The Last Gargoyle

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, may I have your attention please!"

Hubbub made way for silence, and Mayor Mare had the full attention of her audience.

"Thank you all for arriving in such a timely, organized manner. Now, as you are all aware..."

Rainbow groaned audibly. The rhythmic tapping of her hoof was her only relief from the buzzing pulse that throbbed in every inch of her athletic body. She could feel her brain shriveling up by the second. Her muscles tensed and flexed, protesting against her self-imposed stillness.

"Rainbow? Are you alright?"

The pegasus looked over at her friend's cheeky smile. Groaning again, she flexed her wings and responded with a glare.

"Don't worry Rainbow, it's only a short meeting." Twilight assured, tapping Dash's shoulder with a hoof.

"It's still too long! I should be practicing right now!"

"Shh, you're doing well." She smiled, then leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Between you and me, I'm bored out of my mind too. I've already heard this three times. Hay, I was the one that told the mayor about it!"

Rainbow sighed. "Thanks Twilight. I know everypony has to be here, but... uuugggh! Look at Pinkie Pie!" She grumbled, gesturing toward the pink mare on her other side. Pinkie was standing there, completely still, listening to the mayor intently. As soon as Rainbow turned away she giggled into her hoof silently, then resumed hopping in place as she listened to the announcement.

"She's just standing there. I don't know how she does it!" Rainbow whispered to Twilight, utterly befuddled.

"Well, um..." Twilight mumbled, still looking past Rainbow at the covertly hopping pony. "I'm s-"

Twilight was cut off by a scream. Somewhere in the crowd, a mare scrambled backward holding her nose in a hoof.

"Lyra! Are you okay?"

"Owowow! It shocked me! What is that thing?" Lyra cried, feeling her nose. "I think I'm okay, thanks." She confirmed, accepting her marefriend's concerned nuzzle.

A circle formed around the strange thing as the townsponies backed away. It was an orb. It had started off small, but was growing larger by the minute. The glowing white surface coursed and crackled with electricity, and those with keen ears could make out a low, pulsing thrum.

When the floating orb became large enough to reach the ground, a scream was heard. A long, drawn out shriek that seemed to echo from deep within the orb, it caused more than a few shivers. Electricity began to arc onto the ground, reaching out and striking at the hooves of any pony that was too close.

Without warning, the orb shrunk in on itself and exploded. Blinding white light washed over the crowd, only to fade as quickly as it had come. Unharmed, the townsponies gaped at the odd sight that now stood before them.

It was a statue. Maybe a head taller than an average pony, it was made of immaculate stone of such smoothness that it shone in the sunlight. It portrayed the terrifying visage of a monster, almost draconic in appearance. A savage face was locked in a bestial snarl, rows of razor-sharp teeth bared menacingly. An imposing set of wings reached high into the air, making the statue appear much larger. The creature's hunched body was stocky and muscular, thick arms and legs ending in a set of vicious claws. It looked as though it were attacking, frozen in a lunge with a claw outstretched.

At the end of this claw, held in a firm grip, was a foreleg. It belonged to a mare that had appeared out of nowhere, just like the statue. Her coat was pure white, and she was no taller than Twilight. Her turquoise-green mane was straight, and reached down to her legs. The most unusual thing about this mare, however, was her race. She sported both a horn, and a pair of lustrous feathered wings.

She was screaming. It was the same scream that had been heard from within the orb; a drawn out, horrified yowl.

Gasping abruptly, the mare opened her eyes and looked around. She wrestled her hoof out of the statue's grip, panting in relief.

"Thank goodness..."

With no danger apparent, the crowd grew curious.

"You seein' this Fluttershy?" Applejack asked incredulously, poking the pegasus.

"Yes." Fluttershy replied. "Who is that though? I hope she's not hurt..." She moved through the crowd, pushing into the circle at the center. She approached the mare bravely, putting on her best friendly smile.

"Um, hel-"

"Please remain calm everypony!" Mayor Mare's loud announcing voice cut off the meek pegasus, who shuffled back into the crowd, defeated. Applejack had followed her, and gave her an encouraging nudge.

"Go on 'Shy, ask if she's okay." AJ urged.

Fluttershy turned back to the mare, who was being chastised by the mayor.

"Who are you? Where did you get that ghastly statue? Why, you could have caused a commotion!"

The mare looked quite bewildered, backing away from the irate mayor. Her rump bumped into Fluttershy's nose, and she whirled around at the sudden touch.

"Hello. Um, you were screaming, and I was just wondering if you were okay?" Fluttershy mumbled, smiling awkwardly. The mare smiled back, easing up a little.

"Hello." She looked at her hoof, giving it a little shake. "I think so, yes. Thank you...?"

"Oh, I'm Fluttershy."

"And I'm Starburst. Pleased to meet you!" She exclaimed, holding out a hoof.

"Howdy. I'm Applejack." The Earth pony walked over and introduced herself, eyes glancing over at the statue. Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie were right behind her. Before Starburst could say anything, another Earth pony burst from the crowd.

"You! What the buck do you think you're doing!? That weird orb of yours hurt Lyra!" Bon-Bon screamed, holding her minty marefriend in a protective hug.

"Bon-Bon..." Lyra protested quietly, wincing. Her ears flattened as she glanced around the crowd, head held low. She looked as though she wanted to melt into the ground.

"No Lyra, you could have been seriously hurt." The Earth pony stated firmly before rounding on the mare. "What the hoof were you thinking popping up right in the middle of a crowd like that!?"

I'm sorry, I di-"

"Darn right you're sorry!"

"Hey! How about you shut up and let her speak!?" Rainbow yelled, taking to the air and staring Bon-Bon down.

"Who the hay are you?" Bon-Bon growled. "Don't you dare tell me to shut up! Look at what that... that whorse did to my marefriend!"

"That's enough!" Twilight snapped. "Both of you, stop it right now!"

Bon-Bon took a step back, grumbling angrily.

"Are you alright Lyra?" Twilight asked. Lyra nodded quickly, trying to shrink back into the crowd.

There was silence for a few seconds as everypony looked around. It was Twilight that broke it.

"This statue..." she began, walking over to it. "Where did it come from? It looks like a Gargoyle."

Starburst blinked at her. "It is a Gargoyle." She spoke as though it were painfully obvious.

"No, that's impossible. Gargoyles were declared extinct over a thousand years ago."

"Are Gargoyles dangerous?" Rarity asked tentatively, taking note of Twilight's apprehensive tone.

"No." Mayor Mare announced loudly. "This is simply a statue. The meeting is over everypony! You may all return to your daily activities!" The crowd dispersed in the blink of an eye, and the mayor walked back to her office hastily, leaving the Element Bearers alone with Starburst.

Starburst looked around. "What is this place? Are we in Equestria?"

"Yes, we're in Ponyville. Where are you from?" Twilight asked.

"Canterlot. Do you know it?"

"Know it? I grew up there!" Twilight exclaimed.

"But how come you haven't heard of Ponyville?" Rainbow asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"I apologize." Starburst said, bowing her head. "I don't mean to cause offense, I simply don't know of it."

"Well, Canterlot is only a short train trip from here, so-" Pinkie cut off Twilight with a raised hoof.

"Hold on a second." She turned to Starburst, grinning. "You're new?!" Starburst nodded.

"Whoohoo! You get the welcome wagon!" Pinkie squealed excitedly. Twilight groaned. After hopping a few times, Pinkie's forelegs shot sideways, stretching to an impossible length. She pulled over a huge wagon, which was loaded with welcoming mechanisms. Striking a pose, Pinkie started dancing.

"Welcome welcome welcome,

A fine welcome to you!

Welcome welcome welcome,

I say how do you do?

Welcome welcome welcome,

I say hip hip hooray!

Welcome welcome welcome to Ponyville todaaaaaay!"

On cue, a cloud of confetti erupted from the contraption, completely covering Pinkie and Starburst. A stack of pancakes shot out of the front, which Pinkie deftly caught on a plate. She drizzled maple syrup and ice cream all over them, then offered the plate to Starburst.

"That was... incredible." Starburst mused, blinking. "Pancakes? For me?"

"Of course silly! Only new ponies can have welcome pancakes!" Pinkie cried exuberantly.

"But how did you know to plan this for me?"

"I didn't!" Pinkie giggled. "I'm always prepared for new ponies!"

"Well thank you for the pancakes." Starburst chuckled, taking the plate in her magic. Pinkie gave her a knife and fork, and she tucked in.

"Mmm! These are quite good!"

Pinkie's friends stood together, smiling as they watched this new pony enjoy her pancakes. She noticed them looking, and smiled back.

"So Canterlot is fairly close? That's quite a relief. I had heard stories where victims of Gargoyle attacks went missing." She turned to look at the statue. "It must have brought me here when it attacked."

"Brought you here? How?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh, I've read about this!" Twilight chimed in. "Gargoyles possess the innate ability to displace ponies in time and space. They send you somewhere else, which creates an energy differential. Displacing ponies and feeding on the energy it creates is their main food source."

Starburst nodded. "Yes, that sounds about right. I attempted to block the displacement with a spell of my own, which must have lessened the effect somehow."

"Well don't you worry, you're safe now." Applejack said, nodding. "But there ain't any more trains to Canterlot until tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay?"

"No, I don't. I suppose I could go to a hotel though." Starburst replied, looking around for a hotel.

"No, I won't be hearin' any of that. I insist that you stay with me, there's plenty of room on the farm."

"As long as it's not too much trouble." Starburst replied graciously. "You live on a farm? I'd love to see it!"

"Hey." Rainbow exclaimed, hovering around the group. "You don't have a cutie mark?"

Glancing back at her flank, Starburst frowned. "No, not yet. I'm only as old as all of you." She glanced at their flanks in turn. "I didn't notice before, but all six of you already have yours. That's quite odd."

"Only as old as us?" Twilight repeated, tilting her head confusedly.

"Yes. I don't see what's so strange about that. I'll probably earn mine in a few years, just like everypony else."

Twilight began to splutter confusedly. Noticing the imminent meltdown, Rarity stepped in.

"Starburst my dear, what will you do with your Gargoyle?"

"Oh, it's not my Gargoyle. It's just a Gargoyle" The alicorn corrected gently. "Hmm, I can't just leave it here. Applejack, would you mind if I stored it on your farm for the time being?"

"Sure thing. It's mighty ugly though, if you don't mind me sayin'. I'll probably put it in the barn." Applejack replied, shuffling under the statue and attempting to lift it. She was struggling.

"Applejack, don't hurt yourself!" Rarity exclaimed. She walked over and joined AJ, but the statue still didn't budge. They both slumped, sighing.

"Twilight?" Rarity and AJ asked in unison.

"Me?" Twilight blurted, stepping back. "What makes you think I can lift it if you two can't??"

"Well you did lift that great big bear thingie that one time..." Applejack reasoned.

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped. "One little statue should be a piece of cake!"

"Well um..." Twilight's ears drooped as her horn sparked. The statue shot into the air suddenly, and Pinkie cheered. Twilight blushed as her friends applauded lightly.

"Alright alright, let's just get it over to the farm..." She grumbled.

Twilight glanced over at Starburst as they walked.

"So I can't help but notice that you're an alicorn?"

"Indeed I am." Starburst smiled, wiggling her wings at Twilight.

"Does that mean that you're royalty?" Twilight's ears drooped a little. Had she been disrespectful? Should she be addressing this new pony as Princess Starburst?

Starburst blinked at her. "Royalty? Why in Equestria would I be royalty?" She asked, gobsmacked.

"Oh, never mind." Twilight said quickly, waving a hoof. "It's getting late, I should probably go start dinner after this." She chuckled nervously.

"You're welcome to come have dinner at mine Twilight. I'm cookin' tonight." Applejack offered. "That goes for you girls too." She added, nodding at her friends.

"What a generous offer. I'll gladly accept!" Rarity exclaimed. "I do so enjoy your cooking Applejack."

"Count me in! Applejack's food is great!" Pinkie squealed, hopping up and down.

"Oh Applejack, that would be wonderful!" Fluttershy said, waving her wings excitedly.

"Then I guess it's decided." Rainbow added, crossing her forelegs. Everypony nodded, setting off for Sweet Apple Acres.

A while later, the seven ponies reached the farm. Twilight carefully set the Gargoyle down inside the barn. Applejack walked in to put it away.

"Oh, let me help you." Starburst said, rushing after her.

"No no! You're the guest. It wouldn't be hospitable of me to ask you to do that. I'll handle it."

"Starburst, come have a look at the apple fields!" Twilight called her over. Frowning, the alicorn relented. She trotted over to Twilight.

"Why, they're huge!" Starburst blurted, gazing in wonder at the sheer size of the Apple's land.

"Yep. We don't call it Sweet Apple Acres for nothin!" AJ boasted proudly, walking back out of the barn. "Now come on y'all, let me show you in."

As soon as she walked through the front door, Apple Bloom zoomed over to greet them, grinning broadly.

"Applejack! You're back! And you brought Twilight!" The filly beamed, hopping up and down.

"Hello Apple Bloom." Twilight said, smiling back.

"Hey, you brought your friends too! Are y'all havin' another sleepover?! Hey, you're new! Howdy! I'm Apple Bloom!"

"Hello Apple Bloom." Starburst giggled. "You must be Applejack's sister?"

The filly smiled proudly, and was about to answer when she noticed her big sister take a deep breath, preparing to announce her arrival. Grinning devilishly, Apple Bloom spun around and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"APPLEJACK'S HOME, Y'ALL!"

"Oh, hellooo" Granny Smith called from down the hall.

"Uh, thanks AB."

"'Tweren't nothin' big sis."

"Heh, it never is." Applejack laughed, ruffling her sister's mane. "Listen, I'm gonna start cookin' so I need you to get my big pot out."

"I'm on it!" Apple Bloom saluted, scampering off to the kitchen.

"Come meet Granny Smith." Applejack said, leading Starburst into the living room. Granny Smith looked up from her knitting when they entered, and put it aside.

"Granny, this here is Starburst, the new pony from the town meetin' today." Applejack announced. Climbing out of her rocking chair, Granny Smith ambled over slowly, muttering something.

"Hellooo there! Miss Starburst, is it?"

"Oh no no, not miss." The alicorn said, waving a hoof. "Please just call me Starburst."

"You're staying fer dinner, yes? I'm sure Applejack invited you over, she's such a good girl." She rambled, making AJ blush.

"Yes, she did! Thank you for having me. You have a wonderful home." Starburst bowed her head politely.

"Let's all go into the kitchen and sit down. Macintosh should be here, where's Macintosh consarnit?" Granny Smith grumbled. Applejack was about to reply when she whirled around and screeched up the stairs.

"MACINTOSH! GET YER MUZZLE OUTTA THOSE DARN BOOKS AND COME MEET OUR GUESTS!" She cleared her throat before turning back to the group, smiling. "Now follow me y'all."

Granny Smith led everypony into the kitchen, where Apple Bloom was lurking. They had barely stepped through the door when she accosted them, pot on head, with a bright smile.

"I bet you're gonna cook yer famous pumpkin soup, huh Applejack?" She deduced. Applejack smiled, tapping her chin with a hoof.

"Pumpkin soup? I reckon I can rustle some of that up."

"Whoohoo!" Pinkie cheered. Rarity and Fluttershy licked their lips. Twilight leaned over to Starburst and nudged her.

"You'll love this, trust me." She whispered.

The kitchen was a fairly large room, divided in two by the kitchen counter. One half was the cooking area, and the other was the dining area where a huge dinner table was situated.

Big Macintosh thudded into the kitchen a few seconds later, looking around at all of the guests.

"Howdy."

"Hello Big Mac." Twilight replied.

"Big Mac, this is Starburst, the pony from the town meeting." AJ said. "And Starburst, this is my brother, Big Macintosh."

"And here I thought Big Mac was just an affectionate nickname!" Starburst exclaimed, smiling up at the big stallion. He returned the smile, then walked into the kitchen to help Applejack cook.

"Oh nonono." Apple Bloom tutted, stopping him with a hoof to the chest. "I'm helpin' Applejack cook!"

Big Mac shook his head.

"Yes I am!" His little sister shouted, stomping a hoof.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow, then reached over and tickled her ribs with a big hoof. Apple bloom squealed, jumping away.

Aaah! Big Maaaac!" She whined playfully. He trotted over and tickled her again.

"'Taint fair! Stoppit!"

"Nnnope!" Big Mac was relentless, chasing Apple Bloom right out of the kitchen.

"Now look here! You two behave yerselves in fronta the guests, y'hear?" Granny Smith yelled, picking up a spoon and shaking it at them.

"Sorry Granny." Apple Bloom giggled, tracing a few remorseful circles on the floor with her hoof.

"Apple Bloom, y'know how antsy Big Mac gets around guests." Applejack told her. "Why don't you go keep everypony entertained? He'll help me make the soup."

"Awww..." Apple Bloom's ears and bow drooped as she trudged back to the table. Everypony had taken a seat, and were talking amongst themselves.

"So I take it this farm is family-owned and run?" Starburst asked.

"Sure is!" Apple Bloom grinned, perking right back up. "Our farm supplies apples to all of Ponyville! We're the only apple farmers for miles around, and we even ship stock to Canterlot!"

"Now Apple Bloom, it ain't polite to boast." Granny Smith reminded.

"But it's true!" Her eyes widened. "Oh oh! Please let me tell the story of how Ponyville was founded! I don't think Applejack's friends have heard it either!"

The five friends exchanged glances, shrugging.

"The founding of Ponyville? I can't say I've heard that one." Rarity said.

"Mmm, alright." Granny Smith relented.

Apple Bloom's smile became positively lamplike. "I first heard it at the schoolhouse when mah Granny Smith came for a class talk. By the time she was done the entire room was quiet, and everypony was floored! I've never been more gosh-darn proud to be an Apple!" Placing her hooves on the table neatly, she began.

"Granny Smith's parents started out as pilgrims. Her daddy was a mighty fine seed collector. The family traveled to Canterlot one day, and they ran into Princess Celestia herself! She had a look at their seed collection, and she musta seen potential, cuz she decided to give them a plot of land! Granny Smith discovered how to grow zap apples, and they were so good that ponies came from far and wide for one little taste. Some of the ponies stayed, and soon there was a little town there! That little town became Ponyville!"

"What a wonderful story." Starburst mused, smiling warmly.

"Alright everypony! Dinner is served!" Applejack announced, holding a hoof up to the big pot of soup balanced on Big Mac's back. Applejack managed to get it onto the table, then started ladling it into the bowls that Apple Bloom had set out earlier.

"It smells simply divine, Applejack." Rarity commended, taking a long whiff. Applejack chuckled, sitting down next to Big Mac.

"Thank you kindly Rarity." She said, taking off her hat. "Aw shoot! Apple Bloom, I forgot the bread. Could you go get it?"

"Yep!" The filly zoomed over, grabbed the basket of bread, and zoomed back.

"May I?" Rarity asked, taking the basket and offering it to everypony in turn. They all tucked in, and for a few minutes the only sounds were a chorus of 'Mmms' and slurps.

"Um, could somepony please pass the pepper?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Here, there's some pepper in the shaker." Applejack pushed it over to her.

"I'm sorry, I just like it spicy..." The pegasus apologized. AJ smiled at her.

"So, the six of you seem to be very close." Starburst began. "You must be very good friends. How did you all meet?"

"Oh, that's quite an interesting story actually." Twilight said.

"They all became the Elements of Harmony!" Apple Bloom chirped proudly.

"Oh yes, tell Starburst about that Twilight." Fluttershy exclaimed. "It's such a nice story!"

Twilight smiled, placing her hooves on the table. "Well, I had very few friends growing up in Canterlot. I was sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration here in Ponyville. By sheer coincidence, my friends were all in charge of a different aspect of the preparations, which is how I met them. I suppose you could say we bonded over the disaster that happened on that day." She mused.

"Tell her the rest Twilight." Rarity urged. Twilight leaned into the table.

"Starburst, have you heard the legend of the Mare in the Moon?"

"No, I haven't. Please do tell." Starburst replied, ears pricking up attentively.

"Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal." Twilight recited eerily, grinning.

"There was a tale of two Royal sisters. One ruled over the day, while the other guarded the night. The ponies all cherished the older sister's day, but slept through the younger sister's beautiful night. Over time, the younger sister became bitter and jealous, and one night, refused to lower her Moon to make way for the Sun. The older sister tried to reason with her, but bitterness had corrupted her heart, transforming her into a wicked mare of darkness. The older sister had no choice but to banish her younger sister to the Moon for a thousand years. From that day forth, the older sister ruled alone, handling both day and night."

"How awful..." Starburst murmured.

"The legend turned out to be completely true. I just so happened to be reading about it the day before I left for Ponyville, and I saw the prophecy unfold with my own eyes. Princess Celestia was to make an appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration, but the Mare in the Moon escaped and replaced her. The dark legend chose the name Nightmare Moon, and claimed dominion over the Sun, the Moon, and Equestria itself!" Twilight finished her sentence with a dramatic flourish, getting into her storytelling.

"The book I was reading is called The Elements Of Harmony: A Reference Guide. It cited a set of magical artifacts that stood as the only thing that could stop Nightmare Moon. According to the book, they could be found in an old abandoned castle... deep in the Everfree Forest!" Twilight frowned a little when Starburst failed to recoil in horror, but pressed on.

"I decided to go find the Elements and stop Nightmare Moon. I wanted to go alone, but my friends refused to leave my side. Nightmare Moon laid traps for us in an attempt to scare us off, but the six of us made it through together." She paused, beaming at her friends. "We reached the castle, and the Elements were there just like the book said. The problem was, there were only five, not six. I attempted to activate them, but Nightmare Moon ambushed us and took them to a different part of the castle. I managed to follow her, but I couldn't activate the five Elements. Nightmare Moon blasted me away and shattered them. I was alone and helpless. It seemed as though she had won, and all was lost, but then... then my friends came for me." Twilight said, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"In that moment, I understood. Everything I had learned fell into place, and a spark ignited inside me. In overcoming Nightmare Moon's traps, my friends had proven themselves as the representatives of the Elements of Harmony. Fluttershy is Kindness, Rarity is Generosity, Pinkie Pie is Laughter, Applejack is Honesty, and Rainbow Dash is Loyalty."

"What about the sixth? Didn't you say that there were six?" Starburst asked.

"Yes. The sixth was me. According to the reference guide, the sixth Element was lost to the ages, its nature a total mystery. When the spark ignited, I realized what the sixth was; Magic. You see, the most common type of magic is friendship magic. It bonds all of ponydom, and is what allows us to live in harmony and safety. The representations of the Elements of Harmony are the purest definition of true friendship, and this is what activates their power. All six appeared, and we used them to defeat Nightmare Moon."

"So what exactly are the Elements of Harmony?" Starburst asked.

"The physical Elements manifest as magical artifacts. They appear as a gem that matches the bearer's cutie mark, mounted on a golden necklace. The lead Element is a big... crown thingie. That's uh... I get that one." Twilight mumbled, blushing. "Anyway, the Elements were originally discovered by the two Royal sisters in the legend. The gems probably looked a little different back then. The sisters used them to rise up against Discord over a millennium ago, and forged a new era of peace. When the younger sister was banished, their connection to the Elements was severed, and they were lost."

Starburst's eyes widened. "They're that powerful?!"

"Yes." Twilight nodded. "In all the times we've used them at full power, they've never failed. The first time we used them was to defeat Nightmare Moon, as I already said, but what we didn't know was that Nightmare Moon was actually Princess Luna, Celestia's younger sister. They were the Royal sisters in the legend!"

"Princess Celestia? The older sister that was alone for a thousand years?" Starburst reeled, horrified.

"Yes, sadly." Twilight replied. "This all happened two years ago, and they've been together ever since. We all know them personally, and they're both really wonderful ponies. I don't suppose you've met them? They'd like you. I wonder what Princess Celestia would say about a fourth alicorn...?"

"Um... I've actually never heard of either of them." Starburst confessed, smiling apologetically.

"What?? How can you not know anything about Princess Celestia?!"

"So Starburst, do you have any family?" Applejack interjected, shooting a look at Twilight.

"Oh, my family? Yes, I do. My story isn't as happy as yours, unfortunately."

"Go on dear, we'd love to hear about it." Rarity said, waving a hoof.

"Well, my mother and father died just recently." She lowered her voice a little. "They caught that nasty strain of horn flu that's been going around."

"Horn flu?" Granny Smith asked. "I ain't ever heard of folks dyin' from that."

"You're lucky. There's a very aggressive strain going around in Canterlot right now. I've heard rumors that it's infecting ponies that don't even have horns!" Starburst frowned when everypony recoiled.

"I'm sorry." Starburst apologized. "This is hardly appropriate discourse for the dinner table." She cleared her throat before continuing. "Without our parents around, my big brother has had to take care of us. His name is Dawnbreak. I think you'd all like him, he's such a wonderful pony." She smiled cheekily. "He has a pink mane."

Everypony smiled, but then her face turned serious. "I shouldn't make jokes though. He's sick now too. The doctor couldn't say whether it was serious or not, as the symptoms seemed to fluctuate randomly, but I'm sure he'll be okay." Her voice broke a little as she continued.

"I really hope he'll be okay. I don't know what I'd do if it were just me and little Nox..."

Fluttershy reached over and hugged her with a wing. "I'm sure your brother will be fine." She soothed. "Little Nox?"

A warm smile graced Starburst's face. "Yes, she's my little sister. Her name is Dewdrop Nox, and she's just the sweetest little thing. The day she was born was one of the happiest of my life. I had always wanted a little sister." She chuckled. "I think we were all in a bit of a daze that day. She's a filly now. Very shrewd, and responsible too. She loves helping out around the house."

"Why, she sounds just like our Apple Bloom!" Applejack exclaimed, throwing a foreleg around her little sister's shoulders and squeezing affectionately.

Aww, siiis..." Apple Bloom whined, blushing a little.

Starburst chuckled. "Nox is quite gifted for such a young filly. The first few nights we had her at home were utter pandemonium." She leaned into the table, grinning slyly. "Everything levitated. It was too much chaos for my parents to handle alone, so my brother and I had to help out. My mother was an Earth pony, so she couldn't use magic to hold everything down like my father could. By the time we'd cleaned up everything and averted a disaster, Nox had flown into another room and started it all over again. The little troublemaker..." She laughed, smiling happily. "I hope she's not worried about me."

"Levitated? Flew? Which species is she?" Twilight asked.

"My brother and sister are alicorns, just like me. I thought I mentioned that?"

"Wait a minute, three alicorns?!" Twilight spluttered. "You're talking like they're just as common as the other three races!"

"Oh no, they're much rarer." Starburst replied. "Maybe ten in a generation? When Nox was born the doctor said that my parents were unfathomably lucky. Two alicorn foals are almost unheard of, let alone three!"

"You must bring her around sometime, we'd love to meet her!" Rarity said.

"Perhaps I will. By the way, I must thank you all for helping me today. Such kindness and generosity is a rare thing. The meal was delicious."

"You're welcome Starburst." Applejack replied.

"Okay, this is bugging me." Twilight interjected. "Starburst, everything you've said today is strange somehow. Alicorns everywhere? Extinct Gargoyles? Horn flu pandemics? Late cutie marks? None of it makes any sense!"

"Well, um..." Starburst replied awkwardly. "I suppose Ponyville is different to Canterlot?"

"No, it's not. I know Canterlot, and it's not like that!" She furrowed her brow, thinking.

"Gargoyles aren't extinct." Starburst explained. "They're everywhere in Canterlot. King Discord uses them as guards. They listen to him, for some reason. There are rumors going around that he actually created them himself, which makes sense if you think about it. He controls the Sun and Moon, so using creatures that turn to stone under Sunlight allows him to control them, and if anypony attempts to dethrone him he can just raise the Moon."

...

"Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Did... did you just say King Discord??" Twilight screeched.

"No, wait." Applejack held up a hoof, thinking. "What was that other thing you said, about the Gargoyles and Sunlight?"

"Gargoyles come out at night. They turn into statues during the day when Sunlight touches them." Starburst explained, tilting her head.

Applejack swallowed. "Surely... not statues like the one in my barn?"

Starburst's eyes widened, and she shot out of her seat. "Oh no. Oh no. Applejack, please tell me you tied the Gargoyle down??"

The farm pony shook her head slowly. Starburst looked out the window, biting her lip. "No! The Sun's about to set! We have to go tie it down now Applejack, hurry!" She yelled, running out of the room at breakneck speed. Applejack followed, and everypony else gasped as realization hit them.

"We should go make sure they're okay..." Rainbow suggested. No sooner than she had spoke, a tremendous thump was heard, followed by a piercing scream.

The kitchen was empty in a matter of seconds.

Apple Bloom was the first one outside, screaming for her big sister. Everypony else was right behind her, galloping over to the barn. What they saw sent a collective chill down their spines. The entire front wall of the barn had been ripped away. The wooden wall had been reduced to splinters, sharp shards that were scattered everywhere. Starburst was inside, lying on her back. She groaned weakly as the others rushed over to her.

"Starburst?" Twilight asked tentatively. The alicorn's eyes shot open, and she climbed to her hooves, shaking. Her face bore a grim expression as she turned to look at Twilight.

"It took Applejack."