Age of the Alicorn

Chapters

Prologue: A Twist in Fate
Chapter 2: A Shy Heart Flutters - Part 2
Chapter 3: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 1
Chapter 4: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 2
Chapter 5: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 3
Chapter 6: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow - Part 1
Chapter 7: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow - Part 2
Chapter 1: A Shy Heart Flutters - Part 1

Prologue: A Twist in Fate

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – The Age of the Alicorn

Written by: Non-Brony Supreme

Prologue: A Twist in Fate

Standing in front of the glistening, crystalline Tree of Harmony in a cavern deep in the Everfree Forest were eight figures.

The purple-coated and violet eyed, winged, single-horned, four-legged pony with a dark blue and purple and pink striped mane and tail moved closer to the polygon-shaped chest that stuck out from the tree.

Nearby, her friends stood around the piece and watched on, ever hopeful.

Then, the purple pony allowed the magic of the chest to transform her recently acquired golden amulet into a key that was quickly inserted into the last of six locks.

As one, the six pony friends twisted the keys, unlocking the chest.

Suddenly, the box burst open, sending a beam of magic toward the tree itself, which lit up with flows of magical light shooting from the central Element of Magic to the five other Elements of Harmony in the tree’s branches.

The Tree shone with a bright light, bathing the six ponies in pillars of equally beautiful light before they seemed to disappear into the chest, and then a new rainbow of colors shot upward.

In the air, the six mares were transformed.

The purple pony, a young Alicorn Princess named Twilight Sparkle, changed to where her mane and wings grew and shone with dazzling shades of purple, pink, dark blue, and yellow, while her body was now adorned with shining marks that resembled stars that matched the recently returned mark on her flank.

One of the simple-winged Pegasi of the group, a usually light yellow with pink wavy-haired mare, was now floating in the air, her flashy locks and wings much like Twilight’s, but with pink and dark and light cyan lines winding through them, and a series of pink butterflies circled around her legs and on her chest, complementing her aquamarine blue irises.

The only Unicorn of the team, her regularly classy violet mane and tail with curls at their ends, was now bedazzled with bright golden-yellow, a light purple, shiny purple, and another shade of pinkish-violet, along with diamond symbols over her mane, tail, and milk-white body, and her eyes shined with sapphire blue.

An Earth Pony with poofy, hot pink mane and tail, cotton candy pink body, and sky blue eyes was now lit up with rainbows of light yellow, orange, and blue, five-pointed stars showered on her hair, marks of balloons and hues of yellow covering her hooves and lower legs, and a brand new bright blue bow with a shining white star clipped onto her mane.

The second Pegasus, a bright reddish-purple eyed, sky blue mare with a mane and tail of rainbows, now sparkled with zingy, lightning-like hair, small zaps of bolts lining along her face and body.

Last, yet not least, there was an Earth Pony with a sunset-orange body, sunbeam yellow mane and tail, emerald eyes, and freckles on her cheeks, and who favored a cowpony-styled hat and red bows to tie the ends of her mane strands on her head or the tail that extended from her rear quarters. Now, her hairs had blossomed with ruby red, yellow, and cherry blossom pink, her body was spotted with pictures of apples, the bows in her hair were a granny smith green, and her hat was topped with a red delicious apple piece.

These five – Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack – weren’t merely especially beautified, for they had been changed in a very special way: they now all each had a single swirl-point horn and a pair of regal wings. In other words, every one of the friends had all become ALICORNS!

Of course, they barely noticed as they were lifted up into the sky in an orb of bright, colorful magic, soaring above the earth, where the gigantic monster that was Lord Tirek now stood.

It was on this day that the Mare Six would defeat Tirek, return peace and harmony to Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends would find that they had a new, special place to spread friendship and love through the land, from their castle in Ponyville.

A month later, things had changed.

Now, there stood the Castle of Harmony in the center of the town of Ponyville, the crystalline tree-like structure overlooking the quaint, homey buildings that stood all around.

Many ponies, whether Earth Pony, Unicorn, or Pegasi, went about their regular business, doing what they did best. But, there had been a large number of new faces who had come to live in the new Ponyville as it had become, namely the home of a princess.

After being magically planted into the earth, the Castle of Harmony was no longer void of life, as Princess Celestia had set up a new division of the EUP Guard as the elite defenders of Princess Twilight, her friends, and the castle. It had been during the very first week alone that volunteers from all around, many of them from Ponyville, had joined the new Guardians of Friendship. Plus, the ponies of Ponyville openly volunteered their services to the Princess and her castle.

Throughout the halls and chambers of the grand structure, ponies cleaned up, shined the crystal walls, and put together meals, the scent of which filled up every portion of space.

In the middle of this castle, sitting in the six and “a half” thrones of the central chamber, were the famous friends of the team known as Mane Six.

Although they had been doing their best to go on with life and do what they were talented with, the new changes in the recent days had altered their positions and forced them to adjust as such.

Applejack had continued tending to Sweet Apple Acres and taking care of her family, but now she also had the responsibility of ensuring a steady supply of apples for food in both the town of Ponyville and the dinners of the Castle of Harmony. To keep everything simpler, she had even hired new farmhooves to maintain and work at Sweet Apple Acres. She had Mr. and Mrs. Cake, plus Pinkie Pie, to thank for plenty of pastries to help with it all, too.

Rarity, as the fashionista who she was, still worked from her booming business in the Carousel Boutique, but had also taken on the burden of supplying the uniforms of the castle staff.

Pinkie Pie, the residential “Super Party Pony” of Ponyville, was far busier than she had ever been before. As per her role, she had been hosting a slew of parties for all of the new ponies who had moved to town.

Rainbow Dash attended to her duties as head of weather control in Ponyville, but she also began establishing a new addition to the Guardians of Friendship – her very own ‘Wonderbolts’, if you will – even though she was a member of the actual Wonderbolts Reserves.

Fluttershy, as always, acted the role of the local provider and caretaker of the native wildlife. And yet, it was proving difficult to care for the little critters when she, like the others, was caught up in important matters.

Twilight Sparkle, although she had been a princess for many moons, now had a long list of new duties to go along with being a Princess of Equestria. Not only did she continue to deal with her royal duties that Celestia entrusted her with, Twilight had also been organizing the town of Ponyville and the numerous new additions to it, and continued to work along her own schedule. Thankfully, she could always rely on Mayor Mare and friends to help lighten the load.

Now, for the first time in weeks, the girls finally got the chance to get together and have an important meeting about their progress and what they could do involving their new role as the Council of Friendship, and possibly, hopefully, have the opportunity just to enjoy having a moment to spend with one another.

“It’s so nice to see you girls!” Twilight started the conversation off with, looking around at her friends.

“You too, Twi’,” Applejack said with her country accent, her head hanging low, “but Um plumb tuckered out.”

“Here, here,” Rarity agreed in a drearier fashion of her usually classy, sophisticated speech without barely flinching her head.

“You said it, sister,” Rainbow Dash muttered while lying back in her throne with her hoofed legs spread out.

Twilight looked over to the other two. “How about you, Fluttershy?”

“Well, um…” the usually soft-spoken Pegasus began, “I-”

“I’m so pooped that I don’t think that I could even think about another party for all of the new ponies in town!” Pinkie Pie cried out, before drooping into her own throne with a sack falling down and bursting open to release a shower of confetti and the sound of party blowers.

“Would you guys keep it down?” Spike said from his tiny ‘half-sized’ throne beside Twilight. Then, the pint-sized purple and green baby dragon yawned aloud before setting his head down on one of the seat’s arms and closing his eyes.

Everypony in the room glanced at the little guy before returning their attention to each other.

“Anypony else feel like Spike’s got the right idea?” Rainbow added.

There was a collective murmuring of agreement at that.

“I know everypony’s tired from all of the hard work the past few moons,” Twilight said, doing her best to put on a strong face, “but we can’t stop now. Princess Celestia is counting on us to show all of the ponies of Equestria what friendship truly means.”

“That is a tall order when we are too busy helping take care of the town with every little detail, dearie,” Rarity stated with a wave of her front right hoof.

“And we barely get anytime on our hooves to jest have uh picnic an’ enjoy what’s most important,” Applejack interjected. “’Cause before any of this, we’re friends.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow exclaimed, lifting herself into the open air of the crystalline and stone room, the light of the multiple windows on the round walls shining brightly off of her wings, before settling back into her throne. “After all, OUR friendship is the reason why we’re the Council of Friendship.”

“Um… I might have an idea,” Fluttershy tenderly voiced her opinion.

“Yes, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered, redirecting the focus of everypony to their gentle friend.

“Well, um, there is the dinner that is being prepared by the townsponies,” she said before blowing a tuft of her pink mane out of her eyes.

“Yeah,” the rest of the girls muttered.

“We could just ask Princess Celestia if we could take the rest of the day off,” Fluttershy finished.

“Oh, Fluttershy darling, that sounds perfect,” Rarity piped up, clapping her hooves together for a moment.

“Huh, why didn’t I think of that?” Twilight questioned herself.

“Because, silly-filly,” Pinkie Pie burst forth, standing a mere hoof’s step away from Twilight’s face before slipping away back to her own throne, “the ponies of Ponyville, plus like half of the rest of Equestria, are throwing a HUGENORMOUS PARTY to celebrate how they were freed from that BIG ol’ meanie pants who was going around and sucking the magic right out of everypony!” Then, she threw another sack into the middle of the circle of thrones, and a cloud of confetti surrounding a huge sign that had the golden embroidered words ‘After-After-Victory Party Invitation’ popped out. “Duh!”

“Oh yeah,” the other five mares huffed.

“Well, we at least get to spend that time together, right?” Twilight said with a wide smile, hoping to lift her friends’ moods.

“That’s tha’ spirit, sugarcube!” Applejack said, “We’ll get tha’ chance ta’ jest sit back n’ relax.”

“Ooh, Applejack! That is perfect!” Rarity declared.

“Uh, what is exactly?” AJ asked, only guessing at what her friend could mean.

“I mean, we could have some nice stallions carry us around on sofas while we lay back and watch the ponies party.” She emphasized her statement by lounging back into her throne, doing her best to be relaxed, especially since she had added a few cushions to the crystal construct.

“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea, Rarity,” Twilight said, grinning at the prospect of just relaxing.

“As long as there’s enough room for Angel,” Fluttershy added, pointing a hoof at her pet bunny as he tapped a paw on the ground with a straight face that screamed “It better”.

“Now, wait a minute!” Rainbow interrupted. “No matter how whipped I am, I won’t let anypony carry me around like a pile of hay.”

“That goes double fer me,” Applejack stated in agreement.

“A mare can dream, can’t she?” Rarity said, waving a hoof in the air, as though she had been defeated.

“Well, speaking of dreams,” Twilight took back over, “does anypony else remember what happened before we sent Tirek back to Tarterus, or was I just dreaming?”

“You mean when the Tree of Harmony turned the rest of us into Alicorns before the magic wore off and we were changed back into our regular selves?” Pinkie asked, flailing around like she was flying before posing to show off her cutie mark.

“Ya’ know, I do remember that,” AJ answered.

“Yes and how gorgeous we looked!” Rarity exclaimed, looking at herself as if she was trying to visualize herself imbued with the magic from the Tree of Harmony.

“You did look beautiful, Rarity,” Fluttershy complimented her purple-maned friend.

“Are you kidding? We all looked awesome!” Rainbow Dash bellowed out, once again ascending into the air, but this time she began circling around the room. “I mean, we were all like pow, boom, zap,” she said with a series of punches and kicks before landing back in her throne, “and then we shot all of those beams that looked like a rainbow, and beat Tirek!”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Twilight replied. “I wasn’t just an Alicorn. You all were too! Come on, doesn’t that make you the least bit curious?”

“Now that you mention it,” Rarity continued, “I do wonder as to wh-”

But, before another syllable could be said, the conversation came to a halt when a series of magical spheres, with lightning crackling around them, surrounded the six mares and Spike.

“What tha’-” Applejack declared, trying her best to buck in the confined space of the magical field that surrounded her.

“Oh, my,” Fluttershy whimpered as she cringed inside her orb, her aquamarine blue peepers wide with terror and her lips quivering.

Outside of her bubble, Angel Bunny ran around in a frantic panic attack.

“Wee, pretty!” Pinkie Pie chuckled while staring at the sparkling magical energy that contained her.

“Whoever is doing this, please make this less tight! You’re ruining my manestyle!” Rarity cried out.

Meanwhile, Rainbow was busying her own self by attacking her own field, trying to break it open.

“Twi’!” AJ called to her friend. “Can ya’ do anythin’ ‘bout this predicament?!”

“I’m trying my best, Applejack,” Twilight stated while her horn sparkled as she attempted to dispel the individual field that trapped her. “But my magic’s not strong enough.” The Princess gasped when her horn’s magic fizzed out, with no success.

Spike continued to snore even louder than before, dozing through his own experience from the insides of a cramped magical bubble.

Then the orbs began to glow even stronger, the lightning that ran across them growing ever more erratic.

“Girls!” Twilight shouted, gaining the attention of her distraught friends. “No matter what happens, don’t be scared! I’m sure that we’ll be-”

As that last word slipped from her lips, the seven magical spheres vanished in a flash, leaving only blackened, slightly smoking rings where the seven friends had been.

Merely seconds later, a mysterious shape began swirling out of what seemed to be nowhere until it grew and unfolded like origami, revealing it to be the reformed Discord, former master of chaos, and now loyal friend to the six mares of the Council of Friendship.

He stood tall, his serpent-shaped body with mismatched parts ever picturesque of his nature. From the top of his head, there were two horns – one a jagged thing that resembled a warped Unicorn horn, and the other a short antler that appeared to belong to a deer – resting on the grey fur that was upon his lean pony-like skull, which was adorned by the ears and facial hair of a goat plus a single hooked tooth that protruded from between his lips. Along the back of his elongated neck was a black mane, followed by a brown furry torso and lower region. On his back, there were two wings, one a bat’s and the second a blue Pegasus wing. In the place of upper appendages, Discord’s right side was a lion’s leg and paw and for the left there was the leg and talons of a Griffon. To support his collection of barely functional features, he had a small green dragon’s right leg, and the cloven-hoofed left limb of a brown goat. Jutting out from his back quarters was the spiny red tail of a reptile, ending in a messy clump of white hair.

“Hmm, I wonder what that strange feeling could have-” he said, before examining the room with his yellow-rimmed and red-pupiled eyes, seeing the empty thrones, the bunny that was nearly hyperventilating close to Fluttershy’s, and the black marks that were upon them.

Without a second thought, Discord hovered over to the little critter, and scooped him into his grasp, placing a brown bag onto his mouth. “Breathe deep, my small rodent friend.”

Angel proceeded to grab onto the paper sack, inhaling and exhaling before slowly gaining his calm enough to breathe properly.

“Now, tell me, why am I looking at an empty space where Fluttershy, and the rest of our friends, used to be?” the Draconequus asked the bunny, crisscrossing his eyes and aiming them at the thrones adorned with an expanding star and a triplet of butterflies.

Almost rapid-fire squeaks and paw motions burst forth from the creature as he tried his best to talk to Discord.

“Whoa, hang on there for a minute, you’re going too fast,” Discord stated, having straightened his sights and waving his ‘palms’ in front of him while floating Angel back to the ground.

In response, the bunny ran over and hopped up onto Fluttershy’s seat, beginning his squeaking again.

“Uh-huh. Yes,” Discord replied while rubbing his goatee with his lion’s paw, which was rested on his horizontally-oriented Griffon’s limb. “Wait!” He declared, jumping into the empty space above, continuing to float where he was and looking down at the bunny. “You’re saying that Twilight, Fluttershy, and the rest of the ponies were just zapped away by magical spheres!”

Angel responded by swinging his head back and forth before sighing and falling back into the throne.

With a gasp, Discord threw his ‘arms’ up into the air (quite literally), exclaiming, “Guards! Guards! Fluttershy and the girls have been ponynapped!”

Two of the guards of the Guardians of Friendship, their armor glistening with the insignia of their Princess – Twilight’s star cutie mark and her friends’ other marks surrounding it – on their chest-pieces, burst in to see what all of the commotion was about.

Soon enough, every royal guard, castle staff member, and citizen of Ponyville was searching high and low for their Princess and her friends, and a messenger was flying off to Canterlot to inform Princess Celestia of the terrible news.

Little did any of them know of the future that awaited them all…

Chapter 2: A Shy Heart Flutters - Part 2

Chapter 2: A Shy Heart Flutters – Part 2

In the heart of the city of Sky’lem, a growing crowd of ponies, of all ages, was pouring into the streets of the fair capital.

Thousands cheered and waved flags that proudly displayed the colors of Hartoneigha – the silver winged anchor with a crown of gold on a background of sea blue – as a chariot, surrounded by armored stallions and drawn by two of them, was carefully driven along the smooth roads that ran between the extravagant structures lining the squares and boulevards.

Clearing the way, the Captain, with a dark blue mane and tail and a brown body, led the Earth Pony soldiers on the ground while the Pegasi covered security from above.

Seated riding in the carriage of the chariot were two ponies.

On the left-hoof side, the tall Alicorn Prince Gentle Waters was occasionally waving a plate armor-legged hoof at the gathered onlookers, returning their smiles as well.

Comparatively, Fluttershy was barely containing her fright inside the space of the right-hoof side seat as she couldn’t stop thinking about how she was basically being paraded around. She even caught the chatter of other ponies they passed by.

“Who’s the young mare next to the Prince?” she heard a stallion say.

“Ooooh, I wish I was her right now!” a little filly jealously shouted.

“Fluttershy,” the voice of the Prince shook her out of her neutral fear.

“Yes,” she answered lightly, expressing as much confidence through her renewed grin as she could muster.

“I’m so sorry about this,” he apologized while looking directly at her with his royal blue eyes, “I understand if you’re uncomfortable. I was for years after this became procedure following…” he drifted off, staring painfully at the ground for a moment “…well, you know.”

“Oh, it’s fine…” Fluttershy responded.

Gentle Waters beamed at her before facing forward.

“…as long as I’m with you,” she mentally finished her statement.

Once the royal escort marched several steps more, a loud noise blurted across the cityscape, sounding like “PAAAAHH!”, and the whole situation burst into orderly chaos.

The regular ponies stopped their jovial celebration and began pouring into the nearest buildings that they could reach.

The royal guardsponies hurried the chariot ahead to a more open area in a lightly forested park, and soon dozens of soldier-ponies in another kind of armor began rushing through the cleared streets.

Fluttershy was so startled by the sudden change that she had frozen in place instead of reacting as she usually would.

“Your majesty,” a Pegasus stallion in one of the other suits of armor, a combo of light grey clothes topped with plates of silver metal on his chest and upper-back coupled with a black-beaked cap, yelled as he flew close to the royal party, “You’re needed at the harbor.”

“It’s back?” Gentle Waters asked with a neutral frown.

The soldier replied with a sullen nod.

“Thank you, marine,” he returned with a wing-salute.

The marine shot away while the Prince aimed his sights back to Fluttershy, who had recovered in time to hear what had been spoken.

“You have to go?” she questioned him, unknowingly adding a slight pout to her words.

“My subjects are in danger, Fluttershy,” Gentle Waters kindly commented, “Do you remember the creature that attacked me at the beach when I was a colt?”

The thought of the sea serpent from his tale slipped back into her remembrance. “Yes,” she softly answered.

The Prince peered off into the distance, presumably in the direction of the harbor. “Ever since that day, it has attempted to exact its vengeance upon me and everything I have had my hooves involved in. Thus, it has continuously brought harm to the city however it can, whether by wrecking our docks, sinking our ships, or hurting the ponies I call friends.”

The kindhearted mare could scarcely imagine such a level of violence.

Concern claimed its place on the Prince’s face as he looked back to her. “Fluttershy, please let these guards take you to the castle while I deal with this… unpleasantness.”

For a split-second, she almost accepted the offer. But, as Gentle Waters rose into the air and put distance between each of them, the devastating realization of him leaving her came to life.

“Wait!” she exclaimed, lifting herself up to the Prince, right as the Captain and a pair of Pegasi royal guards had joined him.

“Yes, Fluttershy?” the Prince asked of her, hopeful curiosity shining in his eyes.

“Maybe I can help?” she counter-offered.

“Sire,” the Captain attempted to intervene, but was interrupted by a raised hoof from the Prince.

As Prince Gentle Waters gazed deeply into her winking, aquamarine eyes, a spark of warmth lit in his heart.

“I believe she knows what she’s doing,” he announced.

Although the Captain was aiming a look of shock at the back of the Prince’s head, he merely stated, “Yes, milord.”

“Now, we must hurry,” Gentle Waters declared. “Fluttershy,” he invited her with an extended hoof.

Giggling on the inside, she accepted.

Then, the rest of the Pegasi guards made an orb-shaped formation around the pair and the Captain as they moved on.

Ascending above the spires that dotted the scenery, they were able to take in the true picture of what lay ahead.

Speeding on to their destination, they could see the wreckage of a few of the grand vessels that had previously been sail-worthy, but now were partially sunk into the ocean waters and their crewponies being rescued by Pegasi marines, and an entire length of docking bays utterly torn asunder.

Fluttershy barely maintained synchronized movements with the others after seeing a long, powerful shadow surging under the waters. Thanks to Gentle Waters though, she didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Going at a slow dive, once the group had reached a decently close range from the ground, the formation broke apart to allow individuals to deviate.

While the soldier-ponies individually landed nearby, the Prince, followed closely by Fluttershy, touched down on a strip of pavement that ran perpendicular to the coastline.

“Sire,” a middle-aged Earth Pony stallion in marine garment, which bore a special double bar badge on the chest, stated as he trotted to the royal’s landing zone, “you have arrived in the nick of time.”

“Casualty report, Colonel,” the Prince requested with practiced ease.

“We’ve lost two galleons, a cargo ship, and-”

Before another syllable could be uttered, an explosion of water rocketed into the sky like a geyser as a shape materialized in the midst of the bay. Slithering out of the deep blue, the beast rose higher and higher until its head towered above everything but the clouds.

Its sickly yellow eye-slits stared with murderous intent at the Prince as its mouth split open to reveal rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth, dripping with saliva, and its body, covered in jagged, green scales, wavered back and forth like a snake.

“My old foe,” the Prince whispered, “you’ve grown.”

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was doing her absolute best to not have a panic attack. “It’s not a dragon. It’s not a dragon,” she repeated to herself over and over again.

Putting on a strong face, taking a deep breath, and stepping forward, she said, “Let me try to reason with him. I’m sure that he just needs someone to talk to.”

“Milord!” the Colonel yelled, but was cut off by a raised hoof from Gentle Waters.

“Are you sure?” the Prince asked her with concern lining his voice.

Fluttershy nodded with a light bob of the head and a confident grin on her muzzle.

“Then go ahead,” the Alicorn gestured with a leg aimed straight at the awaiting creature.

From every angle, ponies gawked as they watched the lone mare speed on to the serpent.

Remembering the times she had soothed the chimera and that once she intimidated a dragon, the pink-maned pony was sure that kindness was the answer to dispelling what ailed the creature.

Stopping short of a few hundred meters from the gargantuan beast’s head, she hovered in place. “Hello,” she greeted, looking directly into its glaring yellow orbs.

There was no response besides the panting of its rancid breath.

“Is there anything I can help you with, big guy?” she asked politely, batting her eyelashes innocently.

“You can die,” it hissed abruptly.

Never before had Fluttershy ever heard such hateful words as a pained expression shifted onto her features and her flapping began to weaken.

Then, the serpent let out a guttural roar that outright stunned the young lady, causing her wings to lock up and sending her into a freefall towards the crashing waves.

A gasp of shock instantly rose through the ranks of the marines and sailors who were witnessing the event from afar.

Without a second thought, Gentle Waters bolted straight into the air as his horn shone with magical blue energy, and he teleported to right under Fluttershy. Softening her landing with his magic, he caught the damsel in distress with the underside of his plated front legs.

“Shield your eyes!” he warned her, right as the monster reared back its ugly maw like a cobra about to strike.

Almost forgetting the dire circumstance she was in, Fluttershy gladly covered her face with two hooves.

With great effort, the Prince sent a flash, akin to a star, from the point of his crown, blinding the monstrosity.

As the serpent collapsed into the sea, shrieking the whole way, the Prince retreated, with pony-in-hoof, to his previous position amongst safe company.

Although other ponies were cheering and congratulating the Prince, Gentle Waters’s attention was solely set on the mare he just saved and allowed to land on her own.

“Are you alright?” he questioned her worriedly.

“I’m fine,” she answered aloud, completing her words for herself with, “thanks to you.”

“Fluttershy, I know you have a kind heart,” the Prince complimented the softly-spoken lady-pony, “but some creatures do not appreciate kindness, and a few have no place in their hearts for good.”

Fluttershy formed a saddened face at the Prince’s statement.

“Still, remember this, don’t ever stop being kind just because somepony, or something, else isn’t to you.”

Hearing those words warmed her heart as she smiled in return.

The moment of peace was shattered by an uplifting of water in the bay and sharp screeching as the serpent reemerged in much closer proximity to the Prince’s point along the coast.

Prince Gentle Waters stepped in front of Fluttershy as he readied his horn and spread his wings, as if he were going to jump right at the beast.

But then, while the serpent drew near to its prey, a roar sounded from above and a stream of what appeared to be white fire slammed into the barbaric behemoth.

Instead of watching the horrible being be pushed back into the ocean waves, Fluttershy followed the path of the fluorescent blaze. Her heart nearly gave out at the sight that was before her eyes.

“Dr-uh…” she muttered right as the embrace of darkness washed over her senses.

Ever slowly, reality began to return to Fluttershy.

She stirred, barely squeaking a light moan.

“Hey! She’s waking up!” she heard a familiar, yet blurry, voice from nearby.

Although the boyish undertones caused her mind to drift into curiosity, her focus was mainly stuck on her surroundings. From what she could feel, she was laying on a cushioned surface, probably a bed.

“Gentle… Waters…” Fluttershy whispered, beginning to part her lids to readjust her sight as she took in the fuzzy picture that was around her.

“It’s me, Fluttershy,” the other individual corrected.

As the fog that clouded her thoughts began to clear, the dazed pony could only think of one being. “Spike, is that you?”

“Yep,” he cheerily stated.

“But, how-” she began to ask, sitting up only to be startled by an unbelievable image. “Spike! Is that REALLY you?!”

Seated on a chair next to the plush furniture piece, there was a dragon with purple scales, yes. And yet, he was certainly not the same little baby Spike who Fluttershy knew.

From the looks of it, he was a pre-teen, but he appeared nothing like the one time Spike began hoarding things and became a greedy monster. Starting with the gem-like scales along the purple hide, to the height easily reaching Fluttershy’s own, and even more so the wings that were draped on his back, she wasn’t sure if she should scream and run or hide under her quilted blanket.

“Oh yeah, it is!” the proud pre-teenage boy rejoiced. “It’s a new look, I know.”

“How…” she breathed, squinting her eyes.

“I’m going to become a Dragon of Light!” Spike declared with a smirk.

“Huh?” returned the confused mare.

“Uh, long story short, I met a really nice older dragon who’s going to teach me to be a truly good dragon.”

“Oh-kay,” Fluttershy answered, haphazardly smiling. Suddenly realizing something, she posed the question, “If you’re here, then where are the rest of the girls?”

“Oh, yeah, that…” Spike muttered, awkwardly rubbing a claw across one of his forearms, “Well, you see, you’re the first I’ve seen.”

“Oh,” she groaned delicately, her ears drooping in a disheartened display of despair.

“Which reminds me,” the colorful draconic child thought aloud while tapping his jaw, before aiming the digit at his friend, “how did you get here?”

“You mean in this bed?” Fluttershy asked in reply, similarly unsure.

“No, you’ve been asleep here for the past three hours after the Prince brought you here,” Spike admitted.

The mental image of – the brave, kind – Prince Gentle Waters sweeping her off of her hooves and delivering her all the way to her place of rest brought a blush to her cheeks that she tried to hide with her mane swept over. Her rosy complexion only grew when she noticed the flowery swirl in her pink locks.

“What I mean was,” Spike restarted, regaining Fluttershy’s attention, “how did you, and I for that matter, even get to be in Hartoneigha?”

As her memories came back to her, Fluttershy shuddered to think about the startling separation that took place just that morning. “W-well,” she stuttered, “we were talking, and then these… balls of lightning trapped each of us.”

“Whoa,” expressed the shocked dragon, “And then what happened?”

“They zapped us away,” she replied in a pained manner.

“Sooooo,” Spike drew out with a long breath, “you’re saying everypony was taken to who knows where?”

“I… guess so,” she stated. Then, her mind drifted back to an earlier statement. “Wait, did you say ‘three hours’?”

“Yeah,” he curtly nodded his answer as he spoke.

That revelation was almost earth-shaking as she realized that the Prince was nowhere in sight.

“Wh-wh-where is Prince Gentle Waters?” she nearly shouted, in her own unique quiet fashion.

“Oh, he’s busy having to attend to his royal duties,” Spike revealed.

The depressing idea that the Prince willingly left her on her own began to creep into her thoughts.

“But,” he continued, curbing the saddening train of imagination that was beginning to rule the pony’s whole being, “the Prince did leave a guard to bring him back to here as soon as you were awake.”

Fluttershy just about squealed in delight as she longed for the time to fly on by.

“Excuse me, Sir Spike,” intruded a deeper, and vaguely familiar, voice.

“Yes?” the addressed dragon responded while he and Fluttershy turned their eyes in the direction of the newcomer, namely the room’s main entrance.

Standing there, with his feather plumed-head held high, was the Captain of the Royal Guard.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he apologized, not budging a brown hoof from the doorway, “but Sir White Fang has requested your immediate return. He says that your lessons must begin today.”

“Oh, right, thanks,” Spike concluded with a mischievous smile.

The Captain proceeded to back away from his position into the hallway beyond.

“Fluttershy,” the young scaly-skinned individual exhaled softly as both of them were left by themselves.

“Yes, Spike,” she implied him to go on.

“Could you do something for me?”

“Mm-hmm,” she agreed, nodding lightly from her cushioned spot.

“Please, remember that you and the other ponies are and will always be my best friends,” the purple hided pony-pal hurriedly requested, before standing up on his own two feet.

“Okay,” Fluttershy gladly, if not with a dash of confusion, remarked.

“And,” he added, removing a shiny crystalline dragon figure from a cloth in the grasp of his claws, “could you give this to Rarity to remember me by?”

“Of course, Spike,” she assured him.

“You promise,” he begged as he moved close to the bed.

“Cross my heart, and hope to fly,” she chanted out the motions, “stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“I can always count on you,” Spike graciously gifted her with a compliment, pawing the statuette over into extended hooves.

“But, wait,” Fluttershy stopped him as he turned to go, “why are you telling me this?”

“I’m…” he paused, thinking over his options with a sad sideways glance “…not going back to Ponyville.”

“Because you want to become a Dragon of Light,” she repeated his earlier stated words.

“Yeah!” Spike excitedly confirmed, before his guilt returned. “I might not see you or any of the girls again.”

“Well, I hope you do well,” Fluttershy said, hoping the best for a good friend.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” he grinningly replied.

She returned his smile while carefully placing the statue into the folds of her crumpled bed sheets.

“Bye!” Spike waved farewell as he left the room.

Unable to reply in time, she remained quiet.

Then, she finally noticed just how nice of a chamber she was within.

Rectangular in shape, it was small but spacious, and its walls were made of white stone bricks, but its floors and ceiling were a fine red wood. Adorning the space was a full suite of furniture of a lighter shade of wood, and there were potted plants of beautiful varieties set all around. Accentuating the atmosphere was the natural sunlight that beamed through the open glass doors of a nearby balcony along with the breeze that accompanied it.

“Pardon me, Lady Fluttershy,” the Captain’s gruff voice penetrated the air once more.

“Huh,” she muttered, snapping out of her appreciative observations.

“May I have a word with you?” he asked from his position inside the wooden doorway.

“Umm… sure, I guess,” she permitted anxiously.

“You are most kind,” the silver-armored stallion voiced his gratitude, stepping into the room.

Halting a few steps from the bed, he removed his helmet and held it in the nook of his upheld right foreleg. “I am truly sorry for not properly introducing myself when we first met. It was merely protocol.”

Grunting to clear his throat, the Captain stood tall, as if at attention. “I am Captain Gilded Hooves of the Hartoneighan Royal Guard, protector of the crown, and… godfather of Prince Gentle Waters.”

“You’re-” Fluttershy gasped in utter surprise.

“The Prince’s legal guardian, yes,” he answered for her.

“Then,” she gave voice to her thoughts, “that means-”

“I have been responsible for him since that dreadful day we lost his parents...” he shuddered “…and my best friends.”

Fluttershy was really starting to understand just how much the previous rulers of Hartoneigha meant to their people.

“In fact,” Captain Gilded Hooves pronounced, “that’s the reason I wanted to speak to you.”

Fluttershy was curious as to what he could want to discuss with her as she kept her attention upon the imposing, yet well-mannered, figure.

“You see, I wanted you to know that I am glad in many ways that you so ostentatiously were on the beach so that the Prince could meet you.”

“Me too,” she added in her own mind.

“You must be a very special pony for him to be so open with you,” he cheerfully stated.

As Fluttershy paid attention, she realized it was the first time she saw the old veteran ever beam a grin.

“To tell the truth,” the Captain said further, placing his helm at his hooves, “Gentle Waters has never talked to anypony else about that day, not even I.”

All of a sudden, the tenderhearted mare felt real special.

“No matter what happens, I want you to know that you have my blessing,” the Captain concluded, straightening his face and replacing his feathery-topped headpiece.

A clattering and a muffled “Excuse me!” sounded from the hallway.

“That would be my cue,” Gilded Hooves announced, almost as if according to a script, “Good day, Lady Fluttershy.”

As the Captain trotted on to the exit, in came Prince Gentle Waters, panting heavily.

“Your highness,” the Captain greeted the Alicorn while he caught his breath.

“H… hey,” replied the Prince to the brown with blue-maned stallion, who left shortly thereafter. Sucking in a long snort of fresh air, he laid his sight on the reawakened recipient of his concerns. “Fluttershy.”

“Hi,” she shyly, yet eagerly, welcomed the Prince.

Grinning from cheek to cheek, he stepped forward, wearing the same royal duds he had before, but minus the leg-plate armor.

“Are you alright?” he asked, approaching the cozily-cooped Pegasus.

“Oh, I’m… fine,” Fluttershy gingerly agreed.

“I’m sorry about before,” he apologized, rubbing his left foreleg with his front right hoof, “I wish I had known you were so frightened by dragons.”

“It’s not your fault,” she affirmed.

“Thank you for saying so,” the Prince delighted, “But if it wasn’t for Sir Spike, I wouldn’t have come to understand that when I had.”

“Spike?” Fluttershy pondered rhetorically, cringing slightly. “He told you?”

“Mm-hmm,” he mumbled happily, bobbing his head and wavy gold and blue mane, “He also told me a lot more about you, your friends, and Ponyville. Although, I would have preferred to have heard it in your own words instead.”

Blushing brightly, she straightened herself, her muzzle displaying a curve.

“Would, if you’re up to it…” Gentle Waters anxiously began “…would you like to take a tour of the castle with me?”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Fluttershy whispered her gratitude.

“Would you like a saddle-bag for that?” he offered before she could take a step off the bed, and aimed a pointed hoof to a spot next to her.

Looking to the object of his attention, partially hidden in the folds of the covers was the dragon statuette, which reminded her of her promise.

“Yes, please,” accepted the pink-haired mare.

With a smile, the tall, many-blue hued Prince shot a pulse of magical energy from his spiral-pointed horn, and a drawer on the side of a long dresser jutted outward. Floating up into the air, a single-sided saddle-bag, with the bold Hartoneigha emblem on its flap, levitated to the lady Pegasus.

“I don’t mean to be overbearing,” Gentle Waters said while Fluttershy caught the bag with her wings, “but would you like some help with that?”

“Okay,” she voiced her approval.

He put barely any effort into the task as he used his magic to bring the straps to wind across her back and under her waist, latched into place, and then lifted the figurine up and into the safety of the satchel.

“There,” the Prince stated satisfactorily, “Now, shall we?”

Once more, for the fourth time, Fluttershy watched as he offered his hoof to her. Honestly, she found herself enjoying being treated like a lady, especially by this particular stallion.

Taking Gentle Waters’s extended limb, the delicate flower of a girl tiphooved down from the point of elevation and then followed after the Prince as he moved to the doorway.

As she exited her place of temporary residency, she could now witness the hallway beyond.

Stretching out in two directions, from the corner that hosted the door to the previous room, were brightly-colored, wide-gapped, stone halls topped with high ceilings and filled with pictures of different ponies along the walls.

Turning left, the Prince and Fluttershy walked across a red carpet that ran along until the end of the space.

Passing through, without either of them saying a word, the ponies could see paintings of many past ponies, all of them appearing very important.

But the one that caught Fluttershy’s eye was a portrait of two special figures.

Seated, side-by-side, were a mare and a stallion. Dressed in a simple, yet elegant, light blue dress, with a golden tiara complemented by polished white pearls, was a white-bodied, golden-haired Earth Pony, whose peepers glistened with amber irises. Set next to her, with wings spread in the background, was a silver-maned and sapphire blue Pegasus, in an outfit similar to Gentle Waters’s.

Taking another hoofstep, she suddenly realized that it was exactly like Gentle Waters’s suit, including the crown.

Looking back at the Alicorn, she could definitely see the resemblance and wished she could have met them. At the same time, her heart reached out to the Prince for his loss.

“We’re almost there,” Prince Gentle Waters abruptly announced.

Blinking away her confusion, she followed him around a curb into a hall that continued to an open passage that was brimming with light.

“Fluttershy,” the Prince called to her as they drew closer, “welcome to the Royal Gardens.”

A gasp escaped her lips as her aquamarine sights gleamed with sunshine.

Through the opening and over the railing on the edge of a roomy walkway, an expansive series of garden plots, ranging from semi-forested patches of land to open fields to the ponds that streamed in-between it all, lay in the midst of a walled-in environment.

Skittering about were critters of every kind, including cranes, herons, bunnies, and so much more.

“This is… amazing,” she breathed, unfurling her wings from her sides and flapping them at a slight pace.

“Indeed,” gratified the Prince, “I’m so pleased that you think so.”

Folding her feathered flaps back into their resting positions, Fluttershy began blushing a fierce pink across her face.

A high-pitched squawk sounded, drawing the attention of the two ponies to a high-flying bird of prey.

“Ah, here’s the bird of the hour,” Gentle Waters started to introduce, holding his right foreleg out, “Fluttershy, may I present Horatio Hawkington, Keeper of the Gardens.”

With an expert-level of finesse and control, the silver-on-ember feathered friend carefully latched onto the limb.

“Oh,” the lovely lady said admiringly, “he’s incredible.”

From the hooked talons that were snuggly wrapped along the Prince’s leg to the sleek, yet broad-beaked head upon his thin upper body, Horatio truly was a sight to behold. And yet, there was something vaguely familiar about the bird.

Then, it struck Fluttershy – the tall, majestic creature reminded her of Princess Celestia’s pet phoenix Philomena!

“He’s something special, alright,” Gentle Waters stated with a knowing grin at the perched perp, who was grooming himself and acting like there wasn’t a care in the world.

“Is he really a hawk?” the mare mumbled curiously.

“As far as we know, yes,” the Prince admitted.

“As far as you know?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he replied, letting Horatio hop onto his back so he could lower his hoof back to the ground, “You see, I found him shortly after that… horrible day when he was nothing but a hatchling fresh from the egg.”

“What about his parents?” Fluttershy questioned with worry in her words.

Directing her to a path that ran along the inside of the wall, and overlooking the gardens, the Prince began to walk. When his guest caught up with him, he made sure to synchronize every hoofstep for hoofstep.

“He was all alone, wandering through the dense, foggy forests that cover a third of Hartoneigha’s territory,” Gentle Waters elaborated. “So, I took him in, cared for him, and he became one of my closest friends.”

“Yaaay,” Fluttershy cheered softly.

“Kaaaw!” Horatio followed her example, only more adamantly.

Grinning at the gleeful display, the Prince thought of something more to say, “And soon enough, I was inspired to work with my pony friends to establish the Hartoneighan Royal Preservation, which, to this day, my friends help to keep running as the Royal Preservation Rangers.”

“Wow,” she expressed with sparkling stars in her eyes.

The more Fluttershy learned about Hartoneigha, the more she found that she liked.

But, as her mind drifted back to an earlier conversation, she wondered about something that disturbed her.

“Umm…” murmured the instantly unsettled mare.

“What’s the matter, Fluttershy?” Gentle Waters inquired.

Trying to avoid a frightful subject, she decided to ask, “Who’s White Fang?”

Staring blankly ahead for a moment, the Prince returned his gaze to a nearly distraught Fluttershy. “Are you sure you want to know?”

Gulping lightly, setting her face straight, and breathing in deep, she made her choice. “Yes.”

“Well…” he began “…he’s the dragon who saved us.”

Although shocked at the prospect of being saved by a dragon (excepting Spike, of course), Fluttershy was more surprised by the fact that the Prince seemed to be familiar with such a ferocious creature.

“Do you… know him?” she voiced her contained suspicion, with a shade of worry.

“Actually,” the Prince continued his answers with a confident, yet considerate tone, “he’s a friend of mine.”

“What?!” she uncharacteristically yelped, stopping in her tracks.

Sighing heavily, Gentle Waters also ceased walking and rotated around.

Keeping a tender face, he focused his complete attention on the now wide-eyed lady Pegasus. “Fluttershy, White Fang saved my life, and the lives of my subjects, and since that day he has pledged to defend Hartoneigha for the rest of his natural days.”

“Really?” she squeaked, hoping it to be the truth, but still unsure.

Nodding, the Prince hummed “Mm-hmm” while grinning and maintaining eye-contact, steadily soothing the tensed pony.

“In fact,” Gentle Waters expanded upon his explanation, “he’s had me over for tea…”

“He… does sound kind of nice…” she commented.

“And, he protects the Hartoneighan Royal Treasury,” the Prince finished.

“Treasury?” Fluttershy noted. “As in, jewels?”

“Yep,” he responded. “White Fang personally hates them, but, to help our nation, he protects them.”

“A dragon hating jewels?” the dumbfounded filly pondered rhetorically.

“He said it has something to do with being a ‘Dragon of Light’,” Gentle Waters revealed, using the tips of his wings to motion quotes in the air.

“So that’s what Spike meant,” she corrected herself.

Tapping the stone walkway with her hoof, Fluttershy felt ashamed of herself, but did her best to hide it from Prince Gentle Waters.

“Come now,” the Prince re-invited her, “there’s still so much to see, and the day is almost over.”

Bobbing her head in approval, the pink-haired mare joined the generous Prince in returning to their brisk trot down the path.

When they neared the end, reaching a pair of stained glass doors colored with patterns of roses and hummingbirds, Horatio bellowed a boisterous “Kaw!” before soaring off of Gentle Water’s back and diving down to the gardens.

“Always one for dramatics, that one,” the Alicorn Prince uttered as he swayed his head from side-to-side with a chuckle, before opening the double doors with a glow of his horn. “After you,” he gestured to Fluttershy as he side-stepped.

Blushing, yet again, she reluctantly entered.

The two ponies continued onward, passing through many chambers and rooms, such as the main dining room, the kitchen, the throne room, and the Grand Ball Room.

It had all been magnificent, or, at least, that’s what Fluttershy could see Rarity saying.

But what truly stuck out in her mind were the Ponies who the Prince introduced her to. Every guard, maid, and servant was so down to earth, and, even more so, they treated Gentle Waters like family.

She could see now that they loved him, and he reciprocated that love in full.

Finally, the pair exited from the castle proper onto a balcony, which gave way to the outside.

From the banister that edged the platform, a pony could see an outstretched plain, intersected by a couple of dirt roads that connected to a courtyard at the feet of the castle, which in of itself stood several stories tall.

While Gentle Waters closed shut the exit that he had cleared for Fluttershy and himself, she had stepped away from him.

A drop hit the ground, drawing the Alicorn’s attention to the mare, who had her back turned to him.

He watched as a few more drips fell from the face that was hidden by the wavy pink mane.

“Are you alright, Fluttershy?” the Prince partitioned, worried about her well-being as he approached her from the side.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, aiming her visage in the opposite direction.

“Sorry?” he questioned in a gentle tone.

Whipping her head around, a flood of tears was pouring from the corners of her eyes, drenching the floor at her hooves as her lower lip quivered.

“I’m sorry that I ever doubted you, even for a moment,” Fluttershy apologized vigorously, her voice cracking sporadically.

“Oh, Fluttershy,” Gentle Waters tilted her head back up with a hoof after she shifted it downwards in guilt, “you don’t have to be sorry. Everypony makes mistakes, especially Alicorn Princes.”

The warmth of her heart was revived as she stared deep into the royal blue pools that glistened with the bright, shining tenderhearted kindness of the Prince’s soul.

As her tears dried up and she wiped away the moisture with a hoofkerchief that the Prince produced from thin air, he paced over to the balcony’s side.

Finished with her task, Fluttershy put a smile on her muzzle and gracefully slipped herself to right beside him.

They both stood there, as still as statues, watching the sun begin to fade under the horizon as its tint of red light washed across the sleepy land.

“The dusk is breathtaking here in Hartoneigha,” Gentle Waters recited poetically, “but so is the dawn.”

He peered at her, and, as the sunlight bathed the sweetly conservative lady-pony in its radiance, a spark kindled a fire in his heart.

“Fluttershy,” he called her name, earning her undivided attention, “may I tell you something?”

“Okay,” she replied with her ever-strong grin and a batting of her naturally lengthy eyelashes.

“I want to say that,” he paused, contemplating the route he could take with his words, “although under strange circumstances, this has most certainly been the best day of my life.”

A sea of stars glittered in her eyes as Fluttershy knew that there was more to his expression of withheld feelings.

“And… I…” the Prince’s voice waned, struggling to portray what was bubbling inside of his heart.

“Yes,” she urged him on, almost bursting into a fit of excitement as she edged closer to Gentle Waters.

Not straying or retreating from the mare’s advances, the stallion was strengthened in his resolve as his eyes locked with hers. “I love-”

A flash, followed by a thunderous crash, cut in as a ball of energy phased into existence, trapping Fluttershy in the confines of its orb-shaped field.

“Fluttershy!” the Prince cried, searching for a way to free her.

“Your highness!” Captain Gilded Hooves shouted as he burst through the glass doors, leading a small entourage of the castle’s staff out onto the balcony as they frantically panicked in reply to the nightmarish twist in destiny.

Giving no response to the Captain’s outburst, Gentle Waters tried his best to dispel the sphere, but his magic failed him.

“What’s happening?” the Prince begged to know.

“It’s taking me away-ay-ay,” Fluttershy whimpered, cowering at the center of her luminescent cage as her renewed sorrow swelled up in the form of tears.

Staring into her eyes, Gentle Waters said, “Fluttershy...”

Sobbing as she returned his gaze, all that she could vocalize was “Mm-hmm.”

“...listen to me,” he instructed peacefully. “I need you to be strong.”

As those words registered in her brain, the meaning took ahold of her, and she forced her tears to stop from flowing forth.

“Know this,” the Prince spoke with a passion burning in his tone, “even if I have to fly to the ends of this world, and the next, I will find you!”

It clicked.

A fire, lighting up like the sun, blazed in her spirit, and a connection triggered in them both.

Prince Gentle Waters lifted a hoof and brought it closer and closer to the bubble.

Fluttershy then repeated the motion, sending her own limb on a collision course.

Centimeters apart, they couldn’t complete their bonding ritual, ‘cause in the passing of a breath, she was gone, leaving a determined prince to begin his search, and a whole kingdom to support his quest.

And so, two hearts longed to become one.

Chapter 3: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 1

Chapter 3: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight – Part 1

“Uhhh…” groaned the purple pony as her head rung “…that was some strange magic.”

Rubbing her temple to help soothe the aching, Twilight winced as her horn jolted with pain. Then, as it subsided, she placed all four hooves onto the ground and lifted her body to where she could stand straight.

Her dark navy blue mane, with its central racing pink and nighttime purple streaks, hugged her head and ran along her neckline. The wings that protruded from her sides rested at their natural tilt, aiming their feathered tips slightly above the ridgeline of her back.

Then, as the lids that covered her purple irises cracked apart, she had to blink several times to disperse the blurriness. At last, her vision was cleared and she could determine her circumstances.

Twilight gasped, her jaw dropping open as she took in all that was around her.

There was a city, but unlike any she had ever seen before.

It was shrouded in darkness, and the skies were pitch-black as a dark dome circled about the whole area. The only perceivable light that distinguished the sharp-edged, gothic-styled buildings was in the midst of the cityscape, obscured by high-rising spires and other miscellaneous structures.

Examining everything near her, she could see that she was on the outskirts of the city, and under her hooves was a small patch of an entire field of short, budding, rich purple grass leaves.

“Where in Equestria am I?” the Alicorn Princess questioned aloud.

Choosing that staying where she was at was probably the worst course of action, Twilight spread her wings and gently flapped herself past the field until she could touch down on the closest stone-laden road.

Following the path, she stepped into the city.

But, as a few minutes passed, she hadn’t heard a noise, noticed a change of any kind, besides the differences in the buildings, nor gotten closer to the source of light in the distance, which she remedied by using her horn to shine a bright beam in front of her.

Worse yet, the eerie silence was even more nerve-wracking due to their not being a single breeze.

The thought of a breeze suddenly sent a chill down Twilight’s spine as she realized just how cold the air was.

“Hello!” she exclaimed, glancing all around. “Anypony else out there?”

When nopony answered, she began to think that she was all alone.

Then, from behind her, a light buzzed to life, catching her off guard.

“Huh?” the slightly startled mare murmured as she placed a hoof forward and kept the other posed at the ready while eyeing the area from which the new addition of luminescence was shining.

It wasn’t half a second later that she caught the perpetrator – a black pole, jutting up from the corner of the stone walkway that ran beside a series of buildings, contained a ball of pure white light inside of a glass lamp at the top of its form.

“Where did that come from?” Twilight’s inquisitive nature arose from within her.

Taking a few hoofsteps closer, she looked for a solution to the mysterious conundrum.

“Well, it’s not a flame,” deduced the pony, tapping her jaw with the tip of her hoof, “and it’s not running on electricity. So…”

Focusing her mind, Twilight flashed a spark of magic through her horn, and the answer came to her.

“…it’s magic!”

The possibilities ran through her mind, such as the potential of a pony who could generate such a unique type of spell, not to mention the prospect of another pony!

“But not just any kind of magic,” Twilight reasoned as she pondered on the feel of the thing, “it almost seems like it could be… alive.”

Almost instantaneously, another lamp lit up, and then another, and yet another.

Watching the spectacle unfold, the cautiously curious Alicorn witnessed as a path was clearly illuminated through the old city.

“Well, this isn’t the least bit spooky,” Twilight said sarcastically, barely allowing her nervousness to show through her words.

Trotting at a steady pace, she followed the trail as it wound its way further into the shrouded, lifeless husk of a settled area.

As seconds shifted into minutes, and the scenery changed little by little, her mind began to return to Ponyville.

“Since I was taken to wherever here is, I wonder where my friends could be?” she questioned no one in particular. “After all, this isn’t what I’d call pleasant.”

“For all I know, they could be in danger, especially Fluttershy.”

She could only imagine the frightful situations that the other girls could be stuck in at that very moment. And, on that note, she couldn’t think of a single being who could have possibly been responsible for separating them in the fashion that they had been. Discord was completely reformed, fully trustworthy, a true friend after the Tirek debacle, and there was no way he had enough magic to pull it off. Tirek was no problem, obviously. There was the Changeling Queen Chrysalis, but nopony had heard neither hoof nor hair of her since she and her horde had been banished from Equestria.

“Oh,” Twilight moaned worriedly, “I hope they’re alriiigghhh-”

Recovering from nearly tripping into an unseen ditch, the Alicorn mare had lifted her form out of a precarious spot thanks to the timely reaction of her wings.

But, as she stared at the potentially harmful source of trouble, a deep gasp sounded from the depths of her lungs.

There, imprinted into the workings of the stone road, was the four-digit paw print of a great beast, which sunk at least a few yards downwards and was possibly wide as five ponies side-by-side. In fact, the more she looked at the indention, the more she was convinced that it belonged to a fully grown dragon!

Stunned by the implications, Twilight decided to examine everything else that she could see in the light’s reach.

Starting with the rest of the road, she could determine that some patches of stone were rough and downtrodden, while the rest were smooth and unblemished. The buildings were, more or less, in the same state, with the majority bearing a distinct touch of worn textures and cracks in their walls, a few even damaged. And yet, a hoofful of the structures were also pristine in their condition, almost as if they had been built within the past hundred days.

“What could have happened here?” the somewhat distraught pony thought aloud.

Deciding that the answer lied at the end of the ongoing trail of lights, Twilight continued her quest, but with greater focus to where she stepped.

It was a mere hop, skip, and several yards of running until she was standing at the border of an open plaza.

Hardly noticing anything at first as she galloped across the middle of the clear, circular crossing, she suddenly came to an abrupt halt when she arrived at the center.

Erected before her was a statue – a figure that was well over five times her height – made entirely of a finely chiseled stone working overlaid with pieces of masterfully shaped iron: it was the visage of a muscular stallion standing atop a cylindrical platform of brick, armed in a suit of armor unlike any that Twilight had ever seen.

On its head, there was a helmet that fully enclosed the upper half of the skull, save for the eye slots, ear holes, and the point from which a long horn emerged, was adorned by a wholly metal crest that curved along the cranium, and additional plating ran down the back of the neck, covering the mane.

From its chest to its tail, there was a singular piece of plate that protected the top of the figure, and hanging on the front and from each side was a banner – a white four-pointed star on a black background.

At the ends of its legs, the statue bore heavy boots, and one of its hooves was raised as high as its chest.

When Twilight looked at it, she saw an unmoving, stalwart soldier, and one word came to mind: power.

Having sated her curiosity, she continued to etch her way across the well-lit stretches of the plaza, until she was at an opening between the buildings that let off onto a dirt road. Following the light’s path, her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she saw something more heartbreaking than everything else beforehoof.

A tall, lonesome hill, hosting what were most likely the adult forms of that same purple grass, was lined by row after row of t-shaped (what she could only assume to be) tombstones. There must have been hundreds of them.

Her senses dulled as she drew nearer to the sobering image, fears of what could be swelling inside of her.

But, a measure of relief returned to Twilight as she remembered that she couldn’t possibly be in Equestria. The evidence pointed elsewhere.

A hoof at a time, she climbed the slightly steep hillside, via the barren strip of soil that was already running up the mound.

Passing by dozens of the… markers, she realized that a number of them were decorated with varying items. Sitting beside one was a stuffed pony, similar to her old “Smarty-Pants” doll. Draped along the arm of another was a cape lined with faux fur, almost like the one that Rarity had made for her. But, most prominent of all, were the few dozen pieces that were dawned with a helmet, much like the one that was on the head of the statue.

Then, at the peak, was a monument, a slab of a single white stone that was planted into the ground and presented a single statement, written on a plaque of gold.

“Here lie the ponies of a once great nation,” Twilight began to read, her voice cracking a touch, “May their souls rest in peace.”

Feeling inclined to look, she walked beyond the wide wall-like structure, and her heart nearly quit as she tiphooved past the end.

Going on, for at least a mile, were vast fields, littered by thousands of the tombstones, and flowered both by the purple blades of grass and strange, almost luminescent, blooms of indigo. It was all set in-between the city, and came to a dead end at a series of hills. Every part of it was so easy to see thanks to the strongest source of light there was, which was just over the horizon.

Still, her mind was in a steel-trap as she panted at the picture.

“This is… horrible,” she finally voiced.

“Aye, it was.”

Twilight froze.

“And who are you?”

“Ah!” she shouted, jumping into the air and twisting around.

As she maintained her position, she glanced back to her former spot.

Not too far away, a cloaked figure in a black robe stood beside a double grave, his face hidden by the hood and only the edge of his white muzzle and hooves could be seen.

“My apologies,” the unusually accented stranger pleaded for her forgiveness, “I did not mean ta’ frighten you. But, muh question still stands.”

“Uuh…” the mare said, unsure of what to make of the stallion “…yeah.” Flapping back down to the earth, she cleared her throat with a light cough. “I’m Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced herself with her signature awkward smile.

“Twilight Sparkle,” he repeated, rolling the name off of his tongue, “a nice name that is.”

“Th-aaa-nk youuu,” she dragged her reply, remaining suspicious of the mysterious newcomer.

“I um Advent,” he stated, barely budging from his stance as he tilted his hood to the point that his glowing golden eyes were visible.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Advvvv…” Twilight began relatively fine, before she was interrupted by a round of shivers.

“Please, take mine,” he offered, using his horn from underneath the cover of his cloak to generate a field of golden magic around the cape that was lying on a tombstone on the side of the hill and levitated it to the freezing filly.

“Thank you,” she sincerely expressed her gratitude, accepting the gift with her own magenta magic.

While latching the collar into place to complete the dressing process, she noticed a detail that had escaped her – Advent was well over a head taller than she was! Plus, she was starting to think that she heard hints of the Trottingham dialect whenever he spoke, but there was a certain twang to it.

“Excuse me,” she uttered, “Could I ask you a question?”

“Why, of course, mulady,” he replied in a gentlecoltly fashion.

“Hehehe-eh,” she giggled embarrassingly, and then recomposed herself with a cough. “With all due respect, what happened here?”

“I would gladly tell you, if,” Advent propositioned, “you would accept muh invitation to join me at my abode.”

“Sure, I guess,” Twilight agreed to the offer, retaining a portion of her earlier suspicions for the rather peculiar pony.

Then, with an extended hoof that remained inside of his cloak, the stallion gestured to a second dirt road that deviated from the hill and across the whole length of the graveyard.

So the two ponies began their walk, keeping a gap between each other while remaining opposite to one another.

It wasn’t until a minute of dreary silence had gone by that Twilight decided to break the ice that had frozen over their conversation.

“To tell you the truth,” she commented, paying him a passing glance, “I was beginning to think that I was the only pony here.”

“Aye. Only un hour ago did I think that I was alone,” Advent admitted.

“Wait,” she blurted, “you mean-”

“-that before you arrived, there was nopony else?” He sighed heavily. “Aye.”

She could only stare blankly at him.

Sighing again, the stallion stated, “I know you want to know why, so would you mind if I gave you uh history lesson?”

The sudden turn of events brought silent excitement to Twilight as she always enjoyed learning.

“Of course,” Advent plainly worded, “I’ll try to be brief, and keep it general.”

“Oh, no,” the eager school-filly at heart begged, “please, be as detailed as you can.”

“I appreciate that,” he replied, “but it might be best if I kept it short.”

Moping on the inside, she accepted his decision with the thought “Fine”.

Breathing deeply and exhaling softly, Advent began, “Right…”

“Many moons ago,” he narrated, not missing a step as he spoke, “uh group, no, uh nation of refugees fled from their old homeland, escaping uh cataclysm that had ravaged it.”

The severity of the intro took Twilight by surprise as she had not expected such a shocking start.

“For nearly two whole years, they scaled mountains, crossed seas, and survived blizzards, in search of their new home,” he recited as though he were reading a book, “They traveled far, looking for uh new land in which they could start anew.”

“Then, they found it – uh place that had everything they needed, and more.”

“So, they began building, and, following several months of back-breaking labor, they had crafted uh town, one they named Hooflend,” a certain hint of pride seemed to voice itself as Advent talked.

“Definitely not in Equestria,” Twilight mentally noted.

“As their fair hamlet developed into a full-fledged city,” the hooded storyteller further unraveled his tale, “tha’ three thousand, or so, ponies of the land chose, as one, to found uh nation, the kingdom of Steedstone.”

“Unique, to say the least,” she critiqued the story to herself.

“In tha’ midst of their joyous celebration,” he continued, a smidgen of a smile on his muzzle, “there came news from tha’ capital that truly brought cheer, for the royal couple, the king and queen, had given birth to an heir.”

Twilight smiled in return at the wonderful event that had taken place according to the historical recounting.

But Advent had paused, a lull of pained neutrality setting over the pair of ponies as a result.

“Sadly,” he presumed, yet with a tone of faint familiarity to an unspoken tragedy, “it was no sooner that tha’ queen had given her last breath of strength to bear her child, and then she passed on into tha’ arms of eternity.”

Although sharing the hurt of such a tragic circumstance, Twilight couldn’t help the fascination she held for his wording.

“Tha’ king was devastated,” Advent elaborated, “After all, he and the queen had been inseparable, almost to tha’ point of obsession.”

“In fact,” he said more directly to his listener, “some manuscripts of earlier historians say that they were consumed with thoughts only for one another, which was tha’ reason why tha’ nation of ponies had previously put together uh council that would serve tha’ role of advisors and, on occasion, would rule in place of tha’ monarchy to ensure tha’ stability of tha’ realm.”

“Wow, that’s elaborate,” the purple pony replied.

“It was truly something,” he stated, almost sarcastically.

“Please, go on,” Twilight urged, ignoring her confusion as to his reaction.

“As I was saying,” the narrator proceeded from beneath his cloak, “tha’ king could not bear his pain anymore and just ceased ta’ want ta’ live.”

“With tha’ loss of tha’ king and tha’ queen, tha’ ponies of Steedstone mourned and tha’ Steedstone Council made uh decision ta’ rule in place of tha’ monarchy until tha’ prince had come of age to take his place on tha’ throne.”

“And so, for several hundred years, tha’ kingdom of Steedstone, led by tha’ descendants of tha’ prince who became uh king, grew. Through prosperity and poverty, tha’ nation expanded ta’ twenty, maybe even thirty, times as large as it had begun.”

The sudden upturn in the story’s mood brought warmth to Twilight’s heart.

“It was at its peak,” the stallion said, “Never before had such uh time of wealth and good tidings been upon tha’ land… And then…”

Advent came to a stop as he choked up, immediately earning an equal reaction from his guest.

“…it happened,” he deadpanned somberly.

“‘It’?” Twilight questioned him worriedly.

He turned his hooded head and looked at her with a face that conveyed brokenness mixed with, strangely, shame.

“Tha’ war…” he expressed grimly.

A gasp of pure fright overtook Twilight before she mouthed “war?”

Advent nodded and aimed his eyes ahead of him once again.

“It all started with sightings in tha’ frontier territories, small things that barely caught anyone’s attention,” his words were those of grief, “but then, ponies began to go missing from tha’ border-towns, and fear started to grip tha’ hearts of those who dwelt there.”

“Without warning, uh village was no longer making contact with other nearby settlements, so family and friends investigated.” He paused, staring at the ground for a moment. “What they found… was disheartening.”

The scenes that began playing in the mare’s head were beginning to unnerve her, but she refrained from believing the worst…

“Tha’ village had been burnt ta’ ashes,” he exhaled, almost painfully.

…And, there went Twilight’s notion of hoping for a happy ending.

“They looked, and they searched, but there was nopony to be found to tell what had happened.”

The eerie silence and general lack of life that was imbued upon their surroundings only amplified the sense of despair that seemed to grow with the tale.

“All of uh sudden,” Advent continued, “more villages came under attack, and tha’ Royal Steedstone Army mobilized to march upon our foes.”

“That was good, right?” Twilight asked, reserving her happiness for when he concluded.

“If only…” he answered indirectly. Exhaling heavily from his nostrils, the dreary voiced stallion remained still for a second as he collected his thoughts.

“Reports began ta’ make their way back ta’ tha’ capital, and it was made known that tha’ Army was in a steady retreat, maintaining tha’ line whenever they could ta’ allow as many ponies as possible ta’ escape.”

Her mouth hung agape as she imagined the horrible reality of his implications as to the fate of the nation of Steedstone.

“It wasn’t until refugees poured in from tha’ battlefront that stories of tha’ enemy became public,” Advent stated, “Un army of dark creatures was sweeping across the land, sparing nopony, young or old, healthy or infirm, stallion or mare.”

The thought of such atrocities shook Twilight to the core and made her feel like a little filly who wanted to hide behind her mommy and daddy, if that were an option.

“Within nearly uh week’s time, tha’ first city came under siege,” the words were dry and accompanied a sense of loss as they left the cloaked figure’s form, “By another week’s passing, all that was left of Steedstone was tha’ city of Hooflend, and tha’ ponies therein.”

Now, she was beginning to feel a tear coming on as the pain of such terrible days started to become a burden for the purple pony.

“For days, those… monsters were circled around tha’ city, and it was as though they were going to starve tha’ ponies of Hooflend out… and then… they attacked.”

A shiver of frightened horror ran down Twilight’s spine at those words.

“They started by breaking through tha’ magical barrier that tha’ nation’s last Unicorn specialists could erect-”

She didn’t know why, but her memories slipped back to the day of her brother’s and Princess Cadance’s (or, rather, the fake “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s”) marriage when the Changelings invaded Canterlot and broke through Shining Armor’s protection spell. The vaguely familiar resemblance gave her even more reason to shed a tear or two for the lone stranger. After all, she still had her friends and nopony had really been hurt when it had been said and done for Equestria. But, Advent had nothing. He had lost everything and everypony, as far as she could tell.

“-and they pushed into tha’ city, mercilessly sparing nopony. Even tha’ Army remnants couldn’t stop them, or at least bide their time while tha’ regular ponies fled,” the touch of guilt that was more evident in his tone was suddenly shattered by a breath of fresh air that he soaked in, “And yet, while all hope seemed lost, there was still one who stood up to give his all.”

Twilight’s purple eyes shimmered as she listened intently to the twist in the tale.

“The prince, prideful as he was, charged headlong into tha’ fray,” a personal edge bit at his speech as Advent told the tale, “Although in direct defiance to his father, his actions proved to be of tha’ utmost importance in saving the lives of hundreds, maybe even uh thousand, ponies.”

The storytelling stallion dipped his head as he stopped speaking.

Concern that her gracious host might be suffering in some way gripped her heart as Twilight questioned what to do as they both stood there on the dirt path.

“Please, Twilight,” he finally said, raising his cloaked cranium, “may I tell you tha’ rest of the tale when we arrive at muh home?”

“Oh-kay,” she replied, feeling slightly dejected. “Anticlimactic much?”

Gesturing a hoof in the direction of the road ahead, Advent let her take the first steps on their continued walk.

“Umm…” he murmured before biting his lip.

“Yes?” the mare returned from beside him.

“Would…” he began “…you mind if I were to ask you uh question?”

“Sure,” she answered.

“How did you get in here?” the curious colt inquired.

“Oh, that…” Twilight uttered, “Well, you see, it wasn’t really my choice.”

There was no response from Advent.

“My friends and I were trapped by magic bubbles,” she continued, “and then I woke up on the edge of this city.”

“Magic bubbles?” he asked rhetorically. “Interestin’.”

“Actually, they were more like fields of energy in the form of orbs that had shaped around our bodies, but…” she stopped herself “…I may be going off on a tangent, haha-haha-haaaa,” an awkward laugh slipped from her lips.

Now that she got her mind on it, she remembered that those “bubbles” were sort of like the ones that Tirek had trapped her friends in. Still, there was no resemblance between the magical essences of the spells.

“How can it be possible?” the recipient of Twilight’s words said, revealing his state of distracted contemplation.

“What’s wrong?” the patiently polite lady-pony pried at the new source of problems that appeared to be plaguing him.

“Nopony should be able ta’ get in or out of here, and yet here you are,” Advent pointed out plainly.

“What?!” she exclaimed, barely containing the fear that now swelled in her bosom.

Sighing heavily, followed by a series of deep breaths, the robed figure merely said, “This is uh prison.”

Halting in her tracks, Twilight waited for him to follow suit. “For whom?” she voiced her worries.

He didn’t move a muscle as he stood there, only a few hoofsteps away. “Me,” he answered, frankly, in a low tone.

The honesty softened the fear that she had felt, but it left her clueless as to- “Why?” she asked, hoping to hear an answer that would assuage her fears.

“Twilight,” he began again, “un evil monster trapped me in here.”

She couldn’t detect dishonesty in his words, so it was her turn to feel ashamed. “Oh…” she awkwardly managed to breathe a sigh of relief “…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need for that,” Advent accepted her apology while turning his shiny irises in her general direction. “Now, if you still feel up to it, you’re always welcome ta’ muh home.”

“Of course,” she responded with a smile.

Moving on, the pair of ponies remained silent for a short distance. And then, a question began to bug Twilight.

“How… long have you been stuck here?” she posed her inquiry.

“According ta’ muh calculations,” he easily recited his response as it came from the top of his head, “I estimate uh total of seven years, five months, three weeks, five days, and three hours.”

An almost goatish sound groaned from the inner depths of Twilight as her muzzle hung agape at the jaw-dropping revelation. “You mean you’ve been all alone for all those moons? Wh-what have you’ve been doing all that time?”

“Oh, plenty of reading,” he gingerly joked.

“Reading?” she abruptly interjected. “As in, books? As in, a large collection?”

The mare had drawn little more than a mane’s flip away from the cloaked figure, who was now cringing slightly and keeping his face hidden in the folds of his hood.

“Aye,” Advent said as he stepped back and straightened himself. “You might even say that I’ve accumulated quite tha’ library.”

“What are we waiting for?!” Twilight cheerily shouted as she reared her front hooves into the air.

“Well, we do still have uh long walk ahead of us, and plenty of time to talk,” the particularly perplexed guy-pony commented.

“Oh, right,” she whinnied embarrassingly, blushing and grinning awkwardly as she returned her hooves to the earth.

Resuming their brisk pace, both of them suddenly adopted a hushed state, neither wanting to make a peep.

“So,” Twilight finally spoke up, “would it be too much for me to ask about you?”

“Actually,” Advent interjected, “could that please wait until we have arrived at muh home?”

“Alright then,” she gave in graciously.

She had hoped to bait him with a kind request so that she could learn more about him, but his pained tone at the mention of anything regarding himself seemed to almost hurt him. So, maybe-

“Ponyville,” the persistently pleasant picture of glee portrayed with a smile.

“Eh?” the stallion breathed forth a muffled conjecture.

“I’m from Ponyville,” she clarified.

“Huh? Ponyville,” he tested the word, pausing beneath his cloak from whence Twilight could not see his expression of contemplative confusion, “Um sorry, I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s in Equestria,” she urged, hoping against hope that she was at least not too far from home.

“Equestria,” Advent recited as though he were running through old memories, “I do believe I read about it in a book.”

“Really?” she asked with bright stars in her eyes.

“Aye,” he uttered encouragingly, “one on myths and legends.”

Although taken aback by the reference of her homeland in the same context as ‘myths and legends’, Twilight accepted it in light of the fact that it could be her only key to getting back.

“Do you think that I could, oh I don’t know, take a peek at it?” she requested with a wide grin.

“You can have it if you want,” he returned.

“That’s rather generous of you,” she graciously accepted his offer.

A few hoofsteps later, nothing else had been said. That is, until…

“So,” Advent spoke up, “would it be uh problem if I heard uh little about your friends?”

In a split-second, Twilight had a realization that, although she barely knew anything about the mysterious figure, she had not given him reason to tell her more, especially after the heart-wrenching account that he had begun to tell her.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” she answered. “Well, to start off with, there’s Rainbow Dash.”

“She’s famous for her competitive athleticism,” the mare rattled off, “but don’t let that fool you. She’s the most loyal pony that Equestria could ever have.”

Even if Advent was listening, she couldn’t entirely tell since his hood remained in the way.

“There’s Rarity, who is the single most fashion-forward mare in our fair little town,” Twilight expressed, unknowingly flipping her mane like her fashionista counterpart would have, “Plus, she has the most generous spirit of anypony I have ever met.”

“Oh, and Fluttershy, she’s the kindest pony, with the most tender, loving care for animals.”

“Animals,” Advent abruptly muttered, “How I miss the chirping and skittering of wee critters in the morn…”

The pain and loss in those few words spoke volumes of his suffering to Twilight as she paused to listen to what he might say. Something in her sparked, and she determined in herself that she would do whatever it took to make him happy. She didn’t know why. She just… needed to.

“There’s Applejack,” she attempted to divert his thoughts back to the cheery, “She’s the gang’s resident cowpony-”

“Excuse me,” he jumped back in.

“Yes?” Twilight asked, longing to hear whatever he was thinking.

“What’s uh ‘cow-pony’?” he questioned seriously.

“Oh, you know,” she replied matter-of-factly, “They use lassoes, they corral critters, and they care for their cattle.”

“Sounds uh wee bit like uh shepherd,” Advent commented.

“You mean that you really don’t know about cowponies?” she inquired, glancing at him to see his cloaked head swaying slightly from side-to-side while still facing ahead of them both.

“Well… that’s okay,” Twilight assured him, “Not everypony in Equestria knows about them either.”

Granted, most of those who hadn’t were either young foals or city-ponies who hadn’t given much thought to their country kin, but, she knew that she was in a different land. From what she could tell, she was more than likely in the middle of the ruins of Hooflend itself. Or maybe it was ‘Hoof-land’? Advent’s accent really threw her off on a couple of pronunciations.

“Besides the whole ‘cowpony thing’,” the purple pony resumed, “Applejack loves to tend to her family’s farm, Sweet Apple Acres.”

“She also happens to be Ponyville’s most dependable pony, and, I know for a fact, that she’ll never tell a lie,” Twilight complemented her trustworthy friend, “Why, she’s the most honest pony I know.”

Unsure of what state of mind the stallion was in, she was sure that he would like the next part.

“Then, there’s Pinkie Pie,” Twilight pronounced happily.

“Pink-ee Pie?” Advent questioned, his tone that of amusement. “Really?”

“Well, her whole name is actually Pinkamena Diane Pie, but that’s another story for another time,” she added.

As she finished saying that, Twilight barely managed to catch a glimpse of his golden eyes beaming with a previously non-existent happiness.

“She’s what we like to call the ‘Super Duper Party Pony’ of Ponyville,” she emphasized the statement by firing a bolt of magic from her horn into the dark sky that bloomed into a colorful explosion, much like that of a firework.

A smile spread across Advent’s muzzle as his stance perked up, bringing a strange sensation to Twilight as she watched him closely.

“She loves parties, especially when she’s the one who gets to throw them,” the words she said at that moment reminded her of the perfect example, “In fact, I remember once when she worked together with a stallion named Cheese Sandwich to transform Rainbow Dash’s birthday party and anniversary of the day she came to Ponyville, or birthiversary as we like to call it now, into the ultimate celebration.”

“They even pulled out a ‘Super Duper’ party cannon that would shoot ponies straight into a giant platter of gelatin.”

“No!” Advent suddenly burst out with an unusually boisterous manner. “Gelatin, really?” He had, for a moment, looked at her, but had quickly corrected himself by aiming his sights ahead again.

“H-yes,” she answered, nearly giggling at his response, “That’s Pinkie Pie for you. She always likes to put a smile on everypony’s faces.”

Almost unexpectedly, a small round of snorts sounded from behind the guy-pony’s fabric covering.

Holding her breath, Twilight listened intently for the inevitable-

Without warning, Advent unleashed a torrent of laughter as he continued walking.

Stunned for a few seconds by the excessively powerful tone in which the tall, darkly dressed figure shared his overabundant pleasure, she recovered in time to be able to join in with her own chuckling, which quickly developed into a fierce fit of laughter. If she had to admit it, his jovial display was contagious once he started.

“Oh, Twilight,” the greatly elated guy-pony chortled as he slowly regained semblance of self-control, “Thank you so much.”

“For what?” she asked, having easily calmed herself.

“I haven’t laughed like that in… years,” he explained, sobering at the mention of the past.

As she watched him shrink slightly, the mare began to wonder if she had lost him to his previous train of thought.

“Twilight,” Advent muttered.

“Yes?” she answered, hoping to divert him from the despair she heard in his voice.

“Would you consider telling me more about you?”

“Ugh…” she paused in shock, unsure as to whether or not it would be best.

“Please…” he begged, setting his glowing golden irises upon her and conveying a sense of desperation.

“Alright…” Twilight gave in, knowing that this was the only way.

Coughing into a hoof, she cleared her throat. “When I was just filly…”

For minutes, she went on, telling her life’s story. The good. The bad. The easy. The hard. She poured her soul out to him, not fully comprehending exactly why. It just felt right.

Of course, she made sure to censor what she deemed unnecessary. Still, everything that she shared only seemed to draw the stallion deeper into a state of unspoken delight.

“…and that’s how we defeated Discord, master of chaos,” she finished unraveling the tale of one of her and her friends’ most bonding experiences.

“Wow,” Advent stated in admiration, “Your friends sound nice and your adventures wonderful…”

“Yeah, they are special,” Twilight agreed.

“…but so are you,” he let slip, choking a muffled addition at the end of his statement.

A fiery pink blush washed over her cheeks as Twilight turned her head to the opposite side.

“Did he just-” she started to question herself.

“And yet…” he cut her off.

“Huh?” she alternated to his current choice of words, for some reason hoping he wouldn’t take back what had already been said.

“…you forgot somethin’,” the strongly-voiced pony addressed with a hint of disappointment.

However it did, his disapproval, for whatever, drove a figurative needle into her side, causing her to almost want to weep at the potential transgression. But on the outside, she kept a strong front.

“What?” she asked rather curiously.

“You’re uh princess, aren’t you?” he said rather rhetorically.

“How-” Twilight gasped in astonishment.

“You’re an Alicorn, aren’t you?” Advent noted with an equal level of sureness.

“What does that have to do with anything?” she inquired, accidentally sounding hurt at the implications he was making.

“All Alicorns have royal blood flowing through their veins,” he recited.

The manner in which he spoke his nugget of knowledge struck Twilight as unshakeable truth. Except…

“Actually, I was born a Unicorn,” she decided to reveal.

“Huh, interesting,” he returned, pondering on the fact for a moment.

“How do you know so much about Alicorns anyhow?” she questioned him, almost as if a student to her tutor, minus the small error on his part.

After all, even the tomes of the Royal Canterlot Library that contained the meager amount of recorded information on the race of ponies known as Alicorns were either filled with rumors, speculation, or the small number of memories that Princess Celestia could recall from her days as a young filly.

“Oh, I have plenty ta’ read on tha’ subject,” Advent admitted readily, “and I would wholeheartedly be willing ta’ allow you ta’ get as much as you can wrap your hooves around.”

Twilight’s face shined with appreciative excitement as she heard him so openly offer his services and home to her.

“Speaking of which,” he added, “we’re nearly there.”

“Really?!” the overly-hyped mare nigh unto squealed.

“Aye,” he confirmed, “It’s just beyond this-”

His next words were lost on Twilight as she sped up the side of the hill that was along the path. She was already part way when she managed to catch sight of what she had been previously incapable of seeing, namely the source of the light that beamed down upon the city.

Sprouting from below the hillside was a tower that admittedly appeared to have some form of damage or change to its uniquely gothic style. Whatever it had looked like before, it mattered little to her, as her eyes mainly took in the picture of what was rested within the open top of the structure.

Seated at the center of the turret was a ball of pure light, and she instantly recognized it as a gigantic version of the very same lights that had lined the streets of the ghost city.

That only proved that it had to be Advent who was keeping them alive, but Twilight couldn’t understand how, especially since she couldn’t see any visible sign that he had been actively using his magic more than once.

This served to greatly push her on as she questioned what kind of home such a mysterious fellow like Advent could be living in.

Ascending the heights with relative ease, she finally set hoof atop the mound. But what was before her made her pause.

Set in the midst of an open field of little more than the purple grass and a few dozen strangely-shaped trees, or what she could only guess to be such as they each bore a twisted resemblance to ‘hands’, was a fine example of stone worksponyship.

Spires of grey rose from the main body of the grand structure, brilliantly accented by the sharp edges and acute angles that bordered its walls, and statues of armored ponies lined the ledges that protruded from those.

“A castle?!” Twilight shouted, showing just how shocked she was. “You live in a castle?!”

“Aye,” the unaddressed stallion stated as he trotted up the hill, having barely been outrun by the mare.

“Why?” she couldn’t help but utter.

“Well,” Advent started once he reached the top, “I was tha’ only pony in tha’ city, after all.”

“I… guess I can’t argue with that logic,” she admitted, somewhat embarrassed by her outburst.

“Shall weh, mulady?” he gestured ahead with a hoof.

“Aye, I-I… mean… yes,” Twilight fumbled her words, earning herself another round of blush across her cheeks in conjunction with her muzzle being set in a visage of self-inflicted apology.

With a smile at the obvious error, Advent led the way down the path of the hill.

As they neared the massive monument to ponydom, Twilight couldn’t help but think of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and how much this new castle resembled it. With that thought, she also began to remind herself of the day that her friends and her had spruced the old ruins of the former home of Equestria’s premier princesses to a point that they were livable, which caused her to worry for her friends and to be a touch homesick.

“Somethin’ tha’ matter?” the cloaked colt questioned her in concern.

In that moment, she realized that she had been frowning.

“Just… thinking about my gal pals,” Twilight shared, managing to exchange her worry for a tone of cheer.

The stallion inhaled a deeply calming breath.

“I understand,” he voiced kindly.

Thanks to her previous discussions with him, she knew he did… but that didn’t take away from how good it felt to hear him say it.

Nothing more was said as the two made their approach to their destination.

Then, Advent came to a stop in front of the massive doors of the castle’s entryway, and Twilight followed his example.

“Now, may I welcome you, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he announced, as if to a crowd, “to Castle Brayburn.”

She looked on in excitement as the hooded figure shone his covered horn with his golden magic and the gate was imbued with it in turn.

The dual heavy-set wooden portcullis’s joints groaned as they swung open to reveal a dark hall suddenly blooming with candlelight.

“After you, mulady,” Advent invited her to take the first hoofstep up the staircase and into the not-so-welcoming scene.

“Hehehe-he,” she chuckled anxiously, almost reconsidering if not for his politeness.

Usually, she would have been quick to express her discomfort when someone addressed her so formally. And yet, Twilight strangely enjoyed the fashion in which he was treating her.

One after another, the pair of ponies climbed the steps and entered the hallway.

A symphony of lights came to life all around them while Advent shut the entrance behind them, from candles to torches to chandeliers.

It was quite the sight to Twilight as she noticed that every step she took, another flame, or two, or three, would be lit by whatever mysterious means that Advent was doing it.

She also paid attention to the fact that along both walls on either side were exact duplicates of that same banner that had adorned the soldier-pony statue in the plaza, except these were rimmed with a white border finish. They continued to be the same, until they were about to pass the midway point of the space.

There, hanging from the ceiling, was a tapestry of a familiar symbol embroidered on a golden-bordered purple background – set in golden stitching, and bedazzled with rhinestones – was an ancient-styled image of a Unicorn’s head.

It was the exact same as the one that had been on the cover of her copy of Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide, which wasn’t the least bit unusual since it was a popular piece for authors in Equestria to use for literature involving ancient or forgotten history.

As far as Twilight could recall, the symbol had its roots in some ancient clan of ponies, known only by their “Coltic Heritage”, who mysteriously vanished from recorded history and became something of a myth. Thus, the reason why the golden Unicorn’s usage for so many books, and why it struck her as odd as to why it was on a banner in a foreign land.

“Oi, Twilight,” Advent softly broke her concentration.

“Huh?” she responded as she came out of her frozen state of meditation.

“Ya’ takin’ uh fancy to tha’ flag?” he, surprisingly, joked with her.

“Oh, no,” she answered with a slight giggle to her undertone, before returning her gaze to the uniquely separate piece of art, “I was just thinking of how much this resembled something I’ve seen before.”

“Hmm, ya’ don’t say…” he mumbled curiously.

“Where did you get it?” Twilight asked.

“That just so happens ta’ be tha’ last remaining relic of the ancestors of the Royal Steedstone Family,” Advent stated seriously, “uh reminder of tha’ roots from whence they came.”

Although intrigued at the implications of this learning experience, Twilight didn’t miss the hint of personal pain that was made obvious by the stallion’s tone.

“Shall we continue?” he offered with an extended hoof.

“Yes, let’s,” she accepted with her own hoof.

Side by side, they had a short walk to the next door, which was much like the first.

Taking the initiative, Advent used his magic to bring them to life, and they cracked apart to allow the first glimpses of the castle interior to meet Twilight’s sight.

Before her eyes, a world of wondrous possibilities was unlocked as she witnessed the chamber, full of lit candles and chandeliers, in all of its great wealth of knowledge.

The ceiling was far above their heads, several stories up by her count, with rings of balconies, absolutely brimming with bookshelves, lining the walls, and below that all was a finely designed rectangular foyer wrapping around a central dip in the floor, which accounted for even more bookcases and was crossed over by a pair of separate intersecting walkways.

Everywhere she looked, Twilight saw book after book, and her heart raced with shiny-eyed excitement.

“Is this… your library?” she asked her host indirectly, not tearing her gaze away from the overwhelmingly incredible picture of a dream fulfilled for even a second.

“This is only uh section, really,” he answered happily.

She swung her head as fast as she could to stare at the hooded figure as she blurted, “You mean there’s more?!”

“Aye,” Advent repeated his seemingly favorite word, “In fact, this entire castle is tha’ library.”

“Really?!” the overjoyed Twilight flapped her wings from out from beneath her cape to her sides as she posed the question, nearly lifting her hooves an inch off of the stone flooring.

“Aye. This is merely tha’ section in which I have placed all written records and literature on tha’ nation of Steedstone.”

The mention of the fallen kingdom brought Twilight back to reality as she remembered their earlier discussion.

“About that…” she voiced her regrettable memory.

The cloaked stallion halted in his tracks and huffed a heavy breath.

“I did give you muh word that I would finish tha’ tale once we were here,” Advent barely said without cracking up.

Twilight merely stood to the side, half-grinning as she heard the reluctance in his statement, and hoping that she hadn’t pulled the wrong string.

“Aye,” he finally whispered before walking forward a few hoofsteps and lighting his horn, “Please, take a seat.”

The lady-pony glanced above herself to see a cushy floor-chair floating down from one of the balconies and watched as it landed softly at her hooves. Choosing to accept the gracious offer in light of the cold surface that she was upon, Twilight made herself comfortable while ensuring that the cape she was dressed in was properly secured.

“Where was I?” Advent asked himself in a low tone. “Ah, yes. Tha’ prince.”

Ignoring the fact that he had his back to her, Twilight was half-eager to bring a close to this story, while her other half wanted to forget it entirely. And yet, a small part of her knew that it was somehow important.

“Although he had done good,” resumed the storytelling stallion, “tha’ prince could only see tha’ horrors of war all around him.”

“In tha’ midst of tha’ chaos, his eyes caught pony after pony falling, even as he gave his all ta’ defend them,” his breathing wavered as he worded his thoughts. “And as he stood there, somethin’ in his heart broke, and his sorrow transformed into an unknown entity.”

Twilight felt like gasping, but could do no more than look on in fright from her seat.

“A spark in his soul brought to life a fire,” Advent portrayed wearily, “and a single thought consumed him.”

He paused.

“Please don’t be bad. Please don’t be bad. PLEASE. DON’T. BE. BAD!” Twilight yelled on the inside.

“Vengeance…” the strong word left his muzzle with deeply-seeded grief.

Her jaw hung agape at the terrifying prospect. Never before had she heard such an open confession of… that, especially since it was such a rarity to ever come across it and she had previously never met anypony else who was so willing to say it.

“His blood boiled, and tha’ rage within him manifested itself as his horn unleashed uh fire that burned his foes,” Advent said without inching from his position. “Hundreds of his enemies were smote as he willingly let tha’ fire course through him.”

The ferocity of the battle that had taken place, more than likely, in the very city she had trotted through brought a renewed chill to her spine and made it nearly impossible to shake the feeling of fear that was upon her.

“Rallying tha’ remaining troops of tha’ Royal Army, and tha’ few brave stallions of Hooflend’s militia,” he stood tall as he mentioned those lost souls, “the prince led uh charge straight into tha’ largest, and last, number of tha’ horde.”

“Letting tha’ soldier-ponies deal with tha’ small fries,” Advent demeaned the monsters, “he cut uh swathe through their ranks on his way to tha’ center, where he came face-ta’-face with tha’ head of tha’ serpent – tha’ Commander of tha’ horde.”

The poison in his voice told Twilight that her earlier suspicions were correct, but she kept it to herself. That, and she couldn’t stop wondering what this ‘commander’ could have even looked like. Her mind kept bringing her back to Tirek for some reason.

“As they both locked eyes,” he continued, “each of them knew that they had accepted uh challenge.”

“With uh cry of battle rising from either side, they each went for the first strike, and in that moment alone they cleared uh space for their dual, not allowing anypony, or thing, to interfere.”

The mare, strangely, found herself enraptured in the idea of the fight, silently rooting on the prince.

“They matched one another blow for blow, strike for strike, magic for magic,” the stallion stated with great effort, “until tha’ Commander lost his momentum.”

“Tha’ prince pressed his advantage, and gained the upperhoof, forcing tha’ monster ta’ lose ground.”

An unvoiced cheer rose inside of Twilight as she listened intently.

“But,” Advent muttered, earning a look of concern from his audience of one, “tha’ Commander could tell when he was about to lose, so, with some of his last words, he spoke uh curse over tha’ prince and tha’ city.”

Twilight’s worry was momentarily broken as she questioned whether she had heard right or not. After all, last she knew (from her own experiences) curses could not be real.

“For his treachery,” the bitter-voiced stallion spat, “tha’ prince rewarded tha’ monster with uh swift end… And yet…”

He sounded as if he were struggling to continue, almost bringing Twilight to try to soothe him.

“And yet,” Advent recovered, calming his guest, “his rage had not been sated. In fact, it burned brighter than before.”

“So, at that moment, he vowed ta’ himself to hunt down every last one of tha’ creatures who dared ta’ harm his people and his city.”

The thought of such determined violence shocked Twilight as she sat back. But, she knew, deep in her heart, that it was justified to at least have stopped these monsters from their evil deeds.

“When tha’ final beast was laid at his hooves, tha’ prince could, at last, take uh breath,” a relief settled over the stallion as he spoke on, “and tha’ fog of his anger dissipated…”

A tear fell from the away-facing pony as Twilight watched him.

“His sight was cleared,” he sniffled, “but all he could see, everywhere he looked, was that he was alone.”

She was heartbroken to hear the pain and loss that poured from the guy-pony’s soul as a stream of tears flowed from beneath his hood, staining the floor at his hooves.

“He searched, he begged, he cried out for there to be somepony else,” Advent expressed, his head dipping low, “but he was left by himself.”

“Advent,” Twilight cut in.

His hooded head rose back to its tall, natural state of attention.

“Are you… saying-” she managed to get out.

“Aye, Twilight,” he replied, turning about.

As he moved to face her, his horn shone with his golden magic, and his dark hood was pulled back, allowing her to catch the first glimpses of his uncovered head.

First, she saw strands of sunshine yellow and crimson and scarlet red hair running back across his neck, shaping his mane like a cloud of still fire. Then, he twisted around until she could see his strong muzzle set into a soft expression on his jaw below his shimmering golden eyes, which still retained a watery trail that went down both of his cheeks.

If it wasn’t for the fact that she had been speaking to him for more than an hour or so, she would have begun gawking at him and how unbelievably handsome he was. Of course, she quickly corrected herself before that ever happened.

Plus, Twilight also thought he looked uncannily like-

“I was that prince,” he interrupted her internal conversation.

When that last word left his lips, he stood still, and his cape was thrown off, revealing two unfurled wings stretching high into the air, coated with feathers colored like the rays of the sun, from the white of his body.

Twilight gasped at the unseen turn of events and the sudden revelation.

“You’re… you’re…” she muttered shakily.

“Aye,” he answered for her, “I’m un Alicorn.”

She gasped again without even realizing it.

Chapter 4: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 2

Chapter 4: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight – Part 2

Twilight’s awestruck face stuck for a little while as she rebooted her, figuratively speaking, overloading brain.

“What’s tha’ matter?” Advent asked with a tiny amount of concern as his glistening peepers glanced over her and then shifted to the side. “You look like you’ve never seen an Alicorn stallion.”

“That’s because I haven’t,” Twilight finally conveyed, breaking her silent shock.

“Hmm,” he responded neutrally, “learn somethin’ new every day, I suppose.”

Her mind was officially blown. Although she had suspected that he was the prince from the tale, she hadn’t in the slightest thought he could have been an Alicorn! Not a single record from the Royal Canterlot Library had ever spoken of a stallion who could be.

“Since we’re on that subject,” Advent pressed forth, remaining where he stood, “would you mind me askin’ uh question?”

“Oh-kay,” she breathed, not entirely sure where he was going.

“I know that you know that I’m the first Alicorn stallion that you’ve ever heard of,” he said with ease, “but am I the only other Alicorn you’ve ever met?”

“No, actually,” Twilight answered calmly, remembering that she had excluded the other princesses from her life’s story beforehoof.

“Really?” he inquired, his eyes wide with expectation.

“Yes,” she confirmed happily, noticing how his mood bettered as they continued talking, “there happen to be four Alicorn princesses in Equestria, of whom I am one.”

“Four,” Advent repeated as if he were having to absorb news of gargantuan proportions. “Forgive me if I appear to be flabbergasted,” he directed his attention back to her, “but this morning I had it in muh mind that I was the only Alicorn in tha’ entire world.”

“Wh-h-at do you mean?” Twilight accidentally giggled a note as she asked as though he were being silly. “You’re parents were Alicorns, weren’t they?”

“They were Unicorns, actually,” he answered lowly, and, for a moment, it seemed that his mane had surged like fire.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t mean to pour salt on an open wound.”

“No, there’s no need for that,” the stallion assured her, “In fact, I’m glad you brought that up.”

“In that case,” Twilight said, knowing there were no hard feelings, “may I ask how is it possible that you were born an Alicorn?”

“The question is perfectly fine by me,” he stated with a renewed smile, “Ta’ say tha’ least, nearly everypony who knew of muh birth asked tha’ same thing.”

Breathing deeply, he focused his mind, even as his hair flared once more.

“But muh Da’ and muh Mum loved me even if I was the only pony in the entire kingdom to have been born with wings.”

That caught Twilight’s mind in a bind.

“Did you say only pony born with wings?” she neighed.

“Aye,” he answered matter-of-factly.

“There were no Pegasi?” she voiced with a great deal of curiosity.

“So you’re familiar with that race of ponies?” he returned her question with his own.

“Well, yes,” Twilight confirmed knowingly, “my friends Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are both Pegasi.”

“Wow,” Advent admired, “Equestria sounds like uh paradise.”

“I’m… sure it does,” she commented, slightly off-put by his staring into the distance.

“Oap, sorry,” he counter-apologized, “Got carried away for uh bit. Being by yourself for so long… does that ta’ you.”

The eerie look of blankness that ran across his face quickly made Twilight realize she may be losing him to the difficult past he alone had to endure.

“Were there only Unicorns in the kingdom of Steedstone?” she asked from the top of her head, partially longing to learn more about this lost pony-nation, but mostly because she felt a form of connection with him.

“Oh,” he sprung back to his cheery talkative self, “tha’ population of Steedstone consisted of both Unicorns and Earth Ponies.”

“Why, I’d say that it was thanks ta’ our Earth Pony kin that tha’ nation had grown ta’ such uh state of prosperity as it was,” he elaborated.

“Fascinating,” she agreed with him, bobbing her head at a gentle pace.

A sigh slipped from his lips as his eyes drifted to the floor.

“What?” Twilight seriously wondered what could have hurt him, if he had been offended.

“Aren’t ya’ gonna ask?” Advent shot pointedly, although not as if he had intended to drive a wedge between them.

“Ask?” she continued to be lost to his meaning.

“About tha’ curse,” he laid it out plainly.

“Oh,” she groaned, realizing that he was fully aware that she had been dancing around the topic.

“Aye,” the fiery-haired guy concluded, “tha’ shadowy thing that traps us within its canopy.”

“The dome…” she understood his meaning rather swiftly.

“Indeed,” he deadpanned.

There was an awkward pause as they both looked about. But, Twilight knew what she would say next.

“So,” she captured his attention again, “why haven’t you broken free from it?”

“Pardon?” Advent replied.

“Well, from what I’ve learned,” the purple pony proposed, “there’s no such thing as a real ‘curse’.”

“Not ta’ insult your intelligence, because I can tell that it’s matched only by…” he trailed off, coughing into a hoof after shifting his gaze away from her “…That is ta’ say, this curse is very real.”

A fuzzy feeling of elation stirred in her belly as Twilight was stuck on his near complement. She didn’t know what he was going to say, but she knew it had to have been good.

“Umm, Twilight?” he called to her.

“Huh… Oh, yes!” she hurriedly responded. “Then, what have you done to break it?”

She personally couldn’t come to believe that this curse was little more than a trick, like the poison joke incident, but it didn’t hurt to hear about it from another pony’s point of view.

“I can tell you now from firsthoof experience that it can’t be done without tha’ proper procedure,” Advent expressed heartily, jabbing a hoof at the ground, “By my recounting, I’ve tried everything from magic ta’ digging through tha’ ground. I’ve even went straight up an’ bucked tha’ thing, hoping that it would break like glass, to no avail.”

To say the least, Twilight was now uncomfortable knowing that not only was the curse very much real, since she knew that she could trust Advent’s word, but there was no obvious way to just end it.

“Was there a clue to an answer, or something that could help us?” she fervently begged to know.

“Tha’ Commander…” he wavered, cringing a bit as he endured another wave of the flame-like movement of his mane “…said in tha’ curse… that I must find my salvation.”

Taken aback by the unusual word, she uttered desperately, “What’s that even supposed to mean?!”

“I don’t know,” he admitted dishearteningly, “I’ve searched, I’ve read, and I’ve found myself wanting in my solitude…”

The hope seemed to be drifting from his eyes as he bowed his head.

Twilight noticed as soon as she calmed herself and decided that there had to be more that she could do for this tortured pony’s shattered spirit.

“So, how can I help?” she uttered while standing up from her position of relaxation.

“Eh?” Advent verbalized his confusion at the offer.

“How can I help?” Twilight once again stated, taking a few hoofsteps nearer to him.

“Ya’ mean you’ll help me?” he asked as though a great burden was being lifted from his shoulders.

“Of course. What are friends for?” she asserted kindly.

“Friends?” he stated, as if it were a long lost dream that had been forgotten. “You and I are…?”

“Why not?” she insisted. “We know so much about each other, I would think that we could be.”

“I would like that,” he said with a great big smile, “very moch.”

“Great!” Twilight pronounced cheerfully, grinning back at her new amigo. “Since that’s settled, where do we start?”

“Ta’ start, I’ve already examined tha’ city for uh hint as ta’ tha’ answer,” Advent checked off a step on his mental list, “and I’ve gone through tha’ majority of muh books…”

Desperation began to grip Twilight’s mind as she instinctively started questioning whether she would ever be able to escape this depressing situation to return to her friends and Ponyville.

“Well, mostly depressing…” she told herself before unintentionally taking a peek at the tall, handsome stallion who was now the center of her focus.

“But,” he chirped, earning her undivided attention, “there is one section I haven’t thoroughly given uh looking at.”

“Where is it?” she asked, purposely including an excited delight at the potential of finally ending his suffering.

“Tha’ opposite end of tha’ castle,” he revealed, steadily growing more positive in his attitude.

“What are we waiting for then?!” she cried aloud, motioning her hooves in a circular pattern in front of her after rearing back.

“Aye!” Advent chortled gleefully. “Let us be on our way!”

Her smile had grown so wide at the level of lightheartedness that was beaming from the stallion that she had barely caught the appearance of something that took her breath away as he swung around to gallop off.

“Wait!” she shouted, holding a hoof out as if she were attempting to bring him to a halt.

“What’s tha’ holdup?” the impatiently reinvigorated guy-pony whinnied while he arced his head back to glance at her.

“Your flank!” Twilight announced, aiming her hoof at his aforementioned body part. “It’s blank!”

Adopting a face that was seeded with his inner perplexity, Advent aimed his golden eyes at the upper quarter of his left rear leg after sweeping aside his equally fire-swept tail.

“Huh…” he murmured “…It’s been so long since I’ve given that any consideration.” A short snicker escaped his muzzle. “And it used to be such uh source of humiliation for me.”

“Why?” she gave voice to her question, yearning for an answer.

“I’ve never earned muh cutie mark,” he confessed, looking at the ceiling in deep contemplation, “nor discovered my destiny, or even that special talent that makes me unique from other ponies.” In an instant, he reset his vision on the purple mare and extended his wings. “And I never will if we don’t get uh move on!”

His outburst was followed in quick succession by him soaring above the central walkways.

Taking a mere split-second to gather her wits, she suddenly felt a competitive edge enter her system, and a thrill-seeker side emerged in her. So, with a smirk, Twilight charged her horn and zapped right in front of the high-flying stallion.

“Aha!” Advent shared her enthusiasm as he touched down a few hoofsteps to her side. “Follow meh!”

Through the narrow hallways, they danced around corners, passing dark, dusty chambers of all sizes, not missing a beat as Twilight stayed close behind him.

“How did you ever manage to memorize every passageway of this labyrinth?” she delivered her question without abandoning her unique sense of humor.

“Who said I have?” he directed his response to her as he trotted onward. “I still get lost on occasion. For days, even.” A hardy chuckle graced his lips as he pushed forward, lighting the path with his horn.

She was about to join in his merriment, when they passed a doorway. It was like any other door among the many, except that she felt a pull from it.

Although she knew that she would be leaving Advent, Twilight couldn’t resist the tug at her heart strings that drew her back to the room from whence the strange, otherworldly presence radiated.

Peeking into the stone doorframe, she flashed her horn’s light and illuminated the space.

Taking a series of steps into the stale-aired square, she could make out furniture, both plain and decadent, scattered about the room and covered in a layer of dust.

But, it was what was sat at the far end of the chamber that pulled her further into the poorly maintained area, for there was a well-designed wooden throne that was furnished with a crimson cushion for the seat.

And yet, that wasn’t what specifically stuck out to her, for upon the throne’s pillow was a-

“Oi, Twilight!” Advent’s voice echoed. “Where’d ya go?”

“I’m in here!” she called back.

A moment’s notice later, the candles on their stands came to life in the room, making everything a shade easier to see.

“Ah,” he toned his relief as his brightly-colored mane came into view, “there you… are…”

“Is something wrong?” she perplexed, concerned as she watched him clop into the room, wincing every few breaths as his hair sporadically flowed from normal to alive and back again.

“This was…” he struggled through erratic breathing “…muh Da’s audience chamber.”

“I’m so sorry!” Twilight apologized as quickly as her lips permitted her to.

“There’s no need for that,” he assured her, taking control of himself once he was close enough in proximity to the purple pony, “Ya’ didn’t know. And besides,” his golden eyes locked onto her, and a gentle smile graced his muzzle, “you’re muh friend.”

If she had ever felt special before, this overcame any of those times, even when she became a princess of Equestria. Maybe even more than when she first realized she had five of the best friends in the whole wide world!

“I need ta’ get past muh past, no matter how hard it was,” Advent stated, gazing all around the space, “and I can’t think of another pony I’d rather share it with.”

Okay, now she felt like the single most special pony ever!… Even if she couldn’t explain why.

“He used ta’ entertain ponies here,” reminisced the stallion as he paced about.

Twilight shifted her pleased grin to a straight-faced expression as she listened with open ears and wide eyes to the account.

“Muh Da’ didn’t like making other ponies feel as though he were an ‘all-powerful ruler’ who could pass judgment over them without batting an eye,” he elaborated, “so, he had this room changed ta’ allow it ta’ be accommodated for each individual appointment he had with somepony.”

When Twilight thought about it, the usual throne rooms of Equestria’s castles were a bit intimidating to the average pony, especially if they had never been in one before.

“Whether they were uh dignitary from uh booming city, un important town, or uh quaint hamlet, or just uh common citizen,” Advent recounted, “he would learn everything about them, and then he would make them at home.”

“He sounds like he was a great king,” Twilight complemented with careful consideration to the subject on-hoof.

“Aye,” quietly agreed the guy-pony, “and uh wonderful father.”

Her heart ached as she saw a single drop fall from Advent’s face, and she nearly jumped as it hit the floor and evaporated instantly.

“Twilight…” he murmured briefly.

“Yes, Advent,” she answered in-tandem.

“Why…” he said softly, steadily increasing the volume of his voice “…did you step hoof into here in tha’ first place?”

“Um… well…” she attempted to produce a logical explanation to the inexplicably unusual circumstances surrounding her action, but her mind failed to concoct the appropriate solution “…something… pulled me.”

“Something… pulled you?” he repeated, confusion setting on his features as he turned to be able to look her eye-to-eye.

“Well… drew is probably the better term for it,” she answered with an awkward grin, trying to emphasize her innocence.

“Something like?” he continued to question kindheartedly.

“Sort of like… an unknown force,” Twilight seized the opportunity presented by the considerate colt.

Tapping his hoof on his chin as he pondered the possibilities of the lady-pony’s perplexing happening, Advent was obviously puzzled as to what he could next say, or even do for that matter.

“When I entered this room,” she further noted her experience, “it took me a bit to notice anything, but something did catch my eye.”

“Oh?” the stallion went along with her, intrigued at the mare’s curious new additional detail.

“A book,” she insisted while slipping over to the throne.

“Book?” he suddenly spoke up, taking more than a little interest in her words.

“Yes,” Twilight confirmed, aiming a hoof at the object in question, “I don’t know for sure, but I believe this may very well be our source of information that we need to discover an end to the curse.”

She was more than glad to present her discovery to the heartbroken horse, but her cheer fled as soon as she realized the pain that had worked its way onto his visage while he stared at the tome that rested upon the throne’s cushioned seat as if it were a ghost.

“This was muh Da’s journal…” he exhaled.

“If… you don’t think that it’s such a good idea,” she stated slowly, her purple eyes popping open wide at the obvious blunder on her part, “then I understand.”

“I could never bring muhself to read it, even before… that day,” Advent uttered, tensing slightly as his mane momentarily gusted with fire, “Muh family saw too much pain.”

His monologue drove another point against her in Twilight’s score as she heard him unload the burden that had been upon his heart.

“But…” he added with a chipper tone, bringing his guest to worry less and to listen unimpaired by her mistake “…I believe you may be right.”

“Really?” she asked expectantly, her fear of hurting the only other pony around shattered.

“Aye,” Advent addressed her with a soothing smile, “I don’t know what it is, but I think this may be tha’ day that I was meant to.”

The mare’s belly bubbled with the same fuzziness that had washed over her before.

“Sadly,” he said reluctantly, “I’m gonna need some time alone ta’ read it.”

“Oh…” Twilight mumbled, her ears laying against her head as she turned to leave. “I’ll just-”

“If you’re interested,” he offered before she had gone too far.

“Yes?” she responded, whipping her head back around in a heartbeat.

“That is,” the stallion recollected himself while not looking directly at her, “my room is available if you need ta’ rest yourself.”

“Oh,” Twilight murmured, trying her best to not sound offensive to the gesture, “that’s nice.”

“It has everything uh pony needs,” he added, “Uh bed ta’ rest your head if you’re tired.”

Remembering the morning that she had been through, Twilight could still feel the exhaustion from all of the organization and managing she had been responsible for in Ponyville, and a nap sounded perfect at this point.

“An assortment of dishes that you can fill your tummy with.”

The girl-pony’s hungry gut growled its agreement, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

“And, if you’d like,” Advent sweetened the deal, “I’ll give you full access ta’ muh private collection of muh personally favorite written works.”

“That does sound tempting,” Twilight started to see the advantages of his idea.

“Ya’ know what,” the guy-pony said, having an epiphany, “I even permit you, if you want ta’ see me from an unbiased point of view, to read muh journal.”

She couldn’t utter another word at the surprising opportunity that he was so readily giving her.

“What’s tha’ matter?” he asked with a chuckle. “We’re friends now, are we not?”

Realizing that her mouth hung agape, she shut it with a hoof before returning the smile.

“We are,” she confirmed, “but isn’t it a little early for you to just let me peek into the single most private account of your life?”

His grin grew at her honesty, filling Twilight with happiness.

“You’re muh friend, and I have nothin’ ta’ hide from you,” he stated unashamedly.

The level of trust that Advent was giving to her, though they knew each other no more than an hour by her count, was touching.

“Thank you,” she expressed her gratitude.

“Anythin’ for uh friend,” he gladly toned.

For a moment, she clung onto that word, unconsciously wondering if there was more to it.

“So,” verbalized the tall equine, “to get there, ya’ turn right as you leave this chamber.”

“Oh, right,” Twilight broke out of her haze.

“Keep goin’, until ya’ reach uh staircase,” he continued to instruct her, “and ya’ ascend that ‘til you’re up on tha’ second floor.”

“Okay,” she paid her full focus to him.

“Then, ya’ take another right, and by tha’ sixth door, you’re there,” he completed his directions, “Simple, eh?”

“Mm-hmm,” she answered more for the sake of ensuring that he knew that she knew than anything.

Knowing that he had waited long enough, Twilight started off again to make her exit.

“And, Twilight-” he interjected once more.

“Yes?” she returned, accidentally sounding a little too pleased that he had stopped her.

“-when you get there…” he wavered in telling her.

“Yeees?” she drew her inquiry out, hoping that he might change his mind.

“Please don’t be frightened by what you first see,” Advent conveyed his inner fears while gazing at her with restrained pain tearing at the corners of his golden eyes.

“Alright…” was all Twilight could say as she looked deeply into those grief stricken orbs before returning to her leave.

Then it struck her.

“Are you sure you won’t need help?” she asked with a quick glance back.

“This is for tha’ best,” the words came out dry, but were firm.

“But if you do-” she attempted to press the topic.

“I’ll call for ya’,” he put plainly, without budging.

“Okay,” Twilight finally gave in, “I’m going now.”

Advent said nothing.

“I’ll see you later,” she concluded as she stepped through the door and a few hoofsteps away.

Creaking on its frame, the wooden portal shut behind her.

She couldn’t explain it, but it hurt to leave Advent on his own. Every inch further from him, Twilight’s mind abounded with thoughts of him cringing in unbearable pain and she had to keep from hoofing it right back to him to comfort him with her very presence.

She suddenly realized how strange she sounded to herself.

Not once had she ever felt this way about somepony else. The closest she had ever been was… Flash Sentry.

The memory of that blue-haired boy from the other world made her feel as though she were che…

She straightened herself, knowing that couldn’t be the case. After all, she had barely known him. Sure, he had been nice to her, inadvertently helped her get her crown back from Sunset Shimmer, and had appreciated her for herself at the Fall Formal dance, even dancing like she had naturally done on all fours. And yet… she hadn’t really gotten to know him, even when she had returned to his world a second time. He was merely a guy who she, admittedly, had developed a crush for. The cons of their relationship were they were both from two separate worlds, and she was a pony while he was a human. Not to mention that his pony counterpart was nothing like him.

On the other hoof, Advent had gone from a complete stranger to her friend in barely any time, and had poured out his soul to her, going so far as to offer her glimpses into his past in the form of his journal.

There was no doubt in her that she had become much closer to Advent while she could no longer consider her relationship with Flash Sentry to be viable. But… where did that leave her?

Shaking herself loose of the train of thought, Twilight did her best to march on without giving in to it once more… but the increasingly growing mass of questions that her mind produced overcame her mental barriers and she couldn’t stop thinking about Advent.

Her only hope was to get to his journal and alleviate her curiosity.

Thankfully, it was not but two steps from her current position that she found the doorway to the staircase that Advent had spoken of.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the mare began to ascend the steps, and it wasn’t long until she realized something.

Unlike the stairs in certain sections of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, even though these particular ones bore the resemblance of being a looping stairwell that wound its way up a shaft, there was no central opening through which a winged pony could simply fly through to get to their destination.

Twilight knew that somepony like Rainbow Dash would find this frustrating, to say the least. Twilight, on the other hoof, was born a Unicorn, so she was quite adept at climbing the stone steps. Of course, that didn’t mean that she hadn’t become accustomed to flying when needed.

Finally, the doorway to the second floor was in sight, and her heart soared at the potential things she could learn from Advent’s past.

Stepping through the opening, she turned right, as instructed, and immediately began trotting steadily across the stone surface.

Following a dozen or so paces, she passed the first door.

“One,” Twilight began her countdown, “Two. Three. Four.”

She stopped herself before she reached the fifth door.

There, on the wall between the fourth and the fifth rooms, was a painting of two ponies.

On her left, a stallion stood sideways, looking to the mare on the right. She could only see their heads and upper torsos, but that was enough.

The stallion’s mane was bright red, short, and curly, and his body was white. Somehow, he slightly reminded Twilight of Princess Celestia’s nephew, Prince Blueblood, minus the obvious differences. He was also adorned in royal regalia that matched his crown.

The mare was shorter in comparison, and her mane was quaffed nicely as it fell to her side, shining a bright blonde in its waviness. Plus, she was white as well! For attire, she wore a dress that excellently accentuated her natural beauty and the crown upon her head.

They each shared the unmistakable feature of a horn on their heads, protruding from in front of their headpieces.

As Twilight took a good long look, if she didn’t know any better, she would have vowed by a Pinkie Promise that the two ponies in the painting had hearts in their eyes as they stared passionately into one another’s.

In fact, the picture was extremely similar to another that she had seen before, but she wasn’t sure if her theory on it was correct since there were so many key separations. And yet, if she was right, Equestrian historians may have made one or two mistakes.

Below the portrait, there was a golden plaque, written into which was:

“Behold! The first royal couple of Steedstone. The Brayburns.”

“That’s where the name comes from,” Twilight noted the origins of the castle she was within.

Deciding that she would learn more about it later, the purple pony continued her journey.

“Five,” her counting proceeded, “Si-”

Her mind went into a steel trap as she saw an unbelievably gargantuan metal gate in place of the sixth door instead of the ones that usually lined the entrances of the castle’s rooms. It nearly reached the ceiling at its topmost point, and its width was at least five ponies long. Chains and large locks were built into its sides, and their anchors upon the walls.

Thankfully, it was wide open. Unfortunately, that also meant that it was taking up most of the space in the hallway.

The nervous question of “Why?” ran through her mind. “Why such a large slab, and why such great measures to lock it, especially from the outside?”

It made her anxious just to look at the door, but not for herself. Rather, she began to wonder what kind of pain and inner turmoil that Advent could be suffering to want to lock himself away.

Letting it slide for the time being, Twilight edged her way around the hulking mass of metal, and felt miniscule next to it as she kept going.

What lay ahead brought a refreshing gleam to her eyes, for Advent’s room happened to be the cleanest and most well-kept space that she had seen in the castle.

The furniture was dusted, the bed was made, and grandiose at that, and the air smelled of the aroma of something sweet. Candles were lit, and a chandelier illuminated everything as a whole.

There was a bookcase against the far wall, and… an entire section of a wall was taken up by what appeared to be pictures of ponies, emphasized by the dim candlelight that shone from beneath them.

So enraptured by the scene, Twilight was drawn to it.

There were five paintings, framed in gold, but only two really stood out to her.

First, there was the second of the gallery, portraying a strong stallion, posing in a suit of armor, not unlike that of which she had witnessed on the statue in the plaza, with his front right hoof placed on a stand and his left foreleg bearing his helm close to his chest armor. He was an Earth Pony, as she could see from the lack of horn or wings, whose body was mocha brown and mane was a charcoal black. He faced to the side, but his green irises were staring down upon the viewer.

She directed her view to the bottom portion of the frame, where bold lettering read out:

“My dear friend, a brother in everything but blood, and a loyal Captain of the Royal Steedstone Army. Oaken Vale.”

From the context of that statement, Twilight now knew of, possibly, the only friend Advent had ever known, and lost, before the madness he had to endure.

It was yet another reason for her to examine his journal.

At the far end of the portraits, there was a picture of two ponies, a stallion and a mare.

Seated side-by-side, the mare leaned her burgundy maned head against the stalwart figure of the stallion, his own sea green locks rolling down his neck as he craned it from his golden-brown body to peer into her cream orange eyes with his silver-colored irises. With a second glance, Twilight could tell that the mare was completely relying on him to keep her from falling as he held her sunlight yellow form with an overlaid leg.

It was more sentimental to Twilight as it reminded her of her brother and her sister-in-law’s love for one another, how they depended on one another, and how they gave each other strength.

It also caused recurring thoughts of her wanting to comfort Adv-

Getting her mind back on the painting, the pony could see that they were both Unicorns.

Realizing the implications, she swiftly altered the path of her sight and found what she had hoped to find.

“Two of the greatest ponies in the world, two of the most in-love ponies ever, and two of the finest parents I ever could have wished for. King and Queen Brayburn.”

She knew it. She just knew that these two ponies were his parents. But, as she thought about it, she came to the realization that not only had the ancestral first family of royalty in this nation lasted, their descendents had maintained their throne for hundreds of years.

To her, this was a feat in of itself, considering that unless an Alicorn, like Princess Celestia, rules, it was hardly ever heard of that a nation’s throne would be in the hooves of a family lineage for centuries!

Still, that was a passing fancy of recording another great fact for later writing down in her own personal memoirs.

What truly captivated her attention was how she was beginning to scratch the surface of how much Advent had lost.

“Err…” her belly growled.

“He-he,” she giggled embarrassingly, “I guess I am hungry.”

Twisting about, Twilight scanned the room and located, on the other side, a table from which the sweet aroma of food came.

With a grin, she walked over to it, and she gazed at the dishes that sat upon its tabletop.

She was surprised to see that three of them were made with the purple grass that was prominent throughout the city, two more held either whole or partial portions of the bioluminescent flower that she had seen in the graveyard, and the last one….

She had to double-check her senses to make sure she wasn’t making an error, but she knew she was right.

In a bowl to the side, there was a… fruit of some kind that was dark, almost black, and was possibly a melon.

She didn’t dare even consider touching that one.

Deciding to go for the closest resembling item to what she was familiar with, Twilight returned to a plate with what she would call “purple grass hay fries”.

Lifting a single blade of the cooked vegetation with her magic, she inched it to her mouth, nervous at what it might taste like. Taking a leap of faith, she nipped a nibble off of it, and slowly munched.

Her eyes sprung open and her world was lit up with pure ecstasy.

It was so sweet! And the crispiness made a nice touch that made it worth seconds.

Once she was satisfied that she liked the fried goodness, Twilight chose to set it aside as she picked to move on to the next course.

It was with little trepidation that she levitated a bite-sized clump of raw purple grass to her muzzle. Consuming it, she had the same conclusion as before, except that there was a bittersweet aftertaste that somehow enhanced the experience.

Several bites later, she decided to try something else.

Adjusting her sights, Twilight noticed something like a salad sitting in a bowl, consisting of purple grass, petals from the glowing flowers, still bearing a residual shimmer to them, and possibly other ingredients.

Deciding that she would rather take one thing at a time, the pony moved it to the side and found a pair of platters, either filled with the whole flowers or just the petals.

Knowing that it wouldn’t hurt her, she brought a single one of the indigo plant parts to her mouth and inserted it into her orifice.

Immediately, the smooth taste of a nut graced her tongue and she found herself wanting more.

Entertaining her taste buds with a few blooms, Twilight faced the salad. A bite later, the sweetness of the hay and the nuttiness of the flowers worked in a marvelous symphony of flavors. Plus, there seemed to be a savory factor that also chipped into the bunch.

Examining the source, she located dices of bright red mushrooms, something ponies in Equestria didn’t often eat, but she did like it this once.

Gorging herself on the dishes that she had tried beforehoof, her belly quickly found itself full.

Ending her meal with a burp, she excused herself from the table.

Stopping for a moment, she eyed the fruit… and chose that she wouldn’t risk it. After all, she hadn’t found a single type of fruit or vegetable that wasn’t rotten when it was darkly colored.

Taking her time to cross the room to the bookshelf, Twilight halted as the corner of her eyes spotted the silhouette of a book poking out from beneath the edge of the neatly tucked bed.

Curious as to whether it was what she believed it to be, the mare shined her horn and plucked it from its confined position.

Floating it front of her, she noticed that the cover was blank… but she could almost sense that it was his.

Adverse to the… awkward idea of laying on Advent’s bed, Twilight looked until she found a sofa, which she made herself comfortable upon.

With her legs folded under her, she flipped the cover open and saw an inscription:

“I, Ember of the Brayburn family, hereby bestow this journal upon my son, Advent Brayburn the Second, heir to my throne, and the light of my life. May you use this to write down your life, and to look back and learn from yourself.”

“The Second?” Twilight blurted, dumbfounded by what that could possibly mean since his father’s name was Ember.

Adding it to her list, she turned past a blank first page, and there it was, the beginning of written text:

“Day one. Dear Journal,

“This is my first time-”

Twilight stopped, realizing that, although Advent had spoken a good bit differently, his writing was spot on by Equestrian standards. So, she restarted, trying to think of how he would say it.

“Day wun. Deer Jernol,

“This is muh ferst time-”

Rubbing her head, Twilight attempted to soothe the ache that developed thanks to her trying to think like the Alicorn prince. Once she was ready, she proceeded as she normally would.

“This is my first time actually writing down anything about myself, you know, since ever. There’s not much to say, but my Da’ insists that ‘a young colt like me can learn to learn from my own mistakes.’ Whatever that means. Oh well. I’m gonna go bother the butler a few times.”

She had to take a second to comprehend that this first entry was, indeed, the beginning of Advent’s personal writings, and when he was a foal no less. She could only imagine how much of his life that she could learn about.

Turning the page, she began to read the next section.

“Two.”

She paused and noticed that the condition of the page was not necessarily regular due to the spots on it that appeared to be dried watermarks, only they were spread across the surface of the material and they varied from small to large.

“Dear Journal,

“To start with, I know it’s been a long time, so I’m gonna to stop writing the dates and just number these. As for me, I had to deal with some mean foals today. They kept picking on me because ‘it’s my fault that the queen is gone.’”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with astonishment at what she had read.

“It’s not as though I could have stopped my Mum, the mom I never really knew, from dying as soon as I came into the world.”

Those words were written more erratic, and easily conveyed the teary depression that the younger Advent had experienced when he had made this account.

“And you know what? It doesn’t even matter if my friend Oaken defends me, because I’M A PRINCE! And they, they are nothing but commoners.”

Although that statement did sound arrogant, Twilight knew that it had been nothing but a cover for his pain.

“And it doesn’t matter if they, or every other pony my age, have their cutie marks and I don’t! I’m still better than them all!”

Okay. That was a little too much in her opinion.

“So, I’m gonna tell that to all their faces next time. Bye.”

“Well, that was a bit off-putting,” Twilight murmured.

She had come to know Advent enough that she knew that he wasn’t anything like that anymore. So, instead of passing judgment, she moved on.

The sound of paper crinkling announced her flipping the previous page to make way for the continued read.

“Three. Dear Journal,

“It’s been a few years, and the world appears to be changing. The Kingdom of Steedstone, the kingdom I will rule some day, is apparently under attack by a horde of marauding monsters, or at least that’s what the peasants have been whispering rumors about. Well, I say that, even if they are real, I can take them.”

By this point, it was painfully evident just how true Advent’s testimony about himself had been. But even still, she knew there was more to the stallion, and the answers were in this book.

“In fact, I should already be on the battlefront. I’ve proven my skill. I’ve bested everypony, whether they were a teacher or a sparring partner. Even ‘Captain Oaken Vale’ cannot beat me in a match.”

Twilight was starting to get a wee bit irritated with how disrespectful, and pompous, the prince was starting to sound. But, she knew that this was in the past, and everything was different now.

“So what if I’m still a year too young? So what if I don’t have my mark? So what if I’m the Prince? As royalty, I should have the chance to prove myself. To test my mettle, instead of being babied, and coddled, and treated as though I were some helpless foal in need of constant attention. When fate throws me the opportunity, I will grab ahold, and not let go until I am recognized as the greatest pony in all of Steedstone!”

“Wow, how Advent has changed!” exhaled the purple pony with a measured degree of shock.

Flipping forward, she came to the next page, and it was easy to see where it was going to go, considering Advent’s prior retelling. That didn’t take away the anxiousness she felt at reading about it.

“Four. Dear Journal,

“My father is such a fool!”

Twilight couldn’t prevent the gasp that burst from her lips as she took a moment to recover from the overwhelmingly mind boggling insult that Advent had called his own father. It was unheard of for anypony to be so blatantly rude to anyone, especially to their own parents, in Equestria.

“He plays the ‘benevolent leader’ while our entire country falls apart! And now, the ENTIRE ARMY OF DARKNESS IS ON OUR DOORSTEP! Meanwhile, he says that he has ‘nearly found the tool of our salvation’, whatever that means.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that she knew that the stallion was better than this, Twilight would march down the stairs and serve Advent a grade-A whooping. Of course, she had seen the good in him, so she knew there had to be a turning point to his attitude in his journal somewhere.

“Well, while he’s… Wait. There was a noise. The sound of the city alarm! It’s begun. You know what? I don’t care if he does find this ‘salvation’. I’m going to do what should have been done already, especially since we no longer have to deal with those incompetent Councilors from the Steedstone Council! I’ll lead the Army, while he plays around with his books. This is my chance!”

And that’s where Advent’s story introduced him into the battle. She felt as though she may regret it… but Twilight knew that to come to better understand him, she would need to read more.

The page changed with the command of her horn… but what was in front of her nearly drove her to a state of panic.

Along the tannish-white page of the text, there was a combination of the same kind of watermarks as before… and spots of red that stained it.

Doing her best to ignore them, she began to read:

“Dear Journal,

“I’m alone.”

To see those words brought images of a lone stallion, wallowing in his pain, and it caused Twilight to remember just how much Advent had endured, and how greatly it had affected him.

“Everypony… I knew… Every one of the ponies of Steedstone… They’re gone…”

It broke her heart to read such devastated things.

“The battle… claimed everything. My home… My friends… My family… As is said, ‘the king is dead’, but… a prince… is not a prince without his people. And now… I am nothing.”

It ended there, and Twilight was swift to swap the page for the preceding one. She had to recollect herself, focusing on what lay ahead rather than what she had to experience in that half a minute of horror. Gathering her strength, she forced the two pages to flip over, and then glued her eyesight to the next one.

“Dear journal,

“It’s been a month since… Well, it’s been a month. Since I’m alone, I decided that all those who were lost would at least receive the proper dues from the only pony who could. So, I stopped mourning, learned a little, and I’ve begun to dig a hole for each of them.”

Her mind drifted back to the expanse that was the graveyard at the center of the city, and how far it stretched, and how numerous the stones that marked it all. It was sobering.

“I’ve prepared them right and good. I’ve placed each of them with their families. And, most of all, I’ve learned each of their names.”

Twilight had to reread that to get the meaning, and even that didn’t stop her from being astounded.

“It may take a month, it may even take a year, but I will show them the respect that they deserve. They will be remembered, even if I breathe no more.”

The thought of Advent struggling, all alone, to lie to rest the ponies of Steedstone, following such traumatic events, was-

Twilight had to stop herself, as she realized that she was becoming calloused to the very circumstances that had shaped the stallion of whom she was most concerned.

Sure, she had read her share of books on wars, and everypony had to face the prospect of one day no longer living… but it was all so distant. At least, that’s what it felt like for her.

Now, she saw not only the truth of it, but she witnessed firsthoof the horrific aftermath of one of the worst wars she had ever heard of, and she had come to know a friend who had been right in the middle of it.

It gave her a new perspective, and an appreciation. Maybe even a few questions that ponies rarely asked?

But, for the time being, she was most wary of what else Advent’s journal could tell her.

Another flip away, as well as securing her cape again, and Twilight was in position to continue her look into the past.

“Dear Journal,

“It’s been some time, and I made a vow to honor each and every pony who I buried in the graveyard by learning about them and becoming more like them. I read their journals, I learn about the talents that made them special, and I practice to master those talents so that I might one day, when I finally break this curse, teach others and make the world a better place. I may not know what makes me special, but I do know that nopony should be forgotten, and I don’t intend on letting Steedstone, or her people, to be lost to history’s dust bin.”

Twilight was suddenly caught up in the fascinating thought that Advent had been training himself, no matter what he was supposed to be, to be talented at a multitude of things so that he could teach the world. It was as if he was seeking to spread goodness and cheer to the world through learning – a trait she admired, and adhered to.

Interestingly, there was an additional entry a few spaces following the last one.

“Dear Journal,

“It’s been a month, and I’ve done well, if I do say so myself. I’ve learned a few crafts, fixed up parts of the city, and I’ve begun my search for the key to my ‘salvation’. I still have no clue what that means. Even still, the answer must lie somewhere in the mounds of knowledge that I’ve collected from every corner of Hoofland. It’s somewhere in this mess, I know it.”

Eager to see more, Twilight made a quick flip.

“Dear Journal,

“The months have been long. The nights lonely. It’s been getting colder and colder in this dark space, with only my horn to light the way, and fire to keep it warm. Recently, though, I read something interesting. Something about the possibility of ‘willing’ magic to work, without using one’s horn.”

At the mention of this strange form of magic, particularly since it sounded exactly like the mysterious lights and the self-lighting candles she had witnessed across the city, the curious pony was intrigued to learn more.

“It may take some time, but if I do manage to master it, I will be able to solve so many problems, like lights.”

Turning the page, Twilight hoped there would be more about this “willing” and that Advent would have elaborated upon it in his writings. Especially since it was more than likely that he had been using it the whole time that the two had been walking to, and through, the castle.

“Dear Journal,

“It’s been more than seven years since… that day.”

She could see that this entry was more recent than the rest, especially considering the fresher ink stains on the borders of the paper.

“Sometimes… it’s hard to see any hope. Sure, I’ve grown myself a fine crop of nightbloom plants across the open fields of the city, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve spruced up the city, as a whole, even adding a few new things, and I’ve learned how to properly will the magical energies around me to obey my command. But… I’m no closer to the goal of being free from this prison, and I’m reminded of that every moment I’m awake. I’ve even struggled against the inner demon that was born in the conflict that took everything away from me. I just… hold on. I hear something. I just saw a flash of light in the distance. And is that a voice I hear?”

Twilight stopped for a moment as she realized that this hadn’t been recent, it was brand new, only written moments before her arrival.

“It’s impossible, but… I know I hear a pony’s voice! I have to go. I have to see who they are, and… maybe… maybe I can learn how they got here. There’s a chance! This is my chance!”

Twilight closed the book, and thought over everything from it.

Now, she could say that she had a much greater understanding of the stallion who captivated her every thought. He had been so desperate, so lonely, so needy, and she hurt for him.

And yet, now she had more questions than answers, such as, “Where had he learned his ability to ‘will’ magic to his command?”, and “Had she eaten some nightblooms?”, and “How exactly did ‘willing’ work?” But what struck her as most odd was Advent’s description of his own anger. Maybe there was a more open effect from it?

“Twilight!” the stallion’s voice echoed from the lower chambers of the castle.

Reacting in an instant, she jumped down from the couch and zapped herself right out of her cape.

Chapter 5: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight - Part 3

Chapter 5: A Sparkle of Hope at Twilight – Part 3

Within a breath’s time, the purple Alicorn mare had teleported into the midst of the audience chamber.

“Yes?!” she called out, realizing that her newest friend was nowhere to be seen.

A second later, the tall form of the white and fiery haired Alicorn stallion Advent returned into the room and saw her standing there, waiting patiently.

“Oh, good,” he happily stated in his peculiar accent, “You’re here.”

“Did you find anything?” she excitedly questioned him.

“I might have, aye,” he replied calmly, levitating his father’s journal in front of him as he walked closer. “In fact, I’ve learned about somethin’ that nopony ever told meh!”

“What?” Twilight begged, with bright eyes, to hear the discovery that made him so cheery.

“I’d be more than willin’ ta’ tell ya’,” he assured her, “but it may be best for another time.”

Moping on the inside, she muttered, “Okay.”

“What I can say is that I may have discovered the trail ta’ which my ‘salvation’ lies,” Advent reiterated the unfamiliar word to reemphasize his goal.

“Go on,” the attentive mare uttered, urging him to continue.

“Well, assuming you know from my journal,” he glanced at her, earning a confirming nod with a grin at the end, “then you know that… muh Da’ was searching for something.”

“Oh… right, that,” she muttered knowingly, portraying an attempt at a calming smile, but instead looking rather embarrassed at the mention of the obvious sore spot.

“What I didn’t write down was that he had been searching for it ever since the reports of tha’ missing ponies began ta’ reach his desk,” revealed the Alicorn as he gazed at her with his rich golden eyes.

Twilight stood in silent contemplation, doing her best to maintain an outward appearance that conveyed her sympathy.

“Whatever it was, eventually he insisted I aid him, but… I was too stuck in muh ways,” he admitted, shame donned upon his face as he turned away from his guest, “He said that tha’ only way it would have worked was if I chose to willingly be involved. All I thought he meant was that muh magic was tha’ key, and now I find myself lookin’ back ta’ him for tha’ answers ta’ muh freedom.”

“He said it was tha’ best defense that our nation could ever have hoped for…” Advent came to a stop, not a single syllable more coming from him.

Twilight grew fearful for him as she watched him stand there, hanging his head with such despair.

“I let them down…” he finally spoke up.

“Advent,” she called his name softly, “you couldn’t have-”

“I LET THEM ALL DOWN!” a stronger, more powerful voice arose from his muzzle as his mane burst with fire, followed shortly by his tail.

His head rose high, and his body began to burn with small embers, sparking across his hide at random intervals. His hooves darkened to a charcoal black, while his wings alit with blue flames and smoke.

Twilight cringed in fright at the transformation that was taking place before her very eyes. It was unlike anything she had… no… there were two times that something like this had occurred in her past, and she couldn’t help the feeling that they were somehow connected. As for the present situation, it was far more pressing, and it brought great pains to her heart to see him undergo… this.

“I AM THE GREATEST FAILURE THAT BEFELL THIS KINGDOM!” he cried with anger, and… grief.

Then, his neck craned around, and fire was pooling from his eyes as the golden rings in the middle glowed with an otherworldly light, and his muzzle bore fanged teeth that protruded with pronounced length and acuity.

But, as he gazed upon the terrified mare, his eyes calmed, the flames that burned across his body simmered to a stop, his wings returned to his sides as their normal selves, and the rest ceased as well.

Then tears bubbled and fell from his face as he became wracked with shame as he stared at her.

“Um sorry…” he whimpered, his knees buckling beneath him as he dropped low to the floor. “Um so sorry ya’ had to see that…”

Twilight was torn as she looked on at the broken pony. She wanted to comfort him, but was lost as to how.

“I didn’t want ya’ ta’ see that… Of all tha’ ponies I’ve ever known… I didn’t want it ta’ be you,” Advent confessed, the flood of tears not ceasing to flow.

Hearing those heartfelt words, Twilight made her choice.

“Advent,” she repeated his name in a gentle manner, taking a hoofstep nearer.

He sniffled, lifting his soaked brow to a level that his natural golden irises could be seen.

“We’re friends,” she reminded him.

His tearful visage became one of surprise.

“You mean… we’re still…” he breathed his every word with unbelief.

“Friends,” she answered his doubts without hesitation.

Snorting back another round of tears, he wiped his face dry with the back of a leg, and lifted himself back up, smiling stronger than Twilight had ever seen him do before.

“I can see why you’re uh princess where you come from,” the stallion complimented her.

She blushed lightly, before remembering their conversation.

“Uh… about earlier,” she tried to redirect their focus.

“Aye… aye,” he went along with her train of thought, “I found in muh Da’s journal that he had left uh coded message, one only a member of his family or of tha’ chosen privileged could read… but…”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight urged him on encouragingly.

“I think it’s uh puzzle,” he sighed, “and I’ve never been good at those.”

“Maybe we could figure it out together?” she chirped.

“I’d appreciate that,” Advent returned with a renewed smile.

“So what is it?” she asked, levitating the journal over to the stallion, who gladly reapplied his own magic to the book.

“Well,” he verbalized while flipping through the pages, “as far as I can tell, it begins with ‘Now that you have been consumed by wrath, find tha’ stone that starts your path.’”

“Huh,” she tapped her jaw with a hoof as the line repeated through her mind, “it almost sounds as if-”

She stopped herself before her thought became a vocal reality.

“That is to say,” she continued, “a ‘stone’ might mean a loose tile or brick in this room, or somewhere else in the castle.”

“Let’s start looking. I can only imagine that tha’ first clue would be no further from tha’ starting point,” he insisted eagerly.

Each of the Alicorns began examining the chamber, paying a great deal of attention to every nook and cranny, and moving aside pieces of furniture when necessary.

As she slid a candlestand to the side, Twilight noticed a single brick extending no more than a hoof’s length from the bottom of the wall that it was a part of.

“Advent,” she called to the stallion across the space.

“Aye?” he replied expectantly, swerving his head to where he could see her while using his magic to lay a chair on top of a table.

“I think I found something,” she reported.

Almost as giddy as a school-colt who had earned an A on a test, the overexcited stallion sprung into the air and landed next to the mare, sending all of the furniture close-at-hoof to separate corners of the room.

“What is it?” Advent asked her face-to-face.

She aimed her hoof at the loose rectangle, and he stared at it, using the light of his horn to make it easier to study the object.

“Stand back,” he directed Twilight with a wave of a hoof.

She complied readily, and he pushed the stone piece the rest of the way into its slot.

A second later, strange mechanical noises, like gears and ropes and pulleys, sounded through the stone walls, and Advent jumped back when the area of the wall that they had both been near began moving.

As it rotated about, the two ponies watched as a figure on a stand circled around. When it stopped, they both gawked at it.

Before them, there was a statue of an Alicorn in the exact same form, and appearance, as Advent had been mere moments ago.

“It’s… it’s…” Twilight said ominously, backpedaling a few hoofsteps.

“The other meh,” the gobsmacked guy-pony finished for her.

Breaking eye-contact with the stone doppelganger, he glanced at a lower point along the stand.

“There’s a plaque,” he announced.

“What does it say?” the girl-pony questioned as she returned to his side.

“It reads,” he started by clearing his throat, “‘You are in my path. One of my kind must calm my wrath.’ What is that supposed to mean? How are we even-”

He stopped as Twilight beamed a smile to him. Then, she trotted closer to the statue.

A bright white light generated at the tip of her horn, and it shot towards the horn of the figure.

There was no activity at first… until the eyes of the statue lit up with the same glowing magic, and the wall began to move again. But, instead, it began to rotate backwards, and a new statue rose from the floor.

Once again, both of the ponies were completely frozen as they gawked at the latest stone figure.

“It’s-” Twilight began.

“-me,” Advent finished.

The statue that stood before them was, in fact, exactly like how Advent looked at that very moment.

It looked straightforward, and its front left hoof was extended in front of it.

“There,” the purple mare directed their line of sight to yet another plaque below the statue.

“Right,” the white-bodied stallion acknowledged. “It reads… no… This can’t be…”

“Is something wrong?” she expressed her curiosity with a touch of concern.

“The first line… It says…” he struggled to elaborate properly “…it says that this was Advent Brayburn tha’ First, King of Steedstone, and my ancestor.”

A silent gasp left Twilight’s lips as she gazed at the statue with greater appreciation for the archeological find.

“An uncanny resemblance,” she added aloud.

“Aye,” Advent agreed, before cutting in with, “On with tha’ task at hoof.”

Twilight chose to excuse such impatient behavior since he was long overdue in his discovery of the key to his freedom.

“The next line states,” he collected himself with a light cough, “’Now that I am at peace, may we be friends, please?’”

Taking the initiative, with a quick glance and a nod at his friend, Advent reached a hoof out, and placed it upon the outstretched limb of the statue.

It was still for a second, and then it budged, moving in a downward motion, and stopping in a breath’s time.

Another series of mechanical reverberations shook the chamber, and the two ponies looked around for the next surprise.

“Look!” Twilight pointed to the wooden throne that was set in the back of the space as it was lifted up out of the floor upon a slab of stone and was slid over several steps from its normal spot.

Drawn to the new opening in the floor, each of the ponies peeked into the darkness, which Advent illuminated with his horn.

Sitting atop a pillow, set on the stone foundation, was a book of black-bound material.

“Uh book…” the phrase came forth with a hint of frustration as Advent stared upon the item “…All of this time, I’ve been searchin’ and tha’ thing that has been muh answer, which has been under muh muzzle this WHOLE time, is just another book…”

Twilight remained quiet, as she could tell he needed to vent a little. But she was careful to make sure to step in whenever he needed somepony to be there for him.

A weak huff of a chuckle exited his mouth. “I thought muh Da’ had been searching for uh weapon, or uh defensive armament,” he spoke with a dangerously low tone. “Maybe even uh spell. Instead, I find another source of… words.”

His head drooped while he stood still.

Twilight decided to step closer.

“Maybe the answers you seek lie within this last book,” she suggested as her magenta magic floated the aforementioned piece of literature out of the hole and up to her level of sight.

A smile replaced the gloom that had dominated his features, and Advent sucked in a long, invigorated breath of air as his head returned to its naturally elevated state.

“You’re right,” he said gratefully, “You’ve helped me so much so far, and I find muhself trusting you all tha’ more for it.”

Twilight remained calmly happy on the outside, but on the inside she was overjoyed by his admission of needing her.

The golden energy of his magic overlapped the book and drew it to the stallion.

“Um so very grateful…”

A lull in his speech, plus a glancing at his own hooves, indicated to Twilight that a ‘but’ was about to be introduced.

“…and I hate ta’ ask you… but-”

There it was.

“Don’t worry,” she conveyed her sincere understanding to him, “This is something you have to do, and I won’t be able to help if I’m constantly asking questions.”

Advent was silent as he heard her say these things.

“So,” she worded while turning around and heading for the door, “I’ll leave you be while I go polish up on some subjects that have really got me thinking.”

She had taken several steps before her mind began to scream at her, telling her that she was making a mistake.

“Twilight,” the stallion spoke out to her.

“Yes?” she replied, ever hopeful, and yet the reason why escaped her still.

“Thank you,” he whispered without moving from his position.

“Any time,” she shot back, continuing her exit march, but feeling disappointed.

“Oh,” he spoke aloud all of a sudden, “and if you haven’t tried tha’ dark fruit, I highly recommend it. It’s muh favorite.”

Although silently thankful for the momentary excuse to have a second more in his presence, she was both confused and intrigued by his addition of a mention of a ‘dark fruit’. Then, she remembered the unusual (that word seemed to be incapable of capturing the essence of her description for it, but it would have to do) thing that was left on the table in Advent’s room.

Taking it into account, the mare glanced back one more time before disappearing in a ball of light and rematerializing once again in the living quarters of the downtrodden prince.

It felt even worse than before as her heart became torn asunder by the devastating reality of being separate from Advent.

She only found solace in the fact that he had welcomed her to try one of his favorite dishes, the ‘dark fruit’, as he so appropriately called it.

Returning to the table that had hosted her to her delightful meal, she levitated the less-than-delightful appearing plant growth towards herself.

She couldn’t see any obvious manner in which she could just take a bite out of it, so she applied her magic to remove a slice, like a pony would do with an orange or another kind of citrus fruit.

To her great surprise, the piece popped out with ease, almost as if it had been pre-cut like a hot knife through butter.

It was with a great deal of shock and awe that she should find that beyond the deceptive outer hide was a delectable appearing interior that was colored like pink lemonade and was formed like something in-between a melon and an orange.

So alien was it that she nearly didn’t want to imagine what it could taste like, lest she actually give it a go.

But, she trusted Advent’s judgment, and it did look tasty.

She drew it close enough that she could nip the edge of the fruit, which she did.

Instantly, she entered a world of new possibilities as the tangy, zesty bursts of sensation exploded into a rainbow of flavor.

“Mmmmmm,” she hummed her approval as her eyes diluted with untold levels of pleasure.

This fruit was so sensational that Twilight was sure that, if the Apples knew about it, they would be growing as much of it as they did apples. And if Pinkie Pie got her hooves on it, she would do her absolute best to get the Cakes to use it in some kind of concoction from their bakery at Sugar Cube Corner.

Most of all, though, she thought of how it was so scrumptious to her and that she now shared that opinion with Advent.

Sinking her teeth into the rest of the slice, she decided that she was still too full to eat any more of the dark fruit.

A chill ran down her spine right as she had finished her snack, reminding the pony of the cool air that inhabited the whole entrapped city.

Scanning around, she saw the cape that Advent had gifted to her, and she returned it, with haste, to her back.

Securing its latches once more, she focused her mind on a specific location… and came to the realization that it may be best that she walk rather than teleport so that she could keep her cherished source of warmth on her person.

Retracing her steps, Twilight paced all the way past the closed door of the audience chamber, which was too quiet in her personal assessment.

But, she didn’t want to disturb Advent until she knew that something was wrong, so she forced herself to go on to the very first room that she had been welcomed into: the library section on the nation of Steedstone.

More than two and a half hours later, Twilight had read, but mostly skimmed, through a pile of books that was stacked all around the sofa that she was laying upon.

She had studied up on a few subjects, such as the magics of Steedstone, which did not have any direct references to the “will” magic that had been in Advent’s journal, a few miscellaneous topics, and the history of the Brayburn family.

What she had accumulated was an incomplete historical retelling from multiple viewpoints, and it was intriguing to see the contrasts and comparisons between them.

From the beginning, the first royal couple of Steedstone consisted of two ponies who were both born royalty, and came from a distant land that had undergone a catastrophe.

They had previously been married, unifying their former kingdoms into a single entity… which was lost to the aforementioned dilemma, causing them to be carried off by their most loyal subjects, which led to their great journey to their new homeland.

According to the records of eyewitnesses, and historians who had devoted their careers to studying the subject, the two were so madly in love that they barely ever focused on anything, or anyone, but one another. In fact, they were never apart for more than a few minutes at a time, and, when they were together, they would be staring into each other’s eyes and would repeatedly call one another terms of endearment that most ponies would have gagged at. They barely ever concerned themselves with their royal duties, and the only times they did was to pass a law or give a command that would ensure that they would have more time together undisturbed.

If Twilight was right, then there was a whole lot more to Hearts and Hooves than anypony in Equestria could have imagined.

For the royal couple, history told of how the queen finally bore a child, only to pass away during childbirth, followed shortly by her husband who couldn’t bear living without his… “Honey Boo.”

From there, the prince was raised to be a king by the Council of Steedstone, who maintained the kingdom until he had grown to adulthood, and when he finally underwent his coronation, Advent the First took the kingdom into a new era of prosperity and growth.

Due to his success, the name “Advent” became associated with the dawn of a new era, whether good or bad.

On the hundredth year of his reign, the ponies of Steedstone witnessed the first case of the royal family’s genetic disorder, which had struck Advent’s grandchild in the prime of his life. At the loss of a family member, the king passed his crown on to his great grandchild, and left to find a cure for this rare disease.

It was with great grief that the kingdom mourned for two whole centuries that Advent the First never returned.

Throughout the years to come, the royal family would lose a member, or entire parts of the extended family, every third or fourth generation to this mysterious disease. This continued until the latest generation of the royal family, with only the King and his son, being true Brayburns. In fact, Advent’s grandfather had been lost to the family disorder, forcing a young Ember to become King, right before he married his beloved and they had a son.

That was another thing that was confusing.

Although many agreed that Advent’s mother had passed away giving birth to him, a portion of ponies stipulated that she had actually lived for a time longer, perishing because of a disease. But, there was another theory, a rumor more like it, that she had even lived for another year, giving birth to a second child and then not having the strength to go on anymore.

Twilight was thankful to know that, no matter what had happened, the king didn’t give up and chose to care for his son, raising him to the best of his ability.

“Twilight!” The voice of Advent resounded from the deeper confines of the castle right as she was mulling over the many things that she had learned.

The purple pony was nearly going to race to him before a flash of light preceded the materialization of the stallion.

“There ya’ are!” he stated happily.

Although he looked the same, there was something that Twilight could sense was distinctly different about Advent as he ran closer to her.

“What’s the matter?” she cheerily replied.

“It’s just amazin’!” he declared as he halted a few hoofsteps away from the sofa that the mare was seated upon. “Why, spectacular, even!”

“Yes?” Twilight urged him to explain. She could see now that, unlike before, there was a peace about the stallion that was beyond her comprehension and made her far more curious.

“I believe,” he stated knowingly, although without clarifying.

“In what?” she asked, confused but doing her best to sound happy.

“I believe in my salvation,” he answered cryptically once more.

“Wha-” she voiced before a noise unlike any other reverberated from elsewhere.

A sound like a pulse resounded from above them, and was followed by a strange searing that continued.

“What was that?” Twilight questioned aloud, even as she stared at the ceiling.

“I…” Advent started to say before turning to his friend. “Follow me.”

For a moment, she watched as he began to gallop away, but she quickly took up the pursuit.

The two ponies passed through the entryway of the room they were in to the hallway that had first welcomed Twilight into the castle.

Without blinking, Advent sent a surge of his golden magic through his horn and the entrance doors parted, making way for the pair as they stopped just outside of its border.

“Look!” Advent aimed a hoof to the air above.

What was unfolding before their eyes was truly remarkable.

At the center of the upper areas of the black dome that surrounded the city, parts of it had opened up and the edges were disintegrating in golden light, revealing a starry night’s sky. Moments later, the walls had fallen to a point where the clear, star-adorned heavens made way for the moon, in all of its fullness, to beam its light down upon the visible earth.

Then, from the opening in the dome, the rolling wind poured through, washing over the land with great gusts, and causing the fields of purple grass and the orchard of trees around the castle to dance, almost as if they were celebrating.

Advent began to laugh uncontrollably as the wind blew over both he and Twilight, ruffling their hair and feathers.

The moment was so exciting that she joined in with her own laughter, knowing that this was indeed a special occasion for the stallion and his newly regained freedom.

“Haha-ha…” he chuckled unashamedly before readjusting his attention to the mare on his right.

His voice became still as his golden eyes looked upon Twilight, taking in the sight of her black mane whipping about as the air surged through it, the moonlight shimmering off of her, and the stars themselves glistening in her magenta irises.

Something more than before came to life as a warmth, a comforting one rather than rage, stirred in him like a newly lit fire.

He reached a hoof out to her as the winds began to calm. “Twilight.”

“Yes?” she returned, turning to him with a bright grin.

“Would you do me tha’ honor of givin’ meh this dance?” he asked with his extended leg held in her direction.

“What?” she questioned with light bewilderment.

“This dance. May I have it?” he repeated hopefully, spreading his wings to the sides.

“But…” the mare muttered, unsure of what to say “…there’s no-”

Within a split-second, the Alicorn stallion’s horn came to life and the sound of a record player chirping and then playing the sweet tunes of a string orchestra filled the air around the castle.

“Heh,” she chuckled nervously, right as her front left hoof was taken by Advent’s own right hoof and he began to gently lift himself into the air with his wings, leading her along.

“I’m not a very good dancer,” she tried to worm her way out of the scenario with an excuse.

“Just.” He calmly stated while pulling the reluctant mare from the ground. “Follow.” He continued to instruct as she joined his rise into the sky. “My.” Advent breathed the word as Twilight flapped herself up to being in front of the stallion. “Lead.” He completed his words as he placed one of her hooves next to his neck, grabbed her other hoof with one of his own, and oriented his second front hoof onto her side.

Then, he led her as they carefully swayed back and forth and side to side, maintaining their position of flight with a proper pacing of their wings.

Twilight anxiously glanced from left to right, trying to make sure she wasn’t losing her balance. After all, she had come to be rather comfortable with regular flying, but dancing in the air was another matter entirely.

“Relax,” Advent’s voice soothed her with comforting words as the stallion kept a steady control of his flight patterns. “This is muh first time too.”

“Dancing while flying?” she perplexed, before very nearly losing herself to a steep fall.

She was saved thanks to the quick wingwork of the prince who caught her and helped readjust her back to a comfortable state of flight.

“Dancing with uh partner,” he answered while replacing his hooves where they had been prior to the short near-mishap.

Thanks to the thrilling experience, Twilight couldn’t help but feel as though she could place her full trust in Advent. So, she followed his lead with every movement and, very soon, was lost to the music.

Soon enough, their eyes locked as they danced and twisted in the air.

Not once did either of them let go as they spun and circled in the night’s sky, and they even started performing stunts of incredible feats in-tandem with their hoof-in-hoof flight.

Twilight was sure that even Rainbow Dash would find it exciting for a ‘slow song’ experience.

Time slipped away as they danced on without noticing that the music had come to a finish and nothing but the static whine of the needle scratching the record and the flapping of the two ponies’ wings filled the air.

Invigorating as it was, Twilight caught something in the corner of her vision that she had to take further consideration for.

“What’s wrong?” Advent finally asked as he noticed that she was looking down across his left side.

“Your flank,” the purple pony pointed out as she parted from the dancing position they had shared.

The stallion craned his neck to where he could see the body part in question.

“You have your cutie mark!” she declared joyously.

True enough, there on the upper portion of his back leg was an image of a four-pointed, t-shaped star colored with gold, on top of a background of yellowish-white light shining from behind it.

“Huh,” he expressed with a slight chuckle to his tone, “and ya’ know, I know exactly what it stands for.”

“Really?” she questioned with a greater degree of pleasure for the stellar turn of events.

“Aye,” Advent admitted, “and… I…”

“Yes?” Twilight asked while her feathered limbs kept her afloat without struggling against the cape on her back.

The stallion was obviously struggling to say what was on the tip of his tongue. “I-”

“OI! Anypony out thar?!”

Both of the ponies froze as they registered the new voice that had yelled from the distance.

“Hello!” another announced. “Can anypony hear us?!”

“Did you hear that?” Advent asked aloud.

Twilight was too stunned by the sudden surprise to answer.

“Am I just hearin’-” he started to wonder.

“HELLOOOOO!”

“Is anypony still alive out there?”

Several voices echoed across the old city, asking similar questions with accents much like, if not stronger, than Advent’s.

“It is!” the stallion exclaimed as he gazed into the far-off land. “Somepony else!”

Twisting about in the air, he gazed back to Twilight. “Follow me!”

Without uttering a syllable towards objecting, she joined him as they sailed across the open sky, passing over the hills that hosted the numerous tombstones, and soaring above and beyond the ruined city below them.

Then, they came to a stop as they reached the edge of the city proper, and Twilight noticed that they were floating just in front of where she had been left lying on the purple grass of the open fields.

She was broken from her state of memory when Advent neared her with a hoof directing her line of sight to a forest outside of the dome’s former proximity.

It was a thick line of full, strong, tall trees stretching from east to west as far as the eye could see. But what was important was that at the base of the giants that cast their shadows upon the earth were the silhouettes of several ponies illuminated by lantern light.

“IT’S THA’ PRINCE!” one of the fellow equines shouted as he pointed his own hoof back at the two Alicorns.

Several more voices chanted the phrase before hundreds of ponies charged out from the forest, cheering and whooping as they drew closer to the figure of their adoration.

Twilight was beaming with gladness for Advent as she noticed that he was awestruck, absolutely speechless, as he stared down at the crowd gathering outside of the city.

“I…” the stallion could barely utter before glancing at the mare next to him.

She smiled at him while looking in his direction, then the multitude of ponies, then back to him.

“I’m gonna go down there…” he stated, almost sounding uncertain.

“I’m right behind you,” she assured him.

Nodding his appreciation, Advent began to descend, with Twilight following his actions.

Descending in to the midst of the crowd they went, ponies of all shapes and sizes cheering louder and louder as they landed on the ground.

Twilight watched as Advent stepped forth to meet smiles and celebration for him as the ponies parted on two sides to make a path for him. She also noticed that they would let her through as well, but with curious eyes and whispered questions.

“How…?” Advent began to wonder aloud. “How is it-”

“Possible?” a strong stallion’s voice finished for him as the ponies in the crowd calmed themselves.

A pause came over Advent for a moment. “That voice. It can’t be.”

“I can, and it is,” the second voice confirmed.

Twilight stood by as she witnessed an Earth Pony of mocha brown with a dark mane being strolled forth in a wheelchair. He was strong by appearance, but… he bore many scars across his body and… he was missing his lower left leg.

“But…” Advent struggled to speak as he stared at the faintly, at least in Twilight’s mind’s eye, familiar face “…how-”

“I have you to thank, old friend,” the stranger stated. “I’m alive and well because of the effort you gave on that day.”

Advent was speechless once more.

“Because of you, many still had their lives, my pri-”

“No,” Advent interrupted.

The crippled pony was stunned by the sudden disapproval that was voiced by the Alicorn. “Pard’n?”

“I don’t deserve to be called your prince, let alone your friend,” Advent explained, setting his sight on the ground at his hooves.

Twilight knew that she had to let Advent do this on his own, but she felt pained to have to not comfort him, whether it was in front of the crowd of strange ponies or not.

“Is this tha’ same pony who rejected meh when we were younger?” the brown pony stated from his seat. “Or am I looking upon tha’ visage of uh true prince, tha’ son of tha’ king I pledged an oath to?”

Advent broke his sight from the grass to edge his golden eyes to where they could view the other pony.

“Advent,” he said, “I’ll always be yer friend.”

Advent began tearing up as he returned his sight back to the pony before him with delight.

“Brothers?” the brown pony requested as he reached a hoof out to the fiery-haired Alicorn.

“Always,” Advent answered as he wrapped his leg around the other guy’s.

They both began to laugh and the whole crowd loosed laughter and cheering for another few seconds.

“Now,” the second stallion started to speak again as Advent returned to standing opposite of him, “are you going to introduce meh ta’ tha’ pretty young filly behind ya’, or are we gonna stand around n’ be strangers?”

“Oh!” Advent pronounced with a hint of embarrassment. “I am so sorry, Twilight.”

“No, it’s fine,” she assured him as she walked up beside him with a smile.

“Twilight,” Advent said her name again, “may I introduce-”

She looked to the pony who was confined to his wheelchair, and saw his eyes. As she processed them, she knew who he was.

“Captain-”

“Sorry, Advent,” the brown pony cut in, “I’m not a captain anymore.”

“Then…?” Advent urged him to answer.

“Well,” he began anew, “since these ponies have insisted, I am Mayor of Pony’s Shire.”

“In that case,” Advent started again, “Twilight-”

She gave another go at smiling cheerily as he continued.

“-may I reintroduce Mayor Oaken Vale of Pony’s Shire.”

“It’s an honor,” she stated with a bow of her head.

“Oaken Vale,” Advent said his name to draw his attention as the mare raised her brow again, “may I introduce Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.”

“Princess? Equestria?” the Mayor echoed the words with astounded wonder, his wide-eyed expression shared with many of the ponies in the crowd as some whispered and murmured about it.

Advent nodded his head at his friend, conveying the truth of the revelation.

“Well,” Oaken stated with a great big grin, “this truly is an honor, indeed.”

He lifted both of his front hooves into the air and declared, “Behold, your Prince, Advent tha’ Second!”

The ponies of the multitude cheered with an earth-shaking shout and hoof stomp.

“And may I introduce Princess Twilight Sparkle of tha’ land of Equestria!”

Yet another roar of approval echoed across the land as the ponies celebrated.

Oaken Vale lowered his limbs as he gazed back at the Prince. “When you, and our esteemed guest,” he acknowledged Twilight with a nod, “feel ready, you are welcomed to join us in the village for uh party of welcoming! I’ll leave muh best men ta’ make sure you’re safe, but I’m sure many of these fine ponies will want to go with ya’ when ya’ do. We have uh lot ta’ catch up on!”

The Mayor waved the two goodbye as he was strolled away by a Unicorn mare.

Twilight was so happy to see such glee in the ponies of this strange land.

“Twilight?”

She turned to Advent. “Yes?”

“I… wanted ta’ tell you…” he began “…that without you, I would have never been able ta’ experience this wonderful twist in my fate, and…”

“Yes?” she neared him as she asked.

“I…” He peered into her eyes. “I-”

There was a boom and energy wrapped around Twilight’s form as an orb of light reformed, separating her from everypony else, even as many of those in the crowd looked in shock at the sudden happening.

“Twilight!” Advent shouted.

“Advent,” she exhaled his name with a hint of grief as she realized her situation, “Don’t worry. It’s all right.”

He looked at her blankly.

“It’s taking me back to Equestria.”

His happiness was shattered with those words, even as he strove to cling onto his joy.

“Back to Ponyville,” she said with a pained voice.

His golden eyes grew in size as he stared at her.

“Twilight!” he finally called to her. “I want you ta’ know that I will not stop looking until I am reunited with you once more.”

“Advent…” she said with a weak smile.

“And when we are, I will never let you down again,” he vowed.

There was a spark, and a fire that blossomed in her soul as she stared back into his. “I love-”

And with a flash, she was gone.

Although separated, the two ponies were never truly apart, as they would not forget one another or what they shared with each other.

Their story was not over.

Chapter 6: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow - Part 1

Chapter 6: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow – Part 1

An arc of searing pain throbbed through her skull as the pony lay there on the ground.

She stirred awake, barely capable of flinching without experiencing a jolt to remind her of the ache in her head that refused to give way to her will.

She could hardly remember anything… and then… it came to her.

“Where am I?” the question arose from her conscious being, bringing about a series of blurry memories to the forefront of her thoughts.

The mare could remember talking… and sitting… and bucking to get fr-

Everything surged to her like a flood right before she heard the strange utterances of something that almost sounded like words.

For a moment, she laid there, pondering as to what could be being said to her. But, with all of her physical strength that she could muster, the pony soon placed her four hooves firmly upon the ground around her form.

She felt the dirt and grass pressed like a cushioned carpet beneath her tensed limbs. Her torso rose and every muscle groaned and ached as she forced herself to stand.

“Marr yoh oklay?” a deep, guttural, yet unclear sounding garble of syllables was stated from nearby and was registered as such in the jumbled mess that was currently the mare’s disoriented mind.

She didn’t respond, but, instead, slowly cracked her eyelids apart, carefully absorbing the light that shone as she attempted to force her senses to function correctly.

A few seconds in, she began to see more clearly, and yet, even with her eyes almost completely open, nothing but fuzzy blurs of varying colors were what she saw.

“Are yoh okay?” the voice from before asked again, interpreted by the mare’s processor more correctly, and bearing a younger, more stallion-like ring to it.

When she glared in front of her, all that she could see was a dark, tall blob of a figure, and she assumed the appropriate response.

“Who are you?!” she declared, crouching her sky blue body low momentarily. “What have you done to my friends?!” she rapidly stated while springing the forward portion of her body up to allow her back hooves to keep her balanced as her rainbow-maned head rose high, and her wings spread instinctively. “Come on, put ‘em up! Put ‘em up!” the mare danced about on her bottom tiphooves, her muscles surprisingly cooperating with her all of a sudden, and she motioned her front-most hooves in a pattern of boxing motions towards the unknown individual.

“Whoa, Nelly!” the stallion replied cautiously. “I don’t even know who your friends are, let alone you!”

The pony squinted her lenses as her purple-red eyes readjusted and the fog that was interfering with her vision began to pass. As she focused, the image before her dramatically changed.

She dropped to her hooves and her jaw loosened as she became agape at the pony before her very eyes.

There, not but a few hoofsteps away, was a stallion who stood a head’s height over her, his mane was a sunbeam yellow as it flowed from atop the crown of his cranium into a single, finely-woven braid that laid against the side of his neck, and his tail done in a similar fashion. Protruding from the locks of hair was a horn, long and pointed, and his face was strong, with eyes of pure diamond blue shimmering like true crystals.

The most important detail, at least in the mind’s eye of the mare, were the grand, majestic feathered limbs that extended from the back of the stallion’s golden-orange body.

Her eyes were nearly bulging out of her skull as she slowly registered what she was taking in.

“Ummm… hello?” he finally said, his expression one of worried concern and bepuzzlement. “Are you alright?”

“Huh…” she bellowed in a low manner, snapping out of her stupor of awestruck shock “…oh, I’m fine.” She completed her statement with a chuckle of nervous habit. “He’s an Alicorn!” she shouted inwardly.

“That’s good,” the stallion answered in return, gleaming happily at her recovery, “I was beginning to worry that you might have been hurt, Miss…?”

Realizing that he was implying a question as to her name, the pony-gal began wondering if she should reveal herself, or invent some cockamamie story and new identity. Peering into his eyes for a few seconds, she found herself, for some reason, trusting him.

“Rainbow Dash,” she responded with her head held high with a smile.

“And I am Light Speed,” he returned readily and openly with a light bob of his chin.

“So, where in Eque-” the Pegasus began before mentally correcting herself to avoid making an obvious blunder in a discussion with a complete stranger in unknown circumstances, “-the world are we?”

“You don’t know?” the Alicorn questioned with a hint of a curious undertone to his voice.

Taking a quick glance from her right to her left, the sky blue pony noticed that they were standing in the midst of open fields of blooming greenery of many kinds that went on for a good distance. Above, the skies were nearly clear of anything but a few clouds and the sun’s bright beams.

“Uh… nope,” she admitted rather straightforward.

“Okay then,” he replied, waving a hoof in the direction of the area around them, “this is the central meadow of the plains of Sky Island.”

That hit a note in the Pegasus’s mind.

“Wait,” she interjected at the end of his statement, “‘Sky Island’?”

He paused at her question, staring at her with a greater amount of wonder.

“That’s right,” the stallion confirmed, tilting his head to the side slightly, “You’re really not from around here, are you?”

The mare considered her options, reserving her prior prejudgments in favor of cautious friendliness.

“Maybe,” Rainbow stated while masking her expressions with neutrality.

“Well then, it may be best that I show you,” Light Speed said before shooting into the air.

“Whoa!” the Pegasus exclaimed as she witnessed the Alicorn burst forth with a mighty wave of his wings, leaving a trail of light in his wake.

The speedy pony zoomed up until he reached a point far above the ground and stopped to look down to the gawking Pegasus.

“Well come on!” he called to her. “You can use those wings, can’t you?”

Blinking for a mere moment, Rainbow Dash adopted a playful grin as she accepted the challenge. Positioning herself in a stance similar to a cat’s, she pounced into the air, ascending higher and faster than she usually would, and leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

“Wow,” the Alicorn expressed his impressments as she passed him and stayed a few yards ahead while floating with the steady flapping of her wings, “you’re a fast one.”

“They don’t call me Rainbow Dash for nothing!” she stated with a growing smirk aimed in his direction.

“In that case, I won’t have to hold anything back!” he declared right as he raced past her, earning an equal reaction from the Pegasus.

The two were neck and neck, side by side, as they pushed themselves further upwards towards a collection of small clouds bunched together in the wild blue yonder.

“I win!” Rainbow shouted as she burst through one of the white puffs, Light Speed not but a hoof’s point below her.

As the two ponies brought themselves to a slow stop and lowered their forms down upon one of the remaining clouds, the Pegasus couldn’t help herself as she gave herself a personal celebration.

“Yeah!” she cheered as she pumped a hoof over her head before landing every one of her legs on top of the fluffy accumulated vapor. “That’s right! I’m awesome!”

“Well done, Rainbow Dash,” congratulated the stallion as he came closer to her.

Although happy that he was glad for her victory, she was thrown off by his humble response, as she had expected him to be at least a little unhappy, which would have allowed her to gloat to her heart’s content. Instead, she felt a bitter taste in her mouth at the thought of treating this guy with such a bad attitude. So, Rainbow decided to end with-

“Thanks,” she voiced her appreciation, excluding any hint of dissatisfaction from her face.

“Now that we’re up here,” he began to state as he waved an extended hoof out, “I can finally welcome you to the Kingdom of Sky Island.”

She followed the trail of his attention with her red-purple irises to a truly awe-inspiring scene.

Stretching in every direction, there was a great expanse of earth, teeming with life, and going on for miles. And yet, at the four corners of the land, there were large cities of stone constructs, bustling with ponies. In-between them were multiple villages spread across the rolling pastures. To top it all, there was a building of singular majesty set apart, almost in the middle of two of the fair hamlets.

“This. Is! AWESOME!” the rainbow-maned mare pronounced. Then, she caught a glimpse of what she perceived to lay beyond the horizon. “Wait, where’s the ocean?!”

“Ocean?” Light Speed asked in return. “You mean like a large body of water?”

“Yeah,” she replied as though it were a pretty obvious fact.

“Oh, the closest thing we have to that is the lake inside the island,” he answered plainly.

Rainbow’s jaw slipped open in shock at the revelation. “You mean that-”

“Did you think that the name of the island was figurative?” he cut into her statement.

“How?” she shorthoofed her follow-up inquiry.

“According to legend,” the Alicorn recited from memory as he peered down at the ground, “the island sits atop a floating mass of special clouds.” He then turned his crystalline eyes to face her once more. “Otherwise, your guess is as good as mine.”

Something clicked in Rainbow’s mind and she found herself wanting to fly over the edge of the island to see if the legend were true.

Incapable of resisting her own urges, the sky blue Pegasus rose from the cloud at her hooves and sped off towards the nearest bordering point of the island’s sides.

“WAIT!” she heard the voice of her newest acquaintance yell, almost as if in desperation, but she kept going.

“STOP!” Light Speed shouted as he flew in front of her with his bright body.

Putting as much control into her action as she could, Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt mid-air, barely avoiding a crash collision with the stallion.

“Wha’d ya’ do that for?!” she exclaimed.

“You can’t do that,” he warned her.

“What?” she said with a mischievous smile. “I just want to see if what you said is true.”

She attempted to buzz around him, but was intercepted as he appeared in front of her again in a flash of light.

“What in the hoof?” she stated in surprise.

“Please, I beg of you,” the Alicorn requested, “for your own safety, do not go beyond the edge of the island.”

“Why not?” Dash questioned suspiciously at the sudden concern for something seemingly simple and completely safe for a Pegasus such as her.

Light Speed expressed a reluctant, pained glance towards the air under him before huffing.

Looking back at the Pegasus, he softly said, “There’s a danger to doing so.”

“Like what?” she inquired, pressing her question with her front two hooves crossed in front of her upright hovering form with a slight stink eye locked on the curiously strange acting stallion.

Calming himself, the Alicorn peered into her confused eyes. “The fact is that anypony who has attempted to leave the island has been lost to an unrelenting storm of unknown origins.”

Rainbow was suddenly stunned by the implication and couldn’t express how to answer such a statement.

“If you must know,” he continued his explanation, “we lost two very important ponies to it years ago.”

Rainbow Dash watched as her new acquaintance locked his jaw and held back a cringe and a tear, which caused her to flash an instant question to herself as to who the two could have been to bring such an emotional reaction to the stallion.

Thinking fast, she came up with an idea.

“Hey!” she called out to him, earning his attention once again. “I know what we could do!”

“What?” the Alicorn asked with an uplifted spirit and eagerness to his tone.

“You could show me some of your wicked moves!” she exclaimed.

“Oh… I don’t know about that…” he muttered unsurely, rubbing the back of his mane with a hoof “…I’m not really that good.”

“Come on!” the rainbow-maned pony insisted. “I know you got some moves to that speed that you’re packin’!”

“Maybe…” he grunted lightly as he peered away from her again.

Deciding that she wasn’t going to wait for him, and that he could use some convincing, the mare made up her mind.

“In that case,” she replied as she drew a few wings’ length closer, “I’ll give you a little demonstration of my awesomeness, and then you can show me yours.”

Before he could object, Rainbow Dash hurried over to a small collection of cumulonimbus clouds and began zooming all about them.

She concentrated as she gathered the puffs of vapor into a single grouping, then she proceeded to zoom around them, packing them in. Then, with quick precision and proper timing, she started to mold them into a work of art, etching away at the loose edges and smoothing out the angles.

Finally, the Pegasus broke off from the product of her attentive focus, and shot higher and higher up into the great blue.

Coming to a halt, she gazed at her audience of one for a moment.

“Now for the finale,” she thought as she noticed Light Speed’s demeanor of wide-eyed fascination at the showing of her talent.

Setting herself into a dive-bomb stance, Rainbow rocketed downward, intent on making her mark on this particular Alicorn’s life with a boom.

Several seconds flashed by before the air around her body began to accumulate into a bubble and then exploded with a spectacular sonic boom that worked in a symphony with a ring of rainbow that rippled across the open sky like waves of the ocean.

Light Speed gawked at the display of true talent as he watched the rainbow of color wash over the sculpture of cloud that was, in fact, an exact lookalike of Rainbow Dash in flight.

“That was incredible!” he congratulated the mare as she circled under, over, and came to a stop next to him, still sporting a trail of rainbow behind her.

“I told you that I’m awesome!” she shouted as she beamed at the stallion. “But enough about me! I wanna see you in action!” she emphasized her excited desire by pumping her top hooves, one after the other, in front of her.

“Since you insist,” he finally conceded with a nervous chuckle.

Then, without a second’s passing, he shot forth, bulleting through the air with a spinning, straight-forward flight path. With a swift motion of his wings, he cut an angle and proceeded to dash towards the clouds. But, what was truly wondrous to behold was that Rainbow’s trail of rainbow was now following him like he had grabbed ahold of it by merely passing through its colorful folds.

With a combo of twists and turns, he danced behind the image of the sculpture, until he came right behind the poofy pony-piece.

Pausing for only a moment, he lit his horn, and the skies shimmered with the results.

The looping lines of the rainbow became diamond-esque, and the sunlight beamed down upon it, sending a series of thousands upon thousands of glittering colors to shine through and around the clouds, enveloping everything in its path for a duration of seconds.

“That. Was! AWESOME!” she voiced her approval, both of her front hooves held high above her as she welcomed the stallion back.

“Oh… I don’t know about that,” Light Speed murmured as he slowed his return flight to a stop as he came back around, grinning his muzzle with a touch of a blush to his cheeks.

“Come on!” she asserted rather loudly. “You’re great!”

“I don’t think I’m good enough to be called great just yet,” he continued to deny himself of any self compliments.

Before she could utter another statement, Rainbow spotted the stallion’s flank, and immediately drew another angle to her praise of the guy-pony’s skill.

“You even have the cutie mark to match your skills!” she stated with boisterous excitement.

He suddenly stopped and directed his eyes to the object of the mare’s words.

There, rested upon his upper thigh, was the picture of a wing streaking along, followed by a white trail of what was presumably light.

“Oh, this,” he answered with a humored undertone, “I got this while watching a flight event being done by the Crimson Wings. It’s they who inspired me to become the greatest flyer in the whole world, and it is they who I aspire to.”

“You’re too modest,” Rainbow Dash said, waving a hoof in his direction with a roll of her eyes.

“I still think that you’re the better flyer with that sonic boom-rainbow combo,” Light Speed complimented her.

“Sonic Rainboom,” she corrected him.

“Nice,” he commented in reply, “That’s a great name for it.”

“Yeah, I-” she began, only to be cut off by-

“Your highness!”

Rainbow Dash paused as she absorbed the sudden intrusion.

“Oh, no,” Light Speed groaned beneath his breath.

The two ponies spun just enough in the air to spot a trio of Pegasi stallions in two separate styles of uniform. The pair set in the back of the formation were both dressed in silvery-white attire with head coverings and goggles while the front-most was in a crimson suit of slim armor with a red mask over his face and only the gold of his mane showing.

“Your Highness!” repeated the pony dressed in red as they drew closer and stopped a good breadth away. “What are you doing out here?” the lead Pegasus of the three directed the question to Light Speed, ignoring the gawking mare behind him.

“Is there something wrong with me being out here?” the golden Alicorn stallion returned dryly, looking none amused at this intrusion.

“Your highness,” the pony continued, “you know the Lord-Regent’s statutes on matters involving you. You know that-”

“-he’s draining my life of any chance to be me,” interrupted Light Speed, turning his gaze away from the soldier-pony.

Although still confused as to what was going on and at the implications of what the Alicorn was called, Rainbow Dash was suddenly interested and slightly unhappy at the idea of somepony as awesome as Light Speed being treated poorly and was beginning to wonder if she should step in for her newest friend. Wait, what?

“Your highness,” began again the rambling red-suited Pegasus, “you know as well as I that…” His seemingly non-stop nagging came to an abrupt halt as his glass lenses-covered eyes finally took into account the rainbow-maned mare behind Light Speed. “Your highness!” He shot himself forward and in-between the Alicorn and the Pegasus woman as his silvery-white adorned accomplices flew around to encircle her. “Get behind me!”

“Whoa there, nag-boy and co!” Rainbow shouted as she attempted to ready herself for any kind of action, glancing unsteadily from one of the other Pegasi to another with her bright reddish-purple peepers on alert.

“Stay back, your highness!” declared the crimson-clad figure, keeping his position between Light Speed and Rainbow Dash. “We’ll deal with this attempted felon!”

“What?!” yelled the sunbeam-maned stallion as he watched the scene with his diamond blue eyes widening in fear for the mare.

“Sire, it is our place to ensure that, as according to the law of the Regent, this pony cannot do anything to you,” the Pegasus guard spoke again, edging closer to Rainbow with his fellow soldier-ponies mimicking his action.

Light Speed looked on to Rainbow Dash, who was none too sure of how to handle her current predicament, and she peered on to him as well. Crystalline irises met the ruby-like violet of her own, and he could see the worry and confusion as she could see his contained fear for her safety.

Suddenly, that stallion’s face hardened and he disappeared in an instant, only to reappear in a flash in front of her and the red-armored Pegasus.

“Enough!” he declared, facing to the soldier-pony with outstretched wings and light shining from his form.

All of those gathered there had to cover their eyes for the few moments it lasted. Then, they opened their sights to Light Speed glaring dangerously at the lead pony.

“But, your highness,” he attempted to worm his way out of the boiling cauldron he had so inadvertently dove into, “you are Prince Light Speed, heir to the throne, and this pony-”

“-is my friend,” growled the now revealed Prince in disapproval of the nearly spoken jab at Rainbow.

Shocked would be an understatement. Rainbow Dash was utterly and completely floored by the number of things she had learned and experienced.

To start, Light Speed was really the Prince of an entire kingdom, and was going to one day rule all of it! Then, in less than an hour’s time, she becomes FRIENDS with the mysterious Alicorn! That she couldn’t wait to tell all of her friends back in Ponyville! Most of all, however, she was finding it so cool how he was defending her from his own guards! Oddly enough, though, she had this strange sensation that was warm as she watched him protect her. Usually, she’d do her best to step in and do her own defending, but, for some reason, she liked it, especially because Light Speed was doing it.

But she’d never admit that to ANYPONY, ANYTIME soon!

For a few seconds, the Prince merely stared at the soldier without moving.

Meanwhile, the crimson-clad Pegasus shared a passing glance with both of the other Pegasi, earning nods in return.

“Re-gardless,” he dragged out in his smooth tone that he returned to without losing anymore of his nerve, “you must return with us. The Lord-Regent is absolutely in shambles over you leaving the safety that the castle walls provide.”

“Not without Rainbow Dash,” shot back Light Speed with a straight face, not missing the slight twitch of the Pegasus guard’s muzzle, before turning to face the aforementioned mare, “if that’s alright with you.”

Now, usually, she would have stopped to consider her options or vigorously sought to demand answers. But, today was not to be so.

Without more than a second of thought, she said with a smile, “Sure, Prince Light Speed.” She did her best to sound both amused and somewhat aggravated at his lack of disclosure towards that not-so-small detail.

Inside, on the other hoof, she was giving herself a facehoof for being so quick to accept an offer from somepony she had just met and barely knew anything about him, or where she was for feathers’ sake! Then, she realized how hypocritical she sounded and gave herself another mental facehoof.

“He-he,” he chuckled sheepishly, instantly shifting from his serious demeanor to one of nervousness towards the redirecting of focus upon his failing to bring to light his lineage.

“Your highness,” the Pegasus soldier droned rather pitiably, almost sounding as if he were whining, “the Lord-Regent-”

“-will have to deal with it,” interjected Light Speed once more, barely paying any more attention to the nigh unto begging that was being offered.

Realizing that there was no convincing the Prince out of his choice, the crimson-armored pony huffed before signaling to his silver-suited subordinates with a wave of a hoof.

“Very well, your highness,” conceded the soldier-pony as the other two gathered back behind him, “if you and your… guest,” he breathed out with something akin to disgust within the underlying tone of his voice, “would follow us, then can we make our way to the palace, and the Lord-Regent will be all the merrier for it.”

“Stay close to me,” Light Speed whispered to Rainbow Dash.

In quick succession, the party of Pegasi and Alicorn with the soldier-ponies in front flew on in the direction of the grand structure of the castle that Rainbow had been given an eyeful of before.

During the longer than expected journey to their destination, the mare knew that she would have the time to bring up her own questions with her new friend, and didn’t intend on wasting a perfectly good opportunity.

Flying within a short distance of the bright yellow-on-gold Alicorn, she called out to him with a curt “Hey!” loud enough to catch his attention over the bustling of the wind around them.

In response, he replied with an audible “Yes, Rainbow Dash?” as he faced her without missing a flap of his wing or deviating from their flight path.

“Would you like to tell me when you were going to tell me about you being mister prince of the whole island?” she questioned with her front legs crossed and her face was adopting a pouty and hurt look that expressed a need for an answer soon. Deep inside, the stunt-pony hadn’t a clue why she was acting like this, but she had no reason to think there was anything wrong with it, so she rolled with the attitude that she was so aptly portraying.

Sighing deeply, the braided-maned stallion gazed into her demanding, yet ever playful peepers as he knew this had been coming, and he couldn’t blame her for being suspicious as his intentions for withholding such an important bit of information involving him. Even if she was still a mystery to him, he considered the wild, rainbow-maned mare his friend, and Light Speed was not one for offending his friends.

“Alright,” he began with his head bowed a little, “I’m sorry… I didn’t want to keep you in the dark, but I didn’t know how you would react.”

Rainbow Dash was surprised as she heard those words and saw the slightest hints of worry on his face. “Wha’da’ ya’ mean?” she questioned while flying just far enough ahead of him to have a good view of him.

“I’m a Prince…” he hesitated “…but I’m not proud of it.”

“What?!” she exclaimed, temporarily distancing herself from him before closing the gap again. “You’re a Prince! That’s awesome! You shouldn’t feel unhappy about it!”

“Thanks,” he murmured, raising his head once more to return her smile that she beamed at him.

“You don’t have to thank me for saying the truth,” she retorted with a wave of her hoof in denial of his praise.

“No,” the Alicorn stated, “Thank you for being my friend.”

Rainbow Dash was slightly taken aback by his sincerity and really felt as though she had made an impact in Light Speed’s life with merely accepting being his friend.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better friend, especially a mare as wonderful as you,” he added with a bright grin.

Okay, that wasn’t something that Rainbow was accustomed to. Sure, her friends called her nice things, and she knew that she was awesome, but nopony had ever used the word wonderful to describe her. Somehow, she was feeling a warmth that was foreign to her. Was this how other mares felt when they met somepony really special? Wait, where did that come from?

Although she wouldn’t know it, Rainbow was blushing ever so slightly. Thankfully, Light Speed didn’t manage to catch it. At least, he hadn’t recognized the color as it was when he saw it.

As their speech came to a close, they drew closer as the scene of the island greenery passed on by and the many villages that were along the way gave way for the sight of the grand structure that Rainbow Dash had the pleasure of seeing before, only it was growing with every foot of space nearer to the castle.

Walls as tall as a ship’s mast and thick as Twilight’s former tree home, the fallen Golden Oak Library, encircled about a spire-like building that was reaching into the skies, nearly blocking out the sun with its tip-top, and its width stretching across hundreds of paces. All of its structure was polished stone that was spiny along its surface and had dozens of openings from whence Pegasi were moving in and out.

Upon nearing the wall, the immense dual gates opened up with silvery armored Pegasi and Earth Ponies standing at the ready from within, and at the center of the courtyard was a flagpole that had a standard waving proudly. Adorning that banner was the upper half of a Pegasus outline with his wings outstretched and his head held high, with a golden border to compliment the image.

Rainbow was gobsmacked at the sight as she followed Light Speed’s lead to land behind the soldiers as they touched down upon the ground just outside of the walls.

“Hold!” a Pegasus called as he walked forward to in front of the crimson-clad member of the escort group.

While the two conversed, Light Speed edged near enough to Rainbow Dash to say, “Don’t leave my side.”

Even if it was a simple statement with good intent behind it, for some reason, the mare couldn’t help the feeling of butterflies in her tummy at the touch of his warm breath on the skin of her ear.

“Alright,” the silver-armored Pegasus stated as he stepped aside, “you’re cleared to go through. Welcome back, your highness.”

At once, the three soldier ponies began to head forward with the Prince and his honored guest walking into the gate opening side-by-side.

The courtyard that was inside was just as glamorous with fine cut stone walkways set around the castle and well-kept bush work surrounding that all. Walking about in disciplined order were guards of both Earth Pony and Pegasi lineage, maintaining the security of the whole of the castle grounds, while working around an assortment of servants and maids who were preparing for something, whatever it may be.

Besides making sure to stay next to Light Speed, Rainbow Dash was so downright star-struck by the grandeur of the whole getup.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” a new voice spoke out from the direction of the building, “You’re dismissed.”

At the sudden intrusion of the new stallion’s words, Rainbow Dash turned to notice that she had been nearing the castle with the group faster than she had anticipated, and then her attention became focused upon the originator of the statement.

Standing stalwart in front of the staircase that led up to the open front doors of the imposing palace was a tall Pegasus with a brown mane and was sporting the same crimson armor that was upon the lead pony of the trio who escorted the Prince and the mare, minus the headgear, which allowed for anypony to see his mocha brown features and clear green eyes that stared back with strength and confidence.

“You are most kind, Captain,” spoke the Sergeant, who just so happened to be the pony at the lead of the three who had been sent to find the Prince, in a tone that sounded mostly neutral except for a tinge of sarcasm to his words, “However, our orders are clear that we must deliver the Prince safely back to the Lord-Regent without delay.”

The Sergeant made a move to go around the other pony, but the Captain stepped in his way.

“Now, Sergeant,” the green-eyed Pegasus began to state, looking straight into the goggles of the golden-maned one, “I am offering you the perfect chance to relax and allow me to take your duty. If anything, you should be thanking me.”

“But-” the persistent Pegasus began to interject with a counter-argument.

“No buts, Sergeant,” the Captain corrected, “Now get a move-on. I’ll take care of the Prince and ensure that he is safely escorted to the Lord-Regent.”

“Yes, sir,” the crimson-clad Sergeant grunted through gritted teeth as he led his two subordinates with him into the castle without turning back to the Captain, whom was approaching the Prince and his guest.

Rainbow Dash was slightly nervous as she watched him near them, but her concern ebbed away as Light Speed began walking forward himself.

“You have saved my hide yet again, my old friend,” the Alicorn stated as he and the guard-pony locked one of their front legs with one another and stood across from each other for a moment.

“Anytime, your highness,” the brown-haired pony stated, “After all, it wouldn’t do for my oldest friend to have to end up in trouble, especially since I know that you need a breather every now and then.”

Unsure of what to do, Rainbow stood by and watched as the two stallions had a moment to just greet one another as they let go of the others’ leg and stepped back a pace or two.

However, she didn’t go unnoticed by the Captain as he caught a glance of her from behind Light Speed.

“Your highness,” the brown Pegasus said with a tinge of faux disappointment in his tone, “when we were you going to introduce me to this lovely mare who appears to be following you?”

Remembering that he had forgotten his manners in the midst of the tense situation, the Prince turned his braided-maned head back to face Rainbow Dash.

“I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash,” he pleaded with a sincere expression on his golden-orange countenance.

“Nah, you don’t have to be sorry,” she assured with a wave of her hoof, having ignored the comment about her from the other Pegasus, and focused more on Light’s genuine consideration for her. Something about the way he treated her felt really right.

“Even still, I can’t be treating one of the few ponies I consider close to me like that,” he replied with a bright smile.

For some reason, Rainbow wanted to shoot off into the sky and perform another Sonic Rainboom just because of that statement alone, but she resisted the urge.

“Rainbow Dash, I would like to introduce you to Captain Bursting Winds of the Crimson Wings’ Second Battalion,” Light Speed directed her attention to the brown pony with a wing as he gave his name.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dash,” Bursting Winds said with a slight tilt of his head in her direction.

“The same for you, Cap,” Rainbow returned nonchalantly.

“Bursting Winds,” Light Speed redirected the focus of the Captain as he spoke, “this is Rainbow Dash, my newest friend.”

“Really?” the Crimson Wing officer questioned with a curious twinkle in his eyes and a real grin on his muzzle. “Now this is a nice surprise, indeed.”

Rainbow Dash was not one to shy away from attention, but something about his words made her wonder as to what was the big deal about her being Light Speed’s friend. Was what that other soldier-pony said true? That there was some law that prevented other ponies from even talking to him?

“Yes,” the Prince confirmed as he walked back to beside Rainbow, “By the way, Rainbow Dash?”

“Aw, Light Speed. Just call me Rainbow. That’s what all my friends call me anyways,” she told him, not entirely sure why she was being so direct around somepony who, although a friend to her, was relatively unknown.

“Alright, Rainbow. I just wanted to ask if you would like to have a tour around the castle. I would gladly give you one,” the Prince offered with a smile as he stared into her reddish-violet eyes with his diamond blue peepers.

She felt so warm inside as she peered back into those deep pools of crystal that she couldn’t help but take a moment to just keep looking on into them…

“Sorry to interrupt, your highness…”

…and there went the moment.

“Yes, Bursting Winds,” replied the Prince as he refaced the Captain.

“I am truly sorry, but the Lord-Regent does desire your presence,” the Crimson Wing informed Light Speed, not missing the slightest hinting of aggravation on the mare’s face.

“Couldn’t you just distract him or make an excuse for me?” the Alicorn asked, almost allowing a sense of begging enter his voice.

Bursting Winds sighed. “Even if I want to see you happily spending your day away with one of your only friends,” the Captain stated with sympathy to his words, “you know as well as I do that you have an important day ahead of you, and your Uncle would skin me for holding that up.”

Light Speed returned the sigh in a deeper fashion.

Rainbow Dash watched as his eyes dulled and his features drooped ever so slightly. She didn’t like seeing him so down in the dumps, but wasn’t sure as to what was even going on.

“You’re right,” the Prince returned in a serious tone. Turning to the rainbow-maned, sky blue mare, he adopted a somewhat downtrodden smile. “I’m sorry, Rainbow-”

“What did I tell you?” she interrupted his apology with a grin that conveyed her care for his concern. “You don’t have to say sorry to me. We’re friends, remember?”

Light Speed beamed at her in response. “You know, I hope we get to see each other again one day,” he said as he walked nearer to the Captain.

Rainbow was confused by this as she questioned as to why they wouldn’t. Well, besides her getting back to Equestria.

“After all,” the Prince said as he started to walk away towards the castle door, before twisting his head back to face the mare one last time, “I’m friends with the most amazing pony, and that’s you.” He then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the faintest shimmering of magic of a trail behind him.

Rainbow Dash stared on at the spot with a mixture of amazement and wonder, yet also a combination of sadness and disappointment at the thought of never seeing the awesomely spectacular pony who was Light Speed. But, most of all, what he had said had struck a chord in her, and she did something that she had never done before! Well… maybe a few times, but never around another a pony!

She blushed!

What he had said about her, unlike any other pony and what they said, the Alicorn’s statement had caused her to feel warm and fuzzy and happy, and the very way he had said it was unlike anything anypony else had said to her that was just so… She didn’t know! It just made her feel so special!

“Excuse me, Miss Dash,” the words from the Captain barely registered in her mind as she couldn’t take her mind off of Light Speed and how he made her feel.

“Miss Rainbow Dash,” Bursting Winds emphasized, stepping in front of her line of sight, and thus interrupting her one-sided staring contest.

“Huh?! What?!” the mare spluttered out in rapid succession as she refocused on her surroundings, and recomposed herself to look less like some love-struck pony from one of those gushy romance novels that Twilight had in her library… Wait, what?!

“Sorry for ruining your… moment,” the Crimson Wing stated, doing his absolute best to suppress a cheeky grin at her obvious blunder, and the slightest twinkle of delight shined in his green irises at the sight of the full-grown filly’s aggravated expression and attempt at looking all-too cool to be unsettled. “I was just wondering if I could have a word with you.”

“Well… since ya’ asked so nicely,” she replied with a slight rolling of her eyes.

“Please,” he began to direct with a hoof pointing onto a less occupied stone path, “this way.”

“Fine,” she muttered, not really interested in what this Pegasus had to say, but she just wasn’t in the best position to deny his request.

The two ponies then began to trot down the way, nearing a branch-off which the stallion led them along until they went to an enclosed hedge piece that had a fountain at the center.

“Alright,” the brown Pegasus said as he came to a halt just beside the finely-crafted stone piece with water flowing down the centermost part to the bowl at the bottom, “this is private enough for us to talk without interruptions.”

Curious as to what possible reason he had for bringing her out of sight like he had, Rainbow Dash was quick to draw conclusions that he was trying to do something she wouldn’t like. However, she didn’t want to be offensive considering that this guy was Light Speed’s friend, so she chose to merely be to the point.

“Spill,” she stated plainly, squinting her eyelids over her ruby-purple orbs which portrayed her rather untrusting state of mind at the moment.

“Ah, quick to the point, I see,” Bursting Winds expressed with a calm demeanor, before shifting to a serious face, “Very well then. I would like to tell about Light Speed.”

“Wait, what?” she asked, somewhat confused by his sudden desire to reveal all that she had wanted to know about since she had begun to get know the amazing Alicorn prince, and even more so that she really did want to know about these things so suddenly, but most of all that a complete stranger would be so forthright with such personal details of somepony else, especially a friend so close.

“You are his friend, yes?” the Captain asked without budging while looking to her with an unmoving straight face.

“Of course,” she replied without a second thought, and then realized that she had so easily accepted the Prince as a friend that it had not bothered her in the least to think of him as such.

“Well, then,” he said with a renewed smile, “you are one of only two ponies who can say that.”

The shock of that revelation took her a moment to recover. “You mean-” she started to ask.

“-that before you arrived, I was his only pal in all of Sky Island,” he interrupted without missing a beat.

She merely nodded with an expression of total surprise beginning to form on her face.

“Yes,” Bursting Winds answered simply.

Rainbow was completely unprepared for such an unbelievable thought, as was evident by her lower jaw hanging open and her eyes bulging inside of their sockets. “What?!” she shouted, failing to keep her tone low enough to not draw attention.

The crimson-armored soldier-pony just bobbed his head up and down as he let her cool down and allow the information to soak in.

“How come?!” Rainbow questioned with a mixture of worry for her new friend that he was being mistreated and anger that such a great guy was not getting the proper respect. After all, somepony as cool, awesome, and… kind and considerate as Light Speed deserved to have friends just like any other pony! At least, in her mind’s eye he did.

Bursting Winds was busy rubbing one of his ears with a hoof before he waved at her in a quieting motion as he glanced back and forth at the entrances to the fountain area. “Please,” he pleaded in a hushed tone, “keep it down. I’m not exactly supposed to be talking to you about this.”

Realizing her mistake, the mare followed his actions by covering her muzzle with a hoof while looking about.

“Considering it may be easier if I just start from the beginning,” he continued, being more careful to not speak aloud but keep it at a low volume so that only the two of them could hear, “would you mind if I tell you of the Prince’s life-story?”

Even if she was more than glad to have such an opportunity to learn more about Light Speed, Rainbow was curious of one detail.

“Why would you be so quick to trust somepony you just met like this?” she asked rather pointedly.

“Prince Light Speed trusts you, so I trust you,” Bursting Winds easily returned.

The honesty of his words and his unflinching attitude made Rainbow realize that he meant business and that she didn’t have to worry about him being a dishonest character. So, she chose to place her trust in him and to sit and listen to what may be very important.

“Okay,” she stated, taking a seat and facing him from an adjacent position near the fountain, “I’m ready.”

“Right,” he said, taking a moment to clear his throat for the long explanation he was to make.

Although the energetic stuntpony inside of her was screaming for movement, action, and the sort, the rainbow-maned mare was making a stand with herself there and then to be still and to listen. This had to do with somepony who had become very close to her, and she wasn’t about to blow this opportunity if she could help it.

“Well, to start,” the stallion began, “you need to understand something about this kingdom.”

Rainbow Dash was listening intently as she aimed her eyes and ears in his direction, not moving a muscle of her sky blue body as she worked to take everything he said to heart.

“Here on Sky Island, there are only two races of ponies,” Bursting Winds elaborated, “one Pegasi, and the other Earth Pony.”

Now there was a curious parcel of news. She couldn’t imagine Equestria without Unicorns, especially Ponyville without Rarity. But that was beside the point.

“So, as you can probably guess, it was a phenomenon of such great magnitude when the king and queen, both Pegasi,” he further stated, “had a child who was not only winged but also bore a horn upon his head.”

She couldn’t help but see his point. After all, Rainbow Dash had no clue when Princesses Celestia and Luna were born or who their parents were. For that matter of fact, neither had she heard of Princess Cadance’s parents, even though it was well-known that she was only a few years older than her or her pony friends. Only Twilight was known about in those regards and she had become an Alicorn Princess rather than having been born one.

Yet, by all evidence, Light Speed had an impossible birth. Wow. Now she felt like an egghead. Thank you, Twilight.

“The likes of which had never been seen by the ponies of our land before,” Bursting Winds continued his explanation. “Due to this, his parents were rather protective of him in his earlier years, as they were extremely fond of their son. So much so, that they didn’t allow anypony else near him until he was old enough to properly speak.”

“It wasn’t until he was ten years of age that they finally chose to introduce their son, Prince Light Speed, to the whole kingdom,” his words rung with a sense of pride for the pony in question, which didn’t make too much sense to Rainbow Dash since she wasn’t the type of pony to consider that level of parental protection exactly good for a foal to have to endure.

Still, she couldn’t deny that Light Speed’s parents did love him very much, something that she was glad to say that she understood, but not to that extent.

“As time went by,” the Captain spoke on, “the royal couple eventually decided it best that their son meet and get to know ponies of his age, so they called for volunteers from amongst the common pony-folk, as well as the families of the Five Great Houses of Sky Island.”

Yet another peculiar thing to her. Really, didn’t Light Speed’s parents know how to make friends without making it into a national issue?

“Although it was difficult at first, especially considering the lack of effort on the nobles’ part,” the soldier-pony said with a touch of a snicker to his voice, “it wasn’t long before the Prince was quick to make friends with dozens of colts and fillies his age.”

That relieved Rainbow’s heart to hear.

A smile, bright and big, grew onto Bursting Winds’s face in a moment of silence. “And that’s when I first met the Prince.”

“Back then, I thought he was kind of weird,” he said, not losing that grin of his.

Instead of taking action by defending Light Speed against criticism of any kind, Rainbow chose to wait and hear more before taking appropriate steps towards rectifying the problem.

“At first, he was shy and withdrawn, but,” the brown Pegasus stopped for a second as he stared at a cloud above, “when he got to know you and became your friend, he was bold, daring, and incredible.”

The more she heard, the more she liked about her new friend. He seemed to be able to be such an awesome pony, when he wanted to be. Maybe they had more in common than she originally thought. Maybe she- Wait, what was she thinking?!

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Rainbow refocused on the topic at hoof.

Thankfully, or unfortunately if she knew, Bursting had noticed her shifting features and thoughtful expression before her final breakage of thought via head shaking and subsequent attempt to continue listening of his talk.

Careful to make sure he didn’t reveal his noticing of her sudden reaction, the stallion shifted his sight to the ground with a smile still upon his face.

“We were the best of friends, him and me and all the others,” he said with a happiness to his voice that he didn’t have before.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her own smile as she thought of the Prince happily spending his younger years with children his age instead of being cooped up in a castle.

“If only that day hadn’t come,” the Crimson Wing officer stated, almost in a whisper, as he lost his cheery mood and frowned deeply as his green eyes peered at the grass at his hooves.

The sudden change in his manners made Rainbow wonder what could have been so detrimental to have provoked such a reaction.

“It was a few weeks after the Prince’s twelfth birthday celebration that the island upon which we stand neared a distant land the closest that it has in all of our recorded history,” he said, his voice not rising above a low, neutral fashion, “and our border guards had reported sighting a city of unknown origins on the coast of that land.”

“But what was truly interesting about this was that they had actually seen other ponies in this city,” the soldier-pony stated with a slight bit more brightness, yet not shifting in his attitude.

Rainbow Dash was both interested in what he was saying, and irritated by how long this was taking. Hey, what could she say? She was naturally a pony who liked to be moving rather than sitting still, and this wasn’t any different.

“So, to go and meet these other ponies and possibly establish good first contact and relations,” Bursting Winds carried on with his words, “the king and queen chose to go, without escort, and see this new land and city.”

Rainbow Dash was starting to wonder if this had anything to do with what Light Speed had told her about.

“Saying their farewells,” he portrayed further, “the king and queen took off in a blimp with plenty of supplies for their short journey… Only things didn’t go as planned.”

The sneaking suspicion that her guess was on the money was quickly growing on her.

“Something completely unexpected occurred that day in the form of a mighty storm that wrapped itself around the island,” he stated with a straight face that conveyed a pained outlook of such a memory, “It was so fierce, that all activity on the island came to a stop and all we could do was wait for it to subside from within our homes.”

The dots were beginning to connect more rapidly in Rainbow’s mind.

“Once they were sure it was safe enough,” the Captain continued, “the Crimson Wings sent search parties to discover the whereabouts of the king and queen.” His features became more sullen as he stopped for a moment and let the severity of the experience set in, before looking straight into the mare’s eyes with his own. “Sadly, they were never found.”

Yep. Asking the obvious question with the answer staring you in the face definitely wasn’t something that she planned on repeating again… at least not after today.

“So, the two very important ponies who were lost in that terrible storm were-”

“Light Speed’s parents, yes,” Bursting Winds finished for her.

Rainbow could have facehooved herself for not seeing this earlier. That, and she didn’t like looking stupid in front of other ponies, especially strangers.

“I assume the Prince told you a little of this?” the soldier-pony questioned her without seeming to sound as if he were making fun of her fumble.

“Yeah…” she said with a far-off look in her eyes as she couldn’t help but think about how rough it must have been for Light Speed, and how much more so it has been since that day.

“Well,” the stallion said in a way that sounded as though he were rather fascinated, “then you happen to be the only pony he has ever even talked to about that, ever. I can’t say that about myself.”

That was something she hadn’t seen coming.

“Really?!” she declared, having flown to within a feather’s touch of Bursting Winds’s face and keeping her position there as she stared into his eyes and waited for the answer.

The sudden movement from the previously candid pony kind of surprised the pony in crimson armor. However, as a professional, he wasn’t too stirred to react in a way that may have caused a scene.

“Uh, you’re kinda in my space,” he stated in reply to her action while having barely moved back an inch.

Noticing their close proximity, she merely adopted a smile and said, “Hehe, sorry” before bolting back to her seated spot. “Please, continue,” she requested once there.

“Yes, where was I?” he asked rhetorically to allow him a chance to relax himself and to recollect his thoughts. “To your question, yes, you are indeed the only pony who could possible say that the Prince has opened up to you about a touchy subject that has remained rather close-lipped for a long time.”

Somehow, the thought of Light Speed choosing to tell her about his problem, even as vague as he did, instead of any other pony made her feel bubbly deep down. She wanted to perform a somersault and then fly into the air to show how just happy she was at that moment.

“Excuse me,” he interrupted her inner-thoughts yet again, “but don’t you want to hear the rest?”

Hearing those words brought her back to reality in an instant, and she immediately realized that she had already lifted herself partially off the ground in preparation for the series of gravity-defying awesomeness that had been formulating inside of her.

“You were saying,” Rainbow Dash stated with a neutral face as she replanted her rump onto the ground.

Barely containing the smile that was already inside of his very being, Bursting Winds chose to continue.

“Indeed I was,” he responded, having never left his own spot next to the fountain, “As you can probably guess, the Prince did not take this so well.” His face was, yet again, set in an expression of pained remembrance. “He locked himself within his room for days, unwilling to speak with or see any other ponies, including his friends.”

Rainbow could see from his dulled green eyes that this pony was truly hurt by such an experience. The thought of not being wanted by a friend wasn’t something she liked either, so she could sympathize.

“During that time,” the brown Pegasus recalled, “it was decided by the Great Houses that a regent should be chosen to lead in the stead of the Prince while he matured and then he would take upon himself the mantle of kingship.”

“Soon enough, it was almost unanimously decided that Light Speed’s Uncle, Duke Real Steel, was to take upon himself this responsibility, and he graciously accepted,” he started saying happily, before gaining a certain kind of look to his face that said he was suspicious of something. “However, within days, new edicts and laws began to be made that prevented anypony from going anywhere near the Prince, all of which meant to ‘protect him’.” He emphasized this with the tips of his wings.

That did seem rather odd to Rainbow as she speculated upon it.

“So,” Bursting Winds continued, “that was the last I saw the Prince… until,” he further spoke, making it somewhat unbearable to the mare.

She just wanted to hear about Light Speed! It’s not like she was looking to know about this guy, too!

Still, this could answer some of her questions, and she had quite a few.

“I made the decision,” the Crimson Wing went on, “that I would work my way into the Army. Then, I would keep going until I finally got to see my best friend again! Sure, it took time. But, after years of hard work, I became a Captain in the Crimson Wings, and so, I now serve as one of his closest guards. Why, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I was able to reconnect to him, and I’ve been his only friend ever since.”

The brown pony had a satisfied grin upon his face as he thought of that wonderful reunion.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was impatient.

“What about Light Speed?!” she shouted, getting a wee bit tired of his rambling.

“I was getting to that,” he responded calmly, with the waving of a hoof in her general direction. “Well, he’s generally been lonely without company. Even I get barely any time to spend with him, especially since I received more tasks. But, for years now, he’s left the castle and spent his days practicing and doing his best to become as great as the Crimson Wings, as he would put it.”

“Is he?” she wondered aloud, curious as to how good the Prince actually was.

“Honestly,” the stallion stated, “I think he far surpassed even the very best of the Crimson Wings years ago. He just doesn’t believe me, even though I’ve told him myself.”

“Whoa…” she thought to herself in amazement.

On the one hoof, she was astounded by how skilled a flyer that Bursting Winds made their mutual friend sound. On the other, she wondered how good the Crimson Wings could possibly be if she beat Light Speed in a race. If that were anything to go by, then she could be the best flyer in the whole world!

But then a thought came to her: What if the… Nah! She’s just that awesome!

“In any case,” the soldier-pony spoke yet again, “my making excuses for him and allowing him to get away with his escapes during the days won’t help him anymore…”

This new statement brought concern to the forefront of her mind as she focused completely on the other pony. “Wha’da’ ya’ mean ‘won’t help him anymore’?”

“You… don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, do you?” he questioned with an expression that spoke of his curiosity.

“What?” she returned, wanting a straight answer instead of vagueness.

“He’s going to become king,” Bursting Winds answered, thinking that had made it clear.

Although that was kind of big, Rainbow Dash had thought it was going to be something terrible. “Isn’t that a good thing?” she asked, not seeing the full picture.

“Well it would be if…” he let his words come to an abrupt end, unsure whether what he knew was best to say or not.

“If, what?” she insisted, getting irritated by his constant stopping.

“If he wasn’t getting married…” he finally dropped the bomb, waiting to see her reaction as the last word slipped from his lips.

Rainbow was suddenly stilled as her brain became locked upon that simple statement that had such a profound meaning.

For a moment, nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. Even the fountain stopped flowing water into its bowl.

Then, a drop hit the water, and Rainbow Dash shot up from her position and into the air above.

“HE’S GETTING MARRIED?!” she exclaimed with such intensity, to the extreme that Bursting Winds was nearly knocked onto his back and his hair disheveled, whilst remaining in flight with her rapidly flapping wings.

“Miss Dash,” he called to her, trying to calm her while shaking his mane to make it less messy, “I would advise you to come back to the ground and allow me to clarify.”

The rainbow-maned mare complied, but did not in the least change her outward attitude. She hadn’t the slightest clue why, but the thought of Light Speed, who she couldn’t help but think was the single greatest guy she had ever met, was getting married made her blood boil, and she wanted nothing more than to put a stop to the whole thing!

Considering how quick to physical action she was, Bursting Winds knew that he needed to make this as fast as possible. “Listen,” he grabbed her attention yet again as she stood on all four of her hooves whilst keeping her wings out, all the while with a look of restrained fury at the previous revelation, “he’s getting married, but he’s not happy.”

Rainbow seemed to calm down more as her face became more settled and so did her wings. “I’m listening,” she said with squinted lids around her hardened ruby-violet eyes.

“The pony he’s getting married to doesn’t even know him, nor he her,” the stallion replied.

Now there was something that didn’t settle well with Rainbow Dash. If they didn’t know one another, how could they love each other, or even like each other for that matter of fact.

“So why is Light Speed going through with it?” she asked, wanting to get to the nitty-gritty of this ridiculous situation.

“It’s arranged,” the brown pony answered with a sad frown.

“Arranged!” she repeated with a heated shout.

“Has been since shortly after his Uncle was named Lord-Regent,” he said with little change to his not-so-cheery tone, “As per the requirements of Sky Island law, the crown-prince must wed before he can take the throne.”

“But who is this mystery mare?” Rainbow asked with a touch of spite in her words, and a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, some noble’s daughter,” Bursting Winds stated with little more than a snicker in the middle of his sentence. “At any rate, there’s no way to change what’s going to happen. I just hope he’ll be happy after tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything. All she could think about was that she was stuck on some unknown land, with no way home, and now that she knows somepony absolutely awesome, and he became her friend too, she may not even get to spend time with him because somepony else is going to steal him away from her. The thought nearly made her see red.

“Well, it was nice talking to you, Miss Dash,” the soldier-pony stated to the unresponsive mare, “but I’ve got to get going. Still have to do my duty as a Captain of the Crimson Wings, after all. If you need any help with anything, just come back to the front gate and ask for me.”

The brown Pegasus proceeded to leave the small enclosed space between the hedgework, allowing Rainbow Dash to stew in her thoughts by herself for a moment.

She didn’t know what to do.

Here she was, without her friends, in a strange land, and totally flustered by something that she really shouldn’t be by.

Making a decision, the mare shot out from the garden area and flew away to just have a flight around Sky Island to clear her head and get familiar with her surroundings. It wouldn’t do her good to not know about where she was since she may be stuck there for a while, after all.

She hadn’t noticed that someone had watched her fly off into the sky above.

“Oh, Light Speed, my friend,” Bursting Winds murmured to himself as he witnessed the sky blue Pegasus speed into the distance, “I think somepony has a thing for you. Heh,” he chuckled a little, “and maybe you have a little thing for her, too.”

Chapter 7: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow - Part 2

Chapter 7: A Dash of Light Booms into a Rainbow – Part 2

Up in the clouds above Sky Island’s central pastures, a sky blue Pegasus was bucking her way through the fluffy accumulations of water vapor. Her wild, rainbow-colored mane ruffled in the wind as she flew through the great expanse, and the sunlight shimmered off of her and beamed down onto the ground below.

She was calmer now, but her conversation with a certain soldier-pony had not left her mind. In fact, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about Light Speed and how he was going to get married, and to somepony he probably didn’t even like.

“No, that’s not my problem,” she told herself for the thousandth time. And yet, it just felt wrong to her.

But that wasn’t the only thing that felt wrong to her.

A few hours beforehoof, right after she had left the castle grounds to cool off, Rainbow Dash chose to visit some of the villages nearby and get to know what the locals were like. To say that she was shocked would be like saying the Apples were into apple-bucking.

Not only did the ponies seem as though they were living in abject poverty, but they were downright some of the saddest ponies she had ever seen.

Furthermore, when she asked about their opinion of Light Speed, not a single pony could tell her a thing about him after his Uncle, the “Lord-Regent”, had made it nigh unto illegal to be anywhere near him.

Boy, the more she heard about that guy, the less she liked.

The more she saw, the more Rainbow Dash had a sense of déjà vu. It became so familiar to her, that she almost would have compared the condition of the village-ponies’ to that of the Crystal Ponies in Equestria when she and the rest of the girls first met them.

The one good thing that came out of her meeting these Sky Island natives was that she became something of an instant celebrity.

She had just been walking around when a little filly had stopped her and asked her if she was the one who made the rainbow they all saw. When Rainbow had confirmed it, ponies began to gather around her and ask her if she really was, to which she repeated her confirmation.

Soon enough, the ponies began spreading the word that she, Rainbow Dash, was the amazing pony who made the rainbow appear in an explosion and brought new life to the island.

She wasn’t sure what the big deal was, besides her being awesome, but she was glad to have brightened their day a bit. After all, they needed it.

She would have indulged herself in basking in their praises for a while, if she wasn’t intent on trying to resolve her personal inner-conflict.

Speaking of which, the mare wasn’t all too sure how she was supposed to go about dealing with this, especially considering she didn’t know why she was finding it so hard to just let this go.

Sure, Light Speed was her friend now, but there wasn’t much she could do for him.

Sure, he was the greatest stallion she had ever met, but he was just one guy.

Sure, she liked him- Wait, what?!

Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt in the air for a moment as she thought about what just ran through her head.

“You just met him today,” she pointed out to herself, “but he is the coolest stallion ever.”

“This isn’t your home, so you can’t stay to get to know him better,” she tried to argue against herself, “but you might be stuck here until who knows when.”

“He’s getting married!” she shouted to herself on the inside. “But he’s not yet, and he doesn’t want to be.”

It was starting to bug her how that still, small voice inside of her was making more sense than she wanted it to.

So frustrated by the argument that she had with herself, Rainbow decided that maybe a good nap on a cloud would calm her nerves and allow her to make a better decision later.

She laid her body upon the poofy white bundle and rested her head in a comfortable position before slowly closing her eyes.

However, rest and relaxation were not hers to have…

Her mind was just beginning to drift into a state of peace when her ears began to catch the telltale sounds of flapping feathery wings.

At first, she merely ignored them and did her best to focus on letting sleep claim her. But, the volume of the noise began to grow and it was nearing her.

Finally deciding that it may be best to see what was disturbing her attempt at some shut-eye, Rainbow Dash raised her head, but had yet to open her peepers.

“Alright,” she stated while rubbing her closed eyes, “what’s so important that I couldn’t at least start my nap?”

Opening her eyelids, she at last saw what kind of situation she was in: Surrounding her on all sides, there were stallions in suits of armor, whether the silver of the regular Pegasi soldiers or crimson of the venerable Crimson Wings that she had the pleasure of learning about. The only problem – they did not look happy seeing her.

“What’s the problem, fellas?” she asked, trying to maintain a façade of calmness with a smile, but inwardly anxious and preparing herself for a fight. Though her chances were slim, she was sure that, if she managed to throw them off with a few moves, she could give them the slip.

“Miss Rainbow Dash,” a crimson-armored pony with a deep voice said, “you are under arrest for suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping and disappearance of Prince Light Speed, heir to the throne.”

Everything, all previous thought of earlier conversation and her problems getting home, went to the back of her mind as the entirety of her focus went into two things: One, she was being arrested, and two, most importantly, Light Speed was missing!

“What?!” she shouted, accidentally causing the soldier-ponies to tense as she jumped up onto all fours on the cloud in-time with her reaction. “Wha’da’ ya’ mean-”

“Please, Miss Dash,” a familiar voice spoke out from behind the group.

Looking in the direction of the pony who said this, she caught sight of a brown-maned Pegasus of familiar shape, but with his headgear on and his goggles covering his eyes.

“We don’t want to cause you any harm,” he stated as he drew closer to her, “If you would just come with us, we can solve this debacle and find where the Prince is.”

She stared into his eyes, the best she could, as she listened to his words and knew he was right.

“Please,” he continued, only in a whisper this time, “for his sake.”

Those words struck home and she realized that he was just as desperate to find his friend, and she knew that the only way that this would be solved, without a ruckus, was to go along with them.

“Fine,” she submitted, carefully, and slowly, lifting herself off of the cloud.

Following their lead, she stayed in the middle of the group of ponies as they escorted her on to the castle.

True to his word, Bursting Winds didn’t allow any of the other ponies to do anything to her. However, that didn’t change the fact that the whole way to their destination she was getting the stink-eye from just about any and all ponies besides the Captain.

She didn’t know why, but something felt ominous about this whole thing, and Rainbow would have placed an Equestrian bit on the bet that she had been framed.

Unfortunately, once at the castle, the Captain was relieved of his services and forced to have to hoof her over to another officer, who was less than polite.

A bag was placed over her head as she was dragged from the nicer entry corridor of the palace into a danker, darker place.

Finally, she was thrown into a cell, where she was able to remove the itchy burlap sack while the barred door was shut closed behind her.

“What’s the big idea?!” she shouted at the dark-armored stallion in front of her confined space.

“Quiet,” he ordered in a manner that promised pain if she didn’t obey, “The Lord-Regent wishes to speak to you, and we can’t have a dangerous criminal walking about and doing whatever they want, now can we?”

Choosing to remain silent, the mare merely bore holes in the back of her captor’s head with her reddish-violet sights as he walked away, around a corner, leaving her to her own devices, such as they were.

Deciding that she needed to search for a possible escape route, or means to it, Rainbow Dash examined her cell and its surroundings.

Immediately, she noticed the disgusting state in which it was. Even she had a double-take about the condition, never mind Rarity.

It was dark, dirty, and the ground was covered with grime and some kind of puddles… oh, wait.

Sticking closer to the drier areas of the floor, she took a long eyeful of the box-shaped space and determined that there was no immediate opening such as a window or a large enough break between the bars that she could squeeze herself through. Furthermore, the walls were made of tightly-laid brick that had no cracks. There weren’t even any loose ones on close examination.

Nope. She was stuck. All she could hope for was that Light Speed was safe, and that went for her gal pals, too.

Thoughts ran through her head of Ponyville, and Equestria, and her friends. How she was yanked away from there, to here, where she was now being held captive for false pretenses. Everything turned out just fine that morning. She woke up, had an early morning flight around Ponyville, did some cloud busting, and then went to have that meeting with her closest friends. Yep, life had been good at that point.

But now, she was in a nasty cell, waiting for a judgment to be placed upon her for something she didn’t even do!

Then she thought of what her friends could possibly be going through. After all, they hadn’t been brought to this wondrous new place, so they had to have been taken to somewhere else.

The idea that they were in trouble worried her to no end. If anything, they could be in even more danger, especially Fluttershy! That shy little filly couldn’t buck her way out of a paper bag!

Then, the thought of her friends being in danger made her think of her newest friend – Light Speed.

What could have possibly happened to him? There was no way that he was kidnapped. It just didn’t make any sense, no matter which way you looked at it.

She knew this – she would not stop until she was out of that cell, and then she would find Light Speed and make sure he’s okay. Then, she’d find a way to save the rest of her friends and go home to Ponyville! That, she was determined to do!

The creaking sound of a rusty jointed door interrupted her thoughts from progressing and the tapping of hooves in the distance brought her focus back to the outside of the cell.

Out stepped, from around the corner, a tall stallion with a well-kept mane and a short beard on his muzzle that were silver in color, and upon his face was a pair of steel-grey eyes that looked on with a mixture of sadness and something that seemed hidden beneath a mask of emotion. His body was a dark grey in of itself with a pair of wings protruding from openings in the sides of his attire, which was that of a suit of fine-make that was adorned by medals on the chest and trimmings of silver lining the black of its main parts.

He did not speak as he stopped moving to stare at her for a moment.

If she looked closely, Rainbow Dash could have pledged a Pinkie Promise that she had saw a smile on his face for just a split-second, before his features returned to that of desperation.

“This is her, your grace,” an armored pony stated as he walked up beside the grey one.

“Thank you, officer. I can take it from here,” the tall stallion stated in reply, without budging from his position.

“As you wish, milord,” the soldier-pony complied with a bow of the head and then turning away to leave.

Neither Rainbow Dash nor the pony before her moved a muscle as the unsettling sounds of the guard leaving clopped and resounded through the eerie hold of the prison.

Then, as soon as the telltale sounds of the door closing came to life, the bearded Pegasus began drawing closer to her cell as his facial expression shifted from despaired to maddeningly gleeful.

“Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha!” he burst into a series of laughter that sounded wrong in combination with his previous kindhearted, grandfatherly tone. “Do you know how easy you made this for me?” he questioned the rainbow-maned pony with a grin upon his face that portrayed nothing more than a sick kind of pleasure at her circumstances.

“Wha’da’ ya’ mean, easy?!” she shouted in defiance, staring back at him as though he were a madpony.

“Oh, please,” he rebutted with a roll of his eyes as he proceeded to turn and pace in front of the barred entryway of her space. “You show up out of nowhere, and then make ‘friends’,” the stallion said with a taunting tone of voice, “with my nephew.”

That last part caught Rainbow Dash real good.

“You’re Light Speed’s Uncle?!” she declared, finding it increasingly annoying that she was kept back from knocking the stuffing out of this crazy excuse for a legal guardian of one of her friends.

“Quite,” he answered in that snob manner of speaking that he had with his naturally eloquent voice in conjunction with that continued way of sounding like a kook. “In fact, you could say that I’m so much more now.”

“What kind of crazy talk are you saying now?!” she voiced her opinion with a flapping of her wings and zooming up to and clattering her hooves against the bars. She really didn’t like this guy.

“Why,” the silver-maned Pegasus stated with amusement ever-present in his speech and not a touch of worry from her attempt at retaliation, “it is thanks to you that he is no longer in the way, and I can claim the throne for myself.”

The gleam in his eyes spoke volumes of how truly insane he was, and that he had far from good intentions in store for the kingdom.

“I know that you’re the one who’s really responsible for whatever happened to Light Speed!” she shouted, not giving up on trying to stop him while she could, yet finding it impossible to do so.

“Oh, but can you prove it?” he asked with a dark chuckle at the end of his question. “Tata, and farewell, Miss Rainbow Dash. Maybe I’ll get to see you before it’s finally time for your execution… or not.”

The tall Pegasus turned his tail to her as he left with a final bone-chilling cackle that echoed throughout the prison for a few moments. Then, there was only silence.

She was in a bind, she knew it.

That madpony, who was supposedly Light Speed’s Uncle and the current leader of this kingdom, was behind something, and the Prince’s disappearance was part of it, she could feel it. But how was she supposed to prove it, especially since she was trapped and had no foreseeable way of busting out.

She was beginning to think that maybe there was no way that she would be able to escape… that maybe this was the end.

But then, the thought of her friends entered her mind and she knew they wouldn’t want her to give in, to just give up. None of the girls would stop trying if it meant saving her, so why should she?

The reminder that there wasn’t any kind of opening for her to take advantage of or any possible means by which that she could make her get-away came back to her, and she began to surrender to that state of mind that had only moments ago seemed so far away.

Then, Rainbow Dash remembered that one pony needed her, that Light Speed was in danger, and that she needed to find him and help rescue him from whatever his “Uncle” may have done to him.

“No,” she stated aloud, standing with head held high and eyes burning with determination, “I will save you, Light Speed.”

In that moment, she thought it was her imagination going along with her newfound strength, but realized that the light shining from behind her, that was slowly growing brighter, was actually real.

Bending her neck and body around, the sky blue mare witnessed, with ever-greater hope in her heart, as a section of the brick wall of her cell was slowly inching forward from where it had been and swinging open like a heavy door on rusty hinges.

“Whoa,” she breathed out as she came to the realization that this was actually happening, and not just a figment of her imagination come to play tricks on her.

She edged closer, making sure to avoid the… spots on the floor, as the section of wall came to a stop, allowing her to see into a tunnel-like hall with a torch latched onto its rocky sides.

“Okay, mysterious door opens and leads you into a tunnel that goes to,” she paused for a moment to stare down and realized that there was a faint light in the distance of the dark space, “the unknown. Be careful, Rainbow Dash. Remember. What would Daring Do do in these types of situations?” she hyped herself up with a little talk of her favorite hero.

Taking one step at a time, the mare entered into the dark corridor, wondering what kinds of things she would find. All she could say was that she would find her way out and rescue Light Speed. Then, they would go stop the “Lord-Regent” from his nefarious plans, whatever they may be.

Her reddish-violet eyes grew as the light did and the flash caused her sight to be fuzzy until she recovered, but she kept moving, trying her best to see through the unclear imagery.

Stopping in her tracks, she proceeded to rub her face with a hoof to try to clear the obstruction to her vision. Having sated her need to ease herself of the frustrating blur in her sight, Rainbow lowered her limb… only to have a major shock at what was before her.

She was standing on a ledge at the end of the tunnel that towered over an expansive chamber of paths and twists and turns that was all built into a cavern, with an opening at the bottom that allowed light to be let in, to an extent.

It was huge!

While she was gawking at the immense opening, she finally caught something that drew her out of her appreciation of the carved-out infrastructure: There was a set of cage-like prison cells of barred walls and doors lined along a wide section of rock that more than likely served as a type of walkway. But, most importantly, inside of one of those entrapments, strapped into the back with chains, was the slumped form of a golden-orange stallion, his sunbeam yellow mane and tail unkempt as his horn poked out of the strands, and his wings were drooped down across the ground, collecting dust and dirt in their feathers.

Rainbow Dash knew exactly who she was looking upon and couldn’t help the gasp at the sight of the Alicorn’s condition.

“Light Speed!” she called out to him as she spread her wings and bolted below to the platform, landing a few hoofsteps in front of the Prince’s designated place of enclosure.

There was no reaction of any kind from the prone figure inside of the bars as she focused upon catching even the slightest twitch.

“Light Speed, can you hear me?” she asked of him, her face one of worry for the pony who had become one of the closest friends she had, within less than a day’s time.

She stayed still for a moment, hoping that he would stir and awake to the sound of her voice.

Thankfully, this time, there was a change.

A groan sounded from the downed Prince as his head shifted about from side to side before lifting up a smidgen and then moved as one with his body as he lifted himself to standing on all fours.

“Rainbow… Dash?” he murmured as he motioned his cranium from one way to the other to get his mane out of his eyes, and drew his wings back to his sides.

“It’s me, Light Speed,” she answered with a weak smile as she watched him recollect himself.

“What… happened… to me?” he asked, steadily raising his voice as his bright diamond blue eyes swayed back and forth for a few seconds from beneath his separating locks of hair.

“I don’t know,” she stated honestly, gazing at the stallion with a great deal of care and appreciation that he was safe.

“Wait,” he said in a low tone, raising his head more as he attempted to stand straight, only to be kept low to the ground by his bindings, “I remember… arguing with my Uncle about tomorrow…” he suddenly stopped as he looked to the mare, realizing that she may have not known.

“About the wedding,” she stated for the disoriented stallion, expressing her words with a touch of bile and dislike.

“Yes,” Light Speed confirmed, “how did you know?”

“Bursting Winds told me,” she replied, not wanting to say anymore about the less than desirable subject.

“I can always count on him, can’t I?” the Alicorn said with a new relief in his voice. Then, he reset his focus upon the pony in front of him as his face became one of confusion. “Afterwards, I went to my room, contemplating on how to get out of the arrangement.”

The thought that the Prince was willingly going against the marriage was both inspiring to Rainbow Dash and brought a smile to her muzzle, though she wouldn’t openly make known her reasons for the sudden joviality. Even she wasn’t entirely sure of it herself.

“I was in the midst of preparing my escape plan,” he elaborated, before placing his sight upon the mare and staring at her with doubt, which caused an uncomfortable worry to stir in her, “when you knocked on my door.”

“Wait,” Rainbow said, unsure if she heard him right, “me?”

“Yes,” he responded, certainty claiming its place in his tone, “You asked for entry, and I gladly allowed you to do so.”

This didn’t make any sense to the rainbow-maned Pegasus. She knew for a fact that she wasn’t anywhere near him after her talk with the Captain outside of the castle. So what in the hoof was going on?!

“That can’t be possible!” she shouted.

Her reply brought newfound perplexity to the stallion’s features as he realized how absolute she sounded of herself.

“Are you sure?” he requested, seeking to know if she was telling the truth or not.

“I’m positive,” she declared as she remained standing at her spot, “I couldn’t have been there!”

“So where were you?”

“After you left,” the Pegasus stated, “I had a talk with your friend, Bursting Winds, outside of the castle, and then went flying for a few hours.”

That revelation caused a new expression of surprise and shock to slip itself onto the Prince’s face as he heard her speak with confidence and with no hinting of dishonesty.

“But enough about me,” she said, with no lack of realization at the irony of her own statement, “what happened to you?”

“Well,” he voiced his continuance, “you and I began to talk about things, like…” he hesitated.

“Like what?” she questioned, wanting answers for this mysterious lookalike.

“It was strange, really,” the Alicorn clarified, “You wanted to hear about everything we did and talked about earlier this morning, like the tricks we pulled off.”

“And you didn’t wonder why whoever that was did that?” she asked, somewhat disappointed in his lack of distinguishing her from an impostor.

“It did seem strange to me at the time,” he stated, lowering his neck to allow his hoof access to rub a specific point on the back of his head, “but I didn’t want to be rude to one of the only friends I had.”

It wasn’t lost to Rainbow that he included that last word with some emphasis. “So, what happened next?” she attempted to try to get to the heart of the problem of the implication of his words.

“I started to become suspicious of… her intent for trying to learn more about our conversation,” the Prince continued with his recounting, “but when I went to question her, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, and everything went black, and that’s all I remember.”

A new hope arose in Rainbow Dash as she heard him carefully reword his statements in a way that sounded as though he were at least trying to believe her.

“That explains your sudden disappearance,” she spoke aloud, making sure that he didn’t miss what she had said, “and why I was arrested for supposedly ponynapping you.”

“Wait, what?” Light Speed blurted as he focused solely upon her, concern for her well-being coming to life in his bright blue eyes.

“Yeah, you see,” she began to explain, “While I was taking my flight, I was arrested for allegedly being involved in your disappearance. So, they took me in without a fight, thanks to Bursting Winds promising that I would be safe.”

She could tell his complete attention was upon her as he didn’t budge his head away from facing her, and it strangely made her really happy inside, if not for the circumstances.

“However,” she noted, making sure to include a touch of pained anger at the memory, “they took me out of his custody in a hurry and then brought me into a room in the castle, where they put a bag over my head and dragged me down a load of stairs into a dark, nasty place.”

The Prince’s features suddenly adopted a state of realization at her words, but retained his previous concern for the mare. “You mean they took you to the lower dungeons?” he questioned with a mixture of shock and bewilderment.

“I don’t know,” she replied honestly, “All I saw was that it was dark, disgusting, and there was no way out.”

“That can’t be,” he stated with the same level of surprise as before, “Those cells haven’t seen service since my father became king, and there haven’t been any ponies placed into them for years, even before then.”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said in a fashion that spoke of a disturbed assurance of her words, “It sure looked like it had been used recently, if you catch my drift.”

“Did they do anything to you?” he asked, his tone becoming darker and promising retribution if she said yes.

“Not really,” she answered, allowing him to calm himself before continuing, “But I did have the weirdest first encounter with your Uncle.”

“What do you mean?” the golden-orange pony inquired.

“Let’s just say,” she began, thinking of how to put it lightly, “he’s nuttier than a fruitcake made during Hearthswarming Eve, and kookier than Discord when he first caused my friends and I to be the exact opposite of our true selves.”

“Huh?” the Alicorn queried, completely lost.

“Sorry,” she deadpanned, “Just know that your ‘Uncle’ is a complete maniac.”

“Could you please explain as to why that is?” he asked politely, keeping himself as comfortable as possible in the midst of his chained position on the dirt floor.

“Well, if you really want to know,” the mare commented, taking in a breath so that she could speak without difficulty, “He came in all ‘nice and friendly’-like-”

“Sounds like my Uncle,” Light Speed confirmed her statement.

“-and then, when the guard was gone, he busted out into a laughing fit like some kind of mad genius,” she continued her retelling of the experience, unaffected by the intrusion of verbal inclusion, “and he rambled on about how I had done him a favor by getting rid of you.”

She was getting so agitated by the remembrance that her wings came undone from their resting place along her sides and she began lifting herself in the air, almost wanting to try at putting the hurt on that lunatic again.

“Rainbow Dash,” he called out to her in a soothing voice.

This proved to do the trick as she touched back down on the ground and sucked in a snort of air.

“Sorry,” she apologized, having gotten her heart rate down a notch.

“It’s okay,” the stallion assured.

His words brought a peace to her heart unlike any she had ever experienced before, and she couldn’t help but wonder why that was.

“However,” he voiced, “that doesn’t sound anything like my Uncle.”

“Well he’s the one who told me he was,” she responded, trying to convey her certainty of what she experienced.

“Could you describe him to me?” the Prince requested of her.

“He’s tall, got a beard that matches his silver mane and tail, and is grey,” she recited, not missing a beat as she spoke.

“That… definitely sounds like him,” the Alicorn conceded, suddenly finding it harder to doubt her word, but still unsure of what to say.

“And you know what?” Rainbow said, catching his attention yet again, “He said that with you out of the way, he was going to take the throne!”

Not a peep came forth from Light Speed as he was shaken by the implications of what she was telling him.

“Light Speed?” she called his name, trying to get him to respond instead of being as still as a statue. It was starting to worry her as she didn’t get anything back from him for nearly half a minute.

“Rainbow Dash,” he murmured out in a low tone, his mane shadowing his face.

“What did I tell you about my friends?” she suddenly said in response with a mischievous grin.

His muzzle grew a smile as his beaming features upturned to be directed at her. “Rainbow.”

“Yeah,” she returned readily, absolutely pleased that he replied with the desired sentiment.

“We need to get out of here so that we can find my Uncle and see what exactly is going on,” he stated, becoming more serious as he explained his intention and plan.

“And I’ll be right there with you!” the mare declared.

“Thank you so much, Rainbow,” the shiny-haired stallion stated with cheer in his statement as he looked with warmth in those glistening crystal blue eyes of his, “You have no idea how much it means for me to hear you say that.”

“Anytime, Light,” she shorthooved an answer to him, doing her best to hide the glee she had for his happily-spoken possible heart-to-heart to her, “Now let me find a key to this lock and then we can bust you out.”

“Wait, maybe I can use my magic,” he told her before she could run off.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” she mentally berated herself as she skidded midway through moving to gallop off.

Turning to witness the Alicorn do his thing, Rainbow Dash merely watched as he slowly shifted from squinting his eyes to contorting his face in frustration, but with not even a sparkle or a beam from his horn to show for it.

“What happened?” she asked as he stopped and panted for a few seconds.

“I don’t know,” he responded, trying yet again and once again failing. “It’s like every time I focus on doing something with my horn or wings, something keeps getting in the way.”

The rainbow-maned Pegasus examined his cell for a moment, and came to the realization of a detail that she should have noticed from the get-go.

“What if it’s your shackles? I mean, what else could they have put those onto you for besides keeping you here? They would have had to do something to keep you from using your magic,” she stated the conclusion of her theory with a mouthful of words.

The Prince gazed at the metal bindings for a moment before concentrating on his magic again. Once he was done, he returned his sight to the mare.

“You must be right,” he agreed, not thinking of the fact that she wasn’t fazed in the least at his attempt to use something like magic when she shouldn’t even know about it in the first place.

“Don’t worry,” she said to him as she, yet again, moved her body to be able to go in a separate direction to find the object that they sought, “I’ll find the key, and get you out of there in no time.”

“Right,” he voiced with a bob of the head as she began searching the cavern, with her eyes taking in every detail.

With no more than a few seconds, she found something shining off to beside the distant end of the platform, next to the last of the barred cells.

“I think I found it!” she shouted as she burst forth with a surge of her wings.

“That’s great!” was the reply of the Alicorn.

In the shadows of the rocky wall, Rainbow found a key of irregular shape dangling from a hook that was embedded into the earthy siding, and knew that it had to be it.

“I got it!” she called out to him, before retrieving the metal tool with her mouth.

But, as she started to make her return trip to Light Speed, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Changing course, she returned to the door of the last cell that she had previously noted, the one nearest to the key.

At first, she didn’t see much in the darkness… and then, slowly, the image of what was before her began to form inside of her head.

She gasped, realizing the implications of this. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined something like this, and she wasn’t entirely sure how it was possible.

“Hey,” she heard the distant call of her entrapped friend, “what’s the holdup?”

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash mumbled lightly as her brain caught up with her mouth. “I… may have found something…”

“What’s the problem?” the stallion asked in reply, concerned by the distress he heard in her tone.

“How ‘bout I just show you once I get you out, okay?” she said more than requested as she more gingerly flew over to the Prince’s cell.

While the mare was busy unlocking the door and then the cuffs with the key, Light Speed saw a sense of shock and confusion in her eyes, one that put him on edge.

“Rainbow,” he pronounced her name, earning her attention right before she unlocked the last of the bindings that held one of his legs, “are you okay?”

Touched by his continued consideration for her, the Pegasus felt more at ease. Yet, it did not take away from what she felt.

“I’m more worried about you, Light,” she stated before using the piece to unshackle his limb.

The comment she made brought a new sense of urgency to the Alicorn as he wondered what she could possibly mean.

“Thanks again, Rainbow,” he made his gratitude known to her as he lifted himself completely off of the ground, stretching his legs and wings.

“Hey, you’re a friend of mine,” the rainbow-maned, sky blue mare stated proudly, “and Rainbow Dash always helps her friends. Always.”

“You really are incredible, you know that,” he stated right as his horn began to shine with its brilliant bright-as-the-sun yellow-white magic.

His compliment melted her heart and nearly repeated the impossible of bringing a tinge of pink to her cheeks as Rainbow Dash did her best to prevent it from coming to pass while keeping a smile plastered onto her face.

Then, before her very eyes, she watched as his hair, drooping and hanging all around in a mess, was taken and collected by the Prince’s dazzling magical energies into their appropriate places for either of his mane and tail. Suddenly, both of the recently corrected assortments of sunbeam yellow strands were whipped, turned, and twisted as they were redone in the braids that Rainbow had seen a few hours before. Finally, in quick succession, the braided bundles’ ends were tied in knots as an impromptu way of completing the hairdos.

“There,” the Alicorn stallion said with a great deal of relief in his voice at the accomplishment of refitting his hair, “much better.”

Although she usually would have found such a display to be somewhat pointless, Rainbow couldn’t help but… admire this guy’s innovative and uniquely practical fashion. In fact, she thought it was really cool.

“So,” he continued to speak, “what about that thing you wanted to show me?”

There was nothing said from the mare as she was somewhere wondering how much more awesome Light Speed could get. How she admired him for so much already. How she wondered if-

“Uh, Rainbow,” he interrupted her thought process as he waved a hoof in front of her face.

Breaking out of her daydream, the Pegasus realized that she was staring into space and suddenly noticed that the Prince was looking rather worriedly at her… within a very short space.

“Uh-hehe,” she chuckled with a touch of embarrassment in her voice while backing up ever so slightly to allow for more room between them both. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“You had something to show that had bothered you, remember?” he asked with a touch of his previous concern lining his words.

Remembering the… sobering sight that had caught her attention earlier, the mare became more sullen in appearance before shifting her pained eyes to Light Speed.

“Come on,” she replied, circling about to make her way out of the cell, “I don’t know what to say… but you need to see this.”

The sudden urgency and worry once again set off an alarm in the Alicorn as he trotted behind the other pony.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was just trying to figure out how it was possible what she saw could be if she had only seen the guy alive and well moments ago… well alive, at least.

Finally, she stopped outside of the last barred cell and aimed a hoof at it.

“There,” she said with a barely raised voice.

Taking her advice, Light Speed stepped up to the bars and peeked inside to the darkness.

Deciding that he didn’t want anything hindering his sight, the stallion lit his horn with its bright magic and the space was enlightened without any darkness to prevent his seeing whatever was beyond.

Within an instant, his eyes locked onto the thing in the back, the image burning into his skull and his mind immediately knowing what he was seeing.

There, cuffed into metallic bonds, much like he was, were the skeletal remains of a pony, a stallion, no doubt.

However, it was the attire upon the remains that truly startled and confused him, as they were a dark suit with silver lining and several medals were set into the chest area.

“It… it can’t be…” he murmured, his breathing becoming ragged as he stared at the sight even longer without saying anymore for a few moments.

Rainbow merely stood to the side, making sure to step in whenever she may need to.

“But… I was just talking to him a short while ago,” he stated, beginning to doubt everything he knew beforehoof, “There’s no way.”

When she heard this, the mare was preparing to intervene, just as her eyes caught the sight of an edge of a slip of folded paper in a pocket of the suit of the… body inside of the cell.

“What’s that, a note?” she said aloud, hoping that the Prince would catch it himself.

And catch it, he did.

Coming out of his near-panicky mode, Light Speed spotted the item of interest and easily sent a jolt of magic out to retrieve it.

Steadily, the paper slipped from the pocket of the jacket, and floated out through the cracks in-between the bars, ceasing its flight in front of the two ponies.

The Alicorn peeked at Rainbow Dash for a moment, and she returned his glance with her own.

Nodding his head, he returned his eyesight to the folded object and carefully undid it.

Correcting it, the Prince began reading it silently.

The rainbow-maned Pegasus stood by and watched as his expressions shifted from shock to anger to outright fury and then sadness with a teardrop running down and off of his face to splash against the ground.

“What’s wrong, Light Speed?” she questioned him, seeking to have him share whatever may have caused such a series of rapidly alternating emotions and then to comfort him the best that she could.

“This letter,” he panted, his voice slightly sounding like a growl, before turning his sight to the mare, “is the last written word that was intended for me from my real Uncle.”

“What?!” she shouted, coming to full attention at the new news that she just received.

“Here,” he stated strongly, presenting the slip of paper to her before bringing it between them both, “Let me read it to you.”

“Dear Light Speed,” the Alicorn recited the words of the paper as he did his best not to crack up, “I hope this letter reaches you. If it doesn’t, then I have failed.”

Rainbow could tell he was struggling as his words were spoken through gritted teeth. She also took note of the messy shape of the ink-writing on the note, meaning it was probably written in a hurry.

“It is with great concern that I write this to you, in hopes that you will be able to succeed where I have not, for this kingdom as well as yourself.”

The Prince took a pause as he breathed in a deep, refreshing amount of air and bit back his tears as they threatened to gush forth.

It broke Rainbow’s heart to see him enduring such pain like he was, but she knew he had to do it. Whatever was in this letter was important.

“It has come to my attention that the great storm that claimed my brother and your mother was not natural, but rather fabricated through magical means.”

The thought that such a thing was possible was nearly heart-stopping for Rainbow Dash. She could only think of a few who could pull it off, and none of them came to mind in consideration to where she was currently at.

“I am writing to you, right now, from within the captivity of someone, I know not who though, who is going to impersonate me, and I know not how. I can only imagine it’s some other type of magic that we have never heard nor thought of before.”

Now that she heard this, Rainbow Dash realized how it only made sense. There was no way that screwball, Mane-iac wannabe could have actually been Light Speed’s Uncle. The Prince was too awesome to be related to someone like that!

“I fear it may be too late for this, but I hope that you will come to know the truth and will stop this impostor before he brings ruin to all of Sky Island. I’m sorry for this, Light Speed. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you were younger, and that I wasn’t a good Uncle to you. That I didn’t spend more time with you, to get to know you, and that you never got to know your late Aunt either.”

New tears bubbled and dripped from the Alicorn’s face as he read those lines with a bittersweet smile.

“Now that’s an Uncle worth being recognized as family,” Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she witnessed the teary scene.

“But now, all of the hope of Sky Island, its people, your mother and father, and myself, lie in your hooves. It is now your responsibility. My Prince. My King. Farewell, Light Speed.

“Your Uncle, Real Steel, Duke of the Kingdom of Sky Island.”

The brightly-maned stallion ceased the reading as he finished, choking up slightly as he allowed the flow of salty water droplets to come forth without hindrance, leaving the note to drop to the ground.

“Light Speed,” he heard his friend say his name.

Shifting his head to where he could see her clearly, the Prince saw a trail of recently cried tears having run down the contours of the mare’s face from her ruby-violet orbs.

“Are you okay?” she asked, uncharacteristically wavering with her voice slightly as she stared into his dulled diamond irises.

Smiling with as much lightheartedness as he could, the stallion used a hoof to wipe away the moisture on her cheeks before repeating the process with his own.

“I will be,” he said with such confidence in his voice that Rainbow Dash knew that if she wasn’t blushing before, she was now.

“After,” he continued, his tone shifting from pleasant to cold fury, “we deal with… him.”

A shiver went down the Pegasus’s spine at the sudden drop of temperature, or maybe it was the awesome way in which he put his statement. She couldn’t tell.

But, as she looked into his usually warm, bright crystal blue eyes, she could only see an icy image of thousands of sharp, jagged edges aimed at the ceiling above, and with it there was a promise of swift justice and retribution to be had.

It kind of worried her… and also sent another chill down her vertebrae, and goosebumps came with it.

“Now,” he voiced his cool tone yet again, but with a hint of warmth towards his comrade, “how to get out?”

“We could try scouting the rest of this cavern,” Rainbow Dash gave her opinion, trying to think of both a quick yet safe way of locating an exit.

She had learned one too many times from her own experiences not to consider not being careful.

And yet, she clearly had not caught his attention with that thought as she realized he was aiming his sights at the opening in the bottom of the cave where the trace amounts of light shined through.

“How about down there?” he stated, pointing a hoof in the direction of the hole.

“Uh… I don’t know if that’s safe,” she replied, yet again, reminding herself of the irony of her own words.

“We’ll never know if we don’t try,” the Alicorn commented whilst shooting into the air in his own special way, with a trail of magical light behind him, “and we can’t wait all day.”

Not wanting to be left behind, Rainbow Dash quickly hurried behind him with her rainbow of colors following closely after her.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked, remembering her time at the Wonderbolts Academy with a certain Pegasus who liked to treat her fellow ponies as expendable.

“Of course,” the Prince answered, shining his horn lightly, “I’ve got magic, remember?”

“Oh, yeah… that,” the mare mentally facehooved herself, again, as she looked to the stallion without a word.

“Just stay behind me, and I’ll make sure that we get out just fine,” he told her with a smile flashed at her.

That’s it.

She knew she could trust Light Speed. He was just that awesome! She would never doubt him again!

“Right, Light,” she responded with a grin on her muzzle and a new boldness as she got into position above him.

“Here we go!” he announced as he shot downward, shining his horn as he descended to the opening below, with Rainbow Dash in tow.

Soon enough, they were twisting and bounding around a series of sharply-cut rocks in a near-straight shot at an angle through a tunnel of some kind, with the Prince occasionally blasting or shifting a piece of earth just in the nick of time to clear the way.

Never before had the rainbow-maned mare felt such adrenaline, such excitement, not even when she first earned her cutie mark, nor any other time since. No, this was truly amazing.

Then, within moments, the two ponies caught sight of a bright white exit ahead and knew what they had to do.

Putting the pedal to the metal, the duo shot out and stopped in an instant, side by side, as they waited for their senses to recover from the overload of light.

“You okay?” the Alicorn called to her first, still not yet ready to open his eyes.

“Yeah. Just give me a minute,” she said to him as she rubbed her closed peepers with her front hooves.

Having fully regained his capacities, the golden stallion parted his eyelids… and gawked at the sight before him.

“Rainbow,” he called her name, “you’ve got to see this.”

“What?” she questioned… right before having at last opened her own lids to see something truly wondrous.

There were clouds everywhere, but not the normal white ones. Oh no. These were glistening golden clouds that were huge! Not only that, but, as she shifted her sight around, she could see that there were a few openings that allowed anypony to peer down into the deep blue of the oceans below, and above, she saw the very body of the island itself, being carried by those great behemoths of yellow vapor accumulation!

“The legends were true,” she heard the Prince breathe with wonder.

She merely stared back to him as the Prince was lost in the beauty of the natural phenomenon that far surpassed the norm.

“It is written,” he stated, almost as if narrating a tale, “that our ancestors, when they first came to this island, saw that it was floating atop an assembly of never-dispersing clouds that continuously traveled above the seas that were encircled by a multitude of continents.”

This account summed up Rainbow Dash’s thoughts with one conclusion: Epic!

“But that’s a thought for another time,” he stated, changing his attitude from admiration to that of his previous demeanor, “We’ve got a deceiver to expose and to defeat.”

“Oh yeah!” she agreed boisterously, pumping a hoof in the air at the prospect of finally taking care of that no-good what’s his face.

“This way!” the Prince declared as he shot to the side, heading straight for some clouds.

Instead of questioning his course of action, Rainbow became lost in the moment and followed his lead.

But, as they were bracing themselves to break right through the fluffy obstruction that was serving as an obstacle, it seemed as if the clouds themselves opened up passages for them to race through without worrying for any kind of prevention or struggle. At least, for now…

After what seemed to be hours, and was actually only ten or so minutes, the pair of ponies zoomed out into the open expanse of sky that paralleled the sea below and permitted a view of the side of the mass of earth that was floating on the cloud collective.

“There it is,” the Prince said with a touch of awe to his voice as the sun shined off the back of his mane from the horizon, “the home of my ancestors, the Kingdom I am responsible for, and the land that the ponies I must protect live upon.”

Rainbow Dash listened with great respect as the Alicorn took in the sight of the island from this view, one which those of Sky Island hadn’t looked upon for centuries, from the sounds of it. It brought great happiness to her to see him crack a smile at the lush green covered mass at that moment.

“Well,” he finally stated after a few seconds of soaking it in, “shall we?”

Nodding in return, the mare retook her place to just next to him as they speeded off to the edge that bordered the island and then soared above it, and had the pleasure of watching as the heights of a wall were left in their dust as they bounded over the tallest of buildings of one of the cities at the corners of the grand kingdom.

Ponies of every shape, size, and walk of life witnessed with wide-eyed disbelief as the two figures of high-flying daring out-flew the guards as they chased after them, not paying attention to the trails of yellow-white light and rainbow that they left in their wake.

With reckless abandon, the sky blue mare and golden-orange stallion bolted across the skyline, seeking their goal of the castle and no less.

They would not be kept from their destination, and their mission of righting a wrong of massive proportions, especially the Prince, who was anticipating the near future and sought nothing less than complete and total recompense.

Try as they might, none of the soldier-ponies of Sky Island could stop them, and a few had stopped and realized who they were pursuing, and had, instead, sought to see what was to come of the unforeseen, and utterly shocking, twist in fate.

Finally, after tirelessly working to push themselves beyond their limits, sending waves of air in bursts as they cut through the skies, they were on the precipice of achieving their anxiously awaited hope.

Ahead of them was the large structure that was the castle, with its high-rising walls and spiny sides… and the entirety of its garrison at alert and apparently in position to prevent intruders.

“Rainbow!” Light Speed shouted over the wind to his compatriot, who was quick to listen. “Follow my lead, no matter what!”

With her compliance, the Alicorn led them both down to the ground, where they landed softly and they both began to walk up to the front gate.

“Open up!” the guy of the pairing shouted as he approached the giant dual door.

“Who goes there?” a pony questioned from the top.

“It is your Prince, Light Speed, heir to the throne of Sky Island,” he replied with an authoritative tone.

Rainbow Dash was starting to wonder if she’d ever tire from the excitement that she felt whenever she heard or saw him acting like this. Hey, she couldn’t help it. He was just being so awesome!

Then, the gate split apart and more than a few dozen soldier-ponies poured out and surrounded the two, causing the mare to fall into a defensive stance, but to quickly relax as she looked to see her friend remaining calm and unaffected.

One of the ponies in crimson armor came closer and then kneeled before the Prince.

Almost immediately, every one of the other guards followed suit as they kneeled a leg to him.

“Your highness,” the Crimson Wing stated with his head kept low, “Pardon our not recognizing you, but we have heard of your disappearance and assumed that you could not have returned to us.”

“At ease, soldier. As for my disappearance, it was,” Light Speed repeated, pausing for a breath before resuming, “highly exaggerated.”

“Were you not kidnapped?” the same stallion asked, raising his head.

“I was,” the Prince answered, causing the soldier-ponies to tense ever-so slightly, “but not by whom you would have thought.”

“Oh?” another of the guards voiced.

“Indeed,” Light Speed stated with surety, “Now, if you would step aside, I and my guest must have a word with the Lord-Regent.”

“But, your highness,” a pony spoke out from the midst of the number, “the Lord-Regent-”

“I don’t care if the ‘Lord-Regent’ banned Casual Fridays for all enlisted soldiers in the Sky Island Army,” the Alicorn cut in, with a flash of his horn, “We are going to talk to him.”

Nopony else said a word as Light Speed and Rainbow Dash, who was seriously finding herself pleased at the Prince’s ‘take charge’ attitude, trotted into the courtyard with determination burning in their hearts and seeping from their very beings.

Everypony in their path merely stepped to the side as the duo marched on.

With his horn alight, the Prince sent the doors of the castle swinging inward, causing them to make a loud crash that echoed through the entry hall.

Although this moment was even more intense, Rainbow finally noticed what it was like inside of this place.

The walls were polished to a shimmering finish, with the worksponyship being top-notch, and the glistening floors were complimented with red carpets that stretched from one end of the space to the smaller double doors that went elsewhere. If it wasn’t for the over-excessive military feel to it all, she was sure that Rarity would simply adore this place.

“Where’s my Uncle?!” Light Speed shouted out, bringing the activity of the ponies who were working to a complete standstill as they stared at him and wondered why he included such anger in his statement.

Only a few seconds later, the doors at the other end parted open to reveal the one who the two were seeking, the impostor who claimed to be Real Steel, at the head of a number of soldier-ponies who all began to work their way into the room. One of them was even the brown-headed Captain Bursting Winds, who was completely at a loss of words at the sight of both the Prince and the mysterious mare having reappeared in such a manner.

“Nephew,” the pony who was allegedly Light Speed’s Uncle said with a sweet tone that oozed with his falsehoods as he began to move in the pair’s direction, “I have been so-”

“Don’t you dare say another word, you filthy impostor!” the Alicorn shouted, bringing the faker to a halt with his words and earning a gasp of shock and surprise from the gathered onlookers, both inside the building and out in the courtyard.

“Nephew, I-” he attempted again, doing his absolute best to keep up the façade.

“That’s enough!” the younger pony declared again, taking a few hoofsteps forward with wings spread at his sides and head posed to charge. “You can drop the act! I know, so there’s no need for you to keep pretending!”

Rainbow Dash stayed near his side as he drew a few more hoofsteps beyond the doorway’s border before coming to a stop.

“Oh,” the silver-maned Pegasus-lookalike stated, seeming slightly amused, “Whatever could you mean, my boy?”

“You aren’t my real Uncle, the Duke of Sky Island, Real Steel!” the Prince shouted out, making sure that he was well-heard by all nearby ponies.

Gasps proceeded to follow his proclamation, and murmuring and whispering amongst the majority of the watching crowds spread through their ranks in quick order.

“That is quite the accusation, young colt,” the bearded figure said with a cheeky grin.

“Ah, I’ve had enough!” Rainbow Dash barked as she jumped up from the floor and zoomed towards the singularly grey Pegasus.

“Wait, Rainbow Dash!” Light Speed declared, speaking out a little too soon, but not budging from where he stood.

“Why don’t you stop playing around and just show everypony what you really-” she began to exclaim as she approached him before she was swatted to the side by one of the impostor’s wings (yes, a wing) and landed on the floor as she grunted “oomph.”

“Rainbow!” the Alicorn Prince yelled out again as he looked with concern to his dear friend, ignoring the cries and gasps of shock that arose from the ponies all around at the scene, yet not budging from his spot lest he take his eyes off of the perpetrator.

A dark chuckle was heard from the direction of the deceiver and all eyes turned to him.

“Hahahaha!” he cackled, slowly allowing his laughter to die down as he shook his head lightly and wiped a fake tear from his eye.

“How dare you!” Light Speed declared, his icy fury bubbling inside of him as he focused upon the wicked impostor. “First my parents, then my Uncle, and now my newest friend! I won’t let you get away with hurting those I care about!”

Although she was still wincing from that unbelievably painful blow that seemed to come out of nowhere, the sky blue mare couldn’t help but find reason to be overwhelmingly happy at the Prince’s words.

“Oh, Light Speed. You have no idea how fun it has been manipulating you and everypony else in this kingdom,” the false Real Steel said with sick glee in his voice as his eyes, with a twisted kind of humor in them, were set upon the young stallion, “But, I guess the fun must come to an end sometime.”

For a moment, the Alicorn thought something was going to occur as he stood still in conjunction with the grey Pegasus, but nothing did.

Then, the pretender growled and looked to one of the soldier-ponies, specifically the same golden-maned crimson-armored Pegasus from that morning. “That’s the signal, you dolts!”

Nodding rapidly, the same pony, and dozens of the rest of the guards, began to be covered in green fire for split-seconds before they transformed into sickly, black-hided creatures that appeared similar to ponies, except for their bug-like eyes and wings, the fangs in their jaws, and the horns upon their heads, as well as the holes in their legs.

As Rainbow saw them, she recognized them immediately, and once again assigned herself a facehoof for later.

“Light Speed!” she called to the golden-orange Prince from her spot a short distance from the wall to the right of him. “They’re changelings!”

“What?!” he stated in return, but not taking his attention off of the lying fake of an Uncle who had the audacity to be smiling wickedly, even as ponies all around were running and fleeing as the creatures began to chase them and trap some with some kind of green material.

“Indeed they are, little filly,” the disguised deceiver once more spoke, but in regards to the rainbow-maned Pegasus, who was currently struggling to fight off three of the dozens of creepy goons, “I see that you have some experience with them.”

“Little?!” she shouted at him, being distracted just long enough by his words and the scene of Bursting Winds being overwhelmed by a dozen of the changelings himself to be caught off-guard and to be captured by a trio of the freaks.

“So I assume that you are their leader,” Light Speed stated to the smug figure, while taking into account the situation and calculating his next move.

“Oh, I am,” the self-assumed dictator chimed in, suddenly adopting a stance of battle-readiness as he spread his wings and rose his head, “But I am not one of these lowly creatures!”

That statement caused a number of the “lowly creatures” to stop for a few seconds to stare at their master with an indignant expression before continuing their activities.

“Now,” the fake Lord-Regent stated, his voice deepening and becoming darker, “gaze upon what all ponies could be like if they gave into their own desires!”

As he had spoken that statement, the supposed Pegasus burst into black fire, which burned intensely and drew the attention of all who were able to see the spectacle.

Light Speed watched ever-carefully and at the same time with astonishment as the inferno began to die down… only to reveal what had become of the deceiver.

There, instead of the picturesque image of his Uncle, was a pony taller than he with a mane and tail that were blacker than night and burned as furiously as the previous fire that was now nothing more than a few scorch marks and embers on the polished stone floor. His pupils were slitted as the cruel silver of his irises peered out from the midst of a body of sickeningly, striking green, with dark green spots lining across the length of his chest and front legs.

His muzzle slipped open to show rows of sharp fangs, lined in a malicious grin.

An even more maniacal series of laughter burst from his throat as the tall figure threw his head back to do so.

Light Speed was stunned.

Of all details he had noticed, two were most prevalent to him.

“You’re…” he muttered, unsure if he should continue his thought “…you’re like me.”

“Like you,” the monstrous abomination of a pony rumbled, chuckling again ever so slightly, “No. I am superior to you!”

With these words, he stretched his long, vibrant green wings out and lit his horn, yes a horn, with a dark green flame as the corrupted Alicorn aimed his magic at the Prince, who was still frozen at the sight before him.

“Now, let us begin, young Prince,” the dark being stated, slamming a hoof onto the floor and causing a series of cracks to form.

“Ugh…” Rainbow Dash struggled to voice her words as she watched the desperate situation from the confines of the cocoon that was formed over most of her body. “Light, look out!” she shouted.

With those words in his ear, the young Alicorn stallion dodged a bolt of green energy that impacted with the space that he was standing upon mere moments before and then sped on past several changelings to scoop up Rainbow with his magic before dashing out of the castle to the outside.

“You won’t get away that easily!” the wicked stallion of darkness called out to him as he hurried to the openness beyond the walls surrounding the structure.

“What’s the plan?” the mare asked as the considerate stallion cleansed her of the gunk that had covered her form before letting her down onto a field of flowers.

“Rainbow,” Light Speed said her name, earning her attention, even as the sounds of ponies all across the island could be heard as they struggled against the many changelings that were taking them captive, “I need you to stay right here and let me deal with this guy.”

“What?!” she shouted, looking at him as if he had lost his marbles. “There’s no way that you-”

“Please, Rainbow,” he requested, peering into her reddish-violet eyes with a deathly seriousness backed by a warmth that he only showed her, “just trust that I can do it.”

Even if she wanted to argue against the insanity of his idea, as the mare stared into those determined, diamond blue eyes, she couldn’t help but have faith in him.

“Okay, Light,” she answered with a straight face.

He nodded at her with a confident grin, and then began to twist around to take flight, when he was stopped by a hoof to the shoulder. Turning to her, he saw that she was looking to him with deep concern.

“Don’t lose,” she said.

“I won’t,” he replied as he placed a hoof onto her cheek, and then proceeded to take off.

If it wasn’t for that, and that she had complete and total belief in the stallion’s capabilities, Rainbow would have tried her absolute best to argue him out of his decision. But, she was just going to hope and root him on from where she stood.

The Prince was making his way higher in the air when he caught sight of his foe at the lead of a few of those changelings.

“Ah, what fine tastes you have,” the dark Alicorn spoke aloud to the younger stallion as he neared his position at a relaxed pace, almost as if he was mocking the sunbeam yellow-maned youth with his every movement and manner, “that you should choose this sight, in the middle of the island, for the entirety of your people to witness your defeat by me, Commander Corruptive of the Horde’s elite. What a truly momentous occasion this is.”

“Enough talk,” the golden-orange Prince declared, posing himself in the air in preparation for the clash that was sure to occur within seconds, “We end this. Now.”

“Oh, of course, your highness,” he faux bowed while speaking sarcastically, before turning his head slightly to eye to his subordinates, “I’ll leave the young filly to you.”

The changelings snickered darkly as they tried to head in Rainbow’s direction. However, no sooner had they left the side of their master then beams of light blasted them out of the sky to the ground below, leaving trails of smoke in the air from whence they fell.

“Not while I still draw breath,” the dark Alicorn heard his opponent state, and turned back to him to see the youthful stallion peering back with his horn shining with its presence of white-yellow magic.

The monstrous pony smiled with a previously unseen amusement on his features. “This might actually prove a challenge after all,” he toned with his heavy voice filled with excitement at the prospect. “Come then, young Prince. Let’s dance.”

Rainbow’s heart was soaring after she witnessed Light Speed send those three stooges hurdling towards the earth with a series of magical rays from his horn, but her world became tense as she watched her new favorite Alicorn duel against his polar opposite in a deadly display of power.

Back and forth, they flew, with their horns constantly firing streams of magical energy at each other, racing around to gain the advantage.

Then, in an upset, the evil Corruptive sent a storm of green fire in the Alicorn Prince’s path.

All hope seemed lost as it appeared imminent that the brightly-colored stallion was doomed.

But, just as Rainbow was about to shoot off to give her all to save him, the wings of the young Alicorn shimmered with light as his form burst away from the frightening flames.

With a smile at her friend’s sudden maneuver of magic meets cunning, the mare saw as he turned the tables and began doing things she had never seen before in her life.

He was a blur as he shot about, striking the dark Commander with a flash of his hooves as he darted through the skies, whipping magical constructs of light from the strands of his mane and slamming them into the wicked creature, relentlessly pounding him without letting up.

Then, the evil foe cast a spell and his mane of black fire grew and encircled him.

“Ha!” he taunted from within the scorching orb. “From the protection of this unbreakable ball, I can do whatever I please. Like…”

As soon as he had stated that, a pillar of the flame shot from the side of his construct towards Rainbow Dash, who was taken aback by the dirty attack but couldn’t move as she noticed her hooves were being held by green magical bonds.

Seeing this, Light Speed’s world came to a crawl. His mind was overwhelmed by the thought that he was going to lose her, his newest and closest friend, to this insane excuse for a pony. It was unbearable. So much so that something stirred in him at that moment as he had stopped in the air and a fire of righteous fury poured out from within him.

“NO!” he shouted as light exuded from his eyes, and his horn and wings overflowed with magical light. “YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER!”

In the blink of an eye, the Alicorn Prince had rescued the mare from certain destruction by teleporting her to a spot more than a hundred hoofsteps away from the incinerated spot that she had just been standing upon a mere moment ago and zoomed towards the flame-shielded dark Alicorn.

The pony of wickedness was, at first, quite confident that his black fire would do the job for him, but then he watched as the Prince’s form was completely surrounded by a suit of armor made entirely of light and memories of a long-forgotten conflict came back to him. And for the first time in a long time, he was scared.

“Nooooo!” he shouted, waving his hooves in the young Alicorn’s direction out of fear, right before a giant sword of light collided with his flaming ball of black and he was sent rocketed off into the distance at breakneck speeds.

Light Speed watched as his enemy was thrown far away, and felt his anger subside and his mind returned to a pony who was only moments ago in danger.

“Rainbow!” he exclaimed, readying himself to hurry to her when he felt a form ram into him and wrap a pair of legs around his now-normal neck.

“You did it! You did it! You! Did! IT! You’re SO AWESOME!” the Pegasus mare shouted in his ear as she excitedly shook him about before realizing what she was doing and separated from him as they flapped their wings to stay floating in the air, blushing as she backed up a bit to give the Alicorn some space.

“Wow, Rainbow,” he said, with a bright grin and a mischievous glint in his eyes, “I didn’t know you cared,” he commented in a joking tone.

Blushing brighter than before for a moment, she adopted a pout and then humphed as she looked away from him. “Yeah, right, featherbrains,” she countered as she crossed her front legs across her torso.

Chuckling lightly, Light Speed stopped and gazed at her seriously. “I’m glad you’re alright, Rainbow.”

Hearing the sincerity in his words, she turned to him and smiled. “You too, Light.”

Beaming at her in return, the Alicorn was about to say something more, when he heard the faint sounds of a pony in the distance.

“Your highness!” an urgent declaration was heard from afar by the two ponies in the air.

Rainbow and Light Speed redirected their sight back in the direction of the castle to see a trio of Crimson Wings, headed by Captain Bursting Winds himself, headed straight for them.

“Your highness!” the brown Pegasus shouted yet again as he and the other two closed in on the pair.

“Bursting Winds!” the Prince returned as he flew closer to his other friend as the soldier-ponies came to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” the Crimson Wings officer reported with a great big smile. “In fact, mere moments ago, those monsters began a full retreat and are leaving the island as we speak!”

“That’s wonderful news!” Light Speed responded with cheer. “Isn’t it, Rainbow?” he asked the mare as he twisted in the air to face her.

“Oh yeah it- Hey!” she began happily before being interrupted and shouting during a booming sound of thunder.

Around her still flying form, a ball of energy came into being and trapped the sky blue mare in its hold.

“Rainbow Dash!” Light Speed shouted as he and the Crimson Wings encircled the air where Rainbow was previously okay and not inside of a crackling orb of magical energies. “What’s happening?!”

Her mind raced for a second before a realization hit her. Looking to the Prince with calm in her eyes, but a pain in her heart, Rainbow said, “It’s the same thing that brought me here, and I think it’s taking me away again.”

The diamond blue eyes of the guy-pony gazed at the seemingly fine Pegasus with both clarity and sadness. “Then, you’re going home?”

“I guess so…” she answered, her reddish-violet eyes focused upon him in return.

He peered at her, taking in the sky blue pony before him, with her messily-kept, yet still nice-looking mane of rainbow, as she made sure to memorize the bright golden-orange pony, with his long mane and tail of braided sunbeam locks who was the Alicorn Prince of Sky Island.

“I hope I get to see you again,” Light Speed stated, doing his best to keep a smile on his muzzle, “After all, I still didn’t get to know that much about you.”

“You will. Trust me,” Rainbow replied with a smile of her own as she stood inside of the orb.

“Good,” he said back, suddenly adopting a renewed mischievous expression, “’cause I still owe you a rematch.”

Curiosity took its place in the mare’s mind at that statement. “Wha’da’ ya’ mean, rematch? I beat ya’, didn’t I?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, and a winning grin.

“I did say that I didn’t have to hold back, didn’t I?” he responded.

All of a sudden, all of the things he did during that fight with the evil Alicorn and those other times came to her and she realized what he meant.

“Why you dirty-” she began to shout at him in a flustered manner, right before the ball of energy zapped away with a loud sound of thunder and disappeared from sight.

And so, a friendship that would be more than a friendship was born…

Chapter 1: A Shy Heart Flutters - Part 1

Chapter 1: A Shy Heart Flutters – Part 1

The sun shone down brightly upon a sandy beach of a distant land.

Moaning with a delicate voice, the pink and yellow Pegasus Fluttershy stirred and then awoke.

“Girls?” she muttered quietly.

From what she could tell, it was high noon as the sun’s radiant beams of light reflected off of the crashing waves along the coastline that was merely a hop, skip, and a step away. Beyond the sandy shores were dunes covered in plant growth, and rocky outcroppings occasionally littering the sight of nature’s beauty. Besides a few stray clouds, the sky was a shade of blue unlike anything the young mare had ever seen before.

But, although the area was inviting, she could not see a single sign of her friends.

“Girls!” Fluttershy cried aloud desperately. When nopony answered, she reflexively pulled her legs together and cringed nearer to the ground. The slightest noise would cause her to jump in fright. “Angel…” she finally said, hoping that at least her bunny friend would be near.

As the seconds passed, not even a little bug welcomed her by skittering by, causing Fluttershy to whimper and cry.

“Hello out there!” The voice of a strange stallion called from the distance.

These words sent a shiver of fright through her. Taking a peep back and forth in the vain hope of finding cover, Fluttershy launched herself into the air before diving towards the sand and dug deep into the soil. Then, she hid her face, hoping that whoever it was that they wouldn’t hurt her, or that somepony would save her.

Although she couldn’t see anypony, Fluttershy heard as the pitter-patter of a pony’s hooves drew closer. Against her own personal judgment, she lifted her eyes, catching sight of a stallion in a suit of shiny white armor passing by a large rock at a distant point along the same beach, his helmet topped with a bright red feather plume instead of the crests of the EUP. Of course, she couldn’t help but notice the stern expression, and a few scars, on his face.

This triggered another round of shakes as Fluttershy stuck her muzzle back into the ground and hoped that the big, scary-looking soldier-pony wouldn’t want to hurt her.

She anxiously listened as the sounds of the tapping of hooves, and the shifting of sand, slowly drew closer and then halted abruptly.

“Young lady, what are you doing?” The slightly gruff voice asked of her. “It’s not safe to be out here all by yourself.”

“Um… I,” Fluttershy began to say as she shuddered, “I…”

“Captain!” A new, younger stallion’s voice sounded from afar, somehow calming Fluttershy and giving her the confidence to look out from her hole.

“Yes, milord,” the apparent Captain answered fervently.

Now that she was able to better examine the first new face, she realized a few things: First, he stood only a little taller than she did, with dark blue hair on his mane and tail, he was a plain brown Pegasus, and something in his cobalt eyes felt soft, almost grandfatherly to her. Also, the insignia on his chest-plate didn’t look like anything from Equestria, since it was a winged anchor with a crown on top. Last, but not least, his cutie mark was a shield with the outline of a family of ponies on it.

She didn’t know why, but after seeing all of this, Fluttershy couldn’t help but not be afraid anymore. It just seemed as though the big soldier-pony’s very presence was more welcoming than scary.

“Is there a problem?” The other voice asked, causing something more to draw Fluttershy out of the hole entirely.

For some unknown reason, there was a bubbly feeling that just rose up in her tummy when the second pony’s words entered into her ears.

“No, sir,” the Captain replied to the question. “I merely found a young mare.”

“Oh?” voiced the second stranger. “Is she lost?”

“I am unsure, milord,” the Captain replied, before facing Fluttershy again. “Excuse me, missy. Are you alright?”

Although the older Stallion did directly ask her a question, Fluttershy didn’t answer since she was completely focused on seeing where the second pony was.

“Miss?” the Captain continued in vain. “Missy?”

“What’s the matter, Captain?” the other stranger asked with a teasing tone, “Is this some kind of joke gone wrong? Are you yanking my anchor?”

“Sire, I can assure you, this is no joke!” The Captain declared in a fashion that almost seemed defensive.

“Alright,” the voice sounded as though its owner were nearing, until Fluttershy finally caught glance of a figure moving past the same rock as the one the Captain had gone by. “Why don’t I talk to this-”

Fluttershy’s eyes finally got to see who she had been waiting for to catch a glimpse of. A gasp of sheer surprised amazement almost slipped from her lips at the sight, if not for her natural quiet nature.

Before her, a tall figure on four hooves moved into plain view, his mane and tail of gold and deep-sea blue shimmering in the sunlight, his body of teal blue matching the ocean’s waters, and his eyes shining of royal blue. For a good long moment, she didn’t even register the fact that he must be somepony important since he was suited in a finely-woven ensemble of a navy blue suit, adorned with golden embroidery, seashell buttons, and shoulder pads. Plus, his hooves were dressed in metal boots that were attached to jointed armored leggings that ran halfway up his front legs.

No, what truly caught her attention was the long spiral horn upon the top of his head, complimented by the golden crown – with its flowing patterns reminiscent of the ocean and its central jewel, a diamond, embedded in a white oyster shell half that bloomed with fiery red stretching outward – hugging his brow, and the pair of wings that were rested on his sides.

She suddenly realized what her mind was trying to tell her: he was an Alicorn!

And yet, that wasn’t why she was so moved when she saw him, because something, deep down in her, fluttered when she looked into his eyes deep as the ocean and as warm as the sun.

From this stallion’s point of view, he stepped out and rested his sight upon a pony the likes of whom he had never seen before.

Before him, there was a mare who was breathtaking. Her daisy pink mane was flowing in the wind, brushing across her creamy yellow body, her wavy tail set to the side to reveal a beautiful picture of three blue and pink butterflies fluttering up her thigh, and her blue eyes shone with such tenderheartedness.

“-young mare…” he finally said.

Then, Fluttershy and the stallion began moving closer to one another.

Suddenly noticing how many miles away the two young ponies actually were, the Captain stood to the side and remained quiet, choosing to merely observe.

Although moving forward, Fluttershy was really tiphooving over.

The Alicorn was slowly edging his way forth, not dipping his sight away for even a second.

Finally, the two stopped within a wing’s reach of one another.

“Hi,” the stallion voiced with a soft tone.

“Hello,” Fluttershy replied, aiming her eyes at the sand at her hooves while a portion of her mane swung in front of her left cheek, which she blew aside without changing her stance.

“I’m Prince Gentle Waters,” he said with a bowing of the head and the crossing of his front right leg over his chest.

“I’m Fluttershy,” she stated with a passing glance in his general direction while he was returning his head back to where it had been.

“Fluttershy,” the Prince repeated, his voice at a whisper as the word rolled off of his tongue, “what a lovely name.”

An uncontrolled blush slipped onto Fluttershy’s cheeks as she heard that compliment and began looking all around randomly, mostly staring at the air and ground surrounding Gentle Waters.

“Milord,” the Captain finally spoke, catching the attention of the Prince and allowing Fluttershy to turn her head away, “It may be best to continue this elsewhere.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” the Prince agreed before turning back to the pony who captured his attention. “Fluttershy?”

“Um, yes,” she returned while using her front right hoof to push aside a line of sand that she was looking at.

“It’s best if nopony stays on this beach alone,” Gentle Waters said, offering a hoof, “Would you join me in returning to the city?”

She blinked once, bringing her lashes to wipe the sides of her face, and that feeling inside of her stirred even greater than before. “Okay,” she answered, and placed her own hoof onto his.

So, the Captain led on, with the two young ponies side by side behind him, as they moved on beyond the beach, and onto a road of stone in the midst of an open field of grass.

As the minutes phased by, Fluttershy couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that whenever she looked at the Prince – the tall, handsome Prince – her heart soared higher than the clouds. She didn’t understand why, but she was happy. In fact, she was happier than she’d ever been before, even when around her closest friends or animal buddies.

While these thoughts passed through her mind, Fluttershy chose to look at him again.

As his mane flowed in the wind, she followed it to a detail that she hadn’t notice before. On his flank, there was a cutie mark that she found herself adoring – it was a dolphin with a crown.

“Um, excuse me,” she muttered aloud.

“Yes, Fluttershy?” Prince Gentle Waters replied with a smile.

Taking a moment to beam in the opposite direction, the pink-haired mare gathered the courage for what she wanted to say. “Well… I was just wondering…”

Instead of saying anything, the Prince stepped one hoof at a time, watching and listening intently for Fluttershy’s next words.

“I don’t want to be imposing by asking something personal,” she said.

“You’re not being rude, Fluttershy,” the Prince replied kindly. “In fact, whatever is on your mind, just ask. I will do my best to answer nicely.”

With a renewal of her confidence, thanks to Gentle Waters’s gentle words, Fluttershy asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what does your cutie mark stand for?”

An expression of curious thought popped onto the Prince’s face as he continued walking.

For a moment, Fluttershy feared that she had somehow said the wrong thing, dipping her head down in worried shame.

“Oh, you mean my mark,” he replied by pointing at his flank with his horn and smiling at the filly. “I’ve never heard it called that before.”

Fluttershy lifted her head and peered back to the Prince with a faint smile.

“Well, since you asked,” he restarted. “This mark on my flank represents my desire to defend and care for all of my subjects, including, and especially, the creatures of this land.”

A twinkle of pure elation lit up in Fluttershy’s eyes as she realized the implications of Gentle Waters’s words, and that the two of them possibly had something in common.

“You know what,” he continued, “since we still have a good long walk, and if you don’t mind me saying so, I could tell you the story behind my, ahem, ‘cutie mark’.”

Fluttershy was, once again, filled with delight. “Oh, um, that sounds great,” she cooed.

Sending another grin in the direction of the sweet mare, the Prince sucked in a breath of fresh air as he placed another hoof forward along the stone road. “Where do I begin?” he asked of himself as he peered into the skies above.

“Well, although I was born into the royal family of this grand nation, I was not the usual foal. After all, the only two types of ponies in this kingdom are Pegasi and Earth Ponies.”

Yet again, a light inside the young mare’s head blinked as she caught another hint that she was not in Equestria. Still, she paid barely any attention to that scruple as she was enraptured in Gentle Waters’s life story.

“My father was a Pegasus, and my mother was an Earth Pony. But I was the first of any child in the recorded history of our family to have not only a pair of wings, and not just regular wings but a kind that had not been seen before, and a horn. For months, the doctors didn’t even know what I was exactly.”

“Then, finally, a scholar found a book on ancient pony legends, and helped determine that I was an Alicorn.”

More and more, Fluttershy was beginning to understand that there was a definite difference between wherever this land was and her home of Equestria. After all, who had never heard of an Alicorn, like Princess Celestia? And yet, she had never heard of an Alicorn who was a Prince.

“We even learned about another race of ponies known as Unicorns from that same tome,” Gentle Waters added. “Even still, things weren’t easy for me as a young colt, especially since I was so… unique.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow out of concern.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her, “It wasn’t as though everypony despised me. What I meant is that I didn’t have any friends my age when I was little.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened with sympathy for the Prince. “You poor dear…” she thought for him.

“Back in those days, it was mostly the castle staff members and my family who were the closest things I had to friends,” the Prince elaborated further. “My father and mother were so protective of me that they wouldn’t let me attend normal school. Instead, I had my own personal mentors, and I was hardly ever allowed to leave the confines of the castle, such as only being allowed to go outside on the condition that I spent my time in the castle courtyard, and only during the daytime.”

“Not only that, but there was always a guard to ensure that I was never alone,” he said with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone before aiming his sight to the soldier-pony in front, “Isn’t that right, Captain?”

“Always to protect and serve, sire,” the older stallion answered dutifully, his head facing forward and occasionally inching from side-to-side as he kept his vigilant search for danger.

With a light chuckle under his breath, Gentle Waters smiled mischievously.

For some reason, Fluttershy inexplicably began chuckling herself, but she did her best to hide it.

“Anyhow,” the blue-maned royal voiced, “one day, I finally decided that I would sneak off and meet some others my age.”

Fluttershy noticed with a glance that the Prince had suddenly taken on a frown as he paused, making her heart ache for him.

“Once I had… distracted my escort,” Gentle Waters said with another smile, “I dashed out of the castle, and into the skies.” His grin grew as he watched a flock of seagulls flying overhead.

Fluttershy’s heart went into flight as she watched the Prince intently.

“It was my first experience to truly spread my wings and fly away.” He emphasized this by stretching out his feathered limbs. “I touched the milky white clouds of the sunny expanse with my very own hooves and glided above the land, witnessing the kingdom my family was responsible for.”

“I savored every second, soaring and soaking in every detail of the land, from the ponies who went about their lives to all of the beautiful creatures that coexisted with them. Then, I saw what I had been looking for from the start: colts and fillies playing and prancing in the streets of the city below me. Without a second thought, I dived downward and landed near them, and I waved in their direction, hoping to make quick friends.”

At first, Fluttershy was even more delighted to see the Prince waving a hoof in the air happily along with his words…

He sighed, lowering his hoof to the ground and folding his wings to his back. “I hadn’t expected anything less than a warm welcome and a fun time.”

…And then she couldn’t help but ache even more for him as she batted her eyelashes to silently urge him to continue.

“But, as I trotted over to them, they stopped and began whispering amongst themselves, giving me strange looks.” The Prince paused yet again. “For some reason, a single pony moved out and began taunting me, poking a hoof at my horn and saying that I was weird, even going so far as to say that it was a fake.”

Gentle Waters’s tale somehow reminded Fluttershy of her days in junior flight camp back in Cloudsdale, and the teasing that was made by other little ponies because of her failure to fly well. Thanks to this, she found herself caring more and more about the Alicorn Prince in a way that she had never felt about anypony before.

“Soon enough, the other ponies were laughing at me and calling me names.” A tear slipped from the Prince’s bright blue eyes, before he blinked it away and smiled at the sun as its rays stretched across the fields of tall grass that were around the road. “As they surrounded me, I backed myself into a corner, and sobbed as I knelt down and tried to use my wings to cover my face.”

Although he did hold a neutral expression on his features, the Prince suddenly shifted his features into a deep smile as he directed his glance at Fluttershy again. “But if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have discovered something absolutely amazing.”

Instead of voicing her new confusion, Fluttershy chose to smile in return.

“While I laid there in the dirt, listening to the hurtful things that those foals called me as they chanted aloud, my horn began to glow brighter than it had ever before,” he said as he sent a pulse of blue light through the point above his crown. “I didn’t notice until I heard the other kids stop making fun of me, and then I watched as the magic from my horn covered my body and I zapped away. Next thing I knew, I was on a beach.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy uttered, knowing what he was saying, “you, um, teleported.”

“That’s right,” Gentle Waters replied. “You know a little about magic?”

“My friend, um, does it all of the time,” she answered before turning her head to avoid making eye contact with him.

“Really?” the Prince asked in rhetorical surprise while looking to the Captain.

The soldier-pony motioned a knowing nod in return.

“Huh, and I thought I was the only pony in the entire world who could use that type of magic,” the Prince stated. “Excuse me, Fluttershy.”

“Yes?” she responded with a quick glance in his direction.

“Would it be too much for me to ask you if I could hear more about you later?” he requested.

“Okay,” she approved with her signature light tone, and then twisted her head to bring a long wave of her mane down over her renewed blush.

“Great,” Gentle Waters voiced happily. “May I continue with my story?”

“Please,” she replied.

“Where was I again?” he queried. “Oh, yes. I had arrived on the beach, and looked out onto the foaming currents of water that whipped across the ocean. Never before had I seen such a beautiful sight… at least, not until today.”

Once more, Fluttershy felt a feeling in her heart bubble and flutter like butterflies and an unexpected giggle nearly slipped from her lips.

“Still,” he continued, “I hadn’t so soon forgotten how the other ponies treated me, and I bawled in a pit of self-pity.”

“Of course, it wasn’t as though I disliked them for it. After all, they had never seen anypony like me before,” he reasoned. “But that didn’t take away the hurt in my heart.”

She didn’t know why exactly, but Fluttershy just wanted to lean against the tall Prince so that she could comfort him, at least a little bit, with her presence.

“As I wallowed there in the sand,” the Prince added as they took another step down the stone-laden road, “I didn’t even notice the sounds of something stirring in the waters behind me. Something big.”

Startled by the possibilities of the Prince’s words, Fluttershy stared at him, hoping for nothing scary.

“Although caught up in my own worries, a gust of wind brushed over me, carrying the overbearing scent of rot.”

Suddenly, the Prince halted, and Fluttershy and the Captain came to a stop, but only the pink-maned mare paid her full attention to Gentle Waters.

“With a gulp, I turned around,” his eyes grew, as if he was looking at a ghost, “and I saw a beast of monstrous proportions looming over me…. A sea serpent.”

From his words, Fluttershy could discern that this creature was scary. And yet, she had never heard of one as it sounded different than the river serpent that Rarity had helped when she and the others went to find the Elements of Harmony for the first time.

“Its head was twice as large as me, and saliva dripped from its open maw as it stared into my very soul.” He stood motionless, almost as if he was paralyzed by his past.

Fluttershy was speechless as her muzzle hung open in silent fright. She couldn’t bear to think of the horrible scene that was playing out according to the Prince’s memories.

“I stooped down in fear, and cried out ‘help!’” The Prince said, before looking to see Fluttershy even more scared than he was. He beamed a smile at her.

She strangely felt comforted by the gesture and let go of her fears.

“Just as all hope seemed to be lost,” the Alicorn said with a hushed tone, “a giant silver shape burst forth from the water and collided with the serpent, forcing it back into the ocean!”

Fluttershy was gingerly grinning on the outside, even though she had nearly jumped into the air at the Prince’s excited exclamation.

“For a few minutes, I watched as the two shadowy figures swam underneath the surface of the currents, clashing and battling against one another,” Gentle Waters reminisced. “The shockwaves they sent out every time they…” he thought of a word to use as he realized how strong of a picture he was portraying “…met shook the very foundations of land that I stood upon.”

“At last, calm settled after the storm, and I saw one of the creatures flee into the deep blue of the sea.” He stopped for a moment, and peered at Fluttershy. “Then, I witnessed, with anxious anticipation, the victor rise out of the waves.”

Fluttershy didn’t know whether or not she would gasp at the answer.

“Out of the waters came a silver silhouette,” he stated happily, “and before my eyes there was a gargantuan of such eye-capturing grandeur, with its sleek skin and powerful fins.”

That revelation not only brought relief to the lady-pony, it outright pleased her to think of the critter and what it could have been.

“It had pulled its long body up onto the beach and rested its tube-shaped muzzle on the sand,” the Prince pictured aloud, “allowing its discerning eyes to look down upon me. From atop its rounded head, air spouted out and was sucked in.”

A visual image began to form in Fluttershy’s head, and she was beginning to wonder if he was talking about-

“I chose to thank my rescuer, and as I finished, it responded with a series of boisterous chirps, whistles, and clicks.” A twinkling entered the Prince’s blue eyes as he spoke of this event. “And I understood him!”

“He introduced himself as the Lord of the Dolphins, and even told me that he could tell that I was a Prince.”

Fluttershy could hardly contain her elation at the thought of a dolphin – and the Lord of them to boot – and the fact that Prince Gentle Waters could also communicate with animals like her.

“I wanted to ask him so many questions, but he left soon after that, telling me to return the same time each day as he dove back into the ocean,” he said with a tap of a hoof. “So I chose to walk back home instead of either flying or, what I considered then, magically popping.”

“I trotted down a path, thinking on all of the things I could ask of the Dolphin Lord, oblivious of what the-,” the Prince’s smile faded as he looked at Fluttershy with a new pain in his eyes “-future held for me.”

There was a long pause as Gentle Waters drooped his head, causing Fluttershy to look to him with confusion that rapidly changed to concern as she could sincerely see he was experiencing heart-wrenching pain.

“Fluttershy,” he said her name as he lifted his head back up.

“Yes,” she replied without hesitancy.

“What I have to say is… a painful and gruesome thing for anypony to tell, let alone witness,” the Prince uttered delicately. “Are you sure that you want to hear about it?”

“If you want me to, I do,” she answered with equal care.

“Alright,” he breathed before steadily inhaling and exhaling. “I was passing back through town when a guard galloped up to me. In a controlled fashion, he urged me to follow him back to the castle.”

“At first, I assured him that I was fine and there was nothing to worry about, but he stated that it was an emergency. Although I didn't know what he meant, I was shocked to hear such a panicky undertone to his words and rushed after him.”

A single tear swelled in the corner of Gentle Waters’s left eye as he pictured that day. “As I drew close to the front gate, I saw dozens of royal guards gathered in lines and keeping a watch on the skies, the road, and everywhere else, weapons at the ready.”

“They quickly rushed me inside, with four circling around me and two Pegasi guards hovering over me. I questioned them for answers as to why I was being so heavily protected, but they only kept moving me deeper into the confines of the castle, allowing me to see dozens more of the guards checking every available space of the stone building.”

“And then,” the Prince’s words began to crack up and several small drops of water trickled down his cheeks, “they tried to escort me past a room, in which two figures under sheets caught my attention.”

Something in Fluttershy’s heart nearly choked as she recognized what Gentle Waters was telling her.

“With no effort, I teleported myself out from the midst of the guards and in-between the pair.” A flood proceeded to pour down the Prince’s face as he recollected that traumatizing moment. “Somepony took my parents away from me, Fluttershy.”

The young mare also began to tear up as she placed her front two hooves over her mouth while seated on her rump as she looked to him. “Who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t know, to be honest,” the Prince answered. “I wouldn’t know until later that it was somepony strange who had slipped past the guards, as the only pony to have noticed him was the… late Captain of the guard.”

“It was the current Captain who managed to drag me to my room, where I spent the entire night mourning.”

Not once in her entire life had Fluttershy ever heard such a tragedy, and it was even worse to see one of the most gentle-natured stallions she had the pleasure of meeting to suffer through it.

“The next morning, I had to convince the new Captain,” he said with a sniffle as he directed a glance at the soldier-pony in front, who was still surveying the area without making a peep, “to allow me to go down to the beach again, with added protection.”

Fluttershy settled herself and wiped away her tears as she thought about the Dolphin Lord and what he could have wanted for the Prince.

“After a tense first meeting, the guards accepted the fact that the Lord of the Dolphins would do me no harm,” the Prince continued, “and I finally got the chance to talk with my rescuer.”

“So, I properly introduced myself, and he gave his name to me.” Gentle Waters paused, once more, and gazed at Fluttershy. “Lunar Tides.”

“So majestic,” the pony-girl mentally noted.

“He wanted to teach me everything he knew about magic… on one condition,” the Prince revealed, “He made me vow to make a safe new home for his children so, when he finally closed his eyes in the ‘last great slumber’, he would not fear for them.”

Fluttershy’s aquamarine irises shimmered as she imagined what it could be like to care for and play with dolphins.

“That was when a spark was struck in my heart, and I knew what I was meant to be. That is the story of my cutie mark,” Gentle Waters boldly stated.

“Yay,” she cheered and clapped her hooves softly.

“Yes, yay, indeed,” the Prince agreed with a grin.

When Fluttershy noticed that he was staring into her eyes, she whipped around and her bright pink blush returned.

A silence settled upon the group for a short while…

“Ahem.”

…before being interrupted by the Captain.

“Oh, yes,” Prince Gentle Waters caught himself, “we should keep going.”

The trio of ponies stepped one hoof at a time, the sound of tapping resounding from the stone path that they walked upon.

“So, um…” Fluttershy voiced “…what happened to Lunar Tides?”

For a split-second, Gentle Waters contemplated whether he should tell her. But, he easily chose that the truth was better than keeping her guessing.

“His burial site was on the shoreline that I and the Captain were visiting before we met you,” he graciously replied.

“Oh…” she responded with a hint of disappointment.

“Don’t fret,” the Prince offered reassurance warmly, “his sons and daughters now live in the royal preservation’s ponymade saltwater lake.”

Those words flipped her frown upside down as she began dreaming about all of the new friends she could make. Of course, that didn’t take her mind away from Prince Gentle Waters in any way.

“Fluttershy,” the Prince said a few steps later, “I can’t wait to introduce you to all of my friends, both the ponies and the wildlife.”

Although the Alicorn Prince’s offer was welcoming, and she most definitely wanted to get acquainted with as many of the possible critters that he could show her, his words struck a curious thought.

“Excuse me,” she politely requested his attention.

“Yes, Fluttershy?” he returned.

She blushed momentarily as he paid his full focus to her. “Earlier… you said that you didn’t make any friends.”

“Yes, well,” the Prince restarted, “after the loss of the king and the queen, I chose to take a more direct approach to making ties with the people of my nation.”

“With the knowledge that Lord Lunar Tides gave me, I aided my subjects with new ideas and even helped with tasks. I also learned more from my experiences amongst the hard-working ponies, and made many more friendships than I could have dreamed of as a young colt.”

Fluttershy’s admiration of Gentle Waters was blossoming, and, although they had only just met, she felt more open with him.

As they crossed the grass-blanketed plains, a tall hill, stretching out for what appeared to be miles on either side, came into view and jutted into the sky.

“Scary…” Fluttershy muttered inwardly.

“Pardon me, milord,” the Captain stated as he turned face about.

“Yes, Captain,” the Prince answered naturally.

“It’s only a short flight to the city from here,” the dutiful soldier-pony pointed out.

“An excellent suggestion,” the Prince confirmed, and then he spread his wings out fully before raising a hoof in Fluttershy’s direction. “Would you like to join me?”

She, in turn, beamed a bright smile at Gentle Waters. Taking a moment, she glanced past the Captain to see a path winding up the side of the hill. Making her choice, Fluttershy accepted the Prince’s hoof with her own.

Soon enough, the sounds of wings flapping in the wind began rising as each of the ponies ascended.

Prince Gentle Waters did his best to patiently move in-sync with Fluttershy as she delicately rose higher.

Meanwhile, the Captain was already at a greater altitude, once again evaluating the area like a hawk.

“Are you alright?” the Prince asked of Fluttershy.

With a confident grin, she nodded in his general direction.

So they soared forth, high above the grasslands as the fields of green were swayed and danced like the waves of the ocean.

Beyond the mound that had blocked anypony’s view of the land, Fluttershy witnessed the likes of which she had never seen before.

Up in the clouds, there were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of structures made of the white puffs of accumulated vapor, reminding Fluttershy of her birth city of Cloudsdale. The key difference was that there were not just Pegasi bolting around the sky platforms, but there were Earth Ponies walking along roads, buildings, and bridges of an amalgamation of stone, wood, and cloud, all of which was floating as easily as the air.

Why, there were even trees planted in pots of dirt along the cloud bridges, giving birds the perfect places to rest their wings!

Sloping down from the skies above, several of the bridges looped about and spiraled to one of three enormous towers that were set across a cityscape of radiance.

All along the ground, buildings of every type, from simple single-story houses that lined suburban outcroppings to spires of immaculate designs, were weaved amongst an intricate network of roads and waterways.

Wrapped across the distant coastline that bordered the bustling beehive of a city was a grand harbor, hosting ships that sailed with great white sheets of material moving with the wind as flags of many colors flew from wooden masts.

Rolling grasslands running over vast pastures of rainbows of flowers accentuated the land as the city gave way to nature.

“Welcome, Fluttershy,” Prince Gentle Waters stated as he gestured a hoof to the pink-haired mare and then to the spectacle before their very eyes, “to the city of Sky’lem, capital of the kingdom of Hartoneigha.”

Fluttershy wasn’t overly fond of it herself, but her eyes glittered with glee at the Alicorn.

Then, once the Captain signaled the Prince, they descended into Sky’lem, and landed in a spacious clearing settled in-between some cozy cots on the city’s edge.

“Hail, milord,” an Earth Pony stallion in armor similar to the Captain’s, minus the feather plume, stated as he approached the Prince.

“Hail, soldier,” Gentle Waters replied in kind, using a feathered limb to salute the diligent individual before turning about to face the Captain. “You know the drill.”

“Yes, milord.”

As the Captain led the other pony beyond a series of shacks, the Prince noticed that Fluttershy had drawn back from their landing spot and was seated on the ground near a field of pink posies. From what he could tell, she appeared to be in deep thought.

In fact, she was very deep in thought.

Fluttershy was happy, but she couldn’t help but worry for her friends. They could have been taken to the four corners of Equestria, or worse. On the other hoof, she didn’t even know where in the wide world she was. Not once in her life had there ever been mention of a kingdom of Hartoneigha, until now. But, most of all, she couldn’t understand why whenever she thought of – wonderful, sweet – Prince Gentle Waters that she just couldn’t help but-

“Excuse me, Fluttershy,” his soft voice broke her chain of thought.

“Yes,” she answered curtly, quickly rotating around on her four hooves only to see him stopping next to her.

“I may be asking too much of you, but…” he paused, as if the Prince were questioning the soundness of his idea.

“Yeeessss?” she dragged out the word as she, not knowingly, hoped for a special request.

“Would you please accept my invitation to join me at my castle as my guest of honor?” The Prince asked, exchanging a look of anxious hope with her.

Even if Fluttershy could hear that familiar small voice telling her that it might be dangerous and her nerves began to shudder, she ignored them. “Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

With a smile, the Prince sent a magical pulse through his horn as he lifted a dozen or so pink posies and a rainbow of other assorted blooms into the air, circling around them both. “Please accept this as a gift from me to you,” he said before using the flowers to form a swirling, colorful strand in the weaves of her mane.

She blushed brightly as she beamed at him.

The Alicorn Prince then directed the young Pegasus mare back towards the city.

Meanwhile, in a cavern carved inside a single spire, rested in a mountain range to the north-northeast, a tiny purple scaled and green spine-backed sleepy figure stirred awake and stretched out his four limbs, yawning loudly as he cracked his eyelids.

As he rubbed his face with a balled-up paw, Spike realized a few things: First, he couldn’t hear his pony friends anymore. Second, he definitely wasn’t in the Castle of Harmony anymore. And third, he wasn’t seated (or laying) in his throne, but, rather, on a warm, earthy piece of ground of some sort.

“Huh?” he grunted as he sat up to evaluate his situation.

Scanning around, he deduced that he was on top of some form of stone that was sitting inside a shallow pool of lava.

“Where am I?” he loudly asked the air.

“Ah,” a loud voice uttered, causing Spike to nervously peek at his surroundings, “the nestling is awake.”

With those words, a series of ground-shaking (what the small dragon could only assume to be) footsteps reverberated from the direction of one of the chamber’s side openings, which was mostly darkness pierced by glints of bright light.

Fearing a possible encounter similar to the time he had intruded into an adult dragon’s den and had munched on the greedy giant’s horde of gems, Spike sprung off of his perch and tried to run away. He quickly found himself stuck when he left the spot as he was barely a few steps from a drop-off that was well over a hundred yards from the bottom floor, dashing his hopes of escape. With no other choice, he dropped right where he stood and covered his face with his stubby arms.

He listened closely to the sounds of the approaching behemoth, fear of his coming future swelling up within his rapidly beating heart.

And then, everything became silent.

Spike was about to look up, hoping that he had escaped a horrible fate, when a gust of breath, scented with something akin to roasted walnuts, blasted over him.

“What is the matter, little one?” a strong voice filled with kindness came forth from the figure as he gazed upon the cringing youth.

“I…” Spike muttered, and then chose to take a peek through the spaces between his claws. His eyes shot open as his breath was stolen away.

In front of the dwarfed baby dragon, sitting on the ground below and his head rising up and over the elevated place where Spike was previously snoozing, was an adult dragon.

Yet not just any normal giant, fire-breathing member of his kind. From the top of his head to the lowest visible point on his body, across his smooth, rounded features, the scales on his hide shined like thousands of diamonds.

“Well, I’m glad I haven’t absolutely scared the scales right off of you,” he stated lightly, concern evident in his tone. “After all, it certainly wouldn’t be the most neighborly thing to frighten one’s guest.”

“Um, yeah…” Spike voiced his relieved confusion as he picked himself off of the dirt, dusting away the remaining excess.

“Oh, please excuse my blatant rudeness. I haven’t properly introduced myself,” the large being said before lifting a four digit appendage to his chest, “I am White Fang.”

He couldn’t tell why, but something about the older lizard’s presence calmed the little guy, and whenever Spike looked into the grand creature’s emerald irises, he felt at home.

So, going out on a limb, he chose to trust the openly welcoming wyrm. “My name’s Spike,” he returned with a kiddish grin.

“It is my pleasure to meet you, nestling Spike,” the towering figure greeted, “I hope you had fine rest.”

“About that…” Spike said, not forgetting the fact that he wasn’t in Ponyville.

“Oh, yes, how thoughtless of me,” White Fang reprimanded himself. “I was taking a morning glide over the mountains when I caught sight of you sleeping in a tree. So, instead of leaving a defenseless infant such as yourself in that precarious situation, I brought you here.” Finished with his words, he gave a toothy smile to the short youth.

“That’s… it?” Spike questioned, a sudden worry slipping into his expression.

“I’m sorry,” the elder dragon apologized, “That is all there is to say.”

“But I was just with my friends in the castle,” Spike frantically spouted, “and they were chatting and I… fell asleep.”

White Fang merely stared at the distraught dragon-child as he stood silent for a moment. “Well, if you are unsure of what happened after that, I might be able to help you.”

“Really?” Spike deadpanned.

“I’m positive,” the fully-grown drake assured him, “You just have to tell me where you are from.”

With a renewed confidence, Spike said, “Ponyville.”

White Fang’s face was suddenly struck with clout as he drew back a short distance. “Ponyville…” he pondered as he tapped his jaw with a single claw “…Ponyville. Hmm.”

The thought that he may be lost to his friends forever began to worm its way into Spike’s mind as he watched the generous giant struggle with the word.

“May I ask what nation this Pony-ville belongs to?” White Fang requested after running through his memories.

“Equestria,” Spike answered, wondering how anyone had never heard of his hometown.

“Ah, Equestria.” A bemused chuckle slipped from his lips and lasted for a few seconds. “Please excuse my amusement. I am just so glad to hear that another dragon is accepted by and is friends with pony-folk.”

“Oh, I’m not just friends. I live with a pony princess named Twilight Sparkle,” Spike answered proudly.

“Well, that’s dandy and all,” White Fang replied gladly, followed by a neutral tone, “but I’m sorry to inform you that you are a long way from home.”

That burst the bubble of good tidings that began swelling inside the young guy’s cranium, and the light green flaps on the sides of his head drooped as a grim disposition came upon him. “How far away am I?”

“By my estimation, a three days’ flight across the waters to the northwest,” the wise wyrm answered with slight trepidation.

“Oh,” Spike huffed out, “and I suppose you wouldn’t consider taking me there, huh?”

“I would,” White Fang said, lifting the small fellow’s spirit and bringing his head back up to eye-level, “but I have made a vow to the Ponies of this land to defend them until my final breath. So, I am afraid to tell you, I cannot aid you in that regard.”

Dropping his head down to where his eyesight was aimed at his feet, Spike nudged a pebble with his stumpy right foot while a drop dripped from the corner of his right eye.

“Come, come, little Spike,” White Fang attempted to comfort the saddened lesser dragon, “Do not fret. You may stay here in my home, if you wish.”

“Since I’m stuck here,” Spike half-heartedly breathed as he sat down and placed his rounded head into the palms of his claws.

“Come now, my lad,” the crystalline-skinned creature rumbled lowly, “Surely you are hungry.”

An involuntary growl from the lower depths of the down-in-the-dumps dragon-child announced his stomach’s agreement.

“I have prepared a supper that will most assuredly resolve that,” White Fang added with a shine of his marble-colored rows of jagged teeth, before winding his gargantuan form around and facing his spiny back to the young buck, “Climb on and I’ll give you a lift to the dining chamber.”

With a shrug, the pup of a scaly one dragged himself up and over to the ledge. “I guess it won’t help anything to worry on an empty belly, but,” he grumbled, glancing around and noticed the lack of means to arrive at his destination, “how am I going to get from here to there.”

To answer his statement, the tip of the great behemoth’s mighty muscular tail arose to right in front of the edge.

“Grab ahold and keep a tight grip,” White Fang directed the minor, “I’ll do the rest of the work for you.”

Obeying the order, Spike crawled onboard and latched on with his claws.

Then, the limb elevated above and descended down to between two of the larger shimmering viridian spines, along the midpoint of the lengthy upper stretch of hide that was reminiscent of a quarry covered in diamonds, allowing the purple and green chap to rest his posterior in the nook.

“Now,” White Fang iterated from his face-forward position, “may I interest you in a tour of my fine abode?”

“I guess that would be nice,” Spike said in the midst of his moping.

The bulking mass that was White Fang lurched forward, causing the tiny passenger to have to readjust due to not being ready for such an experience.

“As you will see,” presumed the gracious host, “there are many chambers in the caverns I dwell in.”

Within seconds, the dark room in which Spike had been inside gave way to a vast hallway, branching into multiple openings.

“Of course, I won’t be able to show you everything at this time,” White Fang commented, “or else I risk the cuisine I have cooked to cool to a chilly mess. And we wouldn’t want that now.”

Even if Spike could hear those words, they went in through one ear flap and out the other when he began to catch glimpses of what was inside some of the chambers – mounds of gems and other valuables. He couldn’t help the drool that started dripping from the borders of his mouth as his lips parted in awe.

Then, a scent of crispy goodness assaulted his senses, drawing his attention to the space ahead.

“Here we are,” White Fang declared cheerily.

As Spike watched on, trying his best to view past the mountainous body that he was atop, the entryway was succeeded by a bright expanse, in which he could make out a single spot on an elevated ledge that was where a finely-crafted wooden table and chair sat. Hanging from the ceiling of the clean, well-kept cavern was an enormous light-emanating stone, shining down on a polished granite floor.

“May I interest you in a seat from which you can wait upon your meal?” asked the adult as he bent his head around to face the lesser and gestured an open palm to the furniture.

“Who am I to say no?” Spike accepted with a greater lightheartedness than he had before.

So, White Fang’s extended paw rose up to the small guy, and steadily delivered him across the air to his place of awaited fine dining.

“If you would, please, get comfortable, and I shall supply you with a morsel that will most certainly please you,” White Fang advised while he walked off into a side-room opposite of his little guest.

Spike was just about to settle his rump into the cushion of the chair when he caught sight of an unbelievable piece of succulent beauty – a prism of pure palettes of a rainbow blooming from the center. It was lying there, only a short walk from him, tempting his taste buds. Before he knew it, the gorgeous gem was already hefted above his gaping maw, and he could almost feel the edge of its glittery surface touching his tongue.

But then, with the dazzling diamond inches from being crushed and chewed into hundreds of slivers of pre-digested dragon feed, a flash of memories soared before his eyes: from his first experience of accidentally eating a portion of that adult dragon’s (the first he had ever met) horde of gems, to the time he chose to go on the Great Dragon Migration and met those brutish teenage dragons.

He suddenly realized exactly what he was doing – stealing! He was being just as greedy as most other dragons, and he was being as inconsiderate as those teens.

“No,” Spike said, dropping the crystal back down to the ground, “it’s White Fang’s, so he can decide what to do with it.” He then sat himself in his chair, arms crossed, and a straight face conveying his self-control.

“Well done, my boy!”

The miniature, wingless, dragon nearly flew into the emptiness above his head out of alarm as his fully-grown counterpart emerged, headfirst, from the chamber he was previously occupying, with a simply big, ornate dish full of steaming vegetables floating behind him.

“You passed my test!” White Fang exclaimed with a pleased tone, coming to a halt in the middle of the dining space and sitting down while staring at the unnerved youngster.

“What?” Spike responded after catching his self and regaining his composure. “This was a test?”

“Yes,” he answered frankly.

“And how are you doing that?!” rattled off the bug-eyed boy as he aimed a claw at the levitating bowl, which was imbued with an aura of nearly clear, sparkling light.

“Oh, I’m a Dragon of Light,” the grand creature replied coolly as the platter lowered down to the granite floor at his feet.

“Huh?” Spike shot back, his face expressing just how lost he was as he raised an eyebrow.

A light round of chortles sounded through White Fang’s closed lips as a much more appropriately proportioned dish zoomed towards the dumbfounded dragon.

“Why don’t you relax and get acquainted with your meal, and then I will explain, hmm?”

“Okay,” murmured the curious kid.

Choosing to remain quiet, Spike watched the approaching ball-bottomed bowl, shimmering with that same field of energy, and then he saw what was inside as it lowered down to his eye-level – a bold blue fruit, similar to a melon mixed with a blueberry, with multiple sharp edges that looked like the cuts of a fine diamond.

For some reason, when he saw it, the churning fires of his hunger, deep down in the furnace that was his stomach, were reignited.

“That, little Spike, is a diamondberry,” noted the gentle giant, “A rare morsel that any true dragon would enjoy.”

Spike licked his chops with his long forked tongue as he reached out to grab the berry.

“Now, now, Spike,” the crystalline drake interrupted, “I should say a few words before we proceed.” Then, he bowed his head and closed his peepers.

Not knowing what to do, the short fellow tilted his cranium down a smidgen as his green irises blinked back and forth.

“Thank you, beloved Master,” White Fang started, “for this great bounty that you have supplied to sustain our mortal shells. May we draw closer unto you as we are given new opportunities daily.” With that finished, he lifted his jaw-line up with a smile shined at the seated figure.

Spike, meanwhile, was increasingly at a loss. “Umm, not to offend you, White Fang sir, but what was that?”

“Oh, just part of what makes me a Dragon of Light,” he answered, “But enough of that. You have a diamondberry to eat, and I have a long story to tell.”

“Sounds good to me,” Spike stated before reaching under his seat and bringing out a red and white checkered napkin, which he promptly tied around his neck, draping it over his exposed front. In rapid succession, he brought out a metal fork and knife, grasped in either of his palms.

“Just remember to savor every bite,” White Fang advised, “or you’ll spoil the experience.”

The hungry youth was just about to sink his teeth into the side of the fruit, but quickly returned to his position with his utensils in-claw and chose to shave a trim of the, surprisingly, thick berry in a fashion that would have done Rarity proud.

“Where to begin?” the noble drake questioned himself as he tapped a claw on his chin. “Ah, yes. In the beginning…”

Spike was more than ready to hear the elder wyrm’s tale as he stared intently at him… and then, his tongue made contact with the sliver of diamondberry and his taste buds were lit up with a symphony of delight. Never before in his entire life had such a delicious, well, anything graced his lips. It was sweeter than the honey from Ponyville, even with the addition of pollen from Sweet Apple Acres, and its texture was just like a well-aged crystal.

“No, that’s best saved for later. Let me start over,” White Fang requested rhetorically, “Once, long ago, there was no difference between a regular dragon and a Dragon of Light, for there were only Dragons of Light.”

“In that day and age, dragons were pure, untainted creatures who roamed the world, living in harmony with the rest of Creation, and even befriending their neighbors, like Ponies.”

Although intrigued by the history lesson on his own people’s past, Spike’s near complete attention was locked onto his food and not outright consuming the whole fruit in one fell swoop.

“And then,” White Fang continued, but his smile soured into a bittersweet frown, “there came the divide…”

Those low-toned words drew the tiny dragon out from his ravenous hunger as he wondered what “divide” could possibly imply.

“We dragons were honorable protectors who did not greed ourselves on excess of any kind, especially... jewels,” he breathed out heavily, as if he was exhaling poison. “A dark tempter, of mysterious origins, soon began to introduce many things that had been unheard of by dragon-kind.”

“When most of our number had become enraptured with… that monster’s ideas,” White Fang hissed, “he, if that’s even the appropriate term, made a deal with them.”

Spike was shoveling several slices of the berry into his open mouth when he paused and looked to the storyteller with increasing suspicion and curiosity.

“Enticing their envious souls,” calm, collected fury was pouring from the wyrm’s heart as he illustrated, “that fiend promised the secrets to their wildest dreams…”

In Spike’s opinion, as he thought it over, it did sound too good to be true, and, yet, he still couldn’t see the catch.

“…in exchange for one thing…”

“The suspense is killing me,” the chubby-cheeked dragon-child told himself as he was dining.

With a huff, White Fang released his anger, and looked down at the adolescent. “That they vow to never again aid their pony friends, or allow anyone else to help them.”

Spike nearly choked as he absorbed this new twist. “What?!” he blared once he had gulped a chunk that he had been chewing.

“Indeed,” agreed the aged drake.

“Don’t tell me they accepted!” Spike shouted, jumping straight up onto his chair.

“Sadly,” White Fang voiced, looking to the ceiling above, “the majority of those who listened to the tempter’s proposition did.”

A blank stare slapped itself onto the youth’s face as he let his arms hang like a couple of fish on a hook.

“There were those who stood against such an offer, but they were swiftly… silenced,” the crystal-skinned figure softly murmured as a single tear steadily trailed down the contours of his face.

Again unsure of what White Fang was saying, Spike remained silent as he lowered his form back into his seat.

“Then, without warning, a conflict overtook the land of the ponies.”

“No,” mouthed the petite, scaly kid.

“And when we who were still loyal to the pony-folk chose to act in their defense,” stated the ever-extraordinary elder being in a wounded tone, “those who had fallen into the tempter’s wiles turned on us with vicious aggression.”

“They outnumbered us ten to one, but we would not be deterred from our goal of fulfilling our promise. It was truly a horrible day.”

“So,” Spike etched on, “what happened?”

A low sigh escaped White Fang’s lips as he closed shut his eyelids. “In the end, we who were the Dragons of Light were defeated, and had to retreat in the face of annihilation.”

“We regrouped many leagues away before splitting into smaller groups, concluding what few remember as the War of the Divide.”

Just as Spike finished the last mouthful of the diamondberry, the messy minor gasped in shock, before realizing something. “Wait. Did you say ‘we’?”

“Yes,” White Fang answered plainly.

“How long ago was this, um…” he thought and failed to avoid the foreign term “…war?”

“I’m glad you asked, young one,” the adult dragon uttered. “It was more than one thousand and fifty years ago.”

“Whoa,” Spike dragged out with wide-eyed awe and a fruit crumb-circled craw.

“I see you enjoyed your cuisine,” White Fang pointed to the platter with an extended claw.

“Oh, yeah, that was better than a sapphire,” the pleased, plump-bellied lad replied in quick succession to the shift in topic. “In fact, it could have been tastier than any gem I’ve ever had. Would it be too much to ask where you got it?”

“Just one of the privileges of being a Dragon of Light,” the kindly creature responded before blowing a breath of luminescent white air over his barely warm vegetables, causing a boulder-sized bite of the reheated greens to float skyward, and he intercepted it with his open jaws, munching and grinding the sustenance with closed lips.

“But, what does it mean to be a ‘Dragon of Light’?” Spike questioned like a little school-colt.

Swallowing the source of nutrients with a great gulp, White Fang grinned at the curious youngling. “An excellent question, nestling, for which I will give an answer.” Clearing his throat with a cough, he started, “To be a Dragon of Light is not necessarily a rank or a position, or even an inheritance passed down through a bloodline. It is a belief that shines on the inside to the outside, showing the world that a dragon stands strong, not in his or her own strength, but in the belief that holds him, or her, true.”

Once again, Spike’s green eyes were bulging, with a mysterious excitement bubbling inside the depths of his soul.

“May I be frank with you, Spike?” asked the ancient figure.

“Umm, sure,” approved the tiny recipient.

His smile only seemed to grow with that response. “Ever since I first saw you, I could sense a spark from inside of you – the potential to be a Dragon of Light.”

“Really?” Spike yearned to hear more.

“Yes,” White Fang assured him, “and you proved that by passing my test.”

Then, the gargantuan, shimmering-skinned wyrm released a gust of his glowing exhaust, and it winded and twisted past the table at which Spike was sitting to the colorful crystal that remained where it had been dropped. Within a blink of an eye, the cloud had extracted the prism from its resting place and brought it to White Fang’s side.

“I have one last request for you,” the generous drake said.

“Please, tell me,” Spike graciously urged.

“Do you want to become a Dragon of Light?” White Fang iterated, almost in a ceremonial fashion.

“Yes!” declared the overly-hyped little guy as he hopped back onto his feet, atop the cushion of his seat, and pumped a fist above his head.

“Now don’t be too hasty,” the voice of reason spoke forth from the wise, old dragon. “This isn’t a decision to take lightly. It takes full devotion and self-sacrifice as you walk a long journey in life.”

“I can do it!” Spike reassured him as he held his head high.

“Very well then, my little friend,” White Fang gave in, “from this day forth, I shall teach you on what it means to be a Dragon of Light, and I would like you to have this as a memento.” In response, the magically-imbued crystal that was floating next to the towering being descended into the palms of the awaiting bright-eyed boy.

Although completely willing to stay and learn, as Spike gazed into the intricate patterns of the rainbow-hearted diamond, he realized that he may never see his pony friends again. As he thought about them, he knew he had them to thank for many of his lessons on how to be a good dragon and friend. But most of all, he would miss the six closest mares who had been his family – Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, who had been there for him from the very beginning. Oh, how he longed to say one last fare-

His thoughts were interrupted by a low hum that steadily grew as the crystal in his claws began exuding a beam of light that preceded the very streaks of color that bloomed from its core and wrapped around the form of the mystified minor.

“Huh?” Spike gasped as the diamond disappeared and was replaced by a field of blinding light that quickly overwhelmed him. “What’s happening-”

White Fang, meanwhile, stared on in surprised wonder as he witnessed the egg-shaped ball of magical energies lift his young protégé into the atmosphere above his head. Then, the oval began rotating on its ends like a spinning top, rapidly increasing in speed, until a brilliant flash signaled its end.

Trying hard to stare through the haze that had blinded his vision, the elder dragon managed to distinguish the silhouette of his prospective student floating like a feather to his original spot.

Yet, he had to blink through the fuzziness to see exactly what had become of Spike.

“Uh,” grunted the dazed adolescent as he sat up after landing back-first on the ground. “What happened?”

“My boy,” White Fang stated before breathing into his right paw and forming a circular mirror, which he held over the recovering youth, “I believe it may be best for you to see rather than to hear from an old dragon like me.”

Looking into the reflection, Spike saw an unfamiliar image staring back at him.

The eyes were the same jade green spectacles he was born with, but just about everything else was different: The first thing to cross his mind was that he was at least twice as tall as he had been only a minute ago. Then, the streamlined and slimmed figure that was now his body, in comparison to his former pudginess, almost made him feel like flexing. But the single most eye-catching detail was his skin – although it retained that sheen of purple that was so characteristically natural to his scales, there were outcroppings of red, blue, and green crystalline hide blended in with it.

“Whoa,” Spike sounded his low-level excitement, also testing to see if his voice had changed.

Satisfied to hear no noticeable deepening in his vocal range, he sprung to his feet, only to catch himself as he felt something unfurl behind him.

Peeking back at the mirror, Spike could only say one thing: “Whoa!”

Stretching wide, from each side of his back, was a reptilian wing, much like a bat’s, with the interior a faded purple and the exterior resembling the rest of his scales.

As his eyes drifted to beneath his chest, he saw his tail, which he was now able to actually manipulate into touching the top of the highest spine that stuck out from his cranium.

“This is just… I’m just… there are no words,” sporadically portrayed the elated youngster.

Smiling the whole time, while Spike was examining and adapting to his new self, White Fang stood by, until a single resounding noise trumpeted, shattering the moment of excited glee.

Listening to the blaring of the horn, as it sounded from afar and echoed through the confines of his cave, he knew what he was supposed to do.

“Spike,” the now straight-faced adult said, standing up on all fours.

“Yes,” he answered, paying his full, undivided attention to White Fang once he released a wing from the grasp of one his paws.

“I must go,” the great wyrm deadpanned as he turned to leave the chamber.

“Wait, where?” asked the curious dragon-child.

“To defend my pony friends,” White Fang stated with deep conviction.

“Can I come with you?” continued the prodding youngling as he moved to the edge of his steep vantage point.

Stopping in his tracks, the elder drake murmured it over under his breath. “Mmmm,” he rumbled lowly, “I don’t know. It will be dangerous.”

“I can hoofle it!” Spike pressed with a wide grin and his wings spread long.

“Alright then, jump on,” White Fang instructed.

Before he knew it, the short figure had, rather clumsily, flapped his way to the middle of White Fang’s back.

“Hold on tight, because it’s a long way down,” advised the ancient individual.

Almost instantaneously, the walking landmass-worth of living creature burst forth through the open hallway before clambering beyond a vertical passage that ended in a hole oriented on the angled slopes of a tall mountaintop.

With a single action, White Fang unfurled his own wings like dual sails and then propelled himself above the snow-capped earth, gliding along parallel to the rocky ridgeline that eventually gave way to a dense forest of greenery.

From there, he soared into the skies, setting course for the coastline.