Dreams of Forever

Fluttershy? What are you doing here?

She's with me... Thank you.

Have you all spent the whole night running around, scaring each other?

Well, that depends.

On what?

Choices. It always come down the smallest of details. A million small bits of information processed through the mind every second in order to deduce the best possible outcome. It can be life or death, the difference between glory and obscurity. A future or the past.

It all comes down to this.

Would you just pick a flavor already? Flip a bit! Do something! We've been standing here the past five minutes.

"I can't decide." Somnia looked between the different flavors on offer. Chocolate? Nah, not in the mood. Blueberry swirl? Too much like the forest. Cinnamon sprinkle? What even is that?

"Seriously?" The pony at the front desk was getting impatient with standing around while the filly deliberated on the different flavors. "May I suggest the 'berry explosion'?"

"Does it have blueberries in it?" She squinted.

The attendant sighed, going back to cleaning the counters. Too many choices.

Just pick your two favorites!

But that's boring!

Life doesn't need to be a roller-coaster of excitement. I'll pick if you can't!

No blueberries!

Diamond vanilla swirl.

"One diamond vanilla swirl!" She called out triumphantly.

"Size and extra toppings?" The attendant dreaded to ask.

"Large and sprinkles." She sweetly smiled. "Unless you have pepperoni bites."

"No, we don't." The attendant shook their head as they put together the cone. "It'll be five bits."

Somnia scrounged in her saddlebag, finding the bits she won from Rainbow Dash. Taking out five, she slung the saddlebag onto her back and grabbed the cone. "Thank you!"

"Come back soon!" They cringed at the words while the filly trotted from the store.

Next stop: Smoky Stacks Smithy. Hopefully they will be open today.

"Wanna bet?" She smirked, confusing those around her as she trotted past.

There is literally nothing I could give you that I wouldn't give you eventually anyway.

"I know, but where's the fun in that?" She thought of something she was always curious about. "What did you look like before you became Grogar?"

Only a fool would take a bet against somepony that they know already knows the answer.

"I bet they're open!"

I'm not taking the opposite position.

"HA! I knew it!" She cheerfully trotted along the streets. She would have waved to the ponies she passed by, but the cone demanded her attention. It was a pretty good day to be outside. Not too hot, not too windy, just the right balance.

Approaching the smithy, Somnia could hear the banging of metal on metal. There was something she wanted made but it required equipment to create. She had spent the entire morning copying the schematics onto a large roll of paper, and Grar had promised to show her how to assemble and clean it.

Finishing her ice cream, she entered into the open area where the blacksmith was hammering away at a metal bar. There were a variety of forged objects along the walls and on the shelves, some of which Somnia recognized. Door hinges, strips of cloth, nails, tool heads, but not what she was looking for.

"Can I help you?" Smoky asked between strokes of his hammer.

"I need something made." She kept her distance so the sparks wouldn't catch her fur.

"A filly like you? Heh, what could you possibly need from me?"

"I need a way to protect myself!" She confidently declared. "I need a few things forged to assemble what I had in mind."

Smoky picked the bar back up with tongs, putting it in the furnace, before turning to Somnia and raising a brow. "Can you even afford it?"

"Probably." She thought about it a second. She hadn't asked her mother if she could bill the royal treasury, but this would be a useful expenditure. "I'll collect the materials, I just need you to forge it."

Smoky took the bar back from the furnace and onto the anvil to pound away at it. "Confirm the payment, then we'll talk."

"Um, I also need to know what temperature your furnace has." She smiled softly.

"It can melt steel, is that high enough?"

No, needs to be higher.

"Sorry, but it needs to be higher."

He gave her an incredulous look. "It's nearly seventeen-hundred fehrcius, what kind of metal are you trying to melt?"

"It's magic!" She cheerfully answered.

"Then find somepony who specializes in magic forging. I make tools and supplies for the town, none of which needs magical reinforcement."

"Aw, okay. I'll still come back for the mechanism stuff though!" She waved goodbye as she left. It was going to be a long search, and her mother might not be so keen on what she has planned.

Better than running around with a guard looking over your shoulder.

"What even are these metals you listed?" She pulled out the schematics. "I only recognize a few names from the periodic table."

It's similar to steel, except lighter, more resistant to everything, and is outright superior in form. You get this made and you will never need to sharpen it.

Somnia shrugged as she put the schematics away, willing to trust Grar knew what he was saying. Trotting back to the library, she opened to door to see Spike sweeping the floor. He pointed her in the right direction, galloping up the stairs: "Mom!"

Twilight put down her black feather quill, turning to regard her daughter. "Somnia? What were you in such a rush about this morning?" Her eyes followed the filly as she trotted over to take out the roll of paper. "What's this?"

"Designs!" She squee'd. "Grar gave them to me!"

Twilight unrolled the paper, seeing several attempts at drawing the various components. The overall device was mechanical, not reliant on magic in any way. Taking a closer look, she noticed the use of some metals that were actually magic resistant in the mechanism.

But that wasn't what drew her attention, it was the blade. It's design was brutal, to say the least. Finely serrated along the edge with the smooth tip at the top, double-sided as well. The materials listed on the side she somewhat recognized. Magic-resistant metal mixed with other strong elements, plus another she didn't recognize.

"Somnia, what is this?" She flicked her eyes over to her daughter concerned.

"It's a knife! I want to put it on my hoof in case I get attacked so I can defend myself!" She grinned widely, eyes full of hope. "I just need to gather the materials and get it forged by somepony!"

"I don't think it will be necessary." Twilight rolled the paper back up. "We're not really in much danger."

"For now!" She countered conspiratorially. "One day, I could be ambushed by an assassin while you're in Canterlot without me. I want to be able to defend myself!"

"Somnia, we have a guard outside the library at all times, and another five patrolling town." Twilight rebutted. "Besides, this is such a cruel design that nopony except maybe the royal smiths would forge it."

Twilight, when you are attacked with your life on the line, mercy is counterproductive. It is a necessity. Kill or be killed.

"Equestria isn't like that." Twilight stared directly into Somnia's eyes. "I don't want you to be like that."

"But--"

"No. You aren't getting a weapon to have on you. That's just asking for trouble." Twilight shook her head. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that--"

"You don't trust me!" She stomped her hoof. "I can use it responsibly! Grar plans to teach me how to use it!"

Twilight got up from her chair to give the filly a hug which she protested against. "Somnia, you're safe. You don't need to worry about protecting yourself, especially not when around friends and family. I don't want you taking that path." She nuzzled the top of the filly's head. "Neither do you. Remember when you told me about your grandmother? Would she have made something like that?"

"Yeah..." The filly admitted, sinking into her mother's embrace.

"I'm certain that you can handle yourself if anything were to happen." She kissed the top of her daughter's head before moving back over to the desk stacked with books. "Did you need anything else?"

"Actually..." Somnia deviously smiled.

"Be there in a second!" The muffled voice behind the door called out. Somnia took the time to look around at the various critters. She couldn't tell them apart from others of their kind other than the occasional marking or differences in coloration. How does Fluttershy keep track of who's who?

A familiar wolf looked on suspiciously. They both recognized each other from their little run-in a bit over a week ago while Somnia was lost in the woods. Cautiously trotting closer to the wolf, she could see they had a slight scar on their lip from the buck she gave them.

"Hey." She laid down a three pony lengths away from the wolf, nervously smiling. "No hard feelings?"

It growled at her, clearly signifying something she didn't quite understand. A small gap on the side of their mouth gave away that at least one or two teeth had been knocked free in the encounter.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were trying to eat me." Somnia patted the grass in front of her. "I really am sorry."

The wolf howled out, startling the other animals nearby. Their vocalization was in an unusual pattern, much like they were sending a warning. And Fluttershy slamming open her door gave away who the recipient was.

"Somnia? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy trotted over to where the filly and wolf laid across from each other. "What's wrong, Sandra?"

The wolf barked to Fluttershy, giving a growl toward Somnia to communicate something.

"Somnia! Y-You hurt her?"

"I thought she was trying to eat me!" The filly threw her legs to the grass in defeat. "I said I was sorry!"

The wolf barked another two times before getting up to leave them be, the yellow pegasus giving off a sigh.

"She doesn't believe you. I'll try to talking to her later, see if she can understand your perspective." Fluttershy helped Somnia up from the grass. They both went into the cottage where Somnia sat down on the couch while Fluttershy put the kettle on. Reentering the living area, Fluttershy gently smiled to the filly.

"Did you come to apologize to Sandra? Or was there something else you wanted?"

"I, um, wanted to ask you how you knew Isirilas." The chirping from the birdhouse ceased at the mention of the name, and the pegasus straightened herself slightly. Sitting next to Somnia, Fluttershy took a deep breath.

"The animals talk about them. The whispers from the trees, predators and prey both fearing their retribution." She bit her lip. "I only met them once, but that was enough."

"What did they do?" Somnia asked, hoping to shed some light on the wild-forester's actions.

"I'll get us some tea first." Fluttershy got up to go to the kitchen, returning with a tray containing two cups and the steaming kettle. Pouring tea into both cups, Somnia could see Fluttershy's forelegs shook slightly. Sitting back down next to the filly, she took one last deep breath.

"It was not long after I moved to Ponyville. I was still introducing myself to the animals around here..."

"A-Are y-you sure?" The shy pegasus asked one of the Mr.Racoon's she had met.

Please, can you help? I can't do it alone! It chattered back.

"I-I guess I could." Fluttershy bit her lip as she looked over to the menacing forest across the field from her cottage. "Is it safe?"

Please! They grabbed onto Fluttershy's hoof, begging with their eyes.

She sighed, resigned to help in spite of her own concerns. Pinkie Pie had told her about the Everfree Forest while on that scary tour of the town, and she knew that it likely contained all sorts of dangerous creatures. But she wasn't going to let a family of raccoons starve to death.

"O-Okay." She hesitantly followed the raccoon in the forest. Every small noise made her jump, every twig crack, every creaking branch, every rustling in the bushes next to the trail. It seemed as though the trees themselves had eyes, and worst of all, they were watching her.

The raccoon looked around at an intersection, hopping from the path into the underbrush. With great reluctance, Fluttershy followed them into the deeper flora. Her hooves were caked in mud, and her entire body shook from fear and the cold wind that passed over her.

Mr.Raccoon stopped at a log that had toppled over, a small den could barely be made out in the base of the tree. The daddy raccoon crawled on-top of the log and chattered to the inside, receiving chattering back.

"I-Is this it?" Fluttershy questioned, receiving a nod from the raccoon right before a loud crash startled both of them.

"EEP!" The pegasus fell to the ground reflexively, covering her head in case whatever it was fell on her. Slowly opening her eyes, she could see Mr.Raccoon's fading eyes. Her heart stopped beating for a second as she gazed upon the bloodied jaws of what she could only assume was a 'timber wolf', Mr.Raccoon's lifeless body crushed in its grip.

She turned only to come muzzle-to-muzzle with another growling timber wolf, a few more were moving about to either side of her, encircling her so that she had no escape.

Pony of Day, why are you trespassing in my free-forest? A deep, hollow voice shook what little will she had left straight from her body, the grass rushing to meet her.

Somnia blinked as she watched Fluttershy wipe tears from her face.

"I-I didn't think I would ever wake up." She sipped her tea.

"W-What happened next?" The filly leaned closer, hoping to not miss out on any of the details.

With a shaky sigh, she continued.

Opening her eyes slowly, Fluttershy could see the glassy eyes of Mr.Raccoon staring her back. She looked down to see that she was laying on a stone, red markings passing beneath her. Sitting up, she saw the green glow of timber wolf eyes surrounding her, each with red markings on their faces.

That is when she finally looked back at her raccoon friend, or what was left of him. His chest had been torn open, organs hanging above her from the vines while his blood was used to make markings on the stone altar and the timber wolves. A massive timber wolf as tall as the trees sat staring down at her, its unreadable expression adding to her panic.

I asked you a question, pony.

"I--" Fluttershy hyperventilated at the level of cruelty surrounding her. Her hooves were numb and eyes focused on the large beast staring her down.

Well?

"I-I..." Droplets fell to the stone alter beneath her, smudging some of the still drying blood. "P-P-Pl-lease..."

Pathetic. Not even the courage to speak. The wolves around her unleashed a deafening howl, causing her to wince in pain from the volume.

"I-I d-didn't k-know..."

None do, at least until the end. The large wolf lowered its head to bring its massive green eyes within spitting distance of Fluttershy's eyes. You live in the cottage next to the forest.

It was less a question, more a statement of fact. Nodding her head frantically, Fluttershy hoped this monster could be reasoned with.

You ponies lack respect for the free-forests you once did, always entering without our approval.

The wolves growled and barked at the frightened pony, not helping to ease the terror she was undergoing.

I could kill you right where you lay. Bestow the same fate as that vile flesh fiend that brought you into my domain. The giant wolf sniffed the pegasus, taking in the fear, sweat, and blood. But another will come to replace you, as they always had.

I'll offer you forgiveness for your trespassing on certain conditions. Should you accept, I will bring you to the forest's edge. Should you refuse...

They let it hang in the air, the wood on the timber wolf's back readjusting into a different arrangement.

Leave this forest. Do not enter without my permission. Should I find you disrespecting my territory, I will have no qualms about killing you and every other fleshy termite that lives at the unnatural dwelling. I ask in return for your knowledge of ponies, creatures, and forests in Equestria.

"I told them what they wanted to know, and then they used a coughing-plant to put me back to sleep." Fluttershy finished off her cup of tea. "I woke up outside the forest, hoping to never enter it again."

"But haven't you gone into it since then?" The filly asked curiously. "Mom said that you had to go into the Everfree Forest to stop Nightmare Moon."

"Well, I did go into it a few times before then, always asking for permission and waiting for them to give me a sign." She admitted. "Usually a gust of warm wind for yes, cold for no."

"What happened to the raccoon family?"

Fluttershy gave a slight smile. "Isirilas helped them. They got out safely to tell me about the timber wolves moving the log, and to say how sorry they were about not telling me about them."

Somnia thought a bit. All of this sounded like Isirilas. In fact, it sounded exactly like nearly all of the wild-foresters given the unusual ritual he was going to use her for. "Did- Did they ever talk to you again?"

"No, not like that first ti- EEP!" Fluttershy was startled by a loud knock at the door. Hopping from the couch, Somnia went over to peak out the window to see who it was. Gleefully opening the door, Twilight and Spike stood smiling.

"Have fun with Fluttershy?" She asked, looking past the filly to the pegasus getting her breathing under control.

"Yup!" Somnia hugged her mother. "She told me about how she knew Isirilas and what they did."

"Oh? Nothing bad I hope?" Her eyes communicated concern for her friend as they got up from the couch to go over to the group.

"Twilight! Are you here for Somnia?"

"Yes, I have some plans for tonight she may be interested in." The purple princess slyly grinned to her daughter. "That is, if you're interested."

"I didn't have any plans." The filly trotted out the door. "Thanks for telling me about that, Fluttershy!"

"It's no problem." She waved them goodbye as they set off towards... the Everfree Forest?

"Whatcha got there?" The nosy filly poked her head over her mother's shoulder, using her back to support her hooves.

"Nothing that gives me any information about the chest." Twilight sighed, putting the book down. "Why don't you pick out something to read while we're here? I think we may be spending the night, so feel free to explore the castle if you get bored."

"Hmm..." The filly plopped her forehooves back onto the stones of the library, trotting over to a shelf. "Eeeny, meeny, minny..." She trotted over to another shelf, feasting her eyes on the different topics available to be browsed. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

Twilight giggled. "Spike!" She called over her assistant. "We should probably head back to the library in order to get blankets and candles."

"What about her?" He jabbed a thumb in Somnia's direction.

"She will be fine for an hour." Twilight raised her voice. "Somnia! We're headed back to the Golden Oaks Library! Want me to bring anything?"

"Lots of snacks!" She shouted back, returning to the search for a book to read.

While the two left, Somnia closed her eyes to focus. What sort of book was she interested in reading? Nearly every topic was available, a thousand-year-old treasure trove of knowledge. Opening her eyes back up, she climbed up one of the ladders scattered around the library shelves, taking a careful look at each row.

A particular book caught her eye. Taking it down with her to the study tables, she read the title out loud.

"On the Orgins of Alicorns: An Examination, by Gusty of Galdon, translated by the Royal Scribe Society of Equestria." Somnia bit her lip, curious as to how this wasn't found sooner. Galdon was an old city of the Harmonic Empire within the Chillrend Mountains. Opening to the first page, she could already identify the horn-writing style of Gusty in the original author's remarks.

A quick skim through the book told her everything. This wasn't made to inform, it was made to obfuscate. Every detail related to alicorns or the Harmonic Empire was deliberately ignored in favor of superstition and hearsay. Even so, a few sections did contain bits of truth.

Ruins of a long-lost civilization being 'found' on a distant continent, a 'cataclysmic war' that 'teared the heavens apart', the 'father of monsters' wiping out the seaponies...

Somnia?

"Y-Yeah?" She shakily replied to her friend.

Do you need--

"No!" She slammed to book shut, not wanting to read anymore. Pushing the book to the corner of the desk, she went back to the ladders to find another book to read. While pushing the ladder to a new location, her mind wandered back to that passage. An entire kind of pony wiped out...

Shaking her head and getting onto the ladder, she resumed her search. A geography book peaked her interests next. Sliding down the ladder, she walked back over to the desk to engross herself in her next selection. Another half-hour passed before Twilight and Spike returned with saddlebags and a backpack respectively.

"Brought plenty of snacks!" Twilight called out, unloading the saddlebags onto one of the unused desks. Walking over, Twilight took a look at the book on the table then the one Somnia was reading. "Somnia?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you crying?" She asked concerned for the filly.

"I'm not!"

Twilight walked around to where the filly was sitting, wiping Somnia's face with a small cloth to the filly's annoyance. Placing it onto the table in front of her, Somnia got a good look at the damp cloth confirming her mother's claim. Rather than say anything, Somnia pointed to the book across the table.

Taking it into her magical grasp, Twilight read the title out loud then briefly flipped through it. Confused, she turned back to Somnia. "I don't understand."

Somnia sniffled. "Gusty lied about what happened." The filly muttered. "She lied about Excalicorn, about alicorns, about ponies..." The filly put the geography book onto the table. "A-And..."

Moving to give her daughter a hug, Twilight let the filly sob into her fur until she could continue.

"T-The s-seaponies..."

"What's done is done. Nothing we can do now except move forward." Twilight consoled her. "Did you know Gusty the Great back in Excalicorn?"

"Y-Yeah..." She admitted, wiping the tears away with her foreleg. "She was always fun to spend time with when y-you and dad were away."

Taking another look at the book, Twilight considered it a moment. "She must have escaped the destruction of the city if she had written this."

"Celestia said Fae and Nightflame talked about her in the journal. I-I just want to know that she lived a good life." She looked up to her mother, eyes still wet. "T-That it ended painlessly."

Twilight used her magic to bring another chair over. "What was she like?"

"Kind, serious when it mattered, a-always willing to talk to other ponies... Kinda like you." Somnia turned her head towards the floor, slowly getting her emotions in check.

"Was she another royal family member, or--"

"She's my sister." The filly scrunched up her face, looking back up apologetically. "You wouldn't remember that though."

"Oh." Twilight leaned back a bit. "Oh!" It all sank in. She hadn't really considered what Somnia had said before about Twilight technically being Celestia and Luna's grandmother. Her brother and sister ruled the Crystal Empire, her daughter is going to become a queen when she grows up, her other daughter is one the earliest noteworthy ponies in all of Equestria's history, and her granddaughters currently did rule Equestria.

What a family tree!

"I mean, Swirl was fun too but he was always so serious." Somnia slumped back into her chair. Swirl...

"Did... Swirl have an aptitude for magic?" Twilight wanted to make sure it wasn't who she thought it was.

"Not really." Somnia admitted reluctantly. "He served in the Queen's Guard. I don't really remember him using his magic for anything other than shields or lasers." Phew, crisis avert-- "Celestia did tell me about my other nieces and nephews through Swirl. I don't know if Gusty had any foals though."

Wincing, Twilight considered asking Princess Celestia about her other grandfoals, but maybe she should try looking up some of the older family trees first to see if Gusty or 'Swirl' had foals. That would have to wait, right now she was busy trying to learn about the mystery chest.

Somnia picked up the geography book again, flipping to a roughly sketched map of the known world as of a thousand years prior. "This map is incomplete, by a lot. You can see five continents here, there's fifteen on Equus that the Harmonic Empire discovered, sixteen if you include the Graveyard of Empires."

"What?" Twilight stared at the filly as though she had an extra head.

"Yeah! See how the Celestial Reefs are hardly explored?" She pointed to a location to the south-east of Equestria. "It's so much bigger than that!"

"Are you saying that Equus is still mostly unexplored?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so. There was like a hundred unnamed continents but only sixteen were inhabited. It kinda just keeps going." The filly shrugged. "Excalicorn isn't even on the map. Actually, everything north-ish, south-ish, of the Great Divider is missing."

"Uhh..." Twilight saw a small bunny hopping into the room from the doorway as she processed that information. It kinda looked like Angel Bunny, but why would he be so far in the Everfree Forest?

Angel hopped up on the table Spike was using to read, startling him."Aaah!" Upon falling back in his chair, a clicking noise could be heard rattling its way through the floors. Two bookshelves parted to reveal a hidden room, surprising both Twilight and Spike. Entering into the small study, she spotted a single book on a pedestal in the center of the room.

"The Journal of the Two Sisters." She read out the title as Spike, Angel, and Somnia entered in after her, turning back to smile at Spike. "Maybe this is the book Princess Celestia was talking about!"

"Worth a try." Somnia shrugged, grabbing one of the cushions from the room to bring it out into the main library so she could sit on it.

"Don't you want to hear what's in it?" Twilight asked, peering out at the filly.

"Nah. It's just about their time living here."

Twilight squinted at her. "And how would you know that?"

"Dreams." Somnia settled down onto her new reading throne with the geography book. "I know everything that's going to happen tonight if I stay here with you. I think you should read it though."

"Uh huh. And what exactly is supposed to happen tonight?"

"You reading that book." The filly coyly replied back. "Trust me, you'll enjoy it."

Shaking her head, Twilight settled down for the night. Even if it didn't contain anything about the chest, what the princesses lives were like back in those days could be informative.

Not even two minutes later, Somnia called out: "I'm going to explore the castle!"

"Be safe!" She called back out. "I want you back in an hour!"

"Don't worry, you'll come looking for me before then!"

"Huh?" Twilight cast a glance to an equally confused Spike.

Keeping to the edges of the castle perimeter, Somnia looked around for her old friend, hoping they would get the hint.

I could just call out for them. Grar spoke up.

"The point is to not alert anypony else." She whispered. "I don't want to interfere with the events of tonight since it seemed to end well."

Already attempting to make such deliberations, young one?

Somnia turned around to see the timber wolf that had been trailing her. "Isirilas! How long have you been following me?"

Since you entered my forest.

"I want to see you. The real you." She demanded, staring down the timber wolf.

Whatever we need to discuss can be done through proxy. I promise, we can get together sometime around your birthday. I feel you will need my gift before then and I will be occupied with a foreseen event.

"Fine..." Somnia steeled herself for her question, she didn't actually know if Isirilas would take offense to it. "How many ponies have you killed since the Fall of Excalicorn?"

A moment of silence punctuated the thought they put into it. The filly began to shuffle uncomfortably at the silence. It wasn't like Isirilas to not know the answer to who had entered their forest.

Regrettably, too many.

Grar broadcast back to them: Old friend, was there no other option? Certainly Fae, or even her daughters, would have made measures to keep them from your woods.

The timber wolf growled. Do you think me dependent? That bitch and her foalish sister laughed me out of the site of their soon-to-be castle! I spoke to the latent intelligence within the sprouting tree, ultimately agreeing to appropriate terms to keep the peace. Until she sent those settlers to chop down my children. I would have loved to see her suffocate to death in those plunder-vines!

"Hey! She's my cousin!" Somnia scolded the wolf's controller. "You promised to not hurt the royal family!"

Not my fault Discord tried killing them. When you ascend to be queen, I humbly request an execution of the bastard. They have done nothing to alleviate the woes of the survivors.

Wincing at the wolf, Somnia never considered what exactly Discord was. He sounded similar to Captain Entropis, but more random and less cruel.

"What is Discord anyway? He kinda reminds me of--"

Because he is. Or rather was. Isirilas answered. Princess Faustinia sacrificed herself to continue the work Queen Gavelmede had begun on the fiend, albeit at the cost of her own life. I cannot forgive him for what he has done since the Fall of Excalicorn, even if you royals can.

"Oh..." Somnia fell back onto her haunches. "That's how Fae died..."

I really am sorry, Som. Grar comforted her. Good friend, do you happen to know what happened to Gusty and Swirl?

Gusty was mortally wounded attempting to defeat your other half roughly four thousand years ago. I only heard of what happened, as the Chillrend Mountains are too far even for me. I actually don't know what happened to Swirl, their disappearance is still a mystery to me, however it wouldn't surprise me if they finished off your other half in a last stand a thousand years ago, just before the coronation of the two sisters.

"S-So they really are gone..." Somnia closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. "First the seaponies, now them. Is- Is there anything else I should know?"

You already know the rest, young one. The timber wolf howled. The age of prosperity with the Harmonic Empire is over. I've waited thousands of years hoping that I could live to die a natural death, this is a bleaker reality than I would have liked to see.

Unfortunately, this is a pattern that has repeated itself more times than I care to admit seeing. Grar regretfully stated while Somnia made her way back to the front of the castle. Civilizations rise, achieve a golden age beyond all previous standards, and then they fall to their own hubris. I've seen entire planets be destroyed by pollution, cities of millions ended due to nuclear holocausts, industrialized suffering disguised as benevolence. It's what Excalion and I tried to prevent with ponies, but evidently we still managed to fail.

"Y-You couldn't have done anything to stop it." Somnia mumbled. "Free will is necessary for a harmonic society."

And that is the cost of harmony. Sometimes, you need to let your children fail so that they may grow stronger. Isirilas added.

I see that now, but not in my youth. I was naive to the true scale of suffering that was possible. It wasn't until my second renewal that I struck out and learned of the universe at large. Grar finished while Somnia hugged the timber wolf. It was nice chatting again, old friend.

Stop by anytime. You two are always welcome in my beautiful forest. Isirilas split off at the gate, leaving Somnia to deal with the other ponies alone, or mostly alone since Grar was always a royal pain in the--

That was one of the more memorable titles the queen bestowed upon me. Honestly, Captain Entropis' face was priceless when she announced it! I wish you could have seen it.

"Can't you show me your memories?" She whispered, looking around the corner of the hallway. All clear.

You must develop before I can. My soul can be quite... overwhelming for somepony without the proper faculties to understand what they are experiencing.

"Aww." She stopped at the next corner, hearing yelling and crying from down the way. "Seems I was a little off."

Within a minute or two is still decent.

"Let's go see how everything is going." She walked down the hallway on the tips of her hooves towards the courtyard. Getting to the corner, she could see absolute mania, just like the dream. Sneaking her way over to the crying and frustrated Fluttershy at the fallen pillar, she carefully dodged the chaotic running of Applejack and nearly blind flying of Rainbow Dash.

"Must... save..." Fluttershy grunted out, pulling even harder to lift the pillar. Somnia tapped her on the shoulder, startling her into falling to the rubble pile. "EEP!"

"Fluttershy, Angel's alright. He's with mom." Somnia laid her back on the rubble pile and smiled to Fluttershy to do the same.

"Somnia? What are you doing here?"

"Alright, everypony, stop!" Twilight froze everypony in her magic from the upper balcony with Spike and Angel. "Somnia, care to explain what's going on?"

"Twilight?" Applejack looked up as Rainbow Dash descended from above.

"Fluttershy? Somnia? What are you doing here?" The rainbow maned pegasus asked.

"Fluttershy's with me!" Rarity called out from under the fallen banner, having it lifted off by Twilight. "Thank you."

"Have you all spent the whole night running around, scaring each other?" The purple princess asked for anypony to answer.

"Well, that depends." Applejack eyed her.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're the Pony of Shadows." Rainbow hovered close to her, putting an accusatory hoof to her chest.

Spike looked wearily to Twilight. "What's... the Pony of Shadows?"

"Somnia." Twilight motioned for her daughter to come over, Fluttershy also trotting over to give Angel Bunny a hug. "Know anything about the 'Pony of Shadows'?"

"Well..." She smiled right before an organ sound played out from within the castle, causing the other elements to huddle behind Twilight. "Somepony likes playing the organ in the lower levels of the castle."

"W-Who's playing... that?" Spike bit his claws nervously.

The filly started trotting off into the castle towards the organ with an amused but still confused Twilight and terrified company following behind. Trotting down the spiral staircases and through dimly lit halls from deteriorated light crystals, they arrived at a large chamber with multiple rows of benches in front of a massive pipe organ. The pony at the instrument continued to play, unknowingly being watched from the doors.

"The Pony of Shadows!" Rainbow whispered fearfully, getting eye rolls from both the princess and her daughter. Approaching the organ, the music being played increased in pace to build suspense before the reveal. Taking the hood off the mystery pony with her magic, Twilight sighed in relief as she saw the familiar pink mane of Pinkie Pie.

"Hey, you guys! Did you know I can totally play the organ? Because I didn't!" She played a few more notes.

"Pinkie?!" The other elements exclaimed.

"Check it out!" She played a small jingle.

"You're the Pony of Shadows?" Rainbow asked in disbelief, and some disappointment.

"The pony of what?"

The Pony of Shadows is long gone, do not worry. A voice boomed out in an unknown language to anypony except Somnia and Fluttershy, startling even Pinkie Pie. The group turned to see a timber wolf enter into the auditory chamber.

"G-Get back!" Rainbow and Applejack put up defensive postures, to the amusement of Somnia and Twilight, and terror of Fluttershy.

"Isirilas." Twilight walked forward, surprising her friends. "Have you been watching us this entire time?"

The wolf nodded, hoping the gesture would suffice to defuse the tension. Even so, Applejack and Rainbow Dash stayed alert in case it made a move.

"And you're here because..?" The wolf pointed to Somnia with its mossy paw. "What did she do this time?"

It's rude to finish on such a sour note. The filly giggled at the silliness, trotting over to give the wolf a hug.

"Thanks for chatting with me." She stuck a hoof into the wolf's eye, confusing everypony present. Removing the hoof, the eye color had changed to a yellow.

Anytime, young one.

"Who the hay is she talkin' to?" Applejack whispered to the other elements.

"I-Isirilas." Fluttershy answered quietly. "T-The guardian of t-the Everfree Forest."

Somnia got on top of the wolf and they began walking out of the room. Twilight shrugged to the rest of her friends, motioning for them to follow her. The group proceeded back upstairs to the library, giving the opportunity for Twilight to show them the secret room Spike accidentally discovered.

They all got comfortable, or as comfortable as they could be with a timber wolf laying in the corner of the room, while Pinkie explained why she was in the castle.

"I swear, this is going right back where I found it just as soon as I've returned it to its former glory." Rarity commented as she continued to stitch the banner back together.

Your majesty, please tell her she can take it. I would like to start reclaiming this territory.

"Isirilas says you can keep it." Somnia said back to her. "They want to have the castle retaken by the forest."

Rarity nodded, understanding that whoever this 'Isirilas' was, certainly wasn't somepony to be crossed.

"Now don't go running off again!" Fluttershy reprimanded Angel Bunny who happily ate carrots seemingly summoned from the floor. "Oh, I can't believe I was so frightened. Guess I let my imagination get the best of me."

"I think we all did." Applejack added.

"I always let my imagination run away from me! Then it comes back... with cake!" The enigmatic party pony confused the other elements, but they knew better than to question her logic.

"Well, it's good to know that whenever your imagination is getting away from you, a good friend can help you rein it in. And even though I didn't find anything about the mysterious chest, I'm glad I was here to help all of you." Twilight proudly proclaimed.

"You certainly did that, Twilight." Rarity chimed in.

"Yeah! Why weren't you scared?" Rainbow questioned.

"Somnia told me something was going to be happening." Twilight admitted, lightly smiling to the filly. "And reading Celestia's diary made it hard to be afraid, because I knew what it was like when she and Luna lived here. Knowing something about the past made it easier to deal with my problems in the present, even the scary ones."

The elements all nodded and chimed in their own words of agreement. Looking over to the large timber wolf and filly, Twilight had a newfound appreciation for both of them. She wouldn't admit it to her friends, but Luna had written an entry about how much she regretted going against Isirilas. The 'wolf' was just a proxy, the real entity lurked somewhere deep beneath the forest carefully watching and guiding it.

While they still were a brutal murderer, they also had a strict code of ethics that Luna had elaborated on after a few conversations with the creature and Tree of Harmony. If Somnia trusts them to not hurt her, going as far as to poke the eye of one of their servants, then it didn't make much sense to fear them either. As for her daughter, she certainly seems to know the types of friends to keep her company. Creatures she feels won't hurt her. Maybe it's a reflex? A coping mechanism to prevent being hurt anymore? Twilight mused.

As she turned her attention back to the journal, she gasped, looking to the curious faces of her friends. "I've just thought of a great idea! Why don't we keep a journal, just like the royal pony sisters?"

"All of us?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sure! That way we can learn from each other! And maybe some day, other ponies will read it and learn something too!"

"What a splendid idea!" Rarity nodded in agreement.

"I know what my first entry will be! 'Dear diary, I'm glad Granny Smith's legend wasn't true'." Applejack chuckled.

"Me too!" Rainbow added.

"Me three! Because that means you two are still tied for Most Daring Pony!" Pinkie jumped to between the two combatants as they stood to face each other down.

"Heh, Shadow Ponies... How ridiculous is that?" Spike nervously chuckled, frowning at the serious expression on his pseudo-sister. "R-Right?"

"Yeah..." Somnia didn't want to crush him, so she decided a lie in the moment would suffice. Putting on a smile: "Pretty ridiculous."

If only they knew the truth... Grar commented directly to Isirilas.

If only they could handle the truth, old friend.

Before leaving back for Ponyville, Twilight and the group headed down to the Tree of Harmony. Upon seeing the tree, Somnia could feel the power it radiated. Her fur stood on end, her very spirit soothed by its radiance. The Elements of Harmony were attached to the five largest limbs of the tree, a sixth in the middle representing her mother.

"This is the chest I've been talking about." Twilight showed her over to the chest. Carefully examining it, Somnia couldn't help but look back up at the elements on the tree.

Six holes, six elements, six ponies... "Seriously?" She deadpanned back to her mother.

"What? You don't look very impressed." She furrowed her brow slightly confused at the reaction.

"Each one of you will find a key!" Somnia blurted out, taking her mother off guard. After a moment of thought, Twilight facehoofed.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"It's alright, darling." Rarity put her leg over Twilight's withers. "We can't all be detectives."

"This isn't even detective work!" Somnia countered. "Six elements, six holes, six ponies that represent them! Has nopony else seen this and told you that?"

Spike raised his claw, embarrassing Twilight even more. "Sorry, Spike."

"Yeah, yeah, let her have all the credit." He shook his head.

The queen returns. Twilight's voice echoed through the cave, startling everypony present.

"Uh, was that you Twi?" Rainbow questioned warily.

It's been such a long time, your majesty. I've only heard of you from the Beneath and Isirilas.

"I-Is the tree talking?" Somnia looked up to her mother, seeking clarification.

"I... I didn't know it could do that." Fluttershy added.

I hope your return will bring about an era of unending harmony.

"Hehe... I hope so too." The filly scratched the back of her neck, turning to the tree. "You know, a lot of creatures are expecting me to."

Feeling pressured is natural, for you will need to handle the pressure in case a disharmonious agent acts against harmony.

You must be the Tree of Harmony. Tell me: What do you know of the queen? Grar broadcast.

Grogar, I presume? I hope you are more harmonious than your actions have suggested. If not, I would kindly ask you separate yourself from the queen.

"He can't!" Somnia quickly clarified before the tree tried something that everypony would regret. "Don't worry, I'm in complete control!"

I certainly hope so. It would be a disharmonious act to remove the malignant tumor if they haven't done anything disharmonious since your merger.

Somnia trotted over to Twilight, foregoing whispering since they would hear anyway. "We need to go."

"Uhm, it was nice talking to you?" Applejack wasn't sure exactly if it was an odd thing that there was an actual talking tree. If only her trees could talk...

"But we can ask them about the chest!" Twilight ignored her daughter's pestering. "What is the chest for?"

That is for you and your friends to discover. Even I do not know fully what is within. The primordial magics are difficult to understand, even for one as powerful as myself.

Disappointed with the lack of an answer and with a filly tugging on her leg to go, Twilight relented. They each said a quick goodbye to the Tree of Harmony before heading back to the forest. By the time they exited on the side closest to Ponyville, the sun was rising.

The elements departed for their respective residences. It was quite the night of activity for Twilight, an all-nighter similar to when she was still studying under Celestia, and it drained the energy right out of her. Spike had fallen asleep on the walk back and Somnia wasn't too far off when they reached the library.

The guard outside saluted, seemingly unaware about the crow sitting on his helmet. Twilight was still uncertain about who or what the crow was, but neither Somnia nor Spike had mentioned it.

"Guard, can you hold still a mome- Nevermind." The crow flew off the guard's head just as Twilight was going to get close to it.

"Huh?" Both the guard and Somnia were confused what she was getting at.

"It's nothing." Twilight shook her head. "I'm just tired."