Thorax checked into the hotel and dropped off his things. After a quick freshen up in the bathroom, he left and made his way to the one landmark he wanted to see more than anything at the moment: the Alicorn Spire.

Built during the last Summer Sun Celebration, the Alicorn Spire was a very tall free-standing structure; the largest in the city, in fact. The metal and concrete that made up the exterior was painted in gold and white respectively, with a large observation platform containing windows that had been stained in the hues of Princess Celestia's Mane. Capping off the structure was an antenna that was made into the shape of the princess herself, wings outstretched and horn held high, mimicking the gesture of the solar diarch raising the sun high into the sky.

From what Thorax had read, it was a sight to behold, and he definitely wanted to see it. So, Thorax made his way down the streets in the direction of the tall building, looking at some of the other sights on the street, such as a griffin fish market, a music shop, and a few restaurants that actually offered dishes prepared for griffin and pony alike.

Nearing the structure, Thorax was met with another landmark of the city: Mariner Gardens. The green space had been made at the base of the spire, and was decorated with a variety of both native plant life and a few imported ones from different countries. Also scattered about the garden were numerous pergolas, gazebos, picnic tables and public restrooms to facilitate the large numbers of creatures that visited the gardens daily.

At night, the gardens were rather quiet, with hardly anypony or creature visible nearby. The only ones that were in the garden at that time were on their way to the spire, which got Thorax curious as to why they were visiting. Entering the gardens, Thorax admired the plant life as he made his way to the spire, noting that there were many couples and families walking towards it. As they neared the base, a pair of doors would slide open and allow them entry. Once close enough, they opened for Thorax, and the disguised changeling was greeted to an ornate lobby inside the base.

The circular lobby had a tiled floor. Set atop the floor were four rugs, all in a rainbow-type pattern, leading from the entrances to the elevator, whose shaft went upwards towards the observation deck, and a restaurant that was named "The Balanced Plate".

The elevator in the center was rather unique; instead of a small car with a pair of doors, this one was quite large, and had a set of door at each of the cardinal directions. Pushing the button to call the elevator, Thorax had to wait for a minute or so before the car came to ground level. Upon the doors opening, Thorax was treated to the sight of gold panels running from the floors up to his barrel, and bright white stone making up the rest of the car.

Deciding not to pause his adventure any longer, the changeling pushed the button for the top floor, and stepped back into one of the corners to wait for the car to close and begin its ascent to the observation deck and restaurant.

As he waited, Thorax reflected on what he'd been told of the Summer Sun Celebration, and how everypony would stay up the whole night in eager anticipation of watching the solar princess bring the sun forth and into the heavens. From what Sunburst had told him, it was a spectacle to behold, and Thorax wondered if he would get to enjoy such a celebration in the future.

"Hold that elevator!"

Thorax looked up and saw a mare running towards the car. She rushed passed him and occupied the corner opposite him.

"Thanks," she said as she was catching her breath. "You can send it up now."

Thorax pushed the door close button. With a slight jar, the elevator car was sent upwards towards the top of the spire. As he waited to get to the top, Thorax took a look at the pony he was riding with.

He had to blink and do a double take. He swore the pony standing in the car beside him was Twilight Sparkle, except with a fair number of differences.

First, this pony was a yellow similar to Fluttershy.

Second, her mane was a reddish pink color with two different shades of purple streaking through it.

Third, she wore glasses and a black sweater. A closer look showed the bridge of the glasses had been damaged, and then taped back together.

After several moments of Thorax staring, the mare became a bit uncomfortable. Realizing what he had been doing, Thorax quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry! I saw you and I thought you were somepony I knew. You look a lot like them."

The mare looked at him for a second and cocked an eyebrow. "And who do I remind you of?" she asked.

"In all honesty, Princess Twilight".

The mare's eyes suddenly lit up and she smiled. "You know her too?"

"Yeah, I..." Thorax had began but stopped, looking at her with shock. "You know Princess Twilight?"

"I do," the mare answered while nodding. "We went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns together. We actually had a bit of a falling out but reconnected recently. She's actually part of the reason why I'm here in Seaddle."

"Is she here?" Thorax asked, a touch of excitement in his voice.

"No, she isn't. However, she did send me a letter saying that she spoke with the librarian of the university here and they're going to give me access to a previously restricted tome I've been looking into for some time. I'm supposed to be meeting with them sometime tomorrow."

Thorax nodded as he listened to the mare telling her story. It was kind of interesting to meet somepony that had the same kind of enthusiasm for learning as the purple alicorn.

"Oh, where are my manners?" she suddenly said as she put a hoof out to Thorax. "I'm Moondancer."

Thorax bumped her hoof in response. "I'm Crystal Hoof" he returned.

"Well, I'm glad we got to meet then," she said as she rested her hoof back on the ground.

"So am I," Thorax concurred as he brought his own hoof down. The car was silent for a moment, and then a light tremor and a bell dinging told the two riders they were at the top.

The doors slid open and revealed a large restaurant. In front of them was a desk with a hostess standing behind it, but a cursory glance by Thorax revealed no seating that was clearly visible.

"Welcome to The Balanced Plate," the hostess said to Thorax and Moondancer. "May I get you two a table?"

"Actually," Moondancer replied, "I am here to meet another pony named Sulphor Oxide. Has he arrived by chance?"

"Sulphur Oxide?" The hostess repeated as she opened a book to skim through it. Once she was done, she took out a slip of paper and closes the book.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," she told Moondancer, "but Mr. Oxide won't be joining you this evening. We got this note from him with instructions to give it to you when you arrived."

The hostess offered the paper to Moondancer, who took it and reads it over. Once finished, she scowled, and Thorax felt a pit of anger grow within her.

"That... no good... jerk!" she spat out, clearly seething.

"My apologies, ma'am," the hostess said cautiously, "but we were only told to give you the note. If you don't wish to dine with us this evening, then we understand completely."

Moondancer was still angry, but she calmed herself down. "It's okay," she told the hostess. "I've always wanted to try this restaurant and I'm not gonna let some no-show colt ruin the experience for me."

The hostess nodded as she re-opened the book and marked something in it. "We kept your table saved in case you had still decided to join us. Let me go get you the course list and I'll take you to your seat."

The hostess stepped away and returned to the desk with a sheet of paper. "This way, please," she said to Moondancer as the mare moved away, Moondancer following behind her. After a minute or so, the hostess came back. Thorax had expected her to ask if he wanted a table as well, but she then went past and grabbed another course list and ushered him to follow her.

"The mare you walked in with said she would like for you to come sit with her," she explained. "Since the seating was meant for two, she thought she could offer you a spot to sit and enjoy your meal."

"Um, okay," Thorax replied with a bit of uncertainty. He'd certainly not been expecting to have a mare he'd only just met invite him to have a meal with her, but he supposed she felt he was okay since he knew Princess Twilight. He shook his head as he followed the mare to where Moondancer was seated.

As they walked, Thorax looked around and was quite surprised. The restaurant had all of it's seating placed to one side, creating a walkway along the outer edge of the spire's observation deck. Looking in towards the center, Thorax could also see a kitchen with a staff of ponies, zebras and griffins all working hard to produce various kinds of food. A glance at the patrons also revealed a similar mix of creatures, with the addition of a few minotaurs that were seated in some of the larger booths.

And a look between the kitchen and seating booths revealed the most unique feature of all.

A circular track ran around the space between the seats and kitchen. A griffin chef carrying what appeared to be a hayburger with a side of fries placed the dish onto an open spot of the track. It moved along the track and wafted its delightful smell to every patron in the restaurant. A few moments after it was set down, a pegasus mare had grabbed it with her wings and set it down in front of herself, commenting to the pegasus stallion seated across from her on how good it smelled.

It took a moment, but Thorax then realized what this place was: a revolving restaurant. He'd heard of the idea before, but had never actually been to one. The chefs would prepare food, and patrons would take it from the carousel that went around the restaurant. At the end, the customers would pay a flat fee based on age. Children were the lowest price, and adult customers the highest, but seniors were given a discounted adult price that was somewhere in between.

The hostess had led Thorax straight to Moondancer, who had taken her seat and was given a glass of apple juice to go along with her own hayburger and fries. She gave him a smile as she gestured for him to join her.

"I wanted some company tonight," she told the disguised changeling as he sat down, "and since my previous engagement bailed on me, and we have a friend in common, I thought I would invite you to join me."

"Well, thank you," Thorax replied as he began looking over the food on the carousel. He paused as he sensed the hostess still standing behind him. Looking at her and seeing that she seemed to be expecting something, Thorax was confused for a moment until he realized that she was waiting for Thorax's drink order. After apologizing, he ordered an apple cider to go with his own food.

"I'll have that for you in just a moment," the hostess said as she walked away. Thorax was rather relieved that she did so; she gave off similar vibes to the stallion at the Cheval dealership in Detrot.

"So, what are you doing here in Seaddle," Moondancer asked, then apologetically added, "if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all," Thorax replied as he picked a carrot dog with a side of waffle cut fries. "I'm visiting Equestria and seeing the sights. I came through once, but I was kinda distracted at the time."

"Oh?" Moondancer responds with a hint of curiosity in her voice. "What had you distracted?"

"It was a... personal matter," Thorax replies.

"Oh," Moondancer responds, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Thorax assures her. "You didn't know. It's just a sensitive subject and I'm not terribly fond of talking about it."

"Well, again, I apologize," Moondancer reiterated, taking a bite from her hayburger.

Thorax took a bite of the carrot dog, enjoying the carrot flavor in combination with some diced onions and a bit of ketchup. The two were silent for a few more moments, when Thorax decided to try striking up a more lively conversation.

"So, what kind of tome are you here to study?"

"It's supposed to be some ancient spellwork from Starswirl the Bearded," Moondancer explained. "I think it might be tied to why he disappeared so long ago."

"He disappeared?" Thorax parroted.

Moondancer nodded, her mouth full of food. After swallowing, she told him about Starswirl's disappearance, along with the other members of the group known as the Pillars of Equestria, as well as their assistant Stygian.

"So, they were never seen again?" Thorax asked after hearing the explanation.

"Nope, but I think that the tome I'm going to study may have a clue as to where they went, and if I'm lucky, maybe I can find a way to bring them back."

Thorax looked at her with confusion. "Are you sure you can? If they disappeared as long ago as you say, they may not be alive anymore."

"That's true," Moondancer conceded, "but if the theory I have is correct, then they're some place where time is locked, and they haven't aged a day since they disappeared. That's why I wanna find the tome; it will tell me that my theory is correct about where they are AND how I can get them back."

"That's sounds kinda cool."

"It is, but there's a lot of research that needs to be done before an actual attempt to rescue them can be made, and that's if my theory is correct."

"Well, I hope it is," Thorax told Moondancer before he finished off his carrot dog and last few fries.

Moondancer finished her own meal and decided that she's had enough. As she stood up, she paused and looked at Thorax.

"Since my date canceled on me, wanna come join me for a concert?"

Thorax blinked. "A concert?"

"It's a new band called Opal Jelly. They make that new music that's getting really popular in Equestria. I hear that they're really good. The pony I was gonna go see them with gave me the tickets to keep safe, but they ditched me, and I don't wanna waste 'em. Whadda ya say?"

Thorax thought on it for a moment before he smiled and nodded.

"Let's go see a concert."

Author's Note

FINALLY!

After nearly a year without an update, a new chapter for this story!

Firstly, YAY! Moondancer is in the story!

Second, artwork!

I originally promised that I would have this as an actual playable minecraft map that you could actively play to see the work I put in, and I do intend to hold true to that, but this map is on the xbox one version of Minecraft, and I don't have a realms account, so I will have to reconstruct the map in a version where I can feature a link to download in the future. For now, enjoy the picture.

Thirdly, I intend to update this story more frequently here at the beginning of the year, as I wrote several chapters as I was working on the minecraft map. I will edit and post those as time goes on.