Age of Kings

Chapters

1 - Awakening
2 - Strange New World
3 - Knight in Shining Armor
4 - Food for Thought
5 - Holding My Breath
6 - Royal Audience
7 - Of Swords and Shields
8 - On the Prowl
10 - Setting Up the Sheriff
11 - Practice Makes Perfect
12 - A Muse's Company
13 - The Druids
14 - A Brief Respite
15 - The Tournament Begins
16 - Threat from the East
17 - A Splash of Magic
18 - Unhorsed
19 - All's Fair
20 - The Final Bout
21 - Battle in the Woods
23 - Lady Emerald
24 - An Evening with the Queen
25 - Knighthood's Beginning
26 - I'll Face Myself
27 - A Magical Reunion
28 - The Beginning of an Age
29 - How to Train Your Horse, Part 1
30 - How to Train Your Horse, Part 2
31 - The Dark Below
32 - The Edge of the Morn
33 - What Honor?
34 - The Cursed Village
35 - Practice Zero
36 - Far From It
37 - Forever Free
39 - A Pain In The Asp
40 - The Young Squire
41 - The Island of Apples
42 - The Staff of Equestria
43 - Expensive Trade
44 - I Am Your Shield
45 - Artifact Hunting
46 - Different World, Different Friends
47 - Armed and Ready
48 - The King's Own
49 - Into Darkness - Part 1
51 - Brigands and Blessings
52 - The Hammer Falls
53 - Weighing Words
54 - It's Treason, Then
55 - To Love and Lose
56 - Wheels Within Wheels
57 - Prison Fake
58 - The Line of Duty
59 - A Narrow Escape
60 - Arrival at Avalon
61 - The Next Morning
62 - The Way Onward
63 - The Spurs
65 - Fort Hayward
66 - Charting Ahead
67 - Prench Dressing
68 - The King Collects
69 - Ghosts in the Gulch
70 - Vow of Victory
71 - Taken
72 - Witchery
73 - Back on the Road
74 - What Are You Doing In My Swamp
75 - Into the Abyss
76 - The Black Beast
77 - Emerald of Arabia
78 - Desert Madness
79 - A Way to Go
80 - Farewells and Detours
82 - Arrival at Masyaf
83 - Mage's Crafts
84 - The King of Saddle Arabia
85 - Foreign Law and Order
86 - The Invasion
87 - King Against King
88 - Flee for Your Lives
89 - Not a Drop to Drink
90 - Wine, Women, and a Prince
91 - The Trials of the Djinn
92 - Fear Itself
93 - In Deep
95 - Return of the Prince
96 - The Battle for the Throne of Masyaf
97 - Far from the Tree
98 - The Beginning of Understanding
99 - Give Their Lives So Boldly
100 - Invaders in the City
101 - Strike Back
102 - Aspect of Justice
103 - Alamule
104 - A Feast with Friends
105 - To Send Off a King
106 - Through the Mountains
107 - Arrival in the North
108 - Long Night of Unease
109 - The Valravn
111 - Pass to the Capital
112 - A Whisper of Equestria
113 - The Vision of an Eagle
114 - First to the Wall
115 - Clash of Shadows
116 - Hel to Pay
117 - Veritable Lodgings
118 - The Northmen's Dilemma
120 - Interception
121 - Splitting the Party
122 - Pearis Under Siege
Prologue
9 - Leftovers
22 - The Hero's Return
38 - A Rotten Thing To Do
50 - Into Darkness - Part 2
64 - Departure from Avalon
81 - The Rude Sandstorm
94 - The Apple and the Grail
110 - Onward to Nidaroats
119 - Crisis from Prance

1 - Awakening

Emerald Edge felt as though somepony had been banging a drum next to her head for the past hour. Her body was sore with muscle cramps and she couldn’t see. The air felt cold and clammy, sticking to what parts of her that she could feel.

Am... am I dead?

After an undetermined amount of time, the pegasus finally screwed up her courage. She stretched out a foreleg, regretting the decision instantly as the simple motion made stars explode behind her eyelids. Not dead then.

As her faculties returned one by one, Emerald cracked open one eye. There wasn’t much to see, just a small patch of damp earth and thick grey fog all around. Well, that didn’t seem too bad; she cracked open the other eye, only to be met with a flaky, sticky resistance. Puzzled, she moved a hoof to scratch at her face.

Something hard and sharp poked her in the cheek. The pegasus froze, only daring to move her one open eye to look right. Instead of the spearhead she had expected, there was a fleshy, segmented thing there, twitching beside her head. With a shriek, Emerald Edge scrambled to her hooves and leapt away, her better sense of reason smothered by shock and fear. Whatever that creature was, she had no desire to be near it.

She had only run about three meters when she realized something was terribly wrong. Why weren’t her wings flapping? It was an instinctual response to fear; unicorns teleported, earth ponies sprinted, and pegasi flew. She vaguely recalled that Sombra had blasted her left wing off with some kind of spell, but her right wing had been unscathed. She looked over her shoulder, tentatively pushing aside the now tattered black cloak she still wore using her chin.

No wings.

This alone would have been cause enough to faint then and there, but while she was busy determining whether to scream or pass out, the pegasus noticed something even more upsetting.

Not only were her wings gone, but so was her tail. And she prayed it was just that her eyesight was addled that her body was appearing so twisted and lanky through her cloak...

This was the final straw; running for her life from Sombra, watching her friends die, being set on fire, and now maimed of everything that made her a pony; it was all too much for her exhausted mind to bear.

Eyes rolling back in her head, Emerald Edge fainted dead away with a pathetic whimper, rolling down the sloped ground. She didn’t even feel herself slip off a ledge and into the water.

Apple Bean, Golden Nugget and their daughter, Honeygold, traveled down the same dirt road they had taken every four months, heading towards the majestic kingdom of Canterlot. Being simple apple merchants from Avalon, they would always marvel at the magnificent architecture of the kingdom, wishing their home would one day look like that too. The caravan containing their wares rumbled underneath them as their horses pulled the heavy cart along the bumpy road.

"Ya think we can make enough bits for that new tarp?" Golden Nugget asked his wife as he held on to the reins.

"How should Ah know that?" Apple Bean glared. "Ah'm happy as long as we earn our livin'."

"Well... Ah guess."

Suddenly, a sharp cry rose in the air, followed by a splash, startling the two merchants atop the caravan. Nugget pulled on the reins, stopping their horses. Honeygold poked her head out from the caravan to look around.

“What was that?” she asked her parents. She panned her head across the terrain, looking out for any irregularities. She spotted one. Something floating by the waters of the nearby lake. As the fog thinned a little, she gasped. It was a person. “Ma! Pa! There’s someone out there in the lake!”

“There!” Apple Bean pointed, directing Nugget’s attention to the body in the lake.

“Stay here!” Nugget ordered as he hopped off the caravan.

He headed to the water’s edge before assessing the situation. Someone had fallen into the water and was probably drowning as he stood there. He quickly kicked off his boots and leapt into the lake, his powerful arms slicing through the water to the sinking body.

It started to sink more as he swam towards it, forcing him to pick up his speed. Golden Nugget swung his arms harder, propelling himself further with each push. He arrived at the body as it sank under the water completely, forcing Nugget to thrust a hand underwater to find it. He soon grabbed hold of an armor strap, yanking the body back up. It was a young woman with turquoise hair that glimmered in different shades and a huge gash just under her hairline, with dried blood pasted all over that side of her face.

She must have fallen. Hit her head… but what was she doin' out on this little island...?

The only thing worth noting on the island was a large glassy rock formation, but she wouldn’t have come all the way out here just to see it, would she?

Golden Nugget pushed the thought aside for now. He had to get her to safety and he didn’t want to be in the cold waters for too long. He began paddling his way back, holding on to the woman as he made his way for the shore. Apple Bean and Honeygold were already waiting for him, carrying two big blankets for him and the stranger. He pushed the unconscious woman up onto the shore before standing up himself. He checked her for a pulse, finding a slow, faint one.

“Pa!” Honeygold shouted as she ran towards them. “Is she alright?”

Golden Nugget didn’t answer, instead, started pumping the water out of the woman’s system, pushing down on her chest. Soon, she started coughing and gagging, spitting out the water in her lungs, though she remained comatose.

“Now she is, Ah’m hopin’,” Golden Nugget told his daughter, still heaving with the exertion. “Honeygold. Watch the lady. We’ll have to set up camp for the night. Can’t be goin’ to Canterlot with my soggy duds. Ah’ll catch a cold.”

So while her parents unpacked their camping gear from the back of the caravan, young Honeygold knelt down next to the stranger, anxiously keeping watch.

The smell of burning wood and roasting apples was rich in the air when Emerald Edge finally awoke. She was lying in some kind of enclosure on a thin layer of straw. She felt awful; the inside of her mouth tasted like a sewer and her forehead stung. The pegasus unconsciously raised a hoof to rub her head, inhaling sharply when the same fleshy, spidery thing came back into view. Emerald jerked away but was restrained by a blanket that had been wrapped round her entire body.

She tried moving her hoof again. The meat-spider moved too, tiny caps on the end of its legs catching the moonlight that shone into the enclosure and making her pause. Tiny caps that looked like stubby talons. An incredible, horrible idea surfaced in her head. She moved her hoof. The creature did the same.

“No. No, no, no...”

Another scream clawed to the top of her lungs but she held it back. Steeling herself, Emerald took hold of the blanket with her teeth and pulled it off in one motion. Somepony, or something had taken her armor and cloak, leaving her completely bare.

The body that lay there on the straw barely resembled that of a pony. It was hairless, but the same color as her coat had been, only the legs were too skinny and again, the lack of wings made her flinch. Where her hind hooves had been were instead two… feet, like what dragons and griffons had. Though what these hideous things were that had taken the place of her front hooves, of that she had no idea. They looked a little like feet, but the toes were almost as long as the base itself. She wriggled them, fascinated and disturbed by how fluidly they bent and flexed. They seemed to be suited for gripping onto things… maybe climbing or catching prey, but looked as though they’d be hard to walk on, a suspicion that was confirmed as she got off the straw mattress.

She paced around the space on all fours, testing out the mobility of her new limbs. These new limbs were a lot more sensitive than hooves; she could feel every bit of straw poking into her skin and it quickly got annoying.

She noticed some light against her face and turned, seeing an exit from the tent she was under. She trotted up to it and poked her head out, realizing she wasn’t too far from where she had come to. Her brain tried to process what she was seeing. She had gone through the mirror expecting something like a broom closet, a place where a wizard might just stash all those unwanted bits and bobs that he no longer needed, not a completely new world.

She silently exited the structure, which she now determined was some kind of caravan, and dropped down onto the grass. The moon hung in the sky overhead, giving her a crumb of comfort. No matter what she might look like now, she still remembered how to move around in the dark.

Emerald kept low, flattening her body against the grass. It tickled her underside too, but she ignored that and crept around a wagon wheel, ever watchful. She spied a campfire in the near distance with three silhouetted figures seated around it. Calling back to her spymaster training, she opted to avoid them. The fewer traces you left of yourself behind, the better. She shimmied around to the other side of the caravan, deciding to head away from the fire.

The first thing to do, she decided, was to find her armor. She had been wearing it when she had come through the mirror and desperately wanted it back. As she pondered where it might have gone, her ears pricked up. She had heard something, something familiar and comforting. The voice of a pony.

She poked her head out of the long grass and looked about.

There!

Tied up at an oak tree, nickering and chewing on hay were two tall, muscular stallions. They were talking to each other in low voices, but just then, they could have been insulting her to her face and it still wouldn’t have made a difference. With a squee of joy, Emerald cantered over to the tree, grinning all over her face.

“Thank Celestia for you!” Emerald gushed. “I never thought I’d see another friendly face again!” Neither stallion paid her the slightest bit of attention. “Umm… hello?”

Both stallions continued to ignore her, busy eating their feed. Frowning, Emerald moved closer and tried to look the closer horse in the eye. He was pretty ordinary, if she had to be honest. Brown coat and mane. Muddy looking eyes. Tall fellow though; he would have towered over even King Sombra.

"Can you hear me? Anyone there?" Emerald waved her forearm in front of the horse's face, receiving no reaction. “I’m talking to you!”

Growing increasingly frustrated, the royal spymaster butted the stallion in the chest, but she may as well have tried to topple a tree with a herring. She rubbed her head and grimaced; she’d forgotten about her head wound. She backed off a few good steps. Maybe these two were deaf, maybe they were just stupid. She looked for their cutie marks, wanting to determine just what their special talents were. Strangely enough, she couldn't find them. Their flanks were as blank as a newborn foals’.

“You have got to be kidding me...” Emerald couldn't believe it. These grown stallions were blank flanks? She refused to entertain the idea. Stubbornly, Emerald reared up on her hind legs and began nosing through the short brown fur on the stallion’s flank.

“Cutie marks have got to be here somewhere,” panted Emerald as she breathed in the musky scent of horse sweat. At least she had found a use for these strange new front hooves. Maintaining her balance was a lot easier when she held on to the stallion’s legs with them, though his cutie mark remained elusive. "I don't believe it... an adult without a cutie mark?"

Taking a second to rest, Emerald Edge directed her gaze to the other horse. Maybe she’s have better luck with him…

It was then she sensed a presence behind her. No. Three presences. Emerald Edge turned her head to see the three figures she had seen by the fire earlier, watching her. There was no time to jump back into the grass, so she tensed herself just in case they were hostile. They were standing on their hind legs and looking down at her with various degrees of disgust and dismay.

"Jus' what d'ya think you're doin' to our horses, lady?" the tallest one, a creature with orange skin and a blonde mane cried out, shock written all over his strangely flat face. He was dressed in some kind of tunic and overalls that had been tailored to fit his toned but alien frame.

“Your horses?” Emerald quizzed, feeling indignant. “How the hay are these your horses?”

“Ah, uh, bought them at a market?” he said. At least Emerald assumed he was male from his voice. “Like, y’know, everyone else does.”

“You bought them?!” The pegasus was aghast. “As in slave labor?” She recoiled from the male on her hands and backside, giving them a lovely frontal view of her naked body. The two taller strangers blushed and looked away, the male one pressing his hind legs together.

But the smallest one, a slender young thing with a bright gold mane done up in a simple braid, raised her eyebrows at Emerald’s accusation. “Slaves? No, that ain’t how we treat ‘em at all.” She skipped past Emerald and rubbed the stallion affectionately. “Right, Joey?” The horse nickered and gave the youth a gentle lick in return.

The second horse gave out a neigh. The small creature let out a small chuckle before heading to the other horse. “Of course ah won’t forget about ya, Springer!” She gave him a gentle rub over its muzzle. The horse seemed to enjoy it.

Emerald Edge watched the strange little one, who she assumed was a female; how she moved, the way she stood on her hind legs, and how she behaved towards the horses. They seemed friendly, even if they had just admitted to slave trade; maybe these two stallions were criminals and were serving a sentence.

“What… what are you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Why… we’re jus’ people,” the little thing said, raising an eyebrow.

Emerald gave her a positively neolithic look. “People? What’s a people?”

The ‘people’ looked at Emerald as if she had just declared the sky was green. The middle-sized one scratched her head. “Uhmm… a person. Like you?”

Emerald shook her head, shocked that they would suggest such a thing. “I’m not a… person. I’m a pony.”

Now it was the people’s turn to be shocked.

“Pony?” the female one asked. She scanned Emerald Edge from head to toe, although embarrassed at the lack of clothing. “You’re not a pony.”

“This woman is crazy,” the male whispered to his companion fearfully. “Ah mean, she runs on all fours, she feels up our horses, and she thinks she's one herself!”

“Well what do ya 'spect me to do?” the female asked back. “Give her education?”

“Do I not look like a pony to you, even the slightest bit?” Emerald asked, remembering that her body had changed. “Am I not…?”

“Whatever you think you are…” the male spoke, doing his best not to look at her. “You’re just a human to us.”

“Human…” Emerald copied. She looked at herself, seeing how different she was now. She had lost her wings, her tail, her fur, her muzzle, her hooves. Maybe she was a ‘human’ now. She looked at the three humans again, noticing how they had the same spidery hooves and feet that her new body had.

“That’s right, miss!” Honeygold spoke up beside the two stallions. “We’re all humans!”

Emerald Edge just couldn’t believe it. First, Star Swirl had removed the real magic mirror and placed a prototype instead, then that dangerous mirror almost burned her to death, and now here she was, not even a pony anymore, but a human.

She felt her head getting lighter again. Her vision blurred and her balanced shifted until she finally tipped over and felt herself hit the soft grass before passing out.

The rich smell of apples once again filled Emerald Edge's nostrils as her eyes fluttered open. This time, she found herself next to the campfire, the blanket wrapped around her once more.

“Howdy, lass,” she heard the voice of the male human say. “Good to see that you’re awake.”

She turned to see the three humans from before, sitting on square crates and eating what looked like burnt apples on sticks by the fire.

"Well, don't jus' sit there," the female one said, taking a bite out of her apple. "Come on over an' join us. One thing, though. Do keep that blanket on this time?"

Emerald scooted herself over, using what used to be her front hooves to push herself forward. The young one grabbed an extra apple and moved to sit beside Emerald, offering her the fruit.
The spymaster watched how the creatures used their spidery appendages to grab ahold of the sticks, one leg at the bottom, and four more above. She tried to do the same, successfully grabbing on to the stick, but in a slightly different manner.

"What's your name?" the little human asked as she watched Emerald inspecting the stick. "Ah'm Honeygold! And this here's my pa, Golden Nugget, and my ma, Apple Bean! We're apple merchants from Avalon!"

"I'm Emerald Edge," the spymaster replied, taking a bite into the apple. A fantastic taste she couldn't describe filled her mouth, bringing her to take another two bites before running out of space. These human mouths were a lot smaller than she had thought. "Royal spymaster to Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire. Or at least I used to be..."

"Crystal... Empire?" the one called Golden Nugget sat back. "Don't believe Ah've heard o' this place... But then again, ya claim to be a pony."

"So what happened?" Honeygold beamed, interested in the story. "How'd ya get here from your... ummmpire, and why were you on that little island?" The smaller human pointed to the lake.

"Sombra..." Emerald muttered with total disgust and hate. "A false king. He took over our empire and the only weapons that could stop here are in your world. I have to find them."

"Woah, woah, hold your horses," Golden Nugget stopped for a second as Emerald shot him a look. "Right. Uhhh... Anyway... You claim to be from a different world now?"

"Well, yes. This is definitely not the same world. That mirror's led me to a whole different place, where ponies don't speak, and you have these..." Emerald wiggled her digits.

"Fingers!" Honeygold wiggled them at a faster speed for Emerald to see. "Ah guess as a pony, ya won't have these... They're really useful an' all! Ya can pick stuff up, hold things-"

"So you're sayin' you've never had fingers your whole life now?" Apple Bean raised a doubtful eyebrow, which went higher after Emerald nodded. "She really thinks she's from another world?"

"All my life, Ah've never come across anythin' like this!" Golden Nugget drew back. "She must've ingested somethin' that made her mind all wonky."

"I'm telling the truth!" Emerald raised her voice. "Why won't you believe me...? Is it so hard to take in?"

"Ah'm sorry, lass, but we're not one for fairy tales."

There was a short moment of silence as Emerald lowered her head, still thinking how unreal everything around her was. The sound of the crackling fire could be heard, along with the insects and critters in the grass along the pathway as no one spoke.

"Ah believe ya, Emerald!" Honeygold broke the silence, trying to make Emerald feel better. "Ah think it's fancy that ya used to work for a princess."

"Thank you, Honeygold,” Emerald smiled and finished up the rest of her apple. Seeing the little filly or whatever they were called here try to cheer her up gave Emerald hope that this world wasn't as brutish as she might have thought. They may be different in shape, but they were almost like ponies in human form. “I need to find these artifacts. I am not sure what they look like, but they contain great power. The power I can use to fight King Sombra back to the dark pit where he spawned.”

Golden Nugget sighed. "Alright. We still don't quite believe ya, but we're willin' to help. These artifacts. The best place to look for 'em right now would be Canterlot. Ah-"

"Canterlot?" Emerald immediately straightened. "Did you say Canterlot?"

Golden Nugget's eyes darted around. "Uhhh... Yes...?"

"It seems our worlds are not so different after all. In my world, we had an ally in Canterlot. Two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ruled the lands, raising the sun and moon for us everyday. We expected help from them when Sombra took over, but... I fear they were too late..."

Golden Nugget and Apple Bean just stared at Emerald dumbfounded, while Honeygold looked like she was enjoying a good bedtime story.

"Uhhmmm..." Nugget cleared his throat. "Okay, uhhh... These artifacts ya mentioned. Perhaps King Dawn Saber would know somethin' about them. Yeah, we don't got a Celestia or Luna here. Just King Dawn Saber an' Queen Sunlight Radiance."

"Oh... Well, where can I find this king?"

"Canterlot is still quite a ride from here," Golden Nugget continued. "We're on the way there ourselves, so why not stick with us? Ya might be the strangest person we've met, but as Ah've said, we're not gonna turn away someone jus' cause they're weird."

"Thank you..." Emerald nodded her thanks to the three merchants. "And thank you for the food and shelter too, and I wouldn't be here if not for you."

"Aww, shucks. No need for the thanks, dear," Apple Bean said as she got up. “We’re glad to help a needy soul.”

“Yeah, and Ah love your stories!” Honeygold bounced on the crate she was sitting on. “Can ya tell me more?”

Apple Bean returned from the caravan with four layers of an animal hide of some sort. Emerald cringed at what it might have been, but she controlled herself. The humans of this world were different from ponies. For all she knew, they might even eat meat.

“Well, in that case,” Nugget croaked as he helped Apple Bean give out the hide. “Emerald, would ya mind takin’ first watch? You can tell Honeygold as much as ya like. Ah’ll be up and around for the next watch.”

“Watch?” Emerald raised an eyebrow and looked around the wilderness. “Is it dangerous out here?”

“You could say that,” Nugget grunted and scanned the area. “Ya never know when there might be a bandit or two out there. Or even wolves or trolls. Ya think you can manage watchin’ out for us and little Honeygold there?”

“Sure,” Emerald quickly nodded. She pulled the blanket closer over her form and turned to Honeygold. “I’ll do anything to repay you three. So, Honeygold. What would you like to hear?”

Author's Note

The Avalon apple merchants.

2 - Strange New World

Emerald Edge sat in the back of the caravan with all the crates of merchandise, still discussing her tales as the royal spymaster to young Honeygold as her parents led the way to Canterlot.

“That’s amazing!” Honeygold’s eyes sparkled as she continued to listen to Emerald with awe. “Ah wish Avalon was as shiny as your Crystal Empire. It must really be a beautiful sight.”

“Yes… it was…” Emerald turned away. Thoughts of her home being taken over brought back bad memories. Her friends, her princess. They all gave their lives to get her here. She couldn’t let them down. “I’m sorry, Honeygold. Talking about my kingdom… I think it might be a bit too much for me right now…”

“Oh, Ah understand, Emerald.” Honeygold put a comforting hand on her arm. “Sometimes, bein’ away from home makes me homesick too, but... Ah'm sorry about your friends..."

"It's alright, Honeygold." Emerald pushed herself up to the young merchant. "They knew the risks. We all did, but I will makes things right. I'm going to finish what I started. I will take back the empire. For the princess and all my friends."

Suddenly, there was a sharp whistle from the front of the caravan, drawing both passengers' attention towards the small hole next to the feet of Honeygold's parents.

"We're about to enter Canterlot," Golden Nugget's voice said. "Jus' in case ya wanted to know."

"C'mon, Emerald!" Honeygold dragged her by the blanket towards the tent exit. "Ya gotta see this! Canterlot is a sight to see! Well, not like your Crystal Empire, but still great!"

Emerald copied the young girl and stuck her head out the tent, watching as the grasslands disappeared behind an archway, joining up with a rocky wall, expanding towards the left and right. Soon, the buildings started appearing along the sides; small structures made of roughly cut stone with wooden support and thatched roofs, each having its own square of space between each other. Honeygold seemed excited, but to Emerald, these were lowly buildings. Some of them were even missing stones in the wall, and some of the wood was cracked and broken.

“What happened here?” Emerald asked as they passed by more of the small homes. “Why are all these buildings so… broken?”

Honeygold could only shrug. “Every city has these. Some people are jus’ not as lucky as some others.”

After a few minutes of travel, the caravan passed the downtrodden part of the city and entered a nicer area after a bridge across what was likely the city’s river. The buildings were closer together than the previous area, and each one stood a building taller than before. The stonework and structures were better designed, and each roof was neatly paneled by ceramic shingles. The caravan eventually turned, allowing Emerald to take in the beauty of the castle’s architecture. It was of stone like the rest of the buildings, but stood higher and prouder than any of the other structures in the city. A drawbridge separated the castle from the rest of the place, but it was down for the moment, allowing Emerald a glance into the central courtyard. Knights in their full armor practiced their swordplay, while a platoon of guards stationed themselves on top of the parapet, each one holding a spear and shield.

“Didn’t Ah tell ya, Emerald?” Honeygold nudged the spymaster. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Emerald nodded, still keeping her eyes on the brilliant architecture. Eventually, the caravan pulled to a stop at the marketplace. A flat square area with tarps and counters set up, where all kinds of merchants were selling their merchandise.

“Well, here we are!” Apple Bean pushed aside the tent flaps after she made her way around the back. “Honeygold, could ya help us move the apples to the stall?”

“Sure, ma!” Honeygold quickly leapt out of the back, taking a small crate with her.

“Emerald, why don’t ya get dressed?” Apple Bean put her set of armor, her cloak, and clothes into the back with her. “Uhhh… How do Ah put it? People here don’t walk around without anythin’ on.”

“Yes. I noticed.” While Emerald still couldn’t see any real reason to go about clothed all the time, she had to admit that without any fur her new body was terrible at keeping warm, something which the blanket had fixed.

Maybe they all just really hate the cold.

It took a couple of tries and a bit of help from Honeygold, but eventually Emerald Edge managed to get all her clothes on and in the right places. Her cloak was a little torn and burnt from her encounter with Sombra, but it made her feel better, knowing she still had it.

Honeygold eyed her friend critically. “Not bad,” she said approvingly. “Ya look jus’ like one of them knights now.”

Emerald smiled, feeling better now that she was armed. “I kind of do, don’t I. Do you know any?”

The farm girl shook her head. “Nah. Pa says not to get involved with them pol-uh-ticks, whatever that means. Ah just guessed it means not to stick my nose in where it don’t belong.”

“Well for someone who doesn’t know any knights, you know your way around a suit of armor pretty well,” Emerald said. The child had been rattling off the various names of her armor parts as she had gotten dressed, and the spymaster had made sure to remember as many of them as she could.

“Oh, Ah don’t know any knights, yeah,” Honeygold shrugged. “ But Ah am friends with one of their squires. She’s trainin’ to be a knight too! We jus’ hang around Canterlot when Ma and Pa come to sell apples. Speakin’ of armor,” she pointed at the blades that were mounted on Emerald’s vambraces. “Maybe ya want to take those off for now. Guards here don’ like people carrying weapons out in the open.”

"Oh..." Emerald tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Back in the Crystal Empire, Emerald rarely went about without her blades attached to her forelegs. As a royal spymaster, her job was to be prepared for any circumstance, and an ambush was one of them. "If I must..."

Honeygold helped Emerald as she tried to unsuccessfully pry off the gauntlets. Before long, they were stowed in her belt pouch, out of sight but close enough if the need to use them arose. Honeygold leapt out of the back with another crate as Emerald slowly crawled out on all fours, still unsure how to get down with just her hindlegs.

Golden Nugget gave her a strange look as both parents headed into the caravan to get the rest of their goods out.

"I think you should show me how to walk like you," Emerald said as she tried to balance on both legs. "I wouldn't want to draw too much attention."

"Easy!" Honeygold said confidently as she set the crate down. She demonstrated with her feet, taking one step after another with each leg. "See? Left, right, left, right!"

Emerald slowly copied her, taking one wobbly step after another. She found it a lot easier than she had originally thought, soon moving along with the Apple family to their stall in the marketplace, although still not a master at it. She helped with some of the goods, using her new 'hands', as Honeygold called them, to lift the crates and move them along. At first, she found her strength misplaced, but eventually got the right grip and the right muscles to shift them with little effort.

The apple stall was a small lifted piece of wood with four wooden boxes resting on it. A dirty, worn out tarp, held up by four pieces of wood, rested high over the boxes, keeping the sun away. The apples were to be placed in the boxes to allow customers to pick which ones they wanted.

"Let's get this done then." Golden Nugget started opening the lid of the first crate.

Emerald watched and did the same, using her fingers to yank the lid off before carrying the crate to the wooden boxes. Golden Nugget started emptying the apples out, filling one box after another. Emerald did the same, moving what she could to the stall's boxes.

"You're pretty strong for a little lass," Nugget told her as he made sure the apples weren't going to fall out.

"I have to be," Emerald replied. "As the royal spymaster, I need to be able to manage on my own."

"Right..."

"Well, that takes care of the apples for now," Apple Bean walked over to join them. "Thank ya for your help, Emerald. Honeygold, why don't ya take Emerald over to your friend? Perhaps she can get the lass in to see the king."

"Sure, ma!" Honeygold beamed with excitement. "Let's go, Emerald! Spectrum'll love to meet ya!"

Emerald followed the golden haired girl as she weaved through the crowds after entering the downtown area, dodging the wandering civilians. The place was much narrower than the road in and the marketplace, bustling with lots of people. Honeygold was smaller than Emerald, able to squeeze by most people. The spymaster tried her best to avoid the other humans, but still collided with a few and almost lost her footing a few times.

"So sorry about that," she apologized to the people she bumped into.

Eventually, the path led back to the poorer part of the town, across the first bridge. Emerald continued to follow the little farm girl as she skipped her way towards a small structure where a few horses were kept. Emerald cringed at the image. If ponies in her world could see this, they might declare war. The horses were kept in small pens, busily chewing on hay and looking around as flies buzzed around their muzzles.

A lone human with bright rainbow hair and blue skin sat next to the horses, playing on some kind of musical instrument with strings and humming along with the tune. If Emerald had more time in the world, she would’ve sat down and listened to the girl’s music. She had a beautiful, soothing voice, able to put your mind to rest when you couldn’t do it yourself, and the way the music flowed was extraordinary, the way each note connected with the others.

“Spectrum!” Honeygold called as she got closer, running over to join her friend. The music player got up and gave Honeygold a big hug, both of them laughing at each other.

“Good to see you, Honeygold!” her friend chuckled, then looked at Emerald. “Who’s this?”

Honeygold turned to Emerald and raised a hand like she was presenting her. “This is Emerald Edge. We rescued her from the lake on the way here. Don’t tell anyone else, but she’s from another world! A world of ponies!”

“Seriously?” Spectrum looked at Emerald, eyeing her from top to bottom. “She doesn’t look like a pony to me…”

“I used to be one.” Emerald stepped in. “I was a pegasus. The royal spymaster to Princess Amore’s court, but when I passed through to this world, I found myself looking like this.”

“Interesting… Well, if Honeygold believes you, then I do too!” Spectrum put a hand to her chin. She raised her other hand for Emerald. “I’m Spectrum Song, by the way. Squire to Sir Hors of the Knights of the Round Table! Pleased to meet someone like you!”

“I am Emerald Edge, as Honeygold has told you.” The spymaster stared at the squire’s hand, unsure what she was going to do with it.

Honeygold stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Emerald’s ear. “You’re supposed to shake it.”

“Oh.” This world had some truly unusual customs. She shrugged and bent down, taking the squire’s hand firmly in her teeth and shaking it back and forth like a dog, much to the shock of Spectrum Song.

“Ow! Hey! Let go!” She finally yanked her hand free and held it close, inspecting it for bite marks, “What the hay was that?!”

“I apologize.” Emerald looked to Honeygold, perplexed. “Did I shake it too hard?”

The farm girl had bent down in laughter, almost falling to her knees as tears of mirth streamed down her face. "N-No Emerald. Ha ha! You're supposed to... Ha ha ha... Shake it with your hand, not your face!"

A small blush formed on Emerald’s cheeks as she realized she had done it wrong. “I am so sorry, Spectrum Song. It seems I still have a lot to learn about human customs. Now, how is it done? This shaking?”

“Like this,” Honeygold took Emerald’s hand in hers and moved it up and down. “Simple! Now you try!”

Spectrum raised a hand for Emerald to take again; the spymaster slowly took it in hers. "Much better! Pleased to meet you, Emerald Edge!"

“Likewise,” Emerald nodded and let go. “May I ask? What is that instrument you have there? That was some lovely tune you were playing earlier.”

“What, this old lute?” Spectrum pointed a thumb at her wooden instrument. “It was passed down from my grandmother. Other than being a squire, I… sometimes play on the lute and sing some songs. Don’t tell Sir Hors, though. He thinks a knight shouldn’t have time for music.”

“Ah don’t see why knights can’t sing, though,” Honeygold told Emerald.

“They can. It's just Sir Hors,” Spectrum smiled at the spymaster. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but… sometimes in the hallways of the castle, you can catch a few knights singing to themselves, but never out in public. They think singing is for the common folk.”

“Huh…” Emerald thought that the logic there was flawed, but decided against saying it. Back in Equestria, ponies would break out into song whenever they felt like it. It seems this world was a little different in the musical talent as well.

“Alright, down to business!” Honeygold put her hands on her hips and made a stern face. “Spectrum. Emerald here needs to talk to the king.”

“Fine by me.” Spectrum eyed the spymaster. “But what do you want me to do about it?”

“Squuuuire!” a loud voice sounded behind Emerald and Honeygold.

The two parted aside as a burly brown-skinned man in silver armor walked past them towards Spectrum, who quickly hid her instrument behind a pile of hay. He unbuckled his sword belt and handed it, along with the sword, to Spectrum Song.

“I need it sharpened, squire,” the man bellowed. “Make sure of it. Oh, and bring me my horse. I’m riding out to train with the others.”

“But you’re already a horse, Sir Hors,” Spectrum joked, bringing a hand to her mouth as she laughed.

Sir Hors looked like his face was about to blow up, but eventually controlled it. “Don’t play games with me, girl! Get me that horse or I’ll have you cleaning the stables for a week!”

Spectrum looked to the stable behind her and back to the knight. “But I already cleaned the stable.”

“All the stables in the Canterlot.” Sir Hors clarified menacingly. “Wiiiiiith a herring!” he added.

“How does that even work?” Emerald pondered, scratching her head and unfortunately drawing the knight’s attention.

Sir Hors turned to her, his frown deepening. “And who are you? You are no knight of Canterlot, yet you wear armor? Where are you from?”

“Emerald Edge,” she told him. “Royal spymaster to Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire. Or at least I was.”

“Spymaster? Princess Amore? Crystal Empire?” Sir Hors raised both eyebrows as his jaw worked furiously. “I’ve never heard of this place.”

Emerald was going to tell him, but Honeygold pushed in front of her. “It’s far away, Sir Hors! Like, real far, and few have heard of it.”

“Is that so?” Hors snorted and waited as Spectrum got his horse out of the thing the humans called a ‘stable’. “Thank you, squire. Now, remember. I want that sword sharpened!”

“Yes, Sir Hors!” Spectrum nodded and passed the reins of the horse to the knight. “You can count on me like you always do!”

The gruff knight nodded and swung himself up into the saddle before riding off towards the gate, the two guards standing aside to let him gallop past.

“Are all the knights like that?” Emerald asked after making sure Sir Hors was out of earshot. “They don’t seem very nice.”

“Nah, they’re alright,” Spectrum assured, sitting back down on a bale of hay and pulled out her lute. “Sir Hors is just grumpy sometimes. Or all the time,” she amended.

“Aren’t you going to do what he asked?” Emerald asked, remembering the sword. “He said he was going to make you clean the stables with a fish.”

The squire grinned mischievously. “Sure, but he’ll be gone for a good day or two at least. I’ve got all of tomorrow to get that sword sharpened, which means today I’m free!” Spectrum threw Sir Hors’ sword into the hay bale and gave her lute a pluck. “So, what to do now?”

"You could give Emerald a hand," Honeygold reminded her friend why she had brought the spymaster here in the first place. "She needs to find these... Artichokes or somethin', so the plan is for her to ask the king 'bout them. Ah'm sure King Dawn Saber knows a thing or two about them."

"Alright." Spectrum got up, still playing her lute. "Emerald, if you want to see the king, you must first look the part." She walked over to Emerald and gave her tattered cloak a flip. "This won't do. You'll need a new one. Plus... When was the last time you took a bath?"

“I… took a dip in the lake yesterday, if that counts.”

Spectrum stuck her tongue out. “Don’t you know that’s where they throw out all the gunk from the Mages’ Tower? And you swam in it? Gross!”

"So, what would ya suggest for her, Spectrum?" Honeygold bounced around the two.

"We could take her to Canterlot Fabrics," Spectrum suggested. "She'll have everything Emerald needs to look presentable."

"Great idea!" Honeygold grabbed Emerald's hand and moved along. "Let's go, Emerald!"

Author's Note

Spectrum Song, the squire.

3 - Knight in Shining Armor

Emerald followed the two girls back to the better area of town, hanging a little further back to let the two of them catch up. Honeygold only got to see her friend every four months, so they must have plenty to talk about. Spectrum continued to strum on her lute, playing a soft tune as they made their way back across the bridge. From what Emerald learnt from the two young ones, the poorer area was called the Shades and the better off side was called the Loft District, where most of the nobles and merchants lived.

“And then the goat rammed right into the tree, makin’ all the apples come down!” Honeygold finished with a guffaw. “You should’a seen pa’s face when he found out!”

“Avalon sure is something else,” Spectrum laughed with her friend. “There’s not as much space here. You ever been to Avalon, Emerald?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Not in this world, nor in mine. I do not believe I have ever heard of Avalon, though.”

“Pity. Maybe we’ll take ya there one day!” Honeygold told her excitedly. “It’s a beautiful countryside. Lots of apple trees and such. Well, we ain’t got buildings like Canterlot here, but at least it’s still somethin’.”

They led Emerald along the river, finally arriving at the shop they were telling her about. It was a small two storey building, with a staircase outside leading up to the second floor. The words, ‘Canterlot Fabrics’, were painted on a large rectangular board in blood red ink, placed above the doorway with ,‘Proprietor: Jewel Pin’, in smaller letters underneath.

“Jewel Pin…” Emerald read out loud. “So this Jewel Pin has what I need to see the king?” The shop’s exterior looked like it was in need of a bit of a fixer upper, with a cracked window and some kind of dark stain on one of the walls. “I don’t know…”

“Why of course!” Spectrum nodded quickly. “This is one of the best clothing shops in Canterlot. Come on in.”

Spectrum led the way in, pushing the door open, with Emerald Edge following behind Honeygold, the spymaster’s eyes widening at the contrast between the inside and the outside.

The interior of the building was of a square shape, with dozens of colourful cloth pieces hanging down from the beams above, making the shop look a lot brighter. Four wooden human-shaped statues stood to one corner, each one clad in a different style of dress. Other bolts of dyed fabric were stored on racks neatly on the far wall, with small square samples pinned beside them. A table took up the space in the middle of the room, where a huge piece of cloth and a pair of oversized scissors lay on top of it.

A mauve-skinned and blue haired woman stood to one side, pulling out different types of fabrics, shaking her head, and putting them back. She wore a neat white apron over her clean, but clearly worn dress.

“Umm… ‘scuse me, miss,” Honeygold walked over to the seamstress.

“Ah, yes, terribly sorry, dear,” the woman turned around and greeted the three. “Welcome to Jewel Pin’s Canterlot Fabrics! How may I help you?”

“My friend here needs to look presentable before the king,” Spectrum pointed back to Emerald.

“Oh, of course!” Jewel Pin smiled and walked over to Emerald. She went a few circles around the spymaster, inspecting her armor and clothing. “I don’t believe I’ve met you before. I’m Jewel Pin, as you already know.”

“Emerald Edge,” the spymaster simply said.

“Glad to meet you,” the seamstress nodded. “The armor seems alright, though I have never seen this type before. Where did you get this?”

“Long story,” Emerald told her. “You probably wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“You’d be surprised at the kind of gossip I get around here,” Jewel replied dryly. “Try me.”

Emerald looked to the two young girls, Honeygold nodding her head and Spectrum giving her a shrug. “Well, I’m not from your world. I’m from a world called Equestria.”

Jewel Pin looked like she was going to fall backwards, but managed to steady herself. She cleared her throat and straightened out her attire before giving Emerald another smile. “Why, I don’t believe I’ve heard that one before. Well, your business is not mine, so I shan’t pry into it. Your attire is almost acceptable. Just one problem,” she said as she pulled at Emerald’s cloak. “This thing is worn out. It won’t do. I shall make you a new one!”

“Told you it was bad.” Spectrum nudged Honeygold.

“Since you’re not from around here, Emerald Edge, I shall make a masterpiece for you, free of charge!” Jewel Pin returned to the rack of fabrics. “It has to be majestic! Something… red perhaps.”

She pulled out a red cloth with a gold outline around the edge to inspect it. Soon, she gave it a nod and headed over to the table, laying a part of it on the wooden surface, while the rest dangled over onto the floor. She grabbed a roll of measuring tape and walked over to Emerald, asking her to lift her arms so she could get the size right.

“All set!” she nodded, rolling the tape back up. “I shall get to work immediately! I should have it done, let’s say, by tomorrow morning, so do drop by to pick it up.”

“Thank you,” Emerald nodded at the seamstress’ generosity. She raised a hand and held it out, remembering the gesture. Jewel Pin smiled and shook it. “I am grateful.”

“Not to worry, dear,” Jewel Pin waved it off, already cutting out a swathe of the fabric and getting out her loom. “It’s what I do.”

“So what do we do now?” Emerald asked as they headed out of the shop.

“We’ll have to wait,” Spectrum pointed out. “By the way, the king doesn’t let anyone just walk in and talk to him. You’ve got to wait for an audience. Now, he talks to the people once every week, and the next one is two days from now, which is almost perfect for you! We’ll just collect that cloak tomorrow, and the next day, you’ll be on your way to see the king!”

“Nothin’ we can do now Ah guess,” Honeygold shrugged. “Ya wanna go hang out?”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea!” Spectrum seconded, swinging an arm across her body width.

“You girls go on ahead,” Emerald told them as they skipped past her. “I’m going to check out the town and explore a bit. See you back at the apple stand later.”

“Well, alright then!” Honeygold grinned. “Ya remember the way back?”

“I’ll find it.” Emerald waved to them. “See you later.”

The spymaster watched the two girls run ahead, Spectrum following behind, playing on her lute. After a while, Emerald turned around and headed back to the rows of buildings, having a look at each one, studying the place and mapping it out in her mind like she had been trained to do by her predecessor. Remembering where everything was would help her a lot. Especially if she was going to be here a while. She dreaded to think what Sombra might have done to the Empire by now, but she had to be patient. Running around and panicking wasn’t going to help.

She turned another corner, entering a darker area of the town. The buildings around her were tall enough, blocking out the sun’s rays, casting long shadows across the alleyway. Emerald continued down, looking at the place as she progressed. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her new body began standing, stopping Emerald in her tracks.

Someone was watching her. Years of training had taught her to never be the one on the lower end of a surprise attack. She quickly turned around as a man in a long, raggy coat stepped out from between two buildings, holding a long piece of wood in his hands.

“Hey there, lassy,” he smiled at her, revealing an almost complete set of teeth. “What’re you doing here all by yourself?”

Footsteps drew her attention back behind her as a second man in a hooded coat popped out from another path, holding a sharp knife in one hand, pointing it menacingly towards her. Emerald knew better and quickly whipped out her gauntlets from her pouch and put them on her arms, holding the attached blades towards both men.

“Stay back!” she warned them. She wasn’t sure how a human body fought, so she tried her best to look dangerous. If it came down to a real fight, swinging the blades would be sure to do some damage at least.

The two men saw her blades and stopped advancing, but didn’t retreat either. All three of them stood their ground, neither side making the first move. Emerald knew her trick wouldn't last long. She had to find a way out before the thieves realized she couldn't fight. Unfortunately, the only ways out were through the two men.

"Whazzat she got there?" The one with the plank pointed. "Blades on her wrists?"

"She don't scare me!" The other one pounded a fist on his chest and took a step forward. "Let's get her! She can't take us both at the same time!"

As the second one got closer, Emerald lashed out with a blade, forcing the thief back a few steps. "Back!"

"Woah, a dangerous one, eh?" the man taunted, but kept his distance. "Just hand over your bits and we'll leave you be."

“Well, I don’t have any, so please go away.” Emerald tried to sound as polite as she could.

“No bits?” the first one spat at the floor. “Unlikely story, lass. You’ve got all that armor and stuff! Perhaps we’ll take it for ourselves, eh?”

Emerald knew she was in trouble. The longer she stood unmoving, the faster her dangerous facade started to break. Eventually, they would discover she hadn't learnt how to fight in this form and advance. If she was going to do anything, she had to do it now, and fast.

Grunting, Emerald Edge dashed forward as fast as her human legs could go without falling, heading towards the man with the wooden plank. She swung a blade at the man as she headed towards him to try and scare him off. The man spun away as Emerald ran past him. The spymaster was about to let out a whoop of victory when the man turned back, bringing the plank to her head, clipping her just over the left eyebrow.

Emerald hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of her lungs. Blood began trickling down her face, her head wound reopening from the blow. She tried to get up, but the world around her kept spinning, disorienting her movement and sending her back to the hard ground.

"I got 'er!" she heard the man say, unsure where he was.

She suddenly felt arms grab her from behind lifting and dragging her towards the side. Emerald struggled to shake out of their grasp, but the hands behind her held her firmly.

"Release... me at... once!" she shouted as they pushed her to the ground, one of them placing a knee on her back and still holding on to her arms.

"No can do, lass!" the one on top of her laughed. "Now, let's see to getting that armor off of you!"

Emerald felt her armor being pulled back, still too dazed to try to resist, but the thieves had no idea how to remove them, instead, pulling on the metal as hard as they could. As she lay there, the sound of their grunts eventually turned into something that sounded familiar. Hooves on solid ground. Emerald decided to look to her left, watching as a man of some sort on top of a horse strode in, gleaming armor all over his body and a naked sword in his hand.

“Unhand the lady at once!” she heard his powerful voice bellow. "And begone with you, or you shall feel Clarent’s bite!"

The spymaster managed to flip herself around and rested her back on the ground, watching the thieves put their hands up in surrender before scampering off down the street. She tried to stand but as she lifted off the ground, the swirling vision sent her back down on her knees. Getting hit in the head wasn't something Emerald wanted to do again.

She heard the man's greaves clash against the ground and before she knew it, a hand had pulled her up, another one shooting out to steady her balance. "Are you alright, my lady? Actually, that's a poor question. Are you badly hurt?"

Being close enough to see the man, Emerald noticed he had light gray skin and chin length blue hair with a purple streak going through the right side, along with a warm, reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine," Emerald nodded, the small motion adding to her already spinning head. "But... Thank you..."

"I do not believe I have seen you before, my lady. If I may say, you have the most astounding hair I have ever seen." Having determined that the thieves were gone for good, he sheathed his sword and wiped as much blood off Emerald’s forehead as he could with a handkerchief. “But forgive me for saying that you should seek a healer as soon as possible.”

"Thank you, but as you might have known, I am still rather new here," Emerald wobbled. "Could you point me in the direction of these healers?"

"Nonsense," the man insisted. "You are wounded and you seem to have trouble standing. I shall accompany you to the healer."

"Oh, you don't have to. I can manage myself." As soon as Emerald tried to take another step, the world seemed to shift again, prompting the armored man to grab on to her to keep her from falling. "Umm... Maybe I could use some help, just this one time."

The man led her over to his horse before resting her against its flank. He climbed up into the saddle and reached out a hand for the spymaster to take. Emerald missed the first time, but the man grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her up.

His arm would have gotten slashed by Emerald's blade if not for his own armor. "You might want to stow your blades, my lady."

"Right," Emerald began taking them off, eventually getting them back in her belt pouch.

"Ah!" the man shouted all of a sudden, startling Emerald, almost making her fall off. "How rude of me, my lady. I have yet to introduce myself. Sir Morn Dread of the Knights of the Round Table, at your service."

"I'm... Emerald Edge."

"So what is it that brings you to Canterlot, Emerald Edge?" the knight asked as he turned a corner, the civilians in the area staring up at both of them.

Emerald contemplated how much she should tell the knight before speaking. "I'm actually here on a mission. I'm looking for artifacts that could help me retake my home."

"Artifacts?" Morn Dread asked.

"Yes," Emerald replied, taking her time to slowly look around to map out the way to the healer. "Perhaps you could assist me? I heard from a friend that the king might know where to find these artifacts. Do you... Know anything about them?"

"Oh, believe me, it would be a pleasure to help a lady as beautiful as you are." Emerald blushed from his statement. She'd never been called beautiful before, but then again, back in the Crystal Empire, she never stood out from the others. The less somepony saw her, the better. "But I have no idea what these artifacts could be or even what they look like. I think it'll be a better idea to ask the king. He has a audience two days from now; that'll be the perfect chance to see him."

"Thank you," Emerald smiled. "So I've heard."

Sir Morn Dread had brought her up to the castle, turning right just at the gate and headed towards a tall, cylindrical tower at the side with a tapered top.

"Welcome to the Mages' Tower, Emerald Edge." Morn Dread hopped off his horse and approached the tower. "Stay with Windspeed. I shall see to getting a mage out here to assist you."

Emerald looked down at the horse while Morn Dread arrived at the large wooden door. She still found it weird that the horses here couldn't speak and that the humans used them as slaves. She brought one of her hands to its neck and rubbed it, earning a pleased neigh from the horse.

"I think he likes you." Morn Dread arrived back at his horse with two female humans following behind him. One of them had blue robes and a circlet on her head with a crescent moon sigil, over dark blue and white striped hair, while the other one, a younger human with light blue hair with darker streaks and a pink ribbon tying up a ponytail had on a shawl over a half top and a skirt, along with a red gem that hung around her neck. "Emerald Edge, this is my mother, Moon Tide, one of the lead mages here, and this is one of the king's muses, Sonata Dusk."

"Hi!" Sonata waved from behind. "You have shiny hair!"

"Pleased to meet you," Moon Tide gave her a thin smile as Morn Dread carried her off his horse and setting her feet on the ground.

"Thank you," Emerald thanked the knight as the mage and muse took over, each one holding one of her arms. "Nice to meet you both as well."

With their help, Emerald was escorted into the tower, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the court mage’s quarters back in the Crystal Empire, with shelves of arcane tomes and alchemical apparatus littering the tabletops. Here and there, people dressed in robes in every color of the rainbow worked on their own projects, chanting incantations or measuring out reagents. It was an oddly comforting sight, but reminded the spymaster of her friend, Light Speckle, whose sacrifice was still fresh in Emerald’s mind.

Moon Tide clucked her tongue, bringing Emerald back to reality. “That’s quite a cut you have there.” The mage pulled Emerald’s hair aside to examine the injury. “What has my son gotten you into this time? Not another harebrained scheme to find the Holy Grail?”

"Oh, he rescued me actually," Emerald winced as Moon Tide touched her wound. "If it weren't for him, the thieves might have given me more than just the cut."

“Hmm...” Moon Tide sounded unconvinced. “Well thieves or no, this is several days old at least. I can make a salve that will close the wound and stop the bleeding, but you should have come to me straight away. At this stage I can’t prevent a bit of scarring.” She wandered off to a nearby alchemy table and set about grinding up a leafy plant with a mortar and pestle.

Emerald was left with Sonata Dusk, who was swinging her legs back and forth under her chair and humming along to a song that Emerald didn’t recognize. Feeling increasingly awkward as the minutes ticked by, she decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, um... You’re a muse?” Sonata stopped humming and fixed her raspberry purple eyes on the spymaster.

“Uh-huh!” The girl nodded enthusiastically. “We’re the best singers in all of Canterlot!”

“We?”

Sonata Dusk brushed a bit of dust off her shawl. “Well, me and my sisters, but they’re up in the castle while I’m down here today. Doesn’t really matter to me; Moon Tide’s a great cook, and when I’m with her she even lets me lick the bowl.” This remark earned a small laugh from the woman at the alchemy table.

"That's... interesting," Emerald cracked a smile as Moon Tide returned with a circular dish of paste.

“Now, hold still,” Moon Tide commanded. "This might sting a bit."

Using two fingers, she dipped them into the green salve and dabbed it onto Emerald’s forehead. It did sting, but not enough to make her do anything other than clench her teeth together and inhale sharply.

Moon Tide continued to dab the salve onto the wound; true to her word, the gash quickly stopped bleeding and even began to scab over. The treatment concluded with a clean linen wrap around Emerald’s head, Sonata stepping up to tie it off around the back.

“There we go,” Moon Tide nodded with satisfaction. “Leave that poultice on overnight and you’ll be right as rain in the morning.”

Emerald touched at the wrap before nodding her thanks, her dizziness already clearing. "Thank you, Moon Tide. Sonata Dusk."

The mage waved at her noncommittally. “Oh, don’t mention it. Most of the knights come to me for the same thing anyway, so it’s not as if it’s anything out of the ordinary.”

After exchanging a few final pleasantries, Emerald Edge waved farewell to the mage and the muse before starting on her walk back to the apple stand. Just before she passed the tower’s gates, she heard someone sing a single, pure, angelic note that passed through her, somehow taking all the aches and pains she had accumulated with it. The spymaster looked around to see where it had come from, but there was only young Sonata Dusk, still waving goodbye from the foot of the tower in the afternoon sun.

She smiled, remembering the muse’s words. Best singers in Canterlot indeed.

Like a ship carried by a strong wind, Emerald Edge broke into a run, for the first time feeling as though she might be able to do this after all.

As soon as Emerald was safely out of sight, Moon Tide glanced down at Sonata Dusk, raising an eyebrow questioningly. While using song to ease the pain of a patient was nothing new to Moon Tide, she was surprised that Sonata had seen it fit to use it on a stranger.

“I haven’t seen you do that in a while.”

Sonata looked hesitant, not entirely sure why she had opened her mouth to sing either. “I-I just felt like it was the right thing to do. She’s different, I can feel it. Can’t you?”

“No…” the mage muttered. She rolled her staff from one hand to the other, mind racing at a hundred leagues an hour. “But I can smell it. Come, Sonata; I think we need to speak with the queen.”

Author's Note

Jewel Pin

4 - Food for Thought

"Emerald!" Honeygold cried as she ran up to meet her. "What happened to your head? Are ya alright?"

"I'm fine now," Emerald smiled, instinctively putting a hand to the wrap around her head. "One of the knights, Sir Morn Dread, brought me over to the Mages' Tower. They're the closest thing you have to magic here. I haven't seen any magic."

"Cool!" Honeygold jumped up and down. "Ah've never been in there myself. Ah heard they had hocus pocus powers in there, but from what ya said, Ah guess not… but what happened? Is there anything Ah can do?"

Emerald shook her head as she walked back to the stand with young Honeygold. “Two thieves just tried to steal my armor. They got a good hit in, but Sir Morn Dread showed up just in time, chasing them off and taking me to a healer. I’m fine now.”

“Sounds like ya had an adventure when ya left us today!” Honeygold hopped a step forward. “Looks like your knight in shining armor stepped in to get ya out, huh?”

“Yeah…” Emerald’s cheeks reddened as she remembered the knight that saved her. “He was a kind human. He… also said I was… beautiful. Nopony’s ever told me that before.”

“Nopony?” Honeygold asked, never hearing that strange word before. “But ya are beautiful, Emerald! You’ve got shiny hair and eyes, and a pretty face! Ah wish Ah had a knight out there, just waitin’ to meet me!”

“Don’t worry, Honeygold,” Emerald put a hand on her head. “I’m sure you’ll find that knight one day. By the way, I’m a little hungry. Is there any place we can go to get some food?”

“No need to look, Emerald,” both of them arrived at the apple stand. Most of the apples in the boxes were already cleared out. Golden Nugget and Apple Bean were packing the rest back into their crates, saving them for the next few days. “Ma and pa will be gettin’ us some as soon as we finish packin’ up here.”

“Welcome back, Em- Emerald, dear! What happened to ya?” Apple Bean put down a crate and rushed over, inspecting her head.

“It’s alright,” Emerald gave her a reassuring smile and put a hand to her wrap. “Some humans just tried to steal my armor. One of them reopened my head wound, but a mage at the tower fixed it up for me.”

“Awfully nice o’ them,” the farmer smiled, stepping away.

“Sir Morn Dread saved Emerald from those nasty men!” Honeygold bounced as she explained the story to her mother.

“Sounds like ya had quite the day today,” Apple Bean looked to Emerald. “Ah’m sorry your first impression of Canterlot was less than great, but ya seem to be recoverin’ all right. Maybe ya even remember where you’re really from?”

“What do you mean?” Emerald looked puzzled. “I’m from the Crystal Empire in Equestria!”

“...Right. Sure you are...” the farmer sighed, deciding to drop it for now. "Well, it's been a long day. Honeygold, why don't ya take Emerald to the inn. We'll be there once we're done here."

Emerald was more than happy to follow the young farmgirl away from the apple stand. Honeygold led Emerald down a small slope towards a huge rectangular building straight ahead. A sign hanging from an extension near the doorway read, 'The Drifting Stallion'.

"Why don't your parents believe me like you do?" Emerald pouted. "I really am from Equestria, and I have to save it!"

"They jus' don't believe in fairy tales like Ah do," Honeygold shrugged. "Anythin' out of the ordinary is strange to them, 'specially any talk o’ magic."

"Ugh..." Emerald tried not to sound too irritated.

Honeygold pushed the inn doors open, leading Emerald past the bar counter and hallways to the room they had rented for her. "This one's for ya, Emerald! We'll be next door in the other one." The girl pointed at another door across from Emerald's. After that, she brought the spymaster to a table, both of them sitting down to wait for Honeygold’s parents. Before long, Apple Bean and Golden Nugget walked through the inn doors, looking around for a bit before locating Honeygold and Emerald.

"There you two are," Golden Nugget and Apple Bean joined them at the table. "Ready for some grub?"

Apple Bean signalled one of the serving girls over and placed a quick order for four.

“Right away, madam,” the girl smiled and hopped away.

As they waited for their dinner to arrive, Emerald clandestinely maneuvered her chair so that her back was facing the wall. Her eyes jumped in their sockets like roulette balls, taking in every detail of the tavern in case it should come to a fight. The place certainly smelled of enough alcohol to start one.

“Honeygold,” Emerald nudged the girl to get her attention. “What’s that thing they’re roasting over the fire? It’s like no plant I’ve ever seen in Equestria before.”

“That ain’t no plant,” Golden Nugget looked at the fire. “It’s beef.”

“Beef?” Emerald stared at the object curiously. It smelled somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t place what. “I’ve never heard of this beef. What is it?”

“Really?” Golden Nugget raised an eyebrow. “Ya never had beef, and ya don’t even know what it is?”

“Beef is from cows!” Honeygold grinned at her. “Ya have cows in Equestria?”

Emerald nodded. “Sure we do. They’re good friends, if a bit liable to panic over small things. But I still don’t see what that has to do with…”

At this point, several things happened simultaneously. First, Honeygold clapped a hand over her own mouth, wishing more than anything to take back her last few words. Second, all the color drained out of Emerald’s face as her brain processed just what her friend had said. Third, Apple Bean and Golden Nugget, who had been casually listening to this, noticed where this was going and as only a married couple can do, facepalmed at the same time.

“How could you do this?!” Emerald stood off her chair, nearby patrons looking round at the disturbance. “What did the cows ever do to you?!”

“Now, look Emerald,” Golden Nugget sighed, wiping a hand down his face. “Don’t ya think this has gone on long enough? It’s not funny anymore. Ah mean, Ah really don’t wanna call ya crazy or anythin’, but… that’s what it all looks like to us.”

“I’m not lying nor am I crazy!” Emerald shouted back. “And don’t change the subject! Why eat the cows? Do you not have enough food that you must feast off others?”

"It's what we do," Apple Bean tried to quieten her, glancing at the other patrons. "We eat what we cultivate. Crops, livestock, all that.Why don't ya know that?"

"It's not right!" Emerald tried to get her head over it. "Aren't these cows like your horses? They help you and you eat them?"

“Emerald, Ah’m so sorry! Ah forgot you were a pony!” Honeygold began sobbing. “It’s just… we’ve been eatin’ meat for as long as we’ve been alive. Ah’m sorry…”

The sight of the crying girl calmed the spymaster. She cleared her throat and sat back down, sweeping some hair out of her face before putting her arms around Honeygold. “I’m sorry, Honeygold. I… lost my temper..." Emerald got up again, making her way past the Apple family. "I'm sorry. I need some air."

Emerald threw the front door open, the sky already dark. She headed to one of the inn's wooden supports and rested her back against it as she looked up at the starry sky. This world almost looked the same from the outside, but inside it was a brutish, dangerous world, filled with greedy humans and monsters. Emerald slid down the post, faintly registering that there were tears running down her face. She hid her face in her palms, longing to be back home in Equestria with her friends among her, looking to a time where everything had been peaceful; Sombra still nothing but a young colt, enjoying his time with Radiant Hope, the thoughts of conquering the Empire far from his mind.

How did it turn out like this...? Why did Sombra have to do all that?

Emerald missed them. Missed all her friends, and she knew she would never see them again. Princess Amore, Jade Crystal, Spring Amber, Spirit Flicker, Dash Spiral, Crystal Flare, and Light Speckle.

Light Speckle…

Where are you? Emerald let herself fall to the side and onto the grass. You said you’d see me on the other side. Why haven’t you come to find me?

Emerald had always known what it was like to be alone, being the royal spymaster and all. At times, she had to stay out of sight for months, all alone, tracking targets or gathering information, but this was entirely different. Emerald curled up into a ball, drawing on every last ounce of strength, but there was no denying the truth. She had no one left. Emerald clenched her teeth down as her voice threatened to escape, tears dripping down onto the soft grass. Was there any reason to go on?

“Emerald?”

The spymaster slightly turned her head, watching Golden Nugget as he slowly made his way towards her. She turned her head back and closed her eyes. “Please… Leave me alone...”

Emerald heard Nugget’s footsteps on the grass before something heavy sat down beside her. “Look, Emerald… We’ve had a talk about all this as a family, and… well… Ah wanna apologize. On behalf of my wife and daughter too.”

Emerald stayed unmoving. Did they really want to apologize? Emerald knew Honeygold was truly sorry, but she wasn’t so sure about her parents. The spymaster didn’t know what to think of anyone anymore and in a way, she didn’t care anymore. Nothing really mattered anymore; this entire world was upside down.

“Ah’m sorry for the way we treated ya, Emerald,” she heard Nugget say next to her, his big, strong voice now surprisingly gentle. “It’s a family trait, Ah guess. We’re all honest to a fault. Sometimes we jus’ don’t realize what we’re doin’, and, well… Ah’m sorry that we hurt your feelings.”

The conviction in Golden Nugget’s voice sounded real. Emerald slowly got up into a sitting position, wiping her tears away with the back of a hand. “So… you believe me now?”

“Well...” Golden Nugget scratched at his hair. “Let’s not say believe… but… we’re willin’ to listen to what ya have to say without rebuffin’ ya.”

Emerald nodded numbly. That was a start at least, but that only solved one problem. She still missed her friends, and nothing she did could bring them back. "Thank you, Golden Nugget... but it wasn't the conversation really... Talking about home... I miss mine. Equestria. My friends... They sacrificed themselves to get me here... And... And..." Emerald just couldn't talk about them without tearing up.

Golden Nugget hesitantly placed an arm around Emerald’s shoulder. “Ya don’t have to talk about it if ya don’t wanna, Emerald. And it’s okay to cry if ya miss someone.”

“I’m tired of crying,” the farmer heard Emerald whisper. “I’m the last hope for my friends, for my empire, for my princess. I want… need to be brave for them. But all I feel is scared.”

This caught Golden Nugget’s attention. “Hey,” he said. “Look at me.” It took a moment, but Emerald’s lavender eyes met his blue ones. “Ah don’t know much about no empire or nothin’, but my old granddad used to say to me, any ol’ guy can be brave when everything’s fine, but it takes someone special to be brave when the world’s comin’ down around ya. And Ah think yer the most special person Ah’ve-we’ve met in a long, long time.”

Emerald didn’t say anything, but Golden Nugget felt a tiny bit of the tension leave and he persevered.

“Ya know, when Ah was a little boy, Ah used to think that the grown ups had all the answers. My ma always knew what to say to calm me down when Ah was scared, and Ah could always count on my pa to be there if Ah needed someone to stand by me.” Golden Nugget closed his eyes. It had been almost twenty years since he had last seen his parents. “But when ma and pa passed on, Ah was so lost, Ah didn’t think Ah’d last a week. Whole world seemed like it was all wrong. Ma and pa weren’t around anymore to give me the answers.”

The woman in his arms mumbled something unintelligible.

“Took me a while, and Ah screwed up a lot in the process, but Ah eventually realized that, well, ma and pa never had all the answers. ‘Cause that’s how livin’ is, Emerald. It ain’t about knowin’ how to deal with things perfectly, or knowing all the answers. Ah don’t reckon there’s a soul alive that does. Livin’s about takin’ what life throws your way and comin’ out of it with cuts and bruises, but stronger. Ah did it, and my folks did it, and Ah know you can do it too.”

Golden Nugget finished his speech and opened his eyes, only to find that Emerald Edge had at some point, drifted off to sleep. Poor gal, he thought. She must be plumb tuckered out.

As gently as he could, Golden Nugget scooped up Emerald in his arms and carried her back inside, noting the faint smile on her face. Maybe he had gotten through to her after all.

5 - Holding My Breath

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata breathed deeply as they walked past the Drifting Stallion, collective smiles forming on their faces.

“Did you feel that, you two?” Adagio asked after they passed the inn. She looked to her gem as it began pulsing a light red color.

“Yeah,” Sonata nodded quickly. “It feels cold. Why do I have to wear this again?” Sonata pointed at her exposed belly, then looked to Adagio and Aria’s fully covered outfits.

Adagio resisted the urge to smash her face against the nearest building. "You have a problem with your outfit? Go take it up with the queen; I'm not the one to pick it out for you. Well, whatever the case, we’ve got some new negative energy to use.”

“Oh, that’s what you were talking about!” Sonata giggled and waved a hand at her sister. “Yeah, I totally felt that.”

“Yeah, right,” Aria scoffed. “You wouldn’t feel it even if you tripped and fell all the way down the Mages’ Tower.”

“Could too.” Sonata stuck her face in Aria’s.

“Could not.” Aria sneered back.

“Could too!”

“Could not!”

“Aria! Sonata!” Adagio shouted at them as she turned around, stopping them in their tracks. “Can you please, for once in an era, act your age? You’re driving me up the wall!”

“But you’re still here.” Sonata pointed out. “And how are you supposed to climb up the wall? It’s too high for you.”

There was a noticeably audible sound of flesh hitting flesh as Adagio’s palm introduced itself to her forehead. "Forget it... Let's just do what we came here to do and go home."

"This inn felt like a good place to start," Aria pointed a lazy thumb at the building. Sounds of a brawl could be heard from inside.

"Aria, does the inn look like it can hold that many people?" Adagio reminded. "No. Of course not. We need somewhere bigger. One where we can at least fit half the town in."

Aria snorted and folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever."

“Why not the wheat fields outside?” Sonata shrugged. There was a crash from inside the inn as some poor soul had a tankard smashed over his head. “There’s lots of space there.”

“Sonata,” Adagio said sternly. “How many people go to a wheat field each day?”

“I dunno. A lot?”

Ignoring their sister for the time being, the other two girls continued on, searching for a good place to perform. They needed to make sure people from all over Canterlot could come to watch them. They walked through the Loft District, looking around for a square good enough to hold a performance or one that was crowded enough with people.

“Can’t we just go to the one we used the last time?” Sonata decided to say after a long walk around.

“New audience, Sonata.” Adagio clasped her hands together, her mouth watering at the prospect of fresh food. “Although, if we can’t find one, we’ll just have to use the old one. I’d rather not, though.”

"Well, I did meet someone new yesterday." Sonata suddenly remembered, deciding to tell her sisters. "Emerald Edge was her name. Something about her was different."

"Ummm... Alright?" Aria raised a hand. "And you're telling this to us because...?"

"You have to feel it!" Sonata threw her hands up. "She's really different! Like... She gives off more... energy."

"More energy?"

"Yeah!" Sonata said excitedly. "And she had really shiny hair! Just ask Moon Tide."

"More energy and shiny hair?" Adagio pondered, a hand finding her chin. "You don't think...?"

"Could she be...?" Aria added her own thoughts.

Sonata watched as her two sisters stood unmoving in the center of the pathway in deep thought. The few people that strolled through the street under the dimly lit moon crossed around them, every now and then shooting them angry looks. She just smiled and waved, unsure of what else she could do.

“Sonata,” Adagio asked as nicely as she could, bringing the girl’s attention back to them. “Do you know where this Emerald Edge is staying? Perhaps we should all pay her a visit...”

The next morning saw Emerald awakening on her own in the room that Honeygold’s parents had rented out for her. The morning sunlight streaming in through the cracked glass stung her eyes and she rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

What happened last night?

Emerald quickly sat up as her eyes got used to the current lighting. She felt a bit lightheaded as she moved her head around, eventually putting a hand to it to try and stop the dizziness. Her wound didn't seem to hurt anymore, so the spymaster peeled off her headwrap to check on it.

Those mages sure know their work.

Her mouth was also rather dry, but without any water in immediate sight there was nothing to do but lie there and endure it.

Emerald sat there for a good ten minutes before a knock on the door turned her in that direction. The door creaked open and Honeygold walked in and closed it behind her.

"Mornin', Emerald." she waved nervously. "How're ya feelin' today?"

Emerald opened her mouth to say something along the lines of ‘okay’, but a loud growling got out of her first. “Hungry,” she said truthfully. “And a little confused.”

“Well, Ah guess ya should be, since ya missed dinner last night,” Honeygold reached into her pocket and brought out two apples. “So Ah brought ya these. Ma and Pa are already at the apple stand, but they didn’t want to wake ya until you were ready.”

“I think I’ll still need some time to get myself up,” Emerald said as she took one of the apples in her hands. “I feel as if I just traveled a thousand miles without my wings.”

“Ya must have been pretty tired from… what happened last night…” the little girl said slowly, choosing her words wisely.

Emerald decided to leave the questions for later, instead, gnawing into her apple until it was finished. Core and everything. Honeygold stood there, wide-eyed as Emerald picked up the other. Soon, the second one joined the first, disappearing into the mouth of the spymaster.

"Thanks for the food," Emerald said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Oh it's no big thing, Em." Honeygold pulled at her braid, suddenly very interested in her shoes. "It's the smallest thing Ah can do after last night. Ah'm sorry. Ah didn't mean to hurt ya."

"Hurt me?” Emerald was confused. “What do you mean-”

Then the memories came back. The poor cow, the shouting, her fleeing the establishment, and her talk with Golden Nugget. The former pegasus’ stomach churned at the thought of the cow’s corpse on display like a grim war trophy and she chewed on her tongue to suppress the urge to retch.

"Oh..." was all Emerald could say after remembering everything. She leaned back against the bed frame, covering her face with embarrassment. “Oh, ponyfeathers…”

"Yeah..." Honeygold sighed. "Ah'm sorry ya had to go through all that. Ah should have known better; Ah’ve been 'round horses forever, it’s my fault for forgettin’ that ponies don’t eat meat."

"Come here, Honeygold," Emerald called with an arm, putting it around the farm girl as she sat down beside her. "It's okay. It's not your fault. That's just the way things are here, right?”

Honeygold nodded, still looking away from the spymaster. “People eat meat. Ah don’t know why, but that’s just how it’s always been. At least for the last few generations.”

Emerald gave the girl a pat. There was nothing she could do about the humans. This was their world and there was no way she could get everyone to stop eating meat. The only thing she could do was remind herself she was only going to be here temporarily. After she found the artifacts, she would find a way back home and stop Sombra. "I guess I'll just have to deal with it until I leave."

"Is that soon?" Honeygold finally turned her eyes towards Emerald. "It'll... Be lonely without ya."

"Well, if everything goes as planned and I kick Sombra out of the Crystal Empire... I guess I can find some time to visit," Emerald contemplated. "Although, that's only if I do find my way home. And that portal only opens once every thirty moons."

"Ah'll miss you when ya go, Em, but Ah know ya got a mission to accomplish. Ah hope you take your empire back."

“Me too, Honeygold.” Emerald smiled as Honeygold leaned against her shoulder. “Me too…”

Emerald knew she had been wrong. She was never alone. She had friends here, and she had more, waiting for her to liberate them from Sombra’s rule. Don’t you worry… I will be back and I'll give Sombra exactly what he deserves.

Emerald kept up with Honeygold and Spectrum Song as they arrived back at Canterlot Fabrics, the farm girl the first to push open the door.

"Hello, and welcome to- Oh!" Jewel Pin stopped as she saw her customers. "Emerald Edge was it? Perfect timing!"

“I take it you finished the cloak already?” Emerald asked as the seamstress flew into a back room. Soon she returned with a folded piece of red cloth.

“I got too excited last night, so I finished it early,” Jewel Pin laid it in Emerald’s hands. “Here you go. No charge as promised!”

Emerald gladly took the fine fabric and unfolded it, watching as the red cloth extended out into a nicely made cloak with a golden outline around the bottom half of it. “It’s magnificent. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

“No need, dear,” Jewel Pin flipped a portion of her blue hair aside. “Although...” A look of longing crept into the dressmaker’s eyes. “If any of the nobles at the court should, say, inquire about where you got it, might you point them to me? It would mean so much to me if someone from King Dawn Saber’s court were to come here.”

“Oh, absolutely!” Emerald nodded and smiled as she pulled off her torn, black cloak. Spectrum held it for her while she slipped the new, red cloak over her head, draping it down over her left arm. "That's the least I can do for such a comfortable cloak."

"Oh thank you, Emerald!" Jewel Pin almost threw herself on the spymaster before regaining her posture. "Umm... Yes. That is wonderful news, Emerald. You have my thanks."

Spectrum headed for the door, pulling it open with one hand while holding her lute in the other. "Well, if we're done, we still need to head to the bath house, Emerald. You don't want to go to the king smelling like that do you?"

Emerald took a sniff at herself, but found nothing wrong. Eventually, she felt Jewel Pin softly pushing her towards the door, agreeing with Spectrum.

"Yes, dear. Your friend is right. You cannot go to the king all filthy like that! You need to wash up! You must look your best when you present yourself. Someone's bound to notice my handiwo- I mean, you, for sure!"

"If you all insist..." Emerald went along with it.

After waving goodbye to the seamstress, Honeygold and Spectrum led Emerald towards the central area of the Loft District. Just next to the main fruit grocer stood a big rectangular building, with a sloping tiled roof. The words, ‘Bath House’, were hastily written on a thick wooden board just under the roof.

"Come on, Emerald!" Honeygold called, waving for Emerald to join the two of them at the entrance. Inside, there was a small hallway, splitting into two, one for males and the other for females, before branching off to more paths as it progressed to the end. Each branching path led to a small room with a few wooden tubs each, filled with water and humans. “We’ll just find one that no one else is usin’!”

They found an empty one at the end of the hall, containing three tubs along a stone wall and an rectangular pool to the left. Statues of humans and what looked like griffons outlined the pool, looking as if they would be free of their rocky bodies if they fell in.

"This place is... interesting." Emerald marveled at the architecture, never seeing such ornate statues in a bath house before. “Wait,” she said, an idea forming in her head. “Those are griffons, right? Maybe they’ll have some idea of where the artifacts are! Can you take me to see one?”

"Griffons?" Honeygold scratched her head. "Is that what ya call 'em? Here, we jus' call 'em gargoyles, and... Ah don't think Ah've ever seen a live one before."

“Or anyone, really,” Spectrum added.

“Then how do you know what they look like?” Emerald challenged. “There are so many statues of them; someone must have seen a live one.”

"Beats me, Em," Honeygold shrugged as she looked at the statues, deciding to save the discussion about mythical creatures for another time. "Well, Spectrum and Ah'll be waitin' outside. Do ya need a hand with that armor before we leave?"

Emerald looked at her attire before nodding to the two. "Yes, please." She was still new to the 'hands', so removing the armor was still something she had to learn up.

The two kids, mainly Spectrum Song, helped the spymaster undo the leather straps and unfasten the buckles that held the light set of plate together. Emerald watched them as they worked, noting where most of the plates met and occasionally asking about how two parts joined; if she was going to be in this world for a long stay, it might be a good idea to know how to get in and out of this stuff without needing help.

“Gotta say, Emerald, your armor’s a lot easier to get on and off that Sir Hors’. I swear if he didn’t have me to oil and shine his gear for him it’d rust around him like a big metal coffin,” Spectrum remarked. She gathered up the discarded metal pieces and arranged them in a pile next to one of the tubs. “There you go. Just give us a yell when you’re done; we’ll be out in the hallway.”

Honeygold and Spectrum waved goodbye while they headed out into the long hall. Emerald looked down at her hands before using them to peel her clothes off. The fingers and their different segments still fascinated and disgusted her, but at least she was learning how to use them. She dropped her shirt and pants with the rest of her armor before pulling out her hairband, letting her turquoise hair flow down past her shoulders. The former pegasus inspected the tub, noticing how the water was a little murky with a greenish tint.

"Better than no water I guess..."

Emerald lifted a foot and put it in, immediately noticing how cold the water was. She decided to deal with it, bringing another foot in before dropping herself to sit on the rugged, wooden bottom. She sat still, trying to get her body used to the temperature before continuing. After a while, she decided to move her hands up her body, spreading the water around. The appendages were strangely useful for moving larger amounts of water, unlike hooves.

Suddenly, in the pool on the opposite side, a girl with yellowish skin and long, orange hair burst out of the water with a loud gasp, startling the spymaster. She pushed her wet hair out of her face before turning her attention to Emerald.

"I'm sorry," she said as she wiped a thin layer of water away from her eyes. "Did I startle you?"

"It's fine." Emerald went back to pouring water on her skin. "I didn't think there was anyone else in here. Might I ask what you were doing under the water?"

"Holding my breath." the girl offered Emerald a smile that seemed to offer more than just a greeting. "I'm trying to see how long I can stay under. It's been a while since I was in this much water."

"Huh... Alright." Emerald reached for a bar of soap on a nearby counter. It slid from her grasp as she grabbed it, finding its way into the murky tub. "Horseapples..."

"What was that?" the newcomer asked as she stepped out of the pool towards Emerald. She grabbed a piece of cloth behind one of the griffon statues and wrapped it around herself before slowly making her way forward.

“Ah… I just dropped the soap,” Emerald told her as she moved her hands around in the murky water, trying to find the bar. “I’ve forgotten how slippery these things were…”

“That’s not what I meant.” The orange haired girl shook her head, stopping just outside Emerald’s tub. “I was asking what you said.” Emerald noticed a familiar gem around the girl’s neck, but couldn’t recall where she had seen it before.

“What I said…?” Emerald tried to recall, unsure of what the younger girl wanted to hear. “The soap slipped out of my hands?”

“Not that,” she said, putting her hands on the edge of the tub, leaning closer to Emerald. “Before that. You said… you said something about… horses?”

"Horseapples?"

"Yeah... Not sure I've heard that before..." The girl made a wide smile. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Emerald chuckled as she continued to search for the bar of soap. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"I can take fairytales, miss… what’s your name?" She waited for Emerald to introduce herself.

"Ah, of course. Manners. I'm Emerald Edge," Emerald greeted as she reached a hand out to shake the girl's. This time, she remembered not to use her teeth.

"Adagio Dazzle." She shook the spymaster's hand. "I've heard about you, Emerald. My sister Sonata spoke of you."

"Sister? So you must be one of the king's muses too?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Adagio put a hand to her chest, proud of her job. “I’m pleased to say we’re the best singers in all of Canterlot. Anyway, as I was saying before, try me. Tell me where you’re from, Emerald Edge.”

Emerald Edge took a deep breath before talking. She didn’t want to make it sound too strange for this muse. “I’m from the Crystal Empire, from the world of Equestria. Spymaster to Princess Amore.”

"Eques-tria?" Adagio raised an eyebrow. A corner of her mouth also raised into a smirk, but Emerald didn't think much of it. "That's an... odd name. And a crystal empire? I don't believe I've heard of that before. Well, it's an interesting tale, I'll give you that."

"Yeah, sure is, huh?" Emerald finally grasped the bar of soap, making sure to fully use her fingers to lift it up.

“Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I’ve got to get back to work,” the muse said as she pulled out some purple clothes from behind another statue and began to put them on. “You know how it is? Singing and such.”

“Right,” Emerald nodded. She didn’t know what it was like to sing for royalty, but she didn’t want to offend the girl. “Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be going to speak to the king about some things.”

“Sounds great…” Adagio Dazzle gave her a long smirk as she finished putting on her attire. “I’ll see you then, Emerald Edge.”

With that said, the muse left the room, walking out into the hallway and disappearing around the corner. Emerald returned her attention to the bath, rubbing the bar of soap across her body. If she had to look and smell presentable, then she had no choice but the comply with this world’s rules and regulations for meeting the king. After all, what could a bar of soap do to harm her? Emerald clenched her teeth as the bar slipped out of her hands again, disappearing into the murky waters.

Spoke too soon…

After her bath, Emerald Edge had returned to the apple stand with Honeygold and Spectrum Song, deciding to spend the rest of the day helping the people who had saved her, her first day here.

“It’s the least I could do,” Emerald told them as she exchanged two apples for some bits for a blue haired girl.

“Even after all we’ve said about ya?” Apple Bean asked, getting a nod from the spymaster. “We’re sorry, Emerald. We didn’t mean to treat ya like that. Let’s start again shall we?”

“Sure,” Emerald smiled. “Thank you for letting me have a place to stay too.”

“Gee, Em!” Honeygold bounced in front of her. “Ah can’t wait for tomorrow! Ah’ve never been into the castle. Pa and Ma’ve never seen a point goin’ in there.”

“I’ve been in there, of course!” Spectrum pointed a thumb at herself. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the place! And the king of course. Won’t want to ask him silly questions would we?”

“I guess not.” Emerald looked around at her new friends. They were here for her, and she smiled at the new support they were giving her. She couldn’t have asked for better humans.

“Here you go,” Emerald said as she handed some apples to another customer, collecting the bits and dropping them into Golden Nugget’s worn out pouch. In the last three hours they’d made at least fifty bits, which wasn’t too bad according to the big man.

Spectrum suddenly remembered she had to sharpen Sir Hors’ sword and dashed off towards the stables after giving Emerald and the Apple family a quick wave. Emerald almost laughed at the young squire as she almost tripped over her own feet on the way. Her knight didn’t seem like a very understanding man, so she hoped Spectrum would be able to get it well maintained before the knight returned from his trip.

“Guess we can pack up now,” Nugget said as he moved to pack the first box of apples. "Day's almost over."

Emerald joined in, both of them emptying the remainder back into the crates before sealing them and pushing them into a corner.

Dinner was much more enjoyable this time, no one talking about fairy tales or Emerald Edge's past. Apple Bean had gotten Emerald a plate of salad, which the spymaster ate up with incredible speed.

After everyone finished their meals, they headed to their respective rooms, ready to turn in for the day.

"See ya tomorrow, Em!" Honeygold waved sleepily as her father picked her up and brought her to their room.

"Sleep well," Apple Bean nodded and followed.

"You too." Emerald entered her room and sat on her bed, looking out her window at the glowing moon above.

Tomorrow was the big day. If the king could just direct her towards an artifact, Emerald would be one step closer to defeating Sombra.

True, she would miss her new friends when she left, but she remembered what she had told little Honeygold. If it was a possibility, she would return to visit.

Emerald slid her form under the dirty rag that was supposed to be a blanket and rested her head on the pillow. She soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, ready for what was to come.

6 - Royal Audience

Emerald Edge followed the two children through the castle gates and past the castle walls. The courtyard stood before them, some knights already starting their day with some training. Straw dummies outlined one side, where the humans in armor thrust their swords at them. She recognized Sir Hors by his squarish build immediately, one of the knights trying to kill a dummy.

"Quickly!" Spectrum Song pulled them along faster. "I don't want him seeing me here. He'll send me on an errand or something!"

The three girls quickly made their way into the castle, past a row of guards at the entrance, each one carrying a spear or halberd. The inside was a vast rectangular space, full of banners with a downward pointing sword and a sun behind it.

"This place is huge!" Honeygold trembled excitedly.

"Yup!" Spectrum pointed to the two thrones far ahead, where two humans sat. They wore white robes with golden and red patterns all around, and each of them had a crown atop their heads. Emerald also recognized Adagio Dazzle the king's muse, along with another girl with purple and green hair, both standing beside the queen's throne.

"So that's King Dawn Saber?" Emerald asked as she pointed to the light yellow-skinned man. He sat tall and proud on his throne, beard neatly trimmed and crown gleaming like a million bits.

"Right!" Spectrum nodded quickly and looked to the fair-skinned woman. "King Dawn Saber and his lovely wife, Queen Sunlight Radiance." She had a face of flawless beauty accented with bright hair of gold, orange, and red tied up into a long braid, going down to her feet.

Emerald's eyes panned down from the thrones and saw the whole line of people from the foot of their thrones all the way to an old woman in front of Emerald.

"This... is gonna take a while."

Honeygold tried to count the citizens before them, but lost count after thirty. "Beats me."

"Is it always like this?" Emerald asked Spectrum.

"Nope." The squire shook her head. "We're early. Usually it's a lot longer."

Suddenly, Emerald felt a metallic hand fall on to her shoulder. She swerved her head around, coming face to face with a familiar knight.

"Thought I recognized you, my lady." Morn Dread gave her a wide, brilliant smile. "It's hard to miss your radiant hair anywhere. You look much better since our last encounter."

Emerald nodded, but couldn't stop her cheeks from going red. "L-Likewise, Sir Morn Dread."

"I do hope the king has the information you need to complete your quest," Morn said as he looked to the king and queen, answering the questions of a fairly built farmer. "I've never liked unfinished quests. I'm still looking for the grail myself."

"No offense, Sir Morn Dread." Spectrum interrupted. "But the grail is but a legend."

Morn Dread shook his head, but chuckled. "Your knight may believe that, squire, but I do not. I know it is out there, just waiting to be found by yours truly."

"Ah think so too!" Honeygold beamed. Emerald remembered the girl's love for fairytales.

"Pardon me." Emerald raised a hand for a question. "What is this grail?"

Morn Dread took a deep breath before explaining. "The grail is a magical artifact, said to grant eternal youth, and sometimes... a wish. I have searched far and wide, this land, but sadly, I have it not in my sights. However, I shall not give up. One day, I shall gaze upon its form and relish my victory."

"Sounds too good to be true." Emerald thought about it. If something like that did exist, more people would be after it. The power to stay young. Emerald had only ever seen something like that in the alicorn sisters. And the knight did say artifact. Could it be one of the artifacts Star Swirl had sent here?

"Yes, it does," Morn nodded. "Well, I shall leave you to your wait, lady Emerald. I have matters to tend to. Farewell."

As soon as Morn Dread left, Honeygold turned to Emerald with an excited face. "Emerald! What do ya think of him? Ah think he's a nice enough fella."

"Well, I guess he is..." Emerald put a hand to her face, feeling her temperature rising after remembering his strong arms supporting her.

"That's not all Honeygold's asking." Spectrum giggled and nudged her friend.

Emerald raised a confused eyebrow, unsure what else the girls were talking about.

"Imagine it, Em!" Honeygold swept a hand from above her down to her side. "You, a lady from an unknown land, rescued by a knight in shinin' armor from crooks. What a wonderful tale!"

"Oh." Emerald understood. "Well, I don't think it's a good idea, Honeygold. I'm to leave as soon as I can once I grab the artifacts."

The rest of the time was spent with Honeygold explaining the best tales she'd ever heard. Emerald especially liked the one where the princess rescues the prince from a burning tower, guarded by a fearsome two headed dragon. It was sneaky and action-packed, Emerald's favorite kind of stories.

The queue of people began growing smaller and smaller as time passed, but Emerald still felt no closer than a few hours ago. Each visitor seemed to want to take ages to just get through all the bowing and greetings, and it was beginning to wear on even the optimistic Honeygold’s patience.

“This is certainly taking a lot longer than I anticipated…” Emerald folded her arms across her chest and instinctively tapped one of her feet on the stone floor. “Is it almost time for dinner?”

“Not yet, but it sure is gettin’ close.” Honeygold looked back out the entrance. The sun was already lowering, the sky turning into a hue of orange.

“So how about all the equal shares and countrysides we were promised, your majesty?” the man in the front of the queue asked loudly. “When are we going to receive that?”

“Equal shares? Countryside?” The king looked equally aghast as the man who asked the question. “I’ve never said anything about this. This is a monarchy, not a democracy.”

“Y-you didn’t?” the woman next in line asked. The rest of the crowd murmured amongst themselves, the general feeling of dissatisfaction growing by the second.

“Does anyone else wish to speak of equality and countrysides?” Queen Sunlight leaned forward in her throne. “Because the king will entertain no more of this, since he never promised it.”

The murmuring increased as people began leaving, mumbling about false stories and tall tales as they passed Emerald and the children.

“Gee, what a wasted effort for these people…” Honeygold watched them leave. “They queued up all day, only to realize it was all for nothin’.”

“Well, look on the bright side...” Spectrum Song pointed to the front. The rest of the queue was gone. “You’re next in line.”

Emerald Edge walked forward down the long hall with Honeygold and Spectrum Song, finally arriving before the king. The kids performed their bows, with Emerald trying to copy them. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself like the last time she greeted someone.

Adagio raised a smirk and gave Emerald a wave as she stood back up.

“Yes, what can I do for you?” King Dawn Saber asked as his expression changed, likely trying to remember if he had met Emerald before. Soon he put a hand to his eyes and rubbed at them. "You must forgive me, I must be rather exhausted, but I do not recall meeting someone like you before."

"I'm not from here, your majesty," Emerald began to explain. "My name is Emerald Edge and-"

Something interrupted her words. The sword by the king's side began vibrating, falling to the ground and clattering over the rocky surface of the ground. Sparks flew from the space where the blade met the sheath, sending a myriad of yellow and orange across the floor. Queen Sunlight Radiance and the muses jumped, all of them leaning over to see what the commotion was about.

Then Emerald felt it. It was like something calling out to her from within. It was like a warmness she couldn't describe, but she knew immediately that it was a feeling from home. Equestria.

The sword finally calmed down, King Dawn Saber bending to the side to place it back in its upright position by his throne. "What was that...? Of all my years wielding Excalibur, I have never seen this..." He scratched his blue beard, gazing at Emerald with a newfound curiosity.

“Excalibur?” Emerald stared at the king’s sword. It was a beautiful, gilded thing, over a meter long and fitted with a richly embossed and lacquered sheath to match. “You mean that sword?”

"It is." Dawn Saber looked to his blade. "It was what gave me the right to rule as King of Canterlot."

"Ooh, Ah would love to hear its tale, your majesty!" Honeygold said excitedly.

“Ah, everyone knows that story,” Spectrum Song said. “King Dawn Saber was given the sword by the lady in the lake, which set him on the road to rule.”

“Really? Ah heard he pulled it out of a stone.”

"The first is true." Dawn Saber nodded to the squire. "The Lady of the Lake had emerged as I passed it. She handed me this legendary sword and told me, 'Dawn Saber. This kingdom will be yours.' That was how I came to be king."

“Wait,” Emerald raised her finger, a gesture that surprised even her. “You mean you weren’t always king?”

"Of course not..." Dawn Saber eyed the spymaster. "No man is always king. My father was king before me, as was his father and his father's father."

“But-” Emerald forced herself to shut up, drawing on her previous attempts to explain Equestrian logic to humans. In Equestria, Princess Celestia and Luna ruled over the lands eternally; it seemed the leaders of this world were not ever-living. Mortals ruling over mortals.

"But enough of me, what about you?" Dawn Saber asked, pointing a finger at Emerald. "What have you come to ask of me?"

Emerald snapped herself back to the conversation. "Ah, your majesty. I come to seek your help in finding magical artifacts. I seek to liberate my empire from a dark king, and I was told these artifacts could help me in my quest."

"Artifacts..." The king put a hand to his chin and stroked his beard. Everyone remained silent as he pondered this mighty puzzle, with only Adagio and the other girl singing softly to add to the ambience.

"Dear." Queen Sunlight put a hand on his shoulder. "It’s getting late, and we have to meet the delegates from Saddle Arabia for dinner tonight."

"Yes... that's right." Dawn Saber nodded. He stifled a yawn with middling success and smiled tiredly at his audience. "Emerald Edge, I do not know much about these artifacts you seek, but perhaps someone in the Mages' Tower might assist you better. They are well versed in these things and might be able to offer better assistance than I." He then stood up, clearly indicating that they were dismissed.

"Y-yes, thank you, your majesty," Emerald replied gratefully. "We shall take our leave then."

The kids waved goodbye and bowed as they followed Emerald, only speaking once they passed the castle gates.

"That was short," Spectrum said as they walked out. She picked a pear off a nearby tree and took a bite. "Thought you really wanted to find these artifacts."

"I do, and I think I've already found one." Emerald stopped walking and turned around, gazing back at the castle shrewdly. "The king's sword is an artifact."

"Is that why it did... all that?" Honeygold asked, motioning with her hands to simulate the kaleidoscope of light the Excalibur had emitted back in the throne room.

"And you didn't ask the king for it, so I thought it was nothing," Spectrum added in.

"I couldn't ask for it." Emerald pointed out. “King Dawn Saber obviously thinks it belongs to him, and I would be 'taking away his right to rule'."

"So how do ya plan it gettin' it then?"

Emerald looked at them for a few seconds, deciding what to tell them. "Is stealing it an option?"

"Stealing?" Spectrum drew back in shock. "You can't steal from the king!"

"But-"

"Spectrum's right, Em!" Honeygold supported. "You'll end up in jail. Or even exiled!"

"Then you'll never make it home," Spectrum concluded with a good point.

"Well, if stealing is not an option, then I guess we'll have to pay the Mages' Tower a visit..." Emerald sighed, her discouraged face outlined in the sunset. "I'll do that first thing tomorrow. It's late, and we should head back."

"Right." Spectrum scratched at her head. "Just remembered: I have to feed Sir Hors' horse. I better go do that before he finds out. Catch you tomorrow!" The rainbow haired girl laughed before running off to the stables.

"Dinner time, Honeygold?" Emerald asked as they made their way back to the apple stand. "I don't mind another plate of that delicious salad."

Contrary to what the queen had told her husband that evening, there was no actual meeting with delegates from Saddle Arabia, but he didn’t know that. Dawn Saber had retired early that night with the reassurance that his wife would take care of the meeting for him. After a little application of sirens’ song, Sunlight Radiance slipped quietly from their chamber with the knowledge that he would not wake until sunrise.

Even when draped in nothing but a thin silk nightgown, the queen still cut an imposing enough figure that servants and guards alike scurried out of the way when she walked. Her bare feet carried her to the eastern wing of Canterlot Castle, and into the quarters of the one she needed to see.

The guards outside Moon Tide’s chambers stood aside for Queen Sunlight to pass. It was something they were used to, the queen coming to visit one of the kingdom’s best mages and alchemists, though admittedly it did not often occur so late at night.

Queen Sunlight idly surveyed Moon Tide’s room. It was a cavernous thing, decorated with hanging silks and tapestries every color of the rainbow. It was cluttered with alchemy equipment and books of every kind, lining the tables and shelves. A small collection of robes lay in the corner, resting close to the single bed in the corner of the room.

Moon Tide herself was not here, but the queen had a good idea of where she might be right now. The faint sounds of laughter and splashing water led Sunlight Radiance to a smaller door on the far side of the room and she deliberated for a second, weighing whether this matter was important enough to interrupt.

Eventually she decided that it was, and pushed the door open. A faint haze of steam wafted out, mixed with the rich scent of floral soap.

“Having fun?” Sunlight said drily as the last of the steam blew away, showcasing an elegantly tiled bathroom.

Sonata and Moon Tide bit back another burst of giggles as the queen strode up to the spacious bathtub and sat down on the rim. The mage and the muse sat in the frothy water up to their shoulders, with Moon Tide in the process of washing Sonata’s hair.

“Good evening, your majesty,” Moon Tide said mildly. “You’re all done with Dawn Saber already?”

"He had a headache," Sunlight told them cooly. "But we still have things to discuss."

“Sonata, have you been brushing your hair properly? It’s full of knots…” Moon Tide gently massaged the girl’s scalp, earning her a moan of satisfaction. Then to the queen, she said, “Go on then. We’re listening.”

"The new girl. Emerald Edge," Sunlight continued. "She's a lot more interesting than we first anticipated. Sonata, have your sisters told you of today's audience?"

"Nope!" the muse happily said as she continued to enjoy the head massage. "I was with Moon Tide all day!"

"The point, your majesty. Get to it." Moon Tide rolled her eyes. “What have you found?”

"It's Excalibur. It... reacted to her." Sunlight thought back to the talk, where the sword seemed to go out of control when Emerald Edge stood before it. "And Adagio had already confirmed it. Emerald Edge is from their world."

“Emerald’s really from Equestria?” Sonata piped up. “Was she thrown here by that wizard as well?”

"Who knows..." Sunlight shrugged. "But if she’s anything like you sirens, then it’s something we need to take into consideration. I mean, we didn’t exactly meet on the best of terms, did we Sonata?”

"We didn't?" the blue haired girl widened her eyes and tilted her head to one side.

Moon Tide held her still and began to lather the siren’s chest. “Stop squirming, or you’re taking your own bath next time. And no, Sonata, when we met, I was kind of trying to kill you, and Aria tried to take my eye out with a fork. But that’s all in the past, hmm?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

"So what do you want to do?" Moon Tide asked Sunlight. "We're not going to kill her, are we? She seemed nice enough."

"Kill? Oh, please don't kill Emerald!" Sonata turned her body to the queen much to Moon Tide's annoyance, but she just shook her head and began washing Sonata's back instead. "She's from home! Maybe she knows a way back?"

Moon Tide patted Sonata on the head comfortingly. “Oh, don’t worry, Sonata. I’m not going to start axing off people just because Sunlight says so.”

“Oh, really?” The queen smirked knowingly.

“Fine, not happily start axing off people,” Moon Tide rescinded. “But there really isn’t any reason to do anything to Emerald. I’d rather see if we can help her find these, what did she call them?”

“Artifacts.”

“Yes, those. These artifacts could help us in the long run. I mean, you've seen what the king's sword can do!"

"Its power truly is amazing," she nodded. She'd seen her husband fire bolts of lightning out of the thing on several occasions, but there was always a problem. "Dawn Saber's always too tired to use it effectively. He weakens after just one shot."

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” Moon Tide said calmly. “Now unless you want a bath yourself, please leave us, your majesty. Sonata and I have to get dressed for bed, and drying each other with you here would just be awkward for all of us.”

7 - Of Swords and Shields

Emerald Edge stood outside the Mages' Tower, looking at the huge stone cylinder of a building. She decided she should probably consult Moon Tide about it, before walking in. Many different mages moved around, concocting potions and taking down notes as they moved from table to table.

“Hi.” Emerald stopped the closest mage, a woman in red robes. “I’m looking for Moon Tide. Could you direct me to her?”

"She's higher up the tower," the mage replied, almost as if she wanted Emerald gone as soon as possible. "Check the second floor."

"Thanks." Emerald frowned as the mage hurried away, probably in the middle of figuring some life-changing potion or something.

The spymaster headed up the stone steps, emerging on the second floor of the tower. Out of nowhere, something blue collided into her, sending her sprawling to the ground, a dozen sheets of paper and items dropping to the wooden floor beside her.

"I'm so sorry!" Emerald heard a voice say as she got back up. A mage with blue robes and long blue hair with yellow and maroon streaks in it bent down and helped Emerald up, dusting off her armor and pants before scrambling around for her things. "I wasn't looking where I was walking. So, so very sorry!"

"It's fine," Emerald said. She watched the mage grab ahold of her papers and equipment, but the more she picked up, the more she dropped.

Emerald smiled and began helping her. It wasn’t like she was in a rush or anything, so a few minutes to help somepony out wouldn't matter.

"Thank you..." The mage nodded and gave Emerald a nervous smile as she shuffled her papers back into a neat stack. "I'm Nightfall Gleam. I kind of remember you. You were here the last time with Moon Tide?"

"Yes, that's right." Emerald stuck a hand out, remembering the friendly gesture. "I'm Emerald Edge."

"Nice to meet you." Nightfall took her hand and shook it before grabbing the rest of her belongings.

Emerald herself held a few interesting glass instruments, probably used for alchemy. She followed Nightfall to a table by the wall, marveling at all the papers and items all over the table. Emerald looked at all the other mages' tables, and none of them could equal to the mess on Nightfall's.

Everything just seemed to be more than everyone else's, but some other gadgets on the mages' table caught Emerald's attention.

"You made all these?" She asked as she set Nightfall's things on the table and picked up one of the items. It was a piece of bendable metal that folded back into a squarish wooden holder. Little indents were made into the metal.

"Yes," the mage replied as she put the rest of her work down on the table. "Besides being a mage, I'm also an inventor. That thing you're holding there, I call it a measuring box. You can roll out the metal from inside and measure anything you want!"

"Interesting..." Emerald put the measuring box down and investigated the mage's other inventions.

Then the spymaster thought of her gauntlets. Perhaps this inventor would be able to make it less conspicuous for her to carry it around. Emerald didn’t feel as safe without her weapons on her arms.

“Nightfall,” Emerald started as she opened her pouch. She pulled out her two gauntlets and set them on the table. “Do you… think you could fix these up for me? I mean, I don’t want to give you extra work, but… if you have time, could you help me make these less… visible and dangerous?”

Nightfall picked one up and moved a finger along its surface. “This is fascinating. Where did you get these?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Emerald said, probably the hundredth time in her time in this world. “I’m from another world, Equestria.”

“Really?” Nightfall widened her eyes and put the blade back down. “How did you travel to our world?”

“I passed through a mirror on my side.” Emerald shivered as she recounted the horrible memory, remembering how Light Speckle sacrificed herself to get Emerald through. “I’d… rather not talk about the rest. It wasn’t something I would want to go through again.”

“Right, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry.” Nightfall returned her attention to the blades. “Well, with the blade sticking out all the time, I wonder, how did you get around with these before?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention.” Emerald pointed a finger at one of her hands. “I used to have hooves before.”

“Hooves?” Nightfall Gleam held one of the gauntlets up to the light, running a finger along the blade gingerly. “You know, that actually makes sense with these weapons. Well, Emerald. Come back a few days from now and I should have something for you.”

“Thank you, Nightfall.” Emerald nodded her thanks. “Oh, I did come here for some questions. Perhaps you could help me. I’m looking for artifacts from my world, thrown here by an old wizard. King Dawn Saber said I should seek help from you mages.”

“Artifacts?” Nightfall leaned back against her table and creased her eyebrows in thought. “Do you have anything else to go on?”

“I don’t exactly know what they look like…” Emerald recounted the king’s sword during the audience. “But I think they have some sort of magical properties to them.”

“Magical properties, huh?” Nightfall turned around and began sifting through her papers. “Sorry, I can never find anything in here… Aha!” The mage pulled out what looked like a poster of some kind, torn on the top right side, with the words, ‘TOURNAMENT’, written on the top. “Enter the King's Tournament and earn your fame and glory!" The rest of the poster was taken up with a colorful illustration of three knights in armor clashing weapons.

"Ummm... So this tournament has magical properties?" Emerald asked. She pondered why the mage bothered to show her this.

"The winner always receives a prize at the end, and that prize is a shield," Nightfall smiled. "Every five years, when the tournament is held, the winner gets to keep it and use it before returning it before the next tournament, and this shield is said to be able to withstand anything, unable to break under any attack. Might just be something you're looking for?"

"I'll actually know it when I see it," Emerald said, once again thinking back to sword. "Where is this shield kept? Are we allowed to see it?"

"Yes, you can," a new voice drawled behind them.

Emerald turned around to see the third muse, the one with purple and green hair, tied into two tails by the sides of her head. She wore green robes with purple outlines. A familiar red gem hung around her throat, sparkling with the tiniest movements.

"Hello, Emerald Edge," she said. "We haven't been introduced. I'm Aria Blaze. Nice to meet you and all that."

The muse sounded like she really didn't want to be here, but it didn't matter to Emerald. The muse had the information she wanted.

"You know where this shield is?" Emerald asked for clarification.

"Sure I do," she sighed. "I can take you there if you wish..."

"Oh, absolutely! That'd be great." Emerald felt as if for once, all the pieces were falling into place for her. She turned back to Nightfall. "Will you manage without my help, Nightfall?"

"Of course," the mage gave her a small smile. "I'm used to working alone. The others don't talk to me much."

"Oh. Alright then." Emerald started off behind Aria. "Take care. I'll be sure to come by and visit!" She moved her legs faster, catching up with the the girl. "So, where to?"

"Just follow me and we'll be there in no time."

Emerald wanted to say something, but she just shrugged and complied. This muse was much more different than her sisters. One was energetic and noisy, while the other was talkative and confident. This one, Aria Blaze, didn't seem to like speaking much, or doing anything at all it seemed.

"So, how are you enjoying your stay here?” Aria asked with a flat tone that indicated no interest whatsoever. “The people treating you alright?”

“It’s different from where I was from, but I’m getting used to it. I hope,” Emerald replied as they walked out of the Mages’ Tower gates and towards the castle.

“Yeah, these people sure are different from Eq-” Then Aria stopped.

Emerald stopped behind her and waited. The muse had just gone still, but finally regained her movement after a few more seconds, continuing on as if nothing had happened.

“Different from those of us in the castle. Some of them are more brutish than you would expect.”

“Uhh…” Emerald decided to question her. “Are you alright? Did something happen?”

Aria waved a hand at Emerald without turning around. “I’m fine.”

“If you say so.”

The rest of the walk continued in silence as they arrived in the great castle halls, walking past a troop of knights as they trained. They arrived above the east wall of the castle before Aria opened a door back into the structure, allowing Emerald to enter first. Inside, four guards stood next to a glass exhibit, housing a shield made of what seemed to be gold and silver.

“That’s the shield, if you’re wondering…” Aria pointed and then folded her arms. “You can look, but don’t get any closer. Royal decrees and sword-happy guards. Just stand here.”

Emerald looked at its gleaming surface and began wondering if it was another artifact she had come to this world to find. She wanted to walk up to it and touch it, but apparently she wasn’t allowed to do so.

After a few more moments, Emerald felt it. That warm feeling within her, like she was in a comfort zone. Then the shield began vibrating. The guards turned to look at it, then to Emerald and Aria before turning to the shield again. Sparks swirled around the smooth surface, zapping in and out, threatening to shatter the glass, but strangely, it held out as the shield finally stopped.

“Interesting…” Aria said with a finger to her chin, but made Emerald think it wasn’t all that interesting with the way she said it. “Well, you’ve seen your shield. Let’s go.”

The guards stood there puzzled, as Emerald and Aria left.

"Uhhh... What happened?" one of them asked another.

"Meh, it's all good now. Just return to your position. Don't want the captain to kick you out, do you?"

"I just have to win the tournament," Emerald Edge explained. "Then I can find a way back home and defeat Sombra!"

"Sure, Emerald." Apple Bean nodded as she and Golden Nugget packed their empty crates into the caravan. "But how do ya suppose you'll be competin' with all them big, beefy knights?"

"I used to be the royal spymaster.” She pointed to herself. "I knew how to handle myself. All I have to do is learn how to use this body, and I think I’ll do just fine."

"But ya only have those little knives, dear. Those can hardly go against bigger weapons."

"Hmm... Maybe I could get a sword and train. I have some practice with one." Emerald contemplated. Apple Bean had a point. Would she be able to get close enough to hit them with her arm blades? "Is there somewhere I could get one?"

"There's the local blacksmith," Honeygold told her. "Spectrum knows 'im well!"

“Sure do!” Spectrum Song put her hands on her hips.

"That's a start," Emerald nodded. "So how much does a sword cost here?"

"Gee, well..." Apple Bean rubbed the back of her head. "Ah'd normally offer to buy ya one, but... Ah'm afraid we don't got enough bits to help ya with that."

"Oh, it's fine, Apple Bean," Emerald waved her hand. "I couldn't ask you to do something like that for me. You've already done so much. I think it's time I find a way to make my own bits."

“Well, Ah’m glad we met ya, Emerald.” Apple Bean put a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “You’ve been a great fun the last couple’a days.”

“And ya helped us learn some too,” Golden Nugget said as he put a hand on her other shoulder. “Ya sure you’ll be fine on your own?”

“I’ve got to.” She nodded confidently. “I’ve got to learn how to survive on my own in this world. It’ll make me stronger, but thanks for looking out for me.”

“Good on ya,” Golden Nugget smiled before both Honeygold’s parents began loading their remaining crates into the back of the caravan.

“See ya when we return, Spectrum,” Honeygold told her friend before they joined in a hug.

“Same to you, Honeygold,” Spectrum replied.

“I’ll miss ya too, Em,” Honeygold said, holding back tears.

“Hey, don’t worry, Honeygold.” Emerald squatted down to Honeygold’s height. “I made a promise I would come back and visit once I take the kingdom back. I’ll be sure to come see you again.”

“Well, if you’re still here, maybe you can find some time to visit us in Avalon?”

“I’ll be sure to do that if I’m still here,” Emerald smiled and gave the small girl a hug, wrapping her human arms around the girl’s small frame. “I’ll miss you too. All of you.”

The family and Spectrum moved for a group hug before they headed to the caravan. Golden Nugget and Apple Bean got up on the front while Honeygold got in the back with all the crates.

Emerald walked to the front and gave Joey and Springer a few good pats. “I’ll miss you guys too.” She turned back to the family once more. “All of you, take care now!”

“Stay safe, Emerald,” Golden Nugget nodded as he grabbed the reins for his horses.

Before long, the caravan was on the way as Emerald waved her goodbyes to the Apple family. Honeygold popped out of the back and gave one last wave before the caravan exited the main gates, traveling back to their hometown of Avalon.

Emerald was sad to see them go, but one day, she would have to leave this world anyway.

“And there they go again…” Spectrum folded her arms and sighed. She was more used to this than Emerald had first thought. “Well, they’ll be back. Don’t worry. Who else is going to sell us apples?”

“Right…” Emerald turned around to face the town. “So, this blacksmith. Apple Bean said you know him well?”

“Of course! Old Stone Anvil’s a nice guy. If I were training to be a blacksmith, he’s the one I would go to. Instead, I’m stuck with Sir Hors, but oh well. It’s a knight’s life I wanted anyway, so I’ll just have to put up with him until then.” She began walking for a bit before beckoning Emerald to follow. “I’ll introduce you, Emerald,” she said before whipping out her lute and playing a calming little ditty.

Emerald followed Spectrum around town, heading to the south side, just next to the wall. According to the squire, the blacksmith was one of the most exciting people she knew.

“Just you watch how he makes a sword!” she said excitedly, strumming a faster tune on her musical instrument. “It’s a lot different from the other blacksmith up in the castle.”

“Alright,” Emerald nodded. Spectrum seemed to know what she meant, so Emerald assumed she knew what was best. “But I don’t have any bits. I’ll need to get a job first.”

“We can find a job after you see a sword you want,” Spectrum suggested. “Then you’ll know how much you have to earn! That’s a great idea!”

Emerald shrugged, but went along. At least it was better than having no plan.

After a brief flight of stone steps, Emerald took in the sight of a massive forge, built with carefully carved stone and steel. The center of the platform held a circular furnace, narrower at the top. Around it stood a repair table, a tool table, and an anvil, where a bulky man with grey hair sat, hitting down on a piece of metal with a hammer that was bigger than Emerald’s head.

“Hey, Stone Anvil!” Spectrum hopped towards him, still strumming on her lute.

“Why if it isn’t young Spectrum Song,” he wheezed as he carried on his work. “What brings you here today? Another errand for Sir Hors?”

The rainbow haired squire shook her head. “Nope. I’ve got a different errand today.” She walked over and pulled Emerald closer. “This is Emerald Edge, and she needs a sword. A good one.”

“Why of course.” The blacksmith stopped his work and looked at the spymaster. “And what kind of sword is it that you are looking for? Something small? Something heavy? Something just right?”

“I’m actually hoping for something light and fast,” Emerald explained to him. Back in Equestria, the swords she had ever wielded were all extremely light, allowing her to throw them up into the air and catch it with no trouble. “And I would like to know how much one would cost, as I don’t have any bits on me at the moment.”

“No bits?” Stone Anvil raised a scruffy eyebrow. “Lass, you’re not going to get anywhere in this town without bits. I suggest you find some jobs, or take up bounty hunting. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of outlaws to turn in out there.”

“I already plan on finding a job.” Emerald hadn’t quite thought of what she could do. She didn’t even know all the jobs these humans had.

Anvil stood up and headed over to a weapons rack by the fire. “Well, these are my assortment of blades, forged in these very fires. Take your pick.”

Emerald joined him and examined the swords. Each sword looked like it weighed a ton, but as Emerald had to learn, don’t judge a sword by its metal. She picked the sword that looked the lightest, one with a nicely crafted hilt, along with a straight double-edge and gave it a few swings, away from anything she might accidentally destroy. The blade was a little heavy in her hand, but soon, her human arms got the hang of it.

“This one isn’t bad.” Emerald brought the blade down to look at the polished steel.

“Lass, all my blades aren’t bad,” Stone Anvil chuckled. “That’s why most of the townsfolk consider me the best blacksmith in town.”

Emerald liked the feel of the blade. It was light, allowing her to swing faster, though less powerful, but that was exactly what she was looking for.

The spymaster put it back on the rack. “So how much would that one cost?”

“Considering it uses less materials and resources, I’d say a thousand bits,” Anvil said after some thought.

“A thousand?” Emerald took a step back. “Is that how much a blade costs in this world?”

“This world?”

“Uhh, I’ll explain sometime, Stone Anvil!” Spectrum quickly pushed her way in front of Emerald. “But thanks for your help! Time to go get a job for Emerald!”

“Well, alright then.” Stone Anvil walked back to his forge to resume his work. “Take care, you two. I hope you find a good job.”

As soon as they were out of earshot, Emerald threw her hands to the air and grunted. “Where am I going to get a thousand bits? That price is atrocious!”

“A thousand for a sword is already considered cheaper. How much is one in your world?”

“In the Crystal Empire, a crystallized blade only costs two hundred, at most!” Emerald shook her head at the outrageous pricing in this world.

“You could always do what Anvil told you,” Spectrum suggested.

Emerald stopped and turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“Bounty hunting,” Spectrum simply said. “Sure, it’s tough, but catching an outlaw nabs you a lot of bits. Maybe just enough to get a blade like that.”

“We could try that, yes…” Emerald nodded and thought about it. Being a spymaster, her missions would sometimes require her to capture a criminal or tail unsuspecting targets to gather information. Perhaps capturing an outlaw in this world is the kind of work she needed. “So where do we start?”

Author's Note

Nightfall Gleam and others here.

8 - On the Prowl

“Posey Hood,” Emerald read aloud as she looked at one of the posters. There was a picture of a female hooded figure with long hair sticking out of the bottom of her hood, drawn incredibly well on an old piece of paper. A small description of her nefarious deeds were written under her face, detailing her crimes against the king. She waited for caravans of bits to pass before striking, stealing every last bit. “Says she resides in the Shetland Forest. You know where that is, right?”

“Course I do!” Spectrum said proudly. “Though, I’ve never been there myself. People say there are monsters in there.”

“Well, that’d be a good place to set up camp for an outlaw such as her.” Staying in a forest with rumors of monsters was a good way of staying out of the crowd, and Emerald knew that well. “And it says the price for bringing her in is…” Emerald traced her fingers along the large sum of numbers. “T-two thousand bits?! Spectrum. We need to do this. I could buy two swords with all that money!”

“Calm down, Em,” Spectrum giggled. “It’s normal. Capturing an outlaw is hard work, so the pay is much higher.”

“Let’s go right now,” Emerald quickly said. She wanted to get to work as soon as possible to have more time to train with the sword before the tournament. She needed to get good at using her new body if she wanted to win that shield.

“First, don’t you need your weapons back and a place to stay?” Spectrum asked. The girl had a point. Her arm blades were still with Nightfall Gleam and with the Apple family out of town, Emerald had nowhere to sleep. “You could always stay with me for now. I’m sure my parents won’t mind.”

“But is there enough room for me?” Spectrum had once shown Emerald her place. It was a small building in the Shades. One of her walls looked like it was going to give way anytime.

“Well, our house is a little small, but I’m sure we could find some space for you.”

It sounded good for Emerald, but she didn’t want to inconvenience the little girl. Emerald shook her head. “It’s fine, Spectrum. I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll find a place to stay. Perhaps a normal job would suffice for rent?”

“Oh, of course! Rent is far cheaper than a sword, but…” Spectrum put a hand to her chin. “Finding a place might not be too easy. Well, we can look for one, but if you really can’t get one, you’re welcome to stay with us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Spectrum,” Emerald nodded. “Well, I’ll start by finding one. Why don’t you go do what you’re supposed to do. Don’t want Sir Hors asking you to do impossible tasks.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later then! Let’s catch ourselves an outlaw! Woohoo!” Spectrum disappeared into a crowd of people after running off.

Emerald looked around. All she had to do was find a simple job and a place to stay for her time here. How hard could it be?

Finding a place to stay proved much more difficult than Emerald had anticipated. Most of the places she looked were all full, unable to house anyone else. She traveled through the entire Shades, but found no available room for her. After another five hours, Emerald had decided that fighting off a dragon was much easier than finding a temporary home, and she had actually fought a dragon in Equestria once.

She decided to take a break after another hour, walking over to the bridge separating the two districts and looked into the murky water. She leaned her head down against her arms and groaned. She felt like she never had a tougher mission in her life.

“Having trouble?”

Emerald twisted her head to the side and watched Adagio Dazzle stop before her, putting a hand on her hip and wearing her usual smirk on her face.

“Yeah…” Emerald turned back and looked at her reflection in the water below. “I can’t find a place to stay… I didn’t think it’d be this hard.”

“Looking for a place to stay, huh?” Adagio touched a finger to her lip playfully. “Emerald. What if I told you I have a place for you?”

“I don’t know, but-” Emerald stopped herself and played back what Adagio said in her head. “Wait, did you say you have a place for me to stay?”

"Why of course I did!" Adagio folded her other arm under her elbow. "There's a place over in the Loft District. The only requirement, is that you work in the stables by the gate. All you have to do is tend to the horses. Shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

Emerald couldn’t have asked for a better deal. The muse was offering her a place to stay, and all she had to do was look after her own kind. Emerald couldn’t help but form her mouth into a smile, soon turning into laughter. “Thank you so much, Adagio. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“Oh, I know you will, Emerald,” she gave her usual smirk. “Well, come along. I shall show you to your new home! Let us walk to it!”

Emerald stood outside the building as Adagio fished for the keys to the front door. It was a single storey building, with wooden supports lining the walls and a tiled roof above it all.

“Come see inside,” Adagio called Emerald with a hand as she disappeared into the house.

Emerald walked in and looked around, noticing how clean the wooden table in the center was, along with its four chairs. A few candles outlined the room, leading to another two rooms at the back. One was the bedroom and the other was a room where Emerald would be able to relieve herself.

“So, what do you think? Like it?” Adagio spun the key in her fingers.

"It's brilliant!" Emerald touched the furniture, noticing how clean everything was. Someone must have spent a lot of time fixing the place up.

"I trust you know how to look after yourself." The muse tossed the keys to her, smiling before walking out. "Your job will start tomorrow. Have a good day, Emerald Edge."

Emerald didn't have anything to set up since she came to this world with just her armor and clothes, so she headed out, locked the doors, and headed for the Mages' Tower. If she was going to catch a criminal, she needed her weapons back.

Her home wasn't too far from the castle and the tower, and the spymaster soon found herself in the building with all kinds of hooded figures running around and working on projects. She headed up to the second floor, remembering where Nightfall Gleam's table was.

The mage didn't seem to be there, but Emerald spied all kinds of metal and papers on the table, indicating Nightfall had been busy. The spymaster decided to do a little investigation and walked over to the table. There were two rectangular shaped objects with two leather straps each. Emerald also noticed her gauntlets on the table beside the peculiar objects, the blades missing from her guards.

“Ah, Emerald!” Nightfall walked up the staircase, carrying more scrolls and papers. “Didn’t see you come in. You like your new weapons? I think they’re fine work, myself!”

Emerald looked back at her weapons. “How do they work?”

“Easy! Pardon me…” Nightfall dropped the papers on the table before picking up one of the rectangular boxes. She strapped the leather on her forearm, the box underneath it. “Watch this.”

She flexed her arm back, and the motion ejected one of Emerald’s arm blades from within the box, extending it past the mages’ fingers. Emerald understood now. She could now stow her blades without having to worry offending people by walking around with them in the open, though she was used to having them on the side of her arm instead of the underside. It was just something else she would have to get used to in this strange new world.

“Fascinating,” she told the mage as Nightfall passed one to her.

“Try it! I call it, the hidden blade. You know, since it’s hidden.” Emerald strapped on what used to be called arm blades and examined her arms. “There’s a button on the inside that you have to push. Try flexing your hand back.”

Emerald did as Nightfall asked and jumped back as the blade quickly shot out from its sheath, startling the spymaster.

“What’d I tell you?” Nightfall contained her laughter. “Now you can stow the blades and surprise your enemies with the hidden blade!”

Emerald smiled at the thought. These weapons were perfect for a spymaster. She could get it by, unseen to most and when she really needed to strike out, there they were. Emerald practiced, swinging both blades around, trying to figure out the best way to attack with them. Slashing wasn’t as effective as it used to be in Equestria, instead, Emerald found stabbing to be a much more useful form of attack. She thrust her arms forward a few times, getting in a three-stab combo in quick succession before trying out a few more combat moves.

"Not bad," Nightfall Gleam nodded as she observed Emerald's fighting ability. "You seem good to go? You... Uhhh... You used to be a horse yes? How's ummm... How's your new body working out? You seem used to it now."

"Still getting used to," Emerald smiled and wiggled the fingers of her right arm. "I never thought these... fingers would be so useful."

"Well, just set these above the straps, and you're all set!" Nightfall handed Emerald her gauntlets back. "And flexing again sheaths the blades. Try it. Oh, and there’s a locking mechanism on the side. You know, just in case you need to scratch your face."

Emerald kept her blades and put the gauntlets back on her arms and fitted her fingers through the attached half-glove. The housing for her blades fitted nicely in between her gauntlets. Nightfall Gleam really knew her business.

"Thank you, Nightfall." Emerald gave her a slight bow. "These hidden blades are perfect!"

"Anytime, Emerald," Nightfall gave her a big smile. "Just make sure to come back to me if you want anything else made." She leaned in and cupped a hand over Emerald's ear and whispered, "And do make sure Clover doesn't see you giving me things to make. Otherwise she'll think I'm slacking off."

Clover. Emerald found that name strangely familiar. Clover... Where have I heard that name before...

"Wait, Clover?" she decided to ask the mage. "Clover the Clever? She?"

"Ooh, do you know her?" Nightfall raised both eyebrows. "I didn’t know they let normal people so far up the tower.”

“No, no.” Emerald shook her head. Things in this world just got more complicated. “There was a Clover the Clever in my world too. Though... he was the apprentice of another pony called Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“Star Swirl the Bearded?” Nightfall asked, amused at the spymaster’s apparent knowledge. “Are you sure you’re not from this world? Well, yes, you did say Clover was a he...”

“Pretty sure,” Emerald nodded. “I was a pegasus in my world. Actually, I miss my wings. It’s not the same without them.”

“This is a lot more interesting than I thought…” Nightfall walked around Emerald and looked at her with one hand under her chin. “Perhaps when you have time… Would you allow me to study you? I would love to find out just how different you are.”

“I wouldn’t mind, I suppose, but I have something to take care of today. Sorry.”

“Oh.” Nightfall looked disappointed, but immediately shook it out of her face, turning it back into a smile. “Of course. You have things to do. I shan’t bother you. Thank you for your time, Emerald Edge.”

“No,” Emerald shook her head. “Thank you for yours. I wouldn’t get far without my blades.” Emerald turned to leave. “Take care, Nightfall. You’re a good person.”

Emerald headed back down and soon, out of the Mages’ Tower, heading for the stables in the Shades to look for Spectrum. She turned out of the main street and collided right into a wall of shining armor. Powerful arms caught her and held her steady as she looked up into the face of Sir Morn Dread.

“Hello, lady Emerald,” he greeted.

“Oh, Sir Morn! Fancy meeting you here...” Emerald looked away from his handsome face. She noticed he was still holding on to her as her cheeks turned from green to red.

He let go of her arms and folded them across his broad chest. “You seem to be in a rush. Are you headed somewhere?”

“Oh, y-yes,” Emerald nodded, putting a hand on her other arm nervously. “I’m actually headed out to find an outlaw in the Shetland Forest with Spectrum Song. Seems like a good way to earn some money.”

“The Shetland?” Morn Dread instinctively put a hand on his sword hilt. “Shall I accompany you? There are much dangers within those woods. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Sir Morn.” Emerald wouldn’t mind having the big strong knight around, but she really didn’t want to ask for more help. She’d already been rescued by him once, and she didn’t want a second one to happen. She had to learn to do things on her own if she wanted to train her spy skills.

“Tis no trouble, my lady,” Morn Dread half-bowed. “At least let me escort you there.”

Emerald saw no harm in that, so she agreed before the two of them set off towards Spectrum’s location.

“Has the king given you any information in locating the artifacts you seek, Emerald Edge?”

“Not directly.” The spymaster decided to tell him the truth. “But I did get to see that shield you keep up in the castle. I believe that’s one of the artifacts I’m looking for.”

“Ah, so you plan on participating in the tournament as well?” Morn Dread looked like the idea intrigued him. “Is that why you are after this outlaw? To prove your combat skills? Though, I am not saying you don’t have any.”

“It’s fine. I know what you mean,” Emerald nodded and smiled as they passed over the bridge separating the two districts. “But no. I’m after the outlaw so I can get enough bits to get a good sword for the tournament. The faster I get one, the faster I start training how to use one with this body.”

“This body?” Morn Dread raised a questioning eyebrow and looked at her from head to toe.

“Oh.” Emerald had forgotten to tell the knight all about her past and where she had come from. She figured she would have to tell him at some point, so why not now? She cleared her throat before continuing. “You might not believe all this right away, but I’m from a world called Equestria, a world of ponies. My kingdom and my princess were taken from me by a dark king. Only artifacts thrown here by the greatest wizard in Equestrian history can save my people.”

“That is a lot to take in,” Morn Dread reached up and rubbed his chin as he processed just what Emerald was saying. “But I shall choose to believe you, Emerald Edge. After all,” He laughed. “I believe in a cup that grants eternal youth.”

"That is true..." Emerald put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "So that is why I have to get that shield."

"Well, I wish you all the best in the tournament, lady Emerald. May the best win."

The squire was at her usual spot under the stable roof, playing on her lute and singing along.

"Hey, Em," she greeted and stopped singing. She looked to the knight beside her and smirked. "Hello, Sir Morn. Em, have you found a home yet?"

Emerald nodded. "Believe it or not, I did. One of the king's muses just gave me a home, in exchange for working here at the stables."

"Great!" Spectrum pressed her cheeks together, making a weird face. "'Means I'll be seeing you almost all day! This makes my job almost one-fifth more exciting!"

"Yup." Emerald looked at the sky. The sun was still up, but began its descent as night time drew closer. "How about we catch ourselves an outlaw and earn some bits?"

"Let's go!" Spectrum hopped off her haystack and walked with Emerald as they made their way out. "Is Sir Morn Dread coming too?"

"Yes," he replied for himself. "I shall escort you to the forest's edge."

"How far is this forest?" Emerald asked as they passed a few guards by the gates.

"Maybe three hours on foot?" Spectrum shrugged.

"Not a problem!" Morn raised a hand. "I shall get Windspeed and we can be on our way."

"But there are three of us, Sir Morn," Spectrum reminded him. "Your horse will only sit two."

"You know how to ride a horse, yes, squire? I shall fetch two then." He turned to Emerald before leaving. "I shall return shortly."

"So, how are things between you two?" Spectrum nudged Emerald as soon as Morn was out of earshot. "Anything interesting?"

"Well, he's looking for that grail which everyone says is a legend," Emerald shrugged. "He's also a very nice human, I guess."

"Alright," Spectrum said as she began strumming her lute. "That's a start at least."

"So... Sir Hors hasn't given you any work?" Emerald asked. She didn't want to get Spectrum in trouble by taking her away from her jobs.

"Got it all covered, Em. Did it all in advance so that we can spend more time out of here. That's right. I'm pretty great, aren't I?"

"Very much so, little filly." Emerald put her palm on the girl's head and rubbed it. "You're a great friend."

Not even past thirty minutes, Sir Morn Dread returned, riding atop his magnificent stallion, Windspeed, holding on to the reins of another horse, slightly smaller than his.

"This one's for you, Spectrum Song," he told the squire and handed her its reins.

"This is Sir Trotivere's horse!" Spectrum walked around it and touched it. “How’d you get it?”

"His squire was understanding. He handed it off to me as soon as he heard we needed it.," Sir Morn Dread laughed. "Sir Trotivere owed me a favour anyway. Take good care of Snowcharge. She belongs to a good friend."

"Will do, Sir Morn." Spectrum slung her lute over her back before climbing up Sir Trotivere’s white horse. Even for a child like her, getting on a horse seemed to be no trouble at all.

"Emerald Edge," Morn Dread reached out a hand. "You shall ride with me. It would be much safer."

Emerald looked to Spectrum for advice, but the squire just grinned and started towards the gates without them. Eventually, Emerald decided it wouldn't be so bad. After all, she'd already been on Windspeed once before with the same knight. She grabbed his hand as he hauled her up, lifting the spymaster off the ground before she even started climbing to the saddle.

Emerald still found it strange to be sitting on her own kind, but that was just one of the many things she would have to get used to.

Sir Morn rode up to Spectrum and Snowcharge before both horses headed out the gates together, slowly picking up speed.

"You might want to hold on, lady Emerald," Morn Dread warned as the ride began to get bumpier from the galloping.

Emerald took a long swallow before she shakily wrapped her arms around the knight's abdomen and held on as the horses picked up speed. She felt a little embarrassed doing so, but it was better than falling off and hitting her head on the dirt ground.

"Everything alright, Emerald Edge?" Morn Dread called back behind him.

"Y-yes, everything's fine!" Emerald quickly said as she snapped back to reality.

Horseback took a lot less time than their planned walk as Emerald and the others arrived outside a forest. Trees surrounded the entrance, turning the insides dark from the lack of sunlight able to get through the dense brushes.

"So this is the place..." Emerald figured the rumors of monsters originated because of how dark the place was. Perhaps she should tell the king to get some men in to cut down some trees to allow light in.

Morn Dread got off his horse and helped Emerald down as Spectrum hopped off her horse, landing in a crouched position.

"Did you see that?" Spectrum asked eagerly. "I looked like some kind of really skilled knight."

“Good move, Spectrum.” Emerald joined the rainbow haired squire by the forest’s entrance, gazing into the unknown. The sun was already beginning to set, casting longer shadows among the trees.

“Are you sure you do not want me in there with you?” Morn Dread asked as he tied the horses to the nearest tree.

“It’ll be fine, Sir Morn.” Emerald waved a hand in front of her. “We’ll just head in there, grab an outlaw, and we’ll be out in no time.”

“As you wish, my lady.” Morn Dread stood by Windspeed. “But if you don’t come out by dark, I shall come find you.”

“Very well,” Emerald nodded. That seemed like a good backup plan, just in case they really needed help. “Let us go, Spectrum.”

Emerald Edge led the way into the Shetland Forest, the young Spectrum Song following behind her, clutching her lute like a club. Emerald kept her hands up in front of her, ready to extend her new hidden blades if the need arose. The shadows cast by the trees made monstrous shapes, occasionally taking Emerald’s attention as she watched them wearily, only to find out it was only her imagination playing tricks on her.

“H-have you seen a-any monsters yet?” Spectrum asked, her fingers growing tighter around her lute’s neck. Emerald felt like it would snap any time.

“Just shadows, Spectrum. Nothing to fear.”

"You sure?"

"Yes." Emerald continued forward.

Some bushes rustled as two squirrels dashed out of them and ran to the next one, scaring the life out of young Spectrum. A high-pitched scream escaped her mouth as she jumped back behind Emerald.

"Just squirrels, Spectrum," Emerald chuckled as she put a reassuring hand on the squire's shoulder. "But no sign of our esteemed outlaw."

"I knew that," Spectrum tried to look strong, puffing out her chest. "I'm better than that."

"Alright, Spectrum." Emerald admired the squire's strong will. She decided to tag along, even if she was a little fearful of the place.

The two continued down the worn path, cutting straight through the forest, eventually leading them to a clearing with a few broken wagons lining the sides. Vines had already crept over some of them, indicating how long these wooden vehicles have been here.

"This must be the site where Posey Hood attacks the people," Spectrum said as she touched one of the broken wagons. A centipede crawled out from a hole in the wood, sending her scampering backwards.

Emerald bent down and investigated the scene. There were still tracks of a wagon, meaning one of these were recent, and there was also a lack of bodies around. Posey had somehow caused all the wagons to crash, but didn't kill anyone. Little holes dotted each wagon, meaning the outlaw had used some kind of projectile to attack the innocent travelers.

"This isn't your ordinary outlaw," Emerald said as she stood back up.

“Doesn’t matter. An outlaw’s an outlaw.” Spectrum joined Emerald by one of the destroyed wagons. “Taking her out will make life easier for all the traveling merchants. Especially the ones from Trottingham. They have no choice but to pass through this forest if they want to trade with Canterlot.”

"Still..." Emerald mused. She was interrupted by Spectrum suddenly clinging on to one of her arms. Emerald held her breath for a second, sensing the threat. She quickly moved Spectrum behind her as she got her arms ready. Something or someone was out there in the woods, watching them, waiting to make their next move.

"I saw someone," Spectrum pointed a finger into the dense plantation. "Something brown flipped down from a tree and darted off into the bush over there.”

Emerald followed the squire’s finger before taking a few steps forward to investigate the surrounding shrubs. She inched her way through the dense bushes and looked around. Everything was still around her; not one bush was moving. Then she realized everything was too quiet. The birds had all gone silent.

“Spectrum?” Emerald called, checking if the squire was alright. She turned around to look. Spectrum was still standing in the clearing, looking at her, but she was shaking from head to toe. “Spectrum?”

The blue-skinned girl could only lift a hand and point ahead, forcing Emerald to walk out from the shrubs to have a look. Just in front of the path, next to one of the broken wagons, a brown creature lumbered into view, long claws on each of its four paws. A low growl escaped its mouth as it rose up on its hind legs, looking straight at the two girls.

“How do bears work in your world?” Emerald asked the frightened squire. “Can they be talked to?”

The bear let out a bellowing roar before dropping down to all four legs and began barreling its way towards them.

“Guess not!”

Emerald quickly grabbed Spectrum and shoved her behind one of the wagons at the side of the road as the bear thundered past them. "Hide in one of the wagons. I'll draw it away. When the coast is clear, go back and find Sir Morn."

"What? Em, you can't! It's too dangerous!" Spectrum objected, but Emerald didn't stand around long enough to hear the rest of it. "Emerald!"

The spymaster ran out to the main path and shouted at the bear. "Hey! Over here!"

The bear abruptly stopped in its tracks and turned to her with a snarl. Emerald had no time to think of a plan as the beast charged at her. The former pegasus quickly turned on her heels and sprinted as fast as she could down the path, hoping her legs wouldn’t confuse themselves as she ran. She heard the claws of the bear against the dirt behind her, meaning her plan was working. All she had to do was get the bear away from Spectrum. That seemed easy enough.

Emerald made a sharp left, heading straight for the trees. If she could just climb one of the trees, she would be safe. Just as she took the first step into the grass ahead, Emerald felt something sharp sweep her left leg from under her, sending her spinning off to the right. The air was knocked right out of her lungs as she landed on her back.

Emerald Edge quickly fought to stand up, but pain shot up from her left leg, forcing her to move slower. She looked down, but there was no blood, meaning the injury was internal. There was no way she was outrunning the bear like that.

She turned as the bear stood on its legs and roared at her. At such close range, Emerald could smell its foul breath, turning her head away as she fought to get to a better position.

Come on, Emerald. You can do this. You’ve beaten dragons before.

The spymaster stopped, extending both hidden blades as she turned to face the furry beast. It rushed her again, swinging a paw at her chest. Emerald quickly leapt to the side, avoiding the use of her left leg while doing so. She stabbed her blade towards the bear’s underside as she recovered from a roll, watching the blade sink below its fur. With a roar of rage, it slashed at Emerald, barely missing her ponytail as she hopped back to a safer spot. That was all Emerald could do.

The bear was clearly much stronger than she was, but a whole lot slower. She would have to rely on her speed and cunning to beat this opponent, but her injured leg wasn’t helping. Every few jumps, she would put some weight on her foot, striking pain up her whole leg as she fought to right her position.

Emerald narrowly dodged another attack as she continued to dash in and out, dealing small blows whenever she saw her chance, but bears were tough animals. It didn't even seem to notice it was wounded. The spymaster was really starting to miss her wings. If she had them at this moment, the fight would go so much easier. Even if she had an injured leg, she could just take to the skies and attack the bear from above.

After what seemed like hours, Emerald began to tire. Fighting while hopping around on just one leg was taking more energy from her than she had first thought. The bear still seemed like it had plenty of strength to go on as it took two steps towards Emerald and stood up. Spectrum had yet to return with Sir Morn. Did something happen to her on the way out? Emerald hoped she was wrong, and that Spectrum had made it out and was on her way here with the knight.

Emerald went in for another stab, hitting the animal in its belly. It roared again, but this time caught Emerald in the side of her head with a paw, sending her rolling back along the shrubbery and down a small slope. Emerald braced herself as she rolled down like a runaway barrel, coming to a stop at the bottom, her face planting itself in the muddy soil. She looked up and spat some out of her mouth as she struggled to get on her feet. The bear stood above, looking down at her, probably wondering whether there was any use going down to finish her.

Come on, Emerald. You need to move. Remember your training...

Before anything could be decided, there was a loud smack somewhere in the forest, like something hitting against a tree trunk. The bear turned its head to investigate, only for an arrow to land at its feet. Emerald caught sight of the tip, noticing it was more of a sack, rather than a steel point. Nothing happened, but something began filling Emerald’s nose. Something unpleasant. The bear was the first to concede, running back into the woods as the pungent smell got stronger.

Emerald fought to get as far as she could from the smell, but the bear had really given her a good fight. She forced her elbows forward, crawling her way away from the smell, but it was no use. It was too much for the spymaster to handle. Emerald fell on her side as her consciousness began to fade.

At least I won’t be able to smell it if I’m knocked out.

The last thing she saw was a lithe hooded woman with pink hair, dropping down in the soft mud close to her before she closed her eyes.

10 - Setting Up the Sheriff

After applying the paste into the bathtub, Emerald slowly lowered herself into the cold water, now turning to a murky green as the paste began dissolving. The smell grew stronger, giving Emerald pause to wonder just what was in it.

"Here goes nothing," the spymaster said out loud as she began washing herself. Adagio had said to think positive, so Emerald closed her eyes and thought, I'm going to be healed. Just need to have a bath, but everything's going to be great after!

As she lay there concentrating, eyes squeezed shut, Emerald completely missed the sight of the bathwater begin to glow, then froth and bubble, the little flecks of paste in the water darting about like tadpoles and sinking into her skin. The smell of iron faded completely, leaving the bathwater crystal clear.

She gave herself another four minutes before testing her leg, lifting it up and down, in and out of the water. Letting her surprise show completely on her face, Emerald noticed the pain was gone. She just couldn't believe it. The spymaster continued to bend it up and down and even stood up to walk around in the tub, sitting back down only when a few other humans began giving her odd looks.

Nothing. No pain!

Emerald would have whooped and cheered, but the continuous stares from the other patrons finally convinced her to dry herself off and leave.

"All set, my lady?" Sir Morn Dread asked as Emerald Edge and Spectrum Song joined him by the gates, horses already ready for them. "Pardon me for asking, but I thought I saw smoke coming from the Mages’ Tower a while ago. Was it perchance Secret Fire again?”

"You guessed it, Sir Morn." Emerald marveled at the fire mage's reputation. Even the knights knew of his... accidents.

“I rather like him, you know?” The knight swung himself up into the saddle with ease. “Generally harmless, so long as you keep him away from an open flame.”

"Sounds like an interesting fellow," Spectrum laughed as she got on Snowcharge.

"Emerald." Morn Dread reached a hand down to help the spymaster up. As she made herself comfortable on the saddle, Sir Morn sniffed the air before half-turning his head to her. "If I may say, Emerald Edge. You smell wonderful."

"Oh, well... Thank you, Sir Morn..." The spymaster hid her face behind his back as a blush began to creep along her cheeks.

Soon, they were off, galloping first to the Shetland Forest to find Posey before making their way to Trottingham. The pink haired archer had donned a voluminous dark cloak, covering all of her body, concealing her features with a matching hood. It would be unfortunate indeed if they were caught before they could even get inside the sheriff’s house.

The small town contained similar buildings to the Loft District, filled with stone structures, supported up with wooden beams. There was a main paved path going down the middle, splitting off into various directions culminating in a cobbled square that had been built around the town’s well.

"So this is Trottingham..." Emerald whispered as she looked around. "It's a lot smaller than I pictured."

"This is where we must make our move," Posey said as she slipped off Spectrum's horse, beckoning Emerald to follow. “Come. We will circle around while Sir Morn Dread and Spectrum head to the front.”

Emerald nodded and hopped off, her greaves clacking on the stony ground. "Good luck, Sir Morn."

"Thank you, my lady, but I shan't need it!" the knight smiled proudly. "I am a Knight of the Round Table!"

Emerald quickly kept up with Posey as they headed past the well, making their way past the common folk of the town before stopping against a house opposite what looked like the sheriff’s home. It was the same in terms of materials, but it was much taller and longer than all the other houses in town. Emerald Edge could only guess where he put some of that money to. Two guards with halberds stood at attention by the sheriff’s front doors, one of them eating an orange, while the other picked at his nose.

Absolutely shameful, Emerald frowned. The standards for becoming a guard must be much lower here.

Emerald and Posey watched as Sir Morn Dread and Spectrum Song rode their steeds forward before finally hopping off to meet the guards at the doors.

“Follow me,” the vigilante called with her fingers as she kept low and disappeared in a crowd of three other townsfolk gathering under the shelter of what looked like an inn, showing off their carrots and cabbages as they chatted.

Emerald immediately lost sight of Posey, but did as she asked, quickly disappearing into the same crowd as she pulled her gray hood over her head. After walking past a man holding a long carrot by its leaves, she caught sight of Posey looking back at her and beckoning her to follow before pushing past an elderly woman.

The spymaster followed, slowly and gently pushing past the crowds as they made their way around the back of the sheriff’s house. Emerald noticed Sir Morn Dread talking to one of the guards as Spectrum held onto the reins of both their horses.

“That way, Emerald.” Posey pointed to the side of the building. A balcony stuck out of the main structure on the second floor, with a door and two windows positioned under the shelter. “We can get in through there.”

Checking around one last time, Emerald watched in awe as Posey sprinted at the sheer wall before kicking off the ground and grabbing onto an uneven segment of brickwork and using her momentum to fling herself up and over the balcony. The archer landed in a crouch and beckoned for Emerald to follow.

“Show off,” Emerald grumbled, missing her wings. Rather less exuberantly, the former pegasus pulled herself up an adjacent window sill and then onto the balcony to join Posey, who had just finished packing up her lockpicking kit.

“Door’s open,” she whispered. “Once we go inside, we’ll have to find the book as quickly as we can. It’s a big place, but stay close.”

“What if something goes wrong out here?”

Posey winked slyly. “Don’t worry about that. Gabriel will tell me if there’s a change of plans.”

"Gabriel?" Emerald looked around in case there was a third member of their little break in that Posey had neglected to mention.

Posey pointed up to the sky. Following her finger, Emerald was able to barely make out a bird of some kind circling over the sheriff’s house.

“He’s a golden eagle, and one of my best friends.” Posey’s face lit up with a surprisingly cute smile. “We’ve been together for as long as I can remember, and he’s never let me down yet.”

Emerald looked back at the eagle, then at Posey.

“You speak eagle?” she deadpanned.

“Welllll… there’s more to it than that, but the long and short of it is, yes. Yes I do.”

Emerald merely bit back a sigh and pushed the balcony door open.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way this world works.

Sir Morn Dread folded his arms as one of the guards returned inside to summon the sheriff. He returned a short while later with a gangly red headed man who Morn Dread immediately knew was the sheriff. Despite his unkempt beard and stained tunic, the newcomer exuded a certain aura of power and confidence that most noblemen seemed to possess. The knight licked his lips, the inside of his mouth suddenly sour. The sheriff also didn’t like him, and it didn’t take the irritated tone of voice that he spoke in for that to be made clear.

“Greetings, sir knight,” the Sheriff of Trottingham said in a pinched voice that brought images of rats to Morn Dread and Spectrum’s minds. “I must say I was not expecting a visit from someone of your… nobility today.” He wrung his hands nervously. “My man assured me it was a most urgent matter.”

“Indeed it is,” Morn Dread said, putting as much knightly valor into his words as he could.

“Really urgent,” Spectrum added as an aside.

The sheriff frowned at Spectrum. “Excuse me, squire, but I believe I was only here to speak with this knight. Leave the talking to the grown ups. Now, what is this urgent matter, sir knight?”

It was at that point that Morn Dread and Spectrum Song realized the fatal flaw of their plan. They had nothing to say to the sheriff that would qualify as ‘urgent’ at all. In fact, neither of them had anticipated actually getting this far. The knight’s face paled substantially, leaving it a chalky white.

“Just a moment...” Morn Dread held up a finger and huddled up next to Spectrum, turning their backs.

“What are we going to do?” the Knight of the Round Table hissed frantically.

“I don’t know!” Spectrum whispered back. “I thought you had a plan!”

“I thought you did!”

“Me? I’m just a squire! Don’t you knights have plans for like, everything?”

Becoming increasingly aware of the sheriff’s suspicious gaze, Morn Dread thought fast. “Then we shall make it up as we go. Come along.” Re-affixing confident grins on their faces, the pair walked back to the sheriff.

“Well?” he said expectantly. “I’m ready for your message.”

“Uhm… yes. The message. Of course.” Morn Dread said haltingly. “Your message. The message we were meant to give you. Right. I have it. Yes.” He made a show of patting himself down with his hands, as if looking for a scroll or sheet of parchment. “The message that is meant to now be within your possession. Certainly.”

The sheriff looked more and more skeptical as the knight lifted his boot to peek under it. “Are you sure you have it, sir knight?”

Immediately, Morn Dread was up in his face, leering imperiously at him. “Are you questioning the word of a Knight of the Round Table?” he said threateningly.

“No, no! Of course not, sir knight!” the sheriff let out a nervous chuckle.

Morn Dread backed off and smiled smugly. “Good. Now, squire!” Spectrum sprang to attention. “Search the saddlebags for the message! It must be in there.”

“Which one, Sir Morn?” Spectrum asked politely.

The knight grinned. “All of them.”

The Sheriff of Trottingham risked a glance over to the horses, which were laden from head to fetlock with packs and bags. He sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

The first room they encountered set the tone for the rest of the sheriff’s house. Rich, plush carpets lined the floor, each one tastefully chosen to match the elegantly carved furniture. A woman in brown rags stood to a corner, polishing a side table with an old cloth, too busy humming to herself to notice the two intruders.

Emerald and Posey kept low and moved as silently as they could. Soon, they found themselves in the second room, containing a treasure trove of all kinds of books and paintings.

“Try looking here,” Posey suggested as she silently darted off to a table containing dozens of scrolls and papers.

Emerald decided to check the bookshelves, thinking that a man like the Sheriff of Trottingham wasn’t smart enough to hide his ledger in a good spot.

There were all kinds of reading material, most about money, some about hunting, and some kind of self-help book about how to earn praise from royalty. In the end, the shelves held nothing about the sheriff’s personal finances.

“Nothing here,” Emerald whispered to her vigilante friend. “Any luck?”

Posey walked over with a small iron-bound wooden box with a heavy lock in the front. “I found this. Do you think this is it?”

“Could be,” Emerald rattled the lock, but it was closed securely. “How are we going to get it open?”

“This lock’s too complex for me to pick,” Posey chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. “But I think I might have an idea. Come on, Emerald. We need to find the sheriff’s fireplace.”

“Fireplace?” Emerald wore a confused face. “Are we going to melt the box? What if we burn the ledger as well?”

Posey pushed open the door to the rest of the house and kept low, motioning for Emerald to do the same. “We’re not going there for the fire. We just need one of the pokers.”

“Pokers?” Then the spymaster got a picture of the plan in her head. “You’re planning to pick the lock? With a poker? Will it fit? All my years of stealth and recon, I’ve never used a poker to open a lock.”

“No, no,” Posey peered around a corner before creeping to a nearby door and trying it. “I’m- watch out!”

Emerald ducked behind a dresser just as an elderly woman came into view, a bristle-haired brush and bucket of soapy water in hand. She stopped in the hallway and knelt down to scrub at the floorboards.

“Well…” Emerald continued to watch the woman and kept her voice low. “What now? A distraction? Maybe if I can get to the other side of the room I can make some noise while you get to the fireplace.”

She looked over to Posey, but there was no one there any more. Emerald peeked back into the hallway just in time to see Posey take a running start toward the old woman, her soft shoes keeping her footfalls silent. Emerald’s jaw dropped as Posey leapt over the cleaning lady completely, grappling onto one of the exposed rafters and pulling herself up out of sight.

Even I can’t do that… Emerald leaned back against the dresser, keeping out of the woman’s sight, still holding the metal box in her hands. Guess I’ll just have to wait for Posey here.

"I quite like your boots, sheriff." Morn Dread pointed to the man's brown leather footwear. "Where did you acquire them from, may I ask?"

The Sheriff of Trottingham suddenly looked very proud, sticking out a foot for the knight and squire to see. "They are a sight indeed, sir knight. I bought them from the local cobbler for a low price."

“What are they made of?” Spectrum asked, receiving yet another glare from the plump man. “Pigs?”

“Squire, we are having a conversation here,” he scowled at her before returning a smile to Sir Morn. “Where were we? Oh yes. My boots are made of pigs, sir knight. High quality leather."

“Hmm, that is good news,” Morn Dread said sagely. “Nothing like pigskin for boots, I always say. You truly are a wise sheriff.”

“Why thank you, sir knight,” he grinned proudly. “I have always thought myself so. Now, anyway, I mean no disrespect, but I am a busy man and I need to get back to… to work.”

“Uh, well…” Sir Morn quickly cycled through his mind for something to say. “Wait, good sheriff. How about inspecting my armor?”

The sheriff sighed, but did as he was bid. At the same time, Morn Dread caught sight of something moving on the sheriff’s house. The knight tried very hard to keep his face neutral as the house’s owner leaned in for a better look at Morn Dread’s brightly polished breastplate. To the knight’s horror, he realized that the armor would act as a mirror, and he deftly took a step back and turned to the side.

“That’s close enough, sheriff,” Morn Dread blurted, almost a little too fast.

“Yeah, sheriff,” Spectrum added in, trying to help in his conversation. “You don’t want to get your spit on a knight’s armor.”

“Squire.” The sheriff squinted at Spectrum. “Speak when you are spoken to! And yes, sir knight. You are right. I shouldn’t be too close. I apologize. You armor is well polished. Very well polished.”

“No harm done, sheriff,” Morn Dread said in what he hoped was a calm tone of voice. “Just tell me, what do you think is the best kind of… food, for a day like this?”

“Food?” The Sheriff of Trottingham’s eyes popped out with exasperation. “Are you serious?”

“Deathly serious,” Morn Dread said grimly, stroking his chin and taking the opportunity to look at the sheriff’s house. Thankfully, Posey was now nowhere in sight. Hopefully she and Emerald would be done soon; he was fast running out of things to talk about that wouldn’t make him look like a loon.

Emerald continued to sit behind the dresser, waiting for her friend to return. It had been a while since the pink haired, bird-talking vigilante disappeared out the window, but Emerald didn’t doubt Posey’s skills. She was probably fine, trying to get into the room with the fireplace from the outside.

The spymaster continued to watch the old woman as she moved to clean the sheriff’s walls. Judging by her attire, she didn’t get paid much, though Emerald doubted she was treated with proper respect as well. Seeing as the woman had her back to her now, Emerald got up and slowly crept across to the next room, moving as quietly as she could. Her metal greaves couldn’t help but thud against the wooden floor, but thankfully, the woman’s scrubbing was much louder than Emerald’s footsteps, allowing her to tiptoe into the next room without incident.

Emerald noticed the fireplace along the wall away from the windows, along with another row of bookshelves under the windows themselves. The sheriff must be a knowledgeable man to have so many books in his house. Either that, or it was just to keep up a good appearance for the man, which Emerald highly suspected.

On the other hand, Posey was nowhere in sight. While she waited, Emerald headed to the fireplace to look for a poker, finding a handful in a tray next to the fireplace. The spymaster picked one up and noticed how worn out they all were; the sheriff probably used the fireplace frequently.

“Oh good...” Posey sidled back next to Emerald, startling the spymaster for a split second. “You found one.”

“Yeah… So, what’s the plan for this thing?”

Posey gave a peek around the corner, making sure they were alone. Then she took the poker and, with Emerald still holding the box, jammed it point first into the lock with a clunk.

“I thought you said you couldn’t pick it?” Emerald said.

“I’m not picking it,” Posey whispered. Gesturing at the former pegasus, the archer motioned for Emerald to set the box down on the floor.

Then, with the poker still sticking out of the lock, Posey leapt up into the air and came down on the poker, breaking the lock completely off the chest with a deafening snap and sending the tip of the poker flying into the windowpane, cracking the glass.

“What was that?” The sheriff held up his hand part way through a discussion about quill and ink and cocked his head to the side. “I thought I heard something from inside my house.”

“Really, sheriff?” Morn Dread cupped an armored hand to his ear and looked to the sky. “I didn’t. Might’ve been your imagination. Did you hear anything, squire?”

“No, sir.” Spectrum carefully avoided looking at the window, where she could see Posey and Emerald ducking just under the windowsill. “I think it came from the well, sheriff.”

The Sheriff of Trottingham narrowed his eyes at the young squire again and pursed his lips. “Do not speak such nonsense to me, squire. The sound was like the cracking of glass. There is no glass in the well.”

Spectrum shrugged and went back to rummaging through the horses’ saddlebags.

“What the hay was that?” Emerald Edge hissed, retrieving the poker tip from the cracked window. “I thought you said we had to be quiet!”

Posey blushed and began unconsciously playing with her bandanna. “Well… you see… sorry. We got it open… right?” She gave Emerald a sheepish smile. For a second, she didn’t look like the vigilante she was.

Emerald sighed, but chose to ignore it. “It’s fine. Right, we got his chest open. Now let’s see what he’s got in there…”

She bent down and retrieved a leather bound book from within the splintered box, brushing flecks of wood and dust off its surface.

“Is this it?” Emerald asked, passing the book to Posey, who thumbed through it, her face lightening up with each page she turned.

“This is it!” she exclaimed, then caught herself. “This is it,” Posey said in a quieter voice. “This is the Sheriff of Trottingham’s ledger. We did it, Emerald! And judging by this, he’s got a lot to answer for.”

Emerald smiled, but said, “Not yet. We celebrate when the sheriff is behind bars, and we’re not still crouching in his house.”

Posey nodded. “Good idea. Let’s go. I want to see the look on the sheriff’s face when he realizes he’s been fingered.”

“Fingered?” Emerald asked.

“Y’know,” Posey tucked the book into her tunic. “Nicked.”

“Oh, you mean caught,” Emerald said with realization. She wiggled her fingers. “What’s that got to do with these, though?”

“I… It’s just a figure of speech,” Posey said quietly.

“Hungry, you say, sir knight…?” the sheriff pondered for a second. “Well, I do like a bit of lamb with potatoes when I’ve been out in this weather all day.”

“Is that boiled or baked potatoes?” Morn Dread prompted, feeling a line of sweat roll down the back of his neck. Come on, Emerald…

“Boiled, sir knight. With a tinge of garlic added.” The sheriff involuntary licked at his lips at the picture that formed in his mind.

“And what about the lamb? What kind of spices do you put on it, and how long do you cook it for?”

“Of that, I am unsure, good sir knight. You see, I have my cook do it all for me. Though I know she adds pepper and sage to it.”

“I could go for some lamb now, Sir Morn,” Spectrum rubbed at her tummy. “Perhaps you know a good place?” she nudged the knight in his armored thigh. “If you know what I mean.”

Morn Dread looked confused for a while, but quickly returned his face to a neutral state with a large smile on his mouth. “Ah, yes, squire. Sheriff, you are a well learned man. Tell me, where can we find the best food in Trottingham?”

The Sheriff of Trottingham sighed again and began anxiously tapping his foot. “Well, sir knight, if you really must know, the inn provides excellent food for the hungry travelers. Do help yourself. In the meantime…” the sheriff began to turn back to his house. “I have some business to take care of.”

Morn Dread speedily glanced up at the cracked window and acted on impulse. He reached out a hand and pulled the sheriff’s shoulder, turning his back to the house. “Wait, good sheriff!”

The red headed man raised an eyebrow, but did as the knight said. “Yes, sir knight. What can I do for you now?”

The blue-purple haired knight opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

“I am sorry, good sir knight, but I am a busy man. If you’ll excuse me. I have duties to attend to as the Sheriff of Trottingham.”

“Wait, sheriff!” Spectrum quickly cut in. “What Sir Morn wanted to ask you was how you keep this little town safe. Right, sir?”

“Umm, uh, yes! Why yes!” Morn swept a hand behind his back and gave the female squire a thumbs up. “That is exactly what I wanted to ask you, good sheriff! What measures are you taking to keep your town safe from danger?”

“Well…” the man said almost unexcitedly. He waved a hand across the town square. “As you can see, I have guards posted at every entrance.”

Sir Morn looked to the only entrance of the town, slightly shaking his head as he watched the two guards lazily perform their duty. One of them looked like he was asleep over his spear. The two in front of the sheriff’s house looked no better, seeing as one of them was digging orange skin from his teeth.

This did not please the knight. Not one bit.

“And where did you get these guards, may I ask, sheriff?” he said, holding back his anger.

“Why the local bar, sir knight. Chose them myself.”

“And are you sure they are capable protectors of Trottingham?”

“They may not look like it, but they are vigilant men,” the sheriff said as he tweaked at the corner of his red moustache. “Nothing gets in and out of this town without me knowing of it.”

Nothing, hmm?

Morn Dread looked over the sheriff in the corner of his eye, watching out for anymore movement in the man’s house.

Come on, Emerald. I know you can do this. Just… Work a little faster if you could help it. I’m running out of sensible options…

Emerald Edge watched as Posey peeked her head around the corner, checking if the cleaning lady was still around. The turquoise haired spymaster thought that the sound of the window cracking would surely have gotten her attention, but it seemed the woman was much older than she had first thought.

They found her cleaning the sheriff’s table, rearranging his books and boxes, making sure everything was in tip-top shape. Emerald could tell that she wasn’t having an easy time cleaning up the sheriff’s mess. There was barely any space on his desk in the first place.

Just hold on a little while more, miss. We’ll get this all straightened out and you’ll have a new sheriff here in no time.

Posey brought both of them back out through the balcony door, free from the dreadful Sheriff of Trottingham’s house at last. Posey placed two fingers in her mouth and blew, creating three short shrill sounds that Emerald thought sounded like a bird.

Without warning, a brown shape darted past the spymaster’s face, startling her into a combat stance; she relaxed after finding out it was only Posey’s eagle.

“Is it all fine, Gabriel?” the pink haired archer asked her animal friend, who was perched on her left arm. Right in front of Emerald’s eyes, whether she believed it or not, Gabriel turned his head to the side and nodded, lifting his beak slightly. “Great. He says it’s clear. Sir Morn Dread still has their attention. Gabriel’s taken a liking to the knight.”

“He’s got good taste,” Emerald smiled. The knight really was the nicest person she had met since her first day here. If she wasn’t in such a hurry to get back to her world…

“Come on,” Posey slightly pushed her. “Let’s get to your knight and squire before they run out of things to say.”

“I doubt these men know the difference between a spear and a staff, sheriff,” Sir Morn Dread told the red headed man. “I mean no disrespect, but they hardly seem legitimate for guard duty.”

“I assure you again, good sir knight. They are.” The Sheriff of Trottingham rubbed his hands together. “Bandits attacked us once. My guards held them off while the townsfolk retreated to the safety of their homes. Nothing gets in without my knowledge.”

Morn looked to Spectrum and raised an eyebrow. He’s about to get one big surprise isn’t he?

All this time talking, Morn’s mouth had been filled with a sour taste, something he didn’t particularly like, but suddenly, something sweet began to take its place, refreshing the man a little.

The knight returned his attention to the sheriff, only to notice two people approaching him from behind. Here we go…

He slightly nodded to Emerald, checking first if they found what they were looking for. The spymaster answered with a nod of her own, followed by a smirk.

“Actually, sheriff, I finally remembered what I came here to tell you.”

The sheriff’s face suddenly beamed brightly. “Oh, that is wonderful news, sir knight. Do tell.”

Morn Dread placed an armored hand firmly on the pommel of his blade, Clarent. “You’re under arrest.”

Emerald Edge watched as the Sheriff of Trottingham was pushed into a carriage, all the while screaming that he was innocent and that he had never done such things in his life. The rest of the town, however, didn’t buy it.

As soon as the horse drawn carriage left, the town burst into celebration, glad that the tyranny of the sheriff was finally over.

“They couldn’t have done it without you, Posey,” Emerald clapped the archer on the back. “You’ve saved them.”

“Aw,” Posey blushed and kicked at the ground. “It wasn’t all just me… I have you, Sir Morn Dread, and Spectrum Song to thank. Without you three, I would never have done this.”

Her pet eagle, Gabriel, gave a squawk before nuzzling his head against the back of her hand.

“Of course I won’t forget you, Gabriel,” Posey smiled and petted his head.

“You’ve done well, Posey,” Sir Morn walked over and smiled. “You have a kind heart. Even when you didn’t have the authority to help them, you went behind our backs to make sure these people survived. You did very well.”

“And now, they’re free!” Spectrum Song cheered, jumping up and kicking her feet together. “No more nasty sheriff! I hated that guy.”

“Yes,” Posey nodded and looked at the happy villagers. “And I’m going to make sure they’ll be forever free from the clutches of bad people. I shall do what I can to protect these forests, and this town.

“And I shall honor our agreement, Emerald Edge. The reward for exposing the sheriff’s wrongdoings shall be yours. It’s time you continue your journey to save your empire.”

“Thank you, Posey.” Emerald placed a hand on her chest and bowed. “And thank you, Sir Morn and Spectrum, for stalling. I’m sure it was no easy task.”

Morn Dread let out a small chuckle and folded his arms. “You have no idea, my lady. You have no idea.”

11 - Practice Makes Perfect

“Your left was unguarded, my lady,” Sir Morn said as he brought up his sword once more. “You need to move your sword faster.”

“I’m sorry, Sir Morn.” Emerald wiped sweat off her brow. “These human arms are still a bit too long for my liking.”

“Just keep it up, Emerald, I’ll make sure you get it by the tournament day,” the knight smiled and got himself ready. “Again.”

After following Morn Dread to the court the previous day, the knight had described everything that Emerald had done, careful to leave Posey out of the picture, just as the vigilante had wanted. Receiving her reward of a thousand bits, Spectrum Song had quickly rushed the former pegasus to Stone Anvil’s shop to purchase the sword.

Since then, everyday after working at the stables, Emerald headed over to Canterlot Castle to continue her training with Sir Morn, trying her best to quickly learn up a human’s fighting skill before the tournament, which was in two weeks time.

Emerald rushed the valiant knight once more, raising her sword before striking it down hard and fast towards the man’s head. With just one hand, Morn Dread parried her blade away before knocking the spymaster to the side with the flat of his sword. Emerald spun around and charged at him again, her sword tip aimed for his chest. The knight simply turned himself, completely avoiding the blade, at the same time, jabbing his sword in between the spymaster’s sword hilt, twisting it, sending the weapon spiralling out of her hands and onto the ground beside her.

“Not bad, Emerald,” he told her as he sheathed his blade. “You’ve gotten much faster, but your strength isn’t there. You’ll have to work on that, but for the meantime, let us rest. You’ve earned it.”

Emerald Edge didn’t realize how tired she was until she sat down on a crate beside the knight, panting from exhaustion. “Thank you, Sir Morn,. For agreeing to teach me… I mean, you didn’t have to…”

“Your quest is an honorable one, lady Emerald,” the knight said as he passed her a skin of water. “Why, I do not believe any of the other knights besides Sir Prancelot have taken up quests like yours.”

Honorable or not, I have to do this… Emerald thought to herself. My princess and my friends sacrificed themselves for me. I will not let that go to waste.

“Besides, my lady...” Morn Dread took a long gulp from his water sac. “When I’m around you, I feel stronger. I feel like anything is possible.”

“Oh, really?” Emerald smiled and blushed as she pushed locks of sweaty hair away from her face. “Th-that’s interesting…”

After that statement, Emerald didn’t know what else to say, remaining quiet for the rest of their break, starting on her loaf of bread. Their silence was soon broken by the young rainbow haired squire, rushing over to meet them, jumping excitedly.

“Hey, Em! Hey, Sir Morn!” she greeted. “And thanks again for that talk with Sir Hors! He’s seemed to be a little less grumpy, and a little more understanding. What did you say to him?”

“Tis nothing, squire,” Morn Dread waved a hand. “I simply reminded my fellow knight the rules we live by. He had forgotten them, but I assure you, he’ll never forget them again.”

“I’d pay my life’s earnings to see his face when you told him all that!” Spectrum squeezed at her cheeks. “How’s training going?”

“It’s progressing well,” Emerald nodded and finished chewing on her piece of bread. “Sir Morn’s help is really useful. I think I can do this.”

“She is right,” Morn Dread placed a hand on Emerald’s shoulder. “Lady Emerald is a fast learner. Perhaps it is because she was a… what did you say it was? Spymaster?” Emerald nodded again. “Yes, spymaster. She is needed to be adaptable, to change when circumstances require. Thus, I see no reason why she cannot learn the sword quickly.”

“Well, you have two weeks, Em.” Spectrum pulled out her lute and sat before them, lightly strumming on her instrument. “If you’ve gotten this good in one, you’ll be a skilled swordsman in two! Maybe a champion in three!”

“But it shall not be easy, this tournament,” Sir Morn warned as he placed the cap back on his waterskin. “It shan’t just be me entering the competition. Mercenaries, the other knights, and anyone willing to try shall look to gain the shield as well.”

“How will you be sure a mercenary will return the shield by the next tournament?” Emerald couldn’t help but ask. It just didn’t seem logical. They owed no loyalty to the king. They were just in it for the bits.

“On that, I do not know, Emerald.” Morn shook his head and shrugged. “But rest assured, no mercenary has ever won.”

“So far, most of the money is on Sir Prancelot or Sir Lionheart getting the shield, Em,” Spectrum explained. “I mean, they’re some very strong knights. I hope I become like them when I’m a knight.”

“I haven’t met them,” Emerald admitted. In fact, the only knights she’d personally seen were Sir Morn and Sir Hors. The others didn’t seem to be much of public figures.

“They’re probably off singing in the castle right now,” Spectrum joked. “You knights do love your singing, don’t you, Sir Morn?”

“You’re right about that, squire.” The knight started on his lunch, speaking while he chewed. “Though, don’t mention it to any outsiders. Singing is frowned upon for knights.”

“I think singing is a wonderful gift.” Emerald had no idea why knights couldn’t sing. Back in Equestria, ponies broke out into song whenever they wanted to.

“Why, I do not believe I have heard you sing, lady Emerald. If you don’t mind, I would like to hear it. It must be magnificent.”

“Oh well… uh…” Emerald rubbed at her shoulder. “It’s nothing special. Back in my world, everypony sings.”

“That must mean everyone, uh, pony in your world is good at singing!” Spectrum bent back in laughter. “Now that’s something.”

“Still…” Morn Dread pushed his hair back. “I would love to hear your voice, Emerald. Do you mind? I mean, if you do not want to, then you do not have to.”

“Oh, mine is nothing different from the regular pony,” Emerald looked away to hide her embarrassed face. “Your king has those three muses. I haven’t got to hear them perform yet, but I did hear the one called Sonata sing. It was really wonderful.”

“They usually only perform for the king and his court,” Sir Morn explained. “Sometimes they bring their performances outside, maybe at the Drifting Stallion. I think the whole town gathers for that. They say that the muses sing so well, it’s like being under a spell.” Sir Morn shrugged noncommittally. “I think they’re good, but not that good. Perhaps I merely lack a musical ear.”

Emerald remembered the time Sonata Dusk had sung that single note on the way out of the Mages’ Tower. It had soothed the her, given her the strength and will to carry on. Perhaps there was something magical to them.

“Oh, look at the sun.” The knight suddenly interrupted her thoughts. “We had better get back to practice, my lady. The day wears on while we sit and talk.”

Emerald downed the last of her lunch and stood up, wiping her mouth with the back of a hand. “Right. I’ve still got a long way to go if I want to win that shield.”

“You’ll get it, Em!” Spectrum swung an arm up. “Well, I better head back to the stables. Don’t want to take Sir Hors’ leniency for granted. See you two later!” With all that said, the rainbow haired squire turned around and ran towards the castle entrance.

“She’s a good squire,” Sir Morn chuckled. “Tis a pity she was placed under Sir Hors. I would love to have a squire like that.”

“Speaking of squires, where is yours? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him.”

“Oh, I don’t really have one at the moment,” Morn Dread explained, drawing Clarent and flourishing it in a quick circle at his side. “My last squire was knighted a few months before, and I’ve yet to find a replacement.”

“So he’s a Knight of the Round Table now?”

“Nay, my lady. To be a Knight of the Round Table, you have to have been chosen by King Dawn Saber himself. My last squire is still working toward that, albeit at the level of a knight.”

“I see, I see…. This world is truly fascinating…” Emerald mused as she drew her own weapon. “Are you ready, Sir Morn?”

“I’m a Knight of the Round Table, my lady,” he flashed her a cheeky smile. “I’m always ready.”

Emerald Edge pushed open her front door and dragged herself in, her feet on the verge of rebelling against her.

“You are sure you do not need my help, Emerald?” Sir Morn Dread asked from outside her door.

“It’s okay, Sir Morn,” Emerald shook her head, though she wished she didn’t. That single action spun stars in her eyes. “I can manage. I’m supposed to be tactful after all. Thank you for the offer though. You-you’re a very nice human.”

“As you say, my lady,” the knight smiled and bowed. “Then I wish you goodnight and good rest. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow for practice?”

“Yes you will,” Emerald chuckled and sat on a chair. “Goodnight, Sir Morn.”

The knight gave one final wave before closing the door behind him. Emerald Edge waited and listened as his metallic footsteps began to fade off in the distance.

The spymaster placed a hand over her chest. What is this I’m feeling? she questioned herself.

Emerald had never felt this way around anypony and definitely not around a human. Plus, she was only going to be here temporarily. Forging friendships and letting them go was one thing, but this? Emerald didn’t know what to think.

The knight in shining armor continued to be on her mind as she removed her armor and got ready for bed. She still remembered the day they had met when he saved her from the two scoundrels. Morn was truly a kind man, and he had become a good friend during her time here, but was there more to it?

Emerald took a simple brown rag and wiped away at her arms and face. She definitely needed to add bath time to her training schedule if she wanted to be clean and refreshed after practice. Her clothes were going to need a wash too; she hadn’t done so since entering this world.

Sighing with contentment, Emerald left her dining table and shambled towards her bed. She had only just pulled out the bedsheets when a knock on her door echoed out throughout her empty house.

Great. What is it now?

Walking over to the door, Emerald yanked it open, coming face to face with someone familiar from the Mages’ Tower.

“Moon Tide!” she said in surprise. “What brings you to my home at this late hour?”

“Good evening, Emerald Edge,” Moon Tide smiled. “How are you? May I come in?”

“Oh yes, sure, come in.” Emerald shifted aside to let Moon Tide in. “And I’m fine. Just a little tired from my training. I’m practicing for the tournament and all.”

“Yes, my son has told me about your practice.” The both of them moved to the table, pulling out one chair each. “How is your swordsmanship? Is my son treating you well?”

“I’m managing.” Emerald rubbed at her shoulder, trying to loosen her muscles a little. “And yes, your son is by far, the nicest person in Canterlot. He really takes after his mother.”

“Oh, stop it,” Moon Tide stood up and made her way behind Emerald. The mage placed her hands on Emerald’s shoulders and began to massage the sore muscles, firmly kneading at the knots with her fingers. “It’s my job to help people, and I just do that to the best of my ability, is all.”

“Mmm.” Emerald said. The massage really did feel good; she felt like putty in Moon Tide’s capable hands.

“Speaking of which, how is your leg? Did the salve do its work?”

“I believe it did, or actually, I can’t believe it did. It was almost like magic.” The spymaster closed her eyes and took a deep breath to relax her body.

Moon Tide’s fingers converged on the base of Emerald’s neck, pressing and squeezing most comfortably.

“I’m glad to hear it. All the knights who I give it to swear by it, although, I wasn’t sure it would do the same for you. You’re not exactly… local, are you?”

“I’m not sure if Sir Morn or one of the muses have told you, but yes, I’m from a whole different world. It’s called Equestria. Um, we’re all ponies there.”

“Adagio did mention something along those lines.” Moon Tide’s hands wandered down to Emerald’s back, pushing and kneading at the sore muscles there. “I take it that your sudden eagerness to enter the King’s Tournament also has something to do with it?”

Emerald nodded. “Yes. I came to this world looking for certain artifacts I can use to chase a dark king from my empire. He… He took everything from me. My home, my friends, my princess…” Emerald slightly teared at the thoughts of the Crystal Empire, of Equestria.

“That’s quite a quest.” Moon Tide’s hands returned to Emerald’s shoulders, a gesture that Emerald found comforting. “Did you decide to undertake it all by yourself?”

“Not by myself at first…” Emerald began to shudder at the memory. “My friends and I were given orders by our princess to find these artifacts. Only I… Only I made it here. I’m sorry… I still miss them all.”

Moon Tide patted Emerald on the head softly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to bring up such painful memories for you.”

“I don’t blame you, Moon Tide,” Emerald wiped at her eyes. “You’ve done so much to help me.”

“And I’m sure your princess would be proud of you too. You came to another world to fulfill her wishes; none can doubt your loyalty or dedication.”

“Thank you, Moon Tide.” Emerald smiled and closed her eyes again. “I thought that there were only savages in this world when I first got here. After all this time, I’ve seen goodness in you humans. So many of you have selflessly helped me towards my goal. When I make it back, it wouldn’t be because of my own strength, but because of you all.”

“Goodness in humans…” Moon Tide repeated, a shadow passing across her face for a brief moment. “Well, I’m glad you feel that way, Emerald.”

Moon Tide then put a hand up to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“Well, it’s getting late, and I still have some work to do at the tower before I turn in. I’d better go.”

“Oh! Alright,” Emerald scrambled to her feet and unlocked the door for the mage. “And Moon Tide, thanks for the talk.”

“Oh no,” Moon Tide said comfortingly. “Thank you.”

As soon as the mage was down to the next house, Emerald locked her door and finally dropped on her bed with a long yawn. Within moments, she was asleep.

12 - A Muse's Company

“Hello, and welcome to- Oh! Emerald Edge! Welcome!” Jewel Pin squeaked excitedly and ran over, grasping the spymaster in an iron hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Ri-ght!” Emerald fought for air. “Is there… a reason… why you’re… grabbing me… like this?”

“Why of course.” Jewel Pin quickly let go and motioned Emerald to take a seat by her sewing table. “You see, people have been coming to my shop because of your cloak.”

Emerald thought back to her time here. People have been walking up to her, asking where she got that cloak. She simply directed them to Jewel Pin’s shop.

“Well, there have been a few people that asked.”

“And that’s why I must thank you!” Jewel Pin squealed. “I’ve made more money this week than I have in the last three months combined! Perhaps one day, I’ll be able to sell to Canterlot’s nobility. That’s my dream, Emerald. To be among the high social members of our town.”

“That’s some dream, Jewel Pin,” Emerald tried to imagine the seamstress handing out dresses to the rich of Canterlot. “Anyway, I did come here for a reason. I actually needed more clothes. Maybe a new pair or two. The one I have is starting to smell and is in dire need for a wash.”

“Absolutely, Emerald.” Jewel Pin walked over and picked at the spymaster’s worn clothes. “Ooh, yes, you definitely need new clothes. Fear not! Jewel Pin is here!” The purple haired seamstress glided to a shelf of clothes and began shuffling through them.

“Umm, just something simple would do, Jewel Pin. I’ll be having my armor over it most of the time.”

“But Emerald, what if one day, you’re not?” Jewel Pin asked without turning. She pulled out a grey shirt from the shelf and looked at it. “You still want to look your best! Well, if you don’t, I do.”

“As you wish,” Emerald gave up. “As long as it’s not too showy.”

Jewel Pin returned to the spymaster with a set of grey and beige clothes. “Will these do?”

“Yes,” she nodded and picked at the new set. “What are these ones?” Emerald lifted what looks like a regular shirt and pants, only that they were a lot shorter than any of the other clothes she’d seen in this world. “Aren’t they a little too small?”

“Those are your smallclothes, dear,” Jewel Pin raised an eyebrow as if expecting Emerald to know what they are.

Emerald didn’t. “Smallclothes?”

“Oh dear...” Jewel Pin looked aghast. “Do you mean you’ve been walking about town without them?”

Emerald looked at herself. “Well… This is all I have. Is… Is it a problem?”

Jewel Pin seemed to have trouble figuring out what to say. “Well, you see, Emerald… Umm, smallclothes… Hmm… You wear them under your regular clothes to… to better conceal your… Well, the places you don’t want people to see.”

“I… Still don’t quite understand.” Back in Equestria, some ponies, like Emerald herself, wore clothes, but they never did have these ‘smallclothes’ as Jewel Pin mentioned. “Do I need these?”

“Let’s put it this way, Emerald. Everyone in this town wears these. I’m not sure how else to explain them to you. Sometimes, clothes alone aren’t enough.”

The spymaster still didn’t get all of it. Back when she first entered this world, walking around with nothing on was a problem. Now she was being told that walking around without clothes under clothes was a problem.

This is still a strange world.

“Alright, if you insist I wear them, then I shall,” Emerald conceded. Sometimes, maybe it was better to just do as she was told, seeing as she was the alien here. “How much for all this?”

“I couldn’t ask you to pay, Emerald,” Jewel Pin waved her hand. “You’ve brought me so much business. That’s payment enough.”

“I couldn’t. You already gave me this cloak for free.” Emerald lifted it in her hand and held it out as far as she could. “I shouldn’t take more from you like that. You wanted to get to the nobility.”

“Yes, but I can do it without your bits, Emerald. Don’t worry. It’s fine, just take these. You’ve done so much already.”

“Are-are you sure?” Emerald didn’t want to fight a pointless fight if she could help it.

Jewel Pin nodded and returned to her table, picking up a pair of scissors. “See, I’ve already made it this far. I just need to be patient. You know, I grew up with nothing. We didn’t have much money or even food back in Trottingham.”

The spymaster remembered the little town she had helped Posey save from the clutches of their terrible sheriff. “You’re from Trottingham? I’ve been there. Small place.”

“Yes I was,” the seamstress said proudly. “I found my talent in making clothes and after years in this business, I made enough bits to buy this place here in the Loft District. It isn’t much, but I make do, so believe me when I say, I can wait a little longer. These clothes are my gift to you, Emerald. I don’t want to take your bits for these.”

“Okay. This doesn’t make you any less generous, Jewel Pin. Thank you.”

“Anytime, Emerald Edge,” Jewel Pin smiled and got back to work. “You’re fun to talk to. If you don’t mind, perhaps you could drop by from time to time?”

Emerald pushed open the front door and nodded. “Of course. Thanks again, Jewel Pin. It means a lot.”

Emerald Edge had left her old shirt and pants to dry back home before heading over to Canterlot Castle to meet Sir Morn Dread for another day of training. She had put one of the new sets of clothes, including the beige colored smallclothes that Jewel Pin said she should wear. Surprisingly enough, they were rather comfortable, even with her armor over it.

The Knight of the Round Table saw her first, waving to her as she jogged over to him. “Lady Emerald! I was about to look for you. I thought perhaps you were being held up by a pack of scoundrels.”

“Oh, nothing like that, Sir Morn,” Emerald chuckled at his assumption. “I just needed more clothes, so I went over to Canterlot Fabrics to get some.”

“Ah, then you are fine. That is good.” Sir Morn lead her over to the training grounds. “Shall we begin?”

“The sooner the better, Sir Morn.” Emerald whipped out her steel blade and got her stance ready.

Sir Morn Dread unsheathed Clarent, his famous blade, and held it at his side. “On your move, my lady.”

Emerald narrowed her eyes and dashed for the knight, her sword poised by her side, ready to lash out at Morn’s torso. This time, Sir Morn placed a foot forward, and bent an elbow out. Emerald reacted quickly, stepping out of the way, but Sir Morn’s other arm was already there. He caught her by the shoulder and kicked out her legs from under her. She would’ve fallen if not for his arm’s support.

“You have to watch your footing, Emerald,” the knight explained as he brought his blade close to her face. “An opponent can change his attack anytime. You need to watch out for more possibilities.”

Emerald gritted her teeth, recalling her old trainer in Equestria. “Yes, Sir Morn.”

“Let’s try again.” Morn let go of her and walked to the opposite side. “I will attack you from any angle I choose. Be ready to defend.”

The spymaster readied herself and waited, her eyes more alert than they have ever been. As royal spymaster, it was her duty to never be caught off guard. Emerald held her sword up firmly in both hands, ready for anything.

Morn came at her from the side, his blade swinging for her left arm. Immediately, she jerked her sword in that direction and parried it away, only for Sir Morn to rally and go for a stab instead. Emerald twisted her body and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blade tip. The knight moved almost impossibly fast. He turned his blade to the side and swung back, hitting Emerald’s back with the flat of the sword.

“Keep your guard up, my lady,” he admonished. “And move your feet more! Staying still on the battlefield will bring naught but death.”

Emerald panted and gave her sweaty face a good wipe. “I’ll keep that in mind…”

Emerald didn’t realize she wasn’t moving enough. That was a basic lesson her mentor had taught her: if you can’t move quick enough, you die. As a pegasus, she’d been used to her finer mobility; she had to apply the same to her human form. She mentally hit herself for not using any of her teachings to this fight.

“Again,” Sir Morn said as he walked back to his spot. “Remember, Emerald. The enemy will always try to catch you off guard.”

Sir Morn attacked again, slashing vertically at Emerald’s head. The spymaster parried up and quickly blocked to the right as Morn changed directions, meeting is blade in the middle with her own.

“That was good,” he smiled as they locked blades. “Do it again.”

The knight spun in a circle and attacked from the opposite direction, but Emerald was ready again, deflecting his blade. Morn came in and out again and again with Emerald able to block most of them. Those that she didn’t, she avoided, swaying and sidestepping with every fiber of her being.

The two clashed blades again, locking both their swords at the hilt, both fighters pushing against the other to try and gain leverage. Sparks flew as Morn Dread and Emerald Edge shoved, but then Emerald suddenly let go of her sword, ducking under Sir Morn as his momentum carried him down onto one knee. At the same time, Emerald flexed her forearm, the mechanism in her gauntlet clicking and unfurling one of her hidden blades against the back of Sir Morn’s neck.

“Ah, I had forgotten about those arm blades of yours…” The knight placed his blade on the ground. “Good move, my lady.”

“Thanks,” Emerald panted, reaching out to help Sir Morn back to his feet. “You weren’t half bad yourself.”

“Weren’t half bad?” Sir Morn asked with a chuckle. “You’ve just gained more of my respect, Emerald. You are indeed a good spymaster.

“Lady Emerald, you just defeated, in a duel, one of the Knights of the Round Table. I think you really do have a chance in the upcoming tournament.”

“That she does, Sir Morn,” a voice sounded from Emerald’s right.

Emerald turned to see a knight with light green skin walking over, helmet under one arm.

“Sir Ganeighn.” Morn walked over and gave the knight a clap on the back. “She’s got a chance alright. Ah, my lady, let me introduce Sir Ganeighn, another of the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Ganeighn, this is Emerald Edge.”

“Charmed,” Sir Ganeighn bowed to Emerald. “I was watching your contest from afar; you have some uncommon skill, my lady. Nothing like what I’ve seen before in the kingdom of Canterlot.”

“She’s not local,” Morn Dread quickly added.

“Hmm, I thought not. I think I’d remember meeting such a dame before today,” Ganeighn chuckled to himself before composing his face into a more serious expression. “Although I’d love to stay and chat, I must borrow Sir Morn for a moment. Knightly business, you understand.”

“Oh, sure,” Emerald nodded. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Sir Morn returned her nod. “Take a break for now. We shall resume practice when I return.” He waved and left with Sir Ganeighn, walking back up to the castle.

“Thanks. I’ll be here,” she smiled and sat down on the grass, sliding her sword into its scabbard. Emerald sighed, idly plucking a dandelion from the grass and turning it over in her fingers. Even now, she was fascinated by her new digits, how much better than hooves they were at manipulating objects.

Emerald got to work on her lunch, opening the bag to retrieve her waterskin and a loaf of bread. Unstoppering the waterskin, the former pegasus took a long, deep drink of the faintly grass-tasting liquid.

Halfway through her second draught of water, Emerald became aware of someone approaching from the direction of the Mages’ Tower. It was the muse, Sonata Dusk, skipping along the path toward Emerald with a covered wicker basket under one arm.

“Hiya, Emerald!” she greeted once the former pegasus was within earshot. “You hungry?”

“Hello, Sonata,” Emerald greeted as she pulled out her loaf of bread. “I am. That’s why I have this.”

“Psssh.” Sonata made a weird face, but shot a hand into her basket, returning with a small pie of sorts. “Wait till you try some of Moon Tide’s food. She made some specially for you after seeing you working so hard everyday.”

“For me?” Emerald looked between her breadloaf and the pie, but it was no contest. She replaced the loaf back in her bag and gratefully accepted the pie from Sonata. “It’s not meat or anything, is it? I can’t eat meat.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Sonata waved a hand across Emerald’s worry. “Moon Tide knew that. She put peas, corn, and tomatoes in this one.”

Not wasting another second, the former pegasus dug into her pie, her face emerging from it a few seconds later with a look of happiness. It was sweet with the peas and corn, yet the tomatoes added a savory aftertaste. The pastry was thick and crunchy. “This. Is. Really. Good.”

“Told ya,” Sonata snickered and took one for herself. “Oh, and I’ve got drinks too.” The muse brought out a bottle of reddish liquid. “It’s juice. Adagio made this one. I think it’s carrot.”

“Wow,” Emerald said while chewing. “What’s the occasion?”

Sonata placed a finger to her cheek as she thought about it. “I dunno. I guess Moon Tide just wanted to be nice, so I thought I’d come out here to hang out, you know?”

“Oh, sure.” Emerald continued on her meal. “I don’t mind the company. Sir Morn Dread had to go deal with something, so I’m all by myself.”

“Is it tough? Training, I mean. Adagio said you aren’t from around here, so I don’t know how you’re getting used to it.”

“I’m doing alright.” Emerald wiggled a hand, watching the fingers squirm like little worms. “These still disgust me a little, but don’t get me wrong, they’re incredibly useful.”

“So you’re entering this tournament for the shield they keep up in the castle,” Sonata rested her head on a hand as she to munched on her second pie. “Then after that you’ll be taking it home? Back to your world?”

Emerald nodded as she poured the juice into two cups. “Yes. I have to get back as quickly as I can before Sombra wrecks the entire empire. About learning how to use the artifact, I think I can figure it out on the way back.”

“Hmm,” Sonata seemed to pause mid-bite. “But,” she said, holding up a finger. “Do you have a way back?”

“I…” Emerald never thought about it, but she remembered Light Speckle saying something about the mirror overloading before she tossed her through. Could she still go back the same way she came in? “I don’t know, Sonata. What I remember is that the mirror opens every thirty moons. Maybe I can get back through to the regular mirror? The one I took to get here was a prototype. I guess I won’t really know until then.”

“That’s too bad.” The muse seemed disappointed. “Well, I hope you find a way home, Emerald. You can’t let that meanie ruin your world.”

“Yeah, you can bet I won’t let him win.” Emerald looked to the sky with fierce determination. “He killed my friends, Sonata. I won’t let him kill anypony else.”

Sonata reached over and patted Emerald on the back. “I’m sorry to hear all that. If there’s any way we can help, we’d be happy to.”

“Well… There’s no way I can just take the shield, is there?” Emerald decided to try asking.

“I’m pretty sure we can sing the guards to sleep,” Sonata said. Then she widened her eyes for a second before letting out a nervous laugh. “That was a joke, by the way. Ha, I mean, I wish we could do that. You could always take the shield, I guess, but you’ll become a wanted criminal. Bad idea.”

“True…” Emerald sighed and looked down. There really was no alternative but to participate in the upcoming tournament and win. Even if she ran, there was no way of finding out if the portal still worked until the right time. “I really hope I can win. Sir Morn believes in me, but I don’t know.”

“We believe you can do it, Emerald,” Sonata said with a mouthful of pie. “You’re different. Not like most people around here. All you have to do is beat Sir Morn a few more times during your training and you’ll be fine!”

“You saw that?”

Sonata panned a hand around the expansive castle grounds. “I’m pretty sure a lot of people saw it. You better believe some of the knights have their eyes on you.”

“Ugh, great…” Emerald buried her face in a hand. Maybe she should’ve gone a little easier on the good knight. Letting your enemy analyze your fighting style and skills was very high on Emerald’s ‘not to do list’. “Maybe I can request a more private training space?”

“I don’t think there is one, Emerald.” Sonata thought hard. “There are a few indoor courtyards, but those are usually taken up by knights in training.”

“Do you think they’d let me? I mean, I am being trained by a Knight of the Round Table.”

“You could always ask Sir Morn,” Sonata shrugged. “Remember, I’m just a muse. I won’t have all your answers.”

“Well, speaking of Sir Morn…” Emerald turned her head to the direction the knight had gone. “I wonder what’s so important. He still isn’t back yet.”

Sonata shrugged happily. “No idea, but it must be important. If it wasn’t, they’d have gone to the not-Knights of the Round Table.”

“Oh. So what do the other knights do here, Sonata?”

“Well, for the most part they protect the kingdom, or go on quests with the Knights of the Round Table. They’re a step up from the local townsguard, but not quite in the same league as Sir Morn and his brothers in arms.”

“Huh,” Emerald said pensively. “Sonata, how does one become a Knight of the Round Table?”

Sonata bounced happily. “Oh, I know this one! It’s said that the Knights of the Round Table are handpicked by the king himself, after he’s seen a demonstration of their valor and skill in combat.”

“So… a Knight of the Round Table can be anyone?”

“Not just anyone,” Sir Morn’s voice came drifting toward them from the castle, Sir Ganeighn in tow. “A knight must be chivalrous, brave, and skilled to join our ranks! Were you thinking of applying, my lady?”

Emerald blushed. “Oh, no, not really. I was just curious.” She downed the last of her meal and stood up, readying her sword. “So, are we ready to go again?”

“Forgive me, Emerald.” Sir Morn bowed, a look of urgency scrawled across his handsome grey face. “We’ve received reports that druids had entered Canterlot. When we found out, they fled, but not before taking some of our people with them. Likely for sacrifices. I must go retrieve them, your training will have to wait.”

“Druids?” Emerald raised an eyebrow. What in the world is a druid?

As if reading her thoughts, Sonata raised a hand and hopped on the spot. “I know, I know! Druids are like evil mages, Emerald. They’re not nice and they prefer dark magic!”

“Dark magic…” Emerald easily thought back to Sombra and his glowing green eyes and purple smoke. “Sir Morn, allow me to accompany you.”

“My lady?” The knight shook his head. “I cannot. Tis too dangerous for you.”

“I can hold my own,” Emerald insisted, lifting her sword. “You’ve been teaching me. Let me put it to use. Besides, I have these too.” Emerald unsheathed a hidden blade.

The former pegasus stared into the knight’s eyes until he could look at them no longer. “Very well, my lady. You may accompany me, though if things look bad, you leave me and run.”

Emerald wasn’t having any of that, but nodded. At most, she wasn’t going to give things a chance to go bad. “As you say, Sir Morn.”

“Then we must be off,” he began walking for the stables. “The people need us.”

13 - The Druids

“Are you sure you wish to accompany us, Emerald?” Sir Morn Dread asked again and he slid Clarent into its scabbard. “You do not have to.”

“She’s coming?” Sir Ganeighn asked bemusedly. “Are you sure you are up for it, my lady?”

“Look, I can handle myself, Sir Ganeighn,” Emerald almost yelled at him. “I’m coming. I can help.”

Ganeighn looked to Morn, but the blue haired knight gave him a confident nod and slipped a silver helmet on. “I trust her.”

“As you say, Sir Morn.” The blonde haired knight shot up both hands. “Then we had better go. The faster the better.”

Both knights got on the backs of their respective horses before Sir Morn helped Emerald up onto Windspeed. They steadily rode out of Canterlot castle, heading down the busy streets towards the front gates.

“Do the people know what happened?” Emerald was amazed to see the townsfolk going about their day like nothing had happened.

“Not all of them.” Sir Morn shook his head. “I’m afraid word gets around slowly. It was unfortunate that we could not stop the druids in time.”

“We’ll get them, Sir Morn.” Emerald placed a hand on his arm. “We’re not letting them get away with this.”

The knight breathed in deeply and smiled. “No we shall not, Emerald.”

The trio had only just arrived at the front gates when Emerald heard someone calling her name.

“Emerald? Where are you going?”

Emerald turned her head to see who had spoken, brushing a lock of her hair out of her eyes as she did so. Looking down, Emerald beheld an alabaster-skinned man in simple chainmail armor and a round helmet, carrying a halberd.

“Did… did you call for me?” she asked the man as Sir Morn stopped Windspeed by the gates.

The stranger squinted at Emerald, his eyes clearly going to her sparkling hair before averting his gaze, muttering, “No. Nevermind, I was mistaken.”

“Well… Alright.” Emerald wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. Thankfully, seeing as the conversation was over, Sir Morn set off again, taking Emerald away from the gates as his horse increased its speed. “Sir Morn, do you know who that was?”

Sir Morn shrugged, not an easy gesture to do when in full plate. “Twas but a simple guardsman, my lady. The king employs hundreds of them.”

“Oh. I see.” But puzzlement remained on her face.

“But as for how he knew your name…” Sir Morn said. “Perhaps he knows of you from our adventure in Trottingham. You made quite a name for yourself there.”

“Yeah…” Emerald pushed away the nagging voice in the back of her head, focusing once more on the mission at hand. “Yeah, that must be it.”

Emerald Edge held on tight to Sir Morn Dread as Windspeed continued to gallop through the forests of Canterlot, following tracks left behind by the druids, or at least, they hoped these were druid tracks.

A few kilometers back, the mass of footprints in the dirt ground had veered off track, heading off road to the nearby Shetlands Forest. From there, they had lost the druid’s direction, but luckily enough, someone else had seen them.

Posey sat on the back of Sir Ganeighn’s horse, her bow already in hand in case they spotted their targets. It took some convincing to get Sir Ganeighn to believe Posey was on their side, but in the end, the knight simply agreed, stating it was wiser to stop the druids first.

“That way.” Posey pointed through a shrub. “Gabriel’s following them now. This way.”

“Who is this Gabriel?” Ganeighn questioned as their horses headed deeper into the forest.

“Eagle,” Sir Morn explained. “A friend of hers.”

“Right. Eagle.”

“So, Sir Morn…” Emerald quickly changed the subject. “These druids. What do they do?”

“Practice dark arts, my lady. Magic that is forbidden by the Mages’ Tower. Once, they poisoned an entire town with the touch of their hands. Dangerous people, but we knights can handle them.”

“Don’t forget the human sacrifices,” Sir Ganeighn added grimly. “They think it gives them more power.”

Emerald shook her head in disgust. Back in Equestria, though they had dark magic, she’d never heard of anypony sacrificing their own to gain more power. That just sickened her to the core.

“They shouldn’t be going far,” Posey remarked as the horses leaped over a rock. “They have a big group. They’ll need to rest somewhere, unless their site is close.”

“Like… How big?” Emerald asked. Know your enemy was a maxim that every soldier in the Crystal Empire had drummed into them, and Emerald was no exception.

“A few men in robes, maybe eight or nine, the rest are likely mercenaries or barbarians, numbering at least ten. Then the hostages too. There’re four of them.”

“That’s… a lot of bad guys…” Emerald immediately figured a frontal assault wasn’t going to work. It was time she put her spy skills to work in this world. “Sir Morn, if I may. I think a sneak attack would work much better.”

Sir Morn seemed to pause at the thought. “I must admit, our strength does not lie in subtlety. We knights fight proudly, with honor.”

“A sneak attack?” Sir Ganeighn pushed up the visor of his helmet and frowned. “Most unorthodox.”

“But even knights like you cannot possibly take on so many enemies at once!” Emerald tried to reason with them. Charging straight into this wasn’t going to have a good outcome.

“Emerald’s right,” Posey offered. “Attacking head on is more of a risk, especially if these druids are dark magic users like you say.”

“Tis fine, my ladies,” Sir Morn reassured as he led Windspeed down a small slope. “We knights have dealt with druids before.”

“Indeed,” Sir Ganeighn said. “Troublesome lot.”

Emerald was going to argue more, but Posey interrupted her. “Then we should work on two fronts. Emerald and I can hide ourselves while you knights move to distract them.”

“Us, as distractions?” Sir Ganeighn said, his brow creasing. “What exactly are you planning, archer?”

“Showing them all our numbers at once is a bad tactic.” Posey went on to lecture the knight she was sitting with. “Sometimes, that’s what gets you knights killed. Getting a good idea of your enemy and planning a good sneak attack against them are less risky than just charging in there expecting your sword to do all the work for you.”

Ganeighn looked pensive. “You speak with some semblance of truth, archer. Very well.”

“Good choice, sir knight.” Then Posey suddenly took the reins from him and pulled his horse to a stop. The knight looked back with a frown. “Gabriel’s found them. They’re just ahead. I suggest we move on foot.” She was the first off the horse, gliding through the forest undergrowth, almost disappearing in the sea of green.

“That was… fast.” Sir Ganeighn blinked, trying to see if she was still there or not. “Well, let us go then. We don’t want to lose track of that archer.”

The three remaining members of the party wasted no time following Posey through the underbrush, the two knights struggling to keep their footfalls as silent as possible. Soon, they saw Posey, crouching half-concealed in a large bush, her bow out and ready.

Just under the hill they were standing on, a sizeable group of humans had based themselves next to a large circle of rocks in a small clearing, strangely devoid of trees. Emerald figured that spot must have been man-made.

“This is a good position,” Posey said without turning. “We can stay here without them seeing us. Sir Morn, Sir Ganeighn. It would be best if you approach from that side.” Posey pointed to the rocks. “That way, their backs will be to us.”

“You certainly give a lot of orders for a peasant,” Ganeighn sighed, but got up. “But for now, it will do.”

Sir Morn followed the other knight off, leaving Emerald alone with Posey as they spied on the pack. The spymaster counted nine humans in brown robes, which must be the druids. The rest of their group had what looked like thick cloth and metal plates all around their bodies, and most of them carried axes or clubs with a shield strapped to most of their arms. What caught her attention were the citizens of Canterlot, seated in the middle, their hands tied up behind their backs and their mouths gagged with cloth. One of them was a very familiar face to Emerald.

“They’ve got Jewel Pin!” she hissed to her friend. Posey waited for her to explain the statement. “She sells clothes in Canterlot. She’s a good friend. We need to save her. We need to save them all fast!”

“Alright, alright, calm down, Emerald.” Posey placed a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “Rushing in like the knights wanted isn’t going to do us any good. We wait and see. Then we strike.”

Emerald exhaled through her nose. Her friend was right; she had to be careful about this, otherwise they would just place Jewel Pin and the other villagers in greater danger. “All right, Posey. What’s the plan?”

“We wait on Sir Morn Dread once more.” The vigilante nocked an arrow in her shortbow and waited, lifting it slightly into the air.

And they didn’t have to wait long.

Most of the group below suddenly turned in the direction of the rocks as Sir Morn and Sir Ganeighn emerged from the shadows of the treeline.

“We have come to rescue our people!” Sir Morn declared loudly, drawing Clarent from its scabbard.

“Relinquish them to us at once and no blood will be spilt today,” Sir Ganeighn drew his own blade and pointed it at the hooded humans.

Immediately, the rest of the group turned to face the two knights, the mercenaries’ hands jumping to the hilts of their weapons. The druids took a step toward each other, drawing long, curved knives.

“Looks like negotiation’s not going to work with these guys…” Emerald gritted her teeth. “Why did I believe otherwise? Shall I move in now? I think I can get down there without being seen.”

“If you think you can get closer without drawing attention, then try,” Posey nodded and pulled back on her bowstring. “I’ll wait to see if I can take out the leader of this group.”

Emerald began her descend, grabbing the rocks below her feet before sliding herself off the hill, placing one foot on more rocks below.

“Why don’t you knights return to Canterlot?” she heard a voice say below. “Today, the Fir Laimhe Liath will have their sacrifices! You shall not take them from us. Begone or face our dark magic!”

Emerald got to a good angle to turn herself around, facing the group of druids. She stepped down to the next rock, careful not to place too much weight into her foot. She didn’t want her greaves clanging off the rocky surface.

“We fear neither blade nor spell,” Sir Ganeighn proclaimed. “This is your last chance; surrender and I swear you will be treated fairly. Resist, and we will use force.”

“Then let us begin,” the druid in front said. From what Emerald could tell, the man seemed to be aged as his back was bent; she also caught sight of a long faded grey beard hanging out of his hood. “You knights can add to our sacrifices.”

Three of the mercenaries stepped around the druids and raised their weapons. One had a two handed axe, while the other two had clubs and shields.

“Show them your strength!” the old druid yelled in a hoarse voice. “Let them feel our power!”

Emerald got down to the lowest rock as the first mercenary’s axe clashed with Sir Morn’s blade. The knight parried the axe aside and cut a long carve up its owner’s side, who fell to the ground. Emerald held her breath as the other two rushed him, lifting their wooden clubs way over their heads. Morn stepped forward and drove Clarent’s pommel into the first man’s face before spinning in a circle, cutting the second across his shield, sending him back a step. The first mercenary recovered just in time for Sir Ganeighn to step in and elegantly stab him in the gut with a two-handed thrust.

“Behold our magic!” one druid yelled and tossed a vial of yellow liquid at the remaining human.

The glass shattered against the man’s head and nothing seemed to happen. Emerald Edge was just about to ambush them from behind when the man up front began shouting out like a deranged donkey. Without warning, he attacked Sir Morn again. The knight cut down with his blade, which the mercenary blocked with his shield, but something had changed. Emerald watched on in horror as the mercenary pushed his shield out, sending Sir Morn stumbling back a few feet.

“What?” The knight didn’t believe it himself.

He didn’t have time to ask more questions as the man came again, smashing his club down against Morn’s blade. The sword met with the metal spikes of his enemy’s weapon, but the man pushed down, forcing Morn into a bad position, unable to push back. It looked as if his strength doubled from that vial the druid tossed at him.

“What sorcery is this?” Sir Ganeighn joined in, stabbing his sword at the mercenary, only for his weapon to be deflected by his shield.

“Dark magic!” the druid cackled. “An bua againn anseo!”

The mercenary roared again and pushed Morn lower, at the same time, bashing out with his shield to deter Ganeighn.

Emerald didn’t want to see anymore of this. She hopped down to the soft grass below and stealthily approached the closest unsuspecting mercenary; all their attention was taken by the struggling knights in front.

Unsheathing a single hidden blade, the spymaster drove it into the small of the man’s back, at the same time, reaching a hand forward, clamping it over his mouth to stifle his screams. His body soon went limp in her arms as she slowly brought him down to the grass without a sound.

One down…

Then she was on the second mercenary, a woman, doing exactly the same thing. The woman didn’t even struggle as her body fell beside her dead comrade.

Two…

Unfortunately, the next target turned around, shouting in alarm before brandishing an axe and shield. The rest of the mercenaries turned to face the spymaster, all of them pulling out their weapons.

“What?” One of the druids looked around his shoulder. “Deal with her.”

Just then, an arrow flew out from behind Emerald, lodging in the druid’s chest, sending him tumbling down.

“Careful, Archdruid Duchan!” one of the mercenaries warned.

“There are more of them!” the bearded one, Duchan, yelled as he and the remaining hooded figures picked up shields and faced them in Emerald’s direction. “Kill them all!”

Drawing her sword, Emerald parried up as the first mercenary swung his axe at her. She weaved left and jabbed her blade into his right shoulder, earning his grunt. Parrying the next strike, Emerald cut at him twice, drawing blood before blocking another attack. She raised the sword to finish him when a vial burst against the back of the mercenary’s bald head.

Uh oh.

The man’s face started contorting before he let out a scream of rage and charged at Emerald. She dodged behind him as his axe slashed into the spot she was just standing on, sending bits of soil up into the air.

Emerald took her chance and slashed at the mercenary’s back with her sword. Instead of falling, the man simply regained his posture and swung his axe in an arc, forcing Emerald to block down with her own blade. The impact rattled her arm bones and sent her a good distance away as she struggled to maintain her footing. She was so concentrated on keeping her feet secure on the ground that she almost missed a club falling towards her head.

Unable to react in any other way, Emerald dropped her sword and kicked back, flinging herself as far as she could to avoid the blow, which missed her by inches.

“You’re not getting away that easy,” the mercenary smirked and approached her, kicking her sword away from her reach.

He was about to attack again when an arrow sprouted out of his neck, just above the plate armor. It went right through and impaled itself in a tree beyond the clearing. His eyes rolled back as he fell to the dirt ground before Emerald, dead.

“Get that archer!” she heard a druid yell as more yellow vials were thrown against the remaining mercenaries.

All roaring at once, four mercenaries ran to the rocks where Emerald had come down from, while one stayed to face the spymaster. Emerald was unable to go for her sword, but she still had a surprise of her own. Running forward, she gracefully ducked under the mercenary’s club before activating both hidden blades. Seeing as these ‘intoxicated’ humans seemed immune to pain, Emerald looked to hit somewhere vital. Even if they couldn’t feel it, a vital spot would probably still kill them.

Leaping up, Emerald planted a kick to the man’s knee before driving both blades into the center of his chest multiple times. He still managed to stagger forward, swinging his club around aimlessly, but soon, even an enhancement like that couldn’t defeat death.

Stepping away before he could fall on her, Emerald turned to face the remaining mercenaries. Unfortunately, they had all vanished, meaning they were up there somewhere with Posey.

Just hold on, Posey. I’m coming!

Before she could even place a foot on the rocky ladder, the vigilante darted out from the brush above, hopping down the rocks quickly, almost colliding into Emerald.

Only when they were both down did the spymaster notice Posey was cradling her left arm. “Are you alright?”

Posey managed a smile, but winced. “I think it’s broken. One of them got me with a club, but I managed to take down two of them.”

Emerald retrieved her sword and held it out for the archer. “You know how to use this?”

“It’s better than nothing,” she said and took it in her good hand. “How are the knights faring?”

Sir Morn kicked down the now armless mercenary and plunged his sword straight through the man’s chest, finally ending their fight. “We are faring well, my lady!”

“Pitiful knights,” Duchan coughed at them, brandishing a brown bag. “The mercenaries would have been a better way to go.”

“Surrender, druids!” Morn barked at them. “This does not need to end in bloodshed.”

“Oh, but it has to,” one of the druids sneered, pulling one of the Canterlot citizens forward as she tried to scream through her mouth gag. “We need their blood.”

“What are you going to do with them!” Emerald shouted from behind, extending both her hidden blades by her sides. Barbaric roars took back her attention as two of the mercenaries from before returned, leaping off the hill in a single drop, handing in a crouch by the bottom. “Ready, Posey?”

“Lady Emerald!” Sir Morn called, but he was intercepted by the druid holding the citizen. “What are you doing?”

“Once we show you what we can do, you knights might want to rethink your answer…” Duchan bent back in laughter as he opened his brown sack. Dipping his gloved fingers in, they came out covered in a fine, red dust. Backing up against the hostage, he dragged the tip of his finger on her arm, and where the powder touched, angry red boils popped up. The hostage screamed into her gag, struggling against the ropes that bound her.

Emerald witnessed the powder’s effects as she stabbed a blade into the first mercenary’s side. Unfortunately, it barely had any effect as the man continued swinging his axe.

“Behold!” Duchan guffawed, rubbing a bit of the powder between two fingers.

“Stop that!” Ganeighn ordered, taking a step forward, but the knight made sure to remain out of throwing reach.

“Make me,” the druid sneered, before pulling the hostage’s gag down and throwing a handful of powder in her face.

The effect was immediate. The woman’s screams died down into a series of dry heaves as the powder ravaged her lungs, then she closed her eyes and slumped down, dead.

“You scoundrels!” Sir Morn grabbed tightly to his sword and charged at the druids. The knight thundered toward the group, his sword a silver blur as it claimed one of their number. Sir Morn spun, slashing at a second, and then Duchan’s fingers were closed around the knight’s throat, slipping in the gap between his helmet and his breastplate.

Emerald gasped as she stabbed one mercenary in the neck. “No!”

Sir Morn had grown quite still, frozen in place. One by one, his fingers loosened on Clarent’s grip, the sword falling to the forest floor.

Duchan sneered, his mouth opening to say something, then Sir Morn’s gauntleted fist came whistling through the air, smashing into Duchan’s jaw and sending him flying.

Posey stabbed the second mercenary in the chest as Emerald held the man down with both hidden blades in his boots, dropping the last mercenary. She faced Emerald and yelled, “Go. Help them.” Then she tossed the spymaster her sword back.

Emerald ran over as Sir Morn hauled Duchan to his feet. The other druids readied their daggers, but approached the knight warily.

Shock was written all over the druid’s face. “Impossible! You should be writhing at my feet!”

Sir Morn punched him again, this time knocking out a tooth. “Shut your mouth, fiend! Ah, good. Lady Emerald. Take that bag and throw it in the fire. I’ll tolerate no more of his witchcraft today.”

“Kill them!” the archdruid yelled, pulling out his own knife from his robes. Without looking, the knight reached down and grabbed the blade, twisting the knife from Duchan’s grip before punching him a third time.

“Stop! Stop! No more…” the old druid croaked and raised a feeble hand. Without warning, he lifted Sir Morn’s visor and jammed a gloved finger with leftover dust into Sir Morn’s eye, forcing him to let go with a startled gasp. “Nimhe, Galar! Smoke! Now!”

Two of the druids stepped forward and tossed down round spheres which sent up a cloud of black smoke on impact just as Emerald leaped at them with her sword.

She gagged and covered her nose, dropping to her knees as she fought to keep the smell from her nose and mouth. The stench was comparable to that one time she’d been forced to infiltrate a castle via the sewers; it had taken a week to wash out the smell.

By the time the smoke cleared, all of the druids had disappeared. Emerald heaved a sigh of relief: the battle was over, and the hostages safe. She stood up and moved to the hostages, cutting their bonds and removing their gags.

“Oh, thank you, Emerald!” Jewel Pin pulled the spymaster into yet another crushing hug. “I thought they were going to kill us! The way they killed Flower Wind… Dreadful!”

“They probably were,” Ganeighn grunted, putting his sword away once he was sure the coast was clear. “But they were no match for us, eh?” He clapped Posey on the back, earning a blush from the archer.

Sir Morn walked over to Emerald, his visor up and one hand clamped over his eye. He gave her a strained smile.

“Good work today, my lady,” he said, “We showed those druids a thing or two.”

“Sir Morn! Are you alright?” She removed his helmet to check on his eye and neck. There were dull red rashes around his neck, though nothing to the extent of the poor villager the druids had killed. “You’re burnt, but somehow… it didn’t affect you the same way. Does it hurt?”

“It most certainly does hurt, but I’m not going to let that get in the way. A Knight of the Round Table can take a bit of pain. Besides,” he added. “Mother will have us all right as rain, once we get back to Canterlot.”

“Yeah…” Emerald remembered the mage’s potions. They had worked wonders for her leg. “Can she fix a broken arm too? Posey won’t be able to get around on her own like that.”

“I’m sure mother can do something about her arm,” Sir Morn re-affixed his helmet. “Come on then; let us ride to Canterlot!”

14 - A Brief Respite

“Now, just soak that in the bowl for a couple of hours, and try to avoid lifting heavy objects for a day,” Moon Tide instructed Posey. The archer sat at a table in the Mages’ Tower, her broken arm immersed in a thick bowl of healing mud.

“So this’ll… this’ll have my arm moving again in just one day?” Posey couldn’t believe what she had heard.

“Trust me, Posey.” Emerald Edge placed a hand on her shoulder. “Moon Tide works magic.”

The mage laughed. “Why, thank you, Emerald. I put my blood into my work, and I find it usually pays off. Now, on to Sir Morn here…”

Moon Tide deftly removed Sir Morn’s helmet, handing it to Emerald before leaning in to examine the knight’s burns.

“Well, this doesn’t look too bad,” she mused. “Was the substance used to inflict this a dark red powder?”

“Yes, mother,” the knight replied. “They killed one of the townsfolk. I couldn’t stop them in time, but somehow, that powder didn’t affect me the same way.”

“Emberflower petals and pit scorpion venom.” Moon Tide glided to her shelves and retrieved three pots. One of them was uncapped to reveal dried moss, which the mage then mixed in with her mortar and pestle with some fine powders from the other two jars. Once the mixture was ready, she daubed the knight’s neck with the resultant grey paste.

“I’m sorry, mother,” Morn winced as the ointment touched his burnt skin. “I should have been more careful. As a Knight of the Round Table, I should know very well that mistakes can cost a life.”

“It’s alright, son,” the mage chuckled and continued applying the paste on Morn’s neck before moving to his eye. “I can heal most injuries, but I cannot bring back a life. Besides, you know how important you are to me.”

“Yes, I do, Mother,” the knight smiled and placed a hand on his mother’s cheek comfortingly. “Thank you.”

“How sweet,” Emerald giggled and looked at her reflection in Sir Morn’s shiny helmet. “You two must still be very close.”

“He’s my son,” Moon Tide replied. “He’s everything to me.”

Emerald and the others had returned straight to Canterlot after rescuing Jewel Pin and the other villagers. The three survivors were being treated at another table while Emerald, Posey and Morn had gone to Moon Tide, seeing as she was the knight’s mother. Sir Ganeighn, having returned with no injuries, decided to head for the castle, wishing the three goodbye.

“Moon Tide, I cannot thank you enough,” the pink haired vigilante said with her arm still in the bowl.

“It’s nothing, Posey,” Moon Tide placed a fresh line of bandage around Morn’s neck. “You’ve been doing good yourself out there. It’s a pity we didn’t know that sooner, it might’ve have saved you a lot of hassle.”

“Do not worry. Our circumstances might not always be easy, so it’s good to be prepared.”

“Good.” Moon Tide finished tending to her son and stood up. “So is everything alright? Do you need anything else?”

“Actually, I have questions,” Emerald sat by the archer. “Who are these druids and how did they get in and out without trouble? Have they done this before?”

“Sadly, yes, my lady,” Sir Morn looked down. “Tis not the first time our townsfolk have been taken.”

“And the red powder…” Moon Tide began mashing up more paste. “I only know one group that employs that. The Fir Laimhe Liath.”

“The druids did mention that name, yes,” Emerald placed a hand under her chin. “What do you know of them?”

Moon Tide pulled up another chair and sat herself down. “I believe they’re the biggest druid group out there. There have been reports of entire towns and villages dying over night, as if the whole town was poisoned. I believe these druids are the ones responsible. You see, poison is their specialty.”

“Their leader, Archdruid Duchan, is a dangerous man, but…” Morn smiled and flung a punch at the air. “He is not so scary in person. Also… I’m afraid our number of guards by the gate might not be enough, unless the druids employed their magic tricks to get in. I will begin questioning the guards tomorrow morning.”

“What if they come back soon?” Emerald began looking at the various scenarios. “Perhaps they might strike again, grab a few villagers, sacrifice them. You knights can’t keep going out to rescue people. Something has to be done.”

“And all in due time, my lady,” Sir Morn assured. “But a double of the guard requires consent from the king. I am but a Knight of the Round Table.”

Emerald sighed. There was nothing immediate she could do to make sure those druids never came back. “I see. You’re right, Sir Morn. We just have to hope the king will understand the plight of his people and see to their needs.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about King Dawn Saber,” Moon Tide laughed and placed her utensils back on her table. “I’m sure I can persuade my brother to do what you want.”

“Alright… Wait, your brother?” Emerald leaned back and widened her eyes. “The king is your brother?”

“Oh dear, did I fail to mention it…” Moon Tide clucked her tongue and placed a finger to her chin. “I am sorry, Emerald Edge. It seems that must’ve slipped my mind. Yes, King Dawn Saber is Morn’s uncle.”

“Wow…” Emerald marveled at that fact. “You’re the king’s sister, yet you stay here working on your magic and potions instead of living royally in the castle?”

“Helping people brings me more joy than sitting in the court,” Moon Tide smiled and straightened her circlet. “Besides, I have a thing for magic.”

“That you do, Moon Tide,” Emerald looked at the bowl Posey was resting her hand in. Then her stomach rumbled, letting out a strangled sound. “Oh, I am so sorry. I forgot it’s late. I think I had better go find something to eat before calling it a day.”

“Let me accompany you, Lady Emerald,” Sir Morn stood up and rubbed at his neck. “It shall be my treat.”

“Oh, you don’t have to, Sir Morn…” The former pegasus began unconsciously rubbing her arm. “I’m able to care for my own needs.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I wish to do so.” He flashed her a wide grin. “No meat, I remember. Shall we?”

“Well, i-if you insist…”

“I shall remain here with Posey and the others,” Moon Tide breathed in and made a small smile. “Enjoy your evening, you two.”

Leaving the Mages’ Tower, Sir Morn steered Emerald in the direction of Canterlot Castle. In the evening light, the sunset shone beautifully off the snapping pennants and flags.

“You haven’t yet been given a proper tour of the castle, have you?”

“The castle?” Emerald asked as she walked along side the knight. “Am I allowed there? I mean, for a meal?”

“Accompanied by me, you are allowed to go almost anywhere,” Sir Morn explained. “It’s one of the perks of being a member of the Round Table.”

“Interesting.” Emerald looked to two guards, lighting sconces along the walls as the light dimmed. “So what food does the castle provide, Sir Morn?”

“Why, anything you could possibly want! Roast boar on a spit, whole racks of lamb- ehehehe,” the knight caught himself. “That is to say, I’m sure the cooks can whip up something without meat in it for you. The king has the best cooks brought in from all over the kingdom.”

“Anything I could want…” Emerald thought back to a time where she could actually choose what she wanted to eat. She couldn’t remember it. “You know, I can’t remember… That’s strange. I mean, it hasn’t been that long since… Since Sombra.”

“This Sombra sounds like a detestable fellow,” Sir Morn frowned. “But let us not darken this day with unhappy thoughts. Let us abscond to the kitchens; maybe I can even introduce you to some of the other Knights of the Round Table while we’re there.”

“That would be nice.” Emerald followed along as they entered the castle itself. The former pegasus remembered this entrance when she came to see the king the last time.

They walked along the castle halls, lit only by the sconces along the top of the sides. Sir Morn Dread told Emerald about a time where he had found a band of escaped criminals on his quest for the grail. All by himself, he dragged them all back to prison.

“That is some tale, Sir Morn,” Emerald laughed, almost to the point of tears. “I haven’t met a warrior as valiant as you. That must’ve been some battle. Were you injured in any way?”

“I’ve suffered my fair share of injuries, my lady.” Morn touched his neck and eye. “But no serious injury. Maybe I am strong willed, or just lucky, but these don’t seem to stay long.”

Morn pushed open a wooden door, bringing a dining hall into view. Knights and guards sat at one of many wooden tables, drinking from metal mugs or digging into huge plates of meat, which almost made Emerald want to turn around and run. Banners of King Dawn Saber’s mark hung around the room, probably to remind the humans here who their king was.

The knight sensed her discomfort and placed a metallic arm around her shoulders. “Tis fine, my lady. I shall be with you. No meat shall be placed on your plate this evening. I shall request the best picks of the garden for you.”

“Th-thank you, Sir Morn…” Emerald’s cheeks lit up with a reddish color as they walked on, with many of the other humans in the hall looking at them. The spymaster couldn’t help but feel like she was drawing too much attention to herself.

Morn eventually stopped them at an empty table and gestured for Emerald to take a seat. “Remain here, my lady. I shall see to our dinner.” She nodded in understanding as the knight left through another set of wooden doors at the opposite end.

The green-skinned spymaster sat there, keeping herself busy by looking at her hidden blade holders. She could see them. The humans around her. They were looking at her, valuing her importance, her worthiness. They didn’t know who she was, what she was doing here. She felt very much out of place.

“Tis all set, my lady!” Sir Morn returned, sitting across from her. Emerald sighed with relief. At least he would be able to explain why she was here. “Your vegetarian plate shall be along shortly.”

“Thank you, Sir Morn, for always looking out for me.”

“Tis no trouble, Emerald,” he shook his head once. “Truth be told, I most enjoy our time together.”

“Oh, umm… well, I do enjoy these, yes…” The spymaster began adjusting her halfgloves. “But you know, the tournament. Once I win, I’ll have to find a way back to my world. I need to stop Sombra before it’s too late.”

“I have no doubt you will succeed, Emerald,” Morn tapped an armored finger on the table. “You are a fast learner. Once you get your artifact and find a way home, tis only a matter of time before that usurper falls to your blades.”

“Thank you, Sir Morn. It means a lot that you have so much trust in me. I’ve never operated so openly before. I’m usually the type who watches from a distance. This time, well, I have these…” Emerald wiggled all ten fingers in front of her.

“I’ve always had these,” the knight looked at his own hand. “So I think I would be behaving a lot differently if these were hooves instead.”

“Maybe...” Emerald began to feel more at ease. Talking always seemed to help out her nerves. “Perhaps if I find a way home, you’d like to come see it? When I came into your world, I became this, so maybe if you come into mine, you’ll be a pony like I was.”

“I am tempted to take you up on your offer, but I’m afraid my duty is here to the kingdom. Besides, I still have a grail to find.”

“It’s fine…” Emerald tried not to sound too disappointed. “Your actions are most needed by the king to keep these people safe after all. Could you tell me more about this grail?”

The grey-skinned knight looked up and rubbed at his chin. “Well, my lady, you already know it grants life to all who drink from it. There are many tales of this grand cup I hope to find. One is that an old knight of Canterlot still guards it with his life. Another is that it might’ve been hidden up high in the mountains, a border between our world and the next. My favorite tale is one where the grail was buried deep beneath the earth; protected by demons of shadow, kept hidden away so no one would ever use its power for their own gain.”

“Demons… Shadow…” Could it be these humans had the same stories of the ancient umbrum? “That does sound like a fascinating tale indeed.”

“It does. I have searched both high and low for this incredible object, but I have yielded no results as of yet. Not even a hint as to where it might be located. I have been told perhaps the grail is but a myth, but I refuse to believe that!”

“True, it does sound farfetched,” Emerald pondered. “But your world also has artifacts like the king’s sword and the tournament shield. I’ve seen their power and that is no myth.”

“Exactly, Emerald!” Morn almost slammed a fist on the tabletop. “There are things in this world that we are unable to explain, but seeing as Excalibur and the shield are from your world… Perhaps the grail might be as well. I shan't give up easily!”

“You have good patience, Sir Morn,” the spymaster chuckled. “I believe most others would’ve given up long ago.”

“I have my mother to thank for that. When I was younger, she used to tell me tales of the impossible, tales of vampires, witches, spectres, even dryads. I believe every bit of her word. There is much out there we do not know, my lady. I wish to see them all someday.”

“A life of traveling, huh? But you mentioned your duty is in Canterlot.”

“Aye, a knight’s duty is to his king and kingdom, but we are allowed to wander. To see the world and what it has to offer. We find lands, villages. Sometimes we offer the people protection, sometimes the option to join our society of trade.”

“Did Moon Tide wish for you to be a knight?” Emerald decided to ask.

“Nay, not at the start,” the knight shook his head, but smiled. “She wanted me to be a mage, just like her, but I had seen the knights and what they did. I told her I wanted to be just like them when I grew up.”

“Did she agree?”

“Most certainly, Emerald. She is kind and understanding. She allowed me to grow up to be anything I wanted to be. Thus, here I am, a Knight of the Round Table.”

“And one of the best knights.”

“Oh, you flatter me, my lady…” Morn looked to the right just as their food arrived.

Emerald’s plate was almost a garden itself. She had cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and corn. “Wow, Sir Morn…”

“I knew you would like it,” he pointed at it with his metal fork. “Don’t fret. You may eat.”

“Thank you again, Sir Morn.” Emerald blushed as she placed the first carrot slice in her mouth. The knight cared for her more than anypony. Perhaps after she beat Sombra, she would come back here, or at least to visit.

Sir Morn Dread was just about to dig into his piece of meat when another man in armor slapped him on the back, the metal resounding through the hall.

“Evening, Sir Morn,” the man grunted as he sat beside his fellow knight. He had wavy light blonde hair dropping down to his chin and a thin moustache and beard around his mouth. “And who is this beautiful lass seated with you? Do introduce.”

“Ah, Emerald, let me introduce Sir Lionheart, a fellow Knight of the Round Table.” Sir Morn wrapped an arm around the other knight’s shoulders and shook him. “Sir Lionheart, this is Emerald Edge.”

“Nice to meet you…” her cheeks continued to stay red. This wasn’t the first time somepony had said she was beautiful.

“My, oh my, your hair…” Sir Lionheart seemed to stare harder at Emerald, which wasn’t helping. “I have never seen hair like this. It is as though it reflects the very light in this hall. Brilliant.”

“Umm… thank you, Sir Lionheart…” The spymaster looked to Sir Morn for help.

“Lady Emerald is from far away,” Sir Morn added as he sliced his meat with a knife. “She does not like to talk about if you wouldn’t mind. And she would like it if you talk about something else.”

“Terribly sorry, my lady,” the knight seemed genuinely apologetic. “I did not mean to offend. I shall change the subject. The tournament draws near for a new winner to arise. Do I dare ask if you are entering?”

The spymaster simply nodded her head as her mouth was full.

“I had guessed so,” Lionheart clapped his hands together. “I shall be seeing you on the field, my lady. I take it Sir Morn has briefed you on what is to happen?”

“Oh.” She hadn’t thought about it till now; she was only focused on her training the whole time. “He hasn’t.”

“Tis simple.” The knight cleared his throat before starting. “Each competitor faces off against one opponent each. The winner advances, the loser leaves. Sometimes, there would be a double match, where two competitors team up against another set, but that is up to the king to decide. Simple as that. The champion receives the shield for the next five years.”

“Understood. Thank you, Sir Lionheart,” Emerald chewed on a leaf of cabbage.

“Always a pleasure to help a dame,” he smiled and straightened his moustache.

“Perhaps you could do me a favor, Sir Lionheart,” Sir Morn suddenly spoke up. “You see, Emerald is undergoing training, but her fighting style, it is unique. I would like to request usage of one of the training courts within the castle where she can train in private as to not let her opponents study her moveset.”

“Look no further,” Lionheart laughed. “I shall move my trainees to the courtyard until the tournament day.”

Emerald liked what she heard. She could finally practice away from the eyes of onlookers. As a spymaster, you should always have the element of surprise with your enemies.

“Thank you, Sir Lionheart,” Morn placed his now empty plate further from himself. “I shall see that Emerald gets the training she needs.”

“I wish you all the luck I can, my lady.” Sir Lionheart stood up to leave, but not before taking Emerald’s hand and planting his lips on the back of it. “Take care.”

The spymaster slightly remembered this gesture, but on hooves. For humans, it didn’t look as practical as it was for ponies. Maybe it was just her. She began rubbing at her hand.

“Do not worry, Lady Emerald,” Sir Morn played with his fork. “Tis just Sir Lionheart. He is… like that.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, Sir Morn. I’m just not used to talking to so many humans at one go. As a spymaster, I try to limit my contact, except with close friends.”

“Did you have many of those?” the knight asked.

“A few, not too much.” Emerald remembered the small squad of guards, and their captain, Jade Crystal. They were her friends, though not as close as she would’ve liked. They had shared meals together, laughed together, fought together, even to the last.

Then there was Light Speckle.

Light Speckle was her best friend. The princess’ court mage was usually by herself as well, cooked up in her tower with her spells and incantations. The spymaster wished she had talent to use them as well, but at least she had wings. Her wings have helped her on more than one mission, allowing her to stay high up while spying on others, or to escape a nasty situation.

Light Speckle was always nice to her, sometimes coming over to make jokes or to tell her how her magic was improving. Emerald loved listening to her and would sometimes tell her her own tales of being the spymaster.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” Sir Morn’s voice brought her back to her new reality. “You do not have to go on if this is still a touchy subject.”

Emerald only noticed she was tearing again at the memory of her friends. She raised a hand to wipe her eyes. “Sorry, Sir Morn. I don’t know… I think I still haven’t gotten over it.”

“Loss is not easy to overcome,” the knight reached out and held her hand. “It takes a lot of time. Sometimes, it never goes away.”

“Have you…?”

“Some,” he nodded sadly. “I shall remember them forever, as do the rest of the knights. They still follow us to battle in spirit.”

Emerald finished the last of her dinner and placed her utensils down. “Well, enough sorrowful talk. Perhaps we can head back to check on Posey, and that was fantastic dinner, Sir Morn.”

“Of course,” he got up and followed her. “Anything for you, my lady.”

“You are sure I can stay here for the night?” Posey asked sheepishly as Emerald turned her key in the lock for her door. Her arm was in a sling, given by Moon Tide to keep it from moving too much.

“I don’t see why not. It’s late, and I doubt you’ll be able to get back to the Shetlands fast enough. It’s better if you stay the night.”

“Well, I shall leave you here, my ladies,” Sir Morn stood at the door and waved. “I shall see you tomorrow for practice, Emerald.”

“Good night, Sir Morn,” Emerald smiled as he left the house. She found herself still looking at the empty doorway when Posey got her attention back. “Right, sorry, I have to get a space ready.”

“You like him, Emerald?” Posey asked as the spymaster got to taking extra sheets from her cupboard. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to… I’m just curious…”

“Like him? Oh no, no, you must be mistaken.” The former pegasus suddenly felt very flustered. “I’m just… I… I don’t know, Posey. I feel like perhaps it’s not the best idea to get started.”

“I don’t see any problem, Emerald,” Posey said, pulling her bandana closer over her eyes. “But it’s not my place to say. I don’t know what it’s like to be in a whole new world.”

“Yeah…” Emerald sighed as she placed a pillow on the floor by the bed. “Well, the bed’s yours for tonight, Posey. Your arm needs it.”

“But-”

“It’s fine. I’ve slept in worse places, believe me.”

“Thank you, Emerald,” Posey smiled and gave the spymaster a hug with her good arm. “You’re a good friend. Not everyone’s willing to help an outlaw like me like this.”

“The thing is… You weren’t an outlaw. You were helping the people.”

“People didn’t know that…” Posey made a grumpy face, which was still rather cute.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now,” the former pegasus said as she began removing her armor. “From here on out, things’ll be different for all of us. I’m going to make sure I win this tournament, then Sombra will pay dearly.”

Author's Note

I hope you all are enjoying this story so far! Just had a small announcement, both Cinders and I will be taking a short break to sort out a couple of real life issues. Thank you again for reading, and we'll get right back on updating as soon as we're done with our respective tasks. Cheers!

15 - The Tournament Begins

The remaining two weeks saw Princess Amore’s spymaster working herself hard, learning everything she possibly could before the tournament day.

Even her boss at the stables had given her the last two days off, allowing her extra time to prepare herself.

“Dodge, Em!” Spectrum Song cheered for the spymaster. “Left! No, right!”

“I know, Spectrum!” Emerald tried to concentrate, dodging under Sir Morn’s blade, only to plant her face in his chest at high speed. “Oof!”

“Do not let the crowds distract you, Emerald,” he explained as he helped her off of him. “On the tournament day, it’s going to be noisy. Do not let their voices affect your judgment.”

“Alright, I’ll try.” She turned to the young squire. “Spectrum, more noise!”

“Ho ho, you got it, Em!” The rainbow haired girl began shouting out all kinds of instructions. “Make that a left! You’re not going to be safe if you stand there! Go right! Jump! No, duck! Get him in the face, Em!”

It wasn’t easy, but the spymaster began tuning out her words as she fought to avoid Morn’s attacks, concentrating on his blade instead. Sidestepping, she shot her blade into Clarent’s hilt and twisted the sword out of Morn’s hand to the surprise of all three of them, including Emerald herself.

“Amazing swordsmanship, my lady!” the knight said, highly impressed. “Why, I never saw that coming!”

“That’s because I have an amazing teacher myself,” Emerald swung her sword to her shoulder.

The spymaster continued to practice everyday, getting quicker, stronger, and more importantly, used to her human body. She learnt the right amount of strength to use to hold her sword, she learnt how to get in and out quickly while delivering a few hits of her own, and she learnt how to fight using both her sword and her hidden blades simultaneously, though the latter was for emergencies only.

Finally, the day came as Emerald got out of bed and slipped her armor on. She had even taken a bath the day before so that her smell wouldn’t break her concentration in a fight. The former pegasus headed out of her home and crossed over to the castle where the tournament was going to be held, the sun still barely over the mountains.

For the first time since she started practicing, the castle’s courtyard was empty. They were all probably getting ready to participate in the tournament. A shield that could block just about everything? That sounded very lucrative.

Emerald was heading in when one of the guards stopped her. “Emerald, you’re taking part in the tournament?”

The guard had light brown skin and dark brown hair and she seemed to know who Emerald was, even though the spymaster didn’t.

Seems all these guards know me…

“Yes, I’m taking part,” she told the guard.

“Alright, but…” she eyed Emerald’s body from head to toe. “Where’d you get this armor? Aren’t you going to wear a helmet? Did you do something to your hair?”

“What?” Emerald was dumbfounded for a second. “I’ve always had this armor. Is something wrong with my hair?”

“Oh, umm… Good luck, then!” the guard smiled and jogged off, leaving Emerald confused.

Did all the guards know of her? Something weird was going on, but she would think about later. First, the tournament.

She arrived at the inner courtyards of the castle, looking at a crowd of humans gathered in the largest one. The crowds had already mostly found seats in the stands surrounding the fighting ring, the rest walking about to find good ones. She heard that there were different courtyards the challengers would be fighting in, so there were bound to be many more humans in the other ones, looking for seats.

Heading down to the stone steps in the direction Sir Morn had shown her, Emerald soon found the den where all the competitors were waiting.

Her favorite knight was the first to see her, immediately walking over to give her a pat on the back. “Excited, my lady? Your time has come to prove your skills.”

“More terrified, I think,” Emerald replied quickly. “People can die in these things, right? Do you have precautions?”

“Not to fear,” Sir Morn clasped a hand on her shoulder. “We have mages at the ready. We have not a single casualty in the last ten years.”

“That’s, uh, reassuring…” Emerald just noticed she was trembling. Going up against other fighters in front of a whole crowd of humans… It was a little too visible for her and went against too many of her learned principles.

The knight clamped harder on her shoulder, bringing her shaking down by a little. “Would you like a hug, Emerald? Those usually helped calm me down when I was younger.”

The spymaster thought about it, and… she didn’t see anything wrong with it.

“Yes, please,” she mumbled.

Emerald leaned into the knight’s warm embrace as he wrapped both armored limbs around her. Even though his armor was cool against her skin, she could feel the warmth radiating within. It was nice. If it wasn’t for the tournament and all the eyes looking at her, she would’ve wanted to stay like that longer.

“There,” the knight stepped back. “Feel better?”

“Slightly…” Emerald smiled warmly. “Thank you, Sir Morn. I’ll be sure to do my best.”

“I have no doubt you will, my lady,” Sir Morn turned and pointed to one of the exits. “Tis almost my turn. I shall see you here before the next round?”

“You will, Sir Morn,” Emerald answered confidently. There was no way she was going to fail here. The Crystal Empire depended on her victory.

Emerald Edge took a deep breath and shook her arms a few times before walking out into the courtyard where at least a thousand humans had gathered to watch her fight. Thankfully, it seemed that most of the humans were spread among the different arenas, so not the entire town was here to see her. Her battlefield was a squarish stony floor, with wooden planks built around the sides, leading up to the stands where the crowds sat in. She heard a human announce their names over some kind of voice enhancer, revealing that her opponent was a human called Lord Fiasco of Canterlot.

Just pretend they’re not there watching you… You’ll do fine, Emerald…

Her opponent walked out from a entrance on the opposite side, turning to face her. Emerald almost laughed when she looked at the human, but managed to stop herself.

Her opponent wore black armor with a black and purple tunic with a yellow lightning bolt over it. His helmet was cylindrical in shape and also black, but what stood out to the spymaster were the two horns sticking out of the top of the helmet; they looked like they had been attached on by string.

“Art thou ready to be defeated by me, Lord Fiasco?” the man shouted over to Emerald, unsheathing a long two handed sword from his back. “I shall smite thee.”

What is up with his words? Emerald pulled out her own sword and held it ready. This is it. The start to my return to Equestria.

A fanfare of trumpets sounded, signalling the fight to begin. Lord Fiasco wasted no time in lifting his sword above his head, charging straight for Emerald with a battle cry. The spymaster readied herself, but it was like the man was telling her exactly what he was going to do before he did it.

When he swung his sword, Fiasco pulled the blade back behind his head before swinging it down, giving Emerald all the time she needed to step away from his blow.

Wearing a face of shock, Emerald hopped back from a sideswipe, which also had a huge giveaway.

“Cease thy jumping!” Fiasco yelled at her, but continued to telegraph each and every one of his strikes.

“Are you done playing games?” Emerald couldn’t stand it anymore and asked him.

“Games?” the lord asked, clearly taken aback by the spymaster’s words. “How dare you!”

He charged at Emerald, pointing his blade tip for her uncovered head, screaming at her with all his strength. The spymaster stepped out of the way and grasped for one of his horns as he passed her. As soon as she pulled, the entire horn lifted from Fiasco’s black helmet, only kept attached by a string around his helmet’s base.

So it really is fake…

Emerald yanked hard, the string pulling hard on Fiasco’s head, sending him sprawling to the hard ground on his back.

“Unhand my horns of power!” Fiasco squirmed on the ground, for some reason, not getting back up.

“Horns of power?” Emerald looked at the squishy thing she held in her hand. “Nevermind, just concede and I shall spare you further humiliation.”

“Lord Fiasco never surrenders!”

“Well, you should,” Emerald pointed her blade down at his helmet, just between his eyes. “Concede and I won’t have to ruin your perfect hand-made helmet.”

“Never!” The stubborn man cut out at Emerald’s legs with his sword, but the spymaster hopped over it before bringing a greave down on top of his blade, trapping it.

“Thou art damaging mine sword!”

Emerald felt the urge to smack herself in the face, but resisted it. “You know, I don’t care. Why don’t you just give up. It’ll help us both, trust me.”

“Lord Fiasco never surrenders!” he cried again. Emerald cut him off when she stepped down harder, bending his arm back at a painful angle. “Ah! Mine arm! Okay, okay! I concede! I concede!”

“Good,” Emerald smiled and calmly stepped off and away from the man.

The crowd began cheering louder for the spymaster as Lord Fiasco continued to lie on the ground, holding his shoulder. The victory was clear. Emerald had won without having to injure the man, or even receive an injury.

Returning to the entrance she had come from, Emerald almost missed the lord getting back up on his feet, pulling a dagger from his boot, but she had slightly expected him to pull something like that.

Kicking back as hard as she could, Emerald caught Fiasco in the gut before spinning to the side, delivering a second kick to the man’s head, dropping him to the ground again, out cold.

“Thank you, Fiasco.” Emerald pivoted around and left the arena with the crowd cheering behind her.

“My lady, you did it!” Sir Morn Dread patted Emerald on the back. “How was it?”

“It’s not going to be this easy, will it?” She chuckled as they headed back to the waiting hall. “Lord Fiasco practically hit himself.”

“Oh, he was your opponent,” Sir Morn let out a small laugh. “I’m afraid the others will not be as easy as Fiasco. Truthfully, I do not know why he participates every time.”

“Huh… I take it you won yours, Sir Morn?”

The knight puffed his chest out and placed both hands on his hips. “Tis true. A mercenary named Blademuzzle was my challenge. He ran off with his tail between his legs.”

“He had a tail?” Emerald asked.

“Ah, no he did not.” Emerald looked confused for a second. “Saying someone runs away with their tail between their legs is a saying, my lady. Tis not meant to be taken literally.”

“Oh… I see…” Emerald smiled to try to look convinced.

“Well, I wish you all the luck on your second match,” Sir Morn checked on Clarent’s blade. “I believe it is my turn to go.”

“I’ll see you later, Sir Morn.” Emerald waved to the knight as he headed out through one of the exits, leaving her by herself. “Perhaps I shall go watch your match!”

The knight popped his head back around the corner. “Then I shall make sure to be at my best, my lady!”

Emerald headed out of the dens, going back up and and taking a staircase in the opposite direction. To get to the stands, she would have to cut through the central courtyard before heading up one of the stony staircases towards the inside of the castle.

She had only just arrived at the base of the steps when she heard a very familiar voice, calling behind her.

“Hello, miss, might Ah interest you in a couple ‘a apples?”

Emerald quickly turned to the side to see the smiling face of Honeygold, standing by an apple stand with her parents.

She ran up to the small girl and picked her up in a hug. “Honeygold! It’s so good to see you!”

“You too, Em!” the girl giggled as Emerald put her back down.

“Emerald Edge,” Golden Nugget whistled and walked over with his wife to embrace the spymaster as well. “Glad to see ya still up and about. Saw your first match. That was mighty fine.”

“What are you all doing back here?” Emerald asked. “Spectrum said you only come back every four months.”

“Young Spectrum forgot to mention the tournament visit. Ah guess we forgot to mention it too...” Apple Bean explained as she headed back behind the apple stand. “We come back every tournament, Emerald.”

“That’s good news!” Emerald pointed to the tournament stand entrance. “Well, I’m heading to watch Sir Morn’s fight. I’ll catch you three later. It’s so good to see you.”

“Likewise, Emerald,” Golden Nugget nodded and smiled.

“Honeygold, dear, why don’t ya go with Em?” Apple Bean placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Ah’m sure you’ll want to chat a bit.”

“Sure, ma!” the blonde haired girl beamed and bounced along to the spymaster. “Let’s go, Em!”

Emerald didn’t mind. Honeygold was never a nuisance to her. In fact, she really enjoyed the young girl’s company.

“So what’cha been up to, Em?” Honeygold questioned as she skipped alongside the spymaster. “Trainin’? Fightin’?”

“All that, yes,” Emerald chuckled as they reentered the castle. “Oh, and I did get to help save some people from these notorious druids. You ever seen them, Honeygold? Nasty humans.”

“Ah’ve heard o’ them,” the girl replied. “Heard they snatch people off the roads for them sack-ruh-fries thing. What d’ya suppose that is?”

“You don’t want to know, Honeygold.”

Emerald and Honeygold carried on back into the castle’s interior, heading along an open hallway towards the stands. The castle had similar architecture all over, making it hard to navigate, but being here the last few weeks, Emerald knew where she was going, no problem.

“So during the tournament you’re allowed to sell within the castle grounds?” Emerald struck up a new conversation. “Just you and your family?”

“We’re kinda like a snack stall,” Honeygold skipped along. “Like when people are hungry or thirsty, we’re here to help them out! The king allows this durin’ the tournament.”

“Interesting.”

After a few more corridors and two more staircases, Emerald and Honeygold arrived at the stands, merging in with the crowds of humans here to watch Sir Morn Dread’s fight unfold.

The knight himself was standing near, his back facing Emerald, sword already in hand and a helmet over his handsome face. On the opposite end stood a giant man, wearing almost nothing above his waist, his painted chest covered only by a small leather sling. He had a round shield in one hand and a double-sided axe in his other.

“Ooh, looks like a tough fight here, Em,” Honeygold vibrated excitedly. “But Ah’m sure Sir Morn’ll come up on top. He’s a really skilled knight.”

“Yeah, he sure is… Honeygold, are you sure you’re old enough to be seeing this?”

“Course Ah am, Em!” she raised an eyebrow in question. “People of all ages can come see the tournament. Is it not like that in your world?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Honeygold,” Emerald rubbed at her head. “I’ve never been to one of these.”

Emerald didn’t think foals or small humans would be allowed to see such acts of violence, but she’d had to learn a lot of new things in this world. This would just be another to add to that list.

“SIR MORN DREAD OF CANTERLOT, KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE…” Emerald watched a skinny human with a strange beard shout with his hands cupped around his mouth, amplifying his voice. Now she knew how they projected their voices so loudly. “AGAINST STRONGHORN THE TOUGH OF THE FROZEN NORTH!”

The large human called Stronghorn charged at Sir Morn, holding his axe way over his head, crying out wildly as he closed the distance with large footsteps. Sir Morn stood his ground, raising Clarent up into both his hands, ready for the fight. Before the giant man could swing down, Sir Morn had already moved, circling around his competitor so fast that the giant couldn’t stop himself from slamming the axe down into the dirt ground, spraying the air with sand.

“Stand still, ye wee man!” he grunted as he spun his axe in his hand and slashed sideways at the knight, who blocked with his blade. “And I’ll crush you in a jiffy!”

“No chance,” Sir Morn smiled and pushed back, ducking low when the man attacked again. He swung up and cut a bunch of golden hair from the man’s large moustache. “You are an excellent warrior, but I cannot let you win.”

“Aye, I’ll make sure ye eat your words, lad,” the burly man retorted. “No knight from your land has ever beaten the great Stronghorn the Tough!”

Emerald watched in anticipation as her favorite knight continued to clash steel with Stronghorn. She loved how calm and cool he was during the fight, even with an axe swinging down at his face multiple times. The man was at least a meter taller, but Morn had no fear.

“Gee, that viking sure is puttin’ up a good fight against Sir Morn,” Honeygold watched anxiously.

“Viking?” Emerald asked, not finding that word familiar. “What’s that? Are those big strong humans like him?”

“Oh gee, Em,” Honeygold scratched her head, but kept her eyes on the match. “Umm… Vikings are from up north. Don’t know much else, ‘cept that they like drinkin’ and fightin’.”

“That’ll do,” Emerald smiled and patted Honeygold on her head.

It was another minute of steel against steel when the big man suddenly bashed Sir Morn in the face with his shield before turning in a semi-circle and delivering a good cut across the knight’s helmet, knocking him back.

“Sir Morn!” Emerald yelled instinctively. If Honeygold hadn’t held on to her, she might’ve just run forward to help. Thankfully, it was way too noisy for too many people to hear her. “Is he going to be okay?”

“There’re mages around,” Honeygold pointed to an array of colorful robed humans decorating the arena. “They’ll get him all good again when the match is over.”

Emerald clasped her hands together as she continued to watch. Sir Morn had tossed his warped helmet to the side, revealing a long cut from one eyebrow to his cheek. Thankfully, it didn’t look too deep, but blood was already dripping down his face.

“Aye, you’re still up?” Stronghorn nodded his approval, but readied his weapon. “You’re a tough lad yourself. We should end this quick before you lose too much blood, eh?”

“I agree.” Sir Morn readied himself once more.

Emerald didn’t like how things were looking, but she silently provided her knight with encouragement, wishing he could hear her.

You can do this, Sir Morn. I believe in you.

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, the knight turned his head in her direction and gave her a reassuring smile before rushing to the viking. Stronghorn lashed out with his axe, but missed as Sir Morn relocated himself to the viking’s shield arm, cutting rapidly at the shield’s wooden surface. After the sixth strike, the shield split, leaving only the handle in Stronghorn’s hand.

“What?” he growled, tossing the handle at the knight, grabbing his battleaxe in both hands.

Emerald watched as the knight somehow continued fighting, slashing back and forth, pressing on even with the wound across his face. Soon, Stronghorn was down on his back, panting from exertion and the multiple wounds across his body.

“Surrender, and end this,” Sir Morn pointed Clarent at his head.

The crowd began to cheer as Stronghorn the Tough stayed down, unable to get up. Emerald joined them, cheering Sir Morn’s name as he turned to return to the dens below.

“Well, round’s over,” Emerald placed a hand on Honeygold’s shoulder as they began leaving the stands. “I should head back to the dens to check on Sir Morn. You?”

“Ah guess Ah’ll head back to the apple stand and help ma and pa,” the little girl smiled happily. “We’ll make sure to come watch your fight, Em.”

The spymaster nodded and said her goodbyes at the steps, returning back under the castle. She quickly found her way back to the dens, finding Sir Morn sitting by the wall, wiping a piece of cloth over his face. His perfect face-

“Sir Morn!” Emerald swooped over, examining his face closer. “Y-Your wound!”

“Yes, it looks bad, my lady, but tis no problem,” he smiled and continued to wipe his face.

“N-No, not that,” Emerald restated and placed a hand to his face. “Your wound. It’s gone!”

“Gone?” Sir Morn removed his cloth and looked at it. Emerald noticed there was blood on it, but on his face, the wound had vanished, almost as if he had just wiped it away with his cloth. “It was just here. That’s why I hold this cloth in my hands.”

Emerald rubbed her thumb across his skin, but there really was nothing there. Not even a groove or scratch. It was smooth.

Realizing what she was doing after a few more seconds, she pulled her hand back and turned to the side as a blush crept across her cheeks.

“How odd…” Sir Morn touched at his own face as if checking to see if it was real. “My injuries have healed quickly before, but never this fast with one of such severity.”

Emerald had no idea how any his injuries could heal like that, but perhaps some humans were able to do it. They were very different from ponies after all.

“Well, I’m glad you’re unhurt, Sir Morn,” Emerald smiled and watched him through a portion of her turquoise hair.

“My thanks, Emerald,” Sir Morn returned the smile. “So how was my match? Was it to your expectation?”

“Oh, very much so, Sir Morn. That was well fought. You are as skilled as I remember you to be.”

“Oh, you flatter me, my lady,” Sir Morn chuckled and folded the bloodstained cloth in his hands. “Well now… Many challengers have gone home. We might not get another chance to talk until halftime, but you’ll be getting to your prize much faster, my lady. That is good.”

“I-I suppose it is…” Emerald rubbed her shoulder anxiously. “Good luck out there, Sir Morn. I hope to see you in combat later.”

“You have my word, Emerald,” he slightly bowed and took her hand in his. “I shall not disappoint you. Especially you, my lady.” He brought his head down and planted a kiss on the back of her hand.

“Y-Yes, I shall expect you to follow up on that,” her face glowed red again. Spectrum had told her it was a sign of courtesy, just like kissing one’s hoof back in Equestria, but to have it done to her was a bit… embarrassing.

“Then our rounds begin once more, my lady,” Sir Morn got up and placed a hand on Clarent’s pommel. “I shall win my next round for you.”

Emerald Edge hopped on the spot a few times, shaking her lanky human limbs at her sides to loosen the muscles in her arms and shoulders in the shadows of the entrance to the arena.

This was it. Her second match. Sir Morn Dread said it wasn’t going to be like Lord Fiasco at all, so Emerald wanted to be extra prepared for the fight.

“SIR AGRAMANE OF CANTERLOT, KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE, AGAINST EMERALD EDGE!”

A Knight of the Round Table? Emerald didn’t know how this fight would go, but she had prepared herself for the worst, hopefully it wouldn’t be too difficult.

Finally stepping out into the arena, the spymaster pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face from the crowd of cheering humans. The attention still took some getting used to.

Turning to face her opponent, Emerald noticed it was a man in a suit of armor, with a cylindrical red helmet over his head. A crimson tunic was worn over dusty red armor, a picture of a bag of purple fruit painted on it. In his right hand, he held a sword with a red hilt and in his left, a regular axe.

To his credit, the knight didn’t say anything. He simply got into stance and waited for her. Emerald rather liked that. Too much talk during combat really irritated her.

She unsheathed her sword from its scabbard, earning more cheers from the crowd as she moved towards the knight, carefully moving step by step. She was just past the halfway mark when she noticed the axe leaving the knight’s hand, spiralling straight for her head. Leaning back, Emerald watched the weapon sail over her head before she righted herself, just in time to deflect the red knight’s sword.

Emerald pushed him back and dashed to her right, trying to get around him. He countered quickly, swinging his sword for Emerald’s knees, forcing her to roll over them. In midair, Sir Agramane’s elbow found her chest, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her rolling on the sandy ground.

Emerald almost didn’t have time to get up, rolling to the side again to avoid the knight’s downward slash.

A collective gasp sounded from the stands at Emerald’s near hit.

Still on the ground, she lashed out with a foot, catching Agramane in the back of his knee, tripping him. Now on equal level, Emerald hooked her sword in the knight’s hilt before he could react and twisted her hand, just like Sir Morn had taught her, disarming the knight in an instant, his sword flopping to the sand a good distance away.

She clambered atop him and pointed her sword down at his eyehole, breathing heavily. “Do you concede?”

Without a word, the human nodded.

The crowd amplified their cheering as Emerald stood and kept her weapon. Holding a hand out to her opponent, she helped the red knight up, giving him a nod of respect as he returned to her eye level.

“You fight well,” Sir Agrammane said at last before turning around to leave the arena.

The spymaster swiftly retreated back to the tunnel she had come from, glad to be out of the spotlight and her second fight. He certainly was no Lord Fiasco, but Emerald was glad it wasn’t too difficult. Perhaps it was because she had prepared herself to expect a much tougher opponent. As her mentor had once told her, expect more from your enemies, but never expect less.

Returning to the dens, Emerald found a spot by the wall to rest for a while. According to Sir Morn, with less competitors now, her break wouldn’t be as long, so she had to rest as well as she could, but at the same time, prepare herself for the next round.

You can do this, Emerald. Keep it up, and that shield is as good as yours.

16 - Threat from the East

Emerald Edge didn’t need to wait long before she was told of her next fight. It was in a different arena, so she had to relocate herself and proceed down a different tunnel to her fight.

She pondered how the humans knew which fights to watch. Was there perhaps a list of combatants somewhere that she’d fail to notice? Or perhaps they were just watching whichever fight was going on in their particular stands?

“RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE EMERALD EDGE AGAINST CHERRY BLOSSOM OF THE EAST!”

Emerald didn’t come up with a concrete answer as she entered the new arena. This one had a rocky and jagged flooring, but was otherwise the same shape and size as the previous one, though Emerald was glad she didn’t have to worry about sand in her armor with this one.

This time, her opponent was a woman, at least, it looked like a woman to Emerald from the shape and the name sound rather feminine. She had long blue hair sticking out from a weirdly shaped helmet, with thin slits running down the length of the face for her to see out. As for her armor, instead of the regular full plate the knights had, this woman had squarish plates on her shoulders, chest, back and thighs resting above thick white clothes; a lot less protection comparing to the knights, but Emerald figured it was a lot lighter, which meant her opponent prefered speed.

Attached to her left side were two swords, one longer than the other, both slightly curved.

This is going to be an interesting one…

Cherry Blossom straightened herself and bowed, almost at a ninety-degree angle. Emerald mumbled something to herself and gave the human a bow as well, though not as elegant or fluid as hers.

Without waiting any further, the blue haired human whipped out her shorter blade at such a quick speed, Emerald couldn’t even follow it with her eyes.

She was already beside the spymaster before she could draw her sword, forcing her to get out of the way as fast as she could. Emerald Edge had leapt back and kicked away, pulling out her sword in the air before her greaves returned to the rocky ground. The spymaster quickly retaliated, lunging forward with her blade, aimed for the woman’s chest.

With the same speed she had demonstrated with earlier, the Eastern woman rolled under Emerald’s stab and cut across the spymaster’s thigh, clean through her clothes and her skin, drawing blood.

Emerald followed her attack and hobbled forward, reaching a hand for her bleeding leg. She had anticipated the attack, but she still wasn’t fast enough to pull her leg out of the sword’s reach. It hadn’t cut too deep, but it had wounded her.

Strange enough, Cherry Blossom waited, unmoving, watching Emerald through her helmet, her sword held out in front of her in both hands, allowing the spymaster to right herself in a comfortable pose.

Steeling herself from the pain, Emerald did the same, readying her weapon and her stance. As soon as she had done that, the woman attacked again, going for a strike above, then below. Emerald could see her attacks coming, being trained to learn enemy attack patterns, but her strikes were so quick, almost invisible to the eye, cutting Emerald along the upper arm and the shoulder, which thankfully, had been protected by her armor.

“You’re very fast for a knight,” Emerald complimented as she blocked a high slash.

“I am no knight, Emerald-san,” she replied with a quiet voice. “Do you not know of the East?”

Emerald knew the name from her reports and studies, but she had never actually been there. “Besides the name, I’m afraid not.”

“Very well,” Cherry Blossom nodded her head as circled Emerald. “In the East, we are known as samurai.”

Suddenly, she vanished from Emerald’s sight, and it wasn’t until the spymaster felt a sharp pain at the back of her head that she knew where the samurai had gone.

The crowds had gone silent as Emerald fell to the ground, her vision going hazy, waiting to see if she would get up again.

The spymaster clenched her fists, one around her sword, fighting to steady her view. She closed her eyes and breathed in. Cherry Blossom was clearly much faster than she was. If Emerald was going to win, she would have to win by intellect. She was a spymaster, an expert at deception and subterfuge.

Speed was Cherry Blossom’s weapon. That could mean that she didn’t rely on her strength. Emerald felt she could use that to her advantage, along with her secret weapons.

The crowd started cheering again as Emerald got to her feet, facing the samurai once more. Running forward as best as she could with a wounded leg, Emerald feinted right, and then at the last minute, dropped her sword down into her other hand and attacked from the left.

The sudden change had caught Cherry Blossom off guard, just how Emerald had wanted, but she still reacted quickly, blocking at the new direction. Emerald turned and attacked her back with a hand, extending her hidden blade out at the same time.

The samurai tried to dodge it, but the blade caught on to her helmet as Emerald pulled down, knocking her to the hard ground. Emerald was about to point her sword tip at Cherry Blossom’s head, but she quickly wriggled out of the helmet and sliding back, at the same time, pulling out her longer blade, holding it in her other hand.

“Good move, Emerald-san,” she smiled with a very pleasant face. Her blue hair was tied into a high ponytail, just like Emerald’s, but dropped all the way down to her legs, spreading out like octopus tentacles near the bottom. “I am afraid our match has gone on for too long. Let’s end this in the next minute.”

“If you insist,” Emerald readied her weapon again, sheathing her hidden blade.

Cherry Blossom attacked like a whirling tornado, cutting out with both hands faster than Emerald could block. The samurai wasn’t cutting too deep, just barely breaking her skin, but countless cuts had began forming along Emerald’s arms, legs, and face as she did her best to counter the samurai’s attacks.

Unable to fight effectively with just her sword, Emerald dropped it and extended both hidden blades. Now able to block Cherry Blossom’s attacks more effectively, Emerald quickly formulated a plan in her mind to take her opponent down. The spymaster parried up with her left blade, then sideways with her right. Seeing her opening, she jumped forward, both blades pointing for the samurai’s chest. Cherry Blossom moved fast, spinning in a circle and away from Emerald before her swords flashed forward again.

Emerald flicked both arms out, blocking both blades, but this time, quickly slashed out twice more, cutting Cherry Blossom’s arms, just above the elbow.

She fell back and dropped both swords, her arms going numb. Emerald stood over her and pointed a blade down at her head, smiling to herself at the sudden victory. Cherry Blossom was fast, but her durability wasn’t there as well.

The crowd suddenly burst out with a louder cheer as Emerald stowed her hidden blades.

“You have won, Emerald-san,” she bowed her head, resting her arms on her thighs as she knelt down. “I… I have lost. I have shamed my family.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Emerald bent down on her good leg and helped her up. “We both simply want the same thing.”

“Yes, but I didn’t get it,” she sighed and winced as she tried to keep her arms straight. Emerald noticed her pain and began directing her back to the dens, hobbling on her good leg. With her adrenaline gone, the pain was starting to seep through, even from the smaller wounds all over her body. “I’m a failure. I have dishonored my name and my people.”

“You’re no failure,” Emerald tried to console her. Apparently, Eastern humans took honor very seriously. “Look at it this way. You helped me get closer to obtaining the shield. You don’t know this, but I need it to save my kingdom.”

“Your kingdom? Where are you from, Emerald-san? I realize the announcer did not mention your town or home.”

Emerald didn’t know how much she should be telling this stranger, but she seemed nice enough. “I’m from the Crystal Empire. Royal spymaster for Princess Amore.”

“Crystal Empire?” Cherry Blossom wore a skeptical face. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s… from another world,” Emerald broke to her slowly as they reentered the tunnels, proceeding back to the dens. “I know, it’s a little hard to take in.”

“Oh, not at all, Emerald-san,” the samurai shook her head as she sat down on a bench in the waiting den. “In the East, we believe of portals to other dimensions and demons from the astral plane. Yours seems no different, but to actually meet someone from a different world… I’m honored to speak to you.”

“Yes, honor, very good,” Emerald chuckled. “So you see, there is no… uh, dishonor in losing. You’re helping me get closer to saving my kingdom from a dark king.”

“Now that you put it that way…” the pink-skinned samurai pondered. “Maybe I won’t have to kill myself.”

“Yeah… Wait, what?”

Their conversation was interrupted when Moon Tide and another mage, one Emerald didn’t recognize, stepped down into the den, carrying vials of potions with them.

The other mage tended to Cherry Blossom, while Moon Tide pulled Emerald aside and had her sit on a different bench where she could spread out her array of potions.

“Maybe I’ll see you later, Emerald-san,” the samurai nodded her farewell, unable to lift her hands high.

“You take care, Cherry Blossom,” Emerald waved. “And thank you.”

“Good fight, Emerald, but all these wounds. Don’t worry, we’ll have them healed in no time,” Moon Tide smiled and unstoppered the first vial and pouring it into a clay bowl.

“That… was a tough fight, Moon Tide,” Emerald leaned her back against the wall and groaned. “I’m glad that’s done with. Cherry Blossom was a good fighter. The East… Have you ever been to the East, Moon Tide? Seems to me they like honor. A lot.”

“I haven’t been there, no,” Moon Tide said as she added another vial to the bowl and began stirring it with a spoon. “Perhaps, queen willing, I will be able to make a pilgrimage there one day. I hear their herblore is vastly different from ours here in Canterlot.”

“Oh, sounds interesting. They seem like very much different humans. Ah, speaking of that. I wanted to ask you, Moon Tide. Do different humans heal differently?”

Moon Tide daubed some ointment onto Emerald’s wounds, brushing them as gently as she could.

“How do you mean?”

“Well…” Emerald looked to the ceiling as she thought of how to word it. “Take your son for example. I’m sure you’ve heard of his wound the last match and how it healed? I mean, being his mother and all.”

“I was watching, yes,” Moon Tide glanced at Emerald, the expression in her eyes inscrutable. “He fought well, though I would have preferred that he not take unnecessary risks. Where are you going with this?”

“Yes, me too… Umm… I mean, his wound had healed by the time I found him. Sir Morn also mentioned he’s never healed this quickly. So do humans have, uh, different methods of healing? Am I making sense?”

Moon Tide was very quiet for a moment, her finger half immersed in the bowl of ointment. Then she shook herself and gave Emerald a small, close-mouthed smile.

“As far as I know,” she said softly, as if to a young child. “Humans don’t have any special methods of self healing. And as for my son, the blood of a sorceress runs in his veins. It’s only natural that some… oddities surface every now and then. Tell me though, were you thinking particularly hard about him prior to this, unusual feat?”

“Umm… particularly hard about him?” Emerald repeated, blushing slightly from that. “Wh-what do you mean, Moon Tide?”

“Were you keeping my son in your thoughts, before this quick healing of his occurred. Don’t worry,” Moon Tide said with a reassuring smile. “This is strictly between us.”

“Well…” Emerald’s cheeks began to grow in brightness. “I suppose I was, Moon Tide. I-I don’t know what to think of it… He occupies my mind a lot of the day, but-but I have a mission to accomplish… I… I can’t stay.”

“Then all is well,” Moon Tide said, finishing smearing ointment on the last of Emerald’s injuries. “Nothing to be worried about.”

“Wait, I don’t get it…” Emerald protested.

Moon Tide waved to Emerald, picking up the bowl and straightening her robes. “Don’t think too much of it. There are many avenues of magic that are yet to be explored. Leave the sorcery to me, and focus instead on your next match. I hear you have quite the challenger for your next fight.”

Emerald tested her limbs, noticing most of the pain had already faded. “Thank you, Moon Tide. I will. And, uh, you w-won’t tell anypo- anyone what I said about Sir Morn, right? At least, not yet?”

Moon Tide gave her a mysterious smile. “My lips are sealed.”

Emerald stood and stretched her arms. “Guess I better get ready. Thank you for the healing, Moon Tide. I’ll be sure to do really well.”

17 - A Splash of Magic

Emerald Edge had returned to the dens once more, wiping sweat from her head. She had managed to get through more fights, finishing with only minor injuries.

Her last fight had been a double match. Thankfully, her partner had been Sir Ganeighn, a familiar face. She found herself facing off against a green knight and another large man from the Frozen North, but they had pulled through with decent teamwork.

The mage that attended to her had told her it was finally half time, meaning that she was halfway to getting that shield now. She could feel it. She was close and once she had it, Sombra was going to regret taking her home from her.

Apparently, there was also supposed to be a performance out in the main castle courtyard, and most of the town would be there, even the king.

“Why hello, my lady,” Sir Morn strode alongside her. “Fancy seeing you here. Are you headed to the performance?”

“Yes,” Emerald nodded as they passed the apple stand. She gave Apple Bean and Golden Nugget a wave, noticing Honeygold wasn’t with them, probably gone to see the performance. “It must be a big deal if even King Dawn Saber is going to see it.”

“Tis part of the tournament, Emerald,” Sir Morn explained. “Since the king has watched us do combat, he breaks and joins us out here as well. Besides, these performances are one to see. One of the mages does it.”

“A mage? It’s a magic show!”

“Magic show?” The knight thought about it. “Yes, if you say it like that. Tis a magic show.”

The two made their way toward the King’s pavilion, built atop the castle’s walls, facing the main courtyard, where King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance were seated, flanked on both sides by the muses. The pair found two empty seats by the castle wall and sat down, letting the cool afternoon breeze play around with their hair and lift their spirits.

“My, it’s a fine day to be out in the sun,” Sir Morn closed his eyes and looked up. “Not everyday you have wind like this, my lady.”

“I’d prefer a bath, to be honest,” Emerald looked down at herself and sighed. “Or at least a quick wipe down. All this fighting has me sweating like a pig in summer.”

“A pig in summer?” Sir Morn chuckled and wiped at his own forehead. “You’re not wrong about that. Interesting saying, my lady. I don’t believe I’ve heard that one. I think we all could do with a bath at the end of today.”

A crier strode out into the courtyard, his blue and gold livery bright and replendescent in the afternoon sun. He was followed by a small group of men and women dressed in green and red costumes, pulling a tall wooden box on a wagon, large enough to fit someone in it.

“What do you suppose that is, Sir Morn?” Emerald patted his armored shoulder and pointed at the box.

“Oh, you shall find out shortly, my lady,” the knight rested an arm on her shoulder.

Emerald didn’t mind it, so she let it be. It felt nice. A woman beside her looked at her, but this time, Emerald did nothing about it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” The crier announced. “Presenting, for your entertainment, Beatrix and the Phantasms!”

With a fanfare, the box burst open in a dazzling flash of light, revealing a young woman in mages robes with white hair and a pointed wide brimmed hat, who struck a pose for the audience.

A good portion of the humans clapped for her, including Sir Morn, some even cheering out her name and something that sounded like, “The Stupendous and Almighty!”

Emerald Edge shrugged and clapped along. If they were this excited to see her, it must be a performance to remember.

“Thank you all!” Beatrix said as the rest of her band set up a small podium and a cage. “For my first trick, the Stupendous and Almighty Beatrix will pull a rabbit out of her hat!”

“A rabbit from her hat?” Emerald leaned forward a little. “Now this, I want to see.”

She was curious as to how humans would perform this trick. Back in Equestria, Light Speckle had made things materialize out of nothing. It couldn’t possibly be the same here, could it?

Beatrix took off her hat and shook it, showing off that it was indeed empty. Then the magician held the hat out upside down with the brim horizontal, then began to wave her free hand mystically over the opening in her hat.

“Hey presto!” She cried, snapping her fingers, sending out a burst of sparks before dipping her hand into the hat and pulling out a fluffy white rabbit. The audience oohed, and there was a smattering of applause.

Emerald was very impressed. She had no idea how one could pull a rabbit out of a hat like that if they didn’t have real magic. Perhaps some humans really had magic like unicorns do.

“That is not all,” Beatrix said loudly. “Next, the Stupendous and Almighty Beatrix, will change this rabbit into a flock of doves!”

Placing the rabbit onto the pedestal, Beatrix dropped her hat over the creature, obscuring it from view before waving her hands around the hat and clapping them, sending off another plume of golden sparks.

“Abra-cadabra!”

Beatrix swept her hat off the podium, and just as promised, a small flock of white birds burst forth from beneath the hat. Beatrix replaced the hat on her head and bowed.

“That is truly amazing, is it not, my lady?” Sir Morn joined the audience in clapping again.

“Very,” Emerald nodded slowly as she watched the mage.

Next, Beatrix pulled a string of colored handkerchiefs from her sleeves before turning them into a single silk scarf that she presented to the queen. Then, she performed some blindfolded knife-throwing, tossing small daggers at various pieces of fruit that the Phantasms would hold up.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Emerald pointed out. A few townsfolk kept looking at her. Probably irritated from all the questions she was firing out about the magic show. “Nevermind. I’ll just enjoy it…”

The crowd was awed when Beatrix produced a large carpenter’s saw and proceeded to saw one of her assistants in two, then putting him back together using the box which she had arrived in. Emerald noted that for every trick, Beatrix would somehow create golden sparks with her gloved hands, often by clapping or by clicking her fingers. That was an interesting magic trick in itself.

“Next, Beatrix will require a participant from the crowd,” she announced. “Does anyone feel like a bit of magic?”

Emerald wanted to raise her hand. She wanted to experience this magic firsthand to see if it was really the same, but she didn’t dare raise her hand. All eyes would be on her and she wouldn’t have something like a fight to distract her from all their eyes.

“You there, with the shiny hair! Come on up!”

Emerald looked up at the mage, noticing the other humans around her were all looking at her. “M-Me…?”

“Yes, you! Come and join Beatrix on the stage!”

“Go on,” Sir Morn grinned. “It’ll be fun.”

Emerald didn’t doubt that, but it was a lot of attention and she didn’t prepare for it. “Sir Morn, all th-those eyes… I don’t know…”

“You’ll do fine, my lady,” Sir Morn gently pushed her shoulder. “If the need arises, I shall be by your side in a blink. Fear not. Go on.”

Emerald scratched at her head, but eventually mustered enough courage to stand up and walk forward, keeping her eyes on the ground. The crowd cheered for her, which was nothing new for the day, but it still felt different.

“Thank you for your cooperation!” Beatrix said with a reassuring smile. “Now, what’s your name?”

“Umm… Em-Emerald Edge,” she mumbled to the mage.

“Good to have you, Emerald. Now,” Beatrix said, pulling out a deck of cards and shuffling it one-handed before holding them out in a fan formation. “Pick a card, any card. Feel free to show the audience, but do not show me.”

Emerald picked one and held it to the audience. It was a single pink heart. “Umm… Now what?”

“Now, please put your card back into the deck without showing me.”

Emerald did so.

“Now, behold!” Beatrix took the entire deck of cards and threw it high into the air, where it flew apart and began to flutter down in a cloud. Almost immediately after, Beatrix flung a cloud of white powder up, where it mingled with the cards.

“Light for me!” She cried, snapping her fingers skyward. Sparks flew, and the entire cloud of powder and cards ignited in full flame, burning all the cards and conjuring a magnificent orange fireball in the air.

The crowd oohed again as it began to descend and dissipate, spreading out into what looked like a broken egg.

Only one card had escaped unscathed, the lone piece of paper fluttering down and into Beatrix’s open palm.

“Is this your card?” she grinned, holding up the ace of hearts for all to see.

The crowd cheered and clapped, with Emerald as surprised and ecstatic on how the card could’ve survived all that. That was a really good magic act. Even the king was on his feet, applauding.

“You’ve got talent, Beatrix,” Emerald told her. “Simply fascinating.”

“I know,” Beatrix said smugly. She turned to the crowd and bowed again. “And that is the end! Thank you all for coming to watch the Stupendous and Almighty Beatrix, and thank you, King Dawn Saber, for allowing me to perform! Thank you all!”

King Dawn Saber raised a goblet of drink to her before walking out of the pavilion with his wife and the muses, likely heading back to the arena.

Emerald was allowed to go back, instantly swooping back to her seat beside Sir Morn, glad that most of the eyes were off her now.

“That wasn’t so bad was it?” The knight wrapped an arm around her. “Oh, you are shaking, my lady.”

“It was really interesting,” Emerald smiled. “I don’t know how else it could be done if it were not real magic.”

“Then I am glad you went up, my lady.”

Spectrum and Honeygold had popped up, each giving Emerald a hug before laughing.

“Ah can’t believe ya got to go up, Em! Ah wish Ah had the chance.”

“Yeah, Em,” Spectrum plucked at something in her teeth. “Way to go. And I saw all your matches. You were… incredible!”

“Oh, you little fillies,” Emerald laughed and patted them both on the head. “That was real magic right there. Almost like something from my world.”

“Emerald, that was amazing,” another voice appeared. It was from a female guard with orange skin and green hair, standing just beside the spymaster now. “And what you did with your hair is nice.”

Emerald raised an eyebrow. Here it was again. A guard that seemingly knew her and her hair. “Umm… Thanks. I didn’t do anything with my hair. It’s always been like that. Unless you mean its current untidy state.”

“Always been like that?” the guard repeated. “But we’ve known you forever, and your hair’s never been like this.”

“Known me? Forever?” Now Emerald really was confused. Who were these people? Then it struck her. The guard did look rather familiar. Maybe she had spoken to her before? “I’m sorry, I just don’t understand right now. Could you tell me who you are?”

“What do you mean…?” the guard seemed to be upset. “You’re kidding, right?”

Emerald didn’t know what to say, everything was a blur around her and she felt like her head was even spinning from thinking too much about it. Thankfully, she didn’t have to say anything. Another guard, the one that Emerald had met before the tournament, walked up to her fellow guard, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Umm… Amber, I need to talk to you. Right now. Important.” Then she looked at Emerald and smiled. “I’m sorry for troubling you.”

And then they were off, quickly walking away back into the castle.

“What was all that about?” Spectrum scratched her head and squinted.

“I don’t really know, but…” Emerald sat back down and replayed the guard’s words. “Amber… Spring Amber. I-I think she’s a friend! Back in the Crystal Empire! B-But… I saw her die… Could she have survived and come over to this world?”

“I do not know, my lady,” Sir Morn placed a hand to his chin. “But perhaps this is a copy of your friend? You once told me your world is like a mirror of ours. Similar, but without… ponies. Maybe she thinks she knows you, because-”

“Because she knows this world’s Emerald Edge!” Honeygold widened her eyes in understanding. “That’s cool, Em! That means there’s another you here!”

“Another me…?” Emerald tried to wrap that around her head. Was that logical? What would she be like? “That’s… I think I need a rest…”

“Emerald, are you alright?” Sir Morn patted her back as if to soothe her.

“I don’t know…”

In truth, seeing her friend here, if she was really Spring Amber, meant that they were all here. Alive. The guards, and maybe even Light Speckle too. Emerald still remembered Speckle’s last words to her. Maybe she knew of this world and how they would meet again. Would it be the same? Would they know her like they did back in the Crystal Empire?

“Excuse me?” a new voice broke her thoughts back to reality. It was an older looking human with pale grey skin and blue-grey hair, wearing some rather fancy clothes. “Yes, sorry to intrude on your conversation, and I realize you look unwell, so let me keep this short. I’m High Rise, and I noticed your brilliantly made cloak. Might I perhaps ask where you had received it from? I would like to purchase some for myself.”

“Oh, this?” Emerald lifted her arm to look at the cloak. “From Canterlot Fabrics. I’m sure you must’ve heard about Jewel Pin? She’s a magnificent seamstress.”

“Jewel Pin, you say?” the man folded his arms. “I don’t believe I have ever heard that name. Thank you. I shall investigate this Canterlot Fabrics for myself and see what it has to offer. You have been most helpful.”

With that said, the man bowed before heading out of the courtyard towards the castle’s drawbridge, likely going straight to the shop to see her now.

“Well that was… interesting,” Honeygold watched him disappear in the distance.

“And random,” Spectrum folded her arms. “Em, the next match will be starting soon. Are you alright?”

“Just a little… lightheaded,” Emerald placed a hand over her forehead. “I’ll be fine. I just need a break from all… all this.”

“Tis fine,” Sir Morn bent down and scooped Emerald up in his arms. “I shall carry you back to the dens. That way, you’ll get some rest before the next round.”

“Oh, well…” Emerald looked to her young friends, but they were busy snickering to each other.

“Just let it be, Em,” Honeygold said. “Ya need it. Besides, ain’t no better person to help ya than Sir Morn.”

“So true, Em,” Spectrum added in.

“If-if you say so.” Emerald lifted her hands to her bright red cheeks, hoping the good knight wouldn’t see them. His face was a lot closer than it has ever been.

“Then away to the dens!” Sir Morn said proudly and marched off, leaving the two girls to chatter amongst themselves before heading for the stands.

Archdruid Duchan stalked through the trees of the Shetland Forest, helped on one side by one of his faithful druids, Nimhe.

“Thank you, Nimhe,” he grunted, putting more pressure on his staff. “Hopefully I shan't need your help much longer.”

They arrived back at their current camp, surrounded by a crew of mercenaries, while the other druids worked on the inside, creating more potions and poisons to use. A batch of hairy humanoid creatures were in the process of setting up more tents. The Fir Laimhe Laithe had found and tamed these trolls to serve as their slaves in the wilds. Not too smart, but they were incredibly useful for carrying things.

Arriving at their central bonfire, Archdruid Duchan reached into his robes and retrieved a gnarled old finger that looked almost like a root if not for the bit of bone sticking out of the back.

“Archdruid Duchan, Nimhe, you’re back!” Another druid, Galar, joined them by the fire. “Is that what you went looking for?”

“Correct,” Duchan nodded and grabbed a bowl from a nearby table. “This is the index finger of an old mage, I’m sure you’ve heard of him. The great Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“How did you find his body?” Galar widened his eyes at the revelation.

“Searching, of course, dear Galar.” Duchan pulled out a bag of spices and mixed it in the bowl before dropping the finger in, along with a raven’s claw, a mushroom and a wolf’s tongue. “With this, I shall finally have the strength I lost.”

After adding water and some tree sap, the archdruid placed it over the fire and returned to a chair Nimhe had brought him. Not long after, the ingredients were gone, melted down into the rest of the liquid in the bowl, ready for consumption.

“Yes…” Duchan removed the bowl and placed it on the table. “With this, we shall have what we need.”

The grey haired druid picked up the bowl and with both hands, held it to his mouth to drink. Stopping at halfway, he put it back down and gave his neck a good crack before standing taller, breaking out of the hunch that had grown on him in his old age.

“Ah… Much better. I feel it,” he said, balling a fist. “My strength has returned. Alas, I do not need all of it. Trodaire!”

A bigger man, standing at least a head taller than the other mercenaries, pushed his way past Nimhe and Galar, stopping before the archdruid. He had an iron battle helmet on his head, along with a plated chest piece and leg armor. His arms were bare, but they were big and strong like the warriors from the Frozen Wastes.

“Trodaire, drink,” Duchan held the bowl up to the mercenary’s face.

The mercenary complied, taking the bowl and downing its contents in a single gulp, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Bending back, the large man released a loud roar, his biceps bulging and arms outstretched.

“How is your strength, Trodaire?” Nimhe asked him.

Turning around, the mercenary picked up one of the other mercenaries by the shoulder straps, lifting him clear off the ground in both hands. With a grunt, Trodaire sent him flying well over the tents, sailing into the bushes on the other side with the crackle of branches and twigs.

“Good,” Duchan smirked and pulled at his beard. “Now, return to Canterlot. It is time to win that shield.”

18 - Unhorsed

“And there we are, my lady,” Sir Morn Dread placed Emerald Edge down, giving her a pat on the back. “Just in time for my match. Will you be alright on your own?”

“I think so…” Emerald smiled and reached out to hold on to Sir Morn’s arm. “Thank you, Sir Morn.”

“Anytime,” he returned the smile, walking out the exit. “I wish you all the best in your next match, Emerald.”

You bet I’ll do that, Sir Morn.

Everytime she was with him, she could feel her heartbeat flutter. Emerald now knew it herself. Whether she wanted to accept it or not, she had feelings for him.

But you’re worlds are apart, Emerald. You can’t be with him, can you?

Emerald didn’t want to think more about it. The future pained her heart, whatever her decision was. Could she have both? Or would she eventually have to pick between her kingdom and Sir Morn?

Then she remembered her match. All those thoughts would have to wait. She still had an objective to complete.

“Let’s go, Emerald,” she told herself as she jogged out to the arena. “You can do this.”

“WELCOME BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT! FOR THIS ARENA, I PRESENT EMERALD EDGE AGAINST… SIR TROTIVERE OF CANTERLOT, KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE!”

Oh horseapples...

This time, she was back in the stone floored one, standing opposite an unfamiliar knight in white-blue armor, almost as if the plating around his body was made of ice. A long sword stood in his hand, jagged near the hilt and widening out near the tip of the blade. He held no shield, just like Sir Morn, but his helmet was relatively different. Instead of a simple slit where the eyes could see out, his was in a shape of a cross, along with small holes on the sides.

“My lady,” he bowed, placing a hand to his chest. “May the best fighter win.”

“Same to you, sir knight,” Emerald nodded and drew her sword, holding it before her in both hands.

Both combatants approached each other, increasing speed as they got closer. Emerald swung first, then followed through with a kick to Sir Trotivere’s head, but the knight had already moved, parrying her first strike and then ducking under her leg before barreling into the spymaster, knocking her down. Pinning her beneath himself, Trotivere leaned up and raised his sword, ready to finish the fight. Just as his sword came down, Emerald dropped hers and extended both hidden blades, pushing them into the path of the knight’s sword before locking into the grooves of his blade and yanking it away, tossing it as far as she could.

Realizing he was now defenseless against her hidden blades, Sir Trotivere got off the spymaster and dashed for his sword, allowing Emerald time to grab hers and regain her stance.

“Impressive…” the knight said, grabbing his weapon and spinning it once in his hand. “Never would I have guessed you held such weapons. But… Tis no longer a secret. I shall remember them from here.”

Emerald pushed her fringe up and readied herself again. She attacked first, running forward before slashing down with her blade. Trotivere parried it and then another as Emerald swooped in for another attack. The two competitors traded blows for a few minutes, neither one letting the other get the upper hand.

“As expected of the lady trained by our good Sir Morn Dread,” the knight jabbed forward as Emerald hopped to the side. “Also, congratulations on your victory over Sir Agramane. Defeating a Knight of the Round Table is no simple feat.”

“I have to win this, Sir Trotivere,” Emerald panted as she leapt away from another strike. “My kingdom depends on it.”

“Ah, I have heard stories of your origins, my lady, but I do not believe I know the true story. Perhaps you could give us a brief of your kingdom once this match is over.”

Sir Trotivere lunged forward, catching Emerald’s sword arm and tossing her down to the ground.

There were gasps among the humans at the stands when Emerald went down, but the rest were clearly cheering on the knight. Sir Trotivere was a Knight of the Round Table after all.

Swiping her hair out of her face, Emerald spun away from a downward strike before kicking out with her feet, knocking the knight down on his back. Without waiting, Emerald clambered on top of him and disarmed the knight with a hidden blade before pointing it in the center of his helmet’s slit.

“Twas a good match, my lady,” the knight raised a palm. “You have earned this victory.”

“Thank you, Sir Trotivere,” Emerald wiped her forehead with a back of her half glove. “It is an honor to have faced you.”

Emerald got up and helped the man up before the entire arena burst into applause, some humans steadily chanting Emerald’s name. The spymaster pulled her hood lower and speedily returned to the dens, just glad to have completed another round in the tournament.

She found the same spot by the way and leaned back, only now feeling the bruises begin to hurt across her body. A mage in yellow robes arrived and applied some paste on her bruises, which took effect almost immediately. She soon began to feel refreshed and ready for the next round.

“You mages sure know your stuff,” Emerald told her. “These potions just work so well.”

“You can thank Moon Tide for that,” the woman chuckled. “She always provides us with a steady amount of manticore blood for our potions. That’s really the most important ingredient to our healing magic. Without that, I’m not sure your wounds would heal so quickly. There are other healing potions, of course, but the ones devised by Moon Tide have an extraordinary potency.”

“Manticore?” Emerald raised an eyebrow. “You have those here too?”

The mage looked confused for a second, but nodded eventually. “Well, yes. We do. Why wouldn’t we?”

“Oh, I guess, um, don’t worry. It was just a silly question,” Emerald smiled and waved the thought away. So it would seem this world had some monsters that Equestria did. Then again, Emerald realized it should’ve been expected. They had wolves and bears here as well. Why wouldn’t they have manticores too?

“There, you’re all settled,” the yellow robed mage packed up her things and got up. “Good luck on the next one, Emerald Edge.”

Dusting herself off, Emerald stretched her human limbs a few times before looking to the den entrance. Seeing as the tournament was halfway done, her next match wasn’t far off. She only had another four minutes of rest before one of the attendees alerted her to the next round. She was to, unfortunately, proceed back to the sandy arena, the one she didn’t particularly like.

Well, you’ve got no choice, Emerald. Just deal with it. Think of it as a reason to finish the fight faster. Yeah, that’ll work.

Walking over to the next arena, Emerald passed by Sir Ganeighn who had a few mages attending to him, along with a large cut across his forehead and chest.

“Sir Ganeighn?” she caught his attention. “What in Equestria happened to you?”

“What?” the knight groaned and held a cloth to his head as a mage got to work in applying paste across his chest. “Oh, well, I received a good beating from a fairly large man in my last match. I’m sad to say, my lady, I shan’t be proceeding on. I have been ousted by that brute.”

“That’s unfortunate, Sir Ganeighn,” the spymaster frowned. Any other human who could beat a Knight of the Round Table was surely as good as herself, or worse, better. Much better. “Will you be alright?”

“Yes, do not worry about me,” he waved. “These mages shall get me back to full strength in a matter of hours. Well, I wish you all the luck I can muster for your next round, my lady.”

Emerald Edge nodded and waved her goodbyes before arriving at the next arena, spying a familiar face already there checking on his sword.

“Sir Morn?” she asked, resisting the urge to run up to him and throw her arms around him. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah, my lady!” he grinned and sheathed his blade. “Will you be my partner for the next round?”

“Partner?”

“Yes. Tis a doubles round. Were you not told?”

Emerald shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“But tis good! I would rather have no one else by my side in a fight,” Sir Morn clapped an armored hand on her shoulder. “Come now, we are to begin soon. Let us see what we have in store.”

Emerald kept her hood low to hide her face, but then again, it was also a good idea to have it during combat. That way, her hair wouldn’t be going all over the place while she fought her opponents.

“ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER DOUBLE BATTLE?” the speaker’s voice echoed around the tunnel the knight and spymaster were walking in. There was a loud cheer from the crowds outside. By the sound of it, it was large. Maybe larger than all the other ones Emerald had seen in her previous fights. Perhaps they were all here to see Sir Morn. “READY YOURSELVES! ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE TRODAIRE OF DOCKLIN AND SIR HORS OF CANTERLOT, KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE!”

Emerald and Sir Morn emerged from their tunnel, walking onto the sandy floor, stopping opposite their opponents. Sir Hors looked the same as he always did, though this time he had a helmet with a pointed face plate covering his face. The man next to him, however, instantly made Emerald’s stomach churn. He was fairly large, taller than the knight, wearing no armor over his big beefy arms. His veins seemed to pulse within them, almost like they were going to burst from the muscles being too big.

“AND ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE EMERALD EDGE, AND THE KNIGHT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING TO SEE, SIR MORN DREAD OF CANTERLOT, KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE!”

The crowds went wild, standing up and cheering all the more louder as Sir Morn waved to them. Emerald was glad the attention was directed away from her this time.

“I’ve got the big fellow, my lady,” Sir Morn whispered to her, placing a hand over his sword. “Do you think you can handle Sir Hors?”

“I would say yes, but… we’ll see,” Emerald replied. “I’d definitely like to pay him back for everything he’s put Spectrum Song through.”

“Well said, Emerald,” Sir Morn couldn’t help but smile. “I shall aid you if you require my assistance.”

Getting ready, all four combatants drew their swords, each one having one except for Trodaire, who had two. Emerald followed Morn Dread’s lead, slowly approaching the other two humans. Sir Hors did the same, but Trodaire unleashed a loud war cry and dashed forward, running straight for Emerald.

The spymaster was caught by surprise for a second, but managed to lift her blade just as the large human brought one sword down. Even though she fought against it, Emerald was instantly knocked down under the weapon, falling to the ground. The sword would’ve cut her face in two if she hadn’t moved her head to the side, narrowly avoiding the dangerous weapon.

Letting go, Emerald rolled away as Trodaire’s second weapon came down, launching up sand around her as she moved away. Sir Morn came in from the side, bringing a blade down against the large man’s arm. Moving faster than Emerald anticipated, Trodaire blocked the knight’s attack, followed after by another by Sir Hors, turning in from behind the large man and advancing on his fellow knight.

Emerald unsheathed both hidden blades and ran in, throwing herself slightly over Sir Hors and hooking her blades under his shoulder guards, knocking him down to the sand as she landed. She kept her weapons and moved further away, unable to go for her sword while Trodaire stood over it.

“Tis you,” Sir Hors frowned and stuck out his lower lip. “Friend of Spectrum Song, my squire. What makes you think you can defeat a Knight of the Round Table?”

Emerald pretended to be in thought. “Well, I have beaten two of them already, so… maybe I have a chance, you know?”

“Preposterous!” Sir Hors grumbled and swung his sword sideways. “How can one such as you beat a Knight of the Round Table?”

Emerald stepped back and rolled under the next slash, kicking Hors’ legs out from under him. “Don’t know.”

Sir Morn kept Trodaire’s attention, standing between the man and Emerald, doing his best to not get hit. The large man’s strength was clearly much greater than his own, meaning blocking wouldn’t do any good. For once, he’d have to employ more of Emerald’s agility tactics instead.

“You are a strong man,” Sir Morn said as he jumped to the left and sliced along Trodaire’s arm, drawing blood.

“You have no idea, sir knight,” the man smiled maniacally.

The wound didn’t seem to faze him one bit. Gripping his sword all the more tighter, Trodaire swung hard at Sir Morn, catching him in the chest and launching him back. The knight skidded on the sand and bounced once before falling face first on the ground. The knight slowly got up and shook the stars out of his eyes, clutching at his bleeding chest as Trodaire ran over to finish him.

Back at Emerald, things were going alright. Sir Hors had landed a cut across her elbow, but she was still doing fine, bobbing and weaving around his attacks, looking for openings to strike at the Knight of the Round Table.

“Stop moving!” Sir Hors complained, slashing at thin air again. “Though, you are rather quick, friend of Spectrum Song.”

“Thank you, Sir Hors,” Emerald said and jabbed both hidden blades in Sir Hors’ boots before yanking up, sending him sprawling to the sandy ground on his back. She jumped over and took the sword from the knight’s hand and pointed it down at him. “Now, would you be so kind as to concede?”

The brown-skinned knight groaned and dropped his head to the sandy floor. “Very well. You have won this round and my respect, my lady.”

“Thank you again, Sir Hors,” Emerald got up and handed him his sword back. Whether the crowds were cheering for her or not, she couldn’t tell, seeing as Sir Morn was still fighting the big human. “Now, if you will excuse me, sir knight. I must help Sir Morn and win this.”

Emerald rushed over to the other fight, keeping both hidden blades out. Sir Morn was still trying to stand, a long cut across his breastplate, blood dripping down the metal. It looked bad. Really bad.

The crowds grew silent, watching to see if the knight could continue fighting or not.

Come on, Sir Morn. You can’t die here. Please… Don’t.

Emerald shook her worry away and advanced. She couldn’t just sit here and think about him. She had to do something. Then to her astonishment, Sir Morn seemed to get up, almost as if the cut had-

The spymaster remembered his last injury. How it had healed up so quickly that even Morn himself was surprised. Moon Tide had said something about thinking about him. Emerald Edge realized she had indeed been thinking about him when he stood up, brushing sand away from his shoulders.

“What?” Trodaire grunted, lifted both swords. “You should’ve died already!”

“Not yet,” Sir Morn smiled and ran back in, swinging his blade at the large man. Somehow, his blows seemed to stagger Trodaire ever since he got back up, almost like Emerald had done something about it.

Nodding, the spymaster joined the battle, leaping on the big human’s back and digging both hidden blades into his armor, puncturing his back. Trodaire yelled and flailed around, reaching for Emerald. Sir Morn took the chance to advance, spearing the mercenary in the leg with Clarent’s tip.

Falling to one knee, Trodaire ignored Emerald and swung both swords at Sir Morn, trying to find an opening. Somehow, the Knight of the Round Table was able to deflect each one this time, not falling under the weight of the mercenary’s weapons. Emerald took this time to climb higher, sticking her hidden blades in various points along his back.

“Get off!” Trodaire yelled and jumped back, falling to the ground.

Emerald quickly sheathed her blades and threw herself off, rolling on the sand once before getting up.

Good thing I have my hood on. I’d hate to get sand in my hair...

Standing, Sir Morn rushed to her side, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder. “My lady, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she told him. “Just a cut from Sir Hors, but nothing too severe.”

“Then let us finish this,” Sir Morn nodded and spun Clarent in his hand.

Trodaire recovered his position, just in time for Morn to spin a slice at him, cutting deep in his elbow, drawing blood. Emerald aimed for his feet, stabbing in and out as she maneuvered around his stomps. Soon, the large man fell, unable to stand.

The crowds cheered for Sir Morn and Emerald, some people throwing their hats up, while others simply jumped on the spot, celebrating their win.

“No,” he muttered. “I was to win. I was to be a champion!”

“Not today,” Sir Morn pointed his blade at the mercenary. “You fought well, Trodaire, but your road to victory ends here.”

The man lifted his head and spat at the ground, but didn’t get up. Emerald kicked his swords away from him for added measure as she and her favorite knight left the arena, heading back through the tunnel they had come from.

“Are you hurt, my lady,” Sir Morn looked at her, spying her leg wound. “Are you hurt bad, my lady?”

Emerald chuckled along with him, remembering the first time they met. “Nothing a mage cannot heal, Sir Morn. What about yourself? I… feared for you, Sir Morn. I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

“Alas, I did,” he said, poking a hand through the large cut in his armor. “But see, tis no more. I am healed once again.”

“How… How is this all possible?” Emerald wanted to stick her hand through his armor to feel his healed skin herself. “I didn’t think any magic from this world would be so potent.”

“Perhaps it isn’t magic. Perhaps it is just how I am, son of a mage and all.” Sir Morn placed a hand under his chin. “Perhaps it is the blood of my father.”

“Your father?” Sir Morn helped Emerald sit on one of the benches. The spymaster stretched out her wounded leg to rest. “I’m afraid you’ve never mentioned your father. Who is he?”

“I do not know, my lady,” Sir Morn replied as two mages arrived to look at their injuries. “My mother hasn’t really mentioned him. I feel that she does not want to talk about it.”

“Whoever your father is, he must be strong,” Emerald contemplated. “You beat him, Sir Morn. He fought with Trodaire and you pushed him back, even with all his strength. An-and your wounds, they heal like the work of magic. No other human I’ve seen can possibly do that, not even with Moon Tide’s magic.”

“Tis true,” the Knight of the Round Table nodded his head as the mage attending to him left with her basket of potions. “Well, I shan't dwell on it too much. I shall go retrieve a new set of armor, my lady. Take care and perform well. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield.”

Emerald’s mouth bent into a smirk. “I shall, Sir Morn. You have trained me well. When the time comes, I shall show you the strength you have given me.”

“Believe me, I intend to see it, and I intend to see you win this tournament for your kingdom, Emerald.” the knight waved his goodbyes as he proceeded away, disappearing behind the staircase walls.

19 - All's Fair

Emerald Edge’s next two matches were tough, but she managed to scrape by, winning both by the skin of her teeth. As she sat in the dens, healing from her bruises and cuts, the royal spymaster looked to the future, wondering how it would all work out once she had the shield.

According to Jade Crystal, the portal back home only opened once every thirty moons. Emerald had yet to test if it were actually true. She wondered if she would be able to walk through the stone monument when the time was right, like how she got here.

Then there was the case of the friends she had made here and… Sir Morn Dread. She knew she would have to leave them for Equestria, no matter what. Her princess and her friends back home counted on her to defeat Sombra; she couldn’t let them down now.

Emerald didn’t know how she would deal with that when the time came. She could tell herself that it wouldn’t be so hard, that all she had to do was go back through the portal, but would it actually be that easy? There was no way for her to find out until the time came.

“The Crystal Empire needs you, Emerald,” she told herself as she stood up, ready for the next round. “Your duty lies with your home, not this world.”

She left the dens, thoughts of her home in her mind. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to come back and visit this world from time to time, just to be with her friends here.

“ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER ROUND?” she heard the loud voice of the announcing man. “THIS ONE’S A BIG ONE AS WE COME CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR TOURNAMENT!”

Emerald could hear the cheers of the crowds, very excited for the coming fight. She wondered who her opponent was. Surely they wouldn’t be cheering for her, right? After all, she was a foreigner to these lands.

“THE FIGHTER WHO CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, WE HAVE THE SKILLFUL EMERALD EDGE!”

The cheering intensified. Emerald pulled her hood lower, trying to keep the praises from going to her head. This much attention to herself was definitely unnecessary.

“AND FOR HER OPPONENT, WE HAVE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE… SIR MORN DREAD OF CANTERLOT!”

Emerald Edge stopped in her tracks for a few seconds as she took the information in. Her opponent was Sir Morn. Finally, her time had come to show her mentor just how well she’d adapted to her human body and her new skills with a sword.

This is it, Emerald. Time to show him what you’re made of.

The former pegasus stepped out into the arena, keeping her eyes down as she watched her opponent ready his sword on the opposite end of the battlefield.

“Are you ready, my lady?” the knight called out to her, his voice slightly muffled from his helmet.

Emerald nodded her answer across the space and drew her sword from its sheath, readying it in her hands, poised for combat.

At the same time, both combatants approached each other at a jogging speed, steadily covering the distance.

Emerald Edge swung first, aiming her sword for Sir Morn’s side. The knight parried her strike and followed up with a undercut slash, which the spymaster aptly dodged.

“You’ve gotten better since I last trained you, Emerald,” Sir Morn locked blades with the spymaster. “Very impressive.”

“It’s my duty to learn and adapt, Sir Morn,” she replied with a smile. “I am not the royal spymaster for nothing.”

The crowds continued to cheer for both combatants as they took turns to strike each other, both looking for an opening to end the battle.

Morn went down on a knee and avoided one of Emerald’s horizontal slashes, delivering one of his own at her feet. The spymaster jumped up and somersaulted over the knight’s head, slashing down as she passed him, only for Morn to block her attack and push up with a hand, catching her in the gut, throwing her in front.

Emerald rolled for a few feet, stopping by pressing her greaves on the ground. Sir Morn Dread was already on her, bringing down his blade for Emerald. She dodged to the side, but she felt his weapon connect with her side. Thankfully, it had only been the flat of his weapon, though it knocked her down again.

“Footing, my lady,” Sir Morn said, allowing her a second more to get up before advancing again. “Keep your footing.”

He waited until Emerald charged at him again, jumping to the side and spinning her blade in a circle. She clashed her steel against his steel in the air, then kicked out a foot at the knight before falling to the ground, catching Sir Morn in the right thigh, sending him down on one knee.

Now’s my chance!

Emerald picked up her sword and brought it down in a vertical strike, only for the knight to block up with his sword, Clarent. The royal spymaster pushed against him, seeing as she had the footing and he didn’t, but Sir Morn would not budge. He held his sword high and pushed higher, getting back to his feet and bringing it down towards Emerald, almost pushing her to her knees.

Emerald remembered what Moon Tide said about helping Sir Morn with her thoughts. The spymaster pictured other things in her head, trying to push Morn out of her mind. Now wasn’t the time to get sloppy, thinking about leaving this world behind. Her empire came first and always first.

Exhaling, the former pegasus dropped her sword and lunged for the side, using Morn’s force to send his body forward. Spinning around, she extended a hidden blade and was about to press it to his neck when the knight rolled forward instead, coming up on the other side, his blade tip pointing at her.

“I won’t fall for the same move a second time, my lady,” he smirked.

Emerald knocked his weapon away and slid in, using the close quarters to try and push him down. Instead, Morn went low and tackled her down, falling on top of her. Emerald used his momentum and rolled slightly back, planting her armored feet against the knight’s chest and pushing up and towards her head, throwing Sir Morn over her and down behind her.

She recovered and rushed for her sword, only to be hit in the gut by the flat of Sir Morn’s blade just as she reached out for her weapon.

How did he get up so fast? And the flat again? That can’t be an accident.

“Sir Morn, what are you doing?” Emerald asked him, skirting around him, keeping an eye on her sword. “You have hit me with the flat of your blade twice now. Surely that cannot be a coincidence?”

“Purely coincidence, my lady,” he smiled and stuck his sword tip out. “Now come. Time waits for no one.”

The crowds had suddenly grown silent, almost as if they were waiting for something that they knew was to come. Maybe the end of the match.

Emerald narrowed her eyes, but rushed for her sword, dodging to the right as Sir Morn swung his weapon. At the last moment, she kicked off his arm and rolled over her sword, picking it up and standing up opposite the knight, swinging it at his shoulder.

Sir Morn looked up at her sword, then almost like he had just decided to give up, he turned to face it, stepping back and away from her blow.

What?

Then he tripped over his own foot and stumbled down, falling on his back as Emerald pushed the sword down against his chest, metal clinking against metal.

“It seems you have won, my lady.” Sir Morn rubbed at his head and grinned.

Like a wave coming back to shore, the crowds burst out in cheers, raining praises down on Emerald from the stands, starting to cheer her name.

Emerald should’ve been happy that she had made it another round, but she wasn’t. She had expected a fair and proper fight from the knight, but now she knew he hadn’t been giving it his all since the beginning. He made it easy for her.

“How could you…” she lifted her sword away and frowned at the knight.

Morn’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “What?”

She looked up into his eyes and slammed her sword back into its sheath. “I wanted a fair fight, Sir Morn. You gave me that win on purpose. I didn’t want you to go easy on me…”

Then she stormed past him, her greaves clanking against the arena floor as she made for the tunnels.

Sir Morn Dread pushed to his feet and ran after her, unsure of what just happened between them.

“My lady, let me explain.” Sir Morn followed closely behind Emerald Edge as they returned to the dens.

Emerald was infuriated. How could he do such a thing?

“Did you not trust in my skills, Sir Morn?” She turned to face the knight. “Did you not think I could win?”

“No, nothing like that.” He wore an innocent face.

“Then why did you purposely fall?” Emerald pointed a finger at him. “Don’t think I did not know. That opening was deliberate. You let me win.”

“Yes, I did, but-”

“Why? I wanted to win on my own strength,” Emerald calmed down a little. There wasn’t any point to shout it all out. “Instead, you took the fall and lost. Why?”

“Your quest is more important than anything I have ever undertaken, my lady,” Sir Morn placed a hand on her shoulder. “And also…” He paused for a long while.

“What?” Emerald waited for him to speak. “What do you want to say?”

“Also…” Sir Morn raised his hand to the spymaster’s cheek. “I… I’ve fallen in love with you, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald’s eyes widened themselves. “You-you what, Sir Morn…?” Her cheeks grew red against her green skin.

“I do, my lady.” He looked into her purple eyes. “All this time I’ve spent with you, I’ve learnt your ways and your habits, and I’ve come to care for you very deeply. You are everything to me, Emerald. I could not hurt you, even for the sake of a tournament. When you are with me, I feel I can do anything.”

“Sir Morn… I…” Emerald didn’t know what to say. She knew her own feelings for him, but she didn’t think it was a good idea.

The knight rubbed a thumb across her soft cheek. “Do you… Do you feel the same way?”

Emerald sighed, but decided to go with the truth. She needed to.

“I do, Sir Morn,” she nodded. “I love you, perhaps too much. My empire… It needs me. I’m torn between leaving this world and saving my home. It’s just too much for me…”

“Why can you not have both?” he leaned closer. “Saving your kingdom should come first, but why can you not come back to visit? To be with me?”

“I don’t know if it is possible, Sir Morn…” Emerald placed her hand over his, wrapping her fingers around his. “I can only enter your world once every thirty moons, and I don’t know if it will always work.”

“Then we shall make it work, my lady.” He smiled peacefully at her, making the spymaster’s blush grow brighter. “We will find a way. I love you, my lady.”

“Sir Morn…”

Slowly leaning closer, the knight placed his lips against Emerald’s, ever so softly. The spymaster closed her eyes and leaned into him, placing a hand on his cheek.

She couldn’t deny her feelings anymore. She loved him, and he loved her. What was the point of trying to suppress them, Emerald couldn’t remember now.

Even if they were worlds apart, she would never forget him and she would only regret it the rest of her life if she didn’t tell him how she felt. But he was right. If she loved him, she would find a way back, after she defeated Sombra.

“Thank you, Sir Morn,” she breathed as their lips separated. “You’ve shown me there is hope, even in these little things.”

“For you, my lady, I shall do anything.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her in his embrace. Emerald leaned against his chest and placed her arms around his back.

Perhaps this was meant to be. It didn’t matter if he was human. Emerald had fallen in love with the knight, and she was fine with it. She had never loved anypony like this before, but she knew her true feelings for him.

“My, oh my, my son is all grown up.”

Moon Tide stood by the staircase leading up, a hand on her chin, a wide smile on her face.

“Oh, Moon Tide!” Emerald’s face grew all red as she moved away from the knight. “Umm…”

“Please, do not let me stop you,” Moon Tide breathed in and walked over. “Son, I’m proud of you. Instead of trying to win, you’ve sacrificed it to help another. Nothing makes a knight more valiant than giving up his wants for someone else.

“And Emerald,” she turned to the spymaster a placed a hand atop her armored shoulder. “There is no one else in the world that would make me happier to see beside Morn.”

“Oh, well…” Emerald rubbed at her arm sheepishly. “Thank you, Moon Tide.”

“And I hope that when you save your home from that terrible usurper, you will find a way to return here whenever you like. Now, come. I shall tend to your wounds.”

“What about Sir- oh.” Emerald remembered the knight’s powers. Even so, she hadn’t managed to even hurt him all match.

“Yes, my lady.” Sir Morn held one of her hands as she sat down for Moon Tide to treat her bruises. “I shan’t need my mother’s healing.”

Sir Morn hadn’t wounded her at all, but she had some bruises from where he had hit her with the flat of his blade and from falling to the stony floor a few times.

“Don’t you worry, Emerald,” Moon Tide rubbed a green paste on the spymaster’s arms. “You’ll have a longer break before the final match, so you may rest up more.”

“Final match?” Emerald widened her eyes and let her jaw drop slightly. “I’m at the final match? You mean I just need to win one more?”

“That’s right,” Moon Tide crooned, applying more paste. “One more match and the shield is yours. I’m sure that your queen- ahem, princess will be proud of you for coming so far. I know mine would be.”

“One more match…” Emerald repeated. Was it all true? Was she that close to finishing what she had to do here? All she had to do now was finish one more fight. “I’m almost there...”

“You can do it, Emerald,” Morn gave her hand a light squeeze. “You are strong and you adapt so very quickly. Whoever wins, Sir Lionheart or Sir Prancelot, I’m sure you will find a way to leave victorious.”

“Sir Lionheart and Sir Prancelot?” Emerald remembered the former, meeting him in the castle the night she and Morn had dinner together. As for Sir Prancelot, he was a mystery to her, though she’d heard the stories of the valiant knight. He was supposed to be the king’s best knight.

“It will not be easy, but give it your best, Emerald,” Moon Tide rubbed her fingers on her robes and placed her bottle back in her basket. “Anything’s possible if you have the will for it.”

“That’s the thing, Moon Tide,” Emerald looked between the mage and the knight. “I… I don’t want to leave you all behind, but I have to go back, I know that. I don’t know what to think anymore. You all are important to me too. I’m just… I’m so conflicted right now.”

Moon Tide smiled warmly at Emerald, patting her on the arm. “Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will be for the best.”

“I suppose so…” Emerald sighed and leaned back.

“Now, my lady,” Sir Morn said. “Don’t let these thoughts take up your mind now, especially not during the final round. You cannot afford to be distracted.”

“Indeed. Good luck with your next match, Emerald. My son and I will be cheering you on.”

Done packing up, the blue haired mage left the dens, likely heading back to the stands where she could be ready to provide assistance if necessary.

“The day is almost at its end, Emerald,” Morn moved himself beside the spymaster, sitting down on the bench. “By the sun’s set, may you be walking back to your world’s portal, shield in hand.”

“That’s only if I win, Sir Morn. What if I lose? My kingdom needs me as soon as possible.”

“I’m with you, my lady,” Sir Morn wrapped his arms around the former pegasus. “I am sure you will be triumphant. You will do what you must. Your kingdom will always come first, before anything else.”

“You’re right, Sir Morn,” Emerald smiled and leaned against him. “I am glad I met you. You are indeed a wonderful human. Now, shouldn’t you be getting to the stands to watch me win this?”

“There is still some time,” the knight stayed, unmoving. “I shall sit with you before you proceed back outside.”

20 - The Final Bout

After leaving Sir Morn Dread in the dens, Emerald Edge reemerged in the stone-floored arena, watching the gathered crowd all around her. The amount had vastly increased from the previous round, with most of the town now here to witness her fight.

Emerald spied Honeygold and Spectrum Song near the back, two little tiny humans standing among a crowd of taller ones. The spymaster grinned to herself; she hoped to put up the fight they were here to see.

“ARE YOU ALL READY FOR THE FINAL ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT?” the man yelled over the crowds. Emerald silently wondered how he could keep up this shouting all day long. Surely his throat would be hurting, or at least, he would be thirsty. Very thirsty.

The crowds answered him by amplifying their volume, raining cheers down on Emerald and her competitor.

Across from her, appearing from the other den, was a knight with wavy blonde hair and a moustache, without a helmet over his head; he also carrying a sword and shield in his hands.

“Sir Lionheart,” Emerald acknowledged.

“Ah, Lady Emerald Edge,” he widened his smile as he waved to the crowds with his sword hand. “Lovely to see you all the way here at the last leg of the tournament. If you made it this far, you must have great skill.”

“I was taught by one of the best.” Emerald drew her sword.

“Alas, I have had time to study you.” Lionheart hid behind his shield and spread his feet out. “Let us see what other surprises you may have, my lady.”

The knight stood there, unmoving. Emerald guess he was waiting for her to strike first, so she approached, swinging her sword down when she was close enough. He lifted his shield and pushed her attack away to the side before stabbing forward with his own sword.

That action had happened so fast that Emerald was almost skewered by his weapon. She jumped to the side and used her momentum to spin her sword around, attacking the knight from his right, only to be blocked again before Lionheart pressed the attack, swinging both sword and shield at her.

The blonde knight truly was a fearsome foe. Sir Morn had mentioned he was one of the best and if he had beaten Sir Prancelot, who supposed to be the best, then Emerald really needed to watch out for him.

She blocked to the left, then to the right, all the while looking for an opening to turn the battle in her favor. It wasn’t easy to find one.

“Surprise me, my lady,” Lionheart said as he smashed his shield down atop Emerald’s foot, earning her startled grunt as she fell back.

Even through the greave she could feel her foot throbbing. She couldn’t fully stand on it without feeling pain spike up her leg.

The crowds roared for Sir Lionheart. Apparently, he was a big fan favorite.

Emerald dodged towards the knight, throwing her sword up into the air from under his legs, then unsheathed both hidden blades and slashed across both his knees. Sir Lionheart staggered back, the armor protecting him from most of Emerald’s blade, but the right side had a gash with blood flowing out of it.

Just then, Emerald jumped up and aimed a blade for his head. Lionheart lifted his shield to block, but the spymaster caught her falling sword and spun around his shield, landing on it with her back and cutting out at the knight’s shoulder, going through his armor and feeling her steel rend his flesh.

“Ah!” Lionheart gasped and dropped his shield, reaching for his shoulder with his sword arm.

Emerald didn’t give him a chance to recover. She now pressed her attack, slashing and stabbing as fast as her human arms would move, mostly aiming for Lionheart’s legs in hopes of tripping him and ending the match.

Emerald swore she could hear Honeygold and Spectrum Song from the stands, cheering her on.

You can do it, Emerald… She silently pleaded with herself. Win this and save the Crystal Empire from that usurper, Sombra. You have to… Sir Morn and the others… They’re not your priority.

Sir Morn Dread…

After what had just happened in the dens, Emerald was conflicted. What if there was no way back after she went back to Equestria? What if there was no way to see him and her new friends ever again? Would she still walk through the portal to save the Crystal Empire?

Emerald Edge knew what she had to do as the royal spymaster, as a pony, but she found herself questioning one thing. Am I willing to leave…?

Her thoughts had thrown her attack off balance as Sir Lionheart parried her sword, sending it flying across the arena, clattering against the rock walls that supported the stands. Emerald realized her mistake and cursed herself as she ran for her sword, kicking away from Sir Lionheart.

No, Emerald! Not now. Your distraction almost cost you the match! Focus.

Before she could take another step, she felt something lance across the back of her right thigh; the pain instantly flared up to her hip and she fell with a shout. Sir Lionheart had managed to cut her as she ran for her sword, his reflexes much faster than Emerald had anticipated.

No! Not yet!

Emerald had let her mind and emotions take over. She had been distracted. She hadn’t had her focus fully on the fight and now she had paid for it.

The crowds had grown quiet, waiting to see if Emerald would stand or not.

“I have to…” Emerald said, mostly for herself to hear. She pushed to her hands and hopped up on her good leg. “For my empire… I have to win this.”

The crowds began to raise their voices again, this time, most of them chanting Emerald’s name.

“They’re rooting… for me.”

Emerald knew where her allegiance lay. It was to her empire first, this world second. Whether she liked it or not, she swore an oath to protect the Crystal Empire with her life when she became the spymaster. There was no way she was backing out of that now, friends or no.

The former pegasus readied herself as Sir Lionheart approached her, smiling, his shield abandoned.

“I take it you are ready, Lady Emerald.”

As the courageous knight attacked again, Emerald jumped to the side, keeping strength off her right leg, unsheathing both hidden blades. Just as he slashed to the side, where she was standing, Emerald clashed both hidden blades against Lionheart’s blade, then pulled to the side, prying the sword from his hands before moving to fight him up close.

Emerald smiled. Now the knight was unarmed and she still had her two hidden blades. She could do this. She could end this.

The royal spymaster jabbed one blade at the knight, sticking a foot behind him, hoping to trip him and win, but Lionheart must’ve known what she was planning. Instead, the knight ducked low and rammed Emerald in the gut, knocking her over and pinning a knee on one of her arms, the other atop her right leg, pushing her injury into the ground.

Emerald winced and her screams threatened to leave her mouth, but she kept control, but she knew it. Her actions were sloppy and her resolve wasn’t solid like a wall. In the end, after everything she told herself, she was still conflicted between her choices. Her mind still wasn’t focused.

“No, no, I can’t…” Emerald’s eyes became blurry. “I can’t lose here…”

“Then fight, my lady,” Lionheart told her, still pinning down one of her arms and her legs. “Get up. I expected more from you.”

Emerald Edge slashed at Lionheart’s face with her other arm, but it was quickly deflected by his armored arm and pinned down beside her head.

“If you cannot, then concede, Lady Emerald.” Lionheart said. “Do not injure yourself any further.”

The crowd of humans stopped again, wondering if this was finally the end of the tournament.

I can’t give up now. Not when I’m this close.

Emerald freed her arm and stabbed at Lionheart, who suddenly backed off, allowing her to roll away and stagger to her feet, wiping her mouth on a vambrace.

“Your strength is more than a common lass, my lady. Good.” Lionheart reached for his sword and pointed the blade up, holding it with both hands. “I wonder what other surprises you have for me?”

Emerald approached the man, swinging her hidden blades at him, but the knight deflected each of her attacks, stepping back as needed.

This is bad…

Emerald looked around for her sword, but it was too far away, out of reach.

I can’t fight his sword with these tiny blades much longer.

Emerald lunged at Lionheart, who raised his sword to parry, but at the last second Emerald brought herself to a halt, kicking up sand in the knight’s face.

As Emerald ran to fetch her sword, the knight growled and wiped the dirt from his face. By the time he was done, Emerald had retrieved her weapon and was facing him, both hands on the hilt.

“I don’t like sand,” Lionheart said. “It’s coarse and rough, and it gets everywhere.”

“Hmm.” Emerald eyed him and raised her weapon to fight. He was right. Sand always did seem to find a way into your armor. “I agree, Sir Lionheart. Now let us finish this.”

The crowds tensed. Emerald knew it too. She’d already lost a good amount of blood from her thigh wound and her head was getting lighter. She had to end this now or it was all over for her.

Emerald and Lionheart circled one another. She glanced up at the spectators. King Dawn Saber was on the edge of his throne, carefully watching the fight, while Queen Sunlight Radiance was slouched back in her throne, being fed grapes by a servant.

In that tiny moment of distraction, Lionheart took the opportunity to bull rush Emerald, who took a step forward and to the right, slashing with her own sword. In a flash of steel, both fighters cleared each other and stood back to back, weapons outstretched.

Lionheart seemed to stumble, his sword arm going to check his back, where a gash had been opened in his armor.

Then Emerald grabbed for her side and pitched over, lying on the ground.

A huge commotion erupted in the stands as Lionheart straightened up, holding his sword high.

The last thing Emerald remembered seeing was Moon Tide’s worried face as she rushed over to help.

The sky was dark over the Crystal Empire as Emerald Edge stood on a hill overlooking her kingdom. Over her back, she had slung the artifact she needed to defeat Sombra and retake her home.

The Shield of Star Swirl the Bearded.

Extending her wings, the spymaster silently floated off the hill, aiming for the window at the central tower of the palace, her hood low over her eyes to mask her glimmering hair.

At the last second, she tucked into a roll and smashed through the glass panel, separating the outside with the inside, landing on all fours before the throne.

King Sombra looked up and growled. “You… who are you?”

Emerald looked up and slung the shield around one hoof. “My name is Emerald Edge, royal spymaster to Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire! I am here to end your reign, Sombra!”

“End my reign, you say?” Sombra rose off his throne in a pillar of smoke, towering way above Emerald. “Then come.”

Then the dark king disappeared within a ball of black smoke, shooting to Emerald like a meteor. Placing the shield in front of her, the spymaster concentrated its magical energies and watched as it began to glow a bright gold. Sombra crashed into it, but Emerald held firm, not even feeling the strain of fighting back against Sombra’s force.

“What sorcery is this?” he muttered.

“Nothing you will ever be able to win, Sombra.” Emerald pushed, launching a wall of light from her shield, pushing the king against his throne, sending cracks snaking up the wall behind it, raining dark crystal bits down around them.

The pegasus smiled. She was doing it. She was finally doing what she had set out to do when she left the Crystal Empire that day.

Just as she felt she was about to vanquish Sombra forever, the light of her shield dimmed until its gold faded to a rusty copper.

“What…?” Emerald looked at her artifact.

Sombra’s face emerged from his shadows and smiled. “Fool. You thought these simple weapons could stop me? You’ve wasted your time. You should’ve stayed in that world you’ve come to love so much. Now you will never see your empire or that world again.”

Then he expanded his shadows, swallowing the shield instantly, leaving Emerald weaponless as she stepped away from him, still not believing what had happened. Then one shadowy tentacle grasped her back hoof and dragged her in, pulling her towards the smirking face of King Sombra.

“No… No!” And then Emerald disappeared in a tidal wave of darkness.

“No! I can’t!” Emerald Edge sat up, instantly regretting it. A hand shot to her side as she winced in pain.

“Ah, ah, ah, not so fast,” Moon Tide’s voice could be heard from the right. “Lie back, Emerald. Your wounds are still being tended to.”

The spymaster looked down at herself. Her armor and shirt were off and there was a roll of bandages over her chest, ending down just above her hip. The wound on her thigh was only just layered with green paste now, but it still hurt when she moved her leg.

“What happened, Moon Tide?” Emerald didn’t know what happened after the match, but she knew the outcome. “I… I lost, didn’t I… I failed. I failed my empire. I failed my princess…”

Emerald couldn’t stop her tears from dropping on her pants.

“Shh, dry those eyes. You fought very well, Emerald,” Moon Tide walked over and dabbed a bit more ointment on Emerald’s injuries. “Did you see the look on King Dawn Saber’s face? I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to speak to you after this.”

“But why…?” Emerald wiped her eyes. “I lost. What good am I now?”

Moon Tide smiled. “Between you and me, the tournament’s not just about winning the shield. The king uses the tournament as a way to select new knights for his service. Given how you trounced a fair number of them to get to where you are, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to recruit you.”

“What? It would be an honor, Moon Tide, but now without the artifact, I cannot return to stop that usurper. I can’t save my empire. What else can I do now?”

“Did you even have a way back?” Adagio Dazzle asked, sauntering into the dens. “I mean, getting the artifacts is nice and all, but unless you have a way back to your own world, they’re not much good, are they?”

Emerald hadn’t really pondered too much on finding her way back. “I entered through that large piece of stone in the middle of the lake. I was told that portal only opens once every thirty moons, but now, now I have no reason to go back during this cycle…”

“And that’s if the receptor on the other side still works.” Aria Blaze joined her sister, slouching by the door. “Portals like this are a two way street. Both receptors on both sides have to be operational.”

“Have you been through one before?” The muse sounded like she knew what she was saying.

“Er… no… but the mages leave enough notes lying around that I know the theoretics of portals like these. Yeah.” Aria fingered the red gem around her throat as she spoke. “I like to study magic.”

“Hmm…” Emerald sighed. “I don’t know about the other end, but it was about to blow up when I was…” Painful memories resurfaced and so did Emerald’s tears. “When I was thrown through by my friend. And I wanted to return… I wanted to win this tournament and bring the shield back, but I failed! I dishonored my princess…” The spymaster covered her face and wept. “I dishonor all my friends who died to get me here.”

“There, there.” Moon Tide patted Emerald’s arm comfortingly. “It’s not over yet. Surely there are other artifacts out there, waiting to be claimed by you. How many did you say there were?”

Emerald shook her head, still sobbing into her hands. “I… don’t know.”

“Well, I’m sure we can find more. Even if there aren’t any, you can participate in the next tournament for the shield. See? It’s not nearly as hopeless as you think.”

“But I can’t wait that long. My empire needs me! I can’t let Sombra rule for so long.” Emerald thought about it. Or could she? After all, she wasn’t focused during her match. That’s how she had lost. A part of her had wanted to stay here with Sir Morn and the others instead of returning to Equestria. “I let this happen. Because of my thoughts on staying here in this world… I don’t know what to think anymore… I don’t deserve to be spymaster.”

“No, don’t think like that, Emerald.” Moon Tide consoled her. “Yes, your people might need you, but without any way back, there isn’t anything we can do. You’ve done your best already, spymaster. You just need to keep trying.”

Just then, there was a clatter of greaves on the stairway leading up and Sir Morn Dread appeared around the corner, his eyes only focused on Emerald.

“Emerald, my lady, are you faring better?” He stopped beside her and held one of her hands in his. He noticed her tears and squeezed her hand firmly. He sniffed once, then cleared his throat. “Tis alright, my lady. You tried. That’s all that matters.”

Emerald slumped down as Moon Tide went about applying salves and bandages.

“I’m sorry. Thank you all for standing by me, even like this.”

“I shall do anything for you, Emerald.” Sir Morn lifted her chin and smiled at her, wiping her tears from one eye. “Forever and always. And that shall include getting you back to your world with means to take back your empire.”

Moon Tide nodded and gave Emerald’s arm a good solid pat.

“You all mean so much to me now.” Emerald wiped at her eyes. “I just wish I knew how to go on from here…”

Emerald Edge sat in silence as Morn and Moon Tide held onto her, giving her the physical support she needed. Before anything else could happen, there were the sounds of more footfalls coming down the steps before a frantic Spectrum Song burst into view, her rainbow colored hair in a mess and a look of worry on her face. Emerald didn’t need to be a mindreader to know something was amiss.

“Em, there you are!” She rushed over and gripped one of the spymaster’s hands tightly. “It’s Honeygold! You’ve got to come quick!”

“What?” Emerald shifted her feet off the bench and grabbed for her shirt, which had been used as a headrest. “What happened? Is she alright?”

Spectrum took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. “ Honeygold was kidnapped!”

21 - Battle in the Woods

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay in uploading, I got into a car crash last month and haven't had access to my computer in the hospital. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

21 - Battle in the Woods

Emerald Edge had fastened her armor on as quickly as she could. Moon Tide had healed her to the best of her ability, but it still needed some time to fully heal up, seeing as it was a serious wound. The spymaster winced as she buckled the last side of her armor down, then ran up the steps, following behind Spectrum Song.

“It was the druids!” the young squire explained. “They had snuck in and when the match was over and when the crowds were clearing, they tried to steal the shield from its pedestal, but the guards managed to stop them. Instead, they had grabbed Honeygold before leaving. I couldn’t do anything!”

“Don’t worry, Spectrum. We’ll get her back safely.” Emerald owed it to Honeygold and her family to be standing here today instead of the bottom of the lake. “Was she the only one taken?”

“As far as I know, yes. They took her out through the gates. The knights took down some of them, but they still made it out with her. If I had just been more attentive, maybe they wouldn’t have grabbed her.”

Sir Morn Dread, who had been following, split up with them at the courtyard. “I shall get my horse. I will catch up, my lady.”

“I will come with you.” Moon Tide put a hand on her chest. “Those druids shall not sacrifice the young girl today.”

The three of them headed for the main gates, clearing crowds and buildings, moving as swiftly as they could. Emerald spotted a few dead bodies, some of druids and the barbarians she had fought before, and some of the Canterlot guard. She hoped they hadn’t died for nothing, but she silently vowed to avenge them as well.

Shortly, Sir Morn caught up with them, riding atop Windspeed with two more horses behind him, one brown, the other white. Atop the white horse sat a knight in grey armor, his helmet slightly triangular with a railed visor.

Morn saw Emerald looking and raised a hand to the knight. “Sir Prancelot of the Knights of the Round Table, Lady Emerald. He shall be accompanying us to the Shetlands. Sir Lionheart and Ganeighn have already ridden ahead. They may already be combatting the druids as we speak.”

“The druids went back to the Shetlands?” Emerald asked. “Wouldn’t it be unwise to use the same location twice?”

“Not in there, my lady,” Sir Prancelot spoke. He had a deep gruff voice, but still sounded gentle enough. “The Shetlands is a massive place. Some villagers wander in and don’t come out. The druids have been in there for years, setting up in different locations to avoid us. They originate from Docklin, but they have come to our land for sacrifices, which they believe make them stronger. How barbaric.”

“Then let us go. Now. Honeygold needs us.” Emerald was about to swing herself atop the other horse, but Sir Morn held up his hand.

“No, my lady. You are wounded,” he said. “You must stay and rest.”

“But she’s my friend! I have to go and save her.”

“Not when you are still healing, Emerald. You will hurt yourself further.”

“My injuries are nothing.” Emerald shook her head. “Nothing compared to what will happen to Honeygold if I stay here. I’m coming, Sir Morn.”

The knight looked to his mother, who simply nodded as she got up on the brown horse.

“Very well, my lady.” Morn held out his hand for the spymaster to take. “Then you shall ride with me.”

Settling herself down behind Sir Morn, Emerald held on tight as the knight led the group out of Canterlot. Little Spectrum Song sat with Moon Tide, her loot slung behind her back. Emerald didn’t know how that thing would fare in combat, but the rainbow haired girl brought it everywhere with her.

“I’m sure our archer friend must’ve seen where they were headed, so perhaps we should find her first?” Sir Morn asked as their horses picked up into a gallop, kicking up dust on the dirt road.

“Assuming we can find her, Sir Morn,” Emerald said. “Posey isn’t one to sit at camp all day.”

“We found her the last time.”

“Coincidence,” Emerald chuckled.

Soon enough, the group was through the edge of the Shetlands Forest, slowing their gallop to a trot as they listened and looked for any signs of the druids.

“Where do you think they are?” Emerald surveyed the outer forest, looking for a point of entry.

“I’m pretty sure I can find them,” Moon Tide said, raising her head like she was trying to catch a snowflake on her face. She inhaled deeply. “They’re about a hundred meters that way.” The mage pointed at a nearby tree. “They also seem to have non-human help on hand. Be careful.”

“How did you know that?” Emerald was impressed.

Moon Tide simply shrugged and tapped the side of her nose. “Tricks of the trade. Now come on. We’ve got a child to save.”

“Mother,” Sir Morn said as they headed in the direction Moon Tide had pointed in. “You mentioned non-human help. What are we expecting? If I have to hazard a guess, is it dryads? They have plenty back in Docklin.”

Moon Tide shook her head. “None of those. I think we’re expecting…” She inhaled again and thought. “Trolls. At least two, no more than four.”

“Hmm…” Prancelot rubbed the bottom part of his helmet. “The scoundrels must be using them as labor.”

“Moon Tide, trolls?” Emerald asked. She’d faced a troll once, back in Equestria. They were big creatures, but thankfully, not very bright ones. “I have fought one. They stand taller than a regular house. There is no way we can miss it.”

“That tall?” Moon Tide chuckled lightly. “Over here, they stand just a meter above us people, with thick long hair covering almost every inch of their bodies. Not too intelligent, but good at lifting and carrying things.”

“Not to mention they are good in a fight too.” Sir Morn narrowed his eyes. “Stay sharp and keep on your feet. Speed is the key to beating these lumbering beasts.”

“And do not forget the mercenaries these druids employ.” Sir Prancelot reminded. “Not as skilled as a knight, but still skilled nonetheless.”

“Um, excuse me…” A soft voice came. “Are you by any chance tracking the druids?”

“Why yes, we are…” Emerald turned to see the speaker, setting her eyes on Posey, who was hanging out of a nearby tree with Gabriel on her shoulder. “Posey! It is good to see you here. We are hunting the druids. They took Honeygold. She’s, um, an apple salesgirl from Avalon.”

“That’s terrible…” Posey looked ahead through the trees. “In that case, I will accompany you. You might need an eye up in a high place like the last time.” She looked around at the group. “Is Sir Ganeighn with you?”

“No, he has gone to scout ahead with Sir Lionheart,” Sir Morn Dread told her. “They should be well ahead of us.”

“I hope they haven’t been spotted,” Emerald said nervously. “You knights aren’t exactly a very sneaky group.”

The pink haired archer dropped from her perch and whispered something to Gabriel. Soon, he was up in the sky, circling above them. “I will follow alongside you. Gabriel will watch for the druids above.”

“She speaks to the bird?” Sir Prancelot looked at the archer, then up at her eagle.

“Tis a long story, Sir Prancelot,” Morn answered. “A story for later, perhaps, after we rescue the young girl.”

Posey kept her bow out and followed, keeping a few paces away from the main party with an arrow in her bow, ready for anything. She never failed to surprise Emerald, always teaching her new things about being a spy, like looking for tracks, watching her bird above and even keeping off their horses. The knights sure had a lot to learn from her.

Soon, the path Moon Tide was leading them on stopped at a thicket, meaning they would have to tie their horses here and travel on foot. After securing the horses’ reins to a sturdy oak tree, the party crept through the undergrowth, careful not to make a sound, a feat which was proving impossible with all the knights’ armor clanking.

“They’re close.” Posey kept an eye up. “Gabriel’s found them. No sign of Sir Lionheart and Sir Ganeighn. I hope they’re okay.”

Stealthily, the group approached the treeline of the clearing where Gabriel was circling over. Peering through the leaves of a blueberry bush, Emerald could see the druids’ encampment.

They had a few tents set up, along with some crates and tables. Emerald counted eight druids and at least twelve mercenaries. Truthfully, they all looked the same to her, so it was hard to tell. And lumbering around aimlessly near the treeline, were three large furry creatures. They must have been the trolls, and Emerald counted three.

The spymaster ducked back from the bush and turned to the rest of her group.

“We’re outnumbered here, and least three to one. I don’t see Honeygold. What’s the plan?”

“I can get somewhere high.” Posey put a hand on a wide tree. “From there, I’ll be able to get some good shots and a better view.”

Sir Morn Dread nodded. “Then take what heights you may.”

Posey nodded and slung her bow across her back before beginning to scale the tree, easily reaching the highest branch in minutes.

Emerald looked back and pulled Morn by the arm. “Come. We need to find Honeygold.”

“Wait, we mustn’t go in without a plan, my lady!” the knight whispered. “You will only endanger all of us, Honeygold included. We need a strategy to come out victorious.”

“You’re right.” Emerald drew back behind the bush. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried for her. She’s just a little filly.”

Sir Morn smiled and wrapped his armored arms around the spymaster. “There is nothing to fear. We shall rescue her. The druids shall not harm her this day, but we must first come up with a plan to strike.”

“Then I suggest we creep closer, as close as we can.” Emerald pulled her hood over her head. “But you knights are too obvious. Maybe… Wait here. I’ll scout them out by myself.”

“Of course,” Sir Morn nodded. “Be careful, Emerald.”

“I’ll do my best.” And the spymaster was off, crouching low through the thicket, pushing branches away as quickly and silently as she could, slowly advancing towards the druid encampment.

Emerald took into account that some of the mercenaries were sitting around, their weapons beside them as they ate some kind of meat, likely the body of some poor animal they found in the forest. If she had to reduce the number of enemies, they would be the ones she would start with.

The druids, as usual, stuck to the middle of the area, away from the corners where Emerald could silently dispatch them. They had tables set up with different bowls and apparatuses and various ingredients in each of them.

“Archdruid.” One of the druids brought forth a bowl with white liquid. “We have more and we have tested it. It proves lethal when it touches the skin.”

“Excellent work, Galar.” Emerald remembered Duchan from her last encounter. He patted the other druid on the shoulder. “Small and simple and easily concealed. This weapon will prove more effective against our enemies. Even that knight will feel the power of our dark magic now.”

“I shall put it in the vials right away, archdruid.” The druid scampered off to one of the tents.

“Look at them,” Moon Tide whispered, appearing beside the spymaster. Emerald hadn’t heard her approach. “Fannying about with their so-called magic. I’ll tell you something, Emerald. These druids don’t have what it takes to work at the Canterlot Mage’s Tower. That’s where all the serious stuff is.”

“You use dangerous magic up there too?” Emerald asked. “But I’ve seen what their dark magic can do. It’s horrible. Don’t tell me you mages employ the same things?”

“Certainly we work on dangerous magic in the tower. But it’s also a matter of discipline. Just because we can use and research dangerous magic doesn’t mean that we should. These druids have thrown away all their morals for a bit of power. And besides, the use of dark magic against people is forbidden by us mages.

“That being said, I brought a little magic of my own, Emerald. Try not to get in the way if it comes to a magic duel.” Moon Tide reached into her pack and drew out a compact crossbow, as well as a small quiver of bolts. However, instead of a steel arrowhead, each bolt had a small glass vial attached to the front, the individual little bottles swirling with potion. “I prefer my magic with a bit of kick to it.”

“Your magic is attached to the arrows?” Emerald looked at the different colored liquids in each of the vials. “This world truly is very fascinating and weird at the same time. No harm meant, Moon Tide.”

“Not all my magic, just these ones,” Moon Tide whispered back. “Now, what do we do next?”

“We need to determine where they’re keeping Honeygold.”

Emerald inched through the bushes, getting as close as she could, surveying the campsite, looking for any signs of her little blonde haired friend. There were multiple tents around the camp, but most of their flaps were down, blocking off their insides from Emerald’s eyes.

There didn’t seem to be any sign of Honeygold.

“If they hurt her…” Emerald clenched her fists.

“I’m sure they haven’t.” Moon Tide put a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “From your friend’s story, I think the druids took her because they want the shield.”

“They want the artifact as well?” Emerald looked back at the archdruid, who was bent over a table, mixing a bowl of red powder with some green paste. “They kidnapped Honeygold to trade her!”

“I’m afraid that’s the case here, Emerald.”

Emerald Edge looked around, desperately trying to find an opportunity to sneak into the camp to find Honeygold. Soon, she spotted one. A shorter female mercenary had left the main area, heading out into the woods alone, not even bothering to take her weapon with her.

Perfect.

Emerald crept through the bushes, pushing her way towards the other side where the mercenary was standing, her back now to her. The mercenary fiddled with something on her pants, then pulled them down and squatted down.

“What in Equestria is she doing?” Emerald whispered as she got closer. “Is she… relieving herself? In the open?”

“These barbarians aren’t as civilized as us,” Moon Tide told her. “They do anything wherever they please.”

Emerald looked back at the woman. At least she had made herself an easy target. Close enough now, the spymaster pushed out of the bush, checking once behind her shoulder to make sure the rest of the mercenaries were still busy eating. Once she was sure she wasn’t going to be disturbed, Emerald crept up behind the female mercenary and stabbed her in the back with her hidden blade, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming before silently dragging her back behind the bushes.

“One down…” she whispered to Moon Tide as she hid the body further back.

Suddenly, the mage looked up and began sniffing, her head darting around looking for something. “I don’t think this is going to work. The knights are coming. Sir Lionheart and Sir Ganeighn, I think.”

Emerald peeked her head over the thicket, watching as the two armored men walked into the encampment, their weapons already drawn.

“Stop right there, criminal scum!” Sir Ganeighn pointed his sword tip at the group of druids. “You have a citizen that belongs to us. Hand her over and no blood needs to be shed.”

“Must you knights show up and meddle in everything?” Archdruid Duchan stepped forward. Emerald noticed he was walking a lot better than the last time she saw him. “But I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll make a deal with you. Relinquish your tournament shield to us and we shall trade the girl with you.”

“How do we know you still have her?” Sir Lionheart challenged.

“Nimhe, bring her out,” Duchan said to a female druid. “Show these knights what will happen if they don’t cooperate.”

Emerald tensed as her eyes followed the druid, who ducked under one of the tents.

“That’s where they’re keeping her!” Emerald pointed for Moon Tide. “We need to rescue her now!”

Moon Tide nodded. “Agreed.”

Then she selected a bolt from her quiver and nocked it in her crossbow, licking her finger to determine which way the wind was blowing. Taking careful aim, she raised the weapon to her shoulder and fired.

In that one moment, all hell broke loose. The bolt exploded into a thick, cloying smoke that shrouded the entire druids’ side of the camp in thick clouds. The knights instinctively stepped away, fearing any magical assault. As soon as the smoke touched the druids’ campfire, however, it ignited in a fierce firestorm that lit up the clearing with flashes of orange light.

“Thank you, Beatrix,” Moon Tide muttered before nocking a second bolt. “And Secret Fire.” She glanced at Emerald, giving her a ‘what are you doing’ face.

“Uh, go! Your friend needs you.”

Emerald wiped the shock off her face and nodded, leaping out of the thicket and sprinting straight for the tent. Pushing open the first flap, Emerald came face to face with the druid called Nimhe and behind her, a small metal cage holding Honeygold. She had a blindfold on and her hands were tied behind her back.

“You!” Nimhe fell back a step, whipping out a curved dagger from under her brown sleeve.

Emerald dived under her first swing, kicking back with a foot, feeling her metal boot crack something in the druid’s right leg.

“Agh!” Nimhe gasped and went down on her knees.

Emerald flew to the cage and broke the lock off with her sword, throwing open the door and pulling Honeygold into a hug. “Honeygold, you’re safe. We’ve found you.”

“E-Em?” the girl shakily answered. She had tears running down her cheeks, staining the blindfold.

“Yes, it’s me. We’re getting you out of here.” Emerald peeled off her blindfold and cut her restraints. It was then that she noticed one of Honeygold’s arms was bandaged. “What happened to your arm?”

“Th-the druids… They rubbed some kinda liquid on my arm, testin’ it out or somethin’,” Honeygold explained. “It burned. Burned off my skin too. Said they w-were gonna use it o-on y’all.”

“They did this to a little filly?” Emerald turned angrily to the fallen druid. “Have you no shame?”

“Sacrifice is necessary for power.” Nimhe crawled for her dagger, but Emerald kicked it away.

There was a second explosion from outside, and the sound of metal hitting metal. The knights must have joined the battle. Suddenly a mercenary stumbled into the tent, one of Posey’s arrows in his throat. He collapsed onto the ground and lay still.

Noticing the druid still on the ground, Emerald swiftly tore some strips of fabric from the tent and tied up Nimhe’s hands and feet.

“We’ll deal with you later,” Emerald said before scooping up Honeygold in her arms. “Now let’s get out of here.”

Running out, the spymaster was instantly greeted by the heat from the campfire, still spiralling out of control, sparkling like some sort of flaming beast. A body of one of the druids lay close by, unmoving and burning. Emerald guessed he must’ve been hit when Moon Tide first shot her magical arrow.

Heading back through the thicket, Emerald found Moon Tide, still crouched in the same spot. “Moon Tide, what has happened?”

The mage took the young girl from the spymaster, opening her pack of vials. “Don’t worry, Honeygold. I’ll get you healed up. Sir Prancelot and Morn joined the fight as soon as Sir Lionheart and Sir Ganeighn started fighting. Posey’s been up there, firing arrows at them. Spectrum is still with the horses, I presume. She’s safe there.”

“Look after her.” Emerald pulled out her sword. “I’ll go help them out.”

“Go. I shall do what I do best here.”

Emerald looked to Honeygold and gave her a reassuring nod before running back through the bushes. She soon spotted Sir Prancelot by one corner of the druid camp, fighting off three mercenaries at the same time. Emerald figured that would be a good place to start. Running over, Emerald readied her weapon, jumping up at the last step and running it through one barbarian’s back.

“Gah!” she shouted, grabbing for the sword tip, now sticking out her front. Then her eyes rolled back and she fell down.

“Fantastic work, my lady.” Sir Prancelot parried one of them, then spun around to block the other.

The spymaster moved to engage them, slashing down with her sword. The mercenary she was attacking turned and parried her sword blow. Having her arm thrown back hurt her side, forcing Emerald back, but the mercenary had turned his back to the knight, who spun again and slashed him across the back. Blood dribbled down his chin and he fell on his face.

Sir Prancelot surely was a force to reckon with. He was the quickest knight on his feet from what Emerald had seen of them. It almost looked like he was dancing when he fought. She could easily see how he was one of the king’s best knights.

The last mercenary backed away warily, holding his axe in front of himself. Sir Prancelot lifted his sword, which was slightly purple in color with a widened tip, and pointed it at the mercenary as a challenge to fight.

Instead, the man dropped his weapon and turned to flee. Sir Prancelot lifted his sword and was about to give chase when an arrow flew in from above, piercing the mercenary between the shoulder blades. He fell, shuddered twice, then stopped moving.

“Your archer friend is truly well skilled, Lady Emerald Edge.” Sir Prancelot pointed his sword tip up.

“Yeah. She is,” Emerald said, then out of the corner of her eye, she saw something large and brown come hurtling at her. Emerald dodge rolled, just in time for the troll to miss her by mere inches.

“Woah!” Prancelot readied his sword. “I forgot about the trolls! Guard yourself, my lady!”

Emerald gripped her sword and scooted away from the troll’s massive fist. The beast roared at her and turned around to face her again. It’s arms were far longer than its legs, giving it more reach in this fight, even with Emerald’s sword.

The troll returned, charging for Emerald, its arms outstretched, trying to grab her. The former pegasus watched its feet, then dived under it, slashing it at it as it passed over her, grabbing thin air. It didn’t even seem to notice it had been wounded.

“Kill them!” Emerald spotted a druid close by, pointing at her and Sir Prancelot, giving the troll orders. “Do not let them leave here alive!”

“Looks like we will have to cut off the head of the snake first.” Sir Prancelot readied himself. “You may leave the beast to me. The druid is yours, my lady.”

“Understood.”

Emerald sprinted for the troll first, watching as it raised its arms overhead, ready to deliver a ground-pounding attack. At the last minute, Emerald turned to the side and ran past the hairy creature, running for the druid commanding it.

“What?” the cloaked man took a step back. “Stop her. Kill her!”

The troll turned its head to Emerald, but Sir Prancelot stepped in, delivering a vertical slash to the troll’s chest. It roared again, then swiped an arm around, which Prancelot blocked with the edge of his sword, cutting into the troll’s flesh.

Emerald returned her attention to the druid. Prancelot looked like he had everything under control.

“Useless beast!” the druid screamed, then removed a leather sack from his cloak, dipping a gloved hand inside. “Feel the wrath of our magic!”

Emerald knew that she couldn’t allow the druid to let loose any of his magic. Pulling her arm back, she threw her sword and watched it tumble end over end before finally embedding itself in the druid’s chest, stabbing right through his robes.

“Ack…!” the man coughed out blood and clutched the sword in his chest. He gasped one more time, then collapsed on his side, his eyes turning glassy.

“My lady, duck!” She heard Sir Prancelot say behind her, immediately doing as he said.

As she fell to a crouch, she watched a long hairy arm pass over her, smashing into a tree, cracking the bark.

Emerald rolled under another of the troll’s attacks and sprinted to the fallen druid, retrieving her sword. The troll roared and chased after her, but Emerald slid between its legs as it came, slashing at its exposed legs. The troll fell to its knees, allowing Sir Prancelot to decapitate it.

“Well,” the knight said, looking at the troll’s blood dripping off his blade. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“They’re much tougher than the regular human.” Emerald looked around at the other battles. “But they are nothing compared to the trolls in my world.”

At that moment, there was the sound of a trumpet blaring, and the thundering of hooves against the ground.

“Now what?” Emerald looked around and watched as Sir Morn cut down a troll all on his own.

In the clearing, opposite the campfire, which was now dying down, came riding King Dawn Saber, along with a troop of guards, numbering at least ten. Some of them immediately hopped off their horses and dispatched a few barbarians around them, before raising their shields and spears in an attack formation surrounding the king.

“It’s his majesty!” Prancelot exclaimed, lifting his sword in a salute. “It’s over for the druids now!”

“King Dawn Saber…” Duchan stood behind a few of his mercenaries and druids, pointing his dagger at the king. “You have decided to grace us with your presence. Now, where is Nimhe? If you want the girl we have captured, then turn the shield over to us. We will let her go if you do.”

“The girl is safe.” Emerald stepped from the shroud of the depleting campfire, her sword in hand. “You no longer have a bargaining chip, Duchan. It’s over.”

Morn Dread joined her, standing tall and proud beside her, holding a troll’s head in his hands, tossing it towards the druids. “And your beasts no longer serve you. You cannot win this. Surrender and you do not have to die.”

Duchan’s face went ten shades of red. “How dare you! I am the Archdruid of Fir Laimhe Liath! Go, my minions, and kill them all!”

Trodaire stepped forward, brandishing his two swords. King Dawn Saber unsheathed Excalibur, pointing it at the druids’ champion.

“This is your last chance!” the king announced. “Throw down your weapons or face the consequences!”

“You do not scare me, King of Canterlot.” Trodaire beat his chest with his fists. The other barbarians around him were much shorter and less muscular. “I shall show you what I am now capable of!”

The large human ran forward, instantly barrelling through the line of guards, knocking them all aside with his swords, cutting two of them across the chest, right through their armor. He was on Dawn Saber in an instant, both swords high above his head, ready to strike down the king.

Emerald wanted to rush in to help, but King Dawn Saber held Excalibur out, pointing it one-handed at the onrushing barbarian. There was a blinding flash of light as a beam of pure golden energy shot out from Excalibur’s tip, striking Trodaire in the chest. The light wrapped around the barbarian, burning away at him until there was nothing left but a neat pile of ashes.

The other mercenaries warily walked back, their eyes still on Trodaire’s ashes and so was Emerald’s. The king’s sword had simply laid waste to that large human. The artifacts Star Swirl the Bearded had locked away here had such great power. Now for sure she knew why that wizard had cast them through the portal. They were too powerful, but just what she needed to best Sombra.

King Dawn Saber fell against his horse, drained. His face was sweaty and he was panting like he had just run a long distance. The remaining guards got up and resumed their formation in front of the king.

“Look, he is weak!” Duchan pulled a satchel from his side. “He cannot kill us all! Attack! Kill them all!”

An arrow sailed out of the trees from behind the king and struck one of the mercenaries square in the forehead, while the Knights of the Round Table rallied around their monarch.

“Get moving! Kill!” The druids pulled out familiar vials and tossed them at some of the mercenaries.

They quickly bent back and roared. Emerald remembered those vials from the last fight with these mercenaries. It wasn’t going to be easy to take them all down.

Making a snap decision, she sprinted over toward the king and took Excalibur from his hands.

“What are you doing to the king?” one of the guards asked aghastly, like Emerald had just committed a grave offense. Maybe it was.

“SorryI’llbringitbacklaterthankyou!”

Seizing the sword, Emerald felt the weapon grow warm in her hands. It was perfectly balanced, and fit into her palm perfectly. Almost as if it had been made especially for her. In that moment, a shine came over Emerald, and her hair grew into a long tail-like extension while a pair of pony-like ears popped into existence atop her head. And for the first time since setting foot in the human world, a pair of wings extended from her back.

“What sorcery is this?” One of the druids recoiled and pulled out a pouch of red powder.

Even the knights and guards had lost their focus on the enemy, focusing on Emerald instead.

Emerald faced her enemies and swung the golden sword. Rays of energy lanced out from her sword’s arc and struck the barbarians, taking them off their feet and slamming them into trees and the ground. Flapping her new wings, Emerald took to the air and held the sword high. Beams of light blasted down from the sun, lancing through her opponents with searing heat.

Such power in these artifacts… And my wings! I thought I would never have you again…

In just mere seconds, the royal spymaster had cleared the entire camp of the druid’s mercenaries. Each of them lay on the forest floor, a smoking hole in their chests. Only Duchan and three remaining druids stood before them.

“Surrender now and you won’t have to meet the same fate as your hired help.” Sir Morn lifted Clarent and pointed it at Duchan’s chest. Emerald landed back down beside him, earning a clap on the back from the knight. “Marvelous work, my lady. Never would I have believed it if I had not seen it myself.”

“So this is the power of the artifacts you came to find…” Posey emerged from the treeline and stood beside Emerald and Morn. “Surely with this you can beat that usurper, Emerald.”

“Yeah…” Emerald looked down at the glowing sword in her hands. Somehow, it felt right, like she was meant to use this weapon. Then she remembered she had ‘stolen’ it from the king. She had pried his ‘right to rule’ from his hands and that probably wasn’t too great of an idea, especially if she hadn’t managed to save them all. “Umm… I’ll be right back.”

Emerald walked over to King Dawn Saber and held out Excalibur to him with both hands, holding it horizontally. “I apologize, your majesty. I acted in the heat of the moment. Here, I present your blade back to you.”

Dawn Saber said nothing. By the looks of it, he was still completely drained from using the artifact’s power. It seems humans weren’t meant to use them. Emerald hadn’t even broken a sweat when she had annihilated the druids’ forces. As she handed the blade over, her pony ears vanished and her tail and wings dissipated into thin air.

Feebly, he reached out a hand and accepted the weapon back, though he didn’t look too pleased that Emerald had gone and taken it.

Smiling sheepishly, Emerald retreated back to where Sir Morn Dread and Posey were standing, now joined by Sirs Ganeighn, Lionheart and Prancelot.

“Good to see you, archer.” Ganeighn smiled at Posey. “Your skills with the bow are much welcomed among us knights.”

“Why, yes… I suppose so…” Posey shuffled her feet nervously.

“Ah, Lady Emerald, you return.” Sir Lionheart looked back to the king, then to her. “That feat you just performed… Stupendous work! See how the druids cower before you now!”

“Though, we recommend not wresting Excalibur from the king's hands ever again, my lady,” Sir Prancelot added in. “The king does not like it when his famed sword is taken from him.”

“Sorry. I just did what I thought would help…”

“Tis fine, my lady.” Sir Morn clapped her shoulder. “You have assured victory for us today. If the king does not support your action, us knights do.”

The remaining druids stood before the knights and Dawn Saber’s small troop, snarls on their faces, but they attempted nothing. Even Archdruid Duchan didn’t pull any of his magic tricks out.

“Surrender and you shall live, druid scum.” Sir Prancelot pointed his weapon at Duchan’s chest. “Resist and you will perish.”

Duchan moved his hand to his pouch, but there was a clicking sound behind him and he turned around to see Moon Tide, who had her crossbow pointed at the back of his head.

“Make a move, and your camp’s not the only thing going down in flames today.”

The crossbow bolt had a bright orange glowing vial on the end and gave off a low heat. Duchan let his hand fall from his pouch before putting both up in the air.

“Very well…” Duchan grumbled. “We surrender.”

“Excellent choice.” Sir Lionheart approached them. “All your magic down on the ground. Now.”

The druids complied before the knights restrained their hands behind their backs with rope. Emerald stood with Moon Tide as the druids were escorted off by the king’s guard.

“This isn’t over…” Duchan focused his purple eyes on the spymaster. “Far from over, lass. I will remember you and what you did.”

“Quiet, you.” Morn knocked a fist on the side of the archdruid’s head. “Keep moving and don’t you dare talk to her like that.”

The archdruid took one more look at Emerald, then followed as the guards led them away.

Once they were well away, Morn sheathed his sword and stood before Emerald. “Are you alright, my lady? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, Sir Morn,” Emerald smiled. Her healing wounds occasionally hurt when she performed certain actions, but for now, there weren’t hurting. “Moon Tide, how’s Honeygold?”

“We’re fine, Em.” The little apple salesgirl and Spectrum Song walked out into the campsite holding the reins of the knights’ horses. Honeygold’s arm had a fresh coat of bandages. “Moon Tide helped soothe the pain some. And Spectrum kept me company while you were all here fightin’, so I’m good.”

“Acid, Emerald.” Moon Tide looked to the disappearing druids with disgust. “They are horrible enough to use it on the little girl. Detestable people, that lot. Fortunately, I happen to have a salve here that will heal that. No scarring required.”

“I’m glad they’re going where they belong, then,” Emerald said. She bent down and gave the girl a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, Honeygold. I was so worried they would do something to you.”

“They nearly did, Em, but you rescued me! You’re a hero!”

Emerald blushed. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. We did it. As a team.”

“Quite right, Lady Emerald Edge.” King Dawn Saber walked over to them, Excalibur at his side, supported under one arm by Sir Prancelot. “Although, I would say that you did the lion’s share of the work. Spectacular work with Excalibur, though I would not take it again.”

“Sorry, your majesty. I just did what needed to be done.”

The king looked pensive. “Hmm. Tell you what. When we are all rested and fed, come see me again. I have a proposition for you.”

“W-What proposition, your majesty?”

“You’ll see,” King Dawn Saber’s moustache twitched upwards in amusement, but he didn’t keep it up for long, seeing as he was almost drained of all his strength. “I think you’ll like it. But for now, let us ride to Canterlot!”

There was a chorus of loud cheering as the group began its triumphant return to Canterlot.

23 - Lady Emerald

It was early in the morning when Emerald Edge was gently awoken by Posey, the archer shaking the spymaster.

“Five more minutes…” Emerald groaned into her pillow.

“I’ve been trying to wake you since six bells,” Posey insisted, shaking Emerald harder. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss the award ceremony.”

“Wossat?” Emerald said, opening one eye to look at Posey.

“We’ll be late for the award ceremony for the tournament,” Posey stressed again, but she had a really quiet and soothing voice, making Emerald close her eyes again.

Then finally, her brain registered the words and she shot up. She had forgotten all about it. The winner, Sir Lionheart, was to be awarded the shield for winning and anyone still around was to be there to witness it as well.

“Why didn’t you say so?” Emerald grabbed her shoulder armor. “Let’s go!”

“I did say so,” Posey said under her breath. “Now let’s hurry up and get you dressed. We can pick up breakfast on the way.”

In very little time, Emerald slipped back into her armor and was buckling her sword at her side. A quick comb in front of the mirror took care of her bed head, and at Posey’s insistence, the pair set off to the market district to pick up some food before heading up to the castle.

Getting a jam tart each, Emerald and Posey walked over the castle bridge and under the archway, entering the castle courtyard, arriving at a checkpoint where a group of guards were stationed.

“They must be here because of the druid breach yesterday,” Emerald told her archer friend.

“Must be.”

“Good morning, sirs,” Emerald said, walking up to the checkpoint. “We’re on our way to the award ceremony for the King’s Tournament.”

The closest guard lifted his head, only for Emerald to realize it was a woman.

Oops.

It was the same brown-skinned guard with grey eyes she had met before.

“Oh, tis you, um, Emerald Edge.” The guard seemed to say Emerald’s name like it was wrong. “Yes. You are expected for the tournament ceremony.”

They stepped aside, but instead of walking on into the castle itself, Emerald stopped a step later and turned back to the guard. She remembered a few of them looked familiar and this guard was one of them. She just couldn’t place it.

“Sorry,” she asked the same guard. “But may I know your name?”

The guard wore a surprised face, but put on a smile right after. “Spirit Flicker, ma’am, of the Canterlot Guard.”

“S-Spirit Flicker?” Emerald said, taking a step back. Spirit Flicker was one of her friends back in the Crystal Empire. She gave her life to get Emerald here. “But… but… how? How did you get here?”

“Get here?” She tilted her head. “You know of my village? Well, I walked here many years ago, ma’am, to find work. That is what you are asking, right?”

“But-but Sombra killed you! You’re dead! How are you here?”

“Sombra? Who is Sombra?” Spirit asked. “Nevermind. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a few questions for you…”

Posey quickly pulled Emerald along, then leaned close enough to whisper. “Now, Emerald, remember, you and the others have mentioned that there are some of us here that are mirrors of others from your world, so I’m guessing this guard, this Spirit Flicker, is one of them. She’s your friend in image, but she knows you not.”

“So this isn’t her, huh?” Emerald sounded disappointed. For a second, she had thought that maybe her friends had made it, that they hadn’t given their lives for her.

Then she remembered talking to Honeygold and Spectrum Song about this world’s Emerald Edge. She’d been mistaken many times for whoever the other Emerald was, but as of now, she had still yet to find out who this Emerald was. Perhaps she was working in the castle too, like the others.

“Posey, if we were to find my… my other self, do you think you would be able to do it?” she asked her archer friend.

“I’m certain I could… She would look just like you, right? Or at least similar?” Posey said as they headed up the castle’s stone steps to get to the main arena. “I have some experience in tracking, after all…”

“Maybe we should look into this and sort out this confusion,” Emerald suggested as they entered the arena’s stands.

“We can get on it after your audience with the king. Isn’t that right after the award ceremony?”

“I think so…” Emerald watched the crowd as they sat all across the stands. She could see the larger humans from the Frozen North, the exotic humans from the East, and all kinds of other folk here. “There are a lot of people here.”

“They’re all the competitors and visitors from all over,” Spectrum Song said as she sat down beside Posey. “Hey, Em. Hey, Posey.”

“Why if it isn’t Spectrum Song,” Posey smiled and rubbed the squire’s head. “How is Honeygold? Is she better?”

“She’s still recovering back at my place,” Spectrum explained. “My parents let them stay the night. Sure, it was a bit crammed, but after what happened yesterday, they deserve a comfortable place to sleep.”

“That’s good to hear,” Emerald nodded. “Apple Bean and Golden Nugget must’ve been so worried about her. I’m glad it’s all sorted out now, with Honeygold back with us and those druids in the dungeons.”

“Mhmm.” Spectrum dusted her hands. “Well, with the druids out of the way, I guess it’s time to see Sir Lionheart get the shield, huh? I’m sorry you didn’t manage to get it, Emerald. I know you really needed it.”

“It’s okay, Spectrum.” Emerald put an arm around the young squire. “There’s nothing more we can do about, so I suggest we just look to the future and see what we can do.”

“That’s the spirit, Emerald,” Posey smiled. “We’re all here for you, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“What Posey said.” Spectrum gave the spymaster a firm nod. “I may still be young, but I’ll do what I can, Em. You’re a great friend!”

Emerald nodded and smiled. She really had made some good friends here. “I believe you, Spectrum.”

“Oh look, I think it’s about to begin.” Spectrum pointed to a short stubby man with curly blue hair and a beard, walk to a raised platform in front of the stands.

Emerald had never noticed, but the announcer was quite the short human.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” he yelled at the top of his voice, somehow being so powerful that it could echo around the entire arena without a problem. Emerald thought he had something to help with amplifying his voice, but apparently it was all on his own strength, which was truly powerful. “YESTERDAY, WE CONCLUDED OUR KING’S TOURNAMENT ONCE AGAIN! MAY I HEAR A CHEER FOR ALL OUR CONTENDERS WHO FOUGHT VALIANTLY AND HONORABLY?”

The crowds burst into applause around Emerald, who had to resist pressing her hands to her ears. It had been so loud and sudden. From below the man, a group of guards pushed out a stand and on the stand, the shield, the artifact Emerald had hoped to return home with.

“AND NOW, FOR THE CHAMPION OF THE TOURNAMENT, WE APPLAUD SIR LIONHEART FOR BESTING ALL HIS COMPETITORS AND CLAIMING VICTORY!”

Emerald winced again as the voices were raised around her. “Do they need to shout so loud?”

Posey looked at her and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

From below the stands, Sir Lionheart emerged from the dens, a hand in the air to wave to the cheering crowds.

“AND MAY I PRESENT THE KING AND QUEEN OF CANTERLOT, KING DAWN SABER AND QUEEN SUNLIGHT RADIANCE!”

From the opposite end, King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance emerged from the other den entrance, waving to the crowd, a group of six guards on their left and right.

They met Sir Lionheart in the middle, stopping beside the shield. Lionheart bowed before kneeling himself before the king, on one knee.

“Congratulations on your victory, Sir Lionheart,” King Dawn Saber said, loud enough for Emerald and the others to hear. “You have fought bravely and valiantly for your kingdom. And now as a prize for emerging victorious, the shield is to be yours until the next tournament. Do you so swear to keep it with you and to use it for the good of this kingdom and its people?”

“I swear, your majesty.” Sir Lionheart bowed his head lower. “I shall defend this kingdom with my life until the day I breathe my last.”

Queen Sunlight opened the glass box containing the shield and held it out before the knight.

“Then I hereby declare you victor of this year’s tournament. The shield is yours, Sir Lionheart. Go forth and make a greater name for yourself.”

Sir Lionheart gladly accepted the shield from the queen after standing, then slapped a fist to his chest, resounding a clank across the arena.

Emerald watched on, wishing it had been her standing there, but there was nothing more she could do now. All she could hope for was for another artifact to reveal herself in her time here.

Sir Lionheart turned around after putting his arm into the shield’s straps, holding it high for the people at the stands. The crowds burst into applause and cheer as Sir Lionheart pumped his arm up a few times.

“Lionheart! Lionheart! Lionheart!” the crowds began to chant.

When the knight seemed satisfied enough, he gave the crowd a bow before retreating back to the den he had come from. King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance waved and exited the arena as well.

“Well, I guess that’s the end of the ceremony…” Posey pulled at her bandana as other humans began getting up to leave. “What now?”

“I don’t know, Posey,” Emerald shrugged. “The king said he wanted to see me, but I can’t just walk into the castle, can I?”

“Oh, sure you can, Em!” Spectrum, who was listening on the side, added in. “The king requested you. You can just explain that to the guards and they’ll escort you right in.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that, Em.”

“Well… okay, no harm trying then,” Emerald decided. They were near the castle anyway. She figured she would give the king some time to get to the throne room before she would start heading over. “Would you like to come, Posey?”

“Can-can I?” she asked. “I don’t know if they’ll let me in.”

“We’ll just say you’re with us, no trouble, Posey!” Spectrum said, hopping off her seat. “Besides, you helped out in the battle. I’m sure you can at least walk into the castle because of that.”

“It is as you say then,” Posey smiled. “Shall we?”

Passing through the main castle entrance had been easy enough. As soon as the guards had seen Emerald Edge and her friends, they simply stood aside and let them enter. The spymaster figured they must’ve known who she was by now. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but at least it meant easy entry into the castle.

Posey, who had never been in the place before, was looking up and around at all the banners and balconies above, marveling at how the entire thing could be built out of just stone.

About halfway in, two of the guards stopped Emerald, one of them holding up his hand.

When Emerald stopped before them, he cleared his throat and said, “Good morning to you, ma’am. We’re to guide you to the king’s throne room. If you would follow us…”

Emerald looked at him for a few seconds, rubbing her chin. This guard also looked familiar to her. He had white skin, red hair and orange eyes and Emerald only knew one of her friends that looked like that.

“Flare? Crystal Flare?” she said, watching the guard’s face turn into one that matched her surprised face.

“Yes, that is my name,” he answered with a nod. “So truly, Flicker was not lying when she said you knew us…”

“You’re all here?” Emerald almost couldn’t contain her excitement. “All of you… In this world.”

“This world?” He looked at her puzzledly.

“I have a question for you, ma’am,” the other guard beside Crystal Flare interrupted. This one was female, with light orange skin and light green hair. Emerald recognized her as Spring Amber. “Are you really Emerald Edge?”

“Yes, that’s me,” the spymaster nodded. “You seem to doubt me. Then there really is another me here? The me of this world?”

“There’s the world again…” Flare scratched his visible hair from his helmet line. “You say you are from a different world?”

“I am! I passed through the portal. It leads to the middle of the lake just outside the town.”

“That old rock?” The one that looked like Spring Amber rubbed her cheek. “That’s a portal?”

“Yes, that’s how I came here!” Emerald tried to make them see reason, seeing as they were her old friends from Equestria. “So where’s this world’s Emerald? Can I meet her?”

“Hold on, this is really a lot to take in…” Amber put a hand to her forehead.

“It would explain why you look almost similar,” Flare said. “No matter how outlandish your claim is, we cannot deny that. Unfortunately, Emerald is watching the parapets today.”

“So there really is another me…” Emerald reeled back from the fact.

“Cool, Em!” Spectrum squished her cheeks together in excitement. “What happens when you meet your other self? That would be so weird, but so great at the same time!”

“Yes, but I think we should head to the king first,” Posey told them. “These kind guards have already offered to take you there. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

“Yes, sorry. Let us go,” Emerald beckoned for the guards to lead. It seems meeting herself would have to wait for some other time.
“At once, ma’am.” Amber and Flare stomped their spear tips on the ground and turned to walk to the throne room, with Emerald, Posey and Spectrum following behind.

This world was indeed very surprising. When she had more time, Emerald wanted to come back here to reacquaint herself with her friends from the Crystal Empire. They weren’t the same ponies, but they must at least be similar. Then there was also the question of meeting herself. What was that going to be like, Emerald had to wonder, but for now, she didn’t have time for that. It would all have to wait.

“I really wonder what he wants you here for…” Spectrum rubbed her chin. “Could be an award? For helping defeat the druids?”

“Maybe he’ll give you some bits for helping?” Posey said her piece.

“Or maybe he wants to throw you in the dungeon for taking Excalibur?”

Emerald widened her eyes and swallowed. “I hope it’s not that last one.”

Entering the vast throne room through a set of massive wooden doors, Emerald Edge spotted King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance at the far end, sitting atop their thrones; the muses were also beside the queen at their usual spot.

“Your majesty.” Spectrum Song was the first to bow. Emerald quickly followed suit, pulling Posey down to do the same. The archer did her best to copy her.

“You have arrived, Emerald Edge,” King Dawn Saber said, sitting forward a little. “I have been expecting you.” He turned to the guards at Emerald’s sides. “That is all, guards. You may return to your posts.”

“Yes, your majesty.” With a quick turn, they were already walking away from the throne before Emerald regained her posture.

“What do you wish of me, your majesty?” Emerald asked him, wanting to know which of her options was the right one.

“Lady Emerald Edge, as the king of Canterlot and its surrounding provinces, I would like to applaud you for your formidable performance in the tournament and your actions in the Shetland Forest against the druids.”

King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance rose to their feet, offering a round of applause. The muses watched them and did the same. Once they sat back down again, the king continued, “I have heard of your quest for these artifacts. And while I cannot give you Excalibur or the shield, I would like to offer you something in recompense.

“As my right as king of the land, I would like to extend to you an invitation. An offer that most knights in my kingdom would gladly give their sword-arm for. I am asking you if you would like to join my Knights of the Round Table.”

“M-Me, your majesty?” Emerald pointed a finger at herself. “A Knight of the Round Table?”

“Certainly. You have shown knightly valor by helping others, and none can deny your skill with a sword after yesterday. This is a tremendous offer, and while some would question my choice in choosing you, a foreigner, I am sure that you would make a fine addition to the ranks. What say you, Lady Emerald?”

“I-I...” Emerald looked to her friends. Posey gave one nod, while Spectrum vigorously nodded her head up and down like there was something wrong with her neck.

“I am certain that whatever your quest is, having some comrades by your side will make it an easier burden to bear,” Queen Sunlight added.

“I… I…” Emerald looked to all her friends, then back to King Dawn Saber, who was leaning back on his throne with an expectant smile on his face. “B-But I swore to serve my Princess Amore… she needs me. I cannot just abandon my previous oath.”

“And I am not asking you to,” King Dawn Saber said evenly. “I know how important it is to your quest that you acquire an artifact and free your empire from evil. I would simply ask you to count yourself among us for as long as it takes. The Knights of the Round Table go on quests all the time, and having brothers in arms might help with your search for the artifacts. Think of yourself as an honorary member, if it helps. But you will have all the privileges and expectations that come with being one of my knights. So, what say you?”

Emerald knew she needed all the help she could get and if she was going to be here for a while, maybe it was a good idea to accept the king’s offer. She silently wished to her princess that doing this wasn’t to betray her, but to one day see the Crystal Empire shine again.

“I accept, your majesty.” Emerald bowed again.

“Then kneel before me, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald did as she was told. King Dawn Saber dismounted his throne and drew Excalibur, its blade glinting metallic gold in the light. The king tapped the blade of his sword on Emerald’s shoulders, one left and one right.

Then he announced, “By the power vested in me, King Dawn Saber of Canterlot, I hereby dub thee Lady Emerald, a valiant Knight of the Round Table. You may rise.”

Emerald stood up and looked to her friends, who burst into a round of applause and cheers.

“Congratulations, Em!” Spectrum hopped up and down. “You’re a knight now! Just like Sir Morn and the others!”

“And not just any knight,” Posey added. “A Knight of the Round Table.”

“I-I am, aren’t I?” Emerald shook her head to clear it. “I’m a Knight of the Round Table!” she exclaimed with a grin.

“Yes, yes you are, Lady Emerald!” Sir Morn strode into the room from a side passage that none of them had noticed, followed by a few other members of the Knights of the Round Table. “May I be the first to offer you my congratulations?” The knight placed a gauntleted hand on Emerald’s shoulder. “Yes, Well done, my lady. I look forward to our quests together.”

“You knew?” Then she looked to the other knights. “You all did?”

“Of course, Lady Emerald.” The spymaster recognized Sir Prancelot by his helmet, which he now had under an arm. He had dark grey hair covering his ears and a little stubble under his chin. “As Knights of the Round Table, the king had consulted us about this. I must say, his majesty has great taste in us knights.”

“As king, I must.” Dawn Saber looked proud.

“Hmm, the day I saw you with my squire, I doubted you would ever come close to being one of us,” Sir Hors told the spymaster next. “I am honored to see you are now one of us. Congratulations, my lady. You have indeed proved your skills in combat with us.”

Emerald nodded and smiled. She looked around, recognizing each of the knights, except for one. She remembered Sir Hors, Sir Ganeighn, Sir Trotivere, Sir Prancelot, Sir Lionheart, and Sir Morn, but the one knight, a little shorter than the others and dressed in steel armor with a horn in the middle of his helmet, was a mystery to her. She had never met him or talked to him before.

Sir Morn sniffed and patted Emerald on the shoulder. “That is Sir Boercival, my lady. Yes, you do not know him. I’m afraid he does not say much, but rest assured, he is capable of defending the kingdom as is with every one of us.”

“Oh,” Emerald nodded. “Nice to meet you, Sir Boercival.”

The knight nodded and slapped a fist to his armored chest.

“And tis nice to see Posey is with you, Lady Emerald,” Sir Ganeighn smiled at the archer, who quickly looked to the side. “She is skilled with the bow, your majesty. She aided us in the battle with the druids.”

“Yes, I recall,” King Dawn Saber said. “A skilled warrior with the weapon of a peasant. You are indeed a force to be reckoned with, archer Posey. Permit me to give you a reward as well for your secret service to us all.”

Beckoning for one of his servants, a man with a plump face walked out from the side and handed Posey a leather bag.

“Oh, I couldn’t accept, your majesty…” She blushed and shook the bag. It jingled with the sound of bits inside. “I just did what was necessary for the safety of others…”

“Receiving the knights’ praise is no simple feat, Posey,” Spectrum said. “You deserve that reward.”

“I… I… I cannot accept, your majesty,” Posey replied softly. “I have no use for bits in the forest. I-It’s better off if you g-give it to people who could use it. Like Trottingham.”

“Well, the reward is for you to use as you see fit,” King Dawn Saber smiled. “You may do with it as you wish, archer.”

“Well, alright then, your m-majesty…” Posey took the bag of bits from the servant. “Thank you for your generous gift.”

Emerald Edge, Posey and Spectrum Song bowed one more time before the king and queen before making their way out.

About halfway, a voice called out behind them, “Lady Emerald, if you have some more time.”

The spymaster turned around to see Queen Sunlight walking down the steps of their throne, stopping at the bottom. “If you may, please come to my chambers tomorrow night for dinner. Sonata, please give it to her.”

“Of course, your majesty!” The muse hopped down the steps, almost tripping on the last one before stopping in front of Emerald, holding out a silver oval object.

Emerald took it and held it in her hand.

“It is a locket, Lady Emerald,” Queen Sunlight spoke again. “Present it to the guards of my chambers tomorrow and it shall gain you entry. Now, good day. I shall see you tomorrow.”

“Your majesty.” Emerald closed her fingers over the locket and bowed again before leaving.

Exiting the castle, Spectrum hopped along beside the two women, happily singing a tune to herself, strumming on her lute at the same time. “Wow, Em! You and Posey are heroes now! And you’re a knight! How great is that!”

“That sure is something, Spectrum,” Emerald nodded. She’d gone through so much since coming to this world. She still had so much to accomplish, but she could be sure she would have help to do so.

“Well, I’m going to go home to check on Honeygold, so I’ll see you two later, maybe.” Spectrum waved and ran off towards the castle bridge.

“What do we do now, Posey?” Emerald asked. “I haven’t planned this far.”

“Then I suggest we follow young Spectrum Song and visit Honeygold,” Posey suggested as they walked on. “Then maybe after that, we should go to the bar to celebrate your knighthood.”

“Sounds like a plan, Posey. Let’s see who gets there faster.” And Emerald was off, kicking up dust as she ran ahead.

24 - An Evening with the Queen

Emerald Edge felt like she had spent a little too much time in the Drifting Stallion yesterday. Posey had introduced her to something called hard cider, which tasted deliciously of apples and left the former pegasus with a pleasant buzz in her head after the second flagon. Emerald and Posey chatted and drank through the night, both of them sharing stories of adventure from their early days.

When she had awoken in the morning, she did so with a slight headache and bleary eyes. She was lying in her own bed in the cottage, but had no recollection of actually coming back.

“What?” She rubbed at her head.

“Oh, Emerald!” Posey exclaimed, having been sitting at the table with her head down. “You’re up. How do you feel?”

“Posey, what… what happened? Did we do something…?” Emerald pushed her legs off the bed. Her mouth was really dry.

“Here, drink this.” Posey offered Emerald a clay mug of water. “Just to stave off the headache until the tea’s done.”

“Thanks.” Emerald downed the mug and handed it back to Posey. “That drink last night was quite the potent one. I’ve never drank something like that in Equestria. At least, not that strong.”

“Well to be fair, you did have four flagons of it,” Posey said as she brought over the teapot, which had leaves steeping in it. “I only had two.”

“Did you make this?” Emerald looked into the pot and sniffed. “Will this help?”

“Yes, it’s elderflower tea. Moon Tide came by earlier and dropped off a few items. The tea leaves were part of the gift, so…”

“Oh, she did?” Emerald scratched at her hair, then tried to pick up her mug. “She always seems to know what we need. How nice of her.”

Posey nodded. “We’re lucky to have her as a friend.”

“Yes we are…” Emerald poured tea into her mug. “Well, let us finish this and be off. Honeygold and her parents are due to leave today. I want to make sure they’re alright.”

Both women made short work of the tea, and after a quick breakfast of jam and bread, they set off towards Spectrum Song’s house, where Honeygold and her parents had been staying. It was a short walk to their destination, and by the time they arrived, Golden Nugget and Apple Bean were already readying their cart for the journey home to Avalon.

“Golden Nugget, Apple Bean, how is Honeygold?” Emerald asked as she got closer, giving them a wave with her human hand. “And here, I’ll help.”

Honeygold’s parents turned from the horses, which they were hooking up to the wagon’s harness.

“Oh, Emerald!” Apple Bean and Golden Nugget turned and smiled. “Honeygold told us everything, about how you and the knights rescued her from those villainous druids. On behalf of my family, Ah would like to say thank you. Ya saved our little daughter from a horrible fate. I don’t know how we can repay ya.”

“You’ve done more than enough for me, Apple Bean.” Emerald put a hand on the apple saleswoman’s arm. “And you, Golden Nugget. When I first arrived, it was you three who homed me, who taught me the ways of the world. I owe everything to you.”

“Aw, shucks, nothin’ to be proud about for us, Emerald,” Golden Nugget said. “We did what anyone would’a done for anyone.”

“I’m sure that’s not what most of you humans think,” Emerald smiled and helped to tie Springer’s harness tightly to the caravan. “I’m glad I met you three and I’m glad those druids didn’t hurt Honeygold any further.”

“Same here, Em.” Apple Bean patted her horses. “Well, we’re almost just about done. Why don’t ya go in and spend some time with Honeygold before we leave? Ah’m sure she’d like that.”

“Yes, go ahead, Emerald,” Posey agreed with the green-skinned woman. “I’ll help them pack.”

“As you say.”

Emerald walked to the house. It was quite small, but nothing too bad. The inside looked almost the same as Emerald’s, but their table was longer and in a different spot, and there was also a staircase leading up to the second floor. The spymaster wondered what it looked like upstairs, but that wasn’t the important part now.

Honeygold and Spectrum Song sat by the table with the squire’s parents. Her father had blue hair while her mother also shared her unique rainbow colored hair.

“Why, you must be Emerald Edge,” Spectrum’s mother spoke. “Young Spectrum’s told us all about you.”

“Em!” Honeygold got up and ran over, throwing her arms around the spymaster’s midsection. “Ah’m glad ya came to see us off!” The blonde haired girl still had bandages around her arm, but at least it looked like the bleeding had stopped completely.

“I wouldn’t miss it, Honeygold.” Emerald patted the girl’s head and returned the embrace. “And thank you, parents of Spectrum Song, for looking after this young one.”

“Oh, it is nothing.” Spectrum’s father waved. “Our families go way back. I’m sure if we were to visit Avalon, they would be the ones looking after us.”

“Speakin’ of Avalon…” Honeygold tugged on Emerald’s tunic. “Come visit us someday, Em! You’ll love it! It’s got apples all over the countryside! Ya like apples!”

“I do.” Emerald nodded and chuckled. “I will make sure to come visit someday. The king made me a Knight of the Round Table, you know?”

“I heard from Spectrum!” Honeygold bounced eagerly. “That’s great, Em! You’ve come so far since we found ya in the lake.”

“And there’s still so much more to be done!” Spectrum squished her cheeks together. “You’ll be going on quests now, Em! Maybe you’ll find another artifact out there! Then you can go back and save your kingdom!”

“Yes, that’s the hope I hold onto.” Emerald smiled and patted the two girls on their heads. “Well, Honeygold, as much as I like to stay here and spend time with you, your parents must be done with the packing by now. Let us go outside.”

Back outside, Apple Bean and Golden Nugget were standing by their caravan with Posey, talking about something.

“Ah, there ya are, dear.” Apple Bean patted her daughter on the head as she ran over to join them. “Everythin’ set?”

“Ah’ve got everythin’ I need,” the young girl said, smiling up at her mother.

“Posey here’s been tellin’ us all about your exploits, Emerald,” Golden Nugget said. “You’ve really been busy, haven’t ya?”

“Just trying to do what I need to do.” Emerald smiled and rubbed an arm. “As for you three, I hope Avalon will be far less dangerous.”

“A good time away from druids and fighting, hmm?” Golden Nugget grinned as he checked on the reins of his horses. “Can’t say that doesn’t sound pleasin’.”

“Ya take care of yourself too, Em.” Apple Bean walked over and gave Emerald a hug. “We look forward to see ya when we come back to Canterlot in a few months.”

“Me too, Apple Bean.” Emerald returned the squeeze. “I’ll miss having you all around.”

Honeygold skipped over and gave Emerald’s abdomen a hug. “Ah’ll miss ya too, Em.”

“Hay, we all will, Ah think.” Golden Nugget placed a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “But before ya know it, we’ll be back.”

When their goodbyes were all said and done, Emerald walked over to stand with Posey, Spectrum and her family, waving goodbye as the Apple family turned the carriage around and started heading out of town. Like the last time, Honeygold popped her head out the back, waving to them one last time.

“You’ve made a lot of good friends in your time here, Emerald.” Posey folded her arms and smiled. “I can learn a lot from you.”

“Why, I think it is the other way around.” Emerald gave Posey a clap on the shoulder. “You have taught me a lot here. I think I still have much more I can learn from you.”

“Aw, you don’t have to say all that, Emerald.” Posey blushed and kicked at a small pebble on the ground.

“So what happens now?” Spectrum looked over to the spymaster once the Apples’ carriage was way in the distance. “You have to meet the queen tonight, yes?”

“Yes, she has requested me for dinner.” Emerald nodded her head. “I wonder what she wants to talk about.”

“I guess there’s only one way to find out, huh?” Spectrum whipped out her lute.

Emerald Edge had never seen such opulence, not even in the Crystal Empire, where everything sparkled and gleamed. Here in Canterlot Castle, the fortress of rock and mortar, the path to the queen’s chamber was lined with so much satin and silk that barely an inch of the underlying stone could be seen. Gilt-framed paintings hung amidst spectacular tapestries, leading Emerald’s eyes from one surface to the next with nary a break.

Two visored knights stood guard outside a pair of tall oaken double doors.

“Halt in the name of Sunlight Radiance, Queen of Canterlot!” both of the barked at the same time without looking at each other, a particularly useless skill that nonetheless must have taken a while to master. “Who goes there!”

“Lady Emerald Edge,” Emerald said, presenting the locket that Sonata had given her the previous day. “Queen Sunlight wanted to meet me tonight for dinner?”

“She has the locket,” the guard on the right confirmed. “Very well, you may enter.”

Both knights turned on their heels and pulled the doors open, revealing a spacious, well decorated chamber that looked even more opulent than the outside. Billowing curtains of silk stretched from column to column, and here and there were scattered lounges and large cushions, all surrounding a central table. The far end of the room opened onto a stretch of landing, giving Emerald a gorgeous view of the night sky.

And seated at the table, wearing an ornate white evening dress, was Sunlight Radiance. Her hair was in its usual long plait, her crown perched perfectly on her queenly head.

“Emerald,” Sunlight declared as Emerald remembered her manners and bowed. “So glad you could come.”

“Of course, your majesty,” the spymaster replied after raising herself back up. “Having a meal with a queen is one of the highest honors someone might receive.”

Sunlight nodded, as if in agreement. The queen gestured carelessly at the array of lounges and cushions. “Sit wherever you please. The food and music will be along shortly, so for now, let us enjoy the evening together.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Emerald picked the first couch in the row and placed herself in it. It was unusually soft, and almost made her want to just close her eyes and forget all her problems.

The queen settled down back onto her seat and rang a tiny golden bell. As if they had been waiting for the cue, a side door burst open, revealing four familiar figures: the king’s three muses and surprisingly, Moon Tide.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald said surprisingly. She didn’t expect to see a mage here.

“It will be awfully dull if it’s just the two of us,” Sunlight explained, the hint of a mischievous smile on her lips. “You don’t mind, do you, Emerald?”

“It is as you wish, your majesty,” Emerald said, closing her eyes again, taking advantage of the whole moment.

The three muses settled themselves on a heap of cushions by the balcony, while Moon Tide took up a position at a huge golden harp in the corner, putting her fingers to the strings and filling the air with a soothing, nostalgic tune.

“Moon Tide. Adagio, Aria, Sonata,” Emerald greeted.

Adagion tilted her head to Emerald; Aria merely settled on a brief wave and Sonata let out an overjoyed “Hi!”. Moon Tide gave Emerald a long, slow blink but otherwise did not stop playing or give any indication she would do anything else.

Emerald listened to the soothing music flow through her ears, threatening to send her closer to the land of dreams. Bah. It was good while it lasted. Emerald stuck her feet out and used her weight to shift herself back up into a sitting position.

“Now, Emerald,” Queen Sunlight said languidly. “I was at the tournament today, watching with my husband. In all my years of being married to him, I have seldom seen a knight who uses such tactics as yours. Most innovative.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Emerald said. Sensing the question that was couched inside the compliment, she continued, “I learned them when practicing with Sir Morn Dread and Spectrum Song.”

Queen Sunlight nodded. “Indeed! It is no small task to learn an entirely new style in the space of a few weeks. I applaud you.”

“I guess it’s my job to learn fast, your majesty,” Emerald tried not to sound too cocky. “Sometimes, a small action can be the key to victory or defeat.”

“Ah, but I forget, you’re not from Canterlot, are you?” Queen Sunlight smiled. “Where did you say you were from, my dear?”

Emerald contemplated her answer. If she was going to be here for a long time, she should start learning to trust the people here. “I’m from another world called Equestria. I was the royal spymaster, serving under Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire.”

“Fascinating!” Queen Sunlight leaned forward in her chair over the table. “Do tell me more.”

“Princess Amore was a great and kind ruler. But then… Sombra came. Sombra was a creature of shadow, growing up among us, learning to be like us. One day, he just changed. He turned the princess to stone and hid away our precious Crystal Heart, our prized gem that kept our kingdom protected. Without it, there was no stopping the mad king. He… He took everything from me. My friends, my princess, my empire…” Emerald wiped at one eye as a single tear fell from it.

“This Sombra sounds like an awful scoundrel,” Sonata piped up from her seat. “He’d never have been able to take over the Empire if we were still there- mmph!” Aria slapped a hand across her sister’s mouth before she could say more.

“What she means to say,” Adagio drawled. “Was that we’re very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Emerald nodded slowly. Still, talking about her kingdom didn’t tear her down as much as it used to. “One day, I will return and I will vanquish Sombra and take the empire back.”

“You have a way back to Equestria?” Aria asked. Emerald was taken aback by the usually non-talkative girl’s question but shook her head.

“Not yet, but I’ll focus on finding a way back once I finish my mission.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get the artifact during the tournament, Emerald,” Moon Tide said while she continued to play the harp. “I know you tried your best.”

Just talking about the tournament set Emerald’s mouth taut, but an instant later she changed it to a regretful smile; no need to look pouty in front of the queen. “I’ll just have to try harder next time.”

“That’s the spirit, Emerald!” Sonata cheered from her seat. “Maybe once you get an artifact, you can open a way back home!”

Emerald had been about to say, “I hope so”, but at that moment, the side door swung open again, this time revealing a small entourage of castle servants, each of holding a tray of food. The trays were all placed down in a neat order on the table; Emerald noticed that there were very few dishes with meat on them, in fact, the predominant ingredients seemed to be leafy greens and fruit.

“Sir Morn Dread told me about your preferred diet, Emerald.” Queen Sunlight explained with a small nod. “He cares a lot for you.”

“Oh, uh, right…” Emerald blushed, hoping it wasn’t all too visible in the dim light. “Thank you, your majesty, for taking the trouble to set this up.”

“It’s my pleasure.” The queen pointed an open hand to the table. “Let’s eat.”

The muses were the first to dig in, taking what they wanted into another plate before sitting themselves back down. They had grabbed the little amounts of meat that was brought in, with quite a sizeable amount of vegetables themselves, while Emerald had only filled hers with the green vegetables. She especially liked the ones with leafy bits.

She started into her dinner with much zeal, finding the taste to be much better than her dinner in the castle dining hall with Sir Morn.

“I see you are enjoying our finest picks of the garden?” Sunlight smiled and picked out a small piece of lettuce for herself. “You will find nothing better in the entire kingdom.”

“I certainly have not, your majesty.” Emerald bit a piece of cabbage. “This is delicious!”

There weren’t many very different ways to prepare vegetables, but the queen’s ones must’ve come straight from the garden, because it still tasted very fresh.

Emerald continued to eat her dinner, listening to the gentle harp music, feeling completely at ease. It was nice to know that the queen of the land was such a kind person, and that she was married to a just king. It might not have been as much of a utopia as the land Celestia and Luna ruled over, but she was glad to know that this land was under good management.

“So, Lady Emerald of the Round Table,” Queen Sunlight purred. “Do you know what your duties will be as a Knight of the Round Table?”

“I will be protecting the kingdom of Canterlot?” Emerald guessed.

“Yes, that is one of your duties as a knight.” Queen Sunlight nodded her head. “But more than that, you are to also keep the peace in our lands.”

Emerald finished chewing the long stalk of celery in her mouth before talking again. “If that is what I am to do, then I will do that, your majesty.”

“I expect you’ll grow into your role. You’ll have Sir Morn Dread to guide you through the process. I hear he’s quite fond of you,” Queen Sunlight said with a smug-looking smile.

“Ye-yes, your majesty…” Emerald ducked her head lower. “He… I’m in love with him.”

“Then I can trust you to watch his back. He’s my ne-” the queen looked over at Moon Tide and coughed. “He’s one of my finest knights.”

“I’ll do my best, your majesty.” Emerald bowed and clasped a fist to her shoulder. “I’ll do my best to serve your kingdom and when I do find an artifact and the way home, I will do what I had set out to do and rid King Sombra from the world.”

“Good to hear, Emerald!” Sonata said, spitting food out of her mouth as she did so. “That king deserves to get his backside kicked!”

“That he does, Sonata.” Emerald bit into another shred of cabbage. “I will make sure of it one day. I will.”

“I have every confidence you will succeed,” Moon Tide said from her spot on the harp. “You have already come so far in service of your princess. I find it most admirable.”

“And you’ll be starting a new one here in Canterlot.” Adagio Dazzle smirked and picked up a skinny little carrot and lowering it down her throat. “Admirable indeed.”

Emerald looked out at the nearby window at the night sky. Her princess and kingdom needed her, but until she had what she needed to return home, this kingdom also needed her. There was no harm doing what she could to help them while she helped herself, after all.

The rest of her time carried on into the night as she ate with the queen and the others. It was definitely a dinner to remember.

25 - Knighthood's Beginning

“Sounds like quite a dinner you had last night, Em,” Posey chuckled and adjusted her quiver strap. “And so… you have to get this new sword, because your… old one isn’t adequate?”

“No, no, not that, Posey.” Emerald Edge shook her head as they made their way down the marketplace towards the castle. “As a Knight of the Round Table, we are to have our own specialized sword. Hmm… like how Sir Morn has Clarent and how Sir Hors has… his sword.”

“Oh, so a special named sword, Emerald.” Posey’s eyes lit up. “You will be getting your own sword!”

“Yes I will, Posey.” Emerald couldn’t help but smile. Getting new things was always exciting. “Do you think they will just give me one, because I’m a Knight of the Round Table? Or would I still have to pay for it?”

“I’m sure you won’t have to pay for it.” Posey smiled that cute smile she always had. “R-Right…?”

“I do hope so.” Emerald tapped her armor. “I don’t have a lot of bits. Another sword will take up everything I have.”

After crossing the drawbridge separating the castle from the rest of the town, Emerald and Posey came across another batch of training knights, with Sir Prancelot instructing them in front.

“The sword is not just your weapon, but a part of you…” He went on to demonstrate a few techniques, involving much slashing and spinning. Emerald hadn’t had the chance to face him, but she had seen his skills firsthand when she fought the trolls with him. He was truly one of the king’s best.

Emerald looked over and gave him a nod in greeting. Whether he saw her or not, it didn’t matter. What mattered now was going on to the castle’s blacksmith to get herself a new sword. She liked her current one, but to get one with a name and everything, that just sounded amazing.

She had never gone to the castle blacksmith before, but it wasn’t too hard to find it. Emerald figured that the blacksmith would be outside the castle, so she went around the side, following the wall. And she was right, soon spotting the large smelting pit in the middle of a sizeable yard. The pit itself was huge; it was at least twice the size of Stone Anvil’s and there were plenty of workbenches around, filled with tools and metal.

There was a man with white-blonde hair sitting by a grinding stone, sharpening a double-edged sword on it, his side facing Emerald and Posey. The spymaster guessed he was the castle blacksmith. He was fairly large and had on a pair of well-worn boots that looked like they had seen better days.

“Hello,” Emerald said when they got closer, getting the blacksmith’s attention. “I’m Emerald Edge, uh, newest Knight of the Round Table? I was told you could make me a new sword, one which I am to name?”

“Aye, that I am able…” he nodded and stood up, giving the steel sword a swing before placing it down on a workbench, the metal clattering as it landed. “Honour Proof. That is my name. I am the best blacksmith the kingdom of Canterlot has to offer. Now tell me, what are your requirements for the sword you wish for me to make?”

Emerald thought about it. She liked the sword she had now, but there were still ways she could improve it to make it more suited to her combat needs.

“I want something light,” she started and unsheathed her sword. “Something like this. As for the blade, it would do me more good if it were a little shorter, for more close encounters.”

“Good choice for someone like yourself, Lady Emerald.” The blacksmith took her sword and examined it. “Your skills in the arena were unique and nearly unmatched. I shall see to making a weapon fit for yourself and yourself only. Now, I have to ask you this, my lady, of what name will you choose for your new sword? So I can engrave its name on the blade, you see.”

Emerald had a good think about it, but in the end, there was but one name which she felt was the only name suitable for her weapon. Her weapon to help her fight and hopefully one day, win her the way home to stop the dark king.

“Amore,” Emerald said at last. “I want to call it Amore. In honor of my princess and liege lord.”

“So, a sword of your princess, Emerald?” Posey tipped her bowl of soup down into her mouth. “That sounds very noble of you. And a free sword! Who would say no to that?”

“It is a reminder for me, Posey.” Emerald stirred at her bowl with her wooden spoon. “While I am here trying to find a weapon to defeat Sombra, I shall remember my princess and what they had sacrificed themselves for.”

“And do not worry, Em.” Posey patted the spymaster’s shoulder reassuringly. “I know you will find a way home. Just wait. I’m sure you will save your empire one day.”

“It’s good to have you around, Posey.” Emerald nodded and smiled at the archer. “Has anyone ever told you that you are a very kind person?”

“Well, no…” Posey pulled at her bandana. “N-No one’s ever said that…”

“That’s because no one knows what you do for them!” Emerald patted her embarrassed friend on her head. “But now, I hope they do. That bag of bits the king gave you, you said you will be giving them to Trottingham? I’m sure they’ll be very pleased to receive it all.”

“Oh, but they won’t know it was me who gave them all those bits…” Posey smiled with a blush to her cheeks. “One morning, the town chief will simply find a sack of bits by the town hall’s door.”

“Come on, Posey, you surely could use more recognition!” Emerald shook her head with a grin.

“Oh no, I could never…” The archer looked away, her face almost the same color as her hair now.

“Believe in yourself, Posey, you can do it!” Emerald snatched the sack of bits from Posey’s belt. “Either that, or I can do it for you!”

“N-No, really, Em, please don’t!” Posey lunged up and tried to get the little pouch, but Emerald pulled it back, snickering to herself.

Posey chased Emerald around the table for a few minutes, but was still unable to get the pouch back.

“Ha ha ha…” Emerald bent forward in laughter. “Here, Posey. I was only joking. You can have it back.”

“Ri-right…” Posey quickly snatched the sack of bits back, attaching it to her belt. She too couldn’t help but grin. “I should get going for tonight, Em, if I want to make it back to the Shetlands and still get some rest. I’ve enjoyed my stay here, so thank you.”

“Time sure flies, doesn’t it.” Emerald nodded disappointedly. “Well, I’ve enjoyed having you here, Posey.”

“Yes, it has. And don’t worry about missing me.” Posey slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder. “You have plenty of friends here now. And I am sure Sir Morn will be happy to spend some time with you.”

“Hmm… I’ll still miss having you around, Posey.” Emerald walked over and pulled the archer into a warm hug. “You take care out there, okay?”

“Of course!” Posey grinned widely. “I’ve been doing it for years now. And I’ll continue to do so.”

She pushed the door open and stepped out into the night. With a shrill whistle, Gabriel flew down and landed on her arm.

“Gabriel, say goodbye to Emerald,” she instructed.

The eagle screeched.

“Yes, goodbye, Gabriel.” Emerald waved at the bird.

Then Posey lifted her arm up and the eagle returned to the sky.

Posey suddenly turned her head to the left and smiled. Then she looked back at Emerald. “Speak of the devil, Em. Here comes your knight in shining armor.”

“Oh?” Emerald peeked her head out the door, spotting Sir Morn Dread walking over, one hand on his sword’s pommel.

“So I shall leave you to it. Goodnight, Emerald. We’ll meet again soon.” Posey bowed and sprinted down the street and away from the house.

“Lovely night, my lady.” Sir Morn stopped by Emerald’s door and leaned on the frame. “As lovely as yourself, no?”

“Hello, Sir Morn…” Emerald chuckled. “What brings you here?”

“Why, I came here to see you, Lady Emerald.” Morn tapped a finger under the spymaster’s chin. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Well, everything here has been fine, Sir Morn.” Emerald pointed to Posey, who was already no longer in sight. “Just saw Posey off. She’s leaving for the Shetlands so she can give her bag of bits to the townsfolk of Trottingham.”

“How noble of her.” Sir Morn nodded towards the street. “Tis a wonder why the townsfolk despised her.”

“She never made herself known.” Emerald smiled and looked back at the knight. “And she’s still refusing to show her face. That bag is going to appear on the town hall doorstep tomorrow, with no one knowing it was her who left it there.”

“Alas.” Sir Morn clapped a hand to his chest. “We will know.”

“Yes, that we will, Sir Morn…” Emerald nodded. Then she blinked a few times and pointed into her house. “Umm, w-would you like to come in, Sir Morn?”

“Don’t mind if I do, my lady.” Sir Morn took her hand and planted a kiss on top of it.

Emerald blushed, but stepped inside and aside, allowing him to enter, closing the door behind him.

“Tis a nice home you own, Emerald.” The grey-skinned knight looked around. “Spacious for just one person.”

“Ummm… you’re welcomed here whenever you like, Sir Morn.” Emerald looked away embarrassedly, taking interest in her wooden shelves.

“I shall accept your humble invitation.” The knight sat down on one of the chairs. “Hmm… So, my lady, the life of a Knight of the Round Table starts tomorrow for you. How are you feeling?”

“Me?” Emerald laughed nervously. “Well, I guess I’m still a bit disappointed that I couldn’t win the artifact, but if I’m to be a Knight of the Round Table, then I can go on quests to look for more artifacts. The shield can’t be the only one out there.”

“Well spoken,” Sir Morn nodded. “Mayhap we could go on a quest together, to find the grail and these artifacts. Of course, every quest needs to be sanctioned by King Dawn Saber before we can embark on it.”

“Does the king go on quests too?” Emerald asked.

“Sometimes,” Sir Morn replied. “But the king has to stay in Canterlot to rule the kingdom and keep the peace.”

“Makes sense.”

“In the king’s absence, the queen takes command,” Sir Morn continued. “Queen Sunlight is as able a ruler as is King Dawn Saber.”

“She seems to be.” Emerald sat across from Sir Morn. “She’s very capable and holds herself high.”

“It may not be evident to everyone,” Sir Morn said confidentially. “But the king relies on her a great deal.”

“He does?” Emerald tilted her head to the side. “In what way?”

“She handles a great many of the day-to-day issues that the king is either too busy or too weary to deal with. I’ve noticed that the queen is almost never fatigued, nor does she lounge about doing nothing. She’s a fine monarch.”

Emerald Edge thought back to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She didn’t know how the two of them could manage all of Equestria as well, without feeling the burdens of leadership. Ruling an entire land must not be an easy job. King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance were shining examples of a good pair of rulers as well. When the king was unable to, the queen would step up and take his place, doing what she thought was necessary. They seemed to look after each other well.

“Sir Morn. The king and queen do not have child, yes?” Emerald returned to reality and asked. She had suddenly thought about it. “Who will rule once they are passed?”

“I do not know,” Sir Morn said, rubbing his chin. “Still, it’s still early days yet, and the queen may bear a child. If not, perhaps they will appoint a regent.”

“A regent, you say?” Emerald tried to picture it. “An interesting world you live in. The princesses who rule Equestria, they live forever. There is never a need to change leadership because of that.”

“I am sure the king and queen wouldn’t say no to being able to live forever,” Sir Morn chuckled. “Alas, tis getting late. I think it’s time I retire to my quarters. It has been a privilege to be in your home, Lady Emerald.”

“The pleasure is mine, Sir Morn.” Emerald put a hand on her chest and bowed slightly. “It is not always that I get visitors. Besides Posey.”

Sir Morn got up and picked up his helmet from the table. “And I will remember your invitation to visit, Lady Emerald. Know that if I have the time, I shall come often.”

“If you don’t have the time, I might not either,” Emerald reminded. “I am a Knight of the Round Table now too, remember?”

“No time for your own home? Absurd, my lady.” The knight grinned. “So I bid you farewell. And till we meet again… my love.”

“Tomorrow, Sir Morn.” Emerald slipped her hand into his and held it. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“Yes you will, my lady.” Sir Morn lifted her hand and kissed it. “Goodnight, Emerald.”

“Goodnight, Sir Morn.”

26 - I'll Face Myself

“Fascinating discovery, Lady Emerald,” Sir Morn whispered as they entered the castle the next morning. “Your theory does make sense. If indeed your friends are alive and well in this world, then there will also be an Emerald Edge here.”

“Correct, Sir Morn.” Emerald Edge smiled and walked along, admiring the many braziers that lit the castle’s insides. “I have yet to meet her myself, but I have been told that she’s around.”

“Unfortunate that we knights don’t mingle with the guards often, or at all even.” Sir Morn led the way ahead, taking Emerald up a flight of stony steps. “Perhaps I may have known about this other Emerald Edge sooner.”

“It is no trouble, Sir Morn.” Emerald held his arm. “Maybe if you had met her first, I wouldn’t have the chance to be with you.”

“Oh, that may be true, my lady.” Sir Morn patted her hand. “Now are you ready? A sight to behold, I tell you.”

“I have wondered why you were named Knights of the Round Table.” Emerald nodded her head. “I haven’t had the privilege to see this Round Table.”

“And you will shortly, my lady. We are almost there. It sits above the king’s throne room and it is where we Knights of the Round Table and his majesty gather when we have things to discuss or worse… when we have war on our hands.”

Emerald gulped. She had never experienced a war herself, nor did she want to, though she had done her fair share of assassinations and subterfuge to avoid war situations.

“Have you ever… fought in a war, Sir Morn?”

“We haven’t had war since I became a knight.” He shook his head. “I have had to quell uprisings. Nothing large-scale.”

“That’s good. So your mother wanted you to be a knight, yes?”

Sir Morn shook his head. “Nay. Actually, she wanted me to follow in her footsteps and be a mage. I have told you before, my lady, ha ha.”

“Oh… yes… You did. Silly of me.” Emerald looked away embarrassedly.

“Tis fine, Lady Emerald. We all make mistakes, do we not?”

“Yes. But I still find it hard to imagine. You? A mage?” Emerald put a hand to her mouth and she let out a small laugh. “Why, I would never imagine the great Sir Morn Dread a mage! Robes instead of armor? Now that is an interesting image.”

“I know. I sometimes wonder what I would be if I had been a mage instead.” Sir Morn chuckled alongside her. “Perhaps I would have my mother’s penchant for healing magic?”

“Perhaps. Though you don’t need healing magic yourself, Sir Morn,” Emerald said as they went through another doorway. “The way you heal is unlike anything else I have seen here.”

“Tis true, my lady.” Sir Morn stopped before another door, this one larger than the last one, and reached for the handle. “Maybe being a mage would not be too bad. Now, are you ready?”

As he opened the door, Emerald Edge looked through the widening crack, until the door was fully opened. Inside was a large cylindrical room, along with torches adorning the walls, providing decent lighting inside. In the center of the room, was a large circular table, with engravings carved into the wood, containing pictures of dragons, knights and all kinds of other things. Whoever had worked on that table must’ve really taken a long time to finish it. Along the table’s edge were chairs, all with high backs, circling around, one for each of the knights. Then there was a chair that was contained more gems and metal than the other ones, likely the chair of King Dawn Saber, with a sheath placed on the right side of the chair’s back.

There were few windows, but they were all higher up, with Emerald unable to look out through them. That was a good idea, considering who came into this room. Big windows would only provide assassins with more chances to shoot someone in here with an arrow or something similar.

“Behold, the Round Table.” Sir Morn held his hand out to the room. “What do you think, Emerald?”

“A magnificent room.” Emerald walked in, her greaves tapping away on the cobbled stone. “This table has incredible detail. So you knights and the king sit around here?”

“Yes we do, my lady.” Sir Morn ran a hand along the table’s edge. “And soon, you will too. We just have to get a new chair for you.”

“Oh, I mean, uh, is there space?” Emerald rubbed at her elbow. “I could always stand.”

“Preposterous!” The blue haired knight shook his head. “You are one of us now. You should be treated an equal. A phrase I like, my lady. United we stand, now and forever.”

“I like that,” Emerald told him. “It’s a good reminder that friendship and harmony is what we all strive for.”

“That’s one way to put it, my lady.” Sir Morn turned back from the table and looked at her. “And that concludes our tour of the Round Table. Would you like to see anything else?”

Emerald gave that question some thought. “I cannot think of any sights, no, but there is someone I want to see.”

Sir Morn looked up, then back at her. “As you wish, my lady. Who is it you wish to see?”

Emerald looked up at one of the windows. “Where would the other Emerald Edge be at this time?”

“Oh, that is your plan,” Sir Morn Dread laughed. “I suppose she will be around the castle, either currently on shift or resting in the barracks. Or perhaps she could be having a meal right now. It is about time for one.”

“Well, shall we go have a look, Sir Morn?” Emerald nudged the knight. “I want to see how similar she will be to me.”

“Aye, that does sound like an interesting plan.” Sir Morn picked up his helmet from the table. “Then let us be off. This is something I would like to see.”

Emerald Edge wandered around Canterlot Castle with Sir Morn, looking for her doppelganger, but at the same time, allowing herself a better lay of the castle. It would be good to have the entire place mapped out in her head if she was going to be a knight here.

The scoured the various castle halls, and even one of the towers, but there was still no sign of her other self, nor did she see her other friends as well. Perhaps they were all busy with something else at the moment.

“Still no sign of this other Emerald Edge…” Sir Morn rubbed his chin with a armored hand. “I do wonder where she is stationed this day. Mayhap we should check at the ramparts outside. Tis a common posting for the majority of the guards.”

“Then let us go on!” Emerald took Morn’s hand and picked up her speed.

The spymaster was both excited and anxious about meeting this world’s version of herself. She wanted to know what the other Emerald looked like and if she behaved the same in terms of her behavior and mannerisms. For one, this Emerald Edge was a guard and not a spymaster, meaning she would likely not possess the same skills in subterfuge as Emerald did, but perhaps she would have a better skill in combat.

No chance, Emerald smiled to herself. Since coming here, she’d gotten better at open combat, even besting some of the knights during the tournament. Perhaps she would have the upper hand over the other Emerald Edge now.

But then there was also the point of talking to her. What was she going to say? What was she going to do once she found her? Meeting a different version of oneself was something she has never ever thought to plan for.

Eventually, the two knights made it over to the ramparts near the entrance to the castle grounds, spotting a troop of guard stationed on top with their spears and shields in hand. They all had their helmets on, so it was hard to tell if the other Emerald Edge was among them from this distance, so they opted to move closer.

When they got closer, the guard closest to them turned and saw them approaching, quickly telling the others, who all turned and bowed their bodies.

“Good day, sir and lady knight!” she greeted loudly.

It seemed word spread quite fast here.

“You know I am already a knight?” Emerald placed a hand on her chest.

“But of course!” The first guard nodded her head. “It is but our duty to respect all who protect our kingdom. And not to mention, Lady Emerald Edge, you are an interesting one. With permission, may I remove my helmet?”

“Do so.” Sir Morn motioned with a hand.

The guard nodded again and put her spear and shield down before lifting the helmet from her head. Emerald quickly recognized her as Spirit Flicker. She had spoke to her the other day at the courtyard.

“Spirit Flicker,” Emerald said. “My dear friend…”

Unable to control herself as her mind was flooded with images of her friends who had given up their lives to get her here, Emerald ran forward and suddenly embraced the guard, much to the shock of the other three guards with her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t do better…” Emerald choked, remembering how Spirit Flicker and Dash Spiral had stayed behind to guard the door.

“What are you talking about, my lady?” Flicker asked her, squirming in Emerald’s embrace.

“I think it’s time I tell you pon- um, guards.” Emerald looked at the other three guards behind Flicker. “I am Emerald Edge, royal spymaster to Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire. From the land of Equestria.”

“Eq-Equestureeya?” Spirit Flicker tried to repeat. “I… do not believe I know this land, my lady. Forgive my lack of knowledge.”

“That is because Equestria isn’t in your world.” Emerald paused for a second. “I have come to you from another world. Through a magical mirror of the great Star Swirl the Bearded. I have come seeking the artifacts he has created so that I may return to my world and vanquish a dark king that has taken my home from me.”

Spirit Flicker’s face began cycling through various emotions, ranging from confusion and shock to many different faces Emerald didn’t know the expressions for.

“A whole other world…?” she eventually said, seemingly still trying to wrap her mind around it. The three guards behind her began to whisper amongst themselves.

Then one of them stepped forward, asking for permission to remove his helmet. After Sir Morn permitted it, he removed it, revealing the almost familiar pale face of Dash Spiral.

“D-Dash. You’re here too…” Emerald released Flicker and gave him a hug as well. “I have missed you all so much…”

“May I ask, my lady,” he went on after Emerald released him from her embrace. “How do you… know us, if you are not from this world?”

This was the part Emerald had been waiting for. “Our worlds, they are not so different. They are like… parallels.”

“Please, my lady.” Spirit Flicker stopped her. “What is a… parallel?”

“Uh…” The spymaster had never had to explain the word before. “They are similar. You guards, my friends, you were my friends… Back in Equestria. You, Flicker, and you Dash… you gave your lives to help me get to this world. And the others, Captain Jade Crystal, Crystal Flare, Spring Amber, and of course, Light Speckle… My friends…”

Emerald began to feel her eyes blurring as she thought about their final moments once again.

“You know our names…” Flicker said, astounded. “And even the mage, Light Speckle…?”

“I think she is telling the truth.” Dash Spiral ran a hand through his blonde hair. “A whole other world… Goodness.”

“Wait…” Emerald suddenly registered what Flicker had said. “Light Speckle. She is here? Where is she?”

Spirit Flicker looked confused, but pointed to the Mages’ Tower. “Where all the mages are, my lady.”

Emerald was about to sprint off to the tower, but then she remembered a more important thing. It was why she had come here to the ramparts in the first place.

“The other Emerald Edge,” she started. “This world’s Emerald Edge. Where is she?”

“I had a feeling you were going to ask, my lady.” Dash nodded. “She is by the back wall today.”

“I shall take you there, Lady Emerald.” Sir Morn placed a fist on his chest, with a clink.

“Yes, let us go.” Emerald made a reminder to have a look for Speckle as well, after she was done finding herself. “Thank you both. I hope we can catch up more in the future.”

“Our pleasure to assist you, my lady.” Both Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker bowed as Emerald and Morn left the ramparts.

Sir Morn had to run after Emerald as the spymaster made her way back down to the ground, anxious to meet herself.

“Slow down, my lady,” the male knight chuckled, giving her a pat on the back as he caught up. “You don’t even know the way yet.”

“You need to keep up, Sir Morn,” Emerald told him playfully, but she did want him to move faster.

“Very well. This way, my lady.” Sir Morn took Emerald’s hand in his and led her on.

Emerald followed the blue haired knight around the back of the castle, between the wall and the actual structure. She passed by plenty of crates, likely keeping equipment or resources, along with at least a dozen straw dummies they use in practice.

And soon, they found themselves behind the castle, standing by the wall and an entrance to the castle, with two guards on either side of it, spears and shields in hand. One was a man with white skin, and the other was a woman with green skin.

“G-Good day, sir and lady k-knight,” the woman greeted, her voice wavering.

Emerald didn’t need the guard to remove her helmet to know it was. The guard’s voice sounded exactly just like hers.

“So it is true,” Emerald breathed, walking up to her counterpart, who looked very uncomfortable with it. “You are the Emerald Edge of this world…”

“And there really is another me around…” Other Emerald continued to stare at the spymaster. “I did not think we would be so similar, my lady.”

“Neither did I…” Emerald examined her human world’s self. She hadn’t gotten a chance to get a proper look at her own face, but she guessed their features would be similar, or even identical. As for the color, Other Emerald had the same purple eyes as she did and the same green coat. For the hair, however, Other Emerald’s hair did not seem to glimmer like Emerald’s did; it was just two shades of green, hanging out from behind her helmet, tied in a low ponytail. “Please, could you take off your helmet?”

“At once, my lady.” Other Emerald nodded and did as she was asked.

Sir Morn and the other guard, who Emerald knew was Crystal Flare, looked between both Emerald Edge’s, their eyebrows creased as they examined both of them.

“There is much similarity between you two,” the knight eventually said. “Why, I may not be able to tell you two apart if you dressed the same. Save for the hair.”

Emerald turned to Flare. “So this is why you guards kept saying I did something to my hair. This world’s Emerald’s hair does not shine like mine.”

“Yes, my lady,” the male guard nodded his head.

“All this talk about worlds, Lady, uh, Emerald… What does it all mean?” Other Emerald put a hand to her forehead. “You are from an entirely different world?”

“One of ponies, not humans.” Emerald went on to explain Equestria again, almost used to it by now. Then she told the other Emerald Edge why she was here in the human world and her quest to return home with the power to defeat Sombra.

Sir Morn was also used to hearing it by now, putting a comforting arm around Emerald’s shoulders as she spoke her story to the guards.

“And you are brave to have not given up,” Sir Morn told her soothingly. “You honor your princess with your actions. Be assured, my lady, you will return home and you will vanquish this Sombra.”

Emerald nodded, then turned back to her doppelganger. She had a look of bewilderment on her face. She didn’t blame her. When she first came to this world, she had been outright confused. These creatures called humans and these fingers they have? It was all out of this world.

“There is so much to take in, my lady… Forgive me.” Other Emerald rubbed at her forehead. “I have never heard such tales. But I have no reason to doubt you. You are a Knight of the Round Table.”

“Ah, yes, Lady Emerald, that reminds me.” Sir Morn suddenly exclaimed, startling both Emeralds. “There is to be a ceremony, up at the Round Table when you receive your sword. Where you formally become one of us and join us at the table.”

“Another ceremony?” Emerald sighed. She’d been doing things way out in the open as of late. This wasn’t how she was trained to operate. “Oh, if it has to be done, Sir Morn.”

“I insist. After that, you will really be acknowledged as one of us.” The good knight clapped her on the shoulder.

“Very well,” the spymaster said, then turned back to her other self. “But it is… good to finally meet you, Emerald Edge.”

Other Emerald smiled and covered her mouth. “Likewise, Lady Emerald Edge. I look forward to your victory over that dark king back in your world.”

She nodded. “Then I better let you get back to your duty.”

With a final farewell, Emerald and Morn left the back wall, returning back to the courtyard just in front of the main castle entrance.

“What now, my lady?” Sir Morn held one of Emerald’s hands. “Is there more you wish to see?”

“There is,” the former pegasus nodded and looked past him to the Mages’ Tower. “My dearest friend, Light Speckle awaits.”

27 - A Magical Reunion

The first thing Emerald Edge smelled when she entered the Mages’ Tower, was smoke. It didn’t take a genius to know what that might’ve meant.

On the way up to the second floor, she could already hear the cries of someone, along with the sounds of impacts.

“I’m sorry! Augh! I’m sorry!”

“You keep burning up my notes! Why?! What have I done to deserve such punishment?!”

“Nightfall, please, relinquish that broom!”

“Sounds like quite a commotion up there, my lady,” Sir Morn Dread breathed.

“No, release me! He deserves to be beaten!”

“Calm down, Nightfall. It was just an accident.”

“His accidents always result in the destruction of my notes! Why?”

Emerald and Morn arrived at the top to Moon Tide and Sonata Dusk holding Nightfall Gleam back as she struggled to free herself. Secret Fire lay on his chest on the floor, slowly lifting his head to see that the broom was no longer aimed for him.

Moon Tide was the first to see them and nodded her greetings. “Hello, son. Hello, Emerald. I apologize that you must come here to see this today.”

“This is not the first time,” Emerald admitted, walking over. “Nightfall, please, if they let you go, will you stop your assault on this poor man?”

“B-But… my research,” the mage complained, but she stopped struggling. “Again. I will have to start from scratch. Again.”

“I can help,” Secret Fire said, getting up to his knees. “I at least owe you that much.”

“No! I will not permit you to help me with anything!” Nightfall screeched, only for Moon Tide to pull her back again. “You will end up burning down my entire workstation! The notes are bad enough, but no, my inventions will not be touched by you!”

If it means anything, I shall assist you, Nightfall.” Emerald put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. “I may not be a mage, but I will do my best.”

“Oh, well…” Nightfall glared daggers at Secret Fire, but then gave up and sighed. “Very well. I won’t kill him. This time.”

Secret Fire quickly leapt up and took Emerald’s hands, shaking them vigorously. “Oh, thank you, thank you so much! Emerald Edge, was it? I shan’t forget this! Now, if you will all excuse me, I need to go gather more fireroots! They were all lost in the explosion!”

And in that instance, he was gone, leaving only a puff of smoke behind.

“He’s always blowing things up, isn’t he?” Sonata asked Emerald happily. “How’s your quest for the artifacts going, Emerald?”

“Hmm, nothing new yet, Sonata.” The spymaster shrugged. “But I did get to meet this world’s Emerald Edge.”

“Oh?” That caught Moon Tide and Nightfall’s interests as well. “What is she like?”

“She’s… me.” Emerald didn’t know how else to say it. “We don’t exactly look alike, but we do share many similarities.”

“Aye, mother.” Sir Morn nodded. “They sound the same. Tis their hair that separates them. Lady Emerald’s is radiant, while her guard counterpart has regular hair. Tied differently as well.”

“How intriguing.” Moon Tide smiled and tapped a finger to her chin. “I must make it a point to meet her one day.”

“As must I.” Nightfall Gleam rubbed her hands together. “I have already learnt much by what you have told me, Emerald. Imagine if I can compare the two of you.”

“Perhaps, Nightfall, perhaps.” Then Emerald cleared her throat and straightened herself. “But I am not here for that today, I’m afraid. Moon Tide, can I speak with you?”

“Yes, anytime, Emerald.” The senior mage motioned for her to come closer. “Nightfall, I suggest getting back to your station and scavenge anything you may still have.”

“Yes, Moon Tide.” The younger mage nodded. “I will see you sometime, Emerald. Remember, if you have need of me to craft you anything, you just need to ask.”

“I will, Nightfall. Thank you.” Then she took Sir Morn’s hand and followed after Moon Tide and Sonata to a corner where they could speak.

“So, what would you like to ask, Emerald?” Moon Tide looked at both the spymaster and her son. “Is it about Morn?”

“Oh, no, it is actually about an old friend of mine. Actually, my best friend, when I was still in Equestria.”

“An old friend?” Sonata repeated. “Did she make it here too?”

“I had hoped she would,” Emerald sighed. She still remembered Light Speckle’s final words to her, but she was sure she saw Sombra kill her. As much as she wanted it to be true, she knew Speckle couldn’t have made it here. “I want to find her, Moon Tide. I have been told she is here, in the tower.”

“Oh, a mage, hmm?” Moon Tide looked over to the many other mages at their workstations. “What is her name?”

“Do you know a Light Speckle around here?”

“Light Speckle, you say?” Moon Tide wore an amused smile.

“You mean Clover the Clever’s heir?” Sonata asked, scratching at the side of her head. “Yeah, we know a Light Speckle!”

“Clover the Clever’s… Can I see her? Where is she?” Emerald felt her heartbeat quicken. Her friend was alive. Her best friend.

“She resides on the top floor.” Moon Tide looked up at the wooden ceiling and beams above them. “Your friend, Light Speckle, you may see, but I am afraid only a select few may visit Clover. She is busy, you see.”

“Busy with what?” Sonata shrugged. “I don’t know. But she’s busy.”

“Thank you, Moon Tide and Sonata, I must be off.” Emerald didn’t wait another second, running straight for the staircase and moving up a few steps at a time.

She missed one and almost rolled all the way back down, but Sir Morn was able to catch her, pulling her back up to her feet with his strong arms.

“Woah there, my lady. You must take care.”

“Yes, thank you, Sir Morn.” Emerald got her footing back, then resumed her run up the staircase, though she decided to go one step at a time instead. This would’ve been so much easier if she had her wings.

At about the fourth or fifth floor, Emerald lost count, she almost ran into a familiar Beatrix, carrying a box of supplies, but she managed to dodge her by leaping to the side and kicking off the stone wall, though her greave chipped off a little portion of it.

“Sorry!” she squeaked, then ran on.

When Emerald finally arrived at the top floor, the first thing she noticed was how much more decorated it was than the previous floors. The previous ones only had banners hanging from the ceiling and the occasional floor mat, but up here, the entirety of the walls were covered in green cloth, along with a golden clover insignia on each one. Emerald recognized the unicorn’s cutie mark quite quickly, seeing it once before.

Up here, the mages had more organized workstations and the wood looked like it had been carved with more fine detail.

“Amazing. It is so different up here.” Emerald Edge walked ahead and looked around, trying to find her friend. She figured she should recognize her like she did with her other friends.

“It is.” Sir Morn Dread nodded and followed beside her. “So your friend, the mage Light Speckle, she is heir to Clover the Clever here. She has accomplished much, but I do not currently see her. She may be in meeting with Clover, beyond those doors.”

Morn pointed to a single wooden door in the wall.

“Back in my world, Light Speckle was Princess Amore’s court mage.” Emerald looked at the door, wondering what was behind it. “That is how we forged our friendship. The two of us were usually alone, so we bonded through our similar situations. I used to go up to her tower to have a chat or to watch her prepare her potions. I miss that.”

“And I am sure you will soon meet her again.” Sir Morn patted Emerald on the shoulder. “Well, my world’s Light Speckle.”

The former pegasus nodded. Of all her fallen friends back in Equestria, Light Speckle was the one she most wanted to see. She owed her her life for getting her safely to this world, at the cost of her own life. Emerald sighed. Light Speckle was the one that was supposed to be here, not herself. She had fought to buy Speckle time to leave, but instead, the mage had sent her through the portal.

Emerald walked about the room, looking at all the busy mages mixing their potions and scribbling down their notes. Everything they did in this tower reminded her of her best friend.

She remembered one time she had gone to visit Speckle and the unicorn had mixed the wrong potions together, blowing up a chunk of the wall and smearing her face in soot. Emerald had arrived just in time to see it happen, laughing away from the window.

“Good times…” Emerald smiled at the thought. Good times before everything went bad.

She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. Sombra was going to pay. He was going to pay so very dearly for everything he did and for everypony he had killed. Emerald knew that she wasn’t going to make it quick for him. She was going to give him every single thing he deserved before she killed him.

Then she also remembered a time she had visited the mage, back from a trip to Griffonstone. She had been wounded in a fight there and the unicorn wouldn’t let her leave without first tending to her wounds. Emerald had insisted she was fine, but after a few casts of magic, she had felt so much better.

That was Light Speckle, always worrying about somepony other than herself. Always putting others’ needs before hers. Emerald wished she could be here now.

Just then, the door to Clover’s room opened and out stepped a pale-skinned woman with curly black hair. She was dressed in a grey robe with yellow highlights, but more than anything, it was her grey eyes that Emerald immediately recognized. This was her best friend, Light Speckle, in human form.

“It’s h-her…” Emerald felt her tears begin to rise. “My f-friend… It’s really her…”

“Yes, my lady, tis Light Speckle, heir to the great Clover the Clever.” Sir Morn was going to say more, but Emerald Edge had already run on ahead, rushing straight for the mage.

Light Speckle had one good look at Emerald before the spymaster threw her arms around her, pulling her in for a warm embrace. All the mages in the room turned to look, but Emerald didn’t notice them; her eyes had been clouded over by her tears and everything was blurry.

“Speckle… It’s really you, Speckle…” she said, her voice trembling.

“Umm… It is me.” Light Speckle was surprised, raising both her eyebrows.

“I am so sorry… I wasn’t able to save you…” Emerald cried on the mage’s shoulder. “B-But I am so glad to see y-you again, even if it’s not really you…”

Emerald was so glad to see her friend again. It was like she had rewinded time, going back to the moment before everything fell to the darkness. They were all still here. All of them, except for her beloved princess. Perhaps Princess Amore was in this world too. If she was, Emerald was going to find her too, but for now, she wanted to enjoy a moment with her best friend in all of the Crystal Empire.

“My lady, uh, you haven’t been indulging in drink, have you…?” Light Speckle looked really confused now.

“Tis a long story, Mage Speckle,” Sir Morn said, walking over to join them. “To cut matters short, Lady Emerald is from another world. From her world, you were her best friend.”

“Another world, sir knight?” Light Speckle’s eyes widened. “Clover was right.”

“Oh? Did the head mage guess that already?” The knight raised an eyebrow.

“She had theories, sir and lady knights.” Speckle tried to move away from Emerald, by the spymaster still had her by the shoulders. “She suspected Lady Emerald arrived from the same place these artifacts of gold had come from.”

“Your Clover the Clever is correct, Speckle.” Emerald let go of the mage and wiped at her eyes. “Those artifacts are from my world. I have come here to retrieve them so that I may go back home and face the dark king, Sombra, and free my home from his evil.”

“She was right…” The black haired mage put a hand to her chin. “These artifacts are not objects from an ancient civilization like I thought. You say I was Lady Emerald’s best friend in her world? Tell me, please, my lady, am I an accomplished mage over there?”

Emerald nodded her head, once again picturing the moment Sombra had brought his hoof down on her friend’s neck. “You… you were, Speckle. You were…”

“Were?” The mage’s eyebrows lifted.

“You… you gave her life… to allow me passage to this world.” Emerald looked up at Light Speckle again, her eyes still red from her tears. “You were so brave, Speckle. You were the one meant to come here. Not I. Perhaps things would have been different if our roles were reversed.”

“You cannot say that, my lady.” Sir Morn put one hand on her shoulder. “You cannot know what the outcome might have been. What matters is what you do now. Besides, if it had not been you, I would never have met you.”

“Hmm…” Emerald wondered if it was a good trade, but at least the knight was right. She loved him and she didn’t want to give him up, now that she had him. But if indeed she could turn back time, would she?

That was why she had lost in the tournament. Her mind hadn’t been clear. She had disappointed her princess because of that. Could she really choose between Princess Amore and Sir Morn when the time came?

“Astounding.” Light Speckle pulled at the collar of her robes. “We had heard the story, of you using the king’s sword to defeat the druids, but to learn that you and that weapon are from another world. Truly remarkable. Though, I must say, it is not comfortable to know that I am deceased there.”

“But you are all alive here.” Emerald sniffed, her nose partially blocked. “I’m glad I can see you again, Speckle.”

“Umm, likewise, Lady Emerald.” The mage didn’t know what to do, so she curtseyed and smiled. “I should get back to my work. If you would like, you may come speak to me anytime.”

“I would like that, Speckle. Thank you.” Emerald gave the mage one more hug. “Then I will see you another time.”

“Take care, my lady.”

Emerald looked at her friend one more time, then headed back for the steps, with Sir Morn followed close beside her.

“How are you feeling, my lady?” He took her hand in his and gave her a comforting squeeze.

“Much happier, Sir Morn,” she replied. “My friends. They’re all alive in this world.”

“Yes, I admit, that must be wonderful news.” The two of them began their descent.

Emerald Edge nodded again. She remembered Light Speckle’s final words again, about how they would meet on the other side. And she was right. Emerald had her old friends again and things had taken a turn for the better.

28 - The Beginning of an Age

The following afternoon, Emerald Edge found herself standing by the blacksmith’s forge by Canterlot Castle, watching as Honor Proof went to a rack at the back and retrieved a fine sword from it.

Emerald couldn’t see it from afar, but once it got closer, she noticed the sword was in a sheath. A nice sheath, at that. Compared to her old one, which was a simple leather casing, this new one gleamed with fine emeralds down its length, along with steel pieces at the start and end of it.

“And I present you your blade, Lady Emerald Edge,” the blacksmith said, putting one hand on the hilt and pulling it out of its sheath.

The guard was forged into the shape of two wings, along with yet another green gem in between them, right above the grip. The entirety of the blade was of a gleaming steel, and along the sides of it, Emerald found the name, Amore, carved into it. There was really no other sword like it in his armory, like Honor Proof had said.

“It is a truly magnificent sword, blacksmith.” Emerald accepted the weapon from him. It was shorter than her current sword, just as she had asked for, and it was lighter. Much lighter. “You are a human of talent.”

“You will find no better sword in all of Canterlot, my lady.” The blacksmith bowed. “It has been an honor to forge your sword.”

“It is I who should be thanking you, Honor Proof.” Emerald slid the sword back into its sheath. “I will use this well to defend Canterlot.”

Honor Proof nodded, then scratched at his beard. “Then you should go, my lady. The knights wait for you in the castle for your ceremony.”

“Yes, right. Another one.” Emerald laughed awkwardly. She didn’t want to have to go, but she knew it was something she had to do. “Take care, blacksmith. And keep up your magnificent work!”

Emerald fastened the sword to her side and ran along inside the castle. She spotted Spring Amber and Crystal Flare on the way in and waved. No doubt all her old friends would have heard of her meeting with herself by now.

She remembered the path she had taken with Morn to the Round Table room, following the hallways and the staircases, soon arriving at the familiar wooden door.

“This is it…” Emerald took a deep breath. “Now or never.”

First knocking on the door, Emerald pushed it open, immediately noticing that all the knights in the room were facing her. She quickly averted her eyes and blushed.

“Ah! Lady Emerald, you join us.” It was Sir Morn Dread, who was quickly by herself, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Do not fear, no one means you harm here. Might I add, your sword looks well-crafted. It fits one like you.”

“I-It does, huh?” Emerald smiled and let herself be pushed by Sir Morn as they made their way to the table.

There was an empty chair beside Sir Morn’s seat and Sir Ganeighn’s seat. Emerald was glad. At least the two of them were familiar faces.

“The hero has arrived.” Sir Lionheart stroked his moustache and grinned. “Your feat with Excalibur shall never be forgotten as long as we live.”

“Good t-to know, Sir Lionheart.” She really had been operating too out in the open since arriving here. Perhaps from here on out, she would be able to tone it down and return to the shadows.

“Welcome, Emerald Edge.” King Dawn Saber sat at his glimmering throne, standing up and resting his hands on the table when he called her name. “And I see you have acquired your sword. Like the other knights, your weapon shall be known throughout the kingdom and it will be a symbol of unity and justice for all. Now come, to our newest Knight of the Round Table.”

As one, each knight reached for his helmet on the table and placed them atop their heads. Emerald didn’t know what to do and as she didn’t have a helmet, she opted to just pull her hood up over her head, keeping it low above her eyes.

Reaching behind, the king retrieved Excalibur from its sheath, revealing its golden form to Emerald once again as he stretched it out in his arm atop the table, pointing its tip straight at Emerald from across the table. Soon, each knight pulled his sword from its sheath, each of them mimicking the king and pointing their blades in a circle around the table. Sir Morn had Clarent out now, pointing it at Sir Boercival, who had a slightly purple-tipped sword out.

Emerald did the same, retrieving Amore and pointing it out straight ahead, facing King Dawn Saber.

Arranged in a circle around the table, each knight and the king had their swords out, positioned so that their weapons all formed an inner circle over the tabletop, their swords’ gems and metal gleaming from the sunlight coming from the high windows.

“Knights of the Round Table,” King Dawn Saber said, looking back up at Emerald. “Protectors of Canterlot, it is your sworn duty to defend the land and its people. Where there is trouble, you will go, where there is injustice, there you will be. Where there is evil, you will fight. Where there is chaos, you will bring order.

And now you will be one, Lady Emerald. Do you swear to uphold the values of a Knight of the Round Table and defend this kingdom with your life?”

“Umm, I, uh…” Emerald wasn’t sure what to say.

Sir Morn Dread leaned closer, his voice echoing within his helmet. “Say I swear, my lady.”

“Oh, I swear, your majesty.” Emerald smiled and nodded her head, a silent thanks to the human she loved.

King Dawn Saber nodded firmly. “Welcome, Lady Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table.”

And then all the knights and the king thrust their swords further forward, prompting Emerald to do the same. Then almost as quickly, their weapons were all returning to their sheaths.

“Please, sit.” The king placed himself back on his throne.

Only then did Emerald follow the other knights and sit back in her chair.

“So, my king, what quests are we to undertake this day?” Sir Prancelot asked from beside him.

Dawn Saber unfolded a letter he had on the table and held it up to his face. “Signs of uprisings at Canterbury. Possibly the work of druids. Sir Prancelot, Sir Agramane, I task you to eliminate any unrest the town has to offer.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Sir Agrammane answered for both of them.

“Your majesty, if I may.” Sir Morn said with a raise of his hand. “Send me to face the druids. If they employ their poisonous magic, I shall be able to take them on.”

“Ah yes, I remember the report of your valiant rescue of the town’s hostages with Sir Ganeighn and Lady Emerald. Very well, three knights are better than two.”

“Sir Lionheart, a group of bandits have taken residence up in a fort close to Trottingham. I want you and Sir Ganeighn to journey there and remove them.”

“Sounds easy, your majesty.” Sir Lionheart slapped a fist to his mail. “We will see it gets done.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Sir Ganeighn answered from beside Emerald, then he leaned closer to her and whispered, “A chance to meet the skilled archer, yes?”

“Yes, Sir Ganeighn,” Emerald chuckled. “Between us, I am sure she will be looking forward to seeing you as well.”

“Oh? That is fine news, my lady.” The knight joined her in a quiet laughter. “Who would think a peasant would prove to be such a fine woman.”

King Dawn Saber looked through his letter and then folded it back up and put it down. “That is all from the reports of our scouts. The rest of you may do as you see fit. Is there anything anyone would like to bring up?”

Emerald and the knights looked among each other, but no one said anything out loud.

“Then I hereby declare this meeting over.” The king smiled and got up, taking Excalibur with him.

“You had to volunteer, didn’t you?” Emerald Edge stood with Sir Morn and the other two Knights of the Round Table at the entrance to Canterlot. The sun was already beginning its descend, painting the sky a bright and fiery orange. It reminded Emerald of how Princess Celestia would lower and raise the sun everyday; she wondered who was the one doing it in this world.

“Tis only for a short while, Lady Emerald.” Sir Morn held both her hands in his. “And then I will be back and we can spend time together.”

“I will miss you, Sir Morn.” Emerald stepped in closer.

“Oh, so will I, my lady, so will I…” Morn put a hand to the spymaster’s cheek and caressed it, at the same time, taking a deep breath. “All the more reason for me to return, yes?”

“Come, Morn, we must leave if we are to make it!” Sir Agrammane called, waving his hand atop his horse. “You may court the lady when you come back!”

“Tis time to leave.” Sir Morn tapped Emerald under the chin with one of his fingers. “Have no fear, I shall return.”

“I know you will, Sir Morn.”

Almost like they were one, both of them leaned in at the same time to share a kiss.

“I love you, Sir Morn.” Emerald leaned in into a hug after they parted lips.

“And I you, Lady Emerald. Stay safe while I am gone.” The male knight patted her back.

“Count on it.” The spymaster smirked and let Morn be on his way.

She continued to watch him as the three knights left on their horses, jesting about something, riding off towards the setting sun.

“Hey, Em.” Spectrum Song came along, spinning her lute in her hands. “Woah, is that your new sword?”

“Hello, young Spectrum.” Emerald looked down at the rainbow haired squire, then put a hand to Amore. “Yes, this is Amore, my sword as a Knight of the Round Table.”

“The craftsmanship is top notch!” The squire ran a hand along Amore’s guard. “Honor Proof makes fine weapons. I mean, so does Stone Anvil, but his are generally more… common.”

“They are both exemplary blacksmiths, Spectrum.” Emerald gave the little filly’s head a rub. “Any work assigned to you by Sir Hors today?”

“Yes, I have to clean out the stables by sundown, which is very soon. Probably won’t take me that long, but I kind of don’t want to do it. Horses. All day long. Do you have any idea how dull some horses can be?” Seeing Emerald’s eyebrows rise, Spectrum quickly backpedaled, waving her hands. “Not like, uh, you, I mean. You’re technically also a horse… hahahaha.”

Emerald shook her head, smiling. “Well, since I have no other duties today, I think I shall visit Jewel Pin. I wonder if that nobleman has stopped by her shop yet?”

“What nobleman?” Spectrum strummed her lute.

“Do you recall?” Emerald asked her. “During the tournament, I was approached by a Canterlot noble, wishing to learn where I had received my cloak.” Emerald ran a hand along her red cloak. “I directed him to Jewel Pin. I have not heard from her since.”

“Hmm. Maybe this nobleman is a killer, and Jewel Pin is his latest victim?”

“Spectrum!” Emerald said, shocked. “What a thing to think!”

“Hey, it’s just something I read in a book once.”

“You can read?” Emerald cocked an eyebrow playfully.

“I can!” Spectrum protested. “As a squire, it is my duty to read for the knights.”

“Is that what Sir Hors told you?” Emerald looked at her amusedly.

“Well, yes. Squires have to know how to read. It’s one of the things they ask your family before you get picked. My pa gave me a good edgimucation, too!”

“Mhm. That sounds right.” Emerald left it at that. “I am off to Canterlot Fabrics. I’ll come back to check on you later, huh, Spectrum?”

Leaving the young squire to her duties, Emerald left the town entrance, headed in the direction of Jewel Pin’s shop. The sun was almost to the mountain line now, and birds twittered in the sky above her. All felt right in the world, and Emerald was soon within sight of her destination.

The bell above Canterlot Fabrics’ main door tinkled merrily as Emerald entered.

“Hello, welcome to- Emerald, dear, you have come back!” Jewel Pin put down a yellow bolt of fabric she was holding and swooped over, giving the spymaster a warm hug. “How have you been?”

“Oh, everything’s just swell. I’ve been knighted!”

“Why, yes! I heard that you were rewarded for your role in rescuing that young girl from the clutches of those awful druids. But you say you were knighted? By the king himself?”

Emerald nodded. “I am a Knight of the Round Table now.”

“Why, darling, that’s stupendous news! I had a feeling you were something special the moment you first walked into my shop. And with all the customers you have been bringing me, oh, you are special indeed, Emerald Edge. Oh, I mean, Lady Emerald Edge.”

“Oh, you don’t need the titles with me, Jewel Pin.” Emerald waved her hand, hoping it hid her embarrassed face. She still wasn’t as used to attention and praise as she would’ve liked. “I knew you before I was a Knight of the Round Table. You can just stick to Emerald, or even just Em, as Spectrum Song and the others have decided to call me.”

“If that is what you wish, Emerald, then I shall forgo the titles,” Jewel Pin said happily. “After all, you have brought me much business with that beautiful cloak of yours.”

“Ah, that is what I wanted to ask you about.” The spymaster leaned against the table. “A nobleman stopped to ask me about this fine cloak you made me. Umm, I do not recall his name, but it sounded like High… High something.”

“Oh, you mean High Rise?” Jewel Pin suddenly spun around on the spot and clasped her hands together against her face. “Oh, High Rise… Such a nice man, he is. Why didn’t I meet him sooner?”

“So you’ve met?” Emerald flipped the store sign to ‘closed’ as Jewel Pin began to clean up after work.

“Oh, we have, we certainly have, dear.” Jewel Pin began sweeping the floor happily. “I think I am in love, Emerald. High Rise has stolen my heart.”

Emerald gave her friend an amused smile. “What, so quickly? He must be a real charmer.”

“He is…” Jewel Pin began giggling uncontrollably, tipping a few bolts off her table. “He saw your cloak, Emerald, and he came by to purchase plenty of my goods. And my, he is so dashing! Just thinking about him is making me lightheaded…

“Oh, but he is of noble blood, while I am just some commoner from Trottingham. I wonder if he has even noticed my attraction to him. Oh, High Rise…” Jewel Pin picked up one of her fallen bolts and held it to her chest. “My heart flutters just by thoughts of him.”

“I’m sure he likes you, Jewel Pin,” Emerald chuckled at her friend. “You are the most generous human I’ve met! Hay, I’m sure he would have noticed that in you already.”

“Well, he has commissioned me to create his outfits for him.” Jewel Pin put a hand to her mouth. “Do you really think so, Emerald? Do you think he feels the same way about me?”

“Well…” Emerald didn’t know how to tell her that it wasn’t normal for people to fall in love so quickly, and how it definitely wasn’t normal for both parties to fall in love immediately. From what she knew, that only happens in fairytales. “P-Perhaps…? I have no way of knowing for sure.”

“Oh but I am absolutely delighted!” Jewel Pin spun around in circles, still holding her bolt of fabric. “And I am glad you stopped by, Emerald. It has been some time since I saw you. You have been fine, yes?”

“Yes, I haven’t had to worry about anything since that druid attack. Poor Honeygold. That little filly had to go through such an ordeal.”

“Umm, yes, I know how the little one feels, Emerald.” Jewel Pin hugged her shoulders and shuddered. “If not for you, I do not know if I will still be here selling clothes.”

“I don’t see why they have to do what they do, sacrificing humans…” Emerald sighed and examined her hidden blade casing, running her fingers along its surface. “Your world’s magic is nothing like the magic from mine. Such disgusting methods, and the outcome is far from perfect.”

“Can you use magic, Emerald?” Jewel Pin put her bolts back in her shelf. “How does it work there?”

“Oh, I cannot use magic, no, not exactly.” Emerald shook her head. “Only the unicorns may use magic freely. Do you know of them?”

“Unicorn?” Jewel Pin tapped her chin. “I cannot say I do. Tell me, what is a unicorn?”

“Oh, um, unicorns are… Well, we are all ponies in my world. A unicorn is a pony with a horn on their head.” Emerald traced the center of her forehead and up into the air. “Right here. The horn allows them to cast magic. Our magic is more… direct. Let’s say we need light. With a spell, we have light. Other kinds of ponies have magic too, but the unicorns are the most prominent example of magic.”

“You were a, um… I forgot the word, a flying pony, yes?”

Emerald chuckled. It seems not everyone here was well versed in other species. “I was a pegasus, yes. I had wings. I must say, I do miss having them. It is a bother to have to walk everywhere.”

Jewel Pin shrugged good-naturedly. “Most of us here are used to using our feet to get from place to place. What I’d give for a pair of wings though… perhaps a pair of marvelous butterfly wings.”

“Butterfly wings are fragile, Jewel Pin.” Emerald folded her arms and leaned against the seamstress’ table. “Just imagine if they’re clipped while you are flying.”

“Feathered wings can be hurt too.”

“But they’re harder to hurt.”

“Butterflies are such beautiful and elegant creatures though.” Jewel Pin looked at her colored cloths hanging from her ceiling. “Just like how I would like to make my clothes. But, I can only dream. After all, even you do not have wings in our world, yes?”

“Mhm.” Emerald looked behind herself, hoping that if she looked hard enough, a pair of wings would sprout from her back, but then again, she had lost one in her fight with Sombra. Maybe it was better if she had neither than that.

“So what did you do again, Emerald?” Jewel Pin walked over to the side and picked up a broom. “You were a spymaster for your princess. So you… spy on others?”

“Mainly, yes,” the former pegasus chuckled and watched the seamstress begin to sweep her floor. “I have been through missions to gather intel, to forge intel, to mislead, to spy, and one I am not so proud of, to assassinate threats.”

“What’s not to be proud of?” Jewel Pin raised one eyebrow. “You protected your home by killing others? I see no wrong with that. You were simply doing your duty.”

“I can never be proud by killing others, Jewel Pin.” Emerald shook her head and sighed. “Taking a life is no simple matter, but at times, yes, it has to be done. But it doesn’t make it any easier to accept.”

“I suppose it can’t be easy to simply take someone’s life.” Jewel Pin looked at one of her hands. “And mine was almost taken by the druids, and it would have been if you had not come along, Emerald. How dreadful. Now, pardon my words, but they are a people I would not mind seeing you assassinate.”

“If I didn’t have to, I would rather not, Jewel Pin. I’m sorry. But be assured, if they do threaten Canterlot again, I will do what I must. No one innocent should have to die at the hands of such barbaric humans.”

“That I believe you, Emerald.” Jewel Pin walked over and put a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “You are one of the Knights of the Round Table now. I know there is much good you will do in your time here.”

“And I will.” Emerald nodded to her friend. “There is much ahead that I look to. And the artifacts… I will find one of them and I will return home to save my home. I am Emerald Edge, royal spymaster to Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire, Knight of the Round Table to King Dawn Saber of Canterlot, and I will do this.”

Author's Note

End of Act I

Well done to all you readers for making it this far! Act II will begin soon, so you can look forward to that~

29 - How to Train Your Horse, Part 1

Author's Note

Welcome to Act II, readers! Here's how Act II will go: The chapters will be more in episodic format, as the entirety of this act takes place over the course of five years. They will be mostly disconnected from each other, in their own self-contained stories. That's all, so enjoy the upcoming chapters!

29 - How to Train Your Horse, Part 1

Emerald Edge was flying. She soared through the air on her wings, savoring the cool breeze that was blowing across her body. This was how a pegasus should feel, she thought idly. The wind ruffled the feathers in her wings, and she did a couple of loops, exhilarated at how easy it was. There were white, fluffy clouds as far as the eye could see, and she alighted on a nearby cumulonimbus for a quick rest.

Smiling, Emerald lay back on the cloud, its soft puffy surface providing the perfect bed for a pegasus to lie down a rest.

“Ahh… this is nice.”

She lay there on her back for a while, and had just closed her eyes when she was distracted by a tapping sound.

Emerald lifted her head, cracking open one eye.

“What’s that?”

The noise stopped, and Emerald lay back down on the cloud, only for the noise to come back, louder this time.

“Oh, go away,” she grumbled, not getting up.

The tapping grew even louder.

When next she opened her eyes again, she was no longer looking up at the vast cloudy sky. Instead, she was now looking at the wooden beams supporting her ceiling up above her bed, small and contained.

Emerald groaned and pushed herself up, rubbing at her face with her hand. “Ugh… Nothing is true here…”

The tapping was coming from her door and it was still going, louder now.

“I’m coming!” she called, hopping up to her human feet and sliding herself over to the door.

“Come on, Em, I’ve been waiting out here for a long time now!”

It was young Spectrum Song, it seemed.

I wonder what she could want?

Unlocking and throwing the door open, Emerald rubbed at her eyes before looking down at the young squire, beaming from ear to ear, like she had some good news to share.

“Yes, Spectrum?” Emerald asked groggily. “Where’s the fire?”

“Fire? What fire?” Spectrum looked confused. “Anyway, I was sent here by one of the muses. They were sent to tell me to tell you that the queen told them to tell me to tell you that you need to get to the castle stables as soon as you can.”

“The stables, huh…?” Emerald picked at her nose. If anything, at least human fingers could fit inside those little nostrils. “Just… give me some time. I need to get ready.”

The former pegasus shut the door in the young squire’s face before shuffling herself back to the washroom. A barrel of water stood by a small ditch that led outside. Giving her face a few splashes, Emerald eventually felt more refreshed and ready to start her day.

“Great. And then I’ll grab some breakfast on the way and see what the queen wants.” She did up her hair into its usual ponytail, marveling at the little fingers afterwards.

Next, Emerald got out of the sleepwear and pulled on the tunic with her cutie mark on it, followed by her armor. She had gotten used to getting it on and off without assistance, though it took longer than it would have with a helper.

Her gauntlets with her hidden blades were last to go on, but once she was ready, Emerald went back to her door and pulled it open, almost walking right into Spectrum Song.

“Oh, you are still here, young Spectrum?” Emerald patted the rainbow haired girl on the shoulder. “I thought you would’ve gone to get some work done.”

“You know me. I put it off as long as I can.” Spectrum strummed a note on her lute. “Now come, let us go to the castle stables. I want to know why they want to see you.”

“Yes, I am curious as to what the queen would want with me at the stables. I would think her majesty would be too busy to go some place like the stables. Filthy places… I still can’t believe you humans treat your horses like this. Such poor living conditions. What are they to do all day in such a small space?”

“I don’t know, eat hay?” Spectrum shrugged.

“That is no way to treat your horses!” Emerald pointed at the open streets as they walked on towards the castle. “They need space, they need to be able to roam free and choose how to live themselves. Can you not give them jobs? I mean, your world’s horses do not speak, but surely you could give them better things to do.”

“Um, Em…” The squire scratched at her head. “I don’t know if you know, but horses here can’t do anything besides letting us ride on them.”

The former pegasus sighed. She remembered Honeygold’s horses, Joey and Springer. The two of them did seem rather… dull.

“That is true, but surely they can be given a larger space? One where they can run free, even for a short distance. The stables are no place for them. I wouldn’t want to live in one of those.”

“I’m just a squire, Em.” Spectrum shrugged and played a soft tune on her lute. “If you want something done, the king or queen are the ones you will want to talk to.”

Entering the castle grounds, Emerald and Spectrum were quick to make their way to the stables, which was right beside the castle wall, near the drawbridge. Queen Sunlight Radiance and the muse, Aria Blaze, were already there, with the queen sitting on an expensive looking chair, her staff in her hand. The stables here were much larger than the ones outside the castle grounds. This one was an actual building with a door and everything.

“Your majesty.” Emerald bowed when she got close. Then reached a hand out to Spectrum’s back and pushed her to a bow as well.

“Greetings, Lady Emerald Edge, and young squire to Sir Hors.” The queen smiled and raised a hand. “You may rise.”

“You wished to see me, your majesty?”

“Yes.” The queen nodded, her little crown on her head somehow staying put. “It has come to my attention that you do not yet have a horse. Each of the Knights of the Round Table are offered the best horses our kingdom has to offer. Tis only fitting that you receive the same accommodation.”

“A horse for me…?” Emerald looked into the stable. “Your majesty, while that offer is very generous, I cannot accept. I was a pegasus back in my world, you see. There is no way I could ride atop one of my own. Being passenger to one is one thing, but to actually own one. It is like slavery! It is slavery.”

“But every knight must have a steed, else how will you ride into battle? I know you are used to riding on Windspeed, but you cannot rely on my ne- I mean, Sir Morn’s horse all the time. You must have a steed of your own if you are to truly be a knight.” The queen finished with a tap of her scepter on the ground.

“Come on, Em. It won’t hurt having a horse.” Spectrum nudged the former pegasus. “Think of it as a… as a good friend?”

“But it is like riding on a friend into battle. You humans do not ride on each other to fight.”

“I suppose they don’t.” Aria folded her arms and shrugged.

“Yes, the squire has a point, Lady Emerald.” Queen Sunlight nodded and smiled. “Think of the horse as a friend. Do not think it as a slave or… anything else one might think. We have plenty of fine picks in our castle stable. Why don’t you come and have a look before deciding?”

“Oh, as you wish, your majesty.” Emerald bowed again, though a bit reluctantly.

In the end, she figured she would at least please the queen by having a look. Perhaps having a horse would also give her somepony to relate to.

“Aria, please show Lady Emerald to the stables.” The queen waved a hand, motioning behind her chair.

“Please follow me.” The purple haired muse sighed.

Emerald and Spectrum did as they were told and followed Aria into the stables. Inside, they passed various other horses who were being tended to by a small contingency of squires, who were polishing hooves, scrubbing coats, or brushing manes. Spectrum waved at them as they went on. One boy with light blue hair saw her and hid behind the horse he was cleaning and that made Emerald laugh.

“So this is where the Knights of the Round Table keep their horses?” Emerald asked as they walked along.

“Yes, and all the other knights,” Aria said, not looking back at them. “Not just the knights though. The king also keeps his horses here, as do some of the nobles. Ah, here we are.”

Aria stopped before another row of horses. They looked no different from all the other ones, except that they didn’t have saddles on their backs.

“These are the horses that have no master.” Aria waved at them. “So have your pick. I will be outside with the queen.”

“Thank you.” Emerald and Spectrum walked closer as Aria took her leave, only now raising her hand to her mouth to ward off the smell.

“So, Em, which would you like?” Spectrum waltzed over to the first horse, which was a simple grey coated mare and gave it a rub on the muzzle. “How about this one? I think her name was Maria. She’s quite the tough one. And nothing like Richard over at my stable.”

“Why greetings, Maria.” Emerald looked at the horse. It didn’t feel the same as talking to another pony back home, but it was more familiar to her than talking to a human. These horses were at least still somewhat like what she used to be, just not as intelligent.

The horse nickered and trotted closer to Emerald. She reached out a hand to touch its muzzle, and for the briefest moment, the two connected. Then Maria neighed and ambled back to the feeding trough.

“Hmm, seems she has something more important she would like to do at the moment.” Spectrum Song rubbed her chin. “Well… how about Strong Spot over there? Or Buckles, next to him?”

Emerald looked at the two horses and shook her head. Strong Spot did look like a good horse, wide and beefy, but she didn’t think a big strong horse would suit her. The other one, Buckles, a spotted brown and beige horse, completely paid no attention to her.

“None of them seem suited. Is there anypony else?”

“Well, there are a couple more horses here…” Spectrum motioned to the next partition.

Emerald and her rainbow haired friend strolled down the stable, looking at each horse one by one. There were still plenty more, each one clearly different from the others, whether it was spots, color, or even shape.

“Hmm…” Emerald scanned the different horses with her eyes. These next few looked decent enough for her, but now it was a matter of deciding which one. “What do you think, Spectrum?”

“Well, if I was a knight, I’d pick a really fast horse! Fast like me, and then I’d dye its mane just like my hair so my enemies would always know it was Spectrum Song coming to kick their cans!” Spectrum emphasized this by slamming her fist into her palm. “Pick one that suits you.”

“Umm, yes, that’s correct…” Emerald looked at the young squire with doubt and then back at the row of horses.

The first horse she decided to examine was one with a brown coat and a black mane. At that moment, a small black nugget of something fell from the rafters and landed in front of Emerald. She looked up, her eyes meeting that of a large owl that was sitting on one of the roof beams.

“H-Hello,” Emerald said.

The owl blinked slowly at her, then swiveled its head around, giving Emerald a view of the back of its feathery head.

“Hey, is that an owl?” Spectrum said, bending down and picking up a shovel. “Hey! Shove off!” The squire waved the shovel at the bird. The owl turned its head at Spectrum and laughed. Or hooted, but it sounded like laughter.

“Oi! Nobody laughs at me!” Spectrum fumed, throwing the shovel up at the owl. It missed, but the owl still flapped its wings and took to the air.

Emerald watched it leave the stables through one of the windows up over near the ceiling, and when it was gone, she simply shrugged and returned her attention to the first horse.

“This one’s name is Roadtrip.” Spectrum hopped inside the pen. “He’s quite the fast horse, if Streak is to be believed…”

“Streak? Who is Streak? Not a horse, I presume?” Emerald looked at the other horses. “Your world’s horses don’t speak.”

“Of course he isn’t a horse.” Spectrum Song leaned over the pen’s fence and pointed down the stable, back to where the other squires were. “That one, light blue hair. Guard Streak. He tends to the horses here much more than I do. You know me, Em. I’m out there at the other stables.”

“That one, hmm?” Emerald watched as the young squire ducked his head back behind the horse he was tending to after he caught them looking at him.

Spectrum nodded. “He can’t speak, did you know that?”

“He can’t?”

“No. Whenever I talk to him, all I get are muffled grunts or just weird words.”

“But then how does he communicate with his knight?” Emerald pointed out.

“Not a clue,” Spectrum said, rolling her eyes.

“How intriguing.” Emerald returned her attention to the horses. “Anyway, I do not think Roadtrip suits me. Sorry, Roadtrip.” Emerald rubbed his neck.

The horse neighed and trotted to the back of the pen. Emerald looked at the next few horses, looking for one which could suit her fighting style. She wasn’t like the other knights. She had to be quick and silent, unlike Sir Morn’s honorable approach. So if that was the case, she needed a smaller horse, one which could also possibly run more silently than the others.

Unfortunately, most of the horses here were all fairly bulky, bigger than any pony she knew back in Equestria.

“Are there any horses here that are bred for a more… discreet approach?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Spectrum said, eyebrow raised. “The whole point of being a knight, especially a Knight of the Round Table, is that people respect your authority. That’s why they ride big, impressive horses, you know? So people know you’re coming from a mile away.”

“But you know me, Spectrum. The less attention the better,” Emerald stressed. “I am trained as a spymaster first. If I can avoid a fight, I would prefer to.”

“What’s wrong with the horses, lass?” A man’s voice boomed from the stable entrance.

Emerald and Spectrum looked in the direction of the voice, watching as a short, broad shouldered man strode into the stables. He was wearing a green tunic and dark leather leggings, and his feet were encased in tall riding boots. His beard and hair were a coppery color, and he held a pitchfork in his right hand.

“Oh! Iron Hoof!” Spectrum exclaimed, before saying to Emerald. “Iron Hoof’s the stablemaster here. He’s also the one who breeds the horses.”

“Aye, that I am, young squire,” Iron Hoof said, walking toward them. “And you’ll find no finer horses in the kingdom than in here, no miss. And you must be Lady Emerald Edge, the newest Knight of the Round Table, eh? Here to pick yourself out a noble steed, I presume.”

“That is what I was told, yes.” Emerald bowed in greeting.

“Oh, no need for that.” Iron Hoof waved a hand. “I am but a lowly stable hand. A Knight of the Round Table has no need to bow. Now, I overheard you would like a smaller horse? One of speed and agility instead of the regular tough nut?”

“That would be great, yes.”

The stablemaster stroked at his beard, then proceeded down the line of pens, one hand raised, asking Emerald and Spectrum to follow along.

“There are plenty of smaller horses in the other stables, yes, but as a Knight of the Round Table, you are to be provided with the best of the best. Fortunately for you, Lady Emerald Edge, there is one horse that may fit your description.”

“Only one?”

“Our horses are bred for endurance, my lady.” Iron Hoof stopped before a bale of hay and scooped up a portion of it with his pitchfork. “Some… well, do not come out as what we intend, so here they stay. Foxtrot is the only one like that right now.”

And then he tossed the hay over one pen’s gate. A horse with a golden coat came trotting over, stooping its head down to grab for the hay, which it began eating happily.

“This is the one, Lady Emerald.” Iron Hoof planted the end of his pitchfork to the ground. “As you can see, he is much smaller than the others.”

And the stablemaster was right. This horse here, Foxtrot, was at least a head or two shorter than the other ones, like Maria, or even Sir Morn’s Windspeed. His body wasn’t nearly as muscular, but Emerald wasn’t looking for muscular.

“He seems more my size.” Emerald watched the golden horse eat. “Hello, Foxtrot. I am Emerald Edge.”

The horse ignored her, more interested in the hay.

“Oh, Foxtrot is not the friendliest of horses, Lady Emerald Edge.” Iron Hoof looked at the smaller horse. “I put him in this pen by himself because he doesn’t get along well with the bigger horses. I think they think he’s weak.”

“I know the feeling, my friend.” Emerald continued to watch Foxtrot eat. “So how does this work? Do I simply say I wish for him to be my horse?”

“If that what you want, Ma’am,” Iron Hoof said. “But surely one of the other horses’d fit you better as a knight, aye?”

“Well, I want to try this one,” Emerald said, looking at Foxtrot intently.

Iron Hoof shrugged. “If that is what you want, my lady. Now, this might be a silly question, but do you know how to ride?”

Emerald looked at Spectrum, who looked back at Emerald with equal trepidation.

“Uh… no.”

30 - How to Train Your Horse, Part 2

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31 - The Dark Below

Emerald Edge sat above Foxtrot as she stared out at the small town of Talamhstead, just below her in a little valley beside an equally small pond. The sun was high in the sky now, signalling it to be noon time. They had traveled at least a day and a half now and they still had to proceed down into the valley.

“Well, looks like we have almost made it. Let us go,” Emerald called back to her companion.

Sir Boercival, who trotted in atop his horse, Longstride, let out a little grunt and nodded his head.

The two Knights of the Round Table had been assigned by King Dawn Saber to look into druid presence here in Talamhstead. Emerald didn’t know what they were up to this time, but she knew that if they were up to no good, then she and Sir Boercival were going to stop them.

The remainder of the journey was straightforward, with both of them proceeding down the valley path, soon arriving at the edge of the town, with the sun barely moving in the sky.

“Ahhh, we’re finally here,” Emerald said, stretching her arms in the saddle. It had been a long ride to Talamhstead and the former pegasus was looking forward to getting off her horse and having a rest. Sir Boercival, on the other hand, looked as well-composed as ever, armor gleaming and not betraying any fatigue he might have been harboring.

The town of Talamhstead was a settlement that relied a lot on agriculture, and it showed. Vineyards and wheat fields dotted the lush valley, and farmers went about their work planting and harvesting their crops. The two guardsmen posted at the front gates stood at attention as the two knights rode into town.

“Hold!” the guard on the right barked. “Who are you and what is your business in Talamhstead?”

“My good man,” Boercival said, looking down with his piercing yellow eyes at the guard. This was the most Emerald had ever heard the knight speak. “We are Knights of the Round Table, of your king Dawn Saber’s court. He has sent us here to ensure the safety of your village.”

“Oh, I see, sir knight. Well, you will want to speak to the mayor of Talamhstead. He lives in the keep at the far end of town, you can’t miss it. And if you’re looking for a bite to eat, the inn is just to the east of the market.”

“Thank you,” Sir Boercival said serenely and urged his horse forward, with Emerald following suit.

“This is the most I have ever heard from your mouth, Sir Boercival.” Emerald sped Foxtrot up to walk beside him and Longstride. “So you are capable of longer speech.”

“If the need arises, Lady Emerald.” Sir Boercival stated simply and said no more for the rest of their journey to the mayor’s abode.

The mayor’s home was a tall, imposing structure made of stone and mortar, and it stood on a small hill all by itself, perched there watching the rest of the town like a hawk. The two knights rode their horses up the incline, Emerald wondering what the mayor would be like. Would he be like the former Sheriff of Trottingham, or someone who actually cared about his people? Judging by how prosperous the town was, Emerald was more inclined to think the latter.

Tying their horses to a hitching post that was conveniently located next to the keep’s entrance, Emerald followed behind Sir Boercival as he walked up to the tall wooden door, knocking on it with an armored fist three times.

After about half a minute, the a small slot in the door slid open and a pale, bearded face was seen.

“Yes? What is your business with the mayor of Talamhstead?”

“Um, we are Knights of the Round Table,” Emerald was the one to say this time. “We have been set by his majesty, King Dawn Saber. We have heard you have trouble from the druids?”

“Oh, it’s you people. We got a message from Canterlot a week ago that the king would be sending someone to help us get deal with them. Let me get the mayor.”

The small slot slammed shut and there was the sound of running footsteps. A minute or two later, the sound of footsteps returned, and the keep doors were pushed open to reveal a man of medium height, dressed in a shirt of chainmail with a tunic over it, and fine leggings that ended in a well worn but spotless pair of boots.

“So you are the knights that his majesty was sending our way.” He looked Emerald up and down. “I did not realize they had a lady knight among their number. Welcome to Talamhstead, I am the mayor of this town. I’d invite you in for a drink, but these druids have become a real problem.”

“Anything you can tell us about them would be of great help,” Emerald said, waiting expectantly.

The mayor ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “The druids had been spotted wandering the nearby Roaman ruins a week ago.”

“Roaman… Roam? You mean the Roaman empire?” Emerald recalled tales of the ancient civilization, with their conquest spanning across much of Equestria back in the old days.

“I see you have studied,” the mayor said approvingly. “Anyway, the druids keep creeping around the ruins and they have grabbed some of our townsfolk. It’s not safe to go out there and tend to the fields while they’re out there, so can you do something about them? I don’t think the guards here quite cut it, if you know what I mean.”

Boervical looked out over the wall that surrounded Talamhstead and pointed. Emerald followed his finger, spotting just the tip of an old stone structure, covered in moss and plantation. “Those ruins over there?”

The mayor nodded. “Those ones. It’s always been a little too close to the town for comfort, as some of the villagers think it’s haunted, but now with the druids, there are more than just ghosts to worry about.”

“Have no fear, mayor, we will deal with this problem.” Sir Boercival planted a fist on his chest and bowed slightly. “Let us be off, Lady Emerald. Daylight is wasting.”

Emerald nodded to the mayor as well as both of them turned and headed back towards the town’s gates.

“Ghostly ruins of the Roaman Empire, Sir Boercival?” Emerald breathed in. “I must say, I have never dealt with spectres before.”

“There are no such things as ghosts,” Boercival said primly. “It is all just superstition.”

“Some of your fellow knights would beg to differ. I mean, we have a tower of magicians, why not ghosts?”

“It is a matter of principle,” Borecival replied. “In all my years as a Knight of the Round Table, I have yet to encounter a real spirit. Trolls, bandits, serpents, mages, those are real. But I do not believe in ghosts.”

Emerald was still mildly surprised. Most of her peers at the Round Table believed in ghosts, or at the very least, some kind of spirits. She had assumed that Boercival would be the same, but the untalkative knight’s admission seemed to say otherwise.

Even Sir Morn believes in spirits.

The guards at the gate were happy enough to step aside as Emerald and Boercival rode out of Talamhstead, turning to the right to follow the west wall. Just around the corner, Emerald could already see what was left of the ancient empire’s structure.

There were but three pillars standing by a dark entrance, each of them broken and shattered, connecting to nothing above. The entrance itself seemed to lead underground, disappearing into the darkness of a sizeable mound of grass and dirt. Part of the ruins’ stone was still visible above the mound, leading upwards to a triangular roof, covered in vines and moss, the same roof Emerald could see from within Talamhstead.

“So this is it. The ruins…” Emerald looked on as Foxtrot trotted forward. “These are all that remain of a once proud civilization.”

Sir Boercival returned to saying nothing, instead, giving Emerald a nod in agreement.

With the sun up in the sky above them, the dark tunnel ahead was a sharp contrast with Emerald’s current surroundings. Emerald almost didn’t want to leave the warmth of the sun, but she knew she would have to. It wouldn’t be her first time entering a dark and cold hole. As the royal spymaster, she had to enter her fair share of dark places, whether it was to spy on secret gatherings or to steal information from an enemy of Equestria.

“Here we are…” Emerald swung herself off her horse as Sir Boercival did the same.

The knight nodded and gave Longstride’s side a pat.

“I wonder what they are doing down there, those druids.” Emerald tried to peer into the darkness down a stone staircase. “Not more human sacrifices, I hope.”

“The mayor did say they have taken some of the townsfolk.” Sir Boercival unhooked his helmet from his horse’s pack and put it on. “If any are still living, we shall rescue them. Are you ready, my lady?”

“As ready as I’ll be, sir knight.” Emerald pulled her grey hood down over her eyes.

“Then let us go into the dark below.” Sir Boercival drew his sword. Laeveteinn was of a darker steel than Emerald’s Amore, and much longer, its white gems of moonstone glinting in the sunlight as it left its sheath. “I shall lead, Lady Emerald. Let us see what we find down there.”

Leaving the daylight behind, the two knights cautiously made their way down into the darkness. However, it didn’t stay dark for long. All along the hallway that they found themselves in were dotted with braziers and torches on the walls, likely lit by the druids themselves. At least this meant that they were going in the right direction. By now, Emerald had also drawn her blade, ready for battle. These druids were not known to take too kindly to uninvited guests, especially if they had weapons.

They also came across some barrels filled with food, ranging from cheese to stale bread to salted meats. These were either the druids’ own supply for them to last down here, or these were supplies plundered from Talamhstead. Emerald sighed. There wasn’t a single vegetable to be seen.

Continuing down into the darkness, Emerald and Boercival found another flight of steps, lined with more braziers of fire on the sides, though they continued down way past the lit braziers, once more into the dark.

“How far down do these ruins go?” Emerald whispered, her quiet voice bouncing off on the walls around her.

Boercival shrugged, keeping to the walls and trying to make as little noise as possible, not an easy thing to do when covered in metal armor, but somehow the knights managed to stay mostly silent.

They continued on until they heard a faint trickling sound, like running water. Boercival held up a fist, stopping them. The knight peered around the corner before motioning to Emerald that it was safe to proceed. The had come across some kind of freshwater spring, the clear water running out of a large fountain and down through the cracks, deeper into the ruins.

Emerald dipped a finger into the spring and brought it to her nose. Then she gave it a tentative lick.

“It’s clean!”

Sir Boercival lifted a finger to his helmet, where his mouth was supposed to be. “Not so loud, Lady Emerald. As for the water, this is likely coming from a natural spring. Perhaps that is why the ancient Roamans built this place here.”

“And it makes this a good place for the druids to make camp. With food and a steady source of water…” Emerald looked down the stone hallway. “With the amount of food further up and this water… They must have planned to be here a long time. But why?”

Boercival suddenly stiffened, then gestured violently to Emerald.

“Someone is coming. We must hide.”

The pair quietly but quickly made their way over to a wide pillar and got behind it. There was some fallen masonry next to the pillar that made for a excellent place to squat while watching for whoever might be coming. Before long, footsteps could be heard, followed by the sound of muffled voices talking.

A faint glow grew from far to the right side of the room. A wooden trapdoor was lifted and a trio of robed figures climbed into view, the lead one holding a bright oil lantern.

“... preparations are coming on very well. How long until the next stage?”

“It will not be long now. We just need sunlight,” another druid said.

“That’s the hardest part,” the third figure said. “The vines grow so deep in the ruins, that not even the tiniest bit of sunlight can make it through. The Roamans really wanted to make sure no one could use them.”

Emerald Edge shared a glance with Sir Boercival. Sunlight… Vines… The druids were looking to do something, but Emerald still didn’t understand what they were up to. Were they trying to open an entrance covered with vines? If so, why did they need sunlight? What vines would move with sunlight?

Just what are you druids looking for down here…?

“So, Lady Emerald,” Boercival whispered to his partner. “What do we do? Think we should take them?”

Emerald shook her head. “Best to let them pass,” she replied as quietly as she could. “Their guard will be down that way.”

Boercival turned back and watched the druids head down the hallway, then nodded his head. The druids continued ahead, then disappeared up the stairs that Emerald and Boercival had come from, their footsteps still echoing behind them. That made the former pegasus wonder just how loud their greaves were in this dark and lonely place. At least they haven’t been heard yet. There was a chittering of bats as they flew overhead. Emerald watched as one flew particularly close and was reminded of how back in Equestria, fruit bats were used to improve apple harvests.

Once Emerald was sure the druids were gone, she stood up and dusted herself down.

“Well, I do not know what they’re up to,” she said as she loosened her sword in its sheath. “But it can’t be good. Let’s go deeper and see if we can learn anything more.”

The male knight nodded and unsheathed Laevateinn. Emerald looked at his blade again and marveled at its craftsmanship, likely made by Honor Proof as well, though it held an interesting name. It sounded more like a name one would have from the Frozen North, or at least, the Frozen North of Equestria.

“We will stop these druids today.” Sir Boercival pointed Laevateinn’s tip down at the trapdoor lit with more braziers. “Onward, Lady Emerald.”

The hallway led to a dead end, blocked off by a solid rocky wall. The only way down seemed to be the trapdoor below their feet.

“I wonder where this leads…” Boercival bent down.

The two of them raised the trapdoor and descended down into the dark keeping an eye out for anyone else who might be coming along. The wooden ladder Emerald clambered down creaked and felt like it was about to break with every step, but thankfully, it held out all the way to the bottom.

The passage below was less well lit, with only torches on the walls placed sparingly, leaving deep pools of shadow between them. There was a strange smell in the air, like that of vegetation, and Emerald knew that smell well.

“Hmm…” Boercival peeled one of the torches off its holder, holding it far in front of himself. “Come, Lady Emerald. This will do just nicely.”

“Why, this is really the most I have ever heard you speak in a day, Sir Boercival.” Emerald followed behind him, keeping close to his light source. “May I ask, who do you not speak much?”

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” Boercival replied, peering ahead into the gloom. “I prefer to talk little and say more, instead of talking a lot and saying little.”

“Wise words, Sir Boercival,” Emerald said as they rounded a corner at the end of the row of torches, only to come to another staircase carved of stone. “Expected of an esteemed Knight of the Round Table. So, how long have you been one, sir knight? A Knight of the Round Table.”

“I have been one for at least fifteen years now, my lady. I had left my town long ago when I witnessed the knights protecting my people from bandits. Such honor and such valor, they radiated. I had traveled straight to Canterlot that week and began my training to become a knight. Little did I know the king would choose me to be one of the Knights of the Round Table. My mother would be proud to know where I am today.”

“Your mother, is she…” Emerald didn’t know a better way to put it.

“She is no longer with us, yes.” The spymaster couldn’t see his expression, but she figured he was making one of disappointment. “She was killed in one of the bandit raids. She died before I could become a knight in King Dawn Saber’s court.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Emerald said, feeling a bit awkward.

“I don’t suppose it matters now,” Boercival shrugged. “Now come, we must be more stealthy, or we will be heard.”

“I agree, but a knight being stealthy? I know Sir Morn would be against that. I on the other hoof, um, hand, have no qualms about sneaking around.”

“A knight must act in the best interests of the people,” Boercival said primly. “Before we engage a foe, it is more prudent to make sure the villagers are alright. I recall the mayor telling us that some of them had been taken. If we charge in now, the civilians’ lives may be endangered.”

Emerald gripped the edge of her hood and pulled it a little bit lower. “Wise words once more, Sir Boercival. I agree with this plan.”

Continuing as silently as they could down the stairs, Emerald began to wonder just how large these ruins were. They had entered down a trapdoor, and the area was still fairly large. In her experience, trapdoors were usually put there to hide something from the common pony, like smuggled goods or treasures. That got her thinking as to what was down here that the Roamans had to build such an extensive secret area for.

The bottom of the stairs ended out into a large domed area with a single hallway at the other end, leading out into more darkness, while the dome itself had six braziers above, lighting the area. The floor here was tiled with red patterns and a few sculptures of humans stood at the sides, most of them positioned in contemplative poses, like they were thinking of something.

Then to the left, they spotted them, humans who had their arms and legs tied up and cloth around their mouths. To their right stood a group of three more druids, examining some of their magical pouches on a stone table.

“We have to save them…” Emerald whispered, keeping her voice low.

“There are but three druids.” Sir Boercival pointed at each of them with his sword. “But they are close to the captured townsfolk. It will not be hard for them to hold one at knifepoint, Lady Emerald. Perhaps this is where your… shadow tactics will be more valuable, at least until they are fewer.”

“Hmm…” Emerald narrowed her eyes. “There is not enough cover and shadow in this room. They will surely see me.”

Boercival nodded his head, his expression invisible under his helmet. “Then we will have to make this quick. I shall get the one on the furthest right. You are faster than I, my lady. Do you think you can take the other two?”

“Yes.” Emerald readied Amore in her hand. “If we move quick enough, they should not think to take a hostage in that time. We must have no pauses or hesitation.”

“Sounds easy enough. I am ready.” The knight held Laevateinn in both his hands, and brought his left foot in front of his right.

“Wait,” Emerald said. Her hands probed the stone floor beneath them and returned with a small chunk of masonry. “Let’s see if this works.”

Cocking her arm back, she threw the stone as far as she could, into a shadowed section of the room where it impacted with a clatter.

“What was that?” one of the druids asked, looking around.

“What was what?” another druid said.

“I heard it too,” the third druid vocalized. “Came from over there.”

When they moved off in the direction of her distraction, Emerald tapped Sir Boercival on the arm and nodded. “Now.”

Still creeping along the edges of the room, the two knights circled around and found the prisoners.

This distraction won’t last long, Emerald thought. I still don’t know how we’re supposed to get everyone out safely.

Boercival raised his sword, but Emerald waved at him to lower it.

“No offense, Sir Boercival, but such a blade is unsuited for cutting ropes. Let me.”

Extending a hidden blade, she was just about the cut the bonds of the first villager when suddenly, one of the druids came back with a lantern.

He spotted Emerald almost immediately, and the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Uh…” the druid said, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Emerald gave him an awkward smile. “Hello.”

Then she lunged forward and stabbed him in the throat with her extended hidden blade. Blood sprayed from the wound, a few stray droplets settling on Emerald’s face.

As the body fell to the floor, the thump alerted the other two druids, who wheeled around to see what had happened. Emerald drew her sword and hurled it like a javelin, impaling one of the druids in the chest up to the hilt.

As he fell, Emerald quickly ran along to a giant pillar right in the middle of the room, ducking behind it just as the third druid threw a handful of red dust at her. On contact, the dust began to melt the pillar and a sizeable portion of the floor, sending up smoke as it ate away at the stone.

“Do you know who I am?” the druid shouted, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. “I am the right hand of Nimhe! Foolish knight, you think that one of you is enough? Prepare to d-”

The druid’s voice was suddenly cut off as the blade of a sword sprouted from this chest.

From behind, Sir Boercival twisted his sword and kicked the dead druid off onto the floor.

“Surprise, Oedipus.”

“Nice work, Sir Boercival.” Emerald bent down and retrieved Amore from the dead druid, wiping the blade clean on the druid’s robe. “But that last druid mentioned Nimhe. I thought she was arrested along with Duchan?”

“Perhaps not.” Boercival sheathed his sword and went back to help untie the townsfolk. “If she is still out there, then maybe she is the one leading them in Duchan’s absence.”

Emerald activated her hidden blades again and cut through the townsfolks’ bonds, freeing them and allowing them to remove their mouth gags.

“Oh, thank you! You have saved us!” one woman cried out and gripped both of Emerald’s arms. “I thought they were going to sacrifice us!”

“Probably, yes,” Boercival said, using the tip of his sword to pick up a druid bag and put it into a burning brazier.

The other townsfolk behind her began to clamour in agreement.

“The way out is that way.” Emerald pointed to the stairs they had come from. “But be careful. There were three more druids up there.”

“Lady Emerald,” Boercival called. “There is another passage over here. One of us should escort the villagers back up to the surface, then we can continue our quest.”

“I shall do it,” Emerald volunteered. “Come, let us go.”

The journey up to the surface was a lot faster than the descent, now that she didn’t have to be as careful. Emerald kept Amore drawn and in front of her, but she saw no druids all the way up to the entrance.

“Now go home,” Emerald instructed the townsfolk. “And tell the mayor to keep everyone inside the walls until we sort this out, yes?”

“Thank you again, lady knight! We shall remember your deeds always!”

And then they were off, rushing back to Talamhstead as quickly as they could. Emerald watched them go until they disappeared around the town’s wall before she made her way back down into the ruins.

She found Sir Boercival back in the round room. All the bodies had been cleared away to the side, but there were still bloodstains on the floor, along with the melted hole

“Ah, good. You have returned. Now let us continue. Quietly.”

Emerald and Boercival crept along the passage, swords drawn but kept low to avoid reflecting any stray light. It wasn’t long before they ran into something new.

“Hmm,” the male knight pondered. “They appear to have set up some kind of scaffolding down here.”

The wooden supports stood on both sides of the walkway, increasing in height and complexity as they continued downwards. After about ten more minutes of walking, the corridor opened up into a large room. Torches dotted the circular walls, and scaffolding stretched high up into the darkness overhead. However, it was not this that caught the two knights’ attention.

The room was home to a bowl-like depression that was partially full of water. There was a raised platform in the middle of the water, and from there sprouted a thicket of thick, thorny vines.

“What is this? A plant?” Sir Boercival walked to the water’s edge.

“That is what it seems to be,” Emerald said, bending down to get a closer look. The vines were easily as thick as her forearm, spiralling out from the center pedestal and into the water. However, they seemed to be sickly and ill, for the vines back on the island were shrivelled and colorless.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Emerald admitted, standing back up. “But it seems to be the main focus of the druid project down here. Look at all the tools and diagrams.”

Indeed, on nearby tables, there were cuttings of the vine laid out and various bladed tools that Emerald had seen the castle gardeners use before. There were also scrolls with pictures of the vines on them, seemingly written in old Roaman.

“Plunderseed Vines,” Boercival read. “A potente magickal elemente plante withe many darke uses.”

“What.” Emerald said flatly. She couldn’t understand the text on the scroll, but apparently Boercival could.

“Old Roaman,” Boercival explained. “It sounds like that. I shall spare you the rest of the reading, but apparently these vines have some alchemical use that is rather dangerous.”

“Dangerous? How?”

“Whoever wrote the scroll failed to say. Perhaps it was omitted so that if the vines were discovered, they would not know what to do with it.”

In all her journeys, Emerald had never encountered anything like a dangerous plant. Poison Joke perhaps, but that wasn’t actually dangerous.

“There’s a note down here,” Boercival continued, looking down at the scroll. “It would seem that the druids have figured out how to restore the vines. Sunlight seems to be the key.” He looked up. “That explains the scaffolding.”

“You mean the druids built all this?” Emerald looked up at the ceiling. Were they trying to reach the top to break a hole through the ceiling? And what if the roof came crashing down on them instead of allowing sunlight to come in?

“Tis the only reasonable explanation. It is not as if the centuries old Roamans would have put this up.”

“And they would have to carefully dig a hole through. We are deep underground. One wrong move could collapse the whole place around us.”

“Yes. I imagine these vines will have properties the druids will use to kill innocent people.” Sir Boercival crushed the scroll in his hand. “We cannot allow this.”

Emerald was about to agree, but then her ears picked up something. A single footstep behind them, followed by the sound of ruffling cloth.

“Watch out!” At the last minute, she threw herself and Sir Boercival to the side, just dodging a handful of red rust as it landed on the table they were standing next to. With a hiss, the scrolls and wood began to melt away, dissolving into nothing.

“You were not supposed to avoid that.” Emerald turned to see a wizened druid behind them, flanked by four barbarians and two other druids by his side. In his gloved hand was a pouch of his magical dust, and his other hand was in the process of retrieving more dust.

Sir Boercival was quick in getting up, his sword tip already pointed for the enemy. “Druids, we have come to stop your evil deeds. Surrender now, and you will live. The choice is yours, but you shall not harvest these vines this day.”

“Harvest?” The main druid began to laugh as the barbarians stepped forward, their crude weapons drawn. “Do you think we have come all this way to harvest the plunderseed? You will not leave here alive. Get them!”

The barbarians ran at Boercival and Emerald, who raised their swords in preparation to fight.

A tall barbarian with long red hair was the first to reach them, raising his axe to bring it crashing down onto Boercival’s head. However, the knight knew that his foe would throw himself off balance with such a mighty high-to-low chop, and simply sidestepped before bringing his moonstone-encrusted blade around to slice at the barbarian’s side. Laevateinn struck true and red blood sprayed into the air, its owner groaning and grabbing at his wound.

Emerald hopped back, avoiding a stroke from another barbarian’s sword, parrying it and holding it down with her right hand. With her left, she extended the hidden blade and punched the barbarian in the face, the hidden blade cutting a gash in her opponent’s cheek. The barbarian roared in pain and recoiled.

However, the knights’ advantage didn’t last long. The druids’ warriors split up, two going after each knight, as well as one druid each. Boercival backpedaled, his sword flashing high and low, but unable to concentrate on a single enemy long enough to deliver a killing blow.

Emerald ducked under a sword swipe, then did a backflip to avoid a fistful of red powder. Landing back on her feet, she found herself next to a brazier. Kicking it over, she sent a cascade of red hot coals rolling toward the two barbarians who were fighting her. Neither of them was wearing footwear, and they yelped as the coals burned their soles, hanging back.

Meanwhile, Boercival was losing ground. The knight was pushed up against the scaffolding, with two barbarians and a druid closing in. The nearest barbarian swung his metal-capped club at the knight, who had no more room to dodge. The club smacked into his helmet, which rang like a gong. Disoriented, Boercival staggered to the right, reaching out with a hand for support. The second barbarian, still bleeding from his side, chopped at Boercival with his axe. The dazed knight’s foot caught on the piece of rubble and he fell, the axe whistling harmlessly over his head and biting deep into the wooden scaffolding.

A faint cracking noise came from overhead, and small bits of stone came clattering down. The druid and the barbarian with the club looked up, giving Boercival a chance to jump to his feet and stab Laevateinn into the neck of the barbarian who had been trying to dislodge his axe from the wood. The man crumpled to the floor in a heap.

The lead druid, who had been lurking at the rear, shrieked when he saw the warriors fighting around the scaffolding.

“Not so close, you fools! Stay away from the supports!”

“Ah, of course.” Sir Boercival adjusted his helmet and raised his sword. “Lady Emerald, to me!”

Emerald heard her name and nodded, kicking a barbarian in the head before leaping back to join Boercival by the scaffolding.

“What is the plan?” she asked, pushing a stray strand of her turquoise hair from her face.

“I wonder, with all their work above, what if the scaffolding were to go?” Sir Boercival whispered, getting his stance ready and adjusting his helmet.

“Hmm.” Emerald smirked. She liked the way Boercival thought.

The barbarians came at them again, swinging their weapons for their necks. Emerald dodged under the first strike, watching with satisfaction as the axe cut into the scaffolding’s wood. Kicking out, the former pegasus felt her greave connect with the man’s gut, then twisting around as he reeled back, Emerald stabbed Amore forward, deflecting another barbarian’s attack for Sir Boercival into the support.

The male knight nodded his thanks and slashed Laevateinn skyward, cutting through a barbarian’s chin and at the same time, damaging a part of the support.

More dust and debris tumbled down from above, followed by an ominous creaking sound.

A chunk of stone fell from high up, crashing down onto a barbarian’s head and knocking him out. Without missing a beat, Boercival drove his sword through another warrior’s neck while he was distracted, following through with a slash at a druid, blood trailing off his blade like ribbons.

“Fools! Stop attacking the supports!” the head druid yelled and peeled a dagger from his robes. Emerald remembered these druids enjoyed coating their weapons with poison, so she really didn’t want to get cut by that.

Besides him, there was only one other druid and a barbarian left, both of whom hesitated from approaching the two Knights of the Round Table.

Just as she was about to charge at the last barbarian, smoke began to fill her nose. Emerald stopped and raised one hand, covering it to the best of her ability.

“Fire!” Sir Boercival gently pushed Emerald to the side, further away from the scaffolding. Flames spread across the scaffolding, slowly but steadily engulfing all the wood in its wake.

Emerald looked down, spotting the coals she had tipped over earlier. Of course the fire would spread to the wooden scaffolding, she had completely forgotten about it.

“Gah, no!” The lead druid raised a hand in front of his face. “Fools! We have made much work above! If the supports break, we will all die down here!”

“I am not interested in ‘we’,” Boercival said, pulling his sword back and flourishing it. “Your day is done, villainous druid. Now surrender!”

“Never! But we will not die down here too! I will remember this!” The druid shook his fist, then took a few steps back. In a few more seconds, he turned and ran with his companion, leaving the barbarian alone with Emerald and Boercival.

“We should go too.” Boercival kept an eye on their last enemy.

“Wait.” Bending down, Emerald fished up the pouch from the dead druid. Opening it carefully, Emerald tossed the bag over to the supports, watching as the red dust spilled out and began eating away at more of the wood.

With one final crack, a part of the scaffolding gave way, dropping down with an almighty crash, spewing dust and wood across the area. It didn’t take long for the place to start rumbling as loose debris began to fall from the ceiling.

“Time to go.” Emerald kept Amore and dashed for the exit.

The barbarian moved to block her way, but Emerald dodged past his axe, cutting him in one leg with a hidden blade, only for Boercival to run him through with Laevateinn as he fell to one knee.

Both knights didn’t stop, running back out the way they had come from, with Emerald remembering the paths they took. Stones and dust cascaded down around their shoulders, but before they knew it, Emerald and Boercival burst out into the open air, just in time to watch the entire ruin collapse in on itself with a final shuddering crash.

“That… was close,” Emerald panted, shaking loose masonry out of her hair.

“Indeed it was.” Sir Boercival removed his helmet and wiped sweat from his forehead. By now, the sun had already set in the sky and the moon was out amongst the stars, lighting the night up.

“So…” Emerald said after catching her breath. “Problem solved?”

“I believe so.” Sir Boercival looked back to the caved-in entrance. “With the vines buried, I think it is safe to say they can no longer access them.”

“Great. Why don’t we go tell the mayor? Then we can go back to Canterlot.”

“Yes.” The two knights returned to their horses, with Emerald giving Foxtrot an affectionate rub. “I must say, Lady Emerald, you have quite the skill in combat. I see why you were able to defeat even Sir Morn Dread in combat. No normal person can just beat a Knight of the Round Table. And a pack of druids.”

“You flatter me, Sir Boercival.”

The knight laughed, then put his helmet back on. “Why don’t we go for a celebratory mug of cider once we get back home?”

Emerald smiled. “Can’t say no to that.”

Further away from Talamhstead, as Emerald and Boercival began their ride back to Canterlot, two druids arrived back at their hidden headquarters, built nicely into the side of a mountain and covered with different kinds of rocks and vegetation, almost masking it unless one were to look close enough. A banner of the Fir Laimhe Liath hung near the top, just within the first entrance.

Entering their home, the druids first made their way to the inner workshops, knowing that was where their leader spent the majority of her days.

“Nimhe,” the lead druid said, bowing to his superior. “We come bearing both good and bad news. Which would you like first?”

Nimhe snorted, busy grinding up a plant with a mortar and pestle. Her hood was down, allowing her green hair to fall down to her waist. “The bad news.”

“Uh, well, our work at Talamhstead has been brought to a stop by two Knights of the Round Table. They collapsed the ruins around the plunderseed vines. Digging them out again would take a long time. And a lot of work.”

Nimhe’s pestle stopped for a moment, then continued grinding away. “What is the good news?”

“We managed to harvest a large bounty of the plunderseed vine seeds. They’re all here in this bag. I would wager that there are at least fifty of them.” The druid deposited the pouch onto the table in front of Nimhe.

“So our expedition was not entirely pointless after all,” Nimhe said. “If that’s all, you may go. I have work to do and I’m sure you two do as well.”

“Yes, Nimhe.”

After the two druids had gone, Nimhe picked up the satchel and picked out a seed.

“Yes… these will do nicely. One day, and soon, Canterlot will be ours.”

32 - The Edge of the Morn

Emerald Edge awoke in her quarters in the morning, stretching and yawning. Tumbling out of bed, she stumbled over to the bathing room, where she washed her face from a bowl of water. Once she had finished that and tying up her hair, she walked over to the washroom’s only window, which gave her a nice view of a tall tree that stood outside. There was a hollow in the tree, and a large owl sitting in it. The bird stared back at Emerald before reaching out a wing and pulling a slab of bark over the hole like a door. There was even a small slamming sound.

“Huh.”

It had been three days since she had moved from her home to her new personal quarters in Canterlot Castle, courtesy of King Dawn Saber, seeing as she was a Knight of the Round Table now. It was smaller than her whole house, but at least she did not have to walk as far to get to the castle, since she was already in the castle. And it wasn’t bad, having a bathing room in her own quarters. That way, she didn’t have to worry about sharing a tub with anypony or anyone.

She had also decided to keep her house, just in case Posey were to come by and visit and needed a place to stay. She didn’t know if the archer would be allowed to stay with her in her quarters, so it was a good alternative.

The window also gave her a good view of the Mages’ Tower. As she watched, a man in a robe stepped out and began to sweep the front steps with a broom. It was getting close to autumn and fiery leaves were starting to fall from the trees. Emerald admired the falling leaves for a while, until she heard the morning bells start ringing.

“Well, time for breakfast.”

Emerald simply had a plate of garden lettuce that morning, not feeling all that hungry. The rest of her morning had gone on without incident, with the former pegasus visiting Foxtrot in the stables to spend time with him. She had even brought a carrot for him today, feeding it to him while she told him all about her exploits back in the Crystal Empire.

She had only begun telling him of a time she had to fight off against a pack of timberwolves when young Spectrum Song ran into the stables, a smile on her face.

“Why good morning, Spectrum.” Emerald turned to greet her. “What brings you all the way here today?”

“Nothing about me, Em,” Spectrum replied, bouncing on the spot. “But I just wanted to let you know, Sir Morn and the others are back from their trip.”

“Sir Morn’s back?”

Emerald didn’t need to be told twice. Giving Foxtrot one more pat, she whizzed out of the stables and off towards the town gates, dodging around other townsfolk, with Spectrum chasing after her.

“Hey! Em, wait! Where are you going?”

Emerald didn’t answer, instead sprinting for the gates as fast as her feet would carry her. She leapt over a cart full of melons, slipped between two horses, and jumped over a chicken. In less than ten minutes, she had found her way to the front gates, only to see…

“Where are they?”

The sound of someone wheezing for breath made itself known behind Emerald.

“Em… erald…” Spectrum panted, putting her hands on her knees. “Tried… to tell you… not here.”

“What?” Emerald said, confused.

“They… went to report… to… King Dawn Saber… about their quest…” Spectrum staggered over to a nearby wall and collapsed against it. “Back at the castle.”

“Back… at the castle?” Emerald repeated, then realized how foolish she had been. Of course they would’ve gone straight to the castle. There wasn’t much point for them to wait around at Canterlot’s gates. “Horseapples…”

“You go on ahead, Em…” Spectrum waved a hand. “I just need to… catch my breath.”

Nodding, Emerald ran on back to the castle, excited to see Morn Dread. It had been more than a week since he had left Canterlot with Sir Prancelot and Sir Agramane. It got her thinking as to what would have made them take so long. Hopefully it was nothing serious.

Taking it slower this time, Emerald jogged back to the castle, stopping to buy a small loaf of bread to make up for the somewhat frugal breakfast she had eaten, needing it now. As she passed by the tall tree that stood outside her window, she heard a small ‘ding’, like a tiny bell being rung. Stopping mid-chew, she looked on with puzzlement as a slab of bark at the bottom of the tree slid open and the same owl she saw from her room waddled out. It tilted its head up to look at the former pegasus, then turned a hundred and eighty degrees and walked back into the tree, closing the bark behind it.

“Huh.”

Although she was tempted to stay and inspect the tree, Emerald’s desire to see Sir Morn outweighed her curiosity, and she continued on her way to the castle. She spotted Sir Morn, Sir Agramane, and Sir Prancelot’s horses in the stables, and she quickened her pace.

“Now, where could they be?”

The obvious answer was the Round Table room or the throne room, so Emerald first decided to check the throne room. When she saw that the queen was the one attending to the regular needs, she decided to go over to the Round Table room. As she got closer, the sounds of men talking could be heard.

“... we looked into the kidnappings and brought all the townsfolk back to Canterbury. The mayor wants Canterlot to send more guards to protect the town, in case the druids come back.” That was Sir Prancelot’s voice.

“So many towns under attack… those dastardly monsters…” King Dawn Saber could be heard sighing. “We will send as many as we can spare to Canterbury, but I am afraid we may be too spread out at this time. We must quell the source of this Fir Laimhe Liath before they kill more innocent people…”

“We could hold their leader, Duchan, hostage.” Emerald heard Sir Agramane suggest. “I am sure they would not let their leader die just like that. We have the power to make them submit, right here in our dungeons.”

“Tis too risky, Agramane,” Sir Morn said. “He could end up escaping instead or perhaps they would even allow us to kill him? We cannot know for sure.”

At this point, Emerald straightened herself and knocked on the door before pushing it open. She really wanted to see Sir Morn, after all, and the conversation intrigued her enough to make her want to join in.

“Oh. Lady Emerald,” King Dawn Saber said, turning to see who was coming in. “What can I do for you?”

“I just overheard you talking about the druids,” Emerald said, giving the king a small bow. “I thought I might inform the other knights here that the one called Nimhe, one of Duchan’s inner circle, is still running loose.”

“Yes, I recall you and Sir Boercival telling me something of that nature…” The king put a hand to his beard and stroked it thoughtfully. The king shook his head like a dog coming out of water. “I’m sorry, my loyal knights. I’m feeling a slight bit fatigued from some, eh, work that I stayed up late for last night. The queen is very demanding…”

“I understand completely, sire,” Prancelot said supportingly. “Running a kingdom is no small feat.”

“Yes, you are quite right, Sir Prancelot…” Dawn Saber rubbed his eyes. “There is much to plan. I think I shall have a word with the queen about the druid problem. You may go, my loyal knights.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” they all said at once and left through the door.

Prancelot and Agramane went on ahead and as soon as Emerald was sure she was alone with Morn, she stopped him and threw her arms around him, so glad that he was back.

“I have missed you, Sir Morn,” she said. “It has been some time. Are you well?”

“What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. Never better.” The blue haired knight squeezed her back, then gave her shoulders a pat.

“You were gone for quite some time, Sir Morn. Did you have trouble with the druids?”

Sir Morn laughed a deep and hearty laugh. “Of course not. Those cowardly vermin will bother Canterbury no more, especially after the king sends in more guards. In truth, we were delayed by a combination of bad weather and celebrations.”

“Oh, I see- Wait, what?” Emerald stopped and squinted at her fellow knight.

“We ran into a thunderstorm and had to seek shelter for a day,” Sir Morn explained. “Our horses had trouble with the muddy roads afterwards.”

“But what about the celebrations you mentioned?”

“Oh, that?” Morn Dread’s face flushed slightly. “After dealing with the druids, the townsfolk insisted on throwing a celebration feast for us. It seemed a bit rude to say no, so we stayed for a day and a half. To be honest, I would have liked to stay longer. Their beer was surprisingly good.”

“So you had quite a decent time, sir knight.” Emerald playfully nudged him in the side, but seeing as he had armor on, it didn’t do anything. “I wish I could have gone with you.”

“Maybe next time,” Sir Morn said confidently. “It has been a long ride from Canterbury to here, and I must change into something less… travel worn. I shall see you at lunch, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald had never seen the knight without his armor on and began wondering what he looked like without it.

As Sir Morn went off to his own quarters, Emerald decided that, since she had nothing to do for the rest of the morning, she would go and wander the town a bit.

Setting off down the hill that Canterlot Castle was built on, Emerald started her little walk, not paying attention to where she was headed, simply wandering where things looked interesting. She passed by a few small businesses that were just opening up for the day, nodding her hello to the various villagers that she passed.

Out of no particular choice, Emerald found herself at Canterlot Fabrics. The door was slightly ajar, with the ‘closed’ sign hanging in the window.

Curious, Emerald pushed open the door and peered inside. It was still dark inside the shop,with none of the curtains having been pulled up yet. There was the familiar smell of textiles and fabrics, but no sign of Jewel Pin. Stepping inside fully, Emerald picked up the sounds of girlish squealing coming from the back rooms.

“Hello?” Emerald called out. “Jewel Pin?”

The squealing stopped, and there was the sound of someone clearing their throat before Jewel Pin squirted out of the storage closet she had been hiding in, with a wide grin on her face.

“Oh, Emerald! What a pleasant surprise! Would you like to join me for morning tea? I just put the kettle on.”

“That would be great, Jewel Pin. I just noticed your door was open, I just thought there might be trouble.”

“Oh, there’s no trouble at all! I must have forgotten to close the door completely after getting the morning mail. Look, Emerald!” Jewel Pin waved a page of parchment in front of the knight’s face. “It’s an order from High Rise! He wants me to make him a suit! A suit!”

“That’s… great?” Emerald gave her a nervous grin.

“Oh, this could be my big break! If High Rise likes the suit, he might recommend me to his friends!” Jewel Pin looked positively giddy with glee. “And it doesn’t hurt that he’ll be coming in for a fitting soon… oh, I must simply clean up my shop for that!” The seamstress stopped, panting for breath. “But first, how about that tea?”

“That sounds lovely, Jewel Pin,” Emerald smiled.

After having a nice strong cup of tea, Emerald spent the rest of the morning helping her friend tidy up the inside of her shop. She didn’t have anything else to do today but to wait for Sir Morn to clean himself up. She thought time was slowing down as she anticipated spending time with him, but having Jewel Pin around helped speed time up.

“Back from Canterbury, you say?” Jewel Pin folded a piece of cloth and put it in her rack. “What a ways off. I am sure the knights must be exhausted.”

“Oh, I am sure they’re fine, Jewel Pin,” Emerald chuckled. “They are Knights of the Round Table, after all. They looked like they would still be able to defeat a dozen bandits on their own.”

“I suppose. I also understand you have your own seamstresses up in the castle,” Jewel Pin said longingly. “They must know all kinds of tricks to making fabulous clothes.”

“Your clothes are pretty fabulous already,” Emerald said with a grin. “I’m sure that once High Rise gets his suit done, he will recommend you to all his friends.”

“Oh, I hope so…”

They continued with their work until Emerald heard the bells ring for midday.

“Oh, uh, Jewel Pin, I have to go. I’m probably wanted up at the castle.”

The seamstress nodded. “You’ve been a great help to me today, Emerald. Thank you. I’ll see you later then?”

“Sure! Goodbye!”

With the bells signaling it was time for lunch, Emerald was anxious to get back to spend her long awaited time with her beloved human, heading back through the castle gate and past the courtyard, where a group of knights had just finished their training with the straw dummies. Emerald waved at Sir Ganeighn, who had likely been the one training them as she passed.

Once inside the castle, Emerald waited by the dining hall’s entrance for Sir Morn, watching as many groups of knights and guards entered to have their midday meal. Sir Prancelot and Sir Agramane came in about ten minutes later, both of them now dressed in regular tunics and pants, a rare sight for Knights of the Round Table indeed, though they kept their sword belts on, with weapons attached.

If they were already here, Sir Morn wouldn’t be long now.

Emerald went over to her seat and sat down as a servant placed her usual dish of greens in front of her. The smell of cooked meat was thick in the air, and Emerald tried not to think too hard about the poor animals that had been slaughtered to feed these humans.

Picking up a nearby ceramic pot, Emerald drizzled a generous amount of dressing onto her salad plate. Spearing a slice of cucumber on her fork, Emerald chewed thoughtfully as the rest of the knights dug into their meals. Still no sign of Sir Morn.

Emerald was just reaching for her goblet when she realized it was out of reach. She was loathe to get up out of her chair just for her drink, but then she rolled her eyes and pushed her chair back.

“Allow me, my lady,” a familiar voice came, and a black-sleeved arm picked up her goblet and deposited it in front of Emerald.

“Sir Morn!” Emerald said happily, turning to her left. The male knight was dressed in a black tunic with brown leggings, his hair freshly washed and smelling of soap.

So that is what he looks like without armor, Emerald thought to herself.

Morn Dread gestured to one of the servants, who quickly brought around a full plate and a tankard of ale.

“Ahh…” Sir Morn sighed, licking his lips as he surveyed his meal. “Tis nice to not have to eat off dried rations.” He picked up a chicken leg and took a big bite. “Oh yes, that’s the stuff.”

Emerald flinched at the sight, but she didn’t want to disrupt his supposedly delicious meal.

“Are you refreshed, Sir Morn?” she decided to ask, smiling at him with a leaf of lettuce sticking from her mouth.

“Aye, that I am, Lady Emerald.” Sir Morn took another bite out of his chicken. That poor chicken. “Tis nice to finally have a bath after a long journey. You are faring well, I hope?”

Emerald nodded. “Never better. How went your quest?”

“Oh, we had a run in with some druids and their mercenaries. The one that we captured claimed to be working for that Fir Laimhe Liath. They had taken some of the villagers for who knows what. But we managed to rescue them in the end.” Sir Morn took a sip of ale before returning to his food. “I heard rumors that you also had to deal with some druids on your own quest. They are becoming quite the problem.”

“They must be up to something.” Emerald chewed on another leaf. “I encountered some in old ruins near Talamhstead. They were trying to harvest magic from these vines deep in the ruins.”

“Hmm.” Sir Morn rubbed his chin. “We simply had to rescue hostages. They had occupied the town with their barbarian mercenaries but we scared them off. King Dawn Saber has promised to send them guards and possibly some knights.”

Emerald didn’t like what the druids were doing and she didn’t know what they would possibly want with so many human hostages. She knew they enjoyed sacrificing them, for what kind of magic, the spymaster didn’t want to find out.

“I wish we knew what they were after,” Emerald said, picking up a chunk of cheese and using her hidden blade to slice off a piece. “It would be easier to combat them.”

“These druids are proving difficult to question.” Sir Morn shrugged, taking a bite of bread. “Itsh like dey- sorry.” He swallowed the bread and started again. “It’s like they actually believe what they are doing is the right thing. Difficult to sway dedication like that.”

“They are a bunch of delusional fanatics,” Emerald said savagely through a mouthful of cheese. “I forgot to ask, what does the king intend to do with Duchan, their leader?”

“Hmm? Oh. That I do not know. We’re trying to rack up a list of his crimes before sentencing him. But once we do…” Sir Morn cracked his knuckles. “He’s going to be in for either a long stay in the dungeons, or an appointment with the king’s headsman.”

“The king’s headsman?” Emerald tilted her head to the side. “What is a headsman? Why would he need to see him?”

“He’s… ah, well, the headsman gives close shaves to condemned criminals. Very close shaves if you know what I mean. With an axe.”

“Shaves…” Emerald rubbed her chin. “He cuts off their coats and… beards? I didn’t think you humans had so much hair on your bodies. Mine doesn’t have much. Just my head and-”

“No, you misunderstand, my lady.” Morn waved both his hands around. “He chops off the heads of criminals.”

“Chops off…?” Emerald looked down at her lunch and covered her mouth. She suddenly didn’t feel as hungry. “Whatever for? Isn’t imprisonment good enough?”

“Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. The headsman is reserved for the really bad criminals. Right now we can convict Duchan for kidnapping, use of malign magic on humans, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and general unpleasantness. Perhaps we will unearth more later.” And he took a swig of ale. “Maybe we can attend his trial.”

“I wouldn’t want to see another druid for as long as I live…” Emerald sighed. “They have caused death for enough innocent humans. I wish they would just stop.”

“Don’t we all, Lady Emerald. I wish there would be order.” Darkness seemed to sweep over Morn’s eyes, but then he shook it out of his face and inhaled, a grin forming on his lips. “Mm… You have a delightful smell, my lady. Just the way I like it.”

“It’s probably the vegetables,” Emerald said, popping a slice of tomato into her mouth.

“You jest.” Sir Morn watched her eat. “Tis your usual smell. When you are near me, I smell it, and it makes me feel re-energized.”

Emerald discreetly sniffed the air around her. It didn’t smell much different from everywhere else. Just the smell of food and drink, and the odor of old stone.

“As always, your sense of smell surpasses even mine,” Emerald chuckled, tossing another cucumber slice into her mouth.

Morn joined her in laughter before picking up a potato and breaking it in half. “You have been well, I hope? No serious injuries?”

“Just the odd bruise or so, Sir Morn, nothing to worry.”

“You have visited my mother, I hope?” He peeled off a portion of his potato and ate it.

“Of course, Sir Morn,” Emerald chuckled, looking over to him. “She’s really one of the best healers in Canterlot. You must be proud to have such a mother.”

“Oh, I am. I am so proud of my mother.” Sir Morn smiled and looked at the door. “Her magic has saved countless lives before. Including yours. And I am glad she has done so.”

The knight reached over and held Emerald’s hand. The former pegasus had never held his hand skin to skin before. It felt nice and warm.

“My lady, I relish every moment I spend with you. It is as though you light a fire inside me that keeps me going.”

Emerald found her cheeks brightening at that comment. “Why th-thank you, Sir Morn. I too, enjoy my time with you, even if it is brief.”

“Well, no one said the life of a knight would be easy,” Sir Morn said. “With so many problems plaguing the kingdom, tis a wonder we get any rest at all. Though…” the knight rubbed his chin. “I don’t have any obligations for the next hour or so. What about you?”

“Oh, me?” Emerald thought about her schedule. “I have nothing planned either.”

“Superb. Then might I invite you to come walk through the royal gardens with me? They are located on the south side of the castle grounds.”

“Right now?”

“Of course. I am done with my meal, and so are you.” He gestured to their empty plates. “The gardens are beautiful this time of year… though their splendor pales in comparison to yours.”

“You flatterer, you,” Emerald giggled. “I’d love to walk in the gardens with you. You’ll have to lead though, I’ve never been there.”

“Certainly, my lady,” Morn Dread stood up and helped Emerald out of her own chair. “Right this way.”

Emerald Edge only saw hedges and hedges of trees as she entered out into the royal gardens from Canterlot castle. Two rows went down ahead of her from the entrance, splitting into three paths at the end, almost like some kind of labyrinth, making her wonder where each one lead and if one lead to something wondrous at the end.

“Beautiful…” she breathed, walking over to run her fingers along the leaves of the first hedge.

“Aye, tis truly a wondrous sight.” Sir Morn held one of the leaves between two of his fingers. “The castle gardeners are paid well to maintain this place.”

Songbirds fluttered from tree to tree, warbling melodiously as they flew. Some of them stopped at a birdbath that was placed under a stone arch which was riddled with flowering ivy. Emerald paused to smell one of the blossoms. It smelled sharp and sweet.

“The mages sometimes come here to gather plants for alchemy, but by and large they stick to their own garden on the west side of the castle,” Sir Morn explained. “The gardens here were planted by the king as a gift for his queen. She occasionally comes out here too, but it seems as though we are alone today.”

They kept walking, taking in the aromas of the honeysuckle and tulips and roses. Emerald could see that there were dozens of different flowers, and thought about how fortunate Queen Sunlight was that the king would plant such a garden just for her. If she hadn’t just eaten lunch, Emerald would have taken a bite out of the hundreds of mouth watering flowers that surrounded them.

But for now, she would have to settle for smelling them. Besides, there was no guarantee that she in her human form would even find the flowers to be palatable.

“I like to come here in between quests,” Sir Morn said as they strolled along. “I find it quite relaxing. A knight must have a balance between battle-duty and the finer aspects of life, don’t you agree?”

“I suppose.”

Emerald had never really thought about it that way. Back in Equestria, she had usually stayed inside the crystal castle, lurking in the shadows and making sure the princess was safe. While on missions away from the Crystal Empire, she hadn’t particularly stopped to smell the roses, figuratively speaking. Hearing Sir Morn speak about it as if he were not on a quest brought a small smile to the former pegasus’ face, only for it to slide off once she remember that she did have a quest. She had to find Star Swirl’s artifacts.

“I need to work hard, Sir Morn. I have to win that shield.” Emerald looked confidently up at the sky. “My princess needs me and so does the rest of the empire. They are counting on me to succeed in my quest.”

“And I have no doubt you will succeed one day, Lady Emerald.” Morn took one of her hands in his as they walked down the hedges. “You are strong. And skilled. Intelligent. Beautiful, and most of all, determined. Determination will get you far.”

Emerald blushed and bent down to smell a flower to hide her embarrassment. Her? Strong, skilled, intelligent, and beautiful? No stallion had ever said such things to her. Mostly because in her line of work there was very little socializing, but still. Once the redness in her cheeks had diffused a bit, she stood back up and bounced on the balls of her feet.

“You know, when I first came to this world, I never thought I would become so involved.”

“You thought it would simply be a recovery quest, didn’t you? To get the artifacts and return?” Morn walked closely beside her, still holding her hand.

“That was the idea…” Emerald kicked at a small rock, sending it flying into some bushes. “Truth be told, none of us knew what was on the other side of the portal. I just thought it would be like a storage closet or something.” She sighed and looked up. “Clearly I was wrong.”

“Well,” Sir Morn said, clapping her on the back. “Sometimes it’s not the end of the quest that matters as much as the journey. You learn, grow, and adapt to things when you’re on a quest. And at the end of it, you can look back and say, ‘Amazing! Look how much I’ve changed!’. Surely you wouldn’t get that out of a mere storage closet.”

“You sure know how to word it nicely, Sir Morn,” Emerald chuckled, holding the knight’s arm with her other hand. “Thank you, for providing me with your assistance since the day I got to Canterlot.”

“I would have done the same for anyone, though, your beautiful countenance made it all the more worthwhile for me,” Sir Morn said casually. He then raised Emerald’s hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on the back of Emerald’s palm.

“Oh, Sir Morn…” Emerald blushed.

They stayed there until the sun began to set, talking about things big and small, and mostly just enjoying one another’s company. As the time came for them to part ways, Emerald gave Morn Dread a hug before trotting off back into the castle, feeling like a very happy pony.

33 - What Honor?

It was a nice and sunny day as Emerald Edge pulled to a stop beside Sir Morn and his horse, Windspeed. Below her, Foxtrot snorted a few times and then stomped a hoof on the grassy ground.

“Yes, yes, I shall give you one, no, three carrots when we return to Canterlot, how does that sound?” Emerald rubbed his neck.

Her horse neighed in agreement.

“It will be a long ride back, my lady,” Sir Morn said and surveyed the plains they were in. “And there is much to search out here.”

“Moon Tide warned us of manticores out here, so if we find nothing, we should move as quickly as we can.” Emerald remembered the poison sting of a manticore. It wasn’t something she wanted to experience again anytime soon.

“Fair enough. Perhaps we should search the north then.” Sir Morn pointed towards a cluster of mountains in the distance. “Over there where the mountains divide us from other lands, there was an earthquake just recently. Perhaps it might have uncovered something? If not, there is a small village close by, we could ask them if we find nothing. Perhaps we may even find the Grail there if we look hard enough.”

“You really want to find the Grail, don’t you?” Emerald smirked at him playfully.

“Tis my life’s goal to find the Grail,” Morn said, taking up a heroic pose atop his horse. “I know it is out there, just waiting for someone to find it. And that someone shall be I.”

He sounded so sure of himself and Emerald couldn’t help but admire his devotion.

You should be the same way, she thought. I will get the artifacts and purge Sombra from the Crystal Empire.

They rode on in relative silence as the mountains grew closer and larger. Their peaks were capped with white, and clouds swirled near the top.

It was nightfall by the time they reached the mountain pass. Emerald hadn’t thought it would take them so long to reach the mountains. The plains were a lot wider than she had thought, with strong winds whipping the tall grass this way and that.

“Tis late. We might not be able to see so well and tis dangerous to search around the shattered ground in the dark.” Sir Morn stopped Windspeed by a few boulders. “We should stop here for the night.”

“Stop? Already?” Emerald complained. She didn’t want to waste any time and it wasn’t like she was tired yet. “I am sure we can go on. All we need is a torch.”

“Tis still too dangerous.” Sir Morn shrugged. “I insist, Lady Emerald. I do not want you to get hurt.”

“I… I…” Emerald sighed. “As you wish, Sir Morn. Where do you think we should set up camp?”

Morn Dread looked around, squinting in the dark. “How about over there?” He pointed at a small grove of trees that were growing near a rocky incline. “Our horses can eat the grass and we can rest. I shall take the first watch.”

“Very well.” Emerald walked Foxtrot over and tied his reins to one of the trees before giving his muzzle and neck a few gentle rubs. “You rest well, okay boy? We’ll see about getting you some proper food tomorrow.”

The horse nickered gently and bent down to start on the grass.

Meanwhile, Sir Morn had begun clearing some dead wood into a pile for the campfire. Emerald helped him unpack the saddlebags, taking out some of the rations they had brought with them from Canterlot. Sir Morn had some dried meats and bread, while Emerald stuck mostly to bread and fruit. Most vegetables didn’t keep so well on long horseback journeys.

Taking out a small glass vial of red liquid, Sir Morn sprinkled some over the pile of wood before taking out his tinderbox and flint. Striking a few sparks from the stones, the knight soon had a small but merry blaze going in the clearing.

“Thank goodness mother made us bring some salamander potion,” Sir Morn said, stowing away his kit. “With this wind, it might have been difficult to get a fire going otherwise.”

“Now if only we had something to roast…” Emerald said, unpacking her sleeping roll and sitting on it.

The other knight grinned and pointed above Emerald’s head.

“Apples! Good eye, Sir Morn.”

Emerald jumped to her feet and picked a few of the red fruits from the tree. Using sticks, she skewered the apples and set them to roast over the fire. Picking two up, she went around to where their horses were and fed them the fruit.

By the time she got back to the fire, Sir Morn had already plucked the two sticks of roasted apples off, the fragrant smell of the fruit wafting up through Emerald’s nostrils, making her let out a sigh of anticipation.

“Tasty…” she said, before even taking a bite. When she did take a bite, the spymaster closed her eyes in satisfaction as the rich apple taste flooded her mouth, hot and melting on her tongue. “Mmm… that’s great.”

“Tis rather delicious, yes.” Sir Morn took another bite of his apple. “I suppose apples must be your favorite fruit, my lady?”

“You suppose correctly, Sir Morn, although I am partial to the crystal berries that grow in the empire.” Emerald scooted herself closer to the knight so she could lean against him. “In Equestria, we have apples everywhere. It is not difficult to acquire.”

“Ah, tis a little different here,” Sir Morn laughed. “Our apples are mostly brought in from Avalon. I am sure your apple trading friends have told you this.”

Emerald nodded. “If I ever have a week off or so, I’d like to visit Avalon. The apples the merchants bring from there are nice, but nothing compares to the taste of one freshly picked off the tree.”

The conversation petered out slowly as the moon rose. Eventually, Emerald yawned.

“It is time for you to turn in, my lady,” Sir Morn said, throwing another dead branch on the fire. “Fear not, I will wake you when it is time for your watch.”

“Thank you, Sir Morn…” Emerald said tiredly, flopping down on her sleeping roll. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Emerald Edge had dreamed of cows that night, watching them roam around in a large green field as she floated under a tree, munching on a pile of apples. Light Speckle had sat beside her, reading a spell book, and Emerald had been about to ask her what she was reading when she woke from her sleep, first realizing that she was lying on her sleeping roll, with a pink flower moving in the wind close to her head.

“Hmm…? It’s morning?” Emerald sat up, rubbing at her eyes as she searched for Sir Morn.

And then she found him, walking back to the campsite from around a boulder, chewing on an apple.

“Ah, you are awake, Lady Emerald. Good morning,” he said through his chewing.

“Sir Morn, you did not wake me for my shift?” Emerald asked, surprised.

“Aye, that was because I felt not the necessity for sleep. I still have plenty of energy to go on.” Morn Dread finished his apple and tossed the core down onto the grassy floor. “You look like you needed the sleep, so I let you have more of it.”

“That’s very… thoughtful of you,” Emerald said, still feeling a little guilty for having snoozed her way through the night and letting the other knight stay up the whole time. “Are you sure you don’t need to rest?”

“I shall be fine. I have had to live on very little sleep before. Now, have your breakfast, and we can get on with our quest.”

Pulling half a loaf of bread from her pack, Emerald quickly devoured her morning meal and in no time at all, the two knights were back on their horses and galloping toward their destination. It was a cool day, with the sun partially hidden by some fluffy white clouds. Emerald privately wondered how they managed to stay in formation like that without a pegasus team to guide them. There was still so much she didn’t know about this world.

It was just getting to noon when Emerald and Morn saw the village. Perhaps village was not the right term. This was more like a military encampment. Two of them, built about a kilometer away from each other with a grassy no-man’s-land between them.

“Is… Is this it?” Emerald turned to Sir Morn for explanation. This was the most odd looking town she had seen since coming here.

“It certainly appears to be. Shall we investigate?”

“Mhm.” Emerald motioned Foxtrot to approach the settlement.

“Which side do we visit first?” Sir Morn asked, looking at the two encampments. There looked to be a couple dozen humans moving around in each. Some of them had caught sight of the two knights and were peering at them curiously. Emerald noticed one side of the settlement, the one further away, had humans in different looking armor, with most of their bodies not even covered in armor. At the nearer settlement, the one with the humans looking at them, each one of them wore a set of armor, looking just like the regular knights of Canterlot.

“Knights?” Emerald asked Sir Morn. “Have they come here from Canterlot? Did King Dawn Saber send them?”

“I do not recognize their banner,” Sir Morn frowned. “It is impossible to know for certain until we ask, but I think these knights are from one of the fiefdoms that the king has conquered, but allowed the ruler to stay on the throne as long as they pay their taxes.”

“That does not make it sound like they will happy to see us.”

“No, perhaps not…” Sir Morn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps we had best see to the other side first.”

Taking a wider arc around the group of knights, Emerald and Morn headed over to the second encampment, which housed the half-armored men and women, who were all clearly more muscular than the knights, now that they were closer.

“Greetings!” Sir Morn said, slowing Windspeed to a trot. “We have traveled a long way to be here.”

“Oh yes?” one of the men said, his head adorned with a round helmet with two horns protruding from the top. “Who sent you?”

“King Dawn Saber of Canterlot,” Morn said for both of them. “We have been sent to this area to acquire special artifacts if they are indeed here somewhere. We think the recent earthquake might have uncovered some. We have been traveling here when we spotted your encampment.”

“There be no artifacts here, tin man,” the man with the horned helmet said. “Judging by yer looks, you’re probably with them other knights. So why don’t you turn around before things get ugly, eh?”

“What matter do you have with those knights from across of you?” Morn looked back at the other camp and then back at the man in front of him. “Knights fight with and for honor.”

The man with the horned helmet scoffed. “What honor? They have plundered two sacks of what little grain we have left. If that counts as honor to you knights, then yer a load of dungpies. Now get going before you find a sword through yer chest.”

“They have done such a thing?” Sir Morn looked incredibly appalled. Then he put a hand on Clarent’s pommel and looked to the other camp. “Perhaps I shall have a word with them.”

“Aye, and make sure you don’t come back.” The man raised his broadsword. “We vikings will have no more parley with you lying knights.”

Emerald and Sir Morn turned their horses around and slowly approached the other side of the pass.

“So, vikings,” Emerald mused. “I’ve only seen that one from the tournament.”

“Oh, Stronghorn, eh?” Sir Morn pointed back at the other vikings. “He is a regular contender for the championships, but he has never won. I must say, he is friendlier than these folk here. I wonder what the knights over there have done for us to deserve such ire. I am sure stealing grain is but the top of this.”

“Well, as long as they don’t attack us, it should be fine,” Emerald said, loosening Amore in its sheath. “I’m interested in learning why both sides seem to dislike one another so.”

“Thievery is a strong reason, Lady Emerald. I would like to know why these knights, these honorable people, have resorted to stealing. If tis a bad reason…” he growled and grasped Clarent more tightly.

It didn’t take long for the knights to see them coming. Five men in dull metal armor walked out to meet them, hands on their swords and spears. They too, didn’t look too happy to see them.

What are we even doing here? Emerald wondered to herself. They should be out there, looking for any artifacts among the ruins the earthquake had created.

“Halt! One step closer, and you will find a spear through your throat,” one of the knights barked at them.

“Sounds familiar.” Emerald looked back to the viking camp.

“Lower your arms.” Sir Morn raised his hands and showed his palms to them, the universal gesture for ‘Look, I’m not carrying a big murderous weapon’.

“Look, he’s not carrying a big murderous weapon!” one of the knights blurted out.

“Yes, I can see that,” another of the knights said snidely. “Who are you two? You are not flying our banner, so you are clearly not one of us.”

“Sir Morn Dread and Lady Emerald Edge, Knights of the Round Table of Canterlot,” the blue haired knight introduced. “We have come in search of artifacts when we noticed your encampment and the viking’s.”

“You went and talked with those scoundrels?” The knight said, flipping up his visor. Underneath was a bony peach face with an impressive purple moustache. “I bet they told you that we’re the ones at fault.”

“Something along those lines, yes,” Emerald admitted. “They said you stole some grain from them. Is that true?”

“Yea, that we did.” The knight in front thrust his spear forward to emphasize his words. “But did they say they first took our pots for cooking?”

“They did?” Sir Morn looked unimpressed. “And you weren’t guarding your pots because…?”

“Well, how were we to know they’d steal them?” the moustached knight said, exasperated. “I mean, who takes the cookware instead of the gold? It just boggles the mind!”

“Yes, I’m sure it does…” Sir Morn said to himself.

“The vikings didn’t say anything about pots,” Emerald said.

“Well of course they wouldn’t!” The knight exclaimed. “They are but a bunch of lying thieves, that’s why. The point is, we found this village first, not them. We have hungry mouths to feed after that earthquake destroyed our old village.”

“Is that so?” Sir Morn sighed. “Where was your old village anyway? I do not recognize your coat of arms.”

“Northwest,” the knight replied. “A province called Blackwood. Our leigelord, the esteemed Lord Blackwood, was killed when his castle collapsed on him. We have been without leadership since.”

“Blackwood… That rings a bell,” Emerald said, harkening back to her days as a pony. “A small province to the southeast of the Crystal Empire, famed for the quality of its lumber.”

“The what?” The knight peered at Emerald. “What empire?”

“Never mind,” Morn said quickly. “Who is your, ah, temporary leader?”

The knight scratched his head. Or rather he tried to, but his helmet was in the way.

“We don’t have one, not really. Things have been very mixed up since our exodus here.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

The moustached knight squinted at Sir Morn, as if he was unsure if he was being mocked or not.

“Well, whatever the case, we intend to get out cookery back from those wretched vikings. Death or glory!” The knight thrust his sword into the air, and the rest of his compatriots also did so, roaring out battle-cries.

“Death or glory for… pots...” Emerald said to Sir Morn while the knights were still cheering. “Sounds like it is a bit too much to me.”

“These men can only be called knights in the loosest sense of the word,” Sir Morn replied, shaking his head. “Undisciplined and motley lot they are. They didn’t even choose a proper temporary leader. No sense of honor.”

“And no sign of any artifacts either.”

Once the yelling had died down, Sir Morn looked down at them with a shrewd look on his face. “I will return to the vikings and ask about your pots. Emerald, you stay here and help these… men choose a temporary leader. I will be back shortly.”

Turning Windspeed around, Sir Morn galloped on back to the vikings’ camp.

“So…” Emerald said from atop Foxtrot. “Who wants to be the leader?”

As it turned out, finding a leader was not a straightforward task. It wasn’t that there were too many contenders; rather, it was because nobody knew what to do.

These men clearly relied far too much on their late Lord Blackwood, Emerald thought to herself with a huff. The head has been chopped from the snake, as Sir Agramane would put it. Then she shivered as she thought about heads being cut off.

“Lord Blackwood knew how to run things,” one of the knights bemoaned dramatically. “Without his guidance, we are lost!”

“Difficult to argue with that,” Emerald muttered. She was getting frustrated. These knights were nothing like the ones back in Canterlot, who would have been able to organize themselves without so much as a hiccup. These men were… just a bunch of loafers in armor who knew how to use a sword or spear. No sense of ceremony or organization at all.

While talking and listening to the group of knights, Emerald soon learnt that both the vikings and their own group had lost their homes to the recent quake, and they had both come to this piece of land to start over. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to want to share it.

The former pegasus was relieved when she saw Sir Morn galloping back, with the late afternoon sun shining behind him.

“Oh, thank Celestia, you’re back,” Emerald said to Sir Morn as he hopped down from his horse’s back. “I’ve been trying to organize these knights, but they are all woefully incompetent. No one knows how to do anything.”

“I’ve spoken to the vikings,” Morn sighed. “And their leader, Stormcrown, wants to meet with the leader of the knights. He also says we have until morning tomorrow, in which case if they have not come to an agreement, they will attack at dawn.”

“Ooh. That’s unfortunate.”

“Yes, it is,” Sir Morn said grimly. “We have only the rest of the afternoon and tonight to help these… knights, choose a leader and parley for peace. Else there will be a bloodbath tomorrow.”

“But nobody wants to be the leader!” Emerald stressed. “What are we going to do?”

Sir Morn thought for a moment, putting his armored fist to his chin.

“We delegate,” he said at last. “You!” he said, pointing to a passing knight.

“Me?” the knight asked, pointing to himself.

“Yes, you. You are the leader now, you hear me?”

“What? I-I-I cannot be the leader!”

“Well, tis too late. You are. Now get your kit together and get your smartest friends. You and the vikings are going to negotiate.”

The knight stood there stammering for a few more seconds, then rushed off to fulfill Sir Morn’s orders.

“That wasn’t so hard,” Sir Morn said, trying very hard not to look proud.

“I hope you’re right…” Emerald said slowly.

About an hour later, the newly appointed leader of the knights and five of his friends had gathered near the edge of the camp. They were heavily armed, with swords, spears, daggers, and even a battleaxe.

“Is that really necessary?” Emerald deadpanned, looking at the knights.

Sir Morn shrugged, his armored shoulders moving up and down with a clank. “Well, nothing we can do about it now. We should move while there is still daylight. I shall ride ahead and notify Stormcrown that the knights are willing to talk. We will meet in the middle.”

“Alright then,” Emerald said hesitantly. “Come on, men. Time to meet with the vikings.”

The knights grumbled and groaned, but obediently followed Emerald’s horse. In the distance, a small crowd of people with horned helmets was approaching.

I hope this goes well… Emerald thought. We’re not even supposed to be doing this. We’re here to look for artifacts.

All too soon, the walk was over. A tall stone stood roughly in between the camps, so Emerald and the knights stopped there and waited.

They had barely begun to settle down when a loud horn rang forth, signalling the arrival of Sir Morn and the vikings.

The knights shifted restlessly, some of them putting a hand on a weapon. Emerald rolled her eyes and ate a stick of celery from her pack.

Sir Morn and Windspeed trotted up closer. The vikings had brought five men, one of which was their leader, Stormcrown. Emerald guessed him to be the viking at the front. Tall and muscular, with a network of spikes coming from his conical helmet. He had a long light blue beard running down from his face all the way to his belly. In both his hands, he held a large hammer, its head much bigger than Emerald’s own head.

Well, here goes nothing…

“Hail, Emerald!” Sir Morn rode up to her and dismounted. “Stormcrown and his… shield brothers are here to parley. Isn’t that right, Stormcrown?”

“Pah, yes,” Stormcrown growled. His voice sounded like he had been eating gravel. “But there’s nothing to parley about. Give us back our grain, and we won’t wash this valley with yer cowardly blood,” he said loudly.

The knight leader, who had been so afraid to take charge earlier, suddenly brandished a sword and pointed it forward, much to Emerald’s despair. “First, give us our pots and leave this land. Then we shall deliver your grain back to you!”

“Stop!” Sir Morn raised his palm towards the knights. “We are not here to start a fight! We are all here to make peace!”

“Can you two people just learn to live together?” Emerald tried to help ease the tension.

“Nay, these brutes have been in our land long enough.” The knight shook his covered head. “They should return to where they belong in the Frozen North.”

“And you knights should return to what you do best!” Another viking pointed at them with a meaty finger. “Minding yer own business! We were here first!”

“And can you prove that you were here first? It does not matter anyway. There is not even any snow here for you to make houses from. Why are you even here?”

Emerald looked at Sir Morn, who shook his head slowly. This was not going the way they had hoped.

“At least our houses have snow!” Stormcrown tried to push past Sir Morn, who had to hold him back. “You should use less dung to make your houses! Maybe that way you will at least smell better.”

Maybe we should leave…Emerald considered idly. Come back a week later and see who’s still alive.

“Now, hold your horses, good Stormcrown,” Sir Morn tried to reason with the viking leader. “We have no need for insults. We can yet work this out.”

“The only work I want to do is to put my hammer into their bones! We were-”

Suddenly, from not too far in the distance, there was a roar. It reminded Emerald of a lion, only this roar was much louder and deeper.

“What was that?” she asked, her question directed to Sir Morn.

The blue haired knight looked around, even sniffing the air a few times, but soon, shook his head. “Tis nothing, it seems. Just a distant animal.”

The vikings looked unfazed and glared back at the group of knights. “And if yer weren’t clanking around in yer armor so much, you might actually-”

The roar sounded again, this time much closer.

Sir Morn sniffed again, this time, removing his hands from the viking leader and turning to face the sound.

“I don’t like the sound of that…” Emerald said, her hand going to Amore’s hilt.

“Me neither,” Sir Morn said quietly. “By its call, I would guess that its owner is a rather large creature. And the only animal in these parts that would dare to come so close to a human settlement would be a-”

“Manticore!” one of the vikings shouted as a huge shadow bore down on the group.

“This is going to be unpleasant,” Sir Morn had time to say before Clarent cleared its sheath.

Stormcrown turned around and motioned with a hand to a group of vikings at the back who were holding on to bows and arrows. “Archers! What do you see?”

Does he need to ask? Emerald looked with him at bewilderment before drawing Amore.

A brute of orange and red fur barrelled into the vikings and the knights, scattering them like skittles. It was an impressive beast, Emerald thought. It was almost half as big as her house in Canterlot and was packing a glittering set of teeth and a poisonous stinger tail that was glistening with venom. Suddenly her sword felt very small.

The manticore in this world didn’t look much different from the ones back in Equestria, except it was leaner and probably much faster.

The manticore roared again and eyed one of the knights trying to make a run for it. With almost lightning speed, its tail lashed out, spearing the knight in the back, right through his armor, if the stab didn’t already kill him, the poison made quick work of it. The knight fell to his face, unmoving.

Unable to use the same tactics she would use to fight a manticore, which involved much flying, Emerald charged for the beast, swinging her sword at its right hind leg, trying to wound it enough to get it to fall. Unfortunately, after the first swing, the manticore jumped back into her, knocking the spymaster to the ground and stepping over her before slashing at her with its front claws. Emerald Edge lifted Amore and blocked the blow before rolling to the side to avoid more, hopping to her feet to get a good distance between them.

“Archers!” Stormcrown yelled and pointed at the manticore. “Fire!”

Three of the vikings let fly an arrow each, two of them missing but one of them nailing the beast in the leg. Unfortunately, that just seemed to make it angrier.

“By Celestia’s mane,” Emerald grumbled as she kept Amore in between herself and the monster. “Why is all the wildlife in this world so hostile?”

The manticore leapt atop Stormcrown, pinning him to the ground, when suddenly one of the knights let out a battlecry and threw his spear at the beast. The projectile stabbed deep into the manticore’s side, and it leapt back off of Stormcrown.

“Ha! How do you like that, creature?”

The knight only had enough time to unsheathe his sword when the manticore swiped him away with its front paw.

Sharing a look with Sir Morn, both Emerald and he charged the beast from two directions, with Emerald aiming for its tail and Morn its face.

Before Emerald could swing at its tail, another viking leapt up into the air and brought his axe crashing down on the appendage. The axe bit deep and left a sizeable gash in the manticore’s tail, but didn’t cut it off.

Meanwhile, Sir Morn ran at the manticore, and while it was distracted by its wounded tail, the Knight of the Round Table jumped atop one of the knights’ shield, and using it as a springboard, leapt up and slashed the manticore across the face. Sizzling hot drops of blood rained down on everyone as the monster flailed around in pain. It spun around and thrust its tail tip into Sir Morn’s arm, spearing right through his armor and spraying blood across the grass.

“Sir Morn!” Emerald dashed past the vikings and knights, slashing away at the manticore’s rear legs.

Suddenly from her right, a group of knights joined in, doing what they could against the manticore’s right side, while Stormcrown and a second viking leapt atop the creature, attacking its large bat-like wings.

The manticore turned and swung the vikings off, growling at Emerald, but as it lunged for her, it suddenly stopped, falling to its face. From behind, Sir Morn, pulling the stinger from his arm, seemed to lift the manticore by its tail, and somehow, almost like he had been imbued with the strength of a hundred men, swung the manticore up and around, throwing it a good distance away. There was a snap as the beast flew, impacting the ground a few meters away, its face dragging along the grass and unearthing the dirt.

“Rally men! We have it by the tail!” Then Sir Morn looked at the severed tail in his hand and threw it to the ground.

The vikings nodded and ran to stand alongside him, their weapons ready, while the knights still looked hesitant.

“Well, go on!” Emerald barked at them. “Do as he says. We can win this!”

Drawing a sword, the knight leader raised it high and ran forward. “Chaaaaaaaarge!”

The rest of the knights did the same, following after their leader, weapons drawn and ready. They rushed past Sir Morn and the vikings, immediately swinging their weapons at the manticore. Unfortunately, they missed ever attack, with the manticore leaping back and then charging forward, knocking them all up into the air.

“Aaaagh!” Most of them cried out as they flew in all directions as the manticore charged Sir Morn and the vikings.

Emerald was about to run in and help out, but almost like a stroke of luck, the knight leader somehow managed to maneuver in the air, landing atop the manticore’s back as it spread its wings to blast itself at the viking group. Lifting his sword, the knight cut down on the wing flaps, shredding holes along the manticore’s left wing. The beast roared and with wind running through one wing, it lost its momentum and flight, tumbling back to the dirt group and shearing a good portion of grass off of the terrain as it slid.

The knight had thrown himself clear, and to Emerald’s surprise, it was Stormcrown who helped him back to his feet.

“Get up. This is not over yet!” the viking leader bellowed.

Rubbing its muzzle, the manticore got back to its four feet, rage in its eyes, eyeing the knight leader.

“Stand ready, knight!” Stormcrown picked up a second axe. “It comes for you. We shall finish this right now!”

“R-Right.” The knight leader gulped.

Emerald flourished her sword, using it to catch the attention of the manticore. The beast leapt at Emerald instead, but she ducked at the last moment the thrust Amore straight up into its barrel chest. The momentum tore the sword from her grasp, but she recovered well and activated her hidden blades.

At that moment, the knights and vikings attack again, both factions from one side each. While the manticore was assailed by them, Emerald took the chance to run back up to it, thrusting her hidden blades deep into the manticore’s chest, close to where her sword was still hanging.

The beast roared in pain and rose up on its hind legs, spreading its wings out and knocking the other humans away. Emerald hung on because of her hidden blades, sheathing one as she reached for Amore’s hilt.

Just then, Sir Morn was beside her, digging Clarent deep into the manticore’s belly, but unlike Emerald, he pulled down, sliding down the beast’s underside as his fine blade cut along the entire length of the manticore’s belly.

Innards began spilling out, coating Emerald’s face in red as she managed to dislodge Amore, jumping clear of the blood and gore before it could coat her entirely.

The manticore flailed and thrashed, roaring skyward. And then it collapsed to the ground with an earthshaking thud, the only thing still moving were its insides, spilling from its open wound.

Emerald and Sir Morn stood side by side, panting from the exertion. Then they glanced at one another.

“Well fought, Lady Emerald.”

“Likewise, Sir Morn.”

“You have blood on your face.” The male knight rubbed a armored finger across Emerald’s cheek.

“So do you.” Emerald gave him a light pat on the arm.

Sir Morn smiled and wiped at his face. “So I do, but not as much as you. Still, this fails to diminish your shining beauty, my lady.”

Emerald chuckled and wiped a hand across Sir Morn’s cheek. “You flatter me as always, Sir Morn.” Then, feeling incredibly daring, she kissed him on the cheek.

The knights and the vikings kept their eyes on the slain manticore, helping each other up as they gave the carcass a wide berth.

“We… we did it!” One of the knights cheered.

“Oh, won’t Lord Blackwood be pleased!”

The knight leader rubbed his shoulder. “If only he had not perished in the quake. What are the odds he could return?”

One of the vikings nearby scoffed. “What, come back to life? You know that is impossible.”

“I suppose so.”

Then Stormcrown came over and clapped the knight leader on the shoulder. “No worry, lad! You are leader now. And yer combat skills are quite impressive! Be the leader yer Lord Blackwood would like you to be.”

“Well, we’ll eat well tonight.” One of the knights prodded the dead manticore with his spear. “Anyone up for roast manticore?”

As the knights and vikings discussed their dinner, Sir Morn and Emerald exchanged looks.

“Now that looks like peace to me,” Morn said with a satisfied nod. “I think our work here is done.”

“So we can move on, then?” Emerald asked, eager to be one the road to look for artifacts again.

“Wait!” Stormcrown walked up to the Knights of the Round Table. “Please, for your role in helping us reach an understanding, won’t you stay and have dinner with us? There’s plenty of meat to go around.”

“Er…” Emerald said, not quite wanting to voice that she only ate plants.

Sir Morn winked at Emerald, then replied, “Only if you bring out the grain. My fellow knightess has an… aversion to meat. It’s a personal matter, really.”

“Bring out the grain?” a knight asked. “Already on it. And the vikings have agreed to bring out the pots to cook this beast with.”

“In that case…” Emerald said. “We’ll stay for a while. Here’s to friendship!”

“To friendship!” the warriors around her agreed, then started laughing.

The laugh was contagious, and soon Emerald and Morn found themselves grinning too. Their laughter joined in with the others, echoing out into the darkening sky.

34 - The Cursed Village

It was a late autumn afternoon when Emerald Edge returned from a quest, riding Foxtrot up to the castle gates to report to King Dawn Saber. She and Sir Agramane had been tasked with clearing out a dangerous cave of trolls, and Emerald was there to tell her king that the quest had been a success.

On the way to the stables, she caught sight of a familiar face: Moon Tide and the three Canterlot Muses were gathered around a horse, talking in low voices. Smiling, Emerald trotted Foxtrot over and dismounted.

“Hello, everypony!” Emerald said cheerily. “How is everyone doing?”

“Emerald!” Sonata said, perking up and turning around. “I haven’t seen you in days!”

“Well, I was out on a quest for king and country,” Emerald shrugged. “What are you all doing out here? Isn’t the Mages’ tower more of your gathering area?”

Moon Tide stepped forward. “Ah, that is up to me to explain, Emerald. Word has reached Canterlot that a village to the south called Hoofshire has been suffering from some magical ailments. Apparently there have been reports of evil spirits and possession. I’m sending the muses out to scout ahead.”

“Can you do that?” Emerald wondered. “Just take the king’s muses, I mean.”

“I’m sure my brother, His Majesty will understand,” Moon Tide said confidently. “He knows that we all have to do our part to protect the kingdom. Missing out on a few days’ music is a small price to pay for investigating malign magic.”

“Are you sure it’s not the druids this time?”

“Fairly certain,” Moon Tide said languidly before returning her attention to the muses. “Hoofshire is a half day’s horse ride from Canterlot, so I’ve packed you food and water for the journey. Once you are there, feel free to do whatever it takes to, ahem, gather information on what’s going on. I’ll join you in a day or two.”

The mage busied herself with packing the horse’s saddlebags and the muses’ own satchels before helping them up into the saddle.

“Now remember, girls, I just need you to look around the village. Show them the scroll from King Dawn Saber; that should cover the costs of staying at the inn. I’ve also given Adagio a small purse of bits, in case you need to use them.”

“Thank you, Moon Tide,” Sonata said, rocking back and forth in the three-person saddle. “We’ll look into this disturbance for you!”

“Oh, yes we will,” Aria said somewhat smugly, fingering her ruby pendant. “You can count on us.”

Emerald and Moon Tide walked the muses’ horse over to the castle’s front gates, where Adagio dug her heels into the horse’s side and they galloped off into the distance. Emerald and the mage waved until the three girls were out of sight.

“Now,” Moon Tide said. “I suppose I had better get back to the Mages’ tower before I’m missed. And you have a meeting with the king, do you not, Emerald?”

Emerald nodded. “It was nice seeing you today, Moon Tide.”

The mage laughed as she walked away. “Likewise.”

“...Sir Agramane and I cleaned out the troll nest, and then we set fire to the cave to prevent any trolls from moving back in. Trottingham should be safe for now,” Emerald concluded, sitting at her spot at the round table. Sir Agramane was also seated there, smiling to himself.

“You have done well, my loyal knights,” King Dawn Saber said, nodding approvingly. “Those trolls would have caused no end of trouble for Trottingham’s people.”

There was a smattering of congratulations from all around the table.

“Well, that concludes the meeting for this week,” King Dawn Saber rose to his feet. “I shall see you all back here in seven days, unless you are out on a quest.”

After the king left, the rest of the knights got up too, retrieving their gear from behind their seats and splitting up.

“Ho, Lady Emerald,” Sir Trotivere called out. “That was quite a tale, of you and Agramane taking care of those trolls. Mayhap next time I could come along? I am getting tired of fighting bandits.”

“Maybe we can ask his majesty the next time we meet,” Emerald suggested. “I’d like to fight by your side.”

Sir Trotivere laughed. “Ha! Maybe I will ask next time.”

After a little more small talk, Sir Trotivere remembered that he had some letters to answer and bid the spymaster goodbye. Emerald went back to her own quarters and sat down on the bed. She drew her sword, Amore. The blade was still a little stained from the fighting that she had done on her most recent quest, and Emerald quickly removed her armor, leaving her in her lighter tunic and breeches, though she kept her hidden blade gauntlets on. Taking Amore, Emerald made the long walk from her quarters to the training grounds, where she spent the better part of the afternoon scrubbing down her blade, cleaning all the dried blood and dirt off its surface and returning it to a sharp silver gleam.

Satisfied, she sheathed her sword and went back up to her quarters to wash up. She ran a cold bath, giving herself a good scrubbing with a brush to make sure she was clean. The whole process took about half an hour, including washing her hair. No matter how many times, she washed it, her hair retained that shimmery, sparkly quality that differentiated her from the humans. Emerald had often wondered if there was anything else about her that was different, but so far her inspections of herself had turned up empty.

Drying herself, Emerald looked out the window, where she had an excellent view of the Mages’ tower and the training grounds that lay between it and the castle. The sun was on its way down, and Emerald was content to sit by the window and watch it set, accompanied by the fiery autumn leaves.

Letting her mind wander, Emerald’s thoughts turned to her earlier encounter with Moon Tide and the muses. It was good of them, she thought, to take such an active role in ensuring peace in the kingdom. She had never had too much experience with malign magic before, but she trusted Moon Tide. She was a mage, after all, and was used to dealing with magic.

Once the sun had completely sank behind the horizon and the stars began to come out, Emerald stirred herself and got dressed for dinner.

The next morning, after breakfast, Emerald Edge went about her daily training, going down to the castle’s courtyard to spar with some other knights. After about an hour of swordplay, the former pegasus went over to the well for a drink.

“Good morning, Emerald,” came a familiar voice. Emerald looked up.

It was Moon Tide, holding a bucket in the right hand. Her left was outstretched, and there was a small furry black creature hanging off of it.

“Hello, Moon Tide,” Emerald greeted. “What’s that?”

“Oh, this? It’s something I’ve been working on in my spare time.” Moon Tide prodded the creature, which squeaked. “It’s a potion that attracts various animals. This one flew into my quarters last night and has taken a shine to me.”

The bat chirruped and went back to sleep, wrapping its wings around its small body.

“Anyway,” Moon Tide continued, lowering the bucket into the well with one hand. “I shall be departing tomorrow for the village of Hoofshire, and could use a knight to accompany me. I do not suppose you are available?”

“Oh, of course!” Emerald said immediately. She had nothing planned for the next few days besides looking for more artifacts, and she had been planning to talk to Moon Tide about it anyway. There would be plenty of time together if she went along to Hoofshire.

“That’s good news,” Moon Tide smiled, pulling the bucket up and inspecting the water. “Then we shall leave… tomorrow morning? An hour after sunrise.”

“I can do that,” Emerald said. “Do you want to come get me, or…?”

“I shall meet you at Canterlot’s main gate,” Moon Tide replied. “It’s a half day’s ride from here to Hoofshire, so pack some food and water.” Emerald nodded. “Well, if that is all, I’ll head back to the Mages’ tower. See you tomorrow morning, Emerald.”

Still suspending the bat, Moon Tide took the bucket in her free hand and walked away.

The rest of the day was spent by Emerald scurrying around the castle, acquiring all the things she would need for a long trip outside of Canterlot. While the cooks were all too happy to supply various vegetables and bread for food, finding a way to transport water was more difficult. Finally, she enlisted Spectrum Song’s help, and the young squire had ducked off for about half an hour, returning with two filled waterskins. Trying not to think too hard about what the waterskins were made of, Emerald put them with the rest of her supplies. By the time everything had been put together, Emerald was about ready to go to sleep.

Emerald awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn, springing out of bed and getting dressed in a flurry. After a quick breakfast of bread and strawberry jam, the knight saddled all her supplies and rode Foxtrot out to Canterlot’s gate, where Moon Tide was waiting.

The mage had her own horse, a sleek tan mare which was packed with several large saddlebags. Moon Tide had her staff with the green crystal at the top, and was standing next to her horse, giving Emerald a friendly wave as she rode closer.

“My, my. You are right on time, Lady Emerald.”

“Of course!” Emerald grinned. “What’s in the bags?”

The mage shrugged. “Magical reagents. Medicinal herbs and potions. Food. We won’t be able to ride at full speed with all this stuff, so we might not reach Hoofshire until evening. Is that all right with you?”

“That’s fine,” Emerald agreed.

“Then let’s go! Hoofshire is depending on us.”

As Moon Tide predicted, it was a long ride from Canterlot to their destination. Fortunately, it was a bright, sunny day with just a few clouds to cover up the sun and keep it from getting too hot. Emerald loved the feeling of the wind in her hair and the smell of the countryside. The scent of grass and the fields filled the former pegasus’ nose, and brought a smile to her face.

They rode at half-speed, to keep the horses from getting tired out, stopping only once for a brief lunch. Along the way the two women talked of many things, ranging from the state of the kingdom to (and this was Emerald’s favorite topic) any rumors of artifacts. Moon Tide had indeed heard of whispers of magical items, but she warned Emerald not to put too much stock in those stories, as townsfolk were a superstitious lot, and tended to over-exaggerate things that they heard. They talked about King Dawn Saber and how he still had no heir to take over the kingdom when his time was up, and this seemed to both amuse and embitter Moon Tide at the same time.

The day passed by in a blur of green and brown, and just as the sun was beginning its descent to the far horizon, the town of Hoofshire came into view. It was a squat, wide village, built mostly on dirt next to a river. There were no houses taller than one storey, and fields of sheep and goats dominated the surrounding land.

“Well, the town’s still standing,” Moon Tide remarked dryly. “That’s a good sign.”

Emerald surveyed the town in the twilight. There appeared to be some kind of commotion near the river, with a lot of humans milling about there. There were torches, she could see.

“Where do you think the muses are?” Emerald asked as they approached the town gates.

“They will be wherever the crowd is,” Moon Tide replied. “Come. We’d better go find them and see what they’ve found out about the rumors of dark magic.”

Slowing their horses to a leisurely trot, the two women rode in, finding the town oddly deserted. There were no guards at the gates, and a strange fog swirled around the horses’ hooves. It appeared to be almost green.

“I can sense it,” Moon Tide said to Emerald quietly. “There is a nasty kind of magic at work here. It’s affecting the villagers.”

“How do you know?” Emerald asked curiously.

“I’m a mage,” Moon Tide said patiently. “It’s only natural that I know such things.”

Emerald shrugged, satisfied for the time being. Making a note to later ask about what mages could and couldn’t do, she and Moon Tide wound their way through Hoofshire, trotting along for almost ten minutes without encountering anybody.

Finally, Emerald saw a woman in a simple brown dress standing outside a house, clutching her hands together and looking about nervously.

“Greetings,” Moon Tide said, pulling her mare to a stop. “I am Moon Tide, mage of King Dawn Saber, and this is Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table. We were wondering where everyone was.”

“They are all down at the riverbank,” The woman said nervously. “There was a festival there yesterday, but everyone’s gone mad! All they do now is argue and fight! Please, you must help us.”

“So, we have found our dark magic,” Moon Tide mused. “Come, Emerald. We’re needed at the riverbank.”

Turning their horses, Emerald and Moon Tide set off at a brisk pace toward the river. As they neared it, the sounds of people’s raised voices could be heard. Winding their way through the last row of houses, Emerald beheld what must have been the town’s population, gathered at the edge of the river, and they looked furious. Sounded furious too.

“You dastard! I never liked you!”

“Oh yeah? Well I never liked you first!”

“Pumpkin face!”

“Waste of skin!”

No one seemed to notice the two women as they approached. However, there, at the edge of the bickering crowd, were the three muses. They appeared to be singing.

“Ahhh, ahh-ahh, ahhh ahhh,” they went softly.

Moon Tide directed the horses to the muses, dismounting when she got close.

“Ah, here you are. How goes the investigation?”

Signalling for Aria and Sonata to keep singing, Adagio Dazzle stepped forward, a lazy smile on her face.

“Oh, there’s plenty of negative energy about, Moon Tide. We’ve been feeding-” She noticed Emerald and coughed. “That is, we’ve been feeling around, and we think that the dark magic has affected the people and spread disharmony throughout the village, resulting in the mess here.” Adagio’s fingers toyed with her red pendant as she spoke.

Moon Tide nodded sagely. “I see. Have you three eaten?”

“Oh, yes, we’re all quite full,” Adagio replied smugly. “I think you can work your magic now.”

At that, Adagio signalled for her sisters to come closer. They did, ceasing their singing.

“Emerald, could you please retrieve my enchanting bowl from the left saddlebag?” Moon Tide asked before stepping toward the bickering crowd.

“Greetings!” the mage shouted. The crowd didn’t respond, their argument fat louder than Moon Tide’s voice.

“Er, Hello?”

Still no response.

Clucking her tongue, Moon Tide reached into her robes and brought out a leather glove and a small pouch. Slipping the glove onto her hand, Moon Tide reached into the pouch and threw a pinch of powder skyward, clicking the fingers on her gloved hand at the same time.

There was a sudden explosion of fire above the crowd, which stopped arguing to look at the conflagration. Emerald raised her eyebrows. That was a very similar trick to the one the Stupendous and Almighty Beatrix had pulled during the tournament. She wondered who had come up with it. Then she went back to searching for the enchanting bowl.

Taking advantage of the momentary quiet, Moon Tide stepped forward and said, “Greetings! I am Moon Tide of Canterlot’s Mages’ tower. I have come to deal with the dark magic that is affecting Hoofshire!”

There was silence for a moment.

Then a man’s voice came from the crowd.

“What dark magic?”

“A curse has been cast over Hoofshire, a curse that spreads chaos and disharmony. Do you not see the effects? Here you all stand, fighting amongst yourselves. How long before it escalates to blows, then to brother killing brother? I have come to free you from this curse, if you will permit me.”

The nearest villager stepped forward. “It’s true that we have been fighting amongst ourselves a lot more than usual, but it only started about two days ago. Is it really magic?”

Huh. Two days ago? But Moon Tide said the town had dark magic before that, Emerald thought, then shook her head. Must be village superstition.

Moon Tide put a hand on the villager’s shoulder.

“I’m afraid it is.”

Moon Tide took off her leather glove and stuffed it back in her pocket.

There was a muttering in the crowd. The muses began singing again, softly, though this time the tune was different, more slow and melancholic. Emerald suddenly felt calmer listening to the singing, and apparently so did the crowd, their voices stopping as Emerald passed a large ceramic bowl to Moon Tide. The bowl was inscribed with arcane runes and swirling patterns, painted in blue and red. Setting the bowl on a nearby boulder, Moon Tide went to her horse and began to retrieve ingredients from her stash, returning with an armful of jars and bottles. These she carefully set around the base of the stone and began mixing various components together in the bowl, grinding it all together with a pestle.

After about five minutes of this, Moon Tide lowered her gloved hand over the bowl and clicked her fingers. Sparks flew, and the contents of the enchanting bowl lit up like a torch. Pale blue flames crackled in the air, casting an eerie cerulean glow over everyone present. The flickering flames painted Moon Tide’s face with an ominous light.

Moon Tide raised her arms to the twilight sky. “Oh spirits of the past, hear my plea!”

Surreptitiously reaching into the folds of her robe, Moon Tide produced a small glass vial and poured its contents into the bowl.

Instantly, the flames leapt higher, licking up at the sky and turning a bright royal purple. The crowd of villagers gasped in amazement and collectively took a couple of steps back.

“Hoofshire is in the grip of an evil curse!” Moon Tide bellowed to the sky. Emerald watched, impressed. She didn’t know much about curses, but she wagered that Moon Tide’s performance was good enough to match Beatrix’s.

“Oh, spirits, I beseech you to answer me!” Moon Tide continued, stretching her hands up to the sky.

Emerald heard the muses begin to sing louder. She watched on, feeling more than a little uneasy about the way things were going. Could Moon Tide actually lift the curse on Hoofshire? Who were these spirits she was talking to? The crowd was in rapt attention, the entire village swaying back and forth in time to the three girls’ song.

“I feel it…” Moon Tide gasped, pouring more liquid into the roaring purple fire, which grew in intensity. The closes villagers stepped back away from the heat, but Moon Tide was undeterred. “The dark magic is within my grasp!”

The crowd murmured nervously. Some of them made hand signals, seemingly to ward off evil. Emerald leaned back against a cottage, watching Moon Tide work her magic.

Moon Tide exhaled, and pulled both her sleeves back to the elbow before plunging her hands into the fire. The closer villagers let out exclamations, but none dared interfere. The flames immediately turned a bright, poisonous green. She scooped out a globule of fire and held it up in her hands for all to see, the viridian tongues of flame licking at her hands but somehow not consuming them. Emerald’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t known that Moon Tide was capable of holding fire. Perhaps it was a spell, or these spirits she kept talking about.

“Behold! The spirits have heard my plea!” Moon Tide shouted over the sound of the flaming bowl. “Oh, spirits, grant me the power to break the curse on Hoofshire and return harmony to the land!”

And with that final proclamation, Moon Tide hurled both handfuls of fire skyward, where they exploded in a dazzling flash that lit up the riverbank.

Silence reigned.

Moon Tide sagged, her sleeves falling back down to her wrists. “It is done,” she announced with a tired smile. “Hoofshire is no longer under the effects of the curse. This town is safe.”

Emerald noticed a wave of relief sweep over the crowd, all the tension melting away. Without being asked, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk scurried forward and retrieved the enchanting bowl, putting out the remaining fire inside with a splash of water from a waterskin.

The villagers began to move forward, surrounding Moon Tide as she pulled on a pair of gloves.

“Lady Moon Tide, that was amazing!”

“You have freed us. I do not feel the urge to fight anymore!”

“Let us treat you and your companions to dinner, as thanks!”

Emerald smiled to herself as she and the muses were swept up in the crowd, carrying them to the village inn for an impromptu evening meal. It felt good to help people, and Moon Tide was the perfect example of why she fought for Canterlot.

The next morning, Emerald, Moon Tide, and the muses saddled up their horses to leave for Canterlot. Most of Hoofshire turned up at the front gates to see them off with great amounts of cheering and exultation.

“Aahh…” Moon Tide sighed contentedly once they were on the road again. They rode at a slower pace than before, as there was no emergency to get to. “All that gratitude and love. Some days I just love my job.”

“You don’t get enough of that working at Canterlot?” Aria asked from her horse.

“Well, I get enough to keep me going, but it’s nice to have a change of… menu, from time to time,” Moon Tide glanced at Emerald. “Thank you for accompanying me, by the way, Emerald. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

Emerald nodded. “I do. First one, how did you know the village was cursed to start with?”

“I heard rumors of unrest,” Moon Tide said. “It does not happen often, but when it does, I send the muses to scout ahead of me.

“Oh. I didn’t know the muses were trained in curse identification.”

“I’ve taught them quite a lot of things,” Moon Tide replied with a smile.

“Okay, fair enough,” Emerald said with a smile. “Second question. How did you do that with the fire? Isn’t pyromancy more Secret Fire or Beatrix’s territory?”

“Most mages know how to work with fire. Making it change color is no challenge for someone as skilled as I, even though it is not my specialty.” The mage pushed a strand of blue hair out of her face with a gloved hand. “Call it multi-classing.”

“Besides,” Adagio added. “Moon Tide is the only mage who can touch fire and not get burnt. It only makes sense she’d capitalize on that.”

“True,” Emerald nodded. “What about the spirits you asked to help you last night? Do the usually come when called?”

At that, Moon Tide glanced over to the muses and grinned. “Oh, those spirits. Well, that’s a mage’s secret, Emerald. But I will say this: when I call for spirits to help me, I do not do it lightly. It’s a bit of a chore to summon them correctly, and summoning them can take a lot out of me. Does that answer your question?”

It didn’t really, but Emerald shrugged and said, “I suppose so.” Feeding a carrot to Foxtrot, Emerald and the others journeyed on in silence for a while, with only the birdsong and the sounds of their horses’ hooves to punctuate the quiet of the road.

“You’re a good human, Moon Tide,” Emerald said to herself as they rode on. “I’m honored to have met you.”

Author's Note

So some of you might know that Cinders of War and I share a universe with our stories. Well, we have gathered all the pertinent stories and compiled them in a group. You can go see them here: Bloodlines. We may also post bonus information or lore there, depending on how things go. Have fun!

35 - Practice Zero

“Pardon! Oops! Apologies! Excuse me, coming through! I’m in a little hurry!”

The other mages cleared out of the way as Nightfall Gleam made her way to the stairwell, heading up to the second floor where her table was. In her arms, the mage held on to six rolls of paper, along with a few pieces of wood and iron.

Recently caught up in the study of her friend, Emerald Edge, Nightfall had almost forgotten to submit her weekly report to Clover.

She had never forgotten a report. Never. Not even once.

Nightfall felt her gut sink as she continued to think about the consequences for missing a report. What would Clover do to her? Would she kick her out of the Mages’ Tower? Would she turn her into a frog? The blue-skinned mage shook the rest of the gruesome thoughts from her head.

No. I can do this. I still have today. I have time…

She dumped her things on her table and quickly picked out a blank scroll and a quill.

“Right. Nightfall, what have you got to tell the great Clover the Clever?”

The mage tapped the quill against the scroll and hummed to herself. After four more minutes of staring at the blank parchment, Nightfall planted her face against it, groaning in despair.

“Nothing… There’s nothing to report!” Nightfall dropped the quill and grabbed at her head with both hands. “What am I going to do? I’ve never missed a report!”

The mage lifted her head and began shuffling through her notes, looking for something, for anything she could continue. She had never missed a single report in her time here at the Mages’ Tower.

Clover was a nice enough superior, but would that still be the case if Nightfall missed one report?

“Aaah, I need to get something done!” the blue-skinned mage rubbed at her hair. “How about a new invention? A-A… A something. Aagh!”

Nightfall had kept up her reports for eleven years without fail. Eleven years. She wasn’t going to miss one now and possibly lose her spot in the Mages’ Tower.

No, I’ve spent my whole life being a mage. It’s all I know. I need to finish this report!

“Something the matter?” Secret Fire’s voice came from behind her. Nightfall turned around, seeing the pyromancer holding a flaming ball of something in between a pair of tongs.

“No! Back! Away from my notes, you fiend!” Nightfall instinctively grabbed her scrolls and held them protectively away from the pyromancer. “You have caused me to rewrite my bottle rack instructions seven times now. Begone!”

“As you wish.” Secret Fire retreated back to his own workstation, leaving behind a foul stench of burning plant matter.

Nightfall put the scrolls back on her table and sat down on a stool. What to do, what to do. Feeling a little frustrated, she reached into a drawer and pulled out a bundle of small interlocked metal parts. They were supposed to form into a single whole, and Nightfall always enjoyed playing with it to stimulate her mind.

Still fiddling with the puzzle, Nightfall was pleased to discover that she had managed to put two more pieces of the toy together. Feeling a little better, she put the puzzle away and pulled out her snuffbox. Putting a pinch of the brown powder on the back of her hand, the mage inhaled it and sighed.

“Ahh, that’s nice,” she said to herself. “But it doesn’t help me much… I need something to report on…”

Nightfall began picturing Clover zapping her with her golden staff, turning her into a tiny green frog before kicking her out of the Mages’ Tower.

“No, no! I cannot let that happen!” Nightfall pulled at her tricolored hair and wailed. She inhaled another pinch of snuff and stared out the window. The sun was still rising, so she figured she had the whole day to think of something to report.

“Something wrong?”

Moon Tide was poking her head around the stairwell.

Nightfall’s eyes went wide and shook her head. “Oh, everything is fine, Moon Tide! No problems here!” she laughed nervously.

Moon Tide was one of the more senior mages here. She would surely tell Clover about the missing report if she were to find out. Nightfall couldn’t let that happen.

“Oh, I-I think I hear Secret Fire calling you, Moon Tide. Maybe you should attend to him, he he…”

“Again?” Moon Tide sighed. “I swear, that man needs more medical attention than the entire Round Table…” She ran a finger through her hair and retreated back downstairs.

Nightfall Gleam swiftly pivoted back to her table, desperately sifting through her papers for anything she could find, like an unfinished observation, or a formula for a new type of magic, or even a new invention. She just needed something to turn in to Clover by the end of the day.

“Never missed a report… Never. I’ve never. Never missed one. Nightfall’s never missed a report. Not once. Never…” The mage began chucking her unnecessary papers on the floor, swiping them off her tabletop. “Find something. You must find something, Nightfall. There is something here. Just keep looking… Just keep looking… You cannot miss this report. Cannot. Never. Never ever!”

Outside, an owl hooted. It sounded like laughter.

“Shut your mouth!” Nightfall barked at the window, pulling a piece of wood to throw at it and accidentally tipping her bit purse out of her pocket. It made a cheery jingle as it impacted the floor. It made her think. “Money… Bits… Maybe I could write about the market economy. Oh, but I am a mage, not a trader, that won’t do any good. Gah, think, Nightfall… Think!”

The other mages on her floor began to watch her warily as they passed, some of them even giving her workstation a huge pass as she began pulling at her hair and laughing maniacally.

“Just a small thing, yes… This report writing, you’re stressing yourself out, that’s right. Just calm down and think. Think. No need to get worked up over this. Who says I am worked up? I am not worked up! I am absolutely calm! Yes, just need to concentrate.”

And then her thoughts went back to Secret Fire. Yes, he was in the process of figuring something out, she remembered. Perhaps if she were to assist him, she could write about their discovery.

“Yes, yes… Just need to find him. Gotta find Secret Fire, he heh…” The mage rubbed her hands together.

Leaving her workstation in a mess, Nightfall Gleam made her way downstairs, remembering he had disappeared down the steps earlier.

“Secret Fire? Are you down here? I want to talk to you about something.”

There was no response, nor did Nightfall see the pyromancer anywhere. His workstation was deserted, and the small furnace he kept near his seat was extinguished. Some of the mages looked at her and gave her funny looks.

“Secret Fire? Hello?”

“Are you looking for Secret Fire?” another mage said, glancing up at Nightfall. “He left a little while ago to gather plants in the swamp. He’ll probably be out there all day.”

“Confound it,” Nightfall muttered under her breath. Without another word, she rushed out of the Mages’ Tower, tripping over a crate by the door and rolling down the short flight of steps. After rubbing her head, she got back to her feet and hobbled along, needing to get to the swamp.

The Berry Swamplands were just a short ride away from Canterlot by horse, closer to the lake than the town and Nightfall knew it was a place frequented by Secret Fire. It was where he was getting all his plants for his fire experiments, after all.

“Must find Secret Fire. Must make him share his findings with me. I can do this. All I need to do is help him out. Yes. And the swamp, the swamp is far from my notes, yes,” Nightfall said to herself all the way out of Canterlot, making the other townsfolk keep a good distance away from her as she went on. “I must get my report. I must have it! Yes.”

After acquiring a horse, Nightfall made her way out to the Berry Swamplands, arriving there just as the sun seemed to be signaling midday. Nightfall took a sip from a flask she brought along, wiping sweat from her forehead. It was quite warm today, but she had to brave it. She desperately needed to find Secret Fire so she could finish a report on what he was doing. Sure, it wouldn’t be her own findings exactly, but it would be something nonetheless. She would just have to convince Secret Fire to share the glory with her, if whatever he had was worth it.

Nightfall bit her lip. If it wasn’t worth it, she would have traveled all the way out here for nothing.

“You better have results, Secret Fire. Yes, you better. I need that report. I need it now. I must finish it!”

The mage stopped her horse by the edge of the swamp, tying it to the tree before proceeding down a slope which lead down into the Berry Swamplands.

In her rush, Nightfall Gleam had tumbled down a few times, coating her face and robes in mud, leaves and twigs, even hitting her head on a small rock on the way down. But she didn’t care. All of this wasn’t important right now. What mattered is doing what she needed to get her report down. If she had to slay a beast to get it, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

Nightfall remembered when her parents first sent her off to Canterlot when they learnt she had an affinity for magic. They had been so proud that day. Nightfall still remembered their smiling faces as she left the doors of her home. She was not going to disappoint them by getting kicked out, or worse, turned into a frog.

“Mother, father, I shall not fail. I shall get this done and I shall write my report. Yes, I will, heheh…”

By the time she arrived at the bottom, her blue robes had already turned a sickly greenish brown, along with much of her face and hair. There was blood trickling down from her cheek from the rock, but she tried to ignore it to the best of her ability. There was even a stick with two leaves on it, sticking from the mage’s messy hair, but she didn’t seem to notice it.

“Oh Secret Fire, where are you now?” Nightfall called out, looking out for her colleague’s red robes.

She never thought she would see the day she would actually need his help. All Secret Fire has managed to do since she knew him, was burn up her notes. There was a reason she wrote them down and that reason is so that she would not have to remember all of them. Good or bad, she had committed many to memory by now, seeing as she had to rewrite many of her notes more than five times now.

He usually infuriated her, but if he could somehow help her through this, she would even give him a kiss.

“Or maybe not…” Nightfall grimaced at the thought.

Her trek through the swamp was not a pleasant one. Nightfall went along the river bank, looking up and around at all the mangrove trees dotting the landscape, hoping to catch a glimpse of red in this brown place. She spotted a few crocodiles in the river, but she figured as long as she didn’t bother them, they wouldn’t bother her.

She remembered the old tales her parents used to tell her about the legendary bogadile. According to legend, it was a massive crocodile, at least three or four times bigger than the regular one, capable of biting an entire boat in two. Thankfully, that was only a legend. Nightfall dreaded seeing the bogadile in real life.

“Secret Fire!” she called out again, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Secret Fire, come out! I need you!”

There was still no answer.

“Where have you gone, Secret Fire?” Nightfall’s left eye began to twitch in annoyance. “The swamplands are not that big, are they? I must find you. I must learn what you’ve learnt and I must write that report! Time is ticking, Nightfall. Time is ticking! You must find Secret Fire. You must!”

And then she tripped again, falling face first into what looked like a pile of mud.

Secret Fire wandered the Berry Swamplands, picking up various plant species around the river’s edge. What he needed right now was a water plant.

“Maybe if I sprinkle enough mushroom dust on one, I would be able to use them as flaming projectiles! With explosive results!” he said to himself cheerily. “Oh, that sounds just marvelous, does it not? King Dawn Saber would surely like it.”

Specifically, the red and yellow haired mage was looking for duckroot, but until then, he would settle for any other water plant.

“Hmm… How about this one?” He plucked up a bladeweed from the mud and stuffed it in his pack where he was keeping all his other samples. “Yes, this will do nicely.”

Walking ahead, Secret Fire pushed past a few reeds and walked into the shallow water. There were a few plants submerged underwater and if he was lucky, there would be duckroot among them.

“Let’s see here…”

As he pushed back the next set of reeds, Nightfall Gleam leapt out at him with a huge smile on her face.

“Aaah!” Secret Fire fell back in surprise and crawled a few centimeters back. “Nightfall Gleam?”

“Hello, Secret Fire!” Her smile somehow managed to widen.

The blue haired mage was coated almost from head to toe in dried mud, and the lower half of her robes and boots were soaked with water. Her normally pretty hair was a mess and there were plenty of sticks sticking out from it. Her eyes had shrunk to pinpricks and she had a sort of a maniacal look on her face. Secret Fire didn’t want to judge, but she looked like she was about to kill him or something. And then there was the smell. Nightfall had definitely stepped on an animal’s excrement, but Secret Fire couldn’t determine where it was coming from. For all he knew, it could’ve been on her face.

“W-What brings you here, Nightfall?”

The crazed mage slinked up to him, crawling on her hands, the big smile still etched on her face. “I’ve been looking for you, Secret Fire, I have, heh, I need something, you see, and you have to help me out. You owe me as much, yes you do!”

“I, uh, I do?” Secret Fire laughed nervously. He didn’t know what she wanted from him, but he hoped it wouldn’t be anything painful.

“I know you’re looking for plants for an experiment or invention and I want in,” Nightfall said, gritting her teeth in her smiling mouth. “I can provide useful advice, I can. How about it? How about it? He he heh… Yes. I will take it as a yes.”

Accepting her own offer, Nightfall got up and went back into the water, squatting down to search for the submerged plants.

Secret Fire got up and scratched his head. He didn’t quite know what had just happened, but Nightfall certainly wasn’t her usual self. She seemed… Out of her mind. Much more so when she tried to kill him for burning up her notes.

But he didn’t think it would be wise to agitate her further, in this state, she might do worse than try to kill him, so he decided to let her help him. Besides, if two people were to look for the duckroot, it would be faster.

“So I need some duckroot, Nightfall,” Secret Fire said as he joined her along the shallow waters of the river bank. “What I am thinking of is merging some mushroom dust on the duckroot, you know, to allow it to burn strong and well. With the water plant’s properties, it should stay aflame much longer. And with the dust, and the duckroot’s mass if balled up, it should explode on impact!”

“Sounds great, Secret Fire, he heh heh… I cannot wait to try it out. Yes, I cannot, we must find this duckroot!” Nightfall laughed to herself, her eyes and mouth as wide as ever.

Something has gone wrong with her… Secret Fire watched his colleague warily. Sure, he normally liked talking to Nightfall and she was a pretty woman, but right now, saying the wrong thing could potentially end his life sooner than he wanted, so he had to play this very carefully.

Nightfall began splashing wildly at the water, looking like she was trying to push it aside so she could see behind it. Secret Fire had to raise an arm when his colleague got more violent, sending the water all the way to him.

“It’s here, I know it’s down here, just got to get it. That’s right, Nightfall. Then you have nothing else to worry about!” The female mage giggled to herself, frightening Secret Fire.

“Umm, that’s right, Nightfall.” Secret Fire wasn’t sure how to take all her ramblings. He told himself they just needed the duckroot, then they can be on their way back to the Mages’ Tower.

As he searched, he suddenly heard Nightfall scream and flipped to face her. To his shock, there was a crocodile, its jaws clamped shut on Nightfall’s robes, thrashing wildly, likely trying to pull her into the swampy water for a tasty lunch.

“Nightfall! Hold on!” Secret Fire searched his pouch for one of his combustible potions. Maybe if he could save her, she’d snap out of her crazy behavior. Maybe she would even fall in love with him.

Now’s not the time for dreaming, Secret Fire. First, you have to rescue her.

Pulling out one of his potions, Secret Fire whipped out his flints and created a spark just above the bottle’s opening. As the first spark mixed with the potion’s contents inside, the liquid began to bubble and shake violently. Secret Fire knew from experience that he had to quickly get rid of the potion and there was better place to throw it than at the crocodile.

“Back! Down! I must have this duckroot! It is mine, not yours!” Nightfall Gleam began bashing the reptile over the head and eyes with her fists unrelentlessly. “You will not take it from me! Ha ha ha, I will have it and I will finish my report!”

Secret Fire could only stare dumbfoundedly as Nightfall gave the crocodile a good beating. The underside of her hands were getting bruised from hitting the crocodile’s tough armor, but she didn’t seem to care. And then to his astonishment, the crocodile let go and began swimming away, clearly defeated. Nightfall gave it one last kick before picking up a clod of duckroot from the water’s surface.

“What a woman…” Secret Fire scratched his head. And then he remembered the potion in his hands, but it was too late. With a final crackle, the bottle exploded, blackening Secret Fire’s entire front and setting his hair and beard on fire. Again.

“Great…” He puffed out smoke from his mouth and collapsed back on the muddy ground.

Nightfall Gleam shifted all her papers aside as she laid the duckroot over her table top. This was it. All she had to do now was test it for its exploding capabilities on impact and she could write her report. And then Clover wouldn’t turn her into a frog! Nightfall could taste the victory now.

“So close, so very close…” she mumbled to herself. She had earlier bandaged up her hands from the cuts and bruises she had inflicted on herself when she fought the crocodile, but to her, it was all worth it. She wasn’t going to let some crocodile steal her prized duckroot, no she wasn’t.

Secret Fire sat behind her, smoke still rising from his hair, but at least the fires had gone out.

“First, you will need a controlled space, Nightfall,” he instructed. “You had a look at what I was holding earlier today. That was just a quick test with other plants. When it lights aflame, you will not want to hold it with your hands.”

“Right, yes, of course.” Nightfall grinned madly, only partially listening to what Secret Fire was saying. She just needed to finish this and she wouldn’t have to worry about another report till the next week.

She put all her notes and supplies down beside her table. She was desperate to get this done, but she still wasn’t going to jeopardize her notes.

“When you have prepared the duckroot and the space. Sprinkle some of the mushroom dust on it.” Secret Fire handed her a small pouch.

Placing the aquatic plant on her table, Nightfall peeled open the bag and scooped out a pinch of the purple dust. She began sprinkling it over the plants, but it was too slow for her. She needed to get the report done as soon as possible before the day was over. By the time they had gotten back to the tower, the sun was already beginning to set, so she didn’t have long now.

Pulling her hand back, Nightfall tossed the remaining dust in her fingers down on the duckroot, then smiled. “Yes. Yes! It’s ready! Now for the fire!”

Secret Fire held out his tongs and flints to her. “Remember, be care-”

Nightfall snatched the items from him and immediately sparked the flints over the plants. On contact, the mushroom dust began setting the duckroot aflame. Nightfall quickly wrapped the duckroot into a ball, now holding on to a flaming plant in the tongs, laughing to herself.

“We have it! We have a fireball!” She jumped on the spot. “Now we just need to make sure it can explode on impact. Maybe out the window. Yes. That will do, heh heh…”

“Wait, Nightfall, where are you going?” Secret Fire followed after her as she made her way across the floor to one of the windows.

“Test. Just need to test this. Then I can write all about it in my report to Clover! Secret Fire and I have invented explosive fireballs! Yes. Yes!”

And in her hurry, Nightfall tripped over the torn edge of her robes where the crocodile had bitten, tearing it further and falling on her face, the tongs and the fireball sailing across the air.

“Get away!” Nightfall heard Secret Fire yell.

And then there was the sound of an explosion. Nightfall and a few mages were thrown back by a wave as the fireball impacted the tower wall. In a burst of brilliant orange and yellow, the floor around them soon turned into a sea of fire, the wood already beginning to weaken and break as the fire spread to the workstations.

Mages of all colors began pouring what water they had on the fire, but it didn’t do any good.

“No, no, my notes!” Nightfall scrambled to her table, where the flames had already began licking at. She grabbed for her notes and materials by the side and was suddenly tackled back by Secret Fire as a spurt of flame leapt up into he air, flying past where she had just been standing, but unfortunately, landing on the wooden beams that held up the floor above.

“Oh dear…” Secret Fire mumbled, then looked down at Nightfall. “Are you hurt?”

Nightfall shook her head, clutching her scrolls tightly in her arms. “No, but the tower! We need to do something.”

The tower was made of stone, yes, but each floor was made of wood and if the fire spread all the way upstairs… Nightfall shuddered what Clover
might do to her now.

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry. This is my fault.” Nightfall covered her face with the scrolls im her arms.

In her rush to get her weekly report to Clover, she hadn’t thought out everything like she normally did. And in her clumsiness, she had potentially destroyed the work of a lot of mages, like how Secret Fire normally did.

“What am I going to do now…?”

“We need to get clear.” Secret Fire pulled on her arm. “We cannot stay here. We need to find water before the whole place crumbles down.”

A few of the mages began scrambling down the stairs while they could. One still tried to stomp out the fire, but fled as well when his robes caught on fire.

“Where are we going to get so much water?” Nightfall wailed. She knew this was it. There was nothing more she could do.

And then as the fires raged, Nightfall Gleam felt something. At first, she thought it was just the heat of the flames, but then she realized it felt more like a breeze. Starting as nothing more than the feeling of someone blowing air at your face, it suddenly increased in power, soon turning into something more like a strong wind capable of felling trees.

“What is going on?” Secret Fire covered his face with an arm as the winds began to pick up speed.

Then almost as abruptly as it had started, it was gone. Gone out the window, taking all the fire with it. Smoke still rose from the floorboards, but the flames had stopped.

The remaining mages looked around as surprised as Nightfall and Secret Fire.

“What was that? A wind?”

“What wind can go out the window like that?”

“What wind steals fire?”

Nightfall got up and returned to her charred workstation, dropping her notes and materials on it as she went over to the window to investigate the strange occurrence.

“Nightfall Gleam,” an old, wizened female voice came from above. The mage looked at the carved stairs as a person in white and gold hooded robes descended at her. In the figure’s right hand was a long staff made of gold and silver, shining like a thousand candles.“I thought it might be you.”

Nightfall cringed as the Magus Superior descended the last few steps and stood at her level. Although she was old and looking increasingly fatigued, Clover the Clever still managed to loom over Nightfall, casting a warm glow from her staff onto Nightfall’s stricken face. Behind her, Light Speckle, her eventual successor, followed.

“Magus Cl-Clover!” Nightfall dithered. “I can explain-”

“There is no need for that. I’ve been scrying you since you rushed off to the swamp. I know everything.”

“Scry? Me? Why me?”

Clover shook her head. “You went rushing after Secret Fire. Normally you avoid him like the plague. After one of your colleagues reported your suspicious behavior to me, I decided to keep a watch on you. And it is a good thing that I did.” Clover shook a wizened old finger at Nightfall, who seemed to shrink. “Your actions today were very irresponsible. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Clover looked like she was at the end of her strength, so Light Speckle ran over and grabbed a stool for her, helping her sit by the staircase leading up.

“I, um, I-” Nightfall was at a lost for words.

And then of all people, it was Secret Fire who decided to help her out. “Magus Superior, it was me. Nightfall Gleam was simply helping me conduct an experiment with duckroot. I am to blame for such a plan.”

Clover simply raised a hand and Secret Fire fell silent. “It was not your plan that caused this destruction, Secret Fire. It was Nightfall’s carelessness. If not for the staff, we would have to find a new tower. Tell me, Nightfall. What was all this rush for? What did you hope to accomplish so quickly?”

“I… I…” Nightfall looked from Secret Fire to Clover and then Light Speckle before sighing. “I’m sorry. It was my weekly report. I had forgotten all about it. I thought perhaps I could get something done and quickly write my report before sundown. Please, Magus Clover, I don’t want to leave the tower or turn into a frog. I promise I will try harder.”

Clover rested her staff in her lap, then squinted up at Nightfall. “Turn you into a frog? Is that some fantasy that you mages down here have come up with?”

The tricolored haired mage blinked a few times, her eyes going wide. “Y-You won’t turn me into a frog?”

“No…” Clover said slowly. “And I’m not going to expel you from the tower either. You are a very valuable mage, Nightfall Gleam. You just have to learn that your place here doesn’t depend on your weekly reports so much as it does on what you actually do.”

“I-It doesn’t?”

“No, I did not make these reports necessary. They are just so I know what you mages have been up to and what you have learnt in your time here,” Clover chuckled weakly. “There is no requirement to actually hand in a report once a week. Just think of it as a good experience to do so.”

Outside, an owl hooted. It sounded like laughter.

“See, even the owls know not to fuss over things too much. Just do what you usually do, and send me a report when you discover something interesting.”

“I… I… Oh.” Nightfall suddenly felt lightheaded. “Maybe I just need a short rest, but, thank you, Magus Clover. I… I should have known better.”

“Don’t mention it,” Clover said with a wry smile. “Just don’t take this to be an excuse to not send me any more reports. I do actually enjoy reading them. All of them.”

“Of-of course, Clover!” Nightfall squeaked. “And I think I’ve learned a very important lesson today.”

36 - Far From It

“Tis getting quite foggy out here.” Sir Trotivere adjusted his helmet, one foot atop a rock, allowing him to rest his elbow on one knee. “Perhaps we should search elsewhere?”

Sir Morn Dread, who hadn’t brought his helmet this time, squinted his eyes, trying to look ahead. “Lady Emerald, what do you think? If you would like to turn back, we may.”

Emerald Edge, who was following close behind both male knights, pointed a finger ahead. “Everywhere else seems to be clear as day. This fog seems unnatural. Perhaps an artifact could be causing it. We should have a look.”

“The lady knight wishes to push on. I support her.” Sir Morn turned back to Trotivere.

“Then so shall I.” The blue armored knight nodded. “I must say, these artifacts of yours are such a mystery. Why, there is so much they are able to do.”

“In truth, Sir Trotivere, I do not know what they are each capable of,” Emerald said, shrugging her shoulders as she followed behind them. “We shall find out when we find one.”

“If there is indeed one in these woods.”

Emerald had lost count, but she knew she had already been searching for artifacts for about two years now and still, she had no results. She dreaded to think there were none left, but she could only hold on to the hope that there were more of Star Swirl’s artifacts out there and if she could not get the shield, then she would have to find them.

Past the fog was a forest of large trees, each one standing at least fifteen times higher than Sir Morn. Their trunks were as thick as a hydra’s neck and their bark as black as the night sky. In any normal circumstance, Emerald would not want to enter such a foreboding place, but if there was indeed an artifact in here, then she knew she had to.

“Come. I shall lead.” Sir Morn removed Clarent from its sheath and walked on. “Such woods look like the home to cutthroats or bears. Stay on guard.”

Trotivere nodded and removed his sword. Emerald knew its name and she had even fought against it long ago during the tournament.

Fragarach.

It’s blade was serrated near the beginning and it widened at the tip. According to Sir Morn, Fragarach was one of the heavier swords of the Knights of the Round Table. Its gems of light pink dotted the hilt, still bright in the increasing density of the fog. Emerald made a joke to herself that if she got lost, she would be able to find Sir Trotivere through his weapon.

She also marveled at how Honor Proof was able to make such beautiful and strong swords. It was no secret that each sword of the Knights of the Round Table was stronger than any other and not to mention, more pleasing to the eyes. Even her own Amore was beautifully crafted.

“Perhaps I should take up blacksmithing some time,” Emerald said to herself as she clambered over a boulder.

The forest seemed to be leading up a cliff side, with the ground beginning to tilt up until it soon became a slope. Emerald watched where she was stepping, knowing a loose rock could easily send her tumbling back down to the bottom. She was in no mood to restart her journey through the forest.

“Would you like some assistance, my lady?” Sir Morn called from above.

“It is not necessary, Sir Morn.” Emerald shook her head, unsure if he could actually see it with the increasing density of the fog. By now, all she could see were silhouettes of her knight companions, with Sir Trotivere still ahead of them. “I am a spymaster. I shall manage.”

“As you say, my lady. But, do be careful.”

Emerald chuckled and took another watchful step up. “I will, Sir Morn. Do not worry.”

Fortunately for her, there were no loose rocks in her path, allowing the former pegasus to make the climb with relative ease. By now, the fog had gotten much thicker, making each tree look like ghosts, their long and gnarly arms ready to strike any moment.

Emerald Edge shook off that imagination and frowned. There were no shades or spectres here, just her thoughts running wild. She wondered if perhaps Spectrum’s and Honeygold’s fairy tales and legends were getting to her.

“Ugh, how much further?” Emerald called out, taking another cluster of steps up the slope. It still looked to go on for a good distance.

Ahead, there was no answer.

“Sir Morn?” Emerald called out again. “Sir Trotivere?”

It was then Emerald noticed there wasn’t a single sound in the woods. No birds, no toads or crickets, while lower down the slope, they had still been making noises happily. It was as though the entire forest had gone deathly silent.

“They must just be much farther ahead.” Emerald decided to think. Perhaps they couldn’t hear her because of that.

Emerald was about to press on again when something caught her attention just to the left of her. She turned her head, eyes darting around, but there was nothing. She thought she had seen movement, but she shrugged it off. It was probably just the fog playing tricks on her eyes.

“Sir Morn? Sir Trotivere?” She decided to try again, but to no avail. Still there was no noise.

Continuing the climb, Emerald kept her eyes up the slope, hoping to see it come to an end as she traveled. From here, it still looked like it kept going on forever, with the fog preventing her from seeing very far.

And then she saw it again. Something darted away in the corner of her vision, but when she turned to look, there was nothing. Just the ghostly shades of trees all around her, and the absence of sound-

Wait. No.

It wasn’t silent. Not any longer. Emerald heard something familiar, coming from somewhere around her. The crunch of rocks beneath a greaved foot. It was the sound of walking.

“Hello? Is it you, Sir Morn? Sir Trotivere?” Emerald looked around for the source, but she couldn’t determine it yet.

There was no answer.

Sensing trouble, Emerald retrieved Amore from its scabbard, holding it out in front of her, keeping her eyes out. There were many footsteps around her now, increasing in volume, telling her that there was more than one human or thing out there, and they were getting closer.

With the forest’s silence, the footfalls seemed to echo out all around her, Emerald’s trained ears betraying her senses already.

Without a second thought, Emerald broke into a run, heading up the slope. Perhaps if she could find Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere, she would stand a better chance against whoever or whatever was out there.

And then it happened. A shape darted out from her left, swinging what looked like a club for her face, ducking, Emerald slashed out her sword, cutting the dark figure across the chest. She heard the sound of armor and flesh ripping as the figure grasped for his chest, coughing.

Emerald didn’t stop to find out who he was. She kept going, still hearing greaves clinking a against the forest floor.

From what she saw, her attacker looked like a knight in black armor, but he had on a long dark cloak and his helmet looked to have the horns of a deer. And there were still more of them out there.

“Sir Morn? Sir Trotivere!” Emerald yelled, hoping to find them before more of these humans showed up. She hoped they were still out there, safe from these people, but worry began to cling at her heart. Emerald wanted more than anything right now, to fall into Sir Morn’s warm embrace, to know he was with her.

And then she saw him. Just ahead, next to a well-sized boulder, was Sir Morn Dread. He was lying on his side, unmoving. Shock appearing all over her face, Emerald instinctively ran over, fearing for the worst. She dropped to her knees and flipped his face to hers, but his eyes were closed, and there seemed to be a huge lump at the back of his head, beneath his blue hair.

Emerald was about to call out his name to wake him, but then she felt something hit her on the back of her head and everything around her went black in an instant.

“...rald. Emerald… Lady Emerald.”

Emerald Edge realized she was awake and slowly opened her eyes. It was Sir Morn who was calling her name.

“Ah, thank goodness, you have returned to us. How are you faring?” her beloved knight asked.

“I… My head hurts…” Emerald tried to reach a hand up to her head, but then realized they were tied behind her back. Looking down, she found her legs bound as well. She struggled against the rope, but found she could not escape. “What happened?”

Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere were beside her, their swords missing from their belts. Both Knights of the Round Table were also bound at the arms and legs, just like her.

“It seems we were knocked unconscious by a blunt weapon,” Sir Trotivere answered. “Whoever has captured us has failed to account that we are Knights of the Round Table and it would prove disastrous if they continue to keep us here.”

“That is if we can escape these binds…” Emerald struggled against her ropes. “Sir Morn, even you cannot?”

The knight in question struggled, but even with his strength, he was not able to escape. “Nay. Whoever has done this has done this well.”

Emerald frowned, but then remembered her hidden blades. Their captors had missed them.

The spymaster was about to unfurl them when she realized their surroundings were much clearer than earlier. They were no longer on the slope, with the forest floor quite flat all around them. The fog had died down, allowing Emerald to see for quite some distance. All around the three knights were the humans in black armor and cloaks. They stood in a circle among trees and boulders, unmoving. None of them held any weapons, but that was from what Emerald could see. Perhaps they would have some under their cloaks.

And then to the front was a black knight, standing almost twice the height of all the other mysterious humans. Unlike the others, his helmet revealed his face, where a long thin moustache spread out from under his nose and past his helmet’s width.

Without warning, the tall knight lurched forward and barked a single word, “Knee!”

Suddenly, all the other black-armored knights around him began to say the same word, over and over again.

“Knee! Knee! Knee!”

“Elbow!”

The knight who said that was suddenly whacked on the head by another. “Fool! Elbow was last week’s word!”

“Oh, yes. Sorry about that.”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!” they continued again.

“What have we stumbled upon here?” Sir Trotivere asked in confusion.

“Let us go.” Sir Morn twisted around in his binds. “Let us go and you shall all live in peace.”

“Silence! We do not listen to just any strangers who wander into our forest,” the tall knight said. “We… are the Knights who say… Knee!”

The rest of his people began chanting the word again, echoing throughout the forest.

“You three have been foolish enough to enter our territory and for that, you must now perform three daunting tasks if you are to be set free from our grasp.” The tall knight had a very high pitched voice, almost comically so. Emerald couldn’t help but focus on his long and thin moustache as he spoke. “If you attempt to run, you will find we are very good at tracking and very good and silencing our invaders.”

I doubt so.

“Now to leave, you must first complete three of our trials. Only then, will we let you go,” the tall knight said smugly. “And you will accept these tasks!”

At that moment, after sharing a glance with Sir Morn, Emerald unfurled her hidden blades, cutting right through her arm binds, then quickly cutting the ones around her legs.

“What? She tries to flee! Kill her!” The tall knight pointed at Emerald.

At once, three of the black knights ran for her, their cloaks flying back to reveal their clubs. Crude weapons, but still deadly enough.

Emerald quickly ducked behind Sir Morn, cutting his arm binds as the knights reached them.

As their assailants attacked, Sir Morn pushed up to his feet, knocking them all back with his arms before Emerald quickly got to work on his leg binds and Sir Trotivere’s.

“Hey, you are not supposed to do that!” the tall knight shrieked.

More of his group charged Emerald and the two men, but with her hidden blades and Sir Morn’s and Sir Trotivere’s unarmed combat, soon, all the tall knight’s men were lying on the ground, incapacitated or injured.

Sir Morn was swift to retrieve Clarent, Fragarach and Amore from a wooden weapon’s rack, tossing them to their owners before pointing its tip at the tall knight.

“Yield, and perhaps we shall let you go unpunished.” Sir Morn touched the tip of Clarent to the middle of the knight’s moustache.

The tall knight still wore his intimidating scowl for a few seconds, looking like he was unperturbed. Then his face changed into one of fear and he cowered back, raising both hands in front of his face.

“Please, do not harm us any further! We only wanted someone to do our trials. Anyone. No one comes to these parts, you see. We get… lonely and bored.”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!” the other black knights chorused.

“No, why would we? We are busy knights.” Sir Morn frowned. “We are Knights of the Round Table of King Dawn Saber of Canterlot. You have wasted our time and resources. Now we are going to leave, and you will be lucky this is all you are getting.”

“Wait, Sir Morn,” Emerald spoke up. Then she turned to the lead black knight. “If we just leave, you’ll just go capturing other people to do your trials. Well, what if we did them? Would you be satisfied then?”

“You would like to participate in our trials?” The tall knight suddenly morphed his face into a surprised smile. “No one has ever participated in our trials! Oh, this is a glorious day for the Knights who say Knee!”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!”

“My lady, are you sure?” Sir Morn looked over to the spymaster. “These men have proven to be capable of cunning and subterfuge. We should not waste time and look elsewhere for your artifacts.”

Emerald looked at the Knights who say Knee and she felt a little sorry for them. They were hiding out in these foggy woods, hoping for people to pass by just so they could capture them and force them to participate in their trials. And from what their leader said, no one has ever come here and participated in their trials. That must’ve been hard for them. All they wanted was a little entertainment to liven up their boring days. As to why they continued to stay here to ambush people instead of moving to live somewhere else, Emerald didn’t know.

“If it would permanently get them off our backs and other people’s, then I agree with Lady Emerald Edge.” Sir Trotivere walked over, sheathing Fragarach. “We should at least see what these trials have to offer.”

Sir Morn looked back to the tall knight. “And do we get anything out of participating in your trials?”

The knight stroked his long moustache. “Normally we would simply award a person with their freedom once they complete our trials, at least, that was our plan if anyone were to show up. But as circumstances have… changed, we could offer you a suitable reward of… a case of shadowbanish wine? It is a specialty of our order. It allows you to see in the dark!”

“See in the dark? Really?” Sir Morn lowered his weapon.

“Oh yes, we have it so we can spot people wandering in the fog at night,” one of the Knights who say Knee said. “And besides, it tastes nice.”

“So what do you say, valiant Knights of the Round Table?” the tall knight stood back up to his full height. “Will you participate in our three perilous trials?”

Emerald shrugged. “Fine. What’s the first trial, then?”

“First!” the tall knight said loudly in his high-pitched voice. “You must journey to the forest’s edge and… plant a row of seeds!”

“Do what?” Sir Trotivere had a confused look on his face, joining Emerald and Morn.

“Planting seeds is a matter unsuited for us knights.” Sir Morn Dread sheathed Clarent. “Tis a matter for a peasant.”

“Oh please,” the tall knight begged.

Emerald looked at her fellow knights and ran her tongue around on her teeth. “And where are we to find these seeds?” she asked.

“Knee! We have them right here!” The tall knight gestured to one of the others, who stepped forward and deposited a small satchel in Emerald’s hands. She opened the bag slightly, revealing a collection of different colored and shaped seeds inside.

“And is there a preferred edge of the forest you would like these planted, or will any side do?”

“Preferably by the south. It is where you three came from.” Then the tall knight lifted an arm horizontally to his body. “Now go! The Knights who say Knee, demand your work!”

“You demand?” Sir Trotivere reached for his sword, but Sir Morn waved him down.

“Leave it, Sir Trotivere. The sooner we do this, the sooner we leave peacefully.”

“We shall return,” Emerald told the Knights who say Knee before walking off, with Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere following behind.

Finding the way back down was easy enough, just needing to see where the ground started to slope back down. Only when they returned to the edge of the forest did Sir Trotivere ask how they were going to dig into the soil without tools.

“You humans have these hands.” Emerald bent down and began scooping at the soil. “You can use them.”

“Digging the earth with our hands? Tis uncouth!” Sir Trotivere took a step back in shock. “Farming is a peasant’s work.”

“If you two don’t want to help, then just wait there.” She handed the seeds over to Sir Morn. “I shall do it.”

Sir Morn sighed and bent down to help. “While I would normally condone such actions, I cannot let a fine lady like you work on your own. I shall assist you.”

“Thank you, Sir Morn.” Emerald quickly snuck in a kiss to his cheek. “I knew I could count on your help.”

“Always,” Morn chuckled.

After digging the first three holes, Sir Trotivere decided to join in as well, though he didn’t look too happy to plunge his hands into the dirt.

“Why are we even doing this?” he complained. “There is no backfire if we were to leave now. They would never know. Perhaps in due time, we could send workers back here to help them farm.”

“Did you see the knight’s face?” Emerald smiled. These Knights who say Knee were just absolutely bored down here. They had likely been waiting for a long time for someone to wander by just so they could give them their trials. Emerald felt partially sorry for them. On the other hand, they did club her over the head. “They are under King Dawn Saber’s rule as well. We should help them.”

“Psh… Very well. But just this once, you hear me?”

In very little time, the trio had buried all the seeds, throwing a small handful into each freshly dug hole and then covering it with earth.

“Well,” Emerald said, dusting her hands on her thighs. “That’s all of the seeds planted. What’s next?”

There was a moment of silence. Then there was a shout of “Knee!” from the bushes behind Sir Morn. The tall black knight popped up, surveying the ground. “You have passed the first trial, Knights of the Round Table. Now… the second trial…” He held up two fingers. “You must journey to the village of Manehampton to the north and get… a flower! Knee!”

“A… flower?” Sir Trotivere said, tilting his head. “Surely we shan’t need to go all the way to Manehampton just to get a flower. There has got to be hundreds in the forest.”

“Not just any flower. You must get… a frostbloom! Knee!”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!” His other knights leapt out from behind various trees and bushes.

“They want us to go to a village a good distance from here.” Sir Trotivere pointed out. “We could leave whenever we want. Who is to know if we do not return here.”

“Oh, come now,” Emerald wheedled. “We are Knights of the Round Table. We must honor our agreements.”

Trotivere shrugged and looked back at the black knights. “The lady speaks the truth. Very well, let us find this frostbloom from Manehampton.”

“The town is in that direction. I shall lead.” Sir Morn pointed to the right and began walking.

Emerald walked alongside Sir Morn, glad that she at least had the chance to be with him. “What do you think they want this flower for?”

“I do not think it has any alchemical properties…” Sir Morn thought. “But then again, I am no mage. Perhaps this frostbloom has some characteristics that I am not aware of.”

Emerald wondered as to why the Knights who say Knee would want a special frostbloom specifically from this town. A town, of all places. That meant this frostbloom would likely be sold in a shop.

Finding their horses where they had left them, by a cluster of trees before the black forest, the three Knights of the Round Table set off at a brisk trot toward the town of Manehampton.

It wasn’t very far, able to be seen from where they set off at the edge of the forest. Emerald had never been there, but Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere seemed to know the place.

“Unfortunately, my lady, we have never purchased flowers before,” Morn Dread admitted. “We will have to search for such a shop.”

“No matter. It would not be too difficult.” Sir Trotivere replaced his helmet on his head. “Flowers are hard to miss, are they not?”

The spymaster nodded. Emerald knew plenty about flowers. Mostly because there were a few species of flower she enjoyed eating, but other than that, she used to watch Light Speckle mix various flowers into her potions, much like the mages did in this world.

The three knights easily arrived at the town, walking right through its low walls as townsfolk looked on at them. Emerald supposed they didn’t see a lot of knights here. She wondered how they defended their town from beasts or bandits.

At first, all they saw were vegetable carts or meat stands, with Emerald trying to hold her breakfast in after watching the man at the stand chopping the head off of a chicken.

That poor chicken…

The town looked like it was greatly in need of a rebuilding, with most of the floor being mud and dirt and a few of the cottages still sporting hay rooftops.

“Even Trottingham wasn’t this bad…” Emerald said to herself. She craned her neck, looking around for a shop that might sell a frostbloom, but there was too much fog and there were too many people to see clearly.

“We’ll never get anywhere like this,” Sir Morn said at last. “Come. Let us dismount and ask one of the villagers for directions.”

Trotivere and Emerald nodded, slipping down from their horses. Trotivere offered to stay back and watch the steeds while Emerald and Sir Morn went ahead to find someone to ask. It wasn’t long before they encountered an old woman who was swinging something at a wall.

“Is… is that a... cat?” Emerald asked hesitantly. “Why is she doing that?”

It had been a long time since Emerald had last seen a cat. She almost didn’t remember what cats were until she saw that poor creature being slammed against the wall.

“Halt! Stop!” she yelled and pulled the cat from the old woman’s grasp, gently patting it on the head. “What the hay do you think you are doing to this poor cat?!”

“What?” the old woman said grumpily, squinting up at Emerald. “Pussycat wasn’t catching as many mice as usual, so I showed him what happens to lazy cats around here!”

“And you thought beating your cat would make it work better?” Emerald said incredulously.

The old woman shrugged. “Worked for my husband. Who do you think you are, anyway? Sticking your nose where it don’t belong.”

“Pardon our intrusion.” Sir Morn bowed. “We are Knights of the Round Table of King Dawn Saber’s court. We have come to your humble village in search of a rare flower.”

“A frostbloom to be precise...” Emerald finished for him. “Do you know where your flower shops are?” She put the cat back on the ground, where it quickly scurried away back into the house with a loud meow.

The old woman’s eyes bulged as Emerald said ‘frostbloom’, shrinking back like a cornered rat with a hiss. “Who sent you?!” she asked warily.

The fury that the old woman had in her eyes was quickly replaced by one of fear.

“Over by that black forest, not too far from here.” Sir Morn pointed past the cottages. “There are a group of knights there who call themselves the Knights who say Knee. They have sent us here to collect a frostbloom for them.”

The old woman suddenly shook her head wildly. “No, no frostblooms here. You are mistaken.”

“Are you sure?” Emerald pressed. “The Knights who say Knee seemed certain there would be one here.”

“Do not say that word! It is a curse to utter such a word!” the old woman yelped.

“What, ‘here’?”

“No, not here. The other word! Saying it will bring doom to us all!”

Emerald looked to Sir Morn for advice, her brows creased in confusion. The other knight glanced back at Emerald and shrugged.

“What word? Knights? Certain? Knee-”

“That one!” the old woman gasped. “I’ll tell you anything, just don’t say that word!”

Emerald continued to watch the woman in confusion, but didn’t say anything else. She was already going to give them the information they wanted and she didn’t want to lose that chance. Still, she didn’t know what was wrong with the word. All humans had knees. Two, in fact.

They were soon pointed towards a flower shop, which wasn’t too far away. It was, of course, an almost broken stand with mushrooms growing by one of its legs. Fortunately, they didn’t need to stay long. With Sir Morn purchasing the flower for twenty bits, a little overpriced for such a small village, the three knights were soon on their way back to the black forest, with Emerald wondering just what all these trials were for.

“Yes, it is a very nice frostbloom you have brought back.” The tall knight held up the light blue flower as he inspected it. “I especially like how the tendrils curl around each other like that.”

“Yes, now that we have brought you your flower, what have we to do for our final trial?” Sir Morn Dread got to the point. It seems even he only had a limited patience for these knights’ petty tasks.

Emerald herself hoped it would be something easy and close by. At least then, they would be quickly on their way in her search for more of Star Swirl’s artifacts.

“Plant this by the tallest tree in the forest.” The tall knight handed the frostbloom to one of his minions. “Knee! And make sure it is placed nicely.”

“Knee! Knee!” the others squeaked as the chosen knight scurried off.

“And now for your third and final trial! Knee!” the tall knight said and folded his arms, earning another chorus from his black knights. “There is a hidden lake in this forest, hidden from our eyes by… shrubbery!”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!”

“And you want us to… find this lake?” Sir Trotivere asked, resting a hand on Fragarach’s pommel.

“You must find the lake… And you must bathe in it!”

“Bathe in the lake?” Sir Morn repeated. “Why?”

“It is a clean lake. You would like it, and… it makes our trial slightly harder.”

Emerald shrugged and looked to her companions. “Sounds simple, does it not?”

“Too simple,” Trotivere groused. “And yet at the same time all too hard.”

“I do not see a problem. It is simply bathing in a lake that is hidden. I could use a bath after this long journey.” Emerald sniffed at her left arm. “So where is this lake?”

“I cannot tell! But it is in this forest.” The tall knight squeezed his moustache. “But you will find it and you will bathe! Knee!”

“Perhaps it is nearer the bottom?” Sir Morn looked down over to the slope’s direction. “Water flows down, does it not?”

“Is it there or not?” Sir Trotivere asked the tall knight.

He chuckled and so did his minions. “Far from it! That is your last and final clue! It is within the forest. It it not at the forest's edge, but deep within!”

“Knee! Knee!” The other black knights began squawking.

Sir Trotivere and Sir Morn looked unimpressed.

“Very well,” Trotivere said at last. “We will search for this lake. But after we’re done with it, no more tomfoolery, understand? We are only doing these trials to ease your boredom.”

“Knee! Knee! Fine! No objections here.”

“I am,” Sir Morn muttered with a sniff, “growing tired of hearing ‘knee’.” Emerald privately agreed, but kept quiet so as not to antagonize the Knights who say Knee.

With nothing else for it, Emerald and the other two Knights of the Round Table headed off into the forest, using their swords to hack away the underbrush. Up ahead, the spaces between the tall black trees were slowly but steadily getting filled up with more brambles and bushes, some too thick to even walk through, hence their swords in hands.

Emerald figured that if the brush kept thickening, then they were going in the right directions. The Knights who say Knee did say the lake was hidden by shrubbery.

Emerald felt a cool breeze blow over her face.

“We must be getting close,” she announced. “I can feel it.”

“I feel nothing,” Trotivere said, lifting his helmet’s visor and looking around. “But I do smell water.”

“Tis the truth.” Sir Morn sniffed at the air. “Much water.”

Hacking through the last few scraps of shrubbery, the trio were treated to a view of a medium-sized lake, with clear, mirror-like water and flowers growing around its shores. There was a small island in the middle of the lake, upon which a single solitary tree grew, bigger and stronger than any other in this black forest.

“Such beauty…” Emerald breathed. “It would be an honor to bathe in such a place as this.”

Emerald’s gauntlets were quick to fall to the grassy floor, but as she began working on her chest armor, a hand stopped her.

“Lady Emerald, what are you doing?” It was Sir Morn, and for once, his cheeks were slightly colored. Emerald had never seen his face flushed before. She didn’t think it was in his person to feel embarrassed; she wondered what was making him feel so.

“Umm… You humans remove your attire to bathe, yes?” She unfastened the last of her armor’s straps and dropped it beside her gauntlets. “That is what I am doing.”

“But this is not a bathhouse!” Trotivere hissed, turning away. “Please, Lady Emerald, have some decency.”

“It’s not like I’m shaving my coat off or anything,” Emerald said with a snort.

As she peeled off her under-tunic, Sir Morn also averted his eyes.

“Look, my lady, if you want to bathe in this lake, by all means do so, but Sir Trotivere and I will keep watch by the shore. What do these knights mean by ‘bathing’ anyway. Just a quick dip in, or do they want us to linger in the lake. Either way, tis a poor strategy to drop our armor and weapons. They might ambush us once we were rid of them.”

“True,” Trotivere said, nodding in agreement. “It only makes sense for us to stay at the shore and stand guard.”

“As you say, sir knights.” Emerald bent down and removed the remainder of her clothes. “But you are indeed missing out on such clear waters.”

Emerald put one foot into the water and squeaked. It was awfully cold, much colder than the water at the bathhouse. Humans were so prone to the cold. It was one thing Emerald didn’t like about this world.

“My lady, are you faring well?” Sir Morn asked, his back and Sir Trotivere’s still facing her.

“I am. The water is just cold. I shall get used to it in time,” Emerald answered and brought her other foot into the lake.

Immersing herself fully in the waters of the lake, Emerald fought back a shiver. The lake was unusually clear, to be sure. She could see all the way to the bottom, where there were small fish foraging among the stones. She looked closer. Those were some oddly shaped white stones littering the bottom.

“Huh. I’ve never seen rocks like that before,” Emerald said to herself as she kicked out and drifted toward the central island. It felt vaguely reminiscent of her first day in this world, where she had fallen into the lake. However, without her armor to weigh her down, she felt much better about swimming, however, she found it wasn’t as easy to paddle and stay afloat with a human body. She had difficulty keeping her head above the water as she fumbled her way around the lake.

Overhead, the sun shone brightly, but it did little to alleviate the coldness of the lake waters. With a few final splashes, Emerald arrived at the tree in the middle of the lake.

“Whew,” the former pegasus huffed. “That was harder than I imagined.”

With the objective being to bathe in the lake, the former spymaster took the chance to start washing her body in the water as she looked up at the tree, spotting a small yellow bird hopping along one of the branches.

“Hello,” Emerald said, and the bird chirped back. Abruptly, there was a breath of wind and the bird wasn’t there anymore. A dark shadow streaked across the island and Emerald was shocked to behold that a large owl had caught the yellow bird, and was now in the process of swallowing it. “Hey, put that poor bird down!”

The owl paused mid-swallow, looking down at Emerald. Then it rotated its head backwards and continued eating.

Scrambling out of the water, Emerald ran over to the tree and began to scale it. “Just you wait. I will show you something when I get up there.”

Once again, her wings would’ve been much more effective here, but she had to remind herself she had lost them on her way to this world.

As Emerald put her hand on one of the higher branches, the tree seemed to shiver, the leaves shaking and loose ones falling down. The owl’s eyes bulged and it spat out the yellow bird before flying off into the forest.

“What was that?” Emerald muttered, descending from the branches now that the yellow bird was no longer being eaten. She dropped down to ground level and made her way over to the bird. It was slimy from the owl’s saliva, but a quick dip into the lake got rid of that. The yellow bird chirped in thanks to Emerald before flying away. Emerald wiped her hands on her legs before turning around to look at Sir Trotivere and Sir Morn. They were stoutly standing guard, their backs to her. She was about to call out to them when the ground shook slightly, causing her to pause and look around.

“Not another earthquake?” She looked around, but Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere didn’t seem to feel it.

Then after that came the crackling of branches, the sound a tree made when it was about to fall. Understanding, Emerald turned back to the tree, just in time to roll out of the way as a portion of the large tree came crashing down beside her, only, it wasn’t some accident. The portion that had crashed down was still attached to the main tree, but Emerald could make out four fingers, ending in sharp bark, now clawing into the dirt as it drew back towards the tree.

“What in Equestria is this?” Emerald breathed and took a step back, the back of her right foot touching the lake’s clear water.

“My lady, are you doing fine?” She heard Sir Morn call from the other side of the lake. Emerald raised an eyebrow in confusion as to why they couldn’t see the attacking tree, but she guessed they were probably still facing their backs to her.

“The tree!” she yelled out to them as a second hand emerged from against the trunk, pushing against the ground. “The tree is trying to kill me!”

“You’ll have to speak up, Lady Emerald,” Trotivere shouted, still not turning around. “For a moment is sounded like you said the tree was trying to kill you!”

“It is!”

Sir Morn and Trotivere glanced at each other. This was a difficult choice, in terms of the chivalric code. Here there was a lady in distress that by the code they were bound to aid, yet if they turned around to help, they would be looking at a naked maiden, which was also strictly against the code.

“I do not think we were trained for a situation like this…” Trotivere admitted, shuffling his feet.

Sir Morn grimaced back, his hand gripping Clarent’s hilt but not drawing it. “It is a predicament,” the knight said.

“Sir Morn! Sir Trotivere!” Emerald called again.

The tree had already pushed itself up, uprooting itself. There were two stubby legs under its trunk and the top half of it had a face carved into it, its eyes and mouth now glowing orange.

Without backup, Emerald decided to scramble back to where the other two knights were. Leaping into the water, Emerald waded through as much as she could before swapping to all fours, paddling her way back across the lake.

There was a roar behind her and the tree began lumbering towards her, its huge arms helping it walk forward.

Back at the shore, Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere were growing restless with all the noise.

“Do you suppose… we should turn around?” Sir Morn asked hesitantly.

Trotivere bit his lip. “No. We cannot risk sullying our honor as knights by laying eyes on an unclothed lady. I am sure Lady Emerald can make it back here and dress, then we will turn around.”

“Oh. All right. Tis a good plan.”

By now, Emerald was almost halfway back to the other two knights, who were standing with their backs to her with their hands on their swords. She just couldn’t understand why they weren’t trying to help her. This was simply absurd.

“Why are you two… pleh… Still standing there!” Emerald said while spitting the lake water from her mouth as she tried to keep her head above the water.

And then the tree was in the water, splashing its way through behind her. It felt dangerously close now.

“You two!” And then Emerald felt the rough bark wrap around one of her legs and in no time, she was dangling above the water, looking into the eyes of the tree monster. “I need assistance!”

“Stay here.” Sir Morn unsheathed Clarent and held it in both hands. He wasn’t going to wait around any longer.

“What are you doing?” Sir Trotivere asked, appalled. “You cannot lay eyes on Lady Emerald’s body! Tis uncivilized.”

“I shan’t have to.” Sir Morn smirked and closed his eyes. “That is why, you stay here. I shall go.”

Taking a deep breath, Sir Morn Dread focused his thoughts and exhaled. He could see it in his mind. A vague mental image of the area around himself, made of hazy colors. He could see the outline of Trotivere beside him, the calm flatness of the lake, and the eddies of wind as they tickled the grass. More importantly, he could sense the disturbed water in the lake, as well as the faint shape of Emerald and some hulking creature near her. The entire vision pulsed like a heartbeat with every breath he took. His hand fumbled on the ground for Emerald’s sword, and as soon as his fingers brushed Amore’s hilt, he drew it and raced toward the struggling Emerald, wading into the water with his armor.

“My lady!” Sir Morn shouted, keeping his eyes tightly shut. “Catch!”

And then he threw it, listening as it spun through the air towards Emerald’s scent.

He could picture her, lifting an arm, reaching for her blade. And then she caught it, instantly using it to shear off one of the creature’s fingers, cutting right through the thick appendage.

Inhaling again, Sir Morn knew Emerald fell back into the water, already swimming away from the hulking creature. Emerald had mentioned it was a tree, and the only thing he could think of was a treant, but he had yet to open his eyes to see. And he was not going to open his eyes.

“My lady, to me!” He reached out a hand towards her scent.

He could picture her still paddling as he waded out as far as he could. He could also see the treant, still walking towards them, rage emanating from it. It put a burning feeling against Morn’s tongue, but he tried his best to ignore it.

And then he felt Emerald’s hand close over his and he pulled her to him, scooping her up in both his arms and wading back to the shore as fast as he could move in the water. Emerald’s bare skin was soft in his touch, but there were more pressing issues to think about.

“Thank you, Sir Morn.” He felt Emerald run a hand down his cheek. “But why do you not just open your eyes? How can you see with your eyes closed?”

“Alas, my lady, we cannot look upon your unclothed body. It is uncouth of us to do so.” Morn smiled. “And tis no trouble. I can smell your presence and the treant’s. It still approaches.”

“You humans and your strange customs.” Emerald shook her head. When the got back to shore, Sir Morn let her go and she scrambled to get her clothes back on. At least then, the two knights would be able to see.

The former pegasus got her smallclothes and outer clothes back on before picking Amore back up. The treant, as Sir Morn said, was already upon them, lifting both arms high.

“I am ready! Eyes open!” Emerald yelled and readied her sword.

“Finally!” Sir Trotivere turned around and brandished Fragarach. “Time to do battle!”

The treant swung its arms down, but Sir Morn was already to its side, cutting at its leg. With one clean sweep, the entire leg was sheared from its trunk and it fell with a roar and a splash. Trotivere leapt out into the water and cut at its trunk, his weapon also easily cutting through the bark.

Emerald looked at her Amore and smiled. Honor Proof really made wondrous weapons. Entering combat, Emerald attacked one of the treant’s arms, slicing off two of its fingers as it reached for her again.

It bellowed to the air and then fell to the side, trying to crush Sir Morn and Sir Trotivere, but the two knights easily stepped out of the way.

“We will need to dry ourselves before moving on…” Sir Trotivere complained and stabbed his sword deep into the treant’s trunk. “What a bother. This creature’s heart is under its mouth. We must strike it to end the fight quickly!”

Emerald nodded and charged back in. She dived under one of the treant’s swings, swallowing a mouthful of water as she splashed deeper into the lake. Reemerging, she grabbed ahold of its trunk and began climbing. Morn and Trotivere assisted her from the sides, with the former grabbing one of its arms and holding it down, while Trotivere cut away at the other side of its trunk, closer to its last leg.

“Will. You. Just. Keel over. And die!” Sir Trotivere shouted, punctuating each word with a slash of his sword. “It’s heart, Lady Emerald!”

Stopping beneath its mouth, Emerald got a faceful of treant breath before drawing her sword back and thrusting it as hard as she could through the treant’s trunk. The fine steel went right through the tough bark, all the way to the hilt.

The treant roared, its mouth dripping with tree sap. It staggered backward, tried one last time to reach out to the knights before collapsing backward into the lake with an almighty splash.

Emerald emerged back up from the water and paddled back to the other two knights, who were already by the shore, shaking the water from their arms and legs.

“I am glad that this is over…” Sir Trotivere took off his helmet and tipped it upside down, pouring out water from inside. “Fantastic work, Lady Emerald. A treant is no easy opponent.”

“It wasn’t just all my work.” Emerald pulled at her ponytail and wringed it like a wet cloth. “It is thanks to you two that I was able to get close enough to finish it. But as for earlier… You knights need to rethink your priorities. I could have died there.”

“We can never lay our eyes upon a maiden’s unclothed body,” Sir Trotivere explained. “Tis simply barbaric. Only once we have married, may we do such a thing.”

“I really do not get what is the matter, clothes or no. Back in Equestria, we sometimes go around without our armor.” Emerald looked to Sir Morn. “Even you, Sir Morn?”

“Um, yes, Lady Emerald.” The knight scratched at his cheek. “You see, we are… are not married, not yet.”

“Oh. Yes… You are right.” Emerald blushed. All they were right now were lovers. By their code, even this was still not enough to see a naked body. Such self control they have.

“I suppose we have completed the third task.” Trotivere sheathed his sword. “We should tell the Knights who say Knee and finally be on our way.”

“Knee! There is no need!” The tall knight and his black knights suddenly emerged from the shrubbery around the lake. “We have seen it all! You have triumphantly succeeded in your task and have completed the Trials of the Knights who say… Knee!”

“Knee! Knee! Knee!” the others chattered.

“You were… watching?” Sir Morn stomped over to the tall knight and grabbed him by the cloak. “You dare to watch an unclothed lady bathe herself?”

The tall knight laughed nervously and looked away. “You see, she had a rather nice figure-”

Sir Morn’s fist found his face and he fell back over one of his knights. The other Knights of Knee scattered and looked at their fallen leader.

“Now, if we are done here, we would like to leave.” Sir Morn put his helmet on and folded his arms. “And you knights. You are to no longer prey upon unsuspecting travelers for your trials. Is that understood? If we find out you continue to do so, it shan’t just be a punch.”

The other black knights cowered back and nodded vigorously, followed by short bursts of, “Knee.”

Emerald smiled as the knights nodded in agreement. She loved it when Sir Morn fought for her. It made her feel… wanted and loved. It was a nice feeling.

“We shall take that wine now. As our victory reward?” Morn held out his hand towards the knights.

Dutifully, one came forward and held out the bottle of shadowbanish wine, though very hesitantly. Sir Morn, however, wasn’t hesitant in taking it.

“My thanks, good knights.” And he walked past them with a smile on his face.

“Come, let us go. We shall need to travel far for dinner.” Sir Trotivere beckoned as he stepped back into the shrubbery. “Tis a shame. I was looking forward to seeing one of your world’s artifacts, Lady Emerald.”

“I too, but at least we have dealt with a problem here.” She stepped over the tall knight’s dazed body, also looking back to the treant’s carcass. “In more ways than one.”

True, they hadn’t found an artifact or clues of more artifacts again today, but at least they would be making life easier for the humans in the area. If anything, they did a good thing today and that made Emerald happy as they proceeded back down the slope to their horses.

Today was a day of triumph.

37 - Forever Free

Daffodil, one of the villagers of Trottingham, had only left her home that morning when a group of horses stomped past her front door, almost trampling her underfoot. Taking a step back against her front door, Daffodil noticed each horse had a rider and each rider was clad in dark leather armor and a hooded cloak, weapons strapped at their sides.

These men didn’t look like guards from Canterlot, and fearing they could be bandits, Daffodil threw her door back open and tried to go back inside, but before she could step even a second foot into her home, a hand had grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her back outside, yanking so hard that she fell to the dirt ground with a thud. She heard her door slam shut and when she looked up again, there was a sword tip pointed for her face, dangerously close.

“Get up,” the hooded man before her ordered.

“Please, if it is coin you wish, my bits are all yours, please don’t hurt me…” Daffodil tried to crawl back.

“No, it is not bits we want. Not today.” The hooded man put his sword to the side and pulled her roughly to her feet. “Move. Town square. Now.”

By now, tears were pooling at the side of her eyes. She wasn’t sure what these men had come here to do, but she feared the worst. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone into her home and pulled her family out as well. For now, they were safe.

“What are you doing?” she tried to ask her captor, but he said nothing.

Over by the town’s well, she spotted another four hooded men, each one standing in a circle around more villagers, each of their arms bound behind their backs.

When she was closer, the man behind her forced her to her knees and tied her arms behind her back as well.

“Stay,” he barked, then walked off towards another house.

“What is going on…?” Another villager, Garden Pants, trembled.

“Silence!” One of the hooded men clubbed him on the face with the pommel of his sword.

Daffodil let out a small squeak as Garden Pants fell to his face, unable to push himself up.

As she sat with the other captured townsfolk, Daffodil noticed one of the hooded men, slightly wider in size, walked to the middle of Trottingham and pulled his hood down. What she saw shocked her.

It was the Sheriff of Trottingham, at least, he used to be the sheriff, before he was sent off to prison.

“Listen, Trottingham!” he bellowed, his bright red hair a sharp contrast against his dark attire. “Today, Trottingham has returned under my rule! My law! Rest assured, I will not kill any of you unless I have reason to! I only want one person dead, and that person is Posey Hood, the outlaw! As long as I have these hostages behind me, Canterlot will not interfere! I have already sent word ahead! If Posey Hood does not appear by sundown, then you will all perish!”

Daffodil swallowed hard. A villager beside her tried to run, but he only made it about seven steps before one of the men shot him down with an arrow.

The others began screaming again, but one of the men around them struck his sword against the well and yelled for them to be silent, which they all fearfully complied with.

Daffodil watched the hooded men anxiously, afraid of all the things they could do to them if Posey Hood didn’t show up.

She shook her head. No. All this time, the archer had been helping them, put into a bad light by the Sheriff of Trottingham, because of the bits he had lost. Daffodil knew even now, the archer would come to their aid.

Even now, she was probably already assessing the situation, ready to strike.

Posey had only just dropped her chopped tomatoes into her pot when Gabriel flew down from the sky, squawking to her.

The pink haired archer widened her eyes, then put down the ladle she was holding, swiftly going for her bow and arrows by her tent. “Go, I shall follow.”

As Gabriel took back to the skies, Posey ran on under him, running along the grass. When her path ended at a slope leading up, Posey climbed atop one tree, then using one of its branches, she hopped over to the next tree, followed by the next as she made her way through the Shetland Forest.

It wasn’t every day that she had visitors here, but when she did, it mostly likely meant trouble.

Gabriel screeched overhead, then tucking in his wings, did a dive down, vanishing into a brush. Slowing her speed, Posey leapt across to one more free before swinging herself down using a branch.

She could hear a voice now, just past the brush where Gabriel had flown through to. Walking in, Posey soon emerged on the other side, arriving at the main path people used to traverse the Shetlands, and there standing beside Gabriel, was Sir Ganeighn and his horse, if Posey remembered her name, Ragnel.

“Ah, there you are, archer.” The knight smiled and walked closer to Posey. “I thought you would not be far from your bird.”

“Sir Ganeighn.” Posey blushed, fiddling with her bandana. “I heard from Gabriel you were here. What brings you to the forest today?”

“Why, I came to find you,” Sir Ganeighn replied.

“Y-You did?”

The knight nodded his head. “Trottingham is in trouble. You remember the Sheriff of Trottingham? The Ex-Sheriff of Trottingham. He has taken the town and he wants you in exchange for the safety of the townsfolk.”

“Oh-Oh, he has?” Posey shook her embarrassment out of her face and put on a more serious expression.

Posey figured this must be for revenge for having him arrested back when she freed Trottingham with Emerald, Morn and Spectrum Song, and also most likely for all the trouble she had caused him and the bits she had stolen while he was still in a position of power. The Sheriff must have escaped from prison somehow and is now here using Trottingham to try to draw her out. Posey wasn’t going to allow this.

“We cannot let the townsfolk get hurt, Sir Ganeighn.” Posey pointed at the forest path. “Are you all Canterlot has sent?”

“I came willingly, Posey.” Ganeighn put a hand on his sword, Galatine. “He is after you, so I figured I would provide you assistance.”

“A knight providing me with assistance?” Posey shyly kicked a pebble on the ground. “Oh, it should be the other way around, Sir Ganeighn. I would be honored to assist you.”

“Believe me, archer, I would lend you aid any chance I get.”

Posey let her eyes linger on the knight’s for a few seconds, before her fear took over and she averted her eyes from his, pinching at her sleeve unconsciously. “R-Right, shall we ride to Trottingham, sir knight?”

“At once.” Ganeighn got back atop Ragnel and held out a hand to Posey. “Take my hand.”

Posey took Ganeighn’s hand and he simply lifted her off her feet as she clambered atop his horse. At first, she hesitated putting her arms around the knight because she was embarrassed to do so, but after almost tipping off Ragnel, Posey decided to do so, though a bit shakily.

The ride over to the small town was a quick one, with Posey’s campsite already quite close just in case there was trouble she had to solve. She never would have thought the town’s trouble would be anything like this. She had already freed the townsfolk from the Sheriff once before, but it looks like she would have to do it again, though this time, she wasn’t going to make the same mistake by sending him to prison.

“Sir Ganeighn, if you will.” Posey tapped him on the shoulder gently. “I will send Gabriel to scout out the town first. He will tell us exactly what we will be dealing with.”

“Tis a good sounding plan, Posey.” The knight nodded his head. “As you can see from my equipment, I am not prepared for… your sneaky tactics. I shall approach the front of town as we have done before. And then you do what you do best, archer.”

“Yes. And Sir Ganeighn?” Posey smiled, lowering her eyes to the ground. “Thank you, for coming here to help me…”

“Like I said, tis my pleasure to always do so.”

Posey blushed again, keeping those words in her mind. Then remembering her plan, she looked up and whistled. In one swift glide, Gabriel was down, perched on her arm. She whispered her plan into her friend’s ear and as fast as he had flown down, Gabriel was soon back up in the sky, flying ahead of them to Trottingham.

“And now we wait…” Posey mumbled, already planning what to do in her mind.

Twelve men. Four women. One Sheriff of Trottingham.

Those were the odds Gabriel had brought back to her.

Posey now sat in a nearby tree bordering Trottingham, watching from the shade. She easily caught sight of the Sheriff, with his bright red hair visible all the way from her perch.

By the town’s well, he had gathered and bound a few of the townsfolk, likely going to use them as leverage to get her out; Posey already deduced she would have to free them first before she could take the man down.

And that is what she had told Sir Ganeighn before they parted ways. The Knight of the Round Table decided he was going to cause a distraction, like always, by walking through the town’s main entrance and calling for the Sheriff and his people’s attention, giving Posey the chance to sneak around and rescue the hostages.

It sounded easy enough. But plans rarely followed through with such ease.

She owed it to the knight to succeed. He had come all his way just to help her out. Looking to her left hand, Posey smiled to herself. That was where Sir Ganeighn had kissed her before going his own way. It was a nice thought, but just thinking about it already began to make her face glow red.

Right. Concentrate, Posey. It will soon be time.

Reaching back, the pink haired archer retrieved her bow and an arrow, readying them in her hands as she waited, eyes alert and attentive.

When Sir Ganeighn made his presence known over at the entrance to the town, the Sheriff and most of his followers ran over to investigate, leaving only a few to guard the town’s surroundings and the hostages by the well.

Thank you, Sir Ganeighn.

Aiming, Posey directed her eyes to one guard standing alone between two houses, her attention directed to the forest surroundings. Holding her breath, Posey let go of her arrow and sent it sailing right into the center of the guard’s chest. She looked down, shocked, before falling to the floor.

Posey left her perch, running along the grassy floor until she arrived on Trottingham’s cobbled ground. She kept her footfalls quiet and kept her body low as she crept towards the well. She knew Gabriel would be above, keeping an eye on her, which provided the archer a sense of comfort and calmness as she moved.

And just as she was about to peek around a house, her eagle squawked from above, alerting her to an approaching guard. Finding nothing but a low cut shrub, Posey didn’t think twice to leap into it, concealing herself just in time as the guard rounded the corner, sword in hand.

Peering out through the shrub’s leaves, Posey let out a shrill whistle, like she was trying to call over an animal. The guard took the bait and walked over, investigating the sound. Just before she could look inside the bush, Posey struck first, standing straight up and pulling her in. She smashed the guard’s face against the many branches and soil before sticking an arrow through the guard’s neck; she barely had any time to cry out before Posey finished the job.

So far so good…

And then she was moving again, heading for the well. Past the houses, she could see Sir Ganeighn speaking with the Sheriff and a few of his men. The knight still didn’t have his weapon drawn, which was a good thing for Posey. That meant she still had more time to get the hostages to safety before a fight could start.

On the way, Posey managed to shoot another lone guard before spotting the few at the well, watching the hostages. There were five of them in total and they were actually keeping a rather good watch of the townsfolk and the surrounding area.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

Looking up and nodding to Gabriel, Posey reached back and pulled her brown hood low over her eyes, masking her pink hair. It was a bright color and concealing it meant she had a higher chance of getting closer unnoticed.

The archer kept to the side, following along the buildings, moving as slowly as she could. She knew Sir Ganeighn wouldn’t be able to keep them distracted for long, but she couldn’t risk being seen. Not yet.

Ducking behind another bush, Posey was close now, close enough to see that one of the female guards had freckles under her eyes. Thankfully, they still had yet to spot her, too busy looking around at the town’s border and the hostages. Sometimes, it was the most obvious places that one could hide more effectively.

It was now or never.

Looking up to the sky, Posey spotted Gabriel and gave him a shrill whistle. The whistle also caught the attention of the nearest guard, the one with the freckles, who looked around in confusion before deciding to walk over to the bush.

This was it. It was time to act.

Leaping out of the bush, Posey grabbed the freckled woman and speared an arrow through her neck as Gabriel swooped down from the sky, harassing one of the remaining three guards. Already nocking an arrow, Posey fired, at the same time reaching back and already nocking a second arrow.

Thwack, thwack.

Two guards fell to their feet before the third one retrieved a dagger from his belt. Before he could cut Gabriel, Posey was beside him, sweeping his legs from under him. He tried to stab up at her with his dagger, but Posey put her weight into her arms as she fought against it. Then she kicked him in between his legs, earning a startled high pitched squeal from the guard as one hand let go of his dagger.

That was all Posey needed. Twisting the dagger from his grasp, she let herself fall atop him, puncturing the small blade through his chest.

The archer wasted no time in going over to free the captured townsfolk, ripping the knife back out from the guard as he lay there dying.

“Go now. You are free.” She quickly sawed off the rope bound around their arms. “Find shelter. I will see this to its end.”

“Thank you…” a woman with blonde hair gasped as she rubbed her wrists. “I knew you would come to help us.”

Posey nodded her head, turning away when she blushed. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She normally worked from the shadows, kind of like Emerald. Receiving praise and thanks still wasn’t very much of something she could handle.

“An-anytime.” Then she looked over to the town’s entrance. The Sheriff and his men had seen her already and they were already on their way over. At least, most of them were.

“Go, get to safety.” Posey shooed the townsfolk away with one hand, then stood up.

Sir Ganeighn was currently facing off against three of the Sheriff’s men, while four already lay dead around his feet. Trust such a skilled knight to quickly dispatch his enemies.

The Sheriff had out a broadsword and behind him, both of his men carried swords and shields. Posey creased her eyebrows. Shields were a problem for her arrows.

Moving to one of the bodies, the archer retrieved a shortsword for herself, also keeping the dagger she had used earlier in her other hand.

“There you are!” the Sheriff barked at her once he was close enough, his red moustache wiggling under his large nose. “I knew that knight was a ruse! I will not fall for the same trick twice!”

Not like you did anything about it, in the end. Posey readied her stance. “You were looking for me, so here I am.”

“And so you are. And now you will die.” The Sheriff of Trottingham growled at her. “You have caused me enough misery in Trottingham. It is time I get rid of you once and for all.”

“I can say the same about you.” Posey narrowed her eyes as the two guards began to circle around her. “Trottingham deserves to be forever free from your tyranny.”

“Oh, it will be ‘forever free’, as you say, scoundrel,” the Sheriff scoffed. “Once I have dealt with you, I will burn all of Trottingham to the ground. I have had enough with this place. I can always get rich somewhere else. The forests, or what will be left of them will be ‘forever free’ of this stain of a town and its disease of a people.”

“Ha, good one, boss,” one of the guards guffawed, holding his shield close to his face. “You might as well rename the Shetland Forest the Forever Free Forest.”

“You said it, Jacks! The Forever Free of Trottingham and All its People Forest!” The other guard sneered at Posey. “You’re going down, Posey Hood.”

And then they charged forward, shields raised. Posey rolled away from the first and slashed at the second’s feet with her acquired blades. The man brought his shield down and covered his legs. That gave Posey the chance to leap up and connect her knee with his face. The guard stumbled back, clutching his nose while Posey focused on the next guard, slashing away at his shield with her sword and dagger, trying to find an opening.

“Kill her, you fool!” the Sheriff barked angrily at his men. He, however, just stood there watching.

Posey tried to go for this guard’s legs too, but whether by sheer luck or an actual tactic, he thrust his shield forward, clipping Posey in the side of her head, knocking her to the floor, her shortsword spinning away.

“Ha! They have you now!” the Sheriff cheered.

The archer rubbed at her head as she tried to steady her vision, at the same readying her knife to fight. Her right hand came back with blood, but at least it was only a small cut.

Before she could react, she suddenly heard the Sheriff of Trottingham squeak and this saw his body bounce away on the stone floor. The guard before her raised his sword to finish her off, but then Sir Ganeighn thrust his sword through the guard’s chest, Galatine’s tip going all the way through and knocking his shield to the ground.

The second guard, the one with the hurt nose, swooped in to attack. Retrieving his sword, Sir Ganeighn spun it up and then slashed to the side, cutting right through the shield. The guard looked down at a line of red spreading across his chest, then collapsed to the ground.

“Harming a lady, how absurd.” Sir Ganeighn sheathed Galatine and then helped Posey up, holding an arm around her waist. “Are you faring well, archer? You have a cut, just above your bandana here.”

“I shall manage, Sir Ganeighn, but um, th-thank you for your assistance…” Posey smiled at him the best she could.

And then at the corner of her eye, she watched the Sheriff get up, dusting his belly before shaking a fist at them. “This is far from over! I shall return with an army the next time, and you will all perish!” Then he turned and began running down the cobbled path.

“He is getting away!” Ganeighn reached for his sword again, but Posey was faster.

Even with her disorientation, the pink haired archer still managed to nock an arrow in her bow and aim. Aiming high, she let go of the string, sending the projectile sailing high in the air. It seemed to linger there for a while before falling back towards the earth. The Sheriff was just past the Trottingham entrance when the arrow pierced through his neck, spraying blood into the air.

Posey could imagine the man gurgling in his own blood as she watched him reach for his neck. He took three more steps forward and then fell flat on his fat face.

“Excellent shot, archer.” Sir Ganeighn clapped her on the shoulder. “You were taught well.”

“I was…” Posey touched her bandana and thought of her mother. She felt like she owed it to her mother to make that shot. She had taught her everything she needed to know before being taken by the bandits that fateful day. “It is finally over. The Sheriff is dead.”

“Very much so.” Ganeighn looked at the various bodies of the Sheriff’s men, then to the townsfolk emerging from their houses. “Tis safe now, people of Trottingham. The menace has been vanquished!”

One by one, each of the cottage doors opened as the Trottingham townsfolk began leaving their homes to have a look around. When they noticed the dead body of the Sheriff, they raised their voices in cheer and swarmed Posey and Ganeighn, lifting them into the air. The knight was let down first, seeing as he was heavier than Posey and his armor didn’t help with lowering his weight.

Posey, however, was thrown into the air many more times before the crowd parted, allowing her to once again stand on both her feet. Gabriel flew in from above, landing on her shoulder and nuzzled his head against hers. Posey gave him a pat and then looked to the crowd, who was now looking at her.

“You are all free now. Now and forever. The Sheriff will never bother you again,” she smiled, doing her best not to turn away and hide her face from the people.

“Yes, and we shall post more guards from Canterlot in your town. We shall not permit hostile takeovers in Trottingham again,” Ganeighn told them.

“We must commemorate this event!” an elderly man said, pulling Posey’s sleeve to get her attention. “Won’t you join us for a celebratory feast?”

“Oh, you people already do not have much for yourselves,” Posey stroked Gabriel on the head as she spoke. “I cannot possibly add more mouths to feed.”

“What shall we do then?” another villager asked. “We must celebrate our freedom.”

Posey put a finger to her chin as she thought about it. If not food, then what? She didn’t want to use up what little the people had here and besides, her pot was likely still boiling back at her campsite. Maybe boiling for a little too long, but at least her tomato soup would still be edible.

And then she remembered something the Sheriff’s men had said. He had jokingly suggested renaming the Shetland Forest. Perhaps that wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Well, to celebrate your freedom from the Sheriff once and for all, I think we should do something more lasting than a lavish feast,” Posey suggested and pointed at the surrounding forest. “This forest, it is your home as much as mine, and today, it too has been liberated from the Sheriff’s dirty hands. It too is free. No more, will this place simply be the Shetland Forest. Now, it will be your forever free forest, the Everfree Forest.”

The people were silent for a while and Posey was afraid they wouldn’t like it.

“Hey, I like that. It is a nice name!” a man spoke up.

There were mutters among the townsfolk and soon they were all agreeing.

Phew. I’m glad it worked out. Posey grinned. It would have been awkward if they didn’t like her idea. But now, she was done here. Trottingham was no longer in danger, at least from the Sheriff of Trottingham. It was now time to head back and have some soup. Posey licked her lips just thinking about her meal.

“Aye, tis a well chosen name. The Everfree Forest.” Sir Ganeighn put a hand on the archer’s shoulder as they began to leave town. “I shall return to Canterlot and tell everyone the great news.”

The pink haired archer nodded and let Gabriel fly back up into the air to hover after them. “Ironic, how the name had come from the Sheriff’s crew. But it is fitting.”

Posey wished her mother could see her now. She would be proud, wherever she was.

As they arrived back at the point of the dirt road where Posey’s camp was, Sir Ganeighn gave her another kiss on the hand. “It has been my pleasure to assist you today, archer. I hope we may one day again fight together like this.”

“Yes, I hope so.” Posey smiled sheepishly and pulled at her bandana.

“And so I bid you farewell.” Ganeighn hopped atop his horse, Ragnel, ready for the ride home. “Till we meet again, esteemed Posey Hood.”

Posey nodded and watched him go, looking back to the shrubs she would have to walk through. She didn’t want their time to end already. They hadn’t had much time to catch up besides the fighting. The archer stood there, hesitating to open her mouth and resisting the urge to run back to her camp without saying anything.

Finally, with a huff, Posey closed her eyes and yelled, “Sir Ganeighn!”

The knight heard her and stopped his horse, looking back. “Yes, my lady? Do you require something?”

“Umm- uh, um…” She fiddled with her fingers. “W-Would you st- um, like to stay for di-dinner?”

She kept her eyes shut, but opened them again when she noticed the knight had returned, his horse’s head right next to her face.

“I would love to,” he said with a smile. “Lead on, Posey Hood.”

39 - A Pain In The Asp

Emerald Edge stayed in the shadows of the trees, silently watching as a group of mercenaries brought over a few wooden crates. The druids commanding them stood to another side, by a campfire they had lit up just a while ago. One of them was busy sharpening his dagger, while another seemed to be looking inside a small cage of sorts.

With her hood low, Emerald darted out from behind the tree to another one, her footfalls almost silent.

Sir Morn Dread would be somewhere on the other side of the camp now, so the closer she was to the main tent, the faster she would be able to slip inside to find out what the druids were planning here.

The druid camp consisted of a few tents, one taller than the others, along with a huge pit, dug out from the earth for reasons Emerald didn’t know.

Whatever they were planning here, it mustn’t be good.

Just then, there were a few shouts and the mercenaries dropped their crates and ran over behind the tents.

Perfect.

Leaving the shadows, Emerald kept her form low as she dashed straight towards the druids, who were not looking in her direction.

Extending her hidden blades, Emerald stopped beside them and stretched her arms out, stabbing them both in their necks. Both druids gurgled in their own blood and reached for their wounds before falling to the sides.

Walking into the tent, Emerald was quick to find a table with scattered notes and ingredients. She sifted through the scrolls, looking for anything of value.

“Nimhe’s orders…” She picked up one of the scrolls and held it to a candle. “Bring supplies, find harvest spider venom, crippling fear… Distraction?”

That last word caught Emerald off guard. These druids were here as a distraction, but a distraction for what?

And then Emerald began to hear the sounds of metal clashing outside. Sir Morn must’ve already engaged the druid forces. Keeping the scroll on her belt, Emerald unsheathed Amore and crept back out of the tent.

Over behind the tent, Sir Morn was engaged in combat with three mercenaries, with two more druids standing by the side, their hands in their magic pouches.

Rushing over, Emerald stabbed one mercenary in the back, then swung her sword out, cutting another across the arm before stopping beside Sir Morn.

“Nice to see you, my lady.” Morn held out Clarent in both hands. “What do we have?”

“We should make this quick. I believe the druids have plots elsewhere.”

“Kill them!” One of the druids tossed over a cloud of red powder.

Emerald dodged aside, only to be tackled by another mercenary, both of them rolling down into the dug out pit.

“Hang on, Lady Emerald!” Sir Morn Dread speared his sword through a mercenary’s chest and ran over.

The former pegasus pushed to her hands, keeping an eye on the mercenary who had fallen in with her, who now had his battleaxe out in both hands.

The two druids walked over to the pit, grabbing a handful of their red powder, readying it. And then they were launched down into the pit as Sir Morn barreled into them, leaping into the air and bringing Clarent down.

The mercenary only had so much time to run out of the way before Clarent cut into the dirt, sending soil flying up.

While Morn took care of the mercenary, Emerald figured she would handle the two druids. Not being warriors, the druids were not so quick to get back on their feet. Emerald was already beside the first before he could get up, cutting up with Amore, creating a long red gash across his chest. The druid fell back and stopped moving.

The second druid, however, Emerald didn’t want to kill instantly. She wanted some answers, especially if this group was meant as a distraction for something greater.

“You’re going to tell me everything about why you’re here!” Emerald grabbed the druid by the robes and hauled her up. “What are you plotting?”

“You shall not gain anything from me!” The druid squirmed in Emerald’s grasp, grabbing her hand and trying to force her away, but to no avail. “I will never tell you what you want to hear!”

“Oh, really?” Emerald was nonplussed. “We’ll see about that. A few days in the Canterlot dungeons should loosen those lips of yours.”

“I’ll never talk,” the druid insisted. “Never, never, never.”

“I wager you will,” Emerald said bluntly with the confidence of someone who had coaxed information out of captives before. “Now spill it, and I won’t throw the royal torturer at you.”

“You’ll never get a word from me.”

At that point, Emerald felt a stinging pain on her palm. She instinctively flexed her arm, and her hidden blade shot out of its housing and stabbed something. It was long, thin, and brown, except for the place where her weapon had skewered it, and it was coming out from the druid’s sleeve.

“A snake?” Emerald muttered. “What…?” She dropped the druid and stepped back.

“Ha!” the druid said, turning tail and running. “You’ve lost, Knight of the Round Table. The druids have slain you today! Hahaha!”

“Lady Emerald!” Sir Morn ran up to her, the mercenary behind him dead on the floor. “What are you doing? You just let that druid escape!”

“Sorry. I was just a little stunned.” She turned her hand upside down and looked at the spot the snake had bitten her. Its fangs had gone right through her glove, puncturing two holes in her skin. “There was a snake in the druid’s sleeve. Sir Morn, these druids here, they were just a distraction. There’s something else going on...”

“A distraction, you say…” Sir Morn frowned, looking at Emerald’s injured hand. “I must say I do not like the look of that bite. What if the snake was venomous? We must have you looked at.”

“No, no, I’m fine, Sir Morn. We have more pressing matters, like what the druids are planning here. If this place was to throw us off their scent then…” Emerald put a hand to her head. “Uh, hmm…?” Sir Morn seemed to be vibrating, his body turning into waves. No, it wasn’t just him. The world around her seemed to be doing the same. “Sir Morn, something’s… I don’t… Venomous? Can’t be...”

Emerald’s eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward, and would have hit the ground if Sir Morn had not caught her.

“Oh dear,” the male knight said grimly. “We simply must get you back to the castle before the venom takes its toll. Do not worry, my lady. I shan’t let you die. I cannot.”

And without another word, he picked Emerald up like a sack of potatoes and ran for their horses.

“Hmm.”

Moon Tide removed the monocular from her eye and put a finger onto the bite wound on Emerald’s hand. She then put her finger to her mouth and licked it.

“Gross… What is it, Moon Tide?” Sonata Dusk looked closer at the bite marks.

“Asp venom. Not a local variety of snake. This one must have come all the way from Saddle Arabia.”

“Saddle… Arabia?” Sir Morn creased his eyebrows. It wasn’t a place he had been before.

“It’s a far-off land. Just beyond the Sallow Swamp and the Coltcasus Mountains.” Moon Tide began mixing up a bowl of medicinal leaves. “Vast fields of sand, son. As far as the eye can see. I do not know what business the druids have there, but I can tell you that I can cure Emerald. It is a good thing you brought her here so quickly.” She picked up a bottle of ominous red liquid and poured a few drops into the ground-up leaves. “A pinch of blood, and that should do it. Would you tilt her head back so she can drink?”

Morn put his hands on Emerald’s head and bent it back, then gently opened her mouth as Moon Tide finished grinding up her ingredients into a thick gooey substance. Tilting the bowl to Emerald’s lips, she tipped the contents in, both of them watching as it disappeared down Emerald’s throat.

“There.” Moon Tide put the empty bowl down. “That should do it. She will just need time to rest.”

“How long will that be?” Sir Morn asked, looking down at Emerald’s sleeping form.

“Three days at most. She needs time for the brew to counteract the venom. She’ll wake up when it’s over, feeling none the worse for wear.”

“Thank you, mother.” Sir Morn caressed Emerald’s face. “If not for you, she would have surely left us.”

“I am sure there would be other mages here willing to help.” Moon Tide smiled and sniffed the air. “Do not worry for her. She is safe now. She just needs time.”

“But there aren’t any other mages who can-” Moon Tide clamped a hand over Sonata’s mouth. “Right, what I meant to say is, there are no mages as good as Moon Tide. Maybe except Clover and Light Speckle.”

“The one who did this, mother, she escaped,” Morn said, slightly frowning. “I cannot let her get away with it. And Lady Emerald said that druid camp was but a distraction. To throw us off their real intentions. I need to find them. I need to stop them.”

“My son, you cannot expect to take on the druids alone, especially if the camp that you raided was a distraction. Even you wouldn’t be able to do that…”

“But mother!”

“...which is why I’m coming with you.”

Morn stepped back and blinked a few times. He didn’t expect to hear that. “You will? But you are not trained in combat, mother. I cannot allow this.”

“I may not yet be as skilled as you are in a fight,” Moon Tide said, rummaging around in her cabinets and bringing out small brown pouches. “But that does not mean I cannot hold my own in battle. And someday, I will be as good as I need to be. Sonata, can you get me a pair of flints?”

“Right away!” The muse disappeared up the stairs.

Morn watched as Moon Tide put her pouches in a little satchel and slung it over her shoulder. “Very well, mother. But you must be careful. I cannot lose you like I almost did with Lady Emerald. The two of you mean the world to me.”

“I know, son. I will be very careful.” Moon Tide smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Do you have any leads on where to go?”

“I would think they would be close to the campsite we raided. No use having a distraction too far away, yes?”

“Good point, Morn. Is there a village nearby? It could be a possible target for the druids. They do enjoy their sacrifices.”

The knight placed a hand on his chin as he thought. “The village of Gleandale was close. Do you think they would attack them?”

“I have no doubt,” Moon Tide said solemnly. “Come, we must go. Perhaps we might still have time to stop them.

Sonata Dusk was quick to come back down the stairs, carrying a pair of flints in her hand. “Here you go, Moon Tide! I got it from Secret Fire. He said you could borrow them.”

“Thank you, Sonata.” Moon Tide dropped the flints into her satchel. “Would you stay here and watch Lady Emerald Edge?”

“I will watch her with my life!” Sonata said proudly.

“Thank you, muse.” Sir Morn nodded to her and turned for the stairs. “Come, mother. Time is a wasting.”

The ride back out towards the forest they had found the druid camp didn’t take long. Moon Tide sat behind Morn Dread as Windspeed galloped along the dirt path leading to Gleandale.

Every few minutes, Moon Tide would tilt her head up and sniff at the air. Morn did the same once, but he didn’t pick up anything odd.

All the way there, the only thing he could think of was bringing justice to Emerald’s poisoner. That druid deserved it for trying to kill the lady knight.

Morn didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if he had not gotten Emerald back to the Mages’ Tower in time. What would he do if he had lost her? His face darkened. Those druids were going to pay for what they had done, and he was going to use Clarent to collect.

“Hmm. There is a trail here,” Moon Tide said conclusively. She pointed northwest. “The druids who were here. They went that way.”

Sir Morn nodded, turning his steed in that direction. “Then that way we shall go.”

The two rode on at a brisk trot, Windspeed’s hooves clicking against the pebbles that lined the way. Moon Tide took the opportunity to take out her compact crossbow and check the string and trigger.

“You know, I’m not sure the druids know what they want,” the mage remarked. “They want to, what, rule the land? Do the know how much trouble that is? The king barely has time to sleep, he’s so busy with all the logistics and bureaucracy. Half the time the queen has to take over for him. If the druids were spreading terror for the sake of spreading terror, at least that I could understand. But wanting to take over Canterlot is just far too much trouble, at least the way they’re going about it. Taking over a kingdom should be done either slowly and stealthily, or in one decisive move, don’t you think?”

“I do not wish for anyone to take over,” Morn stated. “Canterlot belongs to King Dawn Saber and his kin. That is how it should remain. I am a Knight of the Round Table for that very reason.”

“You say Dawn Saber’s kin, but he as of yet has no heir,” Moon Tide pointed out. “If he were to… not be alive anymore, someone would have to take over. Ever thought about that, my son?”

“They will simply choose a regent, would they not? That is what I was taught as I trained as a knight. They will pick someone they trust, mother. And if that person is trusted by the king, then he shall be trusted by me. Tis my duty to serve this kingdom and its rulers.”

“Hmm, yes, I suppose you’re right,” Moon Tide said quietly. “Well, we’re making good time. The scent is getting fresher. We’ll be onto them before the day is done.”

“But the day has barely begun, mother.” Morn looked over to the mountain range, where the first rays of light were making themselves known.

Moon Tide sighed. “Well, yes, but I would prefer to get this over and done with so I can go back to my quarters and sleep. And I’m sure you would sooner get back to Emerald Edge. I hope Sonata hasn’t done anything reckless while I’m gone. Like try to set Emerald on fire to get her to wake up.”

Morn began to picture it and wished he hadn’t. It was rather gruesome.

The two of them traveled further on horseback until Moon Tide told him to stop beside a patch of forest, just south of where they had found the druid camp last night. This had to be it.

“This is it,” Moon Tide told him, sliding off his horse.

“I never did ask, mother.” Morn hopped off beside Moon Tide. “But how can you tell where they are?”

Moon Tide smiled. “I’m clairvoyant.”

“Really?” Sir Morn’s eyebrows shot up. “I did not know that.”

“I’m not being serious. But as a mage, I’m entitled to know things. This is one of them.”

“Maybe I should have become a mage like you wanted, mother.”

“Maybe, if, but, perhaps. You became a knight, not a mage, and I’m proud of you regardless. Now let us go get those druids.” Moon Tide then set off at a brisk pace toward the trees, loading a glass-headed bolt in her crossbow.

Morn unsheathed Clarent and put his helmet on. “I shall lead, mother. You stay behind me.”

Moon Tide shrugged. “As you wish.”

Holding Clarent in his firm grip, Sir Morn strode off in the direction of the trees, with Moon Tide following close behind. She kept her crossbow angled toward the ground, ready to swing up and fire at the slightest sign of trouble.

It wasn’t long before the smell of wood burning made itself known. Sir Morn held up a fist and the two of them stopped.

“I believe we are nearing their camp,” the knight said quietly. “What is our course of action, mother?”

“Oh, my son needs to ask me for direction?” Moon Tide wore an amused face. “You know, I would like to see how you perform normally. Just pretend I am one of your knights. What would you decide to do?”

“Well,” Morn said thoughtfully. “Were I with another knight, I would suggest we draw swords and charge, but I feel that we may be outnumbered and I do not want harm coming to you unnecessarily. So we should look around and see what we are up against.”

“Alright,” Moon Tide said, tilting her head back and taking a deep sniff. “But I can tell you right now that I detect at least seven people up ahead, no more than nine. One seems to be bestial in nature. Likely a troll. There’s also a large bonfire, and something which I can’t properly sense. It’s moving, though, that much I can tell.”

“Perhaps we can take the Emerald route, mother.” Morn looked over to a thicket. “You could hide in there, waiting to strike while I approach the front. Then when the time is right, you can work your magic. Just please, be careful. I do not want the risk of losing you too.”

“I am not so easily disposed of,” Moon Tide sniffed. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Very well, we will do things your way, or rather, Emerald’s way.”

Moon Tide walked over to the shrubbery and crouched down with it, taking aim with her crossbow at the closest person. Sir Morn nodded and hefted his sword, pushing aside a branch to give himself access to the clearing.

Moving rather stealthily for a man encased in armor, Sir Morn was able to creep up to one of the many tents that dotted the open area and crouch behind it. He poked his head out to look. There were, as his mother had predicted, eight people sprinkled around, none of them looking in his direction. In one corner was a troll, shackled to a sturdy tree trunk. What he did not see, however, was the unidentified moving thing that Moon Tide had detected.

“Must be inside one of the tents,” Sir Morn muttered. He also recognized the druid who had poisoned Emerald, standing by the fire and sharpening a long, curved knife.

“You first.” An anger burned inside Sir Morn and he could almost feel it radiating out from his body. That druid had poisoned Emerald with a serpent from the desert lands. A highly venomous serpent, at that. He counted himself lucky that he got Emerald back in time for his mother to heal her, but the druid that did this, she was still standing there, alive. It was like an insult to Morn.

Hollering a battlecry, Sir Morn raised Clarent above his head and charged. The druid turned around a second too late as Morn’s mighty cleave split her from shoulder to hip.

He flicked his sword to the side to scatter the blood and smirked at the corner of his mouth. “For Lady Emerald. You harmed the woman I love and now you have paid the price. And now for the rest of your camp. No more innocents shall be hurt this day.”

An explosion signalled the beginning of Moon Tide’s attack. A druid fell to the ground close by, a crossbow bolt embedded in his forehead up to the fletchings.

The rest of the druids, by now, had realized they were under attack, and had all gathered into a pack in front of the bonfire. One of them stopped to let the troll loose. The beast roared and stomped toward Sir Morn. The knight grinned inside his helmet and flourished his sword at his side.

“Come get me, big fellow.”

Sir Morn hefted Clarent and ran at the troll. The beast reached out with both arms to grab the knight, but at the last moment, Sir Morn dropped into a slide, slipping between the troll’s hairy legs and cutting a deep gash along its knee. Another explosion sent the druids scattering.

Good shooting, mother. Sir Morn thought before sprinting after the closest druid as the troll collapsed on one knee behind him.

The druid tossed a fistful of magic into Morn’s face, the red powder instantly working away at his metal helmet and left shoulder. Morn was quick to cut him down, almost seemingly covering the distance between them in a split second. The druid was almost as surprised as he was before he cut the man down, spinning the druid’s body as Clarent cleaved right through his chest.

Then the knight was quick to dispose of his helmet and left pauldron before the magic could eat away at the rest of his armor. As soon as his helmet hit the ground, the metal base crumpled under its weight and sagged to one side, still dissolving slowly.

Morn Dread turned back to face the troll as two barbarians charged at him from either side, one with a mace, the other with a warhammer. More explosions came, these ones uncomfortably close, but Sir Morn barely felt the heat. The first barbarian had his back set on fire, but he kept running on anyway. Morn suspected the druids must have hit them with that berserker magic to make them stronger.

The blue haired knight first duck under one barbarian’s swing, then stood back up and blocked the second one’s mace from crushing his head, at the same time, kicking out at the first one, sending him tumbling to his face. He was just about to stab the first barbarian in the chest when the troll rejoined the fight, swiping Morn across the field with an arm swing. Morn tumbled on the grass, stopping beside a burning tent, where a druid lay dead, his whole form engulfed in fire.

Spitting out a blade of grass from his mouth, Morn got back on his feet and readied Clarent in his hands. The troll let out a bellowing roar before stomping its way over, pushing the barbarians aside as it lumbered on. Morn advanced, charging straight for the best, his sword pointed to its heart.

The troll balled a fist and swung it, but Morn lifted Clarent and slashed horizontally, removing three of the beast’s fingers from its hand. The troll roared again, but its arm kept going, punching Morn in the chest.

The knight grunted and fought hard, forcing his feet to remain planted on the ground. With a battlecry, he pushed back with his free hand, stopping the troll’s punch in its tracks.

“What sorcery?!” he heard a nearby druid gasp. He was standing by the barbarians, a phial in his hands.

Looking back up, Morn threw the troll’s hand aside and thrust his sword forward, piercing straight through the creature’s flesh, feeling his blade tear apart its insides. Turning around, Morn yanked his sword back out, spraying warm blood across the burning tent beside him. The troll stood for a moment on wobbly feet, before falling flat on its face.

The barbarians charged at him, blunt weapons raised, but almost faster than a blink of an eye, Sir Morn had attacked, running up to them and slashing at their unarmored bodies before they could even attempt a strike. Morn’s eyes had gone wide with surprise. It was like everything had slowed down around him. He could see their attacks, he could see where they were going, and he had known they were never going to reach him before he would get them.

The first barbarian’s head soared him, disappearing into the air, while the second one clutched at his destroyed chest, blood dripping from a large wound across it, along with from his mouth.

“What… are you?” The druid took a step back.

Morn dashed forward and thrust his sword through the robed man, watching the blade emerge from his back. “I am Sir Morn Dread, Knight of the Round Table of King Dawn Saber’s court. And you shall harm no one else today.”

The druid’s eyes rolled back as Morn let his body fall. There were many dead bodies littering the grounds now, but there was still no sign of what his mother had mentioned. The only large thing Morn encountered was the troll and that was no more. So was there still something else they had overlooked?

And then he felt it. Pain seared across his abdomen, forcing him down on his knees. A small gasp emerged from his mouth as he tried to steady his vision. He first looked down at himself, but there was nothing there. No weapon had touched his body.

On instinct, Morn turned his head to the direction his mother was attacking from and his eyes shot open wider. There she was, standing by the bushes he had left her. There were two dead druids and a barbarian close to her, but a second barbarian had driven his sword straight through her gut, the tip pointed out of her back. Moon Tide was doubled over as the barbarian sneered at her, twisting the sword in her abdomen.

“No!” Morn yelled, scrambling to his feet. He fought against the pain as he ran for his mother’s attacker, raising Clarent high.

The barbarian removed his sword and thrust it into Moon Tide again, and again, and again. Blood dribbled down the corner of her mouth as the barbarian continued stabbing. With each thrust, a new pain burned across Morn’s own abdomen, like he was the one being stabbed. It was almost unbearable, but his mother needed him. He had to protect her.

With fire burning in his eyes, Morn got back to his feet and trudged over. Two more druids stood in his path, readying their bags of magic, but Morn was having none of it. First, they dared to harm Emerald, and now they were trying to kill his mother.

“Raaah!” And Morn leaped forward, almost an entire three meters ahead, his knee connecting into the chest of one druid.

He heard bone break as he threw Clarent into the second druid, impaling him straight through the head, the force sending his body falling back, propped up by Clarent as it embedded itself in the dirt.

Morn Dread ran straight for the barbarian who was stabbing his mother and tackled him down.

“How dare you attack my mother?!” he barked at the man.

He swung his armored fists at the man’s face over and over again, red beginning to cloud his vision, and his armor as the barbarian’s blood splattered against him. Even after the barbarian stopped struggling, Morn continued to pound against his disfigured face, so angry at what he had done to his mother.

He had never known his father and his mother never wanted to talk about him. After all these years, Morn guessed that he must have tragically died and that his mother must have loved him so much that she wasn’t over it, even until now. And now his mother was lying close by, her life seeping from her wounds inflicted upon her by this uncivilized son of a pig. Her life seeping away…

Realizing just that, Morn stopped his assault and ran back over to his mother, who had a hand over her abdomen, her blue outfit caked in her own blood.

“Mother! No, no…” Morn held her head up and held one of her hands. “I told you, you had to be careful…”

“Yes, I’m sorry son.” Moon Tide winced at the pain. “They started coming… for me. I tried to… hold them back, but I guess… I wasn’t skilled enough.”

“We must get you back to the Mages’ Tower.” Morn grasped her hand tightly, tears welling in his eyes. He had never dreamt of losing his mother. He just couldn’t lose her. “I cannot lose you, mother. I love you, you must not die.”

“I know. Which is why... you must look away. Just... for a few minutes, and then everything will be better, you shall see.”

Morn’s face grew troubled. “But mother, why?”

Moon Tide fixed her son with a weak, but stern glare. “Because the magic I am about to work... must never be seen by the unready. And you are not...”

“V-Very well, mother.” Sir Morn stood up and turned away. There was a fwoosh, followed by the sound of crackling flames. Sir Morn felt a slight breeze behind him, ruffling up his hair, then there was nothing.

“Alright, you can look now,” came Moon Tide’s voice.

The knight turned around, taking note of a strange burning smell that was now in the air.

Moon Tide stood up, brushing specs of soot and ash off the front of her robe. The injuries she had sustained seemed to have stopped bleeding as well. In fact, he could see her smooth blue skin through the holes in her robes, though there seemed to be some odd black marks on it. It was as though she had been untouched.

“Mother, you are all better!” Sir Morn ran to her and threw his arms around her in a warm embrace. “You-You have healed yourself… Just like I am able to. What you have, was it perhaps passed down to me?”

Moon Tide’s eyes flicked to the side. “Yes, in part. Even for a mage, I am special, and only a chosen few in the world possess my… abilities. It seems only natural that my son would be gifted with similar powers. But don’t speak of them too much.” The mage patted him on the back, then bent down to pick up her discarded crossbow. “We wouldn’t want anyone asking questions, now would we?”

“I suppose not, mother. Tis strange, to be able to heal so quickly, but… I am glad. Glad that you are still here with me.” Morn put a hand to his mother’s cheek and ran his thumb along it. “Oh, and mother, you mentioned something with a lot of movement that you were not able to determine. I have not caught sight of anything like that. Is it still here?”

“I believe it is in one of the tents. Let us have a look.”

Retrieving Clarent from the dead druid and using its tip, Sir Morn pulled one of the tent flaps open. After two empty tents, the third one yielded a result.

“Ugh! What is that?”

The two Canterlotians looked on a large mesh cage, cube-shaped and roughly the height of a man. Two wooden rods were fastened to the sides, presumably to lift and move it. However, it was what was inside the cage that elicited the most reaction.

In the cage, writing around like an oversized ball of yarn, were dozens and dozens of snakes. They slithered over each other and all over the cage, giving it the impression that there was one singular monster inside.

“So that’s what it was,” Moon Tide said, leaning over to inspect the cage. Some of the serpents threw themselves against the mesh, trying to bite her.

“I should have guessed it was something foul like this.”

Moon Tide nodded, continuing to examine the cage. “They must have planned to release this on the town. It is a good thing we stopped them. Asps are dangerous snakes. Many would have succumbed to the venom if we left this alone.

“We should get rid of these,” Moon Tide decided. She raised her head and sniffed. “Come, grab hold of the cage and follow me. I think I have an idea.”

Morn did as he was told, hauling up the cage from the side. An asp lashed out and tried to bite him, but his arm armor prevented it from doing so.

He followed Moon Tide away from the burning campsite, where they walked for about ten minutes before he, too, smelled something.

Water.

“This pond should be perfect for our uses,” Moon Tide pointed at a largish water hole, filled with muddy liquid and some small fish. “Just throw the cage in there, and the druids’ plans will be sunk.”

Morn didn’t think twice about getting rid of the snakes. Emerald would probably not agree with drowning the snakes, but they were too dangerous to just let go. They had to be disposed of.

Raising the cage high, he tossed it into the pond, where there was a big splash before the cage started slowly sinking down into the water, the snakes disappearing from sight one by one. Morn put an arm around his mother as they watched, glad that she was fine now and that she was still with him. He inhaled and picked up a nice scent coming from her, smiling to himself.

They stood there until the cage was completely submerged, then Moon Tide nodded with satisfaction and turned away.

“Well, mission accomplished. Let’s head back home, why don’t we?”

Emerald Edge woke up in her bed, gazing up at her wooden ceiling. She blinked a few times, then groaned as she swallowed. Her mouth tasted really bad and it was almost as dry as Foxtrot’s horse nibbles.

She heard a clutter of footsteps and soon, a hand wrapped tightly, but comfortingly around one of hers.

“My lady, you have awoken.”
Emerald turned and blinked a few times, her vision adjusting to see Sir Morn sitting beside her.

He was just the human she wanted to see, but she couldn’t remember much.

“Sir Morn…” Emerald croaked, but smiled. She tried to sit up, pushing to a sitting position, but she couldn’t stay up for too long. In the end, she collapsed against Morn, but at least it was comfortable. “I… What happened? I was bitten by the… snake, then I do not remember more.”

“I brought you right back to Canterlot, were mother was able to save you. The druids had planned a distraction, Emerald.” Morn gave her a hug with one arm. “I suspect they had planned to ship out a cage of snakes to the town of Gleandale. Then it would not have just been you alone who had been bitten. But mother and I stopped them and disposed of the snakes accordingly.”

“That’s a relief. And Moon Tide went out there with you? I must thank her next I see her. For both saving me and for helping you. But Sir Morn, you saved me to. If not for you, who would bring me back to the tower?”

“Yes, I suppose tis true.” Morn held Emerald close. “I am glad that you have recovered, my lady. I could not imagine to lose you. Not like this. The druids that had done this deed, they have been vanquished. They will no longer harm you or anyone else again.”

“You and Moon Tide fought them all by yourselves?” Emerald said in awe. “That itself is a feat worthy of a tapestry.”

“Oh, it wasn’t anything to boast about,” Sir Morn said, trying very hard not to look proud. “Besides, mother wants us to keep this quiet. She doesn’t want to be pestered by adoring fans.”

“Oh,” Emerald said. “Well, at least let me go and convey my thanks to her.”

“And you may, once you have washed the venom from your body. Mother said you would need about three days to purge that snake’s poison. Once you are well, we will visit the Mages’ Tower.”

“But I will have you to look after me these next three days, yes?” Emerald leaned her head against the knight’s chest. “It is nice, to have you with me.”

“It is a knight’s duty to watch over their fellow knights if they become incapacitated. Even if you were not, ahem, my dear lady, I would stay by your side until you get better.”

Emerald smiled and lay back on the bed. In spite of the ordeal she had just been through, she felt safe and happy and warm. With Sir Morn by her side, she felt as secure as a baby pegasus nestled under its mother’s wing.

She held his hand and closed her eyes. “I love you, Sir Morn.”

40 - The Young Squire

“SQUUUUUIRRRREEEE!”

Spectrum Song looked up from her broom as Sir Hors sauntered over, holding his Caladbolg in his hand.

“Here we go.” Spectrum stopped sweeping and rested both hands atop her broom. “Yes, Sir Hors? Sharpen your blade?”

“Yes, squire.” Hors tossed his weapon over. “I want it back by sunset. Get it done.”

“Right away, Sir Hors!” Spectrum slapped a fist to her chest.

“Humph.” The knight turned and headed back to Canterlot Castle.

Spectrum watched him until he was out of sight, then got back to sweeping the courtyard. She didn’t even know why she had to. There were barely any trees here and there were not a lot of leaves to sweep, even if it was close to winter. She figured it was probably just chores the knights gave them so that they would be busy.

As she swept the remaining leaves out from under a tree, something hit her on the head and landed at her feet. It was an acorn. Spectrum looked up, and was met with the gaze of a rather grumpy-looking brown owl.

“Oi, was that you?” she said to it.

The owl clacked its beak and kicked another acorn down onto the squire’s head.

“Hey! Stop that!”

Another acorn was tossed down.

“Why, you!” Spectrum shook her broom at it and ran for the tree it was perched on.

She began climbing the tree, furiously trying to find handholds to hoist herself up. Eventually arriving at the first branch, Spectrum pulled up and placed both feet on it, trying to grab the owl. However, the bird stepped just out of her reach and grabbed an acorn in its talons.

“No do not try it-” And then the acorn thudded off Spectrum’s forehead, leaving a red mark on her blue skin. “Why you! I shall get you!”

The owl simply hooted at her. It sounded like laughter.

Climbing up further, Spectrum Song got onto the same branch as the owl, this one however, more flimsy than the last one, meaning she had to be more careful.

Down here, she was under the shade of the tree’s leaves, which was actually rather cool compared to being under the sun a few moments ago. It almost made Spectrum want to turn on her back and take a nap up there, but then an acorn hit her in the eye and she remembered why she was even up here in the first place.

“Come here and fight like a knight!” Spectrum tried reaching for the owl, but it was still too far away. She did manage to at least get close enough to keep it from grabbing anymore acorns, at least. “Ha! What are you going to do now, owl?”

And then it hooted at her again before taking off, flying away from the tree, leaving Spectrum staring as it shrunk in the distance.

“Of course. They can fly.” Spectrum blew at her rainbow fringe and sighed. That was where she realized she had a problem.

Looking down, the ground seemed so far away and it made the young squire dizzy.

“Why am I even up here?” she moaned. “I despise high places!”

She tried crawling back to the beginning of the branch, but when it hobbled, she stopped and hugged the branch tightly, afraid it would break and send her falling to the ground below.

Instead, the squire opted to stay still, trying to keep her mind calm and think of a way to get down safely.

Before she could try anything else, she heard footsteps from below and looked down. A man had stopped just below her perch, leaning his back against the tree, folding his arms. Spectrum was so relieved she almost called out for help, but then she took a better look at him and decided to keep her mouth shut instead.

The man below had on a brown ragged cloak, with the hood currently down. He had dark blue hair a large chin, where Spectrum could see a scar running from his neck, along most of his squarish chin, and then up the side of his face. Strapped to his side was a shortsword, its blade slightly curved. She didn’t want to be one to judge, but he looked very shady. What was he even doing here in Canterlot Castle’s grounds?

Spectrum waited and watched, wondering why such a man was standing here. He wasn’t a knight, seeing as he didn’t have on any armor, and the guards by the drawbridge had let him pass, at least, Spectrum thought they did. There wasn’t any other way someone could get in. Right?

Just then, another figure, a woman this time, waltzed over from the direction of the castle. She had on a basic tunic and pants, just like what the servants wear. She had fairly long orange hair, dropping down to her back, and her peach face was dotted with freckles along her cheeks and nose.

“So do we have a go?” the shady man asked as the woman stopped beside him, facing away from him.

“Aye, laddie. Everything’s gone exactly as planned.”

“The mage robes?”

“Left them in a little chest, stowed it away under one o’ those loose stones in the storage walls. Safe and sound, worry yourself not.”

Spectrum strained to hear what they were saying, and at the same time almost fell out of the tree, rustling the leaves.

“What was that?” the man said as Spectrum shifted in her spot. He looked around, hand on his sword hilt. He was about to look up when the brown owl came back, perching on the tree across from Spectrum and hooting.

“It’s just an owl,” the woman said scornfully. “You’re being paranoid. Soon, the staff will be ours.”

“Yes…” The man rubbed his hands together and smirked. “Imagine the things we can do with something like that. Even the druids will fear us.”

“I better head back.” The woman looked back at the castle. “I shouldn’t be gone for too long. I will be ready at the back storage door tonight.”

“Right.” The shady man pulled at his cloak. “Good luck.”

The woman chuckled and began walking back. “I make my own luck.”

Spectrum Song watched them go, with the woman heading back to the castle and the man moving for a door along the ramparts. Her mind buzzing with a thousand questions. They mentioned mages robes and a staff. That only meant they were trying to steal Clover’s renowned staff.

“I need to tell someone!” Spectrum was just about to let go and hop down when she remembered how high she was. “As Emerald would say… Horseapples!” Making sure the two conspirators were gone, Spectrum drew breath into her lungs and yelled, “Help! Someone! Anyone! I’m stuck!”

“Sp-Spuh-Spuh-Spah-Trum. I-Is… you?” She heard a voice below her after the fourth shout.

The squire looked down to see Guard Streak below her, Sir Trotivere’s squire.

“Streak, yes, please, I… I think I have climbed a little too high and I cannot get down,” she admitted. Now wasn’t the time to act fearless. There was a situation at hand.

“M-Maybe I… sh-shu-should fetch a-a-a luh-ladder...” Streak looked at the tree and rubbed his head. “Um, d-don’t g-gu-go any-where, Spuh-Spuh-Spectrum.”

Spectrum looked at her branch and then away into the distance with an irate look. “Right.”

The male squire darted off, heading to the castle to find a ladder. Spectrum waited by herself, spotting the owl still on the other tree, watching her.

“What are you looking at?”

The owl hooted at her. It sounded like laughter.

“One day. One day I will get back at you,” Spectrum grumbled under her breath.

Soon, Guard Streak was back, but instead of a ladder, he brought someone else along with him.

“N-No la-luh-ladder but… Br-brought person,” Guard Streak said, pointing to his companion.

“Why, young Spectrum Song, how did you get up there?” Posey stood behind him, fiddling with her bowstring. Along with her usual garb, Posey had on a scarf of sorts, wrapped around her neck, likely to ward off the coming cold.

“Posey, thank goodness,” Spectrum sighed with relief. “I need to get down from here. There are things I need to tell the king, or at least one of the mages.”

“What things?” Posey adjusted her bandana and waved for Streak to move to the side.

With a run, the archer stepped up against the tree and kicked off to propel herself higher, already grabbing on to a lower branch. Hauling herself up, Posey swiftly made her way to Spectrum, standing below her branch.

“I overheard some people,” Spectrum explained as Posey reached out a hand to her, which she gratefully accepted. “They want to steal the staff of Clover the Clever!”

“The staff of Clover the Clever?” Posey looked puzzled, pulling Spectrum to herself. “I’m not familiar with Canterlot’s magelore. What is the staff of Clover the Clever, and why would anyone want to steal it?”

“You’ve never heard of it? Clover’s staff is known through the whole kingdom!” Spectrum held on as Posey began climbing back down.

“I must say, I do not have much knowledge outside Trottingham and the Everfree Forest. Especially in the towns. Now stop struggling.”

“That’s not the point here. What matters is that they plan on stealing Clover’s staff! We need to tell someone!”

Posey reached the bottom of the tree and put Spectrum down. “Can we not just tell the mages? I am sure they have ways of stopping thieves.”

“What? Tell the mages? No way!” Spectrum said, a look of excitement spreading on her blue face. “We should be the ones to catch the thieves! If we can pull this off, they’ll have to make me a knight!”

Posey looked doubtful, but Spectrum was undeterred.

“Think of the glory! The prestige I’ll get for saving the staff! Maybe they’ll even make me a Knight of the Round Table!” Spectrum danced around, starry-eyed. “Do you not agree? And you, Streak! They’ll make you a knight too! That’s what we squires aim to be, yes? Knights!”

The light blue haired squire looked around the courtyard. “I me-mean… I-I would like... yes, kn-knight…Uh, yes...”

“See? Guard Streak agrees with me!” Spectrum walked over and put her arm around the male squire, making him blush. “How about it, Posey? With you helping us, I am sure we shall come out triumphant!”

Posey still looked doubtful, but she sighed and said, “Well, you probably know more about Canterlot’s happenings than I, so why not. But if we can’t do it, promise me you’ll tell the mages.”

“I promise.” Spectrum held up a hand. “Or my name is not Spectrum “Skillful” Song. Right, Streak?”

Guard Streak mumbled something and nodded.

“Brilliant!” Spectrum said, rubbing her hands together. “Now, I got a good look at those thieves just now. And they said something about meeting by the back storage door tonight. All we have to do is hide nearby, and catch them in the act!”

“You make it sound so simple,” Posey said nervously. “But do we not need to catch them actually stealing the staff in order to, uh, catch them in the act?”

Spectrum put a hand to her chin. “That is true. But even if we don’t catch them, we should go anyway. We might learn more of their plans.”

Spectrum paced around in circles while Posey and Guard Streak looked on.

“If I want to be free tonight, I’ll have to get all my chores out of the way…” the squire said to herself. And at that thought, she went to where she had left Sir Hors’s sword and jogged back to Posey and Streak.

“Meet me here at sundown, right? We are going to do some sneaking.”

And she was off, sprinting for the armory to get a whetstone.

When the sun was going down, dying the skies orange, Spectrum Song found her way back to the courtyard, somehow managing to finish all her tasks for today. She dusted off her hands and leaned against a post, humming a tune she had just invented.

This will be so great! I bet if we catch these crooks, the king himself will come to thank me! Trying hard not to squeal with excitement, the squire instead put both her hands to her face and squeezed her cheeks.

“What are you doing with your face, young Spectrum Song?”

The squire looked up at a tree’s branches, spotting Posey sitting up there, her pet, Gabriel, sitting on one of her arms.

“Ah, have you been here long, Posey?” The squire took her hands off her face.

“I have been here to visit Emerald for the past few days. With her out on another expedition today, I have nothing else to do.” Posey let Gabriel soar back up into the air and hopped down from the tree with a puff of dust. “Is your friend coming? What was his name?”

“Oh, Streak? Yes, he said he was coming.” Spectrum looked around for her fellow squire. Then she saw him running over from the stables, a broom in his hands. “Ah, there he is. You sure took your time, Streak.”

“Suh-suh-sorry…” Guard Streak wiped a hand over his sweat-covered face. “Cl-cle-cleaning th-thuh… stables.”

Posey raised an eyebrow at him.

“Uh, yes, Streak cannot speak well,” Spectrum saw her looking and explained. “You get used to it.”

“He cannot?” Posey looked between both of them. “He was just speaking to me earlier when he told me you were stuck in the tree.”

“He was?” Spectrum squinted at Posey, then at Streak, then back to Posey again. “You sure? ‘Cause I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk straight.”

Posey folded her arms and looked back at Guard Streak again. “Very sure. Is there something wrong, Guard Streak?”

The male squire shook his head vigorously. “N-No… Nuh-nuh-nothing… wrong.”

“Yes, Posey, speech does not matter right now.” Spectrum waved her hands. “Come, we need to go to the back storage door. I want to know what our culprits are planning.”

“Will it not be easier if I simply kill them before they try to steal the staff?” Posey put a hand on her bow’s string. “Silent and quick. They won’t see me coming.”

Spectrum considered this, then shook her head. “We need decisive evidence that they were up to no good. Don’t take this personally, Posey, but our word isn’t worth all that much around here. If we can listen in on their plans and foil them, that might provide enough proof, hey?”

“So we are… getting them arrested instead?” Posey asked carefully.

Spectrum nodded confidently. “That way, the dungeon’s torturers can get everything out of them. A corpse can’t talk.”

“Very well. If that is what you want.” Posey whistled up to the sky and soon, Gabriel was back down on her arm, receiving a rub from the archer’s thumb. “Gabriel, I need you to spy on an area for me. Spectrum, where is this door?”

“It’s all the way around the back of the castle, near the entrance to the main storeroom. There are many places to hide back there. Sometimes I nap there when Sir Hors isn’t around.”

The pink haired archer nodded to her bird. “You heard her. I just need you to spy and listen. Can you do that for me?”

The eagle squawked and was released back up into the sky. Streak took a surprised step back, mostly looking at Posey.

Spectrum saw him looking and grinned. “Yes, she speaks bird. And that takes care of one part for us. Now we will just need to catch them when they make their move.”

Guard Streak mumbled something but nodded fiercely.

“We need weapons. To defend ourselves.” Spectrum whipped out her lute and gave it a strum. “I have my trusty lute. Posey has her bow and arrows. What about you, Streak?”

“Uh-uh-umm…” The boy fumbled his hands around his attire. Then he looked around and picked up a sizeable stone and nodded.

“That will do.” Spectrum shrugged and patted him on the back, making his cheeks brighten.

Just then, Gabriel swooped back down, startling both squires with his silent glide, before landing on Posey’s arm, squawking a few short screeches.

“What did he say?” Spectrum went back over to her archer friend.

“Three robed figures have exited the castle. They look like mages. I suppose that is their ploy. To sneak into the tower under the guise of mages to do some late night work.”

“Then we need to go too. We cannot let them steal Clover’s staff!” Spectrum hefted her lute on her shoulders.

Streak nodded again.

“To the skies, Gabriel. Watch for us.” Posey released the eagle back up.

Spectrum Song ran along the courtyard, adrenaline pumping through her veins. This was actually quite the exciting event, at least compared to her boring daily routines and Sir Hors’ requests. She actually had a chance to save the day here. If she did, there was always the chance King Dawn Saber would promote her to being a knight much faster. Her parents would be so proud of her if that happened, more proud if she could land a spot on the Round Table.

Spectrum was grinning to herself as she and her two co-conspirators crept over to the Mages’ Tower. Most of the windows were dark, with no candle lights being seen from outside, and there was very little smoke coming out of the chimneys.

“Looks like most of the mages have turned in for the night, or gone out to have dinner,” Spectrum observed. “Do you think the thieves have arrived yet?”

“Gabriel spotted them leaving,” Posey reminded. “They would be ahead of us. So if we are already this far, they might have already infiltrated the tower. Your Clover the Clever might be in trouble. Does she keep guards with her?”

“I do not know,” Spectrum said doubtfully. “Streak, do you know if the mages have guards in their tower?”

The other squire shrugged. Then Spectrum remembered they don’t go to the tower much, seeing as they were squires to knights, not mages. Even if the knights did have business in the tower, they rarely brought their squires along. Spectrum had only been in there a few times, because Emerald would be there.

“Nevermind.” Posey shook her head and looked up at a window. “Go through the front door without me. I shall see if I can cut them off.”

“What, without you? Are you mad, Posey?” Spectrum stopped in her tracks. “What if we find them before you do? What do you want us to do, smash them with my lute?”

“Is that not why you have brought that instrument along?”

“Well, yes, but I can’t take on someone who has a sword with a lute, what am I supposed to do, play them to death?” She nudged Guard Streak, who quickly looked away. “Right, Streak?”

“Uh, y-yuh-yes…”

“See? Streak agrees with me.”

Posey looked uncertain, but nodded and strode off into the dark, vanishing from sight. A few seconds later, Spectrum heard the sound of feet against a rock surface and saw Posey making her up the side of the Mages’ Tower, her form caught in the dying light. It was soon to be night and that was likely when the thieves would strike; The guards were due to change soon.

“Alright, Streak,” Spectrum said out of the corner of her mouth. “I know what they look like, so I’ll take the lead. You, uh, just follow and make sure nothing gets past me.”

“Yuh-ye-es.” He readied his rock.

Spectrum pushed the door open to the Mages’ Tower, spotting two mages still working at their stations. They didn’t bother looking over when Spectrum and Streak walked in, so Spectrum guessed the culprits could’ve just walked by them easily.

“Upstairs, Streak. We need to get to Clover’s room.”

“Ruh-ruh-right…”

The two squires went up the stairs, gripping their weapons tight as they kept their eyes open. Posey hadn’t told them what color the thieves’ robes were, but Spectrum remembered their faces. As long as they didn’t have their backs to her, she figured she would recognize them easily.

There weren’t many mages around this late after sunset, most of them likely retiring to their quarters or away for dinner. Even Moon Tide was absent, maybe off spending time with Emerald or Sir Morn Dread, or maybe even the queen and those three muses.

After the sixth floor, there seemed to be no more mages lurking late, meaning from here, it would almost certainly mean that anyone they saw would be their culprits.

“Whuh-where d-do you suh-suh-suppose… Posey. Is?” Guard Streak whispered over as they arrived at the eighth floor.

Spectrum took a while to understand him and made a note in her mind to take some time to teach him how to speak one of these days. “It is a tall tower. She might still be climbing up. Or maybe she has already arrived at the top and is working her way down. I do not know. We can only wait and see.”

Almost to the next floor, Spectrum’s ears began picking up the sounds of footfalls coming from above. She held out a hand to stop Streak, then put a finger to her mouth to tell him to remain silent, which wasn’t a hard task for the male squire.
Going up one step at a time, Spectrum found a mage in blue robes, slowly making her way down.

Tis now or never!

Spectrum lashed out with her lute from the corner of the steps, catching the perpetrator on the ankle, sending her rolling down the stairs with a yelp.

“Stop! We have you surrounded!” She nudged Streak to the other side of the mage, then returned to where she was standing behind her. “Surrender now and you will not be destroyed!”

“Agh, what, what did I do?!” The mage raised her hands over her head and whimpered. “I turned in my reports this week! I did nothing wrong!”

Spectrum recognized the voice. This wasn’t one of the perpetrators.

Oops.

“My apologies, Nightfall Gleam. I did not realize anymore mages were still up here.” Spectrum tapped her on the shoulder, then helped her up. “What are you even doing all the way up here?”

“Oh, squires…” She swept her tricolored hair from her face. “I was just handing my weekly reports to Clover on a new invention. Why are you squires going around knocking people down?”

“There are criminals here, Nightfall. They are trying to steal Clover’s staff! They have disguises, so we cannot be too careful.”

“Criminals here?” Nightfall raised a doubtful eyebrow. “No one would dare steal the Magus Superior’s staff. It’s treason. Everyone in Canterlot knows that.”

“Except these scoundrels. They went up ahead of us. We do not know how far they have gotten. Did you see anyone else up there?”

Nightfall scratched at her head. “Besides Light Speckle, there were maybe four others up there? I just thought they were working late.”

“That must be them! Come, Streak! Haste!” Spectrum pushed past Nightfall and bounded up the steps. “Thank you, Nightfall!”

“Hey, wait!” The mage watched as they ran on and disappeared upstairs. “They could have used some of my inventions.”

Spectrum and Streak eventually arrived at the top floor, with the boy panting from exertion. Spectrum was too caught up in stopping the criminals to be tired. Just then, the door to Clover’s room burst open and two mages began running towards her and Streak, one of them holding Clover’s staff in her hands. Spectrum recognized her as the orange haired woman with the freckles from earlier in the day.

There were two more perpetrators behind them. One was still standing by Clover’s door, holding a knife, and the other was standing atop Light Speckle, a boot on her back.

“Stop them! They have stolen the staff!” Light Speckle yelled, only to get punched in the face.

“Get them, Streak!” Spectrum yelled, then swung her lute at the woman.

“Out of my way!” the woman yelled in her heavy Docklin accent, then swiped at Spectrum with the staff, blocking her lute strike. She pushed Spectrum down and then whipped the staff at Guard Streak, who tumbled back down the stairs.

“We have it!” The one in Clover’s room cheered, backing away from the door. Clover lay inside, sitting up against her workstation, a hand to her head. Her grey hair was slightly coated in blood near her brow. “Go! Go!”

Before he could turn around and run after his gang, there was a shwick and an arrow appeared between his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around to look at it before falling flat on his face.

“What?” The criminal on Light Speckle turned around just in time to see Posey leap in from a window, swiping her bow at him, clipping him across the jaw.

Spit flew from the criminal’s mouth as he spun to the ground, only for Posey to ready another arrow, sending it right into his forehead. He never got the chance to get back up.

“Are you alright, mage?” Posey helped Light Speckle up.

“I-I’m fine. Clover. Is she?” The black haired mage ran back into Clover’s room to tend to her. “Go. You need to get the staff back. It cannot fall into the wrong hands!”

Posey nodded and pulled at her bandana, then glided over to Spectrum. “We must stop them. Where is the other squire?”

“Oh, Streak! He fell back downstairs.” Spectrum skipped down two steps at a time, spotting her fellow squire below, rubbing his forehead, where a sizeable lump had appeared. “Streak, Streak! Are you alright?”

“Yuh-yuh-yes, Spuh-”

“Good enough.” Spectrum cut him off. “Just… wait here. We need to go stop them before they leave Canterlot.”

Posey had already ran past Spectrum, but the squire still could keep sight of her on the way down, though the archer eventually stopped near the ground floor, talking to Nightfall Gleam, who was holding out some sort of boxy contraption in her hand with brown leather straps attached to it.

“Take this. It might come in handy,” the mage said, gesturing for Posey to take it. “Go on. I made it for you. I figured you could use one of these too. Just be careful with leaving your fingers out. You might lose one.”

Posey took the gift and pulled back her right sleeve. “Thank you, Nightfall.”

Then she strapped it to her arm and pulled the sleeve back down, concealing the invention.

“Mhm. Now go! They’re getting away.” Nightfall waved her on, then spotted Spectrum. “You too, squire.”

“Yes.” Spectrum ran on. Nightfall hadn’t offered her anything, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Holding her lute tightly, Spectrum ran all the way back down behind Posey, finally reaching back outside. The sun had completely disappeared now and the night sky shone with stars above them and with the sun gone, the air had drastically dropped in temperature, making the squire wish she brought a coat along today.

“There.” Posey pointed to the courtyard where the two remaining criminals were running.

The guards at the drawbridge turned to face them, their spears already pointed out.

“Can you not shoot them from here, Posey?” Spectrum turned to her archer friend, but she wasn’t there anymore. “Huh…?”

She spotted the archer ahead, leaping from a tree and grabbing on to the uneven bricks sticking out of the castle wall, hauling herself up towards the ramparts.

“Woah...” Spectrum breathed and almost stopped in her tracks to watch.

Posey easily got herself up to the ramparts, where a few of the guards pointed their spears at her. Thankfully, one of them recognized her and let her pass as Posey pointed to the escaping perpetrators below.

Spectrum Song continued after them, smiling to herself when they stopped before the guards at the gate. The shady man, now clad in red mage robes, retrieved his shortsword from his side, while the orange haired woman waved the staff around maniacally, threatening to use it.

“Let us pass and I shall not have to obliterate you with this!”

The guards didn’t step aside, continuing to point their spears at them.

With their backs to her, Spectrum readied her lute and ran forward, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. If she knocked them out here and retrieved the staff, then she would become a knight for sure.

The woman began raising the staff, and the shady man was about to engage the guards in combat, but then Spectrum swung her lute into the man’s back, knocking him forward a step.

“Take that, scoundrel!” She swung it again, but the man kicked it out of the squire’s grasp with a crack, sending it rolling along the courtyard ground as he wrapped an arm around Spectrum’s neck. “Oi, let me go!”

Then she felt something sharp press against her cheek and she stopped struggling.

“Let us leave or the girl gets what is coming to her,” the criminal barked at the guards.

The guards seemed to falter, not sure of what to do. Then out of nowhere, there was a faint swish and a glass vial exploded on the man’s shoulder, coating it in a white, crackling covering. The man tried to move his arm, but it was stuck.

“Young squire!” a voice came from the shadows where the vial had come from. “Run!”

Spectrum stood confused for a fraction of a second, but then understood and wrenched herself free. The man tried to grab her, but Spectrum struck his shoulder with her fist and his entire arm broke off in a splintering mess.

“Argh! My arm!”

“Who dares?” the woman growled and turned to face them.

Moon Tide walked out with her crossbow, a steely look on her face.

“As a rule, I don’t like thieves, and I don’t like those who would hurt a child. But you, my good man, fall into both categories, and I really don’t like that.”

“Hey, I’m not a child!” Spectrum protested.

“Does that really matter right this moment?” Moon Tide asked with a slight smile.

“Why you…!” The shady man grunted and raised his sword, running right to Moon Tide. Crossbows could only fire once, so she had to reload it.

“Watch out, Moon Tide!” Spectrum ran ahead to try and stop him, but just then, there was the sound of an eagle screeching.

The young squire looked up and spotted Posey in mid-leap, descending towards the man. Then she landed against his back, knocking him down and at the same time, flexing her hand back. A hidden blade emerged from within her sleeve, just like how Spectrum had witnessed from Emerald’s gauntlets countless times, and the archer plunged it down into the back of the man’s neck. He gasped and sputtered as he began to choke on his own blood and very quickly, his eyes glazed over and he stopped breathing.

“Great timing, Posey!” Spectrum ran over as the archer got up and sheathed her blade. “You jumped from all the way up there? Amazing!”

“Yes, but the battle is not over.” Posey unslung her bow and readied an arrow, pointing it at the woman with the staff. “Yield, thief, and it shall be over quietly.”

“Yes.” Moon Tide loaded another bolt and aimed her crossbow at the perpetrator as well. “Relinquish the staff and you will not have to pay with your life.”

“Your friends are all gone. You might as well give up.” Spectrum brought her lute back, holding it like a weapon again. It’s body was cracked, and there was a splinter of wood sticking out, but otherwise, it likely still worked. “Surrender.”

The guards behind the woman pressed closer, their spears pointed to her.

“Stop! I will use the staff and destroy you all!” The woman raised it and its tip began to glow a soft white.

Posey let loose an arrow, but the light expanded and the projectile bounced off of it like it was a shield.

“Ha! And this is but a taste of my new power!” The orange haired woman guffawed. “Behold!”

Then a beam of light shot out of its tip and scorched across the courtyard, forcing Spectrum to throw herself clear of it. Posey ran back and tackled Moon Tide out of the way as the beam kept going, shearing a tree in half at the end and blasting a new indent on the castle wall.

Then the woman fired tree more beams, each in a different direction, one aimed for Posey and the others aimed at other parts of the castle. The archer quickly got Moon Tide out of there, while the beams broke apart more of the castle’s masonry, sending chunks of stone tumbling down to the courtyard.

“She’s crazy!” Spectrum leapt clear as another beam shot from the staff, straight for her.

“Witness my str… my stre… hngh…” The woman began to pant as the light from the staff began to diminish. “I… nngh… what…” She quickly fell to her knees as the staff rolled away on the ground.

Spectrum ran over and picked it up, rushing back to Moon Tide and handing it to her.

“Thank you, young squire,” Moon Tide said, taking the staff and rolling it from one hand to the other. “I will take this to Clover right away. Its magic can heal her.” And she glided off back to the Mages’ Tower. “Do make sure this perpetrator gets what she deserves.”

“Sure thing, Moon Tide,” Spectrum saluted and carefully walked over to the remaining thief. It was only when she got closer that she noticed something was wrong. The woman’s hair had started to turn grey at the roots, and her face was drawn and emaciated like all the moisture had been sucked out of it and then had been left out in the sun for a month.

“What the…” Spectrum said, backing off in shock.

“Yes, I thought that might happen,” A gentle, grandmotherly voice said from behind Spectrum.

The squire turned around, her eyes falling on a tall, elderly looking mage in simple white robes. Her face was wizened and wrinkled, but she had a twinkle in her eyes that told Spectrum that she was still very much alive. In her right hand, she held the golden staff, while Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam trailed behind her.

“Mage Clover!” Spectrum exclaimed. “You’re alright!”

“Yes, young Spectrum Song. I am glad that you and your friends managed to stop the thieves, though, in truth, I doubt they would have gotten very far with my staff anyway.”

“You mean… what happened to that one?” Spectrum asked, jerking a thumb at the female thief, who was now being led away by the Canterlot guard.

“Precisely,” Clover said with a smile. “My staff is not something anyone can just use like that. It takes a lot of training and practice in order to allay some of the more dangerous effects of using such powerful magic.”

“Is that why you are so old, Clover?” The squire looked between her and the leaving perpetrator.

“Spectrum Song, you cannot say that!” Nightfall blurted out.

“It is fine, Nightfall.” Clover raised a hand. “Let a child remain a child. To answer your question, young squire, perhaps some of my youth was taken by the staff. But no, I am old because I have lived a long life. In time, I will breathe my last, which is why I have been preparing Light Speckle, so she can take over when I am done.”

“Oh...” was all Spectrum could find to say. Though, she didn’t like being called a child. She was fifteen now. She hardly considered that to still be a child. “So it was because the thief wasn’t properly prepared that the staff did that to her?”

“I have... studied much about what the staff can do,” Clover said. “Especially when I take into account what Emerald has done with Excalibur, but that’s neither here nor there. Who is your overseeing knight, young squire?”

“Sir Hors,” Spectrum answered, then remembered someone. “Mage Clover, did you see another squire on the way down? Guard Streak. Light blue hair, cannot speak well. I need to go check on him! He hit his head earlier.”

Clover smiled. “Yes, I believe he is being seen to by Moon Tide as we speak. He is in no danger. And I shall put in a good work for your Sir Hors. He should hear about his squire’s courage.”

“I should go see how he is doing.” And she ran off, heading straight for the Mages’ Tower.

Once entering, she easily found Streak and Moon Tide on the first floor, by her workstation. The mage was finishing up with a green paste on Streak’s head.

“There. That will do, young squire. And do not worry. It was brave of you to try and stop the thieves.” Moon Tide put her bowl back on the table. “In the future, I believe we shall need guards posted either outside the tower, or outside Clover’s room. We cannot have this happening again, can we?”

“I suppose not,” Streak spoke in a complete sentence, shocking Spectrum. “Thank you, Mage Moon Tide. Your magic really works healing wonders.”

“It is my duty,” Moon Tide chuckled, then saw Spectrum. “Ah, I believe your friend is here to check on you.”

“Streak, YOU CAN TALK?” Spectrum said very much too loudly, almost in disbelief. “You can speak perfect sentences?”

“O-Oh, Spuh-Spuh-Spectrum!” His words became a jumble again, just like how Spectrum knew him to speak. “H-Huh-Hello. I… uh… I-I can…”

Moon Tide shook her head in amusement and busied herself cleaning up the healing supplies, leaving the two squires alone.

“Come on. Let us hear it again. Full sentence, Streak.” Spectrum leaned her ear closer to him.

“Umm…” Streak began to fiddle his fingers. “He-Hello, Spuh-Spuh-Spec… Specte-Spectuh… Spectrum!”

“You were fine earlier!” Spectrum complained. “Posey also said you spoke well to her. Come on, why can you not speak when you talk to me?”

“I, uh, I… I…” Streak rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks coloring.

Spectrum groaned, but then pulled him into a hug, brightening his face more. “Forget it. I’m glad you’re fine. Good show up there, trying to stop them. You gave it your all.”

The male squire shakily nodded, uttering only a small squeak.

“Now,” Spectrum said, letting go of Guard Streak and picking up her lute. “I think I’ll have to compose a new song about my amazing deed tonight. I think I’ll call it ‘Spectrum the Magnificent’. What do you think?”

“Guh-guhr-guhreat… i-iduh-idea.” The other squire nodded vigorously.

“We are heroes today, Streak.” Spectrum beckoned for him to follow as she began walking out of the tower. “Sir Hors and Sir Trotivere are going to be so proud of us. Let us hope this quickens our road to becoming knights! Oh, I can hardly wait! Come. Let us find Posey and have us a small celebration.”

The two squires left the Mages’ Tower and pranced off into the night, Spectrum’s voice punctuated by the notes of her lute.

41 - The Island of Apples

It was a nice and quiet day over in Avalon. The winds journeyed down the calm valley, blowing at the long grass as it passed, making it look like each blade was performing a dance of sorts. The multitudes of apple trees stood strong against the wind and the cold, with only the leaves rustling as the breeze passed. A few apples fell from their perch on the branches, but as Golden Nugget would say, you can’t always catch them all.

Honeygold stood below such a tree, holding her basket high. She had guessed correctly as two apples shook in the wind and fell right into her basket.

“Ah got another two, pa!” she yelled over to where her parents were standing.

Golden Nugget was busy dumping more apples into larger baskets and Honeygold’s mother, Apple Bean, was busy sifting through them, tossing out the bad ones. They both had on long coats, protecting them from the cold winds that flew along Avalon.

That was something Honeygold had learnt recently. You don’t keep the bad apples with the good ones. That only spreads the decay and that wasn’t something any farmer wanted.

“Well done, Honeygold!” Golden Nugget replied. “Ya know what? Your mother was right. Perhaps it’s time we let ya go on and do as ya see fit. You’re old enough now. We need to start training you up to manage this when we’re gone.”

“Oh, don’t say that pa! I’m sure ya still have much left in ya!” Honeygold skipped over with her half-full basket and dumped the apples in the larger basket. “Ah’m only thirteen years of age now. You two still have long to go!”

“My, thirteen already. They sure grow up fast.” Apple Bean rubbed her daughter’s head affectionately. “Has it already been three years since we pulled Emerald Edge from the lake?”

“Ah pulled her from the lake,” Golden Nugget reminded.

“We know, dear, how heroic of ya.” Apple Bean smiled at her husband’s cheeky look. “But golly, it’s been that long already. It feels like only a month had passed when Emerald fought in that tournament.”

“Woman, your sense of time needs a fixin’.” Golden Nugget nudged her.

“Oh, you!” Apple Bean tried to tackle Golden Nugget, but it didn’t work. Instead, she got tackled back down as Golden Nugget opened a can of tickling on her. “Stop! Ha ha, stop! Ha heheh…”

“Parents…” Honeygold chuckled to herself and let them continue, prancing back over to the trees to get more apples.

She wasn’t the same little girl she was anymore. Now, she was old enough to be her own person. She was going to prove to her parents that she would be able to handle things on her own and what better place to start than to carry a basket full of apples back to them.

Honeygold waltzed away, heading to a different orchard to get more apples back.

“Come on and fall, apples, Ah’ll catch ya!” She looked up at the trees, waiting.

Then the young farmer realized the apples weren’t their usual red in this tree. And they weren’t as plump as they normally would be. In fact, they looked shriveled, like they had been squeezed.

“Huh? What’s wrong with these apples?” Honeygold continued to watch them.

She knew it was already winter and she had to don two coats just to stave off the cold, but surely dried up apples weren’t normal.

“What the hay is wrong with them?” she asked aloud. She kicked at the tree, sending one of the shriveled apples down into her hands. On contact, parts of it flaked off and disappeared in the wind. “What…? What happened to ya?”

From experience, Honeygold knew the winter wind didn’t destroy their apples like this. Avalon wasn’t even a place that had snow. Hay, Honeygold had never even seen snow her whole life. She only heard tales from her pa about how crops couldn’t grow when it snowed and people had to collect them before winter arrived.

She muttered to herself as she picked up her basket and moved to the next tree. It just had to be the time she could finally manage things on her own.

The next tree had grey shriveled up apples as well, making the young girl raised her eyebrows in surprise. Surely this was no regular problem. The surprise on her face began to dwindle more and more the further she went through their orchard. All the trees along this line had the same shriveled up apples.

Honeygold was going to go back to where her parents were to tell them, but then she remembered how proud they were of her. They trusted her to be more responsible now and to handle things on her own. She couldn’t go over to them now of all times. No, she had to solve this problem herself, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

“Ah’m going to get to the bottom of this.” Honeygold first looked at the tree’s roots.

Inspecting it from its roots and then slowly making her way up, the farm girl found no problems with the tree itself, which puzzled her. If the tree didn’t have problems, that meant it was a fruit problem, but there was no way all the fruits in all of the trees in this row were bad.

Scratching at her forehead, the blonde haired girl went along through the rest of that orchard, looking up at all the trees. Now, over on their farm, the Apple family had three orchards, one on the west, along the Sparkle Pond, one east, and one next to their farm. She was currently at their west orchard and most of the apples here were shriveled. Something was going on here that puzzled her greatly.

“What in the hay is goin’ on with all the apples here?” Honeygold stomped a foot.

Then she saw something that puzzled her even more. In the next tree, just beside her, Honeygold saw…

“What are those? Ain’t like any fruit Ah’ve seen.” She walked forward.

In the tree, were shapes that resembled pods, sharper at the tips and rounder in the middle. There were various colours, ranging from brown to purple, and they seemed to be moving up and down, like each one was breathing.

“Fruits don’t breathe. I must be, like pa says, hallucinimatin’.” Honeygold put her basket down and rubbed at her eyes.

A cold gust of wind blew through the orchard, forcing her to grip the sides of her coat and pull it tighter around herself. The pods also shook in the breeze, but then to her surprise, one lifted a wing and scratched at a visible nose.

“Wing? Nose? Those aren’t fruits.”

Honeygold took a wary step back as each one began opening their eyes, looking down at her. They weren’t fruits or pods or anything like that. Not at all. They were bats, and they numbered at least a dozen, each one looking at her with beady red eyes.

“Umm… hello there…” Honeygold smiled and waved.

One by one, each bat righted itself, then began flapping their wings and squeaking, leaving the tree in a mass..

Honeygold turned to run, but then noticed they weren’t flying after her. Instead, they had gone to one of the other trees of another row, one that still had plump red apples, and to her horror, they bit into the apples with long fangs and began sucking them. The red apples began to shrivel up, turning a dark grey. At least Honeygold now knew what was happening to the apples.

Gathering her courage, the girl ran back to the trees, waving her hands madly. “Go on! Get! Shoo! These apples ain’t for any of you!”

One bat turned to shriek at her, but otherwise, they paid no attention to her. Instead, they began moving from tree to tree, sucking each apple dry.

“Pa and ma will kill me if Ah cannot stop this!” Honeygold grabbed her head. “Come now,
Ya don’t need to eat those apples! Ah-Ah can get ya somethin’ else to chew on.”

The bats continued to ignore her.

Honeygold picked up her basket and tossed it at them, clipping one across the wing. In unison, they all turned and hissed at her, sending the young farmer ducking behind one of the trees.

When she looked back out, the bats were still sucking more apples dry, making her furious again, but in the end, all she could do was despair and watch as the bats finished up another row of their apple trees. Thankfully, they seemed to be full, now swirling in a circle in the air, forming a vortex of sorts as they flew around each other.

“Now what in the hay are y’all doin’?” she yelled at them. She wished she could simply zap them with a bolt of lightning, like Emerald had done those few years back. “If y’all come down here, Ah’ll teach you a thing or two about messin’ with my apples!”

Instead of flying down to her next, the bats spun in one more circle before flying up over the trees, traveling north.

“Now where are ya goin’?” Honeygold asked aloud.

But she didn’t like it. Not one bit. She was older now, smart enough to know that the bats leaving won’t mean anything if they just come back again. Instead, she was going to go see where they were headed and see if she can do anything about it.

So Honeygold was off, following the swarm of bats as they left the orchard, heading towards the Midland Burrows. The Burrows were the home of plenty of varmints, but Honeygold had never seen bats like these before. Sure, they got the occasional rabbit or snake, but fruit-sucking bats were new.

She ran along after them for quite some time, leaving the dirt paths that led to her farm and heading out across the grasslands, where she could eventually make out a cluster of mounds sticking out from the ground.

The winter air bit away at her exposed skin, making Honeygold dip her hands into her coat pockets, her fingers wrapping around the ragged fabric, but she ran on, knowing that turning back would only cost them more apples later on.

The young girl spotted them hovering in the air for a few seconds, then the whole swarm of them darted into a large mound, leading deep underground.

“Aha! Now Ah know where ya live!” she cheered.

Honeygold didn’t stop to think what to do next. Instead, she followed them right to the burrow entrance, where it became too dark to peer through. Hearing scary tales of people being grabbed into the night, Honeygold wasn’t too fond of the dark.

Remembering where this burrow was, Honeygold ran along back to her home, finding her parents dumping more apples into the crates.

“Pa, where do ya keep them, uh… them light sparker things?” Honeygold tried to imitate the action with her hands. “The ones that ya flick together and create sparks.”

“Oh, ya mean the flints?” Golden Nugget wore an amused smile. “We keep them outside, near Joey and Springer’s water trough. “Figured it’s too dangerous to keep indoors.”

“Thank ya, pa!” Honeygold skipped along to her house.

“What so ya suppose she wants them flints for?” Apple Bean scratched at her orange hair.

“No clue, Beanie.” Golden Nugget watched his daughter go. “No clue at all.”

In no time, Honeygold was back at the burrow, a torch in her hand and the flints in her other. It took her some time trying to figure out how to light the torch, but she eventually got it, remembering how her parents would rub them together to start fires.

The torch now illuminated the burrow, revealing a tunnel going deep down into the earth.

Honeygold gulped, then descended. She was going to teach those bats a lesson so they would never come and eat her apples again. How she was going to do it, she did not yet know, but she knew it was her responsibility to do so. She was older now. She had to start learning how to do things on her own.

The inside of the tunnel was much colder, making Honeygold feel relieved that she had gotten a torch, though she had to keep it rather close to feel its warmth. She just made sure to move slowly, not wanting the fire to catch on to her coat.

The burrow led down in a straight line, still going deeper underground. Honeygold looked back at the entrance, only seeing a small sparkle of light now; she had really traveled far down and it still kept on going.

“What are these bats even doin’ down here anyhow?” she said out loud, then listened as her voice echoed down the length of the tunnel.

She could hear them now, squeaking and chittering somewhere in the darkness.

The young farmgirl kept going down and down, eventually spotting flat ground just beyond the tunnel, leading from dirt to rock. When she emerged out of the dirt tunnel, she lifted her torch, noting she was now in a large cavern, which even had streams of water coming down from holes in the walls, one of them even creating a small stream, which cut across the cavern floor.

“Wow. Ah can’t believe all this is under us.” Honeygold walked forward, looking around. Then she saw the bats, up at the cave ceiling, clustered among a row of… what did her pa call it, stalac-stalag- stalagmatites or something. “There ya critters are. Hey, Ah don’t want ya coming back to our farm, ya hear? Them apples are not for you to eat! Ah mean, ya can have a few, yes, but don’t eat them all! We need them for our trade!”

The bats paid her words no attention.

“You are pushin’ it, ya know?” she grumbled. She picked up one of the stones on the floor, then tossed it up at the bats. It sailed up, then clattered away into the darkness, not even touching the ceiling.

Honeygold was about to throw another, when the cave’s temperature suddenly dropped. She dropped her stone and pulled her coat tightly around herself.

“Brrr… it’s freezin’ in he-here.” She watched as her breath turned into fog.

And then a hand was placed on her shoulder and she jumped, spinning around. There was a man behind her. A very unusual man. His skin was white, and he had dark red eyes and black hair, and the strangest part was that he was only clad in a worn pair of ragged pants. Nothing else. And it was absolutely freezing down here.

“W-Who are you?” she asked, stepping away from him.

The man watched her with his red eyes and licked at his lips, which were almost as white as his skin. “Why, this is my home, little girl. I should ask who you are what you are doing here.”

Honeygold pointed at the bats on the ceiling. “These varmints have been eatin’ from my apple orchard.”

“Yes. And?” The strange man waited. The more the girl looked at him, the more odd she found him.

“Well, Ah came here to stop them from eatin’ up all my apples!”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” The man laughed, then warped his mouth into a thin smile, which Honeygold didn’t like one bit. “Besides, these are my pets. You shall not harm a single one of them. Only I am allowed to.”

“Pets?” Honeygold looked at him with disbelief. “Why on earth would you want to keep them as pets? They keep eatin’ our supply!”

“They are vampire fruit bats, little one.” The man walked closer to her. “They need to feed off fruits, and it seems your apple farm will do just nicely for them.”

The cold seemed to be radiating off of the man, because when he stepped closer, Honeygold felt her shivers increase.

“But they can’t! We won’t have enough of supply to go around!”

“But if they do not feed, then how will I?” The man put a hand on his bare chest. “Unless… unless you would like me to start feeding on humans once more?”

“Feedin’ on hu- what?” Honeygold scurried away from him, keeping her torch in front of herself. “You’re one of them cannonballs!”

“You mistaken, young one. I am much more than that.” At that, his body began to darken, turning more purple in color. His eyes began glowing red, shining brightly in the darkness as the bats flocked down to him.

Honeygold backed away, scrambling on her rear as the bats flew in a circle around the man.

“To answer your question, girl, I am not one of those ‘cannonballs’,” he said, his voice growing deeper and more guttural. His body began growing thick with long black hair and he slowly became more hunched. Wings sprung from the undersides of his arms and his ears began to extend to the top of his head, which now had a short snout, sporting two long fangs. “I am a vampire.”

Then he grabbed one of the fruit bats and pinched his fangs into it, like how what the bats were doing to the apples. The bat began to shrivel, and soon, turned a dull grey and stopped moving.

Honeygold watched the bat’s limp body fall to the cavern floor with an echoing thud, then screamed as loudly as she could, scrambling further into the cave. The vampire stood at the entrance, feasting on his bats, at the same time, blocking her only way out.

“No, no, this all cannot be real…” she whispered to herself, tears threatening to emerge. “Ma, pa, where are you?”

They were, of course, still back at the farm, probably not knowing where she had run off to. But then she remembered why they wouldn’t have known. She was a big girl now, trusted to get work around the farm done on her own now. She couldn’t disappoint them by cowering here and waiting for a vampire to eat her.

No. Ah have to do this myself, because Ah can do this myself.

“Ah… much better…” The vampire wiped his mouth as Honeygold approached. “And now, you girl…”

“Stay back!” Honeygold approached him and his swarm slowly. “Ah have a torch. Ah’m not afraid to use it.”

“Do you want me to feed on you this badly, little one?” The vampire motioned for the fruits bats to return to the ceiling. “For so many years, I have fed off the humans of Trotsylvania, but no more. I have come to value human life, so I shall not take it unless I deem it fit to do so. Would you like me to do so?”

Honeygold felt a tear run down her cheek in fear as she continued to approach, her torch held high, but she was grown up now. She needed to act like it too. “Ah-Ah don’t want you to eat me. B-But Ah w-want you to leave my apples al-alone! We need them for trade. Without them, w-we starve.”

“Like I said, my bats need to eat. If not your apples, then what?” The vampire leaned so close to Honeygold that she could smell his breath. It smelt like blood. “My bats are tastier when they are full. We help each other, you see. I find them a source of food, they give me a source.”

The girl turned away and tried not to sob. “Ah-Ah’m sure we could work o-out some ag-agreement here. Ah don’t m-mind if your bats eat my apples, so long as they don’t eat so much. They ate out three rows of my apple trees today.”

The vampire growled and stood back up. Since turning into his true form, the vampire now stood more than double Honeygold’s height. “I will tell you what, girl. How about you bring us a crate of apples a day? If you supply us, I will not need to send them out. If they remain with me, they do not feast on your orchard.”

“But Ah can’t! A crate’s much to heavy for me to carry out here,” Honeygold protested. “There must be somethin’ else. How about Ah grow you a new apple orchard? Right here in the Burrows?”

The vampire scratched at his chin. “That does sound like an idea. But an orchard would take time to grow. By then, my bats will starve and I will have no choice but to go hunting again.”

Honeygold began to lower the torch, regaining her composure. “What if Ah leave the one crate out at night? By the farm? Then you can come get it, at least till the trees here grow enough. You must be strong right? Bein’ a vampire and all? Ah’ve heard tales from my pa, about you turnin’ into bats and havin’ huge strength and all.”

“Not all of it is true... You make a hard bargain, girl. But you are a smart one, are you not. I shall accept your offer.” The vampire stretched out his hand.

“My pa gave me a good edjumacation.” Honeygold wiped at her eyes and managed a smile, reaching out her hand to shake the vampire’s. His long claws wrapped around her tiny hand and shook it firmly.

“Thank you, Mister Vampire.” Honeygold’s smile widened. “Ah’m Honeygold.”

The vampire began to shrink in size until he was finally in his human form again; the man with the pale complexion. “I am known as Omul Bates. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Honeygold.”

“So, Mister Omul, what did ya do before comin’ here to Avalon?”

The sun had already gone down by the time Honeygold returned to her farm. She could already see her parents searching for her by the orchards, torches in their hands. When they saw the one in hers, they immediately ran over from where they were, meeting Honeygold halfway and throwing their arms around her.

“There ya are, Honeygold. We were so worried.” Apple Bean hugged her daughter close. “We went to the west orchard, but ya weren’t there and the apples were all shriveled up. We thought maybe something got ya.”

“Nothin’ got me, ma.” Honeygold snuggled closer to her parents. “Ah just made a new friend, is all. And he promised to deal with our shriveled apple problem. We won’t have to worry ‘bout that again.”

“Sounds like an adventure ya had. Ya have to tell us all about it.” Golden Nugget ruffled his daughter’s hair.

“My new friend kinda wants it a secret.” Honeygold grinned. “He ain’t too fond of others just yet. Maybe one day.”

“Ah suppose we can trust ya.” Golden Nugget picked her up in a big hug. “You’re old enough to do things on your own now. We’re very proud of ya, Honeygold.”

“And remember, we love ya so much.” Apple Bean pinched her daughter’s cheek.

“Ah love ya both too!” Honeygold leaned against her father’s shoulder.

She’d never thought she’d ever make friends with a vampire, but they weren’t so bad. And then she had solved this problem all on her own. She knew she was ready to handle things on her own from here.

Wait till Ah tell Em all about my new friend!

42 - The Staff of Equestria

Emerald Edge adjusted her sword belt as she made her way to the Mages’ Tower. She tried to keep herself from breaking into a run, but she could barely stop herself. Today was one of the rare occasions when she didn’t have knightly duties, so she planned to spend it at the tower, where her friend Nightfall Gleam had told her something important was going to happen.

Winter had ended about one moon ago, and while the cold had never bothered her back in Equestria, it had really bothered her here. Being so much more hairless than ponies, human bodies got cold so much faster, making Emerald shiver, even with an outer cloak over her armor. Thankfully, the weather had warmed up in the last few days, making walking outside so much more enjoyable again. If anything, Emerald would rather be in the heat of the sun, than in the cold winter wind.

As Emerald walked past the ever-present oak tree, a small glow near the top caught her eye. Stopping, she looked up. There was a brown owl holding a stick with something round and white speared on it. It was holding the stick over a small pile of glowing coals, and a sweet, mouth-watering scent coming from the roasting food.

“What?” Emerald said quizzically.

The owls she encountered in Canterlot were certainly of an… interesting quality.

Shrugging and leaving the owl to its cookout, Emerald continued on her way to the tower. It didn’t take long for her to realize that many of the mages were outside, standing in neat rows. Emerald trotted to a stop, watching the procession with interest.

After a while, a familiar mop of puffy orange hair made itself known, gently pushing through the crowds to get to Emerald.

“Lady Emerald,” Adagio Dazzle drawled. “I was not expecting to see you here. You’re pretty much just in time for the ceremony to begin.”

“Ceremony?”

“Yes, the ceremony,” Adagio confirmed. “King Dawn Saber will be down here soon enough to see it as well. It is a momentous occasion,” she added with a smirk.

“Did the king finally get an heir?” Emerald looked around at all the mages, spotting Secret Fire two rows down.

“Uh, no.” The muse flicked a speck of dust off her robes. “It’s a ceremony of succession.”

“Succession?”

“This is going to be a very dull conversation if you just keep repeating what I say.” Adagio rolled her eyes.

“I apologize,” Emerald replied, looking to the side. “So a succession to what? The throne? Did they find a regent, then?”

“No, no. It’s a succession of mages.” Sonata Dusk popped up beside them. Aria Blaze followed closely behind, not too happy with being here, it seems. “Clover the Clever is stepping down as Magus Superior and is passing the mantle to her apprentice.”

“She’s stepping down?” Emerald said before realizing she was repeating Sonata’s words again. “Sorry. So she will not be a mage any longer?”

“She will not be Magus Superior any longer,” Sonata clarified with a tap of her finger on her cheek. “She will still be in the tower, teaching her apprentice as she leads the mages.”

“New Magus Superior…” Emerald watched the front as both Clover and Light Speckle stepped out from the tower, with the latter helping the former walk, her golden staff in her hand. “You’ve done it, Speckle.”

There was a blare of trumpets from the castle as King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance began making their way over, flanked by six guards and Sir Agramane.

Emerald wished Morn Dread was here, but he was currently on a quest with Sir Trotivere, looking for his legendary grail and any artifacts that would be from Equestria.

Then there was a flash of fire in the air, before it dissipated into tiny cinders, catching everyone’s attention, before slowly floating their way back down.

“Attention please, everyone!” Beatrix held one hand up. “Tis time to begin the ceremony. Please welcome Magus Superior Clover the Clever and her apprentice, Mage Light Speckle!”

The other mages and spectators began clapping and then there was an explosion by the side. Where Secret Fire had been standing was now a ring of extinguishing fire, while the mage himself was blackened again and there was a small fire on his beard.

“Apologies! I was holding a bottle of firewasp venom!” He pinched out the fire on his beard. “Maybe I shouldn’t have clapped just yet.”

“Well, looks like we’re up,” Adagio remarked, leaving Emerald’s side and joining her two sisters at the front of the procession. On an unseen signal, the three muses began to sing, a soft, soothing song that seemed to relax the crowd. Even Secret Fire seemed enraptured.

Emerald smiled and closed her eyes, letting the melodious tune wrap around her like a soft scarf. The three muses really had talent renowned through the whole kingdom. King Dawn Saber was lucky to have them.

The song went on for what felt like half an hour, though in reality it was probably much shorter than that. The muses’ song slowly faded out, leaving behind a strange void. Emerald wished they could have kept singing for longer.

“And now, we invite the king, his majesty, up here for the succession!” Beatrix waved a hand to King Dawn Saber.

The king put a hand on his wife’s shoulder and smiled at her before walking up to the front of the tower, turning to face the crowd.

“People of Canterlot,” he began, standing tall. “Today, as we hold our succession of Magus Superior, let us first remember all that Magus Clover has done for us. Magus Clover, I, King Dawn Saber, thank you on behalf of the people of Canterlot, for all the work you have done for my knights and my people.”

Emerald joined the crowd in applause for the elder woman.

“And I have had the pleasure to serve you, my king.” Clover bent slowly in a bow. “It has been an honor to lead the mages and to provide our magic when necessary. Alas, age has begun to overtake me and my work, so it is time to pass the mantle on to my prized apprentice. Mage Light Speckle, please step forward.”

Emerald watched her best friend, or at least, this world’s version of her best friend walk before Clover and King Dawn Saber, then pulled her hood down, revealing her locks of curly black hair.

“Mage Speckle,” Clover started again. “Do you swear to protect Canterlot with the staff and the good of magic and to never use its power for the evil and corruption of dark magic?”

“I swear, Magus Superior.” Light Speckle nodded her head. “Magic should only ever be used to help others. I shall hold firm everything you have taught me and I will never divert from your teachings.”

Clover’s weathered face settled into an expression of serene contentment. “Then by my right as Magus Superior, I bequeath unto you my staff. Bear it well, Magus Superior Light Speckle.”

Glinting gold in the sun, the staff was passed from Clover’s hands to Light Speckle’s. Emerald felt a faint thrill of energy from the staff, almost as if it was…

“Of course,” Emerald breathed.

Sparks flew from its tip as Emerald made that conclusion. That led Clover to turn her head and if Emerald was sure she wasn’t seeing things, the wizened mage was looking straight at her with a smile on her face.

When the staff had calmed down, Light Speckle held it in both hands and bowed to Clover. “Thank you for all you have taught me. I hope to continue to learn more from you as I now lead the mages.”

And then not so formally, Emerald’s friend threw her arms around Clover and gave her a hug.

“I look forward to your work as Magus Superior, Light Sparkle,” King Dawn Saber said after she let go. “May your accomplishments be as many as your predecessors.”

“Thank you, your majesty.” Speckle curtsied.

The crowds burst into another round of applause. After that, the sirens sung one more song, allowing Emerald another chance to listen to their divine voices. Shortly after, the people began to disperse, with the mages retreating back to the tower to continue their work, and the others returning either to the castle or the town.

“That was some ceremony, was it not, Em?” Spectrum Song walked over, giving Emerald a pat on the arm. “And all that sparkling from the staff. It’s one of your artifacts, yes? I had a feeling it was!”

“It sure was, young Spectrum.” Emerald looked on at the tower entrance. “I think I shall pay my old friend a visit.”

“Sounds fine, Em. I have some duties to take care of, so I will see you later!”

As the squire ran off, Emerald entered the tower, going straight for the stairs. She waved over to Moon Tide, who was busy concocting some kind of paste in a bowl. It looked like the paste she normally used on Secret Fire, and remembering what had happened earlier, the paste was very likely for the pyromancer.

Emerald only stopped at the next floor to say hello to Nightfall and to thank her for inviting her over for the ceremony. Then there was the case with herself resonating with the staff. It had been a very welcomed sight. All this time, there had been an artifact so close, and she never knew.

“I have had my suspicions that it was no ordinary staff,” Nightfall had said. “But now we know for sure. That explains why it contains such powerful magic.”

After a little chat with Nightfall and some catching up, Emerald went straight up to the top floor, where Clover’s room was. It would be nice to talk to the new Magus Superior about her role and also to take a closer look at the staff, now that she knew what it really was.

Arriving on the landing just outside Clover’s room, Emerald stopped to compose herself, then raised a hand to knock on the wooden door.

“Yes, come in,” she heard Light Speckle say from inside.

Emerald did as she said, pushing the door open.

Light Speckle was working by the large workstation, where all kinds of plants and liquids were. Clover sat on the bed inside, sipping from a cup of tea.

“Oh, Lady Emerald Edge, welcome,” Light Speckle turned and greeted her. “Please, come in. Do make yourself comfortable. Clover has been expecting you.”

“You were?” Emerald said, curious. “Is that one of the staff’s powers, being able to look into the future?”

Clover chuckled lightly and put her cup on the table. “Nothing of that sort, Lady Emerald. After the staff’s display earlier, I had a feeling you would want to come ask about it. And here you are. Please, sit. There is so much to talk about. Much that even Speckle does not yet know.”

“There is?” both Emerald and Speckle asked at the same time.

“I am afraid so.” Clover nodded. “Now that I am no longer Magus Superior and the time will soon come for me to join my teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded, I have so much to reveal to you until then. Clover lifted a wrinkled old hand. “Please, sit, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald pulled a wooden stool over and sat on it expectantly, staring at Clover’s aged face.

“You see, I’ve been expecting someone like you to come along,” the former Magus Superior said. “Ever since, well, it’s a long story.”

Emerald shrugged. “I don’t have anywhere else to be today. I could use a long story.”

“Hear me, Lady Emerald.” Clover looked over to Light Speckle, who was also eagerly waiting for what Clover was about to say. “All these years as a mage, I have kept this secret. I know about Equestria and the artifacts that were sent here.”

“Y-You do?” Emerald was stunned. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Secrecy, in a word,” Clover sighed. “I was given strict instructions from… the Equestrian Clover that I was not to reveal anything until I was sure of who I was revealing it to.”

“You-you know Equestria’s Clover the Clever?” Emerald leaned forward in her seat. “You knew him?”

“Him?” Light Speckle looked at her mentor. “So you knew all about this other world all this time, Clover? And him? Your Clover was a man, Emerald?”

“Stallion,” Emerald corrected. “And yes, the Equestrian Clover the Clever is male. Doesn’t stop them from getting a mare to play him in every Hearth’s Warming Eve party though…” she finished with a sniff. “When I first heard of you here, I was surprised to learn you were not a stal- uh, man.”

“Oh yes, ponies…” Speckle laughed awkwardly, then looked at her fingers. “And what’s a hearth warming? Like a fire during winter?”

“It’s a celebration that honors the founding of Equestria,” Emerald said cheerfully. “We gather together to remember how the founders chased away the Windigoes and established our nation. We throw parties, drink cider, and exchange gifts. It’s a great time of year overall. You humans don’t have anything like that here?”

“No…” Light Speckle said slowly.

Clover chuckled. “Your Clover has told me all about it. He spent quite a bit of time here when I still had my youth. He told me all about the things you do in Equestria. A world of ponies… I have never been there myself, no, but by what he has said, it sounds astounding.”

“It is. Equestria is a beautiful place. Did he tell you about the Crystal Empire? That is where I am from.”

“He did say something about a Crystal Empire, but more importantly, he told me about the artifacts. Powerful relics created by the Equestrian Star Swirl the Bearded to help deal with threats from Equestria.”

“But then how did they wind up here?” Light Speckle ventured, wringing her hands.

“Clover explained that too,” Clover said serenely. “After the creation of Star Swirl’s artifacts, the wizard thought they were far too great of a power, especially in the wrong hands, so he sent them here, to a world without Equestrian magic, where no one could effectively wield their power.”

“Yes, that is true,” Emerald confirmed. “But dire times call for dire actions. That is why I have come here. Right now, only one of these artifacts can hope to defeat Sombra and rid him from my kingdom.”

“Yes.” The old woman shakily picked up her cup of tea and sipped from it. “Clover explained they have the power to do much good in the world… or much evil. Tell me, Lady Emerald, how was Clover doing, the last time you were in Equestria?”

“Truthfully, I do not know.” The spymaster shrugged apologetically. “Clover the Clever only visits the Crystal Empire ever so often. And all I get to do is see him. We have never actually spoken before.”

“Fascinating, nonetheless...” Light Speckle said, her mortar and pestle now in hand as she grinded up a blue plant. “That our world is a mirror of sorts to yours, except we are ponies, and Clover is a… man. Was I a man, Lady Emerald?”

“No you were not, Speckle.” Emerald chuckled, leaning back and almost falling off her stool. “You were a mare, just like me. Clover is the first I know who is of a different gender. Speaking of which… Clover, may I ask why my Clover came to this world?”

“He first came to hide a secret weapon of his own. He did not tell me much about it, nor where he hid it, but that is how we first met. After that, he came back for visits when he could and we would share tales and he would teach me more about using the staff, but I was never to tell a soul about what I learnt from him, unless it is to my successor, when she was ready to take up my mantle, of course, or another Equestrian. Truthfully, I never expected to meet another, but here you are, Lady Emerald.”

“Here I am.” Emerald laughed internally. Today has just been filled with her repeating words. “But it is amazing that you know another Equestrian.”

“It is an honor to know an Equestrian.” Clover put a hand to her chest and bowed very slightly. “Your knowledge of magics is truly astounding. And I am sorry, Speckle, that I never told you any of this. I was saving it for the day you become Magus Superior.”

“Which is today.” The black haired mage grinned and poured her bowl’s contents into a vial, putting a cork into its hole. “Thank you for such knowledge, Clover. But there is one thing.”

Putting the vial on the table, Light Speckle picked up the golden staff, which leaned against the wall between the table and the bed. She returned to Emerald and held it out to her.

“What?” Emerald breathed, looking at the gold and silver patterns on the staff.

“Lady Emerald, tis your mission to find an artifact and return home, is it not?” Light Speckle shook the staff. “There is one, right before your eyes.”

“B-But, I cannot.” Emerald took one step back. “It belongs to you mages. It belongs to you, Speckle.”

“You will return once you vanquish the usurper, will you not? You may return it to me then, but for now, take it, my lady. Use it.”

Tears filled Emerald’s eyes. Even here, Light Speckle did such selfless things. And could it be? Could she finally return home and do what she had set out to do so many moons ago? Would she be able to vanquish Sombra and restore the Crystal Empire?

Tentatively, Emerald reached out and took hold of the staff. It was cool to the touch, and hummed with a strange resonance that energized the former pegasus.

“You’ll always be my best friend, Speckle, even if you’re from another world. Thank you.” Emerald hugged the mage with her other arm. “With this, it will finally be time to put Sombra in his place. But first, I will need the way home to be opened.”

Emerald stood beside the giant stone she had emerged from when she first came to this world, the staff in her hand. Light Speckle and Clover, who had a new wooden staff, stood by the boat behind her, watching expectantly.

Now that she was viewing it with a clear head, Emerald could see that the pale stone monolith was at least four times as large as she was, and probably ten times as thick. Vegetation refused to grow on it, leaving the stone as an oddity on the small island. Emerald and her escort had taken a small rowboat here, and had it not been raining slightly, it would have been a grand day for a boating trip.

Emerald Edge reached her other hand out towards the stone, holding her breath as her mind worked out her plans. Jade Crystal had mentioned the portal only opens for three days at a time every thirty moons. Unfortunately, Emerald had forgotten to count the days since she had been here.

Putting her fingers against the stone, Emerald was unsurprised, but still very disappointed that they didn’t go through the portal; it wasn’t opened to her right now. Then something occurred to her.

Emerald took the staff in hand and pointed it at the stone surface.

“Open!” she commanded.

Still nothing happened. The portal remained closed.

“It must not be time, Lady Emerald.” Light Speckle looked down. “We could try coming back everyday to check.”

Emerald gritted her teeth in frustration, then looked at the staff. These artifacts were supposed to have power beyond any imagination. Can’t power like that open the portal?

Emerald raised the staff and the tip began to glow a soft white. She felt it resonate deep within herself and she began to float off the ground, both feet now in the air. Her ears shifted to the top of her head, becoming like her ears back in Equestria and her ponytail extended down to her feet, while a pair of wings sprouted from her back.

Emerald felt the staff grow warm in her hands and she pointed at the rock formation. A single golden beam emerged from the tip, lancing straight for the stone, reflecting off its surface into a million directions, wrapping around the entire thing.

“Open. Open!” Emerald continued to will the magical artifact to work.

Emerald put more force into the staff’s magic, but even then, the portal remained closed to her.

“No. No! Why will you not open?” she screamed at the rock formation as she descended back to the ground, the magic beam dissolving into tiny golden fragments. “I need to get back. I need to save my empire.”

With her magical form fading, Emerald fell to her knees, putting a hand on the stone’s surface. Even with such power, she could not return home.

“I happen to know some about portals like this, or rather, your Clover told me about it,” the elderly Clover said, edging forward on her staff. “Like a tunnel, the portal network must have an entry and an exit,” Clover scratched out a diagram in the dirt with her staff. “A way in, a way out. That’s why Clover wanted this island to be left alone, so that his exit to this world would not be cut off.”

“B-But that means…” Emerald looked up at the stone, able to partially see her reflection in its surface. “My way in. It was about to explode when Speckle sent me in. It’s gone.”

There was a moment of profound silence, punctuated only by the faint swish of the lake’s waters on the island’s shores.

“Then…” Light Speckle said quietly. “Does this mean there’s no way for Emerald to get home?”

“There’s a second portal!” Emerald remembered the note on the prototype portal that she and her Equestrian friends had discovered. “Maybe that… will work? It’s possible, isn’t it?” Emerald said desperately.

Clover looked pensive. “The portal you came through must be the one you exit through. It is one of the laws of magic that your Clover told me about. It is built into the portals so that the traveler does not arrive at an undesirable destination by accident. If your entry portal is indeed destroyed… unless another traveler comes in through another portal to take you with them, I am afraid you may be trapped here.”

“No. No no no no no no!” Emerald stabbed the staff’s other end into the dirt ground. “It cannot end like this! I have a mission. A mission given to me by my princess. I cannot fail!”

Emerald’s eyes misted over, and she was helpless to stop the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

“Lady Emerald, I am sorry.” Light Speckle put a hand on her shoulder. “But surely there must be another way to return home? This one portal cannot be the only way, yes?”

“I don’t know!” Emerald snapped and shut her eyes. “I was so close. So close! I have what I need to stop Sombra now, but I cannot return home!” She looked back up at the portal with blurry vision, growling at it. “It’s this portal! The portal is to blame! Why did it have to explode on the other side? Why can it not take me elsewhere!”

Emerald activated the staff’s magic again, floating up into the air in her half-pony form, holding the artifact vertically out in front of herself. Her tearful eyes began glowing gold as an aura of magic began to pulse out from the staff, sending tremors running down from the stone to the lake waters.

“Lady Emerald, please, it cannot open the portal!” Light Speckle wobbled her way to Clover to support her.

“I need to try again. It needs more power! I cannot accept the end just like this!”

The staff’s tip began to expand a magical orb, which slowly increased in size as Emerald put more magic into it.

“Lady Emerald, this will accomplish nothing,” Clover said over the rumble. “If there is no door on the otherwise, the way will remain closed regardless.”

Emerald didn’t listen. Instead, she fired the orb of light into the rock formation, splintering beams all across the small island, shearing through dirt and grass and sending Light Speckle and Clover falling back into the boat.

“Open! You will open!” Emerald snarled, increasing her beam’s intensity. The earth around the portal began to crumble under her sheer power, but still, the portal didn’t open.

“Lady Emerald! The island, please!” Light Speckle kept Clover down as waves on the lake threatened to pull the boat into the water. “You must stop! This is not the way!”

“You do not know the way!” Emerald’s voice broke as she began to whimper. “There must be a way to force the portal open! I have to get home! I must…”

“None of us know the way, that is true, Lady Emerald.” Clover sat up in the boat. “But we will aid you. We will find a way together. Not like this.”

Emerald didn’t seem to register Clover’s words, but the arm holding the staff suddenly dropped, and with it, the light show. The portal stone remained as glossy as ever.

The former pegasus, her head hanging low, made her way back to the boat and sat down heavily in it. Defeated, Emerald dropped the staff, sending it falling into Light Speckle’s lap. She didn’t need it anymore. She was never getting home now. There was no stopping Sombra.

“I failed my princess…” Emerald put her face in her hands and sobbed. “What good am I if I cannot return home to rescue the Crystal Empire…?”

Clover put a hand on Emerald’s back, patting her gently. “There, there, dear. It’s not that bad.”

The former pegasus peeked at Clover with one bloodshot eye. “Isn’t it? All the sacrifices I’ve made, that my friends made for me just to get here, it was all for nothing. How could it possibly not be that bad!?”

“It is not that bad, because we have yet to give up,” Clover tried to reason. “While I still draw breath, I will do all I can to find a way to help you home.”

“So will I, Lady Emerald.” Light Speckle put a hand on her shoulder. “As your best friend back in Equestria had done, I shall do the same for you.”

The former pegasus shook her head. “If the artifact could not do a thing, what could you do?”

“I… I do not know, Lady Emerald.” Speckle looked to Clover, who had gone silent. “B-But I know we will figure something out.”

Emerald didn’t bother looking up. “I am ready to return to Canterlot.”

Light Speckle sighed in defeat. She picked up the oar and began paddling the boat back across the lake, unsure of what she could possibly do to renew Emerald’s determination.

Emerald Edge sat alone at a table in the Drifting Stallion, three overturned mugs in front of her face while a fourth was in her right hand. The bartender had run out of mugs for her, so Emerald had gotten refills in her current mug instead; after the fifth refill, she had lost count.

She had been in here since returning from Canterlot, ignoring Light Speckle and Clover’s encouragements. She had nothing left. There was no home for her to go back to anymore. If the portal couldn’t open, then she was never getting back. What was her purpose now? There was nothing left to look forward to, nothing left to fight for.

“It’s over…” Emerald downed her mug’s contents once more. “Bartender, more please…”

“Don’t you think you might have had enough, lady knight?” The bartender scratched at his blue beard.

Emerald was about to protest, but then she thought the better of it and slid a small stack of bits to the bartender, then got up unsteadily and stumbled toward the door. After a few tries at grabbing the door handle, Emerald simply walked into the door and allowed her body to push it open.

She accidentally barged into a man carrying a crate, but she barely noticed him and trudged on, wobbling her way towards the central bridge. She was walking in such a large zigzag that the townsfolk gave her the entire path for her to travel on by herself.

It went on like this all the way to the bridge, where Emerald tripped over the side, falling right into the small creek below, face first.

“Who put this broodge here…” She wiped water from her face, not bothering to get up yet. Thankfully, the river was shallow enough for her to lie in. “Yoooou don’t get in Emeraaald Edge’s way. Unless you’re a pourtal…”

The thought of the portal drifted over Emerald’s mind like a dark cloud. She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. It really wasn’t fair, she thought sulkily. She had done everything right. She had gone through the mirror into this other world, having her body changed as an unexpected part of the deal, she had found an artifact and would have been well on her way to setting everything right when the stupid portal refused to let her back through.

The water was soaking into her clothes but Emerald was too deep in her self pity to care. An owl flew overhead, spiralling around Emerald in the evening sky like a vulture.

Emerald watched it fly in circles until she got bored. Surely the owl would get bored too and leave, but it didn’t, flapping around in spirals like a leaf caught in a whirlpool. Her eyes followed the bird around and around, growing slightly dizzy, well, dizzier, so Emerald closed her eyes and thought about home. Not the room she had back at the castle, nor the cottage she owned near the stables. She thought of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. How would they be getting on without her? Would any help from Canterlot arrive now that the Empire’s last hope had failed? Did Celestia and Luna actually care about them at all? Was anyone even still opposing Sombra now?

Sombra. He was the cause of all this. If it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t have needed to come to this wretched world. If it weren’t for him, Princess Amore would still be alive. The former pegasus clenched a fist. Sombra. All her self pity congealed together and moulded itself into a diamond-hard ingot with only one word stamped on it: revenge. The idea burned like a fire in her chest and she sat up, river water dripping from her shimmering hair. And then she stumbled back down into the water. Perhaps she did have a little too much cider to drink.

“I’m going to kill him,” Emerald muttered drunkenly, swiping at the air with a hidden blade. “I’m gooooing to kill heeermmm!”

Emerald crawled her way to the side, leaning her back against the ground as everything spun around her. She was going to kill Sombra, should she ever get the chance, but with the portal closed off unless somepony decided to come over to this world for a visit, there was no going back for her.

Clover mentioned Clover used to come through to visit. Why had he stopped? If he could only just come though now, Emerald would have a way home. But of course, like his old mentor, he just had to make things harder.

“Blaaasted Star Sworl that Beardeeed… Blasted Cloovaaa the Cleverrr…” Emerald splashed at the water around her, putting a hand over her eyes. “You did this. You trapped me hereeee with yorrr foolish inventionsss.”

There was a flicker of movement and something landed on Emerald’s chest. It was the owl, staring down at her with its bright orange eyes. Then there were the sound of footsteps, many footsteps.

“Hey look, there she is!” someone said brightly. Something pink entered Emerald’s field of vision and the owl flew over to Sonata Dusk’s arm, where she fed it a strip of meat. Emerald was too drunk to be disgusted with that.

Spectrum’s voice made itself known. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you, Emerald,” Someone grabbed Emerald’s arms and hauled her up into a sitting position. “Eeurgh, you’re all wet.”

Emerald looked down into the shallow water. Glad you noticed. “What are yooou even doing here? I wanted to be alown…”

“Well, you disappeared after Clover and Light Speckle got back, and then you didn’t show up for dinner. Sir Morn and the others got worried and sent us to go look for you.” Spectrum glanced at Sonata, who was busy rubbing the owl on the head. “Were you just lying in this creek the whole time?”

“Part of it…” Emerald hiccuped, a bubble exiting her mouth and floating up.

Spectrum shook her head and gestured to Sonata, who released the owl into the air before coming over to help Emerald to her feet, albeit unsteadily.

“Come on, Em, we are getting you back to the castle.”

“I do naaht want to return to the castuulll. Just leave me herrreee. I like it herrreee.” Emerald shrugged her hand away and leaned back against the wall, unable to stand by herself.

“Emerald, be reasonable.” Spectrum tried pulling her, but the former pegasus was just too heavy. “You cannot spend the night here, you’ll get sick. Besides, you’re a Knight of the Round Table. You have to represent your king and kingdom well.”

“Don’t want to,” Emerald said mulishly. “Not my king and kingdom anyway.”

“Aw, come on, Em, you don’t mean that.”

Spectrum looked to Sonata for help, but the muse just shrugged, looking just as much at a loss for what to say.

Emerald continued to sulk, muttering about how unfair everything was and how the Crystal Empire would be doomed without her.

“Whether you came from another world or not, Emerald, you swore an oath, remember?” Spectrum tapped at the side of her head. “You swore you would defend this kingdom while you remain here. That is why you are a Knight of the Round Table.”

“Buut I cannot retuurn home now.” Emerald let out another bubble from her mouth. “Why does it maturrr what I do now?”

“Because we will not just sit back and let you mull away about this, Em.” Spectrum and Sonata began trying to drag her to the right, where a stone staircase had been built into the wall of the creek. “We are your friends, Em. We helped you along in your journey here and we will continue to do so. Right, Sonata?”

“She’s right, Emerald.” The muse patted her on the head. “Just come with us to the castle. You’ll see!”

“Don’t want to…” Emerald mumbled.

The two didn’t listen and continued to drag Emerald out of the creek and towards the castle. Spectrum and Sonata had some trouble dragging her all the way, but somehow, they managed, all the way to the castle drawbridge.

When they arrived there, Emerald saw two pairs of feet rush over from the front, before two new sets of hands wrapped around her arms and helped drag her onward. She looked to the left, noticing it was the other Emerald Edge, and then to her right, was none other than Sir Morn Dread, the human she loved.

Just in the courtyard ahead, stood a bunch of humans she knew. More specifically, the friends she had made in her time in this world, which consisted of most of the Knights of the Round Table, Nightfall Gleam, Jewel Pin, Posey, the other two muses, Moon Tide, Light Speckle, Clover and even Crystal Flare and Dash Spiral.

“See, Em?” Spectrum pointed. “See how many people were looking for you?”

“So whuut…”

“Lady Emerald, your quest is not over. Not yet,” Sir Morn said comfortingly beside her. “You have us. We shall aid you to the very end. I shall always be there for you when you need me, so do not give up yet.”

“Your tales of your world have inspired even me, Lady Emerald.” The other Emerald Edge nodded her head with a smile. “Please do not end this quest now before you save your empire.”

“But I have no way hoooome…” Emerald grumbled. As her friends ran to circle around her.

“And we will help you find one, Lady Emerald.” Light Speckle gave her shoulder a pat. “Like I said, you are not alone.”

“But what caaan any of yuuuuu dew for me?” Emerald swiped a hand to the side drunkenly. “Yuuu humans cannot open the portul…”

Adagio sighed. “Moon Tide had a feeling she might be like this. Here.” She produced a small potion bottle with a scrawled label on it. “Someone get her to drink this. It’ll counteract the… drink.”

Sir Morn took it and held it out to Emerald’s mouth. “Drink this, my lady. It will help.”

“No. You cannot make me-”

Sir Morn pushed the bottle against her lips and tilted it up. Emerald had been in the process of talking and accidentally swallowed some of its contents. She took a step back and sputtered, coughing as she wiped the residue liquid from her lips. It tasted salty and slightly metallic, with a hint of some kind of vegetable. It burned all the way down and Emerald felt her head clear almost immediately.

“Pleh! What’s in this?” Emerald said after she swallowed the concoction.

“I do not know,” Aria Blaze supplied. “It worked, though. You’re not slurring any more.”

It was true. Whatever had been in that bottle had banished all the buzz and drunkenness from Emerald’s body. Her mind was clear once again. And with that clarity of mind came a wave of depression at her discovery earlier today.

“Drunk or not, it changes nothing,” Emerald sulked, now able to stand on her own again without all the spinning in her head. “I still do not have a way home and none of you can open a way home for me. We’re trapped on this side unless someone from Equestria comes over.”

“We have the staff.” Light Speckle thudded the end of the golden staff on the ground. “Maybe we could use it to contact the other side?”

“Yes.” Clover nodded. “The staff does have power to communicate with others at great distance. Perhaps it may even help with contacting someone over there. Alas, I have never tried.”

“Yes, we are all here to lend a hand where you need us.” Jewel Pin swiped her purple hair to the side. “You need only ask and we shall be there for you.”

“She has a point, Em.” Posey nodded, fiddling with her bandana. “You were there for us all. It is only normal for us to return the favor and do what we can to help you get home.”

“You have helped me research so much, Emerald.” Nightfall tapped a scroll she was holding. “If I could build something to help you return home, I will try my best! I owe you so much.”

“There is much magic to study about your portal, but I am sure we will figure something out one day,” Moon Tide told her. “It is what we mages do.”

“See, Em?” Spectrum announced. “You’re far from alone, and your quest isn’t over yet. As a knight-to-be, I promise to be there to lend a helping hand if you need it.”

Emerald looked around at all her friends, all of them sporting encouraging smiles and compassionate eyes. Her eyes misted over. They were right: she wasn’t as alone as she thought, and perhaps with their help, they could get the portal open. Half her quest was already over; she had found an artifact. Now it was just a matter of getting back to Equestria and dethroning Sombra, and that was the easy part, right?

The former pegasus sniffled and wiped the tears of happiness from her eyes.

“Thank you, Spectrum, everypony. I’m sorry I got so worked up over it. It’s just that I want to complete my quest, and I didn’t expect so many setbacks.”

“Tis the story of my life, Lady Emerald,” Sir Morn said, coming forward and taking Emerald’s hand. “We can find a way to open the portal, I know we can. Just like how we will one day find the Grail.”

“And on that day, you will have all our support when you banish that Sombra from your empire,” Light Speckle said with conviction. “I will have the staff here for you when you are finally able to return home.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Emerald said again. “I thought I left magic behind when I left Equestria. But I was wrong. Even here, friendship is still magic.”

43 - Expensive Trade

Jewel Pin wiped her forehead as she finished sweeping the floor of her little shop, pleased with the end result. If it were a steel floor, it would surely be reflecting her clear self right back to her, but that would also just be absolutely bizarre.

“Steel floors, ha,” she scoffed to herself. “What a waste of metal.”

After brushing all the dirt and dust out the door, Jewel Pin went to the back of the shop to make herself a bite to eat. Getting out a loaf of bread and a wheel of cheese, the seamstress sat there chewing on the bread, which was admittedly a little stale. The cheese was a touch smelly, but at least the water was as good as it had ever been. Her barrel was getting low on water though, and she would soon have to visit the closest well to refill it. Fortunately, she lived rather close to one of the few wells in Canterlot, so getting water wasn’t an issue.

The faint sound of knocking interrupted Jewel Pin’s thoughts about water and wells. She wasn’t open this early, so it couldn’t be a customer, not unless they were really desperate for her sewing skills. Brushing breadcrumbs from her dress, Jewel Pin threw on her apron and made her way to the front door.

Peeping out at the outside through a gap in the curtains, Jewel Pin’s heart skipped a beat. Standing right outside, hands politely behind his back, was High Rise!

Repressing an excited squeal, Jewel Pin grabbed a hand mirror and checked that her hair was all in order, that her dress was on straight and that her face was free of any evidence of her breakfast.

Satisfied that she looked presentable, Jewel Pin gripped the doorknob, drew in a deep breath, and opened it.

“Welcome to Canterlot Fabrics!” Jewel Pin said with a dazzling smile. She then put a hand to her mouth in false astonishment. “Oh! High Rise! What a pleasant surprise.”

High Rise’s pale blue hair was slicked back with scented oil, and his outfit was casual, yet also stately and elegant. He returned Jewel Pin’s smile and said, “I thought I’d drop by and see how you were doing. I understand you’re receiving a lot of clients lately, and I wanted to make sure you were not being overworked.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you,” Jewel Pin said with a girlish little laugh.

“May I come in?” High Rise produced a small cloth satchel from behind his back. “I brought pastries.”

Jewel Pin wasted no time in inviting High Rise into her shop. It was getting close to opening time, but she had planned to stay closed for most of the day anyway. She had a couple of errands to run, and unlike the Knights of the Round Table, she had no squire to run them for her.

Jewel Pin led High Rise to the back of her shop, where they sat down after Jewel Pin put the kettle on for tea.

“I hope I’m not intruding too much,” High Rise said, setting the bag onto the table and removing the pastries to put on a tray. “You must be very busy with your orders.”

“Oh, well, actually, I ran out of this particular fabric, and I was going to go out and buy some more later today,” Jewel Pin replied, getting some tea leaves out of a cabinet.

“Oh, is that so? Where will you go?” High Rise asked.

“Just across into the market district.” Jewel Pin put the leaves into a teapot and added the hot water. In no time, the rich scent of Duke White tea permeated the air.

“Mmm, Duke White. My favorite,” High Rise said, sipping from his teacup.

“It is my favorite too!” Jewel Pin exclaimed. “It’s a little pricey, but the flavor makes it all worthwhile, don’t you think?”

High Rise laughed. “Oh, rather.”

The two sat there at the table, drinking the tea and taking occasional bites of the pastries.

Eventually, all the food was eaten and the tea finished. Jewel pin went and put the tray, teacups, and teapot into a basket for dirty dishes, then covered it with a rag to keep the flies off.

“I suppose I had better be on my way, or I’ll not be back before dinner,” Jewel Pin said. She fastened a kerchief around her head and rolled up her sleeves. “I hate to bring an end to our meeting, High Rise, but I really must be going.”

“I shall come with you,” the man said brightly, getting up out of the chair. “I’ve nothing to do today, and what better way to spend a day off than in the company of a lovely lady?”

Jewel Pin blushed, turning away to hide her rosy cheeks. “Oh, I couldn’t ask you to accompany me; you must have much better things to do than follow me around while I go shopping.”

“Really, it is no trouble at all,” High Rise insisted breezily. “Besides, there are no better things on my to-do list than to be your escort for the day.”

“Oh, High Rise.” Jewel Pin suppressed a squeal and held the nobleman’s hand. “I would love to have you escort me.”

Jewel Pin just wanted to lean over and kiss him right now, but she’d never kissed him before. She didn’t know how he would react or even how it would be like. In fact, she’d never kissed anyone before. All she had were ideas of what it would be like, like the stories of old her parents would tell her when she was younger. Stories where a dashing young prince would rescue a princess from the castle and they would live happily ever after.

Jewel Pin wanted that with High Rise. She wanted to be with him forever, but she didn’t know if a kiss would help with that or make their relationship progress backwards.

Would he like the kiss? Would he think it was too soon? Jewel Pin didn’t know, so for now, she repressed the urge to do so.

“So, uh heheh… shall we?” She eyed the door and grinned.

High Rise smiled back at her and bowed. “After you, milady.”

The first stop on Jewel Pin’s itinerary was the textiles shop on the other side of Canterlot. She and High Rise leisurely walked to the west side of the city, hand in hand. The sun was out and blazing, but the couple stayed in the shadow of the buildings. After around fifteen minutes of walking, the textile shop came into view. It was a large, white-painted building in the Loft district that had a gold and red painted sign above the double doors that read:

LOFT OUTFITTERS

“Well, here we are,” Jewel Pin announced. “Admittedly it irks me a little to shop from my competitor, but aside from clothes, Loft Outfitters is the only shop that sells fabrics at a rate I can afford.”

“I have been here numerous times before,” High Rise said. “I have ordered many a suit from them. Though I must say Loft Outfitters is rather slower than your work, my lady.”

A pink aura crept over Jewel Pin’s face, and she ducked her head modestly.

“Well, shall we go inside?”

The interior of Loft Outfitters was spacious and brightly lit with sunlight streaming in from the wide windows, some of which were open to let in a cool breeze. Wooden mannequins stood in various poses around the shop, modeling suits and dresses. Tables laden with bolts of multicolored fabrics were sprinkled throughout the space, with many more tucked away in alcoves on the walls. There was another woman, presumably a noble, getting measured by a moustached man in the corner next to a mirror, but other than that, the shop was devoid of customers.

“Well, slow day?” High Rise mused, hooking his thumbs into his belt. “Well, I suppose it just means you can buy what you came here for quicker.”

“Right,” Jewel Pin agreed. She reached into her sleeve and drew out a small sheet of parchment. “Hm, I’ll need a roll of sky blue Saddle Arabian cotton, a roll of Eastern silk, bright red, and jade gossamer cashmere.” The seamstress waved a hand to an assistant to catch his attention.

While Jewel Pin went about collecting the fabrics she needed for her own shop, High Rise took a seat near the door, glancing out the window at the passing townsfolk. The Loft District was livelier than the Shades, it being a safer place in general. He himself owned a mansion in the upper parts of the Loft District, but High Rise was a firm believer in exploring new things. And he had found Jewel Pin, which made any kind of risk worth it.

The two of them have been together for four years now. High Rise had been attracted to the seamstress’ beauty ever since he met her, even though she was not of noble blood. He didn’t believe that a person’s place in society should determine whether they fit in with others or not. Jewel Pin was an example of a fine and hardworking woman and he very much liked that about her. Townsfolk could say all they want, but it would never stop him from loving her less.

Meanwhile, Jewel Pin and the assistant were standing at a wall that was lined with cubbyholes, each one housing a roll of fabric. The assistant had Jewel Pin’s list, and was pulling bolts off the wall for the seamstress. In very little time, Jewel Pin had paid for her purchase, and was on the way out, staggering slightly under the weight of her fabrics.

High Rise got to his feet and hurried to Jewel Pin’s side. “Here, let me,” he said, taking two of the heavy fabric rolls and balancing them in his arms.

They left the shop and ventured back out into the sunlight, and out into the streets of the Loft District. Passing through the now-bustling market, Jewel Pin and High Rise wove their way through the crowds, heading back to Jewel Pin’s shop.

“I must say,” High Rise said as they walked. “I would never have thought cloth could weigh this much. You usually do this on your own? You are stronger than you look, milady.”

“I grew up as a farmer’s daughter in Trottingham,” Jewel Pin replied, dodging a trio of youths who were chasing a ball. “Before I got into sewing, I would help work the crops. Of course, that was years and years ago, but I suppose some of my father’s strength lingers in me.”

High Rise’s eyebrows arched. “You? A farmer? I simply cannot imagine it.”

“Yes, well, even when I was a little girl, I longed to be part of the upper echelons of society. So I saved up some bits, moved into Canterlot, and opened my shop. I’m still a long way from my goal, but I believe with hard work, dedication, and a little luck, I’ll be there someday.”

A look of admiration crossed High Rise’s face. Having been born into wealth and prestige, he had never considered just what lengths someone might go to in order to be like him.

“You are an admirable woman, Jewel Pin. I know many a noble who should be half as industrious as you are.”

Jewel Pin tried to look modest, but then edged over to High Rise and pecked him on the cheek. “You know just what to say to make a lady happy,” she purred.

“Well, I didn’t take all those classes on manners for nothing,” High Rise said with a laugh. “Come on, we’re almost back to your shop.

Truly enough, Jewel Pin’s Canterlot Fabrics was coming into view. The owner of the shop skipped ahead and unlocked her front door, ushering High Rise inside.

“Now, just put the fabric down on this table, and we can get on with my second errand.”

The nobleman carefully deposited the two bolts of cloth onto the table and stretched his arms. “Alright, where are we headed to next?”

Jewel Pin went into the back rooms, returning with a large bucket.

“Next stop is the well. I’m almost out of water.”

“Oh. Is that where the water comes from?”

The seamstress gave High Rise a bemused look. “Unless it’s rainwater, then yes. I suppose you have servants to get water to your home?”

“Very probable, yes. I suppose I hadn’t ever given it much thought.”

“Fortunately, there’s a well only two streets away,” Jewel Pin beckoned to High Rise and the couple set off toward the well, playfully nudging each other as they went.

As it was now late in the morning, there were very few people at the well. Jewel Pin lowered the bucket into the shaft after attaching a rope, allowing the bucket to free fall into the water. There was a faint splash and Jewel Pin waited for a while before she turned the crank on the rope, hauling the bucket and its contents back to the surface.

“This should last me a few days,” Jewel Pin announced. Carefully holding the bucket of water, she and High Rise went back to her shop. High Rise helped unlock the door and the seamstress tottered inside. She went to the back room and poured the contents of the bucket into the keg where she kept her drinking water. “Now, I think we deserve a bit of a break. Would you like some tea, High Rise?”

“Why, more tea?” the nobleman chuckled. “We just had tea this morning. And it is barely into the afternoon.”

“I always find that some tea-”

Jewel Pin was interrupted by a hammering on her front door. It sounded like someone was eager to get in.

“Just a moment, High Rise. I’ll go see who it is.”

Jewel Pin walked over to the door and opened it, with High Rise watching curiously. Could it be another client?

The shop’s owner pulled the door open, the smile on her face transforming into a look of grim impatience once she saw who it was.

“Jewel Pin,” the large muscular, maroon-skinned man said. He wore a leather jerkin and tight leggings that showed off his toned calves. He loomed over Jewel Pin, leering down at her. “I trust you know why I’m here.”

“You’re here two weeks early, Skimmer,” Jewel Pin said primly, not intimidated by the debt collector at all. “I’ll have your boss’s money by then. In the meantime, I have work to do, so if you would please leave…”

Skimmer put his hand in the door, stopping it from closing.

“Things have changed,” he said menacingly. “I’m here to collect the payment today.”

“But that’s preposterous!” Jewel Pin exclaimed. “I can’t pay off this month’s mortgage today, I just don’t have the funds.”

“That’s not my problem,” Skimmer sneered. “Now either you pay me now, or I come in and take the payment in whatever I can find. Your choice.”

Without waiting for Jewel Pin to respond, Skimmer pushed past her and went into the shop. He went for the counter first, pulling out the wooden box that Jewel Pin kept her customers’ money in. He rattled it, seeming dissatisfied with the amount within.

“What’s all this?” he asked, looking at the fabrics that she and High Rise had bought earlier that day.

“Materials,” Jewel Pin quavered. “I need them to make clothing for my customers.”

“Huh. If you’re spending money on stuff like this, you must have more money somewhere. Where is it?”

“Now, hold on here.” High Rise stood up and walked up to Skimmer, poking him in the chest. “Just who do you think you are, walking in here and taking Jewel Pin’s things? Surely there’s a way to work this out.”

“This your lover, Jewel Pin?” Skimmer grunted. “You better watch yourself around me, pretty boy, or I will mess up that face of yours real quick.”

He continued to look around the shop, looking at the loom in the corner and passing it by. Then Skimmer went into the back, leaving High Rise and Jewel Pin in the front. The seamstress wrung her hands a she listened to Skimmer rummaging around in the back rooms.

“Is this… a common occurrence?” High Rise asked tentatively.

“No,” Jewel Pin replied, her mouth a thin, taut, line. “Usually I just pay him and he leaves. Skimmer’s never come inside before.”

“Why are you mixed up with his type anyway?” High Rise said.

“I had to borrow some money to get my business off the ground…” Jewel Pin said quietly. “But I forgot to take compound interest into account. Now I’m five thousand bits in debt, and I don’t want to think about what will happen if I don’t pay on time.”

High Rise was about to say something when Skimmer came back out with a gem-studded gold chain.

“This’ll do as payment for now. It’ll fetch me a good price at the market.”

“You cannot!” Jewel Pin gasped. “That’s my mother’s necklace; it has been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. Please, don’t take it!”

“Nothing doing, lady. You should have had the money to pay me, and then you wouldn’t be losin’ this here necklace.”

“Now, hold on, mister.” High Rise marched up to Skimmer, unfazed by the height difference. “There’s no need to take the lady’s jewelry. I’m sure we can work something out.”

“I thought I told you to stay out of my way,” Skimmer growled.

“You did, but a lady’s honor is at stake. Give her back the necklace, and things shan’t get nasty.”

Skimmer looked unimpressed. “Oh? And what are you going to do?”

High Rise settled into a pugilist’s stance, feet apart, fists raised. “I’ll fight you for it.”

At this, Skimmer laughed, drawing himself up to his full height. “The hay you will. Don’t you know I used to be called ‘Skimmer the Fist’ while I was still running with that old bandit clan of mine? You don’t stand a chance, pretty boy.”

“Perhaps I don’t,” High Rise said, undeterred. “But I will still try.”

“Then bring it on!” Skimmer put the money box on the table and threw a punch at High Rise, who swerved to dodge it before lashing out with a haymaker. Skimmer easily blocked it before elbowing High Rise in the stomach, then while he was bent over, winded, he threw an uppercut to High Rise, knocking him to the floor.

“Ha! Now let that be a lesson to you, pretty boy. Don’t mess around with Skim-Aaaarrg!”

In that moment, High Rise, the money, even Jewel Pin’s debt was forgotten. All that mattered was the pain that was blasting through his shoulder, where Jewel Pin had stabbed a pair of tailoring scissors.

“You brute!” she screeched, pulling the huge pair of scissors out before stabbing Skimmer again. “How dare you lay a hand on High Rise!” The scissors, meant for cutting through even the thickest of fabrics, tore through Skimmer’s tunic and flesh with ease. “Out of my shop! Out!”

“Gerroff me!” Skimmer shouted, falling to his knees and dropping the jewelry as a third stab caught him in the arm. “Aarh! No amount of money is worth this! I’m going, I’m going!”

Leaving everything, Skimmer half ran, half staggered out of Canterlot Fabrics, leaving a dripping trail of blood behind.

Jewel Pin stood there, panting as the rage and adrenaline left her body. She looked down at the bloody pair of scissors in her hand. Horrified, she let them fall from her fingers to the floor, where they stabbed into the wood.

“Ugh.” High Rise said, sitting up and massaging his nose. It appeared to be in the proper shape, if a little tender. “What happened? Where’s that debt collector?”

“He’s gone,” Jewel Pin said in a hushed voice. She covered her face and groaned. “What have I done? He will return, probably with more men. I can’t, I can’t do that again! I don’t know what came over me! I mean, I couldn’t stand to see him hit you-”

“It’s alright, Jewel Pin. It’s fine,” High Rise smiled at her. “You still have all your things, which is what matters to me. As for your debt, I’m going to go there right now and pay it off for you. You won’t have to worry about debt collectors ever again.”

“You- you will?” Jewel Pin gasped. No one had ever displayed such a degree of generosity to her before.

“Of course I will! As for Skimmer, we know where he works, yes? I shall tell the guards to have him arrested for assault and attempted theft. I’m a noble, they’ll listen to me.”

“Oh, High Rise…” Jewel Pin sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

“Anything for you, milady. Now, let’s get this mess cleaned up.”

44 - I Am Your Shield

“How preposterous, Trottingham again?” Sir Lionheart swung the shield over his back and strapped his sword, Durendal, to his side. Emerald had never seen a sturdier sword in her time here. “You’d think they would be very much prepared for another attack. What of our Canterlot guard there?”

“Two dead.” Sir Agramane put his helmet on, making his voice echo inside. “But four bandits dead.”

Emerald Edge shook her head in disgust. Trottingham was such a hotspot for bandits, even after the placement of the Canterlot guard. Unfortunately, Posey was currently in Canterlot, here to visit Sir Ganeighn, so she wouldn’t be in the Everfree Forest when they go there. The two had been seeing each other so frequently as of late, Emerald had just given the key to her house to the archer, so she could come and go as she pleased. After all, a bed to sleep on would not bother Posey at all.

“How odd for Ganeighn to always be with that peasant,” Sir Agramane said as the three knights began riding away on their horses. “A knight should find a proper woman.”

“That peasant, good Sir Agramane, has done much work for the kingdom,” Sir Lionheart reminded. He still never wore a helmet, not wanting to mask his face from the crowds. “Ganeghin is lucky to have courted such a fine woman, even if she is a peasant.”

“Do you have a woman yourself, Sir Agramane?” Emerald asked. She realized he was the Knight of the Round Table she had spoken to the least, even less than Sir Boercival who sometimes, would never utter a single word.

“Aye, that I do, my lady.” The red armored knight nodded. “She is the most beautiful woman I know and she is of noble blood. Just like Sir Lionheart’s Sylvie Woods.”

“Ah, but that is where you are wrong, Sir Agramane.” The blonde haired knight wagged a finger as he steered his horse, Braveheart, out the town gates, leading the group. “Sylvie is more beautiful than your wife, and as brave as I.”

“Red Plum is brave as well.”

“Yes, indeed. She was so brave that she screamed for help when the rat fell from the ceiling yesterday.”

Emerald shared a small chuckle with Sir Lionheart as Sir Agramane picked up speed, passing them as they rode on to the Everfree Forest.

“Tis interesting how we are each different, is it not, Lady Emerald.” Sir Lionheart tweaked at his moustache. “But that is what makes us each unique. Why, if there were another man just like me, it would certainly have been tougher to win my wife over.”

Emerald agreed, mostly. Obviously, Sir Lionheart hadn’t met his double, whoever he was, back in Equestria. Her fellow knight had already been married for two years, and it had been the first wedding Emerald had ever attended. Sylvie Woods had tossed a bouquet of flowers up into the air at the end of the ceremony, which Emerald had managed to catch and eat; it had been a tasty pick from the garden.

She had wondered when she and Sir Morn would be able to get married too, but Sir Lionheart had known Sylvie Woods for years before their marriage. Emerald only knew Morn for four years.

“Pick up speed, sir and lady knights!” Agramane called from ahead, his red armor easy to spot in the distance, unlike his sword’s gems. The gram was a long and straight sword, adorned with gems as black as night. They were beautiful, but they did not reflect off as much light as the other swords. “We have townsfolk to rescue!”

“Come, Lady Emerald.” Sir Lionheart put Braveheart into a gallop.

“Yes, I shall follow behind. Come, Foxtrot, let us catch up with them.”

The sun shone brightly down from above, making Emerald pull up her head about halfway into the journey. It had been quite the cool weather only a few months ago and Emerald missed those winds. The winds today were warm and thick, like they were trying to suffocate the air from your lungs, but it was manageable enough for rescuing the Trottingham citizens.

In only a short period of time, the three Knights of the Round Table had entered the Everfree Forest, their horses galloping straight for Trottingham.

The small town had yet to obtain another sheriff, but perhaps learning from experience, they didn’t want another one. When the knights finally arrived at Trottingham, they simply approached the captain of the Canterlot guard there.

“Sirs and lady knights.” The captain bowed and slapped a fist to her chest.

“What is the situation now, captain?” Sir Agramane asked, getting off his black horse, whose name Emerald did not know. “Do you know where the bandits are camped?”

The captain’s expression turned grim. “I had sent two of my guard to follow them, but they have yet to return. I fear the worst. Six townsfolk have been taken, likely to be traded off as slaves, or to be used for the bandits’ own pleasure.”

“Such barbaric men.” Sir Lionheart placed a hand on his sword, Durendal’s pommel, turning it slightly that light began to reflect off its sapphire jewels. “Have no fear, captain. We shall retrieve your men and the townsfolk from these bandits.”

“Yes. They will think twice before attempting another raid like this when we are done with them.” Agramane nodded. “You have our word as Knights of the Round Table.”

“Thank you, sirs and lady knights.” The captain turned and pointed a finger to the east. “They had gone that way. I do not know how far they have traveled, but I have heard of bandit forts just outside the Everfree. Forts made of the trees in the forest.”

Emerald looked in the direction she had pointed. Wherever these bandits were, they weren’t going to get away with anything. “Come, let us ride.”

Lionheart nodded and turned Braveheart to the forest. “Keep an eye out, captain. We shall return shortly.”

Emerald followed behind him as they rode their way through the forest. There were few paths carved out through the Everfree, meaning they might have to get off their horses to investigate thoroughly.

They eventually stopped halfway down the dirt path, tying their horses to the trees there. From here, they would have to press through the brush.

“Wait here, Foxtrot.” Emerald nuzzled his snout. “When we get home, I shall give you a carrot, how does that sound?”

Her equine friend snorted.

“Yes, yes, three carrots then, you greedy horse.”

Emerald Edge pulled her hood low after entering the bushes behind the male knights, not wanting her shiny hair to give away her position. They still had yet to find the bandit fort, but she wasn’t going to take her chances with them spotting her from further away.

“They should not be far, the bandits,” Sir Agramane told her, slowing so she could catch up to him, while Sir Lionheart led in front. He had Gram out, but left his axe slung on his side. “It would make sense that they attack the towns close to them, so that they would not have to travel a great distance back and forth, does it not, Lady Emerald?”

“It does make sense.” Emerald kept her eyes peeled through the trees. “I did not realize you were a tactician, Sir Agramane.”

“All knights are trained in the mind.” Agramane tapped the side of his helmet. “We must make plans to ensure the best outcome to attain complete victory and to save lives. Tis why we Knights of the Round Table have not fallen in combat.”

“Mhm. Sir Agramane, I realize I have not gone on many quests with you. I have not had the privilege to speak with you much.”

“Aye, my lady, but there is not much to know.” Agramane adjusted his tunic over his armor as a branch caught on to it. “I was of noble birth and my parents had wanted me to be a knight, and so I am now.”

“Sir Morn mentioned you had become a knight the same as he?”

“Ah, of course he would mention that.” Sir Agramane turned to Emerald. “Tis true. We had known each other when we were still squires. We were brothers in arms. We helped each other where we were lacking ability, though I must say, Morn Dread has little to lack. Some might say it was the mage blood he had.”

“Ah, yes, I have seen his… abilities in action myself.” Emerald recalled Morn easily healing from wounds that even looked fatal.

“With power like that…” Sir Agramane clenched a fist. “Perhaps a knight such as I would bear much pride, but not Morn. Morn is a knight of kindness, always looking to help instead of shoving his talents in our faces. He especially despises how cruel some people can be.”

“He is, is he not?” Emerald smiled and thought about the handsome knight, picturing his strong arms around her. He always found a way to cheer her up. “That is what I love about him.”

“Aye, as does he.” Agramane cut out a low branch that was in his way. “He speaks very highly of you. All the time. Honestly, it does get tiresome to keep hearing his praises of you, but it does show he loves you very much.”

Emerald laughed, but then stopped when she spotted Sir Lionheart stop over on the edge of the treeline, Durendal drawn. It’s silver hilt was of the same color as Lionheart's gauntlet, making it look like the sword was attached to his hand, but that would have just been a ridiculous thing to do. In his other hand glinted the Shield of Star Swirl the Bearded, its gold and silver artistry brimming with Equestrian magic. Emerald had learnt from her time as a knight that a human was capable of wielding the shield more effectively than the other artifacts. Perhaps it had something to do with attacks, but when the sword and staff were used offensively, they seemed to drain the wearer much quicker; she didn’t know if the shield had any offensive capabilities, but being able to withstand any attack with it was reason enough to have it.

“There. Do you see them?” The blonde haired knight pointed his silver sword ahead to where a fort of logs had been erected, just beside a cluster of giant boulders, which could easily be used to jump inside. Whoever did the planning for the fort didn’t think things through. On the walls surrounding their encampment were four bandits, each one armed with a bow and arrow.

Sentries.

In broad daylight like this, they would easily see a trio of knights approaching them. Even with the boulders to get in with, they would still first have to approach unseen. Somehow.

“We should simply approach.” Lionheart hefted his shield higher. “We have the shield. We could approach unharmed.”

“What of the hostages inside?” Agramane speared Gram into the ground and folded his arms. “They could simply demand we surrender or they kill them.”

“Then we do things my way.” Emerald looked around, hoping to find anyway she could get to the walls without being seen. “Where would the townsfolk be kept in a fort like this?”

Lionheart shrugged. “Hard to say, Lady Emerald. If they have been untouched, then perhaps a holding cell, or a locked room. We have found townsfolk in their quarters before, sometimes so weak they couldn’t stand. Sometimes, the worst of the lot, killed for no reason at all.”

“Hmm…” Emerald glanced at the fort and narrowed her eyes. This was going to be no easy task. “We may need a diversion instead. Sir Lionheart, how long would you be able to maintain the shield against the arrows?”

“Quite some time, actually.” The knight looked at his gleaming shield. “No sword or spear can pierce it. Arrows shan’t have a chance at all.”

Emerald nodded. “Sir Agramane, while Sir Lionheart approaches, we can sneak in by those rocks there, take out the archers, then open the gates for Sir Lionheart. Then from there, we can see to getting the hostages out.”

“I see no problem with that plan.” Agramane motioned to the field. “Lead on, Lady Emerald. I shall follow.”

“And I shall begin immediately.” Lionheart stretched both arms out. “I wish you luck, my knightly companions. And try not to keep me waiting too long.”

“We shan’t, Sir Lionheart.” Agramane took his axe and put it on his shoulder. “Lady Emerald and I will make this quick. Will we not?”

“We will.” Emerald smiled and ran on, keeping along the forest edge to the left side.

She watched behind her as Sir Lionheart left his position, smashing his sword off the shield’s surface, getting the fort’s attention as more bandits began crowding the walls.

“He’s done it. Let us pick things up.” Emerald crept faster, darting out of the forest, keeping her body low, trying to blend in with the grass.

It was a lot harder for Sir Agramane, who wasn’t as lean and who had on a set of bright red armor, but so far, their distraction plan was working.

“I have come to stop you, bandits!” Sir Lionheart yelled to them, raising the shield in front of his body. “You shall see justice today!”

“Fire! Kill the knight!” one of the bandits yelled.

The four archers took aim and let loose their arrows. Sir Lionheart simply stopped and got down behind his shield, holding it high. Its surface began to glow a soft gold, and then as the arrows entered the glow, they simply fell straight down, like they had already bounced off.

“Fire more!” The bandit pointed at the archers.

“Good, he has all their attention,” Emerald said, looking back to make sure Sir Agramane was still behind her. “Let us make this quick for Sir Lionheart.”

Picking up speed, Emerald sprinted along the side, rushing to the mound of boulders, kicking off the first one with a clink of her greave, then using the next few ones as stepping stones towards the highest boulder. Sir Agramane was a lot less graceful, but he had managed to get the right footing and hop along behind Emerald.

Arriving at the top boulder, the former pegasus squatted down to first assess her surroundings. It was a bad idea to go in blind while she had such a great vantage point to spy on the enemy numbers first.

The majority of bandits were now on the front wall, watching Sir Lionheart deflect all their arrows with his shield; Emerald counted at least sixteen of them, including the four archers.

There were more in the fort itself, keeping their eyes on the wall, or the prisoners, who were clustered in two small cages near the rear of the fort. They numbered at least seven. There might still be more in the wooden buildings, like Sir Agramane had said, who were likely used for the bandits’ own pleasure. Emerald didn’t know how all that worked in the human world, but it likely wasn’t good.

“Six more bandits around the fort,” Emerald told her companion, who finally caught up behind her, trying to balance on the same rock she was on. “Twenty two total. Seven townsfolk visible. There will likely be more of them and more bandits inside?”

“Likely.” Agramane stowed both his weapons to better support himself. “They have us vastly outnumbered, but we have them overpowered. Now, how do you plan on getting in? Jumping? Tis a far drop.”

Emerald looked down. It would’ve been ideal if she still had her wings, but she obviously didn’t. The drop was quite far to get inside the fort and she still had to jump to get past the wall.

“How do you suppose we get down safely, my lady?” Agramane leaned over the boulder, looking down at the drop. “From this height, our legs will surely break. Perhaps if we can find a raised platform…”

Then Emerald spotted a possible way in. A pile of rags, sitting against the fort wall and a building. If there were indeed enough rags in there, Emerald had a safe way down. She didn’t know for sure, but she didn’t see another way in.

“I’m going to jump, Sir Agramane,” Emerald told her companion. “Don’t follow unless I give the heads up, got it?”

“What? Jump from here? That’s absurd!”

“We’re about to find out,” Emerald swallowed.

She was going to have to trust that the landing would be soft.

Standing, Emerald ran two steps forward, then kicked off the boulder, floating in the air for a second, making her feel like she had her wings again. And then she was falling, falling straight down towards the pile of rags. The spymaster shut her eyes, half expecting herself to crumple against the hard ground, but then her body was cushioned by something soft, sinking down into the pile until her bottom touched the floor safely. She was fine. She was unhurt. Mostly.

“I’m alive!” Emerald whispered to herself and touched her body, glad to know she was still fully functional. She looked up and nodded to Sir Agramane before pushing out of the rag pile. Now they just had to get the fort gates open for Sir Lionheart and for their escape later.

Sir Agramane looked unsure, but he sheathed both weapons and made the jump, flailing in the air all the way down, until he landed in the pile with a puff of dust.

“See? You lived.” Emerald helped him up and dusted his armor.

“Not something I will try again.” Agramane adjusted his helmet, then whipped out Gram and ran a bandit through, who was about to do the same to Emerald had he not intervened. “Eyes out, Lady Emerald.”

“Right.” Emerald turned to see the bandit’s body fall off Agramane’s sword. “The gates.”

The gates had a simple pulley mechanism of wood and rope and it was only a matter of turning them to release the log that prevented them from opening. The problem was, if they started doing that, the bandits would likely turn to them.

“Sir Agramane, I am faster. I shall get up there and combat the bandits while you open the gates.” Emerald removed Amore from its scabbard.

Finding a wooden staircase that led up to the platform behind the wall, Emerald unsheathed a hidden blade and jammed it into the back of one archer, then slashed out at another bandit’s midsection, sending him falling below, where Sir Agramane was, his hands already on the lever to raise the log. Sir Lionheart still had the shield up, keeping a safe distance as its magic continued to ward off the arrows.

As soon as Agramane began turning, all the bandits turned their attention from Sir Lionheart over to the gates, where they spotted the red-armored knight.

“They got in! Shoot him!” one bandit cried out.

Emerald moved fast, dashing in and swinging Amore, cutting down another bandit before she was fought back with an axe. From the corner of her eye, Emerald watched Agramane begin to turn the lever, putting all his strength into it to lift the lock all alone. She had to make sure she did her part and defend him from the bandits here.

“What are you lot waiting for?” The bandit chief waved his axe at Agramane. “Kill him!”

The remaining archers all forgot about Lionheart and instead aimed their arrows down at Agramane.

“Here!” Emerald charged back in, feinting to the left at the last second as the closest bandit swiped his axe at her. Kicking him off the platform, Emerald lunged forward and thrust Amore straight through an archer’s side, with the woman screaming in pain before crumpling.

“Change targets! The woman! Kill her first!” The bandit leader pointed to the former pegasus as she clashed blades with another bandit.

With all the attention on her now, Sir Agramane was able to lift the wooden lock on the gates, allowing Sir Lionheart to bash them open with his shield.

“I have arrived!” he announced loudly and with a smug smile.

“More knights! Oh no.”

The bandit leader fell back as Emerald pulled her sword from his chest, turning around to parry another bandit’s strike.

Down below, Sir Agramane had retrieved both his weapons from his sides, swinging both of them in deadly arcs, cutting down many of the approaching bandits, while Sir Lionheart easily blocked and countered all the attacks that were aimed for him. The two Knights of the Round Table were truly forces to be reckoned with, along with the vibrant haired spymaster above.

“The hostages!” Sir Lionheart looked over at the wooden buildings away from the gates. “I shall go to their rescue. Keep the bandits busy!”

“I shall aid Lady Emerald.” Agramane threw his axe up, lodging it into the back of a bandit who was trying to stab the female knight from the side. “Go, Lionheart!”

The blonde haired knight nodded and ran along, but not before turning around and readying his shield like a discus. “Lady Emerald!” he called.

The spymaster turned to look at him, just as he threw the artifact straight for her. Emerald understood and jumped off the platform, stretching her left arm out. The shield seemed to spin in slow motion for a while, until Emerald felt her fingers catch on to the edge of it.

Immediately on contact, she felt a buzz go through her body, along with the familiar warmth of home. She slipped the shield onto her arm and before he could hit the ground, a soft aura of light encased her as she transformed into her half-pony form, sprouting wings from her back.

Ahh… It’s good to have these back…

Hovering near the platform now, Emerald turned to face the shocked bandits, her shield and sword in hand.

“Kill her!” A female bandit tossed a dagger at her.

Emerald moved the shield in front of herself in a defensive position and raised a barrier of light from it, spreading out to her left and right. The dagger stopped in its magical aura and simply fell straight down to the ground below.

With a flap of her wings, Emerald charged straight into the crowd of bandits, knocking them all away like a bunch of planks with her shield’s barrier, sending some flying off the platform and some being pushed against the wood wall, which heaved out from Emerald’s impact.

Minimizing her magic, Emerald darted back in, stabbing Amore into the foot of an approaching bandit, and then jamming a hidden blade up under his chin. Two more, wounded from her shield bash, advanced on her with blood trailing down their faces, but Emerald glided around them with her wings, then cut out at one while bashing the other in the face with the shield. Both fell to the floor, defeated.

These artifacts are truly amazing. Emerald grinned as her eyes reflected the golden magic of her shield. With it in hand, she felt that no one could stop her.

She floated back down to ground level, where Sir Agramane was busy dueling a bandit with a longsword. Only three more bandits still remained after Emerald’s attack, while there seemed to be more where Sir Lionheart had gone off to.

Emerald kicked down the bandit fighting her fellow knight and raised her blade, pointing its tip at the scoundrel’s chest. “Surrender and we shan’t have to harm you any further. Resist, and we will have to end you.”

The bandits looked hesitant, taking steps forward, then the equal amount of steps back. Emerald supposed they didn’t deal with a magical flying pony-human with a magical shield very often.

“For glory or death!” One bandit lifted his sword skyward and charged Emerald. The other two did the same, bellowing battle cries before Emerald lauched them all away with a swipe of the shield, sending them screaming until they hit the fort wall on the other end, cracking the logs that made the wall up.

“Easy enough. Fantastic work, my lady. And such power…” Agramane reached out a hand and touched the tip of one of Emerald’s glowing wings. “It feels almost real.”

“It is almost like back home.” Emerald’s feet touched the ground again and the glow around her dissipated, along with her wings. Her hair and ears returned to normal, with the magic fading away in dissolving particles, floating away in the wind. “Sir Lionheart?”

Sir Agramane turned to see Sir Lionheart walking back with the hostages behind him, Durendal in hand, slightly stained with blood.

“All accounted for, with one unfortunate soul having perished in a gruesome torture room.” Sir Lionheart panned a hand to the hostages. “And all enemies in the buildings taken care of. I see you two managed things out here?”

“Very much so, Sir Lionheart.” Agramane sheathed his Gram and his axe. “And we have Lady Emerald Edge to thank for that. Why, she has performed wonders with that shield of yours. Truly powerful.”

“Aye, that it is.” Sir Lionheart gratefully accepted the shield back from the spymaster. “Unlike you, my lady, I can only utilize a fraction of what you can manage. Oh, Sir Agramane, you have a few cuts on your tunic.”

“Oh no.” The red knight turned to see the cuts on the back of the tunic over his armor. “Red Plum is going to kill me.”

“What did you expect, wearing her gift out wherever you go?” Sir Lionheart chuckled. “None of us knights wear cloth over our armor but you. And Lady Emerald, but it makes sense for her to have them. She is a master of the subterfuge.”

“Well, not a master…” Emerald smiled and blushed. “But come. The day is won. Let us return the townsfolk back home and return to Canterlot.”

“Ah, yes. If we are quick, we might return home before the day is up. I would not mind dinner with Sylvie. I could even surprise her.”

“You are sure the romantic one, are you not, Sir Lionheart?” Emerald looked out of the fort’s gates to the forest line. She also owed Foxtrot some carrots, that she remembered.

“Aye. I am Sir Lionheart.” The knight slicked his blonde wavy hair back with a hand. “Brave to the end, handsome to the end.”

45 - Artifact Hunting

“Ah, what a lovely day,” Emerald Edge remarked.

And true to her word, the day was lovely. The sky was a clear blue, with a few wisps of cloud painted across it like cream in a cup of tea. The air was crisp and clean, without the slight taste of smoke that Canterlot’s air tended to have. Sitting atop Foxtrot, Emerald surveyed the land from the peak of the hill that she and Sir Prancelot were currently occupying.

“We are getting close to Docklin,” Sir Prancelot said pensively. “Exactly where the rumors have led us.”

“Yes,” Emerald said simply. They had already been traveling for three days, seeing as Docklin was not within the kingdom of Canterlot. It was a good distance away from King Dawn Saber’s territory and likely won’t be as welcoming.

Two weeks ago, Emerald had been enjoying a dinner with Jewel Pin at the Drifting Stallion, when one particular travelling storyteller began a tale that caught Emerald’s attention. He had been talking about a mythical spear in the northern lands near Docklin, an artifact of great power.

“Docklin,” Prancelot said, narrowing his eyes. “Duchan and his cadre of druids are from Docklin. It is almost certain that we will meet more of them here. Be wary, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald nodded. Her previous run ins with druids had left her with a distaste for them and their magics. Now she was about to step into their homeland. She loosened Amore in its sheath.

“Sir Prancelot,” she said casually. “You have been a knight longer than I have. Did you ever come to Docklin before?”

“Once, when I accompanied King Dawn Saber on a diplomatic mission here. Relations with the druids were less strained back then. We could negotiate with them. Not the case any more. At least not with Duchan.”

“Have they made any progress with the interrogations?” Emerald asked as they continued to ride toward the large town of Docklin. Both the town and the province were named Docklin, which Emerald found a touch confusing. Perhaps people here lacked imagination.

“Now, remember,” Prancelot said sternly. “We may be Knights of the Round Table, but surely people here have heard of our struggle against Duchan. It is possible we may not have such a warm welcome.”

“Oh.” Emerald hadn’t thought of that.

Nevertheless, the two knights approached the town of Docklin at a rapid pace, watching as the walls grew in size and loomed over the lush grassy fields that seemed to make up the province.

There were four men with swords dressed in a combination of mail and cloth armor standing by the main gate. They had a combination of swords, spears, and maces. One of them, presumably the captain, caught eye of the two knights and pointed. The rest of the men held their weapons ready, not quite in a threatening manner, but in a way that said that they were not to be trifled with.

“Hail, travelers,” the captain raised his hand in greeting. “What brings you to Docklin?”

Emerald gave the guard a smile, remembering to make a good first impression. “We are King Dawn Saber’s knights, and we are following a rumor of a magical spear. We are looking for a place to stay the night, as well as somewhere to stable our horses.”

“Oh. You’ll want the wayfarer’s house then. Follow the main street to the town square, then look for the Crowing Rooster. Stables are right next to it, they will take care of your steeds for a few bits. Ah, but I did not get your names. I’m Cosantoir, second captain of the Docklin guard.”

“The is Lady Emerald Edge, and my name is Sir Prancelot. Thank you for your welcome, Cosantoir.”

One of the other guards pulled the huge doors open and let the two knights in.

Here we go. Emerald thought.

The first thing that Emerald noticed when she and Prancelot rode into Docklin was how bright everything was. In a stark contrast to the grey stone walls of Docklin’s exterior, the insides were almost offensively cheery. Banners of every color hung from ropes that crisscrossed the roofs of the two-storey buildings, whose walls were also painted with striking colors.

There was a loud buzz of townsfolk talking and moving, and while the streets were far from empty, Prancelot and Emerald had no trouble getting their horses through. In a short time, the Crowing Rooster came into view, a large inn with a sign of a cock crowing hanging off the side. And just like the guard at the door had said, next to it was a stable with two other horses lodged there.

Prancelot rode up to the stables and dismounted. A purple bearded man in an apron hurried over.

“Are you the stablemaster?” Prancelot asked.

“Nay, good sir. That be my uncle. I’m just watching the stables till he gets back from buying more horse feed.”

“I see,” Prancelot said good-naturedly. “Well, how much would it cost to stable two horses for the night?”

“That would be twenty bits, good sir,” the bearded man said after doing some counting on his fingers.

Sir Prancelot handed over the bits, and their two horses were led away into the stables.

“Now that we’ve seen to our steeds, we should get ourselves inside the inn. We can begin our search for the spear tomorrow,” he said, pushing open the door to the wayfarer’s house.

Inside, a handsome fire blazed in the fire pit, accompanied by a small group of bards in the corner who were playing a soft, soothing melody. A few of the customers near the door looked up from their drinks at the two armored newcomers, but soon returned to their flagons.

Prancelot and Emerald approached the bar.

“Landlord!” Prancelot called. A short tan man with an impressive handlebar moustache hurried over to them.

“What can I get you?” the landlord asked.

“Two flagons of your best ale, a meat pie for me, and some washed vegetables for my partner. And we will want a room to stay for the night.”

The landlord bobbed his bald head. “Coming right up, sir knight.”

As they sat down to wait for their dinner, Emerald looked around the inn. It seemed a lot more orderly than the Drifting Stallion back in Canterlot. The whole place looked very serene and festive, with groups of people laughing and talking as the bards played their music. It was very soothing.

“You know, inns are a great place to pick up rumors,” Prancelot said. “Although I bet we would be a lot less distinctive if we weren’t wearing our armor.”

“Maybe the landlord knows something,” Emerald said hopefully.

“Aye, he probably does, but that kind of information won’t come for free. We’ll have to pay him.”

“What, with bits?” Emerald asked. Being a Knight of the Round Table, her pay was rather good, so coinage wasn’t much of a problem with her, at least not now.

“Bits perhaps, but most landlords and bartenders will expect a trade. One secret for another, if you will.”

“Hmm…” Emerald said.

Not too much longer, the landlord returned, carrying two flagons of brown ale and two plates. One had a piping hot mince pie on it, while the other was piled high with greens.

“Ah, thank you, landlord,” Prancelot said.

“You need anything else, just let me know.” The landlord tapped the side of his nose and winked, then went off to serve another customer.

The two knights looked at each other, then dug into their dinners hungrily. Having eaten nothing but bread and cheese on the way to Docklin, Emerald was especially grateful for the fresh vegetables on her plate. The ale was just as good as the stock in Canterlot Castle’s kitchens, and while she would never admit it to anyone, she had sometimes sneaked in there for a drink or two after an especially tiring day of knight work.

In no time at all, both Emerald and Prancelot finished their meals, scraping the plates clean.

“Ahh. Now that was rather nice, wouldn’t you agree?” Prancelot grinned at Emerald.

“Yes,” Emerald said happily. In part, she was glad she was a knight, for getting to travel the land and sample its food was one of the bonuses she often forgot to count in. She made a note in her head that the Crowing Rooster was now one of her top rated taverns. Unfortunately, it had to be all the way in Docklin.

The landlord came back to collect the plates and flagons. He was just about to leave when Emerald tapped him on the arm.

“Landlord,” she asked. “Forgive the intrusion, but I have a question about Docklin, and I was wondering if you had the answer.”

A wry smile crept over the landlord’s face. “Well, now, I might know a thing or two,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

Emerald lowered her voice. “We are on the search for a magical item,” she said, simplifying it for the landlord’s benefit. “A spear, to be precise. We have it on good authority that it is in the province of Docklin somewhere. I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

The landlord regarded the question carefully. Then he picked up a mug and began to clean it with a rag, moving the cloth in circles around the mouth of the cup.

“I could help you about that,” he said in a low voice. “But know that this information does not come without a price.”

Emerald nodded and took five bits from her coinpurse and slid them across the bar. “How about now?”

“Well, my memory’s clearing up a bit,” he said. “Maybe with a little more… economic motivation I could tell you what you want.”

Another five bits joined the first.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” the landlord swept the bits into his pocket. “I know of this spear you’re looking for. The Scarlet Lance, it’s called, or by its proper name, the Gae Dearg. It’s said that the spear can stop magic from working. Last I heard, it was in the hands of a knight called Saker. He used to roam the lands, fighting evil druids, but those days are long gone. Druids seem to have up and left, so there’s no one left to fight. Saker’s probably at his hideout in the Knight’s Passage, if you want to see him.”

“Knight’s Passage, is it?” Prancelot chimed in. “And where might this be?” He, too, slid over a few coins. But the landlord pushed them back.

“I’m not charging you for information that any shmuck off the streets could tell you,” the landlord said piously. “Knight’s Passage is this valley about two leagues east of this town. It’s an enchanted place full of moving trees and fearsome beasts. Saker and his men have a hideout deep in there.”

“Why thank you, landlord,” Emerald smiled. “You’ve been very helpful.”

“Always a pleasure to help a lady,” he grunted. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got hungry customers to feed. Your room is the third on the right, second floor. Number fifteen.” And then he hurried off.

“Well,” Emerald said. “That was a good ten bits well spent.”

Prancelot nodded. “Aye. Now we know where to look. What do you say we get some sleep and then head off the Knight’s Passage first thing tomorrow?”

If there was one thing that Emerald could find to complain about in the Crowing Rooster, it was the beds. They were lumpy and full of straw, and the room was unbearably stuffy until she opened the window. And then she closed it again for the Docklin nights were chilly and windy. She was glad to awaken to the sun shining through the shutters.

Prancelot seemed to still be asleep. Emerald crept over to him. He was muttering something in his sleep, almost inaudibly so. The former pegasus leaned over her partner’s head and listened.

“No… Sunlight… won’t let them… taken… oh, Princess Sunlight…”

So he was dreaming about Queen Sunlight Radiance. Obviously he knew her from earlier days, but clearly she held a special place in the knight’s heart if he still had dreams about her.

Not wanting to delay their search for the Gae Dearg, Emerald gently shook Prancelot awake.

“Wha-? Oh. It’s you, Emerald. I was having this awful dream.” He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. “What time is it?”

As if in reply, a guard walked past under the window, ringing a bell and shouting, “Eight bells, and all’s well!”

“Eight already!” Prancelot exclaimed. “I have delayed us! Quick, let us be dressed and be on our way to Knight’s Passage.”

Sir Prancelot was true to his word. In no time at all, he and Emerald had gotten back into their armor, eaten a small breakfast downstairs (which was far emptier than it had been last night) and were on their way to the stables after paying the landlord. They found their horses sequestered inside, munching on hay and oats. Saddling up, the two knights paid the stablemaster and were quickly galloping east of Docklin town. The sun shone radiantly and dispelled the nighttime chill, and Emerald almost began to feel merry. The wind blew in her hair and the leagues melted away before them. After what seemed like only twenty minutes, she and Prancelot found themselves staring at a thickly wooded area. After tying their horses to a sturdy tree, the knights walked up to the forest’s edge and peered in.

“Well, this must be it. Knight’s Passage.”

There was a crooked wooden sign on the outskirts of the forest. It read: “Do not enter, beasts within.”

“Huh.” Emerald said. She looked around. “I don’t see any beasts.”

“That’s because they’re all deeper in,” a man’s voice said. Prancelot and Emerald whipped around, setting their eyes on a trio of people in dark brown hooded robes, with pouches and satchels hanging from their belts.

“Druids!” Emerald exclaimed, drawing Amore. Beside her, Prancelot did the same with Arondight.

“Woah, woah, woah, hold on here!” the closest druid said, holding up his hands and waving them. “We don’t mean you any harm. We’re not here to cause any trouble.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Prancelot muttered.

“It’s the truth!” another one of the druids exclaimed. She had long, dark hair that her hood couldn’t hide. “We’re here looking for the Gae Dearg. It’s the only way we can stop Duchan!”

“Wait.” Emerald blinked and lowered Amore. “Did you just say Duchan?”

“Yes. He used to work here in Docklin, until he started using dark magic to try and take over the land.”

“What happened?” Prancelot didn’t lower his sword, but the expression on his face grew less hostile.

“Well, it’s like this,” the lead druid said. The guards caught wind of his uprising and the baron had him banished. We heard he was stirring up mischief in Canterlot, so we decided to get the Gae Dearg to stop him once and for all.”

“But why you?” Emerald asked. “Why not the town guard?”

“Ah, I’m afraid that’s mostly our fault,” the third druid spoke up. He was taller than the other two, but walked with a slight hunch that made him roughly their height. “We used to be in the same clan as he, but we didn’t stop him when he began delving into dark magic. Duchan and his brood are our responsibility, even after we expelled him from the clan. After we get the Gae Dearg, we will journey to Canterlot and defeat him, once and for all.”

Prancelot and Emerald exchanged glances.

“Uh, I don’t know if you know this, but Duchan has been caught by the knights of King Dawn Saber,” Emerald explained. “He’s not a threat anymore.”

“Did you kill him?” the female druid asked.

“N-No,” Emerald said, taken aback by the bluntness of the question.

“No! He’s too dangerous to be left alive!” the tall druid said, wringing his robes in his hands. “Putting him in a dungeon won’t stop him forever. That’s why we need the Gae Dearg.”

“What a surprise,” Sir Prancelot said. “We’re after the Gae Dearg as well.”

“Are you?” the lead druid said, perking up. “Why don’t we work together? Is this your first time in these woods?” Both knights nodded. “Then you will need a guide to get you through the valley. We know the way to the spear, but we aren’t any match for the beasts within. Perhaps you can help in that regard.”

Sir Prancelot let Arondight drop to his side. He looked at Emerald, who looked back at him. “Could work. And these druids seem friendly enough.”

“All right then,” Emerald agreed. “We shall work together to get the Gae Dearg. But on one condition. We get to use it first.”

This didn’t seem to trouble the druids unduly. “That’s fine,” the lead druid said. “Well, let’s go. If we start now, we’ll get there before midday.”

Following the trio of magicians, the two knights delved into Knight’s Passage.

It was tough going at first. The group pushed through bushes, brambles, and other undergrowth. More than once Emerald almost tripped on a tree root. But as the five of them kept walking, the path became easier and easier to follow.

“This is the path that Saker and his men usually take to their hideout,” the female druid explained. “Of course, it’s not used very much now. It’s been almost a decade since there were any evil druids to fight.”

“I see,” Emerald said, bending down to bypass a tree branch.

“So why do you want the Gae Dearg?” The druid asked after a few more minutes. “Are you fighting Duchan’s group too?”

“We are,” the former pegasus confirmed. “But I want the Gae Dearg for another reason. I need it to break a spell back in Canterlot. My quest depends on it.”

“Oh. Well, I hope it works out for you.”

The druid didn’t seem interested in just what the spell she intended to break was. Emerald was more than a little surprised. She was used to the mages back in Canterlot being curious about practically everything, but it seemed like these druids at least knew how to mind their own business. In some ways she liked that, while in other ways she had kind of been looking forward to explaining herself.

There was a rustling in the undergrowth to the left. Emerald and Prancelot immediately readied their swords just in time for a huge wolf to come stalking out of the bushes. Its feet were the size of bucklers, and its head was bigger than a horse’s.

The two knights held their blades up, making sure the wolf could see them. The beast’s mouth opened, dripping with saliva around its dagger-like teeth. Then it sniffed at the air.

There was a tense moment as the wolf and the knights stared each other down.

Then the wolf snuffled at the ground and retreated back into the shrubbery.

Only after five minutes had passed did Emerald relax.

“Good thing that wolf didn’t attack us,” she said, relieved. “I wasn’t looking forward to fighting something that big.”

Sir Prancelot nodded in agreement. “I didn’t know wolves could get that big…”

“In Knight’s Passage, you must learn to expect the unexpected.” the tall druid said sagely.

“Why yes indeed,” a man’s voice said from behind them.

The entire party turned around, looking for the owner of the voice. To their surprise, the gigantic wolf was there, as well as a man in tarnished plate armor. His skin was a dull orange, and he had a grey beard that reached down to his sternum. But most importantly, in his right hand he held a long, red spear.

“You’re the first people in a long while to have come this far in,” the man said with a smile. He patted the wolf’s neck. “Abbot here’s been watching you since you first entered Knight’s Passage. My name is Saker, and I am the guardian of these woods.”

Saker! Emerald thought with a thrill. But that must mean… she eyed the red spear. If that was really Gae Dearg, then she had to find some way to take it from the other knight.

“Well, come on then,” Saker said, beckoning them with his free hand. “You didn’t come this far just to talk to an old knight, did you? I know what you’re here for.” He held up his red spear. “You’re here for the Gae Dearg. To be honest, I was starting to lose hope that anyone would ever come along.”

“What do you mean, sir knight?” Prancelot asked.

Saker sighed, stroking his beard. “Look, lad. My days as a knight are over. There be no bad druids left in Docklin to do battle with, and I’ve grown old and tired of fighting. All I wanted before I retired was to pass on my spear to someone worthy. And you lot seem like good candidates.”

“We do?” the lead druid asked.

“Aye, and you’ve already passed the first test,” Saker said. The humongous wolf turned its head to lick the old knight. “Anyone who doesn’t just run from Abbot must have a stout heart and nerves of steel, which proves you’ve got the mettle to use the Gae Dearg.”

“Alright then, what’s the second test?” the female druid asked.

Sake scratched his head. “Well to be honest, I didn’t think anyone would get this far. So I don’t really have a second or third test.”

“Should we leave you to think of one?” Emerald asked.

“Nay, lass. I do not wish to linger on knighthood any longer. It will cut into my retirement time. So here you are, the spear is yours. May you bear it well.”

Saker presented the group with the Gae Dearg. Her nerves tingling with excitement, Emerald reached out to take it. This could be it. With two artifacts, especially one used for breaking spells, she might actually be on her way home to Equestria! Her hands trembling slightly, Emerald gripped the Gae Dearg and took it from Saker’s grasp. The three druids looked on curiously.

Immediately Emerald could tell something was wrong. Unlike Excalibur, the shield, or the staff, the Gae Dearg didn’t resonate with her at all. And she didn’t sprout pony ears and wings. The former pegasus hefted the spear in her grip. It felt like pretty much any other spear that she had handled back in Canterlot.

“You must be kidding me…” Emerald muttered, shaking the spear as if doing so would activate some kind of magic. It remained a normal, albeit red-painted spear.

“Well, Emerald?” Prancelot asked eagerly. “Is it an artifact?”

“No,” Emerald said quietly, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. She had wasted four days looking for a fake. The three druids and Saker were still watching her, so she put on a fake smile and bowed to the older knight.

“Thank you, Sir Saker. We will put the Gae Dearg to good use, we assure you. Have a good retirement.”

Emerald’s mood continued to lower as their group trekked back to the forest’s edge. How could she have been so stupid? Civilians were naturally superstitious, and she had walked right into a waste of time, all because she had been so eager to get home.

I must be more homesick than I thought. Emerald stewed.

Her foul mood continued even after they made it to the edge of Knight’s Passage.

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” the tall druid said. “Good luck with your, ah, quest, knights.”

The three druids began to walk away.

“Hey! Wait!”

The druids stopped, looking back at Emerald, who sprinted up to them with the Gae Dearg.

“You know, on second thought, I do not really need this for my quest. You can have it.”

“Y-You mean it?” the lead druid exclaimed, reaching out for the red spear.

“Yes,” Emerald said with a nod. “Take it. You can probably put it to better use than me anyway.”

The druid held the spear tightly, gratitude all over his face.

“Oh, thank you, lady knight. With this, we are one step closer to stopping Duchan and his clan. You have our eternal gratitude, Lady…?”

“Emerald. Emerald Edge,” Emerald said.

“My name is Scath Caol,” the lead druid explained. “And these two are Mort and Tara. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that we’ll meet again someday. But we have to get back to the rest of our clan, now that we have the Gae Dearg. We will sing songs of your generosity, Lady Emerald.”

The three druids waved goodbye to the two knights, who waved back until the druids were out of sight.

Prancelot laid a hand on Emerald’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t get what we came for.”

Emerald took a deep breath and sighed. “That’s all right, Sir Prancelot. We might not have what we came for, but we’ve won us some friends today, and more friends are always better. For now, what I really want is a drink.”

“Back to the Crowing Rooster then?” Prancelot laughed.

His good mood was infectious, and Emerald found herself chuckling as well.

“Lead the way.”

46 - Different World, Different Friends

In the cool Canterlot night, townsfolk wandered around outside their homes, finishing up late night shopping or simply heading home for the day, ready to turn in after a long day’s work.

It was a relatively quiet night, except for the local inn, the Drifting Stallion, where laughter could be heard, and no, not owl laughter, but human laughter.

By a table by the window, Emerald Edge finished her bout of laughter before wiping at the corner of her mouth, where cider had leaked out from.

“And I am sure he had to pay up after that?” she asked happily, leaning back in her seat.

“No, he still insisted on leaving without paying.” Crystal Flare, one of the Canterlot guard and one of Emerald’s friends back in Equestria, said, slamming a fist on the table. “Some people, you know. They have no respect.”

“And you showed him, yes?” Spring Amber asked with a hiccup. “It is only right one pays up after drinking so much.”

“He did not. That is why he sits in the Canterlot jail this night.” Flare chugged another mugful of cider down his throat. “Aaaahhh…”

“You guards sure have interesting stories to tell as well.” Emerald looked to them and smiled.

“The life of a guard might not always have such events.” Across from her, the other Emerald Edge flicked a bone from her mouth back onto her plate. That was something different about them. The other Emerald was human, so she ate meat. “But we do have our fair share of oddities. But I am sure our tales cannot compare with what you get to experience out there, Lady Emerald Edge.”

“Oh, what I do is nothing special, Guard Emerald.”

That is what the former pegasus had taken to calling herself. It was still weird to this day to talk to herself, yes, but she could count her counterpart as a good friend. Sure, they never went out on quests together, but she could still consider these guards her friends. She owed it to them that she was even sitting here today, drinking as much cider as she wanted.

There was a jingle as the inn door swung open. After looking to see who it was, all the guards stood up to attention.

It was the Captain of the Guard, Jade Crystal. Emerald hadn’t got the chance to talk to this world’s Jade very much, but she knew enough to know she was the same as her Jade back home. Always a stickler for rules, keeping even her helmet on until she sat down at the table, but still very much one of Emerald’s friends today.

“Please, sit.” Jade shifted her chair closer to the table. “Lady Emerald Edge, it is an honor to have you with us tonight.”

“Likewise, captain.” The spymaster nodded as the other guards all returned to their seats. “How do you fare this night?”

Jade ran a hand through her bright yellow hair and grinned. “It is a fine night, if a bit cold. I caught Road Turn and Saunter Wind in a storeroom again.”

“Not again…” Spirit Flicker slapped a hand to her forehead. “I have told them many times, they need a quieter and less known spot.”

Jade flashed her a look.

“Oh, um, I mean, I normally tell them to wait till after duty, captain,” Spirit Flicker corrected. “Yes, I said that, captain.”

“Good to know, Flick.” Jade called one of the serving girls over and ordered, to Emerald’s irk, a plate of beef and assorted vegetables, and a mug of ale. “Lady Emerald, how was your quest today? I heard from the knights that you and Sir Ganeighn had investigated druid presence near Trottingham?”

Crystal Flare spat cider from his mouth. “Trottingham again? I must say, that town draws trouble to itself.”

“No, really, Flare?” Dash Spiral plucked a stray strand of his blonde hair from his nose. “It is something I did not know. The town has only had fifty or so bandit raids in the last year.”

“Funny.” Crystal Flare wasn’t amused.

“You two.” Other Emerald stopped them. “Let the lady knight speak.”

“Right. Sorry about that.” All eyes turned to the former pegasus, which still wasn’t something she was good with.

“Oh, um, it was nothing special, really.” Emerald smiled awkwardly. “We simply surveyed the problem, then we moved in and removed them. Druid attacks seem to be lessening. Perhaps they are finally running out.”

“The Fir Laimhe Liath is one of the bigger druid clans,” Jade said as she spotted her meal arriving. “I would think it would still be some time before they run low, my lady.”

She thanked the serving girl as she received her food, wasting no time in getting started.

“But… I would be glad to be rid of their magic…” Spring Amber stretched her legs out under the table and yawned. “I had been burned by their magic once. My left arm.” She rolled up her sleeve to show a darker patch of skin. “The mages did what they could, but it still left some scarring.”

“Such things they do to people…” Emerald clenched her fists. “Human sacrifices accomplish nothing. It does not make them any stronger.”

“Someone needs to explain that to them,” Jade said through a mouthful of beef that made Emerald’s stomach churn. The beef reminded her of Honeygold. She wondered how the little farmgirl was doing right now.

“Thankfully we have their leader, Duchan, in chains.” Spirit Flicker placed a fist on her palm. “Without him, they have been leaderless.”

“No, they have been far too organized to be without a leader.” Emerald shook her head. “Nimhe, another of his druids. I think she leads them in Duchan’s absence. Unfortunately, there have been no reports of her.”

“Do not fret, my lady. You are a talented Knight of the Round Table. I am sure you will stop the Fir Laimhe Liath one day.” Guard Emerald clapped a hand to her chest. “Tis a strange turn of events, indeed. Never would I thought I would talk to myself across the table.”

“You and I both, Guard Emerald,” the spymaster chuckled.

One point she had enjoyed in this world was once again meeting her group of friends back from the Crystal Empire. They had all given their lives just so she could come into this world to find artifacts to bring home to stop Sombra. In the end, Emerald had already found the artifacts, but return home she could not.

But she was past despair and defeat. She knew there would be a way to eventually return home. It was just a matter of finding the right pieces. Perhaps there was an artifact out there whose magic could force open the portal back to Equestria.

Hope.

Hope had gave her the strength to get to this world. Hope had given her the will to live on here and to continue her quest. Hope was what kept her standing tall now as she searched for a way home.

And the friends who had shared this hope and perished in the fight with Sombra, they were all here, sitting with her and laughing over mugs of cider and other alcoholic beverages. Plus, the other Emerald Edge was here too, which was a surprisingly fun experience.

“So, anymore good stories?” Emerald asked the guards. “Crystal Flare has said his piece. Does anyone else have anything to share?”

“Oh, I have plenty more if you would like to hear them, Lady Emerald.” The red haired guard leaned his elbows on the table and grinned.

“You had your turn, Flare.” Amber picked up her mug and emptied its contents. “It is my turn. Lady Emerald you have heard the tale of the Baba Yaga, I am sure? Tis a Kievan Horse tale parents teach their children. I had heard these tales from a traveler just yesterday.”

“Ki-Kievan Horse?” Emerald repeated, slightly confused. She’d never heard of this place before. “Where is this place?”

“Quite the journey east,” Amber continued. “It borders the people of the East, but they are more like us than the Easterners.”

“You sure have a lot of knowledge for a guard, Amber.” Jade stuffed a few peas into her mouth.

“Just stories I heard, captain. So yes, my lady, the Baba Yaga. They say they are witches, old women who prey on small children to feast upon.”

“Humans eating humans?” Emerald was appalled. That was absolutely disgusting. She made a face and stuck her tongue out. “Why, that is worse than the druid’s human sacrificing.”

“Well the Baba Yaga doesn’t exactly eat the children. They are the ones sent to take the children. For their demon masters.”

“Oh, come, Amber, surely you do not believe all this? There are no demons.” Dash Spiral was in the process of juggling his helmet. “At most, these old women must be witches or mages.”

“So what does this have to do with us?” Spirit Flicker licked at the corner of her mouth. “I thought we were going to tell stories of our work as guards? Not fairy tales.”

“That is because I saw something in my room last night!” Spring Amber protested, kicking at her friend from under the table.

“Ow!”

“I saw her. The Baba Yaga. She stood in the corner of my room, licking her lips.”

“What is a Kievan Horse legend doing all the way in Canterlot?” Jade Crystal raised an eyebrow. “We do not even have ties with Kievan Horse.”

“I don’t know, but I know what I saw last night. It was a Baba Yaga! Lady Emerald will believe me.”

“Uh… I don’t even think I believe that.” Guard Emerald looked to the spymaster for help. “It sounds much too far fetched. A Kievan Horse legend here?”

“I have to agree with… myself.” Emerald pointed to her counterpart. “This Kievan place, it is much too far away if it is near the East. Surely this Baba… Yoga would not come all this way just to stand in your room, yes?”

Spring Amber looked doubtful, but then shrugged and blinked a few times. “I suppose you are right, Lady Emerald. She didn’t do anything. She just stood in the corner of my room. When I woke up, she was gone.”

“A bad dream then.” Flare clapped his hands. “Simple as that. You thought you saw an old woman monster, but it was all in your mind.”

“Come on, I have a better story than that,” Dash Spiral volunteered. “Flicker and I arrested a woman yesterday for drunk and disorderly. She had filled up so much on ale that it looked like she could destroy a house if she rolled down the hill.”

“That story is nothing to talk about, Dash…” Spirit Flicker’s cheeks colored. “We have other stories to tell.”

“No, tis interesting enough. She did indeed fall down a slope as we led her to the prison. Flicker tripped on a loose stone and fell forward. I hit the ground with her, and the woman nearly flattened us, rolling down over us and all the way to the town’s central bridge.”

“Th-that is no story to tell, Dash.” Flicker covered her face with her hands. “It was a simple mishap.”

“Your sister had a good time when she saw us flat on the ground.” Dash Spiral leaned back with laughter.

“It was an accident…”

“So what happened to the woman?” Emerald’s curiosity was piqued. “Is she in prison now?”

“I let her go this morning.” Jade sipped from her mug. “I do hope she learned her lesson. Can’t have another guard getting rolled over, can we?”

Flicker looked surprised that Jade had made such a joking remark and her blush brightened.

“Come, Lady Emerald, while we all have tales worth sharing, none will compare to what you have experienced, whether here or in your world.” Crystal Flare nudged her in the shoulder. “Tell us more.”

Emerald rubbed her chin in contemplation. She’d already shared with them their heroic sacrifices against Sombra, Flare’s attempt to show off to a mare from town by flying somersaults, and even the power of the Crystal Heart. There wasn’t much more that could be better than those. Perhaps something from this world. “Have I told you lot about our journey to the forest near Manehampton and the Knights who, uh, well, at that point said Knee?”

“It was fun drinking and laughing with you tonight, Lady Emerald.” Guard Emerald Edge walked alongside her as they left the Drifting Stallion. “And it is an honor to get to drink with a Knight of the Round Table, even if you, uh, are me.”

Emerald chuckled, then turned to make sure Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker were managing with dragging a drunken Crystal Flare away with them. “The honor is mine, Guard Emerald. It is nice to know how I am managing as a human in this world. You and I, we are not so different.”

“Just that your skills are in subterfuge and you are much better with the sword, my lady. I am only capable of the spear. Moderately so.”

“But you are good enough at your job, so that is all that matters, Guard Emerald.” The former pegasus put a hand on her counterpart’s shoulder as they strolled on. She spotted Jade Crystal ahead, already across the central bridge. She was a fast walker. “Funny, how you are all here. I wonder if this world has a Crystal Empire.”

“If there is one here, we have never heard of it. An empire made of crystal… That sounds almost as farfetched as Amber’s story about that Baba Yaga in her room.”

“Indeed.”

Emerald talked to herself all the way to the castle, where they said their goodbyes and went their own ways.

“Take care and goodnight, my lady,” Guard Emerald had said with a bow. “It is really such an honor to know my other self is accomplishing so much for Canterlot.”

Emerald was happy to know that she was helping others in her time here. She might’ve not been able to find a way home, but as long as she had to be here, she was going to do what she could to help Canterlot’s people. This kingdom was her home now, at least temporarily. She had made a vow as a Knight of the Round Table to protect the kingdom’s people and the king. She was not going to fail a second time.

47 - Armed and Ready

“Now are you sure this is so important, Nightfall?” Emerald Edge was dragged along by the excited mage out through the castle drawbridge.

“It is incredibly important, Emerald!” Nightfall Gleam hopped along. “Secret Fire and I made most of them. Let me tell you, they all work better than we could ever hope for!”

“What are you talking about?”

“You shall see, Emerald.”

Emerald mumbled something to herself. She had decided to spend the day with Sir Morn in the garden today, but Nightfall had intercepted her on the way and began dragging her out here. Nightfall was a good friend, yes, but Morn was her lover, after all.

“Are we leaving Canterlot?” Emerald asked once they hit the Shades district. She had done what she could to persuade the king to rebuild the Shades to match the Loft district, but King Dawn Saber was adamant in not doing so.

“Just outside in the field. You will see.” Nightfall grinned.

Emerald sighed, but followed along.

Past the town walls, Emerald spotted a group of towering wooden structures, some almost the height of the walls. Many of Canterlot’s knights stood among them, along with a few familiar faces.

“Why, if it isn’t Emerald Edge, Assassin of False Kings!” Sir Agramane greeted as she and Nightfall walked over.

“False kings?” Nightfall asked.

“So you have heard.” Emerald smiled.

She had only just returned from a quest the previous day, where she had quelled an uprising in Gleandale. A man called Lexicon Ender had claimed to be a descendant of some ancient king and that all of the lands were his to conquer.

Emerald had sneaked into their cultist camp easily enough after they had a night of drinking and sank her hidden blade deep into Lexicon’s neck. After that, it was only a matter of getting the rest of his men to surrender, which Trotivere and Ganeighn had accomplished with ease.

“Your shadow skills still fail to bore me.” Agramane shook her hand. “Now come. We may jest more after, but the mages have a show to demonstrate.”

“Yes, what kind of show, Nightfall?” Emerald turned back to the blue robed mage.

“Why, a show of our inventions, of course.” Nightfall pointed to the tall towering structures. They looked like giant catapults. “What do you think? From out here?”

“You made all those?” Emerald tried to count the amount of structures, but she gave up after twelve.

“Secret Fire and I. Mostly I, but yes, that pyromaniac did help.” Nightfall hummed to herself as she walked along the grassy fields.

“So things have been better with him now, huh?” Emerald walked beside her. “You two have been friendlier in the last year or so.”

“I cannot lower my guard around him, no matter how nice he’s trying to be.” Nightfall mimicked fire with a hand and imitated the burning of something on her other hand. “I try to keep all my notes away whenever he’s near. I don’t doubt his ability to set the place ablaze. But… yes, I suppose it has been easier around him as of late.”

“Good to hear, Nightfall.”

Closer to the large structures, Emerald now really marveled at just how large they were. The catapults were at least the height of a standard tower over at the castle, and their buckets were twice as large as the regular one. Then there were the other inventions. There were ones that looked like crossbows, only much larger. One, instead of extending horizontally, extended upwards, housing three extremely large spears in them, which would likely tear a human in half if it was indeed used against them.

“What are all these even for…?” Emerald put her hand on one that was a tall frame, holding a reinforced log inside.

“Why, for war, Lady Emerald, should it ever reach us.” Sir Morn stepped in from behind the spymaster, wrapping an arm around her. “We should always be prepared and these mages have done such marvelous work, have they not?”

“Even that?” Emerald pointed to the one with large spears. “What ever could this one be used for?”

“Walls and armor, Emerald.” Nightfall rubbed her hands together. “You will see shortly. We first need to wait for King Dawn Saber and Queen Sunlight Radiance. Beatrix should announce their arrival with-”

There was a burst of fire and sparks in the air above them, followed by a series of trumpet blares.

“There,” Nightfall said happily. “Please gather with the other knights, Emerald. I shall be here, ready.”

“If you say so.”

Emerald followed Sir Morn Dread and the others over to where King Dawn Saber and the queen were seated. A tarp had been erected over them to protect them from the heat of the sun.

“Your majesty.” Sir Morn was the first to bow. Emerald and the other knights soon followed suit.

“Please, to the side.” Sir Dawn Saber motioned with a hand. “Let us see what the mages have fabricated for us.”

“It is a pleasure to host you here today, your majesty!” Beatrix spun over to the center of the field and bowed. “And now, let us begin with the demonstration! Nightfall Gleam shall first start with the largest of her creations!”

“This is going to be good.” Sir Trotivere smiled and clapped his hands together.

“Your majesty, we would like to start with the siege catapult.” Nightfall pointed to their largest creations. “Built much taller and to carry a much larger and volatile payload, these catapults will be able to breach any wall they are pitted against. Please observe, your majesty! Secret Fire!”

Nightfall waved over to the pyromancer, who nodded and lit a giant blackened boulder that rested in the catapult’s head. Only after the entire boulder went ablaze did Emerald recognize the black substance as oil.

“Ingenious,” she mumbled.

A small wall had been placed on the far side of the field, close to the dirt path that led out of Canterlot.

With a cut of the rope, the catapult released its deadly payload, sending the flaming boulder soaring up into the sky, smoke trailing behind it. Emerald could almost feel the ground tremble as it shot back down, impacting into the wall with a spray of dirt and stone, a deafening smash ringing across the entire field.

When the smoke had cleared, the wall was completely gone. All that remained was a large hole in the ground, where Emerald could just make out fire and smoke rising from it.

“That small wall could not be demonstration enough, could it?” Emerald tapped Sir Morn on the arm. Sure, it was a sight to behold such a weapon, but that tiny wall could not show the full power of this new siege catapult.

“It demonstrates enough what it can do,” Sir Morn explained. “If war ever comes, we will know how to use these.”

“Um, right, Sir Morn.”

“Fantastic show,” the king said from his seat. “Truly a powerful weapon of war. Let us hope we maintain peace long that war may never show its face here.”

Emerald looked back at the smoldering crater in the ground. Perhaps if it could actually do that, kingdom walls wouldn’t stand much more of a chance.

“Now on to our next invention.” Nightfall waved for Secret Fire to move to the one that had spears loaded into it.

“Yes, this is the spear launcher, your majesty.” Secret Fire glided a finger down the weapon’s wooden frame. “Designed to pierce and puncture even the strongest of armor. Imagine the phalanxes of old, marching their way to our walls and arrows cannot pierce them. Observe, if you will.”

Secret Fire went around it and held on to what looked like handles at the end. Turning it, he pointed it straight for a group of large shields, set up by the far end of the field, all clustered together like a shell. The pyromancer pulled back a mechanism and one of the spears shot out at incredible speed. Emerald almost couldn’t even see it, but then it hit the group of shields and went right through six of them, scattering the rest.

“No armor can withstand the speed and power of these spear launchers. It is a pity Nightfall did not want to set these on fire.”

“Imagine that going through a platoon of guards…” Emerald folded her arms across her chest. “Such destructive power.”

“Then our enemies will know not to underestimate our might,” Agramane grunted.

Emerald watched the mages introduce siege weapon after siege weapon. They were shown giant ballistae, which could pierce tower walls. Not much different from the spear launchers, Emerald had thought, but they apparently fired faster and in more quantity, while their piercing ability was reduced. Also good for taking down infantry and cavalry.

Then there was the battering ram. It was a log reinforced with steel, housed within a strong wooden frame. With the push of a lever behind it, the log would swing down and thrust forward very hard and fast. This one looked like it could take down castle gates with ease.

After those came the smaller weapons, like the firebombs. These things were vials of concoctions, able to ignite on impact, able to keep troops from entering its area unless they wanted to burn.

Useful weapons, for sure, Emerald knew that, but she hoped that the day they had to use them would never come.

“You seem troubled, my lady.” Sir Morn tapped her under her chin to get her attention. “Are you feeling fine?”

“It is just the thought of having to use these, Sir Morn.” Emerald shook her head, but held on to his hand. “These are not weapons I would wish on anyone.”

“Aye, that is true, Lady Emerald. But if we have to, we will have to use them. If the situations call for them.”

“Why, we could even use these as deterrence, Lady Emerald.” Prancelot flipped his helmet’s visor up. “Perhaps if our future enemies see our weapons, they will think again before attacking us.”

“Aye, I agree with Prancelot.” Lionheart clapped his fellow knight on the shoulder. “A display of might is a good plan to keep invaders at bay.”

Emerald had a good think about it. Yes, perhaps there was some sense in their words. She had seen the devastation of such weapons firsthand today. As an attacker, she didn’t want to have to come face to face with something like that spear launcher.

In no time, King Dawn Saber raised a hand and dismissed everyone, ordering the guards and mages to move the siege weapons back inside.

Emerald cringed as she watched one of the siege catapults pass under the town gates. She thought it was going to smash a new hole through the top of the wall, but thankfully, it was just nice. Nightfall probably accounted for the gate height, so she didn’t know what she had been worried about. Nightfall had always been a smart tinkerer.

“So, Emerald,” the blue mage in question waltzed over to her, a big smile on her face. “What did you think of our inventions? Creative, yes?”

“Creative, yes. Definitely.” Emerald patted the mage on the back. “And such power. I truly hope using them never comes to pass.”

“Well…” Nightfall put a finger to her chin. “I would not mind using them a little bit.”

“I second that.” Secret Fire joined them, holding one of the firebombs in his hands. Nightfall seemed a little wary, and Emerald didn’t blame her. “Our inventions are of truly magnificent firepower. Imagine all they could accomplish!”

“I have imagination enough, pyromancer.” Sir Morn shot his hands a warning look. “Only if our neighbors fail to respect Canterlot’s borders will we have to use such weapons. I do hope war will never come, mages.”

“Spoken like a true Knight of the Round Table, Sir Morn Dread.” Sir Lionheart pulled at his moustache. “Now, with the demonstration, why don’t we find ourselves amongst a few mugs of cider?”

“I cannot say no to that.” Morn held his hand out to Emerald. “My lady?”

Before she could take it, Emerald Edge spotted one guard running over to them, looking absolutely breathless. It wasn’t a far walk from the gates.

When he got closer, Emerald noticed it was her old friend, Dash Spiral. “Sir and lady knights! Trouble! Druids have seized one of our siege weapons! They remain outside Canterlot’s walls!”

“Which one?” Secret Fire stuffed the firebomb into his robes.

“One of the catapults, mage.” Dash Spiral was wheezing and coughing.

“No time to lose.” Sir Lionheart unsheathed his Durendal. “Let us make haste. They shan’t have the chance to use our own weapons against us!”

Emerald followed behind him and Sir Morn, while Nightfall and Secret Fire ran along after her. The spymaster had known something like that could happen, but she didn’t think it would be so soon that she would have to face off against one of Nightfall’s inventions.

Back out in the field, Emerald spotted at least four of the Canterlot guard, lying on their backs, their armor charred or melting. Then she looked to the distance, where a group of druids and their barbarian mercenaries were gathered around a siege catapult. There was already a boulder loaded into the weapon, yet to be covered in oil.

“We still have time. We need to stop them!” Emerald pulled her hood over her head and unsheathed Amore.

She was the first of the knights to run to the druids, willing her legs to move faster.

A bottle of magic sailed high in the sky, aimed right for her, but there was so much telltale sign for Emerald to get out of the way, which she did.

The next few casts of magic were to three of their barbarians, making them go berserk as they each pulled out two axes each, charging Emerald and the knights.

“Kill them all! Do not let them get to us before we are done!” a bearded druid commanded.

“Not if I can help it!” Emerald barreled into the first barbarian, lashing out with Amore before he could hit her with his axes.

She cut a deep groove along his abdomen, which didn’t slow him, then dodged to the side and cut his thigh while dodging his attacks.

The second barbarian swing his axe at her, but the spymaster leaned back, just narrowly dodging it and righting herself just to parry the next blow. Unfortunately, she hadn’t remembered how strong they become when affected with the berserker magic. The blow sent her falling back, hitting her head on a small rock hidden on the ground, dazing her.

The barbarian roared at her, sending spit flying everywhere and raised both axes high. Just then, a vial smashed into his face from over Emerald’s head, splashing green goo all over him. It seemed to harden cling to his skin, covering all of his face. The barbarian dropped both axes and clawed at the substance, but then his fingers got stuck in it too.

Emerald turned to see Nightfall Gleam and Secret Fire running over, hauling her back up to her feet as Sir Morn and Sir Lionheart engaged the other two barbarians.

“I knew packing some magic would come in handy!” Nightfall said, taking another vial from her pouch. “Are you alright, Emerald?”

“Just stunned…” Emerald rubbed the back of her head, where blood had begun to flow. “I will manage. They must not be allowed to use your catapult.”

“Yes.” Nightfall nodded. “I did not test the catapult against our own walls. I do not know how much damage they could do.”

“Better we don’t find out.” Secret Fire pulled out two firebombs from his sleeves.

Emerald picked up her sword and spun it before gripping it in two hands. Sir Morn had just cut off the head of one of the barbarians, whose body was now flailing about, his head lying on the floor by the knight’s feet. Sir Lionheart was still dealing with the third barbarian, but he was able to hold his ground with the shield’s power.

Emerald passed the barbarian who still had the goo over his face, jumping at the one Sir Lionheart was fighting and kicking him in the back. The barbarian staggered forward, then turned around to snarl, only for Emerald to thrust her sword through his midsection.

The man’s axes came towards Emerald, but then both his hands and weapons were up in the air, with Sir Morn by her side, Clarent vertical. Now disarmed, the barbarian could do nothing as Sir Lionheart bashed him over the head with the shield and then stabbed his sword down into his back, finishing him.

“Warriors dealt with.” Sir Morn looked over to the remaining druids. “Now for them.”

“Forget the preparation!” The bearded druid pointed at Emerald at the knights frantically. “Launch the payload! Do it now!”

“No!” Emerald kicked out a patch of dirt behind her as she ran to no avail.

One druid cut the rope and the catapult swung up, releasing a boulder over their heads, sending it sailing towards the Canterlot walls.

The spymaster could only watch in horror as the guards atop the walls ran for their lives. The boulder smashed into the wall just below the ramparts, smashing right through the front of the wall, sending two guards falling off. Thankfully, the walls seemed to hold beyond that strike.

“Thankfully they did not light the oil.” Nightfall wiped the back of a hand across her forehead. “Fire mixed with that special oil creates a small explosion on impact. That would surely have done more damage to the wall.”

“And now these druids shall pay.” Sir Lionheart thudded Durendal against the shield as he approached them. “Are you ready, druids?”

Suddenly, to Emerald’s surprise, all three druids got down on their knees and stuck their hands up.

“We surrender! Please don’t kill us!” the lead one squealed.

“Well, that was surprisingly easy.” Secret Fire stroked at his beard and stowed his firebombs. “I was sure they would have put up a fight.”

“They would not have stood a chance.” Sir Morn sheathed Clarent and approached them. “Mages, run back and get the guards. I want to see them in chains before I am assured they will not cause anymore chaos.”

“Right away, sir knight. Come, Nightfall. Let us go.”

Then Secret Fire tripped over a rock on the ground and fell flat on his face. A small explosion ensued.

“The catapult is safely stored away, yes?” Emerald sat down on a crate and leaned back against the castle’s stone border. She looked up at the sky, which was slowly turning orange.

“Safely stored,” Sir Prancelot repeated, looking in the direction of the castle’s stores. “I trust these druids will no longer be troubling us either. They are being escorted to prison as we speak.”

“Aye, that they are.” Sir Lionheart adjusted his wavy blonde hair and smirked. “Smart of them to surrender. They would have just wasted their lives for nothing if they attempted to fight us. We have the shield. They cannot defeat it.”

“Especially not if Lady Emerald wields it.” Sir Trotivere folded his arms and pointed to the former pegasus.

“Aye, that be true.” The quiet Sir Boercival nodded. “Still, it is fortunate the… mishap went on for such a short duration. It would be inconvenient if they had more time with the catapult.”

“And where were you lot when we fought?” Sir Morn Dread asked his fellow knights with a chuckle. “Only Sir Lionheart and Lady Emerald were there with me.”

“The guard did not alert us to any trouble.” Sir Agramane shrugged. “We simply spent our time back at the castle hall after returning from the demonstration.”

“Drinking, eh?” Sir Morn folded his arms.

“Only five mugs of ale. Nothing more.” Sir Ganeighn leaned back and adjusted his sword belt.

“Each.” Prancelot reminded.

“Oh, you knights…” Emerald closed her eyes and laughed. They were surely an interesting bunch of humans. No. Not just any humans. They were an interesting bunch of friends.

“Keep moving.” Guard Emerald Edge shoved the druid all the way at the back of the group.

“I’m moving…” she grumbled, jingling her arm chains, which linked down to chains around her legs too. “I can only move so fast with these.”

“Just move…” Guard Emerald shoved her again.

The druid pretended to slip to the side, just slightly, finding the best of spots to fulfill her role. Just by the corner was a grate likely leading down to the sewer system below. Light shone down from the window, right down through the grate.

Tilting her sleeve just slightly, the druid felt the contents of her small concealed pouch tip out, sliding out and down through the grate, with the guards none the wiser.

Righting herself, the druid pretended to regain her footing before following behind her comrades.

Eventually, they were placed into a prison cell, their chains removed as the guards locked the door behind them.

“Such poor conditions…” the bearded druid kicked at a bundle of hay. “Dagger Drip, is it done?”

The female druid looked about, making sure the guards were indeed gone. “Did it easily enough. The seeds have been planted. With sunlight and water, our plan shall come to fruition eventually.”

“Eventually…” their third companion said. “Looks like we will be here a while.”

“Yes, but when it is time…” The bearded druid smirked. “Canterlot will fall.”

48 - The King's Own

Prancelot sat up in his bed, shifting his legs off and rubbing at his face, breathing heavily.

“Prancer? What’s wrong?” his lover asked from the other side of the bed, still wrapped up under the sheets.

“A bad dream. That is all.” He ran a hand down his dark grey hair.

“You know we will always be together, yes? Even if I am to be married off to another.” She inched closer, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

“Yes, I know it, Princess Sunlight.” Prancelot smiled and turned to embrace her. “I know you will always love me as I do you.”

“To the very end.” She leaned away and placed a hand to his cheek.

Prancelot was about to lean over and kiss her, when his door was suddenly kicked open. Two hooded men stood by the entrance, dressed in black robes and wielding black swords in their hands.

“Who are you?” Prancelot searched for his sword, but could not find it.

Standing up only to be knocked down again by the two men, Prancelot couldn’t stop them as they pried Sunlight Radiance away from him, dragging her out the door as she screamed for him to help her.

“Prancer! Help! Don’t let them take me!”

“No! Sunlight!” He struggled to his feet, but something invisible held him rooted to the bed.

“Prancer!”

“No! I won’t let them! I won’t let you be taken, Sunlight! Sunlight!”

By now her beautiful face was out of sight, gone after the kidnappers turned past Prancelot’s door.

“No. No! Let me go!” No matter how hard he tried, he just could not get up. “Oh, Princess Sunlight… my love… Where have you gone…?”

Sir Prancelot shot out of bed with a gasp, coughing twice as he surveyed his surroundings. After realizing he was back in his knight quarters, he sighed with relief and put a hand to his chest to calm himself.

It was a dream. It was that dream again. That same dream he had been having for years.

“It’s just a dream, old boy,” Prancelot said to himself. “Just a stupid dream.”

Prancelot sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. He looked around his room. There was his armor, hanging up neatly by the full-length mirror. There were various banners hung up all around that were sewn with the emblem of the kingdom as well as his own personal crest. Arondight leaned against the table in its sheath. On a shelf, there were placed various trophies and mementos from quests he and the other knights had gone on.

All perfectly ordinary.

The sun was already halfway up from the horizon, so Prancelot slid out of bed and walked over to the basin to wash his face. Then, using some soap, he whipped up a lather and shaved. Once his face was smooth, Prancelot went and donned his armor, taking his time doing up the buckles and the clasps. While it would have been faster for him to get his squire to help, Prancelot appreciated the thoughtless work. It gave him time to ponder on other matters.

Princess Sunlight. Now there was a happy memory. Not just for him either. Everyone who had met Sunlight when she was still a princess would have agreed that there was no finer girl in the land. He had always been on good terms with her, and had she not been arranged to marry Dawn Saber, many of Prancelot’s friends and family would have expected them to be wed instead.

“That would have been nice,” Prancelot said privately to himself.

For years before the marriage, Sunlight had gone behind Dawn Saber’s back, seeing Prancelot secretly. And then after they married, it was like she was a different person. The intimacy between Prancelot and Sunlight had disappeared. For years, he didn’t know if it was because she was a married woman now and she wanted to forget their secret meetings or if she was simply growing into her role as a queen. Whatever the case, Prancelot was sorry that it had happened. Still, she was the Queen of Canterlot now, and he was but a Knight of the Round Table. What could he do?

No. That was defeatist talk, and as a knight, no challenge was too great for him. He would simply pay a visit to her quarters, perhaps under the guise of delivering an important message. Perhaps such a ploy would allow him to see Sunlight in private, where she didn’t have to act all pompous like royalty. He figured it was time to find out what had happened to the Sunlight he knew.

He had put this task off for years, hoping he could see the Sunlight he once knew in the queen. But this dream had been going on for far too long. He needed to know what had changed his beloved so.

Checking that his armor was clean and that he was wearing his most resplendent cape, Prancelot buckled Arondight to he side and set off toward the queen’s chambers. Prancelot passed by several pairs of guards, all of them letting him pass as befitted a Knight of the Round Table. Feeling more and more confident in himself, Prancelot soon ended up outside Queen Sunlight’s room. Two guards stood outside the closed wooden door, which was emblazoned with a picture of a rising sun.

“Halt,” one of the guards ordered. “My apologies, sir knight, but the queen has given us orders that she does not wish to be disturbed.”

“Is she bathing?” Prancelot asked. He had not gathered all his courage and will just to be stopped by two lowly guards.

“Er, no, I don’t think so…” the other guard said, scratching his head.

“Then there will be no trouble from me. I have known her for years.”

“I agree, sir knight,” the first guard said. “But we still cannot let you pass. Queen’s orders.”

Prancelot’s mouth grew taut. He decided to try something a little unorthodox.

“Well, the king has a message for her, but if you two are telling me that I can’t deliver it, then I suppose I’ll have to go back to the king. What did you say your name was?”

“Brinehammer, sir knight.”

“Ah, yes. I wonder, guard Brinehammer, what the king would do to some guards who defied his orders?”

“He’d probably kill them,” the second guard supplied speedily. Then his face fell. “Oh. Well.”

“I suppose we could let you in, if that’s what the king says,” Brinehammer said hesitantly.

He pushed the door to Sunlight’s chambers open and nodded for Prancelot to go in.

“Thank you, loyal guards,” Prancelot said, a wide smile on his face.

The door shut behind him. Prancelot looked around the room. There was no bed in here, as the queen slept with the king in his chambers. But these rooms were for when the queen wished to pursue her own interests or when the king wished to be left alone. He still remembered days spent in the backroom with Sunlight before her marriage. It was a small room, just between the left wall and the balcony, but it was a room that brought back pleasant memories for the grey haired knight.

Gowns of every color hung from various hooks and lines around the room, and a small cluster of easels stood near the balcony.

“Odd,” Prancelot said to himself. He had never known Sunlight to be a painter. Perhaps she had picked it up as a hobby after ascending to the throne.

There was one piece on one of the easels, still a work in progress. It depicted a mountainous region Prancelot did not know of, with a small cluster of cottages lining one edge. The moon shone brightly behind them, casting deep shadows across the scene. It was a beautiful art piece, but once again, Prancelot did not know the queen could paint.

A perfunctory scan of the room told Prancelot that the queen was not in here. But the guards at the door had told him that she did not wish to be disturbed, which meant she must be deeper inside.

Leaving the easels, Sir Prancelot strode over to the door on the far side of the room, that led to the backroom. As this was his first time in the queen’s quarters for years, he didn’t know what might have become of the backroom, nor did he know what else it would be used for now. As he got closer to the door, Prancelot’s ears picked up the sounds of people speaking. He slowed down. Eavesdropping was in no way polite, but then again, barging in on the queen unannounced wasn’t good either. A solution presented itself. The knight raised an armored fist to knock, then he heard something that gave him pause.

“...You need to ease up on the nighttime fun, sister,” an unfamiliar voice said, muffled slightly through the door. It sounded almost like two women speaking at once, just slightly one after the other, creating a reverberating effect. Either way, it gave Prancelot shivers down his spine. Something was wrong here.

“Oh? And why should I?” Queen Sunlight’s voice came, though it now sounded… colder, less warm and smooth like it usually did in the king’s court. “Do you know how well I’m eating from just Dawn Saber alone?”

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to get fat…” the double voice said. “And like it or not, you can’t have the king be too tired to rule the land. Our success comes from the way the kingdom works. If it doesn’t run like it should, we can’t exploit it.”

Prancelot’s mind was reeling as he listening in on this. What was he hearing?

“I have too much fun at night to just cut down. Besides, my body is still attractive, is it not? And Dawn Saber will manage. If not, I help in his stead.”

“Because you know all about running a kingdom, don’t you? Look, did you at least check up on the princess this month?”

“I… might have forgotten to feed her this month… But I did leave a plate of bread by the door two months ago. I am sure she will put that to some use.”

Princess? What princess would the queen be talking about? As far as Sir Prancelot knew, the king had no heir. Having no heir meant having no princesses from other kingdoms wandering around Canterlot Castle as well, seeing as there was no heir to marry.

“A bloody plate of bread? It’s a good thing I send one of the sirens down there every week to bring food. If she dies, we have no one to replace you with when it’s time to get out of here.”

Replace? Prancelot frowned. What are they on about?

“Calm yourself, sister, she won’t die.” There was a short laugh from a queen. A laugh Prancelot had never heard her utter before. “Not with you looking after her for me. Why do I even need to feed her when the sirens can do it? I have better things to do, like pretend to be Queen Sunlight, for one.”

That last statement made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He knew it. He had known Sunlight was not herself, and it was because she was indeed not herself.

Another thing Prancelot found strange was the mention of a sister. Sunlight was an only child. She had no siblings, so who was this mysterious sister? And who or what were the sirens?

“Anyway, I think tis time for breakfast. Get back to work, sister, and I’ll see about dieting myself off the king.”

The sound of footsteps came from the door. Prancelot jumped, startled. Unfortunately, his armor was not meant for sneaking, and the plates clashed against one another with an embarrassingly loud clunk.

“What was that?” the double voice asked. Prancelot drew Arondight, wincing at the scraping noise his sword made as it left its scabbard.

The door was flung open.

“Who’s there? Sir Prancelot!” Prancelot was surprised to see Queen Sunlight, still in her bed clothes, striding into the room. She saw him immediately, and to his surprise, clenched her fist at her side, which burst into emerald-green flames. The queen threw the ball of fire at him, but the knight ducked and the fireball exploded against the wall instead. Prancelot’s sword flew from his grasp, completely caught off guard.

Prancelot scrambled to the door and flung it open, smashing it against Brinehammer as he did so and ran from the queen’s room as fast as his feet could carry him. To his relief, the queen did not follow.

Behind, Moon Tide joined Queen Sunlight as they both watched Sir Prancelot flee. The queen stuck her now blackened and clawed hand into her gown and scowled.

“Your majesty,” Brinehammer said nervously, rubbing his nose where the door had hit him. “Is everything alright? Is there something wrong with your hand?”

Sunlight said nothing, but picked up the fallen Arondight, weighing it in her hand. Then without warning, she stabbed it into Brinehammer’s neck, then pulled it out and buried the blade in the other guard’s chest.

“What are you doing?!” Moon Tide quickly grabbed her arm and ripped the sword from her grasp. “Have you lost your mind?!”

“No,” Queen Sunlight said, taking Prancelot’s sword and throwing it on the floor. “Now he’s responsible for killing these two as well. We’ll have to get rid of him, so any incriminating evidence will go a long way. Gather the muses, sister. We will need their magic.”

Moon Tide’s mouth was agape. “That is… one of the most sensible things you have ever done. And after throwing fire at the knight. Still… So many years of secrecy, only to be found out now.”

“Some guards these were,” Sunlight said, looking down with disgust at the dead bodies. She reached a hand up and tore her clothes at the neckline and then ruffling up her hair. “Now, you should leave, sister. I must arrange myself into a perfect tapestry of fear and innocence. As well as fix my hand.”

Prancelot cursed at himself as he held his empty scabbard. He was a Knight of the Round Table, but that fireball the so called queen had tossed at him had surprised him enough for him to abandon Arondight in the queen’s room. He had given in to fear and fled like a coward, which was incredibly unknightly.

That was a mistake of a peasant. If the queen came for him now, he would have no knightly weapon to defend himself with. The next best thing to do would be to alert the king. King Dawn Saber had to know that he had been married to an impostor all this time. Putting his hand on his emergency hunting knife, Prancelot barrelled through the rooms until he found himself in a broom cupboard.

“Alright, Prancelot. I think you lost her,” he panted to himself. “What do we do now?”

Several answers presented themselves.

He could go back and confront the impostor queen. That did not strike him as a particularly good idea, as he had no clue what she was capable of. She had thrown fire at him. Fire. With her own hand. He really didn’t know what she could do if she could do that. Not to mention whoever she had been talking to. He didn’t like the sound of that double-layered voice. It brought to mind demons and other unwholesome creatures.

Whatever this monster was doing here in the castle, Prancelot did not know. But she had mentioned a princess. By the sound of it, that princess must be the real Sunlight Radiance.

Thinking things through, the knight knew he would have to face the monster at his door. He needed to rescue the real Sunlight.

“My beloved Sunlight…” He gazed at his knife.

The impostor had caught him off guard the first time that he, a Knight of the Round Table, had panicked and fled. For their second encounter, he would not flee. He was going to stand and fight and he would rescue his true love.

But first, he had to get out of this broom closet.

Easing the door open, Prancelot skulked from his hiding place and carefully made his way down to the main hall where the other knights would no doubt be having breakfast by now. The knight made sure to edge around corners and peek down corridors in case something unpleasant was lying in wait for him. But nothing was. He made it to the main hall just as the eighth bell began to ring.

Sir Agramane, Sir Boercival, Sir Morn, and Lady Emerald were all seated around the hall, finishing their meals. Boercival noticed Prancelot and waved at him. Prancelot waved back, but absent-mindedly noticed that the high table was empty. Neither king nor queen was present. This also gave Prancelot a bad feeling, but he kept it to himself.

“Oi, Prancelot! Where have you been?” Agramane demanded. “You’ve almost missed breakfast, and you’re always telling us how it’s the most important meal of the day.”

“I… Something has come up,” Prancelot quickly put together. “I shan’t join you today. I must… go… somewhere.”

And then he was out of the main hall, heading over to the throne room. He had to let King Dawn Saber know of his wife’s treachery, before she did any more damage, or to kill the impostor himself, whatever she was.

However, the throne room was empty as well.

A distinct feeling of doom was beginning to grow in the pit of Prancelot’s gut. Something was wrong here, very wrong. The king was supposed to be in the throne room by now, sorting through the day’s business and parleying with the barons and lords under his rule. None of those were present here today, though now that it was all quiet, he could hear a faint trace of music. Almost like… singing.

Why would the muses be singing now? The knight scratched at his cheek. But that meant that was a likely place the king or queen would be.

Placing a hand on his dagger, Prancelot grimaced at the thought of plunging it into the false Sunlight Radiance. She may have been a fake of the woman he loved, but she very much looked like the real one.

Heading up a stairwell beside the throne room, Prancelot followed the sound of singing, echoing down the stone walls around him; he was definitely heading in the right direction.

Prancelot found himself in one of the servant’s hallways, one of the many passages in Canterlot Castle that were for the serving staff only to get things like dirty dishes to the kitchens without having to pass through the nobility and knights.

The knight followed the increasingly loud sound of singing down the hallway, shaking his head to clear it. For whatever reason, it felt like something was messing with his mind, making it all fuzzy and unclear. He passed a window and spotted an owl perched outside it, looking in at him with wide, circular eyes.

Prancelot froze. The owl blinked slowly at the knight and yawned. Then it turned its head a hundred and eighty degrees and went to sleep.

“Huh.”

Ignoring the owl and getting back on task, Prancelot continued to speed walk to King Dawn Saber’s room, emerging back out into the regular hallway. He needed to tell him of the threat before it was too late. He needed to know that his wife wasn’t his wife.

Finally approaching the king’s room, two more guards were posted outside, looking at him with different degrees of confusion.

“I need to see the king. Tis an urgent matter.” Prancelot tried to put his hand on Arondight’s pommel, but then remembered his sword wasn’t with him.

“The queen said…” one guard looked to the other. “She did, yes?”

“She did.”

“What? What did she say?” Prancelot cast a wary gaze on the two guards, his senses tingling, telling him there was something wrong.

“She said if you were to arrive here, we were to… to arrest you, sir knight.” The guard looked hesitant.

“And she said not to let him enter.”

“Yes, she did say that.”

Prancelot stomped a foot. He wasn’t going to get stopped now. “I need to see the king! Tis an urgent matter. Tis about the queen! You must listen! She is not who she says she is! She is an imposter!”

“Im-imposter?” The guards looked at each other in confusion.

“Ho, Sir Prancelot. Fancy meeting you here.”

The knight turned around to see Sir Morn Dread and Lady Emerald Edge approach.

Yes, sensible people! he thought to himself. “Sir Morn, Lady Emerald, you must help me. The king, he is in danger.”

“The king in danger?” Sir Morn looked to his lover, then back to Prancelot. “From what, Sir Prancelot?”

“The queen! We must get in there. She is not who she says she is!”

“My mother requested we meet her here. She is inside, waiting for us, I presume. Guards, let us pass.”

“But… Sir Prancelot, the queen said to arrest him,” the first guard said again.

“Arrest him?” Emerald looked at him.

“We don’t have time. The king needs us!”

Prancelot had enough of waiting. Shoving the guards aside, he threw the door open and rushed in.

With the door open now, Prancelot could better hear the singing voices. They belonged to the king’s muses, who now stood before his fireplace, singing to him as he sat by it, sipping from a cup of tea. And then beside him, sat a sobbing Queen Sunlight Radiance, her hair in a mess and her clothes torn, drooping off one shoulder.

Why on earth is she crying?

“Your majesty!” Prancelot quickly ran up and stood between him and the fake Sunlight. “Watch out! She is not who she says she is!”

“Sir Prancelot! How dare you intrude here after what you have done!” The king shoved him aside and stood to defend the fake Sunlight. “Do you have no honor?”

Prancelot was stunned. “What? What do you mean, your majesty?”

Behind them, the muses continued singing, and Prancelot found it harder and harder to think. He looked at Sir Morn and Emerald, who followed in after him, but they seemed unaffected, if a little puzzled.

Sir Morn found his mother, standing close to the muses and walked to her. “Mother, what is going on? What has Sir Prancelot done?”

“I have not done a thing!” Prancelot pointed at the sobbing Sunlight. “It is her! She tried to kill me! She is not Queen Sunlight! She said so herself!”

“You dare to say such things against your queen? After you try to sleep with her?” King Dawn Saber, who was generally calm, looked like he was about to blow up.

“Your majesty, I did no such thing. She lies to you, like she has all these years. She is not Queen Sunlight Radiance!” Prancelot protested.

Morn and Emerald looked at each other with confusion.

King Dawn Saber reached behind his wife’s chair and pulled up a blade. It was Prancelot’s Arondight. “You tried to force yourself on your queen, and then kill two of my guards when they try to stop you? And then now here you are speaking ill of her?”

“No, your majesty, I would never.” Prancelot shook his head. “I am one of your most loyal knights. I will never attempt treason against you.”

“And so I thought, until this day,” Dawn Saber replied disappointedly. “Sir Morn, Lady Emerald… Arrest this man. He has committed treason against his king and queen…”

“Your majesty, no, I…” Prancelot tried to explain, but the king turned away.

Morn and Emerald looked reluctant, but approached him anyway.

“Prancelot, is it… is it true, what you have done?” Emerald asked him.

The grey haired knight shook his head and looked back at the sobbing queen, only, now she had stopped and was flashing him a devilish smirk between her fingers.

“No. No, I will do what I must for Canterlot.”

Prancelot moved fast. He first grabbed Arondight from the king, then jumped at Sunlight, pushing her to the ground. The imposter screamed as Prancelot pinned her underneath his weight, then brought his sword up, its tip pointed down.

“You shall not deceive the king any longer!”

“No!” Moon Tide and the muses began to run over.

Sunlight simply covered her face, looking like she was afraid, but Prancelot knew better. Or did he? Right now, he had her. He had the imposter under his blade, but she still looked just like his precious Sunlight. The knight remembered the many nights they shared together, hidden from King Dawn Saber’s eyes. He remembered her touch and her body against his. He remembered his time with her when they were younger, playing in the fields. In the end, it was so hard to bring his blade down into the imposter’s heart. That hesitancy was what cost him his chance.

A hand had been put on his shoulder and then he was yanked right off, flying across the room and landing in a roll on the stone floor.

Sir Morn now stood between him and the imposter queen, Clarent drawn.

“Prancelot, you are not in your right mind. Stand down now. Do not harm the king or queen,” his fellow knight ordered.

King Dawn Saber quickly attended to his wife, who made a show of being violated. Seeing that just made Prancelot more angry.

“Why do none of you see it?!” Prancelot swished his sword in the air. “She is not Queen Sunlight! She is some kind of demon! She has to be put down.”

“Prancelot, no.” Morn gave one final warning, his tone lowering. “Do not try it.”

Prancelot decided to try it. Canterlot depended on him right now. The real Sunlight depended on him to rescue her from this demon.

“This is for the good of our kingdom, Morn!” He approached, sword raised. “She must die.”

Morn countered his steps, walking in front of him and always keeping himself between Prancelot and Sunlight.

And then Prancelot attacked first, trying to use the flat of his blade to push Morn aside, but his brother in arms was almost as equally skilled in combat as he was. This was not going to be easy.

Spinning, Prancelot aimed a swipe down at Sir Morn’s legs, which the blue haired knight easily avoided, then kicking up with a foot, forcing Prancelot to dodge back. That allowed Morn to press an offensive, slashing horizontally and pushing Prancelot even further back, away from Sunlight.

“Stop! Stop it!” Emerald yelled from the side, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Prancelot knew what he had to do.

Righting his footing, he gave himself just enough time to deflect one of Morn’s oncoming attacks and clubbed him on the side of his head with an armored fist. Morn stumbled to the side, giving Prancelot enough time to sprint for the fake Sunlight, who pretended to look afraid again, with the king once again beside her.

“Your majesty, please, step aside! She is not who you think she is!”

“If you continue to attempt murder on your queen, you will force my hand. You do not want to face Excalibur, Sir Prancelot,” Dawn Saber warned.

“I will not, your majesty. Please, trust me. She needs to die. She is a fake!”

The muses continued to sing, their voices resonating in the chamber and making it hard for Prancelot to think. It became a struggle to keep his sword up, but he did not know why he was feeling this way.

Taking advantage of this moment of hesitation, Dawn Saber drew the mighty Excalibur from its sheath and held it in front of him.

And then Moon Tide hit him with a crossbow bolt with a glass head, striking him in the shoulder, spreading ice across his plates, forcing him to remove part of his armor, only for Emerald to tackle him down, pinning his left arm behind his back.

“Prancelot, you are not yourself,” she told him. “We are on your side. The queen is on your side.”

“No! No, she is not!” Prancelot struggled, but he was unable to get up. He tried to slash at Emerald with Arondight, but Morn was soon over, kicking the sword from his grasp. “She is a fake! She is a fake! The real Sunlight is out there!”

Dawn Saber sheathed Excalibur and shook his head disappointedly. “You leave me no choice, Sir Prancelot. You have dishonored your position as a Knight of the Round Table.”

“No, your majesty-”

“For crimes against the Kingdom of Canterlot, you are hereby relieved as a Knight of the Round Table and you shall be exiled from Canterlot.”

That last part shocked Prancelot into a deafening silence.

“No, your majesty.” It was Emerald Edge who spoke. “He… Exile sounds too much, does it not?”

Dawn Saber raised a hand. “Exile is already lenient of me. For trying to kill my beloved, he should be executed. But… Prancelot is an old friend. I shall spare him, because I am a benevolent king. Sir Morn, Lady Emerald, please escort Sir Prancelot to his quarters to gather his belongings. He is to leave tonight. And never come back, or there will be swift punishment.”

Prancelot felt as though someone had shoved a knife straight through his heart. He had tried to do the right thing, but no one else could see it. Now he only felt sadness, not for him, but for his king. If he could not see through his queen’s deception, then it would be his problem. Prancelot was done trying to help.

He cast one more look at the false Sunlight as Emerald and Morn brought him out of the room. Behind the king’s back, she was smirking so evilly and she waved a hand at him.

Prancelot simply turned away and walked on.

So be it.

“I am sorry there was not more we could do for you, Sir Prancelot.” Emerald Edge handed him a pack of goods from the kitchens. “But here, for your travels.”

“Thank you, Lady Emerald. And it is no longer Sir Prancelot. Tis just Prancelot.” The grey haired man shook his head and looked down.

Sir Morn too, looked disappointed that his fellow knight had to leave. He slapped a hand down on his shoulder and sighed. “The queen is not the enemy, my friend. I hope one day you see it.”

“No, Sir Morn. It is you who must see. But it does not matter now. The queen has won.”

Morn frowned, but Emerald’s touch told him not to push it further.

“Where will you go?” the female knight asked, one hand wrapped around Morn’s arm.

Prancelot looked out the town’s gates into the distance. “I suppose I will pay a visit to Prance. I am no longer welcomed here. Perhaps I can start a new life there.”

“We wish you all the best in your travels, Prancelot.” Emerald stretched a hand out.

“And I wish you both the best of luck in keeping Canterlot safe.” Prancelot took her hand and shook it. “You will need it. You certainly will.”

When he was ready, Prancelot shifted his pack’s sling over one shoulder and set off away from the place he had called his home for so many years.

He was just outside the town gates when he heard the sound of hooves. Prancelot turned around to see Moon Tide ride up to him with a morose look on her face.

“Have you come to see me off, mage?” Prancelot asked.

Moon Tide stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. “Nay. I have come to show you something.”

“What is it?”

“Get up on my horse and I will take you to it. Tis only about half an hour’s ride, and then I will see you off to the borders of the kingdom.”

She wants to show me something? Prancelot found it odd, especially after what had happened in the king’s chambers. “What is it you want to show me? And why now?”

“Because now is the best time. If you leave Canterlot, you will never get to see it again,” Moon Tide blinked at Prancelot. It was then that Prancelot realized that there were no muses with her. Unusual, she usually had at least one hanging around.

“Very well, mage. If it will not take long.” Prancelot got up on her horse behind her. “Then lead on. And, may I say, if I have caused you any trouble earlier, Mage Moon Tide, I am sorry. I did not mean to harm any of you, be it physical or mental.”

“I imagine you are sorry,” Moon Tide said under her breath, then she spurred the horse on through the fields. They rode on in the darkness for a long while, until all that could be seen around was grass and a few rocky protuberances. The city of Canterlot was just a small dot on the horizon.

“And we will stop here,” Moon Tide announced, tying her horse to a solitary yew tree that was growing next to a huge pile of boulders. A small stream gurgled out between the rocks, bringing with it a supply of clean water.

“Is this it?” Prancelot watched the stream flow. It would certainly be a good spot to stock up on water if he needed. “Tis a nice view from here, I must say.”

“Further in here,” Moon Tide beckoned, leading Prancelot to a gap in the boulders, wide enough for a man to squeeze through.

“What is there to show me here?” Prancelot looked in the gap. “Is this a secret passage?”

“Yes and no. You see, I thought since you were so hung up on Sunlight Radiance, you would be pleased to see her again. So I’m taking you to her. You can have all the time in the world together.”

The last sentence was spoken with an overlayed double voice, the same one Prancelot had heard in the queen’s chambers. He stiffened and was in the process of turning around and reaching for Arondight, which he did not have anymore, when two sharp objects sank into his neck.

“Ah!” Prancelot felt his strength leave him and he crumpled to the floor. He tried to get up, but it was as though his body had turned to stone. He couldn’t move. “What… have you done…? Who are you?”

“Me?” Moon Tide chuckled, picking him up with one hand, a feat that no ordinary person would have been capable of. “I am the queen’s sister. We couldn’t have you heading to some other kingdom and spilling secrets. Before long, rumor would turn to gossip and gossip would lead to war. So we decided it was best to bring you here. To where the real Sunlight is being kept. You can be with her forever.”

Moon Tide hauled Prancelot to a grille in the floor, unlocking it and lowering him in. There was a small flap in it, through which small objects like food could be pushed in. Moon Tide smiled to herself and locked the grate.

Prancelot thudded against the hard ground below, unable to move as his vision spun around him. The only light source he had came from above, where the moon shone through the grille, lighting up only a fraction of his surroundings. The floor, from what he could see, was littered with hay and he could smell water.

“I will leave you to it,” Moon Tide said from above. “That pack of yours should last you quite some time. I will be back to check on you… maybe in a week.”

Prancelot heard her footsteps trail off, and then the sound of galloping hooves.

“H-Hello…?” There was a soft voice behind him. Prancelot couldn’t turn around, but it was a woman’s voice and she sounded close.

“Who’s there?” Prancelot managed. “I can’t move; can you help me?”

A pair of hands were hooked under his arms and he was dragged up and placed against a cavern wall. It felt jagged and rough, but there was nothing else he could do at the moment.

There was a stream flowing in from a slope above, leading out through an exit blocked by metal bars, leading down and out into the field, where Prancelot had earlier seen it. All around them was a simple cavern, not man-made, and in front of him was a woman he barely recognized.

Her smooth face was now aged and her radiant blonde and red hair was paler now, unbraided and strewn across the floor, likely uncut since she was put here.

Any other person might have forgotten the face of this one princess, but not Prancelot. This was one woman he would never forget, even if she looked different now.

“Sunlight,” Prancelot said, unable to reach out to her to hold her. “Sunlight, my love. Tis really you.”

“P-Prancer?” Sunlight gasped. “Is that you? Oh, I had given up any hope of a rescue years ago. But you came, you came for me!” She fell against Prancelot and embraced him tightly.

“Yes, tis so good to see you again, even if it is such conditions.” He smiled at her embrace. “Alas, my beloved, I cannot. I too, have become prey to whatever monster currently assumes your identity. Rest assured, Sunlight, I will do everything in my power to get us out. Remember, I will do anything for you.”

“There’s more than just one of them,” Sunlight whispered. “Once a week, some kind of child comes by with food and drink, and she sings a song that makes it impossible to move until she is gone. I think it is magic.”

“Children, of all things…” Prancelot mused. There seemed to be more going on than just the queen and Moon Tide. For all he knew, maybe the king too, was a monster. That would explain why he refused to believe his wife was one. But that would mean that the entire kingdom of Canterlot was under the control of a demon. And that thought was too terrible to entertain.

“Once I can move, I will find a way for us to leave, Sunlight.” Prancelot returned to the present. “You have been prisoner here long enough.”

Sunlight nodded with a smile. “And it is nice to have someone with me now. It has been so lonely all these years, sitting here in the dark, unable to leave. And I know I can count on you, Prancer. I always have.”

“We will not let these monsters win. And then you and I, Sunlight, we will escape here and live as we have always intended. To be together.”

Sunlight embraced him again as they sat there in the darkness. All that could be heard was the faint trickling of water, and in the distance, maybe even a cackle of laughter.

49 - Into Darkness - Part 1

Archdruid Duchan sat in his cell, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. In his hands, he held a bowl of potent magic, grafted together with a combination of spit, soil, and various ingredients he could scavenge in his cell. To one corner, just protruding from a crack in the floor, was a little sapling. It had been planted years ago and had grown there only a week ago, and Duchan had let it grow just a little more, knowing the time was now right. All he needed now was something sharp, and that something would come just as easily as he could picture it.

Holding the bowl in his hands in plain sight, two guards stopped at his cell door on their usual pass through the dungeons.

“Hey, what is that you’re holding?” It was the one, the one that looked like the woman, Emerald Edge, who spoke. The two were uncannily similar in appearance, but at the same time, different. They, however, were similar enough for Duchan to remember what Emerald Edge had done in the Shetland, or as he now heard, the Everfree Forest.

What a shoddy name. That will all change soon enough.

“Hey, I was speaking to you,” the guard called again.

Duchan continued to ignore her. Instead, he waited until he heard the sound of his cell door opening. They were coming to investigate.

“What’s happening?” From behind them, a third guard had appeared. This one had green hair spilling out of her helmet. An unusual sight for a guard’s hair to be untied.

“He has something. Where did you get that?” the other guard questioned Duchan.

That was when the third guard moved. First drawing a dagger, she cut the first guard across the right eye, stunning him, then stabbed it into the Emerald Edge lookalike’s arm, forcing her to drop her spear. The guard slammed her against the wall and punched her in the face, knocking her out, while she spun around and delivered a quick kick to the male guard’s chin.

“Nimhe, just in time.” Duchan smirked as his second in command removed her helmet to arrange her green hair. “I was growing tired of waiting.”

“I apologize for the delay, archdruid.” Nimhe handed him her dagger.

“No, you do not have to. You have done well.” Duchan brought the dagger and his salve to the little sapling and stirred up its contents with the dagger’s blade. “And now, the pit scorpion mix, if you will.”

Nimhe pulled a brown sack from her disguise and poured out a sticky black substance into the bowl, which Duchan mixed again.

“Good, Nimhe, good…” Duchan held the bowl to the ceiling, then made sure to coat the dagger’s blade in a lot of the salve. “Now behold. The end of Canterlot is here.”

“So with this, you will be able to control the plunderseed?” Nimhe looked over at the sapling and the crack.

“Yes, that is right.” Duchan slid the dagger down through the crack, searching for its root. “We do not need to control Canterlot any longer. Day after day, sitting in this cell, it has shown me, Canterlot cannot be controlled. It can only be destroyed.”

“What shall I do with the guards?” Nimhe pointed at both unconscious bodies.

“I want the woman.” Duchan felt his blade stop against something. He stabbed through it, feeling the ground shudder as he did so. He had found the root. “She will prove useful for my… experimentation and pleasure.”

Nimhe removed her chains and bound the guard.

“And once you are done, it is time for us to leave. Canterlot’s end is nigh. We shall plunge this kingdom into darkness. Eternal darkness.” Leaning low, Duchan put his mouth close to the crack and whispered three simple words. Words that would carry all the way to the core of this monstrosity. With his magic, whatever he would say, the plunderseed would obey.

“Destroy it all…”

Emerald Edge sat under a fiery ash tree, watching as its red leaves began to fall around her, signalling that winter was coming once again. It felt like an eternity since she first set hoof in this world. So much had happened since her arrival, ranging from druids, to artifacts, to making friends, and even to falling in love.

Sir Morn Dread sat beside her on the grassy field, first looking up at the blue sky, then down at Emerald, one of his hands around one of hers.

Earlier, they had picked this spot to break for lunch as they began making their way back to Canterlot from Canterbury. There had been some troll trouble over there, but with Sir Morn around, they were easily taken care of. The townsfolk had wanted to celebrate with them, as with all the other towns they help protect, but Emerald declined. Though, she didn’t say no to their carrot bread rolls, which she had found delicious.

Leaning over, Emerald gazed deeply into Sir Morn’s eyes, communicating something with him way beyond words. They’d been with each other long enough to know things without having to say them and Emerald could tell right now, that Sir Morn was telling her how much he loved her.

The spymaster placed a hand on his cheek and gently kissed him on the lips, savoring the moment between them.

“I love you, Sir Morn,” she whispered. “I love you more than anything.”

“Except your empire, my lady.” Sir Morn tapped her on the nose. “But do not fear. I do not mind losing out to an empire.”

“Cheeky, aren’t you?” Emerald wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into him. She had really come such a long way.

“If you wish me to be, my lady.” Sir Morn held both her hands. “I will always be here for you, whatever you need me to be.”

Emerald giggled and hugged him close. There was no better way to spend a day in this world than to be by Morn’s side.

The two knights cuddled together under the tree for another hour or so before deciding to set off back home. Foxtrot seemed to also be getting impatient, making lots of noise while Emerald and Morn were still seated. Windspeed had tried to stop him from bothering the two, but his neighs were useless.

“Alright, alright, you fussy horse.” Emerald patted him on the muzzle and fed him a carrot. “We shall head home now.”

The two knights started off, bringing their horses into a gallop as they traversed the grassy plains of the kingdom. It was a nice cold ride back, seeing as it was coming close to winter once again. Red leaves flaked off all around them, flying by as their horses thundered over to the dirt path leading to Canterlot.

It had been a few hours ride back, with Emerald enjoying the wind in her hair. They were only nearing Canterlot when Emerald first spotted signs of trouble. Smoke was rising from somewhere in the castle, rising up higher than the tallest tower. But that wasn’t the worst part. Out of the walls and the castle itself, grew huge vines, some of them even moving around, with one smashing apart one of the wall’s towers, sending a shower of debris down beyond the town walls.

“What… is going on?” Emerald pulled Foxtrot to a stop as she eyed the chaos.

Sir Morn stopped Windspeed beside her and sniffed. “Canterlot, tis in trouble. We must hasten! Our people need us!”

Emerald didn’t need to be told twice. She got Foxtrot to gallop on faster than ever, hoping in her mind that everyone was still safe.

Trotting over to the gates, Emerald and Morn tied their horses to one of the trees further away, in case the vines were to try and get them. So far, they seemed to only be confined to the castle and town, but Emerald didn’t know how much longer that would last. The two of them ran down the streets of Canterlot, which was devoid of humans. They had all probably returned back home to hide, which the spymaster didn’t think was such a good idea, considering the vines were taking apart the structures like blocks.

Many of the buildings closer to the castle seemed to have been hit by debris, with the Drifting Stallion sporting a new hole in its roof and its sign was askew.

“This is troubling indeed.” Sir Morn put his helmet on and nodded to Emerald. “We must find the source.”

“Right.” Emerald pulled her hood over her head. These vines, she had encountered them once before, back on one quest with Sir Boercival. Plunderseed vines, she thought they were called. Druids had been trying to wake them up. “If I have to make a guess, this must be the work of druids.”

“What makes you say so, my lady?”

Emerald reminded him of her quest to Talamhstead, bringing the ancient ruins down upon the sleeping vines. “The druids must have perhaps obtained parts of it. Or maybe seeds.”

“And they grew them here? Why?”

“We will need to find those responsible to find out.”

The first humans they encountered were just at the bridge, dividing Canterlot’s town. It was their newest Knight of the Round Table, Sir Gallophad, defending a cluster of townsfolk from two attacking vines. Unfortunately, he pressed too far forward and one vine wrapped around his leg, pulling him up into the air. He yelled and dropped Arondight, owned by him now that Prancelot had been exiled.

“Unhand me, vines! I am Sir Gallophad of the Knights of the Round Table of King Dawn Saber’s court! I am not some common peasant!”

“I suppose tis time to join the fight.” Sir Morn drew Clarent and charged.

Emerald drew Amore and did the same. Her first priority was the defend the townsfolk, while Sir Morn ran for the vine that was holding Sir Gallophad in the sky. The spymaster had gotten there just in time to cut off the tip of one vine, which was reaching over to grab a man. Emerald recognized him as a man selling carrots in the marketplace.

The vine recoiled back, but then shot forward at such a high speed that Emerald almost didn’t have enough time to block. She raised Amore and managed to push it to the side as it speared on, taking out a chunk of one of the buildings before whipping back. Emerald cut at it, but even with such a well crafted blade, it only cut into a portion of the thick vine, not doing enough damage. It barreled into her and knocked her back, one of its thorns cutting a hole in her red cloak.

“Oof!” Emerald landed close to the creek. She turned to the townsfolk and waved them away. “Go! Get somewhere safe! Go!”

They hesitated for a second, but then Emerald returned and cut at the vine again, keeping it busy and giving them the time they needed to run. She jumped and cut at the top of the vine, shearing off a few of its thorns before kicking off of it, just in time to block another strike in midair, which pushed her back onto the floor.

Sir Morn had drawn his arms back behind his head, and with one almighty sweep, he had sliced the entire front of the vine off, dropping Gallophad back down, where he managed to squirm out of the now dead portion of the vine.

“Back on your feet, Sir Gallophad.” Morn handed him Arondight, its yellow gems glinting brightly. “This fight is far from over.”

“Yes. The mages, their tower too has been overrun with these strange vines, alongside Canterlot Castle.” Gallophad’s sword arm was shaking under his armor. “I must say, it was a good thing I decided to pay a visit to the Drifting Stallion. I hope the other knights are faring well.”

“His majesty will need us.” Then Sir Morn looked to Emerald, who had now rolled beside them, her vine swishing in the air like a giant sword. “Lady Emerald, the Mages’ Tower, I must rescue my mother. Do you think you could get to his majesty with Sir Gallophad?”

“What? I’m coming with you, Morn.” Emerald looked at him like it was such a strange thing to ask.

“I know, you want to rescue my mother and the mages as well, but the king needs you,” Morn tried to reason.

“No, he needs you too.” Emerald dodged as a vine attacked them, then spun around and cut at it, but alas, she wasn’t as strong as Morn and couldn’t cut through all of it. “We stick together, Morn.”

Emerald wasn’t going to split off from him. They worked better as a team, and he should know that. They’ve been together long enough to know how each other work. And she loved him and didn’t want to be apart from him unnecessarily.

And then he pushed her out of the way and parried the vine as it came back, slicing off a good chunk of it as it tried to attack him. “Oh, very well, my lady. We shall.”

“Then I shall go on to the castle.” Gallophad picked up his dirtied helmet from the floor and gave it a wipe. “I shall do what I can to rescue his majesty from the clutches of these vile plants.”

“Celestia guide you, Sir Gallophad.” Emerald nodded her farewells to him.

“Umm…” Gallophad lowered his visor. “Right.”

And then the young knight was off, heading past the central bridge while Morn finished off the two vines that were attacking them. His strength was really invaluable for a situation such as this. If not for being in love with him, Emerald would still go with him to the tower for his strength.

“Come, my lady.” He reached a hand out. “To the Mages’ Tower we go.”

Emerald nodded and followed, both knights running down the cobbled street towards the looming smoke in the distance.

King Dawn Saber was thrown across the room, his body splitting his throne in half and knocking the crown off his head. Excalibur spun uselessly out of his grasp, sliding across the polished floor and stopping under Duchan’s foot.

“My my, even your weapon of destruction is no match for the plunderseed vines.” The archdruid looked to the pile of ash that once used to be one of the many vines now assaulting the throne room. “You are spent, your majesty. You cannot possibly hope to fight off all my vines.”

“C-Canterlot… will never… be yours.” Dawn Saber pushed up with a hand, but he was unable to stand.

“Will never be mine?” Duchan shot him an amused look and laughed. “I do not want Canterlot. Not anymore. Now, I simply wish for your destruction. For the end of your kingdom.”

To his side stood Nimhe, and Galar and the other druids freed from the prison. They numbered twelve now, and Nimhe had more outside, watching the fire. Nimhe held on to the restraints of the guard Emerald Edge, a knife pressed to her back, the guard’s face bloody and bruised from a beating earlier. To her left was Queen Sunlight Radiance, her arms and legs bound as well.

As of now, Duchan had not found the real Emerald Edge. She was nowhere in the castle, but that didn’t matter. She would return soon enough once she witnessed the destruction of Canterlot’s town.

“It is only a matter of time until your kingdom will lie in ruins before you, your majesty.” Duchan paced between the throne and the fallen king. “I think I will let you live until then, just so you can see how everything you’ve worked so hard to build will be torn from your hands. Nothing will remain.”

The archdruid bent down and picked up Excalibur. It weighed heavy in his hand, even after using the magic to make himself stronger all those years ago.

“And what a marvelous weapon you have. This will make a fine spot in my plundered collection. Including your wife.” Duchan smirked and looked to the bound Sunlight Radiance. “There is no woman more beautiful in your entire kingdom.”

Sunlight flashed him a murderous look, but said nothing.

“I am sure we will enjoy using her.”

“No…” Dawn Saber reached out towards her. “You will not harm my wife…”

“Oh? Would you like to see us do so?” Duchan looked over to his druids. “Galar, would you show the king some of our magic? Avoid her face. We still want her alive.”

Galar trotted forward, pulling a brown sack from his sleeve and tugging it open. Digging a gloved hand in, he brought out a handful of red powder, lifting it towards the queen.

“No! Do not… harm her!” Dawn Saber tried to stand again, but he was completely spent, falling back to his side. “Sun-Sunlight…”

With a laugh, Galar tossed the powder at the queen’s midsection, grinning madly as the magic began to eat away at her richly clothes, and soon, her skin. But to his surprise, her skin remained untouched as her clothes began to melt away.

He looked up at her face with surprise and mouthed, “What…?”

That was when Queen Sunlight broke her restraints, snapping them like paper. One of her hands reached for Galar’s throat and in an instant, she had pulled away, a shred of bloody meat in her hand as the druid stumbled back, clutching at his neck, unable to breathe.

“What is this?” Duchan looked on in shock. “Kill her! Kill her!”

More druids stepped forward, their magic at the ready, but it was as though Queen Sunlight had become a thing of nightmares. She passed through three of his druids like she was a ghost, and each time she did so, blood splattered against the walls and his druids fell dead.

“No!” He stood beside one of his vines and pointed at her. “Stop her!”

A trio of vines lashed out at Sunlight as she was in the process of ripping off a druid’s jaw, spinning around her and constricting her until she could no longer move. She tried to struggle, but it seems there was only so much to her monstrous strength.

“Ha! You may have had the element of surprise for that fleeting moment, but even you cannot possibly stand against the plunderseed vines, your majesty.” Duchan sneered at her as she continued to struggle, but to no avail. “How does it feel? To know that there is nothing you can do to stop this?”

“Nngh… I feel, that once I get out… of this…” Sunlight glared at him, completely showing no signs of fear, which irked Duchan. “Tearing out your throat... is going to be too kind of a death for you.”

“Oh, and here I thought you were just a weak queen like your husband.” Duchan eyed Dawn Saber, who had seemed to pass out on the floor. “There is nothing you can do to stop me now. The plunderseed vines have been awakened. You cannot possibly hope to stop such power!”

He ordered the vines to tighten around the queen, who began to wince from the pain, but still, she uttered no cry of pain.

“Look how she tries to fight it, Nimhe.” Duchan chuckled and waved for her to come to him. “No normal human can simply rip a throat out like you did. What are you exactly?”

The queen didn’t answer immediately. She inhaled, then opened her mouth wide and a short torrent of green flame gushed out, setting Duchan’s hood alight. The archdruid skipped back at the surprise attack, but soon patted the flames out with Nimhe’s help.

The queen was now smiling smugly at him and that made him mad. “Squeeze harder.”

As the vines entangled themselves tighter around Queen Sunlight, the woman still refused to utter a cry of any sorts, instead, only wincing as they attempted to crush her. Her mouth opened, like she was about to scream out in pain, but still, no cry emerged.

“You are no common creature I have ever seen…” Duchan pulled his smoldered hood down and made sure he still had hair on his head. “What are you doing, being a queen of a kingdom when you have such power? You could have easily conquered all the other kingdoms.”

“Because Queen Sunlight is a benevolent queen!” the guard Emerald Edge yelled at him through her split lip. “Unlike the likes of you druids!”

“Quiet, you!” Nimhe punched her in the eye.

Guard Emerald seemed stunned for a moment, then she shook her head and bared her teeth in a snarl.

“You think this is over? The Knights of the Round Table are coming for you, druids. They will find you, and they will beat you. Just you wait and see.”

“Yes, yes, and that is what I would like to see. Your precious knights fighting to save their king, only to die trying…” Duchan rubbed his hands together. “Your knights will not stop the plunderseed. Nothing can!”

Emerald spat out a dribble of blood. “We’ll see about that, druid.”

Laughing at her words, Duchan waltzed over to one of the nearby windows, happily gazing out at his handiwork. Right now, much of the town was in ruins, with fire spreading across the streets. The Mages’ Tower nearby was entangled in vines and its roof was missing. His vines were still spreading, already reaching the walls of the town, one even already spearing a hole through a part of the wall.

“Things are going just perfect…”

The king lay unconscious back in the room, and he would get the queen to scream eventually. Duchan was going to enjoy every moment of torturing her. And then there was Emerald Edge, the knight who ruined his plans and sent him to the dungeons. He had the one who looked like her right here, and he was going to enjoy beating her too, but nothing would make him happier than to cast his poisonous magic at her until she would beg him to stop, and even then, he would not.

“Finally! Nothing will stop me now! Nothing! Behold, Canterlot, your end. From here, there shall be no more light. Only darkness...”

Three druids stood outside Canterlot town’s walls, one of them, a bearded man, held a long red spear in his hands as the three of them watched one of the vines smash apart one of the wall’s turrets.

“So this is Canterlot…” One of the man’s companions said slowly. “Looks like it’s seen better days.”

“I hope we have not come too late.” The bearded one swallowed. Things weren’t looking good at all. “Mort, Tara, I will take the spear first to the castle. Perhaps I may find Duchan and end him before more of this destruction can continue. I want you two to find the mages here. I am sure we could use their help.”

After fighting through clusters and clusters of vines and saving townsfolk, including Jewel Pin, who had now opened her shop into a safe zone for other humans, Emerald Edge and Morn Dread now stood outside the Mages’ Tower, looking up at the structure. As they watched, one of the vines suddenly whipped away from a window, going down in flames, but almost as quick, more vines took its place.

“This is certainly going to be no easy task.” Sir Morn gulped, cleaning sap off Clarent’s blade. “My mother… I hope no harm has befallen her.”

With the tower so close to the castle, the vines here were much more dense and numerous, meaning it had originated somewhere in the castle.

“I am sure the mages are doing all they can to fend off this creature.” Emerald put a hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry for your mother. She is a capable mage. I am sure she, Light Speckle and Clover will figure something out.”

From the tower, two vines shot down at the two knights, almost catching them by surprise. Emerald leapt to the side and cut at it, breaking some thorns, and Sir Morn dodged to the other side, spinning around and slicing horizontally, cutting the vine along its length, splitting its head in half. Then with a duck and a high slash, the two pieces of vine sailed high into the air, landing over in the castle’s courtyard.

Emerald had cut at the same spot thrice, but she couldn’t muster the strength to cut through it all the way. Thankfully, Sir Morn returned to her side and finished it off for her, sending the stumps retreating back to the tower’s wall.

With them gone, the front door was left unblocked, at least for now. They had to take this chance.

“Are you ready, my lady?” Sir Morn held Emerald’s hand, his strength giving her the will to go on.

“Ready.” Emerald quickly gave him a kiss to the cheek as they both ran for the door.

This was far from over.

51 - Brigands and Blessings

Emerald Edge had wanted to think it was just like any other day in Canterlot. She had wanted to say she simply spent the day in bed, or with Sir Morn, or both.

But that was only what she had wanted.

“Left!” She ducked down and pushed two fellow knights low as a rock sailed over their heads, crashing into Canterlot’s walls.

Fire surrounded them, burning the grassy fields outside Canterlot’s town, mostly from the mages’ tower defenses they had begun to install on the ramparts and turrets, but the marauders they were fighting had some fire arrows of their own.

With Canterlot’s defenses still rebuilding since the druid attack almost seven months ago now, marauders from other kingdoms had been arriving to try their luck at pillaging the town and castle, but as of yet, none of them has had the luck of even entering the town, though, the marauders this time were better equipped.

The current ones were trained well in the spear, each of them sporting a helmet with long feathers as decorations. They proved to be a bother from a distance, but they weren’t as tough up close, as Emerald had found out a short moment ago when she had charged their ranks.

A cut on her cheek dribbled blood down her face, but that was currently the least of her worries. The enemy had catapults of their own and if she didn’t deal with them soon, all their work trying to rebuild Canterlot’s wall would all go to waste.

“You’d think Canterlot would have more allies that would come to help us,” one of the guards remarked as she fired her longbow at the enemy.

“Well that’s what happens when you rule with power and force rather than with respect and diplomacy,” one of the knights said, peeking over the barrier they had built up with stones at a catapult. “The moment you weaken, everyone jumps on you.”

“To think the Kingdom of Canterlot had such a poor reputation in the land,” the first guard said as she fitted another arrow to the string of her bow. “Maybe we need a change.”

Emerald listened to the guards idly as she surveyed the marauders. A volley of arrows swarmed from the east wall, each one bursting into flames as they struck the enemy war machines.

Good old Secret Fire, Emerald thought as she patrolled along the wall, making sure all the troops were doing what they were meant to be doing. Emerald saw a golden glow from the west wall, signalling that Lionheart was using the Shield to protect the kingdom.

The Shield. It was about the time for the next King’s Tournament, and Lionheart would soon need to return the Shield to the king for the prize of the tournament. Usually the tourney would be much closer, but with the reconstruction of Canterlot taking priority, the King’s Tournament had been postponed. Emerald ducked beneath an arrow and sighed.

Even if she did manage to win the tournament this time, there wasn’t much more she could do with the shield than with the staff. The way home remained closed and she could do nothing from this side of the portal. All she could do was hope somepony were to come through.

But first, she had to help repel this attack.

Another barrage of explosive arrows thudded into a catapult, setting it alight. Plumes of smoke rose into the air, giving the sky a greyish, sickly cast. Emerald surveyed the enemy force through a small gap in the walls. Five of their catapults were destroyed, leaving two operational. The marauders themselves were concentrated around a breach in the walls below Lionheart that had yet to be sealed by the stonemasons, but Sir Gallophad and a contingent of knights had them at a standstill.

Emerald wished she had the Staff of Star Swirl the Bearded with her, but Light Speckle had taken on an apprentice recently, and was tutoring him on how to properly use it.

“And so the wheel turns,” Emerald muttered before drawing her sword Amore and hurrying back to the knights on the wall.

One of the group had been hit with an arrow in the arm, and was in the process of getting it treated.

“Lady Emerald!” Guard Spring Amber rushed toward her, spear in hand. “We’ve driven off the main force, and we think that in a less than a few hours, we will rout the enemy. Your orders?”

Emerald looked over to the portion of the ramparts that held their spear launchers. They had yet to be pushed into a position on the wall to be used, but perhaps with enough effort and perhaps luck, they could get them into position before being shot at by arrows again.

“Do you know how to use one of those?” Emerald pointed to them.

“Yes, my lady.” Then she gulped. “Tis too open. The enemy will surely be able to hit us with their arrows of fire.”

“Not if I can help it.” Emerald remembered where she had seen the glow of Sir Lionheart’s shield. “Gather the guards and get those weapons into position. As soon as you are ready, take out the enemy’s catapults and the battle is won.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I shall return with a little backup.” Emerald picked up one of the guards’ shields and slung it over her left arm. “I shall draw their fire. Go.”

Rushing back down from the wall, Emerald sprinted along the fiery fields, heading for the breach in the wall. She spotted at least a dozen marauder archers on the opposite end, aiming their bows high in her direction. Most of them missed, but two of them flew true. Emerald lifted her acquired shield and blocked them both as she ran.

She spotted a guard up ahead, fighting two of the enemy, with more guards dead at his feet. Emerald recognized the eyepatch over his right eye. It was Dash Spiral, one of her guard friends and he looked like he was in trouble. Running faster, Emerald solid footsteps caught his attackers’ attention and they turned to face her.

Emerald’s sword was quick to find its way into one marauder’s chest, while the second one thrust his spear forward, nicking Emerald in the side, just where her armor stopped. But she didn’t stop. Falling to the side, Emerald grabbed the marauder’s foot with one hand, then unsheathed her hidden blade. The enemy human screamed in pain as the blade went right through his ankle, falling to the side when Emerald pulled back. With his spear falling away, Dash Spiral was able to return to his feet and finish him off with a spear to the chest.

“Tough day, my lady?” he panted, using the spear as a support as he helped her up.

Emerald wiped some dirt from her face and grimaced. “You have no idea, Dash. Now, I need to get to Sir Lionheart. I need you to return to the north wall and help the others in readying the spear launchers. Can you do that?”

“At once, Lady Emerald!” The guard saluted and was off.

Emerald put a hand to her side, coming back with blood. It wasn’t too serious and she would be able to go to the mages once this was done. First, Canterlot needed defending.

Continuing her run, she spotted a squadron of marauders running for the breach where Sir Gallophad and other knights was standing. She needed the shield and she needed it now.

“Sir Lionheart!” Emerald yelled over the sounds of clashing steel and crashing debris.

Immediately, a blonde haired head popped over the side of the rampart above, looking down at her. His face was caked in sweat and grime and he was visibly weakened, having been using the shield to defend the walls. Emerald stretched an arm out like she was asking for something, which her fellow knight understood at once.

It was her turn.

The shield came sailing down and Emerald caught it before it hit the ground, slinging it over her arm swiftly. Almost at once, the warmth of the artifact radiated through her and she smiled as it began to glow, along with her eyes.

The first thing she did was fly over to Gallophad’s position in the breach, using the shield in a ground shaking slam, knocking back the enemy forces as they attempted to enter the breach in the wall. Their eyes widened in surprise as they looked up to see a flying Emerald Edge, but they didn’t get enough time to do more as Emerald expanded a wall of light, pushing forward and sending it back out further in the field, taking all the immediate marauders along with it.

“Ho, Lady Emerald. You have quite the timely entrance.” Sir Gallophad flicked Arondight at his side.

Emerald nodded and pointed to the walls. “We need to get the mages’ siege weapons. Continue defending this breach, Sir Gallophad. Canterlot counts on you.”

“And I shall, Lady Emerald. To my dying breath.”

Not wasting more time, Emerald flapped her wings once and propelled herself back into the air, swooping over back to the north wall where Spring Amber and the other guards had been.

They began cheering almost as soon as they saw her, with Emerald landing down beside them and quickly rushing to the front of the walls, shield already up.

“Now! Get the launchers!” And she projected a barrier of light, larger than she’d ever made before, sending it across the entire front of the wall, enough for the guards to get the weapons ready.

A rain of fiery arrows flew up from the enemy forces in the field, but when they struck the barrier, they simply broke and bounced off, not once threatening to pass through the wall of light.

“How do you like this?” Emerald shouted behind the shield. “Didn’t come prepared for this, did you?”

In no time at all, the soldiers of Canterlot had brought the spear launchers around and had begun firing them at the enemy. Each lance streaked from the walls with grim accuracy as they shattered the enemy catapults and scattered the enemy lines, slicing them in half or to pieces with their sheer size and speed.

The giant spears performed excellently, cracking into the ground hard enough to send up dirt and grass, along with any marauder close to the impact point. These really were incredible weapons of war.

With their numbers severely cut down, the enemy began to flee, pointing their spears for the hills as their forces turned and ran. Canterlot’s guard continued unloading their projectiles at them until they were way out of sight, with surely less than fifty of them left.

They had done it. They had routed yet another enemy. Surely now, the other kingdoms would know that Canterlot would not go down easily, even without a proper wall.

Emerald lowered the shield and exhaled. Using the artifacts always gave her a rush, followed by an odd feeling of emptiness after the magical effects ceased. She shook her head. The stonemasons would have to work faster if they were to repel another attack. Emerald mused about how Celestia and Luna had been ruling for thousands of years and had never had any enemy nations knocking at their doors. Perhaps King Dawn Saber was simply just not as good at being monarchs than the Princesses of Equestria. Not that she would ever say that to the king out loud.

Still, he would have to be a good enough king to hurry the work on the walls. It had been months now and they still were not fixed, which worried Emerald. It also made her grim as she thought of the half-dozen of attacks that Canterlot had found itself under after the battle with the druids.

“Ah well. Can’t be helped,” Emerald sighed as she hefted the shield over her shoulder and made her way back to the central keep.

It had been quite the bustling day after the recent attack on Canterlot. Emerald Edge had first gone to the mages to get her wounds healed up, which Moon Tide had been kind enough to help her out with. Then after a long and well-deserved bath, the former pegasus soon found herself in the mess hall, a plate of garden products before her, and a mug of cider next to it. As she ate, Emerald listened to the conversation of two mages who were looking over some plans.

“The castle’s keep should be fully repaired in about three weeks,” the closest mage, who was wearing orange robes, commented.

“I hear the king’s hired more masons to help with the outer wall since the previous attack,” his companion, who was wearing magenta robes, replied. “It will take them a little while to get the stone from the quarries to the city, but once they do, we will have our splendid walls back again.”

“The king must be worn out from this,” Orange robes said. “Six attacks over seven months. Hard to believe there are that many kingdoms out there who want Canterlot for themselves.”

“If I were an opposing nation, I’d see the chance to ransack a broken kingdom too.” Magenta robes nodded her head. “It’s a good thing our knights are so strong, or we would be in serious trouble.”

Emerald smiled and chewed, a slice of lettuce slowly disappearing into her mouth. Of course, it hadn’t been just the knights. The guards had helped out plenty too, but as always, they never received any praise. That was one thing Guard Emerald enjoyed too. Not being in the spotlight. Emerald wished she could be like her double at times, but then again, the castle beds really worked some magic for her sore body after long days.

Her room, thank Celestia, hadn’t taken a simple bit of damage, completely spared from the plunderseed vines’ destruction during the battle with the druids. Sir Morn’s, however, hadn’t been so fortunate, his wall and floor sporting new holes, but because of that, he had been spending the nights in her room instead, which Emerald didn’t mind any bit at all. It was nice to have company, much less the human she loved.

The male knight had been quite the gentleman, not wanting to share the bed with her, which was certainly large enough to accommodate both of them. Instead, he opted to sleep on a rug by the bedside, assuring the spymaster that he was comfortable enough.

Emerald didn’t see why they couldn’t just sleep in the same bed, but she didn’t push it further. It was nice enough that he was in the room with her.

Looking up, the spymaster spotted Sir Gallophad and Sir Hors entering the hall, then sitting over by the table closest to the entrance. The two had been fast friends, an interesting sight for Emerald. In all her time here, she’d never known Sir Hors to be friendly, at least, not towards her. He’d talk to her, yes, but he certainly wasn’t a talkative one. Even so, Emerald got more of a friendly vibe from the quiet Sir Boercival than she did from Hors.

Sir Gallophad, on the other hand, was more of an excitable and loud human. He would never miss a chance to try to prove himself. It wasn’t like he wasn’t skilled or anything, but he still had a long way to go. Emerald figured she must’ve been like that when Sir Morn was still training her, all those years ago before the tournament.

Speaking of tournament… The next one was coming up. Though, even if she won, she didn’t know what she was going to do. The portal would still remain closed unless somepony from the other side were to come over.

Emerald sighed in defeat, but at least she had learnt to do what she could here to help Canterlot until her chance to return home would finally arise.

“Hey, Em! Look who I found!” came a familiar voice behind her.

The former pegasus stopped chewing and turned just in time for Honeygold to throw her arms around her.

“Hey, Em! Good to see ya! How ya been?” The young apple salesgirl giggled.

“Good to see you too, Honeygold!” Emerald smiled and gave her a light squeeze. Then she reached out and pulled Spectrum Song in for a hug as well.

The two girls had really come a long way since she herself had come into this world.

Spectrum had begun her knight training, learning some basic sword fighting, and she was even half a head taller than Emerald now. Honeygold, on the other hand, was still a short one, but she was a lot stronger now, carrying crates like her father and mother did.

“Did you do well today, Spectrum?” Emerald dusted soot from the girl’s shoulder. “Today’s fight was quite the hectic one.”

“Eh, they didn’t let me go out to the main battle.” Spectrum shrugged. “I mostly stayed by the armory and provided gear for Sir Hors and the knights. I did, however, help Sir Gallophad defend the breach in the wall. Uh, don’t tell Sir Hors.”

Emerald chuckled. She was an interesting human indeed. “I won’t, Spectrum.”

“So… How are you and Sir Morn Dread doin’, Em?” Honeygold asked slowly, drawing her words out. She was always interested in fairy tales and romance.

“I suppose you could say we’re doing all right,” Emerald said after some consideration. “All the attacks on Canterlot haven’t left us a lot of private time, if you know what I mean.”

“Has he asked you to marry him yet?” Honeygold gasped, starry-eyed.

Emerald’s face colored and she shook her head. “No, not yet.”

“Aww, that’s a real shame, Em. Ah mean, it’s been five years. And Sir Morn still hasn’t asked ya the slightest?”

“What haven’t I asked her, young one?” Sir Morn Dread himself sat down across from Emerald and the two girls, calling for one of the servants to bring him a meal.

“About marryin’ Em,” the blonde girl wasted no time in saying. “Are ya at least plannin’ it?”

“Oh, ho,” Sir Morn chuckled and placed a hand over one of Emerald’s. “When the time comes, young one.”

The two knights locked eyes and communicated wordlessly for a few seconds, grins forming on their faces.

“Uh, yes…” Spectrum cleared her throat and sat down beside Emerald. “So, Em, will you be taking part in the King’s Tournament again this year? It’s a chance to grab that shield again.”

“I most certainly will!” Emerald said with a confident nod of her head. “I’ll be winning this time; I have had much practice over the past five years.”

“The tournament will be put into motion as soon as the walls and castle are repaired,” Sir Morn chimed in. “So we have some time yet.”

“We’ll be cheering for your victory, Em!” Spectrum smiled. “Uh, no offense, Sir Morn.”

“None taken,” Morn said with a laugh. “Personal glory must be put aside for Emerald’s quest. Her empire is at stake, after all.”

“Yes…” Emerald said, thinking as she often did of her Crystal Empire. How well would it hold up under Sombra’s reign without any aid? It had been over five years since she had left. Would there be anything of the empire remaining for her to save if she even did manage to get home? Had Sombra spread his darkness over all Equestria?

Emerald shuddered at the last suggestion. Perhaps aid had come from Canterlot after all. At least, if Sombra were to try taking over the rest of Equestria, the princesses would stop him. Right?

“We may never find out,” Emerald sighed and downed the remainder of her tankard. It was hard not to feel a little dour about how things were going for her mission for the Empire, but she had done a lot of good here too and that lightened her heart a fair degree.

The four of them chatted on into the night, with Sir Morn’s food eventually arriving. Even while talking, he was still a fast eater and in faster than it has taken the food to appear, it had already disappeared.

“Well, I must be off,” Sir Morn said, rising to his feet, wiping at the corner of his mouth. “I have to speak with my mother before the day is done. Farewell, all. I shall see you back in the room tonight, Emerald.”

“Farewell, Morn.” Emerald couldn’t help but smile as the male knight left. She really loved him so much.

“Em, ya keep lookin’ at him like that.” Honeygold nudged her. “Maybe you should be the one to ask him for marriage.”

“I’m not sure I could,” Emerald said slowly. “I mean, I’ve been so busy ever since arriving here that I never bothered to look into human marriage customs. Am I right in assuming they would be different from Equestrian marriage customs?”

Spectrum and Honeygold shared a look, then at the same time, they both shrugged. “How would we know that?”

“Riiighttt...” Emerald said, turning back to her plate of food. “I wonder what Sir Morn wanted to talk to Moon Tide about.”

“Thank you for taking the time to see me, my son,” Moon Tide said as she poured out two cups of dragonflower tea. “Something on your mind?”

Sir Morn smiled, but that smile was tempered by a nervous expression on his face.

“Yes, mother. I wanted to ask your counsel on something important.”

Moon Tide stirred her cup of tea. The torchlight reflected off her circlet, making little specks of light dance across the far wall.

Morn Dread reached into a pouch by his waist and retrieved a small wooden box, one which barely fit in his palm. “You see, mother… this is very important… I would… like to ask… for your blessing, mother.”

“My blessing?” Moon Tide repeated, putting down her teacup. “What do you mean?”

“I mean to ask for Lady Emerald’s hand in marriage,” Sir Morn said stoutly. “I have been putting it off for weeks, but today I had a conversation with Hors’ squire and her friend, and I realized that not only do I want it, so does Lady Emerald.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” Moon Tide said. “Why, you even bought a ring.” The mage put a hand on her breast and smiled. “And you want my blessing for your proposal.”

“Yes, mother. Usually in these cases one would ask father as well, but…” Morn glanced aside. “I cannot exactly do that, now can I?”

Moon Tide didn’t meet his eyes. She licked her lips, seemingly deliberating something important in her mind.

“What...” Moon Tide said, weighing each word. “If I told you that you could ask your father about it?”

Morn Dread blinked. “But mother, you’ve never said anything about it before. Why now? Do you mean to tell me that my father is still alive?”

“What, you thought he was dead?” Moon Tide squinted at her son. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Well, tis just that you never talk about him at all, so I just assumed…”

“Oh, your father is alive and well. In fact, I’m quite sure you already know him.”

Sir Morn’s eyes bulged out like dinner plates. “I-I do?!” He stepped forward and grasped Moon Tide’s shoulder. “Who? Who is he? I must know, mother.”

Moon Tide looked deep into Morn Dread’s eyes and the knight could see the fire burning inside them. Ordinarily he would have been a little concerned about that, but he wanted an answer more than anything in the world.

“My son,” Moon Tide said at last. “Your father… is King Dawn Saber. My brother.”

Author's Note

Yes, Age of Kings is back in motion! We will try to post chapters when they are ready, so unfortunately, it won't be weekly like the first act. Thank you for your patience, and don't forget to leave a comment telling us what you think!

52 - The Hammer Falls

Sir Morn Dread climbed the steps to Canterlot Castle, in his mind replaying everything his mother had just told him. Not only was his father still alive, but he was the king! He had been almost too shocked to speak. He hadn’t pried into why his mother was having relations with her brother, but soon all that became irrelevant.

He was Dawn Saber’s heir, and therefore the king would no longer need to worry about the kingdom after he was too old to rule it. He, Sir Morn, could do it in his stead! Queen Sunlight Radiance had often told him of how good of a leader he was to his fellow knights, and now he had the exact opportunity to prove it. He could be a good king, he reasoned. And someone had to keep Canterlot together after the king died.

Sir Morn was too busy lost in his imagination to notice a pair of queenly eyes watching him from the shadows of a high up balcony.

“So, you have finally told him the truth, sister…” Sunlight said to herself. “Then events are in motion that cannot be stopped. Let’s hope this was the right decision…”

“You are… what?” Emerald Edge leaned back in disbelief as she heard the news straight from her lover’s mouth.

“It is so.” Morn nodded, his face bright with excitement. “My mother had told me herself.”

“This is…” Emerald ran a hand through her shimmering hair as she tried to comprehend what she had just heard. “This is… I am not sure how to put it to words, Morn. Your father, he is the king, which is an amazing thing, yes, but he is… also your… mother’s brother? Your uncle?”

Sir Morn had gone straight to Emerald’s room after learning of his father’s identity, too excited to share this news with the one he held dear. She was already in the process of getting ready for bed, but this could not wait till morning. He needed her to know.

“Yes, I will admit, tis a strange thing.” The male knight scratched his cheek and then began to undo his armor. “I did not think to ask her of it, but Emerald, the king has an heir! And I have a father!”

“Is it… a usual thing here, Morn? For… siblings to have children with siblings…? In Equestria, we… do not exactly do that.”

“Tis not a usual thing, no.”

Emerald glanced aside at Sir Morn, a worried look on her face. But the knight was too busy lost in his own fantasies to notice.

“I’m happy that you’ve found out so much about yourself, Morn, but why do you suppose King Dawn Saber never told you himself? Surely he must know you’re his son… yes?”

Morn finished setting his armor one its rack and hummed a low sound. “But he has never once treated me like a son, my lady. He has never smelt of the love that my mother smells like. I do not think he knows.”

“Smelled of what?” Emerald’s brow furrowed. “Nevermind. You are going to follow up on this, are you not? If the king does indeed not know you are his son, the revelation might… shock him.”

“But will he not be relieved to know he finally will have an heir?” Morn walked over and sat beside the spymaster. “They have been trying for years, the queen and he, but still they produce no heir.”

“I know,” Emerald said, staring at a brick in the wall. “Still, do break it to his majesty gently, will you not? Preferably in private so he has time to get used to the idea.”

“Of course, my lady. Have you known me not to be gentle?” Morn pushed a lock of her glimmering hair behind her right ear. He leaned in and sniffed close to her neck. “Tis such anticipation welling up within me.”

“Oh, you are always so gentle with me, Morn.” Emerald wrapped an arm around his neck. "So whichever choice you decide on, my love, I will be behind you. Know that I have your back.”

Morn placed a hand on her cheek and grinned. “I know, my lady. Soon, I shall be a prince! And I would love nothing more than to have you rule by my side.”

Emerald smiled up at Sir Morn, but her eyes were serious. “Don’t get ahead of yourself now; King Dawn Saber still has a great many years in him. For now, just focus on telling him who you really are. Everything will fall into place after that.”

They spoke a little more after that, but soon decided to go to bed. After all, neither of them could wait for the next day to dawn.

After breakfast the next day, Morn Dread and Emerald Edge swiftly left the dining hall to find King Dawn Saber, walking up the stone steps of the castle, hand in hand.

Morn just could not contain his excitement. He finally knew who his father was and he was going to get to tell him.

“His majesty should still be in his personal dining hall or already in court,” Morn guessed.

Just then, Emerald stopped in her steps and yanked on Morn’s hand. “Morn. I think this is something… you must accomplish yourself.”

“What?” Morn raised an eyebrow.

“This is your father you will be speaking to, not just King Dawn Saber.” Emerald squeezed his hand. “This will be a special moment. This is something you have to do on your own. This is your journey, Morn.”

“Oh. But if you think so, my lady.” Morn nodded, giving her a kiss on the lips before parting. “Then I will come find you once I have done so.”

“I look forward to it, Sir Morn.” Emerald bowed and smiled. “I will be in the courtyard with Spectrum.”

With a nod of determination, Morn Dread climbed the steps towards the king’s quarters, one hand on Clarent’s pommel to calm himself. Even a knight such as he was feeling nervous, but his excitement far outweighed any nervousness he held.

Morn had always thought about his father. Yes, his mother loved him so, but he couldn’t help but wonder who exactly his father was. And now, the truth had arisen, and lo and behold, his uncle, his mother’s brother, the king, was his father.

Yes, that proved a slight bit controversial, but it did not bother him. All he wanted to do was to let his father know that he did indeed have a son.

He passed Sunlight Radiance on the way up. Sir Morn bowed to her as she slipped by, though he saw out of the corner of his eye that she wore a rather odd expression, as if she were expecting something.

“Your majesty,” Morn said as she glided past.

Sunlight nodded at him politely, then was gone. For some strange reason, Sir Morn was suddenly grasped by a compulsion to follow her. Then he shook it off, remembering why he was really here. The knight figured if the queen was already out and about, breakfast should have been done, which meant the king was either on the way to the throne room now, or he was likely already there.

And so Morn changed his direction, now heading away from the king’s chambers and back downstairs. On his way down, Morn thought about what might have transpired between his father and his mother that he was now here, a grown adult. He hadn’t asked for the full story before, too excited that his father was alive, but perhaps when next he saw his mother, that was a story to ask about.

The blue haired knight soon arrived in the large hall leading to the throne room. The doors were closed, meaning the king was indeed inside. Stroking at the purple highlight in his hair, Sir Morn took a deep breath and knocked on the doors. It took a while for anyone to answer, but when the door opened, all he saw inside were the castle maids, cleaning up the room.

“Good morning, Sir Morn Dread,” the maid who opened the door said with a bow. “Is it the king you wish to see? I am afraid he has gone to see the training knights in the courtyard. He would be back in about an hour, he had said.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose I can wait an hour. Yes.”

The knight found a bench and sat down on it, the wood creaking under his weight. He put his hands together and leaned back, his mind adrift with all the things he could do once he was crowned prince. If he married Emerald then, she would become a princess! Just like those Lunar and Celestial Princesses she was so fond of talking about. And when Dawn Saber passed, he would become king! How his fellow knights would look up to him once that happened.

The hour passed quickly and soon Sir Morn caught sight of the king leaving the training yard. The knight jumped to his feet, hurrying out to intercept the king as he came inside. However, as he neared the king, a noble appeared from a nearby passageway and engaged Dawn Saber in a deep conversation about some kind of scroll.

Sir Morn stopped and bit the inside of his cheek. He could follow them and wait for the noble to finish, but that might take hours. Sir Morn left the hallway through a side door and went back out to the stables to groom his horse. Windspeed, he knew, would always have time for him.

Later that evening, Sir Morn marched into the castle, a determined expression on his face. He would catch King Dawn Saber after dinner, before he went to bed. That way, no one could get in the way.

He had been foiled at every attempt today, trying to engage the king in conversation. The knight didn’t think it would be so hard to approach him, but today just proved that it was no easy task to have an audience with the king.

He had wanted to give up earlier and just spend the day with Emerald instead, but then he strengthened his resolve.

No. I finally know who my father is. I am not giving up. Not now. Not until I have accomplished what I set out to do.

As Morn waited outside the dining hall, he began to muse as to how he was going to break the news to King Dawn Saber.

“Father, I am your son,” he rehearsed to himself. “No, no, I should not start with father. Your majesty, I am your son. Or maybe tis too sudden…”

“Ah, Sir Morn, good evening.” Sir Lionheart stepped out of the hall, twisting his golden moustache between two fingers. “How fares you? Have you consumed your dinner?”

“I had a small bite, yes. There is something more important than dinner in my mind right now. Something I need to tell the king.”

Lionheart inspected his fellow knight’s expression and raised an eyebrow. “Tis of an urgent matter?”

“Hmm, quite so, I believe.”

“We are not under attack again, are we?” Lionheart reached a hand back and tapped the golden shield. “If not, I am at the ready, though I must soon give this up for the tournament, I shall still stand at the ready, shield or no.”

Morn shook his head and clapped him on the shoulder. “No, tis not that sort of urgent matter. The king, I… I have recently learnt that he is my father.”

Lionheart seemed to choke on something, then cleared his throat. “He is… King Dawn Saber is… What?”

“Tis true,” Morn Dread nodded. “My mother had told me herself. I finally know who my father is.”

“Your uncle is your father…” But then Lionheart waltzed around and put an arm around Sir Morn’s neck. “Why, that is news indeed! Why are you still out here? Go on, tell him!”

“Because he is busy. I wanted to wait for the best time to tell him. Lady Emerald thinks it should be told quietly.”

At this point, the blue muse came wandering by, holding up two bent metal rods. She was staring at them intently as they swiveled around and pointed to the main hall. Both knights stood aside as she passed, listening to the muse mutter about something under her breath.

“Hello, muse,” Lionheart greeted, looking at her curiously. “What are you doing, may I ask?”

“Oh, Sir Lionheart!” Sonata jumped and almost dropped her metal rods. “I’m looking for water. Aria told me that after I find it, we can go on a snipe hunt!”

“A snipe hunt, you say?” Lionheart grinned. “Well, I wish you the best of luck, muse. I shall need to aid Sir Morn in an urgent matter. Come, Morn. The king awaits you!”

“Sir Lionheart, wait!”

Following behind the blonde haired knight, Morn spotted the king sitting at the dining table with Sir Ganeighn, Sir Boercival, and a cluster of Canterlot’s nobles, seemingly discussing something. From the smell coming from them, he could guess it was of political matters.

“Like I said, there shall be no equal shares, nor will I be giving out free country sides,” Dawn Saber said, placing his goblet back on the table. “I never promised any of that. And if I ever find out who started that rumor, I’ll have them clapped in irons.”

“But your majesty, what king are you if you will not have equal rights?” one noble asked.

“What king am I to suggest equal rights? I am the king. This is a monarchy. Do I not provide enough as it is?”

There was an indistinct round of agreement, with some of the nobles warily eyeing Excalibur.

Sir Morn did not want to intrude on such a heated discussion, but Sir Lionheart was nothing like him.

“Your majesty, I return with some exciting news!” the courageous knight stopped beside him and waved a hand to Morn. “Sir Morn Dread has something to say to you. Something of great importance!”

“Uh, well, tis not that important that it cannot wait until later…” Morn said quickly. Then he hissed at Lionheart, “Not here, I don’t want everyone to hear.”

“How can it wait? You have been waiting to tell him, have you not?”

“What importance, Sir Morn.” King Dawn Saber flipped around and looked at the blue haired knight, taking the bait.

“Well, the thing is, your majesty, I wanted to tell you later. Yes. Later. You look busy now, so I will just leave you to it…”

“Morn, you must tell him!” Sir Lionheart flipped him around before he could leave. “Your majesty, you have an heir to the throne! At long last!”

The king’s eyes widened and he stood up. “The queen is finally with child?”

There was an array of murmurs amongst the nobles. Morn picked out a few disappointed scents among them.

“Tell him!” Lionheart nudged him.

“Get on with it, sir knight,” one of the nobles said, a tone of impatience in his voice. It seemed he direly wanted to get back to the conversation they were having with the king.

“Yes, get on with it!” the rest of them added in.

Sir Morn poked the tips of his fingers together, a most unknightly gesture of self-doubt.

“Well, you see, your majesty, the queen… is not with child. No.”

There was a concealed relieved sigh from one of the nobles.

“You see, mother has told me everything,” Sir Morn continued, hoping the nobles wouldn’t interfere too much with what he was about to say. “You are my father, your majesty.”

“I’m your what…?” Dawn Saber was taken aback.

“Yes, your majesty. I… I have no words to express my elation on this news.” Morn nodded. Now that he had said it, the rest seemed to come easier. “My mother had never spoken of my father since the day I was born. I had always wanted to know who it was, and now, now I know. Your majesty, tis no greater honor than to be your son.”

King Dawn Saber said nothing, staying rooted to the spot in silence, staring at Sir Morn thunderstruck. His mouth opened, but no words came out. A bead of sweat rolled down the king’s face.

The various nobles, Sir Ganeighn and Sir Boercival stared at the king and Morn Dread, their faces growing more and more apprehensive as the silence wore on.

“The king’s son?” Morn could hear the nobles whispering with each other. “The king and the king’s sister… had a son?”

“To know that you are my father, your majesty,” Morn continued, a smile forming on his face. “Has brought me such joy. I would have it no other way, your majesty. To be the son of such a great man, tis truly amazing.”

“Is it not, your majesty!” Lionheart clapped Morn on the back. “You finally have an heir to your throne!”

King Dawn Saber looked over to his nobles, who were still muttering amongst themselves. He wiped a drop of sweat from the corner of his brow and then cleared his throat.

“I-I have no idea on that which you speak, Sir Morn Dread. Never once I have lain with my sister. I am afraid you must have… misheard her.”

Morn raised an eyebrow in question. “But your majesty, I did not. My mother had mentioned your name. Tis hard to mishear the name of our great king.”

“N-No.” Dawn Saber stood and adjusted his crown. “I have done no such thing. I am king of Canterlot and I am loyal to the queen and only the queen. I have done no such thing with my sister.”

The nobles and other knights looked on at the king, as if still trying to decide if they wanted to believe Morn or Dawn Saber.

“My king,” Lionheart started. “Perhaps there is a possibility-”

“No, there is not!” The king retorted, making Lionheart cringe. “This whole claim is impossible! As king, I would never do anything of that sort with anyone but the queen! And especially not my own sister.”

Morn was taken aback by the king’s sudden outburst. He definitely hadn’t expected it to go this way. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but as he inhaled, he smelt a waft of something hot coming from the king, along with something else. Something only Morn could describe as fear. The king was afraid.

“That woman should be thrown into the dungeons for spreading such outrageous lies,” the king continued, planting a fist on the table. “I am your king! Do not think I would do such lowly things as the rest of you.”

The nobles looked at each other, the whispers among them already dying down, but something Dawn Saber had said struck a chord within Morn. Something he didn’t like.

“Your majesty,” he interrupted, taking a step forward. “My mother is no liar. I know what she said is true.”

“No! No tis not!” Dawn Saber yelled again, this time, Morn smelt more fear coming from him. “Who are you to stake such claims, sir knight? Do you think your status as a Knight of the Round Table allows you to rebel against your king?!”

“Your majesty, I am not-”

“Leave my sight! You are no honorable knight and you are certainly no son of mine! Begone, or join your mother in the dungeons!”

The silence that followed was deafening. To hear such words from the king, his father, was like a sword had just been plunged through his chest. This was the man that was supposed to be proud of him. This man, like all fathers he had seen in Canterlot, was supposed to be someone Morn would look up to. In fact, the king had always been someone he looked up to, as a Knight of the Round Table.

Until this moment.

Morn felt the hot taste from the king continue to pulsate, and as he breathed, the knight began feeling it within himself too. This was no way a father was to treat his son.

No, I need to get out of here. I cannot be around his majesty like this…

Turning on his heel, Sir Morn began for the doors, his vision already starting to blur.

53 - Weighing Words

Sir Morn Dread hurried away from the main hall, not caring where he went. All that mattered was that he needed to calm down. He was so occupied with his predicament that he failed to notice that he had bumped into Queen Sunlight Radiance.

“Oh, I am sorry, your majesty.” Morn didn’t stop. “I-I have a lot on my mind…”

The queen nodded. “I imagine you do. I was just on my way to see the king myself.”

Sir Morn’s eye twitched. The queen didn’t know yet.

“It may not seem it, but he’s getting up there in years, the king,” Sunlight commented lazily. “I am not quite sure that he will last the next decade, should he continue working himself like this.”

“Er…” Sir Morn mumbled. He was not sure what to say. Would the queen be angry and denounce him like Dawn Saber had? She always seemed like such a calm, quiet person, but in Sir Morn’s career as a knight, he had found that even the calmest of people had a berserk button. Plus, he was the king’s son, not hers. How would she feel about her husband sleeping with someone else?

“Well, I shan’t keep you, good knight,” Queen Sunlight said, sweeping past him. “Give Moon Tide my regards, won’t you?”

Sir Morn nodded as the queen traveled down the stairs, disappearing around the bend. He hadn’t known what to say to her, with his mind currently so clouded with red. After everything the king had said to him earlier, Morn was having difficulty in controlling his emotions. At first, he had wanted to find a wall and punch it until it crumbled, but then he realized that it was a terrible idea. Later, he figured it might be better to just return to Emerald’s room and cool himself off, maybe even with a bath.

Passing by the doors to the rooms of his fellow knights, Morn entered Emerald’s room and shut the door. It was then that he realized Moon Tide was sitting on her bed, idly spinning her staff from hand to hand.

“Dawn Saber wasn’t as receptive as you thought?” she asked, her expression unreadable.

“Mother, he wishes to throw you in the dungeon.” Morn walked up to her and held her hand. “You cannot let him do so. Surely you can talk him out of it?”

“I’ve already notified my sister. She’ll keep me out of the dungeons.”

“Your sister?”

“In law.”

“She already knows? That I am the son of the king?” Morn thought she had yet to find out.

“In this realm,” Moon Tide said mysteriously. “She knows all.”

“She does not have resentment? Towards you? For siring a child with him?”

“Well, actually it was her-” Moon Tide caught herself and shrugged. “No, I don’t think she does.”

Morn walked over to the middle of the room and looked up at the ceiling. “It was chaos, mother. I thought King Dawn Saber would be happy. I thought I would finally have the father I have always wanted. But to avoid harming his image, he denies my being his heir and he would even call you a liar! You are not a liar, mother. All that you have said, I trust you have said it in truth. I know he is the king of Canterlot, but how dare he!”

Sir Morn angrily flipped a low table, sending it crashing against the stone wall, one leg falling off.

“If only there were a way to prove to the entire court that you are his son,” Moon Tide mused.

“He would never admit it, mother. I see that now. The king does not care about us. To save his image, he would gladly throw any one of us to the wolves. And to think I have always thought him a just king who ruled the land fairly? I have fooled myself to think so! Even I, his son, he has pushed away! Is he not glad that he finally has an heir?”

Morn kicked the broken table leg and sent it flying against the opposite wall with a loud klack.

Moon Tide shrugged again. “If you thought the king always ruled fairly and equally, then you’ve been tricking yourself. Tis the basis of a monarchy that the king is at the top, with everyone else at his feet.”

Sir Morn punched the wall, making the room shake. “Tis still not fair.”

“And if you were in charge, I am sure that the kingdom would be in much better straits. Remember how well you handled the druid uprising while the king was defeated by them?”

“But that was not my doing. It was Lady Emerald’s. It was because of her we won that day.”

“Yes, but you were a great leader yourself, rallying the knights against the druids.” Moon Tide sniffed at the air. “Speaking of your lady, I think she would also like to hear of how you are doing after your talk with the king.”

Just then, the door was thrown open and Emerald ran straight into Morn’s arms. The blue haired knight could smell the worry on her before she even spoke.

“Morn, I heard what happened from Sir Ganeighn. Are you alright? I am sure the king does not mean what he said.”

“No. He meant every word, my lady.” Morn bunched up his fists as he remembered the king’s words to him. “When it comes to himself or someone else, he would rather save himself. To think he was the kind and benevolent king I thought he was.”

“Don’t take it too personally,” Moon Tide said carelessly. “Humans in general aren’t exactly paragons of goodness even at the best of times.”

“Yes, I have seen the king make many a wrong choice at times, but he still tries his best to manage the kingdom.” Emerald soothingly rubbed Sir Morn’s arm.

“He was willing to throw you in the dungeon, mother! His own sister!” Morn countered, very much upset at how his father would treat him.

“He is getting up there in years,” Moon Tide said. “And with no other heir to the throne, what happens to the kingdom after Dawn Saber is no longer fit to rule is in heavy dispute. Many nobles want the throne for themselves, and are just waiting for the king to step down.”

“But doesn’t the king of Canterlot need to be able to wield Excalibur?” Emerald asked.

“It might,” Moon Tide agreed. “But you can wield Excalibur. Does that make you the king?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Seeing as Excalibur belongs to your world, Emerald, I think being able to wield it is just a happy coincidence. There’s no prior link between kingship and that sword at all, making the whole thing rather sketchy,” Moon Tide rolled her staff from her right hand to her left.

“The king has spread the tale of receiving the sword from the Lady of the Lake far and wide,” Emerald said, scratching at her cheek. “He says she gave him the right to rule Canterlot.”

“And what do you think?” Moon Tide asked calmly.

“I do not see anything wrong with that.” The spymaster shrugged. “But even the king cannot use Excalibur without tiring himself out, so perhaps it is no requirement to be able to use it.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Sir Morn put his hand on Clarent’s grip and was halfway through drawing it when the door opened and the queen stepped into the room.

“The king is resting in his quarters,” Sunlight muttered, barely audibly. “Now, let’s get started sorting out this mess.”

“Your majesty, you know about this too?” Emerald looked at her quizzically.

“In this realm, I know all,” Sunlight said mystically. She waved her hands around her face dramatically.

“I find it hard to believe the king would just go to sleep after what he learned,” Emerald pointed out.

Sunlight chuckled. “Tis fine. I left the muses with him. He won’t be wakening any time soon.”

Morn relaxed his grip on his sword and breathed. “Your majesty, you cannot put my mother in the dungeons. She has done so much for the kingdom. Surely the king can overlook this one thing and remember that.”

“No, having Moon Tide in the dungeons would be detrimental to everyone,” Sunlight agreed. “Who else would do the healing, the stalking, the seeing, the saying? You?”

Moon Tide flashed her a sharp look, but then coughed and smiled again. “Tis a relief. I do not enjoy being in the dungeon.”

Morn looked between both of them and raised an eyebrow. It seemed almost strange that the two of them would not be at each other’s throats after the news he had revealed to the king.

“You… hold nothing against my mother, your majesty?” he decided to ask. “For… siring a child with King Dawn Saber?”

“I think we would all agree, that the game of blame is not one we should be playing right now. What is done is done, and what matters now is what we do next.”

“Yes, her majesty is correct.” Moon Tide nodded. Though Morn could smell a shift in her emotions. She smelt more tired and just a little bit irritated. “We need to plan forward. The king does not want to accept my son now. Once again, he has no heir, because the queen cannot have a child.” The mage looked pointedly at Queen Sunlight, who put on an air of casual innocence.

“What else is there to do?” Morn angrily brushed a hand through his hair. “The king will not accept me as his son. He does not love me. It would have been better if I had still thought of my father as a dead man.”

“Morn, don’t talk like this.” Emerald put a hand against his cheek. “I am sure once the king comes to his senses, he will see things in a different light.”

“A man like that should not even be the king,” Morn snapped. “How can he claim to rule the land with peace and wisdom when he cannot even maintain his own family? Tis a disgrace.”

Morn expected Queen Sunlight to say something, since he was essentially slandering her husband, but to his surprise, she said nothing. In fact, a spark of satisfaction seemed to linger in the queen of Canterlot’s eyes.

Moon Tide blinked slowly at Emerald. “Still, the king isn’t going anywhere. Canterlot will be saddled with him for quite a few years to come. Well, unless…”

Emerald’s face grew worried for a moment. “Perhaps I should talk to the king? Maybe I could settle things down a bit.”

“Tis not your problem, Lady Emerald,” Morn muttered. “I shan’t have the king on you just because you tried to help me.”

“But that is what friends do!” Emerald insisted. “Moon Tide, will you let me speak to the king on your son’s behalf?”

“I do not see what good it will do,” Queen Sunlight piped up. “The king can be a very stubborn man. It would take many days of singing to get him to change his mind on something as big as this.” The queen seemed to balk, owing to another glare from Moon Tide. “Oh. Did I say singing? I meant talking. Yes, that is what I meant to say.”

Under more ordinary circumstances, Emerald would have thought that something was wrong, but her human partner was in dire straits and she could not spare any thoughts for the queen and Moon Tide’s strange behavior.

“Morn, you know I will go anywhere you go. If the king were to have a problem with me as well, then so be it.” Emerald placed a hand against his chest. “Morn, I love you. I will be by your side, whether the king accepts you or not.”

Sunlight smiled, closing her eyes and leaning back. “Ah, love. Were my marriage as strong as your affection… well, let us not talk about that. The king is free to do as he wishes, though not all may agree. It’s a monarchy, not a dem… deo… thing where people vote.”

“Democracy,” Moon Tide supplied.

“That is what I said.” The queen smiled proudly.

“Monarchy or no…” Morn sighed and looked out the window, taking one of Emerald’s hands in his. “I do not care that he is the king, but I wanted my father to accept me. I wanted a father in my life. But he will not.”

“Tis a powerful shame that the king will remain on the throne after this,” Moon Tide lamented. “He will make our lives difficult now, dungeons or no.”

“Why so?” Emerald asked, trying her best to sort this out.

“Do you really think the king will simply forget about this?” Sunlight said impatiently. “Humans have the most annoying knack for holding onto old grudges and remembering things they should not. If you want things to go back to the way they were, the only solution is either traveling back in time to stop Morn Dread from telling the king he is his son, or by killing the man. One of those you can do.”

“Your majesty, how could you say that, even about your own husband.” Emerald was shocked at what the queen had said.

“I simply speak the truth,” Sunlight said defensively.

Moon Tide exhaled and reached out a hand and placed it on Morn’s waist. “Truth or no… this is not helping my son with making him feel better. Perhaps it is best that we give him time to clear his thoughts to decide what to do next.”

“Very well. I, should go see if my husband is still sleeping.” Queen Sunlight stood up and dusted her dress.

“Then I will bid you a good night, your majesty. And you, Moon Tide.” Emerald followed them to the door and waved before shutting it. “Morn, are you feeling any better?”

The male knight sat down on the bed and sighed again. “No. No I am not, my lady. The king has shown me a side of himself I have never expected to see. No, the king is not the kind man I thought he was. He is a selfish and cruel man.”

Rather than try to refute his claims, Emerald simply put her hand on his shoulder and sighed. To think that only yesterday, he had been a totally different human.

“Morn. You do know it, yes? That I am here for you?”

“I… yes, I do, my lady.” The knight leaned back and stomped a foot, the greave echoing against the stone floor. “But the king… What he has done today, it has shown me how incapable of a man he really is.”

“Do not let him hear you saying all this about him,” Emerald told him. “It would only make matters worse. Please, just… go to bed, yes? You will feel better when you wake tomorrow.”

“I will… try my best, Emerald. “Morn Dread fell back against her bed. “I do not know if I will be able to.”

Emerald chuckled and leaned down against him, stroking the purple streak in his blue hair. “Then I will lie here with you until the sun arises if that is what it takes.”

Morn sniffed and placed a hand on Emerald’s. “Thank you, my lady. Tis good to know that while I am disowned, at least you are here with me.”

“Always, Morn. I will always be by your side.”

“And so you think you should be in the dungeons?” Sunlight Radiance raised both eyebrows in surprise. This, by far, was the strangest of requests.

“Our first plan has already failed.” Moon Tide peeked out the window at the moon. It would likely be a while until she would see it again. “As I had said before I conceived, the king would not accept an illegitimate son. It would have been better if the boy was of royal blood.”

The queen put a hand on her chest and huffed. “And as I had said, I do not want to sully my hands with a child. That is what I have you for.”

“And that is why I am asking you now to place me in the dungeons as the king would want,” Moon Tide said again. “With our first plan being a failure, we need to hasten and move to the second plan. This would surely speed things up.”

“Oh, very well, then. To the dungeons you go.”

“Make sure you look distressed when you give the order. And it must be known that it was the king who ordered this.”

“You do not need to tell me this, sister. As queen, I already know this.” Sunlight dusted her clothes and then took a deep breath before yelling, “GUARDS!”

54 - It's Treason, Then

Moon Tide tapped her foot on the dark, straw strewn floor of the dungeons. She had not been here in a long time, and to her enhanced senses, the smell was most offensive. A rat scuttled along the edge of the cell and squeezed out through the bars. No such luck for her, unfortunately.

Two guards stood at the entrance to the dungeons. They looked rather bored. The other prisoners, on the other hand, were anything but.

There was a bearded man in rags in the cell on her right who Moon Tide remembered to be some kind of freedom fighter from Docklin, who had tried to kill a travelling caravan from Canterlot. He was muttering to himself with his back to her. In a further cell was a witch. Moon Tide remember her arrest as well, as she had given the paralysis poison to the knight who had taken her down. There were also a couple of cells with the druids and their mercenaries in them, awaiting trial for trying to overthrow Canterlot.

Moon Tide sighed and sat down on the straw mattress that dominated a corner of her cell. She did not expect to be here for very long, only for a day or two at most. Still, the dungeons smelled. Not just from the dirt and muck from the prisoners, but also from all the negative feeling associated with this place. This was no place for a civilized person to stay for very long.

Close to dawn, the queen had gotten the guards to haul her to this cell she was now in, using the king’s name as the authority to send her here. The story that they were to use was that the king was upset that she would tell such “lies” about Morn being his son, and so in his kingly rage, he placed her here, never to see the light again.

The queen had made sure she got the best possible cell, but even so, these were places even a peasant wouldn’t want to spend his days.

It was dreadfully boring in here. She didn’t have her usual table of alchemy to even mix ingredients for the fun of it. Actually, there wasn’t anything for her to do at all.

“Bored, bored, bored...” Moon Tide mumbled. While she knew it was all part of the plan, she wished she had something to do, like play dice with herself or something. Queen Sunlight and the muses would be doing their part up above, getting Sir Morn to just the right degree of angry. Everything else, however, would be up to him.

The guards were talking, and Moon Tide cocked her head to hear better.

“Listen, Boots,” a tall guard with pale blue skin was saying to his partner. “I’m a king’s man through and through, but what do you say about these rumors that the Knight of the Round Table, Sir Morn Dread, is actually the king’s son?”

Boots looked at the first guard and sighed. “I dunno, Slate. But he must be right furious if he’s throwing his own sister down here. I mean, she’s the most helpful mage in the kingdom! A right regular healer, she is. Throwing her down here is going to hurt people in the long run.”

“King reckons she’s harmful to his image,” Slate said.

Boots gasped. “Harmful? Moon Tide’s the exact opposite of harmful. Why, she helped me with my sore throat last month, you know, when I was up for being bell-man?”

“Dunno, Boots. But the king says take her down here, so down here we takes her.”

“Throwing her down here… It must be a lie that the king hopes to put out. But why would she do it? Now of all times, when the king is being pressured.”

“But like you said, Moon Tide will not tell no lies. She’s a helper person.”

Both of them looked towards her, then turned back to face the entrance and talk amongst themselves. Moon Tide didn’t bother to listen in on the rest, but as she sat there wondering what time it was, she began to hear a shuffle of greaves trodding down the steps, followed by a very familiar smell. One of love that she knew all too well.

“Out of the way, I must see my mother!” Morn’s voice came before the knight himself appeared beyond the cell’s bars. “Mother! How do you fare?”

Moon Tide smirked in the shadows and away from her son before turning to him and scuttling to the bars, putting on her distressed face. “Oh, Morn, tis dreadful in here. The king, my own brother, he has thrown me in here for telling you the truth. I do not like it in here at all.”

“I thought the queen said she would keep you from being put in the dungeons!” Morn exclaimed. “Hold on, I will get you out!” The knight grabbed the bars with his gauntleted hands and pulled. While at first there was no effect, after a few seconds, the hinges on the door began to creak and groan.

“S-Sir knight, you are not to do that!” Boots ran forward, his spear pointed between the ceiling and Morn, unsure about pointing it directly at the knight.

“Morn, please, do not make this worse.” Moon Tide reached a hand out and placed it over his armored fingers. “It would only anger the king more if I escape the dungeons.”

“I cannot let you sit in the dungeons for this false accusation!” Morn smashed a fist against the cell doors, putting a dent in it and shaking dust from the ceiling.

The two guards stood behind him, looking at each other, still unsure of what to do.

“Well, she’s not sitting, she’s standing,” A lazy drawl came from the dungeon entrance. Aria Blaze walked down the final few steps and crossed her arms, watching the whole scene. “We’ve been to see the king, but he isn’t changing his mind. Even the queen cannot make him rethink things.”

“Rest assured, mother, I will get you out. I promise you that.” Morn reached in and put an arm around his mother. “I will not let any harm come to you.”

“I know, Morn.” Moon Tide closed her eyes and smiled. “I love you, son. I know you will do what it takes to free me.”

“You know, the king wants to put you down here too,” Aria said to Morn, while taking a honey nut treat from her pouch and nibbling on it. “Just thought you should know that.”

Fire seemed to burn in Morn’s eyes, his pupils narrowing. “Mother, I shall go talk to the king. This madness must end here. I will not sit by and let him throw me in the dungeon as well, at least not before I get you out. And I will get you out, mother.”

Moon Tide accepted one more hug from her son before he stomped off, barging past the two guards again, while Aria stood by the side, a small smile on the corner of her mouth.

“He seems to be agitated,” the siren whispered to Moon Tide, taking out another nut. “Do you think it worked?”

“I think so. Now all that’s needed is a little bit of magical input. Get upstairs, Aria, and make sure the king is in a fighting mood.”

“Move! I must speak to the king!” Sir Morn Dread pushed the guard aside and then thrust open the large doors leading to the throne room.

The large slam immediately drew the king and queen’s attention, along with the six guards in the room.

“Sir Morn Dread, I have not summoned you.” King Dawn Saber tapped a finger on Excalibur’s pommel. “I take it you wish to join my liar of a sister in the dungeons?”

Beside the throne, the three muses closed their eyes and began to sing, the amulets around their necks glittering. It was a soft song, but it had a haunting melody that seemed to seep into one’s bones. The king seemed to sense this too, as his brow furrowed and his stood up with a frown on his face.

“It is you who should be in the dungeons!” Sir Morn spat. “You are a coward and a liar yourself! Now release my mother from the dungeons or else!”

The queen, who had been standing by her throne next to the muses, took a surreptitious step away.

“Bloody…” Dawn Saber drew Excalibur from its sheath. “I am your king! I am ruler of Canterlot. You are but a knight under me. A knight, who now will now lose his title should he dare continue his aggravation against me. You do not talk to your king this way.”

“You are my father.” Morn balled his fists. “A father is supposed to love his son. You have done nothing of the sort. I thought you as a fair and just king until you showed me your true colors. And you would even throw your own sister in the dungeons? What else would you do to keep your power? You used to burn like a bright bonfire for all to follow, but now you are but a smoldering bundle of sticks!”

Unseen by Sir Morn or Dawn Saber, a faint smile crept onto Queen Sunlight’s face, just before she raised both hands to cover her mouth, as if in shock.

“As king, I will not have to listen to your ridiculous reasoning. Guards, escort the man to the dungeons.”

“This is no way you should treat your family!” Morn yelled as the six guards approached him, their spears raised. “Have you no love for us?”

“You have dared to assume that I have slept with my own sister and conceived a child with her! Even now, I would not want to consider you my nephew. You have dishonored Canterlot and you should be in the dungeons for eternity.”

“I trust my mother, because I love her. Which is not what I can say about my father.” Morn felt a burning sensation radiate inside him, now beginning to cloud his vision with red. The king would only care about himself and his image instead of his own family. A man like that was not fit to rule Canterlot. “You should no longer be king! How can you rule justly if you cannot even accept your own son?”

“To the dungeons with him!” Dawn Saber flicked a hand forward. “I will not hear anymore of what he has to say!”

The guards approached Morn, but he was having no more of this. A wicked king should not be leader of his land.

“No longer will I stay idle.” Morn drew Clarent from his scabbard and slashed in an arc, cutting three of the guards’ spearheads off. “You will protect this betrayer of a man?”

With a straight kick, he launched another guard across the room, his armor scratching against the stone floor, creating sparks, before he slid to a stop against the wall.

Turning his sword to its side, he whacked aside the rest of the guards as they came at him, trying to subdue him. None of them were a match for a Knight of the Round Table.

“Guards! Guards!” Dawn Saber yelled, trying to call for more reinforcements from outside the throne room.

“No more help shall come to you, your majesty.” Morn ran as he gathered his strength in his legs and with a powerful kick, he launched himself into the air, towards King Dawn Saber, who had Excalibur pointed out at him.

And that was when a blast of light shot out from the king’s sword, streaking right for him. The knight lifted Clarent to guard against the ranged attack, but it easily tore right through his blade, shattering it in an instant.

Curling his body, Morn was able to narrowly avoid the beam, which seared off part of his chest and right arm armor, but as Clarent shattered, pieces of it blasted across the room, three shards lancing across his face. Morn’s vision was gone in that instant, his eyes slashed out by the shards, and unable to see, he fell and rolled on the floor, stopping beside the king’s platform. Pain coursed through his face, making him unable to concentrate on his surroundings.

“My love…” he heard Dawn Saber croak. “Th-the guards… you must… call them...”

He was likely drained after firing that bolt of lightning from his sword. Morn could also hear the thunder of boots behind him, likely the reinforcements Dawn Saber had called for earlier.

“K-Kill this… traitor…” Morn heard the order given.

But Sunlight Radiance said nothing. In fact, it was eerily quiet, for the muses had stopped singing.

Morn breathed in, taking in the scent of everything in the room. He could feel the king’s anger towards him like the day before, the smell putting that hot taste in his mouth again, but there was something else coming from the queen, who he could place beside the king. She smelt almost… intrigued.

And then he picked up the smell of the guards around him. There were two, likely the ones who stood by the doors when he barged in. They smelt of confusion, but at the same time, Morn could smell that they would not defy the king.

And then almost like he could see with his nose, he felt one of the spears coming towards him and he rolled away, slashing what remained of Clarent upwards, feeling his broken blade cleave through the spear’s wooden shaft.

And then he spun around, punching at the knee of the second guard, earning his yell of pain, and as he fell forward, Morn planted his fist under his jaw, followed by two to the first guard’s chest, his fists putting dents in the man’s armor.

With a deafening bellow, Morn raised his broken blade above his head and charged at where Dawn Saber was. In his mind’s eye, the king was already back on his feet and taking aim with Excalibur once more. Morn knew he could not afford to be struck with the sword’s attack again.

Morn blinked away some drops of blood from his vision. Then in that split second, he realized that somehow, his eyes were working again. His vision was blurry and unfocused, but he could still see well enough to make out the sight of a bolt of golden energy flashing toward him. In that moment, Morn made a decision. He took up one of the guards’ helmets and threw it at the oncoming blast of golden light. The king’s attack struck the helmet and seared it into ash, but it only consumed it, and did not travel any further. It seems he was too weak to fire off another high-powered shot.

Morn arrived before the weakened king, knocking Excalibur from his grasp with a smack, before hauling him up by the armor straps. “This is the king I serve? I will no longer serve you. Canterlot deserves better. You are but a selfish man, sitting on your throne of lies, fooling everyone of us into thinking you are a benevolent king. No longer does your concealment work against me.”

“S-Sun… light… my love… help me…” he turned to the queen and coughed.

With a growl, Morn threw him back against the throne, knocking it over, the king’s crown spinning into the corner. The knight felt a prickle in his gums as he approached the king, his vision now almost fully returned to normal. Something emerged from them, pushing past his other teeth as he lifted Dawn Saber again, looking into his weak eyes with contempt.

“Look at you now...” Morn sneered at him. “You care about your image, do you not? Do you care about it more than your life?”

“What… do you want…? You want… me to acknowledge… you?”

Morn threw him back against the toppled throne. “I have always wanted to know my father, to have him be proud of me like my mother is. Someone to inspire and me like she does. That is what I wanted of you, my king. All I wanted was you to recognize me as your son. But no, that was what I wanted. I no longer wish for that anymore. Now all I want… Is to see you burn. I will lead Canterlot better than you ever could. I will bring order to your fallen kingdom. Tis because of you that we are in the state we are now. Tis time for a change, your majesty. I want you to beg. Beg for your life. Which is more important, king? Your reputation or your life?”

The queen had moved to the side to join the muses, but they didn’t do anything to try and interfere.

Morn walked over and picked up Excalibur, immediately sensing something within it.

Power.

Just holding on to it made Morn feel like he could accomplish anything if he set his mind to it. Energy coursed through the weapon, almost like it was actually a living thing. And a weak man like Dawn Saber was the keeper of such power? Morn laughed. He didn’t deserve it, just like he didn’t deserve his kingdom. Now he, Sir Morn, he deserved it. He could be king. He would be king. Dawn Saber was responsible for all this. It was because of him that there was so much discord, so much… chaos. Morn knew he could be the one to bring order out of this. He would bring order to the world. Never again would a father disown his son like this if he were in charge.

As Morn was staring into the golden blade of the king’s sword, there came a thundering sound as all the Knights of the Round Table burst into the room, weapons drawn, including his beloved Lady Emerald Edge. Each of them had disbelief scrawled all over their faces. Behind them followed a troop of guards and other knights, all here to heed the call of their king.

“Sir Morn, what are you doing?” Sir Trotivere lifted the visor of his helmet. “What have you done to his majesty?”

Morn, with some effort, tore his eyes from the golden sword in his hands and returned his attention to the king.

“Morn, no. You cannot do this.” Emerald ran a few steps forward, stopping as Morn flipped back to face her. “Please, this is no way to do this.”

“You know what this man has done to me, my lady. Do you know what he has done to my mother? He does not care for anything but himself. He deserves to be shown his place. And I will be the one to do it!”

Morn flourished Excalibur and aimed it at the fallen king.

“No!” Sir Ganeighn shouted as he attempted to rush the throne. There was an immense blast of blinding light and a powerful shockwave that knocked over furniture and people alike.

55 - To Love and Lose

Emerald Edge shook the stars from her eyes as she sat up from where she was. She tasted blood in her mouth and realized she must have bitten her tongue. She looked around blearily.

The throne room was in absolute bedlam. Tables and chairs had been flung everywhere, and some of them had broken on impact. Emerald herself had been lucky; she had been thrown into a wall tapestry and her armor had absorbed most of the hit. A guard lay next to her, a long splint of wood sticking out of his gambeson, killing him. Emerald muttered a quick thank you to the magic portal, for it had supplied her with armor much stronger than the kind humans could craft. She rose, thankful that she had not skewered herself with Amore, which lay beneath her.

She scooped up her wayward sword, just as she heard groans coming from around her. Her fellow knights must be waking up too.

Though, there seemed to be something wrong. Sir Boercival, who was closest, sat up and there was a strange golden glow coming from inside his helmet. The watery light shone from the eyeholes, giving him an unnatural, spooky air.

“This can’t be good,” Emerald muttered, staggering to her feet. She spied a plume of smoke rising from the ground next to Morn, who was now seemingly in the act of admiring Excalibur’s blade, entranced. The queen and the muses were nowhere to be seen.

Emerald made it a few steps before she fell over again, now noticing a ringing in her ears. The explosion must have knocked a few cogs loose in her head, but there was no time to seek a remedy, or even time to rest and recover. Something had to be done before this all spiralled out of control.

One by one, the Knights of the Round Table got up, each one’s eyes emitting that same golden light. Sir Lionheart, who usually did not wear a helmet, had a blank, stoic expression on his face and stared directly ahead, as if he was in deep thought. The same watery light shone from his eyes.

What is going on? Emerald wondered, glancing uneasily at the other knights. She had used the sword before, but she had never seen an effect like this.

Sir Morn knelt down and retrieved Excalibur’s sheath from the desiccated corpse that used to be Dawn Saber and buckled it to his own belt, letting Clarent’s sheath fall to the ground.

“At last, Canterlot shall have a true king! One who will bring this kingdom into balance,” Sir Morn proclaimed, picking up the fallen crown and placing it on his head. And he did look kingly, with his gleaming armor and golden crown, though the armor had a massive scorched hole across the chest and right arm. It was a shame that the image was ruined by the wreck that the throne room had become, not to mention the smoldering cadaver of the previous king at his feet and the blood all over his face. “Me!”

There was something different about Sir Morn. His eyes seemed to glow an acidic green, and they looked less human than before. It was almost familiar to Emerald, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“M-Morn?” she called out to him, pushing up to her feet. “What… what have you done…? Why?”

“Lady Emerald?” Sir Morn seemed to take a moment to recognize her. “I… I have done it, I have! I have righted the wrongs!” His eyes flashed, green but with a back glow of gold. “King Dawn Saber is king no more!” A delighted grin lit up his bloodstained face, giving him a demented look.

“Morn! What are you saying!?” Emerald stood there in shock, unable to process how everything had gone so wrong so quickly. “What… what in Tartarus did you do!?”

Morn lowered Excalibur and stepped toward Emerald, smiling as though he had just won a million bits. “Do you now see, Emerald? I am king now! We can rule together, right the wrongs that my dastard of a father dared not! I have the power now!”

Emerald’s face had gone chalk-white. “No, no no no no…! This isn’t happening! Morn, stop!”

“My lady, my father is no longer living. But he has a son. An heir to replace him. We can change things. We can bring order to this kingdom. Tis what any man with sense would want.”

“B-But… this isn’t… it isn’t right, Morn, what you have done.”

“A man like him did not deserve kingship. Come, Emerald, be with me. Together you and I can rule this kingdom. You said you would always be by my side, my lady.”

Images began to flash back in Emerald’s mind, memories that she thought she had laid aside. A young Sombra, being cared for by Radiant Hope. The same colt watching the guards drill in the Crystal Empire. That same pony’s sudden onslaught of villainy, ultimately slaying her princess. Her empire under the shadow of the tyrant Sombra. She could not go through this again.

Sir Morn took another few steps toward Emerald, holding out his free hand.

Emerald wanted to take it, to be with Morn, but something in her mind bugged her. Morn wasn’t the same man he was anymore. Something had changed within him, and it wasn’t the fangs or the acidic reptilian eyes.

“Morn, no, this isn’t the way,” she pleaded, trying to reason with him. “Please come off of there. This is not you.”

“No, Emerald.” Morn looked at the golden blade in his hand. “This is me. This is who I was meant to be. I see it now. Come, rule beside me, my lady.”

“I… I…” Emerald was at a loss for words, not sure what else she could say. She could not. This was no way for her to ascend the throne, but usurpation and death. This was not how Morn should have done it either. “Morn, no, stop this.”

“My lady, why do you wish of me to do so?” Morn’s hand remained outstretched. “No, you have said you will always be by my side. Emerald, was that all a lie? Do not tell me tis so.”

Emerald had to make a decision now. She only had two choices, but they were some of the hardest choices she’d ever had to make. She could either join Morn and rule over Canterlot with him or she could try and stop him. She loved him and he meant so much to her, but she knew ruling alongside him now when he was like that, Princess Amore wouldn’t have wanted this of her. But then there was the option of stopping him. She couldn’t bare to harm a single hair on his head. But now, Morn was waiting for her. He was open. If she could get to him, would she be able to end it all before it could really go out of hand? Would she even be willing to sink her blade into his chest?

Emerald weighed her options and while it pained her to do so, she knew it was the right thing to do, even if she was doing it for him.

Tears welled in Emerald’s eyes as she looked up at Morn’s face. It was now or never; she might not have another chance. With Sir Morn’s guard down, she lifted Amore, her knight’s sword and the symbol of her station, and rushed the human.

Morn’s eyes widened in shock as he beheld Emerald’s charge. But although the knight was not ready, Excalibur was. Without conscious thought from its bearer, the golden sword moved faster than Emerald could have guessed, intercepting her two-handed swipe meant for Sir Morn’s unarmored head. There was a scream of metal screeching on metal, then a splintering sound.

Emerald recoiled and fell over, still holding onto the hilt of Amore; the tempered steel blade had shattered an inch above the hilt, leaving a jagged stump on the crossguard.

“My lady, what… why do you try to strike me?” Morn looked so betrayed. “You of all people. Why?”

Emerald lay on the ground, still holding the remains of her sword. She leapt to her feet, but was immediately restrained by Sir Boercival and Sir Gallophad.

“Let me go!” she shouted, struggling and flailing around. However, the knights’ armor prevented her from doing any real damage. “What has happened to you two?”

“They have come to accept my will, my lady.” Sir Morn stepped closer to her, lifting Excalibur’s hilt to his face. The light coming from the other knights had faded, but they still maintained the same stoic expressions. “The sword has power beyond anything Dawn Saber could know. But yet, it did not affect you.”

“Do not continue down this path, Morn. Please!” Emerald looked into his acidic reptilian eyes, hoping to find even a trace of the human she loved. “This is not who you are! This is not what you stand for.”

“This is what I must become, Emerald. You do not see it? Dawn Saber’s rule has led this kingdom down a chaotic path. One of sadness, of ruin. As heir to the throne, I must do what I must to bring order to this kingdom. To this world. You will not see the new light shine on our new world?”

“I… I cannot, Morn.” Emerald looked away disappointedly, a tear falling from her left eye. “This is not what we stand for. I cannot be a part of this…”

“My lady…” The knight lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed it. “You promised me you would always be by my side. If even you cannot keep a promise… To the dungeons with her. There she will remain until I deem it.”

Emerald allowed herself to be dragged out, the world around her collapsing for the second time. She would’ve rathered Morn just end her life right there. There was nothing more for her.

“The new world will begin, Emerald, with or without you,” Morn called after her. “Perhaps time down there will clear your mind and help you see. A new order will rise. One where betrayal and injustice will no longer be a part of. Long live the king! Long live me!”

56 - Wheels Within Wheels

Emerald Edge watched as Lady Emerald Edge was escorted out of the castle by Sir Boercival and Sir Gallophad, worry scrawled on her face as she beheld the defeated look on her doppelganger’s face.

They had all heard the commotion on the throne room earlier and Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker had gone to investigate. By the looks of it, whatever had happened, it wasn’t good.

“It cannot be, Lady Emerald being escorted to the dungeons?” Captain Jade Crystal breathed as she lifted her helmet to adjust her green hair. “First Sir Prancelot, then Sir Morn and Mage Moon Tide. Now this? Surely the king has lost his mind?”

Just then, Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker returned, their faces morphed into those of horror and shock.

“The king has lost more than just that…” Dash fought for air as he spoke. “His majesty is dead.”

“He-He is…” Jade almost couldn’t handle the news. “How? How did this happen?”

“Tis Sir Morn Dread.” Spirit Flicker pointed inside. “He now wields the king’s sacred sword and he is doing something to the other guards and knights. He is imbuing them with the golden magic of his sword and tis as though they have lost all free will. They now serve him without question.”

“Treachery!” Jade hissed and brandished her spear. “He dares to take the throne?”

“Stop! You heard what they have said!” Emerald stopped her from running in to face the new king. She had sympathy for Sir Morn when she heard he had been disowned by the king and his mother thrown in the dungeons, but after hearing this, it had all faded, replaced now by anger and disappointment. “If you go in there, you become like one of them.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” When Emerald didn’t answer, Jade pushed her shoulder. “Huh? What do you think we should do?!”

“Stop! I am working on a plan!” Emerald barked back, then composed herself and looked to the direction of the dungeons. “We need to speak with Lady Emerald. She would know what happened and what we should do.”

“Then to the dungeons we go,” Flicker said. “I do not like what is becoming of Canterlot. Not one bit.”

Jade nodded and slapped her spear against her shield. “Emerald and I will go. Flicker, Dash, I want you two to find the others. Anyone else who is willing to help and is not yet controlled by Sir Morn. Go.”

“What are we planning to do? Start a revolt?”

Jade shook her head. “No, not yet. But we will need to leave. We cannot have him control us. And most importantly, we need to get Lady Emerald Edge away from here. She is the key to winning this, I know it.”

“I agree with the captain.” Dash nodded. “Excalibur is from the lady’s world. If anyone can stand against it, it will be her.”

“Then we have our plans. Let us go.”

Emerald followed behind the captain, trying to act as normal as she could so as to not arouse suspicion. With Sir Boercival and Sir Gallophad escorting Lady Emerald to the dungeons, they must already have their minds controlled. They needed to play this carefully.

“And to think Canterlot was going to thrive after finishing off the Fir Laimhe Liath and the marauder attacks.” Jade shook her head with a sigh. “Seems I was wrong to think so. What has happened of us, Emerald?”

“I suppose there was more to King Dawn Saber than anyone knew.” Emerald shrugged. “Whether Morn is really his son or not, things turned bad from there. A man has his pride, after all.”

“If only we could go back and change what happened. If we could make it so Canterlot would still be a seat of power for all to see…”

“No use dwelling on the past, Jade.” Emerald gave her a firm look. “For now, we need to look ahead and protect the lady knight. You are Captain of the Guard. I will do as you say.”

“I am happy to know that I can count on you, Emerald.” Jade stopped to give her a pat on the shoulder. “On all of you. Now we must hope our friends have not joined Morn, this… knight of treachery.”

And with that, they continued their path to the dungeons, hoping to rescue the only one who would save their land from the new king.

Emerald Edge sat in the dungeons, her weapons and armor confiscated from her, though even if they had left them on her, she wasn’t going to do anything. There was no point to anything anymore.

She had lost her friends to Excalibur’s magic, she had lost Amore, and she had lost Morn, the love of her life. Pair this with losing her empire, her princess and her friends back in Equestria, Emerald had been dealt a devastating blow. One she didn’t see a point of returning from.

What could she even do anyway? Morn had Excalibur and all she had now was a broken sword and her hidden blades. There was no stopping him now and perhaps maybe she would even just consider joining him. That way, at least she would still have Morn. That worked out, right?

Emerald shook her head. His new order wasn’t something she wanted to be a part of. If anyone were to go against him, they were simply put under his control from Excalibur. The only reason she was even sitting here right now was because Excalibur’s mind power had no effect on her. Whatever it did to the others’ minds, it didn’t seem to affect Equestrians.

“Why Morn?” she whispered. “Why have you done this thing…?”

A rat scuttled past Emerald’s foot but she could not find the energy to react. The rat squeaked and skittered on into a hole in the wall. Perhaps this was all just a bad dream, and she would wake up any moment now to a much nicer reality.

Settling down on the straw, Emerald closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep.

Emerald awoke to the sound of a door hinge creaking. She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. She was still in the cell. It was not just a bad dream.

“Ah, horseapples…” Emerald sighed. Perhaps if she had any weapon on her right now, she would just end it, but alas, she did not.

By the light shining in through the tiny slit of a window in her cell, it looked to be very late at night. Silvery moonlight dappled the inside of her cell, illuminating the face of someone who had just entered the dungeons.

“Psst.” the newcomer hissed. Even in this paltry light, Emerald could see that they were not a grown person. “Emerald, are you in here?”

“Sp-Spectrum Song?” Emerald asked.

“I was ordered to bring you dinner,” Spectrum whispered. She was indeed holding a wooden tray with some bread and cheese on it, as well as a clay mug of water. “Eat up, Emerald. This meal comes from a friend.”

She slid the tray into the food slot that all the cells had. Emerald rushed up to the bars.

“Spectrum! It’s so good to see a friendly face here. What’s happened up above? What’s going on?”

Spectrum shook her head. “I can’t be down here too long, Sir Hors will get suspicious. Captain Jade and Emerald are holding him and some of the others for as long as they can. But don’t worry, Em. We’ve got a plan hatching. Just hold on a while longer, alright?”

“Spectrum, wait-”

“I’ll see you soon.”

And with that, the squire was gone.

Emerald sat back down, her mind trying to comprehend what she had just heard. There was a plan hatching. Her friends were planning something. Maybe a way to retake Canterlot. Why, that was good news indeed, but the other half of her mind struggled with it. What about Morn? Would she have to try to kill him again? Bringing herself to lift that sword against him had pained her more than she had ever felt before, but she knew for the good of this kingdom, it had to be done. Morn was not himself anymore, corrupted by his anger against the king, his own father.

Could I raise my sword against him again?

Emerald picked up the bread and tore it in two. As she did so, a small piece of folded parchment fell out. Curious, she unfolded it and held it up to the window to read.

My friend Emerald, it read in elegant, loopy handwriting. It is with great surprise and sorrow that we have been informed of what has happened in the castle. Your friends in the castle guard have told us everything. We are currently gathering everyone we have to try and free you from the dungeons. Do not despair. Be prepared. Yours, Jewel Pin and the rest of your friends. P.S. Destroy this message after reading it to avoid being found out.

The former pegasus stared at the parchment, embers of hope enkindling in her heart. She was not alone, and her friends were working to break her out! She smiled in spite of herself and sat back down on the straw. After reading the message several more times, she crumpled up the piece of parchment and popped it into her mouth along with a piece of bread, chewing and swallowing the evidence.

Looking to the dungeon’s hallway, Emerald spotted three Canterlot guards, their eyes a light gold. It seems Sir Boercival and Sir Gallophad had already left, likely recalled by their new king. While she still loved him, Emerald knew it now. Morn was no king of hers as long as he ruled like this, and he could not be left in power. There was no telling what else he might do.

As her spymaster training began to kick in, Emerald picked out someone across from her. There was a druid in the opposite cell and he was flashing her a very cunning smile, fishing for something under his cloak sleeves.

“You are the one. You foiled our plans, lass. How is it, now down here with us? Great, is it not?” He pulled out a little brown sac, dipping his fingers inside it. “Since you are trapped in there, how about a little pain to spice up your time here? You deserve it!”

Taking out a pinch of red dust, Celestia knows where he got it from, the druid tossed some over through the bars. Emerald leapt back as the red dust landed where she had just been standing. Already, the stones and metal began to hiss and steam, the magic eating away at them.

“Hey! What is going on?” The guards came over, their spears in hand.

As soon as one of them spotted the druid and his magic, his spear was through the bar and the druid’s chest, its tip coming out on the other side and spraying blood across the cell.

Emerald was taken aback at the sudden attack, and when the guards turned to face her, her body tensed up, ready for them to attack her too.

Their faces held no emotion, and while their eyes were glowing, it was like they were dead inside. It gave Emerald the shivers. Then, the guards withdrew their spears and marched back to their posts.

Whatever Morn had done to them, it was like they didn’t even have control anymore. They were like empty shells, replaced by Excalibur’s magic.

The druid’s attempt hadn’t gone without effect though. Part of the bars were now melting away. If she waited a little longer, they might just melt enough of it for her to break her way out. The problem now was dealing with the guards. In such an enclosed space without any weapons, getting past them wasn’t going to be easy.

Emerald was about to see if she could squeeze out when she remember the message she had swallowed. What if her friends had a better plan for getting out? There was no guarantee there wouldn’t be more guards outside, even if she could deal with these three. This melting cell door would have to be a backup plan. In case whatever plan her friends had were to fail, she could attempt to break out to help them.

Emerald stared at the bars, then sat back down and picked up the wedge of cheese. It was stale, but it would have to do for now. She needed to make sure she would have enough strength to get out of here.

Sunlight Radiance peered into the throne room from behind a side passage door. Most of the mess had been cleaned up by the Knights of the Round Table, of all people and Morn Dread had pulled the throne back up, now sitting in it as two servants brought in a new set of armor for him. This one was of a darker metal and had much more sharp edges.

“Yes, this will do.” He nodded, one finger touching at his new pair of fangs jutting from his gums.

Sunlight smiled to herself. Finally, things were going according to plan. With Morn replacing her weakling of a husband, there was finally someone strong enough to wield Excalibur. It was a pity Emerald Edge wanted no part of this. With her on their side, there would be so much more they could accomplish. For now, Morn would have to do.

“Tis a fine day for you, is it not… King Morn?” Sunlight strode up to him. “I am sorry for the way my husband has treated you. He was wrong, of course. As your father, he should have treated you as heir. Alas, the outcome was the same in the end, yes? Here you are, now king.”

“What do you want?” Morn said, not taking his eyes off Excalibur in his right hand.

“Why, I am here to congratulate you, your majesty.” Sunlight stopped beside him. “The kingdom is now ours. Tis all thanks to you.”

Morn glanced up at the queen with something akin to scorn in his eyes.

“Ours?” he repeated. “I do not recall asking you to rule alongside me, woman.”

“Woman?” Sunlight didn’t like his tone. “You will address me as queen. I am not some simple commoner.”

“You are no longer queen. Dawn Saber is dead and the only queen I would want ruling beside me is Lady Emerald. If she will not, then I have no need for a queen.”

“Listen, you,” Sunlight said, an edge of steel entering her normally serene voice. “I will not be spoken to like that, especially from one of my subjects. Apologize.”

Morn looked at Excalibur, then pointed its tip up at the queen. “Who rules Canterlot now? Is it you, Queen Sunlight?”

“As your matriarch, I demand you lower that sword this instant.” Sunlight said coldly. Her fingers drew into hooks and tiny green flames ignited in her eyes.

“You do not speak that way to your new king.” Morn’s eyes and Excalibur’s blade flared golden. “You now bow to me. I am the true king of Canterlot. Through me, all the kingdoms will see order.”

Sunlight sniffed and turned away, making back toward her quarters.

“Then enjoy your kingdom while you can, your majesty.”

57 - Prison Fake

“Something has to be done.”

It was now late at night, on the third day after Morn Dread’s takeover of Canterlot, and Sunlight Radiance and Moon Tide were meeting in the former’s room.

“Why? Tis not like he is ousting you.” Moon Tide poured them a cup of tea each. “Look, he has yet to bend our wills like he has most of the castle.”

“He cannot bend our wills, not if the sirens’ song is anything to go by. What I mean is his blatant disregard of our entire society’s protocols. He ignored a direct order from me. From me!” Sunlight snarled. “I am the ultimate authority in this land, and he dares to butt heads with me?”

“Well, it was your plan to put him on the throne instead of having a child yourself. So I do not see any problem with that, besides him ignoring you.”

“The whole point of putting him on the throne,” Sunlight said impatiently. “Was to have a puppet ruler that you and I could control with impunity, allowing us to reign supreme in this land. Well guess what? The puppet went and cut his own strings. He’s useless to us now.”

At that, Moon Tide was silent. She took a sniff in the air, then leaned back in her seat. The queen spoke with some sense of truth. If Morn would not listen to them, then what was the point of having him on the throne? At least with Dawn Saber, they sort of had a hand in telling him how to run the kingdom.

“Bah! So much for those child-staying potions I’ve been drinking almost every night. It would have been better if I’d killed Dawn Saber myself and ruled as queen, instead of this debacle we’re stuck dealing with.”

“Wh-what if I talk to him?” the mage reasoned. “He is my son. He loves me as much as I do him. I am sure he will still be reasonable with me.”

“Still, he has done something I cannot forgive.” Sunlight pounded her fists together. “No one talks to me like that. Not even my own nephew.”

“No. No, you will not kill him, sister.” Moon Tide was quick to her feet. “He is my son. My son. I love him.”

Sunlight looked at Moon Tide through narrowed eyes. Her long, pink tongue slipped from her mouth and licked her lips. It was a gesture that Moon Tide knew well; she was thinking about ordering an execution on someone.

“I can talk to him. He cares for me, sister. He will not cast me aside.”

“I cannot let this disrespect for royalty pass. Not even for him.” Sunlight’s eyes burned a bright green. “I want him dead, Thyra.”

Moon Tide’s legs threatened to give way under her as her mind whirled, trying to think of what she could do. This was her son her sister was talking about. Her one and only son. The son she so dearly loved. There was just no way she could kill him, but the queen’s word was law. Whatever she said had to be obeyed. It was in their blood. Or it had been, up until something had broken Sunlight’s control over Morn Dread.

Moon Tide sniffed and wiped at her eyes, her voice strained. “I… I will… see to it…”

“Just what I wanted to hear.” Sunlight smirked and sat back down, twirling a glass in her hand. “You’re my executioner. Prove yourself worthy of the name.”

“But...” Moon Tide croaked quickly. “He’s too strong... and too canny for me to just walk up to him and kill him...” She wrung her hands together. “It would not do to be killed by him and his new sword. I will have to take my time with this.”

Sunlight blinked heavily, then nodded. “Then take all the time you need. All I care about is the final result.”

Nodding as well, the mage bowed and then left the room, ashamed to show her sadness before her sister. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but as she had haggled, she will have time to figure this out. Perhaps Morn did not need to die.

Emerald Edge awoke as a faint scraping sound made itself known in her ears. Spitting a straw of hay from her mouth, she pushed up to her side and looked around for the source.

Just then, she spotted a stone from the floor wobbling slightly. Unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not, Emerald rubbed at them before looking again, but this time, it had shifted out of the floor, now positioned on top of another, revealing a small hole in the floor, where a pair of blue eyes stared back at her.

“I told you I would be back.” Spectrum waved at her, then pushed another stone out of its place.

“You said soon.” Emerald began to help, widening the hole. “How did you get here?”

“When the plunderseed vine grew beneath Canterlot, it created tunnels, some of them still existing. There just happens to be many under the dungeons, seeing as they started from here.

“It did take us some time to locate this one and find our way to your cell. But that Nightfall Gleam is a wonder with maps and things. Now come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“Nightfall’s in on this too?” Emerald exclaimed.

“Shhh!” Spectrum hissed. “Anyway, Posey’s on lookout. This tunnel surfaces near the gardens. There are guards patrolling there, but Posey has it covered. She’ll hoot once like an owl if it’s all clear, and three times if it’s not. Now come on! We need you.”

Emerald nodded and after clearing away a few more stones, the hole was large enough for her to squeeze through. She dropped down into a narrow dirt tunnel. Spectrum was holding a lantern and she led the way back down the passage.

“So you and Nightfall organized this?” Emerald asked as they crept along.

“Psh, hardly. Your friends in the Canterlot guard told us you have been imprisoned. We heard there were some strange things going on in the castle, but it wasn’t until Captain Jade came for us that we found out that Sir Morn had pretty much taken over the kingdom.”

“What, Sir Hors wasn’t acting any different?”

“I was away getting him a new saddle from Trottingham at the time with Guard Streak,” Spectrum said as she ducked under a rock sticking down from the ceiling of the tunnel. “I wasn’t even allowed back into the castle, so I went to Jewel Pin’s place to stay while I waited for things to sort themselves out. She’s the one who wrote you the letter,” Spectrum added.

The two of them crept along the tunnel. It must have passed under large sections of the castle, as here and there Emerald and Spectrum could hear footfalls and muffled speech.

“We should almost be at the gardens now. I’m going to put out the lantern. Let’s give ourselves some time for our night vision to clear up.”

Spectrum blew out the candle and plunged them into darkness. For a while, all Emerald could hear was the sound of both of them breathing, but being a spymaster, she adjusted quickly to the dark. Once they could see each other, Emerald and Spectrum tiptoed the last few steps. There was a bunch of foliage covering the exit, and Spectrum pushed the leaves and branches aside to look out. It was a cloudy night with almost no moon, so they would have the advantage in the dark; guards always carried torches and lanterns with them which would ruin their night vision.

There was the sound of an owl hooting. Not the laughter-sounding hooting that the Canterlot owls were renowned for, but more of a gentle Hoo-ooh!

“That’s Posey,” Spectrum whispered. “Follow me, we’ve mapped out a path that has the fewest guards.”

Emerald nodded. Spectrum had come a long way since she knew her. She had learned much in the last five years.

The two emerged from the hole, no guards in sight. Spectrum kept low and moved from cover to cover, using the large bushes and trees in the garden to her advantage. Emerald followed suit, crouching lower to make up for her height.

The entrance to the gardens was sentried by two guards, but Spectrum did not make for the entrance. Instead, she led Emerald to one of the walls, where ivy and flowers dominated the brickwork. Looking around in case there was anyone close by, Spectrum looked up and waved.

To Emerald’s astonishment, Posey was perched atop the wall, and was in the process of threading down a rope ladder for the two. She was dressed in dark colors that blended in perfectly with the darkness of the night.

Spectrum and Emerald clambered up the rope as quickly as they could, with Emerald feeling lighter due to the lack of her armor and weapons. She longed to be able to simply fly to the top of the wall, but without the artifacts, that was impossible.

Speaking of the artifacts…

“How much do people know about what happened in the castle, Spectrum?” Emerald asked.

“Shh!” Posey flapped her hand. “Not here. We’ll talk more when we’re back at Jewel Pin’s.”

Emerald reached the top of the wall and hopped down on the other side. Without her armor, she barely made a sound. Spectrum was soon down beside her, but Posey looked up, and remained atop the wall.

Emerald followed her line of sight, but she didn’t need to look to know that Posey was looking to Gabriel, her eyes in the sky. True enough, there he was, gliding along in the air, his head tilting around and surveying Canterlot from above.

“We are clear to the castle gate.” The archer landed down beside them and adjusted her bow. “Gabriel will let us know if any guards approach our direction, but come, let us move. The faster we get there the better.”

Emerald nodded and followed along, keeping her body low and in the shadows. There were a smattering of torches lit along the walls, but not as many as would usually be lit. Emerald wondered if the whole system of the kingdom had been upset by Morn’s takeover. Certainly the lamp-lighters seemed to be in disarray.

As they arrived at the courtyard, Emerald found it weird to see it deserted. The courtyards were usually never empty, with a guard or two by the side, or even some patrolling through it on their nightly routes. This night, only two guards stood by the drawbridge, their backs to her and the others. They were stiff and silent, like the rest that Morn had taken over with Excalibur’s magic.

Evidently they weren’t expecting someone to break out of the castle… Emerald thought.

However, these two guards were carrying torches and horns, and without any weapons, it would be hard to get past them without raising the alarm. Not that she wanted to kill these guards. They were just as much victims as she was, only they weren’t as fortunate as she was to be able to resist Excalibur’s power.

“What do we do?” Spectrum whispered. The front gate was the only way out, and Posey’s rope ladder wasn’t long enough to scale the castle walls.

Looking up the side of the wall, Posey glanced back at Emerald and Spectrum and whispered, “Do as I do.”

With a running start, Posey ran towards the wall, her footsteps unheard in the quiet night. With one powerful kick, she ran three more steps up the side of the wall before grabbing a part of the wall that was out of alignment with the rest of the stones. With her first point gripped in her hands, Posey soon began to make her way up, reaching out for a different piece of stone each time, slowly but steadily getting closer to the top of the wall.

“Do as she does?” Spectrum imitated blowing a raspberry. “Maybe you can do it, Em, but what am I going to do?”

“Well, you’re a squire, yes? Can’t you just walk out? I mean, it’s not like they can accuse you of anything. Just pretend you are under the control of Morn’s magic.”

“Oh, yes,” Spectrum’s face lit up. “See you back at Jewel Pin’s then.”

Spectrum left their hiding place and walked toward the drawbridge, her movements stiff and odd. One of the guards turned around to see where the footsteps were coming from, but went back to his usual stance once he saw it was just a squire. Emerald watched as Spectrum crossed the bridge and vanished from sight, still walking like she had a sack of coal in her pants.

Looking back at the wall, Emerald took a deep breath and did as Posey did, running to the same spot she had kicked up from. Posey was already at the top and had let down the rope ladder, but it was still a good three meters from the ground.

Finding a foothold in the form of a loose brick, Emerald began to scale the wall. It was easier than it looked; this wall had been damaged during Duchan’s attack, and while it had not been damaged enough to warrant a full scale reconstruction, it still needed the attention of skilled builders to smooth it out. Luckily, they hadn’t got around to fixing the wall and various bricks and stones stuck out for the former pegasus to hold on to.

Emerald made it up the rope ladder and grabbed ahold of it while Posey hauled her up. It surprised Emerald just how strong Posey was. This was truly a human of exceptional skill.

Once they were at the top of the battlements, Emerald looked around and down. There was a soldier in the closest turret, looking out and holding up a torch and leaning on a spear. However, he was too far away to notice the two intruders.

Posey began to wind up the rope ladder and stealthily made her way over to what looked like a wooden apple crate. Pulling the lid off, Posey took out a longer, thinner rope, and a device that looked like a large crossbow, reinforced with metal.

“It’s like one of the ballistas that the mages developed,” Posey explained. “This one was custom made by Nightfall Gleam specifically for tonight.”

Posey swiftly tied the one end of the rope around the bolt and the other end to a metal ring in the wall, then mounted the weapon onto the crenellation using a bipod. Then she fired it.

With a muted twang, the bolt streaked off into the dark, carrying the rope along with it.

There was a faint thump. Posey yanked on the rope a few times, testing its strength.

“Come on, Emerald,” Posey beckoned. “We can make it over the moat and into the city this way.”

Posey retrieved a pair of gadgets from the crate. They looked like slotted wheels with handles on the sides.

“Don’t tell me… We are going to slide down this rope?” Emerald held the device in her hands. “How will it even support our weight?”

“I’ve been told the rope is specially made. Spring Amber told me that they can take care of hiding the launcher and rope before the sun rises. Come on, Emerald. Freedom awaits.”

Reluctantly, Emerald fitted the glide onto the rope, then stepped up onto the crellenation. It was a long way down into the moat, and if the rope broke, she might be in for an unexpected swim; the splash would certainly alert the guards.

Emerald closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped off into oblivion.

Moments later, she opened her eyes again, a grin spreading across her face as she zoomed down the rope, the wind rushing in her face. This was just like flying! She looked back at the castle, which was shrinking away into the darkness. She could just make out the shape of Posey, about twenty feet behind her.

It did not take long for the end of the rope to come into sight. The bolt had stabbed into the top of a tree, and there were several piles of hay gathered around the base of the tree. Emerald twisted the glide against the rope, causing friction and forcing herself to slow down. She had no intention of smashing into the tree at this speed.

Just before she hit the tree, Emerald let go and fell down the last few meters, landing in a pile of hay, which cushioned her fall nicely.

“There, we made it.” Posey helped her up and dusted her down. “Come. We are almost to Jewel Pin’s home. Young Spectrum should already be waiting for us there.”

Looking around, Emerald beheld that they had landed in the Loft District, atop a hill that was relatively close to the castle. “There, I can see Jewel Pin’s shop.”

The pink haired archer nodded and pointed forward. “Let us go. The faster we get there, the faster we will be safe from the patrols.”

Emerald and Posey encountered no resistance on the way to the fine establishment, slipping through the doors with nothing more than a creak of old wood. As soon as the doors were shut behind them, a trio of candles burst into existence as Jewel Pin, Nightfall Gleam and Spectrum Song raced forward to greet them.

“Em, Posey, you made it!” Spectrum gave the spymaster a hug. “The guards did not even stop me once! I walked right on by. I must have a talent for acting.”

“Tis good to see you safe.” Nightfall gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I am glad Posey is on our side. She got me here safely as well when I tried to leave the Mages’ Tower to find you. We should let the others know.”

Emerald looked past them, trying to peer through the darkness beyond the candlelight. “Others? Who else is here?”

“Oh, just a few more friendly faces, Lady Emerald.” Nightfall whipped around. “Everyone, come on out. The lady knight is here.”

The first to appear were Spring Amber, Crystal Flare and the other Emerald Edge, but behind them…

“Light Speckle, you are safe!” Emerald ran to her and embraced her. “You got out of the tower!”

“I was with Nightfall when Posey came to find her, my lady.” The Magus Superior hugged her back. “What Sir Morn has done, tis no good thing. I cannot stand by that.”

“What of Moon Tide? Surely she would not agree with her son’s actions as well?”

Light Speckle shook her head. “I have not seen Moon Tide since the takeover. I am afraid she might have already been… indoctrinated.”

Spectrum walked in a circle. “That is quite the big word. It means to have been read a manuscript, yes? Indoctrinated. I am a squire, after all. I do learn how to read.”

“You still have much to learn, young squire,” Nightfall chuckled. “But these are trying times. To think we would have to hide from our own kingdom. But for now, we cannot stay here. Sir Morn is bound to find us eventually. We should leave Canterlot.”

“I hate to agree with the mage, but she is right.” Other Emerald nodded. “The longer we stay, the more we risk getting indoctrinated ourselves. We should fall back and come up with a plan.”

“As the only one who seems to be immune to Excalibur’s magic, Emerald, you are our best chance of stopping the madness that has overtaken Canterlot,” Nightfall said seriously. “But we cannot stay here in the hornet’s nest while we plot to stop Morn Dread. We need to get out out of the city.”

“Woah, woah, hold on,” Emerald said, holding up her hands. “Why can’t we just stop him now? Light Speckle has the staff, I’m sure that I’m more than a match for Morn if we each have an artifact.”

Everyone looked uncomfortable at her suggestion. Light Speckle especially.

“Unfortunately… that is no longer an option.”

“What? Why?” Emerald felt her stomach begin to churn.

“Two days ago, Sir Gallophad and Sir Agramane came to the Mages’ Tower and took the staff from my apprentice. I was away gathering herbs at the time, but I was too late. They have the staff now.”

“And the shield is theirs too,” Nightfall said grimly. “Three to nothing.”

Jewel Pin cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose we could steal one?”

Spring Amber shook her head. “Too risky. Even if they can’t use the artifacts to their full potential, one shot is all it will take to kill you, or worse, indoctrinate you. And we cannot even risk one of us falling to their mind control; we would give away everyone else.”

Everyone was silent, unsure of any other alternatives. Every other way seemed to lead to failure and Emerald didn’t like that. With a chance of failure, these plans were not worth trying, at least not now.

“There is… one thing.” Everyone looked at Light Speckle.

“When I was going through Clover’s journal last month, I uncovered something that could help us now.”

“Well, what is it?” Jewel Pin asked anxiously.

“Apparently, before Lady Emerald’s arrival, she was looking into these artifacts and was using the staff to see if she could find more.”

“And did she?” Spectrum looked as though she was torn between excitement and skepticism.

“She didn’t manage to get an exact location,” Light Speckle said, taking out the journal and opening it to a page that had a map on it. “But there is strong evidence from the staff’s scrying that there is an artifact in the lands beyond the mountains. In Saddle Arabia.”

58 - The Line of Duty

“Saddle Arabia?”

Everyone gaped at Light Speckle, even the guards.

“That’s several weeks of travel away! And that’s only to get over the mountains!” Spectrum whimpered. “Are you saying we have to go there?”

“I need more time to go over Clover’s notes,” Light Speckle said tersely. “Before the sun rises, I must get back to the Mages’ Tower and retrieve everything I need. Emerald’s escape will be discovered come morning, and I think we should all be out of the city by then.”

“I’ll come with you,” Nightfall volunteered. “We can carry more that way.”

Emerald wished them the best of luck as they left into the night, scurrying away towards the castle with their hoods over their eyes.

“High Rise says he has a horse and carriage waiting for us by the south gate, and Spring Amber and has arranged for the portcullis to be left open,” Jewel Pin declared, hefting a heavy traveling bag onto her shoulder. “High Rise will take care of my shop while we are gone. Such a good man.”

“Where are we going?” Spirit Flicker asked. “Directly to Saddle Arabia?”

“Of course not,” Other Emerald said. “We’ve planned this whole thing out. We’ll go to Avalon first, finalize things there before traipsing off to such a faraway land. We think since you have allies in Avalon, that would be a good place to set up for a while.

“First, we wait for the mages to gather everything they need. Then the six of us guards will escort you to the south gate. We ought to be a match for one watchman if he turns out to be an enemy. Jade and the others should be back soon with anyone else who we might need.”

Just then, there was the faint sound of a man ringing a bell and shouting, “Twelve o’clock, and all’s well!”

“Midnight already,” Emerald said thoughtfully. “We don’t have that much time to get out of Canterlot.”

Just then, there were a series of knocks on the door. Three light ones, followed by one firm one. That was the code the guards had decided amongst themselves.

“Must be the captain.” Crystal Flare opened the door slowly, just in case.

When he was sure, he opened it all the way and beckoned the three guards in. The Captain of the Guard had a sack over one shoulder, but behind them, was only one familiar face.

“Streak! You made it!” Spectrum ran over to him and threw her arms around the male squire. “I’m glad you didn’t get… uh, indoctrinated.”

He smiled awkwardly and gave her a pat on the back.

“I apologize.” Jade peeled her helmet off her sweat-covered face and brushed her green hair aside. “There is no one else we could find that would help us in our cause. Everyone else in the castle has been turned.”

The mood in the room grew darker at that last statement.

“However…” Jade placed the sack before Emerald’s feet. “Squire Guard Streak had found this, lady knight.”

Emerald dug it open and pulled out a piece of her armor from within. “My armor! You have my thanks, Guard Streak.”

“Was not too hard, Lady Emerald.” He grinned and scratched the back of his head. “It was simply placed by the rest of Sir Trotivere’s things. I do not know if they had any intention to put it to use, so I grabbed it before leaving.”

“And you made the right choice.” Emerald checked her hidden blades on her gauntlets. Both blades came out with a satisfying shwick. “I feel safer to at least have a form of weapon on me. Morn… He shattered Amore, so these are all I have left.” Twice now had Amore been taken away from her by a usurper. One way or another, there would not be a third.

The former pegasus replayed the fight in the throne room in her head again, a part of her still not believing Morn was capable of such evil. He was known for being the knight of kindness. To think he would let it get to him and take over the kingdom, it was still too much to process.

“I’ve already packed,” Jewel Pin said, patting a bulging pack on her back. There was a dagger strapped to her side, and Emerald was surprised to see that she had also brought a pair of her tailoring scissors.

“Scissors, Jewel Pin?”

The seamstress nodded and tapped the blades. “Never underestimate the effectiveness of a tailor’s tools, darling.”

Spectrum had pulled a short sword and a wooden shield from beneath a table, and was busy strapping them on, while Posey had her trusty bow and the hidden blade Nightfall had given her.

Emerald busied herself with putting on her armor, a task that required very little thought now that she had been doing it herself for five years. It felt good to have her gear back, the equipment that the portal had granted her.

Emerald snorted quietly to herself. The portal. Well, she was further from her goal as ever. She had no artifact, no plan, and no way back home.

“Nothing is ever easy…” Emerald muttered. She buckled the last plate onto her body and did a few stretches to test her mobility.

“I hope the mages didn’t get caught…” Crystal Flare said eventually. “They’ve been gone for a long time.”

Just then there was a knock on the door. Three light knocks followed by a heavy one. Jewel Pin moved to open the door.

It was the mages, clasping a pair of burlap sacks and several books. Both of them looked sweaty and winded, as if they had run here.

“We… Huff huff… have to go. Now.” Nightfall panted.

“What? Why? What happened?”

“Morn found out about our jailbreak,” Light Speckle wheezed. “He’s coming to get you, and he’s on the way now!”

“How in Equestria did he-”

“There’s no time!” Nightfall exclaimed, tugging at Emerald’s arm. “He’s got all the Knights of the Round Table and half the castle guard coming down here, and he’s leading the pack! Come on, move!”

Emerald and the others were ushered out of the shop, with Jewel Pin bringing up the rear to lock the door.

“What?” she asked impishly. “I’m not going to just let anyone in there, am I?”

Light Speckle windmilled her arms. “We must hurry! Make no delays!”

Emerald looked up to the hill that Canterlot Castle was perched upon. There were a fast-moving group of orange lights approaching the castle gate, with a golden spark leading them.

“Horseapples,” the former pegasus breathed. She didn’t know how Morn knew where to look, but in the end, good or evil, he still knew her well.

“To the gates.” Jade Crystal directed their attention east of the shop. “We must cut through the marketplace and past the Shades. I know the quickest way.”

“Come on. Move.” Emerald herded Jewel Pin and Spectrum ahead of herself, keeping an eye on the rear. By now, Morn’s group was nearly to the gate.

“We put a little surprise for them.” Nightfall’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “But perhaps the timer was a bit lon-”

There were two flashes of light where the drawbridge chains were linked to and they were immediately released from the wall, sending the drawbridge tipping down into the moat below. Morn and a few of the knights and guards disappeared from sight, the splashes they made slightly audible from the shop.

“Good thinking, Nightfall.” Emerald clapped the mage on the shoulder as they began to move off towards the market.

“But it will not hold them long.” She pulled her hood back up. “We need to make haste.”

The group followed Jade Crystal through a back street, then through a winding cobblestone path. There was suddenly a flash of golden light from the castle, followed by the distant sound of armored boots crashing against the ground.

“It looks like Sir Morn is using Excalibur to pursue us,” Posey said nervously. “I thought humans couldn’t use the artifacts for very long.”

“From what we have seen, it would have appeared to be true. Until Morn.” Emerald pushed a tarp aside as she dodged under it. “But there is something… wrong about Morn. His eyes, they are not human. Almost… something familiar, I am not sure what.”

“Talk later, move now!” Spectrum broke into a trot. “Tis too bad we couldn’t bring Foxtrot with us. We would reach the gates a lot faster on horseback.”

“Yes…” Emerald pictured her stubborn friend. She wasn’t going to be seeing him for a while. She hoped at least he would be cared for in her absence.

There was a faint shouting not too far behind them. Turning, Emerald spotted an orange glow coming down from a side lane. It seems there were guards coming from the Loft too, not just from the castle.

“Guards are closing in!” Guard Streak placed a hand on a dagger by his side. “What do we do if we have to fight?”

“We cannot fight off the Canterlot Guard!” Jewel Pin exclaimed, huffing and puffing under the weight of her bag. “We must go faster!”

At that, Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker gave each other a look of purpose. They slowed to a walk.

“What are you doing?!” Jade Crystal waved her hand. “We must go!”

“Not all of us can outrun the guards, captain,” Dash said, stomping his spear into the ground. “Flicker and I will hold them back for as long as we can.”

“I forbid it!” Jade exclaimed. “You cannot just-”

“Getting Lady Emerald out of the city is our top priority!” Spirit Flicker said stoutly. “Nothing except that matters. Only she can stand against Morn Dread, so she must live! Our lives are worth nothing in comparison.”

“That’s not true!” Emerald cried out. Memories, long forgotten, were rushing to the surface again. Her friends back in Equestria. She couldn’t live through it again. “You can’t stop, you’ll die!”

The light of the torches got brighter and the sound of armored boots slamming against the cobbles made itself known at the far end of the street.

“This is not negotiable!” Dash shot at the rest of them. “Go on! Get out of here!”

“Dash-!”

Jade nodded once. “Come on. We have to keep moving.” She pulled at the former pegasus’ arm. “They are buying us time, my lady. Time we do not have. We must move.”

Emerald looked at the two determined guards reluctantly and remembered the sacrifices of her friends. She had to move or their sacrifice would be for nothing.

“I shall never forget you two.” She turned from them and ran on. “In Equestria or this world… You two are fearless to the end…”

“No point being quiet now, they will know we have been this way,” the human Emerald said. “We must move with all speed.”

“I do not think I can go any faster!” Jewel Pin gasped, hauling her luggage behind her. Posey rolled her eyes and turned around, picked up Jewel Pin’s bag, and went right back on to running.

As they left their two friends behind, Emerald could hear the clashing of steel, followed by a few grunts of pain. They were doing all they could to slow down the attacking force.

A part of her still wanted to turn around and go back for them. She’d lost her friends when she left Equestria. To have to lose them again was more painful than she could know, but the other part of her knew they had been right. She was Equestrian. She was the only one capable of stopping Morn. She had to live for the sake of the others.

“We are almost to the central bridge,” Jade turned to say as they made another sharp right turn. “Once we get to the Shades, I know a way that might slow them all down.”

“Barrel alley?” Other Emerald asked.

Jade nodded and grinned. “Barrel alley.”

“Where’s that?” Emerald slid over a crate to get around it.

“You’ll see, my lady.”

There was a sudden flash of bright golden light from a few streets away, radiant enough to illuminate a decent chunk of the city like an abrupt dash of sunlight.

“That must be Excalibur,” Light Speckle fretted. “How is he able to use it without tiring out? Is it because he is younger than the king?”

“You should know best, Speckle.” Emerald pulled at her to get her moving again. “As far as I know, only Equestrians can use it to its full potential. I do not know how it works with each human.”

Led by Jade, the group burst into a side alley, entering the Shades proper. Here, the streets were dirtier, the houses smaller and more cramped together, and puddles of stagnant water lay here and there.

“Which way do we go now?” Guard Streak panted. He seemed a touch winded but he held on to his weapon firmly all the same.

“This way. Towards the east wall.” Jade waved for them to follow. “We can slow them down here.”

Guard Emerald tapped Nightfall on the shoulder. “Mage, do you have fire we can use?”

“Fire? Yes, I have something here…” She dug around her pouch, almost tripping on a stone as they ran. Eventually, she fished out a glove and raised it high. “Here. I can use this to cast some fire magic with the right powder.”

“Perfect.” Other Emerald took it from her. “Captain, we have a firestarter.”

“Very good,” Jade said from the front of the group. Emerald Edge still had no idea what the guards were planning. “There should still be several oil barrels outside the shops.”

Behind them, the sounds of Excalibur’s magic had faded and the clatter of greaves on the ground had resumed, still dangerously audible.

Speeding up, Emerald and the group eventually arrived outside a long stretch of street, with several buildings on the sides that had large barn doors, most of them locked with bolts. A few, however, had barrels of all sorts of shapes and sizes outside, some of them, she guessed, were oil barrels as the guards had said.

“Quickly, set a trail.” Jade slapped one of the closer barrels. “We must give ourselves time to be away from this place.”

“What a waste of resources.” Spring Amber placed the glove over one of her hands. “But we shall worry about that later.”

Guard Streak and Spectrum Song helped the guards as they began tipping over barrels and dragging them along as they moved down the street, spilling long lines of oil behind them.

Emerald followed along and did the same, trailing oil behind her in a zig-zag.

When they were almost past the last building on in the alley, the first guards appeared on the other side, their torches illuminating their expressionless faces. Most of them carried spears, but a few of them had swords or bows by their side, some of their steel covered in blood.

“They are here! Stop!” Jade put down her barrel and waved her arms. “Amber, light the-”

There was a whistling sound in the air and before Jade could finish, she was down on the ground, an arrow sticking from the back of her shoulder.

“Aaah!”

More arrows came as Emerald and her doppelganger dragged Jade behind one of the barrels, the spymaster just narrowly avoiding an arrow to her knee.

“We are not done!” Amber slipped the glove on her hand. “If I light it now, we shan’t get away in time!”

“Then give me the glove!” Jade reached out her good arm. “I will set the trap when you are out of harm’s way.”

“No! Captain, you cannot! We need you.” Amber shook her head and held her helmet low as one arrow sailed dangerously close to her head. “I will do it. You must lead the others out.”

“No, no!” Emerald grasped Spring Amber’s shoulders. “Amber, we will all go. Do not do this.”

Beyond the shifted barrels, the guards with swords and spears began to advance, using the barrage of arrows to close the distance between themselves and Emerald’s group.

“I must, Lady Emerald. Captain Jade will get you out of here safely. You have to go.” Spring Amber held up her gloved hand. “I already have the firestarter. Please, my lady. Only you can save Canterlot now.”

Jade’s stern expression soon turned into a grim one, but she nodded and placed a hand on Emerald’s shoulder. “We do not have much time. The longer we stay here, the more chance Morn has of catching up. We need to move.”

The spymaster gritted her teeth, but didn’t argue back. Even here, she couldn’t get over how stubborn her friends were and how each of them was always ready to give their lives for their land.

“Keep low and move quickly.” Emerald turned to the rest of her friends. “Do not stop until we are out of this alley.”

More arrows sailed in, one lodging itself in the floor close to Nightfall’s feet. That told Emerald that they needed to go now, or risk more guards catching up to them and overwhelming them, or worse, cutting off their exit.

“I shall keep their fire off you,” Posey said beside her, her bow and an arrow already in her hands. “Don’t worry about me. I can catch up.”

“No, you cannot shoot them!” Jade eyed her bow with a shocked look on her face. “They are our brothers and sisters in arms!”

Posey frowned and shook her head. “Not anymore, they are not. Tis them or us, captain. You lot are more important to me than they are.”

More enchanted guards appeared, many of them carrying bows and crossbows. Posey ducked behind cover as a trio of quarrels buried themselves up to their fletchings in the wall.

“If we don’t go now, we’ll be overrun!” The spymaster called out.

Posey popped out from behind her crate and shot an arrow back at the guards, and there was a yell as the projectile found its mark. But for every guard she shot down, there was another to take their place.

“I don’t mean to alarm you,” Posey said quietly to Emerald and Guard Streak. “But I only have three arrows left. After that, we’ll be forced into close quarters. Go, Emerald. You must go.”

Posey nocked her third last arrow and shot it, the shaft puncturing through a soldier’s vambrace and forcing him to drop his crossbow.

“Two arrows left,” Posey grimaced as she pulled them from her now empty quiver. “Do I need to say it again? Go!”

Emerald swallowed hard, then with her human counterpart, picked Jade Crystal up under her arms and hauled her up, keeping low as they scurried away from the alleyway, the rest of her friends following behind them, with the exception of Posey and Amber.

“Looks like tis you and me, archer.” Amber tried to look up past the barrels, but a bolt flew by her nose and thudded into the ground behind her.

“We must keep their arrows away from Emerald and the others.” Posey got up from her barrel and ran to her left, heading to one of the buildings as she readied another arrow. The guards noticed her dash and aimed for her, letting loose another volley. The guards with swords and spears had almost arrived at their position now, but with another arrow, Posey managed to keep them back, sending them crouching behind more barrels they had taken out.

With the projectiles now aimed for her, Emerald and the others were able to make a run for it, disappearing around the next corner. Posey looked back once and smiled, then readied her last arrow as she leapt through a window, rolling to a stop as she pulled her bowstring back. She heard arrows sticking into the wooden wall of the structure she was in and when the noise had stopped, she leaned out and fired, getting one of the archer guards in the neck, who fell back with a gurgle.

With only her hidden blade left, Posey opted to keep to the shadows and take them out while staying hidden. She needed to make sure Emerald would get out safely. Only she could stop this madness and return everything to normal. Only she could dethrone Morn. Only she could rescue the rest of the townsfolk from his control. Only she could break the spell Morn had put over Sir Ganeighn.

Posey wanted to run out there now and find him, but even if she did, there wasn’t much she could do. For now, all she could do on her own strength was to keep the guards back.

However, the pink haired archer saw something behind the soldiers that made her stomach flip. An ominous golden glow that was identical to the light shed by an artifact when used by Emerald. Only she knew it would not be Emerald Edge who rounded that corner.

“Archer, leave now!” Amber called from outside and lifted her gloved hand. “Lady Emerald and the others are well away. I will set off the trap, but you must leave!” Two arrows stuck into the barrel she was hiding behind, making it leak more oil.

Posey hesitated. Amber was waving at her violently to get out of there. But she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave Amber here. Perhaps she could scrounge some arrows that the soldiers had shot at them-

“GO!” Amber howled.

And then Sir Hors came around the corner, a golden staff in his hands, and Posey made her choice. Either she could stay here and die for nothing, or she could go help Emerald and live for something.

“I am sorry, Amber...” Posey whispered. “May we meet again in a better life.”

The archer furled her hidden blade and charged off after Emerald and the others, leaving Amber to face the horde alone.

Turning once more to face the guards and Sir Hors, Amber watched as a troop of them were only four steps away from her now. It was now or never. With the barrels scattered all around them, they were all in for a big surprise.

“Save Canterlot, Lady Emerald… I know you will do it.”

And then she snapped her fingers.

59 - A Narrow Escape

Emerald Edge stopped by a barn and turned to see a burning ball of fire rise into the sky. The oily flame blossomed into the air like a huge orange fist, taking with it a large collection of wood and splinters. Emerald had seen the oil, but she was surprised by just how destructive the explosion had been. Surely their pursuers would have no chance of getting through, at least from that direction.

As Emerald continued to look on, there was a sudden flash of golden light and the flames seemed to wither and die down.

The sounds of flapping footsteps caught Emerald’s attention. The former pegasus unsheathed her hidden blades, only to see Posey come running up the street, her quiver empty and her bow slung over her back. The archer looked haunted, though the expression lightened up once she saw Emerald and the group.

“What are you doing?” Posey exclaimed. “We have to keep moving! They’ve got the staff and are coming this way!”

“They can use it?” Emerald stopped in her tracks and looked down the alley Posey had come from.

“No time! We must hasten!” Posey pushed her to continue on.

“The archer speaks the truth.” Jade winced as she held on hand over her injured shoulder. “We are nearly to the gates. If there are any guards on duty there, we can easily overpower them and leave on High Rise’s carriage.”

“High Rise is staying, is he not?” Light Speckle asked. “Is he not worried that Morn will come after him because of us?”

“Oh, he’s not that unintelligent,” Jewel Pin assured them. “He’s not giving us the carriage; we are ‘stealing’ it. Should Morn Dread or his men question him, he will simply tell them that we turned on him and relieved him of his property.”

“Ah. Clever.”

“Let’s just hope Morn doesn’t use Excalibur to make him tell the truth,” Emerald muttered.

“It can do that?” Jewel Pin said incredulously.

Emerald shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the artifacts can or cannot do. I’ve not had one in my possession long enough to study it, and even so, I’m a soldier, not a scholar. Finding out magical items’ powers is something I leave to those more experienced than I.”

“Yes, this is great and all,” Spectrum bobbed at Emerald’s shoulder. “But I think we need to keep moving. Save the specurashin for later?”

“That’s ‘speculation’, I think,” Light Speckle corrected. “But you are right. We must save the theorizing for later. Right now we have to get to safety.”

Setting off again at a run, the group entered a courtyard, which was, like nearly everything else in The Shades, run down and littered with debris.

“Come on, the fastest way to the gate is down this path,” Jade said, pointing to an alleyway winding east.

“Can’t we just use one of the holes in the wall to escape?” Jewel Pin ran along behind Posey, who had taken up the seamstress’ bag again. “There were plenty, yes?”

“When was the last time you saw the walls?” Posey raised an eyebrow at her. “Most of them have been patched up by now. And the ones big enough for us to go through are guarded as well.”

“But if tis closer than the main gate, we could-”

“Your man left the carriage by the main gate.” Posey looked at her like she couldn’t understand what she was saying. “Would you rather travel on foot or in a carriage?”

Jewel Pin raised a finger, but then decided on saying anything.

Emerald wonder how they could have so much time to argue even now, but at least it made her feel that perhaps the world wasn’t completely over just yet.

There were a series of footsteps from one side and suddenly, three guards came out of a street in front of them, swords and torches in hand.

“Stop right there, criminal scum! By order of his majesty, King Morn Dread, you have violated the law!” one of them yelled in quite the monotone voice. “You now face death. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“Who is ever going to choose the easy way?” Emerald reached for Amore, but then remembered Amore had been shattered in her fight with Morn.

“Last chance, criminals,” the lead guard droned. “Lay down your weapons now!”

“Alright, alright,” Posey said, stepping forward. She reached over her shoulder for her bow, then quick as blinking had drawn it and rushed the guards. While she had no arrows left, the bow was still made of sturdy wood, and it worked beautifully as a blunt weapon as the archer used it to break the lead guard’s nose, blinding him for the moment.

Posey followed through on the strike by planting a solid roundhouse kick into the stomach of the guard on the left, making him double over in pain and then planting her hidden blade deep into his back.

Jade rushed the last guard, pulling out her dagger and thrusting it into the exposed skin between the guard’s gambeson and his helmet.

Spectrum went over to the lead guard and kicked him in the head. He went down and groaned, but didn’t get back up.

In short order, all three guards were either dead or incapacitated.

“I am sorry.” Jade looked at the three guards on the floor. “Forgive me.”

“They’re onto us,” Posey said grimly. “We have to go faster.”

An eagle’s screech came from above. Posey’s face grew even more solemn.

“Gabriel says there’s a golden glow closing in on us from two directions. They’ve decided to split up; hurry, we must reach the gate before we are cut off!”

“It is not far now!” Guard Streak pointed hurriedly ahead.

“But be on the lookout. If these guards were here, then there may be more.” Other Emerald clutched her spear in both hands.

“I will hold back the left path then.” Crystal Flare spun his spear in his grip and ran two steps ahead. “The rest of you, go. The less coming for you the better.”

“No, not you too!” Emerald wasn’t ready to lose another friend. Again.

Jade scrunched her face and placed a hand over her arrow wound, but the other one held her dagger firmly. “Then I will take the right street. I shall buy you time as well.”

“I forbid this!” Emerald exclaimed. “You can’t do this! My life’s not worth more than yours!”

“Oh, but it is,” Crystal Flare said softly. “You’re the only one who can stand up to Morn Dread and save the kingdom. And if giving you time to get out of here and formulate a plan aids you in that regard, then I will gladly lay down my life to help the cause.”

“It’s not just about you, Lady Emerald,” Jade admonished. “We do this for the greater good, because the two of our lives are insignificant next to those of the entire kingdom. Do you understand what we are saying?” Jade gave Emerald a salute. “In order for the kingdom to be saved, you must live. That is all there is to it.”

“All of you…” Emerald clenched her fists. No matter how much she wanted to say no, their words spoke truth. This wasn’t about her wants. This was about saving everyone.

“Emerald.” Jade placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder and locked eyes with her. “Make sure the lady knight and her friends get away from Canterlot safely.”

“I… I will, captain.” Emerald nodded confidently, tears in her eyes. “You will be remembered, captain. What you do here today… You will all be remembered.”

“Then go.” Jade gave her a light push. You must reach the gates and go. Now. Haste.”

“Come.” Other Emerald went to the front of the group. “They are giving us their time. We must continue on.”

The group agreed simultaneously and continued running, but Emerald stopped again and turned back for one last look at her two brave friends. These guards were all stubborn to the end, always willing to give their lives, be it for the kingdom or the empire. In the end, she would rather have friends like these than cowards who would run.

Turning her back, Emerald ran on behind the rest of her friends, swiftly catching up, her legs already starting to get sore from all the running in her armor, making her once again wish she still had her wings.

Most of them still looked like they could keep running, but Jewel Pin was already falling behind, her breath ragged and fast; Posey still had her bag and the archer was way ahead.

“Jewel Pin, come, you need to keep going.” Emerald slowed beside her and put an arm around her waist to help her on.

“I-I cannot. Tired… Cannot… Keep going,” she wheezed. “What a… dreadful… day.”

“But we’re almost there!” Spectrum encouraged. She fell back to Jewel Pin and scrutinized the woman. “Come on!”

“I’m… afraid you might need to… leave me,” Jewel Pin panted. “I’m only slowing you down.”

The spymaster was having none of it. First the guards, now Jewel Pin? She refused to let anyone else die for her. Wrapping her arms around the seamstress, Emerald pulled Jewel Pin onto her back.

“Not anymore,” Emerald said, setting her teeth in a determined grimace. “We shall go together.”

Adjusting the scissors so that they wouldn’t poke into Emerald, Jewel Pin bounced along on Emerald’s back, catching her breath. Two more guards tried to slash at them as they ran by, leaping from the shadows of the Drifting Stallion, but her years of training had taken over and Emerald had ducked to a slide, tripping one on her way while she stabbed the other in the ankle. Both fell as she got back up and pushed Jewel Pin to go on.

Spectrum Song and Guard Streak came back to pull Jewel Pin along while Emerald knocked out the two guards with swift punches to their jaws.

They were almost out now. It was just a single straight path all the way to the main gate. They were going to make it.

Emerald spotted two flashes of light rising up behind the buildings as she flipped herself around to run. The enemy was coming, but they would be too late.

“Make haste, Em!” Spectrum called back to her.

“Just go, I will catch up. Keep running!”

Suddenly, the building on her right was blown to smithereens by a bolt of white lightning, spraying wood all across the street. Something stung Emerald’s cheek and waist, but she couldn’t afford to stop now. They were so close to the main gates.

Two guards stood by the entrance, but Posey and Other Emerald Edge were on them almost as fast as they could point their spears at them. The first guard’s weapon was kicked out of his hands by Posey, while Emerald grabbed it as it fell, using it to prod the second guard in the nose and then flipping it around to stab him in the chest, piercing right through his armor and through his heart.

Posey spun around the first guard and slashed at his neck with her hidden blade. The guard grabbed for his neck and went down quickly, choking on his own blood.

“Go, go!” Other Emerald directed the others out the gates where a carriage and two horses waited by the side along the dirt path.

Jewel Pin was first on, placing her luggage at the back of the carriage and tying it down, while the rest piled in, disappearing from sight as Emerald stood by the gates, keeping an eye on things. The seamstress got on the top and grabbed ahold of the horse’s reins, getting it ready to go.

Unfortunately, the streets of Canterlot weren’t clear. Guards approached down the main path, their marching boots thudding against the dirt path as they got closer and closer.

“Now or never, we need to leave!” Emerald ran over to join her friends, climbing in. Everyone was in now, except her guard doppelganger. “Emerald, let us go. We must make haste if we are to outrun them.”

The Canterlot guard had her eyes on the approaching enemy. “I… I will buy you time. I look like you. I can trick them into thinking they’ve caught you.”

“What? Not you too! Enough sacrifices have been made today.” Emerald stretched out her hand. “Come. Come with us.”

The guard shook her head and removed her helmet. “Your safety comes first, my lady. What am I but a lowly Canterlot guard compared to you. We may be the same, but then again, we are not. Go, Lady Emerald. Quickly now. Do not waste our lives.”

She pushed Emerald in and slapped on the door a few times. “Go, seamstress! Take them away! I will hold them back.”

Jewel Pin hesitated for a second, but then nodded and got the horses moving.

The carriage sped off into the night, and with very little illumination beyond the castle walls, it was soon swallowed up in the dark.

“Good luck, Lady Emerald,” Emerald said quietly before going into the gatehouse. She took a sword from one of the fallen guards and lowered the portcullis, then jammed the sword into the gears, effectively locking it shut. Then she left the gatehouse and stood by the road, watching as three golden lights closed in from left, right, and straight ahead.

The first to arrive was Sir Hors, his visor down and the golden staff in his hands, shedding a harsh golden glow on the scene. A handful of guards trotted in after him, spears and swords in hand.

From the east side came Sir Lionheart and his radiant shield, his eyes almost normal now, though there was still a tint of gold in them. Another group of guards came with him, these ones mostly sporting bows.

And then down the middle, with the largest troop of guards, Morn Dread thundered into view, quite literally. Lightning sparked and flashed from Excalibur, one even zapping out and shattering a lamp as he passed it. His eyes were glowing a fierce gold, like when Lady Emerald used the sword herself. He was breathing heavily and seemed almost… tired. The guard remembered about how humans couldn’t use the artifacts without nearly killing themselves, but Morn seemed have been able to offset the side effects, at least partially.

Emerald spotted the hole in his chest armor and gulped. This was her one chance if her plan worked. She placed a hand over the dagger at the back of her belt and breathed deeply. Either way, she would slow him down and give Lady Emerald and the others a chance to get far away. So far away that Morn would have great trouble reaching them or even finding them.

“Tis over, Emerald Edge!” Lionheart shouted. “There is nowhere left to flee!”

“I will speak to Sir Morn,” Emerald said, trying to keep her composure. “Only, Sir Morn.”

“Tis King Morn now.” Sir Hors thudded the staff on the ground, emitting a shower of small sparks. “You will address him as so.”

“Now, now,” Morn Dread’s voice echoed across the expanse. “This is Lady Emerald you are speaking to,” The dark knight flourished Excalibur and stepped closer. “Show some respect for your queen-to-be. My lady, have you finally come to your senses? Do you now see I will bring about the good of this world?”

He thinks I am Lady Emerald… Emerald thought. Perhaps in the dark, it would be easy to mistake one for another, seeing as they were the same person.

“Come now, my lady,” Morn said, edging closer. “Go back to the castle with me. I shall have you washed and dressed in silks within the hour.”

Emerald leaned away from him, her dagger hand trembling slightly. She was only going to have one chance at this.

“My lady?”

Morn raised Excalibur high, and a pure gold light shone from the sword, banishing the shadows that Emerald had been hiding in. Sir Morn’s face twisted into surprise, then settled into fury.

“What- Who- You are not my beloved. What is this!?” he roared, leaping forward and wrapping his fingers around Emerald’s neck, lifting her off the ground. “Where is Lady Emerald, you deceitful snipe?!”

Emerald tried to pry apart the fingers on her throat, but Morn Dread was too strong.

“Far… away…” Emerald choked out. “Far from here… and far… from you.”

And with her piece said, Emerald whipped out her dagger and stabbed it at Morn’s exposed face. Morn flinched and instinctively dropped Emerald. The dagger had sunk into his cheek, and blood flowed down the side of his face.

With an enraged howl, Morn thrust forward with Excalibur, impaling Emerald through the chest and lifting her up off the ground. Blazing light surged from the magic sword, crackling like a bonfire as it burned Emerald’s body into ashes.

Still breathing heavily, Morn reached up and removed the dagger from his face. The wound bled for a few seconds more, then began to close and heal. He shook the last few clumps of ash from Excalibur and turned around, putting his back to the portcullis.

“Our quarry has evaded us for now,” Morn announced. “Knights, back to the castle. Lady Emerald is clever, so we must be cleverer. She shall not slip through my grasp so easily! I will find her… and she will see things my way, or she shall perish.”

60 - Arrival at Avalon

Emerald Edge hopped out of the carriage as the horses began to slow to a stop, her mind still trying to comprehend everything that had happened since she had escaped from the dungeons. She had slept little on the almost two day journey to Avalon, preferring to sit near the back of the wagon and stare at the receding city of Canterlot. The horses had been driven at a brisk gallop at first, slowing down to a canter after a few hours, then finally to a trot. They had stopped to let the horses sleep and eat once, but after that they had been driven at the quickest speed possible to put as much distance between them and the capital city.

Canterlot had disappeared from view a long way back, but the thoughts of it never left Emerald’s mind. She had thought of Canterlot as a second home, a place where she could live comfortably with friends and the man she loved until a way could be found back to Equestria.

But those times had violently changed and along with it, Morn had too.

In the end, if anyone was to blame, it would’ve been King Dawn Saber. Sure, he was never the best of kings, living in such wealth while a portion of Canterlot had to scrape for food, but to disown his own son and to cast him out like that… Emerald could not comprehend how someone could possibly prize their status above their own children, illegitimate or not.

But Morn hadn’t taken it well. In fact, he had taken it far too badly.

Emerald shuddered as she recalled the scene of chaos where Morn had claimed Excalibur. The throne room, blasted apart. The valorous Knights of the Round Table, all indoctrinated. And the king of Canterlot, slain by his own son.

Everything was wrong. And in such a short time. Bandits and druids she could fight and defeat easily, but how could she fight her fellow brothers in arms? How could she battle an entire kingdom? Emerald felt the long-banished weight of despair slowly come down upon her, a feeling she had not experienced in years.

The carriage trundled to a halt, creaking as the passengers alighted, some of them slightly jelly-legged from sitting down for so long.

“Are we here?” Jewel Pin gasped. Staying in a carriage for two days had not done her appearance any favors. The seamstress tumbled out of the carriage and landed in a pile of straw. “I can hardly believe we actually made it.”

Posey hopped down to the ground and pulled Jewel Pin to her feet. “There there,” the archer said soothingly. “You did very well.”

Emerald went to the back of the carriage and took out a torch. She lit it with some flints and held it up to shed light over the carriage. They had arrived a few hours after the sun had gone down, and she could not see people about, though Emerald could see various cottages with lights shining through the windows.

All of them have had various injuries escaping Canterlot, mostly from stray shards of wood, but thankfully, they had two mages with them and they had done their best to patch up their wounds. It had been some time now and Emerald was glad to find her cheek wound had healed up nicely, but unlike her physical injuries, her heart could not be so easily healed.

To be standing here right now, they had paid a heavy price. Her friends that she had thought she had found once again were all gone, sacrificing their lives so that she could get to Avalon.

“Ahh, it’s been more than a year since I’ve been here,” Spectrum announced. “The air always smells so good in Avalon. Like apples.” She breathed deep, taking in the crisp aroma. “Lovely.”

There came the sound of running footsteps, that of metal boots hitting the compacted earth.

“Halt!” A man’s voice rang out, his voice just like that of Honeygold and her parents. “Who goes there?”

Emerald looked around. There were four humans, wearing an assortment of chainmail and plate armor, approaching. They had their swords drawn, but didn’t look as if they were about to attack.

“Tis I, Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table,” Emerald announced. She surreptitiously put both hands behind her back, ready to activate her hidden blades, just in case these guards were also under Morn’s spell.

“A lady knight? All the way here?” The guards looked at each other. “Well, we haven’t had a visit from a knight of any kind in quite some time. Welcome to Avalon. What brings ya here?”

“There… is too much to explain right now.” Emerald scratched behind an ear, reminiscing about the escape from Canterlot again. “May we ask which farm belongs to Apple Bean and Golden Nugget?”

“Of course,” one of the guards said, pointing at a faraway cluster of cottages. “Their farm is that way yonder, on the edge of the Western Orchard.”

“You have been most kind, good guard.” Spectrum walked ahead and waved for them to follow. “Come. I know the way.”

Emerald relaxed as the group began to make its way through Avalon. It was different here. There was no outer wall like Canterlot had. All that Avalon had was a lake surrounding it, with their carriage having crossed the bridge to get here earlier. The cottages were mostly like the ones back at the Shades, with stone walls and thatched roofs. Many farmers looked out from their windows as Emerald and her crew passed by, with some of the children even pointing at them and asking their parents questions.

“It does not look like Morn’s influence has reached this far yet,” Light Speckle observed. “Everyone here seems in control of their own faculties.”

“It should still only be limited to Canterlot’s castle and town.” Guard Streak waved at one of the children on the way. “The towns out here like Avalon would not need to be bent to his will. All he needs to do is change decrees and they will have to follow.”

“Yes, we do learn things like that as squires.” Spectrum tapped the side of her nose and nodded. “We may not know how to read very well, but we know how things work.”

Emerald plodded along in silence. Ordinarily she would have been thrilled to visit an apple orchard, but her mind was still on Canterlot and what might be done to save it. There were many farms on the way, all of them farming apples. A whole island of apple farmers was rather intriguing, especially when all of them sounded like Honeygold and her family. Emerald had yet to encounter any other humans but these apple farmers who sound like that.

Over a bridge and down a sloping path, Spectrum skipped a few steps and pointed over to a farm that stood just below the hill they were on. It looked just like all the other farms, except this one had a second storey and a larger building to the right of it, which seemed to house cows and horses.

“Honeygold! Honeygold, are you there?” Spectrum ran along, with Guard Streak in tow.

The first two humans out of the farm were Apple Bean and Golden Nugget, looking very much surprised to see Spectrum and Emerald’s whole group and their carriage coming down towards the farm.

“What are ya doin’ here?” Apple Bean was the first to speak, giving Spectrum a warm hug. “And so many of you too.”

“You mean you haven’t heard?” Spectrum asked incredulously. “Nevermind. News travels slow. If news is even traveling at all.” Spectrum stood back and shuffled her boots. “The truth is, Mrs. Bean, we’re on the run.”

“What’s that now?” Apple Bean did a double take. “You’re runnin’? From who?”

“It’s… a long story,” Spectrum admitted. “But we’ve been traveling for two days and some of us need to rest. Can we stay with you for a little bit?”

Golden Nugget scratched his head, looking at the party.

“Well lookit that. We got us a whole slew o’ visitors.”

Spectrum waved. “Hello, Mr. Nugget.”

“I could really use a nice cup of tea.” Jewel Pin stuck her tongue out. “It has been years since I have skipped out on tea for more than a day.”

“There will be time for tea later,” Light Speckle insisted. “Right now what we have to do is rest from the journey. I don’t know about you, but some of us need to sleep.”

“That’s fine,” Golden Nugget nodded. “Y’all can rest in the worker’s cabins. Normally in tree plantin’ season an’ harvest time we hire farmhands, but in the off season, their place’s empty. Come on, Ah’ll lead ya there.”

Taking a torch from its sconce next to the house, Golden Nugget beckoned for Emerald’s friends to follow him.

“Is Honeygold around?” Emerald asked the farmer as they followed along.

“Ah, the young one’s out visitin’ a friend.” Golden Nugget scrunched up his face, almost like he wasn’t sure of what he was saying.

“This late?” Emerald looked at the sky. It was almost pitch black now.

“Her friend’s… uh, a late nighter,” was all he said. “Ah’m sure she’ll run along before long. She’ll be happy to see y’all.”

Emerald nodded. It had been a while since she had seen the apple farmers. She looked around. Even in the darkness she could smell the crisp scent of the apple trees and feel the cool breeze on her face. But events of late had darkened the former pegasus’ demeanor so that not even the delights of the island could lift her mood.

Soon, a trio of wooden houses came into view in the torch light, each of them just about identical, except for window placement. They were simple houses, consisting of six beds in each. Nothing else.

“Well, here we are.” Golden Nugget waved a hand at the cabins. “It isn’t much, but Ah reckon y’all will find a good night’s rest here.”

“Are there baths here?” Jewel Pin picked at her hair. “I am in need of one. I smell simply dreadful.”

Posey rolled her eyes at the seamstress.

“Baths?” Apple Bean chuckled. “Why, we just use the lake. Worry not, the lake water is clean and free of parasites. Well, for the most part.”

Jewel Pin gawked at Apple Bean, who chuckled. “Ah jest. We’ll take you to the waterfall in the morning.”

“Waterfall?” Jewel Pin looked like she was about to faint.

“Just get some rest,” Posey instructed, steering the seamstress to a bed. “Everything will be better in the morning, you shall see.”

Jewel Pin protested weakly, but fell into the bed all the same. In moments, she was fast asleep.

“I guess we’d better do the same,” Emerald said. “Thank you, Golden Nugget and Apple Bean.”

“Then we’ll come back to check on ya tomorrow mornin’ with some breakfast.” Apple Bean was the first to the doorway. “We’ll tell Honeygold once she returns. Ah’m sure she’ll be first to wake ya tomorrow. Have a good rest.”

Emerald said her farewells, then went over to one of the beds and began taking off her armor.

“I will take first watch.” Posey placed her bow and empty quiver down on the bed closest to the door. “I do not know how far they are willing to pursue us, but if they come, I will be ready.”

“Without arrows, Posey?” Spectrum’s lip raised in question. “Streak and I can take first watch. We’ve learnt some combat in the recent moon.”

Guard Streak nodded meekly and tapped at the dagger at his side.

“If you would like to.” Posey adjusted her bandana. “But immediately let us know if there is trouble.”

“How would they even know where we have gone?” Nightfall asked as she lay down. “We could have gone anywhere.”

Light Speckle shook her head. “The staff allows the user to scry people and their surroundings. We must not stay in one place for too long, otherwise they may still find us.”

“Why would they even want to follow us all the way out here?” Nightfall sat down on a bed and took her boots off. “Do they not have better things to do than to chase a few people?”

“Emerald is special,” Light Speckle explained tiredly. “She’s the only one who is a threat to Morn’s rule. He can’t risk her running wild. Besides, he probably still loves her.” Speckle yawned. “We can talk more about this in the morning. Right now, we have to recover from the journey. We have a long way to go ahead of us, so sleep while you can.”

61 - The Next Morning

Emerald Edge awoke as the morning light dawned on her face, causing her to rise up from her bed and give her eyes a good scrubbing.

It was daytime already. There had been no intrusions in the night, which was very good news.

She spotted Nightfall Gleam sitting on the bed beside her, scribbling on some loose parchment. “Nightfall, what are you doing? What time is it?”

The mage didn’t look up from her work. “I do believe I heard five bells earlier. I am making some notes on the artifacts. From what we saw when we left the capital, at least.”

Emerald looked around at the other beds. Only Light Speckle and Jewel Pin were asleep. All the other beds were empty.

“Everypony, uh, everybody is up early.”

“Oh, yes. They are.”

“I shall go have a look around.” Emerald slipped into her greaves and headed outside.

A cool morning breeze blew in from the hills, bringing with it the smell of fresh apples. It was rather cold here, making Emerald once again wish she were a pegasus. The only real cold they felt back in Equestria were the winds of the Frozen North. Even during winter, all she would wear was a scarf and it was enough.

Some farmers were already out gathering apples from their trees or tilling the ground with hoes. There was the edge of the lake nearby and Posey was sitting there, her feet in the water and Gabriel on her left arm. Spectrum Song and Guard Streak were piled up against the cabin wall, with the former’s head against the latter’s chest.

Looks like they’re still not ready for guard duty… Emerald smiled as she thought to herself. Though it was nice to see the two of them taking a break from everything that had happened since Morn had taken over Canterlot.

The spymaster decided to approach Posey, who seemed to be lost in another world. She sat down beside her, looking out at the shimmering water as the sun could just be seen in the distance, still slowly rising up into the sky. That made Emerald wonder again how it went up and down without a Princess Celestia to move it.

“Strange, isn’t it…” Posey said without looking up from the water. “How this place seems so calm, after everything that we had just been through.”

“News will take some time to reach Avalon.” Emerald nodded. “How do you fare, Posey? Leaving Canterlot?”

The archer sighed and shook her head. “I do not know, Emerald. I’ve lived all my life away from towns. I must say, I do like having a bed to sleep on, and I do like having someone to share it with…”

Posey was feeling it too. The loss of a loved one. Like Emerald, she had fallen in love with a valiant knight, who had unfortunately been transformed into a mindless slave by Emerald’s own lover.

“We shall find a way out of this, Posey. We will.” Emerald gave her shoulder a pat. It was hard losing someone so important to you. Unfortunately, Emerald had experienced this too many a time.

Morn had turned and had taken away everything dear from each of them. Even now, Emerald couldn’t believe that the human she loved was capable of something like that. The Morn Dread she knew would never murder his own king and usurp his throne. It just wasn’t who Morn was. Or perhaps she hadn’t really known who he was until now.

Emerald was lost in thought when she heard someone walk up from behind her. It was Jewel Pin.

“Ahh…” The seamstress stretched out her arms. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept so soundly. Though I suppose it’s only to be expected after spending two days on the bumpy road.”

Emerald nodded. The smell of freshly baked pastry wafted into existence.

“Soup’s on, everybody!” she heard Apple Bean shout.

On the word soup, both squires shook themselves awake and got up, looking around and stretching.

“Someone say soup?” Spectrum Song asked, hurrying over to the path leading to the cabins, where Apple Bean was standing. She had a tray of bread, but the smell of apples were so strong, Emerald didn’t think they were actually bread. “This isn’t soup.”

“Just an expression, young Spectrum,” Apple Bean chuckled. “Though if ya like, we could always make some soup for ya as well. Nothin’ to it. Might Ah add, you and Streak there are very cute together.”

“We-we’re not- I mean, it isn’t-”

Apple Bean smiled and patted Spectrum on the head, tousling her multicolored hair. “Only teasing you, sugarcube.”

Streak looked a little upset at the comment, but no one but Emerald seemed to notice it.

“Ah don’t get to bake for visitors often enough,” Apple Bean continued. “Here, eat up! Apple fritters an’ tarts. There’s more cooking if it ain’t enough for y’all.”

“Cannot say no to food.” Spectrum licked her lips and grabbed one.

It was quickly in her mouth and with a solid crunch, the smell of apples in the air got stronger and it got Emerald up on her feet and towards the apple farmer.

The taste of the fritters was so rich in flavor that Emerald found herself having more and more; she had lost count after seven.

“Gee, Em, ya sure eat a lot. Must be that horse blood ya got.” Emerald turned to see Honeygold standing behind her, a wide smile on her face. “Good to see ya.”

“Hohneygohd!” Emerald said through her stuffed mouth and gave her a squeeze. The girl was past her shoulders now. Perhaps one day she would surpass even her father in height. “I’m sorry we could not be here on better circumstances. But yes, tis good to see you here.”

“Ah think it’s time ya tell us what y’all are doin’ here, Emerald.” Apple Bean watched as Spectrum stuffed a fritter in Streak’s mouth.

The spymaster sighed. None of it was good news, but she told it all anyway, starting from the king’s death at the hands of his very own son, followed by her imprisonment, and then the escape and journey here.

All the while, Apple Bean and even Honeygold’s expressions dropped lower and lower, the news sinking deeper and deeper into their minds. They sat there in stunned horror. Only after Emerald’s tale had concluded did someone say something.

“Ah… Ah can’t believe it,” Apple Bean said in a low voice, holding her almost empty tray in her hands. “Ah didn’t think it could get any worse after the druids, but…”

“Ah can’t believe it neither!” Honeygold exclaimed, angry tears in her eyes. “It’s not s’pposed to be this way! It was so perfect before. Why…”

“I don’t really know why either, Honeygold,” Spectrum said to her best friend, putting an arm around her shoulders. “But we’ve got a plan to make it all right. Right, Emerald?”

“We… have most of a plan,” the former pegasus admitted. “We have learnt of the possibility of more artifacts in a land far from here. Tis called Saddle Arabia.”

“Never heard of it,” Honeygold said.

“Ah have,” Golden Nugget’s voice said. Everyone turned their heads to look at the farmer, who was walking over with a basket of apples. “Now Ah don’t know much, but my grandpa used to be a seed collector. He told my pa about all the places he’d been to. One of ‘em, was Saddle Arabia. If’n Ah remember right, Saddle Arabia’s way over the mountains, and has a lotta desert.”

“What’s desert?” Honeygold asked curiously.

“Sand, Honeygold,” Spectrum was the one who told her. “Just sand everywhere. You learn a bit as a squire.”

“Well as mah grandpa learned, ya can’t grow much in a desert, but there are these Saddle Arabians have these things called oasises. They grow figs at ‘em. Now, them figs don’t grow well here in Avalon, but Ah think Ah still got the seeds somewhere. An’ that’s all Ah know,” Golden Nugget concluded with a shrug.

“Way over the mountains, huh?” Apple Bean hummed. “An’ you’re sure that there’s something there that’ll stop Sir Morn?”

“Well, not yet…” Emerald admitted. “The mages need time to go over Clover the Clever’s journals and notes about the artifact that she scryed with the staff all those years ago.”

“Sker-eye?” Honeygold pronounced. “Ah don’t know what that means. But if you wanna stay, you can, right, ma? Pa?”

Apple Bean and Golden Nugget looked at their daughter’s wide, pleading eyes and sighed as one.

“Y’all can stay,” Golden Nugget nodded. “It’s the least we can do for a friend. And any friend of Emerald’s is a friend of ours.”

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart,” Emerald gushed. “We won’t be here for too long. Only long enough to figure out where we need to go next. We do not wish to attract Canterlot’s troops here and endanger you all.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Honeygold asked.

“You’re already doing so much for us,” Emerald said, giving the young girl a pat on the head. “We’ll let you know if we need your help, alright?”

Honeygold nodded delightedly. “Sure thing, Em! Ah’ll go stand watch by the bridge. Ah won’t let them soldiers sneak up on you.”

No sooner had Honeygold finished did she take off like a arrow, grabbing a pitchfork on the way to the bridge.

“She certainly has spirit,” Emerald said after Honeygold was out of sight. Then she turned to Honeygold’s parents. “Thank you for your hospitality. I’ll just to see how the mages are doing on finding that artifact. Have yourselves a good morning, you two!”

Moon Tide squeezed into the crack between a pair of boulders. She held a sword in one hand, and a key in the other. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it in. She replayed the order that the queen had given her.

“Morn Dread must die. Kill him.”

The mage shuddered a little. The queen’s orders were absolute, but there was no way she could bring herself to kill her own son. Not now, not ever.

But he had to die. That was the order. And the queen’s orders were absolute.

Shaking the thought out of her head for now. There was something she needed to do presently, and it could be quite dangerous, depending on how things went.

Moon Tide banged on the bars of the cell with her sword’s pommel, making a loud clanging sound. She did this until she heard movement from within the cell, and she stood back to wait.

“Who is there?” The ex-Knight of the Round Table, Prancelot, came walking up to the door. “Is it time for the food delivery already?”

Moon Tide stepped into view. “No. There will be no more food deliveries for you.”

Prancelot squinted at her. He had grown a beard in the time he had been imprisoned, and he scratched at it. “What do you mean?”

“I mean things have changed, knight,” Moon Tide said calmly. “Therefore we no longer need you or Sunlight Radiance here.”

“You are going to kill us?” Prancelot said, shock and anger growing on his dirty face. “You shall have to go through me to get to Sunlight-”

“Silence. That’s not what I mean.”

Moon Tide tossed a small object through the bars of the cell and onto the straw-littered floor.

“That is the key to this cell. It is yours. Take it and get out, and do not ever let me or the queen see you again.”

Prancelot picked up the key as Sunlight Radiance ran over to him. “You-you are letting us leave?”

“Yes. Now you can go anywhere you please. There is a horse and some supplies tied up outside. What you do now is completely up to you; I have more important things to do.”

“Just like that?” Sunlight looked at her skeptically. “You have kept me here for so long. And you are just letting us go?”

“Yes, I am,” Moon Tide replied impatiently. “Unless you would prefer to stay here?”

The key was quick to appear in Prancelot’s hand and he was soon pushing the cell door open, the way out finally achieved. He was the first to warily walk out towards Moon Tide, making sure to keep Sunlight behind himself at all times, just in case.

“Well, there is your horse,” Moon Tide said, pointing to a stallion that was familiar to Prancelot. “I stole your old steed from the stables and brought it here. I hope you still remember how to ride. Food and water is in the saddlebags, but I warn you, if you value your newfound freedom, stay as far away from Canterlot as possible.”

Prancelot nodded and, with a little difficulty, got onto his horse. After pulling up Sunlight as well, he looked back down at Moon Tide.

“This may be the last time we see each other, mage. I just wanted to say… thank you for always being fair with us, even as our jailer. I know we have reason to hate you, but you brought me back to the real Sunlight, and I have to be thankful for that. So, fair winds to you, Mage Moon Tide, in whatever else you may choose to do.”

Then he spurred his horse and was off.

Moon Tide watched them go until they were but a small speck on the horizon. Then she went to her own horse and slid into the saddle.

“Next stop, Avalon.”

62 - The Way Onward

The next day dawned bright and early on the island of Avalon. Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam had been up nearly all night, poring over the journals of Clover the Clever, and it showed. The two mages had bags under their eyes and moved as if in a daze. But they both wore triumphant smiles on their faces.

“We did it!” Nightfall yawned at breakfast, which was outdoors by the lake. Everyone automatically stopped mid chew and turned to look at the mage. “We know what we’re looking for!”

“You did?” Jewel Pin asked, looking somewhat impressed. “Well, do tell us, dear mage.”

Light Speckle stepped forward and opened one of Clover’s journals to a marked page.

“Here. According to Clover’s visions with the staff, there is an artifact that she calls the Apple, located in Saddle Arabia. Supposedly it’s in this ancient temple in the desert, and Clover has sketched out the surroundings of the temple, with landmarks and all. Now we just have to go and retrieve it, and we can bring it back and save Canterlot!”

There was a moment of silence as everyone took this in.

“You make it seem so simple,” Posey muttered, looking at Speckle.

“Well, that’s the general plan anyway,” Nightfall said hastily. “We don’t actually know exactly where this temple is. Clover actually wanted to go to Saddle Arabia to look for it, but she’s too old to do so much traveling. But she made notes of anything useful that might help on the journey.”

“Does it include how to get over the mountains?” Jewel Pin asked. “Because that might be important to know.”

“Can’t we just walk over the mountains?” Spectrum shrugged and nudged Guard Streak, who did the exact same motion.

“Walking over the mountains is treacherous,” Light Speckle said ominously. “There are many dangers between here and the mountains that I would prefer not to tangle with. And that is just half the journey. None of us have ever been that far away from Canterlot before. It will be challenging.”

“Then it sounds like you will need a guide,” a familiar voice announced from behind them.

Everyone turned around to see who had spoken. Riding a black stallion that was panting with exertion, was the mage Moon Tide. She slid out of the saddle and landed in a crouch before straightening up. Her robes were dirty at the hem and there were shadows under her eyes.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald exclaimed. “What are you doing here? How are you here?”

“Careful.” Posey was the first who held out an arm instinctively. “We must be assured that she has not been turned by Morn. She is his mother, after all.”

Moon Tide stepped closer, holding up both hands in a universal gesture of ‘look, I’m not carrying a big, murderous weapon’.

“I can promise you that I am not ensorcelled. As for proof, I would have you look at my eyes. All of Morn’s enchanted puppets have a golden glow. Mine are the selfsame purple.”

Spectrum looked as though she was convinced, but Posey still looked skeptical.

“How do we know you’re not working for Morn Dread anyway?”

Moon Tide shifted in place. “My son… has to be stopped. I understand and taste his heartbreak at being turned down by Dawn Saber, but this reaction goes far beyond his right of retribution. Morn’s actions will bring ruin upon this kingdom. And so the queen has sent me here to aid you in stopping him. Whether that means slaying him or else.”

“Ya would willingly have your son killed?” Apple Bean was aghast. “Ah mean, he’s done a terrible thing indeed, but to want him dead… That ain’t somethin’ a parent should want of their child.”

“Queen Sunlight is convinced that it is the only way,” Moon Tide said, a lump forming in her throat. “I… I have to carry out her will. But I can’t do it alone.”

“You-you really want him dead?” Emerald asked, feeling as though a knife had been inserted into her chest.

She had weighed her options and she had very reluctantly tried to end Morn, even though it would’ve brought her much sorrow. She knew she couldn’t let him become the man he had become, but it was perhaps that same reluctancy that made her miss her chance. If there was any way she could save him from himself, she wanted to do it.

“I do not wish him dead, Lady Emerald.” Moon Tide looked down. “I would do anything I could to spare him, but the queen has spoken, and I cannot disobey her, but at the same time… I just… I cannot kill him. He’s my son and I love him.”

“I do not want to kill him either,” Emerald said, putting a hand on Moon Tide’s shoulder. “Maybe once we have an artifact of our own, we can convince Morn to back down. There are possibly many ways to solve this without resorting to killing him.”

“I hope so,” Moon Tide said quietly. Then she scrubbed her eyes and put on a bright smile. “But you need to get to Saddle Arabia for that, don’t you? I have been out as far as the foothills of the mountains. Mayhap I can guide you that far.”

“Uh, just how far are these mountains?” Honeygold raised a hand to ask. “Ah mean, as apple farmers, we kinda know some of the geo-gruh-ma-fee, but Ah don’t think we’ve ever gone out that far.”

“We haven’t, dear.” Apple Bean put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

Moon Tide sat down on a barrel, gesturing to the east. “The Coltcasus Mountains that separate our lush forests from the vast deserts of Saddle Arabia are about three weeks’ horse ride that way, if you’re going at a leisurely pace. Perhaps two and a half weeks if going fast. We need to pass through the Kingdom of Prance and the Kievan Horse territory to even get to the foothills. I have been there while looking for ingredients and magical herbs. There are many hazards that lie between here and the mountains that I know about. After the foothills though… my knowledge is lacking.”

“Ah’ve heard o’ them Kievan Horses,” Honeygold beamed. “Ah’ve a… friend who’s told me lots of them. Says they have hats made of fur and they all like their al-co-ma-hols.”

“Trust me, they’re not the friendliest of humans, young one.” Moon Tide adjusted her moon circlet on her head. “We are better off if we do not meet them. The Prench too.”

“And this is just to to foothills?” Posey put her chin onto her fist. “We do not have a lot of time to spare.”

“No, but the sooner we set out the better,” Emerald said, folding her arms. “With every day that we stay here, the more likely we are to be discovered.”

“Yes, I agree. Moon Tide could have been followed.” Posey tapped the end of her bow unconsciously. “If she could arrive here already, what is to say they would not?”

“Morn is unpredictable in his current state,” Moon Tide said. “I am fairly certain I was not followed, but I did not make any effort to cover my tracks, as much of a hurry as I was in.”

“Besides,” Light Speckle spoke up. “He has the staff. It’s unlikely, but possible he may be scrying us.”

Everyone immediately looked around and up uncomfortably.

“The sooner we leave Avalon, the better.” Emerald looked to her friends. “We do not want to put you in any danger, Apple Bean.”

“I want to go with you, Em!” Honeygold bounced up to her. “You’ll need someone like me around to help.”

“Tis going to be dangerous, Honeygold. We cannot possibly allow you to come along.” Posey bent lower to talk to her.

“But Ah want to help.”

“Honeygold, listen.” Emerald joined them. “I cannot put you in more danger by bringing you with me, no matter how much I would like to. It will not be an easy journey and we do not even know what we may encounter on the other side.”

“Em is right, dear,” Apple Bean said. “You’re still young. Ya cannot possibly go.”

The young farmer pointed a finger at her friend. “Spectrum can go. So does her lover.”

“Hey, hey, no no, Streak’s not my lover.” Spectrum turned away and blushed. So did Guard Streak. “B-Besides, we are squires. We are trained with the sword.”

“Ah can use a dagger.” She pulled up her shirt and removed a blade from her belt. “See here? My friend’s been teachin’ me to protect myself or deal some damage.”

It was a short weapon, with a slightly curved edge and a blackened handle. There were even engravings along the side of the blade in a foreign language that Emerald couldn’t decipher.

“My my, if I did not recognize a Kievan Horse blade if I did not see one.” Moon Tide marveled at the dagger. “Pray tell, where did you come across such a fine weapon?”

“Like Ah said, Ah have a friend who’s been trainin’ me on usin’ one.” Honeygold put her hands on her hips proudly. “He’s from there, ya see.”

“Can we meet this friend?” Spectrum squished her cheeks together. “He seems like an interesting person.”

Honeygold had a think about it. “Maybe tonight.”

“Settled.” The rainbow haired squire grinned madly.

“Look, yes, this is not the important part of our quest,” Nightfall Gleam reminded them. “We should leave Avalon as soon as we can. We do not know how long we have until Canterlot’s forces arrive to kill us.”

“Then packing we must do.” Jewel Pin pulled up at her dress’ hem. “I have much to pack, so I think I should get to it first.”

And she was immediately off towards the cabins.

“The rest of us should get to packing too.” Light Speckle scratched at her already messy hair. “And a bath before leaving would not hurt. It would be a while before we may find somewhere with a bath again.”

“Yes. We do not even know what kind of people Saddle Arabia may hold,” Spectrum chuckled and nudged her fellow squire. “For all we know, they don’t even wash.”

Streak laughed. “D-Don’t t-te-tell that t-to Je-Jewel Pin.”

“You children are so… delightful.” Moon Tide gave them a smile.

“Hey, I am no child.” Spectrum puffed out her chest and held her head high. “We are to be knights one day.”

“That’s if you ever return to Canterlot as a hero.” Posey patted her on the shoulder. “While we wait for you to pack... Emerald, we do not have much to pack. Could I speak to you? Somewhere quieter.”

“Oh, very well, Posey. Honeygold, why don’t you help them out? I shall not be long.”

Posey led Emerald to a copse of trees behind Honeygold’s house as the three youngsters ran off towards the cabins, with the mages following soon after. The air smelled crisp and sweet, which calmed Emerald down somewhat. After all, an apple a day keeps the problems away, as her mother used to tell her.

“So what is it you would like to speak of, Posey?” Emerald found a fallen log and took the chance to stretch her legs on it.

“First, tis about where we are going. We are to pass through Prench territory, Em.” A shadow passed over Posey’s face. “I have never told you of this before, but the bandits that took my mother, they were of the Kingdom of Prance. If we are to pass through any settlements, I would ask for a chance to see if anyone would know the whereabouts of my mother. Dead or alive, I have to know.”

Emerald rubbed the tip of her foot against the ground. “I know you care a lot for your mother, Posey, but we cannot jeopardize the mission just for you. You know that, right?”

“I… I know, Em…” Posey looked away into the woods. “I just… We are going through the people who took her. I thought there could be a chance. To find out. After all these years…”

Emerald stared at her feet. True, they were on a mission to save Canterlot, but who was she to deny her friend something that she longed for?

“Look,” Emerald said eventually. “If we pass any settlements, you can ask around about your mother. But we’re not going to go out of the way to find her, alright? Getting to Saddle Arabia is our main objective.”

That seemed to brighten up the archer’s face and she nodded. “That would be great already, Em. Thank you. That will be another thing I would be in your debt for.”

“You’re my friend, Posey. Friends stand up for each other, yes?”

“Yes, they do.” Posey went over and gave Emerald a warm hug. “Thank you, Em. You were my first friend and you are certainly my best.”

The former pegasus chuckled and gave her a pat on the back. “Now, you said this was the first of things you had wanted to discuss?”

“Oh, yes. Right.” She pulled away and pinched at her bandana unconsciously. “You see, ever since Moon Tide has gotten here, I… haven’t been able to… get a good reading of her.”

“Good reading?” The spymaster tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I'll go more into detail with it later, but I am not entirely sure of Moon Tide's intentions. I am a fairly good judge of people's character, but Moon Tide is a mystery to me.”

“You don’t think she’s spying for Morn, do you?” Emerald wanted to be sure what Posey was getting on.

“I do not know, but I do know… she isn’t our enemy.” Posey looked up with conviction. “I just do not know if she is truly with us.”

“These are trying times,” Emerald said comfortingly. “To be honest, I’m still feeling a bit lost. But our best plan is Saddle Arabia. Once get there, we can start on restoring peace to the kingdom.”

“That’s if we can even find that artifact.” Posey exhaled and shifted her quiver belt. “Where would we even know where to look?”

“The mages are working on that. But I am sure once we get close to it, I will know.” Emerald could recall the warm feeling of home whenever she was close to an artifact. She would be able to feel the one in Saddle Arabia once they get close enough.

“Yes, I suppose you are right.” Posey looked past the trees around them and into the distance. “Em, do you think we can save them? The knights, I mean.”

The former pegasus knew exactly who her friend was talking about.

“I do not know, Posey,” she answered honestly. “I want to be able to save them. I do. They were my friends, my brothers in arms. If I could save them, I would try my hardest to do so, but… I do not know, Posey. Morn, he… I do not know what I can do.

“I had my chance. I could have ended all this before it even began, but I hesitated and that had cost me. I love Morn. I cannot possibly take his life, even if it was for the sake of the kingdom. I do want to save him. If there is a way to convince him, to show him just what he is doing to us all, I want to take it. But… if it comes down to taking his life… If I have to, Posey… I don’t know if I can…”

Posey placed a hand on Emerald’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I trust you, Emerald. I am sure when the time comes… You will make the right choice. I just hope… That we can save them.”

“We will, Posey.” Emerald squeezed her hand back. “I will bring Sir Ganeighn back to you if I am able.”

Posey smiled. “There is really so much I have to thank you for, Em.”

“And I you, Posey. You have taught me so much in my time here.” Emerald looked up at the apples in the trees, suddenly feeling hungry. “I know together, we shall all get through this dark time just fine.”

“An interesting group of people you have brought out of Canterlot town. I am sure each of us can contribute greatly to our quest. Speaking of which, perhaps we should go aid them in packing.”

Emerald nodded and looked back the way they had come from. “Yes. I think Jewel Pin of all people shall need the most help.”

63 - The Spurs

Emerald looked out the window of her cabin and watched as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon, signalling the end of the day. Cicadas chirped in the twilight, and Emerald thought she saw an owl swooping around near the orchards; if she didn’t know better, the owl was probably laughing at them as it flew about.

“The weapons and food have been packed, Lady Emerald.” Guard Streak came over to tell her, breaking her concentration on the great outdoors. “And Honeygold and her family have been so kind to supply us with a crate of apples and salted beef each.”

“That’s excellent news,” Emerald said to the squire. “I just hope the apples will last until we get to another town where we can stock up on supplies.”

Guard Streak nodded. “Aye, my lady. Spectrum says you don’t eat meat, and apples don’t last all that long. There are also a few jars of apple jam and some loaves of bread.”

“Very good. How are you faring, Streak? Leaving Canterlot behind cannot have been easy. Your family must be quite worried for you.”

Guard Streak shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t really know. I think they have bigger things to worry about than me going on a quest. I do hope Sir Morn has not gone and taken over their minds with Excalibur.”

“Yes, I suppose they do…” Emerald thought of Morn and sighed deeply. “If I had been there for him, do you think any of this would have happened? Maybe if I had stayed by his side, I would be able to convince him, maybe even stop all this from happening before he even killed the king. I hadn’t thought it was so serious.”

Guard Streak kicked the tip of his boot against the floor awkwardly. “Well, maybe?” he said uncertainly. “I… should probably get going. See you in the morning, Lady Emerald.”

And with that, the squire left the cabin, heading over to the adjacent one.

Emerald didn’t blame him for wanting to go. These were things that children may still not fully understand.

She continued looking out the window until the sun had fully vanished and stars began to paint the skies. The faint sounds of people talking could be heard, and Emerald eventually came away from the window and instead sat on her bed.

She wasn’t tired by any means, but she knew she had to get some sleep while she still had a bed to use. Once they were on the road, there wouldn’t be so many opportunities for a calm night’s rest.

Lying down, the former pegasus closed her eyes and attempted to drift off, but she just never went drifting. Opening her eyes after what felt like ages, She found it was still dark. Posey and Nightfall Gleam slept on either side of her, both seemingly sound asleep. She envied them, being able to sleep through this night. She just wanted to be able to get up and see the sun rising on them all already. The more time they spent here, the longer it would take to stop Morn and retake Canterlot.

“Go to sleep, Emerald. Just go to sleep…” she told herself.

After what felt like another age, Emerald pushed up to her feet and walked out of the cabin barefooted, thinking maybe some fresh apple-scented air would be able to put her mind at ease.

She waltzed over to the nearby lake and found a spot to kickback, giving her a good view of the still water ahead of her. The peaceful scene was accompanied by the sounds of crickets, along with the occasional rustling of the apple trees as the winds blew through Avalon. Having not many buildings here, Avalon was considerably cooler than Canterlot, and without her coat to warm herself up, Emerald was feeling a little cold, though getting warm wasn’t one of her current priorities.

Using this time of quietness, Emerald thought back to the good times she had as a Knight of the Round Table, the battles she had fought in with her brothers-in-arms, the love she had with Sir Morn, and even the joy and laughter she’d shared with her friends through all her dark times.

There had been many good times, far outweighing all the bad, but now, here they were, cast out of Canterlot, cast out of her duties once again. Twice now, Emerald had lost the royalty she had sworn to protect. Twice now, her kingdom had been usurped by someone or somepony who saw it fit to rule over the land, and she couldn’t do anything about it, at least not now.

Saddle Arabia housed one of Star Swirl’s artifacts. She did not know which one or even what other artifacts there were, but she knew if they could get to it, they would have a chance over Morn. He may have had three artifacts under his charge, but he was no Equestrian. He would never be able to handle them like she could.

She knew if they could make it there, they could fight back. They could win.

A sniffle came from somewhere on Emerald Edge’s left, drawing her attention over to a row of apple trees by the lake. At first, she saw nothing, but once she let her vision focus, she could see a tall shape hiding amongst two trees, a blue hood over her head, her face in her hands. She couldn’t see if it was an intruder, but after a few more seconds of allowing her vision to pierce the darkness, Emerald could see it was Moon Tide, and she did not look herself. For as long as she had known Moon Tide, the mage was a calm woman, not even breaking under the largest of weights, but there she was, seemingly broken.

Emerald knew exactly what could cause her to be like so. Getting up, she walked over to the treeline.

As Emerald approached, Moon Tide’s head jerked up, and she turned around. There were damp tracks down her cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot, but the mage managed a smile anyway.

“You’re up late, Emerald,” Moon Tide said quietly. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I could say the same for you,” Emerald replied, sitting down on a stump. “Looks like you could use some company, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Moon Tide laughed weakly. “I don’t need as much sleep as most people. Call it a side effect of my… condition as a mage.”

Emerald looked into the pitch black woods. The darkness certainly matched the mood here tonight. “Moon Tide, I am sorry about what Morn has done. I am sure it must break your heart as it does mine.”

Moon Tide wiped at her eyes. “I… I guess it does, Emerald. You know I once had a dream to see my son as a king. Little did I know he would not rule well. Not everyone is fit to rule, though everybody wants to rule the world.”

“I don’t.” Emerald picked up a twig and bent it gently between her hands. “All I had wanted was to find a way home. To restore my princess and her empire to what it was before Sombra. Coming here, I did not expect to find friends, to find new purpose, to find even love. I was happy with how things were. I did not need to rule to have it all.”

“How noble.” Moon Tide regarded Emerald with unfathomable eyes. It was as though there was light coming from them, but then the mage blinked and the lights went out.

“I still do hope Morn can be saved, Moon Tide. I love him. I do not wish him dead.”

“Emerald,” Moon Tide began. “I have something to confess. You see, Morn is not exactly-”

The mage paused mid sentence, cocking her head to the side and inhaling through her nose. Then she hissed, “Rouse the others, Emerald. We have company.”

Posey woke to the sound of Gabriel screeching from above, her hand immediately reaching for her bow and arrows by the bedside. There were a series of thuds from outside, and then the door to the cabin was thrown open, revealing a cluster of silhouettes, who wasted no time in marching in.

Spectrum Song and Guard Streak were immediately grabbed as they woke up, still too dazed to act.

“Get up, get up!” Posey shook Nightfall Gleam up, then nocked an arrow.

A spear was thrust towards her, but Posey ducked to one side and let her arrow loose, piercing through one of the interlopers’ necks. A wet gurgling sound left his mouth and then he slumped down, his face resting on Posey’s bed.

A second one attempted to attack her, rushing in. Posey hopped up to one of the beds and smacked the perpetrator across the jaw with her bow before kicking off his shoulder and landing on a third, thrusting her hidden blade deep into his chest until it couldn’t go anymore.

She didn’t know what was happening, but it was likely Canterlot had found them. They needed to move.

There was a brief noise behind her and as Posey turned, something hard struck her on the back of her head and everything went black.

The remaining six guards stood there in the darkness, looking down at the unconscious bodies of the people who had been sleeping in the cabin.

“Well,” the leader, a man named Peat Moss said, lowering his cudgel. “Just as King Morn Dread said. They were hiding here in Avalon, with those apple farmers that Emerald Edge was friendly with.” A golden light shone from his eyes.

“Aye, sir,” Lead Weight, one of the soldiers under Peat Moss agreed. “Them guards at the gate were pretty worthless. Pointed us right to them,” he sniggered.

“And you,” Peat Moss said to one of the soldiers who had attacked Posey with his spear. “Flax, the king wants ‘em back alive. Spearing folk isn’t going to bring them back alive. Unless you want to face the king’s wrath?”

Flax, even through the magic that bound his mind, trembled. “No, sir. I apologize, I just got carried away.”

The leader shook his head and gestured to their captives. “Get this lot on the wagon. You two, you’re coming with me. We’re bringing in those apple farmers as well.”

“What about Emerald Edge?” a squat guard called Turnkey asked. “She is not here.”

Peat Moss shook his head. “She won’t dare try anything with her friends as our prisoners. Make sure when you load up the wagon, one of you keeps a sword to their throats. Now come on, I want to get an early start on the road, so the sooner we round up everyone the better. And tell the rest of the boys and girls to keep their torches lit. King Morn says Emerald Edge is good at sneaking around, so she can’t sneak if we keep the place lit.”

“You shan’t get away with this!” Spectrum Song, the squire, had roused and struggled against the rope they had tied her with. “Emerald will stop you!”

Turnkey cuffed the squire on the head. “Silence, traitor. Canterlot will see you hang for turning your back on the king.”

“He turned his back on us!” Spectrum spat at the man.

“Oh, put a mouse in it, Turnkey,” Flax exclaimed. “I’m not listening to them blabbering all the way back to Canterlot.”

The guard tutted a curse and stuffed a handkerchief in the squire’s mouth, then continued to drag her to the wagons as Peat Moss and two others left.

Another guard, Soursnout, grabbed a purple haired woman, and hoisted her over her shoulder as she squirmed and kicked, a ball of cloth in her mouth to prevent her from making too much noise.

“Hey, this one is not bad.” Flax grabbed the woman’s chin and moved it from side to side. “Maybe we can keep her for some… light activities.”

“Yes, maybe.” Turnkey threw the squire into the back of the wagon. “The children and the mage are inside. Just this one and the archer to go.”

“Once Peat Moss and the others come back with the farmers, that will be everyone, yes?”

“Besides the former lady knight, yes. This archer caused some trouble for us.” Turnkey walked over to her and grabbed her by the hair. “Me thinks if it be anyone we use for light activities, it be her.”

Suddenly, an eagle flew down from above and sliced at him with its sharp talons, forcing the guard to drop the archer and raise his hands to defend himself.

“Help! Help! Gerritoff!”

Soursnout threw the woman she was carrying into the wagon and swung her spear at the bird, which quickly detached from Turnkey and disappear into the night sky.

“I-I think it got me eye. I cannot see through one.” The plump guard had one hand over his right eye and blood trailed down from between his fingers.

Four more guards with torches ran over to check out the commotion, one of them handing him a roll of cloth to use.

“Keep an eye on the captives.” He pointed to the wagon as he placed the cloth against his eye, which quickly began to turn red. “Peat Moss said to place a sword at their throats.”

They nodded and proceeded into the wagon as Turnkey continued to curse and swear from the pain.

An owl hooted. It sounded like laughter.

“Shove it, you stupid bird. All of you, keep an eye up as well. If that bird comes back, kill it before it takes out another one of our eyes.”

A rustling in the bushes on the left caught all their attentions and a sword was already in Turnkey’s hand as he tried to peer through the dark with one eye.

“Probably just a squirrel.” Soursnout snorted. “These are wilder lands than Canterlot town.”

Turnkey didn’t want to risk it. “Torches, over there. Find out what that was.”

Three of the torchbearers left the wagon to investigate, while the last one stayed in the wagon, keeping her blade out to the captives. Their circle of firelight illuminated the undergrowth, but they did not find anything except some faint boot prints in the hard earth.

“Looks like someone’s been here…” one of the soldiers said, straightening up and looking around, keeping a tight hold on his mace. “Come out!” he shouted into the forest. “We know you are there!”

There was no response.

“Come out or your friend gets it!” he yelled again. He gestured to the wagon, where the soldier in charge there pressed the sword deeper. Not enough to draw a lot of blood, but enough for it to hurt. The purple haired one wriggled and screamed through her gag.

Still nothing moved.

“Maybe… maybe we’re just jumping at shadows, sir,” a soldier suggested.

The soldier with the mace shook his head.

“King Morn was very clear. Emerald Edge is very good at sneaking around and spying. There’s no such thing as ‘just jumping at shadows’ when it comes to dealing with her.”

Suddenly, a rock flew out from the darkness and struck the guard at the wagon in the face, sending him tumbling off the side and onto the dirt floor in a heap.

“What?” Turnkey stood there stunned for a second too long.

A shape darted out from the opposite direction and tackled him to the ground, a rock smashing over the back of his head. Flax ran at her with his spear, missing as Emerald Edge rolled away, lodging it into Turnkey’s back. If he wasn’t already dead, he was now.

“Oops,” Flax muttered as Emerald hit him in the chin with her rock. It hurt, but Flax dropped his spear and drew his mace, eager to fight.

Emerald kicked the spear up into her hands and swung it, but there wasn’t enough room. Flax darted in with a swing that Emerald reflexively blocked with her left arm, but she gasped anyway. Flax smiled. A mace, unlike a sword, could inflict damage without cutting through skin, meaning he could break bones and not worry about his victim bleeding to death. He was glad he had picked one now.

“Get her!” he yelled to the others.

Emerald fought valiantly, but with a broken wrist and no weapons and armor, all she could do was throw punches and kicks. She even managed to stab one of the soldiers in the shoulder, though his gambeson absorbed most of the hit. Flax then shattered the spear’s shaft with his mace, leaving Emerald with a broken piece of wood, but that hadn’t meant she wasn’t armed.

Readying the piece of wood, Emerald kicked Flax down, then jumped over him and speared the splinter right through a torchbearer’s left eye.

Then a loud voice rang out.

“Stop right there, criminal scum!”

Everyone stopped fighting to see who had spoken. It was Peat Moss, who had returned from the Apple family’s cottage. In one hand he held a small crossbow, which Emerald recognized as the work of the Canterlot Mages. And this compact but deadly weapon was pressed against the young farmer girl’s temple. The girl was still dressed in her sleeping clothes, and was shivering with cold and fear at the entire scene.

“Unhand her!” Emerald raised her broken shaft.

“Another step and this bolt goes right through her head.” Peat Moss shoved the tip of the crossbow hard against The girl’s head, earning a whimper from her.

Lead Weight and the other guard, Downsize, dragged in the girl’s parents, kicking them down to their knees beside their daughter, their arms bound behind their backs with rope.

“Put down the spear,” the lead guard demanded. “Now!”

Reluctantly, Emerald let go of the wooden shaft that she had been holding.

"Good," Peat nodded. "Now put your hands behind your head. Someone tie her up. You're going to answer for defying the king."

“Don’t give up, Em!” the young farmer girl yelled. “You can take ‘em!”

“Shut your gob!” Peat Moss slapped her across the face. “If she does not surrender, you’re going to get it!”

“Don’t ya touch my girl!” The girl’s father attempted to stand, but Lead Weight kept him down.

“Quiet!” He went silent as he was kneed in the face by Lead Weight.

“Stop! Leave them be!” Emerald Edge yelled at them, raising her hands up. “I surrender. Release them.”

“No, don’t, Em!”

“I said be quiet!” Peat thumped the butt of his crossbow on the girl’s head, earning a cry of pain from her. “No can do, lady knight, ahem, former lady knight. They are coming with us too.”

The air seemed to grow colder around them as Peat Moss and the other guards waited for Emerald Edge’s response.

Suddenly Emerald seemed to be looking at something to his left. Looking around, the guard spotted nothing, but her focus was to the darkness beyond their circle of torches.

“What was that?” Emerald said, looking over Peat’s shoulder. “More of your men skulking in the woods?”

“Ha! I’m not falling for that,” Peat sneered. “That’s the oldest trick in the book, Emerald Edge. You will have to try harder than that in order to…”

“Sir?” Downsize said uncertainly, peering over Peat’s shoulder as well. “I saw it too.”

“What?” The lead guard turned for a second. He saw nothing beyond their line of torches. “You sorry sack. Tis probably the rest of the troop, like the lady says.”

“What if tis more of the farmers. We might upset them by taking their own.”

“Then they can go talk to the king about it!” Peat Moss swung his crossbow around the area. If they were indeed other farmers of Avalon, they were going to get a bolt between the eyes if they tried to intervene.

The temperature seemed to drop more as time passed and even the captives seemed to notice it, with the farmer girl in Peat’s grip shivering more than before. But there was something about her that was off. The whimpering and trembling from her had ceased and instead, a smile had replaced her fearful look.

“What? What are you smiling about?” Peat shoved the crossbow back in her face. “You think I will not shoot just because you are a child?”

“It ain’t that.” Even the girl’s voice had changed. It sounded more confident. “Ah’m just thinkin’ how sorry you will be.”

“What? I should just kill you now!” Peat placed his finger over the crossbow trigger and shivered. It was getting surprisingly colder.

Before he could pull the trigger, he suddenly jerked back a step and the girl ran away from him towards Emerald Edge and he hadn’t tried to stop her.

“W-What?” Peat Moss tried to raise his crossbow, but he realized it was no longer there. In fact, his whole arm was no longer there and blood sprayed from his body like a fountain. “Ah-Aaahhh!” He grabbed for his wound and fell to his knees.

“Sir!” Soursnout ran to him and then raised her spear. “Who goes there? Who did that!”

“You do not harm my friend,” a voice sounded somewhere around them, echoing unnaturally.

“Kill him!” Peat’s face scrunched in pain. “Kill him!”

“You can try.”

Suddenly, a pale white man appeared within the torchlight. He only wore a pair of tattered pants and he carried no weapons.

“Coming unarmed?” Soursnout approached him with her spear. “You’ll pay for that.”

Soursnout jabbed forward with his spear, attempting to skewer the man, but he sidestepped and seized the weapon in his right hand, and squeezed. Frost coated the point of contact, and the wood shattered in his grip, leaving Soursnout with a bladeless shaft.

By now all of the soldiers had noticed the commotion and were rounding about, weapons drawn.

“Would you like to try again?” The stranger threw the bladed tip of the spear onto the ground.

Soursnout rushed him and punched him in the face, but he barely flinched as her fist connected with his face.

The man smiled, a most eerie smile. “My turn.”

Grabbing her head, he spun her around. Opening his mouth, Peat spotted a pair of long fangs as he sank them into Soursnout’s neck. The female guard’s screams echoed across the isle as she struggled to get free. Blood dribbled from her neck, staining her armor and shirt a dark red. Almost as quickly as it had started, her body stopped moving and went limp in the man’s grip.

“Been a while since I have tasted human.” The man’s eyes now glowed a bright red as he smiled at the guards with his bloodstained teeth.

It had all come as a surprise. As Peat Moss knelt there, growing weaker and weaker, he noticed even Emerald Edge had backed up a step. Even she didn’t know what was going on.

“Wh-what are you…?” Peat asked weakly.

“Would you like to see? I shall show you.”

Peat didn’t know if it was the blood loss that was making him more delusional than he already was, but as the man tossed Soursnout’s body aside, hair began to grow all over his body and a pair of wings sprouted from under his arms.

‘Vuh-vuh-vampire!” One of the guards yelled and made a run for it into the darkness.

“None of you will be leaving here…”

Peat had already collapsed on his side before the vampire disappeared from the spot he was standing at. He could hear the screams of his guards, along with the occasional sound of flesh rending and bones breaking, but he could do nothing to run.

Almost as quickly as it had all started, everything fell to silence. Not a single sound of conflict or footstep. Peat Moss thought he was going to die by blood loss, but then a guttural growl sounded just behind his left ear.

“Do not think I had forgotten about you,” an animalistic voice said, one of so much darkness and as ancient as time.

Oh no…

Peat screamed as huge fangs were driven into his neck.

65 - Fort Hayward

Author's Note

Happy New Year, everypony~

65 - Fort Hayward

“I’m hungry…” Was the first thing Jewel Pin said after the group had traveled a long distance from Avalon.

The sun was high in the sky now, burning down upon them, but at least the cold winds blowing kept them cool.

“You just had a loaf of bread about two bells ago.” Posey looked at her with narrowed eyes.

“We don’t even have bells out here.” Jewel Pin folded her arms. “For all we know, it has been much longer than two bells.”

“I said about.”

They were traveling along the main road, but had not passed anyone else so far. There were sparse copses of trees scattered to the left and right, but when it came down to it, the path ahead stretched on and on, over hills and valleys.

Moon Tide, Apple Bean and Golden Nugget rode alongside the carriage on their own horses, with the mage taking a deep breath of fresh air here and there.

“We’re nearing the outskirts of the kingdom,” Moon Tide said to Emerald at the front of the pack. “The territories here are often in dispute with the other surrounding kingdoms, but the borders are kept by garrisons of soldiers who make sure that nobody invades us. I think by sundown at this pace, we’ll reach Fort Hayward.”

“Fort Hayward?”

Moon Tide nodded. “Tis the border station for the East road of Canterlot. More of a large barracks, really. There we will hopefully be able to get a better bearing of where we are and how to proceed. As well as some beds and a hot meal, hopefully.”

“How do we know that the soldiers there won’t try to kill us?” Emerald wondered.

“You saw how Excalibur’s influence had not yet spread to the guards in Avalon,” The mage pointed out. “Fort Hayward is much further away from the capital than the Isle of Apples. News travels slowly; it may be entirely possible that the men at Fort Hayward do not even know Dawn Saber is dead.”

“We should warn them. Get them prepared for when Morn’s men come.” Emerald looked ahead at the distance from the top of the carriage. Honeygold and Spectrum Song sat on top with her, but the two younger humans were busy chatting about vampires, so Emerald left them to it while she discussed their next move with Moon Tide. “At least that way they may not be added into the fold of controlled guards.”

“After we leave Fort Hayward, we’ll be in foreign territory,” Moon Tide continued. “Prance is the nearest country, geographically speaking. They do not have a liking to us Canterlotians, so if you can help it, try to not speak unless you have mastered the Prench accent.”

“I can do it.” Spectrum puffed out her chest and wore a proud smile on her face.

“You? Really?” Honeygold snickered.

“Yes. Listen.” The squire cleared her throat. “‘ello, are you ‘aving a fine dey. I am ‘aving a goot one, zank you vury much.”

There was silence for a while, before Moon Tide coughed twice. “I… think you should remain quiet when we get there.”

“Hay, only Prench Ah know is ‘bone jaw’,” Honeygold said. “Ah ‘spect it means ‘hello’.”

At this, there was no comment.

The day passed without much incident. They stopped for a light lunch at noon, carefully rationing out the crusty bread, dried meat, fruit, cheese, and vegetables. Jewel Pin ravenously dug into the food, much to the annoyance of Posey. Guard Streak was voted most courageous person of the day when he slew a viper with his dagger that had been lurking near the horses.

Nightfall spent most of lunch looking around with her spyglass, staring over to the east.

“The mountains are even further away than I thought,” she announced. “Even with my telescope I cannot see them yet. They must be behind the horizon.”

“They are far, mage Nightfall.” Moon Tide pushed her spyglass down. “Remember, we have to travel through two other kingdoms and we have yet to leave Canterlot’s lands.”

“We ain’t never been out of Canterlot.” Golden Nugget crunched on an apple. “What’s out there?”

“All manner of things,” Moon Tide sighed. “I have often journeyed far from the capital to gather ingredients and herbs. It can be dangerous, but so long as we keep our noses clean and stay on the road, we should not have much to worry about.”

“We have to be wary about the Prench,” Posey said sourly. “They are barbaric beasts who take what they want. They took my mother many years ago. I do not yet know if she still lives.”

Light Speckle held up her map and traced a line on it with a twig. “We will be passing through the southern borders of Prance, and will be in their lands for four days. Six at most should we linger. The map does not show where the settlements are, however. Only the road.”

“We are sure to attract attention, traveling in a big group like this,” Jewel Pin pointed out. She gestured to the entire traveling party. “Perhaps we should come up with a cover story for our caravan. One that does not mention that we are fleeing the capital to look for magical items.”

“Which of us can even sound Prench?” Emerald looked to her friends. Being a spymaster, she could possibly learn it if she was given time, but time wasn’t something they had at the moment.

Nobody moved.

“Well, so much for blending in as natives,” Spectrum muttered. “What else have we got?”

“Perhaps they won’t be as bad if we talk to them.” Apple Bean put a hand to her chest. “We Avalon folk don’t quite sound the same as the rest of ya. We could do the talkin’.”

“You really think so?” Posey said skeptically.

“It is true that you do not sounds like the typical Canterlotian citizen,” said Jewel Pin, nodding, her mouth full of fruit. “If nothing else, we have that.”

“I suppose that will be our plan, at least till we can think of a better one.” Light Speckle shoved a piece of bread into her mouth.

“Alright,” Apple Bean assented and began to help pack away the food and water. “Then Ah guess we should get on the road again. Don’t want to get caught ‘fore we even get out of Canterlot.”

It was dusk when a cluster of lights appeared far in the distance, about twenty miles away down in a valley.

“There it is, Fort Hayward!” Moon Tide announced to all. There was a ragged cheer. “Let us ride to our resting place tonight.”

“Hot food!” Jewel Pin wiggled her fingers like she was trying to grab something. “I cannot wait!”

As the fort’s lights grew closer, it became apparent that it was not just one building, but a cluster of them built next to a river. Several tall watchtowers stood at the mouth of the valley, with tiny specks of men moving about atop them. There was a wall of logs surrounding the fort, each log sharpened at the tip to deter anyone from climbing over them.

Night had truly fallen by the time Emerald and Moon Tide, at the front of the party, rode up to the front gates. They were made of heavy granite, and there were armed soldiers everywhere.

“Halt!” the soldier in the first gatehouse called out, appearing with his spear and shield. “In the name of King Dawn Saber, who goes there? What is your business here at Fort Hayward?” Above him on the wall, a line of archers appeared, arrows nocked to bowstrings.

They don’t know King Dawn Saber is dead yet… Emerald realized. She called out. “Tis I! Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table! My friends and I seek shelter for the night at your fort.”

“A Knight of the Round Table…” One guard quickly thumped another on the back of his head. “Let her in! She is a knight! Open the gate!”

That was simple enough…

“Forgive us for the harsh welcome, Lady Emerald,” the soldier from the gatehouse said, slinging his shield across his back to usher them into the fort. “But we are the first line of defense on the eastern road of Canterlot. One cannot be too careful.”

“Y-yes, I understand,” Emerald said, wheeling the carriage over to the stables.

“You and your companions are welcome here, of course, lady knight. You can stay in the inn for as long as you need.”

“Thank you,” Emerald said gratefully.

The soldier adjusted his sword belt. “So what brings you here? Is it a message from the king? More troops and weapons?”

Emerald shook her head. “Not a message, no. Not exactly.”

“Oho, are you on a quest, then?” The guard’s face shone with eagerness. “You know, I always wanted to go on a quest. But then I got assigned here, which is good too, never let it be said that I don’t want to serve my king and country. But sometimes I wish I could go on a journey to help people. Or at least, aid in a quest.”

“That day may come sooner than you think,” Emerald said pleasantly, dismounting the carriage. “Thank you for your hospitality, er…?”

“My name is Kite Shield, Lady Emerald. I’m one of the captains here. If there’s anything you need, come find me.”

The spymaster nodded and proceeded to stop the carriage by the stables, where she gave the two horses gentle nudges to their snouts for all their hard work.

This made her think of Foxtrot. She wondered just what that greedy stallion was up to now and she hoped that he was safe and looked after.

The inn wasn’t far from the fort gates, with a big sign that read, The Wisping Stallion, painted in red above the doors. It was a large building, much bigger than the tavern back in Canterlot. Emerald supposed that in order to cater to the appetites of so many soldiers, they would need a big place for them all to eat and drink at.

Leading her friends along, Emerald pushed open the door to the inn. Inside there was a roaring hearth fire, wooden benches and tables, as well as a well-stocked bar. There were a band of soldiers seated inside, quaffing beer and tearing into succulent joints of meat while a trio of serving girls fluttered around them, refilling their drinks.

Gross… Emerald eyed as their teeth ripped meat apart. After all these years, the sight of eating meat still sickened her.

“Ah, welcome!” A muscular man wearing a clean brown tunic and an apron walked up to greet Emerald, looking at her armor and shining hair. “Name’s Pot Roast, I am the landlord here. I do not recall seeing you in my establishment before. What can I do for you?”

“We are passing through. Unfortunately there has been trouble in Canterlot Castle,” Emerald tried her best to explain without causing panic. “We must journey away from Canterlot in our quest to save it.”

“Canterlot, is it?” Pot Roast directed them over to some tables and gestured for one of the serving girls to come assist him. “It has been some time since we heard anything from the capital, what with Fort Hayward being so far away. You say there is trouble? What kind of trouble, may I ask? It must be serious if the king has sent one of his closest knights to quest for him.”

Emerald looked to her friends.

“The king did not send us…” Moon Tide said darkly. “My brother… is dead.”

There was a stunned silence. Even the soldiers stopped chewing their food, and a piece of meat fell onto the tabletop with a splat.

“What...” Pot Roast said flatly. He gave a nervous laugh. “Ha ha. For a second I thought you said the king was dead. Ha. I misheard, right?”

“Nope, you heard right,” Spectrum piped up. “The king is dead.”

“WHAT?” Pot Roast roared. Behind him, the handful of soldiers started muttering amongst themselves; one of the serving girls fainted dead away onto the floor.

“Even now our enemies come to bring you all under their control.” Emerald eyed all the guards. She had to at least let them know they needed to be prepared. “You must not let them turn you."

"Easier said than done," Jewel Pin said half to herself. "How can they stand against Excalibur's magic?"

"Magic?" The soldiers' fearful muttering grew louder. “Did she say magic?”

“Surely you all know about the king’s blade.” Nightfall looked at them funny. “Excalibur is renowned through the lands as a powerful weapon, capable of firing blasts of lightning.”

“Oh. Yes, the mage is right.” The soldiers began to nod one by one.

Moon Tide slapped a hand to her forehead and sighed.

“Who comes against us, lady knight?” Pot Roast asked after a bout of murmurs erupted from the guards about treachery and magic. “Who has usurped the throne and turned against us?”

“It was…” Emerald still found it hard to believe how mad it had all become. “Sir Morn Dread, Knight of the Round Table.”

“Sir Morn?” The soldiers were all aghast, with Pot Roast even taking a step back. “Knight of Kindness? It cannot be!”

“Psssh, Knight of Kindness.” Spectrum giggled to herself. “Still sounds odd after all this time.”

“Tis true…” Guard Streak told them. “Sir Morn has seized the throne and has bent all of Canterlot under his will.”

Emerald nodded her head. “It will only be so long before he arrives at the border. You must be ready.”

“This is grave news indeed,” one of the soldiers said at last. “I… I should report this to Captain Kite Shield.” And he walked off, muttering to himself all the while and shaking his head.

Pot Roast coughed. “Well, if what you say is true, then the best thing for us to do is to aid you as best you can. Your quest is to right the wrongs, yes? I expect the other Knights of the Round Table are also out questing?”

“About that…” Posey said grimly.

Suddenly, the door to the inn slammed open, with a pale-looking Kite Shield and another man and a woman with him.

“We just got a shocking report from one of our men,” Kite Shield said. “It is true? King Dawn Saber is truly dead at Sir Morn Dread’s hand?”

Emerald nodded.

“Bygones,” the other man said, scratching his goatee. “We live in dangerous times.”

“Calm down, brother,” the woman said, though she fidgeted with the helmet that she held under her arm. “Now is no time to panic. We must come up with a course of action.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Kite Shield said nervously. “These are the other two captains of Fort Hayward. My brother and sister, Tower Shield and Heater Shield. I brought them here to discuss our options.”

Emerald looked at them. They seemed like decent enough fighters. “There are artifacts that we are after. Beyond Canterlot. That is why we have journeyed here. If we could get them, we could stop Morn and right this madness.”

“Well, what can we do to help you then?” Heater Shield demanded, slamming her helmet onto the table. “Fort Hayward’s resources are yours to command, lady knight.”

Pot Roast raised his hand, reminding them all that he was there. “What about the other Knights of the Round Table? You didn’t say what happened to them.”

“They have all been turned.” Posey looked away sadly. “Excalibur has the power to bend others to its owner’s will. They are now against us…”

“Grave, grave, grave news!” Pot Roast went back behind his counter and rested his head on it. “What can we do now? Even if we fight back, they have a king’s weapon! We don’t stand a chance!”

“The only way through this is if we can gather the artifacts and fight back.” Jewel Pin put a hand on Emerald’s shoulder. “Only Lady Emerald here can wield such weapons better than the usurper king. Only she can save us all.”

Emerald looked down, her ears turning red. “You did not need to say it like that… I know tis asking much of you all, but if you could delay Morn’s armies when they arrive, it would certainly help us.”

“By all means, we are at your command, lady knight.” The three captains slapped their fists to their chests. “We fight for Canterlot. We shall give our lives for Canterlot.”

“We can’t ask that of them, Em.” Honeygold pulled her arm. “It’s like we’re sendin’ them to die.”

“Tis alright. We swore to defend Canterlot at all costs,” Tower Shield said proudly. “That includes defending it from a usurper king.”

“We will do what we can,” Heater Shield added in. “For Canterlot. In the meantime, Lady Emerald, you and your friends must eat. Rest. You have a long journey ahead of you.”

“Th-thank you.” Emerald was always pleased to see the humans ready to give themselves up for their cause. It reminded her of her friends back in Equestria. She’d lost them all twice now, but their deeds would be remembered for as long as she lived.

“I’m ready to rest.” Spectrum sat on a stool and put her legs up on another. “Streak?”

“M-Mhm…”

“So...” Pot Roast returned with a pot full of stew. “You must rest and eat. This is on the house for such a noble quest, lady knight.”

“Hot food!” Jewel Pin squealed a little too loudly, much to Posey’s chagrin.

“Hmm! What’s in it?” Honeygold skipped over and looked inside. “Smells really good.”

“Beef,” Pot Roast answered proudly.

Emerald took one whiff of the stew and collapsed back.

66 - Charting Ahead

“Ohh, I have not eaten so much since leaving Canterlot…” Spectrum Song rubbed her belly. “But that was so good…”

“Oh yes…” Guard Streak picked a piece of meat from between his teeth.

“Ah ain’t never eaten this much at a time in my life.” Honeygold’s eyes were close to closing.

It was now nearing midnight, and Emerald’s group had just polished off the last scrap of food from Pot Roast’s sumptuous feast. He had insisted on it, as there would be little to no chance of getting a decent meal before they reached the next settlement.

Emerald herself had mostly stuck to the vegetables, stewed carrots and shells of crunchy lettuce, while occasionally having some cheese and ale. And the ale was fantastic, just as good, if not better, than the drink they served back at Canterlot Castle.

In the end, most of them had retired to the rooms for the night, leaving the three young ones to lounge near the fireplace, basically filled to the brim on beef stew.

“What kinda food do ya think we’ll find over the mountains.” Honeygold asked, waving a finger around in the air for no reason.

“I wonder what we’ll even find in Prance and Kievan Horse territory.” Spectrum burped and scratched at her cheek. “I know the Prench have fantastic bread, from what the knights told us.”

“Don’t forget about the wine!” Guard Streak mentioned. “Prench wine is meant to some of the best in the world. I’d like a taste.”

“Ah don’t think we ought to be drinkin’ any of them alcomahols yet.”

“But Sir Hors lets me have ale at dinner,” Spectrum said, nudging Guard Streak. “Or at least, he used to. It wouldn’t be too bad to try a bottle of that fancy Prench stuff, right?”

“Didn’t Sir Hors only let you eat his leftovers?” Honeygold asked.

“Nah, not since Sir Morn talked him into giving me better food,” Spectrum’s face grew sad. “Sir Morn used to be such a nice person. He helped me.”

“Knight of Kindness, after all,” Honeygold reminded them.

“Yes…” Guard Streak said quietly. He put his hands behind his head and thought. “You know, it really goes to show how little it takes for a person to change.”

“Whaddya mean?” Honeygold asked. “I mean, from what Ah heard, it took a lot to turn him, uh, evil.”

“Well that’s just the thing,” Spectrum said. “Nobody really knows what happened in the throne room that day. By the time Emerald and the other knights arrived, the king was already dead. But I do not think Sir Morn just happened to snap like that. He is not that kind of man.”

“Or,” Guard Streak said. “H-He wasn’t. I am not so sure what he is like now.”

“Well, mah great-grandpa Neighbraham Drinkin’ used to say: ‘Nearly all folk can handle ayd-vur-sity, but if you wanna test a man’s character, give ‘im power’,” Honeygold recited.

“What’s ‘ayd-vur-sity’?” Guard Streak asked curiously.

Honeygold shrugged. “Dunno. Pa says that great-grandpa Drinkin’ was a wise old feller though, so what Ah get out of that is that if you wanna see how a feller really is, power’s the way to tell.”

“So what you’re saying,” Spectrum said slowly. “Is that Sir Morn was always a power-hungry false king?” The squire shook his head. “I can’t believe that. We all knew him as the nicest knight ever, after Emerald, of course.”

“Emerald was g-given some power as a K-Knight of the R-Round Table,” Guard Streak said as he shifted in place to get more comfortable. “Does that mean she passed the test?”

“Em’s… special,” Honeygold answered, her brow furrowing in thought. “Ah mean, she was already servin’ a princess back in her world. Ain’t so much different than being a knight, right?”

“I guess not…”

Outside, an owl hooted. It sounded like laughter. The trio sat there, staring into the crackling flames of the hearth.

"I wonder how my parents are doing…" Spectrum muttered to herself. “I hope they haven’t been turned by Morn. They aren’t fighters. They would serve no use to him anyway.”

"I'm worried about my family too." The other squire nodded. "I wish I could have told them about this quest, b-but we left in such a hurry."

“That is why we must finish this quest.” Spectrum punched a fist in the air. “Once Em gets one of those artifacts, Morn won’t stand a chance!”

“But first…” Honeygold burped. “Ah think we need a rest.”

“I agree.” Spectrum grinned and ran a hand over her belly again. “First we rest.”

The three young ones left the dining area, proceeding up to the rooms. The flight of stairs seemed to be a daunting task after such good food, but they attempted the ordeal anyway; the thoughts of a nice and soft bed spurred them on.

“So, Spectrum…” Honeygold whispered to her friend as Guard Streak led the way up. “When are ya gonna do it?”

“Do what?” The squire let out a hiccup.

“Ya know…” Honeygold held back a laugh. “Tell him ya like him.”

“What? No way. No! I don’t like him!” Her cheeks glowed a bright red. “I mean… He’s my friend, yes. But I-I don’t… That. Yes. You know! You have to do these things properly! I mean, there’s a way to tell people this kind of thing. You can’t just do it out of the blue.”

Honeygold sighed. “Alright, Ah’ll let ya focus on doin’ it the ‘right way’. But given that we’re on a dangerous quest, maybe ya oughta tell him sooner rather’n later, ya get me?” She finished with a cheeky smile.

Spectrum nodded glumly and opened the door to her room. The inn was made to house dozens of soldiers at once, so their troupe each had a room each, unless they wanted to share.

“Well, a good n-night to you two,” Guard Streak bade them, taking his candle into his room with him.

Spectrum nodded. “Yes. Goodnight.”

The next morning, Emerald Edge and the other adults met up with Kite Shield and the other two captains in the war room to decide their next course of action.

The current plan was to leave by the other end of the fort and head east. Beyond the gates would be the Kingdom of Prance, and judging by the state their two kingdoms were in, they didn’t want to meet any Prench humans, especially not soldiers.

Kite Shield and the fort were going to wait for Morn’s men to arrive and see what happens. If they wanted a fight, the soldiers here were going to give it to them.

Emerald didn’t like how they were going to throw their lives away like that, but they were doing it to buy them more time before Morn could find them and get to them. For now, they needed all the time they could get.

“We have plenty of reserves of hot tar for the Prench.” Heater Shield pointed to a long building on their battle board. “We can turn it to the west side of the fort instead. That alone should buy us quite some time should they want to turn us too.”

“Assuming Morn doesn’t just decide to blast the gates open,” Light Speckle quipped. When everyone looked at her, she ducked her head. “I somehow don’t think he will be the one chasing us though. But thanks to the staff, he will know approximately where we are at all times. So he may know we have stopped at this fort.”

“Wait, you only mentioned Excalibur,” Tower Shield interjected. “He has a staff as well?”

“Sir Morn currently holds all three of the greatest magical treasures of Canterlot,” Posey said. “Excalibur, the Shield, and the Staff. We currently think he has given the Shield and Staff to two of his underlings, but that does not mean we shouldn’t be watchful for them.”

Emerald nodded. “Agreed.”

“Do you think this will mean a civil war?” Kite Shield asked nervously. “Surely not everyone will accept Morn Dread as king. Not like this.”

“You can’t think of this as just any other usurper,” Light Speckle said grimly. “Even if there’s some conflict, I doubt it will erupt into a full civil war. Not when one side has such a huge advantage over the other.”

“And he has legitimacy,” Nightfall pointed out. “He does claim to be Dawn Saber’s son.”

“The king’s son? Is that true, though,” Heater Shield said. “Anyone can make a claim like that if it suited their needs.”

There was some muttering around the table before Moon Tide cleared her throat and spoke up.

“Tis true. Morn Dread… is the king’s son. Though not conceived with the queen, but with me.”

“The king… with his own sister?” Tower Shield wiped a hand across his brow.

“Tis true. Though, the king was not in his right mind when he took me that night. I do not know if he even recalls what he had done.”

Emerald nodded. She remembered how upset Morn had been when King Dawn Saber had rejected him as his heir. For the time she had known Morn, he had always dreamed of knowing who his father was and he had been ecstatic to know his father still yet lived. It must have been a huge blow to him when the king turned him away.

“We shall still hold him back as long as we can,” Tower Shield said at last. “No treacherous king, true heir or no, shall be our monarch. We will slow them down the best we can.”

“We best be movin’ as soon as we can, then.” Golden Nugget pulled at his overalls and grunted. “We wanna put as much distance as we can between the evil army and us.”

“I agree with Golden Nugget,” Jewel Pin said as she chewed on a piece of pastry. “I do not want to see them again until we obtain our secret weapon.”

“Then we best wake the young’uns. Ah’ll go get ‘em.” Apple Bean left the planning room.

“If you need some more food for the journey, Pot Roast will be willing to provide,” Kite Shield told them and then drew a finger along a drawn path on the map. “The route you will want to take through Prance is this one. The quickest through it.”

“Will there be any villages along that path?” Posey pushed past Emerald and asked.

The spymaster knew just what she was after.

Kite Shield looked at the map. “The road through Prance will take you past two villages. According to our spies in the area, the first one is little more than a hovel, no bigger than Trottingham. The second one, near the end of the path, is a little larger, with stone walls and such. I would advise caution when moving through either village. Villagers can be wary of strangers, and it would be a poor ending to your quest if you were lynched by some overly suspicious townsfolk before you got to your goal.”

“Aye,” Heater Shield agreed. “It would be best to stay together as a trading caravan or something like that.”

“Or refugees fleeing Canterlot,” Tower Shield suggested. “The best lies usually contain some degree of truth, and if the Prench hear that you dislike Canterlot, I’m sure it will go some way to winning their goodwill.”

“That is if you can sound like them.” Kite Shield laughed for a second. “They speak so much more barbarically than we do.”

Emerald was less amused. “Do you have any information on what kind of guards or soldiers these places might have?” she asked.

“What, are you planning to break the law there or something?” Heater Shield said quizzically. “I thought your tactic was going to be laying low.”

She looked at Posey, then back at the captains. “Just… someone we need to learn the whereabouts of.”

“And is this part of your quest for the magic item too?” Kite Shield asked. He was directing some soldiers who had come with supplies, such as more arrows for Posey and soap for Jewel Pin.

“More of a… personal matter.”

“Riiiiight,” Tower Shield nodded slowly. “Well, as long as you do not jeopardize the main mission for this matter, then I can give you our spies’ last reports on troop movements and guard postings.”

“We don’t have any of that,” Heater Shield reminded her brother. “At least, no recent ones. The latest reports we have on soldiers and guards in Prance is from fifty years ago.”

“Oh.”

“Bring them anyway,” Emerald instructed. Whatever they could learn might be of use.

Kite Shield motioned to a nearby soldier and told him to get the appropriate files. Then he returned his attention to the map.

“Our knowledge of Prance is lacking, especially at the end of the path. We know even less about Kievan Horse territory. Only what storytellers and merchants have told us.”

“This is more than enough.” Emerald eyed the map, planning a mental route in her head. “We shall make do with the information we have and learn on the way.”

“The Kievan Horse lands are cold and mountainous,” Tower Shield said. “But we only know of the main road through to the mountains. Perhaps our spies in Prance will know better than we do.”

“And where, pray tell, can we find these spies in Prance?” Nightfall asked.

“It… has been a while since we have heard from them…” Kite Shield admitted.

“We will make do.” Emerald looked to the Coltcasus mountains all the way to the east. She was a spymaster. She could figure it out. “After all, we have the rough waypoint and Moon Tide knows how to get there. You are doing enough for us as it is.”

“Then we wish you the most of luck, my lady.” Tower Shield slapped a fist to his chest and bowed. His siblings eventually did the same as well. “We know what we must do. We shall hold the line as long as we can.”

“It has been an honor to know you three.” Light Speckle gave each of them a pat. “What you are doing here for us is noble.”

“We are only doing our duty to the true king of Canterlot. We swore an oath to defend king and country, and by thunder we are going to keep it.”

“Have you seen all you need to see, Lady Emerald?” Kite Shield asked. The former pegasus nodded. “Then you had best gather your troupe. You should leave Fort Hayward as soon as you possibly can.”

67 - Prench Dressing

The departure from Fort Hayward took until afternoon once everything had been loaded onto the carriage. Kite Shield had supplied a second wagon for extra supplies, as well as some surplus weapons from the armory. Emerald now wore a plain longsword on her waist, though she hadn’t given it a name.

“The next named sword I take will be Excalibur,” she had said firmly. The others had been impressed. Emerald was staking her honor as a knight on stopping Morn and taking back Canterlot.

They left Fort Hayward through the east gate, which was guarded by two portcullises and a deep moat. There were still leftover arrows and spears from their skirmishes with the Prench, but at least for now, there weren’t any signs of them. Kite Shield lowered the drawbridge for their wagons and stood on the wall to bid them farewell.

“May your swords stay sharp!” he had called out to them.

An appropriate send off, Emerald had thought, looking at the long stretch of road ahead. May Celestia help us all.

For quite some time, the group rode on in silence, with the occasional neigh from one of their many horses. Even Jewel Pin had gone quiet, working on some clothes in the carriage. Posey sat atop the storage carriage, giving Gabriel a few pats along his back, at the same time, checking her arrowheads to make sure they were sharp.

The weather remained mostly sunny, but the wind had a bit of bite to it, which made sense. Prance was more northern than Canterlot, so it was only natural to expect it would get colder as they approached. Thankfully the captains at Fort Hayward had also packed winter gear for them.

They traveled on, pausing to have lunch next to a pond. There were frogs in the water, but Emerald was relieved to know that none of her companions considered them a delicacy.

“Prench people do eat frogs’ legs though,” Moon Tide commented as one of the amphibians hopped past. “I only use frogs for alchemy, personally.”

“Humans eat everything they can get their hands on, huh?” Emerald watched the frog hop away. “I am sure they eat trolls too?”

“Troll meat is really tough because of all the muscles,” Light Speckle said. “It doesn’t make for good eating. The fat is a good ingredient for potion making though. A good antitoxin.”

“So someone has tried it.”

Nightfall was looking through her telescope again. She had one eye on the spyglass and one eye on the map, which was no easy feat. The mage was mumbling to herself, and appeared to be sketching out things in the dirt with her finger.

“Hey, Nightfall, are you going to eat anything?” Spectrum asked, waving a piece of bread under the mage’s nose. “You’re done nothing but look through that telescope since we stopped.”

Nightfall seemed to jump, dropping her spyglass and falling over backwards. Her eyes were spinning, presumably from looking in two directions at once.

“Sorry,” Nightfall said sheepishly. “I was just doing a little looking ahead. And back.”

“What could be so important that you miss out on a meal?” Jewel Pin asked.

“Well,” Nightfall said in between bites of bread and cheese. “There is no smoke or anything rising from the direction of Fort Hayward, so I do not think Canterlot has got that far yet. As for ahead...” She swallowed the bread with a sigh. “I can see some smoke coming from quite the distance ahead behind those hills. By tomorrow, if we stop for nothing, I think we will have reached the first Prench settlement.” Nightfall pointed to the map.

“Well, let us stop for nothin’ then.” Honeygold said from atop the main carriage.

“Soon, dear.” Jewel Pin munched on a roasted wing of a chicken. “We need to eat.”

“I think you have had more than your fill, Jewel Pin.” Posey tried to take the wing from her, but she darted her hands to the side.

“No! Tis not enough! I need food!”

“You already had two whole chickens.” Spectrum looked at the pile of bones in front of her.

“Well, it is better to eat them sooner,” Jewel Pin reasoned. “Fresh meat like this won’t keep very long.”

“She’s not wrong,” Light Speckle added. “The unsalted meats and fresh vegetables won’t last more than two days before going off. Best to eat them while we still can.”

“Wait, no more vegetables?” Emerald balked. She had completely forgotten that vegetables would be difficult to keep stocked on while on such a long journey, unlike salted or dried meat. “What am I supposed to eat then?”

Light Speckle held up a jar of preserved onions. “There are plenty of pickled and dried vegetables left, Emerald. Don’t worry, you won’t starve.”

Emerald nodded, but grimaced at the same time. She liked her food to be fresh, and living on pickled and dried vegetables and fruit didn’t really appeal to her very much.

“Maybe we can buy some vegetables from the Prench?” Honeygold suggested upon seeing Emerald’s face.

“Maybe…” Emerald said. She wasn’t eager to interact with the Prench people, based on the stories and reports she had received about them. And it wasn’t worth getting caught just because she wanted fresh food.

On the other hand, living off pickled onions for the rest of this quest didn’t sound so good either.

“I think we should avoid interacting with the Prench too much,” Light Speckle said slowly. “We are not on the best of terms.”

Honeygold raised her hand. “But would they really turn down a payin’ customer? Ah mean, if all we want is some vegetables…”

“Ah’m sure them Prenchies don’t like us Canterlot folk, dear.” Apple Bean gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Best we can do is pretend to be Prench, like that nice guard said.”

“I suppose Spectrum is our backup plan.” Emerald looked to the female squire, who grinned back. “She has a better Prench accent than most of us.”

“I hope we can make it to the first town at least before tomorrow night,” Guard Streak commented, pointing to the west horizon. “Them storm clouds don’t look too friendly.”

As evening fell, the wind began to pick up, whipping around the travelers’ clothes and hair. Those who could stayed inside the wagons, while those who could not were forced to weather the gale.

At least, Emerald thought as she spat out a strand of her own hair. It’s too windy for it to rain. The whole west horizon was covered in dark thunderheads and they were only getting bigger.

“When is this going to end?” They could hear Jewel Pin wailing from inside the carriage.

Posey, as always, rolled her eyes as she looked ahead at the path they were traveling on. “Does she think everything should just be daffodils and daisies?”

“I wouldn’t mind a daffodil right now,” Emerald remarked.

“You shan’t find any in this weather.”

There was a flash of lightning from behind them, lighting up the surroundings with its stark white glare. They were traveling through a valley that was mostly made of stone, though here and there some patches of grass had managed to survive. There were even strawberry bushes, but it was not the season for them.

“I think we oughta stop fer the night,” Golden Nugget pulled his horse back and gestured to the road. “Horses are gettin’ tired and Ah don’t think we should be travelin’ at night. Not in these lands.”

The night was a grueling night for the spymaster as she tried to get some rest. She kept picturing attacks in the middle of the night, startled awake by the slightest of sounds. In the end, she had taken over watch duty from Golden Nugget and Light Speckle, watching their surroundings until the sun rose on the horizon, though the stormy clouds still kept the sky in an overcast.

Once they were ready, they packed up and continued their journey once more, continuing along the dirt road to find any sign of civilization.

It was only when the moon returned to the sky did they finally see their torchlights in the distance.

“A town!” Jewel Pin stuck her head out of the carriage. “I see it! I see a town!”

“We all see it, seamstress. Now lower your voice.” Moon Tide pushed her head back in as she rode alongside the carriage. “And remember, do not give away your origins unless you want trouble.”

It was just as well that Moon Tide warned them of this, for just over the next hillock was a farm, with about a dozen people hoeing, tilling, and planting things. They noticed Emerald’s caravan immediately and paused in their work to watch it approach.

A man wearing overalls and a straw hat put down his hoe and made his way to the edge of the farm where the road was, just as the convoy was passing.

“Bonjour,” the farmer said cheerfully.

Emerald nodded at the farmer, not wanting to open her mouth. She didn’t speak Prench, but she knew enough from being a spymaster to know that that was a greeting.

“It looks to be a rainy day soon,” the farmer continued in a heavily accented voice, but Emerald was surprised to hear the Canterlot tongue from this man’s mouth. “Have you traveled far?”

“Oui, monsieur,” Moon Tide replied, pulling her horse up to the farmer. “Our group has come from down the path, seeking shelter for the night.”

Emerald’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. She had not known Moon Tide was fluent in Prench.

“There’s naught that way but the border,” the farmer said, taking off his hat to fan himself with.

“Oui,” Moon Tide nodded. “We meant to do trade with the soldiers of the fort, but were turned away.”

The farmer laughed, slapping his knee. “Of course they turned you away. They would not know good stock if it slapped them in the face! You must be desperate to want to trade with them.”

“These are hard times, monsieur,” Moon Tide said. “We seek our prospects toward the other side of Prance, if they will have us.”

“All the way over there?” The farmer took off his hat to scratch his head. “You have a long journey ahead of you, then.”

"That we do. We are hoping to reach the next town by evening. Is there anything we should look out for?"

The farmer shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. There's been some sightings of wolves over yonder, but they won't attack a big group like yours. Other'n that, you should reach Place de la Ville shortly.”

“Merci. We shall head on. Au revoir, monsieur.” Moon Tide did a little bow and beckoned for Emerald and the others to follow.

Once they were out of earshot, Emerald sped the carriage up to ride alongside the mage. “I did not know you spoke like the Prench people. You never mentioned it in all our talks.”

“I have been out this far before for ingredients and herbs,” Moon Tide replied. “It is safer for me to learn their language so they do not suspect where I am truly from.”

Emerald nodded. That made a lot of sense. That would mean Moon Tide would likely speak like the Kievans too.

“Warm food!” Jewel Pin cheered from below. “It has been ages since we had any!”

“We just had some yesterday…” Posey slapped a hand to her face.

“We had best keep an eye out for wolves,” Moon Tide announced. “That farmer back there said there were some roaming around here. Now, I do not think the chances of actually being attacked are high, but keep your weapons ready just in case.”

The caravan moved on steadily, and they ate dinner on the move. They passed several more farms, but none of the farmers stopped to chat. In a way Emerald preferred it like this. The less times they converse with the Prench, the less of a chance they would be found out.

An owl hooted. It sounded like laughter. Emerald pulled her cloak closer around her body; it was getting colder now, and there were distant rumbles of thunder in the sky.

Moon Tide pulled her horse up next to the carriage again.

“If we travel for another hour or so, we should arrive at the next town,” she said. “But it is dark and I am not sure we should be traveling. What say you, Emerald?”

A crack of lightning crawled across the rear horizon. It would not be long now before the storm hit them.

“We will stop for the night,” Emerald decided. “Tell everyone we will be making camp here.”

Miraculously, it did not rain, though the rolling thunder startled some members of the group out of their slumber once or twice.

Arriving at the first town, Emerald and her group purchased a bundle of hot food for a ‘starving’ Jewel Pin and anyone else who wanted some. Emerald had Moon Tide ask some of the common folk about raiding bandits, hoping to gain some information about Posey’s mother, but they could not give any specific information about them. All they learned was that there were bandits in Prance and that wasn’t anything to go on.

After a short but filling breakfast, they saddled up to continue their journey east.

The storm finally broke over them mid-morning. The wind whipped around Emerald and her group, splashing them with sheets of freezing rain and scaring the horses with the frequent booms of thunder and flashes of lightning. The fields of grass around them rippled and undulated in the gale, and the sky remained in a state of gloomy half-darkness, even though it was well past sunrise.

The forests in the distance whipped and flailed like living monstrosities, which reminded Emerald of trolls. Thankfully, they needn’t go to the forests, sticking to the main path instead as they forged on through Prance.

“Another day or so on the road before we get to the next town,” Light Speckle said to the other passengers inside the carriage. Thankfully, the roof was waterproof and there was glass to separate them from the elements. Pointing to the map which they had gotten from Fort Hayward, the mage said, “It is to be a much bigger settlement than the one we just left. We can resupply there.”

“Ah hope this rain stops soon,” Honeygold said, pressing her face up against the glass. “Em, Posey, Moon Tide and Ma and Pa are riding out there in the storm.”

“And I do hope nothing comes up along the way.” Nightfall fiddled with a little device in her hands. “Bandits, wolves, I wonder just what else could be out here in the wilds of Prance.”

“It should be similar to Canterlot’s wild,” Light Speckle answered. “We have our fair share of bandits and wolves as well.”

“Trolls, do not forget the trolls.” Spectrum pointed out.

“If we are goin’ there, then don’t forget the dragons too.” Honeygold turned back to face them.

“What dragons?”

“Dragons have not been seen in Canterlot for at least a thousand years,” Nightfall said calmly. “And I somehow do not think there are any in Prance either.”

“There’s dragons back where Emerald is from though!” Honeygold nibbled at a crust of bread. “She’s fought one.”

“She’s a magical flying horse!” Spectrum tapped the side of her head. “I’m sure they even have giant monsters with… with long sticky arms. That live in the sea. And eat fishermen. And have massive eyes.”

“What.” Honeygold said flatly.

Nightfall took out her snuffbox and inhaled some of the powder, sighing with contentment as she did so.

“Rumors are that they have some of the best snuff in the Kievan lands,” the mage said, putting the box away. “I’d like to try some myself.”

They sat there quietly for a while, listening to the rain patter off the windows and the roof of the carriage.

“Light Speckle?” Honeygold asked after a moment. “How long do you think it will take to find the last artifact?”

“I… do not know,” Light Speckle confessed. “Why don’t we worry about finding the artifact after we actually get to Saddle Arabia? We’re still a long way from there.”

“Oh.”

“Cheer up, young’un,” Nightfall said in an obvious attempt to sound wise and sagely. “Perhaps when we get there, we will find the artifact quite easily.”

“You really think so, Nightfall?” Honeygold asked, perking up.

“Ah… no. But maybe.”

“Em can sense ‘em. If we get her close enough, Ah’m sure she’ll find it just fine.”

Outside, a flash of lightning signalled the arrival of a drum of thunder, sounding almost like there was an angry giant creature out there, coming after them.

“What if it is already in the possession of someone else?” Jewel Pin fished out an apple pie from their sack of food. “What if they don’t want to give it up?”

“We’ll just have to take it, will we not?” Spectrum balled a fist and waved it around in the air. “Canterlot depends on us! We cannot just sit by if someone owns the artifact. We need it more than they do.”

“We don’t know th-that...” Guard Streak stammered.

The female squire folded her arms. “Now what could they need the artifact for that is greater than saving a kingdom?”

“Maybe th-they could be dealing w-with a p-power struggle too.” Streak shrugged.

“Hm. I guess we will have to find out when we get there…”

The convoy didn’t stop again until they had finally arrived at the next town, not wanting to get out to make camp in the rain. They had finally arrived at the next town somewhere close to dawn the next day, where the sunlight could already be seen emerging in the distance. The rain had slowed, but still fell considerably, so no one got out of the carriage until they had stopped by an inn.

This town was about five times the size of the previous one, and it even had a wall, though the guards hadn’t even stopped them as they entered through them. The Prench guards had similar armor to the Canterlot guards, with the only difference being their colors. While Canterlot guards wore an off-blue color, Prench guards were dressed in white.

Emerald Edge had heard, “bonjour”, so often that she could actually repeat it now, with a similar accent to the Prench people.

“Right, we will stop here to resupply,” Emerald declared to the group as they dismounted and got out of the rain. A trio of servants scurried out of the inn and went to take care of the horses. For her small frame, Jewel Pin was quite the eater, and their food supply had been reduced to crumbs in just those two days. Emerald made a reminder to have a talk with her about that later.

The inn was quite full, with a large assortment of people. There were townsfolk, a group of bards playing music, some guards, and a storyteller in the corner regaling the children with some tall tale. A couple of revelers turned their heads to look at Emerald’s group as they came in, but Emerald didn’t detect hostility in their looks.

As long as they didn’t open their mouths, they should be fine.

Moon Tide went over to the innkeeper and began rapidly conversing in Prench. Emerald had no idea what she was saying, but she was probably getting rooms for them.

Posey removed her bandana and wrung it like a towel, squeezing water from it. “I hope she finds something about my mother…”

“What happened with your mother, dear?” Jewel Pin pulled at her dress and sighed. “Did she move to Prance?”

“She was taken, Jewel Pin,” Honeygold whispered and wrung her braid. “Prench bandits. Such terrible people!”

“Lower your voice.” Light Speckle hissed.

“Right. Sorry!”

Moon Tide finished talking to the landlord and came back with a ring of keys.

“I have managed to get us some rooms for the night. I think the landlord suspects that we are foreign, but there is nothing I can do about that. Food will be sent up to our rooms later. Right now we should dry off and plan our next move.”

“What is this place called, anyway?” Apple Bean asked. “I can’t read Prench.”

Moon Tide thought for a moment. “I believe the inn is called le hibou qui rit.”

Nightfall asked, “What does that mean?”

“It means, ‘The Laughing Owl’, if I’m not mistaken.”

Tired as they were, Emerald and her group did not talk much after this, instead staying near the fire to dry themselves. Once they were no longer damp, they went upstairs in groups of two and three, using the keys that Moon Tide had procured to enter their rooms.

The rooms were clean and had soft beds and a small hearth there, though there was no fire burning in them at the moment.

Emerald found herself sharing a room with Posey. Dinner had arrived not too long after, with a bowl of salad for Emerald. She was pleased to see that at least the savage Prench still ate vegetables. Once that was done, they left the plates outside and got ready for bed.

“Well, we made it,” Emerald said as she removed her armor, putting it in a chest next to her bed. “At least this far.”

Posey nodded in reply, but seemed to have a brooding countenance about her. Emerald took off her boots and placed them next to the hearth, then got down and arranged some logs in the fireplace before setting them alight with some flints.

“How long do you think we have been gone?” Posey asked suddenly.

Emerald started. It wasn’t like Posey to ask questions like this, but she could guess what had brought on this query.

“You’re worried about Sir Ganeighn, aren’t you, Posey?” Emerald said quietly.

“I know he has been turned, but I cannot help but wonder…” Posey gazed out a window to the rainy Prance streets below. “Do you think they realize what they are doing? Do you think they can fight it? Morn’s control, I mean.”

“I…” Emerald sighed. It still hurt to know Morn was the one that did all this. “I do not know, Posey. Before Morn used Excalibur, I had no idea it could bend others to his will.”

“I find myself thinking this many a time in a day.” Posey leaned an arm on the windowsill. Gabriel flew in from above, landing next to her and nuzzling up against her cheek. The archer smiled and gave him a pat. “If he knows what he has done to us. If he knows what he has done to the kingdom. My time with Ganeighn was fleeting, but every moment I spent with him… I treasure. I do hope nothing else has befallen him.”

With one big sigh, Posey returned from the window and threw herself on her bed, pulling her bandana down over her eyes at the same time. Gabriel flew in and perched himself atop her armor chest and stretched his wings.

“No point thinking so much about what we cannot yet change, Em. I will see you in the morning.”

“Yes, Posey.” Emerald sat on her bed and watched her friend.

They had all lost something when they left Canterlot, whether it was family, friends, research, business, or the love of their lives. Arguably, love was the hardest to let go, and it was just as painful to hold on to after everything that had happened.

Emerald lay down on her own bed. It was soft and squishy, but the comfort of the bed did little to assuage her worries. There was still such a long way to go before they even reached Saddle Arabia. At least the Prench had yet to pick on that they were from Canterlot. She didn’t know how long their guise would last, but hopefully until they were close to leaving the kingdom.

Listening to the rain tapping its fingers on the window, Emerald Edge drifted off to sleep.

68 - The King Collects

Emerald awoke the next morning feeling very warm and comfortable. The rain outside had stopped, leaving nothing to keep the glorious morning sunshine from peeping in through the curtains. She rolled onto her side, looking at Posey’s bed, which was empty.

“Must have got up already,” Emerald said blearily. She sat up and stretched, feeling her joints crack and pop as she did so. She left the comfort of the bed and started out by doing some light aerobics, touching her toes and loosening up her body, just as she had been taught to do back home in the Crystal Empire, except now she had those weird human appendages at the end of her limbs, which still fascinated her greatly with their flexibility.

Once she was all limbered up, Emerald strapped on her armor and left the room, heading downstairs.

The inn was much emptier now than it had been last night. Emerald surmised it was because most of the people had work to do, or were sleeping off the beer from the night before. The three young’uns were gathered around the fire (which was just embers by now), eating from bowls of oatmeal.

“Good mornin’, Emerald,” Golden Nugget said from a nearby table where most of the adults were gathered. He raised a mug of breakfast ale in greeting as Emerald went over. She helped herself to bread and cheese as she listened to the murmur of the people outside.

“Good morning, everyone,” Emerald said. Everyone looked well-rested, and not even Jewel Pin seemed to be complaining. That was a good sign.

Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam were poring over their map, marking off where they had been and adding the towns and farms they had passed onto it. Moon Tide stood by them, doing her best to explain the journey ahead.

Everyone was speaking in low tones to avoid letting any Prench people know they were from Canterlot. The last thing they needed now was a random inn brawl that could potentially hurt someone and waste more time.

Morn was still after them. Emerald didn’t know how much distance they had between them, but the longer they stayed in one place, the more chance he had of catching up. They would have to set off as soon as possible.

“So our journey will continue to take us down the main path.” Moon Tide drew a finger along the stale parchment of a map. “As long as we keep going, we will eventually get to Fort Visage de Cheval. That would be our way into the Kievan Horse lands.”

A barmaid came over with another plate of bread and Moon Tide nodded politely and thanked her in Prench.

Emerald took a bite of the cheese, which was surprisingly much better than any she had eaten in Canterlot. “There’s another checkpoint?”

“Aye,” Nightfall said. “All kingdoms have checkpoints at their major road borders to control who goes in and who gets out.”

“That’s right, mademoiselle,” the landlord said from right behind them. He appeared to be looking at the map, while holding a tray of drinks. “So to the Kievan lands you go?”

“Yes…?” Nightfall said slowly.

“Ah. Then you will want to watch out for some spots on the road that might be difficult to get over. Stoney Gulch, is known for its landslides and rockfalls,” the innkeeper pointed to a section of the map that was unfinished. “Sometimes the way is blocked and the king does not send men to clear it out for weeks. O’ course, you can always go around, but I would not recommend that.”

“Why not?” Golden Nugget asked.

Emerald looked to her friends. It seems they’d abandoned all cover that they were from Canterlot, but at least the innkeeper hasn’t seemed to notice yet. Either that, or perhaps he didn’t care if they were the enemy or not.

The landlord served the drinks as he spoke. “There lie some burial grounds near Stoney Gulch. Some folk say the grounds are haunted.”

“Oui, Merci, monsieur.” Moon Tide nodded to him and pointed at the map. “This is where it is. I have been through it once. If not for the rocks, bandits also make trouble here. The only other way is to go around it, like the monsieur has said, but that would take us three more days, time of which you do not have.”

“And there’s g-g-ghosts?” Jewel Pin had stopped eating and looked like she was about to faint.

“Only if ya believe in ‘em.” Apple Bean chuckled. “We of course, do not. Ain’t no time for fairytales.”

The innkeeper nodded and stroked his beard. “You folks are a long way from Canterlot, aren’t you? Pray tell, what have you come all this way to find?”

One of Emerald’s hands instinctively rested on her sword.

“You know, many a good soldat would pay good money for spies from Canterlot.”

There was a pause of silence as Emerald contemplated what to do next. Even Posey’s left arm was poised to unsheath her hidden blade if the need arose. There were a few other patrons in the bar and taking out the innkeeper would likely cause a scene.

The innkeeper smiled and flipped his drink tray under his arm. “So I advise you to keep your heads low. Maybe talk a little more… tranquillement. Softer.”

Emerald blinked a few times. He wasn’t going to do anything? The hand on her sword quickly slid away back to her side. Perhaps not all Prench wanted them dead.

“Merci for the advice, monsieur,” Moon Tide said smoothly. She slid a couple of extra coins to the landlord. “You are most considerate.”

“Just doing my job,” the landlord pocketed the coins and straightened up. “Now I just need to serve the young ones their drinks. Safe travels, wherever you choose to go.”

He then left the table. Emerald watched him go, back to his counter where he took out a bottle of wine and carried it back to Guard Streak, Honeygold, and Spectrum Song, along with three cups.

“Should we be drinking so much?” the former pegasus asked her companions. “We need to have our wits for the road at the ready.”

“Relax, Emerald.” Apple Bean sipped from her flagon. “We are not setting out until this afternoon, that’s plenty of time to sober up.”

Emerald sighed, but nodded in agreement. She had hoped to set out sooner, but it seemed she was outvoted. Having eaten her fill, the former pegasus got up from the table and went outside to check the horses and their supplies.

Thunder rolled above the border checkpoint of Fort Hayward. Kite Shield stood at his post, overlooking the road to Canterlot. It was a dark and moonless night, and he could not see very far outside of the reach of the fort’s lanterns.

Kite Shield sighed heavily. This was the third day of keeping watch in the direction of Canterlot, and he had seen nothing. The troops were standing by with bows strung and swords shining, but there was no sign of anyone coming from that way. He leaned on his spear and squinted out into the darkness.

Then he saw it. A glint of golden light out there, just on the horizon, so faint he could have almost imagined it. Kite Shield raised his horn to his lips, but did not blow. If he were to sound the alarm as Canterlot’s army arrived, then their element of surprise was out the window. Turning to his siblings, he instructed them to wake the others. It was time.

As he looked out over the fort walls, the glimmer of golden light faded, like a candle being blown out. Seeing as a storm was coming, perhaps it had just been a flash of lightning.

Kite Shield heard the newcomers before he saw them. The sound of marching boots pounding the earth. A squadron of knights, numbering about fifty. At their head was a man in dark armor, holding a glowing golden blade.

So few… Kite Shield thought to himself. Surely they did not hope to overcome their garrison of three hundred soldiers with just fifty knights?

Still, Kite Shield did as protocol dictated and motioned for his archers to stand ready.

“Halt! In the name of the king, who goes there?!” the captain shouted down at the ranks of knights.

The company of knights stopped. The leader, the man holding the shining sword, looked up at him. Kite Shield gripped his spear tightly as a rank of his archers nocked arrows to their bows.

“Open the gates, soldier,” the lead knight ordered. His voice was louder than should have been humanly possible. “Let us pass.”

“State your name and your business first,” Kit Shield shouted back down.

“My name?” The lead knight chuckled darkly. “I see my fame has not yet grown. No matter. Soon all the kingdoms will know the name of King Morn Dread!”

Lightning crackled, lightning up Morn Dread’s face and the evil grin that graced it.

“Now let us pass!”

Kite Shield glanced aside at his archers. They stood there, ready to draw their bowstrings back. So it was true then. Sir Morn Dread had taken over the kingdom.

“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Sir Morn Dread,” Kite Shield shouted back, sounding a lot braver than he felt. “I know what you did. You do not have the right to command me.”

The sword in Morn’s hand seemed to glow brighter.

“Stand aside, soldier! As the rightful king, I command you!”

Kite Shield took a deep breath.

“No.”

The captain of the guard stood there on the parapet of Fort Hayward, waiting to see what Morn would do. Would he just turn around and go back to Canterlot Castle? Surely he did not think that only fifty knights could overcome his entire garrison.

Then Morn raised his sword and pointed it at the battlements.

“Then die.”

A blast of golden light shot out of the tip of the sword, which Kite Shield only now realized must be the legendary Excalibur, blasting apart the crenellations into rubble. Kite Shield dived out of the way, barely avoiding the attack.

“Fire!” the captain shouted to his archers. The bowmen, who had been equally caught off guard by the blast of energy, swiftly pulled back their bowstrings and launched a volley of steel-tipped arrows at the enemy force. The knights raised their shields and took cover from the barrage, then drew their weapons and began to march forward.

“Fire again!” Kite Shield staggered to his feet.

His archers prepared another volley, but Morn Dread raised Excalibur and let loose with a stream of continuous energy that he swept along the battlements, striking the line of archers and sending them flying like leaves in a storm.

What few archers Morn had missed were still shooting back, but their arrows seemed to crumble into dust when they got close to the dark knight.

Morn flourished his weapon and pointed it at the gates of the fort. Blinding bolts of power surged out and began tearing the gates apart, sending shards of wood and metal spinning every which way.

By now, the rest of the fort had been roused. Taking up bows and crossbows, they took position on the walls and battlements that surrounded the bailey. Once Morn’s forces came in, they would be caught in a blizzard of bolts and arrows.

Surely Morn Dread knows better than to just come in here, Kite Shield thought as he ran to a spot on the walls that had not been too badly damaged. As a knight, he knows battle tactics better than most.

But he continued assaulting the front gates, which were by now almost completely destroyed.

“I never thought to see Excalibur’s power like this,” Tower Shield said grimly as he took position next to his brother. He held a loaded crossbow in his arms, aiming it toward the entrance. “It would be much better if it was not trying to kill us.”

There was an earth-shattering kaboom as the last parts of the gate were smashed aside. Little pieces of flaming debris rained down all over the fort.

With the crash of armored boots on stone, Morn and the first rank of his men entered the fort.

“Steady… steady…” Kite Shield said, the order on the tip of his tongue. None of Morn’s men seemed to be carrying ranged weapons, so there was no threat of return fire… not from any archers anyway.

Excalibur’s glow cast eerie golden patches on the inside of the fort; any who looked at it found it akin to looking into the sun.

Finally, the last line of knights entered the fort’s bailey.

“Fire!” Kite Shield shouted.

As one, buzzing, spinning arrows and clouds of quarrels streaked toward the intruders. But Morn was unfazed. Taking his blade, he plunged it tip-first into the ground, and a ring of force blew out from Excalibur, knocking away all the projectiles.

The captain gave the order to fire again, but Morn was faster. He pointed his sword at a row of archers and shot a beam of watery light at them. Almost immediately, they lowered their weapons and stood still, golden light shining from their eyes.

“Oh, dear…”

Morn laughed, loud and cruelly. “All of you will swear your allegiance to me! There is no other path!” He waved Excalibur and its light washed over another group of guards, making them go slack and golden eyed.

“No, we need to fight. We must stand against this usurper!” Tower Shield tried to rally the turned soldiers, but to no avail. They simply just stood there, arms at their sides, their eyes glowing a sharp yellow.

Morn turned his attention to the two captains. He pointed Excalibur, its blade gleaming in the darkness.

“Now it is your turn. I am your king, and you will. Be loyal. To me.”

There was a flash of golden light, and all was silent.

The rain began to fall.

69 - Ghosts in the Gulch

“Do you think this rain will stop any time soon?”

This was spoken by Spectrum Song, who was looking out the window of the carriage. It had begun to rain about a hour after they had left the town. Not a heavy rain, more of a slight drizzle, but it obscured the way ahead and was cold and miserable. Everyone who was not inside a carriage was draped in long, water-resistant cloaks, and the overall mood was somewhat low.

Nightfall Gleam glanced out at the clouds. “Not for a while, Spectrum. This kind of rain is like pouring water through a tiny funnel: not a lot of actual downpour, but it’ll take a long time to drain.” With that said, she went back to her map. “By my calculations, we should be getting close to Stoney Gulch soon.”

“And then we’ll be on to the Kievan terr-ah-tory, right?” Honeygold piped up.

Nightfall nodded. “That’s right. I’m glad we managed to get our transports refurbished back in town. We still have a long journey ahead.”

“Good thing we brought some refreshments, then.” Spectrum grinned and reached into her pack. There was the sound of clinking glass and the squire produced a bottle of wine.

“I’m not sure that’s entirely appropriate,” Nightfall protested, but she was overruled as the three youngsters began pouring out the wine. It wasn’t long before Jewel Pin joined in on the drinking, and soon the inside of the carriage smelled of fermented grape juice.

Barring the occasional bump of the carriage wheels going over rocks, the rest of the journey was uneventful, if a bit boring.

Then, about two hours later when the rain was just beginning to let up, the convoy rolled to a stop.

“Heeh?” Jewel Pin said blearily, for she had fallen asleep on the way. The lack of movement in the carriage jerked her awake. “Why are we stopping?”

The seamstress poked her head out of the window. Ahead was a narrow pass between two steep rocky hills. A battered wooden sign close by read ‘Sotnee Gluch’.

“Whoever put this sign up, spelling was clearly not their strong suit,” Light Speckle observed.

“Well, here we are,” Apple Bean announced. “Looks pretty rock free ta me.”

Emerald, who had been driving the front carriage, dismounted and stared ahead into the dwindling rain. “The pass looks clear. Looks being the key word.”

“It’s kind of narrow,” Apple Bean remarked. “You think the carriages will fit?”

Emerald hmm’ed to herself, then went to the entrance to the gulch. It was fairly narrow, as Apple Bean had said. But there were tall hills and cliffs all around where they wouldn’t get very far with anyway.

“There’s no choice but to go through the gulch,” Emerald concluded, though she did not sound very sure of her statement. “If people take this path, then it must be wide enough for the carriages. Let’s move.”

Posey also dismounted to stand with Emerald. She held out her map.

“There is another way,” the archer said, her finger tracing a line on the map’s surface. “We can go around the gulch, like the landlord said.”

“Won’t that go through some old burial grounds?” Emerald wondered aloud.

“Well, yes,” Posey nodded. “But it sounds safer than getting the carriages stuck in the gulch and wasting more time. Gabriel says that something’s happened at Fort Hayward. I can’t say exactly what, since there’s no perfect translation in bird-speak. But I’m afraid that Canterlot is catching up to us.”

So Morn had reached Fort Hayward. Emerald assumed the worst and that Morn Dread had beaten the three captains and their garrison, and were on the way now. There was no time to lose.

“Your choice, Emerald,” Posey said, playing with her hair. “We can either go through the gulch or around it. But we can’t stand around here all day.”

Emerald nodded and squared her shoulders, then strode over to the opening of Stoney Gulch. Peering into the pass, she beheld a series of narrow cliff-faced roads that their horses could easily fit onto, but not so much their wheeled transports. And she did not want to be stuck trying to maneuver the carriages around tight bends, or worse, be caught in a rockslide or something equally as bad.

“We’ll go around,” Emerald decided. “Morn will probably expect us to go through the gulch anyway, so this way we will have the element of surprise on him.”

Posey rolled up the map and returned to the convoy.

They started moving again, stopping only to change course. The path they were going to take went uphill for a bit, and then leveled out. The area was blanketed in thick fog, and they moved closer together for fear of getting lost in the tendrils of mist.

The fog settled on everyone present, forming a damp, clammy layer on their skin that was most uncomfortable.

“Ah don’t like it here,” Honeygold whispered inside her carriage. For some reason, she didn’t feel like breaking the unnatural silence that this path had brought on. The girl curled her knees up onto the seat and peeked fearfully out the window.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Light Speckle said comfortingly. “It’s just some fog. Bit of fog never hurt anyone-”

Suddenly there was a shriek from near the front of the convoy.

“Ma!” Honeygold jerked up straight. She threw the carriage window open and tried to see what had happened.

It was difficult to make out what was going on in the mist, but there seemed to be some kind of fight going on ahead.

The caravan had stopped. Shouts and growls came from the front, where Honeygold could just barely make out what looked like a big dark shrouded thing fighting her parents. Emerald had left the top of the carriage, already rushing over to help.

“What is that thing?” Guard Streak said fearfully. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“It looks like a g-g-g-ghost!” Spectrum said, taking out her dagger and holding it tightly. “Ghosts aren’t real, are they? Everyone keeps saying they aren’t! I just knew they were!”

There came the sound of blades humming through the air, but nothing seemed to hurt the billowing spectre. It was a strange thing, clad in a dirty and dark cloak, with long arms coming out from under it. It didn’t seem to have any visible legs. Emerald’s sword whiffed through it harmlessly, and a jab from Golden Nugget’s quarterstaff that he had packed for the trip worked just as well, which was to say, not well at all.

The creature, in the meantime, reached out with its shrivelled arms without making a sound. Each hand was tipped with sharp claws. It swiped at Golden Nugget, cutting his quarterstaff cleanly in two.

And then, as if things could not get worse, another one drifted into view from the fog.

“Oh, dear…” Emerald said as she attempted a thrust. It went harmlessly through the creature’s body.

“Spectres,” Moon Tide hissed. “Prench beasts. It is said they suck the life force right out of you. Beware!”

The spectre loomed over Emerald, and she could see it gaping maw under its hood.

Then, just as the monster raised its claws to strike, there came a buzzing noise, and three arrows sprouted from the spectre’s back. It roared and turned around to see who had shot it, only for a fourth arrow to strike it in the face with such force that the gleaming arrowhead poked out the back.

Flailing around, the spectre groaned and began to crumble into dust. Soon there was nothing left of it but a large pile of ashes. The second spectre stopped advancing, seemed to think the better of the situation, then retreated back into the fog.

Emerald picked herself up off the ground. “Good shooting, Posey,” she said.

“Umm…” Posey said timidly. “That, uh, was not I.”

A shrill whistle sounded out of the fog, and from within the mists stepped about a dozen people, all holding either bows or short swords.

“Well, well,” a woman’s voice sounded out, English, and quite well spoken. “Look at what we have here. A merchant caravan, and only one guard?”

“Merchant?” Emerald muttered. They were only carrying what supplies they could, and she didn’t like the tone of the newcomer’s voice.

The leader, who was wearing a hood and a scarf over her mouth, raised a fist. At her signal, every person with a bow nocked an arrow to their bowstrings, taking aim at Emerald and her companions.

She spoke in a slew of Prench that Emerald couldn’t understand. When she saw she was getting no reply, she shook her head. “Now hand over all your goods, and maybe my men won’t stick you full of arrows.”

Emerald tensed. These people were obviously very good shots, as they had proven when taking care of the spectre. Her armor might deflect the projectiles, but she wasn’t wearing a helmet, and the others were completely unprotected. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“Will you let us go if we give you our goods?” Emerald shouted back, lowering her sword a fraction.

“That depends on if you have anything good,” the bandit leader called back.

“We are not a merchant caravan,” Golden Nugget announced. “We’re just travelers. The only goods we have are supplies that we need for our journey.”

The bandit leader approached, flanked by two swordsmen. “Is that so?” she said derisively. “If you’re not lying, then that means you’re worth even less to me. Only thing you’re good for then is a ransom. Now, how much would your loved ones pay to have you back, hm?”

She pointed to the carriages and spoke in Prench. Some of her men nodded and approached, likely to search them.

“Now, tell me…” the leader commanded. “What are you doing so far from Canterlot? Where are you going?”

“Why do you care?” Posey shot back.

“I’ll be asking the questions here,” the bandit leader snapped. “Now I won’t ask again. What is your business here?”

There came a screech from above as Gabriel circled above Posey and the bandit leader. The eagle spiralled down, but instead of attacking, Gabriel landed on the bandit’s shoulder and nuzzled her face.

“Wait…” the bandit leader raised a hand to touch Gabriel, who nipped at her fingers affectionately. “I know this bird…”

“Gabriel, what are you doing?” Posey exclaimed, stepping back. The eagle cawed at Posey, whose eyes went wide. “What do you mean you know this person?”

The leader turned to her, and for the first time since their ambush, she lowered her weapon. “You. That bandana… Where… Where did you get that?”

Posey was taken aback. “It was a gift from… my mother.” Posey’s eyes went wide as the bandit leader reached up and pulled her hood off, uncovering a head of raspberry hair and light amber skin.

“Posey?” the bandit leader gasped. “Tis truly you?”

“Mother?!” Posey shrieked, scurrying backward into Emerald.

“Mother?” the former pegasus said, confused. “I thought you said your mother was kidnapped by brigands, Posey?”

“She was! Prench bandits! I can’t believe… after all this time…? You’re a bandit too?”

The bandit leader pulled the scarf away from her face. What lay underneath was a worn out, but still kindly face that bore little resemblance to the other brigands who were around them.

“My beautiful daughter,” Posey’s mother said softly. “Look at you! You’re all grown up.”

“Mother…” Posey croaked. She dashed forward and embraced her parent in her arms, holding her close. “I’ve missed you so much. Why didn’t you come back home?”

“Oh, Posey. My darling,” the archer’s mother murmured, stroking her daughter’s hair tenderly. “I would have, but I couldn’t just run away. In the beginning, I was a captive too. It took many years to work my way to where I am now, and I thought that if I returned to you as a brigand, you would be ashamed of me.”

She turned around and yelled a command in Prench. The rest of the bandits lowered their weapons and ceased their pillaging of the carriages.

“I am so sorry, my sweet flower. But… I’m glad you’ve looked after yourself well. And Gabriel is still with you.” She ran a finger along the bird’s head. Then she cleared her throat and took a step away from Posey. “Now, I must know. What are you doing all the way out here? And who are you traveling with?”

Posey made introductions, as well as explained the nature of their quest. Her mother listened carefully, not saying a word until Posey had finished.

“So Canterlot has been taken over by one of King Dawn Saber’s own knights? This is terrible news indeed. The king was barely able to govern his own lands properly; I am living proof of that. But should his rule break down entirely, I fear dark times lie ahead not just for Canterlot but for its surrounding lands as well.”

“That is why we are journeying to Saddle Arabia,” Posey agreed. “We must find the only thing capable of stopping Morn Dread and bring order back to the kingdom.”

“And you say your friend, the one with the shiny hair, is the only one who can stop this Morn Dread?” Posey nodded. “Then we will help you get to the Kievan border. My people will guard your caravan from the spectres and other bandits.”

Posey’s mother went back to her clan, speaking in rapid Prench. The rest of her followers understood and spread themselves out around the convoy in a rough circle.

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Emerald said once they began moving again. “How come our weapons could not hurt the spectres, but yours did?”

Posey’s mother smiled and took an arrow from her quiver, tapping the bright and shiny arrowhead.

“Spectres are strange creatures that like to congregate around grave sites and are immune to most normal weapons, but their one weakness, is silver. We generally poach merchants and traders around here, so we all have silver weapons on hand in case a spectre should appear.”

“Silver. I shall remember that,” Emerald noted.

“You carry my daughter’s hopes with you, Emerald Edge,” Posey’s mother said slowly. “I wish there was more we could do, but my clan will not venture into the Kievan territories. Their attitude towards bandits are somewhat more severe than those of Prance.”

“I understand,” Emerald said. “I only hope I can end this quickly and restore peace to the land. Maybe then you and Posey could spend more time together.”

Posey’s mother smiled serenely at Emerald. “I would like that very much. As for this Morn Dread, if he tries to follow you, we will make the gulch as unwelcoming as possible should he arrive. Either that, or he will have to travel the burial grounds. In that case, we will let the spectres have him and his men. But no matter what path he takes, we will do our best to slow him down.”

“You are most kind,” Emerald said gratefully. “Not many would do so much for a stranger.”

“I believe in kindness toward my friends and family. It’s something I do not get to express much as the leader of a clan of bandits, but I hope that in the future, someone of my blood will be able to express what kindness really means.

“Now come on; the border is but a half-day’s ride away. Let us make haste! And do watch out for spectres.”

70 - Vow of Victory

Emerald Edge squinted up at the falling rain as she sat atop her horse, willing for the sky to stop pouring. Back in Equestria, rain was created by those such as herself: the pegasi. They would shift clouds to places where rain was needed, and shift them away from places that didn’t. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work. This world didn’t have pegasi, so just like the sun and moon, Emerald had no idea who was moving them.

Posey’s mother, whom Emerald had learnt was named Paradise, had told them her story of how she had first gained the trust of the bandits when she had saved them from something called a peluda, instead of escaping when the beast had broken the door to her cage. From there, she had shown them her prowess with the bow and began to work her way up, eventually replacing the leader and becoming one of them.

“What’s a puh-loo-duh?” Honeygold asked, sticking her head out of the carriage window as Emerald, Paradise and Posey pulled alongside it. “Sounds like some kind of fancy schmancy snack for them rich folk.”

“Tis a beast, young one.” Paradise gave her a pat on the head. “Like a dragon, but smaller and covered in spiky hair. Nothing to do with rich folk.”

Emerald had to give it to Paradise and even Posey. They always seemed ready to move in to help others, and in this case, even the ones who had meant them harm.

Pulling her hood lower over her eyes, Emerald willed the rain to stop, at least while they were on the road. Unfortunately, whoever was causing the rain didn’t stop it.

“Druids?” Paradise chuckled behind her, laughing at what Posey had told her. “They have always been an ambitious group, the Fir Laimhe Liath. I am glad they have been removed from these lands.”

Posey pointed a hand at Emerald. “We can thank Emerald for so many victories. Tis because of her that Canterlot had been saved from Duchan and his druids.”

“Only to be overthrown by Sir Morn…” the spymaster said sourly. “To think that someone such as him could turn just like that…”

“This Morn…” Posey’s mother looked ahead, where a trio of her bandits were riding. “He must have meant much to you. Your closest friend?”

Emerald shook her head and closed her eyes. “Much more than that…”

“To turn against one’s king like that from mere humiliation…” Paradise clucked disapprovingly. “I… am sorry for your loss, Emerald Edge.”

“Tis not only I who lost him.” Emerald eyed Moon Tide ahead. She hadn’t mentioned even one thing since they had resumed their journey. Perhaps she was still thinking about her son. It mustn't be easy, going against him behind his back.

“My son is just misguided, I fear…” Moon Tide sighed sadly. “His mind leads him down paths we do not wish him to go.”

“Your son?” Paradise raised an eyebrow. “That usurper is your son? You go against your son? Why, I cannot imagine ever plotting behind my own daughter, even if we were lands apart.”

Posey smiled at that little comment.

“Tis… Tis very true.” Moon Tide kept her hood low over her eyes. “Trust me, I would like nothing more than to be by his side to support him. But what he is doing is… This is not what he was meant to be.”

The mage looked so gloomy that nobody decided to push the matter further.

“Anyway,” Paradise said, steering her horse up to the head of the convoy. “We should arrive at the border in a couple of hours. There is a town built around Fort Visage De Cheval. Tis large enough to be considered a center of trade. Merchants often journey there to do business, when not waylaid by either us or spectres. We will have to part ways before you arrive there, as we are all wanted for thievery, kidnapping, and murder.”

Posey rode up beside her. “Will you come back to Canterlot, mother? After all this?”

“I do not know, my petit amour,” Paradise looked at her daughter longingly. “You have a long road ahead of you, and should you emerge victorious, then maybe we have a chance to be a real family again. But we shall save such thoughts for your return from Saddle Arabia, yes?”

Posey wore a resolute expression. “I shall make it back, mother. Do not worry for me.”

“Posey is right.” Emerald nodded in agreement. “We will succeed in our quest. Morn shall ruin the kingdom no longer.”

It pained her to say such things, but Emerald knew what had to happen. They had to stop Morn, even if it meant his death. She just hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that.

“Well, there it is,” Paradise announced.

The group had stopped atop a series of rolling hills, which gave them an excellent view of the land ahead. There was a short mountain range separating Prance’s territories from the Kievan lands, but the Fort Visage De Cheval was built on top of the only pass between two of the alps, effectively controlling the bottleneck. Even from this distance they could see that the fortress and its surrounding walled town were bigger than Trottingham and Hoofshire combined. It was veritably almost a small city.

“Little odd for a place out in the middle of nowhere to have so many people,” Golden Nugget commented. “How do they get enough food? I don’t see very many farms.”

Paradise kept her hood low over her eyes. “Like I had said, farmer, merchants come here to do business.”

“Odd place to make business, ain’t it?” Apple Bean kept a hand over her eyes to keep rain from going into them. “Do they make business with them Kievans too?”

“That, I do not know. Still, it is a straight shot to the fort. It is here that we must part ways,” she said, slowing her horse to a canter. The rest of the bandits did so as well. “We dare not approach the town, for many of the merchants will have told the soldiers of us.”

Emerald slowed her carriage, pulling up alongside Posey’s mother.

“I’m sorry you could not spend more time with Posey,” Emerald said quietly.

“I regret that too,” Paradise agreed. “Promise me something, Emerald Edge.”

Emerald glanced aside at Posey’s mother. She was staring back with a gaze that could have cut stone. The former pegasus swallowed.

“Vow to me that you will win.” Paradise’s eyes pinned Emerald in place. “My daughter has told me all about this quest, and what it means for the world should you fail. Posey means the world to me. So, promise me that you will emerge victorious in this battle.”

Emerald held Paradise’s gaze, willing herself not to blink or otherwise appear weak. “I do not make promises that I might not be able to keep.”

“That is why you must promise me this,” Paradise insisted. “You must prevail, Emerald Edge. You must win, because I do not know what will become of the land if you do not. I would very much like to see my daughter again after this. I see that I should have returned to Canterlot sooner. Please allow me the chance to see her again.”

“I… I will try my best, Paradise. You have my word on that.”

Paradise scowled and grabbed Emerald’s arm. “And what if your best isn’t enough? Promise me that you will win. You either will or will not. There is no middle ground, Emerald. Or do you not think you can do it? If not, then say so!”

Emerald blinked. She hadn’t expected Paradise to be so aggressive. “Uh, umm… I…” She knew she had to. She had to stop Morn. She had to find the artifacts. She had to find a way home. She had to stop Sombra. “I will, Paradise. I will win.”

This seemed to satisfy the bandit leader, and she let go of Emerald’s arm. “Good. Then I leave my only child in your hands, Emerald. Take care of her.” She pulled her horse back, stopping again by her daughter. “Posey, my sweet flower. I am sorry I never came back to you. But know that I still hold you dear within my heart, and once you return, as will I. But for now, we shall keep an eye on Stoney Gulch.”

“I look forward to that, mother.” Posey nodded. “As does Gabriel, I am sure.”

The eagle above them screeched a happy tune.

“Take care, my daughter.” Paradise wrapped one arm around Posey. “I love you more than anything in the world. Stay safe and prevail.”

“I will, mother. I shall be sure to keep Emerald from harm as well. I love you too.”

Both mother and daughter shared a loving embrace before Paradise let go and pulled her scarf back over her mouth. She turned to her bandit troupe and barked something in Prench. One of them reared up on his horse and galloped away, with the rest doing the same.

Paradise gave Emerald and the group one last nod before joining them, disappearing back the way they had come.

Emerald’s group was silent until the last of the bandits had been swallowed up by the distance and rain.

Posey sighed and was the first to go on. “Come on. We shouldn’t waste more time. We do not know how far Morn has gone already.”

The rain had stopped by the time the caravan reached the front gates of Fort Visage De Cheval. It was more heavily fortified than Fort Hayward, with three separate gatehouses and a deep moat filled with water, swollen from the rain. Sharpened stakes were arrayed in a crescent around the walls, and archers and crossbowmen patrolled the parapets. The whole area was lit with bonfires and lanterns giving would be sneaks no place to hide. It looked almost like Canterlot Castle, only there were Prench flags flying instead of Canterlotian ones. The walls looked to be several meters thick, and as they approached, there was some shouting and commotion near the first gatehouse.

“You call these patates edible?” A guard was inspecting the cart of a merchant, which was stacked full with potatoes. “Vous etes une honte pour les agriculteurs! I will lose my job if I let people eat this.”

Another two guards came over and pushed the cart off to the side of the road to allow the next merchant in. Unfortunately, the cart of potatoes rolled a little too far off its mark and began to roll down into the moat.

“Mon patates!” the merchant cried out and jumped into the moat to save what he could.

A futile effort, Emerald thought as she slowed the carriage to a stop behind the next merchant. The next one was in with no trouble, while the first one was still floundering in the water, piling what he could in his arms, only to lose them again when he struggled to stay afloat.

“Arret!” The guards stopped them. “Quelles affaires avez-vous ici a Fort Visage De Cheval?”

“You what, mate?” Spectrum asked inside the carriage. Guard Streak and Honeygold stifled their laughter. Emerald hoped the guard hadn’t heard them.

Moon Tide approached the front of the group, then began conversing with the guards in Prench. She eventually finished with a nod, walking her horse back around to Emerald’s side.

“We are clear. Let us go on.”

The spymaster wasted no time in spurring the horses on, smiling to the guards as they passed. As they passed by the opened gate, the drawbridge and through the other two gatehouses, and led down a cobbled path, straight through the town and to the other side, where they could already see the gatehouses at the Kievan Horse side. In the end, it wasn’t very big of a town, but for a fort, it was still rather impressive to have so many civilians and merchants living here.

“We’ll stay here at an inn for the night,” Moon Tide instructed. “Then we can get any repairs on the carriages done, reshoe our horses, and replenish our supplies before heading on.”

“We only have to resupply because Jewel Pin keeps eating everything.” Posey looked through the carriage window with narrowed eyes.

The seamstress in question stuck her head out the window. “How would you expect me to go on with an empty stomach, might I ask?”

Posey rolled her eyes.

“Shouldn’t be a problem findin’ supplies in a place like this.” Apple Bean pointed to a merchant on the right who was selling turnips.

Moon Tide nodded and pointed to a narrow building on the left, where a crooked signboard reading Prench hung from a window. “We shall be staying there. Leave all the talking to me. Once we are settled in, we shall see to getting more food.”

“And maybe this time, Jewel Pin, try to save it.” Posey looked at the purple haired seamstress again.

“She speaks the truth,” Moon Tide added. “From here to the mountains, we won’t be encountering anymore settlements. The Kievan lands are big and most people are still nomadic. We are unlikely to find a place to buy supplies besides their capital and other cities. Those are not in our path to the Coltcasus Mountains. Once we set out, there is no turning back, so make sure you get everything you need.”

“Then we will need food. Lots of food.”

Emerald thought hard about the journey ahead. She didn’t know what to expect in the Kievan Horse kingdom. The kingdom of Prance had already managed to surprise her, with the kindness of some of its people, Posey’s mother, and also the spectres. The Kievan territory would likely have trouble of its own, but hopefully it wasn’t going to be anything too daunting.

And then there was Morn Dread. Emerald Edge pictured his strong, yet kind face in her mind, missing the days where they would spend their time training in the courtyard or having strolls through the garden, or even the nights they would spend together. He was on his way after them, of that she was sure. She didn’t know how much more of a headstart they had, but they had to make it last for as long as they could. If they could find the artifact in Saddle Arabia, then they would definitely have a fighting chance against Morn. But was that all there was to it?

Things were never that simple and Emerald knew that to be true in her time as Princess Amore’s spymaster. But whatever was up ahead, she had made a promise, and she was going to do everything in her power to keep that promise. That, she knew for sure.

71 - Taken

Emerald Edge waited patiently atop the carriage as Moon Tide began talking to the guards at the gatehouse. From what she could guess from one of the guard’s gestures, she was likely trying to understand why they were going to venture out to the Kievan Horse lands. They seemed to be in incredible disbelief, but eventually, let them pass anyway.

“Merci,” Moon Tide told them as their carriages and horses began moving past them and out of the gatehouses.

“What’d they say, Em?” Honeygold asked, now seated beside the spymaster atop the first carriage.

“How should I know? Only Moon Tide speaks Prench here.”

“Tis just warnings,” Moon Tide explained from her horse. “They say the Kievans are cannibals and savages. And to watch the woods and to never leave our young by themselves in fear of Baba Yaga.”

“Ba-Ba-Ba-Baba Yaga?” Honeygold shook beside Emerald.

The former pegasus remembered some of the fairytales the young farm girl would tell her. One of these was about the Baba Yaga, a witch said to steal little children away and eat them, flying around with their mortar and pestle. It really sounded too astounding to be any bit true, but then again, she didn’t know what this world had to offer. Perhaps a flying woman wasn’t too far off, just like pegasi.

Moon Tide led the way down the dirt road, with Emerald’s carriage following directly behind her. Honeygold was on top with her, while Spectrum Song, Guard Streak and Jewel Pin sat within, eating their breakfast. Posey rode alongside them, making sure the seamstress wouldn’t finish their entire food supply so quick into their travels.

Apple Bean and Golden Nugget rode atop their horses next to their carriage of supplies, with Nightfall Gleam riding on top of it, while Light Speckle sat inside with the maps and notes.

They had set out early, having a good night’s rest at the inn. The beds weren’t fantastic, but they were a far sight better than sleeping out in the wilderness.

They had also discreetly bought more food from the marketplace, either not saying anything or letting Moon Tide talk. They didn’t want the people to know they were from Canterlot, just in case, though they did seem fairly nice, unlike what they had heard about the Prench back in Canterlot; This also made Emerald wonder if the Kievan Horse people would be nicer than everyone was saying.

From up above, Gabriel gave them a squawk, then swooped in a circle.

“Gabriel says there is a roadblock,” Posey translated. “Landslide. We will need to go around.”

“Around?” Emerald scanned her surroundings. As they walked, they eventually caught sight of a mass of boulders and dirt, covering the path and disappearing down the other side. The rain must have loosened the soil.

Still being within the mountain range, there wasn’t much to go in terms of direction. Though, the right side was a slope down instead of a slope up. Perhaps that could get them past the landslide. It led down a grassy path, leading to the edge of some trees.

“Are we able to get the carriages down the side?” Golden Nugget pulled at a piece of straw in his mouth. “It’s gonna be a mighty hard way down.”

“Easier than diggin’ out the landslide, ain’t it?” His wife nudged him. “Besides, you’re a big strong man. Ah’m sure ya can manage this.”

“Not alone.” Nugget rolled up his sleeves. “Right, we’re gonna take this nice and slow. Emerald, if ya could get the front with me. Posey, can ya get the rear? We’ll bring ‘em one at a time.”

Moon Tide walked over and rolled up her sleeves. “I shall help.”

“Uh…” Golden Nugget rubbed his head. “No offense, mage, but this is better left to the stronger ones.”

“Trust me. I can still be of help.”

“Well, alright then. Ya can help Posey with the rear, mage.”

The four of them began helping the horses down the slope, with Emerald and Golden Nugget putting their backs to the carriage to slow its descent, while Posey and Moon Tide held the bars at the back. Emerald had expected it to be much harder, but for some reason, the carriage felt rather light. Perhaps she was a lot stronger than she remembered.

It had gotten noticeably chillier as they had left the Prench border fort. While it wasn’t raining, the sky was overcast and grey, and there seemed to be very little greenery around. Just short, tough grass that didn’t look appetizing at all, and some forests of scraggly trees.

It was a most unwelcoming sight, and the path ahead was ill-used, littered with stones and almost completely overgrown with grass. She guessed anyone who traveled down here would only use the main path. With the landslide like that, she didn’t know how much traveling was going to be done.

“What a miserable looking kingdom,” Emerald heard Jewel Pin exclaim. “At least in Prance they took some pride in their countrysides. This is just ghastly.”

“These are nice countrysides.” Posey glared at her from the corner of her eyes as she helped with the carriage. “This is what nature looks like, untouched by man.”

Jewel Pin sniffed. “It could still stand to be more colorful. This is so drab and boring, I don’t feel inspired at all.”

After almost half an hour, they finally got the carriages down the slope. The grassy path led in a meandering fashion around some boulders and into a forest. The trees here were laden with strange, round purple fruits that Emerald had never seen before.

Emerald reached out to pick one, but there came a sudden whack! On the knight’s arm.

“Ow!” Emerald said out of reflex. Because of her armor, it didn’t really hurt, but it caught her by surprise.

Moon Tide stood beside her, brandishing her staff.

“Don’t touch anything.” the mage ordered. “This is off the path that I usually travel, so I don’t know what devilry might be at work here. For all we know, those fruits could be poisonous.”

Emerald nodded, feeling foolish for making such an amateur mistake.

“Sorry,” the former pegasus said sheepishly.

“Nothing to apologize for, Emerald. We learn, yes?” Moon Tide walked a few steps ahead and gave the air a sniff. “If we walk along the trees here, we should eventually arrive at the part of the road at the bottom of the slope. We will simply be back on the main path and on with our journey.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Apple Bean gave Joey a rub.

Nightfall looked around after getting back on top of the other carriage. “Any wildlife to expect out here? Wolves? Trolls?”

Moon Tide looked on ahead. “Wolves, bears, tigers, these are your natural predators, but beware, there are much more reclusive hunters out here, far more dangerous than any troll you might have already seen before. Creatures of the dark. We must not stray from the beaten path in our time here.”

“But…” Honeygold pointed to the top of the slope. “We already have. And what’s a tie-gur?”

“I suppose you’ll see it if we come across one.” Moon Tide hugged her staff closer. “But tigers are the least of our worries.”

“Hey, Omul is from here, ain’t he? He’s a vampire. Maybe we’ll find more of his kind?”

“Honeygold, you were lucky enough that a vampire that took residence in your land was a benevolent one. The rest of his kind are not so… civilized.”

“Whad’ya mean?”

The mage seemed to think on how to word her next answer as she got back on her horse. “Vampires are generally feral creatures. They will not hesitate to turn you into their next meal.”

Honeygold swallowed hard.

“Do not worry, Honeygold.” Emerald gave her a pat on the shoulder, then ushered her and the other two children back to the carriage. “If evil vampires appear, we shall handle them.”

“Then let us hasten.” Moon Tide lifted her hood over her head. “The longer we stay off the road, the more chance we have of being discovered by something evil. We must go.”

Emerald got back on her carriage and got the horses moving, taking Moon Tide’s words to heart. Honeygold had told her many a story on Kievan Horse tales. Besides the Baba Yaga, that Emerald heard of the most, the young farmgirl had also told her tales of creatures far more dangerous. Ones she remembered over others were the leshy and the chort. Beings of pure evil who killed without thought. The spymaster didn’t think much of those stories, seeing as they were fairytales, but if vampires did exist, then these monsters could too.

The travel along the forest edge was bumpy, seeing as they were off the path, the carriage wheels rolling over grass and uneven ground. Birds chirped somewhere in the woods, some singing melodious tunes that made Emerald want to go to sleep. Besides that, nothing else made itself known, which was fine by her. She didn’t want to meet anything hostile anyway.

The path grew ever more winding, with heaps of stones and crevasses on either side. They had to be cautious with the carriages, as a breakdown out here would be disastrous. More of the strange fruits hung on the trees.

“It’s not that bad out here,” Guard Streak commented as they trundled along. “The birds are singing, there’s a cool breeze, and we’re making progress.”

Posey, however, didn’t seem to share in his sentiments. She kept looking all around them, and she kept one hand on her bow. Gabriel circled overhead, flying high.

Emerald herself found her eyes looking out into the woods constantly. Something about it didn’t feel right to her. She couldn’t explain it, but something about it kept making her look in, though each time, she saw nothing out of the ordinary except for a few dead trees.

“I’m worried about the horses,” Spectrum said, sticking her head out of the carriage. “There aren’t as many plants out here for them to eat. I haven’t seen any running water either.”

The carriage rolled over a divot in the ground, making the occupants bounce.

“Anyone know any good stories or a song?” Jewel Pin whined. “It’s so boring out here.”

“Oh! Oh! I’ve got a song!” Spectrum whipped out her lute and gave it a strum. “My pa taught it to me.”

“Oh, there once was a hero named Lydia the Fair, who was always eating and sitting on a chaaaaiirr!”

“Shh!” Emerald hissed from outside. Spectrum’s lute fell silent. “We do not want to attract any undue attention, so until we’re back on the main road, no songs.”

“Aww, that’s not fun.” Spectrum stowed her instrument.

“What kinda name is Lydia anyway?” Honeygold giggled.

“Don’t know. It was just the name my pa used in the song.”

“A different n-name would-would have worked better…” Guard Streak scratched his head.

“What other name would work better?” Spectrum waved her lute.

“I do-do not know…”

“Well, if you don’t have a better one, then we’ll have to stick with Lydia.”

“Hey, arguments later, would you three?” Emerald thumped the back of a foot against the carriage base. “Don’t want any leshys coming out, do you?”

Honeygold coughed. “Leshiye.”

“What?”

“They’re called Leshiye, Em. Ah mean, if it’s more than one.”

“I’m hungry.” Jewel Pin rubbed her belly. “Could we stop for lunch?”

A block of cheese and half a loaf of bread was thrust through the window into Jewel Pin’s lap.

“We’re not stopping here,” Moon Tide announced in a shout-whisper. “It isn’t safe.”

“Wait, don’t give her more food,” Posey groaned. “She’s going to eat us dry by the time we even make it to tomorrow…”

Jewel Pin paid Posey no mind as she tore into the bread and cheese.

They kept going along. Emerald grew a little more relaxed, though she kept glancing into the forest out of the corner of her eye. The group seemed to have left the birds behind, as there was no longer any birdsong.

“I wonder how far it is till we get back on the main path,” Emerald heard Golden Nugget say. “I’m not sure I like the idea of travelin’ past these woods after dark.”

Emerald privately agreed, though she kept her eyes on the path and said nothing, lest she needlessly worry the group. Still, something in the back of her mind kept sending up warning bells. The sooner they were away from this grove of trees, the better.

Posey pulled her horse up next to Emerald.

“Gabriel says we are being watched,” she said quietly.

This did not really surprise the former pegasus. “By whom?”

“He doesn’t know, but there’s been something following us through the forest for the better part of the day. Keep your sword ready. We are not as alone as we might think.”

Emerald nodded. She’d been feeling a sense of unease for quite some time now. She thought it might’ve been the woods, but now she knew better.

Posey then allowed her horse to lag back, with its rider whispering to each member of the party in turn. Each person glanced warily into the woods and put a hand on their weapon. That was good. At least if whatever was following them decided to attack, they would not be caught off guard.

“Ah don’t see anyone.” Honeygold panned her head across the woods.

Emerald continued to look out for whoever was following them, but even as skilled as she was, she still couldn’t see anyone there. “Neither do I, Honeygold. But I feel it.”

Spectrum placed a hand on her dagger’s grip. “I don’t feel anything. Are you sure anyone is out there? What if tis all just the Kievan lands working magic on your minds?”

“Where on earth did you hear that, young squire?” Moon Tide held back a snort.

“I mean, we all know the tales of Kievans. Them and their gypsies and vampires.”

“That… is possibly the worst summary I have heard of these people.”

“Yes, well-”

A rush of wind cut Spectrum off. Emerald tilted her head back to look at her, but it had all happened so fast. Spectrum had been in the carriage with Honeygold, Jewel Pin and Guard Streak, but the door was now open and the squire had gone silent.

“Spectrum?”

“Spectrum’s gone!” Guard Streak charged out of the carriage and looked around. “One moment she was here, next…”

“What do you mean Spectrum has gone?” Moon Tide pulled her horse along the carriage, then sniffed the air. “I do not sense anything or anyone.”

Emerald got off and looked around, even ducking her head under the carriage to see if the squire was there, but of course, she wasn’t.

There was a squawk from above and immediately, Posey’s head was turned to the forest. “Gabriel sees movement, far in. A flash of gray and a flash of… rainbow. Tis the squire! She has been taken!”

“How could someone have taken her right under my nose?” Moon Tide sounded flabbergasted as she got off her horse and removed her crossbow from her pack. “Tis no natural person, whoever has taken her.”

“We didn’t even see anyone!” Honegold waved her hands wildly. “And she was sittin’ right beside me one moment, and then poof, she wasn’t!”

“There is sorcery behind this…” Nightfall Gleam said, taking out a glass vial of bubbling orange liquid: alchemist’s fire. “We are being challenged by another magician.”

“Magician?” Honeygold suddenly drew back and began biting at her fingernails. “Th-th-there’s only one magician i-in th-these pa-parts… Ba-Ba-Baba Yaga!”

“Oh, Honeygold.” Apple Bean shook her head. “There ain’t no such thing as them babayaggers. They’re just fairytales.”

“Baba Yaga or not, we need to get Spectrum back,” Posey said decisively. “I think I can trace her; follow me.”

She readied her bow and stalked off into the woods. Emerald looked at the rest of her friends, then charged off into the trees after Posey, the rest of the group not far behind.

Jewel Pin sighed and hopped out of the carriage. She drew her dagger and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, I hate epic adventures.”

72 - Witchery

A branch cracked under Emerald Edge’s foot as she trekked through the woods in search of Spectrum Song and her unknown assailant. Fallen leaves covered the entirety of the forest floor as they got deeper into the woods, with all the trees around them now bare.

She didn’t like it one bit.

“Did I really have to come along?” Jewel Pin complained, her little dagger brandished in one hand. “I’m not much of a fighter. I could have stayed back with the farmers. Help watch over the supplies and such.”

“No one forced you to come. You did it yourself. Now silence.” Posey had her hands on her bow and bowstring, an arrow already waiting to be drawn back and fired. “We do not want to let this attacker know we are on to them already.”

“How do you know where to go?” Guard Streak whispered to Posey.

Posey dropped into a crouch-walk and gestured for the others to do the same. “I have… skills that let me follow the trails of people and animals,” she whispered back. She stared intently at the ground. “This way.”

Emerald had to hand it to the archer. Living in the forest for so long had given her abilities no normal human would have. The Apple family and Light Speckle had stayed behind to look after the carriages and supplies, along with trying to get back on the main path. Moon Tide and Nightfall opted to come along, deciding magic against magic would be useful here. The spymaster had asked Guard Streak to stay with the others, but the young squire had insisted on coming along.

“Spectrum needs us,” he had said. “I am not going to sit around until she is back safely.”

She had warned him about the dangers of pursuit again, but he had insisted without hesitation. Emerald nodded. If anything, he was a brave young squire.

With Posey crouching now, Emerald could only guess that they must be close to whoever had taken Spectrum.

The air around them had grown more quiet than before. All Emerald could hear were their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves below them as they carefully made their way forward. She already had one hand on her sword’s pommel, ready for anything.

Well, almost anything.

There came a hiss from somewhere ahead. The former pegasus could not see where it had come from, nor what it had come from, but it sounded odd. It sounded like that of a snake, but then at the same time, not exactly a snake. She hoped it wasn’t more asps. Morn wasn’t here to save her this time, though she wasn’t sure if he would at the moment.

Gabriel squawked from above.

“Movement. Left.” Posey drew her arrow back and swiveled her head in that direction.

“What is it?” Emerald unsheathed her sword as silently as she could. “Did the kidnapper turn back?”

Then she understood. The kidnapper wasn’t alone.

Something darted between two trees on the left, as Posey had said, but it had been too swift for Emerald’s eyes to pick up.

Whatever it was, it was moving low to the ground, or they would have spotted it. Emerald’s mind began to produce possible matches. Was it a human running on all fours? She dismissed that option as soon as she thought of it. She knew from experience that getting around on all fours as a human was uncomfortable and awkward. That only meant that the moving thing was an animal or a monster of some kind.

“Look out!” Moon Tide threw herself at Emerald just in time as something flew past them at high speed.

Emerald made out a flash of green scales and white feathers before hitting the ground. She was unharmed, but the same couldn’t be said for the mage.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald got up and examined the mage’s body. She had long claw marks across her back, tearing right through her robes and skin, cutting deep. Her enemy had talons. Sharp talons. “Hold still, Moon Tide!”

The mage grunted in pain, but she waved Emerald off. “I shall be… fine. Watch out for our… assailant… Tis no simple animal. Basilisk…”

“Basilisk? Here?” Nightfall sounded both excited and afraid. Emerald didn’t know that was possible. “I have only heard tales of these creatures from the old empires.”

“What’s a baseel-lisk?” Guard Streak asked, keeping his sword pointed out in front of him as his eyes surveyed the woods.

“A fearsome and ancient creature… that is… not native to Canterlot. I did not expect to find one out here,” Moon Tide glanced around warily. “But this is not… my usual route.”

There was hissing again and Emerald flipped around. She only caught sight of a green slithering body when she felt a hand wrap around her ankle and pull her down. Moon Tide threw her aside with strength she hadn’t expected in the mage, rolling to a stop beside a tree where Posey was already readying an arrow.

The creature now stood above Moon Tide, glaring down at her with beady red eyes. It was an odd creature, not one Emerald had ever seen in Equestria or this world. It was long and slender like a snake, but from its body sprouted two taloned feet and a pair of bat-like wings, and its head was that of a chicken. A chicken with rows of dagger-like teeth in its mouth and a long tongue. It continued to look at the mage, and it was then that Emerald realized she was in some kind of trance. She didn’t look away. Instead, she stared straight at the basilisk’s eyes, even as her body turned to stone.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald picked up her sword and ran at the monster.

“Do not look at its eyes!” Nightfall raised an arm over hers and removed a jar of magic from her pack. “One look and you will be frozen like rock.”

The mage threw the jar in the general direction of the basilisk and it exploded into flames, the orange tongues of fire licking at the trees and the ground. The creature looked up and hissed, but stopped short when one of Posey’s arrows hit it in the neck.

It growled and broke the arrow shaft off before bounding off into the forest, disappearing from sight as the fire began to rise higher.

“Moon Tide, we need to get her out!” Emerald rushed to the flames, but shielded her face as they lunged in her direction.

The fire began to spread, licking up the tree trunks and leaping from branch to branch. Smoke billowed from the burning wood and made Emerald’s eyes water.

“This is not good,” Emerald coughed. “We may just have started a forest fire.”

“Moon Tide should be fine. Fire doesn’t burn stone. But as for us…” Nightfall looked back down the way they had come. “We need to go!”

“What in the world possessed you to throw a firebomb in the middle of a forest?” Emerald asked Nightfall, exasperated. “This is something Secret Fire would do, not you!”

“Perhaps I’ve been spending a little too much time with him… And fire seemed good at the time.”

“Enough talk. Move!” Posey pushed the mage ahead. “And keep an eye for that basilisk. We do not know where it is now.”

The spymaster looked back at Moon Tide’s frozen body again, then followed her friends away from the fire. They would find a way to bring her back. They would. But for now, they needed to get away from the fire. Dying wouldn’t help her.

“We need to help Spectrum! We cannot run!” Streak readied his shortsword and stopped in his tracks. “The kidnapper is past this part of the forest. If we go on, we can outrun the fire. At least for now.”

Emerald nodded and sprinted off further into the forest after him, the rest of the group following close behind.

An owl hooted ahead. It sounded like laughter.

“Wait, it’s daytime,” Nightfall said as they went along. “There shouldn’t be any owls.”

“Then who’s laughing?” Guard Streak asked.

Posey held up her fist and the whole group stopped. They had come to a thicket of brambles that were arranged like a wall. Pointy bits of greenery prevented any further advance.

Posey pointed through the brambles. “Baba Yaga.”

“We need to get in there.” Emerald peeked over them. “That or the fire burns us all.”

“Can’t we just go back to the carriage?” Jewel Pin pulled at the muddy hem of her dress. “This place is just dreadful.”

“We cannot just leave Spectrum behind!” Guard Streak said hotly.

“And we will not be.” Posey looked around, then up and down a tree next to the bramble barrier. “I think I have a way over.”

Emerald caught on and nodded. There didn’t seem to be any other way into the compound the witch had set up. “We have to climb.”

“Climb?” Jewel Pin looked as though she had been told they could fly. “How am I to climb? I am but a seamstress, not some monkey.”

Posey flashed her an annoyed look. “Then stay down here with the fire.”

Jewel Pin watched as everyone else began climbing. She slumped over and stomped her way over to the tree, following the others, rushing as the fire began to creep closer. “Why meeeee?”

“We need to get high enough to jump over the brambles.” Posey was the fastest, reaching the top of the tree in only a few seconds.

Emerald followed along, her years of learning from Posey paying off, though she still had a lot to learn. Guard Streak didn’t do too badly, but Nightfall and Jewel Pin were having trouble climbing up.

“Ah, this isn’t working,” Nightfall fumed. She reached into her pack and brought out a bottle of light blue liquid. “Heads up!”

She hurled the bottle at the brambles. The potion burst on the spikes, releasing a cloud of smog. When it cleared, the brambles were frozen over with ice.

“Much better,” Nightfall said, then picked up a fallen branch and smashed the frozen thorns out of the way.

“You could’ve done that sooner.” Posey leapt off the tree and landed in a roll, her bow already in hand.

“I think we may have lost the element of surprise,” Emerald observed. She too dismounted from the tree and landed on the ground. “Whoever took Spectrum will have noticed the forest on fire by now.”

They advanced through the cleared brambles and shrubbery, and were met with a most unusual sight. There, right in front of them, was a kind of cottage. It looked as though it had fused with a thick tree in the clearing. Its roots protruded from the ground, looking a lot like chicken feet with their gnarled, curling tendrils. Sharpened wooden stakes had been driven into the ground in a ring around the house, and the only source of light was a huge cooking fire with an equally large cauldron boiling on top of it.

“What in the blazes is this?” Nightfall muttered. She drew a green potion from her pack and hefted it, looking around.

“It looks like a house,” Jewel Pin pointed out the obvious.

“Spectrum! Spectrum!” Guard Streak shouted, looking around. He stepped closer to the house, but Nightfall Gleam held him back.

“Touch nothing,” the mage said slowly. “There may be hidden spells or other such traps around here.”

“And there’s that basilisk about,” Posey added. “We cannot afford to let our guard down. Not here.”

As the smell of smoke grew closer, the group shuffled forward toward the house. The cauldron was stewing with some kind of potion, and was emitting a foul stench in the clearing. Emerald moved over to the cauldron and peered inside, instantly regretting doing so. There were animal parts bobbing in the broth, and Emerald struggled not to retch at the gruesome stew that was in the pot.

Suddenly, from somewhere around them, a devious cackling erupted into existence, echoing all around them. Emerald didn’t know where it was coming from, but it was likely from the one who had taken Spectrum.

Emerald brandished her sword and looked around, then quickly fixed her eyes on the ground in case the basilisk was about. The shine of the blade caught her eye and she had an idea. Keeping low to the ground, Emerald angled her blade so that she could survey the surroundings in the sword’s reflection. She hoped that if she saw the basilisk in her blade’s reflection, she wouldn’t turn to stone.

The front door to the tree-house opened, and the laughter intensified. There was a short, dumpy looking figure on the doorstep, with shaggy dark hair and a face that was so ugly that it would have broken any mirror, had there been one nearby. She was dressed in ragged brown robes and was holding an oversized fork in her right hand.

“Baba Yaga…” Emerald breathed.

“Witch! Unhand the young lady and return her to us!” Guard Streak rushed forward a few steps, holding his shortsword high.

“Vkusny rebenok,” she cackled and removed a potion from behind herself. “Dlya menya…”

“Down!” Posey yelled as she tossed it.

Guard Streak raised a hand to protect his face, but with a precise shot from her bow, Posey broke the bottle midair, spewing purple mist across the area between them and the Baba Yaga.

“Don’t breathe this in!” Nightfall covered her mouth with her sleeve and ushered the others away from the purple cloud. “By the looks of it, toxic magic. Far deadlier than any poison magic the druids would know.”

Posey fired two arrows through the cloud, but the sound of them thudding into wood signaled that they must’ve missed their mark.

“We need to find where she’s keeping Spectrum. We need to save her!” Streak hissed to the spymaster.

“We will, young squire.” Emerald gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, then tightened the grip on her sword. “But first, we have a witch to kill.”

Above, Gabriel squawked, which Emerald knew by now, was a warning. A blur of green twisted out of the brambles to the left and Emerald swung her sword, squeezing her eyes shut in case it was what she suspected it might be. She missed, but there was a screech as Gabriel swooped down and drew the basilisk’s attention from Emerald.

Baba Yaga screeched something in that language that Emerald didn’t speak and threw another potion at Guard Streak. The squire saw it coming and dodge rolled away, leaving the potion to break on the ground. Twisting vines sprouted up from the splash zone, whipping around with thorny tendrils and ripping up the dirt.

“What the…” Emerald muttered as she blindly swung her weapon at the basilisk, once again hitting nothing. She had not seen such powerful magic, not even from Clover the Clever back in Canterlot.

Gabriel slashed at the basilisk with his talons, swooping in and out of the monster’s view so he would not be turned to stone.

In the meantime, Posey nocked an arrow and fired it at Baba Yaga, but the hag waved her hands above her head and a gust of wind blew in and deflected the projectile.

Nightfall Gleam threw another potion, and it seemed that the bottle was too heavy to be blown away. It smashed onto Baba Yaga’s house and covered the bark with sizzling holes. Baba Yaga turned around and screeched as one part of the trunk collapsed in on itself.

“Moy dom!” She was suddenly at the mage, smacking her across the face hard enough to send her falling back. “Vasilisk! Glazet’!”

As Emerald swung her weapon again, she was suddenly barreled into. As she fell, she felt talons walking over her, but the basilisk didn’t stop at her. As the spymaster opened her eyes, she watched as the monster whipped over to where Baba Yaga was standing and threw its eyes wide open.

“Do not look!” Emerald had instantly jammed her eyes shut, throwing herself and Jewel Pin to the ground.

Posey pulled her bandana down over her eyes to protect herself. Guard Streak had raised an arm to cover his eyes, and Nightfall scampered back from where she was, keeping an eye on the leaf-covered floor beneath herself.

The basilisk shrieked, alongside the hag’s harsh language, it made a cacophony that scratched at Emerald’s ears. And there was another sound. Crackling. The smell of smoke. The wildfire was getting closer.

“How are we going to stop this thing?” Guard Streak shouted from a short way away.

Another cry from the basilisk, but Emerald did not dare open her eyes. She heard Baba Yaga say something, then there was the twang of a bowstring and the basilisk’s shrieking took on a whole new level.

Emerald decided to open her eyes, keeping them low to avoid looking directly into the basilisk’s red eyes. The creature was flailing about, trying to dislodge something that has gotten stuck in its cheek. From the corner of her vision, Emerald could tell it was one of Posey’s arrows. She had somehow hit her mark even with her eyes closed.

“Good shot, Posey!” Jewel Pin cheered.

That had been the wrong move. With a growl, Baba Yaga was suddenly beside the seamstress and jabbed her fork into her thigh. Jewel Pin screamed and flailed about with her dagger, by some good fortune managing to cut the hag on the arm with it. While she was distracted, Guard Streak leapt on her from behind, grabbing on to her back and driving his shortsword through her shoulder to keep himself from falling off.

“Vasilisk! Ah! Vasilisk!” the witch cried out. She dropped her fork and reached over her back, trying to dislodge the squire.

Emerald had been about to join in when the basilisk slithered over, whipping its tail around and knocking her on her back. Posey took aim with her bow, but there were too many people moving around in the melee. She was not confident that she would not hit one of her friends by mistake. However, through the hole that Nightfall had burned through the witch’s house, she could see a smudge of rainbow colored hair inside.

“Aha,” Posey said, jumping over a row of stakes and making for the shack.

She kicked the door down and entered with her bow drawn, just in case there were any other nasty creatures lurking about inside. The inside of the house was littered with animal pelts and open bottles and wooden cups of foul-smelling liquids. The floor was wood, but covered in rotten leaves.

Spectrum was lying in the corner, bound with vines and with a roll of bark stuck in her mouth to keep her from making any noise. Her eyes fell onto Posey and she perked up.

“Spectrum! There you are,” Posey said, relieved. “Are you hurt?”

Spectrum shook her head. Posey extended her hidden blade and began to saw through the vines, the honed steel severing the plant life easily. When she was free, Spectrum pulled the roll of bark from her mouth and spat.

“Ugh. I don’t see what Emerald gets from eating this plant stuff,” the squire said, standing up.

“It’s probably an acquired taste,” Posey said plainly. “We should go help outside. The battle isn’t over yet.”

Spectrum walked over to a pile of weapons that had most likely belonged to other victims of Baba Yaga and chose an ornate short sword with a gilded hilt. “I am ready for some payback.”

They stepped outside and took in the scene. Emerald Edge, Guard Streak, and Jewel Pin were wrestling with Baba Yaga just outside the ring of stakes, while Nightfall was throwing potion after potion at a wall of fire that was creeping closer to them. The bottles burst into clouds of frost, but the flames were burning too hot for them to have much of an effect. The basilisk was fighting Gabriel, vainly trying to return to Baba Yaga’s side.

“You witch!” Jewel Pin drove her dagger into the hag’s foot.

Guard Streak had one arm around her neck, trying to choke her out, but it looked to be a losing fight.

Not wasting any time, Posey and Spectrum joined in the fray, with the archer already letting loose an arrow at the basilisk’s side. It pierced its skin, drawing blood, and its attention. She quickly looked away and pushed Spectrum to the ground, averting her eyes.

“Do not look into them!” she warned. “Its gaze alone will turn you to stone.”

The creature screeched and ran over, its talons digging up dirt with each step.

“Eyes down, squire.” Posey unsheathed her hidden blade and waited.

She listened, waiting for the basilisk to get closer, and when she heard Gabriel squawk above, the archer whipped around and jammed her hidden blade right into the neck of the approaching monster, keeping her eyes averted from its head.

The basilisk screeched and roared, jumping and raking Posey’s arms with its sharp claws, but that only pushed Posey to repeatedly stab her blade into its neck more and more.

And then with a warcry, Spectrum leapt over her, using her shoulder as a springboard. Landing on top of the monster, she sliced at its wings and back with her acquired shortsword, sending feathers and blood flying up into the air around them.

With their combined assault, the basilisk finally fell, falling to the ground, gurgling in its own blood as its life faded away.

“Easy.” Spectrum hopped off the dead monster and flicked her sword in the air. “Wouldn’t you say I have the qualities of a knight, Posey?”

“Moy vasilisk!” Baba Yaga screamed like a banshee and threw Streak and Jewel Pin off, their weapons still stuck in her as she suddenly dashed forward in a blink of an eye, knocking Emerald and Posey to the ground. She grabbed Spectrum by the neck and lifted her into the air, squeezing hard.

“Let me go!” Spectrum squirmed in her grasp. She lifted her shortsword, but Baba Yaga swiped it out of her grip with a gnarly hand. Emerald and Posey sprinted for Spectrum, but a blast of wind knocked them back.

Then Jewel Pin rose to her feet, swaying as she did so. Her dagger was still embedded in the crone’s foot, but she staggered forward, keeping her center of gravity low in order to foil the witch’s foul wind magic. But she was unarmed.

“Jewel Pin! No!” Emerald shouted. But the seamstress paid her no attention.

Spectrum kicked at Baba Yaga’s arm, and they all heard a crack, but the hag’s grip did not loosen. The squire’s face was beginning to turn purple from lack of air.

And that was when Jewel Pin drew her tailoring scissors from her belt and thrust them into the back of Baba Yaga’s neck, with such force that the tips emerged from the other side.

“Oh!” Emerald covered her mouth instinctively.

The witch gasped and spat a mouthful of blood in Spectrum’s face before letting go of her. She reached for her neck, then tipped over to the side, convulsing on the spot.

For a moment, all that could be heard was the hag making increasingly small sputtering noises as the corpse began to still.

Emerald got to her feet, brushing some dead leaves off her legs. “Jewel Pin… I didn’t think you had it in you,” she said, shuffling over to Baba Yaga’s corpse to make sure she was really dead and to retrieve her sword.

“I didn’t think I had it in me either,” the seamstress confessed. She reached down and pulled the scissors from the witch’s neck, shaking them to get rid of the blood. “But I couldn’t just stand by and let that horrid creature have her way with us. We did not escape from Canterlot just to be done in by some old hag.”

“I guess she is good for something, after all…” Posey slung her bow over her shoulder and readjusted her bandana.

Spectrum sat on the ground, legs splayed and one hand massaging her throat. "Thanks, Jewel Pin," she coughed. "That witch had one nasty grip."

"Spectrum!" Guard Streak rushed to Spectrum's side and hugged her. "You're alright!"

"Of course I'm alright," Spectrum said, patting her friend on the back. "I'm too good to just- wait. How are we going to get out of here?"

Emerald looked around, her smile sliding off her face. The fire had now completely surrounded the witch's hut, and the air was filling with smoke and ashes. It was incredible how they had not noticed until now.

Nightfall held open her pack, revealing it to be empty. “I’m afraid to say I have run out of magic.”

"I would suggest we take cover inside the shack," Jewel Pin backed away from the flames. "But tis wood too."

"The old hag wants to take us with her?" Spectrum exclaimed. "Talk about your sore loser."

Nobody wanted to tell the squire that the fire had been set by them.

As the ring of fire grew ever closer, Emerald and her friends backed up until they were standing in a small circle outside Baba Yaga’s hut. The spymaster looked around for something, anything to help fight the fire back, but the witch had picked a terrible place to live if there was ever a fire. There was absolutely nothing to fight it with, maybe except the contents of the cauldron, but they couldn’t get there now, with the fire already past it.

“Well, this is not how I thought it would go,” Nightfall admitted. She clutched her bag as the flames began to consume the stakes.

“I did not kill the Baba Yaga just to die here!” Jewel Pin wailed.

Spectrum held on to her fellow squire tightly. “Streak, if we don’t make it out of this, I’d like you to know I like you!”

Emerald opened her mouth to say something, but then she felt something wet strike her nose.

“Huh?” She looked up, and was rewarded with a raindrop hitting her in the eye. More fat droplets of water fell from the cloudy heavens, hissing as they landed upon the fire.

The light shower intensified into a steady drizzle, then into a full-on downpour. The forest fire withered under the aqueous assault and the orange tongues of flame shriveled up and died.

Emerald pushed a lock of her wet hair from her face. She felt relieved, a sentiment that was shared by the rest of the group as they watched the rain douse the fire.

“Whew,” Spectrum said, kicking out a small lick of fire that lingered by her foot. “That was lucky.”

“Imagine if it hadn’t rained,” Jewel Pin shook her head like a dog, spraying water everywhere. “We could have died here!”

“We could still die,” Nightfall offered as she retreated under a tree to avoid the downpour. “You can get all kinds of illnesses from being cold and wet like this.”

“Beats burning to death, though,” Spectrum remarked.

The rain washed away the last of the flames, and continued to fall in a lighter drizzle as the group ducked into Baba Yaga’s hut for shelter. Inside, they found many old weapons and a pile of valuables that had no doubt been taken from the hag’s previous victims.

“Well, tis not like leaving it here will do anyone much good,” Jewel Pin said as she began stuffing her pack with treasure.

Emerald shrugged and let her be. She decided to search the rest of the house. Nightfall was examining a shelf of potions, keeping any that she thought might be safe and useful. The rest of the shack had a ramshackle bed with a basket next to it, most likely for the basilisk. There were three oblong objects inside the basket. They were grey and green mottled, and Emerald picked one up, examining it.

“What are these?” Emerald wondered, turning the object around in her fingers.

Posey joined Emerald and picked up another of the objects. “I think…” she said, scrutinizing the oblong item. “I think these are eggs.”

“Eggs?”

“And judging from where you found them, I would hazard a guess that these are the eggs of that basilisk,” Posey concluded, staring hard at the egg in her hands. “These could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

Emerald paused to consider this. The obvious thing to do would be to destroy them before they hatched, but deep down, the former pegasus knew she did not have it inside her to do such a grisly task.

“What should we do with them?” Emerald asked quietly.

“Without their mother around, I don’t know if these will ever hatch,” Posey replaced the egg she was holding in the basket. “The best thing to do would be to leave them here.”

“Oh! Alright.” Emerald put her egg back into the basket just as she had found it, happy that she didn’t have to break them. She had experienced enough violence for the day. Then something occurred to her.

“Oh! Do you think that Baba Yaga has a cure for petrification here?”

Posey considered the question. “For Moon Tide, I assume? I do not think that is necessary.”

“What? Why not?”

Posey nodded at the window. “Because here she comes now.”

And lo and behold, Moon Tide came stumbling out of the treeline, her robes smeared with damp ash and soot. The mage saw Emerald and the others inside the house and waved. The rain had dwindled down to a few spotting drops, and Emerald went outside.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald exclaimed. “You’re not stone anymore!”

“Is that what happened?” the mage said. “I remember looking into the basilisk’s eyes, and then the next I was all alone in the rain in the middle of a burnt forest. You must have broken the curse and stopped the witch’s flames,” Moon Tide pulled the former pegasus into a hug. “Thank you. I’m in your debt.”

“Don’t mention it.” Emerald said, pulling away after a couple of seconds. “Spectrum and Posey slew the creature, and Jewel Pin struck down the hag herself. As for the forest fire…” Emerald grimaced. “I’m afraid we started it. A bit of wayward magic.”

“What would possess any of you to use fire magic in a dried out forest like this?”

“I apologize, not one of my better moments…” Nightfall dusted her robes and grinned sheepishly. “Still, we won!”

“We could’ve all burned.” Posey didn’t look too happy about that.”

“But we got out unscathed! Mostly.” Nightfall eyed the archer’s injuries. “Still, I see this as a complete victory!”

“And those are wounds we can easily heal up, so do not you worry.” Moon Tide searched her pack for potions. “I trust the squire has been rescued?”

“That she has.” Emerald smiled and turned to the two young ones, who were only just coming out of the house, with Spectrum holding an old engraved musical lute of sorts.

“Look what I found!” She waved it around excitedly, then began strumming it, producing scratchy sounds. It must’ve been a while since it was last played. “Kievan folk tunes!”

It didn’t produce a very nice sound, at least, Emerald thought so, but it was still somewhat interesting to listen to.

“Uh, Sp-Spectrum?” Streak asked her. “About what you said e-earlier… Was it tr-true? That y-you li-like me?”

Moon Tide took a sniff at the air, then grinned.

The Kievan folk music stopped abruptly as Spectrum’s face turned a bright red.

“Th-th-that’s… Uh…” She suddenly put a hand to her ear and looked out to the woods. “I think I hear Honeygold calling us. We should go.”

And then she was off in a blink of an eye.

Emerald and the others watch her go. The spymaster couldn’t help but laugh. It was nice to see something normal after an intense battle with a witch and a beast, even if it left Guard Streak standing there wondering if he did something wrong.

Jewel Pin joined them outside, her pack bulging with gold and jewels. “Look what I found!” she said, looking pleased. “We’re going to be rich!”

Posey rolled her eyes. “Yes, Jewel Pin. Yes, we are. Now why don’t we get back to the others? I’m sure they will want to hear about what happened.”

73 - Back on the Road

“Ah still can’t believe ya set the whole forest on fire,” Golden Nugget shook his head. “We were awful worried about y’all once we saw the smoke.”

“Not my finest moment,” Nightfall Gleam admitted. “But everything worked out well in the end.”

“If by worked out well you meant almost dying, then yes…” Jewel Pin dusted her sleeves of soot. “That worked out well. And I have plenty of loot to show for it.”

“What’s a loot?” Honeygold asked.

“This thing!” Spectrum held out her new instrument proudly. “Tis a little different from my regular lute, but I am sure I can still work it.”

“Well, I’m glad that we all got out of that scrape more or less unharmed,” Posey commented. “How far is it till we get back onto the main road?”

Nightfall Gleam and Light Speckle poked their heads out of their carriage. “The maps don’t say, but the forest is starting to thin, which means we will be back in open ground soon. I just hope we don’t run into any bandits or other monsters.”

“I very much doubt we will meet anyone on the road,” Moon Tide remarked. “It is getting close to winter up north, and most Kievan clans will be settling in one place to live out the cold season. As for monsters, even the most fearsome of creatures dislike the chill. Many of them hibernate. We will keep on our guard, but I do not think we will be molested otherwise.”

And so it was as Moon Tide had predicted. They found their way back onto the road, but after three days of crossing the land, they met no one. It rained on the third day, a chilly but light drizzle that they took advantage of to refill their waterskins. With Gabriel flying sentinel overhead and Nightfall’s vigil with her spyglass, nobody and nothing managed to get the jump on them. Not that anyone or anything tried.

“Ah’m bored,” Honeygold said on the afternoon of the fourth day.

“Ain’t it good that no monsters have come out to attack us, dear?” Apple Bean asked, riding up alongside the carriage window. “Ah’d rather be bored than food anytime.”

“Speaking of food, how are we doing on supplies?” Spectrum asked, hoping to take her friend’s mind off her boredom. “Maybe we should do an inventory check.”

“Did someone say food?” Jewel Pin jerked upright from where she had been sleeping in the carriage.

Posey, who had been riding on the second carriage, groaned.

“On the bright side,” Guard Streak exclaimed, pointing. “Look! We can finally see the mountains!”

And it was true. Poking up on the horizon like new teeth, were the snow-capped peaks of the Coltcasus Mountains. A ragged cheer went up among the group. Surely Saddle Arabia, which had seemed such an impossible goal, was now within reach!

“It should be only three more days until we reach the Sallow Swamp,” Moon Tide called back. “And then it will be the foothills of the mountains.”

“Do ya think we’ll encounter anymore witches here?” Honeygold poked her head out of the carriage. “Their fairy tales speak of plenty of witches. Ah mean, we’ve already encountered one.”

“There better not be any more witches,” Moon Tide muttered. “I still have a score to settle with their kind because of what happened with Baba Yaga, and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.”

“Well, they will have a hard time ambushing us out here,” Emerald observed. “It’s rather flat plains as far as I can tell.”

“Tundra,” Moon Tide clarified. “The Kievan lands are not known for their wide variety of environments. Good picking ground for certain herbs, though.”

They kept going in relative silence for another few hours until it was time to set up camp for the night. Fortunately, they had gathered a sizeable amount of firewood from the Baba Yaga’s forest, so starting a fire was no problem. Even the short, scraggy tundra grass burned quite well, which was just as well because the night wind made keeping a fire going somewhat of a challenge.

As they got out their bedrolls to get ready to sleep, Emerald went over to Posey, who was taking the first watch.

“Posey, I have a question.”

The archer turned around, lowering her bow and taking some arrows out of her quiver to stick into the ground where they would be within easy reach. “What is it, Emerald?”

“Do you think you could ask Gabriel to fly back toward Canterlot? Sir Morn is pursuing us, but I would like to know just how close behind he is. Is that possible?”

Posey glanced at her eagle, who was sleeping on top of the nearest carriage with his head under his wing. “I think I can make that happen,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I was considering doing so anyway. It is always prudent to know just how close a potential threat is. I shall send him out tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Posey,” Emerald sighed and looked back over the long and lonesome road that they had come along. “Was this what it was like before you were exonerated?” Emerald asked the archer. “Always moving, being pursued for reasons you knew were wrong?”

“I have never moved such great distance in my time at the Shetla- Everfree.” Posey adjusted her bandana. “But I suppose there is similarity to what we are facing. I had to always be ready, attentive to every sound and every movement, ready to either fight or fly when the situation calls for it. I must say, tis not a life I miss.”

“I am sorry to have, you know, brought this on you,” Emerald muttered, sitting down on the grass. “You were on your way to having a peaceful life, and all this has dragged you back into it.”

Posey gave Emerald a small, comforting smile. “Even if I wasn’t directly involved, I would have come with you anyway. That’s what friends do.”

“And tis good to have you and your abilities with us. And of course, Gabriel too.”

“Mhmm,” Posey said, putting some dirt on the fire so as to dampen it for the night. “You had best get some sleep, Emerald. I will watch over us.”

Tucking herself into her bedroll, Emerald was soon fast asleep, dreaming of what was to come, and what might have been.

Early the next morning, Emerald woke up to the smell of cooking food. Her stomach growled and she slipped out of the bedroll.

Moon Tide was awake, sitting around a pot that was mounted on a cookfire. There were a couple of open jars next to her and she stirred the contents of the pot pensively.

“Good morning, Moon Tide.” Emerald yawned as she moved closer to the heat of the fire.

“Good morning, Emerald,” Moon Tide replied. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a log,” the former pegasus smiled. “What are you cooking?”

“Breakfast,” Moon Tide replied. “I thought we should use up some of our more perishable supplies before they go bad.”

“Good thinking,” Emerald nodded. “How are we doing on supplies?”

Moon Tide stopped stirring and glanced back at the carriages. “If you ration it out, you should have enough to reach the mountains. After that, I am unsure. You will be in uncharted territory, and I do not know how far it is to the next settlement.”

Emerald pondered this. She might be able to survive off vegetation, but this land did not give her much to work with. And then there were her companions, who would need actual food. She hoped that they would be able to easily procure supplies once they were in Saddle Arabia.

Moon Tide went back to stirring the contents of the pot. “In any case, the next big obstacle is the Sallow Swamp. It will not be easy to get the carriages through there.”

“Is there even a path through the swamp?” Golden Nugget walked over to join them. “If there ain’t, we’ll have to leave the carriages at the edge of the swamp.”

“There is a path through the swamp, certainly. It will take less than a day to get through it, at least it would if we were just on horses. With the carriages, maybe a full day. If we don’t encounter anything unpleasant.”

Soft footfalls signalled the arrival of Posey.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said. Then the archer turned to Emerald. “I’ve sent Gabriel back toward Canterlot. If he sees anything, he will report it back to us.”

Emerald nodded her thanks. “You have my gratitude, Posey. It is important to keep an eye on the enemy.”

The rest of the company soon joined them around the fire for breakfast, which was tasty, if not a little too soup-like for Emerald’s preference. As they ate, the former pegasus stared at the mountains in the distance, which were growing taller and wider with every day that passed. Could they really almost be within reach of their goal? It had seemed like such a nebulous task when they had been planning it at Avalon, but there they were, a sign that their journey had not been for nothing after all.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with the horses carrying them on at a brisk pace. The air was growing slightly more humid and warm, Emerald noticed, and there was a little more greenery. They must be heading further south than before. With nothing but Spectrum practicing on her newly acquired lute to break the silence, Emerald was glad to see the shape of Gabriel returning once they stopped to make camp for the night.

The golden eagle landed on Posey’s shoulder, who fed the bird some scraps of meat as she stroked its neck. “Now, what did you see out there, Gabriel?”

The eagle squawked and spread its wings a few times, as though it had a great story to tell.

“Hmm…” Posey’s expression suddenly changed, becoming as though she was thinking really hard. “Gabriel says they are at Fort Hayward. Before the Prench territory. They are just… waiting there.”

“Waiting?” Emerald edged closer. “What in Equestria would Morn be waiting for?”

“Gabriel isn’t quite sure,” Posey frowned. “But this means that we have an amazing lead on them. Almost two weeks’ worth of a lead.”

“Surely Morn realizes that the longer he delays, the more we slip out of his grasp,” Jewel Pin said, unrolling her sleeping bag. “Morn may be evil, but he isn’t stupid.”

“No he is not.” Moon Tide shook her head. “My son might be misguided, yes, but his battle strategies will not have left him. He is planning something. As to what he might be waiting for, I too, do not know. Perhaps a chance for his strength to return. After all, he isn’t like you, Emerald. He is still… human.”

“Then we must make for Saddle Arabia with all speed,” Light Speckle said seriously. “I like not these developments. It would be prudent to take advantage of this lead we have and acquire the artifact as swiftly as we can.”

“Mhmm,” Emerald nodded. “Posey, tell Gabriel thank you from me. I don’t speak eagle, but I want him to know I appreciate his efforts.”

Posey looked at the bird and smiled. “You heard her. Now, go get some rest.”

She raised her arm and the bird took off onto the nearest carriage to sleep.

Emerald decided to take first watch as she sat there by the fire, thinking. She didn’t know what Morn was doing, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She remembered the guards they had met at the fort. If Morn was already there, then they must’ve already been turned, or worse, killed. Then again, perhaps being killed was the more lenient path.

It had also been some time since they had been stopped by the local wildlife. The Kievan lands were surely home to more dangerous creatures than Canterlot, but at least none seemed to be out and about at the moment. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to face anymore of them.

All she could hear was the faint breath of the wind, and the rustling of the grass that was all around her. The fire crackled and spit, and Emerald added some more wood to it. A short distance away, Honeygold muttered something about apples in her sleep.

The former pegasus stirred at the flames with a stick. She disliked moments of quiet like this. It allowed her time to brood, and in spite of herself, she knew that it wasn’t good for her.

“If only Dawn Saber had been more accepting…” Emerald sighed as she stared into the flames. “Or if only someone had told Morn about his real family from the beginning… would things be different?”

She continued to mull this over in her mind, listening to the sounds of the wilderness around them. Why, if things had been different, she would not be here on this quest to begin with. Her friends might still be alive. She could have been safe and secure in her room in Canterlot instead of roughing it out here.

The creak of a carriage door being opened roused Emerald to her senses. She peered in the direction it had come from, her eyes adjusting to the dark of night. It was the small frame of Honeygold.

“Honeygold?” Emerald stood up and ambled over to the girl. “Why are you up?”

“Ah was thirsty,” Honeygold said quietly, pointing to a wooden cup in her hand that was half full of water.

Emerald smiled gently at the girl. “You should drink up then head back to sleep. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“Ah know,” Honeygold sighed. “Ah just feel kinda homesick. Ah miss Avalon. Is… is this how ya felt when ya first came to our world?”

Emerald and Honeygold sat down by the fire. Its warmth made them huddle closer, and the former pegasus felt her heart lift a little as she felt the farm girl’s body next to her.

“I’m sorry I pulled you into this,” Emerald confessed quietly. “It’s because of your ties with me that your lives are in danger. If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have had to leave Avalon.”

Honeygold sipped at her water. “Ah do miss Avalon,” she said slowly, also looking into the flames. “But you’re my friend, Em. Ah don’t regret that. ‘Sides, who coulda seen this coming? It ain’t your fault, Em.”

Emerald looked down. “I certainly did not. If you were to tell me the Knight of Kindness himself would kill his king, his own father and usurp the throne? I would have surely spat at that. But I could not, Honeygold. I could not side with him, even though I love him so… the path he is going on, tis not just.”

Honeygold snuggled closer to Emerald. The former pegasus draped an arm around the girl’s shoulders.

“Y’know, Em?” Honeygold said sleepily. “Ah always wanted to go on adventures since when Ah was a little girl. Spectrum told me about how knights go on them and won fortune an’ glory. But Ah reckon that fortune an’ glory ain’t much when compared to doin’ what’s right, y’know?”

Emerald smiled. “Spoken like a true knight,” she whispered.

Honeygold did not reply, except with a soft snore. Emerald took the empty cup from Honeygold’s limp hands and gently carried the girl off to her sleeping roll.

The night was long and dark, but somehow Emerald didn’t feel quite as alone as before.

The next day was a sunny day, with nothing but a cool wind to keep the sun’s heat from scorching them to the bones. Emerald Edge kept her hood low over her eyes as she rode at the head of the pack, following closely beside Moon Tide.

According to the mage, they would be arriving at the Sallow Swamp by nightfall, and after that, they would be at the foot of the Coltcasus Mountains. She could already see much of it from here, a huge range of rock towering high above their heads, piercing the clouds.

Nightfall Gleam was entertaining the young ones by passing them her telescope so that they could look at the mountains in greater detail. Posey rode at the back of the convoy, with Gabriel circling overhead to watch for any potential threats. Jewel Pin ate happily in the other carriage with the Apple family and Light Speckle, but Posey didn’t bother to show her disdain for that. After all, they needed to lighten up on their cargo once they were at the mountains.

Gradually, the terrain around them grew more lush and trees began to appear on their path. Vegetation and occasional small animals could be seen. As the day wore on and the sun began to set, the shadows on the sides of their path made Emerald wary about what else might be lurking in the Kievan lands.

“We are getting close to the swamp,” Moon Tide told Emerald. “It would probably be best if we stopped here and tackled the swamp tomorrow. It would not do to get lost in there at night.”

Emerald agreed. She wanted to be ready for anything, and the darkness around them didn’t help with that. As they set up camp again, Speckle said the first watch would be hers. Emerald didn’t agree, nor did she disagree, but she knew that even without sword skills, the mages were formidable fighters with their magic.

Emerald was delighted to find bushes with berries growing on them close to their camp. After having been given the seal of approval by all three mages present, Emerald and the Apples set about collecting as many berries as they could to make some dessert with, as well as to dry some for later provisions. They couldn’t go very far in the dark, but after a while, Emerald had gotten a few handfuls, more than enough to have a small feast.

As they settled down and got ready to sleep, the group overheard some distant splashing and scratching sounds, coming from the direction of the swamp.

“W-What’s that sound?” Jewel Pin asked, looking about nervously.

“Tis probably nothing more than a fish,” Moon Tide assured them. “At most, a crocodile.”

“Wh-wh-what if it’s somethin’ worse?” Honeygold bit at her fingernails. “Like a vodyanoi? Or a… a chudo yudo? Or a leshy. O-Or an almas!”

“You’ve been listenin’ to too many a fairy’s tale, dear.” Apple Bean patted her daughter on the head. “Not every beast out there is true.”

“B-But there was the Baba Yaga earlier on. She kidnapped Spectrum.”

“Meh, I did get a great lute out of that.” The squire held out her instrument. “So not a complete loss. This lute plays better than anything I have ever had.”

“We will see tomorrow.” Moon Tide looked in the direction of the noises and sniffed. “Traveling alone, I have never encountered monsters in these lands. But with a bigger group, I cannot say we will not be undisturbed. But regardless, keep your wits and your guard up.”

Emerald looked on into the dark woods ahead. Whatever the swamp had in store for them, she wasn’t going to let anything get in their way to Saddle Arabia. Not when they were so close.

74 - What Are You Doing In My Swamp

“Urgh. This place smells horrible.”

Jewel Pin’s words brought to the surface what everyone was thinking. The Sallow Swamp indeed smelled rather bad, like a potpourri of rotting vegetation, bad eggs, and some other things, less suited for polite conversation. The convoy was traveling along a winding little trail through the overhanging trees, from which vines and other mossy plants hung off of.

Everything here was of a sickly blue-green hue and there was moss growing just about everywhere, making the path somewhat slippery as well.

“Mighta been a good idea to leave them carriages earlier on,” Apple Bean commented as they nearly slid off the trail for the third time. “Ain’t easy maneuvering ‘em through this soup.”

Emerald was inclined to agree, but most of their remaining supplies were in the carriages, and she did not want to part with them unless she absolutely had to.

The horses were not happy with this place either. Their hooves struggled to gain purchase and often sank into the soft spongy ground. Their progress was slow, and despite having started rather early in the morning, Moon Tide told them that they were not even halfway through by noon.

“We will have to cut through the water if you want to get to the mountain base by dusk,” the mage explained. “Tis a warning of what is to come.”

“Through the water?” Jewel Pin stuck her head out the carriage window. She took a sniff at the air. “Through that awful gunk and foul stench? No. No. I am not about to ruin my dress. There must be another way.”

“If you are so averse to it, then you should go back with Moon Tide.” Posey groaned and rubbed her forehead.

Jewel Pin lifted a finger, but then rolled it back into her palm and grumbled to herself.

Emerald slapped at her neck as yet another insect decided to perch there for a meal. By the looks of it, her friends were not too fond of them either. Her skin started to itch after each bite, which made her miss her equestrian body. Insect bites were never a problem when she was a pegasus, a majority of that was because of the intense cold around the Crystal Empire, but still.

“Yet another of ‘em varmints!” Golden Nugget slapped at her neck and growled. “What Ah wouldn’t give for ya vampire friend now, Honeygold.”

“I do hope we do not die here from insects after making it this far…” Jewel Pin grabbed a roll of cloth from her pack and wrapped it around her head. “It would be a shame indeed.”

“Tis fine,” Light Speckle commented from atop the second carriage. “After all, you have three mages with you.”

“One of whom doesn’t seem to be bothered by the pests.” Nightfall looked out to Moon Tide. “What is the secret, Moon Tide? Is it herbs?”

The mage leading the group looked back and them, seemingly unbothered by the buzzing insects, and gave her hair a flip. “Tis no secret. They simply do not bite.”

“Wish they didn’t bite me too.” Light Speckle waved her hand in the air near her face.

Emerald pulled her hood over her head, covering her neck. It was getting out of hand.

“Hey, what was that!” Honeygold pointed to the right.

The entire convoy stopped and everyone turned to look at what the young farmer girl was pointing at.

Beyond the pathway were scattered pools of water and reeds, along with a few mangrove trees dotting the expanse. Other than the scenery, Emerald didn’t see anything that would be out of the ordinary.

“What is what?” Spectrum asked.

“There was a’ somethin’ out there, just behind those plants,” Honeygold explained. “Looked a little like a little man with a beard.”

“Little man with a beard? You mean like a dwarf?”

“Uh uh.” Honeygold shook her head. “More like… more like a-a-a… vodyanoi!”

“Not another monster…” Emerald sighed and unsheathed her blade. “Where is it.”

“It was over there.” She pointed again.

“Are you sure it isn’t the swamp playing tricks on your eyes, dear?” Jewel Pin looked out the carriage. “Maybe it was but a bird?”

“I have never encountered a vodyanoi out here…” Moon Tide said, reaching for her crossbow. “But then again, I do not make it a habit of mine to know and explore everything about this swamp.”

Posey squinted in the distance, then sent Gabriel up into the air. After a few seconds, she got a resounding squawk. “Whatever it was, or if there was anything, tis gone now. We should keep moving, but be on the alert.”

They kept going for another hour. The sun was directly overhead when they stopped to check the map, but with all the vines and trees, not much actual sunlight penetrated to the swamp floor.

“We need to cut across the water from here.” Moon Tide got off her horse and looked to the right of the path. From above the treeline, they could see parts of the mountain in that direction.

“How are we going to get the carriages through the water?” Jewel Pin wailed. “Maybe we should find another way around.”

“Do not start that again, Jewel Pin,” Posey groused.

“Tis a reasonable question,” the seamstress replied, giving her hair a swish. “These carriages are not designed to go through water. They might get stuck in the mud below, or flood. We have to stop here.”

“I do not like it, but the seamstress has a point.” Nightfall poked her head out the second carriage. “Tis the end of the road for the carriages, or we risk losing them to the swamp.”

“Oh, very well…” Posey didn’t look happy. She adjusted her bandana higher and sighed. “Then we go on horseback from here.”

They packed up what supplied they could onto the horses and left the carriages behind. Jewel Pin took this chance to gobble up what food she could, hoping to not let so much go to waste. Moving a little quicker now that they no longer had to pull two vehicles, the horses formed a single file line behind Moon Tide’s steed and made their way further into the swamp.

The insects here got a little more unbearable, with Emerald slapping another one off her cheek. She grumbled and pulled her hood even lower, trying to minimize the space where they could attack her. The covering of skin made her a little warmer in this area, but it was a sacrifice she was glad to take. The water was grimey and opaque, making her wonder if they would accidentally step off into a deep end or not.

“Ah saw it again!” Honeygold broke the silence, pointing over to a row of water plants. “That little man. He ducked back behind those plants there. Ah know all about them vodyanoi. They’re little old men skulkin’ about the swamps, lookin’ for unwary travelers to feast upon. That’s us!”

Her words filled Emerald’s mind with such bizarre images. If they were old, surely they would be feeble? Unless they were like the baba yaga or Honeygold’s vampire friend.

Right. Perhaps that isn’t such a far off thought anymore…

“Stay close.” Emerald unsheathed her sword and kept an eye out for any change in their surroundings.

The reeds and the bushes remained unmoving, with not even the slightest breeze around them. Everything had gone silent and not even the birds were chirping. That was always a bad sign. The only sounds she could hear was their slow wade through the swamp water, along with the occasional snort or neigh from their horses. They didn’t like traveling in the water like this and Emerald couldn’t blame them.

As they were walking, Emerald’s horse suddenly tipped to the side and threw her off, sending her splashing face first into the mucky water, letting go of her sword. Its frantic neighing drew her back out of the water as she tried to assess the situation. Something had entangled the horse’s front legs and before she could get up, her left arm was wrapped in something thick and slimy and she was pulled back under the surface again.

Gabriel began squawking above and her friends had gotten off their horses to help her.

Emerald thrashed about in the water, bubbles streaming from her mouth and nose. She maintained just enough calm to unfurl one of her hidden blades and take a blind stab at the thing that was holding her, but missed. The spymaster spotted her sword close by and she reached by it, desperately needing air. Grabbing ahold of it, she sliced next to her left arm and felt the grip on her loosen.

Emerald quickly pushed to her knees and gasped as her head broke the surface of the water. At the same time, a worm-like creature burst from the water, flailing about, a cut on its side dripping blood into the murky water. It was a silky white colour with dark blue patterns all over it, with a particular pattern on its underside, just beneath the tip of its head, looking like that of a bearded man with huge eyes, which Emerald realized was likely what Honeygold had seen. At the very end of its head was a circular mouth, lined with tiny needle-like teeth that dripped with blood.

Her own blood, Emerald realized as she spotted tiny holes on her arm that continued to pour blood, but yet, she felt nothing, no pain, not even the touch of her fingers.

An arrow was quick to find its mark in the worm beside Emerald, going through its slimy skin with ease. The creature fell back into the water and Emerald took this chance to slice its head clean off. It spasmed in the water, and eventually stopped moving, but Emerald didn’t stay around to watch it. She waded over to her horse and cut at the other worm that was entangled around its legs.

It let go and slithered away in the murky water, disappearing from sight in an instant.

“Emerald! How do you fare?” Moon Tide jumped off her horse and waded over as Emerald, Posey and Nightfall got to lifting the spymaster’s horse back on its hooves. “I have just the thing for giant water worms.”

“That ain’t no water worm!” Honeygold shook in her saddle behind her mother. “That’s… a vodyanoi!”

“Tis no mythical creature, young Honeygold.” Moon Tide grabbed some vials from her satchel and poured one of red liquid over Emerald’s arm, which stopped bleeding after a few seconds. “Tis a simple swamp creature. They feed on blood to survive. Their leftovers would be of good use for my magic.” She picked up part of the dead one from the water.

“Tis true that they have unusual patterns on their bodies that would create the illusion of little old men.” Light Speckle chuckled.

Gabriel suddenly squawked from above and after years of hearing his bird cries, even if she couldn’t understand him, Emerald knew he was warning them of trouble.

From the foul water around them, Emerald could make out slithering shapes beneath, snaking towards them.

“Go! I shall hold them back! Get through the swamp to dry land!” Emerald slapped the back of her horse to get it going.

She made sure Honeygold and her parents were off before turning her attention to the worms, but around her, Light Speckle, Moon Tide and Posey remained off their horses, magic and bows already in their hands.

“Not on your own, Emerald.” Moon Tide readied a bolt into her crossbow.

“We stand together.” Posey nodded.

As the rest of the convoy went through the water as fast as they could, Emerald stood between them and the worms, her sword raised in both hands. The first worm tried to go for her legs, but Emerald spun her sword around and jabbed it down as hard as she could, feeling it go through something soft under the water.

A worm leapt from the water and lunged for Light Speckle, but the mage dodged to the side and threw a vial of red liquid into the monster’s mouth. Moments later, the worm exploded in a ball of fire. Posey stood with her back to Emerald. Her bow had an arrow nocked to the string, while she held three more at the ready.

More worms came from under them, but Posey fired her arrow at one, pinning it to a tree as it writhed and squirmed to get free. Another grabbed one of Emerald’s legs and tripped her, but Posey was ready with her second arrow and as Emerald brought her leg out of the water with the worm around it, the archer fired her arrow into its head. Emerald took this second to angle her sword under its head and cut up, sending the segment with the old man pattern flying off.

A worm emerged from the water and shrieked at them, baring its needle teeth at them, but Posey fired her arrow down its mouth, stunning it long enough for Emerald to finish it off with a swift cut.

Moon Tide fired a bolt at one of the worms, but missed as it snaked towards her. Surprising Emerald, the worm went right by the mage and leapt out of the water at Light Speckle, who ducked down to avoid it. Posey fired an arrow at it, catching it in mid air and sending it sailing into a bush on the other side.

“We’ll need to catch up with the others.” Moon Tide fired a bolt at a worm, freezing it on the spot as the glass bolt head shattered. “Who knows how many more these swamp waters contain.”

"Let's move," Posey said. She pointed to the rest of their party and jerked her head. "We will run out of arrows and magic if we do not follow the others and get to dry ground."

Emerald nodded and slashed at another worm before backpedaling toward the rear of the troupe. Moon Tide and Light Speckle ran on past them, while Posey kept her eyes on their surroundings, her bow at the ready. Without warning, she suddenly shot an arrow into the water to their left. Emerald hadn’t seen any movement, but a worm floated to the surface, an arrow in its head.

“How-how did you see that?” The former pegasus was amazed.

“Focus,” was all Posey said, then she fired another arrow straight ahead, bringing another dead worm to the water’s surface.

Emerald Edge tried to keep her senses alert, but she couldn’t see what Posey was seeing, even as Posey got another one with another arrow.

Leaving the fight to her archer friend for the time being, they waded through the foul water and eventually arrived on land at the other end, where Golden Nugget was already there to pull them up.

“Are ya both alright?” he asked as he hauled Posey up behind Emerald.

“No more injuries…” Emerald answered as she pulled back her hood and ran a hand through her wet hair.

“Gee, Em. You stink!” Honeygold held her nose and then laughed.

Emerald raised her hands and smiled. “I know. Not the best water to be rolling in.”

“I’d rather be smelly than dead any time.” Jewel Pin gave her hair a flip, seated atop her horse.

“I do not usually get attacked by the worms when I come here for ingredients…” Moon Tide mused to herself. “But no matter. From here on, you will be in the mountain foothills. I’m afraid that I do not know the lands beyond this swamp very well. You will have to find your own way through the Coltcasus Mountains.”

Emerald looked up at the wall of rock before her eyes now. They had done it. They were finally at the base of the mountains. They were halfway there.

“I am afraid this is where we part.” Moon Tide joined her in looking up. “I must return before my son realizes something is amiss. Do not you worry, I shall bring the horses back with me.”

“Thank you, Mage Moon Tide,” Apple Bean said. “For bringin’ us all the way out here. Ah’m sure whatever waits on the other side can’t be as bad as this.”

“Don’t ya go sayin’ that now, woman.” Golden Nugget slapped her on the rear. “But Ah’m sure Ah can make it a little more interestin’ once we hit the other side.”

“Oh, cheeky, aren’t you?”

“Oh, ma, pa, don’t start now.” Honeygold pulled at her braid and groaned.

Jewel Pin had her pack of food and treasure over her shoulders as she looked up at the towering mountain. “We have to climb? With all this with us?”

“I think we can leave the winter clothes behind,” Nightfall said. “It is supposed to be hot on the other side, and while the winter gear has gotten us through Prance and the Kievan lands, there will be no need for it anymore.”

“I think I can see a trail going up that way,” Spectrum pointed to a gap between two cliffs. “We should probably get up onto higher ground before making camp. I don’t like the idea of sleeping so close to the swamp. There might be more worms or ogres lurking about.”

“Or almas!” Honeygold shivered.

“Oh, not another monster. Please, no more monsters…” Emerald groaned.

“Are you sure you do not wish to come, Moon Tide?” Light Speckle hauled her pack off her horse.

The blue mage shook her head. “I have to ensure my son does not know of my involvement with you for now. And the horses shan’t make it through the mountains. I shall guide them back with me to Avalon.”

Emerald saw the sense in that. “I hope you make it back to Canterlot safely,” she said. “I will miss your company. We all will.”

“And Joey and Springer too!” Honeygold petted both horses. “Ah’ll miss ya both. Be good to Moon Tide, ya hear?”

Everyone was off their horses and shifting the gear from their backs onto their own, with some like Jewel Pin’s being remarkably heavy. She almost fell over once or twice. Emerald still didn’t know what she planned to do with all that treasure.

“Emerald, while the others get their things in order, do you think I could have a word with you?” Moon Tide beckoned for her to follow. “In private, if you will.”

Emerald was puzzled, but left her horse for the time being and went over to Moon Tide. The mage stopped by a quiet spot under a tree, where a few boulders rested between them and the water.

“Something to discuss?” Emerald asked as she sat herself down on one of the boulders.

“Yes,” Moon Tide said, sitting down across from Emerald. “You see, I have been given a mission from Queen Sunlight Radiance. It’s important that I succeed.”

“And what mission is that?” Emerald asked the mage.

Moon Tide sighed. Emerald could tell whatever she was going to say was heavy. “She wants Morn Dread dead.”

“She… what?” It took her a second to comprehend that.

“Yes. The queen wants my son gone. He’s done much to… destroy the kingdom. And she cannot stop him alone. She needs our help, Emerald. Our help to… kill him.” Moon Tide’s voice wavered at the end.

“No. No, if we can find a way to stop him...” Emerald reached out a hand and placed it on Moon Tide’s arm. “I do not wish for him dead as well. If it comes to it… Yes, we have no choice, but if there is a way, any way we can save him, I want to try.”

Moon Tide didn’t say anything, but the look she gave Emerald spoke volumes. “He wanted my blessing, you know,” she said eventually.

“Huh?”

“That’s what started this whole thing,” Moon Tide sighed. “He wanted the blessing of both his parents before he proposed. To you.”

Moon Tide removed a gleaming ring from her robes and held it out to Emerald. “He had this made for your hand in marriage. But his vengeance claimed his heart after what his father did to him. I am sorry, Emerald, that this couldn’t have gone the way we foresaw it.”

Emerald took the ring and turned it over in her fingers. It was a silver band, with a brilliant green gemstone set in it. An emerald.

“He loved you. I am sure he still does.” Moon Tide looked up at the sky, a tear falling from one eye. “But he has been disillusioned. Corrupted. He knows not what he is doing now.”

“There’s something I don’t understand,” Emerald said as she stared at her reflection in the ring’s gem. “When Dawn Saber used Excalibur, it tired him out, but it didn’t fundamentally change things. When I used it, it didn’t tire me out and it amplified my pony traits. So why is it having such a bad effect on Morn? I do not get it.”

Moon Tide shifted around uncomfortably. “I… don’t know. Perhaps the sword brings out what is truly inside people. Dawn Saber was, ultimately, unworthy to be king, and it brought out that unworthiness by tiring him when he tried to use Excalibur’s power. The artifacts were designed for you, Emerald, so it’s only natural that they make you stronger. Morn… I am unsure. Maybe there was always evil inside him, but I refuse to believe that.”

“Nor do I,” Emerald said, her eyes still on the ring. “Morn was the most kind human I have met in this world. There could not have been any evil in him. There couldn’t. But… what’s done is done. Morn has done something irreversible for the kingdom. And he needs to be stopped. I just hope it doesn’t have to end in his death.”

The mage wiped at her eyes and nodded. “We may not have a choice when next we meet him. But I have taken up enough of your time. You need to get over the mountains, and I must hasten back towards Canterlot. I wish you all the best on your quest, Emerald Edge. I really do. The lands of Saddle Arabia will be different from anything you have ever been through. Be careful.”

“I will do my best.” Emerald reached out to pass the ring back to the mage, but Moon Tide shook her head and pushed her arm back.

“Keep it. It was meant to be yours. Whatever happens from here, Emerald, thank you. Thank you for loving my son and giving him the chance to love in return.”

“Thank you for all you’ve done, Moon Tide.” Emerald gave her a hug. “Stay safe on your return journey to Canterlot.”

“I will, Emerald.” Moon Tide managed a smile. “Go now. Your journey awaits.”

As they rejoined the group for Moon Tide to rein the horses together and make her journey back across the swamp, Emerald looked at the ring in her hands. She put it over her fourth finger, like she’d seen on the hands of human nobles. She imagined this was how it would be, should Dawn Saber have accepted Morn as his son and given him his blessing. Life would have been so different. So much better.

“Ah, well…” the former pegasus lamented to herself. No point dwelling on ifs and buts and maybes. It’s up to us, to me, to save Canterlot. I’ve come so far, and I can’t give up now. No matter what it takes, I have to do what’s right for the kingdom. And for the Crystal Empire.

75 - Into the Abyss

After bidding farewell to Moon Tide and her long procession of horses, Emerald and the rest of the questors set their sights on the next obstacle before them. The Coltcasus Mountains loomed over them, casting the party in deep shadow.

They had taken the path Spectrum Song had pointed out earlier, with the squire playing them a Kievan tune on her acquired lute along the way. The path went up along the mountain’s side, but it soon got steeper and steeper until it was almost no longer a walk.

“This is some path,” Golden Nugget huffed as he gripped his quarterstaff, which he was now using as a walking stick. “Ya sure we didn’t miss another trail somewhere?”

“Gabriel says this is the smoothest path,” Posey panted. “But even he says that he can’t see a clear way over to the other side.”

“There must be a way over…” Light Speckle insisted. “Otherwise how could the druids get those asps, or Golden Nugget’s grandfather get those seeds?”

They trekked onwards, Emerald privately wishing she had her wings so that she could simply fly over these blasted mountains.

They continued like this for what felt like hours. Just when they thought they had reached the summit, there would be another crag of rock that stretched higher. It was, frankly, very annoying. As if the mountain was taunting them. By now the sky was getting dark, but on a cliffside like that, there was no way they could make camp. They would need to get somewhere flatter.

“I’m tired!” Jewel Pin wailed. “I’m hungry. I miss home. I miss High Rise!”

In the light of the setting sun, Emerald could see that most of her friends shared the sentiment, bent over and weary from climbing up the mountain all day. She, too, was beginning to feel the strain, and her heavy pack of food and supplies wasn’t helping.

“Just a bit further, everyone,” Emerald wheedled. “I think I can see a place to set up camp up ahead.”

There was indeed a cave opening up ahead in the side of the mountain, with a tree growing next to it. Hopefully they could take a break there. Emerald didn’t want to admit it, not even to herself, but she was feeling worn out as well; she was not used to ascending without her wings.

Almost half an hour later, the group collapsed in front of the cave mouth, which was grown over with tree roots, plant life, and even humongous spider webs. There was a small flat landing outside the cave that they stood on, weighing whether it was a good idea to head inside.

“This might lead through the mountains.” Nightfall Gleam tapped the sides of the cave mouth with a tool she brought. “If luck shines upon us this day.”

“Food. We need food! We must eat!” Jewel Pin set down her heavy pack and pulled out a loaf of bread.

“I am going to investigate the inside,” Posey decided. “Caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied.”

The archer nocked an arrow to her bow and cautiously crept into the cave. They heard her footsteps redece, then there was a loud crunching sound, like a lot of branches being simultaneously broken. The footsteps came back.

“It is not a very big cave,” Posey reported, coming out. “But it is empty, if you don’t mind the remains of another traveler in there.”

“Wait, what?” Spectrum did a double take. “There’s a dead man in there?”

“Yes,” Posey said blandly. “I didn’t want to disturb the bones, but it seems that someone else was camping in here before us.”

“Any signs of how he might’ve died?” Emerald placed her pack down and walked to the cave entrance.

“See for yourself,” Posey waved a hand at the cave.

Emerald, Spectrum, and Guard Streak went inside, their eyes getting adjusted to the darkness. As Posey had said, it was not a big cave, only about the size of Emerald’s old cottage in Canterlot. There, in the far corner of the cave, was a skeleton. It was lying under a boulder that had seemingly crushed it underneath. Then Emerald looked closer. None of the bones seemed broken. Meaning that this poor soul had most likely starved or suffocated to death instead of being quickly finished off by the stone’s weight.

“What a terrible way to go,” Guard Streak said at last.

Spectrum nodded. “Yes. Yes, it is. Tis a good thing we have plenty of food, yes?”

“Where did this boulder even come from?” Guard Streak asked, looking around. “Tis not the nature of stones to roll around on their own.”

Emerald looked up at the ceiling. It seemed secure enough, and rocks falling did not seem to be an issue here. Besides, the boulder that had killed the traveler was a different kind of rock than the kind that this cave was made out of.

“How odd.” Emerald rubbed her jaw. “Still, this cave would make an excellent resting ground for the night. But we should still keep watch.”

“I shall take first watch.” Spectrum raised her hand.

“Y-Yes. And so will I,” Guard Streak quickly added on.

“Right. Then we better get our camp set up before the darkness comes.”

As Emerald and the rest lay asleep in the cave, Spectrum Song and Guard Streak sat about at the mouth of the cave, looking up into the starry night sky, and then to anything that made even the slightest noise out in the dark.

“Do you think what Honeygold says is true?” Streak asked. “About the almas. What if that rock inside was placed there by one?”

“I don’t know if they are real or not. The vodyanoi weren’t really there, were they?”

“But the Baba Yaga was real,” Streak pointed out. “She kidnapped you.”

“But you lot came to save me.” Spectrum laughed. “If not for all of you, perhaps I wouldn’t be here. Hay, if not for Emerald, we wouldn’t be here, definitely. Would you have imagined ever going on a heroic adventure like this, Streak? To save Canterlot?”

“N-No. Not really...” Guard Streak wrapped his arms around his body. “I wish we could light a fire. It’s kind of cold up here.”

“We’re too high up and exposed to risk lighting a fire,” Spectrum explained. “If we make one, people from all around will know we are here.”

“Right…”

“You know, I’m not sure why we even need a watch,” Spectrum yawned and leaned back against the mountainside, interlocking her fingers behind the back of her head. “It’s not like we won’t hear someone coming a mile away if they try coming up the mountain, right?”

Streak shrugged. “I guess. But what if something sneaks up on us from above? We don’t know what is further up the mountain.”

Spectrum stretched and gazed up at the stars. “Y’know, the constellations are different here. Did you notice?”

“Uh, not really?”

“Yes. Look there,” Spectrum pointed skywards. “There’s the North Star in the same place as usual, but the ones around it are in different places.”

Guard Streak followed her finger. “If you say so, Spectrum.”

Spectrum lowered her arm and sighed, taking a drink from her waterskin.

“I hope ma and pa are doing fine.” Spectrum deflated a little and flicked a small pebble off the mountainside. It clicked and clacked as it bounced down to the bottom. “I didn’t get the chance to tell them where I was going.”

“Yes. Me neither.” Streak shuffled himself over next to Spectrum, who glanced over without comment. “I hope they’re alright.”

“Yes…” Spectrum yawned again, her eyelids drooping lower and lower. “I hope we can find that artifact quickly… before anything else bad happens to Canterlot… yes…” There was a light snore as Spectrum nodded off.

The group had set off early the next morning, going higher up the mountain, hoping to find another path they could use that would ease their vertical travel. However, about two hours into the hike, the trail abruptly stopped at the threshold of another hole in the face of the mountain.

Emerald and the rest of her friends found themselves staring into the mouth of a yawning cave in the mountainside. This one led further in than just a dead end. This one was a tunnel that spanned into darkness ahead.

“So…” Spectrum said slowly. “This is the only way forward?”

“It must be,” Light Speckle nodded grimly. “The path ends here. The way through must be inside these caves.” She gulped. “I must admit I find the idea of going inside a little… daunting.”

There was a general muttering of agreement. However, Emerald was not about to balk just because she had to go into a cave. Everyone back in Canterlot was counting on her to succeed, and the promise she had made to Posey’s mother echoed in her head.

“We have to go,” Emerald decided. “There is no other way across this mountain range.”

“It’s so scary, though…” Honeygold shuddered.

“And who knows what kind of nasties might be lurking inside?” Jewel Pin added. “Perhaps we should turn back. See if there’s another path.”

The group began muttering amongst themselves. Emerald, Nightfall Gleam, Posey, and Light Speckle were in favor of going into the caves. The rest of them were not.

“What if it's a dead end and we get lost and never find our way out?” Honeygold wondered timidly. “Ah don’t want to die like that.”

“Gabriel says there are no other paths that he can see from the skies,” Posey reported as her eagle touched down on her arm. “Like it or not, these caves are our best option.”

“Ooh…” Jewel Pin looked even paler than normal, if that was indeed possible. “I am not sure I can do this…”

“You can,” Light Speckle said, patting the seamstress on the shoulder. “We didn’t brave those spectres, the Baba Yaga, and swamp monsters just to turn back when faced with a cave. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“We get lost blundering in the dark forever?” Spectrum offered.

“Nonsense.” Nightfall said. “We have lamps and oil. It won’t be that dark in there.”

“Still…” Guard Streak scuffed his boot against the ground. He was clearly torn between doing the courageous and noble thing and going into the caves, and listening to his instincts, which were telling him to stay out of them. “N-Not that I’m scared of the dark or anything. It’s just that… Tis… dark. Perhaps we should just look for another way? One day shouldn’t put us back too far.”

“That’s a good idea,” Golden Nugget nodded. “We can spend the rest of the daylight lookin’ for another way around. What do you say, Emerald?”

The former pegasus sighed, but clearly saw the logic in their statements. “Fine. We’ll look for another path until sundown, then we’ll set up camp again. But if there is no other way, we’re going into the caves first thing tomorrow.”

Everyone agreed that it was a good plan, so they turned around and went back down the way they had come. Posey loosed Gabriel into the sky and told him to keep watch for anything unusual.

They descended down the side of the mountain, crossing the ravines and crevasses carefully. Every now and then, they would stop to look around for an alternate path. But these would soon turn into either dead ends or end up leading off a cliff. Finally, as the sun touched down on the western horizon, the group admitted defeat.

“Guess there really is no other way but through the caves,” Spectrum said glumly as they set up camp for the night. They put their things down and got out their sleeping rolls. After a brief but tasty dinner, they turned in for the night, with Golden Nugget taking first watch.

One by one, each of the members of the group drifted off to sleep, hoping that the caves would be a lot more inviting than they were making it out to be.

As the sun’s first rays began creeping over the land, Posey roused everyone from their slumber, as she had taken the last watch. They rolled up their sleeping bags and ate breakfast in relative silence, each of them stewing over what was to come.

They hiked back up to the cave mouth, where they stood in a group, glancing left and right nervously.

“So…” Spectrum said after a couple of minutes. “Who wants to go down the dark scary tunnel in the mountain side first?”

“I’ll go first,” Emerald volunteered. “If we meet anything unpleasant, it would be best if someone who knows how to fight were there to meet it.”

“That’s a good idea,” Light Speckle said. “I will follow close behind, then. I don’t suppose it matters in what order the rest of us go in.”

“Does everyone have a lantern?” Nightfall asked, waving hers around. “Remember to keep the flame turned down low to conserve oil. We have no idea how long the trip through these caves will take, and we don’t want to run out of oil partway through.”

“We’ve got plenty of oil,” Light Speckle said calmly. “But just in case, keep your lamplight dim. Conserving fuel isn’t the only reason.”

Emerald held out her lantern in her left hand and her sword in her right. She took a deep breath and slowly entered the dark underworld of the mountain.

It was quite easy at first. The sunlight coming in from the mouth reached a good ways in. She turned around and grinned, as if to say ‘see, this isn’t so bad!’.

The others hesitantly followed, holding their lanterns close and trying to put on a brave face as they advanced into the cave.

However, soon they left the sunlight behind and it grew cold. Their footsteps echoed through the tunnel, and they could only see a couple of paces ahead, even with their lamps. Nobody spoke or otherwise intentionally made a sound. In the distance, perhaps amplified by the stone chambers, there were small noises that Emerald could hear. She could not tell what was making them, and she privately didn’t want to find out.

How long they journeyed like this was impossible to tell. It could have been only a few minutes or more than an hour. For the longest time, all they could hear was their own footsteps and the occasional crackle of their lantern flames.

Eventually, however, they met their first dilemma. The tunnel split into three forks, each one just as uninviting as the other.

Emerald stopped, holding her lantern high to see if there was anything she could see inside the tunnels. There wasn’t.

“Okay…” Emerald said, turning back to face her friends. “Which way should we go?”

Posey stepped forward. She had left Gabriel outside, telling the eagle to look for a potential exit on the other side of the mountains and to wait for them there.

The archer peered into the dark passageways, squinting. Then she licked the tip of her finger and held it up in each of the tunnels, as if she was trying to determine which way the wind was blowing.

Finally Posey went back to Emerald. “There’s a breeze coming from the left tunnel,” she reported. “That usually means it leads back to the surface. Whether it goes to the Saddle Arabian side is unknown.”

“We haven’t been walking long enough to have made it all the way through,” Nightfall pointed out. “Finding a way out this early seems… wrong. I think we should try either the right or center tunnels.”

“You mean we have to spend more time in there horrible caves?” Jewel Pin trembled. She was holding her sharp tailoring scissors in the hand that didn’t have a lamp in it, and the shears were shivering slightly.

“It’s not that bad-” Posey began.

“Not that bad!?” Jewel Pin gasped. “It’s so oppressive in here! I cannot breathe properly and I can hear awful things all around us! I...I…” Jewel Pin’s eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped over, with Apple Bean catching her before she could hit her head on the ground.

“Ah’m not going to faint,” Apple Bean said as she helped up the seamstress. “But Ah don’t like it down here neither. Give me a nice open field any day.”

Spectrum placed a hand on her lute, as if to tell herself to remain calm. “So if we’re not going left, I say we go right.”

“Why?” Honeygold asked.

“Because,” Spectrum said. “Any baddie would expect us to go center. It’s the most obvious choice, so therefore, if we go right, we won’t fall into his trap.”

“That’s… not very good reasoning…” Nightfall Gleam frowned. “But I don’t have any better ideas, so if you want to go right, then right it is.” She hefted her lamp and put on a brave face.

Emerald shrugged. “Very well, then. We’ll go right.”

And right they went.

76 - The Black Beast

The tunnel wound around and went up and down, and more often than not there were small pitfalls that threatened to twist the ankle of the unwary. Fortunately, Emerald and her friends were anything but unwary, and they navigated through the hazards just fine, if slowly because they didn’t know what was out there in the dark.

They soon encountered another fork in the road. This time there were only two tunnels, but one of them was too small to fit through, even for Honeygold.

“Guess we’ll take the big one,” Guard Streak muttered.

As they went through the tunnel, Emerald could have sworn she heard something that sounded like a scream from the small tunnel. She paused, sword in hand. But it didn’t come again and she shrugged it off as her imagining things.

With the shuffling of the humans’ feet and the occasional creaking of their lanterns, the caves sounded as if they were surrounded by distant others. Emerald hated to admit it, but Jewel Pin had been right. It was oppressive down here, and the stale air did nothing to relax her breathing. It was just one patch of rocky darkness after another, and she had lost track of how much time had elapsed since they had gone into the caves.

A small chittering sound made itself known up ahead. Emerald held up her lamp to tell the party to stop and she readied her sword. She took a step forward.

Emerald yelped in surprise as a small swarm of bats flew out of the darkness and past her face. She swatted at them with her weapon, but missed them all. The bats screeched and flew away down the tunnel, causing the rest of the group to cry out and duck for cover.

Someone dropped their lantern, which exploded all over the floor in a splash of oil and fire. There was a moment of brief panic as the spilled oil ignited, causing the people nearby to leap away and fall over. Fortunately, they kept better hold of their lanterns, so the fire didn’t spread.

“Fire fire fire fire!” Guard Streak hopped around like a crazed rabbit, but then tripped on a divot and fell onto the floor, cracking his own lantern and spilling more burning oil around himself.

By now, the fire began eating up the tunnel and signalling her friends, Emerald held her breath and leapt back through the flames to grab at Honeygold and Spectrum, while Golden Nugget pulled Streak up and tossed him through. In no time, the group had gotten as far as they could from the fire, coughing from the smoke in the enclosed tunnel.

“Not a pleasant way to go, suffocating in a cave.” Light Speckle kept her arm over her nose. “Please, no more broken lanterns on the way.”

Nightfall Gleam had picked up the dropped lantern and was in the process of examining it. “It looks mostly undamaged. Just the glass is a little cracked.” She handed the lamp back to its owner. “Let’s just be more cautious from now on.”

Guard Streak added some more oil to his lantern and relit it. He held his dagger tightly, as if it were a lifeline.

Moving faster than before, the party journeyed down the tunnel and came to a bigger cave. This one had four other passageways leading off in different directions. More disturbingly, there were what looked like bones lying on the uneven floor.

“I don’t like this…” Honeygold whispered. She nudged one of the bones with her foot.

There came a scratching noise. It was faint at first, but it got louder quickly. Everyone looked around to see where it was coming from, but it was only when Posey looked up that she shrieked and nocked an arrow to her bow.

Descending from the roof of the cavern was a huge, dark brown spider, the size of a large dog. Its eight red eyes glittered in the lamplight, and its maw glistened with fangs that dripped with a milky white substance.

Without any hesitation, Posey let her arrow fly and it stabbed into the monster’s head. The massive spider screeched and clawed at the arrow with its forelegs. Posey fired again, this time aiming for the abdomen. Dark blood splurted from the wound and the spider retreated back up into the darkness.

But it didn’t last long. More scratching sounds heralded the return of the spider, and this time it was followed by seven even bigger ones, their eyes ruby red with hunger.

“Uh, Em? What do we do?” Spectrum quavered.

In a split second, Emerald weighed their options. They could stand and fight, but she didn’t like the idea of doing so in such an enclosed area. She would also need to put down her lamp, and the former pegasus was loathe to let go of her light.

Or, they could-

“RUN!” Emerald bellowed, her voice magnified by the cave’s acoustics.

She chose a path at random and belted down it, with the rest of her friends hot on her heels.

They sprinted down the tunnel, which led further down, but at that point nobody cared. All they wanted to do was put as much distance between themselves and the spiders as possible.

Emerald looked back and thought she saw that the monstrous arachnids were still following them, so she willed her legs to go faster. They flew through the caves, passing forks in the road and choosing a direction at random until they could no longer hear the scratching noises.

They were safe. The spiders had given up.

“I think we lost them,” Spectrum gasped, her face shining with sweat. “By the gods, I hate spiders now.”

“You an’ me both,” Apple Bean agreed, leaning on the cave wall to catch her breath.

“Nasty insects,” Nightfall spat. “I didn’t know they could get that big.”

“Technically they’re not insects,” Light Speckle noted. “They’re arachnids.”

“Tis not important. I don’t want to see another giant spider for as long as I live.”

The group slowed to a halt, panting and wheezing with exertion.

Only when they were all back on their feet did someone voice the quintessential question.

“Where are we now?”

There was no dancing around the issue. In their haste and rush to escape the spiders, the party had gotten themselves completely and utterly lost. Not only that, they had no clue of where they had even come from. They had passed so many forks in the road that they could’ve been anywhere in the mountain now.

“What are we gonna do?” Honeygold dithered. She clutched her mother’s arm and began hyperventilating. “We’re lost! We’re gonna die down here!”

Her panic was contagious, and even Emerald felt a thorn of fear creep into her heart. She had no way of knowing where they were. They were deep in the heart of a mountain, with limited food, water, and lamp oil. The former pegasus felt the confining walls of the cave close in on her, and she too began to breathe heavily.

“What are we going to do, Emerald?” Nightfall asked nervously. “You have a plan, right?”

“I… I… don’t…” Emerald stammered, at a loss for what to do. “Maybe we should-”

Then she heard it. There was a faint whistling sound echoing through the tunnel. Could it be the wind? Were they close to the exit? Could fate possibly be that kind? The sound came again, and Emerald made up her mind.

Without a word, Emerald stalked off down the tunnel, which sloped down. But that was all right.. With the rest of the crew following close behind, Emerald broke into a jog. She felt a dampness in the air that she chalked up to outside humidity, and smiled. After all this time in these tunnels, some fresh air would be most welcome.

But the tunnel did not rise, nor did it even level out. Emerald held her lantern high and she burst into a huge underground chamber.

It was much, much bigger than any of the other caverns they had been in before. This was almost like someone had hollowed out a Canterlot Castle-sized vestibule in the ground. Sizeable spikes of faintly glowing blue crystal jutted from the walls and ceiling, lending the cavern a tranquil, almost dreamlike air.

As Emerald’s eyes traveled from the crystalline roof downwards, she made out a dark patch of what looked like glass on the floor of the cave. It took the spymaster a couple of moments to realize that it was indeed a subterranean lake surrounded by spikes of crystal and black rock.

Momentarily forgetting that they were lost, Emerald grinned and looked back to her friends, who were just as amazed by the sight, if not more. It was far more beautiful than Emerald could have imagined, and were they not on a desperate quest, she would have liked to sit here for hours and just admire the view.

Emerald took a step toward the lake and heard it again. A whistling, windy sound, louder this time, like a giant breathing in. It seemed to be coming from near the lake.

“Wow,” Honeygold marveled at the scenery. “Ah ain’t never seen nothing like this. Is this what your Crystal Empire looked like, Em?”

“Kind of,” Emerald said quietly. In truth, this huge cavern did remind her a lot about her old home, and she felt nostalgic just walking among the crystal spires. She reached out and touched one, reveling in its cool, hard surface.

She stared at her reflection in the crystal. Her glittering hair and pale face stared back at her. She realized with a pang that she was so used to seeing this face of hers now that if she were to see her pony self, it would most likely be more alien to her than her human guise.

“This place is just divine,” Jewel Pin was saying. “Too bad it is hidden under this dreadful mountain.”

Spectrum tapped her dagger up against one of the crystals. It made a clear, pure, chime that made the squire grin.

“It sounds so nice,” Spectrum said, tapping the crystal in a different spot, and was rewarded with another musical note.

There was a small splash from nearby on the lake’s surface. Ripples spread out, and the whistling was heard again. Only now, it was deeper and sounded like someone snoring.

Guard Streak peeked his head around a tall piece of rock to see where the sound was coming from.

“Oh fiddlesticks,” the squire squeaked, then ran backwards as a dark-furred hand the size of a wagon wheel slammed down where he had just been standing.

Emerald backed away as the sound of hoofsteps grew louder and the owner of that hand came around the corner. It was tall, taller than a cottage and was vaguely man-shaped with cloven hooves and a head that looked like an oversized goat’s head. Huge, curling ram horns grew from its cranium and it had two large fangs jutting out from the top of its mouth.

The rest of the group by now could see that something was wrong. And that was before the colossal beast decided to roar, causing the crystals to vibrate with the noise.

Posey fitted an arrow to her bow and fired at the creature. It lifted its right arm to keep the arrow from striking it in the face. Then it glared at Posey and roared again.

Emerald was at a loss for words. After all they had been through today, there was some kind of goat monster they had to deal with?

The monster charged at Emerald, who dived to the side to avoid the deadly horns. The creature missed her and rammed into a crystal formation, shattering the mineral with a crash. The spymaster skidded on the rocky ground, cracking a rock under her foot.

That struck her as strange and she looked down, much to her shock. What she had thought was rock earlier was actually bone. From the looks of it, mostly human bone. The entire cavern floor was strewn with them. That would’ve been a warning sign, had they seen it earlier.

Posey loosed two more arrows into the monster’s back, but it did not seem to notice them at all.

By now the goat-thing had recovered from its charge and was now thundering towards Posey and the rest of the group. The party scattered, with Posey sliding under the monster’s legs and cutting at the two furry columns with her hidden blade.

“I don’t think I’m hurting it very much!” Posey exclaimed as she rolled to a stop next to Emerald.

Emerald took in her surroundings. It was mostly dark stone with chunks of glowing blue crystal, neither of which gave her any ideas about how to fight this thing. She did remember something that her predecessor had taught her back in Equestria, though.

“If you have to pick a fight with something that’s bigger than you and has longer reach, you want to stay on the move. Minotaurs and some dragon varieties will try to rush you and trample you, so remember to use your wings. If you can’t, then just keep in mind that you should never attack such a foe from the front. That’s where they’re strongest. Get around them and strike from the side or behind.”

Emerald set her teeth and watched the goat-monster, standing her ground as it turned around to face her. It growled and lumbered forward, its arms outstretched. It made a grab for Emerald, but she swiftly rolled under it and sliced it across the flank. Dark blood sprayed from the cut and stained her sword and the beast howled in pain.

Posey leapt off a crystal formation and fired her bow, her arrow biting deep into the creature’s back. She landed on the beast’s shoulder and unsheathed her hidden blade, stabbing it into the furry flesh.

The monster flailed and tried to grab Posey, until Emerald plunged her own sword into its right foot. Distracted, it clawed at Emerald, but the spymaster’s armor deflected the claws on its hand.

Posey stood up on the monster’s shoulder, readied another arrow, and fired it into the nape of its neck, while Emerald jabbed her sword under its ribs, thrusting it deep in, spilling black blood over her weapon and arm.

The monster screamed, a sound that Emerald had not thought it was capable of making. The crystals around it cracked and splintered from the sonic assault, then the monster fell down onto the floor, unmoving.

Panting, Posey climbed down off the creature’s back and set her feet back on the cavern floor.

“Well.” Emerald said, shaking her sword to rid it of the monster’s blood. “That was terrifying.”

“What was that thing?” Spectrum asked, coming out from behind a sheet of rock. “What do you think they’re playing at, keeping a monster like that down here?”

“Who’s ‘they’?” Nightfall Gleam asked.

“Whoever runs this darn stupid tunnel network!” Spectrum threw her hands up into the air. “How are people supposed to cross from one side of the mountain to another if there’s a dirty great, uh…”

“Chort,” Honeygold supplied speedily.

“A what?” Apple Bean looked at her child quizzically.

“A chort,” Honeygold said. “That’s what this monster is. Ah saw a picture of it in a book once. Didn’t think it would be quite so big, though.”

Emerald Edge swallowed and looked back at the dead beast. A chort was something she had dreaded to encounter, but in the end, it wasn’t all that scary. A little tough, but manageable.

“Well, big or not, it’s dead now,” Jewel Pin said in relief. “So maybe we should look for a way back to the surface before another one comes along?”

“Chorts’re tell-ut-oriul,” Honeygold recited. “Ah don’t think there’ll be another one.”

“The way our day’s been going, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another one,” Jewel Pin sniffed. “And I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry.” Posey groused. “You already ate the whole carriage before we started the climb. The whole carriage.”

Leaving the archer and the seamstress to bicker, Emerald prodded the chort with her sword, just to make sure it really was slain. Then she went over to the opening that it had come from and peeked around the corner, keeping her blade ready if anything else jumped out at her.

Nothing did. However, the former pegasus did see something that made her stomach churn.

Littered all around the area where the chort had come from were more bones, shredded cloth, and various other items that must have belonged to other people who had run into this cavern and been… she grimaced. Eaten. But there were no other creatures that she could see, which was good.

“Looks all clear,” Emerald called back to her friends. “No more chorts or anything.”

She hoped with the appearance of one of the monsters she had hoped was not real, she wouldn’t encounter a leshy next.

“Ugh…” Spectrum said as she picked her way along through the boneyard. “What a horrible way to go.”

They picked a winding path through the remains, occasionally stopping to pull a rock or crystal chunk out of the way. Emerald noticed how many of the bones had been cracked open for marrow or had teeth marks on them. She shook her head to clear it of such morbid thoughts. The chort was dead. No more travelers would fall prey to it any longer.

“Hey, Em,” Honeygold piped up from behind. “What’s that?”

Emerald looked to where the girl was pointing. Wedged between two rocks was a sort of tube, possibly made out of leather. It looked distinctly out of place, so she walked over to it and pulled it from its resting place.

As Emerald was turning the tube over in her hands, something slipped out of one end of it with a slithering noise.

The former pegasus looked down to see what had fallen out. It appeared to be a rolled up sheet of vellum. She bent down and picked it up, unrolling it. Her face morphed into an expression of confusion, then surprise, then relief.

“It’s a map,” Emerald said, going back to her friends to show them. “I think it’s a map of the tunnels, well, maybe.”

“Ah reckon you’re right,” Golden Nugget nodded. The map was done in colored inks and painfully detailed. “Ah think that big cave is where we are now. But it don’t show the tunnels we came in through,” he pointed out.

“That’s probably because whoever made this map came in from the opposite end of the mountain,” Light Speckle surmised. “Do you realize what we’ve found? This map shows the way out of here to the Saddle Arabian side!”

There was a small outburst of cheering.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Spectrum grinned. “Let’s hightail it out of here!”

Following the map was indeed a good idea. Emerald breathed a silent thank you to the cartographer, who had probably ended up as the chort’s dinner. They took a tunnel at the far end of the crystal caves that led upwards, always referring back to the map whenever they ran into forks in the path. The map even pointed out where there were pitfalls and other hazards, and even though it was penned in a different language, there were helpful pictures sketched in as well. They made a steady pace and, even with the extra baggage of supplies, Emerald and company began to feel their spirits lift.

“I can feel a breeze,” Posey said happily. “We must be near the way out.”

Emerald scanned the map and nodded. “We should be in the last tunnel before it opens up,” she said. In spite of herself, Emerald allowed herself a smile. They were almost to Saddle Arabia, and they were far ahead of Morn and his army of pursuers. If they could find the last artifact quickly, then they might be able to end this whole thing in a couple of weeks.

The tunnel sloped upwards for a couple hundred meters, then leveled out. After a few twists and turns, Emerald saw something that made her heart soar.

Sunlight.

“Look!” Honeygold gleefully exclaimed. “The way out!”

The group picked up speed, and it was agreed by all that they had never experienced anything quite as luxuriating nor relieving as finally bursting out of the gloomy caves and into the natural glow of daylight.

“We did it!” Jewel Pin squealed, grabbing Apple Bean and hugging her. “We are out! I never want to go into another cave for as long as I live!”

Grinning along with the rest of her friends, Emerald carefully rolled up the map and stashed it in her pack. If they had to return through the same route, they would do well to hold on to such a valuable treasure.

The place they had emerged into was shrouded by tall, broad-leafed trees, and soft green springy grass grew underfoot. Somewhere close by, Emerald could hear the trickling of a stream. There were bushes with berries growing on them and the air was pleasantly cool. Beyond that was a large expanse of sand, further than her eyes could see.

“We made it,” Emerald sighed, then sat down on the grass, watching the sunset. They had spent nearly the whole day in the caves, but now that they were past them, they could start the next leg of their journey.

But first they would make camp and rest.

Emerald looked back at her friends, who were still marveling at their surroundings. It felt so reassuring, so fundamentally good to have friends to share this moment of triumph with, she thought. And she hoped that they would be there to share in their victory when they finally saved Canterlot.

77 - Emerald of Arabia

Emerald awoke to the cheerful sound of a bubbling brook. She sat up in her sleeping roll and stretched, feeling refreshed. The air smelled crisp and moist, and Emerald wasted no time in wriggling out of her bedding and enjoying the feel of her bare feet on the carpet of grass. A few paces away, the designated watchperson, Spectrum Song, snoozed, sitting against a tree with her shortsword in hand.

The former pegasus looked around. Most of her companions were still sleeping in their rolls, so Emerald quietly tiptoed away from them, following the sound of the water. She pushed aside some bushes and saplings, and soon located a clear pool of water, fed by a small waterfall that descended from a cliff above. Kneeling down, Emerald cupped her hands in the pool and brought it to her lips. It was cool and refreshing, with a slightly sweet tang to it that made her want more. She stayed and drank a few more mouthfuls until her thirst was slaked.

It would be a good idea to fill our waterskins here before setting off. Emerald decided.

She stood back up and looked up. This was the side of this grove that faced the mountain. She had thought that it would be drier, more arid than this, but here she was, standing in the middle of a lush jungle. She turned in the opposite direction. A warm breeze ruffled her hair and she put a hand to her chin in thought. Then, a little slower this time, Emerald pushed through the undergrowth away from the mountain.

For the first few minutes, there was nothing but palm trees, fruit-bearing bushes, and green grass. Then suddenly, it all ended, as if a pair of gigantic scissors had snipped it short.

Where the trees ended, there was now a vast expanse of sand. Great dunes of brown and gold rose up high above Emerald like waves on an ocean.

For a moment, Emerald was entranced by the hypnotic beauty of the desert. She could not see past the first few dunes, but in the light of the rising sun, they looked majestic. Emerald had never seen anything like it before in her life.

“Tis an impressive sight, isn’t it?” Light Speckle’s voice came from behind Emerald.

“Definitely,” Emerald agreed, turning to see her friend approach. She too was barefoot and looked as though she had only just awoken. “It’s like the snowy wastes outside the Crystal Empire, only it’s all made of sand.”

“Mhmm,” Light Speckle made a non-committal sound. “You like it now. I don’t think that opinion will stay once we have to go over them.”

Emerald’s mood was not dampened at all. “It won’t be that hard. It’s just sand, right?”

“Well, yes… but it will get hotter as the day goes on. We will have to conserve our water and supplies.”

“Oh.” Emerald had not considered this, not having set foot in or even seen a desert until now. “Then we should get as much water as we can from that spring back there.”

“There’s a spring?” Light Speckle said, pleasantly surprised. “That’s good. I don’t want to be caught out there with no water. We could die of thirst.”

“Aye…” Emerald said quietly. The sun was still low on the eastern horizon, so the two went back to the camp to awaken everyone else.

Jewel Pin and the Apples were up, cooking up something sweet-smelling in a pot over a small cookfire.

“Mornin’, Em, Light Speckle!” Honeygold waved brightly. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”

“What’s cooking?” Emerald sat down on a rock and sniffed.

“Bread pudding and stewed apples,” Apple Bean said, stirring the pot’s contents. “Figured we should use some of our bread and fruit afore it goes bad.”

“Good thinking.” Light Speckle nodded, sitting down as well. “Well, we made it. We’re now in uncharted territory.”

“Uncharted?” Jewel Pin repeated. “So we don’t know where we’re going?”

“That’s not strictly true…” Light Speckle took out one of her books and opened it near the middle. “There is not a lot of contact between Canterlot and Saddle Arabia since they’re so far apart, so we do not have any maps of this land.”

“So we’re lost,” Honeygold concluded.

“No, we aren’t lost,” Light Speckle said patiently. “We know exactly where we are. What we do not know, is which direction the artifact is in.”

“Saddle Arabia’s a big place.” Golden Nugget put a hand to his chin in thought. “Ah don’t think just walkin’ around it hoping to trip over an artifact is a good idea.”

“No, I don’t think so either,” Emerald agreed. “What we need is a guide. Someone who knows the lay of the land and can help us get around in it.”

Light Speckle nodded sagely. “And if we want to find a guide, then the best thing to do is to head for one of the cities. If they have those here.”

The six of them sat there while the stew simmered away in the pot, each of them wondering what Saddle Arabia would be like, and what they might encounter out here. The sun rose higher in the sky, and a warm easterly breeze ruffled the vegetation around them.

“Ah hope we find the artifact soon,” Honeygold said quietly. “Ah don’t want to miss the harvest at Avalon.”

This sentiment was shared by Emerald and the others. More than anything, Emerald wanted things to be at peace so she could focus on her real mission. Her original reason for coming to the human world seemed so far away now. Emerald stared into the depths of the cooking fire, brooding.

“Well, I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what kind of clothes they have in Saddle Arabia,” Jewel Pin said cheerily. “I’ve heard tell of their silks and satins. Light and airy, yet ever so stylish.”

“You didn’t seem that interested in the Prench and Kievan clothes,” Emerald pointed out.

“Yes, well, that was because we were all under the impression that even speaking a word of English would get us all killed,” Jewel Pin replied tetchily. “Seeing as nobody in Saddle Arabia wants to kill us yet, I may as well enjoy their couture.”

“Ah just hope that we’ve bought us some time, going through those tunnels in the mountain,” Apple Bean said as she began ladling out servings of the stew for breakfast. “Ah mean, Sir Morn and his men are going to have a job getting through them tunnels without a map, yeah?”

“I hope so,” Light Speckle said, lying back on the soft grass. “I mean, unless they find another map down there, they might be lost wandering the tunnels forever. That would be nice. Especially if there are more chorts down there.”

“But then Excalibur and the rest of the artifacts would be lost forever too,” Honeygold protested. “And then we’d never be able to fix Canterlot.”

“Honeygold has a point,” Jewel Pin nodded. “The kingdom needs something to rally around. Excalibur has been that something.”

The conversation died out as breakfast was eaten, and soon the rest of the party woke up and came over to have a bite to eat.

Once breakfast was finished, Emerald offered to show everyone where the stream was, so that they could wash their bowls and spoons, as well as refill their waterskins.

“So,” Emerald announced once everyone had been fed and watered. “We made it past the Coltcasus Mountains. I think that the hardest part of the journey is behind us.”

The group took a moment to pat themselves on the back and smile smugly at their achievement.

“But,” Emerald said cautiously. “We are now in uncharted territory. There’s no more road for us to follow."

The party’s mood did not decrease dramatically.

“Tis just sand,” Spectrum said. “We can navigate through a bit of sand.”

“I think you underestimate how big this ‘bit of sand’ really is,” Light Speckle said quietly.

“From what Ah know from my Pa’s stories,” Golden Nugget raised his finger. “It’s going to be right hot out there. We better bring as much water as we can.”

“Agreed,” Nightfall nodded. “We don’t want to risk dehydration out there.”

“Dee-high-what?” Honeygold asked.

“Dying of thirst,” Jewel Pin translated.

“Oh.”

“We also don’t know which direction the artifact is in,” Light Speckle said, taking out Clover the Clever’s journal. “Clover mapped out the temple itself and the landmarks around it, but we have no idea where in the desert it is. That is a problem.”

“If only we had a guide who knew this land,” Jewel Pin sighed before taking a biscuit from her pocket and staring at it forlornly. Then she ate it. “I miss afternoon tea.”

Emerald nodded absently, then did a double take. “What did you just say?”

Jewel Pin looked caught off guard and choked on her biscuit. Coughing out crumbs, the seamstress repeated, “I miss afternoon tea?”

“No, before that,” Emerald prompted.

“Ah, we need someone who knows the land?”

“Yes, that!” Emerald exclaimed. “None of us know this part of the world very well, so the best thing to do is to find somepony who does. That makes sense, right?”

The rest of the party exchanged glances, but slowly began nodding.

“What you say does hold water,” Nightfall agreed. “But where would we find such a person?”

“Maybe we can find one at a town?” Spectrum suggested. “We’ve got plenty of bits, so paying for a guide shouldn’t be impossible.”

“Assuming they even use bits here…” Light Speckle mused to herself. “Still, our bits are made of gold, so there’s that.”

Emerald sat back against a rock and pondered this. While wandering through the desert was hardly a good, strategic option, hunting down a guide would also take time.

In the end, logic won out. Trekking all over the desert would ultimately use up more resources than finding someone who knew where the place they were looking for was.

“Alright,” Emerald conceded. “We will make for a town and try to find a guide. Although we have quite a head start on our pursuers, we must assume that they are still coming after us. We cannot afford to become complacent.”

“Alright!” Spectrum cried brightly. “We’re off on the next part of the quest. Which way do we go?”

Emerald looked around awkwardly. “Well, that’s just it. I’m not sure.”

Light Speckle opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly there was a loud half-roar, half screech, like someone was torturing both an eagle and a lion at the same time. It had come from the mountainside.

The party froze.

“Could that be Sir Morn?” Guard Streak whispered, his hand on his weapon.

“Impossible,” Nightfall whispered back. "Sir Morn would not reveal his location like that. He is learned in matters of strategy."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It sounded like miniature thunderclaps were coming from the mountain. The screeching roar came again, and through the gaps in the trees, Emerald saw something that she almost couldn't believe.

A huge white shape was circling the mountain peak, almost like a bird. But the proportions and size were all wrong for it to be a bird. That meant the only thing it could be was…

"A… dragon?" Emerald gasped in surprise.

The beast circled around some more, then flapped its wings and flew off in the direction of the desert. The party ran after it, but had to stop once they reached the edge of the sands. The dragon flew onward and disappeared over a sand dune.

There was one last roar, now very distant, and all was as it was before.

The party stood there in stunned silence for a good long time.

“Well,” Light Speckle said slowly. “That’s something I didn’t think I would ever see.”

“I thought you said dragons didn’t exist in this world?” Emerald rubbed her eyes. “Then what was that?”

Something drifted down from the sky, bobbing and twirling on the air currents. It was a single white feather. Emerald held out her palm and caught it, her face still full of wonder.

Spectrum was looking over the dunes with a slow grin forming on her face. She nudged Guard Streak. “Hey, Streak. If that’s a dragon, do you think they’ll make us proper knights if we slay it?”

“You ain’t seriously considerin’ fightin’ that thing are ya?” Honeygold raised both eyebrows at them.

“Why not?” Spectrum tapped the sword strapped to her side. “We’re training to be knights. Dragons are part of the job, are they not?”

“I should like the chance to study one up close,” Nightfall said eagerly. “It could be the discovery of the century!”

Light Speckle looked less enthusiastic. “Well, it’s flown away. I personally do not want to go anywhere near that beast. Our mission is difficult enough without going dragon hunting.”

“Maybe, but it would speed up our knighting process.” Spectrum grinned and brought out her lute. “A hero, a hero, with a warrior’s heart…”

“Won’t do us much good if we don’t have a kingdom to go back to.” Emerald enjoyed Spectrum’s music, but it wasn’t something they could afford to do at the moment. She didn’t know how far behind Morn was, but they needed as much space between them as they could. “And besides, they are not as easy as you think they are.”

“Tis true.” Spectrum put her lute down. “But where do we start?”

Emerald looked out to the sandy expanse again and hummed.

“I will send Gabriel up.” Posey released her eagle into the air. “He may be able to see any nearby settlements from here.”

“We should move on as soon as we can,” Light Speckle advised. “I do not know how vast this desert is, but if we do not move, we risk Morn catching up.”

"That's true," Golden Nugget nodded. "Don't want that to happen after gettin’ all the way here."

“Right…” Emerald shook the haze from her mind and clapped her hands.

The group went back to pack up camp and to refill their water supplies to the brim from the spring. Then they all had a drink for good measure, and gathered at the edge where the grass met the sand.

“Alright,” Nightfall said, shielding her eyes and pointing up into the sky. “The sun is over there, which means that way is east. Which is where we want to go, since the mountain and Canterlot are to the west.”

“You really think that we will come across a town just like that?” Jewel Pin asked skeptically.

“Towns in the desert must have a steady supply of food and water,” Light Speckle reasoned. “Posey, if Gabriel spots any places that have those, could you notify us?”

Posey nodded. “I will.”

Emerald was the first to take a step off the grass and onto the sand. It sank beneath her greaves and to her annoyance, soon seeped inside as she walked, mingling with her toes. It didn’t bother her as much with hooves.

Everyone soon followed behind, beginning their trek through the new landscape in search for a town. It was slow going, and the sun soon rose high above them, beating down with its sweltering heat, making the party sweat profusely. They continued like this until late afternoon, when the sun began to sink behind the Coltcasus Mountains, giving the group some much-needed respite from the scorching rays.

Up above, Gabriel squawked a few times.

“Gabriel sees two towns,” Posey relayed the information. “One small one on the left and another on the right. But they are not close.”

The golden eagle screeched some more, spiralling down to land on Posey’s shoulder.

“Poor thing. You must be exhausted after flying in the sun all day. You can rest now.”

“Shall we make camp here?” Golden Nugget asked.

“Camp? Here?” Jewel Pin lifted a boot and shook it, fine sand cascading out. “I’m not sleeping on sand! Surely we can make it to one of the towns.”

“The nearest town is at least twelve miles over there.” Posey pointed to the north. “And I am not sure about the welcome that we will get if we do make it to that settlement.

“Twelve miles?” Honeygold gasped. “Ah don’t think Ah can go for another one. Sand makes walkin’ so hard. Ah don’t like sand.”

“If it were a monster, I’d kill it.” Spectrum flexed one arm. “But Honeygold is right. The sand has worn out its welcome.”

“Aye,” Emerald agreed, lifting her foot out of the ground. She could feel the grains against her foot; they were coarse and rough, and irritating as well. “We’ll camp at the bottom of this dune. Just a little bit further to go.”

As Emerald looked over the horizon of sand, she wondered just how long she would last before thinking of killing the sand too.

Paradise saw the army coming from miles away. In truth, it wasn’t much of an army at all. The usurper king, Morn Dread was at the head of the pack and behind him, followed about thirty or so knights. They had first stopped at the beginning of the gulch, deciding to go through it instead of around through the graves.

Fair enough. I would avoid the graves too. But I suppose that means they’ll be ours for the picking.

Her men had reported a detachment of knights had separated from him, moving off towards the capital. She didn’t know what they were after there, but it couldn’t be anything good.

“Coteau, go around back and get ready for my signal.” Paradise waved a hand to her right.

“Oui, right away.” One of her bandits got up and hurried away through the fog with a few others.

Paradise nocked an arrow in her bow and waited. This was it. She was to stall him from reaching Emerald Edge’s group for as long as she could. If she was lucky, maybe she could even end it right here and now.

For Posey.

It had been too long since she had seen her daughter, and she had lived a life of regrets, afraid her daughter wouldn’t accept her back for what she had become, but now, she would do anything to see her daughter again. To be with her again and hold her in her arms. But it was not this day.

For now, she had to play her part in saving Canterlot.

Paradise continued to survey the soldiers. They were now nearly all inside the gulch, moving at a brisk march through the pass. If they were sneaky, the bandits could pick them off from above with their bows, along with the traps they had set. By now, Coteau and a few of her bandits should already be behind the enemy force, and the rest of her men would be on the sides, ready to set off a little surprise for Morn and his group.

When Morn got close enough that she could see the silver lining on his gold sword, Paradise let out a shrill whistle and pulled her arrow back. They were about to find out why this was called Stoney Gulch.

Small explosions of fire appeared through the fog on both sides of the gulch, loosening the boulders that sat along the edge. As the fell and rolled towards the troop of knights, Paradise released her arrow, sending it flying right for Morn Dread’s head.

Before the arrow could pierce his skull, however, there was suddenly a glow around him and his knights and the arrow stopped and faded away into dust. The falling boulders had also stopped, hovering above them.

“What?”

“Do you not think I know you are out there?” Morn said, his voice just audible enough to Paradise from where she was. He suddenly looked up to where she was, much to her surprise.

The boulders suddenly flew back up the sides of the gulch and Paradise heard the screams of some of her men as the boulders landed. Their screams abruptly cut off after that.

There was a commotion from behind as Coteau’s team engaged the knights from behind, making part of the group turn around.

Paradise tried again, readying another arrow and firing it. This time, the usurper swung his sword, cutting the arrow in half and sending a wave of golden energy at her. Paradise leapt to the side, but the impact of the wave on the ground sent her falling off the side of the gulch and tumbling down towards the bottom. She hit her head on the rocks at the bottom and her vision spun and her ears rang.

“Petty thieves.” Paradise spotted a pair of greaves right in front of her blurry vision. “You get nothing trying to rob the king of Canterlot. And now you will pay the price for your criminal ambition.”

“You are no king.” Paradise pushed herself up. “You have taken the kingship from its rightful owner.”

“Ah, I see you have heard of King Dawn Saber’s demise.” Morn looked at his weapon. “I wonder where that information has come from. Do tell me where you have heard of this.”

“Nowhere,” Paradise answered defiantly.

“Do you see this?” Morn flashed his sword in front of her eyes, then turned around and pointed it down the gulch. “Knights, stand aside.”

Morn’s men, whose eyes glowed gold, all did as he commanded, shifted to the sides of the gulch. Paradise could see Coteau and his men at the beginning of the gulch, still firing their arrows, but when they noticed Morn’s sword lighting up, their eyes widened.

“Run!” Paradise yelled, but it was too late.

A beam of gold fired down the pathway and when it reached the other side, it culminated in a giant white ball, searing its shape into Paradise’s eyes before she fell back and screwed them shut.

When she opened her eyes again, the beginning of Stoney Gulch was now a small crater, and to her horror, her bandits were gone.

“No…”

Morn Dread turned his attention back to her, but buckled on one knee suddenly, using his sword to keep himself upright.

Paradise thought fast. If she stayed here, she would be overwhelmed by either that magic sword or the enemy knights. Morn was still steadying himself and for the moment, was in no shape to pursue. Paradise made her choice.

Picking herself up off the ground, the bandit leader sprinted off through the gulch, dodging a few arrows as she ran. Only when she had left the knights behind in the dust did Paradise slow down and look behind. There was nobody chasing her, though with the plate armor that Morn’s men wore, she would have heard them coming before she could see them.

This kind of foe was beyond her, and she was sure that if she had hesitated, Morn would have killed her.

It was a good thing, then, that he had faltered when he had. Paradise wasn’t clear on the details of just what possessed Morn Dread or what Excalibur’s powers were, but she would take all the openings she could get.

But first, she had to get away from him; she was no match for the usurper king.

“Wherever you are now, Emerald, Posey, I hope you’re close to your goal.”

78 - Desert Madness

“So hot…”

Emerald Edge heard Honeygold’s observation as they trudged through the desert. Wakening before the sun got too high, they had eaten a rather depressing breakfast and then began the trek towards the closest town. It was slow going, as the hot sand and air seemed to sap their energy almost instantly. What was more, they had to carefully ration out their water, lest they be stranded with no liquid to sustain them.

Emerald agreed with Honeygold, though she suspected she had the worst of it. Inside her armor, she felt as though she were being baked alive, and her metal plates soon grew hot to the touch. The former pegasus pulled up her hood to cover her head with, but that only made her sweat more.

“I want to stop!” Jewel Pin wailed from the back of the group.

“Show some pluck, Jewel Pin,” Light Speckle encouraged, though she too was shading her sweating face with her hand. “We will be in town before you know it.”

Emerald turned around and gave her friends a small smile, even though she herself wanted nothing more than to collapse and find a way to hide from the heat.

“I see a pool of water!” Spectrum Song suddenly jumped up and down excitedly. “Over there! Just west of where we are!”

“What?” Golden Nugget put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the harsh sunlight. “Ah don’t see any water.”

“There!” Spectrum pointed. “No one sees it?”

No one else, not even Emerald or Posey, saw any inclination of the pool of water Spectrum was pointing to.

“Nothing.” Emerald shrugged.

“Are you feeling alright, squire?” Light Speckle put a hand on her forehead.

“Never better.” Spectrum put her fists on her hips. “Why?”

“Heat can cause one to see things that aren’t there,” Nightfall explained as she caught up to them. “For example, an oasis that isn’t there.”

“How about those towns?” Guard Streak asked, then realized what that would mean. “If those towns aren’t there…”

“No, I’m sure they are there.” Emerald looked out to the dunes, a little doubtful herself. “They must be…”

Emerald didn’t know what she was going to do if the towns weren’t actually there. That would mean they would’ve been walking nowhere all day and that would be a huge waste of time and effort.

“Well, too late to turn back now.” Posey walked past her and began ascending the dune. “Come. There is only one way to find out.”

As Emerald followed, she wished she had a horse right now, just so she could stop walking. That made her think of Foxtrot. In their mad dash from Canterlot, she hadn’t been able to bring him along. She hoped he was getting well looked after at least. He was a good horse, that is, if you had the food he wanted.

That greedy boy… Emerald smiled to herself. She missed him.

They trudged along through the sand and the sun, until it was high in the sky above them, beating down relentlessly, and not a scrap of cloud in the clear blue sky to offer respite.

Finally, over the next dune, Emerald’s eye beheld something that made her almost jump for joy.

“Look!” the former pegasus exclaimed, pointing with her finger. “There’s a town! Over there, do you see it?”

Golden Nugget scrambled up the sand dune to join Emerald at its peak. “Doggone it, you’re right! Or if ya ain’t we’re seein’ the same illusion.”

“I see it too.” Posey adjusted her sweaty bandana. “The towns are real.”

“We are close now. Tis only a matter of time before we reach it!” Emerald began sliding down the other side of the dune, careful not to fall. She didn’t want to get more sand in her armor.

“Out of the way!” Jewel Pin suddenly barged past them, racing down the dune with almost skillful footwork, tripping only at the very bottom of the mound and planting her face into the sand.

Posey looked at Emerald and rolled her eyes.

It was still slow going, but after seeing the town, the whole group’s spirits were lifted. They were soon close enough to see the little specks that were people moving about in the town, as well as an oasis that it had been built next to. The water gleamed like a million bits in the afternoon sun, beckoning them to come closer.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the bedraggled group of questors finally arrived at the town’s gates. There were a trio of guards wearing light armor and holding long spears standing at the gates, with strange, curved swords at their belts. The guards watched Emerald and her group approach with narrowed eyes, but let them pass without comment.

“Their eyes look funny,” Honeygold commented, and almost at once, her mother sped a hand over her mouth.

“Honeygold!”

“Must be the sun,” Spectrum said to Honeygold. “Standing out here in the heat all day would make anyone squint.”

Inside the town walls, there was a small market with wooden stalls set up, complete with cloth awnings covering their fronts so that shoppers could browse in the shade. Several tall palm trees grew in the center, and there were cubic, clay buildings arranged in rows that must have been where the people lived. There was still sand underfoot, but only a very thin layer that gave way to stone. There were even some unusual looking humped brown creatures tied up in some stables with a few donkeys and a horse, a much smaller and thinner horse than the ones she was used to seeing.

“Let’s see if they have somewhere we can rest for the night,” Light Speckle suggested. “And then we can go about finding a guide.”

“Anyone speak their language?” Spectrum asked as they looked for any signs of an inn. “I don’t.”

They passed through the marketplace and found themselves in a plaza of some sort. People wearing light colors milled about, some of them gathering near a well in the center to talk. None of the questors could understand a word of what they were saying, however.

“We are strangers in a strange land,” Nightfall Gleam muttered.

“Anything looking like an inn out here?” Apple Bean eyed all the buildings.

Guard Streak pointed at a large clay building that had a sign hanging outside the front door, depicting a horse and an owl sitting around a cookfire. “Maybe that’s one?”

Emerald stared gormlessly at the sign for a moment before shrugging. “Well, we may as well go see if it is an inn. Come on, everyone.”

They entered the building in single file, where it was almost immediately cooler. Emerald sighed in relief as the clay did its job of blocking out the heat. There were wooden tables and chairs inside here, as well as a long bar that a man with an impressive handlebar moustache was standing behind, serving a couple of coconuts to a pair of guards. There were some wooden steps leading upstairs in the corner.

“Looks like this is a tavern of some sort,” Apple Bean observed. “Don’t look too different from the ones in Prance and Canterlot.”

The bartender finished serving the guards and looked over at Emerald’s party. His face broke out into a welcoming smile. He said something in the Saddle Arabian language, but when he was hit with looks of confusion from his new guests, he changed tack.

“Ty kiyevlyanin?” he asked.

Emerald shrugged and shook her head, a cringey grin on her face.

The bartender tried again. “Êtes-vous prançais?”

No response.

“Bānlā kathā?”

“Uh, no, sir.” Spectrum stepped forward. “We’re from Canterlot.”

“Ah! You English then?” The man smiled wider and beckoned for them to come in further. “I speak bit English. Come in! Drink?”

“Yes please,” Jewel Pin said before staggering over to the bar and collapsing into a chair.

The bartender got to work behind the bar, taking down some jars and bottles and mixing up a drink. The rest of the group found some seats as well and settled down in the tavern.

“Tis nice to have something to sit on…” Nightfall patted her legs. “We mages aren’t used to such long distances on foot.”

“Can your magic heal our aching feet, Nightfall?” Honeygold stretched her legs out and removed her boots. It wasn’t pleasant. There were covered in tiny blisters and they smelled.

“Unfortunately, I do not have access to the ingredients needed to make a healing salve,” Nightfall said ruefully. “I do have a bottle or two, but I think those are best saved for a more serious injury.”

The bartender soon came back with a tray of drinks.

“Here you are, drinks,” he said, depositing the cups on the tables. “My name Limonana Trotter. You come long way? You travel in day. Hot.” He held out his hand expectantly.

Posey took the hint and passed Trotter a couple of gold bits. He pocketed them without checking, chuckling as he watched the group drain their mugs.

“We have come a long way, yes,” Emerald sighed as she set down her empty flagon. Whatever the drink was, it did not seem to be alcoholic, but tasted fresh and fruity, a flavor she could not quite pin down.

“Thought so,” Trotter said. “I not seen anyone from here with your shiny, er, head?” He pointed to Emerald’s hair, which, even after spending days on the road without a wash, still glittered and shone like crystal.

“Oh, her hair, haha,” Spectrum said a little tipsily. “That’s cause she’s from the Crystal Empire.” Guard Streak subtly elbowed the other squire, not sure how much they should tell the bartender.

“I not know what Clistal Emperia means.” Limonana Trotter shrugged.

“You speak good English, compared to the rest of the town,” Light Speckle changed the topic swiftly. “How do you know Canterlot’s language?”

At this, Trotter grinned and leaned on an empty chair. “When I is younger, I was wandering merchant. Go many places, meet many people. Was in Canterlot three years. Was good chance to learn English. Met many good people there, but wanted to own inn back in hometown. After many years of trading, got this inn that I own.”

“Oooohhh, I see,” the group chorused.

“If you no mind me saying so, you not look like merchants,” Trotter commented. “What bring you all the way out here from Canterlot?”

Emerald considered the question carefully. While this man seemed nice enough, she didn’t feel comfortable sharing the details of her quest with every random person who they met. In the end, she opted for a half-truth.

“We are looking for something here in Saddle Arabia to help Canterlot. It has been taken over by a false king and we need to stop him before he destroys the land and kingdom.”

Trotter stared at Emerald, as if unsure of whether to believe her or not.

“Must be a beginning of life?” The bartender shrugged. “Is said life began here in Saddle Arabia. You look for beginning?”

“More like… something we can use to stop him,” Light Speckle added carefully.

“Thing to stop false king…” Trotter stroked his moustache. “I no sure what you look for. Maybe king can help.”

“The king? As in the King of Saddle Arabia?” Emerald asked.

Trotter nodded vigorously. “King is very wise. Know many things. Maybe he help you on your journey.”

“We were actually looking for a guide,” Light Speckle added. “Someone who can show us around the desert and not get lost.”

Stroking his moustache, the bartender thought. “No guide here in this town. Nobody brave enough. But for sure Masyaf will have. Masyaf is big, big city. Capital city. Middle of desert, many people. Maybe you find guide there? King also lives there.”

“More walking in the desert?” Jewel Pin groaned. “I cannot take much more of this.”

“Is because you travel in day time, yes?” Trotter laughed. “Here in Saddle Arabia, best to travel in night. Not hot.”

“That actually makes sense.” Light Speckle pulled at the folds of her sleeve in thought. “Heat does sap our strength.”

“We’ll have to stay the night here to rest up, regardless.” Emerald paid Trotter some more coins. It did make sense to move at night. “How many rooms do you have?”

“To be honest,” Trotter said. “I not get much people wanting to rent rooms. Mostly just come to drink and eat and then go home. Today the whole second floor yours. Is good deal?”

“Yes,” Emerald nodded. “Tis a very good deal.”

“Thank ya, Limonana Trotter.” Golden Nugget gave him a nod of gratitude. “It’s been a long journey and we’re mighty tired.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, but the Trotter had to go back to work, as the guards wanted another round. Emerald, having had enough of sitting around, decided to see if there was a place where she could wash up for the night. Surely they had baths in Saddle Arabia, right?

Assuring her friends that she would only be gone a little while, Emerald left the inn and stepped back out on the streets. She kept her sword buckled to her belt, in case anyone tried anything funny. She didn’t know the culture here and though Trotter seemed friendly enough, she didn’t know if he stood for the rest of the people.

Many people stopped to stare at Emerald as she passed, with the less subtle ones pointing at her shining hair and armor. Emerald paid them no mind, but considered getting a bigger, less red cloak to cover herself with in case she wanted to move about more surreptitiously. However, Emerald also considered the heat and decided that staying cool and hydrated was probably more practical than covering herself up with a big heavy cloak in this weather.

Following the sound of water splashing, Emerald went through a side door in the town’s walls and found herself on the edge of the large oasis that they had seen when they first approached this town. There were some more of those strange humped creatures drinking from the water, as well as a couple of children who were splashing around in the clear liquid. A woman was playing some kind of flute by the waterside, in the shade of a palm tree.

Finding a spot that was half-hidden by some bushes, Emerald removed her armor and her clothes before slipping into the water. It felt cool and refreshing after wandering the desert under the blistering sun. The former pegasus washed herself as best she could; there was no soap to be found. By the time she had cleaned herself up, the sun was almost touching the horizon, lending the whole town a sleepy orange glow.

It was then that she thought about how people drank from these oases. If people kept bathing themselves, she wondered how the water could still taste so fresh. It was odd, but at least it felt nice on her skin and in her mouth.

They had already come so far. It had felt like such a long time since they left Canterlot Castle. They had already gone through the kingdoms of Prance and Kievan Horse and now they were in a land that was completely different from what they’d ever experienced. Even in all her time as the royal spymaster, Emerald had never been to a desert, though the snowy mounds back at the Frozen North were rather similar.

They were going to get the artifact, Emerald knew it. Now, it was just a matter of searching for it in all this sand. That didn’t sound too hard.

Getting dressed once, but not in her armor, Emerald picked up her belongings and headed back to the inn.

Upon reaching the inn’s entrance, Emerald could see that lamps had been lit around and inside the tavern, and that there were a great deal more people inside now. Limonana Trotter had some help now, in the form of some young women who were weaving around patrons, serving food and drinks to them. Meanwhile, the bar was crowded by many humans and Trotter looked too busy to talk, though he did see Emerald come in and gave her a nod of acknowledgement.

She could not see any of her friends in the crowd, so Emerald went up to the second floor, where it was noticeably quieter away from all the customers. It looked… a little like Canterlot Castle, if she was to be honest with herself. A central hall with some chairs and a table, and rows of doors that must have led to the inn rooms.

Apple Bean and Golden Nugget were seated around the table, eating something that smelled spicy and fragrant.

“Hello, you two,” Emerald said, walking over to the table. “How do you fare?”

“Not bad, Emerald, all things considered.” Golden Nugget shrugged. “It’s mighty hot, but the people seem nice enough. Trotter even sent dinner up here for us. After we paid for staying the night, o’ course.”

“Where’s everyone else?” Emerald asked.

“Ah think the kids are in their rooms,” Apple Bean shrugged. “Light Speckle and Nightfall went up to the roof to look at the stars or something. Don’t know where Jewel Pin and Posey are, though.”

“If I have to guess…” Emerald looked at the staircase. “Jewel Pin would be somewhere looking for food. More food, I mean. Or perhaps Saddle Arabian attires.”

“Speaking of food, this here’s our dinner,” Golden Nugget waved a hand at the food piled on the table. “Ah’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s good. Kinda spicy, but good.”

“Is there any meat in it?” Emerald asked, picking up a slice of some kind of pastry and smelling it. It did have a fragrant aroma that was probably due to some spices that Canterlot didn’t have. She used her fingers to peel back the crust and look inside. It was full of some kind of green, leafy vegetable and an aromatic paste. Not seeing any meat, Emerald took a cautious nibble of the pastry.

“Hey, this is good!” Emerald said, delighted. She gobbled down the rest of the pastry and washed it down with a mug of some kind of juice-based beverage. It didn’t taste like ale or mead, as she was used to, but it tasted nice all the same. Refreshing.

Emerald sat there with the two farmers, enjoying the exotic dinner. Emerald had just finished her second pastry when Jewel Pin came up the stairs with a look of triumph on her face.

“Guess what, darlings?” the seamstress said, sitting down and picking up a wedge of cheese.

“What?” Emerald asked.

“I,” Jewel Pin placed a hand on her chest proudly. “Have just managed to secure us an escort for us to get to the capital of Saddle Arabia.”

“You have?” Apple Bean exclaimed. “How did ya manage that?”

Jewel Pin held up a finger while she devoured the cheese. Brushing crumbs off her dress, she continued, “I spent most of the evening getting to know the guests that came into this inn. Mister Limonana Trotter was kind enough to introduce me to a group of traders who happened to be stopping by this town to refill their supplies and provisions. So, after giving them a bit of the treasure that we got from the Baba Yaga hag, they agreed to let us go along with them as they head to Masyaf to trade.”

“That is great news!” Golden Nugget gave her a pat on the back. “How long will it take us to get there? A couple’a days?”

Jewel Pin grimaced. “From what Trotter was able to tell me, the whole journey will take about two weeks, accounting for stops and sleeping. It is a long way, even on camelback.”

“Camelback?” Emerald repeated, confused.

“Oh, those humped creatures we saw on the way in,” Jewel Pin explained. “The people here use them to traverse long distances in the desert over horses. Something about them needing less water.”

“When do we set out?” Emerald leaned forward eagerly.

Jewel Pin reached for another piece of cheese. “The night after tomorrow.”

Emerald leaned back and gazed toward the ceiling. “So we’ll have all of tomorrow to get supplies and rest. Good work, Jewel Pin. The faster we get to Masyaf, the sooner we can hire a guide to take us to the artifact. And then we can reclaim Canterlot.”

“We’re with ya, Emerald,” Apple Bean put a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “We’re with ya all the way.”

And she knew that. These friends would not have followed her all this way if they didn’t agree with her. And together, they were going to save their home.

79 - A Way to Go

The next day, Emerald Edge and her friends got out of bed and made their way downstairs to the tavern. It was empty apart from a mangy dog that was sleeping next to the bar. Lemonina Trotter stood behind the long table, giving the group a smile as they arrived downstairs.

“You sleep well?” Trotter asked cheerfully.

“Very well,” Emerald said. “Your rooms are most comfortable after camping in the desert.”

“How about breakfast?” Trotter came over with plates of hotcakes and mugs of tea. “Mother’s recipe. Honeyed oatcakes.”

The group thanked the bartender and began to tuck into the flat, golden colored oatcakes. Emerald found them to be soft and mildly crunchy on the outside, with a delicious sweet flavor from the honey.

Emerald was taking a bite from her third oatcake when she noticed someone come in through the front door. It was a man dressed in light-colored clothing, with a scruffy beard on his pale blue face. He was holding a wicker basket and there was a bow slung over his shoulder, along with a woven quiver full of arrows. At his belt was a curved Saddle Arabian sword, like the guards at the gate. He went over to Trotter and began to converse rapidly in the Saddle Arabian tongue. Occasionally the newcomer would point at Emerald and her group.

“What do you reckon they’re talking about?” Spectrum whispered.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Jewel Pin swallowed her mouthful of oatcake. “That’s the leader of the trading caravan I stuck a bargain with. His name is Salt Flats. Probably wanted to come see all of us to check how many camels he would have to get.”

“How’d ya manage to talk to him?” Golden Nugget looked impressed. “He speak like us too?”

“Just a tad.” Jewel Pin mimicked with her fingers. “And by that, I mean with… money.”

Trotter and Salt Flats finished talking, seemingly having come to an agreement on something. The two men came over to Emerald’s table. Salt Flats wore a confident, self-assured expression as he viewed the group. He spoke in rapid Saddle Arabian to Trotter.

“Ah. Salt Flats say you are big group. Can defend yourself?”

“We can hold our own in a fight, yes,” Emerald nodded.

Trotter translated this for Salt Flats. His smile grew wider. He said something to Trotter and gestured at Jewel Pin.

“He say you pay him much. More than anyone before, so he more than happy to take you to Masyaf.”

“Great!” Emerald beamed, while at the same time wondering just how much treasure Jewel Pin had given the trader. “So we’re going tomorrow?”

Trotter spoke some more to Salt Flats. He pointed out the door and then at his head.

“Yes, is right. Tomorrow they go. Should get some scarves and cloaks, keeps the sand out of clothes, sun out of face in day, cold away at night. Much variety in the market. Salt Flats will take care of food and water.”

“We will do that,” Emerald promised.

“Good,” Trotter translated. “Then you meet up with Salt Flats tomorrow evening and you go to Masyaf. Salt Flats go to buy supplies and meet with rest of caravan.”

Salt Flats and Emerald exchanged a few more pleasantries, then the merchant went on his way out of the tavern. Trotter returned to his bar to rearrange some of the mugs.

“He is right, you know,” Jewel Pin said at last.

“Abou’ wha’?” Guard Streak asked with a full mouth.

“We should get some cloaks and scarves. Preferably light-colored ones, as they repel heat better.”

“How do you know this?” Posey asked, somewhat impressed. Only somewhat. “Did you learn it last night as well?”

The seamstress shook her head. “I have known about colors and heat dispersion for many years now. There’s a reason why the nobles of Canterlot wear lighter colors during summer.”

Light Speckle nodded in agreement. “I was thinking of visiting the markets for herbs and other reagents, if they have them,” she said. “Why don’t we go together and we can buy the articles of clothing we need while we are at it?”

“That’s a good idea,” Emerald said brightly. “In the meantime, I’ll see about getting to learning as much about our intended route as possible. What to expect and what dangers we might run into.”

With this plan in mind, Emerald’s group split up and went their separate ways, promising to meet back in the inn by sundown.

That evening, Jewel Pin and Light Speckle came back into the inn, laden down with various swathes of cloth and textiles, most of them in white.

“White was the easiest color to get,” Jewel Pin explained as she laid them out on the second floor’s dining table. “No expensive dyes involved.”

“These are worn like a mage’s robes,” Light Speckle demonstrated with one of the garments, pulling it around herself. “They keep the sun off your skin and the cold at night, and the sand out of your clothes. These Saddle Arabians certainly are adaptable.”

“The cloth is made from plant fibers, so it will be light and airy even in the desert heat, and at night they make decent blankets.”

“Wow,” Emerald said, picking up one of the robes. “You definitely outdid yourselves. How much did this cost?”

Light Speckle shrugged. “Not a whole lot, actually. Like Jewel Pin said, the undyed articles were a lot cheaper, and we have plenty of money and treasure to pay for anything we might need so far.”

“What about you, Em?” Honeygold swung her legs under the padded bench that she was sitting on. “Did ya learn anything about our route?”

Emerald nodded. She had spent most of the day with Trotter and another member of the trading caravan, a woman called Baharat Anise, who was the caravan’s navigator. They had pored over maps of the desert, taking note of the path that would take them to Masyaf as quickly as possible, while still stopping at various oases on the way. Through Trotter’s translation skills, Emerald was able to learn that they would take at least a dozen days to get from here to Masyaf, and that was if they didn’t encounter anything like a sandstorm along the way.

It had been a sobering experience, and Emerald Edge had learned a great deal about desert travel and navigation. For one thing, maps were almost useless out there unless they were close to a landmark, and this being a desert, there would not be very many. Instead Anise used the positions of the stars at night to tell where they were, as well as using a strange little device she called a bawsala. It somehow always pointed north, allowing Anise to determine their position based on which way it was pointing. When Emerald had asked if it was magic, the navigator had laughed and said something that Trotter couldn’t quite translate.

“We’re not going straight to Masyaf,” Emerald announced. “The caravan will be taking a roundabout route so that we stop by an oasis every few days, so we don’t run out of water.”

“Probably wise,” Nightfall noted duly.

“Did they tell you what kind of things we might run into out there?” Spectrum asked, tapping the top of the table with her finger.

Emerald nodded. “Anise said the main danger is bandits, but the chances of running into those are very small. Still, the caravan has four armed escorts along with it, and everyone on the journey knows how to fight in some way. There was also mentions of ghouls, but Anise assured me that in all her years of doing the trade routes, she has never encountered one before.”

“Ghouls?” Honeygold asked nervously. “What’re those?”

“I think, based on the translated description, that they are some kind of monster that eats human flesh. But Trotter and Anise both seem to think they’re either very rare, or don’t exist at all.”

“We have fought monsters before,” Spectrum said confidently. “Wasn’t that bad.”

“And we got a lot of treasure from doing it,” Jewel Pin added.

Emerald was less sure. “Anyway, Salt Flats is letting us travel with them on their trade route. I just hope we can find a guide once we get to Masyaf.”

“Ah hope so, too.” Golden Nugget sighed. “Well, we’re leavin’ tomorrow evenin’ already, so we’d better get a good night’s sleep. Jewel Pin, how ‘bout going down and getting Trotter to whip up some dinner? Ah’m starved.”

The moon was a slim, silver crescent over the city of Canterlot when Moon Tide slipped inside the walls. Having left all but one of the horses at Avalon with the apple farmers, the mage had ridden the one remaining horse at breakneck speed back to the city in order to meet with someone very important. She had already spent many days journeying back and she even had to take a detour when she was in Prance because of the presence of Canterlot guards. It seemed they were making more progress than she thought they would.

Even from just being in Canterlot, she could tell things had changed. Larger groups of armed guards patrolled the streets, and there were no sounds of revelry coming from any of the taverns. The whole city reeked of fear and depression.

Moon Tide kept to the shadows and crept up the hill toward Canterlot Castle. By all signs, Morn Dread was not at home, and his mother had no intention of running into him this early.

Skulking past a trio of guards, Moon Tide hurried up to the castle gates and composed herself. It should be just fine, she was allowed to be here as a mage and healer. There should be nothing to worry about, right?

Sure enough, the guards did not even bat an eye at her arrival, though that may have been because there was golden light shining from their irises.

Following the queen’s scent, Moon Tide went up a spiral staircase and found herself in the royal quarters. The halls had seen better days. Scorch marks dotted the tapestries and any depictions of Dawn Saber had been crudely hacked apart.

He needs to be stopped before he brings the entire kingdom crashing down around us. Moon Tide thought grimly. If he hasn’t already.

Finding the door to Queen Sunlight’s quarters, Moon Tide pushed it open and entered.

Sunlight was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She barely even looked up as Moon Tide entered.

“Well?” Sunlight asked. “What have you been up to these past few weeks? I can tell you things have taken a turn for the worse here in Canterlot. Have you killed my rebellious nephew yet?”

Moon Tide bit her lip and swallowed a retort.

“No. No, I haven’t.”

“I thought not,” Sunlight sniffed. “I assume if you had, all the guards keeping me in here would have stopped having eyes like bonfires. You are carrying out my orders, are you not?”

“Yes, I am,” Moon Tide said resolutely. “But there are other ways of doing it. Not just walking up to him and stabbing him.”

Sunlight closed her book and put it on her bedside table. “And you are staking the fate of the kingdom, a kingdom that we rightfully own, on that Emerald Edge and her group of friends? The same Emerald Edge that Morn Dread is now relentlessly chasing across the face of the earth?”

“They should be in Saddle Arabia by now,” Moon Tide said, sitting down. She looked tired and worn out. “Emerald thinks there is an artifact in the desert lands that will help her overpower Morn Dread and win back the throne.”

“Oh, now Emerald wants to be the ruler?” Sunlight spat. “If she wants to contend with me, I’ll…”

“She doesn’t want the throne, sister,” Moon Tide sighed. “She just wants everything back to the way it was. Speaking of that, what changed in the weeks that I was gone?”

Sunlight walked over to her balcony and peered down at the sleeping city. Scores of little bobbing fires crawled through the city streets, like small luminous insects.

“Guard patrols have tripled. Entertainers like the court jesters and mages have more or less been run out of the job. Nobody wants to hear jokes or watch magic tricks with such an oppressive atmosphere. Gatherings of more than ten people have been outlawed. The entire kingdom is on edge, so I need you to get rid of Morn Dread as soon as possible, before we run out of food to feed on!”

“I’m doing the best I can, all right?” Moon Tide snapped. In the lamplight, she looked on the verge of tears. “Emerald will find the artifact and stop Morn. You can trust her, your majesty. She’s never let us down yet.”

“And rumor has spread about Morn taking his knights to conquer other kingdoms,” Sunlight continued. “We do not want to be at war with everybody. Wars make for poor food sources, as I’m sure you know. And if Emerald should fail...”

“She won’t,” Moon Tide said, straightening her spine. “I believe in her.”

“Well, unfortunately for you, I don’t. If she is to go up against our kind, she needs the smarts and support of one of us. I cannot leave the castle, so it must be you.”

Moon Tide blinked and stared at the floor. She knew her queen was right. Morn had most, if not all the advantages of their kind. They might give him enough of an edge to defeat Emerald, and that could not happen, for a myriad of reasons. There was only one thing to do.

“I will ride out to Saddle Arabia tomorrow, then,” Moon Tide promised. “I will help Emerald win this battle, for both her and you. And maybe for Morn, too. Just let me say goodbye to the sirens before I go.”

“Permission granted,” Sunlight yawned. “Just make sure that by the end of this, Canterlot is left standing and Morn is no more. That is all I ask.”

Standing up again, Moon Tide bowed to Sunlight Radiance and let herself out of the room. There were things she needed to prepare before she followed Emerald into the uncharted East.

80 - Farewells and Detours

In the wee hours of the morning, just as the sky was beginning to color, Sonata Dusk was shaken awake in her bed.

“Mhhm? Wazzgoinon?” the youngest siren sister asked blearily.

Beside her, Aria Blaze and Adagio Dazzle were just as wrong-footed. Their room was still dark, except for a single candle. A single candle that was now illuminating Moon Tide’s face.

“Moon Tide?” Sonata asked, sitting up. “What are you doing here?”

Moon Tide gave Sonata a look of longing, but said nothing. The siren noticed a thread of negative emotion coming out of the normally unsinkable mage.

“Is… is something wrong?” Sonata asked, edging closer to Moon Tide. She had never seen Moon Tide like this before, so quiet and melancholy-looking. The youngest siren reached out with her arms, hugging the mage’s shoulders.

“I’m going away for a while,” Moon Tide whispered to the three girls. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I wanted to say goodbye to you… in case I don’t return.”

“Why wouldn’t you make it back?” Adagio asked with a yawn. “Are you doing something dangerous?”

“The queen has ordered me to do something about Morn Dread…” Moon Tide sighed, scrubbing her eyes. “He has brought ruin to this kingdom, and he must be stopped before the damage is too great to repair.”

“The queen ordered you to do this?” Aria cocked her head to the side. Without her hair up in its pigtails, she looked older and less cynical. “But, he’s your son.”

If it were possible, Moon Tide deflated even more. “Yes, Aria. I know he is.”

Adagio tiptoed to Moon Tide’s side and held her. “Is there anything we can do to help?” She asked.

“Look after the queen and the kingdom for me,” Moon Tide said. She slowly pried the sirens’ arms off her body and wiped her eyes. “I’ll get something nice for you as a souvenir, hmm? Just… keep things together until this whole affair is over. That is all I can ask of you.”

“Everything will still be standing here when you get back, I promise!” Sonata exclaimed, doing a salute like a royal guard might.

Aria glanced at Sonata, but for once in her life, did not comment. “We’ll keep the queen company in your absence,” she vowed.

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Adagio’s face was dead serious. “We will. For you.”

With a glance at the rising sun, Moon Tide swept up all three sirens in a bear hug. She had no idea when she would see them again, if ever. There were so many unknowns, and for the first time in her life, she did not have all the answers, nor perhaps the courage to seek them out.

“But I will try anyway,” the mage whispered.

And with that, Moon Tide left the muses in their room, and within the hour, was on the fastest horse she could find, on her way to Saddle Arabia.

Emerald pulled at her cloak again as the night air bit against her skin. Five days ago, they had left the Saddle Arabian town behind with Salt Flats’ caravan. The traders had an entire convoy of camels and horses, almost two dozen of them. Many of the animals were laden with goods like spices and valuable textiles, as well as herbs that had been gathered in more lush parts of the land. The traders had the better plan of moving in the night and resting in the day. That way, at least traveling felt less awful and less strenuous.

Emerald was sitting on a camel, which was near the middle of the caravan. The animal was definitely faster than walking, but after days on its back swaying back and forth, the former pegasus felt as though she were slightly dizzy all the time. The robes and head wraps Jewel Pin had bought did their job well enough to deflect the heat in the day, but even these garments could not hold up beneath the unrelenting solar assault. At night, they worked about as well to stave off the cold, but they still needed a fire or the cover of their tents to keep warm. It reminded Emerald of her days at the Crystal Empire. While she had fur back then to fight the frost, she didn’t here.

What was more, there seemed to be no end to the ocean of sand that they found themselves in. Salt Flats and the rest of his caravan seemed confident in where they had to go, but Emerald for the life of her could not tell if they were actually making progress or just going around in circles.

And so it was that Emerald’s heart leapt when the caravan leader shouted something in Saddle Arabian, pointing ahead past a sloping dune. There, at the bottom, was an oasis, sparkling under the moonlight most invitingly.

Salt Flats led the caravan down towards the water. The camels needed little persuasion to move, as they had been walking for five days without a drink.

Camp was quickly set up, and a fire was started. Emerald was just happy to be able to splash water on her face to get rid of the crusted sand and grime, something she had been longing to do for a while now, but could not spare the water to do it with. It was cold and it made her begin to shiver, but at least her face was now clean. Cleaner.

“Waterrrrr…” Jewel Pin slid off her camel and half hobbled, half ran over to the oasis’ edge. She simply fell face first toward the water’s edge, the front of her head splashing down into the liquid.

The seamstress stayed like that for a good ten minutes, then she pulled her face and soaking wet hair out of the oasis and sat on the shore, gasping for breath and shivering from the cold.

As another one of the caravan led the camels to the water to drink, the others began unpacking the night’s dinner, with the Apples and the squires helping with keeping the fire going. It was not easy, but the Saddle Arabians had some kind of flammable liquid that kept the flames high, even with a small amount of wood.

Dinner was quickly ready, but Emerald had to content herself with some pickled onions and radishes from a jar, because the Saddle Arabians only brought along cured and salted meats and bread on their trips. She did not blame them; Emerald knew that vegetables were difficult to keep in edible condition during long trips such as these, but she was looking forward to some fresh food once they reached Masyaf, if indeed there was any. She hoped there was.

The rest of their rest stop passed quickly, with the Saddle Arabian traders singing a song around the campfire as they had done all the previous days. The younger members of Emerald’s group tried to follow along with the foreign language, and Emerald was quite sure they were butchering it, but the traders didn’t seem to mind. They were simply happy to have more voices to the song, which was accompanied by Salt Flats’ and Spectrum’s instruments.

Soon afterwards, everyone rinsed out their mouths with water from the oasis and turned in as the sun began to rise over the mounds of sand. Two of the armed escorts stayed awake to watch over the caravan, but Emerald knew that they would swap out with some of the others at some time during the day.

Emerald caught Posey staring into the flames once everyone had turned in. She sat there by the dying flames with her body halfway inside her bedroll, seemingly ignorant to everything else that was going on around her. She didn’t even look up when Emerald walked up next to her and crouched down beside the archer.

“Something on your mind, Posey?” Emerald asked quietly.

“Mhhmm,” Posey replied. “I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Over the last few days I’ve sent Gabriel back over the mountains,” Posey explained. “To check on the progress of those we left behind. Like Morn Dread, Moon Tide, and my mother.”

Emerald looked up into the night sky. There was no sign of the golden eagle. Then again, it was a long way to go, even for one blessed with the power of flight.

“It will be fine, Posey. Moon Tide and your mother can take care of themselves. As for Morn…” Emerald’s face grew solemn. “We have a good head start on him. We will reach the artifact and get back to save Canterlot.”

“So you keep saying,” Posey nodded. She then sighed and took off her headband, allowing her pink hair to fall down around her face. Without the headband, her face looked younger and more soft. “I just hope everything works out in the end. Sometimes I have nightmares about what might happen if we fail in our quest.”

Emerald put a comforting hand around Posey’s shoulders, pulling her close. “Things will work out. We can’t afford to think about failure, because if we consider that to be a possibility, it might actually come true. So long as we focus on success, we’ll be fine.”

Posey smiled and leaned into Emerald’s embrace. “You’re good at the whole motivational speech thing, you know?”

“I learned a lot from being a Knight of the Round Table.”

Posey opened her mouth to say something, but then she glanced at her friend and saw that the former pegasus was now also gazing into the campfire, now with unshed tears in her sparkling eyes.

“Yes. Yes, you did,” Posey said at last. “We had best get some sleep, Emerald. We still have many days of travel ahead of us.”

“Yes… you’re right, Posey. Good night. Or more like good morning.”

Leaving the archer to her own sleeping bag, Emerald returned to her own spot, scrubbing her eyes as she lay down for the night.

The next evening was a little more relaxed than the other evenings in the desert thus far. Emerald awoke to the sound of splashing water. She cracked open her eyes and rubbed the grit from them.

The dying light of the setting sun illuminated the glittering water in the oasis, as well as the people who were splashing around in it in their smallclothes. The former pegasus sat up and yawned, then slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag and walked over to the closest person, Apple Bean. The apple farmer had her boots off and was dangling her legs in the water.

“Everyone seems up rather early today,” Emerald remarked as she watched the three children having a splash fight.

“Eeyup,” Apple Bean replied. “Thought it might be a good idea to wash before breakfast. We’ll be leavin’ this watering hole behind soon enough, and Salt Flats thought it would be a good idea to get everything we needed done before the night gets proper cold.”

“That’s a good idea,” Emerald agreed. She did not feel inclined to get into the water herself, but she did kneel down to splash her face.

Once she was finished washing her hands and face, Emerald went back to her sleeping bag and rolled it up, then unrolled the white robes she had been using for a pillow and draped them over herself. Then she went over to the fire, which by now was just a bed of hot coals.

Baharat Anise was sitting by the fire, eating a piece of bread when Emerald approached. The navigator looked up and gave the former pegasus a polite nod before passing her some bread. Anise had her north-pointing device at her side as well as a well-worn map that was really mostly sand, but there were a handful of red dots on it that signified settlements, as well as blue spots that were meant to be oases, like this one.

Seeing Emerald looking at the map, Anise pointed at one blue spot, then pointing down at the ground. Emerald understood.

So, that’s where we are. She thought with a nod. She bit into the Saddle Arabian bread, which was a bit softer than the Canterlot variety.

Anise then traced her finger along the map, which Emerald interpreted as the route they would take. The path took them past two more blue spots, and then finally to a large red dot on the far side of the map.

Masyaf.

By their progress on the map, they were a little less than halfway there. Emerald sighed. It seemed like such a long way away, and she didn’t really want to walk through this ocean of sand anymore. But she steeled herself.

“If I want to save my friends and kingdom, a walk through the desert is a small price to pay,” Emerald said resolutely.

Anise gave Emerald an encouraging pat on the arm. She might not have understood what Emerald was saying, but her tone of voice was firm and courageous enough to communicate something.

They waited about another hour before saddling up on the camels to allow time for their sodden clothes to dry before the night air set in.

As they traveled, Emerald looked around at the desert. It was certainly harsh and arid, but after all these days trekking through and over the dunes, she had to admit that it had a strange beauty to it as well. Maybe she would make it a point to get someone to paint it once things had all calmed down.

A shout from Salt Flats came from the front. The caravan immediately ground to a halt, with the armed guards dismounting and rushing over to the leader’s side to ask what was wrong. Salt Flats pointed up into the sky.

Not too far ahead, and starkly visible against the moon, was a flying white shape. At first it looked to be a cloud, but it was moving around too fast to be one. It appeared to be circling around something, but the desert mirages were clouding what might lie ahead. She had a good idea of what it might be, though. The shape matched up too well with the dragon they had seen at the foot of the mountains.

Salt Flats turned his camel around and started conversing in rapid Saddle Arabian with the group’s navigator. Baharat Anise had her map out and was pointing to it and gesticulating wildly.

“What do you reckon they’re talking about?” Spectrum asked from next to Emerald.

“Probably that dragon,” Posey answered. “By the looks of it, they are plotting to change our course so that we do not pass by that… creature.”

“I’m not afraid,” Spectrum drew her short sword and brandished it. “There’s so many of us, and only one of it. We can win!”

“Spectrum, darling, this is a trading caravan. Most of them are not trained fighters. And, they have their goods to worry about,” Jewel Pin pointed out.

“Oh. Right.” The squire looked crestfallen, but quickly recovered. “But I’m still not afraid.”

There was a shout from Salt Flats, and he pulled his camel back to the front of the convoy. They rode off a bit further south, away from the circling dragon. Emerald turned her steed dutifully and followed the leader. There was still a long way to go, so this particular turn of events didn’t trouble her overmuch. She just hoped that the dragon wouldn’t follow them. Assuming it was indeed the dragon.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. As Emerald lay down to sleep for the day, she couldn’t help but think that she had heard a distant roar.

82 - Arrival at Masyaf

The sun’s scorching heat began to return as Emerald Edge and her group arrived just outside the tall stone walls of the city of Masyaf, standing proud in the middle of a sea of sand, a little worn with age, but still a testament of the masonry behind it.

“They don’t have holes in their walls like ours.” Spectrum pointed out. “I wonder if they have stronger walls than us.”

“That was because of that plunderseed plant, Spectrum,” Guard Streak reminded her.

“Oh. That’s right.”

This was clearly no small village. Emerald could see dozens of trained soldiers patrolling the walls, and there were at least ten of them standing by the main gate, keeping a close eye on everyone who went in or out of the city. They wore lightly colored clothes and an assortment of cloth, plate, leather, and chainmail armor, and were armed with spears, curved swords, and bows, as well as some kind of signal horn that hung from their belts. Some of them wore hoods and scarves, while others had conical metal helmets.

“So this is the place,” Honeygold said slowly. “It’s a lot bigger than Canterlot.”

Salt Flats led the caravan through the front gates, but stopped partway through. A guard with a feathered plume in his helmet came forward and began speaking to the trader in loud tones. The guard and two others without helmet plumes walked up and down the caravan, occasionally looking at the goods that were strapped onto the camels. Emerald kept her hood up and her hair out of sight. For some reason, she didn’t feel comfortable standing out right now, not when they were so close to their destination. She knew enough about soldiery and guarding to know that this was a routine checkup to make sure nothing was being smuggled in. She also could tell these guards weren’t taking their job too seriously, not even bothering to check all of the people on the camels that they were examining. Again, Emerald was glad for her hood and scarf, as it hid her glittering hair from view.

The guard with the plume on his helmet shouted something and the caravan began to move again, this time into the city proper.

It was bustling with people once they made it past the gates. Thousands of people hurried back and forth, most of them dressed similarly to Salt Flats and his traders, albeit more colorfully. There was the chatter of hundreds, from merchants hawking their wares to just ordinary people talking to each other, all in the Saddle Arabian tongue. Emerald made sure her glittering hair was hidden; she had not felt this out of place since she had first come to this world.

“So, Em,” Spectrum rode her camel next to Emerald’s one. “We’re here. What do we do next?”

Emerald had been expecting this kind of question. She had given it a lot of thought in the two weeks that they had spent wandering the desert.

“Same approach as I did back in Canterlot. We go to the ruler here and ask if there’s anything he or she knows about the artifacts. Royalty usually keeps educated people around, so it stands to reason that there would be someone who speaks English up there.”

“And if they don’t?”

Emerald scrunched up her mouth and looked away. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, all right?”

“Right. If there is a bridge.” Not exactly reassured, Spectrum pulled her camel back to the Apples.

The caravan eventually made it to a large stone building that had other camels and horses around it. Many Saddle Arabian workers were loading and unloading goods from the animals, as well as brushing, watering, or feeding the beasts.

Salt Flats dismounted from his camel and stretched, then went over to a fat man dressed in purple robes, gesturing for him to come over.

The man in purple was followed by a band of men and women who were dressed less colorfully, and at the directions of the other members of the convoy, began unloading the traders’ wares from the camels.

Salt Flats walked up to Emerald and gestured at her. The man in purple said something in Saddle Arabian to Salt Flats, who responded in kind.

The man in purple then said in a heavily accented voice, “You Canterlotian?” Emerald nodded. “Ah, good. Salt Flats says you have been good companions, but now it is time to part ways. He has work to do, and he is certain you do too. He wishes to thank you for the payment, and wishes you good luck on your quest.”

“Tell Salt Flats that he has been an excellent host, and that I couldn’t have asked for a better leader on the trip here,” Emerald replied courteously. The man in purple translated for Salt Flats, who grinned.

Emerald and her party dismounted the camels and shouldered their possessions, while the traders set about with some other people who were apparently documenting their wares that they had brought along all this way.

“By the way,” Emerald caught the fat man’s sleeve as he turned to walk away back to the warehouse. “Do you know how I might get an audience with the… ruler here?”

“Oh?” The man’s eyebrows met in thought. “Well, how do I say this. The, ah, ruler of Masyaf is the king of all Saddle Arabia, King Aldilu. He has ruled over this land for almost sixty years, but still has the strength and look of a man in his thirties.”

Emerald nodded politely, though she wished he would just cut to the chase.

“Ah, but to see him, you must first offer a gift. It is Saddle Arabian tradition to not visit on an empty hand.”

“A gift,” Emerald repeated. She raised a finger to her mouth, thinking. “Hmm.”

“Of course, it is tradition to bring something that the host might want or need, but I do not think King Aldilu has anything he needs or wants!” The man laughed. “It is more of a token courtesy in his case.”

“Thank you for the tip,” Emerald said seriously. “I still have one more question. How do I go meet King Aldilu? Is there a certain time that he sees people?”

“Ha! If I did not already know you were a foreigner, that would have given it away. King Aldilu is unpredictable for when it is safe to see him. But I wager your best bet would be to try after lunch, when the sun is highest. Nobody wants to work during those times, so the palace will be clear. Hopefully.”

Emerald thanked the man again and turned to her friends, many of whom were looking around at their surroundings with great interest.

“This place is amazing!” Honeygold gushed. “It’s like a whole ‘nother world here!”

“It kind of reminds me of Canterlot,” Spectrum said slowly, watching a group of women walk past, carrying baskets of strange, purple fruit. “Only not Canterlot. You know what I mean?”

“A little,” Light Speckle pulled off her hood and rolled up the cloth to put in her bag. “If Saddle Arabia is anything like Canterlot, then the king will probably be in the central palace.”

“It’s a lot bigger than Canterlot Castle,” Golden Nugget observed, looking toward the towering structure at the center of the city. “The king here must have a lot of people working for him.”

“Or a big family,” Guard Streak added. “What?” He asked as Spectrum gave him a weird look. “Just because Dawn Saber didn’t have any heirs doesn’t mean this place’s king doesn’t.”

“That is true,” Nightfall acknowledged. “We know next to nothing about King Aldilu. If only one of us spoke the Saddle Arabian language, we might learn more about him and the city as a whole.”

Emerald nodded ruefully. It was regrettable that they did not know the local tongue, but it couldn’t be helped. Not even Moon Tide had been this far east before, so they were deep in uncharted waters. Or sand, as it was. An ocean of sand.

“First, we’ll need to establish a base,” Light Speckle affirmed. “A place where we can rest up and regroup for the night.”

Honeygold looked up. “Like an inn?”

“An inn would do for starters,” Light Speckle nodded. “But if we are to stay in Masyaf for more than a few nights, we will need to find a more permanent solution.”

“We should probably find our way around, first. It’s late morning now, as the sun is positioned, but I don’t want to get caught out in the open after dark. It’s obvious we’re foreigners, and every city has all manner of unsavory people lurking around after the sun goes down,” Emerald decided.

As for how they were going to find such a place in such a big city, Emerald did not know. She felt as out of her element as she had when she had first arrived in Canterlot. Only this time, there was no Sir Morn here to save her.

Emerald gritted her teeth together. How had it gone last time? It had been so long that she had pretty much forgotten. After having a good long think about it, she remembered it had been Honeygold and her parents who had found her the day she arrived in this world. That had almost been eons ago, but Emerald could still remember the smell of roasting apples by the fire when she had awoken that night, crawling around without clothes on.

“Let us just start looking...” Emerald sighed, pulling her hood further over her face. “We can plan out what to do next from there. This place does have inns, yes?”

“Ah would reckon so.” Golden Nugget scratched at his chin as he looked around. “Every town’s bound to have some place for strangers to stay, like traders and them del-uh-gates.”

“Big city like this must get a lot of foreigners,” Apple Bean added. “And that man back there spoke English. There’s bound to be others who speak it too.”

But as it turned out, finding someone else who spoke English wasn’t as simple as the group first thought. Acting on the assumption that the city was laid out like the ones they had visited before, they set out looking for the wayfarer’s house past the front gates. While they milled about, not daring to get too far away from each other, merchants and hawkers pressed in on all sides, shouting offers and deals in Saddle Arabian. At least, they thought they was offers. Not a single shred of English was heard, and at Emerald’s suggestion, nobody spoke too loudly for fear of being targeted as foreigners. The city seemed safe enough, but as Emerald had learned in Canterlot, even the nicest looking cities housed its own catalogue of ruffians.

Finally, Guard Streak shouted out, and everyone turned to see what had caught his attention. The squire was pointing at a tall, multi storey building that was situated next to a covered set of stables and a small pump to draw water from. It certainly looked like an inn, down to the sign outside that displayed a cobra coiled around a brimming mug.

“That does look like an inn,” Nightfall Gleam agreed after examining the premises. “Hopefully it’ll be the same as that town where we met the traders.”

“What was the name of that town in the first place?” Spectrum wondered, turning to Guard Streak, who shrugged.

“Probably something Saddle Arabian that we wouldn’t be able to pronounce.”

“Oh, yes. That would probably be the case,” Spectrum agreed gloomily. “I miss when I could understand what people were saying.”

“In any case,” Emerald said quietly, just loudly enough to be heard over the hubbub. “We should get indoors; the sun’s on its way down.”

The group filed into the inn, which had a moderate number of people in it. Like in the other inns they had visited, there were serving girls scurrying about, and a bar where a large man with blue skin and a darker blue beard and turban was serving drinks.

One of the servants caught sight of Emerald’s group and walked over. She wore a motley collection of multicolored cloths that left her midriff exposed. The girl said something in a questioning tone, but none of the questors understood a word, and could only offer a cringy grin and a shrug in return.

The serving girl looked perplexed, then gestured to them to follow her. She led them around the tables and into a back room that was draped in a rainbow gala of silks. There was some kind of scented fire in here, and lounging on a pile of cushions at the back was a woman with olive skin and light green hair that was done in an intricate braid. She wore a pale blue and teal dress with tassels.

The serving girl bowed to this woman and said something in rapid Saddle Arabian. Emerald felt herself slowly readying to deploy her hidden blades. There was something about this new woman that rubbed her the wrong way.

Finally, the serving girl finished her speech and left the room quickly, drawing the curtains shut as she went.

“So,” the olive-skinned woman said in heavily accented English. “You are from Canterlot? You look like it. Am I right?”

“Uh, yes,” Light Speckle nodded. “You can speak English?”

“I know it well enough. More than many of the people who live in this city; I can’t imagine it was easy finding this place, not being able to speak the language.” The woman sat up from her nest of pillows and surveyed them all with a critical eye. “My name is Androula. I am the landlady and owner of this inn, The Coiling Cobra. And I have been seeing quite a lot of foreigners recently.”

“Why’s that?” Spectrum blurted out before she could help it.

Androula reclined back onto her throne of cushions. “It’s all to do with that winged beast that’s been sighted outside the city. King Aldilu’s court has issued a bounty for it, on account of it scaring traders away. Ten thousand gold bits for the monster’s head. That’s why you are here, no?” She smiled expectantly.

Emerald cleared her throat. “Actually, no. We’re here on a quest from our homeland, to look for… something that is somewhere in Saddle Arabia.” Emerald decided against telling Androula all the details, as she didn’t think that the landlady deserved that kind of trust just yet. She didn’t want any rumors circulating around that might draw more attention to the questors.

“So you’re not monster hunters, then?” Androula huffed. “Should have guessed as much. You’re woefully ill-equipped to deal with a monster, and you have children with you. So you’re treasure hunters or something?” The landlady shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. So long as your coin is good, we’ll get along just fine.”

“No need to worry about that,” Light Speckle said, sounding reassured. “We’ve got bits to spend, if you’ve rooms to let.”

Androula smiled and spread her arms wide. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

83 - Mage's Crafts

The next few days were a flurry of activity for the questors. They stayed at the Coiling Cobra, whose rooms were admittedly comfortable, if smaller than the ones they had stayed in at the previous town. While staying there, Emerald and the group were introduced to more Saddle Arabian cuisine, such as curry cakes, spiced vegetable stew, as well as a vast assortment of mixed fruit juices. There was wine as well, but Emerald found it a little too strong for her taste. Androula had told them it was made from fermented figs.

In the meantime, the group got together and brainstormed just what they might bring King Aldilu when they went to ask about the artifact in Saddle Arabia.

“Obviously, mere coin and treasure won’t do,” Posey had said. “A king surely has more than enough material wealth already.”

“Aye,” Emerald had agreed. “But we didn’t bring anything else with us that might be of value to a king. Surely he will be more inclined to help us if we bring a pleasing gift?”

“That makes sense,” Spectrum nodded. “So if it’s not gold and treasure, what can we bring?”

“We could buy something, maybe?” Honeygold suggested.

“Mnnn, getting somethin’ from the city is kind of… the easy way?” Apple Bean said gently. “Ah mean, since he rules the city anyway, it’d kinda be like givin’ him somethin’ that already belongs to him.”

“It would be like if someone bought an apple from you, then gave it to you as a gift,” Spectrum explained.

“Oh. Then yes, Ah see what you mean,” Honeygold acknowledged, looking a little deflated. “Makes it harder for us, though.”

It was true. And every day they wasted thinking of what to do was another day that Morn could spend catching up to them. Emerald had no illusions about what would happen if that came to pass, and she had no intention of letting the innocent people of Masyaf getting caught in the crossfire of their conflict.

“What if,” Light Speckle said slowly. “We made something for the king? That way, the gift would be unlike anything he has ever seen.”

“That’s a good idea,” Nightfall Gleam smiled. “After all, both of us are renowned inventors from the Mages’ Tower of Canterlot. Between the two of us, we should be able to craft something worth giving a king.”

“That’s a great idea!” Jewel Pin said, taking a sip of her fruit juice. “What shall the rest of us do in the meantime?

“We actually have an idea for that, too,” LightSpeckle said. “Inventors we may be, but anything we create still needs materials. You’ve got the bits, so me and Nightfall will put together a list of things we need. Then you can go out and buy them.”

“Buyin’ things without speaking the language?” Golden Nugget scratched his chin. “Ah dunno how well that’ll go, but we can give it a shot, eeyup.”

“We can ask Androula if there are any merchants that speak English, or if she can spare someone to help translate for us,” Posey said seriously. “How soon can you put that list together, mages?”

“We can have it ready as soon as we decide what we’re making. It’ll have to be impressive, so we can spare no expense when it comes to materials. Something big.”

And so it was agreed that while the mages drew out the plans for their big gift, that the rest of them would hit the market streets and see if they could find components for the two inventors.

“So we need some metal plates, several glass lenses, some adhesive, metal bands, and some metal rods?”

“What’s adhesive?” Spectrum asked as they left the Coiling Cobra.

“Glue,” Emerald replied, folding up the list and putting it in her pocket. She declined to mention that she had found out some years ago that glue in this world was made from horses’ remains.

They had spoken to the owner of the inn before setting out, and she had sent one of her serving girls along with them. Her name was Tahchin Sumac, and she had been working at the Coiling Cobra for six years. Emerald and the rest of her group were curious about how she spoke English, but she declined to answer. She spoke English with less of an accent than Androula, so Emerald surmised that she was not local, though she certainly looked and sounded it as she had gone around the inn. Fortunately there was not as much work at the Coiling Cobra that day, since the majority of the guests had left the city to go hunt the white dragon.

"King Aldilu is very outspoken about the safety of his people," Tahchin had told them as they neared the markets. "His rule over Masyaf and Saddle Arabia has been peaceful and prosperous. In fact, he once visited the Coiling Cobra and gave it his seal of approval."

“He sounds like a good king,” Emerald agreed, only half paying attention. “Let’s start with the glass lenses. Speckle and Nightfall were very particular about the quality of the glass that should be used.”

“Glass… Tahchin said, racking her brains to try and remember where they might procure such a material. “That you will not find in the market district. If it is glass of high quality you are after, we must go see the glass-blower’s in the artisan’s district. Follow me.”

Tahchin took off through the crowd of shoppers and sellers, leading them through a winding maze of streets and roads. They passed some people on camelback and horseback on their way, and Emerald took the time to note the differences between Canterlot horses and Saddle Arabian horses. The horses in this part of the world seemed smaller and lighter than the ones on the other side of the Coltcasus Mountains, and the former pegasus was certain that they would be fleeter of foot. Seeing how much Foxtrot ate in a day, it all made sense why Canterlot horses were bigger and heavier.

They passed through a public garden where citizens of Masyaf were relaxing and chatting in the shade, giving the group idle stares as they scurried past.

They finally arrived in a section of the city that was less crowded, but the people who were here were dressed more opulently, with fancy hats, turbans, and jewelry adorning them. There were shops here, not just ramshackle stands like in the market district.

“I say, this district looks quite refined,” Jewel Pin remarked, examining a beautiful woven tapestry that hung in the front of one of the shops. It depicted a man and a woman dancing under the moon at the edge of an oasis. “Tis magnificent! It’s good enough to hang in a palace on its own.”

Emerald rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Nothing dampens your spirits, does it?”

“As an artist myself,” Jewel Pin left the tapestry and returned to the group. “One must find the beauty in any situation. That way, we can portray all the different facets of the human spirit. Or in my case, make just as fine an outfit for a wedding as for a funeral.”

“You really put the ‘fun’ in funeral,” Spectrum cracked. Now Emerald wasn’t the only one rolling her eyes.

They followed their guide a little further, to a shop that stood at the corner of the street. It had colorful glass windows and there were other glass ornaments hung up outside the main door that tinkled with tingly music as the wind stirred them.

“This is the glass-blower’s shop,” Tahchin announced. “This shop is the supplier for most of the glass goods in the city, so if you need glass made, this is the place for it.”

Taking the list and specifications out of her pocket, Emerald pushed open the door to the shop and entered. Inside was a rainbow kaleidoscope of colors, with the light from outside streaming inside through the multicolored windows and striking an impressive collection of vases, jars, windchimes, and dozens of other glass objects to spare. It was also warmer inside this building, though Emerald couldn’t tell why.

Tahchin had followed her inside. She called out in Saddle Arabian, and there was some sound of movement from further back inside the shop.

A short, skinny man wearing a leather apron and a sooty brown tunic and breeches appeared from a side door. He had a curled brown moustache and his similarly colored hair was held back with a strip of cloth. He caught sight of Emerald and Tahchin and his face broke out into an easy smile.

He said something in Saddle Arabian and bowed to Emerald and Tahchin, who bowed back to him. Then he and Tahchin began to converse in the Saddle Arabian language.

“This is, ah…” She struggled to find the appropriate equal in English before deciding that was impossible. “His name is Zujaj. He is one of the most skilled glass-blowers in the artisan district. He will be happy to make your order.”

Emerald took out the sheet of instructions and passed it to Zujaj while Tahchin explained what needed to be done. Thankfully, despite not speaking the same tongue, their numbers were the same and Zujaj seemed to understand what they meant very quickly.

He spoke to Tahchin and pointed to the diagrams a couple of times. Then he rolled up the instructions and nodded with a smile.

“Zujaj says he can get right on it, since he has no other orders today,” Tahchin replied. “He says it will cost about fifty bits per lens. So that’s one hundred and fifty in total.”

Emerald counted out the bits and handed them over to Zujaj. Her wallet was getting a little light, but she figured that all the treasure from the Baba Yaga’s lair and the rest of their funds would be able to get them through the rest of the adventure. Celestia help them if it wasn’t; finding a job here would be a total nightmare.

The glass-blower put the bits into his strongbox, and after telling Tahchin something else, he hurried to the back room of his shop to get to work.

“He says that the lenses will be ready by tomorrow at this time. In the meantime, what else did you need to purchase?”

Emerald took out the list as they left the glass-blower’s shop and rejoined with her friends outside. “We need some metal plates, bands, and rods. As well as some glue.”

“Glue you can get from any good carpenter’s,” Tahchin nodded. “As for your metal, we will need to visit a smith’s. Where would you like to go first?”

Emerald glanced at the sun. It was still relatively high, meaning they had at least six hours of daylight ahead of them. “Which place is closer?” The former pegasus asked.

“The carpenter and the blacksmith’s are in the same district,” Tahchin explained. “But I suppose you don’t want to be carrying a bunch of metal around while getting the glue, so we can go to the carpenter’s place first.”

They set off down the main street, passing other artisan shops and others who were weaving, painting, or even making pottery out in the daylight. Emerald marveled at the various works of art as they went, noting how they were similar, yet different to the kind she had seen back in Canterlot. She breathed in the slightly dry air and adjusted her hood. She hoped that whatever the mages were making would be impressive enough to curry the favor of the king.

“This is perfect!”

Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam beamed at the rest of the party as they looked at all the materials. On the next day, Emerald had gone to pick up the glass lenses from the artisan’s district, carefully wrapping them in cloth and placing them inside a wooden box for safe transportation.

The lenses, as well as the rest of the metal, glue, and other miscellaneous items now lay on a wide table in the basement of the Coiling Cobra. Androula had allowed them to use it as a workshop, so long as they stayed out of the way if anyone needed to come down here and get more food and drink.

“We’ll get to work right away,” Light Speckle rubbed her hands together. “Ah, I have missed working with my hands.”

“What’re ya going to make?” Golden Nugget asked, rubbing his chin. “Y’all musta had some idea if ya knew what to send us out for.”

“Well, take a look at this,” Nightfall took out her collapsible spyglass and extended the device to its full length. “We are going to build a bigger version of this. It will allow the king to look over his kingdom in greater detail, as well as see other faraway things up close.”

“Hopefully it will be unique enough to help sway him to our goals,” Light Speckle nodded, taking out a length of leather with numerals marked along its span. “You have all done splendidly. Now it is up to us to assemble the gift.”

“That’s great!” Honeygold, Spectrum Song, and Guard Streak all raised their hands and slapped them together. “What’s it called?”

84 - The King of Saddle Arabia

It took the mages three full days to craft their gift. They had requested not to be disturbed except in unavoidable circumstances, so Emerald and her friends stayed out of the cellar for the most part, only coming down to bring food and drink for the mages. With every passing day, Emerald grew more and more uneasy. Every day they spent not getting the artifact was another day that Morn could spend catching up to them. And now that they were no longer moving, it would only be a matter of time before Morn reached Masyaf.

But finally, on the third day, the mages slowly climbed up the stairs to the basement, carrying a heavy-looking wooden crate that was packed with straw and soft fabrics.

“She is… finished!” Nightfall announced. There were cheers from the rest of the questors.

“Can we see it? Can we?” Honeygold asked eagerly, examining the crate.

“Afraid not, young one,” Light Speckle said. “We have it packed just so because it’s kind of fragile. You can see it once we unwrap it for King Aldilu. For now, we’ll keep it safe in this box. By the way, does anyone have the time?”

“I do not think they use bells in this land,” Posey shrugged. “But I can go out and look at the position of the sun and give you an estimate.” The archer made her way outside of the Coiling Cobra and looked around for the sun’s location in the sky. She came back, adjusting her bandana. “It’s about two hours before noon,” she reported.

“Folks here eat lunch at around one past noon,” Apple Bean noted. “So, Em, we’ve got the gift, and we know what we want to ask the king. Ya want to go today, or should we wait till tomorrow?”

Emerald was conflicted. On one hoof, she definitely wanted to get answers from King Aldilu as quickly as she possibly could. On the other hoof, she had not rehearsed exactly what she wanted to say exactly, not to mention she had no idea if the king would let all of them into his palace at once. And what if there were other visitors? Was there a time limit for people who wanted to see the king?

“As much as I’d like to go today,” Emerald decided at last. “We will go tomorrow. For now, we need to finalize a few things before going to see King Aldilu. I also need to see Androula and ask a couple of questions about how to get to the palace and what to expect once we’re in.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Posey nodded in agreement. “I’ll have Gabriel fly back toward Canterlot and see if there’s any sign of Morn Dread.”

“Make sure to tell him to watch out for the dragon,” Spectrum added. “It’s still out there, I bet.”

Posey nodded and climbed the stairs to the rooftop of the Coiling Cobra, where Gabriel had been roosting for the time they had stayed here.

Leaving the archer to it, Emerald went to the back room to search for Androula. The owner of the inn was, as usual, lounging on her throne of cushions and not doing a whole lot. Emerald privately wondered how she managed to keep the inn in such good condition if all she did was hide back here, but that wasn’t important right now.

“Can I help you, Emerald Edge?” Androula asked as the spymaster entered the perfumed room.

“If you have the time to,” Emerald said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “I plan to go visit the royal palace tomorrow, but as I am a foreigner in this land, I do not know the customs for seeing royalty. Can you teach me?”

Androula sat up from her reclining position and stared at Emerald for a full minute. “You. Want me to teach you how to greet the king?” She asked skeptically. “What makes you think that I can show you that?”

“Because your inn has a royal seal on it,” Emerald replied, a little impressed by her own deductions. “Tahchin told me about it when she was showing us around on the streets.”

Androula looked somewhat miffed, but covered the expression swiftly. “Well, I suppose you are right. That was many years ago, though. Back when this inn was first constructed, which was over twenty years ago.”

“You must have been young back then,” Emerald said with a nod.

Androula sighed. “The Coiling Cobra was started by my father and mother. After they both passed on, they left it to me and my brother. Of course, he wanted a life of adventure, not staying in Masyaf for the rest of his life in an inn. It’s been nine years since I last saw him.” The innkeeper stared off wistfully into the distance. “But since you are asking, and I have nothing left to do, I will instruct you on how to greet King Aldilu, and his retainers.”

Emerald’s face brightened. “That would be wonderful, thank you. When can we start?”

Androula’s expression grew impishly mischievous. “We start right now. Gather your companions. It’s time for you Canterlotians to learn a lesson in greeting royalty, Saddle Arabian style.”

“Woah. This place looks fancier than I thought,”

This was uttered by Guard Streak as the group of questors found themselves walking up the main thoroughfare toward the royal palace. It was a well kempt, wide road that was paved with stone panels in a mosaic pattern. Huge sandstone statues stood on either side, depicting warriors wielding spears and curved blades. This district was home to the nobles and scholars, and many of them lounged around on the side of the road, leisurely talking while they watched the group move their wooden box toward the palace.

“Now, remember. We don’t want to be rude to the king, but we probably shouldn’t tell him that we’ve got an army chasing us here either,” Posey said just loud enough for the group to hear. “We should just ask about the artifact, then leave.”

“Ah wouldn’t mind if we could stay longer,” Honeygold said, spinning as she walked, taking in the sights. “This might be the only time we get to see what the inside of a Saddle Arabian palace looks like!”

“With so many artisans around, it must look absolutely splendid inside,” Jewel Pin exclaimed. She straightened her hair and clothing. “I hope I’m not underdressed.”

Emerald was still wearing her armor, with her hood over her hair. “If anything, if we’re underdressed, it’ll make the king feel better about himself.”

They arrived at the front gates, which were being watched by about two dozen guards. The impressive double doors were open, allowing the occasional cool breeze into the palace.

As Emerald had expected, they were stopped at the threshold.

The closest guard held up her hand and said something none of them could understand.

“Umm…” Emerald tried to think of what to say. “We are not from here. We are from Canterlot. We are here to have an audience with the king.”

The first two guards looked at each other and spoke in Saddle Arabian.

Eventually, the second one nodded and said, “Yes you go in. You be watched.”

“Uh, yes. Thank you, sir.”

As they walked in, Emerald noticed two of the guards peeling off from their post and following behind them, sort of like an escort, just that they weren’t leading the way.

Emerald and her friends entered the shade of the palace. The floor was done in colorful slabs of stone, polished to a mirror-like finish. There were gold and silver vases placed at intervals that contained flowering plants and leafy greens. The entire interior smelled of sweet perfume and faintly of stone. Tapestries and banners hung off the walls, adorning the palace with splashes of color. And that was just the first chamber, the lobby.

“Which way do you think the king is in?” Apple Bean asked, looking at the passages leading off from the foyer.

Emerald looked around the chamber thoughtfully. If this King Aldilu was anything like King Dawn Saber, then the throne room would either be in the center of the palace or at the top. The problem was that this palace was a lot bigger than Canterlot Castle, and was at least seven stories high, if her observation of the exterior windows proved correct.

“You go there.” One of the guards behind them said. He was pointing with his hand straight ahead, down the main hall. “One more thing. No hood in palace.”

Emerald wanted to argue, but then remembered where she was and reluctantly pulled off her hood, revealing her glittering hair to the open air.

Carrying the crate with the gift inside, Emerald and her friends obediently went down the passage. The floor underfoot was covered in a purple carpet that muffled their footsteps, and at the end of the hallway was a flight of steps with golden guardrails. Silver carvings of peacocks and other animals were mounted on the walls by the stairs. There was also the sound of giggling and music coming from up ahead.

“Ah reckon we’re close,” Golden Nugget remarked.

The guards nodded and motioned up the staircase.

“Right,” Emerald said. “Remember what Androula taught us. Everything should go smoothly so long as we do as we’re expected.”

They reached the top of the steps, and entered through a jeweled archway into a large, domed room. The music was loud and energetic, and incorporated a lot of drums and some kind of stringed instrument that Emerald had never seen before. The majority of the room was open and unadorned, with only the walls draped in silks and satins. The perfumed smell was stronger here, and as Emerald mounted the last few steps, she was able to see why.

In the middle of the room were a quartet of young women, dressed in colorful and loose fitting clothing, dancing in time to the music, rainbow trails of silk and ribbons sliding and rippling through the air. The tune itself was being played by a band near on the right side of the room, and as they watched, the musicians reached the end of their repertoire and allowed the music to die down, the last note echoing throughout the room.

And there, at the far side of the chamber, sitting on golden throne which was placed upon a raised stone platform, was a man with dark skin and even darker hair that seemed to be the exact opposite of Emerald’s. He was dressed in royal blue robes, with a breastplate under them, along with silver gauntlets and greaves. A silver crown with blue gems sat atop his head, the only shiny thing among his dark mop. He was reclining on his throne, with one arm up and a finger pointed at his face, almost lazily, while his other arm lay on the throne’s armrest. He was quite handsome, for an older man, Emerald thought. This must be King Aldilu, the ruler of Saddle Arabia.

He laughed and clapped his hands, while the dancing girls bowed low to him and prepared to start dancing again, but then the king’s attention was caught by Emerald and her friends. He held up a hand, stroking his shadowy beard, and the dancers retreated to the side to stand next to the musicians.

One of the guards hurried over to the throne, kneeling before the king and speaking in a low voice. King Aldilu leaned forward, seemingly interested, before the guard stood back up and hurried to return to Emerald’s escort.

“The king says you may approach him,” the guard said slowly. “No sudden moves, understand?”

Cautiously making their way down the throne room, with the mages following close on Emerald’s heels. Once they were about ten paces from the throne, they stopped and knelt down on one knee, just as Androula had shown them how to.

“Your majesty,” Emerald said, not taking her eyes off the floor. “We come from the kingdom of Canterlot to seek your counsel. We bring a gift, crafted by some of the finest minds in my domain. We hope you will grant us an audience.”

Emerald then fell silent, waiting for the king to reply.

“The kingdom of Canterlot…” King Aldilu said in a deep baritone voice. To Emerald’s surprise, his English was almost flawless, with just the hint of an accent. “Now, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

The former pegasus heard metal clinking as the king rose from his throne and walked closer.

“You are a long way from home. What is your name, she of the shining hair?”

“My name is Emerald Edge, your majesty,” Emerald replied.

“Well then, Emerald Edge. You and your consorts are welcome here in my palace. What did you say you had brought me?”

The mages scurried forward with the crate, placing it in front of King Aldilu and opening it for him. Inside was a sleek silver spyglass on an ornate, yet still utilitarian tripod. The whole device gleamed and reflected the surroundings on its bright sterling casing.

“For you, your majesty,” Emerald risked a glance up. King Aldilu seemed to be rather impressed by the invention, and was peering at it with eager curiosity.

“Tis a farseer, your kingship,” Nightfall Gleam explained. She pointed to the thin end of the device. “You look through this end here, and you can see far away things as if they were much closer.”

The monarch seemed to be impressed. “May I try?” He asked with a smile.

“It is our gift to you,” Emerald declared. “You may do with it as you wish.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Emerald saw the king put his eye to the farseer and swivel it around.

“You can turn the knobs on the side to bring objects into focus,” Light Speckle said helpfully.

King Aldilu pointed the farseer to a window and stared out. His fingers twiddled at the focusing knob on the side of the device with surprising dexterity.

“Oh my…” the king exclaimed. “This is quite a toy! I have never seen anything quite like it before. Are these commonplace in the kingdom of Canterlot now?”

“No, your majesty,” Emerald intoned, a smile growing on her green face. It seemed as though this king was more down to earth than King Dawn Saber had been. “We made it especially for you.”

“Well, I will accept it gladly! You may stand. What brings you all the way to my kingdom, the jewel of the sands?”

The group got to their feet. Emerald was about to open her mouth to say something, but someone beat her to it.

“Wowee! You have shiny hair!” A cheerful girl’s voice said. Emerald looked round for the source, until someone flicked her on the knee. She looked down. There was a nut-brown girl’s grinning face staring up at her from between her legs, lying on her back, her long pink hair tied back in a ponytail. It was one of the dancing girls.

Emerald yelped and jumped away.

“Oops, sorry,” the girl said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Parisa, we have talked about this,” King Aldilu said in an even tone. “Do not startle my guests, please.”

“Apologies, your majesty,” Parisa zipped onto her feet and bowed to the king. “It’s just that when there are people who I haven’t met before, I can’t help but want to meet them! Especially since I haven’t seen these people in the palace before!”

Parisa waved to Emerald and her friends before cartwheeling back to the rest of the dancing girls, who looked at Parisa with expressions of exasperation. Something told Emerald that this wasn’t the first time an incident like this had happened.

“As I was saying,” King Aldilu said. “What would you ask of me, Emerald Edge?”

Emerald, who had been rehearsing for this moment on the whole walk over, began. “A great disaster has befallen the kingdom of Canterlot. The land is in disarray, and we have come to this kingdom to seek out something powerful enough to help us reverse this calamity.”

“Ah. I see,” King Aldilu nodded, stroking his beard again. “So you are on a quest. I have never been to the western kingdoms, but since you have come all this way to appeal to me, as well as brought me such a wonderful gift, I feel that it would only be right to give you aid. You search for power to restore your kingdom, yes?”

Light Speckle tapped Emerald’s arm. “If I may speak, Emerald. Your majesty, there is actually a very specific object we have come to find. An artifact not of our world, but of our lady, Emerald Edge’s world.”

“Something not of this world…?” The king’s face morphed into an expression of confusion. “And you are from this other world?” He stared at Emerald. More specifically, at her glittering hair that was so like his own in texture.

“That would explain her hair!” Parisa was back, poking at Emerald’s head with a finger.

“I suppose it would…” King Aldilu muttered to himself. “Perhaps the djinn of the sands could help you. They have watched over my family line for generations, and every righteous ruler of Saddle Arabia has only done so with their blessing. They have the extraordinary ability to heal even the most fatal of injuries and the power beyond human understanding. They are located in the White Desert, in a temple that is-”

King Aldilu was going to say more, but a door on the side of the throne room was abruptly thrown open, revealing a young man about Emerald’s age with light grey skin and well-groomed hair in two shades of blue, one almost midnight and one sky blue. He looked somewhat familiar, but Emerald couldn’t place why. He wore dark purple clothes with gold jewelry, and vaguely resembled someone Emerald knew, though she couldn’t quite remember who.

The young man shouted something in Saddle Arabian and sauntered over to the king’s side.

“Ah, my son,” Kind Aldilu said in English for the questors’ benefit. “Allow me to introduce Prince Sombra, heir to the throne of Saddle Arabia.”

Sombra.

The name resonated in Emerald’s head. In an instant, all the death, the pain, the heartbreak that Sombra had caused played inside her head. Her friends’ deaths in the Crystal Empire. The destruction of the peace of Princess Amore’s rule. Everything that had happened to her ever since coming to this world.

It was all Sombra’s fault.

A red mist fell over Emerald’s eyes and she clenched her fists. So he had followed her here, and had taken a position as prince to take advantage of King Aldilu? No wonder he looked so familiar. She knew him. For so many nights she had dreamed of what she would do to Sombra if they were to meet again. And here he was, as if destiny had delivered him into her hands. Hooves. True, back in Equestria he had the edge on her because of his magic, but there was no magic here this time. She didn’t need the artifacts to finish him.

“I don’t need the Staff…” Emerald growled quietly, setting her hateful gaze on Sombra. “I don’t need the Shield!” Emerald unfurled both her hidden blades and charged at Sombra, shouting at the top of her lungs as she prepared to strike him down.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU NOW!”

85 - Foreign Law and Order

It was chilly down in the cell. Emerald had experience with being in prison cells, and this one wasn’t too different from the one in Canterlot. Not as damp and roomier, but a jail cell was a jail cell no matter where it was. It wasn’t a place she would recommend.

She was sitting on the floor, arms crossed and glaring at the wall. The walls were hard, but they weren’t made of the same stone blocks that Canterlot used. This one was mostly smooth and slightly brownish, but still tough enough to keep her here. Her weapons and armor had been confiscated. Again.

One Saddle Arabian guard stood outside, keeping his narrow eyes on her. Sensible, since she had tried to kill Masyaf’s crown prince. Emerald just couldn’t believe it. Sombra was the prince of Saddle Arabia. Her mortal enemy was the prince! How could she even trust any of the Saddle Arabians now? They had all seemed so nice, but if they were on Sombra’s side, then they were her enemies. Simple as apples.

She didn’t know what had happened to the rest of her group once she had been apprehended; she had been so close to getting within striking distance when the king of all people had blasted her aside with some kind of power. Then the guards had quickly stopped her from moving. Capable as she may have been, she didn’t have the skill and strength to fight off eight fully-armed guards at once.

She continued to sit on the floor, ignoring the prison guard for the time being.

She was very angry for what felt like hours, then greatly unhappy for another few, and by the time someone came knocking on the cell door, she was merely disgruntled.

“What.” Emerald grunted. She had no idea what time it was, as there were no windows down here in the dungeons.

“H-Hey, Em,” Came a small, timid voice. Emerald looked round. It was Honeygold. The girl was holding a plate of food and a skin of water, which she slid through a slot in the jail door. “Ya might want to start on the bread first, Em.”

The little farm girl gave her a wink.

Emerald smiled. Just like their old escape plan.

Before the tray could be fully inserted in, a grey hand appeared and stopped it. Both Honeygold and Emerald looked up to see Prince Sombra squatting beside Honeygold, motioning with his head for her to leave.

Honeygold gulped, but then did as she was told after giving Emerald an apologetic look.

“So…” Sombra pulled the tray back out and inspected the bread. He peeled it open, revealing a wrapped up parchment inside. “Is this how it is in Canterlot? Your prison escapes must be frequent.”

He rolled up the note and pushed the tray under the door for the spymaster, but she wasn’t focused on the food anymore, now that he was here.

“You!” Emerald rammed herself against the cell door, but all it did was shake dust all over her from the ceiling.

Sombra stood there on the other side of the cell door, looking at Emerald with something akin to confusion on his handsome face.

“You act like I have done something to wrong you,” the prince said at last.

“Something to wrong me?!” Emerald exclaimed in shock and anger. “Are you out of your mind? You foul, evil…” Emerald could not find words strong enough to express her current maelstrom of feelings. Her arms came between the bars, trying to throttle him with her fingers.

Sombra said nothing for a long while. He stared at Emerald through the bars, staying just out of reach of her grasping hands.

“You know,” Sombra said at last, leaning back against the prison wall. “For all intents and purposes, you have been treated like an assassin, come to kill me. Yet I do not understand your method. Yes, your entry was perfect and not at all suspicious. But to openly declare your intentions to kill me and uncover yourself like that, doesn’t match your previous cleverness. It does not make sense.”

“I didn’t know you were here,” Emerald snapped. “And if I did, I would have come to kill you much sooner. What dark magics have you done to King Aldilu and his kingdom to let your stinking hide stay here?”

Sombra’s frown deepened. “I have lived here in Saddle Arabia all my life. King Aldilu raised me from a babe into adulthood. There are no enthralling magics here; I am the true heir of Masyaf, and will take the throne once my father passes.”

Emerald’s snarl grew wider. Now he was just plain lying to her face. “You sit on a throne of lies!” she shouted, flinging herself at the door again. It held firm.

Sombra watched Emerald struggle against the bars of the cell for a while longer before he shook his head and turned on his heel to leave the dungeons.

“I shall find my way out of here and when I do…” Emerald shook her fist at him. “You will wish for death long before it finds you! You murderer! You usurper! No throne will ever be yours!”

Emerald continued to shout and rant even as Sombra’s shadow vanished from the dungeon entrance. Panting with exertion, Emerald punched the bars one last time and then sat down to fume.

The days passed slowly for Emerald Edge. The air down in the dungeons was cool but stale, and she found herself wishing for a breath of wind, even if it was hot.

Honeygold didn’t come to bring food for her again, instead it was the jailer, a hulking man wearing a Masyaf guard uniform that looked two sizes too small for him. At least the food was decent. Better than what she had eaten while in the Canterlot dungeons.

But the quality of the food was not something she cared about right now. In her mind from when she woke up to when she lay down to sleep, plus probably her dreams, she thought about Sombra and how she could get her hands around his rotten neck. Or perhaps she would rather beat him to death with these new hands of hers. She had become quite adept at hand-to-hand combat while being a knight, and she smiled with grim satisfaction as she imagined pummelling in his big, stupid, lying face.

After what was a week by the scratches that Emerald had scraped into the stone wall next to her cot, someone came to visit.

It was a Saddle Arabian man wearing refined, yet modest-looking clothes and a turban. His pink face was adorned with a thin beard and a curled moustache. He was accompanied by two beefy guards.

“Emerald Egg, was it?” the moustached man said in a weedy voice.

Emerald sat up. “Edge. Emerald Edge.”

“Yes, that is what I said. You are from Canterlot, yes?”

Emerald didn’t say anything.

“I will take that as a yes. I am here to inform you that your trial will take place in two weeks. From today.”

“Trial? What trial?” Emerald asked, coming closer to the door. The guards bristled and reached for their weapons.

“You tried to assassinate the crown prince of Saddle Arabia,” the moustached man clarified. “And so you will be put on trial to determine your fate. You also have the right to an attorney.”

“A what?” Emerald’s face contorted as she took in this information. Back in Canterlot there had been no trials or attorneys or anything like that for common folk like her. People were either jailed or executed by the king’s word. If people wanted the right to a trial, they had to be nobles.

“Surely you Canterlotians are not that backwards that you do not have trials or attorneys to defend you in them,” the man sniffed. “You will await the date of your trial here in the dungeons. Is there anything you wish to ask about?”

Emerald stared at the man, her mind grinding along slowly as she tried to process what she had just been told.

“What happens if I lose the trial?” She asked eventually.

The man’s expression did not change. “Your sentence will be decided by a jury, as well as the king’s word. Beyond that, I cannot say.”

He turned to leave, but Emerald suddenly threw herself at the bars.

“Wait! What about my friends?”

“Your friends?”

“Yes, the people who came in the throne room with me,” Emerald implored. “What has happened to them?”

“Oh, the rest of your foreigner friends,” the man said, stroking his beard. “They seem to have been consigned to house arrest until the date of your trial. They will testify in court, so we could not risk any of them escaping, or worse, trying to break you out of prison. Law and order must be upheld in Masyaf.”

“What are we gonna do, Ma?”

Honeygold voiced this as a pair of guards came into the commandeered house that the questors, sans Emerald, had been confined to. They were followed by some palace workers who brought in trays of food and drink for the house’s occupants. After Emerald had been imprisoned, King Aldilu had rounded up the rest of the party and had them moved to one of the houses of one of the nobility of Masyaf who had recently moved into the palace. The furniture was sparse, but there were enough beds for all of them, so they had accepted without much protest.

The dozen or so guards who had escorted them here made any rebellious outbursts rather undesirable too.

They had been forbidden to leave the house, and more guards had been stationed outside the estate to make sure nobody tried to escape.

“Ah don’t rightly know, Honeygold,” Apple Bean sighed as they sat around the table for dinner. It was all good, if somewhat exotic-looking food. But by now they were more used to Saddle Arabian cuisine and they ate without complaint. “Ain’t much we can do to help, us bein’ trapped in this house and all.”

“Two weeks…” Spectrum said, taking a sad bite from her meal. “Em’s going to be on trial in two weeks. What are we going to do? I’ve never even seen a trial before, let alone participated in one!”

“I do not know how Saddle Arabian trials are conducted, but if they are anything like Canterlot’s variety, the king himself will be there.” Light Speckle stared at the tabletop as if she were searching for answers in the woodwork. “Which probably will not bode well for us, seeing as how Emerald attempted to kill his son and heir.”

“Why did Em flip out like that, anyway?” Guard Streak asked as he brushed crumbs off his lap. “It’s not like her to just lose control all of a sudden.”

“Ooh! Is it because she’s on a mission to stop an evil king who’s called Sombra and she mistook Prince Sombra for that evil Sombra who she’s fighting to beat?” A cheerful female voice said from the window.

Everyone turned to look and see who it was. It was the dancing girl from King Aldilu’s court, leaning on her elbows on one of the windows to the house, a wide smile on her face.

Posey leapt to her feet. “What are you doing here, uh…”

“Parisa!” The girl chirped as she did a fancy twirl that showed off her slender body. “Parisa Pie. I didn’t mean to startle you, but I just had to come see you.”

“Oh,” Nightfall tilted her head to the side in puzzlement. “Why?”

“Well, because you’re the first ever visitors from Canterlot I’ve ever seen, that’s why!” Parisa grinned wider and leaned in the window. “My mother taught me all kinds of languages and useful tricks, but I haven’t had to use English until now. It’s a fun language! I very much get why you speak it. So many vowels. That’s a fun word, vowel. Vow-well.” She rolled the word around in her mouth as if savoring a tasty treat.

“Well, I guess it’s nice to meet you. Again,” Posey said. “So you just came to say hello? Shouldn’t you be up in the palace?”

“A little more than that,” Parisa hooked a leg over the windowsill and did a flip into the house, landing squarely on her feet. “King Aldilu won’t want another dance until tomorrow, so for now, I’m free!”

“The exact opposite of us,” Spectrum muttered. “We need to find a way to get out of this mess. Two weeks. We cannot wait that long! Morn’s on his way and we need that artifact.”

There was an uncomfortable silence that even Parisa seemed unwilling to break.

“King Aldilu did tell us where we might find it,” Light Speckle said uncertainly. “But without Emerald, the artifact would still do us no good.”

Parisa’s smile shrank a little bit as she listened. “Uh, all right, so is that why you went to see King Aldilu the other day? To get this ‘artifact’ thing?”

“Eeyup,” Golden Nugget said heavily. “Though Ah don’t know how things’re gonna work out now.” The farmer exhaled deeply and reached for his cup of water, draining it in one gulp. “Em’s really put us on the spot with that move of hers.”

“It is a strange coincidence, finding another man with the name Sombra all the way out here,” Jewel Pin voiced. “Almost everyone in this room knows about Emerald’s quest, and how she swore to defeat the evil King Sombra with the artifacts. We also know that there are two versions of us, one on this side and one on… the other side.”

“Go on,” Light Speckle wore an interested expression on her face, as if encouraging this line of thought.

“But as we have seen,” Jewel Pin was getting on a roll now, and she grew more confident. “The two selves are not always the same. Like how this world’s Emerald Edge was a mere guard instead of a spymaster. They also had rather different personalities. So, could it be possible that the Sombra on this side is different from the Sombra Emerald knew in her world?”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Posey said quietly. “But Emerald was nursing that seed of revenge and justice for so long that as soon as this side’s Sombra appeared, she thought it was her Sombra and attacked him. In a way, I can’t blame her. Emerald’s Sombra was responsible for enslaving and killing all her friends and countrymen.”

There was another moment of silence as they all digested this.

“So that’s why Em was so angry,” Guard Streak said quietly. “I understand, but I still wish she could have kept herself under control. We’re in big trouble now, like it or not.”

Parisa looked from gloomy face to gloomy face, unsure of what to do.

“I want to help you,” the dancer said eventually. “But I’ve never even been out of this city before in my life, much less been to other kingdoms. Maybe I can help make King Aldilu go easier on you if I knew the whole story?”

“Ya would do that for us?” Honeygold said, perking up slightly.

“Sure! We’re friends now, and friends help each other!” Parisa beamed and gave Honeygold a quick pat on the back. “But come on, tell me the story of how you got here! I bet it’s a real gripper of a tale,” She sat down swiftly, crossing her legs and placing her hands atop her knees, rocking back and forth excitedly.

“Ya have no idea,” Apple Bean said, smiling for the first time that day. “It all began when me, Honeygold, and Golden Nugget here were taking some apples to the capital city…”

86 - The Invasion

“How is our prisoner faring this day?”

Emerald looked up from her meditation to see Prince Sombra gazing down at her with his arms behind his back.

The spymaster snorted and looked away. “What do you want? If you’re not here to let me out to kill you, you can go take your sword and shove-”

“Your friends have told me something… important,” Sombra interrupted her. “And it is something I want to confirm. According to their word, the king of Canterlot is coming here?”

“He isn’t the rightful king, but you would know all about that, wouldn’t you?” Emerald snorted derisively.

Sombra sighed. “I’m never going to convince you I am the king’s son, am I?”

“Tis because I know what you are!” Emerald grasped at the bars. “The princess took you in. She gave you a home. She gave you a community. She trusted you to do what was right. What did you do? You took all that and you destroyed what we had. You took our empire apart! How can I ever trust you again?”

“Like I have discussed with you in previous conversations, that Sombra is not I,” the prince answered as though he was used to repeating it. “I know nothing of what he has done besides your word, but I assure you. Again. I am the true heir to Saddle Arabia and I do not plan to usurp him.”

“If you think I’m going to believe any of the lies that you’ve spun, you’ve got another thing coming,” Emerald spat. “If you’re here to try and convince me that you’re not who I know you are, you’re wasting your time. Now go away. I have a trial to prepare for in four days.”

Sombra looked as though he was seriously considering leaving, but stayed where he was. “Look. I understand that you do not like me. And I do not particularly like you either. But if there is some threat coming to Masyaf that you led here, I think I have the right to know about it.”

“You don’t have the right to do anything except to go die in a hole,” the former pegasus jeered. “I’ve got nothing else to say to you. Leave, usurper. I don’t know why you haven’t killed me already, but you’re making a mistake, leaving me alive.”

“It certainly was a waste of time coming to speak with you again.” Sombra rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Most criminals would fight to reason their motive, but you are just unreasonable. It seems we would have to prepare our defenses should something happen.”

At this, Emerald was suddenly struck by a shred of conflict. Did she want to help her most hated enemy, or did she want her other enemy, Morn Dread, to come here and most likely tear the city apart looking for her, and possibly kill Sombra in the process, albeit at the cost of peace and her quest? If this had been back in Equestria, she would have placed her bets on Sombra winning, but here, with no magic, the tables were turned. She really did not know which one was better or worse.

Seeing the small, sinister smile grow on Emerald’s face, Sombra seemed to decide that he would get nothing more from this meeting and left the dungeons, leaving Emerald to ponder just what would happen once Morn finally arrived.

Two days until the trial

The day started ordinarily enough. King Aldilu had gotten out of his bed at sunrise and spent the wee hours before breakfast exercising and seeing to his personal affairs. Aldilu then went to eat breakfast with his son and the rest of the royal court who lived in the palace. He was just finishing with the final dish when a messenger came into the dining room.

“Your majesty, King Aldilu,” the man bowed low to the king. “The captain of the guard wanted me to come tell you that there are armed strangers approaching Masyaf. At least seventy men, led by a commander wielding a shining sword.”

“Shining sword?” Aldilu threw his wiping cloth on the table and stood to look out one of the many windows that adorned the dining room walls. “It must be the king the Canterlotians spoke about. It seems he has arrived.”

“What should we do, your majesty?”

King Aldilu put a hand to his chin, thinking. “Have they declared themselves as openly hostile?”

“No, your highness,” the messenger said. “But the captain of the guard does not think their intentions are friendly. He is rallying the troops right now, all he needs is your word to attack.”

The king went over to the telescope that Emerald Edge had given him. He aimed the device in the direction of the main gates of Masyaf. He could see the small figures of a phalanx of men in assorted kinds of armor, as if the force had been put together from many different kinds of soldiers. But at the head of the group was a figure in dark plate armor, and in his right hand was a golden sword that shone like a hundred lanterns, even in daylight.

Aldilu twiddled the focusing knob on the telescope to zoom in on the sword-bearer’s face. Whoever this swordsman was, he was marching toward Masyaf with a scowl on his face and a determined stride that did not seem friendly at all.

“Our guests have spoken of the King of Canterlot.” Aldilu lowered his device. “This must be the famed king. The one they have come this far to stop.”

“Sire, with all due respect, you actually believe the would-be assassin’s story?”

Aldilu clenched his fist and dark smoke gathered around his hand. “The facts seem to line up with her tale. I only wonder what this means for Masyaf now.”

“Sire?” The messenger said uncertainly.

“If he truly is the king of Canterlot, it is my royal duty to go out and meet him. Ruler to ruler,” Aldilu turned away from the window and went back into his personal quarters in the palace. “Tell the captain not to attack, but to stay on his toes. I somehow do not think this king is here to discuss an alliance.”

It was nearing noon when Morn Dread arrived at the gates of Masyaf. The desert had given him a little trouble adjusting, but only to the sand; for some reason, whether it was Excalibur’s magic or otherwise, he did not feel the heat. The rest of his army marched along without complaint, though Morn had made sure to stock up on plenty of water for them. Even if they were enthralled, they still needed basics like food and drink, as well as shelter from the heat. Still, they had managed to get this far without anyone dying of anything.

Emerald Edge was close. Morn could feel it, with every step she grew nearer and nearer. Perhaps she was hiding out in this vast city in the sand somewhere. A thin smile scrawled itself across his face. Had Emerald come all this way to seek help from the kingdom here? They would all fall before him and Excalibur just like Canterlot and Prance had. After all, kings were what brought a kingdom to ruin, he knew that from what his father had done. They would do anything to ensure their power remains. Such selfishness.

Morn looked upon Excalibur’s blade and frowned. The world would be better off without such selfish rulers. He would bring order to the world. That he knew. He would do what no king has ever been able to do, and that is to bring about a world of peace, a world without corruption, a world without pain. And if it were possible, he would have no one but Emerald to rule alongside him. That was why he had come all the way out here.

For his beloved. To bring her home.

Peering through the power of his weapon, Morn looked out the eyes of an indoctrinated Kite Shield, one of the guards at the border of Canterlot. It was rainy and cold where the fort stood, but in the distance, he could see his army marching on, arriving in the Kingdom of Prance led by Sir Agramane and Sir Boercival, but this was only half the journey. To further his goals, there were still more kingdoms to correct.

But for now, his goal was Emerald Edge. And if his assumptions were correct, she would have gone to see the ruler of this desert city and appeal for aid.

Behind Sir Agramane and Sir Boercival’s group walked the groups of his soldiers, bringing along inventions of the mages he’d never thought they would ever use in an offensive. They would surely be effective in breaching the other kingdoms. Morn smiled as he returned. Once he had Emerald back, they could use the artifacts together and purge the world of disorder and chaos.

But first, he had to find her somewhere in this metropolis.

Ordinary people shied away from the marching mass of soldiers, with Morn at the front. They could tell that this detachment of men were here on business, and not even the bravest hawker dared to try and catch their attention. Eyes aglow, Morn Dread and his men soon reached the courtyard around Masyaf palace.

As soon as they stepped into the area, Morn held up his empty hand in a clenched fist. His army stopped all at once behind him and waited.

There was the feeling of magic in the air here. It was not like the power that came from Excalibur or the other artifacts, but it shared enough traits that Morn grew suspicious. Was this an ambush? If so, he invited them to try and take him down.

Out of the palace gates, a legion of Saddle Arabian soldiers marched forth, swords and spears clutched in their hands. And at their front was a tall man with glittering dark hair and polished silver and gold armor. A strong aura of power radiated from this warrior.

Morn smiled grimly. It would seem that he had at last found someone who might be a match for him. This could get interesting.

“Ho there!” The Saddle Arabian leader shouted in English. “Who are you to come marching into Masyaf with armed forces, as if to seek a foe?”

Morn held tightly to his sword, but kept it by his side. For the time being. “I am King Morn Dread of Canterlot. Who are you?”

“I am King Aldilu of Saddle Arabia,” Aldilu announced. “And I have one question for you, King Morn Dread. Do you come in peace?”

Morn gripped Excalibur tightly, but remained in a relaxed stance. “I have come to retrieve someone who fled from me. Tell me, King Aldilu of Saddle Arabia. Have you met a woman calling herself Emerald Edge?”

“What if I have?” Aldilu challenged. “She tried to harm the Saddle Arabian royal family. She has been detained and is awaiting trial.”

Morn smiled thinly. So she had been here after all. If what Aldilu was saying was true, Emerald was now within his grasp at last.

“There will be no need for a trial, King of Saddle Arabia,” Morn told Aldilu. “Hand her over to me and I will deal with her. As for your kingdom, swear fealty to Canterlot and my rule, and you will be allowed to continue ruling in peace.”

The tension in the air between Morn and Aldilu grew electric.

“Emerald Edge has committed a crime on Saddle Arabian soil,” Aldilu said coldly. “She will be judged and sentenced by the Saddle Arabian court of justice. As for swearing fealty, Saddle Arabia will bow to no one. Not even you, King Morn. Now, unless you have other things to discuss, I must ask you to leave my city.”

Morn’s expression grew dark. “So, you are not prepared to agree to my terms.”

“Yes, I am not,” Aldilu replied sternly. “You might be a ruler in Canterlot, but here, you are a visitor and will abide by our rules. Now leave, or we will remove you from Masyaf by force.” The Saddle Arabian soldiers bristled, their weapons held at the ready.

“Remove you from Masyaf by force?” Morn repeated. “I believe that is my line! This world has no need for more kings. I will show you true power, King of Saddle Arabia.”

Morn Dread pointed his sword at Aldilu’s forces and shouted a fierce battle cry. As one unit, the entirety of Morn’s army drew weapons and charged, their feet thundering on the ground like a stampede.

Aldilu drew his scimitar and roared a Saddle Arabian order.

The two forces smashed into each other and the battle was on.

Emerald’s attention was caught by the sound of what she thought was drumming on the ground. She had experienced this back in Canterlot when a herd of horses had trampled past on one of her quests. Something was happening out there, and Emerald felt a burning need to know what.

She shouted for the jailer, who lumbered over to Emerald’s cell.

“Hey, what’s going on out there?” Emerald asked him. The jailer opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, there was a sharp whizzing noise and the jailer put a hand to his neck, where a small dart was sticking out. He opened and closed his mouth stupidly for a couple of seconds, then slumped to the ground, unconscious.

From the shadows of the prison, an accented female voice said, “No time for sitting around, Emerald Edge. Let’s get you out of here.”

87 - King Against King

Emerald watched in surprise as a woman with tan skin and dark red hair emerged from the shadows. She was dressed in a mixture of dark leather and cloth armor, with a mask made of the same material over her mouth and nose. A curved sword hung at her waist, along with a pair of knives on her back. She was carrying a large cloth satchel in her left hand.

The newcomer bent down to swipe the ring of keys from the sleeping jailer and unlocked Emerald’s cell.

“Here,” the woman said, tossing the satchel down at Emerald’s feet. “You might need this.”

Emerald opened the bag and was pleasantly surprised to find her armor and hidden blades inside. Quickly putting them on, she asked, “Who are you? Why are you helping me?”

“My name is Hollow Wish,” the woman said. “Any other questions can wait. There is a battle raging in the streets above, and you must leave the city before any harm befalls you.”

“A battle?” Emerald repeated. “Is it Morn Dread?”

Hollow Wish glanced at Emerald Edge and picked up the jailer’s scimitar, passing it to the former pegasus. “I have told your friends to gather near the western gate. I will take you there, but we must move quickly. Once you are safe, I will do my best to answer all your questions. Yes?”

Emerald hesitated for a second, then nodded her agreement. Then together they left the dungeons and hit the midday streets.

An arrow shot past King Aldilu from one of his men and struck one of the Canterlot knights, but glanced off the man’s breastplate. The king leaped at another Canterlot knight and stabbed at him with his scimitar. His strike was blocked, but Aldilu gathered power in his left hand and launched the knight off his feet.

There was a bright flash of golden light and two of Aldilu’s men were blasted off into the air, slamming into a nearby building hard enough to crack the wall.

Aldilu briefly dueled another knight, but he had only just cut him down when the battle cleared enough for him to see Morn Dread, staring across the battle lines back at him.

So, this is the scourge that Emerald Edge was here to stop. Aldilu thought grimly. If he wanted to remain king of Saddle Arabia, he would have to stop Morn Dread right here and now.

Morn bellowed and charged at Aldilu, his golden blade held at his side and ready for a diagonal cut. The stroke came, and Aldilu blocked it with his own sword, the metal ringing like a bell as both weapons clashed against each other.

After a brief moment in the bind, both men stepped back and swung again. Aldilu went for a horizontal cut, but the thick plate armor stopped his sword from doing any damage. The king of Saddle Arabia’s face grew tenser. He and his men were mostly wearing mail and leather, as it was too hot in this country to wear heavy plate armor like Morn and his knights were. This offered them more protection from conventional weaponry.

Aldilu parried another strike from Morn and raised his left fist. Smokey darkness began to form around his arm, a power received from the ancient djinn of the desert as the protector of Saddle Arabia. He splayed his hand and slammed the shadows into Morn, who was staggered by the attack. Morn’s eyes flashed gold and his face contorted in anger. Excalibur’s blade was wreathed in a shining nimbus and he slashed at Aldilu with the speed of a lightning strike. Aldilu moved his own sword in the path for another parry, but the might of Excalibur cleaved right through his scimitar, leaving Aldilu with a hilt and two inches of steel.

Dropping the remains of his sword, Aldilu jumped backwards, then rolled under another enemy knight’s attack. He looked around and was grimly surprised to find that his people were losing. They were being pushed back to the palace.

Good. Aldilu thought, picking up a fallen sword from the ground and fending off another knight’s assault with relative ease. Morn was a terrible threat, yes, but his knights were less strong and fast as he, and Aldilu found that he could handle them easily.

Lines of archers appeared on the walls of the palace, but did not fire. Shooting into a melee would only risk wounding or killing their own men.

“Fall back!” Aldilu ordered in Saddle Arabian. “Back to the palace!”

Waving his arms, shadowy smoke formed around the king’s legs and with a flick of his arms, they extended past him and to the sides where they blocked Morn’s knights from advancing on them.

The Saddle Arabian soldiers immediately followed the orders of their king and began to back off as if they were retreating. However, as soon as they had disentangled themselves from Morn’s knights, the archers on the palace walls let fly their arrows. Many of them found their mark, but only a small handful of knights were wounded, owing to their armor and helmets.

Morn stepped forward, his weapon aglow. To the king’s surprise, his shadowy barrier was dispelled with a wave of the golden blade, allowing his knights to pass.

Raising their shields against the downpour of arrows, the knights followed Aldilu and his men toward the palace.

King Aldilu felt a surge of power as soon as he left the glare of the sun and stepped into the darker interior of his palace. Morn would have to fight him here, on his home ground.

“Your majesty!” Prince Sombra hurried towards his sire, clothed in the uniform of an archer. “Our bows are not strong enough to pierce their armor. What should we do?”

“You must aim for their joints, my son.” Aldilu placed a hand on his shoulder. “Go to the throne room and release the shrouds. There, the Canterlotian king and I will do battle once more.”

“His sword, it is unlike anything I have ever seen.”

“It must be magical,” Aldilu said grimly. “I wonder if the king of Canterlot has some kind of djinn on his side as well.”

“Emerald Edge knew of this…” Sombra growled angrily as he set off toward the throne room. “She could have given us more time to prepare…” He shook his head and broke into a run. There would be a reckoning for Emerald Edge later. Right now, they had to defeat this invader.

King Aldilu stood by the entrance to his palace, watching as the horde of knights advanced up the steps, their shields rendering them impervious to his arrows from above. Canterlot’s force was one to be reckoned with.

“Shut the doors!” The captain of the guard ordered.

The soldiers responded instantly, pushing the doors shut and laying a heavy ironbound wooden bar across them. The door held… momentarily. Then there was a crackling sound and the doors were blasted open, knocking over Saddle Arabian soldiers like leaves in a gale.

“Fall back to the throne room!” Aldilu ordered to what remaining soldiers were left standing. Some of the archers had come down from the walls and were pelting the invaders with arrows, aiming for the joints. One by one, the Canterlot knights began to fall, though none of the wounds were life-threatening.

Morn saw this and raised his sword into the air, which emitted a transparent golden bubble around himself and the knights closest to him. Arrows and sling-stones bounced off the barrier. He pressed his advance, forcing Aldilu back up into the throne room.

Just as planned.

Emerging into the space, Aldilu noted with brief satisfaction that his son had indeed lowered all the blinds and curtains, plunging the room into a near pitch black. Sombra himself was standing by the last window, making sure it was all covered up.

“I’ve done as you said, your majesty,” Sombra said as Aldilu’s men closed the throne room doors and threw themselves against it, holding it shut with their own bodies. “Do you think you can beat him?”

“We will have to try.” Aldilu grasped his sword tightly. “But if I fail, my son… You know what must be done. You must seek out the djinn. Our line has always ruled with wisdom and strength for the good of all of Saddle Arabia. If my time should come to an end today, know that I have always been proud of all you do.”

“But… Father! I am not ready!” Sombra exclaimed. The doors began to creak and groan; the guards were losing the battle to keep them closed.

“Let me tell you a secret, my son,” Aldilu said, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Nobody is truly ever ready to take the throne. I was not, and neither was my father. What matters is that you try to do your best for your people and the land.”

“I will not leave you, your majesty,” Sombra said, setting his face in a determined expression. “You can defeat this invader.”

Aldilu smiled back at Sombra. “I hope so, my son.”

The king opened his mouth to say more, but at that moment there was a blinding flash and the doors to the throne room were shattered, with shards of wood and metal flying all over the place.

“Get to safety, Sombra,” Aldilu said quietly. “I will have to use all my power to defeat this man, and I would not have you get caught in the crossfire.”

“But, your majesty-”

“That is an order, my son,” Aldilu said without looking at Sombra. “If for whatever reason I fall here, remember what I told you. Find the djinn. Claim your birthright. Now go.”

Sombra nodded wordlessly and bolted out one of the side doors to the throne room.

“Now, let us see what you are made of, King of Canterlot.”

Morn Dread and his knights marched into the darkened throne room, walking over the fallen Saddle Arabian soldiers.

“You should have taken my offer, old man,” Morn shouted at Aldilu. “Now I shall remove you from the throne and true peace shall reign!”

This man is out of his mind. Aldilu thought to himself.

With no more soldiers at Aldilu’s side, Morn pointed Excalibur and his knights advanced. Aldilu waved his hand and sent a tidal wave of shadows smashing into the row of knights, covering and consuming them in darkness.

Morn’s confident expression shifted into a leer. “So, you have power over darkness. I shall purge it from you with Excalibur’s blinding light!”

Morn raised his gold and silver sword and an arc of energy lashed out from the tip. Aldilu held out both hands in front of himself and the energy bolt smashed into a barrier of shadow. The shield held strong, and Aldilu began to push back, sending the wall of darkness crashing down onto Morn. Morn was pushed back, but managed to stay on his feet.

The king of Canterlot swung Excalibur in a downward arc, a shark’s fin of golden energy speeding towards Aldilu. The king of Saddle Arabia leapt over it and fired a torrent of shadow at Morn, who was forced to dive and roll to avoid the dark projectiles.

“You cannot defeat me!” Morn shouted as he looked around the room. It was dark now, too dark to have just been an absence of sunlight. There was something oppressive and sinister about this darkness. Morn swung his sword at the air, but hit nothing.

Unseen by Morn, Aldilu charged at him from behind, scoring a hit on Morn’s back. The armor blunted the strike, but it still left a sizeable gash in the metal. Morn grunted and spun around for a slice, but Aldilu was already gone.

“Stand and fight, coward!” Morn roared. Aldilu said nothing, but slowly the darkness began to crawl towards Morn, like a liquid. Excalibur’s light seemed to dim in its presence.

A blast of shadow energy slammed into Morn. This time he did not manage to remain on his feet and was knocked down. But he still held onto his sword.

The shadows congealed into a solid mass above Morn and then plummeted down like a giant hammer, threatening to crush him. Morn’s eyes went wide and he pointed Excalibur at the mass of shadow. Another arc of light crackled from the tip of the weapon and dispelled the darkness.

Scrambling to his feet, Morn stood there, whipping his head back and forth, unable to see anything in the gloom. Morn’s face grew pensive as he backed up to a wall, ensuring that Aldilu could not attack from behind like before.

Then he closed his eyes.

For a second, he saw nothing. Then something began to take shape as he breathed through his nose. It was as if he were seeing the throne room in smells, rather than in shapes. He could tell where the walls were, where the throne was, and most importantly, he could tell where Aldilu was. He could even smell the strange scent that was Aldilu’s shadow magic.

Morn took a step forward, then another. And then another. Aldilu’s form was moving, and a torrent of dark energy flew his way. Morn, eyes still shut, sidestepped and carved a deep slash through the shadows, then ducked beneath a second blast aimed for his head.

The king of Canterlot broke into a run, charging right at Aldilu’s position. The king of Saddle Arabia began to run as well, to the side rather than at him. Morn altered his course to match Aldilu’s, his boots clanking heavily on the stone floor. He fired a blast at Aldilu and was rewarded with a shout as the bolt of energy connected.

The king of Saddle Arabia was thrown backwards and hit the wall behind him, cracking the surface. The shadows gathered protectively around him, but Morn was not to be denied. He ran at Aldilu’s position, Excalibur held high.

Then Aldilu suddenly shot towards Morn as if fired from a bow, a scimitar of dark energy taking shape in his hands. Morn raised Excalibur into a guard position, and the two men collided, tumbling over and around each other until they crashed into another wall.

By the time Morn’s head stopped spinning, he could feel the tip of something poking at his exposed throat. Aldilu was kneeling on top of him, the shadowy scimitar held in his right hand while his left was pressed against Morn’s chin. His fingers scrabbled for Excalibur, but it had fallen from his grasp and lay on the floor just out of reach.

“It’s over, king of Canterlot,” Aldilu panted. His sparkling hair was a mess and there was blood dripping from one of his nostrils. “Your madness stops here.”

Morn glared up at Aldilu. “Never!” He cried, and tilted his head down, biting and sinking his teeth into Aldilu’s hand.

The Saddle Arabian king shouted in surprise, withdrawing his hand and falling to the side. Aldilu felt the muscles in his body stiffen and seize up as if they were turning to stone. He lay there on the palace floor as the darkness began to recede from the room, leaving it dimly lit but no longer pitch black.

Morn coughed and picked up Excalibur. He stood up and spat blood onto the floor before walking over to Aldilu’s prone form. The shadows began to dissipate like smoke above a snuffed candle.

The king of Saddle Arabia watched in shock as Morn stood above him, slowly aiming his golden sword at his head. Morn looked tired and his armor was scratched and dented, but a look of severe triumph was on his face.

“You see, light always wins over darkness, just as righteousness always wins over wickedness,” Morn panted. “You have lost, King Aldilu.”

“It won’t last,” Aldilu snapped, willing his body to move, but to no avail. “Any kingdom of yours is bound to fail. You do not have the quality of a king, only a tyrant.”

Morn bristled. “You’re wrong. But soon you will be neither. Any last words, King Aldilu?”

“Go to hell,” Aldilu spat.

Morn then brought Excalibur down onto the king’s neck, the honed golden metal cutting right through until it hit the floor.

“Apologies,” Morn smirked as he swiped his sword to the side and went back to rejoin his army. “Didn’t quite catch that.”

Unseen by Morn, Sombra’s face peered out from behind the door he had taken cover behind. Tears dripped down his princely face and his hands clenched into fists.

“F-Father…”

88 - Flee for Your Lives

Faint explosions and shouting assailed Emerald Edge’s ears as she and Hollow Wish sprinted through the maze-like streets of Masyaf and toward the western gate. Saddle Arabians watched them blur past them, still unaware that their city was under attack.

Emerald’s hair whipped around her face as she ran. She had a million questions to ask her savior, but she kept her focus on running for now. If that was indeed Morn Dread attacking, she couldn’t afford to be caught by him, not when they had come so far.

“This way, Emerald!” Hollow Wish dashed off down an alley. Emerald altered her course to follow, dodging around some empty wooden boxes and leaping over a beggar in the process.

Hollow Wish had said that Emerald’s friends would be mustering at the western gate. Just how and why they had listened to her was a mystery, but as before, now was not the time for questions.

In their path, Emerald saw someone dressed in silver plate armor step out and raise an arm. The former pegasus ducked instinctively and felt the wind of something like an arrow streak past the top of her head, embedding itself up to the fletchings in one of the stone buildings behind.

The knight began to reload his strange weapon, which looked like a crossbow that was strapped to his arm. Before he could fit another bolt to the string, Hollow Wish had leapt on top of the knight and thrown them both to the ground. The masked woman drew a dagger from her belt and thrust it into the eye hole of the knight’s helm, who thrashed around a bit before going still, blood pooling around his head. Saddle Arabians close by screamed and scattered at the display of violence.

Hollow Wish shook the blood off her weapon and resheathed it. “Make haste, Emerald. The city has fallen, but you must not be captured. You carry the hopes of many on your shoulders.”

And they took off running once more. Two Saddle Arabian guards stood at the next corner, their weapons drawn. Emerald wouldn’t have paid much attention to them, but something was off. They stood there still as boulders and their eyes were emitting a golden glow.

Horseapples, he’s got the people here too.

“Look out!” Emerald tackled Hollow Wish to the ground as an arrow was let loose from one of their bows. It just narrowly missed them and impaled itself in the wall beside them.

Hollow Wish got up and rushed them with incredible speed, sidestepping away from another arrow as she thrust her dagger into the first guard’s chest. He went down without a gasp of pain, but before she could do more, there was another thwang of a bowstring and an arrow pierced her side, knocking her to one knee.

“No!” Emerald ran ahead while the guard grabbed another arrow from his quiver. With a hidden blade, she first slid behind him and slashed at his left leg, crippling the guard. When he was down, she reached up and stabbed him through the neck.

“We must get you to a mage.” Emerald ran to her new ally and tried to help her up. “I do not know what magic you Saddle Arabians use, but Canterlot magic is strong. It can heal you.”

Hollow Wish waved her off. "My safety is less important than yours, Emerald Edge. I will survive, but you will not if Morn and his men get a hold of you."

"But you are injured!" Emerald exclaimed. "Let me help you-"

"I will be fine," Hollow Wish snapped. "But it is true I will need time to recover. The western gate is about five streets over yonder," She pointed at a section of the towering Masyaf wall. "Your friends are waiting there. Go on."

"I can't just leave you!"

A trio of mind controlled Saddle Arabian archers came out of a building behind them, bows already in hand, their eyes set right on Emerald and Hollow Wish.

"You can and you will," Hollow Wish said with a steely demeanor. "Don't make me say it again. Get out of this city and get what you came here to get. I shall slow them down.”

Emerald wanted to ask how she knew about their plans, but right now wasn’t the time to think. She eyed the archers as they readied themselves. Hollow Wish was a capable fighter. Perhaps she would still be able to face them.

As the spymaster ran on, she looked back once more to see Hollow Wish scurrying through a window and disappearing from sight. Perhaps she was even better at hiding. But for now, she could only hope that her mysterious friend would make it away safely.

Prince Sombra maneuvered himself around a fallen pillar as he tried to get away from the throne room as quietly as possible. After the fight between that King Morn Dread and his father, much of the palace had become unstable and something had knocked over one of the braziers and it had began spreading across the palace grounds, consuming anything it could. Thankfully, the walls were made of stone, but unfortunately, the palace grounds had plenty of cloth to burn.

Servants and minor nobles alike ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, paying little attention to Sombra as he made his way through the palace in a daze. He had witnessed many of them being slaughtered by the Canterlotian king. It seemed he had no need for officials in his new world order.

Sombra’s eyes were watering, but not from the smoke. After what Morn had done to his father, he swore vengeance. He was not going to rest until he held his severed head in his hands. He was going to make Morn pay for what he had done.

But Sombra also knew that he was no match for the king of Canterlot. If his father, the greatest warrior he knew could not defeat him then he, Prince Sombra, would stand even less of a chance.

At least, as he was now.

King Aldilu's last order echoed in Sombra's head.

If for whatever reason I fall here, remember what I told you. Find the djinn. Claim your birthright. Now go.

Prince Sombra wiped the moisture from his eyes and squared his shoulders. As a citizen of Saddle Arabia, he was bound to follow the word of his king, doubly more because he was a prince. There would be time to mourn for his father later. Right now, he had to do what was necessary to save the kingdom from a hostile takeover.

The Masyaf palace was slowly being overrun with enemy knights. Soldiers rushed to the throne room, but Sombra didn’t think much of their chances. Instead he ran downstairs and toward a tunnel that he knew led to the royal stables. As he arrived at the bottom, he spotted a body by the side. It was Sunlight Kadir and he had blood running down from a wound in his chest and by the looks of it, he had been long dead.

Sombra retrieved his scimitar and he took his next few steps carefully and as quietly as he could. Morn’s men had been down here and they might still be here. The prince held his naked sword in front of him and stayed in the shadows.

It was just as well that he did, for not a moment after, there came the sound of footsteps. Light and rhythmic; it might be a scout. Sombra tensed his muscles, ready to strike with his sword.

The footsteps came around the corner and Sombra jumped out, brandishing his scimitar threateningly.

“Arrghh!” He shouted as he leapt from his hiding place.

“Eeek!” Came a feminine voice. There was a flash of pink hair and someone slammed into Sombra and knocked them both to the ground.

Sombra was the first to recover, sitting up on the ground. He looked over; it was one of the dancing girls from his father’s court, lying on the ground with spirals for eyes.

“I am sorry!” Sombra exclaimed, moving over to the dancer and helping her up. “I thought you were one of the enemy king’s men. Are you all right, uh...”

“Parisa Pie, your highness,” The dancing girl got to her feet and bowed to the prince. “I was trying to get away from the invaders, so I thought I would come hide down here.”

Sombra shook his head. “The time for hiding has long since passed. I have to go to find the djinn in the desert,” the prince said solemnly.

“Djinn? Parisa put a finger to her lips. “I’ve never seen one before.”

“Well, you wouldn’t,” Sombra amended. “They live out in the White Desert. Their location is a secret that the Saddle Arabian royal family has passed down for generations.”

Parisa looked about nervously. “So are you going there to wish the invaders away? That is what djinn do, right, grant wishes?”

“Er… something like that,” Sombra said evasively. In truth, he was not sure what the djinn would do for him. But they shared a special bond with Sombra’s bloodline, and he was sure that if he went to find them, they would be of some help. A sudden thrill of an idea seized him.

“Come with me,” Sombra said, taking hold of Parisa’s upper arm. “I would not leave you here with these savage invaders, and the whole city will soon be under their control. We must away before they tighten the net around Masyaf completely.”

“A-Are you sure?” Parisa looked hesitant. “Won’t I just slow you down?”

“Nay, for my steed Stormchaser is the fleetest and strongest horse in the land. One so light as yourself will not bother him.”

Parisa still looked unsure, but the sound of clanking metal footfalls coming from the direction of the palace steeled her resolve. Parisa nodded and the two Sadde Arabians made their way to the horses.

Not bothering with the usual ornamental tack and harness, Sombra quickly dressed Stormchaser with a saddle and reins. Thankfully there were some other horses belonging to some palace guards who had just come in a few hours before, so Sombra took the food and water from their saddlebags and transferred them over to his own steed. Then he climbed into the saddle and pulled Parisa on in front of him.

Sombra looked around himself, taking in the sight of his home one last time.

Then he touched his spurs to Stormchaser’s sides and they shot off into the afternoon sun like a stone from a sling.

It was with great relief that Emerald broke through the winding streets and burst out into the open area that preceded the western gate of Masyaf. She quickly ducked behind an empty fruit stand, peeking around for her friends.

There was some kind of commotion going on at the gates. A handful of knights seemed to be trying to close them, but they were not having much luck doing so. They pushed against the huge double doors, but they refused to budge. Another knight hammered on the door to the gatehouse, but the ironbound door did not yield.

Looks like someone’s still keeping up the fight. Emerald thought thankfully. She continued scanning around for her friends.

Finally, she saw a familiar flash of rainbow hair just outside the gates, behind one of the farmhouses.

“Spectrum Song,” Emerald breathed. Now that she knew where her friends were, it was just a matter of escaping the city. Too bad that meant getting past the knights who were in the way. There was no way she could sneak by them, and the wall was too sheer to scale unassisted. Once again Emerald missed her wings.

The gates were putting up a good fight, but every now and then there would be a grinding sound and the two massive wooden doors would inch a little closer to their frame. She had to escape Masyaf now, or there might not be a way out later.

Her eyes traced around her surroundings, looking for something, anything that might help.

There! There was a pile of wooden crates that had been knocked down beside the gate, having fallen from a wagon with a broken wheel. The gates were still open wide enough that Emerald might be able to slip through the top.

“Now or never,” Emerald gritted her teeth and ran out from behind her hiding place. The knights were so focused on closing the gate that they did not hear her footsteps coming until she was almost on top of them.

By the time one of them turned around, Emerald had leapt off the pile of crates, sending wooden boxes everywhere. She then leapt onto the nearest knight’s head, and using the momentum from his straightening up in surprise, was launched up over the gate and landed outside the city walls in a crouch and roll.

The good news was that Emerald had managed to escape the city’s confines. The bad news was that she had now caught the attention of four of Morn’s knights, and they all spotted her out in the open. Swords were drawn from scabbards.

“Ah, horseapples,” Emerald breathed. She had her own sword, of course, and her armor. But she still didn’t think she could take on four men at once. She considered running, but leading them to her friends, most of whom had little fighting experience, didn’t appeal to her either.

Emerald drew her sword and stood up, facing the knights as they left the gates and began to run toward her. She was just about to rush them when something whipped past her left side and ricocheted off one of the knights’ pauldrons, leaving a smear of iron on the polished steel.

“We’re here, Emerald!” Posey’s voice came from behind the former pegasus. Emerald turned to look and Posey loosed a second arrow from her bow, this time managing to get it between two of the left-hand knight’s armor plates. The shaft struck deep into his knee, bringing him falling down onto the ground in a cloud of dirt.

The remaining three knights raised their shields, approaching slower now that they had lost one of their comrades. Then a glass vial full of red liquid sailed past Emerald’s right and shattered onto the middle knight. The liquid reacted with the air and burst into flames; not even Morn’s brainwashing was enough to keep the knight calm. Though silent, he dropped his sword and shield and flailed around before running towards a nearby well and falling in with a splash.

“You can do it, Em!” Nightfall Gleam’s voice came from a short distance away.

Emerald took advantage of the last two knights’ distracted faces to rush them with her sword, prepared to duel them. Her first swing was blocked by a shield, but she lodged her sword in the metal and grabbed the knight around the throat before activating her hidden blade, the steel puncturing the exposed mail and skin. It wasn’t deep enough to kill him, but it was all she could do before the knight kicked her away.

Emerald rolled on the ground and jumped back onto her feet. Her sword was still stuck in the knight’s shield, which would weigh it down. But now she was weaponless except for her hidden blades.

Posey was battling the other knight. She used her superior agility and acrobatics to keep from behind it, while looking for an opening with her knife and hidden blade. Eventually she managed to get in a strike in the knight’s underarm, where there was only chain mail. The knife punched through the metal rings and the knight’s entire arm went limp.

With one opponent left to her, Emerald ran at the knight. He raised his sword for a horizontal slash, but Emerald slid under the attack at the last minute and scooped up a sword in her hands. Before the knight could turn around, she got back up and kicked him over like a turtle. The armor might have been an advantage in fighting, but now it was only weighing him down. Emerald found the spot where the helmet met the breastplate and thrust the sword into the gap, severing the spine and killing the knight instantly.

A yell from the side caught the spymaster’s attention. Posey had fired an arrow at point blank range right into her opponent’s visor slot. The fletchings on the rear half of the arrow stuck out like a flag from the fallen knight’s face.

“Well,” Emerald panted as she staggered over to Posey. “That was a little closer than I would have liked. Thank you, Posey.”

Nightfall Gleam scurried over to them, a vial of flame magic in her hand. “We did it!” The mage cheered. “Where’s Hollow Wish?” She looked around. “She’s the one who told us to wait for you here.”

Emerald pinched a scabbard from one of the dead knights and buckled it to her belt, then slid her sword into it. “She stayed behind. Is it true? Morn has taken over Masyaf?”

Behind Emerald, the knight who had been shot in the knee slowly rose up onto one leg, holding out his left arm. A pair of crossbow arms flicked out from a heavy device on his wrist. There was a click as the bowstring was drawn into firing position.

“Emerald, watch out!” Posey cried out, pushing the former pegasus out of the way and drawing back her own bowstring just as the knight fired his weapon.

Emerald watched as if in slow motion as both arrows passed each other in the air. Posey let out a gasp, but the archer’s aim had been true. The knight was speared through the eye hole of his helmet by Posey’s shot and fell back, dead.

Posey stood there, slumped over. The barbed bolt from the knight’s wrist crossbow was stuck in her abdomen, the point of the arrow sticking out the back of Posey’s tunic. Bright red blood dripped onto the Saddle Arabian soil and ran in cherry-colored rivulets.

“Posey!” Emerald shouted, as distraught as if she had been the one who had been shot. She scrambled to her feet and rushed over to the archer. She was wearing a brave face, but it was obvious she was in a lot of pain.

“I’ll be alright,” Posey grunted, holding the site of the injury gingerly. “Just need… to get the arrow out…”

“We can help with that,” Nightfall said quickly. “But we can’t stay here. Look.”

The gates to Masyaf had finally swung shut. On the top of the wall, ranks of golden-eyed archers began to fire on the three women.

There was no choice but to move, wounded Posey or not. And that was no choice at all.

89 - Not a Drop to Drink

It seemed that Morn was more focused on capturing and securing the city of Masyaf than in pursuing Emerald’s party, because after several hours of moving quickly, but not too quickly, there didn’t seem to be anyone chasing them. Then again, anyone who knew that Emerald had escaped the dungeons was either dead or broken, so it was entirely possible that Morn was still scouring the city looking for the former pegasus.

He was welcome to do so, Emerald thought to herself. The more time he wasted searching Masyaf for her, the more time she would have to find the artifact that was, by Aldilu’s own admission, somewhere in the White Desert.

The mages had not been idle during the two weeks that Emerald had been imprisoned. They had initially, of course, planned to break her out, but without sufficient knowledge of the architecture of the palace, that plan had gone nowhere.

So instead, they had procured maps and charts of Saddle Arabia in the hopes that, should Emerald be released, they could go after the artifact that was in the White Desert. They had even purchased a camel upon which they had loaded some supplies.

Posey was sitting on the camel now, sleeping from a sort of crude painkiller that Light Speckle had concocted. They had taken out the arrow in Posey’s midsection, but without proper magic with them, there had only been so much they had been able to do. Just to bandage it up and keep moving. Posey had insisted that they leave her behind, but Emerald was having none of it.

“We won’t leave you to fend for yourself,” Emerald had put her foot down. “You’re one of the group now, Posey. We look after each other.”

And so they had gone on.

According to the map, the White Desert was to the east of Masyaf. Having left through the western gate, they had circled around the city under the cover of darkness and by the time the sun had risen, Masyaf was a small model-like structure on the horizon. Following the glowing orb, they had journeyed a fair distance before they stopped to eat and rest.

“Ah wonder how come Masyaf fell so quickly,” Honeygold said as she drizzled some honey onto a piece of bread. “Woulda thought a big city like that would have a lot of soldiers. Morn can’t have brought so many knights that they could conquer Masyaf that quick.”

“Ah’m curious about that as well,” Apple Bean replied as she drank sparingly from a waterskin. “But the innkeeper lady did say that a lot of people were out dealin’ with that white flyin’ monster. An’ Morn’s got Excalibur. He can take over people’s minds.”

Emerald and Light Speckle were helping Posey change her bandages while Nightfall checked the maps for the right way to go. The archer’s wound hadn’t gotten any better, and the site of the injury was an inflamed, angry red.

“I do not like how that looks, Emerald,” Light Speckle said as she applied more salve to Posey. “Normally I would recommend rest and not moving in order for the arrow wound to heal better. Even then, there’s a chance it might become infected. Out here, however…” She did not finish the sentence, but Emerald caught the meaning well enough.

The former pegasus nodded grimly. “Stay strong, Posey. We’ve come this far; you won’t die from just this.”

The archer nodded, but said nothing.

“Ah wonder what happened to the tradin’ group that came here with us.” Honeygold looked out to the desert. “Maybe we’ll bump into them.”

Nightfall Gleam was looking up into the sky, then back down at her maps. “I got these from the best cartographer in the city, but they’re not very detailed when it comes to the White Desert. It mostly lists oases and rock formations, but no caves or temples.”

“Cause ain’t nobody gonna put some place like that on the map.” Golden Nugget passed the busy mage a hunk of bread and cheese, which she accepted gratefully and ate while still examining the charts.

“At the speed we’re going, it will take five days to traverse the White Desert from one end to the other. Not suggesting we do that,” Nightfall said as the others looked at her with expressions of disbelief on their faces. “But if the temple is at the other end, it will take a minimum of five days to get there. I hope we have enough supplies.”

“Just keep an eye out for any structures.” Guard Streak waved a hand through the air. “I am sure a temple will be hard to miss in all this sand.”

“It can’t be that easy.”

Emerald privately agreed with the notion that the temple wouldn’t be simple to find, though she resented it. If the temple was out in the open, then they wouldn’t need to go to the king to ask about it. And it also didn’t appear on any maps.

“Look,” Emerald said at last. “Let’s just get to the next oasis. Maybe we’ll find some clues on the way.”

I hope.

After getting up after a good night’s rest, the group was once again on the trail. Nightfall led them from the front with her map. She had even managed to procure one of those little north-pointing devices; she had wanted to take it apart and see how it worked, but right now it was more useful intact.

They had been proceeding in a straight line since leaving Masyaf, which had now vanished from sight behind a couple of sand dunes.

They saw no temples, or actually any structures of any kind. Just sand. Sand that was a lighter shade of brown than the sand that they had traveled to get to Masyaf. It would seem that they were beginning to impinge upon the territory that King Aldilu had called the White Desert.

Emerald would have liked to think on this a bit more, but her half-empty waterskin was distracting her. Without all the carrying capacity that Salt Flats’ trading caravan had offered them, the group was already more than halfway through their supplies.

“Don’t worry, everyone,” Nightfall had said. “We’re almost at an oasis. Just a couple more hours and we’ll be able to see it.”

Spectrum ran ahead to look at the map. “We’re around here, right?” She pointed to the map.

“Yes, that’s right,” Nightfall confirmed.

“Then why aren’t we going to this oasis here?” Spectrum’s finger landed on a patch of blue on the map’s surface. “It’s way closer, isn’t it?”

Nightfall Gleam sighed. She pointed at the sky in the northeast. “That’s why.”

Spectrum looked up and followed the mage’s finger. There, above the sand dunes, was a familiar white shape that was circling around in the sky. Spectrum’s face grew grim.

“Oh.”

Emerald also saw the white smudge in the sky and her heart sank. If that thing decided to come towards them and attack, she wasn’t sure her crew would be able to fight it off. Especially with Posey in the condition that she was.

The sun continued to beat down on them mercilessly with its scorching heat. They went around another bunch of dunes, slipping and sliding on the loose, white sand. The particles were a lot finer here than before, almost powder like. Emerald found herself sinking almost ankle deep into it, weighed down as she was by her armor. It got everywhere, but at least it wasn’t coarse and rough.

It was nearing sundown when Nightfall announced that the oasis should be over the next dune. Emerald felt her spirits lift at the idea of drinking some cool water, but as soon as they reached the peak of the dune, the entire party stopped in their tracks, horror setting in on their faces.

“Oh, no…” Nightfall whispered.

There had been an oasis here at some point, but now all that was left was a few small muddy puddles and some withered palm trees and rocks. And to nail things home, there was a bleached white skeleton of a human lying next to the hole where the water had once been.

“No water?!” Jewel Pin wobbled over to the skeleton and fell to her knees rather dramatically. “What are we going to do now?!”

“Nightfall?” Emerald asked quietly. “How old are these maps?”

Nightfall looked distressed. “The salesman said they were the most accurate and recent ones!” She looked at the little number on the bottom corner of the map. “Five years ago?!”

“Well to be fair,” Light Speckle said consolingly. “Cartography does take many years. These probably are the most up to date maps. Does not help our situation, though.”

Behind them there was a soft thump.

“Posey!” Emerald scurried over to where the archer lay on the sand, her mouth gasping and her hands clutching her wounded abdomen.

“Emerald…” Posey croaked. “So thirsty…”

“The bleeding hasn’t stopped,” Nightfall said with an undercurrent of worry in her voice. “She’s losing a lot of water through that arrow wound. If we run out of water, she could die.”

“Here, Posey,” Emerald unstoppered her waterskin and poured the remaining liquid into Posey’s mouth, who gulped it down.

“We need to restock our water supplies,” Light Speckle said somberly. “Nightfall. The only close oasis is that one to the west?”

“According to my maps, yes.”

Emerald helped Posey back up onto the camel. “Then that is where we will have to go,” The former pegasus declared.

“Emerald,” Nightfall said uncertainly. “You are aware that there is a dragon flying around that oasis? If we go there, we’re certain to catch its attention!”

“And unless we get some more water, we’re going to die of thirst out here anyway,” Emerald shot back. “At least we have some chance against a dragon. I’ve fought one before. They’re not so tough.”

“We’re not in your world, Emerald!” Nightfall fretted. “None of us can fly, only you have armor, and only a few of us even know how to fight! If we catch the dragon’s attention, we’re doomed!”

Emerald was in a quandary. If they did not get more water soon, Posey, and eventually the rest of the group, would die of dehydration under the hot Saddle Arabian sun. Death was a certainty, and even if they did find the artifact, it would be no good to them dead. On the other hoof, the only oasis that was close enough was the one that had a dragon circling around it. She knew which one she preferred.

“Maybe we can reason with the dragon,” Emerald suggested. “They are intelligent, are they not?” A look of desperation came over her face. “Please, Nightfall. Everyone here needs water, and Posey won’t make it much longer without some. I’d rather die fighting against the odds than out here in the desert where nobody will even remember us.”

“Death or glory, eh?” Light Speckle got a strange gleam in her eye. “Fine. We’ll go that way. Mayhap my magic will be of help should it come to a battle. Nightfall?”

Nightfall Gleam looked torn between choices, but in the end she squared her shoulders and nodded. “I will go with you. But the others should be told of this decision. I will not bring them unknowingly into a fight to the death.”

Emerald nodded, relieved. “Agreed. Let’s go tell them.”

“No need,” Golden Nugget’s voice said from right behind them. “We’ve heard it all.”

“And?” Nightfall waited for an answer.

“We ain’t gonna let ya go on your own.” Golden Nugget planted his staff in the sand. “We’ve gone this far together. Ain’t gonna let ya go on your own all o’ a sudden.”

“Yes, we’re with you, Em!” Honeygold bounced over excitedly. “Ah ain’t never been up close with a dragon before.”

“Knighthood, here we come!” Spectrum nudged Streak and patted her shortsword.

Emerald felt a feeling of gratitude and camaraderie rise up and her eyes misted over. “Oh, my friends…” she said, wiping the tears from her face. “I couldn’t ask for better companions. You are like the brothers and sisters I never had. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“Aw shucks, Em, don’t get all sentimental on us now,” Apple Bean walked over and patted Emerald on the shoulder. “Tell ya what, all ya gotta do to repay us is stop Morn and bring peace back to Canterlot. We wouldn’t ask anything more from ya.”

Emerald sniffled and smiled tearfully at the farmer. “Of course, Apple Bean. I’ll do that.”

The trek to the next oasis was mostly done in silence, first thing the next morning. The group walked with weapons drawn, with the exception of Posey who was half-passed out on the camel’s back. They walked quickly but stealthily, though privately Emerald reckoned that this was for their own delusional well being rather than a practical strategy. There was nothing but white sand all around, and with an aerial view, the dragon would see them coming from miles away.

Though speaking of the dragon, Emerald didn’t see it now. She kept glancing up into the sky, but apart from a few little scraps of cloud, there was nothing else up in the heavens. Emerald hoped that maybe it was sleeping, or even better, had flown away.

Before long, the blue, sparkling water of the oasis caught Emerald’s eye, along with the large collection of flora that grew around it. This was a big oasis, all right, practically almost a small lake. There were some rock formations all around the pool, with an especially big one on the north side. Emerald perked up. Could this be the site of the secret temple where the artifact was supposed to be hidden?

As the group got closer, Emerald held up a fist for them to stop.

“Alright, we’re almost there,” the former pegasus said in a low voice. “I’m going to scout ahead to see if there’s any danger. I’ll just take a look around and come right back.”

“Be careful, Em!” Spectrum said.

Emerald sprinted over to a pile of stones that would provide her with cover and rolled into position. The sand here was shallower, and Emerald felt her feet sink in and touch dirt or bedrock. She peeked out between a pair of stones, looking for anything white. There did not seem to be anything, so the spymaster crept out and scurried to another pile of rocks.

As she crouched there, Emerald’s foot bumped into something hard. She looked down. It was some kind of circular thing, made of metal and wood with a handle in the center.

Is this… a shield? Emerald picked it up, the sand falling out of it. It was a shield, no doubt; a little dented and cracked. Emerald remembered that a lot of monster hunters had set out looking to slay the white dragon. Maybe this shield belonged to one of them.

Still, there was nobody about so Emerald looped her left arm through the straps on the shield and sneaked further towards the oasis. This was where she saw the first unusual feature. The sand around the edge of the water was muddled with huge footprints, tipped with talons that had dug into the sand. But there were human footprints too, a lot of them. There were also faint smears of something reddish brown in the otherwise pristine white sand. It almost looked like dried blood.

Emerald gulped and tightened her grip on her sword. She heard splashing and peered out at the water. There were ripples on the surface of the surface. Were they big enough to belong to a dragon?

Gathering up her courage, Emerald left her cover and faced the body of water. There was nothing there, only ripples from the far shore. As she watched, she caught a glimpse of something white whipping behind the largest rock formation, easily visible against the brownish orange stone texture.

“Right,” Emerald muttered. She knew she had come here to scout and shouldn’t be thinking about fighting the dragon, but the tension built up inside her was threatening to burst if she didn’t do something. “No more games.”

There was a sparse trail of feathers leading behind the rocks, which Emerald followed.

Feathers? From a dragon? She wondered, but kept advancing. There weren’t any shadows to hide in, given that it was about high noon right now, but the shade cast by the rocky outcroppings left her some darkness to hide in.

Finally, Emerald reached the corner. She was breathing heavily. Dragons in Equestria had a keen sense of smell and hearing. Oh, and they could breathe fire. There was every chance that the dragon was right around the bend, ready to incinerate her the second she popped out.

She had an idea. Unstrapping the shield from her arm, she made ready to throw it. If a torrent of flame or a crushing pair of jaws took it, then the whole quest was as good as doomed.

Hooking her fingers on the rim of the shield, the former pegasus wound up and tossed it around the corner, where it landed in the sand with a small paff. She could just see the edge of it, half buried from her throw.

A slender human arm, colored cameo brown, reached out and picked up the shield, pulling it away and out of sight.

Emerald blinked. That wasn’t a dragon that she had just seen. What was going on here?

The spymaster could take it no more, she breathed in and stepped out from behind the rocks, sword in hand.

“Oh!” A female voice said. “Who are you?”

There was a willowy young woman standing there, wearing pure white fabrics draped around her waist and upper body, adorned with gold bracelets and leg bangles. Her hair was as alabaster as the sands around her, and fell about her shoulders and face in a feathery halo. She looked at Emerald with her golden eyes, a faint look of polite inquisitiveness on her face.

“Uh,” Emerald said, lowering her weapon. “I’m, ah, my name is Emerald Edge.”

“Well met, Emerald Edge,” the other human said cordially. “Now, there is a question that I must ask. Are you here to slay the dragon?”

90 - Wine, Women, and a Prince

“Are you here to slay the dragon?”

Emerald blinked twice. The other young woman looked at her expectantly, holding the shield in her hands in front of herself.

While she had expected to have to contend with the dragon, Emerald’s primary objective was not to seek a foe here. They had only come here for water and a place to rest. She also had this faint feeling in the back of her mind that told her to be very careful around this person.

“Um, no,” Emerald shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

The other woman seemed to relax, dropping the shield into the sand. “Well, that’s just fine then! My name is Celdri. I’m here on holiday.”

“Hol-Holiday?” Emerald asked. It wasn’t a word she was familiar with. “What is that?”

“You know, a vacation,” Celdri said lightly. She went behind the rock formation where there was a large white and gold tent set up. Reaching inside, she took out a bottle of wine and two golden chalices. “It’s tradition for the host to offer the guest a drink, isn’t it?” She poured out some of the crimson liquid into the goblets and handed one to Emerald.

The spymaster reached out and took the chalice rather reluctantly. She wasn’t here to celebrate or even have a ‘holiday’. She needed water for Posey and the rest of her group and then they needed to get the artifact fast, but seeing as this was this woman’s custom or something, perhaps just one drink will do. The last thing she wanted to do was offend someone out here.

“Cheers,” Celdri clinked her chalice against Emerald’s before quaffing the wine in one gulp. Emerald took a sip of her own beverage. It was sweet and bubbly, with a faint tangy aftertaste. All in all, a very good wine.

“Are you sure it is quite safe here?” Emerald asked once she had drunk about half the contents of her cup. “What if the dragon comes back?”

“Oh, I’m quite sure the dragon won’t be bothering you,” Celdri flapped her hand at Emerald. “After all, you’re not here to hunt it, so it won’t hunt you. What brings you all the way out here in the first place, if you’re not in the monster slaying business?”

“Um, do you mind if I go get the rest of my friends first?” The former pegasus asked meekly. This Celdri was clearly in a chatty mood. “We came here looking for water on our quest.”

Emerald stepped out into the open, where she could spot the rest of the questors waiting atop a sand dune. She waved her arms above her head, signalling them to come closer. They began their approach once they saw Emerald’s all clear, with Jewel Pin breaking into a sprint when she saw the cup in her hand.

“Water!” She all but yanked it from Emerald’s hand and swallowed its contents. “What-what is this? Tis delicious and exquisite!”

“Um, wine?” Emerald shrugged.

“Why, that is not something you find out in the wild all that often.” Jewel Pin wiped her mouth. “Now, what do we have here?”

“I met someone who says she’s here on holi-day?” Emerald’s tongue tried to form the unfamiliar word. “She gave me the wine.”

“Look at all the bushes and trees!” Light Speckle exclaimed, looking at the plants growing around the oasis. “We will be able to replenish our stock with fruits and greens. Wonderful.”

“Now, where is the host?” Jewel Pin licked her lips. “I should like to… introduce myself.”

As if on cue, Celdri slipped out from behind the rock formation, carrying a basket in one hand and two more bottles of wine in the other.

“Always happy to meet some locals,” she said after introducing herself. “Building trust is one of the cornerstones of doing good business. Not that I am here on business,” She added airily as she poured out more wine for the group.

“She thinks we’re locals here?” Spectrum asked her fellow squire. Guard Streak could only shrug.

Apple Bean helped Posey off the camel. “Y’all get started without me, Ah’m going to take Posey down to the water and see if we can’t improve her condition.”

“I’ll go too,” Light Speckle volunteered.

Celdri watched them go down to the waterside. “You have an injured party member,” she said matter of factly.

“That we do.” Emerald sighed. “She got hurt defending me.”

The host of the group unpacked some honey cakes and some kind of strange food that looked like thinly cut meat wedged between two slices of bread, and trimmed into triangles. After pouring more wine, they sat around a flat rock in the shadow of some palm trees and rested.

“I might be here on holiday, but I still have to represent my company well,” Celdri informed Emerald and her friends. “So, what brings you out here to this oasis? You said you were on a quest of some kind.”

“There is an artifact out here we hope to find.” Emerald didn’t want to give away too much information. “Something that could help us.”

“Oh? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“You could say that, yes.”

“And you are searching this wide desert for this artifact?” Celdri passed Honeygold a cake. “Do you have any clues as to where it might be?”

“It’s in a temple somewhere in the White Desert,” Spectrum piped up. “Other than that, no clue.”

Jewel Pin had picked up one of the triangle bread foods and in no time, she was stuffing them down her face. To Emerald’s astonishment, Celdri never seemed to run out of them, no matter how many Jewel Pin was consuming.

Emerald figured they must be good. She didn’t have any herself, for obvious reasons, but she was glad to know there were still generous humans out here in such desolate landscapes.

“I don’t suppose you know anything about it?” Emerald asked their host.

Celdri put down her wine goblet and regarded Emerald seriously. “I might. Tell me first, what do you intend to do once you have this artifact? Sell it for money, perhaps? Financial motivation?”

Emerald sighed. “We need to take the kingdom back from a usurper.”

“Oh, a noble and selfless quest then,” Emerald couldn’t tell whether Celdri was mocking her or not. “Well, I couldn’t care less what people do in this land, so long as they don’t disturb my holiday. As for temples, I believe I passed one on my way to this spot. It was a few dozen leagues over yonder,” Celdri pointed toward the northwest, at a patch of sand that looked just like the rest of the White Desert. “Mayhap your artifact is in there.”

“Wait, you came from that direction?” Guard Streak asked curiously. “I didn’t know there were any kingdoms over that way.”

Celdri looked slightly amused. “It is not quite a kingdom, no. I did spend a lot of time exploring the desert before settling on this spot. Isolated and quiet, you see.”

“You must have been here a long time,” Jewel Pin commented.

Celdri’s expression grew even more amused. “Scarcely. Only a bit over a month.”

There was a brief distraction in the form of Apple Bean, Light Speckle, and Posey returning from water’s edge. The archer looked a little better, with more color in her face than before, but she was having difficulty walking and breathing. They needed to find that artifact as quickly as possible. King Aldilu mentioned it could heal. Emerald just hoped it could get Posey fully back on her feet.

“That looks quite painful,” Celdri commented at Posey’s bandaged abdomen. “Have you been trekking about with that wound all this time?”

“We have no choice.” Emerald looked at her friend with sad eyes. Posey was only this way because she had failed to see the knights’ had a new weapon. As spymaster, she shouldn’t have become complacent on things like this. “The artifact could save her. Thank you for your hospitality, Celdri, but I am afraid we must make haste before tis too late.”

Celdri seemed to contemplate something internally for a moment, then shook her head and drained the last of the wine from her chalice. “Well then, let me help you restock your supplies. You said you needed to refill your water, yes?”

Going down to the waterside, Emerald and her party set about refilling their waterskins and washing off some of the sand that had stuck to them on their journey. Emerald would have liked a full on bath, but there was no time for one. As she rose up from the water, her foot bumped into something. It was a Saddle Arabian helmet, almost completely buried in the white sand.

This being the second piece of armor she had found in the sand in recent memory, Emerald picked it up and examined it. The metal was cracked and warped, as if it had been exposed to high heat in a short amount of time.

Emerald put the partially melted helmet back down, the feeling of unease growing in the pit of her stomach. A lot of people seemed to have been killed here and this Celdri was just camping out and having her holiday thing on this spot? Something was telling her this human wasn’t what she seemed.

The former pegasus looked up at the sky. It was getting close to evening, and it was best to move at night, though that wasn’t something that they had adhered to on this leg of the journey. She looked back at the group as they clustered around the camel, fussing about with the food and water. The mages had picked a lot of fruit from the trees and bushes to replenish their dwindling supply of bread, and they would have no shortage of water for a while.

Celdri stood a small distance away, swaying back and forth like a tree in a breeze. She seemed to be completely at ease, watching Emerald’s friends with a placid smile on her face. In the dry desert wind, the sash around her upper body flapped behind her almost like a pair of wings.

With more food and water packed, Emerald went back to thank Celdri before setting off again.

“I suppose we’ll be leaving now,” Emerald said to their host. “Thank you for your help and kindness. The temple was over that way, yes?” Emerald pointed.

“That’s right,” Celdri nodded. “I wish you all the best of luck on your quest. If I’m still here on the return trip, maybe we can drink a toast to your victory.”

“Victory is far from our hands.” Emerald looked into the distance. The artifact was but one small step to reclaiming Canterlot.

“Ah, well. Nothing worth doing is easy,” Celdri said sagely. “Still, good fortune to you. You’ll probably need it.”

“That we will.” Emerald nodded and accepted a handshake from her. “You have a pleasant time on rest of your… holuhday.”

“Oh, I think I will. Goodbye, Emerald Edge.”

It took them a while to get out of sight of the oasis, but by the time night fell they were a good distance away. They went on for a good portion of the night, and only when the children began to nod off did Emerald declare that it was time to set up camp and rest.

Without a guide, everything around them looked the same and they didn’t know how far they walked since leaving the oasis. There was still no sign of any temples, but Emerald hoped they were at least close by now.

“I miss those triangular goodies Celdri had already…” Jewel Pin grabbed for the air as though she was reaching for something. “I can still picture them.”

As it was, Posey’s condition began to worsen again. They used some of their precious water boiling and cleaning bandages so that they could be used again. Emerald was disheartened to see the brave and skilled archer in such a pitiful condition. Gabriel soared above them, voicing his agreement, or at least, Emerald thought he did.

“Just leave me…” Posey coughed. “I’m slowing you down… I’ve done… my part, Em. I got you this far.”

“Ain’t gonna happen, Posey.” Apple Bean patted the archer’s head. “You’re gettin’ through this.”

“We’ll get you back on your feet, Posey.” Emerald nodded to her. “You have my word. I made a promise to your mother. I expect to keep it.”

Posey seemed as though she was about to protest, but at that moment there was a shout from Nightfall Gleam, who had her spyglass out and was looking around.

“Emerald! Everyone! There’s someone on a horse approaching from the south!”

Emerald was bolt upright in an instant. “Is it Morn?”

“I don’t think so,” Nightfall squinted into her eyepiece. “I do not see Excalibur on the rider… riders! There are two of them on the horse.”

“Well, we ought to be a match for two people if they should turn out to be enemies,” Spectrum drew her weapon and swung it from left to right.

Emerald knew there was the possibility of that horse just being a couple of local humans, but with everything that was going on, it was a little hard to accept.

The rest of the party followed suit, drawing their weapons and arranging themselves in a rough circle around the camel and Posey.

Soon they saw a plume of rising sand as the horse and it's riders drew closer. Emerald tensed. Who could possibly be riding around like this? It seemed too much of a coincidence that they should meet like this. Either the riders were looking for them, or were also searching for the temple.

“They are gaining!” Light Speckle turned to check again. “Can we identify them?”

Nightfall shook her head. “They’re wearing scarves and cloaks. The horse looks to be of good stock, though. That’s a war-horse. Saddle Arabian breed!”

“Now how would a mage know anythin’ about them horses?” Golden Nugget asked.

“Is this really the time?”

“Whether time or no, they have quite the powerful horse,” Apple Bean talked over them. “They shall overtake us.”

Emerald unsheathed her weapon and kept it at the ready. Should it be Morn or one of his followers, they had to dispatch them before they could go back to alert him of their location.

As they got closer and closer, she could tell one was male and one was female, but apart from that, their cloaks whipped about their faces and kept their identity from being shown.

Before they knew it, the horse was pulling up to a stop in front of them, and the two riders dismounted.

“What do you want?” Emerald challenged as the two strangers got closer.

The man’s eyes gazed out furiously from his hood and face scarf, and he reached up and tore it off.

“You!” Prince Sombra exclaimed angrily.

Emerald was just as quick to shoot back. “Sombra!” she hissed.

“And Parisa!” The court dancer skipped along behind the prince, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. “Remember me? I remember you! I remember each and every one of you!”

Emerald leapt right off the sand and onto Sombra, knocking him to the ground. She lifted her right arm and activated her hidden blade, madness in her eyes. “You took everything from me!”

“I did?!” The prince spat back. “You brought them here! You took the kingdom from me! You took my father from me!”

“What!?” Emerald retorted. “What are you talking about, you usurper?”

Sombra planted a foot under her and kicked her off, then rolled backwards onto his knees, sword already in hand. The rest of Emerald’s friends raised their weapons, but took no steps to engage.

“You brought the usurper to us. Because of your actions, my father now lies dead and my kingdom has been taken!” Sombra pointed his sword at Emerald. “You deserve to die for what you have done!”

But then as quickly as he had raised his weapon, he placed it back in its scabbard, much to Emerald’s confusion.

“But as much as I want your head… I first need your help.” Sombra muttered something under his breath. “You came to us to stop that king. We want the same thing. Will you agree to a temporary truce until Masyaf has been retaken?”

“Truce? Like I would ally myself with the likes of you! You took my world from me! It was you! You are the reason I am here!” Emerald tried to lunge at him again, but her friends held her back. “Stop! He needs to die! I have to kill him! He took everything from me!”

“Believe me, I do not want to do this either. But the king of Canterlot is your enemy, as he is mine. Allying myself with you gives us both a better chance of toppling him,” Sombra grunted and turned back to his horse. “The entire city has fallen to King Morn Dread. Even my own men and women have taken leave of their senses and now fight for him. It is not natural; Parisa and I barely got out of there alive.”

“Prince Sombra said that we need to get to a temple so that he may receive the power to take the kingdom back!” Parisa said happily and leapt around the group. “We should ally ourselves! We can kill two birds with one scone!”

“See! See!” Spectrum suddenly threw her arms into the air and everyone turned to look at her. “I told you the saying is scones!”

Sombra shook his head in disgust and got back onto his horse. “I will deal with you troublemakers in time. But first, I must reach the temple and receive the blessings of the djinn. It is my birthright.”

“Jin?” Honeygold repeated. “What’s that? More monsters or magic?”

Sombra didn’t bother elaborating, but Parisa sidled over behind Honeygold and whispered, “Djinn are mystical spirits that inhabit the desert and watch over the Saddle Arabian royal family. They’re very secretive and are said to be able to grant wishes! Isn’t that exciting?”

Honeygold’s eyes brightened at the idea of what Parisa had just told her. Emerald, on the other hand, was a lot less impressed.

“We’ll let Sombra do with what he wants with the djinn. We’re after the artifact. We cannot stand against Morn without it.”

“I suppose this means that the trial is postponed indefinitely?” Parisa asked, twirling on the spot.

Sombra looked unimpressed. “For now. I still intend to see you Canterlotians answer for the death of my father.”

“We did not kill your father!” Spectrum said hotly.

“If you had not led that mad king to Masyaf, my father would still be alive,” Sombra said venomously. “Now the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are at risk. It falls on your heads!”

Emerald wanted to protest more, but she couldn’t find fault with that. It was true. If they hadn’t come all the way here, perhaps Morn wouldn’t have as well. And this Sombra did make some sense, usurper or no. But like the prince himself said, she would deal with him later.

“We shall deal with that when it comes to us,” Light Speckle said. “But for now, I think our interests align. We need to get to the temple and we need to take back our kingdoms.”

“Wooo, New friends!” Parisa gave both Spectrum and Honeygold a squeeze. “I always like making new friends. Do you? We are going to be the best of friends!”

“Very well.” Sombra warily eyed Emerald before adjusting his sword-belt. “Then I shall lead us to the temple. By the looks of it, your friend is not in good shape. I would take heed to follow my instructions, should I be you.”

Emerald felt a retort on the tip of her tongue, but swallowed it for Posey’s sake. Without manticore blood, the vital ingredient for healing magic, they couldn’t ensure her survival. She had to make sure the archer survived, or she wouldn’t know how to live with herself even if they did manage to save Canterlot.

“Very well,” Emerald conceded begrudgingly. “We will do it your way for now. But I am watching you.”

“And I you,” Sombra scowled back.

Parisa looked at both of them with a slowly diminishing smile on her face.

“Sooooo… should we get going now?”

91 - The Trials of the Djinn

Emerald Edge followed along behind Sombra as he led the way across the White Desert. She still didn’t trust him completely, so she kept close enough in case he decided to try something. After all, he had almost killed her once before in Equestria.

Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam hung by the camel, where they did what they could to alleviate Posey’s discomfort and pain. It didn’t help that a camel was no place for a wounded companion, but they didn’t have anywhere else. They needed to get that artifact, and fast.

“I have to warn you…” Sombra suddenly said from the front, seated atop his horse. “The temple is no easy path. Only the truly tested may pass into the sanctum of the djinn.”

“What does that mean?” Honeygold asked. “There some kinda puzzle or riddle we gotta solve to get in?”

“It is a secret that is passed down through the royal family of Saddle Arabia for time immemorial,” Sombra huffed. “But since we are working together, it would make sense for me to tell you. Only so that you survive this to face real justice. Not because I trust you.”

Emerald scoffed at that. “Tis your wish and I do not care for your choice.”

“Must you be so hostile towards our alliance?” Sombra grunted.

“Must you?”

“You are a criminal,” Sombra said flatly. “I am a prince on a noble quest to reclaim my homeland from a madman. The two of us are nothing alike.”

“You cur!” Emerald exclaimed, clenching her fists and resisting the urge to wring his neck. “What do you think we are doing?! You are the criminal, not I!”

“You dare to come into my kingdom and you call me a criminal?!” Sombra stopped in his tracks.

“I am on a mission from my princess, and interfering with a quest given by royalty is a crime!” Emerald snapped. “If I had not been thrown in prison for two weeks I might already have the artifact! You delayed me and that’s why your father is dead! In fact, you’re the reason I am even on this quest! Usurper!”

“Cease your use of the word! I am no usurper! I am heir to the throne!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Emerald growled. “Let’s just get this on with. What obstacles are we likely to run into?”

Sombra exhaled deeply and resumed leading the group. “There shall be four traps to deter the unworthy, along with the dangers that emerge in darkness.”

“And you know the way through these traps, yes?” Nightfall Gleam asked. Sombra didn’t reply. “You… do not?”

Emerald shot him a glare and he sighed. “My father was to take me there when it was my time to rule, but…”

“You do not know the way,” Emerald replied curtly.

“And who is to blame for that?” Sombra shot back angrily.

“Tis you!”

Golden Nugget shoved his way between them before a fight could break out. “Could you two just stop arguin’ for five minutes? Em, to get through this, we need to work together, like it or no. Prince Sombra needs our help and we his.”

“He is right,” Light Speckle added. “Posey needs you, Emerald. We all do. Now, your majesty, please, surely you must know what dangers the temple contains?”

Sombra slowly nodded his head. “The Trails of the Djinn. The first of which is La Yujad Daw Huna. From light comes darkness and from darkness, light.”

“Ooh ooh!” Parisa suddenly started flailing her arms about. “I know this! Everyone in the palace knows this! The second one, Ant Wahid. Only alone must you find your way. Yjb An Tanjaraf. Only the fearless may overcome. Now what was the last one… Oh well! I have forgotten it!”

The dancer went back to prancing around the group as though what she had already said wasn’t depressing enough.

“Yjb An Taghraq Fi Al’aemaq. Only through the Sea of Shadows may the worthy find the light,” Sombra finished for them. “Aside from the traps,
the darkness holds creatures beyond any reason which would tear you limb from limb. We call them the ghul. Takers of life.”

Emerald didn’t like what she heard, but then again, when was anything ever easy anyway. They had pushed to get this far. They weren’t going to stop now.

Just over the next dune, Sombra stopped and pointed down and to the left where a well-sized plateau stood. At first, Emerald saw nothing, but then she saw that at the bottom of the plateau was a cave entrance with pillars carved around it, leading deep into the ground. The man-made pillars and supports blended in quite well with the rocks surrounding it and she didn’t know if it was intentional, but the rock surface outlining the entrance resembled the face of a snarling beast, frozen in time as it was about to devour its next meal, which hopefully won’t be her and her group. Though Sombra was free to be devoured, she didn’t care.

“We are here…” Sombra breathed. It sounded more like he said it to encourage himself. “We have no time to lose. If you wish to save your friend, we must bring her to the sanctum of the djinn.”

“How do you know these djinn can help her?” Guard Streak asked.

Sombra glanced at the squire as if deciding whether to answer. “Do you have any better ideas, child?” he said coldly. “Besides. I am not here for your purposes.” He then spurred his horse and rose ahead.

“The king already said so anyway, Streak,” Spectrum told him as they followed after the prince. “He said ‘healing’ when we talked to him.”

“What if we heard him wrong?”

Light Speckle put hands on both their shoulders. “Then you better start looking for manticores. Manticore blood is a vital ingredient to our healing magic, which unfortunately, we do not have.”

The squires looked at each other gloomily, then followed after Sombra. There really wasn’t a choice here.

The temple looked even more imposing and ominous up close. Men with pointed helmets and spears were carved all along each pillar’s surface and for some reason, they all wore expressions of doubt and fear. More carvings outlined the entrance, detailing pictures of humans fighting strange creatures that looked a bit like cats with wispy lower body halves.

“Welcome to Faki Namur.” Sombra waved a hand across the entrance as he tied his horse to a support. “Your people would call this… The Jaw of the Tiger. The entrance to the underworld itself.”

“It looks frightful,” Jewel Pin shuddered as she beheld the carvings. “Must we really go inside this place?”

“By all means, stay outside.” Sombra removed his hood and scarf and left it on his horse. “Only those worthy in the eyes of the djinn may enter this place.”

The prince loosened his sword in its scabbard before marching into the temple, where he was soon swallowed up by the shadows. Even Parisa’s usual cheer seemed to have evaporated.

“I don’t care if I’m worthy of these djinn or not,” Emerald muttered. “I’m going in.”

“But Em,” Honeygold dithered. “In all the stories, bad things happen to people who go into places they ain’t supposed to! If somethin’ happens to you, who’ll stop Morn?”

“If I don’t go in there, then we’ll never stop Morn,” Emerald squared her shoulders and drew her sword. “The artifact has to be inside. I”m going to get it, whether Sombra likes it or not.”

“You won’t be alone!” Spectrum followed along, dragging Streak with her. “As squires, it is our duty to accompany the knight on dangerous quests so that we may one day be knights ourselves. Right, Streak?”

“Umm… right.” The male squire was a lot less confident.

“Then I will be coming too!” Parisa popped up behind Emerald. “I’m a dancer! Dancers are trained to fight as well!” Two disc-like objects suddenly appeared in her hands and she spun around in the sand and swung them a few times. “See? I’ll get the prince to wait. Prince Sombra! Wait!” And she ran off into the dark to find him.

“Gee, she talks a lot.” Spectrum rubbed an eyebrow. “Still. A fighter is a fighter.”

“I shall leave the questing to you lot then.” Jewel Pin seemed relieved. “I shall wait here with Posey and the others.”

“But Em, please hurry.” Light Speckle came over and looked back at the wounded archer. “There is only so much we can do for the wound without our healing magic. She is getting worse. I do not know how much longer she has. You must make haste.”

Emerald gazed down into the dark yawning cave. She knew what she had to do, but she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it. No, she would do it or die trying. She owed it to everyone here and everypony back in Equestria.

“Here, take these.” Speckle held out a set of flints. “Tis for lighting a torch, should you need it. And you do need one.”

“Thank you, Speckle.” Emerald gave her a hug, then nodded to her group. “Let us go.”

Spectrum and Streak followed along behind her as they descended into the darkness below, grabbing broken pieces of wood on the way. It seemed a construction project had started here a long time ago, but stopped for an unknown reason. Still, the wood would be useful for some light.

Once they had fashioned two torches from wood and cloth, Emerald flicked the flints together and in no time, they had light as they went down a crude sloped path. She could now see Sombra
and Parisa waiting for them just a little further below.

“How were you walking without light?” Spectrum asked the duo when they got closer.

Parisa shrugged rather happily. “Hunches, new friend!”

Ahead, Sombra ran a hand along the surface of a wall. There were more carvings here of ancient warriors facing more of those cat creatures, at least, Emerald thought they were cats. Words were carved into the wall above, written in the Saddle Arabian language.

“La Yujad Daw Huna,” Sombra read out loud. “Here begins the first test.”

“What does that mean anyway?” Spectrum lifted the torch to better inspect the words. “Sounds like a type of fruit.”

“La Yujad Daw Huna,” Parisa repeated. “There is No Light Here. The name of the first test!”

“Too bad for them.” Spectrum raised her carried torch. “There is light now. Right, Streak?”

The other squire nodded.

The entrance to the first trial was down a tunnel in the cavern wall which was pitch black. The path was almost too small for even Spectrum, Streak and Parisa to fit through, so they had to bow their heads lower to get by, while Emerald and Sombra had to crouch lower. Bones outlined the floors, revealing humans who had attempted the gauntlet, only to fail. After traveling far in, the tunnel suddenly split into three paths, each going in a different direction.

“What now, prince?” Emerald asked with such a venomous tone.

Sombra glared at her, then shook his head and sighed. “From light comes darkness and from darkness, light.”

“You said that the first time. So what is it?”

“It’s our clue,” Sombra added. “Each test has a clue to help us through.”

“Well, from light…” Then Parisa pointed to the torches. “We have light!”

“So from light comes… darkness?” Guard Streak looked down the left tunnel. “Does that mean the darkness around the torch?”

“And light is supposed to come from the darkness…?” Emerald repeated. “Tis made of no sense! How can light produce darkness, which in turn produces light?”

“Is this magic? Do we need one of the mages to cast something?” Spectrum pointed back down the tunnel. “We are not too far in. I could run back and get Nightfall.”

“I have an idea!” Parisa bounced over to the squires. “Hold out your torches.”

Spectrum and Streak looked at each other, but then they complied and held them out to the dancer. With a deep breath, Parisa blew and somehow, she put out both torches and plunged them all into darkness.

“What in the hay! Why did you blow our lights out?” Spectrum could be heard somewhere behind Emerald.

“Shhh!” Parisa hissed. “Just wait!”

No one moved or said anything for a few seconds. Emerald didn’t know what the dancing girl was thinking, and she was about to say something when she realized she could see her hand.

“Huh?” She looked at the greenish hue that was cast over her hand. Then she noticed that the sides of the tunnel floor were now glowing a luminescent green. “What… is this?”

“Looks like mushrooms.” Spectrum kicked one and it wobbled.

“Of course…” Sombra snapped his fingers. “From light comes darkness. The torch, while a source of light, keeps the path in darkness. And from darkness, light. The mushrooms glow in the dark.”

“We already understood that. You didn’t need to repeat it,” Emerald said irritably.

The five of them followed the path down the right tunnel and along a few more twists and turns. At one point, Emerald could swear she heard some chittering, followed by something that sounded like laughter, but when they all stopped, the sounds stopped as well. She chalked it up as her own imagination, but as royal spymaster, it wasn’t something she could simply ignore. She had to be prepared for anything.

The tunnel soon widened out into a large cavern, where the ceiling disappeared into the darkness above. A rocky stairway led down onto a squarish platform that was separated from the stairway by a small gap, which dropped down into nothingness.

“Ant Wahid,” Sombra announced. “Only alone must you find your way.”

“Looks simple.” Guard Streak eyed the square platform. “It should lead us to the other side. All we have to do is walk across it.”

“Only alone must you find your way…” Emerald mused and repeated the clue. It couldn’t be so simple.

Sombra tightened his sword belt around his waist and proceeded down.

“Wait, Sombra, it cannot be that easy!” Emerald called after him, but he waved a hand at her.

“Alone you must find your way…” Sombra eyed the platform ahead. “I shall go first.”

Taking a few steps back, Sombra jumped over to the platform, which rocked as his feet touched the ground, almost throwing him off balance and into the abyss below.

“This is no stable platform.” Sombra stretched his arms out to keep his balance.

It seemed to be tilted up on the opposite side now, with Sombra’s weight bringing the front lower. Emerald figured if a second person were to jump on it, it would just send the whole platform falling down the chasm.

“Alone you must find your way. Of course…” she breathed. But yet, it still seemed too easy. That just meant they would have to get across one at a time.

Sombra was now about halfway when the chittering sounds returned, echoing out from the tunnel they had come from. On instinct, Emerald had already spun around, scimitar in hand. She couldn’t see anything down the tunnel yet, but whatever it was, the sounds were getting louder now.

“What is that?” Spectrum drew her shortsword and stood alongside her. “We can take them.”

“We don’t even k-know what ‘them’ is yet...” Guard Streak said, but also drew his weapon.

Emerald remembered Sombra’s warning to them. The temple didn’t just hold traps to ensnare the unwary. They contained creatures said to inhabit the dark.

Ghul.

“Parisa, what can you tell us about the ghuls?” Emerald turned to the dancing girl.

Parisa Pie was busy spinning around in a sort of dance, but then stopped and skipped over. “Ghul? They want to eat you! I don’t think there’s anything else to know about them. Oh! And they look somewhat like hyenas. You know hyenas?”

“Who is that?” Streak asked.

“Nevermind! You’ll see.”

“E-Em!” Spectrum patted the spymaster’s arm rapidly, trying to get her attention.

Emerald returned her attention to the tunnel. It didn’t look any different, except now it had two white orbs peering out of the darkness at them. As they got closer, Emerald could roughly see a face illuminated by the glowing mushrooms. It looked to be like a cat or even a little like a dog, but then its mouth opened in a smile, revealing rows of sharp fangs. This was no mere animal.

With a laughing sound coming from its mouth, it charged down the tunnel towards them on all fours, almost too fast for Emerald to raise her weapon.

Almost.

Lifting her sword, the creature impaled itself on her weapon, sliding its body all the way down to her sword’s guard. Its long skinny arms reached out and clawed at Emerald, slicing into her left arm and part of her chest, right through her armor. The former pegasus cried out, but then twisted her sword and slashed through its body and stepped away.

The ghul fell past her, almost in two pieces, still twitching, which Streak quickly finished off with a thrust to its head.

The creature was skinny, looking like that of a malnourished human, where its ribs could be seen pushing against its skin. Its legs were digitigrade, like that of an animal, but its most chilling feature was its face. The ghul had a short snout, ending in two simple slits for nostrils, and below it, its lipless mouth, housing two rows of fangs above and below.

“Wasn’t so hard.” Spectrum kicked its body to make sure it was dead.

“Tis not over.” Emerald narrowed her eyes as more sounds could be heard coming down the tunnel. “Sombra, make haste!”

Emerald touched her left arm, then came away with blood. She didn’t have time to patch it up now as two ghuls appeared down the tunnel, their mouths also twisted into grotesque grins.

“We cannot let them get on the platform,” Streak said and held his shortsword tighter.

“Then we’ll have to hold them in the tunnel.” Emerald looked back to Sombra again. “Hurry, Sombra!”

The prince picked up his pace across the platform, trying to take lighter steps to keep the platform from tipping too much to one side. Emerald watched as the platform moved beneath him. It said alone, but what if someone else were to balance it out as he reached the other end?

“There is a ledge over here!” Sombra called out from the other side of the platform, which was now tipped down on his side. “I cannot reach it!”

Emerald risked a glance back at Sombra before returning her attention to the tunnel where the creatures were getting closer. She could hear their feet scraping on the earthen floor of the temple. Emerald readied her scimitar and prepared to fight. Beside her, Spectrum and Guard Streak also took up a combat stance.

Parisa looked at the former pegasus and her friends, then at Sombra, who was trying to reach the higher ledge, but having no success. The dancer thought for a moment, then leapt off onto the platform with a “Whee!”.

The platform tilted, raising Sombra up toward the opposite ledge. But not quite high enough.

“Uh, hey!” Parisa called back over her shoulder. “I think I need more weight! Can one of you small ones skedaddle over here and give me a hand?”

“Who you calling small?” Spectrum stood at the edge and looked down. “Uh, are you sure tis safe for another to be on this?”

Emerald noted what they were up to. It was risky, but it might just work. “Spectrum, do as she says.”

“If you say so, Em.” The female squire jumped over and almost lost her footing if Parisa hadn’t grabbed on to her, though her sword fell into the darkness below.

With their combined weight, the platform lifted high enough for Sombra to grab the ledge, hauling himself up to the other end of the chasm.

The next two ghuls got close enough to attack, but Emerald ducked under the first one, while spinning around in a slash, severing the second ghul’s right leg. It fell in a screech and tried to claw her, but the spymaster stomped down on its other arm and sliced its head off. The second one barreled into Guard Streak and attempted to bite at his exposed neck, but the squire raised his other arm to defend himself and bit it instead. He quickly stabbed the ghul in the gut as Emerald slashed at its head. The ghul grew limp and slid off Streak and into the abyss. Already, more could be heard coming down the tunnel, hungry for human flesh.

“Parisa, your turn. Go!” Emerald yelled and raised her weapon again. She winced. The wound on her shoulder and chest was starting to take its toll. “How do you fare, Streak?”

The squire lifted his arm. There were punctures all along his sleeve and it was now stained red.

“Go. I’ll hold them off you. Help Spectrum.”

Streak nodded and sheathed his blade. “S-Spectrum, here I come.”

He leapt over to where she was, and as soon as he landed, the platform shifted down and Parisa used the momentum to launch herself right up to where Sombra was.

“Waw, ya laha min qafza! That was excitinggg!” She waved from the other end. “Next one!”

“Spectrum, you first.” Guard Streak ushered the female squire with his good arm.

“No, Streak. You’re hurt. You first.” Spectrum shook her head.

“I-I’m heavier. You need to go.”

“Decisions need to be made!” Emerald parried the claws of another ghul as it tried to slice her into shreds. It jumped around her and kicked off the wall to try and bite her. “Go!”

Emerald dropped on her back as Spectrum began making her way across the platform, and stabbed up with a hidden blade multiple times as the ghul passed over her, spraying dark blood down across her form. The ghul sailed into the abyss with a blood curdling shriek.

More of them now stood in the tunnel they had come from, their smiling faces barely illuminated by the glowing mushrooms; sinister laughter echoed down to Emerald. She couldn’t take all of them. They had to hurry.

The ghuls in the tunnel broke into a run, their hands and feet tearing grooves across the tunnel’s surfaces. This was it. She had had to hold on a little more for her friends.

The first ones attacked like lightning, their claws flashing across Emerald as she tried to fight them all off. She killed one immediately as she swung her scimitar through its face and then she severed the right arm of another, but they managed to wound her across the right thigh and left arm as they passed.

Passed…

Emerald looked back in fear as one ran straight for Guard Streak, who thankfully, was ready for it. He jammed his sword through the creature’s neck as it slid down to him, its weight bringing the platform lower.

We need to go. Now.

Sheathing her weapon, Emerald ran for the platform as the horde of ghuls pounded after her, their cackling echoing across the cavern.

“Streak, go!” she ordered as she leapt into the air.

The male squire nodded and began moving across the platform before the spymaster landed so that their combined weight wouldn’t bring them all down. Spectrum waited for him to reach her on the other end before jumping up on the other side, where Sombra and Parisa helped her up.

Emerald clutched at her wounds as she watched the beasts descend down the stairway to the platform. Her thigh burned from the strain, but she needed to press on, at least just for a bit more. She only had one shot at this, and she couldn’t miss it.

After Streak left the platform, Emerald ran over to the other end, stretching her arms out to keep her balance. The ghuls came after her, their combined weight tilting the platform dangerously towards their side. Something at the bottom seemed to give way and the platform began to slide down towards the stairway.

“Come on, Em!” Her friends called her from the other end as she fought to maintain her footing.

The former pegasus made it to the end of the platform just as it went completely vertical, jumping up onto the thin side of it and kicking off just before the entire thing dropped, bringing the ghuls with it into the dark below.

Sombra caught her hand as she descended, hauling her up to safety. “Not bad work. For a criminal.”

Emerald shoved his hand away and winced as her adrenaline began to fade. She hadn’t gotten out of that one unscathed. Sombra exhaled and tore off pieces of his tunic and began to wrap one around Emerald’s thigh.

“What are you doing?” She scowled at him.

“Preventing you from losing too much blood. At least until the sanctum,” Sombra answered without looking at her.

“I do not need your help.”

“Now is not the time to be harsh, criminal. Just let me bandage up your wounds and we can be on our way to the third test.”

Emerald grumbled, but she made no effort to stop him. When Sombra was done, she got up without a word and led the way forward. Her wounds still hurt, and its not like she could keep going like this either, but at least it helped, if only a little.

She didn’t know what to make of Sombra now. Why would he help bandage up her wounds? Then she remembered what he was after and she knew immediately she was right. He just needed her until he got his kingdom back from Morn.

Well, so be it. Once his use for her was over, he would probably kill her. That’d unless I kill him first.

With that happy thought, Emerald and her group carried on, awaiting the third trial.

92 - Fear Itself

The next tunnel was straightforward quite literally. It was a rather flat tunnel with more carved soldiers standing at the sides, their weapons pointed down, just like the ones outside. Emerald Edge and her group had been undisturbed since leaving the room of the second trial.

The remaining ghuls didn’t follow them across the chasm, whether it was because the platform had fallen, or this was a place even they didn’t dare to venture. Emerald only thought of the latter as soon as she set foot in the next area. This cavern was larger than the first, with a short slope that led down into what looked like black smoke. They couldn’t see any walls ahead, just unending darkness that seemed to go on forever. Something about this room made Emerald’s senses go on high alert, but she couldn’t figure out what it was; she didn’t even get this feeling when she was fending off the ghuls.

“The third challenge…” Sombra sniffed at the air, then narrowed his eyes. “Yjb An Tanjaraf… Only the fearless may overcome, is the clue my father taught me.”

“Pshh, what’s there to overcome?” Spectrum folded her arms. “I am not afraid.”

“It does not seem so simple.” Sombra kept his eyes on the dark. “Surely you must feel there is something wrong with this… place.”

“Nothing we cannot overcome as friends, yes?” Parisa Pie jumped about them.

“I-I do hope so…” Streak looked a lot less confident.

“Let us get it over with and see what this trial has for us.” Emerald saw no point in simply standing here. It was better to get it over with quickly and get to the next test. Posey depended on them.

The former pegasus descended the slope and inched into the dark smoke, first checking how deep it was. She didn’t want to just walk up to it and fall into a pit below. Thankfully, as she set her left foot down, her greaves clanked against solid rock and she brought the rest of herself along; the smoke only came up to her waist, though it smelled absolutely dreadful. It was as though someone had left cabbages out in the sun for too many a day and the pests had come to consume it.

Poor cabbage.

“Tis safe. Come down.” Emerald waved to her group and continued on, taking her steps carefully. She hadn’t descended straight into a pit, but that didn’t mean there would eventually be one.

This cavern was dark. Almost too dark, and as they left the safety of the glowing mushroom trail behind, it began getting harder and harder to see what was ahead. The ceiling above had small clusters of mushrooms every few feet, only slightly illuminating their surroundings, but it was better than complete darkness at least.

“Woo!” Parisa hopped about in the smoke, throwing it up into the air as she swiped her hands across the area. “I wonder if you can make a sandman out of this smoke!”

“Parisa, cease your disturbance, ” Sombra called to her from behind Emerald.

“Righty-o, your majest-” The dancer’s voice suddenly cut off.

“Parisa?” Emerald watched the darkness ahead, but it was as though the girl had never run past her. There was nothing else moving in the smoke.

“I could've sworn I just saw her there…” Sombra pointed.

Emerald followed his finger, but she saw nothing more. The only thing that was moving was the smoke beneath their feet. Perhaps her worries were true and there were pits below them waiting to ensnare the unwary. That meant Parisa needed their help.

“Parisa, where are you?” Emerald called into the dark, but she received no answer. “Could she have knocked herself out?”

No answer came and she turned. Sombra, Spectrum and Streak were also no longer behind her.

What in Equestria is going on here?

Then movement caught her attention to her right. Emerald swung her head in that direction just in time to see something clad in dark steel armor march off. Something about the figure was wrong. It was almost like someone walking on all fours.

Fearing it might be a ghul, Emerald drew her sword and proceeded cautiously.

The figure now seemed to be standing there, its back facing her, but its bulk was big and almost familiar. And then it turned around and Emerald almost fell back in terror. It was Sombra. Not this human Sombra, but it was the shadowy usurper of the Crystal Empire. Clad in his dark armor and cloak, Sombra held a head on one hoof and smiled evilly at her. Emerald knew that head. It was the head of her best friend, Light Speckle, her horn still sparking magic at the tip and red began to form in her eyes.

“YOU!” She ran straight for him, her sword already drawn back to strike.

The pony leapt back and away from her, then charged, his horn tilted towards her chest. Emerald dodged, but at the very last second, Sombra turned into pure shadow and vanished from sight.

“Where are you!” Emerald yelled and spun in circles as his laughter echoed across the cavern.

Something grabbed at her legs and she swung her sword, cutting off a hoof, which rolled into the darkness.

“You will pay, Sombra!” Emerald spat, but then she realized it wasn’t Sombra who tapped her. It was a dying Crystal Flare, his neck bent in three parts and now he had a missing hoof to boot. “F-Flare?”

The pegasus looked up at her, his eyes hollowed and empty, revealing only a dark void within them. “You left us, Emerald… You left us all to die… Now you have come back… to finish the job.”

“No, no! I thought you were…” Emerald bent down to help him, but he suddenly screamed an unearthly scream, causing her to fall back.

“You abandoned us! Now you wish to kill us!”

Her head now below the smoke, Emerald couldn’t see anything and the smell of rotten cabbages filled her nostrils. Hooves emerged from the shadows and grabbed for her. She thrashed about, trying to get them off, but somehow, they held fast.

The faces of her friends thought long dead appeared before her, their eyes empty like Flare, and together, they screamed and Emerald shut her eyes and did the same.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Spectrum Song repeated to herself as she tried to find her way through this cave.

She didn’t know where everyone else had gone, but she figured she could find them on the way to the end. She heard Emerald screaming earlier, but when she ran in the direction of the voice, she couldn’t find her.

“Em? Em, where are you?”

Spectrum began to sweat. Was there some kind of invisible monster down here that was going to eat them in the dark? Was that why Emerald was nowhere to be found?

“Spectrum Songgg…”

The squire froze on the spot. Had something called her name? She was sure something called her name, but it didn’t sound like anyone she knew. She recalled the tales of the djinn from what she heard at Masyaf. They were here in this place, guardians of some dark power. Her thoughts ventured back to their travels through the Coltcasus Mountains, where visions of darkness infected their minds, making her think of some deep evil just waiting for them to awaken it from its slumber.

A scream echoed around her and she whipped around, taking a few steps away and holding her shortsword up. It was Streak’s voice.

“Streak? Streak! Where are you!” she called out, but she received no answer.

His screams sounded as though he was in great pain and each one sent shivers down Spectrum’s spine and made all her hair stand. She didn’t know what was happening to him, but it was then and there she acknowledged she did have one fear. She was afraid of losing her friend. She had to find him. She had to save him.

Running on deeper into the smoke and shadows, Spectrum looked around wildly, trying to find any signs of her fellow squire. All she continued to hear were his screams somewhere in the dark.

And then when she thought she would never see him again, a hand suddenly reached out from the darkness before her. Streak’s hand. It grabbed the side of her vest and pulled her closer, allowing her to see his face. His rotting and maggot-infested face.

“Spectrum, you let me die!” he yelled in her face.

Spectrum screamed something that she would definitely not have said in the company of her friends and flailed about. She fell over and dropped her weapon, scrambling back to her feet and spitting out another oath.

She was alone once again. Finding her weapon in the smoke, she eventually picked up her shortsword and held it as if it were an anchor in a storm and wished for a light.

“That couldn’t have been Streak. No. He wasn’t… he is not dead. Tis a trick of the dark. Yes, I am not afraid,” the squire told herself. “I shall find him. I’ll find Em, I’ll find the others. Yes. I’ll save the day here.”

Pushing herself on, Spectrum continued into the darkness, hoping to find a way out before something like that happened again.

Guard Streak wasn’t the bravest of squires, and he himself knew that. Every sound in the deafening void around him put him further and further on the edge of his breaking point, but somehow, he managed to keep himself moving through the dark. It bared down upon him almost like a hundred stones, making it harder and harder to walk as time passed.

Something about this place made his skin crawl. He didn’t yet know what it was exactly, but it was something that didn’t make him feel alone as he walked along by himself. He felt that it was as though he was being watched, but he still saw nothing out there but darkness.

The squire kept low and tried to make as little noise as possible. He would not ever regret coming on this quest, not if it meant saving his home, but right now he was feeling a little regretful that he had not stayed outside with Jewel Pin and the others. This was terror on a level that no battlefield or monster could have prepared him for.

It was something different. Something… almost evil in here.

Something wisped past his legs below and he froze. He looked down, but the smoke was just too thick to see through. Was something down there with him just waiting for him to make a wrong move? Streak didn’t know what to do as he surveyed the smokey terrain. He couldn’t see anything ahead and he didn’t know where whatever had touched him was.

He gulped.

Just what was he going to do now? He was a squire. A knight-in-training. Knights had to be tough, valiant and fearless. He needed those qualities, but right now, he was beginning to think if he was even ready to be a knight.

Something thudded into his leg again and he jumped up with a shriek and swung his sword around as he ran. Streak didn’t know where he was going and without warning, he collided into a solid wall of rock and his vision went black.

“Yjb An Tanjaraf…” Sombra breathed.

The clue his father had told him about this trial was that only the fearless would overcome this.

Was he in any way fearless?

Sombra wanted to say yes, but everyone was afraid of something, and he was no different. But right now, he knew that was the key to winning this. He had to be fearless before the djinn. He had to prove himself worthy of his father’s legacy.

Whatever fears he had, this was where he had to leave them behind. The djinn could have them.

There was a light skittering ahead, like something was crawling around on tiny spindly legs on the cave floor. Sombra didn’t quite know what to expect, but he kept his scimitar drawn and his eyes peeled.

“Sombraaa…” Voices erupted around him, slow and rough, like something being dragged across the sands.

The skittering sounds returned and Sombra fought the urge to just run. He had to face this. He had to pass the test.

The prince shut his eyes and he breathed. Seeing nothing, he instead pictured his father, going back to a memory fifteen years ago, to the day his father taught him how to ride a horse.

“Do not fear the horse, my son. Fear is only a natural response to anything that you think may pose a danger. It keeps you alive on the battlefield, but you must first control it as you will learn to control your horse.”

The darkness had never quite set well with Sombra. Perhaps it was the sense of the unknown lurking behind the curtain of darkness, or perhaps it was the helplessness he felt before it. He had hoped for more time to prepare himself before facing it, but circumstances had pulled that moment to him now. If he wanted the strength to defend his home and all of Saddle Arabia from that Canterlot king, then he had to prove he had what it takes here.

Taking slow breaths, Sombra’s breath returned to a more controlled state and he began walking, eyes still closed. The darkness was frightening and mysterious, but soon, he too would be.

“Father?”

Another memory from his youth sprang up.

“How are you so brave? Aren’t you afraid?”

He remembered this. It was a moment following a rival king’s attempt to assassinate King Aldilu. The assassin had almost made it to the throne before the guards had cut him down. Still, he had managed to wound Sombra’s father in the leg, an injury that had taken over a month to heal.

“Of course I was afraid,” Aldilu had told Sombra later that night at dinner. “But courage isn’t the absence of fear, my son. Courage means to keep on going and taking action, even if you are afraid. In fact, the only time a man can truly be courageous, is when he is also fearful.”

And so with that memory, Sombra resolved to make it. For Masyaf. For his people. For his father. Even if he was afraid.

Parisa Pie skipped around in the shadowy cave, still not finding any pathways leading out of this smokey area. She had lost sight of everyone almost as soon as they had descended into the smoke and she could hear some odd noises coming from her left and right, but she didn’t know what they were.

“Oh well, just keep looking, Parisa!”

She waltzed along the dark cavern, not knowing where to go, but she figured if she kept going in a straight line, she’d find the exit and possibly Prince Sombra and her new friends.

Still, the whole place around her was giving her bad feelings. Taking off one of her many waist scarves, she tied it around her mouth and nose.

Almost immediately, her head cleared and she was able to see things a little more clearly around her. There were cobwebs and strings of dust strung up all around, using the statuary as anchor points. The wind that was blowing in from the entrance, however faint, was causing it to ripple and wave as if it were alive.

“Oh, so it’s just a trick!” Parisa deduced. “Good one!”

And yet there was something else here, too. Something that she could not attribute to simple visual illusions and mind games.

Around her feet, there were wisps of dark smoke that writhed around across the floor like serpents.

“No need to be afraid of any of this,” the girl said happily. “Just smile on, Parisa.”

A ghostly rush swept past her, but still she maintained her smile under her scarf. She didn’t know what was causing these odd feelings, but perhaps it was the smell or maybe it was some kind of hallucinating smoke. Once she covered her mouth, it certainly made it a lot better to go about.

“Parisa…”

“Yes?” she replied the weird voices around her, but she didn’t get an answer. “Oh well.”

“Fearrrr…”

“No thank you!”

It wasn’t like fear was something she lacked. It was more of something her mother had taught her when she was younger.

“In the face of fear, Parisa,” she had said. “Just put a smile on your face and take it on. Then you will realize there is nothing to fear.”

Parisa marched on and before her, a wispy shape began to take form, its arms stretched out like it was trying to grab her. Instead of running from it, Parisa kept going ahead and simply smiled and waved at it. As it still reached for her, the dancer just walked right through it and the shape dissipated like it hadn’t even been there.

“Alsayha! Just like mother taught!”

In the dim glow of the glowing mushrooms above, she spotted someone walking ahead. It wasn’t like all the wispy forms she’d seen so far, so she headed towards it. When she got closer, Parisa noticed it was Prince Sombra and she charged at him, almost getting run through with his scimitar as he turned to face her.

“Parisa?” He looked shocked. “Is it really you?”

“In the flesh, your majesty!” She grinned. “There is nothing to fear here but our own minds.”

“Spoken truly, dancer.” The prince sheathed his weapon. “We only see what we fear should we let it affect us.”

“And affect us it will not!” Parisa explained her thoughts on the smoke and the hallucinations and sensations it brought. Sombra nodded, understanding, and accepted one of Parisa’s scarves to tie around his face.

“Eamal mumtaz, Parisa.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “Now we should find the Canterlotians before leaving here.”

“I think I know where to go.”

Sombra looked around the dark cavern. “How can you be so sure?”

Parisa shrugged. “Just a hunch. Follow me!”

Spectrum Song was the next they found in the dark, swinging her sword wildly at nothing. They had to be careful when approaching her, but Parisa managed to calm her down with her smile.

“Smiles always work!” she told Spectrum. “No need to be afraid now!”

“Oh, what, you thought I was afraid?” Spectrum pulled her tunic up over her mouth and nose and laughed. “I-I wasn’t afraid. I was just… defending myself.”

Eventually, they came across the actual side of the cavern, and they used the wall as a reference of where they were headed. Guard Streak was the next person they found, or more accurately, they accidentally bumped into him. He was lying unconscious by one corner of the wall with a rather large lump on his head with blood trickling down his face.

Spectrum was quick to get him up and by the looks of it, she had been rather worried about him. Parisa giggled. It was a nice change of atmosphere when he came to and Spectrum pulled him into a big hug. Parisa decided to give them all a hug before they moved on.

All that was left was finding Emerald Edge and they heard her long before they found her. She was sitting in the smoke, her hands over her ears and she was screaming at the top of her voice.

“Em! Em!” Spectrum shook her. “Stop, we’re all here!”

“They were… my friends were he-here…” Emerald stood and gazed at Sombra. “You killed them. Because of you, now they blame me. It’s all on you!”

“Here we go again…” Sombra rolled his eyes. “Will you stop this.”

Emerald frowned at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “I just saw them. I saw all of them. Do you know what that’s like? To have your world taken from you in a mere instant?”

“You know that I know that very well. It is why we are here in the first place.” Sombra waited for Emerald to answer, but she did not. “I am sorry for what happened to you. But I have had no part in it. Please, let us continue. There is much we can still do for my people. You can still save them.”

Parisa watched them stare at each other for a while, and realized some kind of silent talk was going on between them. She didn’t know what it was, but perhaps it was what her mother had told her about warriors understanding each other just by locking eyes. Some kind of exchange of understanding.

She led her friends out of the smokey area and near the end, the mushrooms began to appear below again, this time leading up a slope where the smoke did not touch. They found relief in leaving the oppressing darkness, but they were also relieved to know the third trial was over. They had passed it.

But then Parisa thought about what the fourth would hold. If the third already had such an impact on her friends and the prince, just what would the final test entail?

“Guess we’ll find out!” Parisa said and smiled, the others looking at her and wondering just who she was talking to.

93 - In Deep

Emerald Edge and the others now stood before yet another sea of black, but this time, it was almost a literal sea. The cave led them straight to a pool with no other way forward. The glowing mushroom trail ended just before the water’s surface and past that, there was no light. Smooth and silky stones the size of her chest sat against the right wall, their purpose unknown to her.

“Em, I don’t know if I should say it now, but I can’t swim, remember?” Spectrum Song looked at the water as though she wanted to kill it.

“Neither can I, but it isn’t stopping me!” Parisa began to stretch her arms.

Sombra remained quiet, but he kept his eyes on the surface.

Emerald guessed that being desert dwellers, they didn’t exactly have a lot of chances to learn swimming. Neither did she, but she had learnt the human swimming mechanics from her time at the Canterlot baths, from the muse, Adagio Dazzle.

“Right, uh, I don’t really know how to explain swimming, but…” Emerald mimicked swinging her arms back and forth. “You just… push yourself in the water. Like this. With your legs too.”

“Doesn’t look too hard.” Spectrum copied her motions. “We can do this. This is like a piece of delicious cake compared to the previous trial.”

“All we have to do is… swim?” Streak looked a little more doubtful.

“The lights once again end here.” Sombra pointed to the glowing mushrooms, which stopped right at the water’s edge. “We will not know where to swim. Only through the Sea of Shadows may the worthy find the light…” He rubbed his jaw.

Emerald too didn’t know what that meant, but she knew they wouldn’t find anything out standing around here, so without further ado, she stepped over and plunged into the dark water.

The caves had already been a little chilly before, but once she was in the water, it was as though she had just taken a dive in the waters of the Frozen North, and that was with her pony coat. Her body was already shivering as she looked around for anything that would point them in any direction, but underwater, it was darker than above, and she could only see the cave wall behind her. Everything else disappeared into the darkness ahead.

Before she could sink any further, Emerald swam back up and breached the surface with a gasp, holding on to the side.

“I do not see anything underwater.” She shook her head and shivered. “Tis too dark.”

“We have to go through here,” Sombra said. “There is no other way.”

“Do you not think I know that?” Emerald shot back.

“Well then whether you see anything or not, there is a way.”

“Inconceivable cow.” Emerald muttered under her breath.

She tapped a finger on the side, then dove down again for another look. She still ended up finding no way through and came back up for air, defeated.

“Maybe if I can try!” Parisa put her hands together and jumped into the water.

She paddled around under the water’s surface and looked like a bloated goose trying to flap its wings. She stayed afloat, but didn’t get anywhere other than trying to keep her head above the surface. She spluttered and trod water, before finally being hauled out by the squires.

“Didn’t see anything either,” she reported as she spat out water like a waterpump.

“We have to venture deeper.” Streak gulped.

“I have the most armor.” Emerald patted her breastplate. “I will see how far I can go.”

“Be careful, Em,” Spectrum said. “Just make sure you have enough time to come back up for air.”

“Maybe take one of these round stones with you.” Parisa lifted one and brought it over. “There’s plenty enough. It’ll help you go down faster, yes?”

“It will help, yes.” Emerald accepted the stone. It was quite weighty, not too heavy, but not light as well. It was oddly smooth, likely not a natural shape. But why would someone smooth out all these for? Perhaps it was actually for this task at hand. That got Emerald thinking and the only way to know for sure was to go back underwater.

Taking in a deep breath of air, Emerald plunged back underwater, holding the stone tightly. She felt herself begin to sink, dropping deeper and deeper into the abyss below. Thoughts of dark monsters just waiting to devour her filled her mind and tightened at her already tight chest as she continued to sink.

Pressure began to build in her head and she let out a mouthful of bubbles. Just how deep was this hole?

And then to her relief, her feet touched the ground and she quickly looked around as she released the stone from her hands.

There.

Just ahead in the gloom, Emerald could see a flicker of light in the dark. She’d found the light.

Kicking up, Emerald propelled herself along the cave wall and back up where she had come from. She released more bubbles from her mouth as she fought to breach the surface before she ran out of air. It was tough to push up against the water with her armor on, but she kept going and just as her vision began to darken, her head broke the surface of the water and Emerald took in a whole lungful of air as she gasped and coughed.

“Em, are you alright?” Spectrum ran over and sat by the water’s edge.

“I found it…” she replied between gasps. “I found the way. But tis going to be quite the swim…”

“Wh-what if w-we… cannot h-hold our breath for so long?” Streak shook on the spot.

“Silly, you should be worried about not being able to swim fast enough!” Parisa giggled and wrapped an arm around his neck. “Like I am!”

A skittering sound made itself known from the tunnel they had come from. It was the sound of a stone sliding across the ground and that could only mean one thing.

“We have company coming…” Sombra uttered.

“Make haste.” Emerald pointed to the smooth stones. “Take one and come.”

Already, the echoing sounds of what sounded like laughter could be heard resonating from within the tunnel. It was now or never.

As each of her group picked out their stones, Emerald ushered them to descend, plunging back into the depths only after she’d made sure the others had already done so. She didn’t know if ghuls could swim, so she wanted to get out on the other side as soon as they could.

Back down in the cold and dark depths of the body of water, Emerald kept her stone tight on herself, watching as Streak and Spectrum began sinking lower and lower below her feet. They weren’t panicking at least, that was good. The last thing she needed now was one of them thrashing about and wasting all their air before they even touched the bottom.

The descent seemed a lot quicker now that she wasn’t alone, and in no time, she felt her feet plant against the rocky bottom of the watery pit. Emerald was quick to start walking, pointing ahead where the faint source of light could now be seen. Sombra and Parisa were already beginning the walk towards it, while Streak and Spectrum required a little more cajoling to get them going.

It became apparent that they weren’t going to have the air to walk all the way to the light, so Emerald dropped her stone and kicked off with her legs, trying to get her party to do the same. It was hard trying to get them to copy her in almost pitch darkness, but somehow, just somehow, they were all kicking on their way to the light now, their stones abandoned as their lungs now fought to breathe.

Emerald pushed on, doing her best to keep the air from bursting from within herself. She pushed through the water with both her arms and legs, refusing to die in a dark place like this. Parisa seemed to have no trouble flailing her arms about to get herself forward. If anything, she seemed to be going faster now.

Sombra was the one Emerald was concerned about. Because he too had armor, he was beginning to slow and disappear from the spymaster’s vision. As much as she would like to leave him to drown here, she had cut a deal with him and she at least would like to think she kept her end of her bargains.

Falling back, Emerald motioned for Spectrum and Streak to keep going as she hooked an arm under Sombra’s and pulled. The prince wore a look of surprise on his face for a second, but then allowed himself to be pulled as he kicked harder with his legs now.

Emerald fought on, releasing a few more bubbles of air from her mouth to lessen the pressure in her lungs. The corner of her vision began to blur, but they were almost there now. She could see it. The light from ahead was bright enough to cast the shadows of her friends across the sides and she could see that the others were further ahead, almost to their goal.

We can do this. We can make it.

The end of the tunnel sloped up, light from above glistening over the surface of the water. Filled with much hope, Emerald pulled Sombra along harder, now heading upward.

The former pegasus gasped hard as her mouth broke the surface, taking in as much air as she could as she yanked Sombra past the surface as well. Each breath of air felt like a cool breeze down her throat and she didn’t think she was able to miss it that much.

Sombra and the others also gasped for air, with the other three of her companions already calming down and resting on the rocky slope.

“We actually… did it…” Spectrum lay on her back and laughed. “Boy, I thought it was going to die on the way…”

“I didn’t think so!” Parisa said happily and went back underwater, emerging back out and spitting it out of her mouth like a fountain. “That was fun!”

“I wonder… just how my father had done this…” Sombra coughed and gave Emerald a pat on her shoulder, much to her annoyance. “Thank you… You have an interesting sense of honor for a criminal…”

Emerald rolled her eyes and tossed Sombra off her. “Just get on with it. What comes next. We have passed all the trials of your djinn.”

Sombra knocked the water out of his ears and shook most of the wetness from his hair. “We must be close to the source of my family’s power by now. But we should proceed with caution. There are still the djinn to deal with.”

“Do you not just need to talk to them? I thought they were to give you a power and the location of the artifact.”

Prince Sombra scowled and put his hand on the pommel of his scimitar. “I do not honestly know what I am supposed to do next. Only that it is the solemn duty of the Saddle Arabian royal family to pact with the djinn and protect the land. What the djinn look for in members of the royal family is unknown to me.”

“So basically, you have no idea what you’re doing,” Spectrum summed up.

“I said nothing of the sort!” Sombra bristled. “I merely meant to say that the ways of the djinn are mysterious. No mortal man or woman knows what qualities they search for in a king or queen.”

“If we came all this way and you are not worthy of their power…” Emerald groaned. “I will strangle you myself.”

Prince Sombra said nothing, but pushed past Emerald and proceeded up the sloping passage. It was lit with more luminous fungi, and there were carvings on the walls that depicted epic battles and some strange, serpentlike creatures that Emerald had never seen before. She remembered the giant worms they fought on the way to Saddle Arabia, but these weren’t like that. These actually looked like serpents.

The air grew warmer as they climbed, which was a welcome change after the dip in the frigid water they had taken to get this far.

The passage soon opened up into a wide open area, where there was a strange golden glow lighting up the space. There was a shallow pool filled to the brim with clear, sparkling water, which was constantly overflowing from a stream behind it. The creek ran between two ancient trees, which had grown into a kind of archway. There were more carvings of Saddle Arabian kings on the walls, cast into sharp relief by the unearthly golden light.

And on a pedestal in the center of the pool was a grand chalice made of gilded metal, inlaid with silver etchings. It seemed to shine like a hundred candles.

“Is that…” Spectrum said as she laid eyes on the chalice. “...the Grail?”

Emerald imagined that there was some kind of choir singing in the background as she stepped up to the edge of the pool. Could this be the artifact that she was here for? She remembered Morn’s tales and his quest to find a grail. Was this really the thing he had sought for most of his life? Was it from Equestria? But it was odd. Unlike the sword, shield or staff, she felt nothing about this one. There was no warm feeling of home coming from it.

Emerald was about to reach out and touch it when suddenly the water began to bubble as if it were boiling.

Alarmed, Emerald scurried back. She joined the rest of the group at a safe distance before there was a huge splash and what looked like thick tendrils of dark mist flew out of the water.

The columns of darkness swirled around the group like a tornado as features began to form in the smog. What looked like arms and hands, followed by bulges in the mist that looked like faces, faces with empty eyes and crooked mouths.

Emerald had never considered herself a superstitious pony, but this here, was unlike anything she had seen in the human world before. It reminded her of the tales of the umbrum. Of Sombra’s people, and it did make her a little more resentful towards the Saddle Arabian prince. A tingle crawled up her spine as four vaguely humanoid shapes took form in front of them, floating in the air and looking down at the five questors with unknowable intent.

Prince Sombra knelt down in front of the spirits, placing his right palm across his heart and bowing his head. Parisa quickly followed suit, motioning for Emerald and the two squires to copy her.

The djinn, as Emerald now realized these shades must be, flew in a circle around the kneeling group, whispering in raspy Saddle Arabian. They stopped in front of Prince Sombra and reached out with their insubstantial hands, placing them on the prince’s shoulders and back. To his credit, Sombra did not flinch at their touch. Emerald scoffed at him. Of course Sombra would be calm in their presence, he was one of them back in Equestria.

Sombra began replying in Saddle Arabian. Emerald almost wanted to know what they were saying, but she figured that it was best that whatever dark magic was at work here was best left unknown. The chalice in the pool floated up and dipped itself into the water. Prince Sombra reached out and accepted the cup, drinking deeply from it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a burst of darkness erupted from within him, knocking Emerald and the others down. The djinn flew up around Sombra and their whispering grew louder.

Then they flew away from the prince and settled around Emerald Edge’s person, fixing her in their unblinking gazes.

One of them said something to Emerald, but she couldn’t understand it. The djinn repeated itself, and this time Parisa scurried over to help.

“Um, the djinn is asking you what you’re here for,” the dancer translated for her. “That you have journeyed far to drink from the waters of life.”

“I… I seek aid for a wounded friend,” Emerald spoke to the djinn. That’s what she had come here to do anyway. To seek their help in search of the artifact and to heal Posey. “And-and I am in search of a great artifact. Something not of your world.”

The djinn hovered before her and eyed its brethren. Whispers of Saddle Arabian began exchanging among them. Emerald felt as though their whispers were going directly into her head, as if they could speak right into her mind. She wondered if they were somehow related to the umbrum, both of them beings of shadow. That relation made her wary of them. She didn’t trust them.

There was more whispering, then they pointed at her. That didn’t look good.

“They want to know where you have come from.” Parisa translated.

Emerald cleared her throat. “I’m from the Kingdom of Canterlot-”

The djinn hissed and whirled around in an agitated pattern, whispering some more. Parisa gulped.

“They want to know where you are really from,” Parisa said nervously. “You… smell different to them.”

It felt as though a pit fell in Emerald’s stomach. But then she figured she’d already told so many people. What was telling a few more smokey dark creatures?

“I am Emerald Edge of Equestria,” she began. “Another world. Not of yours. These artifacts, they come from my world and I am here to reclaim them to help reclaim Masyaf and Canterlot.”

The djinn began muttering amongst themselves again, giving Emerald time to eye the grail sitting in the middle of the pool of water. If that really was an artifact of Star Swirl the Bearded, then why didn’t it feel like it? But then how would it have the power to heal?

That broke her thoughts. Posey needed them. They had to finish this with haste and get this water back to her before it was too late.

Emerald thought back to Excalibur, the Shield, the Staff. They had all reacted the same way to her presence: with glowing and vibration, and an outpouring of sparks and the feeling of Equestrian magic in her veins. This grail looked like the genuine article, but why was she not getting that same feeling? It didn’t make any sense.

The djinn swooped down to Emerald’s eye level and whispered something in Sadde Arabian.

Parisa was quick to interpret. “They want to tell you that your quest is of great importance to the world,” the dancer said quickly. “Should you fail, darkness will cover the world, and even more people will suffer, just like the Saddle Arabians have.”

“I thought you liked darkness,” Emerald said somewhat petulantly.

Whispering again, the djinn flew into a circular formation around the floor. They seemed agitated.

“There-There can be no darkness without light, and no light without darkness” Parisa said dutifully. “The corrupted king will spread his power across the globe and disaster will reign. You seek the power to stop him. Ask yourself, are you worthy as our vassal to save the world?”

This final question rang like a bell in Emerald’s mind. She had come all this way to save her own kingdom, but now the djinn had laid an even greater burden before her.

Save the world.

Was she worthy?

95 - Return of the Prince

“Posey, what do your eagle’s eyes see?”

Emerald Edge and the rest of the questors were lying atop a sand dune, waiting for Gabriel to return from a fly-over of Masyaf.

The brown eagle landed on the archer’s arm, then began screeching to her.

“Morn’s men have set up an armory in the east, just before the palace walls,” Posey translated, which Emerald still didn’t know how she could do. “There are patrols moving up and down the streets, groups of twos or threes. As for Morn, he’s still in the palace. I think he is looking for you, Em.”

“How many of my soldiers have been swayed to this foul invader’s side?” Prince Sombra growled. “Emerald Edge. Can you reverse whatever evil magic Morn Dread has cast on my people?”

“Tis not evil magic,” Emerald amended, looking at the Apple in her hand. “But it is being channeled towards a very dark purpose.”

“I do not care,” Sombra said brusquely. “Can you save my soldiers? If we can, it would go a long way toward reclaiming the city.”

Emerald chewed her tongue before answering. “I believe I can win back the minds of your soldiers. What I do not understand is how Morn is able to use Excalibur so well. The artifacts respond best when used for the purposes of goodness and friendship. This is anything but. It puzzles me.”

“It does not matter. What matters if you remove him. My father must be avenged.”

Emerald nodded grimly as Nightfall Gleam passed her a spyglass. The gates to the town and palace were all heavily defended, but they still had to let people come and go to collect water and crops from the surrounding farmlands.

“A full on charge don’t seem like it’ll work,” Golden Nugget observed. “It’d be foolish ta try.”

“Why not, Pa?” Honeygold asked. “Em has that Apple. Can’t she just va-va-vapororaise them?”

“Because we still want to save Prince Sombra’s people,” Apple Bean explained. “They’ve been canoodled by Excalibur and don’t know what they’re doin’. If we just kill ‘em, we won’t have a chance to bring ‘em back to our side.”

“Em, can’t ya just fly over to Morn and get ‘im?” The young farmer girl turned to Emerald. “Ya can just fly past all of Prince Sombra’s people.”

“But if she did that, Em would be surrounded on all sides by mind-controlled Saddle Arabians and Knights,” Spectrum pointed out. “Besides, I wouldn’t hold it past Morn’s people to fight dirty and involve the civilians. As far as I am concerned, he is a chivalrous knight no longer.”

“In any case, it’s probably better to help the soldiers whose minds have been taken over,” Posey said. “That way we will have more people to help us fight, should a fight break out.”

Emerald’s eye was fixed on the small stream of people coming in and out of the city. The guards did not seem to molest them, and let them through, carrying jugs of water and bundles of crops. She had an idea.

“We’re gonna go right through the front gates.” Emerald grinned.

“Huh? How?” The questors looked at Emerald curiously.

“Just leave it to me,” Emerald turned to Jewel Pin. “And a keen bit of tailoring.”

Emerald pulled their tents from their packs and began shearing them apart with her hidden blade. She guessed they wouldn’t need their tents for the time being, so they could always get new ones once they helped Sombra kick Morn out.

“Oh, I get it!” Jewel Pin exclaimed. She took out her tailoring scissors and began to help Emerald cut up the tents.

Jewel Pin began stitching and sewing up the tent pieces into new garments that they could throw over their shoulders. It was like a cloak, scarf and headpiece all in one.

“These can hide our faces. As long as we don’t say anything, they shan’t suspect a thing,” Jewel Pin said happily. “And they are stylish too, are they not?”

“Oooh, disguises!” Parisa nodded excitedly. “We’re going to blend right in!”

“You Canterlotians just leave the speaking to Parisa and myself.” Sombra slipped the garb on and pulled the scarf up to mask his lower face. “Not a word.”

“Schtum.” Spectrum pulled at her lips.

In only a short time, the rest of the disguises were finished. The questors put them on, transforming them into Saddle Arabian peasants. Emerald grasped the Apple in her sleeve. Hopefully she would be able to undo some of the guards’ mind control as they passed.

The trek down from the dune to the town gates didn’t take too long, but there was a line forming at the gates due to the inspection and they soon found themselves having to wait for their turn. It seemed that most of the humans waiting to enter the city were merchants and Emerald watched as a woman in front with crates and crates of grapes was allowed in.

“Do we have anything to convince them we’re merchants?” Spectrum asked around her group.

“Ain’t got anymore apples to sell.” Golden Nugget shook his head. “Though Ah’m sure them Saddle Arabians would love ‘em. Avalon apples are the best apples in the world.”

“Hold up,” Light Speckle said. She took out the maps and a couple of strange tools. “We can say that we are cartographers.”

Honeygold scratched her head. “What’s a cart… uh, cart-orc-crafter again? Sounds like them orcs up in the North are makin’ some craftin’.”

“Map makers,” Nightfall said quietly. “They travel the lands, making charts of the demenses and of landmarks.”

Honeygold looked confused again. “Now what’s a demonsus?”

“Territories.”

“What’s a-”

“Ah think we’ll explain more to ya when we’ve the time and place, dear.” Apple Bean stopped the young girl from asking more.

Up ahead, the next merchant was being inspected, but it didn’t look like things were going well with him.

“Potatoes? You call these potatoes?” The guard asked in a rather monotone voice, seeing as they were mind-controlled.

“Please, kind sir, I have traveled all the way from the Kingdom of Prance.” The man was rubbing his hands together nervously. “I can assure you it is the best produce of the Prench lands.”

The guard picked up one, but once he took a sniff at it, he made a disgusted face and tossed it aside.

Emerald quietly wondered how a potato merchant from Prance had made it all the way over the mountains and across the desert to Masyaf. With a cart full of potatoes, no less.

“Get rid of this cart.” The guards tipped their spears under the wheels and knocked it on its side so the next merchant could be inspected.

“Mon patates!” the man cried and dove down to save his potatoes as they began rolling down a slope.

Emerald gulped. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. But then again, they had the Apple. Perhaps it would be even easier than they had thought.

“Next!” the guards called out. “Let’s keep it moving!”

Emerald’s group finally arrived at the guards after seven more merchants, with the one right before them having been denied entry. Nightfall and Speckle stood at the front of their group with Sombra and Parisa speaking on their behalf.

Emerald crossed her fingers as the prince and the dancer talked to the guards. They spoke rapidly in Saddle Arabian, gesturing back to the rest of the party. Finally, the guard nodded and stood aside for them to pass.

As they brushed past the guards, Emerald tightened her fingers around the Apple. There was a faint glimmer of light and something above the guards’ heads flashed and shattered like glass.

One of the newly freed Saddle Arabian guards rubbed at his head, his eyes spinning in their sockets.

Once they were deeper in the city, the group squeezed into a more empty street to talk.

“I think I have liberated the gate guards,” Emerald proclaimed. “Tis not a hard thing to do.”

“O’ ‘course not, Em. You’ve got that Equestrian magic!” Honeygold said happily.

“I only hope that Morn Dread does not notice us taking back my soldiers,” Prince Sombra said warily. “We do not want to lose the element of surprise.”

“I do not think he will notice,” Light Speckle pulled her hood down to get some air. “After all, there must be hundreds of Saddle Arabian guards and soldiers he has taken over. Even he cannot watch over every one of them all the time.”

“And not without tiring himself out for nothing...” Emerald surmised. Morn was human, after all. He wasn’t supposed to be able to use the artifact to this potential. Emerald was already surprised at how long he was keeping this up compared to Dawn Saber, but even he wouldn’t be able to go on forever. She gambled Morn would only be watching through the eyes of his soldiers should he sense the need to. They should be fine if they didn’t attract attention.

Sense… That was something else that worried her. Morn always knew when she was around. If she got close, their element of surprise would be gone. When that time came, she would have to finish it before he could do anything else.

Sombra cleared his throat “In any case, we will begin our approach to the palace, liberating as many of my people as we can. Should a battle break out, it will be good to have troops of our own.”

“Agreed,” Posey nodded. She looked up, where Gabriel was circling above in the cloudless sky. “We will take the route that has the most guards, then.”

“Ah’ve my beatin’ stick should the need arise.” Golden Nugget held his broken staff in his hand. “A good club to the head should sort anyone out.”

Leaving the street, the questors cautiously wound around the crowds of Saddle Arabians and toward the central palace. They passed more guards on the way, all of whom Emerald used the Apple on to remove Morn’s grip on their minds. There was no sign of any soldiers from Canterlot, which puzzled Emerald. Where had they all gone? They couldn’t all possibly be in the palace, could they?

The guards were all still dazed after their minds were returned to them and Emerald’s group left them to recover while they carried on. They couldn’t wait for them to regain their senses before taking them along. When the time came, hopefully they would be ready to do battle.

In short, it was an easy walk straight to the palace gates. They met no resistance and they had managed to turn every guard they came across. Once the ones at the gate had been dealt with, it was just a matter of getting through the portcullis. Emerald used the power of the Apple to control one of the guards to open it before releasing him. She didn’t like taking away someone’s freedom to act. It was as though she was biting into a bitter apple. It just didn’t sit well with her.

“This seems… almost too easy,” Spectrum said quietly. “Nobody’s tried to stop us, and it doesn’t seem like Morn Dread even knows anything is wrong.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Guard Streak asked her.

Emerald shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “The easy path stops here. Once we get close enough, Morn will know we are coming. He always does.”

“And that’s when you’re gonna blaze right through to him, yes?” Spectrum tapped on her sword at her side. “And we’ll be right there to help you, Em.”

The towering sandstone palace loomed above, casting the group in deep shadow of the afternoon sun.

“If we enter through the front, Morn will see us coming for sure,” Sombra said grimly. “But there are a few other, less obvious ways into the palace. We can take the path in through the stables. Follow me.”

As they walked on, Emerald thought about the coming fight and she raised her hand to stop her group. “I think it is best if I carry on alone. Morn has Excalibur. Only I will be able to stop him. For the rest of you to remain unharmed, I must proceed alone.”

“Emerald!” Jewel Pin exclaimed. “We cannot possibly let you go to face that brute alone. What if you need help?”

The spymaster held up the Apple. “Tis what I have this for. Morn cannot win should I use the full extent of the artifacts of Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“But what if he has more than one?” Light Speckle fretted. “We do not know what kind of power balance that would create.”

Emerald looked at her reflection in the Apple. “The artifacts are of my world. I will triumph. I know it. No matter how many Morn has, he will never have what powers these. True friendship and the will to do what is needed to protect the ones you love. I can do this. Believe in me. I cannot have you all harmed as I face him.”

She felt like she was trying to convince herself more than her friends, and she was pretty sure some of them knew it.

Sombra coughed to get their attention. “Whatever happens, Emerald Edge, I must ask that you deliver justice and retribution on this king for slaying my father. The royal blood of Saddle Arabia must be avenged!”

“Yes, yes, I shall remove Morn for you and you can have your kingdom back.” Emerald nodded.

“I shall come along.” Sombra placed a hand atop his scimitar. “The djinn have granted me their power. I shall direct you through the palace and aid you should it be necessary.”

Emerald hesitated, but reason told her that two stood a better chance against one, and this might be a good chance to see what the djinn powers worked like. Just in case she needed to fight Prince Sombra once this was all over.

“Then we shall await your safe return.” Nightfall pulled up a crate and sat down on it. “End this, Emerald.”

“Yes, Em. Teach ‘em who the real ‘questrian is.” Honeygold punched the air.

“Come, we can talk later.” Sombra was already by the stables. “We must take my kingdom back.”

Emerald turned back to her friends and nodded. “I will not let you down. Stay put, I shan’t be long.”

96 - The Battle for the Throne of Masyaf

The inside of the palace was a wreck. There were burned tapestries and cloth everywhere, and almost none of the torches were still lit. The sunlight coming in through the windows was more or less the only source of light and in the setting sun, it wasn’t much. Which was good for Emerald, and even better for Prince Sombra.

“We must first find your false king,” the dark haired prince said. “Use the shadows. They will aid our traversal.”

Sombra slinked behind a pillar and Emerald didn’t know if it was her eyes or not, but the Saddle Arabian prince seemed to vanish from sight. She remembered the shadowy powers the djinn had given Sombra, but it was different to actually see it with her own eyes. She wasn’t able to do that, but with her training as royal spymaster, he was speaking the truth. It was always easier to hide in the dark.

They had ditched their disguises back in the stables, deciding that it would be more expedient to move around in their normal wear. Like a pair of mice, Emerald and Sombra flitted from shadow to shadow, moving up toward the throne room. If Morn was to be anywhere in this castle, it would most likely be the throne room.

They had only encountered one other guard on the way to the throne room and with the Apple, Emerald broke him out of Morn’s control and proceeded on towards the large double doors leading to the throne room.

“These were broken when I left the city,” Prince Sombra whispered as he pointed to the doors. “Someone must have repaired them.”

Emerald raised an eyebrow. “Now why would anyone-”

She heard the crackle right before the doors exploded and she threw herself and Sombra to the side as lightning and splinters sped past them across the hall.

“I had a feeling you would return, my love…” a voice echoed around the hall, emanating from the throne room. “I’ve been making myself comfortable in my second castle while I waited, and I am right. Here you are. Right back to me.”

Morn Dread stepped out past the doors, resplendent in his dark armor. A crown of light rested upon his brow, and his eyes shone green in the gloom. Kingly he did look, but not a kind king who would lead his country with liberty and justice. No, this was a conquering, unstoppable king.

Unstoppable… until now. Emerald gripped the Apple tightly.

“And I see you have brought the crown prince with you. Splendid.” Morn raised Excalibur parallel to the ground. “Once he is dealt with, Saddle Arabia will be without an heir. And this kingdom shall bow to my rule as well. My lady, you will return with me and rule beside me.”

“You mongrel!” Sombra roared, gathering the shadows around himself and shooting towards Morn like an arrow. Morn’s sword arm twitched and a glowing barrier manifested in front of himself, causing Sombra to bounce off and land next to Emerald.

“So the prince has the powers of his father, it seems. But power or no, you will never match me, sand dweller.”

“Morn, please stop this!” Emerald entreatied. “Give up Excalibur and come with me back to Canterlot. Tis not too late to return things to the way they were! We can be together then!”

Sombra watched Morn. The King of Canterlot seemed to pause, looking between Emerald Edge and his golden sword. For a moment he almost looked tempted to lay down his weapon.

Emerald reached into her pocket “Remember this?” She drew out a small object: a ring with an emerald set in it. “You wanted to give it to me and ask for my hand in marriage. But I cannot, will not marry you so long as you remain a tyrant! You are better than this, Morn. Please, let us just go home.”

Morn Dread’s eyes seemed to flicker, the crown on his head growing a little dim. Then he set his eyes on Sombra, who was gazing at Morn with undisguised hatred at Emerald’s side. His fist clenched harder on Excalibur.

“I see how it is…” Morn growled at Emerald. “You’re with him! He’s brought you here to dog me! His people are ruthless cutthroats who let their poor suffer on the streets and starve while royalty lives high in this palace with food brought straight to their mouths. It does not deserve you, my lady. It deserves me.”

“And you think you can do better?” Sombra exclaimed. “Have you seen what has become of Masyaf after you took over? If you wish to criticize my family, be prepared to look at yourself first!”

“You will be silent, dog. I can do anything I want. I have Excalibur. With it, I will bring order to this evil world and there will be no more suffering. No more pain. We will all share in the wealth of my kingdom.” Excalibur’s glow intensified. “And you will be one of many kings to see it.”

Light pooled from Excalibur’s tip and shot out like a javelin towards Sombra’s head, but before it could touch him, a barrier of light sprung up from the ground between them, stopping the beam in its tracks.

Emerald held up her hand, with the Apple glowing in its palm like a miniature sun. “Morn, please. This is not the way to order. Humans deserve the right to choose.”

Morn’s face darkened. “So you have an artifact of your own. And now you mean to take Excalibur from me! Would you set yourself up as queen in my place, Emerald Edge?” he spat.

“I do not want the throne, Morn.” Emerald scrunched up her face in anger. “I just want you back. As you were before.”

“I was weak and foolish before!” Morn declared. “Blinded by the lies told by the ruffian who I can barely stand to call my father. But now I am a changed man. Last chance, Emerald. Don’t make me take you by force.”

Emerald didn’t like what she was hearing from Morn’s mouth. This wasn’t him. This wasn’t the man she’d loved. He had been corrupted and she didn’t know if he was still in there, but she had to try while she still could.

“Dawn Saber lied to you, but this is not the way to go.” Emerald held up the Apple. “But if I have to show you the error of your ways, then so be it.”

“Finally,” Sombra grunted to Emerald as he brandished his scimitar. “Something we can agree on.”

“Then you shall witness my righteous power.” Morn held on to Excalibur firmly and charged towards them.

His first target was the prince, but as he slashed his sword forward, Sombra had turned himself into a cloud of shadows and wisped around his weapon before reappearing above him with his scimitar poised to attack. Without even looking, Morn’s arm moved to his side unbelievably fast and he parried Sombra’s attack with a blast of energy, sending the prince sailing across the room and into a pillar hard enough to crack it.

Lifting the Apple, Emerald conjured a trio of tendrils, which snaked around Morn’s legs and his sword arm. Sombra recovered and gathered the shadows, sending them out in a wave to try and wrestle the sword from Morn’s hand.

But the King of Canterlot’s grip was like steel. He held on to Excalibur and pulled his arm free from the light tethers. A shockwave burst from Excalibur and knocked down debris from the ceiling, as well as forcing Emerald to defend herself with a spherical shield from the Apple.

Excalibur’s tip released a blast of lightning, which hit Emerald’s shield, but it held strong. She smiled. They had been right. Morn couldn’t use the artifacts as well as she could, since he was just a human.

The spymaster raised the Apple high, then after a short pause, she slammed it to the ground, releasing a cluster of spear-like beams in a fan ahead of her. Morn shattered two of them with his blade, but another got him in the left shoulder, then another to his right thigh.

Sombra rallied and gathered the darkness in the room, closing it around Morn like a cocoon. The shadows squeezed at the knight, who tried hacking his way free with Excalibur. Emerald held the Apple aloft and wrapped threads of light around the famed sword.

Morn’s fingers struggled to keep ahold of Excalibur’s handle. While Sombra held Morn in place, Emerald could see the king’s grip on the sword loosening ever so slightly. If she could but pull harder, just for a few moments more, she could do it. She could make it.

“No! Excalibur belongs to me!” Morn yelled and he released a storm of lightning around him, destroying Sombra’s shadows and breaking Emerald’s tendrils, freeing him and the sword.

With his eyes aglow, Morn stomped towards Emerald, his blade pointed at her. He was about to fire a bolt of lightning at her when he suddenly shuddered and the glow around Excalibur faded.

“No… Not yet…” Morn staggered forward a few steps and stumbled to a knee, planting Excalibur’s blade into the ground to steady himself. “Guards! My soldiers! Your king needs you!”

From behind him in the throne room, about a dozen Canterlotian knights burst out, weapons in hand and eyes shining gold. They began to advance towards Emerald and Sombra, but Emerald used the Apple and she watched as the enchantments over the knights shattered and they dropped their gear, dazed and disoriented.

“No. You will undo all that I am trying to accomplish, my lady?” Morn grunted. “This chaotic and cruel world, I am trying to tame it. For all people. For my mother. For you.”

“Your mother does not want this,” Emerald said coldly. “And neither do I! Drop the sword, Morn. It is time this battle came to an end.”

“Then you will be the one to finish it?” Morn stretched his arms out and lifted his chest. “Do it, my love.”

Emerald held the Apple out, its glow intensifying as she formed daggers of light around her. She could do it here, she could end Morn’s threat and return the Canterlot and Saddle Arabia back to the way they were before Morn’s uprising. She could do it here right now, but then why did she feel as though she couldn’t do it? Emerald could end it, but could she end the life of the human she so loved? Morn had been everything to her in this world and she wasn’t ready to give him up.

Morn Dread’s eyes darted about the space, as if looking for a way out. Then he found it. He fired a bolt of lightning above Sombra, blasting a hole right through the ceiling and raining down debris atop the prince, and while Emerald turned her attention to him to project a barrier to hold the debris up, Morn used this distraction to leap out of a nearby window.

“No!” Emerald kept the barrier above Sombra as she gazed out the window.

Morn had fallen a considerable height, but to not much of her surprise, Emerald watched as the king began limping away from the palace grounds, using Excalibur to blow a hole through the walls. He stopped and turned back one more time, flashing Emerald a look she knew well. It was a look of determination, a look she had grown to admire over the years. This battle was far from over.

With the Apple, Emerald shifted the debris to the side and walked over to Sombra.

“Thank you, Emerald Edge.” Sombra pushed to his feet. He held his shoulder in one hand, likely a dislocation. And the left side of his bleeding forehead was swollen. “But your hesitation may have cost us our only chance. Why did you not strike him down where he stood? You could’ve ended your struggle!”

“I…” Emerald tried to come up with a reason, an explanation, but she couldn’t admit it. Not even to herself. “We will find another chance. I promised to help you take back your kingdom, and I have. Is that not enough for now?”

Sombra gave Emerald a shrewd look, but did not press the issue further. “We had best tell Parisa and your friends outside that we have won.”

“Aye,” Emerald sighed. She lowered the Apple and used a quick burst of its power to heal Sombra’s injuries. It was useful having this artifact around, seeing as their mages were out of manticore blood.

A piece of advice from Emerald’s old mentor from Equestria flickered in her mind.

“Never let your emotions compromise the mission. As a spy, you may have to do things that are unpleasant or detestable. Put your personal feelings aside and do the job as you were told to.”

She had allowed her emotions to color her actions on this mission, and allowed Morn a chance to get away with Excalibur. She had to make sure she didn’t do it again, or there might be harsher consequences next time.

I have to do better. I have to do what’s best for the world.

The walk out of the palace went without incident and Emerald was quick to spot her friends, still waiting around at the stables. The three young ones were the first to rush over, with Honeygold and Spectrum already firing their questions at Emerald till their words merged into babble. She had to calm them down before listening to what they had to say. Emerald told her friends everything that had happened in the palace, all the way up to Morn’s escape.

“Pity he got away.” Spectrum rubbed at her left arm’s bicep. “I would’ve liked to give him a piece of my mind.”

“Wait your turn, Spectrum.” Jewel Pin flashed her scissors. Everyone backed away a step. “Morn has taken me far from home and away from my beloved High Rise. Why, it feels tis been ages since I have laid my eyes upon him.”

“But we can leave now, yes? We’ve got what we came for.” Nightfall asked, eyeing the Apple. “We just need to find Morn and stop him.”

Emerald sighed. She knew she needed to stop him, but she didn’t know if she had the resolve to do so. Perhaps she could turn his mind, like he did for his army, but the spymaster was disgusted with that. How different would she be if she took away his choice?

Prince Sombra was talking to Parisa about something in Saddle Arabian. The dancer seemed to be protesting something with the prince, and she seemed to be unwilling to back down. Finally Sombra sighed and nodded, then went over to Emerald.

“Now that the Canterlotian king has been driven from my city, there comes to the matter of your fate. I said that I would have you all tried for crimes against the crown.”

Emerald couldn’t believe what she was hearing, nor could the others. The former pegasus didn’t want to fight Sombra; she was confident that she could win, but she didn’t want any more conflict in the near future.

“But,” Sombra continued. “I cannot deny the help you have given me, both out in the temple of the djinn, nor your aid in repelling King Morn Dread. I think that counts well towards services to the crown. And that is why, at Parisa Pie’s suggestion, I have decided to pardon you.”

“A pardon? What have you gotten yourselves into since we were last together?”

All eyes turned to the palace walls where a lone rider was riding in through the gates on a camel, a cheeky smile across her blue face.

“Moon Tide!” Light Speckle was the first to speak. “You made it here!”

“I did not know you were coming back,” Nightfall added. “How in the world did you find us?”

“I just asked for directions to the capital.” The blue mage hopped off her camel. “I must say, it seems much has happened since. And this must be the ruler of this land?” She looked at Sombra.

“My name is Prince Sombra,” the Saddle Arabian said. “And you are?”

“Mage Moon Tide of Canterlot.” She bowed. “I have come to aid the Lady Emerald Edge in her quest to save our kingdom. Or might I add now, to save all kingdoms.”

Emerald’s group put on confused faces.

“Oh, there is much outside the Masyaf walls you do not know. Where do I begin…?”

97 - Far from the Tree

The palace was still unsafe to stay in, given the damage it had taken during the invasion of Masyaf and the battle to reclaim it, so Sombra led the questors to one of the nearby noble’s houses outside the palace walls, but still rather close to it. The nobleman and his family had been elated to know the king had requested their hospitality and they had indeed proven themselves so.

Emerald Edge had never eaten so much since coming through the mirror and Saddle Arabians had vegetables of all shapes and sizes, all cooked in new and creative ways. There was meat also, but Emerald didn’t have any of that, of course.

Over their meal, Moon Tide had begun to recount the sights and sounds on her way here and as she went on, Emerald slowly started eating less and less, her appetite disappearing.

“Saddle Arabia is but the beginning of dark times,” Moon Tide had said. “Morn did not just follow you all the way here to get you back. He has carved a path across the land on his way to Masyaf, and left troops in each kingdom to conquer them, all for the sake of world order.”

“Ain’t no way he can take them kingdoms with his troops so separate, can he?” Honeygold asked through a mouthful of flatbread. “Doesn’t make sense.”

Moon Tide shook her head. “With Excalibur, I fear Morn has been taking more and more people into his ranks. And he has done something to the Knights of the Round Table’s weapons. I do not have the exact details, but according to my sources, I have heard Sir Trotivere’s sword, Fragarach, is able to deliver blows that no magic can heal. It can also get someone to answer any question asked.”

“But… their swords aren’t from Equestria.” Nightfall Gleam rubbed at her chin. “Our human weapons shouldn’t be able to do things like that, yes?”

“The grail…” Emerald whispered. “It may be like the grail out in the temple!”

“You found the Holy Grail?” Moon Tide gasped. “I did not think it was real.”

Parisa bounced over, the grail in her hands. “It’s right here! I am Parisa, I’m the court dancer! And you are a mage of Canterlot. We’ve never met, but now we have. Pleasure to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Parisa,” Moon Tide said carefully, looking at the grail in the dancer’s grasp. “So it is actually a real thing. Incredible.”

“Tis a mere trinket.” Jewel Pin waved a hand at it disappointedly. “Turns out the Apple, that round artifact from Emerald’s world, was the one giving the water its healing properties. The grail was but a vessel for the Apple’s power.”

“Is that so?” Moon Tide said inquisitively. “Still, it is a find of great historical and cultural importance. I’m sure that were Morn still with us, he would have found it to be… legendary.” Moon Tide finished the sentence quietly, but then she perked up. “Still, good work. Now, pray tell me of all that has elapsed since I left you at the mountains.”

Their conversation drifted over to Morn’s attack on the palace and his execution of the king, much to Sombra’s grief. After that, they spoke of Posey’s injury, the trials they had gone through to find the Apple to heal her and to take back Saddle Arabia, followed by Morn’s defeat and escape.

“Sounds like quite the ordeal. But I am glad you have accomplished what you had set out to do.” Moon Tide smiled. “It seems I did not need to travel all this way after all.”

“So what are you going to do now, Prince Sombra?” Posey asked as she grabbed another bowl of something called beyrani, which Emerald avoided because of its meaty contents. “Will things just go back to the ways they were?”

“I suppose they will…” Sombra sighed and looked out a window at the palace. “But with my father gone, it falls on me to lead in his stead. I am not sure I can live up to his legacy just yet. I’m not ready.”

“Few people are,” Moon Tide said wisely. “In any case, I think the first step to regaining control would be to make sure that none of Morn’s influence remains in Masyaf. Emerald?” The mage turned to the former pegasus, who nodded.

It made sense to weed out anyone else who might still be in Morn’s control. That would leave them open to future attacks if left unchecked. Emerald needed to make sure Morn lost his eyes on Masyaf and return free will to any Saddle Arabian still dominated by him.

“I will go around the city and see about freeing any remaining Saddle Arabians who might still be under Morn’s control,” Emerald decided.

“That is a good plan,” Sombra agreed. “I will soon return to my family’s palace and see about gathering the nobles and making repairs.”

After a little more discussion about Emerald’s route, Prince Sombra left the house to see to his palace, while Emerald gripped the artifact and conjured a pair of wings for herself. A long ponytail and pony-like ears immediately followed; she waved her friends goodbye and took to the skies, intent on finishing the reclamation of Masyaf.

The rest of the week went by quickly. To Emerald’s dismay, there seemed to be more people whom Morn had controlled than she had first assumed. Not only guards, but also a seemingly random collection of citizens. It didn’t take much time to break Excalibur’s control, but finding them all and getting them to comply was tiresome. She even had to chase one of them down the streets, but with the power of the Apple, she managed to do it without too much effort.

At last, there seemed to be no more people under Morn’s control any longer in Masyaf. Repairs on the palace were still undergoing, and Emerald had not seen Prince Sombra in a while. To her surprise, she almost missed his presence and his honest opinions. The three young ones were often out late with Parisa, leaving the house to the adults; mostly they went to explore the city now that they had the time and weren’t consigned to house arrest.

Still staying in the noble’s house, Emerald found herself up late one night, staring at the Apple on the table. It was a wonder how Star Swirl created such powerful artifacts and why he would actually do it only to lock them away in this world. It didn’t quite make sense to her why he wouldn’t just destroy them if he was so afraid of them falling into the wrong hands. At the same time, she was glad he hadn’t. If these artifacts didn’t exist, then the Crystal Empire would have no hope of returning to all its splendor once she could return to defeat Sombra.

Sombra. It struck her as inconvenient that the prince here was also called Sombra. Perhaps things wouldn’t have gone so badly if she hadn’t tried to kill him when she first met him; she still owed him an apology for that. At least this Sombra wasn’t completely like the one back in Equestria. She had definitely misjudged him.

As Emerald toyed with the Apple while she sat at the table, there was a small sound from above. Saddle Arabian houses were flat-topped, since there was no rain to worry about. Thinking it might be one of her friends stargazing, Emerald went over to the stairs to go up to join them.

Instead, as she mounted the last few steps to the rooftop, something slammed into her face, knocking Emerald back down the stairs in a painful roll.

Falling onto the ground, Emerald felt something warm dripping from her nose and her vision spun.

What just happened?

As Emerald sat up, she saw someone come down the stairs. But it wasn’t anyone she knew. This person was dressed in dark colors and had on a hood and mask that hid everything but their eyes. Eyes that shone with golden light.

She was about to raise the Apple to dispel Morn’s control, but a foot came from her right and kicked the Apple right out of her hand. It bounced against the wall and the assailant on the stairs grabbed it and immediately ran back upstairs, his footsteps barely heard.

“No!” Emerald tried to go after him, but the second assailant, a woman, pushed her back down before running after her companion.

Something at the corner of her eye moved and Emerald ducked back. A crossbow bolt embedded itself in the wall where she had just been standing.

Coming in through the windows, three more masked people came. On their wrists were the same crossbow contraptions that had almost been the end of Posey. It seemed Morn had outfitted them well.

Spinning on the ground, Emerald caught one of the masked attackers in the leg and knocked him over, before leaping up on her feet and dodging a dagger swipe from another attacker.

The Apple. She had to get the Apple back, at any cost. They couldn’t stop Morn without it.

Emerald faced the three assailants, readying her sword at her side, but one of them suddenly dropped dead, an arrow in his back. Posey ran up the staircase from downstairs, swinging her bow at another attacker, before spinning under one of his strikes and jabbing her hidden blade into his gut.

“Go!” She turned to Emerald and yelled. “Get the Apple back!”

Emerald wasted no time in rushing up the stairs to the roof, looking for signs of where the first two assailants had gone. She spotted them leaping from rooftop to rooftop, running on towards the edge of the city, the Apple gleaming in the man’s hand.

Looking down, Emerald found a lower building and leapt across to it, landing in a roll. She ran off of it and got onto the streets, running in the direction she saw the perpetrators moving in. It was dark and they were also dressed in black, making it hard to see them, but at least the Apple gave their location away.

The thieves were quick, however, and Emerald was chasing someone on the rooftops from ground level. It wasn’t long before she lost them. Curious faces looked out from Saddle Arabian houses as she charged past in her armor, making metallic sounds as she ran. With no alternative, she sprinted for the city gates. If they were planning on getting out, that was where they were headed.

Barrelling past a stack of wooden crates, Emerald arrived at the gates just in time to see the thieves stop and hand the Apple to a knight on horseback. The armored warrior saw Emerald coming and barked orders to the people in black. Then he spurred his horse and galloped away from Masyaf at full speed. She just couldn’t believe it. She didn’t make it.

No. I’m not giving up just yet. If I can get a horse, I can still make it.

Emerald wished she had Foxtrot right now, but any horse would have to do.

She was about to run off to find a horse when someone landed on her, knocking her to the ground. Emerald Edge unsheathed a hidden blade and jabbed it behind her, feeling it sink into flesh. The person on her cried out in pain and got off, allowing her to spin around to kick her attacker in the chest. The rest of the thieves raised their left arms, where there were mounted more crossbows. Emerald dived behind a wooden barrel, and felt the shuddering impact as the bolts hit her cover. One of them punctured a hole in the wood and nearly took her left ear off. There was a collection of clicking sounds as they reloaded their weapons. Emerald had always marveled at those weapons and she had never thought she’d be on the receiving end of them.

This was bad. She was at a disadvantage at a range, and Emerald usually relied on Posey to take care of ranged threats. But she had to deal with it now, before the knight’s horse carried him and the Apple out of her reach.

Another quarrel skidded off her left pauldron, tearing a hole in her cloak. The onslaught of bolts was rapidly reducing her cover, but if she stepped out there, she would turn into a pincushion. The weapons were slow to reload, but the thieves made up for that by firing in volleys, keeping the pressure on while the others fitted new bolts to the string.

There was the sound of another crossbow bolt being released, but the anticipated splinter of wood that followed didn’t arrive. There was a gasp from one of her attackers and the sound of something crackling. After that, the bolts stopped coming and Emerald risked looking out from her cover to see what had happened.

One of the assailants’ feet was frozen to the ground now, with the ice still creeping up his knee. The others were looking around the buildings, trying to see where it had come from. Emerald knew such weapons well. Only one mage she knew used such devices.

She spotted Moon Tide on top of the building on her right, standing up to fire another bolt at an attacker, this time one of some kind of gas. As soon as the thief breathed in the gas, she fainted on the spot. The others began pointing up to the roof and two of them ran over to the building and began scaling the walls.

Not if I have something to say about that.

Emerald unsheathed her sword and ran out from her broken cover, another one of the thieves fired at Emerald. The former pegasus raised her scimitar to deflect the bolt, but she ended up slicing it in half down the middle longways and both halves hit her in the chest, winding her.

Emerald lay on her back, trying to get her breath back. There came sounds of clashing and slashing of steel on the rooftops, indicating that the thieves had caught up with Moon Tide.

Just as Emerald was pushing herself back up, there was a blue blur overhead and Moon Tide landed on the ground on her back with a heavy thud, a dagger sticking out of her shoulder.

“Moon Tide!”

“Careless mistake…” The mage coughed and rolled to her side. Her crossbow wasn’t anywhere nearby, meaning it was likely still up on the roof she had been shooting from. “They are too numerous.”

The two on the roof hopped off and landed in front of them while more seemed to show up from around them. Emerald counted at least seven and four of them already had their arm crossbows pointed towards the two of them, ready to end it.

As the thieves closed in with knives and wristbows raised, Moon Tide let out a surprisingly gentle sigh and unclasped her bag, her cloak, and bandoliers of potions.

“I had hoped I would not have to use this, but if needs be…”

There was the sudden rush of air being consumed by a fiery green blaze where Moon Tide had been standing, and a wild scream rang out, half bestial screech and half guttural roar. Emerald fell backwards at the sudden heat and light and the thieves faltered, unsure of what to do.

As the fire died down, where Moon Tide had been standing was a wholly black-skinned creature with long purple hair that reached down to its feet. Claws five inches long and razor sharp protruded from its fingers and toes, and the eyes were acid green and slit-pupiled. The moon circlet of Moon Tide was still there on the creature’s head.

The creature leapt onto the closest thief and opened its mouth to take a bite out of the man’s shoulder and neck. Blood sprayed out onto the ground and the thief fell immediately.

Emerald scurried back in disbelief as the Moon Tide creature shredded another thief’s bowels with her claws, sending him down on his knees. She had so many questions going through her mind. What happened to Moon Tide? Was this Moon Tide? Was she not human? What was she?

Two of the assailants fired their bolts into the Moon Tide beast’s chest, but she only grunted in pain before appearing before them in a blink of an eye. She jabbed both clawed arms forward, flooring the pair before stomping on their necks with her talon-tipped feet savagely.

The remaining three kept a wary distance, with one of them pointing his wristbow at her. Leaving footprints of green fire in her wake, the black creature broke into a run for the last three thieves, raising an arm to stop a bolt from hitting her in the face.

The Moon Tide monster was upon them, slashing away with her claws as they tried to get away. She grabbed one of their heads and that thief managed to cut her across her upper chest twice, but with a squeeze, the man no longer moved. In a matter of seconds, all seven thieves lay dead on the streets, some of their entrails strewn on the floor beside them, some of them separated into a few body parts.

The Moon Tide creature looked at Emerald and for a second, those glowing green eyes flashed a brilliant color and it reminded her of Morn’s. Her lessons in Equestria about the land’s races scrolled in front of Emerald’s eyes.

Black hide. Green, reptilian eyes. Viridian fire. And the ability to change forms. It all pointed to one type of creature.

“You’re a… changeling?”

Emerald had never seen one in real life, but she’d seen the drawings and heard the reports. They typically plagued the areas away from the Frozen North, and Canterlot was the one to usually deal with them. Now it all made sense. Morn’s heightened senses, his enhanced strength when she, his source of love, was around…

“Is that the last of them?” the changeling asked. Her voice was double layered, as if there were two people talking just out of sync.

Emerald looked around at the carnage. “I… I think so,” she said carefully.

Then she looked around at the buildings. Surely the commotion would’ve been heard, especially after Moon Tide’s monstrous transformation. What happens if they were to look out their windows now?

“Moon Tide, we need to get someplace safe. Away from the eyes.”

The changeling stared at Emerald for a moment, then jerked her head in a nod. “Agreed. Let me just pick up my things…” She retrieved her bag and bandolier, and draped her cloak around herself. “Tis best we go somewhere less… used.”

She took a step towards the spymaster, but suddenly fell to the side.

“Moon Tide!” Emerald rushed to her and inspected her. She had wounds across her body and there were three crossbow bolts embedded in her. She wasn’t in good shape. Emerald took the opportunity to study Moon Tide’s face. Now that it was blackened, it looked a lot more streamlined and there were a pair of bloody fangs coming down from her top row of teeth, like two short daggers. Little gouts of green flame flickered in the back of her throat. Now that she was like that, Emerald could really see Morn’s resemblance to her.

And she had been thinking about it wrong this whole time. Morn was no mere human. He was the son of a changeling. Perhaps that was why he was able to use Excalibur longer than Dawn Saber.

“Let us get you out of here.” Emerald hooked her arm under one of Moon Tide’s and hauled her up over her back. Thankfully, Moon Tide was a rather light being.

“I would… prefer it if you could… keep my true nature… a secret from the others,” Moon Tide breathed in Emerald’s ear. Her breath was almost scorchingly hot. “Humans do not take kindly… to non-humans.”

“Then we better get you off the streets. I think I know just the place.”

And with that Emerald started off towards the palace. The Apple had been lost today and that filled her stomach with regret as she hit herself for not being careful enough. But for now, that had to wait. Even if she had lost the Apple for now, she was sure that with her friends’ help, she could get it back. Feeling the weight of Moon Tide on her back, she sighed. How many more secrets could this world hold?

Morn Dread stood upon the parapets of the fort walls as he spotted a knight returning from his run to Masyaf, a glowing orb in his hands. His smile only grew wider and wider as the rider approached.

He had taken this place, Alamule, easy enough with the power of Excalibur, and it was a good thing he had done so. Then at least he had somewhere to fall back to since his ousting by Emerald. The fort was already decorated with flags that Morn had his men hang up. These flags were of black and white, along with a red sword on its center, with an enlarged crossguard. This image was to symbolize his conquest for world order, with each end of the sword, along with its guard, pointing to the four corners of the world. All would soon fall under his leadership and they would destroy the world no more.

When he had left Masyaf, he had kept his legions of Saddle Arabian citizens within the city, hoping to use them to make his next move. He hadn’t expected Emerald to hunt them down and break his hold over them, but in the end, she couldn’t get them all. With Excalibur in his hands and now the artifact Emerald had come all the way here to get, Masyaf would be defenseless. His troops could now retake the city from the weak prince and do what they had set out to do.

Peace and order within the known world.

With every kingdom under his control, Morn knew he could usher in an age of peace no human had ever accomplished since the birth of the world. There would be no more conflict, no more disagreement, no more violence, no more heartbrokenness.

Morn thought back to what his father had done to him and he snarled, baring his fangs to the cold desert night. Dawn Saber had gotten off lightly. There was so much more he had wanted to do to the man that was supposed to be his father, but the past was the past. Dawn Saber had opened his eyes and perhaps he should even be thanking him. If not for his cruelness, Morn would never realize what the world needed and what it didn’t need.

“This world doesn’t need any more kings,” he said to himself and turned to face his troops in the square beneath him.

Sir Gallophad and Sir Lionheart stood at the forefront of his army, still as statues, their gleaming swords in hand. Lionheart also held on to the shield from Emerald’s world, its surface emitting a brilliant golden hue across the blue sand. As Knights of the Round Table, their swords had been granted power by Excalibur, making them more worthy of the hands that wielded them.

Arondight, the Light of the Lake was held in Sir Gallophad’s hand. The sword of one of his closest friends, Sir Prancelot, shone with vibrant heliodors embedded in the crossguard. The blade was long and fluted, shining in the moonlight like a thousand silver pieces. Gallophad had taken to the sword quickly, and his swordsmanship would only be enhanced by the powers Morn had vested into the weapon.

And then there was Lionheart’s blade, Durendal, the Sword of Stone. It was a wide, heavy sword, whose hilt was long enough for a two handed grip. However, Lionheart was strong enough to wield it one handed. The blade had a marbled appearance, almost like actual stone and it had sapphires fitted into the base of its blade and in its pommel.

Behind Morn stood his soldiers, both of Canterlot and Saddle Arabian soldiers, and behind them were the siege weapons the mages had so kindly constructed for them.

Without the artifact in Emerald’s possession, there was no chance of her fighting off his army. And first thing tomorrow, he would be off to Canterlot. With all the artifacts in his possession, Emerald could not stop his conquest. He would have the world at his feet and she would be back by his side in no time.

Morn raised Excalibur to the air and grinned madly. “Tomorrow, we shall retake Masyaf and with it, all of Saddle Arabia will belong to me! The age of kings is over! All will serve me. Long live the king of all things!”

If Emerald would not see, then he would show her. He would take the world and then she would see for herself, his world of order.

98 - The Beginning of Understanding

Emerald crept back into the house where she and her friends had been staying. The space bore some marks from the fight that had happened there earlier, but the former pegasus wasn’t interested in that. Moon Tide had told her to come here and retrieve her case of dyes. Apparently, changelings in this world couldn’t just change form at will. They had to apply disguises on themselves with dyes and some special ingredients made of tree sap and other things Moon Tide had told her that she had already forgotten.

Dawn was already breaking by the time she entered the noble’s house. Everyone seemed to still be asleep and all was quiet. She had remembered that Posey helped to hold back some of the assailants from last night, but the bodies were also cleared up. Posey had likely moved them away just in case.

Emerald approached the room Moon Tide had taken residence in and found a large pack seated against the wall beside a stack of rugs. She didn’t know which items to bring along so the spymaster decided to take the entire pack. There was the sound of a tap by the entryway and Emerald turned to spot Posey leaning against the frame, cleaning a bloody arrow in her hands. Her right shoulder was bandaged up, likely a wound from the fight.

“Emerald, you have returned,” she said, relieved. “Did you manage to get the Apple back?”

The former pegasus sighed and shook her head. “No. I am afraid Morn now has it. I was not able to catch them.”

Posey’s face grew grim. “By the Eight, this is bad. Now Morn has the four artifacts, and we have no way to fight him off should he come back to Masyaf.” Then she spotted the pack over Emerald’s shoulder and she pointed to it with her arrowhead. “Where are you going with that?”

“To… the palace,” Emerald knew better than to try and trick Posey. The archer had a way of knowing if she was lying. But that didn’t mean she had to tell the whole truth. “Moon Tide is in poor condition and needs her potions and herbs to get better. Yeah.”

“Wait, what?” Posey looked confused. “What happened?”

“She came to help me last night. When I was being overrun by Morn’s men.” Emerald looked down. If she had been more attentive, all this could’ve been avoided.

“And you and Moon Tide managed to repel them? Color me impressed,” Posey complimented.

“Moon Tide is hurt. I’m taking this to her to help.” Emerald tapped the pack.

“I can come with you to help.” Posey put the arrow back in her quiver.

Emerald didn’t mind the help, but she remembered Moon Tide’s words the night before. She couldn’t let Posey see what she was. Not yet. But Posey was experienced with cleaning up wounds. Perhaps it would be good to have more hands.

“You can come, but Posey...” Emerald stepped closer and brought her voice down to a whisper. “I first need you to wait outside.”

“Yes, but why?”

Emerald shook her head. “You have to just trust me. I need you to do as I say.”

Posey didn’t look comfortable, but then she nodded. “Very well, Em. I trust you. You’ve taken us this far. I will do as you ask.”

With that, the two of them left the home quickly, not wanting to wake anyone else and having to explain to them what was going on. She had a secret to keep and she intended to keep her word.

The walk to the palace was swift and Emerald led Posey up to the tower she and Moon Tide had taken refuge in. With the palace in shambles and in need of repair, the tower was empty, allowing them to stay there undisturbed, at least for now.

Emerald led the archer up a long spiral stairway, eventually coming up on the parapet that led to the lone tower. At the top of it was a wooden door and it was here that she requested Posey to turn around and wait outside, before slipping into the room by herself.

Moon Tide was lying on a bed, wrapped up in sheets as she seemed to be shivering. Emerald put down the pack and peeled the sheets from around her figure. The bandages she had wrapped around Moon Tide’s chest and arm were stained red and she didn’t look so good.

"Ah. Emerald," Moon Tide said as the former pegasus flipped open the pack beside her. "You have returned. Good. First, in the pack, I need you to retrieve what looks like shears."

“Shears…” Emerald looked inside and produced a rather large pair of blades that were molded into shears.

Moon Tide accepted it and began, for a lack of a better word, snipping off her talons on her hands and feet. Emerald watched as each one fell to the floor with a thud. It must’ve been a chore to do each time.

When she was done, she handed them back to Emerald and the spymaster watched as the changeling dug through the pack, but instead of taking out any dyes or concoctions, she selected a couple of empty glass vials instead.

“Moon Tide? What are you doing?” Emerald watched as the mage began unwrapping her torso bandages.

The arrow and slash wounds on her chest were still bleeding, though not as heavily as the night before. The changeling slowly placed a vial under one of her injuries and let the blood fall in. She did this for both vials before stoppering them and pushing herself up.

As Emerald watched her, she didn’t think she’d ever be this close to a changeling without killing it. Even now, Moon Tide didn’t seem hostile. Perhaps she was one of the better changelings, if there was even such a thing. After all, she had saved her the night before. If she hadn’t revealed her true form, she wouldn’t be this vulnerable, but Emerald herself might be dead in some ditch by now.

“I know,” Moon Tide suddenly said as she dug around for more vials, this time, ones with bluish liquid in them. These were probably her dyes. “Not what you were expecting, yes? I am sorry to have kept this secret for so long. But humans have not taken kindly to us since the birth of our kind. I remain hidden so that I may not burn at the stake, should they catch me.”

Emerald stood there as she began applying the dyes to her charcoal skin and purple hair, slowly but steadily bringing her back into the appearance of the Moon Tide Emerald knew. Her hair still remained long, but with the shears again, she cut it back down to almost the same length.

Now, the changeling began digging through the pack again, but this time she removed a wooden case about the size of her hand. Inside it were strange rounded and transparent shapes, each in stacks of different colors. Moon Tide removed two purple ones and placed them into her eyes.

Emerald nodded with amazement. Those were eye lenses that could obscure her slitted green pupils. It was really quite a clever invention. Mages never failed to amaze her in what they could create.

“Much better…” Moon Tide breathed and began wrapping the bandages back. “You may call in Posey. Thank you for keeping my secret, Emerald.”

“How did you know she was outside?”

“Changelings go by smells, Emerald,” the mage explained. “We can smell your emotions, your scents, your movement. I will tell you more about us another time, but if you would be so kind as to first help me heal up. I’m afraid I cannot do so without any more love within myself.”

Emerald actually understood that. Changelings thrived on love, be it from being loved or from love coming from around them. They could use it to gain boosts in strength, speed or even heal grievous injuries, as long as their heart still ran. With that burst of power from last night, she must’ve used it all up. Now everything really made sense. Morn’s miraculous healing, sudden surge of power, it really all made sense.

Emerald headed for the door and called Posey in, all the while trying to fit all this new information into her world view. The fact that Moon Tide had kept this all from anyone over all the years Emerald had known her was somewhat stunning. Did Morn know of his special parentage?

To her credit, Posey didn’t ask any questions. She simply came in and inspected Moon Tide’s injuries before helping to get them closed up and rebandaged. It didn’t take long and once she was done, Moon Tide thanked them and slipped back under the sheets, needing time to rest and heal up.

Wanting to leave Moon Tide in a peaceful state of rest, Emerald and Posey stepped outside the room and into the stairwell.

Posey was the first to speak. “It was very brave of her to follow you to confront those thieves. Mages are not typically suited for fighting.”

“Well, Moon Tide is. She has that crossbow with the special bolts.”

“Tis a pity we are out of manticore blood. The mages need that to craft their healing magics.”

“Yes… manticore blood…” Emerald said slowly. She recalled the vials Moon Tide had put her blood in and she wasn’t called the royal spymaster for nothing. If changelings could heal, then perhaps their blood could be used for healing others as well.

“I heard manticores originally came from this area. The Saddle Arabians call them mardykhors,” Posey said. “Perhaps we could find one. Harvest enough blood for the mages to use.”

Emerald shook her head. “I do not think tis a good idea to leave Masyaf now. With the Apple gone, I do not know what Morn will do next, but I have a feeling he will set his eyes here.”

Posey pulled at her bandana and exhaled. “If he means to take Masyaf, we must set up the defenses around the city walls. Ensure he will have a tough time should he wish to attack.”

“But what of Moon Tide? We cannot leave her unattended.”

Posey made for the stairs. “Do not worry. I shall talk to the prince about this. Stay here and look after her.”

Emerald watch her friend go, then proceeded back into the room and sat in a rather comfy chair, which was embroidered with a very nice pattern. She leaned back and watched Moon Tide, a part of her still unable to accept that she was a changeling this whole time.

Back in Equestria, they were masters of disguise and subterfuge, ruled by the tyrannical Queen Chrysalis. Her mentor, the previous spymaster, had said he had met the queen before on a raid and she had proven to be too much of a formidable opponent for him. Only with the arrival of Princess Celestia did he manage to escape that day, unscathed. In fact, he had learnt some sneaking skills from watching her, like blending into crowds.

Had Dawn Saber known that his son was part changeling? Emerald wondered. She was of the opinion that he had not. Did he know even his sister was a changeling?

Wait. Was he a changeling too? Emerald wondered. But then he wasn’t capable of using Excalibur like Morn could. Was it even possible to have a changeling sibling if one wasn’t a changeling? Emerald had too many questions for Moon Tide.

A movement at the window caught Emerald’s eye. There was a strange-looking owl sitting there on the sill. It didn’t look like the owls she had seen in Canterlot. This one was less fluffy and had longer legs, but it was still unmistakably an owl. Then it laughed at her and flew away.

The former pegasus went to look outside the window. She didn’t know where all these owls kept coming from, but then it wasn’t really important, so she decided to leave it. She could see Saddle Arabian guards wandering about on the city walls, bows in their hands and swords at their sides. She wondered whether they could even be ready if Morn returned.

She soon sighed to herself and returned to the chair, plopping herself down and looking at the slumbering Moon Tide. She seemed to be sleeping so soundly that it almost made Emerald think that everything had already returned to normal. She didn’t know how long she was just sitting there doing nothing, but she was eventually shaken out of the doldrums by the sound of the door opening.

“Emerald? Emerald, are you free?” Posey entered the room quietly.

Emerald knew her voice well. “What can I do for you, Posey?”

“It’s about this.” Posey closed the door and motioned her head to Moon Tide. “Moon Tide can’t be there to help you every time. I want to teach you some things I know, Emerald. Things that will help you improve.”

Now what could Posey want to teach me? Archery?

“But I can’t leave her now. She needs us. She’s weak after what she did.”

Posey seemed to contemplate that statement, then nodded. “Then I shall teach you your first skill here. It’s something I’ve… I’ve kept a secret from everyone. A… technique, you could say… It’s helped me out on more than one occasion.”

“A technique?” Emerald stood off the chair. What technique was Posey going to show her in this enclosed room. “What kind of technique?”

Posey pointed out the window and whistled. In a few seconds, Gabriel was in through the window, landing on Posey’s arm. “I’ve taken to calling it ‘eagle vision’. Gabriel taught it to me.”

“Your… bird taught you this technique?”

Emerald knew Posey and Gabriel had a special relationship, but she didn’t think her friend could actually learn some kind of bird skill by speaking to it.

“Well, he didn’t tell me, if that’s what you were asking…” Posey said, as if reading her mind. She looked a little embarrassed about what she had said. “L-Let’s just say I learnt it from observing him, hmm?”

“Well, it is as you say. So how do you use it? This eagle vision?”

“You have to focus your vision,” Posey said, pointing at her face, specifically her eyes. “To see that which is normally hidden.”

Emerald took this in. Was Posey talking about some kind of mystical vision that could see through walls or something? The archer’s tracking skills were indeed impressive; had she been using eagle vision the whole time?

“Well, how do you do it?” Emerald asked, squinting her eyes and staring about the room. “Is this it?”

“Not exactly. You have to focus. Concentrate on what you want to see, on what you cannot see. I want you to imagine the world as it is now, only you need to focus on the important aspects. Let me see…” Posey left the room for quite some time, then returned with three training mannequins that the soldiers used. She then covered each of them with a cloth, and they soon became rather wide objects that almost formed a short wall when placed together. “I’m going to hide behind one of these mannequins, and you have to use your eagle vision to find me.”

“My eagle vision?” Emerald mumbled, then squinted and tried to do what Posey had instructed. As she strained her eyes to see beyond her normal vision, she still couldn’t manage it and she decided to hazard a guess. “Are you behind the left one?”

Posey popped out from behind the middle one. “Not quite. Let’s try again.”

Not wasting a second, Emerald blurted out, “Right?”

“Are you just guessing them?” The archer stood up from behind the left one this time. “Focus, Emerald. Hone your senses.”

Emerald shut her eyes and breathed. She tried to focus on the sounds, the position of the mannequins, the space behind them. Still, no images formed in her mind and she couldn’t see Posey. Just what kind of witchery had she devised from watching Gabriel?

“Are you behind the middle one?” She tried again.

Posey hopped up from behind the mannequin on the right and shook her head. “Unfortunately, no.”

“This is impossible!” Emerald groaned. “How long did you take to learn this, Posey?”

“Well, umm… over a month…”

“So how can I get it in a day?” Emerald said, exasperated at the task and frustrated that she wasn’t making any progress. “I can’t just magically gain an eagle’s vision just like that.”

“I’m not asking you to get it in one day. All I’m asking is for you to try.”

“But I am trying. I’m trying my best.”

“No. We will know your best when it emerges. Come, Emerald. Let’s try again.”

The spymaster was caught a little off guard with Posey’s sharp remark. She was indeed serious about teaching this skill. What was even so important about learning how to see what was hidden? As spymaster, she was already trained to watch and gather information on her enemy. She didn’t need a special vision to point that out for her.

But in the end, she still tried again. And again. And again. She was no closer to figuring it out than she was when she started.

Posey exited her cover and walked over. “Good effort today, but we’ll pick it up again tomorrow. For now, how would you like to go for a run?”

It seemed she too was tired of Emerald’s failures.

“A run?” Emerald asked. She didn’t see the point in that. “How is a run going to help me fight?”

“Have you seen the city, Emerald? The assassins that attacked you and Moon Tide… Yes, they overwhelmed you with numbers, but what if you could use the cityscape against them?”

“Use the cityscape?”

“Come, I’ll show you,” Posey called, now at the doorway. “I’ll send one of the others up here to look after Moon Tide in your place. Just for a short while.”

O-Okay…” Emerald went to the bed and sat down by the mage. “Moon Tide? I need to step out for a while. Will you be fine for the time being?”

Moon Tide opened an eye and managed a smile. “Y-Yes, go ahead. I’ll manage. I just need more rest…”

Posey left to go find Spectrum and the other children. She promised not to mention a word of anything to them, and she would just simply tell them to watch Moon Tide, who wasn’t feeling well.

When she returned, Posey led Emerald out into the open walkway alongside the tower. From here, they could look down upon Masyaf’s city.

“I want you to jump down, Emerald.” Posey leapt up on the ledge, balancing on her toes very skillfully. “From this spot.”

She walked out over to a small wooden beam jutting out of the structure. Emerald saw that the walls had these every few meters, but she didn’t know what they were used for. But what she did know was that Posey was crazy.

“What, are you crazy?” There was no way they could jump from here and live.

“No, I’m not. Watch me.”

Posey held her arms outstretched on the beam she stood on and without warning, she leapt off and hung in the air for a second. And then she was sailing down at a high speed, flipping once, her back now pointed to the ground, before landing in a haystack. As Posey jumped, Emerald heard an eagle’s screech, and looked up to see Gabriel circling above.

“...What?” Emerald couldn’t believe it when Posey reappeared out from the haystack, waving to her.

Your turn, Emerald!” Posey called up and stepped out of the haystack, brushing hay from her hair and shoulders. “Just do what I did!”

Emerald shook her head, but Posey countered with a nod each time. Sure, if she had her wings or one of Star Swirl’s artifacts, this would be a piece of delicious cake. But she didn’t.

“No. No way am I doing that,” Emerald peered down at the distant haystack and at Posey, who was still waving for her to jump.

Still, her body moved and she managed to climb up onto the wooden beam. She almost slipped off and that would’ve been bad. She eventually made it all the way to the end, where the tip was poised over the tiny haystack below. What if she missed? What if she landed too hard? Emerald had too many doubts in her mind.

“I can’t do it, Posey!” She yelled, her knees shaking and threatening to send her over.

“You can, Emerald!” her friend yelled from below. “You just have to take a leap of faith! You’ll be fine!”

The more she looked down at it, the less she wanted to jump. If she ever wanted to do this, she had to first stop thinking about it and simply do it. With a deep breath, Emerald jumped off the end and for a moment, she felt she was flying again. And then everything around her was yellow and itchy.

I did it. I did it. I did it!

“See, you did it,” Posey helped her out of the haystack. “How was it?”

Emerald stepped out of the haystack and breathed as she swept stray hay off herself. “It was… exhilarating! A few more and maybe I’ll get the hang of it.”

She had actually enjoyed that. It was almost like falling. As long as she was sure she could survive the landing, perhaps it actually wasn’t so bad. She would have to try it more in her free time.

“What’s next?”

Posey smiled. “Well, I promised you a run, so why don’t we do that?”

“Sounds good.” Emerald was interested to see what else Posey was going to teach her.

Without waiting, Posey broke into a sprint down the Masyaf city streets. “Just do as I do!” And then she dodged a Saddle Arabian woman holding a jar atop her head.

Here goes nothing… And Emerald ran after her, copying her movements. If it was anything, her mentor had taught her to spy and mimic others, should she need to blend in in enemy territory, and now that she thought about it, it was quite like a changeling. Perhaps Moon Tide and her had more in common than she realized. Interesting…

Emerald stepped aside each time Posey did, avoiding Saddle Arabians as they ran along. The archer used baskets and crates as stepping stones going up, before grabbing a pole and swinging herself up on it. After that, it was a climb up a building, with the archer grabbing ledges and cracks and anything she could use to make her way up. Emerald did the same, remembering which hand and footholds Posey had used. This was indeed a useful skill. Perhaps she would’ve caught those thieves if she was able to scale buildings like this.

Humans from the streets looked up at them with raised eyebrows or pure surprise as they ran along from one roof to another, almost as though they were crazy.

The two women ran from rooftop to rooftop, moving across town quicker than the streets had ever taken them, with Emerald pleased to have the breeze blowing against her in this hot weather. She vaulted over the occasional rooftop garden or row of plants, following Posey as best as she could. The archer was much more skilled at this and Emerald couldn’t copy everything to the dot, but she was moving along at a steady pace and to her, that was already good enough for a first time. After running all the way to the central market, Posey slowed to allow Emerald to catch up.

“How are you doing? Tired?” Posey gave her a pat on the shoulder once she arrived, stopping beside a roof post to catch her breath.

“Just a little…” she said between deep breaths. “But keep going… I need to… get better…”

“Then onward ho, Emerald.”

And the two of them continued running across the city, climbing various buildings and vaulting the distance between buildings and through obstacles, sliding under planks and supports, and even swinging across gaps with hanging braziers. The run eventually took them all the way back to the palace, where they had to climb up the palace wall through various holes in the wall and stone that jutted out. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, though she needed to work more on her stamina. She hadn’t run like that since coming through the portal.

“Great run, Posey…” Emerald sat down on the floor to catch her breath. “That sure… taught me a lot…”

“You see?” Posey complimented. “This city is good for things like that. In combat, use the environment to your advantage. Besides, it also helps when you need to get to places.”

Emerald nodded and looked down at the city below the palace wall. It was really amazing that they had even climbed all the way back up here. This could really help with chasing down criminals and as Posey said, they could use the environment to get an edge during combat.

“It’ll take more than a day to get the hang of this. Still… this isn’t bad. I shall look forward to more runs, Posey.”

“Certainly, Emerald.” The pink haired woman sat down on the ledge of the wall and swung her legs about in open air. “I shall do all I can to aid you in retrieving the artifacts.”

Emerald sat on the floor and caught her breath. She thought about all that had happened so far, and all that she had yet to do.

“You know, Posey,” Emerald began, getting up off the ground. “Morn had three artifacts, but he only ever used Excalibur. I wonder who has the rest of them now?”

“Probably some of the other Knights of the Round Table,” Posey supposed gloomily. “I wonder that they haven’t been able to break free of his control with artifacts of their own.”

Emerald scratched her head, a lock of her shining hair falling loose. “Perhaps we can-”

She was interrupted by the feeling that she was being watched. Emerald turned around and saw Parisa pull her left leg out of a potted plant, as if she had used it to get there.

“Hi again,” Parisa said cheerfully. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Prince- *ahem* King Sombra wanted to see you. It sounded important, so maybe we should go see him now!”

“I wonder what he could want that’s so important.” Emerald sighed and stood up, wiping sweat from her forehead. It didn’t help that her armor trapped heat in as well. And the words King Sombra didn’t float with her all that well. All that made her think about was her friends giving their lives to bring her here.

“Dunno,” Parisa said as she climbed back into the potted plant. “He spent a lot of time staring into that whatchamacallit that you gave King Aldilu, may his soul rest in peace.” The dancer squatted down into the plant’s depths and sank out of sight. “Maybe Sombra can tell you more.”

Emerald and Posey waited to see what Parisa would do, but there was nothing forthcoming. Posey went over to the pot plant and peered inside.

“She’s gone,” the archer said, looking very much confused. “How did she do that?”

“No idea,” Emerald shrugged. “Come on. Let’s go see what Sombra wants.”

99 - Give Their Lives So Boldly

As Emerald Edge and Posey entered the throne room of the palace, they saw that it had been significantly cleaned up. There were new curtains on the windows and the floor had been repaired, with some scaffolding on the walls where renovations were still under way. Sombra was standing by one of the westward facing windowed balconies, staring into the enhanced spyglass that the mages had made of King Aldilu.

“Ah, you’re here,” Sombra said as he glanced aside to see Emerald and Posey approach. “Come, come. We have much to discuss and very little time to do it in.”

“What is it you wanted us here for?” Emerald asked, getting to the point.

“I had a look through this device you crafted for my father this morning,” Sombra gestured to the tripod-mounted giant spyglass. “And I saw an army massing on the horizon. They seem to be coming from Alamule’s direction, or I’m a pheasant.”

“Alamule? What is that?” Emerald joined him by the window, looking out at the dunes in the distance. She saw no army, but she did spy towering shapes behind the dunes, seemingly moving towards them.

“What in the world…” Posey looked through the spyglass and her face grew solemn. “I think Morn is coming back, or at least someone with an artifact is in the lead. It’s hard to tell, but I think I can see a glow there.”

“Still, it should not be a problem,” Sombra turned to Emerald. “You and the Apple proved to be more than a match for Morn when we drove him out. I am sure with its power, we will be able to fend them off and retake Alamule Castle. And then perhaps drive them from our land completely.”

“Oh, yes… uh, about that.” Emerald tried to avoid eye contact. “Morn still had dominated humans here. They… stole the Apple. Tis no longer within my possession…”

Sombra’s face went through a series of calisthenics. First to questioning, then shock, then disgust and awe, and finally on disbelief.

“I must have heard you wrong…” Sombra said, putting on what Emerald would have described as a forced smile. “For a moment it sounded like you said you lost the Apple.”

No one said a word.

“How? How could you lose it?” Sombra ran his hands through his dark hair. He mumbled a string of words in Saddle Arabian. “After all we went through to get it!”

“I have explained it to some of your guards, your majesty,” Posey said. “They have agreed to stand ready on the outer walls and we will do our best to slow them down.”

“Yes, slow down. But what of stopping them?” Sombra pounded a fist on the side of a pillar. “Morn means to take my kingdom again?! He must not have it! He desecrates all we have built up since the ancient times!”

For that, Emerald had no answer. Yes, she had repelled Morn before. But what was to stop him from trying again at a later time. To solve this problem, she would have to get to the root and cut it out. And that meant taking Morn down if that was the only way.

“We have several advantages,” Posey said as she came away from the window. “Your city has sturdy walls, and well-fortified gates. It will be difficult to breach either of them. Second, I believe you have more soldiers than Morn does. Unfortunately, he has the Equestrian artifacts and some rather impressive war machines going for him. The good news is that it will be difficult to move such heavy devices across the sand.”

“I suggest you tell your people to stay indoors and wait it out, should it come to open war,” Emerald advised.

“More men I may have, but not enough to completely wipe out the enemy,” Sombra argued. “That would take an army twice the size of my current one.”

Posey shook her head. “Winning a war isn’t about wiping out every enemy soldier. All you have to do is prevent the opponent from achieving their goal.”

“But what is stopping them from returning again? Morn must die, if we hope to end this.” Sombra gazed angrily out of the window.

“I would prefer not to kill him-” Emerald began, but Sombra cut her off.

“That man is responsible for killing my father and trying to conquer a land that does not belong to him, and from your stories, he has done far worse! I do not know what your history with him is, but he must die. Otherwise we will never have peace.”

“I know, I know. I would prefer not to…” Emerald raised a hand. “But if I must, then I will have to do what is best for all kingdoms. No matter what I feel…”

Sombra grunted and turned back to the mounted spyglass. “So long as you understand what needs to be done.”

Emerald sighed. Why couldn’t things go her way for once?

“I will gather my generals and we will defend the walls.” Sombra put down his device and closed his eyes. “I owe it to my father to defend the kingdom he so loved. As for you Canterlotians, I will take any help you can offer. If you do help me, I will be in your debt.”

Then Emerald thought of something. “The mages. They built the siege weapons. They would know their strengths and weaknesses like the back of their hands. If you can hold them off for now, Sombra, we might have a way to disable their weapons.”

“Very well. Then how will you plan on facing Morn?”

Emerald thought back to what she knew about Morn. His deepest, most steadfast convictions and beliefs.

“It is possible to overcome Morn through sheer force, and even though Excalibur is a mighty weapon, he cannot fully unlock its true power. And he still entertains thoughts of winning me over. Keeping these facts in mind, should we hit him with enough damage, even he cannot ward it off forever. All I need is to take Excalibur from him.”

“Ah, but he would sooner run than allow that to happen,” Sombra pointed out. “He did that the last time we fought him.”

“Aye, but nothing is certain in war,” Emerald conceded. “One way or another, we must win. People are going to die,” the former pegasus glared out into the cloudless sky. “We might be some of them.”

A loud horn suddenly sounded somewhere from outside, resounding throughout the palace halls.

“The enemy signals their approach, it seems.” Sombra placed a land on his scabbard. “I believe they intend to scare us. To General Rashid, Emerald Edge. He is positioned on the outer walls. Find your mages and assist him. Our walls must not fall. I will rally our troops here with General Hassan, should the city walls fall. I pray they will not.”

Emerald nodded, then set off to the lower floors at a brisk pace, Posey following close behind. Sombra looked out at the oncoming army again and his face grew hard.

“May the spirits of my forefathers have mercy on us all.”

“War machines, is it?” Light Speckle asked as she, Nightfall Gleam, Posey, and Emerald turned their horses to the western wall. “I remember working on those. King Dawn Saber commissioned at least three dozen of them from us.”

“Secret Fire and I came up with the plans,” Nightfall said proudly. “I know all there is to know about our siege weapons. To think we would actually have to fight against our own weapons… It will be a shame to destroy them, but I do know how to get it done.”

“Do you think these walls could stand against them?”

Another blast of a horn came from somewhere beyond Masyaf.

“The catapults were designed to take down castle walls,” Nightfall said, more of excitement than fear. “With their fiery payloads, I do not know how long these walls will last, but they will come down if we do not stop them.”

“I told Sombra the walls would hold.” Emerald hoped she hadn’t mislead him.

Nightfall paused. “Tis best the king doesn’t know the full story, then.”

Once they were at the walls, the four women wasted no time in rushing up the stairway to the parapets, where Saddle Arabian archers had already been lined up. One man in particular had a plume in his pointed helmet and he had a rather long and dark beard, which Emerald thought would be a handicap in a swordfight.

He saw them coming and he turned to greet them. “Ah, the Canterlotians. I am General Rashid. King Sombra has sent word that you know the weaknesses of those war machines.”

“That’s right,” Emerald said, privately wondering how Rashid spoke English so well. “We have two people who helped design them right here.”

Rashid pointed at the distance, where the oncoming army was approaching from. Emerald estimated that they had about half an hour before they would be within bowshot, which gave them some time to plan. Two knights led the front of the battalion, one holding up a flag with a black and white background, and in the center of it was a red sword with a guard that was almost as long as the grip and the blade. On his left was the other knight, who held on to a large metal version of the sword on the flag. As they stopped atop the closest dune to Masyaf, the rest of the army behind them followed suit. The sun was already low in the sky behind them and there wasn’t much daylight left to the day.

“I do not recognize that standard…” Light Speckle said as she looked at the flag with a spyglass. “Tis not our Canterlot flag.”

“It seems Morn is flying something beyond kingdoms,” Emerald guessed. “He does have Saddle Arabians in his army now.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t like it,” Posey took out her bow and strung it. “He says he wants peace, but all he brings is war. Morn is a hypocrite at best and a deluded murderer at worst.”

Rashid took out his own bow and tested the string while looking at Posey’s weapon. “We will need every arrow and bowman we have if we are to stop the enemy from breaching the city. I have a hundred and eighty nine archers on these walls, then more in the city, should the enemy breach us.”

“We will need to disable the catapults first,” Nightfall explained. “If we break the pivot to a catapult’s arm, we would render them useless.”

“The sun has nearly set,” Light Speckle said, pointing. “If they intend to fight us in the darkness, I presume a certain king would have something to say about giving him an advantage.”

Rashid frowned. “Perhaps they do not yet intend to fight us, yes, but they would not say no to beginning their siege on the walls.”

As the Saddle Arabian general pointed, Emerald spied a catapult’s payload ignite. It seemed Morn’s men had different plans. Smoke trailed behind the burning boulder as the catapult’s arm shot it up into the air. Everyone watched as it sailed towards them and everything seemed to go silent for a few seconds, and then the boulder smashed into the base of the wall, by the city gates and the ensuing explosion of fire knocked everyone to the ground as panicked voices were now shouting to each other.

Emerald had never expected to be on the receiving end of such powerful machines, but here she was now. She had remembered seeing the demonstration of their power all those years ago, and she had been worried they could end up in the wrong hands, like when the druids tried to steal one. Now… It was much worse.

“Ah, horseapples. Here we go again.”

“The gates still stand!” Rashid pulled himself back from looking over the side. “Your Canterlot weapons are devastating indeed. I am not sure our defenses can last the night, should they choose to keep firing. They are smart to stand beyond the reach of our archers. The only way to stop them now would be to go out on horse or camelback.”

“And even then, the siege engines are beyond the infantry and cavalry…” Light Speckle mentioned. “Tis not wise to approach this head on.” As she said this, they could already see another payload being set on fire.

“Do you not have any defenses of your own?” Posey asked, looking over the parapets carefully.

“None but our archers.” Rashid looked down disappointedly. “We have nothing that can cover such distance.”

“If only we still had the Apple,” Light Speckle exclaimed despairingly. “This city is ill-equipped for such an onslaught.”

“We counted on geographical strategy to keep the city safe,” Rashid aimed a kick at a bottle on the floor. “Never did we think a whole enemy army would come all the way across the sands just to attack us. It just did not seem feasible.”

“What, really?” Emerald looked amazed. “You did not think any invader would come and besiege your land? Not even once?”

“Perhaps we need to sit down and think.” Nightfall rubbed her chin.

“We don’t have time to think!” Emerald swung an arm in the air. “Morn’s forces will not take long to get through the wall if the catapults still stand! We need to get out there right now. It’s the only way!”

“This is a pretty rum situation all around,” Light Speckle said as she peeked over the battlements at the catapults. Without any defensive weapons, all we can do is wait here while they hammer at us.”

Nightfall shrugged and took out her snuffbox, putting some of the powder on the back of her hand and inhaling it. “Ah, that’s better.”

“There is no other way.” Emerald pulled her hood over her head. “It will soon be dark. I shall use the cover of night to approach their catapults and I will take out as many as I can.”

“How will you get down there?” Rashid asked. “The gates are all locked.”

Emerald went over to a stack of crates and began searching through them, finally uncovering a tarp that she swiftly folded into a curious shape. “This is something we pegasi used to use to help young foals get comfortable with flying before their wings were fully grown.”

“Pegasi?” Rashid asked, but he just shook his head and raised his hands. “The farmhouses should provide some cover as you approach, but once you hit the desert, you will be in the open.”

“That’s all I needed to know,” Emerald said. Then she took a running start and jumped off the wall, the folded tarp unfurling behind her to catch the air. At the same time, a fiery boulder smashed into the base of the wall and boosted her up into the air as the flames went high.

“And she’s flying,” Nightfall marveled.

Parisa was suddenly beside them. “And she’s flying! And she’s flying! How amazing is that!”

“How did you get here?” Light Speckle jumped.

“I walked here, of course!” the dancer said, doing a twirl. “Born a soldier from the horse-lands to the skies,” she gazed up as Emerald drifted downwards towards a farmhouse like a leaf in the wind.

Light Speckle leaned closer to Nightfall and whispered, “Do you know what she is saying?”

“Not a clue,” Nightfall answered, then took another sniff.

Emerald hit the ground behind the farmhouse, the tarp parachute falling down behind her as she began running. She didn’t understand why the farmers were outside the walls, but it did help her in getting closer undetected. She would have to use her wits here and hope the walls would last.

A goat looked up at her as she ran by, vaulting herself over a fence. And with that, Emerald now found herself entering the desert sands and running soon became quite the task. She watched as another catapult fired its boulder, but thankfully, this one fell short of the wall and blasted up a patch of a field.

The run up the dune took more energy from her than she had expected, but fortunately, when she had reached the top, the sun had already gone down behind the mountains and it would be dark enough for her to approach them.

As she closed in on the catapults, she kept low to avoid being spotted. Using this moment of undetectability, she surveyed the battlefield.

There were six catapults that she could see, all at the back lines and each manned by a crew of five soldiers. They were busy loading more boulders onto the throwing machines and then pouring some kind of substance over them to set alight. The soldiers seemed to keep their stores of flammable liquid near the catapults. This gave Emerald an idea. Perhaps she didn’t need to go through the hassle of disabling their pivots after all. And maybe that was also an advantage against Morn’s forces. Not having their own minds, they wouldn’t be able to foresee loopholes through their plans on their own.

Another payload was launched into the wall, ending in a deafening explosion of fire, blowing up part of the walkway. Emerald flinched as she saw Saddle Arabian archers tossed off the parapets. She had to stop those catapults before they could do anymore damage.

Keeping low, the spymaster flung herself over the dune and moved as quickly as she could behind the first of the catapult crews. The soldiers seemed fixed on their task, the golden glow from their eyes casting pools of light on whatever they looked at. Emerald knew she would have to avoid being spotted if her plan was to unfold perfectly.

Getting close, she unsheathed one of her hidden blades and waited until they were getting another boulder onto the catapult’s bucket. The former pegasus aimed for the one standing by the frame, whose job was to direct the weapon should they need to aim for a different spot. He would also be less attention on him, which was what she wanted.

Emerald drove her hidden blade deep into the small of the man’s back, straight through his chainmail. She reached a hand forward and covered his mouth as she did so, preventing any sound from leaving his mouth. His body soon went limp and Emerald held on to his body and dragged him further back where his allies wouldn’t see.

Thinking quickly, Emerald took off the soldier’s mail hauberk and helmet, putting them on over her own armor. Fortunately they were almost the perfect size for her. She pulled the visor down and her disguise was complete. Morn’s army was such a mashup of soldiers from different lands that the rest of her armor should be able to pass inspection. Heading back to the first catapult, the others continued readying the payload, not even looking at her once. It seemed her disguise was working just fine.

As one of the soldiers prepared to light the boulder, Emerald turned from the frame and jabbed her hidden blade under the next man’s chin. The one with the torch stopped to look at her, but Emerald kicked out with a foot and knocked the torch high. In that moment, she closed the distance between them and released a flurry of stabs with both hidden blades into the soldier’s chest and when he dropped to his knees, Emerald jumped off his shoulder and grabbed the torch in the air. The last two soldiers drew their weapons, but it was already too late. Aiming the torch, Emerald threw it at the stacks of barrels beside the siege engine, then hit the ground running as a ball of flame lit up the night sky, blowing the catapult and its crew to smithereens.

The rising plume of smoke and flame lit up the surrounding area, and soldiers from all around turned to look at the explosion. Chunks of flaming debris rained down around the crater where the catapult had been.

Emerald smiled grimly as a cheer went up from the Saddle Arabian wall. Swiftly, she ran over to the second catapult. With her disguise, Emerald blended in almost immediately and the next catapult crew didn’t seem to realize they had a sixth member with them, though they were still busy looking at the fiery pillar instead of readying the next payload.

That was good.

Emerald swiped the torch from the soldier holding it and ran a good distance. The soldiers all turned to her and one even went for his sword, but Emerald flung the torch once she was far enough and the next catapult and its occupants disappeared behind a blinding explosion of fire and smoke. This was almost too easy now. She had just made it to the next catapult when something happened that she did not expect.

A flash of golden light from the front lines illuminated the army, and all the soldiers suddenly went still. One by one, the soldiers that Emerald could see in the fire’s light all turned their heads in her direction, their eyes glowing fiercely.

Looks like the game’s up.

As one motion, every one of Morn’s soldiers drew a sword and advanced on her. Emerald didn’t need to be a tactical genius to know that she could not fight an army. She looked around frantically; even the catapult crew had abandoned their machine to take her down. There was no way out; she was surrounded on all sides, behind enemy lines with no escape.

Then she looked to her immediate left, where the catapult was. There was no stone loaded on the throwing arm yet, but the machine was cocked and ready. She had a fast, desperate idea.

Emerald jumped up onto the catapult and dodged a sword swing from a nearby knight. She made sure to land in the cupola that would normally hold the boulder, then drew her scimitar and slashed it at the ratchet that held the throwing arm in place.

Emerald was in the air in less than a second and she felt as if she was flying again, though she was coming up to Masyaf’s wall very fast. The wind whipped at her hair and cloak, making her eyes water.

Please let that catapult have been aiming above the wall.

Masyaf’s city wall loomed up ahead, and it looked like Emerald was going to sail right over it and crash into the city beyond. Then something flew into her just as she was passing over the battlements, landing her in a prickly but soft pile of hay. If it was one thing she was thankful for, this city seemed to have haystacks just about everywhere.

“That was a close one,” a voice said in a Saddle Arabian accent. “I have seen many things in my life, but nothing like that. You truly are something, Emerald Edge.”

Emerald recognized the voice from the dungeons. “Hollow Wish?”

“I knew we would meet again,” Hollow Wish rolled out of the haystack and lay on the ground. “You are the kind of person who attracts attention.” She clutched at her side. Her tunic was stained red.

“You have not recovered.” Emerald got up and helped her to a sitting position. “Twas not wise of you to rush back to the battle so quickly. But… thank you. If not for you, I may well already be dead. Twice.”

Hollow Wish let out a coughing laugh through her mask. “If you can unseat that Canterlotian king, I will be more than happy to call it even. Just… give me a moment. I need to get my breath back.”

Emerald’s friends and General Rashid ran over from the other side of the wall, immediately crowding around her and giving her various forms of recognition and praise.

“Em, I have to say, that was some stunt you have pulled off.” Posey grinned. “I would never think to ride the catapult.”

“Tis a wonder you weren’t smashed to smithereens,” Nightfall said, then poured out more powder from her sniffing box. “You even managed to destroy two of their war machines; I was watching through my spyglass. Incredible! Though, I could only see out there when they went on fire.”

“Very good work,” General Rashid added his praise. “In my years of serving the king, I have not seen any attack like that.”

Emerald nodded. “Hollow Wish is hurt. She needs healing.”

The group looked at her with confused expressions.

“Where is she?”

“Hollow Wish, she’s-” Emerald turned to point at her, but the Saddle Arabian woman was gone. “She was just here.”

“We can find your friend later.” Rashid looked over the wall to Morn’s army. “Four catapults still stand. If we do not deal with them soon…”

There was a thwack and another fiery payload came sailing towards the wall, this time smashing into the iron gates. Rashid’s men threw themselves aside as the following explosion ensued. The gates held strong, but there was now a massive dent in it, which still smoked.

“There has to be another way…” Emerald gritted her teeth. “Morn’s men do not need sleep. They can fire through the night.”

Emerald knew they would at least wait the night out before attempting a frontal assault, and if the wall was gone by then, then their job of taking Masyaf would be a lot easier. The mages could rig something up perhaps, but they wouldn’t have enough time to do that. The longer they stood here doing nothing, the more time Morn had to take the city walls down. Was the city doomed already? Would they have a better chance if they fell back to the palace walls instead?

“You have no ranged defensive weapons whatsoever?” Emerald asked. Rashid shook his head. “Then we must rely on trickery. Tell your men to fall back and hide in the streets and alleys; after all, they know the city better than Morn’s men do. Home ground advantage. Keep some archers along the walls, above the gates. Should they breach the gates, which they most likely will, have them open fire on the soldiers. Take out as many as you can.”

“So the wall is lost?” Rashid clenched his fists. He barked at his archers in Saddle Arabian, and they were surprised at first, but then they complied. “We must protect the women and children at all costs. If any man can fight, hand him a sword.”

“You’ll also want to pile up rubble behind the gates,” Posey advised. “That way it will be harder for the enemy to get in if the gate is breached.”

“We have no shortage of that…” Rashid looked at the wrecked sections of wall that the catapults had knocked in. “But it will not be much use if they still have their catapults.”

“Then we should move now. Buy as much time as we can.” Emerald gazed out in the darkness as another catapult released its payload into the gates.

Rashid, Emerald, and her friends hurried down the steps into the city. Rashid gave orders to his men, who all saluted and went to carry out their instructions. Some of the men were already piling debris in front of the gate, making a hill that was taller than most of the surrounding houses.

“When they come through this bottleneck, they will be prime targets for our archers,” Rashid explained as some Saddle Arabian bowmen began taking up places on nearby rooftops. “Whatever happens, we must protect the people of Masyaf.”

“The catapults will not make it into the city,” Nightfall briefed. “But their other siege engines are small enough to do so. Do not let your guard down. They are powerful against the toughest of steel.”

“Then we shall be ready.” Rashid tapped his scimitar. “We will be ready to strike. The great operation begins.”

He turned to his remaining men and spoke to them in Saddle Arabian, then they were off.

“For the grace and the might of King Sombra.” Rashid nodded to them, then he assembled with sixteen of his archers near the gates, bows in hand.

“What will we do, Em?” Posey raised her own bow. “I can help with slowing them down before they enter the city.”

“We need every edge we can get,” Emerald said, clenching her fist around the grip of her sword. “Sombra’s shadow powers would prove useful. Where is he?”

“At the palace,” Light Speckle said, looking back into the city using her spyglass. “He is shoring up the defenses there.”

“You mean he intends to lose the battle for the gates?” Nightfall exclaimed. “That’s rather defeatist of him.”

“The gates will already be lost,” Emerald grunted. “What matters is keeping them from the city, but if Sombra thinks even the city will be lost, then yes, how defeatist of him. But he is right to do so. If the palace falls, then tis too late for Masyaf. We must ensure Morn’s men never take it. We must fight.”

“We must prepare for the inevitable.” Light Speckle pulled on Nightfall’s robes. “Nightfall and I shall return to the palace and see about rigging up some magic in case they pass the city. Will you and Posey be able to hold them off with Rashid’s men?”

Emerald looked glumly at the city. “We will have to, or these people will be enslaved once more.”

As the mages left for the palace, Posey took up a spot by the city gates, with Gabriel soaring above to provide any insight on the situation in advance.

Emerald stood by the battlements, gazing out into the darkness. She tried concentrating, she tried using the eagle vision Posey was teaching her, to be able to see her enemies, but no matter how hard she narrowed her eyes and forced herself to see, nothing changed. The spymaster grumbled and shook her head. She still needed more time, but was time something they had here? Morn had all the artifacts within his possession. Their only hope had been lost because she had been careless. From here on, she had to be prepared. She could not risk being careless again.

“You will not take Masyaf, Morn. Mark my words. Not while I still stand.”

100 - Invaders in the City

“Well, this is a pretty rum way to spend the night,” Spectrum Song said as she peered through Sombra’s large spyglass at the gates with Guard Streak and Honeygold. Moon Tide had told them to go fetch her a drink of water, but when they had come back, the mage had vanished. With nothing else to do, they had gone to the throne room to see if there was anything they could do there.

“Oh, lemme see!” Honeygold put her eye to the focusing lenses as Spectrum backed away. “Doesn’t look like the walls’ve fallen yet.”

“It’s not a proper siege,” Spectrum nodded at Guard Streak. “Real sieges have one army camping out around a fortified position and starving the other army out. This is just… well, more of a rush than anything else.”

“Aye,” Streak nodded. “Morn must be very confident if he’s attacking a walled city like this with fewer soldiers than Sombra’s got.”

The three young ones took turns looking through the spyglass at the ongoing battle. Flaming projectiles arced over the wall, smashing into the streets of Saddle Arabia. There were tiny figures of soldiers piling up rubble and other debris at the gate, while other Saddle Arabian troops scurried about, putting out fires and taking up positions to attack should the gates come down.

“Do you think this will continue until the morning?” Honeygold asked, swinging her legs under the chair she was sitting in. “Ah mean, even knights gotta rest sometime, right?”

“They have to run out of rocks some time,” Spectrum said. “Hopefully. I don’t know where they are getting them from.”

“What if we join in the battle?” Guard Streak tapped on the weapon at his side. “We can fight.”

“No can do!” Parisa jumped out from under the windowsill and climbed in. “We have to stay here in the palace!”

“How’d ya get in from there?” Honeygold looked over the edge. “This window’s really high.”

“I’ve been living in this palace since I was born,” Parisa shrugged. “I know all kinds of ways of getting around.”

“Nevermind that now,” Spectrum said impatiently. “Honeygold, what of the walls? Do they still stand?

“The Saddle Arabians seem to be retreatin’ off the walls, Spectrum,” Honeygold reported. “But the walls ain’t the problem. It’s the gates; Morn’s army seems keen on knockin’ ‘em down.”

“Basic castle-attacking tactics,” Guard Streak said. “The gates are normally the weakest part of a fortress, so attacking there will yield the best results.”

“Ain’t much the Saddle Arabians can do,” Honeygold said anxiously. “Ah don’t reckon their bows can shoot that far.”

Parisa did a little twirl. “Emerald Edge and General Rashid are doing the best they can to come up with a plan. I’m sure everything will be just fine!”

There was another faint boom as another flaming projectile smashed into the gates. Soldiers were now piling rubble behind it to deter any battering rams that might attack the entrance to the city.

There came heavy footsteps. Parisa turned to see who it was, and sank into a low bow. “King Sombra,” the dancer greeted.

“Oh,” Honeygold said, coming away from the spyglass. “You look ready for a fight.”

It was true. Sombra was now decked out in a full set of the finest Saddle Arabian armor, embossed with engravings of djinn and other fantastical creatures. In one hand he held his crowned helmet and in his other, his royal scimitar.

“Should the gates not hold, there will surely be a fight,” the king said, and shadowy tendrils coiled around his feet. “But I have a task for you four.”

“Oh? What is it, your highness?” Parisa asked.

“I have sent my guards to tell all my citizens to send their woman, children, sick, and elderly to come to the palace. There are many chambers and tunnels under the palace where they can take refuge. I need you four to go to the entrance to the underground shelters and clear the way for the people who will come to hide in them. Can you do that for me?”

The three Canterlotians and Parisa exchanged looks.

“Well, it’s got to be more productive than just standing here watching the battle,” Spectrum decided. “You can count on us, King Sombra!”

“Good,” Sombra said, placing his helmet onto his head. “I must be off to help the troops. May our ancestors help us all.”

Long after the sun had finally risen, the gate had already held out for as long as it could and the next catapult payload had torn one side of it off its hinges, smashing it back and into the wall of piled rubble, collapsing part of it. One Saddle Arabian archer had been unfortunate enough to still have been standing under it and he was now lost under it somewhere.

Emerald swallowed and pulled her hood over her head. She was not skilled in archery like Posey and Rashid’s one hundred and eighty-nine archers, but she at least knew how to use the element of surprise against the enemy.

Above them, towards the gates, Gabriel squawked and flew in a circle.

“Gabriel says the catapults are preparing one last shot!” Posey called to her from another rooftop. “The cavalry and infantry approaches!”

“They are ready to face us, then.” Emerald placed a hand on her scimitar to make sure it was still there.

A group of Saddle Arabian men stood close below her, similar swords in hand. They had gotten all the women and children to the palace over the night, and whatever men could fight were now here, ready to defend their home. Emerald didn’t know their fighting skill, but hopefully Rashid’s men could hold them away from the city so they wouldn’t have to risk their lives.

“Brace and ready!” Rashid yelled from around the gate as the catapult fired its burning payload into the sky.

Everyone ducked down as it began to descend towards the gate and with a deafening explosion of flames, it smacked into the leftover pile of rubble and blasted it across the front of the city, destroying the walls of the nearby buildings.

“Retake the land!” Emerald heard someone yell from beyond the walls. She recognized it as Sir Lionheart’s voice. So he was the one leading the charge here.

The former pegasus looked through the gates to see the Canterlot light cavalry was the first to arrive, swords in hand as they rode. Behind them, half of the infantry continued to march, mostly consisting of knights in their plated armor, most of them wearing white cloth over their breastplates, with the familiar red sword painted across it, just like the one on the flag that Morn’s man was waving atop the dune, next to the other knight with the metallic sword sigil.

The rest of their forces, the heavy cavalry and siege engines hung back, probably waiting to first assess the Masyaf fighting strength. They had to show their hand here, but either way, Morn’s army would not be getting out of this lightly.

As the light cavalry galloped through the fallen debris at the gate, Rashid and his archers above the gate released the arrows they had been nocking and in a flash, Canterlotians were filled with arrows and were falling off their horses, some of which ran into others and knocking them over as well.

Some of them made it through and were in the process of readying their wristbows when Posey and more Saddle Arabian archers stood from their rooftop hiding spots and fired more arrows at them. The light cavalry was now in disarray as they tried firing back, and this was Emerald’s chance to sneak over using the rooftops. One was busy trying to reload his wristbow and with one hidden blade unsheathed, the former pegasus leapt right off the rooftop, her right arm pulled back and ready to strike. She crashed into the Canterlotian soldier and knocked him off his horse before sinking her blade into his neck. Blood poured from the wound, but he went down without so much as a cry of surprise or pain.

Another cavalryman tried to ride into her, his sword at the ready, but putting what she learnt to use, Emerald hopped up piled baskets and grabbed onto a pole sticking out of a building and she swung from it into the man, kicking him down. With her hidden blade, he was no longer a problem and she was quick to return to the rooftops to find her next target.

By now, the archers had taken down most of the light cavalry and the advanced infantry was already coming through the gates, their shields and plated armor protecting them from the arrows from above, though some well placed shots managed to get through some knights’ openings in their armor, killing them before they could even get through.

The front row of knights stepped close together and raised their shields, while four more knights behind them primed their wristbows to fire. They aimed up through the shields and fired at Rashid’s men and three archers fell from the gate walls, arrows sticking out of their chests.

From behind, some of the cavalrymen had jumped from their horses and were now scaling the wall and rooftops to fight the archers at close range.

Emerald changed roofs and kicked a cavalryman in the head as a Saddle Arabian archer tried to fend him off with his bow. When the man was down, Emerald drove her hidden blade into his neck.

Below her, the Saddle Arabians with swords began engaging the remaining cavalrymen, swinging wildly at them with close to no finesse. Most of them probably had no training with weapons, but then she saw three civilians cutting down a Canterlotian from his horse and she changed her mind. Perhaps they still had a fighting chance here.

And then she heard the sound of something being launched. Emerald had only heard it a few times before, but she recognized it as the trigger mechanism of the other siege engines. Large spears impacted into the battlement above the destroyed gates and one of Rashid’s archers got one right through the chest, sending him flying off the walls a good distance. From below, more knights fired their wristbows up at them and they had to fall back to avoid getting shot.

They needed help with taking out the infantry, but Emerald knew that even she couldn’t take them all on. Not without the artifact. And they still had more troops outside the city walls. This wasn’t going well.

Emerald heard the sound of the ballistae firing this time and the walls were immediately pelted with a line of arrows, with more of Rashid’s men dropping dead. They had no choice now, they had to leave the walls.

Posey ran back towards her, her quiver almost empty. The archer knew Canterlotian armor well and Emerald guessed she must’ve taken down her fair share of knights, but even she wasn’t enough to best all of them.

“I think we have to fall back,” Posey said begrudgingly. “Gabriel says the heavy cavalry are on their way. General Rashid’s archers cannot keep this up forever. We will need the palace defenses.”

Two cavalrymen climbed up to the roof they were on and drew their straight swords. Emerald ducked under the first one’s slash, then jammed a hidden blade into his foot as Posey rolled over the spymaster’s back and whipped him across the face with her bow. Spit flew from the man’s mouth as he spun off the roof. The second one approached them, sword ready to strike, but Emerald parried him and as she got behind him, she slashed her scimitar high up his back, knocking him forward into Posey, who thrust her hidden blade up his chin. The man gurgled once, then fell as Posey retracted her weapon.

There was another rattle of ballista fire and more of Rashid’s men fell to the bombardment of arrows. This time, the Saddle Arabian general signalled to his men and they began to fall away from the walls into the city, sticking to the rooftops as knights below tried to take them out with their wristbows. Emerald didn’t have time to count them, but she would say about fifty of them already lay dead from Morn’s assault.

Rashid and his archers continued to let loose arrows, trying to hit the knights through the chinks in their armor, with some actually finding their mark and downing a few Canterlotians.

It was kind of unnerving, Emerald thought. While the Saddle Arabians shouted and roared war cries in battle, Morn’s army did not make a sound. Not as they fought, not when they were wounded, not even when they died. Aside from the clanking of armor, the invading army was silent as a stone. And that was what a world controlled by Morn would look like. It was unnatural and Emerald knew she had to stop Morn from accomplishing his goal.

Without archers at the gates now, the heavy cavalry had covered the distance and they were now at the ruined gates, with the smaller siege engines following behind them. There was a mix of Saddle Arabian soldiers in the midst of the second half of the infantry and cavalry as well and their eyes were glowing gold as well, taken over from Excalibur’s power. She didn’t know how Rashid would feel about shooting at his own men, but it didn’t look like there was any choice.

With their archers in disarray now, Morn’s forces continued to push into the city, forcing Emerald, Posey, and Rashid and his archers to fall back towards the palace.

As the invading armor pressed on into the city, they were suddenly waylaid by groups of Sombra’s soldiers who had been hiding in the side streets. They would appear, attack whom they could, then retreat back down the narrow streets, faster than the knights could follow. This kind of guerilla warfare appealed to Emerald. It was resourceful and clever.

Then a wisp of smoke floated up beside Emerald and began to take a human shape before Sombra stepped out of it.

“Morn’s army is strong, but if it comes to knowing the city streets and our skill of subterfuge, we have an advantage over them,” the prince said. “Are you faring well? You have not been harmed, I hope?”

“None yet.” Emerald shook her head. “But many of your men have already given your lives to protect the city walls. I am afraid tis lost.”

“They knew what they were getting into when they joined my army,” Sombra said grimly. “They will not find it so easy to take the palace, I assure you. Your mages have added more assurity to that. But I have a task for you, and perhaps your friends.”

“What is it?”

“We need to take out the commander of this army,” Sombra decided. “Seeing as you seem to be good at assassinating people, I would have you use your skills to fell the head off this snake. I am sure Morn would have sent someone to give the orders, if he is not doing it himself. Can you do it?”

“Sounds easy enough,” Emerald said. If they didn’t have someone leading them, perhaps it would be easier to stop their attack on the city. “But for now, our focus should be getting your men off the streets and into the safety of the palace walls. There are still more armored soldiers on the way. If you can hold them back long enough, I can find the leader and remove him. I believe it to be Sir Lionheart, a formidable opponent.”

“Then we will have our men fall back. I will tell Rashid.” And then Sombra vanished into a cloud of smoke that seemed to blow away in the wind.

“It would be useful if we could do that,” Posey uttered, then plucked at her quiver. “I do not have many arrows left. We will need to fall back and resupply and wait for the cover of night.”

“Right you are, Posey.” Emerald looked to the advancing troops. They would have trouble seeing her approach in the dark, especially if their focus was on besieging the palace walls.

She spotted Rashid’s remaining archers hopping from rooftop to rooftop as they made their way away from Morn’s knights. Most of them were out of arrows and they would no longer have the advantage of range. Sombra’s infantry in the streets continued to poke at the knights and disappear down alleyways. They were slowing them down to allow the others to get to safety, which was good.

Emerald and Posey dropped down to the streets to help the civilian fighters in getting away. The spymaster landed on one knight who was ready to finish off a Saddle Arabian, and she drove one hidden blade into the knight’s eye slit, feeling it puncture skin within. Posey helped him up and ushered him and the others to move on as more knights advanced on the streets.

The pink haired archer fired more arrows into them, but with their shields up, there wasn’t much she could do. Pushing on the last few Saddle Arabian men, Emerald and Posey followed behind them, with Emerald grabbing a crate to use as a shield as the knights used their wristbows.

She had been pleased that the mages were so intuitive in making such amazing weaponry, but to be on the receiving end of it… Now she wished otherwise.

If she could commend Saddle Arabians for anything, they were much faster than any Canterlotian, and they were disappearing down the streets like foxes in a field. The palace wasn’t far now and Emerald could spy soldiers standing by the portcullis, motioning for them all to get inside.

Emerald grunted. She had hoped they wouldn’t lose the city, but they had all been ill prepared for Canterlot’s advanced weaponry. But while the palace walls and the Saddle Arabian prince still stood, Morn had not won yet.

“Come on, Sombra…” Emerald muttered as the invading army continued their approach. “I know you won’t let it end just like this.”

101 - Strike Back

The palace was doing marginally better than the city walls, Emerald Edge thought as she looked down from a balcony. It was smaller, for one thing. That meant it was easier to defend than the entire city, a fact that Sombra had capitalized on by lining the higher windows and balconies with archers. Along the walls, there were arrow slits carved into the ramparts, allowing more archers to fire upon the enemy with a lower chance of being shot back at. The walls surely had more defenses set up here compared to the city walls. There were boiling pots of water along the wall’s openings above the gates. It had been five days since Morn’s forces breached the city walls and so far, they had yet to push to the palace walls, though should Morn’s men arrive to breach the gates, they would be in for a hot surprise.

“Of course, none of this means anything unless we can kill the commander of this horde,” Prince Sombra had said. “Without anyone giving the orders, this army will be thrown into disarray, making it easier to drive them out.”

“Assuming Morn isn’t giving the orders from afar,” Posey had pointed out.

“Even if he is, slaying the enemy commander will embolden our troops,” Sombra and Emerald had agreed. “If there is anything left inside Morn’s mind controlled soldiers, they will at least be demoralized.”

“I think Sir Lionheart leads this army.” Emerald recounted hearing his voice when they were protecting the gates. She served with him for more than five years. She knew his voice well. “He carries the Shield. It would not be advisable to battle him head on, for the Shield makes him impregnable to most attacks.”

“But not to an assassination,” Nightfall Gleam had said. “If you can strike Lionheart down without him knowing you are there, you could claim the Shield for yourself.”

And so it was decided that Emerald would sneak around the back of the army, and attempt to behead the invading force. She had been so caught up with making sure everything was fine in the last few days that they hadn’t even had the time to plan an attack until now. Thankfully, most of the citizens had made it here without harm, and they were now holed up within the palace, waiting for the end of the siege.

Which put them in their current position. Morn’s army stood beyond the palace, waiting. Saddle Arabian archer forces and the occasional outburst of magic kept them wary, but it wasn’t enough to scare them off. Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam would duck out from behind cover and throw a bottle or vial, then dive back into cover before any arrows could hit them. Emerald looked at the mages and her brow furrowed. Moon Tide was still nowhere to be found, and the former pegasus hoped she was good at taking care of herself.

Emerald’s mind was still reeling from the fact that she was a changeling. It had all come upon her so suddenly, that this woman she’d known for so long wasn’t human. She hoped she was doing better than last she saw her.

Posey, in the meantime, was helping Rashid to tell the troops about weak points in Canterlotian armor, so that when the enemy was within bowshot, they would be able to fell more of them. Emerald got to meet Sombra’s other general in the last few days, General Hassan, the leader of the palace defenses. He was a shorter man with dark skin and a long beard, with a hood over his head, which kept his face mostly in the shadows.

“The palace walls are much tougher to crack than the city walls, I guarantee,” the general said. “They will not get past us with ease. We will give you as much time as you need.”

“We will first need to determine where the leader is encamped.” Posey surveyed the city, where some fires were raging from the earlier catapult attacks. “We will need to search for clues. Morn’s men will not tell us, even if we try to force it out of their mouths.”

“Or,” Spectrum said, coming away from Sombra’s mounted spyglass. “We could just look for the glow.”

The squire pointed out towards the city, where in the dying light, there was a corona of golden light shining from the far end of the city.

Emerald swooped onto the spyglass and peered at the section of city that Spectrum had pointed out. There was indeed a glow of golden light that matched an artifact’s signature shine.

“This could be our chance,” Posey commented. “Once night falls, we will make it our priority to take down Sir Lionheart.”

“We?” Emerald said with a wry smile.

“Of course, Emerald. I’m going with you,” Posey said, her face determined. “Two people have a better chance of success than one.”

“You have a point,” Emerald admitted. “But I don’t want you to get hurt again. We don’t have the Apple here to heal our injuries any longer.”

Posey pulled on her bowstring, which was slung over her back. “Tis a risk we have to take should we want to be victorious.”

“That is right,” General Hassan’s head bobbed. “No sacrifice, no victory. Should the army try to attack, our defenses are ready. We will make life hard for them as much as possible.”

“Then we should first get as close as possible and survey their campsite,” Emerald briefed, her inner spymaster coming back. It had been quite some time since she had to sneak around. “I want to know what we are dealing with. Patrol routes, guard positions, weapons, alarm bells, anything they have.”

She wanted to know the shifts, when the best time was to strike. Morn’s men did not seem to need sleep, but surely they would still leave openings like any living thing would. There was always a best time to strike and she wanted to find out when that was before trying anything.

After a brief bit of discussion, it was decided that Posey would send Gabriel up ahead to scout out the enemy’s territory. The golden eagle shrank into a speck in the distance as he flew off to do some recon work.

“While we wait for Gabriel to return, we should prepare for a strike deep into enemy territory,” Posey advised.

“Will you need disguises?” Hassan asked. “There is a great deal of value in dressing as the enemy.”

“I do not think disguises will work on this army this time,” Emerald said ruefully. “”They do not recognize uniform any more, only the presence of Morn in their heads.”

Posey nodded in agreement. “Then we will have to use the rooftops to reach the other end of the army, then take down the leader.”

The royal palace of Masyaf was still under siege. Morn Dread’s army was making little to no progress trying to breach the fortress, but they were persistent if anything. Arrows and sling stones and other projeciles shot back and forth like leaves in a storm in autumn.

“That’s it, men!” General Rashid barked as he narrowly dodged a crossbow bolt. “Make them pay for every inch that they take! Our king is counting on us!”

With the advantage of defensive walls and arrow slits, Morn’s men were more wary about getting closer and with the archer Posey’s information on Canterlotian armor weak points, he found he and his archers were faring slightly better against the invading force. Slightly.

“How fare your men, General Rashid?” General Hassan approached him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Keeping them at bay, I hope? The palace guard is ready, should they try to breach us.”

“It is not going as well as it should,” Rashid reported. “These Canterlotians fight through injuries that would cripple any other soldier. They feel no pain, need no sleep, and fear nothing. It is as if we were fighting the golems of old. More than a few of our men have lost their nerve at the sight of them.”

Hassan’s face grew solemn as he considered this. “We must not let the soldiers lose heart. That is the one thing that separates us from these mindless puppet invaders.”

“Does King Sombra have a plan for us?” Rashid asked. “As skilled as our troops are, they will eventually run out of arrows and other supplies. Not to mention that food and water is also an issue. We were not properly prepared for a siege like this.”

Hassan nodded in agreement. “Should we survive this, I will make sure to suggest changes to the military to the king. We cannot afford to be caught unawares like this again.”

“Save the plans for the future for when after we push these foreign dogs out of the city,” Rashid advised. “First, we must do our duty for the kingdom.” Then the general hurried off to speak with another general.

Hassan’s face was grim as he ordered his archers to fire another volley. He had gone over the stocks of arrows earlier and he knew that they only had enough shafts to last maybe a day and a half more of this. After that, their bows would be next to useless. Normally they would be able to scavenge arrows that were shot at them and missed, but the Canterlotians were using some strange wrist-mounted contraptions that used shorter bolts than what their Saddle Arabian bows would be able to nock. On the bright side, the invaders wouldn’t be able to use the Saddle Arabian arrows either.

Overall, things were not looking good at all.

“I can’t take much more of this.”

Emerald uttered these words as she paced around the inner chambers of the palace with Posey, Jewel Pin, and the Apple family.

Apple Bean looked at her husband, who shrugged back. It was still a few more hours until dusk, and they all knew that was when Emerald and Posey would set out to strike down the commanders of Morn’s army, if not Morn himself. Emerald was clearly on edge, having done nothing but walk around the room since Sombra had told them to rest in here.

Posey was keeping herself busy by checking the fletchings on her arrows and oiling her bow in preparation of the assault. Emerald had been encouraged to do the same with her hidden blades, as mechanisms like hers could easily malfunction due to sand being caught in the moving parts. The former pegasus had indeed cleaned and oiled her hidden blades, but it did little to keep her nerves calm.

“Emerald,” Jewel Pin said tentatively. “Why don’t you come and have some water? You must have worked up a thirst, walking around like that.” The seamstress held out a goblet of cool water for the spymaster.

Emerald almost said no, but her dry throat stopped the words in her mouth. Instead she sighed and accepted the water from Jewel Pin, drinking it down swiftly.

“Thank you, Jewel Pin,” Emerald said, putting the empty chalice down on the table. She almost went back to pacing, but there was a screech from the window and Gabriel swooped indoors to land on Posey’s shoulder.

The archer fed the eagle a piece of dried meat before listening to the report.

“Good news, Emerald,” Posey relayed. “It seems that Morn Dread is not leading this army. At least, not in person. According to Gabriel’s spying, there is not one, but two people in charge and giving orders. As we know, Sir Lionheart is here with the Shield. But here to back him up is Sir Gallophad, who Gabriel says is not armed with an artifact. That is some good news, is it not?”

Emerald clenched her fist. “Two targets…” she said quietly. “That changes things a bit.”

“Indeed it does,” Posey nodded jerkily. “We shall have to catch them both by surprise. Not an easy task with two sets of eyes instead of one to look out for.”

“If they see us coming and use the Shield, it’s over.” Emerald ran a hand through her already rumpled sparkling hair and went to the window to look out. Both armies were still engaging in combat, and it was difficult to tell from here who was winning. Emerald tried to focus her sight like Posey had told her to, but still nothing came.

Not good enough, Emerald. She scolded herself. If I can’t master this special vision that Posey has, how can I call myself an effective leader?

Emerald blinked. She had not often thought of herself as a leader, but the more that she thought about it, the more it became apparent that she was at least a person with a great amount of influence over her growing group of friends. And with that thought came a knot of tension in her guts. She had brought them all here. She couldn’t afford to lead them astray.

“We really don’t have a choice,” Posey sighed. “But whatever your call, I’ll follow you.”

“You can do it, Emerald,” Apple Bean smiled. “We’ll help hold down the fort here while you go deal with Lionheart and Gallophad. Hay, you two’re probably the only ones who can go toe to toe with them knights.”

“Sun’s setting.” Posey stood up and slung her bow over one shoulder. True to the archer’s word, twilight was approaching. “We should go now.”

Using the new free-running skills that she had practiced with Posey, Emerald and the archer climbed down the walls of the palace and onto the rooftop of a nearby house. In the dying light, they managed to make it down unseen. The sounds of battle echoed up to them, but they couldn’t stop to watch the combatants.

Emerald and Posey stayed low, hopping and sprinting from rooftop to rooftop, making sure not to fall into the streets below.

Emerald looked up ahead as she and Posey ducked behind a roof garden to avoid the gaze of a knight who was passing by on horseback below. There was that selfsame golden glow ahead, near the gates. Lionheart and presumably Gallophad were close by. They would have to move with stealth and precision if their mission was to be a success.

Finally, after a little more sneaking and skulking, Posey signaled for Emerald to be quiet as she peeked over the top of the house they were hiding on.

Below them were a small contingent of enemy soldiers, most of them on foot. The only two who were mounted were…

“It’s them,” Emerald whispered, squinting her eyes at the two Knights of the Round Table below. Strapped to Lionheart’s arm was the Shield of Equestria. It was glowing brightly, casting deep shadows all around them.

Posey peered at the two knights. They were watching the battle at the palace unfold, though how they could see from such a great distance was anybody’s guess.

“We should approach them from behind,” Posey whispered to Emerald. “They’re at an advantage while on horseback.”

Emerald nodded back and they climbed down on the other side of the building, then crept back around to the front, taking cover behind a pile of barrels and peeping out through a gap.

“We will only get one go at this…” Emerald said grimly. She unfurled both hidden blades. “Remember, their armor is less thick around the neck, but they may be wearing mail, so strike hard.”

The former pegasus tried not to think of the time that she had shared with Gallophad and Lionheart as Knights of the Round Table. They had been brothers and sister in arms, under a united kingdom. Now the kingdom was at war with everyone, and those who had once been just and gallant were now the enemy, unable to break free from Morn’s control. Slaying them was the only way to make sure that what had happened to them could never happen to anyone else again, the only way to save Masyaf from destruction. She steeled herself and motioned to Posey.

Gallophad and Lionheart’s backs were to them. With a flex of her legs, Emerald leapt and launched herself onto the knights, hidden blades ready to kill.

102 - Aspect of Justice

Emerald crashed into Lionheart’s body, punching forward with her hidden blade at his neck. But faster than she would have believed possible, Lionheart raised his arm and let his metal gauntlet take the blow, following with a swing of his other arm. The Shield of Equestria slammed into Emerald’s shoulder and knocked her to the ground.

Lionheart turned his luminous eyes to Emerald, no sign of recognition on his face. Meanwhile, there was the sound of a scuffle as Posey landed on Gallophad’s horse and tried to drive her own blade home. Both Gallophad and Posey fell onto the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Emerald leapt back to her feet. The ambush had failed, and unless she acted fast there would be nothing she or Posey could do to kill these two knights.

Lionheart’s sword arm went to draw his weapon, the mighty Durendal making an ominous scraping sound as it left its sheath. The blade was dark and striated, like it was made of stone. Indeed, Lionheart turned his steed around and pointed the weapon at Emerald. Then he spurred his horse and charged.

Emerald dived to the left, away from Lionheart’s sword as it sliced through the air that she had just been occupying. There came a flash of light from a few meters away, and Emerald glanced over to see Posey wrestling with Gallophad and Arondight.

Emerald didn’t have to be a genius to know that the plan had gone horribly awry, and that if she and Posey didn’t think of something fast, they would be at a huge disadvantage against the two knights.

With a mighty heave, Gallophad threw Posey off himself and readied his sword. The blade shone in the night, reflecting the flickering torches around them, its yellowish jewels glinting in the light.

Posey, to her credit, did not waste time staring. The archer ran for cover, but was intercepted by one of the footsoldiers. Just as Gallophad swung his weapon, Posey pushed the soldier she was grappling with around, putting him between herself and the knight.

To Emerald’s surprise, a bright and white crescent-shaped light shot out from Gallophad’s blade, almost like a ghostly apparition, sailing straight for Posey and the soldier. The archer dove to the side and around a wall as the light smacked the soldier in the torso. He was flung back against the wall in two pieces, his armor melting where the light beam had cut.

Arondight had never done that before, at least not to her knowledge. Morn must have done some kind of magic with Excalibur, or perhaps one of the other artifacts. She recalled Moon Tide telling her something to that effect before, but right now was not the time to think of that. She and Posey had a mission to complete, as increasingly hopeless it was starting to seem.

She eyed Lionheart warily as he turned Richard around, facing her once again. If Arondight could now wield the power of light, then what could Lionheart’s Durendal do? She figured she would find out soon enough, just hopefully not the hard way.

Her former ally charged at her again, his horse braying loudly as it thundered towards her. Lionheart’s blade was already held high, ready to strike as she bent her knees, ready for anything. The Shield of Equestria on his arm shone bright, forming a shell-like aura around himself and his steed.

Dodging the first charge, Emerald rolled into a soldier and stabbed him in the throat, not even waiting to see his body collapse. Lionheart charged her again in the main road, there wasn’t much room to maneuver a huge Canterlotian war horse, and only Lionheart’s skill in the saddle prevented him from a mishap.

More knights joined the fray from their campfire, spears and swords already in hand. One took a stab at Emerald, but she spun to the side and drew her scimitar at the same time, slashing through the wooden handle, and then kicking the man into the others, knocking a few of them over as she took to the roofs, using a stack of crates to get up there.

The troop of knights began to make their way up, though much slower, but Emerald wasn’t going to wait for them. Using the roofs, she ran along the side and towards Lionheart, who was still galloping ahead. Stopping him and Gallophad were their main priorities. Without them, the army should still lose their immediate leadership and the Saddle Arabians would be able to fight back more effectively.

The spymaster followed along after the Knight of the Round Table and his steed and once he slowed to turn his horse around, Emerald took that chance to leap off the roof and try for his neck again.

Unfortunately, Lionheart once again anticipated such an attack and brought the shield up. Emerald’s hidden blade bounced against it and the force sent her rocketing back into the side of a building, breaking off chunks of clay as she rolled to a stop.

She spotted the knight’s greaves land on the ground as she pushed to her feet, Durendal and Shield in hand.

A blast of light from the left signalled Gallophad and Posey’s own battle. The archer was quick and nimble, able to avoid the slashes of light that Gallophad was sending her way, but if Posey faltered even once, it would be over for her.

“Lionheart, you have to stop this.” Emerald got to her feet and readied her scimitar. “Fight it. I know you can.”

The knight said nothing and swung his blade at her. Emerald rolled aside and brought up her weapon to block his next strike, but Durendal easily cut right through her weapon and jarred her entire right arm. She rolled away again as it passed, just barely avoiding losing her face.

Posey was ducking and dodging desperately to avoid being struck by Gallophad’s weapon. She knew that eventually her luck would run out or Gallophad would wise up and try a different tactic. She glanced over and saw Emerald being cornered by Lionheart.

The knight raised Durendal to cleave at Emerald, and in that split second Posey drew an arrow and sent it speeding towards the area under Lionheart’s arm, where she knew the armor was not as thick. She did not wait to see if the arrow hit its mark, as another wave of light from Arondight sent Posey bowling over as she barely evaded the attack.

Emerald's lapse in concentration cost her, and when she was focused on Posey, Lionheart charged her, unfazed by the arrow in his arm. She twisted out of the way, but Emerald was a hair too slow and Lionheart's shoulder smacked her through a window and into one of the nearby houses.

Emerald expected to feel something hard as she landed, but instead felt something soft like a bag of beans. She looked down and felt something powdery beneath her. She sniffed, her nose burning from the new smell, and suddenly got an idea.

Lionheart’s blade was driven through the wall and with a cut to the left and right, a portion of the wall fell away as the knight stepped in, sword and shield in hand. Blood dripped from the arrow wound under the pauldron of his shield arm, but it didn’t look like he was getting any weaker, at least not yet.

Having lost her sword, Emerald activated her hidden blades, but she had no intention of duelling Lionheart with them. Instead they were a distraction from her real plan of attack.

As Lionheart closed in on her, Emerald tensed up and prepared to strike. She hoped that being controlled by Excalibur didn’t turn off the natural reactions of Lionheart’s body.

Durendal came thrusting forward, but Emerald twisted around the stab and hurled a handful of the powder that had cushioned her fall at his face. The reaction was immediate and the knight drew back, his eyes shut and his nostrils flaring. Emerald remembered her first meal here and she had been right to think the powder would work like this.

Lionheart flailed around, grabbing at his face and seemingly scratching and pulling the skin, trying to get any kind of relief from the chili powder.

Emerald seized her chance and leapt at Lionheart, trying to wrestle the Shield of Equestria from his grip, but his fingers held strong around its grip. His mouth open in a snarl, Lionheart swiped at Emerald blindly with Durendal. His edge alignment was way off, but even being struck by the flat of that mighty sword would cause great injury. Emerald disengaged and watched as Lionheart stumbled out of the house and back into the street. She would have to use the element of surprise to catch him off guard.

Lionheart swung the Shield around himself blindly, creating a sort of golden dome around himself, likely for protection. Emerald knew there was no point trying to attack him while this shield was up; she knew from experience that it was impenetrable, but she also knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long, even with whatever Morn had done to them.

Emerald turned her attention to Posey’s fight, just in time to see a shimmering blade of light swoop towards her. She widened her eyes at the sudden attack, then ducked and rolled away to the side as it sailed over her head, shearing off a few strands of her hair before smashing against the wall behind her and dissipating into nothing, though it left a good gash in it.

Arondight glowed brightly in Sir Gallophad’s hands, its heliodor jewels glistening in the light of his weapon like eyes gazing at her, waiting for her to make the wrong move. But that wasn’t going to happen.

Gallophad made to make another slash at Emerald. His blade glowed as it prepared to loose another lightwave, but at that moment, Posey leapt up behind him and wrapped something around his sword arm and head. Emerald recognized it as one of the tapestries that had been for sale from before.

The woven cloth entangled Gallophad’s sword arm and kept him from making any more attacks. Emerald used this chance to close the distance between them, leaving Lionheart by himself. For now, he could wait.

Ten steps into her advance, Gallophad leaned forward, then smashed his head back into Posey’s nose, knocking her off him and freeing his sword arm. Pulling back, he stabbed it forward, releasing a narrow beam of light which speared forward too fast, going right through Emerald’s right shoulder and out the other end.

Her skin burned where the light beam had penetrated, almost like when she had first come to this world. It radiated heat and every breath and movement of her shoulder sent waves of pain right to her head, but she couldn’t stop right now.

Again, Gallophad drew back his arm and Emerald was quick to move out of the way this time, twisting to the side as another light spear stabbed into the ground where she had just been. The spymaster grabbed a clay jar by the side and tossed it at him, watching as another spear ripped through it in midair, shattering it into a thousand pieces as she grabbed another one and charged.

As Gallophad readied another attack, Emerald’s second jar was already sailing towards him as she hopped atop a stack of crates and ran along the side of the wall as the jar was shattered by another of Arondight’s beams. His head turned to her and he fired another beam at her, but Emerald kicked off the wall and dropped towards him, hidden blade extended and ready to strike. The knight attempted to slash at her with his weapon, but Posey returned and wrapped her legs around his and knocked him over on his back, his crescent shaped beam going wide.

This was her chance. This was her chance to end this.

“I’m sorry, Gallophad,” Emerald whispered as she descended on him, her blade aimed for the space between his helmet and his collar.

Her blade sunk in with ease and with that, the glow in Gallophad’s eyes faded and he dropped Arondight.

“Lady Emerald…” he gasped, then coughed out blood. “I am sorry... I had no… control…”

Emerald felt an outpouring of guilt as she removed her blade. Here was a man she had known well, fought alongside and drunk cider and beer with for over five years. And now he was dying because of her.

“No, Emerald,” Posey said, putting a hand on the former pegasus’s arm. “It’s not your fault. Tis Morn’s. You had no choice.”

“She is right…” Gallophad gurgled. “You are… not to blame. Thank you… For removing his con-control… Emerald… Save… Canterlot.”

He choked one last time, then leaned back and stared skyward.

“Rest now, Sir Gallophad. You have earned it.” Emerald looked down and ran a hand over his eyes to close them. “You would uphold justice where there was none. May I bring justice to you in my quest to free Canterlot.”

“Em. Em…” Posey tapped her shoulder. The spymaster winced from the wound there, but she looked up. “Sir Lionheart, he is gone.”

The former pegasus turned her eyes to where he had been, but Posey was right. There was no sign of him. He must’ve retreated when they were dealing with Gallophad.

“That fort. Alamule,” Emerald said. “Sombra said Morn had taken it. Tis where he must be going.”

“This is our chance.” Posey picked up her bow from the ground. “If we can retake it, we can save Saddle Arabia, as well as be on our way to stopping Morn Dread.”

103 - Alamule

Emerald Edge would have liked to stay and give Sir Gallophad a proper burial, but even she knew that it was better to strike while the iron was hot. Sir Lionheart was as of now damaged from their fight, and she could not allow him the chance to recover from his injuries.

“Emerald, you should first heal your wounds. You are hurt.” Posey pointed at her shoulder.

Emerald had removed her armor to check on it earlier and fortunately, the beam of light that had punctured her shoulder had been so hot that it stopped her bleeding. Though it still hurt, she was at least able to carry on.

“I don’t have time to be hurt,” Emerald insisted. “We need to remove Morn’s army from Masyaf.”

She looked back to the palace. The sounds of battle were softer now, and she could see that the structure was still standing. With any luck, that meant that the Saddle Arabians were winning the fight.

Around the two women were the bodies of more knights, killed earlier when they had tried to engage them after Sir Gallophad’s death, but they had been swiftly dispatched, even with the injuries they had.

With the rest of them in Masyaf distracted by the palace and the Saddle Arabian army, Posey and Emerald took to the roofs and began making their way to the city walls. The Canterlot army still had most of their catapults, but if they could close the distance without being seen, then they wouldn’t be able to use them.

“Morn must have been worried that we would actually be able to beat Lionheart and Gallophad,” Posey said as they ran along. “Why else would he have made Lionheart retreat?”

“Perhaps that is so,” Emerald nodded. “Or perhaps he has another reason…” she concluded quietly so that Posey could not hear.

Once they were at the city walls, Emerald gazed out to the farmlands and the vast expanse of sand beyond them, where Fort Alamule stood along the horizon. There was still no sign of Lionheart, but she wagered that’s where he would be.

“Come on, this way.” Emerald was first to leap down into a bale of hay below, then proceeded through the farms, using the buildings as cover from any potential lookouts.

“Would it not be more efficient to acquire some horses?” Posey asked.

“It’s better to approach on foot,” Emerald shook her head. “They’ll see horses coming from miles away.”

The two women snuck away from the farms and onto the sandy dunes, running along in an arc to try and circle away from the front, where scouts were likely positioned. With Lionheart and Gallophad’s defeat, Morn would surely have more men on the walls now, but with the cover of darkness, they should be able to approach them unseen.

That theory was tested when Alamule soon appeared before them in its fullness. The fort stood on a small rocky hill with grasslands and bushes surrounding it. Emerald was thankful for that. At least they wouldn’t have to stumble around sand nearer the walls.

Posey motioned for Emerald to follow her and she crouched behind a bush, peeking her head over it and narrowing her eyes. By now, Emerald knew what her friend was doing and she tried to do the same, narrowing her own eyes and focusing her vision to try and see what needed to be seen.

She eventually sighed and shook her head. “I still cannot do it, Posey.”

“Don’t worry. It takes time.” Then she panned a finger from left to right. “Three archers on the walls. Lightly armored. I see another four spearmen patrolling behind them.”

“That’s manageable.” Emerald nodded. “I was expecting at least thirty guards on the walls.”

“The majority of the soldiers must still be in Masyaf,” Posey reasoned. “I had sent Gabriel ahead of us to see how many remain here.”

“Good thinking,” Emerald agreed. “I hope Lionheart hasn’t prepared an ambush or something for us.”

She looked at the gleaming Arondight in her scabbard. Without a weapon of her own, she had taken up Sir Gallophad’s legendary blade. The light on it had faded and it didn’t seem to be enchanted any longer, but it was still as fine a blade as anyone could wish for.

“Unless he has the Staff, I do not think he will know,” said Posey. “But then we did not know the full extent of the artifacts’ powers. Best to be on guard in any case.”

“The artifacts are too much power for any one person to have,” Emerald said with narrowed eyes. “I am beginning to see why Star Swirl wanted them to be lost and forgotten.”

“Yes.” Posey looked to the sky. “Em, should we find Morn in Alamule, you know what needs to be done…”

The spymaster sighed. “I know. I know. I will have to do what is right for Canterlot. For the world.”

She had wasted that chance once. She wasn’t going to let it slip by her again, even if that meant killing the human she loved. Did she even love him anymore?

“Maybe I’m just in love with a memory,” Emerald whispered to herself. Posey either didn’t hear or pretended not to. “A ghost that I can’t get back.”

There was a faint screech from above and from the dark, Gabriel dove down to them and landed on Posey’s arm. The archer grabbed a piece of dried meat from her waist pouch and allowed him to nibble on it as he squawked in between bites.

“We were right. Most of Canterlot’s army is still in Masyaf. They still number at least forty within the fort, from what Gabriel could see, but there is no sign of Morn or Lionheart.”

Emerald blinked a few times. “They’re… not there? Where else would they go?”

“I do not know, Em. Perhaps they are just underground, where Gabriel cannot go, or perhaps they have returned to Canterlot? I do not have an answer for that.”

“But if Lionheart were to go back to Canterlot, he would need to go through the tunnels of the mountain.”

Posey shrugged. “Morn and the army made it through. With the siege weapons, no less. They must have found a way. Surely a single rider could make it through.”

Emerald didn’t like this. Lionheart was their best chance at getting an artifact back on their side, and she needed to have at least one to have a hope of overpowering Morn’s mind control. Perhaps he knew this and had pulled Lionheart back to him to prevent Emerald from getting any.

“Or maybe Lionheart is lurking somewhere in Alamule,” Emerald rubbed her chin. “So many unknown variables. But whether Lionheart is in Alamule or not, we must go in.”

Posey nocked an arrow to her bowstring. “Then let us pass this test mightily.”

The archer took up position behind the bush as Emerald ran forward, keeping low. The skipped up the rocks as quietly as she could, making sure her greaves didn’t clank against them on her way up. There was a small hedge of greenery around the fortress and it provided cover from the lookouts on the top of the walls, who stood as still as stone, their shining eyes piercing the dark.

She finally reached the walls, with Morn’s soldiers none the wiser. Ready to begin, she pulled her hood over her head to hide her reflective hair and looked up. She found little indents along the surface and she used them to begin her ascent up the side of the fort’s walls. It was a high climb and Emerald’s left shoulder burned with every exert of strength as she pulled herself up, almost slipping once when her arm’s strength just left her. But she steadied herself and pressed on, knowing that they had to take this chance while the sun was still down. Dawn would break soon, but until then, she had plenty of darkness to cover her quest here.

Emerald poked her head up over the battlements. There was a sentry coming along, his golden eyes not seeing her. The former pegasus waited until he was almost on top of her, then extended a hidden blade and reached up to stab him in the stomach. Without lowering her arm, she pulled and the sentry fell from the wall without even a single yell.

The bushes below dampened the sound of the sentry hitting the ground, which Emerald was grateful for; with her shoulder in the state that it was, she wasn’t confident of a face-to-face confrontation.

She continued to swing herself to the right, until she was under the first archer. Doing the same thing, she pulled him off and waited for the quiet thwack below before pulling herself up over the parapet, landing in a crouch and keeping to the shadows as she eyed the remaining archers and sentries.

With only five of them left, she would easily make quick work of them.

As the next sentry came walking by, Emerald unsheathed one hidden blade and rose from the shadows. The guard was caught by surprise, but didn’t have a chance to utter any cry of warning as the spymaster plunged her blade deep into his neck. She was already moving as his body fell, drawing Arondight from her side. The archer turned as the sword scratched against its scabbard, but Emerald dashed past him and cut at his side and spun around again to slash him across his back as well. Arondight’s blade easily tore through his armor and he soon fell.

The last archer’s attention was now on her and she drew an arrow to fire, but Emerald ignored her and kept going, only for an arrow to fly out from the darkness and hit her square in the neck. She was thrown to the side as the former pegasus rushed the two final sentries.

One raised a spear, but Emerald cut it in half and then stabbed him straight in the chest, sending him down as another arrow took care of the last man.

Emerald stood up and wiped Arondight on her sleeve before waving out to the darkness below the parapets, letting Posey know that they were done.

She stood by a corner and marveled at Sir Gallophad’s weapon as she waited for Posey. These weapons were indeed the finest weapons made by human hands and they only had Honor Proof to thank for such steel. She wondered what he was doing now. Still free of Morn’s control, she hoped. The Light of the Lake’s yellow crystals, filled with light when Gallophad still held it, were now dull and worn, almost like the magic in the weapon had died with him. Morn had imbued their swords with magic through his own and that only helped Emerald understand just how much more powerful and dangerous Star Swirl’s artifacts were.

There was a swoop of wings by her head as Gabriel flew by, then from the parapets, a pink haired archer threw herself over and landed with barely a sound, her hood also pulled over her head.

“They are below. Mostly in the courtyard,” Posey whispered. “They do not seem to sleep. Morn’s enchantment keeps them ready.”

“I still do not see Lionheart,” Emerald considered. “If he has abandoned this fort, then possibly Morn has chosen to abandon Saddle Arabia as well?”

“We have trounced him at every turn,” Posey said, eyeing the courtyard underneath. “Aside from getting the Apple from us, Morn’s campaign in Saddle Arabia has not been a successful one.”

Emerald had to agree, and wondered to herself if Morn’s other attempts to take over the neighboring kingdoms had been met with the same resistance.

“I think we should sweep through the courtyard and take out what we can.” Emerald eyed the small braziers at a few entrances to the fort’s structure. “Then we check the insides. What should we look out for.”

Posey’s fingers ran from left to right at two bells atop posts, one near the center of the courtyard and the other next to the biggest entrance into the fort. “If they sound the alarm, we may have too many to face at a time. If possible, we should silence them.”

“You keep an eye up here, then.” Emerald tapped her companion’s arm. “Should I fail to take any by surprise, you know what to do.”

The archer nodded as Emerald looked over the edge to the courtyard below. There was a wagon right below them, attached to nothing, but sporting a cartful of hay. That would be useful for her.

Spreading her arms out, Emerald kicked off the parapet and sailed through the air for a moment before landing in the bale of hay with a rush of wind.

One knight turned his head towards her, but made no move to investigate. Emerald had to prod him on a little and she let out a shrill whistle from the corner of her mouth.

That got his attention and the knight grabbed a torch and drew his sword as he approached.

That’s right, come on over…

The knight approached, his sword gleaming in the torchlight as he moved closer to the haystack. Emerald peered out between several stalks of hay, and when he was close enough, Emerald reached out and stabbed him in the throat before pulling him into the haystack, sword and all. It had all been done quietly and without anyone else noticing, and unless they searched the haystack, they wouldn’t find a body.

Emerald hopped out of the haystack and rolled behind a low chest high wall. There were torches lit near the two alarm bells. If she extinguished them, then people might notice.

Creeping around like a desert fox, Emerald picked up a piece of loose stone and threw it as hard as she could across the courtyard. The guards may have been under mind control, but even then they knew to investigate a suspicious noise.

In a pair, the soldiers approached the place where the stone had landed, swords drawn and torches blazing. Emerald knew she would only have one chance. She darted over to the unprotected bell and with a swipe of her sword, cut off the clapper.

She ran out of the torchlight just as the soldiers came back.

One alarm taken care of. One to go.

She maneuvered herself behind a row of training dummies, keeping to the dark as she thought of a way to remove more soldiers. Her chance came when one knight waltzed by, patrolling her area. Emerald slid a hidden blade in a chink under his arm, then dragged him behind a dummy and rested his body against it.

On her way to the second alarm, she approached two guards walking together, and raising a hand as a signal, she stabbed one through the neck with her hidden blade as an arrow flew out from the parapets, taking out the second one.

Posey is really a good shot.

She hid their bodies in some knee high grass, then proceeded on, taking out another six guards patrolling the fort alone, with Posey shooting another one coming down from the opposite parapets. His body slid off the stairs and fell perfectly in another bale of hay.

Emerald got to the second alarm quick enough and before anyone could see her, she jumped and cut the clapper in a spin. Now without the alarms, there would be no further backup for the soldiers up here, unless she allowed them to leave. As much as it pained her to kill the soldiers of the kingdom she served, she did not want any reinforcements coming back to Saddle Arabia.

The sun was now peeking over the parapets of the fort, signalling daytime was now approaching. With light coming in, Emerald could now see that Morn had adorned the fort with banners of his movement: banners of black and white, along with a red sword in the middle where the guard was almost as long as the blade and hilt themselves. It sickened her to know how serious Morn was in his world conquest that he even made banners and flags to put around.

“May this finally be the end to his siege on Saddle Arabia.” Emerald drew Arondight and rushed the closest soldiers.

She had already slashed a guard across the throat when the rest turned to face her. Posey fired another arrow and hit one square in the back as Emerald started swinging her sword, cutting through their armor and limbs like paper.

A pikeman leapt down from a stairway to try and spear her, but Emerald rolled away and cut the back of his knees with a hidden blade, then as he fell, she spun around with a slash, finishing him off.

Two charged her, but Emerald countered one of their blows, then grabbed him around the neck. Four others approached her without hesitation, but then she threw her captive into a wooden scaffolding by the wall and it collapsed down on all of them.

With Arondight and Posey’s help, eventually the courtyard was cleared and all of Morn’s men were lying dead on the floor.

“All clear, Posey.” Emerald sheathed the sword and looked at the banners distastefully. Morn’s conquest needed to be stopped.

“Maybe not.” Posey joined her in the courtyard after leaping down from the parapets. “I shall check below. Maybe find a way to signal Sombra that we have bested Morn’s men in Alamule.”

“I already have a plan.” Emerald grabbed one of the fallen torches.

As Posey ran below with her bow drawn, Emerald approached the closest banner, then raised the torch to it. Fire caught on the bottom of it and began to spread up, slowly reducing the piece of cloth to cinders. She did the same with all the other ones and for the very last, she climbed to the very top of the fort using various cracks and handholds, her injuries aching and her body tired, but she pressed on, eventually arriving reaching the fort’s highest peak. She gazed over the minute grasslands and vast desert, able to see for miles and miles, then bent down and set the final banner on fire. Sombra would be able to see it burning from Masyaf, should he be paying attention.

More for herself, Emerald raised the torch high and yelled at the top of her voice. This would be their first triumph against Morn and it was not going to be the last. She would do everything in her power to stop him and bring an end to this war.

104 - A Feast with Friends

“Hold still.” Light Speckle said as she continued to apply a salve to Emerald Edge’s shoulder. Her other hand was placed on Emerald’s head to keep her seated.

“Agh!” Emerald winced again and threatened to move away, but she fought against the pain. “I can’t help it!”

“Well, if you want to be healed, you will stay still.”

Posey sat opposite them, drinking from a bowl of soup. She had only sustained minor injuries from their fight in the night and Light Speckle had already taken care of her injuries. She tossed a date to Gabriel, who was standing by a window.

When they had returned, they had helped fight off what little of Morn’s army remained in Masyaf, and without Sir Gallophad and Sir Lionheart leading them, Generals Rashid and Hassan had rallied the Saddle Arabian forces and finally drove them out, ending the siege on the palace. The latter had taken to Alamule, where he had set up a forward post of a troop of his men. According to one of the Saddle Arabian guards, those were some of the finest warriors in Saddle Arabia, capable of using the shadows to take out their targets, sometimes with barely a breeze. That was something Emerald found commendable, seeing as she had been trained to fight like that as well.

The palace gates had mostly withstood the assault, but it was in much need of a fix, which Nightfall Gleam had been happy to help with. Emerald still marveled at how a mage was so good at inventing and tinkering with things. After all, she and Secret Fire had designed the siege weapons Canterlot now used against them. They were truly weapons of great destruction.

“So what happens now?” Posey tossed Gabriel another date. “What is our next move?”

“What happens now is celebration!” Prince Sombra waltzed in, a smile on his big princely face. “The enemy has withdrawn. Saddle Arabia is victorious! And it is all thanks to you, Emerald Edge. Consider yourselves officially pardoned for your attempted murder on my life.”

“I thought you had already pardoned us,” Emerald said.

“Yes, well… much more officially pardoned, since you have aided me in expelling the usurper’s army.” Sombra stretched his arms to his sides. “All of Saddle Arabia thanks you. May the land lay claim to the name of Emerald Edge from this day. Songs of your daring quest will be sung.”

Emerald was about to say that Posey had put in equally, if not more effort to retake Saddle Arabia, but when she looked to the archer, she shook her head and waved a hand. Emerald couldn’t help but smile. After all this time, she still wanted nothing to do with praise and recognition.

“So what happens now?” Emerald asked the prince as Light Speckle finished applying the healing magic to her shoulder.

“We will have to rebuild. Reinforce our walls and defenses.” Sombra looked to the window. “We have lost much, and the dead require proper burial, my father included. He gave his life for his people and… and he has left me a role I do not know if I can fill.”

"Don’t be so hard on yourself, your majesty," Parisa said brightly as she twirled on the spot, appearing from behind him. "Your people already think you to be a great hero for driving the invaders from Masyaf."

Sombra looked a touch bit mollified by this, but he continued to stare at the wall as if he was pondering a mightly puzzle, though now with a small smile.

“Has anyone seen Moon Tide?” Jewel Pin asked. “She is the only one of us who was not accounted for when the battle began. I hope she is not hurt.”

Nobody seemed to have an answer for that. There was little more talk as Light Speckle finished dressing and wrapping Emerald’s injuries.

“That will take a couple of weeks to recover fully,” Light Speckle said to Emerald. “I know it’s unreasonable of me to say this, but try not to strain yourself while your arm isn’t completely healed.”

Sombra cleared his throat. “In any case,” he began. “I think that a celebration is in order. You will all join me at my table tonight for a great feast, as is customary in Saddle Arabia.”

“Alright!” Honeygold, Spectrum, and Streak raised their hands in the air and clapped them against one another, which Emerald found to be a strange gesture.

“That is most kind of ya, King Sombra,” Apple Bean said graciously. “We’d be honored to attend.”

“King Sombra…” The man ran a hand through his dark hair. “It does not sound as regal as my father, King Aldilu.”

“It’ll grow on you, sire,” Parisa giggled. She pranced around the king, throwing little strands of ribbons in the air around him. “Long live the new king! May the seven pillars be always behind you.”

“Do ya think he’ll be back?” Honeygold prodded Emerald’s side. “Morn, Ah mean. Do ya think he’ll come back and try and take Saddle Arabia again?”

Emerald looked uncharacteristically grim, but changed her expression to a comforting smile for the girl. “I won’t let him. Morn’s army has retreated for now, which means we have to follow him and attack while he’s still recovering. I know it’s not very knightly, but I don’t think either of us cares about chivalry anymore.”

“Ah understand, Em,” Honeygold said, her eyes determined and hard. Harder than a girl of her age’s should be, Emerald thought. “We’ve gotta win, even if we gotta fight not so honorable like. We ain’t knights no more.”

Emerald patted Honeygold on the head and sighed. “I wish it was otherwise, Honeygold. But this kind of warfare is the sort I was trained for back in Equestria. I just… laid it aside when I became a Knight of the Round Table.”

“We can take them.” Spectrum gave her left arm’s biceps a pat. “I can take on Morn any day. My skills would be recognized and I would instantly be made a knight.”

“Doesn’t there have to be a king to properly make someone a knight?” Guard Streak asked as he cleaned some grime off his sword blade.

“Well…” Spectrum opened her mouth, but nothing else came out. Then she shook her head. “You know, I managed to kill one of the attacking knights yesterday.”

“What, really?” Jewel Pin approached the children. “You are making that up.”

“Got him right in under his helmet with my shortsword.” Spectrum tapped the scabbard at her side. “He put up a good fight, but I was far more skilled.”

“You… actually, um, got him when his back was to you…” Streak averted his eyes as she glared at him.

“Yes, well…” Spectrum shrugged. “I still got him.”

Emerald laughed and walked over to them to give them all pats. “You were all heroes this day. Everyone played their part and Morn’s presence here has been vanquished.”

“Indeed,” Sombra nodded. “I will send for you later once the feast is ready. I have a small number of things I must take care of before then, so I will take my leave. Until tonight!”

Then Sombra swirled his cape around himself and left the room.

“Well. Fancy that,” Jewel Pin said once he was gone. “We’ve just been invited to have dinner with a king! How marvelous!” The seamstress did a little twirl. “Oh, I hope the outfits we have are good enough. If not, I’ll see about procuring some fabrics from the locals to spruce them up.”

Emerald poured herself a cup of water while Jewel Pin set about examining everyone’s clothes and declaring that she would be outside shopping for fabrics for the rest of the day.

“At least someone’s enthusiastic,” Nightfall Gleam smiled. “It is a nice change to not be wanted by the law, rightful or otherwise.”

“Must we have a change of attire?” Posey exhaled and sat on the windowsill. “I rather not. May-maybe I can just wait outside instead.”

“Nonsense, darling,” Jewel Pin said as she scribbled down a list of things to buy on a spare sheet of parchment. “You are one of the key people who brought an end to Morn’s grip on Saddle Arabia. It would not surprise me if you were to be a guest of honor tonight.”

Posey looked more than a touch embarrassed at this, but didn’t protest. Perhaps she desired some form of recognition for her skills after all.

Emerald sat there and gently probed the bandages that wrapped around her shoulder. One Knight of the Round Table had fallen, but Emerald found little joy in the fact. Sir Gallophad had been her friend, her brother in arms. Slaying him, even for the good of the world, left a sour taste in the former pegasus’ mouth. She and the others had given him a burial after returning from Alamule, where Emerald had laid Arondight to rest with its owner. Sombra had suggested keeping the blade, but Emerald had refused, perhaps out of respect and honor for her former fellow knight.

Emerald put aside these thoughts as she stared out the window. It was a glorious sunny day in Masyaf, and as she looked down at the thoroughfare that led up to the palace, she could see that the bodies of those who had fallen in the battle had been removed, and that servants were busy scrubbing away the bloodstains that dirtied the road and palace entryway. Life was returning to normal for the city in the sands.

“Saddle Arabia is recovering…” Emerald murmured. And she smiled, for it gave her hope that perhaps, when this was all over, maybe even Canterlot could recover as well.

“Wow, Jewel Pin,” Apple Bean said as she spun around in front of a mirror to admire her outfit. It was a tasteful blend of Canterlotian and Saddle Arabian style, but done up in locally bought textiles. “You sure work fast.”

The rest of the questors were similarly attired in the garb of fine silks, in many different colors that were meticulously picked to accentuate and match skin and hair color. Jewel Pin had spared no expense, even though the stash of treasure from the Baba Yaga’s lair was half spent.

“You look like a princess, Honeygold,” Spectrum said approvingly. She held her hand up in the air and Honeygold slapped the palm with her own. “How do I look, Streak?”

Guard Streak eyed Spectrum’s blue dress-like attire. “Uh, y-y-you l-look… you look… uh… ver-very…”

“Ah think he’s tryin’ to say you look amaz-amazur-amazo…” Honeygold fought for the right word to use. “Like ya take his breath away.”

“What, does this dress have sorcery imbued?” Spectrum looked around the front and back of her attire. “Stand further away, Streak.”

“It’s just a figure of speech,” Light Speckle said, coming over to the youngsters. She held some flowers in her hand. “It’s traditional for the maidens of Saddle Arabian feasts to wear these lilies in their hair,” The mage explained. “I think it would please King Sombra greatly if we were to show that we have learned some of his kingdom’s customs.”

The two girls took a flower each and fixed it in their hair. The flora gave off a pleasant scent, and the mage smiled as she came over to Emerald.

“A lily for you as well, Em?” Light Speckle offered.

“Should I?” Emerald looked down at herself. She felt very light without the weight of her armor on her body. She had wanted to wear it to the feast but Jewel Pin had been adamant that she leave it behind. Now she was clad in an evening gown of aquamarine and deep blue hues, accented with silver trim. “I am not sure I qualify as a maiden.”

“I have already given Posey one,” Light Speckle shrugged. “You are still of marrying age, Em. That makes you a maiden in my books.”

Relenting, Emerald took one of the flowers and tucked it behind one ear. The group milled around for a bit longer, until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. One of Sombra’s palace servants poked her head inside.

“I have been sent to escort you to the king’s feast,” she said in heavily accented English. “Are you all prepared?”

“We sure are!” Spectrum sprang to her feet brightly. “Lead the way!”

The group filed out of the room and upstairs towards the upper floors of the palace. Further up, the sounds of music and the smells of food were noticeable, until the steps opened up onto a wide balcony. It was practically a huge room in and of itself, only instead of a wall on the east side, the balcony stretched out over the lip of the palace and offered a view of the city and the sands beyond. Torches on the walls served as light, as well as a massive golden bowl of flames in the middle of the space.

Parisa Pie and King Sombra were already there, as were a handful of servants. The dancer was reclining on a pile of cushions next to a plate of pastries, while Sombra stood in front of the bowl of fire, dressed opulently in dark robes and a sash that matched his shimmering hair.

“Welcome, welcome!” Sombra greeted with a wave of his hand. Golden bracelets adorned his wrists and there were similarly colored hoops hanging from his earlobes. “My honored guests. Please, sit wherever you like.”

Hesitantly at first, the group of questors chose either a low couch or a pile of cushions and settled down in them. As the guests of honor, Posey and Emerald sat on either side of Sombra. Once everyone was comfortable, Sombra clapped his hands twice and a trio of musicians by the side began to play a soft, gentle melody for the party.

Food was served on large platters and soon the party was chatting in a most lively fashion, sipping from golden goblets of wine and simply enjoying each others’ company.

Parisa proved to be one of the most popular sources of entertainment, as she told stories from Saddle Arabian myth and legend to entertain her friends. In return, Spectrum, Honeygold, and Streak regaled her with Canterlotian tales, which the dancer took in with starry eyes and a grinning mouth.

The adults, for their part, seemed content to relax and kick back for once, idly talking about trivial matters and recalling memories from more peaceful times and what they wanted to do once their quest was over. They laughed and joked with each other, the wine making everything seem so much brighter than before.

At the center of the room, Emerald nibbled a cheese pastry and sipped at her own chalice of wine. It wasn’t quite as good as the wine that Celdri had offered her in the desert, but it was still a tasty brew. It was unlike anything they had back in Canterlot, though it had a tad stronger kick than their regular Canterlotian brew.

Posey scratched at the back of her garment, still not used to having to wear clothes like a noble. Emerald didn’t blame her. After all, she had spent years living alone in the now Everfree Forest. She didn’t expect her to want to or know how or to dress in front of royalty, though the flower behind her right ear suited her well.

After about two hours of eating, drinking, and talking, Sombra turned to Emerald Edge with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. He set down his chalice of wine and said, “So, Emerald Edge. Once again I thank you for the part you played in driving those foreign dogs out of my kingdom.” He coughed. “I mean, the invading foreign dogs. You and your group are much better than that.”

“Thank you, King Sombra,” Emerald replied drily. “While I am glad that your kingdom is safe and secure, my quest is not even close to being over. We must pursue Morn’s forces and reclaim the artifacts from him.”

“I see,” Sombra said seriously. He turned over a piece of meat in his fingers before popping it into his mouth. Emerald tried not to grimace. “You know, in all of the… excitement that has happened since you arrived, I don’t believe you ever told me your story. Your sparkling hair and gem-cut eyes clearly set you apart from the rest of your companions. If not that, then the djinn certainly think you are different. Who are you, Emerald Edge?” He pinned Emerald down with his gaze.

Emerald felt the dinner she had just eaten begin to churn in her stomach. After all this time, she had never forgotten who and what she was, nor her mission here, even if it seemed like she would never be able to complete it. Still, Sombra had been a trustworthy ally and, at a stretch, a good friend to Emerald and her group of questors. She could tell him.

“What I am about to tell you might sound outlandish,” Emerald began. “But I swear that it is all true.”

Sombra nodded once. “I trust you. Begin your tale.”

“I come from a world apart from this one, where there are no humans. Instead, the world is populated by what the people here might call animals or mythical creatures. Dragons, griffons, minotaurs, ponies, and many other kinds,” Emerald said, a feeling of longing blooming inside her as she described her home. “I was a crystal pony who served my princess as the royal spymaster.”

“A crystal pony?” Sombra repeated curiously. “What is that?”

“It is like a regular pony, but imbued with the blessings of the Crystal Empire. We have jewel like eyes, hair, bodies, and if tales are to be believed, bones. The Crystal Empire is in the Frozen North, where all is ice and snow. The opposite of Masyaf, in a way.”

“Ice and snow…” Sombra seemed to have a hard time grasping this. “It is very cold there?”

Emerald nodded. “Yes, but the Crystal Empire is kept warm and safe by the collective goodwill and love of the ponies there, which is channeled into a powerful magical item known as the Crystal Heart. It is a heart made of… crystal, for want of a better term. It keeps the Crystal Empire warm and drives away dark forces.”

Sombra, for his part, seemed to be working mightily to visualize all this. There was a small popping noise and Parisa appeared next to Emerald, an eager grin on her face.

“Oooh! A story! I love stories; let me listen too!”

“Certainly,” Sombra shifted aside so that Parisa wouldn’t be crowding Emerald as much. “Please continue.”

After wetting her throat with another sip of wine, Emerald proceeded, saying, “Remember when I tried to attack you, Sombra? I am coming up to the reason for that. When I lived in the Crystal Empire, one of our number, a mare named Radiant Hope, befriended a foal who was found out in the wilderness, who was placed in the same orphanage as herself. That young one was named Sombra.”

“There is another Sombra?” King Sombra’s eyebrows went so high, Emerald thought they would just tear right off his face.

“Our worlds are somewhat intertwined.” Emerald went on to explain the doppelgangers she had met in this world, including the own, who had so valiantly given up her life for them to be here today.

“So there are alternate versions of us in your world,” Sombra struggled along. “But they are not humans, and we may not be in the same positions as us on the human side are. Am I right so far?”

“Pretty much,” Emerald nodded.

“So there’s another me in your world?” Parisa asked. “Have you met me? Her?”

“I think I would remember if I had met someone with your energy on my side,” Emerald shook her head with a smile. “Truthfully, I have never met any of you, my friends, except for Speckle. She had been my best friend back in Equestria. And of course, Sombra, the usurper. I cannot believe it is all playing out once again, but with different people…”

“I would very much love to meet the other me!” Parisa got up and began a weird jig on the spot. “We would have so much fun together! We would dance, we would throw fruits, we would dance, we would explore deep dark tombs together. And dance!”

“Calm yourself, Parisa,” Sombra laughed. Then he grew serious again. “What happened with the Sombra on your side? Some of it I can guess at, since you called me a usurper when you were imprisoned. What exactly did he do to your kingdom?”

Emerald’s expression grew dark. “He betrayed our trust. He took the kindness we showed him and killed our princess and took over the empire. I don’t know what has become of it today, but me and my small group of friends had tried to get to this world to find the artifacts of Star Swirl the Bearded to stop Sombra. Only I made it here.”

“Such power your artifacts possess. It is of no surprise that they have been locked away here with us,” Sombra said. “Though I would have picked a better hiding spot than an alternate world where they could still be misused.”

“Aye, I can see that now,” Emerald agreed. “Although when I first came looking for the artifacts, I did not know there would be an entire other world attached.”

“Though it is still amazing how a mirror can simply lead to another world completely.” Nightfall stuffed a round piece of meat in her mouth. “If I could build such wonders, I would be one of the greatest mages in the world!”

“Do you plan to return to your world after you have secured an artifact?” Sombra asked, taking a draught of his wine. “That was your goal, at least as far as I can gather from what I have learned.”

“Yes. But I do not know when the portal home will work again.” Emerald looked down dejectedly, remembering trying to go back before Morn took over. “The mirror we used to get here had been destroyed almost as I entered it. I do not know if I will ever be able to get home.”

“I too cannot give you an answer.” Sombra moved a hand through his black and blue hair. “But I know that you will continue on your quest to gather the artifacts and you will find a way home. And I will aid you in your quest.”

“Y-You will?” Emerald was taken aback.

“Though we did not get off to the best starts, you have helped me in my time of need and in reclaiming my kingdom from a treacherous dog.” Sombra put a hand to his chest. “I have seen firsthand what this hound wants of the world. As the new king of Saddle Arabia, I must not allow this to happen to any other kingdoms. I shall come with you as you go to reclaim the rest of your artifacts, as well as put a stop to Morn Dread and his evil ambitions.”

Emerald was stunned. She had not expected Sombra to be so forthcoming with his plans and his aid. “You are sure you want to join our quest?” she asked hesitantly.

“I am the king of Saddle Arabia, like my father before me,” Sombra declared. “If I say I will do something, I will keep my word and do it. That is the only way a king can earn the respect and adoration of his subjects.”

“Well said, your majesty!” Parisa cheered. “I want to come too! Can I? Can I?” She looked back and forth between Sombra and Emerald. “I’ve always wanted to see the world, but I never got around to it. And I’ve made so many new friends now, I would like to go along with them!”

“I do not see why you cannot,” Emerald answered the bubbly girl. “But it shall be no easy task. Our quest will be dangerous.”

“More dangerous than what we’ve gone through already?” Parisa tilted her head to the side. “That does sound scary, but even scarier is letting you face all those dangers without friends to help you through them. Besides, if King Sombra is going, someone’s got to be there to remind him of home, right?”

Sombra’s face broke into a smile. “I should be most grateful for a reminder of Saddle Arabia if I am to travel to lands unseen.”

Parisa looked so elated that Emerald thought that she might float off the ground. Then it turned out, she had actually floated off the ground, just a little, before landing back down.

This girl surely is an interesting one.

“And do not fret for my kingdom.” Sombra waved a hand. “I am sure my generals Rashid and Hassan can handle it in my absence. I shall have them fortify the walls should Morn return when I am gone. Though I do not think he will. Not yet.”

“With more travelers, we’re bound to kick Morn in his sorry sack and send him packing back to Canterlot!” Spectrum pumped a fist up and grinned madly.

“So where will we be headin’ to after this?” Golden Nugget asked as he chewed on a bright red apple. “Moon Tide did say Morn was up to somethin’ in the other kingdoms. Ah’d wish she told us where. Speakin’ of which, where’d she go anyhow?”

“I don’t know,” Nightfall Gleam frowned. “I’m sure she will turn up eventually. I hope she does; she seems to know a lot about Morn’s plans for conquest.”

She shared a glance with Light Speckle, but she too didn’t know where their senior mage had gone. Instead, she removed a map from her pack and swiped plates aside to have enough room on the floor to place it.

“We took this path.” Speckle drew a finger from Canterlot to the Coltcasus Mountains, then to Saddle Arabia. “On our way, we passed through two other kingdoms. That of the Kingdom of Prance and the Kingdom of Kievan Horse. Morn might have done the same. But these are only a small fragment of the kingdoms out there. There are still kingdoms like Pollop, Haygary, the Frozen North and even that of what remains of the Roaman Empire and the newer Holy Roaman Empire. And we don’t know if there are more unknown kingdoms out there, mind you.”

“There are too many kingdoms to count.” Emerald examined the map. “But surely Morn cannot attack them all at once, even with the artifacts. He must have a plan for which ones to take first.”

“If I were a conqueror,” Sombra mused. “I would go after the smaller kingdoms first. Especially given that he has the power to enslave the minds of people, he could make use of the armies of the conquered kingdoms to attack the larger ones. But I have learned not to expect normal behaviour from this mad dog.”

“If we’re talking about size…” Speckle placed a finger on the Kingdom of Pollop. “This one is the smallest on the way here.”

“But if it is that small, then surely he has already conquered them?” Honeygold asked, peering at the map.

“We cannot say anything for certain.” Emerald shook her head. They needed Moon Tide to tell them where Morn had gone, but she was still missing. She hoped she hadn’t been kidnapped or anything. “But I think we should just plot our journey back. Kievan Horse is the first land we will pass. I think we should check on Morn’s presence there.”

“That is good thinking,” Sombra agreed. “It would not do to overlook any possible dangers Morn may have placed only to be attacked from behind. I know of no shorter way to lose a war.”

“Then we leave once we are ready.” Emerald nodded to their plan. “We cannot let Morn continue his conquest.”

“But Em, you need to rest.” Posey pointed to her shoulder. “You cannot face Morn like this.”

“We faced down his army at Alamule like this.” Emerald placed a hand over her injury. “We must do it again.”

“Well, then,” Sombra announced, draining the last of the wine from his chalice. “We will leave in three days for ample recovery. My father still deserves the procession of kings for what he has done for Saddle Arabia. Then I will prepare my swiftest steeds and best equipment for our journey. May we return victorious, or not at all.”

Emerald wanted to protest, but in the end, she chose not to. Perhaps some rest would be good, and they would have some time to try and find Moon Tide as well. They needed her and Emerald hoped that no harm had befallen her.

105 - To Send Off a King

Emerald and her friends had been afforded some of the guest rooms in the palace, which were all opulently furnished and piled high with luxury. A soft, downy bed awaited Emerald as she settled down for bed. Feeling full and sleepy after the feast, Emerald lay down on the bed and was promptly asleep.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Emerald’s eyes cracked open. It was still night, but something had changed. Through her bleary vision, she saw something of a blue outline in the dark. It looked like a person.

“Ho there, who goes there?” she asked as she sat up.

The blue outline faded away and left her in the blackness again.

What had that been? Emerald wondered. For a brief moment between sleeping and waking she had been able to see in the dark as well as perceive someone in the room with her.

“Who’s there?” Emerald asked again, her hand drifting to the dagger she had hung on the bedpost.

There was the scratch of flint on stone and a candle was lit, lighting up a blue face with a moon circlet above it. “Hello, Emerald.”

“Moon Tide!” Emerald jumped off the bed and ran over. “What happened? Where did you go? We’ve all been so worried!”

“I went to look ahead,” Moon Tide replied. “I understand you have managed to repel Morn’s presence from these lands. Very well done indeed.”

“We have, but how do you fare? Are your wounds healed?”

The mage peeled at her cloak and robes to reveal cleaner bandages, not as stained with blood as her last ones. “I am much better, as you can see. Though I will still need more love before I am to be fully healed.”

“Moon Tide, there’s so much I want to ask you. So much I need to talk to you about.” Emerald ushered her to a lounge chair and got her seated. “But for starters, we need to know where Morn reaches out in his conquest if we are to know where to go next.”

“Know where to go?” She put a hand to her chin. “You wish to stop his advance on the other kingdoms?”

The spymaster nodded. “We cannot let them suffer as Canterlot and Saddle Arabia have. We must do all that we can to help the world.”

“Yes, the world…” Moon Tide said slowly. “In any case, I learned that you sustained a rather serious injury during your last battle. Maybe I can help ease your pain?”

“Yes. That would be good.” Emerald pulled down her clothes, revealing her bandaged up shoulder. “Tell me more about changelings. You can heal any injury as long as you have love. Is that right?”

“More or less.” Moon Tide sat her down, then worked on unwrapping Emerald’s bandages. “Unless tis a grievous injury, we speed up our body’s natural process of healing tenfold by tapping into our reserves of love. As long as there is love, we can recover.”

“What if you lose a limb? Can it grow back?”

Moon Tide thought about that for a moment. “You know, I do not know. I have never lost a limb, so I cannot tell you if that is possible.”

“Oh.”

From the depths of her robe, Moon Tide drew out two items. One was a small glass vial filled with a dark liquid. The other, more concerningly, was a crooked black dagger that seemed to glow faintly green, and hissed like water on a hot stove.

“Now, do not move. And do not touch my dagger.” Moon Tide held it to the moonlight coming in from outside. It did not reflect light like their normal weapons did. “Whosoever touches the poison on my blade, will almost certainly die. The venom gives the victim three days before expiring, keeping them alive from almost any injury until then. Of course, I am immune to its effects.”

Emerald looked at the green liquid pulsating on the blade and gulped. “Three days. Tis a bit specific. Where did you procure a weapon such as this? We could use it against Morn.”

“Morn, being my child, has a resistance to poisons, including this one,” Moon Tide shook her head. “As to where it had come from, I too do not know the answer to that. Did you know that we were not a race born of natural means?”

Emerald tried to recall how changelings came to be, but she didn’t think she had gone over them in her studies with her mentor, so she shook her head.

“Yes, we changelings were the product of witches.” Moon Tide rolled up her sleeves to her elbows. “My mother had told me years ago that they had performed a ritual on a night of the blood moon and here we are. The blades had come along with each one of us. I don’t even think our mothers knew why.”

Moon Tide touched the tip of her dagger to Emerald’s injured shoulder, breaking the skin and letting the green liquid into her bloodstream.

“Wait, you said I cannot touch it!” Emerald wanted to pull away, but Moon Tide held her in place.

“I have not the materials nor the time to mix up a better cure for you, Emerald. Therefore this is the only medicine that I can think of which will heal you quickly. However, I warn you that it will not feel pleasant.”

A feeling of nausea overcame Emerald, and her stomach began to churn. Moreover, the burned area on her shoulder felt like it was itching, and the injury began to shine green, just like the dagger. It was almost half an hour before, in front of Emerald’s very eyes, the flesh began to twist and pulsate, returning to its previous state of smoothness, but then a pain began to spread under her skin and she felt her strength leaving her as a feeling of a thousand daggers began sinking into her flesh, then pulling to the sides like they were trying to rip her into pieces.

Moon Tide was quick to notice her friend’s discomfort. “Good. The healing is done; now swiftly, drink this,” She gave the vial to Emerald, who gulped down the coppery-tasting liquid inside without question.

“Bleugh. What is this?” She stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"A mixture of some reagents as well as my blood," Moon Tide said plainly, taking the vial from Emerald’s nerveless fingers. "Tis the only cure for the poison of my blade."

"Your… blood." Emerald tried not to feel too repulsed. "I had some idea that it would have curative properties. Your own body is a wealth of medicine."

"My blood on its own is highly toxic," Moon Tide put her dagger and the empty vial away. "That is why the insects back in the swamp did not bite me. Changeling blood is deadly if consumed untreated."

“There’s so much about your kind that I don’t know. Are there more of you, Moon Tide? Changelings.”

Moon Tide breathed in deeply, then closed her eyes. “There were. But only my oldest sister and I are still together. I do not know what has become of my other siblings. They parted from us a long time ago.”

Emerald nodded. She felt her shoulder, amazed at its wholeness and how well it had healed. “So Dawn Saber wasn’t a changeling.”

“No, he was not,” Moon Tide confirmed. “If he had been, I would be much more devastated at his demise. As it stands now, I am more concerned about Morn’s rampage across the land.”

“Yes, tis true. So your sister.” Emerald twirled her arm to test her strength. “Who is she?”

“There is a certain code of honor in changeling society,” Moon Tide said, putting the candle onto the bedside cabinet. “We may reveal our own identities, but not those of others.”

“Ah, yes, I understand.” Emerald nodded. She knew all about codes and rules. “Do you wonder, then? Where your other siblings are now? They could be in Saddle Arabia for all we know.”

“Perhaps,” Moon Tide conceded. “But now is not the time to go looking for them. We have an urgent quest to undertake, and we have no time for side activities.”

“That’s right. We don’t want to have to reveal them to the humans anyway.” Emerald got off her seat. “Oh, one more question if you will, Moon Tide. Just a curious one. How long have you been alive? From what I know, changelings are immortal, so long as they can keep eating love?”

“You have much knowledge of changelings, Emerald.” Moon Tide chuckled. “Yes, as I have said, love can help our bodies regenerate and that keeps us alive. And if I am not mistaken… we have roamed this earth for about eight hundred years now.”

“Eight hundred?!” Emerald jumped back a step. “That… is a long time. Tis amazing!”

“It is not all that long, compared to some others,” Moon Tide shrugged. “But we have seen the rise and fall of several kingdoms and played parts in their history. Though, I have never revealed myself to anyone like I have to you, Emerald. You must be very special for me to do so.”

“Well, I am sure you have not met anypony else from Equestria, have you?”

“Ha, yes. No other ponies have I met.” Moon Tide packed away her mage tools and rolled her sleeves back down. “None that can speak anyway.”

“Well, now that you are back safe and sound. We will not have to wait three days before leaving. We can do so immediately. What’s our first move, Moon Tide?”

The mage clucked her tongue. “Our first move, lady knight, is to allow the new king of Saddle Arabia time to give his father a proper burial.”

“Oh, yes… how thoughtless of me.” The former pegasus slid her feet back towards the bed. “But after that, Kievan Horse, am I right?”

Moon Tide smiled and shook her head. “No. Morn has not set his eyes on that large kingdom. Not yet. No, if you wish to aid the other kingdoms, then your first one would be the Frozen North, where he has set up siege against the brutal horsemen.”

“The Frozen North, huh?”

Emerald couldn’t help but feel that she would, in a way, be going home. The Crystal Empire was situated in the snowy lands and Emerald was used to the harsh cold, though she still had her coat back then. She didn’t know how these hairless humans would do in such cold weather, but it was better to pack more garments, just in case. Perhaps she would even be able to find this world’s version of her home out there.

“It will be unpleasant especially for Sombra, Parisa, and I. Exchanging the scorching heat of Saddle Arabia for the icy winds of the Frozen North will not be easy.”

“You do not like the cold, Moon Tide?”

“I very much prefer an excess of heat over an excess of cold,” Moon Tide sniffed. “Changelings are heatproof, a trait that comes in useful when working with open flames like at the Mages’ Tower.”

“That sounds useful.” Emerald nodded. “Well, tis still late into the night. I think we should get some more sleep. You are welcome to rest here as well, Moon Tide.”

“You need the rest more than I,” Moon Tide sank down into a soft chair and closed her eyes. “I shall most likely be gone before you awaken in the morning. Good night, Emerald.”

“You will not be traveling with us?” The spymaster scooted back into bed and sat there. “We could still very much use your help.”

“We cannot discount the possibility that Morn may be using the Staff to scry us sometimes,” Moon Tide said without opening her eyes. “If he sees me working with you, it could cause problems. Which is why I will need disguises, like the one I used here.”

“You were in disguise?” Emerald thought back, trying to see if she knew what Moon Tide was talking about. “When? I don’t recall.”

“It will come to you eventually,” Moon Tide yawned. “In any case, we should sleep before the sun rises. It would not do to be caught slumbering at King Aldilu’s funeral.”

The funeral was a much different experience than Emerald thought it would be. For one, everyone was speaking in Saddle Arabian and neither her nor her companions could speak it, so for the majority of the funeral, there they stood, listening as robed figures and Sombra rattled off word after word, each time lighting a candle by the king’s stone coffin.

All this was taking place beneath the palace and such a large crowd of people had gathered, making Emerald question how this place could hold them all.

Sombra soon took to the stage again and began another bout of Saddle Arabian, then ending it with, “My father had led this kingdom well. May he now rest with our ancestors for the rest of time. He will forever be remembered in the Hall of the Dead.” Then he turned and placed a fairly large flower on the head of the coffin and stepped away.

With that done, he walked away as four robed men bent down to pick up the coffin with poles, then rested it on their shoulders as they marched further down into deeper catacombs where the king’s body would rest with kings of Saddle Arabian past.

The crowd began to weep and wail for their king and even Honeygold had joined in. Emerald had looked around to see if Moon Tide was here, but she did not see her. True to her word, when she had woken up this morning, the mage had already vanished, likely out there again scouting ahead, as she had said. At least she had shown up long enough for them to determine where to go next.

Emerald hoped she would continue to fare well. All this must truly be taking a toll on her. She had already felt saddened and betrayed that the man she loved had turned to this dark path. She couldn’t imagine what it must’ve felt like for Moon Tide. To have your own son turn against you and having to stop him, that was not something a parent would ever wish for their child.

“Saddle Arabian burial sites are creepy, are they not?” Jewel Pin whispered to Emerald amongst the crying voices.

“Yes, it looks just like the temple out in the desert with all those ghuls,” Spectrum added, pulling at her face to imitate the creatures. “Wouldn’t surprise me if they had a ghul or two here.”

Soon the crowd began filing out of the palace, while Sombra remained by the entrance to the catacombs. Eventually, everyone except Emerald and her party were left. The former pegasus went to Sombra and tentatively put her hand on his shoulder. Sombra seemed to be struggling to find something to say.

“It is done,” Sombra said at last. “I have performed my duty as a son and a king of Saddle Arabia and laid its last ruler to rest. Now I can fully devote myself to the quest at hand, and focus on unseating Morn Dread from this ill-gotten throne.”

“Yes!” Spectrum cheered. “We’re finally going on the offensive after running for so long. Watch out, Morn, here we come!”

106 - Through the Mountains

“So, the Frozen North, huh?” Golden Nugget slapped a stack of fur coats on one horse. “Never liked the tales of that place. Ain’t no apples growin’ there. How can anyone live life without apples?”

The group was gathered at the main gate of Masyaf, all riding fresh horses from Sombra’s royal stables. The king himself was seated on a mighty steed called Stormchaser, and many of the city’s inhabitants had come out to wish their king and his company a safe journey.

Honeygold grinned widely as she waved back, seated atop a horse with Parisa Pie, whose parents were also there to see her off. She said something in Saddle Arabian, which Emerald could guess was something of a ‘don’t worry’ and a ‘take care’.

Emerald’s own horse was a mare called Amira, who was brown with white spots. Once again on a horse, she wondered what had happened to Foxtrot back home in Canterlot. She hoped at least that he was eating well.

“That greedy horse…” She smiled and thought of whether she should bring back a bucket of carrots for him once this was all over.

Gradually the questors began to move off towards the west, where the Coltcasus Mountains could be seen looming on the horizon like the teeth of a giant. Masyaf grew further and further away, but the group was in high spirits, which not even the scorching sun could wither. Except for one.

“Tis so hot!” Jewel Pin cried out, riding on a black horse near the rear, still carrying the pack of what remained of the Baba Yaga’s treasure. “I am hungry. Can we stop for some food?”

Posey groaned and rode alongside her. “We stop when we have to. We need to cover as much ground as we can.”

“But the sun is bad for the skin. We should find some shelter and travel again when it is cooler.”

“The day is still long, Jewel Pin.” Emerald called back from the front of the group. “We need to keep going.”

Apple Bean tossed the seamstress an apple. “Have one o’ these. It’s good for ya. It’ll help ease your hunger.”

Jewel Pin adjusted her head scarf so that it blocked out more of the sun and bit into the apple.

It was much faster going on horses than on foot, and by the time they stopped to make camp, Emerald wagered that they were already one third of the way to the mountain’s foothills, as opposed to the long trek they had taken on the way to Masyaf.

The party soon set up tents and got a fire going, upon which they roasted some vegetables and meat for dinner. Their supplies were plentiful and of good quality; Sombra had only demanded the best for his first ever journey out of Saddle Arabia. It was filling stuff too, for not even Jewel Pin wanted to ask for seconds once the meal was done.

With the stars twinkling like a carpet of diamonds above them, the questors settled down to rest for the night. Emerald had forgotten how drastic the weather changed in the desert from morning to night. It was here that she was glad they had packed so much for the Frozen North. At least they could use some as sheets to stave off the cool night air.

The following day, after another hearty breakfast of bread and cheese, the party set off as the sun began to rise back into the sky

“So those are the Coltcasus Mountains,” Sombra exclaimed, now that they were close enough to see the peaks in all their glory. “Magnificent. Absolutely breathtaking.”

“You’re breathtaking!” Parisa giggled at Sombra’s excitement.

“Yes, I suppose as king, I should be. Should I not?” He laughed along.

“You’ve never been this far out, Sombra?” Emerald asked as their horses worked their way along the coarse and rough desert sand.

“Truthfully, I have never strayed far from Masyaf.” Sombra kept his eyes on the mountain range. “My father however, has gone as far as the borders to the kingdom of Rabbhitzia. They are right at the base of the mountain range. He has told me how grand the mountains were, but to see them in person, they are a lot bigger than I had imagined.”

“Are we going to have to go over them?” Parisa shielded her eyes with one hand while gazing at the mountain peaks. “I don’t know if the horses will be very happy with that.”

“We went through some tunnels in the mountain’s interior that led past the base of it when we came this way,” Light Speckle said. “We even found a map of the passages inside.”

“I don’t know if the horses will be happy going into a mountain either,” Parisa rubbed the neck of her steed. “But they are brave animals, bred for fighting and racing. We’ll have to hope their nerve holds.”

The time passed quickly for the questors, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the small patch of paradise that encircled the exit of the Coltcasus Mountains on the Saddle Arabian side.

Posey was the first to notice something was different.

“There’s a draught blowing through,” the archer said. “It wasn’t like this before.”

“Don’t tell me tis another chort.” Spectrum tapped her scabbard. “If so, we can take it.”

“No, look,” Posey spurred her horse further ahead and pointed. “Look at that!”

The rest of the party pulled up alongside Posey and looked to where she was pointing. There was a gaping hole in the side of the mountain that seemed to lead all the way to the other side. It was almost perfectly circular in shape, but wide enough for at least two dozen men to march side by side through it. The passage was too smooth to have been carved out using conventional tools, which meant only one thing.

“So this is how Morn got his army through so quickly,” Emerald concluded. “He must have used Excalibur’s power to burn a way through.”

There were bones of cave creatures by the entrance, where plants and rock had been scorched. Nothing had stood in his way.

“For Morn to have done this is no easy feat.” Nightfall got off her horse and plucked at one of the bones, which disintegrated in her fingers. “How is he able to use the sword for so long? You said it yourself, Em. Humans are not made to use your Equestrian weapons.”

“Tis a mighty puzzle,” Emerald said, evading the question. “One that we will have to figure out another time. Right now, Morn has left us a gift; we may use his passage to get to our goal that much faster.”

“I shall not say no to that.” Sombra goaded his horse to approach the tunnel. “Come. Let us proceed to the other side.”

Taking the tunnel that Morn had carved into the mountains proved to be a much nicer process than taking the winding paths through the depths of the peaks or climbing over them. It did grow dark inside the tunnel once they strayed from the opening, but never so dark that they could not see. The hooves of their horses clip-clopped along, echoing through the space.

“Y’know, world conquerin’ aside, Ah reckon that this here tunnel could prove plenty useful for traders,” Golden Nugget suggested.

“And it helps that we don’t need to fight giant spiders or chorts again,” Speckle said.

“Giant spiders?” Parisa bobbed on her horse. “Now I’m thinking there could be giant camels too!”

“Yes, they weren’t a threat too.” Spectrum Song nudged Guard Streak, who sat in front of her on their horse. “Right, Streak?”

Guard Streak mumbled something that Spectrum seemed to take as an agreement.

“If memory serves,” Nightfall said to nobody in particular. “We should come out in a swamp on the other side. Unless Morn has done something about that as well.”

“I must say, I am not looking forward to the smell…” Jewel Pin pinched her nose in anticipation. “Tis bad for the skin.”

“Everything’s bad for your skin.” Posey slapped a hand to her forehead.

There was a hearty bout of laughter at this, and the questors’ hearts felt collectively lighter as they trotted along. They passed the time by listening to the folksy tunes that Spectrum would play on her Kievan lute, or by listening to one of Parisa’s stories, of which she claimed she knew a thousand and one. Honeygold particularly liked the one about Virtue Good, a sailor who had to fight a cyclops on a deserted island. He had eventually won after luring it off a cliff with his voice.

“That’s such an amazin’ story!” She patted Parisa’s shoulders. “Ya think there are actual cyclopes out there?”

“We’ve seen a plenty o’ strange sights,” her mother said from her horse. “Seems all your fairytale monsters are real, dear. A cyclops ain’t too far off the tree now.”

“Ah told y’all those fairytales were true!” Honeygold giggled. “Y’all wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Yes, yes, ya win, daughter dear.” Golden Nugget rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. “Though sometimes Ah wish they weren’t. Ah’d rather not have to meet another vampire. Well, unless he’s as good as your friend back home.”

“You know a vampire?” Parisa beamed at the farmgirl.

“Sure do!” Honeygold chirped. “He’s one of mah good friends. His name’s Omul Bates. He keeps the farm safe from ‘em varmints.”

“I see light at the end.” Posey pointed from the rear.

And true enough, while they had all been distracted with their conversations, light had already begun to hit them in the face. Once they were out, they found that the other end was also quite circular in nature and the plants on this side were also scorched. Morn had really blasted his way through with Excalibur.

“Nightfall, can you not invent something to keep the smell from our faces?” Jewel Pin pinched her nose and grimaced. “I hate this swamp!”

“It’s called a scarf, and it’s already been invented,” Nightfall took off the scarves they had been using to shield themselves from the sun in Saddle Arabia and draped it around her nose and mouth. “And Morn seems to have cleared a path for us through the swamp for us.”

Looking ahead, Emerald saw a swathe of trees had been cut down, forming a straight path out of the swamp, where even the waters had been pushed aside with mounds of dirt and mud, where rows and rows of human footprints could be seen going through them to the mountain.

“Well, at least we will not have to worry about more of those water worms here.” Emerald eyed their new path. At least Morn had made it easy for them to go backwards, but it made her think just what else he might have done on his way here.

“These weapons are absolutely devastating…” Sombra marveled at the grooves in the ground that split the water from the land, where the edges seemed to have hardened to stone. “Emerald, these weapons are too strong for any one human to wield.”

“I very much agree, Sombra.”

The group pushed their horses on through the marsh, following the marching footsteps out of the swamp, where they could finally remove the scarves around their mouths.

“Fresh air!” Jewel Pin raised her hands to the sky like she was trying to give it a hug. “I’m hungry.”

“We stop here for the day,” Emerald decided. The sun was already on its way down and she didn’t like the idea of traveling at night when only one of them could see in the dark.

The questors unpacked the tents and cooking tools from their caravan and soon had a merry bonfire going. Parisa had found a thin, flat stone and was using it as an oven to make flatbreads and to toast meat.

“The air is cooler on this side of the mountains,” Sombra observed as he bit into a piece of freshly baked bread. “More moist as well.”

“We are still in the more temperate regions,” Nightfall said as she checked her maps. “It will grow ever chillier as we proceed northwards.”

“Makes ya wonder how all ‘em horsemen can live in such weather.” Golden Nugget grabbed an apple from their stash of rations. “Em, ya said your empire was there as well. How’d y’all manage?”

“The Crystal Empire is kept warm and temperate by the magic of the Crystal Heart,” Emerald told him. “The rest of the land is cold and icy, but the empire itself is quite livable.”

“Maybe the horsemen have something like that too.” Nightfall twiddled with the wood under the fire. “I would gain much if I could study something that keeps the cold back.”

“Ain’t much magic in this world though,” Honeygold said thoughtfully. “Unless them Northerners have an artifact of their own?”

“If they have one, I hope they would be willing to part with it…” Emerald said to herself. She took a bite of a pickled onion, grimacing at the sharp taste. She washed it down with some water and leaned back on the rock she was using as a seat. The stars were obscured by a thin blanket of cloud, but they could still see the moon shining through. Emerald wondered about the people they had left behind at Canterlot, and how they might be doing now. She hadn’t made friends with everyone in the castle, but she had been on good terms with many of the mages and the lower-ranked knights, and now that her own safety was less in question, she had time to turn her thoughts to those who remained in Morn’s kingdom. Truthfully, it didn’t look good from where she was sitting.

Emerald was jerked from her brooding by an outburst of laughter from the campfire, where Parisa was juggling some of the leftover flatbreads over her back, skillfully catching each one in her hands before tossing them up into the air again. As they soared back down towards her, she opened her mouth and they sailed right down her throat.

Seeing her friends so cheerful lightened Emerald’s own heart and she felt a smile touch her lips. She wondered what kind of challenges awaited them in the Frozen North, and she offered a plea to Celestia that their spirits would hold for the next leg of their journey.

107 - Arrival in the North

As Emerald Edge stood on the icy borders of the Frozen North, she had felt that they had come such a long way since the day she arrived in this world. She had never thought she would have to leave Canterlot to venture so far, but now she had already been through the Kievan Horse plains, the Saddle Arabian desert and soon, she would be traveling across the grounds of the Frozen North.

It had taken them another day to return to the Kievan Horse lands, then another three to pass through it. Emerald hadn’t thought it would take that long, but the Kievan lands were indeed massive.

“I thought the Kievan lands were cold enough…” Nightfall Gleam said beside the spymaster as she grabbed another fur coat off Golden Nugget’s horse to put on. “I feel my nose might just fall off in there…”

Sombra and Parisa were just as affected if not more. The dancer was at this point nothing more than a ball of furs and blankets balanced in her saddle, while Sombra’s teeth chattered and he hugged himself to ward off the chill. Emerald herself had donned four layers of furs, cursing internally at how weak the human body was at dealing with cold weather. She would’ve lasted much longer if she were in the form of a pegasus.

“This is just like the sand from Saddle Arabia!” Spectrum Song picked up a fistful of snow. “Only colder!”

“How do people live in these conditions?” Jewel Pin asked. “For that matter, why would Morn bother conquering such a desolate place? I have not seen any signs of civilization since we crossed the border!”

“I wager they’re like the Kievan Horsians.” Light Speckle peered through a hood at the blowing snow falling from the sky. “They have too much land to watch the whole border. I’m sure as we proceed in, we’ll come across it. Then we’ll know just what we’re dealing with out here.”

The group rode on, looking all around for any clues as to where they might find another settlement. Their horses had trouble pushing through the thick snow, but they seemed to be making decent pace. The wind howled around their heads, forcing most of them to pull at their coat hoods, trying to keep it away from their heads.

They had been riding for almost two hours, by Emerald’s count, when Honeygold gave a shout.

“Look! Ah can see a wall over there! It’s a city!”

What looked to be a wall soon turned into a mountain range as they got closer. It wasn’t as tall as the Coltcasus Mountains, but it was rough and jagged, like thorns in a bush. Between the mountains was some kind of archway, with a second floor that could overlook the surroundings. Emerald expected it to be a sentry post to mark their settlement border, but there was not a soul in sight. All she could see was a single bow sticking out of the snow, its string snapped.

“Be on your guard,” Emerald shouted to the rest of them. “Something doesn’t feel right here.”

“Morn must’ve already been through this way.” Posey also picked up on the lack of guards at the post. Gabriel squawked from her shoulder. “Who knows how far he has already gotten.”

“We must ride for it anyway!” Sombra shouted. “Our steeds cannot stay out in this snow forever, they are not accustomed to it!”

“Neither are we...” Parisa shook under her coats and sneezed, her snot instantly freezing as it left her nose.

There was a murmuring of agreement and the group turned to ride for the archway. They passed by some more broken weapons that stuck out of the snow like miniature tombstones.

“Something awful happened here…” Apple Bean said as she looked at a snapped off spear. “But there ain’t no bodies.”

“That can only mean Morn has inducted more people into his ranks.” Posey warily put a hand on her bow on her back. “We must find the capital and drive the Canterlotians from this place.”

“But where do we go now?” Honeygold looked around the snowy landscape. “Ah don’t see any towns for miles!”

The group passed the archway, where they also found a watchtower that was likewise abandoned. But it was shelter, and there was even a covered stable attached to the side. The inside of the watchtower was dark and smelled of mould, but it seemed solid enough and there were only small holes in the walls, so they elected to stop there and recuperate. A fire was lit in the pit and everyone gathered around it, holding out their hands to warm them up.

“I must say…” Sombra stretched his hands out to the fire. “At least you do not need to wash up in weather like this. But it is very unbearable. These horsemen are of hardy nature.”

“I hope this wind dies down soon,” Nightfall said as she inhaled some snuff from her box. “It makes for poor traveling to not be able to see more than a mile ahead.”

“Am I the only one who wonders how Morn’s troops would fare in this weather?” Light Speckle asked. “Being mind controlled by Excalibur does not make them immune to frostbite and death of cold.”

“Tis true,” Emerald nodded. “Perhaps they have not yet conquered this kingdom. We can only hope.”

Sombra also seemed to think this, and shadows curled around his form before settling back into regular darkness. The fire cast spooky shadows on the walls.

“Well, I’m going to check out the rest of the tower,” Spectrum stood up and jabbed her finger to the stairs. “I’ve been sitting in the saddle for so long, I need to stretch my legs. Anyone want to come with me?”

“I’ll-I’ll come.” Guard Streak cleared his throat and got up, a hand on his scabbard. “Th-There might be something up here. I’ll watch your b-back.”

“Alright,” Spectrum grinned. “Honeygold, you coming?”

“Y’all go on ahead,” Honeygold waved. “Ah’m gonna stay here for a bit more.”

The two squires mounted the stone steps and proceeded further up into the watchtower. Emerald watched them go, then listened to the sound of their feet tromping around on the ceiling. She was glad that the young ones had found something to occupy their time with, a small adventure, if she would.

Honeygold put a hand close to her mouth, then she leaned closer to everyone. “Ah’m givin’ ‘em a little time together. They need it!”

“Me too! I would’ve volunteered, but I’m good at picking these things out!” Parisa exclaimed through all her coats. “So I’m staying here!”

“Is that so?” Sombra looked intrigued. “I did not pick that out. Does anyone else here have someone special, then? Jewel Pin?”

“Ah, my dear High Rise!” The seamstress clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. “Oh, I do long for the day to be back in his arms! Unfortunately, he is still in Canterlot, where I hope no harm has befallen him.”

“High Rise is a clever man,” Nightfall assured Jewel Pin. “I am certain he is fine.”

“Then yourself, Mage Nightfall?” Sombra gestured to her next.

Nightfall inhaled another pinch of snuff. “My position doesn’t offer much chances of courtship,” she sighed. “Maybe once we set everything right, I could try looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. As of now, nobody.”

“Nobody?” Jewel Pin recoiled back as though she had just been stabbed. “Surely you have seen the courting of Secret Fire.”

“Secret Fire? No!” It was Nightfall’s turn to recoil. “He ruins all my work! He burns all my notes! I cannot count how many times he has done so. Sure, he has his good moments when we built Canterlot’s siege weapons, but not him. Anyone but him.”

Sombra rubbed his chin. “An interesting situation. Interesting indeed. Then he looked to Posey. “How about yourself, archer? Do you have one as well?”

Posey thought for a moment before opening her mouth. “There was Sir Ga-”

The sound of thundering footfalls above cut her off. A few heartbeats later, Spectrum and Streak came back down the stairs, the former holding a satchel and the latter carrying a wooden box.

“Hey, look what we found.” Spectrum put the satchel down by the fire. “Some kind of miniature torches.” She took out a small reed that had been soaked in oil. “There was a flint and steel in here too.”

“A-And we found this,” Guard Streak set down the wooden box. Inside were about a dozen tube shaped objects that were attached to sticks. They looked almost like…

“Fireworks,” Light Speckle said at last, picking up one of the tubes and examining it. “These are fireworks.”

“Fire-what now?” Parisa looked puzzled. Then reached through her ball of coats and picked one up. “So… they are working fires? How do you start it? Do I just toss it in the fire?”

And she threw it before either mage could stop her. The tube landed between the sticks of their campfire and began to sizzle.

“Get down!” Nightfall screeched, hitting the deck and putting her hands over her head.

Everyone reacted to Nightfall’s instinctive dive and they all rushed away from the fire, just as it detonated in a flash of light and a flurry of sparks. Little shooting stars ricocheted around the room, spitting sparkles as they went.

It was over quickly, but the bright flashes left spots in everyone’s vision for a few minutes. Fortunately, nothing had been set alight except for a tuft of hair on Spectrum’s head. Posey leaned over and pinched it out.

“Wow,” Parisa said at last after the group deemed it safe to sit up again. “That was definitely not what I was expecting.”

“I have never seen anything such as that!” Sombra exclaimed, picking up the remains of the firework. “What use would the people of this land have for these bottled explosions?”

“Dunno,” Spectrum shrugged.

Guard Streak tapped her arm and pointed to a small piece of parchment that had been wedged in the box with the fireworks. Spectrum pulled it out and looked at it.

“It’s a chart or diaphragm,” she announced.

“Diagram,” Nightfall corrected.

“Yes, that. It seems to show that should this tower become under attack, someone should light one of the fireworks as some kind of signal. Oh, now I see why these are here. Clever.”

“I suppose they never got the chance to use it.” Posey inspected the box of fireworks. “But perhaps we could use one to get their attention? So that the people of the Frozen North will know we are coming?”

“That… or Morn’s army could see it and know we are coming.” Emerald stepped towards the tower’s exit and peered out into the darkness. Night had already fallen and it was pitch black outside.

“We do not know this land, nor what has happened. We should take shifts, while we sleep.” Posey unslung her bow and looked out through a hole in the watchtower’s wall. “I shall take first watch. We shall resume travel at first light.”

“Then I shall take the second watch.” Sombra pulled his coat closer to his neck. “I am one with the darkness. It will be to my advantage if an enemy were to try to sneak up on us.”

“Then let us waste no time and have a meal before we get some rest.” Jewel Pin excitedly dug through their provisions pack and whipped out two loaves of bread. They were almost frozen solid from their time out in the snow.

After a cold but filling dinner, the questors turned in for the night. Some of them went upstairs to sleep, owing to the somewhat cramped nature of the tower’s architecture. After relieving Posey of her post, Sombra sat on the top floor, gazing out into the whirling snowflakes for any sign of trouble.

When the group began to rouse from their sleep the next day, many of them were confused.

“Uh, why’s it still dark?” Honeygold rubbed her eyes. She felt well-rested and refreshed, but the skies were still black and opaque.

Emerald and the others had no answer for this. There was no way that all of them had gotten up too early, and the lot of them had been adhering to a strict sleep schedule for the whole journey here. So why then was the sun not in the sky?

“Strange… the sun should have been up by now.” Nightfall sifted through her notes. “Unfortunately, I have no research into this place. I do not have an answer.”

“We went through five shifts,” Emerald Edge said, the last one to have taken watch. “It should be day. Why is it not day?”

“I don’t know!” Nightfall pulled at her hair and squatted down. “It makes no sense! I need to know why!”

“Enough.” Sombra slid out of the shadows beside them. “It is still dark. Even though it should be day, it is. We do not have answers, so let us move on. We must find this land’s capital.”

“Where will we even look? We don’t know where to go.”

“Aha.” Sombra smiled and raised a finger. “As prince of Saddle Arabia, it was necessary to study the world and the various peoples that inhabit it. The capital of the Frozen North is called Nidaroats, and if memory serves, we will need to proceed north and around a large body of water. I suppose we will know it when we see it.”

“You know this, but you do not know why the night remains?” Emerald was unimpressed.

“I learned of the kingdoms around us, not what goes on with their days or nights.”

“Right.”

“It doesn’t matter. We should move.” Sombra picked up one of the packs and headed out of the watchtower.

“The king is right. Let us move.” Emerald sighed and followed suit.

They packed everything back on their horses, then set off once again into the snowy wastelands of the North, hoping to find signs of civilization soon.

The first town they came across was a small fishing village, filled with huts and shacks, but when they walked through it, they didn’t find a single person. They surmised that Morn must have turned everyone here too to his bidding. Emerald didn’t know what use he would have for fishermen, but it just fueled her disappointment for him.

Posey found signs of a stony path leading away from the village further into the wastelands. She had figured that without anyone to deal with the falling snow here, the pathways ahead had become obscured. That just meant their path ahead wouldn’t be easy to find.

“Of course it won’t be easy…” Emerald grumbled.

With the sky still dark, the group traveled on, wondering when the sun would come over the horizon and light their way.

The darkness seemed oppressive and heavy, and even Sombra, who was at home in the dark, began to wish for the sun’s warming rays to touch them.

At the front of the caravan, Emerald held up a hand, the signal to stop.

“What’s wrong, Em?” Spectrum asked, reaching for her sword.

Emerald cocked her hooded head to the side. “Does anyone else hear that?”

Everyone in the party listened hard. It wasn’t easy with the icy winds blowing all around, but Honeygold, who had the best hearing, nodded vigorously.

“Ah hear it! Sounds like a lot of feet, or hooves.”

“I hear it too!” Parisa piped up. “Sounds like it’s getting closer as well.”

In the darkness up ahead, the shapes of many mounted humans began to emerge. Instinctively the questors drew their horses into an easily defensible circle and drew their weapons.

Out of the swirling snow, about two dozen humans wrapped in fur and steel armor rode, their faces hidden by horned helmets and thick beards. Their horses were broader and stockier than the steeds that Sombra had given the questors, and plowed through the snow easily.

Emerald squinted at their heads, trying to see if there was a golden glow coming from their eyes. It was very hard to tell with the snow blowing all around, but Emerald didn’t think she saw any light from their faces, which might mean that these horsemen could be trusted.

Still the party did not lower their weapons as the horsemen galloped into full view and surrounded them. Some of the horsemen had weapons drawn too, but didn’t look to be in a mood for a fight.

“Ho! Halt! Who are you? What is your business in the jarl’s lands?” the biggest horseman asked loudly, his voice easily carrying above the icy gale.

“He speaks your language.” Sombra hugged his coat tightly around his body as the wind blew. “Fortunate. Good sirs, we have come from far to aid you in repelling the enemy in your lands.”

The man hopped off his horse, and it was then that they noticed he wasn’t the biggest. His horse was the biggest. This man was only slightly taller than Emerald.

“More Canterlotians…” he said gruffly, then looked at Sombra. “And you? I do not recognize your accent. What are you?”

“I am Saddle Arabian,” Sombra said carefully. “The dark ruler of Canterlot invaded my nation, but we pushed him back. We thought it fitting that Saddle Arabia help remove the enemy from other lands also.”

The man eyed him, then ran a hand through his thick red beard. “I have never heard of you folk. Though we have recent problems with your Canterlot king, yes. Then you Canterlotians, you do not stand with your king?”

“He is no king of ours,” Emerald spoke. “He is a usurper. He took the crown for himself and the king’s blade, Excalibur, so he might conquer the world and its kingdoms. We want no part in that except to stop him.”

“Hmm, worthy cause. I do not know if I can trust you, but you do not sport the golden eyes the Canterlotians here have displayed. It is not natural, these invaders.” The man took off his helmet, revealing a head full of red hair like his beard and a battle-worn visage. “They say nothing, do not seem to sleep, and can coordinate without any signals. If I didn’t know better I would say there was witchcraft behind it.”

“Then there is much you do not know about your enemy.” Emerald looked at his party. “Perhaps if you were to take us to your king, we could tell him all he needs to know to combat this foe.”

The red-bearded man turned his helmet over in his hands. “No one can see the high king,” he said bluntly. “Nidaroats is currently surrounded by the enemy army, and no one can get in or out. I can, however, bring you to the capital of this hold. The jarl will be glad to listen to your tale, stranger.”

“The king is not at your capital?” Spectrum wore a confused face.

“Ah, I failed to mention.” Sombra looked at the group apologetically. “The Frozen North is divided into holds. These are like miniature kingdoms, each with its own capital and ruler, known as a jarl. All the jarls answer to the high king, who is in Nidaroats, the jewel of the North. Is that correct, master…?” he addressed the leader of the other company.

“Rake. Rake Thornbush. But I am better known as Rake the Red.” The man planted a fist to his breastplate. “You know a lot about our culture, strange man. And we do not know anything about yours. Where is your land?”

“Beyond the Coltcasus Mountains and Kievan Horse lands.” Sombra turned around and pointed. “That way.” Then he turned back and stuck out a hand. “I am Sombra, king of Saddle Arabia.”

“A king graces us with his presence?” Rake laughed with his group of large men. “An honor it is. You are a king, but you do not bring an army with you.”

“My men still need to protect my kingdom. But…” Sombra smiled at Emerald and the rest. “These people are more than enough to help remove that dog of a false king from your lands.”

“How did your kingdom take to the invaders?”

“My own army was greatly depleted during our own war with Canterlot,” Sombra admitted. “Besides, the more people that engage the usurper king is a greater risk of them being taken over by him.”

Rake seemed to have reservations about Sombra’s explanation, but didn’t press him for more information. “Very well. We’ll leave it at that for now, but the jarl might have more questions for you people. It’s unheard of for another nation to come to our aid like this. Even more rare for a king to come to our aid. Even now, the jarls are conflicted about joining the battle.”

"Why is that?" Spectrum asked. "Surely all these yarlees must agree that letting Morn conquer them is a bad idea."

Rake mumbled something and put his helmet back on. "This is a poor place to hold a serious conversation like this. Let us take you back to the jarl's hall, and we can continue there. Then you can tell him all about invaders and false kings."

108 - Long Night of Unease

Emerald Edge watched as a young boy with red hair jumped up at Rake the Red as they finally arrived at a settlement, this one being larger than the abandoned fishing village they had seen earlier.

The ride to Rake's hold, which had the near unpronounceable name of Jorgjafylki, was easier than their previous journey had been. Partially because the sun had finally decided to rise, warming the bones of the questors a bit. Second, because the large horses ridden by Rake and his fellows carved a trench in the snow for Emerald’s group to follow behind in. Third, because they now had a guide, they were finally heading in the right direction to rid Morn’s influence over the Frozen North.

Along the journey, Emerald and her group had gotten to know Rake and his group a little more. Rake the Red was an explorer, finding his joy in tracking and mapping previously undiscovered locations. He had also talked a little about his son, Leaf Rake, whom Emerald guessed was the boy she was now looking at.

He spoke to his father in Northern, then pointed to Emerald. She smiled. He was probably asking his father why her hair was so shiny.

“My boy wants to know why your hair shines,” Rake said.

Yes, I thought so.

“That’s because I am not from your world, little one.” Emerald got off Amira and gave the boy a pat on the head. “I am from a world known as Equestria, where we are all ponies.”

Emerald also hadn’t told Rake or his group any of this, so it was no surprise when the northerner’s jaw dropped open.

“There is much to be said,” Emerald told him. “But I would rather do it somewhere warmer and away from this biting wind.”

“I s-second tha-that!” Parisa Pie’s teeth chattered so loudly that Emerald thought she sounded like a woodpecker.

“Aye, I too would be a lot warmer and happier with a belly full of mead.” Rake spoke to his men and they all dispersed, their patrol over. “Come with me, travelers.”

“Finally, somewhere safe and away from the cold?” Jewel Pin rubbed at her bright red nose and sniffed.

Rake chuckled. “Away from the cold? Yes. Safe? These days, safety is hard to come by.”

“W-What do you mean by that?” Guard Streak asked as they made for a large rectangular wooden structure past a central fire pit. It stood atop a small mound, where logs led up as a form of a stairway, with torches on the sides right up to the main doors.

“The Valravn.” Leaf Rake gulped. “It comes more frequently, with our numbers growing smaller, because of the invaders.”

“Oh oh, Ah’ve heard o’ them!” Honeygold skipped alongside him. “Them nasty raven knights. They like to eat kings. Ah read about ‘em in my fairytale books. They’re ravens that turn into knights when they eat the king’s heart.”

“They are no fairytale, bairn,” Rake the Red said grimly. “The jarl has lost many a good man and woman to it. However, they are unlike your stories. A valravn is a fearsome beast that hungers for flesh at night. They do not turn from bird to knight.”

“But your nights last so long,” Honeygold pointed out.

“Aye, it does,” Rake agreed as he threw more wood onto the fire. “That is why winter in the north is known as the Season of Everlasting Night. It is the day that lasts longer in summer.”

“A bit of an exaggeration, but Ah see your point.” Apple Bean rubbed her hands together. “What’s up there?”

“That’s Drengrfell, the Jarl of Jorgjafylki’s abode,” Leaf Rake told the group. “That’s where you go to meet him.”

The interior was somewhat darker, lit with a sparse few torches. There was a roaring fire in the middle of the room and two massive tables had been positioned on either side. Banners and flags hung from the walls, all of them depicting a stylized mountain goat holding a branch in its mouth. Other Northerners stopped what they were doing to look and cheer for Rake the Red’s return.

“These are my guests!” Rake announced. “They are here to help the high king, so make them feel welcome!” Then he repeated that in Northern.

Once inside, a Northern woman with pale skin and dark hair came around, depositing mugs of warmed mead in everyone’s hands. Emerald drank some of the mead and found it more sweet than any other beverage she had been served in her time in the human world.

“This is some good drink.” Spectrum placed her empty mug on one of the tables and hiccuped. “What do you have of this I don’t know, how do you do?”

“Umm…” Guard Streak looked at his mug, then put it down, untouched. “Spectrum, are you feeling alright?”

“Of course I am to be or not to be. There is some of what there is none. Hey, what if ravens do attack this and now?”

“Ah think ya best not be havin’ it, dear.” Golden Nugget took Honeygold’s mug. “Anyway, y’all ain’t old enough for things like this.”

Rake the Red sat down nearby and took a gulp of his mead. Then he sighed and wiped his mouth.

“Ah, that drives the cold back sure as steel,” Rake said contentedly. “Now, we can talk. So long as the sun is up, we needn’t worry about the beasts of the night coming to this hall.” Then he gestured with his mug to a blonde haired man seated at the end of the room on a small throne-like chair. “That’s the Jarl. I shall get his attention for you. Ahem, Jarl Goat Gruff, these are travelers from Canterlot and a land known as Saddle Arabia. They have come to aid us in driving the Canterlot army away and to free our people and the high king!”

“Is that so?” The jarl’s face was stern, but not unkind. He had many wrinkles around his eyes that must have been the result of smiling a lot. “It has been many long winters since we heard of any other kingdom outside of the Frozen North. Might I ask, why does your kingdom attack us? We have had good relations in the past. Now your people threaten the life of our high king and all people of the Frozen North.”

Emerald took to the center of the hall and stood beside the large bonfire. “Good jarl of… of… of this hold, hear me out.”

And she once again explained her story of how she had first arrived here, seeking the artifacts of Star Swirl the Bearded to restore the Crystal Empire to its former glory, then to her adventures as a Knight of the Round Table, then to the darker part of his history, where the man she loved had murdered their king and usurped his throne. She went on about the power of the artifacts, but to her surprise, the jarl seemed like he knew what she was talking about.

“We have liberated Saddle Arabia, where King Sombra is from, from the clutches of Morn Dread,” she continued. “And we have now come to your kingdom to do the same. Morn has to be stopped, or it would mean enslavement for all the world.”

“You talk a good game, I’ll give you that,” Jarl Gruff conceded with a thoughtful nod. “But you will forgive me if I do not give you my trust just because of a story. Trust in the Northern lands is something to be earned. I will go over your tale with my advisors and warriors, but if you truly wish to earn my confidence, then you will have to prove that you care about my people.”

“Very well.” Emerald nodded. “What would you have us do to prove ourselves?”

The jarl clicked his fingers and one of his servants brought over a scroll. “There is a monster out there which attacks my hall every night. We have no choice but to barricade ourselves in our homes until the sun comes, and in this season the sun does not come swiftly. I would have you set out to slay the Valravn, and bring back proof of your kill. Do this, and I will know that you truly care about the people of this land.”

The servant passed the scroll to Emerald and Jarl Gruff settled back in his chair, leaning slightly to the side and resting one arm on his throne, while the other hand was propped near his mouth so that his index finger was left exposed in an expression of security and command.

“Easy enough to find to kill the baruvan!” Spectrum raised her empty mug to the air, then sipped at it. “To be we are great to have this!”

“Um, yes, we will accept this, Jarl Gruff.” The spymaster rolled it up and placed it in her coat.

“Good,” Jarl Gruff said. “That scroll details most of what we know about the beast. ‘Twould be wise to study it. May the Nine watch over you.”

“You may use my home to plan your move.” Rake downed his last mug of mead and stood up, letting out a deafening belch. “Come, I will lead you there. Uh, you might have to help your friend there.”

“Oh, yes.” Streak was the first to hook an arm under Spectrum, hauling her away from the table. She still reached for another mug, but Honeygold slapped her hand away.

“Ya ain’t gettin’ anymore, Spectrum. That ain’t good for ya,” the farmgirl said.

“Rake, tell me, how do you people deal with this cold?” Sombra asked as they left the warmth of Drengrfell and headed back out into the icy winds of the Frozen North.

“You get used to it, growing up here.” The red haired man gave his belly a pat, his other arm around his son. “Of course, it is not wise to stay in the frost for too long. Even the most seasoned viking may fall to its icy chill. That’s why we have big fires and lots of mead.”

“So tell me more about these other holds. The jarls do not stand together against Morn Dread and his army?”

“Jarls have always had their own agendas,” Rake started and let out another burp. “Jarl Goat Gruff generally has the interest of the people here, but he too can be selfish at times. If you are looking for a real jarl for the people, that would have been Jarl Windslope of Flankfold.”

“Would have been?”

“Aye. Flankfold was the first hold hit when the Canterlotians sailed to us. I fear most of them have been killed or worse…”

“Expelled?” Spectrum looked up, her eyes half closed.

Rake looked at her for a second. “Uh, no. Turned to be a part of his army by magic.”

“Speaking of that, what have you seen? This magic. How has it been used?” Emerald interjected. She needed to know if Morn himself led this charge.

“We have not seen the invaders ourselves, but the reports say they are led by a formidable knight, wielding a sword of unknown nature. I wager this would be your fabled Excalibur?”

“Morn is here,” Emerald breathed. She had hoped to find another artifact before facing him. “This changes things. Without an artifact of our own, it will be challenging to face him, even if we could convince the other jarls to help.”

“Convince the jarls?” Rake let out a low bellow. “On that, I wish you luck. Jarls like Jarl Stern Counsel of Otterslo will not come to your aid. He had kept his forces back and did nothing as Flankfold fell.”

“Your systems are made complicated with separate rulers.” Sombra shook his head and exhaled.

Emerald nodded, but perhaps that was what Morn saw in the world. He had said that there were too many kingdoms and that things would be better under his rule. Maybe he was right, but taking free will away from these humans to accomplish that was no just goal, even if the world would be better from it. She just couldn’t accept something like that.

“And here we are.” Rake the Red waved a hand at his cottage.

It was made of logs, just like every building here, with a pot over a bonfire just to the right of the door.

As he pushed the door open, the first things Emerald noticed inside were rows of maps hung up on the walls with fishing hooks and daggers. There were stacks of tools in one corner, consisting of metal poles, sticks of charcoal, and a strange looking triangular object with needles at the ends of it, along with a bunch of harpoons and nets.

“Father says there are more islands west of us. Here.” Leaf Rake pointed at one map, then tracing his finger from the edge of the world to the left, where nothing was drawn. “And he’s going to find them. One day too, I will follow in his footsteps.”

“Aye, once he’s of age. He shall be a great explorer like myself.” Rake patted his boy’s head.

There was a table in the center of the room, also filled with maps, and Rake walked over and ran a hand over them. “You may use this table. Just do not move my maps.”

“Right. Let us see what this scroll says about the valravn.” Emerald took it out and rolled it out on the table.

The younger ones were in the corner, where Spectrum was already fast asleep, the others snickering as they watched her.

Jewel Pin had put down their provisions pack and was already digging through it for some food.

Emerald unrolled the scroll. It was not all that long as far as scrolls went, but it had quite an amount of text in it, but it was in Northern, so she couldn’t read it. There was a charcoal sketch of their target there. It looked like a spindly human with a crow’s head and wings instead of arms. There was a small doodle of a human next to it, as if to compare size. The valravn was at least twice the size of a man.

“It is unlike anything I have seen in Saddle Arabia.” Sombra was beside her, leaning down to better inspect the creature. “One would have to be of great courage to even think of battling such a beast.”

“Aye, we have lost many a warrior to the monster,” Rake nodded. “It has gotten to the point where no one dares take the night watch anymore. Jarl Gruff says he does not wish to lose any more fighters to it, not while there is a war going on.”

“It flies, but Posey can deal with an aerial foe such as this.” Emerald looked to the archer, who was seated in a corner by the wall maps.

“It also says they have dagger-like wing appendages hidden under their feathers.” Sombra pointed at one sentence. “We must watch out for those.”

“Wait, you can understand their language?” Emerald looked at the king with a quizzical expression.

Sombra tilted his head in question. “Just like I can speak to you in yours. When I was prince, I was educated with worldly knowledge, if you recall me saying. Language was just one part of that. Though I am a bit rusty, seeing them and hearing them being spoken has helped my memory.”

“Aye, impressive work. That is what it says.” Rake picked up a bowl of some bread and bit into one himself. “Want some, king?”

Morn Dread now stood on the edge of the Frozen North, looking back at the snowy landscape one last time before stepping onto a ship with dark wood, sporting the familiar flags of his conquest, with the black and white backing and the red sword in its center.

He had done what was necessary here and his men would be able to handle the rest without him. Using Excalibur to take the world was more taxing than he had first thought. To even maintain control of his Unified army, he would constantly need to reach out through his Knights of the Round Table and reapply the enchantment on them, lest he release his control and allow them to fight back against him.

What this meant was that Morn was constantly feeling fatigued, but no one was to know this. He kept his face hidden behind his visor constantly, and even if he did not, it was not as if his army was going to say anything about it.

Without having to say anything, the knights on his ship began steering it away from the North, taking them back across the sea to Canterlot. Morn sat himself down on a throne he had built on the ship and leaned back.

He was doing it. His United Kingdom was being realized and soon, all a new world order would be established and the world would be unified under his rule.

Another of his Unified, a young girl he had taken control of from the Frozen North, walked over with a tray, with a single gold chalice sitting atop it.

Morn took it and drank its alcoholic contents and smiled at his throat’s refreshment. The North did indeed have some of the best brews he had ever tasted.

By now, he knew Sirs Agramane and Boercival would be finding a way to breach the North’s capital of Nidaroats. He had learnt from his mistakes in Saddle Arabia and whilst their siege was going on, he had men searching for a way in to find the North’s king and to remove him from his place of power.

It had dismayed him to know that Sir Gallophad had been killed by his lady of all people. He had thought better of Emerald to not hurt her former brothers in arms, but instead, she had liberated Saddle Arabia from his grasp with the death of Gallophad. Even without the artifacts on her side, she was still a formidable opponent. He would have to be more wary from here.

It had been a setback at Nidaroats that the people there seemed to resist the power of his sword, but Morn had every confidence that his generals would be able to overcome it eventually. After all, it wasn’t as though these Northerners had an artifact of their own, was it?

It didn’t matter. Like Lionheart and Gallophad, Sirs Agramane and Boercival too had their swords enchanted and empowered. The Darkness of the Lake and the Wand of the Woods, as they had been called, even before their empowerment. Holding true to their names now, Morn knew that whatever the North king had in store, what he thought he had in store, would prove useless against his almighty power.

“Soon, everything will be mine, and everything will be right. My United Kingdom shall bring out an Age of Peace no man has ever seen. Nothing will stand in my way.”

109 - The Valravn

Emerald Edge watched from outside the window of Rake the Red’s house as Jewel Pin and Nightfall Gleam shifted a row of harpoons in front of it, followed by a shelf.

According to the horseman, they would shift furniture and weapons in front of the doors and windows and keep absolutely quiet to stay safe from the valravn. In her group, Emerald had decided that she, Sombra, Posey and Guard Streak would face the creature, while the rest would stay hidden in the house.

Spectrum Song would have protested, but she was still knocked out on the bed from all the mead she drank.

Posey had positioned herself on the roof of the house, and was now searching the surroundings with her special vision and with Gabriel’s help, keeping a lookout for anything suspicious. Emerald, Sombra and Guard Streak were on the ground, hiding behind Rake’s wood chopping block and sled. The spymaster was armed with a Saddle Arabian scimitar, as well as her hidden blades. Sombra clutched at a similar sword, and shadows danced around his left hand. Guard Streak held tightly onto his shortsword with both hands, trembling both from the cold and the coming fight.

Emerald didn’t blame him. They hadn’t faced or even seen a valravn before and it was a little nerve-wracking to be facing something new.

“It will be all right, child,” Sombra said to Guard Streak. “We did not come all this way to be killed by some crow demon.”

“D-D-Demon?” Guard Streak went even paler.

“You heard what your friend said.” Sombra twisted his sword in his hand. “Crows who feast on dead kings turn into monsters.”

“Didn’t you hear Rake?” Emerald bumped him with her elbow. “He said those are just tales. They aren’t actually like that.”

“You never know. He could be wrong.”

Emerald decided to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters before Guard Streak had a breakdown. “The jarl said this monster has been killing his warriors, but that they are safe inside their buildings. Do you think it could be a spirit like the djinn from Saddle Arabia?”

“You mean that it has some kind of intelligence or compulsion that prevents it from entering buildings?” Sombra arched his eyebrow. “It is possible. However, I would prefer to defeat it before it can get into anyone’s home. I do not want to have to test something as risky as this.”

“As you say,” Emerald agreed. She looked up into the sky. It had stopped snowing, but the stars and moon were still covered by a veil of clouds. Very few of the torches on the outside of the buildings in the town were kept lit, since nobody was expected to be outside after dark anyway.

“Besides,” Rake had told them earlier. “If you keep a light on you, it’ll only serve to make you a more obvious target.”

“We do not need the light anyway.” Sombra wisped at his shadows. “With the shadows, I will be able to see through the darkness. And so too will your archer, yes?”

“Ah, yes. Posey.” Emerald looked to the roof of the building.

She had still yet to master the eagle vision that Posey had been teaching her since the siege on Masyaf. No matter how hard she focused her vision, she just couldn’t get it to see what she needed to see, as Posey had put it. By now she knew it wasn’t the art of straining her eyes, but it was something else she needed to figure out. It was almost like a kind of magic. Back in Equestria, it had been unicorns who mostly dealt with things like that, but here it seemed it was anyone’s game.

Emerald peered out into the dark and narrowed her eyes, trying to replicate what she had seen in Saddle Arabia when Moon Tide had come visiting. She recalled the mage appearing blue, the night she returned. Posey had told her that had been eagle vision, to see humans for what they are. She strained and squinted, but the world around her remained dark and lightless.

“What are you doing?” Sombra’s voice broke her out of her concentration.

Emerald blinked a few times, then rubbed her eyes. “I was just doing something Posey taught me. To see beyond just seeing. Tis how she sees in the hardest of visions.”

Sombra looked interested. “Is this some manner of sixth sense?” he asked as he peeked over their cover into the snowy night. “We will need every edge we can get on this creature, should it come.”

“It could prove useful to find the beast in the dark, but I still have yet to find out how to tap into this vision at will.”

Sombra nodded and went back to looking out. In the distance, there was a loud caw, like that of a raven, only much deeper. Some of the trees shifted, though whether that was from the wind or something else, they weren’t sure.

“Something is out there…” Sombra breathed, his breath coming out in foggy clouds before his face. “Weapons at the ready.”

Emerald clutched tightly on her scimitar and looked out past the buildings, hoping to see the creature, but at the same time, dreading it. She hadn’t seen a valravn before and she didn’t know what to expect.

“And you had to bury that knight’s sword with him.” Sombra looked at Emerald’s steel. “Truly, it would’ve helped for situations such as this. No creature could stand the craftsmanship of your knight swords.”

“Your scimitar will do just fine, Sombra,” Emerald said. “It is just a beast. It does not have armor to withstand our weapons.”

The cawing came again, louder this time. In spite of the frigid temperature, Guard Streak felt a line of sweat run down his neck. He almost wished that he could be back in the cabin with Spectrum, but he knew deep down that his place was out here with the other warriors. It was part of the knight’s code, and like Spectrum, Streak’s most fervent wish was to be a knight. So he clamped down on his fear and gripped his sword until his fingers hurt. He had to keep Spectrum safe.

There was a flutter of wings, then the sound of something gliding through the air. Streak felt a breeze tickle his cheek and he turned, but as soon as he did, the sensation had disappeared and he could see nothing in the dark.

“It-it-it’s… it’s here…” Streak whispered and tapped Emerald’s arm.

Emerald spun around just in time to hear a bowstring twang from above, and an ear splitting screech that followed.

“There. I shall engage it.” Sombra’s eyes glowed for a second, then faded into a shadowy ball and sped out from their hiding spot.

Emerald tried to keep track of the moving shadows, but Sombra had moved fast and he was already out of sight. There came heavy footfalls from a short distance away, and Emerald heard Posey’s bowstring singing as she loosed two more shafts from her weapon. A thunderous crash from above was heard, and bits of wood and tile came cascading down onto the snow.

A shape slid into view in front of Emerald and she only had enough time to see a black beak under a coat of feathers before the creature got up, rising on two long and thin legs, standing at least half her body over her, then running off behind another house faster than she could emerge from behind her cover.

There was a soft impact and the monster was thrown onto its side, kicking up a huge plume of loose snow. Emerald could see Sombra standing on top of a whirlwind of shadows, hacking at the valravn with his sword and jetting out of range of its beak and claws just in time. His scimitar was dripping with dark liquid as he struck again and again.

And then dagger-like appendages suddenly speared out of its wings, one catching Sombra in the left arm. The king fell back and gasped, then warped away in a ball of shadow as the valravn stood and stabbed at the ground where he had just been.

The appendages in its wings were bony and sharp, almost like long fangs, disappearing back into its feathers as it looked around for its target. Then it saw Emerald and began stalking towards her.

“For Canterlot!” Guard Streak hollered, then charged at the monster, sword held high. The squire was swiftly swatted aside into the snow with a swipe of the creature’s wing.

The beast hissed at him, revealing rows of thin needle-like teeth. Emerald used this chance to rush it, holding her sword at her side as she ran. The valravn stretched its wings out to its sides as the spymaster approached, then an arrow sprouted from its chest and it dropped back a step. It cawed, then swiped at Emerald with a wing. She dropped under it, watching as its spikes extended from within its wing, then cut at its side, unsheathing one hidden blade in her left arm and stabbing it repeatedly into the creature’s side where it couldn’t reach her. Her hand soon became caked with the creature’s blood. It smelled foul and was sticky, like the juice from a pickled onion if it had been mixed with swamp water.

Guard Streak came back from the other side and slashed it across its leg with all his might. He tore through most of its skinny thigh, splashing blood across his face and the valravn screeched in pain and took flight.

“Oh no you don’t!” As the creature left the ground, Emerald leapt up onto a wagon, then used it as a stepping stone to jump onto the roof, grabbing hold of the edge with one hand and pulling herself up. Then with a flex of her legs, she launched herself up to the airborne menace and stabbed her scimitar into its side. The valravn screamed at her, but she would not let go even as the beast flew higher and higher. Soon she was high above the village, barely able to see from the wind in her eyes. Up here, it was much colder and her face was starting to sting; she needed to find a way to get the beast back down. What was worse, her grip on her weapon was starting to slip, owing to the blood that was running down its length.

The valravn flailed about in the air, trying to shake her off. But Emerald was not so easily deterred. Extending a hidden blade, she stabbed it into the monster’s hide, anchoring herself there and then using the leverage to pull herself within reach of a wing. It was difficult, but the former pegasus managed to grab hold of a handful of feathers with her free hand. Then she released the hand with the extended hidden blade and swung her arm down to seize her sword.

The monster shrieked and tried to use its clawed feet to dislodge her, but the talons only raked across her armor and did no damage. Still holding on to the valravn’s wing, Emerald braced herself against the creature’s body and with a shout, drove the sword as deep as she could into its chest.

The thrust struck home with a spray of dark blood and the valravn screeched loudly enough to wake the dead, then it stiffened and began to fall to earth, where it impacted the ground and made a small crater in the snow, kicking up plumes of the white powder as it slammed into the frozen dirt. Emerald had braced for the inevitable crash, but before she could hit the ground, a wisp of shadow materialized around her waist and yanked her off the monster just as it threw snow and dirt high up into the air.

Emerald opened her eyes slowly, peering into the concerned ones of Sombra. They were sitting on a whirlwind of shadows, and as Emerald began to take stock of her surroundings, Sombra lowered them both onto the ground.

“That was one of the most foolhardy things I have ever seen done,” Sombra said, taking note of all the dark blood that covered Emerald’s form. “But I commend you for your unusual tactics.”

“We did it!” Guard Streak ran towards Sombra and Emerald, fumbling with sheathing his sword. “I can’t believe we did it!”

Posey dived off the rooftop and landed in a snowdrift. She deftly hopped out and approached Emerald. “Well done,” she said, not even trying to conceal her smile. “Not that I needed validating, but once again you have proven yourself to be worthy of the position as leader. The jarl will be pleased by this, I just know it.”

“Wasn’t so hard.” Emerald swiped the blood off her weapon and inspected it. With all the stabbing she had been doing, the blade had chipped a little. “These vikings will be pleased to know their invading valravn has been taken care of.”

“And it wasn’t of too much effort as well.” Sombra inspected the injury on his left arm. “And nothing a mage of Canterlot cannot handle, yes?”

“I suppose.” Emerald looked at the hole in the Saddle Arabian’s arm. “You really need that looked at.”

“Perhaps I should,” Sombra agreed. “We should go tell the others of our success, then get patched up. I am sure they heard the sounds of battle and are worried for our safety.”

“An-and I would l-like to get somewhere w-w-warm…” Guard Streak wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

Emerald knocked on Rake’s door. “Rake! We’ve done it. The beast is no more!”

111 - Pass to the Capital

“Is everything alright, Emerald?” Sombra asked as he pulled his coat’s hood over his dark hair to better protect himself from the biting cold.

“Just woolgathering,” Emerald said as she kept in stride with the king. She held a torch in one hand, keeping the area around herself alight. “I have to say that the cold here seems harder to bear than in Equestria, even with these coats.”

“That must be because you were of an equine nature.” Sombra prodded at his arm. “Humans don’t have fur like you horses. Just tiny hairs on our skin that don’t seem to do much, I am afraid, especially with sand.”

The group came to a downwards slope and Emerald was about halfway down when she heard a whoop from behind. Not a moment later, Honeygold and Spectrum Song came skidding past down the hill, seated on a pair of shields. The pair slid right past the head of the convoy and ploughed into a large snowdrift.

“That was great!” Honeygold popped out of the snow, wearing a wide grin. “Ah wanna go again!” She dug herself out of the drift and helped Spectrum get up as well, giggling. “Ah didn’t know snow could be so much fun!”

“We ain’t got time for this little ones.” Golden Nugget put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, then pointed back to their horses. “We’ve still got a full day’s journey to make.”

“Your father is right, dear.” Apple Bean breathed out into her palms and rubbed them together. “Come on now, back on the horses, you two.”

“And me!” Parisa’s head burst out from under a pile of snow, her teeth chattering madly. “It’s amazing how you can swim in here! Sure, it’s cold, but it’s almost just like water!”

“You get used to it in time, lass.” Rake moved past her, atop his horse with a map in one hand and a torch in his other. “Our next major terrain will be the Midgardsormr Pass. It is a mountainous area plagued with wolves and trolls. Camping there is to court death. We shall be walking through it through the night. Keep your fires up and there would only be a small chance we might be attacked.”

“Wh-what?” Guard Streak shook on his horse.

“Streak, stop shaking.” Spectrum slapped him on the back. “Wolves and trolls are nothing new. We’ve fought them before.”

“I-I’m not sc-sc-scared…” He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “Tis j-just cold.”

“Do not fret over such beasts, squires,” Posey said, running a hand down Gabriel’s head and neck. “When we are closer, Gabriel will keep an eye out for us from the skies.”

“I am more concerned about our meals.” Jewel Pin held a torch near the rear. “When are we stopping for food? How do we know when we should set up camp? I’m already hungry.”

“Again?” Rake turned to face her from the front, a puzzled look scrawled on his face. “Even we vikings do not easily hunger like your violet haired lass here. And she can still maintain a good figure. Impressive.”

The other vikings from Jorgjafylki bellowed in laughter at this.

“Aye, Leaf would want to hear this.” Rake swatted snow off his red beard. “Once our journey is completed, I will be sure to return home to tell him.”

He nodded to Emerald, then pointed ahead and kept moving. She watched their torchlights moving ahead in the darkness and followed after them atop Amira, with her horse doing her best to keep up. With their smaller build, kicking their way through the snowfall was harder and more taxing for them.

As they walked, Emerald became aware of a feeling of being watched. She looked into the snowy dark, and was repaid with the sight of a pair of yellow eyes.

“What’s that?” Emerald asked Rake, pointing. The viking stared at where her finger was pointing and squinted. Then he guffawed.

“Ah, that’s no trouble, lassie. It’s just an owl. Looks like a big one.”

“How can it be an owl?” Spectrum asked, staring at the yellow eyes. “It’s not laughing.”

“Why? Do your Canterlot owls laugh?” Rake gave them a weird look.

“Uh, all the time,” Spectrum said it like it was the most obvious thing.

“Aye, you have weird Canterlot animals, don’t you?” One of the vikings bellowed.

“Maybe the owls are laughing at how weak they all are.” Another one laughed. “After all, they’re all so skinny. Not enough meat and mead.”

“But they’re not.” Rake turned and spoke to the patrolmen with them. “They killed that valravn plaguing the village.”

“Ah. Aye.” One glanced at Emerald. “The Raven Knight. Killer of the winged beast.”

“Ja.” the rest chorused.

“She’s more than just some raven killer,” Honeygold said atop her saddle. “If she has one o’ them artifacts from her world, then y’all will see what she can really do.”

She would have said more, but just then, a howl pierced through the night and immediately all eyes were alert and heads were spinning around.

“Have no fear.” Rake stowed his map and raised his hand. “As long as our torches burn, they should not approach us.”

“That doesn’t sound like a certainty.” Light Speckle was skeptical.

“They had better not come near us…” Sombra held up his hands and darkness deeper than that of night swirled around his fists. “I will not tolerate anything to hamper our journey.”

“And neither will I.” Emerald squinted into the dark, trying to tap into the power of the eagle vision, but as usual, it eluded her.

There was soon the pitter patter of movement out there in the snow, sometimes clattering off rocks somewhere in the dark. Emerald kept her eyes peeled, looking back to Posey to see if she had caught a whiff of anything coming too close. She had released Gabriel to the air and as of now, he hadn’t given them any warning, which meant that they were doing fine for the time being.

Just ahead, two mountainous shapes came into view, extending up into the air and curving near the tip, forming what looked like two horns coming out of the ground between a small rocky path heading past a slope.

“We’re here. Midgardsormr Pass.” Rake lifted his torch higher as they arrived at the start of the rocky terrain. “Now, no sudden noises. We don’t want to have the trolls upon us should they be around. Night is their favorite playtime, after all.”

“We don’t want an avalanche on us neither,” another one of the Northmen added.

“No word from Gabriel. We must be clear.” Posey nodded to Emerald.

“The lass talks to the bird?” One viking raised a bushy eyebrow. He turned to some of the others and muttered to them in Northern. They soon started snickering, but were quickly silenced by Rake.

“Quiet. I do not want to attract any more trouble than we need to.”

The group proceeded into the pass, torches held high and trying not to make any sound other than the crackling of their flambeaux and the soft crunching of snow beneath their boots. No one said anything, but the entire party kept their hands near their weapons and looked around cautiously, ready to spring into action the moment anything unusual might happen.

The walk through was plain and simple enough. Emerald swore she could see one of those snow owls watching them, but as long as they stayed away and silent, then she had no problem with them.

Posey pulled her horse to ride alongside Emerald’s. She was still looking about, but her face was pinched, and not just from the cold.

“There were wolves following us,” Posey said in a low voice.

“Were?” Emerald whispered back. “What do you mean?”

“As in there was a wolf pack stalking us,” Posey explained. “But they’re gone now. Tis not like wolves to give up easy prey like that.”

Emerald gripped the handle of her sword. “It would not have been easy.”

“They must sense the t-t-trolls…” Jewel Pin whimpered and looked in every direction. “Never liked those beasties.”

“We’ve faced trolls before,” Emerald said calmly. “Or at least, I have. The trick is not to get grabbed by them. They aren’t particularly fast or smart.”

This did not seem to reassure Jewel Pin, who gripped her shears tighter and looked about herself warily.

“Plus, you have me.” Sombra’s eyes seem to glow in the dark. “Should we be attacked by any man or beast, I will defend us.”

“Don’t forget the twelve or so horsemen with us.” Spectrum added.

“They sure think a lot of themselves, don’t they?” Nightfall whispered. “But they were so afraid of that valravn coming every night.”

The sound of crunching snow stopped as the party came to a halt at the behest of Rake. He pointed ahead and several of his companions unslung their bows.

“What is it?” Emerald whispered. “What does it mean?”

“It means,” Sombra narrowed his eyes and stared at where Rake was pointing. “That we have company.”

Along the path, behind one fairly large boulder, Emerald could just make out something white and hairy dragging along the body of a deer of some kind into what looked like a cave entrance.

“Keep still and quiet,” Posey muttered. “That troll seems to already have its dinner. If we do not provoke it, we may be able to pass unmolested.”

“Somehow I doubt that will be the case,” Sombra said as he eyed the troll, dark vapor molding itself into a long, thin shape in his hands.

“Single file, everyone,” Rake shout-whispered back at them. “No sudden moves, let’s take things nice and slow, aye?”

The horses, under the instruction of their riders, fell into a thin queue. They could smell the troll and were understandably nervous, but all of the group were experienced enough horsemen to know how to calm their steeds, at least well enough that they would not bolt.

As the group pressed on, Emerald couldn’t help but place a hand on the axe at her side. Should a fight brew out here in the pass, then she would see just how good this axe was. In her opinion, it was a very well crafted axe, but it seemed a bit excessively made. It could’ve been a lot simpler, and engravings didn’t really give the weapon any advantage over others. She would just have to see how strong its steel was in a fight.

Gabriel squawked something from above.

“Emerald, up!” Posey warned.

All eyes flicked up to see a large white shape standing atop the rocks, looking down at them, a bloody bone in one hand. It roared and leapt off its perch, dropping down and knocking Jewel Pin and Nightfall off their horses.

“Get it away! Get it away!” Jewel Pin began screeching as she flailed her arms around her face.

Emerald grabbed her axe and hopped off Amira, but Sombra was faster. In a blink of an eye, a wisp of darkness shot past her and enveloped the white troll, swirling around it as red marks began appearing across its hair. The beast roared and swung its arms around, but it could not hit him. Materializing once before its face, Sombra slashed his scimitar across the beast’s neck, then dropped to the ground along with its head, while its body rocked on the spot, then fell back against the cliff.

“Now, that was truly a show, your majesty.” Rake chuckled, but then pointed to the sides in front, where heads of trolls were popping out around boulders. “But we have much unwanted attention now and we should make haste to leave this place.”

“Aye, we don’t want to be caught here, not before we can rescue the high king!” Another viking flicked his horse’s reins and was off, followed by the rest of them.

Emerald got her friends back on their horses and made sure they were off before galloping off after them. Now at the rear, she could see trolls of all sizes walking out, trying to get their group. The ones here seemed larger than the ones back in Canterlot, and instead of brown fur, they had white fur and their fangs jutted out of their mouths more.

One reached out for her, but Emerald didn’t stop and ducked under a clawed hand as she slashed up with the axe. She felt the steel tear through flesh easily and blood sprayed out against the rocky surface of the mountain side.

There was a roar behind her as she kept moving, all the while making sure her allies were in front of her. She wasn’t going to lose sight of one of them here, not now, not ever. They had gotten her through so much and she wasn’t going to let them down now.

The rocks clattered under the thundering hooves of her horse and her friends’ horses, almost like bells awakening the night. There were more trolls around them that she could count, but from above, she could see a swirl of a shadowy vortex, before Sombra lashed out at a few trolls on their escape. One troll tried to jump on Honeygold and Parisa, but Sombra appeared between them and kicked the troll back with both feet, then tossed it aside with a shadowy tendril.

Another one swiped at Emerald’s face, but she took the blow and managed to still grasp the reins of Amira. It tried it again, but a vial of whitish liquid splashed across its back and soon, it began freezing. Emerald spotted Amber Fang giving her a knowing nod in front before she turned back to focus on the escape. Emerald silently gave her her thanks and slashed the ailing troll in the back, shattering its frozen back and sending blood and bone scattering about on the floor.

From above, Sombra dropped down on her horse after another wave of his sword behind her, shearing off another troll’s hand.

“Thanks for the ride.” Sombra gave her a pat on the shoulder.

And then they were out, back into the open, leaving Midgardsormr Pass behind. The trolls didn’t follow and instead watched them leave, before retreating back into their dens. The group soon slowed to a stop once they were far enough from the pass to take account of their items and people.

“Everyone alright?” Rake asked and dusted his cloak of snow and some troll guts. “I’d say we did quite well, even after alerting the whole lot of them.”

"Aye, this will be a great story to tell over some drinks!" a viking boomed. "But that will have to wait. We are getting close to Nidaroats now. Only about an hour more and we should be able to see it."

“Please, no more monsters…” Jewel Pin wailed and grabbed her hair.

“Aye, if all goes well, we should have no more random encounters.” A viking guffawed and shifted his helmet onto his head. “But we must ready ourselves for battle. The enemy will be near.”

Emerald and her group had not yet traveled so far in the biting cold and it was already beginning to wear on them, even her. All she wanted now was to find some place warm and sit by a fire with a warm bowl of soup, but that was likely still a ways away.

Over the top of the next hill, something glimmered orange in the faraway distance.

“That city really looks like a city,” Nightfall said, looking through her spyglass. “Is that…”

“Our destination, aye,” Rake said, turning around. “We’ve still much more ground to cover, but we’re getting closer to Nidaroats. We can see it from up here.”

A trio of spear launchers fired at the wall, followed by a flaming payload from one of the catapults. That one smashed into the gates with a resounding gong, heard even from all the way here.

“It doesn’t look like the walls have fallen,” Nightfall continued to survey the city through her spyglass. “Though the army outside seems to be trying very hard.”

Just then, there was the sound of the earth shattering and the ground shifted under them.

“By the world tree…” Rake breathed, then pointed to the city. “Look.”

The gates for the outer wall seemed to be shrinking, but once Emerald looked closer, she noticed it wasn’t sinking. The ground was giving way, crumbling beneath the defensive structure as tree roots grew around the walls. The metal gates that once kept the city safe fell into the newly cracked open chasm and she could just make out people diving off the walls as the whole wall shook and rocked.

“I… take that back.” Nightfall looked apologetic, as though her words had been the cause of this event.

“I have never seen anything like that…” Amber Fang whispered beside Emerald. “It must be one of the Knights of the Round Table.”

“Excalibur can give rise to the power to control nature?” Light Speckle asked, also astounded at the sight at the gates. “Even with all our magic, we have never been able to do that.”

“Excalibur is from my world.” Emerald eyed Canterlot’s army as they began marching into the city. “It would not surprise me if it allowed one of Morn’s men to breathe fire.”

“What do we do now?” Honeygold looked to her older companions. “They’ve already entered the city. We’re too late.”

“We’re not too late, Honeygold. Not yet.” Emerald shook her head. “While we still stand, we will defend this kingdom from Morn. We must make haste, before they breach the castle gates.”

“How do you suggest we get there before the enemy?” Rake also had a defeated look on his gruff face.

The spymaster looked to Posey, who nodded. “I’m sure we could find a way over the wall. How good are you horsemen with scaling walls?”

“We’ve scaled walls in raids.” Rake nodded. “Do you have ladders for us, then?”

“Oh. I was thinking of just getting some rope when we reach the top of the wall.”

“Nay, we vikings don’t use rope. I am afraid we might not know how to do it. Ladders are preferable.”

“Well… Very well.” Emerald didn’t figure it would make much of a difference. “We shall do our best to find a ladder on the other side.”

“Then we should make haste for the walls.” Posey whistled something to Gabriel and he flew on ahead of them. “Let us hope that the castle still stands by the time we reach it.”

112 - A Whisper of Equestria

“You are going to climb… this?” Sombra looked at the top of the wall from the bottom as he tied his horse to an old broken post. “It is a rather high climb.”

“We can manage,” Posey said and slung her bow over her back.

“How goes the battle at the gates?” Emerald asked as she searched the wall for indents and footholds.

“There is a lot of rubble in the way of the Canterlot army’s advance,” Nightfall informed them as she looked through her spyglass. “And just as in Sadde Arabia, the two sides are trading arrow volleys. Though the defenders are pouring pots of boiling water down onto the enemy.”

“And don’t forget the siege weapons Morn’s Unified are using. How did they even get them here? Wheels are no good for traversing snow.”

“They would have to push snow out of the way.” Rake threw a piece of debris from his beard. “They had done so since landing at Flankfold. They would have to move slower, but here they are anyway.”

Everyone ducked slightly as another catapult rocked the walls.

“I will first scout the top of the wall. Perhaps I could get some of the insiders to help.” With that said, Sombra disappeared in a ball of smoke and snaked up the wall.

Meanwhile the rest of the group waited at the foot of the wall. It was a sturdy wall, Emerald thought. Old for sure, but very solid and dense. Definitely more stalwart than the walls of Canterlot had been. The tree roots at the gate reminded her of the druids’ attack, which had ruined a lot of Canterlot’s walls, allowing for outsiders to invade them in their time of weakness. She wondered if they had finished completely fixing the walls of Canterlot or if the project had been abandoned in the wake of Morn’s crusade.

“Here, Em. I’ve found a good spot.” Posey waved her over, then she stepped back.

Rushing forward, Posey ran up the side of the wall a few steps, then grabbed ahold of a piece of stone slightly jutting out of the wall. From there, she reached up to a crack above and hauled herself up, before finding another spot to reach. Emerald did as Posey had done, her greaves clanking off the stone as she grabbed that first piece of stone.

“Come on. We can do it too.” Spectrum Song nudged Streak and ran at the wall. She kicked against the wall and tried to run up it, but instead she just smashed her face into the surface and fell back. “Ow… Maybe not.”

“Wait here,” Emerald instructed. “We will drop a ladder or something similar once we secure a safe spot to embark.”

“There must be a better way…” Nightfall told Light Speckle. “Perhaps a mechanism to launch a rope to the top of the wall for easier climbing. Wrist mounted, like the hidden blades. I should invent one.”

“Impractical,” Speckle shook her head. “Imagine the vast amounts of rope one would have to cart around with them.”

“I could store it in the gauntlet.” Nightfall tapped the back of her arm. “It could prove useful one day.”

“Not a bad idea.” Amber Fang joined in. “But what if it was not on the wrist, but perhaps a device on its own. That way you could store more rope than needed. Just in case.”

There was a clatter from the top of the wall and a ladder made of rope and planks of wood was thrown down, unfurling until it came just short of hitting the ground.

“That did not take long,” Spectrum remarked as she began to haul herself up the wall using the ladder.

“Not the kind of ladder I was expectin’, but it works.” Rake nodded and allowed Emerald’s companions to head up first.

Once all members of the party had scaled the wall, Posey rolled the ladder up and placed it next to one of the machicolations.

“There was nobody watching this section of the wall,” Posey said. “My guess would be that they are all occupied at the front end of the city and cannot spare anyone to stand guard here.”

“Makes sense,” Rake said as he hefted his axe and looked around to see if there was anyone still around. “No point watching over a spot that won’t see any action. But reckless. They are fortunate the enemy has not tried what we have done.”

As soon as the words left his lips, a flaming projectile smashed into a nearby building with a boom.

“They’ll not get far with those,” one of Rake’s companions observed. “Maybe in the smaller holds they would work, but here in Nidaroats, all the buildings are made from solid stone. Fire is pretty useless against them.”

“Useless fire or no. Those projectiles will do enough damage here.” Amber pointed to the building, whose roof collapsed.

There was a whistle of wind, and darkness gathered beside them as the king of Saddle Arabia reappeared. “They have not gotten far. We can still get to the castle before they do, if we move now.”

“Follow me,” Rake instructed. “I know the layout of the city better than most. I was the one who first put it down on a map.”

With a patter of shoes on stone, they moved off quickly, running through narrow streets and thoroughfares that were devoid of people. As they passed the houses, Emerald saw more than one set of frightened faces peer back out at them.

“It won’t be safe for them to stay here, since the outer walls have fallen.” Emerald stopped, unable to just leave all these people here, defenseless. “Can you get them to the high king’s stronghold?”

“You are Canterlotian. They would not trust you.” Rake turned to his fellow townsfolk and barked to them in Northern. They nodded back to him and they scattered, going to different houses to knock on the doors. “The others will do what they can. I will take you to the castle.”

“Right.” Emerald nodded. That was a good idea. “Let us move.”

While Rake’s men set about seeing to the civilians, Emerald and the other questors hurried on, with Emerald and Rake at the front. Suddenly, there was a shout and Sombra tackled Emerald and Rake forward, at the same time sending a wave of shadows to push the others backwards.

And not a moment too soon. A flaming projectile smashed into the road between both groups, exploding in a storm of wood and flame and making the whole ground shake. The path was set on fire, with no way through.

“Go on, you three!” Posey called through the fire. “We’ll find a way around, don’t worry about us! I’ll keep them safe.”

“Right. Come on. This way.” Rake waved for Emerald and Sombra to follow.

The spymaster looked back to her friends one more time, then turned to run after them. She trusted Posey and her abilities. She would keep the rest of them safe.

“Come, Emerald. We must get to the high king.” Sombra beckoned for her to come.

With enough time wasted, the three of them headed for the center of the city, bypassing house after house, some of which had burning roofs or broken walls. Emerald had seen a sight too many like this ever since leaving Canterlot, with Morn’s conquest coming all the way here. He didn’t realize how many lives he was ruining for his global order. Emerald had hoped he would realize that one day, but she had long given up on that hope. She was going to stop Morn, whether it meant killing him or not. It was what she had to do, it was her duty to this world that had taken her in.

Soon, the sounds of fighting reached Emerald’s ears. The clash of steel on steel was unmistakable, as were the shouts of warriors meeting in battle. Morn’s men had already entered Nidaroats. She reached for her scimitar in her right hand and drew Jarl Gruff’s axe with her left. The weapon still felt unfamiliar to her fingers, but she remembered how easily this weapon could cut through a troll’s hide. It would certainly prove effective in combat, unskilled or not.

“Will the others be safe? With the fight coming to them, I mean.” Sombra drew his own scimitar. “If needed, I can go back and aid them. You and Rake can continue on to the castle.”

“I am sure they will all be fine.” Rake patted on their backs with his beefy hands and ushered them forward. “Come. We must see how the high king fares in this siege. I do hope nothing bad has befallen him.”

Another building burst into flames and stone and wooden shards as a catapult projectile smashed through it on their left, but Emerald and her companions managed to get through that unscathed. More people ran out of the buildings here, some sporting burns and cuts, but Rake ordered them towards the castle, unable to do much else for them at this point. Seeing one of their own kinsmen with Emerald and Sombra, they were less dubious of the command and proceeded along.

In no time, there were plenty of people running past Emerald, Sombra and Rake, all of them women and children. The former pegasus figured the men here were all out there fighting Morn’s forces back. These Frozen North horsemen were strong, she would give them that, but she didn’t know how they would fare against one of the Knights of the Round Table, or worse, Morn himself.

“Castle Sleipnir. We are almost there.” Rake pointed to the large stone structure ahead. It had pointy blue roofs over each tower, and there were banners of what looked like reindeer heads and fire hanging down from the main building. A splendid piece of architecture, Emerald thought, which would hopefully stand another day.

The castle was surrounded by another wall and a moat, with guards by the drawbridge beckoning for the townsfolk to enter its premises. So far, the battle had not yet arrived this far in, and that was good, though Morn’s Unified were already on their way.

“Inside, swiftly,” Rake said as he ushered them across the drawbridge. The guardsmen standing sentinel gave Emerald and Sombra wary looks, but one of them seemed to recognize Rake and waved him through with a grunt and a wave of his battleaxe. Rake gave them a quick explanation, then followed behind his new friends through the courtyard. “So, what do you think? The king’s castle.”

“Truthfully, I was expecting something… grander.” Sombra waved a hand. “My palace in Saddle Arabia is much more refined and I daresay unique.”

Rake shrugged as they passed under the castle gate. “I suppose I will have to see it for myself one day. I shall gain audience with the high king. I shan’t be long.”

Emerald and Sombra were left in the castle foyer, with the bleating and crying of citizens all around them. The floor was made of wood, and there were those same banners hanging off the walls depicting the emblem of Nidaroats. Guards and servants rushed back and forth, seeing to the needs of the people.

“A terrible thing, war.” Sombra shook his head in disgust. “See what it does to your people? Morn has no right to do this to them. No right.”

“You don’t have to tell me that again.” Emerald watched as a mother soothed a younger girl. “That’s why we’re here. To stop him.”

Some of the townsfolk looked at them as they stood there, with some casting evil eyes towards Emerald. She didn’t blame them. Morn was giving all Canterlotians a bad name. It was going to be hard to repair relationships after this, but they would have to.

“Good news.” Rake came back, rubbing his hands together. “High King Magnus has agreed to an audience with you. He has his doubts about someone from Canterlot, so I suppose you will have to prove him wrong.”

“Not another trust quest.” Emerald ran a hand along her face. “Well, I suppose hunting another valravn would be easier than facing Morn’s army alone.”

Rake chuckled. “Then come. We have wasted enough time as it is. The king does not like to wait.”

As Rake led Emerald and Sombra towards the throne room, the former began to feel a tingling sensation in her fingertips. It almost felt like the same feeling she had experienced when she had found the true nature of the Holy Grail. The sensation of home, her real home.

Equestria.

There is something else at play here. Emerald realized as she walked.

The trio soon arrived in a cavernous room that was richly decorated with thick carpets, soaring banners, and stone effigies of tall, bearded men wearing crowns.

As she walked past each one, guessing that these were all statues of past kings, the feeling of home was getting stronger, and it was starting to put thoughts into Emerald’s head.

It cannot be. Could it…?

Past all that were giant iron doors, flanked by more guards, who pushed them open. Inside, the throne room was decorated with splendid blue drapes and banners, also sporting the insignia of Nidaroats, and there was a lit bonfire in the middle, which cast its light across the whole room. Tables were positioned along the sides, where more horsemen sat at, and at the very end was a much larger table with only a single man sitting behind it.

A helmet with several curved horns pointed up around its radius sat on the table by his beefy hands, and next to it was a grey haired man, eyeing the newcomers with narrowed eyes. Emerald could guess who she was looking at.

All the while, the feeling of home was getting stronger, but she still did not know where it was coming from.

“I introduce you to High King Magnus Rein of the Frozen North.” Rake gestured to their leader. “Slayer of the mighty Thorndrum, Uniter of the Great Clans!”

“So, the king from across the mountains and a lady of Canterlot. The Raven Knight herself, slayer of the valravn...” The high king’s voice was low and deep, yet loud and resounding. “You have come to my kingdom at a tumultuous time.”

“You seem very well informed,” Emerald said, bowing. Sombra remained upright, as he was of equal station to Magnus. “I did not think word of our deeds had reached this part of the world yet.”

“Word gets around the holds fast.” The high king held up a scroll in one hand. “I have heard of your deeds from Jarl Goat Gruff. He trusts you, so I suppose I will hear what you have come to say.”

“We have traveled to this land to lend our support in your battle against the United Kingdom,” Emerald started. “Having repelled them from Saddle Arabia, my group and I have made it our quest to drive out these invaders wherever they may be.”

“Do you call two people a group?” High King Magnus asked, looking at Sombra.

“The rest of us were separated earlier,” Sombra told him. “They are still out there, hopefully staying safe.”

“Yes. The enemy has breached our outer walls.” Magnus stood and flicked his cape aside.

In that instant, Emerald spotted something gold and silver, vibrating and convulsing at his belt and immediately, she knew just what she had been feeling all this time, and she was right.

Magnus looked at his weapon quizzically and brandished the axe at his side. It had a single blade, straight at the top and curved at the bottom, and it was now crackling with light, forcing him to drop it.

“What is this…?” Magnus raised a hand to his face to protect his grey beard from the sparks.

And just as quickly as it had begun, it all stopped and the axe now rested on the ground, unmoving.

“The axe…” Sombra whispered to Emerald. “It is of your world.”

“Yes.” The spymaster nodded. “High King Magnus, you will not believe me, but that axe is from another world. More specifically, the world I come from.”

“Another world? Your world?” The king almost laughed. “Are you jesting, woman?”

“That is why it shook as it did. It resonated with me. These weapons, created by our great Star Swirl the Bearded, were meant for my kind, Equestrians.” Emerald stepped a little closer. “These weapons were sent to your world, because they were too powerful for any one pony to use.”

“One pony? Now this is madness.” Magnus picked up the axe and held it out to the fire light for them to see. “This is Hel, the legendary axe passed down to me by our patron saint, Snowman. He had crafted it in the very depths of Helheim itself, hence its name. With this, I am decreed as the one true king of the Frozen North.”

Emerald had heard this story before, but from a different king in a different time. She was willing to bet that it wasn’t the actual truth either. After all, she knew the reality of where these weapons come from.

“I could show you. If I could just hold your axe for a while.” Emerald reached a hand out, but three vikings stepped forward and drew their axes and swords.

Magnus waved a hand and the three of them backed off. “Aye, no, this axe is what makes my word law over this land. It is not for you to take from me. While Jarl Gruff trusts you, you have not earned mine, Raven Knight.”

“But if I could just hold it, I will show you-”

“The axe is not yours.” The high king’s voice boomed around the hall as he put it close to his mouth, almost like it was amplifying his voice.

The ground under Emerald’s feet shook and the bonfire grew smaller, casting longer shadows across the room, making it suddenly feel less safe.

“We apologize, your majesty.” Sombra held her to steady her. “Emerald, keep it together. There will be another way. We don’t want to end up on the king’s bad side.”

“Yes, yes. I am sorry.” She sighed. “High King Magnus, I apologize. I was ahead of myself. Yes, your words speak sense. I will prove to you that we are here to help.”

“Or perhaps not…” a voice said behind the two of them.

Emerald and Sombra turned to see a large Northerner standing there, a dented helmet in one hand. The spymaster had not met many from the Frozen North, so she remembered this one, even though it had already been about five years since she had seen him in Canterlot.

“Stronghorn,” Emerald said. “From the tournament.”

“Aye, that is I.” The warrior placed his helmet on a nearby table. “And you are Emerald Edge of Canterlot. No one could ever forget those glittering locks on your head, could they? Your brethren outside have laid siege to our land. How do we know you are not with them?”

“Her eyes,” Sombra gestured to his own. “All of Morn’s army has golden eyes that shine like candles. Emerald’s eyes do not glow like theirs.”

“Ah, so you have met my thane, Stronghorn the Tough.” Magnus raised a hand to welcome him back. “He has been on the front, defending our capital from your people.”

“And I regret to inform you, High King Magnus, the front has been lost.” The bulky man breathed out and sat down. A maid walked by and handed him a flagon. “The Canterlot army has arrived at our castle walls. Jarl Goat Gruff’s men have done what they can to lead civilians here, but I am afraid many have been lost out there.”

“It is only a matter of time. We have to fight back.” Magnus held the axe tightly in his hand. “So these invaders, you mentioned their golden eyes. It is true you do not possess them like they do. We can see them from miles away. But how do we know you speak the truth about that?”

“Canterlot does not mean to attack you,” Emerald tried to explain. “All this is one man’s will. A man named Morn Dread, who has turned the power of Excalibur on the world. That is how he also takes control of your people, High King Magnus. Many are thrall under his power. We are not.”

“And he had also tried to take my kingdom,” Sombra added and stepped forward. “But we stopped him. We ensured that my land would not fall under his control. And we aim to aid yours in fighting him off. Let us help you.”

“How noble of you to journey all the way here to help another kingdom in need.” Magnus ran a hand along his axe’s head. “Very well. For now, I shall choose to believe you. But…”

Emerald and Sombra looked at each other. She never did like ‘buts’.

Magnus began walking around the table he was at. “I would first like to test your might. To see if you are worthy in the field of battle. I will see your resolve.”

Emerald was going to accept, but Sombra stretched a hand out in front of her. “Sombra? We need to do this.”

“Yes. I know.” He looked to the high king. “I accept your challenge, your majesty. I, Sombra, king of Saddle Arabia, will be your opponent.”

113 - The Vision of an Eagle

Emerald Edge had stood in the throne room, surprised that the tables could be shifted away so easily to give Magnus and Sombra more room to face off. She didn’t agree with this, seeing as there was an enemy army outside their castle walls right now, trying to get in, but Rake had assured her that no one was going to get killed. It was a Northern tradition to fight, even for no reason, so something like this wasn’t too out of place.

Emerald had looked out one of the windows, hoping to see her friends safe somewhere, but as of yet, they hadn’t seem to come in from the town yet. She could only hope that they were still safe from Morn’s Unified.

“Are you ready, King from Over the Mountain?” High King Magnus Rein dropped his cloak at his throne and gave his arms a good wiggle.

“As ready as I will ever be,” Sombra replied calmly. He had kept his cape on, and it billowed around him although there was no wind indoors. He held his scimitar firmly in his right hand, while his other hand was held at the ready in case he had to do any acrobatic maneuvers.

“An interesting weapon, that.” Magnus lifted Hel in one hand. “Wider at the top than the bottom. Does it not throw your balance off?”

“The increased weight at the tip makes for a more efficient cutting edge,” Sombra replied, flourishing the weapon.

“And that I shall see in combat.” The high king ran a finger along his axehead. “Are you ready then, King from Over the Mountain?”

“As I have said, I am ready.” Sombra’s feet disappeared in shadows.

Emerald, Rake and the rest of the Northerners in the hall stood off to the side, out of harm’s way, behind the tables that they had pushed away from the center. For such a proud and long lived people, Emerald thought, they certainly seemed to be backwards in terms of social etiquette. A war raged outside and they still thought they had time to do all this?

“Then you shall perform the first move, king.” Magnus planted his feet side by side and waited.

Sombra moved to the left, as did Magnus. Emerald had seen this many times before; both fighters were looking for an opening to strike. Only, the entire city was under siege and at risk of being invaded. She almost wanted to shout at both of them for prioritizing this fight instead of rallying the troops like they should be doing.

Then Sombra took a stab at the high king, seemingly trying to see what would happen. Magnus lifted his axe and parried Sombra’s strike, then moved closer and lifted his axe high, ready to bring it down. The Saddle Arabian king lifted his sword to block the strike, but when the axe connected with his scimitar, the force sent him down and he used that chance to melt into the shadows on the ground and disappear. Hel’s blade cut into the ground’s stonework and sent cracks snaking out from the center. From behind Magnus, shadows converged and Sombra appeared above the throne. In one powerful motion, he blasted himself forward like a comet.

“That’s far enough.” Magnus turned to see him coming and lifted his axe close to his mouth.

He then let loose with a mighty yell, his voice reverberating around the room as the sound waves crashed into Sombra. The dark comet veered away and touched down, but Magnus kept shouting, his voice projecting a tunnel-like blast as it chased Sombra around.

Finally it stopped and Magnus seemed to slump a little bit. Emerald looked at the table next to her. There had been a lump of butter there before, but now it was melted. Had the High King’s voice done that?

“Impressive.” Sombra came out from behind a chair and dusted himself. “Might I suggest that we have sparred enough?”

“Very well…” Magnus lifted his axe and rested it on his shoulder. “And your abilities too are something I have never seen out here in the Frozen North. You have fought well, King from Over the Mountain.”

“Great.” Sombra sheathed his blade and smoothed back his dark hair. “Then now could we deal with the more pressing matter at hand? The invading army?”

“Aye.” Magnus too, stowed his weapon. “Stronghorn. Assemble the men we have and take back our city.”

“Wait, that’s your plan?” Emerald had to stop him. “To just go out there and fight?”

Magnus scratched at his beard. “Yes. Is it not that simple?”

Emerald and Sombra shared a look. “Your majesty, the Unified, Morn’s army, are always led by knights. Specifically, Knights of the Round Table of the late King Dawn Saber’s court of Canterlot. As we did in Saddle Arabia, taking them down will lead the army into disarray and that is where your people would be able to repel them out of the Frozen North.”

“I have encountered one of them, yes.” Stronghorn touched at a mark across his right arm, where his flesh seemed to have turned black around a cut. “A knight of red armor and a blade as black as night, with gems imbued in it that are even darker than the blade itself.”

Emerald knew that weapon well. It was Gram, the Darkness of the Lake, the jet-black blade of her former brother-in-arms, Sir Agramane.

“You know who leads the army here, do you not?” Sombra watched Emerald’s face scrunch up in thought.

“I do.” She nodded grimly. “Your majesty, that knight is Sir Agramane of Canterlot. His sword, Gram, is said to be able to cut even the thick hide of dragons. Morn has empowered these swords through Excalibur. I am afraid I do not know what they are able to do now.”

“On that, I am able to shed some light.” Stronghorn pointed to his blackened arm wound. “Or really, shed some dark about it. It is like his sword is able to bend the shadows themselves, using them to his advantage to release blades of shadow through the air. I was only able to get away with a simple cut because of one of the guards, who sacrificed his life for mine.”

“Shadows?” Sombra waved a hand and darkness grew around it. “Perhaps I would be able to take him on. Are there any more knights leading this attack? When they attacked Saddle Arabia, there were two of them leading the charge.”

“Aye. That there is.” Stronghorn nodded. “Though I have not gotten a good glimpse of him. Somehow, he is able to control nature itself. It was him who destroyed the outer gates.”

Emerald thought hard about this one, but in the end, there wasn’t enough information to go on.

“These swords, they are fantastical. Weapons capable of rivaling my great Hel.” Magnus tapped a finger against his gold and silver weapon. “Emerald Edge, the Raven Knight. And Sombra, the King from Over the Mountain. If we are to work together to defeat this foe, I would like their swords added to my collection. They would prove valuable in time to come after this.”

“These swords belong to their bearers. I cannot-” Emerald was stopped by Sombra. “What?”

“What good are their weapons to them once they are gone?” he whispered. “You buried that weapon with the knight back in Saddle Arabia, but it was because as king, I allowed it in respect to you. This is a different land. This king does not yet know you like I do.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Emerald snapped at him.

“I suggest we give him what he wants. They would be of better use to someone still living.”

Emerald wanted to protest more, but she had no better reason than to lay them with their bearers. Sombra was right. These were powerful weapons that would do better in a capable human’s hands, enchanted or not.

“Very well, High King Magnus. The swords will be yours to take.”

The Northern king rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Then I shall prepare for battle. Stronghorn, my thane, you will help the Raven Knight with whatever she needs. I leave her in your capable hands.” He turned and disappeared out a side door with a cluster of his stewards.

“Once again we are to face an enemy together?” Stronghorn laughed and pointed to the side of his head. “We have survived worse. What had become of your kingdom? After the druid attack?”

“Well, they came back,” Emerald said. It had all been such a long time ago. “They tried to take Canterlot, but we stopped them.” After that, she gave him the brief summary of Morn’s eventual betrayal and how he was now in control and his plans for world order.

“A United Kingdom?” Stronghorn laughed even harder. “He is right that no kingdom would submit willingly. But rest not, we will overcome this.”

“We will.” Rake walked up to them, a mug in one hand. “I am afraid war is not so much in my field of expertise. I shall leave you to plan with Stronghorn. I trust you already know each other.”

“Yes, I suppose we do.” Emerald nodded. “But what will you do?”

“Have no worry, I will join the battle when time comes.” Rake drank from his mug. “But as for planning, I will sit this one out. We must find the rest of Jarl Gruff’s patrolmen. I do hope they are still alive.”

“And the rest of my friends.” Emerald hopped out the gates of the castle. “Sombra, go with Stronghorn and prepare a strategy to face the Unified.”

“What will you do, Emerald?”

“I will find them. I shouldn’t be long. And I will get them here safely.”

Sombra looked at the Axe of Jorgjafylki at her side. “Should any foe face you, I am sure you would win.”

“That I will. I will see you soon, Sombra.” Emerald made her way to the base of the castle walls, while Sombra headed back inside with the high king’s thane.

Emerald looked up at its surface, remembering what she and Posey had done outside. Perhaps if she could get somewhere high, she would be able to get a good idea of where she could find them. A part of her still worried that they might’ve met danger, but Posey and Moon Tide were with them. Posey was a capable fighter, probably as good as she was. As for Moon Tide, or the name she was now going by, Amber Fang, Emerald had seen what she could truly do. No enemy would dare bring them upon themselves, controlled or not.

Finding grooves and depressions within the stone work, Emerald kicked off the base of the wall and began making her way up. She kept going all the way up one of the wall’s towers, using its bricks and even windows to get herself higher. Eventually, she made her way to the very top of the structure, where she had found a wooden beam jutting out of the wall. It was a perfect place to situate herself as she got a good look around the city, looking for any sign of her friends.

She could see burning buildings, courtesy of the catapults that had already stopped firing, from beyond the outer walls. She could see Morn’s army all over the streets, some still in combat with vikings, but Emerald did not see any of her friends in the fray.

“If I were Posey, where would I lead them…?” she said out loud as she thought. She pointed both hands at her own head. “Think, Emerald.”

She narrowed her eyes as she tried to look further out, looking for any tell as to where her friends might’ve gone, whether it was footprints or a dropped piece of clothing, or anything, but she still saw nothing. She kept looking, straining the back of her eyes as she tried to put her tracking training to use.

But then her vision darkened for a second and she fell back, a little startled, almost falling off the tower. She leaned back forward and tried that again and this time, the world around her stayed dark, with the moving shapes below becoming multicolored.

“Is this it?” Emerald looked at her hands, seeing she was now covered in a blue hue. “This is what Posey taught me!”

The world looked startlingly different. It was darker, for starters, but she could now see things she could not before. Colors that flickered in the streets below like candles. There were blues, whites, reds, and golds. All of them moving around like ants in the cobbles. Emerald had no idea what the different colors meant, but she kept looking around for Posey and the rest of her friends.

A screech reached Emerald’s ears; it was a familiar sound to her after having traveled with Posey for so long. She looked up to see Gabriel circling above her head, the eagle clearly knowing who she was.

“Gabriel! Posey must not be far from here,” Emerald scanned the streets below. Now that the special vision had tuned out the fires and smoke, she was able to see the ground level more clearly than ever.

Then she spied a cluster of golden shapes moving about in one of the side passages. Familiar robed figures tossed magic at a trio of oncoming knights and a smaller one stabbed at them with a shortsword.

“There they are…” Emerald blinked and the eagle vision was gone.

Gabriel squawked something to her, then began circling near her. Emerald didn’t get what he was trying to say, but when she looked down, she spotted a well placed abandoned wagon covered in snowfall. There was a mound on it that resembled all the hay bales she had jumped into and she smiled.

“Thank you, Gabriel.”

Emerald spread her arms to her side, then as she kicked off the beam and sailed through the air, Gabriel flew along beside her, screeching as she fell towards the wagon. She dropped in it with a puff of snow into the air. It wasn’t as soft of a landing as she was expecting, but she was at least unscathed.

“Come on, Gabriel. We’ve got to help the others.” Emerald brushed snow off her nose and got out of the wagon.

Drawing her sword and the Jarl Gruff’s axe, Emerald made her way towards her friends, having committed the path to her memory from having seen it from above. She was there in a heartbeat and she approached stealthily behind one of the knights, who was busy trying to gut Guard Streak with a spear.

Emerald swung her axe at his midsection and she felt the blade cut through his chainmail easily and slashed through the small of his back. The man reached back and tried to grab her, but Emerald kicked him in the back of one knee and he went down, allowing her to jab a hidden blade through his neck. The knight went down without a sound, but the other two attacking her friends turned to face her now, both of them equipped with swords and shields.

As they attacked, Emerald parried their blades with her scimitar and attacked back with her axe, cutting gashes across their shiny armor. From behind, vials of magic sailed through the air and smashed against one of their backs, instantly making his armor bubble and boil. The knight switched his attention back to Emerald’s friends just as Posey jumped from the roof above, pushing him down and stabbing her hidden blade through his visor.

With only one left, Emerald kicked at his shield, knocking it aside and cut her axe down into the knight’s helmet. The Canterlotian took one step back slowly, then dropped his sword and shield before slumping against the building.

“Emerald, you made it just in time!” Parisa Pie hopped out of the building towards her like a jack rabbit. “Is the king safe?”

“Glad to see you all too.” Emerald gave her a quick hug. “Sombra’s now discussing tactics with the high king and his court. I came out here to find you lot.”

“And tis a good thing you did.” Nightfall held out her satchel for Emerald to see. “I’ve run out of magic.”

“And food. Don’t forget food.” Jewel Pin rubbed her belly.

“Wait, you ate everything during the skirmish?” Posey couldn’t believe her ears.

“Stress makes me hungry.”

“We were fighting for our lives and you were eating?” Posey slapped a hand to her forehead. “Em, I really cannot understand Jewel Pin sometimes…”

“Don’t y’all worry. We’ve still got plenty o’ apples.” Apple Bean worked to diffuse the situation.

“Mighty fine thing that we keep our apples separate from our supplies.” Golden Nugget laughed. “We should get out of here, though. We don’t want to be spendin’ any more time out here than we should.”

“There are two Knights of the Round Table here leading the attack on Nidaroats,” Emerald told her friends. “Sombra and I are going to go remove them from the battle.”

“And then we’ll chase ‘em out like we did in Saddle Arabia?” Honeygold asked excitedly.

“That we will.” Spectrum put her hands on her hips proudly. “And we’ll make sure they won’t ever want to come back here!”

“That’s not all,” Emerald continued. “The high king of the land also has an Equestrian artifact in his possession.”

“He has one o’ them flashy weapons?” Honeygold asked. “Why don’t we just take it and use it against Morn’s Uniforfid?”

“Probably the same reason Emerald didn’t just take Excalibur off King Dawn Saber,” Light Speckle mumbled. “Excalibur was King Dawn Saber’s right to rule Canterlot. I am sure the high king would also have similar circumstances.”

“It ain’t fair,” Honeygold complained, stamping one foot on the ground. “These things belong to Em’s people- er, ponies, in the first place, and havin’ ‘em would make everything so much easier!”

“Not to mention if Dawn Saber had forked over Excalibur, the world wouldn’t be in this whole mess at all,” Spectrum agreed.

“Won’t that just make you the queen, then, Em?” Honeygold snickered. “That’d be amazin’ if you were in charge!”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly run a whole kingdom.” Emerald quickly shook her head. “I may be a spymaster. Or a knight, but I am no queen.”

The sound of metallic footsteps crunching on stone became apparent to Emerald and she hopped around the building to have a look. The streets were mostly quiet now that the sounds of fighting had died down. She hoped that the remaining vikings out here had found their way to safety. As for her group, they still had to get to the castle and finish planning this out.

If High King Magnus were to engage the Knights of the Round Table in combat, surely his axe would overpower whatever enchantments Morn has placed on them, she reasoned.

She had seen him in action first hand. He was able to go up against Sombra, so that would mean there would be a chance they would take down the invaders without too many losses.

“Come. I must get all of you to the castle.” Emerald gestured to her friends that it was time to move. “From there, we can plot our next course of action safely.”

“That is… while the walls hold,” Amber Fang said grimly.

Emerald looked at the stone walls surrounding the castle and its gate and portcullis. Even now, dust shook from its walls as the invaders tried to smash through it with their weapons to no avail, unable to bring their catapults close enough to hit it. It was going to be hard to get back into the castle, but Emerald knew they would find a way.

114 - First to the Wall

Emerald Edge ducked her head around the next building to survey their surroundings before ushering her friends to move along. There was a dispatch of knights standing at the nearest portion of the wall, seemingly trying to find a way over. With their backs to them, they were going to be easy to get rid of.

Not even bothering to draw her larger weapons, Emerald unsheathed her pair of hidden blades and fell upon them back of the group, taking down two of the knights before they even knew that she was there. The third picked up his weapon, but Posey was on him quicker than Emerald could blink and he went down with nothing more than a gasp.

Emerald smiled. It was good to have her friends around.

Amber Fang brought up the rear of the group, holding a bright orange dagger out in front of her face, her eyes darting back and forth as she sniffed at the air. The spymaster didn’t know how effective Moon Tide was at daggers, but she figured the woman would be able to hold her own against a small group of enemies.

"You know, it's not that cold here now," Spectrum said as she looked at the dead knights.

"Maybe 'cause the city's on fire?" Honeygold jerked her thumb at the columns of smoke rising all over Nidaroats.

"I hope there's a good apothecary in the castle," Nightfall Gleam patted her pockets and satchel. "I'm cleaned out of reagents."

“And so am I.” Light Speckle held hers upside down and nothing fell out. “We will need to fill up on our magic before another battle.”

“And there will almost certainly be one,” Jewel Pin said as her fingers drummed on the grips of her tailoring shears. “Where are we headed next?”

A flaming projectile impacted further down the street, well short of the castle but near enough to send a wave of heat over Emerald and her friends.

“Maybe we should get outta the way,” Apple Bean suggested. “Not all of us are dedicated fighters and Ah wouldn’t want to get in the way of those who are.”

“We just need to get in.” Emerald ran a hand along the wall’s surface. Again, she and Posey would be able to make it over without too much effort, but the rest of their group were not abled climbers. She was going to have to find something to get them over the wall again, and she had a feeling just finding a ladder wasn’t going to do them any good.

Before she could plan any further, there was a clank of something metallic and a rope dropped down on top of her head. Emerald rubbed her head and looked up, spotting Rake and Sombra waving to them from the top of the wall, beckoning for them to hasten.

“Everyone on.” Emerald ushered Honeygold over first, then pointed to the rope for the rest of her party.

“A rope?” Jewel Pin grabbed the straps of her pack. “How am I to make it up there with this?”

“Leave it, woman.” Posey snatched the pack off her shoulders and placed it against the wall and kicked some snow over it.

“But there is still gold in there!”

“What good is that going to do you now? You can pick it up once we are done here.”

“That’s if it will still be here…” Jewel Pin muttered, then began climbing after Honeygold.

“That’s the least of our worries.” Golden Nugget followed behind Guard Streak. He looked back down at the pack of apples one more time, then continued. “We’re leavin’ our precious produce behind.”

The rest of the group followed in short order, and once they were at the top the rope was withdrawn.

“Thank you, Rake. Sombra.” Emerald gave them both a pat on the shoulder. “I believe we’ve all gotten back here unscathed.”

“Aye. That is good news.” Rake chuckled and beat at his belly. “We have good news as well. We have formulated a plan with the high king. Messengers have also been sent out to the other holds. If word reaches them in time, there will be a sizable force coming from behind the enemy, while we will face the enemy here from within. The high king himself will lead the attack.”

“That’s… the plan? To attack?” Emerald waited for their confirming nods. “So you spent all this time in there planning, and the plan is to charge out there and fight?”

“Not the best of plans, I will admit.” Sombra folded his arms. “But it is like we did in Saddle Arabia, Emerald. My army distracted them to the walls, while you and Posey snuck behind enemy lines and took out their generals. It will be the same here, but on a much larger and louder scale.”

“I do love it when a plan comes together!” Spectrum pumped her fists into the air. “Where will I be in all this? Canterlot will rue the day they crossed Spectrum Song.”

“I think a good spot for you would be on top of the castle walls,” Sombra said thoughtfully. “That way you will have the advantage of the high ground. Can you shoot a bow?”

“Sure I can!” Spectrum replied with a grin. “Archery is a basic skill in Canterlot’s fighting force.”

“Good. Then I will engage Agramane, since our powers seem to be in the same sphere. Emerald, you should go after the other Knight of the Round Table. They’ll never see you coming.”

“The high king would like to face these Knights of the Round Table on the field as well,” Rake explained. “And I concur. With the mighty Hel, High King Magnus is a formidable opponent and the enemy would be right to fear him.”

“Then I will help on the walls,” Posey volunteered. “I may be able to get some good shots in from there.”

“We should have plenty of arrows left,” Rake nodded. “Go and rain death upon them, archer.”

Posey gripped her bow tightly and hurried off to the front battlements of the castle with Spectrum and Streak in tow.

“Any of you who do not wish to do battle should get inside the castle,” Rake jerked his bearded face in the direction of the keep.

“Ah want to help,” Honeygold said, but her mother held onto her shoulders firmly.

“No ya don’t, dear.” Apple Bean gave her a pat on the head. “You’re comin’ with us into the castle.”

“But Ah can help.”

“When you’re properly trained, Honeygold.” Golden Nugget answered. “Even Ah’m not gonna do any good out there with my staff skills.”

“Yes, stay inside with us.” Jewel Pin gave her a pat on the back. “There’s plenty of food inside. I’m sure they have apples too, darling.”

“We can help.” Nightfall gestured to Light Speckle and herself. “We first need to replenish our magic before doing anything else. We’ll have a visit to the castle apothecary and we should be good as new. I hope.”

“It depends on what herbs and ingredients they have to spare,” Amber Fang muttered. “There are many injured people and they may need the reagents to mix cures and poultices.”

“If that’s anything, we can help to heal instead of joining in on the combat. “Light Speckle patted her empty satchel. “That’s what mages do, after all. We heal.”

“I will be at the ready behind the wall.” Rake placed a hand to his chest. “I am an explorer, after all. But rest assured, I will do what I can should the enemy breach our walls. They shall not win this day.”

Another Northerner came by and after a brief conversation with Rake, he ran off and returned with a pair of shortbows and two quivers of arrows.

“Sure you remember how to shoot, Spectrum?” Guard Streak asked as he tested the bowstring.

“I could hit the blacksmith’s at a hundred paces,” Spectrum said confidently. “Though this wind might make things a challenge.”

“Alright,” Rake’s beard fluttered as he spoke. “Go and join your archer friend on the top of the wall. Mind yourselves, though. It would sadden me greatly if either of you perished; you are barely of age.”

“We won’t die,” Spectrum promised before she and Guard Streak sprinted off to the battlements.

The others watched them go.

“They certainly are spirited,” Jewel Pin said slowly, shaking her head. “I just hope they won’t do anything reckless.”

“They’ll be fine,” Emerald assured Jewel Pin. “Their luck has held out this long, has it not?”

“We should not rely on luck…” Sombra muttered. “It has a habit of deserting people when they need it the most.”

After Rake agreed to take the other members of the party to the castle, Emerald and Sombra exchanged determined looks and moved over to the gates into the town.

“This will be a tale to tell to the scribes back home,” Sombra said as he unsheathed his scimitar with a metallic ring of steel. “Nobody in Saddle Arabia has seen this snow before.”

Emerald glanced at Sombra. “Our story is not nearly done, Sombra.”

“I know, but one must commit all the details to memory so that when we do return victorious, the young and old can marvel at the sights we have seen and the deeds we have done. Tales to tell around a nighttime fire with cups of fine wine.”

“If we survive,” Emerald quipped back.

“I have every confidence that we will survive,” Sombra said lightly. “Your quest, our quest, is one of righteousness. The gods will surely see that we emerge from this battle the victors.”

“I don’t believe in your gods,” Emerald pointed out as another flaming projectile soared overhead. “Will they still favor me?”

Sombra glanced at Emerald and grinned. “Even without the gods, I know that you would accept nothing but perfect, total victory. Your adventures so far in this world have shown me as much. You are strong willed and not easily distracted from your path. Good traits for any warrior, as my father would have said.”

Emerald said nothing, but inside she felt slightly warmer knowing that the late King Aldilu would have thought well of her. She only wished they had parted on better terms before his death at Morn’s hands.

Thinking about Morn Dread made Emerald’s face tighten up. Had she finally come to terms with the fact that the old days were gone, and that he was the enemy? Having seen the pain and violence that the former Knight of the Round Table had caused, she could delude herself no longer. Morn Dread had to be stopped, and Emerald was the world’s best hope for doing it. So much was riding on her shoulders.

Someday… I will pay back Morn for all that he has done.

And she could start here in the Frozen North by routing Morn’s army and driving them from these lands.

“Are we ready for battle?” High King Magnus joined them in the castle courtyard. He was now decked out in plate armor with a fur trim around his neck, and a blue flowing cape behind him. “It has been some time since I have tasted a fight. Besides you, King from Over the Mountain. It will be an honor to fight beside a king with such talent. Surely victory will be ours this day.”

“If you call it a day, yes.” Sombra gestured to the dark sky.

Emerald too still wasn’t used to the quick darkness of these lands. She didn’t feel tired when night came, but felt a little drowsy when the sun came up. It all didn’t make sense in her mind, but they had to work with what they had.

“As High King of the Frozen North, the other holds must respond to my call to arms. Should they not, there will be judgment when this battle is won.” Magnus put on a helmet that had antlers on it, along with a crown motif. “Let us see how your Canterlot army fares against my mighty Hel, Raven Knight.”

“She has proven strong in battle before. It would be great to fight alongside you once more.” Stronghorn said. He held a hammer and a longsword in his hands. “Your majesty, we are ready to face the enemy at our door.”

Behind him, Emerald counted at least fifty vikings. Not great numbers, but they had to make do with what they had left. All she needed to do was take out Morn’s generals, so if they could last that long, then fifty would be more than enough.

Out there in the town that was dirtied with ashes and rubble, two armored warriors on horseback could be spied. The golden glow emanating from their helmets’ eye holes was unmistakable, and Emerald herself would have recognized the design of their armor from much further away, having spent five years fighting at their sides.

“This is it,” Emerald called out to her allies. “The enemy leaders have arranged themselves so as to meet us in battle!”

And now I am to fight and kill my former friends again. Sombra was right, Morn has much to answer for. If not in this life, then the next.

115 - Clash of Shadows

“Down there!” Spectrum shouted as she ducked behind a stone crellenation. A volley of arrows flew up and broke on the squire’s piece of cover. “Streak! I’m almost out! I need more arrows!”

Guard Streak nodded and threw a quiver of arrows to his friend before popping up and shooting one of his own at the Canterlotian soldiers below. He did not see if the shaft found its mark or not, but it wasn’t as though they were counting anyway. This was war, not a game.

Posey was dashing from place to place, sliding behind stone outcrops and sprinting to various squints and murderholes to empty her quiver into the enemy. She had gone through almost three quivers by now, but in her eyes there was no waste; every single one of her shots struck home. Her bowstring sang among the other viking archers, who did their best not to look jealous at Posey’s skill.

Spectrum Song and Guard Streak followed her example as best they could, even though they were using unfamiliar viking bows. The draw was heavier, but that came at the cost of needing more muscle to pull back the string. They did not feel tired, though, for the thrill of battle invigorated them. Spectrum didn’t want to admit it, but there was a certain excitement in fighting that made her feel more alive, and not food or drink or even music could match it. She knew that this was where she was meant to be.

“You watch! I’ll make a knight yet!” Spectrum leaned out from behind her hiding place and fired a shaft down miraculously into the eye hole of an enemy knight’s helmet. She spied two knights about to fire at her with their arm crossbows and ducked back behind cover just as the bolts barely missed her head.

A viking came running up the stairs to the battlements with a large wooden crate.

“Ho there!” he greeted in a thick Northern accent, ignoring the swarms of flying arrows and the shouts of the combatants. “Them robed women wanted these delivered here.”

The two squires turned to look at the crate. The top was open, and inside were about three dozen bottles that smelled strongly of alcohol. Rags had been stuffed into the necks of the bottles, and they were filled with a liquid that was definitely not mead.

“What do we do with these?” Spectrum asked.

The viking took a bottle from the crate and touched the rag to one of the torches that kept the battlefield lit. He then hurled it down into the mass of enemy knights. The glass bottle shattered onto the Canterlotian army, spreading burning liquid everywhere and causing some of the knights to falter and try to put the flames out, distracting them long enough for Posey to expertly nail two more of them with arrows to the throat. Posey watched with satisfaction as the lights in their eyes went out.

“Liquid fire! Those mages sure know how to work their magic.” Spectrum took one excitedly and lit it on the fire.

Tossing the firebomb down, she grinned as the liquid fire exploded over another patch of knights. On top of distracting and harming the knights, the fire bottles also lit up the night, making it easier to land a head or neck shot.

“Nice throw!” Guard Streak cheered as he sent a speeding shaft into the arm of an enemy, causing him to drop his weapon.

“Yes, very good,” Posey came sprinting back to retrieve more ammunition for her bow. “I must have slain at least fifteen knights by now, and crippled many more, but I cannot tell how many of the foe lurk in the darkness. I only hope that King Sombra and Emerald manage to complete their role.”

“They’ll get it done,” Spectrum reassured the archer. “Em’s never let us down before, has she?”

Hearing this seemed to lessen Posey’s concern, and she set her face in a look of determination as she dropped her now-empty quiver and strapped on a full one, cinching the harness tightly across her body. “Then we will do our part, too.”

And with that she ran off again, stopping only to shoot an arrow at a knight who had tried to grapple up onto the top of the wall. He fell from the battlements silently, not even making a noise as he crashed into the ground with a crunch of metal and bone.

“She’s a marvel, isn’t she?” Guard Streak said as he watched Posey’s retreating form.

“Didn’t know you were into older women, Streak,” Spectrum teased, fitting another arrow to her bowstring.

Guard Streak flushed red and fumbled with his bow to hide his embarrassment. “N-No, I just w-wanted to com-compliment…”

“T’was merely a jest,” Spectrum winked at her friend and hurled another fire bottle down in an arc, her smile widening as she heard it shatter. “Now let’s give these mindless tin soldiers what for!”

Emerald did not need another reason to like the snow, not since it reminded her of Equestria, but if she had to choose an additional reason, it would be that the soft white layers masked the footfalls of her and her group as they left Nidaroats’ central castle through a side postern and went in a roundabout path to catch the enemy off guard from behind. She figured that without the usual ongoings of life, there was no one available to dust the snow from the streets and it had all been slowly building up in the days since Morn’s Unified began their siege.

“We must not let them use their swords,” Emerald had stressed before they had left the castle. “Not only are the Round Table Knights extremely competent swordsmen, but the powers their blades have been blessed with will be most deadly. Surprise must be our most powerful weapon.”

“We do not need surprise.” High King Magnus Rein raised his golden axe. “The enemy will beg for their lives for the crimes of invading the Frozen North!”

One knight ran out from around a building, trying to stab the high king, but the large man blocked it with his axe, then cleaved it right through the knight’s helmet. Magnus pulled the axe back out, ignoring the blood and gore that trailed from the blow.

“Advance!” Stronghorn raised his weapons and rallied the fifty or so vikings, leading them past Emerald and towards the main bulk of the Unified’s forces.

“That’s our cue to get the generals.” Sombra said as they watched the two knights on horseback. “I will engage the one who you call Agravain.”

“Agramane, Sombra,” Emerald corrected.

“Yes, that one. With his darkness and my shadow, I believe our battle shall be legendary.” The Saddle Arabian smiled and his eyes glowed green in the night as his entire body darkened.

The other Knight of the Round Table beside Sir Agramane wore a mixture of purple and silver armor, and his helmet had a single horn at the forehead. Emerald knew him well.

“Sir Boercival,” she breathed.

Now it made sense. The knight had always referred to his blade as the ‘Wand of the Woods’. The roots that destroyed the town gates must be his doing. But if he could control nature itself, that was going to pose a problem.

“Well, one thing is certain,” Sombra stared at the two knights. “They will have to dismount to engage us properly; in these narrow streets, being on horseback is not an advantage.”

Golden light flashed in Agramane’s visor and he turned his horse to face King Magnus and his group. The knight drew his dark sword from his side and pointed it at the high king. The message was clear.

“So, he wishes to challenge us,” High King Magnus said slowly. “Well I say we give it to ‘em! There’s two of them and more than fifty of us! Charge, men! For Foalhalla!”

High King Magnus let out an ear-splitting shout and charged towards Sir Agramane. He readied Hel to strike, but before they could reach him, Agramane thrust his sword into the air, summoning forth a cocoon of shadows to engulf himself and his horse. When the shadows cleared, he was no longer there.

“What devilry is this?” Magnus exclaimed, slowing his charge to a halt. “Where did he go?”

There was a flicker of darkness from behind, and one of the vikings shouted in surprise. Agramane had materialized behind them, shadowy fog surrounding his sword in the shape of a lance. He had impaled the rearmost viking on its length and as the others watched, he swiped the weapon to the side, throwing the body into the wall of a nearby house.

“Still think that being on horseback isn’t an advantage?” Emerald asked Sombra.

“It does not matter. I will handle this infidel. You go after the other knight,” Sombra gathered the darkness around his palm and shot it out as a whip, pulling another viking away from Agramane’s deadly lance just in the knick of time. “Go, do your duty.”

And he disappeared into a ball of darkness and shot towards Agramane. On the other side, the Canterlotian army, comprising of knights, some townsfolk from Canterlot and the Frozen North, charged into battle, and the high king’s men yelled war cries and ran towards them, all while Sir Boercival continued to sit there atop his horse, Longstride, doing nothing. Every now and then an arrow would strike him, but Boercival’s armor was thick and strong, and none of the missiles hurt him, nor did he make any attempt to move.

Without any way to see Boercival’s face, Emerald wasn’t sure what he was thinking. She gripped her weapons in her hands and waited to see what would happen.

Meanwhile, Sombra darted around Agramane, who made attempts to skewer Sombra with his lance. However, Sombra was too quick and agile to be caught by the knight, and he pelted Agramane with shadowy bolts.

Agramane swiped his sword to the side, dispelling the lance. He stabbed his weapon skyward, and a barrage of arrows fell down around himself. Sombra barely had time to conjure a protective dome around himself to defend himself from the sudden downpour of deadly shafts.

“So, that’s how the game is.” Sombra stood and glowered at Agramane. The knight’s face remained as unreadable as ever, though the golden glow behind his visor did not waver. Sombra knew that he would have to show no mercy to this foe, for he himself would receive none.

Meanwhile, Emerald and the high king charged at Boercival and the lower ranked knights who stood by him. Sir Boercival raised his sword, pointing it at his opponents. With a crack of breaking stone, twisting roots burst from the ground, lashing out at the oncoming vikings. Many of the Northerners were caught up in the thicket of thrashing roots, stopping them in place and knocking them down with their own momentum.

Emerald, for her part, vaulted over the tendrils and kept running at Boercival. When he summoned another wave of roots to ensnare her, she ran alongside the wall. She wished Posey could see her right now. Emerald clambered up onto the roof and kept running for Boercival, dodging an arrow as she went. Grateful for the way that Northern houses were built, Emerald found little trouble sprinting along the crossbeams of the buildings. The roots could not reach her up here.

Suddenly four knights sprinted out of a side street and took up position next to Boercival, raising their wrist crossbows at Emerald. However, she had been expecting something like that and simply dropped into a slide, watching as three of a buzzing quarrels flew straight over her head. The fourth one hit her shoulder armor and glanced off, leaving a smear of iron on the protective plate.

Behind and below her, High King Magnus shook himself free of the roots and brandished his axe, which began to glow brightly.

“A fancy trick, Knight of Canterlot,” Magnus shouted as he hacked down a stray root next to himself. “Let me show you one of mine!”

“Oh, no,” Emerald muttered, recognizing the stance that Magnus was taking. She cartwheeled behind a chimney for cover just in time. The high king opened his mouth and gripped his axe, bellowing out a deafening blast of sound at Boercival. The cone of noise hit the knight front on and sent him flying out of the saddle and into a nearby wall. Boercival was silent the whole time, even as he fell onto the ground after the sound wave ceased.

High King Magnus sagged, breathing heavily. He managed a grin. “And that, my friends, is how…” He stopped. “No…”

Boercival got to his feet, the golden light inside his helmet flashing brightly. He picked up his sword and pointed it at the high king. Out of a side street came about ten knights, carrying two large identical pieces of machinery that Emerald recognized from her time in Canterlot as a Knight of the Round Table.

Spear launchers. They were capable of shooting short lances like arrows at a rapid speed, and the projectiles could punch through all known armor. They were heavy and difficult to aim at moving targets, but this was a narrow street with nowhere to take cover.

At the other end of the street, Sombra wrestled with Agramane, clashing his curved scimitar against Agramane’s broadsword. Shadows swirled around them and blasted off at random directions, pitting the area around them with small, smoking craters.

Sombra was confident in his power, but he did not want to go all out, as it could hurt people nearby. Instead he stared into the golden glare of Agramane’s helmet’s eye holes, searching for anything inside that might still not be under control.

“Listen to me, Knight of Canterlot,” Sombra exclaimed, pushing harder. “You are being controlled! A dark magic grips your mind like a vise, but you can break it!”

Agramane made no move to stop, and shoved Sombra back a step.

“You must have been a good man once,” Sombra persevered, feeling his sword clashing against his foe’s. “Emerald would vouch for you. If you do not break free of this witchcraft, we will be forced to kill you.”

The glow in Agramane’s helmet seemed to flicker, then glared even brighter, forcing Sombra to squint. Agramane then headbutted Sombra with his helmeted head, knocking the Saddle Arabian king backwards. The knight dismounted his horse and thrust his blade at Sombra.

There was a brief moment of stillness as Gram stabbed into Sombra’s chest. Agramane went to pull his sword out, but Sombra’s face grew into a grin. He had transformed the area around the stab into shadow, and the sword had gone harmlessly through him. Now it was stuck as the shadows wrapped around the knight’s sword.

Sombra drew back his sword. “Got you.”

Then he stabbed it into the gap between Agramane’s breastplate and his helmet, the scimitar plowing deep into his enemy. To his astonishment, the knight simply stepped aside and the blade phased through his neck, his demon sword’s jewels gleaming with a dark purple now as shadows began to swirl around his armor.

“Fast learner you are.” Was all Sombra had time to say as a wave of purple brilliance blasted out from Agramane, hard enough to send the Saddle Arabian king flying.

On the other side of things, Emerald had been dodging tendril after tendril that Sir Boercival was sending her way, but one eventually caught her around the torso, lifting her high as thorns scraped against her armor, with some piercing through her clothes to draw blood from her skin. She hacked at the roots, eventually cutting herself free with her axe, but more came her way.

From above, vials of magic flew down from the walls and crashed against some of the roots. They began to freeze or wither immediately, giving Emerald some time to recover and plan her next attack. Boercival was human and being empowered by Morn or not, he surely could not keep using his magical powers like this. She would have to find the moment when he would tire himself out, but even then, her former brother-in-arms was still a formidable combatant with his blade.

What made things worse was that the spear launchers that Boercival had brought in were now firing down the street. The vikings ducked and covered, but there was only limited cover and none of them seemed to be able to climb up out of range. That was one advantage, Emerald thought, of having been born and trained in fighting as a pegasus. A battleground to her was a three dimensional space, not a two dimensional one like the landbound humans were used to.

Emerald leapt onto the second floor balcony of a house and pulled herself up out of reach of the vines. There were shouts and cries as the spear launchers started to drop the vikings like ninepins. Well, drop was quite the watered down version of it. As the spears hit the vikings in the chests, they were sent flying back until they could be impaled on walls, if they were lucky. Some were just torn in half on the spot.

Those weapons have to go, or they’ll cut us all down like a scythe through wheat. Emerald thought. She looked at Boercival, who seemed to sense her gaze and turned his helmeted head to meet her eyes.

“Just you and me, Sir Boercival,” Emerald muttered and broke into a sprint. The bewitched knight stood his ground and aimed his blade at Emerald. On cue, the knights manning one of the spear launchers left the weapon and aimed their wrist-mounted crossbows at her.

But Emerald had been expecting something like that. She easily avoided the volley of quarrels and cut down a root that tried to ensnare her legs. She slid down off the shingled roof of a house and rolled to dampen the impact as she landed on the street. She was now less than twenty paces away from Boercival, and closing.

At the same time, Sombra clashed with Agramane, the former having knocked the latter from his steed. The two smashed into one another like a pair of dark meteors, shaking the ground with each impact. Glints of steel could be spotted amidst the shadows as Sombra’s scimitar met Gram in a ferocious duel.

High King Magnus cut a spear out of the air with Hel, spinning around to dodge a second projectile. He bellowed a war cry and charged at Boercival, who still did not move.

The ground exploded in front of Magnus as more roots came up, wrapping around the high king’s arms and legs and immobilizing him.

Sombra watched this happen and gritted his teeth together as his blade smashed against Agramne’s. His was of no special property and the wear on it could already be seen. It was not wise to continue facing this knight so directly. He needed to find another way. With the high king now in trouble from the other Knight of the Round Table’s attack, Sombra planted a foot under Agramane and launched him off as the knight fell back in a haze of dark smoke.

Planting both hands on the ground, Sombra blasted himself towards the king and slashed at his bindings as he passed. The speed of his blade against the roots shattered his weapon, but cut deep enough to free Magnus. The high king turned back and yelled into his weapon just as Agramane approached from behind. The force of his shout sent the knight swirling back into a building, smashing through its wooden wall and disappearing into it.

Magnus yelled a roar of triumph, then fell to a knee. Being human, all his uses of his mystical weapon was taking a toll on his strength and now, he could barely stand.

“Your majesty, we must get you someplace safe.” Sombra rushed to his side and tried to help him.

“Nay, King from Over the Mountain. It is weak of me to abandon my people and flee the battlefield.” Magnus waved him away. “As High King of the Frozen North, I shall fight to my last breath.”

With Sombra’s weapon gone and the high king almost unable to stand, the knights began to close in, with the only resistance now being the archers and mages on the walls and Emerald Edge, who threw herself at Boercival, stabbing her blade deep into his side. The knight fell back a step, but then gripped her by her armor straps and threw her off him.

Emerald landed in a roll next to Sombra and Magnus, rubbing at her arm.

“Things are not looking great.” She looked around, trying to see what was left of their group.

Stronghorn still lived, fighting a trio of knights at the side with another five of his vikings, but she spotted no one else. No one living, that is.

She faced Boercival again, who was still standing at the opposite side of the street, clutching his side as blood stained his armor. He pointed at them with Laevateinn, then stalked off around the corner behind some buildings. The knights there wheeled the spear launcher nearer, then positioned themselves behind it.

“We need to take cover.” Emerald gestured to her companions. “Those things will tear us in half. Where is Sir Agramane?”

Sombra pointed to the building with its new gaping hole in it. “He is there. He must be weary by now, but no less dangerous.”

“I will finish him off. He was my brother-at-arms. I will do this.” Emerald gripped her axe tighter.

“Aye, then this siege weapon, we shall handle.” Magnus clapped the side of his axe against his breastplate. “Come, king, you and I will do battle.”

“Then go, Emerald.” Sombra gave her a pat on the back. “Make it quick.”

The spymaster nodded and ran in the opposite direction as the spear launcher fired its first volley. The three of them darted out of the way as one slammed right into the stone floor they were standing at, while another flew right past Emerald and into the house on the other end. Magnus dodged another and yelled with Hel close to his mouth, releasing a blast of air that knocked a fourth out of the air.

Emerald quickly threw herself into the building at the end before the knights began loading more spears. At once, a wave of something dark hit her and she was slammed against the side wall, knocking the breath from her lungs. Agramane rose from the shadows and stabbed Gram down towards Emerald’s face. The spymaster unsheathed one hidden blade and parried the attack as she rolled to the side and back up on her feet.

She could see Agramane was not as agile on his feet as he was before the battle began. These swords, not actual artifacts themselves, probably still took a toll on their users. But Emerald was done trying to talk to them. She knew that no matter what she tried to say, Excalibur’s enchantment on them was stronger and she could not get past that with nothing but her voice. She would have to do what she had set out to do in the first place.

The spymaster lifted her axe and waited for the knight’s next move. It soon came in the form of a beam of darkness from the tip of his sword. Emerald was already expecting something like that and hopped out of the way as she swung the Axe of Jorgjafylki up to his face. Gram was lifted to counter her attack and Emerald next swung to his right, but it was easily deflected again, but this time, Emerald removed her sword from its sheath and cut up. That caught Agramane by surprise and it clashed against his leg armor, knocking him off balance.

Golden light flashed from Agramane’s visor and he began to dissolve into shadowy vapor, the darkness taking on the appearance of a wall of swords. The dark blades shot at Emerald, who broke into a run as the ground and wall behind her exploded into shards of debris. A stray piece of flying stone nicked Emerald’s face, but she didn’t flinch, and her armor protected her from the rest of it.

Agramane reformed a short distance away and raised his blade. However, Emerald was faster and drew back her left arm, tensing it for what she would do next. As Agramane lowered his weapon to strike, Emerald whipped her hand downwards and sent the Axe of Jorgjafylki hurtling towards the Knight of the Round Table.

It was a miraculous throw. The axe head struck Agramane on his sword hand with enough force to seriously dent the metal, and the shock sent the knight’s arm reeling back, the nerves in his fingers numb. Gram dropped onto the ground, temporarily out of Argramane’s reach.

Emerald gave it about three seconds before he recovered and picked up his weapon. Another two before he could straighten back up and be ready for combat. So she rushed him, keeping her body low in case of any projectile attacks. But it seemed that Agramane’s power over shadows only worked when he was in possession of Gram, and his fingers were still reaching for the blade on the ground.

Agramane’s hand closed around the hilt of his sword, and he stood up tall just in time to see Emerald make a mighty leap and deliver a spinning slash to his exposed throat with her hidden blades. He grabbed for his throat in silence as he fell to his knees. Blood flowed from between his fingers and the light in his eyes began to fade.

Emerald dropped her weapons and held him as he fell back. She ripped his helmet from his head, once again able to see the face of her former comrade, someone whom she once considered a brother. The light in his eyes had gone, and he was now audibly choking on his blood.

In that moment, everything ceased to exist, save for Emerald and the fallen Agramane. The sounds of battle faded from Emerald’s ears and she was struck with an overwhelming sense of solemnity.

Emerald looked down at Agramane, from whose eyes the life was fading.

“I am sorry it had to come to this,” Emerald told him quietly. “But there was no other way. No other path to avert the madness that has seized the land.”

To her surprise, Agramane seemed to be attempting to nod. “Boer… cival….” he said weakly. “Must… stop him… stop Morn Dread… Only you can...”

“I will,” Emerald promised, feeling the weight of the oaths she had already made weigh down on her shoulders like a sack of grain. The knight’s face was now deathly pale, as each beat of his heart forced more blood from the wound in his neck. “Go now, Sir Agramane. Be at peace.”

Agramane slumped backward onto the cold ground, all the light now gone from his eyes. Despite the injury that had claimed his life, the knight looked calm and relaxed in death. At his side lay Gram, but the blade no longer smoked and pulsated with shadow. A good blade, but now nothing more than that.

“...erald!” A voice jolted Emerald back to reality, where she knelt on the snowy cobbles of Nidaroats with a battle still raging around her.

It was Amber Fang who had spoken, the pilgrim kneeling beside her and looking at her with concern on her face.

“Emerald! You did it?” Amber looked down at the fallen Knight of the Round Table. “You are truly stupendous. Truly a skilled fighter to go against the power Morn possesses.” She took Emerald’s shoulder and shook her gladly. “Now, let us go stop the second one, and liberate this land from my son’s madness.”

“What a pity…” Emerald muttered.

“What do you mean, Emerald?” Amber asked curiously.

“What a pity that so many should die to stop one man.” Emerald lamented.

Amber’s face grew soft and she took Emerald’s hand in hers. It was still sticky with Agramane’s blood, but Emerald welcomed the contact.

“It is up to us to return peace to the world, Emerald Edge,” Amber said earnestly. “Your steadfast resolve and unbending will have taken you through your previous trials, but fear not. We, your friends and allies, will be at your back to catch you should you stumble. It is indeed a grievous truth that we must slay so many to put an end to my son’s ambitions, but if we do not, the world will be subjected to an everlasting evil. And I know that the good person you are would rather die than allow that.”

“How do you know?” Emerald sighed almost in despair. “How many more of my former friends must I slay to accomplish my goal?”

“It is not only your goal,” Amber insisted. “It is the goal of all who stand by you today, and of those who have helped you get this far. And it is mine also, far more than anyone can imagine. So fear not, even if the world turns against you, I will still be there to do what I can. So will the rest of your friends.”

Emerald glanced at her and a smile touched her weary face. “I am grateful to have you by my side today, Amber, whether it is a guise or not.”

There was another shout outside, and the sound of something being deflected, but what came after that was even a shock to Emerald. Her insides felt like they were growing warm and she was immediately filled with dread. It could only mean one thing.

“The axe…” She pushed at Amber Fang’s shoulder as she fought to get back outside. “Tis in danger!”

116 - Hel to Pay

Emerald Edge tore herself away from Agramane’s body and ran back out onto the street. A spear shot past her and snapped against the far end of the passageway, sending splinters of metal and wood flying out into the air.

“You know, if I had known we would be facing our own weaponry, I would have had design flaws built into them,” Amber Fang complained as she followed Emerald outside. “We were too naive, too self satisfied to consider the possibility,” another spear streaked past, wobbling mid flight and embedding itself into the ground a short distance away. “A potentially fatal mistake.”

Emerald privately agreed, but wasted no breath in answering aloud.

Outside, High King Magnus Rein was down on one knee, one hand to his chest and breathing hard. Sombra stood beside him, ushering him to move. They had pressed closer to the spear launcher, but now, a second one had appeared there and they were loading the spears faster than the two kings could move.

“We must take cover,” Sombra urged him, but the king would move no more.

“I cannae, King from Over the Mountain. I am afraid I have shouted my last shout.” Magnus’ face was beaded with sweat and his gray hair seemed duller than before.

Another volley was shot towards them as Emerald and Amber made their way to the pair. Magnus pushed Sombra aside and ducked as one sailed over his head. Another one came, but the king had no more power in himself. Instead, he raised Hel and blocked the spear with the axe’s side. The spear was miraculously deflected, but then Emerald saw what danger the axe was in. The magical metal that it was forged in was beginning to crack and light began to shine from the weapon.

Weapons of Star Swirl the Bearded were strong in the hands of an Equestrian, but the high king was but a human and under his palm, the weapon was strained and it would not hold much longer. She didn’t have to guess what was going to happen to the weapon now.

“We need to get the axe away.” Emerald pointed towards the kings.

“What? Why?” Amber asked. She hadn’t yet caught on.

“I cannot really explain it… but I can feel it. It will not be long before it gives out. Magnus and Sombra are in danger.”

Amber Fang nodded. “As you say. What is our next course of action, then?”

Emerald thought back to what little she knew of magic from Equestria. “If the axe breaks, there’s a high chance of there being some kind of blast or explosion. It could be harmful. We need to get the weapon away from Sombra and Magnus before that happens.”

“Aye. But what do we do about the spear launchers? We won’t be able to get close with them firing down the street at us.”

“I refuse to believe that they have unlimited ammunition,” Emerald replied. “But at the same time, we cannot simply wait for them to run out of shot.” An idea struck her. “Amber, do you have any more of your magic?”

Amber Fang pulled two glass vials out of her satchel. One was full of white liquid and the other was filled with an orange substance.

“I have these, but it is too far to throw and I do not have my crossbow on me.”

Emerald took the two phials and smiled at Amber. “Stay here. I’ll take care of this.”

After tucking the vials into her belt, Emerald leapt up and grabbed hold of the underside of the awning of the house that she had fought Agramane in. She used her momentum to flip herself up onto the roof of the house and took off running on the slanted surface towards Sombra and Magnus. The enemy knights, so focused were they on the two kings, did not see her coming from above.

Nearing the spear throwers, Emerald’s legs bent and she jumped across the street, aiming for the rooftop of the opposite facing house. As she did so, time slowed for her and she grabbed the two vials from her belt and tossed one, then the other at the spear launchers.

The first vial shattered on one of the weapons and frost coated the device, rendering the wood brittle and inflexible. The knights attempted to fire it, but the weapon could not take the strain and shattered, pulling itself apart and throwing shards of frozen wood and metal in all directions.

The second vial landed right on the firing mechanism of the second launcher and immediately burst into flames upon breaking open. Flames roared as they exploded out and began to lick away at the spear launcher. The ropes and straps holding the weapon together could not handle the heat and snapped as the fire ate away at the fibers. In only three seconds, both war machines were rendered inoperable.

Emerald landed in a crouch on her target rooftop as the blasts went off behind her. She turned and looked down at her handiwork, giving herself a satisfied nod that the spear launchers were out of commission.

Deciding that it would take a couple of moments for the enemy knights to rally, the former pegasus turned her attention to Sombra and Magnus. Even with their victory over the siege weapons, there was still a matter of dealing with Hel before it would take the lives of those around it. She needed to get in there and get it out before it was too late. Magnus wasn’t going to like this.

“Your majesty, we need to get you out of here.” Sombra tried to pry the high king from his spot, but he would not budge.

“Aye, I do not have more strength to take even… one more step…” Magnus’ voice was hoarse and ragged. He gazed at the splintering weapon in his hand and then to Sombra. “My Hel… my precious Hel, my right to rule the Frozen North…”

“I have dealt with enough magic in my recent days to know that it looks like it is going to burst. You cannot stay here.” Sombra still tried to get him to move, but Magnus was much larger and heavier than he was, and even with his shadowy powers, he could not get him to move.

“Sombra, I’m here.” Emerald dropped down beside them. “Hel, it is going to blow. We need to go.”

“He won’t go. He cannot.” Sombra let go of Magnus. “He does not have the strength to. The axe. Emerald, you need to do something. Use your magic.”

“I don’t have magic. Not in this world.” Emerald eyed the weapon as more cracks began to form across the gold and silver axehead. But Sombra was right. The axe had to be taken away from here before it ruptured catastrophically and took them with it. “I need to take it. High King Magnus, I need to get it out of here. I need you to trust me.”

“No, Hel… it is my right…” Magnus held on to the axe firmly as Emerald tried to take it. “You cannot…”

Emerald grunted as she struggled to take it from him. Even in his weakened state, he still had quite the grip.

“Your majesty, you have to let go!” Emerald strained. “The magic in the axe is going to explode out and I have to get it away from here before it blows us all to smithereens!”

“I know not what destruction will be wrought should that happen,” Sombra added as he tried to loosen Magnus’s fingers from the haft of the axe. A crossbow bolt whizzed past; the knights who had been working the spear throwers had regrouped and were now slowly approaching with their wrist crossbows to kill Emerald and the kings.

Emerald ducked as another pair of bolts shot at her. She tugged at Hel, but she still could not acquire it. Looking closely, she saw with dismay that High King Magnus’s fingers had begun to blister and burn from the energy leaking from the axe.

Sombra shouted as a crossbow bolt nicked his upper arm. The knights of Canterlot were closing in. He readied a ball of shadows, but before he could let loose with an attack, the advancing knights suddenly burst into flame, their formation broken as they tried to put out the fire.

“We have your back, Em!” Spectrum Song shouted down at them from atop a nearby wall. Next to her, Guard Streak hurled down another firebomb onto the knights, while Posey popped up behind a pillar to shoot at the burning mass of men. They were getting really good at hurling things from the wall. That had been an incredible throw, flying all the way to the knights’ position.

But they were running out of time. If she didn’t get the axe away from Magnus, they were all going to go up in smoke. She had to act fast, or they wouldn’t see the light of day.

“High King Magnus, I apologize,” Emerald said.

Without waiting for an answer, she smacked a fist into the king’s throat. He immediately let go of his weapon to grasp for his neck as he coughed and gagged, allowing Emerald to pick up the splintering weapon just as sparks began to fly from it.

As she took the axe in hand, she felt power surge through her body. A pair of translucent golden wings unfurled from Emerald’s back, and her hair grew long with a pair of pony ears popping up atop her head.

“You… you are like the valkyries of lore…” Magnus gasped as Emerald stood up, her wings sweeping aside the snow.

It felt so good to channel Equestrian magic again, but Emerald knew it would not last. Hefting the axe in hand, she took off into the night sky like a glowing comet to the cheers of the squires who were watching from atop their wall.

“Go, Emerald!” Guard Streak shouted.

Emerald flew toward the thickest mass of the Canterlot army, who were still swarming around the collapsed main gates of Nidaroats. She felt her wings catch the air as she lifted herself higher, the queen of the skies. Vikings all over the walls paused in combat to gaze upon the golden winged figure that was now hovering above them.

The ones outside the gates pulled up more spear launchers and ballistae, but she was flying too fast and too high for them to hit her. Those that came close were instantly obliterated by the magic of Hel. Though she enjoyed feeling the power of Equestria, the weapon was going to give and she had to do something about it before it took her out with it in the air.

Remembering what the king could do with Star Swirl’s axe, Emerald placed it close to her mouth and yelled at the top of her voice. The air around her shimmered and Morn’s Unified below were smashed aside by the unseen force of her shout and their siege weapons were shattered into pieces, with some knights being crushed under the wood or catapult projectiles. Satisfied with her destruction, Emerald flew herself lower, and when she deemed she would survive the fall, she raised the axe behind her head with both hands and threw it as hard as she could.

The golden weapon spun end over end like a boomerang, streaking down towards the Canterlot army like a comet before smashing into the middle of the force. There was a sound of shattering metal amplified a hundredfold, and a massive white sphere burst out from the point of impact, expanding in an instant and lighting up the night like a miniature sun. All the knights caught in the blast were either hurled away by a concussive force or disintegrated. Many of them were skewered by their own weapons or thrown into deadly hard surfaces that their armor did not protect them from. The burst of energy lasted for several heartbeats then faded back to night.

Her ears ringing from the explosion, Emerald fell down to earth before landing in a soft pile of snow in a small puff of white flakes. Her wings, long hair, and pony ears had faded and Emerald would miss them, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Climbing out of the snowdrift, she waited for the ringing sound to subside. It did, to be replaced with cheers and shouts from the city of Nidaroats. What was left of the Unified were now leaving, disappearing away into the darkness as Emerald turned to look back towards the city’s ruined outer gates. Stronghorn was the first to her position, hauling her out of the snow and dusting her down before giving her a harsh slap on the back.

“Very well done, Emerald Edge,” he laughed. “Your Morn Dread would think twice before attempting to attack the heart of the Frozen North again.”

Emerald heard something land in the snow near her and she turned to see Posey hop out of the same snowdrift that she had used to cushion her own fall. The archer had a crooked smile on her face as Gabriel landed on her shoulder.

“Very well done, Emerald,” Posey said. “I saw your flight from atop the wall; you must have taken out three quarters of the Unified. How did you get such power?”

“Turns out the High King’s axe was an artifact of Equestria,” Emerald explained. “Unfortunately, it is no more. So we are back to square one in terms of artifacts.”

“We will just have to take it that there was no artifact here.” Posey stretched a hand out as Gabriel glided down and landed on it. “Our original plan was to prevent Morn from taking more kingdoms, after all.”

“They are not completely gone,” Emerald’s back felt oddly light without her spectral wings. She sighed, suddenly feeling quite weary. “Sir Boercival remains in these regions. Until he is dealt with, we must consider our victory today temporary.”

“Gabriel says that there is now a huge crater in front of the main gates,” Posey informed Emerald and Stronghorn. “They will not be able to get siege weapons close with that in the way.”

“Not that you left them any,” Stronghorn chortled. “You have shown everyone today that the Frozen North will not bow to invaders. Now let us go back to the palace! There will be bed and board, so that our spirits will not fail.”

“We will need to discuss further plans. The Unified still have a presence in this kingdom. We will need to determine where they are holding out and we need to purge them from the lands.”

“Aye, and in due time, Raven Knight.” Stronghorn pointed his sword back towards the castle. “High King Magnus first needs our attention. I am afraid he has used much of himself to face the enemy today. We will talk more about this inside.”

Posey nodded in agreement. “I will notify the squires that the battle is over and that we are regrouping,” the archer turned her head to the east where the earliest rays of day were peeking over the horizon, and smiled. “Look, the sun is rising at last. A good sign.”

“If only it lasted.” Emerald too was glad for dawn’s first light.

117 - Veritable Lodgings

As far as palaces went, Emerald thought that Castle Sleipnir was fairly comfortable. Compared to the temperate Canterlot Castle and the hot, dry Masyaf Castle, this wasn’t too bad of an experience. Plenty of wood fires and animal pelts to wrap up in, though Emerald tried not to think about the poor creatures who had been slaughtered to supply the furs.

Emerald had been given a suite near the top of the palace, and there was a window that looked out upon the city of Nidaroats. It had definitely seen better days, Emerald thought as she got dressed and glanced out of the thick glass. There were no more fires, but here and there plumes of smoke rose up from the buildings as a grim reminder of the events prior. Still, it could have been worse. As one of the vikings had said before, nearly all of the buildings in the city were made of stone, not wood or clay, so they wouldn’t be too badly damaged.

After putting on the last of her armor, Emerald left the room and went downstairs to the main hall. By now most of the civilians had returned to their homes or gone to an inn to rest, now that the city was no longer under attack. Emerald emerged in the hall to see several viking warriors walking about, checking on each other and talking in low voices. They saw the spymaster coming and grinned, raising their hands in welcome, a gesture that Emerald awkwardly returned.

Nightfall Gleam and Stronghorn were seated at the long table closest to Emerald, so she went over to greet them.

“Ah, Emerald Edge the Raven Knight!” Stronghorn said gleefully. “The hero of the battle. We were just talking about you.”

“Yes,” Nightfall smiled as she played with a small brown pouch. “The skalds of the city are already writing ballads and singing songs of your heroism. You’ve become quite popular overnight, Em.”

Emerald smiled at the two’s enthusiasm, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, she excused herself to go and check on the others. Jewel Pin stood by one of the banners that lined the hall, seemingly intrigued by the weaving style or something. The seamstress reached out and rubbed the fabric between her fingers and stroked her chin, thinking. Her bag that she had left behind previously was now hitched over her back. She must have retrieved it somehow.

“Good morning, Jewel Pin,” Emerald greeted, coming over to stand by the tailor. “What is on your mind?”

Jewel Pin didn’t take her eyes off the banner. “Good morning, Emerald. I was just checking the feel and weave of the cloth here compared to what I was used to in Canterlot and what we found in Saddle Arabia. It’s really quite intriguing.”

“Is that so?” Emerald said. “How’s that?”

“The banners here are woven from a thicker, coarser thread,” Jewel Pin explained. “I suppose it’s because they use animal hair instead of plant fibers to make cloth. But the weaving pattern is mesmerizing; it’s all done in swirls and vine-like patterns. I should like to learn how to make this, if we have time to spare.”

Emerald smiled. “It would make for a good way to attract customers, selling clothes woven in the Saddle Arabian and Northern styles.”

Jewel Pin turned to Emerald with wonder in her eyes. “You really think so?”

Emerald reached out and put her hand on Jewel Pin’s shoulder. “After this whole thing is over, I have every confidence that you will be the most successful seamstress in all the kingdoms. With your experience and skill, nothing will stand in your way.”

“After this is over…” Jewel Pin turned back to the banner. “I know that Morn’s deeds are those of wickedness, but I cannot deny that without his acts, I would not have the chance to grow as I have. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that we set out on this desperate quest, for if I did not, I would not know half of what I do now.”

Emerald’s eyes widened as she listened to the seamstress’s words. She was right, in a way, and Emerald had never thought of it in that light. Until now, she had considered everything that Morn had done to be acts of treason and evil, and their flight from Canterlot to driving out his armies from other kingdoms had been nothing to her but stopping the forces of evil. She had never stopped to think that something good might come out of this.

Emerald’s ruminations were interrupted by a small growling sound from Jewel Pin’s stomach.

“Ah ha ha…” the seamstress said nervously. “I believe it’s time I got some breakfast. Why don’t you come with me, Emerald?”

The two women left the banner on the wall and made their way to the end of the long table. Spectrum Song, Guard Streak, and Honeygold were seated a little distance away, excitedly chatting about the previous night’s battle. Emerald was glad that neither squire had been seriously hurt in the fighting; only Spectrum had a bandage around her wrist from where a stray crossbow bolt had glanced, and Guard Streak had accidentally scorched his fingers on the fuse of one of the mages’ firebombs, but that was barely a trifle.

Golden Nugget and Apple Bean seemed to still be sleeping, as they were nowhere to be seen in the main hall. Light Speckle was also absent, but Emerald wasn’t too worried about her. She sat down next to Jewel Pin and reached for a strange bundle of fruits that was resting in a bowl. They were bright red and smelled nice, so Emerald picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

To her delight, the berry burst between her teeth in a splash of sweet, runny juice. It almost tasted like a strawberry, but even sweeter. Excitedly, Emerald picked up a second berry and ate it. Next to her, Jewel Pin helped herself to some salted meats and a block of cheese as well as some bread.

As Emerald and Jewel Pin ate, they spotted Parisa Pie come in from through the main doors, looking cold but rather pleased with herself. She took off the furry hat that she had been wearing and shook out her hair.

“Look at this!” Parisa skipped over to Emerald with something in her hands. It appeared to be a tray of mugs with a stick poking out of each. Parisa then proceeded to pull one of the sticks in the mugs, the whole thing coming out with a pop. What emerged was a pink cylinder of ice on a stick. “Turns out drinks turn all crunchy in this weather, so I took some fruity drinks and put sticks in them. The cold made them all crystally and hard, and now I can hold and lick the cold fruity drink like candy! Neat, huh?”

“That is clever,” Light Speckle emerged from the doorway that led to the sleeping quarters of the castle. She looked well rested, though her hair was a touch messy. “I never thought to use the cold like that. I imagine that such a discovery would be impossible to make back in Saddle Arabia.”

Parisa nodded and licked her frozen drink. Her tongue stuck to the chilled surface and she pulled her head back to unstick it. “Anyway, I want to try this with some other liquids! I know! I’ll get some more from the kitchen!”

Emerald watched Parisa skip off to the cooking area of the castle and smiled to herself. “Nothing ever dampens that girl’s spirits, does it?” she commented.

“I do not think I have ever seen her frown,” Light Speckle said as she sat down across from Emerald and Jewel Pin before picking up a piece of seared fish. This she broke into pieces in her hand to eat slowly. “Hats off to you for your performance in the battle yesterday, Emerald. We might not have won completely, but we have at least bought the capital city a few days’ respite.”

“I wish I could have held onto the artifact,” Emerald sighed. “It would have sped up our progress considerably.”

Jewel Pin said nothing, her mouth too full of bread and cheese to make any sounds other than that of chewing. She swallowed with gargantuan effort and reached out for a circular hollow kind of cake that was decorated with a ring of white frosting.

“Nothing can be done about it now…” Light Speckle shrugged. “We should use this time of stillness to plot our next move, because the enemy certainly will.”

“Agreed,” Emerald sighed. “What a campaign this is turning out to be.”

Both of them sat there, unsure of what to say next while they listened to Jewel Pin eat. Emerald could not deny that this whole war was beginning to wear on her. She had done her share of fighting while she was a Knight of the Round Table, and before that in Equestria, but even then, none of those battles had been as long and drawn out as this. As spymaster, her goal was usually to sneak in, take out what needed to be take out, and leave the rest to the Empire’s army. This was all so very different.

“By the way,” Emerald said, picking another berry from the bowl and examining it in front of her face. “Has anyone seen Sombra or High King Magnus?”

“No one has seen the high king leave his quarters since the battle.” Amber Fang was suddenly beside them, eating the hoof of a pig. Emerald was grossed out, but she tried not to show it externally. “I am afraid he is still severely weakened from his intense use of his artifact. King Sombra is with him and his court. I believe they are delving into strategies.”

“I should be there.” Emerald stood and grabbed another berry for the walk. “I will see you two later.”

The high king’s quarters were above the throne room, accessed by a door on either the left or right side of the large hall. A spiral stairway led up to another door at the end, which Emerald pushed open to reveal a hall that led in three other directions. Fortunately, she could hear a commotion from the path straight ahead and she headed down that path.

Two guards stood by two large double doors, but when they saw her coming, they immediately parted and opened the doors for her. Emerald spied Sombra, Stronghorn, Rake and a bunch of other northmen standing around the high king’s bed, where Magnus lay. They saw her coming and some began muttering to each other.

“Ah, Emerald, good. You are here.” Sombra walked over to steer her in. “There is some news you should hear. The high king had scouts sent out in the night to find the enemy. Like with Alamule, they have secured themselves a fort.”

“Aye. Fort Moongard.” Rake welcomed her over with a wave. “Close to the border of Blackwalk. You’d think Jarl Aktaumr the Little would see this as a threat. We’ve had no word from the other Jarls but Jarl Goat Gruff, as you have already known.”

“Fort Moongard is heavily fortified,” Stronghorn continued. “It is atop a hill and its high walls are now guarded by the Unified’s ballistae. Only one scout made it back. Now more than ever, with Hel and most of Nidaroats’ forces gone, we need the aid of the other Holds. The Frozen North will not survive if we do this separately. We must unite as one kingdom to face the enemy at our door.”

“Aye,” Rake nodded, holding his horned helm under his arm. “That will be a task in and of itself. All the jarls answer to the high king, of course, but his majesty is in no shape to travel such long distances anytime soon.”

“I could do it,” Stronghorn volunteered. “I am the High King Magnus Rein’s thane. They would have to listen to me.”

“Stronghorn,” High King Magnus said from his bed. His voice was raspy, but there was strength in his face. “You may be right, but I do not command the jarls by force alone. We must appeal to their duty to protect the Frozen North. And to do that…” Magnus paused to catch his breath. “We need people with experience in dealing with these invaders.”

“Not to mention the High King’s symbol of authority has been destroyed,” Rake pointed out. “I don’t know about your kingdoms, King Sombra and Emerald Edge, but here in the Frozen North, symbols carry a lot of weight.”

“Oh, I understand completely,” Emerald said with a small huff. “Just like back at Canterlot…”

“Do not be too displeased, Emerald,” Sombra patted her on the shoulder. “We as people need symbols to rally around. It is in our nature.”

“Tell that to Jarl Stern Counsel of Otterslo.” Stronghorn huffed. “It would take the world to convince him to come to our aid. If you recall, he refused to come to the aid of Flankfold when the Canterlotian army first arrived.”

“Maybe it’s best we leave him for last, then,” Rake thought aloud. “Surely if all of the other jarls agree to come, Stern Counsel would look bad if he didn’t join in.”

“That is an option,” Sombra agreed with a nod.

“Whatever we decide to do, we have a couple of days to decide on it,” Stronghorn said. “The explosion that destroyed the majority of the Unified army also did a job on the gates. Combined with the enemy assault on them, we can’t get anyone or anything in or out of the city until that rubble is cleared. We have men on it right now, but shifting that much stone will still take time.”

“Right…” Emerald rubbed the bridge of her nose, a gesture that she had learned meant that she was frustrated. “That gives me time to learn the intricacies of Northern politics. Wonderful.”

With nothing more else to say, the group called the meeting there, all of the members leaving Magnus Rein’s bedroom one by one until only the high king’s physician remained.

Emerging back into the main hall, Emerald was surprised to see Posey come in the front doors, shaking snow out of her long pink hair. Gabriel was seated on her shoulder, also dusting snow off his body. The archer had her right arm held out, and perched on it was a large white owl with yellow eyes.

“Hello, Emerald,” Posey said, coming up to her friend. “Look who I found while I was doing my morning exercises?”

“Is this the one always laughing at us?” Emerald asked jokingly.

“Funny thing,” Posey said as she looked at the owl. “I haven’t heard her make a peep. I’m going to call her Owlice.”

She stopped at the end of the table and allowed Gabriel and Owlice to hop onto the wooden surface. There they tore into a roast pheasant that someone had left unattended.

Leaving the two birds to their meal, Posey and Emerald sat down a short distance away so that Posey could have some breakfast. The archer chose a slice of bread and buttered it from a nearby pat.

“You know, it’s not too bad, this Northern food,” Posey commented after swallowing her mouthful of bread. “Very filling.” She then picked up a slice of roast pork and bit off a piece. “I cannot say I like the cold, though.”

“No, I agree with you. It’s all been either too hot or too cold recently,” Emerald picked up another red berry and examined it. “It’s certainly an eye opener, if nothing else.” She popped the berry into her mouth and crushed it with her teeth, releasing the sweet juice inside.

Posey took another bite of her bread. “I don’t mean to sound like a spoilsport, but we really need to deal with Sir Boercival, not to mention the other Knights of the Round Table. There is no question that with every day, Morn’s remaining forces are laying waste to the other kingdoms of the land.”

“You’re right, Posey,” Emerald said. “But for the next couple of days, we’ll be stuck in Nidaroats, until the high king’s men manage to shift all the rubble at the main gates.”

“We could just use a ladder or dive off the walls,” Posey chuckled. “We are not limited to doors and gates.”

“I know, but we should at least formulate a plan before we go dashing off anywhere.”

Posey dipped her head in agreement. “We have taken down one of Morn’s generals. That will make him wary of us. There are only so many Knights of the Round Table, and unless he is recruiting more to replace the ones he has already lost, we can be fairly certain that he will not send reinforcements here.”

“He did not send any help to Saddle Arabia,” Emerald said.

“Exactly. We slew Agramane, and in doing so, we have forced Boercival onto the defensive. Indeed, if we were to slay him also, I think it would be safe to say that the Frozen North would be safe from Morn’s tyranny.” Posey finished this with a sip of breakfast ale.

Emerald sat there and considered what she knew about Morn’s campaign, as well as their own. Having trained as a knight for five years alongside Morn, she was relatively certain that she had some inkling of how he thought and how he would go about strategy. One adage that she had learned was not to overextend one’s forces, and that lined up with Morn’s actions thus far. It would be a poor idea to spread his forces out too thin.

“Posey,” Emerald began, a thought forming in her head from what Moon Tide had told her before. “Do you think you could have Gabriel have a look at the Kingdom of Prance? I have a gut feeling that Morn might be pushing hard there.”

Posey nodded seriously. “I see. I’ll send Gabriel out later. He will be glad to see my mother again, I’m sure. Prance is closer to us than it was in Saddle Arabia, so he should be able to make the journey in a day or two, assuming he isn’t hampered by the snow too much.”

“Thank you, Posey,” Emerald breathed a sigh of relief. “I’d like to see how Canterlot is doing too, but it would be selfish of me to risk sending Gabriel deep into enemy territory just to satisfy my own self interests.”

“It’s not selfish to worry about your home, Emerald,” Posey patted her friend on the arm. “I too am worried about Canterlot. It was the first place I could call home besides the Everfree Forest,” the archer finished her bread and went for a piece of dried fish. “I thought I was used to being on the run, but never has it been as dangerous as it is now. I look forward to ending this conflict and the land returning to peace.”

“Me too, Posey,” Emerald said, her heart seeming a little lighter than it had before. “Me too. But first, we have work to do.”

118 - The Northmen's Dilemma

Emerald watched as Posey whispered instructions to Gabriel in the bird-tongue of hers. The eagle seemed to understand and jerked his head in a series of nods. The three of them were standing on the rooftop of Castle Sleipnir, giving them a good view of the city. It was evening and lights were coming on in many buildings and on the streets, marching around like ants as the guards who bore them did their rounds.

“Do you remember the way to Prance, dear Gabriel?” Posey asked one more time. Gabriel screeched and took off into the sky, quickly becoming hidden in the lightly falling snow.

Posey and Emerald watched for a few moments more, then went back inside the palace via a ladder. Owlice sat on Posey’s shoulder, bobbing up and down with her walking motion.

“With luck, he’ll be back in about two or three days,” Posey told Emerald. The warmth inside the castle was a welcome feeling after standing on the cold roof. “And then we will have a better handle on what is going on outside the Frozen North.”

“That too,” Emerald agreed. “What shall we do now?”

“I’m sure Sombra has something in mind,” Posey shrugged. “He and King Magnus have been talking about what to do with the other holds. I’m sure with your reputation, Emerald, you would have a key part in their plan.”

“Alright,” Emerald nodded. “I’ll go see what they’ve got.”

She bade Posey farewell and walked towards the main hall, snagging a handful of those red berries on the way. Jewel Pin was seated there, having gone out and retrieved her pack with the gold and treasure in it. The seamstress was chatting amiably with one of the castle’s serving staff, eagerly swapping stories about cloth and fabrics as she patched up a hole in one of the group’s cloaks.

Emerald smiled at the sight before making a turn for the war room that was off to the left of the main hall.

Here there was a spacious area that was mostly taken up with a table with maps on it. Adorning the walls were banners of the various holds, and there were torches and rushlights keeping the space well lit, as well as several thick glass windows.

High King Magnus and King Sombra were gathered around the map table with a handful of other Northmen, who at the moment seemed to be talking in low voices and gesturing at the banners and the table. There was a strong smell of wax and honey in the room.

“Ah, Emerald,” Sombra said, looking up with a smile to greet the former pegasus as she walked in. “It is good to see you; High King Magnus and I were just discussing what should be done about the remaining amount of Unified soldiers who might be creeping around the kingdom.”

“The hero of the Battle for Nidaroats!” Stronghorn cheered, as did the other vikings. “Welcome to the planning session, Raven Knight. Your deeds during the fight are now being recorded in history by our finest bards and skalds.”

“Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior’s heart!” One of Stronghorn’s friends sang enthusiastically. “I tell you, I tell you the Raven Knight comes!”

“Yes, yes. Very well done, Emerald Edge,” High King Magnus Rein said, holding up his hand for quiet. “You have proven yourself a friend of the Frozen North and a true ally. Let nobody question that.”

“Thank you, High King,” Emerald said graciously. “I only wanted to leave an impression of what Canterlotians are truly like, not that mockery of honor that Morn Dread has set himself up as.”

“Well spoken,” Sombra grinned. “You left an excellent impression on me, to say the least. Now, what were we getting at, High King Magnus?”

Magnus returned his attention to the table, where there were small wooden carved figures. Emerald noticed with faint amusement that this setup was the same as she had seen in other places. It seemed that tabletop strategists were quite similar no matter where she went. Magnus pointed to each of the holds in turn, then at a spot with a little red flag on it.

“Your friend, the knight, has gathered his Unified at this place, Fort Moongard,” King Magnus began, placing his hands on the table to steady himself. Emerald guessed he still wasn’t at his best. “The enemy knows well, the ways of war. Fort Moongard is at the end of Jarl Aktaumr the Little’s hold of Blackwalk, and its defensive position is roughly impenetrable.”

“Aye,” Stronghorn added. “T’would be madness to try and rush it. Sneaking is just as difficult, given the fort’s elevated position.”

“They would see us coming from miles away,” Rake continued and stroked his beard. “Mountainous regions don’t provide much cover.”

“And after our last battle with the enemy…” Magnus waved a hand around at most of the vikings in the room. “There aren’t many of us left in this hold. Without the unity of the other holds and without my beloved Hel, that which proves my rule over the Frozen North, they will not come.”

Emerald planted a fist on the table. “We have to try. Morn cannot have the Frozen North. Do you not want to do everything in your power to save your home?”

“Aye, our messengers have yet to return from their expedition to the other holds.” Rake drew his finger across the map from Nidaroats to the various holds. “We hope for good news, but as High King Magnus has said, without Hel, I would not be surprised should they refuse the call of their king.”

“It is indeed a thorny problem,” Sombra agreed. “But do not lament the loss of Hel overmuch. Without its destruction, we may not even have been able to win the previous battle.”

Magnus shook his head. He was clearly in grief with the destruction of his famed weapon and Emerald too was disappointed in the weapon’s destruction. It had been a surprise to discover the existed of yet another of Star Swirl’s artifacts, and she has thought she would be able to cut their journey short, but alas, it was not to be.

“There is nothing more we can do now, while we wait for word on the holds and on Gabriel, Posey’s bird,” Emerald said. “But I am certain the enemy shall not return, at least not now, after their devastating loss.”

“And now, with one of the two weapons you have promised us…” Magnus ran a hand along the blade of Gram, Sir Agramane’s sword. “I shall use its power to fight off the enemy once I am fully recovered. Nidaroats shall not fall.”

“The sword has no power in it anymore,” Sombra pointed out. “Tis merely a good piece of sharp steel now. But you say we need to unite the holds. I know a thing or two about diplomacy, but admittedly I know little of the diplomatic customs of the Frozen North. Hence, I do not know how much help I will be.”

“Not to mention you are also a king,” Rake said. “Having two kings in the land might make some see High King Magnus as weak, if he is allowing another ruler to bandy about his lands.”

“I assure you, I am only here to help,” Sombra said, a little taken aback.

“Aye, and we all know it,” Stronghorn said. “But not all the jarls and Northmen are as clear headed as we are.”

“Aye, especially Jarl Stern Counsel.” Rake shook his head and spat out a wad of saliva on the floor. “He was not even willing to go to aid of Jarl Windslope when Flankfold fell, his neighboring hold. Of all of them, I believe he shall not accept the call. He would rather sit in his comfortable castle and eat the famed Otterslo tomatoes.”

“There has to be a way to make him see reason,” Emerald muttered. She had dealt with barons and minor lords back when she had been a Knight of the Round Table, and not all of them had been completely cooperative, her most prominent lord still being Lord Fiasco, that small man who felt as though he was much more and should be given a new plot of land beside Trottingham. She had to go teach him a few things about being a lord, which was ironic, seeing as she wasn’t a lord herself.

“Be assured that Jarl Goat Gruff and all of Jorgjafylki stands with you, Emerald,” Rake said and planted a hand on her shoulder. “With the defeat of the valravn, you have proven your worth to us already, as seen in the axe you hold.”

“And with the fall of Flankfold, that leaves us six holds.” Stronghorn mused.

“We will need to remind the other jarls of their oath,” Magnus declared. “Each jarl has vowed to come to the aid of the High King in times of need. Only, without Hel, they may refute my claim on the grounds of me not holding my right to rule.”

“Could not one of your smiths craft you a facsimile?”

Magnus shook his head. “Hel was made of metal and skill not of this world. Not even our finest metalworkers could come close.”

“But try we must.” Emerald pointed to all the flags on the map before them. “These holds need to see that Morn won’t just stop at Nidaroats. Should he conquer this capital, they will all be lost and be taken into Morn’s Unified.”

“And I agree.” Magnus nodded. “But for now, all we can do is await the return of our messengers and hope at least one jarl will have some semblance of duty to their kingdom.”

“I suppose you are right.” Sombra walked away from the table and looked up at the banners around them. “Such disregard for their king. In Saddle Arabia, every soul would come to the aid of their king should it be asked of them.”

Emerald spent a half hour more in the war room, but it soon became clear that until the messengers and Gabriel returned from their respective journeys, there was nothing much left to do but wait.

“Then now the two of you, heroes of Nidaroats, get some rest.” Rake gestured to Emerald and Sombra. “There is nothing more to be done, so you may as well take some time off and prepare. For the coming journey.”

“Aye, you still have yet to soothe your wounds.” Stronghorn flexed his muscles. “A few mugs of mead in and you will be feeling good as new.”

The viking ushered Emerald and Sombra back to the main hall and soon called over three flagons of honey-colored brew. They sat down to enjoy the warmth of the hearth and to listen to the soft buzz of conversation.

“Turn of events, isn’t it, Emerald?” Sombra tapped a finger against his flagon and then took a sip from it. “An artifact of your world, just like the grail, ah, I mean the Apple. And instead, it is no more. With it, I am sure you would’ve ended that dog of a king’s conquest.”

“Tis a powerful shame it was destroyed,” Emerald sighed, drinking down a mouthful of mead. It warmed her up inside and she stared at one of the banners on the wall. “I should very much like to learn how Star Swirl’s artifacts ended up in the places that they are in now, but I suppose I’ll never know.”

“I wonder myself why he would throw weapons of such power into another world instead of storing them in a chest, or a vault, or somewhere no one can use them.”

To this, Emerald had no answer. So she simply shrugged and took another draught of her mead. “It does make me wonder how they got into human hands. As you have seen, they are not meant for them. We have no idea if there are any more out there or if the five we know of are it.”

“Ah, but you don’t have time to look for another one, do you?” Stronghorn said with a belch. His flagon was empty. “To quote an old viking saying, ‘we got what we got’.”

“We got what we got,” Emerald repeated as Stronghorn went off to get more mead. “Terrible grammar.”

“What’s a grammar?” Stronghorn placed his flagon down and grabbed another.

“Nevermind,” Sombra said with a wink. “I am a long way from home, but seeing this city made safe does make me feel better. The fire helps too.”

“Aye, that it does. I cannot imagine how you live in valleys of sand.” Stronghorn wiped droplets from his beard. “So, do you have plans, being in our city while we wait for word?”

Emerald took her eyes off the banner and looked at the rest of the group scattered around the hall. “Just rest and recuperation. We will need to replenish our supplies of food and weapons, as well as repair our attire from any damage it took during the battle.”

“You are free to have some of our coats.” Stronghorn patted the boar pelt over his back. “Staves off the cold and made of animal skin and fur. The best form of wear.”

“I will also need to have my weapon serviced,” Sombra added. His royal scimitar had taken some serious notches during the battle before. “As well as see to my steed. Saddle Arabian horses are not bred for this cold, and my horse is one of my closest friends.”

“Aye,” Stronghorn said. “But first, let’s finish our drinks. Here’s to us!”

120 - Interception

The snow pelted Emerald’s exposed skin, each flake feeling like a pebble shot from a sling on her face. She wore a scarf over her mouth and nose, but the area around her eyes were still open to the elements. They had been riding for a few hours now and there was still no end to the snowy fields before them.

Beside her, Sombra rode his steed just as fast, his dark hair blowing loose in the wind. Emerald glanced behind and was satisfied to see Parisa and Posey galloping along a few meters behind. Parisa looked as though she was having the time of her life, her eyes shining brightly behind the many layers of clothing that she was wearing. She was also waving, as if to get Emerald’s attention.

“In…ming!” She shouted against the wind. “Someone… this way…quick!”

“What?” Emerald slowed her horse down so that it fell in stride with Parisa’s own horse. “What are you saying?”

Parisa pulled down the scarf that had been covering her mouth. “There’s another rider incoming! On the right, hidden behind those trees!”

Emerald focused her vision and everything turned dark, with the outlines of her friends and herself in blue. There was also a flicker of red behind the trees that Parisa had pointed out.

Emerald nodded at Parisa and signalled to Sombra. He looked confused at why they were slowing down, but Emerald seemed to be agitated about something so he lessened his steed’s pace accordingly.

“What is it, Emerald?” Sombra asked.

“Someone is in pursuit of us.” Emerald directed his attention through the trees. “Whoever they are, they mean us harm.”

“It is but one person?” Sombra stopped Stormchaser in his tracks. “Then we shall face them. Perhaps it is but a bandit.”

“Tis no bandit.” Posey removed her bow from around her back. Gabriel squawked something under her arm. “Gabriel apologizes for not being able to fly in this weather. Perhaps we might’ve seen them coming if he were in the air.”

“Whoever it is, they’re about to realize how big of a mistake it is to attack us…” Sombra growled.

There was no more time to speak, for just after Sombra close his mouth, a mighty horse burst through into sight, and on its back was someone who made Emerald’s heart race.

“Sir Boercival…” Emerald breathed.

The Knight of the Round Table bore down on them, his legendary blade unsheathed and shimmering with golden light. The same radiance shone from the visor of his helmet and Emerald knew that this was it. They had to defeat him now, or Prance would fall to Morn’s Unified army.

Posey loosed a shaft at Boercival, the arrow glancing off his breastplate and spinning off into the snow.

“Scatter!” Sombra shouted, the sound of his voice galvanizing the group into action. The four of them split up and Boercival’s charge missed, but the knight turned his steed around swiftly and resumed his assault. He raised his blade to the sky and twisting tree roots thrashed around Emerald’s horse’s legs, but the animal leapt over the tendrils at the last moment.

Sombra launched shadowy bolts at Boercival, who held up his shield to block them. The shield was seriously dented, but the knight remained safe.

Boercival charged at Posey, holding his blade out to spear her with its tip. Posey leapt out of the saddle and loosed an arrow at Boercival mid-jump. This time the shaft flew true and nailed Boercival in the shoulder, right between the breastplate and the pauldron. This made Boercival flinch, the knight tipping to the side in the saddle for a moment before reaching up and snapping the arrow off with his shield arm.

Boercival is indeed mighty. Emerald thought. Or at least the enchantments placed on him are. A shot like that would have felled any lesser rider.

Still, the arrowhead would cause Boercival some amount of pain. Whether he would feel it was a mystery, as Emerald had no knowledge of how deep Morn’s enchantments ran.

Sombra spurred his horse up behind Boercival and delivered an upwards slash with his sword. The blade raked against Boercival’s armor, causing the knight to pitch forward and bang his head on the front of his saddle, his helmet protecting him from the impact.

Boercival’s stance tightened and summoned more roots to ensnare Sombra. The roots whipped at Sombra’s horse, but suddenly a handful of packed snow flew into Boercival’s face, blocking up his visor.

“Take that!” Parisa screeched, scooping up another snowball to throw.

Boercival’s shield hand scrabbled at his obscured visor as he tried to clear his line of sight. As soon as he did, another snowball smacked into his face, this one larger than the last. Parisa’s onslaught of snowballs continued, unbalancing the knight long enough for Posey to shoot him in the space between his helmet and his collar. The arrow grazed Boercival’s neck and opened up a line of blood, then Emerald leapt off her own horse with a shout and tackled him into the snow.

For a moment, both Emerald and Boercival struggled on the ground, kicking up plumes of white powder as they fought.

Boercival was no pushover, even without his horse. He thrust his sword Laevateinn at Emerald, but she grabbed the blade and pushed it aside, her hand protected by the layer of mail that covered her palm and fingers.

Emerald unfurled her hidden blade, but then something slammed into her from behind and knocked her off Boercival. She spat out snow and turned to see Boercival’s horse, rearing up over her, its eyes shining gold as well.

Morn controls the animals too?

Before she had a chance to react, Boercival smashed a foot into her chest and she fell back as he rose, snow falling off his purplish armor as he pointed his blade tip at her. With a roar, Sombra swung his scimitar at him from behind, but Boercival bent slightly and moved his sword around his back, swinging it up to block the attack before bringing it back up over his head. Sombra dodged back, but the blade still managed to nick him across the right brow and the temporary pain distracted him from Boercival’s next attack, which was to drive his sword through the king’s cloak, narrowly missing his chest.

“Hey! You cut that out!” Parisa hurled another snowball, this one impacting the back of Boercival’s head with a loud clunk.

Posey stayed out of melee range, an arrow nocked to the string, but she dared not fire it while Sombra and Boercival were so close together. With the treacherous wind, she couldn’t be completely sure of her aim.

Finally Sombra let loose with a blast of dark magic in a circle around himself. Boercival staggered back and raised his sword, but Posey took her shot and the arrow struck Boercival’s hand, and the thrust that was meant for Sombra was pushed off-course. Posey drew another arrow from her quiver and fired again, but this time Boercival brought up his damaged shield and blocked her shot. The knight turned and began to run towards Posey, intent on cutting her down.

Emerald Edge jumped up behind Boercival, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him still, while Sombra conjured ribbons of shadow that curled around Boercival’s arms and legs, pinning him in place. The former pegasus deployed her hidden blades, but her arms were at the wrong angle to stab with. The blades scraped across Boercival’s helmet but did not penetrate the toughened steel.

But Boercival was not to be denied. His sword glowed gold and roots burst through the ground around him, thrashing about and trying to dislodge his bonds.

Emerald held on with all her might, even though the strain threatened to tear her arms loose. Sombra was knocked prone by a wayward root and sprawled into the snow, leaving only Emerald to restrain the knight.

Boercival jerked his head back and his helmet banged into Emerald’s nose, and the former pegasus saw stars. Boercival did it again, and Emerald’s arms began to come loose. Boercival hit her with his helmet once more, and finally Emerald could not hold on any longer. Her fingers dragged across the knight’s helmet as she fell back, and she fell into the snow just as there was a muffled twang.

The spymaster lay there, too stunned to do anything other than wait for her vision to clear. But oddly, Boercival did not press the attack. Emerald blinked the lights out of her eyes and looked up. Boercival was standing there, his back to her and reaching up to his neck with his shield arm. The knight swayed gently, then collapsed onto his side in the snow. Laevateinn dropped from his fingers and its glow began to dim.

Emerald got to her feet, and ignoring her bleeding nose, slowly approached Boercival to see what had happened to him.

In the space between his gorget and his helmet, Boercival’s neck had been pierced by one of Posey’s arrows. His headbutting her on his back must have exposed his throat to a shot from the archer, and her aim had been deadly true. A steady stream of scarlet ran from the wound, staining the snow beneath him a deep crimson.

“Good shooting, Posey,” Sombra said, coming over to the rest of them now that the roots were no longer holding him back. Parisa also joined them, still gripping a snowball and eyeing Boercival suspiciously.

“I wouldn’t have been able to make it if not for Emerald’s distraction,” Posey slung her bow back over her shoulder. “One more Knight of the Round Table down, I suppose.”

Emerald did not respond. She knelt down next to Boercival and slowly took his helmet off, revealing his face, a face that Emerald had shared adventures and quests with, a face that she had seen for five years every day at the round table back in Canterlot. While Boercival had been taciturn, she still felt a deep sadness inside herself at the loss of a former brother in arms and comrade. The fact that he had been forced to become her enemy by another fellow knight only drove the hurt in deeper.

By the looks of things, Boercival had died almost instantly when Posey had shot him. His face now was pale and still, with glazed eyes and a slack expression.

“Goodbye, Sir Boercival,” Emerald whispered. “I am glad to have known you.”

The other three gave Emerald a good long while to mourn. Then Sombra gently put his hand on her shoulder.

“I am sorry for your loss,” Sombra said softly. “But we must hasten to Prance, or risk losing everything we have fought for already. Let us bury the knight, then be on our way. It’s… it’s what he would have wanted us to do.”

The group took a little time to dig a grave for Boercival. The knight’s horse was nowhere to be found, so Emerald hoped that it had perhaps shaken off Morn’s control and found somewhere safe to stay. With the snowy winds howling all around, the four questors buried Boercival in his armor, using his now powerless blade as a grave marker. Even now the piling snow gathered around the makeshift tombstone, covering it in white flakes.

“Nobody will know what happened here…” Emerald murmured. “No one will remember this battle and what it meant.”

“We’ll remember,” Parisa said. “And we’ll tell anyone who’ll listen about it.”

“We will.” Emerald looked around their landscape.

She unsheathed her blade and grabbed one of the many roots Boercival had conjured. She scratched into it and planted beside Laevateinn before composing herself and continuing the journey with the rest of her friends.

On it, as the snow fell softly around Boercival’s grave, it read, “Sir Boercival, Wielder of the Laevateinn, a true hero to his people. May he soar ever on at the top of his roots, free forever.”

121 - Splitting the Party

Spectrum Song, Honeygold, and Guard Streak sat atop their steeds as they followed Rake and Stronghorn’s horses on their way to see the first jarl. They were still getting used to the freezing biome, but there wasn’t as much snow here, more of what Rake called ‘tundra’. They rode past a bubbling creek of crystal clear water, and spent some time letting the horses snack on some leafy ferns they were growing near the path.

“Ah, smell that breeze,” Golden Nugget sighed. “Nothin’ like the great outdoors to invigorate ya. That there’s some of the freshest air Ah’ve ever smelled, for sure.”

“Ah’d just like to get out of this weather.” His wife shivered and pulled at her furry hood atop her head. “We apple farmers ain’t bred for this sort’a ice. Honeygold, your vampire friend is cold enough as it is.”

“I wonder what this hold’s jarl is like,” Guard Streak said to Honeygold and Spectrum Song. “All these politics seem like a lot of stuff to remember.”

“It’s going to be fine,” Spectrum reassured him. “Talking to a bunch of jarls can’t be harder than what we’ve already done, right?”

“Ah don’t know ‘bout that…” Golden Nugget rubbed his chin. He had used a Northman’s razor to shave that morning and he felt he had missed a few spots. “Never been much one for all these pol-uh-ticks.”

“Is that what this is?” Honeygold asked, playing with a handful of snow. “Ya did tell us not to get so involved with those, right, Pa?”

“Ain’t like we got a choice now,” Apple Bean sighed and pulled her cloak around herself closer. “Em’s out there fighting the good fight, so we gotta do our part too.”

“I’ve never seen a fighter like your Emerald Edge,” Rake called back. He had sharp ears. “For a woman to single handedly destroy an army is something that not even the skalds have heard of before. I pity any foe that dares to stand between her and her goal.”

“Emerald Edge fights for peace,” Nightfall reminded him. “Tis Morn Dread who started this war, and now we have to finish it. And we will do it here with diplomacy.”

“Aye, so you say.”

They rode on in relative silence for an hour or so, making decent progress, if Rake’s words were to be trusted. The snow around them seemed to be not as deep, and here and there grew some shrubs and bushes that bore ripe, red and orange berries.

“Did you know that there are some fruits that actually grow better in colder weather?” Stronghorn said as he leaned out of his saddle to pick a berry off a bush he was riding past. “Just lucky for us, it’s the right season for these snowberries. The hold here makes mead with the berry juice mixed in. It’s a wee bit more tart than normal mead, but a mug of it gives a man strength and warmth to last for hours in the chill.”

“Fruits that grow well in the cold,” Apple Bean looked impressed. “Ah guess you learn somethin’ new everyday.”

As the day gave way to evening, small shapes on the horizon came into view. Shapes that looked like buildings and watchtowers. The questors felt themselves rejuvenated by the sight of the settlement, and sat up a little straighter in the saddle.

“Ah, we’re almost there,” Stronghorn laughed. “I’d forgotten what this place looked like. With Nidaroats being under siege, traveling has gotten harder. But we’re almost there. We’ll have some warm mead and hot meat tonight!”

From here, the city of Stockhorse was a slight bit uglier than the capital of Nidaroats. The city walls were low, almost low enough for someone to climb over if they tried, and the archway above the entrance was made of wood, where two archers were positioned.

The guards saw Stronghorn coming and they took one step to the side and raised their weapons slightly higher.

“Ho, Thane of Nidaroats!” one of them greeted. “How fares the high king?”

“I bring news from Nidaroats from the high king, as well as a proposition for the jarl!” Stronghorn shouted back up. “All shall hear my tale tonight, but first, my companions and I will be needing bed and board. It has been a long journey.”

“Yes, of course!” One of the archers shouted over to someone on the other side of the wall, barking quick orders. There was the sound of footfalls and the archer nodded in satisfaction. “Come, Thane of Nidaroats, we will take care of your steeds and get you comfortable. Then you can tell us about what has happened.”

“News doesn’t exactly travel quickly in this land, does it?” Jewel Pin asked nobody as they rode their horses under the archway. There was a portcullis suspended above, but it was frozen over and didn’t look like it was functional at the moment.

“Nay, lassie. News does not travel fast here,” said Rake. “Lone traveling messengers don’t survive very long in the wildlands between holds.”

“Ah’m not surprised,” Honeygold said to Spectrum Song and Guard Streak. “There’s a lot more space between them holds for hungry animals to lurk in.”

Spectrum nodded in agreement. “But we should be safe now inside the walls. I wonder if I can get me some ice-resistant lute strings. My normal ones’ve frozen and are starting to split.” She plucked at her frost-covered lute and was rewarded with an off-key note from the instrument. “I’ll need to re-tune it as well, dash it all.”

“Dash?” Honeygold asked, knocking some snow out of her ear. “Why’s that?”

“I said… never you mind,” Spectrum huffed. “Let us just get out of this cold. I would like to have the warmth of a fire on my back.”

Following Stronghorn, they left their steeds in the stables and went inside with the assurances of the stablehands that their horses would be well cared for.

“Whee-eeo!” Honeygold exclaimed as she entered the jarl’s longhouse. “Finally, somewhere warm and toasty!” She rubbed her hands together, happy to see the roaring fire in the center of the interior. “Aw yesssssssss…”

Spectrum Song and Guard Streak soon joined her by the fireside, sighing in relief as the heat of the flames thawed their frozen limbs. The adults followed, though in a more controlled manner. Stronghorn chuckled at the sight and went off to speak with another northman as the mages began discussing diplomacy tactics with one another.

There were a number of burly, warrior-looking types scattered around the edge of the longhouse, some of them holding tankards and horns from which they would occasionally drink. They watched the newcomers from the shadows, but otherwise made no move to interact with them.

Ahead, all the way to the end of the long hearth was a man with golden straight hair and a long braided beard. He watched them through red eyes and leaned on one hand as he took them in with intrigue. He waved at a steward and he ran off into the shadows of the building.

“Stronghorn, Thane of Nidaroats. It is an honor to welcome the High King’s own.” He bent his head and tapped a silvery ring on his left index finger. “I, Jarl Valor Flag, welcome you to Stockhorse, home to the fabled Mayon Ace of high standing.”

“Mayon what?” Spectrum asked blankly. She looked at Honeygold and Guard Streak, who both shrugged.

“Maybe it’s an important landmark?” Guard Streak guessed.

“Nay, the Mayon Ace is more than just a landmark.” Rake beat a hand to his chest. “It is a pride of the Frozen North.”

“But ya said it was fabled,” Honeygold said. “That means it ain’t real.”

Jarl Valor Flag chuckled. “You remind me of myself when I was a whelp,” He said to Honeygold. “Always questioning how the world works. Tis a good trait to have, young one. It means you are on the road to wisdom.”

Honeygold beamed at this praise, while the other vikings around them looked at her with newfound approval.

“Now where are my manners?” Valor Flag asked, clapping his hands. A steward hurried forward, and the jarl spoke a few sentences to him in the Northern tongue. “There will be mead and meat for all. Something to warm the bones after a long journey, and I often find that tales are best told with a full belly and warm feet.”

Valor Flag was as good as his word. In no time at all, all of the party was seated before the fire and dining on roasted mutton and pork, while the mead and ale flowed freely. The hall was filled with the sound of chatter as the vikings recited ballads and engaged in bouts of flyting with one another.

“Not a bad welcome, as far as things go,” Jewel Pin said as she gnawed on a leg of goat, the juices running down her chin and dripping onto the table beneath her. “This is why I’m glad I’m not a vegetarian. These northmen certainly know how to welcome guests.”

“Wouldn’t mind me a few veggies myself, though,” Golden Nugget said as he sipped at his mug of mead. “But Ah ‘spect they don’t grow too well in this cold.”

Meanwhile, the three young ones were being entertained by a group of four viking children, two of which looked older than Spectrum Song and Guard Streak, while the remaining two were even younger than Honeygold. They were all sitting around a smaller fire, listening in rapt attention.

“An’ then, Emerald Edge drew her sword and joined the battle with the chort,” Honeygold said excitedly, reciting the story of the battle with the black beast under the mountain. “The chort tried to smash her beneath its feet, but Em was way too quick for ‘em. She was like lightning, jumping all around and dodgin’ everything the chort could throw at her. Whoosh, snick, roar!”

“What happened next?” The youngest viking child asked eagerly.

Light Speckle and Nightall Gleam sat close by, talking with Rake the Red over some mugs of ale, all of them seeming to be in high spirits.

“So, what do you think about our chances with Jarl Valor Flag?” Light Speckle asked Rake. “Do you think he will heed High King Magnus Rein’s call?”

“Valor Flag is a stout northman, but an upright fellow,” Rake said, taking a bite of meat and washing it down with a gulp of ale. “I think if we are polite about it, he will join the alliance.”

“Emerald Edge and the others are counting on us to gather the holds,” Nightfall said, clenching her fist around the handle of her mug. “She’s in Prance fighting for everyone; we have to do our part as well.”

“And we will, don’t you worry, lass,” Rake assured her. “The High King owes Emerald Edge a great deal, his life and his city even. An honorable northman would sooner fall on his own sword than dishonor such a debt.”

“Are all northmen as honorable as you and the High King?” Nightfall asked.

“Ha! Of course… not!” Rake laughed darkly. “There are good men and bad men no matter where you go. Not every man in these lands cares for honor and bravery. Some are craven cowards who would rather thieve and backstab than do a day of honest work. Nay, spellcaster. Not all northmen are honorable.”

“Aye…” Light Speckle agreed. “It shouldn’t be that surprising anyway. We thought that Dawn Saber’s knights were honorable men as well. Now they are our mortal enemies, fighting on the side of evil. Tis a terrible truth, but a truth that we must face and accept nonetheless.”

The mages seemed to settle into a brood, both of them thinking about everything that had happened to them so far, both the good and the bad, but mostly the bad.

Rake seemed to sense something was wrong and coughed to get the mages’ attention. When that didn’t work, he slammed his fist on the table, making the food and drinks jump slightly.

“How about a story?” He suggested. “I would like to know more about the Raven Knight herself, Emerald Edge. She fights like no warrior I have ever seen or heard of, and she battles the invader king, Morn Dread, with such vigor.” Rake leaned forward onto the table, eagerness shining in his eyes. “What is her history with Canterlot and Morn Dread? Did he do something to Emerald personally for her to oppose him so strongly? I would wager a purse full of bits that it is a rare and thrilling tale.”

Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam exchanged looks.

“Well, Emerald was once a knight serving under the previous king of Canterlot,” Light Speckle said slowly. “She used to know Morn Dread and all the other Knights of the Round Table very well.”

“Round Table?” Rake echoed.

“It’s what the highest ranking knights called their order,” Nightfall supplied speedily. “They call it that because they all sat around, well, a round table.”

“I see,” Rake said, slowly taking a sip of his ale. “But why was the roundness of the table so important that they named their warband after it?”

“I think the idea was that the table was round so that nobody could be in a position of favoritism,” said Light Speckle. “Everyone is on even ground.”

“But then how do they know who is the best warrior?” Rake asked, scratching his scarlet beard. “If there is no position of honor, then what do they do about that?”

“I am not so sure of the details,” Nightfall said peevishly. “But it seemed to have worked until Morn Dread went mad.”

“He went mad?” Rake repeated. He looked between the two mages.

“Aye,” Nightfall confirmed. “It was because he found out that he was the king’s illegitimate son and wanted to take the throne. When King Dawn Saber refused to acknowledge Morn’s claim, he lost it and killed the king, then took control of the kingdom. Emerald Edge has never forgiven him for it.”

“And now he has taken to conquering the world,” Light Speckle said. “I know not what twisted reasoning he applies to his campaign, but we have to stop Morn Dread or he will plunge the lands into disorder and despair, like he has done to Canterlot. Even now, countless people suffer under Morn Dread’s iron rule, and those who do not comply are indoctrinated by the magic of his sword.”

“Yes, his sword is like Magnus Rein’s axe and possesses great powers,” Rake said, thinking back to the battle of Nidaroats. “Such instruments should only be wielded by those who have the self restraint to not use them for evil.”

“Mmhmm…” mumbled Light Speckle, taking a gulp of her ale. The taste of berries and honey washed over her tongue, almost too sweet for her liking. “Everything happened so quickly that by the time we gained our bearings, Morn was already king and had mind controlled everyone to accept his claim. Anyone who stands in his way is either killed or indoctrinated into his army.”

“And now he plans to take his conquest all over the world,” Rake finished. “This is not a cheerful tale, but I do not yet think it has reached its conclusion. There is time yet to compose a happy ending, I think.”

Nightfall and Speckle smiled at Rake, who grinned back.

“I hope you’re right,” Nightfall said at last. “It is only through friendship and cooperation that we’ve even managed to be this successful against Morn. We cannot fight him alone.”

“And you will not be alone,” Rake said earnestly. “That is why we are going from hold to hold, to gather the strength of the jarls and their people. No matter how hard things get, know that High King Magnus Rein and his people are behind you. We are united now, against a common foe.”

“Thank you, Rake,” Nightfall said gratefully. She took out her snuffbox and tipped out a little of its contents into her palm, then sniffed it. “I just hope Emerald and the others have reached Prance safely. If previous experience is anything to go by, ousting Morn from Prance will be no small task.”

Emerald Edge smelled the scent of smoke and soot long before she saw its source. Several dark columns of choking smog could be seen from miles away, rising into the overcast Prench skies.

Sombra rode his trusted steed beside Emerald’s horse looking grimly ahead as they crested over a hill, with the other two not far behind.

In the distance was a sprawling city that rivaled Canterlot in size. A river ran alongside the walls, and there were fields and farmland surrounding it. The effect was slightly spoiled by the dark masses of Unified soldiers crowding around the city with siege engines as well as the numerous fires that burned throughout the city’s streets.

“Prance needs our help,” Emerald murmured. She clenched a fist around the reins in her hands, feeling the anger building. Morn’s madness had claimed so many lives, and she had never felt so furious, unless she counted when she had first left Equestria to embark on this desperate quest.

Sombra reached over and touched Emerald’s forearm. “Do not worry. We will succeed here, and return peace to the people of Prance.”

Sombra’s words were like a quenching blanket over a fire, and Emerald slowly unclenched her hand, reaching up to brush a lock of her sparkling hair from her eyes.

“You’re right, Sombra.” She cast her eyes on the horizon, then back at her companions. “Together, we can accomplish anything.”

“Yep, you betcha!” Parisa’s shrill voice chirped. “Watch out, Unified! Here we come!”

122 - Pearis Under Siege

“There’s no way we’re getting in there unnoticed, is there?” Parisa asked as the group huddled around a small fire in a secluded copse of trees, hidden from view from anyone who might be looking for them.

They had spent the day riding around the main city that Morn was besieging, trying to find a way in without having to go through any Unified troops, but they had the city completely surrounded in every direction. From here, they could see three siege engines, sitting there in the dark as the Unified remained motionless beside them. Not even one of them moved an arm to scratch their heads or shift a foot for better balance. There were more than just Canterlot knights in the Unified ranks, they had seen. There were some northmen and even soldiers from Saddle Arabia in there. Morn was truly unifying the world.

“It might be admirable, were he not uniting the world by knocking out everyone’s brains,” Sombra commented as he stirred at the pot of stew that hung over the fire. Posey had found numerous root vegetables and herbs to make a tasty stew, which was helped by the generous rations of meat and other food from the Frozen North. The stench of cooked meat still disgusted Emerald, but seeing her friends relish in it made her forget about it.

“What if we snuck in?” Posey suggested as she toyed with her bandana. “King Sombra, you have the ability to move in darkness. Emerald and I have some expertise in getting by undetected. And Parisa…”

“I’m Parisa!” The young dancer clapped. “I can do it!”

Posey paused, then nodded. “Um… if we were to move now, while the sun remains hidden, perhaps we could enter the city before they realize we’re here.”

“What about our horses?” Sombra asked. “I can’t leave Stormchaser out here unattended. Someone might steal him.”

In the distance, there was a small explosion as one of the Unified’s siege engines launched a flaming sphere into the city, kicking up a plume of oily flame. It seems something had stirred them from their nightly ‘rest’, if one could call it that.

“Morn seems bent on taking this city, even more than before” Sombra said as he peered out at the ongoing siege. “I have not seen this many Unified soldiers since Nidaroats. Not even back home at Masyaf were there this many.”

“We have stopped him at every turn,” Posey said as she checked on the vegetable stew. “He must be getting frustrated that he has not been able to hold neither Nidaroats nor Masyaf.”

“Thankfully this Prench city seems well defended. At least for now.” Sombra sighed. “This is no way to change the world. Parisa, stay here with the horses. It would be better if you come in once we’ve assessed the situation within. That way, our steeds and supplies can wait here.”

“Yessir, your majesty sir!” Parisa stood at attention and gave Sombra a snappy soldier’s salute. “You can count on me!”

It was still dark out by the time the group got everything settled for Parisa, then Posey, Emerald, and Sombra crept out of the grove and towards the city, staying low and slow to not attract any unwanted attention.

They did well to avoid the part of the wall that had awoken, keeping to the shadows as they slinked to the opposite end of the city, looking for sections that had some damage and less Unified.

“This one.” Posey stopped and crouched low, pointing to a part of the wall that had some cracks and arrows from the Unified attacks. “We can make our way up here.”

“Then I will see you on the side.” Sombra nodded to the two ladies. “Be safe. Take it slowly. We don’t want to wake the Unified before you reach the top.”

Having said that, Sombra dissolved his body into a dark mist that flew up and over the wall, sticking so close to the shadows that he almost disappeared from sight the instant he moved.

Emerald and Posey continued to the wall, sticking to burnt grass to hide themselves. The odor of scorched greenery and the acrid stench of burning oil filled Emerald’s nostrils as they pressed themselves against the outer wall. The Unified army was standing not too far away, about thirty paces distant from the wall. They remained truly motionless, not even blinking their golden eyes, save for breathing.

“I’ll never get over how creepy the Unified are,” Posey whispered. “Morn has truly done something unnatural and against nature.”

“He has to be stopped. These poor people have been taken away from their homes, their lives…” Emerald shook her head as she pulled her hood up to conceal her glimmering hair.. “Morn, oh, Morn. This is not how unification is meant to be.”

Posey nodded in agreement and launched herself at the wall, grabbing hold of the nearest fissure and hauling herself upwards. Emerald soon followed, using cracks and embedded arrows as handholds and footholds to climb up the otherwise sheer wall. There was no way that any of the Unified would have been able to do this, not with their dulled reflexes and armor that they were wearing.

It was slower going, climbing in the near total darkness, but eventually Posey and Emerald made it to the top of the wall. As they pulled themselves up and over, they were greeted by the sight of Sombra crouched behind a small partition.

He looked over and beckoned them to join him. “All quiet so far. No sign of the Prench on this side. The patrol must have yet to return.”

“Now we need to find them and convince them we’re not part of Morn’s army,” Emerald said. As spymaster, she had once decided to pick up Prench to blend in, seeing as Prance and Canterlot didn’t have the best of relationships, even before Morn took over. Alas, there hadn’t been any time for her to do so since setting off on this adventure to save the world from her former lover. “If they hear our voices, they might just shoot us on sight. We will have to find our spies, if they are indeed still here.”

“Your voices, my lady.” Sombra cracked a smile. “I sound not like you Canterlotians. Perhaps I should do the talking. After all, I have studied.”

“We should first get down from this wall,” Posey decided. “Find somewhere to lay low until I can get Gabriel to send Parisa a message that we managed to get inside.”

“Agreed.” Emerald looked over the wall on the other side. Below it was a quiet street lined with small buildings, one of which still had a light burning from within. “We can start looking for our spies after.”

The trio descended from the wall via a nearby staircase. The steps were finely chiseled and sturdy, which reminded Emerald of Canterlot’s walls and how they had been damaged by the Plunderseed plants. She felt thankful for the druids’ machinations now, for if they had not been used, there would have been no way out of prison and the world would have been doomed.

The city streets were narrower than the ones in Canterlot, but were well paved and maintained, with cobbles on the floor instead of dirt, different from the small villages they had come across on their way towards Saddle Arabia.

They found a stable around the corner, its insides shrouded in darkness, though they could hear the whinnies of horses within.

“This will do for now.” Emerald inched inside, keeping one arm in front of herself warily. Though there was safety from the Unified behind the walls, she wasn’t sure how a Prench person would take their presence. To her relief, the stable only had animals present and she signaled her friends with a whistle before finding a few stacks of hay to retire for the night.

An explosion and shuddering ground woke Emerald a while later. The sun was now up in the sky, albeit shrouded in a thick grey layer of cloud like the day before.

Emerald shook Sombra and Posey awake and they emerged from the stable quietly. There were shouts from somewhere along the wall and orders were being barked in Prench.

“Come on,” Sombra beckoned. “Let’s go further into the city; these soldiers have enough on their plates without having to deal with us. Now where do we start looking for your Canterlot spies?”

“Arret!” Before they could fully leave the stables, a trio of guards stood before them, spears pointed forward as a man in rags and a straw hat pointed at them furiously.

The farmer-looking man began speaking in a slew of Prench, but judging from his look and his body language, Emerald figured he must’ve been the stable owner.

Sombra held up both his hands to show that he meant no harm before speaking to the guards and the farmer in Prench himself. While the guards’ face remained suspicious, they did lower their spears a few inches while Sombra explained himself to the Prenchmen.

“Anglais? You are with the enemy outside our walls!” he gasped after switching to their native tongue.

“No, no!” Emerald waved her hands, then pulled her hood down, revealing her face to the guards. “We are not with them. The usurper king is no king of mine. We have come to stop him!”

“You Canterlotian pigs, always doing what you want. How can we believe a word out of your mouth? We should throw them in the dungeons!” The guard on the right waved his speartip at the group.

“I can vouch for them,” Sombra said, stepping forward. “On my honor as the rightful king of Saddle Arabia, I give you my word that these two are not with the enemy. You can obviously tell that I am neither Prench nor English, certainly.”

“A king, he says?” The guards shared looks. “How can we know for sure this isn’t a trick of Canterlot? What proof have you?”

“If we were with Canterlot, our eyes would be shining like torches,” Sombra pointed out. “You have been fighting the Unified for weeks, now, surely you have seen their eyes. As for my claim as king…” Sombra held up his hand palm facing up and a black flame made of shadow appeared, dancing just above his hand. “Only Saddle Arabian royalty has the power of the djinn. This is my proof that I am the king of Saddle Arabia.”

“Black magic!” The stableman recoiled.

“What should we do?” The guards began whispering amongst themselves. “They might not be with Canterlot.”

“But what if we let them go and they open the gates and kill our king?”

“What if they have come to help us against the enemy?”

The three switched to Prench and began firing off questions at one another, too fast for Emerald or her friends to follow.

A new voice barked something from behind them and the guards turned around as a man in plated armor walked down the cobbled path, holding a palm up; his other hand rested on the pommel of a blade sheathed by his side. He had on a helmet that had wings coming out the sides, folding back around his head before rising high. Through the horizontal slit in it, Emerald saw vibrant pink eyes looking back at her, one with knowing and recognition.

He began speaking with the guards and stableman. The three guards had suddenly stood to attention before giving him a nod. Eventually, they waved the stableman off and gave Emerald one more looking before marching off down the street.

“I’m glad that’s cleared up.” Sombra brushed a hand through his jet black hair. “Thank you, sir knight. Who do we have to thank for this?”

The knight lifted his helmet, letting locks of brown hair drape down his ears and face as he gave them a firm smile. “I would not be a good knight if I let you get kicked out, would I? Welcome to the city of Pearis.”

Emerald’s eyes widened. She knew this face well. After all, she was Canterlot’s spymaster. She was meant to know faces and recognize them. This particular knight had given her plenty of intelligence on Trottingham when they were working to bolster its defenses.

“Sir Stirruth!” she exclaimed. “Tis good to see a friendly face in these lands!”

She walked forward and grabbed his hand, letting out a metallic slap from his armor.

“I am guessing this is one of your spies?” Sombra said as he removed a piece of hay from his pants.

“Oh, yes! Sir Stirruth is a knight I had picked out when I first became spymaster, along with his brother, Sir Stirrupis.” Emerald said happily. “Sir Stirruth, this is King Sombra of Saddle Arabia and Posey the Hood. We have come to aid Prance.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Sir Stirruth said cordially. “I’d heard stories about the infamous bandit Posey the Hood, and of Saddle Arabia as well. I hope we will get along.”

“What do you know about the siege beyond the walls?” Sombra asked, wasting no time in getting to the bottom of this. “How fares the city?”

Stirruth waved for them to follow. “I cannot hide the fact that Pearis is on the brink of disaster. The city is slowly running low on supplies; the knights here have yet to gain any ground against the forces outside. But Lady Emerald, you must tell me, how did this happen? Canterlot was once our proud kingdom. Never in my life would I have expected it to attempt conquest like that.”

Emerald shook her head sadly. “Tis Morn Dread. He had turned against the king and usurped the throne. With Excalibur, he can bend anyone to his will. We call them the Unified, soldiers taken from various lands to spread Morn’s United Kingdom.”

“The Unified,” Stirruth repeated. He led them down a street which was littered with debris. “That sounds rather serious. We of course noticed that something was amiss with the enemy soldiers when we saw all their eyes lit up like candles in the night, but to think it would come to this…”

“At least the city still has some semblance of order,” Posey said as they passed by a few shops. They were still open, even with the siege going on and there was a steady stream of customers going around with shopping baskets. “Pearis’s spirit has not yet broken.”

“Well, it would hardly be an appropriate reaction to the siege if people started robbing and looting everything, would it?” Stirruth said. “We’re civilized folk here in Prance, not ignorant savages who discard all decency at the first possible excuse.”

“What kind of a country would fold that easily?” Sombra snorted. “If someone tried looting in my kingdom, we would have them whipped and strung up.”

“Tis nice to see people banding together in times of need.” Posey nodded approvingly at a bread shop as a young child ran off with a huge loaf in his hands.

“But, alas, this will not last forever.” Stirruth shook his head and sighed. “I don’t keep count of the kingdom resources, but Pearis is about five days away from running out of food.”

“So we have five days to break this siege or the city begins to starve,” Posey concluded grimly. “Do you know who is leading the enemy army?”

Stirruth shook his head. “There has been no captain in sight around Pearis. The commander must be at another outpost close by, somewhere they could still issue orders from without having to travel far.”

“I wonder which Knight of the Round Table is behind this host of invaders,” Sombra remarked. “Did you not say that someone here had one of the artifacts you seek?” He said to Emerald.

Emerald remembered Moon Tide’s words. Indeed, a Knight here wielded one of Star Swirl’s weapons. If she could get her hands on that, she could help turn their fortunes.

“We need to locate the leader of this army,” Emerald decided. “If we take them down, the Unified will be less organized and easier to defeat.”

They kept walking as Stirruth led them further into Pearis. The buildings here were larger and the streets more spacious, but there was still the selfsame debris and broken craters that bespoke the war between the Prench and the Unified. Morn’s army had tried to take the city, but Prance had proven resilient and formidable enough to hold their ground. Unfortunately, there seemed to be nothing they could do to get through the siege around Pearis. At least, not on their own. While she and her friends were here, perhaps they could lend a helping hand to turn the tide.

Emerald smiled to herself as they walked. Before this, she would’ve never imagined herself ever working with Prance to take down Canterlot. Prance had been on thin ice with Canterlot all these years and it was through careful planning and relations that they had not broken out into war earlier.

“Anyway, here is my base of operations,” Stirruth stopped outside a large but nondescript building that had a tiled roof. It was located on a street corner with a textile shop across it. “Is it just the three of you?”

“Well, no,” Sombra said. “We have one more person waiting outside of the city. We thought that it was better not to put all our figs in one cake, if you know what I mean.”

Stirruth blinked. “I do not.” He knocked three times on the door, once slowly. The door opened slowly, revealing another man, shorter in height, but he too was strapped in plate armor with a sword by his side. “Stirrupis, look who decided to wander into Pearis?”

The man turned his pink eyes to Emerald, then widened them. “Lady Emerald! This is a surprise.”

“I wish the reason for our visit was a more cheerful one,” Emerald said after greeting him. “No doubt you know about the army massing outside of Pearis.”

“It would be hard not to,” Stirrupis said, closing the door behind the group. “They’ve been trying to take Pearis for weeks now. It has the people of the city in a panic, and the king is at his wits’ end about what to do to save Pearis from the enemy.”

Emerald looked around the inside of the building. It was rather opulent, like the inside of a Canterlotian noble’s house. Tapestries hung from the walls and there were other paintings mounted at regular intervals. The floor was lined with a dull red and gold carpet and the candle holders were made of a shiny silvery metal that looked valuable.

“As you can see, the king of Prance trusts us to be in his inner circle of knights,” Stirrupis said proudly. “He has never suspected that we are actually spying for Canterlot. Though I suppose that now we may be without a job.”

“With Canterlot’s leadership the way it is now, you may well be,” Sombra agreed. “Still, hopefully once Morn has been stopped, everything can go back to the way it was.”

Emerald gave Sombra a searching look. “Do you really believe that, Sombra?” She asked quietly.

Sombra turned to Emerald, placing his hand on her shoulder hesitantly, but Emerald did not push him away.

“I have to believe it, Emerald. That no matter how bad or hopeless things get in this war, that everything can go back to normal. Maybe not back to the way that it was in the past, but it is up to us to pick up the pieces and make a better world than what we have now.”

“Wow,” a familiar voice said. “That sounded really kingly of you, your majesty! I’m inspired!”

Everyone turned to look at who had spoken. Sitting in the corner of the room in an armchair was Parisa Pie, looking back at the rest of the group cheerfully.

“Wha- how?” Stirrupis and Stirruth looked astonished. “How did you get in here?” Their hands jumped to their weapons, but all Emerald, Posey, and Sombra did was look mildly surprised.

“I walked in, silly!” Parisa said blithely. “I also left the horses and our supplies in the stable outside. Figured I should get into the city before the Unified started attacking again, right?”

“How did she get in?” Posey whispered to Emerald, sounding thoroughly puzzled. Emerald just shrugged in return.

“It is alright, she is with us,” Sombra told Stirruth and Stirrupis. “Parisa Pie, these are our allies in the city of Pearis. They are going to help us drive away Morn and his army. Stirruth, Stirrupis, this is my court dancer and traveling companion, Parisa Pie. She is the fourth member of our band that I was telling you about.”

“I see…” Stirruth put his weapon away, but still regarded Parisa with some degree of suspicion. “How did you get past the Unified, much less into Pearis?”

“If someone like you could get in, that means Morn’s army could too!” Stirrupis said, slamming his armored fist in his palm.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s the case…” Sombra muttered.

“What was that?” Stirrupis barked.

Sombra stepped forward. “I’m saying that Parisa would never compromise the city, nor would she allow any of the Unified to follow her in. I would trust her with my life. If any of the Unified make it into Pearis because of her, let the blame lie on me.”

“Your majesty, you don’t have to-” Parisa began, but Sombra shushed her with a wave of his hand.

The two Canterlotian spies still looked unhappy about this, but Sombra’s expression was fierce enough to quell any objections they might have had.

“...Fine.” Stirruth said at last, almost spitting the word. “We’ll do it your way for now, king. But don’t think you can just walk in here and give us orders. We answer to Canterlot, not Saddle Arabia.”

“Canterlot has betrayed you,” Sombra shot back sternly. “Unless you wish to join up with the Unified, we will have to work together to drive off the armies of the enemy.”

“We should take them to the king,” Stirruth said to his brother. “He’ll want to know Lady Emerald is here.”

Stiruppis nodded. “But it will take some convincing to get him to trust her. He doesn’t like Canterlotians.”

“Emerald Edge is your best hope for fending off the Unified,” Sombra said, pushing a stray lock of hair from his face. “I trust that the Prench king will be wise enough to see that, like the other kings that Emerald has already met.”

Stirruth mumbled something inaudible, but offered no other protest.

“Come on, then. We have five days to break this siege. Let’s hope Lady Emerald is as good as you say.”

As they left the safehouse led by Stirruth, Emerald turned to look back at Stirrupis. For a brief moment, the whole world turned dark in her vision and the figure of Stirrupis flickered a bright crimson color. Emerald rubbed her eyes to clear them and the darkness went away, as did any other strange colors that had shown up.

Strange… I didn’t use it.

“Come on, Em,” Parisa tugged at Emerald’s sleeve. “No time to dilly dally, we’ve got a king to meet!”

“Yes…” Emerald collected herself and shoved the incident aside. “Of course, you’re right, Parisa. Let’s go see the king.”

Prologue

It was a dark time for the Crystal Empire. After stealing the Crystal Heart, Sombra, now going by the title of King, had turned Princess Amore into crystal and shattered her. No sooner had the crown touched his head had the once timid unicorn asserted his iron hoof over the entire empire, declaring the entire province his own.

The once brilliant and rainbow hued Crystal Empire succumbed to Sombra’s dark magic; without the Crystal Heart, it was only a matter of time before the empire collapsed, or worse, became a bastion of darkness to rival Tartarus.

Emerald Edge watched from an alcove as two crystal constructs escorted a crystal pony down towards the mines where Sombra was holding most of the others, careful not to let even a single one of her pale green hooves be seen. Sharp faceted hulking monsters called out from Celestia only knew where, Sombra made use of them to corral any dissenters into the caverns beneath the castle where they were set to work in the mines. Mining for what, nopony quite knew, but Emerald Edge didn’t care. One thing she did care for at the moment were her friends. They were still somewhere in the castle, and before she did anything drastic, Emerald Edge planned to find them. Hopefully they had evaded capture; if not, she did not relish the idea of going down into the mines to look for them. Nopony ever came out of there alive, not since Sombra had taken over.

One thing at a time. Double checking for any dark sentries that might be lurking nearby, Emerald Edge unfurled her wings and took the sky. It was dim and cloudy without a single hint of the beautiful auroras that the empire was known for, as though the very heavens mourned the loss of Princess Amore. The wind lifted the hood off the pony’s head, freeing her turquoise mane, tied up into a ponytail near the top as she flew, making sure to stay in the lowest level of cloud cover. The golems couldn’t fly, at least not to her knowledge but there was no need to take unnecessary risks. It was one of the first things she had learned from the previous royal spymaster, and it had saved her life on more occasions than she cared to count. The rest of her body was wrapped in a dark cloak, another lesson she had taken to heart. Crystal ponies, by default were rather easy to spot due to their sparkling coats and manes. For a pony who specialized in subterfuge and spying like Emerald Edge, concealing oneself was paramount to staying hidden. At least there were plenty of clouds to hide in tonight.

How could they have been so blind? The signs had all been there. The sickness during the Crystal Faire, the odd reaction to the prophetic Crystal Heart, the sudden change of attitude after coming back from the frozen wastes. Sombra had fooled them all, simply by befriending one of their own.

Radiant Hope. Emerald Edge prayed that she had made it out all right. That mare’s kind heart may have been their downfall, but the pegasus could not find it in her own heart to blame her. She had done what any citizen of the Crystal Empire would have done. No, the one at fault was Sombra, who had taken advantage of their kindness and stabbed them all in the back with it.

Nearing the once glorious palace of Princess Amore, now crystallized in black from Sombra, Emerald Edge tucked her wings in for a neat four point landing on a deserted balcony. Replacing her hood, the pegasus hurried inside. She kept to the shadows, making sure to check every corner before proceeding. It wouldn’t do to get so far and get caught because she was in a hurry. She soon found herself in the throne room, hiding behind a pillar as more crystal constructs stamped into the space. Each one was the rough shape of a stallion, made of black crystal and covered from head to hoof with glassy edges that could cut through armor like paper. She’d seen it happen to some ponies that had openly opposed Sombra moments after he had shattered the statue of the princess. Emerald Edge suppressed an involuntary shudder. The poor souls had never stood a chance.

She silently and skillfully made her way to the next pillar, constantly keeping her eyes on the sentries, just in case they were to look her way. Fighting her way past was out of the question. Nimble as she was, there was no way she’d be able to destroy them all before one of them turned her into a shishkebab. One of the constructs turned towards her, forcing Emerald to get behind a nearby curtain. It stared in her direction for five heartbeats, then stomped away with the rest.

That was way too close…

Only when the sound of crystal on crystal was far away did the pegasus risk a peek out from behind her hiding place. She headed towards the throne after making sure the last of the constructs left the room. Behind the late princess’s seat, there was a secret room that only a few knew about. The Princess had made it for her closest allies, just in case something were to happen to her. Emerald Edge hoped that her friends had made it to the room and not the mines.

Etched into the floor were a cluster of eight runes, each one carved there by Princess Amore herself. Emerald Edge’s hoof touched them in a pattern that had been drummed into her memory by her predecessor, smiling as they lit up to confirm her success. A heartbeat later, a segment of the polished floor shimmered and slid aside to reveal a narrow spiral staircase, leading down into the depths of the castle. She skipped down the stairs, willing herself to move faster. She was just about to find out if any of her friends had made it. Whether good or bad, she just had to know.

Emerald Edge arrived at the bottom of the stairs, finding her way through the darkness towards the only door at the end. She found the secret panel in the wall on the left and pressed it in, unlocking the door in front of her.

Please be here, please be here, please be here-

As the door swung open, a pair of hooves shot out of the shadowed doorway and grabbed hold of Emerald Edge, pulling her inside while another pair slammed the door shut.

Disoriented, the pegasus stayed limp as the mystery pony set her down in the dark. A tiny flicker of light flared into existence, illuminating the tired but relieved faces of her friends.

“You made it!” Light Speckle exclaimed in hushed tones. She held an oil lamp with her magic, setting it down on the dusty stone table that dominated the small space. Light Speckle had been Princess Amore’s court mage and Emerald Edge’s best friend, still clothed in the flowing silken robes that she had worn under the princess’s service. “We were starting to get worried.”

Emerald Edge couldn’t help it, she laughed. “You were worried? I was worried I wouldn’t find any of you here!” She threw back her cloak, revealing a tight fitting set of flexible armor, befitting a spy of her rank. A blade was mounted on the side of each of her forelegs, to be used as a last resort if caught spying.

Gathered around the room were five more of her friends, including the captain of the guard, the esteemed Jade Crystal. Like her, their coats and manes had dulled to a nearly opaque shade, reflecting the grief in their hearts.

“Good to see you safe and sound, Emerald,” Jade Crystal said, giving her a small smile.

“Yeah!” Crystal Flare, another of the royal guards, added in. “Although, I knew you of all ponies would get here. You being the royal spymaster and all.”

“Not good enough to save Princess Amore from Sombra,” Emerald muttered bitterly. “What kind of spymaster am I if I can’t even spot a threat right in front of my face?”

“Hey,” Jade Crystal said sharply. “None of that. If anyone should be blamed, it should be me. I stood guard over the throne room every day, just letting that… scum go up and meet the princess. Some captain I turned out to be.”

“None of us could have possibly known what that colt would become,” Light Speckle added. “But there’s no point dwelling on what we could have done in the past. We’re all here tonight to discuss what we can do now, to hopefully put an end to Sombra before he ruins the empire beyond repair.”

“If it isn’t already beyond repair. No Crystal Heart, no Princess Amore, and no help from Canterlot. Either Sombra has blocked off all help from outside, or they don’t care about us.”

“I’m sure Canterlot’s coming to help,” Light Speckle assured, putting her hoof to the ground. “They’ve never abandoned us. Why would they forget about us now?”

“We can’t wait for them,” Emerald admitted. “Who knows what Sombra might do by then.”

Dash Spiral, Spirit Flicker, and Amber Spring, other guards under Jade, hung in the further reaches of the light, giving Emerald Edge big smiles. Things that she hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. Ever since Sombra took over, they had been on the run. But no more.

Emerald Edge returned to Jade Crystal. “Jade. We’ve got to stop Sombra. The princess must have given you a backup plan.”

The others looked at Jade before she started. “Yes. She did. Somehow, she knew something like this would happen someday, so she gave me this.”

Jade Crystal pulled out a key from her pouch. It was golden key in the shape of a sharp square.

“What’s that key open?” Amber Spring asked, her yellow eyes focusing on the object. It seemed such a small, insignificant thing, yet the captain was eyeing it like it was her firstborn.

Jade Crystal took a deep breath, knowing she’d need it. “The princess told me of a secret room in Star Swirl the Bearded’s workshop, under the castle. Inside it, there’s a special mirror. Long ago, when Star Swirl still created his magical items, those that he deemed unfit for use, or things that were too dangerous to leave around to fall into the wrong hands, he threw into the mirror, so that they could never be used for evil. This key unlocks the door to his workshop.”

“Uhh… I’m not sure you can throw things through a mirror,” Light Speckle said.

“This isn’t any ordinary mirror, mage," Jade continued. “According to the princess, at specific times, it acts as a portal to another realm. Every thirty moons, this portal opens, allowing us access to where Star Swirl the Bearded sent his unwanted items. If we can go through, perhaps we can find some of those artifacts and bring them back to defeat this dark king.”

“But how long does it stay open? Is it even open now?” Crystal Flare asked, flapping his wings a little. “I mean, what if we get stuck on the other side? We’ll have to wait thirty moons to return! Imagine the damage Sombra could do while we’re gone!”

“I won’t lie to you, Flare, this isn’t something I’m bringing up lightly,” Jade nodded and paced the room. “But if we don’t try, Sombra wins. I want to at least put an effort into stopping that maniac.”

“So what’s the catch?” Spirit Flicker, a brown pegasus mare, piped up. “How long do we have?”

Those who knew Jade Crystal well knew that when she began chewing her lip, she was nervous. She was doing that now. “I’m not sure if it’s even open or not , but it stays open for exactly three days. After that, we have to wait another thirty moons if we want to come back. I know it sounds dangerous, but it’s the only plan I have left.”

“The captain’s right,” Dash Spiral told the others as he joined the group near the light source. “We should find this mirror and bring these artifacts back.”

“Yeah!” Spirit Flicker seconded. “Who cares if we can’t find the artifacts? Sombra still wins if we stay here and do nothing.”

“Alright,” Jade Crystal decided. “Then we push to the workshop. We find the mirror and the artifacts, and we return to give Sombra what he deserves.”

Everypony nodded. Even though none of them thought that this was in any way a perfect plan, it was better than sitting around grieving or digging in the mines. Emerald Edge led the journey, the first to open the door to check for anymore crystal golems. Seeing as the coast was clear, she gave the signal as she walked out the door, the rest of her friends following carefully behind her.

According to Jade Crystal, Star Swirl’s workshop was at the east wing of the castle; almost the opposite from their current location. Emerald couldn’t risk flying. Some of her friends couldn’t fly, and to carry them in the skies would only slow them down and make themselves bigger targets. They would have to get through the castle on foot.

“Let’s move,” Emerald ordered as quietly as she could.

They trotted down the hallway, listening closely for anything that sounded like crystal against crystal. After the next turn, Emerald heard it. The crystalline hoofsteps of Sombra’s constructs. They seemed to be coming from one of the turns in the hallway.

“Back, back!” Emerald murmured to her companions as they backtracked to another hallway.

She waited until they were all behind her before looking back to the previous hallway. The clinking on the floor was getting louder as the constructs got nearer, but she still couldn’t define which entrance they would be coming from.

“Does this current hallway lead us closer to the workshop?” Dash Spiral asked the captain as he looked down the hallway they were in.

“Perhaps,” Jade Crystal remarked. “Maybe we should follow it. See if it leads us back around the golems.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Crystal Flare added. “We’re wasting time! Let’s check it out.”

Emerald Edge nodded and headed to the front of her group, leading the way forward, while carefully searching the area for any stray constructs. Nothing was seen or heard in the hallway they were in, but Emerald kept a sharp eye out, just in case. The walls glinted sinisterly in the pale blue candlelight, casting long shadows before them, each dark phantasm taking the form of claws, teeth, or blades.

“Stay on guard,” Emerald Edge warned her friends in a whisper, sweeping her wary eyes around the room. “I’m pretty sure we’re alone, but stick together. I can’t be sure Sombra hasn’t cast some kind of curse on the palace itself that lets him see what’s going on inside it. Stick to the shadows.”

“Curses don’t scare me,” Crystal Flare commented, following behind the spymaster. “But now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Sombra at all since he took the throne. Where is he?”

“Right here.”

As one, everypony froze on the spot as ice coated their bones. The usurping unicorn melted out of the obsidian walls, eyeing the crystal ponies hungrily as if they were a dish destined for his table.

“Sombra…” Jade Crystal said at last, staring the dark king in his eyes. “You will never be king.”

Sombra’s laugh resonated down the hall even as black crystal pony golems melted from the walls and floor. “I am already king, and as your ruler, I ask you. What are you doing in MY castle?”

The crystal ponies took a few steps back, but stood their ground. More clinking sounded behind them as more crystal constructs emerged, surrounding them with two walls of diamond sharp edges. Sombra grinned as the ranks closed, his tongue slithering out as he anticipated what he would do to them.

“What are we going to do?” Spirit Flicker trembled, her courage cracking with every step Sombra took toward her. It wasn’t fair, to be caught so early. They hadn’t even made it to the workshop.

Backing into one another, everypony was surprised to hear Light Speckle’s voice.

“On the count of three,” she breathed. “Close your eyes, and at my signal, run for the workshop.”

“But-”

“Do it! One…”

The court mage shut her own eyes, praying that none of Sombra’s minions would pounce.

“Two…”

Sombra growled, sensing danger. A glimmer gathered around the base of Light Speckle’s horn as she began channeling a spell. The dark unicorn’s mouth opened, the order to kill already on the tip of his tongue.

“Three!”

Suddenly, blazing hot light cascaded out in an expanding sphere as Light Speckle released the spell. Cutting rays of sunshine ricocheted off the polished walls and the pony golems’ hard, polished bodies. Sombra was blinded, an inequine roar shaking the very foundations of the palace itself as his minions pounced onto empty air.

The instant the other ponies had seen Light Speckle’s horn ignite, they had guessed her plan and each divined a path of escape. Thousands of hours of drills and military practice suddenly came to the forefront of each pony’s brain as they rolled, dived, leapt, flew, and teleported past every single attacker. By the time Sombra recovered, the seven of them were already four corridors away and running.

They heard the king roar one more time as they galloped down the next corridor, watching the walls and floor for any movement.

"I know this path!" Jade Crystal shouted, the adrenaline pumping through her body, her form and pace not faltering as they made it past the central wing's gates.

The seven crystal ponies listened as more constructs began popping out around them. They picked up the pace, not wanting a repeat of what had happened only moments ago. Three constructs materialized in front of them, blocking the path, but with a short teleport spell, Light Speckle got them behind the constructs as they kept going, not stopping to face them. The constructs were strong, and it would take too much time. If they stayed back and fought, they wouldn’t make it to the workshop before Sombra caught up with them.

The team entered the east wing, rushing down the open-aired corridor, heading straight for the turret with a single door built into it.

"There!" Jade Crystal directed, galloping past Emerald. "The entrance to the workshop!"

She arrived and kicked the door open, standing at the entrance while she filed the others in, making sure none of them would be left behind. Only Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker remained, but when Jade Crystal beckoned, they stopped.

"What are you two doing?" Jade rushed. "Quickly! We must seal the door!"

The two guards looked at each other and nodded before turning back to their captain.

"We're not coming, captain," Dash Spiral told her calmly. "We'll hold them off for as long as we can."

"We'll give you more time to get to the mirror," Spirit Flicker added, pulling out her sword and clenching the weapon in her teeth.

"No, I cannot allow this!" Jade replied, shouting at them. "You'll die here!"

"If you don't get through the mirror, then we're all already dead!" Dash Spiral protested. "We're going to give you that extra chance! Go! Time's wasting!"

The two guards would hear no more. Dash Spiral drew his spear and joined Spirit Flicker, facing the other end of the corridor.

Emerald Edge returned to the door, understanding where the last three members of her group were. The other two were about to give their lives for the sake of their empire and friends.

"Jade..." Emerald tried to sound as reasonable as she could, though she too was shocked to the core. "They're buying us time... If we stay here, we're wasting their lives. You need to open the door to the mirror. Dash and Spirit have already made up their minds, and there's no changing them. But us? We still have a mission to accomplish. For the Empire and for the both of them. We will find the artifacts and we will stop Sombra."

Jade paused and thought about it for a second before nodding to Emerald Edge. She turned to her two friends, a single tear tracing its way down her cheek. "It has been an honor..."

Emerald nudged Jade as she made her way down the staircase past the door. She turned to look at Dash and Spirit one last time before closing the door behind herself.

Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker held their ground, awaiting the fight together. The pegasus gave Dash a wan smile. Licking her lips, the two stood back to back as the sounds of dozens of black crystal hooves thundered toward them.

“Ready for one last dance, my friend?” Tears glinted in her eyes, contrasting with her fearsome snarl.

Despite everything, Dash Spiral smiled. This was what he was meant to do; to give his life in service to the Crystal Empire. Doing it next to such a remarkable mare, now that was just a bonus.

“Always.”

Jade Crystal and Emerald Edge flew down the spiral staircase, joining the others at the bottom.

“Where’s Dash Spiral and Spirit Flicker?” Light Speckle asked, realizing the two guards were no longer with them.

Jade Crystal turned her head away and continued down the dark passage, leaving it to Emerald Edge to notify her friends of what had happened.

“They stayed behind.” The words tasted terrible even as the spymaster said them, but there wasn’t any point in trying to soften the news. “To give us time.”

Jade stopped halfway down the hall, continuing to stare at the ground. “We must not let their sacrifice go to waste. We carry on.”

The captain of the guard approached the door at the end and inserted the gold key into the lock. She turned it, hearing the resounding click of the locking mechanism. She slowly pushed the door open and walked into the room. The rest of the crystal ponies followed behind, looking into the room filled to the brim with pieces of metal, dust and cobwebs. Nothing stood out as a magical mirror, unless said mirror was extremely small.

Ignoring the puzzled glances of her fellows, Jade Crystal trotted over to a barrel that was filled with old jousting lances and pulled on one with her teeth. The weapon resisted for a moment before shifting with an audible clunk. Another section of the wall shuddered, loose bits of crystal plinking down as it slid into the floor. A dark flight of stairs yawned beyond, leading down into the depths. It smelled old and stale, as if it had never been opened until now. In all likelihood, it probably hadn’t.

“Come on. We’re almost there,” Jade Crystal cantered down the hallway.

“How long has that been here?” Spring Amber asked. “I’ve been stocking old weapons in here for years and I never knew there was a secret passage here.”

Emerald Edge gave her a nudge, reminding Amber of the urgency of their mission. “They’re called secret passages for a reason. Now let’s go.”

Emerald Edge was reminded uncomfortably of a crypt the further they descended. The steps were roughly hewn and steep, and more than once only the vigilance of another pony and quick thinking saved them from plunging off the side and into oblivion.

Light Speckle walked next to Jade Crystal, lighting the way ahead with her magic. Each of their hoofsteps echoed all around them, as if they were in a cave. Emerald wondered just how further down they would be going, and just what Star Swirl might have thought dangerous enough to hide all the way down here. Old harvest tales from many a Crystal Faire ago began to creep into the spymaster’s mind, of ponies who delved too far and awoke unspeakable horrors from the bowels of the earth. She shivered and pulled her cloak closer around her body. Something worse than Sombra? Now that was a truly terrifying thought.

Before long, the steps started to even out and widen. The ceiling dipped down to meet them as well, stalactites and stalagmites meeting midway to form toothy stone pillars. It was uncannily like walking in the mouth of some gargantuan creature, and everypony breathed a small sigh of relief once a tall metal door came into view.

“This is definitely it,” Light Speckle said as she extinguished her lighting spell. “I can feel the magic behind this door; it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

The captain of the guard nodded and walked up to the door’s highly polished surface. Glyphs were etched in concentric spirals on in the metal spiralling around Star Swirl’s cutie mark. Jade Crystal drew out the key and inserted it into a hole in the dead center of the carvings, turning it once it snicked into place and pushing. The door glided inwards noiselessly on perfectly balanced hinges.

“Get inside, everypony. Light Speckle, seal the door.”

The mage did as she was bid and fired a spell of locking onto the door once her fellow ponies were all inside. The room was filled with more of Star Swirl’s old experiments and gadgets, lying in heaps on the floor and table. Had this been any other time, everypony, especially Light Speckle, could have spent days here going through the wizard’s old stuff. This time however, they weren’t given the luxury of browsing. They had to find the mirror. Fast.

“I think it’s over there!” Crystal Flare pointed out, directing the group’s attention straight ahead to a small lifted platform.

A pony-size mirror shaped like a horseshoe sat atop the platform, partially hidden behind a big pile of clock shaped machines. A scroll had been nailed to the wooden frame and the glass itself was smudged and dusty, but looked intact.

“So, how does this work?” Light Speckle wondered out loud, inspecting the mirror from afar. “Do we have to cast a spell or something?” She walked up to it and tapped the glass. “Are you sure this is the right mirror?” The mage pony leaned in closer, trying to find an activation rune on the frame.

Prying the scroll from the frame, Emerald Edge read it quickly. The lower on the page she went, the more color drained from her face until she was almost chalk white.

“Uh... everypony?” she said in a trembling voice that dumped a bucket of cold water on her fellows’ nerves. “It says here that the mirror we’re looking for was moved to Canterlot fifty years ago.”

“What?! But-but-how?” Jade Crystal stammered, her face going slack with shock. “How can this be?”

“Don’t ask me, I wasn’t around fifty years ago!" Emerald snapped back. She walked up to the mirror to have a closer look. “This must be a prototype... there must be a way to get it working somehow.”

“We don’t have time for a prototype!” Jade Crystal shouted angrily. “We need the real mirror!”

“Well in case you haven’t noticed, dumbflank, the real mirror’s not here! Unless you have a better idea, shut the hay up and help us get this one working!” Emerald glanced at Light Speckle. “How much time do you think we have?”

“If we hurry, we should have-”

Just as the mage was about to finish, there was a deafening crash of something slamming into the door with enough force to put a serious dent in the reinforced metal.

Light Speckle turned her head to the door and gulped. “...none.”

"Check the mirror!" Emerald ordered as another dent appeared. The door was starting to crumple now, the hinges groaning under the strain of the repeated assaults. "There must be a way to open the portal! Spring Amber, you and Crystal Flare need to barricade that door! Don’t let anything through!”

“Yes ma’am!” The two guards sprinted in opposite directions, quickly returning with a heavy looking chunk of debris each.

As they got to work piling things in front of the rapidly disintegrating doorway, Light Speckle and Emerald Edge diverted their full attention to the mirror. The spymaster wasted no time in blowing away all the dust and grime with a gust of wind from her wings, allowing the unicorn an unobscured view of the entire platform and its cargo. The royal spymaster uttered a quick prayer to Celestia that her friend would be able to solve this riddle quickly; she didn’t like the odds if it came to a fight.

Jade Crystal, Spring Amber, and Crystal Flare unsheathed their weapons and got into position near the crumbling entrance. The barricade wouldn’t hold much longer than the door had, and through the cracks they could see multitudes of pony golems out there in the cave, their sightless faces locked onto their position, kicking and ramming the blockade with their hooves and heads. If the mirror was still not working when the barricade gave, then they would be the only thing standing between Sombra and any hope of saving the Crystal Empire.

“That’s what it all come down to, isn’t it?” Jade murmured, half to herself. “Hope.”

“What’s that, captain?” Spring Amber asked as she took up her position with them, aiming her spear at the entryway.

“That’s what Princess Amore believed in, even up to the end. She hoped that Sombra would make the right choice and return the Crystal Heart. She gave him the hope that he might one day be able to live a normal life in the Crystal Empire. And now Princess Amore has given us the hope of a better tomorrow.” The captain of the guard wiped a tear from her eyes, and as she did so, the tiny gleam of light that reflected off the teardrop grew and engulfed her, restoring the shine and sparkle to her coat and mane, just as it had been before Sombra had taken over. “And that’s something worth fighting for.”

“We’re with you, captain!” Crystal Flare grinned as his coat and mane regained their sheen as well.

"To the death..." Spring Amber nodded in agreement, her shimmering form returning too. “... and for Princess Amore!”

Emerald Edge watched from the platform as her friends steeled themselves for the inevitable onslaught. Invigorated by their spirit, she returned her focus to the mirror, inspecting its sides for anything that might clue them in on the thing’s inner workings.

“Hey, Light Speckle, take a look at this!” she called. “There’s something carved into the frame here, on the side. Looks like more runes."

Light Speckle hopped onto the platform to take a closer look. After a moment’s scrutiny, her face lit up in a flash of discovery and understanding.

“These are thaumaturgic imbibers. They were used back in the day before self sustaining enchantments were discovered.”

Another crash at the gates. “In Equestrian, please?” Emerald begged.

“They’re meant to absorb loose magical energy and channel it into the enchanted object! This mirror needs a power source to get it working!”

“Hey, you two,” Crystal Flare shouted. The three guards were pressed up against a long writing desk, struggling to keep it from being pushed aside by the invaders. “Can you hurry it up a bit? We’re not gonna hold out much longer!” His statement was punctuated by a sharp crystalline hoof punching through the wood next to his face and showering him with splinters.

Light Speckle bit her lip. “We need to find a magical battery, or a charged crystal, or, or anything. Without one, we’re not going anywhere.”

“Can’t you just power it?” Emerald pointed out. “You’ve got magic, right?

Light Speckle shook her head. “It needs to be either a constant stream of magic, or one big burst. I can’t do either, but I refuse to believe that Star Swirl didn’t keep some kind of power source in here to power prototypes like this. I just need one moment of quiet so I can cast a detection spell!”

Emerald Edge was about to say something along the lines of it being impossible to get any quiet in this situation when something abruptly struck her. It was quiet. The sound of hooves and horns trying to batter their way in had completely ceased, leaving the haggard breathing of the three guardsponies at the door the predominating source of noise. Emerald found herself holding her breath; she was reminded unpleasantly of an avalanche: one moment you were running for your life from a cascade of ice and snow, the next moment you were head over hooves in the cold and didn’t dare make a sound. Though, she thought privately, she’d much rather take her chances with an avalanche than with a horde of pony golems.

Crystal Flare was the first to find his voice. “Why’d they stop?” he gasped, pushing aside a sweaty lock of his crystalline mane.

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it...” Spring Amber cautiously peeked around the desk, but it was too dark out in the caves to see further than a few feet. What little she could see though, was eerily construct-free.

And suddenly the air was full of splinters and metal shards as an impossibly powerful pulse of dark magic smashed into the entryway. Crystal Flare, Spring Amber, and Jade Crystal took the brunt of it, the three guardsponies sent flying and colliding with the walls and ceiling at speeds pony bones were never meant to withstand. Crystal Flare was killed instantly as his neck snapped like a twig, but Spring Amber made a valiant attempt to get back on her hooves before slumping back down the ground in agony.

Jade Crystal had fared better, but as she went to check on Spring Amber, Emerald could see that she was hurt too. Every step made the captain wince; she suspected a fractured wing or a broken leg at the very least. She and Light Speckle, having been further away from the door, had gotten off lightly but a piece of shrapnel had managed to cut open Emerald’s forehead, just under her hairline. Hot, sticky blood kept dripping into her eye and it stung like a hot coal.

But the worst was yet to come. Darker than a moonless night, as fearsome as ten thousand manticores and just as deadly, King Sombra had finally arrived.

“My little ponies...” he hissed, black smog clinging to him like a cloak. “I wondered where you were running off to. I already said nopony leaves my kingdom, and as its ruler, my word is law.”

Two crystal constructs marched in, one on either side of the king. One had a spear shaft thrust through its glassy body, while the other sported the end of a broken sword in its head like a macabre unicorn doll. Both golems were stained with dark red, faintly sparkling blood.

“Your friends have already paid the price for disobedience. Bow down to me, and I may yet spare your pitiful lives. If not…”

Sombra whipped his head at the fallen Spring Amber and his horn fired a ray of dark energy at the helpless pony. Spring Amber didn’t even get to cry out as the beam scorched a hole straight through her body.

“You... you MONSTER!” Captain Jade Crystal screamed. She was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks even as she tried to rush the evil unicorn.

“Jade! No!”

The captain of the guard barely made it four steps before Sombra caught her in his telekinetic grasp and slammed her into the ceiling, letting her fall. But even as her ribs cracked, as her wings snapped, Jade Crystal would not back down. Sword in mouth, she took one faltering step after another at Sombra, whose only response was to flick her to the ground once more.

“I can’t watch..." sobbed Light Speckle. The mage was the least combat hardened of the entire party, and seeing so much death in one day was breaking her nerve. “Why is this happening to us?” She covered her ears with both hooves, vainly trying to block out the screams.

Emerald Edge would have cried with her had she not been trembling with rage. Rage at how Sombra had taken advantage of Princess Amore’s kindness. Rage at Sombra for ever coming to the Crystal Empire. Rage at seeing her friends killed like they were nothing. And more than anything, rage at Star Swirl the bucking Bearded for ever making this mirror in the first place and giving them false hope.

It was then that she decided that if she was going to die here, the final thing she wanted to do was to smash that accursed mirror into a thousand pieces, then throw herself at Sombra.

“Emerald,” it was Light Speckle, she vaguely registered through the haze of red that had descended over her vision. The mage sounded like she was calling her from a long way away.

“Kill you…” Emerald Edge whispered, fixing her eyes on Sombra as he grabbed hold of Jade’s wings and began to pull them apart. “I’ll kill you.”

“Emerald,” came Light Speckle’s voice again,only it wasn’t the mage speaking. The unicorn was still lying on the ground sobbing. So who…?

“Emerald…” the voice came again. This time it was loud enough to triangulate, and the pale green pegasus gasped. Crystal Flare was lying on his back nearby, his white fur matted with red and both his wings crushed, but he was alive. Alive and wheezing out words from punctured lungs. “Emerald, the mirror!”

The spymaster turned her head to look, the veil of red clearing like fog in a whirlwind.

Surely...this wasn’t possible? But there it was, as plain as day: the mirror of Star Swirl was lit up with a soft radiance, the horseshoe-like frame glowing cherry red like hot metal in a forge. Somehow, Sombra’s dark magic must have ignited the mirror.

“I-It worked,” she breathed in disbelief. “It actually worked. Light Speckle! The mirror! It worked-”

Emerald Edge’s words died in her throat as a bloodcurdling scream split the air. Horrified, she saw Jade Crystal’s lifeless body curled up at Sombra’s front hooves, covered in scarlet. The king himself smirked and threw aside the two wings he had been torn from the guard captain’s back and rounded on the two remaining ponies.

“Who’s next?”

Light Speckle shrieked in terror as Sombra’s magic yanked her off her hooves and sent her tumbling toward him and away from the mirror. Her hooves left drag marks on the floor, but Sombra was not to be denied.

There was only one thing to do. Wiping away the blood from her eye one more time, Emerald Edge spread her wings and flew at Sombra, screeching like a harpy. The wicked unicorn grinned in anticipation and let go of Light Speckle, his horn already lighting up with another evil spell. Then at the last minute, the spymaster executed a sharp turn, dodging the oncoming beam as it sizzled past her right ear. Sombra roared in surprise and indignation, but by then, Emerald Edge had picked up Light Speckle and was halfway to the mirror already.

“Come on, come on, come on,” Emerald chanted in her head, working her wings into overdrive. In just a few heartbeats more they would be through. Just a little more-

Then a bolt of green and purple seared past Emerald’s eye, followed by an unbearable pain in her left wing. She spun out of control, skidding and bumping along the workshop floor until the pair of them rolled to a stop just short of the mirror platform.

So close.

Emerald couldn’t feel her left wing any more, but that didn’t matter. Light Speckle was still all right; she could go through while she stayed behind to hold off Sombra.

An unexpected sense of peace washed over the spymaster. Spirit Flicker, Dash Spiral, Crystal Flare, Spring Amber, Jade Crystal- They had gone to be with their princess. Emerald choked back tears, but above all else she felt a great swell of pride in her heart. Soon she would join them, and would be able to tell the princess, with her head held high, how she had carried out her royal duty, even to the bitter end.

All of a sudden Emerald was hurtling through the air encased in a soft whitish magical aura. She looked down at her friend who was levitating her at the mirror’s surface. The side of her robes were smoking and half her face was burnt raw from the shot which had brought them down.

“Light Speckle! Stop!”

“Go on without me! The mirror’s going to melt down in a minute, and I’ll only slow you down.”

Emerald Edge fought against the magic with all her might, kicking and flapping with her remaining wing, but to no avail. As the glass drew near, Light Speckle said the words which she would remember for the rest of her life.

“It’s okay, Emerald... I’ll see you on the other side. I promise.”

The last thing Emerald Edge saw before she went through was Sombra bringing his hoof down on her friend’s neck.

Burning.

Emerald Edge was falling through an endless expanse of stark white sky, every inch of her body flickering with blazing white fire as she plunged downward like a meteor from the heavens. The flames flared and crawled all over the barely conscious pegasus’ body like arcane snakes, taking hold of each limb and engulfing the pony in a cocoon of purest white, molding her, shaping her.

Making her into something new. Emerald Edge gritted her teeth as the magic dove into her very heart, bones cracking and tendons screaming in protest as her body twisted in the grip of Star Swirl’s overpowering sorcery. Never in her life had she experienced anything so painful, not even when Sombra had burned her wing off. More times than she could count she almost gave up and slipped into the cold and comforting grasp of death, but each time one of her friends was there to pull her back, to remind her why.

How long she fell like this, Emerald would never be able to say, nor when she finally lost her grip on the waking world, but she would never forget how she awoke.

Face down in the dirt.

Author's Note

Achievement Unlocked

Through the Looking Glass: Emerald Edge entered the portal

Age of Kings' prototype opening! Made by Cinders of War!

As always, comments, speculations, and constructive criticism are welcome! :twilightsheepish:

9 - Leftovers

The first things Emerald Edge saw when she opened her eyes was the starry night sky and the face of Sir Morn Dread, giving her a warm, friendly smile.

“Good to see you up, Emerald Edge,” he said as he helped her sit up, one hand on her back and one on her arm. “We finished setting your leg, but try not to use it too quickly. It’ll still hurt a little.”

“Sir Morn.” Setting? Emerald looked around, noticing she wasn’t in the same place she had fought the bear. This new area was a flat dirt ground with trees dotting out the area. There was a campfire not too far from her position, a pot boiling over it, and a tent to the north of it. “Where are we? Did you set all this up?” Emerald noticed she was still holding on to one of Morn Dread’s arms and quickly let go and looked away.

“Oh, no.” He shook his head. “You’ll be surprised where we are. Just don’t panic when you find out.”

“Don’t panic?” Emerald heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Spectrum Song walking in carrying a bunch of wood, another woman walking next to her.

The spymaster struggled to remember, but she recognized the outfit. She had seen the woman just before she passed out. She had on a brown and green attire with a bow, quiver, and dagger slung over her back. Ruffled pink hair stuck out of her hood, underneath it, a pair of intelligent green eyes, looking back at Emerald.

“You!” Emerald shouted, remembering the wanted poster of the outlaw she had come to apprehend.

Morn Dread quickly grabbed Emerald’s shoulders and held her down. “It’s fine, Emerald. She’s not an outlaw. We’ve already had a… friendly chat. It’s all just a misunderstanding.”

“She knocked me out!” Emerald tried to reason, remembering the foul smelling arrow.

“I apologize, Emerald Edge,” she said, placing a hand on her chest. “That stink arrow was meant to chase away the bear. I wasn’t aware you were injured.”

“She carried you out of the ditch,” Morn Dread told her. “All the way to the main path. That’s where we found her.”

“You should’ve seen it, Em!” Spectrum shook her fists. “Sir Morn thought she was trying to capture you, so he drew his sword and attempted combat, but Posey’s really skilled! Even against a knight!”

“Tis true,” Morn Dread nodded in agreement, having new respect for the archer. “She has incredible skill with the bow, a commoner’s weapon. And she saved your life, Lady Emerald. That is all I needed to know.”

“So you say she’s not an outlaw?” Emerald looked back at Posey. “Then why are you wanted?”

"The corrupt are after me," she began, placing the wood on the fire. "The Sheriff of Trottingham earns off the misfortune of others. He steals from the poor, but because of his entitlement, there is nothing they can do about it. I became an outlaw to him and his people because I steal and give back to the poor."

"She's doing that little town a lot of good, but most people just don't see it," Spectrum joined in.

"So you're a vigilante?" Posey confirmed Emerald's question with a nod. "If that's the case, then I cannot turn you in. That would be unjust."

“Then how are we going to get your bits, Emerald?” Spectrum looked between the archer and the spymaster.

“I’m just going to have to earn it the normal way,” Emerald sighed. “I do have that job at the stables after all.”

“But it’ll take forever before you can buy that sword!” Spectrum tried to get her words through.

“Maybe I can settle on a cheaper sword for now?”

Posey raised a hand, silently asking for silence as the three companions turned to look at her. “If I may. I might be able to help you with your finance problem.”

“You could?”

“Yes,” Posey nodded her head. “But there’s a catch. I’ll first need your help to take down the Sheriff. If I could just find some evidence of his corruption, I can rid the town of that greedy slug once and for all.”

Morn Dread suddenly clapped his hands together, the metal making a loud ping across the forest grounds. “That is an excellent idea, Lady Emerald. If she can find proof of the sheriff’s treachery, I have the right to arrest him and take him before the king for trial. If all goes well, you are permitted to receive a reward for your good work by my permission. It is also a more noble idea than stealing from the rich.”

“Sir Morn is right!” Spectrum pounded a fist into her palm. “This is a good idea! Two birds with one scone!”

“I believe the saying is ‘two birds with one stone’, Spectrum,” Emerald smiled at the young squire’s enthusiasm.

“Not when I bake the scones...” Spectrum cackled knowingly before dusting off her lute and giving it a strum. “What matters is that we can help a town out, while at the same time, earning the bits you need to buy one of Stone Anvil’s best swords! Plus, they’ll definitely make me a knight for doing this!”

Emerald nodded. “So how do we do this, Posey? How do we find the evidence?”

Posey blew a strand of hair out of her mouth. “The sheriff is meticulous with his details,” she said plainly. “A man like him likes to know just how much money he has, and I’d bet my bow that somewhere in that house of his is a ledger or record book. If we could find it, then we’d have all the evidence we need.”

“Sounds pretty simple,” Spectrum pointed out. “How come you haven’t done it yet?”

“Two reasons. One, the only way I know this book exists is because he brings it with him on his belt whenever he goes outside. I might be good, but I’m not that good. Two, I’m a wanted outlaw. Even if I did get the ledger, who’d believe me?”

“She has a point.” Morn Dread put a armored hand through his blue hair. “If we are going to acquire this ledger, it will have to be done speedily and stealthily.”

The group put their collective heads together and thought. The fire crackled and spat sparks up into the sky.

Eventually Spectrum Song nudged Morn Dread, a smile spreading on her face like a grease stain on an apron.

“Hey,” she said thoughtfully. “Sir Hors is always going on about how you Knights of the Round Table are all really well known and how everyone has to obey everything you tell them to do, right?”

Morn Dread grimaced at his fellow knight’s embellishments. “That’s not strictly true…”

“Aw, close enough. My point is, if you went and told the sheriff you wanted a word immediately, he’d have to come out quick! If you call for him urgently enough, he’ll probably leave the ledger in his house! So if we can keep him out of there long enough for Posey to sneak in, we can get that ledger no problem!”

Posey coughed. “That’s... actually quite a workable plan, Spectrum Song. There’s just one thing I’d like to add.” The archer stirred the coals with a stick. “I’m going to need Emerald to come with me.”

“Huh? But why?”

Posey sniffed at the stew boiling on the fire, then added a handful of salt from her belt pouch. “I’m just one person. If we run into any of the sheriff’s guards, my bow won’t be much good indoors. I saw how well you held off that bear; we’ll have a much better chance of succeeding if I have you to keep watch while I pick the locks.”

"Splendid, Posey!" Spectrum swung a fist. "That way, if you do encounter guards, Emerald can train her fighting skill!"

"If I must..." Emerald remembered her first fight against humans. It hadn't gone too well, but she had improved since then. "I will do what I can, Posey."

"Then it's settled," Posey nodded. "But it is getting late. We'll start tomorrow."

"And you have your first day of the job tomorrow too, Em," the squire reminded her friend. "You'll want to make a good first impression."

"Looks like we'll have to head back." Emerald got up, testing her leg mobility. It hurt when she bent it, but at least she could walk.

"Won't you stay for dinner?" Posey bent down to pick up a few wooden bowls. "It's almost ready."

“Food that isn’t Sir Hors’ leftovers?” Spectrum cheered. “I’m staying!”

Morn Dread picked up his own bowl. “Yes, I think we will. Thank you for your hospitality, Posey. And I’ll have a word or two with Hors once we get back to Canterlot,” he added in a surly mutter. “Leftovers indeed.”

Emerald Edge had gone straight to her job after finally pulling herself out of bed. It was almost too comfortable for her to part with it, but if she wanted to keep the house and the comfortable mattress, she was going to have to get out and get to work.

The horses were a lot more stubborn than she had first believed. One of them, Richard, just refused to have a wash, retreating to the far side of the stable. When Emerald walked to it, it ran to the opposite side. It happened a few times before Emerald finally gave up, slumping down on a bale of hay next to her rainbow haired friend. If only the horses had been like her friends back in Equestria; they were caring and understanding enough to know that Emerald had to wash them to finish her job.

“Tough?” Spectrum asked as she checked Sir Hors sword, making sure it was sharp enough for the knight’s liking by cutting a strand of hair from her head. “Takes a while to get used to, but they’re alright. Much better than some people, actually.”

“Yeah, I can tell...” Emerald smiled as she watched Sir Hors’ sword clatter to the ground behind the squire. “Well, I’ve done everything as the stable master has ordered. Cleaned all of it, fed the horses, washed the floor and… all but one horse.”

“Your leg okay, Em?” Spectrum asked as she bent down and put a hand on the spymaster’s knee to move it.

“It still hurts…” Emerald began moving it up and down, wincing as she moved it too high. “But I should be good to go.” The squire gave her a concerned face, but Emerald waved it off. “It’s fine, Spectrum. I’ll be fine.”

“Please, Emerald,” Spectrum asked as nicely as she could. “At least do it for me. I don’t want to see you cringe every time you take a step.”

“Oh, alright,” Emerald surrendered. “If you insist. I’ll go have it looked at at the Mages’ Tower.”

“Thanks, Em!” Spectrum got back to her lute playing. “I’ll leave you to it! Go on ahead. I’ll finish up here for you. We can head out when you come back.”

Emerald followed the dirt path towards the Loft District, crossing over the bridge and arriving at the nicely paved paths of that side of the town, still thinking why the king hadn’t done something like build up the Shades to match the Loft District.

Why leave one part of town that way? Emerald thought to herself. The Crystal Empire and her world’s Canterlot didn’t have anything like this. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Amore had always managed their kingdoms’ infrastructure perfectly, ensuring that the upkeep of each city was more or less uniform. At that moment Emerald was almost glad for the throbbing in her leg, for it distracted her from the sudden ache in her heart as memories of her fallen princess drifted to the forefront.

Soon the spymaster found herself outside the walls of the Mages’ Tower, looking once again to the top of the cylindrical stone building before making her way in.

Moon Tide was easy enough to find this time around, seated at one of her workshop tables with the muse Adagio Dazzle, both sharing in a pot of perfumed tea. Adagio noticed Emerald approach and gave her a half-smirk.

“Why hello, Emerald Edge,” the muse greeted, her voice low and sultry. “So eager for a performance from me already?”

“Oh no, Adagio.” Moon Tide watched Emerald walk towards them, noticing her slight limp. “I believe she’s here for some medical attention. I heard you and my son went off to the Shetland Forest yesterday,” She gestured for Emerald to take a seat with a disapproving cluck. “Don’t tell me that boy got you injured looking for that wish-granting cup of his. Again.”

"Oh not at all, Moon Tide," Emerald chuckled as she sat down. "In fact, he volunteered to help me track down an outlaw."

Moon Tide skillfully undid Emerald’s left greave and poked at her leg with a teaspoon. “Is that so?” The mage sniffed and screwed a circular glass disc over one eye. “And it’s this outlaw who is responsible for your injury?”

“Uh… kind of...” Emerald didn’t like hiding things from Moon Tide, but she had a feeling that Posey might object to people not treating her like an outlaw. From previous experience she knew that when operating in the shadows, fear was one of the best weapons to use.

Moon Tide didn’t seem to notice the evasion. “I don’t suppose it matters,” she sighed. She sifted through a passel of glass urns on the countertop before retrieving what looked like a jam jar filled with a thin green paste.

“Run a bath and mix in two scoops of this.” Emerald unscrewed the jar and sniffed. The mixture smelled faintly of limes, intermixed with the odor of rusting iron. “Soak yourself in the water until the pain stops.”

“Is that it?” Emerald shook the jar and watched as its contents slowly slid from one corner to the next.

“It also helps if you think positive,” Adagio added helpfully. Emerald couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not, but the muse continued to smile like she usually did, giving the spymaster no reason to doubt her. She still had a lot to learn about this world’s ‘magic’ anyway.

“Thank you, Moon Tide, Adagio,” Emerald stood up unsteadily. “I’d love to stay longer, but I’ve got... an outlaw to catch, so-”

Whatever Emerald was about to say next was lost as a huge tremor rocked the entire tower, upending the tea cups and making the jars clink ominously. Were it not for Adagio grabbing Emerald’s arm, she would have fallen, although Moon Tide merely sighed in annoyance and went back to her shelf of curatives. Emerald got the distinct impression that this was probably a common occurrence at the tower.

While she did so, a middle aged man dressed in soot-blackened robes staggered down the steps, smoke still rising from his charred shoulders. He coughed, expelling a cloud of black smoke before approaching the tea table.

“Sorry!” the man shouted at Emerald and Adagio. Even his teeth seemed to have been stained by whatever had occurred upstairs. “I was just seeing how powdered horseroot would react when mixed with sulfur and then exposed to an open flame, but I forgot to account for how large the explosion would be!” The mage tapped the side of his head. “I also think I’ve deafened myself again!”

Emerald tried not to breathe through her nose; the stench of burning hair hung around this man like a musk. “Is that what the shaking was?” she asked.

“What?!” the man yelled. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to speak up!”

“Leave this to me, Emerald.” Moon Tide was back with two objects, one tiny corked vial filled with a purplish mixture and a huge clay pot. The latter was marked with a scrap of parchment that matched a charred symbol on the scorched mage’s clothes.

Emerald and Adagio watched while Moon Tide gently but firmly tilted her colleague’s head to the side, pouring half the vial’s contents into one ear before repeating it with the other.

“Better?” she asked wearily.

The mage tapped the side of his head before grinning back. “Much better. Although I think I’ve burned myself a touch…”

“Your eyebrows are gone,” Adagio pointed out flatly.

“Oh, pish-posh, they’ll grow back.”

“Your beard’s still on fire,” Emerald blurted out.

“It’s fine,” he said blithely. Then he did a double take and his pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks. “Wait, what?”

Adagio sighed and slapped a hand to her forehead, stepping back just in time to avoid the backsplash of brown liquid that drenched the unfortunate mage, putting out the fire and washing away most of the soot.

Moon Tide put down the now-empty teapot. “Please sit down, Secret Fire; I can’t help you if you keep moving about.”

Emerald, who was about to leave, had decided to stay and watch the fascinating scene before her. It seemed like Moon Tide was incredibly used to dealing with this red and yellow haired mage, even having a pot with the man’s mark on it: a jar with a half-hidden fireball inside it. Even now she was daubing Secret Fire’s face with smears of pale yellow cream and binding most of his face with clean linen strips.

“Now keep that on for at least three hours, Secret Fire,” Moon Tide said, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “If you can avoid blowing yourself up for the rest of the day, even better. I need to mix up more burn ointment. You’ve almost used up all my stock.”

“Right,” Secret Fire laughed nervously. “Sorry about that, you know. Sometimes I just get so excited about new plants, I just want to grind them up and set them on fire!”

“So you keep saying,” Moon Tide replied evenly before remembering the spymaster was still with them. “Secret Fire, this is Emerald Edge. Emerald, Secret Fire. He’s our resident… pyromancer.”

“Pyromaniac is more like it,” Emerald heard Adagio mutter.

The excitable mage sprang forward and shook Emerald’s hand. “Always good to meet a prospective mage!” His bandaged face was close enough for Emerald to smell the bitter tang of the burn cream. “You must have a lot of aptitude if Moon Tide is recommending you to join us!”

“No, no.” To Emerald’s relief, Moon Tide pried Secret Fire away and sat him back down to deal with the burns on his arms. “Emerald isn’t here to be a mage. She’s just here to visit.”

Secret Fire didn’t seem put out at all. “I see! Well, maybe I can show you around my laboratory! It’s quite the sight for a visitor-”

“Aiieeeeeeee!!!” A banshee-like wail echoed down from the higher floors, making everyone jump. “Everything’s on fire! My notes! Someone save my notes!”

“On second thought, maybe I’ll show you around another time,” Secret Fire said quickly, edging toward the front door. “I think I’m going to be at the tavern for the rest of the day. And maybe tomorrow too.”

And with that, Secret Fire was gone, running out of the tower fast enough to leave an afterimage of himself. Moon Tide simply shrugged and began to clean up the sooty tea on the floor.

“Nightfall Gleam is going to kill him,” she sighed. “Again.”

Author's Note

Posey Hood, as seen here.

22 - The Hero's Return

After the journey back to Canterlot, the first thing Emerald Edge did was head over to the bathhouse and run herself a nice, cool bath. She had invited Posey to join her, but the archer had politely declined, instead offering to get them a bite to eat. Apple Bean and Golden Nugget had been extremely overjoyed when they saw Honeygold among the group, swooping in to do what all loving parents do. After that, they had followed after Spectrum, likely heading to the squire’s place. Moon Tide had opted to head to the Mages’ Tower to conduct some research, so she disappeared quickly. King Dawn Saber had retreated to his quarters, worn out from using the artifact, so he said he would talk to Emerald tomorrow.

The knights and guards had went on, escorting the druids over to the dungeons, leaving Emerald by herself, so here she was. She gently peeled off the bandages to inspect her wound, which was still red over her green skin, but there was nothing more she could do now, but rest.

“Hi!” Emerald recognized Sonata’s voice. The muse had waltzed into the bathhouse, quickly shedding her clothes and hopping into the bath next to Emerald. “I heard you did something heroic today!”

“Oh, hello Sonata.” The spymaster waved. “You already heard what happened? Word sure travels fast. We only just got back from the forest.”

“Us muses are always the first to know things,” Sonata said, ducking her head under the water. “Comes with the territory.”

“Really?” Emerald picked up the soap and began rubbing it along an arm. “I didn’t think a muse would get to know so much about the happenings outside. How?”

There were a series of bubbles from under the water’s surface. Moments later, Sonata surfaced with a huge gasp. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Nope. Still can’t breathe under water.”

Emerald wore an amused face. “You used to be able to? Or did you find a way to do so?”

“We used to- I mean, uh, no. I was just trying it out. See if anything changed.”

“Hmm…” Emerald decided to go back to bathing. She didn’t quite understand what Sonata was saying, but she didn’t want to offend her.

“So, how was it?” Sonata asked, grabbing a bar of soap and working up a lather. “By all accounts you saved the day, but I wanna hear the details from you.”

“Well, really, I simply acted on instinct…” Emerald washed her shiny turquoise hair. “I saw what the king’s sword could do and when the mercenaries were looking to give us trouble, I did what I thought was helpful and used his sword to defeat them. A truly magnificent weapon. Now I know what the artifacts are capable of…”

“Sorry, what?” Sonata smiled and dug a finger into her ear, which had been covered with soap. “I heard instinct.”

“Yes,” Emerald chuckled. “I acted on instinct and used the king’s sword to save the day.”

“So it really is one of those artifacts from-from your world, yes?”

“I believe so,” Emerald nodded as she began rinsing her hair. “The way it felt in my hands… It felt like I was home. I don’t know how to describe it other than that.”

“So have you found a way home yet?” Sonata asked, blowing bubbles from soap around her mouth. “I mean, you have to, right?”

“Yes, I do, but I haven’t found one, Sonata. It opens once every thirty moons and I’ve lost count how long I’ve already been here. I’m afraid unless I sit at the rock in the lake everyday, I won’t know when it’ll open again. That is if it’ll open again. The portal I used on the other side, it broke. I’m not sure if I can return home the same way.”

“Oh.” Sonata looked a little put out. “I, uh, was hoping we’d be able to visit your world. You seem nice enough.”

“You would like it, I think,” Emerald smiled. “Ponies sing everywhere anytime.”

“I know,” Sonata said morosely. “Let’s just say we both know what it is to be homesick, Emerald.”

The conversation petered out and Sonata was soon drying and dressing herself.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to the castle. You have a good time in the bath, Emerald!”

After putting her cloak on, the muse waved and disappeared outside.

Emerald continued to take her time, but when she remembered Posey was waiting for her, she quickly washed up and got out to dry herself. She checked her wounds again before putting her smallclothes on. The smaller ones had healed up nicely, but the big one on her side was still red and looked like it could tear open any minute.

Emerald shook that thought out of her head and replaced the bandages, hoping it would get better in the coming days. When she was done getting dressed, she left the bathhouse and proceeded back towards her home. It had been a long day with the tournament matches and Honeygold’s rescue and it felt like ages since she had gotten some rest time.

When she threw open the door, she sniffed at the air, noticing something that smelt really good.

Posey sat at the table, stirring something in a cauldron. “Oh, welcome home, Emerald. I got some ingredients from the market and ended up making some stew instead. I know you don’t eat meat, so do not worry, it’s all vegetables.”

“You’re very kind, Posey.” Emerald settled down into a chair. The smell of the stew wafted through the air and up Emerald’s nose, making her stomach growl with hunger. It reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day.

The archer ladled out two steaming bowls, and sat down across from Emerald at the table. Without preamble, both women began to eat, with Emerald murmuring over how good it was.

“You’re a really good cook, Posey. Did you learn from someone?”

Posey blew on her bowl of stew to cool it down. “My mother. She raised me alone, after my father died when I was two.”

“I’m sorry,” Emerald said, wincing inside.

“It’s okay. I don’t remember him anyway. My mother taught me everything, how to cook, how to shoot, how to live in harmony with the animals.”

“Live in harmony, you said?” Emerald looked at her. “So you also learnt to talk to animals from her?”

“Well, no. That’s just something I learned how to do living in the forest for so long.”

“That’s interesting…” Emerald took another spoonful of vegetable stew. It was delightful. “So where’s your mother now? How come you’re by yourself?”

Posey pulled at her bandana and looked into her bowl. “When I was nine, there was a raid on our village, just north at the edge of the Shetlands. My mother told me to run to the forest, to get as far as I could. When I got back… Everyone was gone. From that day on, the forest became my home, Emerald.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Posey, I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose your family like that…” Emerald reached over and put a hand on the archer’s shoulder.

Posey nodded and pulled off her bandana, holding it in her hands. “This bandana is all I have left of her. She gave it to me when I hit my first bullseye. This is all I have to remember her by…”

“Well, she must’ve been a great person if she raised you to care for animals, Posey.”

“Yeah, she was…” Then Posey looked up and smiled before picking up her bowl. “But don’t worry, Emerald. I’m fine. It’s been a long time since I started living in the forest. I can manage.”

“Oh, I’m sure I don’t need to worry about you, Posey. You’re certainly more skilled than I. And you’ve been living by yourself for so long. You’re the last person I have to worry about,” Emerald finished with a smile before gulping down more of the stew. It really was an excellent stew; Posey certainly knew her stuff.

Soon, both of them had finished their meal and sat back, feeling pleasantly full. Emerald found her mind drifting back to the battle earlier that day.

“I wonder what King Dawn Saber wants to see me for,” Emerald pondered.

“Right, he did say that, hmm?” Posey stacked the empty bowls together. “Maybe he wants to make you a knight, Emerald.”

“M-Me? A knight? That would be something… that is, if he’s not just calling me to reprimand me for stealing his sword.”

“I’m sure he’s not going to toss you into the dungeon or anything,” Posey said. “I mean, you did save the day with that light and flying…”

“Yeah, I did, didn’t ?” Emerald thought back to when she had held Excalibur in her hands, and how natural it had felt. She wanted to hold it again, to wield the blade against King Sombra.

“Well, think about it, Emerald. After such a heroic act, I’m sure the king will want to have you around to defend the kingdom. All my years alive, I’ve never seen anything like what you did. You truly are from another world.”

“What, you didn’t believe me until I did that?” Emerald replied jokingly.

“Uh, I-I mean… No, that’s not it…” Posey blushed. She usually seemed to do that when she made mistakes or when she was around Sir Ganeighn. “An-anyway, what are you going to do now? You still need to get home to save your empire.”

“I know, but I can’t go back empty-handed,” Emerald frowned at the table. “Now that I’ve seen what I can do with an artifact, that just drives me to try and find another one. I hope there are others, or I could be in for a very long wait.”

“Umm…” Posey pulled at her bandana. “If it’s not too… too ridiculous for you, umm, I could always help you steal the king’s sword. I mean, if the needs arises for it!” The archer waved her hands innocently.

“No, I could never do that, Posey.” Emerald shook her head and looked up. “I couldn’t ruin the king’s rule here. Besides, we would become outlaws. I mean, real outlaws. And what would the knights think of you then? You don’t want Sir Ganeighn to think badly of you, do you?”

Posey became interested in a groove on the wooden table. “It-it doesn’t matter if he thinks badly of me, r-right? I mean, they all did until you showed up, Emerald. Because of you, I’m able to sit here in Canterlot with you today. Because of you, I have new friends.”

Emerald rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, well... You’re not the only one who’s made friends since arriving here.”

“That’s right, you’re fairly new here, aren’t you? To this world,” Posey chuckled lightly. “And yet, you’ve already accomplished so much. What’s going to happen when you return home? Will you come back here from time to time?”

“If there is a way back home, sure I’ll come back to visit. I’ve grown strangely attached to the people and humans here,” Emerald smiled. “Maybe you can come to my world too.”

“I would love to, Emerald.”

“Then it’s settled,” Emerald nodded. “Once I find a way home and defeat Sombra, you can come over and see my world! Of course, you’ll be a pony. I wonder what kind you will be…”

“What kind?” Posey asked.

“Oh, you know, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi. I was a pegasus myself.”

“I remember you saying something about having wings… So a pegasus has wings. What are the other two?”

“Hmm? You don’t know?” Then Emerald remembered, they seemed to only have earth ponies here. “Well, unicorns have horns and can use magic. Earth ponies are like all your horses here. Strong and sturdy.”

“This is some world you’re from, Emerald.” Posey stared at her wide-eyed. “Now I really want to go over there and see what it all looks like. It’s like a world out of a child’s story book.”

“Eh, the novelty kind of wears off when you’re born and raised there. Besides, this world looks like the child’s book to me, remember? But, well… You humans all look the same. I mean, there are no really big differences between you all. No one here has horns or wings or tails. They’re all just… humans. Right?”

“You’re right about that, Emerald,” Posey answered. “Besides having some of us larger than others or smaller or thinner or wider, we’re all just the same.”

“I guess that’s what makes your world seem like a child’s book,” Posey shrugged. “You have differences between your ponies.”

“Mhmm. Well, thanks for spending some time with me after the long day, Posey. I’m glad I got to know you more today. You’re a great human. Much better than myself now...” Then Emerald looked away with a slightly disappointed look.

“What’s wrong?” Posey sensed the change in the air.

The spymaster sighed. “I’ve… I’ve been having conflicting thoughts, Posey. “I know my duty is to return home and serve the Crystal Empire, but… but then I met all of you. And Sir Morn too…”

“What about Sir Morn?” Posey asked. “Did something happen?”

“I… I admitted my feelings to him, Posey.” Emerald’s cheeks turned red. “And he admitted his feelings for me too.”

“Oh, wow, that’s great, Emerald!” Posey raised her quiet voice a little, unable to hide her excitement. “But what’s wrong with that? You don’t seem as excited as I am for you.”

“I am, I’m happy that he feels the same way, but now, I can’t decide, Posey. I know I have to return home, but a part of me doesn’t want to. It wants me to stay here with all of you. It wants me here in my new home. I just… I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, I don’t know if I have the right to tell you, Emerald, but if you feel your home is now here, then why don’t you stay here? With us? You’re good company, you know?” Posey finished with a sheepish smile. “I know saving your kingdom is important too, but after all that, why don’t you come back? Umm, you know, to be here.”

“I’d like that,” Emerald said softly. “I’ve come to like this world, even without my wings or its unusual kind of magic.”

“Well, then there you have it,” Posey grinned. “Once you find a way home and grab an artifact, and after you beat that dreadful usurper, then come on back. We’ll be happy to have you back.”

“Thank you, Posey.” Emerald got up and gave the archer a hug. “I think I know what I want to do now. Thank you so much.”

“Hey, you’ve helped me out tremendously as well, Emerald, and I won’t forget it. You’ve done so much for all of us in your time here.”

“I guess…” Emerald scratched her head. “It’s good to have you around, Posey.” She yawned and stretched her arms up. “I think we better call it a night. The tournament and the rescue have really taken everything I have today. Why don’t you stay the night? You can have my bed like last time.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t take your bed again.” Posey raised her hands. “I’m used to the forest, I’ll just be up on one of your supports. See?” The pink haired archer pointed up to the ceiling supports, beams just under the roof.

“You sure?”

“It’s not a problem. This will already be more comfortable than the forest branches. I’ll do fine.”

As she changed out of her armor, Emerald watched as Posey scaled up the wall, kicking off the wooden surface and grabbing a beam with both hands, hauling herself up into a sitting position. Adjusting herself, Posey leaned back against the support and rested her head on her hands. Emerald really respected her for being able to do things she couldn’t, like climbing things. Perhaps one day she was going to ask the archer to teach her.

When she was done, Emerald fell on her bed, her eyelids already heavy, and pulled up the sheets around herself. “Goodnight, Posey. Sleep well.”

“Goodnight, Emerald.” the archer said and pulled her bandana down over her eyes.

“Come, you must sit, dear.” Queen Sunlight Radiance took over from the knights and held the king up with her strength alone. It was no new news that the queen wasn’t your average high classed woman. “You may go. I shall care for him here.”

“Of course, your majesty.” Sir Morn Dread put a hand to his chest and bowed. “Have a pleasant night.”

Then he and Sir Ganeighn were off, closing the doors behind them.

When they were gone, the queen walked Dawn Saber over to their bed and set him down gently. “You must be tired. You didn’t need to go out today, dear. The knights would’ve handled it.”

“No, no…” the king said. “The druids are not to be meddled with, Sunlight. I needed to be there… If not for Excalibur, we might have lost.”

“Yes, I did hear something about Excalibur being used in the forest. You’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you, my sweet?”

“Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself… See? I’m much better than I was this evening…” Dawn Saber smiled at his beautiful wife. “Excalibur drains my strength in exchange for its great power. Sacrifice is needed to win certain battles, my dear.”

“That’s not all I heard,” Queen Sunlight reached up and took off her tiny crown. “That young lady Emerald Edge. She did something today, didn’t she? That’s why you asked her to see you tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“She took Excalibur from my hands…” Dawn Saber looked down at his hands. “Normally, I would have her thrown in the dungeons for doing that, but after what she did… She deserves an award. Because she took Excalibur from me, we won that battle in an instant. It was… mesmerizing. She had wings, dear. And she flew, like a phoenix from old. And she rained spears of light down on our enemies. It was truly a sight to behold. And after all that, she wasn’t even exhausted.”

Sunlight looked thoughtful. “So you’re telling me that this newcomer, this Emerald Edge, can wield Excalibur better than you. I wonder why that might be?” She finished, looking to the side and smirking.

“I don’t know, Sunlight, but there is something about her that must be different if she can control Excalibur to that potential. All I’ve ever been able to do is shoot lightning from it and you know what happens right after that. Don’t you think there’s something special about her? Where did she say she was from again?”

“A faraway land called the Crystal Empire, if Sonata Dusk is to be believed,” Queen Sunlight said slowly. “I’ve never heard of it.”

The king took off his crown and placed it beside the bed. “We have known lands as far as the Frozen North, but I too have never heard of a Crystal Empire…” Dawn Saber scratched his blue beard. “And on top of that, an empire of crystal? That sounds well made up. In all the lands, we all use steel or iron, with the exception of Excalibur. And they have crystal? If I had not seen her lay waste to the enemy, I would not have believed it.”

“Wasn’t she on a quest to find those, what did she call them, artifacts? Do you think Excalibur is one of them?”

“Perhaps…” Dawn Saber reached to his side to undo his armor. “The guards had told me of the way the shield had reacted to her presence, just like how Excalibur had reacted that day in court. Something about her is… different. And I know she is after these artifacts, but I cannot willingly part with Excalibur. It signifies my right as king. Though I think we should at least help her in her quest after what she did for us. Do you think we should hand the shield to her? As thanks and for her to save her kingdom?”

“It wouldn’t be right…” Queen Sunlight mused. “Sir Lionheart won the tournament, so the shield belongs rightfully to him for the next half-decade.”

“Hmm… You’re right…” Dawn Saber pulled at his armor strap, unable to get it out. “What do you think we should do, my dear?”

“Here, let me help you, dear.” Sunlight reached over and began undoing his armor for him. “As for what I think we ought to do, she certainly deserves something, yes? An award? Bits?”

“Oh, I already have a plan for that, Sunlight.” Dawn Saber lifted his arms as his wife slipped the armor off his chest. “What I was thinking was helping her on her quest too. Does it not sound just?”

“It is, dear.” Sunlight next helped him with his gauntlets. “It’s very noble of you.”

“It is,” Dawn Saber smiled. “But how can we help? Perhaps you could talk to her sometime? Ask her about herself? You’re good at talking to others, after all. Much better than I.”

“Maybe I will,” Sunlight said mysteriously. “Maybe I will. I’m sure she has much to tell us.”

“I can always count on you, Sunlight.” Dawn Saber patted her on her shoulder when she finished removing his gauntlets.

“Yes, you can, my dear. Now come. The night is young, and we have unfinished business…”

“Unfinished?” Dawn Saber looked at her. “What more do we have tonight? Not another meeting, I hope? I was already getting ready for bed.”

“Not another meeting.” Queen Sunlight batted her eyelashes at the king, shedding her nightdress in one smooth motion, leaving her in her smallclothes.

“Oh. That’s what you meant…” Dawn Saber kept his eyes on her slender body. “We still need an heir, don’t we?” he smiled and reached his arms out.

“We’ve been trying for years, dearest,” Sunlight said. “Are you sure you’re not just eager to consummate our marriage for the thousandth time?”

“I won’t lie, my precious queen. I am eager.” Dawn Saber pulled his wife close as she leaned into him. “But our kingdom needs an heir, Sunlight. When I’m old, who will lead?”

“Those are heavy thoughts for so late at night,” Sunlight said, kissing the king on the cheek.

“You’re right, my beautiful wife…” King Dawn Saber rubbed a hand down the queen’s arm. “So enough thinking for the night.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” Sunlight crooned, taking the king’s hands and putting them on her chest. “Let’s make this night something to remember.”

38 - A Rotten Thing To Do

“And that concludes our training for today, my lady.” Sir Morn removed his helmet and grinned.

Emerald Edge panted as she sheathed Amore, pushing up locks of her turquoise hair. She was sweating from just about head to toe, while Sir Morn Dread himself barely broke a sweat.

“As able as always, Sir Morn.” Emerald put a hand on his arm. “Your human abilities exceed all others.”

They both shared a laugh and a sack of water.

“Alas, tis getting late. I think we should get ready for dinner.”

“It is.” Emerald nodded. “Come. I am famished.”

Emerald took Sir Morn’s hand and dragged him to the castle’s food hall for dinner. At first, nothing seemed to stand out to her, with everything going by like it always has.

It was only when her plate of vegetables and fruit was placed before her did she begin to see something wrong.

“This apple…” Emerald picked it up and examined it. “Something is wrong.”

It looked like any other apple, but there was a smell coming from it that Emerald found odd. Apples didn’t smell like this. Something in its scent seemed to leave a burning feeling in her nose.

Sir Morn sniffed and frowned, his eyes locked on the apple. “You are right, my lady. And tis not just yours. Tis all the apples in the hall.”

A few of the other trainee knights and even Sir Hors had apples on their tables, beside their plates of food.

Emerald looked back at her apple and unsheathed her hidden blade. Maybe it was something inside.

Digging her blade in, she easily made an incision and scooped up part of it, putting it on her plate and looking within the apple. To her horror, there was a dark substance now leaking from the hole in the apple, almost black in color. It looked like it was writhing as Emerald tilted the apple.

“There is something inside. It smells like…” Emerald coughed, covering her nose. The burning sensation was stronger now. “It’s poison!”

“Poison indeed!” Sir Morn wrinkled his nose and stood up. “Knights, do not consume your apples! They have been poisoned!”

Sir Hors, who had almost been about to take a bite, dropped his apple, along with his jaw. “How preposterous! Who would do such a thing?!”

Emerald Edge put her poisoned apple down and stood up as well. “Sir Morn, do you know where these apples come from?”

“I guessed they must have come from your apple farming friends. Honeygold and her family,” Sir Morn replied. “It has been… four days since their departure from Canterlot?”

“Five, but that does not make sense.” Emerald rubbed her chin. Honeygold or her parents would never sell poisoned apples to them. “May we have a look at the supply, Sir Morn?”

“Right.” The blue haired knight nodded and grabbed a servant. “Take us to the store, good servant.”

“At once, sir knight!”

Emerald and Morn followed behind him as they made their way out of the mess hall and down a flight of steps. Just beyond a wooden door at the far end of a hall were crates of apples, stacked atop each other. Following her nose, Emerald ignored the first two stacks and locked on to the third stack.

The third stack’s crates didn’t have the Apple family crest painted on them.

“Where did these ones come from?” Emerald peeled open one crate and took out an apple to examine it.

“We did find a stack of crates outside the castle yesterday,” the servant said as Emerald dug her hidden blade into the apple. “We assumed they had been ordered.”

“You assumed wrong.” The former pegasus showed the servant the inside of the apple. It too was brimming with the poisonous substance. “It seems this poison is intentional.”

“Apologies, lady knight.” The servant cowered lower. “We did not realize…”

Emerald sighed. “What is done is done, servant, but we must ensure more safety in the future.”

“Yes… I apologize again, lady knight. I am so sorry.”

Morn clapped him on the shoulder. “Enough apologizing. Right now, we must find the culprits. Who knows how many apples they might have sent out.”

Just then, there was a thunder of footsteps from outside and when Emerald peeked out, she spotten Sir Hors running down, his helmet under his arm.

“Sir Morn, Lady Emerald, we have more news. Sir Prancelot has returned with more discovery.”

“More?” Emerald looked to Morn.

“Go along. I shall remain to remove these bad apples.” Sir Morn held Emerald’s hand for a second.

The spymaster nodded and followed Sir Hors back up. Sir Prancelot was waiting by the castle’s drawbridge, running a hand through his dark hair.

“Ah, Hors, you have returned.” Prancelot smiled and bowed when he saw Emerald. “And I see you have brought Lady Emerald. Tis good to see you have yet to eat the apples, my lady.”

“Tell the lady the news, Sir Prancelot.”

“Right, so I have returned from my travels to Hoofington and it seems these apples are not just appearing in Canterlot.” Prancelot made a grim face. “The townsfolk there had reports of vomiting and fever. Fifteen dead. Tragic. Rest assured, my lady, whoever has poisoned these apples, they shall be brought to justice.”

“Couldn’t have said it better, Sir Prancelot,” Emerald said. She too, wanted to see the culprits either dead or behind bars. “So where do we start?”

“Why, we start by pinpointing the affected locales, Lady Emerald,” Sir Hors said gruffly. “These apples must all be coming from the same origin. The culprits must be traveling to towns close to their origin.”

“Good eye, Sir Hors.”

Emerald watched as Prancelot and Hors laughed and began discussing amongst themselves, almost like they had forgotten she was here.

The apples were brought in by the servants when they found them outside the castle gates. Emerald remembered. Perhaps we can start by asking if any of the castle workers saw anyone or anything out of the ordinary.

Adjusting her red and gold cloak, Emerald left Sir Hors and Sir Prancelot to continue their discussion without her. The first person to ask, she decided, would be the stable master. The stables were located just along the castle’s wall, and from there it was very easy to see anyone who was coming or going.

Iron Hoof was in the process of brushing one of his horses, but upon hearing Emerald approach, he put the brush down and bowed.

“Ah, good knight. What can I do for you?”

Emerald waited until he had straightened up from his bow. “Ah, good evening to you too. There has arisen somewhat of a predicament in the castle, and we are running an investigation. I wish to ask, in the past few days, did you notice anyone or anything suspicious coming to the castle? Like a pallet of apples, for example.”

The stable master scratched his goatee. “Well, now that you mention it…”

Emerald leaned in closer.

“I did see something being delivered. I was shoeing one of my horses at the time, so I wasn’t paying too much attention, but this delivery was being pulled up by these two big men. Not local. I thought that was a bit strange, since normally any goods are hauled in by horses.”

“I see…” Emerald said slowly. “Do you know where they came from?”

“Nay,” Iron Hoof said with a shrug. “I tend not to ask too many questions, my lady. Got too much work to do.”

The stable master didn’t have much else to contribute so Emerald bid him farewell and walked slowly back to the castle, where the other knights were still talking. The other Knights of the Round Table had joined them, with the exception of Sir Morn and Sir Lionheart, now in the midst of deep conversation.

“I think I have an idea of how we can discover the poisoned apples’ origin,” Emerald said loudly. This attracted the curious looks of several of her comrades.

“Oh, really? Do tell.”

“Iron Hoof says he saw the apples being delivered by hand,” Emerald explained. “I believe that with a skilled enough tracker, we can trace the apples back to where they came from.”

“But none of us is that good at tracking,” Hors protested.

“I know,” Emerald said, having already thought of that. “But I know someone who is.”

A smile grew over Ganeighn’s face.

“I shall ask my friend Posey to help track the scoundrels down. If anyone can do it, she can.”

“Ah, the archer.” Prancelot nodded his approval. “I have seen her strength and skill firsthand. And the reports Sir Ganeighn delivered on the Trottingham siege not too long ago also proves the archer’s abilities.”

“Everfree Forest,” Sir Hors said. “Tis a nice name, but I see no need for the change.”

“Sir knights, the apples.” Emerald hoped to get them back on topic.

“I shall ride out to find our archer friend.” Sir Ganeighn swiftly volunteered. “And I shall send my squire to do some digging of information within the castle.”

And then Sir Ganeighn was off, heading towards the castle to first find his squire.

“As will mine,” Sir Hors grunted.

“And we will need to send out a message to all the towns,” Boercival said thoughtfully. “Telling them to not eat any apples until we sort this out. I will dispatch the messenger hawks immediately.”

“Such wanted destruction…” Prancelot shook his head. “Whoever has planned this, justice shall find them.”

“I will go aid Sir Morn in his investigation in the store,” Sir Agramane said and put a hand to his chest. “We shall see if anything turns up.”

“Yes. Lady Emerald.” Sir Prancelot turned to the spymaster. “Perhaps you and I can narrow down possible origin points. You have skills in subterfuge, do you not?”

Emerald nodded. “I do have some experience, yes.”

“Some experience?” Sir Trotivere laughed. “You sell yourself short, my lady. Go, test your skills with Sir Prancelot. Find who has done this deed.”

“If you insist.” Emerald nodded her farewells to the other Knights of the Round Table and followed Prancelot across the drawbridge. “You say Hoofington was affected. That is not far from here, yes?”

“Aye, Lady Emerald. Close enough to Canterlot.”

Just then, Sir Hors returned, stroking at his beard thoughtfully.

“Ah, Hors, you return. What is it you have for us?” Prancelot turned to him.

“My squire has asked the other knight patrols that have recently returned. It seems Hoofington is not the only affected town. Trottingham has also been affected. Eight dead.”

Emerald clenched her fists. Whoever was responsible for this was a coward, killing townsfolk with poisoned apples. There was no good reason to kill townsfolk. Ever. And it hadn’t even been two months that they were liberated from the Sheriff of Trottingham when he returned to lure Posey out. The spymaster pictured the Trottingham townsfolk celebrating the Shetland’s new name, eating apples only to fall from the poison. Despicable.

“Right. While Boercival gets the messenger hawks out, we need to get the town criers to spread the message throughout Canterlot that apples are not safe to eat. Once we’re done with that, we will simply need to wait for Posey’s help with tracking down the source of this scourge.”

“It’s all close by…” Emerald rubbed at her chin. “Hoofington, Trottingham, Canterlot. It is a small sphere they are operating from. They have to be close by. Somewhere where it would be difficult to track them to.”

The knights got to work, drafting scrolls for the town criers to read off of. In less than half an hour, messengers departed from Canterlot Castle to all four corners of the city, bearing the missives of the knights as Emerald worked to pinpoint where the source of the apples was.

“I will take some of these apples to the Mages’ Tower,” Trotivere announced. “Perhaps they can brew an antidote for those who are poisoned.”

“Tis a good idea.” Sir Prancelot nodded and dusted his armored hands. “Sir Hors and I shall wait for Sir Ganeighn and the archer by the town gates. Once they return to us, we can get to work to find out where our culprits are.”

“Wait, I’m coming too.” Emerald tagged along behind them as they headed out to Canterlot town. “Whoever did this deserves to pay.”

“Well said, my lady,” Prancelot said with a smile. “They shall not get a second chance to poison more of the common folk.”

Emerald Edge watched the direction of the now Everfree Forest as they left the town gates, keeping an eye out for Ganeighn and Posey. She had to be ready.

As it turned out, being ready took a lot of effort. She was completely ready for a short time, then sort of ready once the bell struck one. And she was not ready at all when someone tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump out of her daydreaming.

“Emerald,” Moon Tide said primly. She was carrying a large satchel with her. “After a brief look at the poisoned apples, we determined that they were not individually poisoned.”

“What does that mean?” Emerald asked, scratching her head.

“It means that somewhere out there, there is a poisonous apple tree, possibly more. An orchard at worst. So I prepared a little something extra for you, once you get to the source of these apples.”

Moon Tide reached into her satchel and brought out what looked like a set of bellows, like the kind used for stoking the fire at a forge. However, these bellows had a kind of jar attached to the underside, and a candle in front of the nozzle.

“Something Beatrix and Secret Fire came up with, while Nightfall created the bellows. You light the candle, then pump the bellows at the thing you want to go up in flames. Oh, and make sure nobody you care about is standing in front of you when you do it. Once the jar of powder is empty, simply unscrew it and put in a fresh one. There are five refills in the satchel.”

“Fascinating invention…” Hors placed his helmet on his head and took the bellows from Moon Tide. “You mages create the best weapons for our work.”

“So these culprits…” Emerald looked at the bellows, then out ahead, where she could make out the lake and the stone she had emerged from. “They have had enough time to grow these trees of poison apples. It has to be a forest. It has to be a close by forest.”

Prancelot nodded in agreement. “There are but two places near these three towns that contain clusters of trees. The Shetl- ahem, Everfree Forest, and the Berry Swamplands.”

“They must be in one of them.” Sir Hors placed a hand on his sword’s pommel.

Emerald had never asked its name, but it was, of course, made of the strong steel that Honor Proof had used to make Amore and the other swords. Purple gems adorned its guard, matching Emerald’s eyes. She had fought against it once before, but that was long ago, during the tournament for the shield that Emerald was determined to win in the next one.

“Thank you for your gifts, Moon Tide.” Prancelot accepted the satchel of powder from the mage. “We shall put these to good use and make sure no more poisoned apples are sent out to poor unsuspecting villagers. Knight’s honor.”

“Of course. And if you run out of fire powder, there are six vials of alchemist’s fire in there too. Simply throw the vial, and watch the fireworks.”

“When did you become so… inventive?” Emerald asked.

Moon Tide smiled. “I may have learned a thing or two from Nightfall Gleam. The bellows were her idea, I just refined the design. And of course, you have Beatrix and Secret Fire to thank for the powder. I suppose we work well as an inventive team.”

Emerald chuckled. “Maybe not Secret Fire and Nightfall Gleam.”

“Not Secret Fire and Nightfall Gleam.” Moon Tide laughed as well. Then she looked around and then back at Emerald. “Have you seen my son?”

“I believe he’s down in the castle storage with Sir Agramane. If they’re still there,” Emerald said, swishing her cloak to the side.

“I would think he would have liked to be with you instead.” Moon Tide sniffed. “But at least you are in good hands, Emerald. Sir Prancelot and Sir Hors are skilled in battle as well.”

“Aye, that we are, Lady Emerald.” Sir Prancelot slapped a fist to his chest with a resounding bonk.

“I don’t doubt it.” Emerald grinned. Then she saw something in the corner of her eye.

“Oh, look. Sir Ganeighn and Posey are here!”

In the distance, they spotted the duo riding over on Ganeighn’s horse, Ragnel, which Emerald thought was an odd sounding name. Posey gave them all a wave as they got closer, but Emerald was the only one to wave back.

“Greetings, archer.” Sir Prancelot said when they were within earshot. “Has Sir Ganeighn explained the situation to you?”

“Hello, and yes, he has.” Posey turned to the right and looked along the dirt path leading out of town. “They are not in the Everfree Forest. I suspect they are towards the Berry Swamplands.”

“Spot on observations, sir and lady knights.” Moon Tide grinned. “I should get back to the tower. Good luck out there. And I hope you find whoever is responsible.”

And the mage left the gates, making her walk back.

“And we should head for the swamp.” Sir Prancelot waved for the others. “Come, let us ride.”

In no time, the knights and Posey were on their way to the Berry Swamplands, trotting along atop their horses as Gabriel flew overhead, squawking from time to time. Emerald wondered if he was saying anything important, but only Posey was able to understand. She didn’t know how, but she took the archer’s word that she understood what her bird companion was saying.

“I noticed the poisoned apples when I went to make a stew. They smelled funny, so I knew something was wrong. To deliberately poison apples though…” Posey shook her head. “That’s barbaric. Apples are one of the most beloved fruit in the land.”

“Are we getting closer on the trail?” Hors asked from his saddle, growing tired of the long journey.

Posey whistled for Gabriel, who swooped down and squawked at the archer.

“Hmm. Yes, Gabriel, I see,” she said, rewarding the eagle with a piece of dried meat from her belt pouch. “We’re getting close. The swamplands are an ideal place to hide, but even hiding a grove of apple trees isn’t easy. There are only so many places it could be.”

“You do know how to track them, I presume?” Hors rode alongside Posey and Ganeighn, a dubious look on his face.

“Of course she does, Hors. I trust her with my life.” Ganeighn tapped Posey on the arm, making her blush. “I am sure she will lead us straight to the perpetrators.”

Emerald smirked. It was so Posey to blush at everything Ganeighn said about her. She wondered how the two of them were progressing.

Gabriel squawked again and Posey nodded, letting him fly back up to the air. “There are traces of poison coming from the trees close to the crags.”

“She speaks eagle?” Sir Hors looked to Emerald.

“Well, she says there’s more to it than that, but the long and short of it is, yes, she does.”

Sir Hors gave Emerald a skeptical squint. “Huh. Very well then.”

The ride to the Berry Swamplands didn’t take too long, and soon, Emerald could see the cluster of trees at the swamp’s edge, leading down into the bog bellow, where those poisoned trees were supposed to be.

“The crags are further along the river down there,” Posey explained. “We may simply follow the river to them. Just watch out for crocodiles.”

“Or a bogadile, eh, archer?” Ganeighn told Posey playfully.

“B-But the bogadile isn’t real,” Posey said quietly.

“The archer speaks the truth.” Sir Prancelot smiled and got off his horse. “The bogadile is but a legend, told to us to keep us from wandering too far into swamps like this.”

“Bogadile, huh?” Emerald found that name to be a strange one. “You humans have interesting imagination.”

Emerald dismounted, immediately sinking ankle deep into the thick, oozy mud of the swamp, and this wasn’t even at the river yet.

“Eeurgh,” she said, looking down at her feet. It was going to be a bother to clean her greaves later.

“Indeed.” Ganeighn lifted one foot out of the mud and shook it. “I do not know how the mages can stand coming here for ingredients and materials.”

“There’s probably a safe path through all this muck,” Posey reasoned. “Now come on, Gabriel. Show us where the poisonous trees are.”

“Your eagle is trained in sniffing out poisons?” Prancelot asked. “I thought that was only canaries.”

“Gabriel can do many things.” Posey watched her friend soar ahead, leading them north. “And the trees are this way.”

Posey looked back down and squinted, and after a few seconds, she began walking on, beckoning for Emerald and the knights to follow her.

“What a strange peasant,” Sir Hors grumbled as he trudged through the mud.

“Very talented peasant, Sir Hors.” Ganeighn nudged him.

Emerald Edge tried to balance her weight out on her feet, trying not to take too deep of a step into the mud as they proceeded down the slope leading to the river. It would be a bigger bother if her legs were to get stuck in the mud.

As they traveled, Sir Ganeighn went up ahead to talk to Posey, leaving Emerald with Sir Prancelot and the grumpy Sir Hors, who was muttering curses as he stumbled along after them.

“So who do you think is behind this, Lady Emerald?” Sir Prancelot walked on beside her. “Poison. If I am not mistaken, I hazard a guess that tis the druids that are up to no good again.”

“I’m starting to think that the druids have nothing better to do than to bring darkness on the kingdom,” Emerald spat. “Someone should come up with a name for people who spread terror.”

“We already say druids,” Sir Hors said with a slight irritation. “What more do you wish to call them?”

“I’m just saying.” Emerald shrugged. She never got why Sir Hors was always so grumpy.

“Oh, do not mind his temper, Lady Emerald.” Sir Prancelot patted her on the shoulder. “Tis the way he is. Hors had come from an abusive home. Both his parents used to hit him and yell at him. Tis his resolve that he is unlike them.”

“That’s terrible… I never knew, Sir Hors.” Emerald looked at him more sympathetically.

“Tis not something I go around telling,” The brown-skinned knight grunted. “But now that the secret is out…” He flashed Prancelot an evil eye. “Do not tell anyone else, yes?”

The other knight smiled innocently and pretended to take interest in the sky and started whistling.

“I won’t, Sir Hors,” Emerald said, pulling her foot from another thick patch of mud. At least, she thought it was mud. It was hard to tell, with everything being brown. “I respect your wishes.”

Hors nodded. “Then we have our quest to complete. Come. The faster we move, the quicker we shall find our perpetrators.”

Once they were finally down the slope, the Knights of the Round Table and Posey found the swampy river, following it along as Posey seemed to know the way ahead towards the crags, as they called it. Emerald had never been here, but judging from what she had already experienced here, she didn’t want to be back here anytime soon.

Sir Ganeighn was busy happily talking to Posey, so Emerald didn’t want to interrupt them and ask how Posey seemed to know where she was going. It was probably Gabriel, just that she found it weird that Posey had to keep squinting.

“So what made you decide to become a knight, Sir Prancelot?” Emerald decided to strike up a conversation with one of the king’s most talented knights. “Is it some grand story like Sir Lionheart’s?”

Emerald had heard Lionheart’s tale from the human’s own mouth a few months ago. He had acted bravely in a bandit raid and even almost managed to drive them away on his own and when the king and his men had come to help, they brought back the courageous Lionheart with them to train as a knight. It wasn’t his skills or combat prowess that had earned him a place on the Round Table, though he wasn’t lacking in either one. It was his courage that led him to where he was today.

“My story, my lady?” Prancelot put a hand on his chest. “No, nothing of such grandeur like Sir Lionheart. No, mine is of the ordinary tales. I come from a well off family of nobles. One day, my father decided I was to become a knight, and here I am today.”

“Oh.” Emerald tried to sound less disappointed. “Just like that.”

“Like I said, Lady Emerald, nothing like Sir Lionheart’s tale,” Prancelot chuckled. “It has been long since I first became a knight. I have known the king for as long as I remember. The queen much longer.”

“Oh, you had known the queen first?”

“Oh, not this tale again…” Sir Hors slapped a hand to the front of his helmet.

Prancelot grinned and stood taller. “Why, my family were close friends with the family of the queen before she and the king were to be wed. Queen Sunlight and I were inseparable in our youth.”

“Really?” Emerald was interested. She had never known Princesses Celestia and Luna when they were young, then again, they were much older than she was, being immortal and all. “What was she like back then?”

A more serious look seemed to creep into Prancelot’s eyes as he spoke. “She was a young outgoing maiden, Lady Emerald. She knew her fair share of jests and silly phrases. She would never say no to some mischief, yet, she was as kind as could be.”

“You sound like you were good friends,” Emerald ventured. “It mustn’t have been easy when she was to marry King Dawn Saber.”

“Aye, though he was still a prince then. Sunlight, however, has taken it very seriously. She is… changed. Perhaps for the better of the kingdom, but I shan’t deny that I miss our days in the sun together.”

“Well, people do change, ponies or humans,” Emerald said consolingly. The mud beneath her feet got more slippery, so she started walking more carefully as they followed the river.

“Yes, I agree, but have you ever seen someone undergo a complete personality change overnight?” Prancelot said, looking like he had just eaten a lemon.

Emerald tilted her head to the side. “How do you mean, Sir Prancelot?”

“Before the day of their wedding, Sunlight and I would…” Prancelot paused. “Tis nothing. You do not need to think too much of it.”

“Oh. Uh, as you wish, Sir Prancelot…”

They followed Posey until the river diverged to the right, and that was where they made a left turn through a short brush, emerging on the other side now facing a lower valley, filled with crags and even holes in the ground where steam seemed to be coming from. Emerald had never seen such wonders, even in Equestria.

“There, do you see them.” Posey lifted a finger and pointed to the other side of the crags, where forest had started again. “Those are the trees.”

Emerald looked at them. They looked the same as any of the other trees around them. “How can you tell?”

“Umm… something I picked up,” Posey simply said. “Do you have the bellows? We should get it ready. And wait, there!”

Posey pointed again. At first, Emerald saw nothing, but then a movement over by the trees caught her eyes. There were men in brown robes walking amongst the trees with baskets on their arms, filled with apples.

“Druids,” Sir Hors growled. “To be expected.”

“Of course they’re involved,” Emerald said flatly. “So who shall use the bellows? If not, I shall be the one.”

“Tis a good sounding plan, my lady.” Prancelot looked over the bushes at the druids. “Hors, Ganeighn and I can cause a distraction, while you rid this world of such poison. The archer can cover us all from above, yes?”

Posey tapped her bow and nodded.

“Do you remember Moon Tide’s instructions, my lady?” Sir Hors put a hand on his sword. “It would be a shame if we do not know how to use it.”

“I have to light the candle at the front, then pump the bellows to blow out the fire powder. What about the vials of alchemist’s fire?”

“I have them here.” Prancelot unslung the satchel and handed it to Emerald. “There are flints in there as well. To light the candle.

“Right, so Ganeighn, Hors and I shall approach from the crags, there.” The knight pointed down to where the crags sloped up to the other side of the forest. “Ganeighn, your sword is stronger in the sun, is it not? So you shall approach further to the east, where the shade is less.”

“You shall hear no complaints from me, Sir Prancelot,” Ganeighn said with a smirk.

“Then it is settled. We know our objectives.” Sir Prancelot put on his helmet and pushed down his visor. “Lady Emerald, try not to have too much fun.”

The spymaster chuckled and dug around the satchel until she found the flints. “I will try, Sir Prancelot.”

As soon as the others had moved off, Emerald took the flints in her hands and struck them together. The first few times produced nothing, but on the fifth try, sparks flew from the stones, and Emerald grinned. Striking the flints again, she directed the sparks onto the wick of the candle. It smoldered for a moment, then burst into a small tongue of orange flame, dancing devilishly atop the candle wax.

“Right. Time to get this done.”

Posey watched the fire on the candle and then nodded to Emerald as they both pulled their hoods up. “Be careful with that.”

Then she was already climbing up one tree, disappearing into the branches and leaves above.

Emerald licked her lips. She already had a shrewd idea of what this device was supposed to do, and she was looking forward to using it on the poisoned apple trees.

Leaving her position, Emerald crept around behind the brush and around the edge of the crags, stealthily making her way towards the poison orchard where the druids were. The knights were now standing down by one of the steam vents, their swords in hand. Even from all the way here, Ganeighn’s blade, Galatine, shone brighter than Sir Prancelot and Sir Hors’ Arondight and Caladbolg, whose metals were of a duller and less reflective kind.

It made Emerald wonder if Ganeighn’s weapon really was stronger under the sun, but there was no way Honor Proof could manage that, even with all his blacksmithing skills. Right?

Emerald gave the bellows an experimental pump. A tongue of flame lashed out a good meter ahead, lighting up her surroundings. Thankfully, she hadn’t aimed it at any of the trees or bushes. Causing a forest fire over here where Posey was wasn’t such a good idea.

Keeping the bellows low so as not to alert anyone with the candle flame, Emerald stole closer to the apple tree grove. The former pegasus kept to the shadows, and as she got nearer, she could see that these apple trees were shrouded in some kind of oily fog. It smelled rather bad and she used one hand to cover her nose and mouth.

Slinking over to hide behind a crate of apples, Emerald peeked over and saw a druid in the process of picking apples from a nearby tree. It was somewhat difficult to tell with the mist, but there only seemed to be three druids. The one picking apples, and two up on a small overlook who were talking to each other about something. Just then, she heard Sir Ganeighn shouting from below and the two druids at the overlook turned their heads towards the crags, while the third stopped picking an apple and looked over as well, though he wouldn’t be able to see anything from here.

Perfect. There’s my distraction.

Dashing out from behind the apple crate, Emerald ran over to the lone druid and stabbed him in the back with her hidden blade. He spilled the basket of apples before falling forward, slowly bleeding out over the muddy ground as Emerald got her secret weapon ready.

Emerald ran up to the nearest tree, took three steps back, then pumped the bellows. With a roar, a huge blossom of fire licked out of the nozzle, the bright orange flames clinging to the tree and setting it alight like a torch.

“You mages have really outdone yourselves this time!” Emerald said in amazement as she pumped the bellows at another tree, watching as the fire from the first tree began to spread. There was the problem of the fire spreading to the rest of the forest, so she would have to make sure not to have too much fun with this contraption.

Emerald grinned and turned the firethrower onto the crate of apples, watching as it went up in a crackling conflagration. She grinned and allowed herself one cheer of victory before beginning to burn everything else. The two druids who were earlier distracted by the knights down in the crags finally turned around to behold Emerald’s swift work on their poisonous orchard.

“No! It took decades to grow those trees! Stop her!”

Digging through the satchel, Emerald got out a jar of Alchemist’s fire and decided to try it. A glass vial full of red liquid arced up and broke near the two druids’ feet, exploding into a massive fireball.

“Magic!” one of the druids shrieked, her robes catching on fire. “We cannot win this. Retreat! Retreat!”

An arrow flew out from a tree and embedded itself into the other druid’s knee, sending him rolling down on the ground, his back on fire. The first druid picked him up and they both began hobbling away, flailing their arms.

Emerald decided to let them go. After all, how far could they possibly get. And besides, her main targets were these apple trees here, grown to be poisonous. Despicable indeed.

Watching the fire spread, Emerald put out the fire on her candle and waited. The other three knights were up the hill by now, their eyes on the fire as well. Sir Ganeighn raised his sword in a salute as the last of the apple trees began to crumble.

“Tis a real shame to have to burn these trees.” Prancelot shook his head. “But tis good that these druids shall no longer use them to take innocent lives. Justice has prevailed!”

“We should leave.” Posey was suddenly beside them, placing her bow behind her back. “We do not want to be around this fire as it spreads.”

“The archer has a point. Let us go.”

The party hurried away from the orchard as fast the mud would let them. The burning trees sent up a column of thick, oily smoke that would be visible for leagues around. Hopefully it would serve as a warning to the druids that their schemes would not be tolerated in the Kingdom of Canterlot.

“Hoho, we certainly showed them, didn’t we?” Prancelot cheered. “We did not even have to lift a sword.”

“We have. They surely forgot to account for Knights of the Round Table showing up.” Sir Hors removed his helmet, revealing a smug grin on his face. “Perhaps next time, they will think twice before trying to cause any trouble.”

“Another quest completed,” Ganeighn said in a satisfied voice. “I think we could all use a wash, and then a nice tankard of the finest apple cider, don’t you agree?”

“We seem to drink everytime we return from a quest,” Emerald chuckled. “Don’t you think we should cut back on the cider?”

“It would be prudent to wait for a while until all the poisoned apples are out of circulation as well,” Prancelot nodded. “I would not want to return from this quest only to die because the cider was made from those apples.”

“Indeed,” Hors said. “Say, how do you all feel about pears?”

“Ugh, finally, the fire’s out…” The female druid squeezed on the bottom of her robes, wringing water from it as they walked out to the shallow part of the river. “How’s your knee?”

“I will live.” The male druid looked at his now bandaged up knee. They had removed the arrow earlier, but it was a fact that he was never going to run again. “What will we do now? With the orchard destroyed, we will have no more poisoned apples going out to the towns. Nimhe will want an explanation.”

“Oh, Nimhe this, Nimhe that...” the female druid scoffed. “She’s only in leadership because Duchan and Galar are in prison. If it were up to me, I would go join another druid clan.”

“So why don’t you?”

“Because it’s… not up to me.” The female was unsure of what to say.

“Right…” The male struggled to his feet, removing a reed from his bottom. “Come. We must report to Nimhe. She will know what to do.”

The female druid nodded, then looked down at the male druid’s blood dripping from his bandaged knee, tainting the river water with a dark red blot, slowly dispersing into the water. “You might have to give up your druid ways now. Become a guard.”

“We will see what Nimhe thinks.”

The female sighed. “Enough of Nimhe. Let us leave. The knights are bound to catch up if we-”

A splash from behind her turned her attention to the river. The Berry Swamplands were known for its crocodiles, but what was behind her was no crocodile, at least, not any normal one. The monster was at least a good meter taller than the two druids and its body was much longer, stretching back into the deeper part of the river.

She had heard of tales of this mythical creature, but she had always dismissed them as folklore. This beast was of the stories one’s parents would speak of to scare their children so that they wouldn’t be naughty or play in swamps.

“Bog-Bogadi-!”

She only had so much time to scream that before the monster lunged forward and swallowed her whole.

The male druid scrambled back, limping out of the water as his blood trailed behind him.

“This has to be a dream! The bogadile doesn’t exist! It doesn’t!”

And then he was falling, his face landing in a chunk of mud. He couldn’t feel his left leg anymore. Turning around, the druid only had enough time to utter a short scream before he was devoured by the giant crocodile.

Once it was done, the bogadile turned and slinked back under the water, disappearing from sight as it made its way back to its lair. It always made sure to never leave any evidence behind when it was finished with a meal. That way, the legend would live on always.

50 - Into Darkness - Part 2

Barging through the door to the Mages’ Tower, Emerald Edge followed behind Morn Dread just in time as a vine swept over the door, breaking it off its hinges and blocking the entrance. They were trapped in the tower, if only for now. First, they would have to see if any of the mages here were in trouble, and then, the staff. Emerald figured if she could get her hands on the staff, then these vines wouldn’t stand a chance.

On the first floor of the tower, things were chaos reigned. Two mages were held suspended to the sides by vines, while one more lay unconscious under an overturned table, her head bleeding. Part of the floor had been crushed, while Emerald could look out at the sky through a hole in the wall. Vines of all sizes twisted and writhed, searching for targets, which happened to be her and Morn.

There was a tinkle of glass breaking and one of the vines stopped in its tracks, a frosty shell coating its surface. A familiar bearded face appeared at the stairs and an explosion rocked the tower, shattering the frozen vine into smithereens.

“Ho, Knights of the Round Table!” Secret Fire called. “What a day, eh? I dare say there is some powerful magecraft behind these vines.”

Nightfall Gleam appeared at Secret Fire’s side, holding bottles of white liquid that steamed with condensation.

“The vines are susceptible to being frozen!” the female mage explained, throwing one of the bottles at a vine that was snaking in through the window. The vine crackled with a white coating, then it exploded from one of Secret Fire’s firebombs.

“Much as we would like to, we don’t have enough potions to hold them off forever,” Secret Fire explained, ducking under a sweeping vine and lobbing another bomb at it. “You need to get upstairs! Magus Light Speckle or Clover will know what to do!”

And then a vine hit him from behind and knocked him into the far wall, where there was a small explosion. Part of it crumbled and Secret Fire fell on his face, his hair on fire.

“There goes all the pyromancy…” Nightfall huffed. “Go. Take some of my bottles. Will we do what we can here.”

Emerald accepted four of the bottles from her and followed Morn up the stairs, where the male knight defended her from the oncoming vines. He danced around her, blocking and parrying when necessary. None of the vines touched Emerald as she got to the second floor, where she managed to free a captured mage with one of the ice bottles, which Sir Morn promptly stepped in to shatter, freeing the mage from the vines.

There were fewer vines up here. An elderly mage in deep purple robes stood by with a flamesprayer, torching any vines that dared intrude too far into the tower. As Emerald watched, he burned a vine-tip into cinders, then reached into his belt-pouch and pulled out a purple fruit, which he took a savage bite from. Then he went back to spraying fire at the vines.

“You seem quite skilled with that,” Sir Morn said to the mage as he forced more of the vines to withdraw. “How long have you been doing that?”

“Eating plums?” the mage said amicably. “I’ve been eating plums since when I was six.”

“Er, not that. The flamesprayer.”

“Oh,” said the mage, taking another bite of the plum. “Just now. Everyone knows grass is weak to fire, haven’t you played the Pouch Creature card game?”

Emerald blinked at the mage’s calm composure. “No…” she replied. “Are Light Speckle and Clover still in the tower?”

The purple robed mage unscrewed the empty powder jar from under his weapon and attached a fresh one. “I think they are. I didn’t see them leave if that’s any help. No one’s left.”

In that time, Sir Morn had gone to the walls and freed the other entangled mages, cutting their vines down easily.

Just then, a new vine broke through from the floor above, twisting its way towards them.

“I shall handle this floor for as long as I can. Go!” The mage aimed his flamesprayer and fired.

“Right.” Emerald nodded her thanks to him and then nudged Morn to lead the way.

Both Knights of the Round Table battled their way up, trying to free as many mages as they could and at the same time, cull as many of the plunderseed’s vines as they could. The less to worry about, the better.

Emerald threw another of the ice bottles at a bramble of vines blocking the stairway to the seventh floor, and with one powerful swing, Sir Morn shattered all of them in an instant, with Clarent going all the way through.

“Emerald! You’re here! We’re saved!” It was Sonata Dusk, who was being held in the air by one of the vines. Another one hit Emerald from behind, sending her falling. Morn managed to catch her, but one of the bottles slipped from her grasp and broke on the wooden floor, spreading ice across all of it. Almost in an instant, likely from the weight of the various vines around, the floor shattered under their feet, sending Morn tumbling down to the previous floor as he pushed Emerald to the side where the floor was still stable.

“Morn!” Emerald called out for him, fearing his safety.

The blue haired knight got back on his feet and waved to her. “Free the muse! I shall catch her.”

Looking at her final bottle, Emerald threw it at the vine holding Sonata, watching as the frost crept over all of it until it was frozen on the spot. Taking Amore in hand, Emerald leapt across the gap to the other side, slashing at the frozen vine as she sailed across the air. It broke into many fragments, releasing Sonata from its grip, sending her falling down into Sir Morn’s arms.

“That… was fun!” Sonata Dusk cheered.

“Find the mages below, muse. Help them fend off the vines, at least until we get what we have come for.”

“You are here for the staff, yes? Emerald can use it!”

Morn looked back up at the spymaster. “That is the plan.”

Crouching, Sir Morn took a deep breath and when he was ready, he jumped straight up, sailing higher than he’d ever jumped before, finding himself beside Emerald back on the floor above.

“Sir Morn at your service, Lady Emerald.” He smiled and clapped a fist to his chest.

“As always.” Emerald looked to the stairwell. They still had a few flights to go and she was all out of ice magic.

Just then, a portion of the wall was blown inward, with debris flying in. Sir Morn was quickly in front of her, shielding her from the impact.

“Morn! Are you alright?” Emerald put her hands on his cheeks, watching as he winced in pain from the blows. Behind him, a huge vine snaked in, searching for a target.

“Nothing… I cannot heal up… my lady.” He still managed a smile. He breathed deeply, then closed his eyes. Almost immediately, he stood straight back up and faced the vine. “See? All ready.”

The mammoth vine was much stronger than the previous ones, with Sir Morn unable to cut it down in a single swing. Instead, he had to get out of the way along with Emerald as the vine lashed out. A thorn cut Emerald’s upper arm and scratched her armor and when she attempted to attack it, it just swatted her aside. The spymaster rolled, stopping dangerously close to the hole in the floor, but thankfully, she managed to stop herself by lodging a hidden blade into the floorboards.

Rising back on her feet, she parried another of the vine’s attacks and regrouped with Morn, who had made several cuts on the vine’s form. Its tip was almost cut off, but still remained.

Through the hole in the wall, Emerald could see more of the town’s destruction, with one house’s thatch roof on fire, while one house was completely demolished, a vine in its place. And then there were two figures below, looking up at the Mages’ Tower and pointing over. Everything about them spelt out druid, but Emerald recognized them. They were two of the three druids she had encountered on her travel to Docklin in search of that fake artifact. Their names were lost to her, but they had said they were trying to stop Duchan. Is that why they were here?

And then the vine attacked again, breaking her thoughts. Both she and Morn blocked the large vine, managing to stand their ground with their combined strength, though, it was mainly Morn.

Suddenly, a pink haired figure sailed in from outside, swinging down on a rope and rolling to a stop beside Emerald.

“Posey? You’re here!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, a good thing too. These vines had sprung up from within the castle.” She didn’t bother getting her arrows ready. Instead, she held a large cleaver in her hand. “Gabriel alerted me to its attack all over the city. Ganeighn had gone to protect the east part of town, while I went to the west.”

“Well, tis good to see you now, archer. All the help we can get is appreciated.” Sir Morn pushed the vine away and with a spinning slash, sent part of it flying down, landing close to the two druids. “Druids below. I knew they were behind this!”

“No, Morn.” Emerald grabbed his arm. “Those are the druids Sir Prancelot and I encountered in Docklin. The good ones I had told you about.”

“Why on earth would they come all the way from Docklin? Tis so far.” Sir Morn ran a hand through his hair. “Alas, tis good they have arrived. We shall need their help. The more the merrier.”

“We can scale the walls outside.” Posey pointed to her rope that was dangling in the wind. “It will take us up the tower.”

Emerald looked down and swallowed. It was a long drop if she were to fall and once again made her miss her wings. “Are you sure it is safe?”

The archer nodded and slung the cleaver on her belt. “Just follow my lead.”

Emerald was about to follow, but then stopped and turned back to Morn. He was clearly inexperienced at climbing.

The knight pointed to the rope and looked up. “Go with her. The faster you retrieve the artifact, the better. I shall fight my way up from here. Rescue as many mages as I can.”

Emerald didn’t want to leave him, but if she could get the staff, she could protect them all. Running back to him, she held him tightly and gave him a kiss. “Be careful. Yes?”

“As always, my lady.” Morn clapped her on the shoulder, then readied Clarent once more. “Go. Protect my mother and the others. Find the staff and send this plant crawling to the hole it came from.”

With her goodbye settled, Emerald went for the rope, watching as Posey planted her feet against the wall, walking up while pulling on the rope.

“Looks easy enough.” Emerald decided and followed suit.

Vines stood in their way going up, but Posey would kick off the wall like she was jumping on flat ground and while in the air, she would pull herself higher, going over the large shapes in the way.

Emerald did the same and almost fell off twice, but fortunately, she had held on to the rope with all she had and she eventually made it past all the vines, climbing in from a window on the top floor behind Posey.

“Good thing I aimed for the highest window when I shot my arrow.” Posey pulled her hood down and adjusted her bandana. And then she was almost instantly swept off her feet by a vine, sending her crashing into one of the mage workbenches, knocking everything over.

Three vines hovered about, ready to attack, while more writhed on the walls, some even holding mages in the air. Moon Tide and Clover were part of them, both mages unable to move. Moon Tide continued to struggle against her captor, but she could not do anything about it. The ex-Magus Superior looked like she was about to faint.

“Hold on!” Emerald ran for their vines, leaping over one of the attacking ones, while sliding under another. She slashed out at them, breaking a few thorns, and while she couldn’t cut through them all the way in one strike, at least she could delay them.

First up, she had to get to Clover. The ex-Magus Superior was old and Emerald didn’t know how long she could withstand the vine’s constriction.

So going straight for Clover’s position, Emerald vaulted over another vine, then kicked off another as it attempted to grab her. Posey had recovered from earlier, firing an arrow at the first vine, getting its attention while she retrieved her cleaver from her belt. With one less attacker to worry about, Emerald gained more time as she hacked away at Clover’s vine.

“Thank goodness you have shown up, Emerald.” Moon Tide was still trying to free herself, but to no avail. “The vines, they came out of nowhere. I suspect they have originated under Canterlot itself, likely even the sewers.”

Emerald blocked an attack by another vine, then stepped around Clover’s, cutting at it from behind. “We can worry about that later. You mages need help. Are you alright, Moon Tide?”

“I am… currently. Focus on saving Clover first. She does not look so good.”

Emerald nodded and pulled back, and with a mighty yell, she swung her sword, shearing right through the vine and releasing Clover; she caught the mage before she could hit the ground, making sure to handle her gently. She had gone unconscious, but she was still breathing. The spymaster quickly set her down against the wall by the side, then stood again to face the attacking vines and Moon Tide’s vine. One pushed past the other and swung at her, knocking Emerald against the wall, knocking her sword away.

Swiftly pushing to her feet, Emerald managed to roll away just in time as a vine speared right for her position, breaking another hole in the floor. These things were really tough, but once she could get her hands on the staff…

“Emerald, behind you!” Moon Tide warned.

The former pegasus turned just in time to see a vine grab her around the waist and lift her up and she couldn’t get her sword in time. Doing the only thing she could, Emerald unsheathed her hidden blades, repeatedly jabbing them into the vine, hoping to somehow cut deep enough to break it off. Thorns cut deep into her skin, under the armor, drawing blood, but still she fought on, trying to make it release her. The kingdom depended on her to get that staff.

Posey appeared in her field of vision, holding Amore in both her hands. “I shall get you down, Emerald.”

She began hacking away at the vine, while Emerald looked back at the archer’s handiwork. Unsurprisingly enough, two of the vines from earlier now lay on the ground, cut off from their bodies. And Posey only had that little cleaver on her.

She really is a skilled fighter…

In no time, Emerald’s vine shuddered and collapsed, the rest of it snaking away and disappearing out of one of the many holes in the wall.

“Posey, get Moon Tide.” Emerald pushed to her feet and gave the pink haired archer a pat on the back. “I need to see to Light Speckle.”

“Leave it to me.” She nodded.

As Posey began to slash through the vine holding Moon Tide, Emerald made her way to Light Speckle’s room, pushing the door open. At first, it was as though there was something behind it, so Emerald had to resort to shoving her shoulder against it to make it budge. With one last push, Emerald dislodged the vine that was against the door, sending it squirming up and away, allowing the spymaster to enter the room.

“Emerald!” Light Speckle floated in the air, a thick vine wrapped around her and also within it, the staff. “I tried to… use the staff, but it was too fast.”

“It will be alright. I have you.” Emerald took a step forward.

As though the vines could sense what she intended to do with the staff, it swooped out of the large hole it had broken in the wall, taking it and Light Speckle along with it.

“Speckle!” Emerald wasn’t having any of it.

Not even bothering to look, Emerald ran over to the hole in the wall and jumped. She fell in the air, feeling the wind against her face, but now wasn’t the time to reminisce on her time as a pegasus. Below her, the vine holding Light Speckle thrashed wildly, worming its way away from the tower. Unsheathing both hidden blades, Emerald landed right on top of it, digging her blades deep into the plant to hold on tight as it thrashed harder.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Emerald spat, stabbing the vine until it began to bleed sap. There was a sudden burst of light ahead, and Emerald looked up to see Light Speckle holding the Staff of Star Swirl the Bearded, radiating light in a shell around herself, repelling the plants. Only the trembling of her hand and the blood running down her bitten lip showed how hard she was trying to maintain this magic.

“Emerald! Catch!”

Light Speckle drew back her arm and flung the staff at Emerald. Pulling her hidden blades from the vine, the former pegasus leapt up and to the right, hand outstretched. The staff spun end over end, coming to a stop as it impacted Emerald’s palm. Instantly, she could feel its power coursing through her body. She grinned as a pair of golden wings burst from her back, and did a loop around the vines before blasting the nearest one with a torrent of golden light, turning it into a pile of ash.

Then she flew at the one holding Light Speckle, and with another blast, rescued the mage as the vine crumbled in the wind.

“I should… have done that… sooner, huh?” The mage managed a weakened smile as Emerald floated down to the streets below.

“No, it would’ve drained you. I’ll take it from here,” Emerald said resolutely. She gripped the staff and light flared from both ends, stabilizing into two long spikes of golden energy. She landed by the two druids, who still stood at the base of the Mages’ Tower, now looking in awe as Emerald descended before them, the staff radiating its twin blades.

“Lady Emerald Edge?” one of them asked. “That is you, yes? We met in Docklin. You were looking for the Gae Dearg.” She looked at the spymaster’s wings with intense surprise.

“Yes, I remember.” Emerald set Light Speckle down. “You are here to stop Duchan?”

The male one nodded. “Yes. Scath Caol has gone ahead to your castle. We believe that is where the plunderseed has originated from. Tara and I have come here to gain support of your mages.”

“You are against Duchan?” Light Speckle attempted to stand on her own, her strength drained from using the staff. “Are you not druids?”

“We are yes, but we oppose Duchan and his Fir Laimhe Liath clan. The rest of us are… I would say more peaceful.”

“But thank you for coming, druids, and I am sorry, I do not remember your names.” Emerald blushed slightly. They had remembered hers and she hadn’t. “You mentioned Scath Coal and Tara.”

“Yes, that is correct,” the male druid answered with a chuckle. “And I am Mort, at your service, Lady Emerald.”

Emerald smiled and then looked back at the tower. The clusters of vines still span around it, either clutching at it or attacking those still inside. The druids needed the mages, so it was still fitting to free them first. Now with the staff, she felt she could do anything.

“Would you look after Light Speckle for me?” Emerald leaned her friend towards the druids. “She is Magus Superior here. Perhaps you could explain what you need done to her while I solve the tower’s root problem. If you would excuse me…”

After making sure Light Speckle was cared for, Emerald took back to the sky, so glad to have her wings once again. New tendrils had sprouted from the ground below, smashing off another portion of the tower’s walls. Emerald could see Secret Fire and Nightfall fighting vines below, with the pyromancer’s beard charred at the end, likely from an explosion of his.

Starting with the outside, Emerald flew straight through one side of the wall, slashing out with the staff as she passed, shearing off a whole section of vegetation with more ease than ever. Holding the spear high, Emerald cast a trio of light rays from the staff, slicing up vines in a wide arc before her, clearing most of the larger ones from the tower with just that one attack. The rest around the tower sensed her threat and uncurled out to stop her.

Emerald spun and dashed through a trio of spiralling vines, and at the end, she spun her double-sided blades around her, cutting them all into three pieces each. With the artifact, she easily made quick work of the smaller vines, cutting them all down to size. Soon, the Mages’ Tower became more visible and soon, there were no more vines still tangled around it, with the ones in town now facing her, almost like they had watched her onslaught.

With her current work done, Emerald flew back down, the glow around her dissolving and her human body returning to normal. It is a wonder why Star Swirl locked away such power, but Emerald understood that in the wrong hands, these weapons could possibly rival even Princess Luna and Princess Celestia with ease.

“What a show, my lady,” Mort cheered, his face more surprised than before. “Why, I do not think we even need to be here. Our Gae Dearg is nothing compared to what you have just done.”

“Such power in such a small thing.” Tara eyed the staff.

“Yes it is.” Emerald smiled and then tended to her friend, who still looked drained, being held up by both druids. “Speckle, how are you faring?”

“I will be fine in time, Lady Emerald.” Speckle waved at her, then motioned to the tower with her head. “The mages. The druids have told me how to stop the vines. We need to get every mage on it. It is a simple matter of combining some spriggan dust, tree sap and-”

“Right, yes.” Emerald decided she didn’t need to know how they made their magic. Her time would be better being used against the rest of the plunderseed. “So these concoctions you are going to make, they will stop the vines?”

“We druids are excellent at nature magic. It should dissolve the vines on contact.” Mort wore a proud smile on his face. “We shall teach it to all your mages and then we can hold the vines at bay while you find the source.”

“The source?”

“The place where the vines have originated,” Tara went on to explain. “To stop the vines from growing, you must destroy it. And Scath Caol has already gone ahead to face Duchan with the Gae Dearg. He will handle him while you take care of the plunderseed.”

“And she will not be alone.” Emerald turned to see Sir Morn, Moon Tide and Posey walking out of the tower, with the latter having a few cuts on her face.

The spymaster was overjoyed to find them mostly unhurt and threw her arms around the male knight.

“Yes, she will have some help from us.” Moon Tide readied a glass bolt in her crossbow, before dusting off her sleeves. “Duchan is going to pay dearly for what he has done here. We must hurry. The queen is in trouble. I fear she might not last much longer.”

Suddenly, both she and Sir Morn grabbed for their chests, like they had just been punched.

“Morn! Moon Tide!” Emerald watched them frantically. “What is happening?”

Morn clutched at her chest and spat out a mouthful of saliva. “I… do not know, but… something… is squeezing me.”

“We must… hurry,” Moon Tide panted and looked up at the castle. “Our monarchs need us. Go, Emerald… Save the king and queen. Once that is taken… care of, we shall be better. Go.”

“I will follow, Emerald. Just lead on.” Posey slung her bow over her shoulder and adjusted her bandana.

“And we shall rally the mages to keep the town safe.” Speckle patted her two druid helpers on the shoulders. “Go.”

Emerald spun the staff in her hands, then held it sideways as the light blades extended from the tips again, with her hair growing longer and her ears shifting to the top of her head. Once her wings sprouted from her back, the former pegasus grabbed the archer with one arm and grinned.

“Hold on tight.”

With a mighty flap of her ethereal wings, Emerald soared up into the sky in a single moment, already high above the ground. Posey gripped on tightly to her waist, their feet dangling below them, but soon relaxed her grip a little once she knew it was safe.

Gabriel glided along beside them, heading to the castle, looking for the throne room.

Vines emerged from the castle’s walls and even the castle’s moat, most of them simply coiling around the building, while some thrashed wildly, breaking off portions of the ramparts and turrets, where more guards were still trying to hold their ground against the creeping enemy.

Emerald knew they would have to stop this fast, before all of Canterlot would be destroyed.

Gabriel squawked beside them and Posey pointed a finger to the left of the castle. “There. Gabriel says the king and queen are there. King Dawn Saber is lying unmoving, but the vines, Queen Sunlight looks like she is in a lot of pain. We must hurry.”

“Hold on.” Emerald curved back around and spotted a hole in the throne room wall, where a large vine rested. She could spot the brown hoods of druids there, now knowing that was the right place to be.

“Ready, Posey?” Emerald gained more altitude, then dropped down in a silent glide towards the hole.

“Of course.” The archer unslung her bow and nodded to her eagle.

Tucking in her wings at the last minute, Emerald spiralled through the hole and let go of Posey, the archer already nocking an arrow in her bow and firing before she even landed on the floor.

One druid clutched for her neck where the arrow had pierced her, choking on her own blood, while Emerald spun around the air and brandished her double-bladed staff.

She spotted Duchan, standing amongst his druids, his grey beard unmistakeable, a knife against guard Emerald’s throat. Her face was beaten and bloody, and she looked ready to faint any minute. Queen Sunlight was held in the air by one of the tendrils, her face contorted in a silent scream, while King Dawn Saber lay close by.

“I knew you would come,” Duchan said menacingly as he pressed the blade against guard Emerald’s neck. “You, the one who had foiled my plans to take Canterlot.”

“Duchan.” Emerald pointed the artifact at him. “Surrender now. This doesn’t have to be messy.”

“Surrender? Lass, I think you do not know who holds the upper hand. Drop the staff. Drop it, or your friend here will die.” To further emphasize his point, Duchan slid his blade along a fraction of guard Emerald’s neck, drawing a small droplet of blood from her green skin. “And your archer friend too. Drop your bow!”

“Don’t do it, Lady Emerald,” her doppleganger croaked, only to have her head pulled further back.

“Silence, worm,” Duchan barked. “So what will it be, lady knight? Surrender or the death of this one?”

“K-Kill him, Em-merald…” Queen Sunlight managed to say. “He c-cannot… he must not… destroy Canterlot…”

“Still she lives,” Duchan guffawed, not even bothering to look at her. “Your queen is surely a hardy fine woman. If not for her volatility, I would certainly want to keep her as a spoil of war. Squeeze her harder.”

At once, the plunderseed vine holding her tightened around her, the queen now visibly in more pain than before.

“Drop all your weapons. Now!” Emerald recognized Nimhe, Duchan’s right hand woman, as she stepped forward, brandishing a bag of magic. “Do as Archdruid Duchan has asked!”

Then all of a sudden, there was a blur of brown and grey in the air and Nimhe screeched. Unbelievably, Emerald and Posey looked to see that she was being attacked by the large brown owl that nested in the oak tree in the castle courtyard.

Emerald and Posey moved quick in that moment. Targeting the bigger threat, Emerald blasted a ray of light at the large vine holding the queen, melting it to ash in almost an instant, finally freeing her. Sunlight Radiance tumbled to the ground, a hand clutched to her chest, coughing wildly as she tried to breathe.

Posey had fired an arrow at Duchan’s hand, forcing him to drop the knife and guard Emerald as he held the hand that now had an arrow sticking from it.

The other Emerald Edge scrambled from him, crawling and rolling to a safe distance as the archdruid reeled from the pain.

“Agh! Kill them! Sound the horn!” Duchan snarled. Immediately, more vines burst from the throne room floor and shot straight for Emerald and Posey. One of the druids ran to the hole in the wall and blew on a small horn. A small horn that produced a deep and loud sound, echoing across the town.

That was likely for reinforcements. More were coming. She had to work fast.

The former pegasus first got her doppleganger to safety behind her, then as the vines attacked, she began slicing through them with the staff’s double blades. She danced through the attacking vines, each stroke of her weapon claiming another tendril of vegetation, using her wings to block incoming attacks as she went.

“No! No!” He turned to his remaining druids. “Destroy them all!”

Each of them taking out their magic bags, the druids rushed forward, only for one of them to suddenly fall to an arrow. Posey was quick to nock in another one, already firing before the druids got close enough to throw powder at her.

The archer fled back, jumping and rolling to avoid their magic, the carpet already melting away as the magic landed there. More vines emerged from under them, the floor of the throne room now groaning as it got more and more destroyed.

Nimhe finally threw the owl off and reached for her bag of magic. “You will pay for what you’ve done!”

She was about to throw her magic powder at the pink haired archer when a red spear suddenly pierced right through her chest, blood spreading across her brown robes.

“Wh-what…?” She turned, only to see a bearded face before life left her.

“Scath. Scath Caol.” Emerald landed beside the good druid, remembering his name from earlier.

He ripped the Gae Dearg from Nimhe’s body and spun it and pointed its tip at the remaining druids. “At your service, my lady. The legendary spear has arrived to put an end to such evil.”

“It is good to see a friendly face.” Emerald cut down another vine and then looked to Duchan, who was now seething with anger.

“And… I brought some friends.” Scath Caol smiled and pointed a thumb back.

From the entry way, the other Knights of the Round Table entered, led by Sir Lionheart, the shield glowing brightly in his hand. They began helping Emerald cut down the smaller vines, while Sir Agramane went to check on the king.

“No. No!” Duchan threw a fistful of powder at Emerald, only for her to dissolve it with a flash from the staff. “This is not over. It is far from over!”

With that said, he leapt onto a vine outside the wall, commanding it to take him down while the other druids formed a tight formation between him and Emerald.

A formation that just wouldn’t work.

Spinning at them, Emerald sliced three of them in half in just one swing, while the last two simply turned and ran, throwing their bags of magic into the air. Readying the Gae Dearg, Scath Caol sent it flying right into the back of one of them, while Posey dealt with the final druid.

“Excellent work, my lady, I knew you would be the one to do it.” Sir Lionheart came over and swiped a hand across his blonde hair. “The king and queen are safe now. We are victorious.”

“Not yet…” Queen Sunlight walked over, supported by Sir Gallophad, her breathing heavy. “Duchan… He must be killed… Lady Emerald. Putting him in the dungeons was a bad idea. We must stop him here… now…”

“Your majesty, you must rest. Do not strain yourself,” the younger Knight of the Round Table told her.

The queen nodded and looked out the hole in the wall, where Emerald could now see a group of mercenaries and druids entering through the town gates. “I have said what needs to be said… Go, Lady Emerald. Finish this fight.”

“I will help you face Duchan.” Scath placed a hand along his spear’s tip. “You must stop the source, my lady. The source of the plunderseed.”

Emerald looked down where Duchan was now standing, rallying the vines as he headed for his army. He was right. Duchan wasn’t the problem. If she could end the plunderseed, then he would have no power.

“Then I will leave it to you.” She looked to the others in the room. They were all counting on her to save Canterlot now. She wasn’t going to let them down.

Jumping from the hole, Emerald plunged down from the throne room, the wind blowing in her face as she got closer and closer to the ground. Raising the staff, she released a large beam of light, tearing right through the courtyard’s floor and further underground. In just two seconds, she was past the light and the darkness swallowed her, leading deeper and deeper as she searched under the castle for signs of the plunderseed’s core.

And then she found it. A large cavern under the castle, hollowed out by a massive and bulbous shape, where more and more vines seemed to be growing from.

“Found you.” Emerald spun the staff and flew straight for it, her glow lighting up the dark below.

The plunderseed core sensed her arrival and vines shot out at her from the core and from the dirt walls around her. Spinning, the spymaster cut through a whole cluster of vines as she began putting power into the staff, its whole body now glowing as brightly as Emerald’s eyes. Then after releasing a massive shockwave, knocking them all back, Emerald pointed the head to the core and released the biggest beam of light she had ever seen, watching as it began to burn a hole through the plunderseed’s core.

The vines began to thrash about, knocking down walls of dirt from the ceiling and the sides. And then the entire core shuddered one last time and began to deflate, while its vines began to shrivel.

“We did it…” Emerald smiled as she spun the staff to her side. These artifacts were incredibly powerful. More powerful than she had ever imagined. She would surely vanquish Sombra if she brought one back to Equestria.

Just then, the dirt around her began to collapse, with the ground sending tremors across the town as it began to crumble from above.

“Uh oh.”

Duchan had felt the ground tremble right after he had thrown a fistful of dust into one of the guards’ faces, burning his skin right off his bones. With one final tremor, he was knocked off his feet, hitting his head on the cobbled floor.

“Argh…” He got up and rubbed his forehead. And then his face warped into a look of shock and disbelief as his vines around him began to shrivel up, releasing a few of the guards he had entangled earlier. “No… It cannot be. It is impossible!”

He knew the artifacts Canterlot possessed were strong, but he didn’t think she would be able to defeat his plunderseed vines, and so quickly too.

Nimhe and Galar were gone. His plunderseed vines were dying. With the artifacts on Canterlot’s side, he didn’t stand a chance, not anymore. They had to leave. They had to escape while there was still a chance, before that Emerald Edge returned.

“Going somewhere, Duchan?” The voice that said that was cold and calculative, almost chilling.

Turning around, the archdruid came face to face with the mage, Moon Tide, and that other knight, the one was usually with Emerald Edge.

Duchan’s hand shot to his magic pouch, his gloved fingers closing around a fistful of red powder.

“Do you think you can stop me, mage?” the archdruid frowned at her and the knight. “I have the poison arts of the Fir Laimhe Liath. What magic do you have that you can hope to stop mine?”

“Care to find out?” Moon Tide said curtly, reaching into her satchel and bringing out a pouch of her own. “Morn, dear, why don’t you go help thin out the druid’s forces? I will take Duchan.”

“Are you sure, mother?” The knight looked at her, his expression unknown behind his helmet.

“Yes. Let us test whose sorcery is stronger, those of your clan, or that of Canterlot.”

Duchan wanted to stop the knight as he ran over to join the battle against his mercenaries and remaining druids, but something about Moon Tide made him keep an eye on her. Something told him there was more to her than meets the eye.

Duchan and Moon Tide glared at each other, the air between them seeming to crackle with electricity. Then both their hands cleared their pouches, Duchan’s red powder meeting Moon Tide’s white powder. A cloud of blinding crystals flashed in the air and stopped his red powder from reaching Moon Tide. Some of it landed on the floor and coated the stones with a clear, shiny glaze.

“Crystals, is it?” Duchan said, eyeing the floor.

“And you’re still using your same old pit scorpion magic,” Moon Tide shot back. “Change it up, why don’t you?” She pulled a vial out of her pouch, this one full of red liquid.

“Why, you!” Duchan roared.

“Normally I would give an opponent a chance to surrender,” Moon Tide continued, taking out her crossbow and dripping the red liquid over the head of a bolt. “But you dared to attack the queen, and for that, I will kill you.”

Moon Tide took her crossbow in one hand and threw a fistful of crystal powder with the other. The concoction must have been denser than Duchan’s red powder, for it traveled farther than Duchan thought was a safe distance. As it was, he retreated back a second too late and the crystals began to grow on the floor and around his foot, which became anchored to the floor.

Meanwhile, the sounds of the knights fighting the remaining druids and mercenaries grew softer as some of the smarter mercenaries turned and ran or surrendered, or the less intelligent ones were cut down by the skilled swordcraft of the Knights of the Round Table.

“No. It is not over!” Duchan tried to lift his feet, but it was as though he had been frozen to the ground. Instead, he removed the second pouch, the magic he had crafted all those years ago before he was thwarted by Emerald Edge.

The acidic poison was able to eat away at other magic, and seeing as he had created it himself, that Moon Tide wouldn’t know anything about it.

First throwing another fistful of his red powder at her, Moon Tide once again threw another cloud of her white powder, blocking his attack, but while the cloud of conflicting magic obstructed their vision, Duchan already had his acidic magic in his hand.

Throwing it through the cloud, he began to hear a sharp hiss on the other side, his magic already eating away at Moon Tide, no doubt. Even with all her mysteriousness about her, she had lost this one.

When the cloud of dust dissipated enough for him to see, however, to his shock, Moon Tide was still standing.

His acid magic had hit her in the shoulder, and her clothes were slowly starting to erode, the magic already working and eating at her. Somehow though, her blue skin remained intact, with not even the slightest of injury on it.

The mage was looking down as her robes began to disappear, but then looked back at Duchan and smiled an almost maniacal smile. A smile one makes when they know they have won before having done so.

“You may have caught me off guard with that one, but tis a shame you druids only use poison magic.” Moon Tide lifted her crossbow away from her body to prevent it from being eaten up by Duchan’s magic.

“What… what are you…?” Duchan tried to step away, but his feet were firmly rooted to the ground. Then he remembered, his magic had failed to affect Queen Sunlight as well, and he still remembered what she was capable of. “You… You are one of them, are you not?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Moon Tide said with a smile, and she aimed her crossbow and fired it. The bolt streaked across the gap between them and sank deep into Duchan’s left knee with a shunk.

“Agh!” The archdruid would’ve fallen flat on his knees, but the crystal magic Moon Tide had used held both his feet in place and he couldn’t bend enough to do so. Almost immediately, the area around where the bolt had struck began to feel hot and ache, the phenomenon rapidly spreading to his entire leg. “What magic… is this…?”

“Magia Sanguinaria,” Moon Tide said, holding her weapon aloft with a savage grin. “You are already dead.”

“Blood magic…” Duchan gasped as the hot feeling continued to spread, now creeping up his left side. “You mages do not use… dark magic.”

Moon Tide regarded Duchan with narrowed eyes. She then reached into her left sleeve, where the acid had yet to eat and pulled out a short black dagger with a crooked blade, its length glowing faintly with a luminous green coating.

“Execution,” the mage announced, slowly walking closer. “For crimes against the queen and her kingdom, I hereby sentence you to death.”

As fast as the dagger had been drawn, Moon Tide had quickly put it back up her sleeve as a familiar figure ran over, a red spear in his hands.

“Ah, the druid with the spear, you have arrived.” Moon Tide clutched at the front of her clothes, trying to hold it up.

“Scath Caol,” Duchan said with as much poison as his magic. “I should have known you would aid the enemy.”

“Your reign of fear has gone on long enough, Duchan.” He raised his spear up to the druid’s chest. “The Fir Laimhe Liath dies here this day.”

Duchan looked down at his hands and groaned. All his plans, all his time waiting… In the end, he could accomplish nothing, not even the destruction of Canterlot with an ancient weapon. That Emerald Edge had foiled his plans once again with her powers, but this time, it wasn’t just her. It had been a combined effort, where many pooled their strengths together to protect their kingdom.

In the end, perhaps he should’ve known. He would never be able to destroy such power.

Even so, he wasn’t going to admit it.

“I will return. I will return with weapons far greater than your own! Weapons more powerful than the plunderseed vines! Weapons-”

And then the spear was thrust through his chest, stabbing right through his ribs and his heart.

Duchan gasped heavily as blood dribbled down the corner of his mouth. The last thing he saw was Moon Tide, smirking knowingly beside Scath Caol before he finally breathed one last time.

It was over.

Over near the central bridge of Canterlot, where most of the fire had already been doused by the efforts of the townsfolk, Emerald Edge pushed out from under the cobbled street, her wings taking the brunt of the impact as she shot up into the air, finally free from her underground prison.

She would’ve been able to get out much faster if not for the fact she would likely bring the entire street down, along with the castle. It had also taken time to push at the dirt underneath, at least making sure it wouldn’t collapse again. No normal human would’ve been able to do it, but she was no normal human.

Bodies of humans, guards, knights, barbarians and druids alike littered the streets of Canterlot, where the plunderseed vines had laid to ruin before Emerald managed to stop it. It would take much time to rebuild, but it would definitely be something they would be able to achieve if they were given enough time.

The battle was over.

To the side, Canterlot’s guards and knights had began taking prisoners, tying down druids and barbarians. At least some of them had the sense to surrender.

Moon Tide was standing by the side, clad in brown rags, and beside her…

“Sir Morn!” Emerald landed and sprinted over to him, her form shifting back to her regular human form and her glow dissolving in the wind behind her. She basically threw herself at the knight, so happy to see him here, unharmed. “It is so good to see you.”

Morn chuckled and hugged her back. “And tis good to see you too, Emerald. And might I add, tis a job well done. You have stopped the plunderseed.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you. All of you.” Emerald patted Moon Tide on the shoulder. Then she realized it wasn’t enough of a thank you and gave her a hug as well.

Moon Tide inhaled deeply and smiled, running a hand through Emerald’s hair. “You flatter us. Without you, I’m afraid we might have lost the whole of Canterlot. The queen, uh, and king owe you much. We all do, Lady Emerald.”

“As do I, my lady.” Morn removed his helmet and smoothed out his blue hair. Then he took both of Emerald’s hands in his. “I am proud I have got the chance to know you.”

“Likewise,” Emerald said with a bashful nod. “Now, I suppose we need to see to the safety of the townsfolk. Come on, everypony! The druids have been stopped, but there is still much we need to do.”

“Thank you for assembling here, my Knights of the Round Table.” King Dawn Saber sat atop his newly constructed throne, one arm in a sling. Queen Sunlight sat beside him, a bandage around her right arm, but otherwise, she seemed to be faring well.

By the looks of it, everyone who had had a hand in ousting the druids had been invited. Scath Caol and his two companions stood in a corner, with Mort still clutching the Gae Dearg. A large collection of mages was arranged behind the knights, and some guards, still sporting some bandages and poultices from the fight, were also there. Guard Emerald Edge was the only one absent, having sustained more serious injuries than everyone else. Dash Spiral stood with the other guards, a bandage over one eye.

“My faithful subjects, and others,” King Dawn Saber proclaimed. “Today is a glorious day. We have survived a great onslaught of darkness, and while they may have damaged Canterlot, we did not fall! We stood strong against the evil druids of Fir Laimhe Liath, and have shown the world that the kingdom of Canterlot is not one to be taken lightly. The bards are already composing songs of our great victory today, but this day belongs to you all, who fought valiantly against the forces of evil. I hereby declare that every year, this day shall be a day of festivities and celebration in honor of the great battle that was fought today,” The king stood up, using Excalibur as a crutch. “And all the lands will know that Canterlot will stand proud, forever!”

A great cheer went up from the entire throne room at these words. The king raised his hand for quiet.

“Now, there is much that must be done in terms of fixing what the Fir Laimhe Liath have destroyed, and I would like to extend a hand of friendship to the noble druids that slew Duchan, if they would have it.”

Scath Caol stepped forward, taking the crimson spear from Mort. “We accept, O King of Canterlot!”

“Very good! You and the mages will work toward destroying any last traces of the vines, and make sure that they cannot ever be used again. The rest of us will busy ourselves in repairing the damage the Fir Laimhe Liath have wrought.”

The rest of the gathering was King Dawn Saber delegating what tasks would go to whom, and sending messengers out across the kingdom for craftsmen and stonemasons to come and repair the structure of the city.

Emerald didn’t quite pay attention to what the king was saying, but she got the rough idea. It had been quite a day, first going out on a quest, and then returning to defend Canterlot from a plant and the druids. Sure, the artifact couldn’t drain her of her strength, but just thinking about all she had done today worked its own magic on her.

Right now, all she really wanted was a hot bath and a mug of warm cider. She looked at the staff in her hand and sighed.

“I suppose I had better return this to Light Speckle...”

Without quite knowing why, there was suddenly a great ‘Huzzah!’ and Emerald was beset by all knights, guards, and mages. They were congratulating her on her part in stopping the vines.

“No, really, it was nothing,” Emerald said, bowing her head modestly. “Anyone else would have done the same.”

“What anyone else would have done...” Sir Gallophad said with a grin. “Was get killed. But not you, Lady Emerald. I am proud to call you my sister in arms.”

“Right!” Beatrix shouted, throwing a fistful of glittering powder into the air. “You are a hero, Knight Emerald!”

Emerald spent the next half an hour bandying pleasantries with everyone, even the king and queen. However, all she really wanted now was a break from all the excitement.

“I need to see to something!” Emerald finally announced. “I shall see you all later, yes?”

And with that, the former pegasus channeled the power of the staff into a pair of wings and she flew out of the hole in the side of the throne room that the vines had broken. She looped up over the castle, just shy of touching the low clouds that hung over the city. True, Canterlot had taken a beating, but it was far from out. The kingdom would rebuild, with mortar, stone, and hope. Emerald smiled and angled her wings to touch down in the royal gardens, in a secluded clearing where she could think in peace.

Today had been a long day indeed, but with the artifact in her hands, she felt as though she could accomplish anything. She almost didn’t want to part with it, but in the end, what else was she going to do with it if she couldn’t find a way home. She figured she could always vaporize any bandit she came across, but perhaps that was a bit much.

While she was here in the garden, Emerald decided she would have a bit more fun with the staff before giving it back. Taking to the air again, she flew loops in the air, feeling the wind against her face, the cold breeze through her hair. These were things she had missed doing since coming to this world. She made a note to never take her wings for granted ever again. Now that she was in human form, she wanted more than anything to have her pony qualities back.

When she felt she had enough fun, Emerald descended, doing an aerial somersault before landing in a crouch, the staff’s tip softly tapping the concrete panels on the floor.

Just as Emerald stopped channeling power into the staff, her wings fading away, there was a slight rustling in the foliage. She turned around, her face breaking into a soft smile when she saw Sir Morn approaching with two goblets and a bottle of cider.

“I thought you might come here,” Sir Morn said, putting the goblets down on a flat stone and uncorking the bottle. “I often find that moments of quiet are essential after a long fight. Whether it be just sitting down with a wineskin after a battle or a cup of cider after a long day at court.” He poured out the spiced cider into the goblets and handed one to Emerald.

The former pegasus gratefully accepted the goblet and sipped at the cider, feeling the liquid warm her up inside.

Sir Morn also took a sip from his drink. The two knights stood in silence for a time, simply enjoying each others’ presence.

“So,” Sir Morn said at last. “How does it feel to be a hero?”

“Truth be told, it is a little… overwhelming.” Emerald grinned and looked over to the side, where a statue of a chubby boy stood. “I’m not used to having attention like that, remember?”

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it, my lady. After the events of today, there’s no going back to just being an ordinary Knight of the Round Table, as extraordinary as that already is.”

Emerald sighed and looked down at the staff in her hand.

“This isn’t at all what I thought I would be doing when I came through the portal. By all rights, I shouldn’t even be here. I wanted to be a hero to my own kingdom, but here I am, being a hero in this world. Funny, isn’t it?”

“Mmm.”

“Still, it isn’t all bad,” Emerald said, turning to Sir Morn with a smile. “I got to meet amazing new friends…” She glanced away. “...and I got to meet you.”

Sir Morn returned the smile and draped one arm over Emerald’s shoulder. “Aye, that you did. And while I still feel your mission is of utmost import, I cannot help but treasure every moment we have together. Who knows when we will be parted?”

“Then let’s make every moment count,” Emerald said quietly. “Sir Morn, you are the bravest, strongest, and most gentle knight I have ever known. Perhaps it’s time to take it to the next heights?”

Sir Morn bent down and touched his lips to Emerald’s own.

“When we are done rebuilding Canterlot, nothing would make me happier.”

Author's Note

Achievement Unlocked: The Light of Canterlot - You reached the end of Act II.

64 - Departure from Avalon

“What the hay?! What the hay is that?!” Emerald Edge scooped up a sword than one of the guards had dropped and stood between the vampire and her friends on the wagon. “Golden Nugget, get your family and run!”

Emerald eyed him closely, knowing how fast he could move. It had gotten awfully cold and unfortunately, the cold seemed to be affecting her joints. If he were to attack now, she didn’t know if she could get out of the way in time.

“Wait, no, don’t hurt him, Em!” Honeygold ran over to her and stood between her and the monster. “This is my friend, the one Ah’ve been tellin’ ya about!” She turned to the vampire. “Omul, these are my friends from Canterlot. Em, this is Omul Bates. He’s a vampire.”

Emerald eyed the bloody fangs and the wings. “I can tell.”

Omul snorted out a piece of meat from his mouth, then as Emerald watched, he slowly began to turn back into his human form. “So this is the famed Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table. I have heard much about you from the young one. Let us say nine of her ten stories are about you.”

“You are friends… with a vampire?” Emerald didn’t let go of her weapon. “And why the hay did it get so cold?”

“Oh, you have to forgive me for that.” Omul wiped a hand across his bloodstained mouth, which was a sharp contrast against his pale white skin. “Vampires exude cold. As to why, I do not have an answer for you.”

“Ah’ve never really been that pleased my daughter’s been friends with a vampire, but…” Golden Nugget gave him a careful pat on the shoulder. “Thank ya for what you’ve done tonight. Ah still can’t believe vampires are real, even till today, seein’ ya in action.”

“Most people do not.” Omul grinned and nodded. “And tis nothing. I would never let them harm my little friend, now would I?”

Honeygold beamed up at him and chuckled. “No ya wouldn’t. See, Em? He’s a nice fella.”

Suddenly, Omul Bates’ head flicked to the side and he growled at the treeline. Moon Tide walked out from it, her hands raised to gesture that she meant no harm.

“Moon Tide! Ah, the mage is with us. You can trust her,” Emerald quickly told the vampire before he could decide to murder her.

“A real living vampire…” The mage stepped closer. “Why, I never thought I would ever get to see one. You are not from around here, are you?”

Omul shook his head. “I am from Trotsylvania, all the way from Kievan Horse.”

“Far from home indeed. What brings you to Canterlot?”

“I just wanted a new life. To start over. I had feasted on my fair share of humans,” Omul said in his strong accent. “But no more. Let us say I do not enjoy being hunted. Honeygold here has shown me there is more to life than hiding and stealing food.”

Emerald nodded and went to untie her friends in the wagon. It was nice to know that not all monsters were bad, but it was a strange circumstance nonetheless.

Posey was the first to rouse, rubbing at the back of her head as she blinked rapidly. “Em? What happened? Where did the guards go? Why is it so cold?”

“Long story. Could you help me with the others? I think tis time we left. More guards could be coming.”

As Posey helped with waking and untying the others, Emerald approached the Apple family. “Tis not safe here. Not for you. Come with us.”

Golden Nugget and Apple Bean were clustered around Honeygold. “So it’s true then. Sir Morn really has turned evil.”

Emerald nodded solemnly.

“We understand we ain’t gonna be safe here in Avalon… but what about our farm? We cannot just leave it. Farmin’s been in our family for since as long as we can remember.”

Emerald couldn’t help but sympathize with the Apples. She was asking them to leave behind everything they had ever known, all for a chance of stopping Morn. But if they stayed, surely more soldiers would come.

Then there was the sound of someone’s throat clearing.

“Ahem. ‘S all right, Apple Bean, Golden Nugget.”

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. Approaching from the west were a whole horde of farmers, carrying torches and pitchforks. Moon Tide’s lip lifted in a snarl and she stepped back into the shadows, as did Omul Bates.

“We came over cuz we heard a big ruckus,” A short farmer wearing a brown tunic and carrying a torch said. “But it looks like ya took care of it. Listen, over all th’ time Emerald and her friends have been here, we’ve been talking about what to do. An’ we agree. Yer Emerald’s friends too, an’ if y’all stay, it won’t be safe. So ya need to skedaddle outta Avalon real quick. Don’t worry none about the farm. We’ll take look after it while yer gone.”

“Apple Root…” Golden Nugget said, tears welling up in his eyes. “We can’t ask you to do that.”

Apple Root shook his head. “Nugget, yer like my brother. Hay, y’all are family so long as we’re concerned. Family looks out f’r one another , you know? So hurry and get goin’.”

Omul nodded. “He speaks the truth, parents of Honeygold. I will stay and defend Avalon as best I can.”

“Defend? You?” Apple Root tapped on his belly. “Son, ya don’t even have a pitchfork and ya ain’t a seasoned farmer like us. How are ya supposed to fight off the Canterlot guard all on yer own? Why, mighty chilly tonight, ain’t it?” He shivered.

“Oh, ya can trust Omul, Mister Root. He’s very good at defendin’ himself. And others.” The young farmer girl gave him a wink.

“Well, if ya say so. Good to have you have our backs, Mister Omul.” Apple Root shook the vampire’s hand.

“Likewise.”

“Right. If that’s done, it’s about time we go pack.” Apple Bean grabbed her husband’s and daughter’s hands. “We’ll meet ya back here at the cabins shortly.”

As everyone began to disperse, Emerald went to be with her friends, who were mostly still reeling from being taken captive, especially Jewel Pin.

“They got my clothes all dirty!” she wailed, pulling at her purple hair. “What am I supposed to do now? It’s all over!”

“You brought more clothes, did you not?” Posey adjusted her bandana and frowned at her.

“Yes, but this piece of clothing is ruined!”

The archer rolled her eyes and called Gabriel to her arm, giving him a nuzzle on the head.

“We almost got caught and all you can think about is your clothes?” Spectrum sounded dumbfounded.

“As a seamstress, tis important to represent yourself well.” Jewel Pin held her chin high and huffed.

“If it makes you any happier, you may go wash them in the lake right now,” Posey said, at her wit’s end with this woman.

“I think I shall.” Jewel Pin went to her bags and grabbed a similar looking dress from it. “I shall be by the lake.”

Posey blinked a few times as she stomped off. “I wasn’t… being serious.”

Spectrum Song shrugged to her, then turned and slapped Guard Streak on the arm. “And Streak, come on! You were asleep on guard duty. You didn’t see them coming!”

“I-It’s not m-my fault!” The other squire waved his hands wildly. “Um, maybe just a little…”

“If we didn’t have that vampire, we would be on our way back to Canterlot and probably be executed by sundown tomorrow.”

The male squire rubbed his head sheepishly. “Yes, I-I s-suppose it is my fault. I’m s-sorry…”

“Tis not all your fault, squire.” Posey allowed Gabriel to fly back into the air. “I had also failed to defeat them in combat. I am part to blame.”

“Enough with trading blame about.” Emerald sighed and stepped in between all of them. “The attack is over. We have won. What happened is no longer important. What matters if moving on from here and learning from our mistakes, yes? Streak, be more alert when on duty. The rest of us will have to just get better at open and hidden combat.”

“Spoken like a true knight.” Light Speckle dusted her robes and rubbed at her wrists where she had been tied. “Nightfall and I will try our best to help out as well. We may not be combat trained like the rest of you, but we might be able to hold our own with a little magic.”

“As will I.” Moon Tide placed a hand on her chest. “But alas, I am only traveling halfway. Morn cannot know that I am with you. I must return to Canterlot before the Coltcasus Mountains. It would break his heart to know what I am doing… against him.” The mage looked away disappointedly.

“I can never imagine what it’s like to have a son lose sight of what he is…” Emerald gave Moon Tide’s hand a squeeze.

The mage looked at her and shook her head. “No, but you do understand what it is like to have someone you love turn to the dark.”

Emerald sighed. She did.

“Hay, I do not understand them both.” Spectrum put her fists on her hips. “But I do know we need to stop him and return Canterlot to its former glory.”

“Right.” Emerald looked to the distance. The sun was still down and the moon did little to illuminate the night. “We are all packed, yes?”

“With the exception of ourselves, yes.” Nightfall pretended to check something off a list with her hands. “We just need to wait for the farmers.”

“And Jewel Pin,” Posey added with an exhale.

“And Jewel Pin.” Emerald laughed and looked in the direction of the lake and wondered how the seamstress was able to see through the darkness, much less wash her dress. “We’ll leave as soon as everyone is ready. I just hope with us gone, Canterlot won’t send any more soldiers to Avalon. It’s not their fault that they’ve been taken over by magic, and I don’t want anyone getting killed.”

Posey made a small noise. “I hope we can put everything right without unnecessary bloodshed. But I have this bad feeling that before this is over, blood will be spilt. I just hope it’s not any of ours.”

The former pegasus looked at the rest of her friends and nodded. These were all good friends. She’d already lost some when they had attempted to escape Canterlot. She didn’t want to lose anymore.

“All set, Em!” Honeygold returned from the darkness, carrying a little sack over one shoulder. The young girl’s parents soon appeared too, with larger sacks. “So when are we headin’ out?”

“Now all that’s left is Jewel Pin.” Posey sighed and slung her bow over her back. “I shall go find her. That is, if she hasn’t drowned by accident yet.”

With a whistle, Gabriel glided down on her arm and they went off in the direction of the lake together.

“Omul’s real nice, ain’t he?” Honeygold looked at them all excitedly. “He’ll take good care of the place while we’re gone.”

“Where’d you even meet a vampire?” Spectrum squeezed her cheeks together. “To even be friends with a monster is really amazing!”

“He ain’t a monster,” Honeygold clarified. “Not when ya get to know him.”

“Honeygold is right.” Emerald gave the farmer girl’s head a gentle rub. “He just saved us all tonight. A friend of Honeygold is a friend of mine.”

“S-She’s right.” Guard Streak nodded.

“I suppose.” Spectrum clapped Honeygold on the shoulder. “Well done, making such a good friend in a vampire.”

Once Posey had retrieved Jewel Pin, whose dress was still dripping water, Emerald Edge gathered the rest of her group and just as the first light of dawn began to peek over the hills, they were all ready to leave Avalon.

Golden Nugget and his family waved their goodbyes to the rest of the farmers, who had gathered to see them off. Omul didn’t show up, but Honeygold said he didn’t like the sunlight and went on to explain to her friends that vampires don’t burn in the sun like the old tales said, but they just don’t see very well in daylight.

“So all those fairytales are just nutcrackers?” Spectrum pulled at her multicolored hair. “My mother has been lying to me all this time! I wonder just how real the other monsters are now.”

“We-well, vampires are sti-still real,” Guard Streak reminded. “They are just not th-the same as the stories say.”

With most of the group on horseback (The Apples had brought along Joey and Springer) and the rest of them in the carriage, Emerald waved goodbye to the island of Avalon and its bountiful orchards and friendly caretakers. She hoped that she would be able to come back some day.

Author's Note

Posting this on Christmas Eve. Happy holidays, everyone!

81 - The Rude Sandstorm

Morn Dread sat atop his armored steed and overlooked the Kievan lands. He had taken this horse from the captain of the Fort Visage de Cheval. It turned out that the mental dominating power of Excalibur also extended to animals like horses. This new charger obeyed his every command, without even the slightest protest. It would probably run right off a cliff if he ordered it to. It was no Windspeed, but it had to do for now.

Morn knew that Emerald had come through this way. He had interrogated the soldiers here himself, and learnt of her departure into the Kievan Horse territory. He had never been this far away from Canterlot, but there was a first time for everything.

For the past day, Morn had taken rest at the fort to regain his strength. Excalibur still took a lot out of him if he pushed it too far, unlike his beloved, who could use it to no end. With all the mind dominating, it had worn on him and he had also let that bandit get away. He wasn’t going to make that same mistake twice, and so, he took it on himself to rest up after long days of using Excalibur’s power.

Even though Morn had left many of the Canterlot knights behind in other territories, his ranks had been bolstered by dominating soldiers from the forts he had come across and added them to his army. Canterlot’s king cursed to himself. He had wanted to catch up with Emerald before reaching the Kievan Horse lands, but she had eluded his grasp once again.

Just where are you going?

She wasn’t just blindly running. Morn knew Emerald too well to believe that. She had some kind of plan in mind, and it all counted on heading east, whatever lay in that direction. He squinted at the mountains in the distance, just barely visible on the horizon of the land. Emerald was looking for something, but he did not know what. Perhaps she was going to far off lands to bring back some foreign soldiers to oust him from the throne. His armored fist tightened on Excalibur’s grip. Let her try; he would dominate them all with his sword’s power.

Though he would never admit it to anyone, not even himself, he could feel the sword’s abilities wearing on him. He was tired, and it was more than just mere travel fatigue. He knew how to cope with that. He had known, of course, that Dawn Saber was incapable of using Excalibur’s abilities without immediately having his vitality drained from him. All the knights had, and while Morn seemed to be able to tap into the sword’s power better than Dawn Saber had, he knew he could not compare to Emerald, for whom the sword had been forged.

Morn continued to stare ahead at the Coltcasus Mountains, but in his eyes, he could only see Emerald Edge before him. For the life of him, Morn could not understand why she had chosen to become his enemy. He had it all planned out. By taking Dawn Saber’s place, he was only putting a stronger king on the throne, one who would not value his own reputation over family. Morn would bring order to the world, and there would be no more fighting. Wasn’t that what every ruler wanted for their people, everlasting peace? And then Emerald was to rule beside him as his queen, but he could not understand why the woman he so loved would not want that. He was doing this all for his love for her. He was doing this for her.

Scowling, Morn looked down at Excalibur’s blade. Its gold and silver surface reflected his face very well. His open mouth displayed a pair of short, pointed fangs. He ran his tongue over them. He wasn’t quite sure when they had appeared, but it had most likely been after he had claimed the sword from his father. He didn’t know what to think of them just yet.

Morn looked behind himself at the Canterlotian and Prench soldiers who were now part of his army. The same golden light shone from all of their eyes, and they stood as still as trees on a windless day.

“Alright, troops!” Morn shouted to his soldiers. “We are about to cross into the Kievan Horse lands. We must catch up to Emerald Edge and bring her back to Canterlot. You understand me!”

“Yes, King Morn Dread,” the soldiers droned as one. At Morn’s side were his chosen lieutenants, Sir Gallophad and Sir Lionheart. The other Knights of the Round Table had all been sent to other kingdoms to gain their allegiance through either diplomacy or force.

Diplomacy.

Morn scoffed at that. If these other kingdoms had leaders like Dawn Saber, force would be the only language that they would understand. And with Sir Lionheart with the unconquerable shield and Sir Hors with the mystical staff, victory was all but assured.

And then there was him, with Excalibur. Its power was truly overwhelming, and now that he had accustomed himself a little to its power, Morn could understand just how Emerald had defeated her enemies so easily before. Its might was stupendous.

Morn gripped Excalibur tighter and his horse obediently followed, setting off at a brisk trot into the Kievan lands. His army marched dutifully behind him. Emerald would no doubt see them coming, traveling like this, but Morn did not care. A king need not hide behind deception and subterfuge. A king announced his presence loudly and proudly, and let his enemies know that he was coming. After all, what should a king have to fear?

Emerald decided that it would be the wind that drove her insane first. The group had been halfway through the thirteenth day of travel, by Emerald’s count, but all of a sudden the caravan had run into a vicious sandstorm. They had seen it coming from miles away and had quickly pulled the whole caravan to a halt, and set up makeshift tents.

The camels, most of all, seemed to know what was coming and lay down on the sand, eyes shut and heads tucked behind their bodies.

Emerald had just finished securing the last rope on her tent when the dust storm had hit. She took shelter inside with the Apples and Spectrum, listening to particles of sand battering the cloth of the tent from the outside. The wind howled and threatened to tear the tent from the ground, but with a person sitting on each side of the cloth, the tent stayed in place almost perfectly. Only the occasional gust of wind slipped in, bringing with it small puffs of fine brown sand.

At first, the five of them were worried, not having experienced this kind of thing before. The Apples, Emerald, and Spectrum said nothing for the longest time, glancing around as if looking for any holes or leaks in the tent. Then after what felt like an hour, they got tired of being worried and simply settled for being apprehensive. And then only concerned.

“How long are we going to be stuck here?” Spectrum complained, shifting herself to a more comfortable position.

“Ah don’t know,” Honeygold replied. She was sitting in between her mother and Emerald, dressed in her white robes and hood from earlier that night. “Must be dangerous if Salt Flats made everyone take cover, though.”

Golden Nugget leaned up against his wife. “Ah just hope we’re almost at Masyaf. Wasn’t the journey supposed to be twelve days? This here’s thirteen if Ah’m countin’ right.”

“Well, we did hafta make a detour cause of that dragon,” Apple Bean reminded him. “But don’t worry, honey. Ah’m sure that we’ll be at Masyaf soon.”

“Ah sure hope so,” Golden Nugget sighed. “Em, do you know how we’re doin’ on food and water?”

“I checked this morning,” Emerald said grimly. “We’re almost out of preserved vegetables and bread. Everything else we should have enough of to last another few days, but if we don’t get to the capital by then, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

Golden Nugget accepted this with a nod. Outside, the sandstorm raged.

“I hope the others are all right,” Spectrum said eventually. “I’ve seen storms before, but this is something entirely new. What if we get buried in the sand? Will we have to dig our way out?”

Emerald leaned back a little and was alarmed to feel an almost foot-tall buttress of sand at her back. It was starting to pile up around the tent.

“I’m sure it won’t be that long,” Emerald said, trying to keep the group’s spirits up. “I think it’s starting to die down a little.”

The former pegasus lifted the corner of the tent a little and peeked out. Some sand trickled inside, but there was less forceful wind than it had been when the storm had first hit.

“As long as we stay in here, it will all be fine,” Emerald said reassuringly. “I’m sure this isn’t the first sandstorm that Salt Flats has encountered.”

This seemed to comfort the rest of Emerald’s companions, and they settled back down into a sort of not-so-comfortable silence as the wind continued to whip around their shelter.

It was a much longer wait than Emerald had expected. But she was jarred out of the doldrums by a knock on the tent door flap. She peeled the cloth back and was rewarded by Light Speckle’s smiling face.

“You can come out now! The storm has passed.”

Spectrum and Honeygold were the first to scramble out of the confines of the tent and out into the evening sunlight. Emerald could see that the sandstorm had indeed piled up a lot of sand around the tent, but not enough to bury it, thank Celestia. The shape of the desert had vastly changed from before the storm. She hoped that they wouldn’t get lost in this new terrain.

Salt Flats and some of the other caravaneers were talking, but Emerald could not understand what they were saying. Eventually they concluded their conversation and the lot of them began to unpack for dinner.

“We’re not going to keep going?” Posey asked Emerald.

“No, I suppose not,” Emerald replied as the Saddle Arabians started to get a fire going. “Maybe they figure we’ve had enough for the night from the sandstorm.”

The rest of the evening was spent removing sand from the camels and their wares, as well as digging the tents free from the piled up grains.

That took up all of the remaining sunlight, and Emerald privately thought that Salt Flats had made the decision to stay put for the rest of the night, even if it meant adding more time to their trip. She sat down with everyone else and had dinner, with Emerald passing on the meat like she always did. Afterwards, she talked to her friends and companions about their experience with the sandstorm, getting some interesting stories from it. Apparently Guard Streak and Nightfall Gleam had played cards to pass the time during the storm.

The night was clear and starlit as Emerald lay down to sleep for the night. She rolled over in her slumber and dreamed of flying. Again.

The next morning saw the traders eating an early breakfast while clustered around Anise’s map, chattering in their tongue about what Emerald presumed was about directions. They kept glancing up at the sun and at their navigator’s pathfinding device. It seemed that the storm had altered the desert’s appearance so much that they had only those to rely on to get on the right path.

The only other piece of news that happened was the return of Gabriel. From listening to Posey translate the bird’s screeches, Morn was still at least two weeks behind them, but surely closing the distance. Moon Tide had made it safely back to Canterlot, but the eagle had yet to locate Paradise along any of the roads or paths. Emerald hoped she had made it out of Morn’s grasp safely.

Once the sun began to go down, they began riding. Emerald noticed that they were moving quicker than usual, with the camels trotting along instead of the usual walk that they used to conserve energy. Almost like they were rushing to get somewhere. Were they so low on water that they needed to get to the next oasis to replenish their supplies?

As the moon rose to its peak, Emerald began to sweat again, but their pace did not slow. The camels were now trekking up an enormous sand dune that obscured anything ahead. Emerald directed her camel up, following the beast in front of her. But when she reached the top of the dune, she gasped.

There, laid out in the middle of the desert and surrounded by squares of farmland, was a massive city, built in concentric circles all around a tall, brown stone citadel. Emerald sat there atop her camel, slack jawed. A slow grin began to spread over her face.

“I’m… I’m not seeing things, am I?” Posey asked, riding her camel next to Emerald’s. “Is that really there?”

“I see it too…” Emerald felt her heart soar. “We made it. We made it to Masyaf! You hear that, everpony?” She turned and threw her arms into the air, prompting the rest of the questors to ride up and look at the city. “We actually made it!”

There was a chorus of whoops and cheers so loud that the traders stopped their camels to turn back and grin as well.

Finally, at long last, they had made it to Masyaf. It was almost as if the artifact was finally within their grasp. All there was separating them from a guide was a couple of miles of sand, and then they would be home free.

“Come on, everyone!” Emerald spurred her camel forward. “Let’s go!”

94 - The Apple and the Grail

As Emerald Edge lifted the resplendent grail from the platform that it was on, she immediately knew something was not right. It shone and sparkled like an artifact, true, but there was no real power in the metal, like Excalibur or the staff and shield.

The Grail, according to the Saddle Arabians, Morn and even these djinn was said to house holy power which could heal any injury. As Emerald filled it with the crystal clear water of the pool, she held it up to her face and stared at her shimmering reflection in the liquid. Surely no human artifact could work such wonders. This had to be from Equestria. But why was there no feeling?

Emerald raised the grail to her lips, tipping the cup toward herself. The water within was faintly sweet, cold, and somehow charged. It was as though the water was the substance with the power, and not the grail itself. She drank deeply from the grail, feeling the power flood her body. Immediately, the wounds she sustained through the four trials began to fade and close up. It was working better than any mage magic she’d ever seen or felt.

“Incredible…” Emerald placed the grail back atop its pedestal and stepped back to allow her group the chance to heal themselves as well.

Though the water felt more magical than the grail, it still didn’t give her the sensation of home.

“Why, though?” Emerald muttered as she stared at the grail.

Something didn’t add up here. The artifacts were created by Star Swirl the Bearded to be used as weapons of war in Equestria’s founding days. The Sword, Staff, and Shield were all martial items. Having the last one be a cup didn’t fit the pattern. And the artifact here was supposed to complete the set.

“Ooh, tingly.” Parisa shook her entire body as she downed the water.

“You know, there are tales that the Grail keeps you young.” Spectrum nudged her fellow squire. “Do you think we’ll be young forever should we drink this?”

“I think the tale says you live forever, not remain young forever,” Guard Streak corrected. “I do not know if I would enjoy living forever if I was frail and old. How would one even lift a sword to defend oneself?”

Prince Sombra stood beside Emerald as she examined the grail and thought.

“Well? Are you satisfied now?” the prince asked with a slight scoff. “You have seen secrets that only Saddle Arabian royalty should see. It will make a fine piece of reminiscing for when you return to the dungeons.”

“Shh,” Emerald ignored his slight and held up a finger. “I am thinking.”

The djinn silently floated above them, just watching. It was almost like they were waiting to see what Emerald’s next move was going to be.

This grail and water did wonders for them, but if this was not an artifact from home, how did it have such potent magic? From her time spent in the human world, she had never seen such human magic. Was it really of this world? Or was there more to it.

Emerald’s eyes drifted up to where the water was streaming down from, between the two trees. The water was flowing in from somewhere and that got her thinking even more. If her earlier assessment was true and the grail wasn’t the object of power, but the water was, then perhaps she needed to first know where the water was flowing from.

“Em? What are you doing?” Spectrum watched as Emerald stepped into the water, where it rose up to her knees.

The former pegasus pushed through the water and went over to the place where the spring was issuing from. There were brambles and vines growing over the opening. Emerald looked deeper. There was a faint golden glow coming from deeper within a rocky tunnel and as she stepped into it, she felt it.

It came as a soft glow within her first, then it slowly expanded into something she could still only describe was a warm hug around her. It felt like home. Equestria.

“It’s here…” Emerald breathed, almost not believing it. Their long journey had finally taken them to their goal.

There were whispers above her, then suddenly three djinn hovered down before her and stayed between her and the tunnel.

“Uhh, the djinn want to tell you this is their inner sanctum,” Parisa said from beyond the pool. “No human may pass.”

“But I am no human.” Emerald turned to face the djinn. “Please. That artifact in there, tis from my world. Tis the only thing right now that can save Canterlot. The only thing that can save Saddle Arabia. Only I can wield its power to its full potential.”

“They ask you to show them,” Parisa continued to translate. “But should you remove the object of power from here, this temple will… cease to be.”

“Cease to be?”

Parisa nodded. “According to them, their object of power has long since rooted itself into the stream of life that runs through this temple. If you take it, it will be like taking the heart of a person. The temple cannot function without it.”

“Then what will become of the djinn?” Sombra looked manic. “They have given the royal family the power to defend Saddle Arabia for ages!”

“Then what other plan do you have to reclaim your city?” Emerald snapped at him. “You cannot do it by force of arms, for Morn will simply take control of your soldiers. You cannot challenge him in a one on one battle, for he is too strong. Using this artifact is the only plan we have!”

“I won’t allow it!” Sombra’s hand leapt to his sword. “You would end the Saddle Arabian bloodline here? I shall not be the one to instigate the downfall of my family line!”

Emerald was about to spit a harsh reply at him, but the djinn were quicker. They flew to Prince Sombra and encircled him, whispering to the prince in their hushed tones. Sombra seemed to argue back, but she had no idea what they were saying. After a while, she stopped paying attention and returned her focus to the tunnel. The djinn wanted her to show them.

Oh, I’ll give them a show indeed.

Emerald stepped further down the tunnel, then began climbing up a slope, which was slippery due to the water flowing down, but she managed to continue up by pressing her hands against the sides of the tunnel to haul herself up.

At the top of the tunnel was a squarish room, which only a single pool occupied. This pool was just about identical to the one below, but instead of a grail in its center, this one had a round object no larger than Emerald’s hand. It looked like it was made of gold, with silver inlays and accents, just like the other artifacts of Star Swirl the Bearded. This… orb, must be what she had come to find, there was no question about it.

Emerald reached out to touch the artifact. As she drew close, it began to vibrate and emit sparks, many of which fell into the water, making the liquid glow momentarily.

“It reacts to you.” Emerald turned to see Sombra standing at the tunnel with the djinn behind him. He wore a defeated look across his face. “The djinn know this belongs with you. It calls to you.”

“So what happens now?” Emerald looked back at the artifact.

From behind Sombra, the djinn seemed to meld into each other, becoming a single and large vortex of shadow. And then all at once, they launched themselves towards Emerald. The spymaster raised an arm to protect herself, but they simply bypassed her and formed around the artifact. The shadows swirled around the artifact and it began to glow brighter and brighter, dark and light melding into a form that Emerald never thought was possible. The cavern began to rumble and then all at once, everything stopped and the artifact now rested upon Emerald’s hand as though nothing had happened.

“They have bonded their power with the Apple.” Sombra breathed, looking visibly upset. “No longer will they pass their powers through a champion.”

“The Apple?” Emerald looked at it. It did kind of make sense it would be called an apple, seeing as ponies loved apples. But it wasn’t in any way, shaped like one.

“It is a name the djinn have gleaned from within.” Sombra stepped closer to the spymaster and frowned. “Now that you carry the power of the djinn, it is time you keep your end of the bargain, Emerald Edge. I got you here. I got you your Apple. Now you will help me retake my home and expel your kinsman.”

“You heard them, Sombra.” Emerald pushed passed him and looked back down the slope in the tunnel. The water seemed to have grown dimmer since the Apple left its pedestal. “Once we remove it, this place will-”

There was a loud groan coming from above them. Dust rained down from above and then the ground shook, sending Emerald and Sombra down on their knees.

“We must first make it out of here alive, prince.” Emerald slid down to the slope and reunited with her friends at the edge of the pool.

“What was that?” Spectrum asked, trying to keep her balance.

“Emerald took the artifact.” Parisa grinned from ear to ear. “That means the place is coming down!”

“How are we going to g-get out of here in time...?” Streak gulped. He looked stricken. “There’s no way we can go back the way we came,” he dithered. “The platform’s gone, and we don’t have time to swim back up that way!”

Emerald frowned, but then she looked down at the Apple in her hand. Perhaps they had an alternative. She pointed to the grail. “Grab that. We need it for Posey.”

“Right.” Spectrum yanked it off the pedestal. “Now what.”

“Gather around me and hold on tight.”

The group did as they were told, each of them grabbing on to Emerald’s arms. Even Sombra complied without question.

Once she was ready, Emerald held up the Apple and a soft glow radiated out from it around them. One thing she had to thank Star Swirl for was for the instructions on how to use the artifacts. Besides feeling the sense of home from it, it was as though each artifact told her how to use them. She knew exactly what to do.

More dust and dirt fell from the ceiling, this time accompanied by small pieces of stone. They shattered against the ground and splashed into the water.

“Whatever you plan to do, do it quickly,” Sombra grunted as a pillar toppled over next to them.

Just as a large piece of the ceiling above them came down, the glow around them suddenly solidified, forming a round barrier of light. The piece of debris hit against it and was instantly reduced to tiny specks of rubble.

And then they were off, flying through the air, breaking through rock and earth as everything around them began to collapse. As they ascended, a ghul momentarily fell against the barrier, but it was soon swept aside as they began to punch through more earth.

Emerald grinned to herself. Having such power was always amazing and it was always nice to feel like she was back home among the clouds, flying wherever she pleased.

The temple continued to crumble around them and the former pegasus’ passengers cried out in fear and surprise, but Emerald was not afraid. The golden sphere carried them out past all the trials, which were crumbling into the depths of the earth. Finally, they broke out into the daylight, right out the mouth of the temple and landing in front of the questors who had been waiting for them outside.

Emerald set herself and her passengers onto the ground gently, and the bubble around them faded back into nothing.

“Emerald, you’re safe!” Light Speckle exclaimed, running forward. “When the temple began to collapse, we feared the worst. But you’re safe. You’re all safe!” The mage embraced Emerald, who returned the gesture. “Is that the artifact?” Light Speckle pointed at the Apple clasped in Emerald’s hand.

She nodded. “Tis the artifact. I need some water.” Emerald gestured for Spectrum to hand her the grail. “How fares Posey?”

“Not so good.” Speckle shook her head. “She is in a lot of pain and discomfort.”

“Not for long!” Parisa somersaulted out from behind Emerald.

Light Speckle unhitched a waterskin from the camel and poured its contents into the grail. Then Emerald held the Apple over the cup and watched as golden light spiralled down from the orb and into the chalice, with the rest of the group watching curiously.

“Wait, so the grail doesn’t have power?” Spectrum looked between it and the Apple.

“Tis always been that way. The Apple’s magic affected the water in the temple, giving it healing properties.” With the artifact done, Emerald rushed the grail over to the ailing Posey. Her face had gone pale and her face was scrunched up in pain. “Posey, drink this. It will help.”

She didn’t seem to register what Emerald said, but she opened her mouth to drink when the spymaster pressed the chalice to her lips. As soon as she swallowed, Emerald began to peel back her bandages on her torso and once she was finally through all of them, she found that Posey’s skin was as smooth as before, the injury completely faded without even leaving a scar behind.

The archer’s eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath, her first in a long time.

“It worked?” she said with much disbelief as she eyed the grail.

“Not really this, but this…” Emerald held out the Apple for her to see. “We’ve found it, Posey. The artifact.”

The Apple shone like a pile of freshly minted bits, casting its glow on Emerald’s hands.

“So, it is not the grail that has the power?” Posey felt the part of her that had been injured, still amazed to find nothing there.

“It would seem not,” Emerald shrugged. Prince Sombra stood nearby, staring at the grail from the shade. Emerald noticed that his shadow was flickering slightly, like a candle flame.

“But this is wonderful!” Posey exclaimed, putting her hands onto Emerald’s shoulders and grinning widely. “We have finally accomplished our goal!”

The other members of Emerald’s party let out a cheer.

“Morn’s days are numbered with Emerald and this artifact on our side,” Jewel Pin crowed. “And I’m sure we’ll be able to fetch a high price for that grail too!”

“Order will be restored to the land. To all lands.” Light Speckle smiled and crept closer to look at the Apple. “Of all the artifacts, I think this one is the most beautiful…”

“The grail is not for sale,” Prince Sombra grunted, coming over and taking the chalice. “It belongs to the Saddle Arabian royal family. So now you have what you came here for. Time to honor your side of the deal, and remove King Morn Dread’s presence from my kingdom.”

Emerald wanted to snap at Sombra, but found herself unable to. Through the trials and adversities that they as a group had faced in the temple of the djinn had indeed only been possible because of Prince Sombra’s actions and help. He may have borne the name of Emerald’s arch-nemesis, but the former pegasus realized that she could no longer hate him for that reason alone, not when he had every reason to hate her, but still set it aside for his kingdom.

“Right you are, Prince Sombra,” Emerald said eventually. “Let us ride for Masyaf, and there we will take back your city and kingdom.”

110 - Onward to Nidaroats

“So, the beast is dead,” Rake the Red and the rest of his village stood around the now-frozen corpse of the valravn, which looked even more grotesque in the daylight than it had at night. “No more will we have to fear going out after sundown! You foreigners are fierce fighters indeed!”

“Aye, and they have earned our trust with the slaying of this powerful monster.” Jarl Goat Gruff stood at the forefront, prodding the valravn’s body with a foot. “As Jarl of Jorgjaflyki, I hereby pledge you our aid.”

Emerald Edge’s group cheered behind her, even a groggy Spectrum Song let out a little cheer as she held her head and winced.

“I still can’t believe I missed a whole fight,” she groaned. “I could’ve taken it.”

“Right…” Honeygold snickered and poked her friend’s forehead playfully.

“Ow…” Spectrum moaned. “Please don’t do that, or I’m going to be sick.”

Sombra had a clean linen wrap around his arm, courtesy of a wandering pilgrim woman who had just arrived that morning. She claimed to be taking a spiritual journey to the capital of the Frozen North to pay homage to the high kings of old. She had been most helpful in fixing the injuries that Emerald and the others had sustained in the nighttime battle, so nobody said anything against her. The spymaster had also remembered that without Moon Tide, the rest of them had run dry of their healing magic and were unable to heal wounds quickly, so it all worked out in the end.

Rake had also taken them to a secluded hot spring, where Emerald took a great deal of time washing the monster blood off her body and attire. She had left her hidden blades with Nightfall so that she could get the sticky valravn fluids out of the mechanisms. It had surely been a great task, but the mage had completed her job nonetheless, though she had looked a little deranged by the time the sky went dark again.

By now, Emerald had learnt that the light only stayed out for eight hours or so, which indeed was a very short time. However, she did take into account that it would make sneaking around a lot easier for her and Posey.

As Emerald settled down in her bedroll that night, she turned to face the window and saw something greenish blue glowing outside. Her curiosity piqued, she wrapped herself in a warm coat and stepped outside, careful not to disturb anyone else in the dwelling.

Setting foot in the snow, Emerald’s eyes widened as she beheld the sky. Trails of bright green, purple, and blue light rippled across the dark canvas of stars, casting their glow on the land below.

“The aurora…” Emerald breathed out a cloud of fog in front of her face.

It had been ages since she had gotten to see this magical phenomenon. The last time she had seen it was when she was back home in the Crystal Empire. It was magnificent, though she had never known how they were made. She had just assumed it was a flow of magic across the sky, but magic worked differently in this world, so that theory was out the window.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Sombra’s voice came from next to her. “It is as though the very heavens are aflame. It is beautiful, in a strange way.”

In a whirl of smokey shadows, Sombra materialized beside her, wrapped up in more coats than Emerald. The king’s eyes were wide with wonder, reflecting the northern lights.

“I am reminded of my home in Equestria,” Emerald said, leaning against the door frame. “Every night the auroras light up the sky in the Crystal Empire. It is visible from many places in the land, and Crystal Ponies know that no matter how far they are from friends and family, that when they look up at the sky, they are all viewing the same aurora.”

“Amazing indeed. You must feel right at home here, then. Seeing these… ‘ororoas’ again. Do you miss it? Your home. Your kingdom. I have been gone only so recently and I already miss Saddle Arabia.”

“More than I can put into words,” Emerald said in a low voice. “I thought it would get easier as time passed… it doesn’t. I miss my home, my princess, and the magic. Coming here is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

“You are a stronger person than I, if you can bear to be separated from your own world for this long,” Sombra sighed. “I never thought that I would ever have to leave Saddle Arabia. I never thought I would have to take the throne so early. Honestly, some part of this still doesn’t seem real to me, and that I sometimes expect to wake up back in Masyaf, with my father.”

“Yes, we would all prefer it if the world didn’t have its challenges, wouldn’t we?” Emerald laughed, then looked back at the sky. “Maybe Morn is right. In the world he envisions, there would be no more suffering. No more sadness.”

Sombra shook his head. “But the way he walks to have his perfect world goes against everything we stand for.”

“Of course. I do not want to live in a world where I cannot act on my own free will. Tis absolutely barbaric to take that away from everyone, even if it would bring worldwide peace. I refuse that idea; the world cannot be ruled by any one person.”

“Even if that world is not perfect?” Sombra asked quietly. He folded his arms and gazed up at the serpentine lights in the sky. “Our world may not be ideal, or have much magic, but we humans do the best we can with what we have been given. And I- no, all of us are grateful that someone with as big of a heart as you would come and help us, even though it is not your home.”

Emerald felt heat suffuse her cheeks. “Yes, well. I didn’t do it all by myself. You have helped much yourself, King Sombra, with your magical powers.”

“I wouldn’t have them if not for your efforts,” Sombra pointed out. “We did not meet on the best of terms, but I would be hard pressed to find someone as noble as you. I’ve come to see that now.” The king pulled his outer coat tighter around himself.

“Tis unfortunate, this situation we find ourselves in…” Emerald sighed and sat back on a barrel outside the house. “All of Canterlot’s knights were much more noble than I was. Even Morn. Things just… changed.”

“Living is not breathing, but changing,” Sombra said wisely. “That was something my grandfather used to say. We will change the world for the better, Emerald, and I would be proud to fight alongside you and your companions to see it done.”

“Thank you, Sombra.” Emerald looked at the Saddle Arabian king. This Sombra was evidently much different from the tyrant she knew back in Equestria. “Then we shall aid this land and liberate it from Morn’s forces.”

“So you… want to know the state of the other holds?” Jarl Goat Gruff asked, leaning on one of his throne’s armrests. “Truth is, I can only tell you what my patrols could find out. Not many people go traveling from hold to hold in this season, so news can be scarce. Unless it’s the capital, of course. As far as we know, only Flankfold has fallen to the enemy, turned to face us. The rest have yet to do anything to help.”

“I do not know where that is geographically,” Emerald admitted.

Rake the Red rolled out a large map onto the table and pointed with his axe. “Flankfold’s over there,” he tapped his axehead onto a drawing of a walled city in the south. “We are here,” he then tapped a spot to the northeast.

“Wowee! You drew all these by yourself?” Parisa pointed at the map from her spot beside the table. “It’s very detailed!”

“Of course! My father is a great explorer!” Leaf Rake said with much admiration. “The more detailed the map, the more we know.”

“Aye, my boy has said it as it is.” Rake gave his son a slap on the shoulder. “And here is where Nidaroats is.” He traced his finger from Jorgjafylki to the northwest of the Frozen North. “Your Canterlot army has surrounded the capital and we have lost any contact with High King Magnus Rein within the walls. No one has gone in or out in twelve days.”

Emerald looked hard at the map. “How many days’ travel is it from here to the capital?” she asked slowly.

“On foot or on horseback?” Rake the Red asked.

“We have horses.” Light Speckle nodded.

“Aye. Then it will be a day’s journey. If you count walking in the dark.”

Jarl Gruff looked up at Emerald and the group. “You do not plan on approaching Nidaroats with just so few of you?”

“Surely it would help if all your jarls joined our cause…” Nightfall said, then took her snuffbox out from a sleeve. “But you have made it sound unlikely.”

“Aye. It will take a lot to convince the jarls to help in this forsaken task, like you have for me.” Jarl Gruff put his hands at his sides. “There is nothing we can do about the siege. The enemy has weapons beyond anything we have the means to fight against. It is only through High King Magnus Rein that the city of Nidaroats has held out this long.”

“But surely they will eventually run out of food. The jarls will not go to the aid of their king?”

“Not when there is so much at stake.” Jarl Gruff went back to his throne and sat down. “As of now, we cannot face an enemy with such power.”

“That is why we have come, Jarl Gruff,” Emerald reasoned. “We helped save Saddle Arabia from Morn’s hands. I daresay we can do it for the Frozen North as well.”

“Emerald Edge speaks the truth.” Sombra stepped forward. "You have not seen a warrior like her, I guarantee it.”

“Yes, but you Saddle Arabians are different. Surely our horsemen of the north are stronger than you Saddle Arabians.”

Sombra ignored the slight and kept talking. “No matter how strong you are, humans cannot stand up to the power that the invading king wields. That is why Emerald is the key to victory.”

“I will come with you.” Emerald looked to see who had spoken. It was the traveling pilgrim healer woman. Her amber skin blended in well with the firelight in the hall. “Mayhap I will be of some use to you; besides, I came here to reach the capital and traveling with you seems like the safest way to get there.”

The spymaster nodded. The woman was nice enough to heal them, so she was definitely good in their books.

“You picked a bad time to return to the Frozen North, traveler.” Jarl Gruff shook his head.

“Maybe, but surely you will not let these people go on their own,” the pilgrim said. “Not after what they have done about your monster problem.”

The jarl leaned back and rubbed his head. “Aye. Aye, I did promise you help if you took care of the valravn. Very well. Then Jorgjafylki marches with you to Nidaroats, Emerald Edge of Canterlot. You shall have my axe.”

Emerald bowed to show her gratitude. “Thank you, Jarl Gruff.”

From a room behind the jarl, a steward walked over, carrying an axe over both hands, and he stopped before Emerald and held the weapon out to her.

“O-Oh. You meant… an actual axe…” She reached out and took it. It had a wooden handle with steel studs along its shaft, ending in a bearded axe head, decorated with snaking lines. It was surprisingly well balanced, Emerald thought.

“That Saddle Arabian sword you have will not serve you as well as the Axe of Jorgjafylki. My axe has seen countless battles and has not lost its edge. It will see to it that your mission is accomplished.”

“You’re not trained with an axe, are you, Em?” Spectrum whispered.

“I’ll figure it out.” Emerald shrugged and hung the axe on her belt. “Thank you, Jarl Gruff. I will bear this axe with honor.”

“As I am sure you will, Emerald Edge the Raven Knight.” Jarl Goat Gruff raised a palm up close to his face. “My scouts will go ahead of you and they will do what they can to get word of your plan to the other holds. Should they agree to come to the aid of Nidaroats, you will have a formidable army behind you. But I am afraid, as you have told me, if the enemy generals leading this army still live, they will not stand a chance.”

“Yes,” Emerald said and put her hand to the new weapon at her side. “My group will do what we can to remove Morn’s influence through them.”

“Ja, very good, then you will have my patrolmen ride out with you. Rake, would you guide them to Nidaroats?”

The shorter horseman clapped a hand to his chest. “I would be honored to lead them there after what they have done.”

“Good. As jarl, I will gather our forces here and set out behind you once we are ready. And I do hope the other jarls heed our call, though I cannot say I trust Jarl Stern Counsel to come.” Jarl Gruff muttered something under his breath and spat a wad of saliva to the corner.

“Aye, it is hard to get the attention of such a jarl.” Rake motioned to the door. “Come, we shall return to my hut and be ready to set out. Jarl Goat Gruff, I take my leave. Come, Leaf.”

As the explorer left, his son trudged on after him, followed by Emerald’s group.

According to them, a valravn was no simple monster, and killing one would’ve earned her honor among the other holds as well. Jarl Gruff was hoping that would get them to help out, at least this one time. Having an army behind her would certainly help in driving Morn’s forces back.

As their group made their way back to Rake’s home, Emerald hung back, finding the lone pilgrim walking a good distance behind them, apparently not wanting to get too close.

“Thank you for your healing aid,” Emerald said to her once she fell back enough. “And what is your name?”

“Amber. Amber Fang.” She kicked at the snow as she walked, clearly not used to such terrain, which Emerald had found weird when they first met, along with a handful of other things that helped the spymaster in deducing what was going on. “But… you already know, don’t you, Emerald?”

“I only know, because you told me what you really are… Moon Tide.” Emerald smiled at her correct guess. “But do not worry. This secret will stay between us.”

“I will learn from this.” The pilgrim pulled down a scarf around her face and Emerald could vaguely make out Moon Tide’s facial structure now. “I am curious. What gave me away?”

“Well, for one, you came out of nowhere at just the right time. And you don’t speak their language.”

“Yes, it is true…” She laughed and her voice reverted back to that of Moon Tide’s. “I have never traveled this far north, but I am sure in time, perhaps on our journey to the capital, I will pick it up. We changelings are quick to learn.”

“So I have heard. Still, tis good to have you with us. Have you learnt anything that might help us in our quest?”

Amber Fang shook her head slowly. “No good news, I’m afraid. From the reports on my son’s armies, they have breached the Prance capital of Parrots. The last I heard, they had yet to get into the palace. I do not know if they would’ve succeeded by now, but things are dire there. The rest of his forces are in Docklin, but the mighty queen there has been fighting hard and they have not gained as much ground as they have in the Kingdom of Prance.”

"That is troubling news," Emerald mused. "Ordinarily an army stretching itself this thin would not succeed, but with the aid of the artifacts, Morn defies common logic and tactics. It makes him difficult to predict and plan against."

“And the Knights of the Round Table. I do not know how he has done it, but the empowerment of their swords have made them undefeated in combat. Well…” Amber pointed at the spymaster. “Except against you.”

“And I’ll do it again.” Emerald clenched her fists as she thought about facing the rest of the former brothers-in-arms. She had served with each and every one of them for so long. It was hard to have to end their lives, but if she had to for the sake of Canterlot and the world, then they left her no choice.

“I have no doubt that you will,” Amber said. “You are not the only one who knew them well. I- that is to say, your mage Moon Tide treated many of them before you even arrived in this world. Nevertheless, we must do what we have to in order to save the land from Morn’s madness.”

“There is no other way, is there?” Emerald sighed.

“Believe me, if I had found one, we wouldn’t still be trying to kill my son.” Amber grabbed her coat tightly around her shoulders. “Nor would he still be on this ridiculous conquest to unite the world under his United Kingdom.”

“United Kingdom?” Emerald almost laughed. It sounded a little weird. “Is that what he’s calling his movement now?”

“The name represents what he stands for,” Amber said reproachfully. “One kingdom, standing unified under his rule. I do not believe he will be satisfied until he has conquered every other kingdom in the world. I know I would not be, were I in his position.”

“A united kingdom?” Emerald looked up to the blue sky. “That would be nice. But I would not want to be controlled by someone else like that. Tis not the right thing to do, no matter how just Morn’s cause is.”

“We have both seen firsthand what becomes of the kingdoms Morn takes control of, or tries to,” Amber Fang said. “There is no bright future there. Only fear and tyranny.”

Emerald nodded somberly. “I only hope that we can stop his schemes before the damage is irreversible.”

“That is right, Emerald. There are people back home that would wish for Canterlot to return to its former glory as well.” Amber looked to the distance, beyond the misty air and mountains. “Come, there is much to be done, but first we must travel to the capital of Nidaroats. And there we will devise a plan to deal with Morn’s Unified here in the Frozen North.”

Emerald touched the axe by her side again. There was much to be done and much to learn, but there was no time to lose. They had to proceed to Nidaroats and rally with the high king and his forces, while Jarl Gruff would get word out to the other holds to try and persuade them to come help their king. There were still many ways their plans could fail, but Emerald held on to the hope that their path here was a right one and they would eventually triumph against Morn and his Unified.

They had to. For the greater good of the world and Canterlot.

And for herself.

119 - Crisis from Prance

Emerald Edge had been out on the parapets that day when she witnessed Gabriel flying back through the falling snow. The golden eagle soared in a circle around the castle before banking down and alighting gracefully on Posey’s outstretched arm.

“Welcome back, Gabriel,” Posey said, feeding the bird with a strip of salted meat. “What tidings from Prance?”

Gabriel squawked and screeched at Posey in the speech that only the archer knew. Posey, for her part, listened carefully to the eagle’s vocalizations.

At last, she turned to Emerald.

“The news is not good,” Posey said seriously. “Gabriel says that Prance is under heavy siege by Morn’s Unified army.”

“Of course it is.” Emerald sighed. She hadn’t expected better news, even if she wanted to.

“It gets worse,” Posey continued. “Gabriel also says that one knight there has one of the artifacts. If we do not do something, Prance will fall in less than two weeks to Morn’s invasion.”

"That will give Morn access to Prance's armies," Emerald exclaimed. "If he does that, he might come back and try to retake the kingdoms we've already saved. Posey, we need to get to Prance, post haste!"

Posey gave Gabriel another piece of meat and both women descended the stairs back down into the main castle.

“If there is an artifact at play in Prance, the situation must indeed be dire,” Posey commented. “The Unified were difficult enough to battle when they didn’t have one. They could potentially sweep Prance’s armies like leaves in a snowstorm.”

“Aye,” Emerald agreed dejectedly. “But we are not yet finished here, either. We cannot be in two locations at once.”

Emerald and Posey made their way to the main hall, where the rest of the questors were gathered. The three days that they had spent resting had done them well, and each member of the group looked refreshed and ready for whatever might come next.

“What’s the news from Prance, Em?” Honeygold asked, running up to greet the former pegasus.

Emerald sighed. “It’s not good, Honeygold. I’ll tell everyone what Gabriel has learned.”

Honeygold nodded and scampered back to her place at the table.

With a pit forming in her stomach, Emerald waited for everyone to quiet down. What she was about to announce would probably not elicit the best of reactions from everyone, but she trusted them to at least hear her out before protesting.

“Prance is in trouble,” Emerald got straight to the point. There was no use prolonging the bad news. “Morn’s forces are hard at work there and I am afraid they might not have long before the walls are broken through. If Morn gets his hands on Prance’s armies, they will be back here in no time. Something has to be done.”

“But what of the Unified still here?” Golden Nugget asked. “We can’t just leave ‘em to fend for themselves while we head on over to Prance.”

“He speaks the truth,” Sombra agreed. “If we leave this land and go to the aid of Prance, we could be attacked from behind. I know of no quicker way to lose a war.”

“What a quandary…” Jewel Pin nibbled at a honey oatcake as she thought. “We cannot allow Prance to fall, or else Morn’s armies will be bolstered to a dangerous degree. Yet we cannot leave the Frozen North until we have brought the jarls together and ousted the Unified who are still here.”

Parisa’s brow furrowed in thought. “If only we could be in two places at once! Then we could do it.”

“What if… we can?” Posey said after a few moments of silence. “An artifact is in Prance, wielded by the knight there. If Em can get her hands on it, she could very well turn the tide on all fronts by herself. What if a few of us head there and save Prance, while the rest stay here and keep Sir Boercival’s forces at bay?”

King Magnus sat on his throne and stroked his beard thoughtfully. He had mostly recovered from using Hel and was once again looking strong enough for a fight. “Our armies here at Nidaroats could possibly hold off another attack, assuming that all the enemy can bring to bear are the same numbers that took off before. However, I would still need to unite the holds in order to ensure that the entirety of the Frozen North is with me.”

“Aye.” Stronghorn nodded. “Together as a united land, the Frozen North is a mighty adversary. One the likes no kingdom has ever faced. Only because we have never been united as one kingdom.”

“It’s a matter of diplomacy, then,” Nightfall Gleam said thoughtfully. “We will need silver tongues and sharp wits to bring the other jarls to heel.”

“Then I think Moo-” Emerald stopped herself as she looked around. Moon Tide would’ve been good for something of diplomacy, but technically, she wasn’t here right now. In fact, Emerald didn’t see Amber Fang as well. “Then I think this is a job for the mages.”

“But do they even speak our language?” Light Speckle asked, then looked over to the high king.

“Aye, do not forget your people once came from us.” Magnus scratched at his beard and pulled a crumb of bread from it. “But do not you fear, Rake the Red shall accompany you and be your guide.”

“Aye, that I will.” Rake stood up and drank from his flagon. “As an explorer, no one knows the landscape better than I.”

“Ooh, ooh, I want to go to Prance!” Parisa waved her hand about wildly, then hopped up onto Spectrum’s shoulders and balanced herself there. “I want to see the world!”

“Then I shall come along too.” Sombra stood and wisped shadows between his fingertips. “You might need some extra power to wrest the artifact from the Unified.”

“Ah agree. And Ah also agree they should travel as a smaller group. That way they’d get to Prance quicker than a squirrel outta a rat’s nest,” Golden Nugget said. “The rest of us should stay. Do what we can to help out.”

“But I want to fight!” Spectrum stood and planted one foot on her bench. “I can take Morn’s army on. Streak can too!”

Streak put a hand on her arm and brought her back down. “They’ll need fighters here too. We can’t all go along with Em.”

“Yes. We entrust protecting the Frozen North to you, Spectrum Song.” Posey put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a firm grip. “You must defend this place and ensure Morn does not take it.”

“Well… now that you put it like that.” Spectrum grinned and nodded. “Have nothing to fear, future knights Spectrum and Streak are here to defend the land!”

Rake burst out laughing and lifted his flagon to her. “I like this one. She will make a fine warrior one day.”

"Then it’s decided," Sombra crossed his arms and breathed deeply. "We leave the fate of the Frozen North in your hands. As for Prance, you may rely on us."

“And you can count on us to do our best to unite this land.” Light Speckle held up her mug towards the high king. “Your majesty, we will do all we can to stop Morn Dread and his Unified.”

Emerald nodded as she watched the northmen cheer. Their plan was well received, and she trusted her friends to do the best they could to ensure Morn would never have the Frozen North while she would be gone. And she would do what she had to, to ensure that Morn’s conquest would end before it could fully spread to the rest of the world. Whatever madness he had inherited after his takeover, Emerald still hoped he would see through it, to regain the clarity of his once good mind, but she knew that there was almost no chance for that to happen, not after everything she’d already witnessed. Morn would have to go, but it should be her to bring him peace. She at least owed him that much.

“Take what you need for the journey.” High King Magnus broke her train of thought. “Raven Knight, you have done what no traveler has ever done for us, even if you had taken Hel from me, but it is because of you that I still stand here today. Songs will be sung of your great deeds, and I can say that the Kingdom of Prance will surely do the same once you rescue them from that oppressor. May the wind guide you and your companions. To the Raven Knight!”

Magnus raised a glass so fine to Emerald.

The other northmen in the hall raised their own drinks and yelled, “To the Raven Knight!”

“Take care, Parisa!” Honeygold gave the dancer a hug as the group stood at the edge of the crater outside the walls of Nidaroats. “If ya see any of ‘em Unifried, ya give ‘em a good sockin’!”

Parisa kicked up a footfull of snow, then pushed at it in the air. “I’ll miss all this snow. You keep those nasty no gooders out of here and have a good time doing so!”

“Sure will!” Honeygold swung an arm to the side.

Emerald attached a pack of supplies on her gigantic horse, struggling even to reach its back. Frozen North horses were so much bigger than their Canterlot variants, even more so to the ones in Saddle Arabia, seeing as Sombra sat atop Windchaser next to her.

“How are you faring, Emerald?” Sombra put on a furry hat on top of his dark hair. “I should acquire one of these to bring back to Saddle Arabia when this is all over. It would do some good on a chilly desert night.”

“Back home, I was used to the cold, but here in his human skin…” Emerald pulled her hood over her head. It did little to stave off the cold, but it was better than letting the wind bite at her face and neck. “I suppose it still has some getting used to.”

“Oh no, I did not mean the cold.” Sombra let out a small chuckle. “I meant your state of mind. About heading into the next kingdom. I can see it on your face. You worry about what you may find there.”

Emerald berated herself internally for that. As spymaster, she was meant to never give anything away in terms of body language or expression. It seems she had gotten sloppy in her time here. “Two. I have had to kill two Knights of the Round Table. These knights, brave knights that I had once fought alongside, knights whom I call my friends… They are not in their right mind, hay, they don’t even have their mind. But the only way to stop them is to take their lives and I just feel that tis not fair to them. I wish there were another way.”

Sombra looked at Emerald sympathetically. “Indeed. This is no simple matter, having spent many years by their side. However, I am afraid that I see no other recourse other than slaying them. We have tried reasoning with these knights, to no avail. If we allow them to run about unchecked, they will bring pain and misery to all the land,” Sombra clenched his fist in front of his face. “This is what it means to be a protector of the land. To say to evil, ‘do not hurt the innocent. Hurt me instead’. Because having just one of us in pain is better than allowing others to be hurt instead.”

Emerald was mildly surprised by Sombra’s speech. “Your rhetoric is better than I thought it was.”

“My father was a good teacher,” Sombra managed a smile back. “It would be a shame not to use his teachings when we are out to avenge his killing.”

Emerald nodded understandingly. She still wished there was some way to do this without the loss of any more life, but her realistic side told her that before this was over, there would be even more spilt blood.

“Ah, do not look so gloomy,” Sombra reached out and shook Emerald’s shoulder gently. “There will be time enough for that once the sand settles. For now, our sights must be set on Prance and all those who dare invade it. The people of the Prench kingdom need us, Emerald Edge. We will be their heroes.”

The next few hours were spent strategizing and talking about routes, the different holds, and what was to be done about Sir Boercival.

“As long as that knight is still lurking about, I cannot feel safe in leaving,” Emerald confessed to her friends. “Boercival’s sword has the power to manipulate nature. Nidaroats barely survived his last onslaught, and with the city the way that it is, I can’t risk him coming back to try a second time.”

“Aye,” Rake looked at the other sternly. “Although I think that we have thrown their plan for quite a turn, Emerald Edge. Thanks to you, the Unified army has been significantly reduced. Mighty as this Boercival may be, I do not think he is foolish or arrogant enough to attempt another attack like that.”

“I hope you’re right,” Emerald sighed. “How long will it take us to reach Prance, anyway?”

Sombra did not know, but Nightfall Gleam looked at Rake and they brought out a map.

“If you follow the roads and account for the snow and weather, you will reach Prance in about eight days’ ride. If you make a straight shot for it, going offroad, I think you can shave a day or two off that estimate,” Nightfall said, using a stick to trace a path on the map.

“Yes, but the last time we went offroad, we encountered a particularly unhappy witch.” Emerald looked at her friends. Going offroad wasn’t something she wanted to do unless they really had to. There was really no telling what could be in the woods in any kingdom.

“Tis your decision, Emerald Edge,” Sombra declared. “Slow and safe, or fast and potentially risky? Either way, we cannot afford to dally here much longer if we wish to save Prance and foil Morn’s plans again.”

“Right…” Emerald looked around, noting the absence of Amber Fang. She had probably gone on ahead of them once she had learned of their plans. Emerald admired her tenacity, but wished that the changeling would learn to perhaps work with them more. Going ahead on her own might be harder than staying with the group.

“You can leave the Frozen North to us, Emerald,” Light Speckle assured her friend. “We’ll settle things here, we promise.”

“Aye, and if diplomacy fails, perhaps High King Magnus can figure out the power of your knight, Agramane’s demon sword, Gram.” Rake snapped his fingers. “What it did in the battle, only Hel rivals it in power.”

“Unfortunately, I am afraid the sword has lost its power with the death of its owner,” Emerald said. She still didn’t know the specifics, but it seemed Morn was able to gift them some kind of power through the use of Excalibur, and their deaths relinquished this power. “But, you can be assured that steel forged by Canterlot’s famed blacksmith has no equal. It will still be a worthy weapon.”

Rake did not seem too upset about this. “Ah well. Tis better than nothing. Maybe after this affair is over, we can share stories over some of your fine Canterlotian wine. One can grow tired of mead all the time.”

“We’ll reserve a cask just for you,” Posey promised. She had restocked her supply of arrows and was now sitting atop her horse like a proud warrior.

Emerald took one last look at all her friends and allies, gathered here to see her off. She hoped that they would be united once more, but before that could happen, she had to stop Morn’s designs in Prance, lest he be given access to more people to mind control.

“Thank you for everything,” Emerald said to the gathered crowd. “Let’s meet up again soon, alright?”

There was a chorus of ‘aye’s, and after one last wave, Emerald touched her heels to her steed and shot off into the snow, with the other members of her group close behind.