Tides of the Past

Excerpt from Grimoire’s Journal: K-M-11 (04)
I find that I am needing an assistant in my travels across Equestria. I would also need an associate to discuss my findings with. I’ve heard of a powerful magic user in Ponyville, but she’s a princess and will no doubt shun my work without pause. Another possibility was dashed when one saying she was “Great and Powerful” turned out to be a stage magician. Nothing against her, though. It is the place of a performer to talk themselves up and appear more than they are. In the end, I found an assistant, but a colleague continues to elude me. Perhaps one day, I’ll find somepony willing to give my magic a chance and look at my works with an objective outlook. Until then, I will continue my course.
I suppose this works out, in the end. I can’t expect my associates to travel around Equestria at the drop of a hat… My assistant gets paid, so I don’t think she cares as much…
-Grimoire Maleficarum.
-\/-

“You said that the Phoenix lived somewhere volcanic, right?” Twilight asked of their ‘prisoner.’

“Yep.” Grimoire was distracted by the book he brought up from Sombra’s library. “My guess would be the Dragonlands, where a large number of modern phoenixes live. The original, i.e. the Elemental, likely lives nearby. If not, it’s a good place to start, at least. Now, if you still require my assistance, I have to get to my assistant nearby and her know I still have work to do.”

“Assistant?”

“Yeah. You have one, why should I not? Granted, my assistant isn’t a dragon and only agrees to help me for a paycheck. But I can appreciate the honesty, if nothing else.” He starts to walk toward the main door.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash flew to block him from leaving. “What part of prisoner didn’t you get?”

“I understand the concept, but like I said, I should let my assistant know that I will not be needing her services for the foreseeable future.”

“Wait… why did you get an assistant?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean why did you really take on this assistant? You don’t seem like the type to need help with magic…”

“True. If you must know, I took her on as my assistant because she needed work. She was downtrodden after she was forced from her path. I sympathize with that, having also experienced that. So, she helps me as an assistant and I help her get back on her hooves.”

“Okay… I was not expecting that…”

“That’s just how it works.” They finally made it outside and Grimoire walked off to the left. “Ms. Dust!”

An aqua Pegasus pony with a light and dark yellow mane. Her gold eyes looked over toward the sound of Grimoire, but she noticed the group and jumped a bit when she saw Rainbow Dash. “What are you…!”

“Now, now miss Dust.” Grimoire interrupted. “Remember what we discussed…”

Lightning Dust took a few deep breaths before continuing. “How are you, Rainbow Dash? I haven’t seen you since the Academy.”

Rainbow landed in front of Lightning Dust. She spoke with a sense of uncertainty. “I’m… okay. How have you been?”

“You mean after you cost me my place on the Wonderbolts?!”
Grimoire cleared his throat and caught Lighting Dust’s attention.

Lightning Dust paused, took another deep breath, and continued, “But I don’t hold a grudge. A grudge is nothing more than a chain holding me back.”

Grimoire nodded. “That’s right. Now, to business. I’m afraid I’ll be… indisposed for the foreseeable future.” He levitates a tied pouch and hands it to Lighting Dust. “Here is your salary for the remainder of the month and I wish you luck in your future endeavors. Just remember what we discussed and you’ll be a great Wonderbolt.”

“Thanks again… For all the advice.” Lightning Dust flew off after that.

Rainbow looked over to Grimoire. “What advice?”

“’Determination isn’t the same thing as recklessness’, the thing about the grudge, and that ‘it’s never too late for a second chance’ took up a majority of the advice over the months. She’s trying out for another run at the Wonderbolt Academy. I’m rooting for her. Now, we have something to discuss on the way to the Dragonlands.”

“What?” Rarity inquired. “Who said we were going there first?”

“Considering the desert region where one would track down the Sphinx is on the opposite end of Equestria and the Raiju’s location is basically wherever we find it, it’s the most likely area to start to find the Phoenix.”

“Okay,” Applejack stepped in front of him. “And why would we bring you?”

“I wonder… can afford not to bring me?”

“What do ya mean?”

“Think about it. I know the most about these Elementals as of this moment. Right?”

“Yeah…”

“And I know the intricacies of where to look and patterns to look for. Right?”

“Okay… but…”

“Last one. Did you forget that I was able to make you and your friends do what I needed you to do while utilizing a form of magic none of you understand? Trust me, you’d prefer me nearby during all of this.”

Twilight took a moment and sighed. “I hate to say it, but he’s right.”

Rainbow flew over to Twilight. “You can’t be serious…”

“It’s best to keep an eye on him at all times.”

“Good point.”

Grimoire popped up between them. “I’m still here, you know…” Once the two jumped a bit at the fact that the one that popped in between them wasn’t Pinkie Pie, the Grimoire between them dissipated and the real Grimoire spoke up. “So, are we going to go to the Dragonlands or are you all doing the split up thing until you all reconvene for the final battle?”

“What?”

“Not important. So? Are we going?”

“It would be a good idea to split up.” Leviathan trotted into the conversation.

“Wait… really?”

“Considering we don’t know what will happen if the Elementals are allowed to rampage, we need to get to the other three fast. If we split up and find them separately, we can, hopefully, lessen the amount of destruction to Equestria over all.”

Grimoire was beaming with excitement (not as much as Pinkie planning a party, but you get the idea). “Alright! There’s nine of us, who’s going where?”

“Nine?”

“Yeah. The main six, the dragon, the Leviathan, and myself. That makes six.”

“I only count eight.”

The ponies looked around and found that Spike was missing. They searched the courtyard and found him telling stories to the crystal ponies. When they regathered, Twilight started to set up the teams. “Okay. The Phoenix is the Dragonlands, so Spike has to be on that team. He’ll have more freedom to look around since the dragons still don’t really like ponies. I’ll be on the team that tracks down the Phoenix and Rainbow Dash has the most experience with storms for chasing the Raiju. Rarity goes with Spike and keeps her group hidden. Then Leviathan can…”

“I’m going to have to stop you there.” Leviathan interrupted, “It would be best if we have somepony in Ponyville in case the Elementals are really attracted to the Harmonia site. Also, if I’m there, I might agitate the other Elementals.”

“Okay… revised group.”

“And can you give the short version?” Grimoire added.

“Fine. Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy go to the Dragonlands.”

Said shy pony looked to Twilight. “W-w-w-why do I go to the Dragonlands?”

“Because, after the fiasco with Philomena, you studied and know the most about Phoenixes.”

“I… I guess that makes sense.”

“Besides, Rarity will be with you and she has a talent for the costumes kept us safe last time.”

“O-Okay,” Fluttershy yielded.

“Alright. Rainbow Dash and Applejack will track down the Raiju.”

The duo bumped hooves as Twilight continued.

“And Pinkie Pie and I will find the Sphinx,” Twilight concluded.

“Hey…” Grimoire lamented, “What about me?”

“You are coming with me.” Leviathan cut Twilight off before she could answer. “I don’t trust you and I’d prefer it if I kept my enemies closer…”

“Alright. I’ll give you that one.” Grimoire trotted passed the main group, toward the train station. “Good luck out there.”

As Grimoire and Leviathan left, the Mane Six plus Spike spilt up into their group. “See you all back in Ponyville.”

What they didn’t see, was their shadows looking back at them.
\/
Back in Ponyville:

Leviathan and Grimoire got off the train at around noon. Grimoire left the train and stretched. “I do so prefer teleportation. Less difficult on the joints.”

“Believe whatever you want… now, we’re heading for the castle.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer the library. Where is it?”

“There isn’t one.”

“How can there not be a library?!”

“Something about a giant monster going around and, fundamentally, destroying Equestria in the process.”

“Fascinating. I’ll have to interview the citizens.”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“You caused the thing everyone is trying to stop. Do you really think I’ll just let you roam around?”

“How can you stop me? In that form, you have no access to your powers and I’m a practitioner of the Dark Arts. What can you do?”

“I… uh…”

“The way I see it, you can’t stop me anyway. You can follow me and make sure everything I do doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s all you can do concerning me, really.” Grimoire walked into town. “Now, I’ll need an associate.”

“Didn’t you fire her?”

“Not assistant. Associate. Somepony with whom I can really speak with about magic and practice thereof.”

“Why do you need one?”

“Collaboration is the ally of experimentation. If I’m going to test new spells this late in my career, I’ll need somepony I can discuss my findings with. And after I was unjustly removed from the academic scene, I need a powerful unicorn outside the system to help and remain unbiased throughout.”

“And where do you think you’ll find one of those?”

“I’ll need somepony who has also been shunned for one reason or another. They will be more willing to give my work an honest chance.”

“It you want honest, I know three fillies in town that have a knack for bluntness.”

“Children are the most honest source of information, true. But I need somepony who understands magic well enough to give feedback.”

In the background, a pair of ponies were enjoying a day after a spa trip. One was a shade of blue with a light blue mane. The other was lavender with a purple and sky blue mane.
-\/-
Excerpt from the Terrible Truths: Dreams and Nightmares
They say you can’t have a nightmare if you never dream. They couldn’t be more wrong. A dream is defined as two things. Either it’s an aspiration or an unconscious manifestation of the mind. A nightmare, following this ideal can also be two things. There is the common vernacular for an unconscious horror we see while we sleep. The other, following this idea, is the absence of aspiration. We are always pushed to move forward, but if we don't do so, we will find ourselves pushed to our end. We all have talents and by working together, we have strived. However, if we hold ourselves back, we will only doom ourselves to the inevitable. A dream is a good thing. A nightmare is a horrifying thing. But we cannot truly understand the full ideals of this work. Only Luna commands the dreamscape.
-Morpheus Tantebus