A Lullaby for Gods

"Sister," Luna beckoned across the halls.

The older princess, halted in speaking with the captain of the day guards, wearily glanced in her direction. Purple eyes eventually found hers and a small smile lifted her dour features. Visibly, Celestia was the picture of perfect. Her white feathers were neat and orderly, her rainbow hair was combed thoroughly and her iridescent horn glistened in the light. Yet, to the keener eyes of the nocturnal sister, Celestia was an absolute mess.

"Luna, it's early." greeted Celestia. "How was your night?"

"It was fine. We have news to speak with you." She eyed the blue haired mage standing at attention. "Alone preferably."

"Of course, Luna." nodded Celestia. She turned to the captain, "if you'd please, Captain Armor."

"Of course, your highness." He bowed lowly as was his place and sent one her way before leaving down the corridor towards the barracks.

Luna watched the gilded captain until he was no longer visible before turning on Celestia with an expression only known as annoyed. "For eight hours, sister, I had interrogated the Element of Loyalty for information on the return. In all those eight hours I had to endure, I understood the true meaning of torture. Did you know, sister, that the population of valkyries to terrans to mages are unexplainably even in Ponyville, that there are more women in Ponyville than men, that the one known as Pinkie Pie has the apparent ability to see into the future and that the Cakes make some of the best cakes in all of Equestria?"

"Yes, I did. Though what has this to do with the Elements of Harmony?"

"Nothing!" yelled Luna. "Information gathered from the rainbow one proved to be utterly useless. In what fashion can we use any of this? I have come to the conclusion that the Elements of Harmony cannot possibly be these six."

"The Elements do not lie, Luna." softly said Celestia. Her sister watched her pace the small corridor. "They have shown they are remembering."

"They could not possibly be them. Yes, I will admit to you that the coincidence of their appearances and abilities are uncanny; however, the facts prove themselves. Discord lied to us. The rainbow one couldn't possibly be Commander Hurricane." Luna hissed, justifiable frustration rolling off her in waves. "All the child talked about was how awesome she believes she is. Someone that self-conceited could not possess the spirit of Loyalty."

"But she is. You may not see it now, Luna, but you will. I have watched the six grow since childhood, through their trials and troubles. As callous as they seem, there is without a doubt that the six bearers are the original." Celestia ran a hand through her silky hair. "As much as it troubles me to say, I think it best to avoid contact unless under dire circumstances. I do not know what they remember, but Discord..." Luna saw her visibly swallow, "our agent has yet to report any problems other than the usual. We must wait before we can move."

"And let the beast play us? This is a farce, sister! The Elements of Harmony are, and will always be, gems. Should you resign yourself to play the games of monsters and men, then know that I will never repose to such a manner."

"And if he proves to be true, Luna? Are you willing to allow yourself to be clouded when your country needs you most?" demanded Celestia.

"They never had need of me before, sister." curtly, cruelly replied Luna. She pursed her lips, "Eight hours, sister."

Luna swiveled on her heels and the bottom of her dress billowed in the fluid motion.

As she walked away to her chambers, Luna heard her solar sister quietly exhale in exhaustion. "Ninety-six."

Luna did not grace her sister with a response for she knew the anger bubbling would escape in a fashion befitting that of a lower caste. Instead, she continued to her chambers. Slamming the door shut, Luna allowed herself to breathe. Guilt gnawed at her mind and heart as she settled onto the dark blue cover of her bed. The last time she had lied to her sister as she had done was a millenium ago when she had plotted against her. Her fibs were not to hurt her beloved sister but to protect her.

The rainbow one had proven her skill in lying.

Had Luna not been trained to detect even the smallest of lies and trickery, Luna might have believed the words of the young valkyrie. The valkyrie was hiding something. Whether it was out of trepidation or a darker, nefarious purpose, Luna would root out the indignant tyke and force her to reveal herself for what or who she was.

Thus, Luna called forth her own soldiers: the Shadowbolts.

They came from the shadows. Their dark forms were wisps in the shadows of her room as their vibrant yellow goggles shined. The leader, a female valkyrie only known as Nightshade, led the trio out and went into a low bow to the night princess.

"Your highness," said Nightshade, "any particular reason you called?" Her voice was silk, concealing the dagger laced words that could pierce a lesser being. Her stance so happened to say more than her words this time.

"Your services are required." answered Luna. She levitated a rolled parchment to the Shadowbolt. "Discretion is advised."

"Who is it that you want gone if I may be so bold, your highness?" Nightshade asked, peering at the parchment with childish interest. It was as if she was a child waiting to unwrap a birthday gift, giddy with excitement and anticipation at what lied within. It was one of the qualities that made her an exceptional addition to her night squadrons. "It's been pretty quiet, you know? All these Elements of Harmony are making my job boring."

Luna swallowed. "There's a girl—the valkyrie who did the Sonic Rainboom—that I want you to watch for any signs of treason."

"And if she makes a move against the crown, your highness?"

"I want you to eliminate her."

The female Shadowbolt smiled in sadistic glee. Practically bouncing, Nightshade declared, "finally! Something exciting to do around here. How do you want this little rat taken care of?"

"Quietly perferrably. If you cannot do so, make it look like an accident. I don't want any of you seen." explained Luna. "My sister cannot be alerted of your mission. Is that understood, sergeant?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

They saluted as they disappeared back into the shadows, "Consider us never here, your highness."

Applejack rose before Celestia's sun.

Pulling on a pair of worn leather boots and buttoning her last button, the farmgirl stretched her arms of their sleep as she readied herself for another hard day of work. She roped her blonde hair into a single ponytail and placed her hat on her head while whistling a tune she heard at Pinkie Pie's party last night. While she didn't go to many because the farm needed work, the terran would admit that they were fun. But as day broke and Celestia's light cascaded the misty morn, Applejack would be ready for another day.

As she flew down the stairs, Applejack contemplated whether or not to wake Applebloom. Her little sister wasn't much of a help with and without the two ruffians known as her friends and it was a Saturday. By Celestia's grace, the girl deserved to sleep after breaking down in tears yesterday from guilt about nearly killing Rainbow Dash with their lastest attempt to try and get her cutie mark. So, after deciding to let her sleep in just this once, Applejack continued down the flight of stairs with a softer descent. Big Mac greeted her with his familiar nod and Granny barely acknowledged her as she attempted to cut her pancakes.

"Ah'm gonna head into town." Applejack announced. "The weather team will be needing the schedule for this upcoming week."

"Eeyup," was her only answer.

"Bye, Mac." And she was out the door.

It was still dark out with naught but a faint light of approaching dawn on the horizon. The faint glimmer of light coated the dew grass with a soft yellow-orange which greeted her with its usual soft whispers. Unlike valkyries and mages, terrans had the blessing of Celestia to communicate with all that lived on Celestia's green earth. While some were more powerful in the ability and others only barely able to hear the whispers of its wonders, Applejack had been birthed with not just the ability to hear the land and all her secrets but feel it, too.

The arces of orchards sang their mundane hymns as she trekked down the dirt path. On foot, Ponyville was a half hour away. By cart and horse, it was ten. The blonde terran decided it was best to walk the extra twenty minutes than to wake Bart, the Apple's chestnut stallion. Big Mac would work him later and she could use the extra exercise. Pinkie's cupcakes were ungodly delicious but they went straight to the hips if you let them. Celestia help her if she ate another one.

"Hiiya, Applejack!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, popping out of nowhere as per usual.

The cowgirl did not as so much flinch on the outside at the abrupt appearance, having been used to the crazy antics of her friend since that Summer Sun Celebration last year. The bushy, pink haired girl was more mage than terran. The uncanny abilities she possessed was enough to verify the fact that no matter what was going on, no matter who they were with/fighting, Pinkie Pie was in no shape or form human.

"Pinkie Pie, good to see yah up and attem." smiled Applejack. "What yah doing so far from town?"

"Oh I was just hopping around getting some baking good for the cakes when I had a chill!" stated Pinkie. She bounced around the terran with a contagious smile, acting out what had happened. "Then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared! A ghoooooostly figure. You know! A ghost! But a friendly ghost at that! She pointed this way so I bounced and bounced and finally I found you!"

"A ghost?"

Applejack knew Pinkie Pie was incapable of telling a lie. It just wasn't in the girl's nature. However, to declare the presence of a ghost in Ponyville of all places was ridiculous. There weren't any ghosts and there certainly wasn't any in the early morning!

"Mhhmmm!" certified Pinkie Pie. "It was scaaaaary! But then she told me she was a good ghost!"

"And what did this ghost look like?" Applejack played along.

Pinkie stopped bouncing just enough to hum thoughtfully. Then, her eyes widened and an eager finger pointed in front of them. "Ooohhh! There she is! Just like that!"

Applejack followed the outstretched digit to look at the spot. Instead of a ghost or even a person, all there was was the winding path to Ponyville. The wind nipped at the green trees; for the briefest of moments, Applejack listened to the hushed chatter of the trees whispering to the hills. The dirt path remained quiet in the morning musings.

"There's nothing there, Pinkie Pie."

Instead of being deterred by her answer, Pinkie Pie gave her a pleasant, teacher-like smile. "She understands you can't see her, Applejack." The moment she looked away from Applejack, a shadowed look came across her normally jolly features. Her pink hair seemed to deflate as a whisper escaped her, "you'll understand soon enough."

"Understand what?"

Pinkie Pie bounced upwards and smiled as if she had not heard her at all. "Well come on, silly! There's so much to do and so little time! If we hurry, we can still have a party!" Pinkie Pie took off towards Ponyville without another word.

Reluctantly, Applejack followed after her erratic friend. Ghosts and cryptic words would have to wait. The weather team needed the schedule above all else.

Had she looked behind her, Applejack might have understood her friend's words. Never did she see the sorrowful eyes watching her.

A coughing fit overcame Mama long before it did the rest of Cookie's family. The poor terran family couldn't pay for the local shaman to treat Mama's cold so it had rested on Cookie to scour the forests for something to cure Mama.

Cookie was not a smart girl, nor the bravest or the prettiest. Rough, plain and already homely looking, she was a brute of a girl with shoulders the size of barrels and hands twice that size. Freckles dotted her unbecoming face that was accented by eyes of sapphire and hair the colour of straw. She was quite large for her age, standing a head above most of the women in her village and a few inches above the men. Cookie was also missing a few teeth from rough housing with the local, pompous mages that inhabited the quaint town of Dirt. And it could be said, without a hint of doubt, that in all of Dirt, Cookie was one of the stupidest girls. She was mocked quite frequently because of this intellectual disability.

However, that did not stop Cookie from being determined to find the herbs Mama so desperately needed. With the sun just rising in the distance, Cookie had more than enough time to look for Mama's herbs.

"Five leaves, blue berries." repeated Cookie. "Five leaves, blue berries."

She had been repeating this over and over again since Mama had told her. It had become a mantra of sorts as her large feet flopped against the forest floor, breaking twigs and branches alike underneath the calloused heels. If she had to say it a thousand times, Cookie would.

"Five leaves, blue berries. Five leaves, blue berries. Five leaves, blue berries."

A bird chirped in the distance. It was a sweet kind of song that made Cookie stop in her tracks to listen to the harmonious song. Birds, while fleeting creatures, brought a kind of joy to the stupid terran. Their songs were light in her ever constant darkness. No matter what the mages said about the winged creatures, Cookie could listen to them all day.

Abruptly, the song was cut off and all the forest was quiet. Cookie blinked and tried to recall what exactly it was she was trying to do.

Cookie knew she had come out to the forest for some reason. The problem was that she could not remember what that reason was. Surely Mama would know.

Mama!

The thought came back to her like a raging Ursa Major.

"Five leaves and purple berries." said Cookie. Her brow furrowed and blue eyes squinted against the sun. "Five leaves and orange berries? Five leaves and... green berries?"

She looked around. A large oak stood tall and proud against the backdrop of lesser trees. It was so big that Cookie's arms would not fit around its trunk. However, it was not the tree that caught her attention but the five leaves and berries attached to the base.

Cookie counted the leaves as to make certain it had the right number of leaves. When it did, she looked at the berries with a bemused interest. Her freckled face lit up with happiness when she suddenly recalled the colour Mama wanted. "Ah! Blue berries!"

Wretching the herbs from the tree trunk, Cookie grabbed as many as she could and took off into to Dirt like a rabbit with a timberwolf on its tail. Birds and small animals took off in fright at the sudden trampling. The one good thing about being so big was that Cookie's legs were so long. She was the fastest person in all of Dirt!

It was this fact that carried her through the forest and into the valley which Dirt laid within. True to its name, Dirt was a town settled on dirt. Despite its green cousin the forest to its right, Dirt was absent of the colours of spring and summer. It was a dismal place that solemn got more than an inch of rain every year. The houses were poorly contructed of wood chipped and warped by the dust storms. Further into the town, a large building of dour stone sat. It towered over the other buildings, only outdone by the watch towers surrounding Dirt. It was the Lord's castle. A fortress really.

Cokkie took special care to avoid the Lord's castle.

The Lord didn't take too kindly to strangers on his property and Cookie didn't like the feel of the stocks. The tomatoes never did come out of her hair for weeks afterwards. She dodged all the mage folks, knowing that being caught with herbs could spell her doom. She stuck to the lesser known pathes in the Sewer Sector of Dirt. Or, the common folk area. She was bombarded with friendly smiles and well-wishers. Amongst them were the chaplin and the Soothsayer.

Cookie resisted a flinch at the sight of the dark skinned Soothsayer. It wasn't that she was disliking those folks of the Desert but the Soothsayer wasn't like any kind of folk Cookie had ever seen. She was a good woman with good intentions as far as Cookie was concerned but there was something... off about the Soothsayer.

"Welcome to Dirt, dear child, have you had enough of your flirt with the wild?" the Soothsayer inquired, the tiny bells and colourful beads in her hair jingling. Unnatural blue eyes lingered on her for more than a moment as a brilliant smile danced on her lips. "Or have you ventured into adventure without the fear of a lecture?"

"I—"

"Fear not, child of Earth. Your journey has provided me with much mirth. Hurry along before you hear the gong." the Soothsayer moved out of her path. "Your secret will kept."

Cookie muttered a "thank you" before taking off, much to the amusement of the Soothsayer.

"Blue berries for blue news, the destines will soon fuse." the Soothsayer mused to herself.