Twilight Sparkle sat heavily in her throne. She was exhausted, from giving lectures to helping Pinkie set up parties. Being unable to get much sleep merely compounded her tiredness. She yawned. As uncomfortable as the throne was, it was the softest pillow imaginable to her.
"Twilight!" Twi's eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright as Spike walked into the throne room, followed by the rest of the Mane 6. Embarrassed, Twilight swiped at drool.
"You don't got to get up, sugarcube. We know how tired you are." Applejack sat in her throne, surveying the map. "It's kinda nice to have a break and not be called to who-knows-where."
Rainbow landed in her throne with a thump.
"Break or not, I'm bored!"
"Rainbow, darling, everyone needs a beauty rest." Rarity glanced around the room. "You know, this place could use a slight bit of sprucing-"
"NO!" Everypony chorused. Rarity sat back grumpily in her seat. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy also sat down, and they all felt the familiar feeling of the map calling them. Their cutie marks on the map moved from within Ponyville to an isolated area East of Stalliongrad, in the middle of the desert.
"Awesome!" Rainbow cheered. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Here we go again."
Half a day later, the six arrived in Stalliongrad. After dinner with friends, they stayed the night, and moved on.
It was about 3:45 in the afternoon when Rainbow spotted a small wooden house in the middle of the desert.
"I found it!" She cried, racing ahead of the others, prepared to do battle with whatever evil awaited them inside the house! But Dash's heroic charge was brought to a halt by Twilight, who held Rainbow in a levitation spell.
"Hold on, Rainbow. We can't just go in like that."
"Why not?" Rainbow pouted.
"Because I think the pony that lives here is sitting right over there." Twilight pointed to a figure sitting in the distance, staring at the sky. What Twilight didn't voice was a strange feeling, almost like a buzz in the back of her head. She couldn't explain it, but she had started feeling it as soon as they left Stalliongrad.
"Well, let's say hello!" Pinkie bounded off towards the figure, with the rest of the group in pursuit.
"Hello!" Pinkie said as she skidded to a halt in front of the figure. He was a pegasus, and appeared to be quite old. His mane was bleached white by the sun, and his dark blue coat was covered in dust and sand. He gave no indication that he heard Pinkie.
"Helloooo!" Pinkie said louder. Still nothing.
"Is he alive?" Rainbow asked.
The old pegasus slowly turned around, and they noticed with a start his eyes. They were greyed out. He was blind.
"Hello." He said flatly. His voice was scratchy, as if unused for a long time.
The pegasus snorted, and spat a gob of something into the cracked desert sand. Rarity gagged slightly.
"If you're here to recruit me into that crazy cult over yonder, I've told you before, I ain't interested." The pegasus turned his back, and started walking towards his house. "Whatever you're here for, you'd better follow me back inside. Sandstorm's a comin'."
Confused, the Elements of Harmony followed the pegasus back into the wooden house. Inside, a layer of cobwebs caked everything. The pegasus tripped over a chair, and Fluttershy quickly rushed to his aid.
"Thank you, miss." He coughed again. "If you want some refreshments, in the cupboard over theres some apple cider. Don't know if any's left though."
Sure enough, when Twilight opened the cupboard, only cobwebs and empty glass bottles remained. Luckily, everypony had saved some food from their visit in Stalliongrad. As they settled around the old table, Twilight placed a muffin in front of the pegasus.
"Here, sir. You don't look like you've eaten in a while."
"I'm fine. And you can knock it off with the sir business."
"It's just that we don't have anything else to call you, other than Old Pegasus In-mmmm!" Applejack wisely placed a hoof over Pinkie Pie's mouth.
"What she means is, we don't know your name."
The old pegasus chuckled.
"Back when ponies cared, they called me Skylark."
"Alright Mr. Skylark, my name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship."
"Princess?" Skylark attempted a clumsy bow, but whacked his foreleg on the table.
"You don't need to bow." Twilight said quickly.
"Call me old-fashioned then." Skylark grinned. "Who's the rest of your group?"
"I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie shoved Applejack's hoof away and shoved a cupcake into her mouth. "That's Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash!" She pointed at each pony in turn.
"Pinkie..." Rarity warned. "Mr. Skylark is..."
"I'm blind as a rock." Skylark laughed, a dry wheeze.
"Oh."
"Maybe all of you should say your names. I'm good with voices."
Rarity cleared her throat.
"I'm Rarity."
"My name's Applejack." Applejack said just before biting into an apple.
"Applejack... any relation to the Apple family?"
"Darn tootin'!" Applejack smiled.
"How's Granny Smith doing?"
"Shes fine."
"My apologies, please continue."
"I'm... Fluttershy." Fluttershy whispered. She didn't like Skylark's house that much. It didn't feel safe to her.
"Thank you for earlier, Miss Fluttershy." Fluttershy blinked in surprise.
"And I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria!"
"Nice to meet all of you." Skylark looked blankly at the ceiling. "Nopony's come around these parts in quite awhile. Can you tell me what's been goin' on, and what's brought you out here to my humble abode? That sandstorm's gonna be here for awhile." Almost on queue, wind whistled outside. The sun quickly vanished behind a cloud of sand and dust. Twilight hastily conjured up some candles, and explained what had been happening since the six of them had realized that they were the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony. Skylark listened in silence until Twilight had finished speaking. The sandstorm was lessening, and the sun had set.
"Thats incredible, Miss Sparkle. The last I'd heard was that Princess Luna was imprisoned in the moon, and that the Elements were lost." Skylark stretched, his old joints cracking. "It's too late for you all to be heading back to Ponyville. Whatever that map of yours sent you here to do, I've got no part of it."
Twilight yawned, agreeing with Skylark. It appeared that he wasn't in need of any help, despite his apparent lack of food. The six agreed to spend the night before moving on in the morning.
Twilight awoke in the middle of the night. The rest of her friends were asleep, but she couldn't hear Skylark. The old pony had started snoring almost immediately, but now Twilight could only hear Rainbow's light snoring.
Twi carefully got up and looked out the only window. She spotted Skylark sitting in almost the same spot he was when they had arrived. She opened the door, and slipped out. She silently walked up behind him, intending to see if he was asleep, when he startled her.
"You should go back to bed, Miss Sparkle. You need your sleep."
"I should say the same to you."
"I don't need sleep. This land gives me it's energy."
"How?"
"It's this desert." Skylark gestured around himself. "This area is a focal point for magic. If you open yourself up to it, you can tap it's power. This desert gives me any energy I need." He patted the desert next to him. "I can show you."
As Twilight sat, she noticed that he was wearing old armour, and his sword lay next to him.
"Close your eyes." Twilight did so, and the dark blue of night changed to blackness.
"Concentrate on the buzz you feel. Let it grow." Twilight felt the buzzing grow louder, confused that Skylark knew about it.
"Let it flow into you. Relax. Feel the energy." Skylark's voice had dropped to a whisper. Twilight began to feel power, an almost unlimited amount of energy. It was more than all of the alicorn energy combined! She was also aware of Skylark next to her, a blue pulse in the inky blackness. She saw her own power, a purple pulse racing away from her in waves.
"Allow the aura to meld with you. You are nothing but a drop in a pool of magic. Give your energy to the pool." Twilight saw her purple waves diminish, and at the same time she could see her surroundings, but not with her eyes. She could feel the power of each object. She could sense the power of her friends in the house, a rainbow of energy arcing over the desert. Every little, insignificant aspect of the desert was alive, amplified by the magic of the world. Then Twilight felt a darkness, a cold being creep over the horizon. She began to feel tired, and scared. The colours of the desert fading away as this darkness approached.
"Shoot!"
Skylark's exclamation jolted Twilight, and she saw the blue pulses of Skylark smash into the dark being. It reeled back, fleeing.
"Open your eyes, Miss Sparkle." Twilight did so, and saw the desert as it really was.
"What was it?"
Skylark didn't answer, but grabbed his sword in his teeth. Twilight felt a strange sensation, almost as if something was draining her power. Suddenly, a portal appeared right in front of her. Something reached out, huge, black claws reaching for her. Twilight screamed, and a flash of blue rushed in front if her. It was Skylark! He spun and twirled, his sword singing as he deflected the claws. Twilight managed to skitter away, and felt a terrifying low rumble in her chest. Skylark's moves got faster and faster as he built up his momentum. Then, with a sharp 'swish-crack', the blade slammed into the arm. A howl tore into the night as the arm flipped up and over Skylark, landing with a thud in front of Twilight. Before her eyes, it dissolved into purple smoke and floated away.
"Miss Sparkle? Are you OK?" Skylark was panting. His mane was plastered to his forehead, and he sat heavily.
"I... I'm..."
"Twilight!" Her friends charged up to her. Rainbow Dash glared at Skylark.
"What in the hay just happened?" Applejack exclaimed. Skylark got up slowly.
"Guess we'd better get inside. This is gonna be a long story." Skylark sounded weak, drained. His steps were short, and he almost collapsed by
the door. He refused Fluttershy's help, and sat once more at his table. The Mane Six also sat, staring at the old pegasus intently.
"It all started around my birthday..."
"Alright!" Young Skylark punched the air with his hoof, and did a loop inside his living room. His grandfather smiled.
"I thought you might like that." Laying on the table was a poster signed by all of the Wonderbolts team.
"Thank you Grandpa!" Skylark gave the elderly pegasus a big hug before racing away to tell his friend Sunflare. She was just as big a fan of the Wonderbolts as he was.
"Sunflare! Sunflare!" Skylark skidded to a halt next to Sunflare, who was eating her lunch.
"What is it Skylark?"
"I got a signed poster of the Wonderbolts!"
"No way!" Sunflare leapt up, her hay fries forgotten.
"Yeah!"
The two raced away, doing loops and spins around each other. After admiring the poster and having a nice meal, Skylark's grandfather left the house, leaving the two alone.
"Did you ask him?" Sunflare asked. The two of them were sitting in the roof of the cloud house, staring at the stars.
"Yeah." They had been planning a trip for a while now. They'd exhausted every option for their cutie marks locally, and had been planning on travelling abroad, seeing Equestria, and hopefully getting their cutie marks along the way.
"Well?" Sunflare rolled onto her stomach and looked at him.
"He said go for it." Skylark likewise rolled onto his stomach. Sunflare whooped, picking Skylark up and twirled into the air. They hovered, about 20 feet above the roof.
"I just realized something." She said slowly. "I never got you present"
"That's alrig-mmmph!" Sunflare jammed her mouth over Skylark's. After what seemed to be an eternity, they separated slowly.
"Happy birthday!" Sunflare said cheerfully, and flew back down to the roof, leaving Skylark floating there in shock.
A couple weeks after Skylark's birthday, the two were ready. After saying goodbye to everypony in Ponyville, they travelled North, visiting Vanhoover, then East to Phillydelphia and Manehatten. It was several months before they started crossing the Eastern Desert. That's when it happened.
"I think we'll set up camp here. It's getting dark." Skylark wiped his brow. The temperature was dropping from blisteringly hot to freezing cold very fast.
"Okay." Sunflare quickly unpacked the tent. Skylark crawled into the sleeping bag beside her, and they laid under the open tent flap, gazing at the stars.
"Well, we're almost home." Skylark said quietly. Sunflare merely snuggled closer. "And still no cutie marks. For either of us."
"We've still got a ways to go, Sky. We'll get them." Sunflare kissed him gently.
"I hope." Skylark pulled the tent flap over and fell asleep.
"SKYLARK!" He snapped awake. The tent was in shambles. The night was black, the moon offering little light. But what he did see scared him to his bones.
A giant, clawed paw was grabbing Sunflare, and dragging her into a portal!
"What the buck?" Skylark yelled.
"Help!" Sunflare shrieked, her wings beating uselessly at her sides. Skylark moved, grabbing the sword that he had bought in Manehatten for protection. He charged, the wooden hilt clutched tightly in his teeth. He slashed down at the arm, that jerked but kept retreating into the portal. He slashed again, and this time something did happen.
A second arm came out of the portal, but it didn't have a clawed paw on it. Instead, it appeared to have a stinger on it. The last thing Skylark saw was a glowing green goo heading straight at his face.
"I found out later that I'd gotten my cutie mark. Still don't know what it means." Skylark's mark was a sword and shield hung together. He sighed. "I wondered why this place would be where I would get my cutie mark. I wondered why in Equestria we ever even CROSSED this Celestia-forsaken place." He stood stiffly, and stretched out a kink in his wings. "As you could see, I don't need any help. I've got this under control. Whatever your map sent you here for, it's long gone." With that, he left the house.
The Mane Six were stunned. Twilight stared at the door. She couldn't begin to comprehend the anger inside Skylark. To be that close when someone you love is taken, not knowing if they're dead. The sadness in his voice when he talked about Sunflare brought a tear to everypony's eye.
"Well, I'm not leaving just because some stubborn old pegasus tells us to." Applejack said. "That map sent us here for a reason, and I have a hunch that it's connected to that portal."
"Well, duh! What else could it be?" Rainbow scoffed. "I can't wait to go hoof-to-hoof with that thing!" She did a couple air-punches.
"Then it's settled." Rarity said. "We'll help Skylark bring down that beast."
"Whoo hoo!" Pinkie yelled.
The next night, Twilight woke up with a chill, just like when the monster had first arrived. She heard the faint clashing of a sword, and the grunts of Skylark. Quickly, Twilight stepped outside to see Skylark again slice off the arm of the beast. But this time, as it retreated back into the portal, Skylark leapt after it. The portal closed, and Skylark landed hard, skidding on the hard-packed desert dirt.
"Buck!" Twilight heard him yell. Her heart ached slightly. He looked as if he was trying to go through the portal and search for Sunflare. As she watched, Skylark sat back down, staring unseeing into the night. A plan began to formulate in her head.
"You're going to do what?" Skylark was incredulous.
"We're going to use the Elements of Harmony to hold that portal open so you can go through." Twilight said. "Every time you have it beat, it flees back to who knows where? This way, we can chase it."
"That thing feeds on magic. You go in there, you don't have enough magic to get back out." Skylark sighed. "Besides, there's nothing on the other side. Just him."
"You don't know t-"
"Where do you get off?" Skylark's voice was venomous. "There's nothing on the other side. Don't you get it? Nothing! You go through, you're gone! You don't come back. There isn't a way out!" His voice cracked slightly, and he stood angrily, his sword clenched in his teeth. The door slammed shut behind him. Twilight was silent for a moment, then whispered to the other just in case Skylark was listening.
"Okay girls, here's what we're going to do..."
The desert was quiet. The moon cast everything in a pale blue light. Skylark breathed in tune with the wind. This was a special night, a sad night. It was the night Sunflare had been pulled into the portal, and dragged to wherever. He let the magic flow out, and barred himself from it. He felt older than his years. Old and blind didn't make an appealing combination when facing something that was not of Equestria. He took a deep breath, and drew in more power than he normally did. The objects in the desert were more defined now, their lines sharp and colours more contrasted. He sensed something faint, almost like a masked determination. Skylark shook it off, and began to feel the familiar, hated presence of the Entity. He grabbed his sword from the sand as he felt the portal open, and a shadow claw rip through the air towards him. He ducked, and jabbed the sword into the underside of the arm. The Entity roared, and slammed the claw into the ground, but Skylark spun away, getting in another slash. He felt the arm retreat, and started to run for the portal. Skylark felt it iris shut, and opened his mouth to scream his frustration when a blast of power emanated behind him. The portal stayed open.
"Skylark! Go!" He sensed Twilight and her friends, an almost blinding stream of rainbow magic, behind him. Without looking back, Skylark leapt through.
As he passed through, he felt the desert magic drain. His vision, which relied in that power, faded as well, but he could see just enough. He felt extremely light, and one tiny flap of his wings sent him tumbling into the rocky ceiling.
"The buck?" He whispered. With a bit of trial, he was able to float through the rocky tunnel he found himself in. Skylark could feel the Entity fleeing, but paused. He saw a faint light to his left, very dim magic. He turned, and sensed a little blob of Equestrian magic come up to him.
"Are you an angel?" A little voice said.
"No. But I'm here to get you out." Skylark sensed more ponies. "The portal out is that way. You'll be able to see it when you get close." Skylark felt the coldness of the Entity. "Go!" The blobs scurried away down the tunnel as the Entity roared after them.
Twilight couldn't believe her eyes when a group of ponies burst out of the portal. Each looked thin, their colours faded, but they all were bathed in the magic of the Elements. They regained their colours and looked healthy.
"What's going on?" One of them yelled.
"We're taking that thing down!" Rainbow yelled, her eyes shining with excitement.
The Entity fled down the tunnel. Skylark panted. With his limited power, it was a tough fight. Twice the beast snagged a claw on his armour, but Skylark managed to break free. Again he gave chase, and again he felt the presence of ponies. This time, one of the ponies promised to spread the word to other that there was a way out.
"Wait!" Skylark yelled. "Is there a pony named Sunflare down there?"
"Yeah. But the Moon Beast just ran down to her room. You'll have to lead it away first."
"Moon Beast?"
"Why do you think we haven't tried to escape? We're on the moon. The only way out is that portal."
Realizing that was why he had felt lighter, Skylark turned towards the tunnel that the Entity had fled down. He tilted his head from side to side, cracking his neck.
"Showtime." He murmured.
"Wow!" A little colt stood next to Twilight. "That's so cool!"
"Panzer! Get away from there!" An older mare pulled the young unicorn away from the Mane 6. "You know what'll happen if the Moon Beast catches you again!"
"I know Nana!" The unicorn hugged the mare and shivered. "I don't want my magic taken again."
Twilight heard this, and thought about it for a second.
'Moon Beast? Magic taker? Interesting.' She thought. 'I'll have to bring this up with Princess Luna.'
Skylark knew he was in trouble. The limited magic he had access to just disappeared. He was literally feeling around in the dark. He felt the cold of the Entity, and tried to dodge, but a massive fist punched his side. He felt his armour give with a crunch. His sword clattered to the floor. Skylark tried to scramble backwards, but he hit rock. The Entity moved closer, and placed a paw on Skylark's chest. He wheezed, barely able to get enough breath in his lungs. He saw a flash of pink, then a piercing howl.
The Entity disappeared with a pop.
"Wha...?" Skylark panted. "Who...?"
"I knew you'd come for me, Sky. I always did."
"Sun... Sunflare?" He felt warm breath against his cheek.
"Who else?" Skylark felt the pressure of her lips on his, and he kissed Sunflare passionately. He felt a tingling in his flanks, and suddenly he was imbued with more power than ever thought possible. The murky colours were washed away, replaced with the bright, white walls of moon rock. Skylark blinked. He looked at Sunflare. The magic gave him the power to see her features almost as if he'd never been blinded at all.
She looked just as she always had. Her mane was still alternating yellow and red with magenta starbursts that had been the inspiration for her name. He turned his gaze to her emerald eyes, and noticed she'd covered her left eye with her mane.
"Sunflare, what's wrong with your left eye?"
"Nothing." She pulled her mane further down, obscuring her eye. Skylark brushed it aside regardless. He gasped.
Sunflare's left eye was the same grey as Skylark's eyes.
"Sun..." He whispered. "I... I'm sorry."
"For what?" Sunflare looked away, covering her eye once more. "You didn't do that."
"I might as well have. I didn't protect you as I should."
"Sky... This was supposed to happen." Sunflare stuck out her flank. "Look." Her cutie mark was nearly identical to Skylark's. Before he could say anything, the tunnel rumbled. Rocks slammed to the ground. The floor shook.
"Run!" Skylark cried. Sunflare took off, Skylark close on her heels. The floor shook harder, and Skylark found that the small gravity lost it's hold on him. He floated upwards, and bounced off the ceiling. He cried out in pain, but kicked off, his wings outstretched. He swooped down, scooped up Sunflare, and rocketed down the tunnel. The portal was beckoning, it's light making long shadows on the ground. A whoop rose in Skylark's throat. They were free!
"Here they come!" One of the freed ponies shouted.
Skylark and Sunflare burst out of the portal. For a split second, they were engulfed in the Element's rainbow beam before the Mane 6 stopped channeling it's energy. There was a blinding flash of light, and when Twilight could see again, she gasped.
Skylark and Sunflare were floating side by side. Their wings were outstretched, farther than possible. Their manes were flowing, longer than they were before, with glowing rainbow streaks flashing up and down. Slowly, they floated to the ground, the streaks disappearing and their manes returning to normal.
"Skylark?" Twilight asked. Skylark gave a cocky grin. Any sign of age was gone. He stood straighter, taller, his demeanour now that of a confident flyboy, not a rickety old pegasus. His mane was still bleached white, but the red-brown streaks were more pronounced. He looked stronger, too.
"Wow." He said. "That was a rush."
"You said it!" Sunflare looked at him, and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"So..." Twilight said. "What are we going to do with everypony that was trapped in that portal?"
One of the rescued ponies stepped forwards.
"I reckon we build a town. Right here, in fact." He pointed at Skylark and Sunflare. "And I vote them to be the mayors!"
A cheer went up from the crowd. Skylark looked startled.
"What? Why us?"
"You busted us out of there! And Ms. Sunflare kept us goin' the whole time. I ain't never heard of singin' songs on the moon, for Celestia's sake!"
With a bemused expression on his face, Skylark addressed the crowd.
"Thank you everypony, but we have some unfinished business in Ponyville."
"We do?" Sunflare asked. Skylark didn't answer, but turned to face her. He knelt down on the sand.
"I almost never got to say this question to you, Sunflare." He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Sunflare flew into him, giving him a long kiss. Some stallions whooped. Reluctantly, the pair parted and Skylark looked at Twilight.
"You don't suppose that the Princess is available soon, do you?"
Twilight smiled.
"She'll be ready when you are!"
"We are gathered here today to join these two in holy maretramony." Celestia smiled at the crowd. "A long time on the making, this ceremony."
Skylark nervously shuffled his hooves as Celestia read the standard wedding script.
"Do you promise to be together through sickness and health, through poverty and wealth, Skylark?"
"I do."
"And do you, Sunflare, promise to be together through sickness and health, through poverty and wealth?"
"I do." Sunflare said from behind her veil. Both of their wedding attire had been supplied by Rarity, and Sunflare looked absolutely stunning in her dress.
"Then I pronounce you Mare and Stallion. You may now kiss the bride." Celestia stepped back.
"You look beautiful, Sun." Skylark said quietly. "I heard the gasps from the other stallions here." Sunflare gave a nervous smile.
"And you look incredibly handsome, Sky." Sunflare's voice wavered slightly. "I can't tell you how long I waited for this."
"Neither can I." Skylark said, and he leaned forwards.
The two kissed to the applause of the crowd. After so many years, the only thing the two wanted had finally come to be.
A tear rolled down Twilight's face. It was a perfect end to the struggle that the two had been in. To take part in the endgame was something that Twilight knew she would never forget.
Princess Luna looked down at Equestria, just like she had for a thousand years after she had been banished. The moon was a very lonely place, and Luna knew it all too well.
Humming tunelessly, the Princess of the Night strolled among the various craters in the moon, following her horn towards an odd magical signal. She stopped humming as she approached the dark side of the moon.
Luna hated the dark side, while it also scared her. Various beasts and magical creatures lived there. Because they'd never seen the sun, they constantly needed to absorb Equestrian magic to sustain themselves. They had been there when Luna had begun to despise the ponies and her sister. Their whispers had driven Luna to become Nightmare Moon.
Luna stopped on the edge. She hadn't crossed the threshold in years. She'd gone on a hunt for the beasts, a vengeance quest against those that had made her into a monster. She broke off when she felt the familiar stirrings to create everlasting night.
With a deep breath, she stepped onto the cold surface. Immediately the voices returned, but Luna ignored them, and finally found the source of the signal.
A trench had appeared, and it didn't look natural to Luna. She spread her wings and floated into the trench. Illuminating the rubble allowed her to see what was down there. A tunnel had been dug, going around in a tight circle. Only this section had caved in, and Luna could sense the faint traces of a light spell, so she began to sift the rubble, looking for any clues, and she came across an old sword.
It was dented, the blade dulled after being buried under tons of rock. Luna examined it, and recognized the marking on the hilt. An old pony had made swords with that exact marking when Luna had been banished. How had Skylark been able to purchase this sword when the pony making them died long ago?
With reverence, she undented the blade and sharpened it to a razor's edge. Wiping the hilt clean, she placed it between her teeth and took a couple practice swigs. The sword was perfectly balanced for her, just how she liked it.
Luna didn't believe in coincidences. She knew every action had a purpose, from the Elements of Harmony returning when Nightmare Moon did, to the events leading up to Twilight and her friends getting their cutie marks, even to Twilight's parents meeting due to an accident. Luna was convinced that Celestia was privy to that information, but when she asked her sister, she merely smiled and said 'Not now, little sister.'
Luna musings were interrupted by a loud roar, and the familiar chill travelling up her spine. She turned, and saw three Tiger-Scorpions. They were attempting to encircle her. A predatory grin spread across Luna's face, and she took a fighting stance.
One charged. Luna took a step back, and slashed down through it's neck. It disappeared with a *pop*. The other two mewled at the death of their brother, and retreated. Luna was sorely tempted to give chase, but she resisted the urge. She summoned a sheath and placed the sword into it, and started her flight back to Equestria. She wondered if Skylark wanted the sword back, and if not, would he let her have it? Surely a blind pegasus has no need for such an ancient weapon.
Luna landed lightly on the desert sand. She looked up and walked towards a group of ponies busy putting up a sign. It read: 'The town of Harmony. Population: 34.' The ponies spotted Luna, and immediately bowed.
"Princess! We didn't expect you so soon!"
"It's alright. I came to speak to Skylark. Is he here?"
"Y-yes! He's in the house at the end. You can't miss it."
"Thank you. It looks good!" Luna smiled and continued her walk. More ponies bowed as she passed. She nodded to each in turn, and knocked on the house that was specified. Skylark opened the door.
"Hello?" He asked.
"Hello, Mr. Skylark." Luna said softly.
"Princess?" Skylark bowed deeply. "My apologies, Princess. My vision isn't what it used to be."
The corner of Luna's mouth jerked upwards.
"It's alright, Mr. Skylark. May I come in?"
"Yes, yes!" Skylark moved aside, and Luna stepped into the house. It was cozy, not unlike the cottage that she had spent most of her fillyhood in. Sunflare stepped out of the kitchen and bowed.
"Princess! It's an honour! Would you like some tea? Or perhaps a piece of pie?"
"No thank you, Ms. Sunflare."
"Ok!" Sunflare helped Skylark over to their couch. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." Luna removed the sheath and placed it on the floor in front of Skylark.
"What's this?"
"I found this on the moon. I believe it is yours."
"Ah." Skylark slid the sword out and touched it. "Yes, this was mine."
"Can you remember where you got this? It has a marking that I remember from long ago."
"Let me see..." Skylark's face went slack for a second. "Yes... it was a pawnshop in Manehatten. The shopkeep said it was an old sword, so we got it for a couple Bits. For such an old thing, it's tough."
"Quite." Luna sheathed the sword. "Would you mind if I kept this? I can get a replacement, if you'd want one."
Skylark waved a hoof in the air.
"Take it! I doubt I'll be fighting with a sword of that caliber ever again."
"Thank you, Mr. Skylark. This means a great deal to me." Luna rose, and bowed slightly to Sunflare. "I must be going."
"Princess, wait!" Skylark called out. Sunflare sat next to him, and he put his foreleg around her. "We have a question for you."
"Oh?"
"Well, you see... Me and Sunflare... well, we ah... you know..."
"You dolt!" Sunflare giggled. "We're going to have a baby!"
"The only problem is, we can't really think of a name for the little 'un." Skylark looked sheepish. "We were wondering if you could... name him."
"Or her." Sunflare put in. Luna was taken aback.
"Me?" Luna immediately thought of a dozen names, and dismissed them almost as quickly. She looked at the hilt of the sword.
'No coincidences.' She thought.
"How about Duskrider?"
Sunflare smiled.
"That's perfect! Thank you, Princess."
Luna smiled, and turned to leave when another thought crossed her mind.
"If Duskrider has the ambition to be in the Royal Guard, let me know. I'll reserve a spot for him in my personal guard. If what I've heard about your swordsmanship, Mr. Skylark, then Duskrider will be a welcome edition to my team."
Both Skylark and Sunflare were speechless.
"That's... that's an honour, Princess. Thank you."
"Thank you, Mr. Skylark. You've given me a piece of my fillyhood. This is the least I can do."
As Luna left the house, the sun warmed her face. She felt the cool breeze, and looked up to see where the sun was. Celestia had moved it down towards the horizon. Luna flapped her wings and headed back towards the castle.
It was nighttime, after all.