The Crimson-Red Star

Chapters

Night of Arrivals
Take Root
Departure to Places Unknown
A Dancer's Waltz
Steeped in Black
Dream of Flame
Dream of Darkness
Cave Exit

Night of Arrivals

"Are you ready, milord?" inquired a black-hooded creature, draped in a tattered dark cloak. "The place you're heading toward is young compared to ours, and once you get there, you may be confined to a rule or two."

Another creature with long sapphire hair and crimson skin stood tall over the cloaked creature, his pure white eyes glowing with a comfortable light. "I understand," he said solemnly. "My mission is sound, and I will achieve it, in time. I thank you for your assistance, Enoch."

Enoch chortled. "I've known you ever since you were conceived by our Lords, sire. You know you don't have to act all proper around me, but it goes without saying that it's difficult for ya." Enoch looked around the tall creature, bemused. "You didn't bring anything with ya, youngster?"

"I did not," he answered starkly. "Where I am going, anything from here will not be needed."

"What about your guardian?" Enoch asked. "You know... Well, speak of the Lords, here she comes now!"

"Master!" shouted a dark slender creature, skidding to a halt in front of them and bowing. She had blood-red eyes, skin as dark as charcoal, unruly short black locks, and matched the cloaked garb of Enoch but without the hood.

"Ahh, Nerissa! Are you coming along?" Enoch questioned amicably. "Were you granted permission from our two Lords?"

Nerissa raised her head respectfully. "Yes," she responded. "It took some coaxing, but They allowed me to venture with my master."

Nerissa's master narrowed his eyes. "You weren't joining my journey because I did not want you to be subjected to harm," he said levelly, his white eyes making her flinch. "I urge you to remain here, where it's secure."

Nerissa stared right into his eyes. "Master Alexander... Alex, I was chosen by the Lordress to safeguard your life with mine. I understand your worries, but I can't sit here awaiting your return; I'd be frantic. I'll always be by your side, forever... I must accompany you!" she told him ardently.

Alex stared at his dutiful servant with a face of ambiguity. She was right. No matter where he went or gone, Nerissa had always been by his side; she was a devoted, loyal servant. Relenting with a dip of his head, Alex allows his guardian to accompany him. He watched as Nerissa did her best to contain her triumph.

"With that out of the way, shall we begin?" The voice was Enoch, who had an amused glare sparking from his bright orange eyes.

Alex turned to him with Nerissa taking residence to his right. "We are."

"Good," Enoch said, smacking his two hands together and making a loud, resounding clap. "Now, to get there, you two will be encased within a meteor while I open the portal to your destination. Like I said before, there might be a rule or two when you land on whatever planet."

Nerissa stepped forward. "What kind of rules?"

"You both might experience a physical change when you land on a planet," he begun to explain, "and that planet may have different rules and concepts far different than ours, of things that never existed in Dawn.

"Now for the mission. The objective the Lords bestowed upon Alex are clear: There is an imbalance of particles of light and dark, and it's the job of Alex and his sister to ensure enough of each particle will be able to sustain the universe. If anything happens to you or your sister, Lords forbid, then that universe will eventually face a peril that could lead toward destruction. It's underdeveloped and dreadfully young.

"It might seem horrible at first, but all you have to do is stay alive and you will complete your objective in a timely manner, and you are free to do anything else you'd like. Unlike your sister, this isn't the only reason you are going, sire. It's a personal mission, yes?"

Alex nodded solemnly; his pure white eyes were unblinking. "I desire knowledge," he told Enoch numbly, "and an understanding of any planet I visit."

"That's correct!" Enoch pronounced heartedly, snapping a finger as a large rock appeared out of thin air. A portal forms agape within. "Jump on in and I'll do the rest! Also, I am under orders to assist you in any way during your journey, courtesy of our Creator. All you need is to say my name with some moderate conviction."

Alex's white gaze shifted to the massive rock above him. "Thaney is already there?"

"She's on her way and she is under a strict edict to refrain from participating in any of her normal... activities whilst there," Enoch replied, a slight edge to his voice. "You have nothing to worry about, sire."

"Good," he said. "The last thing we need is Thaney being her usual self; she knows how important this is for me, but I have to wonder: Will she abide by the edict?"

"Possibly," Nerissa chimed in with a shrug of her shoulders. "It was from the Lordress, and you know how accepting She is of Thaney's... quirks, but we have to trust that she shows some self-control. Let's do this."

"You will find many new and exciting experiences during your mission, so try and have a little fun," Enoch suggested. "Make connections and allies, and you may find something more than just knowledge, sire."

With another snap of Enoch's finger followed by a sparkling azure ripple, Alex and his faithful servant Nerissa were transported into the meteor, heading to not only a new world, but a whole new universe.

Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were standing side by side gazing at a meteor that had fallen from space. Behind them and encircling the large rock were royal guards brandishing spears, swords, and crossbows, looking grim-faced and wary. Alongside the two sisters was Princess Twilight Sparkle, appearing to be confused and cautious at what was happening.

During a meteor shower, this immense rock, by Luna's account had appeared suddenly, hurtled toward the Plains of Equestria, a vast stretch of land near Ponyville, and crash landed on the earth, leaving scorching skid marks. When Princess Luna noticed it descending to the plain, she attempted to intercept the meteor, but had found that she was unable to, for her magic was repelled. With relaying this information to her elder sister, Celestia took cautionary action, and this is where Flare Brimstone found herself.

The bat pony watched through her vibrant pink-slitted eyes the two sisters whispering to another, and, using her great hearing, was able to make out a small dispute on what the two should do to interact with the meteor. Flare Brimstone found it strange that a large rock from outer space was able to repel Princess Luna's magic, and thought the obvious choice was to smash it to pieces and forget about it.

"It could be nothing for us to be concerned about," Princess Luna murmured. "However, I feel as if we should not ignore this odd phenomenon; it did resist my magic."

"Yes, you're right," Princess Celestia assented. She turned to her former pupil. "What do you have in mind, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight stepped forward to stand beside the two sisters. She looked wary, but also curious. "I think we should study this meteor," she suggested, her eyes sparkling with an apprehensive interest. "It repelled Princess Luna's magic and plummeted to the earth. It's just a rock, but it resisted magic, and that should warrant investigation and careful examination."

Princess Celestia smiled promptly at Twilight's astute suggestion. "I believe that this should be the correct course of action for us to take." She turned to Luna. "Don't you agree?"

Princess Luna bobbed her head, gazing questioningly at the meteor. The giant rock was giving off so much heat that there were heat waves in the air. "When should we begin?" she adjured, her face serious.

Princess Celestia's lengthy horn glowed brightly, and a smirk etched itself across her heavenly visage. "We can begin right this very moment," she said smugly, shooting a small beam of magic above the meteor.

Flare Brimstone watched in awe as the blistering steam from the meteor suddenly vanished, it looked as if it had cooled down. Princess Celestia had taken away the meteor's heat, an impressive feat, but what would one expect from the princess of the sun?

"How will we conduct research on the fallen star?" Princess Luna inquired. "Magic on the wayward comet seems to be impossible, and it's seeming to be too heavy to move; the meteor's massive."

Flare Brimstone zoomed up to the three princesses. Celestia wore a heartwarming and adoring smile. "I can carry it to wherever you desire, my princesses!" she offered mirthfully, trotting in place excitedly. "Just tell me where and it'll be done!"

Princess Celestia gave a small titter. "Although we greatly appreciate your gracious offer to lend your super strength, my lovely agent, that will not be necessary," she praised, bending her head down to nuzzle the bat pony affectionately. "We shall conduct research here, and you and the rest of the guards will keep watch while Twilight and a researcher from Canterlot will begin their studies; I can only assume Professor Akard would be nothing short of ecstatic. I just hope he's not too busy on his project..."

Flare Brimstone knew of this professor, a well-known scientist and workhorse, whose head of the research facility in Canterlot. From her memories of him, the stallion was a bit aloof and eccentric, but one with a good heart to do the country of Equestria some good.

"Do you think he'll come if we asked?" Twilight ventured.

Princess Luna nodded firmly. "Mr. Akard is known to work well into the night, so if Celestia contacts him, he'll heed her call."

"I think it'd be best if Twilight went and collected our workhorse," Princess Celestia suggested with a glint in her eyes. "Twilight, can you? You're very proficient in teleportation magic."

Twilight bobbed her head swiftly. "You can count on me," she assured her former mentor, her chest swelling. With a glow of her horn, Princess Twilight Sparkle vanished in a bright purplish flash.

"What should we do now?" Flare Brimstone asked, still trotting in place as if her hooves were on fire.

"Rein in some of that excitement," Princess Luna implored. "We may be in need of your energy soon."

Princess Celestia gave a chuckle of amusement. "Admit it, little sister, we're all a bit excited."

Luna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "At least I can conceal mine," she replied, but then she cracked a small grin. "This meteor resisted my magic. It's not ordinary in the slightest. Until Twilight comes back, why not us examine the meteor? The heat and steam have passed now, so our touching of the rock is safe."

"We could," Celestia wondered. "It seems Twilight is taking longer than expected; our workhorse must've been in the middle of a breakthrough. We can indulge ourselves but remember to use caution." She turned to Flare Brimstone expectedly. "Come, and be by my side, my lovely agent."

Complying, Flare Brimstone took residence on Celestia's right while Luna was on her left. With the royal guards armed and at the ready for any threatening changes, the two sisters and Flare cantered forward, cautious yet filled with the allure of curiosity.

As they got closer, Flare began to feel something odd. It was like a wave of something that filled her with unease and excitement and caused her to stop moving. Gazing at the two sisters, the bat pony knew they felt it as well.

"This...feeling." Princess Celestia was in a shocked state of awe. She stared at the meteor with even more interest than before. "Luna, do you feel it too?"

Her sister gave an uneasy shudder, looking rigid. "I thought the heat was gone, but there's this... this warmth exuding from the meteor. But there's something else pervading the warmth."

"It's something uneasy and cold," Flare said, transfixed on the meteor. "It mingles with the warmth. What in Equestria is this? I think these presences are coming from inside the rock!"

Princess Celestia gazed down at Flare. "Are you sure?"

The bat pony nodded firmly, her tail swishing behind her. "Whatever it is, it's coming from within the meteor," she replied warily, peering closely at the rock in the hopes of seeing something. "Be careful, my princesses."

Slowly and carefully did the three mares venture closer to the meteor, each cautious step bringing them that odd, cold-like warmth. It was getting intense, and the three mares had to steel themselves, and when they did, the threat of the mysterious presence overwhelming them lessoned. When they managed to reach the meteor in all of its hulking bulk, they halted.

Flare Brimstone reached out with her hoof and gingerly touched the meteor. It was marginally cold but maintained a faint remnant of heat despite Princess Celestia's spell. She pressed her hoof harder on the rigid-like surface of the meteor and suddenly heard a crack. She was yanked away by Princess Celestia so quickly, she had barely registered it.

"W-what's wrong? What's going on?!" Flare sputtered in the cradle of Celestia's embrace, struggling to see from her white fur.

"Something's happening to the meteor," Princess Luna responded, sounding wary as she and Celestia began to back away.

The meteor had begun to crack, and the middle of it was splitting open. A bright white flash infused with black light surged out of the meteor, causing the three mares and the all the guards to be forced away. The whirling wind howled, dark clouds had begun to form overhead, and light from the sky flashed once or twice.

Celestia, Luna, and Flare Brimstone all braced themselves for something horrible, but as soon as the harrowing event began, it faded away. The environment started to become serene once more, but the pounding hearts of the ponies were racing, and all were silent, for the center of the meteor was open.

Wide eyed and stricken with a fearsome awe, the ponies around the meteor began to see something rising from within: It was some kind of towering, daunting figure.

A mane of brilliant sapphire was seen first, then a horn slightly longer than Celestia's, followed by a coat of crimson fire, and large, immaculate wings. When the wiry creature stepped from out of the meteor, the lower half of its lean legs were white that slowly turned redder toward the main body. Its tail was the same gorgeous sapphire color.

When it opened its eyes for the first time, they irradiated a mysteriously pleasant white light. Lastly, there was something wrapped around its neck; it was fabric, a bandanna, black as an abyss. Its cutie mark was hidden.

Flare Brimstone couldn't believe her eyes; she was staring at an alicorn. When she got a good look at it, she began to tremble, not with an overwhelming amount of fear, but with an overabundance of joy. This type of alicorn hasn't been seen in centuries, or maybe even longer, and here was one standing before them.

"Princess Celestia, it's a male alicorn," Flare Brimstone whispered, unable to take her eyes off him. "By the looks of him, he's a head taller than you. And those eyes. What... What does this mean?"

Princess Celestia didn't respond to the question. The alicorn just a few feet away from her had grafted her attention completely. "How is it... What is he... Who is he?"

"That feeling is back," Princess Luna uttered hoarsely. "It's fainter then before, and it's coming from him."

The weird warming presence came from this alicorn, but Flare did not know why or how. Was it magic? No, it couldn't; the alicorn's horn wasn't glowing at all. Did that mean he innately gave off such a soothing presence? What is this alicorn, really? Flare wanted to know.

The three mares and the guards watched as the alicorn suddenly moved, turning his head to view his body. His face gave no expression, but the way he examined himself seemed to mirror interest and confusion.

"I am... changed." His voice was deep and lucid; it flowed well, and it was easy on the ears. "This is what he meant."

"What course of action should we partake?" Luna asked Flare and her sister. "This... this alicorn does not appear to be hostile. If anything, he seems bemused and uncertain."

Celestia looked to Flare Brimstone. "My lovely agent, what is your suggestion?"

Flare was at a loss of words. What could she do to an alicorn? Like Princess Luna said, he wasn't hostile, at least not yet. Perhaps the simplest thing to do was the right choice.

Taking a few wary steps, Flare began to approach the alicorn, her eyes looking for the slightest sign of threat. As she got closer, the alicorn seemed to pay her no mind, continuing to examine his body. Once she believed she had gotten close enough, she halted in her hoofsteps. She was dreadfully conscious of Celestia, and she knew her princess would swipe her away at the clearest sign of trouble.

Taking a deep breath, Flare called out to him. "H-hello?"

Immediately the alicorn's incandescent eyes locked onto Flare and she found that she couldn't move. Her heart begun to beat quickly, and she felt a slight rise of panic. Was she ensnared in a trap? No, she wasn't. She couldn't be. There was no sign of magic from the alicorn, so what seemed to hold her in place?

"Don't move!" she warned Celestia who was trotting towards her. She stopped, looking anxious. The last thing anypony wanted was a problem. "Don't do anything!"

"Nerissa," the alicorn uttered, his calm voice sending a brief shudder down Flare's back. "You may release this creature; I am safe."

Flare Brimstone saw another pony rise from the meteor, smaller than the alicorn but nearly as tall as Princess Luna. It had a jet-black mane and tail, a coat of obsidian barely hidden under a dark cloak, and blood-red eyes that shimmered eerily in the night. It bore two piercing white fangs, oddly shaped pointed ears, and brandished what seemed to be a white sword to its side. Flare couldn't believe it. It was a bat pony!

"Yes, master," the bat pony said. Flare felt whatever was holding her release, and she swiftly backed away, into the embrace of Celestia. "We have changed, sire."

"Indeed, we have," the alicorn said, examining Nerissa. "Are you well? Any signs of discomfort?"

Nerissa shook her head firmly, hiding an obvious smile. "Don't you worry about me; it's my job to worry about you!"

"Consider your worries unfounded; I am well," the alicorn replied. "Although I've changed, it feels as if I had this form since my inception."

Nerissa agreed, sitting next to her master. "Well, we are here now, and we wait until it is done. What shall we do, sire?"

The alicorn glanced at Flare, at Celestia and Luna, at everypony, and then back at Nerissa. "Enoch informed me to produce connections and have experiences." He pointed at Flare with his tail. "Introductions are in order. I would like to start with the creature that approached me."

Nerissa glared at the bat pony, and Flare felt the cold presence from before, though it was faint. "I don't trust it."

"We will be here for quite some time, and learning about the creatures here would be beneficial." The alicorn glanced at Flare Brimstone. "None of them seem dangerous."

Nerissa scowled at Flare Brimstone and the rest of the ponies before shuffling as close as she could be next to the alicorn, as if daring any pony to try their luck. Flare admired the dark bat pony's fierce loyalty, and judging by their words, though they spoke lightly, the alicorn is of some kind of royalty or is important in some way.

Even more careful than before after loosening herself from Princess Celestia's grip, Flare cantered forward a few feet before stopping. She saw the alicorn trot slowly towards her, his hooves seeming to glide effortlessly across the ground; it was so smooth and majestic. Before she knew it, the alicorn was right in front of her, his towering height dwarfing her.

The alicorn bent his head down to Flare and scanned her over with those mysterious white eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Greetings," he said to her. He slowly blinked. "Can you understand me?"

"Y-yes, I... I-I can," Flare stammered, beginning to feel overwhelmed. The alicorn's warming, soothing-like presence was stronger now that she was close to him. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Can you understand me?"

"Indeed, I can, and so does my companion," the alicorn replied huskily, gesturing to the dark bat pony. "This is Nerissa, my guardian, and my name is Alexander. If you prefer the name Alex instead, then you may call me as such. Do you have a name?"

Flare nodded slowly. Alex and Nerissa were very odd names, and she said them a few times in her mind to get used to the words. "Flare Brimstone," she answered. "My name."

"Your name is interesting to me," Alex said, his face barren of expression, yet he sounded pleased. "Those two creatures behind you... What are their names? They are quite different from you and the rest of the other creatures."

It was odd. Alex called her and the ponies around her creatures. Doesn't he know what he is? Does he NOT know what a pony is?

"Alex, sir? Uh, sire?" She assumed he was royalty by how Nerissa treated him. "I, uh... I don't know how to refer to you."

Alex shook his head. "You do not need to refer to me as 'sire'," he said. "Alex is fine."

"But don't ever think about disrespecting him," Nerissa snipped, her blood-red eyes glaring with distrust.

Flare held in a snort of amusement. "The two ponies, that's our race, behind me are the rulers of Equestria, the country you both are in," she informed them, beginning to get comfortable. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

With their names called and with Flare Brimstone's assurances, the two sisters trotted up beside the bat pony, bowing their heads lightly in greeting. Flare watched Alex tilt his head as if confused, but then he mirrored the gesture and so did Nerissa.

"We welcome you, Alex," Princess Celestia said, sounding formal and kind. Flare noticed in the princess's eyes showed a great interest. "As my agent has said, I am Celestia, and this is Luna, my younger sister, and we rule over this country as a diarchy."

Alex approached the two sisters and appraised them closely, followed by his dark guardian. Flare Brimstone still found it incredible that there was another pony taller than Princess Celestia.

"It seems we've landed on a planet of great promise," Alex said to Nerissa, to which the dark guardian nodded silently, watching the two sisters and Flare. "I want to inform you both that we are not here to rule over your planet."

Flare watched the two sisters exchange a look and then back at Alex. "Why are you here?" Celestia asked. "There hasn't been another male alicorn in many centuries."

Alex tilted his head again in confusion. "I am unfamiliar of that species," he said. "Is that what I am here?"

Celestia nodded. "You're an alicorn, a pony of wings and a horn that inhabits the aspects of the three pony races that live here."

Alex examined Nerissa and shifted his white gaze on Flare Brimstone. "What about my guardian and Flare? They seem quite unique among the rest of us."

"Bat ponies are of a rare breed here in Equestria," Princess Luna answered, stepping forward and peering down at Nerissa, who in turn stared unblinkingly at her. "They are creatures of the night, and endangered ponies. As I recall, there are only a few in the country: Flare's family and some others. And now Nerissa is one... somehow."

"That's very interesting," Alex said, though nothing of his interest was expressed. "I would like to know more about this, but I assume there are questions you both wish to ask."

Princess Celestia nodded, her magenta eyes shimmering. "Where did you come from?"

Alex sat on the ground with Nerissa following suit. "Up there," he answered simply, pointing towards the sky with his muzzle. The ponies gasped.

"You're an alien?!" Flare shouted excitedly.

"I do not know what that means."

"An alien is an extraterrestrial being not from this planet!" Flare said, her joy beginning to overflow.

"Then Nerissa and I are aliens," he affirmed.

"You are from the stars?" Luna asked, her eyes widening.

Alex nodded. "The stars but further still, far beyond the verge."

"But...how did you come here?" Celestia implored, bemused. "How did you survive inside a meteor of all things?"

"Our bodies are immune to such intensity," Alex answered, his white eyes gazing unblinkingly at the night sky. "We were transported here by meteor. It was the only way for us to arrive."

"You were transported?" Flare Brimstone asked, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "Who transported you?"

"Enoch," Nerissa answered, moving and sitting in front of Alex. "A servant of my master."

"It seems we have many more questions that need answers, but there's one question I have that must be answered," Celestia said.

"And what may that be?" Alex inquired.

"Why have you come here?"

That was an important question, Flare knew. What was Alex and his guardian doing here, in Equestria of all places? Depending on his answer, things could go very differently.

"There are two reasons. One is a mission regarding a personal interest of mine," Alex said, standing up, towering over Flare.

Luna looked guarded and stood up with Celestia following. "What is this interest of yours, then?"

"Knowledge and understanding," he said. When no pony spoke, he began to elaborate. "I am a scholar, and I am here to learn about your planet and its uniqueness. I have...become a creature that doesn't exist where I hail from, that of what you call a pony, an alicorn specifically."

"Alicorns are extremely rare, and to become one is even more so," Flare Brimstone informed him. "But what's interesting about you is that you are a male alicorn. There hasn't been another in... I don't know how long."

Celestia agreed. "Your existence as an alicorn is a mystery, and what's more enthralling about your peculiar situation is that you simply are one, without undergoing special means or trials. If your real form isn't that of an alicorn, then what are you?"

"A bipedal, skinless creature with arms and legs," Alex answered. "I was told that coming here could change me. My physical form had been altered drastically to this planet's dominant species: ponies."

"So, you aren't a pony, but something else entirely," Celestia said. Alex nodded. "I see... What is the second reason?"

"In due time," Alex told her. "Nerissa and I come in peace."

Before any pony could say anything, a flash of purplish light came from behind the two sisters and Flare Brimstone. They all turned their heads to see Twilight Sparkle and a stallion donned in a white lab coat. He had a messy black mane and tail, and his dark grey coat was unkempt. He adjusted his well-worn, grimy-looking glasses as he and Twilight stared dumbfounded at Alex and Nerissa.

"I... I think I need an explanation on why...a MALE alicorn is here with a bat pony I've never seen before!" Twilight demanded eagerly, her mouth widening in shock.

Meanwhile, on the same night...

Leaf Storm galloped as quickly as she could, leaping over large fallen branches from the tall trees and evading thorn-sharp bushes that could rake and tear her coat to shreds. She was panting, limbs aching and heart thudding madly in her chest as the creatures snarled viciously behind her.

She was being chased by timberwolves, wooden canine-like creatures with flesh-ripping fangs and saliva that reeks of carrion. They were a tenacious lot, adamant on their prey. Leaf Storm was their prey, and she was getting tired. She was stumbling and rasping, and unfortunately tripped over her own hooves and tumbled painfully to a stop.

Her shuddering sides heaved desperately for air, her throat was dry, and her tongue lolled onto the mossy earth. Her eyes bulged with fear, and she tried to move her burning limbs, and Leaf Storm found that she couldn't go any farther.

She was going to die here, to be eaten alive by malicious wooden wolves. She was too far to call out for help, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to; her exhaustion hampered her ability to yell.

Through her darkening eyes, Leaf Storm saw them as she lay: the wolves surrounding her, their tongues dripping slime-green saliva that made her retch. She felt one bite her right hind leg; a timberwolf tugged lightly and applied minimal pressure as if it was testing how much force it and the rest of the wolves had to exert. Then they began to feast.

Their sharp wooden teeth felt like large needles jabbing and stabbing into her flesh, and she could feel her skin beginning to rip and something warm seep out: blood. She couldn't scream or struggle; she was too tired to cry defiance. Despairing, Leaf Storm accepted her fate and waited for the torture to end.

As she felt her life wane, a faint golden light caught her attention, and the timberwolves had stopped gnawing on her flesh. All of them looked toward the light and saw an alicorn with a coat of pure white and a golden, black-striped illustrious mane. She wore a scarlet fang-like necklace and round blood-red earrings. Her eyes were a dull, faded white, and her cutie mark was a black orb with a white marking in the middle.

"Creatures should never play with their meal," she told the timberwolves, her haunting voice carried by the wind. "Begone."

The timberwolves had suddenly begun to scream and howl in agony, and Leaf Storm felt a wave of terror enshroud her like a dense fog. There was a foulness in the air, stronger than the putrid stench of the wolves. This was not magic. It was something otherworldly, and terribly wrong.

She watched in horror as the wolves fell to the earth, writhing uncontrollably until they all went limp, their glaring green eyes eerily hollow.

Leaf Storm moaned in agony, crawling towards her deathly savior, and reaching out a desperate hoof to the alicorn's legs. She was terrified, but she needed this pony, regardless of what came of it. "Please," she begged hoarsely, "help me..."

The white alicorn stared at the dying mare with an insane glare and showed off her pearly white teeth. "Yes. I will help you. I have questions, and you can provide me with answers." The alicorn began to let out an eerie chuckle that caused Leaf Storm to tremble. "Indeed," she whispered close to Leaf's ears. "You will do nicely..."

Take Root

"This is so exciting!" Twilight was quite literally jumping for joy, and Flare had to hold in a burst of laughter. "A real male alicorn, from space! Not from our space, but from an entirely different one! There's life beyond our planet, beyond our own universe! Praise Aeternia!!!"

Flare Brimstone hadn't seen Twilight so happy before, and though it was warranted by a pony of her stature, she wished Twilight would calm down just a little bit. But who wouldn't be excited that aliens came from outer space?

"By the Lords, this pony's odd," Nerissa muttered, her pointed ears splaying back. "I thought Knox was too much, but this is different."

It was no surprise to anypony, Flare thought, that Nerissa hadn't liked the purple alicorn so far; she was actively baring her fangs at the princess whenever she got too close to Alex by accident on account of her unfettered excitement.

Alex, when Flare watched him interact with Twilight, was so calm and patient with her and trying to answer questions that shot from the purple pony's mouth, but since she was speaking so fast, he couldn't get a word in. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Shifting her gaze on Celestia and Luna, Flare saw that they were speaking to a bat pony. It was the leader of the Shadow Troop, a unit of elite guards that serve and protect Princess Celestia's life from the very shadows, accompanying her anywhere she went unless told otherwise.

Although she had never seen him before, Flare Brimstone knew the Shadow Troop leader's name, courtesy of Agni: Bay Banks. He was handsome and tall; his dark azure coat rippled with lean muscle, his grey mane flowed lazily in the breeze, and his scarlet eyes were intense.

"Hey."

Flare Brimstone started and turned to the voice that had frightened her, but only to relax. It was Agni. After completing a mission for Princess Celestia where they had to team up, she and Agni began to develop a close relationship. He was also a part of the Shadow Troop.

"Agni, you startled me," Flare chuckled, jabbing him playfully with a hoof before rubbing her muzzle against his neck affectionately.

"It must be my lucky night; nothing scares you," he replied warmly, giving her a small smile. He turned to where she had been looking. "Ah, I see. Bay Banks. This is your first time seeing him, right?"

Flare nodded, brushing her coat against Agni's. "He looks interesting; his eyes are quite rare, and he looks a bit different from your average pony."

Agni agreed, spreading a wing over Flare's back. "It's said his bat pony mother married a Saddle Arabian unicorn, so his features and his height are quite unique," he explained. "He may look tough to get along with, but he's polite and cordial."

"I'll take your word for it," Flare responded. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, what do you think is going to happen with Alex?"

Agni gave a light shrug and sighed. "It's all a lot to take in," he admitted, resting his head on Flare's. "As Princess Twilight said, close examination of the meteor and the study of Alex and his guardian. Our job is to sit and watch."

Flare Brimstone twined her tail with Agni's. "At least things will get more exciting around here," she murmured. "It's been so boring lately, so I greatly welcome the change."

Before Agni could answer, his superior, Bay Banks, approached him. "Agni, Princess Celestia wants to have a word with you, so I suggest you get a move on," he ordered. "Now."

Agni bowed before breaking himself away from Flare. "Of course, sir," he said, saluting. He gazed longingly at her. "I'll be back."

Flare Brimstone nuzzled him again. "Go on then, soldier." She watched as Agni trotted away, leaving her with Bay Banks. She gazed at him. "Nice to finally meet you," she said.

Bay Banks nodded in assent. "I have heard a lot about you and your adventuring, and I must say that I am impressed," he complemented with a smile that showed off his white fangs. "So... Agni, huh? You both seem quite the couple; I'm jealous."

Flare Brimstone blushed internally. She and Agni weren't each other's special somepony, but she had to admit that they both acted like it. Ever since the mission they did together for Princess Celestia, they've spent as much time as they could without their work getting in the way. They weren't a couple. Not yet.

"That's good, for Agni, I mean," Bay Banks said.

Flare was confused. "What do you mean?"

Bay Banks guided Flare's attention to Agni speaking with Princess Celestia. "He's a little different, more cheerful and less uptight," he said, turning his scarlet gaze on Flare. "He actually smiles. I don't know how you were able to break through that stone skin of his but keep it up. You're good for him."

Flare was taken slightly aback by Bay Banks' praise. "Uh, thanks," she responded, feeling somewhat awkward. It was nice that she was in the good graces of Agni's boss.

"I need to rally the rest of the Shadow Troop," Bay said, gesturing with a hoof at the Everfree Forest tree line. Flare saw glittering eyes amongst the trees. "Princess Luna has a request for us, so when Agni comes back, tell him to convene at the tree line with everypony else, will you?"

Flare Brimstone nodded. "O-of course I will," she promised.

Bay Banks jabbed Flare's side lightly with his wing. "Thanks," he said, trotting off. "We'll meet each other again in the future, Ms. Brimstone!"

"I guess we will," Flare muttered, shifting her pink gaze on Alex, Twilight, and Nerissa. She trotted over to them. "What's going on?"

"Ahh, Flare Brimstone." Alex sounded pleased. He craned his neck toward her. "Princess Twilight-"

"Has been harrying him with so many bloated questions, he can't get a word in to respond," said Nerissa, a scowl stretching across her dark visage.

Flare sighed inwardly and gazed at Twilight: there was a quill and tons of parchment in her magic, and she was vibrating with joy despite Nerissa's harsh comments. She had to admit that the bookworm wasn't going to get anything productive done if she continued to ramble, so Flare thought of a compromise.

"Princess Twilight," Flare said, raising her voice. "Twilight, perhaps I could help with the questioning!" She saw Twilight's ears twitch and the purple alicorn peered at her with sparkling eyes.

"Oh, Flare! Look at this list!"

Flare backed away, but Twilight's list smacked her right in the face and all she could see was erratically written questions that seemed too hard for her to read properly. Before she could say anything, the parchment suddenly poofed in a purple flash, dazing Flare's eyes.

"I, uh... I think I can help," the bat pony said, rubbing her eyes. "What's the first thing you want to know?"

"The presence!" Twilight replied almost immediately. "Can't you feel it? It's warm but also cold at the same time. It's not even magic! I don't know what it is!"

"That was aura you were feeling," Nerissa answered, her eyes narrowed in agitation. "Mine and my master's."

"What...is that?" Twilight asked, spawning her quill and parchment again.

"Aura is a type of energy we can emit, and this energy can affect creatures in certain ways," Nerissa explained. "To ponies, my master gives off a soothing, warm atmosphere. It can pacify creatures and helps to discourage violence, but you must've felt something else, Flare Brimstone, when you got too close to him."

Flare tilted her head. She remembered the intensity of Alex's aura, but she was caught off guard, and when she was able to steel herself, his aura had lessened immensely, though it was still there. And Nerissa was right, there had been something else. It was similar to Princess Celestia and Luna in an odd kind of way, except Alex and Nerissa didn't need to use magic.

"I felt...heavy," she murmured, her eyes narrowing as she tried to explain. "There was this weight bearing down on me, but I had hardly noticed it."

"That's the pressure," Nerissa told her. "It's a sudden change in gravity, to make it a little denser and harder to move around. You'll get used to it if you're planning on being around my master long enough."

"But what about you?" Flare asked. She had felt two presences.

Nerissa gave a dry chuckle. "I don't have the pressure, just the aura," she answered with a shrug. "The pressure is something my master has. My aura makes you wary; it lets you know that I'm dangerous and that you should keep your distance. Once I see that any of you or your race isn't a threat to my master, I will turn it off."

"You can just turn something like that off whenever you feel like it?" Twilight Sparkle asked, the quill in her magic scribbling madly on the parchment.

"Of course," Nerissa responded with a scoff, glaring at the purple pony princess. "What's the use of a power I was born with if I can't properly control it? Anyway," she added after a moment's silence, "what else do you want to know?"

"There's another thing," Flare said. Nerissa glanced at her, the agitated look on her face lessening. "The first time I tried to speak to Alex, I had felt...stuck, like I was rooted to the ground. What was that all about?"

"Oh. That." Nerissa sounded uninterested, but she went on. "I did that."

"What did you do to me?"

"I seized your shadow," Nerissa said simply.

"You...seized my shadow?" Flare asked in awed puzzlement. She tried to ignore the mad scribbling coming from Twilight's quill. "How did you do that?! That's so cool!"

Nerissa was taken aback slightly, and her dark face grew a bit red. "Your shadow is connected to you whether or not you can see it, it is always with you," she answered promptly, settling herself. "My race are called Dark Residents, creatures born in darkness. We live on one of the corners of our world where light doesn't shine. We were given the power to manipulate shadows and control darkness.

"I used my power to seize your shadow when I believed you to be a threat to my master. Since your shadow is connected to you and goes wherever you go, if I took control of it, I could control you."

Flare stared speechless at Nerissa, who stared unblinkingly back. "That's beyond cool, but I'm glad you only made me freeze," she said finally, chuckling a bit. "I would like to see a demonstration of that again on something that isn't me, but I have another question."

Nerissa softened the glare in her eyes, beginning to look relaxed. "What is it?"

"How did you and Alex meet?"

Nerissa smiled at that. "I met my master at a young age, when the Lordress visited my village," she said, looking up into the dark sky fondly. "My kind are warriors, and I was a promising addition. The Lordress wanted me to guard Alex's life. It was an honor to have one of the creators show up at my village, and even more so to be given the chance to safeguard a life as precious as Alex's.

"When I agreed to become his guardian, I was taken to a celestial tower and guided to a grand library where Alex was educating himself. We introduced each other and we were always together."

"Who are the creators?" Twilight Sparkle asked, a bemused yet enchanted look on her face. "What do they do?"

The soft look in Nerissa's eyes hardened, but she glanced at her master to answer the question. Just as Alex was about to explain, Flare noticed Princess Celestia, Luna, and Agni coming up to join the group. As the princesses settled down to listen, Agni came to sit next to her.

"Bay Banks wants you to head toward the tree line with the rest of the troop," Flare informed him quietly, brushing her dark orange coat against him affectionately.

Agni leaned against her. "I will leave after Alex gives his explanation."

"The Creators are Lord Zain and Lordress Alba," Alex answered when everypony settled down. He blinked slowly before going on. "They created the universe I and Nerissa come from, and They are the ones that birthed me."

"You're the son of two gods?" Twilight murmured, her mouth widening with awe. "Holy hay, that's amazing!"

"Be quiet, he hasn't finished yet!" Nerissa spat harshly, a hint of a snarl in her throat before she forced it back. Twilight kept her mouth shut.

"Lord Zain is light incarnate and responsible for life of all creatures in my universe," Alex continued, his deep, sonorous voice captivating his audience. "Lordress Alba is where all life comes from; She is darkness incarnate. The planet They hail from is called Dawn, the cornerstone where everything started, and is Nerissa's and my home planet. Everything in the sky, in the cosmos, everything, it was Them who made it." He turned his pleasantly glowing white eyes on Celestia and Luna. "You wanted to know the second reason of why I'm here, so I will now tell you."

"When he tells you, listen to him carefully," Nerissa chimed in. "It's highly important."

"Then please go on," Princess Celestia urged.

"As you know, I am here on a personal mission to learn about your planet and the creatures that inhabit it, but I am also here because my Lords have seen that your universe is in peril," he told them, hearing the collective gasps of his audience.

"What do you mean?" Princess Luna demanded, standing up to her full height. "Our universe is in danger?!"

"Luna, calm down," Princess Celestia soothed. Flare noticed that the white alicorn was trying to keep her voice steady. This was a shock to everypony. "Let Alex explain further."

Straining to rein in her panic and shock, Princess Luna forced herself to sit back down. Celestia prompted Alex to continue with a hoof. He dipped his head.

"Your universe is in danger," he reaffirmed. "It is in an unbalanced state, and if things continue on without doing something about it, your universe will grow more and more unstable until it implodes, ceasing to exist. Your universe is young and underdeveloped, so it doesn't yet have the needs to persist on its own without assistance."

Everypony was silent. Eventually, Celestia broke it, saying, "What could you do to prevent such an event, Alex? This all seems so...out of our hooves."

"Do not worry, there is a solution," he assured her. "I was sent here because my body gives off particles of light, something your universe desperately needs to reach stabilization. To make sure this works, I must remain alive until your universe is stable enough to survive on its own."

Flare gazed around and saw the dark, apprehensive faces of her ponies. It was a lot to take in, but Alex somehow made it sound so simple, and that comforted her a little. "So, all that has to happen to avoid this event is to make sure you do not die?" Flare asked. Alex nodded.

"I am my master's guardian," Nerissa said with pride. "I will make sure that Alex doesn't die. I would give up my own life first before that happens!"

Flare Brimstone felt somewhat as safe as one could be with the looming dread of the universe imploding and killing everypony. Still, Alex and Nerissa seemed to be pretty strong if their aura and pressure was anything to go by, and there wasn't a lot of dangerous creatures that could kill a pony these days since times were peaceful. It seems that there isn't much to worry about, ironically enough.

"I understand this can be overwhelming, but I am almost finished," Alex said.

"What else do we need to know?" Luna pressed.

"I alone cannot balance your universe," he told them. "I need the aid of another, and that is Thaney."

"Who's that?" Flare Brimstone asked.

"It's my master's sister," Nerissa answered, but Flare noticed that she sounded tense.

"Where is your sister?" Luna inquired. "She hadn't arrived on the same meteor as you did."

Alex shook his head. "I do not know where she is," he admitted. "All I know is that she left Dawn just before I did, arriving the same way Nerissa and I have. It is possible she is somewhere nearby."

"Should we go looking for her?" Flare suggested.

"There is no need," Alex replied, stretching out his large crimson wings. "She gives off particles of darkness, so as long as she is here, there is no need to go searching for her."

"Before we go any further, I would like to issue a word of caution," Nerissa said. She sounded serious and even perturbed.

"What is your warning?" Princess Celestia asked. "Is there something we need to know about Thaney?"

Nerissa nodded grimly. "Though Thaney is kin of my master and may share some qualities with him, she isn't like Alex at all. If any of you come across Thaney, it is best to keep your distance," she warned them. "Thaney can be dangerous and unpredictable; she is likely to cause more harm than good." Nerissa took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Ironically enough, Thaney is under a strict edict to not cause any problems, but we do not know if she'll abide by it."

"Would she be an alicorn like Alex?" Luna asked.

"Most likely," Nerissa replied. "Thaney knows how important this is for Alex, so we can only hope that her admiration for him overshadows her penchant for causing mayhem."

"Why would Alex be something that could stop her?"

"Because Thaney loves Alex very much," Nerissa said simply. "And her...love for him may be enough to stop her from doing terrible things. Besides, there really is no use in looking for her. If she doesn't want to be found, then there is nothing we can do. So just take my words as caution."

For a moment, Celestia looked stern, an expression Flare Brimstone hardly ever saw. "We will," she uttered, standing up and shaking any grass that clung to her white coat. She had a much happier disposition. "For now, we need to study the meteor. Twilight, can you aid Mr. Akard?"

"Sure thing!" the purple alicorn chirped excitedly, making her quill and parchment disappear with her magic.

Flare had forgotten about the scientist. She looked around for the wayward stallion, spotting him next to the meteor and running his hooves down the rigid surface. He looked to be in awe, staring at the meteor with a dumbfounded expression.

As everypony began to break apart, Flare suddenly felt Agni's lips on her cheek and froze. It was soft, and it tickled a little. She gazed at him, trying hard to mask the blush threatening to appear upon her face.

His piercing orange-slitted eyes glimmered faintly in the moonlight as he rose to his hooves, gently lifting Flare to hers. "I have to go," he murmured, disappointment in his voice. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Flare was still stunned, but then came to her senses as she replied, "Okay. I'll... I'll see you soon." Just before Agni could turn away, Flare held him back. "Whatever request Princess Luna wants you and your troop to do, be careful..."

Agni stared at her silently for a moment. "It's not like you to worry," he chuckled, but then he looked more serious when he saw she wasn't joining in. "I promise I'll be careful."

Flare Brimstone gave him a brief nuzzle against his neck before he trotted away into the trees of the Everfree Forest. Letting out a sigh, she turned to Alex and Nerissa who had watched the entire exchange.

Alex tilted his head. "Who was that?"

"Agni," Flare answered, feeling a tad awkward that these aliens had watched her be intimate with him. "He's a bat pony like me, and he works with a group of other bat ponies that serve Princess Celestia."

"Are you his lover?" Nerissa ventured.

Flare shook her head, even though she felt warm inside. "We aren't special someponies yet," she told them. "But... I guess we kind of act like we are, huh?"

Nerissa nodded. "I've never been in love before, but I know it's a great experience," she said, rising from the ground with Alex. She looked at Twilight and Mr. Akard around the meteor and rolled her eyes. "I guess I have to explain a few more things. Will you be joining us?"

She glanced at Celestia and Luna speaking to one another and didn't want to disturb them. With Agni gone off with the Shadow Troop, Flare nodded and trotted with the two aliens toward Akard and Twilight Sparkle. When she got close enough to hear them fretting over the meteor, she heard Nerissa give a small snort.

"This meteor is remarkable," Akard said joyfully, his face pressed against the huge rock. "Magic doesn't work on it as you informed me, which is odd. I vividly remember studying meteorites in my lab and I was able to pick them up in my magic just fine, but this is something different."

"Even if we could pick it up with magic, it'd be too heavy," Twilight pointed out, sharing Akard's enthusiasm. "It seems to operate differently; it isn't from our space, but from another."

Akard agreed with a dip of his messy brown mane. "It seems that the meteor doesn't follow the same rules." He noticed shadows creeping over him and turned to the two aliens and Flare. "Greetings!" he announced happily, trotting up to Alex and Nerissa. "I'm Genesis Akard, head researcher and scientist of Canterlot's research facility!"

"Hello," Nerissa murmured, her ears twitching.

"We saw you appear with Princess Twilight in a purple flash," Alex commented, dipping his head in greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you. When you appeared, you almost headed straight toward the meteor. I am glad to establish formal introductions."

Akard gave a sheepish chuckle before bowing his head. "I apologize for my brisk manner; I was just so interested in this meteor. Magic doesn't work on it at all," he said, turning his gaze to the rock. "What I know for sure that it exudes a type of energy I can't seem to identify."

"That's Enoch's energy," Nerissa said, trotting up to the meteor and placing a hoof upon it. One measly push and the rock moved. Flare, Twilight, and Mr. Akard was stunned. "He created the meteor."

"You are more than welcome to study it to your heart's content," Alex added, craning his neck down to Akard, who backed away slightly out of respect. "If you need it relocated, Nerissa can aid you."

Akard turned to the dark bat pony, his eyes shining with excitement. "Can you?! Please?!" he implored, going so far as to drop on his knees. "This could really help my research!"

Flare watched Nerissa recoil at Akard's begging and she saw that annoyed look creeping across her face. She thought the bat pony would refuse, but Nerissa had agreed to help the scientist. She probably would've said no if Alex hadn't suggested she'd help.

"I will have to leave you for a little while, and I am unsure if I can entrust any of these ponies to protect you," Nerissa said, sounding concerned. "Perhaps you could come with me?"

Alex shook his head, causing Nerissa's ears to droop. "I need to talk to the princesses and secure a place of residency for the duration of our visit," he told her, placing the tip of one wing on Nerissa's head. Flare saw how attentive and immersed the bat pony was. "These ponies are friendly and kind; I am safe here. Try not to worry too much."

Nerissa looked as if she'd argue, to find a reason why he shouldn't part from her, but instead she fervently dipped her head in obedience. She glanced at Flare, scanning her up and down as if she was trying to find any imperfections, but in the end, she looked somewhat satisfied with what she saw.

"Look after him," she told her. She then turned her attention on Mr. Akard and picked the huge rock up with her hooves. "Tell me where to go."

Stricken with awe, Mr. Akard fumbled over his words. Twilight Sparkle was speechless, and Flare Brimstone looked amazed that another pony other than herself that wasn't an alicorn had some pretty good super strength.

"We... w-we need to go to Canterlot," he stammered, clearing his throat. "It's the capital of Equestria, and the journey there isn't long. Princess Twilight, could you carry me in your magic? It would be faster if you helped."

"Of course I can," the purple alicorn said, finding her voice after Nerissa's feat of strength. Horn glowing, Mr. Akard was coated in purple and was lifted gently off the ground. "Let's get a move on; I want to know a lot about this!"

Nerissa turned her head to Alex, and Flare saw a flash of concern glistening in the bat pony's blood-red eyes. She watched her sigh, following Twilight Sparkle as the alicorn took to the sky.

Flare felt slightly weird. She was standing next to an alicorn taller than Princess Celestia, who came from a different universe. She was no stranger to monsters and the like, but never before had she encountered a cosmic being sent here on a mission to save her universe from imploding. That was a lot to take in, so she couldn't help but feel weird with this alicorn.

On the other hoof, she was positively excited. She wondered what Alex could do now that he has access to magic. When he came here, his real body had changed to suit the planet he landed on. It just so happened that he landed here, so he looks like a pony.

A sudden burst of joy filled her hooves, and she trotted in place as if she was on burning coal.

"You seem quite excited," Alex commented. Although his expression never once changed from the blank stare, Flare could tell he was happy and interested. "I must secure a home before I can start studying. I hope the two sisters will permit me so."

Flare dashed around Alex before skidding to a halt in front of him. "Don't worry big guy, Celestia and Luna will help you. They might even let you stay in the castle!"

Nodding, Alex and Flare Brimstone headed toward the two sisters, who were a little way off speaking to a few royal guards. When she and Alex approached the sisters, they greeted them warmly, Celestia especially with a heartfelt nuzzle to Flare.

"Anything the matter?" the celestial sun princess asked.

"Alex would like to know if there is a place he can stay while he and Nerissa are here," Flare answered.

Princess Luna tapped her chin. "They could stay with us at the castle, but the arrival of a male alicorn will be quite the shock to everypony."

Celestia agreed. "News of a male alicorn should be disclosed in gradual chunks," she added. A bright smile crossed her face. "There is a house in a clearing within the Everfree Forest."

"There was?" Flare was confused. Why was there a house smack-dab in the eerie forest?

"It was built on my orders by a building contractor from Trottingham named Moulder," Celestia explained, uttering a sheepish titter. "It served as a getaway home for me and my sister, but we never ended up using it. It was constructed near Fluttershy's cottage, so if you decide to live there, you'd have a neighbor."

"I see," Alex murmured, shuffling his wings slightly. "Who is this Fluttershy?"

"She's a timid, quiet and kindhearted pegasus with a love for animals," Luna said. "She has wings like us."

"Does any...pony else live around the Everfree Forest?"

Celestia nodded. "A zebra named Zecora," she answered. "She uses magic differently from us ponies. Instead of having a horn, she opts to utilize potions; it's quite interesting to learn."

"It seems I'll have a few neighbors," Alex said, his tone thoughtful. "I desire to live in the house."

Princess Celestia clopped her hooves together. "Splendid!" she exclaimed. "I am glad that the house will get some use after all. There isn't much else for us to do now, but when your guardian returns, you both can head there. Luna?"

Her younger sister stepped forward. "There is a paved path that will lead you to the house," she explained. "Do not stray from it since you are unfamiliar with the Everfree Forest. It can be a dangerous place, but the house is situated away from just about any dangers, save for a few strays."

Alex nodded in understanding. He placed his lofty wings on the celestial sisters. "I appreciate your generosity and kindness," he told them gratefully, blinking. "Thank you."

Celestia gave a small titter. "I think this can be a good start to a great relationship, don't you agree, Luna?"

Luna nodded, a tiny grin finding its way on her face. "I do, and I am glad that Equestria has a new ally and friend."

Alex tilted his head. "Friend?" he said, sounding puzzled. "We've only just met."

Flare stood beside the two sisters. "And you've already proven to be a good pony," she told him. "You're here to protect us from a threat we can't face alone. I can see that you are kind and gracious, and that is the mark of any good pony."

Alex stared at Flare Brimstone for a moment before dipping his head in assent. "Then we are friends," he said. "That is a good start to my journey." He sat down, letting the soft breeze flow through his crimson coat. "Perhaps my new friends can indulge me; I want to know about magic. It seems to be something I've never heard of before."

Celestia and Luna sat in front of him, followed by Flare Brimstone. "We have some time before we and the royal guards need to head back to the castle," she told him, her magenta eyes glimmering in the moonlight.

Luna agreed. "What do you want to learn first?"

Later on the same night...

Leaf Storm awoke, chest heaving as she drew in a desperate gasp of air, but only to cough horribly, her body racked with violent shudders. The pain around her legs had dulled to stinging aches, and the bleeding had stopped. She felt the ground, uneven and uncomfortable; a rocky surface, but to Leaf Storm, it had felt like she was back in her tent.

She blinked hard for a long moment, her eyes adjusting to the silent darkness that swamped her vision. "Where... Wh-where am I?" Her words slurred and she began to feel a wave of nausea hit her, but she held back the vomit rising from within her throat.

Taking in the cold, tasteless air to help soothe the roiling in her stomach, Leaf Storm forced herself to look around: she was deep inside a dank cave. She lay there confused for a moment, trying to remember how she came to be here, but the memory eluded her. Whatever happened, she was safe at the moment, or at least she hoped that she was.

Too weak to stay fully awake, Leaf Storm laid her head back on the ground and closed her eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber until she was reawakened by a sudden noise, forcing her head to shoot up in alarm. There, in the churning darkness, was a skulking form moving towards her with slow, deliberate steps that echoed eerily in the cave. Leaf Storm attempted to move but her body was too weak, and she winced at her injuries.

As the daunting figure loomed closer, Leaf Storm saw through terrified, squinting eyes a horn and wings. Suddenly her mind rushes back: She was being pursued by timberwolves and almost devoured by them until a pony, an alicorn, came to her aid and saved her from a gruesome death. But something from the memory warned her to be wary. There was also a sudden chill that invaded the cave. It wasn't there before, and Leaf didn't know what was going on, and all she knew is that it was getting colder and colder.

Forcing her mouth to open again, she says, "You're the alicorn that saved me, weren't you?" Her voice was strained and quivering.

The figure stopped and Leaf Storm began to smell something. It was a musty stink that pervaded the air. She froze. It smelled...of death and blood. Focusing harder, Leaf Storm saw that the shadowed alicorn had an outline of something dangling limply in her mouth, and she fought to contain a gag at the stench.

The alicorn trotted closer until she was a few hoofsteps away and dropped what she was carrying. Trembling from the ever-increasing cold, Leaf Storm could see it clearly now, and she was horrified and disgusted. What lay in front of her was a dead deer; its head was twisted at an awkward angle and its throat was torn out with ruthless abandon.

By now, Leaf Storm could see her breath billowing out in a small cloud as fear and panic began to overwhelm her. "What's going on?!" she blurted out, her voice quavering with terror and disgust. As soon as she said something, the cold presence lessened a little and her shaking reverted to a light tremor.

"You should eat," said the alicorn sweetly, the lilt of her voice hauntingly low and gentle. She craned her head forward and Leaf Storm saw the blood around the alicorn's white muzzle. "You are weak. You must eat."

Leaf couldn't move; she was afraid. This alicorn killed an innocent animal, dragged it here, and was telling her to eat it. What kind of pony would do something so heinous? Her tired eyes trailed slowly to the corpse of the deer, and she recoiled at the foul sight. Glimpsing at her savior, she noticed the alicorn tilting her head as if she was confused as to why Leaf rejected it.

The alicorn nearly touched Leaf's face and all she could smell was the stinking blood. "You should eat," she insisted in a pleasant tone, edging the corpse closer to Leaf Storm without taking her eyes off her. "It's rude to neglect such a delicious meal. You must relish it..."

This couldn't be a pony, it just couldn't. Even the most ruthless ponies had standards. Leaf Storm was struggling to find the words to express her repugnance to this killer, but she wondered if she should be careful with what she would say. If this thing, not a pony, because a pony would never do something like this, decided to kill her, there was nothing Leaf could do to defend herself. She was injured and in the presence of an alicorn. She was powerless, but she had to say something.

"I... I-I don't eat m-m-meat," she mumbled fearfully, stammering over her words like a filly. There was a sense of dread looming over her.

The alicorn stared at her with those lifeless, pale eyes. "The flesh of another does not suit your preference?" she inquired quietly, fervently washing away the blood that bathed her muzzle with ravenous licks, much to Leaf's disgust. "What do you consume, then?"

Leaf Storm took in a shuddering breath. Things were going good so far. "I eat fruits and vegetables," she answered, forcing back a wave of shudders from the alicorn's unblinking stare. "I just...don't eat meat. I don't mean to be rude..."

"Shame," the alicorn said, her voice still sickly sweet. Her gaze turned to the dead deer. "The taste of this creature is remarkable, but I understand your reluctance. It's an acquired taste." She looked back at Leaf Storm. "I will return with food you can devour. Do not move your legs too much or the wounds will split open again."

Silent, Leaf Storm watched the alicorn slink off into the darkness. Letting out a sigh of relief, Leaf backed away as careful as she could from the corpse and laid her head down to rest. She wanted to sleep for a little while to escape this cave.

When she reopened her eyes, the alicorn was looming over her and she felt the odd chill in the air again.

"I have returned," the alicorn said, gently pushing berries in front of Leaf. "These may suit you. They look similar to the ones where I come from. Go on," she urged Leaf. "Eat and regain your strength."

Leaf tentatively took a few into her mouth and chewed slowly, well aware of the alicorn watching her eat. The berries were nice and tasty, and the nourishing juices soothed her dry throat.

"They're good," she murmured. "Thank you."

"Eat until you are satisfied," the alicorn encouraged, a large smile stretching eerily across her face, unnerving Leaf Storm. "I have finished my meal." She pointed to a pool of blood and bones stripped clean of any meat. "I realized how uneasy my appearance could be when blood and viscera are around my muzzle, so I took the opportunity to devour my meal while you slept."

Well, thank Celestia for that. It was kind of her to do something like that while she was sleeping. Leaf couldn't imagine listening to the alicorn ravage the deer corpse.

After eating a few more berries, Leaf Storm fought to sit up, careful to move her legs as little as possible. She dipped her head graciously. Whatever she felt, she was thankful to be alive and well.

"You saved me from those timberwolves, brought me to a safe place to rest, and given me food. Thank you," she said. Despite the dead corpse and the odd chill that seemed to be increasing and lessening as if on a whim, Leaf Storm owed her life to this alicorn.

"I am glad to be of service," the alicorn said, though Leaf swore she sounded too pleased. "I have a few questions I would like for you to answer."

It was the least she could do. "What do you want to know?"

"What is your name?" the alicorn asked.

"Leaf Storm," Leaf answered.

"Where am I?"

That was odd, but Leaf Storm shrugged. "You are in Equestria, a land lived in by ponies, which are us," Leaf said. "We have princesses that rule over us. If you want to get specific, I couldn't tell you. I'm not familiar with this cave, although since you found berries and... a deer, we might be in a forest of some kind."

"So that is what happened," the alicorn murmured, almost too softly for Leaf to hear. "Enoch told me as such, of how things could change." She cleared her throat. "What type of pony are we?"

Now this was getting weird, Leaf thought. Doesn't the alicorn know anything? Perhaps she hit her head or something. Could explain why she was so strange.

"I'm an earth pony," Leaf answered. She pointed at her savior. "You are an alicorn, a mixture of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns; a strong but rare race often put into positions of power."

"Ah, I see," the alicorn said. She craned her neck forward and Leaf Storm could see her long, golden black-striped mane. It didn't flow with magic like the sun and moon princesses, but it was immaculate.

"What's your name?" Leaf asked.

"My name is Thaney," the alicorn answered. "I am not from around here. In fact, I am a long way from home. I came here to help."

Leaf looked confused. Help? Was there something wrong? "What do you mean?" she asked.

Thaney settled herself comfortably on the cave floor. "Listen and listen well," she murmured, her haunting voice echoing slightly around the cave. "Your world, your very universe, is in danger, and I and my brother can save you..."

Departure to Places Unknown

Princess Celestia sat on her lofty throne with a stack of papers to her right, looking troubled as she read through them. There were a few she put off to the side; the ones that unnerved her the most.

She sighed and leaned back, her eyes trailing toward the smaller stack. "So much for peaceful times," she muttered sullenly, placing a hoof against her cheek.

"Your Majesty," said a mare with a white coat, dark brown mane, and glasses. "Is something the matter?"

Celestia shook her head, trying to shake the concern that clung to her. "Everything is fine, Raven," she replied. She sounded tired and slightly stressed. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Raven stepped close and placed her hoof on Celestia's. "I am one of your best aides; perhaps I could help alleviate your concerns?" she suggested, her light brown eyes, though usually hard and sharp, were soft and bright.

With a glow of her horn, Celestia levitated one of the papers she put off to the side into the hooves of her friend. She watched Raven's eyes slowly grow as the earth pony read the paper.

She glanced worryingly to Celestia and then back at the paper. "There are.... are reports of low rumblings; tremors," Raven Inkwell said uneasily, confused. "Appleloosa, Trottingham, Stallinggrad, Manehattan, and some parts of Western Equestria have been sending reports. What in the name of Aeternia is going on?"

"I don't know," Celestia murmured, rubbing her head with a hoof. "These came in a few days before the meteor shower. I do not know why these small tremors are happening, but if they continue on, they'll turn into earthquakes."

"Does Princess Luna know?"

Celestia nodded. "She's been wanting to investigate why they are happening," she told her aide, sitting up straight. "During the arrival of Alex and his guardian, she's taken command of the Shadow Troop to go out and investigate some of the cities and towns. I'll know more information in a week or two."

"Could it be tied to what Alex had told you?" Raven asked, sounding tense. "About our universe?"

Celestia shook her head firmly. "With Alex and his wayward sister here, our existence is safe; I have full faith and trust in his words. This is something else entirely, it has to be," she said darkly. "I refuse to believe that the tremors are natural occurrences, there's too much overlap with the locations affected."

"What are you thinking?"

Celestia gazed down at her friend. "I'm not sure," she answered. "Right now, it seems that there's nothing to worry about, but I would like to be cautious. Bay Banks and the rest of his troop will return with what they found, and judging by what any of them bring is when I'll start thinking."

The day shone bright in the tepid, cloudless sky, and the freshly wetted grass filled the warm air with a sweetly pleasant scent. It was quiet, aside from birds chirping off in the distance and the wind making the tassels of the grass sway rhythmically in the breeze. Indeed, the day promised good tidings.

Alex was sitting on the grass a few hoofsteps away from his newly acquired house graciously bestowed to him by Celestia and Luna. He held a journal and pen covered in his glistening white magic, given to him by Twilight. He was writing about his learnings of magic from the two sisters.

He was quite enthralled with the possibilities magic presented, absorbing every scrap of detail his new friends elucidated. Before his friends had to return home, he was briefly given magic lessons, and practiced and learned: the levitation spell, the conjuration spell, and the barrier spell.

In just under thirty minutes, Alex had shown great focus and magical control; he was a natural, and he had strong magic potential. Impressed, Celestia had summoned a book from the royal library he could read to begin more beginner-level magic all the way up to advanced magic; like self-levitation, permeation, and teleportation, but she advised Alex in practicing the spells he learned first, and he agreed.

When Luna had asked him if he wanted to learn any offensive magic, he had refused. He was only interested in spells that can aid oneself and others, foregoing any spells that were designed to harm.

Two days had passed since he came to Equestria, arriving on a meteor with his guardian, Nerissa. Alex was given numerous books detailing Equestrian history and some of the history from outside Equestria by Twilight Sparkle, and he balanced studying the material with his magic practice. So far, everything was going smoothly.

"Master," called a voice. Alex turned and saw Nerissa trotting up to him with Twilight Sparkle and a new pony, who looked meek and unsure. "We have tress...visitors. I found them traipsing along the pathway and intercepted them."

Alex closed his journal and laid his pen down before getting up. Whenever he was resting outside the confines of his tower in Dawn, Nerissa would patrol the area around him to ensure there was nothing that could threaten his life, no matter how many times he'd say that he's safe. He found it curious that Nerissa spoke of the two ponies as if they were intruders invading his territory.

He trotted up to the three ponies and gazed down quietly at Twilight, who was waving excitedly, and the new pony. It was a yellow mare with glistening blue eyes, short wings, and a long pink mane and tail. On her flanks had a set of differently colored creatures Alex learned were called butterflies.

He craned his neck down at his visitors. "Welcome," he said, sounding pleased. "It is good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle."

"Good morning!" the purple alicorn said heartedly. She guided the yellow mare closer to him, who was trembling slightly. "I want you to meet Fluttershy, a good friend of mine."

Fluttershy slowly rose her hoof in the air and waved it shakily. "Welcome to Equestria..." Her voice was so low that Alex had to swivel his ears forward to hear her better.

"Greetings, Fluttershy," he said, his deep voice soft and warm. "I am Alexander, but you may refer to me as Alex if you wish. I was informed that I'd a few neighbors if I accepted this house. It is a pleasure to meet you." He saw her tensing muscles relax a little.

"I am Nerissa, his guardian," the bat pony said, peering at Fluttershy closely. "You have a burden on your back. What is it?"

"Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed. Her wings were holding something in place on her back. It revealed to be some kind of white and pink frosted treat with little red bulbs on the top. "When I heard I had a neighbor, I wanted to welcome them, so I baked a cake...if that's okay."

Alex tilted his head. "What is that?"

Twilight let out a gasp, much to Nerissa's annoyance. "You don't know what a cake is?!" she shouted, instantly spawning her quill and parchment. "You never ate one before?!"

"In Dawn, we don't need to consume food for energy," Nerissa informed, trotting over to Fluttershy and sniffing the cake suspiciously. "We are self-sustaining creatures; food and the consumption of liquids are a choice, not a need." She wrinkled her muzzle and stepped away. "This...cake you call it. It doesn't seem to be laced with anything."

Fluttershy's eyes grew round. "Of course not!" she protested, shrinking under Nerissa's unblinking gaze. "It's perfectly fine to eat, I promise!"

Twilight stepped in front of Nerissa, looking slightly perturbed. "Fluttershy is the kindest pony I know," she told her. "She just wants to make you and Alex welcome."

Nerissa gazed at Alex, looking incredulous but grudging. "Master, do you wish to sample this cake?"

Alex watched Fluttershy intently before examining the cake. He was sure it was fine to eat, and he wanted to put Nerissa's paranoia at ease. He bent down and took a morsel into his mouth and savored the taste. It was nice, creamy, and very sweet.

"It's good," he murmured, his compliment making Fluttershy's eyes shine, and he noticed she stood a bit taller than before. "I eat rarely, but I and my guardian will consume this treat. Nerissa, can you take this inside please?"

Though Nerissa still looked unsure, she obeyed with a dip of her head, taking Fluttershy's cake and heading inside the house to put it away for later.

"It is nice to meet one of my neighbors," Alex said, craning his head down towards Fluttershy. "I was informed that you have a likeness towards animals. That's a good skill to pertain."

True to her name, even if she held herself a tad more confident, Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground slightly. "Thank you," she muttered, graciously dipping her head. "I'm an animal caretaker, so I have a lot of experience. I always loved animals, and I am glad my cutie mark told me that my destiny was to be with them."

Alex tilted his head, looking confused. "What is a cutie mark?" he asked. "Is it the images etched on your flanks?"

Twilight Sparkle bobbed her head ardently; barely restraining her glee. "A cutie mark is something a pony discovers, typically at a young age, though some ponies don't have them until they're well into adulthood, like Princess Celestia and Luna," she explained, showing Alex her cutie mark. "My cutie mark is an indicator that I am good with magic. Many ponies can have the same cutie mark; many of them are a slight visual change, but it's always something that they are good at. All that is needed to acquire one is for a pony to recognize their special talent."

"Would this talent be the only skill one would be good at?" Alex asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Not really," she answered. "A pony can be good at many things, but their special talent is what they're best in. Let's take Flare Brimstone for example," she added, going on. "Her cutie mark is a burning compass with no needle. It's a symbol for adventure and navigating one's way, but since it has no needle, adventure for Flare can be found just about anywhere, and the fire around the compass signifies how often dangerous those adventures are or could be, in uncharted or less-than-familiar regions and locales on the planet.

"Even though Flare is an adventurer at heart and her cutie mark is tied to that, she works for Princess Celestia as an agent, she's a captain of her own ship and crew in Duty Shoals, she owns and runs a trinket shop that sells the treasures she's found on her adventures, an extremely fast and capable brawler, and is a talented tracker."

Alex nodded seriously, steadily taking in Twilight's information. He was curious of his own cutie mark, and Nerissa's. He gazed down at his flank and shifted his huge wings to discern his own. His cutie mark was a white orb with a black marking in the middle.

"Curious," he murmured, showing his flank to his purple friend. "Would you be able to explain this?"

Twilight studied the cutie mark for a couple of heartbeats before shaking her head, befuddled. "Now that's a unique-looking cutie mark," she told him. "Those are rare, but out of all the ones that has been on a pony's flank, yours seem to be quite out there. Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy stared at the cutie mark, but she couldn't figure out what it could infer. "I'm sorry, but I don't know." She turned to Twilight. "Could it be tied to magic in some way?"

Twilight gave a hesitant nod, looking unsure. "Well, I was informed that Alex had displayed some astute magical potential, so it could be. I'm curious as to what type of magic he can use, but that'll be something for another day." She gazed at him. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I was peering at the locations in Equestria and found one I'm curious about visiting," Alex said. "It's a village called Zebanda, a settlement for zebras in the far west. They seem to be a rarity in Equestria."

Twilight nodded. "It's a recent settlement after Zecora managed to convince some to come to Equestria looking for a new life."

"Is Zecora home?" he asked. "I would like to meet her."

"Sorry Alex, but Zecora went to her homeland, Farasi, to visit friends and family and won't be back for a good while," she told him apologetically. "I'm surprised you don't want to head into Ponyville; everypony liked you and Nerissa."

Alex's mind trailed back to yesterday: He was trotting into Ponyville with Nerissa, all eyes on him, as a pink pony called Pinkie Pie zoomed up to him and welcomed him to the village, proclaiming he should have a welcoming party commemorating his first visit in Ponyville. With help from Twilight Sparkle, she managed to convince the hyperactive mare to forgo the party for a brief song about coming to Ponyville.

He recalled back to Celestia and Luna and their concerns about the populace freaking out that a male alicorn had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was assured by Twilight that Ponyville was a place where weird and strange things were a common occurrence; and most of the ponies there weren't too shell-shocked to see him, though they were curious and eager to know him and his guardian.

"Though many were polite," began Nerissa, trotting up to Alex and standing beside him, "too many faces asking too many questions. We would like to ease ourselves into this world at our leisure, so we will be departing to Zebanda soon and will return a few days later."

"I hope you understand," Alex murmured to Twilight. "You must be disappointed."

Twilight gave a sheepish titter before waving her hoof. "No, no, of course not!" she told him, then her ears drooped a little. "I'm just sorry I couldn't make you feel more comfortable." She saw Fluttershy placed a hoof on her back for comfort.

Alex laid a wing on Twilight's mane. "When I come back, I will tell you about it," he promised. "We are friends, and friends share exciting experiences with one another. You can also aid me in my magic practice, if you have the time."

Twilight's cheeks went a little red and she cleared her throat. "I'd be more than happy to help you," she said, a delightful twinkle shining in her eyes. "Zebanda is quite a long way if you trot there. Do you know how to use your wings yet?"

Alex shifted his wing from Twilight's head to his side. "In Dawn I was able to fly, but it seems to be...unavailable. At least from the method I was usually familiar with."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"I was told by Enoch that I may be confined to a few rules," he explained. "My body has changed, and skills I used to retain are absent or currently unavailable. However, it seems the ability of flight wasn't lost to me completely."

"I heard you mention this Enoch before. Who is he exactly?" Twilight inquired, spawning a quill and paper.

Nerissa stepped forward and said, "Enoch is a servant of my master. He is aged, serving our Lords before I and my master's inception." Nerissa smiled fondly. "He is a good soul with a good heart. I assume you do not know what a warper is?"

Twilight shook her head. "What is that?"

"A warper is a creature with the power to create portals to travel through various distances, depending on how strong and how proficient one is," Nerissa began to explain, swishing her dark tail across the verdant grass. "Enoch is a warper, the first. His portals can travel through a whole universe."

Twilight was enthralled by the explanation. "The meteor from a few days ago... You said he created it."

"That's correct," Nerissa told her, sounding approving. "He's a bit special, imbued with a miniscule amount of energy from Lord Zain, granting him access to create very specific objects. One of these objects are meteors. With a snap of his finger, he can summon one, like the one we came in."

"He made a portal that you two went inside, and then he opened a portal to our universe," Twilight said, excitement layered in her voice. "He sounds very powerful; I would love to meet him one day!"

Nerissa gave a wry grin. "Then you and your yellow friend are fortunate."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy murmured.

"Whenever Nerissa and I are ready, we call upon Enoch to open a portal to return us home," Alex told them, stretching his lofty wings. "He wouldn't know this planet or its areas, so he can't send us to Zebanda due to a lack of knowledge."

"He is connected to me and Alex so that he can always open a portal to us," Nerissa added. "Since his control over portals is so strong, he can virtually open one to us no matter how far away we are."

"We are going to call him so he can connect a portal to our new home," Alex said. "This way he can always send us back here whenever we call to him."

"And once you two are done in Zebanda, he will open a portal to the both of you that he can connect back to the house and send you there, making any return trip nonexistent!" Twilight shouted, her quill writing so quickly on the paper that smoke was coming from it. Fluttershy was trying to fan it down with her wings. "But how will he know he's needed?"

"Enoch is always watching over us, and he has informed that to summon him we must call him with some level of conviction," Nerissa told the purple pony. She glanced at Alex before looking back at Twilight. "I will be doing that part. Master?"

Alex nodded, moving over to Twilight and Fluttershy and enveloping them with one large wing, sweeping them close to his side. He stared down at their reddening faces. "Enoch likes to make a grand entrance, and I would like the both of you to stay where you are." With his two friends secure at his side, Alex told Nerissa to call Enoch.

Nerissa raised her head to the bright morning sky and shouted, "Enoch, I call upon you! Appear before me and my master!"

The wind began to pick up fiercely, and the thick-trunked trees around Alex's home began to creak and shudder. A current of air had begun swirling in front of Nerissa, and the wind howled. Then orange light suddenly appeared, creating a rectangular-shaped portal.

Two massive blue-gray hands gripped the sides of the portal followed by two dark blue legs with steel-black hooves, and a hulking body concealed underneath a tattered dark cloak. When the head came through, it was shrouded in a black hood with two glaring orange eyes that glowed with a fiery emission, and ominously sharp jet-black horns that looked as strong as obsidian ore.

Alex gazed down at his two friends and saw their eyes as wide as a moon. Clearly, they were surprised, and it pleased him to see how attentive and immersed their faces conveyed.

When the creature was out of the portal, the orange energy that held it together vanished, causing the portal to collapse on itself and fade away. The daunting figure was barely taller than Alex, and when it gazed at him with those orange eyes, it bowed its head low in deepest respect.

"Enoch, it's good to see you," Nerissa said, trotting up to the huge beast and giving him a heartfelt hug. "Didn't expect to be called so early?"

Enoch let out a hearty bellow of laughter before breaking the hug and thumping his chest with a fist. "Not at all, Nerissa; I'm happy to be of use! It's why I was created!" Enoch gazed at Alex. "May I say that you are looking immaculate as ever, sire. Nerissa too! I am glad the formchange went well!"

Alex receded his wing back to his side, allowing Twilight and Fluttershy, who stared dumbfounded at Enoch, to move around freely. "The formchange was fortunate for you as well, although I could not tell what kind of creature you've become."

"He's...a minotaur," Twilight Sparkle answered. "They are strong, versatile creatures. There are hardly any here; you can find them more easily outside Equestria."

Enoch examined himself and gave a light shrug. "It feels as if I've been this creature all of my life," he told her. He walked cheerily over to Alex and embrace him tenderly. "You seem to be in good spirits, sire. I assume you are comfortable here?"

Alex nodded, breaking the hug. "The inhabitants I have encountered have been most kind and helpful." He swept his sapphire tail at Twilight and Fluttershy. "These are my friends, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy."

Enoch peered at the two ponies, squatting close to the ground. "Salutations!" he told the ponies happily. "I am Enoch, a servant of Alex and the two Lords. I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for being Alex's new friends!"

"G-greetings, Enoch," Twilight said meekly with a friendly wave of her hoof, stammering. "And welcome to Equestria." Fluttershy only waved back, too daunted by Enoch's hulking bulk to speak.

"My apologies if my presence disturbs you," Enoch said happily, stepping back and flexing his hulking muscles. "To be put back into a more youthful body was indeed quite fortunate; I never felt so great! GAWHAHAHAH!!!"

Nerissa stepped to him. "Reel in your excitement for a moment, Enoch. I summoned you to connect a portal to our new living quarters," she informed him.

Enoch looked at the large house and gave a whistle of amazement. "Seems adequate enough for Alex. And don't you fret," he assured her. "I'll have a portal whipped up in no time at all." He cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hands together. "Everybody, stand back!"

When everypony was at a safe enough distance, Enoch snapped a finger, the sound seeming to echo loudly in the air, and creating an azure ripple. Orange energy began to gradually manifest, shifting into the rectangular-shaped portal from before. It let out a low, continuous drone, the orange energy swirling madly inside the portal.

Enoch blew on his finger as if it was smoking. "All done!" he told Alex and Nerissa mirthfully, turning to them and placing his hands on his hips. "Whenever you two want to come back here, you'll be able to. Just give me a call!"

Twilight cantered up to the portal cautiously, Fluttershy following behind. She peered at it before looking amazed. "I was told that this was your energy," she said, turning to Enoch.

Enoch walked up to her and squatted down. "It's the energy of a warper. Its color is determined by our eyes, and mine displays itself as orange," he told her, gazing unblinking at Twilight's mystified eyes. "This energy is what gives me the ability to create portals. There aren't many warpers out there, only three. Other than me, there is one who serves a person called Knox. You may have heard of him from Nerissa or Alex."

Twilight nodded her head, narrowing her eyes trying to remember. "I vaguely recall Nerissa uttering that name."

"You'll learn more about him later," Enoch said, waving his hands dismissively. "The third warper used to be from Nerissa's village, a fellow Dark Resident, but she moved to another corner of the planet."

"That's interesting and I want to know more, but what is your energy called?" Twilight almost sounded impatient.

"Origin," Enoch said, sounding suddenly solemn. "There's two energies: Origin and Empyrean. Origin energy is what certain sentient beings contain in Dawn, and it allows us to fly and perform other actions, things Nerissa and I have. Empyrean energy is what Alex has as he is the son of the two Lords, and it allows him to do a variety of things we can't."

"Alex's presence is empyrean energy," Nerissa informed the purple alicorn. "You know, willfully shifting the weight of gravity. Our aura is origin energy, but not everyone in Dawn can be permitted to utilize it. Remember that Enoch has a small amount of Lord Zain's power?"

Twilight nodded slowly, trying to understand. "His empyrean energy!"

"Yes," Nerissa said. "Warpers normally can't cast portals that can travel to and from another universe, because they simply won't be strong enough."

"But Enoch can because he has empyrean energy, and that's what makes him special," Twilight said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I have a whole lot more questions, but I can refrain from asking them until later."

Fluttershy, who's been silent this whole time, nodded furtively. "I have to go back to my cottage," she mumbled to Twilight. She glanced at Alex with a small smile. "You should come visit. I can make us some tea."

Alex bobbed his head in agreement. "There aren't many creatures in Dawn, so I'm curious of what type of animals you have, and sampling what this thing you call tea is." He trotted to his two friends and placed his wing tips on their heads. "I will see you both when I return. Be safe."

Twilight giggled. "You too, Alex."

Fluttershy agreed. "Take your time and learn as much as you want..."

"We will," Nerissa said. She turned to Enoch, warmth in her blood-red eyes. "You may go; it was nice to see you."

He dipped his head to her and Alex, and then waved goodbye to Twilight and Fluttershy. With a snap of a finger, Enoch vanished, all evidence of him being here gone completely.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Twilight exclaimed. "I heard from Pinkie Pie, since she's so aware of parties and celebrations, that Zebanda is holding a festival for a performer visiting them for a show. You might see them on the road, so keep a look out! It's bound to be a great experience!"

Waving to Alex and Nerissa, Twilight and Fluttershy took the paved path that would lead them out of the Everfree. Before they could get out of sight, Nerissa followed them to make sure they leave despite Alex telling her that there was no need.

As Alex watched the three leave, he turned his attention back to his journal laying on the softly swaying grass and trotted over to it. He levitated it and the pen that laid beside it, opening to a blank page and began to write until Nerissa returned.

"That cake Fluttershy concocted was delicious," he murmured, jotting down his experience in the journal. Then he shook his head, suddenly disappointed. "I will have to ask how to create one the next I see her..."

A Dancer's Waltz

Author's Note

It's a long one, but I think I got everything I wanted out of this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it.

A Dancer's Waltz

A point in time's past...

A young creature in a tattered and dirty pale-gray frock sat in the middle of a dusty and messy room, playing with shoddy-looking dolls. She innocently chirped as she played, but quietly like her mother always told her.

"La-la-la...phoosh," she uttered with her mouth in a sing-like trill, making her dolls twist and twirl. "Dancing, dance, all day, all night."

As she played, her ear twitched, hearing the sound of a door open and close. Excited, she turned around to see her mother walking towards her. Abandoning her dolls, she rushed and embraced her, rubbing her face across her mother's feathered chest.

Her mother held her close and kissed the top of her head. "I'm happy to see you, sweetie," she murmured.

The young creature gazed deep into her mother's emerald eyes and saw a look of sadness. Concerned, she asks, "Mommy, are you okay? Did work make you tired?"

Her mother was silent for a moment before nodding her head. "Yes," she rasped quietly. "Did you remember to be quiet and stay from the windows and doors while I was...away?"

The daughter bobbed her head and puffed out her chest proudly. "I did!" she said with pride. "No pony tried to get in, but...I heard some angry ponies outside and stuff breaking."

Her mother sighed and closed her eyes, seemingly making a decision. When she reopened them again, there was regret in them. "I think... I think you should come to where I work," she suggested, every word seeming to be forced out. "You'll be safer there than being here alone all day."

The daughter tilted her head, confused. Her mother worked at a building where a lot of ponies, usually stallions, came and went. Her mother was popular with the customers, and many ponies came to see her, if only just to admire her. She was beautiful and had a voice that could captivate anypony, but the daughter wasn't sure if she wanted to go.

"Do I have to?" she asked. "No pony came in."

"I know, but it would put my mind at ease if you came with me," her mother said, sweeping one of her talons delicately across her daughter's cheek. "Ponbar isn't as safe as other places in Saddle Arabia. I could keep an eye on you, and I talked with my boss. He would like for you to come. Although..."

She held her mother's talons with her own. "What's wrong, Mommy?"

"For you to be with me all day, you'll have to work," she murmured, sounding resigned. "But not at the start. I'll... I can teach you. You are a pretty fledgling; I can teach you to put on make-up, how to sound like me, how to move and present yourself, and...and to serve the customers. But like I said, you will not start right away, I promise you."

The daughter's eyes lit up and she bounced with excitement. "I always wanted to be like you!" she said, trying to lower her voice but failing. "You're so pretty, and young, and smart, and everypony likes you!"

"That's good," her mother rasped, not sounding happy at all. In fact, she was on the verge of crying, her eyes watering. "I'm sorry, dear..." She wiped tears from her face. "I'm just..."

Her daughter leaned against her, worried. "Don't be sad, Mommy," she murmured. "I'll help you the best I can. Whatever it is, I can do it!"

Her mother stared at her, love and sorrow layered within them. "Oh, my wonderful daughter," she lamented, hugging her tightly. "You deserve so much more than this..."

"When I'm older, I'll make sure we can get out of Ponbar," she avowed ardently, gazing into her mother's green eyes. "I'll become something that you can be proud of. I promise!"

As the day flowed into the evening, Alex and Nerissa were out on a beaten road venturing out to the more obscure locations in Equestria: Zebanda, a zebra settlement in the far west. A day had passed since their departure, and Alex was relishing the gentle breeze flowing through his coat.

He learned how to use his wings yesterday when Nerissa came back from escorting Twilight and Fluttershy from the Everfree Forest. His guardian had helped him since she was able to figure out how to use her wings when they landed on Equestria, but that just goes to show how adept she was. However, he wanted to take in the world's atmosphere, so he decided to travel there on hoof.

The breeze was mild, and the sun was pleasantly warm on his crimson coat. Whilst traveling, they come across a large, lengthy wooden structure with wheels sitting on the road in the near distance.

"Master, should we investigate the wagon?" Nerissa suggested. She narrowed her eyes, pointing her muzzle into the air. "There's an interesting smell pervading the air around it."

"We should," he assented. "It has an odd structure I would like to examine."

Curiosity guiding his hoofsteps, Alex approaches the wagon to investigate. Upon further inspection, the wooden brown wagon had a type of tan-colored cover or awning. The wheels were large and made of wood, and they looked strong. He circled the wagon and saw an opening at what seems to be the back entrance. Once he looked inside, he laid eyes on a bed with pillows. Certainly, and it was decorative as it is adorned with gold and silver, and many other objects that looked to be expensive and invaluable.

"Curious," he murmured, his ear twitching. "I have never seen such things. Who lives here, I wonder?" He gazed down at his guardian. "You have sharp senses; where is the smell coming from?"

Nerissa raised her muzzle into the air and sniffed. "Well, it's not coming from the wagon," she told him assuredly. "It seems the creature that commands this wooden vessel is nearby."

"But who?" he wondered.

It did not take Alex long to wonder when Nerissa's ears suddenly pricked. He listened closely and he began to hear the faint sound of jingling coins making their way from the front of the wagon to the back where he and his guardian stood. Nerissa flattened her ears and held onto the hilt of her sword she kept sheathed, hidden underneath her dark cloak.

"That sweet aroma is getting stronger," Nerissa hissed, trying to use her muzzle to pinpoint where exactly the aroma was coming from. "Whoever it is, they don't smell like a hostile, but I would like to be safe regardless. Stay near me, master."

Alex and Nerissa stepped back and looked around as the coins grew louder until the sound ceased. He watched Nerissa suddenly shoot her head up to the top of the wagon. A shadow fell over them, and Alex gazed up to discern the unknown creature, but only to tilt his head in confusion.

He found it odd to gaze at a tall bird creature wearing such odd-looking clothing. During his studies into the history of kingdoms and countries outside Equestria, one came to mind: Ornithia, the kingdom of birds, or avian-like creatures, ruled over by a king, queen and their children. How peculiar Alex found that a bird native to a faraway kingdom beyond the boundaries of Equestria was right in front of him.

The cream-colored, emerald-eyed bird wore a fitted pink top, a fitted black hip belt, and a long pink see-through skirt, all adorned with differently colored shimmering beads, and glittering coins that jingled and jangled. Her face had a pinkish veil and wore makeup with the intention to, it seems, be sexually pleasing to the eyes. On her sharp feet were decorated with gold and silver rings, and she wore a platinum necklace.

Across her exposed belly were piercings of ornate white coins and small, black-speckled crystals that glistened faintly in the sun's light. She was tall, slender, had well-toned hips and a supple chest.

The way she looked at Alex was nothing more than desire and hunger, her emerald eyes eerily lit with a want, but as he searched her hungry gaze, it seemed to be trying to restrain the strong passion that oozed from her like smoke from a fire. He watched her leap from the roof of the wagon and landing neatly on her feet. He could hear Nerissa trying to force back a snarl.

Alex attempted to speak with the bird. "Your clothing," he said simply. That was all he had to start with. He saw Nerissa glancing at him, looking somewhat taken aback and slightly upset, but for what he didn't know. He almost expected her to use her aura, but she must've thought the bird wasn't a big enough threat.

"Yes, what about them?" she asked him with a playful chirp. Her voice was alluring and lucid and had an accent he was unfamiliar with.

"I have never seen clothing like yours before," he told her, shuffling his wings slightly. "Where are you from?"

The bird gave a low, sensual titter. "Can't you tell by my accent? I'm from Saddle Arabia," she announced, shaking her feathered breast. "My name is Saldora, honey."

It was a good name and different from the ponies, he thought. "I am Alex," he introduced, before stretching out a wing over Nerissa's back. "And this is-"

"Nerissa," she interrupted with a snort, sounding wary and a little hostile. "I'm his guardian."

The bird stared down at Nerissa for a moment. It seemed to Alex that they were exchanging silent, unknown words to each other, but he didn't know what. And never before has Nerissa cut him off so abruptly before. Was she worried for his safety? If so, from what? Saldora looked as if she wouldn't harm a butterfly.

"You have a cute name," Saldora complemented Nerissa, leaning forward. "I like it."

Nerissa began to back away, but she held her ground and glared at the bird. "Yeah? Well, thanks."

"You have a nice stallion, an alicorn no less. He must be ravishing," she told Nerissa huskily, a good-natured gleam twinkling in her vibrant emerald eyes.

Nerissa glanced at Alex, her dark visage reddening with embarrassment. He tilted his head in confusion. Why would she feel embarrassed? Or was it something else? He shook his head, unable to form a reason. For now, he wanted to shift the conversation to make his guardian feel less uncomfortable and instead fuel his curiosity.

"It is nice to meet you, Saldora," he said, instantly gaining the bird's attention. "Pardon me, but I thought Saddle Arabia was home only to ponies."

Saldora stepped close to Alex, despite Nerissa's warning snarls, until all he could scent was her pleasant aroma. "Most ponies would think that, but I and my mother settled into the Desert's Pearl a long time ago, honey. A lot of ponies outside of Saddle Arabia don't see us birds since we typically stay within our border."

"Ah, I see," Alex murmured, nodding. "Then it's quite fortunate that I and my guardian was able to come across you. You look to be on the road. Going somewhere or are you merely roaming?"

"Going somewhere," she said tartly, scanning Alex's figure before stepping away, coins jingling, and examining her talons laced with jewelry. "I'm going to Zebanda to show off my belly dancing. The zebras there really like me. They're even holding a festival in my honor. How can I pass up on such a... thrilling joyride?"

Alex swished his tail behind him. "How fortunate. We are currently on our way there."

Saldora's eyes glimmered in the sun's light. "What a chance meeting this is. We should travel together," she suggested. She glanced at Nerissa with a playful look and lowered her voice to a silky whisper. "Wouldn't that be a thrill, sweetheart? I can show you both my dancing."

Nerissa stepped close to Alex, shielding him with her body. "We don't need to travel with one another," she retorted hotly, her ears splaying back and baring her sharp teeth at Saldora. She felt Alex's wing laying gently on her back and she tried to settle herself. "We'll both reach our destination in another day or two."

Saldora bit down on her talon softly, looking mischievous. "Why are you two trotting to the zebra settlement?" she asked, shifting the conversation much to Nerissa's annoyance. "It would be much faster to fly there, right?"

Alex bobbed his head in agreement. "I would like to take in the atmosphere," he answered her. "It's quite peaceful and calm here, and I would like to bathe in that tranquility."

"Then you are in luck, honey," Saldora said merrily, her eyes lighting up as she guided the two to the front of the wagon, her hips swaying rhythmically with each step. "You and your sweet little guardian can bask in the tranquility right here." She gestured to the steps that led to the wagon driver's seat. "We can...get to know each other better while lounging on or in the comfortable confines of my wagon. It's quite spacious, so don't worry about taking up too much room."

Alex thought about it for a few seconds before nodding his head in agreement, despite Nerissa's disapproval. "I was told that I could meet the performer heading to Zebanda, and it seems to be you." He dipped his head graciously. "Thank you for sharing your wagon with me and my guardian; we appreciate the kindness."

Nerissa lowered her head reluctantly. "Thanks," she muttered.

Saldora clapped, looking very happy. "Oh, I haven't been on the road with other creatures in so long!" She climbed the steps and sat in the driver's seat. She beckoned them with a talon. "Let us head on."

"I don't like this," Nerissa hissed, glaring at Saldora.

Alex couldn't understand why Nerissa was acting like this, but he hoped it would end soon. Perhaps he'll talk to her about it tonight.

"You can head up first and I will follow behind you," Nerissa told him, only to hear Saldora let out a wry titter, and she held back a snarl, but Alex noticed her face was reddening again. "I'll go first instead, and you can follow."

He bent down to face her. "Are you well?" he asked her, peering closely at her face. "These new bodies of ours might invite sickness."

Nerissa shifted her blood-red gaze at the ground, seemingly avoiding his eyes. "I'm fine," she murmured, turning away and stepping up the steps. "This bird just makes things weird..."

Alex watched her in silence, unable to understand. Nerissa sat on the far end of the wagon seat, looking away from Saldora's glistening emerald eyes. Climbing up, he sat between the two. He looked down to see a wheel made for steering and a silvery cloth that shimmered faintly in the sun's light.

He was confused. "How will this vehicle move?" he asked Saldora.

She gave a low giggle, shuffling so close to Alex, his coat was brushing up against her feathered body. "That cloth gives the wagon locomotion; it's magical," she informed him.

Alex was interested. "Really?"

Saldora nodded. "It's used to help out gals like me get around without much effort, certainly useful for long-distance travel. The magic is Saddle Arabian, putting motion into inanimate objects," she explained. "With a touch, or a good stroking as I prefer to do, and a thought, the wagon can move without the use of horsepower or machines. And with the wheel, I can steer it."

"Interesting magic, Saldora," Alex complimented, causing the bird to blush. Using his horn to cast the conjuration spell, Alex summoned his journal and pen. He opened it and began writing. "This is good information to retain, I thank you for sharing with me."

"I've no qualms in sharing anything with you, honey," Saldora murmured, her voice low and sultry. Alex saw a sudden flash of realization in the bird's eyes, and she stopped leaning on him. "Let's get moving!"

The evening sun had begun to set red over the horizon, and Alex was asking Saldora about the various possessions that lined the inside of her wagon. He would've assumed she was royalty with how much gems and the like that decorated the wagon's wooden walls.

Saldora had told him that those were gifts she's received over the years travelling around Equestria and beyond, for her immaculate dancing performances.

When Alex wanted her to talk about her dancing, Saldora replied that ever since she was a small fledgling she wanted to become one because her mother took her to see a belly dancer perform for a crowd of ponies. She was taken by so much beauty and grace from the dancer that it fueled her with passion.

She went on to tell Alex, and Nerissa, when she wasn't brooding in the background, that she wasn't really good at anything else, even though she tried. One of the more common jobs that ponies in Saddle Arabia wanted was to become a guard in service of the king, but she didn't have the strength nor the diligence to become one.

"I see. When did you become a dancer?" Alex asked.

"As early as sixteen," Saldora answered mirthfully, but then her voice lowered, and the excitement that had shown lessoned a little. "The youngest wannabe dancer in years. It was better than my other job. Anyway, I had to use my dancing to gain bits, and it worked out for a while, but there's only so much in Saddle Arabia, y'know? I couldn't travel around there much because of the dangers hidden beneath the shifting sands, so I turned my attention to the outside world."

"So, you left your home."

"Yep," Saldora said. "I was granted with this wagon and the cloth after my last performance by the king's adopted daughter."

"I had read something about an adopted daughter in the care of the king," Alex said, placing a hoof on his chin. "Her name was..."

"Marina Trench," Saldora told him, warmth in her sultry chirp. "She's a good pony; a friend, the nicest I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. The vessel she gave helped me move around with relative ease, allowing me to focus more on my dancing. It led me into getting more opportunities to go around different places, reach new heights, and make so many more bits."

"And you surely made good use of your money," Nerissa commented. She didn't sound grudging or sarcastic.

Saldora chuckled. "Thank you," she replied, sounding gracious, "but a lot of my bits does go to my mother back home. I wanted to make her life easier with the difficulties she had to face while raising me."

"You were poor?" Nerissa asked.

Saldora nodded. "Grew up in a dirty and run-down village called Ponbar," she explained, a bittersweet edge to her tone. "A lot of ponies there were poor, and those who weren't were just a little bit better off than the rest of us." She shook her head and gazed out to the darkening sky. "Let us stop and continue in the morning; we've been going on for a while now."

"I agree," Alex said, gazing around at the lush greenery. "This does seem like a good place to rest for tonight."

"Shall we search for wood for a fire, master?" Nerissa suggested.

"No need to go off looking for wood," Saldora objected. "I have some tucked away inside my wagon." She got up and headed inside. Alex heard her rummaging around until she came back out with a few logs. She seemed to be struggling.

"I can carry those for you with my magic," Alex told her, his horn white. "It'll be good practice."

Saldora's arms were trembling, and she nodded her head quickly. "I got too much; I can't take them all on by myself!" she whined pitifully, but she looked to be playful. "I was just so excited to have traveling buddies again!"

Taking the logs with his magic, Alex trotted toward a pit dug by Nerissa, and placed them inside. A few moments later, Saldora walks up with small black stones to line around the pit so the fire wouldn't be able to escape.

"Any pony got a lighter?" she asked.

Nerissa rolled her eyes and unsheathed her white sword. "Don't need whatever that is," she muttered, scraping the sword inside the fire pit. There were sparks, and eventually the pit flared to life, the fire burning strongly.

Saldora was amazed, her emerald eyes widening. "Whoa, that was beautiful!" she exclaimed, staring at Nerissa with admiration. "I've never seen anything like it! What type of magic did you use?"

Nerissa was taken aback by the force of Saldora's excitement, looking a little awkward. "It, um... it's a sword imbued with the elements," she explained before letting out a slow sigh. "My mother used to wield it."

Saldora gazed at the bat pony, sympathy deep within her eyes. "She must've been quite a beautiful person, if you are anything to go off of."

Nerissa nodded, feeling a little better. "Yes," she murmured, "she was." She shook her head. "Anyway, enough about that. Let us enjoy tranquility."

"Agreed," Alex said.

Saldora rose to her feet, looking giddy. "I'll go get snacks!"

Nerissa stoked the fire in front of her, feeling sullen and brooding. Saldora hung around Alex like a chained dog, and only now has the irritating avian finally dislodged herself from him. Her master was sitting away in a field of flowers near the fire pit, writing in his journal about things he's learned from Saldora.

She stared at him for a long moment, his crimson coat glowing like a silver flame in the moon's waxing light. A certain feeling of something fierce simmered beneath her pelt.

"He's quite the looker, isn't he?" It was Saldora's voice, cutting into Nerissa's thoughts.

Nerissa gazed warily at the avian sitting a few steps away from her, consuming some stuff called apple slices and roasting marshmallows on a wooden stick. "He takes care of himself," she grumbled. She watched Saldora rub her chest with a talon while watching Alex, and she scowled. "Whatever scheme you have concocting in that head of yours, leave my master out of it or else."

Saldora gazed at her softly, apparently deaf to her threat. "It's nice he has a loyal pony like you to look after him. But it's also a shame."

Nerissa straightened. "And why is that?!" she demanded, raising her voice, but then she forced down as to not disturb Alex. How could she be so riled up by almost anything this bird said?

"He seems to be a bit too... veiled, don't you think?" she asked her, chewing on a marshmallow and swallowing.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying Alex doesn't see how much you care for him."

Nerissa didn't understand. "I always express my care for him, and he knows that," she retorted.

Saldora gave a small titter. "Not what I mean, doll," she said, leaning close. "Deeper affections goes unnoticed."

Nerissa stared at the bird, and then she lowered her head, gazing into the fire. "This is all I need," she murmured, stoking the flames. "I like my purpose too much to jeopardize our relationship. We're close; we've always been since we met. I don't need my affection to overstep its bounds."

"And you're happy with that?" Saldora asked, sounding surprised. "It's a missed opportunity."

Nerissa's eyes hardened. "I already told you," she growled, her ears splaying back, "that I don't need more than what I have now. I like it this way, and I don't want that to change. All I need is to support him; I'm his guardian, not his lover, nor his betrothed. I'm happy where I am."

Saldora leaned back and smiled, a naughty expression across her face. "Then you don't mind if I...sweep him away?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slyly. "I'll take very good care of him, don't you worry, doll..."

Nerissa held back a snarl, but her eyes narrowed to threatening slits. "Why are you so insistent on vexing me?"

Saldora shrugged, saying, "You're too easy, and it's obvious you don't want Alex spending time with anyone else. Right?"

"That's not true!" she spat, standing up. "I worry for his safety because it's my job to look over and protect him! Yeah, I have feelings for him, but those feelings do not get in the way; what I feel for him is a deep affection, not love. If Alex wants a mate, then he is free to do so; I'll have no objections. However," she continued, "I will express my disapproval if his choice is some creature that doesn't have his best interests at heart, wanting nothing else but to bed with him!"

"And that's what you think of me?" Saldora asked, looking calm and laid-back. "Some creature wanting nothing but to have sex with him?"

Nerissa glared at the avian for a moment. "With the way you speak and act, how can I think of anything else?! You act like a...a..."

Saldora let out a small, amusing chirp. "Act like I'm a what?" she prompted nonchalantly, urging Nerissa to say the word. "It's on the tip of your tongue, doll. No need to tease."

"Was that your other job?" Nerissa questioned, her frustration ebbing away. "You were a courtesan?"

Saldora looked at her as if Nerissa said something stupid. "Well, that's a fancy word of saying I used to be a whore," she chuckled. "But that's exactly what I was."

"I... I didn't know," Nerissa murmured, feeling awkward. "Was it...common for belly dancers?"

"Of course it wasn't," Saldora replied, letting out a trill of laughter before calming herself. "Few are, most aren't. My mother and I were poor, remember? Well, she worked at a brothel, or whorehouse, and she was quite the popular employee. It wasn't decent pay, but it was something to put grains of food on the table."

"You worked together?" Nerissa asked, shocked.

"When being alone at home was becoming too dangerous, my mother decided that bringing me with her to the brothel was the safest place for me to go," she answered. "Her boss said I could, but he wanted me to work."

"How old were you?"

Saldora tapped her cheek with a talon, trying to remember. "I think I was...six or maybe five?" She shrugged. ignoring the shock on Nerissa's face. "I don't remember exactly what age I was, but once you spent most of your life sucking up to stallions, you tend to not remember a lot of things. It all gets a little hazy after a while." She yawned, stretching out her limbs. "I didn't work right away, I had to learn from my mother on how to look and act like a proper employee to the customers."

Nerissa never thought that Equestria could have something like this. All she's seen so far was happy-go-lucky pastel ponies being the nicest creatures she's ever came across. She assumed that most other creatures acted this way too. What a shock it was that something like this could even exist on this planet.

What's even more of a shock was how Saldora didn't seem to see it as a big deal.

"I'm sorry," Nerissa said. Saldora wasn't acting the way she did on purpose or just to rile her up for fun. That's all she knew. And she had to admit that the avian had stopped herself from being too intimate with Alex, like she was going against everything she knew in an effort to appear decent.

And she must've been lonely. Saldora never said how long it's been since she had folks to travel around with, so when she saw her and Alex, she tried to be on her best behavior, probably as to not drive her and her master away. She's been wanting company.

"Are you pitying me?" Saldora said. Her eyes were soft as the bright moon's light. "I guess it is pathetic."

Nerissa didn't. It was just something Saldora had to deal with. She felt a bit of admiration for the avian instead. She persevered and became something she could be proud of.

"Life can be unkind and unjust," she told her, grabbing an apple slice and sniffing it. "All we can do is make the most of it." She bit the snack and tasted the juices. It was good. "I want to apologize for being brash; I was only looking out for my master."

"I guess I deserved it for being all over that hunk of a stallion," Saldora said huskily, but then she drew in a sharp intake of air, as if struck by something. "Sorry, it's hard to control all the fluff in my mind from spilling."

Nerissa sighed. It seemed like something she would have to get used to hearing. "Tell me about your mother."

Saldora sat crisscrossed, holding her feet with her talons. "She's kind and beautiful," she began, sounding wistful. "She always knew what to do and say, and she made me feel better whenever I was having a bad day. But...she was always sad. Even when we played together, my mother never seemed truly happy, and I tried to say and do things to make her feel better, but nothing I did worked." She gave a shameful chuckle. "I thought it was because of me."

Nerissa trotted over to Saldora and sat next to her. "Why would you think that?"

Saldora rubbed the back of her feathered head. "Well, because she never wanted children."

"Then, how are you here?"

For the first time, Saldora frowned, and Nerissa suddenly felt stupid for asking a question that had such an obvious answer.

"One of the customers got a bit too rowdy one night," she began slowly, shaking her head. "No pony was supposed to get an employee pregnant; it was a well-known and commonly respected rule. This unicorn was young and foolish, and he had gone too far.

"My mother got pregnant and had to stop working while the stallion that knocked her up left Ponbar and never returned. She was the same age when I would eventually become a dancer: sixteen. Remember when I said my mother was popular?"

"Yes," Nerissa said quietly.

"During the months of her pregnancy, she was looked after and taken care of," Saldora told her, warmth in her voice. "Even her boss. Some even helped deliver me. It was mares because stallions would get all squeamish. When my mother could look after herself, she was left alone with me.

"Once I became a dancer, I worked my tail off to get enough bits to get my mother out of that village. These days, she's in another, safer village, serving as a waitress in a pub."

"Is she happy there?" Nerissa asked.

Saldora nodded. "She likes it a lot; she gets to tease the stallions," she said, giggling. "Last I heard, the pub had been quite popular."

"She seems quite the fighter," Nerissa said, grinning a little.

Saldora agreed. "She's all the family I have. Anyway," she went on, "what about your mother?"

Nerissa stared blankly at the bird. "I don't remember much about my mother," she began, narrowing her eyes trying to recall back memories. "My father told me that she was one of the fiercest warriors he'd ever seen, but one that could show just as much gentleness. She mastered the blade better than anyone else, and the Lordress was so impressed that She bestowed my mother a sword infused with the elements as a prize."

"And that's the blade you hold now?" Saldora asked.

Nerissa nodded, gazing longingly at the sword. "Yes," she whispered. "My mother held this sword once, and it was passed down to me."

"What happened to your mother, if you don't mind me asking."

"She died," Nerissa said simply, shaking her head. "She had gotten weak while bearing me, and when it was time for me to come into the world, my birth had sapped all the strength my mother had left."

"Oh, Nerissa." Saldora comforted her by holding her close. "You sweet little thing..."

Nerissa wanted to shove the bird off of her; she didn't need pity, but something about the way Saldora stroked her mane and pressed her warm body against hers consoled her, and she found herself leaning into the embrace. She had to admit it felt nice.

"Thanks," she rasped, surprised to find herself rubbing her muzzle against Saldora's feathered chest.

Saldora broke the embrace. "Whenever you need a hug, just tell me. I give the best hugs."

Nerissa wasn't sure if there was a another meaning behind her words, but she couldn't help but give a grin at the suggestion. "I'll think about it," she told her. "Anyway, after my mother passed, I had only my sisters and father to look after me. We were warriors, and the moment I was able to hold a weapon, I trained and trained hard, until I became the best one in the whole village."

"How many sisters do you have?"

"Three," she answered. "Triplets. Even though they were all older than me, I was looked up to as an example of a prime warrior."

Saldora chuckled. "I can hardly pick up logs without struggling. If I had to swing a sword or use a pike, I'd be of no use," she joked. She flexed her muscles. "All of my hard work went to my stomach, hips, and my flank."

"Well, in your line of work, they certainly serve you well," Nerissa pointed out. "Belly dancing focuses on those parts of the body."

"Of course," she agreed, looking a bit naughty. "When we get to Zebanda, you'll see those black-striped hunks drooling all over me." She placed a talon on the tip of her beak, letting out an airy sigh. "I'll even give you and Alex a private show when I practice tomorrow."

Nerissa rolled her eyes. She was sure the bird was joking, but she had to ask. "A regular one?"

Saldora leaned back, looking innocent. "That's exactly what I meant," she replied earnestly, fluttering her eyes rapidly. "But I wouldn't mind a little...interactivity."

Nerissa raised a brow, looking incredulous. "From me or my master?"

"Both of you is fine; I'm no stranger to threesomes," she said jokingly.

Nerissa shook her head and got up. "Alright, no more of that tonight."

Saldora feigned hurt. "I was just joking." Her voice didn't sound apologetic. She tilted her head to one side. "Hey, you got a nice little cutie mark."

"My eyes are not down there," Nerissa said, sounding reproachful. "Shouldn't you go after stallions?"

Saldora shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with checking you out; you should take the complement, and I was being serious about your cutie mark."

Nerissa glanced down at her flank. Her cutie mark was a white sword hovering over a white, luminescent ring. When she returned from escorting Twilight and Fluttershy out of the Everfree Forest, Alex had wanted to see her flank.

Nerissa nearly refused at first, feeling indignant and confused, but once Alex had explained that cutie marks held meanings and that he wanted to learn about them, she allowed it. Her face turned red, remembering how intense and focused he was on her flank.

"It's a symbol conveying the protection of something important," she told Saldora, grabbing another apple slice and eating it. "I am the shield, and Alex is the ring I am protecting."

"Wow," Saldora murmured, gazing closely at the cutie mark.

Nerissa felt a little embarrassed. "What is it?"

"Your flank is quite well toned," she complemented, but then saw Nerissa glaring daggers at her. She chuckled nervously. "I mean, what an interesting cutie mark! Very, very important! It fits you so well!"

"Indeed," Nerissa said darkly, her voice edged with menace. She grabbed another apple slice and ate slowly. "I would think so."

Saldora gulped, holding up a bag of marshmallows as if it could shield her from Nerissa's intense glare. "H-hey, did you know that I have a cutie mark?!"

Nerissa didn't know that, obviously, but she guessed Saldora was trying to shift the conversation in an effort to get out of trouble. Luckily for her, Nerissa obliged. Besides, she was somewhat intrigued, and she knew that her master would like to know this information.

"I thought only ponies could get cutie marks," she said, sounding faintly interested. "How could you have one? You aren't exactly a pony."

Before Saldora could respond, Alex trotted up to them. Nerissa felt his wing on her head. "It is getting late," he told her and Saldora, gazing at the bright moon looming over them. "Let us preserve our energy for the morning."

Nerissa would've liked to protest, but Alex had a point. Although she and her master didn't need to sleep or rest, they weren't in Dawn anymore, and their bodies had changed with restrictions.

One of the restrictions was that their new bodies needed rest in order to properly function at full capacity. An understandably vexing nerf.

With a dip of her head, she complied, and Saldora had no qualms with going to bed with Alex. Now that was something Nerissa had to deal with, and she was going to make sure that bird kept her well-tended claws off of her master.

But before they had to turn in for the night, Nerissa handed an apple slice to Alex. "You should try one," she suggested. "Those little things are tasty."

The morning sun shined brightly across the lush landscape, inviting a pleasantly crisp wind that filled Alex's nose with an earthly scent. He closed his eyes for a moment to let the wind whisk around his crimson coat and sapphire mane. He, Nerissa, and Saldora were in a different location, near a crystal blue lake surrounded by tall trees and red flowers, the sunlight trickling through the canopy and hitting the water, making the lake glisten and shine.

Alex was glad. Turns out whatever was bothering Nerissa seemed to have vanished when they had stopped to rest for the night. She was a bit more chipper and more tolerant to Saldora and her sometimes-odd way of speaking. It seems that the two had settled their differences.

Now he and his guardian were about to be treated with a dance from Saldora, as practice for when she arrives in Zebanda. Alex had never danced before or known anyone that did dance, but he knew the concept existed in Dawn, and now he was going to see how a belly dancer did. Using context clues, he assumed the dancing revolved around smooth movements.

"Master," called Nerissa, trotting up to him and sitting down. "Saldora is about to start; this should be good."

"I agree," he replied, sounding pleased to hear Nerissa speaking favorably about the bird. "Good spirits revolve around you this morning."

Nerissa gave a slight chuckle and rubbed the back of her black mane. "Yeah, well, Saldora and I had a talk," she told him, looking relaxed.

"What was it about?"

"Well, it was about a lot of things, but I will tell you when we head back home," she answered. "It's a lot to take in."

"Then I will wait with anticipation."

It didn't take long until Saldora exited her wagon and walked to him and Nerissa. Alex could tell she was excited by the way she couldn't stay still. She got in front of him and Nerissa, striking an alluring pose.

"Okay," she said, taking in a long breath of air and exhaling, "I'm ready to strut my stuff!"

In one swift motion of her talons, Saldora started, closing her eyes and focusing. The world seemed to slow around her, Alex noticed: the birds chirping in the trees had ceased, the wail of the breezy wind lowered to a faint cry, and the light from the canopy of trees looked to have dulled. The whole area had waited for Saldora.

She glided a foot forward, sweeping it to the right, stretched out her feathered arms into the air, and her hips began to sway, all of her accessories were jingling in some type of odd rhythm. Her arms began to sway gracefully through the air like calm water, her hips moving with them. She shimmied back and forth on her feet, and she began to twist and turn, flowing with the silent wind that graced her soft, delicate face.

Alex was fascinated. Saldora moved so effortlessly, so confidently that he felt admiration swelling inside his chest. When he gazed at Nerissa, his guardian looked to be entranced, staring at Saldora with an unblinking stare. It was quite the sight.

There was something Alex noticed. The wind around Saldora seemed to be following her whenever she moved in one direction. It seemed to be supporting her. It was growing intense, and before he knew it, the petals of the flowers flew into the air and surrounded her.

The dance went on for twenty minutes. When Saldora bowed to end the dance, the jingling of the coins stopped, the flow of the wind died down, and the red petals drifted to the grass. She opened her eyes, panting but looking proud. Alex and Nerissa stood up and applauded the bird's immaculate performance.

"Good showing!" Nerissa called, trotting up to Saldora's side. "I've never seen a dance so intriguing."

"Thank you, doll," Saldora murmured, taking a moment to catch her breath. "I was a little nervous, performing in front of you two, but I'm glad I was able to satisfy you both..."

Nerissa gave a light scowl. "Don't make it weird," she chided, but Alex detected a bit of playfulness in his guardian's tone.

"How did you pick up those petals?" Alex asked, trotting up to the bird. "I've never seen anything like it."

Saldora looked a bit meek, but she said, "I have magic..."

"You do?" he questioned, sounding confused. "I understand from the books given to me explain that magic can exist in a variety of forms and creatures, but those who can other than ponies are sparse. Are all birds from Ornithia have magic?"

She shook her head, rubbing her arm with a talon. Clearly, she looked displeased talking about it, but she went on to tell him anyway. "My father is a pony, a unicorn specifically from what my mother told me," Saldora explained, going on in further detail. "Ponies are magical in nature, from the moment they are born; magic is within them. Perhaps my father passed on the gift of magic to me. Probably the most useful thing he's done only second to bringing me into the world."

"What type of magic can you perform?" he pressed, draping her back with his wing for comfort

Saldora shrugged, but she looked to be a bit more relaxed, seeming to relish his touch. "It's just a bunch of wind and stuff," she told him, sounding slightly disinterested, as if she would've liked to speak about something else. "I don't have a horn or some staff to help me cast all willy-nilly. It only comes out when I'm dancing, so it's not like I can use it anytime I want. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and all; it helps amplify my dancing performances."

Alex stared at her, contemplating. He recalled back to one of the rules he had read in his magic book. For one to have more and greater control over magic, one must be diligent in their study and practice. It would get easier to cast, boost how many times one could use spells, and increase their potency.

"You just need training," he told her, blinking slowly. "I'm new to the concept, but we could learn together."

Saldora looked sultry, narrowing her eyes seductively and wrapping Alex's wing around her body. She stepped to him closely, using a talon to play with his chest. "Hours spent alone together, getting all hot and bothered... Oh, yes," she whispered ravenously. "We could learn...so much..."

Alex was glad Saldora was so passionate about learning magic. Despite her disinterest, it seemed the bird would like nothing more. "Then perhaps after Zebanda we could start?"

Saldora gazed at him, delight seeming to shine in her emerald eyes. "So forward, so sure," she murmured, her feathered chest shaking. "Perhaps after being on the road for so long, a change of scenery was in order."

"You don't need to decide right now," Alex told her. He suspected that it would indeed be a change if Saldora stopped traveling. "Let's wait until after Zebanda."

"Good deal, honey," Saldora said, leaning close to him. "I can even teach you a few posit-"

Suddenly, Alex saw Saldora freeze up. Then she began to turn stiffly around and walk clumsily over to Nerissa, who had an expectant but exasperated look on her face.

"Whoa!" Saldora exclaimed, looking slightly distressed. "What's going on?!"

"I took control of your shadow," Nerissa told her with an edge to her voice. "If you are thinking about joining us, then you will need to learn a little self-restraint."

"But Nessie," Saldora whined, "this is who I am! Alex is just begging for it!"

Nerissa groaned and rolled her eyes, forcing Saldora over to the wagon. "I believe it's the other way around," she said, unsympathetic to the bird's outcries. She raised her voice. "We're getting back on the road!" She forced Saldora up the wagon's steps. "Hurry up already and quit your bemoaning; you aren't in any danger."

"Ow! Hey, watch the moneymaker!" Saldora huffed, smoothing her rump after Nerissa plopped her down on the wagon. "My ass is quite sensitive; you have to show it care and affection!"

"Someone is sympathetic, I'm sure, and for the Lords' sake, stop whining! I didn't hurt you!" Nerissa retorted.

"I'm not whining, I'm complaining!" Saldora shot back, stroking the silvery cloth and making the wagon come alive again. "Those are two different things!"

"Then use them differently!" Nerissa spat. "You're acting like you've never been disciplined before!"

"I'll have you know I dealt with punishment foreplay!" Saldora said haughtily, raising her beak into the air as if she was offended by Nerissa's statements. "There was a time I had to slurp apple cider off of a stallion's-"

"I'm going to have to stop you right there," Nerissa interrupted, putting a hoof in the air. "Keep those details to yourself, it's early morning, and I don't want to deal with it."

Saldora gave a vexing sigh. "I was going to say his stomach, you know."

Nerissa deadpanned. "Of course that was going to come out from that beak of yours." She gazed at Alex. "Master, let us head on!" she called. "Quickly, before I begin to lose my wits."

"Coming," Alex called back, hoping he didn't have to settle a dispute.

Another day had passed by before Alex, Nerissa, and Saldora reached their destination: Zebanda. The blue sky was beginning to turn red, and as the trio rode through the entrance, they were immediately greeted by a large crowd of zebras calling out Saldora's name with glee.

When they saw Alex, they all bowed in respect, believing he was royalty in Equestria.

"Well, at least they mind their manners," Nerissa commented, her ears splaying back from all the uproarious cheering.

"They are kind, but bowing to me is unnecessary," he told her, gazing at the crowd. "I've never seen a zebra before. I like their unique appearance from ponies."

Nerissa didn't seem too interested in that, but she nodded her head in agreement.

When that was over, the zebras crowded around the wagon, shuffling out of its path, and calling Saldora adoring cheers and compliments about her appearance and how they hoped her performance would be even greater than the last she came.

Saldora waved back, winking a few, and even striking a pose that sent a lot of the male zebras roaring into the skies as if the bird gave them a sudden burst of energy.

As the cheering died down and some of the zebras went back to stalls that were set up for the festival, Saldora halted the wagon and leaped down, almost being swamped by her fans. Many of them were asking for her signature or autograph on various places on their bodies, and Saldora obliged without hesitation.

One of the zebras, a female, trotted up to the wagon and bowed her head at Alex. She had colorful flower-like ropes of red, green, and blue around her neck. "Welcome to Zebanda, newcomers!" she exclaimed happily, smiling as wide as she could.

Alex stepped slowly off of the wagon with Nerissa following him and bent his head down. "Thank you for welcoming us," he told the excited zebra. "I am Alex, and this is Nerissa. We've come for the festival."

The zebra was trotting in place so much Alex thought her hooves would catch fire. "Here you go!" she said, putting one of the flowery ropes around his neck. It was white. "It's a new custom of ours to supply visitors with a flower necklace during events and ceremonies." She gave a yellow one to Nerissa. "Hope you enjoy your stay!"

"Interesting," he murmured, spawning his journal and pen. "Saldora seems she'll be preoccupied with the crowd and getting ready to perform tonight, so we can search for the nearest library and procure knowledge from the texts."

"Wherever you go, I will follow," Nerissa told him.

"If you're looking for the library, we have one near here," the zebra said merrily, pointing to a building with a black and white striped roof. "I can take you there; I own it!"

"This is quite fortunate," Alex said, sounding pleased. "What is your name?"

"Zenny!" she answered, a delightful sparkle in her blue eyes. "I'm one of Zecora's family friends, if you know her. She's the one who helped build all of this together with Princess Twilight and Princess Luna." Zenny began to look a little embarrassed. "You can't check out any books and stuff since the library is quite new, but you are welcome to read anything you'd like!"

"Thank you, Zenny," Nerissa said, looking warmly at the excitable young zebra. "If you could le-"

Zenny all of a sudden let out a screech of joy, forcing Nerissa to step back at the sheer volume of it. Alex gazed forward and saw Saldora walking up to them with a dark-colored unicorn in a suit and hat.

"Darling, this is Havel," Saldora began, looking a bit uncomfortable; she was rubbing her arm with a talon. "The one responsible for coordinating the festival."

"Um... 'Darling'?" Nerissa echoed, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, but Saldora tried to ignore her. "What does Havel want?"

"He wanted to meet the ponies I travelled with," she went on, looking a little meek, "to thank them for being my escorts."

Nerissa glared at the bird, but then she rolled her eyes and said nothing. Alex didn't seem to mind Saldora's white lie.

Havel gazed wide-eyed at Alex, taking off his hat and bowing in respect. "Never thought I'd live to see a male alicorn, but here I stand, graced by such beauty," he said with praise, putting a foreleg on Saldora's waist. "And I got to thank you and the bat pony for escorting this desert jewel all the way here, and not a moment later! Will you both be staying for the dance show? It'll start soon."

Alex nodded, dipping his head in greeting and respect. "Nerissa and I are here for the festival," he replied, "but we are mainly here for the library." He looked to Saldora. "We'll be there to watch you perform."

Saldora gave a hesitant nod. "I want you to watch me closely, Alex," she told him, warmth in her tone despite how she looked. "I want you to see everything; it may not be my last performance, but I will try my hardest just for you."

"Are you feeling okay?" Nerissa asked. She saw how uneasy the bird looked. "You look a bit...off."

"Well, I... uh, I..."

"She's doing just fine; it's probably butterflies in her stomach," Havel cut in. He gave Saldora a pat on the back. "Saldora will put on an excellent show fit for an alicorn." He glanced at the bird. "Won't you?"

Saldora nodded fervently, the unease lessoning. "I'll do my hardest!"

Havel cackled mirthfully. "That's what I like to hear! Now, let's get you ready for the show," he said, guiding Saldora away from him and Nerissa. "And you gotta sign a few more autographs for your fans, including me!"

As Alex watched Saldora go, he gazed at Nerissa and saw a scowl easing its way across her dark visage. He bent down to face her, lowering his voice so Zenny couldn't hear. "Are you well?" he asked, sounding a bit concerned.

Nerissa shook her head quickly. "It's just... Didn't Saldora look a bit uneasy?"

She was right. Saldora had looked uneasy, and uncomfortable. "Perhaps anxiety is getting to her."

Nerissa didn't look convinced, and if Alex was honest with himself, neither did he.

"Permission to investigate?" she asked, looking serious.

Although Alex thought that spying on Saldora was unnecessary, he dipped his head. "Stay out of sight; use the shadows to conceal yourself," he told her, and then he narrowed his eyes. "You are not to engage in any conflict. Understand?" Nerissa nodded. "If something goes wrong, you come and get me; you know where I'll be. Go on."

Nerissa saluted, her piercing blood-red eyes narrowing to slits. She stalked off, blending into the shadows and following Havel and Saldora. Alex turned his attention to Zenny who was admiring the festival. He touched her with a wing to get her attention.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking around for Nerissa. "Where'd your friend go?"

"Running on ahead without me," Alex said, trotting beside the young zebra. "She will be back soon. For now, lead me to the library."

Saldora was heading backstage to prepare herself for the dance performance. When she got to her green room, which wasn't really green, more like a black and white room, there were two zebra guards protecting the entrance. With a wink and a few choice words, the guards had left to join the townsfolk outside.

"Stallions," she whispered huskily, shaking her head and letting out a giggle. "So eager to please."

Inside her room was a chair she sat on, facing a large mirror. She gazed at herself and saw a bit of worry across her face. Never before has a performance garnered such unease, but she knew the cause of it: Alex. Her interest in the alicorn was unnatural, she knew. He wasn't any old stallion looking for a quick romp in the sheets, but something else entirely, and she liked that about him. She was surprised when he told her what he was and where he came from, and why he was here, but just made her more interested in him.

Alex was polite, cordial, eager to learn, and sweet. She liked the way he looked, how he sounded, and even how he smelled. He was just pleasant to be around; it was like he had this alluring warmth surrounding him, and it confused her that Nerissa never once acted on her feelings toward him. Saldora couldn't see it as anything but a missed opportunity; stallions like Alex don't come often, and she was given the chance to live with him. She had scored big this time, that's for sure.

And she wondered, after the performance, if she truly would settle down for a while. She wasn't going to give up being a dancer, that's what she wanted to do, but she had to admit that taking a break from traveling was quite enticing. She could still hone her dancing skills while learning how to use her magic with Alex. She never really thought much of the magical side of herself; perhaps it was time to focus on that.

There was something else: a feeling deep within her feathered breast. She hovered a talon over it and pressed lightly. Her heart was beating a little fast, and it went faster the more she thought of Alex. She thought it was affection for him, and she would be right, but it felt more than just a deep affection like Nerissa had. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it was strong.

Saldora shook her head again. She was distracting herself from the nervousness that prickled at her belly. As she attempted doing breathing exercises, she heard a knock on her door. It was probably another fan that sneaking around to see her. Regardless, she got up and went over to the door and opened it.

It was Havel.

Stunned, Saldora began to back away, but stopped herself to not be perceived as being rude. "Mr. Havel, why are you here?"

"To see you," he said, sounding faintly worried. "Are you feeling okay? Your face looks a little dim."

Saldora relaxed a little. "Oh, I'm fine, I just... I don't know."

Mr. Havel saw the look on Saldora's face: hesitation and anxiety. He urged her to sit in her chair. Confused, Saldora went over and sat back down and faced the large mirror again. He then went behind her back and placed his hooves on her shoulders, massaging them.

Saldora froze. "Mr. Havel?"

Havel hushed her quietly. "Relax, Saldora," he murmured soothingly. "Your tense; you need to calm down and take a breath."

Saldora closed her eyes and took in a long breath before exhaling, beginning to feel comfortable. "I am. I don't know why. I was thinking it was because of Alex."

Havel stopped the massage for a moment before resuming. "Ah, yes," he said. "The alicorn!"

Saldora nodded, starting to feel her heart beating quicker. "Yeah. His main reason for coming here was to learn about the history of the village, and he had gone to the library," she told him, rubbing a talon tenderly on her cream-colored chest. "When he is with me, I feel happy inside. More than usual. I've been on the road for so long by myself... I guess I began to feel a little lonely."

Havel stayed silent for a few seconds before replying. "Hmm... so you love Alex."

Saldora clutched the feathers on her chest. "Love? I used to give that a whole lot. I suppose...that is what I'm feeling?"

"Yes," Havel said. "With the way you're speaking, I can't think of anything else. You found the creature you love. Now when you are apart from him, you may feel a bit empty inside, and then you start longing for him."

"I love Alex," she stated, feeling a large thump in her chest. It felt exhilarating to say it. Then she lowered her voice. "But... I barely know him."

Havel chuckled before letting out a sigh. "Love works in mysterious ways, young one..."

Saldora nodded in agreement. "My heart tells me now. It's so clear, but Alex doesn't have those same feelings. I can see it in his glowing white eyes. He doesn't share what I feel." She suddenly felt cold and shuddered. "He doesn't love me like I do to him..."

"Even so, wouldn't it be great just to be by his side?" Havel asked her, placing a hoof on Saldora's talon.

Saldora appreciated the comfort. "That would be selfish of me, right?"

"When you're with Alex, you simply enjoy his company. That isn't selfish."

Saldora's eyes brightened. "You're right, Mr. Havel," she said, sounding happier than before. She suddenly felt Havel's hooves slide down to her waist, and she jerked, surprised. "Mr. Havel?!" She turned to face him.

Havel had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was in a dream. It looked as if he was gazing beyond her, looking for something he thought was there, but that wasn't entirely true. He was looking at her. Whatever it was, Saldora didn't know. She watched him shake his head, and the light in his eyes returned.

"Mr. Havel, are you feeling well?"

"Of course, and I am sorry," he murmured apologetically. "I was lost in thought. I was making a decision, and I wasn't conscious of where my hooves were going."

It was an honest mistake, Saldora thought. She remembered daydreaming many times while out on the road. "It's okay, Mr. Havel," she replied. "What was this decision?"

Havel smiled. "Talking to you made me realize that I need to tell the creature that I love them," he said. "After the dance, I will... lay out all of my feelings."

Saldora let out a titter. "Well, I hope it goes well for the both of you. You have my support. Is she at the festival?"

Havel nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "She is. Enough about that for now! It's nearly time for you to perform! Start getting ready."

Saldora bobbed her head, feeling confident. "Thanks for talking with me, it cleared up some things," she told him gratefully. She couldn't wait to see the look of amazement on Alex's face!

"Happy to help," he said. "Do your best out there!"

Saldora puffed out her chest, her heart beating with an anticipation that caused her to shudder with glee. "I will!" she shouted heartedly.

Turning to leave out the door, Havel suddenly yelped. Saldora turned her attention and saw Nerissa creeping into the room.

"Nessie!" Saldora exclaimed, surprised and happy to see her bat pony friend. "What are you doing back here? You shouldn't be at the back of the stage."

Nerissa glared at Havel for a moment before concealing her expression. "Just worried," she told her. "But you seem to be fine."

It warmed her heart to see the bat pony care for her, even after their little disputes on the road. "I'm okay," she assured her, walking up and embracing the bat pony. Nerissa froze for a moment, but she returned the hug. "I'm glad you came to check up on me, but everything is fine. Now you have to leave from back here and join the crowd outside. The performance is about to start soon."

Nerissa nodded. "I'll go and retrieve Alex. He wouldn't want to miss your performance."

Saldora's heart began to beat quickly again. "I can't wait to show everything I have to offer. Now go," she urged, narrowing her eyes and looking playful. "Or I'll have to tell you about the hotdog story."

"If it's tied to what you used to do, then say no more," Nerissa said, turning away and leaving the room, her dark figure blending into the shadows.

Havel took off his hat and rubbed his forehead, looking faintly embarrassed. "I'll head out now."

Saldora nodded, watching him leave. "I'll make you proud!" she called after him.

The night was young, and Saldora was feeling great. After getting her feelings in order with the help of Havel, she was ready to dance her heart out onstage. She felt it within her legs and feet; the urge to dance was on the horizon, and she could hardly contain herself. Never before had dancing gave her so much energy and excitement.

She was ready, to present herself to the crowd, to Alex, and when she got on that stage, she saw him at the front with Nerissa, waving at her. His face held no expression as usual, but Saldora could tell he was happy to see her on the stage. He was so attentive, waiting with anticipation.

It was then Saldora felt her heart beat a hundred times faster. Everything around her was drowned out; muffled, and time seemed to slow. She wanted to mix it up at the start, then segway into her belly dancing. With the spotlights on her and the music playing, it was time to do what she did best.

She struck a pose to start, and everypony, the zebras, cheering for her, fell silent with anticipation. To the right, she started, a graceful stride. To the left, a lovely twirl, and then a beautiful leap. She spun and twirled, leaped and jumped, her shiny coins and shimmering beads reflecting the moon's white light jingled, captivating her audience.

The picture of perfection with no chains; Saldora was boundless, and her flaring dance could not be contained. The wind had begun to pick up, a pleasant breeze that wove through the crowd as they cheered. Her wonderful figure, the light shining on her unprecedented and unparalleled brilliance, and the motions crafted were unmatched. None could look away. They could only cheer her on.

Saldora started her belly dancing, and the crowd went wild, but Saldora could hardly hear the uproar of the cheers; she was too focused. The way her belly rocked rhythmically, and she saw with pleasure the crowd focusing on her torso and hips. They were utterly entranced and that fueled her even more. She shimmied forward, shaking her chest and undulated her belly.

Saldora felt a rush and started to dance faster with even more fiery passion. There was more grace, more of that striking bright radiance shining off of her. This is her grand finale. And just like that, with a grand leap followed by a pose, Saldora ended her dance performance.

She panted, small trickles of sweat sliding down her chest as she waited. There was a silence for a moment, and then the crowd roared, calling for encores upon encores, almost knocking her to the floor with their ardent shouts. She looked to Alex and saw him nod his head and clopping his hooves as he and Nerissa applauded with the audience.

She saw him mouth the words: "It was beautiful. You did well. Be proud." After she struck the pose, time seemed to flow back to normal again. The roars of the crowd were louder now, calling out Saldora's name. Her face lit up like the brightest star in the moonlit sky above. She waved and bowed as she made her way backstage. She had given Alex and Nerissa a signal that they could come backstage to meet her.

After she made her way into her green room, Saldora sat on the chair facing the mirror, her reflection conveying the look of joy. It wasn't long until the door opened, and Havel made his way inside, applauding Saldora for that breathtaking performance.

"Did you see me out there?!" she exclaimed, happiness surging through her. She felt so alive. "It was magical! That was my best dance yet!"

Havel trotted to her and made his way behind, staring at her through the mirror. "Yes, I did. It was a wonderful performance." He placed his hooves on her shoulders, massaging them. "I've never anything so beautiful."

"Mr. Havel?"

"You did so well that I am at a loss for words," he praised her, leaning close to her ear. "Such perfection... You truly are a special bird. There is something I want you to know."

Saldora shuffled lightly in her chair. Havel's hooves were being a little rough, and it made her slightly uncomfortable. "What is it?"

"The creature I love," he began, "is you, Saldora. Ever since I heard of you, I've followed your dancing career, and when I finally had a chance to meet you, I knew you were the right one for me."

Saldora was shocked, but she remained where she was. "I'm flattered, Mr. Havel," she said slowly. "Truly I am, but I don't..."

"Don't finish that sentence," he warned her, a hint of a threat in his voice.

Saldora was getting scared and confused. "I... I don't understand." She swallowed slowly, trying to not tremble from the increasing roughness from Havel's hooves on her shoulders. "C-can I leave?"

"No," he said, moving his hooves down her back. "If you try to leave, I'll pull you away from the door."

Finally grasping the situation unfolding, Saldora pushed Havel away and stood up from her chair, her back to the mirror. "Don't you touch me!" she spat, fear across her face. "What's wrong with you?! I'm sorry, but I don't love you..."

Havel stared at her, hurt glimmering in his eyes. But then they hardened, and all Saldora could see was rage. "You..." He took in a deep, seething breath. "After all I did to help do this festival, THIS is how you TREAT me?!" he snarled, his voice booming. "I guess I was asking for too much."

This was getting rapidly out of control. Saldora knew she wouldn't be able to fight him off; she wasn't strong enough, and she couldn't use her magic reliably. She needed to escape and call for help. She rushed to the door to leave, but Havel stopped her by using magic to chain the door up, preventing her from escaping. He then used magic to forcefully pull her towards him. She tried to resist but failed and fell to the floor.

"Maybe this will teach you not to disobey!" he bellowed, coating magic around Saldora's neck, choking her, and throwing her against the mirror, cracking it. She shrieked as she fell, blood dripping from her head.

She was dragged towards him. Havel looked lustful, almost feral, and his breathing was erratic. Saldora tried to use her claws to get away, but she couldn't; Havel chained down her arms and legs with magic, and she had found herself at his mercy.

"Somepony, help!" she wailed, but her cries were cut off; Havel had used magic to tape Saldora's mouth so she couldn't scream.

He then began running his hooves over her body and burying his muzzle against her feathered chest, huffing her scent. She tried and tried to fight back but there was nothing she could do. Her struggling was useless.

"If you won't love me, I'll just take you right here, right now!" Havel yelled, menace deep in his voice. "No pony is here to save you. No pony will hear you. You are mine and mine alone to do what I want!"

It all seemed to be the end of Saldora, to become a toy once again like her past in the brothel. What a nice night, turned to a perverted nightmare. She thought of Alex and wept, accepting whatever came. When she could feel something brush against her thigh, the door to the room was kicked down, and all of the lights went dark, surprising her and Havel.

Suddenly, Saldora felt heavy, forcing her head to the floor. Havel tried to fight it, but he fell on his back beside her. The weight of gravity had shifted immensely. What type of magic was this she wondered, and who could cast such fantastic power?

In the darkness, where the door was, an ominous pair of blood-red eyes appeared. It was Nerissa! She stalked the darkness like a shadow, and Saldora felt the tape around her mouth and the chains Havel conjured sever and break. She heard a grunt of pain from Havel and a large thump from a wall.

"Nessie, help!" she cried out, but Nerissa didn't move towards her, only standing eerily within the shadows. "Nessie?"

"Stay where you are," Nerissa bade her, her voice chilling. "Do not struggle. Everything will be fine."

The bat pony's slitted eyes looked to the right, and Saldora followed them. A sudden white light shined through the darkness, illuminating the room, and the bearer came through the door.

"Alex!" Saldora yelled, joy filling her heart. She wanted to embrace him, and thank him and Nerissa for saving her, but the gravity was so intense, she couldn't move.

Alex cantered slowly to her, his glowing white eyes giving nothing away. He bent down and examined her closely, his eyes scanning quickly over her. Then she felt the gravity around her return to normal and Alex stretched out one of his massive wings to gently put her on her feet.

"Are you well?" he asked her. There was concern in his tone as he wiped the blood away from her head.

She nodded quickly, holding onto him. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy," she murmured, tightening her grip on him as if fearing he'd slip away. "Havel just attacked me!"

"Indeed," Nerissa said with a low snarl. "Master. Permission to behead this fool?"

Alex shook his head. "That will not be necessary," he told her gently, his eyes fixated on Havel.

"What type of magic did you use?!" he demanded, struggling off the floor. "You aren't some regular alicorn..."

Alex ignored his questions. "Mr. Havel, you have made a grave error. This act of evil cannot go unpunished."

Havel snorted, looking defiant. "You think I'm afraid of you?!"

Nerissa took a menacing step forward, unsheathing her sword. "You should be," she warned him, bearing her sharp teeth. "If my master wasn't so benevolent, I would've killed you by now. You threatened Saldora, and you must be taught a harsh lesson!"

Saldora, though she was a little frightened by Nerissa's murderous intent, was glad she stood up for her so ardently. "What are we going to do?" she asked Alex.

"He will be brought to Princess Celestia," he answered her. "We do not hold the authority to do what we will here. The decision is up to her and her alone."

"I'd rather die!" Havel bellowed, shooting a blast of magic from his horn, but it was blocked by Alex's barrier spell. "How did you..."

"Please submit, Mr. Havel," Alex said. "This doesn't have to go any further than this."

"Never!" he spat, charging up another blast, but with a signal from Alex to Nerissa, the bat pony shot forward and bucked Havel so hard in the face, his head went through the wall.

"Gracious!" Saldora yelped, shocked by such ruthlessness, but she guessed it was appropriate enough for what Havel was trying to do. Even still, he was already beaten. "Don't you think that was a little too far?"

Nerissa gave a wry snort. "If you ask me, it didn't go far enough." She retrieved Havel's unconscious body and heaved him on her back with ease. She turned to Alex. "Master, shall we depart?"

Alex nodded. "Let us head back to the wagon and call Enoch to take us home. Then I will gather Twilight Sparkle and have her get Princess Celestia." He looked down at Saldora. "Our stay here was brief, but we must bring Havel to justice. Do you wish to come with or stay until we return?"

"I'll come with you," she told him assuredly, leaning close. "The festival is only for one day, and after my performance, everypony will have gone to enjoy the rest of the night. It's a shame to leave a little early, but I don't want to stay here. And Alex.... There is something else..."

He tilted his head. "What is it?"

Saldora's heart began to beat fast, and she swallowed hard. "I... I just wanted to say that I want to join you. And... um, recently...I realized something," she stammered, holding a talon over her chest. She needed to tell him. "I lo-"

"I know," Alex said, causing Saldora to stare at him wide-eyed.

"Yo-you did?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Your dance was pretty telling, and the way you looked at him after your performance was plain," Nerissa chimed in. "You love him. Alex may not share the same feelings as you, but he acknowledges it, and he will treat your confession like a precious treasure."

Saldora knew that Alex wouldn't feel the same; the alicorn didn't seem like the one to have a mate, but she held out hope that maybe one day he will see her as she sees him.

"I'm okay with that," she admitted. "All I need is to be by his side." She put a talon on her beak, looking a bit naughty despite Havel's advances that had shaken her. "And who knows? Maybe I'll get him to see me as something than just a close companion..."

Nerissa gave another wry snort, trotting towards the doorway. "I will not tolerate any of your tricks, so tread lightly." Though she sounded serious, Saldora noticed a hint of playfulness and fought to contain a titter. "Let us head on back home."

Alex turned to her, stretching his wing over her back. Saldora felt a warmth like never before, and she let Alex sweep her close to his crimson coat. "You still appear to be bit a winded after the ordeal," he told her, sounding slightly concerned. "Lean on me for now until your body is in properly functioning order."

"Sorry we can't stay longer," Saldora said apologetically. "I knew you were coming here to learn about Zebanda's history; you told me, and it seems to have been cut short."

Alex shook his head. "The journey to this place was fun and insightful," he said, staring at her with those wonderful white eyes. "I met you and formed a connection. The adventure was worth it, and I can come back here in the future." He turned and guided Saldora through the door. "This was an experience I will not forget, and plenty more will be shared with not just Nerissa now, but with you too. Welcome to the family, Saldora."

A joy like no other filled Saldora's chest. "Thanks," she said. "Oh, and by the way... You and Nessie can call me Sal if you want."

A prayer from beyond existence.

Wanderer from the distant land whose future was paved with service to others and later became a dancing saint, though misfortunes had found you in the past. I implore Aeternia Everlast to grant you more than just a few fortunes; may you be set for life with the one you adore.

Steeped in Black

Of the sunless realm; through glittering, aureate eyes...

Through the chills of winter gray, across the icy nadir loom over by misty fog, a portal seldom forms agape, only to extend, into the depths of darkness where one persists. An aura of anticipation surrounds as the light perishes, to only be illuminated by black flames that trail on the well-trodden path, to be met with a black castle where above the mist remains.

Passing through the black gates and entering the castle to behold ashen vacancy in its truest form, the interior has only but one door and a single hallway to tread. Empty steps fill the hollow hall with echoing sounds that linger eerily for too long as one grows closer to the door to witness what contents it shrouds secret.

Beyond the door that creaks soundly in alerted ears, an ominous haze unique from the mist creeps out as one beholds that rampant pitch darkness staring at them. Forward one would go and quickly would one notice that sound from irrelevant footsteps, even the wind that once blew, are hushed, and only the distinct humming of a dim-lit orb in the distance is heard.

Treading ever closer, the murky blackness slowly dissipates as one gazes upon a powerful throne of glimmering obsidian; a deific creature sits comfortably with a fierce smile. Her ebony wings were stretched, her black horn glowed eerily, and her furry coat shimmered, as if excited to gaze upon the being that graces her presence.

"Our time is not now," the deity murmured to her servant as she lounged on her throne, gazing at an orb viewing Equestria. "Prepare yourself, young one. We have visitors."

It was dark, and the breeze was chilly and mild. The tall trees above groaned and swayed in the direction of the fickle wind. The moon was high in the sky and its light was bright, but in the canopy of these immense trees, only faint beams struggled through and graced the cold ground of the forest.

He had never been to this place, but he liked the atmosphere. He breathed in the coarse wind into his lungs, feeling the crispness swell and wreathe in his chest. He felt comfortable here, as a bat pony should, under the shroud of the moon's shadow.

"This place was once a small band of trees; a grove," said a bat pony, a female with a dark mane and white coat with black blotches, her slitted lavender eyes lit eerily in the darkness. "Now it's a massive forest, but it is still considered a grove by the locals around here."

"What is this place called again, Nebula?" he asked, peering into the trees, his orange eyes narrowing.

"The Stygian Grove," she answered, standing beside him. "There's an abandoned structure within this place, a cathedral of some sort, from Equestria's distant past, from before we had princesses, before ponies were even here. It is an ancient place from what I had read."

"Indeed, it was," said another voice, young but deep. It was another bat pony. He trotted up silently. "It was later revitalized during Princess Celestia's reign after our Moon Mistress, Luna, was...absent. But then it was abandoned; foul creatures used to run amok there. Even when the monsters had vanished many years later, the cathedral was forsaken."

Nebula dipped her head at her leader. "Bay Banks," she murmured. "What are we looking for here? And where is Princess Luna?"

"The princess is in the village with the others, gathering information from anypony who can tell them about the recent tremors," he explained. "We are tasked with searching this forest-grove for anything that could help us understand this oddity affecting our nation. Princess Luna believes that the Stygian Grove harbors some kind of answer."

"Why would she?" Nebula asked.

Bay Banks shook his head; it seemed he didn't know the answer. "There are many secrets not known to us," he began, "of things only Princess Luna and her sister might know. Perhaps there must be something here, maybe hidden, around this forest-grove."

"Agni," Nebula called, "you've been quiet. What's on your mind?"

Agni looked at his companion and his superior. "Princess Luna and Celestia are worried," he told them. "They are frightened by these tremors. If Princess Luna assumes that we may find something, then we will search."

"Sir, shall we split up to cover more ground?" Nebula suggested, looking at Bay Banks. "We can meet back here later."

"Good idea," he assented, drawing a few lines in the soil. "We'll meet back here within the hour. We shouldn't be separated for long; the monsters that once prowled this forest-grove are gone, but...one can never be too careful."

Bay Banks stalked off into the darkness while Nebula went in another direction into the trees and disappearing between the branches. Left alone in the small clearing, Agni trots off, his ears pricked, and eyes peeled for any peculiar sounds or strange things.

As he searched, his mind slowly drifts to another bat pony: Flare Brimstone, his unofficial marefriend. It's been a few days since he left her to be on the mission, and he wondered how she was holding up. With all of the tremors, Agni was worried for her. A part of him knew he shouldn't; that mare was more capable than any other pony he's ever seen, except the princesses, and he longed to see her again.

"Focus up," Agni told himself, shaking his head. He heard a sound and stopped in his tracks, scanning the darkness. "What was that?"

A faint shadowy outline of a creature darted within the darkness, causing Agni to lose sight of it. On his guard, he began to mutter an incantation, a type of old magic from a book dating back way before the creation of Canterlot created by an earth pony named Ulthor. To use an incantation, one must speak backwards and, in the tongue of Old Ponish, the words or phrase of the spell.

"Thoēl!" he proclaimed, and a small sphere of light manifested beside him, illuminating the darkness. "Forward!"

The resplendent orb moved forward slowly, lighting up the darkened path, and Agni cautiously followed it until he saw the faint of outline of a creature staying just out of the light. When Agni tried to pierce through the darkness for a better look, he found that he couldn't.

Whatever this creature is, if it didn't want anypony getting a good glimpse of it, then it could. It wasn't hostile, but it was wary. Seeing as he wasn't in any immediate danger, Agni dispelled the ball of light, plunging the area around into darkness once again.

"What are you?" he asked the creature. By what he could make out of it, it was a four-legged creature similar in body structure as him. "Are you a pony?"

"There's something odd here," the creature murmured in a dulcet, reserved tone. It sounded like a mare. "First that alicorn shows up and now black sludge appears..."

Agni didn't understand, but his ears were pricked. "You saw an alicorn?" he questioned. Princess Celestia and Luna hadn't come in here recently, and Alex lived in the Everfree Forest, but then he realized who the alicorn might be. "This alicorn... What can you tell me?"

"She had a mane of gold and a coat as white as snow, and she wore odd little red things on her ears and around her neck," the creature explained, shuddering. "There's something wrong with her. Something...heinous and so terribly wrong..."

It had to be Thaney, Alex's sister. He was told that she was unpredictable and dangerous, and if he saw her, it was best to flee. Agni gave a brief shudder, as if thinking about Thaney made him uncomfortable. He had no reason to other than the warning Nerissa had spoken of, but now he wanted to be as far away from this place as possible; it was best to leave Thaney alone.

The good news is that he knows where she is, and he can relay this information to the princesses.

"And what is this black sludge?" Agni asked.

"Look," she told him, pointing to a patch of grass being lit by the moon's light. Agni saw a trail of bubbling black sludge leading somewhere. "That sludge is frightening; it scares the animals that live here away."

"Do you know where it leads?"

"Yes," the creature answered, but she sounded reluctant. "You want to follow it, don't you?"

Agni nodded. "I was tasked with finding anything that could relate to the tremors happening in Equestria," he explained. "By what you've told me, this sludge is uncommon and unnatural; it could be a clue."

"The ground shakes here sometimes..."

"All the more reason to investigate." He dipped his head. "Thank you," he told her, turning to follow the sludge.

"Where it leads isn't far, just to a small clearing," the creature said, following Agni in the darkness. "I peered down the depression, but it kept going...and going."

"I need to figure out what's going on," he said urgently. "A lot of odd things has happened lately." He gazed at the creature, but she was so well-hidden in the shadows. "What are you? A pony?"

"I think I am," she responded, sounding unsure. "I don't know exactly what I am, but I like to think that I am a pony."

"What type?"

The creature was silent for a moment before speaking. "None of the three."

"You're a bat pony?" Agni asked. "We're pretty rare these days..."

"Nope, I don't have those ears or those wings you have," she told him. "But I have eyes like yours. They're purple by the way, but you can't see them while I'm hiding."

"Why are you hiding?"

"I feel safe in the shadows," she replied. "It's always dark here, even when the sun shines, its beams hardly break through the canopy. And also," she went on, "I am not sure how my appearance will be taken."

"What do you mean? Aren't you a pony?"

"I think I am," she murmured, unsure. "I've seen mares before, and I have the same body type as them, but none else."

"And that is?" Agni pressed.

"Well... I have horns," she said, "and black stripes on my body. I have fangs, and I'm purple. Purple isn't a common color with ponies."

Agni was curious to see this pony, but that would have to wait. He and the pony trailed on for a few more minutes until Agni spotted a hole from where the sludge had led him. He trotted up to it and peered down, but even with his eyes he could not see through the darkness, let alone the bottom.

He looked around and saw the silhouette of the pony standing motionless. "This is it," he told her, craning his neck close to the hole. "I can't see the bottom, so I don't know how far deep this depression is."

"You're going to go down there?" she asked him, sounding surprised. "It doesn't look safe at all..."

"Well, this is odd, and I am here to find odd things, and here it is. I have to," he said, taking a deep breath. "That sludge looks unnatural, and a hole out in the middle of this forest-grove is too peculiar to not explore."

"Well, you can head down there, but this is as far as I will go," she said, her shadowed figure stepping back. "Whatever it is you are looking for, come back safe. I don't know you, but I would hate to see you, or any pony hurt."

Agni nodded firmly. "I'll try my best to come back safely," he assured her, turning back to the hole and readying himself to jump. "Thanks for helping me out."

Agni leaped into the hole, and instantly he felt a chill passing through him as he fell. It was sudden, and it rocked his senses so hard he almost felt winded. The warmth from the surface had faded as he dived in further, and eventually, Agni felt his eyes grow heavy.

"What's... What's going on?" he murmured, struggling to keep his eyes from closing.

He wasn't tired, but something was forcing him to close his eyes. He saw something flicker in his mind: a pony shrouded in black with glittering golden eyes, gazing at him silently. Agni felt himself recoil, feeling an icy shudder ripple throughout his coat and gracing his skin. He could hear indistinct mutterings in his mind and felt himself drift off regardless of how much he tried to struggle.

"No... Fight back!" he protested, but his limbs became heavy, and he found that he couldn't move. "Fight...back."

Agni closed his eyes, the cold he felt was gone. He didn't dream of anything; his world was dark and empty. Then he saw something manifest a few feet away from him: the pony from his mind, their body draped head to hoof in black.

The pony muttered something, and Agni felt a sudden jolt, forcing him awake. He could see the shadowy darkness swamping his eyes fade away, and he felt wet. He looked down to see he was laying in dark, murky water. At first, he was disgusted. Stagnant water smelled and could invite sickness and other type of revolting things, but as he stared closely at the water, it was moving.

Sighing, Agni looked around and found himself in some sort of narrow cave, lit by the dark blue hue of the water, making things look foggy. He looked back and saw nothing, but looking forward, the path seemed to stretch on and on without any sign of an end.

"Where am I?" he wondered, warily cantering forward, his hooves making splashing noises that echoed throughout the dark cave.

As he moved onward, Agni stumbled upon something in the water a few hoofsteps away. He looked down when he got to it and saw that it was a sunken, waterlogged piece of paper. "Well, that's of no use," he muttered, annoyed. "Whatever's written on it would be too ruined by the water to read."

Despite this, Agni scooped the paper up with his wing and peered closely at it, his eyes widening suddenly. The words on the paper were perfectly fine and legible to read.

The paper detailed a pony or creature's final hours while trapped inside this cave, speaking of an entity of madness and fear. The writer was cold, weak, lonely, and had very little sanity. They heard wailing sounds pass through the cave as they trudged through. They go on to speak of indistinct mutterings; the entity being cast away by a much higher power, cast deep into the dark, because the creature did something it should not have done, as penance for the way it behaved.

There was a reason this unknown entity dwelled in the deep dark earth, but what was odd was how the writer seemed to praise this creature despite all the ill words they'd written. They spoke of the entity as a mother, something who could make them safe.

Agni was puzzled, but he chalked it up to the writer losing what little sanity they had left and began scribbling favorable kindness of this creature. What was written here didn't make a lot of sense, but he would keep the paper to take back on the surface, to present it to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. He hoped they would know, for Agni had a feeling that this note had some connection to the tremors, maybe not a direct connection, but some kind of it.

"Why else would a hole in the ground leading to this channel of water suddenly appear?" he asked himself. He thought back to the mysterious pony in the Stygian Grove. "She was fearful of the black sludge. It wasn't natural to the forest-grove." He shook his head. Whatever's going on, he needed to head back.

Cantering back to where he laid a few minutes ago, Agni looked above to hope to see the hole he had fallen from. He scowled. The hole was gone, as if it had never been. He was trapped.

"Great," he muttered, his ears drooping. He gazed forward at the endless path and sighed. "Too long and too unknown. What am I to do?" He thought about using an incantation to teleport himself out, but he was doubtful that the distance he could make would be enough. "I haven't gotten the permeation incantation committed to memory yet, so I can't use that either."

As he lamented his position, a sudden unnatural gust of wind threatened to sweep him off his hooves and back into the water. He stood his ground and placed a hoof in front of his face. When the gust of wind subsided, Agni lowered his hoof and gazed at an odd figure cloaked in black.

He gasped. "It's the cloaked pony!" He saw this figure before he was forced to fall asleep. "Who are you?!"

The cloaked pony took a step forward, the water rippling silently under their hooves. Agni braced himself; he did not know who or what this pony is, but he was prepared to fight if he needed to.

The cloaked pony stopped just in front of him and rose their head. Agni saw those mystifying golden eyes shining like a star in the darkest of nights.

"Who are you?" Agni asked.

"An ally," the pony murmured. It was a mare. She was soft-spoken, but her voice carried meaning and held a seriousness Agni felt he had to heed and respect. "Strange bedfellows."

"An ally?" he echoed, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You've procured a page," she said simply, tilting her cloaked head at the page. "A page most ancient."

Agni gazed down at the paper he held and then back at the pony. "You know of this?"

"A traveler wrote it before he perished," she answered. "Unfortunate circumstance of curiosity. Unlike you."

Agni didn't understand. "What do you mean? Was I meant to come down here?"

"Yes," she murmured. "I left the black sludge trail for you to follow."

"But why?" he asked.

"To inform you of our existence. To inform we are allies."

"Allies in what?" he asked her.

"Something is coming," she told him, leaning forward as if to whisper. "It won't be here for many moons, but it is coming."

A prickle of fear shot through Agni's heart. "What is?"

"When the time comes, we will meet again," she promised. "Inform your starry princess of what occurred here; take that page and show her."

"Wait!" he pleaded. "What is your name?"

"Eldoris," she said to him. "You must leave this place and continue with your search. Puppeteering my master: We must be prepared."

Before Agni could say anything else, he saw Eldoris' eyes flash, and a purplish-dark light overcame his vision, forcing him to shut them. When the light subsided, he opened his eyes to find himself back on the surface.

Agni looked down where the hole should be, but he found that it was gone, the black sludge too. The wetness around his hooves from the water was gone also. It was as if he never went down there.

He gazed down at the paper. "I still have it," Agni told himself. "Whatever happened was real. And Eldoris..."

"Agni!" called a voice. It sounded like Nebula.

Agni whipped around and saw her and Bay Banks cantering towards him. He raised a hoof in the air. "I found something," he told them as they approached. He showed the page to them. "It might be something Princess Luna may know about."

Bay Banks gazed at the page with Nebula reading alongside him. "This is...interesting," Bay murmured. He looked at Agni. "Where'd you find it?"

Agni explained about a trail of black sludge that led him to a hole in the ground and that he leaped down it and found himself in some sort of cave-like channel, where he eventually found the page that had sunken under the water.

He omitted the mysterious pony that he met. She may have been secretive about herself, but she seemed to be a pony-creature that wished to be left alone. If he told Bay Banks, his leader might want to find the pony, believing she could be related to the tremors happening around Equestria.

Then there was Eldoris, a pony steeped in even more mystery. That was something he felt he needed to share, with Princess Luna listening. And about Thaney, most importantly.

"Did you two find anything?" Agni asked.

Nebula shook her head. "Nothing," she said.

Bay Banks nodded in agreement. "Other than what you found, there was nothing else," he said to him, giving the page back to Agni. "We should head into the village and group back up with the princess."

"Right," Agni said, falling in beside Nebula.

When the trio reached the village gates, they began to notice a mist enshrouding the village. When Agni breathed, a frosty cloud left him, and he felt a chill in the air. It was unpleasant, the cruel chill wreathing around his pelt and making him shudder. There was something wrong here; the season was warm, where had all this chill come from?

"Bay Banks," he murmured, forcing to suppress a shudder. "Something is wrong here..."

"First tremors, now winter is coming?" He sighed, looking confused. "What is going on in Equestria these days?"

"Regardless of what is happening," Nebula said, "Princess Luna and the other two guards are in there. Something must have happened. Where else could this mist come from?"

"The mist only seems to be around the village and nowhere else," Agni pointed out, seeing the mist swirling around the village. "And Nebula is right, we should hurry up and see what's going on."

Bay Banks nodded. "Let's go," he said.

Trotting into the village, Agni and his companions halted in their steps, disbelief etched across their faces. Bodies. Bodies as far as their eyes could see, laying scattered amongst the ground: mares, stallions, even colts and fillies, all lay on their sides.

Agni was horrified. What had happened here? Who or what had done this? He stiffened. Where was Princess Luna and the other members of the shadow troop? Were they safe, or were they somewhere, lying motionless like every pony else?

Though stunned at the sea of bodies in front of him, Agni's attention was taken by Nebula, who had rushed to the nearest pony, a mare, and studied her closely.

"She's alive!" she proclaimed, sounding relieved. Agni and Bay Banks rushed over to her. "She's dreadfully cold, but only unconscious..."

"Thank Celestia," Bay Banks whispered. "Agni, go and check others."

Nodding, Agni raced off, approaching a stallion. He examined the pony and realized the stallion was alive, unconscious. He trotted to another, a colt, and found that he was alive. He kept going and going until he had checked on half of the ponies in the village.

He raced to Bay Banks and Nebula, who were checking on other ponies he hadn't gotten to. "They're all alive," he reported. "I assume the ones you two checked are the same?"

Bay Banks nodded, the horror on his face lessening. "Every single pony so far is alive..."

"But where is Princess Luna?" Nebula wondered, trying to calm herself down. "Our princess could be in trouble!"

Before either Agni or Bay Banks could respond, they heard an echoing, spine-chilling chortle filling the mist-filled air. Agni shuddered at the sound and gazed around fearfully.

"What is that?" he whispered to his teammates.

"I don't know, but it sounds like a mare," Nebula said hoarsely. "It's coming from over there." She pointed with a hoof at a thick layer of mist, making it impossible to see through.

"Be careful," Bay Banks warned. "It sounds like a pony having a bit too much fun."

"And it's getting closer," Nebula added.

Narrowing his eyes, Agni saw a tall silhouette making its way through the cold dense fog. The air was filled with laughter, echoing around the village. He and his companions stood their ground, but he knew they all were trembling, not just from the increasing cold, but also from fear of the unknown. There was something wrong here, something terribly wrong. The shadowy figure in the near distance halted, and as the foggy mist revealed who stood before them, his eyes widened in disbelief.

An alicorn with huge wings and a lengthy horn taller than Princess Luna stared at them with an eerie-looking smile that showed their pearly white teeth. Their coat was white, and their mane was golden with black stripes that did not flow with magic but was absolutely stunning. They wore a red fang-shaped necklace and round red earrings, and their eyes were a dull pale white as if the light and life within them had vanished long ago and replaced by something dark.

Agni stood rigid, the cold seeping through his ash-grey coat as fear slowly tightened its grip over him. He did not know of this alicorn, but he did know her name. It was Thaney, Alex's sister: Dangerous, unpredictable, and possibly deadly; this was not an ally. He quickly deduced her aura: It was strong; it seemed to produce a chilling mist.

He recalled back to Nerissa, who was telling everypony about Thaney. He remembered how disconcerted and even afraid she sounded. Agni didn't know much of about the bat pony, but she seemed like the type who didn't tremble in the face of danger, but just talking about Thaney's personality made her uncomfortable.

"Remember what Nerissa said," Agni said to Bay Banks. "If we see Thaney, we are to not engage."

"But we can't leave," he replied, holding his ground. "We don't know where Princess Luna is..."

"Or the other shadow troop members, Birch and Raven," Nebula added, not taking her eyes off of Thaney as she whispered. "They have to be around here; they were gathering information with Luna."

"Do you think Thaney did something?"

"Possibly," Bay said, "but what can we do against an alicorn we don't know about? Her abilities and magic are a mystery to us."

"Should we fight?" Nebula suggested, her eyes narrowing to slits. "It may be our only option."

"No!" Agni objected quietly. He needed to avoid battle with this alicorn; there would be no telling what she might do if he or his allies chose to fight. "Thaney is here to help stabilize our universe and we were told she's been restricted from doing anything dangerous; she's here to aid us!"

Bay Banks gave an uneasy murmur, looking at the bodies littered around the village. "I don't think she rightfully cares about that. Any ideas?"

"None," Nebula rasped. She gazed at Agni. "You?"

"We mustn't fight," he affirmed. The last thing any pony needed was a battle against an alicorn that incapacitated all of the villagers by just her aura alone. It could mean having a death wish. "We take a page out of Flare's book; just talk and hope everything goes smoothly." Nebula looked like she was going to protest, but Agni held up a hoof to stop her. "I don't like it either, but this is Alex's kin, and although she isn't just like him, she has to be reasonable. She is here to help regardless of what we think."

Nebula let out a low grunt and shook her head, bits of frost falling to the chilling earth. "We'd better hurry," she said. "We'll end up like everypony else if we linger too long dithering."

Taking in a deep breath and exhaling, Agni took a few wary steps forward. He could feel the gazes of Nebula and Bay Banks at the back of his head. He was taking a massive risk doing this, especially when Thaney had already made herself quite clear she had no qualms with ailing others if the bodies of the villagers laying on the ground was anything to go off of, but Agni felt that the alicorn wouldn't hurt him. If he was wrong, then he could be on the edge of death's door.

Halting just a few feet away from the alicorn, Agni forced himself to stare into her dead eyes. "You are-"

"Wait," she murmured lowly, her voice eerily sweet and calm, and making Agni shudder lightly. "That scent..." She raised her muzzle in the crisp air and sniffed. "You have it too. I'd know that aroma anywhere..."

What was she talking about? Agni had a scent on him she recognized. He was suddenly struck with realization; he must have smelled of Alex, but he never touched the massive alicorn. Perhaps being so close to Alex when he had told him, and the others ponies, about his mission was enough for Thaney to sniff out.

Her sense of smell was uncanny and a bit freakish. And the way she talked about him having Alex's scent as well meant she picked up on the scent before and the only few ponies close enough would be Princess Luna. That would mean Thaney had already met her, and if that was the case, what had happened? Did the smell of Alex cause Thaney to trigger this wide-spread frost-like mist? Perhaps that's what Nerissa meant by "Thaney loves Alex very much". And if so, Agni found it disgusting.

"Yes... Yes, that scent is of my brother Alex," Thaney said, sounding wistful with a dopey look on her face before she refocused herself. She craned her head down to him so quickly that Agni had to take a step back. "I am Thaney. Who are you?"

Agni gulped and said, "My name is Agni, and I serve Princess Luna and Celestia as a guard, and so do my companions." He pointed with his tail at Nebula and Bay Banks, but Thaney didn't seem to care about them. "I know Alex." The cold air increased and Agni felt his hooves turning numb.

"Do you like what I've done to the place?" she asked him suddenly, looking expectant and creepily cheerful. Agni gazed at the crowd of unmoving bodies and didn't say anything, so Thaney went on. "So, there I were, hunting, when I picked up on my brother's scent and followed it to this quaint little village. I suppose my...fervor for wanting to see my brother had gone a little overboard, but I like how everything looks now. Don't you agree?"

Thaney acted like what she did, supposedly on accident, that had harmed the peacefulness of this village and turned it into a white nightmare, without a shred of remorse. She sounded so excited and uncaring at the same time that it appalled Agni, but he had the sense to not tell her that.

"I... Well, I liked when it was a bit livelier," he told her. He almost expected Thaney to frown and disagree, but the alicorn just held that creepy smile. "Perhaps you could put it back the way it was?"

"That's a shame," she told him, not sounding disappointed at all, still speaking sweet and kind. "I suppose I can't leave these creatures...ponies here like this; my brother wouldn't approve."

Agni felt the auric chill lessoning and he sighed. At this rate, the warmth would return and awake everypony from sleep. "Thank you," he said, bowing at the alicorn. Everything seemed to be going well. "Thaney, if you would be reasonable, to tell me where Princess Luna is?"

Thaney stared at him blankly for a moment, but then she nodded. "I learned about her. She's back there," she said nonchalantly, seemingly ignoring the shock across Agni's eyes. She gestured with a tail, now that the fog was lessoning along with the chill, to a dark figure laying crouched on the ground, shivering. "Your allies can go to her, but you stay with me."

"Bay Banks, Nebula," Agni called, not daring to take his eyes off of Thaney. "Go to Princess Luna!" He felt his allies rush past him to their princess.

Thaney stepped close to Agni. "How is my dear brother?" she asked him, concern in her voice.

"He's well the last I saw him," Agni answered truthfully. Thaney was merely worried about her brother. "He seemed to get along with everypony."

"I would go to him now, but I am taking care of a friend. She won't be able to walk for a few more days."

"What's wrong with her?" His gaze trailed past the white alicorn to Princess Luna being supported by Nebula and Bay Banks. The other guards, Birch and Raven, were unconscious, and were hoisted on princess's back for transport.

"She had a run-in with creatures she called timberwolves," Thaney said, unaware of Agni's divided attention between her and his allies. "They had damaged her legs when they attempted to consume her. I stopped them."

"What happened to the timberwolves?" he asked. "Did you drive them away?"

"I killed them," Thaney said simply, but it sounded obvious as if she wondered why Agni had asked such a silly question.

Although Agni shouldn't be surprised Thaney was capable of taking lives, he was appalled. It was extremely rare for a pony to kill something, and to say so without a shred of emotion made him sick to his stomach. He guessed it made sense; Thaney wasn't a pony, she's an alien from a different universe. He shuddered. What if Thaney wasn't told to keep herself in check? Agni didn't want to entertain the idea any longer.

"Is the pony you're looking after well?" he asked, trying to dismiss the hesitancy and fear in his voice in an effort to sound calm and casual.

Thaney nodded. "She is," she said, but then she gave a light frown that made Agni's spine crawl. "But it seems my method of healing her wounds are stifled by this world's petty restrictions, so her immediate recuperation is temporarily stymied."

Agni forced himself to cease his light trembles. "I hope this friend of yours gets well soon." He dipped his head in farewell and attempted to move past her.

"Wait... Just a moment," she murmured cooly.

Agni felt something cold grip him suddenly, and he stiffened, unable to move a muscle. Something was swarming under his coat, a multiple of something; like a legion of ants, and then he felt a fear overwhelm him without mercy, but he wasn't able to move or shout out his fright. He could only shake and tremble as the cold continued to tighten its grip on him.

He dared to steal a look at Thaney and was horrified. She was doing something to him. He looked at her horn: it wasn't glowing. She was using a power foreign to his world, and it felt utterly awful.

What is she doing to me?! Agni thought, trying to keep himself calm. Whatever Thaney was doing to him, he had to endure. She's trying to scare me, and she's doing a good job...

"Before I let you go to be with your little friends, it never befell me to ask what you and your comrades are doing here," Thaney said grimly, even though her voice sounded sickly sweet. "Would you mind?"

Agni narrowed his eyes, suspicion and distrust in them. "Why... Why should I tell you?" he retorted, his voice shaking despite his bravado. "None of us have business...pertaining to you."

"True, but one does not bring such an important figure in a backwater place like this, if not for a particular reason." Thaney stood over Agni, dwarfing him and staring unblinkingly into his eyes. "What are you doing here?" she said calmly, although there was a menace to her voice this time.

"We are just..." Be truthful. "Strange happenings have been going on in Equestria, and I and my allies are here to find anything that could help us explain," he told her, unable to look away. "Princess Luna thought we could find something in the Stygian Grove."

Thaney tilted her head, slightly intrigued. "Did you?"

Agni nodded. "I was told that there were more like this one," he said, showing Thaney the page. She glanced at it and then back at him. "It tells of something unknown, and if I and my allies keep searching the places the tremors hit, then we will uncover more of these."

Thaney looked suddenly disinterested and even a little disappointed. "Ah, merely paltry trifles on your world," she snarked, her tail flicking dismissively. "And here I thought it'd be something grand, but it seems dull and too contained to graft my interest." Then she grimaced, and Agni shrank under such intensity. "My brother, however, would find it very intriguing and well worth his time. Does he know?"

Agni shook his head quickly. Thaney was beginning to sound protective, and if he was to take Nerissa's words with any kind of value the alicorn held for her brother, he needed to choose his words carefully.

"He doesn't know," he said quickly, feeling his heart pound. "Alex knows nothing, I promise you."

Thaney glared at him, and Agni felt that she could see inside him, see everything. Then her gaze suddenly softened. "Quit tensing your muscles, you'll strain them," she chided, sounding like a caring and worried mother, but something about how she said it was disturbing. "I won't hurt you; Alex wouldn't like that, and I am here to aid in your universe's preservation."

Agni felt whatever had held him down fade, and the cold gnawing he felt under coat had stopped, inviting back a brief warmth that made his body shudder with relief.

"I care not for your world's problems, but my brother would. He would like nothing more than to help," she told him. "I'd prefer if he didn't, because such problems could endanger his life, and we are not in Dawn anymore. We are bound to rules and restrictions, our powers shackled and rearranged, and inside inferior bodies." She giggled. "How different."

Thaney swept her golden tail across the earth and stepped aside, allowing Agni to pass. She moved past him, disappearing into the fog. The frosty chill in the atmosphere suddenly went away, and when the fog did too, Thaney was gone, as if she never been.

Sighing with relief, Agni galloped over to his allies and Princess Luna. They were all on the west end of the village. "Princess, are you well?!" he asked her desperately, looking her up and down. Frost had developed over parts of her wings and legs, but thankfully with Thaney gone, the frost accumulating had begun to melt. "Are you hurt?!"

Princess Luna gazed at Agni for a moment before nodding. "Thaney did not harm me," she assured him. "Her aura was... It was strong, stronger than I could have imagined. Not even Alex's aura did this..."

He recalled Alex's aura being warm and comforting and how the alicorn explained that it could help dispel violence and aggression. Thaney's on the other hoof was dramatically different. Her aura was neither warm or comforting, just the biting chill and the slow agony of ice and frost.

Agni looked at Birch and Raven laying on Princess Luna's back. They were unconscious, but alive by the faint rising of their chests. He was glad that he, Bay Banks, and Nebula had swiftly returned to the village. If they hadn't, Agni wasn't sure if Thaney would be in the right mind to cease her aura before ponies could be killed by it.

"I'm glad all of you are safe," Bay Banks said. He looked around the village and saw the villagers gradually awake from their slumber. "Ponies are waking, and the cold has gone."

"Yeah, but it seems none of them remember what happened," Nebula put in, watching the villagers mill about in confusion. "Perhaps it is best we don't stirrup a panic and remind them of what had happened. We should depart."

Agni thought so as well. "Thaney only came here because she smelled Alex's scent on Princess Luna," he said, seeing his princess looking guilty. "There's no way you would have known. Thaney is strange and disturbing. Don't fault yourself for this. When we leave, Thaney will have no reason to disturb the village."

"You are right," Luna murmured. "Did any of you find anything in the Stygian Grove?"

"Nebula and I hadn't, but Agni has," Bay Banks said, gesturing to Agni to show the princess what he found.

"I found this," he said, showing Princess Luna the page. She grabbed it in her magic and began reading it. Agni saw her face darken with worry. "What's the matter?"

"Where did you find this?" she asked him, her tone distant as she stared at him.

Agni explained that he was led to a hole in the ground by a black sludge trail. He omitted the strange pony he met as he believed she had nothing to do with anything. He went on to tell her about how he jumped down the hole, falling a long way until he was suddenly lulled to sleep by somepony. When he awoke, he had found himself lying in a channel of water in what he thought was a cave.

"Gathering myself, I trotted until I came across the page, but then..."

"What transpired?" Luna pressed.

"I met the pony I saw in my mind, the one who put me to sleep," he answered. "It was a mare draped from head to hoof in a black-hooded robe. All I could see was her golden eyes."

Princess Luna looked disconcerted and confused. "A pony who put you to sleep, who had golden eyes?" She shook her head, casting something away from her mind. "What else happened?"

"She told me that she was an ally," he said, trying to make sense of it. "She had wanted to meet me so I could tell you that. She also said that something was coming but won't be here for a long time." He pointed to the page. "She informed me that there are more pages like that one, but she didn't say where to find them."

"The others could be in the affected cities and towns hit by the tremors," Bay Banks suggested, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "I wonder... Do you think this pony will show up? Setting up a trail for us to follow and hear her out?"

"Despite being a mysterious entity, this pony seems to want to aid us, in her cryptic way," Nebula said, sounding faintly annoyed. "Things are getting weirder and weirder, as if we didn't have enough on our minds of the destruction of the universe. Now we have this too."

"Princess Luna?" Agni said, gazing solemnly at his princess.

"I do not know what events are being transpired, but I have an inkling that things will continue to get worse," she said somberly. She sighed and stood taller. "Good job finding this. When Birch and Raven stir, we will continue our search. Agni, did this pony have a name?"

"Eldoris," he answered her. "It's a name I never heard of before. It sounds unnatural."

"Akin to Alexander and Nerissa's names, but this isn't an alien we seem to be dealing with." Her eyes darkened. "This pony is native to our planet, but it seems our planet still holds secrets unknown."

"What shall we do?" Nebula asked her.

"We continue our search: for the pages and for any other information about why these microseisms are occurring." Princess Luna gave a light shudder. "A part of me believes that this is only the pretense leading to something bigger. We leave now," she ordered. "I will carry Birch and Raven until they awake, but we cannot linger here; we have work to do. Come!"

As everypony made way to the skies, Agni looked back at the entrance of the village where Thaney exited. He thought about the pony the alicorn said she was taking care of, and he wished her the best. Then he took off into the night sky with everypony else.

Dream of Flame

Princess Celestia gazed out an open window in silence; she was overlooking the city of Canterlot from her bedchambers, the moon bathing the city in an illustrious whitish blue. The wind was pleasantly crisp and refreshing on her pristine white coat, and it filled her nose with a redolent, relishing scent, like how the earth smelled after a rain shower.

She closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them, then turned to a nightstand. Papers lay stacked upon it, of worries and concerns about the tremors affecting her dear nation. A burst of anxiety suddenly shot through her, and she took a moment to recollect herself.

Next to them was Raven Inkwell. The princess cracked a small smile; her dutiful friend was resting her head atop the nightstand, a couple of papers littered around her on the floor. She was letting out soft whinnying snores after attempting to stay up late with Celestia to assist her in getting through the plethora of documents, but her strength had finally given way, and she fell into the rapturous embrace of sleep. Watching her helped calm her worries.

Turning away from the window, Celestia coats Raven's body in magic, levitating her with ease and settling her down on the bed carefully. She tucked her friend in, stroking her mane softly. "Thank you for your aid, Raven," Celestia murmured into her friend's slumbering ears, which twitched once or twice before becoming still again. "Have a good night's sleep."

Princess Celestia headed back to the window and continued to stare out to the city once more. She thought about her sister, Luna, who had gone away to investigate the towns, cities, and any other areas affected by the tremors. It's been a few days since her sister left and already did Celestia began to miss her dearly. It seemed only yesterday she got Luna back on that fateful night, when Twilight, who was her pupil then, had gone with five other ponies to save her sister from being Nightmare Moon.

Many days had passed before then, and many, many years. There was blame, regret, self-hatred, and an unprecedented amount of sorrow and grief, all contained for a thousand years. When Luna was saved and returned, Celestia never wanted to let her go. Now her sister was out in the world again, searching for any clue that could help solve the mystery of the tremors. And Celestia was here, not knowing how far Luna went or how she was. She didn't know when her sister would return or if she even will.

"Stop scaring yourself," she chided softly, hovering a hoof across her chest and letting out a long exhaling breath. "Luna is not the little filly you once knew. She's older now; wiser. She can look after herself. But still, I..."

Shaking her head from these thoughts, Princess Celestia closed the window, suddenly feeling exhausted. She cantered to the side of her bed and sat down on the floor, laid her head next to Raven's and closed her eyes, inviting a world of sleep.

Opening her eyes, Celestia stood amongst a black void, the only source of light coming from her body. She peered down at the black surface and saw her reflection, shimmering and swaying. It was water, but she did not feel the dampness around her hooves. She had to be dreaming, but she found it perplexing. She wanted to dream of Luna or Flare Brimstone, but as she searched around the black void, there was nothing as far as her eyes could see.

"It's rare that I don't dream," she murmured to herself. "I have so much on my mind that it is nearly impossible to dream of nothing." Then she became confused. "So, what is going on here?"

A small sudden spark ignites in the near distance, catching Celestia's attention. It was a meager flame, though strong and seemed to burn everlasting. Entranced by the flame, she cantered toward it slowly, the burning light warm and inviting. When she approached it, the flame was a darkish red color, and the heat it irradiated was unnatural. But it looked beautiful, as if she had never seen something more beautiful in her entire life.

Celestia reached out with a hoof to touch the flame, her eyes swamped by its beckoning, flaring light. However, just before her hoof could grace even a fiery wisp, she regained her senses and swiped her hoof away, feeling shocked by the flame's allure.

"What manner of magic is this?" she questioned warily, veering her head around the void; there was nothing but darkness. She stepped away from the flame, feeling a tad unnerved. "What is this? Where has my mind taken me?"

Celestia heard the flame sputter and cackle, and she turned sharply to face it. The flame began to swirl and expand, its unnatural heat steadily increasing, twisting and morphing until it resembled the shape of a pony, a mare specifically, standing as tall as Luna.

The mare had a long horn and massive wings. She wore a sumptuously ornate amber-red dress that burned brightly with a pleasant glow, a long charcoal-colored mane, a wonderous coat mirroring a sunset, and clear crystal blue eyes that shimmered faintly with a scarlet light. Celestia could feel a daunting amount of power and magic emanating from this pony, but at least she knew one thing for certain: This was no mere dream. Not a regular one.

The gorgeous mare stared wordlessly at Celestia, never blinking. There was an intense and almost child-like focus in those scarlet-blue eyes.

"Who are you?" Celestia asked the mare curiously. If she was indeed dreaming, why would she dream of a pony she never met? "How are you here?"

The mare just tilted her head, dead silent and stone still for long moments. She then, rather suddenly, cantered forward until she was right in front of Celestia. The mare studied her closely, her oddly colored eyes scanning the princess's figure with absurd, unnatural quickness. She moved around her, examining at her wings, peering closely at her white coat, studying her cutie mark, scanning her magic-flowing mane and tail; everything.

"Are you...looking for something?" Celestia asked the mare, but her question seemed to be ignored. She was beginning to feel a tad awkward. "What are you looking for?"

When the mare made her way in front of Celestia, she backed away a few feet, leaned her head forward toward the black watery surface, and stared at it. Celestia looked down and saw nothing, even her own reflection was gone. Looking back, she saw the mare rear her head, something large building in her throat and making its way into her mouth. She then, without warning, vomited violently, spewing forth a deluge of lava from her mouth. The sudden, immense brightness nearly stunned her.

It spread around the princess quickly, surrounding her in an ocean of molten fire, and with the mare's horn glowing a dark red, rose it above them both, and created a spherical dome of lava. Seemingly amazed and appalled by this obscene feat of magic, Celestia attempted to teleport out of the lava dome to safety but found she couldn't. She was trapped, confined in a cage of molten lava with an alicorn of terrifying magic.

"What...?" Celestia murmured, bewildered that her magic didn't work. She gazed wide-eyed at the mare, who was staring eerily back. "What... What did you do?"

"Survive," the mare whispered, her silvery silky voice making its way into Celestia's ears. "Before the dream ends, show me your strength."

Without warning, the mare blitzed forward in a sudden whirl of bright, dark-red flames. Thinking quickly, Celestia casted a shield for protection, but it shattered immediately, propelling her with such sheer force, she crashed hard onto the black surface.

Celestia groaned painfully, picking herself up and coughing once or twice, her body giving off steam.

This mare means to murder me! Celestia thought to herself, dumbfounded. That magic is...not natural, it can't be. And why did it hurt so much? I should be stronger than this!

Weaving a magic circle in front of her, Celestia rears her head back and blew forth air through it. A searing torrent of fire came from the other side towards the mare, engulfing her in a roaring pillar of flame. But mere seconds later, the flames were blown away by a powerful gust of wind, and the mare stood unaffected.

Celestia was shocked. "Who are you?!" she demanded, her horn glowing for another attack. "Why are you here?!"

The mare responds by opening her mouth again, but instead of more lava, it was a billowing, creeping cloud of jet-black smoke, covering the lava dome in its thick haze. Celestia saw the smoke wreathe around her body and she suddenly buckled, almost losing her balance. She felt weakened, being sapped of her physical strength and losing power in her magic.

Celestia took a shuddering step back, swaying on her hooves but fighting to stand. She could feel her life slowly draining away. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded.

"Those spells you weave are not enough," the mare told her, looking bemused. "There... has to be more here. You have not yet embraced the flame?" She shook her head, seemingly disappointed. "Such lost magic, wholly ignored of its full potential and reduced to pitiful embers. Why would you wield fire magic if you are unwilling to embrace its power, sun goddess?"

Celestia narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Fire magic is destructive, laced with temptation, and must be tempered with years of dedicated training, unless the caster wishes to lose herself," she retorted. "I have forgone my training centuries ago after mastering a spell I wish I hadn't; I was young and curious. Too curious. Fire magic is dangerous. I will not let the flames consume me!"

The mare shook her head again, not able to understand. "You shun such latent potential, tied down by morality and fear." A low chortle escaped her lips. "You have the capability to transform into a more powerful version of yourself, and yet you choose to not harness it. That spell you mastered... I know it."

Celestia's eyes grew wide. "How did you know?"

"With my eyes, I can see it," she responded, her scarlet-blue eyes shimmering with an unnatural light. "There's a flame within you; it festers deep, fettered and caged, yet unforgotten." The mare took a step forward. "One day, you will call upon that magical form whether you desire it or not. The earthshakes are just the beginning."

"What do you know about the tremors?" Celestia asked. This was her chance for some kind of answer to explain what's been going on. "Why are they happening?"

"They are naught but a prelude, but this is about you," the mare said, her hooves instantly bursting into flames. "I want to see how strong you are."

Celestia didn't understand. "But why?" she asked, unable to see the sense in fighting. "You were trying to kill me!"

The mare gave a light smirk. "Of course, how else would one's strength be tested if not pushed to the brink?" Her eyes began to glow an eerie red. "Little filly, won't you show me your flame?"

The mare's large wings became outstretched, and manifesting on the wingtips were magical spherical orbs, charging in a fiery, near-blindingly effulgence. Then they transformed into streams of bright burning light, and was shot from the wingtips, swirling through the empty air towards Princess Celestia.

Celestia punched her forehooves together, creating a red spark, and bathing them in an intense flame. She surged forward and deflected the streams of light with perfectly timed strikes, the beams of light hitting the watery black surface, exploding.

"That was quite adequate," the mare praised. "Show me more."

The mare's eyes lit up white and a thin beam erupted from them. It struck Celestia hard, yet she managed to block it, but she was struggling. She clenched her teeth; she tried to hold on, trying to direct the beam away, but the laser was too strong, and she was blown back again, crashing hard.

Celestia groaned and panted, suddenly short of breath. She had to do something, or she'll lose. The effect of the black smoke was gnawing at her strength, and she was rapidly getting tired.

The mare shook her head again, seemingly disappointed. "Why do you suppress the glorious magic of fire?" she questioned, genuinely confused. "You should be stronger than this; you studied fire magic since your adolescence, did you not? Despite your neglect of the magic, you should be more."

Celestia struggled off the ground. "I... realized how... how dangerous it could be," she said, coughing. "I had a dream once, of the one that lies inside me. It tried to claw itself out through my dream and take over my body, but it was thwarted by my sister's intervention, and I was able to regain control.

"Since then, I made sure to master that spell so that the other me couldn't try to fight back; I chained and caged it. After that, I ceased all of my training. I was fearful of losing control. And besides, I do not need to rely on that particular spell to protect and serve my ponies."

The mare just sighed. "I had felt a kinship with you, sun goddess, I really did," she said, landing on the watery surface. "While you taught yourself the ancient arcana, I was born from it. We were connected in our ties with fire magic."

"Born?" Celestia echoed. "What are you?"

The mare chuckled. "Born in flame, molded into what you see now; a construct," she said.

At least she got some measure of information. "Why are you doing this?" Celestia asked.

"It is mere indulgence and curiosity guiding my hooves, I assure you," she replied, waving a dismissive hoof in the air. "I wanted to see the flame being wielded by you, but you seem to disregard such beauty. It is a shame. But I am not yet finished with you."

The mare's horn glowed, and a torrent of flame shot from it towards Celestia. The princess charged forward, horn first, determined to fight back. She had to end the fight somehow, but she knew that whoever this mare is, will not be beaten so easily. Celestia wasn't sure if the mare could be beaten, but she had to keep fighting.

Colliding with the intense torrent of flame, Celestia manages to pierce and split it in two. She kept charging forward, harder and faster, coating her hooves in blistering fire. She had never needed to use so much of her fire magic before, but she had to tap into the depths of her training and bring out old spells she hadn't utilized in centuries.

When she could see the mare through the gush of flames her horn had rent, Celestia leapt into the air, the fire around her hooves quickly engulfing her body into a massive orb of flame, and she began her fiery descent toward the mare, coming down like a meteor.

"Now that is what I was looking for; finally!" she exclaimed excitedly, laughing. "Just think what you can do if you didn't shun this magic, sun goddess! Doesn't it feel amazing?!"

The mare didn't even try to defend herself, in fact she spread out her body to welcome the attack head-on. It struck her hard, engulfing her body in a massive fiery explosion, blowing away all of the lava around both her and Celestia, dissipating it into oblivion. When the fire subsided from Celestia's attack, she was standing over the body of the mare, panting.

The mare was as still as stone, and seemingly, hopefully, deftly beaten. She stared unblinking at Celestia's panting figure. The princess of the sun was weakened and tired; never before had she needed to exert herself so much in centuries. Not even her sister could have forced her to fight like this or Flare Brimstone, and it all happened so quickly; the fight was brief but so painful, and Celestia felt as if she would keel over any second.

"Why did you stand there?" Celestia asked the mare, still panting. "Why did you let me hit you?!"

The mare wasn't smiling anymore; her stone face conveyed none of that seemingly passionate emotion mere seconds ago, as if it had never been. It was so abrupt that Celestia felt even more unsettled than she had been.

"I was enraptured by the flame's beauty," the mare whispered, her voice layered with reverence. "A student who abandoned her studies could still wield fire magic so adeptly is more than just admirable. It is glorious." Her eyes snapped to Celestia's. "It is a shame you never finished. You are strong, both physically and magically; you are an alicorn layered with potential."

"Enough about the magic!" Celestia spat crossly, slamming a hoof close to the mare's face, but she did not flinch. "Why are the tremors happening around my nation? How did you invade my dreams?! Answer me, please! Ponies are getting scared; I don't know why or how this is happening!"

"I can go where I please, and I told you the tremors are nothing but a prelude."

"A prelude to what?!" Celestia demanded. "Cities and towns and villages are being struck by these tremors. I feel they'll grow in intensity if nothing is done about it. Tell me what you know!"

"Something is coming," the mare answered numbly. "Something glorious and grand." Her unique eyes shimmered with sudden emotion. "It's beautiful..."

"What is?" Celestia pressed. "Have you seen it? Is it the one responsible for the tremors?"

"Oh, I have," the mare whispered, shuddering with anticipation. "When it comes back, you'll see beauty in its grandest form!"

"Comes back?" Celestia echoed, confused. "Has something like this happened before? What else do you know? Tell me!"

"No," the mare spoke. "No, no... you will see eventually."

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "What do you know that you are not telling me?"

"Anything I have to say will not help you in any meaningful way," the mare answered, but it just made Celestia even more vexed. "You can't prepare for this; what will transpire cannot be prevented." The mare's eyes began to glow an eerie red and a blazing scowl suddenly found its way on her face. "Not this time."

"What do you-"

Before Celestia could question her further, a flash of light engulfed her vision, and she found herself being flung back with such incredible force that it knocked the wind out of her. She slid on the watery surface to a sickening halt.

"You've done well to survive, little filly," the mare praised, standing up and straightening her dress. "Unfortunately, it is time to depart. We will meet again, but in the waking world when the time comes. Farewell."

A flash of light overcame Celestia's vision, prompting her to look away. When the light subsided, she suddenly found herself awake in the real world, and she could hear Raven Inkwell's voice and feeling her tug lightly on her coat.

"R-Raven?" she sputtered in confusion, groggy with sleep.

"Celestia, you need to raise the sun," she told her, looking disconcerted. "I've been trying to wake you up, but you haven't been responding at my attempts to do so. I was going to go get a doctor."

Celestia was confused. Was it already time to raise the sun? But that couldn't be, she wasn't even asleep for ten minutes. And she didn't feel rested at all, in fact she felt aches all over her body.

The fight took place in a dream, so why do I still feel pain?

Celestia stood up from the floor, almost losing her balance if it wasn't for Raven supporting her. She suppressed a cough and tried to control her breath. Though weak and in pain, she could slowly start to feel her strength returning.

"Goodness Celestia, what's wrong?!" Raven asked, sounding worried. "You look as if you've been in a fight."

"It feels like it," she mumbled. "Don't worry, I am well. Get me to the window, will you?"

Complying, Raven helped guide Celestia over to the window where she was looking out previously before she had the dream. She raised her head and used her magic to slowly bring the sun into the sky. Closing her eyes, she felt the warmth of the sun on her pristine white coat just over the horizon. Somehow, it helped dull the aches she felt.

"Celestia?" said Raven after a stretch of silence. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she answered, turning away from the window and towards her bedroom door to leave.

"What about the documents detailing the tremors?" Raven pressed, trotting over to the nightstand. "We can't ignore these. And where are you going?"

Celestia wanted to go to the royal archives. After facing that mare in her dream and learning just a little about what's going on in Equestria, she wanted to check if there were any books that could be of help. But regular books wouldn't be useful at all; Celestia needed to peruse the restricted section of the archives to maybe find the tiniest hint of answers.

The mare spoke of something that was coming. Something like this has happened before, but it had to have occurred before Celestia was born. Some of the books in the restricted section of the archives date back before her inception. Perhaps one of those books could be useful.

"Grab the documents from the nightstand and come with me," she told Raven Inkwell. "We are going to the archives."

Raven scrambled the documents together in a neat pile, then she balanced them on her back. She trotted up to Celestia, curious. "Why are we heading there? Do you think some of the books can help us?"

"Yes, I do," Celestia said. "The dream I had gave me a few ideas."

Dream of Darkness

It was dark and humid, the wind blew gently around her coat, and the earth smelled of a musky-freshness. She gazed solemnly at the sky in silence; the moon's comforting light waned, shrouded by looming black clouds that shifted the sky into a churning mass of coiling darkness, struggling to pierce through the conflagration. It was going to rain soon.

Princess Luna turned away from the sky to the ponies milling about outside Vanhoover, a city near the coastline of the Luna Ocean and just north of the Smoky Mountains. She and the Shadow Troop had only recently arrived after noticing a large crowd of ponies evacuating from the southern exit of the city and went down to investigate. After finding the mayor and helping him calm everypony down, he informs Luna and the troop that another tremor had started. It had rent a part of the city, leaving a ferocious scar in its wake, but luckily it was only a few buildings that got toppled, and everypony was safe.

Princess Luna was relieved at this revelation, but she feared for future tremors; the stronger they became, the more destruction wrought and higher will the chances be that ponies are hurt or even killed during them. Following Agni's words, Luna may be able to find some sort of information while investigating the city, and since the tremor has ceased and Thaney wasn't around to complicate matters, searching around the city shouldn't prove too difficult.

"Birch, Raven, Bay Banks, and Nebula," Luna called commandingly, the bat ponies standing at attention. "Stay here with the ponies; protect them. I will take Agni with me inside the city."

Agni's ears perked up from a few feet away; he was calming down some children. He trotted up to her and gave a respectful salute. "Ma'am?"

"You will assist me in scouting out anything unusual," Luna told him, turning her gaze towards the city. "We won't linger for too long." With a glow from her horn, a large dome of blue magic covered the ponies on the plains, shielding them from the soon-to-come rain. "Bay Banks, make sure to keep everypony safe. When Agni and I return, we will aid in directing the citizens back into the city."

Bay Banks saluted. "You can count on us."

"Good," she said, moving towards the city, Agni cantering after her. She looked down at him. "What should we be looking for?"

"Well," he began, "at the grove, there was a black sludge trail Eldoris intentionally left for me to follow, eventually leading me to encounter the page."

"So, a trail is what we should be searching for?" she prompted.

Surprisingly, Agni shook his head. "The first time was to guide me, but I don't think Eldoris will help us this time," he said with a pensive look on his face, narrowing his eyes and rubbing his chin. "She wants us to seek these pages because they may contain some information. Perhaps the information we could find are not recorded anywhere else."

Luna frowned. "Then where would be the ideal place to search?"

"Where the tremor struck," he answered. "The buildings hit have crumbled to the ground, and from what the mayor told us, there is a scar left afterwards."

"The fissure the tremor caused... We must investigate."

Agni nodded. "I found the first page inside the earth, but I guess that isn't entirely true if I think about it."

Luna raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I did go in the earth, there was a hole that led into it, but when I woke up after Eldoris put me to sleep, I was in a different location, a tunnel, that held a channel of water and mist that had no end in sight," he explained. "Something about it was surreal. The hole I fell from had gone, and Eldoris was the one that got me out after our brief introduction."

"If we head down the fissure, we may encounter this pony you speak of."

"It's possible," he said. "Eldoris claimed to be an ally, so we'll just have to trust her. Whatever is going on in Equestria, she may know."

Luna sighed. "Perhaps," she murmured. "Regardless, let us find the scar and descend its depths."

The two ponies entered Vanhoover, the city barren of life after the violent tremor; rubble from some of the buildings lay scattered in the streets. It was eerie to see a city normally bustling with life now lay empty with all the ponies taking refuge outside, and every falling piece of rubble or some off-distant sound made Luna wary, as if she'd expect something to suddenly appear out of nowhere to threaten her and her dutiful soldier.

Just up ahead, Luna saw a large, rigid crack snaking along the main street. It was the fissure. Quickly she galloped towards it with Agni following close behind. She stopped once she could peer down its shadowy depths; it was too narrow to jump down, and she suspected an entrance lay near here. Narrowing her eyes, Luna turned her head to where the fissure had split; it ran through a toppled building a couple of feet away.

"Agni, let us go," Luna ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Agni said, saluting.

Traipsing carefully, Luna and Agni cantered toward the fallen building, stepping over large stone rubble and following the split until it led them to a blocked passage filled with debris. Luna looked around the building and saw no other entrance. When Agni flew into the air to see if the split went on through the building on the other side, he reported it didn't; the split was under the toppled building.

Using her magic, Luna carefully drilled through the rubble in front of her, disintegrating the stone until she was able to create an entrance for her and Agni to continue. She was surprised; a large hole stained with black-like sludge bubbled around the rim. Eldoris, and she was down there. They had found the entrance into the earth.

"Are you ready to descend?" Princess Luna asked Agni. She could see his tail and ears twitching, whether with anticipation or fear, she did not know.

The young bat pony nodded. "The last time I fell down, I was coerced to sleep by Eldoris. I don't know if she'll do the same thing again."

"Regardless, this is what we came here to find," Luna said. She pulled Agni close to her side with a wing, holding him firmly. "Stay close to me so we do not get separated." Silent, Agni nodded again.

With a long exhale of air, Princess Luna and Agni jumped down the hole together. Immediately, Luna knew that the fissure she and her soldier leapt into was deeper than she thought; the long narrow walls that almost squeezed them was covered in black sludge, and the magic that flowed through her was certainly unnatural.

Luna gazed down to look at Agni and was shocked to see him fighting the urge to sleep. She tried to shake him to keep her bat pony from drifting off, but Agni went limp in her hooves, asleep. Shortly after, Luna saw an image of a pony flickering in her mind: a pony cloaked in black from head to hoof, only their eyes that shone like gold was all she could see.

"What is this?" Luna murmured. She suddenly felt weak, her eyes growing heavy. "N-No...!" She tried to force herself to stay awake, but an overwhelming urge to drift off had won, and Luna went limp.

Opening her eyes, Princess Luna found herself in a dark world, standing atop a watery surface that rippled beneath her; it was a lake of some kind, yet she could feel no water under her hooves. She gazed down and saw a faint light under her hooves and a reflection of herself. She looked to one side and gasped. Agni had gone from her side. She veered her head around to search for any trace of him, but there was nothing but darkness. She was separated from her soldier.

Looking up, Luna saw a vast black sky littered with an array of twinkling stars. Around the lake was a massive dark forested plain with long grass, their tassels swaying rhythmically against a low-blowing wind. Somehow, Luna was transported to another area, but something about it was odd.

"I must be cautious," she uttered, taking a few wary steps forward, her hooves making small splashing sounds on the lake. She attempted to use her magic to leave this odd realm but found she couldn't; her magic seemingly nullified. "What is going on here?"

Suddenly, ears pricking and looking to the darkness above, Luna saw a sharp glistening object descending rapidly from the sky. It stabbed the surface near the lake with a sickening crash, propelling Luna away with such force she almost lost her balance. When the dust settled, Luna was gazing warily at a glistening black crystal.

"Obsidian?" she murmured, taking a few steps towards the lengthy crystal. There was a pulsing purple aura around it, a powerful magic aura. "What is it doing here?"

Suddenly the black crystal split in the middle with a resounding crack that echoed eerily throughout the dark plains, causing Luna to nearly flinch at the sound. She stepped away as the split in the crystal begun to widen and fracture as more splits appeared on its surface until the middle rent and opened.

A mass of black wind whisked out of the crystal, passing Luna by and gracing her coat. She felt magic power wreathe around her and she fought to keep her heart from thumping hard against her ruffled chest and her legs from trembling at the strength. Through narrowed, cyan eyes, Luna saw a silhouette exit the crystal itself and making its way to the lake. Lit by the dim cosmic light from above, a pony draped in a black tattered cloak and hood stood motionless on the lake, their head gazing up at the twinkling stars in silence.

Luna was tense. Was this pony or whatever this was in front of her Eldoris, the one Agni met in that strange tunnel?

The figure turned to face Luna, and that's when she saw. The pony's eyes were a deep, vibrant gold, shining mystically in the sunless gloam. The eyes were fixed on her, never blinking, always staring, but they were soft and warm, and Luna felt a sense of cautious safety when she gazed into those golden pools.

Luna found herself lowering her head in the deepest respect to this pony, and when she looked up, she saw the pony doing the same thing. "Are you...Eldoris?" she asked warily. She noticed the mare was just sightly taller than herself.

"I am," the mare answered, her voice calm and soothing as a faint wind. "I have been to see your servant."

"My friend and loyal soldier, Agni," she told Eldoris. "He told me that you are an ally. He also spoke of something that was coming. Tell me, what are you an ally for?"

Eldoris' golden eyes twinkled faintly, and she turned her gaze to the sky once more. Luna followed her. "There will be battle," she said quietly, her soft-sounding voice carried by the wind.

Luna turned to the mare. "What kind of battle?" she questioned.

"One that has been fought once before," Eldoris murmured.

"Fought before?" Luna echoed.

"A very long time ago, before you and your sister, before your father and mother, and even further before," Eldoris uttered solemnly, going on. "An age, primordial, nearly forgotten and only written briefly in solemn text. A battle that continued the existence of our planet." She turned to Luna. "Your sister is currently researching information about a dream she had."

"She is?" Luna was surprised. It seemed her sister was hard at work, and what was this about a dream? "What did she dream?"

"Whatever she uncovers will be regaled to you and a few others when the time arrives," Eldoris said, turning toward the sky again. "There is another matter to address. Do you know why I summoned you here?"

Luna didn't. And she was summoned? She shook her head at Eldoris' question. "I was hoping to find a page or some sort of information to denote, to tell me about the microseisms occurring in Equestria."

"The rumblings are caused by The Flame's slow approach," Eldoris said.

Luna stared at the pony, bewildered. "The Flame...? Who or what is that?"

"Your sister will tell you what she knows when she's finished with her research," Eldoris explained.

"Then why am I here?" Luna asked. "Why have you summoned me to this...place? Where is this?"

"It's nowhere important," Eldoris answered. "I come here to gaze at the stars and contemplate. We are the only ones here. My reasoning for your summoning is to test you."

"Test?" Luna echoed. "In what?"

"In your ability to fight," Eldoris murmured, her unblinking gaze still transfixed on the stars. "A battle is coming, and we must be prepared. You must be ready, and I am here to see if you are."

Of course she was ready. Luna was always ready to fight for Equestria, so why must she prove herself? "Has my sister gone through something like this?" she asked. If Eldoris knew about Celestia's dream, then she might be able to tell her what happened.

"The reasoning for her test is one not founded by the preservation and safety of others, but rather a wanton curiosity and selfish desire," Eldoris explained plainly. "Celestia survived her internal battle; she is stronger than I previously thought. She harbors strong magic deep within her, and she knows it, but she locks it away in fear."

Luna shuffled her wings lightly in slight discomfort. "Do you know what lies beneath?"

Eldoris nodded. "The magic she stows away out of fear was something she should not have learned, but her mind for knowledge was too great. That form she has will be powerful against The Flame, and she must overcome that fear before the time comes. For now, this is about you. You have a form."

Luna stiffened. "What do you mean? There's nothing inside me."

"It was created by spite and envy, and has been a part of you since then, as such emotions are forever, that is too," Eldoris said.

"I have no form!" Luna spat crossly, surprised to feel anger bubble up inside her. She tried to calm down. "Nightmare Moon no longer exists; I am rid of that past."

Eldoris didn't reply from Luna's fierce objection. Instead, the mysterious pony finally shifted her head and stared wordlessly at her, the mare's glimmering golden gaze making the alicorn flinch from their intense glare. She cantered toward Luna, her hooves not making any ripples on the lake's watery surface. Luna stood stiff as Eldoris peered at her face closely, her golden eyes trailing down to her chest and wings. She cantered around the alicorn silently, inspecting every part of her until she made her way back in front of her.

Luna got a good look at Eldoris, peering closely at the black hood that shrouded her face, straining to see something. The odd mare didn't seem to have a horn, and when Luna would glance at the mare's sides, there were no sign of wings. Was Eldoris an earth pony, one that had access to powerful magic?

"The other one resides inside you." Eldoris lifted her hoof slowly and placed it on the left side of Luna's chest. "She is right there," she murmured, tapping the area where Luna's heart is.

Luna shivered from Eldoris' chilly touch. The way the mare carried herself was so ghostly and careful. And was it true? Did Nightmare Moon live on despite seemingly being destroyed by the Elements of Harmony so long ago? How could Luna not have noticed?

"She slumbers deep, but the other you is very much real." Eldoris stepped away, relieving Luna from her cold touch. "One day the other you will awaken," she told Luna. "You have the power to access that form with your magic, but you must be able to control it for the sake of this planet's survival."

Luna trembled, and her eyes grew dark and sad. "I don't want her inside me... Why must I call upon something so heinous and wrong? Aren't... Am I not enough?"

"Your sister will have the same troubles, but she will succeed because her ponies are at stake," Eldoris said, her lucid tone barren of sympathy. " She will realize this in time, which you do not have. You must master what you have locked away; Luna, you have to face this part of yourself."

Luna said nothing at first, hanging onto what Eldoris just told her with a bit of confusion. "What do you mean that I do not have enough time? Isn't the threat moons away?" When Eldoris didn't reply, Luna's tone grew sharp. "What do you know that you are not telling me?"

"The one who constructed me," Eldoris began after a short stretch of silence, "may not approve of my doing so, but She would understand. If you are able to hold your own in this dream of darkness, I will tell you."

"Why not now?" Luna questioned.

"Seeing if you are ready for what's to come is more important," Eldoris replied solemnly. "We must be prepared."

"Would you truly tell me what you know?"

Eldoris nodded. "Yes, I would. I do not want you unfocused before I see you can be ready for what's to come."

Luna's eyes narrowed and she tensed her muscles. "I am ready to fight."

Eldoris held up a hoof as Luna was about to lower into a battle stance. "I've known your face for a long time, but you do not know mine. It is only fair for you to see what I look like, yes? We are allies."

Luna would be lying if she said no. Eldoris was draped head to hoof in black, the only thing a pony could see was her golden eyes glimmering in the light that dimmed out the area around them, and she wondered what the mystery mare looked like. This whole place was a mystery to her, a place where Eldoris seems to frequent by her lonesome. The sun did not shine here nor did the moon. Instead, the light that shone was odd and unnatural; a dim light that seemed to touch everything.

Silent, Luna nodded. Eldoris slowly pulled back her hood, revealing a dark blue face and a long, wavy mane as black as the crystal she came out of, obsidian. Her ears were pierced with two golden-black rings. On the sides of her neck were tatted with black symbols Luna couldn't recognize that seemed to trail further down Eldoris' body. She was gorgeous.

What kind of symbols are those on her neck? Luna wondered. They were magic, but Luna did not know what any of them say; the words looked so old and beyond her years. These are symbols from a very long time ago.

"Is there something the matter?" Eldoris asked, her tone still plain.

"What are those symbols?" Luna questioned. "It's magic, but the words inscribed does not seem to make any sense to me."

"The words carved into my skin and appears on my coat are what binds me," she answered. "My creator molded me by etching these words on a body She conceived, and are written in a tongue no pony, not even myself, can decipher."

"You are aged, aren't you?"

Eldoris nodded her head. "I am," she said simply. "Now that you have seen me, shall we begin our bout? We must be prepared."

Luna gave a faint nod of her head. "I am ready. Let's begin."

Luna immediately shot a bolt of magic into the sky; clouds began to appear as the magic twisted and morphed into a large full moon, looming over the two mares. The wind picked up fiercely, swaying the long grass harshly. Just like before when Luna used this technique against Flare Brimstone, the fabricated moon amplified her magical strength.

With the moon high in the sky, Luna conjured translucent black armor to cover herself, then a mighty weighty lance to her right and a stalwart shield to her left, gripped firmly by ethereal hands produced by her magic. Luna wasn't going to hold back, not even a little bit; this was a test to see if she could defend her planet, and Luna was going to show Eldoris how determined she was to protect it.

Eldoris did nothing; the mare stood silently a few feet away, her golden eyes unblinking and staring. Was she waiting for Luna to do something? To make the first move? Did the mare have some kind of trick? Regardless, Luna needed to prove herself.

She leaped forward, shield up, and lance close to her body; she was going to ram her mighty lance into the mare. Just as Luna was about to strike her target, Eldoris' eyes gleamed, and Luna found her strike deflected so quickly that she stumbled back and nearly lost her grip on her weapon.

When Luna regained her footing, she glared challengingly at Eldoris. The mare was turned to the right slightly, her right hind leg in the air. She eased it back to the watery surface and stood as silently as ever.

"You turned, moving your back leg to deflect my strike so quickly I could not perceive it clearly," Luna explained, deducing Eldoris' defensive counter. "You are strong as well to deflect my lance with seemingly no effort, but that will not help you always."

"Your deduction skills are praiseworthy," Eldoris said. "You will not be holding back; that is good, you will need to show me how powerful you are. So shall I prove to you that I am a worthy ally."

Her eyes gleamed again, and Luna saw a sharp object erecting from the lake beside the mare, a long obsidian spear. Eldoris held the weapon and twirled it casually, the air around the spear being rent. She slightly spread her legs apart, lowering herself, hoisting the black spear across her back, and holding it firmly with one hoof.

"Prove yourself," Eldoris whispered with a trace of conviction, her soft voice carrying its way into Luna's ears. "Before the dream ends, show me your strength."

Eldoris surged forward in a flash, spear rearing for a swipe, surprising Luna, but she was ready. The alicorn stood her ground, winding up her lance and thrust it forward. The weapons clashed so fiercely that the water underneath them surged outward to the edges of the lake and swamped the grassy plains. Luna tried to push Eldoris back, but the mare seemed to have an unnatural strength similar to Flare Brimstone, and Luna found herself flung back with so much force she tumbled a few times on the lake's surface.

Eldoris leaped into the air and descended towards Luna quickly. With little time to think, Luna hoisted her shield to tank the blow. It barely worked; the shield repelled Eldoris back a few feet, but Luna noticed a few splits in her shield. Standing back on her slightly trembling hooves from the attack, Luna flew into the air and threw her lance into the lake, piercing the surface. Darkness as black as night began to creep out, overtaking the lake.

With her horn glowing bright, Luna announced the magic spell, Black Space, commandingly. "In the darkness, I summon the hoard, the minions of the night! Rise from the hollowed emptiness of the abyss and attack our enemy!"

Black hooves erupted from the darkness infesting the lake, and thirty shadow ponies rose to fight, their beady yellow eyes trained on Eldoris. But Luna wasn't done yet. Surging magic into the lance embedded in the lake, she summons the punishing creature that once tortured her dreams, a manifestation of darkness.

It rose from the black pool it spawned from, looming over Eldoris in all of its monumental glory. Taking a hazy form resembling Luna, this creepy giant housed the very cosmos within it; the magical aura it pulsed out with every groaning breath sent purple shockwaves that rippled throughout the air. It was the Tantabus, a haunting nightmare now conquered.

The shadow ponies rushed toward Eldoris; their mouths open wide showing rows of sharp teeth. Eldoris dashed at them, spear held tight, and started, one by one, dispatching the ponies with quick rending swipes and devastating slashes. She never let a single one touch her.

The Tantabus reared its mighty head back, slicing open a rift in the air. It charged its massive horn and the portal it created started to erupt with streaming missiles of purple light, but Eldoris was ready. Twirling her lance, she deftly deflected the streams of light one by one, the beams hitting the earth far away, exploding.

Narrowing her eyes, Luna used her magic to teleport her lance back to her hooves. She lifted it in the air, gathering energy around it and sliced the air with a yell, creating blue waves of mystical magic. Eldoris leaped back as one of the slashes hit the lake, making a large splash that rocked the water. Whenever Eldoris couldn't block, she would deflect, and each deflect pushed her back until she was on the other end of the lake.

Directing the Tantabus forward, the large creature jumped over to Eldoris, its gigantic hooves held high to smash her. Putting her lance down and holding her hooves up, Eldoris catches the Tantabus', just the same as Flare Brimstone did. But what was different this time was Eldoris pushed herself off the lake, unbalancing the Tantabus and toppling it over with obscene strength. With the mighty creature fallen, Eldoris grabbed her lance, jumped back into the air, and plunged it into the creature's chest, taking it out of the fight; the Tantabus slowly dissipating.

Though shocked, Princess Luna rose her lance into the air to wind up for another magic slice, but Eldoris was too fast. The mare had leapt towards Luna and knocked her out of the sky with a swing from her spear. Luna cascaded to the ground with a sickening crash, letting out a cry of pain. She lost her grip on the lance and shield. Never before had she faced such a wicked blow from another creature, let alone a pony.

She got back on her hooves, stumbling and out of breath. She struggled to see through her blurred vision; Eldoris was descending to the edge of the lake, her ever-staring golden eyes fixed on Luna. I must fight back; I need to prove myself worthy of defending Equestria! she thought ardently, forcing herself to focus. She could feel something squirming deep within her chest, and, suddenly terrified, she fought to keep it under control.

"The other you is stirring inside," Eldoris said slowly, taking a few steps toward Luna before stopping. "She is a source of power for you, and all you need to do is tap into it. You cannot ignore her forever, Luna."

Luna tried to stop her hooves from trembling. She clenched her teeth. "I do not require that monster's power," she retorted acidly, but deep down she was afraid. She didn't want Nightmare Moon to resurface. "I am enough!"

Eldoris stared at Luna silently for what seemed to be hours until the mare dipped her head. "Perhaps you hadn't come to realize how beneficial the other you can be. What are you afraid of?" she asked, earnest in her voice which caught Luna off-guard.

"If I come to use this power inside me, rely on it, to tap into whenever I wish, I fear that one day I will become that monster again," Luna said, a quiver in her voice. "I caused so much pain and heartache... I... I do not want that to happen again."

"You must overcome this fear, or the fate of this planet will be in a worse state," Eldoris said. "Celestia will do what is required of her, but yet you hesitate because of this fear instilled inside you. The other you will reawaken, but you have the strength to master and control it, to use what you say is evil and turn it into a force for good. It would be a waste to leave such power locked away. You do not have time to dither, Luna."

There it was again. Not enough time. The threat that will bear down on this planet is many moons away, and yet Eldoris is telling Luna she didn't have the time to waste or be hesitant or indecisive. Why didn't she have enough time? And was it really true that she could wield Nightmare Moon's power as an auger of good instead of evil?

"What if you are wrong?" Luna asked Eldoris, pain in her voice. "What if she comes back and I cannot stop her? The Elements of Harmony should have destroyed her, and yet she persists. I do not want her festering inside my heart; I want to be rid of her..."

"You cannot," Eldoris said plainly. "She is a magical manifestation of your envy and spite; a construct of powerful emotion given form that cannot be simply destroyed." She pointed her spear at Luna. "We must be prepared. What that means is using anything and everything we have at our disposal for the battle. Mastering what stirs inside your heart is part of that, and you must be prepared to use it."

Luna held in a growl mingled with frustration and fear. She would do anything to ensure Equestria and the planet its on no matter what, but did that truly mean using Nightmare Moon? Using the dark power that harmed not only her, but her sister and the nation she loved so much? Why wouldn't she herself be enough? Why must she rely on that monster's strength?

Because that power is mine, Luna thought to herself. She placed a hesitant hoof over her chest. It came from me, those emotions... twisting my magic and turned it into something dangerous.

Luna thought about Celestia. Her sister was kind and brave, a mother to all under her sun; she was worshipped as a god. She was smart; she has the support and trust of so many ponies for dedicating her long life to serve them; hardly would a pony doubt her. She was a beacon of hope and a hero to many, a mentor to some, and a lover of very few. She was also powerful; Celestia was supremely gifted; a master of fire magic.

She was so...inspirational. And I, so jealous. How could I hope to become even half of what Celestia is? By perhaps doing what is required of me...

Celestia was so many things, and underneath all of that was fear and desperation. She had so many things to worry about, so much riding on her back, and Luna didn't know how her sister was able to keep it all together.

My sister would lay down her very life if it meant Equestria would persist, using everything at her will...even the form she locked away. She would use it. To her it wouldn't matter how scared she was; Celestia would use it if it meant Equestria lived.

Luna began to think if she would do the same. Of course she would, there was no question, but when she really thought about it, would she? Saying was one thing, but actually doing it was something entirely different. Would she lay down her life, use every bit of power she could muster to save and ensure her nation would live on, even using Nightmare Moon?

Luna closed her eyes for a long moment, gathering in a long breath before exhaling, looking deep within herself.

Deep within her mind, Luna found herself sitting in a black void. She looked around and saw another pony, a taller pony, an alicorn that bore a striking resemblance to herself, laying down a few hoofsteps away, slitted eyes staring. She pushed away fear, got up, and strode forward until she was in front of the pony. The pony lifted her head and stood up, towering over Luna, her slitted gaze boring into her.

"It is good to see you again, old friend," the tall pony said, her displaced, slightly distorted voice echoing eerily in the black void, but it didn't sound hostile. "Why have you come to see me?"

Luna stood tall, never breaking eyesight with this pony. "Nightmare Moon," Luna said evenly. "You must already know. You can see my mind, what's in my heart; what I think and feel."

"Yes," Nightmare Moon drawled, her response was long and husky. "I see everything in you, now that I am awake." A smile stretched across her black face, showing serrated white teeth. "You need me, don't you?"

As much as it pained her and how reticent she felt, Luna gave a nod. "I do."

Nightmare Moon slowly craned her neck down toward Luna until their faces nearly touched. "Yet you sound so unsure, so reluctant," she hissed quietly. "My power, our power, can only be used if you are willing."

Luna fought to hold back an angry scowl. She calmed herself, though it was an effort. "I need you. I am... I will not be enough. What's coming will require the both of us."

Nightmare Moon's slitted eyes gleamed. "You are afraid," she murmured, her black wings looming over Luna. "You fear losing control, old friend."

"I am," Luna admitted. "I fear if you and I work together that I will lose myself and revert back into a monster, leaving you alone to do whatever you wished. But this is bigger than you or me; the survival of this planet is supported by our shoulders. What I fear does not matter. What matters is Equestria, something both you and I share deeply."

"Of course we care about Equestria, that is the reason why I wanted to rule, to let the others see the beauty as they saw with the sun; make them revere and admire such beauty," Nightmare Moon explained. "The methods used didn't matter, only the result."

"But others do love the night; Twilight Sparkle admires it, often stargazing," Luna said, her voice growing soft. "So many more love the night and what it gives them. I could never see it because of how jealous I was, but now I have. Ponies love the night."

"Indeed, they do," Nightmare agreed, receding her wings back to her side. "If you desire my aid, then you will have to release this fear infesting your mind and heart."

"But if I do lose control, you'll roam free," Luna retorted. "How can I take such a risk? What if it does not work?"

"Of course it will," Nightmare Moon said lowly, her voice rumbling deep in her throat. "I may persist, but that is all. Ponies love the night, and you rule over Equestria, though as a diarchy; what I wanted has come to pass. And besides," she continued, "I exist to be utilized by you; you created me through means of magic and powerful, overwhelming emotion. I cannot simply cease to exist; the Elements are useless on me. Instead, I can help you reach a higher power, but only if you are willing and able. I may be a monster, but I am your monster. What say you, old friend?"

Luna stared solemnly at Nightmare Moon, trying to determine if the mare in front of her was lying. As she searched for some kind of indication, Luna found she could not. Nightmare Moon was telling the truth. Then, if that was truly the case, Luna knew what needed to be done, and although she still didn't trust her darker half because of what she represents, it would be a waste to ignore a power that can be used to save Equestria.

Luna stepped forward once and held up her hoof. Nightmare Moon held up her own as well. "I will use your power," Luna said firmly, any fear losing control gone. "Help me, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon gave a low chortle, placing her hoof firmly on Luna's. "I shall," she said. "From this moment on, you and I are truly one."

When Luna reopened her eyes, she stared solemnly at Eldoris. Using her magic, she teleported her lance and shield and gripped them again with magic hands.

Eldoris tilted her head; she seemed to sense Luna's change. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Luna's pupils began to look sharp and slit-shaped, burning fiercely with determination. "We are."

In an instant, Luna surged forward, her lance close to her chest. Her weapon collided with Eldoris', and surprisingly, was able to push the earth pony back so hard that the mare was in the middle of the lake. Amazed with this newfound power after teaming up with Nightmare Moon, Luna felt more powerful than ever before. She could use this new power to help and defend Equestria from The Flame.

"That's good," Eldoris said. Her spear began to glow purple. "Now let us see how much your new self can do."

Eldoris swiped the air in front of her, sending sharp waves of magical energy towards Luna. The alicorn leaped forward, skidding on the earth, her shield held up. With a grunt, Luna deflected the attacks, charging forward. When she was close, she thrust her lance at Eldoris, but the earth pony blocked the attack.

Eldoris pushed Luna back and swiped at her with a series of downwards slashes, rending the air, yet Luna blocked them with her shield. The mighty force of the attacks whiplashed the lake around Luna. Luna leapt away, lighting up her horn and blasting forth a powerful laser. With the fake moon still in the sky and her newfound strength, the laser was amplified greatly, illuminating the whole area in its azure glow.

Eldoris stood firm, rearing her right foreleg back that held her spear, and threw it with immense force. The spear collided with the laser, piercing through it and towards Luna. Thinking fast, Luna stopped channeling the laser to dodge, but when she did, she was not fast enough when Eldoris jumped towards her and kicked her out of the sky again, landing crushingly on the earth.

Coughing, Luna felt the aching of her limbs, but she couldn't stop now. She struggled off the ground but only to see Eldoris rushing towards her, spear in hoof. The earth pony thrust the spear forward, but Luna blocked it and retaliated with a thrust of her own, followed by a sweep to knock Eldoris off balance, yet the mare defended herself from the blow.

The two were locked in a vicious clash, each thundering blow rocking the earth and lake. When Eldoris raised her spear high, Luna raised her lance to catch it, staving the blow. As they struggled, Luna used her shield to bash it into Eldoris' face, forcing the mare to step back, dazed. Then, Luna slammed the side of her lance into Eldoris' flank, propelling the mare across the earth until she skidded to a harsh halt.

"How's that?!" Luna yelled, proud of her brand-new power. "Strong enough for you?! Well, I am not yet finished!"

Using her magic, Luna created black tendril-like constructs. She set her weapon and shield down and used her hooves to send the tendrils forward. Before Eldoris could react, she was snatched up and held tightly as the tendrils rose her high in the air. With a sharp downward motion from Luna's forehooves, Eldoris plummeted into the ground that sent a powerful shockwave through the earth.

Freeing herself from the tendrils, they dissipate, and as Eldoris eased herself of the ground, Luna jumped into the air and descended towards her, lance angled downwards for an impale. Just before she could land, Eldoris evaded the blow, yet the force of the attack broke the earth, and the mare found herself flung back again but she was able to stay on her hooves this time.

Luna didn't let up. She lunged forward, bashing Eldoris again with her shield, the blow causing a whiplash, and knocked Eldoris down. She rose her lance in the air to impale the pony, but Eldoris was quicker, striking Luna's chest with a powerful buck from her hindlegs. Luna was sent careening in the air before landing with a crash.

Letting out a grunt of pain, Luna looked forward and saw a beam of purple magic gunning towards her. Quickly, she raised her shield, catching the purple ray, but it was strong. She clenched her teeth, trying to hold on, but cracks in her shield begun to appear, and before she knew it, her shield broke and she took the beam of magic. It blasted her harshly, going through her body, carrying her off her hooves.

The magic attack broke her armor as well, and Luna lost her grip on the lance. The beam carried her until it disappeared, letting Luna tumble across the earth before coming to a halt. Her lance was gone, her shield and armor broken, and the moon she fabricated above the lake, vanished. Luna let out a long sigh and laid on the earth, defeated.

"You did well," Eldoris said, trotting up to Luna. "You were able to keep up mostly and inflict powerful blows on my body, but in the end, you were beaten."

Did that mean Luna was unfit to defend Equestria? She was not strong enough, even after she and Nightmare Moon joined forces.

"Do not look that way," Eldoris said, seeing Luna's crestfallen expression.

Luna shook her head. "But I failed," she murmured, sadness layered deep in her voice. "I am still not enough..."

"Of course you are."

Luna looked shocked, sitting up despite the aches she felt. "But I did not claim victory over you," she pointed out.

"I wanted you to hold your own fighting me, not to claim victory," Eldoris explained, sitting in front of Luna. "You accomplished just that. You moved past your fear and acquired a new power from the other you, whom you are now synchronized with. This will aid us greatly in the battle to come, but you must practice and hone your newfound strength."

Though Luna was elated to know that she proved herself, she was worried. "What about the tremors affecting Equestria?" she asked.

"Though the tremors infect Equestria, they will become sparse as The Flame awakens," Eldoris explained. She gazed towards the sky again. "You and your sister will have less to worry about, but do not lapse into complacency; stay vigilant and continue to aid those in need."

After a long stretch of silence, Luna asks, "Eldoris, would you show me what you promised? You know something important about me. What is it?"

Eldoris gazed silently at Luna for a few moments before bowing her head. "I did say I would tell you." She got on her hooves, and although Luna did the same, she let out small grunts of pain. "Ah, I have to heal your damage."

With a glint from her golden eyes, Luna felt a warm glow enveloping her, and the aches and pains she felt had begun to fade away until it was as if they'd never been.

Luna bowed, surprised to see another pony besides her sister use that magic. "Thank you," she murmured respectfully.

Eldoris acknowledged Luna's appreciation with a nod. "Before I let you leave this dream of darkness, I will show what I know rather than tell you."

An orb of black appeared in front of Luna and Eldoris, shining brightly with a white hue. Eldoris placed a hoof on it and muttered some words under her breath. The orb began to shiver, the smooth shiny surface revealing to Luna what she wanted to know.

Eldoris watched silently at the expected shock on Luna's face. There was disbelief and anger, but also sadness and a weary acceptance. A part of her believed if she shown this to the alicorn before she was fully committed to the fight, then things may have gone differently. Another part of Eldoris wondered if that was truly the case, but the power to see farther than most has never once failed her.

"This is... Is this truly what lies in wait for me?" Luna asked Eldoris quietly, never taking her eyes off of what she saw. "I cannot prevent this?"

Eldoris turned away from Luna's dark gaze and peered toward the sky again. "This is set in stone, and there is nothing I have seen that showed me otherwise," Eldoris murmured softly, turning back to Luna. "Now you know why I desired to see your strength before I showed you what lay ahead. You may not have gone and did everything you just done if you knew beforehand. Knowing now, does anything change?"

"No," Luna answered. "I only wish I could have done a bit more after what will happen."

"Are you saddened by this revelation?"

Luna shook her head. "At first, I was but knowing this will not change my mind. When it happens, I can only accept it, but until then I will give all I have before that road is inevitably crossed." Luna gazed at Eldoris, and the earth pony saw some facet of peace in those cyan eyes. "Thank you for showing me," she said with a bow. "I will continue serving my ponies and train this new power for the battle to come."

"I will be standing beside you and your sister when that happens," Eldoris avowed.

Luna gave a brief smile. "I am ready to wake up," she said. "Also, where is Agni?"

"Your servant is sleeping soundly just outside the hole you both jumped down," Eldoris said. "He was not needed for this trial, so I teleported him outside shortly after you fell asleep. You will awake beside him."

Luna dipped her head gratefully. Using her magic, Eldoris teleported the alicorn away, her figure vanishing. Left alone, Eldoris gazed at the stars but then was startled when the orb beside her shivered again.

"What is this?" she pondered, gazing deeply into the orb. What Princess Luna saw was still there, but something was different, something had changed. Her golden eyes widened briefly. "A fallacy... But how?" She peered deeper and saw a pony standing over a weakened Luna, protecting her, but before she could make out the pony's features, the orb suddenly became inactive, disappearing before Eldoris' eyes.

Confused by this revelation, Eldoris shifted her golden gaze at the stars again. Something had changed up there too. There was another star shining brightly, more than the others. A new one she had never seen before; a different color than the rest.

"Ah, I see," she murmured, mystified. "How...interesting. My dear creator, are you witnessing what beholds before us in the sky? A star like no other."

Cave Exit

Leaf Storm awoke abruptly from sleep; a wave of shudders racked her body. She had slept longer than she thought. All she did was sleep, hardly ever speaking or moving, seeing only darkness in the cave and feeling the unpleasant auric chill, of which she had gotten used to, of her hallowed caretaker. And it seemed Thaney had returned once again.

Leaf Storm watched the alicorn skulk in like a living shadow, moving so quietly and yet so quickly, her ghostly movements smooth and confident. A thump from the other side of the cave walls and the smell she had unfortunately gotten used to told Leaf that her savior had just come back from hunting.

Unable to drift back into sleep, she was forced to listen to the alicorn ravenously strip the prey's skin off to feast on the meat underneath. She could hear the tearing and squelching of the meat, followed by the alicorn's fierce hunger, devouring the corpse noisily. As usual, she had to stop herself from vomiting at the sounds, but the images were forming in Leaf's mind, and no matter how she tried to think about something else, it would fail. It was all a bit too unreal.

It didn't help matters either when Leaf could only eat berries that her generous savior could forage; she was beginning to lose weight during the days since she was rescued, and the berries could stave off pangs of hunger for only so long. She had asked the alicorn to scout further beyond the forest, but Thaney had refused, wanting to stay close to her in case she was in any danger. Though she was grateful for Thaney's loyalty, Leaf wished the alicorn could forage just a bit further from the cave.

Minutes passed, and once her savior had finished her meal, the alicorn cleaned herself up by using some kind of odd energy Leaf didn't fully understand. She could hear Thaney getting up and trotting towards her.

A thought crossed Leaf's mind, and she found it strange she never questioned it before. "Thaney," she began, sounding a bit concerned, "how can you eat animals without getting sick?"

The tall alicorn sat in front of Leaf, her head tilted to the side in confusion. "I do not understand."

Leaf Storm thought her question very understandable, but perhaps no one ever questioned Thaney about it. "I mean, those animals could have sickness and disease," Leaf clarified, "how can you eat something like that? Aren't you worried about contracting something from them?"

"Oh, I see." Thaney smiled; her teeth still stained with blood. She was using her tongue to savor the blood. "I have a strong immune system; I can stomach anything that lives and breathes, though I have preferences. I am quite resilient to the mortal toils like sickness and disease, even my empyrean energy helps out."

"Oh, okay," Leaf murmured, looking a tad flustered. "I'm not sure I understand it all, but just be careful, okay?"

"Of course," Thaney replied, the tone of her voice sweet and gentle. She peered closely at Leaf. "How are we? The pain accosting your back legs. How do they feel?"

Leaf Storm didn't know; she barely moved since she was rescued by Thaney and taken here to rest. Leaf could feel the dull aching of her legs, and when she moved them, she could seldom feel their strength returning. Thaney has been treating her leg injuries with a fierceness. The alicorn would do something to her legs that made Leaf feel like there was something wrapped around them, something big and bulbous. The process was working two days now, and yet when Leaf would put pressure on her legs, they would buckle and a sharp pain would make her coat ripple with a short, cutting agony. Today seemed to be hardly any different.

Thaney frowned, seeming frustrated, but only for a brief moment. "Let me see," the alicorn said.

Though Leaf felt tired as she always did these days confined in this infernal cave, she was determined to see what was on her hind legs and what exactly Thaney was doing to them. She stretched out her hind legs towards Thaney to examine. What Leaf saw was as she thought: something big, round-shaped, and black. It looked like a smooth-rounded scab clasped tightly on her back legs.

A disgusted shudder ran down the back of Leaf's spine. She never seen something so odd and clean. She watched in horror as Thaney, horn glowing a pale white to get a better look at the scab, bent her head down and opened her mouth wide, wider than a pony's mouth should, as if the alicorn's jaw was unhinged, and used her sharp teeth to puncture one of the bulbous scabs.

Leaf saw wisps of black air seeping from the punctured holes, and she felt the giant scab deflate, much to her disgust. It split in the middle before shriveling to the size of a raisin. Thaney flicked it away into the darkness and studied Leaf's wound. Three thick, jagged tears snaked down from her leg to her hoof. The wound looked clean from the outside; Thaney had cleaned it while she was unconscious.

Thaney placed a hoof on the wound and Leaf jerked a little. "Stay still," she ordered, but Leaf found that impossible.

"Could you be a bit gentler?" Leaf implored, sounding frail and tired. She tried to not make herself sound annoyed or ungrateful, but Thaney could stand to not be so firm.

Thaney stared wordlessly at Leaf for a couple of moments. She then leaned forward and gave her an affectionate nuzzle against her cheek. Shocked into silence, Leaf tried her best to not flinch away; she wouldn't know how Thaney would treat her rejection, and she was too perturbed to find out and test the alicorn's limits.

"Of course I can," Thaney murmured, sounding like a doting and caring mother. "I just want you to be well, and I believe I know what the problem could be."

Thaney had healing powers because of her birth, but the potency and efficacy have been restrictive while she's on Equus, as Leaf often heard the alicorn complain about the slow recovery of her legs. It made Leaf worry.

"What's been wrong with my legs?" Leaf uttered gently, a sliver of fear in her voice.

"The process has been unusually laggard," Thaney grumbled, gazing seriously at Leaf's back legs. "I suspected something inside the flesh is preventing a full recovery, so I went on a hunt for a few timberwolves one day while you were sleeping."

Leaf was shocked. "You shouldn't have gone through that; those creatures are dangerous!" Though Leaf knew Thaney could take care of herself quite well, she was afraid for the alicorn's life.

Thaney gave a low chortle. "You are sweet to fear for my life and chastise me, but I am dangerous as well," she replied with a cherry tone. "I am more dangerous than anything else on this planet, I assure you."

"What did you find out?" Leaf asked, trying not to feel too unsettled by Thaney's last words.

"After snuffing out their lives, I examined their saliva, and I found that their bacteria have the peculiar property to inject an infectious toxin, preventing wounds from being properly healed," Thaney explained. "It would slowly corrode the inside of a creature, weakening the prey or victim and causing pain before devouring them. I had tested the saliva on a creature I injured and killed, pouring some of the spit into a wound on its neck. I then attempted to heal the injury, and although most of the wound was cleaned up, it never closed up properly."

Thaney did all of that? Figuring out that timberwolf spit was infectious and prevented proper healing? Leaf never thought Thaney was smart, despite being weird and scary.

"The infection caused by the spit inside your legs haven't progressed since I was able to wall it off from spreading by healing most of your wounds," Thaney said, going on. "My restorative gifts aren't entirely enough because of this universe's restrictions. However, now that I know what this is, I know how to get rid of it. I did not foresee myself doing this, but I'd do it for you, my little friend."

Though strangely touched by Thaney's words and her conviction to heal her, Leaf wondered what the alicorn could do. "Do you have a solution?" she asked hopefully. Leaf would like to use her hind legs without any difficulty.

Thaney nodded, looking eager. "I will use my tongue."

Leaf was silent, unable to fully grasp what she just heard. Confused, she asked, "Your...tongue?"

Thaney smiled. It was unnaturally wide. "I created an antidote," she said, clarifying. "I used the timberwolf saliva and my blood, combining the two. My empyrean energy was used to act as a catalyst for the change, mixing the two substances into an antidote. I tested it on the dead animal I killed, and it worked. It should work for you."

Shuddering, Leaf Storm cringed and fought the need to vomit. "But...ugh... Why is your tongue the cure?"

"I drank the antidote," Thaney said simply, still gazing at Leaf's hind legs and unable to see the mare nearly upchuck. "No container to store it in and no needle or tool to aid with proper injection. My tongue is long and flexible and can be used as an alternative." She stared at Leaf. "I will have to burrow my tongue under your skin and wiggle my way through the flesh to properly apply the antidote, which is my saliva."

"I don't know about this, Thaney. It all seems so... It sounds ridiculous. Are you sure it'll work?" Leaf asked, disgusted. She was skeptical and hesitant about the whole thing.

"Yes," Thaney answered. She didn't seem doubtful of this plan, in fact, she was confident it would work. "If you are concerned about the bacteria of the various animals I have killed and eaten, your worries are understandable but unfounded. My empyrean energy removes all traces of ill or harmful bacteria. I guess you'll have a little bit of my DNA swimming inside you, but that is no cause for concern."

Leaf Storm imagined Thaney's tongue slithering inside her hind legs and immediately thought about dismissing her solution and asking her to find some other way. If there was another way, Thaney would have found it, Leaf thought, gazing warily at the alicorn. She strikes me as the type to do anything she needed or wanted...no matter who or what said otherwise.

"I will try not to hurt you, Leaf," Thaney said, sounding genuine for the first time, at least to Leaf. "Hold the need to squirm and writhe; I do not want to make any crucial errors. Understand?"

Leaf Storm was reluctant to go through the whole ordeal, but something about Thaney's assurances caused Leaf to dip her head in trust. "Okay," she murmured, suddenly feeling bashful. "I won't like it, but I trust you."

Thaney smiled at that, nuzzling Leaf roughly with affection. "Once your legs are healed, we will be leaving this cave."

Now that was something Leaf wanted; she didn't want to be inside this stuffy old cave anymore. Laying down, Leaf told Thaney to begin with the treatment, holding back shudders of unease and disgust.

At first Leaf could feel nothing, waiting in fearful anticipation. Seconds pass, and when she begun to relax, Leaf Storm felt something wet and slimy brushing against her right hind leg, and she fought not to shriek. It slithered over to her wound and Leaf could feel her coat standing up. Thaney's slathering tongue was entering the wound; Leaf Storm felt it wiggle through the exposed, cut skin, widening and burrowing deep into her flesh. She could feel it snake down until she knew it was near her hoof.

Leaf was shaking, her eyes were bulging in shock, her heartbeat was fast, and she wanted to scream. It didn't hurt, but having something long and huge writhing in her leg was extremely unpleasant. She could feel Thaney using a wing to hold her gently, yet firmly in place. The tongue stopped, giving Leaf a brief respite, but then it suddenly began moving against the muscle. Leaf felt something, like a poke or prod; it was a slight, familiar pain that she pushed to the back of her mind. Like a dull ache. Thaney must've reached where it hurt.

Leaf began to feel something else. It felt cold, and it moved slowly, but it also felt soothing. Leaf felt the ache ailing her right hind leg beginning to lift, disappearing until the pain she felt had finally ceased. A slow, murmuring sigh escaped her lips, and she began to feel relaxed. The tongue inside her leg moved again and exited her flesh.

"That was exquisite," Thaney commented, her voice was cheery. "You have quite the unique taste; it is a shame you aren't an animal I could prey on."

Leaf Storm huffed, pushing back annoyance. Though she was thankful of Thaney helping her, she wished the alicorn wouldn't say such weird things, especially after what just happened. One leg was healed completely, and now Leaf has to experience the...unpleasantness of Thaney's treatment again on her left hind leg.

"How does it look?" Leaf asked her, looking back. "Does my leg look okay?"

"The antidote worked perfectly; you are absolved of the timberwolf infection in your right hind leg," Thaney answered, touching Leaf's other leg and examining it closely. "Hmm... The treatment should work on the other. After this, we can head outside."

"Where will you be going?" Leaf asked.

"To visit my brother," Thaney answered, positioning Leaf's left hind leg and peering at the wound closely. "I have not seen him since I departed from Dawn; he must be worried, so I need to reassure him that I am well and safe. I was hoping you would join me."

Leaf was surprised. "M-me?" she sputtered, taken aback. "I don't know yet, but before I do anything I have to go to my tent and see the damages; I have something there I want."

"I've been to see it."

"You...have?"

Thaney nodded. "I tracked the timberwolves' scent that hunted you down and found a small clearing near here. It was quite messy, but do not worry, it looked like your possessions were still there."

Leaf Storm blushed internally. "Thank you, Thaney," she murmured gratefully.

Thaney let out a low chortle. "No need to thank me," she replied sweetly, smiling and showing off her serrated white teeth, but Leaf Storm wasn't as unsettled as she was before. "After I apply the antidote on your other leg, we will visit your tent and gather anything you deem worthwhile. In exchange, you accompany me to my dear brother. Would you like that?"

Leaf Storm could feel joy washing over her auburn-colored coat. She still wasn't completely sure about Thaney, but she trusted her. This alien had saved her life, brought her to a secure place of rest, watched over her, brought her preferred food and cared for her, treating her injuries and even making an antidote to cure her legs so she could walk. Sure, she was really weird and very scary, but it always seemed her heart or whatever Thaney has was in the right place; she just does things in her own creepy way.

Leaf Storm supposed she could join Thaney after gathering what she needed from camp. She liked Thaney, despite the alicorn's odd eccentricities, and she had the thought that the alicorn liked having her around, calling her a friend. She also wanted to see who this brother of hers was, and Leaf had a feeling that she should keep an eye on Thaney.

It's not that I don't trust her, but she seems to value my input and listens to me. It's a weird dynamic, she thought to herself, stifling a small snort of amusement.

Leaf Storm nodded. "I'd like that," she said, feeling a surge of excitement bubbling inside her. "I really want to leave this cave."

"Then let me treat your left hind leg so we can go."

Leaf Storm stretched, feeling out her hind legs after Thaney's treatment. They felt strong, much stronger than before. She paced in place a few times, then she jumped to the left and then to the right, testing out her legs. Everything seemed to be great, and Leaf couldn't be happier.

She was standing at the entrance of the cave, peering out to the world; this was the spot Thaney watched over her, often sat on her flank and gazing out to the forest in silence, scanning for danger. The lush greenery overtook her sight, and she had briefly look away from the vividness after seeing nothing but dim darkness in the cave for days.

"Someone's elated," called a smooth voice from behind; it was Thaney. Leaf turned to meet her. "Your legs seem to be in working order, yes? Any discomforts I could alleviate?"

Leaf gave another long stretch and shook her head. "My legs are healed fully!" she exclaimed happily, straining to not bounce around like a filly. "They feel even better than before; my legs feel stronger, more capable. I don't know why, but it's probably my lack of use since the attack."

Thaney gave a low chortle, her pale white eyes wide. "Indeed," she murmured eerily, her long golden tail swishing behind her. She stood beside Leaf, staring out into the forest. "Try not to strain yourself too hard; your legs may be healed and functioning to their expected proficiency, I want you to...pace yourself."

Leaf didn't think she needed to do that, but Thaney wouldn't be saying something like that if it wasn't important, especially considering her legs. "Okay," she said with a shrug, smiling. She gazed around the tall thick-trunked trees and vibrant foliage. "Hmm... I'm not too sure where my tent is. Everything is all a blur after what happened."

Thaney placed a large wing over Leaf's back and caressed it soothingly. "Never you mind that, friend, I know where your...tent is," she said, turning her head towards a mossy pathway. "Follow me."

As the two trotted onwards, Leaf could tell that, despite everything being so lively and bright, she could feel Thaney's aura seeping off of her, flooding the area around them in a brittle chill. The alicorn was excited. Leaf was surprised that she wasn't as bothered by it as before, as if she was getting used to it. Thaney had told her that the more she spent time with the alicorn the less the aura she'd feel. It would start to be unnoticeable and normal.

Well, she thought to herself, animals and the like have noticed, and I'm thinking the wildlife doesn't appreciate Thaney being here.

When the two got to a clearing, Leaf Storm saw her camp in shambles during her frantic escape from the timberwolves: her tent was in tatters and dirt and debris was everywhere, and stains of old, dried blood lay at what used to be the tent's entrance.

She rushed over to the camp and trotted up the shredded tent where she was first attacked. Inside the tent wasn't much aside from her backpack, which was filled with a map, camping supplies, and rations. What she wanted was inside the backpack. She reached out for it, grabbing the strap firmly and hauled it outside where Leaf sat on the earth. She looked around for the zipper, gripped it, and opened her backpack.

As she's going through her backpack, a large shadow eclipses her body. She turned around to see Thaney looking over her.

"What you came for lies in that rucksack?" she asked.

Leaf nodded. "It's something I want to keep," she answered, digging deeper inside the backpack. She felt something smooth and hard. Finding it, she fished it out. "Here it is."

Thaney craned her head down to peer at the object. "A photograph?" she mused, sounding puzzled. "I see two ponies, a male and female, standing side by side, smiling. They look happy. This what you came back for?"

Leaf Storm nodded; her eyes became soft. "These are my parents," she told Thaney quietly. "Brindle Wind, my father, and Breeze Feather, my mother."

"I take it they were special to you?"

"Yes," Leaf murmured. "They died some time ago, in an accident. After they died, I left to live on my own, away from the village I was born and raised in. I had an interest in camping; my parents got me into it, and there was hardly a day I wasn't outside an hour or two away from the village and being under the stars enjoying nature."

"Then being confined into that cave was torturous to you?"

"Yeah, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have had a freak-out or something if I had to be somewhere like that," Leaf said hastily, turning to meet Thaney. "I was thinking about my health and my legs; the cave you brought me was a good place to rest. I was safe and secure; you watched over me and made sure I was okay. You saved my life. And, though you are weird, I like being around you."

Thaney's pale white eyes grew wide. "Do you mean that? Truly, you do?"

Leaf Storm gave a faint nod. "Of course," she answered, putting the picture of her mother and father back inside the backpack. "I'll be honest. I was scared of you, and I found what you do disgusting and downright deplorable; I feared that you would take my life, but then, despite everything I thought and feared, you are a good pony regardless of what you are. You didn't have to save or take care of me; you could have used me to get information and abandoned me to fend for myself. But you stayed with me, even asking me to travel with you."

Thaney stared in silence, her pale eyes boring into Leaf's. Then she gave another low chortle and the alicorn's eyes brightened. "I was told to not participate in my regular well-to-do's while on this planet, and that includes not harming any one of the creatures here without very good reason," she said. "I think I wanted to show how well I could behave, and when I saw you running from those timberwolves, I decided to do my best the only way I knew how. It has gone quite well so far, and now I have a friend I can protect. It's a new, welcome feeling."

"I never really asked much about you or where you came from aside the explanation you spoke of," Leaf said, feeling a bit guilty. "I do consider you my friend, and I trust you with my life after all you've done for me, so... I would like to know more about you, Thaney." She gave a small smile. "And I would like to tell you about myself...if you want."

Thaney nodded, faintly looking serious. "I will strive to learn about you, Leaf," she avowed. "I promise." She chuckled a little. "I sound like my darling brother."

Leaf Storm stood up, relishing the strength of her legs. She entered her ruined tent and found a small, dirty satchel next to a broken oil lamp. She grabbed it and put the picture of her parents inside before she slung in over her head. "Okay," she began, "there is nothing left for me here." She exited the tent. "Do you know where your brother is?"

Thaney smiled widely. "Indeed, I do," she replied cheerily. "I've got his scent."

Leaf Storm nodded. "Then, let's be off!"