The Legend of Luna

Note:  I had originally planned to wait until I had several chapters written to submit this story, but chapter one ended up being way longer than I had thought, and now that classes have resumed, I will have less time to write, and seeing as today (01/17) is my birthday, consider this my Hobbit-birthday present to you :)  I want to get to the action soon, but there's going to be one more chapter of set-up before I can really delve into the adventure.

Like last time, here's the PDF:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B\_XQvNhaw6jCNjc4NzVkYTMtNTZjNS00MzFlLWFhYTAtYzZhNDMxMDM1Y2I1&hl=en\_US

I read over the prologue and first chapter several times, and found several mistakes.  With that having been said, if anyone would like to be a proofreader, I would really appreciate it.

Chapter 1:  The Hero Awakens

Light is peering in through the window of a bedroom belonging to a young pegasus colt.  He raises a foreleg in an attempt to block the light from his eyes, but to no avail.  He slumps out of bed and groggily makes his way over to the mirror.  His jet-black eyes are listless, his matching mane is mussed beyond all hope, and his normally pristine white coat is matted from sweat.  He sighed.  ‘Another restless night,’ he thinks to himself.

He slowly makes his way to the small bathroom adjacent to his quarters.  It is nothing impressive:  a fairly large metal wash basin, resting on a stone platform with a fire pit underneath for heating the bath, a manual pump for filling the basin, with a small mop and wooden bucket on the floor beside it for cleaning.  The room had no windows and only one torch, making the whole area seem a little depressing.  Without bothering to light the fire pit, the colt begins to pump water into the basin.  After a long night of troubled dreams, he figured a cold bath would be just what he needed.

With the tub full, he threw caution to the wind and jumped in.  The shock of the cold water did its job.  In an instant, the colt was wide awake and alert.  Leaning over the edge of the basin, he located an old scrubbing brush.  It was missing at least half of its bristles, and its cloth handle had nearly unravelled, yet there it sat, next to the tub, patiently awaiting its next task.  Taking the handle in his teeth, he quickly cleaned the evidence of his uneasy sleep from his fur before climbing out of the tub and shaking himself dry.

As the young pegasus re-entered his room – a simple, wood-walled, wood-floored room with a small, roughly twin-sized bed, a wardrobe that held nothing more than an old green travelling cloak which had been patched too many times to recount and an old, rusted chainmail shirt, and a small desk with a dusty, antique mirror hanging above it.  His room, he thought, was surely no bigger than the closets of the Canterlot nobility, but he knew his uncle gave him what he could.  The colt was pulled from his thoughts by a voice from downstairs.

“Themis!  Themis, come down here!  Breakfast is ready!”

Themis beamed as he called back, “coming, Uncle!”

Themis opened his creaky, wooden door and headed down the only set of stairs (fortunately enough, for they were so old he was certain he would fall through them one morning, and he knew for sure that if he had to climb any more than the treacherous set leading to and from his room they would probably end up killing him) in the cottage.  It was a small cottage, located on the outskirts of Canterlot.  The whole home was mostly one room, with the exceptions being his small bedroom upstairs and his uncle’s  also-tiny bedroom, which was separated from the rest of the first floor by a door that was even dustier and creakier than Themis’.

The main room of the cottage was about as exciting as the rest of the dwelling.  There were two thick wooden beams holding up the rafters.  The walls were a basic, grey stone, the floor was made of dirt, and the roof was constructed of thatched straw.  The whole house was heated by a simple cast-iron furnace, which happened to be one of the only items in the house that was new.  Uncle Ironhoof, a blacksmith, had made it last winter.  Now that winter had returned again, the residents of the cottage were glad that the family by whom the stove was commissioned had changed their minds – sure, they could’ve used the bits, but the warmth provided by the little piece of iron had more than made up for it.

Dirk Ironhoof was seated at a small but sturdy table, positioned near the stove in the middle of the room.  He was a large earth pony, sturdy and well-toned from years of metalworking.  His dark-tan coat and steely-grey mane were tarnished with small black soot stains, telling Themis his uncle had gotten an early start on the day’s commissions.  When he heard Themis’ hoofsteps on the stairs, he turned greet his young ward.

“Ahh, look who finally decided to get out of bed,” he said with a smile and a kind twinkle in his sapphire-blue eyes.

Themis returned the smile and said, “good morning, Uncle!”

Themis made his was over to the table.  Two stools sat on opposite ends, as Dirk and his nephew were the cottage’s only inhabitants.  Dirk had been a smith in the Royal Guard in his youth, and when he resigned he immediately opened his own shop, so he had never had time for romance, and he didn’t have any other living relatives to live with.  Themis wasn’t even technically his nephew.  In fact, he had been left on his doorstep as a foal with nothing more than a small basket, a note and a name.  Still, Dirk had always treated Themis like his own, giving what his meager earnings would allow to give the colt a happy life.  He had even taken the young pegasus on as his personal apprentice, teaching him everything he knew about smithing, from what makes a good sword to how to properly temper armor to make it hard but not brittle.  Themis had even managed to craft his own horseshoes last month.

   As Themis approached the table, he noticed that two wooden bowls filled with what he assumed was hot oatmeal sat on the table.  All they ever really ate was oatmeal, since it was all they could afford.  Themis never complained, though.  He knew he could be starving in the streets.  He knew that his Uncle Ironhoof was not actually his uncle.  He had been told of how his uncle found him on the doorstep of the cottage, and how the only thing that had been left in his basket was a slip of paper with his name on it.  He had always been grateful that the kind old earth stallion had decided to take him in.  He had heard stories about Princess Celestia’s orphanages.  They weren’t pretty.

Taking a closer look at his uncle’s dirtied coat, Themis inquired, “getting an early start today?”

Dirk gave a bellowing laugh, somehow managing to choke on his oatmeal in his revelry.  When he finally regained his composure (and rid himself of the treacherous glob of food), he said, “actually, we’re having a late breakfast!  It’s nigh on noon!”

One wouldn’t have thought it possible for Themis’ snow-white coat to get any whiter, but he was indeed paler after being informed of the time.

“Noon?!?  Uncle, how could you have let me oversleep like that?  You know you need my help in the shop!  I know you’re strong, but you’re also getting on in years!  You just can’t work like you once did…”

Dirk, seeing his adopted nephew’s countenance turn from shock to concern, flashed a reassuring smile and said, “come now, lad, I can handle myself just fine.  The shop’s right out back, so I could’ve called you if I’d needed you.  Admittedly, I’m not as spry as I was when I was your age, but I can still pull my own weight.  Besides, I figured you deserved to sleep in today.”

Themis, surprised by his workaholic uncle’s last statement, replied with little more than a blank stare, which elicited another round of raucous laughter from Dirk.

“Have you forgotten what today is?”  When Dirk still got no response, he explained, “today’s your birthday!”

Themis looked dumbstruck.  “My…birthday?  MY BIRTHDAY!  I COMPLETELY FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!”

Themis, in spite of himself, began to join in with his uncle, who was laughing himself blue.  How could he have forgotten his birthday?  Especially one as special as his eighteenth!  After several minutes, the laughter died down, and Dirk spoke up.

“I have a special task for you today, Themis.  I want you to go into town, to the market square.  I want you to look around at all the different stands and shops, and I want you to pick something out, anything you like.  I have to finish up some work here, but as soon as I’m done, I’ll come to the market and buy you whatever it is you’ve selected.”  Dirk smiled as he saw Themis’ face light up.

Themis could hardly believe what he’d just heard.  “Uncle, you can’t do that!  I mean, you can’t afford it!  You know how expensive everything in the market is!  And besides, you –”

Themis was cut off by his uncle’s raised hoof.  “Nonsense, my boy!  It’s not everyday you come of age!  My little Themis is a stallion now…” Dirk paused as tears of pride began to flood his eyes.  “At any rate,” he continued, “I’ve been setting aside a bit of money for this occasion.  I’m confident the market vendors don’t have anything worth too much more than 200 bits.”

Themis’ own eyes began to water as he realized what was implied by his uncle’s statement.  All this time, he had been going without.  Why?  Not only to ensure that the young pegasus’ needs were taken care of, but also so he could do something special for his nephew’s coming-of-age.  The pure kindness of the old smith was almost more than Themis could handle.  Almost.

Giving his adoptive uncle one last, face-splitting smile, Themis scarfed the rest of his oatmeal and bolted throught the door.

Dirk called after him.  “Wait! You forgot your cloak!”  Unfortunately, Themis was already out of earshot.  Dirk sighed and shook his head.  “That lad’ll catch his death of cold, running out in the middle of winter without his cloak,”  he grimaced a bit at his next thought, ‘not to mention the looks a full-grown stallion with no cutie mark’s bound to get.’

Dirk went upstairs to Themis’ wardrobe and removed the worn green traveller’s cloak, resolving to take it to the young stallion when he ventured to the market later.

*

The market square was alive with activity.  Ponies of all types, sizes, shapes and colors were scurrying about.  The constant buzz of a hundred conversations was cut through by shopkeepers shouting their wares – it was truly a sight to behold.  Themis could not help but grin as he trotted through the fold, his head spinning with excitement.  He saw a number of specialty shops, such as Madame LeRouge’s Potions (I guarantee it won’t kill you or the next one’s free!), Bill E. Goat’s Bombs (they’re a blaaaaaast!), and Archie’s Shooting Gallery (shoot for the moon; even if you miss, I still get paid).  Themis finally spotted the bazaar, where one could find all sorts of general goods.

Stepping through the door of the bazaar, a wave of warmth swept over the young pegasus, reminding him that he had left his cloak at home.  ‘Oh well, it would take to long to go back for it now,’ he thought.  He slowly stepped up to the counter to inspect the wares on the shelf behind it.  There didn’t seem to be anything special; just a rather crude wooden shield,  a bundle of arrows, and an unassuming piece of folded cloth.

The shopkeeper, who had been napping in his chair behind the counter, woke with a start when he heard Themis’ hoofsteps.  He stood, stretched, and cleared his throat before addressing his customer.

“Good affernoon, an’ welcome t’ the bazaar.”  The shopkeep let out a yawn, then eyed Themis curiously.  “Wha’s a yungun like yerself doin’ in here?  T’ be hones’ we ain’t got a whole lotta useful stuff, jus’ this dinky shield and a few arrows.  Times are tough, tha’s fer sure.”

Themis suddenly felt bad for the poor shopkeeper; he knew firsthand how tough it was to earn a living these days, and he realized just how hard the merchant’s wares must have been to sell.  They really weren’t very practical.  This prompted Themis to ask about the cloth.

“Um, what’s that?” he inquired, pointing a hoof at the folded piece of fabric.

“Wha’, this?  Honestly, it’s about the only useful thing in here, but it’s so damn, inconsp…insiplic…hard to see, tha’ I plum forgot I had it.  As fer wha’ it is, well, it’s a cloak I bought off a travelin’ salespony who came through here a while ago.”  The merchant took the hood of the cloak in his teeth and laid it out on the counter for Themis to see.  I was a beautiful emerald green, made from a cloth Themis had never seen before.  “Crafted by unicorns from spellweave cloth – a rare material that is, made from pure magic.  Heat resistant, waterproof, light as a feather and durable ta boot.  Only problem is that it was made fer a pegasus, but there ain’t much of a pegasus population in Canterlot, seein’ as mos’ of ‘em live in those cloud-towns, ya know, like Cloudsdale or Skyloft.  The few tha’ do live here are about as poor as everyone else these days, or part o’ the Royal Guard.  In fact, most of my customers are unicorns.  They make up the bulk of the upper class, since they’re so special…”  The salespony took a deep breath, presumably to keep his jealousy-induced rage in check.  He let out a heavy sigh, then continued.  “Anyways, they’re ‘bout the only ponies wha’ can afford ta shop at the market nowadays.  Doesn’t really help tha’ I’m askin’ a small fortune for it – 500 bits.  I’d hazard a guess – an’ take no offense now, lad – tha’ ye probably can’t afford it.”

Themis hung his head.  His cloak was so worn, and he had been wanting a new one for a while, but the relatively small pegasus population negatively affected the supply of pre-fitted cloaks, and to have one customed tailored would have been too expensive.  He finally comes across the perfect cloak, and it cost more than double what his uncle had saved.  He was disappointed, but the thought of his poor uncle saving such a relatively large sum just to buy him a birthday present quickly lifted his spirits.  He could find something somewhere else.  As he turned to leave, he found himself face-to-face with a very familiar pony.

“Hey there, Themis,” Dirk said, relieved he had found his nephew so easily.  “Find anything you like?”

Themis almost looked back at the counter, but thought better of it.  “not yet, Uncle.  In fact, I was just about to go look somewhere else.”  Themis sincerely hoped he had fooled his uncle.  He hadn’t.

“You seemed pretty interested in that cloak,” Dirk countered, pointing a hoof at the spellweave garment that was still laying on the counter, “which reminds me, you left this at home.”  He reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out Themis’ ragged cloak.  “Don’t want you to catch a cold on your birthday!”

The shopkeeper, who had been watching this exchange as if it was the most interesting thing he’d seen all day (which, in fact, it had been), noticed the shabby state of Themis’ garment, and immediately felt a pang of guilt wash over him.  He gave a small yet genuine smile as an idea found its way into his head.

“Did he say it was yer birthday, lad?”

Themis turned to back to face the shopkeeper.  “Yes sir, my eighteenth.”

“Well, why didn’tcha say so?  Seein’ as it’s yer birthday, and such an important one at tha’, I can let ye have this cloak at, hmm…let’s say, a hundred-fifty bits?”

Themis was shocked.  For the second time today, the kindness of another pony had caught him off guard, and this time he didn’t even know the guy!  Snapping himself out of his stupor, Themis soon realized what the shopkeeper had offered.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I couldn’t possibly accept that offer.  That cloak is worth too much.”

The merchant simply smiled and said, “think nothin’ of it, kid.  It’s the least I could do.  Besides, how many pegasi are even gonna come in here?  None, tha’s how many!  Honestly, ye’d be doin’ me a service, takin’ this thing off my hooves!”

Themis was so overwhelmed by what he had just heard that all he could do was nod.

Dirk approached the salespony, fished the bits he’d saved up out of his saddlebag, and handed them over to the shopkeeper.  He took the cloak, and then walked back to where his nephew stood, still looking rather overwhelmed.

“Cut that out, Themis!  If you keep shutting down every time somepony does something nice for you, then…well, actually, you’ll probably be fine,” Dirk said, letting out a hearty chuckle.  The earth stallion then turned to the shopkeeper and said, “I appreciate what you did.  You really made his day.”

The shopkeeper stepped out from behind the counter, revealing himself as a muscular (but surprisingly short) earth pony.  He walked over to his two customers and flashed them a friendly smile.

“Think nothin’ of it,” he said.  “I remember when I came of age.  I wish somepony had done somethin’ special for me.  I honestly wanna thank ye for givin’ me the chance ta do somethin’ nice for somepony.  I hate havin’ to deal with the rich, snobby nobleponies.  It saddens me tha’ more honest, hardworkin’ folk like yerself can’t afford ta come here more offen.”  The kindly merchant then turned his gaze towards Themis.  “And t’ ye, lad, happy birthday.  My name’s Argus, fer future reference.  If yer ever in need of any supplies, I’ll be sure ta give ye a discount on whatever I’ve got in stock.  And trust me, I never forget a face.”

Dirk and Themis thanked Argus one more time, then turned and headed back outside.  Themis snuggled into the warmth of his new cloak as a bitter wind hit the duo.  Themis looked up at his uncle.

“Thanks, Uncle Ironhoof.  I know that was a lot of money.  You really didn’t have to do that.”

Dirk smiled at the young pegasus and said, “I know I didn’t.  It just does my heart good to see you happy.  Besides, it looks good on you.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say green is your best color!”  Suddenly, he had an idea.  “You know, I had 200 bits saved, so there’s a little left over.  What do you say we get an early dinner on the town?”

Themis glanced at the clock tower, which loomed high over the square.  It was almost five.  ‘Wow, I hadn’t realized it had gotten so late,’ he thought.

“Dinner sounds great,” he answered with a smile.

The pair found a pleasant little restaurant on the edge of the square.  Once they were seated, Dirk reached into his saddlebag once again while Themis was preoccupied with removing his new cloak as carefully as possible.  This time, he pulled out a long box wrapped in plain brown paper and tied up with what appeared to be burlap string.  He handed the package to Themis.

“What’s this?”

“Just a little something I’ve been working on for you.  Happy birthday, Themis.”

Themis said a quick thanks and went about opening the package.  When he’d unwrapped the box and lifted the lid, he almost burst with excitement.

“A sword!  Thank you, Uncle!”

Dirk laughed.  “Glad you like it.  I studied your technique while you were training.  Based on the way you handled the training sword, I was able to estimate the proper balance for that blade.  It’s custom-made to your movements.  Should sit comfortably in your mouth.  Hell, I’d even go so far as to say it should feel like and extension of your body.  Of course, this means you’re going to have to do twice as well when you practice!”

Themis smiled at his uncle.  Truly, he couldn’t wait to get home to test out his new weapon.

*

“I don’t get it, Uncle Ironhoof.  You’re teaching me to be a blacksmith.  Why do I have to learn how to use a sword?”

Dirk looked gave his nephew a kind yet stern look.  “I learned how to wield a blade when I was ten, and that skill is what made me the smith I am today.  By starting you a year younger, I hope it will make you a better smith than me.”

Themis continued to mope.  “But Uncle, you were in the Royal Guard, and you quit because the Princess started making everypony in the Guard fight and you didn’t want to fight.  I don’t want to fight either, so why are you making me?”

Dirk kept his voice calm, though he was clearly upset by the memory of his time in the Royal Guard.  “There’s a difference, Themis.  The Princess had been planning for us to attack ponies.  I didn’t want to attack other ponies, so I left.  I’m teaching you how to use a sword so you can understand what makes a good weapon.  How can you expect to learn how to find a proper balance, how to determine if an edge is sharp enough, how to know exactly how much impact a blade or shield must withstand if you have no knowledge of how they are used?  Do you understand?”

Themis sighed.  “I guess so.”

Dirk smiled at his apprentice.  “Good.  Let’s continue.”

*

As he went to place the sword back in the box, Themis noticed a small envelope at the bottom.  It looked old.  He carefully removed the envelope and dumped its contents onto the table.  He looked up at his uncle, his curiosity apparent.  Before he could ask, Dirk spoke up.

“This letter was in your basket when I found you.  It was addressed to me specifically.  Your father was an old friend of mine, and he left you in my care.  Now that you’re an adult, I feel it’s time for you to read it.”

Themis looked down at the folded letter.  He cautiously opened it, and began to read.

Dirk,

It has been too long since I’ve seen you.  I hope this letter finds you well, especially since it has my son attached to it (what? Doesn’t everypony need a laugh in these trying times?).  Sadly, the rest of this letter is not so light-hearted.  The attack on the Lunar Guard you said Celestia was planning is apparently more than a rumor now.  Our mutual friend, Captain Flare, tipped me off last night, and the Princess is set on attacking within the week.  I don’t know what this means for Equestria, but I am certain it won’t be good.  In the likely event I don’t survive, I am leaving my son in your care.  To my knowledge, Celestia does not know about him, as Luna used an enchantment to conceal his presence from her.  If I don’t make it, I’m sure Luna will, and she will know to seek you out when things have calmed down.  If she does not contact you within a month, assume the worst.  I know this is a big burden to place on you, but I really have no other choice.  It is too dangerous to for us to try to keep him ourselves.  He is too important to the future of our kingdom.  If I survive, I shall be forever in your debt.  If I don’t…thank you.

Your Friend,

Titan

Themis sat in silence, staring at the last thing his father ever wrote.  He felt his eyes watering as a single tear ran down his face.  Dirk decided to speak up.

“Your father, Captain Titan, was the head of the Lunar Guard, and the finest pony I’d ever met.  Courageous, kind, selfless to a fault, and the greatest warrior to ever set hoof on the battlefield.  You’re mother, the ‘Luna’ referred to in the letter, well…”  Dirk trailed off, trying to figure out a way to make his next statement without completely shattering his nephew.  He realized he couldn’t, and decided to be blunt instead.

“That ‘Luna’ was Princess Luna, goddess of the moon and co-ruler of Equestria.”

When Themis looked up at his uncle, the sight nearly broke Dirk’s heart.  The young pegasus’ face was streaked with tears, and his pupils were the size of pinpricks from his uncle’s most recent revelation.

He was barely able to choke out his response.  “M-m-my m-m-m-m-other i-is the p-p-pr-princess?”

Dirk gave a sorrowful sigh.  “Well, she was, at least.  Might as well tell you what happened.  The story going around is that Luna became corrupted by evil magic and attempted to kill Celestia and plunge Equestria into eternal night.  However, the truth of the matter is Celestia was the one who became corrupt.  I’m not exactly sure how, but the change was apparent.  Not physically at first – no, that took a while.  But she started acting different, that’s for sure.  She began talking about how she had enough power to rule Equestria alone, and how Luna was only getting in her way.  She soon began to plan a takeover of the kingdom.  That’s when I left the Royal Guard.  Even though I was just a blacksmith, the thought of my weapons being used to take the lives of other ponies disgusted me.  Looking back, I’m lucky Celestia didn’t question my decision to leave.  Again, I was just a blacksmith, so she probably thought nothing of it.  Anyways, she did end up attacking the Lunar Guard.  She launched her assault the night after your father dropped you off with me.  Many good soldiers were lost that night.  Your father left leadership of the Lunar Guard to his lieutenant, Rhea.  She survived and gave me the details the next day.  Sadly, the surviving Lunar Guard were declared traitors, and the poor mare was captured and executed not a week later.  Anywho, while Lieutenant Rhea lead your father’s troops, Titan tried to lead your mother to safety.  They’d almost made it, when Celestia found them and trapped them in the garden.  It was then she did the unthinkable.  She spread that taint – that vile, horrible curse that had turned her from benevolent deity to cursed queen – to your poor mother.  It was then that she became the ‘wicked mare of darkness’ – Nightmare Moon.  It was Nightmare that killed your father.  Without remorse, without mercy, Titan was struck down by the one pony he would have given everything to protect.  Then, using the death of your father and the now-corrupted Luna as a cover,  Celestia banished your mother to the moon and fabricated the whole conspiracy story to make herself appear to be a heroine.”

As Dirk finished, he could clearly see a whirlwind of emotions taking hold of his young ward, and none of them were pleasant.  When he walked around the table to comfort Themis, he noticed something of much more consequence.

“Themis…you’re flank…”

Themis cleared his eyes of the rage-induced tears to glance down at his flank.  He couldn’t believe what he saw.

He had gotten his cutie mark.

He sat there in stunned awe, glancing at his new feature.  It was an off-white waxing crescent moon.  It seemed to glow in contrast to the darkness that comprised the rest of the lunar shape.  The whole moon was shrouded behind three transparent, whispy grey clouds.

Dirk couldn’t help but smile.  “Well, if there was any doubt before, I think it’s gone now.  You are definitely the son of the Moon Princess.”

As Themis and Dirk continued to admire the lunar symbol now adorning the younger’s flank, they had no way of knowing that they weren’t the only ponies watching with piqued curiosity…

*

A dark-blue unicorn with a white mane sat at his usual corner table in his favorite restaurant at the edge of the square.  Canis was relieved to finally have a break from work; Celestia had really been somewhat of a tyrant since she took total control of Equestria, and not even her most trusted advisor was spared an extra work load.

A quick survey of the room revealed a small crowd this evening.  It was still early, so there would probably be more ponies here eventually.  For Canis, however, the smaller clientel meant less noise, which suited him just fine.  His sight fell upon a particular pair of ponies.  They had been making more noise that any other patron, and seemed to be far more jubilant than they had any right to be.

‘Why are they so happy?  They look poor enough to me.  Stupid wretches…’

He sat there, just watching the duo celebrate.  He despised them, but he wasn’t exaclty sure why.  Maybe it was because they were happy?  Perhaps it was because they were poor?  Maybe it was because they were poor and happy?  Not that it really mattered, since Canis had decided to hate them regardless.  He would do just about anything in his power to make them miserable.

He would get his chance.

After watching them for what seemed like hours (in fact, it had only been about twenty minutes), something most curious happened.  There was a small flash near the flank of the young pegasus.  When it cleared, his previously blank flank was adorned with a cutie mark.  It was not the sudden (and seemingly unprovoked) appearance of it, however, that caught Canis’ attention;  it was the mark itself.

It looked suspiciously familiar, like he had seen it before.  He knew it wasn’t possible, since that particular cutie mark had just appeared.  Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen it before.  He sat silently, wracking his brain for an answer.  When he finally realized where he’d seen that mark before, he was left in total disbelief.

‘It can’t be…’

If his suspicions were true – as unlikely as they seemed – then the princess must be informed immediately.  Silently, as to avoid drawing unwanted attention to himself, Canis slipped out of the restaurant and into the streets.  Using the wooded path from the market to the palace gardens to further avoid being seen, he galloped as fast as he could back to the castle.

*

Solar Eclipse was standing in the throne room, staring silently out the window.  She had been unable to rid herself of an uneasy feeling these past few nights.  It almost seemed like something was amiss, like there was some sort of threat to her out there somewhere.  But that wasn’t possible.  Was it?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

‘I suppose I’ll have to worry about this later,’ she thought with a sigh.  She slowly returned to her throne, not entirely prepared to deal with whatever was about to come through the double-doors.  “Enter.”

Almost immediately, the doors flew open and in strode a very hectic and exhausted-looking Canis.

Eclipse was a little surprised by the sudden appearance of her trusted official.  “Canis Majoris, my chief advisor.  What brings you here?  Is today not your day off?”

Canis, remembering protocol, bowed deeply before speaking.  “A thousand pardons, Your Majesty.  I would not have troubled you if I did not have news which you may find…unsettling.”

This got the deity’s full attention.

“Pray tell, Canis.  What could be so…unsettling?”

It was clear to her advisor that, while she attempted to maintain her calm demeanor, she was a little apprehensive about what he was going to tell her.

“Of course, I’m certain it’s nothing Your Highness needs to worry about.  I was just at the market, when I saw a most peculiar thing – a young pegasus got his cutie mark.”

Eclipse began to laugh.  “Canis, you had me scared out of my wits.  Over what?  A pony getting their cutie mark?  If that’s your idea of ‘unsettling,’ then you need to get out more!”

Canis, though he did not like being mocked, remembered with whom he was speaking and politely laughed at the princess’ jabbing.  His countenance then hardened, earning him a curious look from his sovereign.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I was not finished.  It was not the appearance of the cutie mark that surprised me, nor even the age of the pony involved – he looked to be near adulthood, from my judgement – but rather the mark itself.”  At this, the princess’ nervousness returned, propmting a rather smug grin from her advisor.  “Shall I describe it to you?”

The princess hesitantly nodded, and Canis began again.  “It’s a sphere, entirely black save for an off-white crescent – a waxing moon.  It is veiled by three transparent grey clouds.  Does this sound familiar to you?

The princess’ eyes were now wide with fear.  It wasn’t possible.  It just wasn’t.  She would have known, wouldn’t she?  “A-a-are you c-certain you got a good look at it?”

“Positive.”

The princess sighed, more out of sheer fright than exasperation, and attempted to collect herself.  “Canis, did you recognize the pony?”

Canis shook his head.  “I’m afraid not, Your Majesty, but he was with somepony I did recognize.  Do you recall that blacksmith who resigned from the Royal Guard shortly before your brilliant takeover?”

Eclipse nodded.  “I do indeed.  His name was Dirk Ironhoof.”  She paused for a moment before giving a sharp whistle.  Almost immediately, a pair of gold-clad guards entered the throne room.

“Ray, Ion, go and summon Captain Flare.  Tell him it is an urgent matter.”  The two guards saluted, then left as quickly as they came.

The deity turned her attention back to her advisor.  “Thank you for the news, Canis.  I shall handle matters from here.  You are dismissed.”

Canis bowed once more, then turned and walked out of the throne room.  Once he rounded the corner, he began to prance giddily.  He just loved making ponies miserable!

Back in the throne room, the princess waited rather impatiently for her guard captain to arrive.  She was pacing, and her thoughts were frantic.

‘If Luna had a foal, she wouldn’t have been able to hide it from me, would she?  Celestia had an intimate link with all life in Equestria, a trait I supposedly inherited when I took control of her.  I was unaware that the blacksmith had anypony living with him at all, so is it possible that this ability is limited?  If it is true, is the foal as powerful as Luna?  Is it more powerful?  Is it a threat to me?  Is it – ’

Her thoughts were cut short as the throne room doors opened and Captain Flare entered.  He looked very much the same as the rest of the guard – an alabaster pony with golden armor – with the exception of him being a unicorn, and being just slightly taller than the average guardspony.  He saluted the princess, and waited for her to speak.

The princess took her cue.  “Captain, something has come to my attention, and if my suspicions are correct, it could have dire consequences.  As hard as it may be to believe, Luna may have had a foal before her banishment.”  Eclipse could have sworn she saw Flare jump a little at the announcement, but chalked it up to disbelief.  “I believe that the pony in question is living with Dirk Ironhoof, the blacksmith.  You remember him well, do you not?”

Captain Flare said nothing, but nodded to confirm his familiarity with the smith.

“As you know, he runs a shop near the outskirts of the city.  I want you to take a small group of your finest men, and bring them both to me.  Use force if necessary.”

Flare was suddenly very nervous.  He knew how stubborn Dirk could be.  More importantly, he knew why Dirk resigned, and therefore knew he would not come along willingly.  He did not want to see his old friend come to harm.  “Princess, I don’t really think that’s necess-”

The princess had anticipated a little hesitation from her captain, being aware of his friendship with the blacksmith, but was nevertheless outraged that he would actually voice his disapproval.

“ARE YOU QUESTIONING A DIRECT ORDER, CAPTAIN?”

Flare, scared senseless, immediately bowed and began stammering.  “N-n-n-n-no, o-of course not, Y-Your M-M-Majesty!”

The twisted Celestia grinned maniacally.  “Good.  Now go.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Flare turned and exited the throne room.

Left alone to her thoughts once again, the black alicorn only had one thing running through her mind:  ‘maybe they’ll put up a fight.  Flare and his soldiers would be forced to kill them, and this whole issue would just go away.’  She wouldn’t admit it to herself, but this was the first time since the death of Titan that the corrupted Celestia had known true fear.

*

Themis and Dirk entered the dark cottage.  It was still light outside when Dirk had left, so he didn’t bother lighting the torches.  ‘I would have extinguished them before I left anyways,’ he thought to himself.  The duo found a couple of pieces of flint and went about lighting the torches – four on each side of the long walls, and two on the shorter walls.  With the cottage fairly well illuminated, Themis sat down at the table and opened the box containing his new sword.  It wasn’t immaculate, but it was formidable.  The blade was sturdy, with a double-edge and a slightly reflective finish.  The pommel guard was a plain as it gets – one-piece carbon steel, running straight across the bottom of the blade.  No engravings or anything.  The hilt was a single piece of solid oak wrapped in dark brown leather.  The hilt was capped by a small steel ball.  It was currently resting in a leather sheath with a shoulder belt, adjusted for Themis’ narrower shoulders.  Dirk had a heck of a time trying to find an appropriate model to determine the size of the belt.  He was used to smithing for earth ponies and unicorns, and the pegasi he’d crafted for while in the Guard wore bulky armor.  While they may not have been as built as he was, at least they weren’t so scrawny.  “Aerodynamic, they call it,” he had scoffed.  He was finally forced to wing it, if you’ll pardon the pun.  Luckily, the belt fit Themis perfectly, and soon the sword was sitting comfortably on his back, right between the wings.

Themis jumped up and began to run towards the back door of the cottage, when Dirk stopped him.

“Easy there, Themis.  Those training dummies aren’t going anywhere.  You should wait until tomorrow, when you can actually see what you’re doing!”

Themis looked crestfallen, but Dirk couldn’t help but chuckle at his nephew’s enthusiasm.  It seems he had gotten over all the emotions the letter had evoked.

Themis walked back to the table, and he and his uncle began talking about tomorrow’s work orders.  Dirk was just telling Themis about a commission for a new cart axis when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Well,” sighed Dirk, “I wonder who that could be.”

The earth stallion lazily trotted over to the door, and opened it to find a frantic-looking Flare standing on his stoop.

“Flare?  What in the hell are you doing here?  Especially at this hour?”

Flare held up a forehoof, as if to silence Dirk.  He began to speak in a panicked whisper.  “Shhh!  Keep it down, will you?  Look, I don’t know how, but Celestia found out about Themis.  She sent me out with a patrol to find the two of you, but I came ahead of them to warn you.  You have to get out of the city, and fast!”

Dirk took a moment to process what he had just been told.  ‘How did she find out?  She didn’t even know about the foal.  How? HOW?’

Dirk turned to look at his nephew.  He suddenly grew panicked.  “Themis!  Out the back, quickly!  Make a break for the gates!  I’ll explain everything once we’re clear of the city!” Dirk paused to take one last look at his friend.  He nodded a silent ‘thanks,’ and galloped out the back after the young pegasus.  He grabbed an old sword from the shop –  which was little more than a forge, an anvil, a bench, and a few assorted tools – as he ran by, and soon he and his nephew were galloping side-by-side through the streets toward the gates.

Dirk heard a commotion from behind him, and turned his head to discover that the troop Flare had outrun had caught up and was hot on their hooves.  Dirk looked ahead of him to the gates, and was struck with a grim realization.  Turning to his nephew, he shouted, “they’re gaining too much ground!  They’ll overtake us before we reach the gates!  You keep running, I’ll hold them off!”

Dirk stopped, turned around and drew his sword.  Themis panicked and stoped as soon as he realized what his uncle was doing.

“Uncle, no!  There are too many of them!  We can outrun them, come on!”

Dirk, as much as he wanted to believe they could both make it, knew it was a fool’s hope.  No, he realized, he couldn’t fight them all.  But he could delay them long enough for Themis to escape.  He closed his eyes and smiled.

“Themis, you’re a good colt.  You’re always thinking of others.  That’s why you need to keep going.  More ponies than you realize are counting on you.  Head down the mountain.  Go by hoof and keep your hood up; you’ll be harder to spot.  There’s a small village at the bottom of the mountain called Kakariko.  In Kakariko there’s a soothsayer.  Seek him out.  He will know what you need to do.”

Dirk took one final look at his nephew, who’s face was now streaked with tears.  “Themis…I shall always remember our time together.  Now, go!”

Blinking away the tears, Themis now saw the guards were upon them.  He turned and galloped away at full speed, not even daring to look back.  He galloped through the gates, and ran as hard as he could down the mountainside.  He didn’t think.  He couldn’t let himself think.  He had to keep going, no matter what.  For his uncle…for Equestria.