“It was near the end of a particularly uneventful summer. Father decided to let me spend a decade or so at an actual magic academy of sorts when I turned 65. Up until that point I was just working with tutors and mentors as they came and went throughout our territory. I remember being quite excited, I was going to study under a powerful Archfey, not directly ofcourse, but she oversaw the academy. Part of the admission process involved a direct interview with the Overseer, so I was extremely nervous to be questioned by Zybilna the Archfey. It was also the first and only time I got to see my father also nervous.” I start telling Luna about a long trip I took with my father.

“What kind of pony, err, creature was your father? Was he kind?” Luna decides to get some questions in before I even get really started on the story, haha.

“Well it’s a bit complicated. To understand why he was the way he was I need to first explain who he was. He, and technically I, were considered Summer elves. One interesting quality for us is that whenever our emotions run wild or we find ourselves in a particularly dense area of the feywild our hair emulates fire. Some even have their eyes turn red. My father on the other hand, as the ruler for the Summer domain, always had his hair ignited. Most people thought that was just a quality of our bloodline, but it requires almost completely mastery of one's emotions. To constantly maintain that form he was subconsciously always keeping his anger elevated. This led to some people thinking that he was just a very intense and strict man.”

“I take it that is not the case?”

“Correct. He was firm, but he never did anything that I resent him for. In conversation he was very direct, and he had no patience for nonsense. Actually, now that you’ve made me recall that I am, in fact, a summer elf that reminds of a conversation we had during our trek to Prismeer, Zybilna’s domain. I actually asked him during that trip why I had never undergone the Summer transformation. As you know my hair being silver was a biological impossibility, so we theorized that it was because of the traces of drow in my blood. By all rights I should’ve been born with red or blonde hair, but Eilistraee blessed me with silver. Eventually my father confessed that he believed it was possible for me to achieve the form, but he had never seen me in the emotional state necessary for it to happen. He said I was too kind and too forgiving. Apparently the key to achieving the form is not just pure anger, it requires a drop of pure hatred. He believed I was too kind to ever hate someone.”

“I’m not sure I agree with his statement…. You have quite a twisted side to you if I’m being honest and quite the nasty temper.” Luna admits her true feelings with a chuckle.

“Well, Ignis was a kind child. However, even after acquiring all of my previous memories my dominant personality is still Lucas. Lucas was an absolute menace. I like to think I’m actually a bit more tame compared to how I was on earth. Up until this summit I had been driven to the point of pure rage a few times, but I never truly wanted to kill someone. Even with Kiln I only struck him again because I was confident he would survive. Luckily nothing I’ve had to fight in this world is even remotely humanoid because if all of those changeling drones looked like humans or elves I’d probably be in an even worse mental state right now. However, they do just look like monsters to me; it doesn't even feel like murder. Maybe once I’m here for longer and my moral compass dials into you four legged creatures I’ll start seeing those changelings in my dreams.”

Pausing to gather my thoughts and get back on topic, “Until Chrysalis. When you all told me that Aurora was dead and I blacked out, that was the first time this body has felt true hate. She’s the first being that I have actively set out in my mind as a target that I will kill. If my fathers theory is true I’m guessing the only reason I didn’t catch on fire in the carriage is because of the state my body was in.”

“Hmm, a reasonable theory. Anyways, sorry for distracting you, please continue your story.”

“Right, we showed up at her domain and it was truly magical. To enter into her territory it required us to pass through an immense cloudy barrier that surrounded the entire domain. She had somehow managed to have all 4 seasons at the same time but they were spread out between 3 different areas. Yon was a wintery area, Hither was a mix of Spring and Summer, and Tither was Autumn. We went across a massive bridge that stretched for miles all the way up to her castle. It was bigger than Canterlot. Once we arrived there was a huge wooden gate with a big decorative door knocker on it and no guards or other people in sight. So, we knocked on the gate and a few seconds later were both teleported straight into Zybilnas office.”

Taking a sip of water I looked over to Luna with an eyebrow raised inquisitively trying to see if she had any questions while I was pausing to drink. She shook her head no and I continued.

“She actually appeared shockingly human for a supposed Archfey, but she was just as chaotic and playful as I’d expect an Archfey to be. The interview ended within 10 minutes. I was too young and she was also quite displeased to find out I was a bladesinger. Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t have even bothered setting up the interview due to my age, but because my father convinced her I was an unmatched prodigy combined with his Title and reputation, she entertained him.”

“Why would being a bladesinger be a bad thing?”

“Well it was an academy for studying magic. All sorts of talented wizards from all sorts of realms were there to study, and although bladesinging in my world was considered something only wizards could do, it meant I had to forgo specializing in a school of magic. She preferred Divination or Evocation wizards but since I was a bladesinger I had no school of magic. She didn’t even think bladesingers should be considered wizards. Something about spellcasters shouldn’t be in the thick of things playing around with swords. She believed that one could either be a master in physical combat or a master spellcaster, never both.”

“I would agree with her if you had a typical mortal lifespan, but if you can live up to 2000 years then you could definitely master both.” Luna tries to sympathize with me.

“No she was right. Elves took advantage of their long lifespans. They would spend years over any meaningful decision in life, they’d spend a majority of their time in leisure or personal activities. We have all the time in the world. Why would we rush through everything in life? It’s one of the reasons I’m glad I retained my personality and perspective of my human life and not my elf life. I can’t stand to waste even a second.”

“You must’ve been pretty disappointed at your rejection then? How did your father take it?”

“He took it worse than me. It was the one and only time I ever saw his fire go out besides when mom died. He was distraught because the only reason I’m a bladesinger is because the patriarchs of our family are all expected to be bladesingers. In his mind he was the reason I didn’t get accepted. Now that I have my memories from my time as a human, though? I am very sad I didn’t get accepted. Zybilna was actually a human mage named Natasha. She was one of the most powerful wizards ever seen in the post-Karsus era. She had like 7 spells named after her, which is quite an impressive number. I can’t believe I actually got to meet her, THE Tasha! I’m only just now realizing how cool that is!”

“Was she truly so impressive?”

“She could bend reality to her will. With a simple utterance of a few words she could revive anyone, no matter how long they had been dead or if they even had a body.” I reply with a certain level of awe in my voice.

“Hmph, I guess that is impressive.”

“Did you just hmph?! Aurora was right, you get jealous so easily!”

Suddenly a pillow from seemingly nowhere is thrown into my head, “SILENCE!”

After a few seconds of silence we both start to laugh. We continued to share stories all night and once the sun came up we built the tent and started getting ready for sleep. It was actually a bit harder than I thought it’d be for me to sleep because I knew when I woke up I’d be marching into a hostile hornets nest alone. Eventually sleep did find me though, I have to admit I really do prefer sleeping over meditating. Even if I only need to meditate for half the time.

Exhaustion Level: 2. Movement Speed: 15ft. Hit Points: 63/63.

Spellbook configuration confirmed!

Shocking Grasp replaced with Green-Flame Blade.

“Alright let’s go over everything. I got your teleportation circle stored in the Moonblade, I have 8 hours of invisibility, Sending Crystal, Emergency teleport crystal. Am I forgetting anything?” I ask Luna.

“No but it’s only around 2PM I thought you were going to go when it gets dark?”

“My body is still in rough shape. It'll probably take me like 6 hours to walk over there, Luna.”

“Let’s just rest one more day then, Chrysalis won’t kill them, she needs them for food.”

“No, I don't want to just waste an entire day doing nothing. I’ll stay here for an extra 2 hours though, how about that?”

“I supposed that’s fine, let’s eat breakfast.”

I’m chowing down on something when I remember a question I’ve been meaning to ask Luna. “Hey Luna.” She looks over at me, “Feel free to not answer this question, but just know my opinion of you won’t change no matter what you say. Is Nightmare Moon truly a different pony than you?” I’ve been wondering this ever since I had that dream forever ago where I was fighting Nightmare in the everfree again but she had Luna’s mane this time.

“As much as my sister would like to think it’s not, it essentially is. I’d say the corruption only changed me around 10% and even that’s being generous. All it did was take all the things I was wishing I could do and push me towards that direction.”

“I see, but what exactly is the corruption? Like why did it get you and not… any other pony? Is it an alicorn thing or did it just choose to go after the most powerful being that was susceptible? Cause if it’s an alicorn thing then I have to ask if Celestia has ever had a Nightmare moment?”

“None of us are sure. Tia has had a similar incident but it didn’t require the Elements to bring her back. The griffons went after our parents once we ascended because they were worried if our parents had any more foals they would also grow into alicorns. Tia was so enraged it was like she became the sun. Within 2 days a war had been declared and surrendered. She single handedly decimated the monarch's castle and caused it to be relocated to Griffonstone, but once their king was dead she went right back to normal Celestia and grieved with me. From that day onward there was a whisper among the other nations, “Beware the alicorn of fire and destruction, she is the Daybreaker.””

“Damn. Remind me to stop bantering with her so much. Let’s kick this thing off!”

I start to slowly walk in the direction of the colosseum when Luna calls out to me, “Just let me teleport you closer. If I put you a few hundred feet away it should be far enough to avoid magic detection. You’ll still have to walk a decent bit, but it’ll be much less than the distance you’re about to walk without the teleport.”

“Fine fine, will I be within line of sight when you teleport me in?” She thinks it over for a bit then gives me a small nod. “Okay let me apply my Invisibility and then you can drop me in.”

Once I apply the spell and close my eyes I feel a rush of wind and a sudden increase in heat, likely because I’m in the sun right now. Once I open my eyes I see the familiar colosseum off in the distance and start slowly walking towards it.

Perception.

5 + 6 = 11.

Looks like they have a few bugs patrolling from the top of the structure, but they all seem low level enough to not detect me. I wish I had asked either of the princesses for magical ink so I could learn Counterspell and Dimension Door. It’d be so much easier on my poor body if I could just Dimension Door all the way into their base.

Holding up the crystal to my mouth I run some mana through it. “Test test one two three, can you hear me Luna?”

“Aye, crystal appears to be fully functional.”

“Good, I’m heading in now.”

Author's Note

Aaaaand here we go! I was going to go a bit further into the infiltration this chapter, but much like every other day this week I am way too tired to keep going. Should have next chapter up tomorrow or Sunday.

Thanks for reading!