The Land and Time of Discord

Chapters

The Mishap
The Realisation
The Herd

The Mishap

“That ain’t quite right, Your Majesty,” The young Earth pony earnestly corrected, bowing so low her forelock brushed the floor. “The oats ain’t dryin’ up, they’re downright vanishing off the stalks. No hoofprints, the ground isn’t disturbed in the slightest, an’ I even hired a passing unicorn to check the area for signs of unicorn or pegasi magic, and there weren’t nothin’ there. It’s a complete mystery, Yer Highness!”

Celestia absently noted how her accent grew thicker along with her distress and filed that away as a warning sign to keep an eye out for. “That is a most unusual happening, Mistress…?”

“Ryemane, Yer Majesty.” The mare hastily bowed again, lower this time, as if that were even possible. “An’ my farm is just outside of Trottin’ham. About two days gallop.”

“Two days gallop! This must be a serious problem if you came all the way to Canterlot then. Is there anyone to keep an eye on your farm?”

“Just my parents, Your Majesty, but they’re gettin’ on in years. They said they could keep an eye on the oats for a week or so though, Your Highness, as this is the time of year when they need the least tendin’, an’ the most watchin’. Especially now, as I just explained.” The mare peered nervously up at Celestia, bright blue eyes just visible through her rough, blonde forelock. “I… I don’ really think this is a truly palace worthy problem, but I just didn’t know what else to do, an’... an’ Ah couldn’ find help in Trottin’ham an’ - “

“Calm yourself, my little pony,” Celestia interrupted hastily, before the mare could work herself into a frenzy. “I am happy to do everything I can do help. Before we begin, would you mind telling me what exactly this unicorn said about the magic around your crop?”

“She said… um...she said…” The Earth pony’s eyes rolled up as she thought. “I don’t remember perfectly, but she said somethin’ like, ‘I can find no magic around here, except for my great and powerful own, of course.’” The mare’s eyes fixed on Celestia with an apologetic light. “Somethin’ like that, at any rate. She said a lot of things, to tell the truth, but most of ‘em weren’t very, um, relevant.”

“I understand completely, Ryemane,” Celestia soothed. “So. No magic was involved, and no creatures snuck in, as far as you can tell, and yet oats are disappearing from their stalks overnight. Is that correct?”

The mare opened her mouth to answer, but before she could get a word out, one of small doors spaced around the room opened, and a thin, grey unicorn stallion smartly dressed in a neat waistcoat stepped briskly into the room. He squinted through his monocle around the room until his gaze fell on Celestia.

“Princess, excuse the interruption,” he apologised, “But have you checked the time recently? It is nearly - “

“Sunset! Oh my, thank you Kibtz.” Celestia unfolded her long limbs and stood quickly from her throne, stepping down the floor level where Ryemane stood. “Ryemane, please excuse me for a moment. I’m afraid I lost track of time, and it’s already time to set the sun.”

“Of course, Yer Majesty, don’t mind me,” Ryemane backed up until there was nearly three pony-lengths between her and Celestia. “I can wait for you, I wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for making the day too long. Just… may I… ask you for a favor?” She gulped, visibly unsettled by her own bravery.

“Of course, Ryemane. What is it?”

“May I… may I watch you set the sun?” The Earth pony stammered out. Her chest heaved like she had performed the Running of the Leaves.

“Why, of course, my little pony,” Celestia replied, surprised. “Everypony is entitled to the day and night.”

Ryemane’s eyes widened, and the muscles along her back quivered as she suppressed a buck of joy. Celestia suspected this had long been a dream she had not expected to receive. She hid a smile of her own, pleased to have made this pony’s day.

“This highly irregular,” Kibtz scoffed from behind her. Ryemane jumped fully this time, muscles shocked into motion by the sudden voice. Celestia just managed to suppress a similar reaction of her own, having forgotten about the steward behind her.

“Not entirely, Kibtz,” she pointed out calmly. “Everypony watches the sun-raising every Summer Sun Celebration. Why should one pony not watch it now? Ryemane can come and watch.”

Kibtz sighed. “Very well, Princess,” he said. “In that case, you’d better hurry. You’re already nearly thirty seconds behind schedule.”

“Thank you, Kibtz. That will be all. Come along, Ryemane.” Celestia turned and trotted out of the room, Ryemane following nervously at her flank. The little mare didn’t speak, but simply stared at her surroundings with wide eyes as they moved through elaborately designed and gilded halls. Before long, they reached a tall set of frosted glass doors leading to the balcony where Celestia and Luna managed the cycle of day and night together. A female pegasus in brilliant golden armor stood at attention in front of the doors. Celestia paused in front of her, and looked her over. Though the armor disguised her true coat and mane colors, her eyes shone a bright violet through the helmet. After a moment, Celestia spoke to her. “You’re new, aren’t you?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, ma'am!” The pegasus replied stiffly. “Swift Spear, at your service.” Her words were formal, and disguised all feeling, but Celestia sensed an edge of discomfort and annoyance beneath the words.

“At ease, Swift Spear. Let me guess, you were placed here because it’s the simplest and least dangerous job?”

“So Commander Shield says, ma'am.”

“Ah, I see. Well, let me tell you a secret. Did you know that the sun is thousands of times hotter than the largest bonfire? Or that the moon is bigger than all of Canterlot? It used to take nearly a dozen ponies to move each one once, and now it’s managed by only two. Isn’t that pretty dangerous?”

“If I may, ma’am,” Swift Spear replied. “You and the Lunar Princess are not the same as most ponies.”

“That is true,” Celestia acknowledge. “But we are still two doing the job of two dozen.” When Swift Spear did not appear convinced, Celestia sighed, and simply said, “I am glad you are here, Swift Spear. Truly, I am. Now, shall we head in?”

“As you wish, Princess.” The Pegasus mare turned sharply on her back hooves and swung open the door. Celestia stepped calmly through, with Ryemane at her side. Swift Spear waited until they were all the way through, then followed, closing the door behind her. Luna was waiting on the balcony already, head raised as she considered the lush gardens spreading out below.

“Good evening, Sister,” she yawned, without looking back. “You are late.”

A Thestral Lunar guard stood at attention beside the door, and after a moment’s hesitation, Swift Spear moved to stand stiffly at his side. Celestia could hear Ryemane’s breath stutter uncertainly as she suddenly realised she now stood in the presence of not one, but two princesses of Equestria, and she glued herself closer to Celestia’s side. Celestia smiled to herself as she moved closer to Luna.

“Good evening, Luna,” she replied smoothly. “I’m not that late, I hope. You seem tired. Did you not sleep well?”

“Not very, no,” Lua mumbled in reply. “Old dreams.” She lowered her head and rubbed it nervously against her foreleg, catching sight of Ryemane in the process. She raised her head abruptly, releasing a snort of surprise. “And who is this?” she asked demanded. Ryemane flinched, startled by the unexpected venom in Luna’s voice.

“This is Ryemane, an oat farmer from outside Trottingham,” Celestia explained, trying to defuse the situation as fast as possible. “We were discussing a problem with disappearing oats when Kibtz came and warned me it was getting close to sunset.”

Ryemane bobbed her head nervously in Luna’s direction, hardly daring to lift her eyes. “Greetin’s, Yer Highness,” she stammered. “It’s… it’s an honor ta meet ya.”

“Greetings, Ryemane,” Luna replied, relaxing as she spoke. “I apologize for snapping. I thought you may be one of those reporters who has been trying to bother me all day.”

“Reporters again, Luna?” Celestia sighed as Luna nodded solemnly. “They’ve been trying to get my attention all day too.”

“The sooner we end the day, the sooner they will have to stop,” Luna philosophised briskly. “Let the night come now, Sister, and then maybe you can get some sleep.”

“A good idea, Luna.”

Silence fell around them as the two mares raised their heads, light forming around their horns. The coronas of magic intensified rapidly, brightening to such a degree that it was painful to watch. Dusk began to fall, and the first glimmers of stars became visible in the higher reaches. Ryemane watched in awe, eyes wide and mouth open. For a moment, all was still and perfect.

Sudden shouts and a clattering of hooves broke the peaceful silence. The balcony doors swung open with a crash, and before the startled guards could do more than turn to face the intruders, a pair of unicorns, both with blazing horns and furious expressions burst onto the balcony. Both were shouting at the same time, angry voices overlapping and creating a cacophony of sound.

“...Princess! Tell this stupid reporter that…”

“...It is the right, the right of the press to…”

“...Just because I happen to teach...”

Before Celestia and Luna could respond to this unexpected intrusion, horns still blazing, the stress of keeping two celestial bodies under control evident on their faces, another unicorn came galloping in behind the intruders. Kibtz’s face was contorted, and he was shouting too.

“...Not allowed! The Princesses are not to be disturbed… Oof!”

Unable to stop, Kibtz slammed into the pair of intruders, causing all three of them to collapse into a pile, which slid across the balcony into Ryemane, who fell into Celestia, who knocked over Luna. With a cry of pain, the magic slipped from the Princesses’ control, and flared, wild into the air. For a moment, the magic hung, suspended in midair. Then, suddenly, there came a sound like an explosion, and a great yellow circle of flaring, crackling magic grew over the balcony. Before anyone could react, there was a great suction from the circle, and the pony pile that lay beneath it began to be drawn up into the air. The guards gave shouts of alarm, flying up to try and pull their princesses down. But the magic drew them in too, and amid cries of fear and anger and confusion from all eight ponies, they vanished into the circle. The magic collapsed after them, leaving behind a silent balcony.

A curious day bird gave a cautious chirp from somewhere below.

And all was still.

Author's Note

Well, I hope this is well received. I accept all constructive critiques you want to give. Comments help me feel like people want to read what I write, which in turn helps me write more. So... comment please? Thanks!

The Realisation

Soft Quill pried open her eyes with a soft groan. Bright light dazzled her vision, and it took her several long, dizzying seconds to realise that she was staring at her hooves. With great effort, she craned her neck upward and caught a glimpse of a bright turquoise sky, swirling with streaks of brilliant yellow. She shook her head, but the colors did not go away. Deciding she must still be dizzy, she turned her gaze to her companions. They lay scattered over the ground in an area of nearly… 10 square pony-lengths. Eight ponies in an area of five pony-lengths by two pony-lengths take up how much space? And if two of them are the princesses…?

The princesses!

Suddenly, Soft Quill was standing on her feet, swaying uncertainly back and forth. She tried to take a step, but fell to her knees again, like a foal taking their first steps. Scolding herself for her weakness, she tried again, but only made it halfway up before she collapsed. Deciding she’d better stay on the ground for now, Soft Quill instead tried to remember how’d she’d gotten here - wherever ‘here’ was.

She knew she’d been waiting for the Princess to be free, so she could submit her thoughts on the new curriculum at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. There had not been nearly enough focus the many uses of math and the ways magic could be tied in - like when using the Pythagorhen system! Or Neighton’s theory of gravity, and the corresponding uses of telekinesis! But as she had patiently waited outside the throne room for hours upon end - she was certain it had to have been over half a day, no matter what that skinny grey unicorn claimed. He clearly had no idea how to do basic math - that nosy reporter Scribbles came nosing into Soft Quill’s personal business, asking her what use was math when all a good unicorn needed was a personal spellbook and a notebook and quill. Despite Soft Quill’s protests, and the reporter’s clear bias, as seen when looking at the blotchy newspaper on the stallion’s off-white flank, she had not been allowed to see the princess right away, and instead been forced to wait longer. With that reporter. It was intolerable. So when she’d spotted the princess walking down a nearby hallway, with a countryside farmer taking up her time, Soft Quill had taken the initative and galloped after her, intent on finally having a moment of the princess’ time. Scribbles had gotten in her way, of course, and the skinny grey unicorn had tried to stop them both, but Soft Quill showed them both with the power of physics. She had found the princess, been pleading with her to get that stupid reporter off her back so she could discuss more important things like math when something had made her fall over. Than there had been a blinding flash of light, and the feeling of getting pulled up into the sky - a completely unnatural sensation for any sensible, wingless pony - and then Soft Quill could only remember the sensation of being spun around and around and around in an ever dizzying vortex of colors, and then… nothing. After that, she’d woken up here, in this field of tall, coarse grass with a multi-colored sky with seven other unconsiouc ponies, two of which she couldn’t stand.

A sudden change in the breathing of the ponies around her made Soft Quill perk her ears, and broke her out of her reverie. To her left, Scribbles was stirring, and the irritating grey unicorn was opening his eyes to her right. He groaned, and tried to sit up, but didn’t succeed either.

“Ooh, my head,” he mumbled, sinking back into the grass. “Princess…?”

“Kibtz?”

The princess’ voice was blurred and confused, but Soft Quill would have recognised it anywhere.

“Princess?” she demanded, trying to struggle to her feet again. Her voice sounded thin and reedy, but she struggled on anyway. “Where are we? What did you do?” Her hooves found purchase on the rough dirt, and she stumbled over to where the princess was stirring.

Celestia slowly rose to her full height. Even weak and confused, she still towered over Soft Quill. Her gleaming lavender eyes slowly focused on the unicorn below her. “You are… one of my teachers,” she said slowly. “Was it you who burst in?”

“I had to get away from that reporter! And your butler wouldn’t let me in first! Then that reporter did something! Where are we? Can you send us back?”

“Hey!” Scribbles’ voice was weak, but clear from behind Soft Quill. “It was you who - “

“If either of you listened - “ the pretentious unicorn burst in.

“Silence!”

Everyone shut up. Quiet it may have been, but it was still the voice of their Princess.

“Everypony, stop talking,” Celestia ordered wearily. “Who all is here, and who has not woken up yet?”

“I’m awake, Princess!” the strained voice of Scribbles called from the nearby grass. “Can’t stand up yet, but I’m here.”

“I am here, Princess,” Kibtz reported stiffly. “Along with these two troublemakers, I count only you, the farmer Ryemane, Princess Luna, and your guards. And me, of course. That makes eight.”

“Eight,” Celestia murmured vaguely, her gaze drifting upward to the strangely-colored sky. “Eight ponies under a… under a... Great Sun, that sky!” Suddenly, every muscle in the Princess’ great body was stiff. Her eyes flew wide open, her head came up, her body responding to the sudden urge to flee. “Luna!” The Princess practically yelled. “Luna, wake up!”

Soft Quill staggered a couple of paces away from the Princess, shocked by her sudden change in tone. Even Kibtz seemed startled by her actions.

Celestis staggered over to the dark form of the Lunar princess and nudged her frantically with her muzzle, pushing her sister’s head a few paces across the dusty ground. “Luna!”

“Hmm?” The dark alicorn stirred feebly, forelegs shuffling in place. “Five more minutes…”

“Luna, look at the sky! Tell me I’m seeing things.”

“The sky?” Luna cracked open one eye, revealing a thin slit of her dark iris. “Sister, nothing is…” She gasped abruptly, a sharp, frightening sound for the listening ponies. She rolled to her feet, wings flaring out for balance. Her head angled upward, nostrils flaring, seeking out some scent unknown to Soft Quill and her fellow companions. Her ears went flat against her head, and she turned wide eyes on Celestia, a hint of white showing around edges. “It can’t be…” she breathed.

“But it is,” Celestia answered solemnly. Her voice was relatively calm once more, but her ears remained flat. Soft Quill felt her own breathing increase, preparing to flee from whatever had frightened her rulers so. Even the presence of Scribbles as he staggered up beside her did not distract her from focusing on the princesses.

“Wha’s goin’ on?” A fuzzy voice asked from Soft Quill’s left. She turned slightly and saw the farmer filly standing there. The Solar Guard stood stiffly beside her, and the Lunar Thestral was just folding his wings from a short distance away. Clearly, they had woken silently, and begun gathering the sleepy, confused ponies into one place. Soft Quill felt slightly trapped, and shifted her hind legs, wanting only to go back to her cozy classroom and organize her collection of quills again.

Celestia turned to the group of ponies and spoke in a commanding tone. “Everyone, we have fallen into a very dangerous time. From here on, there must be no arguing and no blaming. If I or Princess Luna tell you to do something, you must do it immediately, no matter how ludicrous it sounds. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Princess,” the guards immediately replied. The farmer nodded, confusion still evident on her face. Soft Quill raised a hoof to ask a question but was interrupted by Scribbles, who rudely pushed in front of her and demanded in a loud voice, “Where are we? I have a right to know!”

“The Princess said - “ Kibtz began.

“SILENCE!” Luna thundered. The waves from her voice rippled through the air and silenced the squabbling stallions. “NO arguing,” she commanded as they turned to look at her, her voice a little softer this time. They nodded mutely.

“Princess,” Soft Quill called, making sure to keep all hint of the annoyance she felt from her voice. “Um… May I ask a question?”

Celestia glanced anxiously up at the sky, then back at Soft Quill, and nodded. “Quickly,” she said. “We haven’t got much time.”

“Well... Princess, I couldn’t help but notice, but… you said we’d fallen into a very dangerous time. Are you saying we’ve traveled across time?! That’s impossible!”

“Clearly not as impossible as it seems,” Celestia said gravely. “This is the future site of Canterlot, but nearly 4000 years before it is built. And it is a very dangerous time to be out in the open. We must hurry and find shelter before I can explain further. Come.” She turned, and began walking away, leaving the others no choice but to follow. At a quiet command from Luna, the guards rose into the air and began circling overhead, keeping watch from above. Before they had traveled more than a few paces, the Thestral came diving down and landed swiftly in front of the princesses.

“There are ponies heading this way,” he reported swiftly, urgency filling his tone. “I believe they are being chased from the sky by strange creatures. I could not identify them.”

“Strange creatures?” Luna asked, her ears flattening again as she spoke. “NIght Wings. Quickly. Do they have multi-colored streaks of light trailing from behind them?”

“Yes, ma’am, they do.”

Luna locked gazes with Celestia. “Terror raid,” she whispered. “We must get to the shelter.”

“They’re too close, there’s no time,” Celestia replied. “Luna, help me. I have to make a shield. Can you cast an illusion around it to hide us?”

“If anyone else can, they’re welcome to help,” Luna replied grimly. The pair of alicorns lit their horns, and a rippling shield of yellow and blue rose up around them.

“Make no sound,” Celestia cautioned. “No matter what happens. And don’t leave the shield.”

No one answered. Petrified, Soft Quill was staring at what was going on outside the shield. Three hideous creatures streaked through the sky, leaving obnoxiously rainbow colored trails behind them. Soft Quill couldn’t see many details, but what she could see was startling. Dragon’s head topped a pegasi’s body, and a long serpent trailed behind as the tail, expelling the brightly colored gases from its mouth as the beast flew. Soft Quill shuddered.

“Princess? What is that thing?” The Solar guard whispered, horror clearly showing in her tone.

“One of the minions created by Discord, over ten thousand years ago,” Celestia responded, speaking just barely above the level of inaudible. “Be quiet, or they will target us too.”

“Too?” Suddenly, Soft Quill saw what the beasts were chasing. Streaking away in the sky ahead of them was a pale blue mare. As she watched, one of them flicked its tail toward her, and the serpent head bit down on her wing. With a grating scream that rang in the listening ponies’ ears, the mare fell from the sky. Soft Quill winced, waiting for the impact that would surely break the mare’s legs. To her shock, a corona suddenly appeared around the mare’s body, softening the impact and allowing her to land on her feet and instantly start galloping away. It also gave Soft Quill a clear view of the horn on the mare’s head. An alicorn!

Movement off to Soft Quill’s left distracted her from the chase to her right. In the long grass, two fillies snuck low to the ground. Foals of the alicorn mare, she assumed. She couldn’t see them very clearly, but she thought they looked like alicorns too. One of them, a tiny, dark blue filly with a pale blue mane and tail, no more than a weanling, jerked around at her mother’s cry. Instinctively, she tried to run to her mother, but the white yearling nipped her sharply. They froze, staring anxiously up at the sky.

The sudden movement caught the attention of the flying beasts. With a shrill cry that tore at the ears of the listeners, one of them peeled off from the flock and flew at the fillies. The alicorn mare looked back, and seeing her foals in danger, shot a beam of pure magic at the beast. “Me!” she shouted hoarsely, voice ragged from running. “Get me!”

Under the shield, the small herd of waiting ponies was ridiculously tense, unable to bear the stress of staying still while fear ran wild around them. “We have to help,” Scribbles whispered frantically to the princesses.

Celestia and Luna were more tense than Soft Quill had thought possible. Luna’s eyes were bleeding to white at the edges, and Celestia’s wings were flaring outward from her body. Neither of them spoke, just shook their heads emphatically. Everypony underneath the shield tensed unhappily, but no one dared go against the princesses.

Outside the shield, the mare had successfully distracted the beast from the fillies. All three of them chased her across the field. For several long minutes, it seemed she would escape, but then, she stumbled - on a rabbit hole, perhaps, Soft Quill couldn’t tell. With a shriek of victory, the beasts dived at her, lifting her off the ground and wrapping her in their coils. A ripple of magic passed across the grasses, and the two of the three creatures were gone - the mare along with them.

The third turned back across the field and shrieked a hunting cry before streaking back, straight towards the fillies still huddled together in the grass. The yearling screamed at the sight, nipping and kicking at the weanling to drive her along. The pair struggled straight towards the shield, giving the watching ponies a very clear view of the black patched flanks of the younger, their gleaming violet and turquoise eyes. Above, the sole remaining beast circled, watching, waiting for his moment. Suddenly, the weanling stumbled, and fell. The beast shrieked and dove. All the watching ponies drew breath to scream in terror, but the white yearling beat them to it. With a shriek that could have deafened the Dragon Lord, the yearling threw herself over her sister and shot a beam of pure, scorching, brilliant yellow energy straight at the beast. Whether by luck or skill, the beam hit the beast directly on its eye. The beast let out an answering scream, this one filled with pain and anger rather than terror. It twisted, turned, shot straight up into the sky, and vanished.

The watching ponies stared at the fillies, mouths open wide. Soft Quill peered hard at the white filly, who was now tugging hard on the mane of the fallen weanling, and turned to stare at the princesses. Luna and Celestia did not looked shocked or horrified like all the others. Rather, there was great pain evident on their faces, and Celestia had a wing spread over Luna’s back - either for comfort, or to prevent her from flying away. A sound from beyond the shield drew her attention back to the fillies, who were now close enough to be heard.

“Get up, Luna, get up!” The yearling frantically hissed. Oblivious to the sharp intake of breath from within the shield, she tried to pull her sister up by her forelock. The weanling stirred, and struggled to her hooves.

“Stop pulling,” she mumbled blearily. “Mama… Mama!” The filly lunged, tried to run towards where she had last seen her mother, but the yearling - Princess Celestia, Soft Quill realised with shock running through her body like an electric current - stopped the weanling in her tracks.

“Not that way! We have to get away!”

Despite the little dark filly’s protests, her sister drove her away from the grassy field. The pair galloped away until they were out of sight. Behind the shield, no one moved or spoke for a long, long time.

Author's Note

So, this chapter refused to work out how I wanted it to. I tried to rewrite it a bunch of times, but it still feels really rough and strange. Here it is, I may revise it at a later point. Hope it reads well enough.

If someone wants to proofread for me, that would be greatly appreciated. Also, COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS PLEASE. That would also help with future chapters.

Thank you to everyone who reads this!

The Herd

Swift Spear remained very still once the two small fillies had galloped out of sight. No one under the shield beside her moved either. Finally, slowly, everypony’s head turned to stare at the two princesses, who still huddled together at the edge of the shield, horns glowing as they maintained the spell. Steeling her courage, Swift Spear took a nervous step forward, ignoring the harsh look Night Wings sent her way as she approached her diarchs.

“Princess?” she asked, unsure which alicorn she was really addressing - maybe it was both. “What was that? Was it really - “ she let the last sentence trail off, unspoken, though the words lingered in the air.

Luna drew a deep shuddering breath, and pulled back from her sister. She shook out her flowing mane and turned to the small herd of shuddering, awestruck ponies. “Now is not the time, Private. We must find shelter, and decide on a plan, before those creatures return.”

Swift Spear opened her mouth to - to what? Complain? She was a guard. Guards do not complain, they only obey - the mantra thundered in her head. She shut her mouth and saluted sharply. “Of course, Ma’am.” She took to the air, following Night Wings’ gestured command. Together, they circled the group from above as Celestia and Luna began urging the ground across the grassy plain. Making sure they all stayed together, and watching for danger approaching from both ground and sky - standard Guard procedure in event of emergency evacuations. For a moment, Swift Spear could almost let herself believe that she was simply in one of her drills - just another test she had to pass. But a glance at the thestral flying by her side, and the absense of the guards who should have been herding the citizens from ground level quickly dispelled that theory. This was real. Somehow, she had been sucked back in time, and was now one of two solely responsible for the safety of both of Equestria’s diarchs, as well as a motley of ordinary ponies.

A shudder traveled up her body, shaking her concentration. She lost a wingbeat, faltering in her flight as old whispers started up in the back of her head. Night Wings cast her a concerned look as she regained her rhythm, but didn’t say anything. Swift Spear grit her teeth, and focused on keeping a level flight. No. Stop saying that. That is over now. You’ve got to keep the princesses safe. Only think about that. Only that. She released a deep breath, feeling the familiar technique soothe some of the louder whispers. Good enough. Now, where are we going?

By the looks of things, the princesses were leading the herd toward the small woodland on the horizon. If she listened closely, she could hear the muttered complaints rising from the ponies below. The teacher and the reporter were clearly out of their depth, and Kibtz - who Swift Spear had known since she started her training as a Guard, but still managed to annoy her as much as when she first met him - well, Kibtz seemed to be both mildly out of shape, and arguing constantly with the teacher and reporter. The three almost seemed on the verge of a true fight, and Swift Spear hoped that she wouldn’t have to intervene. Ryemane, the farmer, was managing well enough. Swift Spear assumed she was well used to physical activity, and it was simply the shock and unfamiliarity of the situation that caused her to stumble occasionally. The princesses were at the head of the herd, moving swiftly across the grassy ground. Though they were still walking, they moved as fast as their long legs would let them, forcing the others to trot to keep up. Both of them had an identical expression of serious intent fixed upon their faces, and neither spared a glance for anything but their destination. Swift Spear kept pace above their heads briefly, trying to see if she could help, but her uncertainty and inexperience held her back.

A commotion from the back of the herd drew her attention away, and she whirled to see Night Wings diving and placing himself between the teacher and Scribbles, the reporter - Swift Spear wished she could say she had fond memories of him, but that would be an untruth. The pair glared at each other fiercely. Scribbles had his head lowered and was scraping the ground with one hoof, looking ready to charge. The teacher dropped down onto all four legs again, and struck the ground. Night Wings extended his leathery wings between the pair, baring his menacing fangs.

“Behave!” he barked sharply, glaring at them with his slitted eyes. “This is a dangerous place, and the Princesses have commanded us to cooperate! Not quarrel like foals!”

“I’ll behave if he does,” the mare spat.

“I’ll behave if she does too,” Scribbles shot back. “If such a miracle could ever happen.” he added in a muttered undertone.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, Miss Quill,” Scribbles replied in a cloyingly sweet imitation of a young foal. “Just behaving like I was told,”

“Well, I heard something much different - “

Night Wings snarled in a terrifying fashion. “Silence!” he hissed. Swift Spear felt a chill travel down her spine at the sound, and a number of recently-awakened instincts screamed for her to flee from the threat. Her wings froze for an instant, and it was only sheer luck that kept her from crashing into the ground at that moment. She decided to set down while waiting for the argument to end.

The rest of the herd had stopped by now, waiting for the wayward pair to finish arguing and catch up. At Night Wings snarl, both quarreling ponies turned away from each other, Scribbles with an air of unconcern, Soft Quill pretending the unicorn stallion no longer existed. Before they had gone more than a few paces, they were confronted by the tall figures of their princesses.

“Petty squabbles have no place here,” Princess Luna informed them sternly. “Here, every moment must be about survival. Else you will not be here to squabble with.”

Scribbles opened his mouth -

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

It was a subdued version of the Royal Canterlot Voice, and while the part of Swift Spear that had been molded by her training respected the need for some degree of secrecy in a place with creatures like those, the part which had been beginning to get irritated with the foalish pair longed to see nosy reporter blown clear across the meadow by the full force of that voice.

Scribbles nodded meekly, ears flat against his head.

“Good,” Princess Luna said, eyes fixed the black and white stallion in a show of dominance. “Walk with me.” Her tone left no room for argument.

“And you, come with me,” Celestia told Soft Quill.

The plum-colored mare perked up instantly, and bounded forward. “Of course, Princess! I must - “

“No talking,” Celestia commanded. “We must be wary, and on our guard at all times.”

Soft Quill hesitated, then, reluctantly, dipped her head in aquiesense.

Celestia immediately turned back to the head of the herd. Soft Quill trotted obediently at her flank. Luna moved to join her sister, glaring purposefully at Scribbles, who snorted crossly, shook his mane, and cantered up alongside. Ryemane, who had not yet spoke, began moving automatically, with an obviously disgruntled Kibtz behind her. Night Wings turned his gaze upon Swift Spear.

“Come,” he commanded. With one flap of his leathery wings, he was in the air, circling above the herd. Swift Spear swallowed nervously, wanting nothing more than to be home, in her bunk in the barracks, before flinging herself in the air after him.

The herd traveled in relative peace for several minutes. Before long, they had reached the shelter of the trees bordering the meadow. Night Wings and Swift Spear were forced to land and travel on foot, lest they lose sight of the princesses. Celestia and Luna appeared to be looking for something, ears swiveling constantly, jerking their heads one way or another. Suddenly, Luna darted off through a narrow gap, vanishing into the darkened grove beyond. Night Wings, who had been keeping pace behind her, actually looked briefly alarmed before bounding after her. Celestia kept going straight ahead, as if she had not noticed her sister’s deviation, though her ears flickered towards her before she picked up her pace. Swift Spear swallowed nervously, hyper-aware that she was the only guard left. She tried to speed up, then tripped over a branch as her vision went black. For one terrifying moment, she flailed blindly on the ground, then felt a field surrounding her limbs and supporting her as she scrambled to her feet. She blinked rapidly, finally able to make out the pale grey form of Kibtz standing next to her.

“Thanks,” she gasped.

The unicorn blinked at her. “Hurry up,” he said. “The Princess is getting very far ahead.”

Swift Spear strained her eyes through the gloom, and realised that Celestia was nowhere in sight. With a gasp, she spun around and bounded as swiftly as she dared through the dark forest, Kibtz cantering at her side.

A wavering voice was raised from somewhere ahead of them. “P..Princess? Why is everythin’ so dark all o’ a sudden?”

The unicorn teacher squealed. “I can’t see my hooves! What am I stepping on?”

“Hush, my little ponies,” Celestia replied distantly. “This is normal for here and now.”

“Normal?” Scribbles snorted. “I can barely see my hoof in front of my face! What could be making it so dark? It was midday just a few minutes ago!”

“Here, the sun and moon are controlled by Discord,” Celestia told them all softly. “Day and night are never the same, and you never know when it will change. But one thing is the same.”

“What, Princess?” Ryemane asked when she didn’t continue.

“The night is when the most dangerous creatures emerge,” Celestia whispered after a moment. “Come. We must hurry to the shelter.”

Swift Spear burst out from a cluster of bushes just in time to see the pale form of the Princess stepping away.She dashed to catch up, Kibtz at her flank, and they joined the herd again. Luna had not yet returned, Swift Spear wondered when she should begin worrying. Before she could work it out, a shadow detached itself from the surrounding woodland and glided towards them. Swift Spear jumped, wishing desperately for the weapon that had been abandoned on the balcony when they fell into the portal, then relaxed as the darkness seemed to flow away from the figure and revealed Princess Luna. Night Wings was a lesser shadow a pace behind her.

“I found the shelter,” Luna announced quietly. “Follow me.”

Nopony spoke a word as the herd turned and traveled perpendicular to their original course. Everypony was clearly exhausted, both mentally and physically. Soft Quill’s head was drooping as she walked, clearly ready to fall asleep on her hooves. Scribbles tripped over his own hooves, causing Kibtz to stumble, but neither spoke a word to each other, simply glared softly and trudged on. Night Wings still looked wary and ready for anything, but Swift Spear caught him hiding a yawn as they walked. Only the princesses stayed alert.

Finally they emerged into a small clearing, empty but for a pile of branches and logs in the center. Swift Spear peered at it carefully.

“That’s the shelter?” she asked. “How are we all supposed to fit?” A sharp glare from Night Wings alerted her to her fault. Instantly, she folded back her ears in shame for her moment of doubt.

“It is bigger on the inside,” Celestia answered calmly, not reacting to Swift Spear’s insubordination. Lowered her head, she nosed at a heavy log that rested on the edge of the pile, pushing until the muscles along her neck stood out in high definition. Swift Spear stared in amazement. What made the princess think she could lift that with her neck? Surely using her field would be more efficient? Before she could lose control of her tongue and voice her self-doubts (again), the ground shook underneath her, dirt rippling in waves that caused her legs to crumble underneath her weight. She flailed her wings to keep her balance, while everyone else fell. Only Celestia and Luna stood still, as the ground shook, and the log… moved. Swift Spear almost lost her balance at the sight. Had the earthquake moved it? It seemed far to fortuitous. Nevertheless, the log moved, revealing a dark hole leading down into the earth. Celestia shook out her mane and stepped back. Her horn lit briefly, then died.

“Everyone down,” she commanded. “We’ll be safe in here.”

Scribbles and Soft Quill practically scrambled for the hole, nearly trampling each other in their efforts to be the first down. Only after a sharp glare from Princess Luna did Scribbles reluctantly step back and allow Soft Quill to go first, then stepped on her hooves as he hurried after her. Kibtz was the next down, clearly relieved to get off his feet, Ryemane close behind his tail. Swift Spear hesitated at the edge of the hole. All her instincts were screaming at her not to trap herself in the earth, where she could not fly. But underground maneuvers had been a part of her training, and so she screwed up her courage and descended into the shelter.

It was brighter than she had expected. The shelter was wide, shallow pit in the earth, large enough to fit up to maybe 15 full-grown ponies. It was a bit squished once the Princesses had joined them, but 5 ponies, a thestral, and the princesses still fit well enough. The edges of the pit, extending to about a pony-length from each wall, were fully underground, with a roof of soil, but the main part of the shelter was covered up with the piles of logs and sticks Swift Spear had seen from outside. Light penetrated through the narrow cracks between the branches, and even in the gloom of Discord-induced night, Swift Spear could still see the other ponies. She settled herself iin a loose patch of soil near the far wall, wincing as dust coated her once-golden armor and wings. But her relief at being safe and at rest overpowered her disgust.

“We are safe for now,” Celestia said quietly. “Perhaps you all should get some rest - “

“With all due respect, Princess,” Night Wings spoke up unexpectedly, creating a minor commotion as Soft Quill jumped at the sound of his deep, raspy voice. “I think you should tell us more about this… time. What it is like, what that… event… was earlier. We need to start a plan for returning to where we belong, and this information could possibly be essential.”

Celestia didn’t reply, but slowly lowered her head, closing her eyes. She held this position for one long minute - then another. Nopony spoke, merely watched her anxiously.

It was Luna who broke the silence. “You are correct, Night Wings.” She stretched a wing over her sister’s back, eyeing the gathered ponies as if waiting for commentary. “Intelligence is always necessary to concoct a plan.” She took a deep breath, as if preparing for something huge. “We will tell you of this land - the land of our birth.”

Author's Note

I was planning to try and write two chapters at once so the breaks in between chapters would be shorter, but... let's just say that didn't work out. New chapters will continue to be intermittent. Sorry.