the Equestria dialouges

Chapters

Chapter one-a first meeting
chapter three- children
chapter four- Chaos
chapter Five-friendship and war
chapter six- bullying
chapter seven- the harmony of harmony
chapter nine- revenge
chapter ten-homecoming
chapter eleven- revelations
chapter twelve- discovery
chapter thirteen- farewell
epilouge
chapter two- pony holidays
chapter eight- betrayal

Chapter one-a first meeting

The Equestria Dialogues: Chapter one- a first meeting.

This is a day I've long been looking forward to.

As anypony could tell you, I love exploring new places and exotic locales. It is my reason for living, my 'special talent', if you will. I have been everywhere, from the cold and lofty peaks of the purple mountains, to the desert land of Screea, home of the Penna birds... and I have seen many amazing places, and many wondrous things. That is why I bear a compass and a star as my cutie mark; for the winds are my truest companions on any journey... and the Stars my truest guide.

Forgive me, I should first introduce myself. My name is North Star, professional adventurer and royal cartographer of Dream Valley. I work in service to Queen Majesty, the ruler of the Dream Valley kingdom. I make my living exploring new places, and mapping out different parts of both Ponyland, and our much wider world. I am a pink Pegasus with a purple mane and blue eyes, and I live at Dream Castle along with my daughter, Baby North Star. My husband, Barnacle, is also an explorer- an earth pony sailor, who enjoys going out and exploring the seven seas. Much like the other stallions, he rarely stays in the valley for long, leaving my daughter and I to tend to our own affairs.

Under my queen's orders, I have investigated many strange and unusual phenomena around the world. But this latest assignment I've been given, has to be the most exciting one yet. Today Wind Whistler and I have been sent to explore the ruins of Canterlot, the former capital of what was once the kingdom of Equestria. One of the largest sets of ruins in the entire region, it is a treasure trove of ancient knowledge and enchanted artifacts... and also one of the most tempting targets for thieves and brigands. The Canterlot ruins is usually crawling with troll and goblin scavengers, so we'll have to be careful.

"Be cautious on your approach, North Star. These rocky outcroppings can be most hazardous." Wind Whistler warns me, as she came in for a landing on one of the ruined streets. Nodding, I gently come in for a soft landing, my hooves clacking on the cracked cobblestone road. This whole city was built directly into the cliff side, and it is a miracle it has not yet slipped down the mountain, and crumbled away into dust. It is truly a testament to to the ability and know-how of the ancient Equestrian Ponies, those wondrous Ponies of an an advanced and peaceful era. Oh, how different their world was, from the world we live in now!

"Let's have a look around, shall we?" I ask my traveling companion.

"Indeed." Wind Whistler replies with a smile. "I cannot even begin to imagine what wondrous discoveries, our present endeavor shall uncover."

I could only smirk at my partner's enthusiasm. The queen's court scientist, Wind Whistler is the most logical and serious blue Pegasus you will ever meet. Even her own husband and daughter cannot connect with her very well. She often accompanies me on my journeys, scientifically analyzing ever little discovery I make, and reporting her findings back to the queen. "In fact, I believe it would be most efficient to split up, and explore separately."

"I quite agree." I reply, and begin to explore the nearby buildings.

Roofless houses, and shops with crumbling walls... this place is a mess. But that is to be expected, of course, of a city that has been abandoned for five hundred years. Amongst the ruins, I find broken plates and bowls, and even some kind of child's doll (What was the character the archives said the doll represented, 'smarty pants', I believe it was?) But I find no trace of anything of value, magical or otherwise.

Sighing with disappointment, I realize most of these structures had already been picked over, and most anything interesting or exciting had probably long been removed from these ruins. Curse the old pony taboo on disturbing the places of the ancestors! Convincing the queen to finally allow us to explore this place, was too little, too late. The enemies of ponykind had already beaten us to prize by several centuries. We were too late to save our own heritage. Sighing with disappointment, I make my way towards the ruins of the royal palace.

Canterlot Castle... even in it's current state of decay, it is still a marvel to behold. Trotting though the once-carpeted hallways, I gaze upon broken stained-glass windows, depicting scenes from Ponyland's great and vast history. The element of harmony bearers, the demon discord, even Princess Celestia herself, the most regal of all ponies... it was all here. Ponykind's greatest age... and all that was left was these broken-down ruins. By the great horsemaster, where had we gone wrong?

"A magnificent sight, is it not?"

A voice from behind me causes me to whinny in surprise. At first I thought it was Wind Whistler. But as I spin around, I see a purple-blue unicorn, with a light blue mane and teal eyes. A crescent moon cutie mark decorates her flank, and she looks to be about my age.

"Who... who are you?" I ask in surprise.

"A humble visitor, like thyself." She replies. "A pony who doth enjoy reflecting on the past."

Looking her over, I noticed a regal-ness to the way she carried herself, and a weariness in her eyes that was beyond her years. She must be a unicorn mage from one of the local feudal kingdoms, I reasoned, and had come here to explore the ruins, as Wind Whistler and I were doing.

"Yes, it is magnificent!" I tell her, looking back up at the glass window with Celestia's image on it. "To think that they were such an advanced civilization to build all of this..."

"Yet for all of their advancement, they could not save themselves." The unicorn replies bitterly. "They could not see the coming tragedy, and failed to prevent the destruction of their world."

"But Ponykind survived." I argue. "Their descendants bounced back, and built the Ponyland Society we know today."

"And what kind of society doth ponykind live in?" She asks, an undercurrent of anger running in her voice. "Monsters do threaten from all sides, and what do the ponies do? Hide behind the walls of their fortified castles, relying on human knights and unicorn mages to protect them!"

Shocked, I am ready to protest- those human knights fought side-by-side with the dream valley stallions as equals... treating the ponies as partners, instead of just brainless steeds. But then I see a wave of sadness pass over the unicorn's face, and I fall silent.

"Forgive me, child. We have a tendency to forget that our time has passed." This puzzled me, why would a pony my age call me 'child?' And what was with that 'we'? "Tell us, young one, what is thine name?"

"North Star" I reply respectfully, realizing the unicorn was far older than she actually looked. "I'm an archeologist and explorer pony from Dream Valley."

"Majesty's kingdom, yes." The unicorn replies, nodding. "Walk with me, North Star of Dream Valley."

She trots confidently down the hallway, and I follow quickly behind her. "Tell us, young one, what does thou knowest of the Princess Celestia?"

I think for a moment. "She was the great ruler of Equestria, one of the mightiest heroines of Ponydom. She and her sister freed our ancestors from the tyranny of Discord, then she ruled Equestria for fifteen centuries of peace and prosperity. Her reign was the greatest Ponyland has ever known."

"And doth your records tell of what kind of pony she was personally?" The Unicorn asks. "Do they tell you her hobbies, her likes and dislikes? Doth it tell you how she had a wry sense of humor, and could play small practical jokes? Or that she was a wonderful sister, who cared deeply about her family?"

"Well, no..." I stutter in reply. "Our records say that she was a kind and just ruler, and very little else about her personality. We do know all of her accomplishments, though... all of her actions as a princess are recorded." If this unicorn knows something about Celestia's personal life, I would love to look through the royal archives in the kingdom she is from!

"Then thou really dost not know what know what kind of pony she was, meaning you really don't know her." The unicorn replied smugly.

"So what you're saying is... some one's deeds don't tell you what kind of person they are... it is understanding the person themselves?"

"You are correct, child." She says with a smile. Then a puzzled look crossed her face. "Wait a minute... 'person'? Dost thou not mean 'pony'?"

"Forgive me, elder." I reply with a laugh. "But living among the humans for so long has had it's effect on pony culture, and pony language."

"Something we are not pleased about." The purple unicorn grumbles.

"Tell me, elder... what do you know of Equestria?" I asked her, curiously. "Do you know anything about the Element of harmony bearers, or Ponyville?"

"Ah yes, thou wouldst be interested in Ponyville." The unicorn replies. "For it is the place the ancestors of the Dream Valley ponies came from. Yes, we know of Ponyville... of Sugar cube corners, and the energetic Pinky Pie that lived and worked there... of the gentle Fluttershy, and her caring for the animals... of the Competitive Rainbow Dash, and her absolute need to win. Yes, child, I know them well... and few of them are left now."

She is rambling, as old eccentric unicorn researchers are known to do. But out of her mumblings, I pick up some names I know. Fluttershy was an element bearer, and the pony Fluttershy falls in Dream Valley was named after. The same was true of Rainbow Dash, who was the namesake of Fort Rainbow Dash, far to the west of our kingdom. But Pinkie Pie? We had lost the names of two of the harmony bearers, but I really didn't think the pink pony pictured in the ancient texts would actually be named after her color palette.

"Why would anyone have a name as sickeningly girly as that?" I blurt out, thinking out loud.

"In an age where all mares wear ribbons tied into bows on their tails, one can hardly call Equestria ponies 'girly'." The purple unicorn retorts.

"Hah hah... you have a point, elder." I reply sheepishly, glancing back at my own tail bow. "But tell me... what kingdom in Ponyland are you from? Obviously, you are not from Dream Valley, or from Queen Rosedust's flutter pony kingdom. You don't seem very rough and adventurous, so you're probably not from Fort Rainbow Dash. And you're not an Oriental pony, so I doubt you're from Hoofkaido. Might you be from the Royal Paradise? I've heard the six princess ponies there have quite an extensive archive collection!"

"So many different kingdoms, so many different rulers." The unicorn replies sadly. "Whereas once Equestria was united, now all of Ponykind stands divided. And it shall never again be united as one."

Before I could ask her any more, Wind Whistler comes trotting up. "North Star, where have you been? And who is this unicorn?"

"Hello Wind Whistler. I was merely looking around at the palace and surrounding buildings. As to who this is, what was your name again?"

But when I turn to ask her, she was gone.

"Hey, where did she...?" But before I can finish, I notice the sun is setting. "We'd better get home, Wind Whistler. The moon is rising, and it will be dark soon."

"I most certainly agree." My companion replies. "And don't worry, North Star, I'm sure you're new friend will be all right."

"Your probably right." I Sigh, and the two of us take off. "Who knows, maybe we'll see her again when we return to tomorrow. This is scheduled to be a ten-day exploration, after all."

And with that, the two of us flew back towards Dream Castle, leaving these ruins of the past behind us. But as we fly, I silently hope that I will get the chance to speak to her again...

..whoever she is...

chapter three- children

Chapter three- children

As the morning sun rises over Dream Valley, I am making preparations to fly back to Canterlot with Wind Whistler for our third visit. But first, I need to stop by the Dream Castle school room. Sundance, my daughter's teacher, wants to speak to me about something, and it sounded rather urgent.

"I'm sorry to trouble you when you're so busy with royal business for our Queen." The white earth pony mare tells me. "But your daughter has been making a circus out of my classroom!"

I sigh, rubbing my forehead with my hoof. "What did she do this time?"

"You mean besides tricking Baby Glory into teleporting Butterscotch and Blue Belle into the rainbow river?" Sundance Complained. "Or threatening Glider that the Smooze was going to come and eat him? Baby North Star is the most undisciplined little filly I have ever taught! She seems to enjoy tormenting her fellow classmates, and is the worst bully I have ever seen for a female pony."

"She can't be that bad!" I protest, slightly annoyed. "Surely, she's just going through a phase!"

"That little hellion is disrupting my classroom far too much, Miss Star!" Sundance shook her head. "Her brother Countdown was neeeeigh-ver this bad! If you cannot discipline her properly, I shall have to to take this to the Queen's minister of education, and stricter measures will have to be taken!"

"Thank you, Sundance." I respond politely. "Barnacle and I shall speak to her the first opportunity we get."

I don't understand, how could I have raised such a juvenile delinquent? And school isn't the only place she's caused trouble, either. My daughter almost caused a diplomatic crisis, by trying to sell the baby newborn twin ponies to the elf royal family as pets! Their mother, Sparkler, screamed at me for three hours... and I cannot say I blame her. I honestly don't know where I went wrong... maybe I'm just not cut out to be a mother. Still, Countdown turned out well, though that may be more attributed more to Barnacle’s father skills, rather than myself.

Sighing, I trot off towards Wind Whistler's quarters in the Castle. I find her talking to Moondream, her daughter, who is holding a small suitcase in her mouth.

"Now you be a good little filly while spending the week with your friend at Fort Rainbow Dash." Wind Whistler tells her. "And don't wander away from the convoy on your way there, unless you want to end up as a troll's dietary supplement."

"Yes, mother, I understand you and father's expectations on my actions." Moondream replied. "I shall endevior to be on my best behavior, during my excursion out of Dream Valley."

As she nuzzles her mother, I smile. Wind Whistler was doing an excellent job raising Dream Valley's next generation of egghead.

As her daughter trots away, Wind Whistler looks up and sees me. "Ah! North Star! So good to see you! Shall we be off?"

On our way to the Canterlot ruins, I speak up. "Wow, Wind Whistler, you're so amazing with your daughter. I wish I was as good a parent."

"All right, what did the little hellspawn do this time? Set fire to Sundance's mane?" Wind Whistler asks sarcastically. "Or did she start a war with the Gnomes?"

"I guess I was just too lenient with her." I sigh. "I just didn't want to be as strict as my mother."

"It's not your fault, North Star, some foals just turn out rotten. 'there's a bad egg in every bunch', as the humans say." Wind Whistler encouraged me.

"I don't know, Wind Whistler." I reply. "Maybe you're right."

As soon as we reach Canterlot, my partner and I explore the remains of the capital's Acadeima Magica, the school where the Equestrian Unicorn pupils learned the most powerful of magic spells. We find the rusted metal chairs, and broken desks, when we try to remove a book from the shelf, it crumbled away into dust.

"Hm, seems like their knowledge didn't hold up very well." My partner commented.

I stare at her, shocked, did Wind Whistler just make a joke?

"Well, I wish they had a book on parenting." I tell her. "I could sure use some advice right now."

"And why would that be, my good North Star?" A familiar voice asked us. "Art thou having problems with thine offspring?"

We turned around to find our elusive unicorn friend, standing in the doorway, looking at us.

"Oh, it's you." I sigh. "Yes, it's my daughter, Baby North Star. She's causing all sorts of trouble, and I'm at my mane's end with what do do with her."

"Baby North Star?" She asks me, puzzled.

"Modern mares often name their daughters after themselves." Wind Whistler tells her. "They often add the 'baby' prefix to avoid confusion when their offspring is young."

"How... wonderfully confusing." The bewildered unicorn replies. "In Equestria, the fillies and colts were treated kindly growing up, their parents and their teachers did nurture the young ones, and did helpeth them to explore and find what thier special talent was."

"I find that amusing." I reply with a snort. "Our stricter feudal customs and laws usually mean that what a pony does for the rest of her life is determined for her. Most mares inherit their mother's jobs. Why, both Applejack and I's daughters have inherited our cutie marks."

"They were told what they were good at, rather than discovering a special talent for themselves." Wind Whistler adds.

"Applejack, we once knew a pony by that name." The unicorn replied thoughtfully. "But that's beside the point. You mean to tell us a pony's life path and career are determined for them? How horrible!"

"Well, it's not like we can force the cutie mark to appear." I reply defensively. "Just that many young fillies end up following in our footsteps."

"But might not your daughter feel the pressure put on her to conform to your identity, instead of making one for herself?" The unicorn asks. "Might not she want to be her own pony, rather than North Star 2; the sequel?"

"I... never though of it that way." I reply with a nervous laugh. "I guess I always assumed my daughter would enjoy being an explorer like I was."

"Perhaps you should asketh her what she doth want." The unicorn replies. "She might and her friends might have enjoyed being cutie mark crusaders, discovering their special talent in all sorts of ways hilarious and most bizarre."

"A cutie mark what now?" Wind Whistler asks her, confused.

"Twas nothing, my good Wind Whistler." The unicorn replied with a whinnying laugh. "Merely remembering a group of troublemaking fillies from our younger days."

"Hey, look over here!" I speak up, looking over a few shelves on the bookcase. "I found an intact book over here!" I blow the dust off to see the book's title. "What's this? Cutie Marks: Cheerilee's guide to helping foals find their special talents?

"Perhaps the wisdom of an ancient teacher, can help your Sundance with her students." The unicorn told us.

"Hey, did you put that book there for us to find?" I ask her. "And how did you know about Sundance?"

"Who are you, anyway?" Wind Whistler asked her. "You have yet to tells us your name."

But when we look again, she is gone. Just as before, she has disappeared just as the sun is setting.

"North Star... I am beginning to suspect who our mystery pony is." Wind Whistler told me, looking up at the rising moon.

"Oh, that's ridiculous, Wind Whistler." I reply with a nervous laugh, realizing what she was insinuating. "Now come on, we need to finish this work up before sunrise."

I men, there's no way we could have been talking to... her could we?

chapter four- Chaos

"Wind Whistler, where are you?"

It was time for our third visit to the Canterlot ruins, and I was unable to locate my partner in the excavation. This is not like Wind Whistler at all... she is usually the most punctual and practical pony. But I have been searching the halls and passageways of Dream Castle for over an hour, and have found no trace of my friend. It is when I'm trotting up the stairs to the third floor, that I see the shadows flicker for an instant.

"Wind Whistler, is that you?"

I feel a tiny rush of air, and I quickly look around... but no one is there. I start to think I'm just being too jitters, when a voice whispers behind me. "Right here, North Star.... though I am hardly Wind Whistler"

"AIIIEEEEEE!" I shriek in surprise, flying up and smacking my head into the ceiling. It is then, that a yellow Pegasus with an aqua-striped green mane materializes out of nowhere.

"What's the matter, North Star?" The mare asks me with a smirk. "Afraid of what you can't see?"

"Masquerade! You nearly scared me 'ave to death!" I float back down to the floor, rubbing my head with my hoof. "You're apperain' and disappearin' act could get somepony hurt!"

The pony master of disguise and deception, Masquerade can make herself look and act like anyone or anything.. not even the most powerful mages can see through her disguises. She is the ultimate spy and gatherer of information for Queen Majesty... this pony's eyes and ears are everywhere! None of us in Dream Valley are even sure that the yellow Pegasus we see when we talk to her is what she really looks like. We may never have even seen the real Masquerade!

"Wind Whistler is on the third floor, conversing with Whizzer." Masquerade tells me, holding an eye mask on a stick up to her eyes. "I believe she is asking her to join the two of you on your expedition."

"Wait, how do you know where she is?" I ask, bewildered. "And how do you know where we're going?"

"I make it my business to know all that transpires within Dream Valley- especially within the walls of this castle." A twinkle-eyed pony, she stares at me with her hollow gemstone eyes, causing me to shiver. "Our Queen depends on the intelligence I gather to be well-informed on both her subjects.... and her enemies."

"Blimey, girl." I snort, shaking my mane. "Sometimes, I think you're just a bit too paranoid for your own-" But when I turn again, she is gone again.

Don't let Masquerade's 'nice and friendly' act she puts on in public fool you. Nobody knows how she disguises herself and disappears like that... she's not a Unicorn, after all. Every pony in the castle is always watching what they say... lest 'Majesty's pet spy' is listening in. And she seems to know what's going on in the other royal courts of Ponyland almost before it happens. One thing I will say for her... she is certainly very good at her job.

As I trot up to the third floor balcony, I find Wind Whistler and Whizzer talking...just as Masquerade predicted.

"So Whizzer, I can count on you to help in our endeavor?"

"SureIdbegladtohelpyouout." The speedy pink Pegasus told her. "Butwhatdoyouneedaponylikemefor?"

"Yes, Wind Whistler." I ask her. "What could we possibly use her help for?"

"Why, to speed up the digging process, of course." My analytical blue friend replies. "Especially since we always seem to get distracted and slow down, when that Unicorn friend of yours shows up."

"Ah, yeah." I reply sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck with my hoof. "That's good reasoning, I suppose."

It's not long before we're on our way to the ruins again... with Whizzer rocketing far ahead of us, of course. I honestly wonder sometimes if that Pony shouldn't lay off the caffeine a bit. When Wind Whistler and I finally arrive at Canterlot, Whizzer is already happily digging away with a trowel she pulled from her pack.

"HeyWindWhistlercomeoverhereandhelpmedig." The speedy Pegasus asks.

"NorthStaryouhaveadriendherewaitingforyou."

"A friend?" I ask, confused. "Why, what ever do you mean?"

"I believeth she was referring to me, young one." The Crescent-moon flanked Pegasus came trotting up. "Verily, I did indeed hope that we could indeed converse again, on matters both past and present. What you have told me of modern Pony society hath indeed intrigued me."

"I had a feeling it would, elder." Wind Whistler and I had our suspicions on who this was... and if they were correct, we had decided it would be best to treat her with respect. After all, if she of all ponies were disguising herself while addressing us, she probably had a very good reason for doing so. We decided we would play along until she decided to reveal herself.

"Your friend over there... she is an odd one." The unicorn noted, nodding her head towards Whizzer. "She is a Jewel eyed pony, is she not? I have never seeneth a pony as fast as her."

"We've clocked Whizzer at just under light speed." I tell the unicorn. "She can perform a super-sonic rainboom, destroying everything in a three-mile radius."

"But that... that beith even faster than any of the Wonderbolts!" The Unicorn replied, bewildered. "She would even leaveith Rainbow Dash in the dust in a flying race!"

"Our court mage, Twilight, told us she as a lot of chaos energy within her.. an unusually high amount." I reply.

“If anypony would know, it would be a member of the Twilight clan.“ The unicorn looked Whizzer over. "That pink coat, the beanie propeller cutie mark... I believeth your friend may be descended form an earth pony in the distant past, who was a victim of Discord’s vile magic.”

“The Screwball incident… one of the most infamous possession cases in the ancient records.” I shiver, recalling my studies. “The Equestrian unicorn exorcists were never able to purify her with their magic, were they?”

The unicorn nodded. “They finally had to let her go, and try to reintegrate into pony society, chaos and all. My guess is she hath passed those energies down, unto your friend Whizzer.”

"So Discord strikes from beyond the grave." I look over at Whizzer. "That fiend's chaotic magic was the reason Ponies had to control nature and the seasons in Equestria, wasn't it?"

"Indeed! Even after the royal sisters encased discord in stone, the seasons and natural cycles that he had disrupted still would not return to normal." The unicorn looks out the shattered window. "It fell to ponykind to change the seasons and care for the animals, just as the royal sisters took over the task of raising the sun and moon."

"But elder... wasn't discord finally destroyed?" I ask her. "Wasn't he slain in battle by Princess Celestia?"

"...Yes, he was." She responded finally. "Discord broke free one final time, three hundred years after his first escape. There were no worthy Harmony bearers at the time, so Celestia had to take him on by herself. She cast a spell that took her essence... that of Pure order... and hit Discord with a powerful blast of his opposing element. It managed to finally kill the Spirit of Chaos, but claimed the life of Celestia, as well."

"And Princess Luna became the sole ruler of the Kingdom." I finish. "The beginning of the fall of Equestria."

"Luna did holdeth out for as long as she could." The unicorn snorted, almost defensively. "But the goblin and troll invasions, and the attacks of the evil warlords Tirek and Grogar, did finally bringeth an end to the Equestrian civilization."

"After Discord's death, nature returned to running itself." Wind Whistler trotted up, continuing the Story. "But some of Discord's chaotic energies remained in Ponyland."

"What?" The unicorn asked in shock. "Discord's chaos doth still linger in this land?"

"When Discord perished, a small number of chaos spirits, called frazits, were born from the energies released from his essence." My companion continued. "A tribe of Gnomes, called the Dell Dwellers, keeps them imprisioned deep beneath Ponyland's Mastificent forest."

"...I did not know this... I thanketh thee for that information, my little ponies." The unicorn says with a smile, vanishing before our eyes.

"Well, that was abrupt." Wind Whistler noted bluntly.

"Yeahaunicornteleportingwithoutsayingoodbye." Whizzer said behind us. "Thatislikesorude."

"The records do say Princess Luna was is a bit eccentric." I reply.

"I'm not so sure that was her highness Luna." A voice from the shadows growls, startling the three of us.

"MASQUERADE!" Wind Whistler yells, in a tone unusual for her. "If you sneak up on me just one more time, I swear by the great horsemaster I'll kick some pony-sense into you!"

"How can it not be her, Masquerade?" I ask incredulously. "Why are you being so paranoid?"

"An alicorn mage of Princess Luna's caliber should have been able to detect my presence from the very beginning of your conversation, for starters."

"You were listening in on our conversation?" My anger flares up. "What are you doing, stalking us?"

"Oh please, don't insult me." She snorts. "I listen in on everypony's conversations. Now, I have business elsewhere, so if you'll excuse me..." And with that, the yellow Pegasus is gone, as well.

"Well" Wind Whistler snorts indignantly. "That mare certainly has a lot of nerve!"

"Idontknowgirlswhatifshesright?" Whizzer asks in a worried tone.

"Whizzer, stop trying to think! You're terrible at it!" I tell her. "Now could the three of us please get to work?"

As the three of us set about our duties, I began to wonder what really was going on with our strange unicorn friend.

chapter Five-friendship and war

"Faster! Wind Whistler! Faster!" I shriek, flying through the mountain passes, as fast as my wings will carry me. "They're gaining on us!"

"I am making haste, as quickly as my stamina will allow!" My out of breath companion yelled, trailing along after me.

Behind us, an angry squadron of twenty griffins flew after us, their razor talons outstretched, and ready us strike.

"Speed it up, boys!" Their wing commander yelled. "We'll teach these Pegasus not to trespass into our lands!"

Oh great horsemaster, how do we always manage to get ourselves into these situations? A few hours ago, Magic Star, our earth pony physician, told me several of the ponies in the castle had come down with Cutie Pox. She said she needed several flowers of truth to mix up a cure, and asked that Wind Whistler and I fly to retrieve some for her. We agreed to journey north to the Purple Mountains , outside the borders of Ponyland, to pick several of the flowers from the edge of the Tambleon Crater.

Unfortunately, those lands are within the griffin kingdom's territory, and a patrol had spotted us on our way back towards the Ponyland border. Now, in the time of Celestia, griffins may have been ponykind's friends, but in the modern world, these territorial beasts saw us as nothing more than their next meal.

"What's the matter, little Pony?" One of them hissed, gaining up to Wind Whistler. "Don't you want to be friends?"

"Aieee! NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU BLOODTHIRSTY CARNIVORE!" She yelled, slamming her hind leg into the monster's face. The hoof-kick shattered his beak, and sent him tumbling downward, towards the jagged peaks below.

"Hmm, looks like we'll be having another type of meat tonight, boys!" Three of the griffins dove after their fallen companion, while the others continued their pursuit of us.

"Savages!" I hissed in disgust, looking back at our pursuers.

"North Star! " Wind Whistler yells up to me. "It is imperative that we approach the Ponyland border through the Greyvale pass!"

"Bright Valley?" I yell back. "But why-" Suddenly, my eyes light up in understanding. "The cliff guns!"

Wind Whistler nods. "It's our only chance! Now hurry!"

We rush ahead, doing loops and spirals to outpace our pursuers. But griffins have more stamina than we Pegasus do, and they slowly begin to close the distance on us.

"Wind Whistler!" I yell back to her. "Below us!"

We both come out of the steep mountain pass, to see the earth pony town of Bright Valley stretching out before us. We soar high over the city wall, staring down at the homes and bell towers below. The earth ponies in the streets gawk and stare up at us , pointing their hooves and yelling.

"End of the road, you foolish mares!" The Commander hisses, as he and his wingmen finally catch up to us. "Horseflesh shall feed my nestlings well tonight! Looks like you ponies are going out with a-"

"BOOM!"

Like a loud pearl of thunder, the city's battery of cannons open fire. A large projectile zings past me, and nails the griffin commander. He let out a sickening shriek, as his body is reduced to a scattered mess of feathers and blood.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" As three of the massive cannons spin around, three more of our griffin foes are blasted out of existence.

"It's the Bright Valley cliff guns!" One of them squawks. "Back though the pass, hurry!" As another barrage from the cannons kill several more, the rest of the cowards retreat back from whence they came. Wind Whistler and I, totally exhausted, come in for a landing on one of the roads below.

"You ladies all right?" A young earth mare comes galloping up, She has a blue coat and a red mane, decorated with dozens of ribbons braided through it. "I saw you two flying and being chased by those nasties, and I went and told my dad- poppa is the captain of the gunnery crews, ya know- anyway, I told him, and he and his stallions walloped em' good!"

"Then I guess we have you to thank." I told her... though I was well aware the gunnery lookout had probably seen our approach long before she did. "What's your name. my friend?"

"Bowtie Lace, but you can call me Bow Tie." She looked me over. "Hey, aren’t you North Star, the famous explorer from Dream Valley?"

"That's me." I replied proudly, spreading my wings and strutting. "And there's no danger I'm not afraid to face!"

"Wow!" Bow Tie replied. "It was sooo cool how you handled those griffons in the air back there! You are sooo amazing!"

I paw my hoof at the ground, embarrassed. "Aw, well, I-"

"Pony Feathers! Don't give her an even bigger head, Miss Tie!" Wind Whistler replied, scowling at me. "It was her fault we were in that situation in the first place! And it was the guns that saved our tails back there, not any fancy flying from our 'great adventurer'.

"Yeah, the cliff cannons are pretty amazing, aren't they?" She replies, not missing a beat. "They were installed after the dissolution of Equestria, to protect the from Dragon and Griffon attacks from the north. Nothing can get past those big monsters in the air!"

"Indeed! I have heard one of the mortar shells from those cannons can blow a hole clean through a full grown dragon's scale armor!" Wind Whistler replied enthusiastically. "And that every one of the pony operators is a crack shot!"

Listening to the two tech nerds rattle on, I only roll my eyes. "Excuse me... but if you two are done admiring the canons, Wind Whistler and I need to get back to dream castle."

"North Star!" My companion whinnys, annoyed. "We were merely observing that the cliff guns are very effective at dispatching attackers on the town!"

"Yes..." I reply, looking out at the mountain pass, towards the fleeing griffins. "Enemies who used to be pony kind's friends..."

"Anyway, anything you two want in town before you head home?" Bow Tie asks. "I know of a nice little delicatessen, that serves the best soup and oats this side of the Mastificent forest."

"That sounds delicious! I am definitely hungry!" I reply enthusiastically.

"I am uncertain... perhaps we should wait until we return home to eat...." Wind Whisler replies.

"There's also a beauty salon and spa near here, where you can totally relax in hot water, and they can do fabulous things with your mane." Bow Tie continued.

"That sounds like a relaxing and refreshing experience!" Wind Whistler whinnied. "I most certainly need to relax in a hot tub for awhile!"

"Well, I don't know..." I reply uncertainly.

Bow Tie narrowed her eyes, a wry smile on her face. "Did I mention that both places are within viewing distance of a construction site? One where big, studly stallions covered in sweat are hard at work?"

"I'm in!" Wind Whistler and I both reply in unison.

We had a pleasant enough time in Bright Valley.. it is always interesting spending time in the only remaining pony city in Ponyland. We were lucky I carry a few bits on me I found at a dig site, as Bright Valley is the only place where ponies still use money. The food was great and the spa was pleasant.. and the show at the construction site wasn't bad either. (Get your mind out of the trough! Wind Whistler and I are both married mares, and the good races in ponyland don't do things like that. All we did was look!)

Anyway, it was not long before we delivered the plants back to Dream Castle, and we're on our way back to the Canterlot ruins. I hope to speak with the old unicorn about something that has been weighing heavily on my mind.

"Something troubles thee, child." She tells me, appearing out of nowhere, as always. "Tell us, is there something that thou wishest to say?"

"Elder, was not ponykind once friends with the Griffins?" I ask her.

"Indeed they were, child." She responds, regally tossing back her mane. "They once did visit Equestria frequently, and even attended our schools side-by-side with thine pony ancestors."

"Then why do we hate each other now?" I ask her. "I recently was ambushed by a patrol of Griffins, when Wind Whistler and I went to the North for something dream valley needed, and they attacked us without even listening to why we were there."

"It was the events that surrounded the fall of Equestria, my child." She explained. "When the humans did cometh to this land, they and the Griffins did not get on well. The Griffins did steal the humans crops and attack their villages, whilst the human knights did hunt them for sport."

"And when we befriended the humans, they think we betrayed them." I continue sadly. "That's why they allied with the goblins against us.”

“Indeed.” She replies. “They dui believe that ponykind had turned thier backs on them."

I think for a moment. “Elder, is there no way for our two races to make amends?"

"They are a degenerate nation, child. A fallen folk, descended from greater sires " The unicorn replied, looking away. "They hath become more like unto their goblin allies than ponykind now, whist ponykind itself hath become more warlike."

"What?!?" I protest. "We are not more warlike than our ancestors!"

"The ponies of Equestria would hath sought a way to understand why their enemies acted evil, and even try to befriend them- to 'love and tolerate' as was the Equestrian credo.” The unicorn counters. "To be sure, they would have defended themselves against their foes, but even the harshest enemies of Equestria- such as Discord- were sealed away rather than Slain, until Celstia did have no choice but to do so."

"Then what happened, elder?" I ask in surprise. "Why did ponykind change?"

"When the goblins did cometh under the leadership of the dark lord Tirek, ponykind did find a foe that was cruel and unforgiving... to a degree they hath never before seen. Villages were burned, mares and foals slain, and ponies were taken into slavery." I see a wave of pain pass over her face. "Our kind did tap into something dark in their nature to survive... and we did surprise our foes, by fighting back as ruthlessly as they fought! Now, a pony can slay a goblin, or a griffon, or even a fellow pony gone bad, as easily as if they were swatting a fly. Not an ounce of guilt or shame is felt, for an action your ancestors would hath called murder."

I try to argue with her, but I could not. I remember a story Applejack had told me once, about how she once came across an evil human wizard who had enslaved several twinkle eyed ponies, and was forcing them to work as slaves in his mine. AJ killed the wizard after freeing the ponies, but she never seemed to show even a hint of remorse for her actions. More personally, I recalled the survivors of a goblin raiding party that had attacked my family, when we were traveling between Dream Castle and Hoofkaido. They threw down their weapons and begged for mercy, but Barnacle and I killed them anyway.

I had always believed when we were slaying an evil foe, that we were ridding the world of an enemy, so they could never harm anypony again. But had ponykind gone too far in it's fight for justice? Had we become the very thing we strove against?

"Thank you elder, you have given me much to think about." I graciously bow my head to her. "I hope the great Horsemaster allows us a sixth meeting, so we may talk again."

"Why, whatever doth you mean, child?" The unicorn asks in a puzzled tone, as she vanishes. "We hath only spoken four times since we hath met..."

chapter six- bullying

I have much weighing on my mind, such as the confusing revelation I received while talking to the unicorn at the Canterlot ruins. But I must have time to think about what the proper course of action is, and to do that I must have time to kick my hooves up and relax.

It is rare that I get a chance to do anything with my family, since I'm usually too busy with my work to spend any time with my children. So when I found I would have the early part of the day today free, I decided to take Baby North Star and Cowntdown to the Satin Slipper, the local ice cream shoppe adjacent to the castle. Since I'm still trying to make peace with Sparkler for that whole Newborn Twins fiasco, I invited her and Baby Sparkler to join us. I quickly realize that that was a mistake.

"So as you can see, Baby Sparkler is ahead in all of her classes." The blue Unicorn bragged, as she looked proudly down at her daughter. "She the best dancer in her class, and is even the junior pony polo champion. What is it your little Pegasus has accomplished again?"

"Well... that is...um.." Struggling for an answer, I think back to my daughter's painting Baby Ribbon's mane plaid. "Well... she's very good at the arts!" I reply sheepishly.

I had forgotten how much of a vain braggart Sparkler is, and how she loves to rub it in other pony's noses. She claims descent from one of the harmony bearers, though even she's not sure which ones. Her cutie mark is several gems, indicative of her unicorn ability to find the worthless glass rocks. She trades them to the humans, who value them for some unfathomable reason. She has always pushed her daughter to succeed, and the little brat- I mean, angel, has turned out just as snooty as her mother.

"Yeah, what have you accomplished, twerp?" Baby Sparkler sneered. Although blue like her mother, the daughter was an Earth Pony... a trait from her father, no doubt. She's the little star pupil in Sundance's class. She takes every effort to show my little filly up, and then rub her face in it.

My daughter just sit there and scowls at her, as the serving mare, Lickety Split, comes up to our table. "Okay, here's the super-sized hot Fudge sundae with chocolate ice cream." She sits it down in front of the three kids. "And here's the two small low fat sundaes you two mares ordered." She puts down Sparkler's and I's ice cream in front of us.

"Wow mom, you and Miss Sparkler didn't order much." Countdown commented to me.

"Sweetie, at your mother and I's age, anything we eat goes right to our flanks." Sparkler replies with a laugh.

Too young to get the joke, Countdown simply shrugs, and looks over at Baby Sparkler. "Hey, after we're done, you wanna go out and play?"

"Buzz off, colt creep!" Baby Sparkler snaps, greedily digging into the ice cream. Baby North Star scowls at her with that 'nobody talks to my baby brother like that and gets away with it' look. I am about to stop her, but Sparkler opens her mouth to brag again.

"My little sweetie has the nicest voice in the castle! Sundance thinks she should try out for the Ponyland inter-kingdom recital. You know, the one your little warbling nightingale over there failed to qualify for?"

That does it... Baby North Star, feel free to do your worst.

As Sparkler continues to ramble on and on, my daughter goes up to the counter and starts talking to our family friend, Fizzy. She's the unicorn who makes the milkshakes, ice cream sodas, and malts for the Satin Slipper. Baby North Star whispers something in the Unicorn's ear, and I see Fizzy's face break into an evil girn. I begin to worry, as I know those two are planning something.

"Baby Sparkler is the best singer in all of Ponyland!" Sparkler insists. She turns to her daughter. "Come on, sweetie! Let them hear that angelic voice of yours!"

As the spoiled overachiever cleared her throat, I saw Fizzy's horn begin to glow. There was a flash of blinding light, and then Baby Sparkler begins to sing...

"Quack!"

Sparkler looks at her daughter in shock... but not just because of what came out of her daughter's mouth. Baby Sparkler has turned white with a rainbow-colored mane.

"Mama!- quack!- Mama what's happened- quack!-to my- quack!- voice?"

"Looks like your not baby Sparkler anymore!" My daughter says in a jeering tone. "I think the name Baby Quackers suits you better now!"

At that moment, Baby Sparkler's cutie mark appeared- a baby duck dragging an umbrella in the rain. The little filly burst into tears, and went galloping out of the ice cream shoppe.

"Wahhhhhhh-QUACK!-aaaaahhhhhhh-QUACK!-ahhhhhhhh-QUACK!-ahhhhhhh-QUACK!"

"Uh oh..." Fizzy said ominously, coming up behind me. "North Star, I hadn't counted on her cutie mark appearing. With her special talent tied to the transformation, I can't change Baby Quackers back!"

"Damn you, North Star!" I felt a hoof strike me across the face, as an angry Sparkler scowled at me. "My daughter could've been a singer, a dancer, anything she put her mind to... she could have gotten her cutie mark for any special talent she wanted! But thanks to that little monster of yours, my little jewel will be a freak for the rest of her life!"

"If you were any kind of mother, instead of a status-seeking mare..." I replied coldly, somehow miraculously keeping my temper in check. "You would not call the daughter you profess to love a freak."

Sparkler stared at me for a second, before galloping out after her daughter. "Queen Majesty will hear of this!" She wailed as she ran.

Just then Scoops , the shop's earth pony owner, came up to me.

"North Star, I was lenient after your daughter mixed all the flavors together, after the last Dream Valley Colts little league game." She looks at me angrily. "But this was too much. I don't want that juvenile delinquent in my shop again, do you understand me?"

I look over at Baby North Star, hiding under the table.

"What? I told Fizzy since her singing sounds like a duck, we should help her out and make her voice sound like one, too!"

"What am I going to do with you?" I sigh.

"Elder, how did the ponies of Equestria deal with bullying?"

At our next visit to Canterlot, I have slipped away from Wind Whistler to talk to the unicorn privately. My partner wants to question her about the possible impostor, but right now I just need to speak with her.

"Something amiss again, child?" The unicorn asks. "Verily, the ponies of Equestria did hath their bullying problems amongst the youth. We do recall a filly named Apple Bloom, who was treated badly by the daughters of two noble ponies, Diamond Tiara and Silver spoon.”

“What were they making fun of her for?” I asked curiously. “Class and wealth difference?”

“Neigh, twas the fact she was a ‘blank flank’, whose Cutie Mark had not appeared long after many of her classmate’s had.” the unicorn replies. “They used this small thing that made her different to single Apple Bloom out to make fun of.”

“How did she finally get them to stop?” I ask her. “Was it when her cutie mark finally came in?”

“Again we say neigh!” The unicorn whinnies. “She had other blank flanks stand up to her, outcasts like herself, who became her friends, out of the commonality of what made them different.”

I think about what she had said. My daughter had always fought with the spoiled Baby Sparkler, because the overachieving perfect filly had looked down on her because of her lack of perfection. I wonder if my daughter could see past her anger, and resist the urge to turn the tables on the now imperfect Baby Quackers?

“Once again, thank you for your wisdom, elder.” I incline my head. “But now I must ask you another question.”

“And pray tell…. what is that, child?”

“Are you Princess Luna?”

With a tilt of her head, the most majestic pair of wings unfold from nowhere. A black diamond necklace forms around her neck, and the most beautiful black crown adorns her head. I am speechless, as this formerly hunched over unicorn pulls herself up to reveal the most magnificent alicorn… the only alicorn… I had ever laid eyes on.

“WE DO NOT KNOW, DEAR NORTH STAR.” She replies, in the booming royal voice of old Canterlot. “PRAY THEE, THOU TELLEST US!”

And before I can say another word…. she is gone.

chapter seven- the harmony of harmony

"I'm telling you, my Queen! It is Princess Luna!"

"And I say, North Star, that it is not."

As soon as I have confirmed that the mysterious unicorn I had been talking to was indeed the long lost Princess Luna, I immediately request an audience with Queen Majesty to inform her of this shocking turn of events. But when I go in to speak with her, I find Masquerade already before the throne, waiting for me.

"Majesty, as per your orders, at four days ago I followed North Star to the Canterlot ruins. I observed her and Wind Whistler speaking to the alleged night princess, and was clearly able to go undetected, in front of what is supposed to be a a class-42 Alicorn Mage." Masquerade recited meticulously, holding her eye mask up in front of her jewel eyes. "This leaves no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with an imposter, plain and simple."

"I tell you, she is no impostor!" I reply angrily, stamping my hoof. "I don't know why she couldn't detect Masquerade the other day, but I swear by the great Horsemaster that it was Luna I saw last night!"

"I have the utmost confidence in your judgement, North Star." Queen Majesty interjects, staring down at us from her throne. "But I also trust Masquerade's judgement, as well."

"Are you sure you saw, what you saw?" Masquerade asks. "Truth can be deceiving, as I am a perfect example of. How do you not know it was not some lackey of Tirek, or perhaps a magically disguised member of the Witches Three?"

"If it were a Tirek or Hydia scheme, I think Wind Whistler I would have been able to tell." I reply, trying to sound confident. "Besides, Masquerade was not there the other times that I met with the princess. How could she possibly make a total assessment after only one observation?"

The white Unicorn with the blue mane looks back and forth between the two of us, before tilting her golden crown forward regally, and proclaiming. "We have decided that we shall take a neutral stance on this issue, until more evidence comes forward."

Great, she's gone into her 'Queen' mode. I roll my eyes in frustration. "But my Queen, Luna is probably one of the most important ponies from the old world still alive, should we not-"

Masquerade puts her hoof to my mouth, speaking softy. "Don't bother, North Star, you know neither one of us will get anywhere with her when she's like this."

I nod in reply, then look back to Majesty. "We thank you for your time, your highness. We shall return when we have more information." We both bow, then trot out the door.

"North Star, please understand... I bear no mistrust or ill will towards you or Wind Whistler. You are loyal servants to our Queen, and I like and respect you both." She shakes her mane. "But I do greatly believe you are being led astray by a spy or foe of some sort. Trying to take advantage of your good nature, by disguising herself as a historical figure."

"Masquerade, please just go away and leave me alone." I snort. "I need some time to think."

"As you wish, good explorer." The pony master of disguise melts back into the shadows, and is gone.

I trot through the palace gardens, lost in my own thoughts. That really was Luna, wasn't it? I'm not really that gullible, am I?

I trot through the gardens, lost in my own thought. I looked over all of the beautiful roses, tulips, and marigolds... trying to put my troubles out of my mind and relax. It is then I spot a yellow earth pony with a pink mane, watering the marigolds.

"Poesy!" I yell, trotting up to her. "How's it going? I haven't seen you in awhile!"

"Oh, hello, North Star." She out down the watering can, and spoke to me in her usual timid demeanor. "I heard about what happened in Majesty's throne room, I'm so sorry."

"Oh, it's all right. I've just been asked to bring more proof to-" I look at her. "Wait, how did you find out about that so quickly?"

"Oh, I heard it through the grapevine." She replies with a giggle.

I groan at her pun, leave it to a gardener to come up with one like that. "Your garden seems a little nicer than usual." I note.

"Why yes, that's because I have so much incredible help!" She replies, smiling.

"Yes, your daughter seems to be a good little gardener herself." I note, looking across the garden at baby Poesy, whose struggling to pull a garden rake along in her mouth.

"Oh not just her!" The shy earth pony tells me. "My newest helper, right over there."

I look over at the large pond in the middle of the garden... and to my surprise, there is Quackers, herding a flock of the ducks and geese into the pond.

"That's it little ones- Quack!- into the pond now- Quack Quack!" She looks up and sees me. "Oh, hiya Nawf Stah! -Quack! -Good to see ya!"

"Hello, Baby... Quackers" I reply, surprised to see her here. "What... what are you doing down here in the garden?"

"Poesy thought I might be good with the ducks, cause of my cutie mark- quack!- I found out they can understand me, so I made friends with them, and -Quack!- ask em to move around the garden and stuff. It's lots of -quack!- fun!"

"Does... your mum know your down here?" I ask nervously.

"Nah, she'd never let me follow my 'special talent -Quack!- She wants me to be a balweenina or sumptin. -Quack!-" Quackers told me sadly. "You not tell her, pweashe? -Quack!-"

"Of course I won't tell 'er." I reply, even though I knew it was wrong not to do so. "I'll just... forget to mention it."

"By da way- Quack!- tell Baby Nawf Stah tank you for heping me find my special tawent -Quack!-"

"I'll... tell her." I just wish you could've discovered it without gaining a new color palette, and a waterfowl speech impediment.

"She's been a lot of help with the garden birds." Poesy continued. "I've never been very good with animals... except maybe bluejays."

"You? The descendant of Harmony bearer Fluttershy?" I ask in surprise. "Blimey, I thought you be great with animals!"

"Oh no! Plants are my thing! Though I do think some animals are cute." She looks away in disgust. "Except icky bugs! They eats my little babies leaves and stems, and they're all gross! Yuck!"

"I can understand that, though bugs really don't bother me." I reply. "Anyway, I think I'm going for a wee bit of a flight. cheerio, you two!"

I fly off, and up into the clouds. Far above the grounded world of the Earth and unicorn ponies, this is where a Pegasus or Flutter Pony can come to quietly collect there thoughts. It's so serene and quiet up here... almost makes one wish ponies still lived this far up in the clouds.

What should I do, confront Luna with my suspicions? Do I potentially want to insult one of the greatest heroines in Ponykind's history just because of Masquerade's paranoia?

"Greetings, young one." I hear to my left. There she is simply sitting on on of the cloud bank, and staring down at the world. "We did not expect to see you this far off the ground. Come, sit here by our side so that we may converse."

"Begging your highness's pardon, but I don't have magic like you do." I reply, hovering nearby. "I'll fall through if I try to land on an intangible gaseous body like a cloud."

She looks at me, stunned, "Can not the Pegasus still walketh on clouds? Or haveth control over the weather when they desire?"

"I'm afraid not." I reply sadly. "Nature has become an untameable beast, and will never submit to pony control again."

She touches her horn to the cloud she is resting on, and I am able to sit down beside her.

"Yet some of their weather control magic remains." She remarks candidly. "Look to yon horizon, and observeth what we hath been observing."

I look to the skies, and see two Pegasus, one pink and one green, cavorting through the clouds. The pink pony is leaping from cloud to cloud, creating the sound not unlike the beating of a drum. While at the same time, the green one is strumming the lighting, as if playing the strings of a harp. Together, they create a beautiful song that is unlike anything I have ever heard.

"That... that is amazing!" I reply, dumbfounded. "And isn't that Firefly and Medley?"

"Indeed. They they beith two Pegasus originally from Fort Rainbow Dash, though they now live with you and your kindred at Dream Castle." Princess Luna tells me. "They are the best of friends... and by achieving perfect harmony, they doth produce perfect harmony."

"Without that harmony, the Windigoes would come to Ponyland, and freeze our home solid." I reply, with a chill in my voice.

"It beith a good thing, that harmony and friendship were the one good thing to survive Equestria's fall." She adds."For in these dark times, it is Ponykind's greatest salvation."

Just then, I remember why I wanted to talk to her. "Princess, there has been some concern over your identity at the castle...." I then tell her everything that had transpired.

"So... your friend thinks I am an imposter? And your queen is suspicious of my intentions?"

"I am so sorry." I apologize. "She can just be that way sometimes."

"She has every right to question us, even as I am the real Princess Luna." She replied, shaking her mane. "Queen Majesty beith descended from the old unicorn royal family, dating back to the time of the great sundering of the pony tribes. Her ancestor, Princess Platinum, did rule the unicorns long before our sister and ourselves were even born."

"What became of the unicorn royal family during your and Celestia's rule?" I ask curiously.

"They did becometh a secondary branch of the royal household." Luna replies. "Majesty's ancestor, Prince Blueblood, was an adopted nephew of Princess Celestia and ourselves."

"And then the royal family returned to power following your departure." I look up at her. "But I wanted to ask you, Princess... why did you leave ponykind?"

She looks away, a great look of sadness crossing her face, She is about to respond, when Wind Whistler came frantically flying up through the clouds.

"North Star! You need you return to the castle at once!" She whinnys at me, nearly out of breath. "Something terrible has happened!"

I look over to the Princess... who is gone again, as usual. Sighing, I ask. "What is it this time? Did Baby North Star steal Applejack's apple crop again?"

"There's been a murder at the castle!" She whinny's back. "One of the palace mares is dead!"

Without a word, I follow Wind Whistler back down towards the surface, saying a silent prayer to the horsemaster that this has nothing to do with Luna....

chapter nine- revenge

Chapter Nine- Revenge

"Well, ladies.. I'd say you've gotten yourselves into a rather nasty little situation, don't you think?"

Boy, is she ever right!

Wind Whistler and I are frozen in place... trapped by the magic spell of Trixie Lulamoon. Neither of us are able to move... so for the moment, the 'great and powerful Trixie' has the upper hand.

"Why did we not see through your disguise earlier?" I grimace, trying in vain to get my muscles to move. "You played us for fools, Lulamoon!"

"Yes, like so many ponies before you." Trixie says. "You were so eager to find a living relic of the past, you fell for my 'Princess Luna' act like a gullible foal!"

"But why kill your own kind?" Wind Whistler asks her. "Was it really worth the immortality?"

"You need to ask me that?" Lulamoon snaps. "My whole life, all I ever did was try to show everypony how special I was! How I was the greatest magician in all of equestria! And everypony thought I was the best, too! Until that stupid harmony bearer humiliated me in Ponyville, twice!"

"Twilight Sparkle." I gasp out, the paralysis spell making it hard to speak. "The Ursa Minor incident, and the Alicorn Amulet fiasco."

"So, you were lying to Twilight Sparkle about being sorry." Wind Whistler snorted, recalling an old children's fable we had been told as fillies. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Everypony thought I was a joke after that. I lived out the rest of my life alone, away from all other ponies, so they couldn't make fun of me anymore! But then my old teacher Midnight came to me... the one who taught me magic in the first place, oh yes!"

At this, her eye twitches slightly, and she begins to pace as she rants. At this point, I realize that I'm dealing with a mare whose long life had left her a few oats short of a feed bag.

"Midnight found me, and was disappointed in what I had become. He had changed, my master had, becoming a mighty centaur! Greater than any pony... even more powerful than the royal alicorn sisters themselves!"

"Tirek!" Wind Whistler and I both gasp in unison.

"Yes! My teacher had become the dark lord! He gave me a spell! A spell that let me drain the youth from other mares... restoring my own youth I had lost, hiding away from the ponies that mocked me!"

"And you killed... century after century...." Wind Whistler exclaimed in horror. "After you and Tirek parted ways, you murdered hundreds of mares, to keep yourself young!"

"I have not seen my master in nine hundred years." She bats her eyelashes. "But when Midnight finds me again... he will find a still young and vibrant mare... waiting for his powerful embrace!"

A centaur and a mare.... It's a good thing our stomachs are magically paralyzed, or Wind Whistler and I would be losing our lunches right about now.

"So, I take it you are going to do us in now, correct?" I finally ask. "Before you go to drain the chaos energy of the Frazits, and ascend to goddess-hood?"

"It pains me to have to drain two of the smartest mares left in Dream Valley. I was actually hoping to glean a little more information from you." She replies sadistically. "But I can't have you warning the Gnomes that I'm coming for the chaos energy, now can I?"

"Oh bother! What an absolute rotter!" I snort in anger. Rapidly aged to death... this is not the way I would have chosen to go out!

"I'm just surprised the 'super-genius' pony Wind Whistler didn't see my little trap coming." Trixie replies smugly. "I expected more from the famous Pegasus scientist."

"And you were a fool, my dear Trixie..." Wind Whistler then looks up at our captor with a dangerous smirk... a very un-Wind Whistler-like expression. "To think that I wouldn't have a meritorious way out of a meretricious situation!"

It was at that moment, that Trixie's body suddenly freezes up solid. Caught by suprise, the 'great and powerful' one finds herself unable to move. "W-what's happening? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?"

And at just the same time, my companion and I find we can move again. "Blimey, Wind Whistler! Your plan worked!" I exclaim.

It is then that Gusty and Fizzy, two of our unicorn friends from Dream Castle, step out from the shadows. Their horns are glowing a bright red.

"Look at that, Gusty!" Fizzy giggles, looking at the paralyzed Trixie. "We got her good!"

"You killed Fifi, you slimy old witch!" Gusty, a white unicorn with an Autumn leaves cutie mark, snorts in anger. "I'm gonna make you pay!"

"That's why you kept me talking!" Trixie exclaims, realization of our plan dawning. "To keep keep me distracted, so that these two could get the drop on me!"

"Allow me to explain what you are currently experiencing." Wind Whistler tells our new prisoner coldly. "Gusty's special talent is controlling volumes of air... especially oxygen... of which you have plenty in your bloodstream." She nods over towards Fizzy. "This unicorn can control the bubbling and flow of liquids. She normally uses it to make beverages carbonate. But right now it is being used on your body... which, I should remind you, is seventy percent liquid."

"All right, so you've caught me." Trixie sneers. "You may now take me to justice in front of that tramp of a queen of yours."

"And what makes you think, we're going to do any such thing?" I ask her.

"W-what?" Trixie asks. "What do you..."

"You've killed hundreds of ponies, without pity or remorse." Wind Whistler tells her. "And as powerful of a mage as you are, escape from the castle dungeons would be all too easy for you. Trixie Lulamoon. you're too dangerous to be kept alive."

"Y-you're joking, right?" Her lower lip trembles. "You can't do this! Ponykind is about love and tolerance!"

"Where's the love and tolerance for Baby Fifi, when ya killed her mom?" Gusty snorts. "If ya eascape, what's ta stop you from goin' after Baby Wind Whistler, or Baby North Star?"

"You made one critical error, on looking for the mercy of Equestria from us." Wind Whistler whinnies. "We Dream Valley Ponies love our friends and allies... but to our enemies, we deal only death."

“NO! NO! YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” She Wails. “NOOOOOO!”

“Gusty…Fizzy… Do it.” I tell them.

It’s kind of strange, actually…. watching a pony be disintegrated. Trixie lets out a howl, as her atoms scatter like dust particles on the wind. I am sickened not by the sight of her death, but by how little her death actually bothers me.

There is a long silence that follows,… as the four of us stare at the burgundy stain on the cold stone floor.

“We did what we had to do.” Wind Whistler says finally, trotting out of the chamber. “She certainly won’t be killing any more of our friends.”

“At least there’s some justice for Fifi.” Gusty replies, following the blue Pegasus out. “C’mon Fizz.”

“You gonna be all right, North Star?” Fizzy asks, her gemstone eyes staring at me nervously.

“I’ll be fine, Fizzy.” I tell her with a fake smile. “You go back to the castle with the others… I need to have one final conversation with somepony…”

As she trots out of the room, I wait for a dark-blue alicorn to emerge…..

chapter ten-homecoming

chapter ten-homecoming

And so, with Lulamoon defeated, I wait. For three hours I wait, and all that I hear is the sound of the winds howling through the Canterlot ruins. There is no trotting of alicorn hooves on the cold stone, no flapping of alicorn wings signaling an approach by air. I expect her to show up, after everything that has transpired. But only the silent stillness of the afternoon greets me, as I wait for Princess Luna to appear.

I begin to wonder... had all of Luna's appearances been Trixie all along? Then why did the 'real' Luna seem so different than the imposter? Had I really imagined the whole thing, as Masquerade suggested. I finally come to the conclusion that, no matter how long I tarry here, Princess Luna is not coming. With a sigh, I trot out of the castle ruins, spread my wings, and take to the skies.

It is when I am soaring over the mountains, back into Dream Valley, that I notice something... odd. There is a large, dark shape moving up the Rainbow river, from the direction of the coast. Clearly, it had entered at one of the inlets from the ocean, and was gliding it's way into Dream Valley.

The only thing that would be coming up the river like that, I realize, would be a ship. It's a sloop-of-war, I gather, judging by it's size and speed. As I approached closer, I can make out several sails atop three masts. The flag of Dream Valley flies high above one of them... right beneath the grim smiling skull the jolly roger.

"Great Horsemaster... it's him...." I cry, trying to hold back tears. "HE'S HOME!"

I race back towards the castle, as fast as my wings will carry me. I arrive just as the drawbridge is lowered, and several of the mares and foals come pouring out of the castle to meet the approaching vessel. The ship and I arrive at the same time, and I can hear voices call out from the deck;

"Bring her about, first officer Salty!" The Captain yells. "And lower the gangplank!"

"Aye! Capitan Barnacle! Men, WE'RE HOME!"

The gangplank is lowered, and pirate ponies come pouring off the ship. These brave unicorns and earth stallions, who have been at sea for several months now, rush into the waiting hooves of their wives and foals. I land on the deck of the sloop, a ship called the Saucy Mare, a few feet from the Capitan and the first mate.

"Captain, she's here." The first mate, a turquoise earth pony tells the stallion next to him. "Permission to go ashore, sir."

"Aye, go ahead, Salty." The stallion replies. "Yer sweet mare, Fizzy, is waiting for ye there."

Salty salutes, then gallops off the ship. And I am left standing there with the Captain, who is facing away from me.

He is standing there on the deck, up on two legs, with his front hooves crossed behind his back. His long red coat billows in the breeze, while his tri-cornered hat shields his eyes from the sun. A cutlass and flintlock pistol are tucked into his belt sash, and I can see the golden chain of a compass that hangs around his neck.

"I didn't expect ye to be here to meet me." He tells me quietly. "I suspected ye would be away on one of yer adventures."

"You old sea pirate." I tell him sarcastically. "You know I'd never miss you coming into port!"

He turns to face me... and again I see the stallion I fell in love with so long ago. A tall, blue earth pony, with an orange mane and deep pink eyes. His body carries the scars of a thousand pirate raids, and his cutie mark- a treasure chest filled with shining golden coins- becomes visible as the winds blow his coat back. A Patch covers the dead eye long ago cut out by a troll pirate- an eye he is to proud too replace with a twinkle eye gemstone.

"North Star." He steps up to me, and presses his warm lips against mine. I taste the saltiness of the sea air on them. "I've missed ye, lass."

"It's good to have you home, Barnacle." I tell him, resting my head against him, as he strokes my mane with his hoof. "It's been far too long since you left."

We stay like that for a few minutes, before separating and trotting off the ship. Wind Whistler and her team of mechanics are waiting to board the vessel.

"She took quite a few hits during our battles with the goblin fleets, Miss Whistler." My husband tells our family friend. "So please give her a good patch-up job."

"Why can't you just bring this thing back in one piece, just once?" She grumbles. "Every time you come home, my work load goes up."

Wind Whistler pulls the goggles on her forehead down over her eyes, and picks up her box of tools in her mouth. Barnacle and I watch as the earth pony and unicorn engineers attach chains to the front of the Saucy Mare, which the Sea Ponies grab in their mouths, and tow the ship into the giant cavern hidden behind the waterfall. Wind Whistler and her teams a have massive laboratory/repair dock in the caverns deep below Dream Castle, and they can fix and upgrade my husband's ship, to make it even better than it was before!

"So, was you voyage successful?" I ask him, as the two of us trot into the castle.

"Aye, we raided several goblin towns." He whinnied. "And brought back tons of precious booty! Gold coins and shining jewels galore!"

"That's wonderful!" I reply, smiling. That treasure will make excellent bartering material for trade with the humans. Of course, some will have to be given to Queen Majesty as tribute, to be added to the royal hoard.

"We also plundered several tons of oats and other foodstuffs." He tells me with a smirk. "That'll help get the herd through winter."

"Blimey, sounds like you've had a better turn of luck than I've had around here!" I reply, frowing.

"Aye?" He asked me, looking concerned. "Now what happened to ye while I was away, that was so horrible?"

.....

"Dad!"

"Papa!"

Countdown and Baby North Star gallop up to greet their father, as soon as he walks through the door of our apartment in the Castle. We then all sit down at the table, and talked long into the evening about his adventures while he was away. After the children had run off to play with the gifts Barnacle had brought back for them, I tell him everything that has happened with Luna and Trixie.

"Aye, a horrible time you've had of things, indeed." He replies as I finish, sticking his pipe into his mouth, and blowing sea foam bubbles out of it. "We need to go talk to Queen Majesty at once, and set matters aright with certainty."

"That will not be necessary." A voice says from the shadows, as Masquerade materializes in the room.

"Blast it, woman!" Barnacle snorts in surprise, using the human term for a mare. "Ye have no right ta invade a pony's privacy like that!"

"And you have no place speaking to a mare in such a tone, stallion." She glares at him, reminding Barnacle that we ponies are a matriarchal society. My husband simply falls silent.

"Do not invade my apartments, and speak to my mate in such a rude manner, Masquerade." I warn her. "Now why have you come here?"

"To tell you that I have taken care of everything with Majesty." She looks down, and paws at the ground with her hoof. "Gusty told us about everything that had transpired with Trixie, and her story was corroborated by Wind Whistler and Fizzy, along with a few other ponies who saw the real Luna."

"Is that all?" I snap in a demanding tone.

"No." She gulps, choking on the words she is about to speak. "I also came to say... I am sorry, I was in error, and you were right. I should have trusted your judgment."

"Thank you, Masquerade." I tell her, "That actually means a lot, coming fro-" But when I look again, she has disappeared.

"Vanished without a trace." Barnacle says, slightly spooked.

"Something she and Luna have in common." I noted.

"But if that was the real Luna..." He looked back at me. "Lass, what are ye going ta do?"

"I'm going back to the ruins soon." I tell Barnacle. "I'm going to try to talk with Luna one last time."

"And tonight?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Baby North Star and Countdown wanted to go over to Play with Ember this evening, so I told them they could go spend the night at Twilight Shine's apartment." I get a mischievous gleam in my eye. "And as for us....it's been six long months since I've seen you last, Barnacle. I wonder if the good captain can still steer his ship into port..."

chapter eleven- revelations

Chapter eleven- revelations

I awake to the chirping of birds outside window... and open my eyes to the light of a new morning. Pulling back the sheets, I stretch my hooves and sit up. Barnacle is still fast asleep, not really surprising considering how... energetic he was last night. With I sigh of contentment, I trot out to the bathroom.

After a quick shower and grooming, I wander out into the castle proper, and begin looking for Wind Whistler. It is not long before I find my friend- coming up the stairs from her work, in her laboratories beneath the castle.

"North Star! I did not expect you to be awakened at this early juncture of the day!" She snorts in surprise. "With Barnacle's recent return from a lengthy sojourn at sea, I had assumed to two of you would be-"

"I need very little sleep, my friend." I stop her mid sentence, putting a hoof over her mouth. It amazes me to no end how embarrassingly forward this blue Pegasus can be sometimes. "Are you up for a flight to the ruins this morning?"

"I believe so." Wind Whistler replies. "I was just up doing some early morning work down in my lab. I am currently trying to get the bugs out of the Castle's improved defense systems. I still cannot get the magic-powered fireball cannons to stop firing at allied Pegasus." She scratches her chin with her hoof. "But why do you want to go back there again? We've nearly finished our work at the site!"

"I want to see if we can find the Princess again, Wind Whistler." I tell her stretching my wings. "After all that has happened, I still wish to speak with her one last time, in order to clear some things up."

"Very Well, I shall accom-pony you on your journey." She agrees. "Besides, I too wish to make a final contact with our distinguished acquaintance, so as to answer some long burning questions that have been bothering me."

Exiting the castle, the two of us take to the air, and begin our final journey to the ruins of Canterlot.

....

"Princess Luna? Are you here?"

"Your Highness! If you are present, please respond to our summons!"

For over a half hour, we call out to the lunar princess again and again, but there is once again no response to our calls. The halls and corridors of Canterlot Castle are as silent as ever, as no voice rises to answer ours.

"I believe our efforts are in vain, North Star." Wind Whistler says with a sigh. "If she were going to manifest herself, the Princess would have done so by now."

"You're right, Whistler." I reply dejectedly. "We'd best be getting back home, before everypony in the castle wakes up."

"Your haste is understandable, seeing how inhospitable and foreboding this old castle beith." A voice calls out to the two of us. "But certainly, thou wouldst have words with us before thy departure."

"Princess Luna!" Wind Whistler and I both yell in surprise.

"Verily, we hath returned to tell thee how pleased we were with thine handling of Trixie." She tells us with a smile. "That miscreant hath caused far too much pain to far too many ponies over the ages, and it was best that that ancient ghost of the past finally be laid to rest."

"So you knew everything that transpired?" I ask her, confused. "Then why did not step in before the court in your own defense? For that matter, why didn't you stop Trixie ages ago, if you knew about her?"

Luna looks away, and I begin to grow even more suspicious. Starting to become irritated, I press my questioning further. "For that matter, Princess, you never did answer my biggest question... why did you leave Ponykind in the first place, after Equestria fell? Was crawling though these ruins and living in the past, more important than helping your subjects?"

"North Star, haven't you figured it out yet?" Wind Whistler chastises me. She turns back to Luna. "You never reappeared after the fall of Equestria because you couldn't... could you, your highness?"

Luna looks at us sadly, and that's when the truth hits me like a sledgehammer.

"That final battle, when Canterlot Fell.... the history books said you battled the warlord Grogar in hoof to hoof combat, and barely escaped with your life." I stare at her in realization. "But the Luna I know wouldn't run, not in the face of Equestria falling."

"Our sister had given her life to destroy Discord." Luna Whinnies in sadness. "Could we do anything less?"

"In that final battle against the enemies of Equestria, Grogar killed you." Wind Whistler continued. "You died that day, and your spirit has been haunting these ruins ever since."

For the first time, I approach closer to Luna then I ever have before. I stretch out a hoof to touch her, and she does not flinch or recoil from my touch. And even though the Princess appears solid...my hoof passes right though her, as if she wasn't even there.

Wind Whistler is right... Princess Luna is a nothing more than a ghost.

"Tis true, we are only a specter, bound to this place by the memories of our failures." Luna turns away. "We are powerless to affect the living world, save for appearing and speaking to the living."

"All of her magic is gone, North Star, all she was able to do was converse with us." Wind Whistler whinnies. "In this state she couldn't even pick up a solid object, let alone do anything to stop Trixie "

"But... you appeared to the nobility that one time, after Grogar's defeat." I protest. "And when we met that day in the sky... you cast that spell, that let me walk on the clouds!"

"All we did was talketh to the nobility that day... it was best if Equestria believed their Princess was still watching over them." Luna paws at the ground, without even disturbing the dust on the floor. "And as for thy walking on the clouds... you did that on your own, young one. We toldeth thee that Pegasus did still hold the power to affect the weather. Even though thy kind shall never control the seasons again... more power remains in thee than thou realize."

I stop, and consider everything I have just heard. I have learned so much from Princess Luna since we began talking together... I want to do something for her in return!

"Princess, you said you were bound to this place... tell me, in what way could we set you free, so that you can move on?"

"We know not why we hath not moved on, North Star." She tells me. "It is as if some force, beyond our reckoning, holds us here."

With that, I trot off, and begin to think to myself. Behind me, I can hear Wind Whistler talking with the Princess. She is sorting out some questions she had for Luna.

"Your Highness, I was wondering.. it is said in the histories, that you and your sister raised the sun and moon. Yet modern science has proven that these two bodies do not raise and lower at all. Instead, our planet orbits the sun, and the moon orbits our planet." Wind Whistler continued, going into her full-on scientist mode. "Furthermore, we know the night and day cycle are a result of planetary rotation, and not the sun and moon's actual movement- or in the sun's case, lack thereof. How does you and your sister's dubious claim of controlling the heavenly bodies, hold up in light of the scientific facts?"

It is at that point I tune the two of them out, and start thinking about what I can do to help Luna. I can't just leave one of the Royal alicorn sisters like this... I need to find a way to set her free! If only I knew what was keeping the Lunar Princess trapped in Ponyland....

chapter twelve- discovery

Princess Luna's spirit is trapped here.... I must tell Queen Majesty what I have learned.

Landing atop one of the Dream Castle turrets, I enter the window, and trot my way down the Stairs into the passageways of the Castle proper. This castle's magic still amazes me... on the outside, it appears to be only about the size of a small keep. Yet once you step inside, you find a city-sized maze of rooms and corridors, that are home to the twenty thousand ponies of the Dream Valley herd. I need to watch where I'm going, lest I get lost in the very labyrinth of a castle that I grew up in.

It is soon that I am able to make my way down towards the throne room, where I hear the sounds of two mare's voice's arguing loudly and angrily.

"I tell you my Queen, we need those extra acres for apple tree planting!" One voice yelled. "Apples are a main staple of the Dream Valley diet, and the land we've allotted to our apple crop just isn't enough!"

"We already have enough ground dedicated to those rotten apples of yours! Your highness, we need those extra acres dedicated to Cherry trees! We barely have enough for the summer carnival this year!"

As I suspected, I come down to find Applejack and Cherries Jubilee arguing about the layout of the castle orchard again. AJ, the orange earth pony with a blonde mane and apple cutie mark, maintains the castle's apple trees, while CJ, the peach-colored mare with a coral mane, watches over the Cherry trees. They are always at odds over which fruit the castle's orchard should favor... as each is their respective pony's cutie mark, and by extension their special talent. There is some kind of feud between the Apple and Cherries clans, going back into the mists of time. I don't know what the origin of the conflict is, but I wish it wouldn't take up so much of our valuable time with Applejack and Cherries Jubilee fighting all the time.

"Ladies, ladies... please!" Our Queen urges. "If your having a problem working out Dream Valley's agricultural planning for the coming year, please go talk to Posey first. She is in charge of the Castle gardens and orchard, and if she cannot solve the quarrel, then come to me! Follow the chain of command up, before going directly to the top!"

The two trot away, grumbling to themselves about a 'do-nothing queen'. I trot up to the throne, and bow to Majesty. "Your Highness, I have new information to report on the Luna situation. It turns out the Princess is a ghost, and-"

"North Star, I've wasted enough time on you and Masquerade with this whole 'Luna' fiasco." The Queen snorts. "Right now, I've got my hooves full with a diplomatic crisis!"

"What happened, my Queen?" I ask in surprise.

"I have just gotten word from my diplomats, that there is a war brewing between the Margrave of Fort Rainbow Dash, and the Daimyo of Hoofkaido!" Majesty shakes her head. "I've been asked to go and personally mediate the matter."

"My queen! How will we get along without you?" I whinny. "Surely you do not intend to put Tux 'n Tails in charge in your absence! The mares of the palace will never bow to the authority of a stallion!"

"Neigh, North Star, I'm taking my royal consort with me for the negotiations." She replies. "I will be leaving Twilight Shine in charge in my absence. But if it's a ghost problem you're having, I believe you should talk to Galaxy. Now, if you'll excuse me, North Star." The queen waves me off, dismissing me.

"Thank you, your highness." I reply to her, bowing. My loyalty to the queen is absolute, but I wonder if her judgement in this matter is sound. Right now is the worst time to be going on a long journey- Truly, Paradise, and Magic Star were stirring up dissent against the queen with several of the pony Clan matriarchs. If our queen were to go away for too long, she might not find a herd to come back to.

Trotting out of the throne room, I make my way up to the southern turret of the castle. I knock on the large wooden door, and a whispering voice from inside says "come in."

I step into the room, and look around. The walls are decorated with star charts, astrological projections, and a large telescope pointed out the window, toward the heavens. In the center of the room, a pink unicorn with a multicolored mane and jeweled eyes, is studying floating holographic projections of the constellations, generated by her horn. As she hears me trot up to her, Galaxy smiles.

"Ah! Hello, North Star! What brings you here?" The court astronomer and astrologer, Galaxy charts the stars. She informs Majesty of the auspicious days and times for having celebrations and ceremonies.

"Blimey Galaxy, I have a problem I need your help with." I tell her "You see, I've encountered the spirit of a deceased pony that is trapped here, and cannot move on. I was kind of wondering if you could help me."

"It's Princess Luna, isn't it?" Galaxy asked solemnly. "I heard about the whole situation from Masquerade, though I wasn't aware of the fact she was a ghost."

"Do you know of any way we can help her?" I ask the pink unicorn. "Do you know what could be trapping her here?"

"This is the kind of supernatural problem, that Gypsy would be better at handling. She's the one who is usually best at all this psychic and ghost stuff." Galaxy shakes her mane. "But I'll see what the stars can tell me about Luna's circumstances, based on the Princess's birthday- a well known historical date."

I sit down and wait patiently for over an hour, as the astrologer/astronomer pony looked to the heavens, and consults her charts. "Let's see... there's a comet passing through the seventh house, and the third star on Orion's belt is at the edge of the sky- yes! I think I have it!"

"What? What is it?" I ask impatiently, looking over her incomprehensible chart.

"It seems that Luna's entire life has been tied to the concept of balance. " Galaxy explained. "From the moment she and her sister Celestia were born, they were two balanced aspects of each other. Luna fell into darkness because her heart fell out of balance- her jealousy towards ponykind's devotion to Celestia's day, and neglect of her night,-transforming her into nightmare moon."

"So it is an imbalance that is somehow keeping her here?" I reply. "But what could be out of balance with the Princess?"

"Pony scholars believe the two alicorn sisters were born as agents of order, the world's response to all of the Chaos Discord was causing." Galaxy responds. "It may be she cannot move on to join her sister in the afterlife, because some of Discord's essence still lingers in this world."

"The Frazits!" I exclaim. "That's it! that's what's holding Luna here! As long as those tiny spirits remain, Luna remains trapped here!"

"Then the Frazits must be destroyed, if Luna is to be set free." Galaxy agrees.

Thanking the court astrologer, I rush out the door. I need to get to Wind Whistler and form a plan of action! But before I can go any further, two earth ponies and a white Pegasus, step into my path.

"Nawth Star, so glad ta see y'all!" Truly, the white earth pony with a pink mane, whinnies. "Ah was hopin we'd get a chance to talk."

"Yes, we have something important to discuss with you." Magic star, the yellow earth mare, continues. "A matter of importance to the entire herd."

"And you're just the pony to talk to." Paradise, the white Pegasus, finishes. "We have a bargain for you that is sweeter than any storybook fairytale!"

Oh great... the queen cobra and her two vipers. It's no secret that Truly and her two mare minions are unhappy with Majesty's rule, and would like nothing more than for our Queen to disappear. These three are always plotting some kind of court intrigue behind the queens back. And here they are, trying to rope me into their schemes, no doubt.

"Ladies, I don't have time for this right now." I tell them. "So if you'll excuse me..."

"Nawth Star, honey... we don't want ta take up much of yo time." Truly grins like a Timberwolf, sending shivers down my spine. "We just want ta be shure we can count on y'alls supportin a little mattah that's about to occur."

"What... what are you..." I whisper.

"It's no secret the queen is going away to Hoofkaido for some time." Magic Star continues. "And it's no coincidence that she was chosen to mediate the dispute."

Remembering Magic Star's connections in the other royal courts, I begin to suspect what's going on. "You arraigned for that?" I gulp, taking a step back.

"When the moment comes, we plan to take the forty nobles and thier foals far away from this castle." Paradise finished. "When the queen returns in a year's time, she'll find the leaderless commoners all that's waiting for her... if they haven't burned the castle down by then, that is."

My blood runs cold- It' a coup d'etat! They’re going to break their oaths of loyalty to the queen, and want me to lend my support to the scheme! I should run and tell Majesty about this... and yet, I need to get to Luna soon if I'm going to help her! Besides, Masquerade has this sort of thing covered, why should I step on her hooves?

"Sorry, traitors... but I'm afraid I'm not going turn on my queen for the likes of you!" I quickly take off into the air, surprising them. "I am loyal to Majesty unto death! You rebellious mares wouldn't understand that!"

"We'll bring y'all to your knees yet, Nawth Stah!" Truly snorts angrily after me, as I escape out the window. "Y'all just wait 'an see!"

Flying away from the castle, I head for the Canterlot ruins. Time to end this once... and for all!

chapter thirteen- farewell

"Princess! I'm back! I think I know why you're stuck here!"

I land outside the royal palace ruins, and gallop inside. I find Luna's spirit sitting (Well, the intangible spirit equivalent of sitting) on the throne, probably contemplating some memory from the past. She looks up at me curiously as I approach.

"Hello again, young one." She says thoughtfully. "What bringest thou unto our presence this time?"

I quickly explain to her the situation with the Frazits, and how they may hold the key to her release.

"Wh-what?" She asks me, stunned. "Part of Discord's essence doth remain in this world?"

"Yes, the frazits are contained and guarded by the gnomes." I inform her, certain that I am telling the real Luna this time.

"Then we must hence to the dominion of the gnomes, at once!" Luna springs off the throne, the bored lethargy vanishing from her face, and a sense of purpose burning in her eyes. "The fiend must be banished, and driven beyond the borders of this world! Lean on, noble North Star!"

I try to tell her that the Frazits are not Discord himself, but merely parts of his essence... but I realize it is best not to try and correct an Alicorn princess. Seeing how eager the princess is, I merely sigh, and lead on.

...

Our arrival in the Mastificent forest causes a few of the creatures to stir, Luna's very presence casing several of the nocturnal creatures here to awaken. As we pass under the tall oaks and ceders, the sight of the sunlight coming though the treetops lights our path through the darkened forest floor.

"This place doth never cease to amaze us!" Luna says, floating nearby. "Tell us, why didst ponykind change the moniker of these woods from the Forest Everfree?"

"It was called the Everfree Forest, because it was the one place in Equestria that we ponies didn't control everything, Princess." I reply, looking around. "When the rest of nature returned to normal, the name kind of became redundant."

"Oh, of course." She replied sheepishly. "We shouldeth have realized that."

As we head deeper into the forest, I lead Luna to a large cave that the river flows out of.

"Here we are, Princess... the entrance to the kingdom of the Dream Valley gnomes- a tribe called the Dell Dwellers." I explain. "They are the caretakers of the forest... growing the tall trees from acorns, and shaping the stones and boulders."

"So this is where the gnomes dwell, deep beneath the forest floor." Luna replied in amazement. "This is why we ponies never had to care for the Forest Everfree... and we never knew..."

"Blimey! You were unaware of the Dell Dwellers existence?" I ask her, as we trot into the cave.

"We kneweth of them, but we did not know where they made thy dwelling." She replied. "Only our royal chancellor, Sky Runner, would visit their underground dominions. We kept the knowledge of the humanoid races from ponykind, for their own good- or so Celestia claimed."

"Contact with the gnomes was forbidden as a result, I see..." I nod my head in understanding. "I don't know what Dream Valley would do without our resident gnome mage, the Moochick. He has done so much to help us..."

"The Moochick! That old wizard doth live still?" Luna asks, her eyes going wide. "When did you set eyes upon him last? Is he well?"

"Yes, he is fine." I tell her, taken aback. "I didn't know you knew the Moochick, Princess! Were the two of you friends?"

"In another lifetime, young one." She regained her composure, and looked away. "We had best press on, and try to locate the Frazits."

We press on through the caverns, until we come to a large chamber filled with mining equipment. There, we find the gnomes- those small, bearded humanoids who dress in rustic greens and browns. But they are not working the mines, or running the machinery. Rather, the normally industrious Dell Dwellers are smashing the machines and equipment with their hammers.

"What in the name of the Horsemaster is wrong with them?" I ask in surprise. "They're acting like they've lost their minds!"

"Or that they've been infected by chaos." Luna says knowingly. It is then we notice a barrel in the center of the chamber, overturned with it's lid off. A mass of multicolored spirits, that look like tiny flames, are swarming all over the chamber.

"It's the Frazits!" I exclaim. "They've gotten loose!"

The Fraztis are everywhere, hopping about the cavern, with malicious grins on thier tiny faces. As they flit about, the gnomes start doing even more chaotic things, like running off cliffs, and hitting each other.

It is at that point, that one of the Dell Dwellers comes stumbling up the path, apparently hurt.

"Are you all right, noble gnome?" Luna asks. "What happened here?"

"I-it was terrible!" He exclaims, upon seeing us. "The Frazits just exploded out of their barrel, and started driving everybody berserk! It all happened so fast, even our wizards were overwhelmed!"

"Princess, we need to do something!" I exclaim. "Before these chaos sprites get loose, and wreak havoc over all of Ponyland!"

"Oh ho ho ho, I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that, Miss Star!" A voice echoes through the cavern. "You see, now that I'm awake again, I am certainly not going to let you ponies ruin my fun this time!"

"That voice..." Luna's eyes go wide. "It cannot be..."

A massive form materializes in the cave, emerging from the energy crackling around the Frazits. Luna, enraged, dives at the creature, but of course passes right through it.

I have never seen a Draconiquuis before now, but I know what the creature is as soon as it appears. A large mishmash of many different creatures, with a cruel and sadistic smile across it's face. There is only one thing this abomination could be... Discord, the spirit of Disharmony that tormented Equestria so long ago.

"Impossible!" Luna yells angrily. "My sister gave her life to destroy you!"

"That she did...and it most certainly worked, didn't it?" The Draconiquuis asks sarcastically." I must thank you, by the way... it was your discovery of the Frazits and their chaos, that led to my awakening. All I had to do was influence them to bust out of their barreled prison!"

When I say he is the 'spirit' of disharmony, I mean it in more ways than one. Much like the Princess, Discord is an immaterial wraith, unable to interact psychically with the world of the living.

"Discord, the lord of chaos..." I whisper. I leap into the air, and fly right at the chaos god. But like the princess before me, I merely pass through Discord, as if he weren't even there.

"In the flesh... so to speak." He replies, glaring down at us. "Although Celestia did destroy my physical form- robbing me of all my wonderful powers- my spirit remains here, just waiting to play will all the wonderful ponies!"

"Ha ha! But thou art powerless, knave!" Princess Luna replies, grinning. "Like myself, all thou can doest now is appear and speak to ponies! Thou cannot bringeth about the chaos thy so richly craves!"

"True, by myself all I can do is shoot my mouth off, and annoy everpony." Discord looks around and the frazits. "But with these wonderful creatures- my children, you might call them, under my guidance... I can reign chaos and disharmony all over Ponyland!" His insane laughter echoes through the mine. He raises his arms, gathering the Frazits to himself. Together, they begin to rise towards the ceiling, heading for the surface.

"Princess, we 'ave to stop him!" I yell frantically. "If Discord and those things get out, birds will be flying backwards and it'll be raining strawberry jam!"

I dive at him once again, but I am immediately hit by a barrage of Frazits. As soon as the creatures touch me, I feel the urge to go and jump into the underground river for a mid-afternoon swim, which I immediately do. I am powerless to control my own actions, as the power of chaos overwhelms me.

"Foolish Pegasus! You think you can finish me, when even your precious Celestia could not?" He bellows out a pearl of laughter. "Once, I was content to play cruel pranks, and rein suffering on ponykind. But now, my children will infuse chaos into the hearts and minds of all the rulers in Ponyland! Then we'll really see this dark age light up with war... the most beautiful chaos of all!"

"Do not fear, young one. We shall not allow any harm to come to thy home." Luna looks up at the floating discord. "If our spirit and his linger in this because of each other, then we shall be the ones to take him out."

"Luna, no!" I yell in protest. "You cant-!"

But she is already floating up towards the ceiling, and as she gets near discord, they both begin to glow.

"Wait, what are you doin- no." The draconiquuis's eyes go wide. "NO, YOU CAN'T! NO!"

"And so the final joke is played upon thee! Farewell, monster!" Luna tells Discord. "We go to join our sister in the light... but you, you go to a place where your suffering shall never end!"

"No! My chaos, my beautiful chaos!" The malevolent spirit wails, and vanishes in a flash of light. Discord... the living embodiment of Chaos, leaves this world forever.

"North Star... thank you for everything!" She is fading away now, even as the light envelops her. "We... I... are grateful that I got to meet a pony like you, for it gives me hope for the future of our kind! Remember all that you have seen and heard, North Star of Dream Valley! Remember, and pass it on to the generations of ponies to come!"

"Goodbye, Princess!" I reply, tears streaming down my face. "I swear I shall never forget you!"

"Fare you well, North Star!" Her voice sounds distant now. "Thank you for setting us free!"

FSHOOM!

There is a flash of light, and Princess Luna, the last of the alicorns, departs from this world...

never to return.

next; epilouge

epilouge

epilogue

It doesn't take up long to get the damaged areas of the gnome kingdom cleaned up, and get the Frazits sealed back into their barrel. Without Discord's will to drive them, the gnome mages assure me, they will merely be harmless mischief spirits, should they ever escape again.

"We can't thank you enough!" The chieftain of the Dell Dweller's chieftain tells me. "Discord could have destroyed not only our city, but all of Ponyland, as well!"

"But what caused Discord to awaken in the first place?" I ask, confused.

"Ohhhh my my my ! It must have been the princess's approaching the cavern that did it." An elderly gnome wizard replied, walking over to us on his cane. "The approach of power of her order, acted like an alarm clock to a being of pure chaos."

"OH! Mr. Moochick!" I exclaim, noticing the old wizard. "What are you doing down here?"

"Visiting some of friends of mine back home, so to speak." He sighs. "I arrived just as you and the Princess were finishing things."

"Mr. Moochick, the Princess said she knew you once." I tell him. "She told me..."

"I know, North Star... thank you." He interrupts me. "Now if you'll excuse me, I- I think I have something in my eye..."

The old wizard hobbles off, leaving me more confused than ever.

...

I return to Dream Castle, to find the Queen has already departed for her journey. I also find another is preparing to leave, as well.

"Must you return to sea again, so soon?" I plead with Barnacle, barely holding back the tears that are leaking from my eyes. "You've only been back for a few weeks."

"I am sorry, my beautiful, sweet pony angel." He gently caresses my face with his hoof. "But when this voyage has come to an end, I shall return to ye again, on the new moon."

I bury my head against his chest. "I wish you could just stay here." I whinny sadly.

"Ye could come with me, lass." Barnacle replies, looking down at me. "I have invited ye to join me more than once. We could explore the seas...together!"

"You old pirate!" I tell him with a laugh, wiping the tears from. "Perhaps I'll take you up on that offer someday."

We share the embrace of love that night... and in the morning, he is gone.

It is not long after, that Masquerade comes to me once more. But this time, Wind Whistler is with her.

"A'llo, you two!" I greet them. "You won't believe what happened with-"

"-Luna in the gnome kingdom?" Masquerade interrupts. "We already know about that."

"Her spies excel at their craft, North Star." Wind Whistler reminds me. "You are well aware of that fact."

"No, I am here to talk to you about the treasonous earth mare, Truly." Masquerade continues. "And all the traitors who follow her."

"We know she talked to you about her plans." Wind Whistler told me. "And we seek to act on that information, expediently."

"Now wait just a bloomin' minute!" I snort in angrily, my accent showing more than I usually allow. "I turned those little blighters down! I ain't no traitor to our Queen!"

"Calm yourself, North Star!" Masquerade whinnied. "We are not here to accuse you! We are here to seek you aid!"

"What?" I ask, confused.

"We are all going to go along with this scheme, should Truly succeed in moving the nobility away from the castle." Wind Whistler explained. "Those loyal to Majesty will be seeded amongst the ranks of Truly's rebels, and when the time comes, we will turn the tables on those three!"

"We want to know if we can count on you, explorer." Masquerade asks me. "To stand with us, if the time is right."

Stopping, I think about what Luna has taught me, what she hoped for the future of Ponykind, and how I could help bring about that future. Turning to my two fellow Pegasus, I tell them, very eloquently;

"Mine fair ladies, this doth beith an offer that I cannot refuseth!"

-End-

Author's note; this is the end of this tale, but I suggest anypony who enjoyed this tale check out my other stories, which are set in the same universe. Reading the other stories is not nesscesscary to enjoy this one, but it will give you a clerar picture of things that happened here. Anyway, thanks again for reading!

chapter two- pony holidays

Chapter two- pony holidays

Morning arrives, and Wind Whistler and I are flying back towards the Canterlot Ruins. My companion is already laying plans to excavate the treasury vaults, while I am going to take measurements of the grand ballroom. There is so much we want to accomplish, in so very little time. But knowing the two of us, I'm sure we'll be able to pull it off. And I am also of the hope that we will run into that extremely knowledgeable unicorn again... there are so many questions I wish to ask her.

"Did you bring all the measuring and excavating tools?" I ask her with a teasing smirk, glancing at the pouches she has slung over her saddle. "I'd hate to have to have us dig with our hooves, and ruin our new manicures."

"Of course! Do you ever think I would be one to forget such an important and decisive detail?" The blue pegasus asks, annoyed. I roll my eyes... Wind Whistler never understands a joke, and takes everything so literally. No wonder Gusty is always teasing her about not having any feelings, though I don't think it's right that she teases her in the first place.

We land near one of the old canals that run though the city, feeding the city's fountains, wells, and troughs. The city's water supply flows from the natural river that rushes down the mountainside through Canterlot, so water still gushes though channels that have not had maintenance in five centuries.

"I would recommend against drinking from that water, North Star." Wind Whistler commented, seeing me stare into one of the Canals. "While the H2O in that canal is certainly not stagnant, there could be any sort of bacteria or parasite, festering in the rusty old plumbing throughout the city."

"Oh Wind Whistler, I'm not going to drink this water." I reply with a laugh. "I'm merely waiting for the friends I asked to help us today."

At that point, the heads of three ponies burst up through the water of the canal, causing Wind Whistler to jump back in surprise.

"Shooby doo, Shoop Shooby Doo!"

"Hello, Girls!" I greet the three of them. "Glad you could make it!"

"Glad to be here!" They replied in unison.

"The Sea Ponies? You asked the Hippocampus to help us? Really, North Star?" My companion asked skeptically. "Are you planning to do a musical number as we dig through the ruins?"

"Hey! We can do more than sing, sister!" Seawinkle, the blue-colored leader of the Dream Valley Sea Ponies, snaps.

"Yeah! We came to help you search for stuff in the underwater parts of the ruins!" Wavedancer, her pink second-in-command, adds.

"We can get into places, and find sunken stuff, far better than any other kind of pony!" Sealight, the Purple sea pony, finishes.

"Many of the basements and lower-level buildings are flooded." I tell Wind Whistler. "I figured they cold explore the submerged sections of the city."

The Blue Pegasus thinks for a moment. "A very intelligent plan, North Star! The lower galleries of the treasure vault are indeed submerged!"

"All right then! Wind Whistler, you take Sealight and Wavedancer with you." I tell them. "Seawinkle, you're with me."

"Sounds good to us." The sea ponies reply in unsion.

The two other Hippocampus swim down the canal, with Wind Whistler flying overhead. Seawinkle and I follow the canal the other direction, towards the palace.

"It's really far out hanging with you again, North Star." The Sea Pony leader tells me. "You're one of the few land ponies who's hip to all the jive on the surface."

I hold back a snort of laughter... Sea Pony euphemisms are so amusing; 'hip', 'funky', 'far out', and other such oddities.

"I'm glad to talk to you again, Seawinkle." I reply with a smile. "The other ponies can be so boring sometimes."

"I can dig it, sister." Seawinkle says with a laugh.

"By the way, there's something I've always wondered." I ask her. "Why do you sea ponies sing so much, anyway?"

"Same reason dolphins do." She replied. "What your ears hear as 'Shooby Doo' works as a form of underwater communication."

"Wow." I reply. "And how do you girls keep your perfect manes and hair ribbons, when you're underwater all the time?"

"Waterproof hair spray?" She replied jokingly.

We both burst into laughter at that.

As we enter the castle, I make my way up the stairs towards the ballroom, with Seawinkle following me up through the pipes. If there was a fountain up there, she would be able to surface.

Since I was a little filly, I had heard stories of Princess Celestia's court in the Equestrian age. I grew up dreaming of meeting all the pretty ponies here, eating the most delicious foods, and dancing with a handsome stallion at the grand galloping gala, in what would have been the best night of my life. I had intentionally not come up here yesterday so as not to spoil the effect when I first gazed upon the ballroom.

All of those dreams were shattered, as I came up the stairs into the ballroom. The place was a wreck... the curtains had long since rotted away, and the windows were cracked and broken. The once shiny dance floor was cracked and dirty, with a shallow offshoot from the stream from the mountain waterfall, running though the middle of it. I held back tears, as the shiny-eyed little filly inside me died, at the sight of all her childhood fantasies broke into a million pieces.

"Something wrong, sister?" Seawinkle asks me, emerging in the small river.

"It's nothing, my friend." I tell her, trying to stop my tears. "Nothing is wrong at all."

"If it t'was nothing, thou wouldst not be crying like that."

Both of us spin around, to see the same unicorn from yesterday standing at the entrance, looking at us.

"Scuse me, sister... but who are you?" The sea pony asks curiously.

"A friend, of your friend here." The unicorn replies. "Tell us, child... art thou weeping over the broken dreams of thine childhood?"

"How... how did you know, elder?" I ask sadly.

"T'was the dream of many young fillies... to dance and meet thier true loves at the grand galloping gala." The unicorn noted. "If they did know how dull of an event it trully was, they wouldst not base their hopes and dreams on that night."

"Was the gala really such a funky, unhip gig?" Seawinkle asks curiously.

"Indeed, good hippocampus." The Unicorn replies. "Even the Princess Celestia hated it. T'was not a popular date on the calendar, like nightmare night."

"Nightmare Night?" I ask, thinking for a moment. "Oh! You mean Halloween! Yes, kids still love that holiday! Trick or treating, games, jack 'o lanterns-"

"Jack 'o lanterns? What beith Jack o' Lanterns?" The unicorn asks, puzzled. "We hath never heard of these strange sounding things."

"Pumpkins that land ponies carve creepy faces on, and light candles inside." Seawinkle tells her. "We Sea ponies use plastic ones, and put glowing kelp inside to light them up."

The unicorn shook her mane. "Modern ponies hath... such odd customs." Clearly, I realized that whatever kingdom this pony came from, was a far more traditional place than Dream Valley, and adhered closer to old Equestrian traditions. "We are certain that preparing for this elaborate 'Hallo-ween' must costeth ponies a lot of Bits."

"Bits?" Seawinkle asked.

"Currency... money, like the humans and elves use." I explain to my Sea Pony friend. "The ancient Ponies of Equestria earned salaries at jobs, and bought and sold what they needed, istead of just trading and bartering goods like we do now."

"Ponyland doth use the barter system now?" The unicorn asks in suprise. "How can anypony aquire wealth under such a system?"

"We trade for what we need. Ponies have no use for wealth." Seawinkle replies. "Ponykind just isn't that greedy anymore."

"Did Equestria have Christmas?" I ask her. "A winter festival that is all about Trees, lights, and presents?"

"They did have Hearth Warming day." The unicorn replied. "On Hearth Warming Eve, they would put on a play, reenacting the founding of Equestria."

"So that's where that tradition comes from!" Seawinkle replies. "We Sea Ponies have done the founding of Equestria as a water ballet every Christmas eve, as far back as our history goes!"

"You also string glowing kelp on coral trees." I add with a whinnying laugh.

"You have any idea what would happen to a lit Christmas tree underwater?" Seawinkle grumbles sarcastically.

"Doest thou still hath winter wrap up?" The old unicorn asks. "Or the fall running of the leaves?"

"Those have become the Spring and Fall festivals." I tell her. "We no longer need to change the seasons, the weather takes care of itself."

"As do the animals." My Sea Pony companion added. "Ponykind has nothing to do with it's spare time anymore!"

"So much hath changed about holidays and special events." The unicorn sighed. "Yet so much remains the same." She looked over at me. "Know this, good North Star, the dreams of your childhood may hath crumbled like these ruins. But you can haveth new dreams to strive for... do they not drive you onward?"

"Yeah, I do... now that you mention it." My face lightens up. "There are always new places to explore, and I have my family! Thank you for reminding me, elder!" I bow to her gratefully.

"Always happy to be of help, my child." She replies with a knowing smile. "You doth remind me of another adventurous young Pegasus I once knew."

"Really?" I ask. "Who would that b-"

But in the blink of an eye, she is gone. Vanishing once again, just as she had the first time.

"Where did she go this time?" I ask, looking around.

"She just... disappeared." Seawinkle shivers. "Wind Whistler, were we just rapping with a spook?"

"I don't think so, Seawinkle." I reply nervously "But it looks like the sun is setting, so we had best get back to our work."

As we continued with our task, I wonder when my strange new friend will show up next...

chapter eight- betrayal

When I return to the castle, the place is in absolute chaos. I find a circle of Ponies crowding in the courtyard, all talking to each other. The Dream castle sentries were doing their best to hold back the crowds, While the Dream Castle medics- Dr. Medicin, the purple earth pony with a pink mane, and her three nurses stand over the cold and silent form of the dead pony, who is now covered with a sheet.

"Doctor, what happened?" I ask her in surprise.

"Ah! North Star!" The doctor says, as she sees me trotting up. "I was expecting you to show up, when trouble was ahoof."

I brace myself for the worst. "Who is she, doctor?"

Medicin nods, and Nurse Tenderheart gently lifts the sheet to reveal Fifi-the blue unicorn who was the trainer and keeper of Queen Majesty's royal hounds. But she looks far older than I remember her... almost like an elderly mare!

"How did this pony die?" I ask

"My initial examination leads me to believe that it was foal play." Medicin tells me, adjusting her spectacles with her hoof. "Majesty has requested an autopsy to confirm the exact details."

"But there's not a mark on her body!" I exclaim, looking her over.

"We believe it was a death by magic" Nurse Sweetheart continued. "She had a life transference spell cast upon her be a unicorn assailant."

"Transference spell?" I ask in shock. "A unicorn stole her youth... to make herself younger?"

Nurse Loveheart nodded. "Some selfish unicorn sucked Fifi's life force away, in order to make herself younger."

I look over, and see Baby Fifi crying hysterically, as Nurse Tenderheart tries to comfort her.

"Mama! mama! Je suis tout seul!" The little earth filly wails, tears streaming down her innocent face.

"There there, little one." The nurse says, trying to comfort her.

Her heartbreak ringing in my ears, I turn to Dr. Medicin.

"Who did this?" I snort coldly, steam coming from my nostrils.

Medicin is taken aback, but quickly replies. "Baby Fifi says it was a Blue Unicorn with a crescent moon cutie mark. She would have killed Baby Fifi as well, but her cries brought the Castle sentries running."

My heart sinks in my chest, and my stomach begins to turn. Great Horsemaster... that really had been an imposter I had seen the third time... and I hadn't even spotted the difference between her and Luna. And because I hadn't noticed, a pony was dead now.

What had I done?

"You see now, North Star?" Masquerade materialized next to me. "I told you she was an imposter. Now our herd has paid for your mistake in blood."

"Damn it, Masquerade! I bloody told you that wasn't Luna!" I protest angrily. "The imposter..."

"Tell it to that screaming filly over there, who will never see her mother's smile again!" Masquerade yells back. "Tell it to the stallion who's going to come home from the wars with the griffins and goblins on the frontier! And what is his reward for service to the crown? Burying his wife!"

I fall silent, as Masquerade drives the dagger home.

"How many more mares have to die, 'adventurer', before you get out of your dream world?" She looks back at the macabre scene behind us. "Queen Majesty has not yet decided to send a posse of our most powerful unicorns after this murderer, but if you to admit you were wrong, she will-"

"Masquerade, will you kindly SHUT UP!" Out of nowhere, Wind Whistler comes trotting up, and stands between me and the spy pony. "I have had ENOUGH of your horsemaster-damned paranoia!"

"Out of my way, scientist!" She snaps. "We have to do something about-"

"Should I go to Majesty about some of the ways your spy network has gathered information? Especially with my tech that I have loaned to you?" My partner warns. "Our Queen would love to hear how you've violated dozens of pony's civil rights!"

Masquerade stares at us for a moment, before her face contorts into a look of anger. "You two will get us all killed!" She snorts, before galloping away.

"Let her go." Wind Whistler advises me. "We've got bigger oats to roast."

Wind Whistler leads me to the royal library, and shows me several history books she has been looking at. "After I had found out about the the explicit details of the nature of the murder, I took it upon myself to do an inquiry into the archives... to see if Ponykind had ever seen this kind of calamity before."

"And what did you find?" I ask her.

"A few cases that greatly matches these terrible circumstances." She replies, opening a book. "Take this entry form the earth pony town of Coltonville, from year 275 A.R.- during Celestia's reign."

I look over the entry. "Two earth pony friends, Bright Eyes and Clover, found drained and rapidly aged to death outside the city limits. Unicorn with crescent moon cutie mark seen nearby."

"And then this entry form Ponyville, over a century later." She shows me another book.

"Tula Roola and Star Song found dead of premature aging, blue unicorn with a blue mane seen fleeing from the gum house." I look back up at her. "So we're dealing with a freakish pony youth vampire, who bears a resemblance to Princess Luna."

"We must make an attempt to apprehend her." Wind Whistler replies. "Before Majesty is convinced to send the battle unicorn stallion corps after Luna. If they were to utilize the magic-nullifying spells the Moochick taught them..."

"-Even they could slay her without difficulty." I finish in a worried tone. "But where will this murderer will strike next?"

I think for a moment. "There is only one pony we can ask...."

"This indeed beith news most troubling, young ones." Luna tells us. "I had been unaware of such a fiend skulking around the remains of my former dominions."

It had not been hard to find her at the ruins, and we tell her everything that had transpired. She is very interested in what we had to say, and even commended us for coming to her.

"And where do you think this blood-soaked unicorn will strike next?" Wind Whistler asks. "Clearly, she is a clever pony, and will choose her next victim carefully."

"I beliveith that she will goeth after the frazits... the remains of discord's chaotic power." She replies. "With those energies that the gnomes guard, the villain will be unstoppable."

"Quite a fiend, that unicorn is." I comment, walking around to the unicorn's side. "A selfish mare from the age of Celestia, who couldn't accept old age and death."

"indeedeth." Luna replied, looking away.

"And she's killed so many innocent ponies throughout the ages." Wind Whistler continues. "Taking their lives, without pity or remorse, so that she might live."

"Trueth" She agrees, nervous sweat trickling down her mane.

"Can we ask you a question, Princess?" I ask her, narrowing my eyes.

"Wh-what beith that?" She asks, looking back and forth between us.

"Why are you speaking in the first person, 'Luna'?" Wind Whistler asks her. "And since we know who you are, why do you keep your alicorn wings still hidden?"

She stares at us a moment, before Wind Whistler and I are blasted back by a wave of energy from her horn. We try to get up, but our bodies won't move.

"So... you fools are smarter than you look." She tells us with a smirk. "Tell me... have you two figured out who I really am?"

"We knew... when we searched the records, that there was only one pony who would be great and powerful enough to carry out a spell like this." Wind Whistler gasps, pulling herself back up to her hooves. "Only one pony that skilled with magic, who is vain and cruel enough to take the lives of others..."

"A pony who started off as little more that a vain braggart, but eventually gave into the darkness in her own heart..." I continue, standing up on my four legs. "The ancient terror, whose legend was passed down through generations of ponies. The story told to all of us as foals, of the evil unicorn who would steal us from our beds as we slept."

"The wand beside the crescent moon-like shape on your cutie mark... that is the dead giveaway." Wind Whistler finishes. "We should have recognized you from the start."

The imposter smiles a devilish smile, as I stare into her cold and ruthless eyes.

"The witch of the crystal forest....Trixie Lulamoon."