked over to the table. A map was splayed out on it, and Edwin recognized the parchment. A rough sketch of the country, or at least what parts of it that had been recorded. Fordwin and Stephan had been working on it for years, and several copies had been made. This was the most up-to-date version.

Stephan shut the door and faced Edwin. "Fordwin has convinced himself that something... extreme, must of happened at Kuiper. Whatever it was, he says, must have been enough to tip the gods' view instantly in our favor. He suspects it must have involved whatever Theobald found on his trip... and that whatever it was must have been incredibly powerful."

Edwin crossed his arms and looked at Fordwin. Stephan walked over to one side of the table, tapping one finger on a circle titled "Kuiper". His fingernail traced the outline of the circle, his bald head furrowed in thought. He looked over at Edwin, his voice grim. "I think he's wrong. I think bigger forces are the cause of this sudden change. The gods of Kuiper have never been truly susceptible to things of power, and they’ve never taken bribes before. I doubt anything Theobald came into possession of would change that."

His finger moved across the map to tap upon a vast expanse of scraggly trees etched around their village and extending to the far edge of the map. Stephan scoffed, and waved a hand at the older man. "Personally, I believe it to be a failsafe. You know how the Foreverwoods is out of range of the pegasi sphere of influence, and seemingly operates under its own magical laws? " Edwin nodded, shifting in his boots. "Well, I think what we're experiencing here is the outcome of a natural failsafe. Since our town is on the border of the pegasi sphere, which is why we only have one weather pony, we have a massive conflict of two magical forces. The buildup of the forest magic must have finally broken, giving us this wonderful storm. As for the timing? Pure coincidence."

"There are no coincidences in this world, not anymore," Fordwin muttered. He had lifted his head up and set both hands down upon the table, his fingers brushing the edge of the map. Everyone gave him the same odd look.

"Anymore?" Edwin asked in a hushed voice, speaking for everyone else in the room.

Fordwin looked at him, his faded blue eyes digging at the young advisor. "These lands ceased to have coincidences after the war with the griffons. When those higher up decided they couldn't lose control ever again. If they're still in control, and I bet my life they are, then this improbable timing is no coincidence. I think whatever Theobald has done tipped the scales in our favor. I don't believe there is some hidden magic within the Foreverwoods, because the Foreverwoods has always responded to its own laws of nature. There isn't any magic there."

"Fordwin, if I may interject here," Stephan quickly said, eyeing the elder teacher with a sly smile, "you may be a man of science, and I a man of faith, and we have always been able to cooperate in the past. I just need to point out an observation of mine. The roles seem to be oddly reversed here. It's amusing, to say the least."

A tense silence filled the room, and Stephan stared at Fordwin for a few awkward moments. Glances were shared between Edwin and Richard before Giles coughed nervously into his fist. The heavyset blacksmith slowly stood up from the seat he had taken while no one was looking. All sights set on him as he rose, and his voice broke the silence like a sledgehammer on wood.

"You going to let me talk now?" he asked, shooting a glare at Stephan, who nodded and refused to wipe the grin from his face. Giles continued speaking, still staring at Stephan. "I'm normally the first to wake in the town, y'know. So I was outside first an all. I'm gonna get straight to the point here; somethin's not right in the forest."

"I already explained that, Giles," Stephan cut in, waving his hand dismissively. "The natural magic has finally reached a point where it overflows the normal weather magic, and now we've got this-"

"Don't you interrupt me, you stupid leatherbrain. If you got your head out your books and actually bothered to look outside, you'd notice the tension tha's floating around. I was carry'n the anvil back inside when I noticed these... these flashes in the forest. A ways off in the east, close to the Whitetail border-"

"Flashes?" scoffed Richard, eyeing Giles curiously, “Giles, are you sure you haven't caught ill from the rain? It's awfully cold."

"Don't you interrupt me too, boy. I know what I saw, and them weren't friendly flashes either. It was like, a bubble of dark light 'o some sort, flashin' up an then fading off. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go and pick up my sword and find whatever's messing around out there," Giles huffed, pointing an accusing finger at Richard. Richard kept his smile wide and the finger dropped.

"Very peculiar," Fordwin said. "It could possibly be a group of rogue unicorn monks conducting a ritual, but they normally keep nearer to Kuiper and the southeastern forests, and the more scholarly unicorns are out west near Cira. But dark light...? An oxymoron like that doesn't simply happen, and I wonder if you had just seen regular light altered by the rain."

"Maybe it was dark magic," Edwin suggested, and everyone stared at him. The silence that followed was tangible. The amused looks had been wiped clean off of Richard and Stephan's faces and Giles was pursing his lips. Fordwin bit his lower lip and stared at the map for what felt like minutes. A long, old finger drifted up from the map and tapped an area to the side of their town's icon. In the distance, thunder shook above the woods.

"If it was any form of darker magic, then may the gods look down upon us with merciful eyes," Fordwin muttered, keeping his finger on the map. He looked up at Richard. "You, Giles, Edwin. I'm afraid I need to ask that you investigate these disturbances with utmost haste. You're the only skilled fighters this town has other than the other two guards, and Edwin is a brilliant tactician. The lad could talk an army into handing over their weapons and trudging home defeated if he really put his mind to it." Edwin shifted nervously where he stood, licking his lips as his cheeks began to glow. Fordwin ignored his embarrassment and continued speaking. "Leave Odo and Gamel to defend the town if anything bad should happen. Stephan and I are capable leaders, and we'll watch over the town should things go badly."

"You mean if we all die," Edwin said glumly.

"I'm speaking realistically, son. I believe you all are perfectly capable of solving whatever mystery this is, but it cannot hurt to be prepared for the worst... should the unthinkable come to pass,” Fordwin finished, the room quickly falling back into a grim silence.

Giles grunted and began walking towards the door. He stopped halfway and waved at Richard. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Richard 'n Edwin, what weapons you want from the armory?"

"Something small, dagger," Edwin said instantly. He walked over and sat on a nearby chair, and looked expectantly up at Richard who was tapping his fingers against his side as he considered his options.

"Sword, you know which one, and make sure you bring some armor," Richard said. There was another rumble of thunder.

"That'll do." Giles muttered, turning around and leaving the room, “watch it, runt." He grunted as he passed through the doorframe. A little orange blur passed him, appearing in front of Edwin a moment later. Sunrise looked wide-eyed at Edwin, a picture of perfect horror stamped onto her face.

"Edwin, I- I don't think I like storms anymore," she said, the words coming out as a hoarse whisper, “can, um, I stay with you?" she asked, giving Edwin an innocent smile. He looked up at Fordwin for guidance. A soft smile appeared on the old scholar's lips, and he nodded. Edwin looked back down at Sunrise and grinned.

"I'll be leaving soon, Sunrise. You'll have to stay with Fordwin and Stephan. I, er, will that be okay?" Edwin asked, looking from Sunrise to Stephan. He knew that Stephan adored Sunrise due to her mother's status as the overseer of the town's weather, and would gratefully accept the duty of keeping watch over her. Fordwin, however, had never been too fond of her.

"It's perfectly fine with me, I own this building. Fordwin?" Stephan looked at Fordwin, who was staring at the map with narrowed eyes. Sunrise leapt into Edwin's lap, causing him to grunt in surprise as she sat down. Fordwin flashed a small smile and nodded, and Stephan looked back at Sunrise. "Well then, Sunrise. You're to stay here while Edwin and Richard go off adventuring. Just don't touch my books or my maps, or the furniture... the ground is fine, err, and we won't have any problems."

Sunrise craned her neck and looked at Edwin upside down. "What kind'a adventure, Edwin?" He blinked, mind racing for a proper reply.

"The dangerous kind, Sunrise, the kind I wouldn't allow you on," Edwin said quickly, not wanting to mention that the worst case scenario resulted in everyone being killed, or worse. Why is talking to her so easy and so hard? Edwin thought to himself idly as she began spouting nonsense about how she could handle herself in any situation. He turned his head to glance at Richard, who was leaning against the corner of a bookshelf with an amused look in his eyes.

"I'm afraid Edwin is right," Stephan said, taking his own seat at the table. "If his theory concerning these disturbances is correct, then it may be very dangerous indeed. He'll take care of himself though, won't you, Edwin?" He looked into Edwin's eyes and gave a solemn look that said 'If the worst happens, she is going to be the saddest child in the world. Take care of yourself.'

"I will. Someone's going to need to haul Richard's rump out of any danger he runs headfirst into." Edwin said, making the amusement drop right from Richard's face, quickly replaced by a look of feigned offense.

"You may be a tactician, but that doesn't make you a fighter of any sorts. Honestly, Fordwin, why train a tactician anyways? It doesn't take a master of swordsmanship to know how to fight off a group of wolves, and we're far away from where the remnants of the griffons fly." He chuckled, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes comically at Fordwin, who stared back.

"It's best to be prepared for anything. The ability to be flexible with your strategy is possibly the greatest tool in warfare."

"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong," Edwin muttered.

"What?" Richard asked, looking at Edwin with curious eyes. Fordwin, Stephan, and Edwin all gaped at him in surprise. Sunrise shivered in Edwin's lap as thunder rumbled once more across the valley. In his corner vision, Edwin saw Fordwin hang his head in disappointment.

"That was one of Lockewin's most famous quotes during the war, right near the end of it too. Fordwin's told us about it multiple times already. How could you forget something like that?" Edwin paused for a moment, eyes falling to the floor. "I mean, I'm not- I'm not one to judge or anything, I'm just saying because he made it out to be important. Can't always... Err. Never mind." He brought up a hand to scratch at his ear, the other wrapped around Sunrise and resting on his knee.

Lightning flashed, illuminating Richard's silhouette through the window and making Sunrise instinctively flinch. The oppressive warm smell of old books and hidden feelings crushed the room's occupants, and the only sound was breathing and the harsh slapping of water on wood. Thunder cracked.

"Mister Fordwin?" Sunrise queried, looking over at her target. He stared back, slowly laying his hand back on the table. A quick nod in her direction said she had his attention. "What makes thunder and lightning?"

"I'm glad you asked." He said instantly, as if he had been expecting the question. "You see, there are two types of thunder and lightning. There are the ones pegasi like you and your mother can produce, and the kind that happens naturally..."

--2--

"We've been walking for two hours," Richard grumbled, bringing his foot down on an extra branch. The snap of wood was obscured by the harsh patter of rain. Edwin looked to his left, glaring at Richard under his hood.

"Three hours," he corrected, looking ahead just in time to duck under a branch. Richard scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

"The rain has soaked through our hoods, Giles is far ahead of us and refuses to slow down, your humming is giving me a headache, and she has been following us and we can't afford to turn back now,” he said, jabbing a finger in the direction of a small form tailing close to Edwin's feet. It shrunk to Edwin's opposite side, staring at the ground in submission. Edwin stole another glare in Richard's direction.

"As much as I disagree with Sunrise’s actions," Edwin growled, “she is still only a child. Don't disregard her actions as mere stupidity. Stephan always said life is a learning process."

"That doesn't mean I have to like the process," Richard grumbled, kicking a rock into a tree. "Just shut it and keep walking, Edwin. Stop complaining."

Edwin opened his mouth to argue back, but quickly shut it. He looked back at the ground, rain sliding over his hood in a steady stream. The wind cut through the trees in a gale, and he reached a gloved hand down to steady his cloak. He had contemplated giving it to Sunrise, before silently reminding himself that pegasi didn't get cold as easily as humans. He was still worried about her getting sick, but those feelings collided with his disappointment. He didn't know what forces propelled her into following them all the way out here, but he'd be having a talk with Sunset Dancer when she got home.

He started humming again, only to keep himself sane and Sunrise entertained during the dreary trip. A flying leaf collided with the side of his head, quickly sliding off and continuing its journey into the unknown. Edwin found himself thinking about the leaf. How would it be like to be carried by the winds like that? Buffeted around with no power over your journey? It seemed like a grim prospect to him. The physical world faded as he fell into thought. He could hear the white noise of the rain, the crunching of leaves under foot and hoof. The song drifting through the woods, mixing with his mindless humming.

He blinked. "Guys, do you hear -"

A hand slapped on his shoulder. Without looking, Edwin could feel Giles leaning in to whisper in his ear, ragged breath hot against his cold face. "Sshhhh. Tis a siren's song. Guard your mind well. Be prepared for anything."

"What..."

"Listen carefully, young tactician. Stay your feelings and locate where the song comes from, and then tell us what you have figured out.

"I'll try, I guess."

Edwin closed his eyes, straining to listen through the shroud of rain. The words were unmistakably a lullaby, flowing over each other like wind through blowing through wheat. They were faded at first. Everyone was rooted to the ground, either frightened or curious. The song began taking shape, seeming to come from all directions at once. He picked through the sound, trying to locate the origin point.

"I cannot take your fears from you,"

"I cannot watch your dreams,"

"But all the stars that shine above"

"Shall guard you with their gleam."

"What trickery is this?" muttered Richard, cautiously resting one hand on the hilt of his sword. "Giles? How do we combat this?" he hissed. Both he and Giles were peering through the trees, looking for signs of incoming peril. Giles was tracing his thumb around his sword's pommel, face furrowed in deliberation.

"It's pretty," Sunrise squeaked, huddled next to Edwin's boot, his cloak slightly draping over her back.

"Silence, Sunrise. Edwin is concentrating."

"I think I know where it is," Edwin said, double-checking his memory of the map Stephan had in the chapel. It had been hard, but he at least knew where it was most likely to be coming from. "A short ways ahead, there should be a clearing. That's the only place it could be coming from." He paused, making sure Giles and Richard were both looking at him. "I am having doubts about this, Richard."

"Nonsense," Richard said quickly, he looked away from Edwin and pointed at Giles. "Stay behind Edwin and I, and keep Sunrise safe if anything happens."

"He's the strongest of us, he could easily pick her up and make a quick escape,” Edwin agreed, nodding slightly as he said it. He scratched his chin for a moment, thinking hard. He looked to Richard. "Still, we have to stay flexible. Remember what Lockewin said,” He reached up and tapped the three stars adorning the clasp of his cloak. "We need to make haste. The song is fading."

They all nodded in silent agreement and continued. Edwin stood to the left of Richard, silently noting that the young lord still had his hand wrapped around his sword. Giles and Sunrise fell back a few meters. The song was lost to the howling of the wind and rain now, so the only sounds they could make out were their own ragged breathing, and the irregular crackling of discarded branches breaking under a boot. Every few minutes, there was a flash of lightning and a snap of thunder. Edwin couldn't help but reach down just to make sure the dagger was still there.

Gradually, the wind seemed to fade, and the song picked up again. It wasn't as soft as it had been, and seemed forced out in shudders, not longer flowing together like a woven fabric. It was disheartening, but they kept moving forward.

"When you feel most alone,"

"Know that the stars are wi... with you"

"And they shall guide you home."

The song stopped and faded into the storm, replaced by yet another bout of thunder. Edwin and Richard stopped, peering into the darkened forest. "The clearing it right past those trees." Richard said, pointing towards a few large oaks. They could hear Giles stop behind them.

"Those trees are large enough to hide us," Edwin pointed out, pulling his cloak tighter around him. Richard did the same as Edwin turned to face Giles. He could see the pain of being left behind etched into his face, and spoke in harsh whispers. "I know you want to protect Richard in any way you can, but he can handle himself out here. Stay back here. If I can, I'll come back to tell you our current situation, and what we're going to do about it." Giles nodded in grim acceptance, and sank to one knee. Sunrise huddled against him, staring at Edwin with teary eyes.

"You're gonna be okay, right?" she asked in a hoarse whispery voice. Edwin glanced at the ground for a moment before silently nodding. He straightened up and spun on one heel, not wanting to look at the sad sight any longer. Richard gave him an resentful look as he passed by.

The crouched low as they got nearer to the tree line, making sure to avoid any large sticks. Extra precautions never hurt anyone. Edwin thought to himself as he stole another glance at Richard. They got to the group of oaks fairly quickly, and shoved themselves up against the sides.

"Edwin, please tell me you feel it too,” Richard muttered, giving Edwin a nervous look. He was right, something about the air seemed off, like a tingling in the back of his mind that wasn't exactly like a headache but felt like one. It grew to an oppressive itch, but not like a real itch. Like a mind itch. It put Edwin on edge, and several scenarios began buzzing in his imagination.

"I do, and I don't like it,” he said, surprised to hear his own voice come out strained, “I'm going to take a look. Get ready to save me if some sort of monster starts dragging me away."

"Of course," Richard hissed, jabbing a thumb at the tree, “just do it."

Edwin nodded, pushing his fears to the back of his mind. He took once last obligatory gulp and began edging around the trunk of the oak currently giving him a hiding spot. Slowly, the small clearing began to fill his vision as his neck arched the rest of the way around. Two dark forms sat in the middle of the grass, their details muddled by the heavy rain pouring on them. One of the shapes was lying on the ground, and the other was hunched over it. A sound reached his ears, and he resisted the urge to move forward to confirm his suspicions.

It was the sound of sobbing. Not from pain, he would have recognized sobbing from pain. It wasn't loss and it wasn't the misguided emotional outbursts of an adolescent. Whatever this was, it was not just sounding sad, it was sounding hopeless. Most likely over whatever it's standing over. He thought, urging himself not to run towards the crying being.

It stood up straighter, and he jerked back. He held his breath for a moment, lungs straining for air within seconds. It was obviously equine in shape, but other than that he couldn't seem to make out any definite details. He glanced over at Richard, who was staring at him expectantly.

"What is it?" Richard whispered, watching his comrade's face intently. He waited a moment for Edwin to silently catch his breath.

"A pony,” he said with bated breath. Richard slumped against his tree, faced shadowed by his hood and giving no expression away.

"Then you may be right, we might be dealing with some sort of rogue unicorn practicing forbidden magic... Or something." Richard tilted his head at Edwin. "I've never really heard of a unicorn doing that, what made you think of it?"

"Well," Edwin whispered, shuffling to stand in a more comfortable position. "Giles said they were 'dark' flashes of light. Have you ever seen 'dark' light, Richard? Neither have I. It seems incredibly suspicious, doesn't it?"

"Fair enough," Richard mumbled, “now keep looking."

"It nearly saw me. I'm not about to get blown to pieces." Edwin hissed. Richard glared at him from under his hood, and Edwin glared out from under his. Richard jabbed a thumb at the tree a second time, and Edwin let out a sigh and shook his head in submission. He peeked around the tree, slower than the last time.

The pony was circling around the slumped form of the second figure, who Edwin assumed was another pony. He could tell it was a unicorn, which somehow made him feel even jumpier now that his suspicions were slowly being confirmed. It was no longer crying, but he could tell by its gait that it was still very distressed.

It looked in their direction, but didn't seem to be able to make Edwin out amongst the trees. He resisted moving, knowing full well would only alert her to his presence faster than anything else he could do. It's voice drifted across the long space between them, it's sad tone once more making him feel horrible for sneaking around and being suspicious.

"Is... Is anypony there? Please.... help," it called, sounding more like a strangled cry than anything else. It was distinctly female, and sounded young. Knowing this, Edwin felt even worse about his situation. Finally, it looked away and began circling the body again, and he gladly slid back into hiding.

Noticing Richard's gaze boring into him, Edwin leaned over and whispered in a strained voice. "It almost saw me, nearly. It's a unicorn, female, and it seems to be, er, distressed. I think it's walking around a body, but I can't know for sure. It asked for help."

"Asked for help... Yea, I think I heard that too. Why would it ask that?" Richard asked, looking uncomfortably to his left and right, as if the mysterious being would peeked around the tree at any moment and kill them both.

Edwin, from what could be seen under the hood, looked just as nervous. "At this point I'm not sure if we should help it, or... What, really. I don't have any idea of what we do next. Your call on this one."

Richard looked down, the shadow of his hood now completely hiding his face. Edwin waited anxiously for a reply, consciously stopping himself from rapping his fingers against the tree bark. Lightning struck somewhere close, and the entire area was bludgeoned with sound and light. When the haze cleared, both Edwin and Richard were standing with their shoulders straight, unknowingly mirror images of each other. They both relaxed at the same time, and Richard reached up to readjust his hood.

"Go out there and confront it somehow. Console her or talk her out of harming you if it comes to that," Richard said.

"Buh- What? Are you insane? I..." Edwin paused, clearing seeing the stern look on Richard's face, “fine, but you better be the one to pull me out of the fire.” He sighed in defeat, leaning against his tree. Richard crouched down and began moving off, making scarcely a sound as he left their patch of cover. There was another cackle of lightning and thunder.

Through the trees he could make out the silhouettes of Giles and Richard crouching next to each other, no doubt discussing their findings. He could just barely make out Sunrise Chaser huddled against Giles, seeming to look in his direction. He uttered an almost silent prayer for both his and her protection, and pulled the hood slightly farther over his face.

By either a stroke of luck, fate, or just Someone up above chuckling to Himself at His witty joke, Edwin spun around the tree at the exactly same time the lightning flashed, making it seem as if he had appeared out of thin air. It was a eerie effect, from his perspective and from the perspective of any omnipotent beings that happened to be watching. The unicorn, however, was once again slumped over the second figure. In the flash of lightning, Edwin saw the colors of the two figures. The one who had been circling around the clearing looked to be a deep bluish color, and the one slumped on the ground was white. Other than that, they were still obscured.

Slowly, anxiously, and with all contempt for Richard shoved to the back of his mind, Edwin moved forward one step at a time. He could see the cloak edge at the top of his vision, meaning everything but his face was now concealed. His arms hid under the folds of the cloth, one readily near his dagger. With each step the cold hilt of the weapon touched his palm, and then quickly fell away with the next step, only to return again.

He stopped a good seven meters away, and then quickly took one step back. Both of the figures were now in full view, the conscious one still hunched down. Not only could he make out the colors more clearly, he could also tell that he was very, very wrong in guessing their species. Without considering his next action, which Edwin later thought was very unlike himself, he screamed.

"RRIIICCCCHHAAARRRDDD!"

Alicorns. Plain and simple, and you write it with a capital "A" because alicorn was subsequently the fancy name for "god", and though everyone knew they existed, everyone also knew there was pretty much a nonexistent chance of ever getting to see one. What they did, specifically, was shrouded in many mysteries and had never been fully understood, but everyone did know that they stand as the most powerful beings in existence. Why there are so few of them was also completely unknown, and had never really been pondered upon. So, in layman's terms: Edwin was very surprised to see two alicorns. So much so, that he nearly retreated inside a corner of his mind to cry.

"Who are you?" said a voice, who he instantly recognized as the blue alicorn. In the second that had passed since he screamed, she had stood up and was now facing him with a hopeful look on her face. The itch in the back of his mind suddenly sprang back up, and he stuttered for an answer as if forced by some unseen hand.

"Ed-Edwin, uh, of... Re-"

"EDWIN?" Richard called from the forest, no doubt rushing to save the poor advisor. Through the spattering of rain, he could hear the frenzied rustling noises of the leaves and sticks being broken by heavy footfalls. His attention zoomed back towards the alicorn standing in front of him, who had a look of horror on her face now. This was one of the two things that stopped him from running away or bowing. The second was that he could tell she was going to speak again, and when she did it was in a hushed, mortified voice.

"You... You have the stars..."

"What?" Edwin asked almost automatically. A voice in the back of his head screamed a warning, and another voice offered that she may be referring to the three yellow stars attached to his cloak's clasp, which would be easily visible even in this light. However, within a second whatever he was thinking was brutally stabbed to death and forgotten by the sudden feeling of surprise, horror, and air rushing under him. There was also a strange sound, which had a very distinct magical resemblance, which he had never heard before.

Fffffwwuuuh-wup.

He hit in the ground several meters back, the air knocked out of his lungs and his vision warped by imaginary stars. Vaguely, he could hear Richard and Giles yelling for him, and on adrenaline instinct he leaned on his elbows and looked at his assailant. Even if he had never seen a unicorn fight, or an alicorn for that matter, he knew what an aggressive stance looked like. Its eyes stabbed at him with grim determination, determination filled with malice. Edwin could only feel miniscule in its presence, praying a silent prayer as its fury bore upon him.

Then Giles entered his vision, both hands gripping the hilt of his broadsword, the rest of the blade held high above his head. His cloak had been pulled back and flapped behind wildly as he ran towards the goddess. She could only glance at him, her eyes having their flames extinguished in the face of real danger, and her horn flashed. Giles was surrounded with a blue aura for an instant, and was launched sideways as if swatted by a giant hand. He disappeared into the treeline, promptly followed by a sickening crunch. Edwin involuntary flinched.

"Edwin!" Richard shouted, skidding to a stop in front of the downed advisor. He turned to face the alicorn, and used both hands to violently yank his sword from its sheath. "Stay back, you demon- Giles! Are you alright?" he yelled, warily pointing his sword in their adversary's direction. There was no answer from the woods. Richard kept his eye trained on the alicorn's face.

Something brushed up against Edwin's backside as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He yanked his hood down, feeling his hair slide back with it. He looked to his side, where a small orange shape was pressing against his side. All at once, his mind started racing. Sunrise looked up at him, a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay, Edwin?"

"Sunrise, I told you to stay back!" Richard said, now looking in horror down at the filly. “You're going to get yourself killed! Run off while you have a chance, tell Fordwin and Stephan what-"

"Richard!" Edwin shouted, pointing at the bright glow coming from the top of a certain blue alicorn's horn. It was near blinding, and the light quickly filled the clearing. The itch in Edwin's skull exploded, sending him into convulsions. For a brief second, everything smelled of brimstone.

"Oh, stars," Richard said, followed by another strange sound and the incredibly odd feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time twice.

Blip.

--2--

Teleporting must be a very hard thing to do, Edwin had once thought while studying under Fordwin on a cold winter day. The book had been about unicorns, courtesy of a scholar Fordwin knew from Cira. Edwin had really hated the book at the time, and had no idea why one would need to learn anything about magic if nothing about that person was inherently magical in any way. Even earth ponies like Roots had some sort of hidden magical connection to the ground. Humans, however, had absolutely nothing magical about them. Lots of people knew this, and nobody really complained. That was because, of course, humans had fingers. Those were pretty magical as far as Edwin was concerned.

At this point in time, though, Edwin was wondering why an angry tree was roughly shaking his shoulders, and calling his name in a muffled voice. A tree? Ha ha. That is so silly, why would a-

"EDWIN!" Richard yelled, jerking reality back into focus. The heir to Retsamoreh was sitting on both knees, shaking Edwin by the shoulders. His hood had been pulled all the way back, sending his short blonde hair in all directions. There was also fear in his eyes, and that greatly concerned Edwin.

"Rich- Erk!" Edwin coughed, surprised that his throat was rough from dryness. Richard leaned back and fell onto his butt, holding one hand to his face and sighing in relief. The smell of fresh grass and leaves, once again a completely forgotten smell to Edwin, floated across wherever they were. He used what little strength he had to push himself to a sitting position, blinking away the disorienting feeling he got when he righted himself.

He looked at himself. His cloak was still slick with rain, so he couldn't have been out for long. Sunrise was splayed out next to him, her wet mane sticking to her face and neck, and she was obviously unconscious. Edwin was dimly aware of his dagger still attached to him through the hard sheath pressing into his thigh.

His gaze drifted upwards. They were on the crest of a low hill, and the grass seemed to be one shade of crisp green for miles around. The grass in Retsamoreh used to look like it, Edwin noted. There were no trees as far as he could see, and the only clouds were thin wispy ones that seemed to lose their shape only minutes after forming. There was a strong breeze.

Laying not too far from Edwin, and positioned directly in front of him, where the two alicorns from what seemed to him to be only minutes before. The deep blue one lay a few feet in front of the white one, both unconscious. He could see she had what looked to be a dark splotch on her flank, a white crescent moon placed atop it, and her mane was merely a lighter shade of blue than her coat. The other had a pink mane, and her own mark was that of a blazing sun.

Definitely alicorns. If there was one thing that everyone knew, it was that alicorns were powerful enough to bend the stars to their will. Unless there really was some sort of dark magic that went on, and these two are a byproduct of it, Edwin thought to himself. That could be a very, very bad thing for us. Two new alicorns? What if they tried- "-to overthrow the current ones? Or-"

"Edwin, you're muttering to yourself again,” Richard said flatly, now standing above Edwin and extending one arm. They both smiled, Edwin actually chuckling as he took the outstretched hand and use it as support as he stood up. Together, they both turned to face the two unconscious alicorns.

"Oh flames above, Edwin. What do you make of this?" Richard asked, crossing his arms and glaring at the two bodies. Edwin sighed, and crossed his arms as well.

"Honestly? I don't know. From the way things played out, I'd say the blue one was acting in self-defense."

"Preposterous. She attacked you first. I say we grab Sunrise and leave before we have to continue dealing with them. Wherever we are, we're far enough away that these two won't be our problem anymore."

"I wholeheartedly agree with you, except that I don't think she really attacked me, well I mean she did, but not on purpose. Well, of course it was on purpose but-"

"Spit it out."

"Well before it lashed out, it said something like 'You have the stars' and I think she was referring to these." He brought one hand up to tap the three stars adorning the clasp around his neck. "Which she might have mistaken for something else, with the rain making everything fuzzy and the adrenaline that must of been pumping through her. I think we should wait until one of them wakes up, and calmly explain that we aren't their enemies, and then we can leave. It sounds like a misunderstanding to me... And they're alicorns, Richard."

"I noticed," Richard whispered, looking at the ground and shaking his head in thought. When he looked back up at Edwin, his eyes clearly showed how conflicted he was. "I really don't know what to do here, so I'll just go with what you said. We'll wait here for one of them to wake up - Oh, we better take off these clasps - and then explain ourselves. I'll take care of Sunrise, you try to find out where we are." Richard walked behind Edwin, and leaned down. The young advisor watched for a moment as Richard brushed the slick hairs out of Sunrise's face before walking over to one side of the hilltop.

He could tell his clothes were drying already as his hands brushed along himself, clearing any sticks or leaves that had stuck to them. He shrugged the cloak over his shoulders, giving the deep brown fabric the appearance of a cape. He gently removed the clasp cover and placed it in a small pouch stuck to his belt, leaving the two metal hooks bare. He made sure his dagger was out of sight, but still accessible should conflict arise.

The sun was beginning its descent, but still hung high enough in the sky to cast its light on the hilltops. It was just the green grass for as far as he could see. He squinted his eyes, staring northeast. Just barely visible were the thin outlines of a mountain, and then Edwin began noticing that there really were mountains scattered across the northern and eastern horizons. All just barely visible, and probably miles upon miles away. It didn't matter, because Edwin now knew where they were. He turned on one heel and began walking back to Richard.

It had taken at least five years to properly sketch out the map Stephan had in the chapel. It was originally Fordwin's project, and they still worked on it every other Saturday, but it remained the physical property of Stephan. Fordwin had asked Stephan if he could use some friends from Cira and Solis to gain some geographical information about the country. Both Stephan and Fordwin had no answer to why the geniuses that lived in Cira didn't already have a hundred percent accurate map, so Fordwin began his own. It was painstaking work, and the old man had requisitioned Edwin for his steady writing hand. Both scholar and priest agreed that it was a learning experience for all three of them, more so for Edwin, who had come to enjoy the routine of it. A bit of normalcy in the hectic life of a dying town. But then again, what is normalcy?

"Any luck?" Richard called. He was laying Sunrise down in a more comfortable position, and had taken his own cloak off and folded it to act as a pillow for her head. Her mane was still slick, but had been pulled back from her face. Richard was standing above her, staring expectantly at Edwin.

"We're north, somewhere in the middle area of the Star Plains. Judging from the mountains? I'd say we're closer to Neighton and the Whitetail than we are Retsamoreh," Edwin answered plainly. A look of frustration crossed Richard's face, and he appeared to gag for a moment. Edwin just stared, unblinking. "So you were the first to wake up? How long was I out before you had the courtesy to violently prod me awake?"

"Maybe four minutes. Did you say... really. It would really be Neighton, wouldn't it? Of all the luck in the world..." Richard held his face in his hands for a moment, sighing into them. "We don't have any food and our closest option is Neighton? This screams irony, Edwin." Richard said, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Life is just weird, you know?-"

"The white one is waking up."

Edwin spun around. Sure enough, the pink and white alicorn was beginning to stir. She, and Edwin was adept enough in deciphering pony anatomy to know it was female, hadn't opened her eyes yet, but she was definitely coming to. Edwin wanted to freeze, or somehow just skip time ahead a few moments if it would stop the nervousness from forming in his chest.

A gloved hand pushed against his chest as Richard moved past Edwin, giving him a look that said 'Let me handle this'. Edwin nodded in understanding, and Richard moved to kneel next to the alicorn. Within a split second, her face was almost pressed against Richard's, both staring into each other's eyes. Richard smiled in greeting.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was soft, but demanded attention and obedience. It was only as Edwin expected the alicorn to sound. Richard smiled even wider, and stood up to give her some space.

"I am Richard," he pointed a thumb at Edwin. His voice was fast-paced, as if rehearsed., “that is my advisor and friend, Edwin. We're not going to hurt you, so no worries about that, okay?" His voice lowered, changing the tone almost instantly. His smile softened, but stayed. "Now who are you, and who is your friend?"

"I..." the alicorn looked at her fallen comrade, jaw moving as if she was trying to speak and no words would come. She bit at her lower lip for a moment, looking from the blue alicorn to Richard, and moving to the sleeping Sunrise, and finally resting on Edwin. He smiled genuinely, giving a small wave with one hand. "I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna."

"Oh," was all Richard could say.

Chapter 3: Campfires

Chapter Three

Campfires

"Like it or not, you are going to live with yourself for the rest of your life."

--3--

"Um," Edwin said, looking from Celestia to Richard with wary eyes. Richard turned to look at Edwin, and they shared a silent conversation. Celestia pushed herself to her hooves, forcing Richard to step back a few feet to give her space. She was, at full height, just as tall as Richard, and her abnormally long horn extended a foot and a half more. She turned to face him, taking a slight glance at Luna's unconscious form a few feet away.

Celestia looked at him, chin slightly raised, and Richard stared back in an equal manner for a moment, before taking a deep breath and clapping his hands together. The swift action made Celestia flinch back a little.

"Well!" Richard said in an all-too-happy tone, craning his neck and smiling over at Edwin, "I have no idea what I am doing! Care to help a bit, Edwin?"

"Nope. You're doing a remarkable job on your own," Edwin said, smiling large and crossing his arms. Celestia looked at the two incredulously, and her priceless expression would send Edwin into a fit of giggles, but something told him it wasn't the time for that. He stayed frozen, and just kept on smiling that big fake smile at Richard.

"How long have you two been here?" she asked, and both Richard and Edwin to drop their friendly facade. They stared at her for a long, violently pacific moment, each unblinking. Edwin would have walked over to Richard in order to offer some sort of morale support, but he didn't want to leave Sunrise's side until this was cleared up. Richard coughed, glancing at Edwin before answering the princess. "And more importantly, who are you?"

"I am Sir Richard the-" He caught a very brief, very deadly glare from Edwin, "I'm Sir Richard, and this is my advisor, Edwin Servanne, as for how long we've been here, the same amount of time you've been here." He looked down at Luna before pointing at Edwin and Sunrise. "We found you and your sister in the northeast portion of the Foreverwoods. There was a misunderstanding, I think, and... well, Edwin, you have a better idea of what happened, so why don't you tell the story?" Edwin brushed a stray hair away from his face, biting his lower lip before answering.

"It... erm," Edwin said, scratching the back of his neck, "it was a misunderstanding, definitely... your sister must've misinterpreted our intentions, and, uh lashed out at me. Giles-"

"Town blacksmith and head guard," Richard interjected.

"Yes, Giles. He came to my aid, and was tossed aside by your sister, then... well then I think she, in a panicked self defense, teleported us all here," Edwin finished, spreading his arms out, "which, I'm fairly certain is in the middle of the Star Plains."

"Oh," Celestia said, blinking at Edwin. He smiled, tilted his head, and shrugged. After ten seconds of mind-bogglingly awkward eye contact between the two, she moved to kneel beside Luna. A small breeze picked up, and the tuffs of long grass scattered about the landscape began to dance with it, swaying their stalks to the beat of life. "I'm... so sorry," Celestia whispered, looking back up at Richard. Everyone adopted the same solemn expression in harmony with the other, even the unconscious Sunrise seemed to suddenly get more serious. Celestia looked back at Luna, Richard looked back at Edwin, and Edwin bit his lower lip again. "Luna should not have struck out at you like that, and I apologize for her rash actions." She took a moment to swallow and sigh, eyes drifting across the plains. "But my mind is just wrapping around what happened before that, and her paranoia seems justified.... I don't know if I can trust you two just yet. We will have to wait and see."

"Understandable. I don't trust you either." Edwin said. Richard coughed, and leaned towards his advisor.

"Edwin. These two were brutally dropped at our doorstep, scared for their lives for reasons unknown to us, so much so that they attack us as soon as we show ourselves. They also happen to be alicorns, if you didn't notice."

"I noticed."

"Have a heart, Edwin. Learn to forgive and stuff." Richard's voice dropped to a hiss, and Edwin matched him.

"Have a mind, Richard. We don't know anything about these two beyond that they're alicorns that claim to be princesses and sisters. There really isn't anything to trust. I will admit-"

"We are going to trust them whether you like it or not. I outrank you."

"I will admit that I do want to trust them, simply for their alicorny-...ness - uhg - and their distressed appearance, but those two facts are just not enough to trust them at all." Edwin crossed his arms, glaring just as hard at Richard as Richard was at him. Celestia just continued staring down at Luna, eyes clenched and breaths ragged. There was another long silence as their argument faded into the wind, and they lowered their gazes. Sunrise had not woken up yet; Edwin figured it the long trek through the woods must of taken a lot out of her.

Eventually, Edwin looked at Celestia, and coughed into his hand in order to get her attention. She didn't look away from Luna, but her ears swiveled towards him. "Ahem, err, Princess Celestia. I personally believe it is in both our best interests that, at least until we part ways, we work for each other's mutual benefit. The closest densely populated area should be Neighton if I didn't miscalculate our position. It should take one, maybe two days to get there. We'll have to work together."

"I concur. I can't even imagine how tired Luna is, teleporting that far." Celestia said, eyes still shut. "Yes... it would be best to cooperate with each other for the time being. What are your goals?"

"Get back on the road, find some shelter, get back to our town," Edwin said, holding out a finger to stop Richard from interjecting with a longer, probably more detailed list of goals that they wouldn't be able to accomplish even if all five of them were all-powerful-alicorns. "What are yours?"

"Getting Luna awake for a moment. After that, ours are the same as yours, but we'll be heading in a different direction."

"Kuiper, I assume."

"Indeed," Celestia replied. Edwin bit his lip and tilted his head at Richard, just slight enough for only the young lord to notice. Their eyes spoke volumes to each other.

Richard looked at Edwin, raising an eyebrow. "I know what you're thinking, and we'll discuss that bit later. For now. Let's get a fire going. Care to help me gather some sticks, Edwin? Perhaps by then Luna will have woken up and we can properly apologize to each other."

"Well let's not leave these three alone for long. We've got a lot to do."

"Like getting us some food. You and Luna can eat the grass, right?" Richard said. Celestia looked up at him with a solemn face. She nodded slowly.

"It won't be what we're used to, that is certain. I will make sure Luna does not overreact once she awakens. You may fetch the wood."

"Aye. Let's not waste any more time. Edwin?" Richard began walking in a random direction, waving at Edwin to follow and give the princesses some peace. Edwin gave a brief bow to Celestia before jogging to Richard's side. Stepping down the hill in unison, the two set off on their quest for wood and stone. Another breeze blew through the hills, and the tall grass swayed around them as they left. All that was missing was the soft music of a flute floating on the wind.

Celestia looked down at Luna again, and gave her a soft nuzzle. "You can open your eyes now, sister. They're gone, and I know you're awake," she whispered. Luna's eyes opened with agonizing slowness, staring into Celestia's. "Why did you do what you did, Luna? I assume you have a reason."

Luna shifted into a more comfortable position, which was laying down next to Celestia with her two front hooves curled under her body. She looked at the two shrinking figures of the young lord and his advisor, studying them for a moment, and sighed.

"On their cloaks. They bear the same stars that those guards in Kuiper did. I acted merely in self defense, I- I was afraid, yes, I know. Did you not recognize them?" Luna looked up at her sister, her eyes narrowed in confusion. Celestia returned the look, her gaze flickering over to the disappearing forms of the two humans.

"I'm afraid they don't have any stars on them, sister. I'm sure you were imagining things. They seem nice, and I doubt they serve that dreadful man. What are the chances we would have teleported right next to his town? Nearly impossible." She straightened out, tilting her chin proudly. "Until we get a plan sorted out, we are going to rely on those two, and maybe their young pegasus friend. I may not look it, but the first spell drained me of almost all my energy.

Luna chuckled and poked at Celestia's disheveled pink mane, which was littered with soggy leaves and dead grass. "You do look it, though, sister. I am sure I look just as bad, but..." she trailed off, looking forward once again, "what will we do when we get to Kuiper? What about mom and dad... and Morning Star?"

Celestia dropped her chin, looking at the ground with blank, emotionless eyes, and Luna watched, eyeing her sister's dirtied white coat. "We'll figure something out. I'm sure Gallant has already had those ruffians arrested. When we get to Kuiper, we'll fix mom and dad if they aren't already. I promise."

"You promise lots of things." Luna muttered. Celestia just leaned on her, smiling.

"And when have I ever broken a promise?"

"Never... I just... I do not want to trust those two, I suppose."

"We will have to for now, but do not fret. We shall split up at Neighton, and you won't ever have to see them again if you don't want to. They seem like reasonable men, and leaving them in the wilderness just seems wrong, especially with a child."

"We could take her with us, then send an escort back to whichever village these three come from," Luna suggested, and Celestia laughed with all the humor of a dying phoenix.

"Really? Taking a child like that? Have a heart, Luna. It would probably break Edwin's heart. I saw the way he looked at her. I do not want to be a monster that just rips children from where they belong."

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to help, sister. I know you're not a monster." Luna sighed, pressing up against the once white coat of her sister. Celestia did the same, and they both closed their eyes to get, in their minds, a well deserved rest. No more words needed to be spoken between the two.

Meanwhile, a similar conversation was occurring between two humans.

"I just don't want to trust those two," Edwin said, ripping a dead leaf off of a stick before shoving it under his arms with the rest of the wood they'd collected. Richard stood a few meters away, kneeling over and brushing dirt from a rock. Edwin waited for Richard to finish, blowing at a gnat that flew too close to his face. "I mean, I know you want to because they're alicorn princesses or whatever, but think about it for a second. Why did they end up right outside our town, scared or unconscious? Did they do something bad at Kuiper and are being punished? What if they attacked your father?"

"My father is fine. If they did attack him, for whatever reason, he'd be able to handle himself," Richard snapped, placing the rock on a pitiful pile he had collected. Edwin picked up another branch, and for a moment wondered why dead branches would be so far out in the grasslands like this. Some things just can't be explained, he reasoned, and did his best to forget about it. "I wish you were more accepting, Edwin. Those two obviously went through something we can't imagine, and I'm not just going to refuse to trust them because we know nothing about them. That's the point of trust, and it's the point of being the good guy."

"Being the good guy doesn't matter if you're dead," Edwin deadpanned, setting the sticks down next to the rocks. He took a few moments to obsess over the pile, making sure that none of the sticks rolled off or were out of line, and stood up to stretch both arms out. "You need to think things through, and stop rushing into battle with no knowledge of the enemy. It's bound to get you hurt someday."

"It would be worth it if it means helping someone. My decision is that we help those two for as long as they need us. When we get to Neighton, we can ditch them and turn around if you really want to, but otherwise we're sticking with them. We'll hire a messenger pegasi to escort Sunrise back to Retsamoreh and everything," Richard rattled off, stretching his arms in either direction; a dim pop in his spine could be heard. The sun was beginning its final descent, and half of the sky was slowly becoming a pinkish color. The light breeze had been a constant factor since they arrived, but seemed to get stronger as the sun fell.

"Messenger pegasus," Edwin said, adjusting his cloak so it didn't fall over his shoulders. It looked more like a cape that way, and therefore, as Edwin thought, much more intimidating and just a tad bit more comfortable.

"What?"

"You said messenger pegasi, it's messenger pegasus."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No, it isn't. Now if you can hold all those rocks in your cloak, we need them for the fire-pit."

"I know what we need them for," Edwin muttered, spinning the cloak around his body. It looked silly, but at the moment he really only cared about getting the entire debacle over with. He glared at the pile of rocks for a second, as if it was their fault he was stuck in the middle of this. Richard coughed, and stared at the back of Edwin's head until Edwin began to shove the stones into his cloak, holding two corners so it acted as a basket. Richard huffed, and began placing the sticks under his arm.

"So what do we do about food, now that we know the girls are fine with the grass?" Richard asked, moving to walk towards the self-elected camping spot. It was a slow start, since Edwin was weighed down by the rocks. Every step was deliberate and taken carefully.

"We're not going to starve, it's only a two day journey, so stop worry-"

"You can starve in two days though! Oh dear we're going to be twigs at the end of this, or worse, actually go mad and start eating the grass! What a horrible travesty!" Richard cried out, pouring a few lemon seeds of effort into the act. Edwin grunted, and grit his teeth against the weight of the rocks.

"We aren't going to starve. Whatever can go wrong, will. I packed a few strips of dried meat, and it should last us three days if we eat it sparingly... and by sparingly I mean we skip supper tonight and lunch tomorrow. I'm also pretty sure one of those two knows a spell for water, or we could just get them to find some rainclouds." Some of the cloth slipped out of Edwin's hand, and he stopped to regain his hold on it. Richard stared on, pursing his lips impatiently.

Edwin muttered an apology and they continued their slow trek, having not previously realized they had walked so far away from Celestia and Luna. Eventually, Richard turned to look at Edwin, his voice full of whispered wonderment. "They're alicorns, Edwin. They're goddesses in their own rights. They deserve our respect, and our help, and our loyalties."

Edwin stared back and halted, forcing Richard to stop as well. "I know they are, I'm not blind or stupid, but can't you think logically for once? Kuiper is nigh impenetrable to all danger, inside and out. They weren't even scathed during the war."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that either something is very, very wrong in Kuiper, or these two are liars. I know there are two princesses that live in Kuiper, just as you do, but they've always been secretive with the details. We have no way of knowing if these two aren't, as I predicted, dark magic fueled unicorns who attempted to, I don't know, do something bad? I don't like any of this."

"Well I love it. I just met two goddesses, you know, and I'll be traveling with them for the next few days. Have you ever traveled with two goddesses, Edwin?"

"Uh, no, I haven-"

"And, as your superior, I order you to trust them, at least until we part ways. You're to treat them like you'd treat me," Richard said. A long silence followed, the only sound being the soft blowing of the wind. Edwin sighed, staring at the ground.

"I... fine, but I refuse to like it."

"Right, because you'll love it. That's an order."

--3--

Another rock fell into place, creating an unpleasant noise as its sides ground against the stones adjacent to it. Edwin stood back, admiring his handiwork. It wasn't a large fire-pit, but it would get the job done. He brushed the dirt off his cloak while Richard moved in to set the sticks and dry grass down. Richard stood up, gave a slight nod to Edwin, and walked off a few meters to remove whatever he wouldn't be wearing during the night. This mostly consisted of him struggling to unhitch his scabbard.

Edwin reached up to his neck and began undoing the clasp for his cloak, staring keenly at Celestia and Luna. The two had been silent since they had woken up from their rest, and blinked in response to his look. Sunrise was still sleeping on Richard's cloak, and the fire-pit had been constructed in the middle of their group.

"Well?" Edwin asked, removing one hand from its task to point at the tangled mass of fire fuel. Consequently, the clasp tightened around his other forefinger and he jerked back, flinching. "You've got magic, use it to start the fire." The two blinked again, and Celestia took a deep breath. A thin, whispery magic aura began to build up on her horn, and Edwin felt his muscles involuntarily tense.

"It may take a second for the spell to catch," Celestia said, causing Edwin to look back up and Richard to pause. "My magic was severely drained, so I am afraid it will take a minute or so to even work simple spells... ah, such as creating fire." Edwin shrugged, and Richard nodded before continuing the battle with the stubborn scabbard.

Luna leaned into her sister, frowning at Edwin. "Which is frightening. My sister's skills in fire magic are exceptional." She paused, glancing sideways at Celestia until the elder of the two nodded and smiled. Luna looked back to Edwin. "Tis an effect caused by her particular talent. She excels at magic relating to fire, light, and earth. Though, she never gets to use them properly."

"That is not my fault, Luna." Celestia chided, her horn glowing slightly brighter now. Luna chuckled. Edwin licked his lips, noting how dry they had gotten. "I neglect practicing the art of fire magic for my own reasons."
"I am aware, sister. Anyway, it is similar to how I am superior with water, air, and darkness." She sighed, looking off into the distance. "Well when you say darkness, it isn't particularly acurrate." Edwin grunted, looking at Celestia's horn as Luna continued. "It's really just shadows."

Three things happened at once. The light leather armor Richard had been wearing fell to the ground, the metal bits clinking together, and he slapped his hands together in victory. Celestia's horn flashed, making Luna flinch back in surprise, immediately following it was a loud cackle of what sounded like thunder. The wood in front of Edwin burst into flames, tendrils flowing out in all directions and coming within an inch of Edwin's face. He barked in fear and jerked backwards a few feet, gasping as his back hit the ground.

Richard, Luna, and Celestia stared partially at the now gently crackling fire and at Edwin's reddening face. Sunrise slowly opened one eye, but it went unnoticed. Richard chuckled, summoning a cheerful grin, and causing both Celestia and Luna to giggle to themselves. Edwin remained stoic, and grunted as he pushed himself back into a cross-legged position. "At least we have a fire going," he muttered, shrugging and doing his best to remain serious. "Sun's going down too, good timing."

The sky was glowing a soft orange, mimicking the colors of the fire. At the mention of the time, everyone stared at the sunset, and a collective sigh ran across the hills. Edwin and Richard shivered at the cold gust, and Edwin tugged at the edges of his cloak. Richard sat cross-legged next to Edwin.

"Lovely sky," Richard grunted, stretching his shoulders. Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Sunrise, who was now staring open mouthed at the two alicorns. Richard and Edwin noticed this, and turned their gaze to the pegasus filly. Celestia and Luna followed their looks, and eventually everyone began giggling at Sunrise's look of pure confusion. That is, until Edwin spoke up, and she turned her attention to him.

"This is Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Sunrise. Princesses, this is Sunrise Chaser, the daughter of our town's weather pegasus," Edwin said, gesturing to the individual ponies as he named them. Sunrise's mouth still hung open, and he laughed again. Celestia looked to Edwin and Richard.

"May I ask why and how, exactly, did a young filly manage to join us here?" Celestia asked. Richard glared at Edwin, and elbowed him in the side. The advisor winced, and gave a look to Richard that could be described with the opening statement: "if looks could kill."

"Long story. Princess Luna, you did fire off some sort of signaling spell, right?" Edwin asked, turning to look at Luna. She nodded, and he continued. "Well our head guard and blacksmith, Giles, saw it. Not many unicorns pass through our town, so we figured something had to be amiss. Richard, Giles, and I left to check it out, and Sunrise... adventurous as she is, followed us."

"I don't think she realized it would be this much of an 'adventure' though, did she?" Richard quipped, shuffling around to stack his discarded armor and weaponry into an organized pile. Sunrise shrugged off the cloak Richard had tossed on her earlier, and stretched like a stocky cat. Edwin and Richard watched in mild amusement as she seemed to keep one eye on the Princesses as she moved into a comfortable sitting position.

"By the time we realized she was following us, it was too late to turn back. I really don't know how she ended up getting teleported with us... but it happened, so there's no use dwelling on it, right?"

"No," Celestia said flatly, staring at Edwin with an impassive expression. "No, I suppose there is not any real reason dwelling on simple, past mistakes. All that matters is that she is currently in good health. She is in good health, corre-"

"You two are really the princesses?" Sunrise blurted out. Edwin groaned, one hand reaching up to cover his face, and Richard responded only with a chuckle. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other, both smiling with a grim humor that elderly scholars often get when a child asks him if the sky is really blue.

"Yes. Yes we are," Luna said. Sunrise scrunched up her face, peering curiously at the two. For almost a minute, the only sound was the low rustling of grass and the crackling of the fire. Their impromptu camp was already smelling of smoke, but the light breeze was making sure it didn't linger for too long. Finally, Sunrise straightened out and shook her head.

"You two don't look like princesses to me," she said, "and you don't even have crowns." She raised a hoof, pointing at Celestia's long pink mane, or rather what could be seen of it. Both princesses' turned to look at the other, and chuckled. Celestia's mane and tail were frazzled and dirty, and gave off a very faint scent of dead leaves. Luna wasn't faring any better, though the color of the leaves didn't stick out in her blue mane like they did Celestia's.

"Well, little one, I can assure you we are in fact the princesses," Celestia said, lifting her chin proudly. Luna chuckled, narrowing her eyes at Sunrise.

"And how do you know what a princess looks like?" Luna asked. Sunrise pointed at Edwin, who's eyes widened in realization. His hands whizzed upwards in a defensive posture.

"Haha. Wait. No, I never told you I knew what a princess looked like."

"You gave me a book that one time. The one, uh, Fordwin got from his friend in the city. It had a picture of the two Princesses drawn in it. They had crowns, and were smiling, and looked nothing like these two... even though they have the same colors." Sunrise swallowed, and looked back at Celestia. "You're really the Princesses?"

"Indeed, fair Sunrise," Celestia said, nodding sagely, or at least as sagely as the dirty princess could, which wasn't much.

"Then why are you all dirty?" Sunrise asked. Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but paused, glancing over at Luna for a second. The smaller alicorn shrugged, and they bother looked at Richard. Richard nudged Edwin with an elbow, and the advisor gave an exasperated sigh.

"Because it was raining back in the woods, and they were laying on the ground at the time. So, mud, and leaves, and other stuff I'm sure. Nothing to worry about."

"Sundown," Richard announced, picking at a stain on his shirt. Everyone automatically turned their heads to stare at the sky, which was finally going dark. Richard tilted his neck, cracking it, and laid down next to the fire. "We're going to be walking all day tomorrow. I, for one, am going to sleep."

The group looked back and Richard, who had turned his back to them. His head rested on the pile of leather armor he had previously discarded, and his neck bent at an odd angle. Edwin lifted a finger for a moment, blinked, then lowered it.

"Richard, you're going to be sore in the morning if you sleep-"

"I'll sleep how I want," Richard grunted. Edwin opened his mouth to argue, but shut it after a few long seconds. He turned his head to the other three, all of which stared awkwardly at him. The silence was broken by Sunrise in a long yawn. She blinked tiredly at Edwin.

"I'm tired, mister Servanne," she said. Edwin cringed inwardly at the use of his last name, but nodded sagely at the weary child.

“You don’t have to ask me for permission to sleep, you know. But if you want me to give you a command, I’ll be happy to oblige.” Edwin paused, taking the moment to wet his lips. “Go to bed, Sunrise, because you’ve got a long way to walk in the morning. I’m going to sleep as well, but I’ll give you a head start.” He chuckled dryly, giving a brief glance to the two princesses.

“Mmm. Goodnight mister Fate. Goodnight princesses,” Sunrise slurred out, curling up on Richard’s donated cloak-bed. Edwin stared at her small form until the rise and fall of her chest slowly began steadying, and Celestia gave a low huff. Edwin turned to look at her questionably, and she met him by gesturing at the dying fire. He nodded and placed another bunch of sticks on top.

Edwin turned to attention to Celestia and Luna, and they stared curiously back. Edwin blinked, they blinked back, and their silence was met only with the cackling of the fire and the whistle of the wind rolling over the hills. Their faces were illuminated by the dancing light, casting long, dark shadows across them, and Edwin wondered if it gave the same effect on him. He had to replace the wood a second time before the cold silence was shattered by Luna.

“Who, exactly, are you?” she asked. Edwin looked down at the fire, entranced by the dancing flames. “I’ve deducted that your name is Edwin Servanne, but your name does not decide who you are.”

"It's Edwin Fate Servanne, and really?” Edwin countered, not wanting to share his life story with a stranger just yet, "because every one of your kind has always lived up to their birth name. Even the ones that were not so obvious could still be interpreted in that manner. Does it only apply to your kind?”

Luna opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped by a raised hoof from Celestia. Luna closed her mouth and nodded silently, and Celestia looked over to Edwin. “Many have sought the answer to that question. The best they have been able to understand of it is that, though my kind isn’t restricted by its name, it holds a special influence over them and they chose to let it decide their path. Our inherent magic may also guide us towards this, as you no doubt have noticed our names often mimic our talents.”

“Understood,” Edwin said, meeting her gaze from the opposite side of the fire, "but that brings up the question, what are you and your sister’s talents? I am merely curious, of course.”

“Would you have me ask you the same question?” Celestia asked.

“Hmm,” Edwin bit his lower lip in thought, arms leaned on his knees as he rocked to the crackling of the fire, "I would suppose not.”

“Servanne,” Luna stated, and Edwin jerked his attention towards her.

“Yes?”

“Why do you act so friendly towards him?” She nodded at Richard’s slumped form. “Is he not your superior?” she asked, peering curiously at him. Edwin glanced over at Celestia, who gave him the same questioning gaze. Is that not the most important question I’ve ever been asked, and that I’ve ever asked myself? He pondered for a moment, his eyes slowly moving from the two Alicorns to the sputtering flames of the dying fire.

“Well,” he finally said, “I grew up with him. We went to a private tutor together, we sparred in the fields as young men, we discovered the harshness of life… together.” He paused, and looked up at the bright stars overhead. “If you and your sister were not of the same blood, would you think any different of her?”

“No.” Luna said.

“Yes” Celestia said. The mood of the campfire swiveled in her direction. The tone the soft light the fire gave off suddenly looked bleak and washed out. The entire feel of the air suddenly grew thicker and humid as the two Princesses stared hard at each other. The smoke from the fire assaulted Edwin’s senses, and he coughed, squinting his eyes and looking away.

When he looked back, the world had returned to normal. Neither held the hard and uncaring gaze of a sibling at war with the other, and both looked softly at him with the same curious eyes they had moments before.

“Is anything the matter?” Celestia asked. Edwin shook his head, his mouth still slightly aching from inhaling the smoke. She smiled, and he responded by coughing into his fist once more.

“I will be honest, fair, and blunt,” Edwin began in a cold tone, licking his lips to consider his next words carefully, “I have never before had the honor of speaking to anyone of your. statuses. It feels odd.”

“You are nervous? You should not be. We are not as arrogant as some make us out to be, and we care for our subjects here in Equestria. Though we are often kept inside Kuiper, we still strive to learn as much as we can about the more common folk, such as yourself.” Luna said, and seeing a warning look from her sister, stuttered. “By common, of course, I mean human, pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony.”

“Not alicorn,” Edwin dryly stated.

“Precisely.”

“Completely understandable,” Edwin said, shuffling his legs to a more comfortable position. “Nevertheless, how many men – human, pony, or otherwise, have been in this same situation? Do you often randomly teleport from Kuiper? Or – ... you said you did not wish to elaborate on your situation. I apologize for my rudeness.”

“Not rude, just curious,” Luna said.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Celestia said, glancing at Luna before returning her gaze to Edwin. “Thank you for your… thank you for caring, I suppose. I know you do not want to trust either of us, and I accept that. I would be a liar if I said I trusted you beyond our mutual agreement.”

“Well that’s good. I’m not fond of liars. The truth should always be first, even if it’s a harsh truth, correct?”

“Absolutely,” Celestia whispered, her gaze drifting down to the fire. Naturally, the fire did not have the ability to care that one of the most powerful beings alive had decided to give it attention, and continued cackling and fluttering in the breeze.

Edwin coughed lightly into his fist, staring awkwardly at the ground for what felt like thirty minutes. By the time he looked up, the fire was already in need of wood, and he groggily tossed in the rest of the branches. Celestia had lowered her head, eyes drooping. Luna, however, seemed invigorated. Almost as if it-

Ahhh… Luna. I think I understand, now. Edwin thought to himself, what he had at first considered to be merely ironic naming suddenly coming into focus. Almost instinctively, he began working out a way to exploit it as a weakness. After a few moments, he mentally slapped himself for daring to think such thoughts. Stupid brain.

All the while, he and Luna sat there, staring awkwardly into each other’s eyes.

“I think I’m going to bed now,” Edwin finally said, curling up without waiting for a reply.

“Goodnight, Edwin Servanne,” Luna said in what, to the untrained ear, sounded like a half asleep sort of dreamy tone. She was completely lost in thought, staring up at the stars above, wishing she had her telescope, wishing she could fly though the cosmos and see what lay beyond the stars.

--3--

Edwin woke to scuttling, or more precisely, something scuttling across his face. His eyes fluttered open, and the feeling was replaced by a slight buzzing noise that faded into the darkness of the sky. He was facing away from the fire. He must not have slept for long, because the fire still crackled behind him; one of the princess' must have kept it going.

“I appreciate his honesty, but the fact he doesn’t trust his princesses is slightly unsettling,” a voice whispered, unmistakably Celestia’s. “I-... I trust our parents' judgment, but... but I cannot help but wonder if their tactics, or rather the price of their tactics, have finally come to pass.”

“B-but what did they do to deserve that? No being, pony or otherwise, deserves to-" Luna stopped abruptly, choking on her words. Edwin knew that tone of voice, it was the voice of someone who had too much stress piled upon their shoulders. His mind raced, and he went through every possible mental record that could help him logically comprehend the matter the two princesses were discussing. Scribes were at the ready to process and furiously jot down any important information that was released during the conversation, and Edwin worked to steady his breathing.

“Indeed. What Morning Star said before I teleported us...” There was a long, drawn out pause. Edwin kept his breathing as normal as possible, eyes darting around the dark hills he faced. The area was still lit by the low yellow flames of the fire, and shadows danced around him. Morning Star must be someone they know. Perhaps a servant, or a teacher. I've never heard of the name before... Edwin's mind raced. Celestia took a deep breath. “There will be much to discuss with them when we arrive at Kuiper.”

“What... what if Gallant hasn't restored order by then? What if the gua-guards failed?" Luna whispered back. Edwin, though he couldn't see them, imagined that Luna was silently shivering against her elder sister, on the verge of tears. Whatever had happened, it was bad. And if it was bad enough to drive one of the most powerful beings alive to tears...

“Let us discuss these matters... later, dear sister. I-I don't want to think about what happened right now,” Celestia said, and Edwin could tell that the mere mention of the events was taking an emotional toll on the stoic white princess. So, basically, Edwin thought to himself, whatever happened was really, really bad. Brilliant. Celestia took a deep breath, and made a swallowing noise. She spoke again, and her voice resumed its normal tone. "Sister. What is your opinion of our... unique companions?"

Luna stirred, righting herself. After several shuddering breaths, she answered. Edwin concentrated on their whispered words, more muffled by the crackling of the fire. “They are about as mysterious as, I’m sure, w-we appear to them. The difference is that they know we are princesses and we have no knowledge of who, or what, they are." There was a long pause, and Edwin could hear a quick ruffling of grass. Luna quickly added a last thing, as if it were poisonous. "The child appears normal.”

“Children... they are never normal.”

“I, ah, of course not, you know what I meant.”

“Ye-yes. I think I understand. It's one of those 'feelings' you get, isn't it? I don't have it."

“It.... I- I just. I don't know. It all just feels... ominous. Something tells me that Edwin and Richard either know something, or are in some way connected to - to what happened at Kuiper."

“I did not have a destination in mind when I tele-teleported us away, and magic works in... mysterious ways. You know that. They may not have anything to do with what happened... but that does not mean they cannot be important to the future, whatever it may be."

“Yes, I sup-suppose.“

“I worry for mother and father. I know Gallant has most likely apprehended those thugs from Retsamoreh… and Morning Star as well.” Celestia paused to take a ragged breath. Edwin could feel the emotions rising again. Thugs… Retsamoreh…. Oh no. Richard is not going to like this. Edwin thought to himself, feeling his heart beating fast as he continued eavesdropping. He desperately tried to control his breathing.

“W-what do you suppose h-he used to… to do what he did?” Luna asked, her voice strained.

“From my studies with Morning Star, I know there are only three things capable of that kind of magic. A-a unicorn who’s natural talent gives them the ability to use that... horrible spell, I doubt it's possible, but as it… ah, yes. Then there are the Elements-“ Celestia's voiced cracked, and Edwin imagined that she lowered her head in defeat, silent tears dripping down her face.

“W-what about d-dark... magic..." Luna stifled a sob, obviously not wanting to wake the rest of the camp. She is obviously distressed, so why is she attempting to contemplate such an emotionally fueled matter at this time? Perhaps it is not something logic can decipher... For a long while, the only sound was soft crying, and Edwin found himself trying not to rush and offer the two princesses his condolences and a bear-hug. Finally, Celestia took a deep breath.

"L-Luna?”

“Y-ye... yes?"

“Good... goodnight."

“Go-goodnight."

Edwin shut his eyes and tried to sleep, willing his brain to shut down for just this one night.

--3--

"There 'yah are, Lewris. I've been a looking all over the tower for 'yah."

"Lawrence. For the last time... 'tis Lawrence." The dark, thin silhouette of a man leaned against the balcony railing. In front of him shone the moon in all its glory, casting an unearthly blue glow on one half of the great tower. The city itself was coated in an oppressive darkness, and Lawrence stared down into it. Simon's stout form trudged over to him, and they turned to frown at one another.

"What's got 'ya down, friend?" Simon asked. His voice had lost that sincere sort of joy it normally held, and it sounded foreign to both of them. Lawrence took one last longing glance at the city below, and turned to face the moon. It seemed closer than normal tonight, as if it was readying to crush them for their insolence against its masters. Lawrence chuckled dryly at the thought.

"We just changed the world, Simon. For the better, maybe... but things won't be the same after this. We've only just gotten Kuiper under our control with the help of Morning Star's guards. Even though we managed it without any casualties or major injuries, there's going to be a massive backlash," Lawrence said, and a cold breeze buffeted the balcony in response. Both men drew their cloaks around them and shivered in unison.

"I know. I know, friend. I was there. We knew what we were getting into when Theobald asked us to help," Simon said, shifting uncomfortably. "Jus' roll with it, 'ah say. Not much to do about it now tha' deed's done. Best perk up." Simon slapped a hairy hand against Lawrence's back. The taller man jerked from the blow, and turned to narrow his eyes at Simon.

"Simon, friend, sometimes your lack of concern is... concerning." A shadow of a smile crossed over Lawrence's face, and he patted Simon's back in return. "I wouldn't have it any other way, though, pal."

Simon chuckled, and turned to face the door. "Anyway, Morning Star an' Theobald agreed to combine forces, an' the others an' some'utha Kuiper guard are meeting with Morning Star right now. Theobald told me to fetch you, though. Said he had 'ah job for us to do as soon as we could. I think we should head to find him, considerin' he probably's gone somewhere different now... err, I'sposeI'mrambling."

"You are," Lawrence quipped, and the two spun on the heels to face the door, the wind whispering around them. Simon jerked in an awkward stumble, and grinned foolishly. "If you don't know where Theobald is, Simon. I'll ask one of the pegasus guards. They always seem to have an infinite capacity of observation, you know. Took a while for me to notice."

The inside of the tower was lit by magical lanterns hanging off the wall at various intervals. This light was just as oppressive and sharp as the darkness in the city. It blanketed Lawrence in accusations, and burned his eyes. Unlike the serenity that had cascaded over the rest of Kuiper, the tower was booming with sound. Orders being shouted, armored hooves stampeding across a walkway. Each step rang up and down the tower, making Lawrence feel as if he were a bug inside a giant piece of clockwork.

Simon was oblivious to the world; it showed on his face, and they ascended a flight of stairs to the left of the balcony doors. The dwarfish man tapped at the scabbard at his side to a tune Lawrence didn't recognize, and could only narrow his eyes in annoyance at.

"Oi! Guard!" Lawrence called across the walkway. A grey, silver-clad unicorn looked back at them, blinking in that slow, patient manner only veteran guards can master.

"Yes, my liege?" it called back. Lawrence took a moment to drink in the satisfaction of the title, a shadowy grin sliding across his lips.

"Do you have knowledge on the whereabouts of Lord Theobald?"

"I saw him in the throne room a few minutes ago. Downstairs." The unicorn nodded, and turned back to continue his tasks for the day. Lawrence grimaced. He hadn't expected Theobald to be down there with them just yet. He looked down at the red-bearded man next to him. He sported the same expression of concern.

"Well...." Simon coughed into his hand. "I guess thas' it. Let'see what he wanted, eh, Law-rance?" The archer's eyes looked up for a moment, wishing that a chunk of the ceiling would just fall down and end it right then and there. He huffed, and turned to walk for the throne room. "So - uh, 'bout yesterday-"

"No apology needed, friend," Lawrence deadpanned. The scabbards at their sides bounded as they walked down the stairs, the tips clanking against each step. "I don't know how we got split up during all that chaos, but what happened, happened. We work best as a team, but we both have our specialties."

"I know, I know, Law-rance," Simon drawled out, chucking afterward. "I just feel a tad bad 'cause 'ya didn't get to go head-tah-horn with that Gallant fell'er and the Kuiper guard."

"I did, actually."

"O'really? I never saw 'ya."

"I was trapped with two of Morning Star's guards on one of the rooftops. We helped cover you as you pushed him out of the city. Never saw you fight directly, but I know I saw Gallant, and took a few potshots at him when I could. Stars above, that pony moved fast. No wonder he made captain."

"Ran like 'ah coward, though," Simon laughed, and Lawrence shot him a glare. It continued until Simon's piglike eyes gazed up at them, and he balked, a thin frown appearing. "Huh?"

"Coward? I didn't think so." Lawrence looked back at the stairs, and leaned over the railing to check on their progress. "He was losing, and he retreated to preserve lives and his honor; no surrendering. I would be more offended if he had chosen to fight to the death. It was, if anything, an honorable move on his part, and I respect him for making such a quick and smart decision."

Simon gaped, and sputtered. "But he's the enemy, Lewris! He's just a scumb-"

"Lawrence. It's Lawrence."

"-no respect!"

A sigh escaped Lawrence's lips, and one hand rubbed at his temples, a practiced movement. "Simon. We can discuss your warped philosophy on respect and battle later. For now, we need to focus on more pressing issues."

"Like?"

"Well, for one, this week we'll be attending the ceremony for Theobald and Morning Star. We'll have to have some better clothes fashioned for us, which means measurements will need to be taken. I, um, nothing to really worry about, though, because unicorn seamstresses are renown for being the best. Then we've got to pull some guard together - we're technically Royal Guards now, you know."

"Well 'yah, but we serve Theobald, not Morning Star. Wouldn't tha' be 'personal guard', hm?" Simon had begun tapping at his scabbard again, the little clicks shattering Lawrence's concentration, driving into his skull like pecks from a raven. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Yes, yes, friend. I know. I was alerted to the fact that he and Morning Star would be working together. Hm - 'scuse us, friend." The two moved to either side of the stairs as a thin unicorn guard passed by, sparing them a glance and nod of the head. A breath caught in Lawrence's throat, and he stayed still until the rhythmic clopping of hooves faded up the winding stairs. The unicorn guards were the equivalent of juggernauts, one-pony-armies, depending on what spells they knew. Better to have them on your side. They never smiled. Relief flooded into Lawrence as the tension dispersed, and the two moved back together.

Tap. Tap. Tap tap tap.

"Well. All of this is certainly exciting. We'll probably have to move to Kuiper, Clarice and I. Stars above, maybe we can all just leave Retsamoreh and come here! Wouldn't that be fantastic, Simon? All our friends wouldn't want to stay in that dusty town, right? Theobald would surely show some favoritism. And his son! His son will be a full prince soon. Oooh... Fordwin will be the head scholar, perhaps Stephan would take some position with him, considering... ah... I digress. What do you think about all of this, friend?"

"Oh..." Simon glanced at the ceiling for a moment, his mind far away as he herded his thoughts into something moderately comprehendible. Never the sharpest sword in the armory, but perhaps the heaviest hammer, Giles used to say. Lawrence felt his mind drifting as he waited for an answer. A quick glance at their progress showed they were nearly at the bottom floor, the throne room. Theobald wasn't visible, but the backs of the two massive gold thrones stood out like sentinels.

"Gosh. I really dunno, mate. I 'spose... well it's nice. I feels like I've gone and finally done something big 'n important, 'yunno?" Simon awkwardly flung his hands up, stretched out to the ceiling so far away. "I mean, finally! I'll be able to tell me future kids 'Oh yea, you bet kiddo, I helped overthrow some of the worst tyrants this world's ever seen'. Tha's not somethin' a lotta men can say!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I can say it," Lawrence said, sporting a wide, mocking grin. They chuckled in unison, stopping as their footsteps were abruptly muffled by carpet. Their smiles dropped off their lips like terrible mountain climbers, and a sincere fear for the future suddenly welled up in Lawrence's chest. All the others had been briefed by Morning Star while Theobald handled things in the city, meaning that whatever he had in store for him and Simon had to be important. As in, very, very important. Lawrence shivered ever so slightly as they rounded around the room, Theobald gradually coming into view.

The lord was looking past them, at the two great figures stuck fast upon their thrones. He had taken off his cloak, now adorned in simple traveling clothes, worn from hard usage they'd seen in the past weeks. Lines of grey mixed in his auburn hair, beard included, gave him a withered, ancient look. His left hand tapped at the hilt of his sword, and his right held the strap of a simple blacksmith's hammer, swaying back and forth next to his leg, making not a sound as it swished through the air. Lawrence could swear it was staring at him.

"Salutations, Lawrence. It is good to see you are faring well," he said in a dead voice, eyes locked on the statues. "They're going to name this hammer someday; it's going to go into a museum, so I'm pondering what to call it. Godkiller? Godslayer? Ender of Tyrants, perhaps?"

Lawrence and Simon silently strode to their master's side, Simon looking nervously between the hammer and the figures on the throne. Lawrence coughed into his bare fist, licking his lips. "Um. Perhaps, sir, you could weigh that responsibility on the people. It was-"

"Um. Did we do the right thing, you think, Lawrence? I ask you this as a friend." Theobald craned his neck to look at them. "It's too late for regrets, I guess. But I've wondered if we could have settled this peacefully. Talked them down, maybe," Theobald muttered, looking back to face the ex-rulers. "I don't think it would have worked. It wouldn't have hurt to try, though. Good job on the battle yesterday, Lawrence, Simon. It must've taken a remarkable amount of self-restraint, considering both sides ended up with about two casualties each, never mind the injured."

Lawrence nodded, and Simon mimicked the gesture. "I... ah, there's always another way, but we chose this one, my liege. It's in the past and we can't ever undo it, so we have to live with the consequences. We've just freed an entire nation from immortal tyrant-gods who would manipulate them for their own greed, as they have been doing for so long. We're heroes. I've known you long enough to know you know the old saying 'bad people always get what's coming to them,' and, maybe, we're what was coming to these two."

"Mmm, yes..." Theobald's gloved hand rose up to scratch at his beard. "We will go down in history as heroes, my Lawrence. Our names will be immortalized, revered. I will make it so when I am crowned, and we will start a new era of peace. No longer will our lands cower under the griffons, or the dragons. We'll open up trade with the southern nations. I'll see to it that every village gets enough food and water. The poor will be invited to vast feasts at Kuiper. We will be the rulers Equestria both wants and needs. Thank you for reinvigorating my faith, Lawrence."

"Is that what you needed of us, sire?"

"No." Theobald turned, his demeanor staling like weeks old bread. His words sounded like the slamming of a heavy coffin. "The two fledging gods and the captain escaped. Our forces will easily catch the captain and his ilk, but the whereabouts of the princesses are unknown."

"You want us to find them and... kill... them?" Lawrence asked he caught on, crossing his arms in contemplation. "That is quite a task you ask of us, sire. We are guards and warriors, good ones, but we are not capable of meeting two gods in battle and surviving, let alone killing them. The plan was to take them by surprise in the tower, and even that didn't work."

"No," Theobald said, tapping the hilt of his sword as Simon had done so minutes before. "I will make sure you have any forces you need at your disposal. Every town, city, village, they will lend you any men you require, and you will be considered above the law. But, I, ah, I strongly suggest you abide it still. As for the killing, I would prefer you take them alive. Perhaps a public execution, or we could find some way to cut off their horns and disable their magic. I do not want anyone, pony, human, god, or otherwise to suffer." He stopped, mouth snapping shut, then creaking open once more. "If you must kill them, make it quick."

Tap. Tap.

Lawrence blinked and Simon staggered back as if he had found himself stuck in a strong gale. "Whoa," Simon whispered.

"That, milord," Lawrence said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "May make the task much, much easier. I, for one, accept this order whole-heartedly. I will bear your request of taking them alive and make it a priority."

"Aye! Count me in as well, m'lord!" Simon smiled ear-to-ear, his armor rattling as he apparently attempted to dance in it.

"Good. Good. For starters, I've requested Morning Star lend you five of his superior unicorn guards. Alard will also be accompanying you, as he's currently on the edge of the Foreverwoods, watching Kuiper and waiting for our signal. A shame he didn't get to come in with us, but we had to stick to the plan." Theobald turned around to face the thrones again. "They and the rest of your things will be waiting at the gate, and your hawk is no doubt out searching for you, Lawrence. Ah... time is of the essence, Lawrence, Simon. I bid you good luck on your assignment."

"Of course, m'lord. You'll get 'yer princesses. Alive, too."

"Indeed. You will not be disappointed in us, my lord," Lawrence said, backing up with Simon towards the two massive oak doors leading out of the throne room. Their footsteps echoed in the chamber.

Theobald turned to face them, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Of course you won't, Lawrence. You've never failed me before. Now go! May the stars guide you on your hunt!" Lawrence and Simon both grinned viciously as they turned around to take their leave. Theobald swiveled to face the blank-faced gods with agonizing slowness; their manes, normally flowing in a magical wind that many scholars fought over to explain, were frozen in time.

The chaotic patter of footsteps slowly drifted away, and the echoes faded as they rebounded through the massive white and red hall. The lone lord, soon to be king, caressed the hilt of a pony blacksmith's hammer, and his other hand tapped at his sword. He smiled a smile for the ages.

Tap. Tap. Tap.