A Series of Continuous Events

by JDeck306

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Original Character, Mystery, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life
Length: 78240

The life of a Kirin, Healthy Light, gets progressively more interesting as time goes on...

One discovery leads to another, and many folks join the search for answers that rarely come.
Healthy Light, a Kirin who travelled to Ponyville recently, meets many folks, and helps even more.
But trying to help everybody by going so many places puts a toll upon their body and mind...

Published 2023-05-05 02:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-05-25 10:42:33 UTC

1: Meetings and Discoveries

Author's Note

Originally written and published on Tumblr, where episodes are still uploaded daily, this story involves many characters who have blogs of their own, whose owners have given permission to let their characters be involved.

Admittedly, it's a bit of a mess. Too many characters that are introduced for too short a time and too little a purpose, all combined with many images of questions that people sent in which I used to progress the story, as well as a messy, unpolished style which I only started to develop after the completion of this first act.

That being said, over the next year, my skill improved drastically, and my style changed for the better, and is continuously improving.

This story is the first Act that I deemed to be completed, which here is nigh wholly complete.

However, for a more well-structured reading experience, including some visual aid to set up the start of the story even more accurately, be sure to visit the blog
https://ask-healthy-light.tumblr.com

1: Meetings and Discoveries

After finding the trap door, Healthy Light quickly looked around, making sure they were not being observed. Using their magic they opened the door, and looking down into the cellar, they saw very little. There were no lights, save for the slowly setting sun behind them.

After entering the cellar, they carefully looked down at the stairs, for while they appeared as solid rock, they were old and weary, and appeared as though they could crumble to dust in only moments.

Creating a small torch using their magic, Light quietly stepped down the stairs towards the floor. Looking back over their shoulder every few steps, they saw the trap door, and the sun's faint light, now shrinking in size the further down they went.

Reaching the floor, Light looked around. The cellar looked like it had been abandoned for what must have been years. Cobwebs lined the walls and ceiling as small pebbles of broken rock were scattered about, having fallen down with age.

Their magic torch illuminating the ground in front of them, Light moved towards the dark corridors from whence they had heard the faint sounds coming. Fearing they might be lost in the shadowed catacombs underneath the park, they marked the wall with some magic, small beacons, every turn they took.

After what felt like eons in the dark, many turns and corridors leading to nowhere, they finally reached a hallway leading to a single door. Upon the door was written 'Surveillance, NO TRESPASSING'.

Surveillance, down here, in the dark? What could this mean...? For whom was this built, who surveilled and who was surveilled? Filled with equal parts curiosity and hesitance, Light moved slowly towards the door, the handle of which had the faintest hue of yellow pigment left on it.

Light opened the door, which creaked in its hinges and echoed throughout the tunnels. Startled at the loud sounds, Light looked back into the darkness, fearing someone might have heard the sounds. If they could hear fainter sounds all the way back through the tunnels, above ground, how clearly must the door have been heard?

Putting aside their fear, they opened the door further, revealing a darkened room with bright screens in front of a small desk. As Light walked towards the desk, keeping one ear focused on the tunnels, they noticed a small picture frame on the desk.

Illuminating the frame, it showed the image of a young mare, no older than twenty. Emerald green eyes and charcoal black hair, with a ribbon loosely fastened around their neck. The text below the image, while mostly faded, read

'Banana Mousse

Last seen: January 15th, 2022.

If y.. hav. any ki.d of i.fo.ma.ion,

plea.., con..ct thi. nu..er

557-........'

The rest of the text was no longer readable...

Banana Mousse? Was she not related to Banana Pie, the stallion who had contacted them about visiting the park? What could have happened?

Looking at the screens surrounding the desk, Light saw many figures walking around. But the view of these ponies and other creatures on the screens was... Odd. It appeared as though the cameras which were focused on them were not applied to a wall or anything of the sort. Most were at eye level, following around in fluid, natural motions, rarely, if ever, used by surveillance cameras.

On first glance, Light recognised none of the creatures on the screens. However, upon closer inspection, they noticed a pony with a red horn and bow tie, whom she had seen before. As they were entering the park, this pony, this Doctor, followed closely behind, wondering if they could offer any help. Where had they gone to?

Hearing the door creak behind them, Light turned and came face to face with Banana Pie. Fearing the worst, Light shone their torch, illuminating the darkened room until the darkness had been driven out.

In the warmer light, they could see the cheerful pony they met before, but not the same. Pie had his cheerful demeanor replaced by a broken, defeated gaze towards the Kirin. It wasn't anger or frustration, but... Sadness. Exhausted, worried, heartbroken and depressed. As if they had been drained of all energy and happiness in an instant, bereft of life and rest.

Gazing back at the screens, Light was confused. What was the meaning of all this? Did Pie build all of this? And for what purpose?

Remembering the framed image of Mousse, Pie's daughter, thoughts began to fall into place. All of these ponies and fantastical creatures must have been in contact with Pie, as Mousse had been. Pie had been keeping an eye on them. Surveillance, guarding, protection of friends and family through camera feeds, all leading to this room underneath the park.

Light's mind was flooded with puzzling thoughts and many questions. Not wanting to ponder too long over which question to ask first, they asked a question that would bring many answers:

"Are you alright? Would you like to get something off your chest?"

Looking at the Kirin, Pie tried to put on a facade, bring back a laugh, a smile, so much as a grin, but to no avail. Tears welled in his eyes as he gently wrapped his arms around Light, sinking through his knees to the floor as he did so. Light managed to catch him, and used their magi to gently lay him across their back.

The Unicorn was spent, he had been strong for too long.

Following the beacons through the tunnels, Light led Pie back to the surface, to find that night had fallen and the park had been left empty. Pie laid on their back, tears staining his face but sleeping peacefully. The first thought that entered Light's mind was:

"What should I do now?"

A whisper emanated from around them, as if it was spoken inside of their very mind, which sounded like a Doctor with whom they had spoken before, and he told them to follow the hoofprints, and all would be fine.

The Doctor's voice was familiar, yet foreign. It sounded as though it was the same person, but different too. Their voice was as clear as crystal, as calm as the night, and appearing to be everywhere, but nowhere at once. Looking around, Healthy Light saw nobody. Was the Doctor nearby? Or was there perhaps some magic business abound?

The sun had only just set, yet the high walls cast a long shadow over the park. Following the Doctor's advice, and reigniting their torch, they brightened the ground and surrounding buildings. 'Follow the hoofprints' Light thought to themselves.

Averting the light from Banana's eyes, Light inspected the ground, searching for any marks, any way to leave the park. Pie desperately needs his rest, and Light wanted to make sure he was able to. Passing a small building, they found a map, detailing the layout of the park. Coloured trails, shaped like horseshoes, dotted the image, different routes for visitors to take to take in the full splendor of the park.

After careful investigation, Light found where they and Pie were standing, and followed the map to the closest trail. Moving away from the trap door and the alley, the sounds emanating from the cellar slowly faded away. After some time, Light found a small trail of green tinted horseshoes - coincidentally, the same shade of green as their scales.

Following the trail backwards towards the entrance, Light made sure to walk as gently and carefully as possible, as Pie was still asleep on their back. Knowing their scales would not be very comfortable, Light fashioned a pillow for Pie to lay on, using a part of their mane. Banana quietly mumbled about snow and fire as Light gently moved his head to lay it on the pillow.

Finding the gates to the park, Light was relieved to find them unlocked. They stepped out of the park, and neatly folded the map to save for future use. Outside, the shadows of the walls were no more, and Light doused their torch. While the sun may have set under the horizon, there was plenty of light to see around without use of other sources.

The park was fairly new, and Pie had done his best to advertise it as such. Along the road, there were many signs noting the distance to the park and the biggest towns and cities in the area. 'Ponyville, 3 miles' was written on one of the signs. The closest place to where they were now, Light set out towards the town. Only an hour's walk, probably more, with a sleeping Unicorn on their back.

Eventually, the light of the sun having almost completely dissipated, Light reached the borders of the town. With the approaching night, the streets were calm and quiet, and very few ponies were still out. The wind blowed gently through the trees and shrubbery in the area, providing a cool breeze as Light walked towards the large castle at the other end of the town.

The castle was wonderfully large, and made of gems and crystals, cut into beautiful shapes. Though the sun was far below the horizon, the tower stood so tall, still it brilliantly shone a rainbow of colours across the landscape, as far as the eye could see. Though they had never met the Princesses of Equestria, Light knew of the splendor and magnificence of their palaces and castles, yet was amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the building they saw.

Approaching the main doors, the path gradually changed from dirt and pebbles to crystal and gems. Oddly enough, some parts appeared to have some damage dealt to them, as if some creature had taken a bite out of the path. Could a dragon have done this? It seems likely, but strange, as the marks were small, unlike the massive dragons Light had heard of in eons past.

Reaching the door, Light politely knocked and waited. After a moment, the doors slowly opened up, seemingly by themselves. Stepping inside, the doors gently closed behind them, as large torches that lined the walls flickered to life. 'There is magic abound' Light thought to themselves, 'and where there is magic, there should be magic users. I hope whichever princess resides here can help.'

Wandering through the halls, Light tried to step as lightly as possible, but the sounds of their cloven hooves against the crystal floors reverberated throughout the corridors. Wanting to avoid waking Banana, and possibly others who resided here, Light cast a muffling spell, nearly entirely dulling the sharp sounds that echoed around.

As Light walked down the hall, some sets of doors opened by themselves, showing a throne room, a library, a lavatory, yet no ponies or any other creature. One of the doors led to a small room, which appeared to be decorated for reading, with a large open hearth, a number of chairs, and a few couches. Next to one of the couches was a small chest, which held some blankets and a few pillows.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Light delicately lifted Banana up from their back and laid them on one of the couches. Using their magic, they ignited the wood inside the hearth, allowing for some light and warmth, and placed a blanket over and pillow under Banana, who was still sleeping, fortunately, calmer than before.

Since entering the building, Light had neither heard nor seen any other creature, besides Banana, which puzzled them. Could today be a celebration of some kind? Or maybe there was need for the Princess somewhere else? Whatever the case may be, Light stepped out of the room, allowing Banana to rest and recover his strength.

Quietly closing the door behind them, but not wanting to startle anyone with the sudden presence of either them or Banana, Light used their magic to engrave the door. Clearing out a small part above the handle, they wrote:

'Dear Princess, I tried to look for you in the castle, but I could not find you. Inside of this room, Banana Pie is sleeping, resting to recover their strength. The sun had just set when he fell asleep, so please do not wake him until morning. I will find residence some other place, but I will return at first light tomorrow. At the rise of dawn, look to the North. Thank you. Yours faithfully, Kirin Healthy Light.'

With the note on the door, Light turned to leave the castle. Physically tired and mentally fatigued, they would have to find a place to reside for the night. The villagers were most likely familiar with Kirin, after friendly relations were established and they regained their voices. But for one to show up at anyone's doorstep, in the dark of night, to ask for residence, would most likely startle many.

Moving past the castle towards the woods behind, Light fashioned a small shelter. Having been a Ranger since a young age, survival in unfamiliar areas was familiar to them, though it had been very long since they had last done so. With a small flame from their hoof, they lit a fire, and surrounded it with stones. Being a Kirin, they could eat all sorts of foods, not just plant-based. Though for tonight, fruits and nuts would have to do.

After finishing their meal, Light went to sleep, their body giving up on them. Hoping to be able to process the day's events, Light listed what they thought felt. worry about Banana, confusion in regards to surveillance, caution as to not startle any townsfolk. The following morning, feeling reinvigorated, they relit the fire and boiled some water for tea as they watched the tower slowly begin to shimmer its brilliant colours.

Finishing their tea and dousing the fire, Light slowly headed back to the castle. Hoping for the best, yet expecting the worst, they approached the castle from the North, just as the sun was rising above the horizon. Then, from the castle, two figures appeared and walked towards Light, though the sun made it hard for them to see. Approaching the Kirin, Light was confused, as these two figures appeared to be one, yet two.

Eventually, close enough to speak, Light introduced themselves. The figure, or figures, introduced themselves as well. Their first word being:

With many thoughts racing through their mind, Light shook them off with equal parts confusion and amazement at the pony in front of them. Giving introductions to Twilight Eclipse, they politely shook each other's hooves. After a quick word, Light confirmed that Eclipse had seen and read the message they had left on the door, and left Banana Pie in peace to rest and recover his strength.

The sun now rising higher above the horizon, Light and Eclipse turned back to head to the castle. When Eclipse asked Light where they had resided overnight, they explained they had made shelter in the woods close to the castle. Shocked at this revelation, Eclipse offered Light a room to stay in the castle, as they explained 'There are so many rooms in the castle, I'm still finding new ones every day! A few rooms for others to rest when they visit is the least I can do!'

Light thanked them as they walked through the halls, their steps echoing through the halls as they did the night before. Worrying they might wake others in the castle who had not yet awoken, Light quickly tried to cast a muffling spell on themselves. Embarrassed, they explained they had done the same the night before, when trying to find a place for Pie to rest.

Eclipse reassured them, saying that they realised this would happen when the castle grew out of the ground, and had cast permanent dampening spells on the inner doors of all the rooms in the castle. 'The kitchen could be burning down and you'd hear absolutely nothing in the library one door down!' Both chuckled at the relief and ridiculousness of the scenario.

Reaching the reading room, and quietly opening the door, they found Banana Pie still asleep on the couch, the fire gently smoldering from the evening before, with the last embers flickering quietly around the wood. With Pie still asleep, Eclipse and Light headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for all of them. Tea, toast and jam, some cupcakes, fruit and fruit juice and the accompanying cutlery to set the table. Light made sure to grab some water and fruit and placed it on the table, close to the fireplace, for when Banana woke up.

As they were setting the table, since the doors were open, Light could hear others approaching the dining room. The main thing they heard were the sounds of hooves on crystal, but there were some gusts of wind, and softer taps mixed in with the other sounds.

As Eclipse walked out to greet the approaching group, Light grabbed more cutlery and prepared more food and drinks in anticipation for the joining group. At the same time they mentally prepared themselves, as larger social gatherings drained them of energy very easily.

When the group walked in, Light moved over to greet them, the extra food and cutlery magically floating behind them. As they walked out of the kitchen, Eclipse introduced everyone to Light:

A young dragon, clad in purple scales. Two Pegasi, friends for as long as they can remember. Another two Earth Ponies, whose energies stood in strong contrast to one another, and a Unicorn, dedicated to show others the best of themselves and the group.

Appearing somewhat startled at the Kirin in front of them, the group gently moved out of the way, as Light set the table, allowing the others to join in on breakfast. Not unfamiliar to their reactions, Light made sure to not take them too personally. As everyone took their seats around the table, the young dragon and excitable Earth Pony sat on either side of Light, their eyes constantly fixated on them in a gaze of amazement.

During breakfast, Light was asked many questions, primarily by the ones next to them, as they could barely avert their eyes from the Kirin. Most questions were sweet and harmless, and Light gladly answered them. They asked them about their home, wondered about their childhood, which they spent in muted silence, and expressed astonishment at the scales on their body and uniquely shaped horn on their head.

Other questions, however, they avoided answering, as either they did not know the answer or they did not want others to know it, whether it be for Light's own safety, or others'.

After breakfast, Light offered to help clear up the table, but being flanked by eager and excitable young ones, Eclipse bade them to remain seated. When all had been cleared and everyone was enjoying a cup of tea, Light finished their drink and thanked them for their hospitality. Before leaving, they asked Eclipse if they could look for information in the castle's library, to which they obliged.

Asking around about maps of old, Eclipse confessed they might not have what Light had been looking for, either due to scarcity or loss of information from these periods of time. As the morning was passing, Light admitted they needed to leave as they had business elsewhere, worried they might have issues without the data they were looking for.

Concerned, Eclipse and the young dragon offered to look for the maps while Light headed to where they needed to be. Thanking them profusely, both for their kindness of letting both Banana Pie and them reside there for the time, as well as for their offer to look for what may not be there, Light delicately grabbed one of their scales and imbued it with magic, explaining that it would allow them to contact Light about anything they may find. Light left the palace and headed back to the park from whence they and Pie had come the evening before.

As Light left, Banana was getting more restless. Tossing and turning more in his sleep, and muttering about snow, eventually he woke up to find himself in an unusual place. His head pounding, heart beating quickly, taking deep breaths and breaking out in cold sweat, he grabbed the water and fruits that were left on the table before carefully walking towards the door. Opening it he stood in front of Eclipse, who had come to see him, both to check up on how he was doing and to let him know Light had just left.

Before the words could come out of their mouth, Banana interrupted them and asked in rapid succession:

'Who are you? Where am I? When did I get here? And where is the Kirin, Healthy Light?'

'Where is my friend?'

When the realisation washed over Banana, in an instant, he tried to move past Eclipse before stumbling and running into Twilight, who managed to stay standing as Pie fell backward to the ground. Solar, knowing Banana was in no shape to give chase to Light, after they had brought him here only the night before, gently helped him up and guided him to the main hall, where the trio could meet with Twilight's friends to discuss the best course of action.

Solar explained to Banana that, just before Light left, they had given them one of their scales imbued with magic, to alert them to new developments regarding books of legend and maps of old. Twilight admitted that she did not know why Light wanted these maps or books, but as she explained that Light was headed back to the park, Banana knew the reason, and he tried to keep his composure as best he could.

Pie offered to help the group search for any information, as he vaguely knew what Light may be looking for. To reassure the group, he calmly explained it was not for any sinister purpose, though, at first glance, it might appear so, due to the mystery surrounding the ancient texts. He asked Solar and Twilight if they could help Light, and they set out right away as the group began to search for what may not be there.

Meanwhile, Light was approaching the park, which stood fair and tall not too far from the town from whence they had just come. As they neared the gates, they could hear the sounds of gallopping hooves, a short distance down the road. Solar and Twilight had caught up with Light, who was pleasantly surprised at the unexpected sight of the two. When they caught up with Light, whose first thought was still on the well-being of Banana, they explained Banana had awoken and asked them to help.

Light sighed deeply, relieved to hear that Banana seemed to be recovering well after what must have been a very rough couple of days. The park was opened yet again, for while Banana was the founder, his presence was not always necessary for the park to operate as normal. Creatures had come from far and wide, due to the incredible diverse contacts that Banana had made over the ages.

Ponies of all races, big and small, of all ages, came to visit the park, alongside dragons, Griffons and Hippogriffs, even a Bat Pony, a young Alicorn princess and another Kirin. Somehow, Banana Pie had reached out to them all, seemingly able to travel vast distances in very short time, just to spread the joy of the fruit he was named after.

Having been shown much kindness by the Unicorn, Light hoped to help him in any way they could, whether it be keeping an eye on the park, helping to nurse him back to health or more secretive business such as the surveillance in the catacombs, though the purpose of the latter, they still did not know...

Light's hairs began to stand upright as they and Eclipse approached the alley where the trap door to the tunnels lied. Looking back at Solar and Twilight, they appeared as though they had felt a tingling sensation as well, for the feathers on their wings stood upright, and they seemed agitated, but not rationally. This was an ancient response to danger.

Questions flowed through Light's mind, some questions they need not ask, some they need no answer for, and some, they would not ever expect to have resolved. If answers do exist, to find them will take tremendous effort and may take a very long time.

'Why did Banana reach out to me? For how long has he been surveilling, protecting others?'

Many questions still lingered on as possible connections appeared left and right in Light's mind. Banana's only connection to the catacombs is the surveillance office, and of this they can be certain.

Screens lining the walls, keeping a watchful eye on the ones Pie had been in contact with and whom he cares about, combined with Mousse's missing picture on the desk, the conclusion for this one question became clear; Whatever may have happened to Mousse, Banana wants to prevent this from happening to others.

The catacombs where he had build the office seem out of place. The park is new yet the catacombs ancient, decrepit. Pie built the park over these catacombs, but whether knowingly or unknowingly, neither Light nor Eclipse knew.

The office itself couldn't be that old, as the technology was new, with some parts even appearing to be more advanced than currently available, but the catacombs, where the room was located, must have been there hidden, underground, for years, decades, centuries, maybe.

Thoughts and voices from others seem to pass through this area, the Doctor being the clearest example yet. Their voices clear as crystal, but with nobody nearby, this area appears to be... connected, in a sense, to others, perhaps through magical means.

Exactly for this reason, Light asked for books on history, legends, myths, and maps from eons ago. In the back of their mind, having witnessed many evils rise and fall, Light suspected that the catacombs could be connected to these powers, but whether for good or evil, this remained to be seen.

Light hoped that something, anything, be it books, maps, fairy tales even, that Banana and the group back at the castle could find, could be useful.

Strong magic lingers in the area, is this event connected to the catacombs? Who built them?

What were these catacombs used for? Turning away from the trap door, fearing someone else might stumble upon it, Light turned back and closed the hatch, after which they locked it with a spell of their own, so that none but them, and the ones they gave permission, could open it. They covered the hatch with loose dirt and rocks from the surrounding ground and made sure the hatch was no longer visible.

As Light, Solar and Twilight were walking through the park, from behind Eclipse a voice called out towards them, and as they turned around, a large smile appeared on Solar's face as they raised their hoof up high to greet the one who called out to them; a pale Pegasus Mare with a sky-blue mane, who embraced Eclipse tightly enough for Light to hear their bones crack.

Light Rain introduced themselves to Healthy Light - joking that there was a lot of Light present at the moment - and asked what the group was doing here. Healthy Light explained they were there to investigate a number of strange findings in the park, but where to begin, they were not sure. For the moment, the best thing they could think of was to measure the size and scale of the park, using the map Light had grabbed on the way out with Banana the night before.

The park accurately laid out all the parts of the park, with many trails of coloured hoofoprints leading throughout the park, which the group could follow and using which they could make accurate measurements. After having noted down the size of the park, this allowed Health to determine the scale, which would help them determine the paths and size of the catacombs, should the group at the castle manage to find any old maps of the area.

Rain joined Health, Twilight and Solar as they were heading back to the castle, where they made small talk about how Rain and Solar knew each other, their connections to Banana Pie and the thoughts Light and Eclipse had about the strange tunnels under the park.

Reaching the castle, Light trotted ahead to the library where they found Banana, sitting at a desk, focused on an old tome, surrounded by piles of other books as the others were searching through the library for anything of use. As Health entered the room, they called out to Banana, who gently got up and walked over to Light to give them a gentle embrace. Light Rain, Twilight and Solar, following them into the library, introduced Rain to the group as they had not met him before.

As Light embraced Banana, however, they noticed the pink Earth Pony's tail starting too twitch, as their ears focused on strange voices and sounds from the outside of the castle. The twitching of the pink Pony's tail becoming more severe, making other parts of their body start twitching as well, the others realised something was amiss.

Faster than the eye could see, using their magic, Light grabbed all the ponies across the library and moved them behind them, as Light cast a protective spell over the group. Looking back at the shielded ponies, when they saw the pink Pony close their eyes and turn away, Light moved to take up a defensive stance, protective over the group, and as the extremities of their body started to darken and began to glow with a reddish flame, the last words they heard were:

'Would anyone like to see a big BOOM?'

Before a devastating explosion shook the very foundations of the castle and the walls were completely and utterly obliterated.

The explosion was so powerful, the shockwave blew out all the windows of the castle and every building within one hundred metres of the epicentre, and the wall was nigh irreparably damaged. Over two-thirds of all the books in the library were blown to shreds as loose, torn pages of random books floated down amidst the devastation.

When the dust had settled, a Green Unicorn with heterochrome eyes walked in through the rubble.

Looking around with their heart broken and their mind cluttered, Twilight and Solar looked at the green Unicorn standing on the rubble where the wall used to be, viewing him with discontent, since his actions meant that any chance of finding information in the castle's library was greatly diminished. Twilight started writing a letter to Celestia, hoping they could give to her advice, to send replacements for the lost books or if she could write a spell to undo the damage caused by Boomlord.

As they were writing, however, they realised Light was not in front of them anymore, and the ward that they had cast over the group was shattered and flickering away. Looking around, they could not see them, until Rain pointed out a small, red and purplish flame flickering under a pile of rubble on the far side of the library.

Running over, Banana reaching the rubble first, the group started to move the shattered crystals, broken bookshelves and other debris off of the pile, until, after a little while, a couple of green scales were seen under the pile, surrounded by slowly dwindling flames. Reinvigorated, the group hastily yet carefully continued to excavate the unconscious Kirin, holding their tongues and holding back tears over fear of their fallen friend, and after a short while, Light was completely uncovered.

After the group gently tried to wake the Kirin, they awoke, though in great pain. Light's pain pain was lessened as the group tried to help them up, for Light saw that nobody else was even slightly hurt. They gave a small chuckle, assuring the group they were alright, though this was swiftly disproven as they tried to get up, sinking through their legs as soon as they tried to stand upright.

Fearing their legs were injured, they sat backwards, biting their tongue to hold in strong words they wanted to express because of the pain. Due to their slightly larger size, and the injuries they had sustained, Light was as of yet unable to be moved to a safer location where they could heal. Some of the group quickly ran past the green Unicorn towards the town, making sure that there were no other injuries, leaving Light somewhat confused and concerned.

With a quivering voice, Rain and Banana asked 'Why did you do that? Why did you not protect yourself? Why did you put our safety above your own?'

As Light calmly replied 'Because it was the right thing to do.'

As Twilight was still coughing up dust from the explosion, Solar asked Light if they were okay.

Gently turning towards Solar and Twilight and giving them a smile, they quipped 'Well, I've felt better.' as they eased their gaze towards the two and gave a small chuckle, gritting their teeth at the sharp pain they felt immediately afterwards.

Light was relieved beyond belief that nobody else was hurt. Looking back at the green Unicorn, who was still standing near the hole he made in the wall, Light's amethyst purple eyes were quickly filled with white-hot anger at the damage he caused and the risks he took, as their hooves and tail started to darken and glow with the same reddish flame as moments before the blast. Turning away and taking a deep breath, the flames subsided, to the relief of the present ponies.

The rest of the group made sure Light would not move, as neither the extent nor the severity of their injuries were yet determined. Using their magic to grab the legs of the broken table Banana had sat at moments before, Twilight, with the help of the snow-white coated Unicorn and the young dragon, made a number of splints to apply to the Kirin's legs, to prevent any further damage.

Returning a little while later, the calm Earth Pony with the large hat returned, followed by a larger, red-coated stallion, pulling a cart behind him, reassuring the group that there were no other injuries anywhere in town, save for townsfolk startled at the sudden blast.

Very gently, supported by the Pegasi from above and the Earth Ponies from both their sides, Light moved towards the cart, thanking the group profusely for their help as they did so. Staring daggers at the green Unicorn as they moved past him, Boom looked back with his heterochrome ruby and amber coloured eyes, and though the Unicorn appeared young, his eyes were old, and filled with a deep, piercing sadness. Whether due to regret over the consequences of their recent actions, or because of past heartache, Light could not tell.

For the moment, Light turned away, focusing on themselves and the group, as they were helped onto the cart heading toward the doctor in the town. As they were heading off, followed by most of the group, including Banana, Light saw that Rain, Solar and Twilight stayed behind and sternly talked with the Unicorn over his recklessness.

As Light was headed towards town, and the volume of the argument lessened, they could see the green Unicorn lowering his stature, apologise, and express remorse and regret over his actions, while others in the group explained that using explosives and blowing things up was a specialty of his, though, evidently, he did not realise the explosives would be as strong as they were, nor that there were so many ponies in the room adjacent to the wall he blew up.

Catching up with the rest of the group and Light on the cart, Rain explained that Boom reminded them of libraries in other areas, like the Royal Archives in Canterlot and the Library of the Crystal Empire, collections dating to thousands of years ago, not just a small number of books collected in the last few years since the castle's magical construction. As soon as Light recovered the group could head out, though they were unsure how long this would take.

Looking back toward the castle, Light saw Solar, Twilight and Boom wave at them before they turned toward the ruined library, as Rain continued by saying they would stay at the castle for a while, rebuilding the walls and restoring the library as best they could, hopefully with the help of the Princess of the Sun.

Putting aside their anger, and speaking with as much genuine lightheartedness and positivity as they could muster, Light said:

'We'll have to get better acquainted, him and I. He seems like an... intriguing character.'

They promised the accompanying group they would not hold on to anger, though they would like a stern word with Boom, hoping to give him a stern talking to, both to chain his recklessness and to get a glimpse behind the young Unicorn's old eyes.

Arriving at the hospital a little while later, having had some time to rest, Light felt better and was able to walk more easily than before, relieved that their injuries were not as severe as they had feared. Meeting the red-coated stallion at eye level, Light smiled and thanked him for his help as they shook hooves, before turning toward the doors, lightly supported by Banana on their side.

Entering the hospital, they met the Doctor, and though Light felt better, they let him examine them, better to be safe than sorry. As Light was led to the Doctor's office, they turned back towards the group and reassured them they were feeling better, and they'd be back soon. A short while later, with one of their front and both their hind legs lightly covered with some bandages, they returned to the group who lovingly embraced them, relieved that Light was okay.

The Doctor followed them shortly afterwards, confirming what both Light and the group thought, that their injuries were mostly bruises and a few sprained joints, and that they'd be completely alright in a short time. After the Doctor bade them goodbye, they headed from the hospital into town, both to show Light around and to find a quiet place to rest and discuss their next steps.

Walking past the remains of the library close to the centre of town, the white Unicorn's boutique and the bakery the pink Earth Pony worked, they came to a small cafe, the name of which was 'Pour Me Café', owned and run by two sisters, and as the group took place at a larger table in the sun, a very excitable Pegasus ran out to meet them and to take their orders.

Somewhat startled but greatly amused at their cheerful nature, the group greeted the young Pegasus, who introduced herself to the group as Caff and eagerly pointed to her sister Decaf, who was working behind the counter. Taking the group's orders for some beverages and small confections, Caff swiftly ran back inside, to the surprise of the group at her great speed, on hoof, without use of her wings.

Delighting in the sun, the group chatted amongst themselves, mostly having moved on from the devastation of the library a little while ago. Returning with their beverages, Caff noticed the bandages on Light's body, and asked what happened, to which the group replied that Light had protected them from harm back at the castle.

Caff ran back inside to talk with her sister, both of whom came outside - Decaf gently walking as Caff sprinted - to learn more about the group and the events of the morning. Light talked about visiting the park with Twilight and Solar, meeting Light Rain, and returning to the castle, shortly after which the walls of the castle, and the library the group was in, blew up. Having just returned from the Doctor, they chose to have a rest to talk and recover.

Shocked at Light's explanation and having many questions of their own, Caff & Decaf both grabbed a seat to listen to the Kirin's answers. How Light was feeling, what exactly happened at the castle, and the aftermath of the explosion. As Light thought about the green Unicorn Boom, who remained back at the castle with Twilight and Solar, Caff wondered:

To the confusion of the group, Light replied that they thought Boom didn't target the castle, the library to be specific, for any particular reason. Remembering the Unicorn's old soul behind his eyes, but keeping this thought to themselves for the moment, Light explained that everyone ticks in a different way, with this Unicorn being particularly drawn to explosives, wanting to a grand entrance to any group that piques his interest.

Coincidentally, Boom, Solar and Twilight appeared around the corner, overhearing the conversation between Light and the Coffee sisters. Turning around and greeting the approaching ponies, Light noticed Boom discreetly wipe away a tear, though did not mention it. Solar and Twilight explained that the castle is being repaired, partially with the help of Boom and his written incantations. The books were less fortunate, with most of the collection having to be replaced.

Disappointed at the loss of their work, Light finished their tea and thought pensively to themselves for a moment, before remembering Light Rain mention Boom's knowledge of older, more expansive libraries elsewhere. With the map and their measurements of the park still intact, at the very least, they had a starting point. Interjecting with a sudden loud voice, Boom said:

"I want to help. I have good contacts elsewhere, whom I could ask for assistance."

Finishing their drinks and snacks, the group thanked the sisters for their kindness & the delicious food they served, then paid for the meal. As the group was leaving the café, Light stopped, took another one of their scales which they imbued with magic, and gave it to Caff and Decaf, saying that the group could use all the help they could get, and to please consider joining the group, even if just for a single afternoon.

The sisters gently took the scale and neatly put it away, promising to get in touch when they had talked it over properly later, as the café was opened until late in the evening. Light thanked them both, turned towards the group, and headed back to the castle, which, according to Twilight and Solar, should be close to finished being rebuilt when they get back.

On the way back, Light stopped Boom for a moment and made it clear they wished to speak with him, not just over what he's done and the risks he took, but also to get a better picture of this strange Unicorn. When Boom accepted this, Light thanked him, and told him it was fortunate that they met, as Boom could help immensely by getting in touch with others in Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, and other places of interest. Boom promised that as soon as they got back to the castle, he would reach out and keep the group informed about new developments.

Back at the castle, Light retreated to their room to take note of all they knew, to make preparations to head out, and above all else, to rest, just as Banana has been doing, as their body was not back at full strength yet. Before they reached their room, however, Solar, Twilight and Rain called out to them as they wanted to quickly discuss some matters at hand.

They said they had other obligations in the area, but they would keep in contact with each other and with Light. Twilight told them the young purple-clad dragon could help them send and receive written messages from others, no matter where they might be, and Rain, being a Pegasus, said they could help keep an eye on the park and the surrounding area from above, possibly asking others for further help, as well as keeping the rest of the group updated on any other strange happenings around there.

Thanking them for all their help, Light bade them goodbye for now as Rain, Twilight and Solar turned to head to the main hall, and headed to their room to rest for a little while. Before heading there, though, they decided to visit Banana to ask how he felt, making sure he was recovering well, not just from physical exhaustion, but also mental distress.

Finding Banana in his room, Light gently knocked on the door, asking if they could enter, to make sure how he was feeling. Physically, Pie seemed to be closer to his former energy level, bouncier than before. Behind his eyes, though, there were sadness and fear, which didn't appear to have decreased since last they spoke with one another.

After making sure there was no explosion imminent in the area, Light stepped towards Banana and slightly bent their knees to meet him at eye level, after which they embraced one another, knowing the other has been through too much. Looking back at Banana with a smile, Light reassured them that they would help them figure everything out. Before heading back to their room, they turned to Banana and said:

"Keep holding on to hope. Keep going, one step at a time. Others will help, even if you don't think you deserve it."

After giving Pie their words of encouragement, Light headed back to their room to rest, as it was getting late, for while their afternoon at the cafe was very enjoyable, it was tiring as well. Having asked Caff & Decaf to consider aiding them, Light made a note of all the contacts they had made so far, which turned out to be an impressive list for the short time they have been in the area, being barely two days as of yet.

Light was debating whether or not to take their time to rest, during which they could wander around the town and the surrounding areas, hopefully coming in contact with others who could help them, or to ask Boomlord, Solar and Twilight, or Rain to reach out to friends they have in other cities, allowing them both to grow their network of contacts, and hopefully get assistance in areas they were not familiar with.

For now, Light retreated and headed to bed, wanting to put the very busy day behind them. Some time later, a heavy knock at the door startled Light, followed by Boom swiftly entering the room and closing the door behind him. Somewhat annoyed at this disruption but remembering they wanted to talk with him, Light got up to take a seat across from the Unicorn.

Boom let them know they had heard back from a contact in Canterlot, a musician by the name of Violin Sunrise, an Earth Pony who was familiar in the court of Celestia, having performed in the Royal Halls of Canterlot Castle many times before. Boom asked them for assistance in requesting the Princess' aid in finding old tomes, most of which would be in the restricted section, where none but the Princesses may enter.

"I hope", Boom continued, "that Celestia has enough trust in them to know they wouldn't ask such a thing unless in dire need. Though I think it's better you visit them, I'm not that welcome in the area because... Heh, you can probably guess why."

Thanking Boom for their help, Light started to guide him towards the door as they wanted to rest, stopping before they got to the door, and hoped to ask some questions about Boom himself. Boom obliged, knowing he didn't have anything else to do but wait for others to respond to his messages. After the two took their seats, Light asked:

"Tell me about your first boom, Light requested."

Surprised at this unusual question, Boom asked why Light wanted to know about that, of all the things they could have asked him. Light responded: "There must be a reason for your expertise in demolitions and destruction, yet there is also a strange aura surrounding you. I see it in your eyes, your posture, your mannerisms. I can't quite seem to figure you out, so starting at the beginning may be a good place to unravel you."

Appearing uncomfortable, Light reassured him, saying he wouldn't need to say anything he wasn't comfortable with, but they would like to know who they're travelling with. Knowing the Unicorn was different, older than he appeared, they were anticipating answers that would seem just out of place. Boom responded:

"The first one? Well, that one was a while ago. Took me a while to discover what I was meant to do. Never really knew I had it in me until I was cornered by some ruffians. In defense, I lit a spark that just so happened to hit a barrel of ale. A smaller one, but it blew up on them and they ran. Found the mark on my behind the following morning, still with ringing in my ears. Sparks, flames, blasting powder, you name it, I can use many things to make things go BOOM!"

As he raised his voice, Light saw his eyes light up, flickering to life before quickly being doused. Intrigued by his past, surprised by his eyes and amused by his enthusiasm, Light calmly responded that they would like to rest and they'd continue the talk later, most likely the following morning. Boom agreed, hopping out of his seat and happily trotting to the door.

"Oh, one last thing," Boom said as he left, "I've got gifts and trinkets for basically everyone stored away, somewhere or other."

"I'll get back to you on that. I've got something I think you'll really like. Cheers mate!"

With a mighty slam he closed the door, leaving the Kirin wondering what his gift could be. As they headed to bed, feeling the softness of the pillow, the warmth of the blanket and the gentle wind blowing through the trees outside the castle, Light drifted off to sleep.

Waking the following morning, Light found that their legs were feeling better, and removed the bandages. Still they moved gently, as too much force on any unhealed part could be harmful. They found the day had long since begun, for the sun was high in the sky. As they arrived in the main hall, they found a great many ponies gathered, talking among each other, while preparing satchels to carry along with them.

Among the group were Boom, Light Rain and Solar and Twilight, and, appearing from the kitchen, the excitable Pegasus Caff trotted out happily, greeting the Kirin as she did so. Having had contact with Violin in Canterlot the group decided that morning they would head there first, hopefully being able to find something of value.

As the group was finishing up packing before heading out, Light told them they were going to visit the Pour Me café, and would like it if others would join them, which they happily accepted. A little while later, packed & ready to go, the group headed to the café, finding Banana had arrived there before them.

After arriving at the café and taking their seats, a young and colourful Pony trotted out of the building towards the table the group was sitting at. Light Rain introduced her as Cherry Cream, a good friend of theirs, who would be taking over Caff's position as waitress for the time being, while Caff was travelling with the group. Cherry asked:

And the group all turned towards Banana, who happily raised his hoof as he called out to Cherry, which made them chuckle with amusement at the Unicorn's excitement. Light had a feeling Pie and Caff would become good friends, and despite having just met Cherry, expected the young Pony to become good friends with the two as well. The thought of others finding comfort in small joys, like sharing their love for sweets, enthusiasm and general positivity toward the World, made Light gently smile.

As it was nearing lunch already, the group decided to have a bigger meal before heading to the train station headed to Canterlot. After finishing and paying for the meal, Light headed back inside to talk with Decaf about the undertaking, and promised Caff would be completely safe, reassuring the Pegasus.

Decaf chuckled and replied "Knowing her, she'll be right as rain. I'll hold on to the scale you gave me should anything happen, but you be sure to watch yourself too, alright? After hearing about the castle yesterday I got the feeling you're prioritising others over yourself.", to which Light had no answer but a solemn nod before turning towards the group again.

As the group was nearing the train station, Light asked for their attention for a moment and said: "Thank you for helping. There are a great many things that need answering, and I'm hoping that with extra eyes and hooves we'll be able to figure it out more easily. However, please know that you can stop whenever you like."

"No oath, nor bond is laid to go any further than you will."

To which the group responded with affirmations of their allegiance, understanding and resolve. With these last few words, all stepped on the train headed to Canterlot, where they hoped to find the next step towards their goal.

2: Departure

Arriving close to nightfall in the capital of the land, the group, consisting of Light, Banana Pie, Caff and Boom, grabbed their luggage and disembarked the train. During the journey, Boom said he talked with Violin and they agreed to meet up at the theatre he often practiced and performed at, before heading out to dinner and continuing from there.

Leading the way through the city's streets, Boom grabbed a cloak from his bag and covered his face and body, as he mentioned to Light before he was not welcome in Canterlot, though why exactly, the rest of the group did not know. Reaching the theatre, Boom asked Light to lead the way to the main hall, where a large number of Ponies were positioned, practicing their woodwork, brass, string and percussion instruments for a performance later that week.

Though Banana and Caff were visibly excited, before they made too much noise, Light managed to gently persuade them to be quieter, as to not disturb the musicians. Boom, meanwhile, had moved his way to the far corner, still wearing his cloak, as the others moved to take a seat closer to the stage.

The orchestra played a beautiful rendition of Beethoofen's 5th Symphony, under the guidance of the conductor. On the train, Boom described the appearance of the violinist they would meet, a blue stallion who always wore a bow tie, with a G-clef and a heart on their flank. Looking around the orchestra, Caff pointed out Sunrise, who was focusing intensively on his performance close to the front of the group.

After the performance, as the musicians were packing up, Light walked towards the stage and asked the conductor to speak with Sunrise, to whom she called out to come to the front. Light introduced themselves and said they were friends of Boom, who had been in contact with Sunrise.

After shaking hooves, Light moved towards Banana and Caff, still in their seats, and introduced them to Sunrise, who shook their hooves in return. Sunrise asked Light where Boom was, as he had confirmed they would meet together before heading out, to which Light quietly replied that he was in the back, covered in a dark cloak, to prevent being seen by security.

Understanding the reason, Sunrise finished packing up his materials and lead the group out of the theatre, with Boom sneakily following behind them. After a little while, they reached a small restaurant away from the centre of town, and as they took their seats, Boom carefully lowered the hood of his cloak, hoping that away from the centre of town, he would not be recognised as easily.

During the meal, Light made sure to catch Violin up to speed on the events of the last few days, from finding the office in the catacombs under the park, to helping Banana, meeting new folks and Light's quick recovery after a big explosion at the castle, the mentioning of which made Boom rub the back of his head, blush and turn away.

Partially due to losing many books in the explosion, but also due to the collection in the castle being smaller than other libraries, Light explained that they hoped to be able to find more in the library of Canterlot, and hopefully, in the Royal Archives of Canterlot Castle, if this was at all possible. Banana, Boom and Caff joined them to Canterlot as Rain, Twilight and Solar stayed in Ponyville from whence the group came.

Light asked Sunrise if he could assist them in finding their way through the city, being unfamiliar in the general area, or, if this was not possible, to help them acquire a map and find a route between their place of residence and the library. Any help they could get would be greatly appreciated.

Sunrise offered the group a place to sleep at their house, until they managed to find residence somewhere else. Returning to Light's question about old books and tomes, Sunrise mentioned he knew the Princesses of Canterlot personally, and could ask them for an audience with the group, for both of which they profusely thanked him.

Sunrise replied:

"I don't know what you hope to find, but I'll do my absolute best to help you as best I can."

Finishing their meal, Sunrise lead the group to their home, where everyone promised to be on their best behaviour.

Light awoke very early the following morning. Unable to fall back asleep, and not wanting to accidentally wake anyone else, they decided to write a few notes, after which they would head out for a walk. After leaving a note on the dinner table for their group to find, telling them about heading out for a walk, they wrote a letter to send to Twilight and Solar back in Ponyville.

The night before, as the group was heading to Violin's house, they passed the postal office, which Light made a mental note of. Since it was early, the office was not yet opened, so they took the letter along with them to drop off when they headed back. Violin’s house was reasonably far away from the centre of town, and was just a few streets away from a large open grass field, and a pathway headed towards a wooded area.

The woods appeared to be quite young, though the city and accompanying Royal Castle were very old, having been founded and built after Nightmare Moon had been banished. When Princess Celestia moved to this area, she abandoned the castle where she and Luna had lived, the memory of her sister’s banishment too painful to bare alone.

As Light continued walking through the forest, after a little while they came across a fence running along the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley of the mountain. From this vantage point, Light could just make out the small village Ponyville where they had come from, by finding the dark forest of Everfree and looking around the edges of the woods.

As it was nearing sunrise, Light was about to head back, as to not worry their group over their absence. However, they realised this vantage point allowed them to see the sunrise more spectacularly than ever before, and therefore decided to stay just a little while longer.

Being high up on the mountain, the sun appeared swiftly thereafter, and shone warmly on Light’s face, even before the peak of Ponyville Castle was able to shine its radiant colours. The sun rose gently, and illuminated the land, driving away the calm and beautiful dark of night.

As Light turned to head back to Violin’s house, they heard a faint, twinkling sound, from slightly further up the mountainside, which sounded similar to the sound of magic.

Were others nearby also taking in the beauty of the sunrise, unable to sleep on like Light?

As the sun was rising, and Light was approaching the increasingly louder sound of magic, Banana, Boom and Caff woke up to find the note on the table downstairs, to their surprise. Violin awoke shortly afterwards and headed to meet the group, asking them for help in preparing breakfast. Boom stepped backwards, claiming he'd only manage to blow up the kitchen, but Caff and Banana eagerly stepped forward.

Though Caff was not allowed to work behind the counter of the café she worked at, out of her sister's fear that potential additional consumption of coffee would be bad for Caff, and especially others visiting the café, she was exceptionally skilled at making pastries and other small delicacies, which the group recently enjoyed before heading to Canterlot.

Banana Pie, meanwhile, as his name suggests, was very knowledgeable about a great many ways of making pies of all kinds, with bananas being his favourite ingredient to use, both for its sweet and gentle flavour, but also for the various ways it could be prepared alongside many other ingredients, like other fruits, whipped cream, chocolate, or ice cream, or any combination thereof.

Nigh unimaginably fast, Banana and Caff were whisking away in the kitchen, barely stopping whatsoever, save for allowing the other to move their dirty dishes to the sink or to assist them in grabbing new ingredients. Their boundless energy was very surprising to Violin, having only just met these two fascinating Ponies, while Boom, used to seeing many extraordinary things, was somewhat less surprised, but still highly impressed by their swiftness and skills in baking.

As Boom and Violin moved to grab some drinks from the refrigerator and some cutlery from the cabinets to place on the table, along with some cereals, expecting the two bakers to take a while to finish in the kitchen, Banana and Caff continued to bake away, managing to make a number of delicious batches of baked goods in a very short amount of time.

Caff and Banana managed to quickly whip up a lovely mix of fruits, healthy juices, hot drinks and cold dishes, just as Boom and Violin had finished setting the table, looking at each other with confusion in their eyes as they saw how quickly the bakers had completed their business in the kitchen.

Banana explained that while most of the snacks the two made needed to be baked in the oven, there would be more than enough for everyone - and then some. Overall, they spent a very short amount of time making a very large amount of food. Caff said that they thought it'd be nicer if the group waited until Light got back from their walk & visit to the post office before starting breakfast.

Boom, incredulously, looked up from the place he had smashed his face into, his mouth full of pastry and his entire face covered in crumbs and bits of fruit, after which he said he wasn't listening because he was eating, and if they could repeat what they said before, to which the trio could barely contain their laughter.

A few moments later, Light knocked on the front door, noticing the delicious smell of the pies, pastries and other delicious snacks that were baking in the oven from outside Violin's house. Banana and Caff both jumped up to open the door, stumbling over one another for the first time since entering the kitchen, after which Violin chuckled, sighed and moved to open the door himself, greeting the larger Kirin as he did.

Light helped Banana and Caff from the floor, as the two were still tangled from their collision a moment before. After they had helped them up, they took a seat between Boom and Caff, glancing at the rest of the group and giggling quietly over Boom's appearance. As the group continued breakfast, with Caff and Banana stopping only momentarily to check on the goods in the oven, Light explained their routine from that morning.

As they couldn't sleep, they explained, they decided to write a letter to send back to Ponyville, which they hoped would arrive swiftly - having noticed a clumsy mailmare flying around back in the town, dropping letters all over the place as she flew over. They also explained they went for a walk in the nearby park and woods, enjoying watching the sunrise from a height they had never seen it from before.

Boom, his face now more covered with smashed bits of fruit and cereals, asked why it took them so long to head back, as the sun rose quite a while ago, and the park wasn't far from here, to which Light replied that the beautiful view enticed them to stay, and because the post office opened only a short while ago, just before they got back to Violin's house.

Hearing the oven beep in the kitchen, both Banana and Caff started to get up to run back, before Light stopped them, and offered to look themselves, having seen the devastation of the two hyperactive Ponies colliding only moments before. Since all the baked goods appeared to be finished, Light used their magic to gently take everything out of the oven, whilst simultaneously grabbing a number of plates to put the hot meals on to.

As the rest cleared the table of dirty dishes, and Banana handed Boom a napkin, with which he could clean himself up, Light set the pastries on the table and sat back down again. When the rest had sat down and begun to dig in, Light expressed their gratitude towards everyone present over how massively helpful and supportive they all have been the last few days.

'I honestly cannot thank you enough for all that you have done to help, in whatever way you could, in these last few days alone.'

After these words, they turned to their plate to begin their second breakfast, keeping the rest of the group in the dark over what else took place in the forest.

Back in Ponyville, in the curious crystal castle with the stunning sparkling spire, Solar and Twilight woke up and began their day, which was going to be easier than others, for today was a restful day. As Light and their group were busy in Canterlot, Eclipse planned to take the day easily, and begin restoring the library's damaged collection.

Moving downstairs, they were greeted by a knock at the door from a tired, cross-eyed mailmare, carrying a number of large boxes and a letter, appearing to be from Princess Celestia. After thanking the mailmare and offering her a drink and a moment to rest, Eclipse opened the letter, finding a reply to the letter they had sent.

Celestia explained that after she had received the letter, which asked for assistance in restoring the books that were lost in the aftermath of the explosion, she went through the archives of the Castle, searching for a spell, or a set of spells, which could help undo the damage that the destroyed books had suffered. If there was enough of a book left, perhaps a spell could be used to restore it to its entirety, before the blast.

Though it took a while, the Princess did manage to prepare a spell that could work, but it would require a lot of power, from Solar and Twilight combined. In the boxes that accompanied the spell, the letter continued, were a number of collections of books, most of which identical to the lost books, should the spell not succeed. If the spell did succeed, then the library had a set of backups, should anything happen again.

As Solar and Twilight were preparing the ruined books, having neatly and safely stored away the boxes replacement books, they heard another knock at the door, where they were greeted cheerfully by Light Rain and Cherry Cream, and Decaf from the Café, who had decided to visit the Castle on their day of rest.

Realising they caught Eclipse off guard, the trio offered to help restore the library, after which the group could have a cup of tea, which Eclipse gladly accepted. After asking the group to stand back out of fear of the spell backfiring, Twilight and Solar focused their magic before casting the spell on a burnt book they had placed on the table. After a few moments, the book started to levitate, and magically, the cover started to restore and pages were appearing out of thin air, restoring the book entirely.

Decaf, Rain and Cherry were very much impressed, having never witnessed Alicorn magic from close by before, especially not to restore something that seemed beyond saving. After the book finished its restoration, it gently landed back on the table, as Solar and Twilight took a moment to catch their breath, for the spell was more tiring than they expected.

Rain quickly ran to the kitchen to grab some water for the exhausted Alicorn, as Decaf and Cherry stood to Eclipse's sides, making sure they would fall over due to exhaustion. It did make the group wonder; If one book would tire them this much, how long would the entire library take?

As Rain returned with a glass of water and a small ice pack, Decaf grabbed a chair from a nearby desk for Solar and Twilight to sit upon. As the group was comforting them, Decaf headed back to the kitchen to prepare tea and other drinks, with Rain following shortly behind.

As if a light bulb went off in her mind, Cherry's face lit up and they quickly moved to the table, grabbing a big pile of charred books and torn pages and haphazardly placing the pile in front of Eclipse. As they looked at her with a confused look, Cherry winked at the Alicorn, and encouraged them to cast the spell again.

As Decaf and Rain were returning with a small tray of drinks and small snacks, they entered the library to find a very large collection of books restoring in mid-air, held up by magic. Quickly placing down the tray of drinks, Decaf started to carefully move backwards out of the room, before the large pile of books lowered down to the floor and fell all around her. Fortunately, she was unhurt.

As the group hurried towards the pile, a faint chuckle was heard from under the pile and a muffled voice called out:

'Well, glad that's dealt with. Now, I think it's time for a break, don't cha' think?'

Eclipse gently got up from their seat and asked them:

From under the pile, Decaf's muffled voice was heard, replying with a gentle 'Yes, please.' The group started moving all the books to the side, being careful not to have the pile collapse and hurt anyone. A little while later, Decaf's head poked up from the pile, shocking the group for a moment before they all started laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Decaf was unhurt, but was quite startled, saying the pile really ruffled her feathers. After she had been fully uncovered from the pile, Cherry and Rain helped her to a seat at the table, while Eclipse, using their magic, moved the pile of restored books to the side to sort and organise later.

As they were in the kitchen when Cherry suggested using the spell on a larger pile of books, Decaf and Rain did not know how Eclipse was suddenly able to restore so many at once, when one book already made them exhausted. Cherry explained that they figured casting the spell was the hard part, but actually keeping it cast, focusing on the pile, restoring the books, that would require only a fraction of that energy.

Still, it did tire Twilight and Solar, who still had to catch their breath and were rubbing their temples, for they felt a headache. The group took a seat at the table and relaxed with a cup of coffee or tea, along with a small assortment of biscuits and pastries. Twilight and Solar apologised profusely for scaring Decaf, saying they were too focused on restoring the books to realise where they were hovering the pile.

Decaf accepted their apology, and asked them to take it easy, and to make sure to focus on where they were levitating things before lowering them, which Eclipse agreed to. The group continued talking amongst themselves, saying they had seen each other around town, but never truly got to know each other, and that via Light, they now did.

As they mentioned the group that went along with Light to Canterlot, hoping they were more successful than them, Decaf mentioned being worried for her sister, for she was a bit clumsy when not in the kitchen, partially because of her hyperactivity. As the others reassured her, saying that they had faith in Light, though they had only met them recently, there was a gentle knock at the door.

Eclipse finished their drink and headed to the door, finding the grey mailmare standing in front of them again, holding a letter, addressed to them. They thanked the Pegasus and headed back to the table, where they found the letter came from Light in Canterlot, detailing their journey, which went smoothly, their safe arrival, and meeting with Sunrise before heading to dinner, after which they headed to sleep.

The letter continued, as Light also said that they hoped that everyone in Ponyville was doing well, that they hoped the rest of the restoration of the library was going smoothly, and that Princess Celestia was able to help find a spell to restore the lost books. After breakfast, they would join Sunrise to the Library, and hoped to find a start there.

Concluding the letter, Light said they would make sure to send updates on their progress, and asked the others if they would do the same. Not just to keep them updated on any information they might find in Ponyville, but also to make sure the group there was doing well and staying safe as well.

Feeling reassured and glad after hearing the positive news, Cherry, Decaf, and Rain asked Eclipse if they could write a letter back to Light, to which Eclipse agreed. All joining in on the letter, they wrote that they were very glad to hear back from Light and the group, promising to keep them updated as well, and wishing them the best in finding any information.

Before finishing the letter and binding it with a wax seal to send back to Canterlot, Eclipse mentioned to the group:

"The Royal Archives of Canterlot Castle could hold more information, but entering the area requires permission from the highest authority. We could help them."

Finalising the letter, they wrote:

"Want to meet Celestia?"
"I think she may be able to help you with your search. Looking forward to your reply! Yours faithfully, Twilight Sparkle and Solar Eclipse."

After Solar and Twilight finished the letter, they neatly rolled it up and sealed it with wax, and asked Rain, Cherry and Decaf to join them in heading to town, where they could deposit the letter to be posted to Canterlot, to which the rest agreed.

Eclipse explained that while they were in town, they would have to take care of some business, but would join the others again later, if possible. The trio agreed, stating they themselves had plans for the afternoon, but did not have anything planned for the evening, which left them wondering about plans for later.

Decaf stepped up and said that, though her sister Caff was the head baker in the café, and whose speed in the kitchen was unmatched, she was quite skillful in the kitchen as well. She offered to prepare supper for the group, which the group accepted. Cherry offered to help Decaf with cooking, and would like to learn more in baking and preparing drinks, in case Caff is away longer.

When the group reached the café, Rain said that they would head home to Cloudsdale, have a look at the area around the theme park as they flew over it, and would be back in time for supper, before turning away to head off, as the others waved them goodbye. Solar and Twilight headed further into town as Decaf and Cherry entered the café to prepare and plan the meals.

After posting the letter, they wondered about Light and their group, still wanting to help as much as possible. Thinking in the back of their mind about the park and the tunnels, on which they were trying to find information, Twilight and Solar hoped that Celestia could help. Before heading back, they bought some fruits and vegetables at the stalls in town, and stationary, before heading back to the castle to write another letter, this time to the Princess.

Back in Canterlot, Violin had lead Light, Caff, Banana and Boom to the Library, which, fortunately, was only a short distance from Violin's house. Remembering the echo in Ponyville Castle, Light muffled their hoofsteps, before asking the librarian on books of history, and maps of the city and the land.

The library was vast, collections dating to hundreds of years ago, and possibly older than that, kept in pristine condition due to the efforts of the Curators of the Halls, and the Princess herself. Light turned to the group and said they realised looking for historic texts would not be very entertaining, and said, with genuineness in their voice, that if the others wanted to leave and do something else, they were absolutely free to do so.

To their relief and surprise, none took them up on the offer, saying they would be able to look for books on subjects of interest while helping Light look through old tomes. Boom leaned in closer and whispered that books on blasting powder and Chemistry would help him make better BOOMS, chuckling as he said so.

Giving him a look of sternness and concern, Light sighed and said that they would gladly take up the offer of help, but they would have to follow the Rules of the Halls. Caff and Banana would have to hold in their energy, and Boom his eagerness to blow things up, remembering the damage that he caused to a small collection back in Ponyville.

"I hope we all find what we're looking for. Whether it be a grand revelation or the tiniest nuggets of knowledge, anything will help. And I hope we find it soon."

In the library, close to the entirety of history was available. From the start of Equestria, to the emergence of the Pillars, through the growth of the Tree of Harmony and the return of Princess Luna, books dating back to hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. Works from folks of all walks of life, reaching through history to readers of today.

Over the last few years, due to the efforts of the Royal Princesses, and especially the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, connections were made outside of Equestria, and the tales and accounts of many races throughout history became available, from Griffons to Yaks, Hippogriffs and Seaponies to the area of Klugetown and beyond.

Though the collection was vast, it was not entirely complete. Whether through vandalism, negligence or any other malicious reason, intended or otherwise, there are perspectives, knowledge, experiences lost to the ages. Due to the loss of these fragmented periods of history, some notable occurrences would be forever unknown.

Searching through the entire library one book at a time would take beyond an eternity to complete; therefore Light created a system, which they advised the others to follow: Look for books that could be of use, write down the titles and details of these books, and after a set number of volumes found, quickly search through the chapters. If something interesting is in the books, write down the chapters next to the titles, and continue on.

As the group was looking through the shelves of history, Banana realised something and gathered the group; He explained that the history of the last one thousand years, after the banishment of Princess Luna, would be of little use, as the land was peaceful under the rule of Celestia, and there would be no need for dark tunnels and secret passages, or anything of the sort.

After thinking for a moment, Light agreed with Banana, and mentioned that they thought the catacombs themselves may not have been built during the sole rule of the Princess of the Sun, though there could still be accounts of others who discovered the tunnels before Banana built the park over the dark passages.

Many hours passed, and piles of books lined the tables spanning the Halls of the Library. So far, nothing more than a few small references to old constructions lost to the ages, like the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest, and the Ruins of Ponehenge. A number of scrolls, written by the group, noting the titles and details of many books from before the banishment of Luna, were scattered about as well.

Looking at the others with a gentle gaze and seeing they felt exhausted and bored, losing their focus, Light sighed quietly, and started clearing up the books on the tables, confusing the group. They explained they were not giving up, but they knew spending too long trying to focus on one thing would not be beneficial to anyone.

They also explained that fresh air, a proper meal and a good night's rest would be helpful, and balancing research with relaxation would be best for them. As Caff started helping Light, Violin said he was headed home to make preparations for dinner, followed closely by Banana, while Boom appeared to be very focused on one book in particular.

Using their magic, Light carefully moved the books, one by one, to their rightful places on the shelves of the Library. Though Caff was unable to fly, and was not able to reach the higher shelves, she went up and down the tables, grabbing books to balance on her wings, moving them closer to Light.

Boom, meanwhile, stayed focused on his book, surprising both Light and Caff, who continued clearing up. When they were nearly finished, they lightly tapped Boom on his shoulder, asking for his book, startling the Unicorn, who then closed the book and walked towards the Librarian, politely asking to borrow the book.

Caff and Light looked at each other in confusion, and as the trio walked out of the library, finding the sun was very low in the sky, they asked Boom what the book was about, to which he replied:

"I vaguely remember some things that have been noted in this book, and I think I might have found something, but not about tunnels, nor blasting powder, or anything. Just… I'll… let you know."

The three walked back to Violin's house, and when they arrived there, as the sun approached the horizon, Light said they would head to the park again, both to stretch their legs and to get some fresh air before dinner. Caff and Boom smiled and waved off the Kirin as they entered the house, while Light moved to the park, hoping to find, again, what they found that morning.

When Boom and Caff walked in, they smelled the lovely scent of freshly baked bread, and walked towards the kitchen where they found Banana and Violin casually chatting with each other whilst cutting vegetables, preparing to make soup for that evening. The two Ponies in the kitchen smiled and waved at them when they walked in, asking them if they could assist in setting the table for dinner.

After they finished cutting the vegetables, Violin added the mix to the stock they had prepared, making a delicious mixed soup. Since it would take a little while for the soup to finish cooking, Banana turned off the oven and took out the bread the two had baked, while Boom and Caff grabbed cream and seasoning for the soup, and spreads and toppings for the bread, and placed these on the table.

The group took a seat at the dinner table, discussing the events of the day, noting they made a very good start to their research. Having managed to find a number of books and possible leads, in the coming days, they could refine their search to focus on the books, the titles of which they had written down, on scrolls that Light took along with them.

Caff mentioned that Light said they would be back home a little bit later, as they went for another walk in the park to the edge of the city, apparently to watch the sun set, just as they saw it rise that morning. Violin added to this, saying the elevation of the city, high up the mountain, made for phenomenal viewpoints from which to see incredibly far in the distance.

At that moment, Light entered, puzzling the group. After they heartily greeted the group at the table, noting the delicious scent of bread and hot soup as they did so, Boom said it was still light out, and the sun hadn't set yet, and was confused as to why they were home so soon. Light replied that large clouds looming over the horizon prevented them from seeing the sun, and added that they expected rain later in the evening, judging by the colours of the clouds.

Taking their seat at the table, they thanked Violin and Banana for preparing dinner, and said they would clear up after they finished their meal; it would only be fair to help, as the others had prepared dinner. Boom offered to help as well, but Light politely turned him down, asking him to try and find out more about what he remembered from the book he borrowed from the library.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Decaf and Cherry had nearly finished preparing supper, consisting of pasta, sauces and a light, mixed salad as a side to their main. Grabbing a number of plates and cutlery, when they walked out of the kitchen they noticed Twilight and Solar stand in front of the door, politely waiting to be let in.

Decaf unlocked the door for Eclipse while Cherry set the table, greeting the Alicorn as they entered. Eclipse said that Light Rain was headed to town to pick up a friend, having asked the Alicorn if it was alright for their friend to join for supper. Decaf accepted, saying Cherry and her had made more than enough pasta and sauce, and asked cherry to grab another plate and set of cutlery for Rain's friend.

Eclipse took their seat at the table as Cherry returned from the kitchen, grabbing a chair from an adjacent table, and making room for another person to join. A few moments later, Light came back, talking with a green Pony, whom they introduced to the group as Green Apple, a good friend of theirs. Cherry waved excitedly to the two as they walked in, and, after placing the cutlery at the table, she pulled both of them in for a big, tight hug, chuckling as they did so.

"It's wonderful to see you! I'm so glad you could join us for supper! Come on, come in! Take a seat, there's plenty for all of us!"

Taking their seat at the table next to Twilight and Solar, Green introduced themselves to Decaf and Eclipse. Green smiled warmly at the Alicorn, and quietly said it was very nice to meet them! In response, Eclipse smiled at young Green, accidentally revealing their fangs to her.

Surprised at Solar and Twilight's fangs, Green blushed and chuckled nervously before turning away, leaving the Alicorn somewhat confused. As Decaf entered the kitchen to grab the bowls of pasta and salad, and Cherry offered to help her carry everything to the table, Rain quietly said to Twilight and Solar that Green was not used to meeting new folks, as they were introverted and quite shy.

Decaf and Cherry returned from the kitchen and served everyone a portion of pasta with salad on the side, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, evident by the fact that some asked for a second serving. After the meal, the group chatted amongst each other about their day and expressed their appreciation for the brilliant supper Decaf and Cherry had made.

Green stood up and gathered the plates on the table as Decaf asked Rain if they could help them in taking the bowls back to the kitchen. The trio walked back and forth between the kitchen and the main hall as Cherry and Solar and Twilight sat at the table, still chatting about their day. In the kitchen, Rain told Decaf to rest and take a seat at the table, as she and Cherry had prepared supper, and were probably quite fatigued after an entire afternoon of cooking.

Fortunately, there was not much to wash up, and Green and Rain were finished rather quickly. After they finished, and Rain had asked the group if they wanted a drink, they returned to the hall with some cans of coffee and tea, while Green carried biscuits, cups and a box, containing various flavours of tea to choose from, on a tray.

When they had finished their drinks and cleared up the last of the crumbs, everyone, save for Decaf, headed to the door to call it for the day. As Twilight and Solar wished the group a lovely evening and turned to head back to the castle, Green gently called out to them and smiled, showing Eclipse they had fangs too, to which the Alicorn smiled and waved them goodbye.

Back in Canterlot, the group had just finished their own meal, and Light began clearing up, their head full of ideas. They could barely stop thinking about what Boom had said about the book, remembering something and trying to find connections… Yet, not connected to the tunnels or anything.

While they were deep in thought, Caff entered the kitchen and offered to help, startling the Kirin who nearly dropped a stack of plates. Fortunately, using their magic, they managed to catch the plates, and carefully tidied them up. Light and thanked Caff for their offer, but since the washing up was nearly complete, they politely told Caff sit down again.

After enjoying a cup of tea, Light bade everyone goodnight as they headed upstairs. The following morning, Light awoke much later than usual, the previous day having thoroughly exhausted them. Walking downstairs, they found Violin and Banana in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the group, with bread and toppings to their side, to make lunch for later.

After Light had prepared their sandwiches for lunch and was about to have breakfast with the group, they heard a knock at the door, finding a postman with a letter addressed to them. The letter had come from Eclipse back in Ponyville, who suggested a meeting with the Princess Celestia, and offering to write a letter to help get in touch with her.

Light was very happy with this offer and wrote a letter to send back to Eclipse, thanking them for their continued help and gladly taking their advice of meeting Celestia. Afterwards, Light quickly posted the letter to be delivered to Ponyville, managing to get back before breakfast was ready.

A little while later, Boom came downstairs, speaking about the book he had read, explaining that it was about old legends and tales, children's stories, even, and that it reminded them of the gift that they hadn't yet given to Light. Before Light could ask Boom what he meant, he interrupted them and said:

"Soon, I promise I'll have your gift. I think you'll really like it, and if you need help to understand or learn from it, I'm your guy."

And after seeing the letter on the table, chuckled and spoke aloud with a smile:

"We're seeing sunbutt? Ok remind me to wear my blast proof vest heh"

There was silence among the group as everyone took in the ridiculous statement Boom had just made. After what felt like an eternity of Ponies and Kirin staring at each other, all hoping someone else would speak, Light finally dared ask what Boom meant when he said that, to which he only replied 'Heh, just a hunch.', worrying the group even more.

Boom's reactions felt held back, more rehearsed, for lack of a better word, as if he has been preparing to say those words for a very long time already. Light figured that Boom was keeping something from the group, be it a prior meeting with Celestia or something akin to an explanation as to why the Unicorn was not welcome in Canterlot.

Adding to this, his 'gift', which he had spoken of since just after they met, he remembered after going through the book he had found, and would apparently be giving to Light 'soon', whenever that may be. Light's mind wandered very far, for it would be a good fit, they could learn from it, they could understand it, so many different items entered their thoughts, all being possible gifts.

For the moment, there was nothing more that Light could get out of Boom, as he refused to speak, clearly unusual for him, all while keeping a smile on his face. Thinking back to the letter they posted, as Light was unsure whether or not Eclipse had sent for the Princess already, they figured the best course of action was to ask Twilight and Solar for confirmation about the meeting with the Princess of the Sun.

Trying to put this strange business beside them, Light sat back down at the table and continued their breakfast with the group, as confused looks lined the table. It did not help that Boom kept looking at Light from the corner of his eye, still keeping a grin on his face, making them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After breakfast was finished and the dishes were cleaned and cleared up, Light began preparing to head out to the Library, grabbing their packed lunch and the scrolls of book titles to place in their bag. Remembering the colossal effort their research would take, they offered to head to the Library early, to get a head start on their continued research, and to allow the others to rest and recover some more.

Banana and Caff took up their offer, saying they would go shopping with Violin, partially to thank them for their continued hospitality, to restock groceries for the next few days, and to possibly look for another place to rest, as to not overstay their welcome. Violin interrupted them, saying that having the group here was quite enjoyable and barely a bother at all.

Adding to this, Violin continued, the interesting research they were conducting, the delicious meals and overall positive attitude of the group were very welcome, as their home would be quite dull otherwise. Before Light could respond, Violin offered the group a visit to the Castle, on leisurely terms, where they could enjoy a performance by the Orchestra he was a part of, an offer Light and the group gladly took up.

Violin said that the Orchestra would perform tomorrow evening in the main Halls of the Castle, marking the end of the Summer Sun Celebration which lead by Princess Celestia. And, following closely thereafter, a special performance to honour the Princess of the Night, as per request by Celestia as well.

With a smile on their face and enthusiasm in their eyes, Violin ended by saying:

"Go on, off you go! We'll catch up later and hear all about what you've found! Don't worry, we'll be back before dinner, you make sure you don't miss it either!"

After his lovely words, Light turned to the door to find it opened, and Boom nowhere to be found. Only a small note at the bottom of the frame, which read "See ya later, I'll be back with your gift." Puzzled and intrigued, Light stored away the note and headed back to the Library, watching their back should Boom return without warning.

After Light had reached the Library, they took out the first of many lists of book titles and chapters to look through. Mysteries of the ancient world, perhaps the catacombs were passages to tombs of sorts? Or books about stories and tales of war and resistance, maybe the tunnels were built to hide, protect and rescue folks?

Many possibilities, but Light did not expect to find the answer quickly. The catacombs were buried, secret, hidden away, so any information pertaining to them would be difficult to find as well. The only thing they knew for certain is that the tunnels were very old, dating back to before the banishment of Nightmare Moon.

Hours went by, Light searching fruitlessly through many books, from all over the world and ages. Scrolls written in ancient tongues, small extracts of texts that were able to be translated, the rest of the text faded or unintelligible, sometimes just a few words in small copies of large volumes, too valuable to be borrowed or studied by anyone but those with the highest authority.

As Light was having lunch outside, to prevent crumbs and bits of food staining and damaging the books, they saw Caff, Banana and Violin, and waved to them as they walked up to the Library, as they increased their speed to a trot when they saw Light. They asked how well Light's research was getting along, but so far, no luck.

Light finished their sandwiches and brushed the crumbs out of their mane, shaking their head and body like a dog that just walked out of a stream of water, making the others smile and chuckle with the Kirin. The group headed back inside, and, in hopes of finding a way to cut corners, moved to the head Librarian.

Light asked her if she could offer any help in finding out more about the catacombs, to which she asked to describe their appearance. After Light described the tunnels, with Banana adding corrections here and there, being more familiar with the area, she confessed she didn't know about anything of the sort.

However, she mentioned there are a number of historians, lecturers and researchers who have more experience in tales of old, and gave Light the contact details of a few prominent Ponies; Professor Fossil, Indiana Pones and Doctor Caballeron, to name a few. They often gave lectures at the University of Canterlot, though they often were away, conducting independent research on many places throughout the land.

The names sounded somewhat familiar to Light, who asked the group if they had heard of any of these researchers, to which Caff replied, in a slightly confused tone, that they thought Doctor Caballeron was a character in a series of adventure books, Daring Do, written by AK Yearling, facing the hero in many endeavours.

Glancing between the group and the librarian, Light was even more confused, until the Librarian answered that, though Caballeron appears in the books, and is considered by many to be a fictional character he is in fact a real Doctor. Evidently, the adventures in the books were often results of misunderstandings between him and Daring Do, over the artefacts they found all over the world.

While Caballeron wanted to collect, preserve and study them, Daring wanted these artefacts to remain where they belonged, thwarting Caballeron along the way, as she thought he wanted to sell the items. Along with the mystical Guardian of the Realm, they came to an agreement where Caballeron could take and study the artefacts, but would have to return them when he finished.

Light thanked the Librarian as they took the contact details she had written down for them, and turned to the group to head out to stretch their legs again. As they were leaving, the Librarian waved them goodbye and wished them the best in their research, saying that what they told her was one of the less weird things in the world. Light asked what she meant by this, to which she replied:

"Take your pick; a being of pure chaos making cotton candy clouds rain chocolate milk, a city reappearing after one thousand years, bringing a great evil along with it, or a shapeshifting Queen and her army attacking the capital."

Light, Violin, Caff and Banana headed out of the Library and went for a walk around town, as Light suggested heading to the park they had walked in a few times already. The views there are spectacular, they said, and would allow them to see incredibly far. On the way there, Light's mind was cluttered as they thought about the next few days; Boom returning with a gift, meeting the Princess and an orchestral performance at the Castle, they would be quite busy.

Light lead the group to the park, a few minutes away from the city by hoof. Everybody took a breath of fresh air, smelling the sweet fragrances of countless flowers lining the fields in-between the trees. It was an absolutely beautiful sight, as if taken from a painting, an image from a novel come to life in spectacular fashion.

Walking through the woods, Light mentioned to the group that they were now quite close to the edge of the mountain, from whence they would have a view of nearly the whole country. As the group looked out towards the horizon, with the sun high in the sky, Light said that the view was even more spectacular as the sun rose in the morning.

Caff excitedly pointed out they could see the small town of Ponyville, bordering on the Forest of Everfree, and Eclipse's castle standing tall, its spire shining beautiful radiant colours over the area. Speaking quietly, Caff mentioned that she dearly missed her sister, the comfort of her home and the coziness of the café she worked at.

Banana sighed in agreement, for though the view was incredible, it reminded them home, and what they were missing. Light's heart felt heavy at the mentioning of hearth and home, family and loved ones, and quietly said that, if they wanted to, they could return home, as they promised them, before the group entered the train to leave the village, a few days ago.

Their words greatly moved both Banana and Caff, and they felt their hearts ache at the mentioning of returning home to be with the ones they loved. Though they considered taking up their offer and turning back home, they reassured Light they would stay and help, especially since Violin had invited them to a Gala at Canterlot Castle, to watch them perform, and they would not miss that for the world.

The Kirin bowed their head in sorrow, just managing to hold back tears. Light gently smiled and agreed, for they had never been to a Gala, nor watched a full performance by Violin or the orchestra they were a part of, and was excited about a great number of things. Though the mysteries of the tunnels were a priority, Light felt it was possible to put this on the side for now.

Thanks to the Librarian's help, they now had new leads to investigate, and would be able to discuss their findings with folks more experienced in ancient ruins. Next to this, with Eclipse offering to get in touch with the Princess, whom they would be able to meet tomorrow evening, and Boom mentioning his contacts in other places, their journey was not done yet.

Light turned to head back towards the city, intending to rest both their body and their mind, and possibly to try to get in touch with the professors of Archaeology, hoping to be able to arrange a meeting. As they turned away, Caff and Banana asked them to wait a moment, after which they gently embraced the Kirin, saying that they were worried about Light as much as Light was about them.

Their kind words warmed Light's heart as they hugged Banana and Caff back, and, unable to hold in all their emotions, a single tear formed in their eye, rolled down their cheek and dropped to the ground. After a time too long, yet too short, the group headed back to Violin's house, and would spend their afternoon more calmly, waiting both for a confirmation from Eclipse, as well as make preparations for a meeting with the professors they had been told of.

Back in Ponyville, as the sun was nearing its peak in the sky, the grey mailmare of Ponyville knocked on the doors of the Castle to hand Eclipse a letter from Light, thanking them for their offer, and asking them for confirmation. Eclipse wrote a letter to the Princess, asking for an audience for the Kirin and their friends, as well as another letter to send back to Light.

Finishing the letter to the Kirin, Eclipse lightheartedly wrote, in a joking manner:

"As long as nothing supernatural happens, this should be easy."

When they had finished both letters, they handed one of the letters to the purple drake, who burnt it away towards the Princess of the Sun, as was his ability, and handed the other letter back to the mailmare, asking her to post it headed for Canterlot. The mailmare smiled and nodded, and after accidentally bumping into the door, flew away. "Here's to hoping for the best", Eclipse thought to themselves, as they closed the door, awaiting further news from Canterlot.

3: The Gala

When they had finished both letters, they handed one of the letters to the purple drake, who burnt it away towards the Princess of the Sun, as was his ability, and handed the other letter back to the mailmare, asking her to post it headed for Canterlot. The mailmare smiled and nodded, and after accidentally bumping into the door, flew away. "Here's to hoping for the best", Eclipse thought to themselves, as they closed the door, awaiting further news from Canterlot.

In Canterlot, the rest of the afternoon at Violin's was quiet and peaceful. Light called it quits on their research for the day, and spent a while just resting and thinking, trying to clear their mind. Though their thoughts were cluttered, writing down what came to mind and talking about it with others from time to time helped immensely.

As the sun was lowering, the group was getting ready for dinner, and since everyone was at home, they all could assist in preparing the meal. Tonight on the menu were hayburgers with fresh bread and many toppings. Though there would be more preparation, everycreature was able to put their own course together.

Using their magic, Light and Banana started cutting up vegetables as Violin kept a watchful eye on the cooking patties and bread in the oven. Caff, meanwhile, grabbed a number of plates, to set on the table, and bowls, to hold the chopped toppings. Alongside these, they also grabbed cutlery and glasses, and many bottles and jars of sauce, for the table.

When the burgers were finished and the bread was baked, Banana helped Violin with placing the buns and patties on the table, where Light cut the bread and placed a bun on each plate. Everyone had many different choices of topping to put on their bun, and were able to customise their burger to their heart's desire.

Light, Banana and Caff had an easier time with their meal, using their magic and wings to hold the bun, but Violin was not so lucky, and their burger fell apart any time they tried to grab it with their hooves. Eventually, they stuck a fork in it, and were able to eat it with ease afterwards.

When they had finished their dinner, and had completed the washing up, the group sat and enjoyed each other's company with a small fire in the open hearth which Light had lit. Wanting to get to know each other a little better, as their contacts had been mostly professional for the last few days, they spoke about many things, admired each other's dreams and ambitions, and shared stories which resulted in laughter.

The group thought back to their walk in the forest, where Light told them they were free to leave and head back home. Banana asked why Light was constantly checking in on them, asking if everyone was alright and offering them the chance to head home. Light sorrowfully lowered their head and answered that it's a long and layered tale, but it laid the foundation for them to become who they are now.

The group did not push Light further, which they was grateful for, as they preferred not to, and continued with their chats. Caff asked Violin if he could tell them anything about the performance of tomorrow, but the only thing he said was that they'd have to wait and see, for what they saw when before they first met was only a sliver of the whole performance. After this wonderful revelation, they headed to bed, excited for the Gala tomorrow.

During the night, Light had a series of strange dreams. Dreams so vivid and detailed, they felt more like visions. Boom returning unexpectedly, falling out of a portal, Light turning Nirik, possibly endangering others, and a friend, dear to Boom, gone somewhere else…? They awoke in cold sweat, and before the memory of their dreams faded away, they managed to write down most of what they remembered.

Unable to continue sleeping afterwards, they decided to head out for another walk. The moon was high, the night young, and Light was able to see countless stars dotting the sky. Outside of the city, in the forest where they walked a number of times before, the view was especially beautiful, as the surrounding lights were more dispersed.. As their eyes got used to the dark, Light was able to see more and more stars, and decided to lay down in the forest and watch the sky for a while.

The area was calm and quiet, and the grass was lightly damp, which cooled the Kirin during the night. The weather had been warm and sunny, and the dew provided a lovely balance with the cooling summer air. Eventually, their mind drifted and their eyes fell shut, after which they fell back into a deep sleep.

Opening their eyes, Light came face to face with the Princess of the Night, who had entered their dreams after the strange visions they had earlier that night. Light rose clumsily, feeling light as a feather, and said with a bow: "Good evening, your Royal Highness. To what do I owe this visit? Is something amiss?" to which Luna replied:

"I'm sorry, but there is no time for formalities. We must speak, right away, for I fear grave trouble is ahead."

Rising to meet the Princess of the Night at eye level, Light looked at her with a confused gaze. They knew that the Princesses would not reach out and contact others unless in dire emergency, or, in the case of Luna entering someone's dreams, if this individual was unknowingly facing seemingly insurmountable odds.

They asked Princess Luna why they came to them, and did not go to others, for Light did not find themselves capable of fighting grave threats. They knew they had power within, found in their Nirik form, but it had been very long since they had last used their full strength, and they did not know if they would be able to control it, should they transform again.

Luna replied that the safest and quickest to reach out was through a creature's dreams, as none but the dreamer and the Princess herself could enter. The things Light saw, what they might see, and what they could find, she also witnessed. Much has occurred over the last few days, and much was still to come, even if the Kirin did not know or realise it.

Light thought back to earlier that night, the dream about themselves, holding immense power, Boom appearing out of nowhere, and fragmenting connections between friends of old… These dreams felt more detailed, vivid, real, even. Could it be that these were not dreams at all, but visions of what has not yet come to pass?

The Princess continued, stating that the Gala tomorrow held the endings of many paths, and beginnings of new ones. The conclusion of the Gala and the end of the celebration tomorrow were uncertain and unknown to them, though through the veil, Luna saw Light and their companions, near the centre of the event, as guests of the Halls, yet of more importance than they could realise.

The words of the Princess placed upon Light a heavy burden, yet also gave them a desire to resolve the challenges placed ahead of them. After mentally placing all the new information and resolutions Luna had given them neatly in a row, Light took a deep breath, and asked what their next move should be. Luna replied:

"Beware the green Unicorn, for while he is not evil, he is unpredictable and chaotic, and could be a threat to you and those around you. Look to the North and to the East. Find the young Royals and help them reconnect. They will all help lead you to more knowledge."

The Princess turned around and headed away from Light, intending to leave their dream. Light sat back down and prepared to wake up to head home, yet before this happened, Luna turned around again and said to the Kirin:

"I do not know all that you have faced, but I feel your soul feels like mine did, eons ago. There is great strength in you, but beware your own power. Do not fear it, do not let it control you, and do not try to control it. Release control and you shall succeed."

With these last words, Luna vanished, and after Light took a deep breath, they opened their eyes to find themselves back in the forest, surrounded by flowers, with the night fading away. They arose to find the sky lit in beautiful colours, as the civil dawn approached, and a new day was about to begin.

They headed back home and reached their room, where they wrote down all that the Princess had said. Today's Gala and celebration, the ending of which was not yet clear, heading to the North and East to find young Royalty, and helping them to receive their help in return. Finishing writing on the scroll, Light headed downstairs for breakfast, and thought to themselves:

"I must find the Princess of the Night at the Gala. Perhaps speaking in person will help us uncover the perils that lie ahead."

As Light was headed downstairs, they heard the sound of magic coming from the kitchen, before being startled by a loud thud on the table, shortly after which the magic faded away. Light heard sounds coming from upstairs, the thud evidently having woken up the rest of the house, and they quickly went to the kitchen to find a head home book laying on the table with a note attached to the cover.

As the others quickly ran downstairs, they found Light holding the book with their magic, reading the note, which said: ‘Here’s some “light” reading for ya. I’m on my way back, the stories in this book reminded me of your gift. Hope you find them as... interesting, as I did. - Boom’.

After Light had read the note, the group asked them what this meant, and where the book came from. Noting the magic that they heard fading away after the thud, Light said they reckoned that Boom found a way to send the book through a portal to Violin’s house. Whatever was in this book must have been important.

Turning away from the group, who started making breakfast as Light skimmed through the pages of the book, the first pages held an explanation; they were indeed a collection of tales, but written by a researcher thousands of years ago, about events that took place even further back in time. It was noted that though these tales were not by first-hoof experience, and should be taken with a grain of salt, there was an element of truth in every story.

The chapter titles were quite disturbing, with names such as ‘The Valley of Nameless Things’, ‘The Shadows of the Mountain of Fire’, ‘Battle for the Dead City’, and dozens more. Near the end of the book, they came upon another note, by Boom, saying ‘Read this one first’. The title of the chapter read: ‘The Fields of the Forgotten Folk’.

The title sent a chill down Light's spine, as it felt ever so slightly and strangely familiar. Reading through the pages, skipping over some of the more disturbing imagery, Light read some of the passages detailing the events that occurred on those fields. Battles fought, great loss of life, destruction all over, and no victors. Light closed the book and put it aside to join the others for breakfast.

The day was going to be rather busy, and their mind was already quite cluttered from their visit from the Princess, so they would have to return to the book later. Their train of thought was stopped by a knock at the door, finding the postman with a letter bound to Light. Reading the letter, which came from Twilight and Solar, it confirmed they had reached out to the Princess of the Sun, who would grant them an audience that day.

The Gala officially started around noon, but Violin had to head there earlier to help set up the podium upon which the orchestra would perform. The group offered to come along to help him and the orchestra set up the podium, allowing them to have a look around the castle, and for them to be able to wait for meeting the Princess of the Sun. Violin wholeheartedly accepted, saying that Caff's energy and Light and Banana's magic would be very much appreciated.

After the group had finished their breakfast, and had prepared their lunch, they packed their bags and headed to the Royal Palace. Light took the book that Boom had sent them and had placed it in their bag, planning to read it later after meeting with the Princess. Nearing the Palace, Light's hairs stood upright, and their body shivered, as they thought:

"Something is amiss. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."

They shook off the feeling, heading inside with the group, thinking of questions to ask the Solar Princess, and hoping that their bad feeling passes swiftly.

Heading into the Main Hall, the group found a great number of Ponies helping with the set up of the Gala. There were chefs and cooks taking stock of ingredients for meals and , caretakers and cleaners preparing the Halls for coming guests, mechanics and electricians helping to set up the stage upon which the Royal Canterlot Orchestra, including Violin, would play.

After checking in their bags at the cloakroom, they moved towards a group of musicians who were standing to the side of the hall, to whom Violin happily waved. The Royal Orchestra was quite large, consisting of many percussion, brass, woodwind and string musicians. He introduced Banana, Caff and Light to the other musicians, with whom he had practiced often, preparing for the Gala.

The conductor recognised the Kirin and stepped forward, after which proper introductions were made. Light asked if there was need for help in any way with the setup of the stage or the Halls, to which she replied that for now, there was no need, and that the orchestra was therefore socialising in the Hall, waiting for the stage to be completed.

Finding no other way to help for the moment, Light told Caff, Banana and Violin that they would go for a walk around the Gardens before the Gala started. They accepted and went off to do their own thing; Violin started talking with the string section of the Orchestra as Banana and Caff went to the other side of the Hall to talk with the present chefs and cooks, evidently wondering if they needed any help.

Exiting the Palace, Light looked upon the Gardens of the Palace, lined with many statues and beautiful fields of exquisite flowers. Further into the Gardens was the hedge maze, which Light preferred to steer clear of. As they headed to the side of the fields, they found themselves looking upon a clearing, leading to the edge of a cliff, from whence, like in the forest, they could see much of the land.

As they were leaning on the fence, looking out towards the horizon, many thoughts raced through their mind. So many things still to discover and to study, busy days ahead of them, and possible nastiness at the Gala. Through their cluttered thoughts, they heard a gentle voice greet them from behind, joining them on their side and leaning over the fence as well. Light looked over and said "Hey Celestia, nice to see you again."

The magic that Light heard on their first walk in the forest was Celestia lowering the sun from the woods close to the Palace. After their meeting a few days ago, and finding common ground in many things, primarily their appreciation of the beauty of morning and night, Light and Celestia had met in the forest at sunrise and sunset nearly every day since.

The Solar Princess spoke with a gentle, quiet voice, making small talk with the Kirin, wondering why they had come to the Gala. Light replied that there were many reasons and many goals for that day, but the main reason was because of the invitation from Violin, one of the musicians of the orchestra, whom Celestia had met before at other festivities at the Palace.

Celestia replied that they had received a number of letters from Twilight and Solar back in Ponyville over the past few days, talking about Light and asking her for help, and she asked what these messages were for. Light replied that they, and the Ponies who joined them, have been busy finding information about a number of strange things, both in the Ponyville Library as the Royal Library of Canterlot, but so far, they had found nothing.

They continued, saying Twilight and Solar offered Light to get in touch with her, just a little while after they first met in the forest. In the mean time, they searched through many books, finding many things, and going after and new paths they found. At the moment, Light had put their research aside, and was trying to focus on the Gala of that day. Celestia asked them:

'Why didn't you ask for help before?'

'I felt it was better to discuss officially. I didn't want to make a bad first impression.'

Light replied, and continued: 'There are still many things we're trying to find. For now, I'm keeping an eye out for any trouble at the Gala, for visions I had last night, which I talked about with Princess Luna, showed a number of strange occurrences.'

After Light's words concerning visions and possible problems at the festivities of today, Celestia turned back to look towards the horizon, and to think about what to do and say next. The two fell silent, and the only sounds were the wind blowing through the trees and the faint sound of animals elsewhere in the Gardens. Each second felt like an eternity, until finally the silence was broken by Celestia, who asked Light what they planned to do next.

The Kirin replied, saying that they arrived early, hopefully to be able to help a bit with the setup before the Gala started, but since there was nothing they could do, for the moment, they decided to take some time to themselves, which is why they came to the Gardens. The Gala would officially start in a little while, and in the mean time, folks who entered the Halls early could spend their time helping with the setup, or by making small talk with others.

Ponies and creatures from all over Equestria are welcome to come to the Halls of the Palace for the celebrations. The Princesses of the Sun and Moon would be present throughout the event, though they tried to stay out of the spotlights, preferring the focus to be on the Gala, rather than themselves. Celestia would say a few words, bidding everyone welcome to the Palace, after which the Gala would start.

Wanting to avoid a situation from a number of years ago, where Celestia stood in one spot the entire evening greeting entering guests, she and Luna were still figuring out the best thing to do, whether this was retreating to their rooms or the Royal Throne Room, to wander around the Halls where the festivities took place, or to try something else, they still had not yet decided.

The Gardens were quiet and peaceful, especially before sunrise and at sunset, which allowed Celestia to calmly walk through the open fields to be able to raise and lower the sun, as Luna did the same with the moon. Though, Luna would prefer staying closer to the Palace, for her duty at night was to wander the dreams of the sleeping creatures of the land, which she was most comfortable with in a safe and familiar location.

Because there were still a number of things to be arranged before the start of the Gala, Celestia moved away from the fence and told Light they would take care of their business, but said she hoped they had a lovely time and that she hoped to see them around. Before she could fly away, Light asked her if, after the Gala, they could have time to discuss the business Light wanted to arrange with her, asking for her help with the research they were conducting.

'For now, before I head back to the Gala, I'd like to ask you if we can meet here again, after the Gala, to discuss. Though', Light continued, with genuity in their voice, 'if you'd rather not, I understand. The things my friends and I are looking for might be connected to more sinister things, and I don't want to cause any trouble, whether for you, the other Princesses, or anyone else.'

Celestia moved back towards Light and smiled, reassuring the Kirin that she'd be happy to talk with them later. Despite having met just a few days ago, the Solar Princess said she could see the Kirin's honesty, and having heard of their self-sacrifice at Eclipse's castle back in Ponyville, protecting others over themselves, she trusted them. Light smiled brightly and blushed slightly, the kind words of the Princess warming their heart and putting their mind at ease.

Celestia turned away again and started to head back to the throne room, as Light moved back towards the halls, when she suddenly stopped and told Light that, coincidentally, she received a message from Twilight & Solar that morning, which read they were planning to come to the Gala as well, and asked if they could bring a group of new friends along with them.

Light thanked the Princess and waved them goodbye, as they headed back inside, finding the Halls held more Ponies and other creatures, from Kirin to Dragon, Changeling to Griffin, and Hippogriff to Yaks too. Many creatures had come from all over to join in the celebrations, which were close to starting, as the stage for the orchestra was set up and the chefs in the kitchen were finishing up the first of a number of courses of delicacies.

Light relaxed somewhat as they moved towards Banana and Caff, who were standing just a little bit further into the halls. Greeting the two, Light said:

'Well, my friends, this will be a night to remember.'

As the Royal orchestra started playing the first of many songs of that day.

After the Royal Orchestra had taken their seats on the stage, with Violin closer to the front, near other groups of string musicians, they began the first of many orchestrations of that day under the guidance of the Conductor. Though it had been a long time since Light had last heard orchestral music, discounting the rehearsal where they first met Violin, they recognised the songs that were being played.

The first performance was of one of the best known orchestrations, by one of the most famous musicians of all the ages; Neighthoven's 5th Symphony. Every creature in the Royal Halls of the Palace stopped what they were doing and just stood and listened in awe to the wonderful performance unfurling in front of them.

After the performance, where a great applause was heard from all corners of the Halls, the Orchestra took a small break to rehydrate and to grab the next set of sheets to follow for the next piece. In the mean time, Light walked around the Halls, always keeping a passive eye out for any problems, for they still had worries in the back of their mind.

Moving towards the banquet, and finding a great variety of plant- and fungi-based meat substitutes, Light grabbed a plate and prepared a meal for themselves. As they were moving along the tables, they gently bumped into another Kirin, with dark hair and a deep blue coat. "Harvest?", Light called out, "So good to see you, it's been too long! Didn't know you were going to be at the Gala as well!"

"Hey Light! It's been a while since you set out to visit the Banana Pie Park! How was it? How have you been?" After greeting Light, back, Harvest Duran and Light filled their plates with bread, vegetables and many other things and headed to the back of the castle, to the Gardens, where they could eat their meal in peace and catch up with each other.

Finding a quiet place to eat, in one of the fields near the castle, the Kirins savoured each bite, for everything was of amazing quality. The two spoke with each other as they were eating, finding Duran had received an invitation - or rather, the whole village had. It turns out nearly every creature in the land had been invited to the Gala, with plans to house twice as many.

Light told him that they had come along with a number of others for many reasons, primarily to watch a friend in the orchestra perform many songs throughout the day. The two spoke for what felt like hours, until they finished their meals and headed back inside. As they headed back, wind started to blow as dark clouds moved in over the castle. Expecting rain and thunder, Light called out to any others in the Gardens to make them aware of the clouds.

They put away their plates as the Orchestra continued playing through a large catalogue of songs, with the orchestration currently being played being Tchaikhoofsky, if Light was not mistaken, fortunately, without the use of cannons. Throughout the rest of the afternoon toward the evening, the Gala passed without any issues, as Light tried to stay to the side of the halls, talking with Harvest and a number of other creatures, and trying not to draw any attention to themselves.

As the sun was nearing the horizon, the Princesses appeared on the stage next to the Orchestra, who completed the final song, 'Concerto in F' by Gershwhinny, as a roaring applause celebrated both the Solar and Lunar Princesses, and the Orchestra and conductor. Celestia took the spotlight and gave a speech, thanking every creature who had come to the Gala. As she was giving her speech, however Light felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand upright, fearing something was amiss.

Quickly and quietly moving to the side of the Halls, they locked eyes with Luna, who was discreetly looking around as well. As Luna called upon the guard, and Light moved closer to the stage to talk with the Princess, a strange mass of darkness opened up above the stage. The core lit up, and as a green Unicorn fell, screaming, out of the mass, Light could only think:

"Oh no, Boom. What have you done...?"

4: Trying To Make Amends

With a deafening impact, and a sickening crack, the all too familiar Green Unicorn fell onto Celestia, who never realised the peril she had been in.

The wooden floorboards of the stage creaked and cracked under the force of Boom’s impact, and the tall, slender Princess was knocked unconscious as he landed on top of her, as he looked around with a stunned look on his face, evidently not realising the results of his actions.

Every present creature in the halls was stunned and shocked into silence. The busy Halls were devoid of sound, one could hear the drop of a pin onto a pillow of satin. No-zone knew what had just occurred nor what to do as everyone looked around, expecting someone else to step up to action.

After an eternity of stillness, Luna, who had called upon the guard to secure the Halls moments before, stepped forward and, using her Royal Canterlot Voice, which shook the entirety of the Halls, commanded the Captain to arrest the intruder, and to move Celestia to safety, immediately.

Boom, realising his actions, laughed somewhat nervously to himself, as he jumped off of Celestia’s back, still wearing his magic-resistant vest, and ran off the stage towards the Gardens to the back of the Palace, with Luna and a legion of guards chasing after him.

Fearing the worst, and not wishing to idly stand by, Light jumped to the stage to aid the Princess, as they called out to Harvest: “We’ve got to get her to the Medical Centre, now! Harvest, I need you to chase after him before he can cause more trouble!” Harvest quickly replied “On it!” as he lit up in flames, leapt through the crowd, onto the stage, and rapidly gave chase to Boom and the guards.

Taking charge of the situation, Light called upon another cohort of guards, asking them to secure the Halls and the guests inside, as well as clear a path towards the Medical Centre, and alert any available Doctors that help was gravely needed right away.

Checking Celestia’s body for any harm, Light found that one of her legs was broken, her spine bruised and that she had a concussion, courtesy of the impact, but she was not in any life-threatening danger. After a number of Medical Pegasi flew into the Halls, startling the guests inside, they gently placed the Princess on a brancard and headed towards the Medical Centre, followed closely by Light and a number of guards.

As Light, the Pegasi and the Princess, and the guards were headed through the quiet streets towards the Centre, Light could hear many explosions coming from the back of the Palace, worrying them for the safety of others. They headed back towards the Gardens, followed by a number of guards, as the rest of the cohort followed the Princess.

Arriving at the Gardens, Light found them consumed by smoke, with barely anything to see, save for a hoof in front of their face. After lighting a torch with their magic, and calling out to Princess Luna and Harvest, they heard voices coming from the far side, where they found both of them confused and coughing from the smoke, but unharmed otherwise.

Evidently, Boom managed to escape, with the use of many smoke bombs he threw behind him during his flight. Fortunately, nobody else was hurt, but Boom was definitely even less welcome in the City after tonight. Clearing the smoke with the help of Luna and Harvest, Light found a note, addressed to them, from Boom, which read: “I got your gift, I’ll let you know where to meet me.”

Looking at the trouble Boom caused, Light put their hoof to their face and said:

“What have I got myself into...”

Light and Luna shared a knowing look, remembering Light's visions of the Green Unicorn causing trouble. If this vision came to pass, what about the others? The young Royals and Light burning a city...? They put these thoughts aside and took a moment to catch their breath. Luna and Harvest asked Light what this note meant, to which Light had no complete answer.

They explained they met Boom only recently, moments after the blast at Ponyville Castle, and that he joined them in travelling to Canterlot to research a number of strange findings that Light had discovered. On the way here, he said he would bring a gift, as he had given gifts to many others, but left the day before to get it, returning by falling on Celestia.

The Gala ended abruptly because of Boom's actions, and his current whereabouts were unknown. His use of smoke bombs covered his escape, but fortunately prevented any further injury. Luna, Harvest and the guards chasing Boom were stunned, but unharmed otherwise. Noticing Luna was worried about her sister, Light told her that Celestia had been brought to the Medical Centre, and that Light split off from the group headed there to assist in the Gardens.

Heading back inside the Halls, the trio found fewer guests as many had left after the incident. Looking for their friends, Light found Banana, Violin and Caff sitting silently to the side of the Halls, drinking a hot beverage to calm themselves as they headed over to them to check if they were alright. Though they were shocked and worried for Celestia, they were alright.

Looking back at Luna, Light asked her if they could find a quiet place to gather their thoughts and to plan their next moves, to which she replied that she would lead them and their friends to the throne room, where a great number of Elite Praetorian Guards were stationed at all times. Added to this, a protective magical ward around the building prevented any intruders planning to enter with the use of magic.

In the throne room, Luna dropped her façade and tears poured down her face, the chaos of the evening being too much for her. Fearing for her sister's well-being as well as the concern that Boom could return and cause more chaos, Luna quietly took a seat as the group tried to think of the next step.

Wanting to reassure Luna, Light offered to take her to the Medical Centre, promising that the cohort of guards that accompanied Celestia ensured that she arrived safely and would receive the best care. As the group prepared to head out, a small green scale flew through the window at high speed, stopping just in front of Light who recognised it for what it was.

Light remembered that Celestia mentioned Eclipse and a group of their friends would also be coming to the Gala, yet Light had not seen them all day. They had given this imbued scale to Decaf, which she could use in case of emergencies, to send a message to Light. Worried that she or any of the group might be in trouble, Light cast a spell on the scale, which unveiled a short message, from Eclipse, to the Kirin.

Evidently, the group had arrived in Canterlot shortly before sundown, and as they neared the Palace, they heard a number of explosions and saw a group of Pegasi and Guards leaving the Palace, bearing an unconscious Celestia towards the Medical Centre. They decided to follow them, arriving at the Centre a short while after the Princess herself did. When they arrived, Eclipse bound a message to Decaf's scale Light had given her, which shot off towards the Palace.

Relieved knowing the group was alright and that they confirmed Celestia had arrived at the Medical Centre safely, Light took the scale and siphoned its magic, placing the scale on their back again. Light looked at Luna, who wiped away her tears and smiled weakly after hearing the news, and gently moved towards her to say:

"I will make this right. Celestia is safe and she will be okay, and so will you, as well as everyone else here. I promise."

Looking around during these last words, Light smiled to their friends, who smiled back at them, and prepared to head out to visit Celestia.

'Green just sat on the table in the cafe'

The group from Ponyville, consisting of Twilight and Solar, Decaf, Rain, Cherry and Green, were sitting in the Centre's cafe, drinking some hot beverages, both to calm their nerves after the apparent incidents of the night, and to more easily pass the time at the Centre until the others arrived, after which they could wait to visit Celestia together.

After arriving at the Medical Centre, having followed Celestia and her entourage of guards, Eclipse and their group were told they would not be allowed to visit the Princess. The Doctor told them that, for one, Celestia needed her rest, and for two, that it was not yet a visiting hour at the Centre.

Moments after arriving at the Medical Centre, Decaf and Eclipse had sent off the scale Light had given her, imbued with a message, and they were currently waiting on the other group to arrive. It had been a while since they had last seen each other in person, though Eclipse and Light had had contact via written messages.

A little while later, Light and their group, consisting of Harvest, Caff, Banana, Violin and Princess Luna, arrived at the Medical Centre and asked to see Celestia, to which they received the same answer as Eclipse's group. The receptionist did point them towards the café, saying that another group asked to see the Solar Princess, and who were now having a drink, waiting until they can visit.

Moving towards the café, making sure they were not too loud as to not disturb others in the Centre, the groups met and exchanged greetings, as well as introductions; as Caff and Decaf embraced each other, not having seen their sister in a few days, Luna, Violin and Harvest met the Ponyville group as Green Apple was introduced to Light and their group. After ordering some drinks and small confections, everyone took a seat again and spent time talking amongst each other, waiting for time to pass.

Eclipse noticed Boom was not with Light and their group, and asked where he was and how he was doing. After looking at Luna, who gazed downwards with a disheartened and slightly aggravated look, Light explained that Boom was not around as he was the reason Celestia is in the Medical Centre recovering from her injuries. He had left a few days ago to get a gift for Light, and returned by falling on Celestia at the end of the Gala.

Shocked at this news, they asked Light what they were planning to do next, to which Light again had no answer. The only hint they had was the note Boom had left them in the Gardens after the fiasco at the Gala, which Light took to mean that they would have to wait for a message from him, both to receive the gift he had been speaking of for a long time, as well as find out where he went off to, or where he was now.

Putting aside Boom's business, time flew by for the group, the evening turning to night and heading to morning, as they barely noticed time tick by while they were enjoying time with their friends. As the morning was approaching, and Celestia was unable to raise the sun, Luna headed outside to attempt to raise the sun herself, something she had not often done before. Fortunately, the sun rose without many issues, though Luna was more exhausted than usual because of it.

After Luna came back inside and had time to drink some water and rest a bit, a Doctor came to the café, telling the group that Celestia was awake and that they could visit her, but only with a few folks at a time. Luna stepped forward and asked Eclipse and Light to accompany her, while the rest of the group stayed in the cafe.

After telling the group they wouldn't be long, Luna, Eclipse and Light followed the Doctor to Celestia's room. Before entering, Before entering, Luna stopped before the door and said:

'When I find the one that did this, he will rue the day he ever met me and dared to hurt my sister.'

Light gently took Luna's hoof and promised her they never wanted this to happen, and they would make sure that Boom would be held accountable for his actions.

The Alicorn happily greeted Celestia as they entered, who smiled and said good morning to her faithful students as they did so. Following closely behind Eclipse were Luna and Light, relieved that Celestia was awake, for they had been very worried after sending her to the Medical Centre the previous night.

The Solar Princess was in bed, resting and recovering, but doing well otherwise, though due to the extent of her injuries, it may take some time for her to fully recover, or, at the very least, to recover enough to be sent home to continue her recovery there. For now, the best thing for her to do was to refrain from intense and tiring activities, like casting powerful spells, which would include raising and lowering the sun.

Fortunately, Luna managed to lower the moon and raise the sun that morning, though it wore her out more than usual, and Light and Luna were both uncertain she could manage doing so daily for an unknown length of time. For now, they put aside that business and turned their focus to Celestia, who was still happily chatting with her students.

Seeing Celestia smile, even in what must be a painful situation for her, warmed Luna and Light's hearts, and gave them hope that she would be alright soon, even though, in the back of their minds, they realised this must be incredibly difficult for her to deal with, especially after the celebrations of the night before, and the unfortunate conclusion to the festivities.

Celestia turned to Luna and Light and asked in a cheerful tone about the events of the night before, and what happened after she fell unconscious. Luna told Celestia about the moments immediately after her injury, where Luna, along with another Kirin and a group of guards, chased after the perpetrator who ran into the Gardens, while Light calmed the crowd in the Halls and called for medical help to take Celestia here.

Light added to this, saying that they asked another group of guards to accompany them following the Pegasi medics, until they heard explosions coming from the Gardens, and after a quick glance, peered off with a part of the group to head back towards the castle as the rest accompanied Celestia here. Nobody else was hurt, for the blasts were made to cover the green Unicorn's escape.

The Solar Princess was relieved that nobody else was hurt and expressed her gratitude over taking care of so many creatures as she was being guided to the Centre. Turning back to Eclipse, Celestia asked them about the group of friends, who they mentioned would accompany them to the Gala, to meet the Princess, to which Eclipse replied that they were waiting downstairs in the café, not wanting to overwhelm the Princess with too many visits at once.

Celestia endearingly chuckled after hearing this, and said that she has had many more visits at the same time before, so a small group of friends would be very easy to deal with. Eclipse smiled and headed out of the room to the group downstairs, as Luna and Light stayed with Celestia, who asked her if she wanted something to eat, other than bland hospital food, to which the Princess replied that a cup of tea and something sweet to eat would be lovely.

Luna took a seat next to Celestia's bed as Light headed out of the room, back towards the café, to get some refreshments for her, passing the rest of the group along the way. Greeting the group as they passed, Light turned back and kindly asked the group to not be too hyperactive, wanting to make sure that Celestia got the rest she needed without risk of overstimulation, to which they promised, almost in unison, they would be quiet.

Light thanked them and continued to the café, where they asked for a box of tea, and ordered a can of hot water and a slice of apple pie with whipped cream to bring to Celestia. The sweet lady behind the counter prepared the water and pie and placed everything neatly on a tray for Light to take back. As they were leaving, however, the lady stopped Light and gave them a note, saying someone in a cloak asked her to give this to 'a Kirin with green scales'. When Light asked her who gave her the note, she replied:

"Weird fellow, he smelt like ash and smoke, like he had been close to a fire for too long. If you see him, tell him to clean up, will you? Will take me ages to get the smell out of the carpet."

A note to Light, strange individual in a cloak, smelling of smoke and ash? Light thanked the lady and headed back, not showing their frustration over Boom's constant use of notes. They put it aside and told themselves they would read it later, wanting to focus on Celestia for the time.

Light returned to Celestia's room with the pie and tea, and found that the group had grabbed some chairs, and were all casually chatting amongst each other, laughing, smiling, and generally having a nice time, which filled Light's heart with warmth. After hovering over the tray to Celestia's lap, who gracefully thanked them, Light took a seat next to Banana and fell asleep, for the night had taken a lot of energy.

Light awoke a little while later when Rain nudged them awake, evidently leaning their head on the shoulder of Banana, and they found that the group was heading out, for the visiting hour had ended. Getting up from their seat and stretching, Light said goodbye to Celestia and promised they would visit her as often as they could. Though there were many things on their schedule, for Celestia, they would make time to visit again.

As the Doctor led them out of the room, Light and the group, joined by Luna, waved goodbye to the Princess and headed out of the Medical Centre. It was nearing noon, and the group was discussing where to head for lunch, whether to make something at home, to rest afterwards, or to visit a restaurant, allowing them to take more time to chat without spending energy cooking something for themselves.

Caff energetically called out and mentioned the restaurant that she visited with Banana, Light, Boom and Violin, when they first arrived in the City, saying that while it was a little walk away, the food there was very enjoyable, and, being further from the centre of town, it would be much more peaceful and quiet.

As the group headed to the restaurant, Light trailed back a bit and decided to open the note that Boom had left them in the café at the Centre. Reading the note, they found that it contained a map of sorts, leading to a place that would take time to find. 'And here I thought I could take a break from his antics...' Light thought to themselves, as they approached the restaurant.

The group arrived, and, after ordering their lunch and a cool drink, took some time for themselves. Eclipse asked Light how well their research was going, to which they replied that they think Boom might know some things, but with his chaos, he is hard to pin down at the moment. The only hint they have right now is a strange note, which they'll have to figure out later. Besides that, they did not have a lot of success, but they would not give up.

They continued, saying that the Gala of last night was highly enjoyable and went very smoothly, save for the incident, as they met and talked with Harvest an old friend of theirs, and loved listening to the excellent music by the Royal Orchestra. Violin thanked them for their kindness, and mentioned he was slightly disappointed that the Orchestra couldn't finish their entire list of songs.

The group was surprised at this statement - Princess Luna in particular - and asked what Violin meant, as they thought that the Orchestra finished when Celestia started her speech. Violin then explained that new orchestrations had been added to the list of songs they prepared to preform at the Gala, outside of the knowledge of the Princesses. After Celestia's speech, they had planned to perform these songs, for these were to celebrate the Sisters in particular.

Continuing his explanation, Violin said these two songs were not older songs made by famous composers, but more recent creations, which they would play in honour of the Princesses and the purpose they held. The performance was meant to be a surprise, but since the Gala was interrupted, the Orchestra could not finish.

Luna thought for a moment, and said that she and Celestia would be very glad to host the Orchestra again, even if only for the Princesses themselves, when Celestia was healed and back at the palace. Overjoyed after hearing this offer, Violin replied that after lunch they would head to the theatre straight away, and would let the Orchestra know.

'The songs are some of my favourites, and are truly unique in their orchestrations, as they combine two genres that are usually very separated from each other. I really think that you and your sister will like them too!'

The rest of the time the group spent at the restaurant was very enjoyable. Everyone had eaten a delicious meal, drank a couple of nice drinks, and chatted with one another about nothing in particular. Still, it was very nice to be able to share in the lovely, quiet little moments with others whom you hold dear to your heart.

After the group had finished their lunch, and had paid for the meal and drinks, everyone headed out to do their own thing for the rest of the day. After Violin headed out towards the theatre to bring the Orchestra the good news, Caff jumped up and said that she would take Decaf to their place of residence, both to show her sister around, and to make some pastries for later with her help. Decaf solemnly nodded, agreeing to her hyperactive and loveable sister's plan.

Following this, Light said they would head home as well, and would try to get started on figuring out the next note that Boom had left them. Trying to wrap their head around the message and the possible location it held would prove quite a challenge, and Light admitted that, evidently, Boom was smarter than everyone gave him credit for.

After a moment of shared laughter, the group slowly started thinning out as everyone waved the others goodbye, so that they could enjoy their time the way they wish. Luna and Eclipse headed back to the Palace, both to discuss royal business as well as prepare a plan for the cycle of night and day for the time that Celestia was unable to complete her role.

As Luna and Eclipse flew upwards and headed back to Canterlot Castle, Light Rain said that they wanted to have a look around the city while it was still light out, and Cherry and Green would be joining them. While they were walking away, the others heard the trio's chats, debating on where to go first; go shopping for souvenirs, or to just take in the sights of the city? Perhaps returning to the Palace to have a look around there as guests of the Princesses?

Before they turned away, Harvest and Banana walked up to Light and asked them if they could help Light decypher the message. Light smiled, and happily accepted their help, for three pairs of eyes would work better than just one. Light, Banana and Harvest headed back home, joined by Caff and Decaf, and both groups promised not to bother the others, lest they lose their focus.

After arriving at home a little while later, Light, Banana and Harvest headed to the living room as Caff and Decaf started working their magic in the kitchen, and soon the house was filled with a lovely scent of cinnamon, chocolate and various fruits. Light took the note and placed it on the table, allowing Harvest and Banana to have a good look at it as well.

Following off of Boom's last message, the one they found very shortly after the fiasco at the Palace, Light had a feeling that this note may contain directions to a place where Boom would like to meet them. The trio started brainstorming, spewing out all sorts of ideas. The jumbled words, which require a cypher, the strange amalgamation of shapes and figures, some which looked like buildings, but not ones they had seen, many ideas yet none came to fruition.

While they were flipping through pages of cypher books, old world symbols of directions, and maps of the area, Caff overheard the trio's efforts and asked her sister to bring them some tea and biscuits, as she was busy folding dough as well as cutting up fruits. Decaf begrudgingly agreed and headed to the living room, where Harvest, Banana and Light were surrounded by books. Glancing down at the piece of paper as she placed the tray, Decaf took one look and said

'He wrote "Meet me outside of the city, one stop down by train. I'll know when you get here."'

Staring in disbelief, there was silence from the trio for a long time, until at last Banana asked how she knew this? Did she know the code? And was she so familiar she could figure it out just by looking at it once? Decaf simply shrugged and replied:

'Nah, it's not code, or cypher or anything. Either he was drunk when he wrote this or he just has really, really poor hoofwriting. Maybe, no, definitely both.'

Still somewhat dumbfounded at Decaf's ability to read through Boom's awful writing, Light grabbed their bag, preparing to head out to meet Boom, and find out what he's up to. They headed upstairs to grab the book that he had left them, hoping to be able to read some parts, as well as ask him what it even was about or why it was so important.

Light headed downstairs and quickly grabbed a bottle of water to take along with them, placing it in their bag as they headed to the door, before being stopped by Caff and Harvest, asking what they were about to do. They responded that they were going to meet Boom, and hopefully get some answers from him, and they had not a moment to lose.

Still, neither Caff not Harvest let them pass, to which Light asked why, as the voice of Banana spoke out from behind them, telling them they were joining them to find Boom. Light said that it could be dangerous and that Boom should be approached with caution, him being the chaotic force that he is, and they did not want to risk anyone getting injured.

Decaf called out from the kitchen and said 'Have you learnt nothing of the stubbornness of my sister and Pie? They're coming along, whether you like it or not.' Caff threw on her backpack as Banana did the same right next to Light. Light sighed and smiled, asking them if they were sure about their decision.

With a chuckle, Banana replied 'You've brought us this far, and you have not led us astray. Face it, we're coming with you, laddie.' Harvest said they would stay at home and help around the house, and stepped aside to let the trio pass as they headed for the door, waving a quick goodbye to Decaf and Harvest as they headed to the train station.

Outwardly, Light was happy that Banana and Caff came along with them, but, deep down, they were still afraid something may go wrong, and they made sure to stay alert and jump in at a moment's notice, should there be any threat of danger or injury to either one of their companions. Fortunately, the sun was still high in the sky, and, if everything goes to plan, they should make it back home before dinnertime.

After a short trip on the train and getting off at the next station, Caff, Banana and Light looked upon a rocky area, having gotten off at a station on the other side of the mountain, standing in its shadow. They looked around and could see many different peaks, and they searched around for any sign of Boom, if his note was true.

The note he had left did say that he would know when they got there, and Light reasoned that nobody else would get off here, knowing that the train sped past this station on the way to Canterlot. With all the rocks and cliffs around, Boom could hear a train stopping from very far away, as the echoes reverberated around the area.

As Light, Caff and Banana looked around, they heard a number of pebbles falling down from the cliffs above them, Light made a barrier to protect the trio. As the stones fell around them, they could hear an expression of pain and an audible grunt from behind a rock next to them. Boom appeared, rubbing his head, muttering to himself over needing to wear a helmet next time.

Though his frustration amused the trio, and they were glad they found him, he had a lot to answer for, and they were not in the mood for weird riddles or strange mind games. Asking what it is he wanted, he replied:

'There is barely any time to waste. You need to read the chapter I marked as soon as you can, before the end of the special performance tomorrow.'

Light's eyes flared up and their voice deepened, asking Boom what the importance was of this book, for the first chapters were only disturbing and worrisome. Moving closer towards him, they said their patience was running out, for Boom's antics had caused a lot of grief, and it had gotten them no closer to resolutions about anything.

Boom stood his ground and gazed deep into the Kirin's eyes, which now lacked their amethyst irises, and burnt with a white hot glow. He explained that what happened with Celestia was an accident, and that he was also planning to help her. He wanted to take responsibility, but since he had to remain hidden outside of Canterlot, he needed the Kirin's help.

He continued, saying that he, just like Light, was trying to figure something out. He had found a number of loose threads, seemingly unconnected, that all led to a single hypothesis, one he only had to check to confirm, and Light could help him with this as well. All he needed was their trust, and their input by reading the book.

Light stepped back and took a deep breath, as the flame in their eyes extinguished and their irises returned. They needed to be careful, as they feared their vision of destruction may come true. As Light turned around to think of what to say, Caff asked what it was he was trying to figure out, to which Boom stubbornly replied that they would see after tomorrow.

Boom asked the Kirin to wait for just a moment longer, but Light had heard enough, and asked Banana and Caff to follow them back to the train station to head back to the city. Without looking at Boom, Light said they would read the book, but they wanted Boom to explain everything after the fact.

At the station, the trio had to wait for a little bit, for the train would take a while to pass the station again. As Light stood outside to look out for the train, and was speaking with the guards stationed there, Boom returned and whispered to Banana:

Before Banana could ask what Boom meant, he had disappeared already, and shortly afterwards, the train arrived. After the trio boarded, Banana told Light all that Boom told him, and handed them the flask, as well as a note upon which he had written the message to send to Celestia. Light sighed and bowed their head, saying they could not figure that Unicorn out whatsoever, thanked Banana, and placed both items in their bag.

Arriving back in Canterlot, Banana, Caff and Light found that Rain, along with Cherry and Green, had been waiting for them to return, as they enthusiastically waved and trotted to the group to welcome them back. It turns out, while they were walking through town, they met a good friend of theirs, a Pegasus named Starshine Nova, and told them about their plans for the next few days, the special celebration at the Palace included.

Starshine, who was a very skilled flier, had always wanted to visit the Palace, and asked Rain if they could join them, to which Rain replied that they would ask if this were possible. Knowing that Light would visit Celestia soon, Rain asked them to bring this up with the Princess, for their friend would be honoured to join these special celebrations. Light smiled and said:

'I'll make sure to ask her, for I think she'll agree, the more the merrier. Especially if your friend can help make the celebrations even more magnificent with their performance.'

Waving goodbye to Banana, Caff, and Rain and their buds, Light headed to the medical Centre to visit Celestia, both to check up on her - and to possibly give her Boom's tonic - as well as ask her about Rain's friend, arriving a little while later.

5: Healing and Hurting

As they walked into Celestia's room, Light was pleasantly surprised to find another Pony visiting the Princess, carrying a vase, filled to the brim with a collection of beautifully coloured flowers, which gave off a wonderful scent that filled the room. After placing down the vase, they turned around and noticed Light walking through the door and greet the two.

Celestia greeted the Kirin as they walked in, and the visiting Pegasus smiled, and walked over to introduce themselves to Light. After a short conversation, the Pegasus said they unfortunately couldn't stay, and wished Celestia and Light a pleasant day before exiting her room. Light made a mental note to try to get to know the hasty Pegasus better, whenever they may meet again.

Moving over to Celestia's bedside, Light mentioned that tomorrow evening, the Royal Orchestra would perform at the Palace again, for while they had planned to play songs to honour the Princesses in particular, they were interrupted at the Gala. Still, they wanted to perform the songs, and hoped Celestia would be fit enough to join them at the Palace.

Adding to this, Light mentioned that just a bit ago, Rain and their friends came across a Pegasus friend of theirs, who wanted to know if they could perform their routine at the celebrations. Celestia smiled and chuckled weakly, before sharply inhaling and flinching. Tears formed in her eyes, but whether due to pain or sadness, Light did not know.

Celestia told Light that the damage appeared to be more severe than originally thought. She would have to spend more time in the Centre until her strength returned enough to be sent home, and even then, she would have to take it easy. Leaving the Centre so soon, even if just for one evening, would be very unwise.

Though a voice in the back of their mind said no, Light turned to grab the vial from their bag, leaving out the part of meeting Boom and getting the vial and message via Banana. Though they did not know what the effect would be, Light, concerned for the Princess' health and safety, handed Celestia the flask and said that the medicine should help return her strength.

Though Celestia was dubious, they trusted the Kirin's judgment, and grabbed a spoon to take a little bit of the liquid. Using their magic, Light very carefully poured out the liquid, making sure to not waste a single drop, and hovered the spoonful over to Celestia, who delicately drank the it.

For a moment, nothing much happened, though she did note the medicine tasted like a strange combination of liquorice and metal. Thinking Boom's vial of medicine was a bust, Light placed it back in their bag, when Celestia said she felt warmer, and that she felt the pain near her lungs was diminishing. Light rubbed their eyes, thinking the Solar Princess was glowing.

Shortly after, Celestia took a deep breath and smiled, feeling the pain had completely disappeared. As she called for the Doctor, she pulled Light in for a hug, thanking them for everything they had done to help her, to which Light replied they would have done so for anyone, and that they were glad she was feeling better.

The Doctor entered a little while later and was dumbfounded at Celestia's rapid recovery. Celestia, still embracing the Kirin, asked if she could leave, as she was feeling very well, to which the Doctor replied they would need to be absolutely certain she had fully recovered, and headed out to prepare some tests.

Finally releasing Light, Celestia smiled and asked:

"How can I ever repay you?"

"If you can, pay it forward. The World will be a better place because of it."

Light continued, saying they hoped the Centre could figure out what this medicine truly is, for with this healing power, it could help heal even those with the greatest injuries, as they took the flask and waited for the Doctor to return.

A little while later, the Doctor walked in again, saying that she had spoken with other Doctors in the Centre. The news of Celestia's rapid recovery was nearly unheard of, and with the severity of the injuries she had sustained, she would have had to remain in the Medical Centre for much longer to heal fully.

Celestia said Light had helped her, possessing an unusual potion that healed all her injuries with just a spoonful of the tonic. Light showed the vial to the Doctor and asked for a container to put the liquid in, though they made it clear that they wanted to keep a small amount for themselves, in case of dire emergency.

The Doctor obliged, and thanked the Kirin for their cooperation, saying that she would send the liquid to be studied and analysed. With the tonic's potency, many folks could benefit immensely from its healing power. Before the Doctor left, she mentioned again that Celestia would have to remain for a little while longer, to be absolutely certain she was fully healed.

Celestia agreed, and asked the Doctor if she would be allowed to return in time for a special celebration at the castle, tomorrow evening. The Doctor eased her worries and said that the last examinations would not take very long, and first thing in the morning, she would be allowed to leave the hospital.

Overjoyed at this news, Celestia and Light lovingly embraced each other, for this news was exactly what they had hoped for. Light said they would head out and bring the good news to all their friends, Luna included - she would be the first one to visit, in fact. Celestia smiled warmly and sent the Kirin on their way, as they took a seat and took a deep breath, elated that her pain had subsided, and hoping that the medicine could help many more folks.

Bursting with happiness and energy, Light flew out of the Centre and headed straight towards the Palace, as they knew Eclipse and Luna would be there. On the way there, they quickly stopped by Violin's house, to place down their backpack and to greet Harvest, Decaf, and Banana and Caff - who had arrived home a short while ago - to tell them the good news of the Princess' swift recovery.

Many cheers erupted from the house, and Light asked the group to tell the good news to Violin, Rain, Cherry and Green as well when they got home. Trotting along, Light quickly reached the Palace and asked to see Luna and Eclipse. Though their entry was denied momentarily, the Princess of the Night herself appeared and asked the guards to let the Kirin through, seeing they were ecstatic about something.

Before Luna had a chance to speak again, Light told her all about Celestia's recovery, and that the celebrations tomorrow could go through in their entirety, now with even more festivities as Celestia would be fully healed and able to attend. Tears formed in Luna's eyes as a bright smile grew on her face, and she gently embraced Light, quietly whispering 'Thank you.' in a quivering voice, happy beyond words at the news.

Embracing the Princess in a loving hug, Light felt Luna sink through her legs, the wave of emotions at the good news being too much for her at the moment. As Luna wiped away her tears and got back to her feet, Solar and Twilight walked by, and, hearing the news, flew around in an elegant dance and a flurry of impressive moves, barely able to contain their energy.

Luna cleared her throat and stood tall, putting up her regal façade again, and thanked the Kirin for their assistance and their service to the Royal Sisters. Light replied, in a similar, yet slightly sarcastic tone:

'It was an honour and my privilege, your Highness', and in a quieter voice, said: 'Will you join us for dinner tonight?'

After Light broke character and chuckled at themselves, Luna shyly giggled and accepted their invitation. As she still had business at the Palace, she would join them later, though she did not know where dinner would be held. Eclipse, standing close by, said that they'd join Light to their place of residence, and would return to pick up Luna for dinner later that day, to which the Princess agreed.

Light and Eclipse set out from the Palace, waving goodbye to Luna as they headed off. A little while later, the two entered Violin's house, finding almost the whole group helping to set up dinner. Looking around, Light realised that Violin himself was not yet present, and quickly headed out to meet him at the theatre.

Arriving shortly after setting out, Light entered the theatre, looking for Violin, whom they found with the Royal Orchestra in one of the main Halls, evidently having finished their rehearsals only a few moments ago. Violin noticed Light walking through the door and walked over to greet them, and engaged in pleasant conversation with the Kirin.

Light told him they had quite the busy day after leaving the restaurant, talking about Celestia's recovery, and that she would be allowed to leave the Medical Centre tomorrow. A smile grew onto Violin's face as he confirmed the fact that the celebrations tomorrow evening were now a guarantee, and turned to the rest of the Orchestra to tell them the news.

Many cheers erupted from all the musicians and the Conductor, filling the halls with a brilliant wave of positive voices. Light continued, saying that they invited Luna to dinner that evening, having just come from the Palace and from home, picking up Eclipse along the way. At home, dinner was being prepared, and they had come to pick Violin up from their rehearsals.

Violin thanked Light for their kind gesture and all their help, and the two headed out to home. When they arrived, Light breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that dinner had not yet started. Decaf, who was quietly reading a book on the couch, told Light and Violin that Eclipse had just left to pick up Luna, and would return shortly.

Planning to head to bed shortly after dinner, Light took their bag upstairs and unpacked, finding the book of Ancient Tales they had planned to read that day. Boom had asked them to do so, having placed a few notes at chapters of interest, but repeating his request when Light, Banana and Caff met him today outside of the city. What was written in the chapters must be important.

To make sure they would not forget to read the book, Light placed it, opened to one of the marked chapters, on their bed, and headed downstairs. For the amount of guests that were present, the table alone was not large enough, so the couch and coffee table were going to be used as well. As Light started helping place down the cutlery and plates, Eclipse and Luna entered, and were happily greeted by everyone who was present.

Dinner was absolutely delicious, thanks to everyone involved, especially Caff, Decaf and Harvest, who had spent the afternoon baking delicious loaves of bread and cooking a feast worthy of royalty. Luna herself asked for the recipes to all that they had prepared, from the bread to the homemade toppings, the soup and salad too.

After dinner, Light started the washing up, being helped by Rain, Cherry and Green, as Banana moved the dishes to the kitchen. While they were clearing up, Luna and Eclipse headed to the Palace, having received the recipes from Decaf before they left, and Harvest, Caff and Decaf headed to bed earlier - exhausted, in a good way, after an afternoon of baking a delicious meal.

After everything had been cleared up, Light bade everyone goodnight and retreated to their room. Moving to their bed, they took the book and said quietly to themselves:

"What did you want me to see, Boom? What could be so important that requires all this mystery and sneaking around?"

And they began reading the first marked chapter: "the Fields of the Forgotten Folk".

Light grabbed a glass of water, made themselves comfortable, and started reading the book. They had read a few extracts from other chapters in the book, such as the 'Valley of Nameless Things', a place where strange and terrifying beings dwelled, eons ago. Other chapters included 'The Shadows of the Mountain of Fire', and 'The Battle for the Dead City', which was another chapter that Boom had marked for Light to read.

Save for minor corrections by those who came after, the chapters were all written by a researcher from thousands of years ago, about tales of old. Were it not for this researcher, many stories and legends from the Ancient Days would have been lost to time. The story that Boom had marked first tells of a horrifyingly powerful foe, that none know the name of.

"The story of The Fields of the Forgotten Folk. The grounds upon which innumerable battles were fought, between an unknown enemy, and most races of creatures that are presently known. Yaks, Griffons, even Changelings and Abyssinians. Ponykind had not yet united under one banner when these battles were fought, and whether these races even knew of each other, no tale tells."

"Whether in close quarters, using blade and shield, or from far away using magic spells, spears and bows and arrows, anything that these beings faced, they overcame, evidently without so much as a scratch. Yet, after the battle was over, no evidence remained of their presence, save for accounts of the survivors about their ferocity, the only way to attribute these battles to this unknown foe."

"The survivors, lucky enough to withstand the rage and brutality from the enemy they faced, tell of creatures of monstrous strength and power. Able to take on leagues of well-trained soldiers on their own, none ever managed to defeat these foes. Taking into consideration their strength, if ever one of these beings was defeated, there would be many accounts, yet there are none."

"If any tried to follow these beings to whence they came, they were quickly stopped. Many who followed never returned, but whether they got lost or were attacked by these beings as they retreated, we do not know. Any who did return would not speak of their struggles, and would take their experiences to the grave."

"Few well-documented accounts exist of these beings, for the fear they instilled into the hearts of their foes, and the memories of confrontations on the battlefield, prevented many from telling or writing their story, not wishing to relive the horrors they experienced. Descriptions, most likely biased against them, described these beings as made of shadow, and flame."

The descriptions of these beings, the image they created in Light's mind, were absolutely harrowing. Beings of immense power, made of light and darkness, fire and shade, and able to destroy cities, by themselves, without a scratch? A chill ran up their spine, and they felt something in the back of their head, yet, when Light turned around, they saw only shadows.

The author continued: "Over the eons, many stories were lost. Whether these were stories from those who survived their fight with these beings, untold, who never dared speak ill of those they faced, or purposefully destroyed accounts, the fear conjured by these beings became too much to bear, even when read in script."

"Similar to the Nameless Things, none knew where they came from, nor where they went. Eons have gone by, and none have seen nor heard of any race like the Forgotten Folk since the Days of Old and the battles they fought on the Fields that now hold their names. With their power, none could have challenged them, and the lands would have fallen, as they have done many times before."

"And yet, for all the horrifying devastation they caused, they might actually not have been as evil as they have been made out to be."

"Sorting through this history has been a gruelling task, as many descriptions and depictions are too awful to bear witness to. Very few descriptions of all of these creatures, wherever they may be, if there even are any still around, have been anything other than fear-fueled nightmares. Made of shadow and fire, with razor sharp fangs, and quicker than the eye can see."

"These beings were powerful, and seemed as if they had no hearts to speak of. Reports from countless battles fought against these creatures describe them as such; merciless, violent, and hostile to anything that may stand in their way. One report says: it does not matter what you try to do. It will find you, and it will ruin you."

"However" the author noted, "these depictions might not be true."

After reading the last extract, Light was dumbfounded. How could things end up alright when so much bad has happened? How could these creatures, merciless in their attacks, seemingly limitless in their power, ever be good? Dreading what the author might write next, they tried to calm their nerves and drank some water, carefully turned the page, and began reading the next part.

"Strangely enough, though these beings possessed incredible strength, and seemed to be like wild creatures, indiscriminate in their attacks, they did appear to think, to feel, to possess morals. It is very much possible that these beings were sentient, and possessed far greater intelligence than the brutal, mindless monsters they have been made out to be."

"Although many accounts we have show them as such, there are others that show something else entirely. Mercy, support, protection and healing too. In fact, many accounts say these beings showed kindness, mercy and honour, sometimes even more than those they faced on the battlefields, now collectively known as the Fields of the Forgotten Folk."

"If one was unable to defend themselves, they were not in danger. None who were unable to fight were ever attacked, be it an elder, an injured soldier, or a child, all were shown mercy. Evidently, their speed and ferocity were to finish the battle as quickly as possible, to prevent further harm coming to those who do not deserve it."

"More accounts mention the presence and assistance of neutral parties, such as Healers to help the injured, or Couriers to take away messages and injured by wagon. Any time these groups were present, they were guarded from afar, by beings cloaked in, or composed of, shadows. Not one of these reports has ever mentioned the Forgotten Folk in a bad light. "

"Even in the worst of cases, when neither Healer nor Courier is able to reach an injured, the Forgotten Folk took them in and took care of them. Later, the injured would miraculously return in the night, appearing as if stepping out of a shadow, with many of their injuries gone. The healing power the Folk hold is a secret we may never unravel."

"Just like with the Guardians surrounding the Valley of Nameless Things, we many never know more about them than what others have said. In every story, there is an element of truth. Perhaps these beings were bad, perhaps they were not. Perhaps, even, they were like any other being, capable of many things, both good and evil."

"It's a shame, to be remembered only for evil, and to have your name and history forgotten, erased. But I will write, and I will remember."

Amazed and confused about what they had just read, Light closed the book and placed it down beside them. They took a deep breath as they stared out in front of them, trying to make sense of it all. This was a story that Boom thought was important for some reason, but how could it be so? They could not find any connection to what they had been searching for.

Nothing mentioning the catacombs under Banana Park, only stories from a bygone age. Battles fought by and against an immensely powerful foe, one that Light hoped they never would have to face. With a tickling feeling in the back of their mind, they headed to bed, hoping beyond everything that the beings the author described would not enter their dreams as they slept.

Awaking late the following morning, Light stumbled out of bed. Their hair was a mess, and with bags under their eyes, they did not look well. They had slept poorly, worrying about a great many things, in particular, the Forgotten Folk in the story Boom had persuaded them to read. Attempting to fix their hair, they shook their head like a wet dog, and headed downstairs afterwards.

Downstairs, the group had already woken up and had started breakfast. Light found Luna and Eclipse had returned from the Palace to visit, and Rain, Cherry and Green were casually chatting in the back garden over a cup of tea, with another Pegasus they did not recognise. They headed into the kitchen, where they found Banana and Caff enthusiastically mixing batter, and accidentally startled them with their appearance.

Caff managed to keep steady as the small stool she stood on wobbled, nearly dropping the mixing bowl with batter as they balanced themselves. Light chuckled and offered their assistance to the two bakers, who politely declined their offer, as Caff handed them a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Light thanked the two and sleepily asked what the plans for the morning were.

Banana replied that, as Light had confirmed yesterday, Celestia could leave the Medical Centre in the morning, and after breakfast, everyone would head out to meet her. After this, they would all head to the Palace and make preparations for the celebrations of the day. Harvest, Caff and Decaf, and Banana had prepared breakfast together, and Violin had headed out earlier to meet the Orchestra.

For the moment, Banana told Light to take a seat and to have their coffee, as they appeared very tired, which Caff asked about. Light replied they had read the chapter Boom had pointed out in the book of Ancient Tales, and did not sleep well because of it. They had left the book upstairs in their room, and were thinking about whether or not to take it with them.

Giving Light a bittersweet smile, Banana embraced the Kirin, who gently hugged him in return. Light smiled, and after their embrace, thanked the small Unicorn and the brown Pegasus for their support, and the coffee, and headed back to the living room. Banana and Caff looked at each other, worried for their friend, nigh powerless to do anything other than be there for them.

Light took a seat on the couch next to Decaf, whom they greeted as they sat down. The coffee that Caff had brewed tasted wonderfully, and Light made sure to savour every sip. After they finished their coffee, Rain walked over to the Kirin and introduced them to their Pegasus friend, Starshine Nova, who would be joining them to the Palace to perform a special routine.

With the limited energy they could muster, they greeted Starshine with a smile, and said:

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am very much looking forward to your performance this afternoon, and I wish you the best of luck!"

After saying this, they moved back to the table and began breakfast, anticipating the day ahead of them requiring them to use a lot of energy.

Though the room was rather crowded, and loud conversations were happening all around, Light managed to enjoy their breakfast, consisting of fresh bread with some toppings, juice and a cup of tea. Harvest, Caff and Decaf, and Banana were brilliant bakers, and everybody was very appreciative of their skills in the kitchen, always managing to make amazing meals for many Ponies.

After Light finished their breakfast, and had helped to clean up and put away the tableware, they headed upstairs to grab their bag. In their room, they remembered the book of Ancient Tales they had read the night before, still debating in their mind whether or not to take it with them. Cursing themselves for their curiosity, they placed the book in their bag, and headed back down.

Though Light was somewhat struggling to stay awake, they felt more sleepy than tired, and planned to take a nap in the afternoon to try and get some better sleep. As they got ready, the rest of the group was preparing to head out as well. Celestia would leave the Centre within the next few hours, and as they had promised her, the group planned to meet her as she left.

Afterwards, they would collectively head to the Palace where the setup for the celebrations were underway already. Violin had left earlier in the morning to the theatre, and if everything went well, the Royal Orchestra would be present at the Palace already, busy with their setup. When everyone was ready, the group left to head towards the Medical Centre.

The group arrived a little while later and took a seat in the foyer. Light headed to the café, intending to purchase a cup of coffee, which they hoped would help them stay awake longer. When they entered, the lady behind the counter recognised the Kirin, and after they asked them how they were doing, they wondered if Light found out what the note they had gotten meant.

Light replied that it's a long and complicated story, but in the end, they met the Pony who had left the note, who gave them more cryptic clues and strange paths to follow, neither of which had, thusfar, lead to anything of use. The lady replied that all would end up alright in due time, and prepared their cup of coffee.

Thanking the lady, Light turned to head out of the café. When they got back, Light realised they had forgotten to ask if anyone else wanted a drink. They placed down their drink and asked the rest of the group if they wanted anything, and Light got many requests for various drinks, both hot and cold.

They made a note of all that the group wanted and headed to the café again, where they placed the order for the group. It would take a little while, so Light took a seat at the counter and chatted a bit with the kind lady as she prepared the drinks for the group. As they were talking, they started smelling a strange scent. One that they, unfortunately, both recognised.

Light got up to look around as the lady opened the doors and windows, trying to get the stench out. The smell of ash and smoke, as if something was burning, the same smell as they had smelled the day before. It was very potent, yet there was nobody else in the room, besides Light and the lady, which confused them. Where could it be coming from?

Light apologised to the lady for the behaviour of their associate, for his continued chaotic antics were not appreciated. As the lady started spraying air freshener around, Light walked around the room, trying to find him. Realising the smell came from the air conditioning, Light ran upstairs where they found Boom on the roof. In a fiery tone, they asked him:

"To be honest, I'm quite surprised you're back in town after the stunt you pulled. What is it this time?"

The Green Unicorn standing across from them asked them to wait, as he scooped another spoonful of fine grey powder from a bowl, whereafter he told them he was surprised nopony had yet revealed themselves as a villain, as it was par for the course most of the time.

Light took a moment to try and find their words, but they only managed to stumble over them. "Is that...? Are you... What...?" They remembered Boom's chaotic nature, and put his actions aside, after which they tried to shift their focus on what he said, rather than his current actions, which required a lot of energy, which, unfortunately, they did not have a lot of.

"Someone revealing themselves as a villain? And it's 'par for the course'? How many times has this even happened?" Light asked incredulously, developing a headache because of the confusing mess of information that Boom had just told them. The green Unicorn just kept on eating spoonfuls of gunpowder at a time, and Light could not believe their eyes.

The smell of Boom himself and the gunpowder was foul, and filled the area, even entering the ventilation system that ran throughout the Centre. Light, in an exhausted tone, sighed loudly and asked Boom to get off of the roof and talk with them, in private, downstairs. Though the group was present, Light would tell them that they'd be back in a moment after finishing business with Boom.

As they headed downstairs, Light told Boom that they would make a detour by the café as Boom headed outside, to grab the drinks and snacks for the group, and to grab their coffee - as they would most definitely need it. Downstairs, the putrid odor was still in the area, but fortunately, the opened windows and doors helped alleviate the unpleasantness somewhat.

Light stopped by the café where the refreshments for the group had been prepared by the lady behind the counter. Light once again apologised for Boom's behaviour, and told them it wouldn't happen again. They also mentioned the smell would lift soon as they were taking their associate outside to have a stern conversation.

The kind lady thanked the Kirin for their help and their honesty, and waved Light goodbye as they headed back to the group. In the lounge, Light placed down the refreshments for the group and grabbed their own drink, and told them they would be right back - they needed to take care of some business first. From their defeated expression, the group could figure out what the business was.

Light headed outside, holding back their frustrations, not only because they wanted to avoid turning Nirik, but also because they had little energy to spare. Walking around the corner to a small alleyway next to the Centre, Boom walked up to them, but before speaking, he looked past the Kirin and hid behind a number of rubbish bins.

As Boom dove away, Light turned around and noticed the host of Royal Guards move past them, who looked in their direction as they trotted past. Light slowly and gracefully nodded their head in respect, whereafter the Guards nodded back. Two of the Guards walked over to Light and struck up a conversation, recognising the Kirin as the one who had helped get the Princess to the Centre.

The older Guard told them the watch had been increased in case the intruding Unicorn should return, especially now that the Princess was about to leave the Centre to head back to the Palace, her injuries having been miraculously restored. The younger Guard looked down in shame, as they shyly said they thought they failed at their duty. Light gently took their hoof and said:

"And still, you selflessly protect the Princess and the City. You couldn't have known. Nobody could have. Everyone, including you, did their best, and helped in whatever way you could. And that is an encouraging thought."

Somehow not realising Light was still speaking with the Guards, he whispered to Light from behind the rubbish bins, asking them whether anyone saw him, before he dove away when his eyes fell upon the pair of Guards.

To Light's dismay, his so-called whisper was loud enough for both Light and the Guards to hear. Light let go of the young Guard's hoof, closed their eyes, and took a deep sigh. They put their hoof to their face, as the younger Guard tried to walk past them, before they were stopped by Light, who gave them a worn-out look, while shaking their head.

The older Guard looked at Light with a concerned expression, and asked them what they were doing before they stepped towards the Kirin. Light replied that it was an unfortunate meeting with someone who was costing them a lot of energy. They had business with him, which they wanted to finish as quickly as possible.

The Guards were silent for a moment. After looking at the Kirin's defeated expression, they smiled and bade them good luck in finishing their business. Light smiled weakly and thanked the Guards, who turned around, heading back to the host. Light looked back and saw Boom's amber and ruby coloured eyes poke out from behind the rubbish bins.

Before moving on, the Guards asked Light if they would be at the celebrations today, which Light confirmed. The Guards wished them the best, and hoped they would meet again later. Light waved the Guards goodbye, and as they trotted along, the younger Guard turned around to give the Kirin a smile, mouthing "Thank you", after which he turned back and headed off.

When the Guards were away, Boom reappeared, confused and surprised at Light, asking how they managed to do that. "Do... what?" Light asked, to which Boom replied "Making them bugger off without threatening them, of course! What else, mate?" Light looked down and sighed, and whispered to themselves that this explained some things, before turning back to Boom.

Light took a deep breath, but before speaking, they took a moment to think, putting aside most of the thoughts racing through their mind at the moment. They exhaled, finished their drink, and put aside the cup. They asked Boom why he came back, and what he wanted to talk about, for there must have been a reason for his return to the city.

"Well", Boom started with a smirk, "I heard there was going to be a special celebration today? That's one thing, at least." Light groaned and confirmed: "Yes, there is another celebration after the disaster at the Gala that you caused. Celestia was healed, the Royal Orchestra wanted to perform a set of special songs, and a couple of new friends would be present as well."

"But I don't think you should come", Light continued, "for your own safety, and for everyone else's, too. You said you're not welcome in the city, so please, stay away. Whatever gift you may have for me, whatever new information you may have, just... send a note, or a proper letter, and I'll meet you elsewhere. For now... just go."

"O-oh... okay...", Boom could only say, as his smirk quickly disappeared from his face, and his expression quickly turned sour. His eyes fell and his posture sank, as if all energy had left him. Though Light hated to see anyone in such a state, with the risk that Boom could pose, they figured this was the best thing to do, and turned back towards the Medical Centre.

Before turning the corner, Light looked back at Boom one more time, and they thought they could see tears forming in his eyes. Remembering the sight of his old eyes, Light turned back to Boom and gently embraced him, and saying:

"You're better than this. You can do better, and be better, I know you can. But you're too dangerous to be around for now. I'm sorry. I truly, truly am."

After these words, Light let go of Boom, and headed back to the hospital, hearing Boom quietly sob behind them as they turned the corner.

6: The Incident

As they held their in their tongue and their tears, they noticed two figures talking about Celestia and heading towards the Medical Centre. Light recognised one of the two, a purple Pegasus, as they had met them the day before, when they visited Princess Celestia and gave them a vase of flowers.

However, the other figure, who wore scales on their body, and whose wings were not Pony-like, they recognised not, and when Light heard them talk about the Princess, and their relationship to her, they hastened themselves over to tell them the good news about Celestia's recovery.

They managed to catch up to the two, and said they overheard the two speaking with each other about the Princess, and if she was okay. They were able to ease the concerns of the Pegasus and larger Pony by saying she was fully healed, and close to leaving the Centre that day. Overjoyed, the larger Pony grabbed Light and gave them a tight hug, repeating 'Thank you!' a great many times.

Suddenly, the larger Pony let go and composed themselves, stood upright and politely introduced themselves. Apparently, they were the daughter of Luna, and a Niece of Celestia, whose name was Nox Lunarwing. The purple Pegasus that accompanied them, whom Light had coincidentally met the day before, quickly greeted Light as well, and said their name was Taciturn.

As Light stretched their back, which cracked many times because of Nox's hug, they said it was a pleasure to meet them, and gave them their name as well. Together, the trio entered the Centre, and Light found that the rest of the group had moved out of the lounge. After Light asked the receptionist if they had seen where the group went, she pointed to the café.

Light thanked the receptionist and lead Nox and Taciturn to the café, to where the group had moved. When they entered, the kind lady behind the counter greeted Light, and Luna and Harvest trotted up to the duo to meet them as Light moved to the counter, placing down the cup they had drank their coffee from earlier next to the dishwasher behind the bar.

As Taciturn took a seat, and Harvest and Luna enthusiastically spoke with Nox, Light and the lady talked a bit, and both realised they hadn't been properly introduced to each other yet. The lady introduced herself as Selene, and apparently, she had been running the café, which was connected to the Medical Centre, for a number of years now.

After the two politely shook hooves, Harvest trotted up next to Light and asked them how they knew Nox, to which Light answered that they had only just met outside of the Centre. Light had noticed that Harvest ran up to Nox rather quickly, which Light found rather odd, and asked Harvest about this. To their complete surprise, Nox apparently was, in a way, the mother of Harvest.

Light mentally added this to the list of odd phenomena they had encountered, and didn't press further on the matter, preferring to focus elsewhere, to calm their nerves. Very soon, Celestia would be leaving the Centre, and the group was ready to meet her when she appeared. As Light ordered a hot cup of tea, Harvest trotted back to Nox, who had taken a seat next to Luna.

While drinking their tea, Light felt their fatigue slowly return, and closed their eyes for a time, feeling like they could fall asleep at any moment. A few minutes went by, and Selene gently woke up Light, reminding them to drink the rest of their tea before it got cold. Light warmly smiled and thanked Selene, and drank the rest of their tea, which tasted wonderfully sweet.

After Light placed down their cup, Selene thanked them for dealing with the ash and smoke situation earlier, and asked how everything went. Light averted their eyes and sighed deeply, saying they were unsure as to how he would take in their conversation.

"He fears loneliness, and he was heartbroken when I asked him to leave. It's as if he thinks he has doesn't have any other choices, as if he's doomed to cause harm. I hope I can help him."

Selene gently took Light's hoof and reassured them, saying that she sees how much they care for others. In a very short time, Light has made many connections, and the fact that there are so many Ponies and other beings present, simply because Light asked them to accompany them, speaks volumes.

Light thanked Selene, her kind words warming their heart, as they realised that they had indeed made many friends in a very short time. Looking back at the group, who were talking, enjoying refreshments, and laughing with each other as they all waited for Celestia to arrive, Light could not help but smile, as a few tears formed in their eyes.

After Light wiped away their tears of joy, they thanked Selene and got up from their seat to head towards the main hall. As Light headed out of the café, Banana, Harvest and Nox, who sat closest to the door, asked what they were going to do. Light replied they were wondering if Celestia was close to leaving, and they were heading check up on her.

Hearing this, Taciturn, Luna and Eclipse stood up and trotted over to join Light as they were heading to Celestia, as Taci had brought another bouquet of flowers to give to Celestia, and Eclipse and Luna were overjoyed to see Celestia again. Light told the rest of the group that they would be back in a moment, and that afterwards, they would head back to the Palace together.

Light headed to Celestia's room with Eclipse, Luna and Taciturn following closely behind them. When they arrived, Light knocked gently on the door, hearing the Princess cheerfully call out for them to enter. Ecstatic to see her sister, sitting fully healed on her bed, Luna gently moved past Light and trotted over to her sister to give her a tearful, loving hug.

As Celestia was embracing her sister, Eclipse, Taci and Light entered shortly after Luna, and greeted the Solar Princess with a smile. Taci placed the bouquet of flowers in a vase, adding onto the beautiful coloured flowers they had brought the day before, as Eclipse took a seat next to Celestia's bed, and Light walked up to the Princess on the other side.

Luna was still hugging Celestia, overwhelmed with emotions, as tears of joy started to run down her face, when Light asked Celestia how she was feeling. She replied that she was doing very well, and that the Doctor had just left after performing the last few tests. The Doctor confirmed Celestia was completely healed, and would return in just a moment to lead her outside.

Hearing the news, Luna released Celestia, her eyes welled up with happy tears. Taciturn grabbed a few tissues and gave them to the Princess, who thanked her, and used them to dry her tears. Shortly after, the Doctor entered again and was pleasantly surprised to see Celestia's visitors, and gave them a great smile.

Light, Luna and Taci stepped aside for the Doctor as they walked over to Celestia, writing on a notepad. They confirmed that Celestia was fully healed, and with the final tests completed, they had come to lead the Princess outside. Celestia gently got up from her bed, for while she was fully healed, she did not have a lot of energy, though her joy made her forget her exhaustion.

With Eclipse and Luna walking by her side, Celestia was led downstairs by the Doctor, followed closely by Light and Taci, as they heard chatter in the lounge getting louder, before it quieted down again. Taciturn and Light barely managed to hold in their excitement as they approached the hall. Celestia turned back to the Ponies and Kirin accompanying her, and said with a smile:

"Thank you, every single one of you, for everything you've done. I can not thank you enough for all your love and support. I guess there are many others waiting in the hall, so let's not make them wait any longer."

As the rest opened the doors, Light kept a watchful eye out for any would-be assailant foolish enough to attempt an attack, though they were snapped out of their focus when they saw Boom peering through a small window, wearing a small yet bright smile upon his face with tears forming in his eyes

Whether these were tears of joy or sadness, they did not know. Light turned away, trying to hold back some tears of their own. With Taciturn at their side, they continued walking behind Celestia, who was still gently being supported by Luna and Eclipse, just in case.

When the Doctor led them into the lounge, there was a sizable eruption of cheers, surprising both the Doctor and Celestia, who didn't expect so many folks to be waiting for them. As Celestia walked in, a pair of Guards, who were stationed outside, offered to take the place of Luna and Eclipse, which Celestia politely refused.

Though it was blazingly obvious that everyone was enthusiastic about Celestia's recovery and return, to Light's relief, they all behaved appropriately. Celestia warmly smiled and thanked everycreature for the warm welcome and the well-wishes, and said she was excited to head back to the Palace, where the special celebrations would take place.

A big smile appeared on Light's face, for they knew that there would be a surprise for Celestia when they got to the Palace. If everything had gone according to plan, at the Palace, Violin and the Royal Orchestra should be close to finishing the setup of the stage, and would be ready by the time that the group from the Centre arrived.

A cohort of Guards, including the pair of young and old Guards Light had spoken to before, stood ready by the entrance of the Medical Centre to escort Luna and Celestia, just to be absolutely sure that nothing would happen. As Celestia headed outside, waving goodbye to the Doctor as she did so, Light waited for a moment, so the group exited first.

Though a few folks in the group paused for a moment, looking at Light questioningly, Light smiled, politely put up their hoof, and allowed the rest to head out first. They then turned to the café, where Selene was busy clearing up the dishes left by the group, and started helping her. Selene thanked Light for their help, and asked why they didn't head out immediately.

Light replied that they wanted to say goodbye properly, since they did not know when they would meet her again. They continued, saying that they very much appreciated her kind words earlier, and would not forget them soon. Selene sweetly laughed, and thanked Light for their help in return, and wished them the best with everything, hoping they would meet again.

After helping to clear up the dishes, Light waved goodbye and headed to the exit, where they found Banana waiting for them, for the group had set out already. They gave each other a gentle smile and a small hug, and set out to the Palace together, hoping they could catch up with the group, who had gotten quite a head start.

Light thanked Banana for waiting for them, and asked him how he was feeling. Banana replied that he was doing well, and that he was excited for the upcoming celebrations, but also that he was still worried about many things, one of these being the catacombs under the park. Light gently put their arm around Banana and reassured them:

"We've come this far, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. We'll figure this out, I promise. Hopefully we manage to find Mousse again along the way as well..."

As the last few words brought tears to Banana's eyes, Light gently and more tightly hugged him, for they could barely imagine the loss they had experienced thusfar.

Shortly after the group left, Nox trotted up alongside Celestia as she asked her aunt about her injuries, looking up at her with a worried expression upon her face. Celestia replied that it was an event that nobody could have expected, for a strange, green Unicorn fell out of a black mass that appeared above the stage as she was holding a speech.

The Unicorn fell on her back from a great height and injured her severely. Even with the efforts of a legion of Guards, Princess Luna and Harvest - who had transformed into his faster and more agile Nirik form - the perpetrator got away, before he could be stopped and arrested. As this Unicorn was being chased, Celestia was being helped to the Medical Centre to heal.

Luna confirmed the story, saying she tried her best to stop him, but could not. Harvest walked up and added that the Unicorn made his escape with the use of smoke bombs, disorienting him, Luna, and all the Guards chasing him. Nox looked at her aunt with a shocked expression, not knowing the severity of the incident until now.

In a concerned tone, Nox asked Celestia if she should summon a legion of Guards from her Palace as added security, just to be sure. Celestia warmly smiled and reassured her niece that her additional Guards would not be necessary, though she very much appreciated her thought and concern for her well-being. Celestia's gentle voice diminished Nox's fears, and she took a sigh of relief.

The group was approaching the Palace, and in the distance, from the Main Hall, they could hear the faint sounds of brass and string instruments, which told them the Royal Orchestra was fully set up and took time to rehearse. Celestia asked the Guards, who had been escorting her and the group, to wait for a moment, as Light and Banana had not rejoined the group yet.

At that moment, they appeared from around the corner, apparently having taken a somewhat shorter route to catch up with the group. Light and Banana were sharing hearty laughs and gentle physical contact as they approached the Palace. Even from a great distance, Celestia could see that the two had shed some tears on their way back, and a bittersweet smile formed on her face.

As the duo reached the group, Caff spoke up and jokingly asked what took them so long, to which Light replied in a lighthearted manner that they helped clear up some of her mess in the café, and found that Banana had been waiting for them. The group chuckled as Caff blushed, and headed into the Palace together, where they saw Violin and the Conductor were walking over to greet them.

After the Conductor and Violin had made clear their plans for the celebrations, Celestia and Luna thanked the two. Celestia said she wanted to take a moment for herself, to which the group obliged. Celestia turned to head to her chambers, with Luna and a Guard by her side, but stopped to ask Light to talk with them later, just before the celebrations started.

Many in the group did not fully understand the reason as to why Celestia asked this of them, looking between the two confusedly. Nevertheless, Light agreed, after which they told Celestia to take all the time she needed, and that they would wait to be summoned. Celestia endearingly smiled and turned away, as Luna and Light made eye contact and nodded, slowly and solemnly.

Light turned to the group and told them they were going to head to the gardens, as being around crowds for a long time tired them out quickly, and that they would be back later.

"In the mean time, stay safe and enjoy yourselves, for today is another celebration worthy of remembrance!"

Light said goodbye to the group and headed to the back of the Palace to rest in the Gardens. The fresh air and calming area gave them the ability to gather their thoughts as they walked around, enjoying the slowly diminishing light and warmth from the setting sun. They made sure to not wander too far, as Light was waiting to be summoned by Celestia to talk with her.

Back inside, Harvest was approached by Nox, who wanted to ask him about the evening of Celestia's injury, and asked if there was anything else that happened that evening that she did not yet know of. Harvest responded, repeating most of the story that Luna and Celestia had told her on the way over. A strange mass that someone fell out of and injured Celestia, and ran away shortly after.

He continued, saying that as Luna summoned the Guard and started the chase, Light jumped to the stage and asked him to chase the one who hurt her, as they checked her for wounds. After he quickly ran outside, he wasn't sure exactly what happened, as he was stunned by a smoke bomb, but he knows that Celestia was lead to the hospital by Light, before they turned back to help him.

After Harvest's account, Nox was quite surprised, and thanked him for telling her, before she trotted outside to talk with Light, whom they found leaning on the fence, enjoying the sunshine. She slowly walked up and asked if she could speak with them, which Light hesitantly obliged to, not knowing what she wanted to discuss.

Before Light could speak, Nox strongly embraced them as she did at the Medical Centre, cracking their spine again. She apologised, and said she often didn't realise her physical strength, but fortunately, Light just laughed it off in a lighthearted manner. Nox continued, saying she heard from Harvest that Light had helped Celestia when she was injured.

Light smiled while rubbing the back of their head, and modestly said that they would have done so for anyone. Still, they were just glad Celestia was alright and was recovering rapidly. For Light replied that for now, they would like a moment to themselves, as being with so many folks for so long was quite exhausting, and they wanted to have a moment of peace.

Nox obliged, and said thank you again before turning away, allowing Light to rest somewhat. Before she headed back inside, she said she had been wondering about something, and asked Light about Niriks, or more specifically, their Nirik form. As Harvest had told her, he turned Nirik to chase after the one who hurt Celestia, but she had not heard anything about Light or their Nirik form.

Light took a deep breath and prepared to speak, but just at that moment, a Guard came outside and asked for Light to follow him, as Celestia had wished to talk with them. Light nodded and asked Nox to join them for a moment, so they could tell her about themselves as they followed the Guard to Celestia's quarters.

Nox happily nodded and trotted along with Light, as they were being lead on by the Guard. Light told Nox about themselves and about the strange and busy week they have had so far, and what their ultimate goal was, to find information about the tunnels under Banana's park. So far, they had found nothing, but they were not giving up. There were still many paths for them to take.

Soon enough, after passing the rest of the group, who were managing to enjoy themselves before the Orchestra's performance, Nox and Light reached Celestia's quarters, where the Guard stopped and apologised, saying that only Light was summoned by Celestia. When Nox asked Light what they were planning to ask her aunt, Light replied:

"There are many things that I would like to discuss, but I won't ask for much. I hope she can help me as I helped her."

After these words, Nox turned around to head back to the Main Halls as Light entered Celestia's quarters.

As Light entered Celestia's chambers, she slowly and gently got up from the chair she was sitting on. Light hurried over and offered to help her get up, but Celestia politely refused, saying she was just tired. Light continued looking at her with a concerned gaze, but Celestia smiled and reassured them that the tonic had healed her completely, and she really was just tired.

Light breathed a small sigh of relief after hearing this, and moved aside to give Celestia some room. She asked what it was that Light wanted to discuss with her, to which they replied that there were a couple of things, and they were glad that she accepted their request. Celestia moved over to a small table with some drinks and sweets and took a seat, asking Light to do the same.

Using her magic, Celestia grabbed the tea that had been prepared earlier, and offered Light a drink as well. As the two enjoyed their drinks, Celestia bade Light to tell them what they wanted to ask, since she had promised them an opportunity to talk at the Gala, before the evening turned sour. Now, before the celebrations started, they had plenty of time.

Light put down their drink and grabbed a small note from their satchel, upon which were written a few different things, including the poem that they got, alongside the vial of medicine that had healed Celestia's injuries. For now, they skipped over the poem and started from the top. The first thing they asked about was if she knew anything about any secret tunnels, lost to history?

Confused at this very specific question, Celestia looked at Light with a questioning look on her face, asking them to clarify. Light explained that the reason they came to Canterlot was because of the contacts of someone they met just the previous week, after the obliteration of the library of Ponyville Castle. They had only just started looking for information when the building exploded.

Celestia interjected, saying she remembered receiving a couple of letters from Eclipse, which Light had spoken about before, asking for her assistance in repairing the damage done to the library at the Palace. Celestia had sent over a number of books from the Royal Library of Canterlot to help Eclipse restore the collection at their Castle.

Light nodded, and continued, saying that they didn't have much luck at the Canterlot Library, unfortunately not finding anything of use, save for a list of contact details they got from the Librarian, and a book of strange tales one of their associates had found. They had bade Light read the book, which they admit was something they shouldn't have done, as it disturbed them very much.

But Light shook their head and raised their hoof, not wishing to dwell on the subject. They politely asked Celestia for access to the private Archives, even if just for a short while. The tunnels of the Catacombs they found under the park were very strange and old, and Light hoped that Celestia knew anything about them, or knew of anything that could help.

Celestia pondered for a moment, when a knock on the door interrupted the two, before Celestia could reply to Light. At the door, there a Guard, announcing the celebrations were about to start. Light sighed and stood up from their seat, looking somewhat annoyed, yet understanding. Celestia followed and promised them they would make time for them after the celebrations.

As they were leaving the chambers, Light stopped and turned to Celestia, remembering the poem on the note. Light took the note and handed it to Celestia, who found it read: "When the sun sets, a match will light, now matter how dark the sun will rise...". Light asked her if it reminded her of anything, to which Celestia replied:

"It feels... vaguely familiar... I can't quite put my hoof on it, but it feels... old and painful, broken, yet also so full of love and memory..."

After Light gave the poem to Celestia, she quickly turned around and placed the note on a drawer in her room, still trying to figure out why it sounded so familiar, and why it made her feel that way. She quietly said to herself that she would have to read it over again later, and tried to shake off what she was feeling.

Lead by a group of Guards, the two headed downstairs, for the Orchestra has been waiting to perform, and was now ready to start. As they wanted to make sure everyone took in the full excellence of the performance, they bade everyone take a seat, with Celestia and Luna up front. Light quietly said 'Enjoy!' to Celestia before heading to the back to take a seat there.

Looking around as they headed to the back, Light saw that on the balconies overlooking the Halls, at every entry and exit, and all around the walls were Guards, stationed there out of caution. Evidently, Luna wanted to make sure that a disaster like at the previous Gala could not happen, or if it did, that there would be plenty of time to move everyone to safety.

Light took a seat in the back, constantly aware of their surroundings, for, like Luna, they also did not want anything like the incident at the Gala to occur again. Everybody took their seats and their conversations slowly quieted down. When the whole group was quiet, the lights in the Halls dimmed until only the stage, upon which the Orchestra was seated, was fully lit up.

The first song the Orchestra would perform was a song to honour Princess Celestia, and the duty that was laid upon her, so long ago. The name of the song was Glorious Morning, made by Water Flame. When Violin stood up and moved closer to the front, some voices raised up in surprise, and as the Conductor tapped their baton to count down, the room fell quiet.

And so, he began.

Violin began playing a beautiful composition, backed up by more strings, and later, by woodwind and percussion instruments, which felt as warm and hopeful as the rising morning sun, bringing light, warmth, healing and so much more to the land. The entire Orchestra played brilliantly, and after completing the song, the crowd started to applaud the musicians, and Violin especially.

However, the percussions had not yet faded when they rose up again, and the Orchestra began anew.

Violin sat down as the pianist took the lead, followed closely by the snare drum percussionist, giving the song an incredibly strong and beautiful contrast between calming piano and energising drums. Luna sat still as tears formed in her eyes over the beautiful composition the Orchestra played for her and her duties, the name of which was... Beautiful Night, by Evening Star.

After the Orchestra completed their compositions, Luna could do nothing but smile as tears of pure joy ran down her face, while Celestia embraced her little sister, unable to hold back tears herself. As the Orchestra took a bow for their performance, and the crowd applauded them, Starshine quietly got up and flew towards the back of the Palace. From the Gardens, she shouted:

"Hey, when you're about finished in there, get out here for the Grand Finale!"

As she started her routine, the group hastily made their way outside to watch her performance. The sky was lit up in beautiful colours as the whirlwind rose high up to the clouds and used the water to make rainbows all around the eye of the storm. While she was flying around, cheers erupted from the crowd, ecstatic over the beautiful show they were witnessing.

Nova kept flying around and making gorgeous and wonderfully fluid movements through the sky, all the while, the whirlwind followed closely behind her. Looking downwards, she saw Celestia and Luna standing at the front of the crowd, still shedding a few tears, yet smiling from ear to ear as they cheered her on as she continued her performance.

At the back of the crowd, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble, Light stood, and smiled warmly as they saw Luna and Celestia's joyful reactions. The evening had been going very well, the Orchestra's performance had brought tears to their eyes, and now Starshine's performance ended up being beautiful way to end the evening.

Slowly but surely, Nova lowered her speed, and the whirlwind faded from view. After landing, the crowd gave her a roaring applause as she took a bow, with a big and smug smile on her face. Her routine had left her exhausted and thirsty, and Celestia called for catering to come by and serve some drinks and small refreshments.

Though Light feared something may be amiss, they shook off the feeling as they chuckled to themselves, and enjoyed the cool night and the pleasant ending festivities. Caterers came outside carrying drinks and snacks, and everyone enjoyed talking amongst themselves. Light grabbed a drink and walked over to Banana, who smiled and cheerfully greeted them as he bounced their way.

Banana and Light embraced each other and toasted to their health. The evening had been a resounding success, and the cheers and hearty laughs heard from around the Gardens made this very clear. Snacks were eaten, drinks were had, and everything seemed right. However, as Light was chatting with Banana, a familiar figure appeared from the side of the Palace.

From around the corner, either due to negligence or folly, the Unicorn, cloaked and nigh unrecognisable, called out to Light, which grabbed the attention of every present creature. Light turned around and let out a deep, remorseful sigh, and asked the Guards to hold off for a moment as they turned around to head to the Unicorn, who walked up to them and said:

A number of Guards ran out and grabbed Boom, who shouted: "Fine, fine! Get your hooves off me! I'll come along. There's one thing I have to give to Light, I promised them a while ago." He reached into his cloak and grabbed out a small item, wrapped in paper, while he walked towards Light. As Boom handed over the package, he said "Sorry", and quietly continued, whispering:

While Boom was being lead away by a cohort of Guards, Light stood motionless, staring at the dagger Boom had given them. Concerned for their friend, Banana walked over and gently tried to nudge Light into a response, to no avail. Tears started forming in their eyes as the voices of those around them faded into obscurity, their attention being completely drawn to the blade.

And then, something clicked.

Light continued looking at the dagger as the green Unicorn was being taken away, and tears kept forming in their eyes. Banana's efforts to get Light's attention appeared to be in vain, as they would not move a muscle, nor take their gaze away from the blade. As Celestia was walking over, they dropped the dagger, which luckily landed blade side down in the ground, and they sat down.

As they sat down, their bag fell off their back, and as it fell, the Book of Ancient Tales fell out, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. Celestia walked over and picked up the book, and skimmed through the pages. Banana spoke up and explained that a few days ago, after the green Unicorn had left, the book appeared in the kitchen with a loud slam.

Apparently, he found the book at the library just a little while before, and when asked about it, he claimed it held intriguing information. When meeting him outside of the city the day before, he made it clear Light needed to read a specific chapter, and that they would need to do so before the end of the celebrations of this evening, though the reason as to why, he did not specify.

Celestia handed the book to a pair of Guards to secure it, and turned back to Light, who appeared to be getting more distressed. They were holding their hooves on their ears and constantly shook
their head. She asked somecreature to get a blanket and some water for Light, after which she gently tried to reach out to Light, hopefully to be able to comfort them.

Carefully moving over to Light, Celestia spread out her wing and wrapped it around Light, who flinched for a moment, before calming down again. The Princess' calming presence helped ease their worries, and Light took a deep breath, as they wiped away their tears. Very quietly, Light thanked Celestia for her support, and managed to calm down.

As they got up and turned towards the Gardens again, Light's eyes fell upon the dagger, and their eyes welled up again. Celestia asked the blade to be moved, carefully, as for some reason, it was causing Light a great deal of distress. Light placed their hooves on their head, and harshly closed their eyes, trying to hold in their emotions.

Celestia tried to gently reassure Light that they were safe and that there was no need to hold back their feelings, but Light shook their head no and moved away from Celestia. From behind Light, Celestia noticed Light's mane and tail started flickering with flames, but only for brief moments before dousing again.

Recognising the potentially dangerous situation, Harvest stepped forward and offered Celestia to talk to Light, as he had experience with his Nirik form, and better knew how to control it. Celestia accepted his offer, and stepped back, allowing Harvest to talk with Light, who was turning away from them.

Harvest gently spoke with Light and offered to help them through their transformation, but they kept shaking their head "No", and quietly said "I'm scared". Harvest remained calm, and gently tried to guide Light away from wherever their mind was taking them, to no avail. When he asked what it was they were afraid of, Light replied in a deep and monstrous voice:

"I remember. I was there. The blade was mine."

By giving Light the dagger, Boom had unknowingly handed them the master key, to their vault of memories, on a silver platter.

Though she preferred to stay inside to avoid the great crowd, when she heard the growing commotion outside, Nox dashed outside to offer her assistance, when she noticed Light in the distance, upon whose body fires started to flicker to life, with growing pain in their eyes, to which she could only give a gravely concerned look

As Nox approached Light, and stood next to Harvest, she made eye contact with them, and saw their eyes were filled with fear, and intense pain. Light turned away, and gestured for others to stay back. They desperately needed a way to calm down, for the panic and stress that were setting in needed to dissipate, otherwise it could end up doing severe harm to them and others around them.

They slowly headed further back into the Gardens, away from the crowd, with Nox and Harvest following closely behind them, as they quickly extinguished any trailing flames Light left behind. The rest of the group stayed near the Palace, prepared to head inside should anything go wrong, and glanced towards Light with worried expressions.

Reaching the edges of the Gardens, nearing the forests, Light leaned on to the fence where, just a few days prior, they had spoken with Celestia. The memory of her calming presence helped Light calm down a little bit, and they managed to take a deep breath, but it would take a long while before they would return to the group, out of fear of accidentally hurting somecreature.

Nox and Harvest found Light leaning on the fence, and carefully tried to approach them. Harvest spoke in a gentle voice, asking Light how they were feeling, to which they replied that they needed a moment, for their mind was too busy. Before Harvest could say anything in return, Light interrupted and said they knew holding in emotions wasn't healthy, but this was different.

These feelings, their memories and experiences flowing back after not having thought about them for a while, it overwhelmed them. But they took comfort in the fact that they overcame these feeling before, and they can do so again. They turned to Nox and Harvest and thanked them for helping, and apologised for being very difficult to help. They truly did appreciate their efforts.

Nox warmly smiled and leaned over the fence next to Light, saying that everycreature has things they want to forget, difficult times they want to move past, and yes, periods of stubbornness. But she knew that one bad moment or one small window of time where one is rude, or lashes out due to stress, does not, in any way, make that creature bad. It is just a moment after all.

Harvest joined the two on the fence, and reassured Light that he and Nox would help them with their fears, and if needed, how to safely turn Nirik to let their emotions out in a healthy way. He continued, and joked that with how bright their flames were, releasing stress as Nirik in a good way would really make them 'Healthy Light'.

The three shared a laugh, and Light felt relieved, for Nox and Harvest's words eased Light's worries. The flickering flames on their hair and tail decreased, slowly returning to their golden colours again. After they took a deep breath, and the last of the flames vanished, much to the relief of Harvest and Nox. Light looked at them, and chuckled quietly to themselves.

Harvest asked in a lighthearted manner what was so funny, to which Light replied that the three of them were definitely out of place, and yet all the friends they have met so far have made place for them, ending with a smile. Nox and Harvest looked at each other and back at Light, remembering all the friends they have made, and smiling at the friendship they all found

The three looked out towards the clear night sky, seeing countless stars dot the heavens. There was a cool breeze in the air, blowing through the leaves, the gentle sounds of which calmed Light down even more. Nox turned to Light and asked how they were feeling, to which they replied they were doing well. Before heading back, Nox wanted to ask one final question:

"If I may ask, what was it about that dagger that Boom gave you?"

Hearing her question, Light bowed their head down and closed their eyes. When they opened them, they shone bright like the sun, and their body started to darken...

Back at the entrance to the Palace, the crowd was spread out and were talking with each other in small groups. After Celestia had requested these items, Eclipse managed to find a blanket to give to Light, and Caff found a pitcher of water for them. They had put both of these items upon a tray to be able to move them more easily, if the need arises.

A little while after Nox and Harvest headed further into the Gardens, following Light and their flaming hoofprints, there were fewer sounds coming from whence they went. Light's fiery response to Harvest trying to reach out had heavily startled the group, and their deep, monstrous voice carried far into the Palace. Now, the silence and absence of deep voices reassured them somewhat.

Meanwhile, Celestia was thinking about the Gala where she was injured, and was trying to remember anything after she fainted, but failed to do so. Because of this, she asked around if anycreature could give any clarification as to what had happened that night, for Luna had left the Castle chasing the perpetrator, and did not know the exact order of events either.

After hearing this, Caff and Banana stepped towards the Princesses, and recounted their experiences. After Luna had led the charge, Light jumped towards the stage and began issuing orders with a commanding voice, asking Harvest to assist Luna in her pursuit and calling upon the Guard to escort Celestia to the Medical Centre.

They continued, saying that Harvest turned Nirik very quickly, and in a controlled manner, something they had not yet witnessed Light doing so. In fact, they had only seen glimpses of Light's Nirik form, primarily when they were dealing with stressful situations. Their eruption of emotion from this evening had startled the duo, and they were worried for their friend.

Celestia tried to reassure the two small Ponies, saying that they knew Nox well, and, from what she had heard, Harvest seemed to be a good Kirin to help Light with their transformation. She noted the lack of sounds coming from the Gardens, and told the two that any moment now, Nox, Harvest and Light would return, and together, all of them could rest and recover from their stress.

At that moment, a large column of fire and a bright flash appeared from further into the Gardens, and almost instantly after, a wave of heat followed. It felt as though someone had opened a baking oven, and everycreature present started sweating intensely, and retreated back into the Palace, followed closely by Guards to close the doors. All creatures, save for two, who ran to the Gardens.

As Banana and Caff were highly experienced with baking pastries and the like, they were used to waves of heat, though even they couldn't withstand it for long, and soon, they would have to retreat as well. Near the edge of the Gardens, when they turned the corner, they found Nox and Harvest trying to restrain and calm down Light, who had turned Nirik, to no avail.

The fireproof creatures saw the two bakers appear and loudly shouted at them to get back, for Light was losing control, and they did not know what would happen. Banana ignored their advice and started to run towards the heart of the blaze, when Light released a large magical blast that blasted the others away from them. Their eyes glowed, and they appeared feral.

Looking around, trying to find more threats, Nirik Light found none, but saw Banana, who had been blasted away, being dragged to safety by Caff, who looked at Light with genuine terror in her eyes. Realising what they had done, but increasingly losing control, Nirik Light let out a bloodcurdling scream, and after a bright and chaotic flash, that kicked up dirt and loose rocks, they vanished.

After Nirik Light had disappeared, the heat subsided, and Caff breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the cool air fill her lungs, just as Banana woke up again. The sun appeared to rise over the horizons, yet Light was nowhere to be found. A moment later, Celestia appeared and called upon the Guard to get the four to the Medical Centre. Then, she realised with dread what was happening.

And now, dear reader, let us freeze time for a moment, for the following happens within less than a second.

7: The Aftermath

Standing on the cliffs in the Gardens, Celestia stared towards the horizon in fear, for she knew, it was not the sun that was rising. A moment later, the flash on the horizon died down and vanished from sight. After Celestia recovered from the shock, she made sure Banana, Caff, Harvest and Nox were being taken to the Medical Centre, and headed back to the Palace.

She hastily retreated back into the Castle, heading to the Royal Archives with dread in her heart, and looked for a map of the land. Connecting the dots in her mind, she could find only one place from whence it could have originated. She took command of a cohort of Pegasi Guards, and headed South, to find the source, hoping that everycreature was alright. Especially the one at the centre.

Many leagues away, far to the South of the land of Equestria, laid the Bone Dry Desert, a barren wasteland covered by sand as far as the eye can see. One could travel for hours, traversing many leagues, and yet not find any part of civilisation. To this place, here, in the centre of the desert, Nirik Light teleported themselves, and to understand what happened, let us freeze time.

Within a millisecond, a ball of fire appears, hotter and brighter than the surface of the sun, and grows to over a kilometer across. Within this area, everything is gone. Like water dropped onto a searing hot pan, any building, vehicle, tree or creature in the radius of the fireball evaporates and leaves no trace of its existence behind, whatsoever.

The brightness of the ball exceeds that of the sun. If you were facing the blast, the flash leaves you temporarily blind, for a number of hours. The flash released a wave of heat, so immensely hot, that nothing up to ten kilometres away is safe. In an area of over 300 square kilometres around the centre, anything that is able to burn, starts burning. Wood, plastic, fabric, hair and skin.

If you are in reach of the blast, one moment, you could be heading to class, eating at a café or talking a walk through the forest, and the very next moment, you're on fire.

After the fireball, the flash of light, and the wave of scorching heat, follows the shockwave. Faster than the speed of sound, it expands explosively all around the centre of the blast, and anything in its path is ground to dust. If you were somehow saved from the wave of heat, an instant later, you would be tossed away, like a speck of dust in a tornado.

Though the shockwave weakens as it grows, losing power and speed as it gets further and further from the centre of the last, it continues to be dangerous. Over one hundred square kilometres of burnt and scorched area, still smoldering from the heat moments before, is destroyed by the immense pressure from the shockwave.

And even though the shockwave is not strong enough to damage buildings or trees, it is still very dangerous. Even over fifteen kilometres away, creatures are still in peril, for the shockwave is still growing in size. At this distance, after a few eerie moments of silence, the blast rolls over the area, breaking windows and damaging the ears of every creature in the radius.

Had Light not managed to teleported away, the vision they had, the one that filled them with dread, would have come true.

Since a majority of the crowd that was present headed back inside when the first wave of heat flowed over the area, most were unharmed. The only seriously injured creatures were Harvest and Nox, who had tried to calm Light down, and Banana and Caff, who were concerned for their friend, running through the quickly intensifying heat, trying to reach them in time.

Fortunately, when the Nirik disappeared, the heat subsided, and it was safe for everyone to exit the Palace again, where the four who were closest to the Nirik were found. Celestia took a cohort of Pegasi Guards and headed out to the South to find the site of the detonation, while Luna took control of the situation at the Palace, and made sure the injured were taken to the Medical Centre.

Luna looked on as her sister flew Southwards, and quietly wished her the best. After this, she turned her attention upon other business, including reaching out to other areas that could have been affected by the blast. While the injured were brought to the Centre, and Celestia was away, Luna dispatched additional Guards throughout the area, and sent messengers to other cities.

As Celestia and her accompanying Guards went further South, they started coming across areas where it was clear that a terrible event had taken place. Trees uprooted, windows broken, and Ponies and other Creatures trying to help others as best they could. In some areas closer to the Bone Dry Desert, there were massive fires spreading throughout the old forests, causing more devastation.

Though Celestia's priority was finding the epicentre of the blast, she couldn't bring herself to abandon those in need, those she had sworn to protect. While she continued Southwards, whenever she flew over an area in need of help, she ordered a number of Guards to descend and assist in any way they could, and the group of Guards escorting her grew smaller and smaller as she flew on.

When the light reached over the horizon, Celestia knew it was not her doing, for the sun had only just set, shortly before the Orchestra began their performance. After the light vanished again, the dark of night returned, and over time, her eyes re-adjusted to the darkness, which helped her survey the Desert more easily while she flew over it.

Celestia figured that since a number of creatures were burnt from short exposure to the Nirik's flames, the blast that followed shortly after must have been even more intense. Fortunately, yet unfortunately, the fireball came to be in the desert, which prevented the intense heat from inflicting further damage, yet made it more difficult to find from whence it came.

Hours Celestia spent flying around, until a small glint caught her eye. When she landed and looked, she found it was rough glass, sand turned to glass by intense heat. She knew she was getting closer, and continued her search, as she found increasingly more clumps of glass, which continued to grow in size. Eventually, she found the crater, the site of impact.

Though the desert was enormous, stretching from East to West over the continent, the crater was easy to find. When she reached the edge, she found that the entire area was covered by a layer of glass, which was, in some parts, still red hot, and she made sure to be very careful, lest she injures herself again. Gently floating down, they found a single figure laying at the centre.

Celestia approached Light, who had turned back to their Kirin form, and noticed they were breathing. But when Celestia tried to wake them, they would not respond. Neither gently lifting their head nor using magic awoke the Kirin. Tears formed in her eyes as she gently embraced the Kirin, and held them close. In the distance, she heard a Guard call out to her, and she thought:

"What could they have gone through for so much pain and power to have built up inside of them?"

Running through the vast cave system underneath the city, where he landed after breaking through the floor of the cell he had been placed in, Boom's thoughts kept racing as he tried to figure out what had happened and what to do next. Not only would he have to evade the Guards that were patrolling the area, but he would have to be careful to not be spotted by either of the Princesses.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the end of the cave system, and found a metal grate leading to an alley in the streets of the city. A master of explosives, both big and small, Boom managed to break away the grate, and climbed out of the underground area. Strangely enough, he recognised this specific alley, but he put those thoughts aside.

Carefully maneuvering from alley to alley, he kept himself hidden in the darkness. In one of the alleys, he managed to find an old cloak, and continued heading back to the Palace where he would look for the Princesses and try to help in whatever way he can - if they allow him to, after his chaotic and destructive antics.

At one moment, just a few streets away from the Palace, he remembered the forest outside of the city, which was connected to the Gardens of the Palace, and would allow him to approach the Castle from a more discreet path. He sharply turned the corner, and, after almost falling over and running into a box, he headed towards the woods. Fortunately, were very few Guards around.

A little while later, he reached the cliffs on the edge of the forest, and, while carefully leaning over the fence, he could see the plateau where the Gardens were. He had used the same path to reach to Gardens just about an hour beforehand, where he gave the dagger to Light. As he was carefully scaling the cliff, he wondered about his friend, and if they were alright.

Finally, he reached the edge of the Gardens, and could see Luna stand on the edge of the cliffs, looking towards the South, where the flash of light had come from, before she headed back inside with great haste. Boom breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that at least one of those he cared about was alright, "and now", he thought to himself, "where are Light and Celestia?".

He snuck his way to the cliffs where Luna looked to the South, and saw, a group of silhouettes, flying in the distance, lit up by the moonlight shining down. Remembering the lack of Guards in the city, he reckoned that these silhouettes were a cohort of them, escorting Celestia, most likely to head South to investigate the flash.

Boom managed to calm his nerves and took a deep breath, and as tears formed in his eyes, a weak smile grew upon his face, until it quickly turned sour again, for there was still one he had not found yet. He looked back towards the Palace, where he noticed Luna giving commands to a small group of Guards, while the crowd he noticed before was scattered around, unsure as to what to do.

Luna and Celestia were safe, but where was Light? Boom thought long and hard, until he got the idea to locate Light with his magic.

*He focused his magic, and opened a portal, looking down at a familiar sight...*

Boom jumped through the portal and landed hard on the ground, the sand all around Light having turned to glass, still cooling from the intense heat only moments before. Some shards broke off and seriously wounded the green Unicorn, as he moved towards the fainted Kirin. Every step, more glass broke beneath his feet, and he flinched with each step.

When he reached Light, he grabbed a vial of medicine, nearly identical to one he had given them to give to Celestia, and took a big swig of the tonic. Immediately, energy emanated off of him as he started to glow and hover. Moments later, as quickly as it had appeared, the brightness toned down, and all of his wounds were healed.

He put aside the remainder of the tonic and focused his attention on Light, and was beyond relieved to find they were still breathing, albeit very weakly. When he tried to wake them, they would not respond, and he was getting increasingly more worried for his friend. He carefully covered his hooves and pushed away an area of glass, and rolled Light onto the softer sand.

Since Light did not wake, Boom tried to find any injuries, planning to use the tonic to help them heal. However, he could not find any wounds, which both confused and relieved him. He continued to make sure there was nothing else around, and was prepared to defend his friend if the need arose. At that moment, he heard the sound of wings, and turned away to look around.

In the distance, Boom noticed a group of figures flying through the air, led by a larger figure, with flowing hair. He took cover in the crater and was torn between many thoughts: Should he stay to help Light, and risk facing Celestia? Should he take Light along, and worry everyone, not knowing where Light had gone? Or what he thought was best, help Celestia find Light, and leave.

He carefully grabbed a pile of glass shards and put up his cloak, and, with winged speed, he ran across the area, dropping shards as he ran to leave as a trail for Celestia to find. He kept one small piece of glass, which he fashioned into a lens, and using a small flame, focused the Light toward Celestia, shining in her direction from behind cover, using his dark cloak as cover.

When Celestia finally noticed, Boom took one last look at Light, promising them he'd find another way to help, and left the crater. As Celestia approached and focused on Light, Boom weakly smiled and held back tears as best he could, before creating another portal to jump through, heading out of the desert and back towards the North.

He arrived back in the forest in Canterlot, and took a deep breath, and calmed his racing heart and tensed nerves. He did all he could to help Light, for now, at least, and made sure to keep an eye out for whenever Celestia returned with Light. She would probably bring them to the Medical Centre, and planned to head there when they arrived.

For now, he planned to head home, for he was exhausted. Escaping the cell he was put in, running through the caves under the city, using strong magic to teleport to and from the city, and leaving a trail for others to find really tired him, both physically and mentally. His tonic would help, but his mental exhaustion got the best of him.

As he headed home, he kept his hood up, and did not care much about staying hidden. The streets were empty, the night dark, and after a short walk, he was back at home. He grabbed a glass of water before heading to bed, for his body was close to giving up on him. Boom went to bed, and as he drifted to sleep, he thought:

"I hope I helped. I hope they're alright."

As Boom headed to sleep, in the Bone Dry Desert, a number of Guards found Celestia and Light in the crater the explosion created. A couple of Guards carefully took over the duty of carrying Light from Celestia, who stood and began to focus her magic on herself and the group. A bright flash once again illuminated the Desert, and a moment later, the group was back in Canterlot.

Celestia bade the Guards, who were carrying Light, to carry them to the Medical Centre, which she had just left herself earlier that day. As the Guards headed out, Celestia headed back to the Palace and sought Luna, whom had taken command of the garrisons for the time Celestia was away. When Celestia entered the Palace, it was very calm and quiet, as everyone else had left already.

Hoping they would find her there, Celestia headed to the barracks where she found Luna and the Captain of the Guards, who were discussing the best course of action for the following period of time. When Celestia walked into the room and cleared her throat, startling the two, Luna embraced Celestia, and expressed her joy seeing her sister again, as Celestia hugged her little sister back.

After their embrace, Celestia explained that she and the Guards found increasingly more devastation as they approached the site of impact. On the way there, she dispatched some of the Guard that had joined her, to help the surrounding areas that had been affected by the blast as best they could, and bade them they send for support should they need it.

Hearing about the destruction, Luna took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She asked Celestia if there was anything else she should know, to which Celestia replied that she managed to find the Kirin, Light, but they could not wake them. When they arrived back in Canterlot, she asked the Guards to bring them to the Medical Centre, while she headed back to the Castle.

In turn, Celestia asked Luna what business had occurred in the city after she left. Luna replied that she had sent out messengers to other cities to ask for reports on any issues they had experienced, yet so far, she had not heard back from any. She continued, saying that as Celestia headed out, Luna ordered the Guard to lead the injured to the Medical Centre to be treated.

Adding to this, Luna explained that she had an odd feeling while Celestia was away. Whatever it may have been, she said it felt familiar and very powerful, a feeling she claims she had not felt in a very long time. Even now, she felt a strange disturbance, and warned Celestia that something was amiss in the city, asking her to be careful, and to keep an eye out.

Meanwhile in the Centre, in the Emergency Room, a couple of nurses were walking around, treating the burn wounds of Banana, Caff, Harvest and Nox, as they were closest to Nirik Light's flames. The Nirik burnt so hot, and the flames were so intense, that even Nox's scales and Harvest's general fire resistance were overpowered. Fortunately, even they had sustained only minor burns.

Elsewhere in the Centre, the group of Guards that escorted Light arrived at the Medical Centre, meeting another couple of Guards who were still dispatched there, and Light was carefully moved to be examinated. After Light was taken away, of the Guards, the older Guard with whom Light had spoken before, headed out at great speed, heading back towards the Palace.

As the nurses were treating the four, Light was brought in, and was hurried past the Emergency Room, to the surprise of some, and the horror of one. Caff took a deep breath, as she felt unusually tense after seeing Light, and asked the nurse if her sister, who was in the waiting room, could enter and help her calm down. The nurse obliged, and moments later, Decaf arrived.

Decaf noticed her sister was not well, and asked her what happened. Caff replied with a quivering voice:

"I-I'm not sure. I s-saw Light j-just now, and I-I-I..."

After hearing her Caff's distress, Decaf gently grabbed her sisters hooves, and gave her a caring hug, hoping it would ease her fears.

A couple of rooms down the hall, Light was placed in bed, but it would take a while before a Doctor could come to check up on them. The Canterlot Centre was the largest in the land, and held the greatest number of Doctors, but now, it was eerily silent. Many Doctors who were stationed here were sent out to the South where fewer Doctors practiced, to assist the injured.

Back at the Palace, Celestia and Luna were busy keeping business in order when a messenger came in, bringing news from the Medical Centre. The old Guard told the Princesses that Light had arrived and was taken in to be treated. The Princesses thanked the Guard, who returned to his post. Celestia was debating whether or not to go to the Centre, to visit the injured creatures.

Luna saw her sister was pondering, and swiftly realised what she was thinking about. She promised her sister she would keep the business at the Palace in order, as it was Night, when Luna flourished, while Celestia flew out to the Centre. Since very few creatures knew Light was the cause of the blast, she needed to keep quiet about it.

If this news were to spread, it could put Light in grave danger.

A little while later, Celestia reached the Centre and was greeted by the Guards that had escorted Light, as well as the old Guard who had brought her the message. She walked into the Centre and found the room where the injured were being treated, and she was glad to see they were doing better than before.

After speaking with Nox a bit, thanking her and Harvest for helping Light as best they could, Celestia turned to Caff and Banana, and noticed Decaf was comforting her sister, who was visibly distressed. She approached the young mare and asked her if she was alright, to which Caff replied in a shaky voice that she was alright, but she would need a moment of peace.

Decaf interjected, saying that whatever it was that she had seen from that Kirin, it had severely distressed her sister. After hearing this, Banana's gaze dropped to the floor and he turned away, as if he was ashamed of something. Celestia turned to the young Unicorn and asked him if he knew what happened. Before he could start, Decaf cleared her throat and gestured to her sister.

Celestia silently and solemnly nodded, and told Banana she'd wait outside for him, until all his burns were properly treated. After she left, Decaf asked the nurse for a glass of water, and turned back to comforting her sister. Fortunately. her caring words and calm attitude helped put Caff's mind at ease. She took a few deep breaths, and slowed her breathing down.

Still in the gentle embrace of Decaf, Caff smiled and thanked her sister, who squeezed her sister ever so slightly more tightly after hearing her sweet words. The others nearby were worried for Caff. While Harvest and Nox were in the midst of the Nirik's flames, and Banana was blasted away, they realised Caff was the only one who wasn't knocked unconscious after Nirik Light flared up.

How horrible must the sight of the Nirik have been for Caff to be as terrified as she is?

Caff managed to calm down in her sister's embrace. Decaf, on the other hoof, was clearly holding back anger towards Light, not wishing to startle anyone else in the room, least of all, her sister. Banana, Nox and Harvest all looked at each other, and shook their heads. They all thought it was best to leave Decaf be, for now, before they would try to help her overcome her anger.

Outside, Celestia waited in the cool dark of night for Banana to appear, so she could ask him what happened. She wrapped her wings around herself to grant herself a bit of comfort, and closed her eyes, remembering the polite and courteous conversations she had had with the Kirin. She truly hoped they were alright, and that they would wake soon.

Looking up at the stars, she was reminded of Luna and of the celebrations the evening before, and she remembered the overwhelming horror she felt when seeing the flash appear to the South. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the land knew what happened too. She never could have thought that a being so kind, caring and selfless could react so strongly.

A chill ran down her spine, for knowing that Light held such incredible, uncontrollable destructive power made her shudder. In a way, she might not ever feel comfortable around them again, if strong outburst of emotions had such a horrible effect. If it was just a small dagger that made them react like that, what would they be like when faced with more painful experiences and memories?

A small voice in the back of their mind seemed to respond to her thoughts, to not judge Light for this moment. Something had clearly upset them, and in response, their Nirik form lashed out to protect them. Adding to that, the fact that they teleported themselves far away, even in their despair, to where the majority of the possible damage could be averted, saved countless lives.

She'd have to talk this over with Luna, since she and Light had spoken a number of times before and after the incident at the Gala, and she might have a better view of the Kirin. Still finishing her thoughts, she was interrupted by Banana, who had say down right next to her, and was gently tapping her wings, which were still wrapped around Celestia's body.

Banana appeared to be alright, with only a few bandages on his arms and legs, while other spots only required some soothing ointment to be alright. She unfurled one of her wings and wrapped it around the small Unicorn, to help him feel more comfortable in the cool night as well. She asked him very politely if he knew anything, and said she would ask the others later.

Since the events only happened a couple of hours ago, everything was still clear in Banana's mind, and he started his side of the story. After the first heatwave, he and Caff ran into the Gardens, where they found Harvest and Nox trying to restrain Light. Through the intense heat, Banana tried to reach the trio, but he was blasted backwards and knocked unconscious before he could reach them.

When the heatwave subsided, he found he was behind cover next to Caff, who had apparently dragged him to safety after he fainted. Afterwards, they were all brought to the Medical Centre where their burns took increasingly longer to treat, for many Doctors were summoned elsewhere, for a, to him, still unknown and strange reason.

Celestia closed her eyes, moved her head down, and took a deep sigh. She would have to tell him, but not now. The two looked at each other, each with tears forming in their eyes over their concern for Light, and Celestia took Banana in her arms for a gentle, caring embrace. Together, they looked back up at the stars and the moon, and as they did, an idea raced into Celestia's mind:

"Luna..."

8: Reaching Out

A light appeared to flicker to life in Celestia's mind, and, after she wiped away her tears, she got up and started moving around, looking for a Guard to send a message to her sister back at the Palace. Banana looked at her with wonder in his eyes, seeing the usually graceful Princess almost stumble over her own feet as she hurried back inside the Centre.

Banana slowly got up and followed the Princess back inside, being careful to not put too much pressure on his limbs, and found Celestia talking with a pair of Guards. A moment after he entered, the younger of the two Guards raced out of the Centre, and Celestia asked Banana to follow him to Light's room, for she had an idea, but it would require her sister's help.

In her eagerness, Celestia raced past Light's room, and wandered the hallways for a moment, while Banana carefully walked towards where Light was. A little while later, Celestia appeared from behind the corner, looking very confused, and found Banana gently smiling as he gestured to the room just down the hall from where the others were.

Celestia shyly smiled and blushed, and together, they quietly entered Light's room, where they startled a nurse, checking up on Light, who had still not woken up. They politely greeted the nurse and asked if it was alright for them to enter, for they were wondering how Light was doing. The nurse obliged and said she'd finish up checking the Kirin's vitals, and would head out after.

Both Banana and Celestia thanked the nurse and took a seat next to Light's bed. After the nurse left, Banana asked what Celestia was planning to do, and why she sent a messenger to the Palace. As Celestia started to explain, a bright flash in the room startled them, and when they blinked, they found Luna standing in the room, carrying Light's backpack she brought from the Castle.

The two sisters greeted each other with an embrace, and Celestia thanked Luna for getting here so quickly. Luna admitted she hadn't thought of this idea before, and wondered why she didn't see it, but Celestia eased her self-doubt. The evening had been very hectic, and they had been busy with many other priorities, so it wasn't surprising both of them overlooked this.

At that moment, Banana quietly spoke up, and asked what the Princesses were discussing, as it seemed important. As Luna grabbed a chair and walked over to the side of Light's bed, Celestia explained that Luna would try to enter Light's mind via their dreams to try and get in contact with them. However, this was only an idea, and she wasn't sure if it would work.

After Luna took a seat, she asked Banana and Celestia to be quiet, for she had to focus. She would do her best, but she couldn't make any promises. Celestia and Banana looked on, and wished Luna the best, as she focused her magic, and bright lines formed around her horn, converging into a bright beacon on its tip, from whence more thin magic tendrils formed, slowly moving towards Light.

When the tendrils reached Light's head, Luna opened her eyes, which now burnt with a heavenly glow. At least, this is what Celestia and Banana saw. Luna herself had entered the Realm of Dreams, where she could see the way into the dreams and minds of all creatures. The magic tendrils had reached Light, and allowed her to directly connect with the Kirin's mind.

Where she found herself, however, was not in the mind of Light, but just before it, as the door that would allow her to enter was blocked. Luna tried the handle, forming a key to unlock the door, moving aside what was causing the blockage, and even gently knocking. Finally, she carefully cut through the barricade with her magic, making a hole just big enough to fit through.

As she ducked and entered Light's mind, she found their essence alone in a dark area. As she approached, she called out to Light, who was startled at her appearance, and replied:

"Your Highness...? What ar- Why hav-... How did you get here?"

Inside of Light's mind, it was dark, different than what Luna had seen the first time she entered their mind. She had been here before, but Light had been unconscious for a while, and Celestia, nurses and Doctors were as of yet unable to wake them up. The Princess of the Night stood in front of Light and greeted them, though they were startled by her appearance in their mind.

Walking towards the Kirin, Luna lit a torch from her horn, allowing her to see Light through the darkness in their mind. She offered her hoof to help Light to stand up, to allow them to talk on level ground. Light confusedly looked at Luna, even more graceful in her appearance, now that they were in the Realm of Dreams, wondering how she got here.

Luna explained that it took some effort, but she managed to break through the barricaded doorway to Light's mind, where they hoped they could get in contact with the Kirin. Before Luna could continue, Light shook their head and asked her to halt for a moment, for they were confused about many things, such as where they were in the Waking World, and who had asked Luna for help.

As she put her hoof on their shoulder, Luna reassured them that they were safe, and everyone else was doing well too. After they teleported away, it took Celestia and a group of Guards a while to find them, and after they did, they were brought to the Medical Centre, where they were right now. Celestia and Banana were in the room too, as Celestia had asked her for help to contact Light.

Light averted their eyes after hearing that Banana was present in the room, and asked in a defeated tone if Caff was present as well. Luna replied that Caff wasn't there, but she was in the Medical Centre, also being treated for her injuries. Light closed their eyes and took a deep breath, and sat back down, clearly ashamed about something.

The darkness appeared to tighten its grasp on Light's mind, and Luna had to increase the brightness of the torch to be able to see Light, who had turned away and laid down, facing away from the Princess. She tried to reach out, but Light said it would be best for her to leave, as they feared how much harm they could do, if they couldn't control themselves.

Tears formed in Luna's eyes as they continued: "Remember the first conversation we had in my mind, about the visions I had? Had I not gotten out of there, I don't know how much harm I could have caused." She walked around the Kirin to come face to face with them again, feeling reinvigorated to help Light. She stood tall and shone her torch even brighter than before, and said:

"I know. I know all to well how you feel now. But do not let it control you. Remember, I saw what you saw as well. It is why I reached out. The fact that you managed to prevent harm rather than cause it is clear proof of your strength and your good heart. Celestia and I will do everything we can to help you get out of this state, and your allies will be glad to help."

Light's eyes briefly lit up with a warm glow, dimming the darkness surrounding them, before their gaze dropped downwards and the realm darkened again when they remembered Caff. Could they ever forgive themselves for what they did to her? Luna appeared to be losing her focus, as her torch dimmed and started to flicker. Quickly, Light shot up, and asked what they could do from in here.

To this, Luna replied in a strained voice that she would use the tonic to heal the ones that were hurt, and from there, everyone would wait and see how they could continue. Her form started to flicker as Light paced back and forth, trying to think of a solution. Their amethyst eyes lit up in a beautiful array of colours, and said they knew what to do, but they could not explain now.

"When you get back, I'll explain. Heal the others!

And... give my apologies to Caff and her sister, when you see her. I'm sorry. I truly, truly am..."

After these last words, Luna's form disappeared, leaving Light alone in the darkness of their mind, though now, it was slightly less dark.

Luna awoke from her visit to Light's mind, breathing heavily and staring blankly out in front of her. As tears formed in her eyes and she averted her gaze downwards, Celestia and Banana, who had kept a watchful eye on her while she was speaking with Light, raced to her side to help her, placing a glass of water next to her and covering her with a blanket.

Whatever she had witnessed while in Light's mind, the things she discussed with her, the effort it took to stay with them, it all had been too much for Luna. Over the years, she had seen many things when wandering the realm of dreams, but seeing close to nothing, barely anything more than darkness and an empty void, was, evidently, significantly worse.

Stuttering and with a quiver in her voice, Luna thanked Celestia and Banana for their help, and said she would need to take a moment to recover, for this action had cost her a lot of energy. Tears formed in her eyes as she yawned, and she felt herself slipping away to sleep. Struggling to stay awake, she spoke quickly to Celestia, and mentioned the vial of tonic still in Light's bag.

As Luna closed her eyes, she swiftly fell asleep, with Celestia and Banana only just managing to catch her before she fell off her chair. As Celestia gently moved Luna to an adjacent bed, Banana wandered over to Light's bag that Luna had brought with her, and found the tonic she mentioned. Celestia told him to be careful with it, as there was not much left of the powerful potion.

After Celestia had tucked Luna in, she looked back at the small Unicorn and bade him to take a few drops of the tonic, for she knew it would heal his injuries. Banana grabbed a small spoon and carefully poured out a few drops, noting the potion smelled metallic. At that moment, as Banana took the potion, Luna quietly whispered something in her sleep, saying 'Heal the others...'.

After hearing Luna's words, Celestia pensively looked around, trying to think of which 'others' she meant. At that moment, exactly when Celestia realised, Banana noted he felt much warmer and more comfortable, and began to glow ever so slightly. After his glow wore off, he checked under his bandages, finding no remains of the burns he had sustained, which greatly confused him.

With no time to think, Celestia ran out of the room, calling back to Banana to follow her, and to bring the tonic with him, as she ran to the room where the others were. Startled by her sudden appearance, Nox, Harvest, and Decaf and Caff, still in the arms of her sister, looked at Celestia in confusion. When Banana reached the room Celestia started to explain what had happened just now.

Luna was present in the Centre, and had spoken with Light in their dreams, where they told her of a special tonic, the same tonic that had healed Celestia just a few days prior. Currently, she was asleep, but in her sleep, she mumbled about healing the others. The tonic was powerful, and even a few drops would completely heal all of their injuries.

Though the group was sceptical, Banana confirmed this claim, as he took off the bandages on his arms, showing that there were no remaining scars on his arms or his body, after taking just a few drops of the tonic a moment ago. Hearing this, Decaf looked at her sister and smiled, for if the tonic worked as they claimed it did, perhaps it could help her recover from the memory of the Nirik, too.

Banana grabbed a couple more spoons and poured out a few drops onto each of these, gently levitating them over to the others. After they all took the potion, the room became slightly brighter from their glow. Nox and Harvest were especially glad to be relieved of their burns, never having felt this feeling before. When they stopped glowing, they asked what to do now, and Celestia said:

"When Luna wakes up, I'll ask her to speak with Light again, to ask what to do next. I think they need your help, too."

After the tonic had run its course, Nox, Harvest and Caff found themselves able to walk around again without so much as a single moment of annoyance or pain. Overjoyed at the fact the pain had subsided, Caff embraced her sister and thanked her for staying by her side, as Nox and Harvest embraced each other as they heartily laughed, and smiles appeared on Celestia and Banana's faces.

Their smiles faded rather quickly, knowing that Light was still unconscious, and they weren't sure if the tonic would work on them. As they were thinking about how to help Light, Caff suddenly spoke up, and wondered what was in the tonic, for she felt more energised, and wondered if it contained caffeine. Banana shrugged and said he didn't know, for there were no listed ingredients.

After hearing Caff's comment, Celestia paced back and forth for a moment, trying to formulate a plan for what to do now. Since the moon was high in the sky and the time had just passed midnight, she figured it was perhaps best to head back home and rest, and to return in the morning. Luna was asleep, and the others were healed, so, for now, there was not much more they could do to help.

There was one more thing that Celestia wanted to try, which was to give some of the tonic to Luna. Though she was asleep, if the tonic did give her back her energy, it could allow them to speak with Light again, giving them the good news of everyone's recovery. After Celestia laid out the plan to the others, she headed back to Light's room with Banana, and left the others to discuss.

After arriving back in Light's room, Banana looked at Celestia, who walked over to Luna and gently shook her awake. Entering Light's mind had cost her a lot of energy, and she struggled to stay awake as Banana poured out a few drops onto another spoon. If this did not work, they would put the tonic back in Light's bag, and try contacting them again in the morning, after a night's rest.

Banana looked back at Celestia, who solemnly nodded, and he handed Luna the spoonful of tonic. Since they were unsure whether or not this would work, they did not expect too much as Luna took the tonic, and they waited for anything to change for the Lunar Princess. Luna's dark, flowing hair glowed with beautiful colours, which, moments later, faded from view again.

After the glow faded, Celestia and Banana held their breath, hoping for the best. Just as Nox and Harvest entered the room, Luna opened her eyes, and found her strength had returned, and her fatigue vanished. She got up and embraced Banana and Celestia, and thanked them for their help. After their embrace, Luna noticed Harvest and Nox standing in the doorway, and moved to greet them.

Harvest nodded politely towards Luna as Nox happily embraced her mother, both relieved to see their loved one was alright. Luna looked around and asked, in a lighthearted tone: "Where is the young Pegasus? Light bade me to give a message to them." Harvest nodded and led Luna back to the room where Caff and Decaf were, politely greeting the two Pegasi as she entered.

"I will not take too much of your time," Luna said, and continued: "but I bring to you a message from the Kirin, Light." Decaf stepped towards her sister for support, as Caff took a deep breath and prepared herself, and Luna spoke: "They want to apologise. They cannot imagine the fear you felt when you saw their Nirik form, and they are truly, truly sorry you witnessed it."

A tear formed in Caff's eye as she took in the message Luna gave her. Decaf prepared to catch her sister, expecting her to respond poorly to the message from Light, but Caff did not fall. A small smile appeared on her face, and she moved to embrace Luna, and thanked her for giving her the message. While Decaf was still doubtful, seeing Caff with a smile on her face warmed her heart.

After Caff let Luna go, she asked them to give a message back to Light:

"When you see them again, give them my thanks. Goodness knows they deserve some positivity."

Luna returned to Light's room, and took a seat again next to Light's bed again. Banana and Celestia made sure to stay more alert, as just a little while ago, after Luna had entered Light's mind, she had spent all of her energy, and she nearly fell off of the chair she was sitting on. Had it not been for Celestia and Banana managing to catch her, she would've gotten hurt.

Luna took a deep breath and relaxed. She had not recovered all of her energy, but the tonic was potent enough for her to attempt to enter Light's mind once again. Before focusing her magic, she verbally repeated the good news she would bring the Kirin, which was that the tonic had worked its magic and had healed everyone, as well as the news that Caff accepted their apology.

Now, the focus would go back to Light, and trying to help them regain consciousness. Celestia and Banana moved their chairs to Luna's sides as she started to focus her magic again, making sure to support her should she faint again. At that moment, the others entered the room just as Luna's horn and eyes glowed with a heavenly, bright glow, which lit up the entirety of the room.

Moments later, bright, magic tendrils emanated from Luna's horn again and found their way to Light's mind. The sight of these tendrils stunned Caff and Harvest to silence, and they carefully stepped towards Celestia to ask a question, before being stopped by Decaf and Nox. Whatever questions they had, they would have to hold them for later, no matter how curious they were.

When Luna entered the dream realm again, she found the barricaded door to Light's mind she had broken down before, and entered into Light's mind. This time, when she entered, she found that the colours and brightness of their mind were fluctuating, possibly indicating turmoil in their thoughts. As she walked on, Luna had to close her eyes often, for the light bothered her.

Approaching the centre, Luna found Light's conscience, sitting peacefully in the centre, but whether this was genuine peace or a facade, she did not know. She politely greeted the Kirin, who did not turn around as they greeted her in return, and gestured her to take a seat next to her. After she took a seat, the Kirin took a deep breath and asked how everything had fared.

Luna replied positively, saying that the tonic had worked and healed everyone. It even helped her awake again, since she fell asleep after leaving Light's mind before. Light smiled and thanked her for her help, and moved on to what they hoped would help to awaken them. However, they were unsure whether or not this would work, and did not even know how to pass on the information they held.

Feeling confident of her power, knowledge and wisdom, Luna replied that whatever it may be that Light hoped would work, she would most likely know already. Light looked back at her incredulously, and sighed. They continued, as they stood up, and focused their magic, the likes of which Luna had not seen before. Light neared their horn to Luna's horn, and after a spark, Luna's eyes brightened.

After taking in Light's knowledge, Luna took a deep breath and asked how this was possible. She had practiced magic for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and it was highly unlikely there were still practices unknown to her. Light smiled and said they would explain later, but now, they needed to return, and give the spell, which they had just passed on to her, to Harvest.

Before Luna could respond, she felt her form flicker, as Light waved her goodbye with a gentle smile. They wished her the best and hoped to see her again soon, and with these last words, Luna opened her eyes, finding herself in her seat again, next to Celestia and Banana, who had grabbed her in case she fell again. Luna took a deep breath, and spoke aloud:

"Harvest Duran... Light requires your assistance.'

Harvest was completely stunned after hearing Luna's words. How could he, a Kirin, who did not have any experience in practicing healing, medicine or anything of the sort, help somecreature regain consciousness? He started stuttering and stammered his words, the responsibility being too much for him to bear, and to save himself from distress, he ran out the room and headed outside.

Luna was still weakened from her visit to Light's mind only moments ago, and she had to remain seated, with Celestia, who embraced her with her wings, and Banana, who had just grabbed her some water, at her side. Neither Caff nor Decaf was very familiar with this Kirin, and they did not deem themselves capable to help him overcome his doubts.

Add to that, Caff, who was still slightly distressed because of her view of Light and her memory of the visage of the Nirik, was still being comforted by Decaf, who was very protective over her little sister and wanted to prevent stressing out Caff too much again, since it had been less than an hour since she asked for her sister's help in calming her down.

Before anyone could think any further, Nox had stood up and left the room, heading to the café, where a different Pony, who wore an eyepatch and had a neatly trimmed beard, was behind the counter, serving a couple of friends, who were seated there, some drinks and keeping the peace. Taciturn noticed Nox walking towards the group, and Violin and Eclipse turned around shortly after.

The few Ponies that were present calmly and warmly greeted her, glad to see she was alright. She worriedly asked them if they had seen Harvest, who had run away just now. Taci placed down their cup, stood up, and asked Nox to follow them, for they, too, were worried about Harvest. They told her that Harvest ran outside while breathing very heavily and with tears welling up in his eyes.

They led Nox outside of the Centre, where, after a few moments of looking around the area surrounding the building, they found him sitting on a bench a few streets away trying to dry his tears. Taci stayed back a bit while Nox walked up to Harvest and took a seat next to him. Before she had the chance to say anything, he hugged her tightly, and apologised for running away.

The fact that an old friend of his, whom he had only recently met again after a very long time, was counting on him to help them out of a very serious situation, was too much for him, and he had to take a moment to clear his thoughts. Nox embraced him back and together, they just sat for a moment, while Taci swiftly headed back inside for some hot drinks for the three of them.

After a little while of sitting quietly, and after drinking the tea and coffee that Taci had brought them, Harvest stood up and politely thanked Nox and Taci for their help. While Taci headed back to the café to continue reading their book, Harvest headed back to the Centre, and asked Nox to be at his side as he tried to help Light, to which she agreed with a smile.

Together, Nox and Harvest got back to Light's room where they were met with concerned gazes by everypony present. Celestia looked at Harvest and kindly and gently asked him if he was alright, since he appeared very distressed a few moments ago. Harvest gave her a smile and looked at Nox as he said he was alright, thanks to the help of his friends.

After saying this, he walked over to Luna, who had written down the knowledge Light had given her on a piece of paper, upon which were instructions on how to use the spell, which was written in an ancient language he did not understand. He chuckled nervously and walked over to Light and focused his energy. Gently placing his hooves on Light's chest and forehead, he started, repeating the phrase:

'Galad, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad.' *¹

The present group held their breath as they awaited the result of the ancient spell, hoping that it would work. As Harvest repeated the phrase a great many times, with varying intensity yet no result, their hope for Light's awakening slowly faded. A myriad of thoughts passed through Harvest's mind and he couldn't figure out what to do, if this spell should fail.

As his doubt grew and his worries increased, he stepped away from Light, lest he overextend himself. He lowered his head and took a seat, fearing for his friend, and the reaction of those they care for around him. Nox sat by him and embraced him, comforting him as he lowered his head onto her shoulder and tears started forming in his eyes.

The group was silent, concerned for both Harvest and Light, and looked amidst each other in confusion and worry. After an eternity of silence, only broken by the quiet, heartbreaking sobbing of Harvest into the shoulder of Nox, who was trying her best to hold herself together as well, Celestia suggested to everycreature to get a good night of rest, as it was very late at night.

Not needing to hear Harvest's answer, Nox nodded her head towards the Solar Princess, who had gotten up to assist Luna, though she wanted to remained seated for a while. One by one, the group left the room, and headed towards the café, where they met the others, before heading out of the Centre to their places of residence. Eventually, only Luna, Celestia and Banana remained.

Concerned beyond belief for his friend, Banana could not keep himself from weeping as he did not avert his gaze from Light, hoping by a miracle that they would awake again. Celestia encouraged the two to leave and to try again later, and Banana got up, ready to assist Luna. However, against the wishes of her sister, Luna focused her magic dangerously quickly, and sought to find Light.

Luna ran through the broken barricade of the door and met Light again, hopefully not for the last time, though she feared it could be so. Out of breath, with her form constantly flickering and fading, she reached Light again, who looked at her with compassion in their eyes. Luna could only just manage to hold back her emotions as she apologised to Light for failing to help them.

In return, Light gently put their hoof on Luna's shoulder and gently smiled, and reassured her, saying that they understood, and that they would have patience. The spell would require a lot of effort to pull off, and Harvest, being as young as he is compared to others like the Princesses and themselves, would need to take a while to practice before he would be able to cast it properly.

After she took in what Light meant with their words, Luna looked back at them in confusion, and, in a mix of anger, fear and grief, unable to hold back tears, Luna spoke in her Royal voice and demanded the Kirin explained. They replied that when they awoke, they would explain everything, but for now, she needed to rest, and that they would speak with her again soon.

Before Luna had a chance to reply, she awoke from the Realm of Dreams, out of breath and with a splitting headache, close to falling over, were it not for Celestia and Banana managing to catch her. She fell to her knees, only just managing to stay conscious, and asked for water, and Banana grabbed a large flask and gave it to her, which she drank in one go.

Carefully picking up her little sister, Celestia tightly embraced her, and, with teary eyes, expressed how concerned she was for her, and reprimanded her for being so reckless. Luna took a deep breath and embraced Celestia back, and after a moment of silence between the sisters, Banana, who had stepped out of the room, suggested to them to leave for now, to return later.

"I know that Light is counting on us, but we mustn't let ourselves be ruled by fear and doubt. We will figure this out."

Smiling at the small Unicorn, Celestia and Luna stepped out of Light's room and closed the door. As they turned the corner, they heard a familiar, magical sound coming from whence they came.

After hearing the tunes of magic, Banana stopped for a moment and turned around to look at the door to Light's room, when he thought he noticed a shadowy figure through the glass of the door, after which he blinked, rubbed his eyes and looked again, shaking his head, blaming his fatigue and overwhelming concern for Light for the image he saw, or the image he thought he saw.

Looking back at the small Unicorn as a bittersweet smile grew unto her face, Celestia, with Luna still leaning on her sister's shoulder, gently called Banana over, and, after he had trotted over quickly, walking on the other side of Luna to support her, offered him to stay at the Palace, assuring him he would be a welcome guest, and extending the invitation to his friends, as well.

The tall Solar Princess was fair in her stature and pure in her heart, and her voice sounded almost musical, sounding through the streets with beautiful tones, and after Banana gazed upon her, only just managing to see her glowing radiance and flowing hair from the other side of the Lunar Princess' body, admitted to Celestia that he would need a moment to think about her offer.

She replied that he could take all the time he needed, and, even if he should refuse, the offer would remain true and the doors to the Palace would be open to him and his friends, and he would be welcome at any time, be it early in the morning to join the Princess of the Day for the break of Dawn, or late in the evening, after the sun has set, to walk alongside the Princess of the Night.

The small Unicorn smiled after hearing the Princess's words, and shifted his focus back to helping to support Luna as the three of them continued walking towards the Palace, which they reached quickly, where two Royal Guards took over the duty of supporting Luna from Celestia and Banana to her chambers, allowing the two a moment of calm before heading to their respective chambers.

After wishing Luna a good night and hoping for her that she recovered well, as she was gently being lead to her room, Celestia and Banana bade each other a good night, with many concerns still flowing through their minds and fatigue catching up to them rapidly, and retreated to their own personal chambers, where they hoped the events of the day would not interfere with their rest.

The following morning brought with it a beautiful clear day, driving away the night and leaving the events of the preceding evening behind in the past, and after Banana woke up and refreshed himself, he headed downstairs with renewed energy and winged speed, finding both Celestia and Luna in the Halls at the table, enjoying their breakfast together after a night of restful sleep.

As he politely greeted the Princesses, who greeted him in return with a smile, Banana moved over to the table, upon which were set a great variety of fruits and freshly baked bread, with many toppings of all sorts, the nigh unimaginable magnitude of which coming close to overwhelming the young Pony, as he struggled to choose what to choose for breakfast.

The trio of the Princesses and young Banana were joined soon after by a number of friends, among whom were Harvest, who still clearly appeared distressed and disappointed over his inability to help Light the previous night, and Nox, who was walking near, and, after greeting her mother, aunt and others, took a seat next to, Harvest, verbally expressing her concern for his well-being.

Fortunately, allowing themselves a night of rest, especially after an intensive and busy period, rife with stress and perilous situations, helped them recover immensely, and every single creature, who had been present in the Medical Centre the previous night, managed to enjoy their breakfast, and was completely restored of energy after finishing their breakfast. Afterwards, Celestia thanked them all, and said:

"I know we all have many concerns and fears about a great many things, but together," she continued, after looking at Banana, "we will manage to figure this out."

The magic tunes that Banana heard were not imagined by his mind, as the Green Unicorn, for the first time in many years, gracefully stepped out of a small portal that he made, transporting himself into Light's room only mere moments after the Princesses and young Banana had left, as they had been unable to help Light recover from their state, and promised to try again tomorrow.

Unable to sleep, tormented by his dreams and memories of eons past, Boom spend the night awake, lacking the strength to close his eyes, not wishing his mind to wander far to paths that he does not dare speak of, and had been busy preparing a number of items, for, to those he held dear, he would, one day, wish to tell his tale, and wanted to be freed of his burdens.

So, through many sleepless nights and countless days of travel throughout this land and beyond, he found and kept items dear to him, be it gifts from friends of old, medicine from great healers whom he had helped, or his own experiences, memories and actions, written in a book for others to read, for though he wished for them to know, he could not bring himself to tell them directly.

Now, with no eyes upon him, and the Observer, whom he feared would find him, busy elsewhere, he prepared himself, once again, for travel, though, where he would go, or when he would return, of this, he was not yet certain, and, deep in his mind, he was torn, as one part of his mind wished to quell his feelings and be done with his past, though the other part longed to feel the pain.

This longing for pain, however, was not wholly evil, nor did it truly wish to make him suffer, for though the pain, bound to many memories and sins of his past, was devastatingly difficult to deal with and carry throughout his travels, he still kept it, as he felt it was important for him to remember everything he had done, and everyone that he had ever met and loved, or hurt, in his life.

Nevertheless, after he stepped into Light's room, the portal closed, and, realising the portal was quite loud, fearing the ones who had left may return and find him, he put up his cloak and swiftly dove to the side, hiding in the shadows in the corner of the room, and stayed out of the light for a time, until he was absolutely certain that none would return, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He moved over to Light's bedside, and, from the satchel he was carrying, he pulled out a number of items, among which were a book, another vial of tonic, darker in colour than the golden potion he had given before, and a key, which appeared old and rusted, yet holding the memory of a once great, mighty and powerful lord, and placed them in a small bag next to Light on the nightstand.

After placing down these items, and writing a note - which he knew would tell Light from whom the bag was, even with little writing upon it - he carefully opened the door and looked into the hall of the Centre, making sure there was absolutely nobody around to notice him, and, after turning back to look at Light once more, with tears forming his eyes, he left their room, and stopped.

His mind was still thoroughly fighting with itself over his next actions, and though one part wanted to move on, he knew he couldn't, so he cursed himself, turned back to their room, and wrote upon the note he had left a spell that, when cast, would let him know whenever he was summoned, should this ever happen, which he doubted, remembering Light's words to him, outside of the Centre.

He finally left their room and headed out of the Centre, and, before leaving the city, he caved in and listened to his heart one final time, and headed towards the Palace, which he swiftly reached, after stealthily traversing his way through the streets of Canterlot, in time to see Luna gently led away, and the young Banana and radiant Celestia bow to each other and disappear from view.

A bittersweet smile appeared on his face, followed by many tears, and he put up his hood and headed out of town, not knowing when or if he would see his dearest friends again.

Author's Note

*¹ Some Sindarin Elvish from Tolkien's works.
The translation is 'Light, listen to my voice, come back to the light.'

9: The Return

After Celestia's heartwarming words, spoken over breakfast, everycreature felt reinvigorated to do their uttermost best to help, and when Nox noticed that even Harvest managed to smile again, his shy smile bringing a tear to her eye, her own smile grew twice as big, relieved beyond measure that he was feeling better, even if just ever so slightly so, and it eased her concerns for him.

A night of restful sleep, and Celestia's inspiring words, helped keep the morale of the group high, and the group managed to enjoy the rest of their breakfast, where casual conversations were had, between many folks, everywhere around the table, and after everyone had finished, and thanked the Princesses for their invitations to them via Banana, they helped clear up their dishes.

When everything had been put away, Celestia, with Luna following closely behind, led everyone to a different room, where they made it clear they wished to discuss a couple of ideas that she had formed with her sister, which, they hoped, would help clear up many things, from Light's recovery using the spell they gave Luna, to the mysteries of the Catacombs located under Pie Park.

The Princesses understood, and sympathised with the group, that it would be a collosal undertaking to find every last scrap of knowledge about everything they wished to research, and, in the end, some things may remain lost to them forever, yet, nevertheless, they wanted to help, where the first steps were laying out what was known, and whither to go next.

As she thought, of everyone present, he was most knowledgeable on the subject, Celestia asked Banana to step forward and explain everything that he knew, thusfar, about the tunnels of the Catacombs under the park that he had built, and, what he, with Light and Caff, had managed to find during their time in the Royal Library of Canterlot.

Slightly nervous to speak in front of large groups, yet knowing that it was a necessary step to proceed Banana took a deep breath and stepped forward, and laid out what he knew of the tunnels under his park, and what he had inferred from speaking with Light, who was, admittedly, more dedicated to finding out the secrets of the subterranean Catacombs.

As far as Banana could remember, the tunnels were old and decrepid, and hummed with a strange, magical energy that got stronger the further into the tunnels one went, yet, it was pure coincidence that he had built his park above these tunnels, though, this turned out quite fortunate, as it allowed him to build a security office here.

After Banana finished, and everyone present had been given the time to let everything sink in, it took a moment before the fallen silence was broken, by Luna, who asked him why he built the security hall in the first place, to which Banana responded that he did not want to go into details, but after a number of incidents, he wanted to protect and monitor the ones he cares about.

Luna looked at Banana, whose smile had faded and eyes were welling up, with a gentle smile, and thanked Banana for his answer, promising him that they would help as best they could to figure out whatever may have happened to his loved ones, and gave him a caring hug with her wing, after which, he took a seat again, allowing Celestia to continue, moving to the matter of the spell.

As Light made it clear to Luna that Harvest was the one who was required to cast the spell, Celestia thought that it may be a form of old magic, lost to time, yet somehow known to Kirins, and suggested to look into the matter with Harvest, whom she kindly asked for assistance, and after Nox took Harvest's hoof and reassured him that he would be alright, he stepped up and spoke:

"What do you require of me, your Highness? And what do you hope to discover with me?"

Even though he was nervous, and afraid of not succeeding in helping, having shown his resolve and determination to do his best, Harvest stood upright after asking Celestia what she expected of him, to which she answered that she would lead him to the Royal Archives of Canterlot Castle, which held many ancient tomes and scrolls, where they may find more knowledge.

In response, Harvest took a deep breath, and, after he nodded, and had sat back down, Nox took his hoof, and quietly said she was proud of him, after which Celestia continued, and said that Luna would join him to the Archives, as she hoped that many folks searching for any valuable information would make it easier for everycreature.

Adding to this, Celestia said that while Harvest and Luna, and any others that joined them to the Archives, would continue searching for knowledge on healing spells, she would make contact with historians, and perhaps Mage Meadowbrook, the grand healer of old, to ask them if they had any knowledge or experience with the spell, or others like it, that Light had knowledge of.

Shortly after Luna asked if there were any in the group who were willing to join her and Harvest to the Archives, Nox, without hesitation, raised her hoof, and stood up, and even offered to summon additional help from her realm, her enthusiasm and eagerness in lending her assistance cheering Celestia up in response as a wholesome smile grew unto her face.

After she turned towards Banana, Celestia spoke again, and asked him to join her to Ponyville and Pie Park, as she wanted to investigate the tunnels for herself, and would greatly appreciate his help as a guide, as he was one of the Ponies most knowledgeable about the Catacombs present in the group at the moment, and his knowledge of the layout could prove of great help.

Before Celestia could continue, Banana and Caff suddenly spoke up simultaneously, which made both chuckle in surprise, and, after allowing Caff to take the stage, Caff said that she had helped in researching the Catacombs during her time in Canterlot with Banana and Light, so therefore, she offered to join both Celestia and Banana in heading to Ponyville.

Since Caff would be joining them, Decaf would come along, as well, as she wanted to make sure she could keep an eye on her sister, and, she continued, the fact that they would be closer to home made her feel more comfortable, and knowing that these Ponies whom she had travelled with were very familiar with them and the area surrounding Ponyville, they could help her as well.

Decaf continued, and said that the Ponies, with whom she had travelled to Canterlot, to visit the Gala a few days ago, had returned home to Ponyville already, while she remained in the city to care for her sister, who stayed in the Medical Centre after the incident with Light, and, since she was familiar with them, offered Celestia and Banana to reach out to ask them for help again.

Though Decaf seemed to be less enthusiastic than Caff about the entire ordeal, with concern for her sister most likely being the main reason for coming along, Celestia smiled and thanked both of the Pegasus sisters for the their voluntarism, and, after moving over to Decaf, quietly promised to her that she would keep an eye out for her sister as well as she could while they were there. Then, Celestia spoke:

"It's settled then. I'll lead Luna, Harvest and Nox to the Archives, and after helping them make a start, I'll meet the rest in Ponyville."

After plans had been made, and groups had been assigned to their goals, every present creature headed off to pack their bags with necessary supplies, and swiftly after, returned to the main Hall of the Palace, where they found the the Princesses, who had also prepared and were ready to travel, were waiting for them.

After everyone had arrived and had gathered with the rest of their group, Celestia laid out the plans they had made once more for clarification, both for herself and for others, as Banana, Caff and Decaf, who had prepared to head back to Ponyville, were standing next to her, while Harvest and Nox, standing next to Luna, would head to the Archives.

Since Luna and Celestia, being highly potent magic users, would be present with one of the groups, they could use their magic to send messages to each other, which would allow both groups to keep the others up-to-date on the latest developments, or, if the need arose, they could ask for assistance if they could spare it.

Everyone had gathered and was prepared to head out, except for Celestia, who would meet the others in Ponyville, as agreed, for she had to lead Luna, Harvest and Nox to the Royal Archives, where none but those of the highest authority could enter, save for those who had been granted permission to enter, as a precaution to protect the ancient history kept in this location.

The Princesses bowed to one another and embraced each other, and bade Banana, Caff and Decaf farewell, wishing them the best and hoping they would meet again soon, and after they had left the Palace to head to the train station, Celestia led Luna, Nox and Harvest to the Archives, deep in the heart of the Palace, where the gates to the Vault were protected by Elite Praetorian Guards.

It had been a very long time since either Celestia or Luna had been down here, not only since their duties kept them far too busy, but also since anyone entering would have to be monitored by the Guards, whom they preferred to avoid, but who were, unfortunately, unavoidable, and therefore, often, they did not bother, and, if they had any free time, they spent it in their quarters.

Though both Luna and Celestia were present and asked the Guards to enter the Archives, they were quite vigilant and steadfast before they allowed Harvest and Nox to enter, primarily out of protection of the ancient tomes and scrolls kept here, but also for the fact that a Kirin and a Half-Dragon, both of whose races were famed for their flames, were a great risk.

Fortunately, since they were in the company of both the Solar and Lunar Princesses, combined with the fact that all who were present were Royals of their family line by their relationships, - Nox and Luna being mother and daughter, and Nox and Harvest, though this relationship was not by blood, being mother and son - the Guards relented, and allowed them access to the Archives.

The Archives were vast, even grander than the Library of Canterlot, which held countless books by itself, yet, it did not hold everything, for in the Royal Archives, many books and ancient scrolls were located, sole surviving copies too valuable and delicate to be allowed outside of the Archives themselves - and even here, some knowledge was strictly forbidden.

Over the eons that Celestia and Luna had ruled as Princesses of Equestria, and, even before their time, by the generations of Unicorns that came before them, this collection was expanded upon and protected, not just guarded by a legion of the most elite Praetorian Guards, but also warded by the strongest magical spells possible to be cast.

After Harvest and Nox had taken a moment to take in the incredible scale of the Archives, their amazed expressions putting wholesome smiles on the faces of Luna and Celestia, they moved through the halls, where, after a long while of walking, they found the centre, where there stood a table, upon which was a book, holding an index of every form and kind of magic, which would help immensely. As they walked along, Celestia proudly said:

"There are few locations in Equestria that hold as much knowledge as the Archives, and nowhere comes even close to the grand collections of all Canterlot."

While Celestia was leading Luna, Nox and Harvest to the Archives, where she hoped they would manage to find valuable information, whether on the Catacombs under Pie Park or the ancient spell that Light knew, contained within the grand collections, Banana, Caff and Decaf had left the Palace, and were headed to the train station, headed for Ponyville.

It took a bit of time for them to get to the station, where they found they had much time to spare before the express train, headed to Ponyville, would arrive, and therefore, they decided to visit a nearby café to have a drink before they left, as they did not know how long their research in Ponyville would take, nor when they would return to the city.

Canterlot was vast, and one could live in the city for a very long time, and would still manage to find places where they have not yet been, be it a café, restaurant or shop of antiquities, and for this reason, having a lot of time to spare, the trio decided to walk around the city for a little while, to see if they would be able to find a place that piqued their interest.

It didn't take long for them to find a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city, overlooking the forest area where they had walked before, and they decided to sit down to enjoy a small drink and some refreshments, after which they would still have plenty of time to spare to return to the station, heading to Ponyville.

After they had ordered their drinks - Banana choosing a chocolate and banana milkshake, while Caff and Decaf, who sternly looked at Caff when she ordered her coffee, went for a mocha and herbal tea respectively - they chatted a bit with each other about the many strange and unique events they experienced the last few days, and reckoned they would experience plenty more soon.

Their drinks arrived, and they took their time to enjoy them, as they looked out towards the forest, able to see the edge of the mountain, upon which Canterlot was built, overlooking the land, and together, they decided to go for a small walk through the forest after they had finished their drinks, and would head to the train afterwards.

A little while later, after they had finished, and paid for their drinks, they thanked the staff and headed to the forest for a small walk, the cool, early morning breeze blowing through the air, gently rusling the leaves on the trees, the grass around their hooves and the fields of young flowers that had sprung out of the ground.

As they walked through the forest and enjoyed the fresh air, they stopped for a moment to lean on the fence and looked out towards the horizon, and they were very glad to be able to enjoy a small part of peaceful nature, after having spent quite a long time inside of the city, rarely able to hear the comforting sounds of the breeze through the trees and critters running about.

They spent a while enjoying the warm sun and the gentle breeze, but eventually, the time was approaching to leave the city, and they turned to head to the train station, which they reached after only a short walk, where they found the train had arrived only just, as they saw many Ponies and other creatures still boarding the carriages.

After showing their tickets to the train conductor, they found a quiet carriage where they put away their luggage, took their seats and waited for the train to depart shortly, heading for Ponyville, where they would meet Celestia, whom, they reckoned, was nearly finished leading Luna and her company through the Archives - as they assumed the Archives were only as large as the Royal library.

A few moments later, the conductor blew his whistle, and shortly therafter, the doors of the carriages closed, and as the train started moving, Caff said:

"Well, off we go. I hope to see everyone again soon, for it has been truly wonderful to spend time with so many amazing folks."

While Banana, Caff and Decaf were on the train, and had just left the station headed for Ponyville, Celestia was still helping Luna, Nox and Harvest make a start in their research, as though the Archives were very well organised, they were incredibly vast and expansive, and the Princesses figured it would take quite a long time before they would manage to find what they sought.

In the period of over a millenium while Nightmare Moon was banished, during which Celestia had taken over the duty of ruling the land, she expanded upon the Archives, and enlisted the help of many historians throughout the centuries to help her collect and organise the incredible amounts of historical documents that were kept and protected here.

Searching through the Archives would be a monumental task, one that Nox, Luna and Harvest were ill-prepared for, but, fortunately, as Celestia had been the Curator of the Archives for so long - only recently having passed the duty over to others so she could focus on other duties - she had intimate knowledge of where many documents were located, and from which time period they dated.

However, she admitted that even in the vastness of the Archives, and with her dutiful caretaking over the years, there could still be many documents that are missing, and as these could date back to eons before, they would be impossible to recove, save for secondary accounts from other historians who read these documents to use in their own research.

Nevertheless, Celestia took the map of the layout of the Archives and led the trio to the sections where she knew specific areas and ages of knowledge were located, and where she hoped they would have most success in their research: healing spells, ancient languages, and the history of the Kirin, as well as ruins of old and even accounts of Resistances against tyrants of evil.

Each of the present beings headed to a different area of knowledge where they would make a start, as Harvest through the history of his folk and Nox, next to him, looked for healing spells, hoping to find a possible connection between Light and the spell, Luna looked for ruins and resistances, to see if she could find anything on the Catacombs under Pie Park.

Meanwhile, Celestia, who had lived through many ages of the world and had learnt and spoken many tongues, would look through the collections of ancient languages that have been lost to time, whether because these had simply fallen out of use or evolved into modern languages, like old Ponish, or because these were spoken by only a select few in small civilisations.

While the others were looking through the Archives, back on the train, Banana, Caff and Decaf were approaching the station, and Decaf gently woke up Banana and Caff, both of whom had fallen asleep on the way, as though the tonic had healed their bodies, their energy was still not completely restored after leaving the Medical Centre.

When they arrived at the station, they looked out of the window and found Twilight and Solar were waiting for them on the platform, which confused them, as they had left for Ponyville before the trio, and they had not sent a message before they got on the train, and so they wondered if Celestia or Luna had perhaps sent a message to let them know.

After Caff, Decaf and Banana got off the train and greeted the two-headed Alicorn, they thanked them for waiting for them, though they were wondering how they knew they would be arriving at the station, to which Eclipse answered that as they were leaving the Palace, Starshine Nova happened to fly overhead and noticed them, and quickly flew to Ponyville to let her friends know.

"After she arrived, Rain came by the Palace to let us know, and we got here just a few minutes ago."

Unable to hold in their joy, Solar and Twilight embraced both Caff and Banana, and, as tears started forming in their eyes, said that they could not properly express, in words, how happy they were, to see them both fully healed and able to walk around, after the severe burns they sustained on the evening of the celebrations a few days ago.

As a small smile grew unto Decaf's face, joyful at seeing her sister smile, Banana and Caff embraced the Alicorn back, thankful for their concern for both of them, and, after they regained their composure and had wiped away their tears, Eclipse cleared their throat and offered to help them once again, as well as offering Banana a place to stay at the Crystal Castle.

Happily taking up their offer, Banana thanked Eclipse again, and together as a group, the four Ponies headed back towards Ponyville Palace, where, they explained to Eclipse on the way, they would be able to wait for Princess Celestia's arrival, as she was helping another group in making a start with their research back in Canterlot, and she would join them here after she finished.

After having been in the city of Canterlot for quite a while, everyone was relieved to be back home, in their more peaceful village, and as they walked through the town, Banana and Decaf split off from the group for a little while, as they headed back home, where they would clear up their luggage, and would rejoin Banana and Eclipse at the Palace afterwards.

Eclipse and Banana understood and waved the sisters goodbye, and continued on to the Palace, which they reached shortly, where Eclipse led Banana to the room he would stay in, and, after offering him something to eat and drink after his long train journey, which he gracefully accepted, left him to his own devices as they headed downstairs to the kitchen, allowing Banana to relax a moment.

As he was unpacking his bag and clearing up his luggage, Banana felt strangely distressed, as his heart felt heavy and his mind felt burdened, and it took him quite a while to finish unpacking, as he constantly felt the need to take a seat, until eventually, after he finished, he sat on his bed and just stared into the distance, unsure of himself and worried about the challenges ahead.

A few moments later, Eclipse knocked on the door to his room and asked to enter, as they brought in a small board, upon which were a cup of tea and a small assortment of snacks, which they placed on the desk near the door after noticing that the small Unicorn seemed to be feeling unwell, and asked him if he felt alright, offering to be a listening ear to their troubles.

Banana gently smiled and responded that he was unsure whether Eclipse would be able to help, and continued, saying that he would need to take some time for himself, but that he very much appreciated their offer to help, after which Eclipse solemnly nodded and, as they left the room, wished him the best, and told him they would be downstairs should he wish to talk.

After grabbing his tea, as he took a sip, his ears perked up and a warm blush appeared on Banana's face, after which he thanked Eclipse for all their help and support, especially for their continued hospitality, and Eclipse replied that it was their pleasure, and closed the door, heading downstairs again while Banana enjoyed his tea and snacks.

When he had finished his drink and snacks, and had neatly put everything away, Banana took the platter and headed downstairs, where he found Caff and Decaf, who greeted him as he walked downstairs, had arrived at the Palace, and were sitting at the table in the main Hall, enjoying some drinks as well, and joined them at the table.

When a bright flash outside of the doors caught their attention, Eclipse opened the door, finding Celestia regally standing outside, who said:

"It's wonderful to see you again, my most faithful students. May I enter?"

When they saw Celestia standing at the door, Twilight and Solar bowed to her as she bowed to them, and invited her inside, where she found Caff and Decaf, who were enjoying their drinks and some snacks, and Banana, who had just joined the group downstairs, sitting around the table, and greeted them as she sat next to them, while Eclipse went to make a drink for the Solar Princess.

Though it had only been a few hours since they had last seen Celestia, they were very glad to see and speak with her again, and asked her how the research in the Archives was going, and whether they had made any progress, to which Celestia replied that the research was going well, though there was no progress yet, but she expected this to change soon.

She went on, explaining that she thought the source of magic and the healing spell that Light wished for Harvest to use were found and created a long time ago, and were used in ancient times, so she had sent letters to both Starswirl and Mage Meadowbrook, two of the Pillars of Equestria, whom she hoped would be able to help give insight into these unknown parts of their research.

As Eclipse returned with a drink for Celestia and drinks for themselves, Celestia thanked them, and continued, saying that after she received a reply from both of the Pillars, she headed out of the Archives, as she was unable to use magic there, and before she teleported to the front door of Ponyville Palace, Starswirl and Meadowbrook arrived at Canterlot Castle themselves.

At that moment, the Pillars were in the Archives helping Harvest and Nox with their research, the speed of which, she expected, would drastically increase, as the Masters of their respective crafts were assisting them in their research with their knowledge and experience, though for Luna and her search for accounts on the Catacombs, as of yet, had born no fruits.

As she was a bit tired after teleporting such a long distance, she took a deep breath and drank her tea, being careful to not spill anything, as she was holding the cup with her hooves, for she wanted to take a moment to rest her magic and regain her energy, after which she asked the rest if they were doing well, for she expected their journey by train to tire them out somewhat.

Decaf calmly spoke up and said that both Banana and Caff had fallen asleep on the train, but she gently woke them up before they arrived in Ponyville, where they were very kindly waited upon by Eclipse, after which she and her sister headed home to clear up their luggage there, joining Banana and Eclipse at Ponyville Palace a little while later.

At the Palace, they had a drink and waited for Celestia to join them, before they would all head out to Pie Park, to see whether looking around the park - in particular, the Catacombs - in person, would help them understand the situation better, and with Banana, who had built his surveillance office in the Catacombs, as their guide, they were feeling quite optimistic.

After hearing everyone was well, Celestia smiled and finished her tea, followed closely by the others, and after everyone had put away their cups and mugs in the kitchen, they headed out of the Palace to go to Pie Park, which they reached after only a short walk through the countryside, and on their way there, Celestia promised Banana that help would be found soon, and to not lose hope.

The small Unicorn smiled after hearing this while they walked through the park, towards the trap door that led to the Catacombs, though, when they tried to open the hatch, they found it was locked, and even Celestia's powerful magic could not break the lock that was upon the hatch, after which, Eclipse mentioned that only Light was around the hatch when they joined them to the park last time.

Celestia took a deep breath and took out a letter to send to Luna, which read:

"Dear sister, we have reached the Park, but we cannot enter the Catacombs, for the hatch has been sealed. We hope you manage to find a way to reawaken Light soon, for this may be a spell of their doing."

After finishing the letter, she sent it off, arriving moments later in front of the gates to the Archives, where it was picked up by one of the Praetorian Guards.

Back in Canterlot, at the Royal Archives, one of the Praetorian Guards picked up the scroll that Celestia was meant to be sent to her sister, and, after they noticed Celestia's royal insignia, knowing it must be of great importance, entered the Archives and searched for Luna, who was still looking through accounts of ruins throughout the ages.

Being so focused on her work, Luna did not notice when the Guard stepped towards her and cleared their throat, trying to get her attention, until Nox, who was sitting next to her, gently tapped her on her shoulder, pointing to the Guard, who was holding the letter her sister had sent her, after which she chuckled and thanked the Guard, who quickly retreated back to their post in front of the Archives.

She unfurled the scroll and read the letter that Celestia sent her, which asked her if she or her group had made any progress, or if they had managed to find a way to reawaken Light yet, for they would be unable to continue their research where they were, until Light had been woken up, as they were needed to clear the spell they had cast upon the hatch to the Catacombs.

As Starswirl the Bearded and Mage Meadowbrook had arrived a little while ago, they had been very helpful in sorting through the history of many different healing spells and sources of magic energies, and Meadowbrook explained it wouldn't take long before they would manage to put all the required pieces together to help the unconscious Kirin in the Medical Centre.

Slightly muttering to himself, yet still speaking aloud, Starswirl exclaimed he was somewhat impressed at the Kirin's knowledge, for while he did not have much experience with healing spells, Meadowbrook did, and throughout their years of working together, where she would often request his help for his potent magic abilities, he learnt that they required great power to cast properly.

As Meadowbrook and Starswirl, with the help of Luna, continued reading through old scrolls detailing spells of this magnitude, Luna noticed Harvest was very focused on a number of accounts about the Kirin, continuously reaching for books on ancient tongues, for evidently, the accounts were written in an unusual language, requiring continuously more effort to understand.

At the same time, Harvest appeared to be having difficulties reading some of the translated passages in scrolls he had found about the Kirin, for the texts were incomplete, and in them were written a number of words that had not been translated, forcing him to continuously reach for books on ancient tongues, as he tried to understand the accounts.

When she noticed Harvest struggling with the scroll, Nox put aside her search for information about healing spells for a moment, and walked over to Harvest to ask him how he was doing, to which he replied that while he had been looking through accounts about the Kirin, he kept finding words that were used in the spell Light had given him, and this kept nagging at him in the back of his mind.

Eventually, he grabbed the note upon which Light's incantation was written, after he found a number of words that matched those in the spell, and he wondered out loud, asking the others whether they were truly certain of the fact that the phrase that Light had given them was a healing spell, or whether it was something else entirely, such as a focal point of sorts?

He showed what he had found to the others, after which, with Starswirl's help, and his very messy hornwriting, they managed to translate the entire phrase, and after Harvest spoke the translated phrase, saying he felt a strange warm feeling in his chest, an idea formed in Luna's mind, and as she stood up from her seat, heading for the exit of the Archives, she said:

"Everyone, follow me! I know now, and we must speak with Light again!"

While Luna quickly headed for the exit to the Archives, where the Praetorian Guards still stood watch, the others looked between each other with confused glances, yet they swiftly relented and got up from their seats to follow her, as Luna yelled back at them to hurry up, which helped them speed up their pace, albeit slightly annoyed at her impatience.

As soon as everyone was out of the Archives, while they were heading up the stairs, Nox walked ahead of the group towards her Mother and asked her what this was about, and why everyone suddenly had to come along, but before she could get her answer, Luna stopped and focused magic to her horn, and after a bright flash, everyone was standing in front of the Medical Centre.

Luna hurriedly trotted inside, followed by an increasingly frustrated group of her friends and family, and soon, after she had reached Light's room, she called out to the others to follow her, which was met with various expressions of annoyance from everyone, as they slowly walked into the room of the unconscious Kirin.

Shortly after Starswirl, who was walking at the back of the group, entered the room, Luna closed the door, and asked both him and Nox to stand by her as she grabbed a chair, placing it near Light's bed, and before they could protest to her demands, or ask her what her idea was, she had started concentrating her magic again, and was quickly flanked by her daughter and former teacher.

Moments later, Luna found herself back in the Realm of Dreams, where she had walked many times before, and headed for Light's mind, which she reached shortly, after which, she headed straight for Light's conscience, finding them, once again, sitting calmly in the centre of the open area, and quickly asked them about the spell they had given her to pass on to Harvest.

Light looked puzzled for a moment as thoughts quickly ran through their mind, and after a moment, their face lit up and they put their head in their hooves, sighing deeply and apologising for the lack of clarifications that they had given her, both about the spell and about themselves, though the latter would have to wait, as Light noticed Luna's form was flickering again.

Meanwhile, in the Waking Realm, Nox and Starswirl had positioned themselves on both sides of the chair Luna was sitting on, just in case she fainted, so they would be able to catch her more easily, while Harvest and Meadowbrook were talking about healing abilities, which Harvest was very intrigued by, learning many things that Meadowbrook had learnt from the Kirin aeons ago.

After a little while, Luna awoke again, and exclaimed that what she thought was correct, and they had mistaken the spell that Light had given them to cast, though, she continued, Light told them that they required Harvest to be the one to be the conduit to help them reawaken, which greatly confused and somewhat distressed Harvest, who looked down in shame.

Luna carefully stood up, and quietly spoke with Starswirl, who nodded, and after walking over to him, encouraged Harvest to try once again, for she expected this time would work properly, leading to Harvest taking a deep breath and standing next to Light, who prepared to say the strange phrase once again, before Luna stopped him and gave him a different note.

When he had read the note, Harvest's expression brightened, after which he began focusing himself, gently placing his hooves once again on Light's chest and head, and as he concentrated, upon Luna's signal, Starswirl nodded firmly and placed his horn upon Harvest's chest, after which the others could see his mane brightened, his coat began to shine and his eyes glowed, as he repeated the phrase, translated from the old tongue:

"Light, listen to my voice, come back to the Light."

And Light awakened.

10: Apart

After they opened their eyes, looking around the room and seeing many familiar faces, as well as a satchel on their nightstand, Light smiled, and greeted everyone, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see them finally awake again, though still wary of their words, as they did not yet know what had caused their Nirik eruption on the night of the celebrations a few days ago.

Looking to the side, they were somewhat startled to see Harvest in his magical form, which was slowly fading, as his coat dimmed, his hair darkened, and his eyes stopped glowing, after which they took a deep breath, raised themselves up to sit upright and placed their hooves on the ground, intending to stand up and to help Harvest, as he and Nox had tried to help them before.

He had spent much of his energy to reawaken Light, and sank through his knees, though fortunately, Starswirl, who was standing next to Harvest, and who had helped channel his magic, gently caught him as he fell, reassuring the others that he would be okay after some rest, which was confirmed by Harvest himself, as he lightly chuckled and greeted Light in kind.

After Meadowbrook ran out of the room, searching for a Doctor or Nurse to tell them that Light had woken up, Light tried to stand, but like Harvest only moments ago, they found themselves too exhausted to stand up, and they sunk through their knees, joining Harvest quite low to the ground, and they gave him a lighthearted, albeit strained chuckle.

As Luna walked over and helped Light up to sit them on their bed, Nox took over the duty of helping Harvest from Starswirl, while from down the hall, Light could hear the sounds of galloping hooves, joined by a voice with a strong accent telling someone else to please hurry up, and shortly thereafter, Meadowbrook entered the room again, followed closely by a Doctor and a Nurse.

The corner of the room was quite crowded, and while everyone made room as the Healers entered, allowing the Doctor to check up on Light, and the Nurse to help Nox get Harvest seated, Luna stepped to the side with Starswirl and wrote a letter to Celestia, writing that they successfully woke up Light, though she was not sure how they would open the locked hatch from here.

She sealed the letter and sent the letter back to her sister in Ponyville, and focused her attention back to the tired Kirins, and as she warmly smiled, with her eyes welling up, she asked both Harvest and Light how they were feeling, to which the two responded, with deep breaths, that they were alright, though they asked to take a moment, their fatigue having worn them out.

It took a moment for Light to realise that the group appeared to be incomplete, and they asked Luna where the others were, and Luna replied that they had decided to split up into two groups, with Banana, Decaf and Caff heading to Ponyville where Celestia would meet them, while Luna, Harvest and Nox headed to the Royal Archives to find more knowledge.

Hearing the names of their friends made Light's eyes fill with tears, so they looked down for a moment as a bittersweet smile grew unto their face, asking her if they were alright, and wishing they could see them again soon, although, thinking to themselves, they were not yet sure if they would be able to face them after hurting them so much.

Seeing the sky blue Kirin's expression fall so much, recognising the crushing weight of their actions, after the Doctor had finished checking up on Light, Luna walked over and sat next to them on the bed, reassuring them everyone was alright, and that they would be glad to hear they were too, and continued, saying they wish to enter the hatch to the Catacombs, though evidently, they had been sealed.

After hearing this, Light's ears perked up, and they said:

"Oh, yes, last time I was there I sealed the hatch, just in case. Doctor, could you tell me when I can leave?"

Recognising the Kirin as the one who had helped heal Celestia a few days ago with the help of a healing tonic, the Doctor, who was writing down the results after checking Light's vitals, said that they could leave after they had run the last few tests, for they appeared to be completely healthy, and had suffered no ill effects after having been unconscious for a few days.

After giving Light the good news, the Doctor then asked if Light had any amount of the healing potion remaining, for in the past few days, while the Centre had been investigating the tonic, a number of patients had received a few drops, and all healed completely, without suffering any side-effects, and they said it would be wise if they took some of the tonic as well.

Eyeing the satchel on their nightstand, Light nodded and thanked the Doctor, who nodded in return before leaving the room, after which Light turned towards the others in the room, and thanked them in turn for putting so much effort into helping them, saying they could not imagine how grateful they were for all that they did for them.

Bright smiles and cheerful voices were seen and heard across the room, and Harvest, exhausted and drunk with sleep, extended his hoof while he yawned, wishing to give Light a hoof-bump, which they gladly gave, just before Harvest closed his eyes and fell asleep, snoring loudly on the lap of Nox, who had taken a seat next to Harvest on a neighbouring bed.

Light chuckled endearingly to themselves and reached over to the satchel on their nightstand, finding more items than what they remember they had put in their bag, which confused them a great deal, and, adding to the confusion, Luna spoke up and said that their bag was on a different seat in the corner of the room, and they were unsure whom this satchel belonged to.

After shaking their head, Light closed the satchel and asked for their bag, which Meadowbrook handed to them with a smile, finding the bottle with a small remainder of the tonic inside, as well as the book of Ancient Tales that they remembered they took along on the night of the celebrations, though they put the book aside and grabbed a spoon, taking a few drops of the tonic.

Just like Celestia had said a few days prior, Light also felt warm inside, and while their energy was returning, the room glowed ever so slightly, before this quickly faded, and they managed to stand up on their own again, after which the first thing they did was walk over to Luna, standing nearly eye-to-eye with the Lunar Princess, and embraced her, thanking her for reaching out to them.

Much to the delight of everyone else, Luna, glad to see Light back to their regular selves, returned the embrace, and said she was happy to hear they were feeling well, after which she moved to the matter of the park, where Celestia and her group were still waiting for the spell on the locked hatch to the Catacombs to be lifted.

Light let go of Luna and nodded solemnly, saying that hearing about the others being at the park, willing to investigate the Catacombs in person, might give them a better idea of the strange tunnels, and with Banana there as a guide, along with the beacons they left on the walls when they first entered the tunnels, they could find out more.

They continued, saying that before heading to the park, they wanted to eat and drink something, and would meet them at the café after refreshing themselves, and they headed to the lavatory, where they dropped their facade, unable to hold back their tears, when remembering their chaotic transformation, and subsequent detonation in the desert to the South. With a shaky voice, they quietly said to themselves:

"How badly did I hurt those I care about when I turned? How many innocents would have died, had I not gotten away?"

After speaking with the Nurse, saying that she wished for Harvest to get some rest that she knew he seriously needed, Nox gently put Harvest's head on a pillow she grabbed, covered him with a blanket, and gave to the others a white lie, saying that she would see them in the café in a moment as well, for she felt the need arise to go to the loo, as Light did a moment ago.

As Luna, Starswirl and Meadowbrook, who all agreed to meet Nox in the café later, left the room, Nox turned the other way, leaving the sleeping Harvest in the room she just came from, under the care of the sweet Nurse she talked to, and walked towards the lavatory, all the while thinking about what she would say to Light, fearing she did not understand the magnitude of their pain.

In the bathroom, still staring into the mirror, as their eyes continuously welled up in tears, Light tried in vain to calm their breathing, whether by splashing some water onto their face, or trying to ground themselves by verbally noting their surroundings, but to no avail, and they felt themselves stuck in a downward spiral of negativity.

That is, they were unable to calm down until Nox entered, when they finally managed to hide their feelings behind an emotional mask once again, not wishing for anyone to know what they were fighting in their mind, nor see them as they were struggling to rationalise their thoughts, for they felt unworthy of the help of others, especially after causing so much harm.

When Nox entered, she calmly and quietly called out to Light, asking them how they were feeling, and said that, should they feel the need arise, they could talk to her, shortly after which, through the mirror, Nox saw Light wipe away their tears and turn towards her, as they put on a smile, and greeted her politely, saying they were nearly finished and would join the rest soon.

Able to see through the facade the Kirin had put up, seeing how grave their pain was and how much they struggled to hold back their emotions, as she did not want them to push her away, she humoured the Kirin, playing along with their pretence, though this act would not last long, as the Princess of Spirits managed to calm the Kirin with her presence alone, and their facade crumbled.

Light felt strange, as if the mere presence of Nox was enough to quell their fears and ease their pain, and as their knees gave away, causing them to sink to the floor, while their mask faltered and they could not stop themselves from crying, Nox swiftly ran over to the distraught Kirin, embracing them with a caring hug, and, to her relief, she felt their breathing slow down.

And so, for a while, the two beings, both of whom nigh unimaginably powerful, yet hurt and broken in many ways that very few would ever manage to understand, sat in silence together, not speaking a single word, but still allowing one to help the other, whether by showing solidarity with another being like themselves, or by helping one let out their feelings.

Eventually, Light spoke again, thanking Nox, in a teary voice, for all her help and support, and apologising to her, and everyone else, for hurting them so severely at the celebrations, fearing her response, as they believed they had failed to protect them, but instead, Nox embraced Light even more tightly than before, and said it was alright, and Light embraced her as well.

After a little while, Nox said to Light that the others, in the café were still waiting on them, and they should not keep them waiting too long, so they both released the other, stood up, wiped away their tears, cleaned their faces, and headed to the café, while on the way, Nox asked if Light would ever tell her what they had gone through, to which Light replied:

"I'll tell you in due time, as for now, I'd rather not think about any of it, but please remind me, as I want to get it off my chest very much."

After their little heart-to-heart, where they found solidarity with each other and began to understand what the other has been through, Nox and Light joined Luna, Starswirl and Meadowbrook in the café, finding they had ordered some drinks for themselves already, which Selene, the kind lady who ran the café, brought them shortly after, happily greeting Light and Nox as they entered.

The two politely greeted Selene in return, and took a seat at the table where the other three had sat down as well, just in time to order a drink, as well as some small refreshments, for themselves, before heading out to Pie Park, where Light was needed to lift the sealing spell they had placed on the trap door leading to the Catacombs.

The two joined in on pleasant conversation with Luna and the Pillars, where many laughs were shared and many embarrassing, yet endearing moments were spoken of aplenty, leading to the subject of the story - who was, in most stories, Luna - to turn bright red and chuckle nervously as they covered their face with their hooves, followed closely by lighthearted remarks about the past.

A little while later, Selene came by with the drinks and refreshments that Light and Nox had ordered, a coffee for Nox and a kettle of hot water with a selection of teas for Light, as well as a platter of bite-sized snacks, which they thoroughly enjoyed after not having had a proper meal for a number of days - on account of being unconscious.

Nox glanced towards Light on occasion, as she felt the need to watch out for them, especially since she appeared to be the only one who knew even a fraction of what Light had been through, as well as what they were still going through, though, for now, she respected the Kirin's wishes to not dwell on the subject of their transformation, nor their past, and planned to ask them later.

While they were enjoying their food and drink, Light asked how the group would head to Ponyville, and wondered if it were possible for the group as a whole to be teleported to Pie Park, as they figured it would drastically shorten the trip, though they feared it might cost the caster a lot of energy to cast the spell.

Looking between Light and each other, Starswirl and Luna reassured the Kirin, saying that before they and Nox had joined them in the café, they had discussed how the five of them would head to the park, and though it would require much focus, they planned to combine their powers, to ease the burden of casting the spell, by splitting the effort between both Luna and Starswirl.

Intrigued by the possibility of combining magical powers, Light nodded firmly and finished their refreshments, after which they helped clear up the dishes from the group, using their magic to hover all of the cups and plates over to the bar, where Selene, who was busy cleaning the countertop, thanked the Kirin for their help, and asked them to place the dishes next to the sink.

After neatly stacking the dishes, Light, not knowing when they would meet again, said goodbye to Selene, who stopped them to ask how they were feeling, as she had heard from her partner, a bearded stallion with an eye patch, who ran the café overnight, that, the night prior, they were brought in, unconscious, by a number of Guards, followed later by Princess Celestia.

Not wishing for her to know the true reason, Light said that at the celebrations there had been an incident, where a number of their friends were injured, but they had managed to prevent further harm, at the expense of their own health, though fortunately, after some rest, the Doctor, who had been treating them, confirmed they were healthy enough to leave the Centre.

Before turning back towards the group, Selene told Light:

"Glad to see you're alright, but please, remember to be more careful with yourself. Next time, you might not be so lucky..."

After thanking Selene for her concern, Light bade her goodbye, wishing they would meet her again soon, in more positive circumstances, and turned to head back to the group, who had left the café and had headed outside while they were bringing the dishes over to Selene, finding them outside the Centre, standing in a semi-circle, waiting for Light to appear.

Light joined the group and waited patiently for Luna and Starswirl to teleport them to Ponyville, yet before they cast the spell, Light's expression suddenly changed, and after they ran back inside, calling back towards the others to wait for just a moment, they returned, saying that they had forgotten something in the Centre, and nearly forgot to bring it along with them.

Fortunately, though it strained their powers and required intense focus, Luna and Starswirl managed to keep the spell from casting until Light returned, not a moment too soon, as the second they got back, a bright flash in front of the Centre appeared, and the group of five found themselves in the middle of the market in Ponyville.

Both Starswirl and Luna gave a stern look, asking Light what was so important for them to do, or to take along with them, that they could not possibly have waited, until the group had teleported away, allowing the two to take a bit of time to catch their breath, before taking them back to the Centre in Canterlot.

Light apologised to Luna and Starswirl, saying they left a note for Harvest, for whenever he woke up, finding himself alone in Canterlot, as they wanted to make sure that he knew where the group had gone to, as well as to grab their bag, that they had forgotten about in their room, which held a number of items, including the vial of healing tonic, that they knew would be extremely useful.

Lowering their heads, seemingly in defeat, both Luna and Starswirl, who were still trying to catch their breath, told Light they accepted their apology, asking them to make sure, for the next time, that they remembered everything that they wished to bring along, as they sank through their legs onto the ground, only barely being caught by the other three standing by them.

At that moment, a letter magically appeared in the middle of the group, sent by Celestia, which read that she had just felt a surge of power, originating from Ponyville, that she had not felt often before, and was heading over to the town, while Banana, Caff and Decaf stayed in the park, to make sure it was not malicious, ending by saying that she wished to see her again soon.

Looking between each other, Nox, who was supporting her mother with the help of Meadowbrook, and Light, who was holding up Starswirl, thanked their luck, and headed out of the market, making sure to keep a watchful eye on the two powerful Ponies, as well as looking around the town, hoping that Celestia would find them soon.

Light asked them if they wished to take some of the tonic, hoping that it would restore their energy as it had done before, though the two politely declined, and said they would be alright after they had rested for a moment, shortly after which, from around the corner, Celestia appeared, politely greeting the group as she walked over towards them.

Many thoughts rushed through her head, as Celestia, with tears forming in her eyes, looked between Light, overjoyed to see them awake again, and her sister and teacher, showing grave concern for them both, and asked Nox the details of their endeavours since the last letter that she received from Luna, to which Nox replied the group had teleported to Ponyville, but it tired out Luna and Starswirl, and continued:

"Even though the weight of the spell was shared by them both, it cost them a tremendous amount of energy."

After listening to her niece's quick explanation, Celestia took a moment to think of the best plan for everyone in the group from Canterlot, as she did not want the others in the park to have to wait too long for her nor Light to return for them to explore the Catacombs, and with the help of more Ponies and beings looking around, the speed of their research could be increased immensely.

However, as Luna and Starswirl were absolutely exhausted, Celestia was unsure on how to progress, as she did not want them to overextend themselves, so, after asking Meadowbrook to keep an eye on Luna and Starswirl for a moment, to which the young healer agreed, she turned to Light and Nox, making it clear she wished to speak with them, and asked them if they had any idea for the moment.

The two turned back towards Luna and Starswirl with concerned gazes, after which they told Celestia that they were split between two ideas, for not only did they feel it was important for them to give the two Ponies the time to rest and recover their strength, they also did not want to make the group in the park wait for any longer than necessary.

Then, from behind them, Meadowbrook spoke up, saying that if the others were to head to the park, she would remain with Luna and Starswirl to keep an eye out for them, and later, after they got their rest, they would head out together to join the group in the park, although she would appreciate it if someone could offer a helping hoof for whenever they were ready to leave.

After Meadowbrook's offer, Nox spoke up, only just managing to hold back her tears when she looked at Light, after seeing the intense struggle they were facing and the pain they were enduring, as they somehow managed to remain stoic, and said that she would remain with Meadowbrook, and that she'd help take care of her Mother while Meadowbrook watched over Starswirl.

Celestia thought about her idea for a moment, and though she was somewhat concerned for her sister and her teacher, the fact that Nox would be there for her mother, and Meadowbrook for her fellow Pillar, assured her that they would be alright, and agreed to the plan, confirming that she and Light would head to the park, with the four others joining them later, given time to rest.

To be sure, Celestia asked Luna and Starswirl if this was a plan worth agreeing to, and was relieved to hear they accepted the idea, saying that they most likely would not be far behind, and would see them in the park again soon, after which Celestia and Light said goodbye, but before leaving town, Light gave to Meadowbrook the vial of tonic, saying they expected she might need it.

A little while later, Light and Celestia reached the park, and as they approached, they were happily greeted by Banana, who, barely holding in his joy when seeing Light awake again, leapt into the Kirin's arms and said he was glad to see them, to which Light responded with a nervous chuckle, and gently lowered the small Unicorn, appearing quite distant, which greatly confused him.

Saddened by Light's colder-than-usual reaction, after Banana glanced at Celestia, who, in return, looked at Light with a pensive gaze, and turned to lead the two into the park, with his head slightly lowered, his energy and enthusiasm evidently having dissipated after meeting the Kirin, and together, the three reached the hatch, where the others were waiting for the others to arrive.

Light stepped forward and got to work, placing down their bag, which fell over, revealing the contents within, including the book of Ancient Tales as well as another satchel, and while they were lifting their spell, Celestia and Banana quietly spoke with the others, saying that they were concerned about Light, and that they wanted to ask if something was distressing them. While looking at Light, Celestia continued, saying to the group:

"When Banana showed his excitement and embraced them, their demeanour changed, though this hasn't happened before. Something may be bothering them... Please keep a watchful eye on them."

While Celestia was speaking with the group about her grave concern over Light, specifically focusing on their unusual, cold response to Banana's affection, from behind them, they heard a quiet sound of shattering glass, followed shortly by Light saying that they managed to undo the spell, allowing them to enter and investigate the Catacombs.

Afterwards, they opened the hatch, and took the lead in heading down the ancient, crumbling stairs that led to the dark tunnels under the park, though fortunately, the markers they had placed on the walls when they first travelled down here were still present, and the dim light that shone from them allowed the group to see in the dark, even if only for a short distance.

One after the other, starting with Banana and Celestia, followed by Eclipse, Caff and Decaf, the group carefully walked down the stairs, until everyone was in the larger hall before entering the tunnels, though not everyone followed, for Solar and Twilight said for safety, should anything happen, they would remain at the entrance, allowing them to make a quick exit to search for help.

Together with Banana, Light and Celestia led the group through the Catacombs, through which constant rumbling echoed, and followed the markers that Light had placed, until they reached the Office that Banana had built, where, upon the desk that stood underneath the screens, they found the picture of Banana's daughter Mousse, for whom he had been searching for too long.

Banana stepped forward and gently picked up the frame, and while tears formed in his eyes, he took a seat on the chair that stood at the desk, crying in near complete silence, breaking the hearts of everyone present, after which Light stepped forward and promised him the same thing as when they first found him here, that they would figure this out, and they would find Mousse.

Before they had time to react, Banana turned and tightly embraced the Kirin, not bothered by their possible reaction, though, fortunately, to the relief of everyone present, Light returned his hug and tried to ease his sadness and pain, followed closely by Celestia, placing her wing over the shoulder of the Kirin, and telling them she offered her assistance to Light and Banana.

Close to failing to hold back their tears, after seeing the heartbreaking reaction of the small Unicorn, Caff and Decaf spoke up and said they would help to the best of their abilities as well, to which Light said they were grateful, and continued, saying that, just like at the train station the week before, whenever they wished to go home, they would only have to say the word.

Wiping away his tears, Banana thanked everyone for their kindness, and told Light in particular that he was glad they were here for support, though Light could only manage a slight smile, before releasing the Unicorn, offering him to place the picture of Mousse in their bag, and with Banana at their side, Light exited the room.

As they were leaving, however, Eclipse appeared running from around the corner, shouting at the group to worn them that parts of the ceiling of the tunnels were failing, and they needed to get out immediately, after which the group started running, led by Celestia with Light at the back following the markers back towards the entrance, hearing rumbling coming from all over the place.

The group was nearing the exit, but before they reached the hatch, halfway down the last corridor, Light noticed a large part of the ceiling was about to fall down, so they ran forward and stopped Decaf and Banana moments before the ceiling broke apart, trapping the three of them behind a large pile of rubble that blocked the tunnel, as the others reached the hatch safely.

From behind the blocked tunnel, Celestia called out to the others in a panic, and was relieved to hear Light reply while coughing:

"We're alright, but we can't get out. Are you all okay as well?"

From the other side of the pile of rubble that had separated the group, through a coughing fit, Caff gently replied to Light, saying that all of them were alright, and that, fortunately, they would manage to get out through the hatch, though she was worried about the others, for it appeared as though they were trapped in the tunnels, unable to get out.

After re-igniting their torch, Light looked around and started checking the ceiling to make sure no other parts could suddenly come crashing down, while on the other side, Celestia spoke aloud, asking for someone to return to town to ask the others for help, and continued, saying that she would try to move the rubble and asked Light, Decaf and Banana to stand back just in case.

At the same time, Eclipse had run outside and headed back to town, which they reached shortly, where, out of breath and panting heavily, they found Nox, Meadowbrook, Luna and Starswirl, the latter two of whom appearing healthier after having had a moment to rest, and told them that a tunnel had collapsed, trapping some of their friends, and they needed all the help they could get.

Back in the park, to her dismay, no matter how hard she tried to move the rocks, Celestia was unable to clear the tunnel, save for a few small pebbles that were scattered around, after which she called back to Light in a defeated tone and apologised, as she did not understand why she failed, to which Light replied that it was alright, and she should not beat herself up over this.

They continued, saying that they might have an idea of why she was unable to move the rocks, for when they entered the Catacombs for the first time, they felt a strange magic aura, the source of which they had not yet found, but they feared it overpowered the magic they tried to use, so that only the tiniest spells could be used, while others were quelled.

More deep, rumbling noises echoing throughout the tunnels startled everyone, leading Celestia to tell everyone to retreat, and as everyone moved away from the collapsed tunnel, Decaf shouted back to Celestia, demanding she keep Caff safe, after which, everyone ran, galloping as fast as their legs could, following the markers Light had left, until they finally got back to Surveillance.

In the office, they had a brief respite, and were able to check the screens, upon which footage of many beings was visible, and though they did not know how Banana had managed to set this up, they were relieved to see Celestia and Caff standing outside of the Catacombs, while, on another screen, they could see Eclipse and the group from Ponyville approaching the park rapidly.

While the three were waiting in the Surveillance office, Banana looked worriedly at Light, and asked them why they responded so coldly when they saw each other again, to which Light's eyes welled up and they turned away, leaving Banana devastated, and without an answer, as he slowly turned away, looking at Decaf with tears in his eyes.

While Light turned to continue looking at the screens in the office, finding that Eclipse and their group had reached the park, and were currently speaking with Celestia and Caff, Decaf tried to hold back her frustration, but seeing the disharmony between the two beings she was with, she stepped up and angrily started speaking to Light in a stern voice, asking them many things:

"Why do you not want to return his kindness? Do you not understand how much effort everyone has put into getting you back on your hooves? How long we spent looking for any way to wake you up? What could possibly be holding you back from showing your polite, protective and caring self? Why do you close yourself off? What are you so afraid off?"

Decaf's words hit Light deeply, and after they turned to look at her, as tears started streaming from their eyes, Light replied:

"I can't look at them anymore. I hurt the ones whom I promised to protect. I don't think I can ever forgive myself for that. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, topside in the park, after Eclipse had left to ask the others, who were still in town, for aid, Celestia and Caff had been left alone, and, distressed by the overwhelming fear of their friends and family getting injured, had embraced and were speaking reaffirming words to each other, hoping that Banana, Decaf and Light were alright in the tunnels.

Soon after, Solar and Twilight, exhausted after sprinting the entire way from and back to the park, arrived, while the other four of Nox, Meadowbrook, Starswirl and Luna were shortly behind them, which was a huge relief to both Celestia and Caff, as not only were the others alright, for they had been given ample time to recover, their presence meant they would be able to help here.

As the others arrived and approached Celestia and Caff, Eclipse said they needed to take a moment and sank through their knees, after which Starswirl stepped up and walked to the hatch, before being stopped by Celestia, who had a concerned expression upon her face, which greatly confused the Sorcerer, as he expected his nigh unmatched power and knowledge to be of great use.

While Starswirl and the others were being brought up-to-speed by Celestia, Meadowbrook treated Eclipse for their exhaustion, passively listening to Celestia's explanations about the disaster in the Catacombs, as she explained that a tunnel had collapsed just before the exit, and with some form of overpowering magic present, they were unable to clear the way for the others.

The news deeply worried everyone, Meadowbrook in particular, as only a little while before, Light had given her the vial of healing tonic, of which they had given a few drops to Luna and Starswirl, and just now, to Eclipse, though she feared that, should anyone still in the tunnels be injured, there would be no easy way to get to them.

After listening to Celestia's explanation and seeing her concerned expression, Starswirl took a moment to think, trying to find a way to clear the blocked tunnel, while the others around him were arguing, trying to take matters into their own hands, and after a few moments, he spoke aloud, suggesting to the others to call upon other Pillars for help.

If it were truly not possible for magic to be used in these Catacombs to move the rocks, or to hold the remainder of the ceiling in place, which the Sorcerer admitted, was an interesting fact upon itself, they could call upon Rockhoof, for instance, and to ask for his strength, for as far as he knew, whatever may be blocking the use of magic, his physical strength would not falter.

Nox spoke up, adding to Starswirl's idea, and said that she could go to her realm and ask for assistance from a cohort of her own personal Guards, while, in the mean time, one of the other Princesses, like Celestia, could return to Canterlot to ask their Guards for assistance, possibly, depending on their availability, the Praetorian Guards, whom had been Guarding the Archives.

When Starswirl and Nox had finished laying out their plans to ask their Guards and the other Pillars for help, Celestia and Luna spoke with each other, and asked the others if they could agree to these plans, and after a few moments of consideration, they agreed, though they did not know how to contact the Pillars, nor who would head out, should magic means be unavailable.

As Eclipse was recovering well after taking some of the tonic, they offered to head out, but they were stopped by Starswirl, who would reach out himself, and while Nox and Celestia summoned their Royal Guards, Luna, Eclipse, Meadowbrook and Caff would remain at the park, and would try to stay in touch with the others, as the others summoned reinforcements. Confirming this, Starswirl said:

"Then it's decided. We will meet here again very soon. May the blessings of the Sun and Moon go with you."

Back in the Catacombs, after their tearful admission of guilt to Decaf and Banana, which stunned both of them into silence, for they did not know what to say or how to properly respond to them, Light had turned their back to the other two, trying to dry their tears after failing to hold in their grief, and had focused all their attention towards looking at the screens.

On the screens, that somehow managed to capture many areas in the park, Light noticed the rest of the group in the park split up and leave, either by teleporting or flying away at great speed, until only a few Ponies were left, among whom were Caff and Eclipse, though how Banana had managed to set up this security office, they did not know, and were too worn out to ask him.

While Light was looking through the security footage, Decaf and Banana had taken to different parts of the room, trying to keep themselves calm despite their desperate situation, whilst simultaneously thinking of a way to approach Light, to try and alleviate this tense atmosphere they had unwillingly created, as they were worried for themselves, and concerned for Light.

At one moment, as Decaf was pacing around the room, filled with concern primarily for her sister, while Banana was sitting quietly in a chair to the side, Light's ear twitched, and they appeared to have heard a sound, after which they made a note, then turned away and exited the room, walking through the hallways, trying to find what had made the noise.

As they were moving around, Light made sure to leave glowing marks along the walls, which slightly lit up the tunnels, as they walked down the halls, being very careful to keep an eye on the ceiling, not wishing for another collapse to trap them even further in these tunnels, all the while Decaf and Banana watched in confusion as they moved around.

Leaving Light to their business, Decaf and Banana turned to look at the note that Light had left, finding that they had written down that they had indeed heard a strange sound, and would try to look for it, and asked both of them to not worry, as they promised they would be back shortly, hopefully with better news as to their current situation.

After reading the note, both Ponies decided to sit and wait until Light returned, which fortunately did not take long, and when they returned, they hurriedly moved past the two, wrote another note to the other group, picked up their backpack, and asked both Banana and Decaf to follow them, as they had found another potential way out of the tunnels.

Pleasantly surprised at the news, they left the room and followed the Kirin through the tunnels, and as they were making sure to stay close to be able to be able to see with the light from their bright torch, eventually, they spoke up, saying to Light that they needed to slow down, as they were unable to keep up, and risked tiring themselves out.

They understood and slowed down, allowing the two smaller Ponies to catch up, and they walked alongside them, and through their discomfort, Banana tried to reach out to Light, asking them if they were alright, and if there was anything that they wished to get off their chest, the same question that they had asked him when they first met in the surveillance office.

Before Banana could get his answer, Light pointed to a stairway at the end of the hall, and, after making sure that the tunnels were stable, together, with the help of both Banana and Caff, managed to lift the heavy stone slab from the hatch, finding themselves in a courtyard of stone, surrounded on all sides by massive trees, turbulent clouds and a cool breeze.

Looking around, Light realised where they were, and said:

"Is this... Could it be? By the stars..."

12: The Markless Lord

After Celestia, who had entered the room just after Light had finished their explanations and story to Decaf and Banana, took a moment to breathe, and allowed herself to work through the overwhelming surge of emotions she experienced, Light, still taking deep breaths, for the energy in the room continued to hold its grasp upon them, walked over to her, and gently held her hoof.

A little while later, Luna appeared from the staircase, followed closely by Nox, Eclipse and Caff, and grasped at her chest before even managing to enter the room, and as her eyes began to well up rapidly, she sank through her legs, and laid on the ground, sobbing quietly and uncontrollably, only managing to be consoled slightly by Nox, who only just managed to hold in her tears herself.

As Caff and Eclipse, elated to see their friends and family alright after the tunnels collapsed, started to run towards the room, Light asked them to wait, warning them of the intense, overwhelming energy that emanated from the room, affecting everyone, no matter how strong they were, and though they only had somewhat of an idea of what caused it, they would try to explain.

After everyone mentally prepared themselves to enter the room of artefacts, only briefly stopping to look at the plaque upon the door to read what it was for, they sat down on the floor, making sure to tell Decaf and Banana about what was written when they took a seat, and patiently waited for Light to explain what they could, though they questioned why they had to stay in this room.

As Light took a seat upon a small desk, making sure to not touch any of the artefacts that stood upon it, they grabbed the book they first read from when entering the room, explaining that when they read what was written, many things fell in place for them, and they hoped that by reading it to them, it would help them understand this room, the book, and a familiar, yet foreign face.

"The first chapter", Light said, "starts as follows:"

Early Life

My early life before I met the Princesses was uneventful. In fact, I was one of the very few stallions who never had their flank mark - as we called them back in the day.

Honestly, back in those days, I was always alone. The family was never home much, Pa was always busy, and Ma.... She had more on her plate then I could ever handle.

I didn't mind the solitude, for I had great company in the moon and stars, and though they weren't always around, I took comfort in the fact that I had them when I did.

I'd often sing songs in an old clearing, where now the Castle of the Two Sisters stands, back when the area was just an empty clearing of grass, long before the Castle had been constructed.

Sure, it was in the most dangerous part of the world back then, even more so compared to now, but it was mine, and it was the only place I could ever escape to.

When I think back on it now, I was never really afraid of what was in the forest, as a part of me always wanted to find a wild Timberwolf, or perhaps, an Ursa Major, or any wild animal, really, or rather, for them to find me.

At least, if that happened, I'd know what they wanted, as the only think they thought about was whether I was food, an enemy or a friend. I never had to guess with them, because they avoided me, just like I did with others, and they with me.

Turns out, it's true that animals just want to be left alone, which was the one thing I had in common with the wild beasts.

Loneliness and solitude were the norm for me for a very long time. It wasn't until that one fateful night that I met them. Two mares, whom I had never seen nor met before, that I dare say were the most beautiful mares I had ever seen.

And to think, if I stayed hidden from view, I never would have met them.

At least, I wouldn't have, had it not been for that tree that fell on top of me.

First Meetings

I won't lie and say that I was a suave and charming stallion at the time, and that I somehow managed to sweep the Princesses off their feet. In fact, I think the opposite is true.

Took a while for any charm to develop.

I'd say that even back then, I was not the subtlest of creatures.

But then again, I never claimed to be.

It all started with me hiding in a bush, holding my breath, not moving a muscle. Honestly, I don't even remember what I was doing in there in the first place.

I think I got startled because I had heard something approaching, and I hid, as I was worried it was one of the town bullies, who finally decided to chase me deep into the Forest.

Either way, as I hid in the bush, a tree fell on me, nearly crushing me. I have no idea how I didn't notice it breaking and falling, as I was very aware of my surroundings.

Thank my lucky stars, it just pinned me by the legs, so I sat there for a while. I couldn't go anywhere, and it was too heavy too lift on my own.

So... I started to sing an old tune to cheer me up.

It was the wedding song I had once heard my father sing to my mother. It was old, and very few knew the song, but at the time, it was the only thing I had to comfort me a little.

Perhaps it could grant me a little hope that one day, I'd find what they had, even if it was just a fantasy back then.

That's when she came up to me: the embodiment of the Sun. My Sunlight. Heh...

She just strolled up to me and smiled. I hadn't even noticed her as she listened to me sing the song. Luna soon joined her, but the two of them stayed quiet and simply listened, before I finally noticed them.

I was surprised to say the least, for I had never heard of an Alicorn back then.

There were a lot more of them, thousands of years ago, but I had never met any, until that day.

My town was small and nameless, so it's not like they were from there.

Once I noticed them standing there, though, Celestia offered to help me, and Luna shortly after.

With the two of them helping me lift the tree, I was freed in no time at all.

When I finally could stretch my legs again, they asked me why I was here, all alone in the forest, and what I was doing.

I told them the truth, I was just talking to the Sun, and the Moon and the stars.

I'll never forget the look they gave me, for it was absolutely priceless.

They asked what I meant, and I showed them. I told them how everything had a soul, from trees to rocks, beasts to plants. Even the Sun, the Moon and the stars.

If you spoke with them, they would listen.

Little did I know, that they were my Sun and Moon, and they were listening, right then and there.

I guess it's funny, looking back and seeing how things turned out.

Once we were done talking, they soon left. I certainly didn't expect to see them again after that, yet the next night, they were there again, and they asked to hear me sing again.

I was never one to disappoint a beautiful mare, especially the two of them.

Turns out, I did have some charm after all.

New Names

Every night, the girls would return to meet me. Every night, at midnight, they would be there, at the tree, in the clearing where we met for the first time.

It was a time before they needed to move the Sun and Moon themselves, and it afforded us the opportunity to spend time together.

In place of the Princesses, back then, a counsil of Unicorns and Alicorns carried their duty.

I don't remember the exact story of why the Moon and Sun needed to be moved by Ponykind.

In any case, when I met them back then, they were not yet Royal Princesses, and were not yet burdened with their current duties, which allowed them more freedom to meet me every evening.

Before their ascension, they were 'just' lady Luna and lady Celestia, and they were absolutely incredible. But back then, I hadn't told them my name yet, for, at the time, I felt it was not necessary for them to know.

And so, every night, for many moons, we spoke from midnight to midday, often until after they needed to return home.

But they never minded taking the extra time to listen to my enchanting songs or many tales of the forest I learnt over the years.

In return, after listening to my stories and songs, they would often tell me stories of their incredible victories in battles they fought. They wielded great weapons, and whenever their old weapon was replaced, I was always the first to see it.

Luna's mace and Celestia's sword were incredible crafts, which was clearly visible in their expressions of pure excitement.

One day, the day came they finally asked my name, and I was stunned into silence.

Until then, to them, I had just been Mister Tree, a little nickname they gave me because of how we met.

When I told them my name, Andraku, which meant 'Worthless' in Old Ponish, they were stunned in return, and their expressions told me enough to figure out what they thought, which was not pretty.

Apparently, it was 'tradition' to name the Markless a terrible name in order to ward off demons and evil spirits that preyed on the Markless.

Or, at least, that's what I was told, because I knew it really was another way to insult me, and others like me.

After hearing this, their expressions turned sour, but quickly brightened up again, and they gave me a new name:

Lord.

I was very confused as I did not own any land, nor ruled over anyone. In fact, we didn't even own the house I lived in with my family.

Every day, we worked until our backs were sore, just to have a roof over our heads at night.

They told me that they chose that name for me because they sensed the heart of a Noble in me.

And I believed them.

I believed everything they told me.

They finally made me feel like I was more than just a random Markless Pony, and when they told me my new name, I cried.

More than I ever had before.

It was the first time that I remember ever being treated as an equal.

That same day, they told me they would be residing in my home town for a while, and afterwards, every evening, they would be at the door, waiting to walk with me to our favourite spot.

I think that was the day I fell in love with them.

I can honestly not remember a time before that moment that I ever felt better than after they gave me my new name and met up with me to listen to my stories.

The boost of confidence I got when I saw the looks on the faces of others, when they saw me, a Markless, waited upon by two stunningly beautiful Alicorns, was incredible.

I tried my best to not let it get to my head.

But I admit, I didn't always succeed.

I was happy, and not afraid to show it.

Becoming Theirs

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months into years.

Every day, we spent time together, no longer just at midnight, and no longer just in the forest, but in public, where everyone could see.

It was absolutely amazing, I finally had friends, and I remember telling the sisters that our friendship was almost magical.

Somewhat ironic, now I think back about the future.

Still, it was nice.

No, nice doesn't even come close to describing it, because it was incredible, it was a euphoric feeling that I never wanted to lose.

Even just being around the sisters made me smile.

That isn't to say that I treated them anything less than they deserved, for they were my friends.

My only friends, in fact, and I never treated them quite the same way others had done.

Somehow, Celly and Lulu forgot to tell me they were Royalty, which was quite surprising.

All this time, I thought they were nobles. I mean, I figured as much, from their regal appearance.

But to think, while other stallions would open the door for them, and bow as they passed, I would sometimes tackle Luna for a play fight.*

The asterix referred to a small note at the bottom of the page, which read:

Just to make it clear, rough-housing was far more common and accepted back then.

I don't think they ever minded.

Celestia especially liked it when I tackled her sister just to playfully wrestle with her, or to ruffle her hair, and she would beam with happiness just to see her sister be allowed some time to be silly.

Luna, too, was very glad she had someone to talk to who wasn't her sister, or a random 'noble' stallion, who always just wanted to get into her bed.

Apparently, random 'nobles' walking up, and trying to flirt with them was something that happened constantly. Mares and stallions alike would throw themselves at the sisters, which I got quite annoyed with.

Even though I wasn't aware of it at the time, I admit, I got jealous whenever others tried to get their attention in any way they could.

But I didn't know they weren't comfortable with this either.

It got especially bad when others assumed they had the right to marry them and would treat them poorly, despite having known them for barely a few minutes.

I admit, I may have gotten a little hooves-on, and I might have punched a couple of no-good 'nobles'.

I often managed to leave them with fewer teeth, and sometimes even toothless if they were especially nasty, but I digress.

For such a long time, I had no idea they felt the same way, though, as I got older, there were a few mares who tried to steal my attention.

I can't really blame them, as they all seemed to be around the time that they were desperate for connection, a relationship, love, even.

Stepping towards anyone even mildly interesting, like a Markless, or... anything, with a heartbeat, really...

Fortunately, it never lasted long, and they would back off quickly when I politely made my intentions and interests clear.

I guess that they didn't see themselves as a match to two gorgeous Alicorn Princesses who were very close to me.

Although, being stared through by two powerful Princesses, even without any spoken words, also helped me with being left alone.

In the end, I was ecstatic when I found out the feelings weren't one-sided.

Looking back, I guess it should have been more obvious, but then again, I am very oblivious and as dense as stone sometimes.

I always saw the way they looked at others, staring through them as if they weren't even there, either to ignore them, or to scare them off, as they did with the mares around me.

I just never noticed their love-filled glances towards me.

Taken Away

About 5 years after we met, we had become closer than... well, anything.

We weren't in a relationship, per se, but I definitely wasn't seeing anyone else, nor did I plan to.

I just planned to spend as much time with them as I could, as I knew, one day they would have to move back to their Castle when their business here, in these lands, was done.

I was just reading on the day it happened, when they had to leave.

Little did I know, at the end of the day, I would be leaving with them.

Unfortunately, despite being with them, the circumstances were not happy, for while we were speaking together, a great number of Raiders attacked my town.

Sadly, this would not be the day I found my Flank Mark.

But it was the day that I first saw death.

And it was everywhere.

They attacked with ferocity, without hesitation and without mercy.

Even though they all wore masks on their faces, trying - and failing - to hide themselves, the group as a whole consisted of many species, from Griffin to Pony, Dragon to Diamond Dog.

Back then, the one and only time you would see more than once species working together, was when they were fighting together, and after they ransacked the village, they...

They destroyed everything... Burnt the entire village to the ground... Not a single survivor.

The only way that I survived was because I had the Princesses at my side, who had taught me some of the finer arts of combat.

Next to playful wrestling, it was Luna's way of passing the time, I guess.

I just never thought I would have to use it so soon.

In the end, it was just the three of us left.

We managed to kill most of the raiders who ransacked the town, and any that stayed alive fled before us, but it was too late...

Everything I had known in my village, everyone I knew, had ever met, gone.

In a single afternoon.

The destruction was so incredibly horrific, I never even found any remains of my family.

If they were here, I like to think they got away, that they escaped, that even one person was alive and well.

But I would never know.

After gently placing down Harvest, who took a deep breath and waited until the quivering feeling in his legs had gone, and stretching her wings, when they reached the park gates, Light Rain looked at Harvest, asking him what he had in mind, as she and Starshine were planning to go to Ponyville to head home for the evening.

To this, Harvest replied that when he was in the Medical Centre, he saw a news report about the escape of Boomlord, the Unicorn who, just a few days prior, on the night of the special celebrations, had been arrested and taken to be imprisoned, immediately after giving Light a strange package, which ended up with them turning Nirik uncontrollably moments later.

As he knocked on the gates, asking for entry and giving his name, he continued to Rain and Starshine, saying that even though he personally knew the Unicorn, he wanted to make sure that the others who were with him in the Cente, all of whom had gone to the park, were made aware of the fact, to warn their Guards, and to prepare themselves, just in case Boom tried anything.

The Pegasi appeared quite distressed, letting their imaginations run wild and imagining quite horrible events that they thought could take place, should Boom manage to reach the park, but after noticing their discomfort, Harvest reassured them as best he could, saying that though he was unpredictable, Boom was not wholly evil at heart, and would not dare hurt his friends.

Though they were still somewhat uncomfortable, Harvest did manage to help them put their minds at ease with his gentle, reassuring words about Boom, and as they said goodbye, shortly before leaving, they told Harvest that should he, or anyone else in the park, need an extra helping hoof, either from them or one of their friends, they would only need to reach out.

As Rain and Starshine flew away, the gates to the park opened, allowing Harvest to enter, coming face-to-face with Starswirl, who politely bowed and welcomed him, saying 'Good evening, young Master Duran. I am glad to see you are doing better' and Harvest, in turn, greeted the Sorceror, after which he politely, yet worriedly, asked about the others, as he wondered where they were.

Recognising the concern in the Kirin's voice, Starswirl lead Harvest to through the park to the entrance to the Catacombs, from whence the thundering voice of Rockhoof, who was cheerfully singing aloud, could be heard echoing throughout the tunnels, which stopped only after Meadowbrook, who saw Starswirl and Harvest approach, called out to him, asking him to come topside.

It didn't take long for Harvest to hear the sounds of heavy hoofsteps getting continuously closer and louder, until Rockhoof's large head popped out of the hatch in a humerous, yet startling manner, causing the Kirin to jump and fall backwards, before he composed himself and allowed himself to chuckle at the strange situation, as he stood up and greeted the enormous Stallion.

The giant that he is, Rockhoof towered above the small Kirin, and, remembering his earlier meetings, he bowed down to help Harvest stand up, politely introducing himself to him, and asked him where he came from, as he explained that since he had not seen him before, he thought Harvest was a part of the group that had travelled down the tunnels a little while before.

Hearing this, Harvest's eyes grew in shock, and he tried to shove past the massive Earth Pony, but he was unable to, and was quickly stopped by the Pillars, who asked him, in a very confused tone, what could be so important for them to know that he felt the need to rush in, without even knowing where they had gone, or what laid at the other end of the tunnels. Harvest replied hastily, saying:

"It's complicated, but I want to make sure that they at least know what could happen..."

New Beginnings

All I would know was emptiness, loss, devastation, grief.

Though I never loved my town, and never really liked anyone who lived there, I knew them all.

They were all Ponies, hard workers with families and loved ones across the nation, and each and every single one of them was gone, slain without mercy.

Everyone, except for me.

A single Markless, who now had nothing.

Not even a name worth remembering.

I don't really remember what happened after. I know I fell to my knees, and I just cried.

And I think I did not stop crying for a very, very long time.

I was alone, I had nothing, I had nobody anymore.

Nobody, except for Luna and Celestia.

After I sunk to the floor, they embraced me in their wings, and we wept.

We must have sat there for hours, weeping uncontrollably, until they finally took me away. Together, they managed to lift me up, and brought me to their Palace.

When we finally arrived at their Palace, there was quite the commotion. Two Alicorns, bringing home a Markless Pony, to their grand Castle, was a thing unheard of at the time.

In fact, when I entered the grounds, I lost count of the amount of nobles who demanded my execution simply for daring to step foot in there.

All around me, I heard 'It's a scandal!', 'Begone with him!', or 'Put him to the sword'.

I still dream about the way that Celestia lost her temper, for it was the first time I had ever seen her like that.

I was only really used to Luna losing her temper, and letting her anger get out of control, but we always managed to help her calm down again.

Not Celestia.

Not this time.

Then again, I guess you shouldn't mess with the living embodiment of the Sun, let alone her favourite idiot. That isn't to say that Luna wouldn't have done the exact same, of course.

They were always there for me, as I was for them.

Still, now I was in the Royal Palace, and they thought I deserved a proper name and a title.

In the most astonishing act in over a millennium, I was crowned an actual Lord.

Luna gave me a new name too, and at the coronation, I was crowned Lord Bumi, a word in an ancient tongue, older even than Ponish, that they told me meant 'Guardian'.

I wore that name with pride.

From that day onwards, I was the head of the first joint legion of Royal Guards, and the only Guard out of all in the legion who was tasked with protecting both of the Princesses.

I loved that job, but I have to say, I never really truly felt like I fit in when I wasn't around Tia and Luna. This didn't happen often, though.

It was amazing that I was around them even more often than before.

Love

I was with them for many years, guarding the best I could, although, admittedly, very few times I actually ever had to fight anyone.

Most Ponies wouldn't dream of attacking a Princess, especially an Alicorn, so all I really had to do was to look pretty and keep the Princesses entertained.

Luckily for me, I never lost my talent for singing, and so, I serenaded them every day.

Their gentle words and compliments about my voice never failed to bring a bright redness to my face.

It was also around this time that I noticed they started using more... possessive pronouns, such as 'My Guard' or 'My Bumi'.

One time while Luna was half-asleep she called me her Dream, something that immediately woke her up, and what I never let her forget, and neither did Celly. It was too cute!

And I can't say it was a one-sided thing either.

Often, I would call them my Princesses, my Sun and my Moon, although, more often than not, I'd refer to them as Sunlight and Moonshine, names that only I could ever call them.

If anyone else tried, I'm fairly certain they would have been turned to dust right where they stood.

I wasn't afraid to call them those nicknames.

Even in front of Nobles they were meeting I'd call them that, and even though they would chastise me for it, I had a feeling they actually really liked it when I did.

Still, I was the only one who ever treated them like equals, or Royals, or Gods, and trust me, I wasn't afraid to let them know when I disagreed with them.

One of these times was when Celestia tried to make cake the symbol of the new nation of Equestria.

Goodness, that was a very long argument.

I even had to call for Luna to talk her out of it, but in the end, I won her over, and she didn't set cake as the symbol.

Although, she did try to make it part of my uniform as an emblem... By throwing a piece at my face.

Eventually, the happiest day of my life arrived. Little did I know then, but it would probably be the last happy day I would ever have.

I was heading to bed one night, for I was exhausted, and it happened to be the 'anniversary' of the day I had lost my home.

I just came back from visiting a memorial where the town once stood, when I found Celly and Luna in my chambers.

Needless to say, I was very surprised to find they were there.

Apparently, they had been waiting for me to return for quite a while, and before I could say anything, they embraced me and started...

Singing.

They sang the same song I always sung for them, and I gently sang along, still in their embrace. We held each other close, and we ended up confessing our love to each other.

From that point on, it was official. I had fallen in love with two Alicorn Princesses, and they had fallen in love with me.

It was the most incredible feeling that I doubt I'll ever forget.

I laughed as I gave both Lulu and Celly kisses as they kissed me and laughed in return, and we spent our first night together as partners - the first polyamorous couple in the history of the land, in fact.

Even though at that moment I could not be happier, and I doubted they could be either, I knew that it would have to end one day.

They would remain as I passed on, and everyone they would ever hold dear to them, if it were not their sister, would pass as they remained.

I woke up early in the morning and dried my tears, the feeling of one day having to leave them had become unbearable.

What would happen to them if- no, when I died?

My Worst Descision

I spent many years with the Princesses, happy as I could ever be, but all that time, in the back of my mind, I always knew I was mortal, and I would leave them eventually.

They knew how much I loved them, and I knew how much they loved me, and I couldn't help but think about the pain they would feel when my time would finally come.

Many nights I spent awake, embracing both of my loves, and trying to think of something, anything, that I could do that would prevent my passing.

Death comes to all, but for Alicorns, Dragons, and many other beings, they would live for aeons, hundreds of thousands of lifetimes of the world, and yet, they would remain, until at last, they too, shall pass.

In the grand scheme of things, my life may just have been a speck to them - an unnoticeable blip, a single moment, an easily forgotten instance of life, only one in thousands that they would meet over their lives.

One lifetime for me and other mortals would only feel like a second to them.

And these fears kept me awake, controlled me, haunted me to beyond my dreams.

I feared going to the afterlife, as I didn't know what would be on the other side.

But whatever may lay ahead, wherever it may be, I did not want to go if they would not be there.

But there was nothing I could do.

Now, looking back, I wish I had died naturally, so they would remember me as me, and would continue to hold me close to their heart with love, not with disgust and disdain.

One day, I decided that I would find a way to prevent it.

The worst decision I would ever make, one that I regret beyond belief.

But I had to do it.

I went into the Forbidden Sections of the Library, where I found a book, in which was written an ancient legend, and the last known location of a powerful magic artefact that was said to grant extended life:

The Golden Quill, and its companion, the Consecrated Notebook.

Back at the Park, Harvest, having explained his reasoning to the Pillars, and expressing grave concern over the possible danger that the Green Unicorn posed, asked the Pillars for their assistance and support, as he wished to inform them as quickly as possible, though, through the tunnels of the Catacombs, he did not know the way.

Upon hearing this, Starswirl called forth a number of Praetorian Guards, both to accompany Harvest and the Pillars as they traversed towards the other end of the tunnels, where they hoped to find the other group, safe and sound, as well as keep the area secured, should any intruder try to break into the park, aiming to wreak havoc.

After saluting the Guards, who split up into two separate groups, of which, one would escort the four from the park through the tunnels, while the other would make sure the park stayed secure, Starswirl took to the front of the group as he led Harvest and the other pillars through the underground tunnels to the other exit, hoping that the hallways were stable and secure.

Though, while leading the group, Starswirl continuously had to be waited upon by the others, as he could not stop himself from focusing on the intricate details of specific parts of the tunnels that they walked through, frequently, yet silently, cursing himself and his curiosity, as he knew, by Harvest's account, that their help could be gravely needed by the other group.

Eventually, after passing the Surveillance office, where they found the note that Light had left, still on the table beneath the running screens, the Bearded Sorceror could not stop himself from investigating the long and ancient halls of the Catacombs, and told the others to go on without him, as he reckoned that the other exit would not be far away.

Incredulously, Harvest and Meadowbrook stared at Starswirl as he absent-mindedly wandered into yet another branching corridor, followed closely by one of the accompanying Praetorian Guards, which was then, in turn, closely followed by loud scolding coming from the tunnel whither the Sorceror and Guard had gone, about breaking his focus and disturbing his peace.

Not wishing to dwell upon the irony of the situation, Meadowbrook and Harvest began to speak with one another over what they would do, when Rockhoof spoke up to tell them that he would stay with Starswirl, and asked the remaining Guards to escort the two smaller beings to the other end of the tunnels, as he figured that they would need their support more than he would.

The two gave him a small and bittersweet smile as he bowed to them, wishing them the best, and promised that they would meet in the park again very soon, after which, the large Stallion walked towards the corridor from whence Starswirl's loud and arrogant voice could still be heard, clear as crystal, while Harvest and Meadowbrook, along with a pair of Guards for them both, headed on.

Though it did not fully sit right with them, as they left Rockhoof and Starswirl behind, Harvest and Meadowbrook continued on, reaching the other end of the tunnels with relative ease, comforted by the fact that the collapsed parts of the structure seemed to only be those closest to the park, where much more stress could have built up over many aeons that the tunnels could have been here.

Meanwhile, elsewhere outside of the park, having felt a strange disturbance, one that they had not felt in aeons, a hooded figure appeared over the hill in the distance, and calmly made their way over to the gates, while the supervising Guards, who did not recognise the figure, asked them to turn around and leave, to come back another time. The figure stood still for a moment, and said:

"You might want to get away from there..."

As a strange metallic ball rolled towards the gates, with a burning fuse in its side...

Parting Ways

Not only would these two artefacts grant the owner an extended life, they would also allow them to cast incredibly powerful magic - something I was unable to do, despite being a Unicorn.

As luck would have it, these artefacts were already in the Archives of the Palace of the Princesses.

I took them quite easily, and found myself strengthened, as if a hidden power was unlocked within.

I had hoped the Quill and Notebook would have been enough, until I read in the book that it would only extend one's life outside of the universe one obtained it.

I would have to leave, to stay forever.

I cursed my lack of knowledge, my hastiness, my incredible foolhardiness.

I threw down the book and set it ablaze, just as I noticed it also held a map, which I quickly tore out.

The map was slightly singed and the paper around it was burnt, but it described a path to the lair of an ancient creature, said to be a Demon of great power:

Kar-min-bis.

I didn't expect to be make a deal with this demon, so I tried to think of something else.

Then, I found the power that had been unlocked was to drain others of magic and life - after accidentally draining another Guard, who fell unconscious...

Luckily, he ended up alright. I knew I had to be careful around others because of this, though...

If I could drain this demon's power, perhaps I could stay forever.

I spent a while thinking of a way to leave the Palace for a few days without having the Princesses worry too much.

Fortunately, yet painfully too, they had recently moved from their former Palace to the Palace of the Two Sisters, that stood in the clearing in the forest where we first met.

I made my plans to leave and return as quickly as I could.

Looking back, it aches my heart to see Luna was preparing for a wedding, hoping I wouldn't notice.

Tasting cakes, ordering decorations, so many things to prepare...

I told them I was heading on a scouting mission, to which they replied they wanted me back soon, to mark the day that we met for the first time.

It took all my strength to hold back my tears as I set out that day.

I could have stopped.

I could have proposed, then and there.

I could have accepted my fate.

Perhaps we could have looked for a solution together.

But I left the official papers with Celestia, and I headed off to the demon's lair, after promising them to return as soon as possible.

Little did I know, that would be the last time I ever saw them smile...

A Terrible Deed

After days of travelling, I finally arrived at my destination.

I knew the Princesses were worried sick, but I told myself that all would be fine.

I'd just tell them I got lost, or kidnapped by some Griffons or Dragons until I managed to slay them. Any story, really, would work.

Perhaps, one day, I could even tell them the truth once we were truly together and I had nothing left to hide.

Until then, I continued making my way to the lair of the Demon.

Looking back at all I have done, all I have been through, everything that I have experienced, it is the thing that I regret most in my life.

I didn't even know what I was doing at the time.

But, it turns out, going behind the backs of the Princesses and trying to steal forbidden power was highly punishable.

Big surprise, eh?

I was a fool.

I don't know why I went on.

If I had stopped and thought about my next step for even a moment, a single instance of thinking about the consequences, I could have prevented all of this.

I could have turned around.

I could have returned to Luna and Celly.

I would have been alright.

But I went on, into the belly of the beast, and I succeeded.

Oh, why did I have to succeed?

I didn't realise what was happening until it was too late.

After the Demon's power took hold of me, as I absorbed it, it bound itself to my mind and soul, and it controlled me.

Hate, anger, greed, any emotion I held was taken and amplified one hundred-fold.

It became a voice in my mind, that held a hunger that could not be satiated, and that was the first time the Monster appeared.

I was a prisoner in my own mind, forced to watch with eyes that did not sleep, ears that heard everything, and senses of smell, and taste, and touch, so strong, that I doubt I'll ever be able to forget what It did, what I went through.

I wish I had never woken up, that I had stayed as that Monster, that I had died as it.

Because when I woke up, everything was different.

No longer was I in the cave.

Everywhere I looked, with eyes that could see everything, I saw bodies, drained of life, and magic, and blood.

Not just Ponies, but Griffons, Dragons, any living creature that tried to stop It, that got in the way, or even that was just in the area close to It.

Elders, children, adults, it did not matter.

Everyone It came across was torn to shreds.

Three days.

It took three days before I woke up again.

And when I woke up, that's when I saw them...

While Harvest and Meadowbrook, accompanied by a number of Praetorian Guards, headed towards the other exit to the Catacombs, Rockhoof and a single Praetorian Guard were watching over Starswirl, who was erraticly moving around the branching tunnels, searching for any hint of knowledge about this strange, magical place, and writing down whatever he found, as anything could be of use.

Suddenly, further to the beginning parts of the Catacombs, closer to the exit that lead to Pie Park, Rockhoof heard low, rumbling echoes, which sounded like explosions, and the sounds of other commotion coming from the direction of the park, leading to firmly holding his spare, anticipating the ceiling to come crashing down again, as it had before, though fortunately, it held strong.

Shortly after, they he a breeze roll over him, which felt as if a wave of darkness just flowed throughout the tunnels, followed by a gentle voice, and more echoing sounds, though, strangely enough, with these sounds, a slight vibration came, that Rockhoof could feel through the ground, after which he turned to the Guard, and told them to keep an eye on Starswirl for a moment.

The Guard nodded and saluted the large Stallion, who slowly and carefully moved back to the main tunnels, from whence he knew the strange noises and feelings had come, and headed towards the exit to Pie Park, still holding his spade, not knowing what he might encounter, for who could move the entirety of the strange, dark magic that the tunnels held, if not a being of great power?

Closer to the Park hatch, after the intruder had tossed the bag with a lit fuse, it detonated, covering the entire area in a dense mist, causing all the Guards to lose their bearings, as they could not see a hoof in front of their face, which allowed the intruder to quickly make their way into the Tunnels, all the while barely making a sound.

Before they walked further into the Catacombs, they felt there was a strange power emanating from the tunnels that laid ahead, and as they felt unable to use their magic, they took out their quill and wrote upon another parchment, finding just enough room in the magic well of the Catacombs to cast the spell, and as they walked on, singing a tune to themselves, shadows protected them.

The deep and heavy, rumbling sounds of the tunnels, that appeared to be repairing themselves, as the intruder, cloaked in shadows, slowly walked onward, reverberated throughout the area, reaching the ears of Rockhoof, who had by now reached the Surveillance Office, where he had a glimpse on the monitors that still flickered in the room, finding that the Guards, topside, were scattered.

Knowing he would be unable to reach the Guards in the park to help them, Rockhoof took a deep sigh and took up a defensive position, standing defiantly in the hallway, awaiting whomever may have gotten into the park, and subsequently, the tunnels, as the echoing sounds of rock and stone got ever closer, when he noticed an additional sound, akin to breathing, echoing around him.

Turning the corner, the intruder, covered by a cloak and cloaked in shadow, came face to face with Rockhoof, the tall Stallion towering over the smaller figure, standing broadly and blocking the hallway, who noticed, behind the figure, strange, dark blobs lined the edges and corners of the tunnels, with nary a single pebble left on the ground after the cloaked figure had walked past.

The two beings, near equals in power in wholly distinct areas, faced each other, and after a moment of tense silence, Rockhoof asked the cloaked figure what their goal was and why they were here, to which the figure replied their goals were their own, and asked the same question in response to the large Stallion, as well as requesting him to pass towards the other exit.

Neither willing to give a hoof of distance, they bowed to each other in respect, and prepared to fight.

A Lonely Path

When I woke up, I saw them standing a distance away.

The Princesses, holding a spear of pure silver, and standing by them, a group of priests, holding vials of Holy Water, and drenching the spear with it.

An instance later, the spear found its mark in my shoulder, and it burnt, and froze, and I was in unspeakable pain.

The look of pure and utter hatred, disdain, and disgust on their faces, I can't ever forget.

They took the spear and Holy Water and stabbed me, continuously, over and over again.

I tried to stand up, tried to speak, but to no avail.

At the time, I didn't even realise how quickly I was healing, nor how much it hurt as my body restored itself, tearing itself back together.

Eventually, I managed to grab a hold of the spear with my magic, and threw it to the side.

Firstly, Luna spoke: "Begone with thee, foul beast! Thou hast stained our lands with thy wickedness and thou hast disgraced thyself!"

Then, Celestia's voice thundered throughout the land, and everywhere around me, I heard: "Leave now, Markless. You are no longer our Lord. Do not ever return, lest we are forced to kill the last memory we have of our love, you monster!"

Even through her anger, I could tell she was holding back tears, and pain. So much pain...

I tried to speak, tried to beg for forgiveness, but I never could.

I could only watch as they stood there and cursed me.

And I ran.

I just kept running, for days on end, and I did not stop running, or crying, or cursing myself for my foolishness, cursing the Monster that took hold of me.

I never saw them again.

For many years, my name was nothing.

It did not matter anymore, I would never be closer to anyone, so I didn't bother.

Over one hundred years after that day, after I was attacked by yet another gang of Raiders, I finally got my Mark, and with it, the new name I chose.

Both to remember who I was, and for whom I needed to find a way to redeem myself.

Boomlord.

It's been a long time since then.

I have lost count of the years since I last saw them.

I do not know if I still desire their forgiveness, as that was all I told myself for years on end.

I would do anything to have those days of peace and love back.

Maybe, one day, someone will show mercy and end my endless life. Perhaps, then, I shall finally know peace

In the mean time, I'll do my best, helping others, perhaps finding a way to get rid of the Monster.

Maybe, then, finally, I can look them in the eye again.

Until then, I'll be the weapon they tried to hide from themselves, I'll be the unheard song, the greatest Stallion in history, always trying to find a way to say I'm sorry.

And none shall stand in my way, lest they be destroyed.

I just wish to see them smile again...

When Light finished the last page, they took a deep breath as they closed the book, then, while they looked around the room, their heart and mind felt heavier than before they had started reading, and they knew, whatever energy or power was present in the room, it had increased in magnitude, as nobody, not even the Princesses, sat, stunned, unable to stop themselves from crying.

Even Harvest and Meadowbrook, whom Light had quietly greeted as they entered around halfway through the book, despite not knowing the whole story, felt overwhelmed by many feelings and emotions, and together, everycreature sat in silence, and allowed themselves a moment, to process their feelings and think about everything that Light had read about the Pony they knew as Boom.

Nobody dared move a muscle, not due to fear, but due to intense, emotional pain, which they all felt in their hearts, though none felt it more so than the Princesses, whose entire perspective had shifted after hearing the story of the Green Unicorn whom they once knew dearly, seeing his actions and reactions in a new light, and finding peace, not having to hold on to hatred anymore.

After what felt like an eternity, Light made the first movement after wiping away their tears, as they placed the book in their bag, and in its place, took out a small note, that only they knew about, as they explained to the others, that when they left the Medical Centre, and they raced back to grab their bag, they had taken along the unknown satchel, in which, they found this note.

While Light started to explain the last missing pieces of the puzzle, back in the tunnels, the clash between Rockhoof and the intruder had come to an impasse, as both had spent all of their energy trying to defeat the other, though, equal as they were, neither overpowered the other, and they sat, breathing heavily, exhausted, yet barely hurt, beyond a few light scratches.

As neither had the energy to stand against the other, the two opponents engaged in small talk with each other, complimenting the other's fighting style, and laughing, as if speaking with an old friend, until Rockhoof asked his cloaked opponent what they wished to do, to which they replied that they felt a disturbance, and headed to the park, where they found the Catacombs.

They knew, when they got close to the tunnels, that their magic would be of little use, but when they saw the state of the hallways, and the many remains of collapsed tunnels, they felt they had to do something, and cast a peculiar spell to reinforce the walls and ceilings, which is what caused the strange gust of wind and the strange blobs in the corners of the repaired hallways.

Though Rockhoof was confused for a moment since he was unfamiliar with many types of magic, knowing he was still mostly a stranger in this time, he nodded and accepted this answer, then, as he gently stood up, leaning on his trusty spade, told his opponent he would slowly head to his fellow Pillars further in the tunnels, to see if they required any assistance.

The cloaked figure took off their hood revealing their dark haired visage, and they raised themselves to their hooves, using the wall as support, and, with a limp, carefully walked over to the larger Stallion, as one of their forelegs was hurt, and, walking side-by-side with the Earth Pony, headed towards the end of the tunnels, with blobs of shadow trailing behind them as they did.

Meanwhile, Starswirl and the Praetorian Guard had continued walking further into the tunnels, moving swiftly and erratically without counting their steps, nor noting whether they turned a corner, leading the Guard to mark any turn with a small cross on the wall, constantly having to catch up to the old Sorceror, who kept mumbling to himself, speaking about some ancient history.

That is, until he stopped to look at an engraved wall, and quietly said:

"It is unfortunate that I missed many things while I was in Limbo. But I am glad to have missed this..."

Looking around the room after having heard the entirety of the book and the story of the Green Unicorn, and seeing all the ancient artefacts of ages past, it became clear to everyone why their hearts felt burdened by strong emotions, as all of these artefacts, the armour, blades, rings, and many other items scattered about, were all connected to the Princesses and their lost future.

The armour that their protector wore when first assigned to be their Guard, ornately crafted knives to match one another, to help defend themselves and those they loved, wedding rings, unused, but so close to completing their one true love, and an old painting, showing a more complete, unbothered time, one Luna and Celestia wouldn't ever get back after losing their love.

After losing the one they loved, seeing what became of them, the memory of the one who wore the armour, who wielded the blade, for whom the wedding ring was made and who was portrayed on the painting, the memories became too difficult to bare, and, unable to ease the pain, they sealed it away, kept it hidden and forgotten about for aeons, until Light managed to open the room.

Through their deep breaths and chaotic thoughts, their memories from that time so long ago finally seen from a new perspective, changing their entire view on the matter, Celestia and Luna asked Light how they managed to get here, to this room, upon which they remembered they had put a sealing spell, unable to be opened save for the combined power of both of the Alicorn sisters.

Grabbing the note again, Light said that while they weren't sure when this happened, at one point, they must have been visited by someone, when nobody else was around, who left the satchel of items, among which was the book that told the tale of their lost special one, as well as the key that opened the secret door, and a note, with small explanations that told a great tale.

The note that they found explained this room was originally used for other purposes, not just to store the items that were too painful to lay eyes upon again, and though the Princesses had put sealing spells upon the door, and hid away the stairs and this room, there was a kept, kept from them for aeons, and when they used it, the door's mechanism overpowered their magic.

Whether it was fate or just coincidence, they did not know, but when the tunnels collapsed, and Light, Decaf and Banana were trapped behind the piles of rubble, they were lucky to find that the Catacombs lead to the ruined Castle, where, after only a little while of looking around, they managed to uncover the doorway and find this hidden room, joined later by the others.

After a moment of silence, allowing the Princesses to work through more of what they heard, Banana spoke up, and said that on the night that the Princesses and he left the Centre, after Luna first contacted Light, he remembered seeing a shadowy figure through the window in the door, but he had written this off as a product of his own fatigue, and had thought of it no more.

For a single moment, Light's ear twitched, as Celestia continued, adding to Banana's account, saying when he stopped and walked back to look at the room, she asked him to join her to her Palace, both because she needed help to support her sister, who had spent her energy speaking with Light while they were unconscious, but also to offer him and his friends a place to rest.

It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of their hearts, able to remember their past love with more fondness for them than hatred for the Monster that had claimed them, although, they continued, they would always have to live with the knowledge of what they lost, but Light simply smiled and said this may not be the case, as they nodded towards the back of the room.

There, walking next to Rockhoof, they saw the Green Unicorn, who said:

"I guess I owe you an explanation, don't I?"

11: Unlocked

Unbeknownst to them, as Light, Decaf and Banana had managed to leave the Catacombs via another exit, though where, they themselves did not know, the remaining beings in the park stayed together and waited until everyone had gathered again, arriving a little while after leaving for their respective realms, with reinforcements they had summoned from all over the land.

Starswirl appeared first and without warning, startling both Caff and Eclipse, who did not expect him to teleport to close to them, let alone with Rockhoof, a giant Earth Pony thrice their height, though fortunately, the uneasiness of the visage of his massive, imposing figure was lifted swiftly when he bowed down and politely greeted the others, his mannerisms putting them at ease.

Shortly after the two Pillars arrived, another bright flash, further away, was followed by Celestia, who appeared from around the corner with a cohort of Guards, among whom were a number of the elite Praetorian Guards, and, before joining the group near the alley, gave commands to some of the Guards, who split from the group and spread out over the area of the park.

As Celestia walked over to greet the rest of the group, a smile appeared on her face when seeing Eclipse was doing better, as Meadowbrook said that they were near their full strength once again, after they had exhausted themselves, running back and forth between the town and the park, and the Alicorns greeted each other with a gentle embrace.

While the others were making pleasant small talk with each other, Starswirl looked around, grateful for the assistance that the others had managed to gather, and started counting the present beings, for, as impatient as he was, he wished to start his own investigation into the Catacombs, for the mysteries surrounding these tunnels greatly intrigued him.

When he finished counting, he asked the Princesses Luna and Celestia whether they had heard any news of Nox, who had returned to her own Realm far to the East of Equestria, and they replied they had not, but although they had not received any word, they were certain she would arrive any moment now, for she had longest to travel, and did not have a way to remain in contact.

While the others were gathering in the park and wondering where Nox was, at that very moment, in Canterlot, she had decided to pay a visit to Harvest, who, fortunately, had awoken, and said he wished to join her to the park, and expected to leave the hospital soon, but until then, Nox promised him she would stay in touch, after which, she left the Centre and headed for the park.

For Nox and her cohort of Guards, the way from the Mountain, upon which Canterlot stood, to the park, fortunately, was very short, as they travelled the distance with winged speed, reaching the park only a little while after they had left Canterlot, unintentionally startling many of the visiting guests with the sudden skybound appearance of her and her Guards.

Kicking up dust with the gust of wind they produced as they landed, Nox and her Guards approached the group and, like the others before her, greeted them, and apologised for her tardiness, as she explained she took a detour to visit a friend, who was recovering in Canterlot, and Starswirl, still coughing because of the dust Nox kicked up, accepted this reason, and turned to the group.

Since everyone was now present, and the park was being secured by Celestia's cohort of Guards, Starswirl laid out the plan, which would start with Rockhoof, who would, along with a number of Guards, clear the collapsed tunnel, and, with pure strength if needed, keep the tunnels stable while the others searched the tunnels to find the ones who had been trapped.

"Stay alert, and move with caution. Stay close, and follow the lights."

While the legion of Guards, under command of the Princesses and Starswirl, along with the help of many other present beings, started clearing the collapsed tunnels, on the other side of the Catacombs, a great distance away from where they first entered, Decaf, Banana and Light found themselves in a strange place, surrounded by trees and stones of many hues of green and grey.

Looking around the strange place in which they found themselves, only having learnt of areas like these in historical texts, not yet certain of where they were, they took in the magnificence of the crumbling constructions, covered with minuscule, yet intricately sculpted and brilliantly detailed carvings of a great variety of insignia, most of which they had never seen before.

As they were walking around the area, where they felt the air was thick, and the use of magic was, akin to when they were in the Catacombs, greatly diminished, on occasion, deep and heavy rumbling was heard from all around them, though whether from the collapsing underground tunnels or the weakening structure, they did not know, but they stuck closely together, lest everything collapses.

Unknowingly, they had spent much time in the Catacombs, and as the afternoon sun was setting, giving way to twilight, the beautiful colours of the night sky shining through the turbulent clouds and trees all around them, the three stuck closer together, as they each kept a watchful eye on the others aware of the legends and the history connected to places like this.

Though neither Banana nor Light could use their magic to their full extent, it allowed them just enough use to ignite their torches, risking some more light in the great halls they found themselves in, and as they were walking around, straying further away from the hatch with each step, Light carefully noted and marked the path they took, and kept an eye on the hatch.

For the moment, as they searched the area for the closest door, hatch or window through which to exit, if anything were to fail, wary of each step they took, carefully investigating the large pillars that held up the ceiling, they found no signs of wear, either on the decorated pillars, nor the ceiling above them, though they saw walls were weakened, and avoided them.

A short distance away from whence they first stepped into the courtyard of stone, they came upon a grand door, many times their size, engraved, like the walls and pillars, with incredible detail, seemingly crafted out of silver and gold, and, after making sure the arch the door was placed in was stable, with colossal effort from the three, they opened the doors, with loud, echoing noises.

Covering their ears as the doors opened, in the distance, from beyond the trees they could see, the cries of many creatures, the likes of which the trio hoped to never encounter, were heard, that echoed throughout the area, evidently startled by the volume of the opening doors, which had remained closed for a very long time, and the three stepped through, finding an even greater hall.

The walls were lined with tapestries, the size of which made the doors pale in comparison, beautifully crafted and covered with a great variety of colours, the symbols upon them showing to whom this area belonged, though none dared speak, for the evil that permeated the area lingered, and they did not dare invoke the name that instilled great fear into the hearts of all but a few.

Quivering in every fibre of their being, the mere thought of the presence of another being besides themselves compelling them to stop, yet still moving forward to the centre of the hall they had entered, eventually, in the distance, where the carpet they were walking upon stopped and gave way to a flight of stairs, they saw a pair of thrones, side by side, overlooking the hall. Finally, Light broke the silence and spoke:

"So this is whither the Catacombs lead..."

Back in the Medical Centre in Canterlot, shortly after Nox had left to head to the park after visiting Harvest, the news reporter spoke of Boom's escape, along with his sarcastic, yet insightful comments about the state of security in the city, adding to his growing list of infamous accomplishments, leaving every Guard in the area on high alert.

The only being in the room when the news report appeared was Harvest, for Nox had left earlier, and the Nurse had not yet returned, and the news worried him greatly, not only for the safety of Ponies and other beings in the city, but also, in particular, all of his friends who had gone to the park to help recover Light and their friends who had gotten trapped.

The note that Light had left for Harvest helped him remain calm when he first woke up, finding himself alone in a bed in the Centre, as tired as he was, after using such a strange and foreign power, of which he never knew, nor realised he had the ability to wield it to help others, even though it required great focus and the help of a great Sorcerer to help him unlock his strength.

Shortly after the news report finished, which had moved over to the weather, showing a warning for potentially dangerous storms in the following few days, the Nurse re-entered Harvest's room, who was told, in no uncertain terms by Harvest, that he was feeling much better, even after just a little bit of rest, and was asked if he could leave the Centre to rejoin his friends.

The Nurse, whom Nox implored to take very good care of the exhausted Kirin, subconsciously fearing the possible repercussions that the Dragon-Pony would unleash upon her, replied that she believed him when Harvest said he felt better, but she wasn't entirely sure, so she would ask the Doctor for certainty, as their second opinion would help, and left the room to search for them.

Though he knew that waiting for both the Nurse and Doctor to return would be wise, and despite personally having known him for a very long time, Harvest, still highly concerned over the great threat that the Lord of Destruction posed to everyone, stealthily snuck out of his bed, into the hall, and ran out the door, all while figuring out how to get to Ponyville as quickly as he could.

Remembering the note that Light had left for him, which explained that Luna and Starswirl had teleported them and the group, including Nox, to the town, but still drained of magical energy after reawakening Light, Harvest knew he had to figure out a way to get to the park quickly, for a myriad of reasons, but magic means would not be possible for the present.

He quickly ran through the alternative options in his mind, including travel by train, which he knew would take a long time between Canterlot and Ponyville, and, if at all possible for a wingless being like himself, flight, for the park was close to Canterlot, as the crow flies, as he knew that Nox arrived quickly after leaving, having been able to watch them from his room.

As he was running towards the Centre of town, from whence he knew he would have the greatest number of options when he decided what to do, when a familiar voice called out from above him, Harvest stopped running and looked up, finding it was Starshine, and flying next to her, Light Rain, both friends of his friends, and whom landed next to him to chat.

Though he tried to be as polite as possible, Harvest explained to both Pegasi that he had to get back to Ponyville as soon as he could, as he had very little time to spare, but before he could continue, they stopped him, and said that since they were on their way to Ponyville themselves, if he wished, he could join them to the town, after which, from there, he could make his way to the park.

Before Harvest could object, both Pegasi had lifted him up, noting he felt light as a feather, and raced off to Ponyville.

While Harvest was on his way, flying towards Ponyville, carried by Starshine and Rain, the tunnels were being cleared, under careful guidance of Starswirl and the Princesses, who were, with the help of Rockhoof, whose strength was invaluable to the excavation, making good progress, and Light, together with Decaf and Banana, was quietly moving about the ruins in which they ended up.

Throughout history, the mysteries and legends surrounding this place, originating from the accounts of the devastating tragedy that happened here many years ago, of which, most had been taught to foals as they grew up, warning them to never try to find this place, had kept folks away, leading the building to fall into disrepair, and causing its inhabitants to leave it to ruin.

Carefully checking the floor every step they took, lest they activate some strange hidden mechanism that had been built into the construction, all the while quietly talking with each other over the tragic and malicious history of the area in which they ended up, the trio slowly made their way to the two thrones, that stood side by side on the landing at the top of the stairs.

Wary of every tiny movement they noticed in the corner of their eye, through the dim, flickering shadows cast upon their surroundings by the small torches that had been lit up, the three stuck closely together, and, after they reached the top of the stairs, found the floor was littered with shards of coloured glass, broken after the window behind the thrones had been left to the elements.

While they were gently shoving away the shards, trying to make a path for themselves to reach the upper levels, connected via other flights of stairs, making sure to do so as carefully as possible, to minimize the risk of injury, on the other side of the Catacombs, through the darkness that had fallen, the first obstacles had been cleared, and the tunnel had been reinforced.

Eventually, when the Royal Guards, sent out by Celestia to secure the park, started helping clear the collapsed tunnels, after they were switched with the Night Guards, led to the park by Nox, all of whom had excellent dark vision, through their combined effort, the blocked hallways were swiftly cleared after, including some tunnels they had not yet traversed.

For now, though Starswirl wished to document their findings by investigating the other tunnels that had been uncovered, the Princesses implored him to focus on finding the others first and foremost, to which he begrudgingly agreed, and eventually, Rockhoof's voice bellowed throughout the Catacombs, saying he could see the door to the Surveillance office, but no trace of the others.

Concerned for the safety of their friends, led by the Praetorian Guards, everyone, save for the Pillars, who tended to other duties, headed to the Surveillance office, where, upon the table under the screens, all of which had been undamaged, they found a note, left by Light, noting that with Decaf and Banana, they had travelled further into the tunnels, as they found another exit.

After reading the note, while Nox, Caff, Eclipse and the Princesses, all of whom relieved beyond belief to read the others were alright, headed down another tunnel, back in the ruins, having reached the second level without injury, Decaf spoke to the others, pointing out that she found a strange hole in the wall, shaped like it was fit for a key, though no visible doorway anywhere.

Decaf's words made Light's mind and heart race, as they started searching through their bag, pulling out an old key, to the surprise of Banana and Decaf, for they had never seen it before, and after they inserted the key and turned it, the very foundations of the palace shook, and, in the Catacombs from whence they came, Celestia and Luna suddenly shuddered, which greatly confused them.

As the wall gave way, Light thought:

"What could this be...?"

The rest of the group, who had continued walking after Nox asked the question, stopped to turn around, seeing the Princesses, standing still, putting their hooves to their heads, and appearing extremely distressed, for no apparent reason, after which they told the others they needed to take a moment, before taking a seat on the floor of the tunnels, breathing deeply, trying to stay calm.

The sisters, who had moved to the wall for support as they were seated, continuously looking between each other and the group, said they felt a great and intense variety of feelings, which they could not properly explain, save for the fact that they knew that something, somewhere, had changed, which had a profound impact upon them, though they knew neither why, nor whence it came.

Getting more worried about her family, Nox gently and carefully moved closer to her Aunt and Mother, and asked if they could describe what they were feeling, to which they replied that it felt as though a massive burden had been lifted, and their mind had been cleared, yet, when the burden was lifted, an overwhelming wave of grief, anger, despair and joy came in its place.

Anything that they tried to take to help ease their pain faltered, as they continued their explanation, that they felt that these feelings, these emotions, were connected somehow, as if they were lost memories, and the fact that both of them felt very similar, if not identical, feelings, showed that whatever happened moments ago, it had involved both of them, a long time ago.

With tears forming in their eyes that showed no signs of stopping, and with a great pain in their chest, Luna and Celestia held each other's hooves, trying to reassure their sister, but this failed, as their breaths became heavier, and their tears grew to intense crying, after which they gently embraced each other with their wings, joined shortly after by Nox, Eclipse and Caff.

When the sisters looked at each other, at that moment, something clicked in their minds, and memories flooded back, from a very long time ago, allowing them to connect the extremely strong emotions they felt to what they remembered, and they dried their tears, stood up, and hurried down the tunnels, their minds and hearts focused on only one thing, and the others followed shortly.

Just a little bit further down the tunnels, through the courtyard of stone, on the second floor of the ruined palace, Light, Banana and Caff had started walking down a flight of stairs, which appeared behind the wall that had moved away after Light had used the key, leading downwards to some strange, hidden area in the castle, hidden and undiscovered for eons since its abandonment.

The area was dark, and both Banana and Light had to continuously focus on keeping their torches lit, shining more brightly than before, which turned out to be a great challenge, for while they were trying to light the way, they still needed to be careful with every step they took, in case of a hidden mechanism that they activated, potentially injuring either themselves, or the others.

Fortunately, though progress was slow, and it took a while before they got to the bottom of the stairs, they managed to get there without any problems, for Decaf's sharp eyesight helped them immensely, as she carefully checked every step of the stairs, until they found themselves in a small, open area, where they felt a great and strange power flowing throughout the halls.

Soon after walking into the halls, where the walls were lined with torches, that lit up as they walked past, giving Banana and Light a moment to rest, they came upon a door, engraved with a plaque, which made Light pull a different book out of their bag, in disbelief, after reading it, and as they opened the door, walking into the room, they read the title aloud:

"The Rise and Fall of the Markless Lord"

Not wishing to be left behind due to Light's speed, Banana and Decaf had no choice but to follow the Kirin into the room, which held a large number of strange and unique artefacts, unable to take a moment to look at the plaque upon the door, that seemed to close by itself, shortly after entering after Light, who had paused in the middle of the room, and was breathing heavily.

For a single moment, Decaf and Banana were concerned over Light, and their own safety, fearing they might turn Nirik again, until a split second later, when something, that felt like a wave of emotions hit them, without warning and with great force, making their chests and hearts feel heavy, and making it difficult to breathe properly, just like Light, who they now stood next to.

Though Light was focused on the book they had grabbed shortly before walking in, they now noticed that Decaf and Banana joined them to their sides, and, after noticing they were feeling unwell, for the powerful energy in the room appeared to be too much for them to handle for the moment, and placed the book on the ground, giving a reassuring smile and nod to their friends.

The three took a seat on the floor, which was, like many other places they had found in the palace, beautifully decorated, as were the walls and pillars, and the items held within the room, which confused the three, for why would these artefacts, clearly masterfully crafted, ornately decorated with gems and gold, be hidden so well, behind a false wall, in a derelict palace?

Eventually, the energy in the room, whatever it may have been and from wherever it may have come, it became too overwhelming for the two young Ponies, whose eyes started welling up as they grabbed their chests, and started crying more intensely, which made Light put their arms around the two and gently pulled them closer for an embrace, allowing them to let out their emotions.

Through their heavy, tearful breaths, both Banana and Decaf, who had, fortunately, managed to calm down somewhat in Light's gentle and protective embrace, in a frustrated and exhausted tone, asked Light to explain what was going on, and to answer the question that Banana had asked in the tunnels, and Light agreed, for it would be the least they could do for them.

At the same time, Celestia and Luna had reached the exit of the Catacombs, with Caff, Eclipse and Nox following them out shortly afterwards, and immediately, they knew where they had ended up, though as for where the others were, they would have to trust the judgments of the Princesses, whose pace had quickened as they ran into the greatly damaged palace with winged speed.

Though every present being possessed a pair of wings, which, if they had started flying, would have sped up their chase tremendously, since they knew Caff was unable to fly, they chose to run, which caused the three to have trouble keeping up with the Princesses, who had already entered the great halls, and who were frantically looking around for any sign of entry anywhere.

It did not take long before they ran up to the second level, finding the secret wall, which Light had opened with an old and rusted key, that was still in the lock, that, after looking at each other, confirming that the breaking of the sealing wards caused their surge of emotions in the tunnels, lead them to call out to the others that they knew where the trapped group had gone to.

Before they could run down the staircase, Nox called out to her Mother and Aunt, asking them, for a moment to catch their breath, having run for quite a distance to a place that they were not comfortable, and though Luna stayed with the group, Celestia ran downstairs, where she carefully opened the door, finding Decaf and Banana in Light's gentle embrace.

As the overwhelming wave of emotions hit her, and she fell to her knees, she cried out, in a barely audible voice:

"I can't remember... why does it hurt so much?"