Mare Cognitum

When Streak woke up, she was not on her typical straw bed, but instead one of cloth and wool, like the humans had. And it was oh so incredibly soft and fluffy. She spent about five whole minutes just bouncing on it. When that whole ordeal was over, and she had fully accepted the fact there was nothing in the world softer than that, she got up, and looked around.

It seemed as if she was in the spaceship. All the walls were the same white sheen. To the left of her, there seemed to be a bathroom. She went in, and looked around. It looked just like the humans' restroom. There was a toilet, a shower, and a sink. Above the sink, positioned in the middle between the two faucets, was a large mirror. She went through the old routine, taking some water in her hooves, and running it through her mane, especially taking care of her red streak... wait, red?

She did a double take, and looked again. Still red. She tried washing it with water. The colors refused to yield. In a panic, she galloped straight out of the room, looking for Astral. Maybe she knew something about this.

She walked out the door, and went down a hallway. This ship was quite larger on the inside. It emptied out into a large, circular room with a few other hallways intersecting it. In the middle of the room was a couch, where five mares, two of which she knew were Twilight and Selena, were sitting down. They all seemed to be staring at the black slab from yesterday, which was flipped with the white side up. The circle in the center seemed to be projecting light out into a flat rectangular screen, which Selena tapped sporadically.

"Oh, hey Streak! You're up! Check this out!" Selena tapped the screen again and cleared her throat. "Guide, tell us about... uhh..."

"Affirmative," The disk seemed to say in a robotic voice. From the bottom of the disk, it shot out a ray of light that then widened to depict a black sword. "The Great Sword Uhh, Blessed by a Thousand Souls, was forged eight-hundred years ago, today. It was wielded by none other than The Great Volvonski, granter of the mighty Stick, later. Volvonski had used the sword to attempt to defeat The Persistant Yorrie, who had been terrorizing the local townside. However, the sword was shattered, and failed to even faze Yorrie. The shards of the sword were later picked up by a travelling hermit, who had them reforged. Today, the sword is located at the Canterlot Royal Museum.

"The sword's structure is standard double-edged style. It mainly consists of a solid meteorite iron core, tempered by master blacksmiths to be able to bend, but not snap. Both edges of the blade have been inlaid with sharpened diamonds, but do not protrude so the sword can be used for light piercing. Gold is plated along the length of the sword's fuller, and down to the crossguard. The whole of it was mined from the depths of Tartarus, brought up and forged in the raw power of Celestia's sun, and tempered in Luna's cool night.

"Volvonski, on his travels to Yorrie, had asked every living creature he met, to bless the sword, which gave it its title, 'Blessed by a Thousand Souls'. Due to how powerful this sword is, the only speculation as to why it did not faze Yorrie is that it lacked holy powers, and that since Luna was absent for the temperance, due to her detaining on the moon, it lacked her full power. See 'Epic of the Mighty Stick'."

After this long lecture, Selena drew back. "Dayum. That was... erm..."

"Why, that sword sounds simply marvelous! I mean, look at this craftsmanship. Simply fabulous!" One of the mares Streak did not know stood up from the couch and pointed at the picture. "I wish I could get my hands on some Tartarean Diamonds. They sparkle oh so brightly! And they have quite the history too. 'Created from darkness, raised in darkness, and shining in darkness.' Have you ever heard of gems with such history?"

"Well actually sugarcube," another mare started. "Mah family has had this 'ere ruby that's been passed from mother to daughter, every generation, when they get their cutie mark. Well, as you can see," she swallowed painfully. "Ah didn't quite get to receive it from mah mother... but, I still got it from Granny Smith... anyways, it used to be just a regular ol' gem in a necklace, nothin' really special 'bout it 'sides the fact it was an heirloom, but one day, the great war had started.

"Granny Smith's great-great-grandmother, who was in Mareanda at the time, and had jus' become a mare, got attacked. Pegasus paratroopers were patrollin' the skyline, and she had to hide, because if anypony found her, 'iffin if she begged, or asked for them to take 'er in, she'd get killed." She smacked her hooves together for emphasis. "Jus' like that. She was doin' pretty good for the firs' few weeks, but one day a pegasus had found her. He was raisin' his sword, ready to lay 'er down an all, but she, in a panic, threw her necklace. The ruby, which was apparently very sharp, had cut 'im in the neck, and happen'd ta hurt 'im so bad, he dun passed out. She picked up the necklace again, took the ruby out, and made a makeshift spear outta it.

"Over the years, as more wars came and went, our family's been upgradin' the spear. Each mare of the family does their own improvements to it. And that is why I have a high-grade weapon in my bedroom."

Two other mares entered the room from the hallway. One seemed to be hiding behind the other. "Oh, I thought it was because you were hardcore and a masochist..."

"Dahell Rainbow Dash? You really thought that?"

The mare behind Rainbow Dash muttered something. "Actually, I wouldn't mind having something like that..." But nopony heard, probably for the better of her.

The third unknown mare on the couch spoke up. "What's with long stories today? Is it storytime? Ooooh! I know!" She seemed to be practically bouncing. "I have a good story for you guys! Wanna hear it? I know I do! Have I ever told you how Equestria was made?"

"...no Pinkie, maybe later?" Twilight saved. "Anyways, enough with the epics today. Streak." She gestured the mare in question over. "Can you go stand with your back to that wall?"

"Erm... okay?" Streak walked over to the spot where Twi was pointing. "Yeah, now what?"

Twilight, with a flash of her horn, quickly levitated something from Selena's saddlebags and pointed it at Streak. With a chill, she realized that what Twilight was levitating, pointed right at her, was a gun. Just like the rancher's.

"Don't move."