Vallorithby Prince of CaviaChapters1. Prisoner2. Kranou3. Frankania4. Star1. Prisoner"Wake up." The Prisoner woke up, and looked around. The cell was small and dark. Everything was very blurry. "You were shaking. You must have had a nightmare. Are you okay?" the second prisoner said. She was a young Earth Pony mare, with an orange coat and red mane. She wore a metal collar on her neck. It was chained to the wall. The awoken prisoner nodded. "You were asleep for a long time. Not even the storm could wake you up. I am Apple Bloom. What's your name?" the Earth Pony said. The awoken prisoner had trouble with speaking, but after a while, finally answered. "Sweetie Belle." "Nice to meet you. I wish we could meet in better circumstances," Apple Bloom answered. There was short silence, as the Prisoner looked around the cell once more. The Earth Pony mare looked about her age, maybe between eighteen and twenty. She didn't have a cutie mark. "Where are we?" Sweetie asked. "You don't remember? We are on a cavian pirate ship. Damn rats attacked my ship, stole my goods and threw me into this cell. You were here already, and were asleep the whole time." Sweetie's head hurt. She didn't remember encountering the Cavians. Last thing she remembered was boarding a merchant ship sailing to Vallorith. This, and the nightmare… "Any idea where they are taking us?" Sweetie asked. "I don't know, but I don't think we should wait to find out. I heard that Unicorns are good at magic. Can you help us get out of here?" Sweetie Belle attempted to charge her horn, but was unable to do it. She couldn't muster the arcane energy to even get her horn to glow. Her magic was completely drained. Apple Bloom reached behind her ear with her hoof. Small crystal fell on the floor. She pushed this crystal towards Sweetie Belle. "Here, have this one. I managed to keep them from taking it," she said, and gave the crystal to Sweetie Belle. The unicorn looked carefully at the crystal. Then she took a bite. The fragile crystal broke into powder, and released some magical energy. Sweetie Belle felt the magical energy of the crystal being transferred to her. She charged her horn, and a green aura illuminated the cell. Sweetie Belle tried to get her collar off, but was unable to. "It was worth a try," Apple Bloom said. In the distance, she heard a door being opened. "Guards are coming. Don't let them see you doing magic or they will drain you again, or worse." The two prisoners sat in silence. Sweetie Belle looked behind the bars. Three creatures walked by the cell. They were quadrupedal, slightly shorter than a Pony, and looked a bit like fat rats. Two of them were wearing simple chainmail armor, and had rugged and dirty fur. The third one was wearing a better version of the armor. He had black eyes and well groomed, smooth, brown fur. He had a strange amulet on his neck, and had a sword that glowed in faint yellow light. He looked at Sweetie Belle and smiled. He looked at the other guards. “Abre la celda,” he said in a foreign language. One of the guards took out the keys and opened the cell. The Cavian commander looked back at Sweetie. "You will come with us", he said to the Unicorn. One of the guards walked into the cell and unchained Sweetie. He said something in his language, and Sweetie guessed he ordered her to come with them. She decided that following them will be the best course of action. Sweetie Belle walked with the guards. She looked at other cells. There were many Earth Ponies imprisoned, as well as some Hippogriffs and a few Minotaurs. Eventually, Sweetie Belle and the guards reached the deck. Weather was calm and sunny. The Unicorn was led to the captain's office. The captain of the ship was an old Cavian. He looked at Sweetie Belle, then at the commander. They spoke a bit in their language. The commander looked at Sweetie Belle and pointed at a chair. "Sit down, we will talk." Sweetie sat down. She looked at two portraits that were hung on the wall. One of them showed a red Abyssinian with a crown. He was grinning widely and was holding a purple sword surrounded with red aura. Second portrait showed a Cavian with a crown. Her fur was curly, and she had bright red eyes. She looked serious, as if she was judging Sweetie Belle. The unicorn noticed that her fur color was almost the same as the fur of the Cavian commander. Commander sat on the opposite side, next to the captain, and started talking to Sweetie. "Greetings. What's your name?" "Who are you, pirate?" Sweetie asked. "I am not a pirate! I am Prince Lucas de Vincatrava, son of Queen Vinca of Cavians. Who are you?" "Why was I chained to a wall?" "Haven't your mother taught you some manners? It is not polite to answer a question with a question. Again, who are you?" "My name is Sweetie Belle," she answered. She looked at the few guards that stood by her side. She probably shouldn't antagonize them. "It is not common for a unicorn to visit these lands. What is your business here?" "I wanted to visit a friend," Sweetie lied. "Weren't you ordered to come here? Or maybe, something told you to travel?" It did, Sweetie thought. For the past year or so, she has had nightmares. Something was telling her to travel to Vallorith. She finally got enough money to leave her home and traveled, not sure what she would find. Commander noticed that Sweetie hesitated in her answer. He smiled. "Your Alicorns told you to do this?" "How did you know?" "As the Kaiser said, Where there is an Event, there was a Prophecy. Where there is a Prophecy, there will be a Hero," the prince said."I have an offer for you. My mother and her friends are looking for talented creatures to help in their plan. You look like you might be able to help us. You will be greatly rewarded." "What is your plan?" "For now, I can tell you that we are reclaiming our rightful place on Sivmusi." "And if I refuse?" Sweetie replied. She wasn't going to trust shady creatures that held her prisoner. "You can always go back to your cell. Maybe we will find someone willing to buy you on the market in Pi Polis." Sweetie heard sailors shouting something on the deck. One of them entered the office, saluted the prince and captain, and said something. Sweetie did not understand a word, but evidently something was wrong. Prince ordered something to the captain, then looked at the Unicorn. "We have company. Will you help us?" Sweetie noticed that the guard who held the keys to prison was going with the prince. "Yes, I will help you." "Good. Let's go." Said the prince. Captain noticed that the prisoner was going with them, and seemed to want to protest, but didn't say anything. The group left the office. A ship was getting close. Cavian soldiers were taking position. Some had crossbows, others were armed with halberds. Prince Lucas had a sword that glowed a yellow aura. He shouted some commands to the soldiers. "You help us against the Minotaurs, and you get your freedom," he said. "I think this belongs to you." He gave the Unicorn a dagger with a blue handle. It was her dagger, the one she got from her sister when she left Canterlot. Sweetie Belle held it into her aura. She decided to wait and see what happens. The Cavian soldiers started shooting bolts from their crossbows. They were answered by arrows from the other ship. Sweetie hid behind a crate, and looked for the guard with the key. She carefully walked towards him, and levitated the keys out. Nocreature noticed. Every Cavian was too focused on the enemy ship. Sweetie Belle managed to go back under the deck without being detected. She carefully walked the corridor. She noticed a guard patrolling the area. She levitated her dagger. With a quick slash, the guard fell. She smiled. Her sister taught her how to defend herself with a dagger. She probably wouldn't approve of her becoming a mercenary. Something was telling her to do this. Sweetie walked the corridor, until she reached Apple Bloom's cell. She opened it, and unchained her. "What is happening?" asked the Earth Pony. "Minotaurs are about to attack the ship. We're going out of here." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom opened other cells, and released the prisoners. They heard shouts on the deck, it seemed that the fighting had started. The two Ponies went back to the deck. They saw Minotaur soldiers fighting against the Cavians. The Minotaurs were large and strong, but it seemed that Cavians were able to put on a fight. Sweetie Belle saw some spells being casted. She looked, and saw Prince Lucas casting them with his enchanted sword. Apple Bloom charged forward and kicked one of Cavian soldiers off board. Two others saw it, and attacked her. She dodged the halberd, and kicked another warrior across the deck. Sweetie Belle levitated her dagger and stabbed the third warrior. She looked at her Earth Pony companion. Apple Bloom didn't look very imposing, but she was very strong, easily throwing another Cavian off board. Sweetie Belle remembered that Earth Ponies have magically-increased strength. This will be useful, she thought. Sweetie Belle looked towards the Cavian prince. She charged. The Cavian looked at her and smiled. "You've made a terrible mistake. We will meet again!" he shouted, and touched the amulet on his neck. He disappeared in a flash of light. The fight was over soon, with the Minotaurs defeating the Cavians. The freed prisoners were celebrating. The Cavian captain and his warriors were disarmed, and led to the cells. Sweetie Belle got down to the storage area. She got her saddlebag, as well as simple Unicorn clothes. She dressed up. While it wasn't uncommon for Ponies to walk around naked, other creatures had different views on clothing. Sweetie walked out of the storage. She started levitating the purses of fallen Cavian warriors, and taking it into her saddlebag. She was interrupted by a large, blue Minotaur. "You have fought well. I am a knight in the service of Duke Taureau III of Frankania. What's your name?" "Sweetie Belle." "Thank you for your help in defeating these rats. Shame we didn't capture their prince. We are going to get the ship back to Kranou. You should consider joining a mercenary company. The Duke will pay you well," the Minotaur said, and went back to his ship. Apple Bloom got to Sweetie Belle. She was dressed up in a trader outfit, and had a pink bowtie on her head. "Thank you for getting me out. Here, have this," Apple Bloom reached into her saddlebag, and took a jar of glittering, rainbow-like substance. "What is this?" "Zap Apple Jam. Best one in Towerlands. Good thing that the Cavians didn't break the jars. Looks like I'm going to get them to Sir Mantu anyway. What do you plan to do now?" Sweetie Belle thought about this. "Let's look around the ship," she said. The ship started sailing in the direction of Vallorith. 2. KranouSweetie Belle looked forward. The town of Kranou, nested between the mountains, shone with lights. It wasn't a large town. Sweetie Belle noticed a cubic tower overlooking it. It was the duke's castle. The keep was nowhere near as glamorous as the Canterlot Castle. Still, the town looked nice. Despite the early morning, the port of the town was bustling with activity. There were warships of Frankania docked, as well as many merchant ships. Sweetie noticed many different creatures walking around. Once her ship docked to the port, Sweetie Belle walked out. She decided to go find a tavern to stay in. The Unicorn walked through the busy port. She had her magic and her dagger at the ready. Sweetie Belle noticed one of the buildings. It had a signpost showing a blue Minotaur's head. Above the entrance, there was a banner. La Corne Bleue. Sweetie guessed it was the tavern. She hoped she would meet somecreatures that speak Ponish there. Sweetie opened the door, and entered the tavern. The tavern's customers were mostly Minotaurs. There were some Crabs and Beetles sitting by the tables. The customers looked at Sweetie Belle with suspicion. Probably they haven't met a Unicorn before. She met the bartender, a female Minotaur. "Got a room I can rent?" "No free rooms, sorry," the Minotaur answered. Sweetie Belle was disappointed. Guessed by the crowd at the port, it wasn't surprising. She decided to order some food and water. Sweetie looked around the tavern. Creatures were speaking in foreign languages. She guessed they talked about the war and about Cavians. She noticed one particular Minotaur. He had blue fur and was tall, even by Minotaur standards. His face was covered by scars. He was wearing battered armor and had a mace by his side. He was talking with a young Crab in a different language. Maybe this one knows Ponish?. Sweetie Belle decided it would be good to get to know the situation on the island better. She walked towards the Minotaur. "Greetings, young lady. How may I help you?" he asked in quite good Ponish. "Just want to talk. You're a mercenary?" "Captain Fer, of the Company of Square." "I'm Sweetie Belle." "What brings a young girl like you to Kranou?" "Cavians attacked my ship." "Let me guess, you want revenge? Sorry, but you don't seem like mercenary material." "I can defend myself," she said, and levitated her dagger. "Hm, you're a mage. Might be useful." "What is the current situation in Vallorith?" "The archipelago was always divided and fighting, and now these rats just decided to go to war with everycreature." "Why?" "I heard the merchants from the mainland talking about a full scale invasion by a giant army of Abyssinians from a different continent. They are said to be led by a demon bent on conquest. Cavians allied with them." "Yeah, I heard that the Abyssinians conquered Xengaria. Didn't know they reached Vallorith." "Cavians or Abyssinians, they won't take Frankania. Me and my company will make sure of it. Say, do you think you have what it takes to be a mercenary?" "Maybe later." "And what would you like to do on the archipelago?" "I will travel to Atest," Sweetie Belle said. Atest was the largest city on Vallorith. It was the destination of her ship before it was attacked by Cavians. "Our duke traveled to Atest to lift the siege. You probably would be useful there as well. My offer still stands if you change your mind." The Unicorn finished drinking her water, and decided to go back to the town. Sweetie Belle left the tavern and walked to the town market to get supplies for her journey. The market was filled with creatures. There were many stands, and many merchants. Sweetie sold the loot she got from the Cavians. She looked at the coins she got. The coins were green, and had a crowned Deer on the back. They were labeled, Imperator Casimir, Imperator omni Landkariae. The ancient coins were quite resilient and valuable. Sweetie Belle bought some food and a few magical crystals. While on the market, she saw a large gathering of creatures next to one of the stands. She came closer, and saw Apple Bloom selling Zap Apple Jam. One of Crabs gave her several green coins, and carefully took a jar with his pincers. "Hello, Sweetie. How are you?" the Earth Pony said happily. "Good. What are you doing?" "Granny was right, the creatures over here love our jam," said Apple Bloom. "So, you are going to sell the jam here?" "Enough to buy a cart and travel to Sir Mantu. Say, would you like to travel with me? It would be good to have some backup in case Cavians try to attack us again." Sweetie levitated a map from her saddlebag. "I was thinking about going to Atest. Sir Mantu is on the way. Sure, I will come with you," she said. It would be good to travel with a friend. "Great. I just need a few more coins to buy a new cart," Apple Bloom said. Then she shouted towards the crowd. "Who else wants the Apple Original Zap Apple Jam?" The crowd responded with cheer. In the evening, Apple Bloom closed the stand, and bought a cart. Sweetie Belle offered to help her pull it. The two ponies left the town. They walked towards the mountains. The road was quite steep. They pulled the cart anyway. At least the summer weather meant it wasn't that difficult. The two ponies watched the scenery and talked. "So, where are you from?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I live near Ponyville. That's in the Towerlands." "I heard that the Tower is locked." "Yes, it has been locked for many years. Nopony managed to get to it." "Why are you selling the jam?" "To help my family, of course. We have a small farm on the outskirts of the city. I decided to travel here to sell the products. Also, to finally get a cutie mark," Apple Bloom said. She was quite saddened by the thought. "Eighteen years old and still markless. This is a disgrace." "I hope you will manage to get one." "And you, do you have a cuite mark?" "I do not and I don't really care about that." Apple Bloom looked at her companion. "My sister always told me that honesty is important. If you want to talk about this, I will listen." Sweetie Belle hesitated with an answer. She only knew Apple Bloom for two days. She seemed like a reasonable Pony. "No, it's nothing," said Sweetie Belle. She didn't want to start talking about her nightmares. The two ponies walked in silence. Eventually, night fell, and the two set up a camp close to the road. Sweetie Belle offered to take the first watch. She wasn't going to fall asleep anyway. 3. FrankaniaThe next morning, the two Ponies continued their journey. They walked towards the mountain pass. Sweetie saw the snowy peaks of the mountains. The road was going higher and higher. She started to get cold. They walked through the road for some time. Sweetie didn't feel very talkative. Instead, she appreciated the scenery. The forest was quite nice. After walking for some time, they finally reached a village. Apple Bloom decided it would be a good idea to rest. The tavern was easy to find, being located in the center of the village. Its symbol was a pair of silver pincers. The name was written as three strange symbols that Sweetie didn’t know how to read. The two Ponies entered the tavern. They looked around. The tavern was decorated with strange symbols. The atmosphere was also strange. There were paintings, some abstract, and some were portraits. Sweetie Belle saw one painting that showed a black Alicorn. She thought she had seen her before. "Welcome, travelers," the Crab tavern keeper greeted them. He wore a strange medallion. "Hay, apples and water for me and my friend," said Apple Bloom. The Crab wrote the order. “I see you have a portrait of Luna in your tavern? Didn’t know that non-Ponies also worshiped her,” said Apple Bloom. “Yes… Luna... She guides us in the dark,” said the Crab. “Where did you learnt Ponish?” “I have many Earth Pony friends. I hope you will be my friend too. My name is Gin Penchi.” “Apple Bloom,” the Earth Pony said, and shook her hoof with the Crab’s pincer. Sweetie Belle sat by the table. Soon, Apple Bloom sat next to her. The waitress brought them the food, and they started eating. Sweetie looked around. She noticed a Minotaur walking to the tavern. He talked with the Crab in foreign language. Sweetie also noticed they were drawing some symbols on the desk, and were looking towards the Ponies from time to time. She had her dagger at the ready. “Let’s rent a room here. There’s still a long way through the mountains,” said Apple Bloom. “Haven’t you noticed that this place is kind of… strange?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Well, Gin seems like a nice Crab, I doubt anything could happen here. Sleeping on the road in the mountains might be more dangerous.” Sweetie Belle looked at the tavern keeper. Maybe she was slightly paranoid? “Okay, let’s stay here for the night.” Apple Bloom walked towards Gin, and paid for the room. The two Ponies went upstairs. Sweetie Belle woke up in the middle of the night. She tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. Eventually, she got out of bed, and walked to the window. She saw something suspicious. In front of the tavern, there was a Crab. He was masked, and was completely covered with cloth. She wasn't sure, but she thought it was the tavern keeper. What is he doing? the Unicorn thought. She wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway, so she decided to follow him. She opened the window, and threw out a rope. She slid downwards. Then, she used telekinesis to get the rope back into her room, and to close the window. Sweetie managed to track the suspicious Crab down. He was leaving the village, and heading towards the mountains. Sweetie followed him. Lucky for her, he did not notice her. They eventually reached a cave entrance. There were two masked Minotaurs there. In the light of the full moon, Sweetie managed to see that they had symbols on their clothes, the same as the crab had. "Ave Aeterna," the Minotaurs greeted the Crab. "Domina Noctis," the Crab replied. Sweetie recognized the voice of the tavern keeper. The Crab made some symbols with his pincer, and then entered the cave. Cultists, Sweetie thought. She knew she wasn't going to sneak past the guards. She decided to walk back to the tavern and confront him tomorrow. "Hello Sweetie. Where have you been?" asked Apple Bloom after Sweetie got back to the room through the window. "I found out that the tavern keeper is a cultist." "Cultist? Are you sure?" "He walked into a cave guarded by some weird Minotaurs." “I don’t think he is a cultist. If you mean this strange portrait of Luna in the room, I will let you know that we Earth Ponies also worship Celestia and Luna.” "It’s not that. They weren’t praising Luna. They praised somecreature named Aeterna." "Aeterna? Haven’t heard of such Alicorn. Well, I don't think that is our problem. Besides, I don't want to lose my jam if they get angry." "Okay, I will do that myself." "I would advise you to not accuse others without proof." At dawn, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom got their belongings. They walked downstairs. “Thank you for the room. What is the best road to Sir Mantu?" asked Apple Bloom. "By the Corner Pass," Gin said, and drew a symbol with his pincer. Sweetie looked with suspicion. "I am going for the cart. It was nice to meet you," said Apple Bloom, and left the tavern. Sweetie Belle looked at the tavern keeper. "Did you sleep well, Unicorn?" "I have a question for you." "What is that?" "What did you do last night in a cave?" The few Minotaurs in the tavern looked at Sweetie. "You must have dreamed about this," the Crab replied. "No, I saw it with my own eyes. You are a cultist!" There was a murmur in the tavern. Minotaurs said something in their own language. "Look, Gekko no kishi-dan was defeated long ago. There are no cultists in Frankania anymore. I am a loyal servant of the duke, even if I am a Crab." "Yeah, so who's Aeterna?" At that name, the Minotaurs went up and walked towards Sweetie. The Crab raised his pincer and stopped them. "There are no cultists in Frankania. I ask you to leave my tavern." Sweetie looked at the angry Minotaurs surrounding her. She was good with a dagger, but not that good. "I should go," she said, and left the tavern. "May the Lady of the Night guide you," she heard the Crab say when she left. She walked towards Apple Bloom. "How did it go?" the Earth Pony asked. "I think we should leave this village, quickly," Sweetie answered. The two started driving the cart away. Sweetie thought a bit about the tavern keeper. She decided these cultists were not her problem. 4. StarThe two Ponies walked through the Corner Pass. Sweetie looked at the distant glacier going down from the mountains. The region was quite nice. She will have to visit it later. Now, she was going to help her friend. They walked through the forest. They needed to be careful. Luckily, the trip continued with no incidents through most of the day. In the evening, however, they had a visit. An arrow flew just past Sweetie Belle. She quickly levitated her dagger and jumped behind the chart. Apple Bloom followed her. From the side of the forest, a group of three Minotaurs and two Beetles came towards the Ponies. The Minotaur bandit leader shouted something. He was holding a large warhammer. The bandits started to walk towards the cart. Sweetie Belle wasn't going to let them rob Apple Bloom. She levitated her dagger forward, and got the Minotaur in the neck. The other bandits rushed towards the Ponies. Apple Bloom got out of the cart and kicked one of the Beetles. She grabbed the warhammer the bandit leader has dropped. Sweetie Belle used her magic to throw one of Minotaurs away. After a short skirmish, the bandits had to run, with one Minotaur and one Beetle lying dead. "That was close," said Apple Bloom. She searched the fallen bandit for loot. She looked at the hammer. She stood at her back legs, and swung it. "Not designed for a Pony, but effective," she said, and attached it to her side. Sweetie looked at her dagger. She was glad she knew how to use it. She still wasn’t sure if it was the thing she should be doing. She felt like she would have to use her dagger more if she was to travel through this island. The two Ponies continued their journey. Night fell, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom set up a camp on a clearing. Following the bandit encounter, neither of them were willing to sleep. They looked at the stars. "I think we need to quickly go to Sir Mantu. Traveling through the archipelago is more dangerous than I thought," said Apple Bloom. "We kicked their flanks." "I know, Sweetie, but…" Apple Bloom wanted to say. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle got up. "Look at this!" Sweetie Belle pointed her hoof in the sky. A purple star was shining brightly. It wasn't there before. It seemed to move. With great speed, it flew down, disappearing below the horizon. There was a bright magical flash in the south, and purple light illuminated the sky. The distant Tower seemed to glow purple. Sweetie Belle saw the star changing its course, as if it bounced back from the Tower. It was now flying towards the mountains. It hit a mountain in the distance. The impact was strong enough for the ground to shake, and the explosion was loud enough to almost hurt the Ponies. "The heck was that!" Apple Bloom shouted. Sweetie Belle looked at the mountain where the star fell. "We need to see what it was!" Sweetie Belle said. "It's too dark to travel through the mountains." "Didn't you see? A star fell down. We need to see it." "Hmm, I always wondered what a star looked like up close. Let's go. But first, let's hide the cart." The Ponies walked almost all night. It started to dawn. They started walking on the mountain where the star fell down. "Wait, something is moving there," said Sweetie Belle. The two mares hid and watched what was moving. They saw an Earth Pony walking towards the crash site. She was wearing a hood and a mercenary outfit. "What should we do?" asked Sweetie Belle, and took out her dagger. "How about we talk to her? Maybe she's friendly?" said Apple Bloom. The two Ponies went out of their hiding. The third one saw them, and started running away. "Hey, wait!" Sweetie shouted, and started chasing the Pony. Following a short chase, Sweetie Belle managed to catch the Pony in her magic. Sweetie Belle took off the mare’s hood. The mare had dark pink mane and an orange coat. She was quite tall and slender for an Earth Pony, and had purple eyes. "Who are you and what do you want!" the mare shouted. "Easy, we're not your enemies. We just wanted to see the place where the star fell," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Belle looked at the captured mare. Did she meet her before? She felt a deja vu. She needed to take a better look. "Can you let me out?" the mare said. Sweetie released her from her magic. "I'm Apple Bloom. This is my friend, Sweetie Belle. Who are you?" "Scootaloo," the mare said. "The star is mine." "How about we look at it together?" Apple Bloom suggested. Sweetie Belle wasn't very trusting, but for some reason, this mare seemed like she was a good Pony. "I agree," the Unicorn said. "Fine. You better not try something funny," Scootaloo said. The trio walked for a short while. Then, they reached the crash site. There was rubble everywhere. It seemed part of the mountain slid down. In the pile of stones, one black sphere was standing out. "The star is black?" Apple Bloom asked. The three Ponies walked towards the fallen star. There were pieces of black metal lying around. Sweetie Belle levitated one of the pieces. It looked nothing like she even saw before. The star itself was a black sphere. It was dented and broken in a few places. It was quite small, maybe three meters in diameter. "Let's try to get it out of the rocks," Apple Bloom said. The three Ponies started throwing the rocks away. While they were digging the metal sphere out, Apple Bloom screamed. "What happened?" asked Sweetie Belle. "There's a Pony inside!" said Apple Bloom. Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at the hole in the sphere. Indeed, a Pony covered in metal armor was lying inside. The Pony wasn't moving. "Let's try to get her out," Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle illuminated the inside of the star with her horn. There were lots of buttons and screens, she did not know what they could do. The Pony inside seemed to be missing a leg. There was also a broken wing lying on the floor, and something that resembled a horn. Sweetie looked at the battered and dent armor of the passenger. Who could even travel inside a star? They eventually managed to get the armored Pony out of the star. The armor was pitch black, same as the star. The face was covered in a strange mask. "That's a Pegasus. Very strange one. Have you seen one like this?" "No, I've never seen a Pegasus!" said Scootaloo, loudly. Apple Bloom looked at the mare with some suspicion. Sweetie Belle decided to carefully levitate the armored Pony's helmet off. She was unable to. It seemed fused to her face. Then suddenly, the armored Pony opened her eyes. They were glowing purple, same as her wing. The Pony started to look around. The three other Ponies jumped away, their weapons ready. "Where am I?" the armored Pony said. She lifted her left hoof. The screen started shining. "Distance to target, error. Current time, error. Medical status, error. Something must have gone wrong." The armored Pony attempted to touch the screen with her right hoof, then she noticed she was missing a leg. "What the!" she said, and got on her hooves. She started looking at her body. She looked at the stump of her leg. Sweetie noticed some wires hanging out of it. There was no blood. Was that Pony made out of metal? "Did… I… How… What?" the armored Pony tried to say, clearly shocked by the damage. The three other Ponies looked at her. "We should run," Apple Bloom said. "No, let's help her," Sweetie answered. She stepped a bit closer to the armored Pony, and greeted her. "Hello. Who are you?" The armored Pony looked at Sweetie Belle. "No no no, it must have been a nightmare. This is my dream, isn't it?" the armored Pony asked the Unicorn. "No, this is not a dream." "How did I become a robot?" the armored Pony asked. "A what?" asked Apple Bloom. "Okay Omega, you need to calm down," the robot Pony told herself. The three Ponies looked at each other. "Is she alright?" asked Scootaloo "I'm not sure," said Sweetie Belle. The Unicorn touched the robot with her hoof. The robot looked at her. "What is this place?" the robot asked. "We are in the Vallorith Archipelago." "Vallorith? Never heard of it." "What's your name?" "Omega Night, chief navigator at UCSS Bea." "Where are you from?" "New Firefly. Near Cyclodia, on Refugee around the First Star of the Union. That's where I lived since fillyhood." "And you were inside a star because…" Apple Bloom asked. "That's a spaceship and time machine I designed myself. I tried to get to another universe. Not sure if I succeeded." Sweetie didn’t understand what the robot was saying. Did she fall from another world? "Are you a Pegasus?" asked Scootaloo. "No, I'm a Thestral. Or I was one, I guess," the robot attempted to move, but fell down on the rocks. "Don't worry, I don't feel pain anymore." Sweetie Belle looked at Omega's foreleg. "Doesn't it hurt you?" "Not at all. It’s just… weird. I have some tools in the spaceship. Maybe I will be able to get it back to work… if I am really a robot now." Sweetie Belle found the toolbox and levitated it. After some guidance from Omega, Sweetie managed to reattach the mechanical leg. She also removed the mechanical wing, after it became clear it was useless. Sweetie noticed Scootaloo looked at this wing with fear, even if she tried to not show this. Eventually, Omega stood up and managed to walk without any problem. "Thank you. What are we going to do now?" "We?" asked Scootaloo. "Yes. The travel didn't end up as I was planning, and I need to get used to… this," she pointed at her mechanical body. "Well, we were traveling to Sir Mantu. You may join us," said Apple Bloom "Sure, why not?" "How about you?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo. "I'm in."
1. Prisoner"Wake up." The Prisoner woke up, and looked around. The cell was small and dark. Everything was very blurry. "You were shaking. You must have had a nightmare. Are you okay?" the second prisoner said. She was a young Earth Pony mare, with an orange coat and red mane. She wore a metal collar on her neck. It was chained to the wall. The awoken prisoner nodded. "You were asleep for a long time. Not even the storm could wake you up. I am Apple Bloom. What's your name?" the Earth Pony said. The awoken prisoner had trouble with speaking, but after a while, finally answered. "Sweetie Belle." "Nice to meet you. I wish we could meet in better circumstances," Apple Bloom answered. There was short silence, as the Prisoner looked around the cell once more. The Earth Pony mare looked about her age, maybe between eighteen and twenty. She didn't have a cutie mark. "Where are we?" Sweetie asked. "You don't remember? We are on a cavian pirate ship. Damn rats attacked my ship, stole my goods and threw me into this cell. You were here already, and were asleep the whole time." Sweetie's head hurt. She didn't remember encountering the Cavians. Last thing she remembered was boarding a merchant ship sailing to Vallorith. This, and the nightmare… "Any idea where they are taking us?" Sweetie asked. "I don't know, but I don't think we should wait to find out. I heard that Unicorns are good at magic. Can you help us get out of here?" Sweetie Belle attempted to charge her horn, but was unable to do it. She couldn't muster the arcane energy to even get her horn to glow. Her magic was completely drained. Apple Bloom reached behind her ear with her hoof. Small crystal fell on the floor. She pushed this crystal towards Sweetie Belle. "Here, have this one. I managed to keep them from taking it," she said, and gave the crystal to Sweetie Belle. The unicorn looked carefully at the crystal. Then she took a bite. The fragile crystal broke into powder, and released some magical energy. Sweetie Belle felt the magical energy of the crystal being transferred to her. She charged her horn, and a green aura illuminated the cell. Sweetie Belle tried to get her collar off, but was unable to. "It was worth a try," Apple Bloom said. In the distance, she heard a door being opened. "Guards are coming. Don't let them see you doing magic or they will drain you again, or worse." The two prisoners sat in silence. Sweetie Belle looked behind the bars. Three creatures walked by the cell. They were quadrupedal, slightly shorter than a Pony, and looked a bit like fat rats. Two of them were wearing simple chainmail armor, and had rugged and dirty fur. The third one was wearing a better version of the armor. He had black eyes and well groomed, smooth, brown fur. He had a strange amulet on his neck, and had a sword that glowed in faint yellow light. He looked at Sweetie Belle and smiled. He looked at the other guards. “Abre la celda,” he said in a foreign language. One of the guards took out the keys and opened the cell. The Cavian commander looked back at Sweetie. "You will come with us", he said to the Unicorn. One of the guards walked into the cell and unchained Sweetie. He said something in his language, and Sweetie guessed he ordered her to come with them. She decided that following them will be the best course of action. Sweetie Belle walked with the guards. She looked at other cells. There were many Earth Ponies imprisoned, as well as some Hippogriffs and a few Minotaurs. Eventually, Sweetie Belle and the guards reached the deck. Weather was calm and sunny. The Unicorn was led to the captain's office. The captain of the ship was an old Cavian. He looked at Sweetie Belle, then at the commander. They spoke a bit in their language. The commander looked at Sweetie Belle and pointed at a chair. "Sit down, we will talk." Sweetie sat down. She looked at two portraits that were hung on the wall. One of them showed a red Abyssinian with a crown. He was grinning widely and was holding a purple sword surrounded with red aura. Second portrait showed a Cavian with a crown. Her fur was curly, and she had bright red eyes. She looked serious, as if she was judging Sweetie Belle. The unicorn noticed that her fur color was almost the same as the fur of the Cavian commander. Commander sat on the opposite side, next to the captain, and started talking to Sweetie. "Greetings. What's your name?" "Who are you, pirate?" Sweetie asked. "I am not a pirate! I am Prince Lucas de Vincatrava, son of Queen Vinca of Cavians. Who are you?" "Why was I chained to a wall?" "Haven't your mother taught you some manners? It is not polite to answer a question with a question. Again, who are you?" "My name is Sweetie Belle," she answered. She looked at the few guards that stood by her side. She probably shouldn't antagonize them. "It is not common for a unicorn to visit these lands. What is your business here?" "I wanted to visit a friend," Sweetie lied. "Weren't you ordered to come here? Or maybe, something told you to travel?" It did, Sweetie thought. For the past year or so, she has had nightmares. Something was telling her to travel to Vallorith. She finally got enough money to leave her home and traveled, not sure what she would find. Commander noticed that Sweetie hesitated in her answer. He smiled. "Your Alicorns told you to do this?" "How did you know?" "As the Kaiser said, Where there is an Event, there was a Prophecy. Where there is a Prophecy, there will be a Hero," the prince said."I have an offer for you. My mother and her friends are looking for talented creatures to help in their plan. You look like you might be able to help us. You will be greatly rewarded." "What is your plan?" "For now, I can tell you that we are reclaiming our rightful place on Sivmusi." "And if I refuse?" Sweetie replied. She wasn't going to trust shady creatures that held her prisoner. "You can always go back to your cell. Maybe we will find someone willing to buy you on the market in Pi Polis." Sweetie heard sailors shouting something on the deck. One of them entered the office, saluted the prince and captain, and said something. Sweetie did not understand a word, but evidently something was wrong. Prince ordered something to the captain, then looked at the Unicorn. "We have company. Will you help us?" Sweetie noticed that the guard who held the keys to prison was going with the prince. "Yes, I will help you." "Good. Let's go." Said the prince. Captain noticed that the prisoner was going with them, and seemed to want to protest, but didn't say anything. The group left the office. A ship was getting close. Cavian soldiers were taking position. Some had crossbows, others were armed with halberds. Prince Lucas had a sword that glowed a yellow aura. He shouted some commands to the soldiers. "You help us against the Minotaurs, and you get your freedom," he said. "I think this belongs to you." He gave the Unicorn a dagger with a blue handle. It was her dagger, the one she got from her sister when she left Canterlot. Sweetie Belle held it into her aura. She decided to wait and see what happens. The Cavian soldiers started shooting bolts from their crossbows. They were answered by arrows from the other ship. Sweetie hid behind a crate, and looked for the guard with the key. She carefully walked towards him, and levitated the keys out. Nocreature noticed. Every Cavian was too focused on the enemy ship. Sweetie Belle managed to go back under the deck without being detected. She carefully walked the corridor. She noticed a guard patrolling the area. She levitated her dagger. With a quick slash, the guard fell. She smiled. Her sister taught her how to defend herself with a dagger. She probably wouldn't approve of her becoming a mercenary. Something was telling her to do this. Sweetie walked the corridor, until she reached Apple Bloom's cell. She opened it, and unchained her. "What is happening?" asked the Earth Pony. "Minotaurs are about to attack the ship. We're going out of here." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom opened other cells, and released the prisoners. They heard shouts on the deck, it seemed that the fighting had started. The two Ponies went back to the deck. They saw Minotaur soldiers fighting against the Cavians. The Minotaurs were large and strong, but it seemed that Cavians were able to put on a fight. Sweetie Belle saw some spells being casted. She looked, and saw Prince Lucas casting them with his enchanted sword. Apple Bloom charged forward and kicked one of Cavian soldiers off board. Two others saw it, and attacked her. She dodged the halberd, and kicked another warrior across the deck. Sweetie Belle levitated her dagger and stabbed the third warrior. She looked at her Earth Pony companion. Apple Bloom didn't look very imposing, but she was very strong, easily throwing another Cavian off board. Sweetie Belle remembered that Earth Ponies have magically-increased strength. This will be useful, she thought. Sweetie Belle looked towards the Cavian prince. She charged. The Cavian looked at her and smiled. "You've made a terrible mistake. We will meet again!" he shouted, and touched the amulet on his neck. He disappeared in a flash of light. The fight was over soon, with the Minotaurs defeating the Cavians. The freed prisoners were celebrating. The Cavian captain and his warriors were disarmed, and led to the cells. Sweetie Belle got down to the storage area. She got her saddlebag, as well as simple Unicorn clothes. She dressed up. While it wasn't uncommon for Ponies to walk around naked, other creatures had different views on clothing. Sweetie walked out of the storage. She started levitating the purses of fallen Cavian warriors, and taking it into her saddlebag. She was interrupted by a large, blue Minotaur. "You have fought well. I am a knight in the service of Duke Taureau III of Frankania. What's your name?" "Sweetie Belle." "Thank you for your help in defeating these rats. Shame we didn't capture their prince. We are going to get the ship back to Kranou. You should consider joining a mercenary company. The Duke will pay you well," the Minotaur said, and went back to his ship. Apple Bloom got to Sweetie Belle. She was dressed up in a trader outfit, and had a pink bowtie on her head. "Thank you for getting me out. Here, have this," Apple Bloom reached into her saddlebag, and took a jar of glittering, rainbow-like substance. "What is this?" "Zap Apple Jam. Best one in Towerlands. Good thing that the Cavians didn't break the jars. Looks like I'm going to get them to Sir Mantu anyway. What do you plan to do now?" Sweetie Belle thought about this. "Let's look around the ship," she said. The ship started sailing in the direction of Vallorith.
2. KranouSweetie Belle looked forward. The town of Kranou, nested between the mountains, shone with lights. It wasn't a large town. Sweetie Belle noticed a cubic tower overlooking it. It was the duke's castle. The keep was nowhere near as glamorous as the Canterlot Castle. Still, the town looked nice. Despite the early morning, the port of the town was bustling with activity. There were warships of Frankania docked, as well as many merchant ships. Sweetie noticed many different creatures walking around. Once her ship docked to the port, Sweetie Belle walked out. She decided to go find a tavern to stay in. The Unicorn walked through the busy port. She had her magic and her dagger at the ready. Sweetie Belle noticed one of the buildings. It had a signpost showing a blue Minotaur's head. Above the entrance, there was a banner. La Corne Bleue. Sweetie guessed it was the tavern. She hoped she would meet somecreatures that speak Ponish there. Sweetie opened the door, and entered the tavern. The tavern's customers were mostly Minotaurs. There were some Crabs and Beetles sitting by the tables. The customers looked at Sweetie Belle with suspicion. Probably they haven't met a Unicorn before. She met the bartender, a female Minotaur. "Got a room I can rent?" "No free rooms, sorry," the Minotaur answered. Sweetie Belle was disappointed. Guessed by the crowd at the port, it wasn't surprising. She decided to order some food and water. Sweetie looked around the tavern. Creatures were speaking in foreign languages. She guessed they talked about the war and about Cavians. She noticed one particular Minotaur. He had blue fur and was tall, even by Minotaur standards. His face was covered by scars. He was wearing battered armor and had a mace by his side. He was talking with a young Crab in a different language. Maybe this one knows Ponish?. Sweetie Belle decided it would be good to get to know the situation on the island better. She walked towards the Minotaur. "Greetings, young lady. How may I help you?" he asked in quite good Ponish. "Just want to talk. You're a mercenary?" "Captain Fer, of the Company of Square." "I'm Sweetie Belle." "What brings a young girl like you to Kranou?" "Cavians attacked my ship." "Let me guess, you want revenge? Sorry, but you don't seem like mercenary material." "I can defend myself," she said, and levitated her dagger. "Hm, you're a mage. Might be useful." "What is the current situation in Vallorith?" "The archipelago was always divided and fighting, and now these rats just decided to go to war with everycreature." "Why?" "I heard the merchants from the mainland talking about a full scale invasion by a giant army of Abyssinians from a different continent. They are said to be led by a demon bent on conquest. Cavians allied with them." "Yeah, I heard that the Abyssinians conquered Xengaria. Didn't know they reached Vallorith." "Cavians or Abyssinians, they won't take Frankania. Me and my company will make sure of it. Say, do you think you have what it takes to be a mercenary?" "Maybe later." "And what would you like to do on the archipelago?" "I will travel to Atest," Sweetie Belle said. Atest was the largest city on Vallorith. It was the destination of her ship before it was attacked by Cavians. "Our duke traveled to Atest to lift the siege. You probably would be useful there as well. My offer still stands if you change your mind." The Unicorn finished drinking her water, and decided to go back to the town. Sweetie Belle left the tavern and walked to the town market to get supplies for her journey. The market was filled with creatures. There were many stands, and many merchants. Sweetie sold the loot she got from the Cavians. She looked at the coins she got. The coins were green, and had a crowned Deer on the back. They were labeled, Imperator Casimir, Imperator omni Landkariae. The ancient coins were quite resilient and valuable. Sweetie Belle bought some food and a few magical crystals. While on the market, she saw a large gathering of creatures next to one of the stands. She came closer, and saw Apple Bloom selling Zap Apple Jam. One of Crabs gave her several green coins, and carefully took a jar with his pincers. "Hello, Sweetie. How are you?" the Earth Pony said happily. "Good. What are you doing?" "Granny was right, the creatures over here love our jam," said Apple Bloom. "So, you are going to sell the jam here?" "Enough to buy a cart and travel to Sir Mantu. Say, would you like to travel with me? It would be good to have some backup in case Cavians try to attack us again." Sweetie levitated a map from her saddlebag. "I was thinking about going to Atest. Sir Mantu is on the way. Sure, I will come with you," she said. It would be good to travel with a friend. "Great. I just need a few more coins to buy a new cart," Apple Bloom said. Then she shouted towards the crowd. "Who else wants the Apple Original Zap Apple Jam?" The crowd responded with cheer. In the evening, Apple Bloom closed the stand, and bought a cart. Sweetie Belle offered to help her pull it. The two ponies left the town. They walked towards the mountains. The road was quite steep. They pulled the cart anyway. At least the summer weather meant it wasn't that difficult. The two ponies watched the scenery and talked. "So, where are you from?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I live near Ponyville. That's in the Towerlands." "I heard that the Tower is locked." "Yes, it has been locked for many years. Nopony managed to get to it." "Why are you selling the jam?" "To help my family, of course. We have a small farm on the outskirts of the city. I decided to travel here to sell the products. Also, to finally get a cutie mark," Apple Bloom said. She was quite saddened by the thought. "Eighteen years old and still markless. This is a disgrace." "I hope you will manage to get one." "And you, do you have a cuite mark?" "I do not and I don't really care about that." Apple Bloom looked at her companion. "My sister always told me that honesty is important. If you want to talk about this, I will listen." Sweetie Belle hesitated with an answer. She only knew Apple Bloom for two days. She seemed like a reasonable Pony. "No, it's nothing," said Sweetie Belle. She didn't want to start talking about her nightmares. The two ponies walked in silence. Eventually, night fell, and the two set up a camp close to the road. Sweetie Belle offered to take the first watch. She wasn't going to fall asleep anyway.
3. FrankaniaThe next morning, the two Ponies continued their journey. They walked towards the mountain pass. Sweetie saw the snowy peaks of the mountains. The road was going higher and higher. She started to get cold. They walked through the road for some time. Sweetie didn't feel very talkative. Instead, she appreciated the scenery. The forest was quite nice. After walking for some time, they finally reached a village. Apple Bloom decided it would be a good idea to rest. The tavern was easy to find, being located in the center of the village. Its symbol was a pair of silver pincers. The name was written as three strange symbols that Sweetie didn’t know how to read. The two Ponies entered the tavern. They looked around. The tavern was decorated with strange symbols. The atmosphere was also strange. There were paintings, some abstract, and some were portraits. Sweetie Belle saw one painting that showed a black Alicorn. She thought she had seen her before. "Welcome, travelers," the Crab tavern keeper greeted them. He wore a strange medallion. "Hay, apples and water for me and my friend," said Apple Bloom. The Crab wrote the order. “I see you have a portrait of Luna in your tavern? Didn’t know that non-Ponies also worshiped her,” said Apple Bloom. “Yes… Luna... She guides us in the dark,” said the Crab. “Where did you learnt Ponish?” “I have many Earth Pony friends. I hope you will be my friend too. My name is Gin Penchi.” “Apple Bloom,” the Earth Pony said, and shook her hoof with the Crab’s pincer. Sweetie Belle sat by the table. Soon, Apple Bloom sat next to her. The waitress brought them the food, and they started eating. Sweetie looked around. She noticed a Minotaur walking to the tavern. He talked with the Crab in foreign language. Sweetie also noticed they were drawing some symbols on the desk, and were looking towards the Ponies from time to time. She had her dagger at the ready. “Let’s rent a room here. There’s still a long way through the mountains,” said Apple Bloom. “Haven’t you noticed that this place is kind of… strange?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Well, Gin seems like a nice Crab, I doubt anything could happen here. Sleeping on the road in the mountains might be more dangerous.” Sweetie Belle looked at the tavern keeper. Maybe she was slightly paranoid? “Okay, let’s stay here for the night.” Apple Bloom walked towards Gin, and paid for the room. The two Ponies went upstairs. Sweetie Belle woke up in the middle of the night. She tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. Eventually, she got out of bed, and walked to the window. She saw something suspicious. In front of the tavern, there was a Crab. He was masked, and was completely covered with cloth. She wasn't sure, but she thought it was the tavern keeper. What is he doing? the Unicorn thought. She wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway, so she decided to follow him. She opened the window, and threw out a rope. She slid downwards. Then, she used telekinesis to get the rope back into her room, and to close the window. Sweetie managed to track the suspicious Crab down. He was leaving the village, and heading towards the mountains. Sweetie followed him. Lucky for her, he did not notice her. They eventually reached a cave entrance. There were two masked Minotaurs there. In the light of the full moon, Sweetie managed to see that they had symbols on their clothes, the same as the crab had. "Ave Aeterna," the Minotaurs greeted the Crab. "Domina Noctis," the Crab replied. Sweetie recognized the voice of the tavern keeper. The Crab made some symbols with his pincer, and then entered the cave. Cultists, Sweetie thought. She knew she wasn't going to sneak past the guards. She decided to walk back to the tavern and confront him tomorrow. "Hello Sweetie. Where have you been?" asked Apple Bloom after Sweetie got back to the room through the window. "I found out that the tavern keeper is a cultist." "Cultist? Are you sure?" "He walked into a cave guarded by some weird Minotaurs." “I don’t think he is a cultist. If you mean this strange portrait of Luna in the room, I will let you know that we Earth Ponies also worship Celestia and Luna.” "It’s not that. They weren’t praising Luna. They praised somecreature named Aeterna." "Aeterna? Haven’t heard of such Alicorn. Well, I don't think that is our problem. Besides, I don't want to lose my jam if they get angry." "Okay, I will do that myself." "I would advise you to not accuse others without proof." At dawn, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom got their belongings. They walked downstairs. “Thank you for the room. What is the best road to Sir Mantu?" asked Apple Bloom. "By the Corner Pass," Gin said, and drew a symbol with his pincer. Sweetie looked with suspicion. "I am going for the cart. It was nice to meet you," said Apple Bloom, and left the tavern. Sweetie Belle looked at the tavern keeper. "Did you sleep well, Unicorn?" "I have a question for you." "What is that?" "What did you do last night in a cave?" The few Minotaurs in the tavern looked at Sweetie. "You must have dreamed about this," the Crab replied. "No, I saw it with my own eyes. You are a cultist!" There was a murmur in the tavern. Minotaurs said something in their own language. "Look, Gekko no kishi-dan was defeated long ago. There are no cultists in Frankania anymore. I am a loyal servant of the duke, even if I am a Crab." "Yeah, so who's Aeterna?" At that name, the Minotaurs went up and walked towards Sweetie. The Crab raised his pincer and stopped them. "There are no cultists in Frankania. I ask you to leave my tavern." Sweetie looked at the angry Minotaurs surrounding her. She was good with a dagger, but not that good. "I should go," she said, and left the tavern. "May the Lady of the Night guide you," she heard the Crab say when she left. She walked towards Apple Bloom. "How did it go?" the Earth Pony asked. "I think we should leave this village, quickly," Sweetie answered. The two started driving the cart away. Sweetie thought a bit about the tavern keeper. She decided these cultists were not her problem.
4. StarThe two Ponies walked through the Corner Pass. Sweetie looked at the distant glacier going down from the mountains. The region was quite nice. She will have to visit it later. Now, she was going to help her friend. They walked through the forest. They needed to be careful. Luckily, the trip continued with no incidents through most of the day. In the evening, however, they had a visit. An arrow flew just past Sweetie Belle. She quickly levitated her dagger and jumped behind the chart. Apple Bloom followed her. From the side of the forest, a group of three Minotaurs and two Beetles came towards the Ponies. The Minotaur bandit leader shouted something. He was holding a large warhammer. The bandits started to walk towards the cart. Sweetie Belle wasn't going to let them rob Apple Bloom. She levitated her dagger forward, and got the Minotaur in the neck. The other bandits rushed towards the Ponies. Apple Bloom got out of the cart and kicked one of the Beetles. She grabbed the warhammer the bandit leader has dropped. Sweetie Belle used her magic to throw one of Minotaurs away. After a short skirmish, the bandits had to run, with one Minotaur and one Beetle lying dead. "That was close," said Apple Bloom. She searched the fallen bandit for loot. She looked at the hammer. She stood at her back legs, and swung it. "Not designed for a Pony, but effective," she said, and attached it to her side. Sweetie looked at her dagger. She was glad she knew how to use it. She still wasn’t sure if it was the thing she should be doing. She felt like she would have to use her dagger more if she was to travel through this island. The two Ponies continued their journey. Night fell, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom set up a camp on a clearing. Following the bandit encounter, neither of them were willing to sleep. They looked at the stars. "I think we need to quickly go to Sir Mantu. Traveling through the archipelago is more dangerous than I thought," said Apple Bloom. "We kicked their flanks." "I know, Sweetie, but…" Apple Bloom wanted to say. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle got up. "Look at this!" Sweetie Belle pointed her hoof in the sky. A purple star was shining brightly. It wasn't there before. It seemed to move. With great speed, it flew down, disappearing below the horizon. There was a bright magical flash in the south, and purple light illuminated the sky. The distant Tower seemed to glow purple. Sweetie Belle saw the star changing its course, as if it bounced back from the Tower. It was now flying towards the mountains. It hit a mountain in the distance. The impact was strong enough for the ground to shake, and the explosion was loud enough to almost hurt the Ponies. "The heck was that!" Apple Bloom shouted. Sweetie Belle looked at the mountain where the star fell. "We need to see what it was!" Sweetie Belle said. "It's too dark to travel through the mountains." "Didn't you see? A star fell down. We need to see it." "Hmm, I always wondered what a star looked like up close. Let's go. But first, let's hide the cart." The Ponies walked almost all night. It started to dawn. They started walking on the mountain where the star fell down. "Wait, something is moving there," said Sweetie Belle. The two mares hid and watched what was moving. They saw an Earth Pony walking towards the crash site. She was wearing a hood and a mercenary outfit. "What should we do?" asked Sweetie Belle, and took out her dagger. "How about we talk to her? Maybe she's friendly?" said Apple Bloom. The two Ponies went out of their hiding. The third one saw them, and started running away. "Hey, wait!" Sweetie shouted, and started chasing the Pony. Following a short chase, Sweetie Belle managed to catch the Pony in her magic. Sweetie Belle took off the mare’s hood. The mare had dark pink mane and an orange coat. She was quite tall and slender for an Earth Pony, and had purple eyes. "Who are you and what do you want!" the mare shouted. "Easy, we're not your enemies. We just wanted to see the place where the star fell," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Belle looked at the captured mare. Did she meet her before? She felt a deja vu. She needed to take a better look. "Can you let me out?" the mare said. Sweetie released her from her magic. "I'm Apple Bloom. This is my friend, Sweetie Belle. Who are you?" "Scootaloo," the mare said. "The star is mine." "How about we look at it together?" Apple Bloom suggested. Sweetie Belle wasn't very trusting, but for some reason, this mare seemed like she was a good Pony. "I agree," the Unicorn said. "Fine. You better not try something funny," Scootaloo said. The trio walked for a short while. Then, they reached the crash site. There was rubble everywhere. It seemed part of the mountain slid down. In the pile of stones, one black sphere was standing out. "The star is black?" Apple Bloom asked. The three Ponies walked towards the fallen star. There were pieces of black metal lying around. Sweetie Belle levitated one of the pieces. It looked nothing like she even saw before. The star itself was a black sphere. It was dented and broken in a few places. It was quite small, maybe three meters in diameter. "Let's try to get it out of the rocks," Apple Bloom said. The three Ponies started throwing the rocks away. While they were digging the metal sphere out, Apple Bloom screamed. "What happened?" asked Sweetie Belle. "There's a Pony inside!" said Apple Bloom. Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at the hole in the sphere. Indeed, a Pony covered in metal armor was lying inside. The Pony wasn't moving. "Let's try to get her out," Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle illuminated the inside of the star with her horn. There were lots of buttons and screens, she did not know what they could do. The Pony inside seemed to be missing a leg. There was also a broken wing lying on the floor, and something that resembled a horn. Sweetie looked at the battered and dent armor of the passenger. Who could even travel inside a star? They eventually managed to get the armored Pony out of the star. The armor was pitch black, same as the star. The face was covered in a strange mask. "That's a Pegasus. Very strange one. Have you seen one like this?" "No, I've never seen a Pegasus!" said Scootaloo, loudly. Apple Bloom looked at the mare with some suspicion. Sweetie Belle decided to carefully levitate the armored Pony's helmet off. She was unable to. It seemed fused to her face. Then suddenly, the armored Pony opened her eyes. They were glowing purple, same as her wing. The Pony started to look around. The three other Ponies jumped away, their weapons ready. "Where am I?" the armored Pony said. She lifted her left hoof. The screen started shining. "Distance to target, error. Current time, error. Medical status, error. Something must have gone wrong." The armored Pony attempted to touch the screen with her right hoof, then she noticed she was missing a leg. "What the!" she said, and got on her hooves. She started looking at her body. She looked at the stump of her leg. Sweetie noticed some wires hanging out of it. There was no blood. Was that Pony made out of metal? "Did… I… How… What?" the armored Pony tried to say, clearly shocked by the damage. The three other Ponies looked at her. "We should run," Apple Bloom said. "No, let's help her," Sweetie answered. She stepped a bit closer to the armored Pony, and greeted her. "Hello. Who are you?" The armored Pony looked at Sweetie Belle. "No no no, it must have been a nightmare. This is my dream, isn't it?" the armored Pony asked the Unicorn. "No, this is not a dream." "How did I become a robot?" the armored Pony asked. "A what?" asked Apple Bloom. "Okay Omega, you need to calm down," the robot Pony told herself. The three Ponies looked at each other. "Is she alright?" asked Scootaloo "I'm not sure," said Sweetie Belle. The Unicorn touched the robot with her hoof. The robot looked at her. "What is this place?" the robot asked. "We are in the Vallorith Archipelago." "Vallorith? Never heard of it." "What's your name?" "Omega Night, chief navigator at UCSS Bea." "Where are you from?" "New Firefly. Near Cyclodia, on Refugee around the First Star of the Union. That's where I lived since fillyhood." "And you were inside a star because…" Apple Bloom asked. "That's a spaceship and time machine I designed myself. I tried to get to another universe. Not sure if I succeeded." Sweetie didn’t understand what the robot was saying. Did she fall from another world? "Are you a Pegasus?" asked Scootaloo. "No, I'm a Thestral. Or I was one, I guess," the robot attempted to move, but fell down on the rocks. "Don't worry, I don't feel pain anymore." Sweetie Belle looked at Omega's foreleg. "Doesn't it hurt you?" "Not at all. It’s just… weird. I have some tools in the spaceship. Maybe I will be able to get it back to work… if I am really a robot now." Sweetie Belle found the toolbox and levitated it. After some guidance from Omega, Sweetie managed to reattach the mechanical leg. She also removed the mechanical wing, after it became clear it was useless. Sweetie noticed Scootaloo looked at this wing with fear, even if she tried to not show this. Eventually, Omega stood up and managed to walk without any problem. "Thank you. What are we going to do now?" "We?" asked Scootaloo. "Yes. The travel didn't end up as I was planning, and I need to get used to… this," she pointed at her mechanical body. "Well, we were traveling to Sir Mantu. You may join us," said Apple Bloom "Sure, why not?" "How about you?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo. "I'm in."
