What Might Have Been

Chapters

Breaking Point 1 - Stress Factors
Breaking Point 2 - Hairline Fracture
Breaking Point 3 - Spreading Cracks
Breaking Point 4 - High Stress
Unconquered 1
Unconquered 2

Breaking Point 1 - Stress Factors

Author's Note

Breaking Point is an er... interquel, I think they're called? It's an expansion on exactly what happened in the pre-Nightmare days of Prince Artemis from my gender-flipped story Brotherhood.

There are four chapters written. I will, as always with these stories, post a detailed summary of how the story would have ended once I have posted the four existing chapters.

Breaking Point 1 - Stress Factors

It was raining.

Artemis wasn't certain if he had caused the rain or not. It was night, so he had a certain influence on the sky. And he had definitely caused storms on purpose before. But could merely feeling like it ought to rain make it actually begin raining? He should ask Starswirl what she...

The chariot carrying that particular thought came to yet another catastrophic impact with the stone monument that stood before him. It felt as though all his thoughts circled back to it now, crashing against it, breaking to pieces on its immovable stone. After so many years, he thought, how is it that I still do not know how to deal with losing a friend?

Starswirl was dead. His one and only mortal friend was gone. Solaris was the only other being in all the world that he could rely on now.

As if that thought had summoned him, Solaris soared down out of the dripping sky to land next to Artemis. The rain didn't seem to touch him, his golden mane still flowed on the invisible solar wind, just as it always had. Artemis' own silver-blue mane could do the same, if he wished, but he didn't want to just brush off the rain. It suited his mood. So his mane was plastered to his neck, and his tail hung limply behind him. The soft sparkle of stars that usually illuminated mane and tail had blinked out as well. Were it not for the fact that he bore both horn and wings he might have looked like a normal, mortal pony, standing in the rain, mourning.

Would that I were. Would that I could die too.

"She will be missed by many," said Solaris softly. "She was very wise."

"She was my friend," said Artemis simply, and leaned against his brother's side.

Solaris spread one wing over him and nuzzled him. "I know."

No you don't know, thought Artemis with a faint, familiar bitterness. How could you know? You have a hundred friends. Do you even notice when one of them dies? I only had one and now she's gone. You have no idea what that's like. But he said none of that. He only leaned against his brother's side and took what comfort he could in his presence. However much Solaris failed to understand him at least he was there. He would never die and leave Artemis to face the world alone.

Artemis trotted through the corridors of the palace. He wondered, as he walked, why his rooms had been placed so far from Solaris'. They were on on exactly opposite wings, in fact. Was it some mad, symmetrical whim of the architects? He hadn't designed the palace, it had grown up more or less organically over the centuries. He frowned as he tried to remember exactly when he'd moved into his current rooms and why. After so many years of memories, little details sometimes escaped him. Especially things that happened while he was working on a project. He thought he could recall being very annoyed at having to move while in the middle of working on a particularly grand mosaic. That had probably been it.

"Sorry your Majesty!"

Artemis started, returning from his mental meandering to see that he'd very nearly run over a palace servant. Before he could say that it was really he who should be apologizing, the mare had scurried off down the corridor.

He shrugged and continued to Solaris' rooms. Once there he knocked with brisk enthusiasm.

A pony opened the door. It was not Solaris. Artemis blinked at that. Why was another palace servant in his brother's rooms?

"Your Majesty. May I assist you?"

"Uhm. Yes. I'm here to talk to Solaris."

"I see. One moment."

The door shut practically in his face, and Artemis was left standing in the hallway, wondering if he should be offended. Then the door opened again, and this time the pony stepped aside. "Come in your Majesty."

"Artemis!" Solaris was standing in the center of the spacious room. Artemis looked around, finding it strangely empty. His own front room was where he worked on those projects that were too large for the little desk in his bedroom but too small to require requisitioning space elsewhere in the palace. So it was crammed with all kinds of artistic and scientific paraphernalia. Solaris obviously didn't use his front room for any such thing. Artemis wondered what it was for, in that case. "What brings you here? And so early for you as well! It's barely mid afternoon."

"I'm working on a new project right now. I just had this idea, you see, and I thought I might discuss it with you."

"Ah. Of course. Unfortunately my day is very full today. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow? I have a few free moments just before sundown." He smiled. "That time of day should suit you a little better as well, I would think."

"Oh. Well... yes, certainly." Artemis nodded.

"The royal duty takes up so much of my time. I'm sure you know how it is."

Artemis nodded again. Though he didn't know, not really. He did spend quite a lot of time on the empire's paperwork, it was true. He was the final head of a great many columns of bureaucracy, and he had to check at least a sampling of all that work. But it didn't really take that much out of his day, nor his night. Solaris did none of that. What he did was talk with ponies. Endless meetings, endless social events, endless receptions for ambassadors, endless common courts. Artemis knew that some of it, at least, was essential. But he couldn't help but feel that a lot of it was just an excuse for Solaris to have fun. He thrived on social gatherings.

"I'll just be going," he said somewhat awkwardly, and turned and left. The spark of enthusiasm about his new project sputtered in his heart. What good was creating if he had nopony to share his creations with?

He sighed as he made the long journey back to his own rooms. He knew there was a point to creation beyond sharing with other ponies, he had been making art of one kind or another since before ordinary ponies even existed. But he had come to enjoy sharing what he made with a few special friends over the years. Especially Starswirl. Starswirl had been one of the few ponies who matched Artemis' broad enthusiasm for all forms of art and knowledge. Artemis had often burst into Starswirl's chambers in the middle of the night, in the grip of some grand idea, and Starswirl had always been immediately afire with her own contributions, her own ideas spinning and sparking from Artemis'. That was what art was truly about, those times when it became something greater because it was shared. Artemis felt a tight knot of pain in his chest. Starswirl was gone.

I can still share my ideas with Solaris. Not in the middle of the night, obviously, I guess I'll have to suit myself to his schedule. But at least there's still somepony there for me.

"...and then the sunlight is focused here, see? I think it would be hot enough to burn things even. I just have to build the mirror, and I haven't figured out how to do the curve properly. Merely holding it with my magic while it cools hasn't been precise enough yet."

Solaris nodded distractedly. "I see. But why would we need a mirror to focus the sunlight? I can do that myself if there should be some reason for it."

Artemis frowned, his ears flicking back for a moment. "Well... it's not really about what can be done with it. It's about seeing why. The reasons, the way the light acts, the way the glass is. It's knowledge. Knowledge is always valuable."

Solaris sighed. "True, true. And forgive me if I don't give your notions all the attention they deserve, brother. But the political situation is very delicate right now. The Minotaur ambassador is here right now. There is a great deal of tension building between the Minotaurs and the Gryphons to the east, which is all complicating the situation here a great deal. There's been talk of territorial concessions, and even threats of war, and I do not need yet another war with the Minotaurs right now."

"No, of course not."

Nearly an hour later Artemis headed back to his own chambers, his head full of bits and pieces of the current diplomatic situation. They had never returned to discussing his sun mirror. Back in his rooms he flopped down onto his bed and heaved a sigh. That his brother cared for him he didn't doubt, but Solaris obviously was not going to be the source that creative, collaborative spark he needed in his work.

Well... surely there was some pony out there that he might collaborate with? Surely in all the many thousands of ponies in the empire there was one who could be his friend? There must be at least one. He'd made friends before, after all. Mostly by accident and at the instigation of other ponies, admittedly, but it had happened. He just had to find somepony to befriend, that was all.

Breaking Point 2 - Hairline Fracture

Armed with this new determination, Artemis set out the next evening to seek out a friend. Since this was one of the few evenings when there was no social gathering going on at the palace itself, he went to the only place he could think of to find ponies, the city of Coltstantinople.

By habit as much as for any other reason, he soared above the streets towards the Neigha Sophia, his great cathedral. Mine... but only in my own head. He sighed a bit as he flew. The cathedral was dedicated to both Solaris and himself. But though Artemis thought of it as his, for he had conceived it, Solaris ruled there as much as he ruled in the palace. Sol Invictus, the unconquerable sun, ruling all. Whereas I am Lune Aeturnus, the eternal moon. I merely endure.

Still, it did always lift his spirits to walk beneath the vast dome and see the shining murals, some of which he had laid with his own hoof. The moonrise services had concluded shortly before Artemis arrived, so though the building was far from deserted, a hushed quiet hung over it. He walked towards the altar, his head lifting a little higher, his mane and tail flowing, the stars that sprinkled them sparkling brilliantly.

"My Lord Artemis." Artemis looked down to see a cream-colored pegasus stallion in priest's robes bowing deeply at his side.

"Arise," he said regally, easily taking up the formal mantle of godhood here in this place.

The stallion, practically a colt really, bobbed to his feet with youthful energy. "How may I serve you, my Lord?"

Artemis considered the answer to that for a moment. He had come here to somehow meet a friend. But how? Especially if everypony he met bowed and scraped like that? He tried to remember how he had first met Starswirl. She had approached him at some social event or other, he thought. He frowned, trying to dredge up the details. Starswirl had... introduced herself? And then begun talking about a herbology she'd been working on, Artemis suddenly recalled. Yes. Very well.

"What is your name?"

"Bright Path, my Lord."

"You need not call me 'Lord,' Bright Path. My name is Artemis."

Bright Path gave him a somewhat wide-eyed look. "Artemis. Yes my Lord. I mean Artemis. I mean..."

Artemis tried very hard to laugh, aware that doing so might upset the young stallion. He yanked his mind back to his goal. Starswirl had become his friend through talking about her projects. He would get to know this pony similarly. "What work occupies you here, Bright Path?"

"Oh, well, I, uhm... right now I dust, mostly."

Artemis blinked. "Dust?"

Bright Path gestured to the vast space around them with one wing. "It gets dusty high up. I'm the newest and the youngest pegasus here for now, so I get to fly up and dust."

"Ah, I see. I, uh, trust that dusting is not your life's goal?"

Bright Path smiled at that. He seemed to be becoming more at ease, and Artemis felt pleased. This was, perhaps, working. "No, not at all! I want to do big things. My cutie mark is because I can always find the way to what I want. I want to go far, someday."

"I'm sure you will," said Artemis. It was good, to see the flames of such young enthusiasm. It was not, quite, the collaborative friendship he had sought, but perhaps it could become such. Especially if Bright Path had any interest in his own ideas. "Tell me, are you required to stay here and dust further?" he asked.

Bright Path looked a bit wide-eyed again at that. "If you wish me to go somewhere, my L- I mean Artemis, I'm sure the Fathers would let me go."

"I am working on a project, involving the sun and mirrors. I would enjoy discussing it with you, if you have any interest in such things."

"It would be an honor," said Bright Path.

Artemis frowned a little bit at that. Was the youngster agreeing because he was interested, or because he was overawed by Artemis? He looked down at Bright Path, who was looking up at him with shining, enthusiastic eyes, and smiled. He seemed genuine enough. "Let us go and obtain permission for you to accompany me, in that case."

Permission was easily obtained from the Father in charge of young initiates, and Artemis promptly teleported himself and Bright Path back to his rooms, leaving said Father blinking in surprise in his wake.

Bright Path was blinking too, staring around the room and drinking in the dozens of projects in progress, the art supplies, the tools, and the finished work that was scattered all about.

"Welcome to my home," said Artemis with a smile. "This is where I create."

"They say you created the stars..." breathed Bright Path.

"Long ago I did. These days my projects tend to be more modest in scope. But I like to think I still make things of beauty. Here is what I'm working on now." He crossed to a work bench where a large crucible sat atop a scattering of bricks. Next to it were several curved disks of glass with leaded backs. Mirrors. Artemis levitated one and carried it over to the window, where moonlight was streaming in. He held the mirror in the light. "There. The idea is that the curve focuses the light into a narrow point." He put one hoof in the right spot, and an irregular blob of slightly brighter moonlight appeared on it. "See?"

"Can I...?" said Bright Path, still sounding awed.

"Of course."

Bright Path put his own hoof in the beam, looking at the bright spot on it. "Wow. That is amazing!"

Artemis chuckled. "Not as amazing as it could be. I still haven't quite gotten it right. You see how the light is a broad patch? I want to get it to a narrow point. But I can't shape the mirror's curve precisely enough yet."

Bright Path looked faintly puzzled, but then he smiled at Artemis again. "It's still really great."

"Well, thank you." Artemis felt a faint flicker of disappointment that Bright Path hadn't been able to help him think of possible solutions to his problem with the mirror the way Starswirl would have been. But at least he seemed enthused about it, which was more than he could say for Solaris! "Shall I show you some of my other projects?"

"Oh yes, please! I'd love that."

When Artemis finally teleported back to the cathedral with Bright Path the moon was high in the sky, the night half over. After seeing that the young stallion was safely off to the dormitory, Artemis returned home with a smile on his face. It hadn't been the same as being with Starswirl, but then perhaps it wasn't right to try to replace his old friend. I still miss you, he thought, directing it towards an afterlife he still was not entirely sure existed. If it did, he would never visit it. I will probably always miss you. But it's good to have somepony to talk with again, even if he can never match your brilliance.

He retired to his bed feeling as though things were going well.

The next day, after dealing with his royal duties and raising the moon for the night, Artemis set off for the cathedral once again.

He arrived just at the close of the moonrise mass. Not wanting to cause a stir, he pulled a veil of shadow over himself and watched as ponies filed out of the cathedral. Once the crowd had left he entered, still wrapped in shadow and illusion. Nopony noticed him as he made his way through the tangle of antechambers and connected buildings that huddled around the grand central structure like mushrooms at the foot of a great tree.

He found the dorm room where Bright Path was staying and, after finally releasing his illusion, tapped on the door with one hoof.

It was opened by a young unicorn, whose eyes instantly widened in stunned shock. "Uh..." He gaped at Artemis for a long moment, then suddenly plastered himself to the floor. "Lord Artemis!"

"Rise, please," said Artemis.

The unicorn rose, still looking wide-eyed and stunned.

"Is Bright Path here?" asked Artemis.

"Y-yes." The unicorn still stared, stunned.

Suddenly he was pulled out of the door by Bright Path, who stood there beaming, his chest puffed out with pride. "See?" he said, turning to look behind him as he spoke, "I was telling the truth. Lord Artemis has given me his favor."

Suddenly there was a crowd of young stallions just inside the door, gaping at Artemis. Artemis had never really enjoyed being gaped at, but he was used to it enough by now, so he merely favored the colts with a regal nod. "Bright Path? Are you free for the evening?"

"Of course!" said Bright.

"Excellent." Artemis nodded again to the still gaping colts, then his horn lit and he and Bright winked out, to reappear in Artemis' workroom. Bright looked around curiously. He wasn't wearing his robe tonight so Artemis could see that his cutie mark was a small maze, with a golden line showing the path to its heart.

"What will you show me tonight?" asked Bright. "I think I saw everything here last night. Have you made something new?"

"No, I haven't made anything new. I'm still working on the mirror, but I haven't gotten it right yet." A half dozen more imperfect mirrors now lay on the table beside the one he'd shown Bright last night.

"Then why...?" Bright trailed off as if he couldn't quite think what to ask. Artemis had to smile at his confusion.

"I thought I'd try teaching you something. Would you like to learn how to create?"

"But I'm only a pegasus, I don't have any magic."

"You don't need magic to create. There are all kinds of things you can do with just your hooves. Many of the things I showed you last night had no magic in them at all."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Tell me, which of the things I showed you last night did you like best?"

Bright gazed around the room, his eyes darting from one thing to the next. "They were all so amazing, it's hard to choose just one," he said. Then his eyes fell on one object in particular that dominated one wall almost entirely. "But I think I like that one, the painting."

Artemis regarded the canvas, the largest of those that currently adorned his walls. It was a painting of an ancient battle. He remembered the real scene that had inspired the artwork, even though it had been several thousand years since then. He had painted himself into it, but as a small figure, far in the background. Solaris too was there, also distant, a glowing form hanging in the sky like his own sun. The focus in the foreground was on a pony warrior, locked in combat with a smallish dragon. The rest of the scene was crowded with ponies, dragons, weapons, fire, ruined war machines, and a giant fortress that obscured most of the sky.

"Well, you'll want to start with something smaller and with fewer elements in it," said Artemis. "But I think I can show you how." He started rummaging through the clutter of drawers and chests and things piled on tables until he came up with a pair of canvases, a hoof-full of paint jars, a jar of oil, and several brushes. He then rummaged again and found a pair of easels and a palette. Nodding in satisfaction he set this all up while Bright watched with interest.

"Don't expect to be good at first, this takes some practice, but the first parts, at least, are easy." He opened up a few of the jars, smiling happily to see the oil paints within were still good. "First we're just going to do a distant background," he explained. "Rough in some sky colors and ground colors. You can just follow what I do, this part is simple." He took up a large brush in one hoof and stood upright in front of the painting. Bright wobbled just a bit on standing, he was obviously unaccustomed to going on his hind legs. Seeing that, Artemis rested one hoof on the base of the easel, and Bright followed his example, steadying himself. Artemis smiled. He dipped his brush in the blue pigment and started adding bright color to the sky in broad sweeps.

Bright's brush strokes were uncertain and the paint blobbed and clumped up, so the end result was a bit patchy, but he too filled the upper third of the canvas with blue. "Here, why don't you see if you can even that up a bit," said Artemis. "Like this." He dipped his brush in the oil jar, then reached over to Bright's canvas and used the oil to help smoothed out one of the rougher bits.

"All right." Bright nodded, a look of intense concentration on his face, and followed suit. Soon what he had looked almost as even as what Artemis had painted.

"Very good! Now let's do some ground. First you'll want to blend down the sky a little..." He demonstrated, Bright copying him again, and eventually both canvases were completely covered in paint. Just solid simple colors, but it was a start. When it was done Artemis set down his brush and regarded them with a smile.

"There. Now we'll need to wait a few days for it to dry before going on to the next step."

Bright blinked at him. "What? Days? Why so long? We can't finish it now?"

"No. This is oil paint. Trying to paint anything on top of the base layer now would just result in a smeared mess. And oils take a long time to dry. At least one day, probably three our four."

"But... I don't want to wait that long. I want to learn how to paint now."

"Well," Artemis frowned. Bright was still quite young, but with such impatience, how was he going to learn anything? "I suppose I could teach you tempura instead. But then you'll have to learn how to mix the paints yourself, they have to be done fresh each time."

"And how long does that take?"

Artemis shrugged. "A few hours."

"Oh." Bright dropped back to all fours, looking irritated. "Is there something else I could learn that doesn't take so much time?"

"Art takes time, that's just how it is."

"Well, I guess I'm not meant to be an artist then. My cutie mark isn't about art anyway."

"Heh. Neither is mine, Bright."

Bright opened his mouth, then shut it. Then suddenly he perked up and smiled brightly. "Don't worry. If you really want to teach me art, I'm sure I can learn. I'll just wait for the paint to dry, like you said."

Artemis smiled back. "That's more like it. While we wait there are lots of other things you can try a hoof at. Why don't I show you how to make a soapstone bead? That's not quite art, but primitive ponies used to value them very highly. And they don't take very long to make at all."

"That sounds like fun."

An hour later Bright had a little pile of round stone beads, carved from soft soapstone that took hardly any time to work at all. Artemis strung them on a cord for him, and tied it around his neck. "Now you look like a barbarian," said Artemis with a chuckle.

"Ha! So I do!"

"And now I should probably return you to your home, so you can sleep."

"I'm not tired yet," said Bright. "Maybe we could walk back to the cathedral, enjoy seeing the city?"

"Well..."

"I never really get to go out at night. And I'm not tired, I'm one of the night priests, I help with your ceremonies. So I'm used to staying up late." He smiled at Artemis.

"All right."

They walked through the quiet streets, their hooves often the only sound on the cobbles. They did meet a few ponies coming and going, and every time they did Bright would lift his head, arching his neck and showing, Artemis thought, a great deal of pride in his little string of barbarian finery. He was bouncy and full of enthusiasm even when they were alone though. He talked, and got Artemis to talk more than he had in years. He ended up telling Bright much more than he'd intended, including some of his frustrations with his brother.

"Solaris is just so..." Artemis waved a wing vaguely as he walked, "He wins at everything. He always has, even back before there were other ponies, when we used to fight each other for control of the sky, he usually won."

"The services say that you share the sky in harmony," said Bright, sounding a little scandalized at the heretical notion of his gods fighting.

"We do now, yes. Things change. He is my friend now. My brother. And I do care for him a great deal. He cares for me too, he has been a good friend. Still... it's hard, when he always beats me at everything."

"But you are powerful too, aren't you?"

"Compared with an ordinary unicorn, yes. Not compared with him though." Artemis sighed. He looked up at his moon, high in the sky. Then down again, and saw the domed bulk of the cathedral, glowing with candlelight even near midnight. "Looks like we're here."

Bright also glanced at the sky. "Will you stay for midnight mass?"

"No. I feel a little odd attending my own ceremonies."

"You attend the solstices, and equinoxes..."

Artemis smiled. "I preside at the solstices and equinoxes, along with Solaris. That's different. But in any case I'll be returning home now."

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight."

Artemis took wing into the night sky, feeling happy as he soared beneath his moon. He had found a friend.

"Bright Path! I have it!"

Artemis appeared in the middle of the dorms in a flash of moonlight. It was only a few hours before dawn but he was hardly aware of that.

Sleepy colts blinked at him in surprise. Bright Path too just lay in his bed for a moment, looking confused. "Artemis?"

"The mirror! I've figured it out!"

"Oh wow!" Bright Path jumped out of bed. "How did you solve it?"

Artemis felt a flash of glee at the eager question. This was how it was supposed to be! "I'll show you!" he said. Then he and Bright Path vanished in another flash of moonlight. Behind them a room full of stunned colts exchanged glances, as if trying to figure out what had just happened.

Artemis and Bright appeared in Artemis' work room, where Artemis immediately went to the crucible resting on its insulating bricks. "Here. Let me heat the glass first, and then we can see if it actually works!" Using his magic he hastily dumped glass sand into the crucible. Then, with the careful application of power, he warmed it till the glass within glowed and flowed. He lifted the ball of glowing, molten glass free as Bright stared on in wonder. He shaped it into a thick disk "Now, here's the trick, I hope," he said, and started to spin the disk. The spinning caused the molten glass to flow towards the edges, where his magic kept it constrained into a circular outline. The result was that the glass formed a perfect curve between a thicker edge and the thinner center.

"There," he breathed as the perfectly curved disk hung in the air. "That's the shape. The perfect shape I haven't been able to get. Spinning was the key. But it's too thick for the light to refract properly, of course, so there's one more step. This is really a mold, not a mirror." A second ball of molten glass rose into the air, and pressed into the cupped interior of the first. A paper-thin layer of magic kept the two from fusing. Magic pushed the second ball out into a thin layer all across the first. Then Artemis used his power to blow air against it, like an earth pony glassmaker with a glass pipe, the perfectly even pressure of the air smoothing the thin, curved sheet of glass so that it was of even thickness all the way around.

"Now I have to hold it while it cools." He found himself wishing it could cool faster, but he didn't want to ruin it. After more than a month working on this idea he wasn't going to rush it now, eager as he was to see if it worked.

"How long will that take?" asked Bright Path, his eyes shining as he stared at the still-glowing lumps of glass.

"Not long. Glass cools swiftly. And need it still hot to lead the back. Just not molten. So it will be ready soon."

There was a long silence while both ponies watched the glowing disk, seeing the glow slowly begin to fade.

"I have good news too, you know," said Bright Path into that silence.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm being elevated to full priest. I'll be moving out of the dorms and into my own room soon. And the best part is, no more dusting!"

"Why that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I guess it's a good night for both of us, isn't it?"

"It will be if this works," said Artemis.

Soon the glass had stopped glowing. It was still too hot to touch, but with his magic that didn't matter. Artemis set the glass mold on the waiting bricks, then floated the mirror itself over to a workbench where a ceramic pot full of lead waited. A thought flashed the metal into molten life. It did not glow, but it bubbled and flowed gently. Artemis pulled a blob of silvery liquid from the pot and painted the curved back of his mirror. In only seconds the lead had cooled. "There," he said. "It's ready."

"Does it work?"

"Let's find out."

The angle of moonlight at this hour was such that none came in directly through the windows. That was easily solved though. He opened the door that lead from his workroom to his bedroom. Bright Path trailed after him, gaping at the large, luxurious bed, the smaller worktable, the desk piled with papers, and the finished artwork that cluttered the room. But Artemis merely strode through it towards the balcony beyond.

There, in the lowering moonlight, he held up the mirror with his magic, and put a hoof in front of it, where the focus point should be. "Ha! It works!" A tiny, incredibly intense, speck of moonlight glowed on his hoof.

"Can I see?" said Bright Path, sounding awed once more.

"Don't touch the mirror, it's still hot," said Artemis, and held it out towards Bright. He put a hoof in front of it, and gasped at the little light. "Wow."

Artemis laughed in delight. His project had succeeded. And his friend was here with him to see it. Everything was just perfect.

Artemis trotted through the Neigha Sophia, his hooves ringing on the intricately tiled floor. He gazed once again on the dome above, with its mosaics of sun and moon, himself and his brother. It was good. Everything was good. He turned and picked his way towards one of the subsidiary buildings where Bright Path's new room was. He could have gone there directly from outside, but he liked taking a path that passed through the cathedral proper. He was sure that nothing could ever dim his enjoyment of the beauty there.

In the corridor that led to Bright Path's room his hooves no longer rang, muffled by a worn carpet runner that covered the plainer stones here. He still trotted happily, his mane and tail streaming behind him in an invisible current of lunar power. Ahead he heard voices, coming from one of the many offices and other utilitarian rooms located in this area. He recognized Bright Path's voice. His ears pricked forward, listening with curiosity.

"I absolutely insist, sir."

"Bright, I don't doubt you'll go far in time, but it's too soon. You've only been a priest for three weeks."

"I have the favor of Lord Artemis, you know."

Artemis halted, just short of the half open door from which the voices came. His ears flicked uneasily.

The other voice sighed. "And that is why you are the youngest priest here. We fully recognize your important position with regards to Our Lord of Darkness, Bright."

"I'm not sure you do." Bright Path's voice was hard and cold. "He is teaching me things, you know."

Artemis snorted at that, anger beginning to mix with the unease. He was teaching the colt to paint!

The other voice was a little uneasy now. "Bright Path... I don't doubt you. Believe me, I don't. But there's only so much I can do."

"Then perhaps its time I approach somepony else, and let them know how little respect you show to Artemis' favored."

Artemis felt a cold knot of anger and pain lodge in his chest. He'd heard enough. He stepped forward, into the doorway. "I think I know somepony who you should approach about your ambitions, Bright. Namely me."

"Artemis!" Bright Path looked up, his ears going down with sudden guilt. The other priest, an older unicorn with a spring green coat, looked up too, his eyes wide. "I can explain," said Bright, frantically.

Artemis scowled. His mane whipped faster in the unseen wind as greater power flowed around him, summoned by his anger. He didn't reach for it, he would not break his vow, but he felt it lashing at him. "Explain how you're using me to get what you want, you mean? Explain why you lied, just now, about being my student?"

"You are teaching me, it wasn't a lie!"

"I WAS TEACHING YOU TO PAINT!" bellowed Artemis, letting some of the leash slip from his anger, if not his magic. "I WAS NOT TEACHING YOU THE SECRETS OF THE COSMOS!"

Bright shrank back from him, but his mouth was set in a hard angry line and his ears were back now. "I never said you were!"

"YOU KNEW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT THIS PONY WOULD THINK!" Artemis still spoke at the top of his lungs, in the projected voice he used to let a packed crowd hear him at formal occasions. He didn't care who heard. He wanted everypony to hear how angry he was, how betrayed he was. "YOU LIED, AND YOU USED ME! YOU ARE NOT MY STUDENT, OR MY FRIEND, ANY MORE!"

"Fine! Fine!" shouted Bright. Seeing his ambitions crumbling all around him he reached for the one thing he knew would wound Artemis the most. "I never wanted to be your student anyway, or even your priest! I wanted to join the day priesthood, and serve Solaris! I only served you because they were full, they wouldn't take me!"

Artemis stepped back, stunned. He felt balanced suddenly on a knife's edge. He could fall to one side, into a rage that might well level the cathedral, or to the other, into a wounded despair that would drag him down into inescapable blackness.

"Go away," hissed Bright Path at him in mad defiance, his ears all the way back now. "Go away! I'm not your friend any more."

Artemis took another step back, and despair won. His mane went suddenly limp, the lunar wind vanishing. Then he too vanished, winking away in an instant.

Behind him Bright Path fell to the ground and began to sob, and whether he was weeping for his lost ambitions or for his lost friendship even he wasn't sure.

Breaking Point 3 - Spreading Cracks

"Artemis. It's nearly time for the summer solstice rites. Are you ready?"

"I won't be coming," said Artemis through the door.

"What?"

"I won't be coming."

A moment later Solaris opened the door, despite the fact that it had been locked. He strode into the room, gently radiating sunlight, and looked down at where Artemis was sprawled on a couch, one foreleg over his eyes. "Does this have anything to do with a certain incident some weeks ago, when you apparently chewed out a young priest in the Royal Voice, in hearing of half the ponies in the cathedral?"

Artemis said nothing.

"Said young priest has been demoted back to dusting duty, I'm told."

"Good," Artemis muttered.

"Shall I convey that sentiment to him?" asked Solaris with a wry smile. "He could always be thrown out of the priesthood entirely, after all."

"No. I want nothing more to do with him."

"And the solstice?"

"I'm not going. You can't force me to go."

Solaris sighed. "No, I can't. Very well then."

He left, leaving Artemis alone in the dark.

Artemis stood on his balcony. The moon was just rising, his will and the moon's own power gently easing it up into a sky still stained faintly with sunset color.

He had almost not raised the moon, that first night after his fight with Bright Path. But in the end the habitual duty had been strong enough to overcome his black depression. He had done pretty much nothing at all since. He had no desire to work on his sun mirror, nor to paint, anymore. He also wanted nothing to do with the Neigha Sophia, or any of his other churches or cathedrals. He had no intention of setting hoof in one of them again.

He knew it was wrong of him to avoid his duties, but what use was he at such ceremonies anyway? Solaris could do everything he could, save raise the moon. And he didn't need to be surrounded by adoring—or more likely indifferent—ponies in order to do that.

Other duties, however, were not so easily put off. He'd put them off all the same, but he was quite aware that there was a room elsewhere in the palace, in halls where paper ruled as much as Emperors did, and in that room there was a desk whose piles of paper were growing higher with each passing night. If he didn't attend to it soon he would never catch up.

And then the Empire itself might fall, he thought wryly. These days it runs on paper more than on anything else. And papyrus, and even sometimes parchment, when we're dealing with gryphons. He shivered just a little thinking of that. It was always a little disturbing, handling parchment documents. They'd once been the hides of living things, even if said living things were just animals and not thinking beings.

He pushed such thoughts out of his mind and turned to leave the balcony. The moon was up now. It was time to go back out into the world. It was early enough that there were many ponies still up and about in the halls as he went. He nodded acknowledgment of those who stopped to bow, but otherwise ignored them. He did, however, have to speak with a few ponies when he arrived. Those heads of the various bureaucratic departments that had grown up around the empire over the centuries insisted on talking to him. They reported to his brother about many things, but the official records they kept were Artemis' responsibility.

He managed to make a dent in the pile of papers on his desk, but he had by no means finished everything when he rose and headed back to his rooms. That would have taken not only the rest of the night, but the next day and perhaps the night following as well, and he was feeling tired.

Artemis did some of his sleeping during daylight, but it had long since grown too inconvenient to be awake only during the hours of darkness. Art supply shops, for one, were seldom open after dark. He only needed to be awake to raise the moon, it could set without his conscious direction. So he had begun to sleep away the later parts of the night. He resented it a bit sometimes, but the world was what it was. So now, in the early hours before the dawn, he was more than ready to collapse into his bed.

The halls were dark and deserted as he walked back to his room. He considered teleporting there, trying to decide if the difficulty of winking to somewhere you couldn't see outweighed the difficulty of walking. Perhaps...

"Why hello there."

Artemis looked up to find a gryphon walking down the hall towards him. The purring, contralto voice and slender build of the creature suggested it was a female. He halted and gave her a nod, wishing he could just ignore her. He wanted to get back to his room and sleep. But a gryphon in the palace was probably here with some delegation or other, and Solaris would be very put out with him if he caused an international incident.

That purring voice, with its exotic gryphon accent, continued. "Lord Artemis, is it not? My name is Altani. It is a pleasure to meet you." She walked towards him with a predator's sway in her stride. Something about that captured his attention. She could not be literally stalking him. Yet there was an unmistakable attitude of the huntress about her. "What brings you to be here, walking the halls, at this hour?"

"I should ask that of you," Artemis said, a little stiffly. "The night is mine, why shouldn't I be out in it?"

"Ah yes." She stalked closer, then passed by him, a wing just brushing along his side. He shivered at the touch. Her scent, musky, feminine, a predator's scent that made his heart race instinctively, filled his nostrils. "The Lord of Darkness. The Herald of the Moon. All that. Should I bow?" She circled around him as she spoke, brushing up against his other side now, and then bowed, her wings half-spreading as she did, before him. He couldn't help but think that the crouched posture was far too much like that of a big cat prepared to spring. Her tail lashed as though she too was thinking of pouncing. "Or is there some other service I can offer you, pony god of night?"

"I..." Artemis fumbled for something to say. He was not socially graceful in the best of situations, and the gryphoness had him completely off balance.

She grinned up at him, and rose, standing very close now. Artemis was frozen in place, his heart pounding. She stalked up as if to rub against him in passing again, but this time stopped, her head bowing, and ran her sharp, hooked beak along the edge of his folded wing. She took one small feather in her beak and preened it lightly. Artemis shuddered, his heart suddenly pounding for a very different reason. He wasn't sure how it was among gryphons, but among pegasi preening was an act of intimacy. Your mother preened you as a child, and siblings might as well if they were demonstrative sorts, but no one outside your family would besides a lover.

"I was headed back to my quarters," she said, her voice purring even more than it had before, "but perhaps I could be headed to yours instead." She preened another feather, her beak tugging at it, sliding along it sensuously. Artemis had to bite back a moan. "If you desire it," she murmured as she did. "Do you?"

Artemis took a deep breath. It had been a long time since his last lover. He had never taken a gryphon lover before. But why not? He wasn't afraid of trying new things. Altani worked her beak along yet another feather and he didn't quite stifle the soft moan this time. "Ohh.. I think I do, yes."

She released the feather and raised her head. "Then let us go. I'm sure your chambers are much more comfortable than this empty hall."

He nodded and led the way towards his rooms. Altani followed, still walking with that predatory prowl, a smile on her face. Every time he glanced back at her his heart pounded with a mix of instinctual fear and desire. Part of his mind, the primitive equine part, was convinced that he was being stalked by a predator that meant to kill him. Another part found that dangerous thrill more exciting than he could have believed possible. He wondered what he was getting into.

As dawn light began to filter in through the curtains drawn across the balcony doors Artemis had a pretty good idea what he'd gotten into, but he still wasn't sure how to feel about it. Altani lay sleeping beside him, her fierce face peaceful in repose.

Artemis wasn't able to sleep, despite his tiredness. One reason for that was the set of deep, bloody scratches across his withers. Altani had not been as careful with her claws as she could have been. Not that he'd objected to what she'd been doing when they'd been made. Still, even though he'd hardly felt them at the time, they ached now.

Another reason was his conflicted feelings about Altani. She was incredibly attractive, and he had very much enjoyed everything they'd done together. Yet always before his lovers had been friends, or at least from among his most devoted worshipers. Altani was neither. Presumably. He knew essentially nothing about her, for all he knew she could be some strange aberration, a gryphon who numbered herself among his followers. It might explain why she'd approached him. But he doubted it.

He turned the problem over a few more times in his mind. He'd liked the sex, it had been intense. He didn't want this to be a one night stand, he wanted to do it again sometime. Simply approaching Altani when he wanted sex, however, didn't quite seem right.

Well, he could get to know her. They weren't friends now, but they could become friends.

He nodded to himself, feeling a little better. They would get to know each other, become friends, and enjoy the... benefits of that friendship.

With his mind set at ease he was finally able to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

When Artemis woke again, it was less than an hour until sunset, and Altani was gone. He yawned and stretched, wincing as the motion pulled at the claw marks on his back. He climbed out of bed and wandered through his rooms, idly considering various of his half-finished projects. He came across the pair of paintings still half finished, sitting on their easels. His horn lit in a flash of sudden anger, sending them... elsewhere. He was sure Solaris wouldn't mind. It felt good, in a petty sort of way, to think of the paintings being flashed into instant ash and then the ash reduced to plasma in the heart of the sun. An idle thought suggested that Bright Path himself could be treated to a similar fate. A little horrified that he'd even thought it, Artemis put that aside. He wanted nothing to do with Bright Path again. He wouldn't even think about him.

The sun mirrors had to follow the paintings, in aid of that particular goal, and for good measure he sent the crucible and the bricks along too. And the extra soapstone. And the bead making tools.

All that done, he felt a little better. Perhaps he would do something different tonight. A little stone carving perhaps, or maybe he would work on a mosaic...

He raised the moon without even bothering to go out to his balcony, hock-deep as he was by then in little bits of colored stone, sorting out the pile so that the colors would be ready when it was time to glue them down. He would have stayed there all night, except that getting out the paper to sketch a design on reminded him of his desk, and the pile of paperwork waiting for him there.

He considered putting it off again, then decided he'd better not. Heaving a sigh he brushed stone dust from his coat with a flick of magic and went out into the halls, headed for his duty.

He didn't get very far before a familiar, purring voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

He turned, seeing the gryphoness lounging against the wall in a side hall that intersected the one he'd been walking down. "Altani." He nodded at her. "Please, call me Artemis."

She stalked up to him with that same slow, sensuous walk. Artemis found his breath coming a little faster just from the sight. "I hope you enjoyed our time together earlier."

"I did, yes."

"And it seems that I did you no damage." She rubbed up against his side, drawing the sharp tip of her beak along his back, where the marks she'd left were no longer visible at all. He shivered.

"Uh. Nothing permanent. It healed when I raised the moon. The moon's power does that for me."

"Oh? Interesting. Will it heal no matter where the marks are?"

The look she was giving him worried Artemis a little bit. "Y-es," he slowly responded.

"Very interesting indeed." She ran her beak through his tail, combing the starlight-strewn strands. He shivered again.

Altani continued past him, drawing her tail along his flank as she passed. "Coming?" she asked. Artemis hesitated for a moment. He was supposed to be getting something done tonight, doing his duty for the Empire. Then he looked at the retreating tail, swaying with that predatory, stalking stride, and followed.

This time Altani led the way to her own room rather than his. It was just a single chamber, and the bed was a little smaller, but there was still plenty of room for them both. There was also no other furniture in the room.

Altani immediately sprawled comfortably on the bed, but Artemis sat on the floor instead. He remembered his earlier resolution. He was going to become friends with her. That required talking.

"So what brings you here to Coltstantinople?" he asked.

Altani looked at him with an indulgently amused expression. "You want small talk before bedding, hmm? Well, I suppose we have many hours of night left to us, so why not? I came here because I was bored, and it was a place to go. My cousin was chosen as ambassador, and I convinced him to take me along. I find the endless meetings with your brother quite boring, however, so I am no longer an official part of the delegation."

"But you're still in the palace."

"I wish to be. Generally I get what I desire. Tonight, Artemis, pony god, I desire you."

Artemis flushed. Her boldness wasn't something he was used to. Only Solaris had ever been so bold with him.

Altani laughed at his blush. "I see that pony gods are much like mortal ponies."

"I am still a pony, even if I'm not a mortal one."

"What makes you different from a mortal pony then? We gryphons have no gods, you know. Only our shamans, who speak to the world and the powers of the world."

Artemis considered this. "I suppose I am a bit like a shaman. But one who can only speak to the moon. Yet I am the only pony who can speak to the moon, and use its power. The only creature of any kind, as far as I know. The Herald of the Moon is one of my titles, the one who speaks for the moon. As Solaris is the Envoy of the Sun."

Altani made a dismissive gesture. "I will not speak of him. He bores me. Let us speak of you, if we must speak."

Artemis felt a warm flicker at that. She wanted him, not Solaris. Of course he was pretty sure that if she'd wanted to bed Solaris she would be out of luck. Several centuries years ago, in a rather drunken revel not long after Artemis had allied with him, he'd declared himself too much stallion for any mare. As far as Artemis knew he'd never changed his mind about that. But I'm not here to think about my brother right now. I'm here to become friends with Altani. "I'd rather talk about you," said Artemis, smiling. "Tell me about yourself."

"There is little to tell. I think, in any case, that I have had enough of talking. Come here."

Artemis hesitated. He wanted to get to know her. "I kind of wanted..."

"No." She waved a claw. "We have talked. Now the time for talking is ended. Come here, or go and find some other ear to hear your talking." She stretched out on the bed on her stomach, wings half flared, tail flicking. She looked back up at him and very deliberately raised her tail up. "See, you will even be safe from my claws for now. I have heard you ponies call it bucking. Come here and show me how a pony god bucks."

Artemis licked his lips. He did want to be her friend, but there would be other times for that later he was sure. Seeing her stretched out invitingly like that, leaving nothing at all to the imagination, certain parts of his anatomy were in full agreement with Altani that it was time to stop talking and start bucking.

"Artemis? Are you there?"

Artemis hard the muffled voice, along with the sound of a hoof knocking on his door. He was lying in bed, having once again slept the day almost entirely through after being up all night with Altani. Since he hadn't raised the moon yet, he had another set of bloody furrows down his back. This time there were some on his rump as well, crossing over his cutie mark, which had proved to be rather sensitive. He still wasn't sure how he felt about that. It always seemed exciting in the moments before, and even sometimes in the moments during, but afterward it hurt like Tartarus.

"Artemis? I'm going to come in."

He blearily recognized Solari's voice, and found his stomach sinking at the prospect of talking to his brother. Still, he started to climb out of bed.

Before he could get to it, the door once again opened, despite being locked, and Solaris stepped into the workroom. He looked at Artemis, just climbing out of the bed. "Forgive me for waking you, I didn't realize you were asleep."

"It's nearly time for me to rise in any case," said Artemis, crossing to the doorway, trying to keep his face calm and not show the resentment he felt to see Solaris invading his rooms uninvited. Solaris no doubt meant well, but Artemis never liked it when he came here. If he'd shown any scrap of interest in the work I do here maybe it'd be different. Artemis put that thought aside too and waited to see what Solaris wanted.

"Well, I'm glad I'm not bothering you. I just..." Solaris stopped, and sighed. "I'm a little worried about you, Artemis. You missed the solstice, and you haven't left the palace since. They tell me you've only been to your office a handful of times. And..." he glanced at Artemis' claw-marked flanks, but apparently decided to let that matter lie. "Is something wrong, brother?"

Artemis scowled. "I'm fine."

"You're sure? If you need help..."

"I don't need yours," snapped Artemis, then regretted it.

Solaris' ears went down and he took a step back. "Artemis..."

"Sorry."

"Will you be coming to the equinox rites?"

Artemis looked away. "No."

"Why not?"

"You don't need me there. Nopony will miss me, I'm sure."

"Of course ponies will miss you. You are the one who created the rites. You founded this faith, and built the cathedral, and designed the ceremonies. You've presided over them with me for centuries now. Yes, you will be missed."

"Oh yes. I created it all. But what pony even remembers that? They call the cathedral yours, they call the faith yours, they call the sky itself yours! I'm barely a footnote now. They clamor to be in your priesthood, and only join mine as second choice, if they can't get a space in yours!"

"That's not..."

"And what does it matter anyway? Why should I bother? I've spent centuries being a god to ponies, for what? They all love your day. They all sleep away my night. They all love you. It took a gryphon to decide to love me first, and not as a second choice! So why should I even try?"

Solaris snorted and stomped one foot. "Well if you think nopony worships you now, you'll certainly have no worshipers left after you stop presiding over your own faith! There are already rumors..."

"I don't care!" Artemis' pale, star-flecked mane was whipping around him and he knew he was on dangerous ground, but he didn't care about that either. "Now leave me alone! I don't need your concern. I can take care of myself."

For a moment light gathered around Solaris, his own golden mane stirring in a solar breeze, but then it dimmed again. Solaris took one long, deep breath and let it out. "Very well," he said softly. "But if you ever do need me, I am there for you."

Then he turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

"There for me," said Artemis bitterly to the empty room. "Just like you were there for me when I wanted your input on my work. Just like you've always been there for me. There when you're not busy, there when your precious ponies don't come first, there when it suits you. Right. You're there for me."

Artemis leaped off his balcony into the night sky. It was autumn now and the night sky was chill. The moon above was the barest sliver of light. He felt it, in his bones. Even as the moon's power was diminished he felt himself somehow diminished. Usually on such night as this he stayed in and did nothing much. Teleportation was too much of a chore, with his energies so low, and flying wasn't much better. Tonight, however, he was on a mission.

He spiraled up, gaining altitude, then turned and flew over the palace. A particular bit of roof caught his eye and he swooped down to land on it. There was a trap door, just where he'd hoped one would be. His magic lifted it and he slipped inside.

The door gave access to the servant's halls, a series of passages that honeycombed much of the palace, letting the ponies who served there come and go without notice by the elite they served. Artemis moved through the halls, his hooves sounding softly on the plain tiled floors. Soon he reached the bureaucratic offices. He slipped inside the nearly deserted space. A single lamp glowed at one of the desks, a clerk there copying something out. He looked up, his eyes going wide. "Your Majesty!"

Artemis nodded. "Carry on," he said and crossed the room. A few more empty rooms and he reached his destination. His own office, the desk there piled high with paper.

"Made it," he muttered. "Now, to get some of this done."

Many hours later the sound of voices as a few early rising clerks began to arrive told Artemis it was time to go. He put out his lamp and rose. His back ached. But the pile was much smaller than it had been. "Mission accomplished."

He considered going out into the main halls. But Altani kept very odd hours, she might still be out there. Better to be safe than sorry. With the waning moon leaving him feeling listless and drained he hadn't felt able to deal with her. Now that several hours of mind-numbing numbers while hunched over a desk had been added to that problem he definitely didn't want to deal with her.

So he retraced his path, drawing more startled looks from the ponies at their desks. He made it to his own balcony without incident, thankfully. Inside he drew the drapes over the door to the balcony and flopped down in his bed.

He put a hoof over his eyes and sighed. Even when the moon began to wax again, it might be a good idea to avoid the halls. Altani was exciting and arousing, and when she was there he had a hard time resisting her. But all she ever wanted to do was buck, to put it crudely. She never wanted to talk, that second night was still the longest conversation they'd ever had. And no matter how things started, she always ended up injuring him.

I want a friend. I wouldn't mind having a lover. But I don't want to be someone's sex toy. And I'm not sure I like being a chew toy either.

He rolled over, trying to get comfortable. But it wasn't his body that wouldn't let him sleep, it was his mind. Somehow his boring, sedate life had turned into a complicated mess and he had no idea what he was going to do about it.

Breaking Point 4 - High Stress

And here I thought my life was complicated before...

"How's this?" Artemis struck a pose, one foot lifted in a traditional gesture, his head up, neck arched.

"Good, good." Marble Chip's voice was a little muffled around the pencil he held, which moved over the paper, sketching rapidly. "Although your hair... Can you hold it still?"

Artemis shook his head. "Sorry, no. I can make it lie flat like an ordinary pony's if that would help."

"Oh no. This is to be a statue of the Lord of Darkness, etcetera. It wouldn't do to give you ordinary hair. I shall manage." He returned to his sketching, while Artemis tried to hold perfectly still. Marble Chip was an earth pony, whom Artemis had met while down in the city buying a new set of chisels. He'd been trying to get back into doing art, since he spent nearly all his time in his rooms now, avoiding Altani, avoiding Solaris, and generally being antisocial.

Meeting Marble had changed at least a little of that. They were friends. They had a great deal in common, including a mutual love of art. Artemis was still avoiding the halls, so he had to teleport Marble here whenever he visited, but that was easy enough to do at any time save near moondark. But friendship and art were not the only things he and Marble had in common.

"There, done with the sketch." Artemis lowered his hoof and moved to look, but Marble held up a hoof. "Ah! You can't move yet."

Puzzled, Artemis lifted his hoof again, resuming his pose. Marble trotted up to him and then lifted his head to kiss Artemis. Artemis laughed, wrapping a hoof around Marble's withers as he kissed him back.

He hadn't been looking for a lover, nor for a friend, when he'd met Marble. He'd had enough troubles with both. But they'd fallen easily and naturally into both friendship and intimacy. It was delightful, but also sometimes worrying. He hadn't exactly broken things off with Altani, he'd just been avoiding her. He couldn't help but wonder if she was the jealous type, and what would happen if she was and she found out. He hadn't discussed her with Marble either. The subject hadn't come up.

Marble kissed him again, dragging his mind back to much more pleasant thoughts. He wrapped both hooves around Marble and caressed him as he kissed the smaller stallion back. The feel of Marble's stocky, muscled body under his hooves was good. He remembered when they'd first met, and how he had been unable to keep from admiring Marble's physique, even then. He was on the short side for an earth pony, which made him much, much shorter than Artemis. But he was built like, well, like a pony who spent all his time muscling heroic marble statues around.

Artemis broke off the kiss. "Done with sketching for the night?"

"Yes."

"Tired yet?"

"No." Marble grinned.

"Well then, what shall we do to pass the time?"

"If you kiss me again, oh Mighty Lord, I think something will come up."

Artemis laughed and kissed him again.

Quite some time later, as they both lay together in bed, Marble rolled onto his back, looking up at the canopy overhead, and said, "This is pretty damn nice. I always wanted to get spoiled by a rich patron who'd have me fill his garden maze with statues. But working with the God of Night himself, and then ending up in his bed after, that's pretty good too."

"It is pretty nice," agreed Artemis. "Having a collaborator, and a friend, be someone I can love too..."

"Woah now, Majesty. Careful with that word."

"Huh?"

"Love. That's pretty strong language."

Artemis frowned, suddenly puzzled. "What do you mean? We're lovers, aren't we?"

"Ah, well, yes. But I don't do romance, My Lord. Don't ask me to."

Artemis blinked. "Okay..."

"We've got something nice. It doesn't need love to complicate it."

"I see." Artemis wasn't sure he did. But he decided he probably shouldn't pursue the matter. Marble was right, what they had was pretty nice. Things were complicated enough as it was. If Marble thought it would be simpler to be friends and lovers, but not be in love, that was probably a good idea.

Artemis's horn flared as he burned his signature into the paper. It was easier than hunting down another jar of ink, since his had run out some time ago.

He looked at his desk. It was once again clear. He was coming and going by winking, or by wing, he hadn't set foot in the palace halls for more than a month now. But he had plenty of free time these days, so he was putting in a lot of work. Marble didn't take up much of his time. In fact lately Marble seemed to be avoiding him. He knew he'd probably pushed too hard when he'd started talking about friendship again last week. He hadn't said love, but he suspected Marble had heard it all the same.

He sighed. I seem to be a sex toy again. Although at least Marble appreciates me as an artist too. But he's not the kind of friend Starswirl was. Will anypony ever be?

"Good evening, brother."

Artemis looked up to see Solaris standing in the doorway. "Solaris?"

"I thought you might like to know that the new gryphon delegation has arrived, and the previous ambassador and his entourage have departed."

"Uhm..." Artemis felt himself blushing. Solaris knew about Altani? He had to, otherwise why come to share that news specifically? "That's... good."

"It's also good that you've gotten caught up on your work here. I appreciate it, Artemis. You do a great deal for the Empire."

Artemis felt a flicker of warmth in him at his brother's praise. He still felt rather bitter towards Solaris. Not just for recent events either. He could summon up several thousand years worth of bad memories between them. Yet there was a reason he called Solaris brother. They were very close. Had been very close. Maybe could be again, somehow.

For a moment Artemis entertained a wild thought. What if was just the two of them again? No empire. No church. No duties. No other ponies, just them. What would they be to each other then? The last time they had been that alone they had been bitter enemies. What would it be like now?

Solaris broke into his thoughts. "I do hope, though, that you'll come to the autumnal equinox rites, Artemis. There is a great deal of gossip about why you were not at the summer solstice."

Dull resentment flared up in him. "I won't be going, no."

"You can't just avoid them forever."

"Can't I?"

"You shouldn't just avoid them forever." Solaris frowned. "Look, Artemis... if it's about that young priest, he can be dealt with. Defrocked, deported, whatever it takes. You don't have to see him ever again."

"It's not just about him. It's about them all. None of them even worship me anymore! They clamor to be in your priesthood! They want to serve you! They don't care about me. They live their lives under your sun, and they sleep away my night. They sing your praises, and they ignore me. You won our ancient battle, Solaris. Your followers have destroyed mine, and I helped you do it when I united the faiths!"

"That battle ended long before that, Artemis. You are my brother now. I can't stand seeing you like this. And you're wrong. There are ponies who love your night. There are ponies who worship you."

"A hoof-full, perhaps."

"More than a hoof-full. But if you stop coming to the rites, if you retreat into seclusion and never talk to anypony again, then someday you'll be right, you'll have no followers at all. Please, Artemis. I beg of you. Say you'll come. It's still more than a month away. At least think about it."

Artemis heaved a sigh. "Very well. I'll think about it."

"Thank you."

The chisel floated in Artemis' magic. Earlier it had flown swiftly, carving away broad chunks of stone. Now it moved slowly, delicately, beginning to refine the form that was slowly emerging from the block. Already a recognizable equine face was there, and the blocky, rough shapes of hat and beard made it evident to anyone who'd known her that the bust would be of Starswirl.

He began adding more detail, carving out individual locks of hair that he would later texture with individual hairs. He hummed softly as he worked. Whatever else might go wrong in his life, at least he had this, his art.

What Might Have Been:

Artemis is interrupted yet again before he can complete the bust of Starswirl that he has been working on. This time it is Marble Chip, telling him that the heroic statue is finished, and asking if a formal event to present it to the public can be arranged. Feeling fondly towards Marble, Artemis is delighted, though he's a little bit nervous about public events. Altani isn't lurking anymore, but still, these days it feels so much safer to remain in his own, private spaces.

Nevertheless he throws a massive party, and Solaris even gets a little bit involved. He likes nothing more than a good party, after all. Artemis is hopeful that everything will turn around. He meets a mare there, a minor noblewoman and patron of the arts, and they hit it off quite well.

Thinking he has made another friend, Artemis retires after the party feeling happy and hopeful once more. The following day two letters arrive. The first is from Marble, thanking him for the party and the opportunities its opened up for him. The letter also says that Marble has found a new patron, and he hopes that Artemis will not be offended, but he's breaking things off. Having a patron who's also a lover has proved to be too complicated, and he wants to dedicate himself to his art.

Artemis is momentarily engraged, and storms around his workroom in a temper. He knocks over and breaks the half-finished bust of Starswirl, which sobers him, plunging him instead into renewed grief. She is gone, Marble is gone, even Altani is gone. Everyone leaves him, no one cares about him.

He goes to his balcony, finds the city shrouded in fog, and he seems to be the only pony alive beneath the moon. The city sleeps, the ponies rejecting his night. The moonlight festivals of his ancient followers have vanished. Solaris has taken everything from him, left him with nothing at all.

Artemis shakes off that thought. It's hardly Solaris' fault that Marble wouldn't commit to love, or that Starswirl died. Solaris is not to blame.

Calmer now, he opens the second letter. It is from the mare he'd met at last night's party, and it is filled with warm and flattering words about him, and his night, that are a balm to his troubled soul. It also includes an invitation to meet, and Artemis immediately drafts a reply.

Once again he begins to form a tentative friendship, and this time the mare seems to truly understand him. She makes no attempt to become his lover, but she listens to all his troubles, and enjoys his rambles about the principles of art and science. She even suggests that the moonlit rites could perhaps be started again, independent of the now-monolithic church.

Artemis is delighted, and begins slowly to repair the restrictive shambles he'd let his life fall into, with scenes of him organizing his paperwork and even rescuing Bright Path's ruined career interspersed with evenings spent with his new friend.

Then, at a larger social event, a friend of the mare mentions something about her second choice working out after all where Artemis can accidentally hear it, and he discovers that the mare had approached Solaris first, but he had not replied to her initial letter, so she'd sought out Artemis as second choice, and that she'd done so in order to build a friendship to eventually parlay royal favor into a specific business venture that she's always dreamed of.

This is the final breaking point. Someone he thought of as a true friend once again only using him, and worse than that, using him as second choice after his brother. It's too much. In complete madness and despair he breaks every vow he ever made, summon's the full power of the moon, and slips into the madness and nightmare that in this universe is called The Black Stallion, only to be defeated by Solaris' secret weapon, the Elements of Harmony, and banished to the moon to begin a thousand year exile.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Hopefully getting the final bits just as a summary isn't too terrible.

Just FYI this was thought up and mostly written very early on, before we'd seen Celestia and Luna fight Discord, so I didn't know the detail that Luna had used the elements as well, so I'd planned this as Artemis being unaware they even existed, or at least very unfamiliar with them. Given that Brotherhood was also written then, and this is an AU, I'm not sure if I'd go back and try and wedge Discord and the Elements being used against him into this story somewhere or not. It doesn't fit with the history I've already laid out terribly well, though.

Unconquered 1

Author's Note

Solaris has never known defeat. He is Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun. But now that Dusk and Artemis share a public relationship that excludes him, he begins to learn what jealousy really is. Meanwhile Dusk's research has led him to a discovery that may change everything, even the trust he has in Solaris...

This one is a straight-up sequel to Brotherhood, exploring what might happen if Dusk, Solaris, and Artemis try to make this threesome thing work. Two chapters were written before other projects distracted me.

Unconquered 1

"Is that all I am then, your shadow?"

"Brother..."

"Do not call me brother!"

"Artemis. Please. Calm down. If you'll just explain..."

"Explain? Explain what, Solaris? Explain how it is that they all bask in your light, and ignore mine? Explain why you are the Emperor they all love and I only matter to them when youaren't available? Why don't you try explaining that to me!"

Solaris' mouth fell open, a look of stunned pain crossing his face.

Artemis, facing him in the deserted noonday throne room, only laughed to see it. "It's clear to me that there's only room for one beloved ruler here, and that ruler is going to be me!" His eyes suddenly glowed with light as he reached for the moon's power.

"No! Artemis, you vowed...!"

"I vowed to lay down the moon's power for the sake of the ponies. But they don't care for me, so why should I care for them?"

"Please, don't do this!"

The lunar power engulfed Artemis, while outside the noonday light suddenly dimmed, then vanished as the moon itself eclipsed the sun.

"No!" Artemis bolted upright with a scream of negation. For an instant he thought that the dream had become reality, that he was somehow trapped more than a thousand years ago, on that day-become-night, for all around him echoed shockwaves of lunar power, while the room was dark, and outside there were cries of alarm from startled ponies.

Then he recognized his bedroom in one of the Canterlot Palace towers. He recognized also the gaping hole that his magic had blown in the bedroom wall. Shudders of terror washed through him. The dream had been so real. And the fading traces of magic that echoed around him told him that what he'd unleashed in the grip of his dream had been something other than ordinary magic.

He let out a low moan of pure terror curled up in his bed as if he could somehow escape his fears by doing so.

In the halls of the palace two sets of hooves clattered frantically on marble floors, headed towards the source of the sudden explosion. One belonged to Dusk Shine, who had been awake when the explosion had taken place. He had, in fact, been looking right at the tower. So he'd raced towards it immediately. If he hadn't been worried about the structural integrity of the balcony after such a blast he would have winked directly there.

The other set belonged to Solaris, who had been woken from sleep by the sound. He hadn't seen the explosion, but he could sense the ripples of magic from it. His heart had turned to ice as he recognized pure lunar power. Spurred on by fear, he ran even faster than Dusk, so they both nearly collided in the corridor outside the tower's base.

Solaris' magic threw the doors open and he raced up the stairs, Dusk hard on his heels. Dusk hesitated when they reached the top, worried about structural damage and the possible consequences of rushing in, but Solaris didn't pause, he flung the bedroom door open just as swiftly, heedless of the noise it made, and dashed into the room.

His eyes went to the bed, where Artemis was curled up, shaking. Some of the ice in his heart melted at the sight. Dusk followed slightly more sedately, a little puzzled too at why Solaris had been acting so rashly. Seeing the obviously distressed Artemis, Dusk immediately climbed into the bed and started stroking him with a reassuring hoof. "It's okay," he said. "We're here."

Artemis looked up at him, his eyes for a moment unseeing, still caught in memory. Then they focused on Dusk's face and he flung himself at Dusk, wrapping his forelegs around him and clinging tightly.

A moment later Solaris was there too, embracing Dusk and Artemis both.

"It was a nightmare" said Artemis, his voice shaky and full of fear. "The nightmare."

"It's long over, brother," said Solaris gently. He kissed Artemis' brow, just below his horn. "Over and done with."

"But it's not! The moon, my vow..."

"Using a bit of lunar power in your sleep to blow out a bedroom wall hardly counts as breaking your vow, Artemis. You haven't upset the order of night and day, or the seasons, or turned the earth back into molten chaos. All you've done is reduce a few stones to very small pieces. Easily enough repaired come morning." He smiled and held Artemis tighter.

"But it could happen again. What if I do something worse?"

Solaris sighed a bit at that. "I will not lie to you, I have no easy answer for that, Artemis. And I am sorry for not being here to help. I should be here with you, so that you can walk in my dreams, and not be trapped in your own."

Artemis rested his head on Solaris' shoulder, while Dusk softly stroked his mane with one hoof. "I wish you could, but it's not possible."

"Perhaps it could be possible."

"No. We agreed..."

Solaris cut him off. "We agreed that our image as siblings complicates things, and that public scandal isn't something the principality needs just now. But if you need..."

Now Artemis interrupted, frowning. "My dreams are hardly a reason to throw Equestria into a political crisis. You can't start sharing a bed with me every night."

"I can hardly just leave you when you need me, Artemis." Solaris' voice was rising just a little now and his ears were back. "I won't abandon you again."

Artemis sat back, still frowning, and waved a hoof dismissively. "Don't be absurd, you never abandoned me, you were there, I just got too caught up in jealousy to see it."

"No, I..."

Dusk cleared his throat, and the other two alicorns turned to look at him, both suddenly chagrined. Dusk smiled. "There is another option, you know. Artemis could come stay with me."

Solaris' face lit up. "Excellent! You and Artemis are not brothers, so there will be no crisis-causing scandal."

Artemis chuckled. "Just a lot of gossip, but there's, ah, some of that around already."

"I think somepony in the guard has been telling stories about that night you two got drunk," said Dusk.

"You were drunk too," said Solaris teasingly.

"I only had two drinks, and was still almost entirely sober, thank you very much," replied Dusk sternly. Then he grinned. "Which is why I still have no idea what possessed me to take up with you two. But I suppose I'm stuck with you now."

Artemis' smile faded a bit and he said. "You aren't really stuck with us. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Dusk chuckled softly. "I do want to. Very much so. More than that though, as you said, you need me. You need somepony between you."

"Lest we wound each other again and again with the shards of our past," said Artemis softly.

Dusk could only nod.

Solaris hugged them both tightly again. "You're right. And you're right about the solution to the nightmares as well. Artemis can sleep with you." He grinned suddenly and brushed his horn against Dusk's, making Dusk blush. "I might sneak in and join you every now and then, even if I can't stay the night."

Unconquered 2

"Here you are. A brand new suite, big enough for both of you and all of your hobbies. It's the largest in the palace now." Solaris smiled as he ushered Artemis and Dusk in through the huge double doors. "This room used to be a small reception room, in fact. It happened to share a wall with one of the visiting dignitary suites that was currently empty, so it was a matter of only a few days' work to connect the two. This will make for a perfect studio, workroom, and library. You can see I've already furnished it with shelves."

The other two alicorns stared around the huge room. It was small for a reception room, perhaps, but it was gigantic for a studio, or a magic workroom, or even a library. It was certainly bigger than the Golden Oaks library. Dusk wouldn't have to worry about running out of shelf space for a long time either, with all the shelving that covered the walls. Not even given the size of Artemis' book collection, which was at least as large as his own.

"I've left the rest of the furnishings to you two, simply pick out whatever you'd like. I did, however, take the liberty of moving most of Artemis' things down to the bedroom. Especially the bed." Solaris winked.

Dusk laughed. The three of them had some rather fond memories of that particular bed.

"How is it?" asked Solaris as Dusk and Artemis peered into the bedroom. "Is it to your liking?" He seemed very eager to have Dusk and Artemis approve. Dusk knew that it wasn't out of any sort of insecurity though, it was merely because he cared for them both, and wanted to make them happy.

"It is, brother. It definitely is." Artemis smiled warmly.

"It's perfect!" said Dusk. He already knew just where he wanted to put his worktables, and the tile floor was ideal for chalking magical diagrams.

"Then the only thing left is the official announcement," said Solaris.

Dusk wilted a bit at that. "Do we have to?"

"I'm afraid so. If we don't say what's going on, ponies will make assumptions. And some of those will get much more... creative than the truth."

"What exactly are we to say?" asked Artemis. "I am... reluctant to declare a betrothal. That would exclude you rather more than I like."

"I appreciate that," said Solaris, giving Artemis a gentle nuzzle. "I suggest you merely announce that you are courting. The usual term these days is 'very special someponies.' Or 'coltfriends' if you prefer."

"When should we announce it?"

"I suggest tomorrow's open court. Dusk will be there in any case, as he is to begin taking up certain royal duties at last."

Dusk flushed slightly, looking sheepish. "I'm sorry I've put it off for so long. I just don't really like making decisions about other ponies' lives."

"I understand," said Solaris. "But although you've done much for the kingdom, making these decisions is part of the role of prince. It's time you took up that role in full. And," he added with a grin, "between the two of you, I might actually have enough free time now to take a vacation, or indulge in a real hobby!"

Dusk and Artemis exchanged amused looks. "I'll believe that when I see it," said Artemis.

"You shall see it soon enough, then." Solaris smiled. "But come. With a little effort we can have all your things moved in tonight, brother. I've sent for Dusk's things from Ponyville too, they should be here in a couple of days. Meanwhile he can get his luggage out of his old room and move it here."

"All right." Dusk turned and headed back to his former room. It was the room he'd stayed at whenever he stayed overnight at the palace since he'd been a little colt. He looked around the room as he packed up the clutter of books and papers that followed him wherever he went.

He'd spent as much time here as at his parents' home, once he'd reached his teenage years. It had been his home, more or less. Then he'd left it to move to Ponyville, only visiting on rare occasion. Now he was going to leave it permanently, to share a room with Artemis.

He would be leaving Ponyville permanently too.

He heaved a sigh at the thought. It had been inevitable for a long time, but it was still sad, finally arriving at the moment when Ponyville would cease to be home.

It had ceased to be home for several of his friends already. Bubble Berry was sun knew where, touring with his vaudeville revival band. He always came back to Ponyville during the off season, but for more than half the year he was gone. Rainbow Blitz was here in Canterlot, since it was the headquarters of the Wonderbolts and he'd finally become a full member. Elusive was currently splitting his time between his old boutique in Ponyville and the newer one here in Canterlot, but Dusk knew that it wouldn't be long before the Canterlot boutique became a full time job and the far less profitable Ponyville venture was closed or turned over to one of his apprentices full time.

Only Applejack and Butterscotch remained in Ponyville all year round, and both of them were now married. Applejack already had a foal, even, and Butterscotch's wife Red Gala was expecting. The two families had become incredibly close, since Red Gala was Applejack's sister. Dusk would miss them, but they had each other, and they had an animal hospital and a huge farm to run between them. With little ones underfoot taking even more of their time, he almost never saw either of them anymore. Moving wouldn't change that very much.

He heaved another sigh and finished stacking books in his saddlebags. Well, at least this time when he unpacked them he could expect that they would stay where he put them for a while.

Perhaps for centuries. That was an almost frightening thought. He tried not to think about it too often. He knew he wasn't like Solaris and Artemis. They were not just alicorns, they were gods. True gods. Ancient powers that were genuinely immortal; as deathless as the moon and sun. He was not like that. But he was also no longer an ordinary pony. He had stopped aging on the day he had ascended. That had been only a few years past, so it didn't really show yet. Still, if nothing happened to him, he had centuries of life to look forward to. Would he truly spend all that time here, ruling Canterlot beside Artemis and Solaris? It seemed impossible, but he couldn't picture anything else.

He shoved those thoughts aside and hefted the saddlebags. He picked up another dozen books with his magic, then looked around the room to see if he'd missed anything. He hadn't brought much. Some books. A few research materials. The crown that he pretty much never wore. That was it. So little to take with him into this terrifyingly uncertain future.

He put that thought aside too. Artemis would be there by his side. So would Solaris. He trusted Solaris more than any other pony in the world. Everything would be all right.

"Good afternoon," said Solaris cheerfully to Dusk. "Ready for your first open court petitions?"

"Probably not."

"You'll do fine," said Artemis, coming up beside Dusk and nuzzling him. "We'll both be there to advise you."

"Indeed. And really you don't even need to worry about that yet. First you have to get over the announcement that you and Artemis are very special someponies." Solaris grinned wickedly.

Dusk squeaked. Artemis rolled his eyes and put a wing on Dusk's shoulder. "Don't listen to him, he's a terrible pony."

Dusk snickered at that, feeling a little better. "All right. Let's do this."

The trio of alicorns filed into the throne room. Where years ago only a single throne had stood, now there were three. Solaris' elaborate golden throne was in the center. Artemis' less imposing but more ornate throne sat to his right, and a new throne, which Dusk had never seen before, sat to his left. It seemed to be made of steel, and it gleamed with an elegant simplicity. He found himself wondering if Elusive had had a hoof in designing it.

He sat on the throne's purple cushion gingerly. Burly guards-ponies took up their places flanking the dais. Another set were stationed by the doors at the far end of the room. At Solaris' nod they swung the doors open. A herald banged a hoof on the marble floor and shouted, "Their royal highnesses, Prince Solaris, Envoy of the Sun, Prince Artemis, Herald of the moon, and Prince Dusk Shine, Arbiter of Twilight, do open their court for petitions great and small. May all abide in their eternal wisdom!"

"Arbiter of Twilight?" whispered Dusk to Solaris with a raised eyebrow, as ponies began to quietly file into the room.

"Indeed. Be glad that I have simplified my title over the years and that Artemis was happy to drop most of his as well. Otherwise I'd have needed to come up with at least half a dozen more silly things to call you in order to make it clear that I consider you my equal here."

The room was full of softly murmured conversations now. Easily a hundred ponies were here, perhaps more. Dusk felt his ears going down as he looked at the crowd. The room was far from packed, but that was still a great many ponies.

"Are these all here with petitions?" he whispered, trying desperately not to squeak with panic. He hated the way his voice did that.

"No. At least half of them are noble hangers on, who show up to gather gossip from the petitions and to see and be seen. Another quarter at least are accompanying petitioners, while several of the petitions are disputes with more than one party, which whittles down the number of petitions even more. There are probably no more than twenty-five to thirty actual petitions here. A few of which often give up when they see petitions ahead of theirs resolved in a manner they disapprove of."

"Oh. Thats good. I guess."

Solaris chuckled. "Don't worry. But first, while everypony is here, the fun part!"

He stood, his mane and tail flowing about him with regal power. "Lords and Ladies of Equestria. Before court begins it is my privilege and honor to present Prince Dusk Shine, who will be judging all the cases today. However, he and Prince Artemis first have some marvelous news to announce to all of Equestria." Solaris nodded once to his left, once to his right, then seated himself gracefully on his throne.

Artemis rose. Dusk rose too, feeling anything but graceful as he scrambled to his hooves. He felt his cheeks heating with a very unprincely blush. He looked over at Artemis, trying to figure out if he should speak, or if Artemis would. Artemis looked just a bit flushed as well, but he gave Dusk a small nod and turned to the gathered crowd.

"I am delighted and honored to make official the news that a few astute observers may have already guessed at, judging from certain rumors that have reached my ears." He smiled. "Prince Dusk Shine and I are courting. While I do not anticipate another royal wedding any time soon, I am quite proud to have Dusk as my very special somepony." A low rustling of startled whispers and shuffling hooves filled the room.

Artemis turned his head and gave Dusk a warm smile, and an encouraging nod. Dusk straightened a bit and nodded. "I am also quite proud to have Artemis as my very special somepony. It is an honor to be such a part of his life."

Solaris stood again. "I would like to add that Artemis and Dusk both have my full support and blessing." He directed a smile at each of them in turn. Then cleared his throat and continued. "With that news out of the way it is now time for the presentation of petitions."

The herald stomped his hoof on the floor again, the sound ringing out through the room. "Lord Brightsky and Lord Delight will now step forward."

Dusk felt a whole colony of butterflies suddenly emerge from their chrysalises in his stomach. Two unicorn lords who he recognized vaguely as being among the movers and shakers in Canterlot were here, with a dispute, that he would be expected to solve. He swallowed hard.

He listened, the butterflies still flitting, as the pair laid out the details of their argument. It was a dispute over property lines, a common enough occurrence, but this one was complicated by the course of a small stream.

"The stream has always been the boundary between our lands," explained Lord Delight. "But now it has dried up. Obviously the only fair course is the establish an officially surveyed boundary along the most recent course of the stream."

"That is total poppycock! The stream bed moves. It has moved every year. Last year it ran far too close to my side of the property line. Using the most recent bed ignores the ancient bed that the stream was following when the boundary was first established! I would lose nearly two acres of land! How can that possibly be considered fair?"

Dusk felt the butterflies fluttering away. It was very hard not to roll his eyes at the petty absurdity of two of Canterlot's wealthiest stallions bothering the princes over two acres of wilderness. He was rather tempted to declare the disputed area a crown possession, just to spite them both.

But the urge to roll his eyes wasn't the reason the butterflies had left, it was a result of their departure. The reason they had left was that a case just like this had been in a book he'd read. He knew exactly what to do.

"Here is how you will settle this. Have a surveyor mark the most recent course of the stream, as you suggested, Lord Delight." Lord Brightsky opened his mouth to sputter some objection, but Dusk held up a hoof. "The surveyor will also mark the ancient bed, as you desire, Lord Delight. Then he will mark a point that falls exactly between them. Then," he continued firmly, this time in the face of both stallions moving as if to interrupt, "I will send an archer from the royal guard who has never met either of you to stand on that spot. You will make certain that it is a clear, calm day and that no pegasi are in the sky. The archer will shoot an arrow directly up. The permanent boundary will be drawn in a straight line from wherever that arrow falls, leaving the result in the hooves of fate. Is that acceptable to you both?"

There was a long silence. Both stallions seemed to be trying to think of some way to take advantage of this method. There really wasn't one, though. Which meant, of course, that they both knew that the other couldn't take any advantage either. Both could also hope that fate would favor them. As anyone who had watched ponies gamble knew, most ponies hope that fate will favor them, even when it flies in the face of reason to think it might.

"I suppose I could accept that," said Lord Brightsky eventually.

"Yes, it will do," said Lord Delight, still frowning faintly.

"Very well," said Dusk.

"Next petition!" bellowed the herald. "The Lady Fancy Pants!"

"Good job," whispered Solaris to him as the elegant mare stepped forward.

Dusk pricked his ears up to hear the next request, feeling much better about his ability to deal with petitions.

He made it through the entire afternoon with no disasters. He did occasionally have to consult with Solaris or Artemis, and for one case he actually sent for a particular book which he just knew would have a solution in it. He saw the other two princes exchange amused glances at that one, but neither of them said a word about it.

At last the final petition was presented. "Lady Vendington and Patricia Pierce." A pair of mares stepped forward, one deep blue with a wavy mane and tail, the other tan with a golden mane and tail.

After they explained their petition, Dusk found himself smiling. They were a couple, and wanted magical assistance in having foals that were truly their own. After the many disputes and petty attempts to gain royal favor that he'd seen over the last few hours, theirs was a petition he was delighted to grant.

"Your petition is granted. In fact, if you would permit, I would be honored to cast the necessary spells myself."

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Lady Vendington, bowing deeply.

"Yes, thank you so much!" Patricia bowed as well.

"You are more than welcome," said Dusk with a smile.

Solaris whispered, "Have them see Dot, she can make an appointment for you to do the spellwork. I'll need to get you your own secretary soon, but that should do for now."

Dusk nodded. "Please speak with Dot, the royal secretary, to make the necessary arrangements," he said to the mares.

They both bowed again and turned to go.

"Court is now closed!" shouted the herald, with another bang of hooves on stone.

"You did very well today," said Artemis.

Dusk smiled, looking up from his notes. "I did, didn't I? I was so worried! But it wasn't that bad. Although," he added as he quill scratched across the paper, "I'd still rather just do the bookkeeping."

Artemis chuckled. "I once felt much the same way. But I think Solaris is wise to push your boundaries a bit, my friend. Perhaps if he'd pushed me to leave my books and my art a little more often, all those years ago, things might have been different." His smile faded a bit and he heaved a sigh.

Dusk walked over to him and nuzzled him, offering wordless comfort. For a long moment they merely stood together, enjoying one another's company. Finally Dusk stepped back. "I should get back to work."

"What are you working on now?" asked Artemis.

"I've been putting down some ideas about harmony lately. I finished my book on the magic of friendship, you know, so I thought that harmony would be a good subject for my next major project." Overseeing the final details of the book's publication was what had brought him back to Canterlot, in fact. That had lead to a certain slightly inebriated evening, which had in turn resulted in his current rather changed relationship with his fellow princes.

"So you're going to be studying the Elements then?"

"Eventually, yes. Thus far I've merely been researching their history and past uses."

"I'd be happy to help you with that."

Dusk smiled. "Thank you. I know you can tell me much about them. I'll need to ask Solaris as well, of course. But I'd also like to consult as many sources as possible. There are so few records from before the founding of Canterlot! It's so frustrating sometimes."

"I was not there for those years, but I'm told there was a great deal of chaos between the fall of Coltstantinople and the founding of Canterlot."

"Yeah. They call it 'the dark ages' for a reason." Dusk heaved a sigh. "I have searched the whole library from top to bottom, and have only found a handful of references to harmony or the Elements."

"Have you looked in the Deep Vault?"

"The Deep Vault?" Dusk looked confused.

"The storage area for dangerous, valuable, and fragile artifacts? It's under the mountain because a few of the things there need a lot of shielding, and a hundred feet or so of rock makes a terrific magical insulator."

"I... uh... didn't even know that existed until just now," said Dusk, feeling puzzled.

"Ah. I suppose that's hardly surprising. I've only been down there once since my return. There isn't much call to meddle with the things stored there. But there are some records there; scrolls that have become contaminated with magical energy, books that are too fragile to be handled, things of that nature."

"Books that I haven't read," said Dusk, his expression brightening.

Artemis laughed. "Indeed. Shall I take you there?"

"Yes!"

"I take it you'd prefer to go now, rather than wait?" Artemis grinned.

Dusk grinned back. "It's not like I'm doing anything else right now."

What Might Have Been

In the deep vault the pair find many wonders, but they happen across a strange object (meant to be the original Heart of Darkness from the G1 Tirek) that's pulsing with black magic. It also has Solaris' magic all over, both containing it...and drawing from it. Both Dusk and Artemis explain this away readily, Solaris must have a good reason to be mucking around with black magic, but it lurks in the back of their minds.

They go on with day to day life, Dusk trying to keep in touch with his friends, Artemis trying to get fully back in the groove of the modern world, and both finding plenty of time to be together. They soon officially announce their relationship, to much public celebration.

Not long after, Solaris begins to be strangely distant and reticent. He shows odd flashes of anger at both Dusk and Artemis, sometimes over very small things.

Gradually, as time passes, they begin to fear (and share their fears) that black magic is tainting Solaris somehow, that he's turning dark, and that his irrational anger is a sign of this, which he's trying to hide. Wild emotion can be a side effect of the use of black magic.

They both attempt to reach out to him, one at a time, and Solaris rebuffs them. He begins to act distant and withdrawn, doing only the bare minimum for his duties. Artemis worries more, this reminds him far too much of the way he was, just before giving in to darkness and embracing the nightmare.

Dusk and Artemis agree that there needs to be an intervention, and they corner Solaris, saying they have to talk about what he's doing to himself. He cracks for just a minute, pulls pure sunpower, then flees. Worried that they have a Daybreaker type situation on their hooves, they chase, but the chase is shockingly short, for when he realizes they're not letting him go, Solaris just gives up. They find him curled up and miserable, having sealed himself off so completely from the sun's power that he seems almost like an ordinary pony.

Then the truth comes out. He was never using black magic, his power was drawing the black magic out to send it to the sun, to be purified and scattered there, because the Heart of Darkness by its nature draws in a pool of black power constantly, and if allowed to accumulate it would eventually warp and break even the strongest wards, and Solaris can't find a way to destroy it. He was just keeping it safe. His anger and his odd behavior wasn't black magic, it was jealousy.

He has always won. Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun. Always, even when he fought Artemis back in the day, he won eventually. Being unable to rescue Artemis from his lunar imprisonment was the closest he's ever come to failure, and even then he set up the situation that allowed Dusk to do it, so he won in the end. Now, though, he sees Dusk and Artemis as an open couple, when he can't have that, and it feels like failure. He's losing both the ones he loves to each other.

In the end they all agree to say "fuck it" and make a public threesome. I think? Alternate ending idea has them making specific plans to keep Solaris quietly included in private, but I didn't like that idea as well, even if it's maybe more practical.

Author's Note

I had a few more ideas for this AU world, but I never pursued any of them, since other stories grabbed my attention, especially after Honey Pie was such a hit. But I do have a great fondness for Prince-cest stallion threesomes all the same.