To Fill a Void

by Erebus

Rating: teen
Tags: Queen Chrysalis, Princess Celestia, Human, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Romance, Princess Luna, Original Character
Length: 92658

You can hide away your problems. You can mask all of the pain with lies. You could live an eternity and pray that the scars simply fade away. Despite all of your best efforts though... Not even all the power in creation can truly ever fill a void.

Peace.

A concept that many beings strive tirelessly for throughout their existence, yet also might never have the privilege to see.

A concept that the whole of Equestria might finally be able to enjoy for a good long while.
Nightmare Moon has been defeated and Princess Luna restored, the changeling invasion was repelled, King Sombra was banished eternally and the Crystal Empire returned to its former glory, and even Discord himself was eventually reformed towards a better state. Indeed, it could be said that the ponies of Equestria might finally be able to relax and recuperate from many an averted crisis.

But peace is a fragile thing...is it not?

Since her recovery, Princess Luna has been pushing herself ever harder towards finally gaining her subject's acceptance that she longs for so much. However, as the months drag on, the stress has slowly begun threatening to bring her towards the breaking point. Whilst seeking out what she believes might finally show the ponies that she only means well, the Princess of the Night happens to stumble upon something not ever once seen upon the face of the planet. A piece of ancient knowledge, all but completely lost to the passage of time.

However, even the greatest of knowledge...has the potential for unmatched destruction.
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I won't ask that you take it easy on me, only that you try to keep any criticism on the constructive level (unless I do something blatantly stupid and abhorrent...). In turn, I will do my absolute best to take all of your suggestions to mind, and attempt improve the story in any fields necessary.
All in all...it won't be perfect, but it is my greatest hope that it will in some way pique your interests.

Proofreading credits go out to Chasing Resonance

Cover art was commissioned by Eosphorite over on Deviantart.

Published 2014-09-10 03:00:05 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-11 12:27:52 UTC

Dreams and Disturbances

To Fill a Void

Darkness…
The infinite void… The endless expanse…
Precursor to creation itself, forerunner to all things… A force easily powerful enough to shape the lives of all within its influence, yet terrible enough to wipe them from existence in a single instant.

To be gifted with natural control over this power is not only a boon… But a curse. The few granted this ability are inevitably regarded with suspicion and shunned by even those closest to them, seen only as bringers of terrifying power… Such is their fate.

“You… You know of this all too well… Do you not?"

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“LUNA!”
Princess Luna’s eyes shot open as she reeled back from the sound of the deafening shout that had just snapped her back into reality. Taking in her surroundings, she quickly became aware that she must have drifted off into sleep without her own notice, a rare occurrence…even in her current condition. After recovering from the initial shock of her very rude awakening, she slowly glanced over in the direction of voice…to find none other than her older sister expectantly glaring at her with an obviously annoyed look across her face.

“Ugh, Luna…I fully realize that you haven’t had more than a few hours of sleep since this morning, however you could still at least attempt to keep yourself awake in the middle of an important court session.” Celestia sighed with frustration. “You should know that I need your consent in this matter if we’re going to get anywhere.”

Huffing and regaining her composure, Luna was quick to voice her own displeasure. “While the subject at hoof is more than important enough to have our undivided attention, you might have shown slightly more tact when you decided to wake us. It is not as if we had intentionally decided to doze off after all.”
The two rulers had been entwined in an important meeting since roughly eight in the morning, regarding the construction of more easily accessed trade routes to the newly rediscovered Crystal Empire. After being cut off from the rest of Equestria for so many years, the empire had been almost completely drained of necessities needed for the citizen’s everyday life since it’s resurfacing, and the single train line that ran to the city’s western border was clearly a less than plausible solution to the issue. Even with the urgency of the matter, the fact that it was nearly four in the afternoon easily showed that the lunar princess was less than pleased with her apparent lack of sleep.

“Besides, it is not as if the matter can even truly be discussed without the consent of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Seeing as they are now in full charge of the Crystal Empire, we see no reason to go into such great depth without them being here to agree.” Luna said, stifling a yawn.

Softening her expression Celestia looked over at her sister. “All the same Luna, it doesn’t hurt to have a plan put together beforehoof so that the two of them wouldn’t have to be kept away from the empire for any extended period of time.” She paused for a moment to take a sip of the tea that was placed before her. “Although, I do suppose we have gone over the subject quite thoroughly for the day. After all…drifting off like that that is fairly rare for you sister.”

Luna was in no position to argue with either of those points, the latter however did seem to raise some questions. While she had been completely unaware that she had even fallen asleep until Celestia had to begin shouting to wake her; the truly odd thing…had been the premise of what had occurred while she slept. While it was far too vague for her to clearly comprehend exactly what she had been witnessing, it had been obvious to her that the words she had heard spoken were not simply the product of her subconscious mind; they held a form of meaning behind them that Luna couldn’t quite understand. Somepony…or something had actually attempted to speak to her within her dream. Though she was no stranger to watching over the dreams of the citizens of Equestria, the thought of a being that was able to brush against her mind in such a manner had severely unnerved her.

It was obvious that Luna’s musings had caught the attention of her sister, as Celestia placed a hoof on her side, a worried expression written on her face. “Perhaps it would be best if you went and rested awhile before raising the moon tonight…you don’t seem to look well little sister.”

“Thank you for your consideration Tia, there are simply some strange thoughts on our mind that we must mull over…but we will be more than happy to oblige to a few hours of rest before the night.” Luna said, a smile on her face as she looked up at her sister.
“Very well then, I suppose I’ll be seeing you at the end of the day then. Just be sure not to oversleep.” Celestia gave her a slight smirk.

Luna quickly returned the favor. “Both of us know exactly who the heavier sleeper among the two of us is, and some slight sleep deprivation on my part isn’t about to change that.” Slowly rising to walk out of the room, she turned to face her sister. “However, that doesn’t mean we won’t find an occasion to pay you back for it.”

“Knowing you, I most certainly wouldn’t doubt that.” Celestia chuckled to herself as she slowly raised herself from the table.
Luna had just begun to head towards the doors of the main hall when she heard Celestia walk up beside her. “Luna, just remember…if there is anything that you feel you need to discuss, I would be more than willing to listen and help you in any way I can.”

Upon hearing these words, Luna’s face lit up with a genuine smile. No matter the simplicity of an issue, Celestia was almost always willing to lend a hoof to those in need. Even in spite of their rough history together, she was still working hard to rebuild the bridges that were burned between them.

Turning back towards her, Luna gently nuzzled her head against her sister’s neck. “We always appreciate your concern for us Tia, however this is nothing you should have to bother yourself with. A few stray thoughts are nothing that we cannot deal with on our own after all.”

Celestia returned the gesture to her younger sister before softly smiling at her. “Very well then, if you feel that it is simply a trivial matter, then I will leave you to deal with it of your own accord. Now please, allow yourself some rest before the night is upon us.”
Luna regarded her with a smile of her own and a “thank you”, before heading out into the main hall towards her quarters. While she travelled towards the stairs of her tower however, she still could not shake off the constant nagging in the back of her head regarding her earlier daydream. Normally she was no stranger to the many unusual occurrences that frequented her everyday life; however this particular happening had left her with little rational explanation. She quickly resolved to look into the matter as soon as she had rested enough for her job of raising the moon.

Although the princess attempted to make her way down the unusually long hallway as quickly as she could, she was however; still unfortunate enough to earn a few awkward glances from the guards that lined the hall as well as the occasional maid that would pass her.

Despite the fact that all the ponies in the castle greeted her with smiles and formalities, it was simple enough for Luna to see they were putting on a facade. Even though she had been present in Canterlot for quite some time since her return from Nightmare Moon, most of the ponies still regarded her with a fair amount of suspicion…much to her displeasure.
She had made every attempt to get out more during the day and try to become more comfortable with the city’s denizens. She had even gone so far as to begin conforming her outdated way of speaking to current societal norms, although she still took heavy use of the “royal we”.

“No matter how hard we try…we can never seem to gain their approval. It is not as if we haven’t tried our hardest in an attempt to fit in.”

After she was out of visible sight, Luna thought it simpler to teleport herself the rest of the way to her room, as to avoid any more unnecessary looks she might receive along the way.

Just as she was gathering the required energy to her horn, she heard a slight popping noise followed by a bright flash of light to her left. The all too familiar voice that stemmed from the occurrence immediately made Luna’s blood boil.

“Well hello there, how might this glorious afternoon be treating you princess?”

The princess let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face the source of the voice…only to find nopony there. “Discord…must you truly attempt to test our patience in such a manner? We are in no such mood to put up with your games, so the least you could do is show yourself.”

Much to her disdain however, the space around her still remained devoid of anpony besides herself. “Pffffft! I may be insane but I’m not crazy…I know more than well enough to not stand within line of sight when you’ve gone off on one of your little moods. Besides, as devilishly handsome as I am, I’m more than content with allowing only my beautiful voice to grace you.”

This comment was more than enough to make Luna’s face scrunch up in distaste; however, this did little to deter the chaotic prankster.

“I mean SERIOUSLY though, where do you come off with all these negative waves, huh? I’ve seen more cheer on an ambitious suicide mission thirty miles behind enemy lines.”

Luna let out a low growl as she felt an invisible claw pinch her cheek, which she quickly slapped away. “Why we are in a less than cheerful disposition is no business of yours Discord. Now if you will excuse us, we will be departing for some more pleasurable company.”

“Said company being?” Discord sang out.

“The silence of our room!” Luna was quick to retort.

Without another word she quickly lit up her horn and proceeded to vanish from the area, leaving a now completely visible draconequus floating in the hall, a sandwich in one claw and a slightly tipped bucket of water in the other.

“Bah! Luna was never as good a sport as Celestia has been all these years.”

A frown remained glued on his face as he tossed the bucket off into hall behind him, its contents freezing over directly beneath some unfortunate guards. “Ah well…fun as it may be, I suppose I don’t have to make her any more miserable than she is. After all, she could stand to say something righteous and hopeful for a change.”

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Reappearing in the hallway that linked to her bedroom, Luna gave herself a moment to cool off before proceeding any further. The day had already been started off on the wrong hoof, and with Discord’s untimely appearance, it had just gotten significantly worse.

“We swear, one of these days that insufferable conglomeration of idiocy is going to take a buck to the face!” Luna hissed.

She took a moment to allow her nerves to cool; she knew all too well that this was exactly what the chaos lord wanted from her. Slowly letting out a long stream of breath through her gritted teeth, she regained her composure and began making her way towards the door. Upon arrival, she stopped for a moment to address her two personal guards. Despite the few years she had been back, it had become all too routine to let them know when she would be resting and when she did not wish to be disturbed, the latter being something they took every step to uphold. The two bat-ponies nodded curtly before swiftly stepping out of her way and posting themselves at either side of her door.

“At the very least, the night guard is respectable towards us.” She thought grimly before letting herself inside. “Not that any weight resides behind that statement.”

Using her magic to shut the door behind her, she wearily stumbled over to the large bed-mat lying near the window. She lazily levitated her royal attire onto the wardrobe leaning against the wall before unceremoniously flopping backwards onto the soft mattress, a slight scowl painted across her face. The past few months had been increasingly stressful for the alicorn, with each day bearing down on her harder than the last. Between the constant royal duties she had to perform, the past major issues that had risen in Equestria, and the increasing need to attempt to fit in…it was times like these that made her feel more alone and secluded than she had ever been.

“We still just wish that we could simply find company in somepony that shares our own view of life…somepony that could appreciate us for who we are.”

A few minutes passed with her staring sadly at the wall in front of her before a loud yawn tore her from her doldrums, reminding her that she was still quite exhausted. With a sigh Luna flipped away from the window and shut her eyes, attempting to find solace in the few hours of sleep she could hopefully receive.

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Awareness slowly flooded back into Luna’s being as she slowly began to pull herself out of a dreamless sleep. Despite her attempts to shake off some of the initial weariness that followed her waking mind, she quickly found that the few hours had done little to alleviate her of the weight upon her being.

“By the moon…you would think as Princess of the Night, we would more than capable of sleeping soundly.” Luna quietly muttered to herself. “We have always had trouble finding restful sleep though, so it should come as no real surprise.”

Glancing out the window, Luna immediately noticed that the sun was slowly making its way down the horizon, indicating that Celestia herself was preparing to head in for the night. “We can only wonder if she might be burdened with the same troubles that we are…”

Levitating her crown back onto her head, she slowly made her way out the large window onto the balcony that overlooked the land surrounding Canterlot. Glancing to right, she was granted a view of her sister slowly descending back onto the balcony of her own tower, the last rays of the sun quickly disappearing behind her outspread wings. Luna simply rolled her eyes…Celestia had long held a flair for the dramatic that she commonly brought into effect during her duties involving the sun, despite the simplicity of the whole matter.

“Ever the show-off, aren’t you Tia?” She mumbled to herself.

Letting out a small sigh, Luna slowly closed her eyes and allowed her mind to slip into a state of peace. Her horn began to glow a light blue as she focused her essence into the celestial body that she held sway over, willing it to rise above the horizon and into the night sky. To anypony that would just watch idly, raising the moon or sun would most likely seem an impossible task, even for the most accomplished unicorns…the truth of the matter was entirely different, yet still quite unreachable by many. Raising the celestial objects had almost always been second nature to both sisters, not due to any degree of magical ability or skill, but instead due to the fact that they were inextricably tied together. To Luna, bringing the night was so simple; it could be described the same way as breathing. After she was satisfied she had raised it into a reasonable position, she gently disrupted the flow of magic and cut her connection with the moon, leaving it suspended high above her.

Luna stepped back slightly to admire the work she had done, gazing intently as the heavenly body illuminated the star filled sky.
“Tis a beauty many still take for granted.” She sighed. “Though we suppose that not everything can be appreciated in the same light.”

She was content to simply sit and watch the sky for a few minutes longer…until she was suddenly reminded of the enigma she had wished to pursue earlier that day; the mysterious voice she had heard during her unexpected daydreaming session. Taking a moment to consider that the night had only just begun, she decided there was plenty of time to delve into question of whom exactly had attempted to speak with her during her dream…and given the circumstances, she knew exactly how to start.

While she had considered trying out a few different options beforehoof, such as some advanced tracking and memory spells she had learned over the years, none of them had seemed as straightforward and simple as her first thought.

“Dream Walking.” She said softly. “That is undoubtedly the best way to track this strange occurrence.”

In all truth she couldn’t be more correct in her reasoning, obviously if this pony could enter dreams, than the same would hold true the other way around. Another reason for this method was the astral and mental echoes left behind during her own dream, as they would provide easily traceable links back towards their owner. Being the warden of the night did have its own noticeable privileges after all. She would still have to be extremely cautious though; while entering another being’s dreams was usually simple enough, it was dangerous due to the fact that a strong will or an equally strong nightmare could overpower her own being…and leave her trapped within another consciousness.

Kneeling down into a more comfortable position, Luna once more closed her eyes and began to let her mind drift. Her essence slowly started to pull away from her physical body as she began to carefully trace the echoes left behind by whoever had entered her dreams earlier. Oddly enough, despite the obviousness of the presence when it had actually brushed against her, Luna found the residual energy somewhat difficult to follow. Even though they were simple echoes, they were incoherent and lacked the cohesion of a purposeful attempt to communicate with her…almost as if it had been accidental. All the same, she focused more readily and was soon able to pick them up far more strongly as they strayed further from her mind and made their way out into the world itself, towards the mind of whomever they belonged.

Luna had begun to follow the energy for no more than a few minutes before she stopped abruptly, simply staring out into the direction it was emanating from. With a small gasp she immediately pulled her consciousness back into her body, which had gone deathly still from shock. Quickly jumping to her hooves, Luna brought herself over to the far side of the balcony and proceeded to stare out into the darkness, a look of grim shock upon her face. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, there was simply no way she could doubt it.

The energy she had followed, led directly to the one place she promised herself she might never have to return to again.

It led directly into the heart of the Everfree Forest…

Directly into the ruins of her old castle…

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“Darkness…”

“That is all that I remember of this wretched planet…”

“That is all that should remain…I am all that should remain…”

“So how can it be…that I yet feel another?”

Author's Note

Hey there everyone.
I'm glad to see that you made it to the end of the first chapter.

Now I'm mainly putting down this author's note as a kind of test.
You see, normally I'm not all into talking about my writing process and other such things (or talking about my life in general).
All the same, I'm fairly certain that has a very good chance to turn around as I put out more chapters later on...
With that in mind, I'm just putting out a choice of sorts here...

If the majority of the readers are against me putting down the author's notes for the most part, then I'll do my best to keep them to a bare minimum.
Obviously the same rule would apply to the other side of this...
If you want it, I'll attempt to put these out at the end more often.
And if you really don't care either way...then I applaud your neutral standing.

That's really about it for this little note.
Once again, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, and hope that you'll look forward to more.

Now if you'll excuse me...
I need to find someone to edit Luna and Discord's face into this...

Everdark

The Everfree Forest...

This vast, foreboding, and deadly conglomeration of nightmares stood as a testament to the fact that Equestria was not always the shining gem that its inhabitants and neighboring countries thought it to be. Truthfully, the Everfree once covered much of the central region of the country in the times that pre-dated even Discord’s rule, and was far more unbridled than it even currently could be viewed. It wasn’t until after the Elements of Harmony were discovered within the underground cavern deep within the forest that the two current rulers decided to build a small colony within the wood’s confines in an attempt to lessen its dark influence over the land. While the forest’s size was significantly reduced during their time there, the ruins that now stood in place of the colony served only as a dark reminder of the Everfree’s unwillingness to be tamed or stamped out. Truly it could be said with little doubt…that the Everfree Forest held a will of its own.

A thought that served only to further increase Luna’s growing list of doubts.

Exactly half an hour had passed by since the Princess had discovered the source of the strange anomaly that had plagued her mind earlier, each minute having been spent pacing across the balcony, trying to piece together exactly what course of action she should take in the matter. Already she had ruled out simply allowing herself to ignore it and attempting to move on, as not only would the ensuing conflict within her mind drive her to complete paranoia, but also the situation itself could merit a yet unknown threat to Equestria that could not simply be ignored.

She had also been mulling over other possible ways that the situation could be handled, becoming increasingly frustrated as each dead end would slowly bring her inevitably closer to the one course of action she hoped to avoid at all costs. Despite her best efforts though, Luna inevitably began to realize that undoubtedly the best way for her to deal with the problem…was to confront it herself.

“Stars above, is it truly possible that this situation could become any more cryptic than it already was?” Luna was quickly becoming annoyed at her lack of immediate answers. “It is not as if we can keep good conscience at the prospect of trotting headfirst into that cursed forest, not without even knowing what manner of phantasm has summoned us there.”

“All the same…we cannot simply turn our back upon this; the potential threat level is far too high. For all we know, Nightmare Moon might have been able to find some way or another to physically incarnate herself.” A shiver ran down her spine at that thought. Contrary to popular belief, her “other” self was not simply some malicious personality that had been brought about out of spite, but had instead grown into an actual separate entity over the course of Luna’s long imprisonment. It was unknown to all but a few, but the dark being was more than capable of being brought back…under the correct circumstances.

Turning her mind from the past, Luna hesitantly turned and headed back towards her room. “If we are to do this however, it must be done completely on our own. Tia cannot be bothered with such an obscure matter, nor would she find marching into the Everfree a plausible course of action. Asking for assistance from the Element Bearers would undoubtedly warrant unwanted attention from my sister, and I myself feel less than comfortable sending them back into that castle. As for Discord…” Her mind wandered back to the last “errand” the chaos lord had agreed to help with. “Discord would naturally just send things into further disarray than needed.”

“This may also very well be an opportunity to show our citizens we have only their best interests in mind.” Gazing through one of her windows, she took a moment to look down at the empty streets of Canterlot. "If we are capable of circumventing a potential threat completely on our own, then they would surely be able to believe that we bear no animosity towards them."

Her mind reluctantly set, Luna slowly made her way across the room and opened the door to address the guards. “Nightshade…Overcast, we would like to inform you that will be setting off to fulfill our duties for the night.” The two stallions stared up at her intently. “There should be no real issues, however if we are not back by the morning, it is of the utmost importance that you inform our sister immediately…understood?”

The two of them quickly nodded in affirmation but otherwise kept deathly silent to the statement…this alone told Luna that they were in absolute compliance. “Very good, you are both relieved and free to enjoy the night as you see fit.”

The both of them nodded once more before bowing deeply and turning to walk towards the tower’s staircase.

“Stoic as ever, it is not as if they couldn’t stand to at least verbally answer every now and then. Still, I suppose they do take great pride in their rank and position…best not to chastise them over it.”

Shutting the door and walking back into her room, Luna quickly decided to gather her cloak from her wardrobe before heading out. Normally her cloak was merely a thing of sentimental value, and not something she would wear on most outings. However, with the uncertainties of the current situation, it might serve her in ways yet unknown.

Turning back towards the balcony, she proceeded to stare out at the Everfree, a look of grim determination set on her face. However, the forest’s only response to this was the howling of a timberwolf pack and an unsettling stillness.

“That place truly is unnatural.” She muttered under her breath.

Luna took a good moment to make sure there was nothing she was forgetting that might help her in the future…the last thing she wanted to be was unprepared. Finding that there was nothing immediate that she could think of, she made her way to the edge of the balcony. Letting out a few ragged breaths, the alicorn slowly flared her wings out to their full length, and stretching them for a brief moment, propelled herself off the railing’s edge. As the blackness of the night quickly seemed to swallow up her dark form, one thought began to rip and tear at the back of her mind.

“What exactly are we getting ourselves into?”

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A somewhat uneventful half-hour had passed since Luna had reluctantly set off towards what she could only call a foal’s errand. A cool breeze had worked its way through the night air, so with her wing speed working to double the effect, the princess had been more than glad she had decided to bring her cloak. Over the course of the flight, she had attempted to keep her mind preoccupied from the stupidity of exactly what she was doing...to little avail. Finding no solace within her own mind, she simply decided to try her best at clearing her thoughts entirely, if only to keep herself from turning back. Before long however, she was brought back to her senses by the familiar smell of smoke, originating off to her left. Looking up, an all too familiar sight graced her as she found herself passing close to the edge of Ponyville.

Gazing off towards the small village, Luna couldn’t help but smile. While it held true that her first main visit to Ponyville hadn’t been met under the most pleasant of circumstances, and her first impression had been less than stellar, she still couldn’t help but hold a sense of affection towards the town and its citizens. She wasn’t quite sure as to exactly what it was, but whether she was visiting or simply passing over, there was always a form of tranquility and subtle peace that the village seemed to exude.

“Whilst we are in the immediate area, we suppose it would be counterproductive to not quickly gaze over the minds of our subjects.” She said, casting her thoughts out towards the town.

While she didn’t necessarily have the proper time to be thorough with her duty, Ponyville was quite far from the largest settlement in Equestria, meaning that she could sort through dreams much faster than if it had been most other places.

As she soon found, most of the population had already fallen asleep, with only a few still awake…not outstanding from these few being a certain lavender unicorn. Luna could only sigh at this. “Twilight Sparkle, for being one the most intelligent unicorns we have ever met…it is surprising you still lack the concept of a proper night’s sleep.”

This was nothing foreign to the princess however, as Celestia had informed her long ago of Twilight’s…tendencies. What did surprise her though, was the state of the other citizens, as from what Luna could glean, most of their dreams were…surprisingly peaceful.

Normally Luna found that on most nights she would come across a fair number of ponies that were suffering from some form of nightmare or another, yet finding a night where there was not so much as the slightest fear was almost unheard of for her.

After taking this into consideration however, she was all too pleasantly surprised at this turn of events. “While it is most certainly an odd occurrence, we cannot help but smile at a night that is devoid of nightmares.”

However, she was well aware that this small bit of relief was not about to last. As she proceeded to move further away from Ponyville and started over the familiar tree line of the Everfree, the small amount of solace she had found was quickly torn to pieces by the feeling of dread that the forest seemed to naturally exude. Glancing downwards, the princess found that she could make out nothing through the dense foliage that covered the ground, and even still…she could feel the hungry eyes of hundreds of different beings glaring up at her. All the while, the old and gnarled trees seemed to grab and reach out for her, as if wishing only to drag her towards whatever creatures lay below.

Forcibly pushing her doubts to the back of her mind and her eyes forward, she pressed her wings even harder than before, if only to be done with this as quickly as possible.

Even still, Luna was well aware that the forest itself was merely the prelude to what she must do, as she soon found herself staring down at an all too familiar landmark that morbidly towered over the tree line. Pumping her wings a few times, she slowly began to descend towards the broken structure, her eyes locked forward onto the aged stone.

Imposing as it may have been during its prime, the ruins now held an even deeper sense of dread to any that may have the misfortune to pass beneath it. The stone walls were coated with thick foliage that had slowly eaten away and decayed them, the windows that dotted the remaining tower were darkened and seemed to cast unseen eyes upon any below, and the full moon that hung in the sky cast an eerie glow that granted the grounds an otherworldly feel. In short, it was the one place no sane being would prefer to find themselves in the shadow of.

“Far too soon…This wretched place brings us no happy memories to speak of…not even for all the warm moments we had once spent within its walls. Those days may yet linger deep within us, however this ruin serves only as a foul reminder of that unspeakable night and the days that led towards it.”

Luna placed a hoof to her cheek as she felt a single drop of moisture roll downwards, stinging as it fell. She huffed angrily upon noticing this; it was bad enough that she could not conform to the current age, but that she could not simply let go of the past…was truly unacceptable.

She faltered briefly, but soon managed to somewhat regain her composure, a dark look still set upon her face. “No matter what we may find ourselves facing we must overcome it, this ruin is simply another enemy to defeat. We may yet be unaware of what has called us forth to this place, but it has provided us a challenge that must be surmounted. It can be our only hope that once we have discovered the truth behind all this…that we may yet walk away from these walls with a clear conscience.”

Though clearly shaken by her past, Luna forced herself to slowly but steadily push her way towards the steps of the darkened building, her hooves solemnly echoing against the stone. It didn’t take her long to make her way into what had once been the main entrance hall…a sight that only made her cringe. The moon gently shone down upon her through the destroyed ceiling, tattered banners that adorned the walls quietly flapped in the slight breeze, and a few old suits of full body armor stood grimly with their backs to the wall at full attention.

Luna hung her head. “This place has truly fallen far from the grace it once upheld.”

Stepping into the center of the room, she closed her eyes and began to once again track the residual echoes…all of which were now pulsing with much greater strength than they had before. While she realized that she was almost directly on top of whomever…or whatever had reached out to her, Luna could yet feel the energy tugging at her mind, directing her towards the tower that stood across from the ruined castle.

Luna grimaced for second as she realized exactly where the energy would be leading her, but she quickly stamped her fear back as her horn lit up with magic. “We have come this far in already, to simply turn back and leave at a point such as this would be pointless and unacceptable.”

No sooner had those words left her mouth than she had disappeared into a blinding flash, leaving nothing behind save for the cracked stone floor. Not but a few moments later, in another part of the castle, a similar flash made its way into existence, the light shortly illuminating the walls of the last room the princess wished to be. Yet the alicorn needed no light to recognize where she now stood, the dark remnants of her former self were still strewn about the floor. This place was the very spot of her exile and return…the castle throne room.

Pushing back her desire to turn and leave this place as quickly as possible, she forcibly calmed her mind and focused on the energy once again. She quickly noticed that the intensity here was immense, with the echoes pulsing to an almost lifelike pattern. A subtle scan of the surrounding area however yielded no presence whatsoever, much to her annoyance.

Hastily conjuring up the few detection spells she had memorized, she proceeded to redouble her efforts, taking it upon herself to search the room as diligently as possible. Minute after minute passed by, her horn glowed intensely and her eyes scanned vigorously, all in a desperate attempt to locate anything that may yield her a clue. Yet no matter where she searched, what spells she cast, or what course of action she took, there was absolutely no evidence to point out any being besides herself in the room, nor any other leads directing her elsewhere. The energy simply stopped on one point.

The platform where she had been purged of Nightmare Moon.

In that single moment, the princess realized that she had been led back towards the one place in Equestria that caused her the most pain, simply to find no answers as to why. The echoes, the voice, her mind could only put them out to be an elaborate ruse by some unseen force, a lure to bring her in…and watch her fall. This was the only conclusion the princess could bring to bear as she stood alone.

The wall of emotion that slammed into Luna was quick to attempt to overwhelm her, playing at her basest fears and nightmares, forcing her to relive every moment of her past. Everything up until this point she had been capable of suppressing, but this had finally left its mark upon her…it was the breaking point.

The princess hung her head low as tears slowly began to leak down her face, choked sobs soon finding their way past her lips. “Why…why are we cursed to forever relive the one true mistake that we made in our life? Was it…was everything we experienced…truly not enough? Are we doomed to be driven into madness…to have this cruel mockery play out before our eyes as punishment?!”

A barely subdued rage flooded through Luna’s being as she glared at the scraps of armor that littered the floor beneath her. Her horn began to gather energy at its very tip as she simultaneously charged her spell and gathered the pieces into a bunch. “To whatever damnable force stands idly watching our pain…we say no more! We will NOT allow our past to haunt us ANY longer! For all it’s worth, this piece of our past can simply BURN AWAY!” Her shouts resonated throughout the building as she let loose a torrent of magical energy directly at Nightmare Moon’s remains, the pieces quickly disintegrating into a black vapor under the tremendous output.

Much to her disdain however, the black fog soon began to slip down and phase through the floor. Noticing this, the princess let out an enraged cry as she violently slammed her hooves against the stone floor, desperately trying to destroy the demon that haunted her past with an unrelenting number of blows. The attempts soon proved futile however, as each hit began to weaken and grow softer. It wasn't long before she soon exhausted herself and collapsed onto the cold stone floor, fresh tears still flowing from her eyes.

“Damn it…Damn that infernal thing to the lowest pits of Tartarus.” She choked out.

Minutes began to creep by as the pain remained fresh within Luna’s mind. After a short amount of time she attempted to slow her breath and calm herself, wiping the tears from her face as she took in some deep ragged breaths. Despite being clearly shaken by past she had been forced to replay, her better judgment told her to overcome her emotions. “We will give our search one final effort, simply to be sure we are not mistaken.” She was just about to rise to her hooves when suddenly a sickening sound shattered the silence.

It was the cracking of stone…

“What in the name of…”

Whipping her head down, Luna had no more than three seconds to process what was happening before the floor beneath her all too suddenly burst apart into an endless black abyss that stretched ever downwards. Slapping her mind out of its sorrow induced state, Luna hastily attempted to get her wings working as she began falling towards the gaping maw.

Gazing up she noticed the small cascade of stone that had been dislodged behind her, and immediately attempted to push herself away from the approaching hazard...only to have her left wing struck by a piece of debris that had followed her down. Thinking quickly, the alicorn gathered up her strength to teleport back to the surface before she fell too far. She was proven too slow however, as another block of stone proceeded to strike her, before disappearing into the void below.

“AUGH!” A strangled cry escaped her lips as a sharp pain in the side of her head threw her senses into a jumbled disarray, dragging her away from consciousness.

The pain that followed her soon subsided into a dull throbbing, her vision beginning to blur and darken. Despite her best efforts to stay conscious, Luna knew that this was a battle she had already lost…and she had played a hoof in her own defeat. As she slowly succumbed to the darkness that pulled her down, she felt something prodding against her mind. Time began to slow around her, and something vast and obscure seemed to work its way into her rapidly fading awareness.

“Young one…you delude yourself.”

“No being can destroy the past they alone forged…”

The Unknown

Time…

What does it mean?

What purpose does it hold?

To the masses of beings that fill this creation…time is everything. They live by it, study it, follow it, and fear it.

However…what does time mean to one it has never touched?

Nothing…

Deep beneath the crust of the planet, buried under miles of rock and stone…a lone being knelt, its eyes sealed shut in a dreamless slumber.

To any that may have had the rare opportunity to chance upon it, its deathly stillness and grave silence would have no doubt give off the impression of an obscure statue…while its actual visage would easily frighten away most any to see it. The entirety of its body was covered in a long black robe that had withstood the test of time completely unscathed, no distinguishable body parts could be seen through the dark garment, and no face could be made out behind the darkness of the hood that covered it. The entire picture could easily come off as a monument to the reaper himself.

This being was less than concerned with its morbid appearance however. The one single thing that it was currently focused on, was something that it could not immediately seem to explain. For the first time in countless millennia, awareness slowly began to fill the mind of the figure as it was slowly drawn from its ancient sleep. Over the course of the past day, it had begun to experience a strange sensation towards the back of its mind, a slight tugging that had slowly grown in intensity as the hours passed.

Towards the beginning it had paid the occurrence no mind, dismissing the sensation as a mere trick of the unconscious mind. When the pulling had begun to increase and become more clear however, the being slowly came into realization of a truth it had thought unable to take place since the passing of an age.

There was another sapient being present…

Painstakingly slowly and deliberately the figure rose, never faltering as it came up to its full height. What seemed to be a lifetime passed by as the cloaked being stood silently, simply gazing off into the darkness of its cavern. Abruptly, an unmistakably male voice cut through the silence…an ancient and empty, yet surprisingly warm tone to it.

“How is this possible?”

The lone question quickly faded off into the large cave, no response ever carried back to the robed figure. The silence did nothing to unnerve him however, as he quickly continued with his one sided conversation.

“I have slept in this cavern for an untold period of time since this world and its inhabitants were sentenced to their all too inevitable death. When last I laid eyes upon it, the surface was scarred and burnt beyond any recovery…so then how can any sentient being yet remain?”

Once again the question went unanswered as it fell into the silence. Glancing slowly around the cavern, the being came to rest his gaze upon the ground beneath him, a quizzical look hidden under his hood. “It would seem that if I seek answers, then I will have to attain them through my own means.”

Bending down on one knee, he slightly parted his cloak and reached a long slender arm to the floor. As his hand fell upon the stone, a small pooling shadow began to seep its way through his skin and into the earth below. Understanding slowly began fill his mind as he allowed his essence to scan the planet, taking in as much information as he could gather from its roots.

“Hmmm…from what I can make out, I have no doubt been down in this pit for the entirety of an eon. The surrounding area still yet bears the marks of the planet as I last saw it, but the rest…feels entirely alien. That is most strange indeed.” He mused, withdrawing his hand and rising again.

The entire world felt quite different to him indeed. In truth it was still stagnant as it had been during what he had assumed was its “collapse”, and yet…it was teeming with life. While their nature was yet unknown to him, he could feel each and every one of them pulsing to their own frequency. He couldn’t make sense of it at all, the energy he felt was not stemming directly from the planet itself, it was instead being provided by the inhabitants themselves. “How can it be, that the entire planet is being kept alive by its occupants…no race of sentient beings could hope to sustain both themselves and their world.”

He was just about to delve further into the matter in an attempt to make sense of it, when a sudden rumble reverberated throughout the cavern, shaking the ground beneath him. Whipping his head around towards the source of the noise, he was greeted by nothing other the stone wall behind him, a small scowl formed on his face as he stared at the rock formation.

“These caverns have gone undisturbed for millions of years; it’s not as if I can be expected to think that tremor was a natural occurrence. What makes it even more unlikely, would be the fact that it coincides so closely with my recent awakening…”

Striding over to the wall, he once again slipped his hand out through the gap in his cloak and placed it upon the cold stone. “Heh…I suppose it would do me well to venture forth into this newly inhabited world, however…the investigation of said tremor is currently a much more easily attained goal.”

Letting his eyes slip closed, he pushed his essence deep into the stone, the black shadow slowly encompassing a much larger portion of the wall. He remained perfectly still as the minerals that comprised the rock began dissolve and meld into his being, the structure absorbing into him. After a good ten feet of the wall had been blackened by his touch, he quickly removed his hand and stepped back a meter as the bedrock before him slowly crumbled away into a fine dust upon the ground.

“Well, I can’t say that was the most filling meal I’ve had in quite some time…however, it’s not as if I could expect some measly pile of earth to sate me.”

Looking up from the dust pile into the passage ahead, he was less than amused to find a series of tunnels laid out before him, each of them blocked by either a pile of boulders or a wall of their own. “Have I ever mentioned how much I despise mazes?” He groaned.

He was just about to test his luck with the passage on his left, when suddenly a dull thump issued from the wall to his right, immediately followed by a smaller tremor.

“Hmm, I suppose that’s luck of the draw if ever there was any. Judging from the sound of it however, it would probably be best to make my entrance in a rather hasty manner.”

Shifting his body into a sideways position, he moved himself a few feet away from the source of the tremor and leveled his left shoulder towards the wall. Immediately a shroud of black fog burst from beneath his cloak and covered his entire body, focusing on his left side. “For my own sake, I can only hope there’s solid ground beyond that wall...anything less would be most unpleasant.”

With those words, he worked himself into a headlong sprint straight towards the bedrock.

----------------------------------

Blood and darkness…

Two things that immediately greeted Luna as consciousness gradually began to draw itself back into her mind.

As she cracked her eyes open, she was quick to notice the entire area around her was pitch-black…not even a single form of light could be made out as she lazily looked out ahead of her. The second thing that registered with her, was the dull throbbing in her forehead. Slowly reaching a hoof up under her mane, she was quickly reprimanded with a sharp stinging sensation that made her wince. Pulling her hoof back, she could feel the texture of caked blood on her fur, along with a small fresh stream flowing down her head.

Groaning from the pain, Luna attempted as best she could to pull herself up off of what she could only assume was a stone floor. After stumbling a bit in the process, she soon managed to get herself back up onto all four hooves. Gazing around her, she tried in vain to pierce the darkness before her with her eyes alone, quickly finding it to be a futile gesture.

“Not the most pleasant of places we’ve woken, though we suppose we should be lucky to be in one piece…” she whispered to herself.

Grumbling slightly at her sore forehead, she quickly gathered enough energy and cast a simple illumination spell, a small orb of light popping into existence at the tip of her horn. However, she immediately stumbled back onto her haunches as she felt the spell drain her of far more magical energy than it should have. Shutting her eyes and taking deep breathes, Luna took a few minutes to recuperate, to avoid passing out once more. She was caught completely off guard by the drain that had been put on her and couldn’t find any explanation as to why it had taxed her so.

"Wh-what in the name of Equestria? We have never experienced such negative feedback to such a simple spell...perhaps our injury is somehow hindering our ability?"

Shakily rising back to her hooves, the princess opened her eyes once more…and was greeted by a sight she had never before come across. A massive cavern splayed out before her, its walls dimly lit by the small light source. From what she could make out by the light, the stone scaled hundreds of feet upwards before ending in a domed ceiling from which clusters of stalactites hung. Ahead of her the cavern pushed outwards into a large tunnel that pressed forward into the darkness, and behind her…a small chute could barely be made out, most of it covered by a mountain of rock and stone.

“By the moon…not in all our many years have we come across a natural formation such as this. It is somewhat reminiscent of the sketches that exist of changeling hives, however it lacks the telltale webbing and tunneling holes.”

Glancing behind her again, she was soon reminded of the grimness of the situation. “Truly the circumstances have taken a turn for the worst. Who could possibly know how far we have fallen, it could easily be hundreds, or maybe thousands of feet?” Taking a few deep breaths, Luna began to play through the possible solutions to the predicament. “Quite obviously teleportation is beyond a viable option to us, as without a proper estimate of our depth…we could come up miles short of our target. Also, with even the simplest of spells exhausting us in such a manner, such a hefty use of mana could prove to be extremely dangerous.”

The alicorn furrowed her brow in frustration as she attempted to reach her sister’s mind through their link…only to find that like her magic, it was dampened as well. Fear began to settle over her as she desperately searched through her mind, not finding any plausible solutions to her issue. She was just resolving how long it might take to lift the boulders one by one to clear her path, when a sudden sensation brushed past her cheek. Turning her head in the direction from which she had felt it, Luna stayed perfectly still, allowing it to gently push past her fur.

It was a breeze…

Craning her neck down the tunnel ahead of her, Luna stared intently out into the darkened pathway, trying her hardest to make out any form of natural light further down. For all the time she spent desperately hoping however, nothing but the black abyss remained before her. Forcing back a shudder, the princess reluctantly began to steel herself for the path she knew she must take.

“Never before have we had any reason to fear the dark, not once in our entire lifetime.” She stated. “No matter how unnatural this darkness may be, we must face it as best we can…no regret…no fear.”

As reluctant as she was, Luna soon began to trudge forward into the tunnel, her hooves echoing solemnly against the cold floor. The darkness began to close in around her, almost with a mind of its own as she made her way down the path, seemingly pushing against the small bubble of light she was surrounded by. The princess continued to press onward however, never breaking her stride as she went further in.

As she slowly made her way down the stone corridor, she could not help but notice a certain oddity about the terrain. The walls and roof the tunnel were rough and jagged, easily denoting them as natural. Yet, the floor of the tunnel was absolutely different, as it was almost completely flat and smooth.

The princess raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Natural formations are never built in such a manner, so then what could have done something such as this?”

She had been walking the passage for a good fifteen minutes now, contemplating how long the tunnels had stood, when Luna slowly began to notice a rotting stench permeating the air around her. It had started subtly and was almost barely noticeable; however by the time she had gone another thirty feet, it was completely overwhelming. Stopping to shield her nose with her hoof, she gagged a few times as she attempted to force the rotten air from her lungs.

“What in the name of Equestria is that horrible stench?!” She choked out.

That question was answered all too soon though, as she raised her head to continue down the path…and spotted the cause.

“Oh Dear Celestia…”

Corpses…at least ten of them, strewn about the tunnel’s floor.

Luna’s gag-reflex kicked in once again, as tried her hardest not to lose her lunch. The stench coming off the bodies, coupled with their ghastly appearance was enough to make even Discord retch. Vigorously pumping her wings to clear the air around her and taking in a good measure of it, Luna stared wide-eyed at the bodies below her. The corpses had obviously been down here for a good measure of time, the skin having been completely stripped from their bones and what little clothing they had in complete tatters.

The anatomy of the skeletons was unlike anything the alicorn had seen before. Glancing at one that was splayed out completely, she could tell that most of them were easily over five feet in height, with what she could only assume was a bipedal stature. They had no tails to speak of, their hind legs ended in oddly flattened elongated paws, and their forelegs ended in what Luna could only relate to as a Minotaur’s hands. The skulls of the creatures were by far the most grotesque, each having a flattened muzzle that allowed full view of a decayed smile with a few canines jutting out, the small empty eye sockets seeming to bore holes into her very being.

As Luna gazed down at the corpses, she could only begin to imagine what kind of creatures these could have been before their deaths. She could only guess from the clothing they wore that they were most likely sentient beings, but everything else about them seemed so foreign and alien. After a few moments though, she decided to continue along the path, not only to escape the horrid smell but also to leave the fallen in peace.

She had just begun to continue down the tunnel, taking great care not to step on any of the bodies, when a strange noise stopped her dead. Raising her ears, she remained perfectly still as the sound slowly became easier to make out…it was a slow rhythmic creaking. Almost immediately Luna’s fight-or-flight instinct kicked up to its highest level. Tensing her entire body, she slowly and deliberately began to turn her head backwards, her only hope being that she would see nothing besides the dead. As her gaze came to rest behind her, she let out a sigh of relief at the pile of skeletons still unmoving and silent.

“Oh…thank the stars above.” The princess sighed and turned back to continue towards the source of the breeze.

Only to be met by a gleaming skull staring intently four feet away…

A horrified gasp escaped the princess’s mouth as the gaunt creature reached out a bony arm while it began to lurch forward, its jaw slightly unhinged and hanging down at a sickening angle. Quickly backpedaling to put distance between the corpse and herself, she immediately dropped into a defensive stance, her horn lowered threateningly. “Thou shall come no closer foul creature. Know that thou stands before Princess Luna of Equestria, and no being, living…or dead shall bring harm upon us!” Luna stated as venomously as she could.

The only response was a terrifying bestial shriek that issued forth from the skull, followed by a wild swing at the alicorn’s face. Jumping back to avoid the strike, Luna quietly calmed her fear as she thought of a way to deal with the nightmare before her. “The drain put upon our magical reserves is far too much of a hindrance at the moment…even a single failed spell could allow this monster to have its way with us. The only viable option currently is to use our flight and superior reach to overpower it.”
Hastily dodging another hit thrown at her, Luna pressed her wings as hard as she could and shot forward, slamming into the corpse’s ribcage before doubling back to her original position. Staggering back a few good meters and falling over itself, the creature soon shambled back to its feet, a low distorted growl sliding through its broken jaw. A deep hatred settled in what was left of its broken shell as it stared emptily at the winged creature before it. Letting loose a vengeful shriek, it charged forward with arms outstretched, hoping only to tear the thing to shreds.

Luna stared intently at the raged filled corpse that charged towards her, her back now turned and her forelegs planted firmly beneath her on the ground. Just as the creature came within three feet of her, she pulled back her hind legs as close to herself as she could, and let loose a buck to its skull that would make even Applejack’s jaw drop. The crunching of bone tore through the silence as the face of the corpse exploded inwards, the force sending it flying back into the cavern wall with an audible thump. The alicorn didn’t even have time to catch her breath before a torrent of loose stone dislodged from the ceiling and buried the skeleton underneath, the ground shaking from the impact of the cave-in.

Looking up from the settling dust, the princess could see no trace whatsoever of the reanimated corpse within the rubble.
“Let us hope that we never have to go through an experience like that one ever again.” She whispered.

Giving a small sigh of relief that she had gotten through the whole ordeal unscathed, she was about to sit back for a moment to catch her breath before moving on…when her legs were grabbed by two bony claws.

Letting loose a terrified shriek at the touch and immediately stumbling forwards, Luna quickly broke free of the creature’s grasp, a bloody gash torn on her right hind leg. Falling to the ground with a cry of pain, Luna whipped her head up to the spot where she had been attacked.

A fresh wave of fear and nausea settled over her as she gazed at the sight before her, as the entire band of corpses were rising up from their prone positions to look down upon her. Her mind screamed at her to run as quickly as she could, however a fiery pain lanced through her body as she attempted to rise and flee from the band of undead nightmares, her wound tearing open all the more. Her eyes slowly shrank to the size of marbles as the grotesque horde closed in on her, the one in lead reaching out its arms toward her.

When suddenly…the cavern wall behind them exploded outwards.

A dense black fog began to slowly pool out from the hole and fill the area behind the corpses, obscuring everything from view. The head skeleton turned back to gaze at the strange occurrence, its head slightly cocked to the side. Suddenly and without warning, it was swiftly pulled into the fog by some unknown force, the body quickly disappearing from view. The immediate sound of breaking bone could be heard from within, followed by a sickening snap. Not but two seconds later, the now mutilated corpse came flying out the fog and landed at the feet of the others, it’s detached skull following closely behind.

One of the group looked down upon its now fallen brethren, and proceeded to charge wildly at the wall of vapor, only to be stopped short by something unseen and promptly shattered violently against the adjacent wall. By this point the other corpses had begun to realize that the black mass was more than capable of destroying them one by one, and had slowly started to coalesce into a crude formation that cautiously began to shamble towards the newfound enemy.

Luna stared on in grim fascination as a dark blur sped its way past the cloud and proceeded to clothesline two of the closest undead. The other five had little time to comprehend what was happening before the two skulls went flying off the necks of their allies, nor did they manage to see the dark robed figure come up directly behind them, sweeping the legs out from two more and simultaneously crushing both their faces.

When the remaining three finally managed to spot their attacker, they all immediately charged him, hoping to drag him down with their sheer dead weight. They all however, passed harmlessly through his body, two continuing onward into the cavern wall. The third was quickly grabbed by a hand at the back of its spine, and shortly pulled backwards into a fist that went straight through the base of its skull and out the other side.

The final two corpses soon recovered from their session with the wall and hastily spun around…only to be greeted by the flying bones of their ally. One of the two went stumbling back from the force of the limp body, falling over itself and letting out shrieks of rage. The other however, was lucky enough to be able to dodge the shower of bones, and leapt forward onto the unknown assailant.

A surprised grunt issued from the dark figure as it attempted to fling the corpse off itself. The undead however, wasn't about to have any of that, and deftly swung itself onto the figure's back, clawing and scrabbling with as much energy as it could muster. While doing so however, the corpse failed to notice its attacker quickly backpedaling towards the wall behind them... earning only a glance before it was shattered against the cold stone.

Rising from the floor, the final corpse was given a clear line of sight as its foe stood on the bones of its brethren, a mocking silence issuing forth from the recesses of the hood. With complete abandon, the skeleton sprinted forward with an almost unnatural speed. As it closed its grasp around its enemy however, it found nothing to grab. A low huff came from behind the skeleton’s back as a swift kick to its spine sent it flying against the wall once more. Before it had time to recover, an invisible force slowly dragged it back into the waiting grasp of its enemy.

Gazing down into the darkness of its enemy’s face, a single feeling wormed its way into what little consciousness the creature had left. All the hatred that had recently flowed out was slowly replaced by something it had not felt in centuries…fear.

A bone-chilling scream of terror broke the silence as the corpse tried desperately to attempt to free itself, clawing wildly at the arm of its assailant. The swift response to this was an even tighter grip against its neck, followed by three solemn words that rang out.

“Be at peace…”

A suffocating presence immediately engulfed the entirety of the corpse, cutting short its shrieks of fear as its bones turned a deep black, and quickly started to dissolve into the air. The space where the skeleton was held soon became coated in a dark vapor, not all dissimilar from the wall behind them. As the black cloud was gradually sucked into the hand of the tall entity, silence began to descend upon the cavern one more.

The air lay tense and still, as a full minute of dead silence passed by…

Luna lay back in the same position she had been when she fell. Her mouth slightly hung open, quick shallow breaths issuing from it. She had been in a slight state of shock for the past eight minutes now, from her near-death experience…to the display of violence she had just witnessed. She was so caught up in her mind, trying to comprehend exactly what had transpired, that she had completely forgotten about the dark figure that had happened to save her…until he was standing little more than a meter away.

Gazing up at the being in front of her, Luna began to hyperventilate as fresh memories of the recent violence resurfaced. Her eyes darted between the carnage laid out before her, and the single entity that had caused it.

Luna’s vision swam as she noticed a small step had been taken towards her. The strain on her mind increased twofold while every sense in her body screamed at her to flee as fast as she could, despite her now useless leg. In a struggle to block out everything that she could, Luna squeezed her eyes shut, simply wishing for the whole experience to end.

A soft voice echoed out into the silence, serving to cast the princess out of her grim musings. Her ears perked up quizzically at the source of the noise.

“Excuse me young one…are you alright?”

Introductions and Awkward Questions

A thick silence hung in the air as Luna stared up incredulously at the bipedal figure before her, not daring to speak a word. An estimated eight minutes had gone by since she had been approached by him, each moment becoming more awkward than the last.

“Excuse me…Miss?”

No response…

“I can understand you are probably very disoriented right now, and most likely in need of some form of assistance, but you’re going to have to speak at some point. It would be outside my bounds to assist you without your consent.”

Despite her mouth hanging slightly open, still no words formed.

Another minute passed, and an exasperated sigh escaped from beneath the hood. “Listen…I would be more than capable of standing around all day to wait for your answer. Simply because I have all the time in the world however, does not mean I would find any comfort in the concept of it.”

Slowly he began turn and walk back a few steps, before stopping a short distance away. “If you do manage to overcome your current…mental state, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I was looking forward the conversation after all.” Turning away again, he began his slow trek down the passageway.

Upon hearing these words, Luna’s mind immediately started to race, attempting to force her body back into her control. “This creature just saved us from an undoubtedly horrifying death, is offering to aid us in our time of need, and we simply let him waltz off with our mouth gaping open like a fish?!” Forcibly tearing herself out of her daze, she shook her head and called out down the tunnel as loud as her voice would currently allow.

“WAIT!!!”

As if on cue, the figure stopped mid-stride, his hood slowly turning to glance behind him. The princess quickly clasped a hoof to her mouth, realizing that her shout had unintentionally overstepped the bounds of “intense”. She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat as the being proceeded to spin around and walk back towards her at a leisurely pace, stopping a few feet from her.

Gazing down at the alicorn, he crossed his arms beneath his cloak and issued a single drawn out response. “Yeeees?”

Luna’s heart began to pump furiously as she stared at intently at the dark figure looming before her, her eyes desperately searching his hood in an attempt to pierce the blackness. Try as she may though, she could find no further indication of a living being beneath the robes than she could ten minutes ago. “Not even our illumination spell can break through the darkness. If we remember correctly, Sombra’s magic was capable of producing the same basic effect…”

“Ahem.”

The princess was given little time to continue her thoughts as the creature audibly cleared its throat, a slight tapping could be heard on the stone beneath the cloak. “Is there anything I can assist you with ma’am? I really would like to know, but as it stands I don’t want to be walking back and forth constantly. So please, do speak up...I promise you that I don't bite."

Luna could hear the obvious irritation of the being beginning to grow…it wasn’t going to deal with her indecision much longer. With a sharp intake of breath, and a mental slap to the face, she swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed her voice to squeak past.

“W-we…well we would um…like to…thank you…for what you did for us…”

The tapping on the ground immediately stopped. The air of irritation completely fell away as the figure stood absolutely still for a good number of seconds, apparently awestruck at the words she had spoken. As the moments passed, the princess began to get the feeling she had said something to insult him.

The silence was cut as the being slightly bent forward, its arm reaching out from behind the robes and bending just below its chest in what Luna could only assume was a polite bow. “Well, I can sincerely say to you…you are most welcome. It was really no trouble at all, Miss…?”

Luna gazed up in shock as she quickly realized that the creature was asking for her name. Under normal circumstances, she would have been less than hesitant to announce herself to any strangers who might inquire. This situation however, was quite different. “We know next to nothing about this creature, if we were to simply give away our position as a princess, who knows how it might react.” Despite her misgivings however, Luna was compelled to answer truthfully to this strange being. She felt that no merit would come from being dishonest to somepony who had been kind enough to save her life.

“Luna…You may call us Princess Luna.” She hesitantly answered.

Upon hearing these words, the figure’s hood began to slide back and forth as if scanning her, but quickly stopped after a moment. “Hmm, Princess Luna…As unique as it is lovely, to be sure. Given the circumstances, I am slightly surprised that you would be so open to give it to a complete stranger though.”

“Please though, you must excuse my deplorable manners, had I known I was in the presence of royalty I would have acted more appropriately.” Another bow was immediately given, as if to emphasize the point.

Luna gave the being a quizzical look as it returned to its full height; she was quickly becoming lost with its behavior. Only a few moments ago it had acted quite irritated with her, yet now it seemed to have completely forgone that and was actually apologizing to her, despite having done little wrong.

Following her better judgment, she allowed these thoughts to slip to the back of her mind for the moment, hastily coming up with a question of her own to keep the conversation from going quiet.

“T-Thank you kind sir, there should be no need to apologize though. Now…if we might be permitted to ask, perhaps you would be so kind as to tell us your own name?”

The figure gazed upwards for a few moments and a slight chuckle echoed through the tunnel. The alicorn scowled slightly at the gesture, confusion playing through her mind. “We don’t understand, have we said something humorous sir?” The creature slowly shook his head and the laughter died down.

“No, it’s nothing like that, I’m sorry princess. It’s just that…I’ve gone by far too many names to recall in my time.” A sigh worked its way from under the cloak, and suddenly the figure bent down to eye level. Luna’s eyes widened as it slowly reached up to its face, and calmly pulled back the hood that obscured it.

…

In all her years as princess, Luna had witnessed many strange things. First contact with the Griffon Nation had certainly been a strange experience, to say absolutely nothing of the Changelings, and of course…Discord himself. Even still, the face of the creature that was currently gazing back at her was a mystery all its own.

It had no fur to speak of, besides a short dark-blonde mane that fell back into its robes and covered most of its face. The eyes were almost impossible to see at first, yet she could barely make out two small green irises glinting in the light behind the mess of fur. She hadn’t meant to lock eyes with him for any extended period, though as those eyes stared back into her own, the princess could almost feel a tinge of sadness emanating out from them…something almost akin to longing. Tearing her gaze away from its eyes, Luna noticed that the creature had nothing close to a muzzle, its mouth pushed back flatly against its face, and only a small pointed nose sticking out above it.

“However, it would be impolite to ask for your name and give nothing in return. You may call me…Erebus, if you like.” The figure stated, a warm smile graced his face as he stared over at the alicorn.

As it introduced itself, Luna couldn’t help but return a smile of her own. Despite this being’s completely alien appearance, she could see that it held no true malice or ill intentions toward her. Pony or not, this creature was little different from herself…it was a living, breathing being, with a personality and feelings all its own.

“Erebus? We must say, that is certainly a…distinct name.” The princess slowly began to raise herself from the floor in an attempt to give a more formal introduction, but had the misfortune to forget about her injured leg. Immediately, a lance of fire spread out from the wound, fresh blood seeping out onto the stone. An audible yelp of pain was heard as she winced and hit the floor again.

A frown quickly formed on Erebus’ face as he looked down at the alicorn, visible concern in his eyes. Rushing forward, he knelt next to her prone form and tore a length of cloth from the bottom of his cloak. “Please excuse me princess, under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be one to invade your personal space.” He sighed. “If you’ll allow me just a moment, I simply want to tend to your wound quickly, and then I promise I’ll be out of your way.”

Despite his attempt to assure her, Luna still flinched as he reached out a hand towards her, instinctively drawing her leg back. The pain instantly doubled under this movement though, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut.

“Please…I can understand your hesitation, but I’m going to have to ask you to remain still for just a few seconds. I promise, no harm will come to you.”

The princess grit her teeth and winced as she felt a light touch upon the open gash, the burning sensation exploded in intensity under even the slight pressure and her vision blurred. Within seconds however, all the pain in the wound seemed to recede and dissipate, replacing itself with a cool numbness. Upon hastily glancing back, she was granted only a fleeting view of Erebus cinching a black cloth wrapped round the leg.

A wave of amazement washed over Luna as she shifted her gaze from Erebus, to the makeshift bandage and back. Her mouth hung open in disbelief as she tentatively moved her leg back and forth, feeling no pain whatsoever. Even with her eyes shut, she had neither felt nor sensed any indication of healing magic, nor did the cloth seem to carry an enchantment of any kind.

“You…how did you do that?” She asked, pushing herself back into an upright position. “How could you do that with no magic involved, we don’t understand.”

The frown remained glued on Erebus’ face while he pushed himself back against the wall of the cavern, a hand pressed against his forehead. “Listen…this whole situation is probably very confusing for you, so it would be best for me to not confuse you further with intricate details. You could simply say…it’s a…skill I’ve perfected over the years.”

Luna however, instantly picked up on the avoidance in his tone, and attempted to see if she could press him on the matter. “Why is it that we get the feeling you’re simply trying to hide something from us?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off by the alicorn. “In all honesty, we would understand if there was something you didn’t feel comfortable talking about.”

Once again he attempted to answer, but Luna gave him no chance. “With that in mind, we would still prefer it a great deal if you would refrain from flat out lying to us, as trust is something we cannot afford to simply squander in a situation such as this one…”

The princess was just about to continue on with her small lecture, when a sudden clap of thunder issued and echoed out into the cave. Glancing up, she was greeted with the sight of Erebus standing flat against the wall, his left arm extended out with its fist embedded in the stone. His face held a slightly bemused expression as he gazed down at the alicorn, and proceeded to take advantage of the abrupt silence.

“I’m sure that you are in a perfectly acceptable position to assault me with a lifetime worth of well thought out questions...” He paused a moment to removed his fist from the wall. “However, you’re going to have to at least give me a chance to speak if you want any of those questions to be answered.”

The princess mentally smacked herself. “Well Luna…good job, you most certainly have made a good impression. First it takes you forever to say anything at all, and when you finally start talking…You can’t even stop yourself.”

Erebus had obviously caught that Luna was reprimanding herself, as he stood there chuckling at her look of embarrassment. The alicorn’s cheeks began to turn a shade of crimson as the laughter continued, causing her to whip her head away.

“Oh come now, don’t start up with that attitude. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I last had the pleasure of holding a good conversation? I certainly wouldn’t want this chance to be ended by something like this.” His laughter quickly died down while he attempted to lighten her mood.

“Tell you what…You remove that frown from your face, and I’ll go ahead and answer as many questions as you like. Does that sound fair enough to you?” He held out his hand towards her, his teeth flashing in a large grin.

Luna was still embarrassed at herself, but this soon fell away as she huffed and rolled her eyes. “Very well, so long as you at least keep your answers truthful for us, we certainly wouldn’t mind lessening the tension.” She hesitated for a moment, but lightly dropped her hoof into his grasp.

Erebus’ smile grew even wider as he gently shook it a few times. “Well then, if that’s all settled, why don’t you go ahead and pick yourself a question. Before you do that though, how about we get you back on your…hooves.”

“Yes, we do believe that would only be proper.” The princess grinned sheepishly as she glanced back at her leg. After giving it a few small flexes, she decided it wasn’t going to change much more and reluctantly pushed herself up onto all fours. Surprisingly, she found that she could still feel none of the pain as her weight shifted onto the injury. Granted, her side was still sore, but it did little to deter her from slowly rising up to her full height.

Disbelief still fresh in her mind, she was quick to voice her first question. “All right then, first off…how did you heal our leg so easily? While we are quite versed in sensing it, we detected no magical energy whatsoever.”

Shaking his head a few times, Erebus glanced over at the princess. “If you’re that invested in learning how, then it was simple enough really. I never did heal it, nor did I use any magic in the process.” This earned him a confused look, to which he shrugged his shoulders at. “What I did, was simply draw the pain out of the wound and absorb it. The rest was just a makeshift bandage to stop the blood flow.” He explained dryly.

Luna took a good few seconds to stare at him wide-eyed, her mind desperately trying to make sense of what he had said, before shooting out a nice slew of questions at him. “You...you did WHAT?! How in Equestria are you capable of doing such a thing? Just exactly what kind of creature are you anyway?”

Erebus calmly collected himself for a moment, and politely answered. “I absorbed the pain from your leg. No reason to fly up the wall about it, it’s an ability I’ve always naturally possessed...and it’s not a particularly unique one at that. As for your other question…” He trailed off for a moment, before starting back up. “Well how about we turn this little survey into a two-sided conversation?”

Taking a moment to calm herself, the princess soon nodded her head. “All right then, but you first must still answer our own question. What exactly are you?”

An awkward moment of silence settled upon the two as Erebus nervously shifted his gazed up at the ceiling and mumbled to himself, his eyes were squeezed shut as if struggling with something. Clenching a fist and sucking in a sharp breath, he finally broke the silence. “I can clearly see there’s no way around this question…and while it won’t be a pleasant subject, it goes without saying that you’ll learn eventually. Therefore, if you’re truly that interested in knowing...” He paused for a brief moment. “Well…how familiar are you with…humans?” The word was nothing more than a whisper as it slipped past his lips, as though he was afraid to speak it.

A look of shock worked itself onto Luna’s face as the word fell upon her ears. She had heard that word many times before, but never outside of ancient stories and obscure historical texts. Throughout her younger years she had always been fascinated by Equestria’s mythology, always studying it intently whenever she could. To her it was an escape, a place filled with so many mysteries and amazing things, that it gave her a sense of reprieve from her everyday life.

So you can only imagine her reaction when she realized that standing only a few feet from her…was a living breathing piece of it.

“You-you’re…a human…? You mean to say you’re a real live human being?” She quickly became flustered at this piece of information. “By the moon…h-how can you be though? All the legends distinctly point to them being extinct…”

“That’s because they all but are.”

Erebus’ remark immediately tore Luna from her amazement, causing her to gaze over at him in confusion. He obviously noticed this, as he gave her no time to voice a response.

“They were wiped out. Annihilated. Cleansed from existence.” He swept his arm over the pile of bones behind him. “This is all that’s left of them… a few mindless corpses, driven on by nothing but twisted instinct. I can honestly say though…that I amount to even less than them.” His tone was flat and dry as he continued. “But before you get all sympathetic, thinking that I'm just gonna pour out my life story…just please don’t”. He took a moment to lock his gaze with her own, a look of pure apathy in his eyes. “Listen...it’s just…a bit of a sore subject okay? I would prefer that we keep away from it…if at all possible.”

The princess stood motionless, completely taken aback by what he had said. She couldn’t even begin to fathom what was going through his mind. “To lose one’s entire race…To simply lose everything you have ever known, and not even care?” It was something truly unthinkable to her, but it was becoming blatantly obvious that pressing the matter would gain her nothing. “Better to let him open up to it of his own accord.”

Putting it behind her, Luna hastily decided to change the mood. “If it is a subject that unsettles you, then we would be none the wiser to let it go here and now. We too have pieces of our past that would be better left unsaid.” She allowed a small smile to come to her face. “Now then, we believe it is your turn to ask us a question, is it not?”

“Thank you princess…I appreciate your patience towards the situation.” He lightly returned the smile. “However, I do believe you mean three questions. After all, you did go over the limit yourself when you flew off the handle.”

“All right then, we suppose that’s only fair. We may have…overreacted, just a little.” She said, laughing slightly.

“Alrighty…to start off, how about something simple? It's my guess that you certainly didn't make your way here of your own accord. So then princess, would it happen to be that you’re searching for a way out of these caverns?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

The question caught the alicorn completely off her guard, causing her jaw to drop slightly. Out of all the things she had expected him to ask, this had never even crossed her mind. “Well, w-we hadn’t considered…asking for your help, but yes…we would like nothing more than to return to the surface.”

“Hmm, in that case…” Erebus walked a few paces past Luna and turned towards her, cocking his head down the tunnel. “I hope you don’t mind walking while we talk.” His mouth cracked open in a wide grin.

Luna stared at him hesitantly. “You are sure you don’t mind taking the time to escort us?”

He simply scoffed at her the statement. “First off, you still don’t get to ask a question yet. Besides, if I don’t want to stay down in these caves anymore, I highly doubt that anyone else would…you included.” Suddenly his grin turned smug and he began to take a few steps forward. “That is, unless you would rather make your way back all by your lonesome.”

Upon hearing those words, Luna’s eyes went wide, and she wasted no time to catch up with him. “Hehehe…no I didn’t really think so.” Casting a glance sideways, he threw out his second question. “Now that we seem to be on track, perhaps you might be willing to indulge me as to what exactly you are? I’m getting a pretty good idea, but it’s lacking solid support.”

Luna was about to give him an awkward look, but quickly remembered the circumstances. “There’s no telling how long he’s been down here, he likely has no knowledge of the current state of the world.” She decided to come across as plainly as possible.

“We are a pony, good sir.”

Erebus slapped his hand to his face and groaned. “You could be a tiny bit more specific than that you know…”

The princess snickered and grinned at him. “Don’t go blaming us, we simply answered what you asked…but we suppose we could.”

She cleared her throat before starting. “The pony race consists of five subspecies; the Earth Ponies, Pegasus and Thestrals, Unicorn Ponies, Crystal Ponies, and the Alicorn subspecies to which we belong. Alicorns are, in all honesty, the ancestral line from which all the current groups have grown. For many generations, Alicorns have been considered responsible for leadership of our entire species.”

Erebus’ hand remained glued to his face. “Tch…Of all the strange things to happen to me, this might just top it all.” He let out a deep sigh. “I wake up after the whole of an eon and everything’s being run ancient mythology…ponies no less. Ah well, I suppose there could have been worse things to come back to.”

“From your tone, we can only take it that your own time was quite dissimilar from our own.” Luna stated.

“I suppose that depends on what you can consider my time, but even still…yes. You could say that mythical equine beings didn’t tend to govern nations…or talk for that matter.” His hand slowly slid back into his cloak. “Now then, here’s my final question. You’ve already quite clearly confirmed that you are a princess, as I have been addressing you. Yet, I cannot help but wonder as to why a princess such as yourself is wandering the darkest parts of this world. Surely your superiors would rarely allow you to leave their sight, would they not?”

Luna gave herself a moment to put her answer together. To her it was obvious that Erebus considered her part of a monarchal royal family, which might have been true…a few millennia ago. “We are afraid you are mistaken sir, as Equestria has not been run by a monarchy in quite some time.”

Erebus paused slightly to consider her words. “Not a monarchy eh? Hmmm…” His head perked up. “As uncommon as it might be, I can only assume you’re part of a diarchy then?”

Luna nodded. “That is most certainly correct, we are but one of two rulers that have governed the country for generations, the other would be our sister, Princess Celes…” The alicorn abruptly halted her explanation as something familiar brushed past her face. Up till now she had completely forgotten about the wind currents that periodically came through the tunnel.

She paused midstride and looked up at the human. “Hold a moment…do you happen to feel that?”

Erebus stopped as well, his brow furrowed in confusion. He stood perfectly still for a few seconds, before shaking his head and turning back towards Luna. “Yes princess, in fact I do feel that. That…would happen to be a draft.” He raised his index finger matter-of-factly.

Luna took a good moment to glare at him. “We realize what it is, what we need to know is where it came from.”

“I swear, your sense of humor just tends to up and leave whenever it feels the need to.” Erebus shrugged through his cloak. “I suppose you haven’t been paying attention to where you’ve been walking, have you?”

In fact, the alicorn had been all too preoccupied with the current conversation to look ahead readily. However, gazing down the tunnel, she could make out nothing besides the pressing darkness. Erebus apparently noticed her confusion and tapped her lightly on her shoulder.

“Perhaps you might not need to strain your eyes so much if you doused your light.” He suggested.

Giving a small huff, Luna cut off the spell she had been holding for the past hour and allowed her eyes to adjust. Slowly she began to make out something she had been completely oblivious to. Down the passage, about twenty meters forward, a dim white glow flickered in and out of existence. Looking closer, she soon noticed something else she hadn’t…the tunnel itself began to open up into large cavern where the light was based.

The princess was snapped out of her inspection when she noticed that Erebus had started towards the mouth of the cave, moving at a steady pace. Reluctantly, she quickly moved to catch up with him, still unsure as to what lay ahead.

As the two made their way towards the end of the passage, Luna’s anticipation began to get the better of her, the silence wracking her nerves. She was just about to ask Erebus what exactly the source of the light was, when suddenly, the darkness around them was replaced by a low fluorescent glow. Blinking her eyes to clear her vision, Luna’s mind almost ceased to function as she stared at the sight before her.

The two stood on the edge of a steep precipice, spanning hundreds of feet above the ground of a massive cavern. The space itself was unlike anything Luna had seen before, expanding outwards for miles and miles, with no visible end in sight. The sheer size of the cavern began to beg the question of how the princess had managed survived her fall to begin with. The one thing that left her completely awestruck though, was not the age old cave…but what was contained within. Below them, spanning out over nearly the entirety of the space…was a sprawling metropolis the likes of which the alicorn had never laid eyes on.

“E-Erebus…what exactly…i-is that?” Her jaw hung open as she stared out incredulously at the sight before her.

Erebus gazed down indifferently at the massive city before him, arms crossed beneath his robes. Without even bothering to face the alicorn, he solemnly answered her question.

“That, Princess Luna…that, is humanity’s final accomplishment…”

Stepping forward a few paces, he swept his eyes over the ground, searching for something, before stopping next to an oddly smooth patch of stone near the edge of the cliff. With a swift motion, he waved his arm over the spot before him, as if wiping something unseen from the floor.

Luna gazed on intently as a low rumble issued from the spot beneath the human; her mind was awash with confusion. Her bewilderment only served to double as slowly, a short metal pedestal rose out of the ground before him.

Erebus tapped his foot impatiently, staring down at the platform before him. After about fifteen seconds, a faint static was heard and a faded blue keypad sprang to life above the pedestal, flickering slightly. Reaching his hand out, he moved his fingers in a blur over the screen, occasionally pausing when it began to flicker.

The princess looked on, her mind attempting to process what exactly was happening, but was brought back to reality when she began to make out another rumble, this time coming from below the cliff.

Apparently satisfied with his work, Erebus waved his hand over the console once more, causing it to slowly die out and return to its spot within the stone. Walking over to the edge of the cliff, he turned and motioned for Luna to follow him.

“Please excuse my silence princess, but I doubt you would find any meaning in my words even if I was to explain.” He stated.

Luna gave a defeated sigh and looked up at him. “Speaking as we have no idea what you just did…it’s safe to say that you’re correct.” She paused. “…However, might you at least tell us what we’re standing around here for?”

Her question was immediately answered however, as a large metal platform rose to the edge of the cliff, and came to a stop directly in front of them.

Stepping forward, Erebus turned back to the alicorn and shrugged. “Princess, sometimes you’ve gotta go down…to come up.”

Author's Note

Ah this chapter...

I've been a little hesitant to release this chapter for awhile now.

As I'm sure many of you have quickly noticed, the human character happens to have the exact same name as my account...
I assure that this is not in any way, a self-insert fic.
I simply use that particular name for many of the sites that I traverse.
The Erebus in the story however, has far more relevance towards that name. (If you look up the name online, I think you'll find some insight on that.)

This whole chapter holds something in common with the title...
It was extremely awkward to write...
I've been through it a countless number of times, but it never seems to become less awkward for me to look at.
I suppose it was simply the whole "first contact" situation, as I was attempting to portray it between a quite disoriented Princess Luna, and an ancient human that is trying to make a good first impression upon a pony...

Even for my mind...that can take a bit of creativity.

Now I realize that many people may have some questions that weren't immediately answered, as well some complaints in general.
If you would be so kind as to address any of those to me, I will do best answer them to the best of my ability.

I just want to thank everyone for the support so far, as I wouldn't have expected it to do as well as it is when I first published it.

You all deserve cookies.

Through Dungeons Deep and Caverns Old

Princess Luna’s mind was in complete amazement.

She had outlived many denizens of not only Equestria, but also its neighboring countries. She had witnessed many strange and wondrous things throughout her lifetime, even having the misfortune of treading through life’s darker paths. However, even with all the vast knowledge she had collected over the years, the sight that lay before her had caught her completely off guard.

Many years before her banishment to the moon, Luna and Celestia had both personally overseen the beginning construction of Canterlot. Originally, with the dwindling resources that they possessed, they had planned for the capital to be much smaller than it currently was. However, as it stood today, Canterlot was one of the largest and most grand cities on the face of the planet. There was many a time when Luna had simply stood out on her balcony to take in the atmosphere of the gleaming capital. Even still, the city before her was quickly putting her own to shame in many ways. In terms of size, it was undoubtedly at least four times larger than the capital, and still she couldn’t see the whole of it. Unlike Canterlot, which had many different levels and walls, the entirety of this city was based entirely off of the cavern floor and had one massive wall running the entire perimeter. Making up the bulk of it were thousands upon thousands of buildings, the likes of which were completely alien to Luna in design and material. Silver towers gleamed in the low light, rising high above her and dwarfing even the tallest of the capital's towers. Alongside these giants stood many differing smaller buildings, all diverse and varying from residences to businesses. However, what drew her attention the most was not the buildings themselves, but the object they were all based around. Directly in the center of the city, reaching up all the way to the ceiling of the cavern was a massive spire, spanning miles upwards and giving off a glow that lit up the whole of the city. Try as she might to comprehend all of this, the alicorn’s mind simply couldn’t process all the information...truly she was left at a loss for words.

This was a fact that her fellow traveler had been more than grateful for…while it had lasted.

“This is, without a doubt, the most incredible city we have ever seen! Truly, to think that such a wonder has been hidden away for so long! Beneath our very hooves no less!” Luna was truly ecstatic over the whole experience.

Erebus on the other hand, was doing the best he could to keep himself collected. They had since been making their way through the deserted city, and Luna’s incessant questions on the architecture had been enough to drive anyone crazy. He had already gone over the use of titanium in their building materials a few times now, and he was afraid she might start asking the origin of human housing structure.

“Listen…I’m sure this is an extremely amazing experience for you.” He deadpanned. “I'm also sure that you'll have a million stories to tell when you get out of here. Just please be sure to not go around touching everything. Remember you were pretty impressed by that gate as well…and it almost vaporized you.”

While actually coming down to the city, the princess had been completely terrified that the lift might simply break off the cliff face due to its age. Yet ever since the platform had dropped them at the entrance of the ancient city, the princess may as well have been bouncing around like a young filly. So naturally, when they came across the massive and ornate security gate, she had been all too eager to rush up and “inspect” it. She was however, unaware that that the city's security measures were still in place and operational. Therefore, had Erebus not realized and quickly intervened, the alicorn would be nothing more than free floating particles in the air.

Despite this being her second near death experience in the course of a few hours, Luna had been far less traumatized this time around. “Oh come now, we can understand that there may have been some form of protection that we were unaware of, but surely you jest when you say that it would have killed us.”

This earned her a harsh glare. “Princess…I don’t know what you may have learned about humans, so let me take a moment to say a few things.”

He gently stooped down to eye level. “They were no mythical fairy tale beings, they didn’t live in perfect harmony, and they were more than a little cautious to strangers at their doorstep. If it meant their own safety, then many humans were quite indifferent to the welfare of others. They were incredibly paranoid, and took every precaution necessary to further their own lives. They were also incredibly technologically advanced, even for their young age as a species; their advances in science were almost terrifying at times. Now…put those two traits together…and you end up with a security perimeter that delivers quite the kick. To be more specific, an electrical field more than powerful enough to reduce you to ash.”

Luna visibly flinched at this statement. “Oh…we didn’t mean to…we understand. We were merely caught up in the excitement of being able to witness a place such as this.”

Erebus took a moment to calm himself before speaking again. The two of them were still a few miles off from the only means out of this wretched place, and personally, he didn’t want to have to reprimand the princess every five minutes. Despite the oddness of the situation, Luna truly was the first bit of sentient contact he had been presented since the passing of an age…first impressions were something he couldn’t afford to mess up.

“Listen…it’s all right princess, seeing as no harm came to you. Just please; don’t touch anything without my consent first. It’s apparent the whole city still has enough power to stay operational, so it’s quite possible every defense grid across the board is still a threat.”

Luna nodded in confirmation. As much as the city had piqued her interest, she didn't want to purposely throw herself into unnecessary danger. “All right then, we understand. Though we do happen to have a question now…if it’s all right.”

The human gave a slight shrug. “So long as it isn’t something off topic and obscure, then you can ask any question you feel like…to an extent.”

The princess decided to take the affirmation as best she could. “Well, you just did happen to say that the city is in fact still using a power source to run its ‘technology’. Yet, what we don’t seem to understand is how any source of energy could not only power this entire place, but also continue to do so for so long without exhausting itself.”

“Princess…that would actually be quite an excellent question.” Erebus lightly chuckled. “You see that stupidly large spire out ahead of us?”

Luna quickly nodded. “Respectfully, there isn’t really a way to miss it.”

“Respectfully?” Erebus gave himself a good moment to laugh over that. “Princess, it’s not as if you’re going to insult me if you put it bluntly. I personally find it much more amusing when things are put straight to the point.”

“At any rate, that thing would be the answer to your question.” He stepped forward and pointed up at the tower. “I won’t bore you with any in-depth technical details, but the basics are that the spire acts as a rather hefty source of power for the entire city.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at this. “What you are saying is…that building supplied an entire populace with energy? We still don’t quite see how that works.”

Erebus shook his head slightly. “Like I said, I personally didn’t want to go into details, but you’re clearly misunderstanding something. The spire isn’t just some massive building or guard tower…it’s a piece of technology in itself.”

“I’ll try to keep this as simple as I can.” He continued with his explanation. “At the center of the spire lies a machine that humans referred to as a reactor core, which generates the energy for the city. Originally it was designed to be a fusion reactor, which would harness the same reaction that is capable of powering the sun.”

Upon hearing that, Luna quickly cut him off before he could continue. “Humans may have been able to control power of that magnitude simply through technology?!”

However, Erebus had clearly been expecting this kind of response, and started up his counter before she could deliver another. “In theory…yes. In theory anything is possible through some means, but that’s beside the point. The point is that they didn’t, as it was far too costly in their current situation. So, instead of spending billions on a project that would exhaust them of all their needed natural resources, they decided on a slightly more efficient method. Instead of trying to create potentially unstable energy, they opted to use a currently unexploited form of power…the spire draws it's energy off of the core of the planet itself.”

Luna took a few seconds to mull this fact over before responding. “There is something we cannot understand. If they were to use the core of the planet as a source of power, would that not be detrimental to the planet itself?”

“Quite the contrary.” Erebus began. “While it might seem like using the Earth’s core was a poor idea at first glance, the power it provided far exceeds even the needs of a city this large. I’m not exactly sure what changes the planet went through during my absence, but over a normal lifespan, the core would have kept running for another six-point-four billion years before its death.”

“At any rate, that would be the answer to your question.” He looked over at the alicorn. “It’s also the answer as to how we’re getting out of the Batcave.”

Luna gave him an awkward glance. “Are we to assume that is the name of these caverns?”

Erebus suppressed a snort at hearing this. “For your own sake…just disregard you ever heard that.”

Though obviously confused, the princess decided not to question this. “Alright then…might you at least let us know how the spire correlates with our means of escape?”

“Most certainly.” The human pointed up at the tower. “The spire was undoubtedly the city’s main provider. Not only did it provide them with the energy needed to power their tech, it was also their tether to the outside world, allowing them to ship supplies between the city and the surface. In short...it’s basically a larger version of the lift that brought us down to the gates.”

“So we take it this spire will deliver us to the surface then?” Luna asked.

“Assuming the lifts are still operational. Otherwise…I’ll have to get creative.” Erebus answered. “At any rate, they still should be the most workable out of anything else here. The spire was always kept under the highest maintenance; to lose its functionality would have been disastrous.”

The princess began to think those last words over as they continued down the deserted street. “He makes them sound so reliant on this technology, as if their lives depended on it. What could have driven humans to build such a city underground in the first place? Did something happen to the planet itself?”

She gazed up at the many buildings above her. Despite this city apparently being ancient, everything still seemed so pristine and fresh, as though it all had been frozen in time. Were it not for the fact that they were the only two beings within the city's confines, the entire place would almost seem as normal as Canterlot itself. "It's as if all the citizens that lived here simply vanished into nothingness. How could something such as this have transpired?"

Though these questions nagged at the back of her mind, Luna knew better than to question Erebus too heavily on his history. Since stepping into the city he had seemed tense and on edge, delving into his human past would only serve to aggravate him even more so. She resolved instead to ask him about his abilities she had witnessed.

“Erebus?” She asked, looking up at him.

“What can I do for you princess?” He returned the glance.

“Well there’s something that’s been nagging at us for quite some time now…” She paused to consider her words carefully. “If it isn’t too much to ask…might you be willing to explain how you were able to fight off those corpses, and how you truly healed us?”

A scowl quickly set onto Erebus’ face, and his stride faltered for a moment. Luna noticed this and immediately attempted to change the subject.

“Please though, it’s nothing you have to trouble yourself over. If it makes you uncomfortable to speak of it, then please pay it no mind.” She hastily said.

Erebus merely shook his head and calmly answered her. “It’s alright princess…no harm done. It isn’t a subject that makes me uncomfortable; in fact I’m quite open about my abilities.”

Looking down, he removed a hand from his cloak and began slowly flexing his fingers. “The main issue I have with speaking about them…is getting the listener to comprehend.” He retracted his hand and sighed. “I do suppose I owe you an explanation though, and it shouldn’t be all that difficult for you to understand.”

Gazing over at the tower they were closing in on, he lightly smiled. “At least this way, I’ll be able to go the rest of the distance without any more questions on human history.”

“Alrighty then, I suppose I should start this off basic. I believe you said something about magic earlier didn’t you?” He asked.
It took Luna a few moments, but she soon remembered this. “Ah yes, it was when you tended to our wound.” She glanced back at her leg. “Over the course of our life we have been able to learn a few spells of healing, but many of them are quite exhausting for the caster and take at least a few minutes to even start, even for somepony as powerful as an alicorn. So when you were able to abate the pain so quickly, it was quite the mystery to us.”

“Exactly…the two methods are quite dissimilar from each other in most every sense.” He pointed out. “What you refer to as magic is also known as mystic energy or mana. It’s a form of energy that exists outside of the normally applied elemental energies such as fire or water. Instead it is a force that links directly with creation itself, allowing for the application of reality manipulation, but can only reach as far as the wielder’s own potential.”

In truth Luna had heard something along these lines before, as it had been discovered by a few well known scholars throughout her time. However it was still fascinating to learn that humans may have had an even deeper understanding of magic.

“Now then, the abilities that I myself use are something a bit more difficult to understand.” He continued. “Just now you probably noticed that I mentioned the primary elements. Well, where my abilities stem…is somewhat the same. Tell me, do you know anything about the abstract elements?”

The alicorn thought for a moment before answering. “Yes, I believe so…you mean forces that don’t correlate directly with nature, such as harmony and chaos…correct?”

Erebus allowed a smile to light his face. “Exactly! Forces that, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t be given a physical form. The two you pointed out, as well as time and space, and light and dark. All of these and more fall under that category of abstract concepts, and therefore affect the physical and spiritual plane in a completely different way than normal elements.”

Luna took this all in. “You mean to say that your abilities stem from one of these forces?”

“I would have thought the dark cloud that appeared when I made my entrance would have given it away. Not only that…but I’ve noticed that you yourself seem to exude some of the same energy.” Erebus stated.

This immediately hit a nerve for Luna, as she now knew exactly what he was speaking of. Normally she would attempt hide her darker powers under her control of the moon, as she was still recovering from the Nightmare Moon incident.

Whipping her head up towards him, she quickly put out her response. “You…h-how do you know about that?”

Erebus was quick to notice her change in tone and demeanor. “Oh, excuse me princess…I didn’t realize that this was a touchy subject for you. I can drop it here if it makes you feel any better…”

“No, it’s…fine. We just have a bit of a dark history when it comes to those abilities.” She sighed. “We may just be able to learn from this experience, please continue.”

Erebus gave her a somber look. “If you’re sure you feel alright with it, then I'll take your word for it.”

“Now from what I can tell, you’ve already gathered that my powers revolve around the manipulation of darkness and shadows. You’ve no doubt witnessed the destructive potential it can bring to the field, as I showed during that little quarrel.” He brought a fist out of his cloak. “Though I will admit, the end result was more a product of simple close quarters combat than anything else.”

Luna wasn’t about to go and doubt the human on this, as she had seen him splinter the bones of most all the corpses. “What about the final one? It seemed as if you burned it to ash.”

“Not exactly…” Erebus bent over for a moment to pick up a small rock on the city’s street.

“You see this stone?” He held it out before her. “Well this stone is, at its very core, a part of the infinite web that makes up all of creation. Everything with a predefined form, be it physical or spiritual, is a part of this web.”

He held out his other hand, a small black orb appearing above it. “This…is dark energy. Every shadow or dark place you have ever witnessed or stood in is comprised of this selfsame energy, though in different varying states. Though this energy may be able to appear within creation, it is actually its polar opposite.”

“Now then, when a part of creation comes into contact with volatile dark energy…” Holding the stone above the orb, he dropped it towards it…only to have it immediately dissipate into black particles upon contact. “It ceases to exist, and therefore serves to expand that darkness.”

Luna looked on in mild horror at this. Not even as Nightmare Moon had she used her powers to completely destroy a being’s essence.

Erebus collapsed the sphere and glanced over at her. “While it may seem that this would only serve as a destructive application, it can be put to use in beneficial ways.” He pointed at her leg. “One example would be the tending of your wound. As darkness can absorb anything born of creation, that rule also applies to abstract concepts…such as pain.”

“In short...while it can be quite the destructive force, it can also be extremely useful at times.” He stated.

Luna glanced up at him. "So then, were many humans capable of such feats?"

"Heaven forbid...I'm afraid that humanity gave up on supernatural and occult practices many years before my birth." He shook his head. "Those that did possess such ability would have never been open to the public about it."

The princess took a moment to think this all over. "Forgetting about magic? How could any species simply give up on something such as that?"

He glanced upwards. “As much as I’m sure we both enjoyed this delightful conversation though, I suppose this would be a fine place to end our little lesson.”

Luna was about to ask if something was wrong, until she looked up. Sitting a few meters ahead of her was the base of the massive spire itself. Gazing up at the giant tower, she could only help but feel minuscule in comparison.

“Oh…We suppose that’s a good enough reason.” She said flatly.

“Indeed it is.” Erebus stepped towards the tower and gestured for the princess to follow him.

Walking up to a cargo door on the spire’s side, he proceeded to wave his hand over an indent in the wall. In a similar fashion to before, another terminal blinked into existence beneath his palm, on which he began working his fingers across at lightning speed.

As her companion was working on his task, Luna took a moment to gaze back on the city behind. Almost the moment she turned around, she noticed at least a dozen different flashes of movement speed from her line of sight.

Taking a few steps back towards Erebus, she quickly got his attention. “Erebus…I think that there’s something out there watching us.”

Keeping his attention focused on his work, he gave the princess a short answer. “Yes I know, it’s nothing you should worry yourself over though. It’s just a few of our friends from before.”

Luna’s eyes widened as she heard this. “If there are more of them, how can you be so calm about all of this?”

Erebus just gave the alicorn a small sigh. “If they were any immediate danger then I would have already gone and dealt with them. As it stands though, they have absolutely no intention of coming anywhere near me. After all, the dead may be mindless…but they certainly aren’t witless.”

A shiver went down Luna's spine regardless. Despite the words of her companion, the thought that they were being stalked the entire duration of their travels...was unnerving.

He gazed down at the princess. “At any rate I’m already done, so we’ll be leaving them behind permanently.”

After a few seconds a loud groan was heard from two large metal doors as they slowly parted back into the wall, revealing a significantly smaller room behind them.

“Um…Erebus, is this what we’ll be taking up to the surface? It does seem a tad bit snug…” Luna wasn’t all too eager to be squeezed into the confined space.

The human apologized to her. “As much as I hate to admit it princess…yes. Most of the other lifts aren’t in operable condition, or are completely disabled. Also, this particular lift will be able to get us topside much faster than the others.”

Luna gave him a confused look. “Why is this one so much faster?”

Erebus stepped through the door and began inspecting the interior. “This meant to be a high speed cargo lift, designed for quick access to supplies in times of need.”

Stepping inside, Luna quickly noticed that she was already feeling cramped.

As Erebus tapped a few keys on the lifts console, a smaller door hissed into place over the open hatch, as well as the larger cargo doors creaking back into place. “Princess, I’m truly sorry about this if you happen to be claustrophobic.”

Luna knew this wasn’t the issue, but she still wasn’t thrilled. “Oh that’s nothing you should have to worry about.”

“There would also seem to be another issue…” He said with a frown.

The princess didn’t much like the sound of that. “What kind of issue?”

The human glanced around the compartment one more time. “Any humans that did happen to ride with the cargo were required to strap into a safety harness…upright. No offense, but your posture isn’t going to do us any favors here.”

Looking up at what she assumed was the harness, Luna could immediately agree with him. “At the very most…that would only throttle us.”

“Well…there isn’t much way around this dilemma, is there?” Erebus sighed. “Princess…I’m extremely sorry about this…but you’re going to have to lie down on the way up.”

Luna’s mind immediately began protesting at that idea however, she wasn’t seeing much any other alternative. “Oh…stars above…”
Erebus put his hand up to his face. “Alright, hang on for a moment…” He began pacing back and forth. “There is one other way; however it’s still quite dangerous.”

While the princess didn’t particularly want to subject herself to unnecessary danger, she also didn’t want to lie down on a high-speed metal death trap. “We’re listening.”

“Luckily for you, these lifts do in fact happen to have slightly adjustable safety harnesses, most likely for young adults and such.” He walked over and proceeded to do mess with one of them, bringing it down a good couple of inches. “It isn’t exactly optimal, and will probably be even less comfortable, but if you sit as upright as you can and allow me to secure the straps tightly, you should be…relatively safe.”

Taking the straps between her teeth, Luna tested them with a few harsh tugs…they seemed secure. “If this is our alternative, then we'll be much less reluctant to take it.”

“That’s what I assumed you would say.” Erebus proceeded to walk over to the wall console. “I’m about to activate a twenty second delayed startup. Before I do that I want to go over some details with you.”

He stooped down to look the alicorn directly in the eyes. “Alright, just listen to me closely. When we actually start moving, it’s going to be quite sudden, whatever you do…try not to fall unconscious. During the ride up, it’s going to be ten minutes of nonstop pressure, whatever you do...try not to fall unconscious. Throughout the entire ride, your blood is going to rush straight to your feet, whatever you do…try not to throw up.”

Luna had absolutely no time to voice a protest to this, as Erebus quickly tapped the console and the entire room was washed over with a blood red light.

“Princess…eighteen seconds now, please get situated so I can lock your safety harness.” He said flatly.

Her eyes widening, Luna quickly got herself into a comfortable sitting position as her companion tightened the straps around her, before moving back and locking himself into place.

Looking up at Erebus, she noticed he not only had one of the safety straps around his torso but also a hand grasping a support strap above him. “What we wouldn’t give right now to be a few hooves taller…”

“Eight seconds, just try to let yourself relax.” Erebus stated.

Though the anticipation did little to calm her nerves, Luna did her best to allow her mind to slip without letting go of consciousness. However, in the back of her mind she could still see the seconds ticking away.

“Five.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One…”

Luna had one brief moment to gaze up at the human across from her. From the looks of his face…he had fallen asleep…

“Buck…”

Half a moment later, Luna’s body exploded.

The experience was unlike anything the alicorn had ever been through. She could hear nothing, only see red and black, and it felt like a fully grown dragon had decided to lie on her. Put literally…it was as if somepony was trying to push her very soul out of her body through sheer force.

As the seconds went by, her vision began to swim and her mind proceeded to go blank. Despite the entire situation, one thought remained glued in Luna’s mind.

“What have we gotten ourselves into…?”

A moment later, her stomach lurched…and she passed out.

----------------------------------

Author's Note

Hey everybody, good to see you again.

I did a bit of procrastination on this chapter I'm afraid.
And once I did get back to it, I had to go through and try to add a bit more.

This is what I consider a bit of a filler chapter, as there are many things that should be answered in it, but I simply can't this early in.
In the upcoming chapters, we'll actually start to get more into the plot development and such. ("Such" referring to ponies.)
If you got through it with no issues however, than I congratulate you.

On a side note, I am searching for another proofreader, as one of the currents is preoccupied.
(If you have experience and are interested, then just shoot me a PM.)

When Dead Eyes See the World

Life is strange.

In fact, life can be downright disturbing at times.

Now you might think that after a few million years of living it, that it would start to lose that quality.

Unfortunately, you would be all too sorely mistaken.

These were the thoughts that currently happened to be plaguing the mind of a certain black robed character, as he stood almost motionless with his back to the wall, waiting patiently for his newest companion to return to consciousness.

Quite surprisingly, patience was actually not one of Erebus’ strong points. Indeed, even after laying dormant for many an age, he found that his anxiety was an issue that almost always got the better of him more often than not. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that he was currently nearing his wits end due to the boredom.

“Well, things just keep on getting better, don't they?” He said to no one in particular. “I mean, it's one thing to sleep in a cave for an entire era, but sitting in a hole for over an hour with nothing to do but play with rocks…that’s just way more fun.”

He took a moment to gaze around the small area that they were currently in. Since the cargo lift had finally ended its ten minute ride upwards, the human had unsurprisingly discovered that the princess had in fact passed out somewhere along the way, but luckily had not lost the contents of her stomach as well. After forcibly removing her from the now damaged straps, along with a few fruitless attempts to wake her, he finally resolved to simply lay her down in the cavern just outside the lift and wait for her to come to. Of course, the whole prospect of waiting had seemed less painful when he was still unaware that the cavern’s exit was barely ten yards away.

“You know…this is almost like one of those weird lucid dreams that people sometimes have.” He took a moment to let out a bored sigh before continuing his little rant. “I mean here I am sitting with an pony princess who just happened to come along and wake me up. Now I wind up at a point where I can literally smell the world outside…only to not be able to see it with my own eyes.”

With a quizzical look on his face, he slowly lifted his hand to his mouth before biting down on his palm. The pain alone was barely enough to even register with him to begin with, but the small stream of blood that dripped off his hand was more than enough to put his suspicions to rest.

He sighed and began sucking on the small wound. “Nope, this was probably too weird to be a dream in the first place.”

Then again, Erebus wouldn’t really know, he couldn’t dream.

However, as the minutes continuously went by…the concept of dreaming was beginning to become more and more appealing, even if only to find some form of alleviation for his boredom.

Gazing down at the pony before him, he couldn’t help but assault his mind with a fresh wave of questions. Truly who was this Princess Luna, and how did she correlate with his recent awakening? While it was true that she held a small amount of the self-same power that he possessed, that didn’t seem to be close to the full picture.

Crossing his arms beneath his cloak, he quickly found himself focused on a currently more pressing question. “What am I going to do with myself in this new age?”

Indeed, this was something that had failed to give his undivided attention to. It was clear that he knew next to nothing about the state of the outside world, or how it might be affected by his presence. Quite truthfully, the only tether he currently had to the current age was this small blue pony.

“Heh…Well my future certainly looks as sunny as can be.” He chuckled to himself. “All the same...maybe things will be different this time around.”

Just at that very moment, a soft groan happened to tear him back into reality. Looking back at the alicorn before him, he silently rejoiced in the fact that she was finally regaining consciousness. Peeling himself off the cave wall, he took a step forward and knelt down but otherwise retained his distance…he tried to keep some respect for other’s personal space.

The princess began to slowly open her eyes, a pained and disoriented expression painted on her face. Erebus could only imagine how uncomfortable sleeping on a stone floor for an hour could be for a creature with wings, even if he had taken the time to try and keep her out of that situation.

After a few moments of blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Luna panned her head back and forth before stopping abruptly on the black shadow looming before her. “For the love of Equestria, you nearly gave us a heart attack Erebus!”

The human internally shrugged. “Well then, so much for keeping my distance.”

“Well, I tend to have that effect on people…it would seem that now applies to ponies as well.” He gave her a smug look. “I take it that the princess was able to catch up on her beauty sleep then?”

This remark earned him a particularly peeved glare. “You know, it is not as if we find any enjoyment in the concept of passing out in the middle of some cave that nopony has ever heard of.” She gave off a small huff. “Truthfully, we thought that we might have simply imagined the whole experience.”

Erebus took a moment to chuckle at that remark. “Yes…well I’m pleased to tell you that you’re not the only one with that train of thought.”

“Yes, we were only expecting as much.” The princess began rubbing her forehead as she took in the rest of her surroundings. “Would we be correct in saying that the lift did in fact take us to the surface then? This certainly looks little different from the tunnels we were in just a while ago.”

“Well then, obviously your eyes haven’t had the proper time to adjust correctly.” Taking a hand out from beneath his robe, Erebus gestured behind himself.

Luna gave him a confused look before straining her eyes into the cavern beyond. What she soon noticed almost immediately merited a rather energetic response.

“Is-is that light? Are you saying that we’re finally through with this nightmarish place!?” The Princess all too quickly jumped to her hooves. However, she failed to take into account her body’s current disorientation, and nearly fell face first into the ground.

Swiftly noticing that Luna’s legs weren’t about to support her anytime soon, Erebus was quick to put himself between the princess and the floor.

Picking her back up while being careful not to touch her wings, he slowly steadied her against the side of his leg. “Careful there princess…the ride you took to get here hasn’t been one of the easiest, and it wouldn’t do you any good to go ruining a pretty face like that.”

Luna began to blush slightly at his comment. She knew that he meant it only to help her feel better, but it wasn’t often that somepony gave her a compliment like that.

“Oh…of course, but please forgive us…it is our fault for not paying attention to how truly exhausted we were.”

Keeping her supported against his side, Erebus glanced down at her leg momentarily. “Truth be told, I’m surprised that you’re able to stand up at all…much less so quickly. To be completely honest, my little stunt with your leg isn’t exactly a permanent fix, and when combined with everything else you’ve been through…well you’re certainly sturdier than I’d have guessed at first glance.”

Luna gave him a small grin. “Yes well, we have always been told that we can be incredibly stubborn when we feel the need.” Motioning down the tunnel, she added. “All the same…you wouldn’t mind if we could both put this cave behind us for good…would you?”

Her companion chuckled slightly. “Heheh...No, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest princess. I merely wanted to be sure that you were in well enough condition to travel before we actually started to get going.”

Deciding to test this, Luna took a tentative step forward, faltering slightly but otherwise keeping her balance. “We believe that we should be alright for the most part, but your support would be very much appreciated…should the need arise.”

Erebus began to slowly walk in step beside her. “Not an issue in the slightest princess. I would be more than happy to oblige.”

As the two started to make their way down the final stretches that made up the tunnel, the light that had painted the stone walls soon began to grow ever brighter in intensity, and as they rounded one last bend, the cave seemed to end and open up so abruptly that it may as well not have existed in the first place.

Immediately, they both found themselves thrust straight into the middle of a symphony of wildlife. The stone floor they had just traversed was completely unrecognizable from the endless sea of grass that now lay before them, unkempt and littered with all different kinds of bushes and vines. Hundreds of ancient and gnarled trees loomed over them, their branches swaying in a cool breeze. Far above them, the moon hung gracefully in the night sky, casting its brilliant light down through the darkened canopy of the Everfree.

Erebus and Luna simply stood frozen, completely awestruck by the sight before them.

“Stars above…we…we never thought that we could ever actually feel any form of relief in laying eyes upon the Everfree Forest.”

Luna gazed up at her partner, who was in turn gazing out at the forest with an unflinching stare.

The princess raised an eyebrow at him. “Erebus, what is it? Is something wrong?”

Erebus took a moment to remove his hood before looking down at the alicorn, an energetic smile upon his face. “Princess…you can’t even begin to guess how wrong you are.”

Staring up at the treetops, he slowly inhaled a long breath through his nose before letting it loose once more through his mouth. “This place…I can’t even begin to describe it. All the different smells, the lighting, the unbridled wildlife, and even the simple grass beneath me…I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

Walking towards one of the closest trees, he placed his hand against its side. Ever so gently, as not to cause harm, he merged the smallest parts of his essence with the tree's own, using it to link himself to the rest of the area. His mind raced as he gazed out into the night, gathering all he could from the forest's natural leylines. Owls silently kept watch from atop their perches, smaller mammals scurried from one hiding spot to another, and strange packs of unknown predators silently moved throughout their territory.

"Amazing, truly this is amazing. This place is ancient, yet it still holds so much energy and life within itself."

A wave of regret began to course through him as he lifted his hand away from the bark. "How could they have let it degrade to the point that it did?" He whispered. "How could we have been so foolish and blind?"

Luna frowned in confusion. “What do mean that you’ve never experienced anything like this before? Are you truly saying that you’ve never once experienced nature in your entire life?”

She could have sworn she saw the man’s smile falter as he answered her. “Well…yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. While I’m sure I can understand where your confusion is stemming from, you have to remember princess…I’ve lived underground for all of my years. This whole ordeal is as exciting for me, as the city must have been for you.”

Luna stared up at him, her mind at a standstill. "To never once be able to experience the natural world? How could anyone that has ever lived hope to survive in such a manner?" As she continued to mull over these thoughts, she soon found herself pondering a far more important question.

"Erebus, might we ask you something?"

The human looked over at her. "Of course princess, what is that you want to know?"

"Well...we know that you haven't had any contact with the world for some time now, and you obviously aren't quite up to date with the current state of things. Therefore we have wondering...where exactly do you plan to go from here?"

Erebus shifted his gaze around the forest, taking in his surroundings. "Princess...I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question. If what you've said is true, and humans are naught but mythology in this age, then I'm afraid it would be unwise for me to appear among your kind unannounced."

The princess took that into consideration. "Yes, it does hold true that your appearance would cause a bit of a stir among the masses. However, as royalty, we know a way that we can amend that issue with some relative ease."

"Princess, I'm honored that you would take my well being into account...but I'm afraid I simply can't ask something like that of you." He shook his head. "It would be disrespectful to take of advantage of your hospitality in such a manner."

The alicorn simply scoffed at this statement. "Oh come now, it would disrespectful of us to simply let you wander around the world all by your lonesome. Besides, you aren't asking to begin with...we are offering."

Erebus glanced down at her nervously. "You're sure then...you're sure that your people wouldn't mind having me among them?"

Luna smiled up at him. "Why of course not, we can easily arrange with our sister to have you welcomed into Equestria with open hooves! After you have taken the time to escort us, this is the least we can do for you in return."

Her companion took a moment to think this over. "Well...I suppose there wouldn't be very much sense in rejecting a proposal such as that, especially given my current situation. Also, I suppose I'm still not quite done escorting you...am I?"

"That is quite the excellent way of putting it! We're sure that when all is said and done, fitting in with everypony else should be no issue for you at all." The princess continued to smile up at him.

"I just have one question for you princess."

Luna cocked her head. "What exactly might that be Erebus?"

The human put a hand on the back of his head. "Would you be so kind as to direct me towards the place I'm escorting you to? I'm afraid that I'm out of touch with the lay of the land."

Almost immediately Luna's mind drew a blank.

Under most normal circumstances, if she found herself traversing the Everfree, she would have brought some form of pathfinder with her. Whether this pathfinder was an actual pony or a simple map didn't quite matter, it was simply crucial to have some way of finding a path out of the forest. Unfortunately for Princess Luna...bringing a map had been the one thing that had slipped her mind.

Luna glanced up at the trees around her. "Well...umm...it should be...north?"

Erebus brought a hand up to his face. "You don't know your way around here either...do you?"

"Well, it is slightly more simple to find our way when we can simply fly over the trees." The princess grinned sheepishly. "However, given that our wings are currently too sore to fly..."

"Yes...I suppose that would put a stop to that plan." Erebus took a moment to ponder over the situation. "Princess, you said that our destination is to the north...correct?"

"Indeed, Ponyville lies directly on the border of the Everfree Forest, and beyond that lies Canterlot."

"Ponyville...Canterlot?" Erebus decided to lay those thoughts aside for the moment. "Well then, that works towards our advantage. Once the morning comes, it shouldn't be all that difficult to find markers that can help us discern which way north is."

'Well, we suppose that would currently be our best option...unless." Luna's eyes lit up as she remembered her link with her sister. As she closed her eyes and attempted to reach out to her though, she found that she still could not find any coherent connection. A scowl set itself upon her face as she attempted to gather some form of energy to her horn...only to find that she was still experiencing a damper to her spellcasting.

"Why in Equestria is this still happening to us?"

Erebus raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Unless...what Princess?"

Luna gave off a defeated sigh as she answered him. "Nothing...pay it no mind, we were merely mistaken about something."

Her companion gave off a shrug at this. "Very well then, if you say so."

He gazed down at her. "With that out of the way though, I suppose it would be best if I found found a place to set up a camp for the both of us then, correct? After all, I don't think that it would do us much good to go around traversing a place such as this in the dead of the night."

The princess nodded her head at this. As much as she okay with the dark of the night, she still was far from okay with running around the Everfree while it was pitch black.

Spinning himself around to gain a quick scan of the area, Erebus eventually came to rest his eyes on a small clearing, nestled between some trees. "Hmmm...how about that little clearing there Princess? From what I can make out, it seems relatively spacious, as well as being clear of most brush and debris."

Luna glanced nervously over at the circle. "Are you quite sure about that Erebus? It doesn't seem to offer much in the way of cover. If it isn't too much to ask, perhaps we could find another spot.?"

Erebus shook his head. "Now Princess, I might not know much about the great outdoors, but I know enough to realize that it wont get that much better than a few shrubs. Besides, as I said before, wandering around would most likely be ill-advised. Unless of course...you would rather go spend the night in the cave?"

Luna's eyes went wide at this statement. "No, that's uh...quite alright...the clearing should work out just fine for us."

"Alright then, come on and let's go have a closer look." Her companion chuckled lightly as he slowly led her towards the circle of trees.

Upon arrival, Erebus let out a sigh of contentment. "Look at that Princess, you had yourself worried over completely nothing. The grass is more than comfortable enough to lay on, there are no rocks or roots that could cause a problem, and the surrounding brush is more than sufficient as a source of cover. All in all...it looks pretty damn good from where I'm standing."

While all of what Erebus said was true, Luna couldn't help but be a little hesitant about spending the night in such a place. "Yes, given the current circumstances we must simply have to make good with what is offered to us. All the same, we cannot help but feel quite exposed in a place such as this."

Her companion nodded his head at this. "I'll agree that it's not exactly an optimal location, but all the same you shouldn't have to worry. I'll be keeping watch throughout the night, and I'm quite sure that I can "discourage" any inquisitive beings."

Setting herself down near the side of a large tree, Luna cast a worried glance up at Erebus. "You can't mean to say that you'll going the entire time without rest, can you? While we can understand that it would be best if watch was kept throughout the night, surely you yourself would require some form of rest, would you not?"

Erebus just shrugged at this. "Princess, I've been asleep in a cave for longer than your species has existed. While I appreciate your concern, I'm sure it would do me far better to not close my eyes tonight...I'll be far too interested in what's around me."

He leaned himself against one of the nearby trees. "With that said, it's best you get comfortable princess, I would say that it'll be another few hours before the sun begins to rise."

"Yes...and she's going to be wondering where exactly we ran off to." Luna thought as she did her best to cover herself with her cloak, the cool air of the Everfree starting to work itself through the trees.

As the frigid air continued to blow past her though, the princess found herself fighting an uphill battle. Despite the fact that her cloak was constructed of rather thick material, and that it covered most of her body, she found that it was doing little to alleviate the icy breeze.

She gazed up at her companion. "Erebus...do you think that the two of us might able to get a fire started? We're afraid that the weather isn't going to let up anytime soon."

"You're probably right about the weather, but I'm afraid that a fire is out of the question Princess." The human pointed a finger out towards the surrounding trees. "You might not have noticed, but there are a fair number of different creatures watching us even now...and that's with the lights out. If we were to get a fire going, it would undoubtedly draw in far more unwanted attention. Not only that, but the local flora is far too overgrown to light a fire safely...one stray ember could set this place ablaze."

Luna scowled slightly upon hearing this. While it was true that she had to agree with what he had said, this only served to worsen the effect the cold had upon her.

"It is quite alright then, we should be able to make it through the rest of the night just fine." She did her best to avoid shivering as she said this.

Her best was not good enough however, as Erebus quickly noticed.

Rolling his eyes and smiling slightly, he slowly walked over to the alicorn. "Well, you certainly weren't lying when you said that you were stubborn."

Pulling an arm out of his cloak and bringing it up to his hood, he slipped his head beneath the scarf that connected his garb, and deftly pulled the entire robe off his body. Holding it before Luna's face, he said. "Here, this will help to keep you warm until morning."

...

The princess simply stared up at him wide-eyed, trying to take in the sudden change in scene.

Before this moment, her human companion had been an almost complete mystery, with his attire giving him an otherworldly and detached feel. As Luna stared up him now, it was as if he was someone completely different. This was after all, the first live human to ever be seen on the face of the planet.

As she had guessed, his upper body was mostly reminiscent of what she knew of minotaurs, albeit somewhat less bulky, but otherwise a similar comparison. Covering most of his chest was a dark blue garment that seemed mostly similar in make to his cloak, reaching up to just below his neck. Encasing this, was a segmented crimson chest piece, giving off a metallic sheen in the low moonlight. Covering his legs, was apparently the selfsame cloth that covered his upper torso, reaching about halfway down. The other half was firmly secured in two armored boots, providing cover all the way around.

Glancing at his arms, she saw something that had previously slipped her notice. Hidden behind one of his bracers, almost barely visible in the dark, was the end of jagged scar, leading up a good portion of his left arm. Despite the many times he had gestured or used his arms for any other reason, he had always attempted to make use of his right arm unless he required both. It was only now that the princess realized the exact reason for this.

"We can understand that he may wish to keep his wound concealed, but with him being so deliberate about it, could there perhaps be some deeper motive?"

Her thoughts were cut short as Erebus shifted his arm to a different angle, once again obscuring the wound from view.

"Um...hello, you still there Princess?"

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she hesitantly answered. "B-but...your cloak, surely you need it...do you not?"

Erebus took a few moments to stare at her, completely dumbfounded, before breaking out into a small fit of laughter.

"Hehehehe...that's uh...hehe, that's pretty good. Don't worry Princess, I understand where you're coming from on this one." Shaking his head slightly, he continued. "No, contrary to popular belief, my robe isn't permanently fused to my body. While it's true that I prefer to keep it on my person at all times, and I probably look completely different without it. All the same, should the need arise, I will in fact remove it."

He continued to dangle it before her. "Now then, do you want to take it or not?"

Luna hesitantly reached out a hoof towards it. "What about yourself though...surely you will begin to grow cold as well?"

Erebus simply smiled as he laid the large cloak out on top of her own. "I'm touched by your concern Princess, but I assure you that I'll be just fine. During my own time, I was normally put under duress by harsh environments...the wind should be of little concern to me."

Almost immediately Luna noticed the difference. The instant the cloak touched her fur, the wind simply seemed to cease to exist...quickly replaced by a dull warmth that the fabric seemed to exude.

Erebus grinned as he noticed the expression on her face relax. "Quite the handy little robe isn't it? Just don't go asking me what it's crafted from, as even I can't say...it was passed on to me many years ago."

As he turned to walk back towards the tree he was using, Luna called out to him. "Excuse us...Erebus?"

Turning back towards her, he answered. "Is there something that you need Princess?"

The princes shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. We just...we simply wanted to thank you."

Upon hearing this, a genuine smile lit up the human's face. "Please, think nothing of it. It's more than enough knowing that I was capable of aiding you Princess."

Leaning up against the old tree, he crossed his arms and turned his head towards her. "Now then, I think it would be best if you got yourself some rest that isn't a byproduct of you passing out."

Luna scoffed at this. "We'll have you know that we could easily stay awake throughout the entire night, if we so pleased." She did her best to stifle a yawn.

Erebus just chuckled. "I'm sure that any other time you could, however...that doesn't seem to be the case as of now. You've had it rough for a little while now, so just try to get a few hours of sleep...so I won't have to carry you in the morning."

Despite rolling her eyes, Luna knew he was right. "We may be the Princess of the Night, but we suppose that what we have been through would exhaust almost anypony."

Staring up at her companion, she found him idly twisting a leaf between his fingers, slowly examining each side. She couldn't help but smile at this. "Very well, best to leave him to his own devices...no doubt he'll have much to keep himself occupied."

As she laid her head on her hooves and gazed out tiredly at the grass, the warmth of the robe seemed to wash over her entire body. Though she wondered as to whether or not the fabric may be enchanted, her body began to relax ever further, slowly lulling her deeper and deeper towards sleep. Until finally, she allowed her eyes to slip shut, drifting off into a peaceful blackness.

...

"Young one...there you are."

----------------------------------

Darkness.

Emptiness.

Princess Luna could not make sense of where she currently was.

She could see nothing.

Hear nothing.

Feel nothing.

"What is this place?" She asked, attempting to turn herself around.

However, try as she might, she found that she could not make her body move in any direction. Her entire body felt leaden and unresponsive, and her thoughts seemed detached and hazy, forcing her to focus harshly on whatever she was trying to move. As she continued to struggle to see, a distinct realization began to dawn upon her.

"We are moving, there simply is nothing to see...nothing here at all. This place is nothing but darkness, stretching onward infinitely."

Slowly spinning herself in a circle, this was quickly confirmed to be true. No matter where she looked, or how hard she attempted to pierce the black veil...the scenery never changed, and the darkness never lessened.

Standing there amidst the nothing that surrounded her, Luna began to contemplate why she had been brought here. "Surely this is no dream, as we would easily be able to identify it as one. No, this is something vastly different...something that should not be."

As she was sorting through her thoughts however, she began to develop a strange feeling at the core of her being. Her muscles began to tense up as she realized what exactly this feeling was.

Something was watching her...

Her ears folded back as she backpedaled and rapidly shifted her gaze around the area, desperately attempting to find whatever was observing her. As she continued to move backwards however, she found her path abruptly blocked by something behind her. Whipping her head back at the source of whatever had touched her, she found absolutely nothing to be there, just the same as it was before.

"This makes no sense...what exactly is going on here?"

No sooner had she formed these thoughts, than a dull gray light began to peel away the darkness, temporarily blinding the princess as it enveloped her.

Squinting her eyes against the sudden illumination, Luna did her best to try and make sense of what was happening. After a few moments of blinking and rubbing her eyes with her hoof, what was laid out before her slowly started to become a much clearer picture.

The princess found herself in a forest. A forest, which by the looks of it, was very much reminiscent of the Everfree. However, there were quite a few differences between the two, all of which Luna could easily pick out.

To start off with...all of the trees were dead. Their branches were devoid of any leaves that hey might have bore, and the bark on their trunks was peeling and decayed, revealing many different cracks throughout the wood.

The same held true for the ground that she stood upon. While it held true that it was still quite overgrown with grass and weeds, the wild green blades she had just been resting upon were far dissimilar from the drooping brown ones that cracked and broke beneath her hooves.

A thick mist hung in the air, obscuring much from her immediate sight. Although she attempted to clear away some of the fog with her wings, she soon found that she could make no discernible effect upon it, it was as if the mist was capable of stilling the very air itself.

Looking up towards the sky, she found something more that she could not explain. While the light that illuminated the area was quite reminiscent of the moonlight she knew so well, there was no visible source to the dull lighting. Whether hidden behind the fog, or simply nonexistent...she could not tell.

Glancing behind her, she noticed that she had backed into a large black tree, just as decrepit as the rest of its brethren. "Ah, so that's what it was...thank goodness. For a time, we thought that we had actually backed into something more lively. Now then, we must still find out the nature of why we were drawn to place, as this all still makes so little sense."

She had just resolved to to wander the premises to see if she might find some form of answer, when out of the corner of her eye, a looming black shadow caught her attention.

Her eyes widened as she ever so slowly turned her head towards the source of the shadow. Her gaze came to rest upon a giant dark figure, covered from top to bottom with a seamless and flowing black robe, obscuring all details from her sight.

As she stared up at the figure, completely horrified, something happened that she least expected...a voice issued forth. A smooth and calm, yet powerful and ancient voice that seemed to cut through the very air itself.

"Well met...young one."

The figure's imposing image, coupled with its powerful voice immediately caused Luna's body to shake.

The being remained completely still as it continued to address her. "Oh come now, there is no reason for you to fear...I assure you wholeheartedly that I mean you no harm, Princess Luna."

The alicorn's head snapped up at this remark. "Y-you...you know who we are?" She asked shakily.

"Indeed...there is much that I know, and I know much of you...little princess."

It leaned forward as it continued. "In fact, I have been waiting to speak with you for quite some time now."

Luna slightly shied away from its sudden advance. "Who exactly are you...if you are someone that knows of us, then perhaps we know of you?"

The figure simply shook its hooded head at this. "There is a chance that you would know of me, as there is a chance that many know of me...however, even if you do, you would find it difficult to recollect. As for who I am...I am no one of consequence."

Luna quickly became puzzled at his answer, but the being continued before she could respond.

"Now then, might I ask that you join me for a short stroll? It would do little good for me to have called you all this way, simply to waste time on idle conversation."

While it was true that upsetting the being was currently the last thing on Luna's mind, she was finding it difficult to ascertain his motives.

"Hold a moment, while it is true that we were curious as to why we were brought to this place...how can we be sure that we can trust you?"

Returning to its full height, the figure gave her a simple answer. "I'm afraid you can't, as you currently have no firm reason to do so. However, I know enough about you to hope that you might give me the benefit of the doubt...if nothing else."

Though she didn't enjoy the thought, she knew that this figure was correct. If what it said was true, then it could very easily be the being that called out to her from the very beginning. With this in mind, she wasn't about to let her only opportunity at answers simply fall away.

She glanced up hesitantly. "Very well...we will listen to what it is you have to say, so long as you answer any of our own questions."

The figure seemed to consider her words for a moment before answering. "On any other occasion, I could very easily consider your words presumptuous...however, I suppose the fact that you stand here now is enough reason to allow your questions. Come now...walk with me."

Even as she began to step forward, the princess shrank back at his words. "We know not what or who this being is, but it is obvious that it commands authority. With that in mind, it would be best that we think carefully before we speak."

The figure began to slowly walk down a a small dirt path leading through the forest, following a few steps behind, Luna asked. "You said that you were the one that called us to this place. With that in mind, was it also you that reached out to us within our dreams?"

The being kept his head straight as he strode forward. "I am afraid that I while I know of what you speak, I had no part to play. What you speak of, was in fact a product of the one you currently travel with."

Luna's eyes widened as it said this. "Erebus? How do you know of Erebus?"

Her words made the figure stop mid-stride to look down at her. In that moment, a bone chilling sound issued forth from its hood. A slow, deliberate, and hollow laugh that made the alicorn's fur stand on edge.

"Erebus? Is that truly what he is being known as in this age?" It slowly shook its head. "To this day, that one never fails to amuse me."

"Now then, I shall answer your question in time. First, do enlighten me on what you yourself know about your companion."

The princess cautiously glanced upward. "Very well, but we are afraid there is not much that we might be able to tell you. Throughout our journey, Erebus has been less than outgoing about his past."

The being nodded. "That is all I needed to hear, as I certainly expected nothing less."

"What then was the point of asking us?" Luna questioned.

"Simply so that I might be sure. I find that he can be quite...unpredictable at times." It responded.

Motioning with its head for the alicorn to follow, it began continuing its way down the path. "Now then, I believe you inquired as to how I myself know of your friend. Well then, I shall be more than willing to enlighten you."

"The one you know as Erebus has a long and rather complicated history. I myself have been present with him throughout every moment of it. You might say that the two of us have known each other for our entire lives."

"If nothing else, the two share appearance quite closely." Luna thought to herself. "If you have known him for so long, are you in some way connected?"

"Indeed we are, inextricably and by bonds stronger than blood itself. Throughout the ages, I have watched over him, followed him, and protected him to the best of my ability." It took a moment before continuing. "Although now, he has resolved to deny not only our presence, but also our assistance. He cannot learn to simply set aside his harsher past with me, even when it causes him pain to carry with him."

"For this reason princess, I have called you to speak with me." It gazed down at her. "You are here, so that you might succeed where I am unable."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" The princess asked nervously.

"What I speak of, is that I wish for you to watch over him in my stead." It answered. "I would ask that you offer him aid in times when he most requires it...even if he does not wish it."

Luna wracked her brain trying to make sense of this. "Why would you ask this of us though? What makes us stand out from any other that you might have chosen?"

"Yes...I expected that you might ask that of me. The answer is simple...you and Erebus share a unique bond."

The princess stared up at the figure, awestruck at what he had just said. "What exactly is meant by that? If we know almost absolutely nothing of him, how could we possibly share any form of connection with him?!"

"Peace young one, there is no reason to raise your voice, as I shall answer your questions in due time. Simply walk with me, and be calm." It continued forward. "Do you not remember your dream, and the voice you heard?"

"Yes we remember, in what manner does Erebus connect to that?" She asked.

"During his long slumber, his subconscious mind was actively reaching out, doing anything it could to draw the attention of another being. The reason your mind was able to connect with these attempts, is due to the residual energies within you."

Luna scowled as she tried to make sense of this. "He told us that we are both capable of manipulating the same energy, but we found no reason to believe that was the reason behind all this."

The being nodded. "That is only a part of the larger picture. The true reason you and he are connected in such a manner, is not merely because you share the same power...but because both of you gained your abilities from the same direct source. No other wielders such as the two of you even exist."

"How is a thing such as that possible?" Luna asked, desperate for answers.

"I am afraid that I cannot say, even with my knowledge of things. Workings such as this are rarely coincidence, with this being even less so."

Gazing out ahead of them, the figure sighed suddenly before turning back to the alicorn. "Despite your many questions, I am afraid that my time with you is brief, and I must make haste. Tell me young one, will you listen to my request?"

The princess almost began to protest, but quickly thought better of it. "Yes...we will hear what it is you have to say."

The being bent down slightly, an action that seemed quite awkward to Luna. "You are most gracious for lending your time under such cryptic circumstances. Now then, please listen closely to what I am about to say."

"In the coming future, Erebus will come back into contact with the world...but not the world he once knew. Within your own world, there will situations that he may not fully know how to cope with. When mixed with experiences from his past, the situations that arise could have unprecedented effects upon him."

Its hood dropped, in an almost solemn manner. "Once, I was the closest thing to family that he could ever consider, but now that he refuses to acknowledge me, I find myself in a difficult situation. For his sake princess, please promise me this one thing...promise me that you will watch over him where I cannot. Promise me that you will do what you can to assist him, no matter how deeply he might deny your help. Please promise me...that you will be a friend to him, when he is most in need of one. Finally, promise me that you will not speak of this meeting to him...I fear that my attempt to assist him...would only anger him."

Luna gazed intently into the darkness of the figure's hood, her answer already set within her mind.

"Yes...we promise you that much. We may not know much of you or Erebus, and we may still have many questions that might be left unanswered. All the same, we understand that Erebus is very much alone in this age, and that he will require someone to help him along his way. With that said, we will accept your request...to see that he is not left alone in the days to come."

Slowly the black figure rose to its full height once again. "Thank you young one...truly and most sincerely. You have a kind heart, and the strength to show it. I know now for sure that I leave him in good company."

"Now though, I am afraid that our time together has come to a close. I have important tasks that require my full attention to complete. With that said, I will return you to the place from where you came. I pray that in the future, we might be able to speak again perhaps."

Luna nodded her head at the mysterious figure, still slightly confused at the strange situation, but somewhat glad the whole ordeal was finally at an end. "Very well then, it was certainly a pleasure to be able to speak with you, if not an unexpected one."

"I assure you, the pleasure was all mine. Until we meet again...little princess." It responded.

With those words spoken, the entire landscape begin to dissolve before Luna's eyes, replaced by the same dark void she had seen not long ago.

Within seconds, the darkness enveloped her entire being, dragging her back into unconsciousness.

...

"As it once ended...so it begins."

Author's Note

Well, here it is...a little later than I'd hoped to get it out.

I'd like to give a big shoutout to Twisted Mill for helping me with the proofreading in this chapter.
Also for giving me a few ideas that will come into play later down the line.

So yay, plot points! :pinkiehappy:
And probably more unanswered questions! :derpyderp1:

But not to worry, I promise you that things will start to come together quite soon. (Of course not fully, but we'll get there eventually.)

Towards the Dawn

Towards the Dawn

"I remember you all too well, Princess Luna. So then...how is it that you truly could not remember me?"

"We were close once, closer than most could ever hope to be. In fact, one could easily go as far to say that we were one in the same."

"So, has our bond truly happened to dwindle so low...or am I just simply that forgettable?"

"Perhaps...just maybe...you're simply afraid of the dark."

----------------------------------

"AAAAAAAH!"

Princess Luna woke all too suddenly, her scream tearing through the once peaceful dark.

Her eyes went wide as she lay on the grass gasping for air, small beads of sweat slowly coming down her face.

From the moment that the unnamed stranger had parted company with her, and the black maw had slowly consumed her form, she had spent what seemed like an eternity within the confines of the crushing void. During this time, she had found herself unable to move, breath, or even make coherent thought. Had it not been for the alicorn's connection to the moon, she feared to wonder if she might have awakened at all.

Indeed, with the dawn rapidly approaching, Luna's inherent bond with the moon had luckily been capable of returning her to consciousness. A fact that she was currently more than thankful for.

"Thank the heavens that the morning is so close, had we not been required to lower the moon...we shudder to think of what may have happened."

As she continued to calm herself, she began to think back to what the shrouded entity had called her forth to speak of.

"How can we hope to trust the word of a being such as that? It was against even naming itself to us...to speak nothing of the situation it left us in upon its departure. Still though, what it mentioned of Erebus certainly tells us that the two are connected in some manner, but how exactly?"

As she continued to silently question her situation, she began to take in her surroundings. Glancing around the clearing, she soon found that everything was as it should be since she had fallen asleep. One thing that did catch her notice however, was that Erebus was absolutely nowhere to be found.

Nervously glancing from side-to-side, she quietly called out. "Hello? Erebus, are you there?"

"I'm right here Princess."

Her heart rate quickly doubled at the sound of a sudden rustling in the trees above her. Gazing upwards, she was surprised to see her human companion sitting up on one of the branches. With a soft thud, he dropped himself onto the grass, before gazing intently at the alicorn.

"Is there something the matter Princess? I don't think that I've ever seen someone sleep quite so peacefully, yet wake in such a violent manner." He held a look of concern in his eyes.

Luna glanced up at him as he said this, her mind wandering back to what she had promised. She knew that she couldn't tell him of what had transpired during her sleep, but she still found it nice that he cared about her well-being.

"Oh Erebus, we didn't mean to disturb you. Please, it's nothing that you should have to worry yourself about, a minor problem really, basically nothing at all."

Erebus raised an eyebrow. "Are you quite sure about that Princess? It certainly didn't sound like it was nothing at all."

The alicorn shook her head quickly, trying to change the subject. "While we appreciate your concern for us, we assure you that it was nothing...merely a nightmare, that's all. It makes little difference at this point anyway, as we must be awake so that we might lower the moon for the dawn."

The human's face suddenly changed from concern to confusion as he heard this. He stared at her with a slightly incredulous look before speaking.

"I-I'm sorry Princess, I'm not quite sure that I completely understand what you just said. You woke up just now so that you could...lower the moon?"

Luna stared back at him with an almost equally confused look. "Why would he find such a thing so strange? To raise the sun and moon...such a practice has been required in our world for longer than we can remember. So then why does he find our words odd?"

"Erebus, in the current age it is necessary that celestial bodies be raised and lowered on a regular basis. Surely...surely in your own time, there was someone that was required to fulfill this task as well...was there not?"

Gazing up at the moon, Erebus sighed and shook his head. "No Princess, it was pretty common knowledge that both the sun and the moon were able to rise and fall naturally. While it is true that I never was able to witness this act myself, such a fact was simply a natural part of the world that far predates human history."

Leaning his hand against the nearby tree and returning his gaze to Luna, he continued. "From everything I've taken in so far, it's clear to see that the world as you know it is far dissimilar from the world that humans once knew. Everything, from the landscape, to the inhabitants, to even the natural laws...they seem to strictly disagree with one another. With that being said, I myself should be honored to be able to experience such a vastly different world."

Stepping forward, he knelt down beside her, an embarrassed grin on his face. "You uh...you wouldn't mind if I was to watch as you lower the moon, would you?"

As Erebus continued to gaze over at her, Luna couldn't help but find herself giggling at the look of anticipation he currently held in his eyes.

"If looks could ever kill us...he seems more excited than a young foal on their birthday."

"You know Erebus, you really needn't ask us as if this was something private. While it is true that it is not a common occurrence to watch us or our sister raise the sun and moon, it is something that both of us take pride in doing."

She smiled up at him. "So no, of course we wouldn't mind if you watched us."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry for appearing so hesitant, I still wanted to make sure if it was alright with you before possibly intruding on something that you consider private."

Luna nodded in affirmation. "We certainly appreciate the notion, but it's quite alright. In fact, your company would be more than welcome."

As she began an attempt to rise, the princess quickly noticed that something was amiss. There was a certain weight covering her, something that felt unnatural. Gazing down at herself, she noticed the long black robe that was still laid over her, however...it was heavier than she had first remembered it. A shudder ran through her body as she remembered the smothering darkness that had engulfed not long ago.

"Erebus, we would like to thank you for allowing us to borrow your cloak for the night. It would seem that the air has warmed up considerably though, so we would like to return it to you."

Her companion nodded as he reached towards the robe. "I trust that it did a good job of keeping you warm then?"

As he placed his hand around the fabric however, an odd look caught in his eye, and a puzzled scowl began to form on his face.

"Yes, we found that it was quite warm..." Luna noticed the look on his face. "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

Erebus scrutinized the cloak for another few seconds before huffing and shaking his head. "No, there's nothing wrong princess. I thought that I'd remembered something for a moment...something distant. Whatever it is though, it seems to have eluded me."

Luna internally gasped as she silently hoped that this had nothing to do with her recent encounter.

She quickly decided to change the subject. "Erebus, you wouldn't mind helping us up, would you? We're afraid that our leg is still too sore to fully support our weight."

"Of course Princess, I'm always more than willing to lend you hand until we can get you some proper medical attention for that wound."

Moving himself around towards the wounded leg, Erebus slowly helped the princess up, doing his best to to keep her stable. Kneeling down, he partially removed the makeshift bandage to examine the wound.

"Hmm, this isn't going to do either of us any favors. While the blood flow has certainly stopped for now, and the wound is doing it's best to heal, it's obvious that any prolonged travel will send it straight back to square one."

Placing his hand on the gash, he quickly numbed the area again, before cinching the cloth as tightly as he safely could. "There we are Princess, that should keep you in order for the time being. Still, it would be best if we found a settlement sooner rather than later."

Luna nodded as he said this. "Indeed, that would be for the best. With that said, it would do us good to have some more viable light to navigate by."

After a brief moment of searching, she was able to find a small opening between the many trees, just large enough to give her a clear view of the moon. Motioning with her hoof, she asked. "Erebus, if you would be so kind as to help us over towards that spot, we would be very grateful. When we arrive though, we would ask that you give us some degree of space while we work."

The human glanced over to where Luna had pointed. "No problem at all Princess, I didn't think that you want any distractions to begin with."

Luna quickly shook her head at him. "Oh no, it isn't that we would find you distracting...at least not in the way you might think. Our job is something that comes quite naturally to us, and it actually requires very little application. The only issue is that...well...we aren't used to being observed as we raise the moon."

Erebus nodded as he led the alicorn over to the clearing. "Ah, so then what you're saying is that you're just shy around others?"

The princess quickly became flustered as she tried to defend herself. "Why that is the most ridiculous thing that we have ever heard! We have been a princess for many centuries now, and as such we have absolutely no reason or grounds to be shy around our many subjects!"

Chuckling slightly, Erebus did his best to apologize. "Please Princess, forgive me for what I said. I meant nothing by it, and I had no intention of attacking your pride."

An embarrassed frown still on her face, the princess grumbled something incomprehensible, before stepping out ahead of Erebus and sitting down in the small ray of moonlight. Gazing up towards the sky, the princess began to slow her breathing, opening herself to the connection she shared. Her horn began to glow a soft blue as her natural energy began to build up. Reaching out, as she had so many times before, she slowly started to guide the moon down towards the horizon.

Erebus stood off to the alicorn's side, his eyes intently set on the celestial body as it slowly descended out of view. Just as the moon was nearly out of sight, a brilliant glow began to engulf the darkness of the early morning. The moon was completely blotted out as the sun slowly began to make its way over the horizon. The human was soon forced to place his before his eyes in an effort to block out some of the harsh light.

Luna gave out a sigh as she saw the sun rising into the sky. While it held true that she would be hard pressed to explain to Celestia what had happened, it was still a relief that her sister would at least know that she was alright. Before she could continue down this train of thought however, she was brought back to reality by a soft gasp off to her side.

Gazing over at Erebus, she found him squinting up at the low morning sun, a look of wonder set upon his face.

"Hmm, we should have expected as much. After all, this is the first sunrise that he has ever been able to witness, so it makes sense that he would find it awe inspiring. All the same though... It would seem that our sister continues to outshine us."

Slowly making her way back towards him, she asked. "It's quite beautiful, isn't it? After all, with this being your first sunrise, it must no doubt be an amazing experience for you, correct?"

Lowering his hand from his eyes, Erebus answered her. "Well, I can't lie when I say that this is indeed a first time experience for me, and it was quite a magnificent thing to witness. All the same, I have to say that it was all a bit too bright and flashy for my tastes... I kind of preferred the cover of night, to be totally honest."

Luna gave him a confused look. "But, we saw the look on your face...you looked completely awestruck. So then, how is it that you can be so forthright about the whole thing?"

Erebus chuckled lightly. "Ah, yes I can see how you might be confused about that. Make no mistake, I found the sunrise quite spectacular, as I already said. What I truly found amazing however, was simply the fact that you were capable of freely controlling a celestial body with almost no effort required...that's a feat that I never thought I would be able to witness."

The princess wracked her brain as he spoke these words. "Is he truly so difficult to understand? He seems to take great interest in something, only to move on to another point, as if the first thing wasn't even there."

"Now then Princess, shall we get to..." Erebus cut himself short as he noticed the look that Luna now wore. "Is there...something wrong Princess?"

A defeated sigh escaped Luna's lips. "That's it, it's easy to say that we've given up at this point."

The human cocked his head at this. "I'm not sure I understand, what exactly are you referring to?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "There is simply no understanding you is there? You are by far the largest mystery that we have ever stumbled across. You have given us almost no background as to who you are, you're attention is shifting on an almost constant rate, and despite the fact you've found yourself in an entirely new world...you seem capable of writing everything off as if it were completely normal. Please excuse us for all this, but with the lack of information you've given us, it's a complete wonder to us as to how you can even function in such a an odd manner."

An amused grin began to form on Erebus' face as the Princess continued to go on about him, quickly earning the human an exasperated reprimand.

"This is exactly what we are talking about! Would you please be so kind as to explain to us what is so humorous?"

Erebus sighed lightly, the grin still on his face. "I'm sorry Princess, I'm not purposely attempting to upset you. You see, the thing is...this is far from the first time that someone has gotten all worked up over my 'strange' tendencies. To be completely honest, I got called out on this kind of thing so much, that it's simply something that I've come to expect over the years."

He walked over to the princess and knelt beside her. "If you're looking for an answer as to why I'm like this, then I'm afraid I can't give it. This is simply my natural state of being, as it has been for most all my life. I suppose you could just say that I'm capable of understanding and coping with different things far more easily than other beings, allowing me to quickly adapt to even the most ridiculous situations at a moment's notice."

Luna gave him a confused glance as he finished. "We're sure that you can tell that answer left much to be desired. Still, we understand your desire for privacy...therefore, we shall simply leave this as it is. We should know better than to prod around for answers, when you have already told us otherwise."

Erebus took a moment to think before responding. "Listen Princess, I know that you probably can't make heads or tails of all this, and I respect that you know your limits... Despite the many questions that you must have. Therefore, I think that it would do us some good if we came to a bit of a compromise."

"Exactly what kind of compromise do you speak of, Erebus?" Luna questioned.

Her companion shrugged slightly as he answered. "Well, I understand that isn't the most ideal way to solve our issue, but I believe that it should alleviate most of your questions, for the most part. For the remainder of our journey, I will allow you to ask me most any question that you can possibly think of."

Luna's mouth dropped slightly at hearing this. "Wait, what exactly do you mean by that? You mean to say that after all this time, you will finally be willing to answer all our questions...simple as that?"

Erebus shook his head. "Nope...you see that's where the compromise comes in. While it's true that I will allow you to ask me any question that you would like, I never said that I would answer them all. The catch is that I will only pay attention to, and verbally answer, questions that I feel won't be any actual danger to my personal privacy. So then, does that sound like a fair deal to you, Princess?"

The Princess stared up at him incredulously. "Well It's certainly a step in the right direction, but whether or not it's fair is hardly the question at this point. What has us far more intrigued, would be this sudden change of heart that you've had. We mean...not but a few hours ago, you were completely against the idea of giving us information about yourself. With that said, why would your standing on that matter change now?"

"An acceptable question, so hopefully this will be an acceptable answer." He said, returning to his full height.

He let out a long sigh, before gazing back at Luna. "The answer is as simple as this...I've come to truly like you Princess."

Luna shook her head in disbelief. "W-what...what exactly...did you just say?"

Erebus immediately noticed the blush that was forming on her face. "Oh no, nothing like that! Goodness no, I wouldn't want you to go around thinking that I have that kind of mindset."

"Heaven forbid...best that I don't get her believing that we're going down that road"

Lightly shaking his head, he continued. "The point that I'm trying to get across is a bit more simple than that. What I'm trying to say is, that I've come to like you as a friend. More specifically, you've started to gain my trust...and that isn't something that can be written off as an easy feat. You could say that I'm...well, I'm a bit shy to be honest."

Luna eyed him suspiciously. "You can't truly be serious about that, can you? From the moment that we met you, you've been extremely outspoken, despite your need to remain silent about your past. How is it that you could call yourself shy?"

"Yes, I probably wouldn't believe it either, especially if I was in your position." He gave the princess an embarrassed grin. "All the same, that's just the way I've been for most of my life. I've just always found it exceedingly difficult to warm up to most anyone that I meet. I guess that I'm just a bit of an introvert at heart I suppose."

Stretching and gazing up at the sun, he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, now that we've gotten all that sorted out, I think that it's about time I found something to give a clear direction of where we should be heading."

The Princess brought her hoof up to face in a frustrated manner. "You know, despite giving us the privilege to ask you any question that we feel like...you're still quite adept at worming your way out of answering them in the first place."

Her companion gave her a small grin. "That's what I do best, and it may just be another reason that I'm still alive to be speaking with you."

Spinning in a small circle, he picked out one of the Everfree's larger trees that he could find, and set out for it. "Hmm...this should do just fine." With one deft movement, he jumped up towards the lowest branch and steadied himself, before propelling himself onward to the next one. In a matter of seconds, he had managed to bring himself past the treeline, and given himself a clear view of most of the surrounding area.

Straining her eyes up at him, Luna called out. "Erebus, what exactly can you see from up there? If you can give us a landmark, we should have a much easier time of all this."

Erebus gazed around for a few more moments before responding. "Well, I can't say there's very much to see from here or anywhere else for that matter, it's pretty much just treetops for miles."

Continuing to search, he finally managed to notice something that caught his eye. "Hey Princess, I think I found something. It's difficult to make out, but it kinda looks like a stone tower...off to my east for the most part. Does that give you any idea of where to go from here?"

Luna grimaced slightly as she heard this, it gave her no amount of comfort to know that she was still so near to those ruins. Clearing the thoughts from her mind, she answered. "Yes, that should be more than enough to go by. If you can come back down, we can explain where to go from here."

"Alright then, I'll be down in just a moment." He responded, swinging himself back down onto the grass.

The princess waited until he had made his way back over to her before beginning. "Now then, speaking that you said you saw the tower towards the east of our current location, we believe for the most part that if northwest from here, than we should eventually find our way onto one of the paths that runs out of the Everfree."

Erebus eyed her inquisitively. "So then, for the most part...we're still running somewhat blind?"

He took a moment to think. "No, that should still work out just fine. So long as I know for certain that we aren't headed in the complete opposite direction of where we should be."

Luna gave him an apologetic look. "We're sorry that we can't be more helpful to the situation, Erebus."

The human just smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry about it Princess, this isn't the exact worst situation that we could find ourselves in at any rate. Also, you're being more help than you might care to realize."

"Now then..." He gazed off into the direction that should start heading...and found a wall of foliage. "Hmm, well that doesn't exactly work in our favor now does it?"

He glanced in the alicorn's direction. "Looks like we're going to be encountering some rough terrain for most of this journey, I hope you're okay with that."

Luna rolled her eyes at him. "Of course we aren't okay with it...however, we should know better than to expect a a well kept path all the way out here."

Erebus chuckled lightly. "Good to see that a little nature isn't going to deter you. At any rate, if you just keep towards the back of me, I should be able to clear away most of the foliage before it even has a chance to bother you. Now then, shall we begin this little trek of ours?"

Luna gulped as she stared out into the forest. She knew that nothing she could do would help to alleviate the issue ahead, but all the same, she knew that it was an issue she would be facing regardless.

"Yes, we are as ready as we're ever going to be, Erebus."

Her companion smiled and lightly patted her shoulder. "We'll be just fine, Princess. In a couple of hours, you'll look back on all this and laugh about it."

Luna gazed up and returned the smile. "In a place such as this, one can only hope."

Moving forward to the wall of brush, the human attempted to move the many vines and branches out of the way...to no avail. He scowled for a moment, just staring at the wall, before sighing and pulling his hand out of his cloak.

"When life puts an obstacle in your path..." Immediately, a familiar black fog encased his hand, slowly shifting and pulsing. With one swift motion, he brought his hand down across the foliage, each time in a different direction. In a matter of seconds, nothing remained of the wall that had blocked their path.

Luna cleared her throat up at him. "Now then, was that really necessary?"

Erebus drew his hand back into his robe. "Hey, don't go getting on my case about it. It wasn't about to move from any other means, now was it? You know, when you live in an era like I did, you learn to come up with a solution at a moment's notice...subtle or otherwise."

"Very well then, we won't complain about it." The princess thought for a moment. "Although, now would be a perfect time to exercise that compromise you made up."

"Well well...not wasting any time on that, now are we?" The human shrugged and nodded. "Alright then, what is that you'd like to know, Princess?

Luna thought her words over carefully before speaking. "Over the course of our time together, we've noticed that you always refer to your era containing harsh environmental conditions. If you would, we would like it if you could elaborate on these hazardous conditions, as we would like to know what the planet was like before our time."

"Hmm, that's a good question...but where to begin?" He ducked under a low lying branch. "Well, I suppose we could start with fact that I lived underground for most all of my life. Subterranean conditions are...unpredictable at best, and lethal at their worst. The city was normally kept under controlled and protected environments, but the caverns themselves could be quite dangerous."

The alicorn cocked her head at him. "In what manner exactly?"

Erebus shrugged. "Too many to name accurately. If you worked out in the caverns, you would always have to be alert of structural integrity, as the methods used to clear stone could easily cave in an entire tunnel. Temperatures could rise and fall without any warning, from temperate, to boiling hot, all the way to below zero. This is of course, only to speak of some of the natural dangers that we faced...to speak absolutely nothing of the internal conflicts that could rise within the city."

"You mean your own people would cause issues as well?" Luna asked.

"The better question is, when didn't they? You see, it turns out that when you take what's left of the human race and stick them in an underground city, you end up needing a rather strict government to keep everything in working order. After awhile, someone is going to find problems with that government...and pretty soon, you get a bunch of humans fighting over something completely meaningless." He nodded. "So yes, they caused a great number of issues."

Erebus stopped to help the princess over a fallen log, before the continued down the overgrown path. All the while, the princess doing her best to imagine what her companion's world was like.

Daring to make a bold move, she asked him. "Certainly humanity did not willingly choose to live underground for all their years, so then...what exactly happened to cause them all to abandon the planet's surface?"

Halting momentarily, Erebus wiped his hand across his face, before gazing down at the princess, a sober look on his face. "I suppose this is your planet now as well, therefore I see no reason to remain silent about this subject, as dark as it may be." He sighed and continued into the forest. "There was a time when humans once populated the entire planet, all with differing religions, ethnicities, and opinions. Peace was nothing but an ideal, and one that was losing its grip upon upon humanity. Over time, the world slowly spun into chaos, and into a war that would spell the end of an age. The planet was completely engulfed, its surface scarred beyond repair, by weapons powerful enough to affect the world for millennia after their use. After all was said and done...there was almost nothing left to look upon."

He remained silent for a full minute before speaking. "I'm sorry Princess, this just isn't something that I feel I can talk about in good conscience."

Luna lightly tapped his side. "It's quite alright Erebus, we can't begin to imagine the scale of what could cause a planet to nearly die in such a manner...and after seeing your own reaction to that...it would be for the best if we simply let it drop at that. We see now why it is that you wish to keep your past hidden away from others."

Erebus nodded gently. "That was a poor explanation all the same, but it's not something I speak of lightly. Also, it is only one of many reasons that I prefer my privacy. Perhaps now, we might talk about something of a lighter tone?"

The princess shook her head in affirmation. "Yes, that would be for the best we believe."

Gazing out into the seemingly endless forest ahead of them, Erebus sighed. "Hmm, this may turn out to be a longer day than I anticipated."

----------------------------------

Canterlot stood quiet and still.

Even with the morning sun slowly making it's way further into the sky, the city's streets remained empty, save for the occasional guard that would make a round.

Nestled in a darker corner of the city, a lone nightclub stood, most of its remaining patrons silently making their way back towards their respective residences. Among this batch of differing ponies, a pair of armored thestrals began to shuffle their way out onto the streets, one barely even capable of doing so.

"Dammit Overcast! At least attempt to pull a bit of you're own weight, cause you've got another thing coming if you think that I'm going to carry you all the way back to the barracks."

The guard known as Overcast lazily glanced at his companion. "Pfffft! Don't you go telling me to pull my own weight ya pansy. Every single one of us here knows exactly how many times I pull our asses out of situations...isn't that right, Nightshade?"

Nightshade rolled his eyes. "Yes, sorry that I blatantly forgot that piece of information. Now tell me again, do you do the pulling before or after you get dead drunk?"

Overcast seemed to consider this for a moment, before scowling at his friend. "Bah! At least I can say that I know how to have a good time! All you ever do is just sit at the bar and stare at me all night, as if that doesn't send out a warning."

"Ugh, I watch you all night to make sure that you don't get into trouble...Celestia knows someone has to do it. Besides, you should know by now that I don't go anywhere near alcohol."

Overcast scoffed. "That should prove how much of a pansy you are, any real stallion would be up there ordering a few drinks and looking out for a nice mare. Ya know, like that one that I was chatting up...until you came along to drag me out of the building."

A sigh escaped Nightshade's mouth as he heard this. "Are you sure that's how it happened? From what I remember, You attempted to flirt with the mare, and I dragged you out of the building after she kicked your stool out from under your wasted ass."

Overcast nearly fell over as he attempted to respond. "Yeah, sure, whatever...not like it matters now anyway, plenty of better looking mares in that place at any rate."

Nightshade brought his hoof up to his face as his friend stumbled over. "You do realize that you're going to have an amazing hangover later today, right?"

"That's what the barracks are for...moron. All I'm gonna do until night hits is one thing...sleep." Overcast gave him a stupid grin.

Nightshade just shook his head. "Yeah, now let's see if it's possible for you to make it there without passing out."

The pair had barely taken another step before a pair of guards in golden armor came racing down the street towards them.

Taking a moment to catch their breath, one of the guards asked. "You two, you are the night guards that were assigned to Princess Luna last night, correct?"

Nightshade quickly answered before Overcast had a chance to speak. "Yes, we were assigned to the Princess last night, until she personally relieved us from our posts. What is the reason, is there an issue of some sort?"

"We can't exactly say, we were simply told to come and find the both of you, and bring you to Princess Celestia immediately." The pony responded.

"Princess Celestia wants to see...us?" Nightshade's eyes went wide as he heard this. Speaking as the night guard received their orders directly from Princess Luna, finding oneself in an audience with Celestia usually never had a good reason.

Glancing at Overcast, he heard him grumble something incomprehensible, before groaning. "Well Nightshade, I take back what I said...I think that my hangover hit a lot sooner this time around."

As the two began to follow the pair of guards, Nightshade had only one thought on his mind.

"Where is Princess Luna when you need her?"

Author's Note

Sorry to keep you all waiting on this one.

Well, nice to see you're all still here, hopefully you didn't find this chapter to be all too out of place.
I'm afraid that despite taking so long, that this was a little rushed, and I'm afraid that won't have much (or any) time to fix the mistakes this time around.

This brings me to a bit of information that will be dealing with the future of the story itself.
Before you make any presumptions...don't worry, as I won't be dropping this story.

However...I am sad to say that it will be going on a temporary hiatus, for a few months or so.
Basically, I'm going to heading off to Basic Training very soon...(and god does that suck)

So, due to this, I'm sure you can all tell that I won't be able to work on the story at all while I'm over there.
While this is going to piss off you guys, as well as me, I'm afraid that there's not much to do about it at this point (except go through with it...)

To all of you, I can say that I am truly happy that you enjoyed my story as you did, and I am loathe to leave you in a situation such as this.

I promise, wholeheartedly, that when I get back...I will work on this like there's no tomorrow.
But...until then, I wish you all the very best, and hope you all find enjoyable ways to pass the time while the story is paused.

I will say this...you should all look for a chapter sometime around Christmas.
Hopefully it 'll be a bit of a present to you all.

Until next time.

First Impressions

First Impressions

The morning sun hung low in the sky, its radiant beams shining down through the stained glass windows of Canterlot's throne room. Celestia sat at the far end of the long room, her face completely serene despite the troubling thoughts that were currently making their way through her mind. From the moment she had woken up, a small storm of doubts of questions had been plaguing her being, keeping her in a constant and rather uncomfortable state of worry.

Then again, her sister was currently missing.

How could she not be worried?

"Princess Celestia?"

The alicorn snapped out of her musings at the sound of her name. Glancing down the hall, she noticed one of her guards standing at the edge of the now open double-doors, patiently awaiting her her response.

"Yes, is there something that you need to tell me?" She questioned.

The pony glanced at something behind him before nodding. "Yes Princess, the two guards that you asked asked to see are here now. Would you like me to have them both sent in?"

Celestia perked up her head at this. "That would be wonderful, please send them in immediately."

The guard nodded and bowed before disappearing behind the large doors, reappearing a few moments later with two Lunar Guards in tow behind him. From the moment the two thestrals entered the room, Celestia could tell could easily tell that they were obviously quite uncomfortable with their current situation. One of the two wore a barely suppressed grimace on his face, his eyes squinting harshly in the light of the brightly lit room. The other, while doing his best to keep himself composed, was still nervously glancing between his companion and the alicorn herself. Making their way across the room, the two stopped in front of the throne where the princess sat, bowing low before her.

"Good morning to the both of you, I'd like to apologize for bringing the two of you in on such short notice." A warm smile graced Celestia's face as she spoke.

The thestral to her left raised himself back up and responded. "Good morning to you as well Princess Celestia, and please, there is no need for you to apologize. After all, it is our honor and duty to serve the royal family whenever we are needed."

"I appreciate your understanding on the matter." She gently gestured to the other guard. "Though it would seem your companion may not be quite as pleased to be here."

Nightshade lightly sighed as he glanced over at his friend. "He just...had a long night is all, under normal circumstances he can't seem to keep quiet."

Overcast shot him a glare, which he promptly ignored. "But surely Princess you don't need to be concerned with such minor inconveniences. Is there something that you needed us both for?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes of course, I'll not drag this out any more than it needs to be. I merely would like to ask you some questions regarding your duties last night with my sister."

Nightshade was slightly taken aback by this. While it was rare for the Night Guard to have dealings with Celestia at all, he had never known the Princess to go asking about her sister's nightly business.

Keeping his composure in check, he warily answered. "Of course Princess, we will gladly answer any questions that you might have. Although there may not be much that we can offer in the way of information. I'm loathe to be so blunt on the matter...but I'm afraid that Princess Luna relieved us both from duty almost immediately."

Celestia's expression betrayed nothing, but Nightshade could pick up the slight hint of confusion in her tone. "Hmmm, so then...she gave you no indication of what she might be doing throughout the night?"

"I'm afraid not." The thestral replied. "The both of us only saw her long enough to be told that we were free for the rest of the night."

Nightshade paused, considering Celestia's shift in tone. "It might not be my place ask Princess, but is there something about Princess Luna that is troubling you?"

Upon hearing this, the Princess turned decidedly sullen. "Yes, I'm...I'm afraid that there is. I can't say anything for certain at the current moment, however...Luna has been missing from Canterlot for quite some time now."

She paused momentarily, as if mulling something over. "Normally this isn't anything we should have to worry about, as my sister tends to go off on her own quite frequently. This time is different though, this time I cannot help but feel something has gone wrong."

Nightshade bit his lip ever so slightly as the Princess spoke. The confusion he had originally detected had been replaced with visible worry. "Princess, what exactly do you mean by that? Is Princess Luna in need of our aid?"

Celestia lightly shook her head. "I can't say anything for sure right now, as I have been unable to contact Luna through any means I know...and that is what worries me most." She took in Nightshade's expression. "It is obvious that you both have an equal stake in this matter, and I could use any insight that you might be able to provide."

The thestral was swift in his reply. "You needn't even ask Princess, the both of us will not hesitate to aid you in locating Princess Luna. I myself am personally willing to set up a search party immediately in order to locate her."

The Princess allowed a slight smile to grace her lips. "Truly I have every respect for your sense of loyalty, I assure you that it is greatly appreciated. All the same though, it would be wise to exercise patience in this matter."

Noticing the look of concern on the guard's face, she continued. "I have already dispatched sentries to most of Equstria's larger settlements, as well as sending messages to a few friends. If any information happens to come up, we should know rather quickly."

Despite these words, Nightshade took only little comfort in them. "Princess, I understand your wisdom on the matter, but should this not be slightly more urgent?"

Celestia slightly raised an eyebrow at this. "I am not unsympathetic with what you are feeling, but do not be so quick to judge my sister as helpless in this situation."

"After all...I'm sure wherever she may be, she is well prepared for anything laid before her."

"We really weren't as prepared as we should have been for this ordeal."

Princess Luna groaned to herself as she nearly tripped over a slick rock embedded in the stream she was crossing. She glanced ahead a few feet to catch her companion rolling his eyes in amusement.

"So I've heard...for about the fifth time now." Erebus shook his head lightly. "You know, sometimes you simply have to take things as they're handed to you. Although, I suppose in a sense, that terminology wouldn't exactly apply to you."

It was Luna's turn to roll her eyes. "Your words have a special talent for making a mind run itself in circles, as we cannot tell if you were just now mocking us or trying to be considerate."

Erebus chuckled, stepping back to help the alicorn across. "Well, I could say that I've had time to practice over so long, but talking to myself should hardly count as that much."

Stepping out of the cold water, Luna replied. "Hmmm, well not everything requires practice to master. Anyways, you're not going to say that you enjoy this forest, are you?"

Erebus raised an eyebrow quizzically at this. "Oh, are you saying that you aren't finding this enjoyable?" He adopted a smug grin as he continued. "I can say without a doubt that this is quite accommodating. I mean, just feel that smothering humidity, or how about the dense foliage that always sticks you full of thorns...and let's not forget about these huge swarms of bloodsucking insects that tend to follow you everywhere."

He spread his arms wide and took in a deep breath. "Yep, I tell ya Princess, it just doesn't get more invigorating than this."

The alicorn looked up at him with pure annoyance written on her face. "You are treading on extremely thin ice right now...just keep that in mind."

Erebus did his best to contain his enjoyment in the conversation. "Please forgive Princess, it's just that...your just so much fun to tease. After so long by myself, please allow me just this much."

"Also, you hopefully shouldn't have to deal with this place much longer. As far as I can tell, we're making excellent time, and keeping a rather steady pace." The human scratched the back of his head. "Although...it's difficult to tell anything right now without any proper lay of the land."

"We should consider ourselves quite lucky." Luna replied. "I've heard tell of ponies that, without proper guidance, never find their way out of this forest."

Erebus snorted softly. "Hmm, such a charming way to lighten the mood."

Luna sighed. "Sorry, we don't mean to be so pessimistic. This place just tends to give off a sullen atmosphere, on top of how long we've been hiking...we're just a little drained is all."

Her companion stopped, turning back to gaze down at her. "No it's alright, I understand Princess."

Erebus looked behind him, staring out into the path of trees and foliage that still blocked most of their view. He knew that despite the good pace they were keeping, the Princess wasn't in optimal condition for long treks.

"This is going to be more difficult than I'd like it to be, isn't it?" He turned back to the alicorn. "I can't place the blame on her though. To be honest, I'm surprised she's doing so well despite her injury...not to mention the fact that she hasn't any food to speak of for almost a full day now."

"Princess, why don't we both just take a few moments to rest?" He propped himself up against the side of a tree. "It's still quite early in the day, so it's not as if we need to be anywhere in a huge hurry."

Luna graciously obliged, gently lowering herself onto ground. "We appreciate your consideration Erebus, and we're sorry that our condition is such a hindrance to our progress."

Erebus simply waved off her final remark. "There's no need to place any blame on yourself Princess, what's done is done. When the unexpected happens, we simply have to deal with consequences. Besides, this simply allows us more time talk with each other. For instance, you could tell me a little more about the forest itself."

The Princess looked a little surprised at his request, but marked it down as idle curiosity. "Well, normally the Everfree is a subject that most tend to avoid entirely, but we can understand the interest you have."

As the Princess spoke, her companion casually placed his hand up against the side of the tree beside him. While he was indeed interested in these woods, he was also seeking to fulfill an alternate objective. Imposing his essence upon the surrounding area, he hoped to not only learn more about the forest itself, but also the correct path that should be taken.

Keeping his eyes upon the alicorn, he replied. "Hmm, I hope that you won't mind discussing exactly why this forest is such an avoided topic? After all, besides the minor inconveniences, I haven't noticed anything all too out of the norm."

Luna laughed lightly at this. "So says the human that explicitly stated he'd never experienced the outside world. That aside though, the Everfree forest is a place that most ponies consider unnatural. The forest is one of the oldest known landmarks in all of Equestria, with much of the area remaining completely unmapped."

Gesturing out around her, she continued on. "On top of the unpredictable landscape that the woods provide, the local flora and fauna are among some of the most strange and deadly creatures known to us."

Erebus continued to scan the environment as he listened. While it was true that he was now intrigued about the local wildlife, he opted to pass over most of it, in favor of finding any trace of the settlement that the Princess had mentioned earlier. Pushing his mind out even further, noticed something that immediately piqued his interest. Out behind him, a little more than a mile out, the landscape took an all too sudden change in scene.

"Hold on a second, are those...apple trees?" He kept his face composed despite his sudden confusion. While he quickly figured that these were being tended by some of the locals, it was simply surprising how suddenly the forest shifted in scenery. "Well, it's at least good to know that we're closer than I had hoped to be."

Opting to keep his discovery to himself as not to raise suspicion, he quickly shifted his attention back to Luna's last comment. "Would you mind explaining what exactly you mean by strange? I've seen a few of the rabbits around here, and they don't seem any stranger than most household pets I knew of."

The Princess adopted a somewhat more serious tone. "We can assure you Erebus, there are creatures in this forest that have terrified ponies for many generations. Many of the predators here tend to draw a fine line between reality and the unnatural."

"Well Princess, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that, but I suppose I'll just have to take your word for--." Erebus paused mid-sentence, his mind inadvertently brushing against something he had failed to notice.

Luna immediately noticed his hesitation. "What's the matter, is there something wrong?"

Quickly focusing his attention on what he had come across, Erebus' eyes widened as he noticed that, whatever this was...it wasn't by itself. A wave of anxiety passed through him as he strained his eyes into the surrounding foliage, the sensation drawing him into a heightened sense of awareness.

Cautiously, he made his way over to the Princess, keeping his movements deliberate. "We're being surveyed Princess, very closely I might add. I'm going to ask that you stay close to me, but do your best to monitor the treeline, I can only keep track of so many things at one time."

Luna looked up nervously as her companion took on a more defensive posture. "Do you have any idea how many of them there are?"

"I'm afraid that I can't put any reliable number on that." Erebus knew that was a blatant lie. It was true that these creatures were difficult for him to directly identify, but he could still sense each of them, tallying up a decent total of seven. "What I need to know, is exactly what we're facing up against."

Almost on that cue, he was rewarded with one of the most intriguing sights he had ever come across. What Erebus could only describe as a mass of animated branches and twigs, assuming an unmistakably canine form. The strange creature could have easily passed off as a woodworking project, were it not for the low growls that it was currently issuing, as well as the sickly green light that passed for its "eyes".

Shifting his focus to his peripheral vision, Erebus quickly noticed that these were obviously pack creatures. The remaining number of them had followed their comrade, and were already forming a makeshift perimeter around the two travelers.

"I'm hoping that you might have an idea of what these things are, just maybe Princess?" The human cautiously shifted his footing, testing for any reaction he might gain.

"Timberwolves...magically sustained nature spirits. They're one of the more common predators that roam the Everfree, but that makes them no less dangerous, especially in packs such as this."Luna lowered her horn threateningly, although she knew she was in no real condition for combat.

"There's no real way to escape from situation, so I'm afraid it's going to come down to a fight." Erebus quickly gazed over at the Princess. "I'm not going to doubt your ability Princess, but that wound is going to make you a priority target. If you can defend a frontal assault, I should be able to stop most of the others."

The alicorn nodded, knowing there was little other choice for them. "We've had to deal with Timberwolves before, this isn't going to be the worst situation we've been faced with."

"Good to hear that she keeps up confidence in tense situations, an admirable quality indeed." Reassured by this, Erebus decided to test the ring of wolves surrounding them. He readied his fists whilst keeping them hidden beneath his cloak, a tactic that had lowered the guard of many an adversary, and took a slight step towards the closest wolf.

The resulting effect was almost instantaneous. The instant his foot moved, the canine lowered itself into a defensive stance, growling and snapping at him. At the same instant, he noticed two of the wolves behind him begin to stalk forward, keeping their approach as stealthy as possible. Predicting this much, Erebus stomped his foot backs towards the two with deliberate force, causing them to jump backwards, clearly frustrated.

"As much as I thought, not all of them are going to attack us. The three I'm dealing with are going to bait me away from the princess, the one she's facing is likely to just stare her down until their plan fails, and the rest are simply there to prevent our escape should we attempt it." With this in mind, he knew that he would have to deal with all of his three at once. Glancing towards the ground, he noticed a few decent sized stones beneath him. Keeping his eyes trained on his adversary, he knelt down and picked up two of the small objects, keeping his hand hidden all the while.

Keeping his head forward, he called back. "Listen Princess, no matter what might happen back here, I want you to keep your eyes on that wolf in front of you at all times. Do not attempt to assist me, no matter what you think."

"We take it that you have a plan of some sort?" The alicorn called back.

"Ya, or...something to that degree...we'll see how it turns out." Taking a step towards the lone wolf, Erebus immediately noticed the two behind him reattempt their same move. Continuing to antagonize the one he was facing, he waited until the duo was within a few feet of him. As soon as he was sure he wouldn't miss, the human spun around on his heel, lobbing the two stone missiles at the wolves. Each projectile made it's mark, making a sharp rap upon impact. Quickly following this Erebus surged forward, feigning an assault on the now disoriented wolves, watching as the single wolf charged his exposed back.

Digging his foot into the ground, he stopped himself short and flipped around, shooting his hand out of his cloak. The wolf was stopped dead as it bit down onto the bracer on Erebus' arm. It gave off a yelp as it realized that it was doing no damage, and it attempted to let go and retreat, only to have it's face smashed by the human's free hand.

Taking the heavily injured canine in his grip, Erebus attempted to launch it at it's confused allies...only to find that they had recovered faster than he had expected. The wolf flew out of his grip as he found himself knocked to the ground by two wooden blurs. Immediately, one of them attempted to go for his exposed neck, while the other was attempting to chew on his shoulder. In that brief moment, Erebus noticed that the wolf he had dropped had been knocked into Princess Luna, knocking her off her balance.

"Shit, this is far too sloppy on my part." Noticing Luna's wolf moving forward towards her, he quickly threw up both of his arms, locking his grip around both of their skulls. Digging his fingers in, he clapped his fists together with all his force, effectively smashing the two wolves heads into each other.

Ahead of the human, Princess Luna internally cursed. She knew that the timberwolf in front of her would make no hesitation to attack, hence her companions explicit order to keep all of her attention focused on keeping it in its place. When the struggle behind her broke out, she made every effort to ignore the yelps of pain and sounds of combat, keeping her eyes firmly planted on her current adversary. For the time being, her focus had paid off, with her glare sending a clear message of challenge to the predator. Just when she thought that the fighting behind her had caught a break however, a limp wooden body stumbled into her side, knocking her off balance and breaking her focus on the wolf.

The predator immediately took advantage of the fact that its prey was clearly vulnerable, dashing forward toward the alicorn's exposed neck. Luna had little time to think as the wolf charged her, though she knew that there was only one current option. With no time to aim any form of spell at the wolf, and her wing still incapable of flight, she grimaced and pushed all of her current strength into her back legs. Despite her being off balance, the alicorn's effort had just enough force behind it to propel her out of the predator's trajectory...while ripping her wound open even more than it had.

Behind her, Erebus was just about to flip himself back onto his feet, when he noticed one of the wolves go flying over his head. Quickly picking himself up, he turned back to the Princess, only to notice her lying on the ground, a steady stream of blood pushing through her now useless bandage. He quickly realized that, despite her being caught off guard, she had somehow managed to throw herself out of harms way, wounding herself all the more in the process.

Disgusted at his own stupidity, Erebus let out a growl at himself, before turning to face the final wolf. The wooden creature returned his gaze with a snarl of its own, readying itself to charge forward once again. Before it could even make its way forward however, the human had rushed forward, closing the distance between them in seconds, before delivering a brutal kick to the side of its wooden skull.

The sheer force of the kick sent the creature flying headlong into a nearby tree, the wolf violently shattering into pieces upon its impact. The remaining wolves quickly began to realize that their intended prey was easily far more of a threat than they were as a pack. Erebus watched readily as the one of the wolves sniffed at the pile of shattered branches, before letting out a low keening whimper, slowly backing its way back into the forest. The other wolves, noticing their ally's retreat, hastily followed its example back into the woodline, letting out light whimpers as they disappeared.

Erebus sighed as they vanished from his sight, a slight pang of regret tugging on him. He knew that it wasn't any fault of theirs to go hunting, and it pained him to have to kill and injure these creatures simply because of their natural need for food. He was quickly reminded of the reason behind his need for violence as he turned back towards Princess Luna, a fresh wave of regret settling upon him.

Rushing over the alicorn's side, he immediately began to assess the severity of her injury, keeping his voice level as not to alarm her. "Princess, are you in any major pain? Did you receive any other injuries during the struggle?"

Luna looked up at him with a small smile. "Please don't work yourself into a panic, the effect you gave us earlier still hasn't worn off quite yet, we still can't feel any pain in our leg." Her expression turned apologetic. "We should be thanking you though. Had it not been for your quick thinking, our clumsiness might been our undoing."

Her companion shook his head, his face becoming serious. "No Princess, there is absolutely no reason to put you at fault in this situation. I underestimated my opponents, I couldn't adapt quickly enough to a non-human adversary, and my own lack of experience could've nearly led to a much more grievous injury for you. I'm afraid that only I am to blame for this unsightly mishap."

Luna frowned slightly as Erebus began to redress her leg. "Perhaps...we were both at fault in this situation? Surely you cannot be so harsh upon yourself, can you?"

Erebus sighed , keeping his eyes fixed on his work as he replied. "Listen Princess, I appreciate the forgiveness that you're offering me here, I really do. However, what good would come if I forgave myself in this matter, what lesson could I possibly learn from that? " He shook his head. "No...should I pride myself on anything at all, it should no doubt be my skills in defensive arts. If I let such a mistake go unpunished, than I will have degraded one of the only things in my life that I held somewhat highly."

The Princess ultimately decided that it would be pointless to challenge him on this matter. "Judging by the little that we know about him, it is becoming obvious that he was some form of warrior by profession, or something of the like. It would be foolish of us to argue with him about this, even if we are only attempting to console him."

Erebus finished with the work he had been doing. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do in this respect, and that will make the rest of this journey...problematic. The wound is much worse than it was before, and it will severely hinder any form of movement for you as it is. I've done most everything that I can, redoubling my efforts with both the bandage and making sure you feel no pain, but that will not fix the issue."

He looked away, murmuring something incoherent before continuing. "To put it bluntly...I can't stop the bleeding, not entirely at least. The wound isn't beyond repair, and the flow of blood has been halted substantially. Even with my temporary solutions though, you'll lose a lot of blood if I don't get you out of here soon. We desperately need someone certified in the field of medical care, and safe to say, I'm not that someone."

Luna looked down at her leg, noticing the much larger cloth that now covered it. "What then would suggest we do? Surely Ponyville cannot be much farther from where we are now, but if my wound truly prevents me from travel, then getting there will be twice as difficult."

"Unfortunately, what you just said proves to be all too true." Erebus replied, rising back to his feet. "Currently there's only two options in this situation, one of which I don't like, and both of which you won't like. The first of which is to leave you in this spot while I go out and attempt to gather aid from this town that you told me about. I'm almost completely opposed to this, as not only will be leaving you here alone, but I'll have to convince the populace to help me in the first place."

He paused momentarily. "The second option...is for me to carry you all the way there."

Luna's ears perked up upon hearing this. She stared up at the human, an almost dumbstruck expression on her face. "We will put all of our faith into the first option you voiced, and there will be no discussion on the matter."

She continued on before her companion could even begin to reply. "Remember that you just spoke of your own pride, and know that our pride would be beyond repair if you even consider doing what you just said."

Erebus sighed, knowing he had just lost a battle that he couldn't even begin. "Very well Princess, I'll respect your wishes on this matter, against my better judgment."

The alicorn huffed. "Better judgment or no, we would only be caught dead being carried into Ponyville."

"An outcome that we would both prefer to avoid no doubt." Erebus shrugged. "If your mind is truly made up though, it would best if I left as quickly as possible. Time is not on my side right now, and prolonging my departure will only make the situation worse than it is. I'll still voice my concern though Princess...leaving you here alone seems like a horrible idea."

The Princess nodded in reply. "It is true that this option is less than preferable, the second is simply out of the question." She perked up. "We are not defenseless though, and should anything attempt to attack us again, we will be willing to fight."

Erebus returned the nod. "Alright then, if you're so certain, then I'll be off. " He walked over to the treeline, stopping to continue. "Just try to promise me...that you'll still be in one piece when I get back."

Luna laughed jokingly. "Oh please Erebus, try to save some of that worry for yourself. After all, you never know what you might come across out there."

Erebus just rolled his eyes as he began jogging into the dense brush. "I'm sure that whatever I happen to find out here, I'll be able to take care of it."

"Well, I think we can all agree that "Author" is most definitely off the cutie mark list."

Sweetie Belle crumpled up a piece of parchment, tossing it into a small pile that had been growing behind her.

To her left, Apple Bloom groaned in frustration before taking her friend's example and discarding her own parchment.

Behind the two fillies, Scootaloo just stared blankly at her own slip of parchment. "Ya...you know, I think this is just one that we weren't exactly cut out for. Weird, this one seemed a lot easier when we looked at it on paper."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders sighed in exasperation as they checked off their latest dead end in the cutie mark department. The three had met up at their official clubhouse earlier in the day, to come up with a few new options on what they could achieve their cutie marks in. Between their last attempt and a few other cast-offs, the trio had currently exhausted their supply good ideas.

"Hmmm, sometimes I think that our ideas get even harder with each new one." Apple Bloom looked over the list of old plans with a somewhat a annoyed expression.

"Well you're never going to get your cutie mark thinking like that." Scootaloo replied. "I mean, if it was really that hard be an author, then Twilight wouldn't be nearly such a bookworm now would she?"

Sweetie Belle chimed into the conversation. "Yep...except that's what you said before we even started to try writing in the first place."

Scootaloo sighed as she realized that she had defeated herself. "Still, it can't be all too difficult...right? We could always keep it as a backup and come back to it later."

Sweetie Belle just shrugged. "Whatever the case, it's over our heads for now. On top of that, I'm fresh out of good ideas for now. What about you two, have you got anything new?"

Scootaloo put her hoof up to her chin, pondering the question for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Nope, I'm dry on cutie mark plans myself. Hey Apple Bloom, have you got anything in mind?"

The young earth pony shook her head in disappointment. "I really wish I could say that I do, but I'm just as stumped as you two. I've been running my brain in circles trying to think up any kind of good ideas."

Suddenly, she perked up, a cheerful grin on her face. "Hey, why don't we all just take a small break for now? I'm sure that after we get a bite to eat, and just let our minds cool off for a bit, we'll be able to come up with some amazing ideas!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo immediately jumped at notion of getting some lunch. It was well past breakfast when they decided to try writing a bestselling novel, and the mention of food had quickly roused them from their stupor.

With their minds made up, the three friends hastily cleaned up the small pile of writing tools they had been using. When they satisfied that their clubhouse wasn't in complete disarray, they climbed down out of the treehouse and were about to make their way towards the Apple Farm.

Before they could start down the small path, Apple Bloom's ears perked up, straining to hear an odd noise that they had happened to catch.

"Hey girls, hold up for just a second." She placed a hoof up next to her ear. "You two didn't happen to hear something weird just now, did you?"

The two fillies looked at each other with confused expressions, but nevertheless, they followed their friends example. Straining their ears against the soft breeze, the two listened in vain for anything out of the ordinary.

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "Are you sure you didn't just imagine whatever it was? I couldn't hear much of anyth--"

She was cut short by Sweetie Belle's hoof against her mouth. "Shhhhh! Just listen Scoots, I think that I can hear it too."

Scootaloo gave her friend an annoyed stare until she removed her hoof. She then redoubled her previous efforts, listening twice as hard for whatever this odd noise was that had eluded her. A minute passed by, and she was just about to give up again, when an extremely queer noise happened past her ears. The pegasus once agin raised her eyebrow as she slowly began to make sense of the noise.

"Hang on a second, just now, was that...whimpering?"

Apple Bloom nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, at first I wasn't sure what to make of it either. After a while though, there was no mistaking it."

"It's coming from over in the Everfree Forest." Sweetie Belle eyed the trees nervously. "What exactly do you think might be causing it?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "No idea, and personally I'm not too keen on knowing. Just about anything out there could have made a noise like that."

"I can't really say that's absolutely true." Scootaloo replied, a troubled look on her face. "I mean, I've heard a lot of noises come out of that forest, but none of them have ever been like that. I can't say exactly what made it, but it sounded like it was in a lot of pain."

Apple Bloom eyed her friend suspiciously. "Scoots, you're not about to suggest that we go find whatever made that noise, are you?"

Sweetie Belle snuck her way into the conversation. "I don't know Apple Bloom, after all, Scootaloo does have a point. For all we know, there be somepony out there in some kind of trouble."

Apple Bloom just shook her head in disbelief. "We could be in a lot of trouble if we decide to go in there. We could get attacked by Timberwolves, or a Manticore, or...who knows what else."

"Oh come on Apple Bloom, you know most predators don't come out till it's dark. Besides, it didn't sound too far off, we wouldn't even be going that far from the farm." Scootaloo let a small grin grow on her face. "Or are you just saying that you're scared to go?"

Apple Bloom's expression went flat. "Yes...yes I am, but I know darn well that you are too. If you're both set on going though, I really suppose that I don't have much choice in the matter."

Scootaloo's grin grew wider. "Just wait, if we go save somepony out in the Everfree, we could get our cutie marks no problem!"

Apple Bloom sighed. "Poor decisions aren't the best way to earn cutie marks ya know." She looked up to see Sweetie Belle climbing out of the clubhouse with something in tow. "What's that you've got there Sweetie?"

The unicorn turned around to lift up the telescope she had just grabbed, before placing it into a small saddlebag she had also picked up. "I got to thinking while you two were talking. If we do happen to find something out in the forest, it might be better if we didn't have to get too close to it. So I decided to go grab this, just so we have less chance of running face-first into danger."

Apple Bloom mentally shrugged. "Well, at least somepony was thinking straight in this situation. Not that this really makes it any better."

She sighed and began to follow after Scootaloo, who was already standing at the forest's edge. "For the record Scoots, I blame you if anything horrible happens to us in there."

The pegasus just giggled as the three of them slowly made their way into the darker foliage. "Come on Apple Bloom, sometimes I think you worry too much."

"Let's just get this done and over with already." Sweetie chimed in. "The quicker we find out what this thing is, the quicker we can get out of here and not have to worry about it."

None of them could argue with that statement, and for the most part, the three agreed to keep the talking to a minimum throughout their hike. As they slowly began making their way deeper into the forest though, the silence only helped to make the atmosphere more tense.

The tall trees began to blot out the light of the midday sun, and eerie shadows danced across the grass. The fillies began to eye the surrounding foliage nervously, almost as if waiting for something to come charging towards them, eyes red and fangs bared. Despite their anxiety though, nothing ever came, driving their anxiety to higher levels.

Apple Bloom's ears were working frantically, desperately trying to catch any glimpse of the sound that they had previously heard. Despite her best efforts though, only the sound of their own hooves could be made out, stepping quickly across the soft ground.

Glancing over at her friends, she whispered. "I really don't think that we should have come in here, everything's just...wrong."

Scootaloo kept her voice as brave as she could, despite her obvious anxiety. "We're in the Everfree, what exactly did you expect, gumdrops and ice cream? This place is as wrong as they come, no matter what part of it you're in."

Apple Bloom just shook her head. "Normally I would have no problem agreeing with you on that point, but not this time. The forest is normally filled with all kinds of wildlife, but not now. I haven't seen so much as a glimpse of any kind of animal, not even the tiniest sound."

Sweetie Belle bit her lip nervously. "She really is right you know, the forest is still as a rock right now...not even the wind is blowing anymore. I...I think that we should start heading back to the orchard."

Scootaloo looked back and forth between her friends, apprehensive expressions on both their faces. "Ugh...fine we'll go back, but ya know, we seriously could have been on to something here. I mean it's not like we really even went too far in."

Apple Bloom gave her friend a smile of relief, more than happy that they could leave the forest behind. "Don't worry Scoots, I'm sure it was probably nothing all that important anyway. For now, let's just focus on making it back to the farm."

As she and Scootaloo turned to begin the trek back however, they noticed that Sweetie Belle still hadn't moved an inch, her back turned to them. They were just about to call out her, when she turned her head just enough to see them from her peripheral vision. They both saw that she had her mouth tightly shut, and was slowly shake her head back and forth. With a deliberate slowness, she raised her hoof and motioned for the both of them to come over to her.

When they returned to their friends side, she whispered to them as quietly as possible. "Please, keep your voices as quiet as you can. I need one of you to grab the telescope out of my saddlebag and look out there." She pointed directly out ahead of her. "I could have sworn that something big was moving through those trees, but I can't be sure."

Scootaloo glanced nervously at the spot that Sweetie Belle had mentioned, before reaching her hoof into the bag and pulling out the retractable telescope. pressing her eye to the looking glass, she cautiously swept over the aforementioned area, keeping her hoof as steady as she could. What she saw looked no different from the rest of the forest, with a few spread out trees, and a number of small bushes littered about.

She was about to question her friend's claim, when something happened to catch her eye. Focusing her gaze, her eyes widened as she began to make out what she was looking at. A huge, dark, looming figure slowly rose from behind one of the bushes, its features completely obscured by the cloak it wore.

Scootaloo almost jumped out of her skin when Apple Bloom tapped her on the shoulder. "So, is there something actually out there? Come on Scoots, let me take a look."

The pegasus didn't say a word as she shakily handed the telescope over to her friend, her eyes still glued to the spot where the figure stood.

Apple Bloom gave her a confused look, before raising the device to her eye. Almost immediately, her jaw went slack, and she nearly lost her grip on the telescope.

Sweetie Belle quickly became nervous at the reactions she was seeing. "W-what exactly is it? Is it some kind of monster or something?"

Scootaloo just shook her head silently. "I don't know what it is...and I don't think I want to know. Apple Bloom, what's it doing now...is it coming this way?"

"I don't really think it knows that we're here, it's just...standing there." Apple Bloom kept her gaze fixed on the creature, determined not to let it out of her sight. She immediately tensed up as it suddenly began to move, but relaxed as it noticed it wasn't coming towards them. She grew somewhat curious as she saw it walk up to one of the trees, unsure of what it intended to do. Her curiosity was quickly replaced with a sense of dread when she noticed it reach out to the tree with what she could only describe as a claw. It wasn't the odd appendage that truly shocked her though...it was the fact that it was drenched in a crimson coating of blood.

Forcing herself to continue looking at the gruesome sight, she urgently whispered to her friends. "Girls...we need to get out of here...now."

She was about to urge them on again, when she noticed the creature stiffen. Her pupils began to shrink as she watched it slowly turn its body, almost in a deliberate fashion. She had only a full second to see the dark shell where its face should have been, before she dropped the telescope and ran screaming back towards Ponyville.

It only took her friends a split second to understand her message...and quickly follow her example.

Out past the dark trees of the Everfree, the small town of Ponyville was just as lively and unassuming as it could be. The sun shone down peacefully as various ponies went about their daily routine. The streets were filled with the usual bustle of each day, as ponies tended to market stalls, sat down at restaurants, and just enjoyed idle conversations with each other.

Despite this day seemingly being like any other, two of the local populace stuck out from the rest, like dead plants in a garden.

"So Nightshade, do you want to go over again the exact reason why you were so hasty with dragging us out into the countryside?"

Nightshade couldn't help but groan at Overcast's comment. "For the last time Overcast...I didn't drag you out here, you willingly decided to come along with me when you found I was going. Probably in some attempt to prove that I wasn't above you or something."

"Besides, it's not like you should question coming out here in the first place." He continued. "If you had any real pride in your position as one of Princess Luna's royal guards, you would realize that we don't need a reason to be searching for the Princess in question."

Overcast rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine...no need to go all high and noble on me. I'm just a little peeved that we're out here in the middle of the day, walking towards the damn Everfree Forest...on Princess Celestia's orders."

While disgruntled by his friend's attitude, Nightshade knew that Overcast had good reason to be in a bad mood. Earlier that morning, Princess Celestia had received a rather lengthy reply from a student of hers, who was quite concerned by the fact that Luna's whereabouts were currently unknown. Apparently, this young unicorn had noticed the Princess pass over her home the previous night, heading in the general direction of the Everfree. With this newly found information, Celestia herself had decided to pay a rather subtle visit to Ponyville, or at least...as subtly as her entourage of brightly armored guards could make her. Naturally, Nightshade had jumped at the chance to aid in finding Princess Luna, and Celestia had been quick to answer his enthusiasm. Now he and Overcast had been given orders to begin a sweep of the Everfree's border.

A task that even he was less than thrilled to carry out.

Making their way out of the town's confines, the two thestrals gazed up at the looming trees that marked the forest's edge. Nightshade swallowed hard as he gazed out into the line of brush.

Overcast smiled nervously as he noticed his friend's reaction. "So...ya still feeling like your uh...pride is doing a lot for ya now?"

Nightshade gripped his spear tighter. "Shut it Overcast, you're just as guilty as I am in this situation."

He gazed down at the haft of his weapon with an annoyed look. He wasn't opposed so much opposed to the polearm itself, as he was against the limited selection of defense they had been given. In truth, he was quite skilled in use use with spears and lances, and usually found himself training with them whenever he could. However, when Princess Celestia had told the two that their involvement would have to capitalize on the downplay of their defensive armament, they had been hesitant to go marching into the Everfree. While they had been granted the use of their own specialized style of spears, they had been denied most everything else, from axes to claw-blades.

A fact that did not sit well with either of them.

"Alright, let's just go and get this over with, alright?" Overcast did his best to hide his anxiety. "We go in, find the Princess, and get our tails out. Should a couple of timberwolves so happen to get in our way...then we make some firewood. Simple and easy as picking up mares, alright?"

Nightshade glanced over at his partner with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow...that last comment didn't sit all too well with me. What do you expect to do if we come across a manticore, huh?"

"Do you really even have to ask me that question?" Overcast scoffed. "If we run into one of those walking deathtraps, we fly away as quickly as possible and tell Princess Celestia we couldn't find jack shit."

Nightshade just shook his head in dismay. "You were right about that, I really shouldn't have asked. All the same it's not as we..."

Overcast gave his friend an odd look as he stopped mid-sentence. "Um, hello...Nightshade? You were just about to give me a snide reprimand on what I just said, right?"

"Hush up Overcast, this really isn't the time." Nightshade leveled his spear out into the thick foliage. "Do you happen to see those mass of rustling bushes perchance?"

The other thestral looked at him like he was completely crazy. "What in the name of Equestria are you going on about?" He craned his neck to get a better view of the forest. "I don't see anything, except for the sheer stupidity of what you just asked me."

Nightshade growled and knocked his partner's helmet with the haft of his spear. "That's because you're not even looking at where I pointed you damn cloudbrain." He once again motioned to the spot he had before. "Look right there, and tell me you don't see something making a beeline straight towards us."

Overcast grumbled to himself and attempted to fix his helmet, dropping his own spear in the process. "Jeez Nightshade, no need to get your wings bunched up. I still say you're just imagining whatever this is. I mean really, I doubt anything that comes charging headlong out of the Everfree would want to get mixed up with two armed ponies."

He was just about to reach down and pick his spear off the ground...when three small fillies came charging out of the trees and knocked him on his ass.

Nightshade couldn't help but slap his face with his hoof. "Classic Overcast, he never could manage to keep his eyes on what was ahead of him."

The small trio had managed to pick themselves off of Overcast, and were just about to continue speeding their way into Ponyville, when Nightshade quickly placed his hoof out in front of them, a quizzical look on his face.

"Woah now, just hold up for half a second girls. Would any of you like to elaborate on why exactly you're running out of the Everfree Forest at such high speeds?" He pointed down his companion, who was slowly picking himself off the grass. "I suggest you tell me the whole truth of things, as I'm sure you don't want to have to explain things to my partner here."

All three of them glanced nervously between each other with terrified looks on their faces, until one of them, an earth pony spoke up. "Darn it Scootaloo, I just knew that this was gonna get us in trouble."

The group's pegasus, apparently this "Scootaloo", quickly countered. "Hey, this isn't completely my fault! You could have stopped us if you wanted, or just said no!"

Nightshade was slightly amused at the two bickering with each other, as he found it almost comical. However, he quickly grew impatient as the two threw blame back and forth. He was just about to silence the two himself, when the young unicorn screamed out.

"There was a monster out there!!"

The scene quickly became quiet as Nightshade took in that piece of information. Given the current list of wildlife that he knew resided within the Everfree, that word could have equated to a great many things. The other to fillies began spitting out information before he even had time to question though.

"Yeah, there was some kind of big horrible monster in there!" The pegasus blurted out. "It was huge, and covered in these dark and scary robes."

Nightshade's list of relatable creatures immediately diminished upon hearing this. "Huge and covered in robes? Well that certainly doesn't fit any kind of animal I would know."

The earth pony quickly chimed in. "It had these claws that were covered in blood! And then...and then it looked right at us, but it had no face!"

Nightshade was quickly becoming worried about the filly's description of this creature, and was beginning to wonder if they simply were making this all up.

Suddenly, in complete unison, the three of them cried out. "And it was following us back here the whole time!!!"

Nightshade's eyes immediately widened, and he gripped his spear even tighter than before. Glancing at Overcast, he questioned him. "What are your thoughts on all this?"

Overcast gave him a sarcastic glare. "What I think...is that these girls are throwing us for a complete loop. Seriously though, what they described is purely something to try and scare us. Any second now, I bet one of their friends is gonna pop out of those trees in a Nightmare Night costume."

Almost on queue, the bushes behind them once again again began to rustle around, as something slowly made its way towards them. The three fillies quickly scampered farther behind the thestrals. Overcast just shook his head in complete annoyance, turning to face whatever it was with a face of stone.

Nightshade however, was far more hesitant. He leveled his spear ever so slightly in the direction of the disturbance.

"For once in my life...I sincerely hope that you're not wrong about this Overcast."

Erebus had pondered quite a few major questions in life.

Many of these questions were extremely philosophical, and open to large amounts of maddening debate. So usually, he just came up with his own answers and didn't give a damn what anyone else thought about it.

Right now though, he was pondering one of the greatest questions in his overly long lifespan.

"Why am I chasing three small ponies through a forest that seemingly was spawned from hell itself."

Of course...he already knew the answer.

From the moment he had left the Princess where she was, he had been racing through the forest towards this town that Luna had mentioned. All the while, another question had been nagging at him. How was he going to explain his story to a bunch of ponies that had never seen the likes of a human being in their lives, much less one with a more imposing image such as himself.

For a short time he had questioned whether he should simply find the pony that looked most like a nurse or doctor and straight up carry them back to the Princess. However, he quickly pushed that thought from his head...first impressions were important at a time like this.

He became so preoccupied with his worrying over how he would get the ponies to trust him, that he soon noticed that he had lost track of which direction he was running. With minor frustration he had stopped all forward movement, and absentmindedly placed his hand on a nearby tree, trying to find his bearings as quickly as he could.

As he was just about to continue on his way, his essence tap managed to reveal something that struck him as odd. A small trio of equines, obviously children from their stature, had managed to sneak up on him. At first he considered simply pretending to be oblivious to their presence and continuing on his way.

Soon though, another thought crept its way into his mind. If these young ones came from the town, then they could undoubtedly take me to someone that could aid the Princess."

With that in mind, he decided to slowly turn himself around, as not to scare the children, and attempt to gently call out to them. Before he even had a chance to remove his hood however...

The three of them ran screaming in the opposite direction.

Erebus groaned to himself as he now found himself slowly jogging after the small trio. "Looking back on those events, I probably could have been a bit more subtle in my approach. For one, I could have removed my hood first. I mean seriously, the kids were probably scared shitless of me."

He had lost sight of the kids, and began to wonder if they had simply stopped short and hid somewhere in the forest. He considered using another essence tap to locate them, when he noticed a stream of light pouring in through the trees ahead of him. A small smile graced his face as he realized that he was finally at the forests edge.

Slowing his pace to a walk, he lifted his hand to push a patch of low branches from his path, and stepped out into a grassy clearing. The sun was much brighter outside the forest, as he found that he had to lift his hand to his eyes. He was so preoccupied adjusting his eyes to the harsh light, that he almost failed to notice the glinting spear that was only a few feet from his body.

With a puzzled look, he took in the sight that lay before him. The three fillies that he had chased were nowhere to be seen, probably running off to the town that he could now visibly see. That wasn't what held his attention however, instead it was the two odd looking ponies that lay before him.

Both of them wore suits of armor, shaded in varying levels of purple. At face value, the two might have looked completely identical, were it not for their completely different expressions.

One of them wore a dumbfounded look on face, as if he had just witnessed a whale grow wings and fly away. His spear was pointed harmlessly at the sky, and for the most part, he didn't seem to understand any of what was going on.

In contrast, the other seemed like he was the more competent of the two. Despite his obvious look of surprise, his spear was actually leveled at Erebus' body, and he seemed to be ready to use it, should the need arise.

For a solid minute, the three of them just stood there, staring each other down, neither being sure what to make of the other. Until Erebus decided that he had seen enough, and took a cautious step forward.

Almost immediately, as if broken from stasis, the two ponies snapped into action, bringing themselves into fighting stances and moving their weapons into defensible positions.

The more competent of the two spoke up, his voice slightly wavering. "Hold there creature! Stay exactly where you are, and don't even think about moving, lest we use force."

Erebus raised an eyebrow at this statement. "You have got to be kidding me...right?"

The other pony was apparently startled by the fact that Erebus was talking to them at all, but didn't seem to take kindly to his statement. "What's that supposed to mean huh? Do you think that the both of us can't handle you...whatever you are?"

The first pony quickly responded. "Don't antagonize it Overcast, you're just going to make the situation worse than it is."

The one named Overcast ignored his warning. "Shut it Nightshade! Sometimes I really get sick of your incessant nagging, you know? If this thing thinks that a warning from the Night Guard is a joke, then I'm not about to let it just walk away with that in mind."

At this point, Erebus was starting to grow impatient. "Listen, I didn't mean to insult you or whatever you're going on about, but I seriously don't have time for this."

He was just about to take a step forward, when Overcast interrupted him. "Well good for you, because neither do I!"

With one swift motion, he thrust his spear at Erebus' lower body, trying to hit what he could only hope were his legs.

Erebus, while somewhat surprised that an equine creature could move so deftly with a polearm, wasn't about to have a spear in his foot. Tracking the movement of the blade, he quickly spun his body in a complete circle, the gleaming steel just narrowly missing where his foot just was. As soon as the blade had planted itself in the ground, his other foot came back around and planted itself firmly upon the blade in question.

Overcast's eyes widened when the weapon was wrenched from his grasp by the weight of Erebus' foot. He had only a moment to contemplate what was happening, Before the human reached forward, and grabbed him by a chink in his armor.

Not wanting to truly hurt the pony, Erebus was about to lift him up and toss him into a pile of nearby bushes, when he noticed the pony called Nightshade, from his peripheral vision.

Nightshade, who had quickly picked up how badly the situation had turned, had hastily sprung into a defensive maneuver. Gaining some space from his target, he had taken to the air in a tactic that fooled many of his opponents on the training ground. Taking careful aim, he hurled the spear as hard as he could, before propelling himself forward just behind it. The hope was, that even if the target managed to evade or block the spear, they would be completely exposed for the following body slam.

Erebus however, quickly managed to see through the simple tactic. As the spear came within striking range, he once again twisted his body, making sure to keep his grip on Overcast. He reached out and grabbed the wooden haft as it passed harmlessly by him. Without stopping to even consider his next move, he twisted his body back to where it originally stood, spinning the spear to the position he required. Nightshade had little time to rectify the error of his plan, before the flat end of the spear came crashing down on his helmet, immediately knocking him to ground.

As quickly as the skirmish had started, Erebus had ended it. Both of his "opponents" were incapacitated, and he was in complete control of the situation. Dropping the spear at his feet and picking up Nightshade in exchange, he lifted both of the ponies up to his face briefly, before lightly tossing the both of them into the pile of brush beside him.

He sighed as he walked past the two of them. "I mean the both of you no offense in the slightest, truly I don't. As I already said though, I don't have time for this."

He had walked no further than a few feet, when a harsh beam of sunlight shone itself directly into his eyes, forcing him to bring his hand up to face once more. The sunlight did not subside though, despite his best efforts to lesson it. He was just about to bring his hood back up onto his head, when another beam of sunlight came and struck him on the arm.

Searing away some of his skin.

Immediately, Erebus shifted his defensive tactics, coating his eyes in a layer of darkness in order to better see what was attacking him. Despite this, he had little time to react to the second blast of sunlight that struck him in his chest. Though his cloak absorbed the energy, the sheer force of the attack was enough to force him onto his knee.

Looking up, Erebus was was greeted with what he could only describe as the most radiant pony he had ever seen in his life...literally. The tall equine, which nearly reached his own height in full, was gazing down at the human with expression that spelled out just how enraged she currently was.

With a powerful and commanding voice, she issued a warning that was a clear as the sky above them.

"So long as I remain here, you will never touch my ponies again."

Author's Note

WARNING

GUILT INDUCED RANTING

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Well...this is awkward...

Before I speak, just allow me to get this off my chest...

I'm sorry...

Since I typed up the last chapter, everything that could go wrong...did go wrong.

So for the people that didn't know, I was dragged off into basic military training in a horrible series of events that has scarred me for life.

So no chapters for 14 weeks basically.

Afterwards I had my individual training where I would learn my military specialty for exactly 16 weeks. Normally I thought that this wouldn't be a problem, as I was allowed to use my phone and other electronics throughout the duration. No sweat right?

Wrong.

Despite the hopes that my laptop might get fixed and shipped to me, so that I might continue writing...I found that the barracks had no wifi to speak of.

No chapters for 30 weeks.

I finally finish my military excursion, and make it home, ready to continue my glorious work...

All the computers done broke.

So here I am, typing this note up at my friend's house, because I am poor...and still looking for a decent job.

So let me sum this up for you.

At first I was all ready to start writing again.
But then life set up a wall of nope.

Then, I once again geared up to write this story, ready for anything life could throw at me.

I failed again.

In the end, I really don't think that there's much else that I can say.
I would like to thank all of you for your godlike patience of course...you people are saints, and you should be damn proud of it.

Feel free to judge the chapter as you will, and feel free to message me if you're an amazing proofreader, as I'm now in need of one again.

Thank you all once again, for even taking interest in my story.
I promise that there will be lots more to come, and hopefully my writing skills will continue to improve as I go.

Thanks, and have a pleasant day.

Making Headway

Light and Darkness.

Two primal elements, precursing all others.

While they unknowingly support each other, these forces have waged a struggle older than time itself.

The reason behind this endless war is far beyond the scope of anyone's comprehension.

Understandable or not, it is ever clear that these two are rarely found in peaceful coexistence.

Therefore, it stands to reason that Erebus was about to have a rather unpleasant day.

"That was . . . rather painful, to say the very least." Erebus gazed down at his singed skin, a look of vague disappointment on his face.

"It's safe to say that I haven't received a wound like this in quite some time." His frown slowly grew in intensity. "I shouldn't have received the wound at all, though. These little mistakes are really starting to get on my nerves."

He glanced up at the brilliant glow that stood before him. "Maybe it's about time I got to rectifying that issue."

Keeping himself on his knee, Erebus quickly ran over a few possible scenarios, trying to determine the best way the situation could play out. He had already had the misfortune of feeling some of his assailant's wrath, and while he was confident that he had been struck by worse things in the past, he was still uncertain as to the full extent of her power. His only other option was to attempt to talk his way out of the current circumstances . . . something he was less than adept at doing.

Not wanting to deal with unknown variables however, he soon found himself pushed towards the latter option. "Undoubtedly, my fist is far more powerful than my words, but all the same, I suppose I can at least try to let diplomacy win this one out.

Firming his resolve, Erebus slowly began raising himself off the grass, making sure to keep his eyes forward. "Hey, Ms. Shiny! I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for whatever I might have done to deserve this second degree burn. However, I'd also like to say that I'm a little bit pressed for time at the moment. So if you could go off somewhere and blind someone else, that would be greatly appre-"

"Be silent!" The pony's voice was sharp as a blade, effortlessly cutting the human off. "I do not appreciate being spoken to in such a blatantly dismissive tone!"

"Yeesh!" Erebus cringed ever so slightly. "I don't exactly appreciate having my eardrums blown out. At this rate, her voice is worse than anything else she'll throw at me."

"You have terrified our young, assaulted our guards, and yet you would have the nerve to simply walk into this town and act as if you've done absolutely nothing?" The expression she gave bordered on disgust. "You are sorely mistaken if you believe that I will simply allow you to continue on your way."

"Actually I'm just a little sore," Erebus whispered, his patience starting to dwindle. "So then, it would appear that we've come to an impasse. Tell you what: since I'm still in a somewhat sociable mood, how about I let you name off what you'd like me to do in this situation?"

The equine's glare never faltered as she answered him. "I will only ask this one thing of you: I want you to leave this place immediately, never enter the town, and return to wherever you may have come from. Comply with this, and I promise that I shall harm you no further."

"Hmmm, I get the feeling that might conflict with my interests." Erebus took an educated guess as to the answer for his next question. "So, mind telling me what happens if I simply refuse and walk right past you?"

Shaking her head slowly, the pony quickly confirmed his guess. "If you are foolish enough to attempt such an action, than I will have no choice but to forcibly remove you . . . myself."

"Well then, it would seem that diplomacy has failed . . . or maybe I just failed at diplomacy." Erebus began silently contemplating what the pony might be capable of. "Either way, I'm afraid that I will be making my way past you, with or without your consent."

His face scrunched up in contemplation. "Damn . . . if it was only a little darker out, I could probably bypass this situation entirely. However, even without the ability to shadowstep, I can still bolster my potential speed to the point where she would never be able to run me down. "

Taking a step forward, he had just resolved to speed his way past her . . . when the ground before him violently exploded.

"That was merely a warning, and the only one that I will issue." The pony's horn was still lit brightly, volatile energies barely repressing themselves. "Should you lack common sense, you will find that I can easily teach you some."

Beneath his cloak, Erebus slowly clenched a fist, his frustration slowly beginning to boil over. “Dammit! She's not even going to let me move, much less work myself into a running start!"

"Fine then. I suppose that's how it is." Smoothing out his composure, he gave his answer. "You know, you should already be aware that you went past the point of warning when you decided to fry my skin." He defiantly took a step forward. "Therefore, it's common sense that anything goes."

He had only a moment to glimpse his adversary's glare intensify, before she lowered her head and let loose a brilliant beam of sunlight towards him. As he gazed at the blinding attack, a moment of doubt went through his mind, nagging at him as he wondered how differently the situation could have gone. It dissipated as quickly as it had come though, being replaced with a reluctant resolve. Despite the failure he had just suffered, he wasn't about to let another so easily overtake him.

"What's done is done. If this is how things have turned out, then I'm not about to start crying over it." He traced the beam as it began closing towards him. "All that aside though...I really hate to have to do this."

Bringing his foot back into a more stable stance, Erebus whipped his hand out of his cloak, placing it directly in the beam's path. A pained growl escaped his throat as the attack impacted against his palm, beginning it's work of burning away his flesh. Apprehension almost overcame him as he noticed the pure intensity of the beam, the output threatening to break him before he could react. Biting back the searing pain, his body began setting up it's most basic, yet powerful, defense. The attack almost instantly became null as he rapidly acclimated to the boiling energy, the stream of particles starting to break and dissipate against his palm.

Throughout the many years he had lived, Erebus had rarely ever considered his inborn abilities to work for anything more than a destructive nature. While he was quick to realize that the void had many different applications, he had immediately resolved to pin it to its true purpose. So when he had discovered that his body was capable of incorporating darkness into an adaptive shielding, he was initially hesitant to keep the ability active. However, upon finding that the the defense's degree could simply be reduced to a benign level, he had decided to keep it running at all times.

A fact he was currently more than gracious for.

Despite his defense being in place, Erebus knew he had only equalized the situation. "She'll almost immediately notice that I'm negating the attack. If I plan to gain any control over this, then I'm going to have to incapacitate her as best I can."

Deciding a straightforward approach, Erebus quickly shifted his tactics, hoping to catch the pony off guard. Grasping outward, the shield began to intertwine with the attack, latching onto the stream of plasma and slowly began to absorb the immense output of violent particles. After he was sure that he was capable of sustaining the crude link, he locked the energy in place, using his own essence like a vacuum to keep the attack rooted.

Looking up, he saw that his attacker had just noticed the sudden shift in balance, her eyes twisting in a look of confusion. The confusion was soon replaced by surprise as she attempted to cut off her attack, only to find that the energy could not be stymied. Taking advantage of her sudden confusion, the human slowly moved his foot forward, almost slipping backwards in the process.

“Hmmm, she certainly isn't going to run out of power any time soon." Despite the fact that the energy was currently feeding him, Erebus found that the force behind it was too immense to simply outright erase. Grinding his teeth, he began to force himself forward, his mind set on making his way towards the equine.

Foot by foot, he began to inch his way forward, each step gaining him more ground than the next. Gazing up, he redoubled his efforts as he noticed the pony trying desperately to escape his grasp. Moving within a few feet of his target, he reached his hand towards her horn, determined to cut off her power at what he believed was its source.

"Alright then, I think it's time to bring hostilities to an end." His fingers moved within a foot of the pony, ready to render her offenses null. At that moment, a sudden ripple went through the beam, causing Erebus to slip over the particles as they began to coalesce and pulse.

The human's eyes widened as he noticed the effect this was having on the energy. "There is no way that she just . . ." He had no time to finish his thoughts before the attack burst and erupted outwards, creating a small nova between the two combatants.

"You are not going to get away from me that easily!" Erebus pushed himself forward with all his strength, lunging through the small explosion. However, his heart quickly sank when his hand grasped nothing but empty air, his target nowhere to be seen.

He tensed up as he noticed a bright flash of light appear directly behind him. Spinning around, he raised his hand up in expectation of another energy attack . . . only to catch two golden horseshoes to his chest. Before he could go falling head over heels, Erebus slammed his foot into soft ground, determined to not lose his balance.

Stumbling back a few paces, he took a second to assess the damage before regaining his composure. While his natural shielding had to be manually adjusted to stop heavier blows, his chestplate had no such limitation. He sighed in relief as he noticed that the durable armor been more than capable of defending him, with no visible damage to itself. The blow had been far more powerful than he'd expected, and, had it not been for the light garment, he could have easily suffered a serious injury.

Gazing up, Erebus saw the bright equine standing where he had just been a few moments ago. Her breath was shaky and her horn was giving off a few small sparks. It was obvious that whatever maneuver she had pulled at the last minute had been somewhat taxing on her.

“It's highly doubtful that she's at her limit, considering the level of exertion that a stunt like that would require. If I can limit the amount of fighting that we have to do, I think that would benefit the both of us."

Taking into account his adversary's level of power, he decided to give diplomacy one more go. "Hey, that was pretty impressive you know. It's pretty rare for me to use that technique, considering the potential damage that it can cause. Even with that in mind, I didn't think that anyone was capable of escaping a pure vacuum, much less being capable of instant teleportation on a moment's notice."

The pony stood her ground, her guard never faltering as she responded. "So then you used a void to tether me to my own spell? I'll admit that I was quite confused as to the nature of your attack. I wasn't suspecting you to use such an obscure manner of defense, much less the ability to employ it so efficiently."

A smirk crossed Erebus' face. "Well don't go giving me all the credit here. I certainly wasn't expecting you to send a feedback pulse off your attack's own particles. That was very creative thinking, considering the stress you were just under." He brought the more urgent matter back to the front of his mind. "However, none of this changes the fact that you're still impeding my progress on something highly important."

Lifting her head ever so slightly, the pony raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to explain what that matter might be?"

Erebus pointed out towards the Everfree. "Well you see, if you don't allow me to pass, I'm afraid there's going to be rather lengthy consequences for a certain blue princess out there."

The pony's eyes immediately went wide, and her horn began to glow bright hot. "You . . . what have you done with my sister?”

Erebus flinched at her sudden shift in demeanor . . . then did a double take upon hearing her final word. "She's Luna's sister?! I mean, the Princess told me about a Princess Celestia, but goodness, I expected that the two would look a little more alike!" He then took a moment to consider the crown upon her head. "Oh . . . I suppose that should've been a dead giveaway."

"Right then. I uh . . . probably could've worded that last bit a little better."

Shaking his head and waving his hands vigorously, he quickly attempted to defuse the situation. "Now just hold on a damn second, there's no need to go and blow a fuse! Rest assured that she's just fine, absolutely no harm done to her. In fact, she was so kind as to tell me a bit about you Princess Celestia."

The Princess continued to glare at him. "Then I hope she told you just how protective of her I am! You say that she's not been harmed, and yet you were just going on about consequences."

Erebus grimaced at his own bit of stupidity. "Not by me, I promise you that much. I would have absolutely no reason to harm your sister, I swear on my life!"

"Then perhaps you'd be willing to share why you're currently covered in blood?" Celestia was quick to fire back.

Erebus raised an eyebrow at that, taking a moment to think over exactly what she meant. "What in the world is she talking about? I'm quite sure that I'm not covered in . . . oh." Gazing at the arm he had been using to defend himself this whole time, he noticed that it was coated in a thick layer of drying blood, no doubt from tending to Luna's wound.

Well, once again Erebus, you've utterly failed at visual cues."

"Well, you see . . . I . . . uh." Erebus began to slip over his words as he tried desperately to convince the enraged princess. In his anxiousness, his eyes drifted ever so slightly, Celestia disappearing from his view for merely a second.

"Shit!" His eyes snapped back forward as he realized his mistake all too late. He was only capable of catching the fading glimpse of a bright flash, the princess now nowhere in sight.

A visible scowl settled onto his face as he scanned desperately for Celestia. This whole ordeal was wasting precious time, and his own ineptitude was to blame for bringing about the situation in question. He knew that if he didn't end this madness now, the only creature that had bothered to offer him aid . . . was going to suffer.

Adrenaline spiked through his system as he an audible pop issue from behind him. His mind screamed at him to forgo defense as he whipped himself around. "This has gone on for far longer than it needed to! I'm putting a stop to this, now!"

Erebus’s arm shot forward in a blur as he anticipated Celestia's next course of action. As if on cue, the white alicorn flashed into sight directly in front of him. What he didn't expect however, was the fact that she was set ram him at full speed. Celestia's eyes went wide as the human immediately secured a grip on her neck. However, this did nothing to stop her full on charge directly into his torso.

Using his grip on the princess, Erebus swiftly shifted himself out of reach from Celestia's horn, but was unable to keep his feet from being swept out from under him. Despite currently having a hold of the alicorn, he knew that this advantage would be moot so long as she was carrying him backwards.

Gazing backwards, Erebus was quick to notice the large oak tree that the two of them were heading towards, the distance closing rapidly. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the princess was planning to do, and with that in mind, Erebus wasn't about to let it happen. Slamming his feet into the ground, he found that Celestia wasn't intent on giving him any ground. His boots slid over the grass, and were quickly torn out of any divots that they dug, easily cementing the alicorn's determination.

Dull rage began to blossom in the human's mind as his feet scrabbled wildly over the ground. Thinking back to Princess Luna, still currently abandoned in the Everfree, the anger grew to a steady boiling point. Tightening his grip on Celestia's neck, he let all of his building rage explode outward in one single moment.

His eyes narrowed as his hand suddenly turned jet black, all of the darkness that he could gather coalescing into a single point. He once more slammed his boots into the ground, simultaneously pouring all of the gathered darkness into Celestia.

The reaction was immediate.

Celestia's eyes shrunk down to pinpricks as the cold void coursed through her body's systems. Although not potent enough to completely destroy her nervous system or cause any permanent damage, Erebus knew that it would still be more than enough to wreak havoc on her motor functions. This was confirmed as the alicorn's body went limp, quickly losing any momentum that it had been carrying. Using his literal foothold on the ground to bring himself to a halt, the human breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed that the tree was a few mere feet away.

He was about look back at the princess, so as to assess any damage that he might have inflicted upon her, when a sudden sensation caused him to freeze. Gazing at his grip on the alicorn's neck, he saw something that he wouldn't have thought physically possible.

"There is no possible way that she's capable of moving." Erebus stared, awestruck, at Celestia's tensing neck muscles. "What I just did should have kept her numb for ten minutes at the very least!"

He continued to gaze on in surprise, when a flash of movement tore him from his stupor. Looking down at Celestia's face, he noticed the bright glow on her horn, burning brighter with each passing second.

"Oh no, I have had it up to here with you!" He physically shouted. "If this is what you're going to bring me to . . . then fine!"

Before she had a chance to charge her attack any further, Erebus grabbed the princess with his free hand, and wrenched her off the ground. Spinning himself around, he was just about to slam the alicorn into the side of the oak, when a frantic scream tore him from his anger induced state and stopped him cold.

He had only a fraction of a second to catch a glimpse of a blue alicorn before Celestia released her spell point-blank into his face.

Princess Luna gently tapped her hoof on the soft ground, a look of pure complacency written on her face.

Erebus had been gone for less than a half hour as it currently stood. All the same, the princess was finding that the lack of anyone to speak to was quickly becoming disconcerting.

"We can only hope that Erebus finds no trouble with the local ponies," she began to muse. "We can only imagine the kind of situations that he might find himself in, especially with how little he knows of the current world."

A small chuckle escaped her throat as she realized how mixed up her priorities currently were. "Here we are, slowly bleeding out in the middle of the Everfree Forest, and we spend our time contemplating our partner’s possible predicaments."

Glancing back at her leg, she could easily see the small stream of blood that had long since bled through the bandage. "To be honest though, it is slightly more difficult to be concerned when we can't even feel the pain of the wound."

Despite the lack of feeling in her leg, she was not completely detached from the sense of urgency. She might not be able to move or feel her leg, but she knew that the steady loss of blood was going to begin affecting her soon enough. Without knowledge of the full extent of the injury, she was not sure how long she would be able to remain conscious.

Luna suddenly raised an eyebrow in thought. "The chance is slim, but perhaps we might be able to gather enough magic to stem the flow of blood."

At the same time, the thought occurred to her that a failed attempt might simply weaken her further. "The risk is certainly present, but with the near certainty that spell will fail anyway, there's no real harm in at least trying."

After debating both sides for a few minutes, Luna decided that it would be more fruitful to at least give the plan a shot. Erebus would most likely be back soon enough, so either way wouldn't matter much. However, with how much he had already helped her, the princess felt that she hadn't been pulling much of her own weight.

She couldn't help but frown at her own lack of contribution. "To leave this all up to Erebus seems somewhat selfish on our part. If there is anyway that we can help the situation, then we would foolish to not at least attempt it."

Gazing back at her leg, Luna slowly began to tap into her magical reserves, simultaneously searching her memory for the most simple healing spell that she could find. It wasn't often that she found herself using medical spells so she wasn’t very well-versed in them, but she was still capable of using them, should the need arise.

"Alright then, time to see just how difficult this is going to be." Concentrating on the wound, she released a miniscule amount of energy, preparing herself for the drain that she knew would follow behind it.

A drain which never came.

Luna almost broke her concentration as she noticed how little effect the spell had on her. Up until this point, even the most basic of spells had easily left her almost completely exhausted. Her face twisted in confusion as she began the spell again, this time putting slightly more energy behind it.

The outcome was exactly the same.

"This doesn't seem to make any sense." Luna's mind raced furiously in an attempt to piece all of it together. "How is it that a simple illumination spell can leave us gasping for breath, yet something as intricate as healing magic has no effect on us whatsoever?"

Deciding to push her luck, Luna's mind became more and more flustered as she continued to pour energy into the wound, the flow of blood slowly beginning to taper off. Within moments, the blood had completely stopped, disbelief racing through the alicorn's mind. Reaching back towards her leg, she was able to remove the makeshift bandage, now coated a dark shade of crimson. Though the fur around the wound was stained the same as the cloth, she could still clearly see that there was no trace of the once visible gash.

Despite the major questions that were plaguing her, Luna did her best to remind herself what a positive thing it was. "While it's true that this is certainly confusing, perhaps what happened to us was merely a temporary effect? Surely we didn't expect that we would lose our magical abilities forever. Besides, if we are capable of using our magic now, than we should be able to simply move to Ponyville on our own, without Erebus having to worry any longer."

Thinking about how long he had been gone, a moment of indecision went through her mind. "If he were to come back looking for us though and we weren't here, that might just make the situation worse than it was. Still, it feels like a large waste to simply laze about on the grass, not when we have the chance to do something."

Luna brought back to mind that Celestia was still unaware of her whereabouts. "It certainly wouldn't do any harm to contact our sister. No doubt that she's beginning to worry over us."

Apprehensively, she reached her mind out towards Celestia, still unsure whether her link had been restored or not. Her doubts were soon alleviated though, as within seconds she felt the familiar touch of her sister's consciousness brushing against her.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "It's good to see that some things are starting to look up again."

Before she had time to even attempt communication though, she found herself pushing up against a mental barrier, completely unable to make contact. Her smile fell as she once again attempted to talk with her sister, thinking that perhaps the first attempt had simply been a fluke. When this failed as well, though, a brand new wave of questions quickly began to prod at her mind.

"That does not make sense; Celestia has never shut us out before." Luna raised an eyebrow in confusion. "In fact, the only time that she's ever put up a mental shield at all is when she's actively engaged in combat. That being said, there hasn't been an adversary with enough raw ability to warrant such defensive measures, not for some time now."

"So then, what could possibly be causing her to act in such a . . ." Luna's eyes slowly widened as sudden realization dawned on her.

"No . . . by the the stars no. There's no actual way that she could possibly be . . ." A feeling of dread began to set in as she shook her head in disbelief. Despite knowing the low chances of her sister actually meeting with Erebus, there was little other cause for Celestia to be worked up into such a defensive state.

Quickly raising herself off the ground, Luna found that she couldn't fully support herself, and stumbled back down into a sitting position. Looking back, she groaned as she remembered her leg. Despite having healed the wound herself, the numbing effect that Erebus had placed to seal off the pain was still there, effectively keeping her leg from being used in any form.

"Damn it! This is not the time for setbacks such as this!" She began gathering energy into her horn. "If what we believe is true, then Erebus may have just gotten himself into an irreversible situation."

Using the small amount of the link with Celestia that she could access, she locked herself onto wherever her sister was located. The link itself was quickly formed, but lacked full cohesion, cutting her chances of actually coming up next to Celestia. Completely disregarding whether or not her abilities were fully restored, Luna brought the last bit of needed energy into her horn and vanished from sight.

Without warning, the princess was violently flung out of her teleportation spell, her body nearly flying into a nearby tree as her new location instantly came into view. Her breath caught in her throat as she furiously flapped her wings, trying desperately to gain control over her momentum. With some amount of difficulty, Luna managed to bring herself to a stop before quickly glancing around in an attempt to catch sight of Erebus or her sister, neither of which she could find.

"Something is not right here; we know that we performed the spell hastily, but it still should have brought us at least within sight of her." The princess couldn't help but feel that the spell had been abruptly halted.

Forcing the question from her mind, she had just resolved to try the spell once again when she was interrupted by the sound of shouting. Perking her ears up, she quickly noticed that the noise was coming from directly in front of her, just beyond the treeline. Doing her best to support her rear leg, Luna slowly limped her way through the thick brush, keeping her face low to prevent branches from hitting her eyes.

As she pushed her way past a final patch of bushes, Luna hastily looked up and was greeted by a disturbing sight.

The ground around her hooves was littered with small holes, the grass charred to the point of death. Glancing to her right, she was able to make out the outlines of two of her guards, who despite seeming to be fine, were currently sprawled out in the middle of a large bush. By far the most shocking part of the scene was what was happening to her left. Luna’s eyes widened as she attempted to process exactly what she was looking at.

Standing beside a large oak tree was her sister and Erebus, the both of them locked in a furious struggle with each other. Luna could see that Erebus currently had Celestia in a tight grip, and was attempting to keep her horn away from his torso. Celestia, on the other hoof, was attempting to wrench herself free, all the while charging a spell on her horn. A spell which, by the looks of it, seemed to be quite powerful.

Luna was in sheer disbelief that Erebus was still standing, much less capable of keeping Celestia at bay for as long as he had. It went without saying that her sister was an extremely adept wielder of magic, as well as a powerful opponent in physical competition. When she had reason to be truly angered, however, Luna had known her to be capable of deterring adversaries through her presence alone.

Amidst all of the chaos going on around her, Luna did the only thing that she could currently think of to do.

She screamed. Loudly.

"Stop this, all of you!!!" Luna just barely restrained herself from using the full Royal Canterlot Voice.

In that exact moment, Celestia released the spell that she had been preparing, and the two were absorbed by a blinding flash of light.

The attack lasted less than a few seconds, but Luna was still forced to shield her eyes from view, lest she be temporarily blinded. Her mind raced as she blinked the brightness from her eyes, desperately hoping that she had not come too late to prevent the worst from happening. As her vision began to clear though, she saw something far more shocking than what she had imagined.

The both of them were completely unscathed . . . for the most part.

The two were now standing about seven feet apart, each with a slightly dazed expression on their faces. On one hoof, Celestia had no noticeable wounds on her, but was obviously fighting hard due to the fact that she was visibly exhausted. On the other hoof, Erebus did seem to have a few burns covering his body and cloak, but otherwise seemed no more fatigued than Celestia currently was. In fact, the only thing that seemed to have suffered any real damage was the large tree they had been near, now charred completely black.

"Luna?"

The princess was torn from her musings by the sound of Celestia's voice. Shifting her gaze, she could easily see the confusion and frustration that was written on her sister's face.

"Luna . . . are you alright? I was almost certain that something terrible had happened after I lost contact with you." She paused to catch her breath. "Why didn't you just let me know where you were going last night?"

Luna did her best to fight off a pang of guilt. "Sister we . . . we know that we should have informed you about last night, but we simply didn't want you to worry unnecessarily. We simply had no way of knowing that we would have been delayed for so long, otherwise we would have told you immediately."

Celestia shook her head solemnly. "How can you simply call all of this a delay? Do you even realize how many ponies were worried for your safety, myself included? After what happened here with this . . .creature . . . I could only fear the worst."

Luna knew all too well that her decisions were her own, and not even Celestia should be able to question them. With the atmosphere of the current situation however, she also knew it would also be better to not make tensions any higher. She was about to offer her sister an apology, when a familiar voice cut her off.

"Hold on now . . . I may not be one to enjoy intruding on a personal conversation, but you should know that any blame here shouldn't fall on Princess Luna. I mean, if anyone is at fault here it would probably be me." Erebus tried his best to keep his tone calm.

"You have no right to even speak of my sister!" Celestia's frustration quickly began to boil over. "I still have no reason to even begin trusting you in any way!"

Luna's temper immediately flared at her sister's outburst. Erebus had done nothing but help her up to this point, and she wasn't about to let Celestia treat him like some common criminal.

"Celestia! Did you ever stop to think that maybe you have no right to speak to him in such an obviously belittling tone?!" She slammed her hoof into the ground for added emphasis.

The Solar Princess stiffened at the force of Luna's reprimand. "Do you have any idea what actions this creature has taken against the ponies here, as well as myself? I have no understanding of how you can just stand up and defend what he has done."

"That 'creature's' name is Erebus, and it would do you well to remember that." Luna pointed over at the human. "We'll have you know that he has done nothing but help us for the time that we were missing, and were it not for his aid, we would not be here now. Perhaps, if you had taken the time to simply talk with him, you might have reached a different conclusion about him."

Erebus cleared his throat to catch the two alicorn's attention. "Princess Luna, while I appreciate you standing up for me in this matter, I'm going to have to say that I'm not without blame. Looking back at my actions, I'll admit that my impatience probably clouded my better judgment here."

He exhaled deeply before looking at the both of them with an apologetic expression. "It's definitely true that Princess Celestia can be quite stubborn in some regards. However, I can also tell that she was only doing what she deemed was the best way to deal with a potentially hostile situation. She's obviously very protective, and well, I wasn't very thorough in my attempts to negotiate with her."

A long moment of silence hung in the air as the three stared at each other with uneasy expressions, each of them not completely certain what course of action to take in this odd situation. After a few moments of shooting awkward glances at each other, Erebus finally decided to speak up and break the growing tension.

"So . . . uh . . . maybe it would best for all of us if Luna and I began to explain exactly what happened on our end. Princess Celestia, I have no doubt that you'll understand everything by the time we get to the end of our little story."

Upon hearing this, Luna's eyes immediately lit up. She was just about agree with the suggestion that Erebus had put out, when she was stopped short by a distinct sound meeting her ears. Gazing towards the origin of the noise, she was horrified to see exactly what it was.

About a foot from where Celestia currently stood, the large oak tree that she had inadvertently damaged was creaking and groaning. The unmistakable sound of splintering wood was soon accompanied by visible shards of charcoal beginning to break off and fly away from the center of the tree. Luna didn't even have time to shout a warning to her sister before the oak split down the middle with an audible crack.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the large trunk come crashing towards Celestia, time seeming to slow all the while. By this point, the white alicorn had turned to notice the object and was just starting to scramble out of the way . . . all too late. Off to the right, Luna saw that Erebus had noticed the danger as well and was already moving to intervene. However even with his early reaction, she knew that he was too far back to aid her sister in time.

That is, until he appeared directly in front of her.

In the course of that one lingering moment, the human was just barely able to slam into Celestia's side, effectively knocking her out of harm's way. In doing so however, his own ability to cast himself away from danger was rendered completely ineffective.

A moment later, the full force of the falling tree crushed him flat to the ground.

"Erebus!" Luna cried out to her companion, desperately hoping for any kind of response.

The alicorn stood completely dumbfounded, her mind an utter mess of jumbled thoughts and questions. In the short span that everything had happened, she had little time to begin processing it all. Despite her confusion however, she knew that she had to help her friend before anything else happened to him. Kicking her mind into gear, she began limping her way over to where her sister currently lay.

"Get up Celestia, you have to help us move this!" Luna prodded her sister with as much urgency as she could muster.

Celestia, who was just now picking herself off the ground, was apparently just as confused as Luna had been. An expression of astonishment was written plainly on her face, and she seemed to be having difficulty finding her words.

"Luna . . . I . . . what just happened?" She slowly shifted her gaze between her sister and the human.

"What just happened?" Luna shook her head in disbelief as she repeated her sister's question. "While you were caught up in your own defensive beliefs, this 'creature' just so happened to save you from being crushed! That is what just happened!"

The Sun Princess couldn't seem to find much sense in her sister's words. "Why would he do that? What good reason would he have to save me?"

Luna let out an annoyed groan before pushing her way past the white alicorn. "We don't have time to satisfy your own self-centered questions, Tia. The only thing that you should see is that someone was kind enough to help you when you were in danger. That alone should enough for you to do the same!"

Taking a quick glance at the human's inert body, Luna was able to gather that he had been knocked unconscious from the impact. At the current moment however, she was more concerned with removing the trunk itself and tending to him afterwards. Attempting to pull the tree off him with magic, she quickly became frustrated as her magic once again slipped out of her reach as it had before.

"Damn it all, why should this happen now?!" Failing to even perform a simple levitation spell, Luna searched desperately for a safe way to physically remove the trunk. Despite her analyzing though, the only way that she could see would be to roll it off, which could potentially injure him far more.

Luna gazed around frantically, looking for any possible alternatives, each passing second tearing at her mind. She was just about to slam her hoof into the ground in frustration when a soft yellow glow caught her attention. Gazing up, she was surprised to see the trunk gently being levitated off of Erebus' body.

"Celestia?" She whirled around just in time to see her sister finish moving the tree away from the human, a troubled look on her face.

"Don't even start right now Luna." Celestia raised a hoof to stop whatever her sister was going to say. "It's obvious that asking questions right now isn't going to do any good for anypony. With that in mind, I won't question you right now either."

She sighed in an exhausted manner and looked Luna dead in the eyes. "Listen . . . this is what's going to happen here. I am going to summon my guards, they are going to tend to your wounded guards, and then we are going to transport . . . Erebus . . . back to Canterlot. Nopony is going to hear of this incident, is that perfectly clear?"

Luna knew that Celestia was being overly cautious about the whole situation, and while she wasn't particularly fond of taking orders from her sister, she still knew that it was the best course of action for Erebus at the moment.

"Yes sister, it's quite clear."

"Oh, and one more thing sister," Celestia had taken only a few steps before she turned back towards Luna once again. "When we get back to Canterlot . . . you will have a lot of explaining to do."

Harsh sunlight shone down over Equestria, slowly waging a small war against the many grey clouds that had appeared to dot the sky. The resulting shadows that had formed over Canterlot's streets had brought about an uneasy feeling of calmness for the city and its citizens. This feeling served as a stark contrast to the heated events transpiring elsewhere within the city walls.

"Stop avoiding the question, Luna! We could start to sort all of this out if you would just tell me why you ran off to begin with."

Princess Celestia sighed in mild frustration. Since she had returned to the city with her sister and their "guest", she had begun to question Luna in an attempt to figure out exactly what had happened. Much to her dismay, however, her little sister's stubborn nature was making it increasingly difficult to sort anything out.

"Why should we have to explain our nightly activities to you?" Luna retorted in annoyance. "We are more than old enough to justify doing as we please during our time of responsibility."

"That is enough, Luna!" Celestia stamped her hoof to help solidify her point. "If you're going to make such claims then you should know enough to be responsible in this matter."

"Why is it that you think I'm attacking you here?" She began to pace around slightly as she continued. "I have all the faith in the world in you Luna, so it's not as if I need you to justify your actions, but I need you to understand the position I'm in currently. What with your sudden disappearance, fillies running around terrified, and our own royal guards being tossed aside like ragdolls . . . I'm truly at a complete loss here."

Celestia paused for just a moment to regain her composure before she walked back over to her sister. "Please, Luna. I trust you more than anypony else I know, but please just tell me what is going on here."

Luna bit her lip, clearly struggling with the fact that Celestia was making complete sense in everything she said. "You . . . you promise that you won't judge us for any of our decisions?"

Celestia reached and placed her hoof on Luna's side. "Not in the slightest; you have my word."

Luna refrained from eye contact but nodded lightly. "You are right. We suppose you do have a right to know, after all. We're not quite sure what to say though; the whole story would be rather lengthy."

Celestia smiled encouragingly. "Why not just keep it simple, then? Start from the beginning, and simply leave out anything that you believe to be extraneous. We can leave any of the smaller details for a later time."

"Alright then; from the start." Luna's eyes shifted nervously back and forth. "Do you remember earlier that day we had seemed distracted, as if something was on our mind at the time?"

"Yes, I remember." Celestia nodded. "I had hoped that some rest would do you some good and help to clear your mind. What of it though?"

"At the time, there had been a voice that called out to us. Though we were unsure as to who it was, its message was too direct to simply ignore." Luna continued. "Admittedly, resting only served to pique our interest even further, as we found that we could follow the voice through our dreams."

"And it lead you towards the Everfree Forest?" Celestia questioned.

Luna nodded in affirmation. "Directly towards our old castle. With everything being placed as it was, we could only assume that Nightmare Moon had somehow returned."

She cringed slightly, dreading her sister's response, but became somewhat confused when nothing came.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Then what?"

Luna gave her a confused look. "You mean you're not angry with us?"

The white alicorn simply shook her head. "I already promised you that I wouldn't be the one to judge your decisions, didn't I? If anything, I'm slightly disappointed that you didn't at least let me know where you were going, in case something like this happened. At the end of the day though, you're more than old enough to make your own choices. If you believed that this matter was your's to deal with alone, then I have no right nor privilege to pass judgment upon it."

Luna's confusion lingered for a few moments longer, but soon subsided. "We are . . . glad that those are your thoughts. We suppose we should continue then?"

Celestia merely smiled and waved her hoof for her sister to go on.

"Very well then. After we had managed to make our way to the source of the voice itself, we found that it was . . . well . . . we found nothing." Luna sighed, recalling the pain that she had felt in that moment. "There was an accident, and we managed to get ourselves stuck in a situation that might have been the end of us."

"What kind of accident, exactly?" Celestia cocked her head.

Luna, not wanting to worry her sister too much, decided to leave out some of the finer details. "We happened to . . . fall into a rather large underground cavern. At the time, our wing had been injured so that we could not fly back to the surface."

"So then why not simply use your magic to teleport back to safety?" Celestia questioned.

"We are not exactly sure ourselves." Luna thought back to her own confusion on the matter. "It was as if something was hindering our magical ability. As it was, we were hardly capable of casting an illumination spell."

The Sun Princess sat motionless for a moment, deep in thought. "I . . . see. That is quite concerning. How then did you manage to make your way back to the surface?"

Luna's response came faster than expected. "We're sure that you already know the answer to that particular question, don't you Tia?"

Celestia nodded lightly. "Yes, your - ahem - unusual new friend. Luna, I'm still not sure what to make of him as it stands. He did save me from that tree, I will not deny. When I stood against him though, the power he employed was unlike anything I'd encountered before. The only word I can use to describe it is . . . nauseating."

"Surely, Tia, you cannot see him as an enemy!" Luna pleaded. "That whole affair was a misunderstanding! If you simply were to speak with him calmly, then he could easily show you his good intentions."

"Luna, you know that I trust you completely, it's just that . . ." Celestia sighed in exasperation. "Let me ask you this . . . do you trust him enough?"

"He's saved both of our lives and done nothing but prove his good intentions as far as we have seen." Luna nodded. "Please sister, as you would any other, just give him a chance."

Celestia remained silent for a time, weighing everything to this point. "Sister, I can only hope that you understand my caution on this matter. However, I know that you're right, he deserves a fair chance to explain himself to me under a more peaceful scenario."

"Don't count on it happening right away though." She continued. "From what the medical staff has told me, the injury wasn't serious but he showed no sign of regaining consciousness anytime soon. We'll go and visit him, but he might still be recovering."

Almost immediately, Luna drew her sister into a tight hug, a wide smile on her face. "Thank you Tia! We sincerely thank you! We can most certainly assure you that your trust is not misplaced."

While slightly surprised by her sister's sudden display of gratitude, Celestia was quick to gently return the hug. "My trust is in you Luna, where it is never misplaced. With that in mind though, I'll never be able to make my own judgement if I can't even walk out the door."

"Yes, of course!" Luna lightly stepped back, realizing that she had been somewhat overbearing.

"No need to worry yourself sister." Celestia laughed softly as she walked across the room and pushed open the double doors, Luna following closely behind. She paused for a moment to regard the two sentries that had been posted outside, before beginning to make her way down the castle's corridors.

As the two slowly passed down the halls, the Sun Princess couldn't help but inwardly frown. It wasn't like her to not take Luna's judgement seriously, and she had faith that her sister had not been lying to her. All the same, a small tinge of doubt began to worm through her thoughts as she continued forward.

"So Luna, do you think you could tell me something?" She gently prodded at her sister. "From the moment I first laid eyes upon our guest, I haven't been able to figure out what species he belongs to. Since you have had the time to travel with and learn about him, do you believe that you could elaborate on that fine detail for me?"

Luna kept her head forward when she answered, but Celestia could see she was having trouble finding the exact words to put her answer together. "Well, that is a fine question indeed, and one we assumed you might ask eventually. On that matter however, it might be more . . . informative . . . if you were to ask him that yourself."

"Ah yes. I see then." Celestia's calm answer never betrayed the pang of doubt that followed Luna's statement.

"It's painfully obvious that Luna already knows the answer to that question, so then why would she knowingly keep it to herself?" She silently began to worry as to what details the answer might entail.

"Well then, is there any information about our guest that you would be willing to enlighten me with?" She tried again, careful not to cross any lines. "If only so that I might not offend him by mistake. It will be somewhat touch and go to hold a conversation with someone that I know so very little about after all."

Luna's expression turned decidedly sullen as she shook her head. "We're afraid that we know very little in comparison. Even during the time we spent with him, he can be extremely difficult to glean information from, especially concerning his past."

She quickly shifted her expression to a small smile. "Even with that being said, we can say that he himself is very new to our world. So as a warning, you might find that you're the one that is going to be questioned."

Celestia became somewhat flustered at Luna's statement. "What exactly does she even mean by saying that he's new to our world?"

Though she knew that pressing her sister would only give her negative results, Celestia was also perfectly aware that her questions were being purposely evaded. This thought began to pull at her strings, serving only to heighten her ever growing doubts.

"It's not as if he could possibly be any true threat in his current condition, though." She did her best to reassure herself. "He could easily be subdued if he turns out to be aggressive in any manner."

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath to calm herself. "Yes, there should no reason to worry at all. Everything is going to be just fine . . . I'm sure of it."

A tap on her side roused Celestia from her contemplations. "Are you alright sister?"

She smiled down at Luna and replied, "Why of course; nothing wrong in the slightest. Is there a reason that you asked?"

"You seemed to be a bit dazed for a moment there," Luna answered, pointing forward. "To be exact, the door to the medical wing is directly ahead of us. You were . . . about to walk head first right into it."

Celestia's eyes widened as she looked ahead of her at the large wooden door, quickly confirming what her sister had said. A solitary guard stood to her left, his eyes glued to the wall in front of him, despite no doubt witnessing the Princess of the Sun nearly smack her face into a closed door.

"Ah yes, thank you for alerting me Luna. My mind must have truly wandered for me to not notice that." She made sure to hold her smile as she spoke. "I'm really quite fine though, I can assure you."

Taking a step back, she took a moment to compose herself before addressing the guard. "We've stopped by to check on the progress of our new guest. I take it there have been no incidents involving him?"

"Of course Princess, there have been no incidents to speak of." The stallion's answer was plain and simple. "My companion went in a few minutes ago to check up. He should be able to give you a more detailed report of how things are currently going."

Celestia gave a short nod before opening the door. "Thank you very much. That will be all."

"Of course, Princess," the guard replied, giving a short bow before returning to his post.

Celestia gently ushered Luna in beside her before making sure the door was securely shut behind them both. She knew that it would offer little in the way of actual security, but the simple act of doing it served to calm her nerves in the smallest sense. Looking ahead, she noticed another royal guard waiting patiently to speak with her. Walking up to him, she gently waved a hoof to allow him to speak.

"Good afternoon, Princess Celestia, and you as well, Princess Luna. I wasn't under the impression you would be personally coming to check in so soon." His demeanor was calm, but his voice held back a small hint of anxiety.

Celestia smiled in response. "Good afternoon to you as well. My sister and I just stopped by to make sure our newest patient was in good condition. I have already been informed that there have been no incidents regarding him, is this correct?"

The stallion stiffened marginally upon hearing this. "Yes of course, Princess. No incidents that we have taken notice of. However, there did happen to be a . . . development."

Celestia's surprise managed to curb the words she had ready, giving Luna the chance to answer. "What exactly is it you mean when you say that?"

The guard was quick to voice his answer, obviously taking note of the response he had elicited. "There's nothing wrong, I can assure you both! What happened just . . . well . . . it took us a bit by surprise is all."

Celestia swallowed the lump in her throat and calmly approached the guard. Leaning down slightly, she locked eyes with him before asking. "What kind of development are you trying to say has happened?"

The stallion's breath caught as Celestia stared down at him, but he knew better than to choke up at a moment like this. "Well you see Princess, it's just that the patient is . . . conscious."

The thoughts that had been swirling through Celestia's mind all seemed to stop simultaneously, trying to piece themselves together. She had been so caught up in her own troubles, wondering how she would deal with this new element, she had never even put thought into what might happen were he actually awake when she visited.

"That can't be right though . . . not right at all." She frantically began to think. "It's only been a few short hours since that accident with the tree. From what the medical staff told me, he should still be knocked out cold."

She quickly masked her surprise with confusion, raising an eyebrow at the guard. "Nopony could possibly recover from a wound that severe so quickly. Are you completely certain that this is the truth?"

Luna in turn raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Do you truly have reason to believe that this stallion would be lying to our faces?"

The guard nervously led them to a corner that connected to the infirmary and motioned for them to take a look. Walking over to him, the sisters gently poked their faces around the wall. A few different nurses were making their way up and down the room, with a royal guard posted at each individual corner. A line of white beds stood on parallel sides of the room, at total of six for each wall, each with a retractable curtain for dividers. Two beds down from the left side, flanked by a doctor and nurse, and sitting quietly and calmly . . . was Erebus. Speaking with the two ponies beside him. As if nothing were wrong.

Quickly pulling her head back, Celestia sucked in a deep breath before addressing the stallion. "Exactly how long has he been awake now?"

"Only for about ten minutes now, as far as I know." The guard's eyes nervously shifted. "That's the reason why you weren't informed earlier. We had to make sure that there weren't going to be any incidents that we might have to deal with first."

"We take it then that there weren't any?" Luna casually asked him.

The stallion shook his head. "None at all, as I already explained. When he woke up, he nearly gave the poor nurse a heart attack, but that's the extent of any injuries. He just asked if Princess Celestia and yourself were unharmed and when he might be able to speak with you both. Other than that, he's just sat there answering the doctor's questions and looking around the room."

Luna smiled gently and took a few steps forward. "Well then sister, that settles that. Now then why don't you come and formally introduce yourself with us. If you would prefer to stay here and just let us go instead, then that's just fine, we're sure that would have no effect on your image."

Celestia groaned internally, knowing that Luna wasn't going to let her get away from this. "Very well then, Luna. If you're so anxious to go greet him, then I should know better than to try and go against you."

She reluctantly stepped up beside Luna and the two of them made their way out from behind the wall, the guard following close behind them. They had all barely walked more than a few steps before they were noticed by Erebus. His hood was currently down and Celestia could easily see a warm smile had graced his face.

"Princess Luna and Princess Celestia! I have to say, it's quite the relief to see you both in such good health, especially after everything that happened." His voice was amazingly calm as he spoke.

Luna was quick to return the smile. "Erebus, it is quite nice to see that you recovered so quickly, and are in such high spirits, no less."

Though somewhat confused by how genuinely happy he was to see them both, Celestia urged herself to give a polite greeting. "Erebus . . . good to see that you in such good condition. My sister and I had hoped that we might be able to hold a more peaceful conversation with you at some point after all."

Erebus's smile remained constant and he was quick to nod in response. "Yes! Exactly what I had going through my mind as well! First however, I'm afraid that there is a rather important question that I must ask you."

"What exactly is so important about this question of yours?" Celestia was slightly taken aback by how forward his demeanor currently was.

"Oh, I promise that it is extremely important." Erebus' voice held an almost childlike plead to it.

Celestia mentally shrugged, figuring she may as well here him out quickly. "Um . . . very well then; what is it that you need to ask so badly then?"

"Ah, thank you very much!" Erebus happily replied. "Now you see, the good staff here have essentially checked me out as completely healthy. With how I'm basically a guest here, they've told me that I had to stay here until I received a green-light from you two. Now that you're here, I desperately need to get this off my chest."

He coughed nervously before continuing. "This might seem a bit silly, but . . . do you happen to have a washroom that I could use to clean up?"

. . .

Celestia's jaw dropped ever so slightly, almost not quite knowing how to process the request. She gazed over at Luna, only to see her sister holding a hoof to her mouth, seemingly trying not to laugh. She glanced back over at Erebus, his eyes never seeming to betray any hint of humor.

"That was your important question?" She managed to ask hesitantly.

"Yes. Believe me, I realize that it probably seems a little silly." Erebus was quick to explain. "Trust me on this though, a couple million years in an underground tunnel is never good for personal hygiene."

Celestia's head immediately began to spin. Looking back at Luna, she could now see that she was trying extremely hard not to giggle, to no avail. "D-did you just say . . . a couple . . . million . . . years?"

Erebus developed a somewhat confused look on his face, as if trying to remember something. After a few moments of silence, the confusion dropped away into sudden realization.

"Hehe. Yeah, I'm gonna have to fill you in on that, aren't I?"

Author's Note

Well hello there, it's been a little while hasn't it?

I'm gonna try to put this as bluntly and clean as I possibly can, so just try to bear with me.

In my last note I explicitly stated how I was living at my friend's apartment and using his computer to type up chapters, right?

Well, one morning I woke up...and found out that my friend had hit a 400 lb. moose the night before...

...

I don't want to turn this note into a sob story, so I'll keep it simple.
I packed up my stuff and moved out (it only felt right), and naturally I had to take my time to...adjust to something that sudden.
I eventually found my peace with it, and decided that writing would help to keep my mind from wandering back into any pits.
So it took me a little while, but I finally managed to scrape some money together for a new laptop. With that in hand, I eventually reached the point that we're at now.

In short...I'm sorry for the delay, but sometimes...life just decides to throw a curveball directly at your face.

At any rate, the story will continue.
I'm actually hoping to get some Equestrian canon from all of your perspectives. For example, I thought of adding in some female royal guards, and might still think about it. After looking over a few things however, I decided it might be best if I got some outside opinions on these kinds of things.
So in short, anyone who's able to read into the finer details of Equestrian reality is welcome to offer up suggestions for me to put into effect. Only viable suggestions of course (Rest assured that I do my own research as well).

Until next time then.
Hope you all have a nice day.

Explanations

"There's too many a simple pleasure we all take for granted..."

A content sigh escaped Erebus' lips as he stood motionless, a steady stream of warm water running down his back. For the past half hour, he had been doing nothing more than indulging in the comfort of being able to take a hot shower, with each passing moment only serving to further root him in place.

"You look back on your life, and it's a wonder that so many people can disregard small things like this." He muttered softly.

"Then again, I was always a little easier to please than most other people."

Regardless of his current contentment, he knew the same couldn't be said for Princess Celestia. With the preceding events still fresh in his mind, he was rather surprised the Princess hadn't tried to tie him to a chair and play twenty questions. Looking back, he knew he had caused the poor mare more than her fair share of stress for the day. When he had absentmindedly let slip his actual age, he could of sworn that the alicorn's mind must have shut down. The look on her face and the way she stumbled over her words were telltale signs of the human's lack of tact. Had it not been for Princess Luna's expedient intervention and uncanny ability to placate her sister in the heat of the moment, then he had no idea how the situation would have turned out. Due to Celestia being caught completely off guard, Luna had managed to persuade her sister that allowing some time of actual preparation before a proper meeting would be undeniably beneficial for all parties involved. Following his release from the infirmary, the sisters had been gracious enough to allow Erebus access to a well furnished and guarded guestroom, before departing further into the castle to await a formal audience with him.

Accounting for all the current accommodations that he had been granted thus far, Erebus still couldn't help but know that he was essentially a glorified prisoner at the moment. It was true that Luna seemed to trust him well enough, and the other ponies didn't know enough to make an informed decision. As things stood though, he was going to have to overcome a rather troubling hurdle if he wanted to start gaining any real trust.

"Celestia and I haven't gained anything in the way of common ground, there's no doubt about that." He wiped a hand over his face, clearing the water from his eyes. "Although, it's not like I can really blame her to be honest. She's right to be cautious of me, especially when I've been behaving like an utter moron."

"I know that I've been trying to keep a more carefree attitude towards everything that's happened, but I believe it's well past time that began to take things a bit more seriously."

He sighed, knowing all too well that he couldn't snake his way out of the situation as it was. He was gracious that Luna had been so accepting of his outward appearance...as well as what he actually was. If he was going to be so lucky with her sister though, he was going to need to be careful in regards to what information he divulged about himself.

"If she even begins to believe that I'm lying to her...than I might as well not even bother trying." He gazed at the ceiling in contemplation. "It's likely that she plays the part of the diplomat more often than not. I'll have to keep myself sharp if I need to outflank her."

A knock at the outer door served to interrupt his musings.

"Please excuse me sir, but Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be willing to have an audience with you now." a muffled female voice called out.

Erebus blinked in slight surprise, before scoffing at his own ineptitude. In days gone past he would have had an alarm alert him as to when he should pull himself away from such indulgences. With how comfortable he become, he had actually believed that he could rely on technology that had been defunct for generations.

"Truth be told, I get that nagging feeling my watch doesn't exactly work anymore. It's funny just how slow I've gotten lately."

"Yes of course! Thank you very much for letting me know. I'll be sure to be out and ready shortly!" He called out as he shut off the flow of water.

Reaching through the shower curtain, he grabbed one of two white towels that had been hung nearby, drying himself as quickly as he could. As he stepped out of the tub towards his clothes, he couldn't help but notice how familiar the washroom was in regards to his past accommodations. While the shower was a tad shorter than what he was used to, and the toilet was slightly foreign to him, the rest of the room wasn't really different from what he was used to years ago.

He shrugged as he began to pull on his undergarments and tunic. "It's certainly more decorative than post-apocalyptic architecture, but I suppose function never really changes."

Grabbing his chestplate, he fit it into place around his waist, the ballistic material conforming snugly to his figure. He followed suit with his arm bands, each utilizing the same material as his torso's armor and weighing nearly nothing at all. Kneeling down, he began to secure his combat boots into place, careful to make sure that they didn't catch on any fabric.

He took a moment to examine his ensemble before continuing, making sure that each piece of armor was fit in place accordingly. Despite the set being quite advanced as far as personal armor went, it had been outdated long before humanity went extinct. As such, he always maintained and augmented each individual piece, if only to assure that nothing became obsolete. He nodded in contentment as he reached for his cloak, satisfied that everything had held up so well over the years.

Erebus kept his hood down as he pulled the cloak over his head, knowing that it would help his overall public image. He briefly glanced at a mirror on the wall before continuing, making sure that everything was in order. The inspection wasn't something that he was truly accustomed to performing, instead preferring to simply forgo his appearance.

He huffed lightly and shrugged. "I know that I should be more concerned about how I look, but it's not like I'm going to earn any medals for it. I suppose that as long as I'm presentable, than nothing else should truly matter."

Reaching for the handle, he opened the door and stepped out into the spacious bedroom. Keeping his head on a swivel, he began to walk the perimeter of the room, going over every corner as meticulously as he could. To his mild surprise the room hadn't been disturbed at all, somewhat against his expectations. While he had known that there were guards posted at the room's entrance, he had expected that Celestia might wish to keep a closer watch on him. Despite what he had thought though, he could find no evidence of intrusion or even surveillance anywhere in the area.

Erebus raised an eyebrow. "Definitely odd, but not completely out of place I suppose. I guess it would make more sense for her to maintain transparency."

He shook his head as he walked to the bedroom's exit, trying to rid himself of any anxiety before having to meet with the sisters. Upon pulling open the door however, he was greeted with something that only served to surprise him even more. The two guards that had been posted at the door when he had entered were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a lone unicorn standing patiently a few feet from the threshold.

The mare's coat was a light shade of tan, complimenting her mane and tail, both a slightly darker brown with a few caramel streaks running through. Compared with some of the other ponies that Erebus had managed to meet, she might as well seem modest. Though he couldn't quite make out her face from where she stood, a closer glance managed to catch him a glimpse of a pair of reading glasses perched on her muzzle.

He raised an eyebrow upon seeing this. "Hmm, I'm really gonna have to get used to seeing ponies wearing clothing."

Upon turning and noticing Erebus standing behind her, the pony's ears slicked back slightly and her eyes grew wide. Her breath caught in her throat and she stood motionless, her eyes rapidly moving to assess the situation. Noticing her discomfort, Erebus quickly moved to calm her down.

"Excuse me Miss, I'm truly sorry if I happened to startle you. It's my fault for not giving you more warning before stepping out." He gently pushed his cloak up onto his shoulders, making sure the rest of his body was visible.

Upon hearing Erebus' voice, the mare seemed to relax slightly, managing to let her breath loose and build her composure. She took a moment to push her glasses up before replying.

"N-No please, I'm quite alright I can assure you. Being completely honest, it would be my fault for not being sufficiently prepared to meet you."

Erebus cocked his head to the side upon hearing this. "Ya know, I'm afraid something about that strikes me as rather odd. It's pretty simple to see that you brought no guards here with you. If I might ask, why is it that you're here all by your lonesome to come and pick me up?"

The mare took a moment to think, seemingly lost by Erebus' question, before realizing exactly what he was implying. "Well yes, under normal circumstances foreign guests are usually accompanied by the royal guard whilst escorted. However, the Princesses worked over the matter and decided that it would be far more beneficial if I myself were to walk you through the castle."

"Is this supposed to be some kind of test ?" Erebus scrunched his face up in contemplation.

He shrugged mentally and turned his attention back to the pony. "Well I'm afraid that doesn't answer my question as well as I would like it to. I don't mean to be rude, but is there some specific reason that you happened to be picked, Miss?

The mare just laughed nervously. "It's quite alright, I can understand how you might not know the importance of my escorting you. That being the case, I do that believe proper introductions are in order."

She pushed her glasses up again and smiled brightly before continuing. "My name is Auburn Study, and I happen to be one of Canterlot's leading historians. I was specifically picked out so that I might answer any of your questions about our city."

Erebus smiled in return. "Well it's certainly a pleasure to be able to meet you. My name is Erebus, and I just so happen to be a pretty normal guy."

Study continued to smile but shook her head in disagreement. "While it is a pleasure to meet you as well, I'm going have to respectfully say that you're wrong on that self-assessment. From what I gather The Princesses know very little about you, and I know even less than them. Even with that said, you've been labeled a very high priority guest here. So it's clear to me that you're obviously very important for one reason or another."

A sigh escaped Erebus' lips as he heard this. "Well yes, I wouldn't doubt that my being here has caused a little bit of a commotion. All the same however, I'd prefer not to think of myself as any kind of celebrity."

Study giggled lightly at his comment. "Ah I see, you're more of a modest type then aren't you? That's fine, I can understand that perfectly well. The way you've been received though, you might find yourself explaining that to other ponies more often than naught."

Erebus nodded slightly. "Yes, they're certainly the excitable type aren't they?"

"Alrighty then." He spun around the hallway for half a moment before turning back to the unicorn. "I suppose we should be on our way, shouldn't we? I'd personally hate to keep the royalty waiting."

"You're certainly not wrong there." Study responded, turning to begin down the passage to their right. "This way, the main hall is on the floor above us."

Erebus stepped up beside the unicorn, careful to keep a respectable distance between them both. While he knew she looked comfortable enough, he was better off not spooking her in any way.

As the two began making their way down the hallway, Erebus took this time to begin appreciating the architecture around him. The design was unlike anything he was ever familiar with, being restrained to the uniform style that his City's skyscrapers were constructed in.

The corridor was incredibly spacious, easily capable of making even him feel small. The walls that flanked him were seamlessly woven together by stone, intricate patterns dotting them as well as the pillars that were spaced between. Gazing up, he noticed different sets of tapestries hung about the rafters, each carrying its own unique crests. Beneath his feet was a spacious crimson carpet, the borders lined with carefully woven designs.

Study gave him a quick upward glance. "Admiring the scenery? Canterlot is well known for catching the eye of many an esteemed guest."

The human nodded lightly. "Oh yes, this place is unlike anywhere I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. I'd say it's more an art piece than a building."

Coming up to a spiral staircase, the unicorn responded. "Isn't it though? I don't have all the time in the world to wander around these halls, but I often find myself lost in the various works that line the castle."

"With that in mind, was there anything at all that you happened to be curious about?" She questioned.

"Anything at all?" Erebus shrugged. "How about...age, and just overall construction. Just how old is this castle, and how many ponies did it take to create it?"

"That's certainly a question I get asked quite a bit." Study giggled lightly and adjusted her glasses. "Construction of Canterlot began well over a thousand years ago. It was quite the ambitious project at the time, and thousands of ponies of differing race were contracted to help build it. Some of the most artistic minds to date are said to have been behind the concept, Princess Celestia included. As the castle began to take form, the city steadily began to grow around it, leading to the bustling hub it is today."

The human raised an eyebrow at this. Something about that statement didn't quite sound right to him. "What about Princess Luna? Surely her opinion would have been very important as well, wouldn't it?"

"Well I...oh...you mean you don't already know about that?" The unicorn's eyes shifted, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, but it would be disrespectful of me to speak of that matter to you, especially if you haven't already been told by the Princess herself."

This immediately struck a chord with Erebus. "What kind of matter would she be referring to? If she went quiet that quickly, it's certainly a touchy subject."

Knowing better, he was quick to set it aside. "Don't worry about it, I won't be one to prod. That being said, I have been meaning to ask you something about yourself."

Study raised an eyebrow to this. "Something about me? What exactly did you want to know?"

"Well it's about what you were saying earlier." Erebus shrugged. "With you saying you're one of Canterlot's best historians, I suppose I was just wondering how you became interested in that field of study?"

"One of the best? No, I'm afraid that's only half true." The unicorn laughed in a somewhat melancholy manner. "It's true that I'm on the top of my field currently, but that isn't due to any amount of skill or achievement. It's more due to the fact that...well...I'm one of Canterlot's only historians."

Erebus raised an eyebrow. "Hold up, you can't expect me to actually believe that, can you? You mean to say that in a city as old and large as this one, you're one of the only residents that writes the history books?"

"Unfortunately that would be exactly what I'm saying." Study solemnly replied. "My particular field doesn't find much demand, though I'm not placing blame on anypony for it. In this day and age, Canterlot is more well known as a center of commerce and trade. I suppose it's only a pretty natural conclusion that the Historical Foundation doesn't find quite as much business as it might."

Erebus huffed lightly as the two of them began to ascend up the spiral stairs. It was pretty obvious that this mare enjoyed her work, and took an amount of pride in what she did. The fact that she wasn't garnering the recognition she needed was a bit disheartening.

"It's not like I can say that I'm unhappy with what I have." The unicorn smiled up at him. "In fact, I'm incredibly lucky to have been given my position. Princess Luna was quite adamant that the foundation should be allowed extra funding, and after seeing some of my own work, she decided to appoint me as the director."

"I'm extremely gracious to her for what she's allowed me to do with the position." Her eyes shifted and her ears dropped slightly. "It's still quite the endeavor to keep things aloft though. I'm just one mare after all, and despite the occasional assistance I receive, the job can be a bit taxing."

As the two continued forward, Study's words struck up an idea in Erebus' mind. Something that could be incredibly helpful to both him and this unicorn.

"I should make it a point to bring up this subject with my two gracious hosts..." A small grin worked its way onto his face.

Coming to the top of the stairs, Study noticed this reaction and looked understandably confused. "I'm sorry, was there something I missed? I didn't say anything funny, did I?"

"No no, it's nothing to worry about." Erebus relaxed his grin into a warm smile. "My mind has a horrible habit of wandering off at inopportune moments, I was preoccupied with something."

"Oh, I see then." The unicorn smiled back at him. "I suppose I can relate under certain circumstances, I always tend to have a lot on my mind."

"You know, you're certainly an interesting individual Erebus. If I ever get the chance to see to see you again, I would love to get to know you a little bit better than what time is allowing."

Erebus' smile dropped by the smallest fraction. "Hmm...and what exactly makes you believe that chance is so slim?"

The smallest of chuckles passed its way through Study's lips. "Well I'm sure you know how easy it is to get tied up sometimes, especially when you get mixed up with high ranking political leaders. Not only that, but if you didn't notice...we're not too far off from where we actually needed to go."

Looking out ahead of him, Erebus immediately noticed what he could only assume was the entrance to the main hall. The double doors were absolutely massive, easily reaching almost to the ceiling far above, each intricately decorated with various symbols and markings. Flanking both sides of the entrance were a pair of the royal guards that had been noticeably missing from the rest of the castle.

"Wow, you know I probably should have noticed a door that size." He glanced down at his guide. "You might even start to assume the Princesses were expecting company or something."

Study gave him a glance easily likened to a shrug. "They are royalty after all. I suppose that you can never have enough grandeur when it comes down to a palace."

"I guess you're right on that." He returned with a shrug of his own.

"Well then, this is probably where we'll be parting ways, isn't it?" He gave the unicorn a warm smile. "I can honestly say that I appreciate you taking the time to escort me, I really enjoyed getting to talk with you."

Study adjusted her glasses once more and set a cheery grin on her face. "It was nothing really. I myself enjoyed the time spent with you Erebus, even if it was a tad short-lived, and...well a little awkward."

"Awkward you say?" The human's grin turned sly. "My friend, life is defined by awkward situations. In fact, if you can't find a single awkward scenario throughout your day, then you probably did something wrong."

Study once again pushed up her glasses and raised her eyebrow. "So then, with that in mind, I suppose I had a...good day? Otherwise I think I'm not following you exactly."

"Well, that's the hope at least. Whether or not it's truly good is mere opinion." Erebus replied.

"Assuming this meeting goes smoothly, everyone's hopefully going to have a better day."

Erebus lightly gestured towards the two guards before them. "Well...I get that feeling these two are our welcoming committee. Suppose we shouldn't keep 'em waiting."

Stepping towards the pair of armor clad stallions, Erebus allowed Study to take the lead and announce them both.

"Ahem." The mare briefly cleared her throat before beginning. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important but, I...well...I'm here...as requested, with the uh...individual...the one I was sent to escort."

Both of the guards kept their positions, the closest of them giving only so much as a glance in Study's direction. Erebus assumed that their stoic behavior was mainly in keeping with training and tradition. Even with this in mind, he couldn't shake the assumption that they did this to avoid eye contact with him.

"Yes, Auburn Study." The stallion's words were as concise as his mannerisms. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been awaiting your arrival. They would like to extend their apologies for not being able to thank you personally for your assistance in this matter."

"As per their former instructions." The guard's eyes locked more intently on Study. "They would ask that you exercise subtlety during your return home."

The historian nodded politely. "Yes, I know that I'm not to speak to anypony of what I've seen today. Not until I've been told otherwise."

Keeping his composure the guard shifted his focus to Erebus. "Sir, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would like to speak to you as soon as possible. You are free to show yourself inside whenever you feel that you are ready."

Watching the stallion return his focus to the wall ahead, Erebus shrugged "As simple as that huh? Well, I guess there's no time like the present."

Turning his attention back to Study, Erebus let out a sigh. "Well...I do believe that this is where we'll be parting ways for now."

The unicorn gave him an accommodating glance. "I do believe so. It wouldn't be right to keep the Princesses waiting for too much longer."

Turning to begin walking down the hallway they came from, Study gave him a brief smile. "I shouldn't stay and hold up your meeting. It's been very nice to have been able to meet you. I wish you the best of luck with the political dealings...and perhaps we might run into each other again."

"I'll be holding you to that." Erebus raised his hand in farewell. "I'd certainly like to see that historical foundation that you told me about."

"It would be my pleasure." The unicorn kept her eyes trained on him, nodding before starting her trek back down the hall.

Watching her for a moment, Erebus slowly turned his attention back to the doors behind him. Moving between the two stallions that flanked the massive archway, he reached out his hand and gripped one of the door's large handles. Pulling outwards, he was surprised to find that the door required very little effort to move, despite its size.

"Hmm, I suppose the material is lighter than it seems. It's safe to say that quite the artist designed these."

Pulling himself through the gap he had made, Erebus found himself within a spacious and brightly lit room. His eyes flicked around as they adjusted to the light, taking notice that while the architecture was similar to the rest of the castle that he had seen, this room seemed particularly well furnished in comparison.

Before he could register anything else, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Erebus!"

Fixated on the numerous stained glass windows, he had all but failed to notice a prominent detail. Situated in the center of the room was a large decorative table, a number of wooden chairs dotting the perimeter around the legs. Seated on the chairs closest to him, were the two Royal Sisters.

"Ponies on chairs." The human smothered a chuckle as he looked on. "I could say I've seen it all, but I feel that would quickly be proven wrong."

"We do hope that you didn't plan to keep us waiting all day." Princess Luna flashed him a slight smug grin. "We almost assumed that you had gotten lost somewhere among the castle."

Erebus wholeheartedly smiled. It hadn't been very long at all since he had last seen Luna, her visit to the infirmary being brief though it was. Being able to see her now, he noticed her wounds had been properly cleaned and dressed, and she seems in much better condition than before.

He lightly bowed, doing his best to keep his manner somewhat professional. "Do excuse me, Princess. I didn't mean to make you wait. I was just so caught up in the grandeur of this place, I couldn't help but take a little time."

"Well then, I'm glad that you enjoyed what little of the palace that you've seen so far."

A second voice filled the room, a warm and welcoming tone to it. Shifting his gaze behind Luna, he was quickly met with the gaze of Princess Celestia. Although Luna was situated in front of her, Celestia was easily a full head taller than her sister, and could lock eyes with him quite easily.

"Come now Erebus." A warm smile graced Celestia's face. "Why don't you take a seat with us? We've both been waiting some time now to be able to speak with you."

The man's smile faltered for a moment, but he didn't let it drop entirely. It threw him for a loop that Celestia's demeanor was so different, considering how well his previous encounters with her had gone.

Obliging her request, he took a small step forward. "Well...that's a tad bit disconcerting. I've dealt with a handful of politicians in my life, but she can put on a better poker face than most."

Resolving to keep himself just as level-headed, he continued his stride towards the two sisters. "Of course Princess Celestia. Being honest, I've been looking forward to this myself."

Reaching the table's edge, he stopped and gestured towards the chair across from them. "May I?"

"Of course. We only hope it suits you." Celestia nodded, before tilting her head towards her sister. "Luna and I were unsure on how comfortable you would be sitting in the same position that we do. It has been a considerable amount of time since we had to host any guests of your particular frame."

Bowing and quietly taking his seat, Erebus smiled to both of them. "Rest assured that I would have been comfortable sitting or standing. Still, I appreciate that you took it to mind for my sake."

Princess Luna shook her head lightly at his words. "Oh come now, it should be expected of us to think of about your comfort. After all, you are our guest here.""Luna couldn't have put it more aptly." Celestia spoke up. "Make no mistake that we'll be getting down to the matter of your more permanent accommodations soon enough."

"However, before we begin our discussion..." She turned her focus back to the human and gestured towards the far end of the table. "I would like to ask if there's anything at all you might like for refreshment?"

Looking towards her indication, Erebus noticed a small assortment of fruits, pastries, and beverages resting on a few silver trays. He only quickly glanced over the food, taking notice of an abundance of apples, accompanied by some grapes, bananas, and even a pineapple. He had little idea as to what the beverage could be, only being able to guess when he noticed faint steam rising from the cups. Coming to the modest pile of confections that were included, he immediately had to tear his eyes away, swiftly bringing his attention back to the alicorns.

"No no...no. Sugar is a commodity I cannot allow myself to be distracted by right now. No matter how much it might pain me to let the opportunity slip."

He raised a hand to the sisters. "Thank you kindly for the offer. I would be interested in a glass of tea, if I'm guessing those beverages correctly."

"Of course." Celestia nodded. "Specifically it's lemon honey, freshly brewed. I like to help myself to a glass on regular occasion."

The mare smiled at him, and Erebus watched as her horn began to give off a gentle golden glow. He looked on as two of the tea cups, as well as the saucers they rested on, became engulfed in the same golden aura, and slowly began to levitate their way down the length of the table.

"Hmm, I suppose levitation makes sense when you lack certain fields of dexterity. I'll make sure to add that to the list of things to keep in mind."

Once the cups of warm liquid had reached them both, Celestia gently raised hers and took a small sip, her eyes closing in unison. The cup seemed to stay at her mouth for a moment longer than it should have, a brief silence making itself known during the lapse. Her eyes remaining shut, she slowly lowered the tea back onto the saucer, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Looking down at his own glass, Erebus slowly reached forward, trying to keep decorum by grabbing it by the handle. Bringing the cup to his face, he was greeted by the most well brewed batch of tea he had ever had the pleasure of drinking. The water had already cooled to a pleasant temperature, and neither the lemon nor honey were overpowering of each other.

"This...is amazing." He widened his eyes ever so slightly. "I haven't had too much tea in my time, but I've never had a glass this well prepared."

"Well then." Celestia opened her eyes to meet the man's. "If we're all ready, then I suppose I should start with the basics. Do you know why it is that you're here?"

Setting down his cup, Erebus plainly met her gaze, though he was slightly taken aback by the question. In truth, he had expected the princess to begin with some far more intrusive questions, considering how everything had gone so far. Straightening his composure, he quickly formulated and voiced his reply.

"Well you certainly gave me a question that could have more than a few different answers, but I think I can narrow it down to what you're hoping to hear. The main reason I'm here currently is because I'm a species that hasn't been seen on this planet before, I showed up out of nowhere with no real warning whatsoever, and my arrival here caused more than its fair share of complications that you now have to deal with."

He locked his fingers together and leaned in slightly. "I would take it that's an acceptable answer for you, right?"

"Yes." Celestia nodded lightly. "Forgive me for the blunt wording of that question, but I wasn't sure if you quite understood the magnitude of this whole situation. I needed to make sure that you didn't believe this conversation was just a way for me to place blame on you."

"Not at all, princess." The man replied. "You have all the right to judge me for anything I've done here. I'd feel quite ashamed if I didn't take responsibility for any harm that I've caused, accidental or not."

The mare took a second to process his reply before continuing, her eyes seeming to stare through the words themselves. In that moment, her smile seemed to shift ever so slightly, taking on a marginally more gentle and genuine tone.

"Thank you, for showing such respect on this matter. Though I would like to think that we should all shoulder a portion of this. As we were all involved, it's only fitting that Luna and I take responsibility on this matter as well."

"It's as Luna said, after all." She continued. "You are very much our guest here, not our prisoner. Once everything here has been sorted out, we will do our utmost to ensure that your stay in Canterlot is as comfortable as it possibly can be."

The princess paused momentarily to catch another sip of tea. "I will say that Luna has already taken the time to explain much of what happened up till the point you met me. So while I shouldn't have to ask you about every little detail, there are still a few major and minor details I would like to be informed about."

Erebus nodded affirmatively. "Please, feel free to ask me anything you'd like too, within reason of course."

The Princess of the Sun gently mirrored his nod. "If there is anything we discuss that makes you uncomfortable, be assured that I'll not press you against your will."

"Thank you for your consideration." The man smiled in response.

"Of course." Celestia replied. "Now, there is something I would certainly place at the forefront of my queries. Something that I've been curious about for some time now. May I ask, exactly what species you belong to?"

Erebus subtly raised an eyebrow at this, a slight wave of confusion washing over him. He had expected that Celestia would have already gleaned this information during her questioning of Luna. He'd thought that his companion would have been all too eager to share that particular information, given how enthralled she had been when he had originally told her.

"Unless of course, Luna thought she might upset me if she shared too much info without my consent. Cute... And, it does help to give me a bit more leverage over the conversation."

Deciding to play along with his first reaction, he feigned a somewhat surprised expression. His eyebrows now visibly raised, he began to shift his gaze between the two sisters, doing his best to seem confused.

"Oh, you mean then... Luna didn't already mention this all to you?

The Lunar Princess immediately perked up at his question. "Well, you have to understand! It's not as though we didn't wish to tell our sister all about you, as we certainly did. We just didn't want to overshadow your own insight on the more personal questions."

Erebus internally chuckled, amused he had a chance to rustle some feathers, both in the figurative and literal sense. Turning back to Celestia, he raised his hands and shrugged.

"I can understand why Luna decided not to tell you herself, what with me being some mythical creature and all. If she had just let you know that I'm a human though, it might've been a tad easier for you to get behind."

Upon hearing this, a pair of white furred ears twitched, doing little to hide the surprise of the mare they were attached to. Her eyes slowly growing larger, Celestia did her best to keep her composure, despite how clearly unsettled she was.

"You... You actually said you're a... Human, didn't you?" She stared incredulously at the man. "That is certainly a piece of information that is... Difficult to take in, if not simply hard to believe."

"Well you are the one that asked, aren't you?" Erebus nonchalantly shrugged. "Like I said earlier, I've been around for over a million years, it's not like I have any good reason to lie about this."

The elder sister shook her head, still trying to compose herself. "All of this is very sudden, i-it's just a lot to think about. If you can see it from my perspective, I think you would understand my response."

"Oh believe me Celestia, I can easily see it from your perspective." The human replied. "Much the same as I'm a myth to your people, unicorns and pegasi were just as much legends to humanity. Recently, I've been forced to accept such legends as reality, on quite the short notice I might add."

Luna took this moment to chime in. "Sister, I already explained everything that happened while I was away. If you truly trusted what I was saying, then you should be able to trust what Erebus is saying now."

Celestia split her attention between the two, sighing. "It's like he just said, I'm going to have to accept this, whether I want to or not. After all, I would rather have some information to go off of, rather than none."

"That opens up an entirely new line of questions though." She focused back towards the human. "You would be the first human to ever be introduced to Equestria. May I ask if there are any others of your kind that we are unaware of?"

Erebus bit his lip, his eyes dropping slightly, yet still managing to see Luna's expression mirror his. He found it nice that she was empathetic towards the subject, but knew that it was better for her sister to have no reservations concerning this. Bringing his eyes back up, he voiced his answer as plainly as he could.

"No... There are no others. I'm all that's left, and I have no doubt that won't ever change. I can continue to explain if you wish, but it's not so simple to answer that line of questioning."

He kept his gaze fixed squarely on her, doing his best to let his tone convey the mood. Carefully watching her expression, he knew she had gotten the message, even before she replied.

"I understand." The mare's answer was just as plain as his own. "I'll not press you any further on the matter until you are willing."

Erebus let a moment pass between them, before softening his face and letting on a slight smile. It was refreshing for him to know that he wouldn't be bothered for information that would upset the entire conversation.

"Thank you, Princess. I genuinely appreciate your respect for my privacy." He allowed his smile to widen some.

Celestia politely returned the smile and gently waved a hoof at him. "Please, I would ask you think nothing of it. To dwell on such subjects would be a clear misuse of our time here."

She gently took another sip of tea before continuing. "So Erebus, I'll have to admit that...I don't have very much information to go on here. Considering that I don't have much in the way to prove otherwise, and Luna's story does seem to corroborate this all, I'm have little reason to believe that you are anything other than human. Besides that piece of information though, that's really the most that I know about you."

"So then, I wanted to ask you this before I made any assumptions of my own." Raising a hoof, she pointed directly at the man. "Now that you've been reintroduced to the world, what is it that you plan to do? The world is quite different from the one you remember, and we would all do well to know how you plan to live through these changes."

"There's the question I've been waiting for." Erebus thought softly. "So far, she's been taking this better than I thought."

He cleared his throat before answering. "A very good question Princess, very good indeed. You're right, the world I'm familiar with is long gone, and I'd be a fool to act as if my life was unchanged. However, I think the solution to that problem can be a simple one."

He paused for a moment, before leaning closer to both alicorns. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, how would you respond if I were to ask you to offer me a job?"

The two sisters simultaneously raised an eyebrow at each other, before Luna glanced back at Erebus. "That's certainly a sudden and straightforward question to ask. Exactly what kind of job did you have in mind?"

Erebus nodded in response. "I understand that it is indeed sudden, but I firmly believe that a freeloader is nothing but trouble to anyone that takes them in. I believe it would be a burden off all our minds if was to give something in return for all the hospitality you're showing me."

Celestia took a moment to think before looking over at him. "Never forget that you saved my sister's life, as well as my own. There should be no questions raised to allowing you room and board. Still, that's not to say that I don't agree with your sentiment. I believe taking on a job would be an excellent way to begin integrating you among the larger society."

"So then..." She continued. "Like Luna said, what exactly did you have in mind?"

"I believe that you're well familiar with the young unicorn who escorted me here, Auburn Study?" Straightening himself to his full height, Erebus continued. "During my time with her, she informed me of a historical foundation that she heads within Canterlot. To the point, I hold a firm belief that I could be an invaluable asset within that line of work, as well as offering her some well needed assistance."

A heavy silence hung in the air as the alicorns weighed his request, each staring at the other with various expressions. The moment seemed to drag on for some time before Luna broke the silence.

"In truth we hadn't expected you to ask about such a specific position. Though we should have expected the director to have been passionate about explaining her work to you, she normally isn't so open to most."

Celestia carried on her sister's train of thought. "The foundation has fallen upon some hard times in recent years, and help has been incredibly difficult to find. All the same, we would both like to know what you think you could bring to such a position."

Keeping his tone blunt, the human responded. "Well I've certainly no knowledge in regards to that current world I live in, all the same I'm a veritable archive of information that has been undiscovered for longer than your culture has existed. Not to mention...I'm very good at manual labor."

Luna did her best to stifle a chuckle at that last bit. "Ahem, well that certainly is an intriguing set of qualifications."

Sighing softly at her sister, Celestia addressed Erebus. "I will have to agree with my sister on this point, though I do believe that this would indeed be a worthy pursuit. If this is truly what you wish, I will have to send word to Auburn Study to hear her own opinion on the matter."

She glanced at the windows behind her before continuing. "I do apologize, but it is getting later in the day and we're running short on time before my other duties need attending to. I've already discussed the matter with Luna, and she has agreed to bear the weight of helping to get you settled in more permanently. Before we end this discussion however, are there any questions that you would like to ask either of us, perhaps?"

Though he hadn't been keeping track of the time, Erebus was taken aback by the briefness of the meeting. He had expected a far more inquisitorial stance from Celestia. What took him back all the more was her asking him about any questions. Truly he hadn't thought he would be allowed a word in edgewise, lest it be deemed disrespectful.

One lingering thought came to his lips. "If I can speak plainly Princess, I would only have one thing that's nagging me. I understand the formalities of politics, but why are you treating me like I'm absolutely no danger at all?"

Celestia smiled at him before taking a final sip of tea. "I now know that the earlier ordeal regarding my sister was a misunderstanding, meanwhile you caused more embarrassment to those guards than actual damage. I find little use in holding grudges, but if you had done anything worth truly holding against you...we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Point taken." Erebus nodded.

Carrying on her smile, Celestia gently pushed her chair away from the table and lowered herself down. Luna followed suit and Erebus took his cue and raised himself up. Walking over to him, the elder sister began again.

"Again I do apologize that my tasks must pull me away so soon, but Luna has assured me that you will be settled in with no issues. I do hope that I will be allowed more time in the future to learn more about you, but it may be a while before I'm allowed the luxury of escaping my work."

"It was a pleasure meeting you Erebus." She bowed lightly before turning to walk towards a door at the back of the room.

Luna watched her sister walk away before turning back to look up at the human. "Well, that went about as well as we could have expected it to, given the circumstances."

"She doesn't trust me at all, does she?" Erebus kept his expression stoic.

Raising an eyebrow, Luna responded. "More than you might expect her to, but she has no reason not to be cautious."

Erebus raised his own eyebrow. "Fair enough, and what about you?"

Luna lightly smiled at him. "We are cautious...cautiously optimistic. We truly believe that you have no intent to harm anypony, and we hope there's no reason for that to ever change."

She continued. "But that's enough dwelling on such things, We promised to help get you settled in for the long term, and it would be best to do so before our own duties require attention. So please, follow us."

Turning back towards the large double doors, the princess began making her way back towards the room that Erebus had come from. The human began following close behind, taking note that the walk seemed shorter than before now that he was paying more attention.

Coming up to the bedroom door, Luna stopped and looked up at Erebus. "For the foreseeable future, this will be the quarters that we have set up for you. If there is ever anything that you want or find lacking, you need but mention it to any of the staff ponies on hand."

Erebus nodded, "I think everything is in perfect order as it currently stands, but I'll be sure to keep that in mind if anything comes up."

Returning the nod, Luna continued. "As Celestia stated earlier, we will be the main bearer of responsibility regarding your time here, as such we will be keeping as close an eye on you as we can. However, it should be noted that we will not always be available, according to our daily and nightly tasks. In the times that we are preoccupied with such matters, we have assigned two guards to your person to act in our stead."

"That's understandable." The human affirmed. "So who exactly are the two unlucky guys who have to keep their eyes on me?"The princess gestured to an adjacent hallway, and Erebus noticed to figures approaching that he hadn't been able to see. Coming closer, he immediately realized that he recognized the two guards all too well.

"Erebus, please allow me to introduce you to my personal guard, Nightshade and Overcast."

Author's Note

Hello...

How is everyone doing?

...

It's been a long time. Let's just get that out of the way. It's been a very long time.

Things happen, life happens, one minute it's 2015 and Dark Souls 3 isn't even out yet. The next, the world is on the verge of World War 3 and everyone is playing Elden Ring.

I'll be frank with all of you, this chapter has been in the making the whole time...that's what procrastination can do to you. It should be said that this chapter never really sat right with me. At the time I finished the last chapter, I never realized that I had left off on an awkward situation that would require a decent chunk of filler to resolve...

So I endeavored to resolve with a timeskip that never really felt right. Really this whole bit was kind of a mess. And let me just tell you that my vision of this story has always been rather large in scope, so things like this shouldn't be tolerated.

On the good side of things, time has allowed me to mature a lot of my earlier trains of thought in regards to dialogue and the like. Time has also allowed me to view the entirety of Gen 4 and let me use that knowledge to better enhance the plot elements throughout.

I understand that this isn't much of an apology for any of you that have been sitting there believing that this is dead. I just pray that clearing this one stupid hurdle will allow me to really start putting some effort back into this.

...

I should also note that I may likely need a proofreader to go through these as I try to breath life back into this. I'll hit up some older members if they're still in that business, but if anyone is interested just send me a PM and I'll get back to you.

I'm gonna sleep now...

A Fearless Night

Princess Luna wore a stoic expression, her head raised and her posture as formal as possible. She had always attempted to keep a royal air about herself when addressing her royal guards. This tone was only reinforced upon when she was in the presence of a third party. Celestia had often made this formality a point of amusement whenever she had the chance, but Luna never ceased to believe that it was only proper for a noble to uphold such values.

She was, however, beginning to have doubts.

"Luna, are you okay? You uh... You look like you might have a cramp."

Glancing up at Erebus, she noticed his raised eyebrow and the slight cocking of his head to one side. She supposed she couldn't blame his confusion, given the more lax attitude she had shown him from their first meeting. That kind of behavior would never be displayed in front of her guards though.

"Yes Erebus, We assure you that We're fine." She nodded while maintaining her composure. "Please think nothing of it, there are more important matters currently at hoof."

Erebus shrugged and nodded in return. "Very well then, maybe I should ask my question that actually pertains to said matter."

He gestured at the two thestrals. "Considering recent events, are you sure that is the best course of action?"

"We assume that you're referring to the incident that took place previously." Luna allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. "Your hesitance is understandable, but there is no reason to second guess the professionalism of Our guards. They can easily look past such a simple misunderstanding."

"That is the hope of course. Their wounds were insignificant, but Celestia made it quite clear how easily they were tossed aside."

"If you say so, I have no reason not to take your word for it." Erebus took a few steps toward the two guards and gave them a shallow bow. "Good evening to the both of you, I'd like to formally apologize for my earlier behavior. The situation certainly didn't allow for a decent introduction on my part."

Luna shifted her attention to the guards and soon noticed that, unlike his partner, Overcast's neutral expression was something more akin to a scowl. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Nightshade.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance sir. Princess Luna has explained the matter to us in great detail," He said with a measured tone. "It should be made quite clear that no apology is necessary. You were charged with her safety in that moment, as were we. There's no doubt that you certainly put us to shame in that regard."

Overcast's frown deepened as he interjected. "Hey Nightshade, small talk is all well and good, but maybe you should remember that The Princess has a job to do, and so do we. So could you do us all a favor and cut to the chase already?"

"Of course Overcast, I have no intention of keeping Princess Luna from her duties." He shot his partner a dismissive glance before looking up at Erebus. "It goes without saying that The Princess has already explained matters to you. While she is busy attending to her nightly tasks, we will be assigned to keep general watch over you."

"Now please don't believe that we're here to examine your every move." The thestral continued. "Our task is to assist you in the event that you require anything, and to guide you through the castle if you wish to go anywhere. Otherwise you have general free reign of the premises."

"Just don't go thinking that we're butlers." Overcast quietly grumbled, before noticing the unamused expression that Luna wore.

"Yes, Nightshade's explanation is in line with the orders that We have given both he and his comrade." Luna looked back at Erebus. "Though of course there will be some areas that are off limits to you, you are mainly free to roam the castle as you wish."

Her tone softened and she paused for a brief moment. "It should be asked of you that you remain within the castle for the time being. While the staff has been briefed to contain the information of your arrival, the local residents must not know until a formal declaration has been made."

Looking down at her, Erebus gave her a small smile. "I understand Princess, I'm sure I'll be quite comfortable here for the foreseeable future. Trust me, I've lived in some pretty bad places throughout my life, this is vacation if ever I've had one."

"Now please..." He drew back a few steps to clear her path. "I would hate for you to be late for work on my account."

Luna allowed a small grin to settle on her face. "Very well then, We bid you all a pleasant evening."

She took a few steps forward, the guards moving to allow her passage down the hall. Before going any further, she stopped and turned back to Erebus.

"We'll be sure to call for you the first chance that we have."

The man nodded and bowed. "I'll not keep you waiting, and I'll be sure that I make myself presentable."

Luna nodded in return and slowly began making her way down the hallway, eventually disappearing down a side corridor. An awkward silence settled upon the hall, leaving the two guards and their charge alone in the dimming light, sitting together.

Crossing his arms, Erebus abruptly broke the tension. "So then, how about I make this night easy for the both of you?"

Overcast said nothing, but Nightshade was intrigued. "How do you propose you're going to do that?"

"Oh that's simple," Erebus grinned. "I assume this castle has a library, right?"

Luna slowly made her way down the castle halls, her hooves lightly rapping against the marble floor. Her mind was in a haze, and she was quite busy doing everything she could to try and clear it. She had never considered her life to be mundane, but recent events had certainly rattled view of the world, and today had only begun to bring things into perspective.

"There's a human in the castle."

She slipped over the thoughts even as they came to her. "There's actually a human living in the castle. A human that We have to take responsibility for."

The past two days had gone by faster than she could remember, all the major events mixing and blurring together into a murky soup. Not that long ago she had stood among the towering ruins of a long extinct civilization, but now she could barely call to mind the details. Luna audibly huffed and quickened her pace, frustrated by her lack of focus.

Coming to the familiar spiral staircase, she began to ascend the numerous steps, but stumbled as a sharp pain wracked her hind leg. She quickly turned her head back to spot where her wound had been inflicted, wincing as she expected to see a stream of blood. A shaky sigh of relief left her lips as her eyes settled upon where the wound used to be, the area now barely distinguishable from the bloody mess that it was. Even with the healing spell she had used back in the Everfree, her leg had been subject to intensive medical scrutiny from the moment that they had arrived in Canterlot; indeed, no expense had been spared in the process of her examination, both magical and conventional.

"He-heh, We... We'd nearly forgotten." Her nerves were still on edge from the sudden shock. "We haven't sustained a wound like that in quite some time. Even with the work that went into healing it, We need to remember that not all the internal damage can be dealt with so quickly."

She gazed up at the remaining steps and whispered. "It's best that We take things slowly for the time being, there's no reason to rush."

Starting again, she began making her way up the remaining steps, occasionally flinching. Eventually managing to crest the final step, she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the doors to her bedroom. Biting back the faded pain, her posture straightened just long enough for her to silently greet the two guards that were posted for the night. Pushing open the doors and swiftly closing them behind her, she was quick to drop all pretenses of formality, bracing against the wall and thoroughly stretching her leg until the pain had subsided.

"We would do well not to antagonize the wound in the future."

Gingerly setting her hoof back down, she glanced over at the balcony, taking notice that her sister had already finished lowering the last of the sun's rays. Coming over to the railing, she looked up to see Celestia turning back towards her own room to retire, but not before their gazes locked for a brief moment. Luna didn't have time to read her expression before she disappeared from sight, but she could tell that Celestia was deep in contemplation. The sentiment wasn't lost on her as she gazed out at the starlit night, preparing to raise the moon.

"Sister isn't wrong to be concerned, not after Chrysalis, Sombra, Discord, and... Nightmare Moon have so recently threatened Equestria. Even then, we were no strangers to their intentions."

Luna's horn gave off a gentle cobalt glow as her namesake slowly began to rise over the horizon, before lazily settling itself high above the clouds. Gazing up at her work, the makings of a smile danced across her face for a few moments before falling away. The act of raising the moon had always brought a semblance of normalcy to her life, a focus to keep her grounded in reality and help her clear her mind.

But now it did nothing to calm her.

Looking down at the flickering lights of the city, her thoughts were drawn back to earlier that day. After Erebus had been granted his accommodations both Celestia and herself had withdrawn to the main hall to ready themselves for their meeting. Early in the preparations, it had been Luna's idea to send for Auburn Study in place of the guards, to demonstrate that there should be no reason for mistrust. Though Celestia had initially protested, she eventually relented, moving instead to reinforce Luna's responsibility over the matter. While Luna could tell that her sister was seriously trying to place trust in her, Celestia's words still hung on her like weights.

"I trust you with my life Luna, I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind about that. In the same way, I want to trust your new friend. Just remember that Princess Amore once thought that Sombra was innocent... And his betrayal brought only despair to Equestria."

Even now the words stung more harshly than she would have liked. She knew all too well of King Sombra's seemingly innocent upbringing, and the horrible tyranny that his ambition unleashed. It was an ambition that she had thought she would never fall to, but how wrong she was.

"No! He's not like that, he can't be! We won't believe it!" She slammed her hoof to the floor in frustration. "He's already lost everything and everyone that he ever knew! How can it be fair to pass judgment on him like this?"

A tense moment of silence followed, the sound of her impassioned snorts the only thing filling it. She slowly shook her head and allowed her anger to subside. Yes, she was anxious and frustrated, but she was well aware that an outburst such as this would do no good for anypony. Loath to admit it though she was, it was going to take time and effort for Celestia's trust to be won.

"Sister's approval on this is a matter of considerable importance. If Erebus can gain her confidence, there should be no grounds for anypony else to question his intentions."

Though the anxiety continued to gnaw at the back of her mind, Luna remained faithful that her new friend would be more than up to the task. Though this was his hill to climb, she would help him in any way that she could.

Turning back to her room, she took a deep breath, setting aside the issue for the time being. The night was still young, but recent events had kept her away from her duties for too long already. Any number of ponies could be suffering from nightmares even now, and forgoing her responsibilities any longer would be unacceptable. The thought of such dereliction caused her to frown, even as she prepared herself.

"Every moment plays out in due time Luna, never forget that. Right now, the only moment you need worry about is the current one."

Bringing herself into a more comfortable position, she forced her mind to clear and began gathering a small amount of energy to her horn, no more than was necessary. Even as the magic gave off a gentle glow, the moonlit walls of the room around her began to fade into an encroaching and gentle darkness. Feeling the world fall away from her, she instinctively shifted the spell to run a new course.

Quickly as it appeared, the darkness was pushed back; a multitude of colors and shapes exploding outwards from her field of view. A familiar feeling of weightlessness took hold of her as she cleared her vision and began to look out at her surroundings. Numerous orbs of vivid light and sound began to drift their way past her, each vastly different from the other. Most of these she would only catch glimpses of before they moved beyond her sight; such was the nature of dreams, and her relationship with them.

Nightmares, on the other hoof, were a far more dangerous breed.

The mind is a powerful thing; even more so when allowed the freedoms that dreams can provide. Luna knew well that the mind of a strong-willed pony, when driven to terror, could cause significant damage to not only themselves, but any others within the dream realm. In dire circumstances, uncontrolled fear could even have lasting consequences upon the waking world.

Staring out at the vast starlit plain, she was filled with a sense of growing unease; not due to any surplus of rampant nightmares, or even due to one particularly worrisome vision. What caused her to feel particularly unsettled was something that wasn't immediately noticeable.

"This can't be right, how can there be no nightmares?"

Her eyes began to dart around left and right, scanning each and every dream in an attempt to verify what she was seeing. Even among this vast sea of visions, she knew that any nightmare should be a simple thing to spot; they stood out like timberwolves among sheep, or a scream in the dead of night. Now though, there was no shriek to be heard, no whimpers of fear, no sound whatsoever.

Luna's thoughts were brought back to the night before, when she had flown over Ponyville on her way towards the Everfree. She had been distracted at the time, but even then had noticed that most of the dreams she saw weren't particularly out of place. It had struck her as an odd state of affairs, but she had attributed this to her lack of thoroughness in that moment. With what she was seeing now though, the comparison wracked her nerves even further.

"Certainly this has to be pure coincidence, it wouldn't make sense otherwise." Her brow furrowed as she continued to stare out at her charge.

"If our eyes aren't deceiving us though, and truly nopony is having any nightmares... Can we actually call that a bad thing?"

She asked the question quietly, tentatively even, simply because she already was aware of the answer. No matter how dreadful they could be, nightmares were a simple reality of living; certainly not welcome, but not necessarily evil. She could understand if this night and the last had been the result of good fortune, but any further instances like this would begin to truly unsettle her. After all, her purpose here was to protect ponies from their nightmares, not to be worried they weren't having any.

Although she would have to continue to monitor this turn of events, Luna knew that she couldn't allow herself to go looking for a problem where one may not exist. If this was the way things were, then she had no real option other than to go about her nightly business.

"We can't remember all the times that we've hoped that We might have an easy night. It's almost laughable that We are actually wondering why nothing is going wrong."

A short moment passed by as she floated among the open space, the dreams of her subjects falling past her like brilliant snowflakes. With a sigh, she took one more look out at the dream realm, before ending the spell and bringing herself back into the real world. Immediately the starscape fell away and the familiar veil of darkness quickly drew itself around her. Seconds later, she felt the cool light of the moon resting upon her face, reality beginning to reassemble itself around her.

Clearing her eyes, she stood up and promptly took in her surroundings, looking for any signs of change or intrusion. She was well aware that her guards would have alerted her in the event of any upset or emergency, but the practice had become customary after venturing in and out of the dream realm. Though she had seemingly been gone only a short while, time passed differently in between the two worlds, and it only took her a quick glance at her clock to confirm that she had been occupied for a few hours.

"There's still quite a while before the night comes to an end. It would be prudent to check in with the night guard around the city and ensure that everything is in proper order."

Her words drew her mind back to Nightshade and Overcast, still quite preoccupied with their own orders. She wouldn't be relieving them until much later, but she couldn't help chuckling at the circumstances of their current assignment.

"Truly, we can only hope that Erebus hasn't been giving them too much trouble."

Erebus sat peacefully in front of a large desk, a vast array of books laid out before him, leaving just barely enough space left open for a dimly flickering lantern. The atmosphere was perfect for the type of work he was engrossed in; a dark room illuminated only by candlelight, a calm silence permeating the air around him, only broken by the occasional crinkling of pages being turned.

That, and the ongoing dysfunctional conversation of two armor-clad thestrals.

"Why Overcast? Is there any real reason why you have to be like this?"

Nightshade stood a few feet from Erebus with an exasperated expression. Since the three of them had arrived at the palace library, Nightshade had made a point out of trying to be as helpful to Erebus as he possibly could. The guard wasn't exceptionally knowledgeable when it came to sorting books, but he had still done his best at pointing out specific volumes whenever he could; assistance that Erebus had been more than grateful for.

In stark contrast to his partner, Overcast had done little else other than lazily follow the two around whenever they went off in search of a new book. While at first he had been relatively successful in keeping generally silent, as the night had dragged on he had slowly begun to outwardly show just how miserable he was.

"Hmm, I dunno Nightshade, that's a pretty serious question there." He leaned in to the other guard and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Oh wait, I do know. Maybe it's because I've been bored out of my sober mind for the past two hours?"

Nightshade grimaced and pushed him away. "Really, sober? I can't exactly say that your breath adds any truth to that story."

"At any rate, your lack of entertainment should have no bearing on a mission that was given to you by Princess Luna." He pointed an accusatory hoof at him. "You're a royal guard of Equestria, it might do you some good to start acting like it."

Overcast opened his mouth to respond, but stopped mid-breath, falling back into a frown and grumbling incoherently.

Erebus tried his best to hide an amused smile behind the book he was currently buried in. While his abilities had allowed him to assimilate the native language with relative ease, the prospect of their literature had proven itself a considerable challenge for him to overcome. Most of the volumes he had attempted to study were inscribed in various different alphabets, with some consisting entirely of a form of hieroglyphs. Though he had been able to make some progress with the more modern texts, he had become increasingly frustrated with the book he was currently reading.

That being said, he had welcomed the distraction that his two watchers had provided, finding a fair bit of entertainment in listening in on their banter.

Lowering his book, he craned his neck back towards them. "Gentlemen please, there's no reason to be at each other's throats now is there?"

Sudden realization hit him as both Nightshade and Overcast turned and gave him looks that did nothing to conceal their confusion. He grinned sheepishly as he began rubbing the back of his neck, remembering all too late that just because he understood their language, didn't mean everything translated perfectly between their cultures.

"Right... Poor choice of words on my part." Sighing, he turned to face the two ponies. "That aside, the point I'm trying to make is that we're all soldiers here; there's no reason why we can't at least attempt to get along."

Brushing off his confused look, Nightshade was the first to speak up. "Well, I don't want to seem like I don't appreciate the sentiment, but you should know that Overcast and I have been like this since our first day of training. Though I can't say I'm at fault for trying to keep him in line."

Overcast snorted. "Yeah, well you can't say it's my fault for trying not to be a total stick-in-the-mud."

Nightshade casually brushed him off. "More to the point, what exactly did you mean by 'we're all soldiers here'? You were a soldier for your kind?"

The other guard stole a moment to interject. "He sure don't look like any soldier I've ever seen."

Erebus chuckled at this. "Well it's true that I never wore the standard uniform that was issued, I swore an oath just like everyone else. I fought and shed blood in defense of others, alongside those who died long before you ever existed."

"Also, not be rude..." He tapped the armor on his chest. "Despite being older than dirt, this armor outclasses anything you've ever worn, by miles."

Overcast tried to seem unimpressed. "Armor or not, you should just consider yourself lucky that I was off my game when we first found you."

Nightshade snorted and rolled his eyes. "You know Overcast, having a hangover is a pretty poor excuse of a handicap."

"So what does that say about you then?" His partner shot back. "If you're such a model soldier, then why did you get your shit wrecked only a few seconds after me?"

"Well it's pretty obvious that you ruined all semblance of strategy when you charged in like that." Nightshade quickly deflected the question. "Besides, if he's a soldier like he says he is, then it makes sense that he would have more combat experience than the both of us."

Overcast stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Wow, here I was thinking you couldn't kiss ass any more than you already did."

Erebus huffed and put a hand to his forehead as the two guards continued their bickering. Though at first he had been somewhat amused by their banter, he was starting to believe that his continued presence was just going to exacerbate the situation as time went on.

"I guess I wasn't wrong when I said that we're all soldiers here. I can't remember how many times I've seen this play out in the barracks."

Pushing himself out of his chair, he did his best to mimic a yawn before speaking. "I must say that this has been an enlightening experience. Catching up on some reading after a few thousand millennia, and getting to be properly introduced to you both. However, I do believe that I am well and truly ready to retire for the night."

"Finally, some good news." Overcast sighed with relief.

Pointing at the pile of books, Erebus looked back at Nightshade. "You don't think anyone would mind if I borrowed some of these for a while, do you?"

Nightshade shook his head. "I see no reason why not, as long as you return them. It may not be public, but it's still a library all the same."

"Just thought I should ask before." Erebus politely smiled and turned to tuck a few of the volumes beneath his arm, one in particular catching his interest.

Nightshade and Overcast moved to make their way towards the library's exit, the former addressing Erebus on the way out.

"Once we've escorted you back to your quarters, we'll remain on guard until the sun begins to rise. After the dawn has arrived, we'll be relieved from our posts by Princess Celestia's day guard. It shouldn't be too long after this that Princess Luna should send word for you."

Erebus nodded. "I'll make sure that I'm in proper order before then."

"And I'm sure I'll have more than enough to keep me occupied until then."

He glanced down at the volume that he had nestled under his arm; the very same that had given him so much trouble not long ago. Though he had made little progress with the book since he initially set it down, the title had by far been one of the most difficult points for him to translate.

Predictions and Prophecies.

Author's Note

Hey look!
It didn't take me a year to get this chapter out.

First off, I'd like to give my sincere gratitude to Witchery for helping me to proofread and edit this. (Goodness knows I needed it.)

Secondly, I'd like to ask a general opinion on these types of chapters.
Obviously they have their place, and they drive the story forward. (As they should.)
I just don't want this story to become like Naruto in terms of, "How much filler can we make before we drive a major plot point forward?"

Don't mind my rambling, it's just the way I am.

Chaotic Negotiations

"No, that can't be right either."

Erebus lay unceremoniously upon the sheets of the bed he had been provided, the frame barely large enough to fit him. His hands were firmly locked around the corners of a large book, its cover worn and wrinkled. The candle on his nightstand had long since gone out, but the dim light did nothing to impede his eyes, locked on a passage of the current page.

"This one here," He lifted his hand to trace a certain symbol, his brow set in a deep furrow. "It has to mean 'pieces' or 'components' of something... But what?"

He slid his finger over to the next glyph for the thousandth time in the last hour

"It's not 'order', I've already ruled that out." He scowled as his patience began to wear thin.

In the time since Nightshade and Overcast had left him in peace, he had set to work on translating as much of "Predictions and Prophecies" as he could. His original hope had been to find any mention of mythological humans, or perhaps even an event that may coincide with his own resurfacing; alas, his search had bore no such fruit. After exhausting that particular line of thought, he soon found himself aimlessly flipping through the pages, still struggling with the archaic language.

One term specifically had been causing him a great deal of trouble.

"I'm not even gonna lie, the 'Components of balance' sounds just as stupid as the 'Pieces of Order'."

With a groan he snapped the book shut, laying it on top of the nightstand before throwing his head backwards into the waiting pillows. Of course he knew that it was just pictures in a book, but he still couldn't help but feel mildly defeated at the whole venture. As the room went quiet and he stared up at the darkened ceiling, he slowly began to take notice of an awkward sensation; something he hadn't quite taken to mind since he had arrived in the palace.

"Well... If I didn't know any better, I would say that this almost feels normal."

Of course he knew all too well that this was only partly true. He was living in a beautiful castle, populated with a vast assortment of colorful and magical ponies; normal might not be the best way to describe things. Even knowing how strange this seemed, he couldn't help but draw comparisons to the way he lived so long ago. As harsh as life underground could be, he had rarely ever gone without the amenities and luxuries that The City could provide to those in its service.

A smirk settled on his face. "Back then, I might've killed someone for a bed this comfortable."

Sinking down into the sheets he briefly considered getting some shut-eye for an hour or so. It was true that he didn't actually need the rest, but it would provide him an easy way of passing the time. Not only that, but the warmth of the mattress was proving itself to be highly persuasive.

He had very nearly closed his eyes when he suddenly found himself partially blinded by a myriad of golden beams of light. Confusion followed as he tried to blink away the sudden shift in his vision before giving way to embarrassment as he realized it was sunlight filling the room.

"Ah, right. I guess I really should've expected this."

He glanced over at the nightstand, just barely making out the edge of a clock face, peering out from behind his pile of books.

"And I probably should have paid some more attention to that."

Pressing his hand to his forehead, he groaned and peeled himself off the mattress before grabbing his cloak off the bedpost. He slowly began making his way over to the balcony, pulling the fabric over his shoulders as he squinted against the sunrise. The morning air was brisk, but not so cold as to overpower the warmth of the rays that peeked over the distant horizon.

Bracing himself against the balcony railing, he peered downed at the city beneath. Up until now, he had only had the opportunity to catch fleeting glimpses of the bustling metropolis, obscured behind the decorative windows of the castle. Now though, he found himself thoroughly impressed that any city could incorporate artistic flair on such a massive scale.

Just as it was with the palace, the buildings that crowded the streets were constructed of a pure white marble, adorned with similar lavender and golden rooftops. The streets themselves were paved of the same material, only a few small cobblestones breaking up the pattern. A teeming assortment of trees, shrubs, and flowers brought a beautiful vibrance to an already striking city.

What truly amazed him though, was the mountain that held everything in place.

"Who builds a city like this into the side of a mountain?" He gazed up at the looming formation. "It even has a freakin waterfall. This is some prime fantasy bullshit if I've ever seen it."

Dropping his gaze, he noticed that some of the streets were already becoming lively with the distant sounds and shapes of ponies emerging from their houses.

"To think that this is what rose from the dust of humanity's failure... From my failure." He chuckled at the absurdity of it all.

"Despite everything, I think I can live with that."

He was content to stand and watch the morning unfold for a few moments more, when a sudden knock at the door drew his attention. Wheeling around, he had only taken a few steps before a familiar voice called out to him.

"Erebus? It's Princess Luna. If you're decent, may We be allowed to enter?"

Surprised that Luna herself was here to collect him, and that she was so early, Erebus quickly gave his outfit a once-over. The feeling of self-consciousness was foreign, but not entirely unwelcome.

After he was certain that his clothes weren't about to fall apart at the seams, he called out in response.

"Of course, everything's fine Princess. Please, do come in."

Making his way back to the edge of the room, he watched as the door slowly creaked open and Luna poked her head around the threshold. As soon as their eyes met she nodded and pushed herself the rest of the way through, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"Princess Luna, good morning." Erebus bowed politely.

"Erebus," Luna returned the gesture. "We do hope that you had a pleasant evening."

Crossing his arms, Erebus smirked playfully. "Well it's certainly a step up from the past eon, although I was hoping for a personal swimming pool."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes well, We're afraid that our sister had more pressing architectural concerns... Like the royal spa."
"Jokes aside, we assume that Nightshade and Overcast offered you no trouble?"

Erebus shook his head. "Not at all, the both of them were more helpful than I could have asked for."

"That is very good to hear." Luna smiled, her eyes drifting about the room before noticing the mess of books on the nightstand.

"Ah! We see you've been investing your time in some literature."

Her horn glowed as she selected a few volumes from the pile, observing the titles and skimming through the pages.

"'A Treatise on Equestrian Magic', 'Flora and Fauna of The Mainland', and 'History of The Three Tribes'?"

Luna's eyes slowly widened. "Some of these look like they were published centuries ago, and they certainly aren't page turners. Were they any aid in familiarizing you with our world?"

Erebus rubbed the back of his neck, not enthusiastic about the answer to her question. Although he had curated his selection of books with the intention of learning all that he could, his poor translation ability had done little to grant him any valuable insights.

"Ehhh... You could say something like that."

"Oh!" Luna carefully returned the books to the pile. "Well We hope that you will continue your pursuits."

"Princess, I don't mean to change the subject, but what brings you here so early?" Erebus asked. "I'm not complaining, I just remember you saying that you would send for me. I also wouldn't expect someone with your responsibilities to be keen on mornings."

"Your question is understandable." Luna sighed. "Normally, We aren't a morning pony; Celestia will be the first to attest to that. It just so happened that last night was... Less exhausting than usual, so We decided to use such an opportunity to collect you personally."

Erebus just barely took notice of the disquiet in her tone, subtle though it was. Still, it was none of his business, and he set the thought aside.

"Well I am glad to see you either way."

"Likewise." Luna nodded. "Now, We assume that you are curious as to what your schedule will contain today?

"If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't aware that I even had a schedule to begin with." Erebus amusedly raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm against a little organization."

"That may not be the most accurate term to convey what We mean, but it is the simplest." Luna explained. "Remember that you will be allowed most of each day to yourself, but there will be some occurrences that you may be required to attend."

Walking out onto the balcony, she gestured with a hoof for Erebus to follow.

"We know that you've only been in the palace for a day now, but We're certain that you don't want to be cooped up forever."

Erebus shrugged. "Remember, 'forever' is a relative term for me."

"Hah, indeed it is." Luna snickered. "You should still know that Celestia has been going over a few options on how best to allow you into the city proper. She's more than likely to request your presence at some point in the near future."

"There is something else you should know..." She paused momentarily, lightly clearing her throat. "Later today, a royal family from the north will be arriving in Canterlot for an important meeting with our sister; a meeting that We will need attend."

"Ah, politics!" Erebus crossed his arms. "I get this strange feeling that you're going to tell me I'm not invited."

Luna shook her head. "We're afraid that Celestia has requested that you be kept occupied elsewhere while the proceedings are ongoing; you will be on your own for some time."

Leaning forward, Erebus grinned smugly. "Let me tell ya, there's no love lost. I can think of a hundred different things I'd rather do than get caught up in the affairs of the state."

"Yes, well at least you will be enjoying yourself." Luna mumbled. "All the same, there is still some time until We are required." She pointed up at him. "Before then, We had considered that it would only be proper to show you more of what the palace grounds have to offer. Surely you wouldn't mind joining us, would you?"

Erebus was immediately intrigued. While last night had allowed him to become familiar with the library, there was still a great deal about the castle that he wasn't aware of. Knowing that he would be living here for the foreseeable future, a proper tour would allow him some much needed perspective.

"Princess, I would be honored to accompany you." Making his way across the room, he swept the door open and gestured courteously to Luna. "By all means, lead the way."

The lower halls of Canterlot were bustling with commotion. Ponies of all different styles and colors were hurriedly trotting up and down the various corridors, calling out to one another, and generally making themselves as busy as they could. Despite the odd happenings of the past day, the palace staff had long since become accustomed to the potential for disturbances in their daily lives, and as such, knew well how to carry on with their duties regardless.

Quietly humming to herself, a diminutive unicorn made her way down the hall, her eyes barely able to see beyond the cart of freshly dried laundry she was pushing. Turning a corner, she scarcely had time to react before her cart came to an abrupt halt, crashing into something that she couldn't immediately see and sending some of the linens flying off. With a dismayed whinny, she quickly moved to see what had caused the accident.

"Oh my goodness, I hope I didn't hit somepony! Is anypony hu—" She went silent as she saw exactly what had stopped her.

Erebus was stooped over in front of her, a forgiving smile on his face as he reached to pick up the fallen laundry.

"Please, don't trouble yourself Miss. I'm a bit more sturdy than I might seem." He chuckled.

The mare's jaw stood agape, repeatedly failing to come up with any sort of response. Her eyes widened as Erebus shifted, revealing Princess Luna behind him.

"We do apologize for the mess that was caused." Luna said softly.

The unicorn hastily levitated the remaining linens back onto the cart, before bowing to Luna. "O-oh no! No apology is necessary Your Highness!"

"Pray, do forgive my clumsiness, I'll be out of your way immediately." No sooner had the words passed her lips than she had regained control of the cart and scurried down the hall.

Erebus brushed himself off and calmly rested his hands on his hips. "Well, I'd say that one went slightly smoother than the last, wouldn't you?"

Luna looked back at where the mare had disappeared before meeting her companion's gaze.

"We must admit that interaction was less awkward than the few before it. We are still surprised that she spoke to Us at all."

Erebus shrugged. "I'm an unknown variable, you're not. Why wouldn't she address one of her own rulers?"

Luna nodded and the two continued their way down the corridor, Erebus doing his best to give the hallway corners a wide berth.

"We suppose it just seems odd to us because... Well, because the staff usually tends to hold their tongues when in Our presence."

Erebus quizzically raised an eyebrow. "And why is that, if I may ask?"

Luna remained silent for a moment, Erebus noting a brief yet sudden change in her demeanor. Her wings quickly shifted before falling still, and she seemed to have trouble keeping eye contact.

"We are known to be rather old fashioned at times." She lowered her voice. "We also are said to be somewhat... Intimidating to the staff and citizens."

Guessing at her discomfort, Erebus attempted to lighten the mood. "It's a good thing you're with me then, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

Erebus smirked. "Not only am I literally older than dirt, I'm also far more terrifying than anyone might believe you are."

Luna shook her head disapprovingly. "You are far older than Us, but your mannerisms are more open and lenient. To anypony that actually got to know you, you certainly wouldn't come across as frightening."

Something that could be mistaken for a snort escaped Erebus' nose, quickly followed by a gentle but long-winded chuckle. The laughter continued for longer than expected before he composed himself, Luna staring up at him in quiet bewilderment all the while. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. "Still, I'm not sure that you know me as well as you might think."

He shook his head and did his best to wave aside his outburst, an amused smile still hung on his face. "That's neither here nor there, better to just ignore me. After all, didn't you say that you wanted to show me where the kitchen was? Personally, that's a part of the castle I'd love to know about before you get swept away to deal with the day's business."

"Ah... Yes, of course." Luna was clearly unsettled by a response like that one, but did her best to focus on what she had time for. She stopped and raised her hoof down the hall. "Well, from where we are now, the kitchen is partway down that corridor on the left. In fact, if we hadn't gone around past the courtyard earlier, you would find that the kitchen is located almost directly beneath your room."

"Well isn't that a stroke of luck?" Erebus followed her gesture, nodding to her directions. "Not that I have any issue with walking, but I'm glad that I won't have to drag myself across the palace to get a meal."

Luna glanced up at him as they continued forward. "That does raise a good question, you know. What exactly do you eat? The most anypony has seen is when you drank that tea yesterday, and that doesn't explain all that much."

Erebus haphazardly bit his lip before constructing his answer. "Hrmm... Well that depends on whichever answer you prefer, the long or the short."

"Both, We suppose?" Luna did nothing to hide her confusion.

"I'll start with the short." Erebus shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't need to eat anything. It's a side effect of my unnaturally long life."

"Now on that note," He hastily cut off Luna before she could move to question him further. "I still do eat. In fact, there's little I enjoy more than a well prepared meal."

"So then, what's the long answer?" Luna warily questioned.

"The long answer is that I'll eat just about anything." Erebus raised a finger matter-of-factly. "Humans are, by nature, omnivorous; I just take that to the extreme. My body is sustained by unnatural means, and so it stands to reason that nutritional norms need not apply."

"Basically," He put extra emphasis behind his shrug. "My body will never have a reason to reject anything that I eat."

Turning the corner, Erebus could see that his explanation had done little to assuage Luna's thoughts on the matter. Though she was silent for the moment, he could tell from her eyes that she was still attempting to work over the intricacies in her mind. Knowing there was no need to drag on the conversation, he decided to capitalize on her hesitance.

"Listen Luna, it's a lot like breathing... There's never going to be an easy way to explain the mechanics behind it. So instead, just know that I'll happily eat whatever you prepare for me."

Luna's face softened somewhat. "It doesn't make much sense to Us, but We are becoming used to your more enigmatic tendencies. Truly We were just concerned about you going hungry, so We're happy to know otherwise."

The two soon made their way over to a small set of swing-doors, nestled on the left side of the hallway. Moving closer, Erebus immediately noticed a slight increase in temperature, as well as a number of different scents making their way out from the room beyond. Inhaling deeply, he allowed himself to sort through the mixture of aromas, each renewed breath dredging up memories that he hadn't considered in millennia.

"Okay, no lack of necessity is going to keep me away from whatever's in there."

"Princess," He looked over at Luna. "I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorite rooms in the palace."

"Then by all means, go right ahead. That is the whole reason We brought you here." Luna gestured toward the doors.

Nodding and taking a step forward, Erebus reached out his hand and pushed himself through the leftmost door with one clean motion, a gust of warm air rushing to greet him. As he entered he held the door open to allow Luna through, though his eyes remained fixed firmly on the space ahead of him. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the difference in lighting. Many of the halls outside had a number of windows and arches that allowed the sunlight to fill them, while the kitchen was seemingly lit mainly by a large brick oven that sat in the corner. Something else that he quickly took note of was a distinct absence of the artistic flair that permeated much of the palace; the room was clean and well-kept, but not overly embellished.

"A bit more quaint than I might've thought."

Situated in the center of the room was a long counter that lay mostly cleared, with only a cutting board and some knives in clear view. Looking up, a number of drying racks caught his eye, adorned with herbs, braids of garlic, and a few items that he couldn't identify. Lining the back wall were shelves of different sizes, housing items that ranged from books and wooden cartons, to jars that were both empty and filled to the brim with unknown substances.

Seeing Luna slip past him towards the counter, he released his grip and allowed the door to gently swing back into place, before moving up to where she had stopped.

"So Erebus, what would be your 'professional opinion'?" Luna asked, half-jokingly.

Erebus snorted. "I'm afraid that I'm no architectural connoisseur, and I'm definitely not used to seeing so much wood used in furniture." He briefly ran a hand over the grain of the countertop. "All the same, everything looks clean, well stocked, and it smells heavenly to boot. I would say that's deserving of my approval, whatever it's worth."

"We may have asked in jest, but your approval does matter." Luna replied. "You are a guest in Canterlot, it's only fitting that no expense be spared in making sure that you enjoy your stay."

"And I really do appreciate the thought." Erebus couldn't help but smile at her words. "You can take me at my word when I say that I haven't been any more comfortable in my life than I have been over the past day."

Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of creaking wood drew Erebus' attention toward a now open door at the back of the room. Looking on, he spotted a grey coated earth pony stallion making their way out into the kitchen, not immediately aware of him or Luna. As the pony finished closing the door and turned to face them, Erebus couldn't help but prepare for what he expected to be the most likely reaction, hurriedly stepping behind Luna in a vain attempt that she be noticed before him.

An attempt that didn't seem to be necessary.

"Ah! Princess Luna, I certainly wasn't expecting Your Majesty to grace my humble kitchen!" The pony grinned warmly and promptly trotted over to properly greet her. "Begging your pardon if you were waiting on me, I thought I heard somepony, but I was busy checking over the pantry's stocks."

Moving around the counter, the stallion bowed and righted himself, before his eyes fell on Erebus.

"Well I'll be!" The pony's face lit up. "Your Majesty has even brought our esteemed guest to see me as well! I should have dressed for the occasion."

"That's... Not the reaction I was expecting." Erebus raised an eyebrow.

"Myles, truly you're as forward as ever." Luna's response was measured. "We know that We don't visit very often, but you don't need to blow this out of proportion."

"I'm afraid it's just the way that I am, Princess." The stallion chuckled heartily. "Besides, I'm always excited at the thought of meeting somepony so different."

"We suppose you do make a fair point." Luna glanced back at her companion, moving aside and motioning for him to step forward. "Myles, We would like to introduce you to Erebus, the very first human to visit Canterlot."

Moving closer, Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as the stallion looked up at him with a large smile. His last few encounters had been met with a good deal of panic, and even Auburn Study had been fairly cautious upon meeting him. The fact that this pony showed no visible fear or hesitance upon seeing him had caught him slightly off guard.

"Can't say I know much about humans, but you're a celebrity if ever there was one! I must say, It's a damn good pleasure to make your acquaintance Erebus, a pleasure indeed!" The pony dipped his head respectfully and held out his hoof.

Erebus almost instinctively reached out his own hand in kind, drawing back to nearly every person he had ever greeted. It was a full moment before he came to the realization that ponies didn't even have hands to shake, and he was likely misunderstanding the gesture.

Seeing this brief pause, the stallion simply pushed out his hoof a bit further, planting it firmly in the palm of the outstretched hand before him.

His smile only widened as he saw the visible confusion on Erebus' face. "Now don't go and be too surprised. Canterlot plays host to all sorts of diplomats, and I'm a very outgoing fellow. I think you'll find I know how to deal with a handshake."

Rebounding from his confusion, Erebus stared down at his hand for a short moment, somewhat impressed by the confidence he was being shown. Looking the pony in the eyes, he nodded before securing his grip and giving the hoof a firm shake.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, what exactly should I call you by?" Erebus asked.

"Ah yes, of course! There I go getting ahead of myself." The stallion scoffed. "The name's Myles... Myles Raleigh Edison. Frankly I have no idea what my parents were thinking when they thought that up, but I'll have no problems at all if you just call me by Myles, same as everypony else."

"That's an oddly specific name to have."

"Alright then, it's a pleasure to meet you Myles." Erebus shook the hoof once more before releasing his grip.

"So then, with the formalities all well and done, I do want to apologize if either of you were looking for a full meal." Dropping his hoof to the floor, Myles looked back at Luna. "I've a small batch of bagels about to come out of the oven, but a lot of what I made up earlier has already gone off to that fancy meeting you're set to attend."

"Our visit was simply a tour, so there's no need to worry yourself. We will be just fine as We are." Luna replied.

"Myles does make a good point though." She shifted to face Erebus. "If the food has already been delivered to the main hall, it won't be long before Celestia sends somepony off to go and retrieve Us."

Erebus crossed his arms and nodded. "She does strike me as the type to make sure everything is on time and in order. I assume this means you'll be leaving me all on my lonesome to fend for myself?"

Luna's expression turned to mock disbelief. "Why, you wouldn't be accusing Us of poor judgment, now would you? After all, We have only the highest degree of faith in you."

"Although," She pointed to Myles, who was busying himself with a large baking tray. "You could always ask him to protect you."

"Ha! I'm quite flattered, Your Majesty. Still, I'm not likely to be doing much 'protecting' with my condition." Myles called out from behind the counter.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" He hastily set aside his work to focus on Luna. "Your Majesty, if it isn't too much trouble, could you give my regards to Captain Shining Armor? It has been a while, and he isn't likely to see me during his visit."

"Of course, We're certain the captain will be glad to know you still think of him." Luna nodded, before positioning herself near the exit, her hoof resting on the door.

"Erebus?" She craned her neck towards him. "We may be occupied for some time, so do try to stay out of trouble."

"I can't promise anything." Erebus merely shrugged. "Trouble has a really bad habit of finding me."

He watched as Luna sighed and pushed herself through the doorway, calling out as she left. "Then let's hope that isn't the case today!"

As her voice faded and the door swung shut, Erebus found himself letting out a sigh of his own, becoming all too aware that he had no real plans for the rest of the day. Certainly he still had some books with him, and while he was enticed at the thought of a few hours of reading in the gardens, he knew that would only occupy him for so long.

"I'm going to have to think of ways to entertain myself, at least until Celestia decides to let me out of here".

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of metal being scraped against metal. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Myles rummaging through the oven with a baking tray, likely removing the bagels he had mentioned earlier. Moving a few feet closer, he decided to see if he couldn't be of some use.

"I uh, I don't suppose you need any help with that, do you?"

"Help? With this?" Myles quickly glanced back from inside the oven, still very much focused on his work. "No need to bother yourself, I'm quite capable."

"I wasn't implying that you weren't. I just remember you saying something about a condition that you had."

Though he couldn't immediately answer, Myles looked mildly confused as he carefully removed the bagels. Gently setting the tray onto the counter, he turned to close the oven door, before a moment of realization suddenly dawned on him.

"Ah, right... That." He nodded. "It's not something I associate with my work, so it didn't register when you said it. I'd have no problem explaining it to you though."

He paused to wipe a bead of sweat that traced his forehead, before locking eyes with Erebus. "You see, I actually used to be a member of the royal guard, believe it or not. Golden armor, clean white coat, stoic expression, and all the bells and whistles that go along with it."

Erebus, now intrigued, leaned a bit closer. "You were a soldier? It doesn't seem like you kept going in that line of work."

"A soldier? That's a generous way to put it." Myles shook his head. "The royal guard doesn't do too much in the way of soldiering anymore. They serve their purpose, but it's a whole lot of ceremony these days."

"And no, it obviously didn't pan out." He turned and brought a hoof up to a spot on his temple. "This beautiful little mark here keeps me from doing anything that's necessary to wear that armor."

Focusing where Myles had pointed, Erebus noticed a patch of fur that didn't seem to match up with the rest of the coat; a well hidden, yet sizeable scar that ran back behind the ears.

"I had the good fortune to pick this up during a misunderstanding with a griffon." Myles explained. "I decided I was going to break up an altercation he was involved in... He decided he was going to shove me off the closest balcony."

"Now us earth ponies are usually regarded to be made of pretty stern stuff. A two story fall though?" He gently tapped the scar and smirked. "Let's just say that I'd never wanted to be born a pegasus until that exact moment. My helmet caved in on my head... Not pretty."

Erebus couldn't help but grimace at the thought. He'd had the chance to see plenty of gruesome injuries throughout his lifetime, and as far as he was concerned, falling was only just beat out by burning. Honestly, the fact that Myles had seemingly recovered so well was somewhat impressive.

"After the whole incident was said and done, the doctors had a field day with me. They did what they could and closed me back up, but everypony knew the internal damage was beyond repair." Myles continued on. "As you can see, it didn't leave me crippled or anything, but it was more than enough to get me a medical discharge from service."

Erebus slowly raised an eyebrow at Myles, intrigued at his openness, but still feeling like he was missing part of the story.

"So then, how exactly did you go from a royal guard to the royal chef?"

"Now that's a very good question, and one I get asked an awful lot." Myles nodded into empty space. "However, the answer is particularly long winded, and I don't have all the time in the world to share it with you today."

"For now, I'll just give you a demonstration of why I'm good at my job. I take it that a tall fella like you could go for something to eat right about now, right?"

Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at Myles' sidestepping the question, but he understood that things were busy around the castle and not everyone would have time to humor him. More importantly, he had to come up with an answer of his own.

"You know, I'm all for taking you up on that offer, but I really have no idea what I would want."

Myles just laughed. "If only I had a bit for every time that somepony told me that. Don't you worry, I'm fairly confident I can scrounge together something that you'll enjoy."

Walking around to the other side of the counter, he stopped to pick up a small woven basket in his mouth, before making his way over to the pantry and slipping inside. For a few minutes, he remained just out of sight, mumbling to himself and shuffling through the contents of darkened shelves. When he finally reemerged he had filled the basket with only a few small items.

Resting his hooves on the countertop, he looked over at Erebus. "Now, I have a decent eye for this kind of thing, and I can tell that you probably eat a fair deal of meat; no judgement on that, it's just the way life is. Usually we have appropriate stock for visitors like yourself, but you weren't exactly expected, so I'm afraid we'll have to make do."

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine with whatever." Erebus answered.

"Not picky eh? That's always good." Myles nodded and began removing the items from the basket, explaining as he went. "Most of what I have here is pretty basic; just some chives, a cucumber, and some capers. Nothing fancy, but simplicity has a quality all its own."

Erebus leaned in closer to the ingredients. Back in the city, hydroponic farms were plentiful, so he was generally familiar with most of the items he saw, excepting the small bottle of capers. What truly drew his eye was a small block of something that had been placed off to the side.

Myles took notice of his interest and placed his hoof over the item. "Oh right, I almost went right past this. We get regular shipments of this cream cheese in from Fillydelphia. It's a bit of a chore to keep it from turning too quickly, but the nobles can't go more than a few days without the stuff."

"Fillydelphia?"

Erebus wasn't exceptionally well taught on Old-World cities, but that name served to bother him profusely.

"Yeah, big city out on the east coast." Myles was busy rummaging through a drawer. "Bit of slum these days if you ask me, but nopony that lives there really seems to care that much."

Erebus looked on as Myles produced a small wooden block with a cutout in the center. He was confused for only a moment, before he watched the cook slot one of the bagels within the object and begin slicing with a nearby bread knife. While he was still somewhat confused by the mere ability for an equine to grip objects with hooves, his astonishment was tempered by the fact that they obviously still needed assistance with tasks that might require more articulation.

He was just considering whether it was worth questioning Myles on his seemingly impossible grip when a sudden sensation caused him to stiffen up. A brief, but indistinct and impossible chill forcing its way across his back.

Even while preoccupied, Myles obviously noticed the abrupt change in demeanor.

"Hey, you okay there? You look like a ghost just passed through you."

Erebus didn't answer, not immediately. Instead, he swung himself around on the spot before glaring intensely at a corner of the room devoid of anything but a few barrels.

Myles gave him a slightly concerned look. "Erebus? There's uh... Nothing there."

Erebus responded without flinching. "No. There's something there alright. No mistaking that."

"Are you sure it's not just a rat? They do occasionally make their way int-"

Myles was cut short by a rather disgruntled snort emanating from the corner.

"A rat?!" A mocking voice followed the sound. "I beg your pardon Myles, but I'll have you know that I don't have a single speck of rat in me!"

Out of the ether, Erebus watched a large and quite disordered creature materialize, its mismatched arms crossed and a scowl set upon its face. He wasn't entirely certain what to make of this newcomer, but he knew that he was intensely unsettled by their very presence.

Myles groaned and spoke up from behind them. "Discord! What have I told you about sneaking around in my kitchen? Scratch that... What have the Princesses told you about sneaking around in my kitchen?!"

Erebus looked on as this "Discord" simply yawned and began leaning itself on empty air, his discomfort immediately growing more intense.

"I'm certain I haven't the faintest clue of what you're talking about Myles. I have all the power I could ever want, and still you throw around accusations like I'd stoop to being some common food filcher!"

Myles just shook his head and tried to focus on putting the bagel together. "Listen Discord, just use the door next time, would you? You know... Like everypony else does."

"Bah!" Discord waved a paw dismissively. "Just as boring as ever! It's a good thing I'm not here for you or your cooking!"

"I take it you're here for me then, am I right?"

Erebus broke his silence but clung loosely to his defensive demeanor, his eyes locked squarely on Discord. He couldn't imagine that the Princesses would allow anything overtly malicious to roam their palace, but he wasn't about to let this one out of his sight.

"Definitely not you."

Discord shifted his gaze from Myles and grinned exuberantly at Erebus. He straightened himself off of his invisible perch and sauntered closer. Even with how tall Erebus was, Discord still had to twist his body to avoid speaking over his head.

"Well well well. You certainly are the astute one, aren't you? I must admit, I'm still somewhat surprised that you managed to see me coming. Nopony ever sees me coming!"

"I have a keen sense for things that can't be seen." Erebus was still forced to tilt his gaze upwards. "That aside, what exactly do you want with me?"

Discord remained unfazed by the stand-offish attitude, opting to simply chuckle and reach his paw forward as if to shake Erebus' hand. "Isn't it obvious? Word gets around quickly in a place as small as this. I'm here to welcome one of the only things on this planet that's older than me! I didn't believe I'd ever find an opportunity to even speak those words."

Erebus looked down at the paw in front of him, then back up to Discord, one of his eyebrows raised.

"Oh come on now!" Discord feigned rejection. "You don't believe I'd do anything mischievous, now would you? You're far too interesting for me to upset you just yet."

Erebus sighed, he wasn't in the mood to deal with this creature but he could tell that they were far too eccentric to leave him alone without getting some attention first. Careful to keep his defenses up, he slowly reached out and grasped the lion paw with his hand before giving it a half-hearted shake.

"There now, you see? That wasn't so hard now-" Discord's face contorted slightly and he wrenched his paw away before he could finish. "Gyaah! Sweet Celestia, your hand is freezing! Do you get any sunlight under that cloak?!"

Erebus had to force himself to keep his face straight, regardless of how badly he wanted to smirk. He might have let his defenses go off a little more strongly than anticipated. He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his right hand, flexing his fingers.

"Sorry about that. I did live underground for a million years after all."

Discord tried to hide his confusion and displeasure. "Yes, well you would do well to hang around Celestia for a few decades."

Behind his counter, Myles was chuckling at the whole exchange. "Oh now that's rich. Discord's usually the one causing that kind of expression."

Discord shot him an icy glare. "With good reason you know! I'm the Lord of Chaos! Even reformed, I can't just go and give up everything about myself."

Myles just sighed. "Relax Discord, there's nothing wrong with some laughter at your expense every now and again."

He shifted his gaze back to Erebus. "At any rate, I just finished up this bagel for you. I know it isn't much, but I've got to keep most of these other ones for later on."

Erebus smiled, walking over to retrieve the food. It was simple, there was no denying that, but he was still certain that it would be incredible after all this time without a proper meal.

"Thank you Myles, I really do appreciate it." He reached out to shake the chef's hoof for a second time.

Myles quickly reciprocated. "No trouble at all sir. And don't you be a stranger to this kitchen. Even if I'm swamped, I'll be sure to have something for you if you ever want it."

"Again, thank you." Erebus reached out and grabbed the bagel, still slightly warm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find a quiet spot to eat this, preferably a courtyard."

Myles quickly spoke up. "Take a left out of here and there's a spot three hallways down. A left and two rights, in that order. It's pretty big so it shouldn't be hard to find."

Erebus nodded. "You're quite the helper, you know that? I don't think I'd get much direction from the other ponies roaming the palace."

Myles shook his head. "Don't think too much on it, I'm sure that they'll come around to you in due time. Especially if they can put up with Discord."

"You do realize that I'm still in the room, don't you?" Discord huffed and crossed his arms. "I'd prefer it if you didn't go and act like I didn't exist."

Myles kept his gaze on Erebus and motioned his head towards the door. "It's probably best you get going. Before he goes and gets bored."

Erebus took that advice at face value. He wasn't entirely certain what Discord was capable of, but he wasn't at all keen on finding out.

"You're probably right on that." He began making his way toward the door. "I don't think the day needs to get any more interesting than it has already."

Before he could take another step, Discord spoke up from the corner, a smug grin on his face.

"Oh... More interesting you say?

"Discord! Don't you da-"

A loud snap echoed through the room.

Luna made her way down each successive hallway, rounding corner after corner. She was moving quickly, but not too quickly; after all, it wouldn't do for a princess to be seen trotting down the halls, much less cantering. As she moved, she tried her best to remain focused on the meeting ahead of her. She had only met with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor a few times since her return, and even then Celestia had done much of the talking. While Celestia had always been adamant that the pair would have no trouble in warming up to Luna, she still felt slightly out of place around them.

"It's clear that Princess Cadance and her husband hold my sister in only the highest of regards. However, We are not our sister."

Rounding out her anxiousness was the thought of leaving Erebus all to himself. Yes, it was true that she trusted him, and Myles would be excellent company. Still, she didn't expect him to remain cooped up in the kitchen all day. He was bound to be wandering the palace at some point. She could only hope that everything went well for him today.

"The smoother things go for him, the smoother this will all be for Celestia."

Her ruminations were cut short as she approached the door to the great hall. She straightened up and did her best to clear her mind as the two guards flanking the door bowed and opened it for her. Making her way through, she was greeted by the sight of her sister standing off to the side of a table laden with food of all sorts. Celestia was busying herself smiling and chatting with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, as well as a few other dignitaries that were set to attend this conference.

Celestia was the first to notice Luna's arrival. "Ah, Luna! It's good that you're here. We were set to begin in just a few minutes."

"Oh good, at least We aren't late."

"Princess Luna!"

As she walked further towards the group, Luna was taken off guard by Cadance moving to greet her, Shining Armor following not too far behind.

"It's so good to see you again! You know, it's strange really. I always thought that we would be meeting a lot more frequently
since Shining and I took charge of the Empire."

Luna couldn't help but smile with a genuine warmth. It was well known that Cadance's enthusiasm was a bit infectious at times. Clearly she took a great deal of her social cues from Celestia.

"Princess Cadance, it is good to see you too. You as well Prince Shining Armor. Though you shouldn't put too much thought into the frequency of these meetings. We can assure you that they are likely to only increase throughout your reign."

Cadance nodded. "I suppose you're right on that. The Crystal Empire is still in need of a great deal of assistance, so I can only assume that we'll be returning regularly, at least until trade and the economy can stabilize."

Shining Armor spoke up. "You can't imagine how much we appreciate your and Celestia's help with this. Even after Sombra's defeat, getting supplies to the Empire has truly been a struggle."

Luna nodded in agreement. She knew well that Sombra had been less then gracious in his first defeat. It had been a wonder that he wasn't able to cause much more damage before his second. It made securing new supply lines all the more important to the Empire flourishing once again.

"We can only imagine as much. Please know that We will do everything under our authority to ensure that both you and your citizens are well looked after."

"We will indeed." Celestia spoke up from behind the trio, carrying the other ponies in tow. "With that in mind, shall we begin these proceedings? I'm certain there will be plenty of time to catch up on other matters afterwards."

"Yes, of course sister." Luna nodded, motioning to Cadance and Shining before finding her seat at one end of the table.

After a few moments had passed and everyone had seated themselves, Celestia smiled and began addressing the assembly.

"Everypony, thank you for being here today. I'm aware that a few of you are here on short notice. I want you to know that your time is very much appreciated. The matter of discussion is certainly one of great importance."

Celestia continued. "Getting to the topic at hoof, everypony should know well that we are here to discuss the strain that is currently plaguing the only efficient supply line with the Crystal Empire, the rail lines. More pointedly, the lack thereof. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, would you please explain the situation from your end?"

"Of course." Cadance replied. "As I'm certain you are all aware, since its return the Crystal Empire has been suffering from a deficit of supplies that are vital to strengthening its economy. This isn't to say that we don't receive supplies, it simply means that the current demand can't be met with the available means. The Empire is much larger than any of the settlements across Equestria, and its infrastructure reflects that."

Shining Armor followed up. "There are a number of settlements to the south that have been gracious enough to offer aid, but they all have to contend with the single line that runs through the mountains. To the east, we only have Rainbow Falls, which isn't nearly large enough to sufficiently offset this."

"Thank you both." Celestia began again. "The way that the situation currently stands, there are no other truly efficient means of large scale transportation through the mountain range. Therefore, the only effective means of remedying this should be the most straightforward. We must commission the construction of a second railroad and more trains to help shoulder the existing one's load."

"For this reason, I've taken the liberty of inviting the current superintendent in charge of railway operations throughout Equestria." She pointed towards a stocky earth pony to her left before continuing. "Thank you for coming, would you please introduce yourself an—"

Before Celestia could finish her sentence, a bright flash and a short but distinct musical note filled the air around them all. Or rather, above them.

Luna looked on in knowing horror as she watched Erebus appear a good few meters above the table, holding what appeared to be a bagel, before abruptly hurtling down onto a waiting bowl of punch. The ensuing chaos was messy, violent, and short-lived, followed closely by a stunned silence. A lone human sprawled out on the table, punch splattered all over himself and Celestia, the both of them sharing nearly the exact same perturbed and haunted expression.

Celestia sat there, her face completely drenched. She didn't make a move, not even a sound. She just remained still, eyes wide and her nostrils visibly flaring. Likewise, what could be seen of Erebus' face was just as stoic. His apparent rage at the situation was much more palpable though, one of his hands tightly clenched into a fist.

The only pony that dared to move was Shining Armor, tearing himself out of his seat and preparing a spell on his horn. He was just about to open his mouth when a fit of raucous laughter erupted from much high above them all.

"Oh my! That... That was better than I possibly could have planned it to be!"

The group looked up to see an extremely elated Discord floating in the air above them. He was currently coiled in on himself due to how hard he was laughing, but he still had his eyes firmly transfixed on the mess on display beneath him.

"You know, it's really a bit odd. I was entirely certain that I was aiming to drop you directly on top of Celestia, and I never miss! This though... This is amazing!"

"Discord!" Luna growled and jumped up. "We may put up with your mischief around the castle on the daily, but this is beyond unacceptable!"

She looked on as Erebus slowly began to pull himself up off of the table, his bared teeth visible for only a second before settling into a scowl. He was absolutely soaked, no part of his armor or clothing spared from the incident, his hair clinging tightly to his forehead. Climbing off of the table, he straightened himself out, sighing through his nostrils before turning to Celestia and bowing more deeply than Luna had ever seen him do.

"Princess Celestia, I... I am mortified that I had any part in thi-"

Celestia quickly raised a hoof, her expression still unchanged.

"This is not your fault."

Without even gazing up to look at him, Celestia shifted her focus to the culprit.

"Discord! Get down here this instant!"

Surprisingly, the Lord of Chaos actually complied. Still chuckling uncontrollably, he snapped his left claw and popped up in the spot where Erebus had once been, a look of pure contentment set on his face.

"Why, Princess Celestia, whatever can I do for you?" He snapped again and a hair dryer appeared in his claw. "Do you perhaps need one of these? I would heavily suggest taking a bath first."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. Luna knew that look all too well. Even for someone like Discord, it didn't bode well.

"Discord, we have allowed you to frequent Canterlot and accepted your more innocent behavior as simply part of your nature. This is completely out of line though!"

"Really? This is what gets to you?" Discord waved a paw nonchalantly. "Have you forgotten what I was capable of before my reformation?"

"Discord!" Celestia snapped. "This is an important meeting that you just ruined! What's more, you involved Erebus in all of this! You will learn boundaries Discord, else I might reconsider the Elements of Harmony."

Discord's face mellowed out slightly, an eyebrow raised. "You wouldn't dare."

Celestia's glare only intensified.

"Oh fine then! I know when my company isn't appreciated."

Without another word, Discord snapped his fingers and vanished from the room in a brief flash of light, leaving just as much a mess as when he arrived. The room quickly returned to an uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by some surprised gasps and the sound of punch dripping off Celestia and Erebus.

"Erebus." Celestia was the first to speak. "I want this to be absolutely clear to you. You take no part in the blame for this situation. That falls entirely upon Discord... And myself, for not giving you any prior warning of his activities."

Erebus nodded, but his tone remained dour. "I understand, Princess Celestia. Still, I can't help but feel somewhat responsible."

"Pay that no mind, it wasn't your fault." Celestia sighed. "For the moment, I'm going to ask the guard to escort you back to your room, just until Luna and I can sort everything out here. That should give you some time to clean yourself off, and allow me some time to do the same and explain your presence to everypony here."

Her gaze softened as she continued. "Just take this time to relax. I'm going to reschedule this meeting for later today. After all this is taken care of, I'll send somepony for you. I'd like to speak with you privately."

Erebus looked disconcerted at that last comment, but he didn't have much time to consider it as Luna came up from behind him.

"Come with Us, Erebus. We'll let the guards know." Luna smiled up at him. "Celestia's right, you did nothing wrong."

Erebus sighed, turning to follow behind Luna. The whole room silently watched as the pair made their way to the door, all eyes trained on the man.

As the two exited, a swirl of hushed murmurs came from the group of dignitaries that had been completely dumbfounded up till this moment. The only ponies that kept their composure were Cadance and Shining Armor, though they were clearly still disturbed by the whole event.

"Princess, are you okay?" Cadance held a look of genuine worry on her face.

"I'm quite fine, Cadance." Celestia huffed lightly but smiled all the same. "A bit of a mess, but still fine."

Shining Armor was quick to interject. "Princess Celestia, who exactly was that?"

Celestia gently raised a hoof. "Patience Shining Armor, I promise Luna and I will explain everything after our current business is concluded."

Raising herself and her voice slightly, she called out to the other ponies. "Everypony, I personally apologize for Discord's unforeseen intrusion. I will be excusing myself for a short time in order to wash up. I'll also send for this mess to be taken care of. In the meantime, I'll ask that you remain here. My sister will return shortly to take my place until I return."

Celestia lifted herself from her seat and began making her way out of the room, doing her utmost to hide how she currently felt. Purposefully or not, Discord had given her a lot to think about.

Chances Taken

Princess Celestia sat at the desk of her personal study, her eyes staring ahead, but nothing besides the slowly falling motes of dust catching her gaze. It was still, quiet, and a stark contrast to what was a very busy schedule. It was a small slice of peace, or at least, that is how she thought of it. In the background, she could hear the sounds of Canterlot outside, the hustle and bustle of the populace, the gentle hoof-beats of ponies going about their daily lives, and the occasional orders from one of her guards as they changed shift. The sounds were all normal, natural, and yet they sounded distant, muted. They felt... far away, almost surreal.

She took in a slow breath and let it out. It hadn't been long since she had taken the second bath of the day, and her mane was still somewhat wet. Luckily for her, none of the others attending the conference had been drenched by Discord's prank. In fact, it was painfully obvious that she had been the main target. As bitter as she had been in the moment, she could deal with it. It wasn't at all uncommon for Discord to ruin a well-laid schedule, and it could have been far worse than getting drenched in punch.

What bothered her all the more was the fact that the meeting had to be postponed in the first place. She had spent over a month coordinating with Cadance and Shining Armor, as well as the railroad administrators, cartographers, and multiple landowners. Add on top of that, that Luna decided to go gallivanting off without so much as a word, and then resurface with the sole survivor of a mythological race. It was a lot to handle.

Right now though, the meeting was admittedly a secondary concern. She had already rescheduled and went through the proper channels for compensating the dignitaries for their travel and accommodation. Right now, what laid more heavily on her mind, was the other victim of Discord's prank; Erebus.

She hadn't spoken a word about it in the moment, but she had seen the look on his face when he been dropped headlong into that punch bowl. She wasn't even certain if he was attempting to hide the expression or not, but the anger was nearly palpable. Discord had since vanished after being idly threatened with a renewed imprisonment, but she just couldn't shake the feeling she was going to receive a report that he had been found tied in a knot and buried under a castle wall.

"No. That's absurd," she muttered under her breath, dismissing the thought. "Discord is nigh invulnerable without the elements. Not even Erebus would be capable of such a thing."

She took in another breath and sighed. She needed a break. Her eyes darted to the side, where a half-finished cup of tea sat. It was likely cold, and probably stale by now, but at this point, she really couldn't care less. With a small show of magic, she lifted the cup and sipped at the contents, her ears wilting ever so slightly. Cold and stale. She put the cup back down and looked ahead again, letting out a rather ungraceful huff.

"Well, I could have made a new pot." She quietly muttered to herself.

She stared down at the cup for a moment longer, before a sudden, sharp knock at her door shook her from her stupor.

"Celestia? Are you in?" Luna's voice called out. "We're here with Erebus."

Celestia had to stifle a groan. She had almost completely forgotten that she sent for them both. She took in another breath and let it out, before sitting up straight, her mane fluffing slightly. She looked to the door.

"Yes. Please, come in."

The door slowly opened and Luna walked in, Erebus following in behind her. Celestia could immediately tell that he was not at all over the previous incident, his expression rather stiff, and his stature noticeably tense, even beneath his cloak. Without a moment of hesitation, he gave a short bow.

"Princess Celestia. I'm still deeply sorry for the disruption I caused earlier. That was unacceptable, and it should not have happened." He said, his voice flat, yet carrying an undertone of barely restrained frustration.

Celestia blinked and cocked a brow. She knew more than well enough that it wasn't his fault. She also knew that he would likely lead with such an apology.

"Erebus, please... there's no need for you to apologize. I'm certain that Luna has already explained Discord's nature to you. You couldn't have prevented what happened." She said, her voice calm and soothing.

"Celestia's right, Erebus. When Discord decides to pull a stunt like that, no one can stop him. It's why he's so dangerous." Luna added, nodding.

"Still, I-" His eyes shifted from Luna to the ground and his tone dropped. "I could've done something."

Celestia couldn't help but take notice of that last comment. Erebus was usually fairly unreadable, but those words seemed to sound far less like idle regret and far more like a statement of fact.

"Could you?" Celestia subtly maneuvered a probe, hoping she might be able to get some insight into the man's thoughts.

As if on cue though, he shook his head, his demeanor shifted to grudging acceptance as he sidestepped the question.

"No... You're right, princess. Just idle musings." He paused and glanced to Luna. "Besides, I'm sure that whatever you called me here for is far more important."

Celestia frowned a bit at the answer. She had wanted to try and press further, but Erebus was rather adept at deflecting her. She knew he was withholding during their first major talk, and she couldn't help but wonder how much of it was true. Still, she had been patient, and she could afford to continue to be.

"It is." She finally answered, before continuing. "However, it does actually pertain to the conference."

"Does it now?" Erebus asked, his eyes raising to meet her own. "And what would that be, your highness?"

Celestia glanced down at her desk, before turning her gaze back up to the both of them.

"As I'm certain you have ascertained by now, I have been in a somewhat difficult situation since your arrival. Housing you in the palace was simple enough, as was informing all of the usual staff, but that fails to account for what happens should you ever leave the castle grounds." She explained, her voice neutral.

"I understand that you were ushered out of the main hall rather quickly, but might I bother you to imagine the reaction of the dignitaries to seeing a human fall out of the sky?"

"Disgruntled... At best." Erebus remarked, crossing his arms.

"Correct. Of course, they weren't all too keen on arguing against my explanation, but we're speaking about only a small group of ponies. The problem here is... If Discord can teleport you withing the palace grounds, he can teleport you outside of them."

Celestia leaned forward and focused her gaze on Erebus, her tone becoming a touch more serious.

"I was preparing to introduce you to the populace on my own terms. I am not prepared to deal with the chaos that would result if he were to drop you directly into the middle of Canterlot."

Luna nodded and glanced to Erebus.

"It is all too likely to be a move he would make. Discord knows how to cause as much trouble as he can."

Erebus simply stood there, silent and expressionless, before casting up both of his hands, palms outward, as if in a gesture of defeat.

"I'm all ears, princess. What do you suggest we do about this?"

Celestia leaned back again, her face softening, if only a little.

"Simple. We throw you into the deep end before Discord does. You, Luna, and I are all going to go down and make a small tour of the capital. If the citizenry sees you with the both of us, I honestly doubt that they'd even bat an eye. They'll be far too focused on their beloved princesses to question a potential foreign dignitary."

"That is... Surprisingly simple." Erebus remarked, his brow raising.

"You say that as if it is an issue." Celestia chuckled lightly. "I'm normally a mare with loads to do. I do head a kingdom, after all. Having a hole forcibly ripped in my well-laid schedule would seem to have its advantages. Under my usual timeline, it might've taken me a full month to organize a formal announcement."

Erebus was silent again, and he rubbed his chin in thought.

"When would you like to leave, then?"

"Immediately." Celestia responded without missing a beat, getting up from her desk. "As I just said, this is the only chance I'll have on short notice."

"Well then, far be it from me to argue." Erebus said with a slight smirk. "I have been wanting to explore the city."

Celestia grinned and turned toward the door.

"Well, we should go then. Before anything else comes up."

With that, the three left the room, the door closing quietly behind them.

As the group made their way throughout the palace halls, towards the main entrance, Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit squished. He was currently being flanked by the two princesses, and personally, they were a bit closer than he was comfortable with. While it was true that he was quite used to Luna at this point, Celestia was another matter entirely.

He knew well that enough she didn't entirely trust him, of which he couldn't blame her for. Between their first meeting, and the rather uneventful conversation from a few days prior, they were hardly much in the way of friends. At the same time, she was trying very hard to be civil, and she was obviously quite practiced at being cordial, if nothing else.

The other issue was, in a world of creatures that barely reached past his midsection, Celestia was the only pony that met him eye to eye, so to speak. She was, if anything, slightly taller than he was, due to her horn. This, combined with her innate wariness, made her a touch less comfortable for him to be around.

"You're awfully quiet, Erebus. Is everything alright?" Celestia's voice drew his attention.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Just in my own mind is all."

"Well, We're hardly surprised. Your first trip into the city." Luna chimed in, glancing over. "Not that you've been in the palace all that long either, but-"

"Oh, I know what you mean." He chuckled. "You forget how nice civilization feels until you've been stuck in a cave for a million years."

"And yet you look even younger than me. I'm going to have to learn that secret." Celestia quipped, a small smirk on her face.

"Who can say? Must've been that wonderful stale air."

Celestia simply snorted in response, as the group neared the front gates. As they got closer, Erebus could see several guards standing outside, the doors already open. It wasn't the guards that drew his attention though, but rather the rather ornate chariot that sat beside them. In passing, Luna had informed him about her personal night chariot, but judging by the paint scheme, and the rather grandiose ornamentation, this could only have belonged to one pony.

"Don't worry, we won't be using the royal carriage today. We'll be walking."

Celestia had clearly noticed him staring, and his silence was likely telling.

"That's... Relieving. I don't think I could ever reasonably handle that much luxury. Even the palace has been a change."

"It is rather extravagant, but, if you haven't noticed, we're both the definition of extravagant. It comes with the territory. Not to mention, the citizens have rather high expectations for any official royal procession. You know, pomp and circumstance, and all."

"It is expected." Luna added. "I myself do not like it, but, as Celestia said, it is part of the job."

"I won't be one to question royalty." Erebus shrugged, as the three reached the gate.

The group cleared the threshold, the guards all snapping to attention, each giving a stoic salute. Erebus couldn't help but find a bit of humor in it. They were clearly taking their jobs seriously, and he wouldn't voice his thoughts, but all the ceremony was admittedly a bit amusing. The more he thought about it, the more he came to agree with Myles' about their actual combat effectiveness.

"Your Highnesses." One guard, apparently the leader, said as he bowed his head. "It is an honor to see you again."

"At ease." Celestia responded, giving a wave of her hoof. "We're simply out on an errand. No need to worry yourself."

The guard stood upright again, before giving a quick glance at Erebus, and then returning his gaze back to the two princesses.

"Of course, Princess." He responded. "We shall not be far if you have need of us."

"Thank you." Celestia nodded, before turning and continuing on down the steps.

As the three made their way down the stairs, and into the city proper, Erebus was finally afforded the opportunity to take in the scenery up close. His view from the palace balcony gave a very good idea of what Canterlot looked like, but being amongst the streets gave him a sense of scale. He was also able to appreciate the architecture, the craftsmanship, and the sheer detail put into every building, statue, and fixture.

"Up close, this is even more ridiculous." He whispered, almost unconsciously.

"I beg your pardon? Was there something you would like to share, Erebus?" Celestia asked, her voice a touch stern, yet tinged with humor.

Erebus blinked and glanced over, coming to the sudden realization that equine ears were a touch more sensitive than any human's.

"Eh... I'll come clean." He shrugged and gestured around the streets. "It's beautiful... But it's literally the most impractical design philosophy I've ever laid eyes upon."

Luna's ears slicked back as she did her best to suppress a snort.

"Sister. I do believe you're being called out." She commented, her own tone playful.

"I fail to see how it's impractical." Celestia shot back, giving a slight pout. "The palace has stood for nearly as long as I have."

Erebus gave her a deadpan stare and pointed back to the palace. "It's built into the side of a mountain and is precariously lopsided."

"It is not-"

"I can only assume that magic is the only reason you're able to hold this city up at all."

"Well if it works, it's not a problem." Celestia retorted in a rather hasty manner.

Erebus merely nodded, a quick smirk drifting across his face. "Which is why I'm leaving the subject there. I simply had to take a moment to look at this from a purely architectural point of view."

"We do believe he has you there, Tia." Luna chortled, nudging the other alicorn in the side.

"Oh, you hush." Celestia replied, rolling her eyes. "Besides, he has a point."

Erebus let out a chuckle. "I didn't think you'd give in so quickly."

"When you're in my position, it aids you not to idly dismiss criticism." She turned to Erebus, a small grin on her face. "But now, we've strayed from the original subject. You're supposed to be seeing the city, after all."

"And I'm well and truly excited to do so." He gave a slight bow. "Please, lead the way, my gracious hosts."

"Well, it'd be a rather poor start to our trip if we didn't show you the markets, right, Luna?" Celestia remarked, gesturing toward an assortment of colorful buildings and various stalls further ahead.

"Indeed!" Luna quickly perked up. "Myles was quite upset after Discord's stunt, but he was especially distraught when he learned the food he prepared for you was ruined. It should be only proper to allow you to sample some of the finer wares in the market."

Erebus couldn't help but agree with that sentiment. While food was a nonissue for him, being around it so constantly was beginning to get to him. Falling on Celestia was infuriating, no doubt, but losing that bagel was a crime.

"I would certainly appreciate that." He agreed, following the two into the marketplace.

It was a far cry from a simple grocery, and there was far from any shortage of options. Everything from fruit stalls, to bakeries, to general goods and cafes littered the street. It was a veritable cornucopia of sights and smells, and Erebus was honestly almost a bit overwhelmed. It was so very different from his own time, and yet, there was an unmistakable foundation of similarity to the city he once knew.

As the group continued down the road, the businesses around him weren't the only thing that his eyes were tracking. He was careful not to directly make eye contact with anyone in particular, but he was curious as to how the citizens might react, both to himself and to the princesses.

As far as the former went, there were a few looks, a few whispers, but nothing he would have called outright hostility. Similarly to himself, most of the ponies were avoiding his gaze, and the only ones who appeared to give him any sort of attention, were the children. Children, it seemed, were the same, regardless of species. They were a lot more curious than they were worried.

"Guess it's true enough. So long as I'm with Celestia and Luna, I'm just another foreign dignitary."

Moving on from his own public perception though, he couldn't help but find something rather perplexing about the rulers themselves. True, every single pony they came across, from stall owners, to casual bystanders, to children, greeted the princesses with an overwhelming warmth and respect. They bowed, curtsied, and in the case of the children, had to be restrained from outright hugging their legs.

The oddity, however, was in how the princesses themselves carried themselves. Celestia was obviously a seasoned public figure, her demeanor was nigh picture perfect. Every smile was warm, every word of greeting was kind to a fault, and she had an aura about her that nearly leeched the admiration off of everyone else in the vicinity.

Luna, on the other hand, was noticeably more subdued. She still gave warm smiles, and she still offered her own words of greeting, but her movements were stiff and somewhat awkward. Her words were not without confidence, but it was clearly a practiced sort of confidence, and that was when she was even coaxed to speak at all. It didn't seem like the kind of thing that that masses would truly notice, much less question. To him though, it was a demeanor laden with the kind of well-tended tension that could only be carried by the truly experienced. Something very different from the Princess Luna he had known up until this moment. He wasn't about to speak of word of his observations to her. Not here. Not now. Still, it was something that he made note of, and it was something that would require his further consideration.

"So, Erebus, where would you like to start?" Celestia asked, pulling his focus. "You have quite the selection here."

He glanced around, looking over the various stands and storefronts. It wasn't as if he were a picky eater, and he would've been fine with anything. At the same time, he truthfully wasn't at all sure where to even begin. The plaza was well and truly packed, and the sheer variety was enough to front his indecision.

"Hmm..." He bit his lip as his head swung from side to side. "I'll be honest, I've no idea where to start. I do believe that I'll defer to the foremost authorities on the subject."

"Authority, you say?" Celestia smirked and raised a brow. "Now there's a bold claim. However... You aren't wrong. I've personally been at the opening of every single business here, and Luna has visited them all multiple times herself."

"Well then, it would seem that I'm in very good hands." He stopped short. "Hooves. Good hooves. Whatever."

Luna let out a chuckle and merely shook her head.

With that, the three set off, and for the next several hours, Erebus found himself essentially getting dragged around the plaza. Every shop, stand, and cafe was visited, and he found himself sampling a bit of everything. It wasn't as if he could complain, of course. He hadn't eaten anything proper in a million years, and now he was being given free reign of a place that would've easily rivaled high society back in the city. Every item was fresh, and every dish was made with care, demonstrating only the utmost dedication and passion.

Of course, the food wasn't the only thing on his mind. While it was invigorating to get out and move among such a lively society, as well as to be given the opportunity to truly taste some of the finer things in life, the true purpose of this excursion was still forefront in his thoughts. While he hadn't exactly been skeptical about the whole plan, he still found that it had actually been rather successful.

The citizenry were clearly a bit unnerved, but their unease was directed towards him and not the two alicorns. As long as he was seen with them, the people seemed to be content. He had to admit that Celestia's decision had been a correct one, and if this were any indicator, then his integration into the world wouldn't be much of an issue.

As the day wore on, the three continued on through the plaza, and soon enough, the crowds had begun to thin, and the shops and stalls had begun to close.

"Ah, I'm afraid that's all we have for the day." Celestia said with a sigh. "The stores close early on weekends. Tomorrow's another weekday, and the stall owners need their rest."

"No issue there. I certainly wouldn't blame them." Erebus agreed, stretching a bit.

"However." Celestia added. "I believe we still have one more stop. There's a particular establishment I'm interested in bringing you too. Someplace quite important actually."

"Oh?" Erebus cocked a brow. "Where's that?"

Celestia's wings rustled in what Erebus almost took as the equivalent of a shrug.

"You'll find out. Luna knows the place."

Luna cocked her head as she began following Celestia. "We do?"

"Of course you do."

Erebus trailed a bit behind the two, as he couldn't help but ponder over where exactly the princess was leading him. The place was obviously somewhere special, but it also obvious that she wasn't going to reveal any details. Not until they got there, at least.

The trio continued through the city, before the path began to slope downward, and the buildings started to become fewer and farther between. Eventually, they ended up in front of a rather large, ornate, and well-maintained building. From what Erebus could tell, it almost seemed like a library of some sort. A very big, very well-cared for, and very, very old library.

"Alright then. What is this place?" He asked, giving the building an appraising look.

"This, Erebus, is the Canterlot Historical Society." Celestia gestured, pride heavy in her voice. "It's the largest historical repository in all of Equestria."

Erebus was silent, and he looked to Celestia, his face deadpan.

"And why are we going in there, exactly?"

Celestia merely smirked and shook her head. "We aren't. We're going in there." She pointed a hoof toward a smaller, far more modest, almost rundown building adjacent to the historical society.

Erebus was beginning to feel like he was being toyed with, and his face must have showed it. Celestia chuckled, while Luna gave a small grin.

"Just come along, Erebus. I promise, you won't regret it."

Without another word, the three approached the building. Celestia, being the leader of the group, sharply rapped on the door with a hoof. The sound was immediately met with a faint crash and the rustle of papers.

"Ow. Ow ow ow." A familiar voice called out, followed by a bit of stumbling, and the sound of a lock turning.

The door creaked open rather audibly, revealing a slightly disheveled, tired looking unicorn. The very same unicorn that Erebus had met on his first day in the palace, Auburn Study. Her glasses were halfway down her snout and she was haphazardly rubbing the top of her head. Upon seeing exactly who her visitors were though, she very well jumped out of her skin.

"P-Princess Luna! Princess Celestia! O-Oh my!" She stammered, trying her best to quickly tidy herself.

Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit bad as he watched her nearly fall over herself in an attempt to formally greet her guests. Her off-balance bow was followed by her glasses sliding fully off her face. With a mixture of a gasp and a groan, her horn lit up with a seemingly practiced precision, a soft amber aura halting the spectacles not an inch from the floor.

"Hmm..." Celestia hummed, her brows knitted and her tone carrying an overt hint of concern. "Perhaps it wasn't entirely prudent of me to give no notice."

Auburn's eyes went wide, and her ears flattened, the light of her magic fading.

"N-no! Of course not, Princess. You are always welcome here, and I assure you, this is simply a matter of my own-"

"Calm, Auburn." Luna interjected, placing a hoof on the mare's shoulder. "Not even We were aware that Celestia would bring us here. It is no fault of yours to be found so unprepared."

Auburn blinked and looked between the two. She was still visibly a bit flustered, but Erebus could see that Luna seemed to have a more immediate calming effect.

"Oh. W-well, yes. I suppose that would be the case." She said, clearing her throat, and adjusting her glasses. "You know me, always buried in work."

"And we are glad to hear it. You have a great deal of responsibility, after all." Celestia nodded.

"Y-Yes. Quite. Now, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, there is." Celestia's gaze shifted from the unicorn to Erebus. "I do believe you are already acquainted with Erebus, are you not?"

"Oh, yes indeed." Auburn looked up and gave a slight smile. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to be meeting you again so soon. I do hope your stay here has been going well."

"All things considered, it's been rather lovely." He replied, giving a half-shrug.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Mhm." Celestia cleared her throat. "That brings me to the real reason we're here. Would it be too much to ask to come inside? It'd be best to continue this conversation out of the open."

"Not at all." She responded, her eyes flicking toward the building next door. "Please, come right in."

Auburn turned and led the three into her office. As Erebus stepped through the threshold, he couldn't help but take the place in. While the exterior had looked like it had seen better days, the interior was the strangest mixture of homey and scholarly he had ever seen. Every piece of furniture was hand-made, and yet each had some form of historical artifact atop or within it. Bookshelves lined the walls, and every shelf was absolutely crammed with tomes, scrolls, and all manner of historical texts. It was a bit messy, but it was the kind of messiness that only comes with having an overwhelming amount of things to keep track of.

"Apologies for the state of things. I don't usually get many visitors, and I'm afraid that my organizational skills fall to the wayside when I'm in the midst of any particular study." She commented, moving some papers off of a chair and gesturing toward it. "I do hope that you'll forgive the clutter."

Erebus walked over and sat down in the seat, a noticeable creak emanating from the old wood.

"No issue here. If anything, I find the clutter a bit comforting." He remarked, shifting his gaze around the room.

"Thank you." She took a seat and looked to the two princesses. "So, what is it that you were needing from me? Whatever it is, I'll certainly be happy to assist."

"I'm quite glad to hear it." Celestia began. "However, this is actually regarding how you can be assisted. Erebus, you see, is actually the reason why we are here."

Auburn glanced between the three and blinked.

"I'm... Afraid I'm not sure I understand."

"Well, as I mentioned earlier, you manage more than your fair share of responsibility in upholding the standards of this institution." Celestia gestured to the building. "While I'm aware that you have some dedicated volunteers, and you're more than capable of handling the workload, there is no arguing that the... Budget, I suppose, has been cut in recent years."

Erebus' gaze turned to Luna as she let out a barely audible grunt of disapproval, seemingly leveled toward Celestia. Auburn, however, appeared not to have noticed, or at least, had chosen not to remark on it.

"Unfortunately, that is the case, your highness. I'm not proud of it, but, I'm also not the type to deny the truth. This institution's funds have been on a slow but steady decline. My volunteers are more than enough to help with the curation and restoration, but it has been some time since we've had the money to spare on funding excavations or expeditions. I've done the best I can with what I have, but it has put me into something of a rut."

"Of course." Celestia nodded, a sympathetic tone in her voice. "But, this is precisely the opportunity we're hoping to present to you."

"An opportunity? What sort of opportunity?"

"The sort where Erebus becomes the newest member of your staff."

Auburn's brows shot up, and her eyes went wide. She looked between the two, before looking to Erebus. His face wasn't quite as surprised as her own, but he certainly didn't seem prepared for the statement.

"I... Excuse me, princess? Did you just say that he's going to work for me?"

"I did indeed." Celestia said matter-of-factly. "He is, quite literally, a walking, talking example of history. While he may not have explicit, academic experience regarding Equestria, he is still quite knowledgeable. Not to mention, he can assist very readily in more physical aspects, such as the excavation, restoration, and transportation of artifacts."

Before Auburn had the opportunity to respond, Erebus spoke up.

"Alright... Look. I'll give you this one Princess. I wasn't expecting this." He threw his hands up. "I know I mentioned this whole idea in passing, but I honestly didn't think you'd take it to heart."

"I gave it some consideration after the fact, but I was wary of allowing you into the city so soon." Celestia admitted. "What with Discord's stunt though, I realized that I needed to be more proactive. I understand that this whole day has been rather touch and go, and I'm sorry for the abruptness, but this bakes three cakes in one oven. You get introduced to the local populace, have a chance to earn your own income, and Miss Study gets a new assistant."

Erebus stared at her for a long moment, his expression a mixture of contemplation and appreciation. It was a sound play, and he knew it. There was no way he could have possibly argued with that reasoning, nor could he have turned down an opportunity to do what he had already asked for. After a few seconds, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"On the fly thinking, and I'd be a fool to say no." He finally replied, a smirk forming on his face. "If Miss Study here has no issues with it, then I'll gladly accept."

Auburn's own mouth had slowly fallen agape, as she watched the exchange, her gaze jumping between the three. Celestia noticed this and glanced back over.

"I understand that this isn't exactly how these things are normally done. I will admit that my decision here was more than a bit rushed, and I apologize for that. Under the proper circumstances, I would have personally asked your permission prior to any of us stepping through that door. I'm not the sort to make executive decisions without due cause, however, and I felt that this would have been an opportunity far too important to pass up."

"W-well, Your Highness, if you'll excuse my forwardness, this is... A lot. It's certainly a good lot, but it is a lot."

"Of course." Celestia's brow knitted. "If it's any consolation, you're under no obligation to accept. Erebus isn't beholden to this decision, and neither are you. I would not dream of putting pressure on you to make a choice right now."

"O-oh, no no. It isn't that, your highness." Auburn responded, shaking her head. "This is a wonderful offer, and it would mean a lot for this institution. The issue is, as I've explained, we haven't had the funds for new acquisitions in quite a long while. While the society is certainly no small contributor to the economy, I can't simply expect the public to just... Give money, out of the blue."

Luna spoke up for the first time in a long time, her voice carrying a rather assertive edge.

"Well, We're certain that a donation would be of no issue. We shall simply arrange an additional budget, and the necessary funds will be supplied."

Celestia's eyes shot to the other princess, her own expression a mixture of surprise and something bordering on annoyance.

"Luna, I can't just-"

"But We can." Luna responded, cutting the other alicorn off. "You are not the only one who can access the treasury, Tia. And besides, you are not the only one who takes responsibility for this nation."

The tension was palpable, and Erebus was actually quite a bit surprised to see this side of Luna. He understood that she could be passionate about something, but this was a very different passion, and it was clearly aimed toward Celestia.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, before Celestia relented.

"Very well." She said, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "We'll arrange for a sizable donation of bits to be transferred. However, we will need a written statement outlining what the money is being used for."

"Of course." Auburn agreed, her gaze turning to Luna. "I am incredibly grateful, Princess Luna."

"It is no trouble at all, Miss Study. We understand the importance of Equestria's history, and this institution is one of the cornerstones of our past."

"Then it is settled." Celestia added, her tone softening. "The funding will be delivered to the society, and Erebus will begin his employment under Auburn Study."

"That it is, Your Highness." Auburn replied.

Erebus stood and gave a half bow, a somewhat bemused expression on his face.

"Well, looks like I'm gainfully employed now."

"Indeed." Celestia gave a warm smile. "In fact, why don't you start tonight?"

"Wait... Tonight?"

"Tonight." She affirmed, her wings rustling. "The Society is open at all hours. You're here, Miss Study is here. She can show you around, explain how the place operates, and answer any questions you may have." She turned to Auburn. "That is acceptable, is it not?"

"Well, I- yes, of course. That'd be fine." She replied, nodding.

"Wonderful." Celestia's eyes shifted back to Erebus. "You can return to the palace when you're finished. The guards will see to it that you're allowed back in. Now, we must take our leave. Good day, Miss Study."

Without another word, Celestia trotted toward the door. Luna lingered a bit longer, a warm smile on her face.

"Apologies for this whole affair being so rushed, Miss Study. We were honestly as uninformed as you were."

"Oh, it's no trouble, princess. It's not as if it was a bad rush, and the payoff will be well worth it. It's nice to have some direction again."

"Indeed." She gave a polite nod, her gaze drifting to Erebus. "We trust you'll be no trouble for the director?"

"None at all, I assure you." He gave her a reassuring grin.

"Well, then. I shall see you later this evening." She said, giving a quick wink, before turning and leaving the room.

As the door closed, a wave of silence quickly fell over the room. The steady ticking of a clock was the only thing that filled the air, as the two new coworkers simply looked at one another. After an uncomfortable amount of time, Auburn tilted her head up to the ceiling, and let out a tired chuckle.

"Well, this is going to be something, isn't it?"

Erebus' mouth opened, but he found that he couldn't quite muster the words. This had been his idea initially, even if he hadn't been the one to execute the specifics. It had come together so fast, and yet, he didn't exactly regret it. At the same time, however, he couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for his new boss. She had just been thrown into the deep end, just as he had, and it had been at the hooves of the one mare that Auburn would never dare to question.

He closed his mouth and shook his head.

"You know, I think we're both thinking the same thing right now."

"Yes, well..." Auburn stood, a weary sigh escaping her lips. "We're going to have to get used to this."

"I'd tend to agree." He looked at the clock on the wall. "So, we've got the rest of the day. Why don't we get started?"

"Yes... Yes, that would probably be for the best." She paused and glanced up at him, her glasses sliding back up her snout. "So, how much do you know about this place, anyway?"

Erebus was silent, his gaze turning to the window. Outside, the sun was beginning to set, and the last rays of daylight were casting an orange glow throughout the sky. His lips drew tight, and he gave a half shrug.

"Well it's a museum, isn't it?" He remarked, his tone not entirely sarcastic. "There were a few in my time, but I'd only ever been to one."

"A museum, yes." Auburn agreed, gesturing around the room. "However, you are now a part of a rather special one. We aren't a mere gathering of historical set-pieces, we also are in charge of securing, maintaining, and archiving every artifact, book, and record from Equestria's past."

"That's an ambitious claim." He replied, crossing his arms.

"It is." Auburn conceded. "Many of the items here are just that. Items. Objects of little consequence, save for the fact that they have an interesting story behind them. There are some though... Some artifacts that would be better kept out of the hooves of the average citizen."

Erebus nodded slowly, already catching on to what she was suggesting. Their society might not have been exceptionally technologically advanced, but the surplus of magic that he had already witnessed only validated the idea of myriad potential arcane items.

"I see." He finally answered. "So you act as a sort of safeguard then? Keeping the One Ring and Excalibur away from the general populace?"

Auburn raised an eyebrow, a curious look on her face. "We actually have many enchanted rings, not just one. And, I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with the other you mentioned."

"Oh. Nevermind." Erebus waved his hand dismissively.

"Regardless, there are many pieces of magic here, some of which are more powerful than others." Auburn continued. "Of course, the most dangerous items are secured under the direct purview of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Anything that might cause an apocalyptic disaster is not on public display, nor will you be in charge of it. Not even I am." She paused for a moment, as if considering. "However, that is not to say that the artifacts we have aren't without danger."

"I'm not one to go poking my nose in dangerous objects. You'll find me far less likely to experiment than most."

"That's good to hear." She replied with a slight smirk. "But I do hope that you're a bit more adventurous than that. There's plenty to be found in the wild, and we've had to cease all of our expeditions and archaeological work due to lack of funding."

"So then this is your big break, isn't it? A new hire and an influx of money?"

Auburn's face lit up at the statement. She very clearly had a passion for what she did, and it was quite endearing. She trotted around the room and approached cluttered desk, using her magic to pick up a map, before unfurling it on a table.

"You have no idea." She responded, gesturing toward the map. "There are many places we've had to stop excavation and research on. Loathe as I am to say it, I haven't even been able to get a full documentation of the Castle of the Two Sisters. With the Princess' backing, however, there is a lot we can do. The Society has always been something of a low priority, so to have Celestia on board is a big deal."

Erebus leaned over and examined the map. Before he could get a good look at the parchment, his eyes were quickly drawn to something rather disconcerting. He tilted his head slightly, pulling himself away from the table.

"Um... Auburn?"

"Yes?"

"Do you plan on using any of that budget on getting a professional carpenter in here?"

She blinked, and glanced up from the table. "A carpenter?"

"Look, I understand the situation that the Society's been in, and I'm sure that it's been hard to maintain everything with the amount of funding that you were getting. But I'm a little concerned about the large hole in your wall." Erebus said, gesturing toward the massive crack.

Auburn stared for a moment, before realization lit her face up. "Oh. Oh!" She chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry. That must seem a tad bit odd. That's uh... Well, that's the unfortunate victim of the recent attack on the city."

"Attack?" Erebus actually had to take a moment to let his mind reconcile that information with his current view of Canterlot. He was still trying to come to terms with how peaceful everything was, and now, there had apparently been some sort of assault on the city.

"Yes, the whole affair happened about three months ago. It's actually a long story, but suffice it to say, Queen Chrysalis was able to infiltrate the palace, and Princess Cadance and the Captain of the Guard were able to hold her back, but not before she did a fair bit of damage. The city is mostly back up to par now, but it'll be quite a while until everything is repaired."

"If you don't mind me asking, who's Queen Chrysalis?" He inquired.

Auburn's face dropped, a small amount of color draining from her muzzle. "She's... Nothing good." Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head, a shiver running through her body. "She's the leader of a race known as the Changelings. Nasty creatures, all of them."

"That doesn't sound particularly nice."

Auburn huffed, pushing up her glasses. "Well, that's just how it is, unfortunately. The Changelings are not a pleasant race. They're a hive of vaguely pony-like insectoids, led by a power-hungry queen. They take the forms of others to steal love from ponies. They feed off of the emotion like a food, and it is the source of their magical strength."

Erebus couldn't help but feel quite disgusted by that notion. The idea of a race of creatures, that made their living through deception and theft at such a personal level. He couldn't help but grind his teeth at the mere thought of it. While his species might not have been perfect, the notion of feeding on others like some sort of parasite was something he found particularly vile.

Auburn must have seen the look of contempt on his face, because she quickly cleared her throat, getting his attention once again. "So... Yes. That is what happened, and that's why there's a giant hole in my wall. We've done our best to patch it, but the city engineers are quite backed up with other projects. At any rate, it's not like the changelings are coming back any time soon. Fool me once, shame on them, fool me twice..." She chuckled and shrugged. "Let's just say that Princess Celestia has that whole situation under control."

Erebus nodded slightly, his eyes still locked on to the jagged crack.

"Yeah..." He whispered. "I'm sure she does."

Author's Note

Well hello to all you patient readers. I realize that I never even put out an author's note in the last chapter and I do apologize.

It's been just over a full decade since I started this story, and I almost feel like I'm about back where I started. For those who are newer, I shipped out to basic training just about a month after my first few chapters. Ten years later, and... I'm going back in. The more things change I guess?

I'd also like to give something a try with this new chapter. I understand that people have various different views on AI, so I'd like to sort of... Test the water as it were. I've prompted a few images that give a decent glimpse into the world and characters I'm trying to create. Nothing over the top, just some basic shots and references. I've commissioned artists in the past, but I've never really found that the vision I was looking for really came to life with the final product. Nothing against the artists of course, I simply can't afford the prices these days at any rate.

I'll leave a few of these images for you all (all from previous chapters), as well as the ability to let me know whether or not you'd really care for some occasional visual references to a chapter.

https://imgur.com/a/jbORIqp

Honor Among Wretches

"Mockery!"

Jagged shards of stone exploded off of a crudely carved cavern wall.

"Injustice!"

Another series of shards burst from a second wall.

"Sheer. Dumb. LUCK!!!"

A final volley of stone erupted into a shower of dust as a lance of volatile green light impacted it with devastating force.

Queen Chrysalis stood still as a statue, her head lowered and her breathing shallow. The air around her swirled in agitation and her body shuddered in barely contained fury.

"Luck." She repeated, the single word echoing off of the stone walls. "We had them." She stated, slowly looking up. "We had everything. Their city, their home. We had Canterlot itself!" Her voice raised in volume. "The very capital of the Equestrian civilization, the crown jewel of pony pride, was ours!" She stamped the ground in rage. "And what happens?" She hissed, "We tripped at the finish line!"

The walls shook as the Changeling Queen unleashed a scream of frustration. A storm of energy impacted a far wall in rapid succession, leaving deep scars within the stone. A flurry of motion broke out as she whipped around, aimlessly beginning to pace around the room as a continuous slew of curses flew from her mouth. Changeling drones and warriors alike scrambled out of her way as she walked past. The last thing any one of them wanted was to be in the direct path of their queen's fury. Her anger was only ever matched by her hunger, and this day, both were at a critical level.

"How!?" She screamed. "How, how how how how HOW!? How did this happen to us!?"

Her horn lit up in anticipation of another magical barrage. She had replayed the scene over and over again in her head. Taking the form of Princess Cadance, she was able to deceive even that cow Celestia, the Solar Princess herself! Even after being exposed for what she was, she had finally garnered enough strength to not only challenge her, but beat her in one-on-one combat! After her first devastating defeat by Celestia, she had harbored more than a healthy amount of fear towards her. But that moment. That glorious, glorious look of horror in Celestia's eyes. Chrysalis had savored that look, that feeling. Finally, after years of hiding in shame, years of fear, years of planning, years of waiting... She had everything ready to be crushed under her hooves.

So what happened?

Cadance and Shining Armor had spewed out some drivel about using their 'love' to drive her back. What absolute rubbish. They were beaten. They were defeated. And then... She lost. Every changeling in the city sent flying away in a wave of light. Their queen tumbling with them, screaming in disbelief. It was ridiculous. She couldn't bring herself to believe such an absurdity. Love was no super-power. Love was nothing but a means to an end. A convenient tool. She should know. She exploited that very same tool for her plans.

"Celestia must have done something!" She hissed to herself. "She couldn't possibly allow such an event to occur. Her student beaten? Her kingdom invaded? No. She wouldn't have that." She nodded, reassuring herself. "Yes, yes she must've laid some kind of trap! Some spell. A safeguard." Her eyes narrowed, "I should've expected as much."

She walked out into the central cavern, the heart of the entire Changeling hive. Her jagged throne loomed above her, and her numerous children flew and skittered along every available space on the stone and earth walls, floor and ceiling. The place was bustling with activity as the drones were repairing the extensive damage to the hive's structure.

It had been several months since the incident in Canterlot. In those months, the changelings were not left idle. While they had a firm advantage in the initial assault, Celestia was not the ruler of Equestria because she sat on her royal flank all day. The Changeling Queen had greatly underestimated her proactive capabilities, as the next two months had proved.

A group of three drones approached her as she walked into the cavern, and they immediately bowed their heads in her presence. She nodded in recognition, only giving more than huff due to this group's seniority.

"My queen." One drone began, lifting its head, "We have returned from our scouting assignment."

"What news?" Chrysalis snapped. "Spit it out."

"Yes your majesty." Another of the group said. "We've scouted the entire perimeter of Canterlot, as close as we possibly could."

"And?" Chrysalis pressed, knowing what they were going to say next.

The lead scout sighed and looked away, "We have confirmed that the barrier placed continues to push out further, and has now extended to nearly a half-mile radius from Canterlot. All sides."

The latter drone finished. "Our disguises break immediately when we try to cross the field. Were it not for the cover of night we would've surely been discovered by now."

Chrysalis hissed and stamped her hooves. Another shot of green energy flew from her horn, slamming into a stone pillar across the room, causing it to topple over. Dozens of changeling workers flew and skittered out of the way of the crumbling stone.

"The Solar Witch is thorough. I'll give her that much." The queen muttered.

"Are there no holes in the barrier?" She pressed the scouts.

They all looked to one another and then back at their queen, shaking their heads. Chrysalis hissed and began pacing again.

After their failed assault on Canterlot, any future plans for an invasion were effectively ended by the amount of anti-illusory spells and wards that had been put into effect within the city and its surroundings. Save for brute force, the city was effectively untouchable. Something else was required for her plans to come to fruition.

She huffed and turned towards her throne, not even bothering to look back at the scouts, "That is all. Leave."

The trio of changeling drones quickly flew off as their queen made her way to her throne, her wings buzzing as they lifted her up. As she sat down and gazed upon the massive chamber of stone, she noticed that a significant portion of her drones and workers had left. No doubt for their next assignments. Good. She could use some time alone to gather her thoughts.

Her eyes drifted as aimlessly as her mind. There was no other choice but to look towards other options for the time being. The thought had crossed her mind to utilize the hive itself, but the risk involved with such a strategy could outweigh any possible reward. Her throne would give a sizable advantage, negating any and all non-changeling magic, but it would be of little use if not utilized properly. She couldn't just openly challenge Celestia to attack the hive. She would have to lure her here somehow. But even then, there were other threats to consider. The Elements of Harmony for one. Luna for another.

Chrysalis' brow furrowed at the thought of Luna. She hadn't been an active part in the invasion attempt. Chrysalis was thankful for that much, but that did little to answer for just how powerful Luna actually was. If she was anything close to the stories of Nightmare Moon...

She shook her head and focused her mind again. Luna's power could not be reliably determined at this point in time. There were more pressing issues at hand.

"PHARYNX!" She bellowed.

Not ten seconds later, a large changeling warrior landed on the ground near the throne with a heavy thud. His armor clattered against itself and the floor of the stone platform as he approached.

"Your highness!" He spoke, his voice raspy, "I have come as commanded!"

Chrysalis regarded him somewhat more highly than her previous company. He was not a high commander of her army, but he was reliable and fiercely loyal to her cause.

"I trust you're already aware of the issue at hoof?" She asked.

He gave a deep bow and rose to address her directly, "Yes my queen. Our attempts to invade the city are no longer viable."

Chrysalis nodded, "Precisely. I will have to resort to alternative strategies for the time being. In the meantime, I want you to take charge of our scouting regiment. You are to oversee any and all information regarding Equestria, especially Canterlot."

"Of course your majesty!" The commander replied, "It shall be done!"

The Queen waved him off. She knew he was good at what he did, and it was more than likely he'd be able to uncover some valuable information. As he turned to leave, however, he went still.

Chrysalis frowned, "What are you doing?" She asked, her tone annoyed. "You are dismissed! Do as you've been ordered!"

Pharynx didn't reply. Instead he remained unmoving, as if he was staring off into space at something that was not there. A moment passed, and the queen was beginning to get agitated.

"Pharynx." She snapped.

The warrior's eyes narrowed and his tongue flicked out of his mouth with a low hiss. Chrysalis suddenly got the sense that something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"What are you-"

"Only a fool walks straight into the heart of the changeling hive!" Pharynx growled out to the open air.

He went low, as if he was about to pounce on his unseen foe, but he made no move to advance. His stance remained agitated, his wings imperceptibly vibrating against his chitinous carapace.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen hissed. "Who are you talking to!?"

She was cut short as a sudden stillness overtook the massive hive cavern. The activity from the hundreds of drones and workers came to an abrupt halt, and a dead silence filled the room. Her own eyes narrowed in turn, scanning every inch of the area. The sudden drop of motion in her children could only mean one thing.

A foreigner had entered her lair.

A darkened corner of the cavern caught her eye, and she focused intently upon it. There, a single spot of utter darkness, almost as if someone had taken a knife and sliced out a section of reality itself, began to grow. The more she stared into it, the more she felt the urge to look away, to shield her eyes. Her body shuddered at the mere sight of it, but she could not bring herself to turn her gaze. The dark spot continued to expand until it had formed into the shape of a nebulous doorway.

As her attention remained fixed upon it, her head began to pound with a dull throb. A pressure had begun to exert itself, not only on herself, but everything around her. Pharynx had also noticed, as he was still focused on the same area as his queen, and the other changelings had slowly begun to gather around the strange phenomenon.

As the dark doorway grew, so too did the feeling of foreboding within Chrysalis. It was not the sensation of fear or anxiety that one would normally feel in a threatening situation, but something more... Primal. An instinctual, gut reaction of a body being exposed to something wholly unnatural.

The doorway stopped growing. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Chrysalis watched in rapt attention as a form began to coalesce from within the darkened area. Its shape was tall, nearly impossible so. The very shadows themselves seemed to coalesce into a drape of shifting black fabric, robes as dark as a patch midnight that had never been cleared away. They clung tightly to a tall, lanky frame that was utterly concealed by their folds, save for the gaping hole that was the figure's hood. Even then, only two points of a hollow white light shown through the void, just as empty and lifeless as the abyss around them.

It regarded her in total stillness. She did likewise, but her eyes narrowed as her horn lit up in a green glow. The figure was completely and utterly silent, as it seemed to simply stare her down in response. It said nothing, it did not even acknowledge the changeling army that was amassing at the base of the stone throne.

The two regarded one another, and a battle of wills erupted. The Changeling Queen stared down the dark, towering being, refusing to back down from this invasion of her hive. Her gaze remained as hard as the very stone that the hive itself was carved out of. The stranger, for its part, did not react, did not even seem to regard her presence as even remotely threatening, simply choosing to continue to stare her down.

Movement suddenly stirred, just as disconcerting as the being that initiated it. The thing seemed to arch downwards, and Chrysalis couldn't help the shiver that ran down her body as it moved. Her eyes widened and her horn blazed as her muscles tightened. She was about to strike first, but her mind was racing so quickly with adrenaline that she could barely think to do so. It rose once more, and her breath hitched in her throat. Was that a... Bow?

The Queen of the Changelings did not lower her guard, nor did she allow her magic to fade in the presence of this... Intruder. The darkened being stood tall once again, and she noticed that the shadow that clung to the figure's body was more akin to smoke than fabric, the darkened mist rolling and shifting along its form. The two points of light flickered in their sockets as it addressed the Queen.

"Queen Chrysalis."

The entire hive erupted with an incoherent buzzing. Every drone and worker flew into a frenzied state of panic, flying around and into one another. The Queen herself was taken completely aback, her horn dimming for the moment. The sound that invaded her ears was like nothing she had ever experienced before. There were no words she could possibly describe what her ears had just registered, as they twitched and shuddered at the malfeasant sound. If cold had its own voice, if silence could whisper, it would sound something like this.

"Forgive my sudden intrusion, Queen Chrysalis." It said, and she braced herself as its voice once again assaulted her ears. Each word was slow, deliberate, and felt like its own echo. Like the very air was trying and failing miserably to prevent it from being heard. "I would speak with you."

The hive buzzed incoherently as the Changelings continued to writhe around. Chrysalis' own stomach churned in turn, but she maintained composure. She would not let this thing get to her. Not in front of her own people.

"What are you!?" Chrysalis shouted. At least, she thought she did. The moment she opened her mouth, her voice died in her throat, coming out more like an aggressive whisper than a demand. She was shaken. Badly.

Its head tilted ever so slightly to the side, regarding her, and her question, in what she thought was confusion.

"You may call me The Pilgrim... If you wish to name me." It answered. It was not answering her question directly, and that did not go unnoticed by Chrysalis. "But it is irrelevant. I come to you to present a proposal."

She huffed and stomped a hoof in the stone. Her face scrunched up in anger and her lips curled back to reveal her jagged teeth. "A proposal!?" She spat. "What madness is this? You invade the sanctity of the changeling hive and think to offer us proposals!?"

She was fully prepared to attack this thing, this 'Pilgrim', as it called itself. But she hesitated. Something was very, very off here, and she couldn't put her hoof on what that was. This was no mere creature that she was dealing with. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out.

The Pilgrim's gaze did not falter. Its two points of white light never left Chrysalis, and it spoke again. "Your anger is understandable." It stated. "You have suffered a terrible loss."

The buzzing from the hive increased, as did the frenzied motion of her people. She ignored their commotion for the moment, as her mind processed what this 'Pilgrim' had just uttered. Her eyes widened as her mouth gaped. What!? How could this thing possibly know?

"I am certain that you are acquainted with Princess Celestia."

The Pilgrim's mention of the name caused Chrysalis to hiss, "How do you know that witch?"

"I am a pilgrim, am I not?" It said. "I have frequented these spaces before. But my history is irrelevant. What matters is my proposal to you."

"And just what are you proposing?" Chrysalis spat, her eyes narrowing further. She didn't care about whatever it was offering. She wanted it out, immediately. Her hive, her own children, were being disturbed. Their very minds were in a panic, and she was feeling the strain. She wasn't sure how long she could stand it before she just started screaming.

"I can give you what you desire most." The Pilgrim said. It seemed to be looking at her directly, its white pinpoints of light never leaving their position.

"Oh, and what would that be?" She replied venomously.

The Pilgrim stood in silence for a few moments before it spoke, "I have seen your kind. I have seen the hunger that you carry with you. The desperation for food, for survival." The points of light flickered, "It is a fate that you do not deserve, and I am offering a way out."

Chrysalis' eyes went wide for a moment and she stood in silence, "And what of it?"

"I can ensure that you are satiated." It said. "For eternity, even. You will not need to look for food ever again. Your people will no longer hunger. A peace that not even Celestia can question."

Chrysalis frowned, and looked away in disgust. "And you believe that I want peace?" She chuckled darkly and looked back at him, "I want revenge. I will make Celestia kneel at my hooves. I will not stop until all of Equestria is brought under the might of the Changelings."

The Pilgrim stood still. "Love is not garnered through domination." He stated. "Celestia will be beneath you, do not mistake my intention."

"And how do you intend to make good on such an absurd statement?" Chrysalis challenged. "Canterlot is a fortress. My entire hive could not breach its walls."

"I know this." The Pilgrim said, and the room went quiet, the silence nearly oppressive. Chrysalis was almost certain that her heart would be audible if not for the incessant buzzing around her.

"So why should we care!?" Pharynx shouted, stepping in front of Chrysalis. He stomped the ground and hissed angrily. "Your proposal is a joke! It is a waste of the Queen's precious time, and you will leave here, immediately!"

Chrysalis nodded in agreement. "Pharynx is right. Your proposal is meaningless." She spat. "Leave us now, or face our combined wrath!"

Pharynx went stiff as he was lifted from the ground. Chrysalis looked at him in confusion as he began to hover above her, his body tense and unmoving. The distinct sound of chitin straining under pressure suddenly echoed throughout the room. She looked up at Pharynx and gasped in shock. His neck was being constricted by some invisible force, his face straining with pain and effort. A black mist began to take shape in front of him, coalescing into something entirely new.

The fog shifted, becoming more jagged in appearance, and Chrysalis stepped back in shock as she recognized the shape for what it was. It was a clawed hand, one that belonged to no creature in that she had ever witnessed. It was large enough to wrap around the changeling commander's head completely, which it was using to lift him up into the air. The arm that it was attached to slowly came into view as well, followed by the rest of the newcomer's body.

The Queen stared in disbelief and horror as a large creature materialized from thin air. It stood smaller in stature compared to The Pilgrim, but was far larger than she. Its form was thin, its arms long and ending in massive, clawed hands. The thing looked almost like a skeleton, with black, leathery skin pulled tightly across its lanky frame. The same black fabric that adorned The Pilgrim seemed to also adorn the creature, a ragged skirt that hung off of its thin pelvis, as well as a tattered veil that concealed its face, if it had any at all.

"Feral scum should watch its tongue." A new voice slithered from beneath the veil. The sound of it was far less grating than The Pilgrim's, but it still made Chrysalis wince. It was clearly female in origin, but its tone and pitch were so vastly different to anything the Queen had ever heard before. She sounded...detached. Like she was talking from a great distance. Every word she uttered was like the low hiss of a snake, or a whisper spoken directly into one's ear. The fact that she couldn't see the creature's mouth made her feel even worse about it.

The Pilgrim shifted slightly for the first time, his attention moving to the new presence in the room.

"Release him." It commanded. The creature hissed in contempt but relented, tossing the warrior aside like a sack of trash.

Pharynx tumbled to the floor with a crash. He gasped and coughed, massaging his throat with one hoof and propping himself up with the other.

Chrysalis stepped up to the edge of her platform, her eyes narrowing in rage, "How dare you-!" She was cut off by another sudden movement. Her attention snapped back to the Pilgrim as he stepped forwards.

"Forgive my general, Queen Chrysalis." He bowed, his voice a slow drawl. "She is... Overzealous at times."

Chrysalis watched as the creature stalked behind The Pilgrim, its body in a constant state of slouch, and its head bobbing up and down with each step, like a predator stalking its prey. With a deft leap it grabbed a jagged spike of stone and held fast to the ceiling. The queen could feel her gaze from beneath its tattered shawl, and her own eyes never left the thing as she responded to The Pilgrim.

"That thing is yours to command?" She asked, "You'd do well to keep it under control in my domain."

The Pilgrim's head gave a slight tilt. Not inquisitive, but rather, something more akin to a shrug. Before Chrysalis could blink, the creature was torn from the ceiling and slammed onto the ground in front of the Pilgrim's feet. Besides the initial sound of impact and a slight crack in the stone, the creature made no other sound, nor did it move to defend itself from the action.

"So I shall." The Pilgrim's response was cold and calculated, as if he were merely explaining the outcome of an experiment, rather than physically assaulting a sentient being. "Now, onto business." He began gliding slowly around the collapsed creature. It slowly rose, first onto all fours, and then back up into its normal hunch, its head still hanging limply.

"Despite her disposition, she should serve as an adequate demonstration of the forces I intend to offer you." The Pilgrim stated, gesturing towards the creature. Chrysalis watched in silent horror as its back popped and cracked audibly back into place. It rolled its shoulders, almost as if it was simply recovering from a muscle cramp rather than what she just witnessed.

"I already have a capable army." The Queen said, "I have no use for the likes of that... thing." She spat at the creature. The stone beneath its feet began to chip and splinter as it tightened its claws dug trenches in barely contained rage. She felt the urge to take a step back, to distance herself even further than the creature, but her body was rooted to the spot. She had to at least attempt to keep a strong facade.

"You have a capable army, yes." The Pilgrim stated, his eyes falling upon Pharynx, who had finally regained his footing. The commander looked up at him in anger, but did not make a move to approach him. "But as you said, they are incapable of breaching Canterlot's defenses. My forces have the necessary strength and ability to do so, and more. That is what I propose."

The Pilgrim stepped towards the throne once more. Chrysalis hissed and backed away, glaring at him all the way.

"Then why are you even bothering to negotiate?" Chrysalis hissed, her horn alight with green flames. "Why not just conquer the kingdom for yourself, if you are so powerful? If your armies are so great?"

The Pilgrim stopped. He stared at her for a moment before speaking.

"There is... A piece upon the board that prevents me from doing so directly." The Pilgrim's tone seemed to shift somewhat, Chrysalis noticed, as if he had taken on a darker mood. It was hard to tell, considering that his demeanor had been consistent and almost completely unreadable until this point.

"Your natural abilities for subterfuge make this easier than if I were to attempt to do it myself. This piece must be removed without realizing my own involvement." The Pilgrim continued.

Chrysalis' frown deepened, "And what is this 'piece' you speak of?"

"One like myself... In some regards. His presence in the equation makes things untenable. I cannot make any overt moves while he remains there." The Pilgrim stated, its pinpoints of light glancing towards the creature above, as if to make an example of it. "He would surely notice."

Chrysalis stared at him, her brow furrowing, "You are afraid of this... Individual." She stated. She wasn't sure how she came to that conclusion. She hadn't sensed anything that would imply the fact. But she felt like she was right. Something about this new piece of information had set her mind at ease. Perhaps it was the simple notion that this... Thing had a weakness after all?

A wave of something that stirred nausea and anxiety hit Chrysalis like a brick to the face. The air around her and The Pilgrim became thick with tension, and she could see her drones shivering and backing further away from the center of the room.

"You presume much." The Pilgrim said, and Chrysalis felt herself take a step backwards, as if the room was being stretched away from him, like the mere act of being in close proximity to him was pushing her away. "All that need be said is that the situation requires a lighter touch than what my abilities allow. You can break him more easily than you think."

The Queen took a moment to regain herself. She took a deep breath and returned her gaze to The Pilgrim, her eyes narrowed. She was still unsure as to how much of his words she could trust. The Pilgrim's intentions, as far as she could tell, were true enough, but his methods and motives were completely unknown to her. If he could be believed, then this was an opportunity that could not be passed up.

"Assuming I were to accept this...Proposal of yours," Chrysalis stated, "How do you expect this to work? Celestia's power alone surpasses that of my own, and you are asking me to not only challenge her, but another one like her as well? I will need far more than what you are proposing in that regard."

The Pilgrim stood silent, staring at Chrysalis. The air became still. She could hear her drones' incessant buzzing as their nerves were set more on edge the longer the silence went on.

"Once he is out of the picture, Celestia will no longer pose an obstacle." He stated. "I can assure you that. But as far as his removal, you must do the deed."

"And how am I to do that?" The Queen asked.

"I will advise your movements as needed. But you must act of your own volition." The Pilgrim answered.

Chrysalis eyed The Pilgrim suspiciously, "That's awfully convenient." She said. "What do you have to gain from this? You have yet to state that."

The Pilgrim shifted once more. "His removal benefits me greatly. I am allowed the satisfaction of knowing that, and you the satisfaction of Celestia's removal. Our mutual goal." He responded. Chrysalis could almost detect a note of finality to his words. She would not be receiving any more answers than what she had already gotten, she realized. It was to her benefit that she didn't have to ask, as the entire interaction with The Pilgrim had been mentally taxing. The sooner this conversation was over, the sooner her mind and her hive would find peace again.

"I am not asking for your trust. Only that you hear me." The Pilgrim continued, and the air seemed to settle around the two, the atmosphere returning to something far less oppressive. Chrysalis visibly relaxed, and her children began to settle. "We have a mutual interest, you and I."

The Pilgrim turned, beginning to walk... Glide, away. "When you have decided on a course of action," he said, "Call out to me, and I will hear you." He paused and looked over his shoulder. "My offer will remain open, until I decide to rescind it."

He returned to the darkness he emerged from, the shadows coalescing once again around his form, and disappeared entirely.

Chrysalis looked up at the ceiling. The creature had disappeared along with him. The buzzing of the hive had returned to its normal volume, and everything was as if The Pilgrim had never been there. It was surreal, and she had to wonder if he had ever been there in the first place.

"My queen!" Pharynx's shout brought her back to reality. "Are you alright!?" He ran to her side and she turned to meet him. The normally stoic warrior was visibly shaken, and his concern was not something he was trying to hide.

"Yes, yes." She reassured him. She waved her hoof in dismissal. "I'm fine."

Pharynx visibly relaxed. He gave her a nod of affirmation and stood by her side.

The Queen looked back to where The Pilgrim had disappeared from. His offer still rang clear in her head, and she was left with a difficult choice. Either she accepts it, and gain the power to take her revenge, or refuse, and live with the fact that she had passed up the opportunity.

The latter wasn't an option, really. But the question was how to utilize this new asset. She had no way of gauging the capabilities of this new force, aside from that... General, The Pilgrim had called it. Chrysalis shuddered as she recalled its rasping breath and wicked claws.

"Pharynx." She whispered, her gaze turning back towards her throne. "That thing. That 'General'. How many do you think you could've handled on your own?"

Pharynx frowned and looked down. He took a deep breath and looked back at the queen.

"None, my queen." He replied. "No form I can think to assume would give me any chance against that... Thing." He spat the word with obvious contempt.

"Truly?" She asked, "And an army of them?"

Pharynx remained uncharacteristically quiet for a long moment. His gaze also shifted towards where The Pilgrim and his general had vanished. "...With an army like that, I could probably take all of the planet." He answered, and he nodded in agreement with his own assessment, "I can't say that I would feel better having that thing at my flank, however." He added.

The Queen's brow furrowed as she mulled it over. It was a massive risk, putting her faith in The Pilgrim. If he had lied to her, she could be putting the fate of the entire changeling species into jeopardy. Surely though, if that thing had wished to destroy them, it could have done so. No. The risk was far outweighed by the reward. Celestia's defeat, and more importantly, Equestria's.

"Then it seems that Canterlot is within my grasp, once more." She stated, her lips curving into a wicked smile. Her eyes fell to the ground as her mind began to work. The universe itself had seemingly given her this chance, and she could almost taste the victory in the air. She was not about to waste such an opportunity.

Fading rays of golden sunlight filtered through the gaps between the winding spires of the Changeling hive, the last vestige of the day's light casting a contrastingly warm glow across the barren land that surrounded the structure. A nearby hill however, garnered little of this light, the rays finding themselves smothered by an oppressive outline.

"Why do we even need them?"

The Pilgrim stood atop the hill, staring directly at the setting sun with a pensive gaze. The light touched everything around him, but it did nothing to break through the formless abyss that lay beneath his hood. His white eyes were still visible, but even they devoured what light they could collect. The grass beneath his form had long-since shriveled away into nothing, the ground itself more lifeless than the rocky wasteland beneath him.

"They serve a purpose. Just as you do."

His companion was nearby, standing next to him at the apex of the mound. The creature had a far more tangible outline, and the sun's rays were more visible as they struggled to reach the dark leathery skin beneath the black mist that clung to her form.

"Even in service I am beyond those animals." She hissed, her formless eyes gazing at her master. "It has been too long since my feet have walked this Earth. They needed to reminded of the beasts they came from."

The Pilgrim didn't acknowledge her. His eyes remained focused on the sun. Despite the fact that it was setting, the golden ball of flame was far too bright to stare directly at. At the very least, it should be uncomfortable. But The Pilgrim paid no heed to such concerns.

"Is their hunger truly so different from your own, General? You might have some modicum of discipline, but many would look at your brothers and sisters as more feral than any beast." He stated. His voice carried no tone, nor inflection. He spoke as if he were merely stating facts.

The creature hissed again. Her head snapped in The Pilgrim's direction and she glowered at him from beneath her tattered veil, "We continue on due to your intervention, but we have still languished in a Void where time finds no purchase."

Her tone shifted somewhat as she turned back to the hive, her head bowing in reverence as her master continued to gaze into the sun, "Many of my kin have yet to... Level their need. Even still, I can command even the most desperate among us. If I must lower myself to work alongside these beasts to serve your needs, so be it, Master."

She waited for a response. When she didn't receive one, her body stiffened slightly. "But surely you could crush the boy yourself, without their help? What is the purpose of involving them, other than to toy with them? These Changelings will be of little help."

"He is not the same as he was." The Pilgrim answered. His eyes remained focused on the sunset. The sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon. The light that touched his form grew dim. "I care little for a pyrrhic victory. He must be broken first."

"And these... Changelings will accomplish that?" She asked. "They are hardly a threat, Master. Surely you can break him without the involvement of these beasts?"

"They will not be the only ones to be used. More will come." The Pilgrim stated. His attention turned towards her at last. The setting sun finally disappeared over the horizon, casting the land into an ever increasing darkness, one that seemed to grow directly from The Pilgrim's form.

"I will see to it that those closest to him cause the most pain."

Author's Note

Well here we are. Don't have to wait a year for another chapter, so that's always something.

Again, I'll leave some contextual images below, do let me know if it adds anything or not. I always appreciate constructive feedback.

https://imgur.com/a/q622tSJ