Path of the Unforgiven

Chapters

Ch 1: An Unsettling Discovery
Ch 2: The Traveler Arrives
Ch 3: Webs We Weave
Ch 4: What's not to trust?
Ch 5: Caught in the Rain
Ch 6: Old Friends, Old Flame
Ch 7: "Broken Masks"
Ch 8: Trial Before the Elements
Ch 10: Celestia's Truth
Ch 11: Tear Away
Ch 12: Windows to the Soul
CH 13: Teutoburg
CH 14: Not All Who Wander Are Lost 1/2
CH 14: Not All Who Wander Are Lost 2/2
CH 15: Deep Secrets, and The Lost
CH 16: "...And Justice For All" finale part 1
CH 16: "...And Justice For All" finale part 2
Epilogue: "Dark Days Ahead"
Prologue
Ch 9: Where The Wild Things Are

Ch 1: An Unsettling Discovery

CANTERLOT LIBRARY

Following the nearly disastrous reception of the Yak prince, the Princess of friendship Twilight Sparkle, decided it would behoove her to become well acquainted with any and all information Equestria had on the tribes. True she could have learned plenty by going to the tribal lands herself, but in this case a bit of Rarity was rubbing off on her, and she decided that whatever she could gleam from the libraries of Canterlot and the Crystal Empire would be sufficient.

So she messaged to her sister-in-law Princess Cadence if she could have any literature regarding the Yaks. Since she had learned thus far that the Yaks themselves kept next to no written records, their’s being an oral tradition, she figured it was the best she was going to get.

The reading so far was fruitful, it turned out the Yaks had an ancient history in the far northern lands. Descended from fearsome raiders and warriors, they lived very much in the same way their ancestors did, excepting of course the frequent pillaging of nearby pony settlements, which ended with the Northern Accord after their defeat by the Kingdom of Thule.

“Huh?”

She re-read the passage in the lantern lit room, her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out if she has misread something. “The Kingdom of Thule…” she said aloud, this time sure that she had not misunderstood.

“I’ve never heard of ‘Thule’ before, why?” She was quickly acquiring more questions than answers in her mind. The familiarization with Yak customs would be interesting she had no doubt, but the curious mention of a previous unknown kingdom demanded attention, especially if it was capable of bringing the hundreds of formidable Yak hoards to heel.

Her horn alighted as she used her magic to flip through the pages, looking for any other mention of Thule. But there was nothing. “Hrmm” she grunted. “There must be more about it somewhere in here.” She left the book where it was and began wandering the aisles. She had located ‘The History and Culture of Yaks” in the history section, and returned there to look more closely. There were books on The Crystal empire, the settling of Equestria millennia ago, and even a few varied tomes on the distant lands of the Zebra tribes and Griffinstone. But nothing on anyplace called Thule.

“The library in the Empire might have something, but it’s strange for a library as old as Canterlot not to have anything. Maybe it’s cataloged elsewhere.” So she checked geography, language, art, spell casting reference, even music, but nothing came up.

Frustrated, she sat on her haunches staring at the history section, trying to understand the dearth of any works about this confounding kingdom of Thule.
“Wait a minute! Maybe…” years ago, she had worked out a spell that when activated, would illuminate a particular phrase or passage she wanted to locate. It came in handy when a highlighter wasn’t around. With her horn alighted, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the word ‘Thule’, and felt the radius of the spell expanding through the library, seeping into the books like water.

She opened her eyes, and looked about, searching for the tell-tale purple glow that indicated a location for the word. She hoped it would be a quick process, dinner time with Celestia and Luna was getting close. She looked, but the only sign was the same book she had been reading.

“Hmm, I’ll just have to ask Princess Celestia if she knows anything.” She chuckled, “Celestia’s probably forgotten more stuff than anypony knows.”
Twilight collected the Yak book into her saddle bag, and trotted for the exit. She was just passing the unmanned librarian desk when a tiny sliver of light caught her eye. She turned, and saw that on the side of the bookcase directly behind the desk, was a glimmer of purple light.

“So there is something in here!” With a smile for the small victory, Twilight guided over to the book case for a closer look. It was clear that the furniture piece had been there for a very long time, centuries for all she knew. It certainly looked heavy enough to be a from the older eras of workmanship. She wedged her magic between the wall and the shelf, and grit her teeth as she tried to move what must be several hundred pounds of wood and book.

“Jeez!” huff “What is this thing made of?” Finally the piece budged, a little bit, and a small crumb of debris fell and bounced off her snout. Then it hit her. “This thing weighs a ton because it’s made of rock!”

Indeed, inspecting the fine carvings and detail along the surfaces, she saw now that the entire shelf was exquisitely carved from a single block of stone. “Whatever’s behind here, somepony really doesn’t want anyone to know about it.” She paused, considering the logical inferences. “Maybe this is something I should leave alone. I mean, whatever’s behind there, somepony pushed a ton of rock in front of it to keep it there.”

She began to turn away when she realized that the light had gotten bigger and brighter, indicating that plenty of mentions of Thule lay beyond. She bit her lip, her eyes darting back and forth, the temptation of pursuing hidden knowledge overriding her good sense. Finally she gave in and recast the spell, doing her best to widen the gap enough to expose what lay beyond. “I sure wish, hrm, AppleJack was here!”

The push continued, and steadily the bookcase moved, swinging wide out of the way. She concentrated on pushing the fixture, and it wasn’t until she was satisfied that she looked to see what was uncovered. When the purple light dissipated, there remained a large ornately carved set of double doors, emblazoned with a intricately detailed relief Twilight didn’t recognize. “That looks like an old sun wheel” Eyeing the symbolism with a narrowed gaze, she noticed where the slim divide of the doors intercepted a small circular opening.

“And that’s a keyhole for a unicorn…” She arched an eyebrow, her appetite for study overcoming her awe for a moment. Quickly, she extracted a quill and notebook from her bag, and copied the strange depiction. “I’ll definitely have to ask about this.”

Finished, she glanced again at the set of doors, tapping her hoof on the floor. “Dinner’s not for another half-hour…” Twilight glanced side-to-side, making sure nopony else was watching, slowly, she crept up to the door, lowered her head, and with her magical aura aglow, pierced the darkness of the aperture. She had encountered a few of these before, and hoped that this one was not spell-bound to anypony in particular, like the one Princess Celestia had used to store the Elements of Harmony.

It took a few moments of her focusing on the idea of the door opening, but eventually, the doors began to move. Much like the book case, when she stepped back she heard the sound of stone scraping against stone. Strands of cobwebs and tiny bits of rock fell from their former perches; “This door must have been locked for ages, but why?”

The path now lay open, the space beyond the doors cloaked in pitch blackness. About now she was starting to think Spike had the right idea, hanging around the pool while she busied herself with hours of research. “Well, it can’t be worse than the Everfree Forest.”

She cast a brilliant glow around about her horn, which provided a range of illumination, and stepped inside. The room was much wider than she expected, “This is an whole ‘nother room!” she scrunched her face, and the bubble of light grew exponentially, revealing far more.

“Oh my…” Around her, came into view hundreds of books stocked on shelves, romantic busts of unicorns she had never seen before, and ancient maps of Equestria which displayed in tinged red patch of land to the north. She approached one of the maps, and studied the work, trying her best to decipher the archaic lettering. Across the highlighted area, was a name: ‘Þule’

“That must be where the Kingdom of Thule was!” She scanned over the map, and stopped when she saw the unmistakable iconography of the Crystal Empire to the east of Thule. “Thule and the Empire must have existed at the same time! But that would mean that this map is at least a thousand years old!”

Suddenly taken aback by the magnitude of the revelation, she stepped back and gave the rest of the room a more thorough look-over. There was a set of armor placed on a wooden figure. Finely crafted and durable looking, she had no doubt that this armor would still stand up to the swords of Celestia’s royal guard. Hanging from a metal peg, was an hugely oversized necklace of serrated, triangular teeth, each about the size of dinner plate. Twilight gulped at the thought of a creature that might bear such teeth.

Moving on, she saw more books, examples of pottery, weaving, and a few more articles of dress. “This was a whole civilization, how come I’ve never even heard of it before? And where did they all go?”

Something higher caught her eye, a banner, no…, an old tapestry. “Rarity would lose her mind if she saw this!” as she observed, the length of woven tapestry was painted with depictions of the general history of the kingdom. She scanned from left to right, trying to understand the scenes depicted; Unicorns battling against dragons, giant worms with wide mouths and many teeth. Twilight glanced sideways to the necklace again, now realizing the significance.

Continuing on the tapestry, she then saw armies of Unicorns and Yak engaged in war, which gave way to a scene of the Yak bowing to a regal looking Unicorn. Next was the image of a single pony with blue in his mane, facing up to a monstrous looking dragon that fumed with fire from its body. The next scene showed the same pony standing over the fallen dragon, his foreleg raised in triumph.

But Twilight stopped cold when she saw what was next. It was the right end of the tapestry, and depicted standing alongside the unicorn from the previous panels, was one she was very familiar with. With a red horn, and flowing black mane, there was no mistaking King Sombra.

“King Sombra… he was from Thule… I’m starting to see why they were so unpopular. But who was that other one? He seemed like a hero.”

Twilight used her magic to lift the end of the tapestry from where it hung for a better look, but as she did, the length of it fell and crumpled on the floor. Aghast at the thought of ruining the priceless work, her body tensed to react to her blunder. But the cloth settled on the stone floor, no worse the wear. “whew…” she exhaled, reassured that she had not destroyed a 1,000 year old piece of art.

But beyond where the tapestry had been hung, she saw the outline of something that she saw in every other part of the royal castle, a stained glass window. Using her magic to stretch the tapestry from one corner of a bookshelf to another, she stepped closer to the window, and her mouth dropped.

Depicted in the various shapes of glass, were two unicorn stallions. The one on the left reared back on his hind legs, and was charcoal grey. His mane was parted, with black bangs hanging down on either side of his head, and the center a dark blue combed back along his neck and held in place with a metal bracelet. Around his horn he wore a golden crown, with white gems embedded along its width. Above him was another symbol Twilight had never seen before, it looked like another sun wheel, but much more intricate.

“That must be his cutie mark… Oh, did they even call it that?” she wondered.

On the other side, was the unambiguous visage of King Sombra, similarly posed, but nonetheless looking exactly as she knew him. His crown was the same, silver, with long thorns at the side and centered with a red gem that was flanked by another set of spikes.

She then noticed the plaque beneath the window, which she gawked at for some information as to what she was seeing. The top half was inscribed in some incomprehensible script, which she deduced must be the written language of Thule. But the bottom half was written in an archaic but readable form of Equestrian.

“The good Prince Aeclypse, Principate of the Kingdom of Thule, and his brother, Prince Sombra, Principate of the Thulian Guard!”

Twilight's mind reeled, Sombra had a brother, Sombra was really a prince!
“Oh… I need to sit down.” She sat on her haunches, trying to wrap her mind around what this meant. “Ok, so Sombra is definitely evil, no question there. But his brother was good? And if this ‘Aeclypse’ was so good, and Thule so renown, why don’t ponies know about it?”

She looked again to the window, at the figure of Aeclypse, and wondered just what kind of pony he was. She again took out her quill and notebook, and sketched the cutie mark that hung above Aeclypse. She finished and returned her gaze to the blue-maned figure. “I’ll be back, Prince Æclypse” she said, trying to sound out the proper spelling on the plaque. “But right now I’ve got dinner to attend, and a lot of questions that need answering.”

Twilight left the antechamber, closed the stone doors behind her, and expended the effort to replace the leviathan bookcase. She didn’t want anything to disturb her investigation into this mysterious kingdom.

A bit later, back in the castle proper, she was rounding a corner when she saw her number one assistant Spike heading the same way.

“Hey Twilight! We’re just in time for dinner! Did you find anything good on the Yaks in the library?”

“That I did Spike, and so much more.”

Spike paused mid-step, allowing Twilight to move past him. “What does that mean?”

“It means…” she started coyly, “That I’m about to have some very interesting dinner conversations with Princess Celestia.”

Leading the way, Twilight opened the double doors to the executive dining room, where Celestia liked to host private dinner parties with friends and dignitaries. And there sitting in the center was the Princess of the Dawn herself, looking over some parchment letters.

“Hope I haven’t missed the appetizers!” Twilight cheerily asked, smiling as she took a seat to her teachers left side. Celestia gave her the same warm smile she always had for her, ever since Twilight first became her student.

“Not to worry Twilight, we’re still waiting on Luna, she tends to be a little slow getting out of bed in the evening.”

The Alicorns shared a small chuckle, as Spike took his own set to Twilight’s left; “That’s good, the chef here always makes the best deviled gems over toast, just the way I like ‘em.”

Twilight rolled her eyes at her companion, enjoying the levity. But her mind quickly went back into hunger mode. “Celestia, I was in the library, where I came across a few symbols I’ve never seen before, so I was wondering if you could tell me what they were.”

“Sure Twilight, I suppose it’s a useful trait of having been alive for so long.”

Twilight fished out her notebook, and flipped to the pages she had sketched, the door relief and Æclypse’s cutie mark on opposing pages. Celestia was taking a sip of tea when Twilight presented the images to her. Suddenly, the white Alicorn’s eyes widened in shock, and she came perilously close to spitting her tea all over the table. Twilight and Spike gaped in terror as their beloved ruler choked on her drink.

“Celestia! Are you alright?”

Celestia raised a hoof to stop them from approaching, swallowing the drink at last. All three remained silent for a moment as Celestia collected herself. Her guests looked on in anxious concern.

“Twilight, where did you find those symbols?”

Twilight stammered for the answer, still taken aback by her teachers reaction to seeing the sketches. “I was in the library reading about the Yak tribes, when the book mentioned ‘The Kingdom of Thule’”.

Hearing this, Celestia’s posture stiffened, as if something that was supposed to remain secret was coming out.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, “I got curious, and searched for any more mentions of Thule, which led me-”

“-Behind the stone bookcase.” Celestia finished for her. “Where you went through the doors bearing that crest.” she pointed a hoof to the relief of the sword and sun wheel, “and saw the window depicting a unicorn bearing that cutie mark.”

“Yes.” Twilight answered, nervous in the shadow of her mentors tone. “The good Prince Æclypse, and his brother, Sombra.”

Celestia nodded, accepting the fact that her favorite student, somepony that she held as close as a daughter as she would ever have, had stumbled upon a part of history she had hoped would remain locked away.

“Umm…” started Spike, raising a finger; “All I got out of that was ‘Sombra’, he’s not coming back is he?”

“No Spike,” Celestia responded, “Sombra is gone for good. Twilight, it pains me to have ask this of you, I know how passionate you are about seeking knowledge and truth, but, just this once I need you to forget about Thule. I locked that chamber away for a reason, and it serves no purpose to resurrect bad memories now. So please,” Celestia used her magic to close the notebook and put it down on the table. “don’t ask me again about Thule, or the good Prince Æclypse.”

The latter part Twilight couldn’t help but note was said with a tinge of bitter remorse. “If you think it’s best Princess.”

Celestia winced at the sound of her favorite student Twilight Sparkle addressing her formally at a private dinner, but there was one more thing she had to ask. “Twilight,” she began regretfully, “I must also ask that you make no mention of any of this around Luna. The memory is very… difficult for her.”

Twilight put her book away and nodded, “I understand.”. Celestia softened her features, genuinely sorry for the imposition, and placed a reassuring hoof on Twilight‘s shoulder; “I will explain it to you someday Twilight, all of it, I promise.”

Mentor and apprentice smiled at each other. “You too Spike.” Celestia mentioned sidelong at the diminutive dragon, “Not a word.”

Spike put his little hands up in a show of surrender, “Not a peep from me.”

“Good.” Celestia said with finality. And not a moment to soon as the double doors to the side of the room opened to revel the Princess of the Night. Luna strode in with the casual grace of a feline, a soft yawn escaping her lips.

“Do forgive our lateness sister” she began, slipping back into her archaic speech pattern. “But we’ve had a fitful slumber this day. Greetings Princess Twilight, greetings young Spike, it’s always a pleasure to see your jovial faces in this aged citadel.”

“A pleasure to be here Princess Luna” Said twilight, a bit unsure how to take the compliment.

Luna paused for a moment as she approached her own throne at Celestia’s right. Her face furrowed in curiosity, suddenly becoming aware of the odd air that hung between the dinner party. “Is something amiss? Did something happen? Is that scoundrel Discord up to his old tricks?”

Celestia chuckled, breaking the tension. “Nothing so dire sister, Twilight was merely asking me what I knew about the Hydras in the Everfree swamp.”

Luna scoffed, taking her seat; “Nasty beasts, terrorizing the Everfree as if they owned it. If you ask me Celestia,” Luna used her magic to pour herself some tea, and waved her cup around to accent her words. “You and I should don our armor once more, ride-out in chariot like we used to, and vanquish those loathsome creatures once and for all.”

Luna took a sip of her tea, and all relaxed. Spike took a bite of his tea cake and reclined in his seat. “Yeah, there’s always some monster making trouble in the Everfree.”

EVERFREE FOREST
DUSK

Somewhere in the murky woods, a filly screamed.

A head popped up, back-lit by the setting sun, water dripping from his mouth. A young grey stallion looked in the direction of the cry, his dark blue mane kicked-up by the wind.

Author's Note

No, your eyes did not deceive you. I did spell Æclypse’s name and Thule two different ways on purpose. Think of it as the native way of spelling it, and the Equestrian transliteration.

Ch 2: The Traveler Arrives

EVERFREE FOREST
Nightfall

Three fillies sped as fast as their little legs could take them through the menacing forest that bordered Ponyville. Behind them, members of the primeval forest’s infamous Timberwolf pack snapped and snarled as they ran down their tender prey. With mortal terror pushing them onward, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, felt their lungs burn and their manes filthy with dust and sweat. They managed to keep the wolves from getting too close by dodging and weaving into the brush, which had the added side-effect of getting them completely lost.

Scootaloo, the lightest and naturally fastest of the bunch, chanced a look back at her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders: “I think we’re just running deeper into the forest!”

“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle cried, “I thought you knew your way around this place!”

The young Apple family filly huffed, “It’s not like ‘ah got the whole place mapped out! And I’m navigatorin’ under duress!”

Behind them, the lead Timber Wolf of the four barked, the anticipation of feasting on tasty, tasty pony flesh making it ravenous. It lunged forward, and snapped it’s jaws after Sweetie Belle’s tail. The little unicorn let out a piercing scream as the growl of the rapacious beasts got chillingly close.

Not very far away in the forest, another unicorn was beating through the bush at full gallop, the dense vegetation not slowing the stallion down for a second. His saddle bags thumped against his grey furred body, and his ultramarine blue mane suffered the thorns and tears of the wild flora. His teeth grit and nostrils flared, he sped along, the icy blue of his irises deftly picking out obstacles and pitfalls in the darkness. He knew that based on the pitch of the scream, it was a young filly in trouble, and the type were not known for being able to outrun much.

The CMC ducked under a low branch and broke through a wall of leaves, racing just ahead of the wooden pack. The timberwolves vaulted the branch without breaking stride. They knew exactly where the immature ponies were heading, they had been carefully steering them out into the open this whole chase. The lead wolf gave the equivalent of a grin, soon they would run their prey down.

Scootaloo gasped as she saw where their blind scampering had led them. Coming out of the bush, they had entered a narrow path, with walls of impenetrable thorn brush on either side. The track was inescapable. “Hey! Maybe we’re in a dream again!” She concentrated, trying to grow her wings out to gross proportions. She opened her eyes, and saw that nothing had happened. “aaawwww…”

“I appreciate the thought” Sweetie Belle offered with a bitter smile.

“Look! There’s another one!” Apple Bloom yelled, motioning towards the far end of the path.

Ahead of them, a single figure raced down the trail on a collision course.

Scootaloo brought her naturally adept eyesight to focus, and saw that it was actually a stallion coming to meet them. “That’s no Timberwolf! That’s a unicorn!”

“yeah but what’re they gonna do against these things?” Behind Apple Bloom, the Timberwolves were swiftly closing the gap, the grunting of their breath raising the hairs of her mane.

“Hey mister! HELP US!” Sweetie Belle screamed, tears of fear streaming from her eyes.

“GET DOWN GIRLS!” The stallion yelled, his eyes already narrowed and focused on the threat behind them.

“Say what?!” Exclaimed Apple Bloom, incredulous at the command. The CMC and the strange stallion were only meters apart, the walls of thorns preventing anything but a game of chicken.

“I SAID, GET DOWN!”

The CMC lowered their heads, and went into a synchronized slide just as the grey unicorn vaulted over them. Sneering just as aggressively as the wooden predators, in mid air the stallion’s horn glowed in a bright white nimbus, and projected out a transparent construct of a rectangular block.

Unintimidated by the new single opponent, the four Timberwolves raced head-on into the magical construct, where their heads and upper-torsos crumpled as the momentum crushed them against the shield.

The three fillies gaped in awe as they watched the ferocious creatures reduced to a pile of sticks and leaves in a single blow.

“Cool…” Scootaloo spoke in a near whisper.

The unicorn stallion turned to them, his intense irises inspecting the three. “Are any of you hurt?” he asked in a surprisingly soft tone. He could already see that they were covered in scrapes, but any serious injury had to be noted as soon as possible. The Crusaders looked themselves over, searching for any injury that might have gone unnoticed in the flight for their lives.

Sweetie Belle stepped forward, and presented her right foreleg to him. On it, was a relatively sizable cut that wasn’t bleeding bad, but needed to be dressed. He took her hoof in his so gently it startled her a little “Let me see that.”

As he examined the wound, the fillies examined him. Slightly more muscular than your average stallion, he was otherwise normal, though his beaten and dusty saddle bags betrayed a long and traveled history.

“What’s your name little one?” he said, locking his eyes on Sweetie Belle’s, the filly held in thrall by the gaze.

“Sweetie Belle.” she answered delicately, almost afraid to speak under the brave stallion’s observation.

He glanced back down to the cut, then gave her a smile. “The wound is superficial Sweetie, it’ll heal without scar, but it does need to be cleaned and bandaged. Hold on, I have some purified water and wraps in my bag.”

While he used his magic to rummage through his bags, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined Sweetie Belle by her side, still wide-eyed. The bow-haired yellow filly finally got the nerve to speak; “I’m Apple Bloom, and ah ain’t never seen a unicorn use their magic like that. what’s yer name mister?”

The Stallion chuckled a bit. “Well Apple Bloom, magic, like any other skill can be honed and improved.” The stallion switched to searching in the opposite bag, “My name , is-”

“BEHIND YOU!” Scootaloo cried as she pointed a hoof beyond their new protector.

The stallion turned to see the Timberwolves reforming, the unique nature of their physiology allowing them to recover from devastating injury. “Stay behind me girls.” he warned, planting himself between the girls and the wolves.

“You can’t fight all of them by yourself!” yelled Sweetie Belle, joining her friends as they backed away.

With his horn glowing, the stallion smirked, “Trust me Sweetie, I’ve faced far worse than these paltry beasts. Watch this.”

The wolves pulled themselves together, and fixed their glowing green eyes on the lone pony who braved their gnashing fangs. “That’s right…” he said in a low tone, “You keep your eyes on me.” The stallion locked eyes with them, his horn pulsing with magical energy. “Every pack has an alpha, and the alpha pulls your strings.”

The Timberwolves found themselves unable to look away from the stallion, following the illuminated horn like a mesmerizing medallion.

“I’m your new alpha, I’m the puppet master, pulling the strings.” The wolves froze where they stood, their maws agape. “Now obey your master.” The hypnotized creatures made no move.

“MASTER!”

At once the four Timberwolves sat on their hind ends, obedient to the command of the unicorn. The three fillies couldn’t believe what they had seen, and stared open mouthed at the mysterious stallion as he turned back to them.

“My name is Wanderlust. Let’s dress that wound, and I’ll take you all home.”

LATER

With the sun now completely set, the quartet strolled through the dark forest, Wanderlust’s horn serving as a lantern to illuminate the immediate area as he led the group. The fillies walked together, still nervous about getting too close.

“So where ya from Mr. Wanderlust?” Apple Bloom asked, watching as the stranger scanned the edges of the light for activity.

“Wherever I may wander, wherever I roam. I haven’t ‘been from’ anywhere in particular for quite some time little one.”

“Well, then what are you doing in the Everfree Forest?” Scootaloo chimed, overcoming her reticence.

“I could ask you three the same thing. I know how to handle myself with dangerous creatures, but you lot are much too young to be playing in these gloomy woods. Tell me, how did you wind-up getting so lost?”

“It wasn’t our fault! Honest!” said Apple Bloom said defensively. “Yeah,” her orange friend continued, “we were just playing catch on Apple Bloom’s farm when those Timberwolves came out of the bush and cornered us!” Apple Bloom nodded, “And then they chased us inta’ the forest, where we just got deeper and deeper trying to git away.”

Wanderlust didn’t like the implications. Predators like Timberwolves were typically very afraid to leave the safety of the dense woodland. Only desperation would make them so bold, or something had enabled them to think it would be safe to do so.
“Apple Bloom, has your farm been allowing the Timberwolves to come onto the property?” he asked.

“Uh-uh” she shook her head, “My sister and Big Mac get on ‘em like butter on ‘taters!”

“I see.” he muttered, making further considerations. Something else pricked at his mind, and he looked back to see Sweetie Belle limping along on her bandaged leg, her face downcast in melancholy, and wincing with every step. Suddenly she found herself plucked from the ground in a white aura, and placed on Wanderlust’s back.

“We should keep you off that leg for the night. And you needn’t be so grim Sweetie, it’ll heal quickly.”

“It’s not that…” she began, but trailing off in thought. “What is it then?” He asked her, simultaneously watching the spaces between the branches and keeping an eye on his charges.

“It’s my sister. I’m gonna show up at home looking dirty and ragged with this cut on my leg, and she’s gonna freak out and make a giant deal of it.” She huffed, and settled her chin across her forelegs as she laid down.

Wanderlust smiled slightly, endeared to the trivial worries of the girl. “I’ll have a talk with your sister, and vouch for your story.”

Sweetie Belle scoffed, “Timberwolves are one thing, Rarity is another.”

Wanderlust flinched at the sound of the name, “could fate be that capricious?” he thought.

“Your sister’s name is Rarity?” he asked casually.

“Rarity, Ponyville’s seamstress to the stars!” Sweetie Belle sarcastically announced, waving a hoof around to exaggerate.

“I’m sure your letting your fears get the best of you, and one cannot live in fear.”

The group walked along, listing to the ambient noises of the forest. Apple Bloom glanced about as she traveled, a small shiver going up her spine despite the company. “So Mr. Wanderlust, for a stranger, you sure do seem sure of where yer goin’.”

“I travel by the stars Apple Bloom.” Wanderlust turned his eyes to the stars with contentment, as if seeing old friends. “I know where Ponyville lies in relation to the Everfree, we’re not but a few minutes away from the edge of the forest.”

“Have you been all over the world?” Scootaloo asked, the awe in her voice drawing out the last word.

“I could walk from one end of the world to the other, with just the stars to guide me.” He looked back to the Pegasus filly with a gleam in his eye, “And I have.”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom’s eyes widened in wonderment, looking to each other to make sure they had both heard the same thing. “Whoa….” they both said.

Off in the forest, a twig snapped. Immediately Wanderlust stopped, his every sense now geared to pin-pointing the approaching predator.

“Hey look!” Apple Bloom pointed towards a light through the branches. “There’s the farmhouse!”

“That’s good girls.” Wanderlust said, lifting a confused Sweetie Belle off his back. “Because you need to make for the exit on your own.”

“WHAT!” Sweetie Belle screamed, “Why?”

“Because we’re being stalked, something big by the sound of it. And I can’t fend it of properly with you lot so close. So here’s what we do, You three run for the edge of the woods, and I’ll be behind you. I’ll draw it out, an engage it while you get to the farm, understand?”

The CMC looked to each other frightened, too scared to move, yet to scared to stay. Wanderlust glanced from side to side, taking measure of the situation. “Go, now.”

The four bounded along the forest path, with something far larger running parallel through the brush to their left. Wanderlust side-glanced, and swinging his illuminated horn, sent a torrent of concussive magical power into the vegetation. The bush erupted into shards and smoke, allowing the unicorn to catch a glimpse of a shape moving through the dust.

He looked ahead, and saw that the fillies were nearly to the exit, the large expanse of farmland opening-up beyond. “Keep going girls!” he yelled, sending another blast of pale magic to the side, “don’t stop until you get inside the house!” Skidding to a stop, he watched over his shoulder as the girls made it out into the open. Content in their escape, he turned to issue his challenge.

“You think you’re the biggest, baddest thing that’s tried to eat me! I’ve faced the burning whips of the Caledonian Tar Squids! And I’ve tamed the fiercest Owallawod in the southern seas! You’re not the worst thing to come at me this week!”

The bush directly to Wanderlust’s left parted, and a Timberwolf with a head the size of a pull-cart leaned through. The stallion narrowed his eyes, and regarded the creature with a bit of respect.

“Clever girl…”

The Timberwolf pounced, all teeth and fury.

In the grassy field just outside the border of the forest, the CMC halted and spun around to watch for any sign of their companion. Apple Bloom nervously glanced over to the farm, and putting her hoof to her mouth, gave out a long, sharp whistle.

Scootaloo squirmed where she stood, “Do you think we should go back and help him?”

Apple Bloom swished her tail anxiously, “He told is to keep movin’, but, we can’t just leave him in there!”

Several flashes of light pulsed from the murk of the woods, proving that the fight was ongoing. Sweetie Belle watched intently, trembling with every thump and crash that echoed. Then a loud howl rung out, deriving a gasp from the three.

Winona came bouncing up to them, low and growling at the forest.

A heavy thump came next from the shadowed wood, followed by the creaking of the trees as they were pushed aside to make way for a towering predator.

The massive Timberwolf emerged from the forest, nearly 6 meters tall, and searching for it’s lost prey. Winona put herself in front of the filly trio, and began barking defensively. The Timberwolf beast turned it’s attention to them and loosed a bark of its own. The Apple family dog whimpered, cowed herself by the monster.

The girls backed away carefully, instinctively not wanting to invite a chase if they ran. Scootaloo gulped audibly, and Sweetie Belle began to whine, the tears in her eyes distorting her vision.

Down at the farmhouse, AppleJack and Big Mac dashed out of the door, wide-eyed and agitated by the terrible noise. “That’s gotta be a Timberwolf! Biggest ‘dern one ever been by that sound!”

“Eeyup!” exclaimed Big Mac, pointing a hoof to where the moonlight revealed an immense form at the edge of the property. “Apple Bloom!” AJ cried as they galloped as fast as they could towards the ravager of the Everfree.

The Timberwolf took its time plodding towards the tiny fillies, savoring the hunt. It’s luminous green eyes peering down, seeing only a snack barely big enough to pick it’s teeth with.

“If we run, it’ll catch us!” Scootaloo whimpered.

“If we don’t, it’ll catch us!” Apple Bloom finished.

The wolf tensed it’s legs in preparation to pounce, but something within its body moved, and caused the beast to bellow in confused pain. It thrashed it’s head, and snarled at nothing in particular, the internal conflict making it go mad.

Behind her, Apple Bloom could hear her big sister and brother calling out to her, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the pained predator.

Smoke began to seep out from the abdomen of the wolf; its cries becoming more and more intense as it stopped moving and could only wriggle in place. From the belly of the beast, an orange glow started to expand, the distinct smell of burning wood becoming more potent.

The Timberwolf threw itself on the ground, mewling and pawing at the dirt. AppleJack and Big Mac caught-up to the girls, both amazed at the sight before them. AJ was immediately reminded of the enormous wolf that once nearly claimed her, if not for the fortuitous rock-slinging of Spike.

“AppleJack!” Apple Bloom pleaded, “You gotta help! He ate our friend!”

“If he did, I reckon he‘s giving that critter some powerful indigestion!”

With smoke now pouring out of the Timberwolf’s body, it let loose one last strained howl, before a storm of fire burst from it’s stomach and blew the creature apart. AppleJack and Big Mac threw their bodies over the fillies as flaming splinters rained down over the field, the girls screamed, fearing the worst for their late protector.

When the chaos had ended, AppleJack looked to see nothing but a cloud of smoke where the Timberwolf had been. “Tarnation…”

“Eeyup…” her brother responded.

The group strode forward among the haze and scattering of burning wood. Spotting something in the epicenter, the CMC raced ahead of their elders. “Hey!” AppleJack scolded to no avail, “Don’t- uh!”

When Applejack and Big Mac found them, they were surrounding the motionless body of a grey unicorn stallion laying on his back, his horn still sporting a flicker of fire. AppleJack took her hat in her mouth, and used it to fan away the smoke.

“Mr. Wanderlust! Mr. Wanderlust! Are you alright?” cried Apple Bloom, prodding his chest with her fore-hooves, while Scootaloo tugged on his leg.

Sweetie Belle approached the side of his head, her pale green eyes searching for any sing of life.

*cough-cough* the CMC let out a happy gasp as Wanderlust fought to get air back in his lungs. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Sweetie Belle’s anxious face. “Well, now I’ve been inside a Timberwolf, a Hippo, and a giant sloth.” *hack!*

“Come on partner!” exclaimed AppleJack as Big Mac used a single leg to help Wanderlust to verticality. The unicorn wobbled a bit, shaking the debris out of his mane.

“He found us in the woods and saved us from getting eaten by a pack of Timberwolves all by himself!” Scootaloo championed, bouncing at his side.

Apple Bloom bounced on the other, “And then he fought the big one, and got ate!”

AppleJack approached, friendly but still a bit wary. “Just how’d you get out of that thing anyway?”

Wanderlust glanced upwards and seeing the tip of his horn was still burning, blew it out. “An old fire spell. Comes in handy in the strangest of places.”

“Well Mr. eh, Wanderlust, why don’t cha’ come back to the farmhouse and get cleaned-up?” the farmer offered.

Wanderlust cracked his neck from side to side, “I’d like to very much friend, but I’ve already made a deal to see this little one home.” he looked down at Sweetie Belle’s smiling face.

A bit later, on the walk back to Carousel Boutique, Sweetie was once again sitting on Wanderlust’s back as the pair strolled through town.

“Wanderlust?”

“Hmm?”

“Is it true that you traveled the world by the stars?”

“Absolutely.” once more, he gazed up to the blinking lights in the night sky, “I’ve spent my life looking at the stars, when I see one twinkle, I think of it like a musical note.”

“like a song?”

Wanderlust smiled, “very much so.”

Sweetie Belle took her own measure of the distant lights, trying to imagine notes being struck as each one flashed. “Could you teach me the song?”

“I’d be happy to Sweetie.”

Approaching the conspicuous structure, Wanderlust readied himself to meet one of the former bearers of the Elements. “I take it this is the boutique?”

“Yup” she answered, being placed back on the ground. “My sister can be a real drama queen, so just, don’t take it personally.”

“Trust me, I’m no stranger to dealing with over-the-top siblings.”

Sweetie Belle got up to the door, and was about to push it in when the door flung open, with a furious Rarity glaring down and her little sister. “Where have you been! *gaaasp!* you look absolutely horrid! Get in here this instant and go straight to the bathroom to clean yourself!”

“Ah-hem.”

Only now did Rarity look up to the stallion, who met her widening eyes. “I’m afraid Sweetie Belle and her friends were the victims of a Timberwolf attack, which got them lost in the forest. Fortunately I was nearby, and got them out of harm’s way. The farmer Applejack can also attest to the story, so please, don’t be angry with the little one.”

Rarity was stuck for words, he wasn’t as tall as Big Mac, but his muscles were toned, and his demeanor exuded confidence. But what caught her the most, was the intensity of his eyes, the way they sparkled with intelligence.

She was frozen for a moment, until Sweetie Belle poked her leg. Startled out of the stupor, Rarity shook her head and softened her expression, blinking as if her sister had just appeared from nowhere.

“Um, I’m so sorry dear, please forgive me, I just got so worried. Come in and clean yourself-up, and I’ll be along to give you some fresh bandages.”

Sweetie Belle cantered into the house, and gave the stallion a look back; “Goodnight Wanderlust, thank you!”

He smiled, “My pleasure Sweetie, I’ll see you again soon.”

Sweetie Belle made her way upstairs to the living quarters, leaving Rarity and Wanderlust alone.

“So, um, Wanderlust, I’ve never seen you in town before, are you new here or just passing through?”

The stallion peered into her eyes, appraising the mare before him. “I’ve passed through many places, but the time has come to settle down. I’ve heard that Ponyville is a nice place to make a home.”

“Oh it certainly is!” she chuckled, twirling her mane with a hoof. “are you looking for a place to stay?”

“AppleJack offered to rent me a spare room at the farmhouse, but something closer, or even in the village would be ideal.”

Rarity gave him a look over, his rugged appearance certainly looked like lived in a barn, but something tugged at her. “No need for that! You can stay in my spare room! No doubt you’ll be more comfortable than in some filthy barn.”

He grinned, and stepped inside. “Thank you. You are most generous miss Rarity.”

“I am known for it.” she laughed, trailing him in. “So I’ve heard.” he mused in his mind.

He used his magic to lift his saddle bags and place them on the floor, where they landed with a heavy thud. Rarity grimaced when she heard the impact. She then noticed the stranger’s cutie mark, the icon of a compass rose.

“So traveler, have you come far to reach our little hamlet?”

Wanderlust raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, “forgive me if this sounds cryptic, but one could say I’ve gone near and far to get here.”

It was now her turn to raise an eyebrow, which he matched with a chuckle, “Yes, in other words, I’ve come very far.”

Rarity exhaled lightly, put at ease by the humor. “Well I’m sure you can tell me all about it in the morning. I’m going to check on Sweetie Belle and prepare the guest room. Please, make yourself at home.”

Though she couldn’t see him as she cantered up the stairs, her last words had struck him to the core. He stood there, just as still among the display mannequins dressed in Rarity’s newest outfits. Fixed on the wall was a framed picture of Rarity and Sweetie Belle, hugging and laughing. Wanderlust stepped over to the picture, seeing his own regretful reflection in the glass.

“Home…”

Author's Note

I have no idea if Wanderlust resembles anyone else's OC. If it does, no, I'm not going to change it, but be assured that I'm not trying to rip anyone off.

Ch 3: Webs We Weave

Canterlot Castle

The light of Luna’s orbital trust shone in spectrum through the stained glass windows, rays of pastel colors playing across the walls of the castle. The Diarch of the day strolled through the throne hall, the window scenes frozen in motion passed over her white fur, distorting their features.

Twilight’s innocent discovery had unsettled Celestia, so much so, that she had been unable to put the matter out of her mind since. The affair with Thule, and Prince Æclypse in particular was a shame in the history of Equestria, and for her personally. One of the few times when she had to admit to herself that she had failed. But she also knew that she was in the right, and the blame for what happened was not hers to bear.

Still, Twilight could not have the proper context to understand why things happened the way they did. This is what she told herself to justify inhibiting the junior princess, that Celestia had to make sure Twilight didn’t jump to conclusions.

Celestia paused, and glanced over to the window that portrayed Twilight and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon. The image of the villainous Alicorn reminding her of another personal failure. As she stared at the artwork a more distant memory occurred to her, one that hadn’t had cause in centuries. She remembered watching Prince Æclypse leaving the Thulian throne hall for the last time, and the look in his iridescent eyes, prideful as ever as he turned back to speak his last words to her.

“I pray the day never comes, that you be forced to raise arms against your kin.”

The pain in his voice as he spoke, betrayed to Celestia that the bidding was not just a retort to the cause of his exile, but a prayer, his own unpretentious plea that the Alicorn’s never turn on one another.

Thinking of it now, with millennia of hindsight, it seems that even then the warning signs were showing. Perhaps she had been too blinded by her own indignation and worries to see the gesture for what it was. Æclypse had given her a forewarning, and her refusal to listen was a yoke of fault that lay squarely on her shoulders.

But the depiction that loomed over the hall was not just one of defeat, but of liberation, of restoration. Luna’s curse had been lifted and their sisterhood reunited, after a thousand years of regret and remorse. Even Discord, who was once feared for his maniacal and tyrannical subjugation of Equestria had been reformed, mostly. So perhaps the time was coming for this bit of history to come into the light.

Why did Twilight have to be so bloody curious? She thought to herself. Hopes aside, she had to make sure this didn’t get out of hoof.

The double doors at the hall’s main entrance opened, two guards at either side to hold the doors back. Between them stood a single stallion guard, his blue mane groomed smooth as it poked out of the top of his helm. He approached Celestia with a soldier’s stride, and presenting himself to her, offered a sharp salute.

“Flash Sentry, reporting as ordered your highness.”

Celestia dismissed his formal salute with a wave of her hoof, the guards at the entrance closing the doors. Left standing alone in the royal hall with the supreme ruler of Equestria, Flash was visibly nervous in the company of the Alicorn. The Pegasus ruffled his wings, feeling uncomfortable.

Celestia reassured him with a smile, “please relax Flash, you’re not in trouble or anything. Follow me.”

Flash exhaled, and fell in step when Celestia turned and began walking back along the length of the hall.

“How are you enjoying the 3rd shift?”

Flash fumbled for a answer to the highly unexpected question, “It’s peaceful, Your grace.”

“Good.” she responded, aware of how painfully awkward this must be for the young stallion. “there is something I need to ask you Flash, and please be truthful.”

“whatever you ask Princess.”

Celestia paused as she approached the throne on the dais. “I’ve noticed the gleam in the eyes whenever you and Princess Twilight catch sight of each other.”

Flash visibly shrunk back, afraid to say the wrong thing, but uneasy with voicing how he felt. “I, uh..”

“It’s fine Flash, I think it’s cute as a matter of fact.” His cheeks blushed under her inspection, despite the obscuration the helmet offered.

“It’s because I believe you to genuinely care about her, that I have you in mind for a, rather delicate task.”

“What… What would you have me do your highness?”

Celestia took a deep breath, “Recently the Princess has stumbled upon a bit of history in the library, that… I’m not ready to explain to her just yet. I need you to, how should I say this, keep an eye on her and let me know if she tries to investigate anything having to do with a Prince Æclypse, or a Kingdom of Thule.”

Flash Sentry found himself further off-balance, the request seemed so strange coming from the kind and patient Celestia. “You want me to… spy on Princess Twilight?”

Celestia flared a bit at the way he put it, but she couldn’t argue that he wasn’t technically right. “Essentially yes, but, it’s not out of distrust you must understand. Twilight tends to let her curiosity get the better of her.”

The Pegasus guard cast his eyes across the floor, as if some rescue from this predicament could be found on the carpet. “Your majesty, I’m a soldier, not some secret agent.” he pleaded.

She appreciated his reticence, but having someone trustworthy keeping an eye on Twilight would go a long way to easing her mind on the issue. So she offered him the same reassuring smile she had shown to a thousand different ponies, “I’m not asking you to skulk in the shadows dear, I can tell you’ve been wanting to find a way to spend some time with her, and now’s your chance.”

It was true enough, even when Twilight was visiting Canterlot, it was near impossible for them to run into each other. So even if he found this mission unpleasant, it was a chance he’d been wishing for. “If… if you think this is what’s best your highness.”

The second time tonight she heard the phrase, and both times it made her cringe. “It won’t be for long, Princess Twilight will only be here another night. After that, the task will be complete. She has already gone to bed for the night, so I would like for you to simply take a position guarding the library, just in case she hungers for some late night reading. Then tomorrow, after your rest, you can begin your mission.”

Celestia awaited his next nervous objection but none came, instead, he came to attention, and offered a salute. “Yes, your Majesty.”

“May the rest of your night be uneventful then.” she bid him, before Flash dropped his salute and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Flash…” The guard stopped, and spun around at attention. “Your Highness?”
“Your mission stays between you and I, that’s an order.”
“As you wish.” Flash complied, a sliver of the nervous tone back in his voice.

Celestia watched the young Pegasus as he left, and she felt his discomfort for the job. She turned her gaze to another of the stained glass windows that lined the lofty hall, this one striking a particular chord with how she was feeling. Floating above his hapless marionettes, Discord tormented ponies as they wailed under his cruel laughing face.

Normally she saw her orchestrations as vehicles for others to achieve, and overcome their limits. Tonight she felt like she was washing down a crime scene, covering-up her own misdeeds. She believed, she knew, that she was doing the right thing. But if that were true, why did she feel so terrible?

I see there are still things for me to learn, even after all these centuries.

The weight of her thoughts and of the hour forced a pang of tiredness across her face, and she yawned, putting a hoof across her face. It was getting late, and she needed her own rest in time for dawn and morning court.

The snow-coated Alicorn headed for the less advertised door hidden behind the dais by the full length red curtain, a much more direct route to the royal chambers.

But her departure did not go unnoticed. Watching Celestia’s effervescent tail disappear through the partition from the upper gallery, Princess Luna stared at the empty space with narrowed eyes of confusion.

MORNING
Carousel Boutique

The warm touch of sunlight filled Sweetie Belle’s colorful room, the unicorn filly stirred under her green blanket, a sigh of contentment escaped her as she turned over. But a trickle of laughter from downstairs roused the girl, and her eyes sleepily opened. The sound of her sister’s giggling drew her attention, and a smile crept across her face with the remembrance of their house guest.

Sweetie Belle quietly made her way down the stairs, desiring to eves-drop on whatever conversation they could be having for Rarity to laugh so, she spied on the kitchen from a position on the staircase. She saw her sister sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in her hoof, she flicked her hair as she giggled again to something Wanderlust was saying. He was using his magic to wiggle a skillet back and forth on the stove, wherein a pancake with swirls of red and blue cooked.

“So I asked the guy again, ‘are you sure you wouldn’t rather have the three bits’? but he says: ‘No! you want cross river in boat, you give sandwich!” Wanderlust phrased the response in a strange, terse accent, mimicking one that apparently didn’t share the common tongue with Equestria. “So, since I wanted to get away from Mooscow sooner rather than later, I gave that grizzled old Kostroma my lunch, and he ferried me across.”

“Well at least you got to keep your bits then right?” Rarity questioned, watching as he flipped the pancake.

“I could have spared him a dozen bits for the ride, that sandwich was special made for me by a particularly intoxicating Mooscovite mare, and I really, really liked her baked garden & field sandwich.” Wanderlust levitated the finished pancake onto a plate, and poured the batter for another into the pan.

“So, if this mare was so intoxicating, what had you fleeing Moosow so urgently?” Rarity asked coyly, taking a sip of her drink.

“Her husband.” he answered, without a trace of shame. Rarity’s sip caught midway down her throat, but went down after a hard swallow. “Oh my.”

“In my defense,” he started, making sure the cake didn’t stick, “I didn’t know she had a husband until that first shot whizzed through my mane.”

Despite herself, Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle at the indiscreet admission. And while she enjoyed the laugh, Wanderlust smiled; “yes, those pellet wounds can be quite nasty.” he mused to himself.

“Pellet wounds?” she asked incredulously.

The slip of the tongue caught him off guard for a split second, but laughed it off just as quickly, “Ah, yes, apparently he was quite the antiques buff.”

From her spot on the stairs, Sweetie Belle could smell the fruity aroma of the breakfast, she could tell there was blueberry and strawberry mixed into the batter. Still famished after the moonlit flight, her tummy rumbled, the food smelled so warm and flavorful.

“It smells so good!” she exclaimed as she bounded the rest of the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Both adult unicorns turned to smile at her, and for a moment they let the image stand in their minds.

“Just in time then.” Wanderlust happily spoke, his magic moving a platterful of pancakes over to the table.

“Oh they do smell simply divine!” the alabaster unicorn purred, taking a deep whiff as the plate was set down in front of her. The cakes were swirled in an elegant pattern of interlocking red and blue, as visually appealing as the aroma.

Sweetie Belle bounced into her chair, eagerly awaiting to be served.

“The trick…” Wanderlust began, simultaneously levitating plates, utensils, napkins, and pancakes through the air, in a synchronized storm of objects. “is to keep the cake from sticking to the pan, that way both sides avoid being darkened, saving the design.”

“Neat!” Sweetie Belle said, sitting up to get a better look, “did you use some kind of mixing spell to get them like that?”

“a toothpick actually. Sometimes art requires a personal touch.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” said Rarity, as the table was set before them. She took a fork in her magic, but Wanderlust parried her with the syrup bottle.

“It’s not quite the decedent syrup one might find in Saddle-Arabia, but, warmed up, it’ll serve fine enough.”

Placing a thick, fluffy pancake on each of their plates, Wanderlust squeezed a portion of maple sauce for them, using his magic to shape the syrup into a prancing unicorn.

Rarity tittered, “oh how delightful!”

“can I eat it now?” Sweetie Belle asked, pleading. “Dig in.” the stallion enjoined, and all three took their first bites.

Wanderlust took a bite and chewed contently, satisfied that he had not lost his touch, but when he looked to see if the girls were enjoying it, he was a bit surprised. Sweetie Belle sat there with the fork still in her mouth, apparently dumbstruck. Rarity was a little better off, she had managed to put her fork back down but simply stared ahead, her forehooves down by her side.

“Rarity? Are you ok?” he asked, his concern growing.

“I, uh, I need a moment.” then her eyelids dropped halfway, and she leaned forward slightly.

“Where did I pick those berries?” Wanderlust glanced over to his saddle-bags, trying to remember where exactly he’d gotten the berries he used.

“I can taste colors…” murmured Sweetie Belle.

A bit later, after the Belle girls had recovered and Sweetie joined her friends for school, Rarity walked beside Wanderlust as she toured him around town. “And that delectable looking house over there is Sugar Cube Corner, run by Mr. and Mrs. Cake”

“I take it that confectionary construct is a bakery of some kind?”

Rarity chuckled, “Well it’s not exactly subtle now is it?”

They strolled into Market Row, where ponies set-up their push carts to sell their various goods. Displays of produce, tools, and various odds and ends lined either side of the street, the village bazaar bustling with customers. Wanderlust glanced about, happy to see the activity of the small community. Rarity, who walked a step behind him, bit her lip trying to muster the courage to express what she had on her mind.

“You know I uh, I never really thanked you properly for saving Sweetie Belle.”

Wanderlust craned his neck as they walked to face her bemused by the admission. “I’d hate for you to think that I saved those fillies from the Timberwolves for some recompense.”

“Oh no, I was just um, thinking that I could perhaps make you something, some new saddle bags maybe? The ones you’re wearing have, shall I say, seen better days?”

Wanderlust knew perfectly well that his bags were not easily replaceable, but she was right, enchanted as they were, their service days were coming to an end. The bottom corners were worn nearly to threads, “Hmm, I tend to be sentimental about some things, buuuut I guess I could use a new set.”

“Oo-hu-hu, I already have a fantastic design in mind!”

The day was pleasant, and Wanderlust was enjoying the outing, and in no small part due to the company. So far his estimation of the Element bearers was correct, if not a disservice. The brief meeting with AppleJack allowed him to take his first measure, and so far his time with Rarity was proving that these small-town mares were the real deal. Perhaps what he had heard wasn’t too good to be true?

Rarity noted the sudden silence from her companion, and fearing he had lost his interest, she used her magic to adjust her mane, and tried a different vein. “Sweetie Belle certainly seem to have taken a shine to you.”

This got his attention, as Wanderlust found himself tugged on by the thought. He was glad to be a friend to the little filly, but there was something about the mares situation that seemed odd to him.

“She’s an adorable girl, which makes me wonder about something if it’s not crossing a line?”

“What is it?”

“I was wondering why she was living with you, where are your parents?”

Rarity was visibly taken aback by the question, and Wanderlust paused, “If it’s not something-”

“It’s alright dear,” she cut him off, her chipper attitude giving way to demured optimism. “You see, I was already living on my own when Mommy and Daddums had Sweetie Belle, and her birth apparently came right in the middle of their enjoying the golden years. Eventually I guess they wanted to pick up where they left off, so before embarking on an grand road trip across Equestria, they asked me to look after her.”

“How long ago was that?”

“A bit over two years ago, a few months before her 5th birthday.” Rarity finished by giving him a hopeful smile.

Wanderlust looked to her with concern. The mare loved her little sister, but the burden of having her parents dump their youngest on her while she was still getting her own life established stuck him as ignoble, callous even. And he did not like the taste of it one bit. His face twisted with a frown, that Rarity saw immediately, “Oh, but I’m sure they’re planning to come back home and settle down before long.”

“It seems to have been quote long already. Have they given any sign of their desire to return?”

“Not as such, no…” Rarity said, rubbing her chest with a hoof, “but they do send their postcards every few months, checking in on how we’re doing.”

Again, Wanderlust peered into her eyes, finding only wearied hope. “Well, it’s good then that she’s with somepony who cares for her so dearly.”

“But of course.” Rarity said a bit defensively, “she’s my little sister, we’re family.”

Wanderlust gazed away, mulling a thought. “Family has always been very important to me.”

Rarity seized the moment to break-up the tension in the conversation, “Where is your family from? Are there any near to Ponyville?”

Wanderlust was caught totally off-guard by the question, and stared at her for a moment lost for an answer. Finally his wits returned, and he constructed a semi-truthful reply. “I come from an old family, we used to live in the north, but, the climate became inhospitable. Sadly I am the last of my kin.”

“Oh”. Rarity felt even worse, and suddenly the lovely day had become quite uncomfortable.

“But enough of our pasts, come, you must regale me with gossip about all the obscure day-to-day goings on with your friends.”

“Oh you!” she scolded, thumping her shoulder into his, her spirit revived. “that reminds me, I have my weekly lunch date with Fluttershy at the spa today. So I’m afraid you’ll have to fend for yourself awhile.”

Wanderlust returned the jovial mood, “I think I can manage, plus I should stop by and see AppleJack.”

“Well, be back at the boutique for dinner, you simply must try some of my cooking. Oh, you wouldn’t happen to have any more of those berries would you?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

“ahhhhh, that’s where I got those berries.” Wanderlust jostled the bags on his sides, listening for the tell-tale noises. “I think I have a few left.” he said with a sly grin.

Rarity smirked and turned to walk away, brushing her tail across his chest in the process. “maybe we can have them for desert then. Ta.” She spoke the last word melodically, as if to tease him.

He watched her leave, a single eyebrow raised. “This is turning out much better than I anticipated.”

Wanderlust swung his head around to continue his discovery of the town, but when his head came forward, he found himself nose-to-nose with the blue eyes of a pink mare. “Oh, hello.”

The mare jumped twice her own height into the air, gasping as if in mortal shock. In a flash she zoomed over his head, off to wherever. Wanderlust stood there, staring at in the direction she had gone.

“PINKY PIE YOU GET BACK HERE!”

Another object raced over his head, chasing after the pink mare, this one leaving a trail of rainbow colored light behind it.

“Pinky Pie?” Wanderlust said to himself, questioningly. Then it hit him, “Pinky Pie! Rainbow Dash!”

He looked to the skies, and smiled. “The gods are having their fun with me now, aren’t they.”

PONYVILLE ELEMENTARY

By midday, class was humming along just like usual. Ms. Cheerilee’s lesson on local plant life was generally interesting, though her admonishment that Poison Joke was in fact no joke at all was the point she drove home. The teacher sat at her desk, going over papers that needed scoring. This left the class open to their own antics.

Rumble tried to focus on his work, but couldn’t help but look over when ever the earth-pony fillies Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie giggled. The girls sat next to each other, and took every opportunity to pass notes between them. Every so often, Sunny would glance back in his direction, then turn back to her friend and giggle. The bluish-grey Pegasus colt didn’t quite understand why he found the attention so interesting, he just knew he liked the way she looked at him.

A crumpled wad of paper struck him in the head. He looked over to see Scootaloo and Applebloom having a stifled laugh.

“Got him right in the head!” the apple filly chuckled.

“totally.” Scootaloo agreed.

Rumble’s face furrowed in irritation, but he didn’t have long to ponder his resentment. The school bell rang, and everyone got up from their seats.

“Alright, recess everyone!” Ms. Cheerilee announced, the class making their way out to the playgrounds.

Outside, Rumble was making his towards the training steps, set up in front of a thick cushion for pegasi foals to practice flying.

“Rumble! Wait up!”

Beside him, Shady Daze, the blue brother of Sunny Daze trotted up, “hey Shady, are you remembering a lot of this stuff about flowers?” Rumble asked.

“I think so, but sometimes I get confused on what’s a plant, and what’s an animal.” Shady said, looking to the ground.

“Yeah, I though the same thing when she talked about fruit bats. They look like strawberries, but their bats.”

The two went silent for a moment, before Shady perked his head up; “We got some weird animals around here.”

“talkin’ ‘bout weird animals are we?” came Pipsqueak’s Trottingham accented voice, as the patchy earth pony joined them.

Rumble chuckled, “yeah, maybe living next to the monster filled Everfree forest isn’t such a great idea!”

The three colts shared a laugh, and it was then that Shady Daze spied Sweetie Belle across the yard with her usual companions. She seemed to be in a strange state, with Applebloom and Scootaloo asking questions. “Hey, where’s Button? His mare-friend over there is looking a little weird herself.”

Again, they laughed at the comment, knowing full well that Button Mash hated when they made fun of his crush on the unicorn filly. Rumble took notice of how occupied Applebloom was.

“you guys wanna help me out with something?” Rumble said, eying the training steps.

Shady and Pip shared a mischievous glance; “What do you have in mind?”

Atop the training steps, about as high as an adult pony, Rumble and Shady Daze got a good look at their target.

“Seems like a long way to go just to get her back for a wad of paper.” Shady said, raising an eyebrow.

“Probably” Rumble answered, “but I can’t just throw it back at her, I gotta out-do her.” He tried to get the best measure of the distance as his could, his tongue sticking out from the side of his mouth as he concentrated. “You just gotta buck me hard enough, I’m pretty good at gliding.”

“If you say so.”

On the ground, Pipsqueak went ahead and got the plan rolling. He approached the CMC, looking as curious and chipper as always.

“Hey Applebloom, I heard you got attacked by a giant Timberwolf last night!”

Applebloom turned to him surprised, “Yeah, how’d you know about that?”

Scootaloo shortened her neck slightly, looking apologetic, “I… might’a bragged about it a little this morning before class.”

With all the fillies distracted by Pip, Rumble and Shady prepared themselves for the finale. “Here we go!” Said Rumble before taking a crumpled paper ball in his mouth. He flapped his little wings, which got him just enough elevation. Shady leaned forward on his forelegs, waiting for his friend to move into position. Rumble guided himself over behind Shady, who raised his rear legs up to press against the Pegasus’ own.

“Good luck!” the earth pony encouraged, just before he pushed away with all the junior strength he could muster. Which proved to be plenty as Rumble was sent sailing on his way.

Pipsqueak, seeing that the bombardment was oncoming, kept the attention focused on him. “How’d you get away?” he asked, not disingenuously.

“This stranger came out of the woods and smashed them all with his magic!” Scootaloo boasted, buzzing a few inches above the ground. It was now that she caught movement in the corner of her eye, and saw Rumble bearing down on them.

Acting as quick as she could, Scootaloo threw herself in between her friend and the descending Pegasus. The whole process played itself out in slow motion, as Scoots closed her eyes, and loosed a drawn-out “nooooooo!”. Seeing the opportunity quickly evaporating, Rumble dropped the paper bomb, aiming for the back of Applebloom’s head.

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widen in shock as she watched Scootaloo take the hit for their friend, Scootaloo taking the paper missile in the abdomen. The orange Pegasus crashed to the ground on her back, splayed out and unmoving.

As Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Pipsqueak gathered around the fallen Scootaloo, Rumble landed, he and Shady joining the group.

As the five foals gazed down at Scootaloo, Pipsqueak got visibly nervous, and he cast an accusatory hoof at Rumble; “I didn’t sign on for this! You said no-one would get hurt! You went too far!”

Pipsqueak turned and fled, leaving the others confused. Sweetie Belle craned her neck over Scootaloo’s face, “being a bit dramatic aren’t you?”

Scootaloo opened her eyes and blinked, “I probably could’a just knocked it away huh?”

Applebloom faced Rumble with a smile, “Hey that was a pretty good idea to get me back, wanna come play with us?”

“Sure!” The young Pegasus agreed, running after Applebloom as she headed towards the collection of beach balls. Shady gave Scootaloo a hoof to help her up, and she responded by leaping over his back, and jabbing him in the shoulder.

“Tag! You’re it!”

“Hey!”

As Scootaloo and Shady Daze scampered off to their game of cat-and-mouse, Sweetie Belle started to follow, but instead, cast a side-glance over to another group of foals playing on the hop-scotch grid. She could have sworn that one of them had been watching, but now, they were all focused on the game. Sweetie Belle shrugged, and cantered off to join her friends.

Over on the hop-scotch grid, a dull green furred colt with a mane and tail of mixed light and dark shades of grey, watched as Sweetie Belle left, his eyes narrowing.

Author's Note

The story begins to expand. While we will be seeing more of these and other ancillary characters, the main characters will not change, and everyone I do include will play their part in the larger story arc.

Comments? Questions? Complaints? Gripes? leave 'em below!

Ch 4: What's not to trust?

PONYVILLE DAY SPA

The ambient music of the spa rippled out through the dozen or so speakers placed to maximize sound saturation.

Fluttershy lay across a cushioned lounge chair, swaddled in a soft white robe with furry pink trim, and her hair bundled in a matching towel. She was reading a magazine contentedly, when the chime alert of the front door went off, and she looked up to see Rarity enter, wearing her typical broad-brimmed sun hat.

Humming to herself merrily, Rarity place her hat on one of several hooks that lined the wall. With a glow about her, Rarity saw where Fluttershy sat and went to join her.

“The usual please.” she announced to Aloe and Lotus Blossom, the earth pony mares who ran the spa.

Fluttershy watched her fiend go behind the folding wall to done her personalized robe that she was afforded for being such a regular customer. “Oh my, you seem cheerful today.” she said to Rarity as she got dressed.

“Well, it’s just such a lovely day dear.” Rarity purred, trotting her be-robed self over to join her friend. “I just feel like today is going to be a great day!” She continued to sing to herself just under her voice as Aloe placed her hooves into a foam rack to be serviced.

Fluttershy tried to glance back down at her reading material, but something still bugged her, there was definitely something different with Rarity. As the unicorn laid back and allowed the attendant to do her work, Fluttershy examined her friend’s face closely, trying to figure out what it could be. “Did you get another celebrity client?”

“Not recently, no.”

“Are you on the verge of a new seasonal line-up?”

“That’s still a few weeks away.”

“Are you… going for another trip to Manehattan?”

“Not until Spring.” Rarity finally faced her friend with an amused expression, “Fluttershy really, there’s nothing off with me.”

Fluttershy felt stymied, but still the itch persisted. She racked her brain for a reason Rarity could be so bright. Then a perfect fit popped into her head. She covered her mouth with a hoof as she attempted to stifle the excitement.

“Did you meet a new stallion!?”

At this, Rarity finally blushed, doing all she could not to burst out. “Maybe.”

Fluttershy gasped at the indirect admission, nearly toppling over as she leaned her body onto Rarity’s chair. “How did you meet him?”

Rarity bit her lip, unable to contain herself. “Well, he just sort of, showed-up at my door.”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy muttered, reverting to her timid posture.

“Apparently Sweetie Belle and her friends were being chased by some Timberwolves,”

“Oh no!” Fluttershy cried, shrinking into her seat.

“He intervened, and escorted them safely home.”

“Really?”

“Or so Sweetie Belle tells me, I’ll have to talk to ApplaJack and find out what she saw. But I’m sure she’ll confirm everything.”

Rarity imagined Wanderlust poised between the girls and the snarling wooden beasts. Romanticized in her mind’s eye he was daring, stout of chest, his mane flapping in the wind, an indomitable gleam in his sparkling eyes.

“Rarity?”

With the fillies cowering behind him, he parried the advance of a
Timberwolf with a shot of magic, blowing its upper body apart.

“um, Rarity?”

Engaged with the other two wolves, he reared-up and defiantly smashed a hoof into the maw of one, stabbing his magically charged horn into the breast of the other…

“Rarity!”
Rarity turned her face back towards her friend, “Oh! I’m sorry dear, I’m afraid I was daydreaming.”

This raised Fluttershy’s eyebrows, “gee Rarity, I haven’t seen you crushing on somepony like this since Trenderhoof.”

“Oh, he’s nothing like Trenderhoof at all.” Rarity waved her hoof in the air to dismiss the comparison.

“Really? What’s he like? Is he rich like Prince Blueblood?”
Rarity found herself stuck for an answer, realizing that she had gleamed very little information from him so far. In fact, she knew nothing except that was a skilled cook and mysterious. “Well… his name is Wanderlust… he’s very well traveled, doesn’t seem to want for money… and ah…is looking to move into town.”

Whoever this new guy was, Fluttershy thought, Rarity sure was smitten with him. Unusual for her, since she typically went for the rich and famous kinds. If it was true that he was brave enough to face Timberwolves, then he was indeed a different breed than the previous targets of Rarity’s affections.

“Oh, he sounds…um, nice.” Fluttershy put together, politely as she could.
“I know it’s all very sudden Fluttershy, and he’s not ostentatiously wealthy or illustrious., but there’s just something so enchanting about him.”

Something in Fluttershy stirred, a feeling of unease. This strange pony was getting Rarity wrapped around his hoof in no time, and moving into town? Fluttershy was known for being wary, but she hadn’t even met this stallion yet and already he was worrying her. Then again, maybe she should trust in her friend’s judgment, after all, Fluttershy spent her time with animals, what did she know about romance?

“Well Rarity, if he’s ok by you, then I’m sure he’s great.”

Rarity accepted her friends approval, though now confronted by the objectively hasty tempo of her attraction, she found herself considering just how much she should trust this nomad. What was he really in Ponyville for?

SWEET APPLE ACRES

As Wanderlust moseyed along the road, fields of apple trees on either side, he enjoyed the peaceful day, thinking to himself. So far his expedition was going far better than expected, it was as if fate wanted him to meet the six. What could the chances be? Rescuing the little sister of the bearer of Generosity, leading to the home of the bearer of Honesty, a chance encounter with Laughter and Loyalty? He hadn’t been in the town a full day, and all that remained were Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle, the latter of which would be the tough one.

Everything he had heard about the newly minted princess was impressive. She had risen from the relative obscurity, to being Celestia’s personal student, to becoming princess, one of only four Alicorns to ever exist. And despite being young herself, she is reputed to be the most naturally magically gifted pony since Starswirl the Bearded. Getting to know her would be crucial, but difficult. Surely, he thought to himself, the daily schedule of a princess must be a busy one.

But if the current rate was any indication, and if not, the proximity to her close friends would sooner than later give him the opportunity to meet her. Until then, he could enjoy the pleasantness this small town offered.

So this is the good life in Equestria… no wonder these ponies are so, innocent.

He chuckled to himself, and skipped, feeling happy about the situation. For some reason, he found his thoughts turning back to Rarity, and they way she teased him with her tail earlier. Wanderlust had courted more than his fair share of mares in his life, but this one, she was something else.

He stopped here he stood, and thought back to the moment at breakfast when Sweetie Belle had come down, when for an instant he got an image of what having a family of his own might be like.

But the sound of a pony exerting himself roused his attention, and he trotted over to the wooden split-rail fence that lined the side of the road. Off a ways into the orchid, Big Mac was taking a break as he hauled another cartload of apples among the trees. Never one to shy away from worthy labor, Wanderlust surmounted the fence and trotted over to the Apple stallion.

“Good morning Big Mac! Fine day for a harvest ey?”

“E’yup.” came the typical reply as he wiped a hoof across his brow. The cartload of apples he was yoked to was piled high with the product, several hundred pounds by Wanderlust’s estimation.

“Need a hoof with anything?”

Big Mac puffed his chest slightly at the offer, “E’nope.” Wanderlust glanced about, still seeing dozens of trees unpicked.

“Are the rest of these trees due to be picked?”

“E’yup.”

“Mind if I get a get a head start on the next haul?”

Big Mac put a hoof to his chin and thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. “E’nope.”

“excellent, I’ll gather a load and meet you at the barn. Sound good?”

“E’yup.”

Big Mac put his muscle back to work and set off hauling the cart back to the farm. Wanderlust watched him leave, an impish gleam in his eye. When the red stallion was out of sight, Wanderlust turned to the trees, his horn alight with magic. Focusing on the fruit-laden boughs he smirked, “This’ll be good for a laugh.” he mused.

A white shockwave pulsed out from his horn directed into the tree-tops, and shook the section of the orchid.

Pulling up to the barn house, Big Mac was relieved to finally have the burdensome load off his shoulders. The pulley-lift in the barn was going to be a far easier method of moving the apples into the cellar storage. Fixed atop a platform was a wide edged metal basin into which he could dump the fruit, and lower it down to the storage room for further sorting. He knew that even with the stranger’s help, there was still a whole days worth of work to be done.

“So where do they all go?”

Surprised, Big Mac turned to see Wanderlust approaching, curiously looking about for any given sign of where the apples were meant to go. But behind him was what set Mac’s brain on stun. Trailing behind Wanderlust was a cloud of apples, and not just a bushel or two. Big Mac gawked at what must have been at least three times his own haul, what he guessed close to two tons. Wanderlust trotted over, suspending the mass as easily as Big Mac had seen other unicorns handle a flowerpot. “Are they to go in the barn?”

Big Mac could only stare at the thousands of apples floating through the air as if no lighter than bubbles. “E…..yup”.

“Tarnation Wanderlust!”

AppleJack stared in wonder at the sight, “I don’t reckon ‘ah ever seen apples hauled like that before.”

“Oh this?” Wanderlust feigned, pointing a hoof to the assembly of apples swirling above his head, “Well I didn’t want to gather too many; I don’t know how much storage space you’ve available.”

“Well shoot, I think you’ve got enough to fill the whole cellar!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, was this too much?” asking her this was a small test, to see if she would tell the truth instead of being polite.

“Well I reckon you got just enough to get us an early start on cider season! Rainbow Dash is gonna barrel-roll when she hears that!”

Test, inconclusive. Wanderlust thought to himself, smiling in any case. “Come on in the barn,” Applejack enjoined, heading inside, “I’ll show ya where to plunk those suckers down.”

“Vunderbar!” the unicorn exclaimed as he followed her in. Big Mac looked back to his own cartload, suddenly self-conscious of the labor he’d have to expend to bring in his own comparatively small cargo, and hung his head. He threw his weight forward, and felt the cart begin to move. Unexpectedly, he then felt the cart get lighter. Still moving, he looked back to see the rear wheels covered in Wanderlust’s magical aura.

Ahead of him, Wanderlust glanced back to meet Big Mac’s obliged expression, and the two entered the barn.

With the unicorn’s help the sorting and storage went quicker than usual, and with hours of work done in minutes, the three settled down for a leisurely luncheon. They sat around a picnic blanket spread out on the grass, various items of food and drink laid out for the sampling. Big Mac lay with his head down across his legs in the shade of a tree, breathing softly as he napped

Wanderlust look a bite of an apple, savoring the sweet juice before swallowing. “I’m certainly convinced that the name ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ is well deserved.”

“Mighty kind ’a ya Wanderlust,” replied the lounging Applejack, as she let the sun bake her stomach. “almost as kind as riskin’ yer hide to save them fillies last night.”

Wanderlust waved the comment away, “It was the only thing to do, I’m happy to have done it.”

“Still, it ain’t every pony in this town would run headlong inta danger like that. Applebloom says you came in like a stallion possessed, smashed them twigly pups in one blow.”

“Based on my encounters with the Smiling Eastern Timberwolf, I knew that one swift strike would scatter them. Hardly the most jeopardy I’ve ever been in.”

“Reckon so, way you gave that big girl a belly buster.” she said laughingly.

“That one was new to me,” Wanderlust admitted, “had to think on my hooves for that one. Speaking of which, Applebloom said that the timberwolves actually chased them into the forest. This is odd behavior for their type of predator in my experience.”

“That is right strange behavior. Something musta got ‘em desperate, ‘cause we ain’t made it easy on ‘em to venture onta the farm.”

“I thought much the same.” taking another bite of apple, Wanderlust pondered what it could mean, what kind of rival predators could be forcing them out. “What kind of predators do you think could be strong enough to displace them?”

“Don’t rightly know,” a disappointed AppleJack said, “There’s so many strange critters in them woods.”

Wanderlust stared in the direction of the Everfree, where he could see its border just past a few rolling hills. As he mulled the possibilities, he took another bite of the apple, and was reminded of some of the exotic fruit he’d had. “Have you ever had a Turkish apple? They’re smaller than these, but remarkably juicy, with a honeyed aftertaste.”

“Can’t says ‘ah have.”

“Well, say what you want about Turkeys being ill-tempered, and they are, they can grow some mouthwatering fruits.”

“just wait ‘till ya try some Sweet Apple Cider, folks line up over the hill for a mug.”

Wanderlust’s eyebrows raised at the thought of indulging in a pint of the amber brew, it has been a while since I had a warm tankard.

The serenity of the lunch was interrupted by a multicolored whirlwind, as Rainbow Dash swooped down among a dust cloud.

“Hey Applejack, have you seen Pin-” she paused mid-sentence, struck by the presence of a strange grey stallion. AppleJack took the initiative, an introduced him. “Rainbow Dash, this here’s Wanderlust, he saved Applebloom and her friends from a pack ‘a timberwolves last night.”

“Happy to meet ya Wanderlust, takes a lot of stamina to outrun timberwolves.”

“Oh I didn’t outrun them,” he said with a cocksure tone “I broke them and blew them up” deliberately leaving out the part about mind-control.

“What? How?” Dash questioned incredulously.

“’ah ain’t never seen nothin’ like it Rainbow,” Applejack began; “That big ‘ole timberwolf had Wanderlust in ‘er gullet, then out comes this feller in a mess of fire and kindling’. Blew that critter inta more bits than Filthy Rich could count.”

Wanderlust enjoyed being able to brag for a bit, but he was mindful not to let it go too far. “I’ve stared down the maw of more than a few wily beasts before, so a few hard light constructs and a fire spell was all it took. A walk in the park really.”

Though she’d hate to show it, Rainbow Dash was impressed by his bravado. His poise gave no hint of insincerity, and she couldn’t deny he had the look of somepony who could handle himself. Still, her competitiveness began itching at her. “So, you think your pretty hot stuff huh? Care to go hoof-to-hoof against Ponyville’s resident Iron-Pony sometime?”

The challenge intrigued him, and the bearer of Loyalty seemed to be up to par with the others so far. This one would be fun, he decided.

He used his magic to pluck an apple from the basket on the blanket, and suspended it before him; “A gauntlet of games eh? Sounds like fun.” He tossed the apple in the air, at a trajectory that caused the apple to fall in the Pegasus’ direction.

Rainbow Dash tracked the apple, and prepared to catch it, but she never got the chance. A hoof reached out beside her and caught the fruit nimbly. She looked to her side, and recoiled to see Wanderlust sitting right next to her. How he had managed to get so close so fast without a sound she had no idea, but her own swagger took a knee as she stared at him wide-eyed. “HUH?!”

“But I’m afraid I’ve got a bit more exploring to do today. Another time perhaps.” He tilted his head to Applejack, who was equally stunned, “Thank you for the lunch AppleJack, but I’ve got a few more stops to make before I join Rarity for dinner.”

If the slight-of-hoof trick surprised them, they were floored by his announcement.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Wanderlust began apologetically, “Rarity put me up in her spare room last night, so I made her breakfast this morning, and she’s offered dinner in return,”

AppleJack’s face remained, while Rainbow covered her mouth with both fore-hooves.

“Enjoy the rest of your day ladies, I’ll be seeing you around.”

Satisfied by how the encounter had gone, Wanderlust couldn’t help but smirk as he left the mares gob-smacked.

Rainbow Dash waited until he was out of earshot, before turning to AppleJack with exasperation. “He’s staying at Rarity’s house! Where’s this guy even from?”

“ahhhhh… don’t think he mentioned exactly.”
Rainbow massaged her chin, “There’s something really strange about that pony.”

“the feelin’s mutual, but he seems like one of the good guys.”

The avatar of Loyalty peered with narrowed gaze to where Wanderlust had left. But an older thought came to the fore of her mind, “Oh yeah, I was gonna ask ya, have you seen Pinky Pie anywhere? She put elastic bands on my wings during my mid-morning nap, and I gotta get her back!”

AppleJack chuckled and used her hat to fan her face, “Naw, I ain’t seen Pinky all day. But if’n I do, I’ll tell her that ‘yer gunnin’ for her.”

“You do that.” Rainbow said, before jetting off into the sky. AppleJack watched as her friends trail vanished in the clouds, and set her hat back over her face for a little shuteye.

CANTERLOT

Hustling through the lavish halls of the capital castle, Flash Sentry adjusted his armor, doing his best to do so as he checked room after room for Princess Twilight. He had slept fitfully all morning, his qualms about the mission not settling well with him.

Is she in here? Flash ducked his head into a vacant conference room, as long and lofty as any other in the castle. not here either.

He thought that she might be occupied in her Canterlot quarters, but going there would be too conspicuous, he had to pick his moment. The library was where he checked first, but no such luck. The ballroom, no, the garden, no, the throne hall, no.

If she was as interested in this bit about some place called ‘Thule’ and a prince with an odd name as Celestia was worried she was, he wasn’t sure he could stop her. Twilight was renown for being resourceful, and combined with her royal privileges to access sections of the castle off limits even to him, if she wanted to investigate something, there was little to get in her way.

Flash glanced down another hallway, just as absent the purple princess as all others so far. ow, I’ve gotta find her! Princess Celestia is counting on me!

None of his training as a guardstallion had prepared him for a mission like this. True, none of his training had prepared him for the likes of Chrysalis or Tirek either, but this was cloak and dagger stuff, not soldering.

“Morning Flash.”

As Flash Sentry looked into another room, Spike walked past him.

“Morning Spike.”

It took a moment to register, but eventually Flash’s eyes shot open and he put himself in front of Spike.

“Spike! Thank Celestia you came by!”

Spike recoiled at the urgent tone in Flash’s voice; “What’s up? Is there something wrong?”

Realizing his mistake, Flash tried to recover by relaxing his manner; “Wrong? No, nothing’s wrong. I was just ah, wondering if you knew where Princess Twilight was?” he shot Spike a casual smile, attempting to hide the nervousness.

Spike responded by giving Flash a suspicious glare, “I do, but why do you wanna know?” he asked, crossing his arms.

Flash knew he wasn’t the most capable liar, so he swallowed his pride and decided to come out with the truth. Well, some of it anyway. “Spike, I’ll level with ya, I’ve been crushing on the Princess for a while now, and I just wanted a chance to talk to her before she heads back home.”

Spike regarded him coolly, as if debating the veracity of his plea. But after a moment his expression softened, “Yeah, I know. I’m pretty sure everybody knows really. Tell you what, let’s just say that you might find her reading in the western veranda.”

Flash bowed at Spike’s feet, inwardly more grateful than that for the tip. “Thank you Spike, I own you big time little guy!”

Without wasting another second Flash took off, his wings propelling him through the halls, leaving Spike behind; “It’s about time that guy made a move.”

Out on the deck of the western veranda, as some ponies lounged in the cool afternoon air, and others talked with friends, Twilight Sparkle sat in a large cushion, a book open before her. She sighed as she turned another page, the expression on her face betraying the painful boredom she suffered.

Why won’t Celestia let me learn about Thule? she wondered, her pupils moving over the text of the book out of reflex, Why does it feel like she’s hiding something from me? It’s so not like her. It was the utter shock her mentor had shown that kept playing itself over in Twilight’s mind, the look somepony might have if they saw a ghost. And why would the memory be especially difficult for Luna? What’s she got to do with it all? Question piled on question, feeding a self-perpetuating cycle of mystery.

She wanted to abide Celestia’s counsel to leave the matter alone until she could explain things in full, but her intuition was clawing at her to study what had been hidden away for a thousand years.

Twilight exhaled, closing the book she was unable to focus on. She gazed over the railing to the city streets below, where the activity of Equestria’s denizens carried on like always. Maybe I could sneak into the room tonight, for just a little bit… she thought.

“Um… Princess?”

Her posture stiffened at the sound of her title, and searching, found a familiar face smiling nervously at her. She was unable to react at first, her melancholy fighting against being overcome by the foalish feelings that emerged whenever she spoke to Flash Sentry. Though it had been her interaction with the alternate version of him that had led to her liking him, the chemistry between them seemed to transcend dimensions. And despite herself, she couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across her face.

“Oh, hello Flash,”

She had wanted to approach him before, but every time she came to Canterlot she was always busy with one demanding situation or another. Plus there was the added difficulty of breaking the ice, it wasn’t like she could tell him that she had gotten all googly-eyed at his human counterpart. But perhaps this was just the thing to get her mind off away from ideas of conspiracy and secrecy.

“good to see you. Can I help you with something?”

The Pegasus guard faltered for an answer, “I ah, I was actually wondering if you could spare a few minutes for a walk in the garden?”

Twilight appeared genuinely stunned by the offer, not only by the boldness of a guard asking a princess out for courting, but because it was precisely what she was hoping for. Part of her wanted to jump up and down like a filly, but a more mature part of her decided to take advantage of her position. Her face softened as she employed what tricks she understood a mare might use to charm a stallion, throwing her hair back to open her expression.

“Why Flash Sentry, I’d love to be escorted by one of Canterlot’s finest soldiers.”

Hearing this, Flash felt the weight of a thousand pounds drop off his shoulders. Not only was he going to get the time with the princess he had wanted for years, but she seemed to be just as interested as he was. Maybe Celestia giving him this mission wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Twilight rose from her cushion, put her book into a saddle bag, and placed herself next to Flash. “Lead on brave Sir.”

Flash Sentry blushed as he felt the warmth of her body beside his. He didn’t exactly think the experience of being this close to an alicorn would be especially supernatural. But Twilight Sparkle simply emanated power, and he guessed that was what came with being such a powerhouse of magical energy. He felt his own nerves excite just by proximity to the vitality she radiated.

Twilight had read about flirting and courtship a few times, but here in the moment, she found herself reflecting on instances in which she saw Rarity use her wiles on males. The thought occurred to her that this might be an example of reflexive instinct, relying on her feminine intuition rather than academic knowledge. She filed the notion away in her mind for later study.

The two strolled out of the veranda, not speaking but simply enjoying each other’s presence on the warm sunny day.

Watching them exit the area from a window high above the castle grounds, a lone figure looked on. Celestia’s mind told her that this was the smart thing to do, making sure that her protégé didn’t develop a colored version of events. But at the same time her heart ached, asking Twilight to stifle her interest felt repugnant, and now using someone who cared for her to inform on her activities. Nothing about this felt right, and Celestia hated herself for having to justify actions that would normally be out of the question.

Am I too blinded by my shame to trust in Twilight’s judgment? Am I doing nothing more than repeating my mistake? Is Æclypse leaning forward through the centuries to whisper in my ear, remind me that I am not guiltless? that I let my mistrust guide me down the wrong path before? Was he right about me?

Celestia turned away from the window, suddenly feeling unworthy of the Sun’s light. Walking through the ornate and famous halls of the castle, she thought back to a conversation long since past. One that had haunted her for a thousand years.

In her mind she was transported to a throne hall lit by braziers, the musty smell of the ancient masonry combined with the aroma of the bark incense. The moonlight spilled through the stained glass windows onto plaster busts of past kings and queens who watched over the court bequeathed to posterity. These served to accent the room, constructed of large stone blocks, and decorated with tapestry. And the hall that usually hosted grand feasts and dispensations of royal justice was tonight dominated by the impassioned dispute of leaders of state.

The argument has been raging for over an hour, but still neither side would give. Prince Æclypse stood before the throne he would one day assume, impassive and undaunted as he stared down the dais to the ruler of all Equestria, who glared back at him with equal determination. Much had gone unsaid between them, neither desiring to make the issue about petty personal squabbles, but the phantom hung between them nonetheless.

Æclypse scowled down to the alicorn; the cord of his patience finally having frayed to the snapping point.

“You rule from your shining palace on the mountain, grandstanding for all those doe-eyed peasants who live in Canterlot’s shadow. You might be able to adwell them, but you do not fool me! You pass yourself off as a beacon of wisdom and light, but I see through your manufactured nimbus Celestia. I see you for the calculating autocrat you really are.”

“Your words are as false as they are cruel Æclypse!” The accusation stung her deeply, as everything she had done thus far was to liberate ponies from terror and oppression. To be indicted as some scheming despot was something that offended her so profoundly, it focused her vision to a point. “I have come here to ask thee for your aid, that thee might do what is right and help to liberate the Crystal Empire from the evil thy own brother has enslaved it into. Yet thee treat me as some conniving villain! As if I have come to shroud thy land betwixt misery and torment! I had thought much better of thee, hoped as much, but it appears that I was severely mistaken!”

The fire of the braziers reflected in their eyes as neither flinched, neither wanting to show an ounce of surrender. But inwardly both were maelstroms of emotion. Celestia felt her legs burning to shake with rage and indignation, the undeserved disrespect merely the salt in the wound of his refusal to join the just cause. How he could be so stubborn, so prideful, so infuriatingly resistant to doing the right thing, made her nearly cry with anger.

Within Æclypse a different tempest was racking his soul, not derived from the present confrontation, but rather what he knew the consequences of it would be. He felt a great pit of sadness collapse in his heart, that he should be faced with such an anguishing decision, one that he would never remember without tears. Why she had such hatred for him, such mistrust, he simply couldn’t understand. And why she couldn’t accept how abhorrent it was for him to raise the banner of war against blood kin, confirmed to him that the hostility between them stemmed from more than just ßombra’s mad venture, it was a personal antipathy.

His eyes pained to be let loose to sob, to lament the bright and prosperous future he had dreamed of, that was now beyond rescue. But his role as Participate demanded he swallow his grief and remain stoic in the presence of the alicorn, weakness in the face of such power would be an unforgivable dishonor. Celestia likewise stiffened her posture, if she was going to rule Equestria, she had to be able to depend on her regional administrators. But this was no mere governor she was dealing with, she knew perfectly well that Æclypse was one step away from being crowned king, an event she secretly feared to pass.

Finally, the Thulian prince broke the silence; “Not more so than I, it seems.” His voice strained. “I will weep, for the future we have slain this night.”

Celestia opened her eyes to find herself alone in the cavernous halls of Canterlot castle, staring down a hall of antique armors, tapestries, and portraits. The resurgent memory left her unable to move for a moment, reflecting on the pain she saw in his face when he spoke those words. What kind of future did he envision? she wondered, realizing that she had never really considered the possibility. Was my suspicion unwarranted? Did I deprive Equestria of a greater history?

She sighed, deciding that what was done was done, the past remained immutable. But there could be some restoration. Perhaps Twilight’s discovery was a sign for her to do for Thule what she did for the Crystal Empire. Granted her hoof had been forced on that matter when the city re-materialized. For a moment she wondered if Cadence had any idea about her territory’s former neighbor.

It was time to face-up to this part of her past she resolved, time to put this ghost to rest once and for all. She would tell Twilight what she wanted to know. Just, not quite yet. She needed a day or two to prepare herself for how she might lay things out. Twilight deserved the truth, the right truth.

The Canterlot Royal Gardens bloomed with every color of the spectrum, drinking in the life giving rays of the sun. Butterflies and garden insects of all varieties fluttered and buzzed through the flowers, the park flourishing with life.

Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle sauntered along the pathway between bushes of exotic fauna, donated not just from the corners of Equestria, but from foreign lands as far as Saddle Arabia and the savannahs of the Zebra tribes.

“So tell me Flash, how did you wind up in the royal guard? The settled life of a shopkeeper not exciting enough for you?”

He chuckled, rather from nervousness than other. “I’m sure my dad would have preferred that. The family business is a photography shop in Fillydelphia, but I never had any interest for it. I wanted to see more in life, so I let my little brother take my place, and traveled around a bit. I spent a few years in Manehattan, Baltimare, and even spent a summer working for a yacht club down in Horseshoe Bay.”

“Wow, an adventurous life like that makes me wonder why you’d enlist in the guard. It’s such an organized, stable job after all.”

“I got tired of the lack of direction. I was here in the city looking for work, when a platoon of the guard passed me by. And I guess I was just struck by the purpose, to defend Equestria, through the darkness and the light. I enlisted that afternoon.”

Twilight though back to her encounters with his counterpart, trying to imagine him dressed in whatever uniform their soldiers wore.

“I’m curious Flash, do you play any instruments?”

At this his ears perked, and his face beamed with delight; “Why yes, yes I do.”

In the center of the garden beside the grand white marble fountain, Twilight and Flash sat on the similarly immaculately kept bench. She watched as he adjusted the strings of his lute, which she would have previously thought to be a tricky task for someone without magic, but the way his hooves nimbly manipulated the pegs impressed her.

“I’ve been working on this one for a long time, and I think I’ve got it down pat.”

He strummed the strings a few times to make sure the tuning was where he wanted, and began playing;

She couldn’t believe how good he was, to think somepony with this musical talent was spending his days marching around in body armor. Finished, Flash looked to her, awaiting either praise or criticism.

“Well? What’cha think?”

“I thought it was wonderful Flash, it must have taken you years to learn how to play like that.”

“I started back when I was living in Manehattan, I was playing on the street for bits to get by.”

Whatever forces governed the fate of ponies and humans, Twilight had to think that they were at work here. The attraction between them seemed to be inevitable.

A small bird chirping on the rim of the fountain drew their attention, it dipped it’s head into the water and began taking a bath. Absentmindedly, Twilight caught the reflection of the sun in the rippling pool, and was suddenly reminded of the time.

“Ohmygosh!” she exclaimed, jumping down from the bench.

“What is it?

“I completely lost track of time, hehe, I’ve got to get back to the library and checkout the other books on Yakyakistan. I’m going home in the morning.”

The mention of the library completely dashed all the pleasant feelings Flash was enjoying, the mission resurgent. Flash jumped from his seat, placing himself between Twilight and her path of travel. “Let me walk you!”, he asked, smiling nervously.

Immediately put off by the sudden shift in demeanor, Twilight pacified him with a quick smile as she side-stepped around him. “Another time Flash, I really do have to take care of this, and I wouldn’t want to drag you around the library.”

“Oh, alright.” Flash felt his chest tighten. Not just because he might have blown it with Twilight, but his mission centered on finding out if she was still investigating whatever this Thule place was. He cringed inwardly, Why didn’t I ask her about her studies earlier! Stupid!

But Twilight caught the disappointment in his voice, and found a way to lift his spirit as she left. “But next time I’m in Canterlot you’ll have to play for me over dinner.”

Flash’s jaw literally dropped, fortunately after Twilight had turned from him. Did a princess just invite me to dinner? His stupefied reaction waning, he shook his head clear and thought hard for a way to keep the mission alive. Finally, an idea came to him.

Author's Note

It started to get long, so I cut it off for the start of part 5, which as it looks, is the better decision. But if you guys want longer chapters, let me know.

Any gripes, complaints, verbose rants, let me know below.

Wanderlust and Æclypse are my Ocs.
Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, et all are the product of Lauren Faust, and owned by Hasbro, In case anyone was unaware.

Ch 5: Caught in the Rain

SKIES OVER PONYVILLE

The bright and clear day was par the course in Ponyville, especially since they had one of the best weather ponies in Equestria on hand to keep the skies blue. Rainbow Dash, exploiting her tremendous Pegasus eyesight, scanned every inch of her small town for a sign of her friend and for the moment, adversary, Pinky Pie.

Crouched over a grey rain cloud, she smirked with thoughts of revenge; “If she thinks she’s gonna get away with messin’ with my wings…” she patted the cloud, savoring the feeling of anticipatory revenge. After fixing an elastic band around her wings, Pinky had tied balloons to one of her confetti cannons, and set it off. The resulting scare nearly saw Rainbow tumble out of her napping cloud, fortunately, she was able to regain her standing and avert disaster.

“As soon as she pokes her cotton candy mane out from wherever she’s hiding, it’s shower time! He-he!”

Peering down, she finally caught sight of her target. The bouncing fluffy maned mare was trotting around the corner of city hall, her saddlebags overflowing with party trappings. But just as Rainbow started moving her cloud into position, a stallion exited the building, tucking a rolled piece of parchment into his own bags. He and Pinky nearly collided, and both recoiled after having come nose-to-nose. Wanderlust seemed more confused than surprised, and Rainbow’s hearing allowed her to pick-up on his reaction.

“Oh, hello again Pinky. I don’t think we‘-”

But Pinky’s reaction cut him off, darting off in a cloud of dust and leaving him behind. Wanderlust crumpled his face in dismay, apparently disappointed by the brief encounter. For the moment, Rainbow lost her interest in settling the score with her friend, and became much more curious about whatever it was Wanderlust had been doing in the Mayor’s office.

“Wait…” Rainbow asked herself; “how did he know her name?” She thought back to earlier, and she remembered mentioning the name Pinky, but how could he know it was her? Well, other than the pink mane and fur. She abandoned her leaden cloud and swooped down to the height of the houses, trailing after Wanderlust and careful that her shadow not give her away.

As he strolled through the streets, he took in the local color, smiling and greeting the townsponies along the way. Nothing too sinister yet she mulled, watching as he tilted his head quizzically at the ‘Quills and Sofas’ shop. Rainbow landed on the ridge of a roof, beginning to consider if she was making too much of this. "AppleJack seemed to think he’s alright, and Rarity’s inviting him for dinner…” Rainbow found it unlikely that two ponies as unalike as her friends would both be conned by this guy.

She was about to fly off and resume her prank crusade, when she noticed Wanderlust had diverted his attention towards Twilights castle. Unlike the local features he had been exploring, now his posture went very still, fixating on the palace.

“what are you up to?” She wondered aloud. Bits and pieces of Daring Do stories paraded through her mind, instances where the heroine had relied on cunning and investigative skills rather than swashbuckling deeds. Wanderlust broke away from the castle, heading for the other shops.

“Looks like it’s up to me to find out who this guys really is.”

Shifting from cover to cover Rainbow tracked him through town, hiding behind chimneys and ducking around corners. Wanderlust approached the flower shop, hailing Lily with a smile. She watched as he selected a number of differently colored flowers, purchased them with bits from his saddlebag, and bundled them into a bushel with his magic. Lily seemed stunned by his bulk purchase, and equally so by the bits he so casually expended for them.

“Trying to butter-up Rarity huh?” Rainbow mused with a smirk. Whatever he had planned for her friend, she was going to make sure that it was on the up-and-up.

Wanderlust rearranged the assortment, until it resembled the diamond shape of her cutie mark, with white roses and purple pansies in concentric rings, with blue morning glories in the center. Satisfied, he smiled to himself and left the still stunned florist behind.
Seizing the opportunity, Rainbow swooped down beside Lily, who paid her no immediate attention.
“Hey Lily, make any interesting sales today?” She asked coyly.
“You could say that! Look at these coins.”
Lily held the bits on her hoof for Rainbow to inspect. At first glance one might not notice the details, but a closer look revealed the truth.
“Whoa…” Rainbow sighed, the three coins were solid gold, nicked and marred, with parts of it worn smooth, thinner than the average bit. But what they could make out was strange, the portrait on the heads side wasn’t Celestia, unusual to see in these rural parts of Equestria. There was also lettering, or she guessed along the rim, but the icons were made of straight lines and angles, no curves at all, as if one had to carve the letters to write in it. On the reverse was a ship at sea, a wooden ship, sails unfurled atop crashing waves.
“I’ve never seen bits like these before.” Lily said in a awe-struck tone, “It’s like they’re from some ancient treasure.”
Rainbow cursed the luck, if Twilight were around she’d be able to find out where these bits were from, she probably had some egghead book on money from all over the world.
“An ancient treasure…”
Suddenly an idea in her head clicked, but she would need to trade.
“Lily, How many bits do you want for one of those coins?”
The pink florist thought for a moment, trying to scale some kind of exchange rate. “Um…. Two bits?”
“Deal!”
Rainbow swiped one of the old coins from Lily’s hoof, somehow simultaneously tossing two of her own bits in its place as she vanished in a blink.

Two streets over, Wanderlust stood under a balcony, watching the multicolored trail of the Pegasus travel away. He smirked.

CANTERLOT CASTLE
LIBRARY
AFTER SUNSET

“Alright, Library’s closed, goodnight everypony.”
The librarian stood at gates to the room, smiling warmly as each visitor passed by her. As the last one filed past, she turned to notice there was one left that was still perusing the shelves, a very familiar face.
“Pardon me Princess, but I’m afraid the library visiting hours are over.”
Twilight hesitated to face the librarian, and thought quickly to craft an excuse. After all, if her status as Princess couldn’t get her in the library after-hours, what good was it? She cleared her throat, and turned to the attendant with a sweet smile.
“I’m sorry if this seems inappropriate, but could I just stay a bit longer? I’m working on aaaa…… special project for Princess Celestia, for Hearth’s Warming Eve. I’m going back home in the morning, and I just need a little longer to find the books I need.”
The book-keeper narrowed her eyes, but a wry smile betrayed her.
“Princess Twilight, you act like this is the first time you’ve spent the night in here by yourself.” A chuckle finished the faux admonishment as she ambled herself beyond the gates. “Just make sure to lock the gates when you’re done, like always.”
Twilight stood where she was, around her the lights going out, and the sound of the locks clicking echoing through the rows of books. She bit her lip, knowing the taboo she was about to break. Looking over to the librarian’s desk, she waited until the hoof-falls down the hall faded out of earshot before trotting around behind it. She gave the gates one last glance, just to make sure nopony was watching.
“I hope she can forgive me.”
Again, she wedged her magic in-between the wall and the bookcase, prying them apart. The effort to move it was no less Herculean than before.
“Well, *grunt* I’m pretty sure nopony else has disturbed it.”

Spying down on her from the top of a book shelf, Flash Sentry kept his body flat against the surface. The collar of his black jacket raised in an attempt to hide himself in the shadow.
Is that where the Princess is worried she’s getting into? I should tell the princess right away, but, I don’t wanna get Twilight in any hot water.
His indecision churned his stomach as he watched the lavender Alicorn push aside the furniture. But he felt his sense of duty winning out over his feelings. Slowly so as to not cause a sound, he got his hooves under him, rising from his position. He took a second to marvel at the huge ornate carving that stood behind the bookcase. Transfixed as he was by the occult icon, he never saw the form stalking him from behind until it was too late. A soft blue light sparked in the darkness.
“Huh?”
Turning his head towards the source, his world went black before he could raise a hoof in his defense.

The doors peeled back once again, revealing to Twilight the miniature museum within, and she cast an illumination spell. Everything was as she had left it, the story-telling tapestry, the suit of armor, the necklace of unnerving teeth, and the map showing where Thule once existed.
More importantly for tonight, the reams of books sat unmoved under cobwebs and dust, tomes of knowledge Twilight could only guess at. Standing at the threshold she levitated her saddlebag onto her back, then finally entered. The closest shelf was to her left, and contained about a dozen books, their titles mixed between the runic lettering of Thule, and archaic Equestrian. She got close and blew the dust away, creating a could of grey powder three times her size. The dust got into her face, forcing her to shut her eyes and cough until she used her wings to beat back the assaulting particles.
The covers of the books were faded but not pale, having been spared exposure to light for so long. The first book was labeled in Thulian, but taking a quick glance through the pages displayed styles of dress for the inhabitants in stylized drawings. The stallions sporting a mixture of clothing to protect them from the cold, and suits of armor. These were different from the one on display in the room, which now appeared to be one more for presentation. The ones in the book featured curved horns on the withers, a row of plated blades along the crest, and more plated armor over the flanks and rear.
Depictions of mares were similar, their dresses were surprisingly colorful, with some being relatively simple long tunics, while more ornate dresses decorated with intricate knots and floral patterns.
“Rarity would love this book.” Twilight mused to herself, tucking the book into her bag.
The next was in Equestrian, and like the first was a book on the culture of the kingdom, this one about the yearly cycle of feats and celebrations. They too it seemed celebrated a version of Hearth’s Warming Eve, though instead of a play, it was a monolog before a crowded long-hall.
“The books are grouped by subject“, she pondered, “so where might the histories be?”
A larger book case along the left side of the room contained not just books, but smaller items of interest. A rock of strange deep blue, the skull of a fanged predator, even a small snow-globe featuring a tiny model of a castle. Starting with her wings to clear the dust away, she selected one book written in Thulian. Inside were depictions of a castle, the same one from the miniature, but much more detailed. The rest of the pages showed images of the inside; long halls decorated with tapestries and busts, rooms with high ceilings and massive tables. More than a few pages were dedicated to a throne hall, long in depth, with a staircase that elevated a dais on which sat two thrones. Under each illustration were lines of text, that Twilight found herself irritated that she couldn’t understand.
“I could try to use Haygart’s Method, but I just don’t have the time right now.”
She tucked this book into her bag, and decided to examine the books on the other side of the room. Appropriately, next to the armor stand, she found the volumes on history. Mostly warfare. Going down the list of titles, it struck her that so much of Thule’s history was a chronicle of one battle after another. She gasped when she extracted one book, titled in Equestrian: “An Account of the Great War of the North, Thule against the federated Yak tribes.”
“Whoa…” She wondered how different the meeting with Prince Rutherford might have gone if she had possessed this book before. This one she definitely wanted to keep, and placed it in her bags. She had space for one more, so she wanted to make sure to grab one worth all the trouble.
She stepped back to take in once more the stained-glass portrait of Prince Æclypse, valiant as he was in the depiction.
“Alright ‘good prince’, what book would you suggest I take?”

“Knowing him, he’d recommend a work on the settling of the southern lands.”

Twilight gasped as the voice caught her off guard, causing her to recoil and extinguish the light from her horn. For a moment she froze in the darkness, afraid to reveal herself to whoever had snuck-up on her.
Is it Celestia?! She worried frantically, her heart nearly thumping out of her breast.

“You needn’t be so frightened Twilight.” came the voice from the darkness. A soft blue light, like a candle flame appeared in the blackness. The light floated up and away to the ceiling where it dispersed into several smaller orbs which separated in different directions. The little flickers came to a stop equidistant to each other, and settled until they grew in volume, revealing that they had indeed lit the several candles of a chandelier.
The light was enough to brighten the room, and standing before Twilight, Princess Luna smiled softly at her.
“I’ve been in this room enough times to tell you something about each item in here, including the books that you’ve selected.”
The presence of the princess of the night stunned Twilight, mostly so due to Celestia’s warning that Luna wouldn’t take it well. But now she seemed to be glancing about the chamber as if strolling through familiar memories. Luna came to a stop next to Twilight, gazing up to Æclypse with a look that bespoke a deeper knowledge.
“Princess Luna, I… I”
“Discovered this room the other night? Asked Celestia about it and was told to keep it a secret, especially from me?”
Twilight couldn’t speak, and let her mouth hang open as she gawked at the senior Alicorn.
“I thought as much. She means well, but my sister’s fear of my emotions is unnecessary. There was a time when the memories this room holds would move me to tears true, but I have long since come to terms.”
“You said you knew Prince Æclypse? How?”
At the mention of his name Luna’s smile curled a little wider, her brow inflexing upwards to the center.
“I never met him in face-to-face, but we spent many nights together in the dreamscape.”
“Like when you visit troubled ponies in their dreams to help them?” Twilight asked. Luna nodded, and with a flash of brilliant light from her horn she created a mirage of 2-dimensional artistic visions of the things she spoke of.
“Quite right, in fact, it was during one of my visitations that I first met him.” Luna’s gaze shifted to Sombra, and her expression became saddened; “He was deeply disturbed over his brother, who despite their parents love was becoming dark and cruel of heart. He believed firmly that to make war on your kin was to invite the judgment of the gods they worshipped, but he knew that one day he might have to protect his kingdom and those he was sworn to defend from his own family.
So one night while I was traversing the dreamscape, I heard his lamentations and ventured out to counsel him. Despite my age I was still young of spirit then, and was unprepared for the pony I came upon. His fame had preceded him, and I was aware of the tales of his bravery and oration. But when I came into his dream, I found him to be tormented by loyalty to his blood, and duty to his kingdom. I advised him that choosing between loyalty and duty would not be easy, but when the time came he would know the right decision to make. In the meantime, he should do his best to show his brother a better way, even find a useful outlet for his aggressive tendencies.
Though my task was completed, I found him to be… intriguing. As I said I was familiar with his deeds, and was still young at heart, so I desired to speak with him further. Over time, I would go to his dreams frequently just to speak with him, and found that he and I had become fast friends. I would show him the vast nebulae of the dreamscape, and he would show me the wondrous sites of the north in his memories.
Instead of the usual pony who would prostrate themselves before me, he treated me like an equal, a pony like anyone else with thoughts and feelings. His reputation aside, he was as formidable a mind as he was a warrior, and often taught me things of the world that even I had not learned in my years. As our friendship grew so did the intimacy between us, and I would share with him my feelings of isolation and disconnection with my sister. He having troubles with his own sibling, we were alike, and found confidants in each other to tell of things we otherwise kept secret.
As the years went on, we became more than friends.”

Twilight was having a hard time taking this all in, and watched as tears formed in the corners of Luna’s eyes as she continued her tale. She smiled.
“He would sing to me, and he had a wonderful voice, and often I would join him in song. In our dreams we would sail on the sparking stars as we sang, creating magnificent adventures.

He would compose poetry just for me, which he would read to me in imagined fields of long green grass.”

“You two were in love.” Twilight said, both astonished and enchanted by the story of long-lost ardor.
Luna pursed her lips, the sadness in her face matched by twitches of joy.
“Indeed we were. We had bonded in both mind and spirit, as deep as any two ponies could be. But we never met in the waking world, for we knew if we did, we might not depart one another. The closest we would ever come to real-life, was on occasion I would create the aurora borealis, and using our magic, we would make a song of the glimmering colors. On clear nights the stars would sparkle, and we assigned notes to each of them. We called our song making, the Ainulindalë.”

By now a dozen questions were buzzing through Twilight’s head, each of them extrapolating into a dozen more. But one of them in particular stuck in her craw.
“Did Princess Celestia know what was going on between you two?”

Luna lowered her head, mulling the memory; “She did eventually. The change in my behavior became noticeable, I would sing to myself absentmindedly, and spend time frolicking in the garden. At first she was happy for my romance, though she did not know who had captured my heart, and encouraged my feelings. I admit I enjoyed the secret nature of our affair, and refused to tell my sister who he was.
But one day I could contain my excitement no longer, and revealed to her that the stallion of my dreams was none other than the handsome and valiant prince of the North, known widely for being just in his dealings and beloved of his subjects. But instead of sharing my joy, this news caused my sister great distress. Why, she would never tell me, but I sensed there was an underlying fear. Though she never objected to our relationship, she always seemed uncomfortable with it.
I told Æclypse of her reaction, so he resolved to travel the great distance down to our castle in the Everfree, and meet with Celestia.”

“So, what happened? Did he come?”, Twilight sensed the story was nearing it’s end, the desire for closure tantalizing.

“He never got the chance. Soon after, his brother Sombra went mad and overthrew the Crystal Empire. Thule possessed the mightiest army in Equestria, and Celestia sought his aid in bringing his brother to justice. As much as I wanted to be there, to see him, to look into his eyes, I was not present at the meeting. I was sent ahead to scout Sombra’s defenses. Afterwards I was told the meeting was long and argumentative, Æclypse refused to wage war on his brother, and Celestia threatened to punish him for refusing to help.
The meeting ended with them at each others throats, and I always wondered if the anger that she showed in our battle with Sombra was really meant to be unleashed on Æclypse.
After we defeated Sombra, I was prepared to go with my sister to Thule and petition for mercy on his behalf, but she left before I could join her. By the time I got to the kingdom, Æclypse was already gone,
I tried to reach him through the dreamscape, but he had found a way to keep me out. Though I continued to try night after night, after so long he became lost even to me. I never knew why he refused to speak to me, I just assumed he was angry that I didn’t defend him to my sister.”

Twilight thought back to every hero of old she had ever read about, trying to link them to the banished prince, but nothing matched-up.

“As an outlaw sentenced to exile,” Luna continued; “It was forbidden for a citizen of Equestria to shelter him, feed him, or even speak to him. He was forever off limits, even to me.”

The implications of the punishment surprised Twilight, who had never considered that her mentor could be so harsh in dealing with law breakers. But even if he was forgotten to history, Æclypse’s exile wouldn’t explain why Thule was lost.
“But why don’t we know about Thule? What happened to the kingdom?”

Luna glanced about the room at the various items of Thulian culture. “My sister’s punishment had repercussions that I do not think she anticipated. By destroying Sombra and banishing Æclypse she had effectively ended the hereditary royal line, and with the King and Queen nearing the end of their rule, Thule’s independent governance came to an end. Thulian unicorns by nature were a proud tribe, and they refused to recognize the three candidates that Celestia and I sent to them. Instead, they considered themselves a conquered nation, and led by their aging diarchy, formally surrendered themselves to Equestrian rule. When their prince had left, Thule went with him.
Over time they migrated south and settled in among the different villages and towns, choosing to exile themselves like their beloved prince Æclypse. Thule itself fell into disrepair, and disappeared under the ice and snow, joining itself to the fate of the would-be-king Sombra.
None of that was directly Celestia’s doing, but nonetheless the guilt pushed her to be more equitable, more forgiving in her role as Princess, and she sealed off this chamber not bury the past, but to put Thule at last to rest.”

Luna turned to Twilight, a glimmer of happiness in her face amongst the melancholy; “Do not think too harshly of my sister, Twilight Sparkle. All she does is out of love and compassion. We are each responsible for our actions, and Æclypse for reasons you may think just or unjust, was held responsible for his. At the time I was despondent with her, but in my long-life I have come to see the wisdom of her decision.”

They both returned to staring at the window, Luna tilted her head to her companion; “The window and the tapestry were sent to us shortly after his ascension to Participate, I remember all the chamber-mares looking at his portraits, admiring him. But inwardly I giggled to myself, for I knew the secret of our affair, and saw in his face more than just the charming prince, but a philosopher, a poet, a lover of song and story. He delighted in the joy of children, and reveled in warcraft. He had a noble heart and meditative mind, ready to lead his people with wisdom, courage, and justice.”

Luna draped a wing over Twilight’s shoulder’s, pulling the junior Alicorn into a hug. “What I have told you Twilight I have never shared with anypony. Celestia is the only other one who knows the story. It has been deeply enjoyable to share with you my tale of love and loss. Come Twilight!”

Luna broke from the embrace, turning towards the exit, “Let us not dwell in this mausoleum; let us fill our bellies with chilled sweet cream, fashion each other’s hooves with glittering polish, and blather on verbosely about the frivolous affairs of our lives.”
Twilight chuckled, Luna’s way of speaking turned a girls night in, into something that sounded like a regal ceremony.
“I think that would be great Luna.”

The Princess of the night paused, craning her neck back towards the visage of Æclypse.
“You know Twilight, the likeness does not do him justice.”
The Alicorn’s shared a laugh as the lights of the chandelier faded out in unison behind them, the doors closing as they exited.

The sound of the stone bookcase sliding back into its place barricading the hidden chamber.
Oblivious to the laughter of girlish glee was Flash Sentry, who lay on his back atop the bookshelf, foreleg across his chest, snoring softly.

PONYVILLE

The day had gone well, very well as a matter of fact. Wanderlust smiled to himself, happy with the result of his days errands. Soon everything would be in place, and his new life in this humble village could begin in earnest. Thinking now of how far he had traveled and how long he had spent on the road, it amused him that it would settle at last in this quaint agrarian town. Especially so with the enchanting Rarity and her endearing little sister.
The stars in the sky twinkled, and a cool breeze signaled the oncoming of winter. It had been years since he celebrated a Hearth’s Warming eve, and he had heard that the celebrations at Canterlot were the best in all of Equestria.
He thought back to the meetings with Applejack and Rainbow Dash earlier, and what kind of conclusions could be drawn. The farmer so far seemed on the level, forthright and affable. The Pegasus might take a bit longer to appraise though, her suspicion of him could create an issue. He knew she had been watching him earlier, and he had to admire the attempt at counter-intelligence.
According to what he had heard the yellow Pegasus was especially timid, so getting a fix on her might take a while. But she was a lover of animals, so that could be the ice breaker. The pink one could go either way. She was known to be aggressively friendly, but erratic, so Wanderlust put a question mark next to her in his mind.
Most vital, was the young Alicorn. Or was she going to stop aging now that she was transformed? he wondered. The prospect that Celestia could create immortals intrigued him, but then what was the mechanism? Could she only elevate certain individuals who displayed key traits? Or could she raise anyone she wanted to, and she was just being selective about it? Alicorn magic was still an unknown quantity to him, more mysterious than any other magical discipline he’d ever encountered.
Getting Twilight to go along with his plans was the linchpin. Her reputation as being forgiving and turning enemies into friends preceded her, and Wanderlust hoped to use that to win her over.

As he passed the fountain in the town square, the sound of foals laughing caught his attention. Off to the right, a pair of colts scampered out of a narrow street, chuckling to themselves over a shared comedy. Curious, Wanderlust drifted over, tracing the hoof-prints around the corner of a cottage. As he approached, rain began to fall at a modest rate, the droplets pitter-pattering on his snout.
Resting on her haunches in the alley, a mare with grey/blue fur and a cornsilk yellow mane sat alone gazing at the ground. Oblivious to the rain soaking into her, she sniveled softly, her fragile voice coming in pained huffs and whines. Her cutie mark of a cloud of bubbles struck Wanderlust as being out of place in such a sad scene. He stepped out from his cover and took a few tentative steps towards her, causing her to look up at him with the humiliation of having her hurt exposed.
The expression in her eyes spoke of desperation and indefinable frustration. Her eyes were offset, crossed with one higher than the other. For a moment they met each-other’s gaze, and Wanderlust felt an exquisite pity for her.
Using his magic, he extracted a blanket from his saddlebag and draped it over her head and shoulders. He also took note of the objects strewn on the ground before her, a small basket with a red ribbon and three muffins. He knelt down and put his magic to replacing the goods in the carrier, and placing it under her leaning body and out of the rain.
“What has happened to you?” he asked her, speaking as though she were a candle that he could blow-out by speaking to loud.
She sniffed and wiped her eyes, her tears lost among the raindrops. Her voice was full of a delicate anguish; “They ran in front of me, and I stumbled ‘cause I couldn’t see ‘em clearly. They did it on purpose to make me drop my muffins. They…*sniff* they always do it on purpose.”
A heat welled-up in Wanderlust’s chest, the anger physically causing his body to increase in surface temperature. Rain that stuck his horn was turned to steam, though facially he gave no indication of his ire. Few things got to him like tormentors, those who victimized the vulnerable for entertainment. He was well familiar with the tyrant kind.
He stifled the urge to chase after the two and drag them back for an apology, that wasn’t what she needed right now. “Bullies…” he said through his teeth; “I have dealt with my share as well.”
At this her expression was altered to slight incredulity, she raised an eyebrow up to him, as her eyes were roughly level with his shoulders. “you …*sniff* you got bullied?”
“Indeed, I was bullied for many years. The important thing is not to let it make you feel weak, but you must use it to make you feel strong.”
He sat himself down next to her right, and created an awning of magic above them to shelter them from the rain.
“When I was… bullied, it made me feel weak, like I was a victim. But eventually I understood that as bad as I ever felt, I had a degree of control over how I felt.”
She shuffled closer to him, and he craned his neck to the left as he continued; “Adversity, whether it be bad luck, bad weather, or just mean ponies are a part of life, something that everypony has to deal with. And that’s where ponies like you and me get the chance to shine you see.”
“What do you mean?” she asked,
“When you’re in a race, that’s a chance to show how fast you are, right?
“Yeah..”
“And when you… bake a muffin, that’s a chance to show how good a baker you are, right?”
A faint smile crept onto her face, “yup.”
“And when you smile, that’s a chance to show how pretty you are, right?”
The smile spread, and her cheeks blushed a tiny bit as she glanced away, answering the question with a small giggle. To emphasize his final point, Wanderlust put a hoof under her chin and raised her face so that they might connect better.
“And when something happens, to test how weak we are, that’s our chance to show everypony how strong we are.”
Her face gradually opened with understanding, and from her chest her whole posture was lifted. “So… when something makes us sad… that’s a chance to show how happy we are?”
“Yes, exactly.”
She brought a fore-hoof to her face and wiped away the last of the moisture from her eyes.
Before he could react, she maneuvered around his foreleg and embraced him in a hug tighter than he would have anticipated. Wanderlust put his leg around her shoulders and returned the gesture. She nestled her face into his chest, “My name’s Derpy, thank you for cheering me up.”
“A pleasure to meet you Derpy, my name is Wanderlust.”
They held together for a few more moments before Derpy pulled away, her demeanor a drastic transformation. Now her eyes were as bright and joyful as Wanderlust had ever seen a pony’s been, and her smile struck him as remarkably sweet.
She leaned down and slipped the basket’s ribbon over her neck, and used her teeth to fold the lining napkin over the muffins. Meeting his face once again she gave him a beaming smile; “Thank you Wanderlust.”
She turned and merrily trotted off, leaving the blanket he had lent her behind. He took it in his magic, and held it aloft; “You can keep the blanket for the way home.”
She paused and glanced back, “That’s OK, I like to play in the rain.”
As she trotted away, Derpy playfully frolicked in the puddles.

A few minutes later, Wanderlust arrived at the door to Carousel Boutique. He spared a look to the sky, where the Pegasus were clearing away the grey clouds. Standing before the door, his magic opened his left flank bag, and retrieved a small glass spray bottle. He sprayed a fine mist onto either side of his neck, and even a bit on his tail, then gave himself a self-satisfied sniff.
“Mares from Phillydelphia to Neighpon can’t resist a whiff of ‘ole Scalawag.”

He opened the door, and found himself standing at the threshold in complete darkness.
“huh….”

But the lights came on in an instant and he was assailed by a cacophony of noise and colors.
“SURPRISE!!!”

Gathered within the shop had to be nearly half the town, the room adorned in party decorations, streamers, punch bowls, party hats.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle came-up to him grinning from ear to ear. Sweetie strapped a party hat onto his head, while Rarity took off his bags with a grunt of effort.
Wanderlust greeted them with a pleasant smile, “Rarity, what is all this?”
The mare chuckled, “Why it’s a party darling. I know it seems unwarranted, but new residents tend to get a little soirée to celebrate.” She sniffed at his neck, which elicited a flirtatious titter from her.
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle chimed; “It’s welcome to the neighborhood party!”

“PAAAARRRRRRRRRTTTYYYYY TIIIIIIIIMEE!!!”

A blur of pink collided into Wanderlust, tackling him to the ground and pinning him to the floor.
“Welcome to Ponyville Wanderlust! I’m Pinky Pie! And--”

She paused before another word came out, her nose taking an extended whiff.
“Hello Pinky, a pleasure to meet you.”

Her expression stiffened, “Talktoyoulater, gottagobake!” and in a flash, she was gone.

Author's Note

If you think you know all the angles I'm lining up for you, I promise, you don't.

But what do you think Wanderlust is up to? let me know all your questions, complaints, and comments below.

Next time on "The Path of the Unforgiven": A trip back in time, a surprise visit from an old friend, and the mystery of the Everfree deepens.

Ch 6: Old Friends, Old Flame

Ok, so this chapter features my experimental incorporation of songs into the text, hope it works for you guys.

It must have been one of those nights. Within the depths of the forest sat the quaint secluded cottage. And within that cottage, the occupant sat in a tall padded chair, wrapped in a set of pajamas and comfy robe. Back-lit by the fireplace, the pony’s silhouette was cast through the window and into the dark bush beyond.

The night was cloudless, the pale moonlight unobstructed in its grandeur. Moving deftly under the satellite’s ambient glow, a figure darted through the branches, their breath strained from exhaustion. Stopping to duck behind a tree, the mysterious shadowed pony took a moment to glance about. The memory of what had occurred as a result of their last visit to the unassuming chateau was still fresh for them, and the last thing they needed was an interloper causing distractions.

Confident that the coast was clear, they took a step around the tree towards the home. What they failed to notice in their haste was the thin line of wire stretching from the base of the tree to another tie-off point. A snap of the tripwire gave way to a whoosh! as a log flew past the pony’s head, its bark scraping the very tip of their nose.

“Whew… that was close.”

Letting their heart calm down they continued on, the edge of the wood-line only a few meters away. Tip-toeing through the bushes they were wary of any further traps, indeed an oddly shaped object caught their attention. They circled around it, not wanting to temp fate for a closer look.

“He-he, not gonna get me twice.”

Distracted as they passed by the object, they missed the large patch of leaves strewn in a cubic yard as they walked over it. The fragile ground gave way, and the pony fell with a yelp into the hole. They closed their eyes, and covered their face expecting the worse. Sharpened spikes, burning coals, or venomous snakes was what they feared, but there was nothing.
Having reacted on instinct, their wings had kept them afloat over the gaping pit, flapping casually. Taking their hooves away from the face, they realized how foolish they had been.”

“Oh, … right.”

Gliding over the pit with ease, they paused at the border, peering as best they could for any sign of activity in the cottage. A slight shift in shadows through the windows gave them hope, and drew them out into the moonlight. The lone figure coasted across the open glen, letting the tips of the tall grass brush their legs as they passed.

Landing a few steps away from the home’s door, they raised a hoof to knock, but thought better of it, anticipating another booby-trap to catch the unwary. They backed away, and moved over to the window where they leaned in to the pane. Inside they saw a lone chair positioned in front of a roaring fireplace. On the table beside was a cup of tea, wisps of heat still rising from the surface. But nopony was to be seen.

“Darn!” They thought, “Could I have just missed her?”

Placing their forehooves on the window sill to push away, they suddenly found that they were stuck in place, a layer of viscous adhesive had been slathered on, and were not giving up their catch without a fight.

“Oh great!”

They yanked and pulled, twisted and whipped, and while they could feel the grip tearing, they were still held firm. Bracing their back hooves against the sides of the window, they put their wings-power into the effort, and with a mighty heave, finally succeeded in overcoming the glue. They tumbled backwards in the air, rolling in-between two long plant stalks, and becoming entangled in a net.

Falling to the ground in a messy knot, they struggled against this newest, most persistent trap yet. No matter what they did the meshwork refused to be thrown off, and stuck to them like-

A sudden bright light brought an abrupt end to their movement as a set of magenta iris’ stared into the lens of a flashlight. But what made them focus to a point was not the light, but rather the gleaming tip of an arrowhead loaded into a crossbow just below it.

Equally stunned, the holder of the weapon stared back at the late-night visitor with curious deliberation.

“Rainbow Dash? Is that you?”

Sitting on her rump amid a tangle of pale netting, was Rainbow Dash gawking wide-eyed at the very mare she had come to see.
“Daring Do! I mean, Ms. Yearling! please don’t shoot me!”

Lowering the flashlight and crossbow, the famous recluse author who part-timed as a treasure hunting archeologist, A.K. Yearling was known to many apony as Daring Do. Still dressed in her bed clothes and quilted robe, she was bemused by her company’s current state. “What are you doing here?”

“I was coming to see you,” Rainbow started, her mane and face still plastered in the meshing. “But I almost got hit by a log, and fell into a pit, then I looked in the window and got stuck, and now I’m all tied up in your net.”
“Net?” Yearling asked, “you mean that spider’s web?”

Rainbow finally took the time to look in detail at the gummy substance that covered her, and saw that it was indeed harmless spider webbing.
“Aw…” she muttered in embarrassment, stewing in her shame.

“But good thing you got past the others though,” Yearling said, slinging the crossbow over her shoulder, “Because those were designed to trap raiders.”
“Couldn’t be too careful after last time huh?”
“Ahuizotl isn’t known for letting go of a grudge. Come on in, we’ll get you cleaned-up.”
Yearling turned back to the cottage, Rainbow falling in step behind her, stretching a leg to snap a few strands of web.
“Ya know Rainbow, you could have just knocked.”
Rainbow hung her head.

A little later, Daring was sitting in her chair when RD came into the room, her mane moist and frizzy, and combing cobwebs out of her tail.
“Thanks for letting me use your shower AK. Um, FYI… your drain is clogged.”
Daring’s face panned.
“So what could you have wanted to see me about that was so important?”

Putting the brush aside, Rainbow considered how she wanted to explain things.
“It’s kind of a weird story, but I wanted you to take a look at something for me. I was hoping you might know something about it.”

Well now this did sound interesting. A late night visit, a mysterious item, an unusual story? This could be another adventure, maybe even another book the author thought.
“Alright…” Yearling let the word hang, leaning forward in her chair; “show me what you got.”

Reaching into a crevice under her right wing, Rainbow produced a gold coin, and placed it on the small table beside the chair. It immediately struck Yearling as odd, and she moved her face in closer to examine it. In all her travels she had chanced upon many different forms of currency, from slivers of silver, to brass buttons. The Equestrian Bit was most common however, an amalgam that was actually light on gold and heavy on tin. But right away she could tell this was nothing she had ever seen before. It was clearly old, worn and nicked from being carried among others, and its iconography was strange. Neither the engravings nor the letterings resembled Saddle Arabian or Zebraic, or anything from south of the Bad Lands.

“In the drawer over there,” Yearling spoke without moving her head, motioning to a small Davenport table against the far wall, “Get me the magnifying glass, please.”
As Rainbow shuffled items in the drawer, something clicked for Daring. The Ship, there’s something about the ship. While the profile on the opposite side had been rubbed into obscurity, the ship remained fairly well detailed.

The magnifying glass came sliding on the table, and was picked-up in a second, positioned over the coin. Upon closer inspection, the ship did become more familiar, it was a military craft. The build was stout, and there was a tell-tale bulge of a ram beneath the prow. And the figure on the front of the ship itself was that of an intimidating Unicorn, horn leveled to attack, hooves raised. Squinting, she could even make out the slightest traces of an icon on the first of the three sails.
That could be the key… She thought, trying to make some sense of the rounded edge.
It was now that AK realized that Rainbow Dash was almost nose-to-nose with her looking down at the coin.
“Personal space Rainbow.”

“Oh, sorry.” Loyalty’s bearer apologized, backing away.
“So what do you think?”

“I think you definitely have something worth investigating here. But if I’m gonna take this any further, you need to be straight and tell me how you got this.”

“Well…” Rainbow wanted to be careful. While she have her reservations about Wanderlust, he had risked himself to save the fillies, so that should count for something she thought.

“This mysterious new stallion came into town the other day. He’s some kind of drifter. I mean, he saved some fillies from Timberwolves, and Applejack and Rarity seem to think he’s alright. Especially Rarity. But he’s elusive and vague when you ask him about himself or his past, and apparently he’s a pretty strong unicorn.
Anyway, he was in the mayor’s office today and left with a big scroll. Then he bought some flowers for Rarity, and paid with three of those coins.”

Yearling mulled the story, her eyes shifting to the side. “So an enigmatic new guys rolls into town, and in the first day he’s a hero and charms one of the Element Bearers, and won’t explain his past and true intentions. Hmm… I tell you what Rainbow…”

Daring crossed over to her friend, glancing back to the coin. “Let me hold onto this, and take it to some contacts of mine. I have a few in mind that could point me in the right direction. But it may take some time.”

“That’s fine! Whatever you think is necessary.” Rainbow said with a degree of relief, “Thank you for helping me.”

“Thank you for the interesting case.” Yearling returned, placing the coin into a small purse. “I have to admit, it’s been a little boring around here lately.”

A smile crept across Rainbow Dash’s face at the prospect of getting some answers, and looking out for her friends. But a grim look from Yearling stifled the optimism.

“In the meantime kid, be careful. Keep an eye on this pony. He might be one of the good guys, he might not. But whichever side he’s on Rainbow, he is not who he says he is.”

PONYVILLE

The banner read: “Welcome to Ponyville Wanderlust!”. He could tell the lettering was hoof-painted, and a warm smile turned in the corners of Wanderlust’s mouth.

The boutique had been transformed into a packed party, streamers hung from the ceiling, and a large table had been set-up with punch and snacks. The banner itself was draped across the middle of the room, the red letters smeared with bits of confetti on them. All around him ponies chatted, with a few throwing the occasional glance his way.

After the initial welcoming, he had taken the courtesy of washing off the fragrance to avoid any further awkward instances. Pinky Pie had since returned, bundle of baked goods in tow, and gone through her proper welcoming ritual. Having gotten the second chance at a first impression, Wanderlust found himself trapped in perhaps the most genuine hug he had received a very long time.

“Do forgive the exuberance darling.” Rarity said in her tuneful speech as she approached him from behind, “Pinkie Pie tends to be overly enthusiastic about her craft, it is of course her raison d'être.”
Wanderlust smiled, “oh, it’s quite alright. You might say that it only confirms a gut feeling of mine about her.”
The Element bearer of Laughter checks out. Two down, Four to go.
“Though I was looking forward to our dinner…”

Rarity’s cheeks flushed and she turned away to hide her face behind the locks of her mane. “Well I suppose we’ll just have to reschedule for another night then.” She peeked an eye out from the silky strands, her gaze searching for a connection to his. When their stares met however, Wanderlust saw something in the gleam of her pupil. For a second his mind was whipped back to another time in his life, a happier time, when somepony else would look at him that way.

His heart tightened in his chest and his face winced at the pain. The subtle expression was not lost on Rarity who immediately flinched backwards, as if recoiling from some harm she had done.
“Or we can um… We can-”

With a raised hoof Wanderlust cut her off, his face turned apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just that for a moment you reminded me of somepony else. Somepony I lost a long time ago.”

“I see…” Rarity said looking down, unsure about how to take the news. Now it was her mind that flashed back to earlier in the day, when she had measured the doubt in Fluttershy’s voice. Maybe there was something to be worried about after all, something this nomad wasn’t eager to share.

Sensing her discomfort, he reached out and brushed aside the hair that hid her face. “But that’s a story for another time. Since I’m the new guy in town, why don’t you introduce me to all your friends?”

She visibly brightened at the suggestion, and took his hoof in a ring of her magic to lead him along. “I would introduce you to my good friend Fluttershy, but I’m afraid she’s dealing with a sick patient who needs constant care tonight.”

Hmmm. Wanderlust thought, recalling his wide array of medical knowledge, perhaps that’s my hoof-in-the-door with the Pegasus.

Rarity was leading him to a grouping of several other mares, who were idling around a few dressed mannequins.
“There was one thing I wanted to ask you about Rarity.” He mentioned casually.”
“What’s that darling?”
“The castle, I was wondering if-”

Their approach was halted when a flurry of activity from three tiny fillies. Trapping them in a bouncing circle, AppleBloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle wore smiles and sparkles of glee danced in their eyes.

“Wanderlust!” Sweetie chimed, “You have to tell us a story!”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo agreed. “You must have a hundred awesome stories from all over the world!”

“I bet he has a thousand!” Applebloom wagered, raising the stakes. “Fightin’ monsters, ancient treasure, rescuing damsels in distress!”

Rarity giggled at the last suggestion, “Girls, he’s not a superhero.”

“Maybe not.” The grey unicorn teased, sounding like he was considering weather to share a bit of juicy gossip or not. “But I do have a tale or two that might satisfy an audience.”

“Yaaay!” All three crusaders cheered, splintering off and scampering in-between the legs of older ponies. They emerged on the raised dais where customers could examine themselves in the wall of mirrors.
Sweetie Belle spoke out for all the crowd to hear, “Come on up Wanderlust! Tell us a good one!”

All eyes turned in his direction, which he found uncomfortable at first, but with a short chuckle, his courage reasserted itself. The party guests cleared a path for him to the platform, and he took the invitation.

“Well for anypony who hasn’t met me yet, as the banner implies my name is Wanderlust. I have been many places and seen many things, far too many to share with you tonight.” He mounted the stage and faced the eager crowd, “But there is a story I think you’ll like. It’s of something I witnessed during my time sailing the Great Eastern Sea, one of those encounters that passes from tavern yarn, to legend, and into song.”

An eager murmur went through the party crowd, ready to listen to the rover’s ballad. Off to the side, Applejack leaned into the wall, her Stetson lowered in the fashion of country folk about to let their imagination give vivid life to a song.

“I will of course need an acoustic guitar.”

A pink hoof extended much beyond its normal proportions, clutching the neck of a wooden guitar.

“Thank you.” Said Wanderlust, taking the instrument in his magic and playing it across the strings.

Pinkie Pie slid herself next to Rarity, and gave her friend a nudge in the side. Rarity kept her mouth shut through a smile, and playfully nudged Pinkie back.

“Now this song is called ‘the Mare on the Shore’.” Wanderlust explained, as he plucked the strings a few more times, making sure it was tuned to his liking. “And I had never seen anything like it before or since. We had been at sail for days with a steady wind at our backs, and were making good time to the Gulf of Gaskin. But suddenly one day, I think it was a Tuesday, the wind died out and we were left drift among a scattering of small tropical islands.”

Another tendril of magic extended out from his horn and formed a large panel in front of him. Within, a little wooden ship caricature came into focus moving among several green-topped islands. The crowd ooed and awed at the display, captivated by the show.

Here's the deal: you can either play the song first to hear how it goes, then read on. OR, you can play the video, and try to follow along with the text. The lyrics are worked in to keep one tracking. Up to you

Then he began playing. It was a slow melody, one that eased the listener into comfort. The image in the projection washed aside to now feature a lithe, pale mare, with a long flowing green mane, frolicking wistfully along a beach. The audience gasped at how pretty she was, carefree and content in the sand.

“There is a young Mare, and she lives all alone, she lives all alone on the shore-O. There’s nothing she can find to comfort her mind, but to roam all alone on the shore, shore shore, but to roam all alone on the shore.”

Then the show changed to a pony wearing a tri-corner hat, looking out over the prow of his ship.

“Twas of the young captain who sailed the salt sea, let the wind blow, blow lo-ow. ‘I will die, I will die’ the young captain did cry, ‘if I don’t have that mare on the shore, shore shore, if I don’t have that mare on the shore.”

The captain then held a pile of bits and jewels in his hooves.
“Well I have lots of silver, I have lots of gold, I have lots of costly wear-O. I’ll divide, I’ll divide with my jolly ship’s crew, if they row me that mare on the shore, shore shore. If they row me that mare on the shore.”

Suddenly the mare was being helped on the ship, all the sailor ponies gawking at her like treasure.
“After much persuasion, they got her aboard. Let the wind blow high, blow l-ow. They replaced her away in his cabin below, here’s a due to all sorrow and care, care care. Here’s a due to all sorrow and care.”

Now the mare was in the cabin, with the others all gathered around her fawningly.
“They replaced her away in his cabin below, let the wind blow high, blow lo-ow. She’s so pretty and neat, she’s so sweet and complete, she sung captain and sailors to sleep, sleep sleep. She sung captain and sailors to sleep.”

Suddenly the music picked-up, and the mare was adorning herself in bejeweled rings and stuffing gold bits into a sack.
“Then she robbed him of silver, she robbed him of gold. She robbed him of costly wear-O. Then took his broadsword instead of an oar, and paddled her way to the shore, shore shore. And paddled her way to the shore.”

The next scene depicted the despondent captain leaning out over the prow, calling out to the mare who now sat on the sandy beach, surrounded by her stolen treasures.
“Well me crew must be crazy, me crew must be mad, me crew must be deep in despair-O. For to let you away from my cabin so gay, and to paddle your way to the shore, shore shore. And to paddle your way to the shore.”

The mare was now dancing merrily, kicking up sand as she pranced impishly.
“Well your crew was not crazy, your crew was not mad, your crew was not deep in despair-O. I deluded your sailors, as well as yourself, I’m a Mare once again on the shore, shore shore. I’m a Mare once again on the shore.”

The song softened as Wanderlust thumped on the body of the guitar, and the imagery pulled back, the mare still skipping and romping into the sunlit horizon.
“Well there is a young Mare, and she lives all alone. She lives all alone on the shore-O. There’s nothing she can find, to comfort her mind, but to roam all alone on the shore, shore shore. But to roam all alone on the shore.”

The thumping continued to a few more beats, then fell to a stop. The image dissipated into tiny bits of light before fading to nothing. Wanderlust brought the guitar to lean against his chest, bowing his head to the crowd.

For three seconds, the audience simply blinked, just in case there was one last note to be played. But as Wanderlust lifted his eyes to check, they responded with applause and cheer, a few even whistling.

Still next to Rarity, Pinkie was standing on her hind legs, hollering and clapping. The seamstress simply smiling as she watched Wanderlust bow to the spectators. While she preferred more upbeat music, she had to admit the sea shanty had a folksy charm to it, and it had been sung well. She tried to imagine if such a story had any truth to it, or was just a bit of old fable. Much like Wanderlust himself, she could only speculate how much of what he put on was really him, or just an act.

At the base of the stage Rarity spied Sweetie Belle and her friends, where they had clearly enjoyed the performance. While she was typically a happy filly, there was the unspoken ghost of their family situation. Any child is resilient, but the absence of their parents had weighed on both of them, and Rarity worried what it was doing to Sweetie Belle in the long term.

Maybe that was a big reason why she found herself so attracted to Wanderlust, because of how quickly Sweetie had bonded to him. The more she thought on the matter, the more reasonable Fluttershy’s cautious voice sounded. A pang of unease jabbed at her heart, something she now considered might be in the act of betraying her.

But an errant bump from Pinkie jolted her out of such thoughts, back to the party where the enigmatic stallion had just presumably shared an enchanting true tale. The joy of her friend created an opposing idea in her head, one that argued for the glass half-full. A feeling to embrace Wanderlust, give him the benefit of the doubt, trust that he’s one of the good guys without some hidden ulterior motive. Consider that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t too good to be true.

The twists and turns of Rarity’s heart and mind occurred in a matter of heartbeats, and as the applause continued, she swallowed her doubts for the moment and joined in the celebration. With a gleaming smile she offered her own musical shout of praise to the choir.

Wanderlust glanced about, pleased that his song had gone over so well. “If only they knew how true it was” he thought to himself with a smirk. By the far side of the room he saw that both Rarity and Pinkie were celebrating. Shifting over to the right he and Applejack met each other’s gaze and traded a pair of slight nods, a sign of her subtle approval.

“Fluttershy is occupied,” he remembered, “The Princess is away….” Then the fact that he was searching for came to him, “Where is Rainbow Dash then?”

The absence of the curious Pegasus seemed odd to him. Another quick scan of the crowd during his bow confirmed that she was missing. Instead of feeling apprehensive, or even troubled, he found that he was enticed by the thought that Rainbow was secretly trying to uncover the mystery of the coin. It was a secret that deserved to be revealed, but there would be questions raised by it, and he suddenly wasn’t sure he wanted to answer them quite yet.
“I’ll have to catch up with her sometime, get a better reading on her.”

Wanderlust finally straightened his posture, “Thank you, thank you all!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all positioned themselves at the foot of the dais, their faces beaming with eager joy.
“Do another one!” they chanted in unison, “Do another one!”

Wanderlust again gave them an expression of faux hesitation, pouting his lips, looking towards the ceiling, emitting a hum of deliberation. But after a moment he craned his head back down to them, a playful grin cutting through the front.

“Well girls..” he asked them just above a whisper, “Have you ever heard of the far-away land called Honalee? And a magical dragon named… Puff?”

The fillies eyes widened in suspense, captivated to hear this new story of distant lands and dragons. But they never got the chance.

Before they could respond, the lights in the room went out. A hush went over the crowd as they remained still, too startled to move. Immediately, Wanderlust tensed, going into a mode of hyper-awareness. Heat began to build in his horn, ready to lash out at any foe that might be lurking in the darkness.

“Is this a party or a poetry reading?”

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, echoing in the room as if it had come from some supernatural megaphone. It was certainly feminine, tinged with a suggestive tone.

“How’s about I show you all how to really wow a crowd!”

A streak of light hit the center of the ceiling, and exploded in a shower of bright sparks.

“For somepony who can amaze and dazzle…”

Another streak to the back of the room, bursting apart in a blue.

“Captivate and stagger…”

A ball of green light bounced along an invisible path around the crown, dripping with smaller flickers.

“Could only be, tremendously talented…”

Now a volley of multi-colored comets sailed over their heads before exploding, much to the awe and wonder of the audience.

“And marvelously magical…”

A waterfall of popping sparks erupted from the top of the boutique’s doorway, becoming a showtime entrance for the speaker.

“Like the Great…”

A burst of light from the doorway, illuminated the silhouette of a pony with long hair, posed with their head down, and a foreleg outstretched.

“And Powerful…”

A second flash, and the outline now had their forelimbs raised to the sky in a show of strength.

Then as the room went dark for one last moment, a drum-roll, from somewhere, whetted the crowd for the revelation. A revelation that struck Applejack, and she put a hoof to her face in resignation.
“Oh no…”

A brilliant white flash, and the mysterious mare was exposed at last standing in front of the door, a geyser of magically colored sparks erupting behind her. Light blue of fur, pale blue in mane and tail, her star studded cape and large pointed hat gave her away as somepony who had visited the little town before.

“TTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRIXIE!!!!!”

The room responded with a wave of cheer for the show-mare-ship. Applejack joined Rarity and Pinkie, none of them too visibly enthused by the unexpected guest.

Finally coming down from the success of her display, Trixie set her hooves on the floor, and took in the room’s decoration. Around her ponies smiled and chattered, apparently having either forgiven or forgotten her previous antics in town. She smiled in return, happy to use her gifts to bring joy to others instead of her own aggrandizement.

Her attention eventually wound its way upward to the banner, where she figured she could learn the name of the party’s cause. But as she read the name on the streamer, her posture softened, and her face fell in heart-wrenching disbelief.

The party hushed, stunned by the sudden turn of her demeanor. She strode forward through the crowd, towards the stage where a grey, blue-maned unicorn stallion stood, their eyes locked on each other.

Trixie stopped a few paces away from the stage, Wanderlust gazing back down at her, into eyes that began to water and quiver. His face was not shocked, surprised, uncomfortable, or upset in the slightest. Instead his own eyes wore an expression of both reception and apology.

“Wanderlust?” She asked in a way that one might question the ghost of a loved one. “Is that really you?” A tear rolled down her face and she searched his for any tell that he wasn’t who she thought.

“Hello Trixie,” He spoke gently, comfortingly. “It’s good to see you again.”

At this confirmation, a cough of emotion caused Trixie to cover her mouth and recoil as Wanderlust stepped down from the dais. He lifted a hoof to place on her shoulder, but she jerked away.

“Trixie, Let’s go outside and-”

“Don’t…” She cried, batting away his attempt to reach out. The sobbing began, and she turned wholly from him and trotted towards the door.

“Trixie wait! He called after her, but she shouldered through the door and out into the night.

Nopony spoke as Wanderlust stood in the center of the room, surrounded by silent, sullen faces. Realizing he was currently at the center of an embarrassing scene, and a feeling of guilt washed over him for those who had put the party on, and those who had trusted him so far. Swallowing a lump, he trotted for the door, hoping that Trixie hadn’t gone too far away.

He caught Rarity’s eye as he passed, and the second it took his raised hoof to strike the floor seemed like a minute. He saw her face become a mask of confusion and misery. She had no context for what she had just seen, and given that she had been flirting with him openly, he felt especially low. He saw her iris contract around the reflection in her pupil, and knew that the trust she had granted him had just been spoiled. He saw her decide that she had no idea who she had been welcoming into her life. And he couldn’t blame her, she was right.

His hoof came down on the floor and he tore his gaze away, exiting the boutique. The room was left quiet, nopony willing to be the one that broke the silence and thusly draw all attention to themselves. All except one of course.

“There’s still plenty of foo-oood!…” Announced Pinkie in a sing-song voice.

THE NEXT MORNING
TRANS-EQUESTRIAN RAILWAY

The next morning, the Friendship Express was chugging its way on the tracks, exiting the mountain tunnel into the sunlight on the cloudless day. The rear three cars were typically reserved for VIP occupants, and Twilight Sparkle sat in the second to last.

From her seat by the window, she looked out to the spruce covered valley below. Her car hit a new segment of rail and jostled the satchel of books sitting next to her. She always enjoyed the pleasant trip back to Ponyville from Canterlot, and with her new collection in tow, it would be an enlightening one.

Spike rested on the other side of the car in a seat of his own, a short stack of the newest Power Pony comics at his hip. Certified, non-enchanted this time.

The ride back would be a little over an hour, “Just enough time for a little light reading,” Twilight thought. Glancing down to her cutie-mark painted saddlebag, she used her magic to undo the buckle and extract the largest of the three tomes within.

As tall as it was, it was relatively thin, and bound between dark leather hardcovers. Running her hoof across the surface, she could feel the wooden slate underneath the leather, a detail that she remembered from school was a technique very long out of date. Inscribed on the front cover, was more of the ancient Thulian script, which Luna had told her was called ‘Runic’.

She remembered the look in Luna’s face when she gave Twilight the book earlier before leaving. The senior princess had installed a false wall in the side of her personal bookcase, and after assuring her pet Tiberius it was alright, the wry possum allowed her to trigger the slide and remove the book from its hidden alcove.

“I made sure to hide this away after he was banished.” Luna said, looking down at the musty pages with fondness. “The Tale of Prince Æclypse the Valiant” She translated, holding it up for Twilight to see. “It was secretly sent to me by a friend of the prince, some time after the events transpired. The title here is the only example of their harsh tongue I’ve ever had decoded. Luckily the story within was rendered in Equestrian for my reading.”

She floated the book over to Twilight, but held it aloft just short of her grasp. “Eh, you can read middle-Equestrian can’t you?”

Twilight nodded, “I’ve read a bunch of middle-Equestrian poetry from the Royal Library.”

Luna raised an eyebrow and gave over the book “I believe you”, she said without a doubt in the notorious bookworm. “I’m a little surprised it survived my sister’s purge; I suppose when she moved my things from our castle in the Everfree, she left them otherwise unmolested.”

Twilight gave the book a quick glance before stowing it in her bag, “Are you sure you want to let me borrow this? Aside from being a priceless historic document, it must mean a lot to you.”

Luna considered the prospect for a second, but waved it away. “I trust it in your care, Twilight Sparkle. For me it is a reminder of a memory that has long ceased to provide me with reflection. This dust-covered tome serves no purpose secreted away, and I hope that you might find something of value within its pages.”

“And that’s just what I intend to do.” Twilight mused, another clacking of the tracks echoing through the cabin.

Spike looked-up from his comic and noticed the familiar gleam in his mentor’s face as she flipped open the first few pages. He merely nodded, and went back to his panels.

Twilight’s tongue stuck out and curled around her upper lip as she examined the opening contents. After the cover there was a blank page, followed by one featuring an amazing illustration. It was two unicorns, stylized in long curving arcs and knots, and interwoven around the image of the sun wheel atop the torch like she had seen in the library. The wheel was placed between the heads of the unicorns, with their horns crossing over it, rays of light beaming from the background.

The bottom of the image terminated at a line, under which was a short line of text in the archaic Equestrian, that she read to herself; “Mæi þie licht of þie Fylfot gyen Þule for alweye.” In her mind she quickly made sure she could comprehend the verbalism. “May the light of the Fylfot guide Thule for all time.” The last word had some flexibility, but she was sure she got the idea.

Turning to the next page she exhaled, preparing not just for the exercise in dead language, but because she was about to read a story that nopony had read in hundreds of years. The first page of the tale was topped with a depiction of snow covered mountain peaks, and the first letter was large and extravagantly illustrated in gold and green.

As she began reading, her mind’s eye as usual delved into the account, a vivid imagination allowing her to see herself in the setting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Crystal Mountains were as mercilessly bitter as they ever were, the wind this day more violent than I remember it being for quite some time. The sky was grey, a light snowfall coming down on the dozens of unicorn pilgrims who traversed the pass. Only the barest light shone through the clouds, casting us all in a pervasive gloom, the ponies huddling together and bundled like babes against the cold. Though the day passed in this manner, we knew that nightfall was not long in coming, and that soon the howling winds would bury the weary travelers.

“We must reach the tree-line before eventide Wiglaf.” My prince said to me, watching over the train from our vantage point. “Life in the southern lands has made them vulnerable to the chill in these peaks. Worse, we may rouse the interest of some beast.”

We stood on an outcropping, below us passed the shivering mass along the road. Yearly these ponies made their pilgrimage to Thule, only to reenact the exodus of their unicorn ancestors to the lowlands settled after the Windigos were driven out. The leader of the travelers was always a mare, dressed to emulate the resplendent Princess Platinum, who led those willing to leave our ancestral homelands for new promise. Beside her is another who portrays Clover the Clever, Platinum’s page who went on to great renown of her own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight paused, remembering how she and Rarity would pretend to be Platinum and Clover for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play in Canterlot. It would seem that the tales of the Thule ponies were much kinder to the princess’ memory than the one passed down in Equestria.
She giggled slightly at the thought of Rarity leading a group through such terrible weather, and how she’d be complaining the whole time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I stood beside him, I took my own measure of our situation, and he was correct. Night would be upon us soon, making our duty to protect them all the more perilous.
The Prince gazed down at them carefully, looking for any that might be faltering in the knee-deep snow drift, or unable to stand the biting wind. I had watching him grow from a foal to a young stallion, a strong, intelligent, and caring prince. And as he stood there, adorned in his royal armor and his mane flapping in the gale, I saw not the pony whom I served as mentor and guardian since his weaning. Instead I saw the embodiment of our kingdom, one that we would be singing songs of for generations.

“Your judgment is true Æclypse, we should put a shoe in their dock, get them moving.”

He chuckled at the suggestion; and looked at me with a laughing twinkle “That’s your solution to everything my friend! If you had your way, we’d be cracking whips at their hocks!”

“And they’d be better for it.” I told him sternly, for I had little patience for the feebleness of the farmers and potters who pretended to the hardiness of their forebears.

He ignored my disdain and moved along as the middle part of the procession came over the path. “I wonder what it’s like where they’re from Wiglaf. I wonder about the rolling valleys, fields covered in flowers of every shade, and grass greener than emeralds. I wonder how they live their lives, conduct their simple trade, lay by the river on a spring afternoon, how their fillies play.”

I did not share my prince’s romantic imagination, for life in the north had not imparted me with a such a curiosity for things beyond our borders. But I did admire his desire to see more of the world than just our little part of it.
“I imagine it becomes as tedious to them as our life is to us, my prince. The daily grind of their lives not much different.”

“You are probably right. I suppose one does take the familiar for granted. Still, I would like to take a trip down to the lowlands someday. Spare myself the sight of your grim face for a time.”

As I turned my head to offer a protest, he used his hoof to toss some snow into my face. I sputtered to speak, but his mischievous laughter quenched my anger, and I found myself chuckling just the same.

“Who am I kidding Wiglaf.” Æclypse said as he used his magic to clear the last bits from my beard, and draped a foreleg over my shoulder. “If I ever went to visit the south, you’d be right by my side, wouldn’t you?”

“That I would.” I told him smiling, “That I would.” And I meant it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight bit her lip with a laugh of her own in her heart. She tried to picture this Wiglaf; he sounded like a gruff, older unicorn, stocky, flat-faced. He must have had a great beard that covered his lower jaw in bush. She imagined him next to the young, lean, and handsome prince on that rock among the northern winds, what a pair they must have been.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A fine evening for a quite hike! Wouldn’t you say my prince?”

The voice called from below, one of the pilgrims had stopped to shout up to us. He looked to be of middle-age and must have made this trip more than few times in his life. Without hesitation, Æclypse answered him.
“Is that what time of day it is? And here I thought it was still luncheon.”

The stallion below gave him a merry salute before carrying on. Of course, we all knew the movement of the sun, for as unicorns descended from those who raised and lowered it in the past, we were still attuned to its movements as we were to moon as well. The Alicorns may have taken over the duties of raising and lowering them, but we unicorns will always be connected to the bodies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that, Twilight thought, was interesting. All Equestrian unicorns are still linked to the sun and moon? Hmm. I think I’ll have to do a little experiment with Rarity when I get back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So we continued on for a while, with night slowly drawing her curtains across the sky.

“I wonder what they’re like Wiglaf.”

“What ‘who’ are like?” I questioned in return. I saw that he was gazing skywards, where through a break in the clouds, a few of the brightest stars were beginning to shine.

“The Alicorns. At this very moment Celestia and Luna must be at work, trading their charges. For all that we hear of them, I have to wonder what they must be like to sit down to dinner with, tell stories with,-”

“Go to dance with?” I said, catching him off guard. Despite the cold I saw his cheeks blush. As grown as he was, there was still a bit of the colt left in him yet.
“Don’t be embarrassed young prince.” I assured him. “I too have heard of the Alicorns great beauty, I’m sure there must be many a stallion from each corner of Equestria and beyond who dreams of such lovely creatures.”

His ears clung to his head for a few paces before he finally spoke again. “I’m sure they must like to laugh and sing Wiglaf, and do all the things that bring us normal pony-folk joy. Else what would they be, if not the embodiment of all three tribes?”

I had given little thought to the nature of the Alicorn sisters in my life. In all my years, and all the years of my father, and all the years of my grandfather, they had never visited Thule. Generations ago, in the time of King Thalamar the Great, had been the last time Celestia came so far north as to grace our cider halls with her presence.

“I imagine they are much like you and I.” I said as we strolled. “In so far as they take delight in good food, good drink, and good company. But they must also be wise in their extended years of ruling the south.”

“Do you think I could hold my own at a dinner conversation with their likes?” The prince asked in a pondering tone. At this notion, I had to chuckle.

“My prince, I have seen you rally a crowd of soldiers, and charm the fairest mares. I have no doubt that a discussion betwixt you three, would be a conversation among equals.”

His ears perked and he gave me a confident smile before I finished my thought. “Nattering on as you will about philosophy and music.”

At once we laughed, and he jostled me in the flank for my teasing. Although I was officially little more than a bodyguard and fighting instructor, I had grown to view the prince as something akin to a nephew. And life was good.

As we made our way through one of the more treacherous mountain passes before the safety of the treeline, the wind quickened with such ferocity that several of the pilgrims cried out in distress.
We too were struck by how hard and fast it had picked-up, our instincts telling us that something more than just an errant squall as responsible. It became so strong, we were forced low to the ground to avoid being blown away. A part of me feared that the Windigos had returned.

“We have to get the through the pass!” Æclypse yelled above the wind, “they can still make the treeline if we hurry!”

I nodded, and as the roaring gust washed over us like an avalanche, we crept forward, the ponies in the train already racing to escape the storm. The dozen or so soldiers we had among them ordering their movement to hasten.

We were falling in behind the train when we heard something rumble from within the tempest. It was not thunder, we knew that at once. And we heard it again, a booming bellow that shook the very ice beneath our hooves. Stopping, we watched as best we could through the blinding torrent for any sign of the source. But nothing moved.

“We should stay with the herd!” I called out to him. “Whatever’s out there is just as hindered by the storm as we are!”

But as I made to turn, he did not move. He remained still, his eyes searching, waiting. I reached a hoof out to him, but he lurched forward pointing to something I missed by a heartbeat.

“There!” He cried out, his gaze fixed, “Between those peaks!”

At first I saw nothing but the veil of white, but after a moment, some thing did stir, something large and dark slithered behind the rocks. What it was we could not tell, but a third roar carried on the winds let us know we were better off not finding out. We both turned and hurried to catch-up with the others.

We galloped through the snow as fast as we could, our legs fighting against the depth of the drift. Another roar, this time much closer preceded a tremendous shock that cause me to stumble. My body slammed into the rocky wall of the path before I rolled to a stop on my side. I could feel my back leg and left flank had been injured, and struggled to right myself.

Prince Æclypse skidded to a halt beside me, and helped me to stand.
“We’ll never outrun that thing in the storm!” He set me to a limping trot, but stayed behind.

“Æclypse! Hurry!” I screamed, fearing for his safety. But he would not budge.

“Go!” he yelled back to me, “Keep those ponies moving! I’ll hold it off for as long as I can!”

A mass of snow was displaced from a higher ledge by the creatures approach, creating a barrier that separated us. I lost sight of him and began to panic.
“Æclypse!”

“Run Wiglaf!” I heard him cry, but I could not leave him, neither my sense of duty to my prince, nor my loyalty allowing me to do as he commanded. So I found an incline I could surmount in my condition, if nothing else to see what might become of Thule’s First Son.

I hauled myself over a boulder, the winds at a fever pitch, the full cloak of night established, and the chill stabbing at my face like a griffin’s talons. As I peaked over the stone, I saw my prince, but he was not in the lonely cold and darkness as I was. Instead, an otherworldly orange glow bathed the area, its epicenter moving like a stalking lion behind the rocks.

Æclypse readied himself for whatever it was, his teeth grit and horn alight. The next sound that rose above the winds was not a roar, but a guttural snarl that sent a shiver of terror up my spine. And I knew at once what type of fiend had chosen to prey on us.

A massive black claw, large enough to grasp around a pony whole clutched a peak, crushing the stone between its digits. Rivers of fiery glow snaked their way along the limb, plumes of smoke and steam spewing from them continually. The creatures head rose into view, that of the dreaded Fyre Drake of ancient lore. Its skin as black as charred wood, its body seething with fumes from the inferno that was its inner core. Its head was narrow and menacing, with frills on either side, its mouth filled with crooked fangs.

Its eyes blazed from the furnace within, and focused on the unicorn that had dared remain to oppose it. Loosing a terrible roar that turned the snow to steam as it fell, the drake reared-back to flex its wings in a display of might.

With my heart nearly beating out of my chest and mortal terror for the Prince gripping me, I watched on in numbness as Æclypse responded in kind on his hind legs, and screamed back saying- “
“-candy!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What!?” Twilight said aloud, startled in confusion. “That’s not what-”

“Want some candy Twilight?”

I was now she realized that the voice that interrupted her reading had been Spike, calling from the door of the cabin. There he stood, the attendant offering him a selection of brightly colored treats. Her number one assistant stared at her, waiting for an answer.

She exhaled. Having been so enthralled by the story just as it was building, she had become oblivious to her surroundings. As annoyed as she was by the intrusion, the thought of something sweet was indeed tempting.

Author's Note

Cliff-hanger muthafu***s!

I actually really enjoyed writing this one. Not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Chapter 7 is pretty much plotted out, so when I get to that, it shouldn't take long either.

If you'se guy'se find any erors or typos, let me know, Thanks for reading. :raritywink:

NEXT TIME ON: THE UNFORGIVEN
What happened after Wanderlust chased after Trixie? How does she know him? And why is he so keen on getting to know the former bearers of the Elements of Harmony?
Things between the royal sisters become tense when Celestia is forced to explain herself, and Luna realizes she's been subject to a lie.
And, the legend of Prince Æclypse continues, how can a mere pony take on the fearsome fire beast of antiquity, and live to be a legend?
And just what was Wanderlust going to ask Rarity about Twilight's castle?

Ch 7: "Broken Masks"

At the very moment Twilight Sparkle was enthralled by the tale of Prince Æclypse, the weather over her destination, Ponyville, was as perfect a cool autumn day as any Pegasus had ever constructed. The birds chirped as they glided on the breeze over the dale, red ones, blue ones, little sparrows and chickadees. Over the knoll came a soft humming, a voice with a cheery tune to keep cadence with their step.

Rounding the top of the hillock, Fluttershy pranced lightly along. Behind her, a trail of frogs bounded one after another, following their pied-piper. She glanced back to her parade, making sure they were all keeping-up.
“We’re almost to your new pond little ones! Oh, you’re going to be so comfortable there, that other pond you were in was way to close to the Everfree.”

A few of the amphibians croaked their pleasure.

Knowing how close they were to their new home, Fluttershy finally took care to observe the pond, which was nestled at the edge of the glen in a little pocket surrounded by trees. The friendly kind, not the nasty gnarled Everfree ones. But as she examined the spot, she noticed a large dark form laying by the pool, a stallion with his face draped over the water. As she got closer the figure took no notice of her, preferring instead to dab their hoof at the water’s surface and send ripples in all directions.

She came to a stop a few paces away, the frogs continuing past her to file into the water, several plunks! breaking the quite. Though the stallion’s hair draped over his face a bit, Fluttershy could tell he was dejected. When a frog poked its head above water, its tongue shot out and stuck to his muzzle, perhaps in a friendly attempt to lighten the mood. But having no success, with a disappointed mur-murt it plopped back down.

“Sorry to, um, bother you.” Fluttershy began, nervously trying to get the grey, blue-maned unicorns attention. “I was just, um, hoping that, oh, If you could just-”

“You’re Fluttershy aren’t you?” he asked gloomily without moving his head.

“Um, maybe..” was all she managed.

“Rarity said that you were tending to a patient overnight. Tell me, are they alright?”

She thought about the turtle she had tended to last night, it had been trapped on its back for several hours and was in bad shape by the time other woodland critters had alerted her. The memory of the sick reptile was enough to draw her out of her timidity, “Oh yes, little Tibby was very ill from exposure.”

The plain fact she had missed at first stunned her, “Wait, Rarity told you about me?”

“Yes.” he said, raising his head and turning in her direction, “We haven’t met yet, but I’m Wanderlust. She told me you were a dear friend of hers.”

“Oh” she softly exclaimed, making the connection. This was the stranger, they had talked about in the spa yesterday. “Rarity said you were, um, a good cook.” she said, unable to think of something more relevant.

“Rarity told me you were the kind one.” Wanderlust said with a casual lie, dropping his head back down. “I’m afraid my night was rather unkind.” With an exaggerated sign he lifted his chin and set it back down. “But I don’t suppose that’s any of your care.”

Fluttershy tensed. Her natural instinct was to just back away and get back to her cottage, but he didn’t seem all that scary. Here he lay on the grass, no taller than a kitty, and was about as much a threat.
“Well, um, if there’s something you’d like to, maybe, talk about.”

“Oh you don’t want to hear about my troubles. I just hope Rarity isn’t too mortified by the scene I caused at the party.” That second part was at least true, the pained expression on her face had dug at him. In fact he hadn’t even returned to the boutique after he went after Trixie, he had spent the night wondering about the town.

“Well, maybe I can talk to Rarity later” the Pegasus offered, “So, why don’t you tell me, um, what happened. That way I can help her not be so, um, mortified.”

He looked to her with careful thought, reading the subtle tells in her face. “You must really be a good friend.”

“Oh yes.” she nodded, “I would do anything to help a friend. Except, you know, scary stuff.”

Wanderlust rose from where he lay, stretching his legs with a groan. “I’ve been laying down for quite some time. Come, I’ll escort you back and tell you what happened.”

Minutes later, after Wanderlust had set the scene with him chasing after Trixie, and how bad he felt about Rarity. The walked at an amble, with Fluttershy listening intently. He continued his tale with how he found Trixie sobbing against a fence post.

“I found her there at the corner of somepony’s yard fence, her hat on the ground beside her half-slathered in mud where it fell. The rain from earlier had waned, but there was still a light drizzle that soaked her mane and plastered it against her neck.”

“Go Away!” she yelled at the sound of my approach, flapping a hoof in my direction. I sucked in a breath and tried to reach out but she snapped at me, angrier this time.
“Go away and leave me! Just like you did the last time I saw you!”

She glared at me, her eyes drenched in rain and tears. I saw the well of anguish behind those windows, and if not for the droplets, she would have seen my tears as well.

“I’m sorry I had to leave you like I did Trixie, but I thought you would-”

“That I would what!?” she demanded, “That I would just forget about you? Get on with my life like you never existed? Seek my fame and fortune all alone?!”

“That you were strong enough to be on your own, without me slowing you down.”

“Oh my” Fluttershy finally cut in. Not immune to a mare’s taste for gossip, she as much as anypony could imagine the emotion of the situation.
“So you broke-up with her?”

“Broke up with her?” Wanderlust said, confused.

“She was your Very Special Somepony, and you had a bad break-up, right?”

Wanderlust’s eyes widened as he realized what she meant. “Oh no no no, it wasn’t that at all. She wasn’t my mare-friend. I could have never thought of her that way.”

Now it was Fluttershy who was confused. “Wait, so why was she so upset about you leaving her?”

“That story is a little older. Many years before she was ‘Great and Powerful’, she was just a little thing on the streets of Fillydelphia. I remember when I first saw her. I had been in the city for a few days, trying to find an antique broker, when I chanced upon a crowd of ponies in the city commons. At first I couldn’t tell what they were all looking at, but I edged in closer, and saw a ragged maned little filly standing on an upturned box. A crude wizards hat made out of cardboard was on her head, little stars drawn on it with a crayon.

‘Come see the magic of Trixie!’ she announced to the audience, trying her best to sound like a trained performer. I could see by her cutie mark that magic was indeed her talent, and being an aficionado of the craft myself, I decided to see what she had. She was adorable. Her routine was little more than making things appear out of her hat, and little streaks of sparkly lights for flair, but she did it with such earnestness and cuteness that you couldn’t help but applaud.”

Wanderlust spoke as he looked off into the distance, a smile peeking out from the corners of his mouth. Fluttershy could tell this was a happy memory, one that he probably hadn’t relived in years.

“When it was finished, the crowd applauded and threw a few bits in her hat for the show. I watched as she counted her take with a growing frown before putting the bits in a saddle bag that looked even more tattered than she did. She finally noticed that I was still staring at her, which must have upset her because she yelled at me; “What do you want huh? Shows over!”.

Before I could reply, she hopped down off the box and trotted away. I was inclined to just let it go and return to my search, but something about her made me want to see where she was going. I followed her a ways downtown, she didn’t stop anywhere and she didn’t talk to anypony, which stuck me as strange. Eventually she turned into an alley, where an old, overweight green mare was hunched over a cart filled with various odds and ends of broken and discarded objects.

Spying on them from around a corner, I listened as they haggled over something.

“Alright, three bits, just like you asked!” Trixie sounded mad, like they had argued before. She presented the money to the mare, who glared at it suspiciously.

“Now the price if four bits!” she growled.

Trixie visibly balked at the price, a mix of fear and anger distorting her young features.
“Four bits! That’s a rip-off! That old rag isn’t worth half a bit!”

“Then why do you want it so bad then huh?”

“None of your business!” Trixie squealed in her little voice.

“The price is four bits. So you want the rag or don’t ya?”

The mare was trying to squeeze the little filly for an extra bit. I could have stepped in, but I wanted to see where all this was going. Finally Trixie’s front broke down, and her face fell as she levitated the contents of her bag in front of her, the five bits she earned from her show.”

“But… but, I only have five bits. If I give you four then I’ll only have one to-”

“We all got sob stories kid. Pay up or get lost.”

In that moment I thought the mare’s face was a perfect expression of the brutalized and hardened soul she carried within.

Trixie bowed her head, and without a sound passed over four of her five bits. The mare took them, inspected them, and with a satisfied grunt, put them into a small pouch. She plucked a bit of cloth no bigger than a dishrag out of her cart, and tossed it at Trixie, where it landed on her back.

The cloth was clearly used, with an ugly brown stain that occupied about a fourth of it. Otherwise it was a just a normal pastel-purple foal’s blanket. Trixie left the alley and walked right past me without noticing, her head was still hung.

I still couldn’t understand just why a little filly like her would be quibbling with a scrounger over a filthy blanket, so I continued to follow her. Her next stop was a sandwich vendor, and she picked out a small cheese and lettuce on white.
The pony put the food on the counter, but when Trixie put up her last bit, he took it back.

“Sorry kid, small sandwich is two bits.”

“But… I only have one.” she pleaded, all the wind taken out of her sails.

The vendor must have had a sweet spot for a sad face, and he cut the sandwich in half, shoving one side in her direction.
“Half and sandwich and we call it even.”

“Thank you mister!” she told him, eagerly snapping the food off the counter. She took her lunch and sat on the curb of a flower display in the square where she ate contentedly.

Sensing an opportunity, I went up to the vendor and placed my own order.
“I’ll have the platter please.”
“Yes sir, anything else?”
“Yes…” I answered him, “and half a cheese and lettuce sandwich.”

She had consumed her sandwich by the time I sat down next to her, and you should have seen how big her eyes got when she saw the food stacked on my plate.

“Mind if I join you for lunch?” I asked her. “I hate eat alone.”

Her pride must have reasserted itself, because she pouted. “What do you want from me huh? You just gonna follow me around all day? There’s laws against stalking you know!”

I took a bite of sandwich before I answered, making a show of savoring the flavor. “Well… whenever I have a big meal like this, mmm delicious, I like to hear a story.”

I glanced sideways to see her staring at my plate of food, her mouth ajar.
“So why don’t you tell me Trixie, a story about a darling little filly who spends four bits on a soiled rag, and one bit on lunch.”

“Why do you wanna know?” she said, clutching her newly bought blanket.

“For starters, I think such a little filly could help make sure this big lunch of mine doesn’t go to waste.”

I almost laughed when I heard the breath caught in her throat.

“You mean it?” she asked hopefully, “I could have some of your sandwich?”

“As long as it gets me a story.” I said, floating a sandwich half as big as her just out of reach.

“Ok…”

I laid the sandwich beside her and let her get a few mouthfuls. She took huge bites, like this was some lavish feast to be gobbled-up while the getting was good. With her mouth stuffed, so much so she couldn’t close her lips, and the sound of her chewing, she looked at me curiously.

“So… whadda you.. Wanna know?” she asked in between swallows.

“The blanket, what’s the deal?”

“If you must know, this is my blanket. I lo..misplaced it a few days ago. So I had to buy it back from old Salma.”

“You bought back your own blanket for four bits? You could have gotten a new one for half that.”

“This one is Trixie’s favorite blanket, none other will do!”

She pulled it around to look at, and tried to wipe away some of the crud. A picture of her life was beginning to form in my mind, one that shared many a note as my own.

“It means that much to you huh? Suppose you just gotta take it home and get it cleaned then.” I said to prod her.

She froze mid-bite at my question, looking stuck for an answer.
“Uh yeah, a little water and it’ll be like new.”

“You’d better finish your food then, it’s getting late.” Indeed it had already been evening when I first saw her, now the sky was making its color shift. “We wouldn’t want your parents to get worried.”

At the sound of that her attitude had returned with a vengeance.
“humf! Trixie makes her own curfew! I don’t answer to anypony but myself!”

This all but confirmed my suspicion. So feisty as she was, I wasn’t about to abide this little filly on the street.
“Well, I do have to get going along. I’ve been out all day and I’m terribly tired. I don’t know what kind of bed Trixie plans to sleep on with her favorite blanket, but I’ve got a plush quilt with my name on it waiting back at my hotel suite.”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see her face tense, and I knew she was deciding whether or not to push her luck a little further. So as I rose to my hooves, I gave her something to bite onto.
“Of course, I could use some company for the walk back.”

“Trixie will go with you!” she exclaimed a little more enthusiastically than she meant to. “I mean, for the price of another sandwich.”

I glanced back at her with a sly smile, letting her save some face. “Well come on then girl, the other half of this lettuce and cheese sandwich isn’t going to eat itself.” I put the remainder of my food in my saddle bag and began walking away.

She tied the corners of her blanket around her neck, put her little make-shift hat on, and bounded after me. I admit I couldn’t hide a grin.

“So you’re staying in a hotel, but you’re rich enough to stay in a suite.” She remarked, “So where are you really from? And what’re you doing in Phillydelphia?”

I was impressed by her induction, “I’m in town on personal business. And I’m something of a drifter, so you might say I’m from all over.”

It must have dawned on her then that she was going home with a complete stranger, one who had lured her in with food and nice words. She must have been in a desperate position to accept my help so easily. I don’t know what her parents had instilled in her, but some of it must have bubbled up.

“If I’m going to walk you home I might as well know your name.”

I gave her a measured look, which she squirmed a bit under, perhaps worrying that she had put a hoof wrong. In that moment she had my heart. I bent a knee and offered her my hoof.
“Trixie, I’m Wanderlust. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“A pleasure it is.” the little filly announced to me, like she was bestowing some great honor. Her eyes were closed as she shook my hoof, and yelped in surprise when I snatched her up and placed her on my back. Before she had a chance to object, I was trotting back to the hotel. She was startled at first, but she settled down.

By the time I reached the hotel, she was snoring lightly, curled-up and her face nuzzled into the fur between my shoulders. I suspect she hadn’t been sleeping well for at least a few days, and when I got up to the room I set her down on the bed with not so much as a wiggle out of her. Watching her little body rise and fall with each breath, I carefully undid the blanket, put her hat on the bedside table, and folded the comforter over her shoulders.

I took the blanket into the bathroom and gave it an impromptu wash. When I was done I hung it to dry, and settled myself into the chair in the corner of the room. The last thing I saw before nodding off was Trixie turning over in bed, some pleasant dream making her smile.

Wanderlust continued walking in silence for a few moments before Fluttershy spoke up.
“So, um, then what happened?”

“Hmm, what?” prodded out of his train of thought, Wanderlust realized he had stopped talking. “Oh, yes. I’d like to finish this story for you, but I think someone else is demanding your attention.”

He jerked his head over Fluttershy’s shoulders, and to her surprise, they were already back at her cottage. Standing at her front door, Angel was waiting, arms crossed and foot thumping impatiently. A crunched face of jealously and anger staring daggers at the Unicorn.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy said as her head shrunk down. “I forgot, it’s time for Angel’s lunch. I’d better get inside and get it started.”

She started to run over, but stopped short. “Oh, um, thank you for walking me home.”

“No problem Fluttershy, thanks for lending an ear. You are very kind.”

“Maybe, um sometime, you could, I don’t know, finish your story.”

“I’d love to. Good day Fluttershy.”

Wanderlust bowed his head slightly, bidding the fair Pegasus adieu. With a swift turn he began to saunter away. He had gotten a few steps away when a question reached his ears.

“I’m, uh, curious though Wanderlust.” Fluttershy asked, “What were you looking for in Fillydelphia?”

He didn’t answer right away, feigning an attempt to recollect by looking to the sky. When he came up with something, he glanced back over his shoulder.

“Oh just an old trinket really.”

He faced forward, leaving Fluttershy to her work.
“An amulet.”

FRIENDSHIP EXPRESS
MIDWAY TO PONYVILLE

She hadn’t known blackberry was a flavor of lollipop anywhere, but as Twilight Sparkle sat back down in her seat, the savory candy making her mouth water, she was glad it was. Twilight took a few minutes to simply stare out the window, watching the tree-tops in the distance waver in the wind, while those nearer to the track flashed by in a blur.

The ancient book lay beside her, and in the back of her mind, she thought of what Celestia might say if she found out. Her status as princess might come with a few nice perks, but nothing that would shelter her from anything the senior Alicorn might choose to penalize her with. Still, as a lover of books and knowledge the idea of letting this story be lost to the dust of ages irritated her, and besides, it wasn’t like she was going to tell everypony she had it.

Spike in his seat was tossing a few morsels of some puffy, crunchy snack into the air before snatching them up with his extended tongue. Taking up a new comic, he admired the cover art for a moment before flipping to the opening pages. It was now that he realized Twilight was looking at him.
“What?” he asked her, as if there was something he wasn’t aware of doing wrong.

But she merely chuckled at his tone, “Nothing Spike.” Satisfied that nothing was amiss, Spike flexed the pages of his comic and returned his focus to issue #9 of The Uncanny Batmare.

Twilight picked her own book back up in a nimbus of lavender magic, again pausing to reflect on just how special this collection of pulp, wood, and leather was. She split the book open to where the felt ribbon marked where she had left off, and switching the lollipop to the other side of her mouth, began reading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“----HAVOOOOOOOOOK!” before charging headlong into battle.

Havok was our god of courage and strength in warfare. Like many other gods of Thule, Havok had no true name, but we attributed one to him for our own sakes. For Thule had many gods and goddesses, who governed over nearly ever facet of life. There was Daranite, goddess of the pure mountain spring, there was Vertanus, overseer of discipline and virtue.

But the two most prominent gods in the hearts of Thulian unicorns, were Zarathustra, god of willpower, who helps us stay determined in the face of hardship and peril. In his name was crafted the motto of the Thule Guard: “You are to be strong You are to be bold. You are to overcome, Thus spake Zarathustra.”

Then there is Crom, god of wisdom, keeper of the riddle of steel, strong on his mountain. Crom is the patron god of Æclypse’s bloodline, and has served them well these long moons. My prince Æclypse is especially favored by Crom, for knowledge is power, power in the intangible. And power makes you strong, strong like steel, strong on your mountain, and my prince’s mountain is mighty indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Whoa.” Twilight mumbled to herself. There had never been a time in her life when Celestia and Luna hadn’t been the closest beings to deity that anypony could think of. Hearing about lofty gods and goddesses like Vertanus and Crom was surreal, hard for her to imagine in fact. Twilight almost wanted to turn right around and raid the Thule antechamber for every book and scrap of scroll she could find. And if the ponies of Thule dispersed far and wide in Equestria, then what happened to the memories of these archaic deities among the descendants? This she resolved, would go on the ‘must research’ list.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fyre Drake was as tall as the ceiling of the Thule throne hall, its claws could hold two full-grown unicorns in its grip, its wings broad and black could rip a forest up by the roots in its gale. The scales were like wrought iron, thick and rough, the remains of many spears and sword lodged between them. His whole body was covered in rivers of fire emanating from his infernal core, glowing through the darkness and blizzard to shine like a treacherous beacon.

And there lie the beasts great weakness, at least to our mind. For only within the blinding winds and insatiable cold can it survive, the very combustion that gives it life would consume it from within should the monster find itself in any warmer a climate. So on the bitter winds it flies, and in the frozen storm it travels, a creature with both the flame and the frost to assail its hapless foes.

And there, into that certain death did my prince gallop. The heat and cold conspiring together, their union forming a whirlwind that turned snow and hail into pellets that would batter a normal pony into oblivion. But Æclypse’s armor protected him, as did the shield of magic that he used to pierce his way through to the monster.

As he approached, the beast levied another feral cry, the crests to either side of its head rattling from the power of the sound. From a beak that could shatter stone came licks of sickly green flame that curled and danced in the wind. It lifted a mighty arm, and as Æclypse got within reach, brought it crashing down and dug its claws into the permafrost. But it had missed its target, the prince dashing to the side with not a hair’s width to spare.

Æclypse ran straight into the beast, and darted underneath it, heading off in the opposite direction to lure the drake away. Sensing an easy, if not intriguing prey, the fell creature turned and engaged pursuit, each step thundering after the first son of Thule.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pausing to take a breath, it occurred to Twilight that she had never head of the Fyre Drake before. There were plenty of dragons alive and well in Equestria today, from the huge one that she and her friends had to roust from the mountain cave, to the many that formed the great dragon swarm that migrated across the continent every year. And of course, there was one little dragon in particular Twilight couldn’t imagine her life without.

But this only added to the mound of questions that were accumulating in her mind. How could all this information simply be forgotten? Purged from the record? Had Celestia’s effort to bury Thule been so complete? How could nopony have passed these stories along? she thought. The drake was apparently a known quantity in the north, so maybe Cadence could do some digging in her library for something. Surely, if it recorded the existence of the drake, it knew of it’s demise at the hoof of Prince Æclypse.

“Spike,” She called to her friend, “Take a letter”

A minute later, Spike held the rolled-up scroll to his face, and breathed a wash of green flame that burned the paper to a wisp of smoke that immediately shot to the window and out into the air towards it’s destination.

“Why are you suddenly interested in “unique dragons in northern Equestria” for?” Spike asked, settling back into his seat.

“Oh just looking into something for a book I’m thinking of writing.” Twilight said casually.

“Really? A book about dragons?” Spike responded excitedly.

“Why not? I figure I should know a thing or two.” She assured him with a wink.

Satisfied, Spike leaned back in his chair with a barely suppressed grin, and reopened his comic. Twilight looked back to her window and frowned. She wasn’t very fond of lying to her best friend, but she also wasn’t very keen on the idea of making him complicit in defying Celestia’s command to leave Thule alone. So, worse come to worse, Spike would just be confused about why she omitted certain facts.

The tale of the book called out to her again, and she readied herself to finish Wiglaf’s recount.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tried as best I could to follow behind, but even healthy, Æclypse could well outpace me. Now with the drake giving chase, I knew the prince was striding faster then he ever had against my squat legs. Sliding down an incline, I managed to follow the tracks through the storm, which began to subside as the monster fled further and further. Hobbling as best I could, it was several minutes before I caught sight of them again.

I was so focused on spotting them that I nearly stepped off a cliff, and shuffling back from the edge, I was able to see the glow of the beast on the plane below. The drake no doubt was more used to its quarry either fleeing or being caught unawares. But there on the plane he had an opponent who had no intention of running. It would make snatching grabs for Æclypse, but he would dodge, and fire a blast of magic in retaliation.

The monster became more infuriated the longer he was foiled, its burning veins pulsing brighter and brighter with every beat of its heart. Æclypse must have perceived this before I did, for each time he fired his magic, it was into one of the exposed heat vents. The prince was not merely distracting the monster so the pilgrims could escape, he had found a way to fight it. Glowing brightest of all, was the center of its chest, where burned a claw shaped icon that the drake protected from attack.

Its fury reaching a peak, the whole body of the monster trembled, and from its maw came a torrent of aubergine fire that it spewed wide over the plane. This was fire even we in Thule had thought a child of ancient legend. The Aubergine flame, it is said, does not just burn the flesh but the soul as well. A flame so primordial and pure, no magic can withstand it.

Æclypse knew his mythology well, and avoided the sweeping fire by blasting a hole into the ground deep enough for him to leap into laying sideways, the Aubergine blazing over head. The drake lost sight of the prince, and sought him out, unaware that he was hiding just behind it.

I began to hear voices behind me, and thus came members of our escort group, other guards who desired to aid their prince.

“Where is the Prince?!” the foremost of the dozen asked me with exhausted breath.
“Where are the pilgrims we are charged to protect?” I asked in return, enraged that Æclypse might be risking his life in vain.

“They made it to the treeline, they’re safe” Another of the guard said.

“Then lets not leave our prince to fight this monster alone!” I cried.

With their voices joined to my own, I led the way down a narrow path that would take us below. Æclypse must have heard us coming, for he turned in our direction with a roar; “Stay back! Get! Back!”

We hesitated, unsure the danger to his life outweighed his order.

“Get clear!” He repeated, “That is a direct royal command!”

We never got the chance to comply with his word, for the drake had become aware of us, and its wide wings carried it straight for us. Our group dived to either side as a stream of the Aubergine bathed the ground in its passing. The drake made a great looping turn, bellowing in the wind, and set itself for another strafe. We knew that it could not miss all of us second time.

Our prince rushed past us, bearing a shield of stone in his magic before him, to meet the beast head-on. The magical flame was loosed, and smothered the rock buffer, both still barreling down on each other. When their paths converged, the drake knocked the stone aside with a claw, and Æclypse with it. Sensing its crafty prey was vulnerable, the monster struck in with its beak, aiming to snatch him in a single bite. But the prince paid the drake a good turn and used his magic to deflect it into the ground.

With the beast temporarily stunned, Æclypse jumped onto its neck, and from his horn, cast a tether around the monster’s throat. The drake fumed and raged, but it could not shake the prince as he held on for dear life to the spines that protruded from its back. Unable to loosen the throttlehold, the Fyre Drake beat its wings, and ascended into the stormy sky.

Not in all the days that pony hooves have trodden the soil I think, had anypony ever ridden a dragon, and certainly not one as mighty as the spitter of the Aubergine. But there I did see, soaring through the blizzard Æclypse atop the dragon’s back, his leash causing the monster to writhe and thrash about madly. My comrades beside me gasped in horror, afraid that our prince might lose his grip and plummet to his death. I was more afraid that the dragon would fly away, taking Æclypse with him to Crom-knows-where.

And such my fears came true when the drake disappeared from view into the heights of the storm. We were silent as the ice around us as we waited for any sign of the two, and I began wondering how I could tell the king, who had charged me with watching over his son since his birth, that I had failed, and his son, the heir to the throne was gone. While my comrades continued to stare at the sky, I could only lower my head, shame and anguish about to overtake me.

But through the howling winds came a cry that echoed down to us from above. It was not the terrible bellow of the drake, but I recognized at once the voice of Æclypse, more wild and fierce than I had ever heard him before. My fellow guards cowered at the sound, fearful that some new monstrosity was going to beset us, or that Æclypse himself was plummeting. But peering as hard as I could into the whiteout, I saw the shape of the Fyre Drake lashing to and fro, still trying to free itself.

The beast came soaring down in the eye of the storm, making pained roars, the ring of magic around its neck now brighter and stronger than before. Slithering through the air, the fiery life-blood of the drake dripped from its maw, leaving a trail of molten saliva behind it. It leveled-out in flight and passed over us, and I was able to spot Æclypse clinging on, pulling with all his strength to reign the dragon to his will.

They came roaring over us, the gust knocking us off our hooves as they sailed straight for the cliff face. Forgetting the pain in my flank and scampering to a gallop as best my legs would allow, I ran after them, the others joining in behind me. I saw the drake’s head loll to the side, and its wings slacken. Thereunto, the great beast collided into the cliffside with an earthshaking crash, its body crumpling against the rock. With a shriek and a wail the monster fell to the ground, huge boulders of frozen earth dislodged by the impact falling atop it in an avalanche.

I got as close as I dare to the dread creature, who lay on its back half-buried, its wings crushed and mangled, its breathing shallow. We looked but we did not see our prince, and our hearts raced with fear that he was nothing but a smear underneath it all. I felt ready to brave the drake’s reach and dig him out when the sound of exertion drew our attention upwards to the top of the rock face.

There our Prince was, surmounting the edge, little bits of stone and ice breaking off as he clambered over. At once my comrades erupted in cheers and hollers, whilst I put my forehead to the ground, and with a sigh of relief, thanks as many gods and goddesses as I could think of.

But our celebration was premature, for the drake stirred to the noise, and its arm moved to clear away the rubble that pinned it down. We fell back, worried that it would turn on us with the Aubergine. I looked above to see if our prince was taking the opportunity to flee as well, but instead he stood there, gazing down at his foe, and there I knew that was planning to strike the final blow.

His horn alight, Æclypse slashed at the clifface, severing a sharp wedge of stone from the side, which slid away. He ran and leapt off the cliff to the gasps of those beside me, and planted all four hooves on top of what I now realized was an improvised dagger, and plunged straight down to the drake. Using his magic to aim the weapon straight and true, he drove it deep into the beast’s heart, causing it to scream out with a grotesque moan.

In its death-throws it reached up and snatched Æclypse in its claw, determined to the last to capture him. Our price yelped as the talons closed around him, and with a final gurgling wail, the drake’s head fell, the light of its eyes going dark. The arm wavered a bit, then finally slammed into the ground, the beast died having finally caught him.

We ran over and began to pry the clutched talons apart, hoping that with life leaving it, it had not the strength to squeeze Æclypse to death. We used our magic and our hooves to wrest them open, and within we found our prince aslumber. His chest rose and fell, much to our relief, and though I called his name, he made no sign that he heard me.

Gathered around, the others were silent, staring at him in reverence as if Vertanus himself were before us.

“Hail.” one of them said, kneeling before him; “Hail Prince Æclypse, Guardian of Thule.”

“Hail.” came another as he bowed, “Hail Prince Æclypse, Shield of the Aubergine.”

“Hail” knelt another, “Hail Prince Æclypse, The Dragon Rider.”

“Hail” a fourth called, “Hail Prince Æclypse, The Storm-Crier.”

“Hail” A fifth christened in genuflection, “Hail Prince Æclypse, The Draken-Bane.”

Looking to the stallions kneeling to their prince, a tear formed in my eyes, for I had never imagined the little colt that I spent so many days teaching and mentoring, would garner such honor.

“And what of you Wiglaf?” I heard behind me, rousing me to turn. There in the drake’s palm, our prince did stir, though he kept his eyes closed. “What great title would you bequeath me?” he asked.

My breath huffing with emotion, I too bowed my head and bent my knees.
“Hail Prince Æclypse, whose mother will swoon when she hears of this.”

At this he burst out laughing, “That she will Wiglaf! And my father right beside her!” He continued to laugh so hard he fell out of the monster’s claw and onto the ground, where I and others raised him to stand.

With the pilgrims safely on their journey home, we returned to Thule where, to her credit, the queen did not swoon. Though both king and queen did require to sit upon hearing the testimony of myself and the guards who had all witnessed the events, swearing on their lives to the truth of what they attested.

After a lengthy embrace from his parents, Æclypse was sent to his quarters where royal healers tended to him. King Rubicon, ever scrupulous, dispatched guards to verify that the Drake was indeed dead where it lay. And when they returned with confirmation, a letter to Canterlot was drafted, asking for the great mage Star-Swirl to come and make his own examination, and devise a way to deal with such dreadful remains.

A few days thence, a celebration was held in the prince’s honor, and all of Thule assembled around the royal fortress to lend their voices in cheer of their mighty defender. Over Æclypse’s protests, the king was adamant that he accept a title to commemorate his heroism, but the prince would not abide anything so grandiose as “Dragon Rider“ or “Storm Crier“. It was his brother, the younger Prince ßombra who suggested something much more modest.

And so it was in front of our entire kingdom, that the First Son of Thule, and Heir to the Throne, was dubbed: “Prince Æclypse, the Valiant.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow. Twilight thought. Though her own great battle with Tirek was objectively just as, if not more impressive, she had her friends to help her more often than not to overcome foes. Not to mention the Elements of Harmony. So for a relatively normal unicorn to take on such an opponent, the gap between hero and deed was arguably greater.

She took a long breath, and realized the lollipop stick was by now stripped of the hard candy. Chagrined that she hadn’t gotten to enjoy it fully, she spat the stick into the trash receptacle.

The revelation that Star-Swirl traveled to Thule didn’t surprise her, but that in all of her research into Star-Swirl’s works, there had been no mention of any of this further interested her in Celestia’s effort to lay the kingdom to rest. The uncomfortable thought crept into her mind that rather than putting a painful memory to bed, she had attempted to expunge it. A notion that was more unsettling than she cared to admit about her mentor.

But she shook her head and dispelled such disturbing ideas. She re-examined the last page, and settled on the fact that it was Sombra who actually gave him the title “the Valiant”. Before being sent to the Crystal Empire, truthfully she had been given very little information on King Sombra, so to read this different side of him was such a departure from the swirling mass of darkness that she had seen try to ravage the empire.

She flipped the page to the very back of the book, and saw something scrawled on the inside of the back cover. It was hoof-written, but definitely different than Wiglaf’s script. Curious, she read it aloud, “To the Princess of my dreams.”

Twilight arched her eyebrows, this wasn’t just a story book, it was a secret love note. Oh, Cadence would love this, she thought. She moved her hoof over the line, imagining that Æclypse himself had touched the same page. Still, it was kinda sad that Luna would surrender such a treasure. She never had the nerve to ask why Celestia and Luna never talked about having Special Someponies, and now she considered that it could possibly be something to pity about them.

As Twilight continued to think on the matter, the train eased to a stop, and she was a little startled to see the familiar houses of Ponyville beyond the station platform.

“Ponyville! All passengers for Ponyville, here’s your stop!” she heard the conductor call out.

“Come on Spike.” She said to her little companion, stuffing the special book back into her saddle bag. They exited the car and were quickly on their way home, to the big empty castle that Twilight always dreaded being stuck in for too long.

“That book must have been pretty good Twilight.” Spike chimed as they walked. “You barely took your nose out of it.”

“It was good.” She said with confidence, “I think it’ll give me a lot to chew on for a while.”

Passing though the center of town Twilight saw the remains of what must have been a party at Rarity’s boutique. What seemed strange was that the shop was closed today. Might be that her friend had a little too much fun last night, and decided to spend the day recovering at the spa or in bed. She made a mental note to ask around what happened.

Reaching her home at last, Spike went to his room to put his things away. Twilight went to the library, which hosted not only what remained of the Golden Oaks collection, but also those from the Castle of the Two Sisters, and a growing number of transplants from the Royal Canterlot library. Perhaps using her keyword spell here might turn up something that would add pieces to this puzzle.

She put her bags on the table, and took a seat. The taste of the blackberry lollipop lingered on her tongue, and she made another mental note to stop by Sugarcube Corner at some point to make a custom order. She sat there and gazed over the rows and rows of books that comprised her growing library, wondering where and with what word she might start to search with. She almost wished she could get the Star-Swirl the Bearded wing moved here from Canterlot, but then again, she’d been wanting that for a while.

She exhaled, and stepping off her chair, began to stride towards the left-most wing of her books.

And then she heard knocking, the long trail of echoes telling her that somepony was at the castle’s front door. The place was big enough that her friends usually just walked right in, and the town was well aware of her open-door policy. So whoever was going through the trouble of knocking must be somepony new. She considered letting Spike get it, but the last few days had been interesting, so what would a little more mystery hurt?

Teleporting to the main hallway, she was surprised to find Spike had already responded. He stood on a ladder, with his head protruding from a small window built into the left door.

Outside, Spike glared down at the pony, suspicious of the stranger. “What do you want?” he asked.

“I seek an audience with the Princes of Friendship.” Wanderlust answered with a degree of defensiveness.

Spike frowned at this, “Nopony gets in to see the Princess! Not nopony, not no how!”

“Spike!” Twilight chastised from below, “That’s no way to treat a visitor!”

“Sorry Twilight.” he apologized, climbing down the rungs. “I thought you could use some peace and quite after we got home.”

“I’ve had plenty of peace and quite. If somepony needs to speak to me, I can see them.”

“Just trying to look out for ya.” Spike said as he passed by her, ascending the stairs to his room.

She waited until he was out of the hall before opening the door, and standing there was indeed a new face. When he saw her, he seemed to recoil a step, his eyes widened for a heartbeat as he took her in.

“Hello.” She greeted him, “Sorry about Spike, he can be a little overprotective sometimes. I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, how can I help you?”

The sight of an Alicorn standing there in front of him took a moment for Wanderlust to process. She was… shorter than he had imagined, and seemed to have a rather casual demeanor. If this was the castle of a princess, where were the guards? Why was she answering her own door?

“Princess Twilight, my name is Wanderlust, might I beg but a few minutes of your time for a proposal?”

A proposal from a stranger? Now this was interesting. While she did get a fleeting memory of the Flim-Flam brothers, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Well this sounds official.” Twilight said, “We’d better do this um, in the main room!”

“Excellent!” Wanderlust chirped, and raised a hoof to take a step forward. But they both disappeared in a flash of lavender magic, and reappeared in the throne room. When he set his hoof down, he was shocked to discover what had happened.

“Princess, did we just teleport?” he asked cautiously.

“Sure did!” She answered happily, taking her seat to make a show of legitimacy. The scarce opportunity to do actual princess-y things served to lift her mood considerably.

“Well…” he mumbled out the side of his mouth, “Learn something new every day.”

“So tell me Mr. Wanderlust.” Twilight asked with a professional air, “What can I do for you?”

“Well Princess, I was thinking of opening a school.”

The idea caught her completely off-guard, and for a few moments, her eyes were wide.

CANTERLOT
EARLIER THAT MORNING

It wasn’t the presence of anypony that bothered Princess Celestia, it was the lack of them. Breakfast with her fellow princesses before Twilight departed had been pleasant, more on the quite side but nothing to raise any eyebrows. Her worries of the past few days weighed on her conscious, the whole affair something she wished she could just blot out of her mind. But it nagged at her still, despite the evidence of anything to the contrary, she felt like her ghosts were laughing behind her back.

She swiveled her head to look into the Royal library, where hardly anypony was to be seen. Much like the rest of her morning so far, the room was sparsely populated. The same irritating peace and quite. Striding into the room she glanced about, the rays of sunlight beaming down through the windows in columns of warmth. She had been asked about having stained glass windows installed in here, but she felt that the colorful lights would be distracting to ponies trying to read.

Fortunately the only stained windows in the wing were behind a wall. She took a deep breath, thinking over what she was about to do. She went over to the librarian’s desk where a young attendant with a brown coat and light blonde mane was stamping the inside covers with official crests.
“Pardon me Highlight, but I need to make a special request.”

The librarian gave her a confused look.
“Um… ok. What kind of request?” he asked curiously.

Celestia shifted her posture, clearly uncomfortable; “I’m afraid I need the library to myself, just for an hour or so.”

Highlight wasn’t the head librarian, just the morning attendant. He wasn’t sure he could authorize an unscheduled private session. Then again, it was coming directly from the princess. Glancing around the place there were only a few ponies perusing the shelves this early, so what harm could it be?

“Alright… Just give me a minute to clear the room.”

“Consider it done.” Celestia said. Behind her, the guards of her entourage were shepherding the other ponies out, apologizing for the inconvenience. Highlight didn’t quite know how to react, but the sooner they were gone, the sooner things could get back to normal. And hopefully, he wouldn’t have to do any explaining to his boss.

“Thank you Highlight, I’ll send for you when I’m finished.” As Celestia continued to stand there politely, it took him a moment to realize she was waiting for him to leave as well. With a nervous smile he exited the station, and headed for the door. Sparing a glance back, past the guards following him out, he saw Princess Celestia making sure that he was the last one.

The double doors to the library came together with a choom, its echo gave Celestia a sense of comfort. Now alone, she could enter the hidden antechamber that nopony was supposed to know about. Of all the ponies in Equestria, it had to be Twilight who stumbled upon the room. Though to be fair, she had to admit that finding it at all was impressive. Another case of her former student surpassing expectations.

Stepping around the right corner of the desk, her magic covered the stone bookcase, and with much greater ease than Twilight, moved it aside to exposed the secret door behind.

“Revisiting the scene of the crime sister?”

Startled, Celestia turned to see Luna strutting around the other side of the station. She craned her neck to the door where she half-expected a guard to be rushing over. Luna caught her gaze and smiled coyly,
“Oh Sister, I may have been away for a thousand years, but I was sneaking past castle guards since I was a filly.”

Celestia fixed her with a pained expression, “Luna, I don’t think you should be here for this.”

“And why not? Because I may faint at the memories of a long-lost snow-covered kingdom? Do you think me so fragile a heart that I cannot bear the sight of dusty artifacts and the windows you had bricked-up?”

“No, that’s not what I meant-”

“Then come on.” Luna said teasingly, “let us stroll into our dirty little secret.”

Using her own royal blue magic, Luna opened the doors without further ceremony. She began to enter, but noticed Celestia wasn’t following.
“Are you now afraid to go where your student has gone?”

Celestia balked as she cantered up to her sister’s side.

“How did you know Twilight was in here?”

“Well,” Luna began as they entered the room, “It’s not difficult to figure out why you would bother to commandeer the library and uncover a room you had sealed away long ago, not hours after she leaves. Especially after the awkward breakfast this morning between you two.”

“You picked up on that did you?” the senior alicorn said, her mane flattening out slightly.

Luna approached one of the mannequins, dressed in the garb of a Thulain court lady, a pale green dress with a bi-peaked hat. “I have always observed a certain bond between yourself and Twilight. I don’t think I need to tell you that you are very motherly with her. I admit I am jealous of it at times, but this morning the air betwixt you was, omitting. You both knew something, wanted to speak it out loud, but decided to keep it quite.”

Celestia had wondered over to the where the tapestry was draped across the top of the bookshelf, it had been centuries since she saw it last and truthfully, didn’t really remember what was on it. “It simply isn’t something I ever thought I’d have to explain. Why do you think I put a ton of rock in front of it?”

“Twilight is more capable than you give her credit for.” Luna said, putting her hoof under the chin of the model, “Unlike us, she takes all this in as something new and interesting to explore. She does not, what’s the term?, ‘carry the baggage’ as we do, when it comes to this. Her curiosity was certainly strong enough to push her to disobey you when I found her in here last night.”

“She was in here again?” Celestia flustered, giving her sister a hard stare. “And I bet you knew that I had asked her to stay out of here too.”

“I inferred as much, yes. But to be sure Twilight was very regretful of that fact, and I wasn’t about to send her off the bed just to ensure the integrity of the layers of dust.” Luna glanced over to the helmet mounted on a bust, it’s color was mostly faded, but the plates were of a deep blue like her own fur, with gilded edges. The thorns on either side of the horn aperture still bore the marks of close combat.

With a flick of her horn, Celestia ignited the candles in the chandelier above them, which served to expose a sour expression on her face. While Twilight had deliberately gone against her wishes, she couldn’t find the anger to levy some punishment on her. She didn’t want to reprimand her student and friend, in fact, part of her was glad she had disobeyed. It helped to lighten the burden of it all.

She altered her gaze from the flickering flames to where Luna was caressing the battle-nicked helm with a hoof. As her anger dissipated it made her realize that she needn’t bear all these bad memories alone. With her sister returned, there was somepony else who knew the truth. Well, most of it anyway.

“Do you still think of him Luna?” she asked.

Laying her head across the top of the helmet, Luna looked-up to the window, where Æclypse was frozen in posture.

“To be honest, I hadn’t thought of him until last night, it’s been so long.” Her face softened, “But now that I do, I can’t help but wonder how different things might have been.”

Her sister’s word struck a chord within Celestia, remembering what the prince said to her.

“I will weep, for the future we have slain this night.”

What did he know that I didn’t? Celestia wondered, thinking back to what she recalled about their conversations. Was it really that I just didn’t trust him? Was this just a case of his hooves being tied? No, Celestia thought, He should have helped. Though she knew her mistrust of the prince began long before that fateful night.

“I too have wondered.” She spoke aloud.

With a sigh, Luna faced her sister, scrutinizing her. “I know the dispute you had with him on the eve of our battle with King Sombra was the culmination of something that had been stewing with you. But I just don’t know what it could have been. Tell me sister, why did you not like him?”

Celestia knew she’d have to answer this sooner or later now that the cat was out of the bag, so how best to put things without letting too much slip?
“I suppose… I suppose it was because I was afraid of him.”

Luna took her head off the helmet, confusion and concern apparent in her face, “Afraid of him? Sister I can’t imagine what you mean, why would you be afraid of a pony who by all accounts was one of the best?”

“That’s just it Luna.” Celestia admitted quickly, “He was one of the best, under his rule as king, Thule would have been stronger and more prosperous than ever before. And I was afraid of what that would do to Equestria.”

Luna’s face contorted and she shook her head, “No, no, no, I don’t understand. Why would Thule’s success be cause to fear for Equestria?”

For a moment Celestia couldn’t find the right words, and her breath caught in her throat. But she found her nerve, her resolution, and came out with it.
“Equestria was not long removed from the psychotic rule of Discord, and you know as well as I there was a very real chance that Equestria as a nation might not survive. While Thule was on the rise, Equestria was in danger of splintering.

I was afraid, that Thule, under the rule of King Æclypse, would become so strong, that Equestria would wither away next to it. All that its founders had done, all that we had done and intended to do, would starve to death.”

It took Luna almost a minute to process the information, trying to comprehend the logic. “So… you thought Equestria was too traumatized and weak to survive the rise of Thule. That its success would mean poines… what, lose faith in Equestria? Lose faith in us? Is that what this is about? You didn’t want ponies choosing Thule over us?”

“It…. It’s not so petty as that Luna!” No longer able to stand the accusing glare of her sister, Celestia walked over to the map, hoping to find the inspiration for some better explanation.

“You and I both know that we have the best intentions for Equestria and all its citizens, that we’re special, that we’re not like regular ponies.”

“That we are meant to rule Equestria by divine right?” Luna interrupted, “And any threat to that status quo must be exiled?”

“NO!” Celestia yelled in a turn. Surprised by her own outburst, she paused, taking a few breaths to reign in her indignation. “As afraid as I was for the survival of Equestria, I would never have exiled Æclypse just to keep us sitting on thrones. You know exactly why he was banished. Because when the time came to do the right thing, he refused.”

Despite how angry her sister’s justification made her, there was a cold rationality to it. Equestria was in a precarious position in the wake of Discord, and indeed, the rise of a stronger neighbor might have siphoned off the ability for it to rebuild. And yes, the noble prince had not done what he should have done, and effectively allowed evil to fester. But there was more to this issue yet she wanted explained.

“And what,” Luna began, facing the floor, where a faded red rug lay. Her lip trembling. “Did you resolve to do once I reveled to you my affair with him?”

This question struck dangerously close to something Celestia desired to keep secret even now, with so much coming into the open.

“I feared that, if it became known that one of us was… romantic with Prince Æclypse, then ponies would turn to Thule for stability, for leadership, for their future. So when I had to exile him, I was relieved for Equestria. For us.”

Luna didn’t speak. She couldn’t in the moment. Her body shuddered subtly, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she remembered the many nights she spent with him in the dreamscape. They way he would sing to her, treat her like a normal mare instead of some goddess on a pedestal. The way his eyes would delve into hers, the feel of his fur against hers.

“So it’s true then.” Luna said her voice beginning to break. “You sought to put an end to our affair?”

“Yes.” Celestia said without hesitation. “I would have liked a different way. But Sombra’s unexpected coup forced everypony’s hoof to pick sides.”

A tear fell from Luna’s face to the floor, a sob escaping her breast. “Was our love so dangerous that Equestria would fall sister? Would our happiness bring such doom to pony-kind?”

Celestia came next to her, putting a foreleg around her sister’s shoulder. “I believe it would have put the lives of the ponies we protect into somepony else’s hooves.”

“Sister, *sniff, sob* in my heartbreak… I became Nightmare Moon, and threatened to condemn Equestria to an everlasting night.”

“I know. I know.” the white alicorn cooed, petting her neck to offer some comfort. But Luna shoved away from the embrace, still weeping as she walked towards the exit.

“Was it worth it sister? Was what happened worth what you feared to come? Was my fall and banishment the price to pay to ensure Equestria remained united?!”

“That is not fair Luna!” Celestia shouted back, her jaw set.

Luna merely sniffed loudly, glaring back at her sister. “I now see that nothing about what happened was fair, from start to finish. But you got what you desired in the end. Equestria united and strong. And it wasn’t long until the Nightmare took me, and I had to share in Æclypse’s fate. Then all of Equestria, from shore to shore was under the Imperium, in your capable, benevolent hooves.”

The two princesses stared hard at one another, their faces trembling with emotion; anger, sadness, regret, outrage. Celestia was the first to break the silence.

“And I would do it again if I had too.”

“I know.” came Luna’s retiring reply. She averted her sight from Celestia, moving it back to Æclypse’s visage as she had he night before.

“He wanted to tell you. He wanted our relationship to be in the open. He wanted to work with us, to work with you. He wanted you to approve of him. He didn’t want Thule to outshine Equestria, he wanted to embrace us.”

Luna’s face fell, weighted down by melancholy. Again she turned to the doorway, her gait unhurried.

“But such is the capricious comedy of fate. That the good shall wage war on another, and the wicked return to plague us over and over again.”

The dejection had infected Celestia as well, and she wanted to follow after Luna, but thought it better to give her some time and space to sort herself out.

“I find that I am weary and in need of rest sister.” Luna called back. “I shall see you at nightfall to execute our appointed tasks. Good-day Celestia.”

Celestia watched her disappear around the corner, the echo of her steady steps fading by the moment until they ceased. She hung her head and exhaled, bringing a hoof to her forehead to massage the tissue. After a moment she raised her head, and finally examined the room alone as she had originally intended. Her time to do what she came here for was limited, and she wanted to gather as much information as she could. Getting an hour of her morning routine cleared for this had not been easy, and having to do it again would begin to impact regular court functions.

With the candles above providing sufficient light, she plucked a book from the shelves labeled for ‘history’ and began reading. If she was going to sit down with Twilight and tell her about Thule, she would need to refresh her memory.

There was one memory of Thule she had never forgotten however, and intended to share with her junior princess. That she had visited the kingdom before Sombra went mad, and that her argument with Prince Æclypse was not the first time they had spoken.

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT
OUTSKIRTS OF PONYVILLE

“Trixie! Trixie!”

She heard Wanderlust calling after her, but she just wanted to keep running, running until he was back in the past where he belonged. She didn’t care that her hat was caked in mud, she didn’t care that her cape was catching on branches and getting small tears in it. She didn’t even care that she had left her new and improved stage-cart behind, custom built in Las Pegasus after some big shows she had done. She just wanted to leave him, like he had her.

She ran until her legs ached and her chest burned. It was the hardest she had ever run since the Ursa Minor. Stopping to catch her breath and lean her body against a tree, Trixie let her self-assured façade fall and loosed a cascade of tears and sobs. She hadn’t cried this much over her parents, but seeing him again after all these years was almost as painful as the day he abandoned her.

Around her the night air blew, and rattled through the branches. It was several minutes before she opened her bloodshot eyes and finally took in where she had run to in her blind flight. It didn’t look inviting, not at all. The trees were pale and gangly, their limbs stripped and gnarled. Around her, the dark of the night seemed to close in, the moonlight peaking through in spots. With a small gasp, she realized that she had blundered witlessly into the Everfree forest.

The sound of critters all around her began to intensify, insects chirping, birds calling, something chittering.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is not afraid!” she called out to nopony but herself, darting her head around to find some sign of a safe direction. The foliage was dense, and confounded her attempts not just to find some lights through the trees, but evidence of the way she had come.

Eventually, her heart pounding, and her ears twitching to every rustle of bush, she backed into a clearing no larger than a bed sheet. She wiped a hoof across her face to dry away the sweat and tears, searching for anything to help. But there was nothing but shadow around her.

And then it clicked, the shadow was around her. The clear patch she was standing in was lighted by the sky above, and looking up, she saw the stars twinkling. If there was one thing that Wanderlust had left behind for her, it was the skill of navigating by the stars. There weren’t many to be seen in the gap in the treetops, but stepping back and forth, she could recognize a few patterns. When she thought she had orientated herself in a useful direction, she leveled her gaze, took a long nervous swallow, and took a few timid steps.

She had just entered the brush when a gust of wind blew her hat off. With a yelp her hoof shot up to catch it, but it was too late, and the hat tumbled until it came to a stop over a large bush with black leaves. She stood there staring at it for a moment, her head swiveling between her hopeful path to safety, and the hat that lay waiting for her mere yards away. She didn’t want to lose her bearing, but her hat and cloak were her most precious items.

She tried to use her magic to retrieve it, but it was snagged on something. No matter which way she tugged and pulled, it remained hooked. Unwilling to pull too hard and rip a hole in it, with a grunt of frustration she decided to just go and grab it. Slowly, cautiously, and with ever-other step freezing to listen to some noise out of sight, she made her way over to the hat. Edging herself closer, the size of the bush meant that she had to stretch out a foreleg, and it was just within reach.

Suddenly the bush reached up to grab her. Trixie cried out in panic as the leaves wrapped around her leg and tried to pull her closer into the darkness.

“No! No! Let me Go!”

But more limbs from the shadow emerged and took hold of her,

she struggled against them screaming, but their combined effort was too strong for her. She lit her horn to lash out with some kind of spell, but something wrapped around her head from behind, and took away what little sight she had. Lifted off her feet, she felt herself pass through the dense bush, carried along by unseen forces. But she could hear their voices, they were laughing at her.

Author's Note

Sorry, no song this chapter. Couldn't think of one. Epic picture of Prince Æclypse, is by epic Faith-Wolff.

So that's how The brave prince slew the dragon, and became the vaunted hero. Every Knight/handsome prince needs a dragon to slay. Celestia wasn't is biggest fan though it seems. What does she continue to hide from the others? and why?

The rest of Wanderlust's story of himself and Trixie is coming. Didn't leave it out on accident.

And just what kind of school does Wanderlust want to open in Ponyville anyway?....

And who or what, dragged Trixie into the Everfree?

Wait...... What was that he said about "an Amulet"?

Next time on: The Unforgiven-

More of Filly Trixie

More school-yard shenanigans.

Twilight puts Wanderlust to the test.

Loyal Rainbow Dash is loyal.

Ch 8: Trial Before the Elements

A few quick voice references if you're interested: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/616482/voice-references

How could he know this new dawn's light
Would change his life forever?
Set sail to sea but pulled off course
By the light of golden treasure.

He could barely breathe as he opened his eyes.

Cough! Hack! Sprack!

He coughed-up the seawater and struggled to get air into his body. As his lungs cleared, he trudged through the sand and saw that he had washed-up on a beach.

Collapsing on his chest, he tried to dig his forehooves into the grit to drag himself forward, but with such little strength left in his body, he let himself go limp instead.

He didn’t know how long he lay there baking under the tropical sun, sleep came and went, and when he was conscious, he couldn’t tell want was real or a product of delirium. Days without fresh water, dehydration under a cloudless sun, and no food for a week had left him able to do little else but flail weakly in the pummeling waves when…. When the…

“What in Hel happened to me?” He wondered to himself. For however long he had been out, clear consciousness was hardly any more pleasant. Pushing himself up, the unbearable taste of salty sand in his mouth made him retch again. He had no saliva to spit it out, but before he could do anything else, he was determined to get this nasty feeling clean.

His eyes were encrusted with dried salt, and opening them was slightly painful. As his vision came into focus, he could see green things ahead of him, leaves, trees-

“Shade!” He thought. Scrambling forward, half crawling half dragging his hind legs, he bit down into a leaf about the size of his head. At first his idea was to use the moisture in the plant to help wash out the sand, but after so long without food, the temptation to swallow was too much, and mouthful after mouthful of plant/sand mush went to his empty stomach.

Finally hauling himself into the shadow of the trees, he gulped down his current mouthful, and grabbing another leaf with his magic, he used it to help wipe away the grit from his eyes. Now that he was able to open his eyes without sand falling in, he looked around and saw that the jungle beyond was fairly dense, and filled with all types of trees, flowers, and bushes he’d never seen before.

He rose to his hooves and felt the brunt of just how bad a condition his body was in. His joints ached, his face was sunburnt, and he had never felt as weak as he did now.

“If there’s this much vegetation, there must be some water here somewhere.”

Limping forward into the bush, he glanced about, wondering if any of the trees bore an edible fruit. He traveled for some time, keeping to the shade as best he could on his search.

Finally, he crossed by a depression in the landscape, where he saw the sparking of running water in the center. Barreling through the bushes in his path, he reached the edge of the water and fell to his knees, plunging his head into the cool pond. He remained like that for several seconds before coming back up for air, relieved by the taste of fresh water, he shook his head and mane back and forth like a mutt.

“Ohhhh, thank the gods…” he moaned in gratification.

For the next while he washed himself in the little pool, fed by a stream that flowed down from the hillside. Eventually his mind returned to food, his stomach twisted in a knot after so many days without proper food. He thought of finding some sweet, juicy, plump fruit growing from a tree, ripe and ready to fall. licking his lips as he looked around, he thought he saw something colorful in the trees on the crest of the ridge.

Poised under a tall tree, he stared at the tasty looking bit of exotic fruit that clustered near the top like a dog that had chased a cat up the trunk. He grabbed one of the bigger ones in his magical clutch, and plucked it, bringing it down to his salivating mouth.

He took a bite through the yellow and green skin, began chewing, and contorted his face. Part of it was delectably sweet, but the rind was bitter. So he forced it down, and made sure to peel some of the skin back before taking another bite, and this time, it was possibly the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

Taking another bite, he thought of all the tribulation he’d gone through over the past week, only to wind up here on some tropical paradise. A chuckle rose up from his lungs, and it grew in momentum to a full-on belly laugh. He put his forehead against the trunk of the tree, leaning his body onto it, and continued to laugh until his cheeks hurt.

He thought the sound of his laugh had gotten to his head, but as he came down from the craze, he realized that there was another laughter, and it wasn’t in his head. Startled, he closed his mouth tight, and listened carefully, and realized that a faint pair of voices were coming from the other side of the ridge. He dropped to his belly and crawled over to the crest, making sure to keep his body hidden among the plate-sized leaves.

Peering down, he saw two stallions sitting on a log of driftwood in the sand, a peach colored Earth pony with a brown mane, and an olive green Pegasus with darker brown hair. They were passing a bottle between themselves as they laughed, celebrating some hilarious joke. They both wore some bits of clothing, sun-drenched red bandanas, an old pale tunic on the Pegasus, and a belt and dagger around their waists.

“Pirates…” He whispered.

He raised his body slightly, not willing to give himself away just yet, and thought about what he should do. True, they could get him passage to somewhere civilized. But pirates were not known for their generosity, they were more know for being greedy, thieving, cutthroats. Then again, he could just wait until they left. Maybe spending the rest of his days on this little hideaway was the best thing for him to do. After all, there was nothing left for him anywhere else, not after Aquileia.

He crawled backwards slowly, careful not to rustle the leaves.

“Oi! What do we ‘ave ‘ere?!”

The voice came from behind, and as he turned to see who it was, he felt some thing strike the side of his head. He fell on his side, and as his world swiftly faded to black, he saw a set of hooves step in front of his face.

Fillidelphia
Years Ago

Wanderlust awoke with a start, the morning light beaming into his face from the open curtain. He squinted his eyes in the blinding glare, and turning his head slightly, he was just in time to see the little filly Trixie lifting up the cover of one of his saddle-bags, peaking her nose inside. His eyes snapped open in alarm.

“No!” Wanderlust yelled, using his magic to yank her backwards and re-clasp the satchel. With a yelp she slid halfway across the room, shocked by the sudden outburst.

“You must never go in there Trixie!” He scolded her, jumping from his chair and throwing his bag to the opposite end of the room. “It’s very dangerous!”

As he stood over her, she cowered in his shadow, her whole body trembling and her face frozen in terror. She wasn’t frightened of the yelling, she was petrified of him. He’d seen a look like that before, and Wanderlust got a gleaming of why this little girl would be living on the streets.

The older unicorn lowered his posture, his face softening into remorse.

“Oh Trixie I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

She rose a little bit, her breaths as rapid as her heart beat must have been.

“There are things in that bag that are not for little fillies, things that could hurt you.”

Lowering himself nearly to his belly, Wanderlust tried to look as harmless as possible.

Slowly, Trixie let go of her fear, and circled around him back to the bed. She climbed back on top and snuggled into the blanket, finding comfort in the sheets, protection.

“I’m sorry I went in your bag.” came the little voice, half hidden behind a red fold. She kept her eyes on him, tears starting to well-up. “I was just curious.”

“I know Trixie, I’m not mad.” He strolled over to the bedside, and knelt his forelegs on the edge. “I just got really worried is all. Ok?”

She lowered her woven shield and looked up at him, “you’re really not mad?”

“Nope.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Trixie flattened the blanket in front of her, a smile beginning to break through.

“I was looking to see if you had anything to eat.”

Wanderlust lowered his head to her level, “Well then why don’t we get some breakfast then? There’s a nice place just around the block. Makes the best pancakes in Equestria.”

“Pancakes…” Trixie said, trailing off into thoughts of syrup and butter drenched deliciousness.

“Hop in the shower and we’ll head out when your done.” He told her stepping back from the bed, and pointed a hoof to where the little blanket still hung. “I washed your blanket, by the way.”

Trixie’s face lit-up at seeing it cleaned. “[gasp!] thank you Mr. Wanderlust!”

She leapt off the bed and began to scramble towards the shower room, but a glove of magic held her in place and spun her around to face Wanderlust. “But I need you to promise me something Trixie, you must promise to never go in my saddle bags, you understand?” He paused to gauge her, “Ever, okay?”

She nodded her head swiftly, the seriousness of his demand not lost on her. “Ah-huh. Stay out of the bags. You got it.”

“Go on.” He released her, and she ambled her way to the bathroom. When she had closed the door, he exhaled deeply, relieved that he had stopped her before she’d gotten too far in. He picked up his bags and set them on the bed, giving them a wary eye, they may look innocuous, but that was a lie. He open one of the bags and extracted a map, it was a local one of Fillydelphia, with several places notated in red circles. Thinking back to yesterday, he took out a pen from the same bag, and put red X’s over a few of them.

“That damn amulet has got to be here somewhere.” He said to himself. “I’ve traveled half the world looking for it. I’ve got to find it before-”

“Hey Wanderlust!”

The voice cut him off, and he stuffed pen and paper back into the bag. Trixie was poking her head out from behind the door, a few droplets of water falling from her mane.

“What is it kiddo?” he asked her.

“I was just wondering, Do you mind if I get blueberries on my pancakes?”

“Tuh.” he guffawed. “Sure Trixie, and strawberries, and honeydew melon.”

She let out a tiny squeal before closing the door in a hurry. Wanderlust merely smiled to himself.

“Kids.”

CANTERLOT
PRESENT DAY

“I demand redress!” the aquamarine, orange-maned noble-mare cried out. Dressed in a flowing gown of pastel colors, she stood on the long red carpet that bisected the royal throne hall. On either side of her stood dozens of those of the similar social caste. Wealthy merchants, real estate speculators, financial moguls, and of course members of Canterlot’s deep-rooted noble classes. Descendants long removed from those who either founded southern Equestria or contributed to it’s budding success.

Long removed from any useful function. Celestia thought sitting in her tall chair. The daily court was usually burdened with the inane complaints and disputes from the aristocrats, diverting precious time away from the actual problems of the regular pony-folk.

Celestia stared flatly down at the be-jowled mare, who thought herself so high-and-mighty she didn’t even open her eyes as she bellowed on and on about some slight. Resting her chin on her wrist, the Alicorn listened.

“…That harlot Fleur Dis Lee has been parading herself to all the available bachelors in Canterlot!”

“And?…” Celestia asked unamused.

“AND…” The mare accented for weight, “She’s throwing the curve for all the rest of us, more er,… conservative mares looking for a special somepony.”

You have got to be kidding me. The Princess screamed in her mind.

“So what are you asking from the court?”

“I am demanding that the court issue a royal decree that Fleur Dis Lee be ordered to put on some clothes that leave more to the imagination.”

Celestia let a breath go out through her nostrils slow and smooth, an imperceptible attempt to keep her anger in check.

“Sorry to disappoint Diamond Chandelier, but that simply isn’t something the Royal court can enforce on an individual. I’m afraid you’ll just have to appeal to stallions on your own merits. Good luck with that.”

Diamond Chandelier’s eyes popped open, and her aquamarine face turned red as she flustered and sputtered in indignation. A pair of guards who had been working long enough to know when a petitioner had worn out their welcome moved in and began to politely but firmly escort her out of the hall.

“Another petition Your Grace?” Celestia’s secretary Capulet asked, a slim unicorn mare with a dirty white coat and beige mane.

Stretching out her legs and back, Celestia groaned. “Not right now, I’ll resume after lunch.”

“After-” the mare checked her watch, and saw that it was indeed lunch time. But the princess never wore a watch… “How did you…?

Celestia tilted her head and tapped on her crown with her left hoof.

“Oh, right.”

Throwing herself down from the dais, Celestia sauntered to the center of the hall.

“Court will be taking a break for lunch. We will resume shortly.” she announced.

Turning abruptly, Celestia headed towards the door at the backside of the hall, the shortcut to her private chambers. “I’ll take lunch in my room Capulet. Aside from that I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Capulet jotted down notes on her clipboard as left her boss to her own devices. “As you wish Princess.”

Letting the door come to a slow close behind her, Celestia went to her bed and knelt down, tired from the mental taxation of the morning. Before the expected drudgery of the court hearings, the argument with Luna had weighed heavily on her mind. Try as she did to concentrate on her reading, her attempt at researching Thule for a talk with Twilight was more frustrating than fruitful.

She glanced over to the small collection she had retrieved from the library, several books on various topics about Thulian history and culture. She had tried to skim through a work on their century-long conflict with the federated yak tribes, but found it difficult to focus.

This was the most heated argument they’d had since that fateful night a thousand years ago, and every time they had some quarrel, no matter how minor, she felt a pang of tension. Since the history of this spat was related to Luna’s turn to Nightmare Moon, it was especially disconcerting.

Celestia took off her crown and placed it on a pillow, letting her own head down to rest on a satin cushion.

“I did… the right… thing.” She told herself. Discord, Tirek, Sombra, they had all been threats to Equestria, and she hadn’t hesitated to put a stop to them. Even her own sister had to be vanquished, all for the good of the realm. But Æclypse had been a threat of a different kind, he was going to reshape Equestria, everything they had fought so hard for.

Rolling on her back, Celestia reconsidered her approach to her faithful apprentice. Twilight doesn’t need me to teach her stuff she can read in the books for herself. What she needs is something personal, something only I can tell her.

That was a plan for another day, right now she needed to think of something to patch things up with Luna. Her sister had always been much more the introvert, and approaching her for personal matters was awkward, even for Celestia. This would require delicacy.

Her eyelids drooped, sleep last night had come in tosses and turns, worries about to keep a handle on things preventing a peaceful mind. A little nap won’t hurt, she though to herself letting her eyes close and muscles relax. Some rest with help me…{yawn} clear my head.

After a few moments of darkness, her eyes popped back open. Suddenly she was no longer in her room, but flank-deep in snow, howling northern winds around her, and the vista of a mountain top overlooking a range of shorter peaks. It was night, and the sky was absolutely filled with the stars and the clouds of the nebulae, a view not shared with those in the south lands.

She stood and shook the snow from her coat, glancing around to get a bearing on just where in Equestria she was. She knew she was in the northern hinterlands, but with no Sun or familiar landmark it could have been anywhere in the Crystal Mountain range, or even beyond.

Then a pair of giggles startled her, she turned saw two lights moving across the surface of the snow. They floated across her field of view from the distant left to the close right, towards the edge of the cliff. Voices came from the orbs, joyful and speaking to each other with affection. At first they were indecipherable, but Celestia could easily recognize the sound of Luna’s voice. But it wasn’t the tone she had become accustomed to over the past few years, this was the way Luna sounded millennia ago.

“…and so I told Star Swirl that it was Celestia who had licked the side of the cake!”

The pair erupted in laughter, and Celestia found that she remembered that day, when she and Luna were still fillies, and mischievous as they were they’d always blame the other for things they’d done. Star Swirl knew perfectly well that Luna had done it, but he liked to play along in their running game. Her punishment was to go out into the garden, and sing to the family of phoenixes that had nested in one of the trees. She had found Philomena that day.

“Oh Luna, you are quite the little mischief-maker aren’t you?”

The other voice, Celestia realized, “I recognize that voice!” Luna was walking with Prince Æclypse.

The lights coalesced into more complex shapes, growing legs, waving manes, and heads as they strolled near the cliff. Eventually they clarified, a young Luna, her mane a pale blue, not yet having reached the power level that would alter it to the starry mist. Beside her was the Prince of Thule as she remembered him, young, tall, and ruggedly handsome. For all that Celestia had against him, she could never dispute the reasons why her sister or any mare would be attracted to him.

“I have my fun.” Luna said coyly, tilting her head away from him. Æclypse chuckled, his gaze not leaving the elegant neck of her younger sister. Celestia had never seen her flirt with anypony before, it was a side of her she found fascinating. With the exception of her clumsy attempt to reintroduce herself to the pony folk on Nightmare Night, Luna was typically very reserved, even severe at times. To see her giddy and cute with this stallion, was seeing her anew.

“Speaking of your sister…” Æclypse started, biting his lip to gather his courage. “I still think you should tell her about us, I’d like to get to know her.”

At this Luna huffed and trotted ahead of him, “What’s the matter ‘dragon rider’? Am I not sufficient for you?” She pouted, but the twinges of a smirk could be seen at the corners of her mouth.

Æclypse smiled and cantered up to her side, nudging her neck with his muzzle. “Luna, you’re more than I ever dreamed of. But I will need to establish some relationship with her at some point. I am going to be King of Thule in a few years, and it’ll be a matter of state. I just… I think we should be friends, for the better of everypony.”

Luna turned back to him, her eyes delving into his, and she thrust her face to his, kissing him. Celestia was breathless, to see Luna flirt was unusual, this was mind-blowing.

Luna broke away from the kiss, putting a hoof up to his cheek. “I will tell my sister eventually, she has already noticed a change in my behavior. It will be difficult to keep it a secret much longer.” She gave him an impish smirk, “But for now I do enjoy having you all to my own.”

The two embraced, laying their necks across and resting their chins on each others shoulder.

“I am all yours Luna, princess of my dreams.”

A tear fell from Celestia’s face, the wind having no effect on it’s plummet. As she stood there, some dozen yards from the pair, the world around them faded to black. The far away horizon, the stars, even the wind and snow dissolved until just the three of them remained under spotlights.

“This is how I remember him Celestia.”

The change in tone surprised Celestia, and she gasped to realize that she was now hearing her sister’s current voice.

“Luna?”

Æclypse himself faded into the void, leaving Luna to stand alone. Her mane sprouted into the celestial curtain, and her posture shifted. Before Celestia now stood Luna as she was today, and she turned to her with a pained expression.

“If only you cold have known him as I did sister.” Luna began sadly. “Seen him as he truly was, and not the torn, desperate, and angry stallion that you encountered.”

“Luna.” Celestia said, taking a few tentative steps forward. “I am sorry that I never knew him under better circumstances. It’s just not how things played out. For all our power there are things that remain out of our control.”

By now even her alabaster face had fallen, sharing in the grief.

“This was why I never understood, never understood why you had such hostility towards him. It was incomprehensible to me that two ponies I cared about so much could be at each others throats.” Closing the distance between them, Luna looked up to her sister’s eyes.

“For good or ill you have my reasons.” Celestia said, hanging her head a bit. “And he had his.”

Luna placed her hoof under Celestia‘s chin, “Show me what he was like to you sister, show me the good prince who refused to fight evil.”

“Luna I don’t think that’s a good-” The elder sister started, but was cut off when Luna’s face morphed from sad to determined.

“You forget sister, I am the mistress of the dreamscape.” Luna’s eyes ignited, and she levitated to loom over her sister. “And it is here that my will be done.”

“No! Please, Luna-”!

Celestia could feel her mind giving way to Luna’s will, the world around them transforming into a fire lit stone hall, and perched at the top of the dais on the throne sat a glaring Æclypse.

But suddenly she was awake. Her eyes snapped open and she craned her neck up to see that she was in her room. Peaking in from the doorway, Capulet was standing there holding a tray of snacks.

“Sorry to um, disturb you Your Highness, but your lunch-”

“It’s fine.” Celestia assured her, her face still damp from tears. “Just leave it on the table. I’ll be out to resume court in a little bit.”

“Okay.” Capulet avoided looking directly at the princess, and quietly placed the tray on a bedside table before letting herself out, and closing the door behind her.

“Thank you.” Celestia said to the empty space. She glanced at the food, a few half sandwiches and a bowl of berries, and though it looked good, and she was hungry, she just couldn’t muster the will to reach over and eat.

Instead she put her chin back down on the pillow, and let another tear wind it’s way down to soak itself into the satin.

“What have I done?” she muttered.

CAROSEL BOUTIQUE

Despite the season, it had become a rather warm day. As such, Rarity used a scrap of discarded cloth to dab at the sweat on her brow. She was going over the diagram for a new dress, pieces of fabric floating in the air like a foal’s mobile around her head. Hunched over her work table for hours, she paused to crank her neck side to side, and wiggle her back.

She stared down at her work, mulling on the fact that she was just using it to distract herself. Things had been going great last night until Trixie showed-up, bringing in some unpleasant facet of Wanderlust’s past with her. But the worst part was he had never come back, no apology, no explanation, just out the door, and gone all night. Part of her wanted to go find him and demand the truth, but part of her thought this was a red flag. She’d allowed herself to be charmed by a handsome stranger, and completely ignored her good senses to vet him better.

Plus, there were a few orders to get done, and concept designs for next year’s spring collection really should be worked on. A dainty yawn refused to be suppressed, and Rarity decided to take a break from work. Sauntering over to the window, she put her elbows on the sill and looked to see what the towns ponies were up to today.

With a sigh, she took note of who she saw. “There’s Mayor Mare and Lady Justice, probably going over the new zoning regulations. And there’s Filthy Rich and Press Pass, no doubt he’s trying to set the narrative on the recent troubles of his Manehattan accounting firm.” [sigh] “And there’s Twilight coming over to visit- OH Twilight!”

Her mood immediately lifted, Rarity was excited to speak with her friend, “Perfect timing, I have a friendship problem, she’s the princess of friendship, she’ll have some good advice.”

Trotting downstairs, Rarity came down the stairs just as Twilight was coming through the door.

“Hello Twilight darling, welcome back.”

With a quick hug, Twilight seemed just as eager to speak to Rarity.

“Hey Rarity. I came by because I need to talk to you about something.”

“Oh really?” Rarity asked, a little off-put by feeling that her own question would have to be put on the back-burner. “What is it?”

Twilight blushed a tinge, visibly awkward, “Well, I understand you have a new friend, this Wanderlust guy.”

Rarity loosed a small gasp, “Yes, I was actually just about to talk to you about him.”

“Really?” the purple Alicorn seemed confused. “Well this conversation won’t be passing the Bechdel test.”

“The what?”

“Nevermind. Wanderlust came to see me today.”

“He did?” Rarity asked, the mystery around him only growing with time.

“Yeah, he came to me in my capacity as Princess, So I was all like ‘Really, cool! I get to do something official for once’.” Twilight mused.

“What did he want? He asked about your castle, but he never told me anything about any business he had with you.”

“Well, he had a really interesting idea. It seems he came to Ponyville with the intent of opening a new finishing academy for young ponies. Not an academic school, but a place where young Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns could hone their skills.”

“Really…” The idea stuck Rarity as, well, wonderful. A very generous thing to do.

“Did he say what the qualifications would be for this school? Some kind of aptitude test like Princess Celestia’s?”

“That was the best part.” Twilight said with delight. “It would be free to join, the only condition, was the student has to show a consistent dedication to improving their craft.”

“That’s a marvelous idea Twilight.” Rarity had to admit. “But why did he come to you about it? Seems like a private enterprise.”

“He said the training would be 100% hooves-on, very little expense after the start-up costs. Which he offered to pay out of his pocket. But the regular cadre would require some wages. To that end, he thought he could get a two-for-one deal by working with me. I would be the official patroness, of ‘Princess Twilight’s Finishing Academy for Young Ponies’, and throw a few fundraisers a year to supplement the cost.”

[GASP!] “Your own school Twilight! It’s just perfect!” The seamstress tittered.

“I know right?! Then he said he’d already purchased the land to build the facility, but I was so excited, I insisted that we use my big empty castle!”

Twilight squealed with delight, then brought herself down to Earth.

“But I had a few conditions of my own, One of them, was that trustworthy ponies had to vouch for him. So when he told me that you, AppleJack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had already met him, I figured who better?”

uh-oh Rarity thought, it was precisely this vein that she needed help with, but with him needing a voucher for such a worth-while project…

“What ah… What did you need to know?”

“I understand you’ve gotten to know him the best so far. So tell me, what do you know about him?”

Twilight fixed her friend with a look asking for honesty, it didn’t help that she had just said the very phrase that had been on Rarity’s mind for the last day. Fluttershy had said it aloud, but it had been echoing in her mind, trying to elbow its way past the infatuation.

“In all honesty Twilight?” She warned.

“Nothing but.” Twilight assured her.

Rarity took a deep breath.

Outside a mother and her young filly were walking past the boutique, talking and laughing as they went. But as they crossed the building, a sudden loud yell scared both of them. Especially since they recognized the voice of their local princess.

“HE DID WHAT WITH WHO?!?!”

PONYVILLE ELEMENTARY

Sitting at her desk and concentrating on her math work, Sweetie Belle got the feeling she was being watched. After the scene at the party last night, she couldn’t really expect any different once the rumor mill started turning. Every now and then she caught her classmates glancing over to her. Some, like her friends she knew were probably curious to know how she was doing, Applebloom and Scootaloo pestering her all morning before class, despite the fact that they had been there. Others, like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon she knew were up to their usual track of making snide comments and condescension.

But most she thought, were just curious. They all knew her and Rarity had taken the stranger into their home, Sweetie had made sure of that with her bragging. Now, the whole town was gossiping about how he had run off into the night with a mare who had already put the town in grave danger, and tried to turn it into her own personal serfdom.

She cut her eyes to the left, and saw the same green earth pony from yesterday looking at her. As soon as their eyes connected he looked away. Odd, she thought, but not particularly out of the ordinary considering.

Glancing down at her paper, her math work had stalled half-way through the first equation. It wasn’t her favorite subject, but she had never had any problems with it. With a small exhale, she picked-up the pencil in her magic and tried to finish it.

Just as she touched the graphite to pulp however, the bell rang, afternoon recess.

Ambling out onto the porch, her friends closed in on her sides.

“You feelin’ alright sugercube?” Applebloom asked. “You seemed really distracted today.”

“Yeah, and not like yesterday.” Scootaloo added, “I mean, you didn’t have anymore of those weird berries did you?”

“No…” Sweetie began half-heartedly, trying to avoid making eye contact with the others as they went through the yard. “It’s just last night. I told everypony I was friends with Wanderlust. Now, the whole town’s talking about how he knows Trixie, and what he’s really doing in Ponyville.”

Scootaloo turned her focus to the sky, thinking something over. “Kinda reminds me of our Gabby Gums experiment.”

“Oh yeaaah…” the apple filly said, “I remember that.”

Sweetie bowed her head. “I guess now I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the scandal.”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

The CMC turned their heads to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon prancing over to them, both bearing the smarmiest grins they could manage.

“Your sister’s new colt-friend is some kind of conspirator with the criminal and maniacal Trixie, and now the whooole town knows you’re harboring a dangerous outlaw.”

“You don’t know if he’s an outlaw!” Applebloom yelled back at the bullies.

Scootaloo nodded her head, “Yeah, he’s just some really cool drifter that beats-up monsters and sleeps outside.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon rolled their eyes at one another.

“Yeah, he sounds like a real trustworthy guy.” Silver jabbed, “How do you think he makes any money living on the street?”

“I bet he robs ponies on dark and lonely roads.” Suggested Tiara.

“I bet he’s got a whole laundry list of crimes and degenerate activities.”

“I bet that’s the only laundry he has!”

Both spoiled fillies erupted in laughter, draping a foreleg over their shoulders to stay standing.

The Crusaders pouted, knowing that the battle of wits usually went against them, and this time, the bullies kinda had a point. Still, they were only doing it to be mean.

“Even if he is a crook,” Shady Daze began, stepping up to the left side of the CMC, Rumble to the other, creating a five-foal front opposite the tormentors. “He’s still way more interesting than you’ll ever be.”

The young Pegasus colt nodded in agreement, “Yeah, if they wrote a book about him, it’d be as tall as me. You wouldn’t get a page in a pamphlet!”

Tiara scoffed, “As. If. I could just have daddy commission a whole movie about me. You however, will just be a sad little nobody the rest of your life.”

“You’re wrong Diamond Tiara.” Shady asserted, taking a step towards her. “I’m gonna be remembered by friends and family who love me. Are you gonna pay someone to miss you when you’re gone?”

“Maybe!” She spat, her lower jaw quivering.

Shady could tell he had gotten to her, so he stepped back to stand with the CMC.

“You can pay your little froggy here.”

The tension came to a dead stop, replaced by confusion. Rumble was the first to break the silence.

“I think you mean toady.”

“What?” Shady said, “Frogs are way grosser than toads.”

“No…I’m pretty sure it’s the other one.” Scootaloo confirmed.

Diamond Tiara shook her head in fury. “Whatever! I shouldn’t even be wasting my time with a bunch of blank-flanks anyway! Come on Silver.”

Silver Spoon was still reeling from the body-blow insults thrown their way, and hesitated to follow when Tiara turned, her chin raised in a show of superiority.

“Guess she must have important spoiled brat stuff to do.” Applebloom observed as the pair stomped off. “Thanks for the support guys.”

“No problem.” Rumble faced the rest of them as they turned and walked towards the currently unoccupied play house. “Us Blank-Flanks gotta stick together right?”

After a shared chuckle, Scootaloo gave him a high-hoof. “Totally.”

Hopping into the small play shack, Shady Daze leaned his forelegs out over a window sill. “So, have you guys seen Button Mash?”

The crusaders traded looks among themselves before shaking their heads.

“Sorry.” Said Sweetie Belle, “Haven’t seen him lately.”

Rumble lifted a fore-hoof as he spoke, “That’s the thing, no-pony’s seen him or his mom for the last two days.”

“We went by his house,” Shady added, “And saw a note on the door about some vacation to Baltimare. But when we looked in the window to Button’s room, all his game stuff was still in there. There’s no way he’d go on a trip without those!”

Applebloom rubbed her chin in contemplation. “That does sound like a mystery. What do you say girls? Cutie Mark Crusaders: Missing Ponies Bureau?”

“Sounds good to me!” Scootaloo said excitedly, buzzing a few inches off the ground.

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, “Hey! You guys wanna join us?”

The statement caught all the others off-guard, and Sweetie found herself in the position to explain herself.

“I mean, why not? They don’t have their cutie marks either. So maybe they can…”

“Join the Cuite Mark Crusaders?” Came a shocked Applebloom, finishing the thought.

“Well, if they want to I guess.” Put Scootaloo.

Rumble and Shady Daze were a little taken aback. They hadn’t come to the girls to join their club, but if it could help find their friend...

“I’m in.” Rumble said, puffing up his little chest.

“So am I.” Shady agreed.

“Alright!” Applebloom cried as she bounced with delight. “The CMC is expanding! We’re gonna need to make a few more capes!”

“Add some new names to the roster!” The orange Pegasus chimed.

“Get a couch for the clubhouse!” A happy Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo and Applebloom paused to think about it, but the idea grew on them very quickly. “Yeah!” They cheered in unison.

Shady stepped between the girls to interrupt them, his serious face taking the joy out of the situation.

“First things first, we need to find Button.”

The girls all matched him with looks of determination, resolute that this would be their most important crusade yet.

Applebloom stuck-out her fore-hoof between the five of them, the rest following suit until they all had a share in the center.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders, we’ve got a mystery to solve.”

OUTSKIRTS OF PONYVILLE
EARLY EVENING

Soaring high in the air, she could see him down below. Gliding on the invisible currents, Twilight Sparkle tried very carefully to not give herself away before she wanted too, making sure to keep her shadow out of his field of vision.

Strolling along on the ground, Wanderlust was keeping a parallel path to the edge of the Everfree forest, like he was patrolling it seemed to her. Unhurried in his pace, he kept an eye on the mysterious woods, watching it, his head twitching to any subtle movement.

After a series of very revealing conversations with Rarity and the rest of her friends, Twilight decided that she had to take a whole new look at this out-of-towner. No longer was he a philanthropist to her, but rather somepony who demanded a much closer inspection, a stallion who seemed to have much more to his intentions than he had let on.

For a pony who had only been in town for a few days, the account of his activities if not intriguing, was highly unusual. Fighting Timberwolves, buying property, charming Rarity, spending mysterious gold coins on flowers. Any one of these things would be merely interesting in isolation, but from one guy? One pony who consistently met questions with vague answers, and always seemed to know a little something about everything.

It was time to get some straight answers out of him if he wanted her help at all.

But not everything she’d heard about him was suspect. Apparently he was a generous spender, a gracious guest, kind to children, and evidently willing to risk his safety for others. He was also a talented minstrel she was told, a gift he was exercising at the moment. Twilight didn’t have the naturally heightened sense of hearing like a Pegasus despite the wings, but his singing voice was clear, and carried on the wind.

So you can press play to get the melody, but you don't have to follow along with the song for the story.

“Lips, ripe as the berries in June,

Red the rose, red the rose.

Fur, pale as the light of the moon,

Gently as she goes…”

It was a love song, Twilight realized, a sad one by the sound of it. He couldn’t be singing it about Rarity, that wouldn’t make any sense. This had to be some mare from his past, a very special somepony to be singing about her. The style of the song struck her as notable as well, it was sung like a poem, and she could imagine him singing it while plucking lazily on a lyre.

“Eyes, blue as the sea and the sky,

Wa-ter flows, wa-ter flows.

Heart, burning like fire in the night,

Gently as she goes.”

If it wasn’t about Rarity it was pretty close, pale fur and blue eyes. Maybe she reminds him of this previous mare, maybe that’s why he likes her. That was a thought Twilight decided she’d rather chalk that up as a coincidence.

“La, la la la la la la,

La, da da, la, da da.

Hm, mm mm mm mm mm mm,

Gently as she goes.”

He’d been singing the song over and over for as long as she’d been trailing him. Sometimes a little faster, sometimes a little slower, but he always lingered on the final line. No doubt because of some memory.

An interesting subject that she’d have to ask him about.
“The others should be in place by now.” She thought to herself. “Time to bring him in.”

“Good evening Wanderlust!” Twilight touched down a few paces behind him, flashing a closed smile. He returned it with a surprised but hopeful gleam.

“Evening Princes-, ah, Twilight. Sorry, still not accustomed to addressing royalty by their first names.”

His apology seemed genuine she thought, points in his favor.

“That’s an interesting thing to know about you Wanderlust.” She said while coming up to his side as they walked.

“It is?” He asked, his voice betraying confusion.

Twilight smiled. “Yup. In fact, that’s why I came to find you. I’ve decided that if you and I are gonna do business, I’m going to have to know more about you.”

“I see.” Was all he could manage at first. He had heard that the princess was very curious pony, and he reflexively got a bit wary. “Did you speak to the others? What did they have to say?”

“Oh I had some very interesting conversations Wanderlust, ones that beg for further investigation.”

“More questions?” He thought. “Well I probably shouldn’t be surprised. This whole town has been so curiously trusting, only a matter of time before somepony got around to asking some smart questions.”

“Whatever you need to know Twilight, I’m an honest stallion.”

“Excellent!” She chirped with a grin. “We’ll just head back to the castle then. The others will definitely have their own questions to as you.”

“The others?” he nearly gulped. “This is… potentially… not good.”

“Yes, my friends that you’ve met already. Since they’re pretty much my royal council, and already know you a little, I figure they should be a part.”

She paused in her step, giving him a subtly probing look. “Unless of course, you’re not up to answering all our questions.”

This was a direct, indirect challenge, and Wanderlust knew it immediately. She was calling his bluff, laying a trap, drawing a line in the sand, giving him a chance to blink.

He gave her a bright-eyed smile. “I’ve got nothing but time.”

“Great! Let’s go.” Twilight stepped right up against his flank and lit her horn, covering them both in a bubble of her magic.

“Wait,” he said, “Are we gonna tele-”

In a flash of purple sparks they vanished.

TWILIGHT’S CASTLE

“-port… again…”

Appearing in the main hall of the crystal castle, Wanderlust made no pretense of his dismay. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being teleported, he was just irritated that it was a spell he didn’t know.

“I have got to learn how to do that Twilight.”

“Maybe I’ll teach you someday.” She said as she strolled ahead to the throne chamber. “In exchange for that fire spell.”

Damn, that might take a while. He thought to himself as he entered the room after her. The second he saw what he was getting into however, he came to a stop at the threshold of the circle of thrones.

Seated in each one, were all the element bearers, and each of them looking directly at him. Applejack and Fluttershy bore no explicit reaction to his presence, but the others were not so concealed. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious of his every move. Pinkie, oddly, seemed pleased to see him, giving him a casual smile.

Twilight plopped down in her chair from above, and appeared to wait on him appraisingly, the impartial judge. Spike sat in his seat adjacent to her, his arms crossed, his demeanor not accusing but skeptical. Rarity however, as stiff an upper lip as she tried to produce, he could still see the trepidation in her eyes.

She must feel like I played her for a fool. Wanderlust cursed in his mind.

“Please step forward Wanderlust.” Twilight said, “And I’ll begin the questioning.”

He took the few hesitant steps forward to stand in the center of the ring. Lifting his saddle bags from his torso, he set it on the floor behind him, an effort to show that he wasn’t hiding behind anything.

“First question Wanderlust. You told Rarity that you were from the north, so where exactly are you from?”

An expected question. “I know it sounds very evasive when I say that I am from all over, but it’s more true than you think.” He turned in place, addressing the council as he spoke. “I left home at a very young age, and have been traveling around the world ever since. I have called no place home far longer than I ever had one. But if you want a more precise answer, then I would tell you that I was born in Vanhoover.”

The admission was a bit startling for the girls. Of course they had heard of it before, but it was far to the northwest and none of them had ever been there before.

“From Vanhoover?” An eyebrow raised Twilight mulled over. “Is your family still there?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Wanderlust let his head hang a little, a long since accepted pang of guilt still exercising some potency. “My departure from home was not an amicable one. My father and I did not see eye-to-eye on very much, and instead of a refuge, my foalhood home was often a battlefield.”

The Element bearers grew visibly dismayed by his story.

“Things only got worse when my older sister left home a few years before I, my father was a domineering pony, and as such was not too tolerant of things outside his control. So as soon as I could muster some resources, I got out of there myself, and then the road became my home.”

This seemed to pacify Twilight for the moment, she leaned back in her seat to consider his answer. When Wanderlust cast about to gauge the others, Twilight cast a quick glance over to Applejack who sat to her left, and saw that she was still watching him.
No indication yet…

“Next Question!” Rainbow Dash almost yelled at him, poking a hoof in his direction. “How did you know Pinkie Pie’s name before meeting her?”

“You yelled it at her while streaking over me.”

“That is true Dashie!” Pinkie confirmed in a happy voice.

Rubbing her chin for a moment, Dash wanted to trip him-up on something, but since Daring Do was still investigating the coin, she had to think of something else. “Alright… What are you really doing here in Ponyville huh?”

“I believe I already made that clear to Princess Twilight.” Wanderlust said, a bit startled by the softball question. “I’m here to open an academy for-”

“Cut the malarkey Wanderlust!” interrupting him, Rainbow Dash reared up. “You’ve been giving us a lot of convenient excuses. You expect us to believe that you’re in town for two days and you just happen to meet all of us? Huh?”

Wanderlust hesitated. Twilight leaned forward in her chair, and caught a flash of movement from Applejack, just a darting of the eyes.

“Wanderlust.” The princess cautioned, “If you have any other reason for being in Ponyville… Now’s the time to tell us.”

His mouth hung for a second, Alright… what’s the right play here…

“It’s true.”

A series of gasps came from Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash got a look like a cat that had cornered a mouse. Only Applejack and Twilight remained stoic.

“It’s true.” He admitted a second time. “I do have an ulterior motive for being here.” He paused, taking a few breaths to decide exactly how he wanted to put this. “I came here for you, you bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight sat straight up, this was unexpected. But in a way, it was familiar. Ever since she first became connected to the Elements, she had been worried about someone taking an undue interest in the primal powers that keep Equestria full of light. Only Discord had managed to pose a threat to the jewels or Tree directly, but after dealing with Starlight Glimmer, she couldn’t rule out a mortal pony being a potential danger. Especially not one as magically potent as he was supposed to be.

“What do ya mean here ‘fer us?” Said Applejack, “What do you want with us?”

“I wanted to know who you are. Of course all Equestria knows about you, you defeat some tyrant and save the world every couple months. But that doesn’t tell me who you are as ponies. I had to see the saviors of Equestria for myself.”

None of the mares quite knew how to take this revelation, they had never had a pony make a pilgrimage to them, and they weren’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. If this was the beginning of some kind of trend, Applejack wanted to nip it in the bud

“Ya do realize we’re just a bunch of normal ponies right? I mean, yeah we’re connected to the elements, but we’re just like anypony else.”

“All evidence to the contrary I’m afraid.” Countered Wanderlust. “To do what you have done once would be enough to make you legends. But after several times? Being avatars of a higher power makes you very different from regular ponies, and at the very least, worthy of investigation.

So I came here, to learn about you, see what kind of ponies hold the fate of Equestria in their hooves.”

There was silence from the gallery until Pinkie Pie raised her questions.

“Answer this for me stranger: What’s your favorite kind of party snacks?” She leaned back, watching for his answer behind steepled hooves.

He took a deep breath, “I’d have to say Saddle Arabian fig treats, Waka’Nakian baked berry pies, and soft pretzels with a cheese fondue.”

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “I find your answers acceptable.”

“I have a question… if it’s okay with, um, you guys.” Fluttershy’s timid voice emerged.

Twilight put a hoof to her forehead, “Go ahead Fluttershy.”

It took the gentle Pegasus a moment to clear her throat before she began. “Wanderlust?”

“Yes?”

“Could you, um, tell us more about how you know Trixie?”

Finally, the real elephant in the room, he thought with a sigh.

“As I’m sure Fluttershy told you all, I met Trixie when she was much younger. The simple truth is that I was a…” In the second he paused, he remembered his time with Trixie, the joy in her eyes when she learned a new spell, the dejection of failing, the way she grew into a beautiful young mare.

“I was a mentor to her, for several years.”

“Several years?” Rarity said aloud, the words dripping with disbelief. “You mean you’re the one who tutored her magic?”

“I taught her a few things. She was magically talented before I came along, she just needed some guidance.”

Rarity became indignant. “Hrmph! Some guidance you gave her!”

This genuinely struck Wanderlust as bizarre, “What are you talking about?”

“Last night wasn’t the first time Trixie has come here.” She snorted, “Her presence in our town has typically resulted in calamity, a repeated pattern of behavior. And as somepony who knows her patterns, I have to ask what you taught her that would lead her to the life of a charlatan and jealous tyrant?!”

Even her friends were off-put by Rarity’s accusation outburst. Wanderlust just stared back at her, reeling from the glare she cast in his direction. After a hard swallow, he started to talk slowly.

“I… don’t know what she’s been up to for years. The pony you’re talking about isn’t the one I knew, it’s not the one I left to pursue her own life and not…” Again he couldn’t finish the sentence without his face winching, “Not be stunted by having me drag her around Equestria.”

Wanderlust let his head hang, trying to figure out, remember anything he might have done that would cause Trixie to be the mare they were familiar with. She had been happy, healthy, and prospering when he left, what happened? he wondered.

Raising his face to Princess Twilight, he bit back his emotions and squared his jaw.

“Would you tell me, What exactly did Trixie do that was so terrible to garner such suspicion and animosity?”

“The first time she made a show of bragging how superior and powerful she was, humiliating several ponies and telling us that she had defeated an Ursa Major. And when a few of our… less sensible townsponies tried to get her to duplicate her feat, the whole town was endangered when she couldn’t stop an Ursa Minor.”

“She said she beat an Ursa?” Wanderlust’s questioned to himself.

“The second time,” Twilight continued, “She came here bearing an item that granted her power beyond that of a normal unicorn, but it also corrupted her mind, turning her into a despot that enslaved the town. Luckily I was able to get her to give the power up, and see the error of her ways.”

His mind raced at the implications, What she’s describing... It couldn’t be… that would mean that Trixie found…

“I’m sorry I can’t stand here and offer you some explanation for what she did. But I am sorry for whatever part I may have had in turning her into who she became.”

Twilight looked around to the rest of her friends, assessing the state of the committee.

“If there are no further questions-”

“I have one last question.” Rarity said, raising a hoof. “Wanderlust, do you love her? Do you love Trixie?”

“I watched her grow from a filly into a talented, beautiful young mare. I suppose I’ll always have love for her.”

Rarity stared at him wide-eyed before stepping down from her seat. She walked out of the chamber, leaving the rest to watch her exit with a small degree of astonishment.

Twilight broke the awkward silence, “I think that will suffice Wanderlust. If you don’t mind waiting outside the chamber, we have a few things to talk about.”

“As you wish Princess.” Wanderlust bowed as he turned, picked up his bags, and let the doors shut behind him.

“Well that was tense.” Applejack noted now that they were alone.

Fluttershy shivered. “Oh, I didn’t like that one bit.”

“I didn’t either.” A troubled Twilight agreed. “We shouldn’t have to take such measures with ponies who come for our help.”

“This is his own doing.” Rainbow Dash countered, “He kept himself shadowy on purpose, you heard him, he’s really here for us.”

Twilight stepped down from her chair and into the center. “Considering all we’ve done that’s not really surprising. And so what if he’s not comfortable coming out with his life story after knowing somepony for two days, I certainly can’t blame him for that.”

“He seems alright to me.” The unexpected voice came from Spike, who let his little legs swing back and forth over the edge of his seat. “He’s traveled all over the world, he’s bound to seem a kinda strange to us, we’ve spent our whole lives in Equestria.”

Applejack and the others joined Twilight in the middle “Now that’s a fair point sugercube. So there’s parts of his past he’s not real proud of; what’s he’s done in the present is rescue some fillies from going into the wood chipper.”

“And he can’t be all bad if he put up with Trixie for years.” Fluttershy said while looking down at floor. “If that’s not an act of kindness, I don’t know what is.”

With the majority opinion going against her side, Rainbow Dash pouted and crossed her forelegs. “I’m telling you guys, we need to keep a closer eye on him. At least until we get to know him better.”

Twilight twisted in disappointment. “I hate to say it Rainbow, but you have a point. I can’t give a stranger my endorsement, I was much to hasty to go along with his plan.”

“Right!” Dash agreed, “So I’ll keep tabs on him and-”

“Actually Rainbow,” the Alicorn cut her off, “I think Pinkie Pie is better suited for this. We’ve seen all the information she collects to get to know somepony.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie squealed as she jumped in between Twilight and Rainbow, “I’m the sneakiest pony in this berg. How do you think I got all those emergency party cannons installed in your homes?”

“Oh no.” A shuddering Fluttershy mumbled, imagining the scare waiting for her somewhere in her cottage.

A few minutes ago, Wanderlust glanced back as the doors closed behind him. With a sigh he looked around to see which direction Rarity had gone, and he saw the very tip end of her tail around the corner. Walking softly, he poked his head past the bend and saw that she was laying on a bench, her chin resting in the crook of her forelegs.

Forcing a hard swallow, he started to talk before he had anything to say. “Rarity?”

She lifted her face around to look at him, but without emotion set it back down.

“If you’re worried I’m going to call for you be run out of town, have no fear. I’m not going to lay Trixie’s misdeeds on you.”

Again, the mention of Trixie being a menace to the town stung at his heart, but that wasn’t something to be dealt with at the moment. He leaned on the edge of the wall.

“I admit I don’t quite know what to say. I thought things were going well.”

Rarity shifter her head, leaning her right ear more in his direction. “Soooo, when you came to town, you already knew about me huh?”

“Well, I knew of you, but I couldn’t predict who I would find when I got here.” Wanderlust stepped around the corner and laid himself down alongside her. “But I am glad to have found you and all your friends to be more than I…. well, how do I say this… With the Elements of Harmony in your care, I believe Equestria is safe.”

Rarity considered telling him that the Elements had been restored to the Tree of Harmony, and that their connection to them was questionable, but she declined.

“Happy we could exceed your standards.”

Her tone was displeased, but workable he thought. “Rarity, it’s not about me, it’s just… I’ve seen a lot of the world, a lot of bad and a lot of good. I’ve seen plenty of champions rise and fall, some because of a stronger foe, others from vice. So when I heard about a new Alicorn and her company of heroines emerge victorious over the greatest threats in Equestria, I just had to see it to believe it.”

For a while Rarity didn’t respond, she merely lay where she was. Wanderlust set his own chin down to rest, and for a few minutes they both sat in silence.

The sound of the chamber door opening caused them both to stir.

“Rarity! Wanderlust!” They heard Spike call, “They need you back in here.”

Rarity was the first to reenter the room, getting back on her chair as the others had already done. Wanderlust put on a stoic face and stepped before the tribunal. Twilight cleared her throat.

“Wanderlust, you have our blessing to stay in Ponyville.”

He visibly relaxed, but Wanderlust remained attentive to the not-so-great news that was sure to follow.

“However, I cannot give you my endorsement for an academy. As much as I like the idea, I just don’t know you well enough yet.”

Wanderlust nodded his head, accepting the verdict. “Very well.”

“So until such time, we advise you to be on your best behavior.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem Princess.”

“Then that settles it.” Applejack announced, regardless of the others. “Meetin’ adjourned, I got work needs doin‘.” Getting off her chair, she gave Wanderlust a passing nod as she headed out of the chamber.

One by one the others followed her out. Pinkie flashing a quick smile, Fluttershy seemed distracted, and Rarity strolled past him without a word. Rainbow Dash was the last to leave.

Figures. Wanderlust thought, Loyalty is a stubborn quality.

Dash glided around him on her way out, never getting closer than a few paces. All the while she fixed him with a look that warned him to abide Twilight’s condition.

When Rainbow had left, the doors were closed and Wanderlust remained with Spike and Twilight.

“Before you go Wanderlust, there were some personal things I wanted to ask you, that I thought you might not want to answer in front of a crowd.”

Here it is. He tensed. “Like what?”

“Well…” A sudden feeling of discomfort forced Twilight from her throne, and she approached him. “These are personal questions…” Glancing back at Spike, she gave her assistant the indication to leave them alone. He got the hint.

Spike hopped down from his seat and waddled his way to the door on the other side of the room. “Guess it’s time to finish the latest ‘Power Ponies’ issue.”

With just the two of them, Twilight bit her lip. “When I came to find you earlier, you were singing to yourself, and I’m thinking you weren’t singing about Trixie were you?”

“No.” He felt his gut churn. Knowing what the next question would be only served to make the situation all the more depressing. Unable to mask the anxiety building beneath the surface, he let Twilight finish her thought.

“So who was it about?” She asked.

“My wife.” Wanderlust conceded, “I was singing about my wife.”

The surprise apparent, Twilight kept going. “So you’re married?”

“I was, years ago.”

“But not anymore? You left her? You broke up? You- “

“They were taken from me.” He spoke the words with a grit of anger, almost through his teeth. “There was nothing I could do.”

“I see.” She wasn’t quite prepared for his answer, and clearly this was a touchy subject. “I hope I didn’t offend you by asking.”

“It’s fine.” He assured, casting his eyes to the floor. “The song is to remember her.”

“I just have one last thing to ask you, only because you’ve done so much traveling.”

This sounded interesting, and it served to break Wanderlust out of his slump.

“Show you something more accurately.” Twilight used her magic to reach into a satchel leaning on the side of her chair, and she extracted a book.

“Since you’ve seen so much, I was wondering if you’ve ever seen anything like this before.”

“I’ll take a look.” He said with small optimism. “Chances are I have, but I’m always open to new-”

The sight of the book stunned him, and he stared at it unblinking for a few moments before his mouth moved.

“Where did you find this book?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“I found it in Canterlot. It’s about the clothing styles in an ancient kingdom called-”

“Thule.” Wanderlust said, not taking his eyes away from the tome.

“So you have seen it!” Twilight smiled with excitement, “You wouldn’t be able to read it would you?”

His lower jaw hung in place, staring at the book like it was hypnotizing him. But he snapped out of the stupor with a shake of his head, and took it in his magical grasp.

“I told you my family was from Vanhoover, and I remember seeing something similar in our attic, in a box of my mother’s family heirlooms.”
He flipped through the pages one by one, taking in the contents with reverence.

“I asked her about it, and she said that her side of the family was a very old bloodline, and that it was the last of some relics the family had kept over the years. She couldn’t read everything in it, but her grandmother had taught her to read some of the older text.

Unlike this volume, the book we had was something of a family chronicle, started by some long-ago ancestor, with a contribution by successive generations. My mother even showed me where she had put her passage, telling about the family she had, and that my elder sister would inherit it.”

“Did your book contain any historical information?”

“In the oldest stuff if I recall correctly.” lingering on a portrait of a mare dressed in a flowing green gown with flowers along the trim, he tilted his head to marvel at it. “It mentioned something about the family starting the chronicle after they left Thule, and how many of the others scattered all across southern Equestria.

We couldn’t read all of it, parts were faded with time, some was so archaic it was indecipherable. The earliest part was about some prince being banished by, how did the book phrase it? ‘The Great Light of Equestria’.”

“Huh!” Wanderlust chuckled, “I’m so surprised I remember that. I haven’t seen that book since I was a colt.”

With the prospect of cracking this code and gaining access to a whole wealth of ancient knowledge, Twilight’s nature as a voracious student came to the fore. “Do you think you can help me translate some of this stuff?”

“Bits of it I’m sure, like, but I don’t know how much you plan to learn from a book on clothing.” Handing the book back to her, he noted the growing smirk on her face.

“Wanderlust, what if I told you there was a secret trove of Thule material.”

The idea confused him, “Then I would ask why it was a secret. Where is this trove?”

“That’s the secret I have to keep, but if I can get more, you’ll help me understand it?” Twilight floated to book back to her bag, where Wanderlust caught sigh of the other two.

He couldn’t tell what the other books were, but what he understood perfectly well, was that this was his path to getting the princess on his side. He planted his left foreleg, and curled the right underneath, touching his horn to the floor.

“I am at your disposal Princess.”

EDGE OF THE EVERFREE FOREST

Looking over her shoulder through the darkness, back to the lights of Ponyville at nightfall, a green unicorn mare skirted the tree-line of the ominous woodland. Her mane was a thick dark brown, with twin streaks of sky shade blue and green running down the length, and a single band down her tail. Big brown eyes magnified behind a pair of glasses checked once more to make sure she wasn’t being followed. The quaint lights of Ponyville at nightfall were picturesque, but the object of her focus lay within the forest.

Gentle Heart, as she was known in town, disliked having to come out to the foreboding wood, but necessity ushered her on. Seeing that she was indeed alone, the first steps into the shadows always scared her, but in she went.

Normally, going into the Everfree was ill-advised, and that was during the day. At night, it was downright reckless. All manner of beast and predator stalked the gnarled and thorny zone, and even today nopony had attempted to make a comprehensive study of it’s borders and topography.

But it was her timid exploration of the Everfree that led her to the discovery that stirred her tonight. Recently, more than a few ponies had remarked on some strange doings in and around the forest. Animals that usually were never seen outside the woods were causing trouble on bordering homesteads and villages. A Cragadile invaded a duck pond, a pair of wandering Manticores terrified a whole family into barricading inside their home, and just the other night a massive Timberwolf chased someponies onto Sweet Apple Acres.

She hoped that her objective would be able to shed some light on these events, aside of course from their typical routine.

Wading gingerly through the prickly underbrush, Gentle Heart kept a keen eye on the branches above her, her quarry was a savvy denizen of the forest, and could move without detection easily. So while stomping through briar bushes and mucky furrows wasn’t the favorite part of her week, it was worth it.

“Hey!” She half yelled-half whispered, trying to not alert anything she wasn’t here to meet.

A leafy bush behind her rustled caused her to freeze in place, and a charcoal rabbit bounced out and away from its cover. Gentle Heart allowed herself to exhale before carrying on.

“Where are you?” She called out, making sure not to scrape her leg on a thorn covered root, “If you’re trying to scare me…”

A smattering of muffled giggling from the shadows to her left and she drew a foreleg to her chest in instinctual protection, staggering to her right. Turning in place, she walked backwards to keep an eye on where the laughter had come from. But her focus prevented her from detecting the jutting stone as she backed into it, and she tumbled into a hedge of leaves, “WAHHP! She yelped, disappearing into the pale green mass.

A moment later her head popped out, a collection of small twigs and leaf bits stuck in her mane. With a face contorted in irritation, she spat out a dead stem.

“This forest-” She muttered. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of lean limbs slowly creeped down from an obscured position above.

“-Should be bulldozed and turned into a- YIPE!” The slinking limbs hooked under her forelegs and hauled her into the branches.

Gentle Heart opened her eyes to find herself seated on a wide branch, unharmed, and face to face with the smiling fangs of a scraggly haired bat pony sitting across from her in the window of moonlight.

“Paleo Search! You jerk!” She landed a punch into his shoulder, but he laughed it off. He grinned despite her pouting face, and leaned in towards her. Reaching his nose to hers, she turned her head to avoid the nuzzle. He tried to touch her again, and again she denied him. Finally he stared into her eyes.

“Come on Gentle, you’re a unicorn in the deep dark Everfree forest, and I’m a Nocturne.”

She stared back at him, waiting to see where he was going with this

“As if you could outrun me.” He said in a mockingly pretentious voice. “As if you could fight me off.”

“Oh shut up.” Gentle Heart told him before giving in and nuzzling her snout against his.

“You know we don’t have to meet out in the forest like this, you can come into Ponyville. They’re not going to chase you out with torches and pitchforks.”

Paleo Search stretched the membrane of his wings and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. “Yeah, probably, but I’m not much for crowds, or you know, lighted areas in general.”

“I’m just saying here are better places to live than the Everfree forest.”

“You know me G.H.,” He said putting his forehooves behind his head, “Like this place, I’m ever free.”

Looking out through the gap in the boughs to the moonlit treetops, she remembered the ‘ongoing troubles’ as some of he older townsponies had come to term the recent events.

“So what’s going on out here? There’s all sorts of strange things going on around the forest.”

This brought the nocturne out of his comfort, and with a sideways frown he explained what he knew.

“I have noticed some strange activity. Lot of the critters are moving out of their usual haunts, all in a general direction away from the center of the forest. I thought about checking things out, but I don’t like to go near the Thicket Kingdom, those deer are very territorial.”

“The Thicket?” Ponies in general were aware of the deer’s presence, but with virtually no contact, most simply forgot they even existed.

“Yeah, everything around their turf got outta dodge.” Sitting up, he pointed a hoof towards the deeper wood. “Which is the weirdest part, because those guys are shepherds of the forest, they foster the ecosystem.”

“Definitely sounds like something strange.” Gentle Heart turned herself about and threw her back into Paleo Search’s chest, where she snuggled into his fur. He folded his forelegs around her in embrace, and they lay in comforting silence for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the habitat.

“I’m totally gong to get you back for scaring me Paleo.” She told him.

“He-he, I’m sorry love. I just couldn’t resist the opportunity.” Paleo wrapped his limbs around her a little tighter, and rubbed his jaw into her mane.

“The creepiest part was when you giggled in the bushes.”

“Giggle in the bushes?” He asked.

“Yeah, you got around me for a scary laugh in the darkness.”

Paleo adjusted himself to face her, his demeanor dead serious. “Sweetheart, all I did was grab you and pull you up, I didn’t do anything else.”

Gentle Heart’s own face tightened with anxiety, “You mean that wasn’t you I was surrounded by?”

For a few tense seconds their embrace got a little stronger, as the unseen presence of something in the shadows began to close in on them.

Paleo Search gripped her around the shoulders, “Gentle Heart, we’re closer to Zecora’s cottage than the edge of the forest, I’d like you to go there and wait out the night.”

“Paleo, I-”

She tried to protest but the familiar sound of wicked giggling wafted through the branches. This time it wasn’t just one voice, it was several, and it was coming from all around them.

“We need to get out of here now.” Paleo nearly threw Gentle off when he got to his hooves. The laughter got louder by the second, accompanied by the sound of rustling of something, multiple somethings moving through the trees to converge on them.

“Run east! Go!” He hooked his forelegs around her and jumped from their perch, attempting to get her to the ground. He got halfway down when he was caught by something that caused him to loose his grip and drop her the small distance to the ground.

“PALEO!” she screamed in mid-air. Landing on her rump, she watched the last seconds of his panicked face as it disappeared into the leaves.

Now that she was all alone, the chuckling increased into full-blown laughter, the tormenting of the ponies eliciting from them the greatest of joy. As fast as she could she clambered to her hooves and made for the nearest open path, whether it led to the crafty zebra’s home or back to Ponyville didn’t matter in her fright, she just wanted to get away. Hampered by the limp in her hind leg from the fall however, she couldn’t get up to her full speed.

Her horn lighted the way ahead of her like a lantern, but the Everfree seemed to connive to slow her down with stabbing barbs, twisted roots, and walls of vegetation. Gentle Heart chanced a look over her shoulder, and with the slight aid of the moon saw the brush alive with furious motion, the pursuers hot on her tail.

Her foreleg hit an obstacle and she tumbled head over heels, and sprawled into a layer of algae covered muck. She stopped moving where she was, hoping that being so low to the ground would allow them to pass by her. Indeed wherever her eyes darted the brush was still, with not a rustle to be heard.

Gentle Heart took a few exhausted breaths and tried to regain her bearings. When she felt something clutch her back legs, she had only enough time to suck the air into her lungs for a scream as she was dragged backwards and out of the moonlight.

PONYVILLE

The day had been a long one for Wanderlust, and the peace and quite of the restaurant section of the town this time of night was relaxing. He sat outside of the local Café, a glass of a Ponyville attempt at a drink much too fancy to be made here in front of him on the table. The straw sticking out of it a giveaway of its humble origins.

The book Twilight showed him earlier had thrown him for a loop, seeing it brought back a whole cascade of memories of going through old books and manuscripts with his mother. It was from her he got his interest in studying history, and in the moment he remembered her soft voice over his head as she read to him. He looked at his drink and realized just how much he missed her.

The sadness on her face when I left home.

Wanderlust leaned his head down to suck another sip of his drink when something in the corner of his vision caught his attention. Sweetie Belle, her two friends, and two little colts hurried along, all five wearing little capes. The sight of the children scampering about brought him out of his melancholy, and roused a smile.

There’s one connection I haven’t wrecked yet.

He considered approaching them, to see what game they were up to, but he thought it best to let them be. Thinking back to a time when he was their age, he remembered how terrible a mischief maker he could be when he was a colt.

The Crusaders stopped or a moment, Applebloom addressed them and raised a hoof before they were off again. Watching them go by however, Wanderlust noticed something else. Skulking behind the corners of buildings and moving from one point of cover to another, a colt appeared to be spying on them.

Nervous in behavior, and making a concerted effort to not be noticed by passersby, the colt was a dull green with grey and charcoal shades in his hair. But it wasn’t just the behavior that piqued Wanderlust’s attention, there was something about him that was just… off.

Wanderlust got up from his table, used his magic to suck down the rest of his drink, flipped a bit into the glass, and proceeded to out-surveil the youngster.

For the next several minutes he observed the kid watching the CMC intently, always making sure to stay out of sight, always paying close attention to what they were doing. The group approached an apparently empty house, where they piled on one-another to look into the windows. The two boys made motions, trying to explain something, the girls nodded.

This activity seemed to trouble the little stalker, and he started to wring his hooves from his hiding spot, like he was worried what they might discover.

Alright, Wanderlust decided, Time to sort this little fella out.

He edged closer to the colts position, relying on stealth tactics he had honed years ago in a far away land. When he was only a few paces away, his nose tickled with a familiar scent. Wanderlust stepped back into cover, momentarily bewildered by the sudden stimulation.

Nooo… he thought, trying to make sense of it. It can’t be, I haven’t felt anything like that since… but if it’s true, then that…

Confusion and curiosity melted away, replaced by a reflexive, instinctive wrath. His whole body tensed and his pupils constricted, memories of torment flooding into his forethought. As Wanderlust craned his head around to see the colt again, his brow lowered into a glare and his mouth curled into a snarl.

When the Crusaders ran off, instead of keeping behind them, the colt started in a different direction, away from the town center and towards the Everfree.

“Hey!” Wanderlust yelled out, leaping from his cover. Stunned, the colt didn’t move, as if he were trying to avoid detection.

“I know who you are! And you’re gonna tell me what you’re doing here!”

The colt’s purple eyes widened in terror before he bolted. Wanderlust was after him in a flash, the little one was fast, faster than he should be, but he couldn’t lose the older unicorn.

Wanderlust knew he was making a b-line for the trees, and a burst of fiery magic shot ahead to lay a bulwark between them and the forest, cutting a swath across the ground. The colt skidded to a halt and almost rolled into the flames, but he saved himself and managed to skitter in between Wanderlust’s legs in the turn. Careful not to crush the smaller pony under his tread, Wanderlust made a split-second decision to throw his momentum through the fire wall.

Back in town, Twilight and her friends were sitting around a table at The Hay Burger. Rainbow Dash had just stuffed her mouth full of her sandwich when the orange glow of fire illuminated the hillside to their west. With her mouth still open, and bits of food tumbling out, she watched the light rise and fall. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed, all of them gaped at the sight.

Fluttershy quivered and shrunk in her seat, “What do you think that could be?”

Applejack spat out the twig of hey she’d been using as a toothpick, “We know anypony else who plays with fire?”

The girls were rushing to the site when a terrified colt ran past them in the opposite direction. They paid it little mind until Wanderlust came thundering after him like a hungry predator.

“DON’T LET HIM ESCAPE!” He screamed as he galloped through the parting they made for him. His horn ignited and Wanderlust launched a blast of fire that exploded a few paces in front of the colt, lifting him off his hooves and projecting him backwards.

But before he hit the ground, Wanderlust snatched him in his magic, and thrust him against the wall of a house.

“Tell me why you’re here!” He bellowed at the colt.

Catching up to the pair, Twilight and the others were aghast to see the traveler abusing a child. “Wanderlust, stop!” The Alicorn yelled.

“Just a minute Twilight.” Wanderlust growled through his teeth, “First I have to get this little creature talking.”

The colt whimpered, looking over to the mares with tears in his eyes to plead for help.

“Please help me Princess Twilight!” he whined, “He’s hurting me!”

“Don’t listen to him!” Wanderlust barked, “He’ll say anything!”

“Let him go!” Rainbow Dash collided into Wanderlust’s flank and knocked him away. They wrestled on the ground, though it was more Rainbow trying to wrangle a furious bull, until a purple aura engulfed them both and he struggled to move.

The colt got to his hooves, and with a glance in the direction of the mares, used what energy he had left in his body to scurry out of sight.

Wanderlust could only turn his eyes to watch his target “You don’t understand! You can’t let him get away!”

Rarity recoiled from the anger, Fluttershy and Pinkie stepping to her side instinctively to protect her. Applejack helped Rainbow to stand, who looked like she had gone three rounds with a Chimera.

Twilight approached the frozen but straining Wanderlust, her expression sickened by what he had done right in front of them.

“I can’t believe I was so wrong about you Wanderlust! I’ve never seen anypony do something so reprehensible!”

“Nrrr heeed da gerrr!” Was all he could vocalize without moving his jaws.

“You know what I think he’s tryin’ ta say Twilight…” Applejack said as she strode up next to the immobile unicorn.

“Goodnight.”

In one quick motion she pivoted around, tucked her hind legs to her belly, and drove her hooves into Wanderlust’s skull. His head bounced off her buck, and slammed into the side of the building in a ricochet. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Author's Note

Oooooooooo k.

Not so slick anymore are we Wanderlust?

Special thanks to Tarbtano and Faith-Wolff for letting me cameo their Ponysonas, Paleo Search and Gentle Heart respectively. Check out their links and make sure to bookmark them, BOOKMARK 'EM I SAID! So you can enjoy all their fantastic work.
Faith-Wolff on DeviantArt or here on FiMFiction
Tarbtano on FiMFiction and on DeviantArt, and he also does the Tumble

Next time on Path of the Unforgiven:
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stumble on a plot much bigger than they imagined!
Luna and Celestia have more drama!
First Metal song for the story!
THE VILLAIN IS REVEALED!

Ch 10: Celestia's Truth

Þule
Over 1000 Years Ago

A dozen braziers lined either side of the long hall, illuminating the stone walls and thick wooden beams from which hung a hundred banners. The standards were those of past Thulian rulers, Kings and Queens reaching back millennia to the very foundation of the Kingdom. Some had ruled in peace, some had ruled in war, some during both. But as the braziers burned this night, a long-time era of peace stood on the precipice of a terrible future.

A long red carpet cut down the center of the hall like a crimson river, straight and true. It began at the foot of wooden double doors, tall and thick, and banded together with bolted iron strips. The rug flowed across the chiseled stone floor, flanked by stoic suits of armor, busts of unicorns of renown, and the bowls of fame to shepherd one down the path. At the opposite end of the room the scarlet road climbed up rock hewn steps, engraved with runic notation. Finally, the carpet reached its zenith at the base of a chair carved from a single boulder, ornate interweaving knots and carvings of unicorns danced across its surfaces.

This space was known as the ‘Hall of the Prince’, the official gallery where the Principate of the Kingdom of Thule would dispense his rulings and receive guests of state. At times this hall would be filled with ponies feasting and singing, sometimes graciously, sometimes loudly and drunkenly. Tonight it was inactive, inside the sound of the fires burning, outside the winds of the north howling and rattling the windows. It would have seemed abandoned if not for the solitary figure seated on the throne, leaning to his left, resting his left hoof over his mouth in contemplation.

Prince Æclypse was expecting a visitor tonight, and he was not looking forward to it. Despite the nature of the guest, he had nonetheless decided to eschew the formal wear normally exhibited, and sat wearing just his princely crown. A simple band of gold inscribed with runes was the token of his position, strong and fair to admire, but humble and without ornation to symbolize the role. The light of the fires danced in his eyes as he peered across the room, considering deeply how the coming dialog would go.

It had been a long day, the result of perhaps the most tumultuous event in Thule’s long history since Princess Platinum was chosen to lead the Unicorn delegation in the Grand Summit with the Earth Pony and Pegasus tribes. Æclypse was especially introspective since this was not just a matter of state, not just the unrest of the citizens, nor even just the threat of war. This was a personal matter for him, a matter of blood.

His brother had gone mad.

Æclypse had tried to be the loyal brother, always defending him against the naysayer’s gossip and complaints. Even his parents had expressed their reservations about having Sombra anywhere near the levers of power, but still he assured them that his brother would prove them all wrong. In the end however, it was only Æclypse who failed to see the rising danger, refused to admit the truth to himself.

I should have had those tunnels blasted shut. He thought. The rumors that Sombra had been in the endless tunnels throughout the Crystal Mountains had gone largely dismissed. Nopony had ever mapped them out completely, the caverns delved for miles, and hosted strange creatures that lurked in the darkness. But Sombra had found something deep in those caves, something that warped not just his mind, but his body as well. The Dark Crystals.

Now his kingdom was roiling in unrest after his brother had abandoned his position as Principate of the Guard. Bent on conquering the Crystal Empire, an enraged Sombra gave them a display of his newfound power and transformed into a poltergeist of shadow and smoke. Two days after that, the Empire fell to Sombra’s coup d’etat, and its citizens enslaved to work the mines.

Thule and Crystal Empire had always maintained cordial relations since the Empire’s foundation a little over two hundred years prior. Æclypse had paid them a visit shortly after his ascendancy, finding Queen Amore to be a noble and gracious ruler. It pained him now to think of what Sombra might be doing to her, she didn’t deserve whatever fate she was suffering.

Such were the dark thoughts that came to him at this late hour, that fact that his brother was the cause of mayhem and tragedy, while he sat in his empty hall doing nothing.

As the doors to the chamber began to open, he was reminded that hope remained still. Before Sombra could cut off the exits and means of communication, Queen Amore had gotten word out to the Alicorn Sisters, Celestia and Luna. He knew they would answer the call for help, they had made a mission of vanquishing the great foes to the peace of Equestria. They had defeated Discord, and a beast called Tirek, so naturally all assumed that Sombra would be the next would-be-conqueror to fall before their might. He already knew why they were stopping here first.

The doors flew open and a resplendent Celestia, bedecked in shining golden armor strode in. Fury contorted her face, and like the sun she moved, her eyes burned. Æclypse righted himself in his seat, that much consideration was due the Princess.

“For what reason doth the First Son of Thule remain dormant while his own brother brings horror and destruction to the innocent!” She demanded in the royal Canterlot voice, her hair flowing like a white river.

Æclypse had had to answer this question a dozen times already, and it grew less pleasant to speak each time. He responded to her anger with measured confidence. It did not go unnoticed by Celestia that he did not make any pretense of homage to her.

“The First Son of Thule is not the caretaker of The Crystal Empire. Nor is he obliged to interfere with the internal matters of Equestria. Does the Crystal Empire not have the means to protect itself?”

Celestia’s glare hardened, “You know it was protected by the power of the Crystal Heart! But Sombra has found a means to subvert it’s spell, and has overtaken the city! It’s citizens are in chains and I fear for the fate of Queen Amore and her newborn.”

A newborn? That was news to him. He hadn’t known the Queen to be keeping any consorts, but in a city built on love it wasn’t hard to imagine she’d found somepony.

“The Crystal Empire has always been in a perilous position. I marvel that it has lasted this long without calamity. So when Sombra has come down from his fevered delusion of grandeur, I will restore the Empire, and leave it a far better place.”

The casual nature with which Æclypse regarded the state of affairs disgusted Celestia, and she recoiled. “Has Thule no law against conquering a peaceful neighbor?”

“You know, It’s never come up.” He answered. “And correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the last time territory was conquered they named it ‘Equestria’, which I believe you now rule. And let’s say you defeat my brother, what then? Will the empire have it’s sovereignty returned, will you annex it into Equestria proper, or reduce it to some subjugate client kingdom? Another province under your graceful protection?”

“The proper fate of the Crystal Empire can be determined after it has been liberated!” She growled. “Right now my sister and I ride out to put an end to thy brother’s madness. And I have come to secure thine aid to see justice done upon him!”

This was the crux of the issue, “Indeed Princess.” Æclypse had already listened to the pleas of many, but there was only one decision to be reached for him. “Sombra’s mind has been poisoned by some dark and depraved element, this I do not deny. I regard his actions as unjust, detestable, and possibly an act of war. You have the full blessing of myself and Thule to roust Sombra and deliver whatever punishment you deem appropriate.”

“Then help us!” Celestia implored, taking a step forward, trying to connect to his well-known noble character. “Come see that Sombra is dealt with, come as his brother!”

Finally Æclypse’s demeanor softened, “What you would ask of me Celestia, is something that saddens me deeply, for I freely admit that I am conflicted. There is a pull on my soul to venture out and be the one who stops my brother from bringing any further harm. But it is a thousand fold forbidden for blood to raise violence against blood. The Gods of Thule, who have watched over us since time immemorial do not tolerate such treachery among kin, and any desecration of their law is punished unto generations.”

“Then surely any such gods of wisdom, justice, and reason would understand the need for you to break this law now!” Celestia felt like she was making headway, she only need overcome the superstitions of his ancestry to convince him. “For if they do not, then what kind of gods are they to permit the suffering of innocents and consent to injustice?”

“I have sought the will of the gods, of my bloodline’s patron Crom, for what their will would be that I might see it done.” His eyes fell, and anxiety tightened his features. “But I have received no sign, no message of what their desires are. Maybe Sombra is the one enacting their will?”

Oh no! Celestia thought. She held no belief in the gods of Thule, but she knew how important they were to the unicorns here. “Perhaps they have sent me? What if I am the sign you asked for, come to you in your hour of doubt?”

His face lifted, the possibility of Celestia being the one to work the will of the gods, but doubt persisted.

“Perhaps…. But why would they send you?”

Celestia cringed. But maybe she was using the wrong method. Maybe, an appeal to his reason would be better. It was said of Æclypse that he was more open to modern ways of thinking, not as glued to ancient traditions as his contemporaries.

“What if, Æclypse,” She began carefully, “What if there are no gods to give you portents? What if there are only us ponies? Then you could help us without fear of damnation by some mysterious and unknowable entity.”

Æclypse’s face betrayed an inner rage, not the reaction Celestia was hoping for.

“Of course a Southron, one who lives in abundance and peace would think to have little need for the gods wisdom, faithless one! Here in the cold and severe landscape, only those who have the strength to endure, and the conviction of the gods are fit to survive! Here food does not grow on trees, nor does peace sprout from the ground like grass!”

She tried to contain her own outrage, but by now there was little purpose in concealing it.

“Perhaps they could if Thule did not place it’s faith in primeval gods of war and death! Perhaps then the sun would reach but a little further north!”

Celestia regretted the statement the second it left her mouth, and Æclypse seized on her blunder.

“And who should we be worshipping? You?! Thule remembers a time before the Alicorns, when it was we who commanded the sun and moon ourselves.”

The strike at her was too much. Celestia raised herself off the ground, spreading her wings fully and casting a golden aura to emphasize her connection to the sun.

“I have never asked for anypony to bow down and worship me! My purpose is to bring light and order to Equestria! Not to be their God!”

Squinting through the rays of conjured sunlight, Æclypse pursed his lips. The display was intimidating, but he was too proud to let it show.

“And yet here we find ourselves. Is Canterlot not held aloft as a beacon to all Equestria, radiating with your divinity?”

“I would say it serves Equestria better than Thule.” Was her comeback. “Looming in the north in its self-imposed reclusion, clinging to thine spears and superstitions.”

The Prince of Thule snorted in derision at her, “For generations, Thule has defended your precious southern lands of sparkling waters and thick grasses! Tell me Celestia, how many Fyre Drakes have you defeated? Hmm? How many Maws have savaged your green fields? How many ponies have you lost to the Windigos since the founding of this domain? TELL ME PRINCESS OF THE DAWN! How might your delicate towns fare if descendants of the great unicorn tribe not stayed behind to protect Equestria from the monsters beyond its borders! I will tell you the answer to all three, is none. Whereas we measure our losses annually. I shudder to think of the slaughter those toy soldiers you call a royal guard would face if Thule were not here to protect them!”

It was clear that they were approaching impassable juncture. Celestia came down from where she hovered and extinguished her light, resigned that it was not working on Æclypse the way it usually did stubborn ponies.

“So is it just me you have such animosity for? Or do you also harbor such enmity for Luna as well?”

Æclypse’s façade cracked. At the mention of her sister’s name, Celestia could almost hear his heart thump against his chest.

He swallowed his emotion, and steadied his nerve. This was the one path Æclypse had feared to tread.

“Princess Luna… She is… Luna is more subtle in her grace. If it was my aid you came to procure, mayhaps she should have come in your stead.”

“Because she is more persuasive?” Celestia asked.

“She certainly seems to be the more grounded of you two.”

With things calmed back down, Celestia now had something to connect to him with.

“So if it were Luna who stood before you now, pleading for you to answer the call of justice, would you refuse her as well? Would you accuse her of such things as you have me?”

He shifted uncomfortably, clearly the thought of having to face Luna under such terrible circumstances was distressing for him. He was hesitant to answer, so Celestia softened her own bearing.

“If for nothing else, if not for your gods, or your kingdom, or your family, would you do it for love?” she asked him pleading.

Æclypse put a hoof across his mouth, his eyes darting back and forth as his mind raced to construct some response. For some time she watched his heart and his head fight one another for supremacy, his desire against his duty.

“If you are asking me if I would defy the laws of the gods and my Kingdom for the pursuits of my heart…”

He looked away from her, out to the window where the a flurry of snowflakes washed against the glass.

“On some matters my answers might be yes. But I cannot act on so selfish a motivation, and condemn my home and folk for the cause that is before us.”

Outside, a tremendous cacophony of thunder filled the sky. Celestia eyed the window suspiciously, unsure if it were a coincidence or an omen.

“And so the gods answer me.” Æclypse said, his voice mixed with astonishment and heartache.

“What did they say?” She asked, feeling that she knew the answer already.

“That my fate does not lie in war against my brother.”

CANTERLOT
TODAY

Seated on the large plush cushions of Celestia’s personal quarters, the Alicorn sisters sat beside one another, their horns crossed and magic mingling.

Every now and then one of them would wince or audibly exhale, the visions they shared eliciting a mixture of emotions. The memories continued until they reached the conclusion of Æclype’s surrender to the fate that was sealed in that hall.

And so they sat for some time, the angle of the sunlight climbing a few inches higher in its projection on the wall from the window. At last with a pained sigh, they separated, Celestia almost apologetic, Luna quietly resigned, the last words of the prince in the memory still echoing for her, “I will weep for the future we have slain this night.”

“And now, you see Æclypse as I saw him.” Celestia said, reaching out a hoof to lay on her sister’s.

Luna nodded slightly, a tear forming in the corner of her eye, but not falling. “I see now that you both were faced with difficult decisions. And I cannot say what I would have done differently were I there.”

Celestia bit her lip, and prepared to share one last secret. “Luna, I told you that I was afraid of what Æclypse was going to do Equestria, pull it apart when it was still vulnerable, polarize stability away from Canterlot.”

“You did.” Luna replied, her tone telling that she was still upset by the harsh reasoning of her sister, and yet curious to hear more.

Celestia looked to Luna with an apology in her eyes. “I’m afraid that’s not quite the extant of it. I… I was afraid that he was going to take you away from me.”

“Take me away from you?” Luna said incredulously. “Sister, while I loved him I would never have abandoned you for him. Why would you think he could take me away from you?”

“Because I knew something about Thule that you did not.” Celestia took a long breath before continuing “I want to tell you now because I was wrong to keep it from you, it was your right to know, and…. And who knows what may have happened differently as a result.”

Luna‘s voice was stern, but not angry. “Be out with it then.”

“You see, Æclypse’s time to ascend to the throne as king was approaching, and there is something about that ceremony that was never common knowledge outside of Thule. The crowning ceremony is never just about a king.”

The Princess of the Dawn felt the shadow of guilt pass over her, a monolith of truth about to blot out the light of centuries of convenient lies.

“It was the iron law of Thule that it could never be ruled by a single monarch, it was always a diarchy. What I’m saying, is that…. Æclypse’s coronation wouldn’t have just been it coronation, it would have been a wedding to crown a queen as well.”

At first Luna didn’t understand what she was getting at, but the realization slowly crept on her. Her neck straightened and her breast swelled, she looked not at her sister, but off at some invisible point on the floor a few paces away.

“You thought he was going to choose me to be his queen?”

“I did.” Celestia said tersely. “And I thought you would accept. That you would go to Thule, and marry him. It made me think of when we had defeated Discord, and you wanted to start a new nation with those who had suffered more than most from his tyranny. I was afraid not just for Equestria’s stability, but that you would leave me alone.”

Luna was quiet, her internal emotions fighting each other to see which one would rise to the surface.

“I had no idea of such a custom, he said not a word of it to me. Why were you so sure he was going to ask me and not some native daughter of the North? Surely that would have been a more appropriate choice.”

“I know because he told me as much.”

Luna gasped, “I saw no such talk in your memory!”

“It was in a letter he had sent to me secretly.” With her golden magic, she plucked a small envelope from the top shelf of her bookcase. It opened with the protest of an ancient parchment, long folded and forgotten.

“Just as you said, he was planning a trip to our castle, overtly to discuss matters of state and an effort to establish relations with other cities. But personally, in the letter he asked me for my blessing. He was going to propose to you the first time he was to meet you.”

Luna took the unfolded letter in her magical grasp and scanned it. Upon reaching the bottom, her breath caught in her throat, and the reserved tear finally fell from her eye.

“If I had said yes sister, would you have forbidden it?”

“I don’t see how I could have. As scared as I was of the effects, ordering the prohibition of your marriage was something I could not bring myself to do.”

Celestia paused to gauge Luna’s reaction, but the nocturnal princess clutched the letter to her chest, she was still entranced by notions of how close their lives came to being so very different.

“Plus…I had to consider the unpleasant idea that he was merely using you to reach past the throne of Thule and expand his power.”

“You feared that Sombra wasn’t the only bad seed in the family. That he had grander ambitions.” Luna gave her sister a suspicious side glance. “And you thought that one who can enter into the dreams and subconscious of others would not be able to see past such a ruse?”

Visibly embarrassed, Celestia blushed. “In hindsight, I may have overlooked that factor.”

Luna raised an eyebrow and responded with a slight “hmmm”. She got to her hooves and took the time to swallow her emotions before returning the letter to its envelope and sliding it back in place on the shelf.

“Whatever life I may have had with him, however our fates may have changed, are things unalterable. There is much to be wept over, much to be lamented, yet they remain but heartbeats of a past that never was, and a future that never will be. My grief for him was spent long ago, he is now a bittersweet memory.”

“The pain has gone for you then.” Celestia said.

Luna spared her a parting nod as she exited the room, imagining in her mind a pair of iridescent blue irises looking down at her, an ethereal love connecting them across a thousand years.

“But the memory remains.”

SOME YEARS AFTER THE EXILE FROM THULE

My first port of call with the crew of the Red Talon was an interesting one.

We had been at sail for a few weeks, on a southwest heading for gods know where. So far we hadn’t done much of the things one normally thinks pirates do, raid ships, bury treasure, break out in dance numbers. Just living at sea, trying to stave off boredom and scurvy.

Often I would spend hours on the bow gazing out over the blue horizon, letting the wind and salt spray whip through my mane. While I did miss the beauty of my northern mountains, the sea was another entity, and had its own magic. Back in Thule we really didn’t have a well-known god for the ocean, though I think his name was Ulmo. Thinking to myself one evening, watching the sun sink into the west, I was moved to think of something Celestia had said to me on that night years ago. What if there really were no gods?

Captain Skorn would spend most of the day either flying above the ship scouting with our two pegasi, Grey Skies and Ruffles, or locked in his cabin. What he did in his room I couldn’t tell nor would anypony enlighten me, not that I was exactly dying to know.

Life was busy on the ship, which served to keep my mind from drifting into darker places. The whole reason I was adrift at sea was the tragedy of Aquileia, something that I will never forget or forgive. But there is nothing I can do about it now. Not yet at least, not until I find Honalee.

Despite the melancholy under my skin, I was able to put on a brave face in front of the boys. I did what I was told and pulled my weight on deck. My mentor Salty Veins continued to teach me about navigation, charting a course, and using the stars to guide us at night. Unlike many of the others, he had worked on a merchant ship for most of his sailing life before joining Skorn’s crew.

As it happens, the Red Talon was the very ship he worked on, until his former captain made the fateful decision to rescue a certain griffin from being marooned. I suppose Skorn’s policy of never leaving anypony high & dry is his way of paying forward a good deed.

We sailed into port at a regular pirate trading nexus, an island called Consta Servaro. It had deepwater ports, and we were able to dock and offload some cargo for what Grey Skies assured me were fair prices. Our primary business successfully attended to, we had the rest of two days to spend as we pleased.

“I supposin’ you got a choice to make ain’t ye?” Salty Veins said to me as I was walking through a dusty street, homes of bleached clay on either side. This was something most of the crew had been wondering about for the last few days, whether or not I’d stay on or take my chances on land. I’d been rescued as a courtesy, and had no obligation to stay, so I was within my rights to part ways if I wanted to.

“I suppose I do.” Was my vague answer, the pair of us passing by a trio of bronzed and sultry earth pony mares, who gave me flirtatious glances as we went by. The street was busy with the comings and goings of all types of rogues and disreputable ponies and other folk, and I could smell the smokes of exotic spices and pipeweeds.

“I tell ya Sable Star, we could use a good hoof like yours on the ship. Plus I can tell your not a scoundrel like most a’ these other lot. Believe it or not, an honorable stallion can still go a long way in this life.”

There was a sad gleam in Salty’s eyes when he looked at me. From what I understood he had never been one of the dangerous types, never a criminal or an outlaw. As a first mate he was all business, not particularly concerned with the whole pillaging and plunder side of things. But he made sure to keep track of the inventory and sales.

“It certainly seems like there’s room for aggressive expansion. To a point.”

“ha-ha! That be the case alright. Lots ‘o places you can go on the Talon, up just ain’t one of ‘em.”

Entering a square, the air was filled with music of a type I had never heard before, drums, flutes, and something like shaking a jar of pebbles. There was a restaurant, or perhaps a tavern that was the center of activity, stallions and mares stumbling out and inside drunk and laughing.

“I’ll be straight with you Salty, there aren’t many more opportunities for me in this place. Far be it from me to belittle their way of life, but I can’t see myself living here. As tempting as it might be to lose my worries in the bottom of a tankard or three.”

“Ya know I didn’t want to pry about yer’ story Sable.” Salty said, sounding uncomfortable about broaching the subject. “On account of it not being my business an’ all. But that ain’t to say I ain’t curious. I been around a while lad, seen many a pony with their own stories to tell. So if yer’ ever wantin’ to share ‘yers over a pint or two, old Salty Veins’ll be around.”

I considered the offer, but it would be starting down a rabbit hole I’d rather not venture into.

“Not today. But perhaps another time.” I turned to him with a roguish grin. “For now, what say we sample some local drink?”

“Aye, I could go for that.”

We entered the tavern, if you could call it that. Inside was a cacophony of activity; card games, loud music, and something on the second floor that had couples hurrying from room to room. Seated in the center of the revelry, of course, was Captain Skorn.

“And so I told that mangy buzzard I’d tie his tail to a cannonball and shoot him across the bay!”

We’d missed the beginning of the story, but apparently the collection of Talon crew and strangers sitting around him understood, for they broke out in raucous laughter.

“And what did he say to you then?” an unfamiliar, but positively stunning swarthy earth pony mare asked him.

“Well,” Skorn continued; “Then my father grabbed me by the beak and shoved my head through a window.”

All around the listeners gasped.

“And he told me: ‘Boy! I told my father the same thing on my 16th hatchday, I’m proud of you for carrying on the tradition.”

Skorn sniffled, then lifted his wooden cup, frothing with a light brown liquid.

“To my father!”

The rest all raised their drinks to toast, knocked them against another, and took long gulps. Finished, Skorn wiped the brew from his beak, “May his stay in the pits of Tartarus be a short one.”

It was then that he spied Salty and myself standing off to the side, he lifted a wing to signal to us, waving to join him.

“Pull up a seat lads! I was just regaling an audience with my favorite stories from when I was but a fledgling.”

“Those old tales again Cap’m?” Salty chuckled as he sat next to Skorn.

I took another beside Ruffles, whom had so far shown me a nothing but respect. He was all white with black tips on his wings, roughly my age, and a keen spotter.

“I miss anything good?” I asked him.

“Just the same ones he’s been telling us for a hundred nights.” Ruffles’ accent was not unlike Salty’s, but lighter and his speech clearer. Maybe they hailed from close regions I wondered. “Nothing you won’t hear again sooner or later.”

He slid me a tankard as I took a place at the table, and I took a quick sip. It tasted nothing like we had back in Thule, but it was good, sort of a fruity flavor.

For the next few hours Skorn was the center of attention, he never seemed to run out of energy or some story that usually involved an example of how ruthless he was or how he had outwitted somepony for their treasure.

As time passed, so did the amount of grog I imbibed. I had never been drunk before, and did not realize the slippery slope until it was too late. Barely able to stand on my own four legs, I often leaned on Ruffles for support, for he had fallen under the drink’s spell before I did.

The sultry mare from earlier cozied up to my hip, and pushed the remainder of my cup away from me. I was in no position to resist, so with a lazy smile I thanked her. She took my hoof in hers, and nodded up to the second floor, yanking gently on my limb to get me going in the desired direction. Clumsily I followed her, nearly smashing my face on the first step.

I was stomping upstairs, other ponies pushed aside by my size, when I heard the doors swing open again, and everything went to quiet.

In walked a group of four griffins, eagles, each of them bearing a thin sword on their hips and hats like Skorn’s, but of finer material and larger feathers stuck in the band. They swaggered up to the bar and with a flick of his wing, the apparent leader of the quartet ordered a round of drinks for his posse.

“Well boys, looks like the dregs are in full bloom today.”

Turning to lean his back against the bar to look over the crowd, he spoke in a smooth, calm voice.

“The usual assortment of thieves, scoundrels, and harlots.”

The mare holding me upright huffed with indignance. I had yet to make the connection, for much of the ways of the outside world was still unknown to me. No that I was innocent, there were just certain things that did not occur to me readily.

But Skorn was not so virtuous.

“Have a gander lads! Got us a gaggle of preening jackdaws! Mighty nice ‘ah them to grace us with their presence.”

That’s what he said to best of my intoxicated recollection, but it very well could have been something much more belligerent. Whatever the case may be, the other griffins were slighted, and as a gang strode over to where Skorn and the others were sitting. They surrounded the table and glared down, and much to my surprise even Skorn seemed to shrink from their inspection.

“Do mine eyes deceive me?” The leader said. “I haven’t seen one of your kind in a dragon’s age. What’s a Polly doing around here?”

Those seated around Skorn shifted in their seats, moving away from the Captain. I didn’t know it at the time, but there was something of a social hierarchy among griffins. Eagles considered themselves above the rest, like the short beaks, and the owls. But the parrots as a group were considered to be the lowest of their kind, some prejudice about being a tropical minority. It was never quite fully explained to me, but the name ‘Polly’ was commonly used as a slur for the breed.

Skron flinched at the mention of the nickname, his talons digging into the wood of the table, but he made no move if retaliation.

“Jus’ stopping’ by for a little trade and some R&R, you know.” He spoke with uncharacteristic timidity. He avoided making eye contact with the eagle, choosing instead to look into his drink.

“Oh sure, I understand. Just selling off some stolen Equestrian or Trottingham cargo for a few bits, enjoying the amenities of our little island for a bit before setting out again.”

He nodded to rest of his crew to show he was being friendly, but the false smile quickly turned to a scowl.

“Just one problem, mate, Consta Servaro isn’t the place for banana-beaks.”

My crewmates looked to each other warily, waiting for the powder-keg to explode. But still, Skorn kept a demure posture. The bartender, a dark and burly earth-pony, looked on with a hard glare, ready to act in case violence broke out in the room.

My captain swallowed a gulp, “We don’t mean no trouble boys, just having a few drinks, a couple laughs.”

The eagle put his claw over Skorn’s mug and shoved it away from him. Leaning down slowly, he spoke threateningly close to his ear.

“Trouble or no, you’re not welcome here. So why don’t you take your little crew of thieves and bugger off, before we make you.”

For a heartbeat, the entire room was silent.

“…Polly.”

In an instant, I saw Skorn’s face contort into manic rage. He gripped the mug and shoved it over the eagle’s beak before he could react. Using his wing to reach around the eagle’s head, Skorn slammed the covered beak into the table so hard I heard something snap.

Astonished, the other eagles backed away while Skorn, Ruffles, and Salty Veins stood opposite them.

“A’right you snotty bastards!” Skorn yelled as he pulled a dagger from his boot. “You want some a’me? Come an’ get yer bloody fill!”

Skorn lunged forward, jumping over the fallen eagle to tackle another in a tangle of limbs and chairs. Not missing a beat, Ruffles and Salty got into it with the other two in what became a massive brawl.

Not wanting to leave my crewmates to fight alone, I began to climb over the railing. “I gotta, *drf* Help ‘em!” The mare tried to hold me back, but even drunk I was too strong for her.

“Here I -oof!” The railing broke under my weight, and I tumbled headlong to the floor, where I came down on the side of a table, causing it to flip and slam into the side of my head.

I was later told that the tavern gasped at the sight of my accident, thinking my skull had been broken or my neck snapped. But I rose from the remains of the smashed table, and stumbled to the right where the other patrons pushed me in the direction of the fight.

I fell onto my chest, and saw before me Salty Veins on the ground, using his hoof to prevent a griffin from driving talons into his face. I fired a blast of my magic and not only knocked the eagle off Salty, but nearly put him through the wall. With an incredulous expression Salty looked at me, to which I dumbly smiled in return.

Then came a loud crash as Ruffles and Skorn began hitting the wall and ceiling in their fight with the other two griffins. Ruffles dodged a swipe of his opponent’s rapier, leading him backwards in the aerial duel. When at last the eagle had him cornered, Ruffles ducked and the blade cut into the wood of the side of the staircase where it became stuck.

Acting quickly, Ruffles delivered an uppercut to the eagle’s jaw that propelled its head into the wooden crossbeam. Dazed, the griffin had no counter when Ruffles drove both of his hindlegs into his stomach, sending him through a window.

Skorn and the last griffin dame down atop a table, knocking poker chips and drinks onto the floor. The captain had the dagger poised at his throat, and the other griffin was steadily losing the battle of strength to keep it away.

“Bloody eagles! Think you’re so high-n-mighty! Well this Polly’s gonna cut you up for shark bait!”

“Alright Skorn, that be enough.” The gruff voice came from the bartender, who stood so that Skorn could look forward and see the mean face that gave no hint of being intimidated.

“Let him up.” He ordered, “I’ll have no more of this ruckus.”

From my spot on the floor, I watched as Skorn met his gaze for a few moments, before giving the barkeep a wide grin.

“Oh, of course, of course whatever you say.” Skorn took his claw away from the griffin’s beak and allowed him to squirm off the table and to his nearest comrade. “You know me Ogham, I always respect the boundaries of private property.”

The barkeep, Ogham Scratch, I would get to know better the next day. One by one, the other griffins collected themselves, and picked their writhing leader off the floor as he still tried to pry the mug from off his beak. They left without any further words or gestures towards our crew.

Ruffles helped me to stand, and Salty put a hoof on my shoulders, he seemed mightily appreciative for my help in the fight. Skorn shoved the dagger back into his boot, and shook his wings.

“Well lads, I think we was due for a bit of a scrap don’t you?”

Captain gave me a smirk, “And let’s not forget the gallant contribution of our greenhorn! Blasted that buzzard halfway to Tartarus he did!”

Ruffles put his wing around my shoulder, “Not surprising a stallion his size packs a wallop, but I’ve never seen a unicorn that strong.”

For a second I almost let slip my true identity, but I caught myself. “Runs in the blood.” I told them. Salty and Ruffles traded raised eyebrows, curious as to what truth lay behind my comment.

But the captain chuckled, and motioned with a wing-tip back to where the sultry mare waited for me at the foot of the stairs.

“Go on then lad.” Skorn told me. “Go have yerself a bit of fun.”

Ruffles and Salty shoved me in her direction, and she caught me with a tender hoof against my chest. As she led me up the steps a second time, I glanced down to see my crewmates sharing a laugh as they exited. With a tug she urged me to the second floor, and I followed her to a small room that contained little more than a bed, a lamp on a bedside table, and a dresser.

Easing herself onto the mattress before me, she gazed deep into my eyes, tilting her head to expose her neck. I have to admit, as I strode the few paces to where her limbs and mine entangled, in my mind I pretended she was somepony else.

THE SKIES BETWEEN
CANTERLOT AND PONYVILLE

It wasn’t often Celestia was able to dismiss the watch of her guards, but on a day like this she needed the time alone for her thoughts. Banking to the right around a cloud, she stretched out her forelimbs through the warm breeze, and let the simple bliss of such a lovely day relax her.

Though try as she might however, her conversation with Luna earlier had spoiled any chance for a sapling of peace of mind to sprout. While she had known for so long that Luna had loved the Thulain prince, until yesterday she had never seen it for herself. Another thing it seems that she failed to see.

For all my acclaim as Princes of the Dawn, I failed my sister.

Seeing the pain in Luna’s eyes had not gone without sympathy, for in the tears she recalled the pain of her own lost love.

Celestia folded her wings slightly as she dropped altitude into a valley, opening her wings to let the updraft carry her back skyward.

It had been hundreds of years ago, but in her moments of loneliness it still stung like it had happened last week. Of the mirror that Star-Swirl had introduced her to, only a shard remained, kept within a locked box in her bed chamber. Often however she wished she could place it among its lost siblings and travel through once more to see the one who meant to her what Æclypse must have meant to Luna. Though perhaps the connection was greater than she imagined, how could it be that of all possible ponies, her love had been…

Sombra… The urge to speak his name was on her lips, but a discipline long ingrained prevented it. She remembered his face though, loving, noble, an air of masculine grace about him. Visiting him was a yearned-for escape from the life of being the solitary ruler of Equestria, and a guilty pleasure to be cared for as a stallion cares for a mare.

Having to look into his eyes all those nights, while knowing the difference she saw in the eyes of his doppelganger, eyes filled with hate and rage, had been her secret to bear. That Luna had loved one brother while she loved the other, struck her as mystifying, some great truth that eluded her vast wealth of knowledge.

Then again, there was the rather pedestrian understanding that a pair of sisters had fallen for a pair of brothers, a simple case that Celestia had seen occur plenty of times before. To think that it was better attributed to the frequently comical nature of romance than to some unfathomable machination of powers beyond her perception, gave her cause for a slight smile.

But that had been a Sombra from another world. The Sombra from this one had craved power more than love, a creature consumed by the influence of darkness and malice. A wielder of forces that Celestia hesitated to fully grasp, lest she discover something about dark magic in Equestria that exposed its real depths.

But today was a day for the shedding of burdens, and it would continue with her junior princess. Twilight was a glutton for knowledge, and being able to see her eyes light-up whenever her student came upon some new reservoir of enlightenment was always a joy.

With a long flap of her wide wings, Celestia coasted along on the current and let the wind do the work. She exhaled, ready and looking forward to share another lesson with her treasured apprentice.

Today was going to be a good day.

PONYVILLE

“OH... This is not good!”

Twilight came around the side of town hall, where she rallied with the rest of her friends, each of them sharing the same disappointed expression.

“I can’t find no sign of him.” Said Applejack, shaking her head.

Rarity bit her lip, “I can’t believe he just ran off like that! What did he think we were going to do?”

“I don’t know…” Twilight postured to look out over the center of town. “But he blasted a hole through my castle wall to get away, it must have been important.”

Rainbow Dash fidgeted where she hovered, “This is the part where I’m supposed to say ‘I hate to say I told you so’, but I told you so Twilight. He’s trouble.”

“He really didn’t give you any clue what set him off?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight sunk her head a little lower, “I… really didn’t give him much of a chance to explain himself.”

Bouncing around her friends like hurdles, Pinkie Pie leaped back and forth over Twilight’s back. “Yeah Twilight, a doorless room in your own personal dungeon, probably not the best place for a helpful conversation.”

“It is not! I… I do not have a personal dungeon!” The princess sputtered defensively. “I just.. Needed a place to hold him for a while.”

“So you kidnapped him and imprisoned him in your ‘totally not a dungeon’ room’. I get it.”

Twilight groaned, knowing when to give up trying to argue a point with Pinkie. “Alright, everypony just keep an eye out for him. I’ve still got his saddlebags, he’s bound to come back for them sooner or later.”

The friends parted ways, but Applejack cantered up to Rarity as the seamstress headed back towards her shop.

“Hey Rarity, I wanted to ask ‘ya, have you seen Applebloom anywhere? She was supposed to help me out in the orchard this afternoon. Thought maybe you’d seen the crusaders somewhere.”

Pausing to think, Rarity furrowed her brow, “No actually, I haven’t seen any of the girls since I sent Sweetie Belle to school this morning.”

“We were just all over town, and I didn’t see Scootaloo either.” Applejack’s tone pitched with worry.

“Dear, surely they’re just off on one of their adventures, you know how those fillies are.” Rarity brushed off the concern. More than a few times the girls had come in late from their newest attempt to discover their special talents. She continued to walk on, leaving Applejack in place, some thought rolling around in her head.

“Maybe… But it is one heck of a coincidence that Wanderlust breaks out, and all of a sudden we can’t find the girls.”

Finally Rarity stopped, pondering something disturbing. “No, no you can’t mean to say that he could have anything to do with missing fillies.”

Remembering the moment at breakfast the other day when Sweetie Belle came down, and the aura of simple happiness she saw in him. To think that he might abduct her and the other girls was beyond the pale.

“That is a step too far Applejack.”

“Alright, alright.” The farmer conceded, “But he knew something we don’t, something that got him awful worked up.”

“And we wouldn’t listen when he tried to tell us last night.” Slumping, Rarity tried to imagine what the best course of action could be.

“Let’s you and I ask around then, somepony’s got to have seen them somewhere.”

As the agrarian and the seamstress ventured to find some testimony on their sister’s last whereabouts, a shadow passed over without their notice.

Soaring over the town, Celestia kept high enough to avoid making herself noticeable to the residents below. She came across a few Pegasus who saluted her, to which she waved back with a friendly hoof. At last, she narrowed in on Twilight’s castle, descending in a spiral to come around to the balcony. Noting the jagged opening on the side, she wondered if another of the princesses’ spells hadn’t backfired in some destructive reaction.

She touched down on the terrace, knowing that it allowed entry into one of the halls rather than any private room. Strolling down the gallery, the fact that Twilight had yet to see this wing properly decorated she determined was due more to her voracious study than care for filling the capacious structure with old suits of armor and potted plants.

It really was out of place, Celestia mused. Even in the Canterlot metropolis the mountainside castle went unoccupied for the most part, despite being at the heart of the city. Here, in rural Ponyville such an extravagant palace was of even less usefulness than the humble library it had replaced as Twilight’s home.

But it was early still. While Canterlot had centuries to fill itself out in the epicenter of Equestrian high-culture, Twilight’s castle hadn’t been a year in existence. There was plenty of time for them to give it a presence of its own, and perhaps it would become the beacon of a wonderful new city.

Somewhere downstairs, came the sound of Twilight’s voice echoing off the walls. Celestia craned her neck over a railing to see the young lavender Alicorn talking to Spike, discussing some issue that had her discontented. Moving to the top of the staircase, Celestia waited patently for Twilight to notice her presence.

“…. I just don’t know Spike, Maybe I should take a look in his- gasp”

Twilight gasped at the sight of her mentor, not expecting to see her again so soon after leaving Canterlot.

“Princess Celestia! What are you doing here?”

Cringing under the possibility of reprimand, Twilight was all to conscious of her disobeying the directive to stay away from the Thule Chamber.

Seeing the nervousness, Celestia gave her a warm smile of reassurance. “Don’t worry Twilight, I’m not here to scold you for going back into the hidden room. Quite the opposite actually.”

“Really?” was all Twilight could think to say.

“Mm-hm. But first I have to ask if everything is ok, you seem troubled.”

“Oh, no.” Waving her hoof to swat away some invisible ‘problem fairy’, Twilight offered her best fake chuckle. “I was just, uh, having a hard time deciding which new sofa to get. Right Spike?”

“Yeah, new sofa.” Spike nodded with extra enthusiasm.

“Oh, well, this place certainly could use a bit more furniture. Come.”

The three of them retreated to one of the few rooms that had been furnished, where they climbed onto a large round couch adorned with square and frilly pillows. As there was enough space for all of them, Celestia leaned against the back while Twilight laid opposite, in the middle Spike reclined onto his friends stomach.

With the rapt fixation of an adorning learner, Twilight watched the tiny muscles activate in Celestia’s face before she began speaking.

“Firstly, I’m very happy to tell you Twilight, that I grant you full access to the Thule antechamber, in fact, I was wondering if you’d like to curate it.”

This really was quite the opposite of what she was expecting, Twilight almost didn’t believe it.

“You… You want me to restore the Thule exhibit?”

“I do. The fact, Twilight, is that I shut it away a long time ago because it reminded me of a grand failure of mine. Of a place and a pony I could not save. So, out of regret I sealed it away, and out of hope do I emancipate it. If you like, I can have the whole collection, every bit of it moved here to better suit you. And of course, fill some of this castle out.”

“That..” Twilight was at a loss for words, the promise of having her very own historical exhibit, the sole assembly of relics from a lost kingdom, was almost euphoric for her.

“That would be amazing! Thank you Princess Celestia!”

“Does this mean our home is gonna turn into a museum?” Spike complained.

Celestia chuckled, “How do you think I’ve felt for the past 500 years?”

Twilight gazed off into a distance beyond the walls of the room, “I could spend years studying those materials.”

“Not too much I hope, and there is another thing I’ve come to tell you.” Celestia nudged a bit closer, draping her left wing over her company and drawing them in closer. “I’ve got a story to tell you. You see, there was a time before Sombra’s madness, that I met with Prince Æclypse.”

A not-to-small gasp escaped Twilight, “Luna doesn’t know does she?”

“No she doesn’t, I’ve never told anyone. He and I are the only ones who ever knew of it. As I’m sure you saw hint of in the room, Æclypse had won fame for himself by defeating a dragon.”

“The one I saw on the tapestry?” Twilight asked, consciously omitting the fact that she knew very well the account of his battle with the Fyre Drake.

“Yes, and word of his heroism didn’t take very long in reaching Canterlot. And before Luna had ever visited him in the dreamscape, I decided I wanted to meet him for myself.”

A cloud of ethereal magic was cast from Celestia’s horn, and formed itself into a window, within which played out in dramatic fashion her story as she retold it.

“As I’m sure my sister has told you already, talk of Æclypse was that of a young, intelligent, noble, and handsome northern prince. Like somepony you might read about in a romance novella. So with word of his great deed and reputation spreading far and wide, I resolved that this was a pony I should know personally.”

In the window, shown the course of many ponies gathered around a crier, listing with fascination. Above them, Celestia overheard the tale, a hoof to her chin in curious interest.

“But I wanted to make sure I got to know him as he truly was, and not some legend passed along by a thousand mouths. So I told my guard that I was going into a reclusion for a few days, and not to be disturbed. Luna, I told something closer to the truth in that I needed a short vacation from the demands of ruling.

With my cover intact, I set out on my journey north.”

In the vision, Celestia donned a hooded grey robe, and flew off into the sky, the sun to her right.

It took me a few days, and some toleration of the more unpleasant elements of the northern climate, but I made it to Thule without revealing myself to anypony.”

He character landed some distance from the main gate to the city, a pair of wooden doors three stories high.

“I had to enter the city on hoof, ‘ere they think that a Pegasus had come to town, which would draw notice. But since fair unicorns were common enough, I slackened the power of my mane to relax it to a light pink, but kept my hood mostly up. I made to sure to arrive after I had set the sun to help protect my guise, and of course the robe concealed my Cutie Mark. Also, I shortened my height a bit, for everything else, being taller than everypony would give me away at a distance.”

Walking among a throng of unicorns dressed in warm and intricately decorated clothes, Celestia took in the local color of taverns, torch-lit streets, and houses constructed of timber beams.

“I hadn’t been to Thule for many years, and was pleased to see that the ponies there were living well. The kings and queens had ruled ably, and the peace brought-on by the treaty between they and the Yak allowed their leisure culture to flourish.”

Approaching a large collection of unicorns gathered around a bonfire, Celestia hung back in the shadows to observe.

“Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to find the prince. For he along with many other of his fellow warriors were making merry, celebrating by firelight with laughter and drink. Now I had never seen anything like this in Canterlot, as you know I think the annual Gala is an unfailingly boring affair. Here, they celebrated freely with shouts of joy and revelry, dancing to music that resounded with the free spirit and vivacity of a folk not yet tamed by the sophistications of civilization.”

Twilight watched the tiny ponies crowded around a communal fire, their silhouettes dancing rowdily around the blaze.

“For all my status, I envied them. Would it not betray my identity, I would have happily joined them, so much did I yearn to forget my crown and let myself be consumed in the thrill.

But through the jubilant throng, I spotted Æclypse surrounded by his comrades. His long mane hung loose and wild, the perfect opposite of his noble peers in the south. In the prime of his youth, hale and strong, he certainly looked the part of all I had heard.”

Celestia gave Twilight an amused smirk, “I never begrudged Luna that she had certainly chosen an exceptional stallion to fall for.”

Both Spike and Twilight blushed slightly.

“So I watched him.” Celestia continued, “And saw that he abstained from excess drink, declined to engage in too flamboyant a dance partner, and even separated two other stallions that had begun to quarrel. But he did enjoy himself, partaking in song and conversation. All the members of his company were Thanes, unicorns who served in the Thulian army and proved themselves worthy in organized scrimmages with Yak warriors.”

“Organized scrimmages?” Twilight asked. “I thought they were at peace?”

“They were, but as both a ritual of their continuing accord, and because they liked battle so much, every year Thule and the Yaks tribes pitted their warriors against each other in contest. A friendly but competitive series of war games.”

Thinking on the matter, Twilight was utterly enthralled by images of unicorns and Yaks in battle. It reminded her of how jousting was a part of the festivities in the Crystal Faire.

Her vision now showed the disguised Celestia sneaking around to get closer to the prince. “All was going well, and I was trying to think of a way to talk to Æclypse without giving myself away. I figured a stallion is a stallion, and it would be a simple matter of flirting with him to draw him aside.”

At this Spike and Twilight recoiled a bit in surprise, rousing a hearty chuckle from Celestia.

“I know I don’t seem like it, but not even I am estranged from the basic nature of mares. I know how to flirt when I want to.

As I was about to approach him, one of those who sat beside him, an older stallion with a degree of white in his braided copper beard, stood to address the crowd. He took a swig from his mug, and began to drunkenly sing the most vulgar song I had ever heard.

No need to follow along, just play to get how the song goes and enjoy!

O, there were a dozen mares who had come to join the dance,

We took ‘em for some fikkin, but all we got were wanks!

I was startled by the coarse lyrics, but it had only just started before the rest of them added in the chorus.