The Founders of Harmony

Chapters

Book 1 - Prologue: Only One Choice
Book 1 - Chapter 1: Who We Are
Book 1 - Chapter 2: Augeas
Book 1 - Chapter 4: The Council of Augeas
Book 1 - Chapter 5: Cinders of the Past
Book 1 - Chapter 6: Shy Souls and Jealous Hearts
Book 1 - Chapter 3: The Horn is Mightier Than The Sword

Book 1 - Prologue: Only One Choice

Book 1: World of Chaos

Prologue: Only One Choice

Pain and exhaustion eroded her body. The poison had begun its work several hours ago, and though she continued at a steady pace, every hoof step had been a concerted, deliberate effort. Her wings no longer had the strength to lift her up, and her horn could no longer produce even the smallest spark of magic, let alone enough to shield her from the frigid rain pouring down on her.

It had been calm and sunny for days, then the storms appeared as quickly as light dies when one blows out a candle. Such was the chaotic and unstable nature of the world, one minute, sweltering heat, the next, a raging blizzard. She had never gotten used to it, and now suspected she’d never get a chance to. They might...but she had to find shelter, somewhere safe, somewhere she could hide long enough to brew an antidote and...hopefully...give her body a chance to beat the damned poison.

She stumbled and fell, landed on her hands and knees, then vomited several mouthfuls of blood. At the same time she felt a pain in her head. About a mile back she’d laid a node with the last of her magic, to alert her when her pursuers reached it. How could they have caught up so fast? Even in her weakened state, she hadn’t expected them to reach that node for several more hours...and the blood. Her mouth was filled with the taste of her own blood, the poison was also travelling much faster than expected. She trembled, tears mixing with the blood and rain streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry” she said aloud, turning to look at the two bundles tied to her back, “I’m so sorry,”

The sound of movement. Panic produced adrenaline and she jumped back up. It came from just beyond the treeline to her left. Her pursuers? No, someone else. She hid behind a tree, and observed two ponies. A mare and a stallion, Unicorn and Pegasus respectively. They had a small bundle of their own, but they dug a hole, and laid their bundle carefully beneath the earth. The Unicorn used her magic, making grass and Dandilions grow, covering the spot, so no one would ever know it was there. The two ponies held each other and wept. She could hardly bare to watch.

The rain fell heavier, the wind blew fiercely, and the couple was forced to retreat. She followed and watched as the Unicorn caused the bark of a large tree to swing inwards, they both disappeared inside, likely to a hiding place underground, warm, safe. The bark swung back hiding the entrance again. She leaned against a nearby tree and wept.

Curse the fates. Damn the gods. To Tartarus with whatever force keeps the cosmos spinning. Why? It was all too perfect...and unfair. Why should theirs’ have to die, just so her’s could live?

She didn’t have long left, she could feel the end approaching inside, and her enemies were close behind. So close. Had they found a way to track her? The poison itself? It was possible. She could stay and use whatever time she had to explain personally, but she couldn’t risk the chance that her pursuers would find all of them…..There was only one choice.

Author's Note

Hey all, thanks for making this far since I assume this will be at the bottom. So yeah I've never posted a story here and I read all the rules but still let me know if I'm doing anything wrong. Also I'm really looking to grow as a writer so feel free to give me any feedback you might have, positive or negative, let me know what you think :D
Well that's all for now!

Book 1 - Chapter 1: Who We Are

The Founders of Harmony

Written By:

James Glass

Story By:

James Glass & Randy Lyster

Book 1: World of Chaos

Chapter 1: Who We Are

Light.

Bright as the sun

Surrounding

Blinding

Burning

Eyes shut tight

Covered with hands

The Effort

Futile

A touch of cold

A comforting whisper

Beckoning her forth

Offering Respite

The Light shines brighter

No Escape

Brighter

“Luna?”

Brighter

“Luna?”

Brighter

“Luna?!”

!Brighter!

“!LUNA!”

Luna gasped as she awoke. Bolting upright in her bed, she looked around until her eyes fell on her sister’s concerned face.

“Luna, Are you alright?” she asked. Luna ran her hands through her mane and rubbed her eyes.

“Yes Celestia...Just a bad dream, no need to worry,”

Celestia stared at her knowingly, eyebrow raised.

“It was a normal bad dream,” Luna said reassuringly.

“If you say so,” she smiled at Luna coyly. “Mother and father went out and we’re to tend the garden before they return. I left some breakfast out for you but don’t take too long,” she spoke so quickly Luna hardly caught it all, and her sister was gone before she could ask a question. Luna sighed, and looked around her. Same dirt walls, floors and ceilings that she knew, her bed mat was still across the room from Celestia’s and the crystal in the center of the ceiling emitted the same warm light. She ran a hand over the floor then held it to her muzzle, the same smell of earth filling her nostrils. It was all just a dream, Luna thought to herself.

She got up, stretched her arms, legs, and wings. Hopefully she’d get to fly again soon, it had been about a week now since there had been enough cloud cover. She neatly folded her sleeping mat and left through the opening on the far side of the room.

She walked down the hall to the kitchen. A wooden table with four stools sat in the center of the circular room, over which was another crystal stuck into the ceiling and filling the room with light. There were four openings that led out, aligned perpendicularly. In Between the opening she stood in and the one to her left a tree root poked out of the wall, from which a small pocket watch hung on a chain. Mother said that her mentor had given it to her years ago, it apparently still told the correct time and date from back before the Age of Chaos.

Saturday.

June 2nd.

Year 32,583.

5:18 AM?

Why so early? Luna grumbled, rubbing her eyes again. The spaces between the other exits were occupied as well. In one was a small pantry where they’d dug into the wall to make shelves, in another, a large wooden barrel full of water, and the last was a stone fire pit. Luna went to the fire, a large iron stake jutted out from the wall over the fire, on which hung an iron pot. Luna’s horn glowed with sparkling blue light and the lid of the pot floated off to reveal the savory smell of mushroom stew.

Next a clay bowl and spoon floated over from the pantry and Luna filled the bowl with some stew. She set the lid back and looked up at another crystal in the ceiling above the fire. As the smoke rose it was absorbed by the crystal due to magical runes carved into it. Luna noted it was getting quite cloudy, it needed to be emptied soon. While Luna walked over to the table with her bowl suspended in the air, her horn continued to glow and a clay cup flew out of the pantry and dipped itself in the barrel of water before landing on the table next to Luna. She let out a little sigh of relief and ate her stew, enjoying the quiet along with occasional cracks from the fireplace.

She soon finished and washed her dishes with water. She tossed the dirtied water onto the inner edge of the fire pit where it quickly evaporated on the hot stone, then set the bowl just outside the pit to dry. She walked out between the firepit and the water barrel, going down a curving hallway, passing several rooms along the way until a bright white light shone from around the corner.

This light came from the room at the end of the hall, which was far larger than all the others, circular, 30 yards in diameter. In the room was a hill made up of dirt platforms each about a foot above the last. On the platforms were rows of plants that ringed the room and the hill, forming a circular pyramid of produce. At the top of the hill was a large well, and the thing that made the garden possible.

A tiny little ball of swirling fire. A sun. Below it stood Celestia, her pure white fur glistening in the sunlight. Her wings were outstretched, and her long, soft pink mane and tail floated and shifted slightly. Her horn glowed with a radiant golden light which shot a beam of the same color towards the little sun, causing it to grow ever so slightly. Luna squinted, and covering her eyes slightly with her hand watched her sister. She couldn’t be sure, but she swore that sometimes while Celestia was feeding her sun, other colors would flash across her mane and tail.

When the sun was about three inches in diameter, Celestia stopped, and shot one last burst of magic at a golden barrier that encased it. Luna chuckled. Back when Celestia first discovered this ability of hers, she gave her sun a little too much power and a jet of flame shot out of it, scorching some of their first plants, while also setting her mane on fire. She was fine, but Luna laughed at how dejected Celestia looked when mother had to cut her cinged and blackened mane till it barely reached the top of her neck. Luna was always puzzled by how Celestia obsessed over her appearance, so much so that one year their parents had brought back a metal comb from the hidden city of Augeas as her birthday gift.

*****

“Well you never know when a handsome stallion is going stumble through the woods in need of shelter. I must always look my best,” Celestia had once said matter of factly, when Luna had questioned her meticulous preservation of her mane. Luna burst into laughter upon hearing this.

“Tia, how would you even know if a stallion was handsome? Father’s the only one you’ve ever seen,” Luna had teased, struggling to keep her laughter under control. A fierce blush erupted across Celestia’s face.

“Well...it’s natural instincts, I’ll just know a handsome stallion when I see one,”

“And what if this stallion doesn’t like mare’s with long manes?” Luna chuckled.

“Then I’ll find some other one that does!” Celestia said obstinately, her blush growing ever fiercer. “You know it wouldn’t kill you to tend to your mane every now and then,” a wicked smile crossed Celestia’s face and her horn glowed as the comb floated threateningly towards her sister. Luna grinned back.

“I’ll die before I let my mane be tamed by the likes of you!” Luna proclaimed dramatically.

“We’ll see.” The resulting scuffle took Luna and her sister all through their home, ending with a broken kitchen table and a scolding from their mother, before they had to spend all night fixing the table together.

*****

Luna chuckled to herself, then walked carefully down the center path towards her sister.

“How is little Sol doing?” Luna asked cheerfully.

“She’s magnificent, I barely had to feed her and I’m worried she might start growing on her own so I’ve been strengthening the barrier all morning I actually want to see if I can make the barrier feed off Sol so she never gets too big but I’m worried the spell would be too advanced for me and take years to master either way,” Celestia fired off her explanation to Luna’s question.

“Yes, that sounds...good,” Luna said trying to process all the information Celestia had dumped on her, “Yyyes, you shouldn’t try anything too advanced, we wouldn’t want any of the plants to get burnt again,” Luna said wryly while walking past her sister and up the stairs cut into pyramid leading, to a well at the top. Celestia let out a nervous laugh, and ran a hand through her mane.

“Oh yes, the crops,” Celestia said, giving her sister a piercing look from behind. Luna reached the well, they had dug it specifically for the garden after Celestia had learned how to create her miniature suns. It was larger than their other well, wide enough for a pony to fit through, and with a bucket that had a curved tip pointing out towards the back wall.

“Did mother and father say how long they’d be gone?” Luna asked as she began to turn the crank and lower the bucket into the well.

“They only said were patrolling to check mother’s detection runes, shouldn’t be long,” Celestia said grabbing the crank on the other side of the well to help Luna, “But the thunderstorms finally let up this morning so I think they just left to spend some time alone,” she said chuckling.

“Any clouds?” Luna asked excitedly.

“Not enough for flying cover I’m afraid,” Celestia said sadly.

“Of course not.” The sisters let out a heavy sigh of disappointment in unison. The bucket reached the top of the well and together they tipped it so the water poured from the curved tip and spilled into the trenches of the irrigation system laced through the entire pyramid. They did this several more times until the soil was properly saturated, then headed out of the room.

“I do hope that mother and father let us join them on their trip to Augeas this year, don’t you?” Celestia asked as they walked down the hall.

“I suppose,” Celestia stopped in her tracks upon hearing this.

“You suppose?” She said indignantly wheeling on her sister.

“Yes...it would be all right I...uh...suppose,” Luna repeated nervously.

“You mean the prospect of getting to meet thousands of new ponies sounds...all right to you?”

“Well, the journey can be dangerous,” Luna said looking nervously at the ground

“Yes but don’t you want to get out of here, go somewhere else?,” Celestia said taking a few steps forward and staring longingly up at the dirt ceiling only a foot over her head. “Ponies weren’t meant to live underground Luna.”

“Well Augeas is probably underground as well,” Luna stated flatly.

“Yes but It’s got to be huge to accommodate so many ponies,” Celestia said turning and looking slyly at her sister, “Aaaand don’t forget mother says there’s a place where you can fly all day if you want to,” Luna perked up at this.

“That does sound quite nice,”

“Right? Not to mention they’re supposed to have books, and music and different kinds of food...and….and” Celestia searched for words.

“And you’d finally get to learn what a handsome stallion looks like,” Luna said sarcastically. Celestia raised a hand and opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped and nodded.

“Yes...yes I would. C’mon Luna, let’s talk to mother and father about it at supper tonight. Surely we can convince them, we’re more than old enough for the journey,”

“....ok, let’s ask them!” Luna said smiling. The sisters trotted into the kitchen, giggling.

“What are you two so giddy about?” asked a dry and tired, but amused voice.. Ebony Rose was a Unicorn of average size, with a coal black coat of fur, contrasting fiercely with her short cut scarlet mane and tail, both scratched with streaks of grey. Her weak smile pushing up the many lines beneath her eyes.

“Mother!” Celestia said cheerily, “When did you get back?”

“Just a moment ago. I hope your chores are coming along?”

“Yes mother, we just finished in the garden,” Luna said dutifully, “Where’s father?”

Celestia and Luna were swept off their feet and into the arms of a large pegasus. Wild Bolt was bulkier than most Pegasi, and his less than aerodynamic, bright yellow frame meant he didn’t care if his long chestnut mane slowed him down a little more.

“And how are my two beautiful girls this morning?” He bellowed cheerfully, his massive grin held in place by web a of scars netted across his face. The sisters laughed as they were lifted into the air.

“Father!” Celestia giggled,

“Let us down!” Luna squealed as their father hugged them tightly.

“HaHa! Very well,” he said, letting them go “Fetch your weapons girls, it’s time for sparring lessons,”

“Yes Sir!” they said saluting before galloping off laughing. Ebony sighed.

“They’re still too enthusiastic about training,” Ebony said looking down the hall where they had run.

“They may be of age, but they’re still children,” Wild Bolt said placing a reassuring hand on his wife’s shoulder, “And we’ve been lucky to have never run into trouble over the years. Not their fault it's a game to them.”

“It can’t be for much longer,”

“Then let’s make sure they’ll be ready enough to learn from mistakes. And doesn’t your master always say that games are the best way to learn?” Bolt asked. Ebony chuckled.

“Yes, that she does,”

“Well then, shall we play?” Bolt said holding out a hand.

*****

The training room was circular, with extra room all around for the many racks of wooden training weapons. Swords, shields, spears, axes, bows and more. All of which Celestia and Luna had trained with over the years. But first they prepared their favorite weapons, the ones they had made for themselves. Celestia held a double edged broadsword in her right hand, and in her left a small kite shield, worn so that it was aligned lengthwise on her arm. Luna’s shield was circular and far larger, accompanied by a long spear in her other hand. In addition they both wore leather breastplates, pauldrons, bracers, greaves, and helmets. They may have been wooden weapons, but they could still break bone.

“Take your positions,” Wild Bolt said. Celestia and Luna went to opposite sides of the room, and got into their battle stances, “Ready….begin!”

Celestia attacked immediately, using her wings to propel herself forward with blinding speed. She swung her sword in a downward motion at Luna who blocked it soundly with her shield. Luna was about to retaliate with her spear, but Celestia continued her assault with strike after heavy strike forcing Luna to raise her shield higher or risk a losing blow to the head, but now her vision was obscured and she barely noticed as her sister dashed swiftly around to strike at her exposed side. Luna narrowly parried Celestia’s sword with her spear and swung her shield, forcing Celestia to disengage rather than be bashed by the shield’s edge. Luna used this opportunity to keep her sister on the defensive, thrusting repeatedly to prevent her from regaining stable footing. Celestia flapped strongly with her wings, pushing her far away from Luna to get her bearings. She squared her shield in front of her and charged, Luna advanced in kind.

“STOP!” Wild Bolt yelled just as the sisters were about to collide. They did stop, and turned to their father with quizzical looks. Their father stood, arms folded shaking his head “That’s the the third day in a row now I’ve seen the exact same fight between you two. In a real battle, the moment you become predictable, you’re dead,”

“Well how else am I supposed to counter Tia when she always engages so aggressively?” Luna said

“If all you do is sit there then of course I’m going to attack,” Celestia said annoyed.

“No! I adopt a defensive stance because all you do it attack!” Luna said growing louder.

“Well if your shield wasn’t so big you’d be able to move around more and-”

“Enough, even your arguments are getting predictable” Bolt said calmly, then looked up and past the girls towards the doorway, “But your mother and I had an idea to help with this issue,” he said smirking. The sisters’ faces lit up as they turned to look.

“Apples!” They exclaimed in unison, as their mother entered the room with a bucket full of apples in her arms.

“But the apple trees in the western orchard won’t be ready to pick for another month. Where did you get these?” Luna asked.

“Who cares?” Celestia said reaching for one as her mother approached. But the entire bucket levitated out of her reach and floated back over Ebony’s head.

“We found them on our patrol this morning, there must have been a bit of magic in the storm from last night, they were all ready to pick,” Luna eyed the basket longingly, then spoke

“Well then, mother may we-?”

“Can we have some?” Celestia said looking at the basket with hungry eyes.

“Of course dear, you can have this one right here,” Ebony said placing an apple on her head behind her horn.

“But only if you can reach it,” their father said readying his own wooden shield and spear.

“Easy,” Celestia said charging forward. She had no hope of besting her father in a duel, but she only needed to get past him. A wooden sword flew through the air and struck Celestia in the chest knocking her back across the room to her sister’s feet. Luna giggled and Celestia gave her a sour look.

“As I was about to say,” Ebony said her horn aglow with verdant green light as several more of the practice weapons rose from the racks. “I will be assisting your father, and you two will have to work together if you’d like there to be enough time to make pie for dinner

“Pie?” Luna gasped, offering her sister a hand. “Celestia, there isn’t a moment to spare,”

“No, I guess not,” Celestia said rising with her sister’s help.

“Now, I was thinking,” Luna began before a wooden spear flew between them, inches from their faces.

“Hey we're not ready yet!” Celestia cried out, covering her face with her shield.

“In the wild your enemy will never wait for you to be ready,” Wild Bolt said smiling softly

“They’ll strike when you’re least prepared,” Ebony said preparing more weapons, “And they’ll kill you,” she said as she sent a dozen of the practice weapons flying at the girls.

“Tia my shield!” Luna said hunkering down and raising her shield. It was a tight fit, but both sisters managed to take cover behind it. “Tia!-AH!-What do-AH!-We do?” Luna said constantly interrupted by the heavy weapons striking her shield.

“Oh now you think my tactics would be useful?” Celestia spat.

“Only because my shield gives you a chance to come up with a plan,” a small silence followed between them. Celestia took a moment to examine Luna’s shield, and then the room around them

“...Fair point, now listen up,”

Wild Bolt watched as his daughters hunkered behind Luna’s shield, excited for whatever they might throw at him, they always get creative when he and Ebony push them.

“You know out there the enemy will be throwing a lot more than practice weapons at you! And-” As Wild Bolt was mid sentence Luna’s entire shield became aglow with her magic and flew directly at him. It was so large and came at him so fast his vision was totally obscured as he had to raise his own shield against it, so he had no idea where either Celestia or Luna were. The magic light around the shield faded, and he went to push the shield away with his own, but he met resistance, one of them was still behind the shield. They were trying to keep him guessing as to who was where. Not a problem.

Wild Bolt took one step back, then with a mighty flap from his wings pushed himself forward against the opposing shield. He met stiff resistance, had to be Celestia, Luna wouldn’t be strong enough to hold him back like that. He smiled and stopped pushing, redirecting her right into Luna, who was trying to flank her father from behind. But Celestia passed right through Luna, who evaporated in a puff of smoke. Bolt swerved to block the real Luna’s spear, her horn was still glowing with the magic from the illusion spell, that was the real reason they blocked his vision. Meanwhile Celestia had begun to fly towards her mother, using Luna’s larger shield to block all of her mother’s projectiles. But she was struck from the side, and knocked to the ground. Celestia spat dirt from her mouth, and looked over to see Luna, who was also on the ground, and disarmed.

“Impressive,” their mother said smiling warmly down at them, “Now, again.”

*****

“Why can’t the world be made of pie?” Celestia said staring at her pie dish, licked clean of the pie that used to be there.

“Where under Equestria do you put it all?” Luna asked incredulous, still working away at her single piece.

“I made room,” Celestia said licking her fingers before belching loudly. She blushed and covered her mouth with both hands in surprise. Ebony Rose laughed before asking

“I’m glad you liked it dear, did you want any more?” Celestia shook her head, red faced. “Luna dear, are you going to finish that tonight?”

“No thank you mother, I think I filled up on supper, it was delicious though,” Luna said watching in bemusement as a wet rag floated over to Celestia who cleaned her sticky hands and mouth with it.

“Good, because...we need to talk,” Ebony said

“Ehhhh what kind of talk?” Celestia asked.

“A serious talk,” Bolt said taking Celestia’s cloth before sitting down next to Ebony

“You see Girls, We’ve been unsure about it for awhile now, but we’ve decided that this year, you’ll be coming with us to Augeas,”

“REALLY!” The sister’s exclaimed together, nearly jumping from their seats.

“We’ll get to meet so many new ponies!” Celestia said turning to Luna.

“And we can fly every day!” Luna replied.

“And there’ll be all kinds of new foods, and the library, and….and,”

“And you’ll finally get to find out what a handsome stallion looks like!” Luna said without a shred of sarcasm. Celestia glared at her, frowning, while Luna smiled, lips tight, but a moment later they both burst out laughing.

“Girls please,” Their mother said raising her voice a bit, a pained look in her eyes. The sisters quieted down, but they could barely suppress the smiles on their faces. Ebony sighed deeply, opened her mouth to speak then stopped, looking down, eyes searching for words.

“You want me to-?” Bolt began to ask.

“No its alright,” She stopped him, taking a few moments, during which Celestia and Luna gave each other sideways looks. At last Ebony spoke “About Augeas...once we’re there, you’ll have to keep your wings hidden at all times,” The girls’ smiles did not drop, but confusion entered their eyes.

“Sorry mother, what?” Luna asked.

“Once we arrive at Augeas, you two will have to keep your wings hidden at all times, no matter what,” Ebony explained again. The girls were silent, but their smiles had faded.

“Why? If we did that we’d never be able to fly,” Luna asked looking even more confused now.

“Well, when we get there, you’ll be meeting ponies your own age for the first and…” Ebony said.

“And what?” Luna said bluntly, looking slightly annoyed. Celestia was silent.

“We wouldn’t want you to scare them because….because…” Ebony began.

“Because there is no one else like you girls,” Bolt finished. “To have a Unicorn horn and Pegasus wings is...unheard of,”

“But you said that we’re this way because our birth parents were a Unicorn and a Pegasus. Uncommon, but not unheard of, right?” Celestia asked, calmly.

“About that,” Bolt said.

“We don’t actually know who your parents were,” Ebony said, a frozen silence following before Luna exploded.

“WHAT?!” Luna said, eyes wide.

Celestia and Luna were very intelligent, and both had noticed at a young age that while they shared certain physical traits with each other, they in no way, shape, or form, resembled Ebony Rose or Wild Bolt. Their birth parents had died when they were still babies and Ebony and Bolt had adopted the orphans of their departed friends, at least...that’s what they had been told.

“THEN WHERE DID WE COME FROM?!” Luna said standing up.

“Gods...It was fifteen years ago now, when…” Ebony trailed off, her eyes gazing far away at nowhere.

“It had been a hard day, and there was an awful storm outside,” Bolt continued, “We were down here when the barrier spells went off, we rushed to the entrance expecting to fight for our lives, but instead, we found you two all wrapped up with...” Bolt hesitated, “Nothing but each other,” Luna sat back down, her eyes becoming watery.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Luna asked, quieter but with a desperate tone.

“Luna, Celestia,” Ebony spoke again, “The things you can do, creating a sun from raw magic, entering another pony’s dream. Ponies who can do things like that, Alicorns, with wings and horns, the only place you’ll find them is in myths and legends. And we didn’t want you two to grow up thinking you had to live up to some idea, we just wanted you to be...whoever you wanted to be,” Ebony spoke slowly, each word awkwardly voiced like she’d had all the pieces to build a house but no blueprint.

“What idea? What about these stories is so crazy?” Luna said, raising her voice again?

“In the stories,” Bolt said, “The Alicorns, they’re like gods, who ruled the world with unbelievable power, the kind of power that could...could…”

“That could defeat Discord?” Celestia asked calmly, looking down and slowly picking bits of pie that was caught under her nails.

“Yes.” Bolt replied, “Your mother’s mentor gave us a chance to live in Sanctuary a year after we found you two. But, we were afraid that someone would try to take you from us, and use you, mold you into something you might not want to be,”

“That’s why when we get there, you two need to-” Ebony stopped when Luna ran out of the room and down the hall that led to exit outside.

“Luna!” Ebony and Bolt cried in unison. Bolt got up to follow, but Celestia raised a hand.

“Let her go,” Celestia said calmly, with watery eyes.

“But,”

“dad, she’ll be fine, I know where she’s going. She just needs time,”

“We’re so sorry,” Ebony said crying and reaching out and placing her hand on Celestia

“Its ok mom, I understand, I think...are there really ponies like that, that would’ve tried to take us from you?” She said in fearful disbelief.

“Pfft oh yeah. The Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns all work together to survive, and most of em are good ponies, but there’s a few that are always lookin to get one over on the rest,” Bolt snorted, “Though we were mostly worried about that damn King of yours,” Bolt said looking at Ebony, who’s grief stricken face quickly turned to anger as she spat on the ground.

“That oaf is no king of mine,” Ebony said spitefully. Celestia’s eyes were wide, she’d never seen her mother do or say anything thing like that.

“I know,” Bolt said with a wobbly smirk, “But you look awful when you cry, much sexier when you’re angry,” Ebony buried her head in hands, face red with embarrassment on top of the anger, sorrow, and stress, “Just don’t keep spittin on the floor like that, or we’ll have to start weeding the kitchen,” When Bolt said this fresh tears sprung from Ebony’s eyes along with a burst of laughter.

“You ass,” she said, weakly punching him on the shoulder, the laughter over taking the tears as she leaned her head on him. Bolt wrapped his arm around her comfortingly, and added to her laughs and tears.

“I’m gonna go talk to Luna,” Celestia said standing, feeling a tad awkward.

“Are you alright Celestia?” Ebony said getting up and going to Celestia, her face serious again.

“I uh...I think I will be,” she replied, she said before hugging her mother and going down the hall to the exit.

*****

The sky was crystal clear, an ocean of stars swirling overhead, with a full moon outshining them all. Luna stared at the moon, lost in thought. She sat high up in an alcove of a cliff face near their home, where she came whenever she wanted to be alone.

“Hey Lu,” Celestia said as she swooped in and sat next to Luna in the alcove.

“Tia,” They sat in silence for a moment.

“Beautiful moon, has it been night for long?”

“No, it was bright at first,”

“Hope it lasts awhile then,”

“How can you be so calm about all this?” Luna said, her voice rising, eyes watering. Celestia looked down at the forest below and shook her head lightly.

“I guess it almost makes sense...it feels right,”

“How does any of this make sense? How can we be something...unreal, out of some old stories?”

“Luna, you’ve been able to enter my dreams 3 times before, that’s incredible!”

“Those were accidents, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it on purpose,”

“Oh course you will!” Celestia said enthusiastically, “I’ve been able to make a tiny sun out of nothing but my own magic, who knows what else I can do? You’ll learn tocontrol your power too,”

“Yes, but that’s because it's our special talent,” She said looking down at the symbols on her hands, a white crescent moon over top a dark cloud. “And everypony has a special talent, that doesn’t make us special,” Celestia was stunned.

“Luna, Mother may still know more about magic than us, but even she can’t do anything like we can with our special abilities, not even close!”

“I don’t care! It doesn’t mean we can beat Discord, or save the world, or whatever!”

“So that’s what you’re worried about?”

“Of course! I just want to fly and live with you, and mother and father. Everything is fine the way it is now, why does it have to change?” Luna begged looking up at the moon. Celestia was silent, then took her sister’s hand in her own, and spoke.

“It’s like mother said, we don’t have to be anything we don’t want to be. That’s why they waited so long to tell us, so we could just be ourselves, not Legends or Savoirs just Celestia and Luna,” Celestia smiled warmly as she spoke. A few tears slipped down Luna’s face, she took a deep breath, then spoke.

“So what we are doesn’t change who we are?”

“Exactly,” Celestia said, and for several minutes the sisters watched the moon quietly, hand in hand, till to Tia’s surprise, Luna broke the silence.

“Tia, I don’t know about you, but I think I could go for another slice of pie,” Luna said blushing. Celestia laughed.

“I think I could make room for one more, let’s go,”

*****

Luna walked with Celestia and her parents through the woods, their wagon behind them, its four wheels propelling themselves forward thanks to her mother’s enchantment. For two weeks now they’d been traveling together, through forests and across rivers. Celestia had been awed by each new sight, occasionally stopping to gaze, and Luna had to make sure she didn’t get left behind, or wander too far. Not that Luna didn’t sympathize, when it was dark, it was usually Celestia who had to make sure Luna didn’t drift away on a cloud while gazing at the moon. She loved being able to fly almost every day.

“Hold up,” Ebony said to everyone behind as they approached a pond at the bottom of a small ridge. “Celestia, Luna take some time to rest here, then get in the wagon, we’re almost there,”

“Really? Woohoo!” Celestia said cheering

“Celestia don’t be so loud!” Luna chided. Bolt laughed.

“Its alright Luna,” Ebony said chuckling, “Celestia, put on your new tunic now,” Ebony reached into the wagon and pulled out a long soft leather tunic that was an off white color.

“Oh right, thanks mom!” Celestia said running over to take the tunic. “Be right back,” She said going off into the woods.

“And Luna could you please sit down on the bench here, I need to start working on your horn,”

“Yes mother, ” Luna went to the bench on the back of the wagon. Sitting down, back straight she pulled her mane back with her hands so her that none of her horn was obstructed. Ebony brought out a tiny paint brush and a vial of ink from the wagon, and with them began to paint numerous intricate runes on Luna’s horn.

“You’re going to love the aviary Luna,” Wild Bolt said leaning against the wagon. “You can fly there all day if you’d like, there are even Pegasi who can teach you some more advanced cloud crafting techniques.”

“Yes father, I’m rather excited,” Luna said giggling with an uncommon giddiness

“Stay still please,” Ebony said stone faced as she continued delicately painting.

“Oh! Sorry mother,”

“It’s alright dear, I’m almost done...there we go,” Luna’s horn was almost completely covered in swirling runes and lines. Luna’s eyes looked up nervously.

“You’re sure this will work mother?”

“Of course Luna, don’t worry,” Ebony smiled warmly before taking a step back, her horn beginning to glow. “Now, close your eyes, relax, and begin directing energy to your horn.” Luna took a deep breath then, closed her eyes and her horn began to glow faintly. Ebony stretched out her arm, and tendrils of glowing light flowed from her horn, through the air, and to the runes on Luna’s horn. There was a bright flash, and Luna’s horn vanished from her head.

“Oh my,” Luna said feeling her forehead. Her mane had fallen into place as though her horn wasn’t there. “That is...quite the peculiar sensation. I can’t feel my horn,” she said running her hand through her mane “But I can still feel it, like I feel my arms and legs and the rest of my body.”

“That’s good,” Ebony said sighing deeply. The spell makes your horn invisible and shifts its density, so no one will be able to see or feel it,”

“Thank you so much mother!’ Luna exclaimed leaping from the bench and embracing her mother, her wings stretched out excitedly.

“Of course dear. Now don’t forget. I cast the spell, but now it's your own energy that maintains it. But so long as you don’t go without sleep or food for too long you’ll be fine,”

“Oh wow!” Celestia marveled as she approached. “You really can’t see it at all huh?”

“And how’s the tunic fit Celestia?” Ebony asked. Celestia turned around and turned her head to show the back while examining it herself. The tunic’s back was solid with no openings for her wings to poke through.

“Feels great, It’ll take some getting used to but I’ll be fine,” Celestia smiled confidently.

“Alright then, everyone in the wagon,” Bolt said holding the back curtain of the wagon open for Celestia and Luna before he went through himself, and the three of them sat down. To ensure that they were never discovered, the founders of Augeas decided that only a very select few would know its exact location, any who they brought with them had to be in a deep sleep before entering.

“Everyone comfortable?” Ebony asked looking in on them.

“All set,” Bolt said winking.

“Yes thank you,” Luna nodded.

“Ready to go!” Celestia grinned.

“Ok, then everyone close your eyes and relax. Luna closed her eyes as her mother’s horn began to glow. As she sat in darkness, Luna’s mind buzzed with excitement and worry. She would soon be meeting more new ponies than she’d be able to count, and seeing new sights and sounds that she couldn’t even fathom. Luna felt herself drifting now. As the sleeping spell did its work, she let herself drift along as all her hopes and fears mingled together into the realm of dreams.

Book 1 - Chapter 2: Augeas

The Founders of Harmony

Book 1: World of Chaos

Chapter 2: Augeas

A gentle touch roused Celestia from sleep. She blinked several times. Weeks outside had left her used to more sunlight, now her eyes struggled to adjust to a darker environment. But soon enough, she could see her mother, knelt beside her in the wagon, illuminated by light crystals outside.

“Are you back with us dear?” she asked, smiling widely. Celestia didn’t respond, but not for lack of awareness. She was sifting back through her memories of all the times she’d seen her mother smile. There were few. Not that she was always frowning, or looking distraught, but she usually had a far off look in her eyes, her mind deep in thought. Celestia guessed she was thinking of the countless things that needed to be done to ensure the survival of her family. Now Celestia realized, that almost every memory she had of her mother’s smile, was when she was sitting down. As though her entire body needed to be at rest in order to muster the strength necessary for that one small curl of the lips. But Celestia had never seen her mother smile like this before. It was wide and vibrant, her eyes clear of distant concerns. “Celestia, are you alright?” her mother asked, the smile shrinking some. Celestia snapped back to attention, realizing she’d been staring at her mother blankly. She played it off by rubbing her eyes and faking a yawn.

“Yes Ma, I’m fine, thank you...are we there?”

“Yes dear, we’re there,” Her mother’s wide smile returned. Together they stepped out the back of the wagon and Celestia could see they were underground again. A square dirt room lined with light crystals, floor and ceiling just high enough for the wagon, directly behind which was a pitch black corridor that might go on forever. She turned and let out a small gasp. Several feet in front of the wagon, her father and Luna were standing together talking to two other ponies, Unicorns. Guards she assumed. They held spears and wore chainmail tunics with wrought iron helmets that had holes for their horns and ears to stick out. Behind the guards the entire wall was made of two heavy metal slabs that met in the middle. Celestia rushed over as calmly as she could. Her father was speaking casually with the guards, while Luna was slightly behind him, hands folded, behind her back, and eyes down, fienning fascination with the dirt floor.

“Hello there!” Celestia called as she pranced over. Bolt turned to see her and smiled.

“Ah there she is, this is-”

“Hi I’m Celestia! Pleasure to meet you!”

“You weren’t exaggerating about her Bolt” The darker furred unicorn chuckled

“Told you, Celestia this is Craft, he’s an old friend of mine,”

“Do you guard this door all day sir?” Celestia asked.

“No no, only in shifts miss,” he chuckled.

“Aren’t you getting a little old for outer guard duty Craft?”

“Volunteered for extra shifts this year, let the kids have more fun during the festival. Ebony! Good to see you again!” He said as Ebony walked up the wagon following behind, its roof dismantled and stored below.

“Good to see you too Craft, are we free to enter” Ebony said smiling,

“Yup you’re all good. This is your first time visiting Augeas right?” He asked Celestia

“Yes it is sir I can’t wait!”

“Hehe, well don’t let me hold you up then,”

Celestia and Luna got in the back of the wagon while Ebony and Bolt sat on the front bench. Craft and the other guard went to the far sides of the door and simultaneously knocked on it in a rhythmic pattern with their knuckles. After a moment a series of knocks came from the other side of the door, and the two guards knocked again in a different pattern. Then at last, slow and creaking, the doors swung back, and blinding light flooded the room. Celestia squinted, and when her eyes adjusted, she saw that the gate they came through was boxed in by metal walls, each 15 feet high and as long as the gate. On the other side of the walls were more guard, facing the gate. Straight ahead was a gatehouse 10 feet higher than the walls. As they approached, this second gate was opened to them, rising up into the gatehouse. The opening was barely wide enough to fit a single wagon.

They passed through, and Celestia stood up in the wagon, awestruck. Before her was a cavern of enormous magnitude. It was hundreds of feet high and both sides were honeycombed with windows of homes inside the cavern walls. To her left and right at the end of each wall was an opening with a wide staircase that went up. She could not see the top but there were many ponies going in and out. There were wide rectangular windows every couple of yards above the staircase, and Celestia caught glimpses of even more ponies moving inside. She surmised the staircase must somehow go all the way to the top, allowing ponies on the higher levels to reach their homes.

They moved farther in and she saw that about 15 yards from each side of the wall were roads packed with ponies of every color of the rainbow going back and forth. Between the two roads, was a red brick wall about a foot wide and 2 feet high which ran down the entire length of the cavern. On each side of the wall there were two lanes. Each of the four lanes was slightly wider than their wagon, and denoted by the color of the brick set into the ground. The lanes with white brick were next to the wall and had many wagons much like their own moving about, while the lanes with the black brick were on the outsides, and had many wagons parked along it.

About 50 yards ahead there was a brick overpass that went over the wagon lanes and connected the two roads, allowing ponies to get from side to side. Aligned with this overpass on each side was another flight of stairs leading up. As Celestia squinted and looked ahead there appeared to be an overpass and a set of stairs every 50 yards down the cavern, which stretched on and on and on, until she could barely see where the cavern opened up, and a great light almost as bright as the sun glistened.

“Mother, how long is this cavern,” Celestia asked in awe.

“This one?...This one is very long,” Ebony said slyly.

“This one?” Celestia said amazed, “How many are there?”

“Eight, my old master lives down the great hall opposite this one,” Celestia went slack jawed with amazement. Ebony and Bolt chuckled. They entered the lane on their right, where Celestia noticed all the wagons were moving the same direction towards the great light at the end of the hall, while all the wagons on their left moved away from it.

As they went through the city, Celestia marveled at all the different ponies. She saw some Fillies and Colts laughing as they ran together through the street, and couldn’t help laughing. She could remember being a filly with Luna, but to see them now made her wonder how she had ever been so small. Then she saw some incredibly old Ponies, Celestia was amazed that someone’s body could get that wrinkled and still work. What they all did was as varied as their size, shape, color and age. Some seemed to be making deliveries, unpacking baskets filled with food, cloth and other goods from parked wagons, and carrying them up a flight of stairs. She saw a group of Pegasi high up, repairing crumbling parts of the wall.

The homes on the bottom floor seemed to be mostly shops, their front doors right next to the street, as opposed to however the other ponies got into their homes after walking up the staircases. She saw the most through the windows of these bottom homes. One pony was sowing clothes, while a Unicorn was making pottery by levitating several instruments to shape his work on a flat spinning wheel, while some just engaged in friendly conversation. Then, she saw a Stallion.

He was Blue furred, Yellow maned, about her same age. He was wearing thick leather mittens and set a large stone paddle with several steamy loaves of bread on his window sill. Then he looked up and their eyes met. Celestia was overcome by a curious sensation, her heartbeat raced, and her whole body felt elated, and she was certain that her face had the same look of wonder that his did. Celestia had no idea why, but she liked that Stallion, a lot. He smiled and waved weakly with a mittened hand. Celestia couldn’t help but smile and wave back, her cheeks hot. As the wagon got farther away his head stuck farther and farther out the window to maintain eye contact with her, until at last he disappeared for a moment before stepping out his door to watch her go. He got smaller and smaller until he disappeared behind the crowd. Suddenly she was free of her trance, and almost called out for her mother to stop the cart so she could go talk to that Stallion. But she quickly realized how silly that would be and instead made a mental note of where he had been. She would find him again. In the meantime she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by rest of the city. But in the back of her mind she chuckled to herself, it seemed that she at long last knew what a handsome stallion looked like.

*****

Save for the endless cocugheny of the city outside, the library was tranquil. A young unicorn stallion sat at a brick desk in the middle of the square room, his horn glowing faintly. He was intently reading from a very large tome with very small text, occasionally scraping notes into an adjacent, blank book with his feather pen, his eye ever on one book or the other. The wall across from him held the front door and two windows on either side, looking out into the city. The rest of the walls were covered floor to ceiling with books resting in shelves hewn from the rock, save for a gap in the back wall for a flight of stairs which lead up, and down which a pair of hooves now walked.

“I have to go meet with the council now, mind the library,”

“Yes grandmother,” the stallion at the desk replied absentmindedly, gaze fixed downward.

“Oh and be ready to help Mrs.Rose and her family if they...STARSWIRL!” she shouted agitated as she came around the desk and saw his face, the bottom half of which was a messy thistle of uneven stubble, and on the top half sat an unkempt mane tied back into a sad stubby foxtail.

“Yes?” he asked, finally looking up from his book.

“You told me last night you were going to shave and clean yourself up,” Remembrance dawned on his face, then fell to surprise and anxious guilt.

“Apologies grandmother, it must have slipped my mind while I was studying,” he said apologetically. His grandmother was very old, her body had shriveled up like sheet of leather paper left next to a fire, but she was resilient like the deepest roots of an ancient tree, had lost none of her vigor for life and her mind had only sharpened with each new year of life.

“How do you expect to find a wife when you shuffle around looking like a dusty old rag all the time?” She asked exasperated. Starswirl looked away, cheeks red. He would be coming of age in two months and she’d been pestering him about his ragged visage more and more the past year. It wasn’t that he didn’t like mares, it just didn’t seem important to him right now. Besides none of them ever paid much attention to him. His grandmother sighed, “Whatever shall I do with you? taking his head in her hand and kissing him softly on the forehead. Starswirl looked back at her smiling slightly. “As soon as I get back,”

“Of course,” he said softly. She smiled back as she left, shaking her head slightly as she closed the door behind her. Starswirl’s smile dropped, and he returned to his work, brow furrowing. Starswirl loved his grandmother and knew she was only trying to help, but he still felt angry and annoyed. Why should it matter if he find a mare to marry? Mares his age were rather dull like most everyone else in the city. He usually didn’t talk to anyone when he walked through the streets, but he was always listening, amazed at how much they talked, yet how little they said. The talk of ponies was mundane, tedious, and rarely to the point. He preferred books, they didn’t waste his time. They got straight to the point and told you exactly what they wanted to without fluff or bluster. The only exception was novels and poems, who’s symbolism and prattling he cared little for. Feeling vindicated, he returned to his book.

A few minutes later, the door opened again and he heard a single pair of hoofsteps enter, follow by a gasp.

“Incredible,” the new voice said aloud. A mare, but he didn’t recognize her voice.

“Welcome to Nebula’s Library, if you’re new you’ll have to register before you can borrow anything,” He recited, eyes still on his tome.

“Amazing, is each one different?” She asked her voice rich and curious.

“We do have copies in storage but we only keep one of each down here,”

“I always knew there’d be a lot, but seeing them all now...I just didn’t know there were so many thing to write about!”

“Oh there’s a book for everything, history, agriculture, astronomy and uhh….” he trailed off as he looked up to see who he was talking to.

Starswirl had never seen the sun outside.

The only image he had of it in his mind was a few crudely stylized illustrations in his grandmother’s most ancient books. He began to recall poems about it, describing its brilliant, all encompassing beauty, so bright it hurt to stare at. This was the mare who stood before him, smiling wildly, face radiant, eyes gleaming with ravenous curiosity. “And...I...uh,” he stammered.

“Yes?” She asked, her eyes attentive and intelligent.

“I...haven’t seen you...before, first time in the library?”

“Oh right! I’m sorry, I got so excited I forgot my manners,” she held out her hand. “I’m Celestia and you?”

Starswirl’s mind froze. He was suddenly much more conscious of his ragged appearance. Nonetheless, he summoned up all his courage and extended his own arm towards her. His mind howled in panic as his hand entered his view. It was atrocious, dotted with ink stains leading up to fingernails that were black underneath. But she didn’t look at his hand, her lustrous fuchsia eyes were locked onto his. So he let his hand go to meet hers. It was quite soft, but her grip was firm.

“I’m Starswirl,” he said with all the confidence of a mouse in a cat’s jaws.

“Good to meet you Starswirl,” It was in this next instant that he finally noticed she was a Unicorn like him. His mind recalled a passage from a history book, describing how in the old Unicorn kingdom, noble lords would greet ladies with a kiss on the hand. That thought set his heart thundering, and he quickly and politely shook her hand, letting go before his palm started to sweat.

“Wow,” Celestia said running her fingers over the book he’d been reading from, “What do you use to make all these anyway?” Starswirl thanked the gods for her question, it allowed him to move his mind away from all the confusing thoughts clouding his head.

“Well it’s written that books were once made of paper from trees, but it's impossible to cut down trees outside for fear of being discovered. So my grandmother cultivated a derivation of the fungi we use to make our clothes, and its tough enough to serve as pages when cut thin.

“Incredible,” Celestia marveld. She had picked up Starswirl’s book and was running a page between her fingers. “But how do make all the copies? My mother’s writing lessons are so tedious, I can’t imagine how much time you’d need to make all these copies,”

“Oh that’s simple,” Starswirl said dismissively, “Follow me I’ll show you,” Starswirl said standing. Celestia followed him up the stairs. At the top, a hallway stretched left and right with several doorways. They passed this level and went up another stairwell, this one curving up and around, leading up to an identical hallway. Celestia guessed the stairwells she saw earlier must be like this one, but larger. They passed the second hall as well, going up another curved staircase. The third floor hallway was like the first two, except the doorways were all sealed with large slabs of flat stone, on which were carved glowing runes. Starswirl went to the first door on the left and placed a hand on it, his horn glowed and then the stone slid down into the ground. Celestia wondered what could be so important to merit such a complex magical protection. She followed Starswirl in and gasped. A rectangular room with two rows of five stone tables. On each lay two open books. The books on the left looked very old and had pages stacked tightly with words like the book on the table downstairs. But the ones on the right were blank...mostly, above them floated pens that moved of their own accord. Celestia watched as one of the pens wrote, then over at the words on the older book, The pen was copying it word for word.

“What kind of spell is this?” she asked.

“One of my grandmother’s. She said it took years to make it work properly. But now she’s able to copy all the books she’s found over the years and - OH! Please don’t touch them!” Celestia’s hand was moving towards one of the old books, but she snapped it back quickly.

“Oh sorry, are they fragile?”

“It’s the spell, if the book is moved too much it might disrupt the replication, and yes they’re also very fragile. My grandmother says we can only levitate them with magic, anything else is too dangerous,

“That old?”

“Yes and they were extremely hard to find. Ponies died during some of her expeditions to get these, including my parents,” Starswirl said giving the books a faraway look.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Celestia said placing a hand on his shoulder. Starswirl bit his tongue to keep from shouting. His heart pounded in response to her touch. He then breathed out deeply in an attempt to look dignified and considered.

“Thank you, but don’t worry yourself over it. It was long before I can remember. And besides they died for something important so, I suppose I can be proud of that”

The sound of Wild Bolt clearing his throat echoed through the room like a clap of thunder. Starswirl jumped and bit his tongue again to keep from shrieking like frientened foal. Celestia gasped and turned to her father who was leaning against the wall just outside the doorway, arms crossed and looking rather cross.

“Father! I-” she was cut off.

“Celestia, what happened to getting help to unload the wagon?”

“I….” she paused, the sound of her breathing in slowly through her smile like a balloon filling up with air. She tried thinking of an excuse but instead burst with excitement. “Sorry it's just, the books, and and everything and have you seen this room it's incredible!” Celestia said giddy, bouncing up and down on hooves. Wild Bolt couldn’t help but bellow with laughter, shaking his head.

“Go help you mother and sister,”

“Yes father, right away,” she pranced out of the room.

“I’ll...go help, good to see you again sir,” Starswirl said awkwardly.

“You as well Starswirl, you’ve grown quite a bit,” he ruffling Starswirl’s shaggy mane.

“Uh...yes,” he stammered before going down the stairs. Wild Bolt chuckled and shook his head. He had known Starswirl since the boy was a toddler. Every time he’d visited Augeas he had gotten a little bigger, but was always just sitting alone reading a book, or writing one, hardly speaking, and he had never seen Starswirl open up the way he had while talking to Celestia just now. He wasn’t too surprised. Celestia shined so brightly, nothing could stay hidden when she illuminated a room, not even shy little Starswirl; Wild Bolt wondered if that would always be a good thing.

*****

Luna hefted a heavy sack towards the library door.

“Be careful Luna,” her mother said from behind, holding a wicker basket in her arms and levitating a few more of the heavy sacks around her.

“Thankyou mother, but I’m quite fine-” Luna tripped on the doorframe which was slightly raised from the rest of the ground. She dropped the sack and nearly fell over herself. But Luna and the sack were held aloft by golden light. Celestia ran towards her, horn aglow.

“Sorry Luna, let me get that,” she said moving the sack to a pile to the left of the door, and set Luna upright on her feet again

“Celestia where were you?” Ebony Rose asked perturbed.

“Sorry Ma, Starswirl was showing me how they make the books, and oh right, Luna this is Starswirl. Starswirl, my sister Luna,”

“Hello,” Starswirl said nodding slightly.

“Greetings,” Luna said making brief eye contact then returning her gaze to the floor.

“Oh and hello again miss Rose,” Starswirl said to Ebony.

“Hello Starswirl, I hope you’re doing well?” she smiled warmly.

“Yes Mam, thank you. Oh and my grandmother went out, but she should be back shortly,”

“Ok then, let’s get the wagon cleared out,” Wild Bolt said coming down the stairs.

The five of them were able to empty the wagon in a single trip, and then it was stored in the communal storehouse at the end of the street.

“Starswirl, can you show the girls where they’ll be staying?” Ebony asked.

“OH yes I...uh,” Starswirl knew his grandmother had told him, probably even shown him which room they’d be staying in, but now it was gone.

“Of course you don’t remember. You spend so much time reading, if only I could just get you to hear through your eyes, you might actually listen once in awhile,” Nebula said as she entered.

“Master!” Ebony Rose said smiling.

“Oh my dear, it's so good to see you again,” She said embracing her student. Starswirl meanwhile tilted his head down so his shaggy mane might hide his blush of shame.

“Oh and you two beautiful ladies must be Celestia and Luna,”

“So glad to meet you master Nebula!” Celestia and Luna said together, bowing slightly.

“Wonderful to meet you as well,” Nebula said, “Now it's getting late, and you must all be famished from your journey. Wild Bolt, why don’t you show me how your studies have progressed the last year,”

“Of course Master,” Wild Bolt said with a wink and a pinch of sarcasm, “In fact I’ve created a few variations of the recipes you gave me,” he picked up a basket of produce they’d brought, “Though I’ll need my apprentice’s help,” he said looking to Celestia.

“Oh right!” Celestia said in realization “You did say Master Nebula taught you how to cook,”

“To be fair your father was quite talented when we met, I just helped him master his craft,” Nebulas said humbly.

“Ah I only knew how to throw together whatever my squad and found in the woods,” Wild Bolt said shaking his head “You taught me how to make real food,”

“You’re too kind dear, and you’ve been teaching Celestia?”

“Sure have,” he said putting the basket in one arm and hugging Celestia with the other. “She’s almost better with food than she is with swords,”

“When I started I only wanted to learn to make pies,” Celestia said somewhat embarrassed, “But I’ve really come to enjoy it, I wish making potions was as fun as cooking,”

“Speaking of potions,” Nebula said wryly. Ebony gulped, “Ebony darling how have your studies gone?”

“Well master I’ve mostly perfected the spells you assigned me, though...I had a few questions regarding the potions,” Ebony said slowly, speaking like a student who hasn’t finished their homework. Master Nebula laughed.

“Potions never was your strong suit Ebony, no wonder you’re an awful cook,” Nebula cackled. “Come Celestia the kitchen is upstairs, show me what your father has taught you” she said leading Celestia and Bolt up the steps.

“Master!” Ebony cried, red faced and embarrassed, stomping after them preparing a protest in her mind. Luna was about to follow then stopped, watching them go up.

“Do you have a latrine?” Luna asked Starswirl, her words quick. Catching him off guard.

“Um...yes next floor up second door on the left, I can sho-”

“Thank you,” Luna said as she went, cutting Starswirl off. She found the Latrine, pulling back the curtain that covered the doorway and tightly tugging it close. Luna wasn’t sure what she was feeling, she just knew she wanted quiet and solitude. She sat with her back to the wall, legs crossed, just staring at the floor. When Celestia called out her name, telling her it was time for supper, she took a deep breath and went down the hall where she found the dining room opposite the kitchen.

Supper was quite delicious. Luna kept her thoughts to herself, but Celestia exclaimed many compliments for Master Nebula’s cooking. When she ran out of exultations, Celestia began a never ending series of questions. She asked Nebula about the city, about magic, old stories about their parents. All the while Starswirl’s gaze was locked on Celestia. His eyes dancing on her face like a moth dancing around a flame. The elbow of his right arm was propped up on the table, head resting in its hand as he stared lazily at Celestia, mouth slightly ajar. Luna even thought at one point he had almost started drooling. Luna seemed to be the only one to notice this, except for Master Nebula.

“Starswirl!” Nebula had said loudly. Not so loud as to seem like a reprimand (Though Luna had a feeling it was) but in that loudness that naturally occurs when a group of friends are enjoying time together. Starswirl had been in his daydreaming stance for so long that his chin and the palm it sat in had gotten slick with sweat, and when his grandmother called his name his body had jerked in surprise and his head slipped from his hand so fast he nearly hit his chin on the table. Luna bit her tongue to keep from laughing aloud. “Could you go get the dessert Starswirl?” Nebula asked.

*****

So stomachs were filled, eyes began to droop, and soon all were off to bed. Celestia slept peacefully on the other side of the room, but no matter how long she kept her eyes closed and tried to clear her mind, Luna remained bound by consciousness. Nothing felt right, and it didn’t make sense. After living underground her whole life, she’d had trouble sleeping outside on their journey, with the constant hum of nature in her ear, it should be easier for her to sleep here, yet it was harder than ever. She desperately missed her room back home, the kitchen, the garden, the training room, her little nook on the cliff, she wanted to be back there. Luna let out a squeak as she began to cry. She clamped her hands over her mouth, desperate not to wake Celestia, but the tears continued to flow. The crying turned to sobbing and she pulled her cover tighter over her head to muffle the noise. She let it all out as quietly as she could, and only then, body exhausted by sorrow, was she able to fall asleep.

.Chapter 2 End.

Author's Note

Huh? Oh! Hi there! Thank you for reading all the way to the end of the chapter, means the world! I hope you enjoyed. If you have the time I'd love some feedback, positive or negative as long as its constructive :D

Keep on trotting my pony friends ;) <3

Book 1 - Chapter 4: The Council of Augeas

Founders of Harmony

Book 1: World of Chaos

Chapter 4: The Council Augeas

The Council of Augeas was formed roughly twenty years ago. The population had become too numerous, with too many factions who’s needs and interests conflicted. Master Nebula knew a more formalized government would be needed to keep the city functioning and to keep it a secret. So the Council was formed with five members selected by the largest guilds that represented the vast majority of the city’s populace.

Ebony Rose now sat in the Council’s meeting room, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. The blanket covered basket in her lap feeling heavier with each passing moment. Her palms perspired more than usual inside her gloves, as they rested atop it. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils, heart pounding, barely maintaining her calm veneer. Nebula placed a reassuring hand on Ebony’s arm. She said nothing, but Ebony’s heart calmed. Feeling a bit better she looked up at the other members of the council, assembled about the round, stone hewn table.

Directly to her right was Boulder Buster, an aged Unicorn who’s once bright viridian fur had lost much of its vibrance, now a faded green. What hadn’t changed was his abnormally large ears and his uncanny ability to place them against a cavern wall to determine the best path to dig. He had been with Nebula decades ago when they first found some crumbling ruins of a long vanished subterranean species, deep in a mountain cave. But Boulder’s ears, combined with his mastery of controlled explosion magic, uncovered deep, ancient paths leading to the cavernous halls which became the city of Augeas. He led the Mason’s Guild, who’s operations in the following decades uncovered more caverns, converted into makeshift farmland to feed the swelling population. The guild also spearheaded construction of the city’s wagon road system and tended to the structural maintenance of the city in general.

After Boulder was Silver Spade, the middle aged Earth Pony who led the Farmer’s Guild. A stocky, brown furred Earth Pony with an almost metallic silver mane tied back into a neat bun. She had a more elegantly shaped head and face that looked almost mismatched on her body. It started wider, housing her bright inquisitive eyes, then narrowed to a rather petite muzzle usually only seen in Unicorns.

Under Nebula’s tutelage, Silver Spade had mastered the craft of swapping genes between different plant and vegetable species as described in an ancient book. She crossbred many different plants so that potatoes, lettuce, carrots and more could be grown in relative abundance underground with little to no sunlight. Her greatest, and by far most difficult accomplishment was alongside Nebula. After ten years of work they discovered a way to mix the genes of other plants with mushrooms. Using this knowledge they were able to create a new mushroom species that grew five feet tall, with a trunk about a foot thick, and who’s cap grew several feet in diameter. The caps could be cut and shaved to become a leather like clothing or pages for books. Their trunks, thick like a tree, could be used for construction.

Opposite the table from Silver Spade, wearing a striking rainbow half cape over a yellow tunic and trousers that matched her golden mane, and contrasted pleasantly with her bright teal fur, was the Pegasus Threadbare. She had personally crafted every piece of her attire, and its extravagance was matched only by the complex mural of scratches, scars and calluses on her hands, which nearly obscured the rainbow thread moving through the eye of a cracked needle that was her Cutie Mark. She’d collected the scars mastering several crafts and becoming respectable at all the rest. She had learned from all the artisans in Augeas over the years and earned their respect. This led to her being chosen as representative for the Artisan’s Guild on the council. The guild that looked after the well being of blacksmiths, tailors, carpenters, glassworkers, bakers and all the rest.

A few of her scars could also be found on her narrow, elegantly curving face that resembled a wind blown cloud. Her mane was short but curvy and slicked back with some kind of oil. But all this could not distract from her narrow and furtive eyes. Along with her small, soft smile, she had the look of parent bemusedly entertaining the naive question of a child with. Or it was the look of a predator in nature, prey backed into a corner, savoring the moment before the kill. Or it could simply be the look of a curious pony who learned by carefully observing the work of others. It could any of these, or none. No one could say, for she gave the same look to everyone, in every situation, in whatever mood she was in.

Lock Jawed and brow eternally furrowed, his once cherry red fur now rusty, with white mane and tail cropped short was General Phalanx. A Unicorn who was second in age only to Nebula. He commanded the guard of the city and still took a part in the training of recruits. Strict, and uncompromising, he would accept nothing less than each volunteer’s best. Like Threadbare, Phalanx had a long, narrow face, but his was sharp, and angular, as though cut from stone. This made it appear as though he was constantly furious at everything and everyone. But his ire had only one source, the other Unicorn who was now entering the room.

With a horn twice as long as any other Unicorn, behind which sat a surprisingly simple gold crown atop a short black mane; King Quartz levitated his chair into the room, planting himself at the table opposite Nebula. Appearing to be structurally sound but with enough black and blue markings to betray the decay within; Ebony often thought Quartz resembled a rotting potato. The resplendent purple robe he worse only drew attention to just how much the color of his own purple fur had faded. Fur that now bulged with excess fat. Face puffy and eyes watery. But his chubby arms hid well kept muscles, and his drooping face was a mask concealing his cunning intellect. Nebula had once told Ebony that there was no one she acted friendlier towards, and trusted less.

No one on the council liked Quartz, and the General loathed him. King Quartz had been the first to retreat during the final battle. Phalanx had also seen that the day was lost, but there had been a plan, which, if followed properly, would have allowed many more ponies to escape. But Quartz had forgone the plan and withdrawn all his most loyal troops, later claiming he misinterpreted commands and was devastated by the needless loss of so many good Ponies.

The council was not fooled, and they would never have given him a seat and a vote among them, if somehow half the Unicorns did not still hold their king in divine reverence. But they did, and they demanded that the one appointed by the gods be on the council to voice their interests.

Ebony cursed him under her breath. The image of her friends, sliced to pieces by Manticore claws, still haunted her nightmares. But Karma had kept tally of Quartz’s debts. Years after the battle, Quartz had his first and only child, a daughter. But one day their hideout was discovered, and in the chaos of the escape Quartz lost the child and his legs. Though he’d been through a dozen “queens” since, he remained unable to sire another heir. Ebony did feel sorry for the lost princess, she hadn’t asked to be born to such filth. At least none others had been born with such a fate thrust upon them.

“Oh your grace!” General Phalanx said scathingly, the sarcasm practically sparking off his horn. “We are honored that you granted our request for an audience,”

“I’ve no time for your childish goading Phalanx,” Quartz spat, “My duties keep me quite busy, I can’t be expected to be punctual for every little meeting,”

“Well as a tactician, I’ve learned the value of punctuality and organization, but based on what I’ve seen of your timing I doubt you can even finish at the right time and place to produce and heir,”

“Enough! Nebula, why on earth are we having a meeting so suddenly?” Quartz demanded. Nebula rose and began to speak.

“Worry not Quartz, this matter is of the utmost importance. Everyone, I’d like to introduce Ebony Rose, an old student of mine. She and her family live out in the wild as one of our frontier reconnaissance posts and, well...it's probably best if you just show them dear,” Nebula finished looking at Ebony who gulped, and stood up. Horning glowing, she relinquished the basket, removing the cover as it floated to the center of the table.

There was an audible assortment of small gasps and puzzled grunts as they beheld its contents. A vibrant and picturesque assortment of fruits and vegetables, the likes of which none of them had seen before. Bright, blood red tomatoes that could barely fit in one’s hand. Cucumbers greener than grass that were as long and thick as the general’s aged but muscular forearms. Ears of corn with an almost golden sheen, and karrots so large you could fix them to lances meant to fell bears and Manticores.

“Sweet mother of earth, did ya grow these?” Silver Spade asked in awe as Ebony set the basket between Spade and Boulder, letting them take a few pieces.

“Yes we grow them in our home underground,” Ebony said passing the basket around the whole table.

“How’d yah grow em this big without sunlight?” Silver Spade asked, eyes exploding with amazement before taking a hearty bite from an onion bigger than the tomatoes.

“A new light crystal spell?” Phalanx asked. The ponies had devised many uses for the abundance of crystals found in the sanctuary and surrounding tunnels. A Unicorn could use a simple spell to provide illumination or store the smoke from a fire. They had even managed to capture some sunlight within them, but not remotely enough to even dream of producing crops of this quality.

“Actually, it was my daughter Celestia, she’s a Unicorn, and a few years ago, when she got her Cutie Mark she…” Ebony looked to Nebula who nodded in reassurance. “She discovered she was able to create a mostly self sustaining, miniature...sun,” at this, Quartz exploded with laughter.

“What’s this hoof crust? You actually expect us to believe that?” he said rolling a half eaten apple across the table.

Two fists slammed down on the table.

“By the earth itself Quartz!” Phalanx growled, “Do you really think Master Nebula would have brought miss Rose here if she hadn’t already confirmed the validity of this claim?”

“Even Master Nebula with all her great achievements hasn’t woven a spell that could create a sun. Now you expect me to believe some freshly marked filly can create such a thing from instinct?” Quartz retorted.

“Well,” Threadbare said calmly, her voice airy, marvelling at an ear of corn she had to hold in both hands, “It is said that the Alicorns of old once held mastery over the cycles of day and night itself, and we are their offspring, however diminished, its not entirely implausible that a young Unicorn could be born with with such an extraordinary talent,”

“Yes but still-” Quartz began.

“Miss Rose, when do we meet your daughter?” Boulder Buster asked, speaking for the first time, “I assume you brought her with ya to the city,” his voice was deep and calm, reverberating strangely in the small room like a drip of water from a stalactite echoing through a large cavern.

“Um, yes sir, she’s here,” Ebony said, trying not to look at the thoroughly aggravated Quartz, who detested being so completely ignored.

“And Ebony will bring Celestia tomorrow so she can demonstrate her ability to everyone,” Nebula added, “But it must be early, 3am. I think everyone would agree we must wait before making this information public, until we’re certain of how it will effect the city, no?” Nebula asked warmly, none disagreed.

“Delightful,” Boulder said without a trace of enthusiasm before letting out a long yawn “Now I don’t have to listen to you kids yammer all day,” he got up, “I’ll have my excavators clear out of the new southern cavern tomorrow morning. Will that be enough space Neb?”

“Thank you Boulder, that should be perfect,” Nebula said nodding.

“My pleasure, good day all,” Boulder Buster left the room, all the while Quartz’s fist shook slightly on the armrest of his chair.

*****

Ebony and Nebula walked together through the streets. Ebony still shaky, but while it began as nervousness, upon seeing King Quartz it became anger and sadness.

“Are you alright Rose dear?” Nebula asked, curiously observing Ebony’s stoic face.

“Master,” Ebony said, “I need a drink.”

*****

The Rock Bottom Pub was among the first of such establishments within Augeas. It had existed in one form or another since the city’s founding. Originally it's chairs and tables had been unwanted chunks of stone from the excavation of the city and the digging of new tunnels. As the city became home to more craftsman, those chunks were carved into more recognizable forms. Today it remained one of the most popular pubs in the city. Each evening it bustled with ponies looking to unwind after a hard day’s work. But now, early in the afternoon, it was sparsely populated.

“Master, I have a stupid question,” Ebony Rose asked before finishing off her third glass of Whisky.

“Oh my, that’ll be your last drink then,” Master Nebula took a sip from her wine glass, “I know I taught you that there’s no such thing as a foolish question.”

“Fair warning all the same,” Ebony stared wistfully into her empty glass, cheeks starting to match her scarlet mane. “What da you think would happen. If one morning. King Quartz was found...murdered in his bed?”

“Ebony Rose!” Nebula was aghast.

“I know, dummmm question,” Ebony put one of the half melted ice cubes in her mouth. “His subjects would blame the council, cry for blood, and lotza ponies would die in riots,”

“A...reasonable prediction,” Nebula said cautiously, while subtly casting a sound damping spell around them. Her eyes darting around for any potential eavesdroppers. The last thing she needed was rumor of Master Nebula discussing Quartz’s murder with anyone.

“Soooo,” Ebony crunched the ice cube in her jaw. “What iffff one morning, they found he’d just, passed in the night? His fat heart finally giving up on him?”

“Well-” Nebula began.

“Would they like, get a new king?” Ebony interrupted Nebula, putting the second ice cube in her mouth. “Or would the dolts finally give it up?”

Nebula remained silent, deciding to let whatever had overtaken Ebony to simply run its course.

“I thought about it alot...killing Quartz...back when Bolt and I still lived here,” Ebony did not crunch the second ice cube, but turned it around in her mouth like it was helping her think. “I wanted ta sneek in one night and slit his throat. Buuuuuut that woulda been bad. I’d hafta make it look NATChural. Sum kinda slow poison, so he’d die asleep,” Ebony stopped momentarily as she was overtaken by a fit of laughter “Too bad I’m shit at potions!” Ebony turned to Nebula with a sarcastic half smile. “But I did it!” Ebony crunched the second ice cube “I made tha poison!” Ebony whispered triumphantly, anxious horror creeping onto Nebula’s face. “Tried it on a reeeeL live rat! Six hours laterrrrr. Dead rat,”

“Ebony. Dear. we should head ba-”

“But how would I get inta his Liddle palace? Invisible spell? I can’t do that! Sneak in as a servant? Maybeee. I even thought I about pretendin ta be one of his breeding sows,” Ebony chuckled “Now that was dumm idea! Especially with theeze.” Ebony pulled of her gloves, revealing her bare, furrless hands, webbed with a maze of red burn scars. “Fucker...allllll hissss fault!”

Nebula’s further attempts to sooth her were muffled by the crackle of memories sparking to life. Memories surging through her mind like wildfire across a plane of dry grass. Memories forever branded upon her hands.

.Chapter 4 End.

Book 1 - Chapter 5: Cinders of the Past

Author's Note

Hey All,
If you're reading this, Thank You! I'm glad you enjoyed the story enough to make it this far. Just a heads up I won't be posting a new chapter next week. Don't worry I'm not falling behind. I have the rough drafts of the next several chapters written. But I want to take time to rewrite large swaths of Chapter 2. I was reading it over with a friend and I decided I'm really not happy with how my description of the city turned out. But after that we'll be back to our regularly scheduled (kinda) adventure (Sorta)

Good Night all!

Book 1 - Chapter 5: Cinders of the Past

Founders of Harmony

Book 1: World of Chaos

Chapter 5: Cinders of the Past

“HOOOOOOOOOLD! HOLD YOUR GROUND!” The officer yelled as streams of Earth Pony and Unicorn infantry ran in a panic past her squad of Unicorn Artillery. She watched in shock as a terrified soldier ran like the ground was cracking open, and Tartarus itself threatened to swallow him whole. “EBONY ROSE!” The officer yelled in her face, shaking her violently. “I DID NOT TELL YOU TO STOP! KEEP FIRING!” In a daze, Ebony obeyed. Her horn glowed and a fireball began to form between her hands. She recalled her teachings. An old mare named Nebula had supervised training for a large field full of Unicorns.

“Don’t grow the fire faster than you can handle, or you might well blow your hands off,” Nebula had instructed in a booming voice. Despite the deafening sound of battle all around, Ebony took a deep breath and let her energy flow naturally. When the fireball reached the appropriate size; she thrust her arms up at a forward angle launching it high into the air, where it was silhouetted against the swarms of aerial Pegasus troops battling one another. They looked like a swarm of gnats buzzing wildly about. The fireball arched and landed beyond the friendly infantry battalion directly in front of them, which had managed to hold despite the other formations dissolving around them. Ebony was at the left end of ten unicorns standing in a line, launching fireballs from afar to support the frontline. Behind them were two more Unicorns, horns glowing brightly and arms outstretched, maintaining a barrier that protected the unit from arrows and other magical attacks. In front were a few lightly armored Earth Ponies with large but crude wooden shields and spears tipped with magically sharpened stones. They were there to protect them incase anything big enough to just walk through the barrier got through the front line. The officer went past Ebony to far right side of the firing line and grabbed a fleeing soldier, pulling him into the barrier.

“WHO GAVE YOU ORDERS TO RETREAT SOLDIER?”

“IT’S OVER! King Quartz already withdrew! They have Manticores! We’re being torn apart!”

“UNTIL GENERAL PHALANX ORDERS A FULL RETREAT WE ARE GOING TO STAND OUR GROUND AND-” The Sergeant was cut off as a loud noise shrieked behind them. It was accompanied by three bright streams of magic, the middle was bright white flanked by two reds, the signal for a full retreat. The officer gazed up at the light in disbelief, letting go of the soldier who wasted no time resuming his manic flight. “Listen UP!” the officer began, turning to the squad who stared at him blankly. “IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE WE NEED TO BE CALM AND ORGANIZED! NOW FIRST-”

The sergeant disappeared mid sentence, crushed by a hulking beast that had come from above. A manticore, mane bloody and burned from the battle above, snarled at them through a blood drenched maw. It unfurled its batlike wings, casting a shadow over the entire squad. Then in nearly a single moment it killed both of the unicorns maintaining their barrier. One was sliced clean in two at the waist by razor sharp claws, the other impaled by the black scorpion tail that stretched unnaturally over its head.

This all happened just as Ebony had nearly finished charging a fireball. Turning towards the manticore in surprise, she accidentally sent the fire ball hurling towards the mass that had crushed the sergeant. The manticore was struck directly in its right eye. It roared in pain, briefly staggering back before fixing Ebony with an angry glare from its other eye. Then the unicorn beside Ebony was struck in the chest by an arrow, and it finally registered in her mind that the barrier had fallen.

For the next few minutes, Ebony wasn’t wholly cognizant of her actions as panic and fear overwhelmed her. When she finally regained awareness, she was sprinting wildly, halfway between her squad and the forest that had been on the army’s left flank. She heard a Manticore roar from behind. Same One? Didn’t Matter. Ebony reached the forest, but she was barely beyond the first few trees when she tripped on something, and twisted around as she fell, landing flat on her back. She squinted as pain shot through her, then opened her eyes to behold the Manticore, right eye still scorched, poised above her. It raised a paw, 5 claws shining grimly in the dark forest. Ebony froze in fear. It was over. Then a Pegasus fell through the trees, colliding with the top of the beast’s head and bouncing off, landing hard on the ground. The manticore roared in pain again, the Pegasus’ spear had gotten awkwardly lodged at the base of it’s neck during the collision. It reared back, trying to get at the spear with a paw, its neck contorted upward in pain. Ebony watched in wide eyed shock for a few seconds before she realized what she had to do. She sprung back to her feet with manic energy and rushed towards the Manticore. Standing directly under the flailing beast, Ebony’s horn glowed brightly. A small glowing orb of fire sparked to life in her hands, she pointed it upwards, and then, she lost control. She allowed the energy to flow faster than she could handle, and just before she thought it was going to burst, she released it.

A searing flash of light, an air splitting crack, and the explosion incinerated the Manticore’s neck, effectively decapitating it. Ebony was blown back, colliding with a nearby tree. Her ears rung, and she couldn’t see for several seconds. When her sight did return, she screamed as she beheld her hands, completely engulfed in flames. She created an orb of water at the tip of her horn, and in her panicked state the it grew enormous before crashing down on top of her. It extinguished her hands and completely drenched her. With all immediate threats to her life resolved, Ebony let herself sit and shiver for a few moments.

Movement

She looked over to the Pegasus, yellow fur, dark orange mane, around her age and rather stocky for his kind. His wings were mangled. The right wing was pierced by a Manticore spine near a joint. The left one looked oddly crumpled; he’d probably landed on it. He had stood and pulled off his helmet, looking around at his surroundings, dumbfounded. Ebony gazed past him through the trees, and gasped. She could see the enemy had overrun the resistance army. A squad of bat ponies was approaching the forest. Someone must have heard the explosion. They hadn’t spotted Ebony and the Pegasus yet, but they were advancing steadily. Ebony scrambled forward, and grabbed the still bewildered pegasus by the hand.

“We have to run,” she said breathless pointing to the approaching enemies.

“Oh...shit,” he said with panicked exhaustion. Without another word they fled deeper into the woods. It would have been hard enough to perceive the passage of time in a world that wasn’t distorted by a god of chaos. But as day, turned to night and every other time, at random intervals, Ebony and the Pegasus were practically in a dream state as they ran.

and ran

Until the Pegasus collapsed

Ebony ran a few more paces before she realized his hand had slipped from her grasp. She stopped and turned, instantly dizzied by the sudden change in momentum. She fell to her knees. He’d fallen on his face, his wings limp. She crawled over to him, and checked his pulse. Heart still beating, lungs still breathing, wings...a disaster. She had to act fast. She had no knowledge of pathfinding, so If she wanted to have any hope of getting back to the resistance, to her friends, her home, her life, she would need his wings to heal properly. Then he could fly up and find a way back for them. So first…

The pain returned, or rather she remembered it, it hadn’t gone anywhere. Her hands ached and she looked at them for the first time since they’d been on fire. The fur was completely burned off, probably never to grow back, in addition it looked like she’d suffered serious burns. Her skin was red and had swollen in many places. With her horn she floated her medicine pouch off from her belt and dumped its contents onto the grass. She selected a bottle of salve, and poured it onto her hands as well as she could with telekinetics. Then, as gently as she could, she rubbed her hands together to spread the salve. Lastly she closed her eyes and began the healing spell. A green orb of light engulfed her shaking hands, using as much energy as she could spare to repair the wounded flesh. It eased the pain, and for the first time since before the battle, Ebony felt something akin to calm. But with her guard lowered the buildup of exhaustion fell upon her and she was instantly asleep.

***

It was light when Ebony Rose awoke, leaves rustling peacefully above. She tilted her head and saw a large yellow Pegasus, unconscious on the ground. She gasped. The battle. The Manticore. It all came rushing back to her, including the wellsprings of pain her hands had become. They had healed some. She got to her knees and was able to apply more salve without telekinesis, but it still hurt to move them. She breathed deep and began another healing spell, but her stomach growled, and pain surged in her forehead as her muscles gave out and she collapsed to the ground. Between the battle, the spells, and the unknown hours they’d spent running without rest, her body was thoroughly depleted.

“Don’t pass out.”

After a few minutes she was able to sit up again. She ate from her rations, and drank from her water pouch, and let her body recover strength for a time. When she started to feel better, she slowly stood up on her hooves. She was light headed and stumbled a bit, but it passed quickly and her head was clear...er. She walked over to the Pegasus and checked his pulse. Still alive. She looked at his wings. The left wing was fractured, the humerus was bent at one end, she could re-align them easily enough. The right wing was the problem. There was a Manticore spine lodged just below the bone, near the first joint. Probably what sent him falling to the ground. The spine was almost certainly barbed, and she did not have the skill to remove it properly by enlarging the wound and carefully pulling it out. Even if she’d had the skill, she couldn’t trust such a delicate operation to her shaky hands, or the horn atop her tired, clouded mind. Her safest bet would be to push the spine out the other side until all the barbs had pierced through. Then she could cut the spine in two, remove it, and cauterize the wound. She found a dagger on his belt and used it to cut and shave away the feathers around the wound and where the arrowhead would emerge. Then she grabbed an appropriately sized fallen branch to stick between his teeth. Going around to the front so she’d be able to see the barb when it emerged she levitated the wing up. She put both hands atop the spine, took a deep breath, and pushed down. With a rip, and splurt of blood, the barbs pierced through the skin. The pegasus awoke gasping and shrieking in pain, the branch in his mouth cracked in a few places, and he began to move around in a panic. Ebony laid her right hand on his head.

“Please stay still or you might never fly again,” She said calmly. He turned his head slightly, one eye staring at her confused and afraid. She kept a solemn face, trying to exude confidence and keep him calm. He didn’t say anything, but planted his head in the ground and squeezed his eyes shut, biting down hard on the branch. “Thank you. Your wing got hit with a Manticore spine, once I remove it, I’ll need to cauterize the wound and that will likely hurt the most, so stay as still as you can,” he nodded slightly. With the dagger she cut the shaft in two above the barbs, and pulled both pieces out. She made a small ball of fire in her hand and held the top half of the dagger in the flame until it glowed orange. His flesh sizzled with each press of the dagger on his wing, he uttered a deep guttural growl through the branch, but kept his body dead still. “Ok now fold this wing up, your other one is fractured...that will hurt as well.” After a snap of bone and muscle, another strained growl, and a small healing spell, the left wing was...better than before. The Pegasus slowly folded it back in as well, then spit out the branch.

“I think you picked the absolute worst tasting piece of wood in all of Equestria,” He said matter of factly, tilting his head to look at her.

“Well I hardly had time to taste them all in advance,” She said annoyed. He chuckled in disbelief.

“It was a joke friend...I’m trying to ignore the pain,”

“Oh...of course...sorry,” she said embarrassed.

“Gods don’t apologize. You probably saved my wings, and my life I’d wager,”

“Just repaying the favor,”

“Really? When did I save your life?” he asked genuinely curious.

“When you fell, you landed on the Manticore that was about to kill me,”

“Oh, I was wondering why the ground was so soft when I hit it” He said as he slowly sat up. “Name’s Wild Bolt, 3rd aerial cavalry division, and since we're friends now you can just call me Bolt,” he said extending a hand to Ebony.

“OH! Um, Ebony Rose, Unicorn artillery,” she said taking his hand without thinking and shaking it. She went to let go but Bolt held firm.

“The hell happened to your hands?” He said looking genuinely worried at them.

“The Manticore,” she said pulling away. “Your spear got stuck in its neck, so while it was distracted I...um...purposefully mis-cast a fireball and...blew its neck off,”

“Well...shit, thanks. I you owe you more than one,”

“No, its like I said, if you hadn’t landed on it, I would’ve died anyway,”

“Well, all the same…” silence followed and they looked away from each other. “So, where’s everyone else? Did we set up camp after the retreat?”

“It’s...just us. An enemies were approaching and we had to run into the forest...I have no idea where we are,” she looked at him feeling slightly embarrassed. He stared back as he began to remember his last memories from yesterday, and looking around he finally understood their situation.

“Shit...wait then the battle-”

“We lost,” Ebony interrupted “The lines around my unit collapsed to the Manticores, I heard King Quartz was withdrawing his forces, and that was before I saw the retreat flares. If I had to guess, we were completely routed and...”

“And you doubt there’s much of a rebellion left,” Bolt finished, Ebony bowed her head silently in confirmation. He let out a heavy sigh. They sat there together for a long time. Ebony staring awkwardly down at the grass, and Bolt pensively up into the trees. Then, very slowly and deliberately, Bolt began to stand up. When he was upright, he waited for a moment to see if the rest of his body would hold up. He stretched slowly and cautiously, wincing with every movement as he began to discover all the bruises he earned from his fall, thankfully that’s all they were. Then he spent a few minutes walking around the grove, before going behind a tree and relieving himself, in a manner that Ebony thought was quite loud and a bit crude.

‘He could’ve at least gone a bit out of earshot’ She thought. But truthfully she was too tired to really care.

“Right so, can you walk?” Bolt said approaching, still in the middle of buckling his trousers.

“What?” she turned towards him.

“Can you walk? We need to go,” Bolt repeated, dead serious.

“Right now?”

“Oh yeah. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this a lovely little grove and you look very nice sitting there in the sunlight. But we need to find somewhere the both of us can get rest our wounds, and hide from pursuit,”

“Pursuit?” Ebony asked confused, “Surely if anyone was still following us we’d have been killed in our sleep,”

“Not necessarily,” Bolt shook his head and gazed into the forest. “Even if they gave up after a bit and had to rejoin their main force, they’ll send someone to scour the countryside. You know how much Discord hates rebels.”

“Yes…” Ebony said, beginning to understand where Bolt was going.

“And as I was walking around I saw where we came in and...whelp if we left that obvious a trail the whole way we ran,

“Then finding us would be trivial,” Ebony sighed.

“That and I just got rid of what I half expected to be my last meal,” Bolt began ‘Ewww’ Ebony thought “We need food, water, and somewhere with enough tree cover that sky hunters won’t be able to see us from above.

“Very well,” Ebony said getting slowly to her hooves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to prepare her still worn body and mind.

“You good?” Bolt asked, eyes darting momentarily down to her hands. Ebony opened her eyes.

“For now,”

“Ok, follow right behind me, I’ll keep us from making too much of a mess,”

While they walked it changed from day to night 9 different times, for random amounts of time. They came across an almond tree at one point and gathered what they could. As for water, they hadn’t heard even a whisper of a distant stream or river. Ebony’s water skin wouldn’t last much longer between the two of them and she was so exhausted she feared using a spell to fill it, lest Bolt have to carry her unconscious. Still they pressed on. As they continued Ebony noticed that nearly every 5 to 10 minutes Bolt would turn his head to look at her before facing forward again, and it was beginning to perturb her.

“I’m fine,” Ebony said at last, rather tursely.

“What?” Bolt asked.

“You keep looking to see if I’m going to faint. But I’m fine, and if I do feel as though I’m about to faint, I’ll tell you I need to stop,” Bolt chuckled at this.

“Oh no. I’m just making sure you’re not too close; incase I faint and fall on top you. Then you definitely wouldn’t be fine. I’m pretty heavy.” he said casually. Ebony stopped in her tracks, completely disarmed.

“What?”

“Well I got shot in the wing, fell from the sky and broke my other wing by landing on a Manticore. So if anyone faints suddenly, it’ll probably be me,” At this he turned back to look at her now thoroughly puzzled face. He waited a few seconds and when her face didn’t change he said “Rose, you understand...humor? Right?”

“Of course, of course I do I-” she stammered, embarrassed again. He laughed.

“It’s ok, you’ll figure it out,” Bolt began to walk again. After a moment she followed, somewhat more at ease than before. Or perhaps she just was distracted from the monotony of their hike while she wondered if he really might faint and fall back on top of her. She made sure there was enough space between them.

Another dozen shifts in time, and now they were walking on terrain that sloped downward making it harder to get proper hoofing. Ebony wasn’t sure how much farther she could go.

“Hey,” she said audibly more tired than before, “Maybe we should stop,”

“Not yet,” he said turning back, looking quite exhausted himself, “I think we’re almost there, we need to keep moving while we have momentum,”

“Almost to waht?”

“I’ve been following some animal tracks for awhile now, good chance it’ll lead to water,”

“And if not?”

“Well...there’s also a good chance we’ll get some rain before we die of thirst,”

“That’s...definitely not funny.”

“Course not, I’m getting tired. You’d be surprised how much work a good joke takes,”

She stared back at him blankly.

More time passed, until it had stayed night for quite some time with thankfully enough light to see by the moon. Ebony estimated her water skin had been empty for around five hours, they needed to rest, then maybe she’d be strong enough to fill it with a spell before they continued.

“Bolt...I...think,” She spoke slowly, tired, making sure each word didn’t make her pass out.

“SHHHHH!” He whispered, holding up a hand and cocking an ear forward.

“Waaa?” she asked confused.

“Listen!” He whispered again. Ebony listened, and heard an ever so slight trickling sound of water.

“AHH!” She said louder than she expected, “Oh sorry,”

“It’s fine, let’s go,” he said as they continued down, the ground beginning to level out. As it did, the sound of the water got louder and louder, and Ebony began to wonder just how big this stream they’d found was. Finally the trees ended and they came upon a river at least half a mile wide, which went on a ways to their right before plunging off a cliff as a waterfall.

“OH BUCK YEAH!” Bolt cheered, rushing to the river’s edge and plunged his muzzle into the water drinking greedily. Ebony did the closest thing to rushing she could and sat beside him, filling her water sack and then drinking.

“I won’t lie, a little longer, and you’d have had to carry me,” Bolt said breathing deeply.

Ebony let out a little chuckle.

“Pffft, I’d have just rolled you down the hill,” Ebony said looking to Bolt who starred back in disbelief. A few moments of silence followed before they both broke out into raucous laughter, the stress of the many hours before expunged from their systems.

“See Rose, I knew you’d figure it out,”

“I…am going to fall asleep now,” she said wiping her eyes with water.

“Actually,” he said getting up, “don’t close your eyes just yet, I have a hunch,” he said offering her a hand.

“What now?” she asked taking his hand and standing.

“C’mon,” he said as he walked them toward the waterfall. Reaching the rocky edge, they peered over and saw it went down at least a hundred feet, forming a lagoon below before the river continued. Ebony took a few steps back after peering over.

“What about it?” She asked, looking back at the edge nervously.

“Look” he said pointing to the right of the waterfall. The ground sloped down and gave way to rocky stone platforms, “I’d bet you there’s a nice cave somewhere on the way down,”

Ebony looked at the rocks and the tough walk down it would likely be.

“Must we?” she asked feeling more exhausted than ever.

“I know, but a cave is the perfect place to hide from sky patrols,” He said sympathetically.

“If we do find a cave, does it mean we can sleep safely for longer?”

“Sure does,”

“Very well,”

It took some careful walking, making sure they didn’t slip and fall. But about halfway down a cliff jutted out of the rock, more than big enough for them to walk on, and near the middle, an opening.

“C’mon let’s check it out,” he said taking the lead as they went. They ducked their heads a bit to enter and Ebony lit her horn so they could see inside. The cave was round and large enough to fit a dozen ponies with room to spare “Nice! ,mostly dry, no signs of animals, this’ll do!”

“Thank the gods,” Ebony said throwing her pack to the ground, resting her head on it as she laid down. “Sleep on your stomach, don’t hurt your wings,” as she finished speaking, she extinguished the light from her horn so that only the bit of moonlight that slipped through the waterfall lit the cave.

“Right good call, wouldn’t want-” Bolt began but stopped when he saw Ebony was already fast asleep. He sighed, took off his leather cuirass, and layed down on his stomach, using the armor as a makeshift pillow. “Ehh I’ll come up with something better in the morning,” he said yawning to himself right before he fell asleep.

End Chapter 5

Book 1 - Chapter 6: Shy Souls and Jealous Hearts

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Book 1 - Chapter 3: The Horn is Mightier Than The Sword

Founders of Harmony

Book 1: World of Chaos

Chapter 3: The Horn is Mightier than the Sword

“Father, where are we going?” Celestia asked for the third time that morning. She walked closely behind her father, followed by Starswirl and Luna.

“I told you, it's a surprise,” Bolt said smiling excitedly. Celestia looked back at Luna, who shrugged, just as puzzled.

“Well this is the artisan's district, do you have an order you're picking up Mr.Bolt?” Starswirl asked.

“Shhhhhh,” Wild Bolt said, holding a finger to his mouth.

Celestia looked around, the first floors here were unlike the other districts, which had front doors right next to the street. But here almost all of the shops didn’t even have front walls much less front doors. Instead they went inward like a cave, and were several homes in length along the street. These little caves were full of ponies working on many different crafts using a variety of instruments. Further in though she could usually see walls and doors, where their wares were probably stored. Also while the shops she’d seen in the other district appeared independent with mismatched offerings, each shop in this district was dedicated to a specific trade. Pottery, glasswork, carpentry, brewing, leather working, and finally blacksmithing, where they stopped.

At the front of the smithing area sat a young earth pony at a wrought iron desk. He looked up from a ledger as they approached.

“Morning, how can I help you?” He asked.

“Picking up an order,” Wild Bolt said excitedly.

“Name?”

“WILD BOLT YOU OLD SON OF A HARPY!” Rumbled a deep but distinctly feminine voice. From further back in the forge strode an enormous Earth Pony Mare. Her fur was bright red like the fires all around, and her short cropped mane and tail as black as the piles of coal waiting to fuel those flames. She wore a thick leather smock overtop a sleeveless tunic. Around her waist was a thick belt from which dangled at least dozen different shaped hammers and tools. On her arms were a pair of smoke blackened gloves which went up to her elbows. She pulled off her right glove to reveal a black diamond wreathed in flames as her Cutie Mark. She grasped Wild Bolt hand and gave a hearty shake.

“Good to see you too Fire Strike,” He said smiling.

“I was starting to wonder if you’d make it this year,” Fire Strike looked over to Celestia and Luna “AH! And these must be the lucky ladies!”

“That’s right. Celestia, Luna, this is my old friend Fire Strike, back during the war she helped us maintain our weapons,”

“What I did, was make your squadron some of the finest weapons anypony could ask for, and you lot returned with scraps I had to smelt back together with spit and a wish,” Fire Strike said smiling wryly. Wild Bolt shrugged.

“Our weapons got more use because we cut through the most enemies, we were the best, couldn’t be helped,” Wild Bolt said smugly. FireStrike chuckled as she replied.

“That you did. Well let’s head to the back,” Celestia and Luna looked at each other again in puzzlement as they followed. Passing through the forge Celestia saw smiths working on all kinds of things. In fact weapons appeared to be a relatively small percentage of what was being made. Door latches, nails for construction, cooking pots, utensils and-Celestia stopped in her tracks as she saw the Blue Stallion she’d locked eyes with yesterday, who she could now see was a Pegasus. He was dressed as a guard and standing with another soldier by a smith, who was attaching a worn looking spear head to a new wooden pole. He looked to his side and his face lit up when he saw Celestia, he awkwardly raised a hand in greeting, which she returned.

“Come on Tia, you’re falling behind,” Luna called back.

“Oh, um, right, coming,” Celestia said tearing herself away, and losing sight of the Pegasus.

At the back of the forge there was a special area where weapons were being tested on dummy targets and a small sparing pit where ponies tested the weapons against other weapons. Past this was a large iron door, Fire Strike pulled out a key which hung around her neck and unlocked it.

“Just a minute now,” she said entering. When she reemerged, Celestia and Luna gasped. In each of her massive hands, Fire Strike held a pair of weapons. In one a kite shield painted white with a yellow sun in the middle, and a striking hand and a half longsword sheathed in a white leather scabbard. In the other was a spear with a dark wooden shaft and a shining steel winged tip, along with a large, domed, circular shield painted with a crescent moon. “May they serve you well,” Fire Strike said holding the weapons out to Celestia and Luna.

“They’re magnificent!” Celestia exclaimed taking the sword and shield. Examining them more closely she could see the sword handle was wrapped in the same white leather of the scabbard and on either side of the pommel was carved an image of the sun. “Master Fire Strike these are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much!” Celestia said worshipfully.

“Well your parents did pay me well, and ya took so long to pick them up I decided to give em a personal touch,” Firestrike said grinning proudly.

“Luna what are you waiting for? You have to feel them, it's almost like…” Celestia paused mid sentence, then, setting her shield down, she grabbed the scabbard and pulled out the sword, its shining blade reflecting the light of the many fires around, making the sword look as though it was made of flames “like it's alive,”

“Oh...yes,” Luna had been hesitant to take her new weapons. “They are rather extraordinary,” she said. “But how did you know what our cutie marks looked like?”

“Well because I told her,” Wild Bolt said. “So how do you two feel about a sparring match, its been awhile.”

“Oh yes, that sounds delightful!” Celestia said.

“Right over here ladies,” Fire Strike said motioning for them to follow. “We have a place to test our works,” She led them to a shallow, circular ditch that was a bit larger than their sparring room back home.

“Celestia, put a barrier spell on your sword and Luna’s spear, these are real weapons, and the way you two spar someone’s liable to lose a limb if we’re not careful,” Bolt said as they approached.

“Oh, I could do that,” Starswirl said piping up suddenly. He outstretched his hand and his horn glowed and Celestia’s sword was engulfed in white light before it vanished just as quickly, having seemingly done nothing. Curiously Celestia tried to press a finger to her sword but was stopped by an invisible barrier an eighth of an inch around the whole blade.

“Oooooh, neat,” Celetisa said amused. Starswirl did the same with Luna’s spear tip.

“Alright girls, ready yourselves,” Bolt said, and the sisters took up position on opposite sides of the pit, “And….BEGIN!”

Starswirl stood bewitched as he watched the sisters duel. They had begun slowly, the weight of their new weapons made them a little apprehensive, especially Celestia. She seemed distracted, like part of her mind was elsewhere. Several times she glanced over her shoulder like she was looking for something she’d misplaced, then turned back to Luna and regarded her like Starswirl would often regard his grandmother when she gave him a particularly obtuse riddle to deduce. Luna noticed this and had a smug grin on her face as she used the superior mobility her wings granted to out maneuver Celestia, never attacking from the same angle for more than a few seconds. At last Luna got behind her sister and seemed poised for a decisive blow.

But Celestia’s horn glowed, then her entire body, and she pushed herself out of Luna’s path. As she moved herself magically, Celestia did a kind of dance like spin and swung her sword around to strike Luna from behind as she flew past. But Luna pulled up, narrowly dodging the blow. She landed on the other side of the ring, looking at her sister with grim exasperation, almost offended at the audacity of Celestia’s power to mimic flight. Celestia chuckled loudly at this and shrugged.

This seemed odd to Starswirl. The two had clearly been sparring with each other for years, it seemed unlikely this would be the first time Celestia would employ such a tactic. It was almost as if….no that was impossible.

The duel went on for just a minute or two more. Time after time, Celestia would almost let Luna land a hit, before she spirited herself away with an airy laugh. At last Luna got so frustrated, she made a foolishly aggressive thrust that let her sister knock her spear out of her hand. In shock Luna immediately raised her shield, which was exactly what Celestia wanted. Glowing brighter than before, Celestia launched herself, shield first, like a bolt from a ballista. The shields made a loud gong like sound as the crashed together and Luna was knocked to the ground under her shield. Celestia planted a hoof firmly on Luna’s shield, pinning her beneath it, and pointed her sword down at Luna’s face.

“Not bad Lu, nearly had me,” Celestia said grinning widely. Luna squirmed under her shield, its weight more apparent than ever now. She ceased her vain effort and looked up at her sister.

“I suppose I underestimated your ability to flaunt your magnificence at every possible opportunity,” Luna droned humorlessly, narrowed eyes leering at Celestia from an embittered face.

“Oh Luna, I’m only minding Father’s teachings and not relying on stale tactics,” Celestia said sarcastically, sheathing her sword and stepping off of Luna so she could offer her a hand. Some of the bitterness faded from Luna’s face, and she let Celestia help her up.

“But don’t think dear sister that your enemy won’t learn and adopt your technique into their own strategies,” Luna said smiling wryly.

“I’m sure they will learn, in time,” Celestia said, patting Luna on the forehead, where Unicorns usually have their horns. This also seemed odd to Starswirl, but he figured it was a personal joke the sisters shared.

“I know I learned a thing or two,” a new voice said. Celestia’s heart skipped a beat when she turned around and saw the handsome blue Pegasus boy from yesterday. He was even more impressive up close. He was a few inches taller than Celestia and had broad shoulders to match. His arms were so thick they looked like they might bust out of his chainmail shirt if they got any larger. His helmet was off now and she could see how thick his golden yellow mane was and how well it complimented his soft handsome face.
“Hello, I’m Thunder Gale, Pleased to meet you,”
“Oh uh, hi, I’m Celestia, you watched the fight?”
“Yes, you were incredible, I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before, are you new to the city?”
“Just arrived yesterday actually, I think I might have seen you?”
“You were on the wagon right? Your eyes were so wide they looked as though they’d pop right out,” He joked.
“Did they really?” Celestia chuckled, “I was just so amazed by it all. I’ve lived my whole life with just my sister and parents, and when I saw everything, I suppose couldn’t help but look a little foolish,”
“No, you didn’t look foolish, just a little silly, just kind of silly I guess, in a pretty way, but there’s nothing wrong with that, if we never surprised life would get...boring” Gale said awkwardly looking away for a moment, not entirely sure what he was saying. But Celestia didn’t mind and just chuckled again.
“Thank you, and if I recall you were setting out some bread to cool right?”Celestia asked.
“Yes that was me. My guard training is usually in the morning, then I help my family with their bakery in the afternoon,”

“Oh really, do you enjoy it?” Celestia asked.

“You really gonna just let this happen Bolt?” Fire Strike said, elbowing Wild Bolt as they watched Celestia and Thunder Gale talk from the other side of the pit, “Most fathers are awful protective of their daughters at that age,” Wild Bolt just laughed under his breath.

“Look at her Strike, what am I supposed do? At the rate she’s turning heads someone’s gonna break their neck before the festival starts. Besides she’s a smart girl, she’s mastered everything Ebony and I have taught about surviving out there, I trust her judgement. It’s his father who should be worried.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Fire Strike laughed in replay, patting Bolt on the back, “By the way, how is our old Rose doing?” At this Wild Bolt’s grin faded. He shook his head.
“I’ll tell you later when I bring the old crew over for the festival,” he said smiling faintly.
“I’ll hold ya too it,”

Starswirl watched all this, frozen in place. It was as though when he’d first seen Celestia
yesterday, he’d taken one extremely deep breath and had been holding it in since. Then someone had taken a straw and sucked out all that air at once, and his oxygen starved muscles were now unable to move as he watched them. That look in Celestia’s eyes, it was the same look he saw mares and stallions his age give each other, when he walked through the city and watched others from a distance. That look, half blushing, talking about nothing, and having the time of their lives regardless. The same look mares and stallions gave when they danced together at the festivals, before slipping away to some dark corner of the city to do...things. He didn’t understand it before, he didn’t understand it now, and he didn’t understand the indignant, self-righteous fury, kindling in his chest.

“So is your family moving here?” Thunder Gale asked.

“Oh no, were just here a few weeks for the festival,”

“Oh...that’s too bad,” Gale said trying very hard to not look instantly deflated.

“Yes my mother said she’s always wanted to, but there isn’t enough room for our family,”

“That’s true, it’ll be a few more years before they finish the new district. If your family does end up moving here later, you should think about joining the guard,”

“Really, me, join the the guard?” Celestia asked surprised.

“Of course!” Gale responded enthusiastically “with the way you fight, there’s no doubt. And if you volunteered, it might give your family a chance of getting into the new district early!”

“Wow, really!” Celestia asked excited.

“Really!” A new voice said right before a helmet was shoved down onto Thunder Gale’s head...backwards. “And the first thing you should know is that guards are required to wear their helmets at all times when on duty,”

“AHK! GUST!” Thunder Gale’s voice was muffled as he tried to turn the helmet to its proper orientation. Celestia couldn’t help but giggle a bit.

“Sorry miss I hope my little brother wasn’t bothering you,”

“Oh no” Celestia giggled a bit more, “Not in the slightest,”

“Then I apologize for breaking up a friendly conversation. But our commander is going to shave our wings for arrow fletching if we don’t get this delivery back to the barracks before noon. Isn’t that right Gale?”

“Gaah!” Thunder Gale finally got his helmet straight, “Yes that’s right GUST!” he said to his brother with a face twisted with annoyance which melted into embarrassment as he looked back to Celestia, “Sorry Celestia, we really do have to go,”

“I understand, maybe I’ll stop by when you’re baking and we can talk without you needing your helmet,”

“UH yeah,” Thunder Gale said shocked and elated, “Uh My shift is over at 4, then I go back to help my family and-” he was cut short as Gust grabbed him by the mane and started to drag him back towards the front of the shop.

“District 7, south west side, bout half way down. Just follow the smell of burning bread,” Gust said clearly enunciating.

“That was one time!” Thunder Gale protested as he was dragged away out of sight. Celestia giggled, waving as they disappeared.

“So, was that a handsome stallion?” Luna asked dryly, suddenly beside Celestia.

“Oh Luna! Why yes, yes he was,”

“If you say so,” Luna said shrugging.

“Making new friends already?” Wild Bolt said coming up behind them.

“OH Father! Yes, yes...his name is Thunder Gale, he’s a guard, but his family has a bakery so he invited me to visit later, If that’s ok. Is it ok? I’m curious to see how other ponies bake bread here and-” Celestia was nearly jumping off her feet when Bolt placed a hand on her should laughing.

“Sunshine, its fine, Starswirl was going to show you around the city while I take Luna to the Aviary remember?”

“Right right, of course,” Celestia replied calming down.

“So feel free to see your new friend later, just be back by six, I’ll need your help with dinner,” He said winking. “Oh and we’ll leave your weapons with Firestrike for now until we head home ok,”

“Yes sir,” Celestia said beaming. Weapons returned, Celestia pranced over to Starswirl. “So Starswirl, where are we going first?” She asked enthusiastically. He jumped a bit at how close she got so quickly.

“W-Well, what did you want to see?” He asked feigning calm.

“Actually I was wondering about some of the other artisans in this district,” Celestia asked as she led the way, and her supposed guide followed.

‘Poor boy, doesn’t stand a chance’ Wild Bolt thought to himself, before turning back to Luna, who looking at the ground, face obscured. While Luna liked to keep her mane cut short (At least compared to Celestia) she always kept her bangs long, using them to hide her eyes when she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Like clouds at night hiding a bright moon.

“Hey,” He said kneeling a bit to be at eye level with her, “Anybody home? Hello?” he teased using a finger to part her hair like a curtain. Luna giggled, pushing his hand away,

“Father! Stop!” she said a bit embarrassed now.

“Fine fine, I’ll stop, but you gotta answer a question,”

“What?” Luna said confused.

“Are you doing ok Luna? Don’t think I haven’t noticed how often you’ve been hiding since we got here yesterday,” Bolt asked giving her a serious but compassionate look. Luna glanced nervously around at all the ponies working, still not comfortable with just how many there were.

“I’m fine father, really,” She said looking him in eye.

“Ok,” He said nodding, unconvinced, but willing to wait till she was ready, “so you still wanna go flying today?” he asked. At this Luna genuinely perked up.

“Oh right! Yes of course!”

“You forgot didn’t you?” he said as he began to walk back towards the street.

“What! Father I’d never!” She said, rushing to catch up with him.

End Chapter 3