Journey of the Pillarsby Jay DavidChaptersAnother ChanceMemoriesGood MorningHealers and ScholarsA Sorcerer's GuiltKindredAnother ChanceA bright blue sky, a warm sun shining down on all below, healthy-looking trees all around, and a gently flowing river running right through the middle of it all. This quiet and secluded spot was the very textbook definition of peaceful, and so, where better to find two beautiful mares bathing in the riverside? Meadowbrook and Somnambula, both together in the more shallow waters, were currently washing themselves down, smiles of contentment upon their faces. Neither were clothed, as their respective garbs were both neatly folded in the grassy land nearby, and the two simply went about their business as though they had not a care in the world. Eventually, however, Meadowbrook finished first, getting out of the water and giving herself a quick shake. Somnambula nodded to her, watching her go further away to pick up her clothes, before getting back to her own cleaning. As the ancient healer picked up her dress, she got to the matter of tying up her mane in its usual fashion, as she had worn it loose during her earlier bathing. But, as she walked onwards while doing this, she passed by a large rock near the tree line, and as she did this, she noticed another figure in the corner of her eye. It was none other than her old friend, Flash Magnus, still decked out in his armour as usual. Meadowbrook was pleased to see him, as she usually was, but it wasn't long before she noted that the soldier seemed to have something on his mind. He was leaning against the rock, his expression making it clear that he was preoccupied, and as the healer looked to him, she chanced a glance back to Somnambula in the river behind her. Before long, a knowing smile came to the earth pony mare, and she cleared her throat. Immediately, Flash looked to her, seeming as though he only now realised that she had been looking at him. He offered her a smile, out of courtesy if nothing else, but soon, he noticed that she was giving him an odd-looking smile, Silently, she gestured with her head to Somnambula, prompting the stallion to look over to her. After staring at her in the water for a few moments, he looked back to Meadowbrook, bearing slight embarrassment as he did so. Meadowbrook stifled a giggle at this, then promptly began to head off into the trees, slipping on her dress while walking. Flash, now alone, let out a long sigh, then elected to go towards the river himself. Once beside it, he continued to look to the famed pegasus there, and Somnambula herself, without even turning to face him, spoke up, her voice as calm and collected as it always was. "A beautiful day, is it not, friend-Flash?" Flash smiled too, albeit a small one, and nodded. "It is." Finally, Somnambula turned to face him, her blue mane glistening with the droplets of water that still covered it. "How fare the others?" Again, Flash nodded. "Rockhoof and Stygian are gathering firewood for the night. Mistmane is preparing our meal and Starswirl...well..." Somnambula chuckled. "His books?" "His books," Flash confirmed. Still smiling, Somnambula looked to the water around her, then, slowly, to Flash once more. "Would you care to join me?" Raising a hoof, Flash shook his head. "Thank you, but not today." The mare was not disheartened by that, instead taking one hoof and rubbing down her other foreleg. "Remember back then? How we would all come together after a battle to the river by the castle?" Flash nodded, a nostalgic smile forming on his lips. "I do. Well...except Starswirl. He always considered such bathing to be...what was the word he used?" "Uncouth?" Somnambula suggested. "Yes, that was it," Flash responded. The two shared a laugh together for a time, and when it died down, it appeared as though the mare was finally finished in cleaning herself off. Gracefully, she got herself onto dry land, and Flash, perhaps instinctively knowing what was coming, took a few steps away from her as she shook the water off herself. Letting out a contented sigh, Somnambula moved over to where her own clothes were, putting on her distinct headdress first, before then picking up her main garb and looking over to Flash. "Would you mind helping me?" Flash nodded to this, moving closer to her and taking her outfit from her. In the silence that followed, Somnambula sat down peacefully, while Flash helped her to get her white dress on, taking particular care when it came to helping her get her wings through it. However, as he was doing this, he heard her speak to him again. "Tell me, friend...what troubles you?" The stallion was hesitant at first, but, after a few moments, he finally started explaining matters. "It's just...I suppose it's hard...accepting that so much has changed during out absence." Somnambula nodded, continuing to listen to him as he spoke. "But most of all...what truly gives me pause it that...we seven now find ourselves...here...free...with our lives back." The mare looked over her shoulder to him. "Surely that is no cause for sadness?" Flash shook his head. "Not sadness...just...difficulty. In our day, we were all that stood between evil and the rest of Equestria. How many battles did we fight? How many times was darkness driven back because of us?" He looked away from her briefly. "But now? Now...we return to a world that...that...that no longer needs us. It has a new generation of protectors. Princess Twilight and her friends. They helped us...freed us. They helped pull Stygian from the darkness that consumed him. All of these things we once thought impossible...and they accomplished it." With her gown now finally on her properly, Somnambula stood tall again, turning to face her colleague in earnest. "You struggle with the thought of being replaced?" Flash sighed. "I considered it, but...I suppose I should be happy. The kinds of lives we spent so long protecting, those who would grow and live and thrive and be happy...with our duties, I never expected that we would have that chance ourselves." He looked to the waters of the river. "A chance to live lives of peace instead of battle. A chance to allow others to fight the good fight in our stead. A chance to...to...to..." Slowly, Somnambula smiled, taking a step closer to him and, in a move that surprised Flash greatly, gently placed a hoof on the side of his face. "A chance...perhaps for family?" Naturally, the stallion's eyes widened with surprise as he looked to his ancient companion. "Somnambula? I...I don't..." But the mare merely smiled to him. "My most famous feat may have required me blindfolded...but that does not make me blind." At first, Flash looked shocked by this, perhaps even a little embarrassed. But, as time went on, his expression softened, and he let out a sigh. "So...you knew?" Somnambula nodded, prompting Flash to carry on. "Why did you not say anything?" The mare considered that for a time before answering. "I imagine...for the same reasons you never said anything." A pained look crossed the stallion's face after hearing that, and he looked away from her, almost ashamed. "So much of our lives was spent fighting monsters and creatures of darkness. We never said a word to one another...but we all knew in our hearts that, one day, a fight may come that was simply...too much for us." He hung his head slightly. "And when Starswirl told us what we would need to do when fighting Stygian...to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Equestria...we knew that time had finally come." Slowly, Flash looked back to her, right into her eyes. "I was not prepared to make that sacrifice more difficult for you by saying...by saying what I wanted to say." There was silence between them after that, as both simply started into one another's eyes. But, in the end, Somnambula resumed her earlier smile towards him. "Well...like you said, we're back. The sacrifice undone. The darkness defeated. Whatever words we might have denied to one another back then...we can say now." It was something the stallion had clearly never expected to hear, or even think about. But, there it was, staring him right in the face. Somnambula was right, he knew, and it was something she had known about him for far longer that he'd realised. So, in this place, alone with her beside him, he finally gave a genuine smile, nodding briefly before taking a few calming breaths and, at long last, saying what he'd always wanted to say. "Somnambula...when I first saw you, as you and Meadowbrook tended to my wounds after my fight with that chimera...I thought that never before had there been a mare more beautiful than you." Like her, Flash raised a hoof, caressing the side of her face. "And when I came to know you better...I saw there a mare whose bravery, whose willingness to sacrifice for those closest to her...had touched me in a way that I've never forgotten." He gave a small chuckle. "These...there are things I have wanted to say to you for...for far too long." Somnambula's smile widened. "Flash...in you, I too saw a soul of great bravery. A stallion who would stand as a shield against overwhelming odds, simply to save those who could not help themselves. One who was willing to risk even death itself to stop the cruel and the wicked. You were not merely an ally to me in the fight against the darkness...you were a friend. And..." Slowly, she blushed slightly. "...and to me...something more." The two continued to look to one another, smiling lovingly as their faces drew nearer. The only sounds were that of the wind in the trees, and the river water against the stones of the banks. Then, at the end of that long and agonising wait, two lips met. Something that had been wanted and hoped for over a thousand years had now occurred, and for the two ponies themselves, their looks of joy as those lips parted was as clear as day upon their faces. "Well...that was...quiet something," Flash remarked. Her smile widening, Somnambula moved closer, nuzzling him affectionately. "Yes...yes it was." For a time, they sat together, holding each other closely in a warm and tender embrace. But, unbeknownst to them, they were being watched, as both Meadowbrook and Mistmane were standing beside each other in the tree-line, making sure to keep themselves hidden from the couple they now looked at. Meadowbrook especially had to keep herself from squealing with joy at the loving scene in front of her, while Mistmane merely smiled and nodded approvingly. The two looked to one another, nodding in silent agreement, before moving off, wanting to give the two lovers some time to themselves. But, as they did so, Meadowbrook couldn't help but look to her older companion and ask the obvious question. "So...should we tell them? Starswirl and the others?" Considering that, Mistmane smiled, shaking her head. "No...let's give those two just a bit more privacy..." Then, a knowing smirk came to her. "...for now anyway." Author's Note Published 4th November 2017 MemoriesThe morning had been cold for some time, and a thick fog had crept in as time went by. For many upon the boat, the only sounds that could be heard was that of the waves gently lapping against it as it made its journey through the waters. The Captain of the vessel, an old earth pony stallion, had spent the better part of this trip just staring at those he'd taken aboard today. Seven ponies, all of whom were dressed rather odd to his eyes. But, gold was gold no matter who was giving it to him, so he'd never said a word about it. Instead, he and everypony else here just stood in silence, with the seven passengers right at the front of the ship, looking out with the hopes of making out their destination. At the very front of the group was a stallion, bigger than any he'd ever seen before, armed with what appeared to be a shovel of some kind, and with a look of determination upon his face. But, eventually, the chosen time came. "Alright...we're here," he called out. And sure enough, through the thick fog, they could see the outlines of a small wooden dock, jutting out from the edge of a rocky outcropping of land. The boat slowed down considerably, and soon, they were there. The Captain got to his usual duties, hopping off to tie the thing up at the docks, making sure the rope was properly secure, before turning to his passengers and giving them a nod of permission. The oldest-looking of them, a unicorn stallion dressed in blue, nodded back, and before long, both he and his followers began to disembark. The Captain watched each mare and stallion in turn, and when the last of them was finally off, the old unicorn turned to him, using his magic to levitate the promised small bag of gold he'd been offered. Taking it, the Captain gave a tip of his hat, then turned around and went straight back to his boat, leaving those seven to go about whatever business they had here. And the seven themselves paid him no mind as they heard his boat begin to depart, soon being so far away that the fog enshrouded him from their sights. Now, they were alone here, and so moved as a group further inland. Slow were their movements, and their expressions were ones of both anticipation and concern at the same time. Rockhoof, again, was at the front, moving through the fog with slow steps. Soon though, he stopped, as did everypony behind him, for it was here that, with the sudden arrival of a gust of wind, the fog began to lift around them. As the area around them began to grow clearer and clearer, Rockhoof's eyes narrowed. "...Home sweet home." What they'd been told before had been true. There had indeed been an archaeological site here recently. But those ponies had long since departed, leaving behind this place largely as they'd found it. The remnants of long-gone homes and buildings littered the surroundings, and everywhere one looked, there was the distinct impression that this ancient place had not seen life or activity for hundreds, if not thousands of years. All of the other ponies, from Starswirl to Mistmane, looked around, their faces clearing showing difficulty in seeing this place like this. But, in the midst of it all, Rockhoof stood alone, and in utter silence. Slowly, he began to move away, and when the others saw him, nopony said a word. Before long, the massive stallion stopped at one ruined house in particular, setting his shovel in the ground before stepping closer and looking down upon it. "Well...I'm back." He was trying to sound strong, composed and in-control, that much was clear. But, beneath it all, there was a clear sound of sadness to his words. Pain threatened to break free in his eyes as he patted the ground before him, a place where grass and weeds had grown where once there had been none. A massive home now reduced to just the stone foundations, maybe with a few rotting pieces of wood here and there. It was a sorry sight, and for one who knew it, that discomfort was even deeper. But again, Rockhoof said nothing, even as he heard somepony begin to approach him from behind. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that it was Mistmane, and her voice, though aged, still retained its softness as she spoke to him. "Are you alright?" Rockhoof's eyes remained firmly on the old house in front of him as he replied. "They're...they're all gone, aren't they?" Mistmane did not reply, only nodding in conformation of his question, prompting him to continue. "My friends...my family...all those who once lived here alongside me...they're all gone." He let out a long sigh. "It's just me now." Looking to him, Mistmane gently placed a hoof upon his shoulder. "They may be gone, but the legacy of this place may yet live. Those you knew here may have descendants, somewhere out there in the world, those who moved away from here as time went on." Rockhoof nodded. "Perhaps...like your friend? Whose descendant still maintains that garden you loved?" Mistmane smiled, nodding back. "Yes." The sentiment did not seem to lift the stallion's mood, however. "When we went through with Starswirl's spell, knowing we would never return...I'd made my peace with this place. But..." He grimaced. "...being here...actually having to see it, it..." Rockhoof couldn't continue, and so looked away, the pain in his voice as clear as the sky above was slowly becoming. And that latter fact did not help matters whatsoever, as the lifting of the fog eventually revealed the entirety of the area, showing just how overgrown and forgotten this place was. Whatever thriving people had once been here, they were long gone now, and were likely never to return. And that thought weighed heavily on the enormous earth pony. "This place is dead...just like them." He frowned. "And to all the rest of Equestria...we might as well be dead. To them, we're nothing but legends, as though we were never even real to begin with." Looking back to his old home, he stepped forward. "But we were real! We lived! We grew up, we had friends, we had lives of our own!" In his frustration, he brought down a single hoof against the stone foundations of the house, sending a massive crack right through it. Naturally, such a display caused some concern for his companions, many of whom didn't know how to respond or how to speak to him right now. Instead, they left him alone for the time being, the only sounds being that of the sobs he was trying so hard to hold back. But, after several minutes of this, there was another who began to walk beside him. Slowly, Rockhoof turned to see that it was none other than Stygian, the youngest of their group. The small unicorn didn't say anything to him at first, instead just quietly sitting beside him and looking to the ruins before them both. Then, after considering his words carefully, he finally broke the silence. "I imagine...you had many happy memories here." Rockhoof's eyes drifted once more to the house, and he gave a short nod. "Yes...we did." Then, in a stark contrast to before, he started wearing a small smile. "There was one time when we all got together for the summer solstice. We made a massive fire, right in the middle of the village. There was singing, dancing, revelry like there'd never been before." The smile faded a little. "This place...my people...we were so alive in that moment." Stygian nodded. "You were lucky. I never had a people of my own like that. I just...wandered. From place to place. Well..." He turned to him. "...until I met you and the others." Slowly, Rockhoof looked down to him. "I know, Stygian. We might not have always done right by you...but before the dark days...we always tried to be a people for you." Stygian smiled back to him. "And you were. You are. And if you want...we can all be each other’s people." He looked over his shoulder, smiling again. "You're not alone...just as I’m not." In time, Rockhoof too looked behind him, seeing Starswirl, Meadowbrook and all the others gathered there. They were smiling to him in a warm and friendly manner, silently acknowledging and agreeing with what Stygian had said to him. It took some time, but eventually, the large stallion smiled once more, nodding to his young friend. "I...I would welcome that." Stygian smiled back, getting to his hooves again. "If ever you need anything...just ask." To that, Rockhoof considered. "As a matter of fact...there is something you can do." Though confused, Stygian watched in silence as Rockhoof turned, looking to all the rest of the group. "If you're willing to help me...I would like you to bring everything you can get your hooves on here. Every piece of furniture that remains. Every plank of wood. Everything that once belonged to my people." The rest looked to each other, and it was Starswirl who asked the obvious question. "Why?" Smiling, Rockhoof's voice was full of confidence. "Because...there will be another fire here today." He turned, looking one last time to his ancient home. "It's high time my people...were giving a proper send-off." Author's Note Published 11th November 2017 Good MorningSlowly, the light of the sun began to creep up over the far horizon. A blanket of warmth spread out over the land, over hills, trees, rivers and roads. Morning had come, and with it came the expected sounds of gentle rustling in the tree branches, and the songs of birds. Far from the paths of other ponies, lay a quiet secluded clearing in a local woodland, and within that clearing, five ponies lay. These were the legendary pillars of ancient times. Starswirl, Mistmane, Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, and the youngest of their number, Stygian. All of them were sleeping soundly next to the remains of a campfire, which even now let off tiny wisps of smoke from the night before. However, two of their number were strangely absent from this gathering. And that was because they were sleeping separately, far from the rest of the group. Flash Magnus and Somnambula, both currently resting beside one another in a small cave that was found at the base of a cliff-face not very far from the rest of their companions. They too had the remains of a fire close by, and the warmth of it lingered in their sleeping place. Neither was clothed right now, with their respective outfits neatly placed on either side of them, and judging form the unkempt way their manes were, it was clear there had been some activity the previous night. Closely they slept, each with a tender smile upon their faces, holding each other's hooves. But, as soon as the light of the dawn reached them, Flash began to stir. Very slowly, his eyes cracked open, and after letting out a long yawn, his gaze turned to the mare beside him. His smile widened, and he looked to her with what could only be described as love. Gently, he raised his hoof, placing it upon the side of her face, caressing her there, which, naturally, led to Somnambula herself rousing from her slumber. Like her partner, she too smiled at the sight that greeted her, and after a moment or two of silence, she spoke. "Good morning." Flash's smile widened further still. "Good morning." They inched closer, their lips meeting tenderly in a brief kiss, and when it was over, Somnambula giggled, taking a moment to first get her mane in order, making sure it was as straight and presentable as it usually was, before speaking further. "I trust you slept well, husband?" Flash chuckled. "I did, wife." Turning onto her back, Somnambula stared at the rocky celling above them, her smile remaining as she dwelt on her thoughts. "It still doesn't seem real to me. You...me...us..." Flash nodded, getting onto his own back and staring upwards in a similar manner. "I'll tell you what didn't seem real to me. Having Starswirl be our minister." Looking to him, Somnambula raised an eyebrow. "Well...he was the court wizard back then. He had full authority to wed us." Again, Flash laughed. "I know...but seeing him do it...old stuffy Starswirl giving our wedding like that...it just..." Somnambula laughed too, albeit briefly. "Quite. Though the look on his face when we told him what we wanted him to do..." Flash looked back to her. "Oh, yes...that was a wedding present I’ll remember until the end of my days." As before, the newlyweds laughed, and when that laughter ended, they sighed in unison. Again, silence drifted over the two of them, and when it was over, it was once more Somnambula who ended it, looking to her husband with a sultriness in her eyes. "As happy as I was during our union...I'll admit I was rather pleased with...well...the aftermath." Flash had the good sense to give a little blush at that. "Yes...well...I'd often heard about how mares from your part of Equestria were...you know..." Somnambula looked to him mischievously. "What...skilled, you mean? I hope I didn't disappoint." Flash returned the look, leaning over and giving her another kiss. "You could never disappoint me, my love. Last night...you were nothing short of a Goddess to me." It was a sweet gesture, what he's said, and for a time afterwards, neither said a word to one another. Instead, they scooted up closer, embracing each other and enjoying the warmth, both from the other and the sunlight that continued to pour into their cave. A full five minutes went by before anypony said anything else, and Somnambula, looking like she was deep in thought, looked down to her bare belly, placing a hoof upon it and stroking slightly. "It was only our first time...but who knows? Perhaps your seed will take root?" Flash looked downwards too, and like her, placed his hoof there, looking like he was also thinking on that possibility. "A family...did you ever think you'd see the day, Somnambula?" His wife shook her head. "No...but...I'm glad it might happen." She looked back up to him. "What do you think? If it happens? Colt or filly?" Slowly, Flash's eyes drifted to hers, and he once more looked to her with that same love as before. "As long as the child is happy, healthy and born of you...I'll be the happiest stallion in Equestria." As had happened several times now, Somnambula gave him a kiss, and this one was longer and more passionate than any that they’d been through this morning so far. Naturally, Flash enjoyed the experience quite a bit, but, when it had passed, he let out yet another sigh, looking down to that same belly, keeping his hoof there, as his ears began to droop slightly. "I wonder...if I could really do it." Somnambula tilted her head. "Do what?" Flash looked up to her. "This. Be a Father...and a husband. I...I've spent so long a soldier. So much of my life fighting. I just...wonder if I have it in me to be anything more. To live in a time of peace...having what so many other ponies had but...but that I never thought I’d have myself." Slowly, Somnambula smiled. "I have never been a wife or Mother, Flash. Yet now, I may well be both. Like you, I too have rarely known a time of calm. I share your fears...but we have each other. Whatever problems we may face, whatever hardships or shortcomings...we both have somepony to help us through it." A sigh escaped the stallion, and when his smile returned, he gave a nod. "You're right. So much has changed since we returned to the world. Our land, the ponies who live in it...even us. It gets so overwhelming to think about, and now...now we may have another change soon to happen." Somnambula retained her smile and, in a move similar to her husband's not so long ago, raised her hoof to the side of his face and caressed him there. "You can be this, Flash. Your days of fighting are over...our days of fighting are over. We have a chance...a chance at a life of peace...with each other. We are blessed that Princess Twilight and her friends have made our world one where this is possible. We will have that life that was so often denied to us...and we will live it well." Time passed, and slowly, Flash began to accept his love's words, smiling gently to her and giving a nod. Much like before, they embraced, once more enjoying the warmth they felt from that act. But, in a voice almost low enough to be called a whisper, Flash muttered to the mare. "So...how much should we tease Rockhoof over how he cried more than anypony else at our wedding?" Giggling, Somnambula pondered that. "Hmmm...let's give him a day...then we'll tease." To that, Flash smiled even wider than before. "I love you so much." Author's Note Published 30th December 2017 Healers and ScholarsIt was a fairly decent day today, with a gust of warm air blowing peacefully through the woodland, birdsong heard all around. The ground was dry and it looked as though the rain was going to be staved off for at least another few hours. In other words, it was perfect foraging weather. Such was the thinking of Meadowbrook, the famed healer of Equestria's distant past, who happily trotted through the woods by herself, a smile upon her face. With every passing tree, she would stop, checking all around the area and examining every single branch, shrub and blade of grass that caught her eye. Sometimes, her smile would widen, and she'd pluck out a particular plant from the ground, stuffing it neatly into a pair of saddle-bags that had been generously provided for her prior to her and her companions' journey out here. Humming sweetly, she continued on her way but eventually stopped when she heard a muffled, yet familiar voice. "Curses!" Stopping, Meadowbrook raised an eyebrow, looking around her immediate area to find, naturally, nopony there. So, she started looking further, peering in-between the trees to discover that her ears had not deceived her. There was indeed somepony out there just a short walk away. To her further surprise, she found that it was none other than Stygian, the youngest of their number, who was presently sitting upon an old tree stump. As Meadowbrook approached, she smiled waving out to him. "Stygian! Hello!" Immediately, the young mage took on a startled look, clearly not having expected her. "Oh! Meadowbrook! I...I...I didn't see you there!" Giggling, Meadowbrook drew nearer, and it was here that the mare noticed something. Stygian was holding onto one of his forelegs, which, upon further inspection, appeared to have been cut, and was currently bleeding. Ever the healer, Meadowbrook instantly rushed to his side, taking his hoof and examining it. "Goodness! What happened?" Looking embarrassed all of a sudden, Stygian let out a grunt of irritation, turning away from his companion before explaining himself. "It's...it's nothing. I was looking for a quiet place to read, and I was just pushing through some of those branches back there when...well..." Looking up to him, Meadowbrook chuckled. "The branches snapped back, right?" Stygian's sigh was her only answer, and the ancient healer soon got to work, sliding her saddle-bags off her back and opening them up. After rummaging around them for a few moments, she pulled out a dusty-looking bottle, holding it up for her friend to see. "A few drops of this, and a few bandages, and you'll be right as rain!" But Stygian wasn't so eager. "Oh no! Not the ointment again!" Meadowbrook nodded. "Yep. It'll sting, but it's the best thing for you...unless...you want an infection from this?" Her mischievousness was as clear as day in her voice, and Stygian, after rolling his eyes, soon sighed again, offering his hoof to her. Gently, Meadowbrook took it, making sure to be as careful as possible when applying the ointment. As he'd expected, Stygian winced as it was applied, but, as promised, Meadowbrook only put on a few drops here and there. The moment passed, and Stygian relaxed after her aid, remaining silent as he watched her pull out a roll of bandages from her bags. He watched her carefully, looking quite impressed with how expertly she applied those bandages. "You do that so naturally...like it comes to you as easily as breathing." Meadowbrook chuckled to that. "Shoot! It's nothing special. Just years of training and practice. Believe me, I had my fair share of mistakes back in the day." Hearing that, Stygian's ears dropped slightly. "Perhaps...but I doubt that's anything compared to my mistakes." The mare beside him realised immediately that she'd, intentionally or not, stepped on a sore spot. As soon as that knowledge sank in for her, she took on a more apologetic look, letting out a long sigh of her own before reaching forward and patting Stygian on the shoulder. "Hey...that's all in the past now. You may have done wrong...but so did we. I'm a healer, yet I never recognised that you were hurting for all those years. There's fault in all of us here." Slowly, Stygian looked to her, smiling slightly. "Thank you for saying so, Meadowbrook. You always were the nicest to me." Again, Meadowbrook laughed. "Bedside manner, friend. Trust me, it's another one of those things you learn over time. I wasn't that much good at it to start off with." Stygian seemed sceptical. "I can't really imagine you, of all ponies, ever being anything other than a delight to her patients." Meadowbrook eyed him, smirking slightly before responding. "Oh no? When I first started out, I bombarded every sick pony who entered my Mother's home with questions, like a child asking about their Hearth’s Warming Eve presents. Can I get you some food, Sir? Some water? How about a new pillow? They all needed rest and relaxation more often than not, and there was me, this excited little filly, so eager to help that I ended up being a nuisance." Stygian appeared taken aback by this knowledge. "Well...that's...surprising." Meadowbrook chuckled. "Yeah...but thankfully, I had my Mother to help me. She taught me a whole bunch of what needed to be said and done, and when. Pretty soon, I was there helping her out properly." Looking away, back to the trail she'd just come from, Meadowbrook pondered on that. "When this trip of ours is done, maybe I could teach others. I took a look at some medical books before we left. Sure, there's a lot of new stuff...but so much else has been lost." Again, she looked to her friend. "Did you know that, since we left, they've completely forgotten that eating a double portion of oats before bed can stave off the old Panting Pox we used to see everywhere?" Stygian seemed shocked by that. "What?! But...everypony knows that!" Meadowbrook shook her head. "Not anymore they don't!" Stygian considered that, then took on a nervous smile. "You know...um...you could always start with me." Meadowbrook looked to him with confusion, prompting him to explain. "Teach me, I mean. I don't really contribute much on this trip and...well...maybe I could help? Like how you used to help your Mother?" It was an unexpected request, as evidenced by the look Meadowbrook now gave him. But, in the silence that followed, the mare considered it, really letting that notion sink in for her. She nodded slowly, a small smile creeping onto her face as she thought longer and harder on it. "Yeah...that might not be such a bad idea. I've never taught anypony before and, you know, it'd be good to start with somepony I already know before moving onto others." Moments later, she looked him in the eye. "Stygian...I'll do it! For the rest of our trip, I'm gonna teach you all I know about medicine, herbs, you name it!" The young stallion nodded enthusiastically. "I look forward to it!" They may well have continued speaking on the matter, only to be rudely interrupted when, all of a sudden, there was a rumbling sound. Looking up, both ponies found, to their dismay, that a bunch of clouds had gathered overhead. Already, they could feel a few droplets of water falling onto their heads, so Meadowbrook set to work, making sure everything was packed up in her bags again before looking back the way they'd come. "Well, better get back to camp. Don't want to get caught in this." Stygian nodded, and was about to follow when, to his surprise, he found Meadowbrook now holding onto his injured hoof, guiding him gently along the path, before looking back to him and smiling warmly. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna let some branches get you on the way back, friend." Slowly, a blush started to develop in the stallion's cheeks, and as he looked away, he couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Yes...well...um...thank you...friend." Author's Note Published January 6th 2018 A Sorcerer's GuiltSunny days were always a welcome thing, especially when you spent a lot of time out and about. For Starswirl and his fellow Pillars, that latter fact was especially true these days, as they continued on in their long journey across modern-day Equestria. The ancient sorcerer had long ago resigned himself to the knowledge that his homeland had irrevocably changed from what he once knew, and for the time being, he simply contented himself in the calm peace of this one moment. Sitting upon a grassy hill, he had his eyes closed for some time, enjoying the warm feel of the sunlight upon his face. Quietly, he made a mental note to thank his old student, Celestia, for being so good at that when he eventually returned to Canterlot. But, future plans were the furthest things from his mind right now, and he just wanted some peace and quiet to enjoy the day. So, he continued to remain seated there, on his little hill, listening to the natural sounds around him. Unfortunately, his plans for total peace and quiet were interrupted somewhat when his ears began to pick up familiar voices not so far away. Cracking one eye open, he looked down to find several of his fellows interacting with one another in one form or another. To his right, he could see Flash Magnus and Somnambula sitting together beside a nearby stream, looking to each other lovingly. To his left, he saw Stygian, sitting before Meadowbrook, as the latter appeared to be giving him a lecture of some sort, holding up an old book of medicine as she did so. He had nothing against what they were doing, but even so, the old unicorn was a little miffed at having his solitude ended this way, leading to a long sigh on his part. This reaction apparently turned out to be amusing to somepony, as he then heard the sound of laughter from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he found that it was none other than Mistmane who, along with him, served as the eldest of their group. "Having trouble relaxing, Starswirl?" Her voice was as calm and kind as it usually was, and in the face of it, Starswirl eased up, though only a little. "I had hoped that, with all our big adventures behind us, it would be easy, but..." Chuckling, the elderly unicorn mare walked beside him, taking a seat before looking out beyond the hill herself. "You were never one for rest or quiet, Starswirl. In all the years I've known you, you were never happier than when you were active." Starswirl didn't respond to that. Instead, his eyes once more drifted down to his younger companions, and above all else, he couldn't help but notice just how well all of them were getting on with each other. In spite of everything they'd been through, here they were, smiling and being at peace with each other, as though the trauma of their time in Limbo had never been. Of particular focus to Starswirl was Meadowbrook and Stygian, which prompted him to at last speak up. "You know...I remember well the times when our three tribes were at each other's throats. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies. Time was, you would never believe we would come together. Yet...there they are. Friends." Mistmane smiled as she looked to him. "And from the looks of it, things have become all the better in our absence. Nowadays, it seems inconceivable that there was ever any enmity between them." Starswirl nodded. "I suppose...times just change." But his expression then turned into a slight grimace, as though suddenly uncomfortable with something. "But...not all of us change with it." Slowly, the old mare beside him looked to him, her face one of concern. "Starswirl...I know better than anypony when something is bothering you. Please...confide in me, if you will." A long sigh escaped the wizard, and he gave a short nod before he began to speak. "Friendship...I once believed that I knew all there was to the world. All the great forces. And yet...as I sit here, in this new world...I have come to realise...just how little I truly knew." Mistmane nodded. "This is about Stygian, is it not?" Starswirl's eyes once more returned to the younger stallion downhill from him. "Not just him. How many foes did we face, Mistmane? How many times did we stand against some evil, and purge it from the world?" He looked to her again. "Twilight...and her friends...they have faced many dangers themselves, and yet they have accepted into their hearts that those who do evil may change for the better. That they could be accepted." He shut his eyes tightly. "In the past...when I led us...such thoughts never even occurred to me! When I stared down evil, my first and only thought was to rid the world of it. Stygian, the Sirens, all of them." Slowly, his eyes opened again. "But...how many? How many of them might have changed...if I had simply thought to offer them a hoof...instead of resorting to attack every time?" Mistmane rested a hoof upon his shoulder. "You cannot fault yourself, friend. One can never know what might have happened if we had done things differently. All we could do, all anypony can do, is act on what they know." But it seemed as thought Starswirl was not comforted by this. "Because of my decision, my choice to turn against Stygian, instead of being his friend and letting him open up to us...I condemned him to a path of darkness...and with it...I also sealed our fates." Another sigh on his part. "Over a thousand years we were trapped, and why? Because I was too stubborn...too entrenched in my ways...too old...to ever think of another path." Shame crossed his face now. "My actions have been heralded by those of this era as having laid the groundwork for what Equestria is today. It is a land of peace and friendship, and yet I, the one so often said to have helped it on that path...knew virtually nothing of that concept. A stallion to whom friendship was...little more than empty words." The thoughts of how the ponies of this new age regarded him seemed to weigh heavily now. "Starswirl the Bearded...Starswirl the Great...Starswirl the Wise...Starswirl...Starswirl the Fool!" Clearly, this was a difficulty that wasn't just going to disappear with a few kind words. And yet, even knowing that, Mistmane knew that her friend needed to be told something. Something important. "Starswirl...I won't say that you made no mistakes in your time, or that we didn't make them right alongside you. But, just because you spent so long as a teacher does not mean that you ever stop learning." Starswirl looked to her as she continued. "This new thinking...this age of acceptance and forgiveness...you could simply take it as another lesson. This journey we now take is not just to see how our world has changed physically, but also to see the new beliefs that have come with it." She regained her earlier smile. "Learn from what you have been made aware of. Use it, make it a part of yourself. Let yourself change. Perhaps, one day, if you are called upon once more to defend the defenceless, you will remember what we have been through before, the mistakes we've made...and decide on a new way. A better way." Looking down, she pointed to Stygian and Meadowbrook. "After all...if we can live in an age where unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies can live in peace and harmony...then perhaps that peace may also hold true for those we deem our enemies." Starswirl said nothing for the longest time, instead taking in all that had been said to him. Eventually, he let out a sigh and, in a move that few ever really saw from him, smiled to his friend. "Thank you, Mistmane." The mare laughed briefly. "Well, if there's anypony here who has experience in turning foes into friends...it is I. I may have forgotten that lesson for a time...but it is there all the same." Like her, Starswirl too let out a laugh. "That you did. I hear that is even what ponies think of you when they hear your tale. That of forgiveness, acceptance and seeing more than the mere surface." He pondered that, before speaking up in a slightly more jovial manner. "Perhaps you should lead us in future, eh?" A moment passed before Mistmane responded, a cocky grin upon her face as she did so. "Well...if you're offering." Author's Note Published January 13th 2018 KindredIt was a beautiful night tonight, with the clear skies revealing both the brilliantly-bright full moon and a sea of twinkling stars. The air was cool, but not so much so that it would make a pony want to shy away from being out here. A gentle breeze flowed, and here, high atop one of the great towers of the Royal Palace, everything seemed so distant, so very far away. There, standing at the edge of one of the many balconies of the place, was a young unicorn stallion. Stygian, a pony who had not laid eyes on his homeland of Equestria for a very long time, now gazing out upon it from this high point. His face was hard to read, but his eyes were fixed on all the flickering candle-lights of the homes of Canterlot below. As he exhaled, he could see his breath in the cold air around him, and while he himself was silent, it was not long before the quiet he'd grown accustomed to was broken by one behind him. "A pleasant evening, is it not?" Turning, the stallion now looked at the approaching form of Princess Luna, who smiled warmly to him as she drew nearer. Instinctively, Stygian gave a sweeping bow to her. "My Lady. I had not expected to see you here." Luna's smile grew as she took her place next to him, watching him stand tall again before replying. "I am always here at night, young Stygian." In spite of himself, Stygian let out a dry chuckle. "Well...not so young anymore I don't think." Luna nodded to that. "No...I suppose not." For a time, the two ancient ponies said nothing, content to look out at both the city and the night sky before them. But, as time went on, Luna began to grow increasingly curious of the stallion beside her. "Tell me...how are you faring?" A sigh escaped Stygian at that. "Better than I was expecting to, your Grace." Luna giggled slightly. "Please, call me Luna." Stygian seemed a little uncertain at that, but nevertheless did as requested. "Very well...Luna." His expression became one that Luna herself recognised all too well, as he looked out once more to Canterlot. There was something he was struggling with, something that was eating away at him, though it took him a while to finally say what it was. "This city is...beautiful. Though I do not remember it from my time. This was just bare mountainside once upon a time. But now? Now...just look at it." Luna nodded. "I imagine it's quite a shock to see that so much has changed." Stygian nodded back. "It is. I looked out at much of Equestria when I was journeying here to the Capital with the others...and I barely recognise any of it. Hills, worn away by time. Rivers, where there used to be none. Villages I once knew, now gone. Cities that never existed." Another sigh, and a long one this time. "...I...I do not know this place. The Equestria I knew...my friends and I will never see it again." Luna looked to him for a time, never saying anything, only listening. But, as a silence once more took hold between them, she broke it with soft words of her own. "Then it is most fortunate that you have those friends with you during this time. I doubt they're any happier about these changes than you are. You can help each other." Stygian nodded, giving a small smile in response to those words. But, amidst that look, Luna saw something else. It wasn't there long, just a flicker, but there was nevertheless something in the young stallion's eyes that she knew immediately. A discomfort. A bitterness. An anger. She wanted to give him his space, knowing the ordeal he'd just been through, and yet, something within her compelled Luna to act, to speak out about this. "Stygian...I realise you have been through much, but...I sense that there is something else you wish to get off your chest." At first, the stallion looked away from her, as though ashamed of what she'd just said to him. And his tone only added to that. "With respect, Luna...I do not wish to speak of it." But Luna, again recognising that sentiment, continued regardless. "Stygian...if there is one thing I have learned in my many years...it's that bad feelings should not be contained within." For a while, it looked as though her words had no effect, as Stygian simply continued to look away from her. So, slowly, she started to look away herself, turning her eyes instead to the night sky she had made tonight. But then, just as she did this, she heard his voice once more. "It's just...they were my friends." Luna looked to him, staying silent as he continued. "I'd been with them for so long...helped them so much in the fight against evil...and not once...not once...did they seem to know that I wished to fight alongside them...to do more than simply study our enemies from behind the scenes." When he finally looked back to her, there was hurt in his eyes. "When they found me with their belongings...they never even asked me. None of them. None of the ponies I called my friends even considered asking what I was doing." He frowned deeply. "They saw me...and they passed their judgement. Guilty." Again, he looked away, falling once more into utter silence. And while he did this, Luna looked to him with understanding, her voice as soft and gentle as ever as she spoke to him. "...And so...in that anger...you turned to the Darkness?" After a while, Stygian nodded. “It was foolish of me to do it, I know that now. To go to the very forces I had helped my friends to fight...it was foolish. And when they found me, what else could my actions have possibly looked like? I know what you’ll say. That I should have spoken to them, told them what was wrong before this all started...and you’d be right. But...I just...” Before he finished, Luna finished for him. “You felt low...and abandoned. You felt you had no other choice. You felt that nopony would listen to you, or worse, that they wouldn’t care. So, against whatever caution your heart was telling you...your loneliness made you turn to what you felt was the last avenue open to you.” Stygian didn't reply, merely nodding his head in confirmation. Luna, taking that in, bowed her head slightly. "For what it's worth...I understand how you must feel." Hearing that, Stygian let out a dry chuckle. "With respect, Princess...how could you?" A knowing look came to Luna. "Well...it's not hard for one to look at your tale and see shades of the story of Nightmare Moon within it." Looking back to her, Stygian bore a look of genuine confusion. "...Who?" Hearing that, Luna seemed taken aback, even shocked. Then, slowly, understanding came to her, and she once more smiled at her smaller companion. "No...of course you wouldn't," she remarked. As before, Stygian was confused, and then, just to deepen that confusion, he watched as the mare of the night actually started to laugh, leaning against the balcony and looking out at Canterlot as she did so. Stygian watched her do this for some time, his expression becoming one of mild irritation in the process. "Forgive me, Princess...but did I say something funny?" Shaking her head, Luna looked to him again. "No, I'm sorry, it's just...it's actually rather refreshing to come across somepony who hasn’t heard that story for once." Sighing, Stygian looked away again. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not exactly in a mood to hear old stories right now." The Princess looked to him, seeing just how tired he was looking right now. Anger, bitterness and self-hatred were wrestling for control within him, she could tell, and as such, when she spoke again, it was with a tone of kindness. "Long ago...there was a young mare. One who idolised another in her life, just as everypony else did. Her elder was beloved in a way she never had been. And, over time...that thought began to eat away at her." Hearing those words, Stygian's ears began to perk up, and he cast a sideways glance to the Princess as she continued. "Eventually...the younger mare grew angry, jealous, believing herself to be unappreciated and...and even unloved. So...she too began to listen to the darker thoughts within. Those voices that told her that she could rise up, become greater than the one everypony loved more than her." Luna hung her head. "That choice...twisted her. Made her into a being that none loved...but whom all feared. And she paid the price for it, enduring imprisonment for...for a very long time." Stygian was giving her his full attention now, and he could not help but ask a question. "What happened to her?" A small smile crept onto Luna's face. "Eventually...the darkness in her heart was healed...thanks to the actions of another. And when that darkness was driven out...that ancient mare was offered friendship and acceptance...and the love she once thought had been denied to her." Quiet was all there was between the two ponies for a time, and when it ended, Stygian's expression was one of thoughtfulness. "That...I suppose it does sound like my story." Luna looked to him and smiled, placing a hoof gently upon his shoulder. "The road ahead may not be easy for you, Stygian...but I know that you can find the acceptance and belonging that you've always wanted." Looking up to her, the stallion's face still bore uncertainty, which was reflected in his tone. "But...how? How can you know that for certain, after everything I’ve done? After everything I tried to do?" Luna's smile widened, and she gazed up at the bright moon above them. A moon that, not so long ago, had a very different face. "Because...if she was able to find it for herself...then so can you."
Another ChanceA bright blue sky, a warm sun shining down on all below, healthy-looking trees all around, and a gently flowing river running right through the middle of it all. This quiet and secluded spot was the very textbook definition of peaceful, and so, where better to find two beautiful mares bathing in the riverside? Meadowbrook and Somnambula, both together in the more shallow waters, were currently washing themselves down, smiles of contentment upon their faces. Neither were clothed, as their respective garbs were both neatly folded in the grassy land nearby, and the two simply went about their business as though they had not a care in the world. Eventually, however, Meadowbrook finished first, getting out of the water and giving herself a quick shake. Somnambula nodded to her, watching her go further away to pick up her clothes, before getting back to her own cleaning. As the ancient healer picked up her dress, she got to the matter of tying up her mane in its usual fashion, as she had worn it loose during her earlier bathing. But, as she walked onwards while doing this, she passed by a large rock near the tree line, and as she did this, she noticed another figure in the corner of her eye. It was none other than her old friend, Flash Magnus, still decked out in his armour as usual. Meadowbrook was pleased to see him, as she usually was, but it wasn't long before she noted that the soldier seemed to have something on his mind. He was leaning against the rock, his expression making it clear that he was preoccupied, and as the healer looked to him, she chanced a glance back to Somnambula in the river behind her. Before long, a knowing smile came to the earth pony mare, and she cleared her throat. Immediately, Flash looked to her, seeming as though he only now realised that she had been looking at him. He offered her a smile, out of courtesy if nothing else, but soon, he noticed that she was giving him an odd-looking smile, Silently, she gestured with her head to Somnambula, prompting the stallion to look over to her. After staring at her in the water for a few moments, he looked back to Meadowbrook, bearing slight embarrassment as he did so. Meadowbrook stifled a giggle at this, then promptly began to head off into the trees, slipping on her dress while walking. Flash, now alone, let out a long sigh, then elected to go towards the river himself. Once beside it, he continued to look to the famed pegasus there, and Somnambula herself, without even turning to face him, spoke up, her voice as calm and collected as it always was. "A beautiful day, is it not, friend-Flash?" Flash smiled too, albeit a small one, and nodded. "It is." Finally, Somnambula turned to face him, her blue mane glistening with the droplets of water that still covered it. "How fare the others?" Again, Flash nodded. "Rockhoof and Stygian are gathering firewood for the night. Mistmane is preparing our meal and Starswirl...well..." Somnambula chuckled. "His books?" "His books," Flash confirmed. Still smiling, Somnambula looked to the water around her, then, slowly, to Flash once more. "Would you care to join me?" Raising a hoof, Flash shook his head. "Thank you, but not today." The mare was not disheartened by that, instead taking one hoof and rubbing down her other foreleg. "Remember back then? How we would all come together after a battle to the river by the castle?" Flash nodded, a nostalgic smile forming on his lips. "I do. Well...except Starswirl. He always considered such bathing to be...what was the word he used?" "Uncouth?" Somnambula suggested. "Yes, that was it," Flash responded. The two shared a laugh together for a time, and when it died down, it appeared as though the mare was finally finished in cleaning herself off. Gracefully, she got herself onto dry land, and Flash, perhaps instinctively knowing what was coming, took a few steps away from her as she shook the water off herself. Letting out a contented sigh, Somnambula moved over to where her own clothes were, putting on her distinct headdress first, before then picking up her main garb and looking over to Flash. "Would you mind helping me?" Flash nodded to this, moving closer to her and taking her outfit from her. In the silence that followed, Somnambula sat down peacefully, while Flash helped her to get her white dress on, taking particular care when it came to helping her get her wings through it. However, as he was doing this, he heard her speak to him again. "Tell me, friend...what troubles you?" The stallion was hesitant at first, but, after a few moments, he finally started explaining matters. "It's just...I suppose it's hard...accepting that so much has changed during out absence." Somnambula nodded, continuing to listen to him as he spoke. "But most of all...what truly gives me pause it that...we seven now find ourselves...here...free...with our lives back." The mare looked over her shoulder to him. "Surely that is no cause for sadness?" Flash shook his head. "Not sadness...just...difficulty. In our day, we were all that stood between evil and the rest of Equestria. How many battles did we fight? How many times was darkness driven back because of us?" He looked away from her briefly. "But now? Now...we return to a world that...that...that no longer needs us. It has a new generation of protectors. Princess Twilight and her friends. They helped us...freed us. They helped pull Stygian from the darkness that consumed him. All of these things we once thought impossible...and they accomplished it." With her gown now finally on her properly, Somnambula stood tall again, turning to face her colleague in earnest. "You struggle with the thought of being replaced?" Flash sighed. "I considered it, but...I suppose I should be happy. The kinds of lives we spent so long protecting, those who would grow and live and thrive and be happy...with our duties, I never expected that we would have that chance ourselves." He looked to the waters of the river. "A chance to live lives of peace instead of battle. A chance to allow others to fight the good fight in our stead. A chance to...to...to..." Slowly, Somnambula smiled, taking a step closer to him and, in a move that surprised Flash greatly, gently placed a hoof on the side of his face. "A chance...perhaps for family?" Naturally, the stallion's eyes widened with surprise as he looked to his ancient companion. "Somnambula? I...I don't..." But the mare merely smiled to him. "My most famous feat may have required me blindfolded...but that does not make me blind." At first, Flash looked shocked by this, perhaps even a little embarrassed. But, as time went on, his expression softened, and he let out a sigh. "So...you knew?" Somnambula nodded, prompting Flash to carry on. "Why did you not say anything?" The mare considered that for a time before answering. "I imagine...for the same reasons you never said anything." A pained look crossed the stallion's face after hearing that, and he looked away from her, almost ashamed. "So much of our lives was spent fighting monsters and creatures of darkness. We never said a word to one another...but we all knew in our hearts that, one day, a fight may come that was simply...too much for us." He hung his head slightly. "And when Starswirl told us what we would need to do when fighting Stygian...to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Equestria...we knew that time had finally come." Slowly, Flash looked back to her, right into her eyes. "I was not prepared to make that sacrifice more difficult for you by saying...by saying what I wanted to say." There was silence between them after that, as both simply started into one another's eyes. But, in the end, Somnambula resumed her earlier smile towards him. "Well...like you said, we're back. The sacrifice undone. The darkness defeated. Whatever words we might have denied to one another back then...we can say now." It was something the stallion had clearly never expected to hear, or even think about. But, there it was, staring him right in the face. Somnambula was right, he knew, and it was something she had known about him for far longer that he'd realised. So, in this place, alone with her beside him, he finally gave a genuine smile, nodding briefly before taking a few calming breaths and, at long last, saying what he'd always wanted to say. "Somnambula...when I first saw you, as you and Meadowbrook tended to my wounds after my fight with that chimera...I thought that never before had there been a mare more beautiful than you." Like her, Flash raised a hoof, caressing the side of her face. "And when I came to know you better...I saw there a mare whose bravery, whose willingness to sacrifice for those closest to her...had touched me in a way that I've never forgotten." He gave a small chuckle. "These...there are things I have wanted to say to you for...for far too long." Somnambula's smile widened. "Flash...in you, I too saw a soul of great bravery. A stallion who would stand as a shield against overwhelming odds, simply to save those who could not help themselves. One who was willing to risk even death itself to stop the cruel and the wicked. You were not merely an ally to me in the fight against the darkness...you were a friend. And..." Slowly, she blushed slightly. "...and to me...something more." The two continued to look to one another, smiling lovingly as their faces drew nearer. The only sounds were that of the wind in the trees, and the river water against the stones of the banks. Then, at the end of that long and agonising wait, two lips met. Something that had been wanted and hoped for over a thousand years had now occurred, and for the two ponies themselves, their looks of joy as those lips parted was as clear as day upon their faces. "Well...that was...quiet something," Flash remarked. Her smile widening, Somnambula moved closer, nuzzling him affectionately. "Yes...yes it was." For a time, they sat together, holding each other closely in a warm and tender embrace. But, unbeknownst to them, they were being watched, as both Meadowbrook and Mistmane were standing beside each other in the tree-line, making sure to keep themselves hidden from the couple they now looked at. Meadowbrook especially had to keep herself from squealing with joy at the loving scene in front of her, while Mistmane merely smiled and nodded approvingly. The two looked to one another, nodding in silent agreement, before moving off, wanting to give the two lovers some time to themselves. But, as they did so, Meadowbrook couldn't help but look to her older companion and ask the obvious question. "So...should we tell them? Starswirl and the others?" Considering that, Mistmane smiled, shaking her head. "No...let's give those two just a bit more privacy..." Then, a knowing smirk came to her. "...for now anyway." Author's Note Published 4th November 2017
MemoriesThe morning had been cold for some time, and a thick fog had crept in as time went by. For many upon the boat, the only sounds that could be heard was that of the waves gently lapping against it as it made its journey through the waters. The Captain of the vessel, an old earth pony stallion, had spent the better part of this trip just staring at those he'd taken aboard today. Seven ponies, all of whom were dressed rather odd to his eyes. But, gold was gold no matter who was giving it to him, so he'd never said a word about it. Instead, he and everypony else here just stood in silence, with the seven passengers right at the front of the ship, looking out with the hopes of making out their destination. At the very front of the group was a stallion, bigger than any he'd ever seen before, armed with what appeared to be a shovel of some kind, and with a look of determination upon his face. But, eventually, the chosen time came. "Alright...we're here," he called out. And sure enough, through the thick fog, they could see the outlines of a small wooden dock, jutting out from the edge of a rocky outcropping of land. The boat slowed down considerably, and soon, they were there. The Captain got to his usual duties, hopping off to tie the thing up at the docks, making sure the rope was properly secure, before turning to his passengers and giving them a nod of permission. The oldest-looking of them, a unicorn stallion dressed in blue, nodded back, and before long, both he and his followers began to disembark. The Captain watched each mare and stallion in turn, and when the last of them was finally off, the old unicorn turned to him, using his magic to levitate the promised small bag of gold he'd been offered. Taking it, the Captain gave a tip of his hat, then turned around and went straight back to his boat, leaving those seven to go about whatever business they had here. And the seven themselves paid him no mind as they heard his boat begin to depart, soon being so far away that the fog enshrouded him from their sights. Now, they were alone here, and so moved as a group further inland. Slow were their movements, and their expressions were ones of both anticipation and concern at the same time. Rockhoof, again, was at the front, moving through the fog with slow steps. Soon though, he stopped, as did everypony behind him, for it was here that, with the sudden arrival of a gust of wind, the fog began to lift around them. As the area around them began to grow clearer and clearer, Rockhoof's eyes narrowed. "...Home sweet home." What they'd been told before had been true. There had indeed been an archaeological site here recently. But those ponies had long since departed, leaving behind this place largely as they'd found it. The remnants of long-gone homes and buildings littered the surroundings, and everywhere one looked, there was the distinct impression that this ancient place had not seen life or activity for hundreds, if not thousands of years. All of the other ponies, from Starswirl to Mistmane, looked around, their faces clearing showing difficulty in seeing this place like this. But, in the midst of it all, Rockhoof stood alone, and in utter silence. Slowly, he began to move away, and when the others saw him, nopony said a word. Before long, the massive stallion stopped at one ruined house in particular, setting his shovel in the ground before stepping closer and looking down upon it. "Well...I'm back." He was trying to sound strong, composed and in-control, that much was clear. But, beneath it all, there was a clear sound of sadness to his words. Pain threatened to break free in his eyes as he patted the ground before him, a place where grass and weeds had grown where once there had been none. A massive home now reduced to just the stone foundations, maybe with a few rotting pieces of wood here and there. It was a sorry sight, and for one who knew it, that discomfort was even deeper. But again, Rockhoof said nothing, even as he heard somepony begin to approach him from behind. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that it was Mistmane, and her voice, though aged, still retained its softness as she spoke to him. "Are you alright?" Rockhoof's eyes remained firmly on the old house in front of him as he replied. "They're...they're all gone, aren't they?" Mistmane did not reply, only nodding in conformation of his question, prompting him to continue. "My friends...my family...all those who once lived here alongside me...they're all gone." He let out a long sigh. "It's just me now." Looking to him, Mistmane gently placed a hoof upon his shoulder. "They may be gone, but the legacy of this place may yet live. Those you knew here may have descendants, somewhere out there in the world, those who moved away from here as time went on." Rockhoof nodded. "Perhaps...like your friend? Whose descendant still maintains that garden you loved?" Mistmane smiled, nodding back. "Yes." The sentiment did not seem to lift the stallion's mood, however. "When we went through with Starswirl's spell, knowing we would never return...I'd made my peace with this place. But..." He grimaced. "...being here...actually having to see it, it..." Rockhoof couldn't continue, and so looked away, the pain in his voice as clear as the sky above was slowly becoming. And that latter fact did not help matters whatsoever, as the lifting of the fog eventually revealed the entirety of the area, showing just how overgrown and forgotten this place was. Whatever thriving people had once been here, they were long gone now, and were likely never to return. And that thought weighed heavily on the enormous earth pony. "This place is dead...just like them." He frowned. "And to all the rest of Equestria...we might as well be dead. To them, we're nothing but legends, as though we were never even real to begin with." Looking back to his old home, he stepped forward. "But we were real! We lived! We grew up, we had friends, we had lives of our own!" In his frustration, he brought down a single hoof against the stone foundations of the house, sending a massive crack right through it. Naturally, such a display caused some concern for his companions, many of whom didn't know how to respond or how to speak to him right now. Instead, they left him alone for the time being, the only sounds being that of the sobs he was trying so hard to hold back. But, after several minutes of this, there was another who began to walk beside him. Slowly, Rockhoof turned to see that it was none other than Stygian, the youngest of their group. The small unicorn didn't say anything to him at first, instead just quietly sitting beside him and looking to the ruins before them both. Then, after considering his words carefully, he finally broke the silence. "I imagine...you had many happy memories here." Rockhoof's eyes drifted once more to the house, and he gave a short nod. "Yes...we did." Then, in a stark contrast to before, he started wearing a small smile. "There was one time when we all got together for the summer solstice. We made a massive fire, right in the middle of the village. There was singing, dancing, revelry like there'd never been before." The smile faded a little. "This place...my people...we were so alive in that moment." Stygian nodded. "You were lucky. I never had a people of my own like that. I just...wandered. From place to place. Well..." He turned to him. "...until I met you and the others." Slowly, Rockhoof looked down to him. "I know, Stygian. We might not have always done right by you...but before the dark days...we always tried to be a people for you." Stygian smiled back to him. "And you were. You are. And if you want...we can all be each other’s people." He looked over his shoulder, smiling again. "You're not alone...just as I’m not." In time, Rockhoof too looked behind him, seeing Starswirl, Meadowbrook and all the others gathered there. They were smiling to him in a warm and friendly manner, silently acknowledging and agreeing with what Stygian had said to him. It took some time, but eventually, the large stallion smiled once more, nodding to his young friend. "I...I would welcome that." Stygian smiled back, getting to his hooves again. "If ever you need anything...just ask." To that, Rockhoof considered. "As a matter of fact...there is something you can do." Though confused, Stygian watched in silence as Rockhoof turned, looking to all the rest of the group. "If you're willing to help me...I would like you to bring everything you can get your hooves on here. Every piece of furniture that remains. Every plank of wood. Everything that once belonged to my people." The rest looked to each other, and it was Starswirl who asked the obvious question. "Why?" Smiling, Rockhoof's voice was full of confidence. "Because...there will be another fire here today." He turned, looking one last time to his ancient home. "It's high time my people...were giving a proper send-off." Author's Note Published 11th November 2017
Good MorningSlowly, the light of the sun began to creep up over the far horizon. A blanket of warmth spread out over the land, over hills, trees, rivers and roads. Morning had come, and with it came the expected sounds of gentle rustling in the tree branches, and the songs of birds. Far from the paths of other ponies, lay a quiet secluded clearing in a local woodland, and within that clearing, five ponies lay. These were the legendary pillars of ancient times. Starswirl, Mistmane, Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, and the youngest of their number, Stygian. All of them were sleeping soundly next to the remains of a campfire, which even now let off tiny wisps of smoke from the night before. However, two of their number were strangely absent from this gathering. And that was because they were sleeping separately, far from the rest of the group. Flash Magnus and Somnambula, both currently resting beside one another in a small cave that was found at the base of a cliff-face not very far from the rest of their companions. They too had the remains of a fire close by, and the warmth of it lingered in their sleeping place. Neither was clothed right now, with their respective outfits neatly placed on either side of them, and judging form the unkempt way their manes were, it was clear there had been some activity the previous night. Closely they slept, each with a tender smile upon their faces, holding each other's hooves. But, as soon as the light of the dawn reached them, Flash began to stir. Very slowly, his eyes cracked open, and after letting out a long yawn, his gaze turned to the mare beside him. His smile widened, and he looked to her with what could only be described as love. Gently, he raised his hoof, placing it upon the side of her face, caressing her there, which, naturally, led to Somnambula herself rousing from her slumber. Like her partner, she too smiled at the sight that greeted her, and after a moment or two of silence, she spoke. "Good morning." Flash's smile widened further still. "Good morning." They inched closer, their lips meeting tenderly in a brief kiss, and when it was over, Somnambula giggled, taking a moment to first get her mane in order, making sure it was as straight and presentable as it usually was, before speaking further. "I trust you slept well, husband?" Flash chuckled. "I did, wife." Turning onto her back, Somnambula stared at the rocky celling above them, her smile remaining as she dwelt on her thoughts. "It still doesn't seem real to me. You...me...us..." Flash nodded, getting onto his own back and staring upwards in a similar manner. "I'll tell you what didn't seem real to me. Having Starswirl be our minister." Looking to him, Somnambula raised an eyebrow. "Well...he was the court wizard back then. He had full authority to wed us." Again, Flash laughed. "I know...but seeing him do it...old stuffy Starswirl giving our wedding like that...it just..." Somnambula laughed too, albeit briefly. "Quite. Though the look on his face when we told him what we wanted him to do..." Flash looked back to her. "Oh, yes...that was a wedding present I’ll remember until the end of my days." As before, the newlyweds laughed, and when that laughter ended, they sighed in unison. Again, silence drifted over the two of them, and when it was over, it was once more Somnambula who ended it, looking to her husband with a sultriness in her eyes. "As happy as I was during our union...I'll admit I was rather pleased with...well...the aftermath." Flash had the good sense to give a little blush at that. "Yes...well...I'd often heard about how mares from your part of Equestria were...you know..." Somnambula looked to him mischievously. "What...skilled, you mean? I hope I didn't disappoint." Flash returned the look, leaning over and giving her another kiss. "You could never disappoint me, my love. Last night...you were nothing short of a Goddess to me." It was a sweet gesture, what he's said, and for a time afterwards, neither said a word to one another. Instead, they scooted up closer, embracing each other and enjoying the warmth, both from the other and the sunlight that continued to pour into their cave. A full five minutes went by before anypony said anything else, and Somnambula, looking like she was deep in thought, looked down to her bare belly, placing a hoof upon it and stroking slightly. "It was only our first time...but who knows? Perhaps your seed will take root?" Flash looked downwards too, and like her, placed his hoof there, looking like he was also thinking on that possibility. "A family...did you ever think you'd see the day, Somnambula?" His wife shook her head. "No...but...I'm glad it might happen." She looked back up to him. "What do you think? If it happens? Colt or filly?" Slowly, Flash's eyes drifted to hers, and he once more looked to her with that same love as before. "As long as the child is happy, healthy and born of you...I'll be the happiest stallion in Equestria." As had happened several times now, Somnambula gave him a kiss, and this one was longer and more passionate than any that they’d been through this morning so far. Naturally, Flash enjoyed the experience quite a bit, but, when it had passed, he let out yet another sigh, looking down to that same belly, keeping his hoof there, as his ears began to droop slightly. "I wonder...if I could really do it." Somnambula tilted her head. "Do what?" Flash looked up to her. "This. Be a Father...and a husband. I...I've spent so long a soldier. So much of my life fighting. I just...wonder if I have it in me to be anything more. To live in a time of peace...having what so many other ponies had but...but that I never thought I’d have myself." Slowly, Somnambula smiled. "I have never been a wife or Mother, Flash. Yet now, I may well be both. Like you, I too have rarely known a time of calm. I share your fears...but we have each other. Whatever problems we may face, whatever hardships or shortcomings...we both have somepony to help us through it." A sigh escaped the stallion, and when his smile returned, he gave a nod. "You're right. So much has changed since we returned to the world. Our land, the ponies who live in it...even us. It gets so overwhelming to think about, and now...now we may have another change soon to happen." Somnambula retained her smile and, in a move similar to her husband's not so long ago, raised her hoof to the side of his face and caressed him there. "You can be this, Flash. Your days of fighting are over...our days of fighting are over. We have a chance...a chance at a life of peace...with each other. We are blessed that Princess Twilight and her friends have made our world one where this is possible. We will have that life that was so often denied to us...and we will live it well." Time passed, and slowly, Flash began to accept his love's words, smiling gently to her and giving a nod. Much like before, they embraced, once more enjoying the warmth they felt from that act. But, in a voice almost low enough to be called a whisper, Flash muttered to the mare. "So...how much should we tease Rockhoof over how he cried more than anypony else at our wedding?" Giggling, Somnambula pondered that. "Hmmm...let's give him a day...then we'll tease." To that, Flash smiled even wider than before. "I love you so much." Author's Note Published 30th December 2017
Healers and ScholarsIt was a fairly decent day today, with a gust of warm air blowing peacefully through the woodland, birdsong heard all around. The ground was dry and it looked as though the rain was going to be staved off for at least another few hours. In other words, it was perfect foraging weather. Such was the thinking of Meadowbrook, the famed healer of Equestria's distant past, who happily trotted through the woods by herself, a smile upon her face. With every passing tree, she would stop, checking all around the area and examining every single branch, shrub and blade of grass that caught her eye. Sometimes, her smile would widen, and she'd pluck out a particular plant from the ground, stuffing it neatly into a pair of saddle-bags that had been generously provided for her prior to her and her companions' journey out here. Humming sweetly, she continued on her way but eventually stopped when she heard a muffled, yet familiar voice. "Curses!" Stopping, Meadowbrook raised an eyebrow, looking around her immediate area to find, naturally, nopony there. So, she started looking further, peering in-between the trees to discover that her ears had not deceived her. There was indeed somepony out there just a short walk away. To her further surprise, she found that it was none other than Stygian, the youngest of their number, who was presently sitting upon an old tree stump. As Meadowbrook approached, she smiled waving out to him. "Stygian! Hello!" Immediately, the young mage took on a startled look, clearly not having expected her. "Oh! Meadowbrook! I...I...I didn't see you there!" Giggling, Meadowbrook drew nearer, and it was here that the mare noticed something. Stygian was holding onto one of his forelegs, which, upon further inspection, appeared to have been cut, and was currently bleeding. Ever the healer, Meadowbrook instantly rushed to his side, taking his hoof and examining it. "Goodness! What happened?" Looking embarrassed all of a sudden, Stygian let out a grunt of irritation, turning away from his companion before explaining himself. "It's...it's nothing. I was looking for a quiet place to read, and I was just pushing through some of those branches back there when...well..." Looking up to him, Meadowbrook chuckled. "The branches snapped back, right?" Stygian's sigh was her only answer, and the ancient healer soon got to work, sliding her saddle-bags off her back and opening them up. After rummaging around them for a few moments, she pulled out a dusty-looking bottle, holding it up for her friend to see. "A few drops of this, and a few bandages, and you'll be right as rain!" But Stygian wasn't so eager. "Oh no! Not the ointment again!" Meadowbrook nodded. "Yep. It'll sting, but it's the best thing for you...unless...you want an infection from this?" Her mischievousness was as clear as day in her voice, and Stygian, after rolling his eyes, soon sighed again, offering his hoof to her. Gently, Meadowbrook took it, making sure to be as careful as possible when applying the ointment. As he'd expected, Stygian winced as it was applied, but, as promised, Meadowbrook only put on a few drops here and there. The moment passed, and Stygian relaxed after her aid, remaining silent as he watched her pull out a roll of bandages from her bags. He watched her carefully, looking quite impressed with how expertly she applied those bandages. "You do that so naturally...like it comes to you as easily as breathing." Meadowbrook chuckled to that. "Shoot! It's nothing special. Just years of training and practice. Believe me, I had my fair share of mistakes back in the day." Hearing that, Stygian's ears dropped slightly. "Perhaps...but I doubt that's anything compared to my mistakes." The mare beside him realised immediately that she'd, intentionally or not, stepped on a sore spot. As soon as that knowledge sank in for her, she took on a more apologetic look, letting out a long sigh of her own before reaching forward and patting Stygian on the shoulder. "Hey...that's all in the past now. You may have done wrong...but so did we. I'm a healer, yet I never recognised that you were hurting for all those years. There's fault in all of us here." Slowly, Stygian looked to her, smiling slightly. "Thank you for saying so, Meadowbrook. You always were the nicest to me." Again, Meadowbrook laughed. "Bedside manner, friend. Trust me, it's another one of those things you learn over time. I wasn't that much good at it to start off with." Stygian seemed sceptical. "I can't really imagine you, of all ponies, ever being anything other than a delight to her patients." Meadowbrook eyed him, smirking slightly before responding. "Oh no? When I first started out, I bombarded every sick pony who entered my Mother's home with questions, like a child asking about their Hearth’s Warming Eve presents. Can I get you some food, Sir? Some water? How about a new pillow? They all needed rest and relaxation more often than not, and there was me, this excited little filly, so eager to help that I ended up being a nuisance." Stygian appeared taken aback by this knowledge. "Well...that's...surprising." Meadowbrook chuckled. "Yeah...but thankfully, I had my Mother to help me. She taught me a whole bunch of what needed to be said and done, and when. Pretty soon, I was there helping her out properly." Looking away, back to the trail she'd just come from, Meadowbrook pondered on that. "When this trip of ours is done, maybe I could teach others. I took a look at some medical books before we left. Sure, there's a lot of new stuff...but so much else has been lost." Again, she looked to her friend. "Did you know that, since we left, they've completely forgotten that eating a double portion of oats before bed can stave off the old Panting Pox we used to see everywhere?" Stygian seemed shocked by that. "What?! But...everypony knows that!" Meadowbrook shook her head. "Not anymore they don't!" Stygian considered that, then took on a nervous smile. "You know...um...you could always start with me." Meadowbrook looked to him with confusion, prompting him to explain. "Teach me, I mean. I don't really contribute much on this trip and...well...maybe I could help? Like how you used to help your Mother?" It was an unexpected request, as evidenced by the look Meadowbrook now gave him. But, in the silence that followed, the mare considered it, really letting that notion sink in for her. She nodded slowly, a small smile creeping onto her face as she thought longer and harder on it. "Yeah...that might not be such a bad idea. I've never taught anypony before and, you know, it'd be good to start with somepony I already know before moving onto others." Moments later, she looked him in the eye. "Stygian...I'll do it! For the rest of our trip, I'm gonna teach you all I know about medicine, herbs, you name it!" The young stallion nodded enthusiastically. "I look forward to it!" They may well have continued speaking on the matter, only to be rudely interrupted when, all of a sudden, there was a rumbling sound. Looking up, both ponies found, to their dismay, that a bunch of clouds had gathered overhead. Already, they could feel a few droplets of water falling onto their heads, so Meadowbrook set to work, making sure everything was packed up in her bags again before looking back the way they'd come. "Well, better get back to camp. Don't want to get caught in this." Stygian nodded, and was about to follow when, to his surprise, he found Meadowbrook now holding onto his injured hoof, guiding him gently along the path, before looking back to him and smiling warmly. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna let some branches get you on the way back, friend." Slowly, a blush started to develop in the stallion's cheeks, and as he looked away, he couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Yes...well...um...thank you...friend." Author's Note Published January 6th 2018
A Sorcerer's GuiltSunny days were always a welcome thing, especially when you spent a lot of time out and about. For Starswirl and his fellow Pillars, that latter fact was especially true these days, as they continued on in their long journey across modern-day Equestria. The ancient sorcerer had long ago resigned himself to the knowledge that his homeland had irrevocably changed from what he once knew, and for the time being, he simply contented himself in the calm peace of this one moment. Sitting upon a grassy hill, he had his eyes closed for some time, enjoying the warm feel of the sunlight upon his face. Quietly, he made a mental note to thank his old student, Celestia, for being so good at that when he eventually returned to Canterlot. But, future plans were the furthest things from his mind right now, and he just wanted some peace and quiet to enjoy the day. So, he continued to remain seated there, on his little hill, listening to the natural sounds around him. Unfortunately, his plans for total peace and quiet were interrupted somewhat when his ears began to pick up familiar voices not so far away. Cracking one eye open, he looked down to find several of his fellows interacting with one another in one form or another. To his right, he could see Flash Magnus and Somnambula sitting together beside a nearby stream, looking to each other lovingly. To his left, he saw Stygian, sitting before Meadowbrook, as the latter appeared to be giving him a lecture of some sort, holding up an old book of medicine as she did so. He had nothing against what they were doing, but even so, the old unicorn was a little miffed at having his solitude ended this way, leading to a long sigh on his part. This reaction apparently turned out to be amusing to somepony, as he then heard the sound of laughter from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he found that it was none other than Mistmane who, along with him, served as the eldest of their group. "Having trouble relaxing, Starswirl?" Her voice was as calm and kind as it usually was, and in the face of it, Starswirl eased up, though only a little. "I had hoped that, with all our big adventures behind us, it would be easy, but..." Chuckling, the elderly unicorn mare walked beside him, taking a seat before looking out beyond the hill herself. "You were never one for rest or quiet, Starswirl. In all the years I've known you, you were never happier than when you were active." Starswirl didn't respond to that. Instead, his eyes once more drifted down to his younger companions, and above all else, he couldn't help but notice just how well all of them were getting on with each other. In spite of everything they'd been through, here they were, smiling and being at peace with each other, as though the trauma of their time in Limbo had never been. Of particular focus to Starswirl was Meadowbrook and Stygian, which prompted him to at last speak up. "You know...I remember well the times when our three tribes were at each other's throats. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies. Time was, you would never believe we would come together. Yet...there they are. Friends." Mistmane smiled as she looked to him. "And from the looks of it, things have become all the better in our absence. Nowadays, it seems inconceivable that there was ever any enmity between them." Starswirl nodded. "I suppose...times just change." But his expression then turned into a slight grimace, as though suddenly uncomfortable with something. "But...not all of us change with it." Slowly, the old mare beside him looked to him, her face one of concern. "Starswirl...I know better than anypony when something is bothering you. Please...confide in me, if you will." A long sigh escaped the wizard, and he gave a short nod before he began to speak. "Friendship...I once believed that I knew all there was to the world. All the great forces. And yet...as I sit here, in this new world...I have come to realise...just how little I truly knew." Mistmane nodded. "This is about Stygian, is it not?" Starswirl's eyes once more returned to the younger stallion downhill from him. "Not just him. How many foes did we face, Mistmane? How many times did we stand against some evil, and purge it from the world?" He looked to her again. "Twilight...and her friends...they have faced many dangers themselves, and yet they have accepted into their hearts that those who do evil may change for the better. That they could be accepted." He shut his eyes tightly. "In the past...when I led us...such thoughts never even occurred to me! When I stared down evil, my first and only thought was to rid the world of it. Stygian, the Sirens, all of them." Slowly, his eyes opened again. "But...how many? How many of them might have changed...if I had simply thought to offer them a hoof...instead of resorting to attack every time?" Mistmane rested a hoof upon his shoulder. "You cannot fault yourself, friend. One can never know what might have happened if we had done things differently. All we could do, all anypony can do, is act on what they know." But it seemed as thought Starswirl was not comforted by this. "Because of my decision, my choice to turn against Stygian, instead of being his friend and letting him open up to us...I condemned him to a path of darkness...and with it...I also sealed our fates." Another sigh on his part. "Over a thousand years we were trapped, and why? Because I was too stubborn...too entrenched in my ways...too old...to ever think of another path." Shame crossed his face now. "My actions have been heralded by those of this era as having laid the groundwork for what Equestria is today. It is a land of peace and friendship, and yet I, the one so often said to have helped it on that path...knew virtually nothing of that concept. A stallion to whom friendship was...little more than empty words." The thoughts of how the ponies of this new age regarded him seemed to weigh heavily now. "Starswirl the Bearded...Starswirl the Great...Starswirl the Wise...Starswirl...Starswirl the Fool!" Clearly, this was a difficulty that wasn't just going to disappear with a few kind words. And yet, even knowing that, Mistmane knew that her friend needed to be told something. Something important. "Starswirl...I won't say that you made no mistakes in your time, or that we didn't make them right alongside you. But, just because you spent so long as a teacher does not mean that you ever stop learning." Starswirl looked to her as she continued. "This new thinking...this age of acceptance and forgiveness...you could simply take it as another lesson. This journey we now take is not just to see how our world has changed physically, but also to see the new beliefs that have come with it." She regained her earlier smile. "Learn from what you have been made aware of. Use it, make it a part of yourself. Let yourself change. Perhaps, one day, if you are called upon once more to defend the defenceless, you will remember what we have been through before, the mistakes we've made...and decide on a new way. A better way." Looking down, she pointed to Stygian and Meadowbrook. "After all...if we can live in an age where unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies can live in peace and harmony...then perhaps that peace may also hold true for those we deem our enemies." Starswirl said nothing for the longest time, instead taking in all that had been said to him. Eventually, he let out a sigh and, in a move that few ever really saw from him, smiled to his friend. "Thank you, Mistmane." The mare laughed briefly. "Well, if there's anypony here who has experience in turning foes into friends...it is I. I may have forgotten that lesson for a time...but it is there all the same." Like her, Starswirl too let out a laugh. "That you did. I hear that is even what ponies think of you when they hear your tale. That of forgiveness, acceptance and seeing more than the mere surface." He pondered that, before speaking up in a slightly more jovial manner. "Perhaps you should lead us in future, eh?" A moment passed before Mistmane responded, a cocky grin upon her face as she did so. "Well...if you're offering." Author's Note Published January 13th 2018
KindredIt was a beautiful night tonight, with the clear skies revealing both the brilliantly-bright full moon and a sea of twinkling stars. The air was cool, but not so much so that it would make a pony want to shy away from being out here. A gentle breeze flowed, and here, high atop one of the great towers of the Royal Palace, everything seemed so distant, so very far away. There, standing at the edge of one of the many balconies of the place, was a young unicorn stallion. Stygian, a pony who had not laid eyes on his homeland of Equestria for a very long time, now gazing out upon it from this high point. His face was hard to read, but his eyes were fixed on all the flickering candle-lights of the homes of Canterlot below. As he exhaled, he could see his breath in the cold air around him, and while he himself was silent, it was not long before the quiet he'd grown accustomed to was broken by one behind him. "A pleasant evening, is it not?" Turning, the stallion now looked at the approaching form of Princess Luna, who smiled warmly to him as she drew nearer. Instinctively, Stygian gave a sweeping bow to her. "My Lady. I had not expected to see you here." Luna's smile grew as she took her place next to him, watching him stand tall again before replying. "I am always here at night, young Stygian." In spite of himself, Stygian let out a dry chuckle. "Well...not so young anymore I don't think." Luna nodded to that. "No...I suppose not." For a time, the two ancient ponies said nothing, content to look out at both the city and the night sky before them. But, as time went on, Luna began to grow increasingly curious of the stallion beside her. "Tell me...how are you faring?" A sigh escaped Stygian at that. "Better than I was expecting to, your Grace." Luna giggled slightly. "Please, call me Luna." Stygian seemed a little uncertain at that, but nevertheless did as requested. "Very well...Luna." His expression became one that Luna herself recognised all too well, as he looked out once more to Canterlot. There was something he was struggling with, something that was eating away at him, though it took him a while to finally say what it was. "This city is...beautiful. Though I do not remember it from my time. This was just bare mountainside once upon a time. But now? Now...just look at it." Luna nodded. "I imagine it's quite a shock to see that so much has changed." Stygian nodded back. "It is. I looked out at much of Equestria when I was journeying here to the Capital with the others...and I barely recognise any of it. Hills, worn away by time. Rivers, where there used to be none. Villages I once knew, now gone. Cities that never existed." Another sigh, and a long one this time. "...I...I do not know this place. The Equestria I knew...my friends and I will never see it again." Luna looked to him for a time, never saying anything, only listening. But, as a silence once more took hold between them, she broke it with soft words of her own. "Then it is most fortunate that you have those friends with you during this time. I doubt they're any happier about these changes than you are. You can help each other." Stygian nodded, giving a small smile in response to those words. But, amidst that look, Luna saw something else. It wasn't there long, just a flicker, but there was nevertheless something in the young stallion's eyes that she knew immediately. A discomfort. A bitterness. An anger. She wanted to give him his space, knowing the ordeal he'd just been through, and yet, something within her compelled Luna to act, to speak out about this. "Stygian...I realise you have been through much, but...I sense that there is something else you wish to get off your chest." At first, the stallion looked away from her, as though ashamed of what she'd just said to him. And his tone only added to that. "With respect, Luna...I do not wish to speak of it." But Luna, again recognising that sentiment, continued regardless. "Stygian...if there is one thing I have learned in my many years...it's that bad feelings should not be contained within." For a while, it looked as though her words had no effect, as Stygian simply continued to look away from her. So, slowly, she started to look away herself, turning her eyes instead to the night sky she had made tonight. But then, just as she did this, she heard his voice once more. "It's just...they were my friends." Luna looked to him, staying silent as he continued. "I'd been with them for so long...helped them so much in the fight against evil...and not once...not once...did they seem to know that I wished to fight alongside them...to do more than simply study our enemies from behind the scenes." When he finally looked back to her, there was hurt in his eyes. "When they found me with their belongings...they never even asked me. None of them. None of the ponies I called my friends even considered asking what I was doing." He frowned deeply. "They saw me...and they passed their judgement. Guilty." Again, he looked away, falling once more into utter silence. And while he did this, Luna looked to him with understanding, her voice as soft and gentle as ever as she spoke to him. "...And so...in that anger...you turned to the Darkness?" After a while, Stygian nodded. “It was foolish of me to do it, I know that now. To go to the very forces I had helped my friends to fight...it was foolish. And when they found me, what else could my actions have possibly looked like? I know what you’ll say. That I should have spoken to them, told them what was wrong before this all started...and you’d be right. But...I just...” Before he finished, Luna finished for him. “You felt low...and abandoned. You felt you had no other choice. You felt that nopony would listen to you, or worse, that they wouldn’t care. So, against whatever caution your heart was telling you...your loneliness made you turn to what you felt was the last avenue open to you.” Stygian didn't reply, merely nodding his head in confirmation. Luna, taking that in, bowed her head slightly. "For what it's worth...I understand how you must feel." Hearing that, Stygian let out a dry chuckle. "With respect, Princess...how could you?" A knowing look came to Luna. "Well...it's not hard for one to look at your tale and see shades of the story of Nightmare Moon within it." Looking back to her, Stygian bore a look of genuine confusion. "...Who?" Hearing that, Luna seemed taken aback, even shocked. Then, slowly, understanding came to her, and she once more smiled at her smaller companion. "No...of course you wouldn't," she remarked. As before, Stygian was confused, and then, just to deepen that confusion, he watched as the mare of the night actually started to laugh, leaning against the balcony and looking out at Canterlot as she did so. Stygian watched her do this for some time, his expression becoming one of mild irritation in the process. "Forgive me, Princess...but did I say something funny?" Shaking her head, Luna looked to him again. "No, I'm sorry, it's just...it's actually rather refreshing to come across somepony who hasn’t heard that story for once." Sighing, Stygian looked away again. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not exactly in a mood to hear old stories right now." The Princess looked to him, seeing just how tired he was looking right now. Anger, bitterness and self-hatred were wrestling for control within him, she could tell, and as such, when she spoke again, it was with a tone of kindness. "Long ago...there was a young mare. One who idolised another in her life, just as everypony else did. Her elder was beloved in a way she never had been. And, over time...that thought began to eat away at her." Hearing those words, Stygian's ears began to perk up, and he cast a sideways glance to the Princess as she continued. "Eventually...the younger mare grew angry, jealous, believing herself to be unappreciated and...and even unloved. So...she too began to listen to the darker thoughts within. Those voices that told her that she could rise up, become greater than the one everypony loved more than her." Luna hung her head. "That choice...twisted her. Made her into a being that none loved...but whom all feared. And she paid the price for it, enduring imprisonment for...for a very long time." Stygian was giving her his full attention now, and he could not help but ask a question. "What happened to her?" A small smile crept onto Luna's face. "Eventually...the darkness in her heart was healed...thanks to the actions of another. And when that darkness was driven out...that ancient mare was offered friendship and acceptance...and the love she once thought had been denied to her." Quiet was all there was between the two ponies for a time, and when it ended, Stygian's expression was one of thoughtfulness. "That...I suppose it does sound like my story." Luna looked to him and smiled, placing a hoof gently upon his shoulder. "The road ahead may not be easy for you, Stygian...but I know that you can find the acceptance and belonging that you've always wanted." Looking up to her, the stallion's face still bore uncertainty, which was reflected in his tone. "But...how? How can you know that for certain, after everything I’ve done? After everything I tried to do?" Luna's smile widened, and she gazed up at the bright moon above them. A moon that, not so long ago, had a very different face. "Because...if she was able to find it for herself...then so can you."
