A Whisper on the Wind

Urgh, my head…

As the minutes ticked by and noon approached, I found myself in an annex attached to the stage of the large amphitheater, something that would probably have been used for performers to change or get freshened up. I'd been in here for the last half-hour or so as Stopper and Ace both assisted me in getting ready for the upcoming ceremony, my head pounding away as I nursed it with a free hand while we waited for one of Celestia’s assistants to return with a special request, not failing to notice Stopper looking at me with a judgemental eye as Ace looked on with a more neutral expression.

I couldn't look at either of them; in fact, I had difficulty looking at anything right now as I continued to massage my temple with my hand, trying to remember just what the fuck I did last night.

“You're such a lightweight,” the unicorn commented as her words pounded in my head like a jackhammer.

“Can you not shout, please?” I gently asked, my words barely feeling like they were little more than a whisper. Stopper, to her credit, at least had the decency to lower the cadence of her voice to match mine.

“I wasn't… but, how’s this?” She asked as she lowered the tone of her voice, to which I was only capable of nodding as a bespectacled mare, who I'd only just learned this morning was called Diamond Gavel, slowly made her way inside the annex, a sealed flask being carried around her neck and secured with a thick lanyard of rope. She approached us and took up a sitting position in front of me as she removed her precious cargo and held out the metallic container for me.

I slowly grasped it and whispered a “Thank you, Diamond,” as I started to unscrew the lid, already smelling the strong citrus notes that I was expecting. After briefly hesitating to let the scent waft up into my sinuses, I put the concoction to my lips and downed its contents without so much as even taking a breath. Naturally, I was gasping for air once I'd finished, but the mixture would soon do its work, although I would be feeling sore elsewhere for a while as my other hand massaged my left kidney. I passed the flask back to Diamond, who nodded in acceptance as my now free hand went to the amulet still swinging around my neck, my palm taking the socketed gemstone into its grasp and briefly clenching tightly around it.

I vaguely remembered that I'd been escorted to a tavern by Jet. He introduced me to a variety of alcohol… Moonshine, probably, judging from the smell. One swig became two, then three… and then I didn't remember anything.

“At least you’ve got oranges here; that would've been far less pleasant without them,” I said, still talking at what was practically a whisper level of volume as I massaged my head once more. “Fuck me, I really went overboard yesterday, didn't I? And why the fuck does my side hurt?”

Nods abounded with an obvious eye roll from Stopper. “You tried to get up but you fell on a table, you klutz. What were you trying to do, anyway?” She asked.

“Tradition. When you meet someone new… you try to drink them under the table. And I think I won last night… although me falling on a table probably reduces that to a score draw.”

Nopony responded to that as we waited for the princesses to arrive. Before she left to fetch my hangover cure request, Diamond Gavel had hoofed me an embossed card with prepared lines for me to read during the Ceremony. Fishing it out of my pocket once more, I read and reread what was being asked of me as I felt more of my concentration returning amid the realization that I could easily read everything here from memory.

“It feels like I'm about to be inducted into something quite grand,” I mused as the volume outside increased quite dramatically. Instinctively looking out to the stage, I saw both the princesses in their disguises slowly walk onto it from the opposite direction, eventually coming to a halt as Celestia turned toward the audience and held a hoof briefly in the air, causing the volume to plummet to barely perceptible whispers.

“Thank you all for coming. As you all know, my sister and I came to this place a little more than a year ago. You embraced us and you welcomed us into your lives… but, more importantly… you accepted us. Over time, you’ve come to embrace us… and we’ve been privileged to have been trusted to help govern this community. However… we have not been entirely honest with all of you…”

I could see Luna in her disguise also stepping forward to join her sister on the stage, the lunar alicorn also turning to face the audience. The two of them once more became bathed in a white ethereal light that radiated from their jewelry. After several seconds, the light subsided, revealing both princesses in their natural forms. Audible murmurs could now be heard from the audience until Celestia held a hoof up once more, again lulling the crowd into silence.

“As I am sure you all know from our history, I am Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna. We wanted to remain hidden, to watch all of you grow and prosper without our interference. Alas, something quite monumental has happened, and we can no longer hide in the shadows as we once wished.”

Luna now cleared her throat. “Many of you know of the legend of Alexander Kintobor, the Prince of Knowledge. He was a human that came to us from afar, and he taught us much about ourselves, and about each other. He no longer walks among us, but his impact can be felt far and wide. As one who knew him… he is missed, more than he could ever know.”

“However,” Celestia continued, “Another human has come to this world. My sister and I are firm in our belief that there is greatness within him… even now, he has distinguished himself in his leadership, and it is high time that we recognize his courage and dedication. Thus, we have gathered you all here today to bear witness to that recognition. Stuart… would you please step out here?” Celestia asked as she looked in my direction, my headache starting to finally subside. Shaking my head a bit in an attempt to dispel the worst of the nausea, I looked down at Ace, realizing he’d have to come outside with me, too; I then leaned down and gave his mane a tussle as I held him against my leg for a moment before I extended an arm toward the stage and beckoned for him to follow me. After we both took a deep breath, we slowly marched onto the stage, every single eyeball in the stands now firmly fixed on us, their expressions ranging from wonder to apprehension.

The seating around the amphitheater was arranged in a large semicircle radiating from a large marble disc at the center, the seats extending both outward and upwards to fifteen or so levels of spectators. The backdrop to this arena of culture was the ruins of the abandoned core of the city, currently partially obscured with a rather large and dark cloud formation nesting at its top.

I took up a position between the two alicorns, facing the audience, with Ace choosing to sit to my near left as the two sisters continued with the ceremony. In the left-side seating, in the first row, were the other members of my squad; Crush, Flame, and Tricks all gazed upon me with profound smiles on their faces.

“This, fillies and gentle-colts, is that human. He has joined us after traveling from a faraway settlement, but I hear that, while he was there, he swore an oath to protect both it and all the ponies within, with his life if necessary. I think you will all agree that, in trying times like this, such devotion to our kind is beyond mere thanks. Corporal Stuart Robinson, we hereby wish to induct you into the Order of the Tempest, the highest military honor that Equestria is…” Celestia stopped and as I turned to her, I noticed her looking down at the floor for a moment before she recomposed herself. “My apologies… that Equestria was capable of bestowing upon its champions. Diamond Gavel, please bring out the Corporal’s sword.”

The bespectacled mare did as she was asked, and emerged on stage with my sword being carried in a wooden cart on wheels attached to her back.

“Take up your sword, Corporal,” Luna commanded, an order I gently obeyed as I gingerly lifted the bastard sword from its velvet seating, with Diamond Gavel departing the stage as soon as I removed the weapon from her cart. The sword had been polished to a mirror shine, but as I inspected it from every angle, I spotted two additions of note, one to each side of the blade.

Each side of the sword, at the bottom, near the hilt, now had a metallic seal bonded to the metal: on one side was a crescent moon, while on the other side was a shining Sun, both of them similar in theme to each of the two sisters’ cutie marks.

“Corporal… I, Celestia…”

“And I, Luna…”

“... have summoned you here today so that you might serve as a beacon of light against the darkness that threatens us all. Will you swear an oath, here today, to not only to protect your newfound friends but to also protect all of ponykind?”

I was being asked to take on the mantle of a massive responsibility. I had a task to complete, sure… but maybe there was some actual good I could do while I was here.

“I will,” I responded stoically.

“Very well. Please speak the oath when you are ready,” Celestia said as she sat down, with Luna following suit.

I confirmed her instructions with a solemn nod in her direction. I'd been given no further instructions on what to do, so I decided to add some of my own personal flair to this event, initially holding the sword upright with my outstretched right hand.

“By gods above and gods below, unto me, your grace bestow,” I began, as I moved my hand to the right, towards Luna.

“Grant me courage, that I shan’t be held back by fear,” now transferring the sword to my left hand and moving it in the opposite direction, toward Celestia.

“Grant me strength, that I may smite evil from the realm,” I continued as I now pointed the blade at the audience.

“Grant me wisdom, that I may judge true and righteous,” I spoke as I pulled the sword back and held it against my chest, pointing the blade at my head.

“May I be the sword, to fight for those who cannot,” I said, now pointing the sword to the left while showing one side of the blade to the crowd.

“May I be the shield, to defend life and honor,” sheathing Oathkeeper and opening my hands to the audience.

“When I die, may it be with glory and resolve,” I said, lowering my hands until they once more hung at my sides, one of them giving the pegasus to my left a gentle pet as I spoke those words.

“Until the end of my days, I swear this creed, until there is only peace… and harmony,” I concluded, looking over at Luna and then Celestia for those final words before once more looking back at the audience.

Not bad for someone who’s hungover.

The theater was silent until one pony in the middle got to their hooves and started stamping them on the floor. This was followed by another and then another; soon, every pony in the stands was rapidly stamping their hooves on the floor, with even the two former princesses joining in.

Maybe this is their form of applause…

Soon, the loud stamping died down, and everypony returned to their seated positions, the corner of my eye spotting Diamond Gavel hoofing a long, thin sword to Celestia, the blade very much resembling that of a rapier.

Taking the blade in a prehensile wing grip, the white-furred alicorn then turned once more to us as Luna came over to sit beside her. “Please kneel, both of you,” she asked, and a spark ignited in my head of what she really wanted to do.

Ace and I moved to the right of the stage, turning our bodies to face the alicorns as Ace settled in to my right. I then got down on one knee and lowered my head as Celestia approached me, the shadow of the blade slowly moving on the floor toward my kneeling frame, my peripheral vision noticing that Ace’s forelegs were bent, lowering the upper half of his body closer to the floor.

“In the name of the Great Faust, the Maker of All…” she began, lowering the sword until it lightly touched my left shoulder before she raised it and then lowered it against my right shoulder, “... in memory of those who could not be saved…” she continued, this time moving the blade with the same motion to my head as the cold metal touched bare skin, Celestia now proceeding to hold it against my scalp as my head throbbed a little even as the earlier concoction minimized the worst of the ill-effects, “... and for those souls yet to come… we, the former sovereigns of this land, do hereby command you to uphold the ideals of friendship, courage, and integrity… to protect the sanctity of life, to banish the demons of injustice, and to be true, honest and just in your words and deeds from this day forward. Now, arise… Ser Stuart Robinson, for you are now a Knight of the Order of the Tempest.”

I looked up at her and slowly got to my feet as Celestia continued. “Equestria may no longer exist, but maybe, someday, and with your help, it will again.”

The new reality of what had just happened refused to sink in for a moment as Celestia moved to the pegasus next to me. “And to you, Aerial Ace… every knight needs a squire…” she said, moving the sword to each of his shoulders before also resting the blade on his mane, “I dub thee Aerial Ace, Esquire. I charge you with keeping this Knight of the Realm safe, equipped, and comfortable… something tells me that you already have some experience there…” she said with a smirk, but as Ace got up onto his hooves, I raised a hand.

“Your grace… your servant has but a humble request to make. You spoke of being true, honest, and just in my words… I would not be here, were it not for the actions of Ace here… but neither would I be here without the actions of another. In the spirit of honesty and justice, I beseech you, please allow me to call my comrade Show Stopper to the stage so that she may be justly recognized as well.”

The taller alicorn nodded, and I turned my head to the obscured annex at the side of the stage, stretching a hand outward and bending my fingers back and forth in a ‘Come here’ sign to Stopper, a gesture that she hesitantly obeyed as she slowly shuffled out onto the marble stage, coming to a seated position next to me on my left as I looked over at her, and then back at the two alicorns.

“Sergeant Stopper has gone above and beyond in her duties, and she has been an absolute stalwart companion on my journey across your world. I ask that she be recognized for her commitment and dedication.”

Luna cleared her throat. “Ser Robinson, you have been granted a full military commission. You are now an officer, with the power and authority to promote others to the commissioned ranks below yours. However… we see the wisdom of your request for an official recognition…” she said, as Celestia passed the rapier to Luna’s wing grasp, the shorter alicorn moving closer to the unicorn.

“What rank do you wish to bestow upon your comrade, Ser?” she asked as I looked once more at Stopper before looking directly at Luna.

“Given her history and her outstanding service to date, I think granting her the title and privileges of the rank of Captain is appropriate.”

That caused the unicorn to look at me with a rather shocked expression before she remembered where she was, turning her head to gaze once more upon the former Lunar princess.

“Very well. Kneel for us, my little pony,” asked Luna as Stopper immediately lowered her front legs before the lunar alicorn. Like her sister, Luna directed the blade to touch both of Stopper’s shoulders before resting it on her mane as the unicorn kept her head down.

“By our command, we hereby dub thee Captain Show Stopper, for your unswerving devotion to duty and your defense of this Knight. May you continue to show such dedication in your service to him,” she concluded as the alicorn retracted her blade, causing the unicorn to instinctively rise to her hooves and hold her head up high with a smile that was visible even from the side.

As Stopper got up, a new wave of hoof stomping echoed throughout the theater, as Luna passed the sword back to Diamond Gavel with an exchange of bows.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to process what had just happened, my hungover brain really not letting it all sink in.

I'm a Knight. An actual, bona-fide Knight. A protector of the realm. Well, my life here just got a lot more complicated… eat your heart out, Prince Kintobor.

“Congratulations, you three. There is but one last thing we wish to bestow upon you,” said Celestia as Diamond Gavel hoofed a crystal into the alicorn's grasp that she then offered to me with a wing grip. I slowly took it from her and held it up to the light, seeing an imprinted number ‘five’ inscribed within its interior.

“So, this means that at least five of these crystals were made. I have crystals one and two, and with number five here, that just leaves three and four, assuming there are no others. Oh, the secrets these might reveal…”

I put the fifth crystal into one of my rear pockets, before putting my hands on my jeans to feel the outlines of the other two crystals against the denim, having earlier placed each in one of my jeans’ regular pockets.

I reminded myself that I was yet to see and hear the contents of the second crystal, a situation that I believed should now come to an end as I removed it from my left pocket.

“Your Majesties. If you would permit the indulgence, I would like to see what’s been recorded in this crystal before we depart the stage.”

Luna and Celestia both turned to look at each other before looking at me and nodding. With permission gained, I rolled the crystal in my hand and clenched my fist around it.

Nothing.

This was in stark contrast to my experience with the first crystal, where my just holding it triggered a vision.

Now, though? Utterly nothing.

“Is… something supposed to happen?” Asked Ace as I mulled an idea in my head.

“All of you, get back. I'm about to do something I shouldn't, and I don't know what the outcome will be,” I advised as I waved my arms to encourage all on the stage to move to the outer rim of the marble disc. As I did so, murmurs of curiosity emanated from the crowd behind me.

“Captain, what did you tell me about touching crystals?” I asked as I got the first crystal out and held them apart but still very close to one another.

“To not do it?” She confirmed.

“Right! Time to do the exact opposite!” I said as I pushed the two together, their pointed tips making contact as I felt a surge of heat in my hands.

I then found myself back in that ethereal white from when I accessed the first crystal… Only now, I had another presence for company as I looked around I saw Ace at my side, who was now looking up at me.

“Where… are we?” He asked as both of us turned around to see what was, for me anyway, a familiar sight; the standing form of Alex had his arms crossed with an almost steely expression on his face.

“Well, I guess that amulet is making us share this, too. This is pretty much what I saw when I accessed the first crystal.”

The pegasus approached the mental projection of Alex, moving around his standing body slowly. “He's… taller than I expected. Taller than you, even,” he said, looking back at me as I nodded to him.

“Only by a couple of inches. His clothes are the same from the first recording… maybe this was done right after?

Ace slowly made his way back to me and sat down, the visage choosing that moment to animate.

“So, you discovered my security feature, by doing the one thing you're not supposed to do with crystals,” he said, pointing a finger momentarily up in the air. “Whoever you are… you're either very smart or you’re stupidly reckless. Or, maybe, just maybe… you’re plain lucky. In any case, you're about to get your reward… which, unluckily for you, is just going to be me talking,” he said, likely not even realizing at the time who could possibly be listening to him at this moment.

“He talks differently to you,” the pegasus commented as a chair phased into existence behind Alex.

“Well, yeah, he's from a different country, he's speaking my language with the accent of his home. If I were speaking what little Spanish I knew, I'd still sound like my home to him. And probably while not making much sense, either.”

Alex then sat in the chair before nodding to his left. “Cheers, Starlight. I should probably get comfy for this,” he continued as he once more folded his arms and crossed his extended legs.

“Starlight over here feels like I should get my thoughts down about my family… Well, families. I accepted a long time ago that I wasn't ever going to be able to go back to Earth. When I came here, I felt like my limbs had been cut off, like I'd lost parts of me that would never return.”

Ace looked up at me slowly. “Is… that how you felt when you came here?”

I looked down at him and sighed. “Deep down, I still feel exactly like that,” I explained as we both turned our attention back to the monologuing human-shaped mental construct.

“Even now…” the figure of Alex continued, “I miss them. I wish I could tell them about what I've seen, what I've done… and what I'm about to do.”

The image of him seemed to tense up for a moment before relaxing.

“Mi querida madre… I wish I could tell you how proud I am to be your son. I'm sorry that I left a hole in our family… you'd like Starlight here, one of the many friends I've made since I got here. She's got a proud streak a kilometer wide, and it takes an ice age before she asks for help, but I think you two would get on like… what did Stuart use to say? ‘Like a house on fire’? Yeah, let’s go with that.”

“I feel like we shouldn’t be watching this,” said Ace softly as I reached down to pet him between his ears.

“This is a mark of respect, Ace. We’re doing this for the families he can’t give this to.”

“Mi querido padre… We may not always have agreed with each other, but there is one thing I think you will agree with me on; I didn’t say ‘I love you’ to you enough. I always had the greatest love and admiration for you and everything that you did for me… and it pains me more than words can ever say that I can’t ever tell you that. I wish I’d taken the time to say it more when I was on Earth… and now I fear that I never will again. That pains me beyond words.”

Until he mentioned it, I’d avoided really thinking about it… but, Alex’s personal revelation rang true for me as well, and as my thoughts dwelled on it, Ace looked up at me, no doubt sensing my thoughts. Neither of us had any words for the other, so we both focused our gaze once more upon the recording as it continued.

“Mi querida hermana… I know that we bickered, as siblings often do, but I also know that you’d have been the first out there looking for me when I disappeared. If by some miracle this ever gets to you… please take care of mamá and papá. They’re getting older, and… fuck. I can’t be there for them… which means that you have to be there for them now. Please, take care of them, as they took care of us. And remember that I will always love you as the feisty little sister that any brother would be proud to have.”

I crouched down on one knee, and for a moment, it almost felt like he was directly looking at me, with the unmistakeable look of tears running down his cheeks as his face threatened to break out into a sobbing fit, a threat only neutralized by the noisiest of sniffs as he cleared his sinuses. Even in this ethereal place, I still felt myself go a little misty-eyed as I sat down fully next to Ace and hugged him, bringing him closer to me as we both kept watching.

“I suppose I should mention the former princesses here. Luna, Celestia… you took me under your wings and showed me what enlightened, dignified rule looked like. You granted me access to Canterlot Castle, and you shared with me the combined knowledge and wisdom that only a lifespan measured in thousands of years could shape and nurture. You then made me a prince, against my better judgment, and elevated me to a position that, right now, I feel like I don’t deserve. But, in spite of that, to say I’m grateful to you both for your counsel is an understatement. Should this message find you… Know that I made a mistake, and I fear that what I have done may never be undone, but you always taught me that the individual who tries and fails is always superior to the individual who never tried. So, I need to leave to try to undo that mistake. Please, look after each other, and know that I will always hold the deepest respect for you both.”

The visage of Alex closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before bending forward and opening his eyes once more.

“Now… for my family here, in Equestria. I hope beyond hope that, one day, this somehow finds its way to you, to tell you later what I cannot tell you today. I suppose I should start with you, Spike…”

The name registered with me as I remembered a page being dedicated in Tricks’ dossiers to him. A dragon, by all accounts, who seemed to be quite young for his species in the attached photographs.

“You were the best little brother I could ever have asked for. When I was flung into Equestria, you saw that I was very out of place… which, given the fact you were a dragon living with ponies at the time, was probably very easy for you to spot. You got your friends to spend time with me, who then became our friends. You even floated the idea of the Sparkles adopting me, and we both know how happy they were to do it. We spent so many nights just talking… so much so, that I practically know what you’d say to me if I told you what I’m about to do.”

The figure sighed and gave himself a few stretches before he continued.

“Fuck, I’m mentioning Stuart a lot lately, aren’t I? I think he’d have something for this, too; I’m probably paraphrasing, but I remember him saying ‘Bad things happen when good people do nothing’. I can’t just stand back and watch as every pony’s birthright is stripped from them… I think you can understand that more than anyone.”

Ace and I shared a glance and a nod before the pegasus spoke. “He knew about it…” he said, to which I responded after a brief pause.

“Yes. It looks like he did…”

“That brings me to you, Shining Armor. I never had a big brother on Earth, but even though we didn’t see as much of each other as I would’ve liked, I always found you to be a kind-hearted and decent pony, every bit as much as your wife. I wish I could watch Flurry Heart grow up and become the princess we both know she could be… Please, take care of each other and watch over your subjects in the Crystal Empire.”

I hadn’t read much about Shining Armor, but every comment about him labeled him as a steadfast and loyal husband and father. Judging from Alex’s words, those comments were every bit justified.

“Even now, it still feels weird saying this, but to my mamá and papá in Equestria… Twilight Velvet and Night Light… you welcomed me into your home when I had little more than the clothes and bag on my back. You fed me, out of your own pocket, when I was hungry and asked for nothing in return. Your charity and selflessness are examples that I wish the rest of ponykind would follow. It is a kindness that I would repay back a thousand times over if I could. Maybe I still can, one day…”

The apparition of Alex briefly unfolded his arms to scratch his head before settling back in.

“The last entry is going to be for the mare who’s the reason why I’m about to do what I’m going to do. Twilight Sparkle… I could fill every book in the Crystal Tower’s library with words about how much I love you, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I know that you think what you’ve done is right, and that there was no other choice. For months, I fought with you, but still, you pressed on with this… this foolhardy solution. I don’t want that on my conscience anymore… I no longer want to go to bed at night thinking about how I’ve helped let everypony down. You swung the sword, but I helped create it, and our hands and hooves both have the blood of the inevitable conflict that’s going to follow.”

Alex suddenly got out of his seat and stood up, pointing a finger forward, causing me to get up and on my feet in response. “I will NOT be a willing accessory to that conflict! So, I’ve decided: I’m going to seal myself away and hope that I wake up in the future, to unravel everything that I’ve helped unleash here. Maybe then… the nightmares that haunt me will stop,” he said, bringing a hand up to rub an area of his chest obscured by a t-shirt. “If you happen to see this… take care of yourself, and remember the good times we had together. I will cherish what we had for the rest of my days… and, though it may be hard to believe, know that my love for you will never, ever be extinguished.”

As suddenly as it happened, I found myself back on the stage, my hands still stretched out and causing the two crystals to touch. I immediately separated them and brought my hands back down to my sides as I exhaled sharply at the scenes I’d just witnessed.

“What the buck was that?” asked Ace as the alicorn sisters approached us both to examine us.

“Now you know how I felt the first time around,” I said as Celestia looked over all of me before settling her gaze upon the amulet around my neck.

“The gemstone… it glowed for a moment. Are you alright?” she asked out of genuine concern.

“I saw Alex again…”

“I saw him, too…” chimed in Ace as I slipped the crystals back into my pockets.

After Luna examined Ace and found no obvious signs of damage, she approached me and stood to the side of Celestia as she looked at me. “What did he have to say?” she asked in a whisper.

“I… think I should discuss with you all in private. Let’s send our audience on their way first…” I said in hushed tones before turning to face the crowd. “Thank you all for coming, but I have some pressing business now to attend to in private. If you see me walking around, feel free to say ‘Hello’.”

With that, I turned to walk back into the annex, with Ace and Stopper immediately following me, the two former princesses waving to the crowd as they departed before ultimately joining us, with Crush, Tricks, and Flame also making their way inside to join us. All eyes eventually fell on me as I leaned up against the far wall, holding the amulet in my hand briefly before turning to address everypony present.

“Well, as Ace can now testify to as well… I’m not going insane. It really has been Alex recording messages in these crystals. He said that you two made him a Prince,” I stated as I made eye contact with Luna and then Celestia. ”And that he feels like he doesn’t deserve it. He’s really got it into his head that he’s helped cause all of this.”

Celestia sighed and nodded. “Did he say how?” she asked.

I just shook my head. “Only in the metaphorical sense. My impression is that Twilight definitely is the cause, but he feels like he contributed to it, and in quite a big fashion. That seems to tie into what you told me earlier, Celestia, that this all came about because of technology that he helped to develop.”

“So, he is the cause of all this?” asked Stopper, causing me to pause in thought for a moment.

“He thinks he is… but guilt doesn’t always tell the whole story. I’m… missing something…”

I tried to dig around a bit in what I’d just been shown, but Ace was the one who dug up something for me.

“Didn’t he say something about being made a prince against his judgment or something?” he offered as I briefly looked down at him.

“Yeah… he did say that. That’s a good point, actually…” I continued as I once again looked at the alicorns. “Was he forced, or coerced into this? Because I didn’t hear anything even resembling pride from him at that kind of promotion.”

The two sisters shifted uncomfortably, and that gave me the opening I didn’t want to see. Now, I was going to drive a stake through it and rip it wide open.

“I’m going to tell both of you, right now, that if you made him a prince and he was in any way reluctant, and if this whole chain of events was started from that decision, then you are every bit as culpable as he is for anything he did.”

No counter. No retort. Just a look of resignation on both of their faces until Luna summed up the courage to speak.

“It is… complicated. He brought so much knowledge from your world, and all of us wanted to see it used to bring about a new golden age… not just for ponykind, but for everycreature on this planet. Nopony could have predicted… this!”

Celestia then turned to look at her sister. “But… perhaps we do share a measure of the blame, Lulu. He was… reluctant to take up the position, after all. Sometimes, we become so preoccupied with our enemies… that we forget to look out for our friends. Yes, I believe that we did indeed fail him… there is no instruction manual for running a nation, after all.”

My headache threatened to return as I rubbed my forehead with a hand. “Fine, there’s probably enough blame to go around… and there’s little sense dwelling on it now. Who knows… if I was in his shoes, would I really have done any better?”

I took the first crystal out of my pocket once more, holding it tightly in my fist as I brushed past everypony and once more emerged onto the stage, the backdrop of the ruins of Las Pegasus still very visible in the distance. I pointed the crystal at the ruined skyscrapers and turned my head to look at everypony else emerging from the annex to join me. Fishing out my phone with my other hand, I found the compass app, and it told me that I was pointing north.

Now having at least a rough idea of where I was looking, I slowly moved my hands, as I waited for those tell-tale vibrations in the crystals that would lead me to the other two that I knew for certain must exist.

Sure enough, I got a bite on my left, in a roughly north-west bearing, while another vibration occurred to my right, in a roughly north-east bearing.

“Hmm… one signal to the east, and one to the west. Ish. Probably bearing a little bit north on both of them. That's a start, at least.” I said as I turned to look at the former princesses. “So… What's out there?”

“Let me think…” began Celestia, who joined me on the stage to my right, looking out towards the ruins. “North-east from here would take you to Canterlot, Ponyville, and eventually, Manehattan.”

Luna then approached me, joining me to my left on the stage. “North-west would take you to Tartarus… and the old changeling hive. You might also count Zebrabwe, given its proximity due south of the hive.”

That last one got my attention. “Zebrabwe, huh? Never heard of it. Who dwells there?” I asked.

“Zebras,” confirmed Celestia, “Zebrica, home to the great ziggurat of Zebrat, and Zebrabwe, are the two Zebra nations. As far as we've been able to tell, Zebrica has kept to itself since Equestria fell, but Zebrabwe has grown bolder, conducting slaver raids and unprovoked attacks at sea.”

“They sound like a menace,” I affirmed.

“That is not all… I have heard unsettling rumors about the nature of the magic they are using. But… we should talk more about that in private. Now that our secret is out, you can join us at our residence. Come,” she offered as she walked off, immediately joined by Luna. Seeing few alternatives, I decided to follow them, with Ace following me at my side, and everypony else following behind me. We traveled in silence, following the alicorn sisters to their abode, until Ace whispered to me.

“Do you think… Zebrabwe took my sister?” He asked me.

“Hard to say… but if they're as aggressive as we've just heard they are, it's certainly possible.”

As we continued walking, I spotted Jet outside the same tavern we'd holed up in last night. As he approached me, I realized that he was probably specifically looking for me. I gestured for him to follow me as the alicorns led us to their abode, a double-story reasonably-maintained thatched cottage with a door large enough to accommodate Celestia as she crossed the threshold.

We all filed into the house, my eyes picking out their modest, yet comfortable furnishings, with an array of bookshelves and spots for nik naks punctuating their living space. Being the well-trained houseguest that I was, I took my shoes off and placed them off to the side, letting them and my now-uncovered black socks air while I found a place to sit on one of their sofas.

Not a moment after I'd sat down, Ace joined me, depositing himself in my lap with what felt like a cheeky grind against my groin before he laid down, the both of us watching as the others took up various seats around a large, wooden, and dark coffee table, circular in appearance with a series of ornate designs across its surface that spiraled down its legs, capped with a hefty pane of glass that had been polished to a completely pristine state of transparency.

Sat next to me and Ace now were Flame and Crush, both of them reclining against the upholstery as Stopper, Tricks, and Jet Stream sat on the sofa opposite ours. To my left, Luna seated herself, while to my right, Celestia sat down, both of them occupying single-seater upholstery.

As the sounds of depressed springs and the shufflings of fur and fabric died down, a silence fell upon us all, disturbed only by the relentless tick-tock of a grandfather clock not far from where we were all seated.

Celestia cleared her throat. “It is good to have guests again,” she beamed as she cheerily kicked off the conversation.

“And thank you for inviting us into your home. I have a message for you from Alex, to start off with. He wanted you to know that, despite everything, He’s immensely grateful for the guidance and counsel you gave him, and that he will always have the utmost respect for you both.”

Both of the sisters nodded with a proud smile on their muzzles. “It is… most gratifying to hear such praise,” said Luna.

“I concur, Lulu. Thank you again for accepting your new responsibilities, Ser. I am sorry to do this afterward, but I think there is some additional… information that you should know.”

I leaned forward slightly, putting a hand on Ace's back and lightly running my fingers back and forth across his fur, a gesture that earned an appreciative stretch from the pegasus. “I'm listening,” I said as I waited to see where this conversation was going to lead.

If I asked you, ‘What does the word “harmony” mean to you?’, what would you reply with?” The white alicorn asked me.

The question seemed simple enough. “If I think back to my musical theory lessons, ‘harmony’ would be an orderly arrangement of sounds to bring about an entirely new musical idea. It's about combining components to make something more than the sum of its parts.”

Both of the sisters nodded. “That is a very… astute description,” spoke Luna, no doubt continuing for her sister. “But… What if we were to tell you that ‘harmony’ is not just a metaphor for unity? That ‘Harmony’, is, in fact, a conscious, living entity, who permeates every aspect of life on this planet?”

“You mean to tell me that his hunch was right?!” Blurted out Crush, making me remember when I implanted those pieces of unicorn horn into my hands, a very painful process only tempered by the healing potions Crush had apocathery'd. The earth pony's outburst definitely caught the sisters’ attention.

“What hunch?” Asked Celestia as Crush sat up fully.

“When he came to me that day…” the earth pony began, “The day he stuck those bits of horn in those hands of his… he asked me if I believed if an all-seeing deity was watching over us all… I thought he was mad to even ask that question. But, even when I said I didn't believe that there was one… he did a sort of prayer, asking it to forgive him for what he was about to do…”

“... and I offered it a bargain,” I interjected. “If it helped me wield magic, I offered myself as an avatar of its will in exchange for it. Well, assuming something that powerful was listening in, of course.”

Both of the sisters looked at one another before turning their glances toward me. “It would seem that our intrepid guest is already playing the game, without even knowing about it,” said Luna with a sweet sort of grin, one that thoroughly unnerved me.

“Sorry, what do you mean by ‘game’?” I queried with a frown.

Celestia smirked. “Our apologies. That's another legacy of your predecessor. We did not have a word for it before he came to us. After he was… well, brought back from the dead, he developed the same understanding that Luna and I have of what Harmony really is. He coined the term ‘game’ to refer to the way that Harmony interacted with us.”

“And… What is Harmony, really?” I pointedly asked.

The white alicorn exhaled sharply. “A being with motivations beyond anything we understand or maybe even can understand. A being that is capable of taking living beings, be it from this planet… or others, it would seem… and turning them into extensions of itself. Exactly what happened to us,” she said, gesturing to herself and Luna with a hoof.

I folded my arms and sighed. “How did you two find out about your… involuntary recruitment?”

They both leaned forward in their respective seats.

“We were both born as alicorns, as you may know…” Celestia started as she put her hooves on her chest. “From a kingdom in the sky that existed so long ago that nopony else here can even remember its name… Ustaryn, on the sky continent of Skyros. When we first came to these lands, it was… a very brutal time for ponykind.”

“Ustaryn was destroyed. We… Barely made it out of there alive,” continued Luna, “When we first came to these lands, we were taken in by a unicorn settlement. They taught us much; we learned from a pony called Starswirl the Bearded how to raise the Sun and the Moon, and that is where I also learned to travel to the dream realm.”

“But,” Celestia waded in, raising a hoof in the air for a moment. “When we received our cutie marks for learning how to raise our respective celestial bodies… something changed in us. We knew neither what nor why at the time, but something… well, within me at least, told me that I was destined to do something great. Even now, if I close my eyes in a dark room… I can sometimes still hear that voice whispering to me.”

“I feel the same way… sometimes,” confirmed her sister. “I couldn’t put a hoof on it at the time… but after some discussion, we felt that reuniting the pony tribes was to be our next task.”

“And sometime after that, the Elements of Harmony were bestowed upon us. That was when Harmony revealed itself to us; only then did we truly understand the scope of the task it had bequeathed to us: To serve as stalwarts for ponykind across the centuries, to steer our little ponies on the path to their destiny, a united world where earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike are joined together in a civilization to stand the test of time.”

“And thy thestrals, dear sister… or is history doomed to forget about their plight once more?” She said as she frowned severely, the topic clearly a sore one for her.

“Uh… beyond a reference that I’m pretty sure only Alex would understand, what is a thestral, exactly?”

Luna’s frown softened for a moment. “They are ponies, but with leathery wings and fangs. Many call them ‘bat ponies’ because of their resemblance to those misunderstood creatures. Alas… I have been unable to locate my children. I hope they are doing well… even if they may have forsaken their mother by this point.”

Something had clearly happened to this other tribe of ponies, but I did not feel the need for now to poke that particular sore spot. I did, however, make a mental note to look out for these ‘bat ponies’ in the future.

“I’m… sorry to hear that. This is… wow, a lot to take in,” I said, looking up briefly as I sighed to myself. This entire conversation was making the hairs on my back prickle up, and that was usually a bad omen.

A supernatural being that is capable of altering the destinies of others, on a whim? Just what kind of horrific shit have you gotten yourself involved in this time, Stuart?

“So… what are you two saying, exactly? That this is my future that I have to look forward to? Of being a slave to an unseen demigod?” I asked as I tried to dig deeper. I sure as shit wasn't a fan of hearing that my destiny might be being controlled by another entity.

“Well… I suppose this is just us letting you know that Harmony is the one in control here,” continued Celestia, “Not necessarily in control of any one of us in particular, mind you, but of events as a whole. Everyone plays their part in her grand scheme… whether they want to or not.”

“Wait a second… Harmony is a she?” I countered with.

Celestia just shrugged. “Well, that is what it feels like; something woven through me leads me to believe that Harmony is indeed a she. I do not, however, believe in coincidences. You are here for a reason, one that is unknowable to us or likely even to you at this point. You might be far more important to us than you give yourself credit for. You are not a slave, however… Harmony cannot control your actions, but like us before you, you might find out that free will is an illusion.”

Luna spoke up next as I cast my gaze across to her.

“If you take anything away from this meeting today, take this: the only other human to come before you has turned into a pivotal part of our history. He is arguably at least partially responsible for everything that has happened in the last fifty years; both good and bad, whether he was ready or not for the mantle he took up… that we encouraged him to take up. Just imagine what a second human could accomplish for ponykind.”

I scoffed at the notion. “You mean more of… what, this?” I said incredulously, gesturing my hands toward the window. “Your kingdom has fallen, ladies. You can't seriously expect another human to do any better. What if…”

Thoughts swirled in my mind of all the bad things that might happen were I to be given the reins of leadership.

“... what if I fuck things up worse? I'm happy to help, I just…“

My thoughts continued to expire in my mouth before I could shape them into words as my hands clasped over my mouth with my eyes closing tightly shut. I was beginning to feel the walls metaphorically closing in on me as my lungs tightened… until I felt something furry brush against my hands.

Only then did I open my eyes once more to see the blue-irised eyes of Ace staring back at me, his expression twinged with concern.

“It's okay, just breathe,” he said to me… which was more help to me than he could've known. I focused on his voice as he repeated that mantra to me a few more times before my breathing stabilized, the others all casting sympathetic looks at me… all except for Jet, who looked at me with a piercing glare before nodding once at each of the alicorns.

“You're going to need my help,” he seemed to offer as he crossed his forelegs and looked at me once more. “If you're as important as these two are implying you are… then ponies like me have an obligation to help you. Even if there is a demigod manipulating events for her unknown ends… you kept that one quiet, you two…” Jet said, earning nods from both alicorns.

“We couldn’t speak of it… we have, in fact, for years yearned to reveal this story to somepony since we returned… We think that, now, the time is right. But, this is more than just a story to tell… this is a warning,” said the elder sister as Luna fidgeted in her seat. Celestia then looked directly at me, our eyes meeting in a shared gaze as my hand patted Ace on the head. “A warning to you, Stuart. I believe that Harmony is growing bolder in her actions… out of desperation or complacency, we cannot say. However, know this: Until the day that Alexander Kintobor was resurrected, nothing like that had ever happened in our history. Bringing somepony… someone back from the dead is… unnatural,” she spoke with a visible shudder to her body. “Alexander’s return to this world, welcome as it was to everypony… was an aberration, an act against nature itself. It should not have been possible…”

“... and yet it was,” I said, highlighting that point. “Because of that, he’s now in a position to fix what he thinks are his mistakes. Maybe… I might even get to see him again… all thanks to that little gift of life.”

“I… do not think he would agree that it was a gift,” said Luna. “Something changed in him that day; it was like a piece of him died when he was brought back. If he spoke to you now… one wonders if he would have preferred to remain deceased. One wonders if you would still recognize the human you remember so fondly… or if he would regard you the same as he once did.”

That last point hit me like a gut punch. I’d never, not once, stopped to consider if his experiences could’ve caused his perspectives to shift.

Not that I would blame him in the slightest. I didn’t like me back then, either. I don’t even think I like me now.

I sank back into the upholstery and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Whatever Harmony thinks, the fact remains that I'm in no way worthy of that kind of responsibility.”

As I sat back up again and opened my eyes, Luna smiled sweetly at me. “Alexander was of the same opinion… but, there is an old saying from one of our oldest archmages, that truly great leaders do not seek power; they instead have power thrust upon them.”

“We won't be around forever…” cautioned the other sister. “You might not feel the whispers of Harmony yet, but I think you will, eventually. She might still be evaluating you.”

“Great…” I said, rolling my eyes. “So, I'm effectively being continuously judged by a non-corporeal, seemingly immortal pseudo-deity. Or is that just a normal Tuesday around these parts?”

That got a chuckle from a few in the room, which made me feel a lot better.

“Well, I can only wait for her to decide to do something. For now, I want to pick up on something you mentioned earlier, Celestia…” I said, sitting forward as I laid my hands on Ace's rump. “... What did you mean when you said that you'd heard rumors of the type of magic that was being used across the sea?”

“Well…” she started as she leaned back. “As I'm sure you know, there are five orders of magic: Divine magic, Destruction magic, Life magic, Illusion magic, and Necromancy. But… a long time ago, Starswirl the Bearded pioneered the creation of hybrid schools. One of the products of that research was Soul magic, a fusion of Life magic, Necromancy, and Illusion magic.”

My curiosity had been well and truly piqued. “Soul magic… You mean the ability to shape and manipulate the will of another being? Didn't we just have a conversation about this?”

“Not even Harmony can change the will of another directly… we thought that it was best to not help proliferate a power she lacks. We banned Necromancy for… obvious reasons,” she said with a shudder.

“But we still taught both Necromancy and Soul magic to a select few,” Luna advised. “Understanding both of those disciplines of magic has practical applications, like understanding the limits of the arcane and coming to terms with that.”

“Buuuuut…” I added, sensing that wasn't the point.

“But…” matched Celestia, “... While Necromancy is about creating and manifesting the undead… Soul magic covers a profoundly more powerful aspect: Summons.”

I matched her gaze as I repeated it back to her. “Summons? What is a… ‘summon’?”

“I've heard about them,” interjected Stopper, joining the conversation for the first time. “Legends tell of powerful, massive creatures that were conjured by trained summoners. They had the potential to level whole cities.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, that's right, and they leveled more than one city in our history. The desert south of here was the site of one particularly aggressive battle between three summoned creatures. They destroyed one another… and the explosion of magic from that battle caused the land to drain all life away as a consequence, a permanent reminder of the dangers of such power. That is why we forbade such magic from being widely taught.”

“If such a creature were to be summoned unopposed… it could lay waste to the entire world…” added Luna. “... or allow its summoners to dominate the population, even enslave it.”

“What does all this have to do with Zebrabwe?” I probed, but I could already sense where this was ultimately heading.

Celestia leaned forward and shuffled her wings for a few moments before reclining back. “It has long been suspected that zebras are well-versed in Summon magic. I don't think a summoning is likely, but the minute it happens, we'd feel it in the aetherial currents.”

Multiple paths were now open in front of me, the group seemingly looking to me for guidance and a decision on what to do next.

“We have a lot to do. Jet; I need to ask you to ferry Stopper back to our settlement in one of those planes, she can give you rough directions to find it from the air.”

This was met with Stopper going wide-eyed at the both of us. “Wait, what do you mean fly?!” She asked with what sounded like a bit of panic in her voice.

“Afraid of heights are we, Captain?” I taunted light-heartedly, but I understood her apprehension. Before she could answer, Jet answered her concerns.

“Pfft, don't worry; I've got enough parachutes for everypony. Nopony is going to get hurt under my watch.”

“Well, now that that's sorted… Stopper, when you arrive, give Scar a report on everything that has happened to us since we left. Then, ask her if she has any further instructions before coming back here. Oh, and grab those magic tomes while you’re there and make sure my personal items are safely hidden in the tower if you'd be so kind. Jet, when you get back, you're teaching me how to fly.”

“You got it, friend,” said Jet with a smile and a salute, Stopper merely nodding in acknowledgment, still a little perturbed I guessed from knowing she was about to fly in the skies, albeit it a metal vessel.

I then turned my attention to the others. “While these two are gone,” I said, pointing to Jet and Stopper, “You two,” now briefly pointing each at Luna and Celestia, “Are going to teach me everything you know about Summon magic. I don't want to be caught with my trousers down if shit hits the fan, and that means learning about anything a potential enemy could do. A little history lesson on zebras wouldn't be amiss, either.”

Both of the sisters hesitantly nodded in an eventual display of understanding.

“Once we're all up to speed, we’ll scout out that signal to the west, and investigate it. Eventually, we'll do the same with the signal to the east. We'll also need to investigate Zebrabwe, but we can do that later. Am I missing anything?”

Celestia raised a hoof. “I think you should consider taking a trip to Everfree Castle… or, the ruins there, at any rate. I think there's a certain someone you should meet there.”

“There's… no such thing as ‘Everfree Castle’,” confirmed Tricks as he waded in, “There is a castle within the Everfree Forest, but that's called ‘The Castle of the Two Pony Sisters’.”

The alicorns shared a mutual grin before Celestia continued. “Canterlot wasn't the original capital city. That honor belongs to Everfree City. The castle I mentioned was at its heart and is only now known by that name. Its original name was ‘Everfree Castle’.”

“And… just who do you think I'm going to meet there? As you said yourself, the place is a ruin… Who could possibly still be inhabiting that place?”

“There is… a tree, at the center of the ruins of the castle, with a treehouse in its canopy. It is not the tree we once knew, but at that site…” said Luna, the alicorn trailing off as her sister finished her thought for her.

“... the Elements of Harmony were bestowed upon us.”

The pieces slotted into place for me, and I now understood who they were asking me to meet. It filled me with a sense not only of curiosity but of foreboding as well.

“So… let me get this straight… you want me to go to this tree, in the middle of a ruin, in the middle of a forest, and… what, commune with Harmony? Ask it very nicely if it wouldn't mind explaining just what the fuck it thinks it's doing? Yeah, I'm sure that'll go down well.”

“I… I think we should see it,” remarked Flame as she joined the discussion. “I just… feel like something important is there. I, um… can't put my hooves on it.”

Maybe it was my experiences on Earth making me overcautious, but every cynical fiber within me was now screeching that something wasn't quite right here. And yet… I was also feeling that going to the tree was the right thing to do.

“I think that settles it, then,” I said, exhaling sharply as I crossed my arms. “Jet, Stopper, you still proceed as planned to the settlement. I'll go over what I need to do here while you're gone. Once you're back, we'll form a recon party and fly to the Everfree Forest to check out that tree. Any questions?”

Everypony in the room shook their heads as Stopper prodded Jet. “You'd better be a good pilot.”

Jet just smirked back. “Well, Delta did say once that I have exceptional stick control…”