EQUESTRIA WARS: EPISODE 1 - A PROPHECY FORETOLD

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Mission
Chapter 3: Sisters
Chapter 2: The Road to Sundown

Chapter 1: The Mission

CHAPTER 1: THE MISSION

Often the simplest of jobs leads to the grandest of adventures.

***

A sea of clouds, stretching far into the horizon. Above it sat a clear blue sky, visible thanks to the rays of the shining sun. The only sound was the flow of the wind across the sky. It pushed the clouds away, leaving the blue sky intact.

In a way, it was almost funny. The clouds were below and the blue vastness was up high. To some...it could be a metaphor.

“Mam”.

Eclipse slowly opened her eyes, giving herself a better look at the sight in front of her. Now she could see not only the sky and sea of clouds, but also the bowsprit stretching towards it. Truly nothing compared to the clean vision she’d seen in her mind.

Sighing, Eclipse turned toward the sound of the voice. As she did she took in a better look at her surroundings. She stop on the bow of a large wooden airship. Beyond the bow stretched a large mid-section, dotted with hatches and stairways to the floors below. At the other end rose the main cabins, above which sat the bridge. Ponies in blue uniforms walked about the decks. Most went about adjusting ropes or moving cargo. Others stood watching the ship move throughout the sky.

Above her sat a giant purple balloon, filled with thousands of cubic feet of hot air. Four ropes connected it and the ship below. All together, it was the perfect example of Equestrian engineering. No magic, no Pegasus power, just the hard work of scientific design and Earth Pony manufacturing.

Finishing her 180 degree turn, Eclipse looked down at the source of the voice. Standing below her was a dark grey unicorn colt with a spotless white mane. He carried two small saddle-bags on his back; each one filled with books he insisted on taking with him. Of course what stood out about him the most was his cutie-mark: a swirling line dotted with three stars.

A sign of sucking up all the brightness around him? Possibly, but Eclipse always found it hard to come to that conclusion. Still, she gave the young colt a large smile. No need to spread her displeasure with the view to everyone.

“What is it Star Swirl”?

The young colt stood up straight. “Sorry to interrupt your contemplation mam, but I come bearing a message”.

“From who,” asked Eclipse.

“The Captain mam; he wanted me to inform you that we’ll be arriving at our destination in ten minutes”.

Eclipse nodded. “Did he say anything about the situation on the ground”?

“No mam,” replied Star Swirl. “But from what I heard on my way out, we should expect some dangers a few miles out”.

Eclipse sighed; she’d hoped that things wouldn’t turn out like this. Making changes to the plan always resulted in disaster...at least for her it did. And no doubt Star Swirl would only add to the tension; young learners were always unknown factors in situations.

“So, will we have to alter the plan mam,” asked Star Swirl.

Eclipse shook her head. “The Council’s instructions were clear and precise. Besides, I think we can handle a few unknown variables”.

“Of course mam,” replied the young colt.

Eclipse stepped around Star Swirl and headed for the nearby stairway. The young colt quickly followed along behind her. As the two descended, Star Swirl floated a book out of his saddle-bag.

Eclipse noticed and smiled. “Another science-fiction novel Star Swirl”?

“No mam,” he replied. “It’s a spell book. We haven’t been in many situations where spells are needed. So I’ve been keeping up with my studies when I have free time”.

“What level book is it”?

Star Swirl smirked. “Level Ten”.

Eclipse stopped, turning back towards the young colt. She raised an eyebrow; something wasn’t right.

“Last I checked, you were only permitted books up to level six. How did you acquire a level ten book”?

Star Swirl’s face formed a sneer. He looked away from Eclipse, not able to stand the disapproving look she was giving him.

“I….I might have….sorta….kinda….taken it from Councilor Righthorn’s personal collection”.

Eclipse’s nostrils flared. “You WHAT”!

“Before you get angry….well, angrier, let me explain”.

Eclipse was ready to tell the young colt no. Stealing in and of itself was wrong, but it was even worse to steal from a member of the council. If Righthorn figured out what happened, Star Swirl could be in much trouble. Or even worse, they could blame her for not keeping better tabs on him.

But at the same time, Eclipse was curious. Star Swirl had always been an expert at the spoken word. He’d already mastered spells that most couldn’t because they were too difficult to say. So it wasn’t a stretch to believe that he could give a logical excuse for his actions. And in the end, that was something Eclipse wanted to see.

“Alright, try and explain yourself”.

Star Swirl stood up even straighter. Even his chest was starting to push out a bit.

“I borrowed Righthorn’s book simply because I’d finished all the books up to level six”.

“And you couldn’t have asked Book Keeper Quill for something not related to the main curriculum,” replied Eclipse.

“That would be a waste of my time,” rebutted Star Swirl. “Besides I finish all the level six books in one week. I needed something that I knew would take longer”.

Eclipse groaned. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I slightly agree with you”.

“Slightly”?

“Yes, slightly,” said Regal. “Stealing is still wrong….but I can’t say I’m not proud of you for advancing this far in such a short period of time”.

The look of worry on Star Swirl’s face quickly reformed into a joyous smile. It was rare that he got compliments like this from Eclipse. He knew that eventually he’d be given a long winded speech about the dangers of stealing and dishonesty. But if that was the way she reprimanded him for stealing from a member of the Council, it was totally worth it.

Eclipse turned and resumed walking along the main deck. Star Swirl followed behind, continuing to read the spell book. He quietly chanted a few spells, making sure he didn’t accidentally use one.

As they walked along the main deck, Eclipse reviewed the plan of attack for when they arrived. The Council had given the two of them stick guidelines on how to proceed. Any deviation could result in the whole mission going south….in more ways than one.

Even now, Eclipse could recall everything that had lead up to this moment. Their days on the ship, the boarding at the shipyards.

And most importantly, the assignment of her mission.

***

Hard granite floors. Tall sandstone walls dotted with stain-glass windows. Topped by the large concave ceiling with ornate carvings.

All these the components that made up the long hallway that stretched before Eclipse. The same components that she’d seen almost every day as she walked about the Temple. Sights that would astound most ponies that had the privilege to enter the building.

But for her, it was just another hallway.

The young Alicorn slowly made her way down the hall. Each hoof-step created echoes that rang all the way to the other end. The sunlight shining through the stain-glass shined colors of every hue around her.

Still, it wasn’t enough to counter her white coat or her golden/dark mane. And given how little light available, Eclipse was happy that there was something to liven up this drab location.

“Oh what the ancients would do if they knew what I was thinking” she thought.

After walking for a few more minutes, she stopped before a large wooden door. It rose twice her height. It was covered in carvings depicting Alicorns with shining horns floating over a group of ponies. On the right door was the rising sun, while the left side depicted the setting sun.

Perfect balance, as it always should be.

Pausing for a few seconds, Eclipse pushed the door open and walked through. She found herself standing in a large circular room. The walls reached the same height as the hallway, leading to a ornate dome roof.

On the side opposite Eclipse sat three stained-glass windows. The far left one depicted the many dangers that faced Equestria during it’s founding. The far right window depicted the frightened ponies that faced these many dangers.

The final window was by far the most beautiful. It depicted Regal Sunlight, wings outstretched, shinning her magic across the land before her. Ponies cheered in celebration, while Darkness retreated towards the bottom.

No matter how many times Eclipse looked upon these windows, they never got any less beautiful. After all, this was the beginnings of the Alicorn Council. A single pony, changing the world in ways it would never come back from. Now, there were hundreds of Alicorns around Equestria. All working to make the land a better place with the leadership of the High Council.

“Ah Eclipse, you finally made it”.

Speaking of whom….

The young Alicorn focused on the center of the room. Sitting directly under the domed-roof was a large crystal table. Surrounding the table were seven crystal thrones, each occupied by an Alicorn….all of whom were staring at her.

Taking a deep breath, Eclipse walked forward.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said, stopping before the table.

Now that she was closer, she did a quick sweep of all the Alicorns that were present. She started with the one to her left.

Councilor Nova, a purple mare with a orange mane. Out of all the other councilors, she was by far the most strict. Any deviation from the rules always resulted in a day long disciplinary course. Most younglings were found crying in their quarters by the time it was over. Eclipse could still remember her disciplinary course….and the subsequent nightmares that had resulted from it.

Next was Councilor Cultura, a green mare with a light-red mane. Cultura specialized in plant magic, having grown up near the Everfree Forest. She was also the one called upon when dangerous animals attack towns or villages. And most important, she was by far the most calm and caring of the councilors. Most members of the Alicorn Council agree that she is by far the best teacher to have.

After Cultura came Councilor Fridged; the only stallion on the High Council. While most Alicorns were mares, there were cases where stallions could become one. And Councilor Fridged was by far the best example. He had a whitish-blue coat and a dark blue mane. He specialized in frost magic, given that he hailed from the Frozen North. His role outside the Council was the research and experimentation of new potions….which usually resulted in a few explosions.

To Eclipse’s right sat Councilor Righthorn, a pink mare with a curly brown mane. When not helping to decide the course of all Alicorns in Equestria, she was usually in the Archives. Righthorn was the biggest collector of magical books and items. If it had anything to do with magic, she usually had it or knew about it. Her role outside the High Council was teaching the younglings the proper form of magic casting. It didn’t matter how bad you were at it, she could make you an expert in no time.

Next to Righthorn sat Councilor Emerald Glow, a dark green mare with a black mane. Out of all the Alicorns in Equestria, Emerald was probably the most knowledgeable about the Council’s history. From the days of Regal Sunlight to the last few seconds, she knew it all. Of course, not everyone had her enthusiasm for the past. Many younglings have been known to fall asleep during her classes. Of course, those that got caught usually had to write a report about the topic in question. Let it never be said that she didn’t make you know the material.

To her right was Councilor Obsidian, a mare with a grey pelt and black mane with golden highlights. A master of design and construction, her role was the upkeep of the Alicorn Temple. But her expertise was also used when Alicorns needed to infiltrate buildings or fortresses. In a split second, she could tell where all of the hidden passages and areas of interest were located.

Finally, there was the most important Alicorn. The one in the largest throne, sitting directly across from Eclipse.

The leader of the Alicorn High Council: Mistress Faust.

Faust was a white Alicorn mare with a red mane. She stood taller than any other Alicorn, and also had the longest wingspan. When not keeping the other Councilors in line, she was working to make a better experience for the other Alicorns. She did a bit of everything: teaching, experimentation, research, etc. If there was something to be done, she had a hoof in it at one point.

Faust was what every Alicron strives to be: a perfect example of what one could achieve with enough work and determination. Earning the rank of Mistress came only with years of training and dedication to the ideals and laws of the Alicorn Council.

And now, she was smiling at Eclipse.

“Of course not Eclipse, a pony is never late. Everyone else is simply early,” she replied.

Nova snorted. “I beg to differ”.

“Well thankfully no one asked for your opinion Nova,” retorted Emerald Glow.

“And that means I can’t express it? Why should I have to keep my mouth shut on topics that worry me”?

“Because this isn’t the topic we are focusing on,” said Fridged.

“Indeed, we need to get back to what we were discussing,” said Faust. “Eclipse, please have a seat”.

A small chair rose up from the ground before Eclipse. She quickly sat down, keeping her attention on Faust. The other Council members did the same; some more invested than others.

Faust cleared her throat. “As I said before Eclipse arrived, we have received some disturbing news”.

Faust ignited her horn, covering the table in it’s glow. The Council watched as small holographic shapes began to rise out of it. As the glowing died down, Eclipse took in what she was seeing. A large holographic town sat before them, filled with similar sized ponies. They went about their business, not seeming to notice their larger surroundings.

“This is the town of Sundown, a small community located in Southern Equestria. Two days ago, we received word that Dragons were spotted a few miles outside the perimeter”.

“But how is that possible,” asked Obsidian, “we haven’t seen a Dragon on Equestria soil for thousands of years”.

“That’s what worries me,” said Faust. “But that’s not the end of it”.

Her horn glowed again. The council watched as a large dragon flew over the town. Fire shot from it’s mouth, incinerating the buildings it hit. Ponies screamed and ran for cover through the burning wreckage.

“Not only have Dragons returned, they’ve now attacked an innocent town”.

“That’s an act of aggression,” said Righthorn. “Has Congress been informed of this”?

“Yes,” replied Faust. “They are the ones who brought it to my attention”.

“But this doesn’t make sense though,” said Cultura. “Dragons are territorial, and will attack if they think their land is threatened. But Sundown has been there for decades. Why are they attacking now”.

“I don’t think it’s about territory,” replied Fridged. “I think something….or someone….has caused this to happen”.

Nova leaned forward. “What proof do we have of this?”

Faust sighed. “At the moment, none”.

“So for now we can only assume that this was done solely by the Dragons,” said Nova. “Which means we need to act now if we want to defeat this threat”.

“You know we can’t just go head-first into something without knowing everything we can about the situation,” said Obsidian.

“Agreed,” replied Faust. She turned her attention to Eclipse, who’d remained silent up until now. “That’s were you come in”.

Eclipse stood up straight. “What is it that I’m to do mam”?

“We need proof that what is happening here is being orchestrated by someone. In order to get that, we need you to go and scout the area”.

Eclipse nodded. “Will I be looking for anything in particular”?

“Well ringleaders and fortifications would be one thing,” replied Righthorn. “But mostly try and look for any sign that these attacks aren’t random. Anything that points towards coordination from somepony else”.

“If there even is such a pony,” replied Nova snootily.

Eclipse ignored Nova’s comment. It seemed strange that she was so against checking on these attacks. But given how she was against almost everything except her own ideas, this wasn’t that surprising.

“That is all the information we have for you at the moment,” said Faust. “If there’s nothing left to add, you may leave”.

Eclipse raised a hoof. “I do have one question: am I to do this mission alone”?

“I’m afraid we can’t send any other Alicorns at the moment,” said Obsidian. “If this isn’t a coordinated attack, we don’t want to waste our numbers”.

“Luckily I don’t need another Alicorn. I’d like my apprentice Star Swirl to accompany me,” said Eclipse.

The council looked at each other, uncertainty plastered on their faces. Soon each was looking at Faust, who in turn turned to Eclipse.

“Are you sure Star Swirl is ready to take on a mission like this,” she asked. “He’s still a learner”.

“And yet he’s surpassed all other students in his group, as well as most beginning Alicorns. If not for his age, I’d say he was ready to become an Alicorn right now”.

“We’re not questioning his skills,” said Fridged. “We just want to make sure he won’t be in over his head”.

“Dragons are not the ideal first mission,” said Cultura.

“I know,” said Eclipse. “But I have faith in him, and I believe you should as well”.

The council remained silent for a few minutes. Eclipse knew what they were doing: silent debate. Sending a young colt into a dangerous territory wasn’t the brightest move. But still, Eclipse would be there to make sure nothing happened to him. And if he was as skilled as they said, he could at least hold his own against some enemies.

And hey, maybe there was no danger. In which case, this could be a good way for him to see more of Equestria.

After five minutes of silence, Faust spoke.

“Alright Eclipse, Star Swirl can accompany you to Sundown. But we ask that you try not to put him in unnecessary danger”.

Eclipse bowed her head. “Don’t worry, I’m confident nothing bad will happen”.

“Very well then,” said Faust, “you may leave now. The councilors and I have other matters to discuss”.

Nodding, Eclipse stepped away from the table and walked towards the door.

***

“Mam….MAM WATCH OUT”!

Snapping out of her memory, Eclipse found herself back on the deck of the air-ship. A split second later, she saw that she was approaching the rear cabins. She stopped in her tracks, taking a deep breath.

“Are you alright mam,” asked Star Swirl. “I tried calling out, but it looked like you were in a trance”.

“No not a trance….just remembering,” she replied.

Star Swirl floated his spell book into his saddle-bag. He didn’t feel like reading knowing his master wasn’t fully paying attention. As he did, a nearby megaphone turned on.

“Attention everypony, this is you Captain speaking. We will be touching down in five minutes, I ask everypony to make their way out onto the deck with their belongs. We hope you had a nice trip and thank you for flying Equestria Skyways”.

Star Swirl felt rumbling beneath his hooves: likely ponies making their way towards the deck. Thankfully his and Eclipse’s supplies were already packed in his bags. It always helped to have everything at the ready in case something went wrong.

Shaking her head, Eclipse turned and headed for the railing.

“Come Star Swirl,” she called back, “our mission is about to being”.

Chapter 3: Sisters

CHAPTER 3: SISTERS

The bonds of family never break, even in the most dire of situations.

***

After a few minutes of walking, Eclipse and Star Swirl finally reached the top of the ridge.

At this height, the two could see for miles around. Of course, there were only two things to see. There was of course the miles and miles of rugged terrain that spread out before them.

And that other was the settlement of Sundown.

From this height the town looked just like Eclipse remembered from the holo-table at the Temple. Chared and partially destroyed buildings lined empty streets; all of which were surrounded by what looked like slapped-together wooden defenses. The whole place looked deserted, but Eclipse knew that there must be ponies down there.

“Wow, I didn’t think it would be this bad,” said Star Swirl.

“It’s definitely worse than what they showed me,” replied Eclipse. “There must have been more attacks since then”.

Even as Eclipse said this, she knew that things could have been worse. After hearing what Talon had said about an entire Dragon army, the fact that the town was still here was thankful. But that didn’t mean that this was still okay. In fact it just showed the gravity of the situation, and how they needed to do something fast in order to end this.

Eclipse looked down at her young apprentice. “Ready Star Swirl”?

“Ready,” he replied.

Nodding in agreement, the two headed down towards the scorched town below them.

***

Approaching the town, the two ponies were able to see in better detail the defenses set up by the townsfolk. The wall, if you could even call it that, was charred and burned in multiple places. From the rugged ends and multiple sizes for the pieces, Eclipse could only guess that it was made from the ruins of buildings that had been destroyed or serverly damaged by Dragon Fire.

“Not the best defenses for a Dragon attack,” commented Star Swirl.

“Well what else were they supposed to build them out of,” asked Eclipse. “I doubt anypony would be prepared for this”.

Star Swirl had to agree; they were doing the best they could. Hopefully him and Eclipse could actually make some difference. They’d likely need the entire Alicorn Council to combat the Dragon Army. But at the very least, maybe they could fix a few smaller things.

As the two approached the opening in the wall, they spotted a small watch-post to their right. Standing on top of it was an orange earth-pony mare with a red mane. She was clad in what looked like multiple pots and pans roped together. A sharpened stick was was clutched in her hooves, and she scanned the road leading towards the opening.

When her eyes landed on Eclipse and Star Swirl, they quickly widened in surprise. She quickly raised her sharpened stick, taking up a defensive position.

“Who goes there,” she called out.

The two stopped, not wanting to provoke the clearly frightened mare.

“We are from the Alicorn Council; we’re here to help in anyway that we can,” called Eclipse.

The mare pushed her pair of goggles up; squinting her eyes to get a better view. Eventually she put her stick down, a smile slowly forming on her face.

“Oh, sorry. I can’t see that well with those goggles,” she said.

“Then why wear them,” asked Star Swirl.

“To protect my eyes from Dragon fire”.

Star Swirl leaned closer to Eclipse. “She wouldn’t even seem it coming,” he whispered.

Eclipse ignored the young colt’s comment, instead she turned her attention back to the young mare.

“May we please enter your town,” she asked.

The mare nodded. “Oh yes please”.

Eclipse and Star Swirl walked through the opening, finally stepping into Sundown. Stopping on the other side, they waited as the young mare walked down the watch-post’s steps. She approached them quickly, her smile growing even bigger.

“I’m so happy your hear,” she exclaimed, “we’ve been under siege for almost six days”.

“We know, and we’ll do everything we can to make things right,” said Eclipse. “But first we need to talk with the pony in charge. Who would that be”?

The young mare’s happy smile quickly shrunk slightly. “Oh, that would be Mayor Pár”.

“Mayor Pár?” asked Star Swirl.

The mare’s face scrunched slightly. “Well, technically it’s ASSISTANT Mayor Pár. That’s her official title anyway”.

“If she’s the Assistant, what happened to the ACTUAL Mayor,” asked Eclipse.

The mare paused, thinking over her response. “Mayor Honey-Comb is currently being treated for multiple third-degree burns he suffered during the last Dragon attack”.

Upon hearing that, Eclipse knew that things were far worse than she had expected. It was one thing to turn down homes and businesses, but it was another to take out a settlement’s leadership. If somepony couldn’t take charge and keep things in order, things would go from horrible to terrible.

They needed to get help from the council soon; or else these ponies might not survive for much longer. And if they wanted to get help, they needed to talk with the Mayor first.

“Where is the Mayor’s office located,” asked Eclipse.

“Take this street until you reach the T-intersection,” said the young mare, pointing towards the road. “Take the right road and go straight; the Mayor’s office will be the building right behind the water fountain”.

“Thank you,” said Eclipse, turning towards the road. “Let’s go Star Swirl”.

“Yes mam,” he replied.

The two headed down the road, leaving the young mare behind.

***

The two ponies walked in silence through the quiet town. As they walked, they took note of their surroundings. The road itself was covered in black soot, likely coming from the burnt structures around them. As they reached the intersection and turned onto the right street, they saw that there wasn’t a single spot that didn’t have ash or scorch marks.

They passed by burnt carts and piles of ash that were likely the remains of crates. Most buildings were topped with signs that were either barely visible or reduced to chared wood.

“Wonder where everyone is,” asked Star Swirl.

“Probably hiding inside as best they can,” replied Eclipse. “Soon they probably won’t even have walls to hid behind”.

The two continued to think about this as they approached the center of town. As the young mare had said, a large and ornate fountain stood before them. But instead of gushing gallons of water, only small dirty puddles dotted the bottom. Behind the fountain was a building larger than the others. It’s white exterior had turned a light grey in certain areas and burnt-black in others. Letters above the doorway spelled out “Town Hall”.

“Let’s hope the Mayor will see us,” said Star Swirl.

“I doubt she can refuse to,” replied Eclipse.

Moving past the fountain, the two walked inside the building.

***

The inside of the building was in remarkable shape compared to the exterior. That being said, there wasn’t anything to write home about. The two ponies stood on a simple carpet that stretched towards a large staircase on the other side. Balconies surrounded the upper floor, standing before multiple different doorways.

There didn’t seem to be any art pieces or marble busts, like what you see in many mayoral buildings. Eclipse could definitely call it plain, especially compared to the ones she’d seen in Manehattan and Fillydelphia.

But that wasn’t important right now, they had important work to do. Eclipse kept that in mind as they walked up the stairs to the second floor. They stopped before a small wooden desk, which itself stood before a large set of double doors. A single swivel-chair sat behind the desk, with nopony occupying it.

“Shouldn’t there be a receptionist here,” asked Star Swirl.

“Given the situation outside, they might be hiding out like the rest of the townsfolk,” replied Eclipse.

“...No...I’m just taking precautions…”

The two ponies looked around for the source of the voice. But they were pulled back to the desk by the sight of the chair moving slightly backwards. From the small empty space rose the head of a young earth-pony mare. Her yellow mane was tied in a pony-tail, and she wore a light blue business jacket over her red pelt. She looked up at the two with a slight smile; clearly trying not to act embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, I should have kept a better watch for anypony,” she said nervously. “It’s just that we haven’t had many ponies in here since the attacks began”.

“Well that’s why we’re here,” said Eclipse. “I’m Eclipse; member of the Alicorn Council. And this is my apprentice Star Swirl”.

Star Swirl nodded in greeting, which the young mare copied.

“We wish to talk to the mayor about these attacks, and see if there’s anyway we can help,” continued Eclipse.

“Oh thank goodness,” said the young mare. “I didn’t think anypony in Equestria cared about what was happening”.

“Of course they do,” replied Star Swirl. “It’s just that...you know….Dragons”.

The young mare nodded in agreement. When a creature that hasn’t been seen in years suddenly turns up and attacks, ponies aren’t likely to rush to help. Especially when the place being attacked was very far out of the way. But thats why there were ponies like the Alicorns, who had dedicated themselves to helping keep Equestria safe.

“You may go see the Mayor if you wish,” said the mare. “But I should tell you; she’s currently meeting with….somepony else”.

“Oh, should we wait then,” asked Eclipse.

The young mare frantically waved her fore-hooves before her, worry spreading over her face.

“Oh no, please do. I think that both of them would benefit from talking with you”.

“Okay then,” said Eclipse, “we’ll head on in”.

The two ponies walked around the desk as the young mare pushed one of the doors open. She leaned her head inside.

“Mam, there are two ponies from the Alicorn Council here to see you”.

As the two stopped before the door, Eclipse heard a voice from the other side.

“Oh thank the goddesses. Send them in right away”.

The mare pulled her head back, turning to face Eclipse. “You may enter”.

Holding the door open, the mare watched as Eclipse and Star Swirl walked inside, slowly letting it shut behind them.

***

Compared to the entrance hall, the Mayor’s Office was relatively tiny. The walls were covered in art pieces depicting landscapes from all over Equestria. The one directly opposite of them was taken up by a large window….that was covered in a blue tarp. Burn marks edged out from the corners. Standing before the window was a large wooden desk, topped with an assortment of different objects.

But that wasn’t what was keeping the two ponies’ attention.

Standing behind the desk was an older-looking pegasus mare; her white mane was cut short, and she wore a business suit over her pink pelt. A set of glasses sat on her muzzle; a few small cracks spreading from the right piece.

She was facing another mare who stood before the desk….a MUCH younger mare. She looked to be about the same age as Star Swirl. She had a bluish-grey pelt with a light-purple mane. Two different color streaks ran through it; one dark blue and one greenish blue. A battered brown saddle-bag was slung over her back.

The two turned their attention to Eclipse and Star Swirl as they walked in.

“Oh, thank you so much for coming,” said the Mayor as the two stopped before her desk. “I was beginning to lose hope that the Equestrian Council would send aid”.

“They still haven’t,” replied Star Swirl, “we were sent by the Alicorn Council”.

“On behalf of the Equestrian Council,” interjected Eclipse.

Star Swirl rolled his eyes; Eclipse always wanted to stretch the truth when dealing with cases. He wasn’t like that; he wanted to get straight to the point and get the job done.

The mayor’s worried smile didn’t change as she slowly nodded her head.

“Well, any help that’s sent is appreciated. We’ve been trying to contact the Equestrian Congress for days, but something has been interfering with our communications”.

Eclipse could already tell the cause was the Dragon Army she’d heard about from Talon. If this was the staging point of a full-scale invasion, then they wouldn’t allow anyone to know the full extent of the situation. So when the first REAL attack occurs, there won’t be an army to meet them.

“I will be honest mam, our main reason for being sent here was to confirm the reports of Dragon attacks,” said Eclipse. “We’ll have to return to the Alicorn Council soon, but we’re willing to provide some assistance while we’re here”.

The mayor’s nodding sped up slightly. “Oh, thank you so much. I truly appreciate the offer for….”

As the mayor rambled on, Eclipse turned her attention to the pony standing beside her. She had remained silent during their conversation; listening to everything that was being said.

“If I might ask, who are you”.

The pony turned her attention to Eclipse, a small smile forming on her face.

“My name is Zaffre; current representative of Sundown on the Equestrian Congress”.

Eclipse and Star Swirl both raised their eyebrows in surprise. This mare looked to be a teenager at best, and yet she claimed to be the Representative of Sundown. Both Eclipse and Star Swirl thought that something here didn’t make sense.

“Uh….Zaffre….please don’t take this the wrong way but….”

“You’re too young to be a representative,” finished Star Swirl.

Zaffre straightened her posture, raising her muzzle higher into the air. “You look to be the same age as me, and you’re a member of the Alicorn Council”.

“Being a part of a centuries old organization and still being in training is different than holding an elected position in government,” retorted Star Swirl.

“Enough Star Swirl,” said Eclipse.

“With all do respect Miss Eclipse, I can handle myself,” said Zaffre, returning her attention to Star Swirl.

But she couldn’t say anything else before the mayor stepped in.

“Please Zaffre, we must not make the ones who came to help us upset,” said Pár, “besides we can’t blame them for being suspicious. After all we’re both in positions we weren’t elected to”.

Eclipse raised an eyebrow at that comment. She knew Pár was actually the Assistant Mayor, but what about Zaffre? It wasn’t likely that she was the Assistant Representative, so how did she figure into all of this?

Zaffre turned to the Pár, narrowing her eyes and slowly shaking her head. “Mayor, please don’t….”

“What did she mean by that,” asked Star Swirl.

Zaffre stopped shaking her head, but her frown only seemed to increase. She sighed, turning back to face the two beside her.

“I wasn’t elected Representative of Sundown,” she explained. “The position was filled by my mother Opal. Once she heard about what was happening to Sundown, the two of us traveled down here to help”.

Zaffre’s expression worsened; tears started running down her checks.

“But once we got to Sundown….another Dragon attack occurred. My mother tried to help and….and….”

The young mare’s sobs overtook her, as the tears continued to flow down her face. Pár, looking at Zaffre with sadness, turned to the two ponies.

“Miss Opal wasn’t able to get out of the way of a fire blast in time. She….she didn’t survive the attack”.

For the next few moments, the only sound was Zaffre’s sobbing. Eclipse and Star Swirl were left in shock, not knowing what to say or even think. This young mare had lost her mother, and even at a young age decided to take up the position she held in order to help others.

The amount of pressure and expectations that’s now been thrust onto her would be immeasurable. Combined with the loss of her mother, it’s a surprise this mare had been able to stand before them and defend herself.

Eclipse, like all Alicorns, had never known her parents. She didn’t have to go through the emotions that came with family deaths. She couldn’t imagine anything like this happening in her life….or how she’d handle it if it did.

Star Swirl was thinking the same thing; but the thought was possibly worse for him. The thought of loosing one his friends back at the temple was a horrible. But it was even worse when the pony could be Eclipse instead.

Eclipse kneeled down, bringing her face level with that of Zaffre’s. The young mare looked at the Alicorn; tears still flowing from her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice straining slightly. “I can’t image how you must have felt when that happened. All I can say is that you’re very brave taking up your mother’s work; I know that can’t be easy”.

Zaffre wiped the tears from her eyes. “If it means the ponies in this town still have a voice, it’s all worth it”.

She turned her head, narrowing her eyes at Pár. “But that might not be the case if the MAYOR continues her objections”.

Now it was Pár’s turn to shake her head, “please Zaffre, we don’t have to trouble these ponies with our private matters”.

“Oh no Mayor, we can’t blame them,” said Zaffre, smiling smugly. “After all, we’re both in positions we weren’t elected to”.

Star Swirl smiled; he was enjoying watching these ponies argue with each other. One might see this as strange as Eclipse and himself were there to help. But if it meant things were more out in the open, he’d take it.

Zaffre returned her attention back to Eclipse and the young colt.

“The reason I was in here in the first place was to get the mayor’s permission to leave town”.

“Why do you need permission to leave,” asked Star Swirl.

“Because the mayor has locked-down the town; apparently for our protection”.

“There are DRAGONS out there,” cut in Pár. “I can’t allow anyone to go wandering out into the gaping fiery maw of death”.

Eclipse looked down at the young politician. “Why do you want to leave Zaffre; I thought you wanted to help the ponies here”.

“That’s why I want to leave,” replied Zaffre. “I want to go to Canterlot and speak directly to the Equestrian Congress. They need to know about what’s going on here, that way we can get the supplies and help we need”.

“They’ll never listen,” said Pár. “You’re only a child after all. And besides, I’m sure Miss Eclipse and Star Swirl can tell them everything”.

Zaffre snorted; narrowing her eyes at Pár. “Before she died, my mother told me that she was going to go back to Canterlot and drag every single representative down here if it meant getting them to help. How can I truly take up her position if I wasn’t willing to do the same”?

Eclipse couldn’t help but admire the young mare’s commitment. There weren’t many adults that would take up that kind of thinking, let alone a younger mare.

The Alicorn moved forward, standing next to the young politician. “I know that you have the best interests of the citizens Miss Pár, but there has to be a way you can allow Miss Zaffre to leave for Canterlot”.

Mayor Pár rubbed her chin; thinking hard about the idea. She clearly wanted no more harm to the citizens of the town. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Star Swirl stepped in.

“What if we accompany her back to Canterlot”?

The three ponies turned their attention to the young student, who looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

“Pardon,” said Pár.

“We’re going to head back to Canterlot anyway,” said Star Swirl. “If she goes with us, we can make sure nothing bad happens to her. After all, we did arrive her without issues”.

Eclipse’s mind quickly brought up the group of Dragon soldiers they encountered on the way here. But she couldn’t help but think that Star Swirl had a point. They were required to return to Canterlot as soon as possible, so they might as well bring Zaffre along with them.

Pár took a deep breath before turning her attention back to Zaffre. “I’m still certain that the best thing for the town is for everypony to stay here. But that being said, if Miss Eclipse and Star Swirl are willing to accompany you….then you would have my permission to leave”.

Zaffre’s expression reformed into a small grin. She looked up at Eclipse, hope shinning in her eyes.

“Would you mam, it would be a big help”.

“Of course we will,” said Eclipse. “Though we’d still like to know if there’s anything we can do to help here before we go”.

“I believe there is,” said Pár. She opened a drawer, pulling out a scroll of parchment. Spreading it out on the desk, she looked up at the Alicorn.

“A few hours ago, we received word that a charity organization was going to try and send us a create of supplies. Food, medicine, and possibly some weapons”.

“That seems impossible; we couldn’t find any transport service that would take us directly to here,” said Star Swirl.

“Which is why they’re using one of their own personal airships,” said Pár. “The trouble is that they want to make sure that the town hasn’t been taken over by Dragons. So they asked for me personally to be there when the supplies are delivered”.

“Let me guess, you want us to go in your place,” asked Eclipse.

“Once they see you they’ll deliver the supplies directly to town,” replied Pár. “And once they’re done, I’m sure you can hitch a ride to Canterlot on their ship”.

“It seems like a good idea,” said Zaffre.

Eclipse was inclined to agree….even if the whole thing did seem fishy. She knew that ponies deep down had goodness inside them. But even then, she didn’t see anypony willing to go down here to assist the town, even those who are there known for helping after national disasters.

So when a group suddenly says that they’re going to send aid, and only if the Mayor shows up. Her training had taught her to know a setup when she heard one...and this was starting to sound like it.

Still, the prospect of gathering supplies for this town was too great an opportunity to pass up. Without sufficient supplies this town wouldn’t last long, and that was something Eclipse could not let happen.

“I have my suspicions about this whole thing, but the town needs supplies. Me, Star Swirl and Miss Zaffre will meet the group when they arrive. Once the supplies have been delivered, we’ll leave for Canterlot”.

The Mayor smiled. “Thank you mam; you’re doing this town a great service”.

“So when will they arrive,” asked Star Swirl.

“In two days,” said Pár, “they’ll land about one mile north of here in order to avoid the Dragons”.

“We’ll be there when the time comes,” said Eclipse, turning towards the door. “In the meantime Star Swirl and myself will explore the town. Hopefully we’ll be able to provide some assistance to the ponies here”.

Eclipse headed for the door, Star Swirl following close behind. Zaffre and Pár watched the two as they passed through the door and out of sight.

“Those two are ponies everyone should strive to be,” said Pár.

“I’m not so sure about the student,” replied Zaffre. “But I must say, he is growing on me”.

***

The two ponies stepped out of City Hall and into the scorched remains of the town. Nothing had changed since the time they’d entered; there were no ponies to be seen.

As they walked back onto the main street, Star Swirl looked up at his teacher.

“If I may say mam, this whole situation seems really funny to me”.

“I was thinking the same thing,” replied Eclipse. “Everything we’ve learned points to somepony….”

CRASH!

The two ponies’ heads jerked at the sound of something breaking. They scanned the area, looking for the source.

“HEY”!

Eclipse, scanning everything to her right, narrowed in on the source of the voice. But before she could walk forward, something shot out of one of the storefronts. Even from this distance she could tell it was a pony; though not much else. The only other thing visible was a rough looking saddle-bag sitting on its back. The pony ran across the street and into an alley on the other side.

Another pony stepped out of the store; an older looking earth-pony stallion. Spotting Eclipse and Star Swirl, he called out to them.

“Stop that pony, she just robbed my store”!

Star Swirl sprang into action, running towards the alleyway the pony had gone down.

“I’ll follow her; you cut her off,” he called to Eclipse.

The young colt ran into the alley; which was stacked with old boxes on either side. He quickly spotted the fugitive further down the alley. She reached the end and turned right, disappearing from view. Star Swirl increased his speed, trying his best to catch up with her.

Exiting the alleyway, he found himself on another abandoned street. The fugitive was running down the right side, dodging broken pieces of buildings as she did. Star Swirl ran as fast as he could, slowly making ground on the fleeing pony. He ignited his horn; hoping to catch her or slow her down.

But before he had a chance to zero in on her, the pony shot left and across the street. Star Swirl did a sudden stop, but found himself slipping on the ashes. He slammed into a pile of debris, covering himself in black dust.

“Oh, it’s on now,” said Star Swirl, pulling himself out of the pile.

Looking across the road, he saw the pony duck into one of the buildings. Shaking the ash off him, Star Swirl ran across the street. The building, like all the others, was scorched and missing large pieces. But the other buildings looked….new. They had fresh coats of paint and intact windows (mostly in the non-burned parts).

But this building wasn’t like that, it was old and decrepit. The paint was peeling in places, and every single window was broken. There was no door in the entrance and there were multiple missing boards on the bottom floor walls.

Remembering his Alicorn training, Star Swirl slowly approached the entrance. Standing to one side, he inched his head further until he could see inside. From what he could see it was just as decrepit as the outside. The floorboards and walls were covered in a mixture of dust and ash, expect for the places where holes were present. A broken staircase sat to the right, cut off halfway up by more debris. The hallway next to it lead to another room further back, though Star Swirl couldn’t see what was back there.

Not seeing any threats, Star Swirl slowly made his way into the hallway. He knew it would have been better to wait for Eclipse, but he didn’t want to loose the fugitive.

Igniting his horn, Star Swirl kept his eyes open. As he looked around, something caught his attention. On the ground were a set of hoof prints; thanks to the dust and ash on the ground.

“A trail right to her,” said Star Swirl.

He moved forward, walking slowly in order to follow the tracks. He moved down the hallway and into the room at the end. On the opposite wall was a counter and sink; this was likely the kitchen. But Star Swirl kept his eyes on the tracks, which curved the moment he entered the room.

Doing a complete 180, he found the tracks lead to another doorway. Looking through, he saw a set of stair leading down into what must be the basement. It was completely dark; meaning the perfect place for an ambush.

Star Swirl knew he should wait for Eclipse, though he wondered what was taking her so long. If she had been following him, then why hadn’t she stopped the fugitive from the air. She was usually on top of things like this.

Still, he couldn’t let the fugitive get away. And if could take her down himself, then maybe he could get his promotion to Alicorn faster.

Increasing the glow from his horn, Star Swirl descended into the basement.

***

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Star Swirl looked over his surroundings. Looking left, he saw a large stack of rotten wooden boxes. One was opened, spilling its content onto the floor. The content was small candles; like the ones used in lamps.

Star Swirl was so focused on the candles….that he didn’t see the young pony jump down on him from the top.

“Ah, get off,” yelled Star Swirl.

He thrashed around, trying to get the pony off him. She covered his eyes, blinding him. Focusing on the pony, he grasped her with magic and pulled her upward. The young mare was thrown backward, hitting the wall before falling to the floor.

Star Swirl spun around, keeping himself in a fighting stance. As the mare slowly began to rise, he was able to get a better look at her. She looked to be a while unicorn mare with a pink mane (given her exposed tail). Age wise she looked to be a few years younger than Star Swirl, but that was mostly from her size. Her face was covered in a black cloth, with only her eyes exposed. Her cutie-mark was an ornate sun, which sat just below the beat up saddle-bag he’d seen before.

Taking an opportunity, he grasped the bag with his magic and pulled hit towards him. Seeing this, the young mare ignited her own horn and grabbed the bag. The two ponies soon began a severe game of tug-of-war, each trying to pull the saddle-bag to them.

Star Swirl was surprised; this mare was surprisingly powerful. He didn’t know of any civilian that had magic that could stand up to somepony trained by the Alicorn Council. And yet he wasn’t able to overcome the pulling power of this mare.

“Give it up; there’s nowhere left to run,” said Star Swirl.

The mare didn’t say anything; she just glared.

It seemed that the two would be here for a while, attempting to pull the bag away from the other. Just as Star Swirl was looking for other options, there was a bright FLASH of light.

The two ponies quickly covered their eyes, cutting off their grips on the bag.

As the light died down, Star Swirl opened his eyes. The mare was rubbing her eyes; tears slowly leaking from them. He turned towards the source of the light; a ball of luminescence hovering above them.

But that wasn’t what had Star Swirl’s attention.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Eclipse, with the mare’s saddle-bag floating in her field of magic. She was looking at Star Swirl; a stern look of disappointment formed onto her face.

Star Swirl smiled weakly. “Oh, Eclipse….uh, you made it. I was just about to capture the fugitive”.

Eclipse snorted. “You ran after a fugitive without my permission; breaking one of the founding rules of the Alicorn Council”.

“I didn’t want to lose her,” replied Star Swirl.

“You didn’t known what you were dealing with; you could have died”.

“But I didn’t”.

Eclipse’s eyes narrowed even more; looking like they were close to being shut. Just as she was opening her mouth (likely to lecture him), she was cut off by the sound of a door slamming. The two turned their attention to the door across from the boxes.

“Great, she got away,” said Star Swirl.

“She’s hiding out,” replied Eclipse. “I used a spell to scan the building before I entered, and this stairway is the only way out. And that door is the only way into that room”.

“Great,” said Star Swirl, igniting his horn. “I’ll blow the door down”.

The young colt turned towards the door, ready to send a blast of magic at it. Suddenly his flank was forced onto the ground, dispersing the magic on his horn. Eclipse stepped in front of him, her horn aglow.

“You’re in time out; I’m handling this,” she said sternly.

“Time Out? I’m not a foal,” retorted Star Swirl.

She glanced back at Star Swirl, glaring daggers at him that said “be quiet”. The young colt knew that face, and knew what to do when that happened. And that was….to sit on his flank and do as he was told. So, lowering his head, that’s exactly what he did.

Eclipse steadied herself, her horn glowing brighter. Closing her eyes, she encased the door in magic. After a few moments of silence, there was a small click. Slowly the door moved open.

Opening her eyes, Eclipse moved towards the door. The orb of light went in before her, illuminating the room. Just as Eclipse passed through the door, something rocketed towards her. Without even blinking, she raised a shield before her. The object bounced off the shield, landing on the ground before her. Looking down, Eclipse saw it was a large rock.

Looking back up, Eclipse observed the room she had entered. It was relatively small; around the size of a small bedroom. The ground was littered with empty food containers. Scattered around the room were melted candles; likely from the boxes in the other room. A small metal tub, half-filled with murky water, sat in the right corner.

But it was when Eclipse looked to the left corner that Eclipse found what she was looking for.

Standing on a pair of padded sheets was the fugitive, who was staring at the Alicorn with dagger eyes. She was in a defensive stance; her hooves plastered firmly on the ground. Her horn glowed brightly, another large rock floating next to her. Behind her was a pile of dirty sheets and pillows, along with an unopened can of food.

Eclipse had to handle this with care; she was staring down a scared and powerful young pony. She was already able to handle herself against Star Swirl, so there was no telling what kind of untapped power she had. If she wanted the young mare to trust her, she had to take this slowly.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly lowered herself onto the ground. The young mare continued to glare at the Alicorn, her eyebrow raising slightly. Eclipse looked directly at her, a smile forming on her face.

“I wish you no harm,” she said, making sure to sound as calm and caring as possible. “My student wasn’t thinking when he chased after you; it must have been very scary”.

The young mare’s expression didn’t change….but the rock did slowly move towards the ground. Eclipse could see that she was making some kind of progress. She just had to make sure not to do anything to startle her.

“My name is Eclipse, and I’m a member of the Alicorn Council. Me and Star Swirl are here to help your town”.

The eyes of the young mare slowly became softer; as if she was no longer seeing Eclipse as a threat. The magic around her horn had dispersed, and her stance changed into a simple standing position.

Eclipse’s smile grew; she was starting to gain her trust.

However, it was then that she noticed that the pile of sheets behind the young mare were moving slightly. Eclipse moved her head, trying to get a better look at them. The young mare noticed this and, giving a quick glance backward, quickly reignited her horn and took up her defensive position.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to have to worry,” said Eclipse quickly. “I’m just wondering….who or what is that behind you”?

The mare’s expression and posture didn’t change. Eclipse had lost all the progress she’d made. If she wanted to get it back, she had to think of something.

Looking behind her, she saw that Star Swirl was still sitting in the same place she’d left him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his “what’s going on” look. But Eclipse wasn’t looking at him, she was looking at the beat up saddle-bag beside him.

Whatever was in this bag was important enough for the mare to steal it from the store owner. Eclipse had no idea what it was, but she knew that it meant something to the young mare.

And maybe, she could use that.

Grasping the bag with magic, Eclipse floated the bag over herself and into the room. The moment it entered, the young mare’s eyes light up. Eclipse smiled.

“I’m sorry about everything, so I’d like to give this back to you”.

The Alicorn floated the bag over to the young mare, placing it down before her. She quickly grabbed the beat up carrier and opened the side pouch. Eclipse watched her rummage around, looking for something.

Eventually the young mare found what she was looking for, pulling it out of the bag. Sitting in her hooves was a ripe and juicy red apple, the kind that looked like it had just been picked from the tree.

The young mare quickly turned around, directing her attention to the pile of sheets behind her. Eclipse craned her head again, getting a better view of what was happening. The young mare leaned closer to the sheets, whispering something Eclipse couldn’t hear.

The sheets ruffled and shook for a moment before slowly falling away. When they did, Eclipse gasped in surprise. Sitting under the sheets was another young mare. This one looked even younger than the first, but the differences didn’t stop there. This filly had a darkish blue pelt with a light blue mane. Like the other mare, she looked very dirty, likely because of the living conditions.

The young mare offered the filly the apple, who looked at it with a big smile. Grabbing the red fruit, she took a massive bite out of it. She quickly took another, and then another….and then another. She continued this until the apple was nothing but a core, which she quickly threw to the side.

Rummaging through the bag again, the young mare then pulled out a small can. The label on the side read “Purified Water”. The mare looked the can over, trying to find a way to open it. She concentrated hard on the can, trying to remove the lid.

Eclipse cleared her throat, getting the young mare’s attention. She held out her hoof, showing off a small smile. The mare looked at it for a moment, contemplating. After a moment she slowly floated the can over to the Alicorn’s outstretched hoof.

Encasing it with her own magic, Eclipse focused on the top of the can. With a small ‘pop’ the lid flew off, revealing the clean liquid inside. She floated it back to the young mare, who took hold of it with her own magic.

She held the can up to the young filly, who gingerly sipped its contents. After a few sips she stopped, pushing the can up to the young mare. She shook her head, pushing the can back down.

“You need it more,” she said.

Eclipse watched the scene with high interest; these mares seemed to have a strong relationship. The older mare was very caring of the young filly, like that of a mother or older sister. It helped Eclipse see why the young mare had stolen these objects; she was just trying to look after the young filly.

After a few moments of back and forth with the can, the older mare finally relented. Using magic, she began to remove the fabric covering her face. Eclipse looked over her face; the first time she’d been able to do so. It was very youthful, her mane a bright pink just like her tail.

What was most surprising was her smile; which had been covered by her fabric mask. Eclipse was surprised at the feeling of joy and hope she felt looking at it. Like this mare was something special, just from the formation of her facial muscles.

The young mare took a small sip of water before handing it back to the young filly. Once she took it, the mare looked back towards Eclipse. Her expression was a mixture of gratitude and confusion. She nodded her head.

“Thank You,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

The young mare looked down at the ground. “Are you going to arrest us”?

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “What”.

“Because if you are it should only be me,” she said, looking back up at the Alicorn. “I’m the one who stole the supplies; I’m the one who should be punished”.

Eclipse raised her hoof, “I’m not going to arrest you. I see you only stole those supplies in order to help your friend”.

The young mare sighed, looking at the Alicorn with a stern face.

“She’s not my friend….she’s my little sister”.

Eclipse was surprised by this; these two mares didn’t look alike at all. In fact they were exactly the opposite. She could only guess that their parents were the same, at least physically. But then again, that made everything the young mare had done make sense. The over-protectiveness, the caring attitude, and the willingness to do anything….all the hallmarks of a sibling.

“I see….that does explain a lot,” said Eclipse. “But why are you two here; where are your parents”.

“We don’t have parents,” said the young mare, taking a seat beside the filly. “We never have”.

Eclipse was taken aback. “You’re orphans”.

The young mare nodded. “We’ve taken care of ourselves for years, nobody wanted to help us”.

She paused, looking at the Alicorn with widened eyes. They sparked with hope and admiration.

“Is that why you’re here; are you going to help us”.

Eclipse was a little confused on what to say in this situation. Her instructions were mainly to asses the town and report back to the Council. But at the same time, she promised the Mayor she would help in any way that she could. And now here were two young ponies that looked to be in dire need of help.

She had orders….but she also had a conscious. And it always helps to do the right thing.

Eclipse stood up, looking down at the two ponies with a smile.

“I guess I am here to help, after all that’s what an Alicorn does”. She paused. “But if I’m going to help you, I’d like to know your names”.

The two young ponies looked at each other, having a silent conversation. Eventually the young mare looked back up at Eclipse.

“Celestia….my name is Celestia”.

“That’s such a pretty name,” said Eclipse. “And your sister’s”?

Celestia smiled slightly. “Luna. Her name is Luna”.

Chapter 2: The Road to Sundown

CHAPTER 2: THE ROAD TO SUNDOWN

A bad apple can spoil a bunch. A bad individual can corrupt a species.

Eclipse and Star Swirl stood near the railings as the ship descended towards the ground. By now other passengers had arrived on the main deck. Most looked over the side as well, while others stood towards the middle. Some stared at Eclipse and Star Swirl; talking between each other with one eye always pointed at them. Seeing and Alicorn out this far was a rare sight, especially when she was also accompanied by a younger colt.

Honestly, this was the farthest journey Eclipse had ever taken as an Alicorn. Most missions required her to travel to places like Manehattan and Fillydelphia. And even then the issues were petty crime syndicates and minor monster attacks. Including travel, the whole matter was usually resolved in less than five days.

But so far, this mission had already taken four days just to get started.

The crime syndicates and small monsters were nothing compared to the destruction caused by a Dragon. They had been fearsome since the earliest days of Equestria. Regal Sunlight herself had fought single-hoofedly to push them back into the Barren Mountains of the South. But that was thousands of years ago, and no one has seen a Dragon in Equestria since then.

There was no telling how much they had evolved and adapted in those years of isolation. The images Faust had shown seemed to replicate what Eclipse had read in the ancient manuscripts. But that that was just one Dragon….who knew what the others were like.

Turning her focus to other matters, Eclipse returned to looking over the railing. Soon the ship passed through the clouds, giving a better view of the land below.

Spreading out before them was a rocky red landscape. Small mountains and hills rose up in random places. Specks of vegetation dotted the area between the mountains and hills.

The ship itself was heading towards a large landing station. Above it sat a small conglomerate of buildings: not quite a town but close enough. To the right was a small train station, as well as a small road leading deeper into the mountains. Ponies walked amongst the buildings and the landing platform. Most didn’t even look up as the ship descended.

“Looks like a nice little place,” said Star Swirl. “Pity we won’t be spending much time here”.

Eclipse felt the same way, but that was how things had to be. Sundown was still over fifty miles south of here. And if they wanted to get there fast, they had to find somepony willing to take them there. That in and of itself was going to be a challenge. Usually no-pony would want to get anywhere near a town that was being attacked by Dragons. It was hard enough to find an airship that went this far.

Hopefully the train was still running to Sundown, otherwise they’d have to walk the rest of the way. Eclipse had thought of simply flying there; she did have wings after all. But carrying Star Swirl over that much distance would be killer on her back. Plus, if they did encounter any Dragons along the way, she didn’t want him to fall off either.

So, it was best to find a ride to Sundown….no matter how hard it took.

The airship touched down on the landing pad. Crew members on the ground hurriedly attached ropes and gangways to the ship. Ponies slowly began to disembark, while Pegasuses lifted cargo from the hatches on deck.

Eclipse and Star Swirl headed down the gangway and onto solid ground. The two relished in the feeling to Terra-Firma for the first time in days. It only occurred to them now that they were sweaing slightly. Of course that tended to happen when you swayed to keep up with the rocking of the ship.

“This way,” said Eclipse, heading towards the train station.

The two pushed past departing passengers from the airship. Most ponies stepped out of their way; not wanting to get in the way of an Alicorn. So Star Swirl kept behind Eclipse, allowing her to lead the way.

Once clear from the crowd, they continued towards the station. The locomotive and coaches were already at the platform. Ponies with luggage stood nearby, ready to board. The station itself seemed a little rough: rotten wood and rust was plastered all over it. Only one window was clear: the one for the ticket booth.

The pony inside the booth was busy reading a book. His eyes scanned the pages, not even looking up when Eclipse and Star Swirl stepped before it. The young Alicorn cleared her throat.

“Excuse me”.

The pony gave a glance upward, though his bored face didn’t change. Clearly he wasn’t as interested in seeing an Alicorn as the others had been.

“Can I help you,” he asked, his voice drowning in monotone.

“Two tickets to Sundown please,” said Eclipse.

The Clerk sighed. “All trains to and from Sundown have been suspended in the wake of Dragon attacks”.

He returned his gaze back down to his book. “Trains will resume once the issue has been dealt with”.

Star Swirl stepped forward. “Well maybe you can make a special exception for us. We’re the ones that are being sent to deal with it”.

The Clerk nodded. “Then please resolve it as quickly as possible; we’re loosing money because of these attacks”.

Eclipse quickly ignited her horn, just in time to catch Star Swirl as he jumped at the Clerk. The young colt struggled in her grasp as the Clerk continued to read.

“You stuck-up, half-whitted, scruffy-looking NERF HERDER!”

“Star Swirl, that’s enough,” bellowed Eclipse.

She set the young colt down next to her, keeping her arm in front so he wouldn’t jump again. Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention back to the Clerk.

“If trains aren’t available, is there anyone or anything that can take us to Sundown? It’s important we get there as soon as possible”.

The Clerk pointed away from the station, not even bothering to look up. Eclipse and Star Swirl followed his hoof. The two saw that he was pointing towards three elegant carriages sitting outside the station. Gruff looking Earth Ponies stood nearby; eyeing ponies that passed by them.

“Those stallions with the carriages are the only ones going to and from Sundown at the moment. I recommend trying one of them”.

Eclipse bowed her head. “Thank You”.

Turning away from the Clerk, Eclipse headed towards the carriages. Star Swirl followed along behind, giving the Clerk the stink-eye as he passed.

As they approached the carriages, one of the earth ponies caught sight of them. He quickly faced the two, standing up a little straighter. The others saw this and quickly did the same. Eclipse and Star Swirl stopped before them.

“Greetings gentlemen,” said Eclipse. “I was told you are offering rides to Sundown, correct”?

“That’s right,” said the stallion before them. “Of course, only if the price is right. Going through Dragon infested areas isn’t something one does for free”.

Star Swirl huffed. “Even for Alicorns that are being sent to deal with the Dragons”?

“Especially them,” said the stallion. “Alicorns can fly, so if they need transport, it must be for a good enough reason. A good enough reason to pay that is”.

The stallion held out his hoof. “Two hundred bits for transportation to Sundown; no negotiating”.

“TWO HUNDRED BITS,” screamed Star Swirl. “That’s outrageous”.

“My associates charge five hundred for a trip,” replied the stallion. “So you should be grateful that I charge so much less for the same trip”.

“Forget it, we don’t have to deal with this”. Star Swirl ignited his horn. “Miss Eclipse, you go ahead and fly to Sundown. I’ll teleport myself there in no time”.

But before he could cast the spell, Star Swirl felt a hoof come down hard on his head. His horn de-ignited as he slowly rubbed the sore spot.

“You will do no such thing,” said Eclipse. “If something were to go wrong you could end up dead, and I’m not having that happen on my watch”.

She turned back towards the stallion, who was now grinning smugly. But his expression soon changed when Eclipse gave HIM the smug grin.

“I’m afraid two hundred bits is too expensive for us. However, I’m sure I’m not the first pony to tell you that”.

“What….how….what makes you think that”?

“Oh it’s quite obvious. The man at the ticket booth was quick to point you out when we asked for transportation. That means he must have said the same thing quite often. And given how you were doing nothing when we arrived, it must mean you’ve taken no trips recently”.

The stallion huffed. “Okay, so business has been a little slow recently. That doesn’t mean anything”.

“Or, it means you have been trying to take advantage of the situation in Sundown”. Eclipse lowered her head so it was even with the stallion’s. “Did you ever stop to think that the ponies looking for a ride were trying to get to Sundown to check on family. Or see if they could provide aid”?

“I….no….I d-didn’t”.

“Right, you were just looking to take advantage of them,” said Eclipse, raising her head back up. “The Goddesses will be looking down upon you with shame for what you’ve done”.

The stallion was beginning to shake badly. Tears formed in his eyes as sat down on the ground. The others watched him, tears beginning to for in their eyes as well.

“Oh god….what have I done? I….I’ve been trying to hurt ponies who just wanted to help. How can I live with that”!?

“By changing your ways,” said Eclipse. “We still need to get to Sundown. If you’re willing to take us, the Goddesses will look upon you with favor”.

The stallion quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He stood up and raised a hoof in salute.

“Of course mam, I’d be honored”.

He ran to the nearby carriage and opened the door, waving the two inside. Eclipse and Star Swirl walked forward and into the carriage.

The inside was far nicer than the outside. Ornate wooden carvings made up the walls, while a dark crimson rug sat on the floor. The seats were a navy blue fabric that looked freshly cleaned. A small selection of food and beverages sat in a alcove on the side opposite the door.

“Wow,” said Star Swirl as he walked inside.

“I think this is the most elegant transportation we’ve ever had,” said Eclipse.

The two took their seats opposite each other. The stallion closed the door, shutting the two inside. A few seconds later, the carriage started to rock as it moved away from the station.

Star Swirl pulled the curtain back, watching the countryside fly by.

“Nice, we’re on our way,” he said. “Good job on getting us a ride”.

Eclipse grinned. “You can always count on using a pony’s guilt against them”.

***

The next forty minutes went by in a flash.

Eclipse sat longways on the seat, keeping her eyes on the window. Given everything that had been said about Sundown, she couldn’t risk something happening. So, she’d spent the whole time staring out the window, looking for any signs of danger.

Of course that didn’t excuse the pile of food wrappers and bottles that sat between the seats. As much as she tried to stick to the Alicorn diet she’d known forever, she couldn’t help treating herself when the opportunity arose.

And hey, if they didn’t want ponies to eat in carriages they wouldn’t include snacks.

Star Swirl has passed the time doing what he always did: reading. Spell-books and instruction manuals sat around him, opened to random pages. He currently focused on a spell-book before him.

“May the ponies of light regain their power, even in this darkest hour. Though evil spreads onto my body, it’s wicked deeds I shall not copy. Reverse the deed that has been cast, for the one corrupted will not last”.

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “What kind of spell is that”?

“I don’t know,” replied Star Swirl. “It’s from the book that I….borrowed….from Councilor Righthorn. Most of the spells listed in here are from the early days of the Alicorn Council”.

That was enough to get Eclipse’s full attention. A spell-book from the beginning of the Alicorn Council was rare indeed. Few artifacts remained from that time after The Great Temple Fire two hundred years ago; when most artifacts were engulfed in flames.

And now a surviving book was in the hooves of a young student. Eclipse could already see the fury in Righthorn’s eyes when they returned.

But before she could think about this further, the whole cart jerked forward and stopped. Star Swirl’s books flew into his seat, while Eclipse dug her hooves into the upholstery to keep from flying forward.

“What the hay was that,” asked Star Swirl.

Eclipse pulled back the curtains, taking a peek outside. They cart was no longer moving, and was now surrounded by high walls of red rock. As she moved the curtains back, the door to the carriage opened.

The Stallion from before poked his head inside, looking rather confused. Sweat poured from his forehead, leaving marks in the dust on his lower body.

“Sorry for the sudden stop,” he said through tired breaths. “But unfortunately the road is blocked”.

“What,” said Eclipse.

The Alicorn stepped out of the carriage, getting a better look at her surroundings. The carriage had stopped in a large canyon; explaining the red rock walls she’d seen out the window. Ahead of them was a large pile of rocks, cutting off the road ahead.

“Looks like a landslide,” said the Stallion.

Eclipse narrowed her eyes; something wasn’t right. Most landslides resulted in piles of rocks AND dirt falling down an incline. But given the angle of the cliffs, there wasn’t anything for them to slide down. Plus, all the rocks before them were of a large size: no variation. This wasn’t natural at all; it was deliberate.

“Get in the carriage”.

“What,” replied the stallion.

Eclipse ignited her horn. “Get In The Carriage”.

The Stallion, looking confused, did what she asked. After he was inside, Star Swirl came running out.

“What’s wrong,” he asked.

Eclipse looked up towards the top of the canyon. Shadowy figures started moving around the edges.

“We’re surrounded”, she said silently.

Star Swirl began to open his mouth; likely ready to ask what she was talking about. But he barely got a word out before a shadowy figure jumped down from the cliff. It hadn’t even hit the ground before flames shot from it’s mouth. The fire engulfed the road behind the coach, blocking the path.

“We’re trapped,” yelled Star Swirl.

The shadowy figure landed on the ground behind them. The two spun around, horns ignited in defense. Now that it wasn’t moving, they got a better look their attacker.

Before them stood a mid-sized Dragon; it’s scales a dark bronze color. It’s horns slowly poked out from the back of it’s head. The wings looked tan in color, though hard to tell with since they were folded. It was also covered in metal armor, except for it’s head.

Slowly, it lifted his head; giving the two ponies a large snearing-smile. It’s sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight….along with a slight tint of red in the gums.

“Well, well, well….a young equis and a true-blue Alicorn”.

Eclipse’s eyes narrowed; this wasn’t the Dragon she was expecting. The one she was shown acted like a wild animal. But this….this was a soldier. And if there was one soldier….there were likely more.

“You’re a dragon,” said Star Swirl.

“Oh, aren’t you smart,” remarked the Dragon. “Too bad you weren’t smart enough to stay away from this place”.

Eclipse stepped forward. “Stand aside, or we will be forced to subdue you”.

The Dragon laughed. “Oh, I’m so scared of a squishy Alicorn and her young welp. Please don’t hurt me, my friends wouldn’t like it”.

“Friends,” asked Eclipse.

The Dragon sneared, raising his right claw. Placing his fingers together, he let out a loud SNAP.

More shadows appeared, forming a large circle around the two ponies. Eclipse and Star Swirl barely had time to react before six more dragons dropped down around them. Each one of them was as armed as the first, and looking just as determined.

“Oh great,” said Star Swirl, “as if one Dragon was bad enough”.

The lead Dragon smiled smugly.

“FIRE,” he roared.

The Dragon soldiers opened their mouths, revealing swirling flames building up deep inside. Leaning forward, each Dragon sent sent a stream of flames shooting towards the two ponies. The ground charred at the immense heat, leaving dark streaks as the flames moves forward.

Eclipse spun around, pulling Star Swirl closer to her as the flames surrounded them. Soon the two were completely enveloped by the flames, which were now swirling around them and growing larger and larger.

The lead Dragon watched as the flames swirled around the two. He already knew what was happening; he could see it in his mind. Their flesh and muscles melting off their bones like ice-cream on a Popsicle stick. Soon the only thing left would be two charred skeletons lying in the center of the road.

“That’s enough,” he called out.

The Dragons stopped their attack, letting the flames be replaces by a dark smoke cloud. The lead Dragon took a few steps forward, trying to see past the smoke that still rose up from the ground.

“I think we’ve done it sir,” said one of the Dragons.

“Lord Thunder will be most pleased,” replied another.

“Especially when we say one of them was an Alicorn”.

The lead Dragon ignored their banter; the smoke was starting to clear. He smiled; ready to see the charred skeletons of the two ponies clinging to each other like frightened children.

But as the smoke cleared, he saw something else. From the smoke began to emerge a translucent, glowing half-circle. It didn’t seem to have a single mark on it; not even from the smoke.

What was even more surprising was what was inside. Standing in the center of the sphere was Eclipse; her horn glowing the same color as the sphere. Below her stood Star Swirl; looking at the translucent orb with awe.

Eclipse on the other hand wasn’t agape in awe...she was grinning smugly.

“Nice trick,” she said, “now it’s our turn”.

The Alicorn’s horn grew brighter. In a flash the sphere expanded; colliding with the Dragon soldiers and sending them flying backwards. Two of them smashed into the valley walls; falling to the ground and not moving again. The others rolled along the ground, coming to a stop just before the walls.

Eclipse spread her wings out. “Star Swirl, take cover,” she said as she flew upwards.

Star Swirl huffed. “No way, this is just the kind of practice I’ve been waiting for”.

Eclipse didn’t have time to tell him not to disobey her orders; the Dragons were starting to rise up again. Thinking quickly, Eclipse sent a beam of magic shooting towards them.

Unfortunately, the Dragons were more perceptive than she thought. Four of them quickly dodged out of the way, but the fifth wasn’t as lucky. He took the beam of magic right in his head. Eclipse watched as his eyes crossed and he fell back to the ground; a complete knock-out.

The lead Dragon stretched his wings and took to the air. He reached Eclipse’s level before sending another shot of flames towards her. Eclipse dodged right, her wings barely missing the flames.

On the ground, the other Dragons were taking aim at the Alicorn above them.

“Fire on my….ACH”!

The other Dragons looked backwards; just in time to see one of them fall to the ground. Lines of electricity ran across her body; full electrocution. Behind her stood Star Swirl; his horn ignited in a light-blue glow.

“Is this all you got,” he asked. “I thought Dragons would be much harder to fight”.

The other Dragons snarled. “You little WELP,” exclaimed one.

He quickly sent a line of fire shooting towards the young colt. Star Swirl jumped left, but found another line of fire coming towards him. Igniting his horn, the young colt summoned a small portal before him. The fire entered the swirling vortex, before appearing behind him from another portal.

When the Dragon stopped her attack, Star Swirl sprang into action. Banking right, he ran straight towards the two soldiers before him. One of them shot towards him, claws outstretched. Just as he was about to grab Star Swirl, the young colt leapt into the air and somersaulted over the Dragon. He landed on the Dragon’s back, pinning him to the ground.

Before the Dragon could get up, Star Swirl jammed his hooves into the area just below the wings. The Dragon convulsed for a moment before falling still.

“What...the...hell,” said the Dragon through gritted teeth.

“All Dragons have a weak spot just below their wings; causes temporary paralysis,” explained Star Swirl. “As a Dragon I thought you’d know that”.

Star Swirl turned to the remaining Dragon, who was now looking at him with fear. The young colt smiled.

“Ready for a fight,” he asked.

The Dragon quickly spread her wings and took off into the air. Star Swirl watched her soar up to the top of the canyon, disappearing from sight. It was only then that the young colt noticed Eclipse, who was still fighting with the lead Dragon.

The soldier was moving swiftly through the air, dodging every energy blast Eclipse threw at him. His armor was slightly marked, showing that he hadn’t dodge every attack. Even still, the Alicorn was having a hard time landing a hit on him.

“What’s the matter Alicorn? Loosing your touch,” mocked the Dragon.

Eclipse sent another blast of magic at the Dragon, who once again dodge the attack. But he wasn’t fast enough as a portion of his wing was hit. He wrenched in pain as he fell back towards the ground.

“Not yet,” said Eclipse smugly.

The Dragon, still wreathing, circled around midair before landing feet-first on the ground. He barely had time to react before Eclipse landed right on top of him, sending the rest of him down. Star Swirl quickly ran up to them.

“We did it,” he said happily, “we’ve defeated actual Dragons”!

Eclipse narrowed her eyes. “I thought I told you to take cover”.

“And I told you I’ve been looking forward to some real-world experience,” replied Star Swirl. “Besides, I managed to take down three of them all by myself”.

“From what I saw it was more like two; the third one flew off”.

Star Swirl waved a hoof. “Details, the point is I handled myself”.

“By disobeying a direct order,” replied Eclipse.

“Uh, excuse me….but are you going to kill me or what”.

The two ponies looked down at the Dragon; still pinned under Eclipse’s hooves. He held his head in his claws, looking rather bored.

“Kill? We’re not going to kill you,” said Eclipse.

“Why not, you killed the rest of my regiment,” replied the Dragon.

Star Swirl approached the Dragon, staring him directly in the face.

“We didn’t kill anyone; we just knocked them out. We don’t kill unless it’s absolutely necessary”.

The Dragon rolled his eyes. “Oh please, I’ve been told the legends of Alicorns. How they’re the ones that banished Dragons from Equestria thousands of years ago”.

Eclipse snorted. “Only because THEY were attacking innocent settlements and KILLING innocent citizens”.

“For settling on land that rightly belonged to the Dragon Kingdom,” replied the Dragon.

Eclipse opened her mouth, ready to say something else to prove the Dragon wrong. Star Swirl frowned; this was getting them nowhere. If they wanted to get to Sundown as fast as possible, they needed to speed this up.

“ENOUGH,” he screamed.

The Dragon and Alicorn looked at the young colt; fairly surprised by the ferocity in his voice.

“We don’t have time for this; Sundown is still in danger. We need to get there as soon as possible”.

Eclipse nodded. She was wasting too much time arguing with this Dragon. They had a mission to accomplish and it was still their top priority.

“You’re right Star Swirl, we need to get going”. She looked down at the Dragon below her hooves. “We’ll subdue this creature and be on our….”

Eclipse didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before a shadow moved above them. Just as the two were looking up, something landed between them.

It was another Dragon soldier, but this one was different. It was slightly larger than the others, and had a much thicker armor as well. Its scales were grayish-blue color, while its wings were a reddish-orange color.

The two ponies took ready stances, igniting their horns simultaneously. This didn’t look like one of the Dragons from before; this one was new. And that brought about a whole new set of variables. He already looked bigger than the others, likely meaning he was stronger to.

The new Dragon looked down at the Dragon below Eclipse’s hooves. He frowned; a sense of disappointment flowing from his face.

“I would say I’m disappointed in you Dar’Ac, but then again I knew you’d do something like this”.

Dar’Ac snarled. “I did what you refused to do Talon: follow our Dragon-Lord’s orders”.

Talon rolled this eyes; he didn’t want to get into this conversation again. Instead, he focused his attention on the two ponies before him.

“I’m terribly sorry for this; I instructed them not to attack anything that wasn’t attacking us first”.

Eclipse and Star Swirl looked at each other questionably. This Dragon wasn’t anything like the others. In fact he didn’t seem like a Dragon at all; no acts of aggression, no tough talk, not even a measly ember shot.

Eclipse wanted some answers, she just hoped that this Dragon would be willing to give her some.

“That’s….good to know,” she said cautiously. “If you don’t mind be asking, who are you”?

The Dragon straightened himself up. “My name is Talon, though my title is Lieutenant Talon; leader of the 5th Patrol Regiment of the Grand Dragon Army”.

Eclipse’s eyes widened. “Dragon Army”!

“You mean there’s a lot more of you,” asked Star Swirl.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Talon.

Now Eclipse was worried; it was bad enough when it was just one Dragon. Now they had an entire army to deal with. The ones they had been dealing with were only part of a patrol regiment; not experienced soldiers. She could only imagine the strength of the actual army.

“I’m assuming you two are the ones the Alicorn Council sent to investigate the attacks on Sundown,” said Talon.

“Why should we tell you anything,” asked Star Swirl.

The Dragon paused; thinking over his response. “I know you have no reason to trust me; my kind haven’t exactly been stewards of good and peace. But believe me when I say I want you to end this war before it starts”.

“What do you mean,” asked Eclipse.

“For years Dragons have been told many things about the atrocities of pony-kind. We’ve been told of the Alicorn who forced us back into our homelands millennia ago. However, we’ve always kept to our lands so as to avoid conflict. We’re living war machines yes, but we knew any conflict with Equestria would cause harm and destruction not just for ponies but Dragons as well”.

“So what changed,” asked Star Swirl.

“Our leadership,” replied Talon. “Months ago our previous Dragon-Lord Vi-Ka was slain in combat by Thunder; a young head-strong Dragon. After taking the title of Dragon-Lord, Thunder began readying our armies for war. Despite the words of warning from myself and others, the population rallied behind his promises of returning lands taken from us by Equestria”.

Talon sighed. “These attacks on Sundown are just a test; to see how much damage one Dragon can do. Soon our armies will march into Equestria...and I fear of what that will mean for both our nations”.

“This is terrible,” said Star Swirl. “We need to get back to the council and inform them of the situation”.

Eclipse was about ready to agree with the young colt; they had already gotten more than enough information. And the council had told them that they were only to scout the location and report back; nothing else. But that had already gone astray when they encountered the Dragons. And besides, they should at least check to see if there was anything they could do for the town.

After all, that’s what Alicorns do.

“We can’t go back yet,” said Eclipse. “We have an obligation to help those in Sundown if we can”.

Star Swirl’s face scrunched in uncertainty. “Are you sure mam”?

“Yes,” replied Eclipse.

Talon slowly shook his head. “I say you do what the little one says and get out of here. But if you’re serious about this….I might be able to help”.

The two ponies raised their eyebrows questionably.

***

Of all the things Eclipse thought she’d do as an Alicorn, this wasn’t one of them.

She looked ahead at the mountains and hills that spread before her down below. The wind blew through her mane, waving it across her outstretched wings.

Flying; the one thing she enjoyed doing the most.

But the most surprising part was what was in front of her. Talon flew a few feet before her, his wings stretched out just as wide. And sitting on his back, clutching him tightly, was Star Swirl.

The young colt’s eyes were shut tight; a clear sign of fear. Eclipse still found this amusing, as he was training to be an Alicorn. And of course, that would eventually require flying lessons.

While amusing, Eclipse left it behind as he sped forward to be even with Talon.

“Are you sure this is the right way,” she called out.

“Absolutely,” Talon yelled back. “There are no Dragon patrols in this area, so we should be able to get you to Sundown without being spotted”.

“Less talking more flying,” called Star Swirl, now clinging tighter to Talon’s back.

Eclipse giggled. “Maybe we should have sent you back to the depot with the carriage driver if you’re this scarred”.

“And be the laughing stock of the Alicorn Council, no thanks,” called Star Swirl. “But couldn’t we have WALKED to Sundown instead”.

“This way is much faster,” called Talon.

The Dragon narrowed his eyes, putting a claw above them to see better.

“We’ll land on that ridge over there”.

Eclipse looked forward, spotting the ridge. Her and Talon sped towards it, touching down together. Star Swirl dropped to the ground, finally opening his eyes. A large smile formed on his face.

“Oh….solid ground. How I missed you so”.

Talon rolled his eyes, turning his attention towards Eclipse.

“Sundown is just over the ridge,” he explained. “Take this route again when you’re leaving”.

“Thank you,” said Eclipse. “What will you do now”?

“I’ll head back and grab my squad; convince them to keep quiet about you two. If Thunder finds out there’s an Alicorn in Sundown he’ll send his army in right away”.

Eclipse bent her knees, lowering herself to a bow. “You have our thanks”.

Talon nodded. He gave the two one last look before spreading his wings, taking off once more into the sky. The two watched as he flew away, slowly becoming a small dot in the distance.

Eclipse looked down at Star Swirl, who looked back up at her. Both were smiling.

“Come, we have work to do”.

The two turned and headed up towards the ridge….and the town on the other side.