MLP: The Next Generation

Chapters

Chapter 1: Loyalty and Magic
Chapter 2: Mistakes Were Made
Chapter 3: Family History
Chapter 4: Freedom And Responsibility

Chapter 1: Loyalty and Magic

[The grey mare galloped through the halls of the Royal castle, her regal armour slowing her down slightly. She pumped her wings to allow her a burst of speed with each thrust, compensating for the added weight. She’d been summoned personally by Princess Celestia herself. As a Lieutenant she could scarcely believe it; only the Captain of the Guard and his twelve Commanders were ever summoned directly, not to mention the guards that often stood by the entrances to the rooms either Princess happened to be in at the time.

The Lieutenant skidded to a halt before the two guards guarding the throne room. “Lieutenant Hawkeye reporting. I was summoned by the Princess.” she said, saluting the two almost identical guards before her. They both nodded in sync and opened the heavy large doors to allow her entry. Hawkeye hurried through, not wanting to keep the Princess waiting. She was surprised to see Princess Luna also present. She thought that Celestia alone had summoned her, but both was an even greater honour.

“Lieutenant Hawkeye, your majesties.” Hawkeye bowed low before the two alicorns sitting in their thrones.

“Welcome, Hawkeye. You are no doubt wondering why we have summoned you.” Luna said, her voice softer than her presence let on.

Hawkeye stood straight before them. “Yes, Princess; I’ve not heard of a Lieutenant being summoned before.” it suddenly dawned upon Hawkeye that being summoned might not be such a good thing after all. “Have I committed a crime I was not aware of?” she broke her formal stance and made her nervousness and fear known to them through body language.

Celestia raised her hoof and closed her eyes. “Nothing of the sort, young Pegasus. We have called you here to impart a very special assignment to you. It is one we both believe you are best suited to perform.” Hawkeye sighed in relief and returned to her straight stance.

“I will do what I can, Princess. What is it you wish me to do?” The princesses looked at each other before their horns glowed, each with their own colour. Celestia’s shone gold, while Luna’s radiated with a wispy blue. The tips of both horns touched and an earthy green light flashed forward, stopping just short of Hawkeye’s hooves. The floor between them opened up and revealed six small pillars, each with a single hole in them that stored the famous Elements of Harmony. Hawkeye grew wide-eyed as she stared at the flawless artefacts. The one that took her breath away was the Legendary Twilight Sparkle’s Diadem, the golden tiara that housed the stone of the element of Magic. It reflected her features perfectly at several different angles. The other elements were just as beautiful, each a golden necklace with their own differently shaped gem encased within. The red lightning gem that resembled Loyalty almost seemed to glow before her as she stood in front of it.

“Lieutenant, it has come to our attention that the Elements of Harmony will soon be needed once again. Somewhere in Equestria, the rightful bearers have been chosen and are unknowingly waiting to accept the role. We want you to find them and prepare for whatever the future holds.” said Luna. Hawkeye nodded, confirming that she understood the parameters of her mission.

“I just have one question.” she waited for either Princess to acknowledge her. “Why pick me for this? What makes me the only one qualified?”

Both Princesses looked at each other again and then back to Hawkeye. “There are two reasons. One is simple, the other not so much.” Celestia said. “The simple answer is because you yourself have been identified as an Element of Harmony; specifically, Loyalty.” Luna added. They paused to allow Hawkeye to register the answer. She was the Element of Loyalty. As a Pegasus, she looked up to Rainbow Dash who was the first Shadowbolt Captain in over a thousand years. A legend in her own right as the Element of Loyalty and the fastest flyer in Equestria.

“I’m…” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Rainbow Dash’s successor, yes. I will admit now that it was because of the possibility of you being an Element of Harmony that you weren’t promoted past your current rank.” Celestia concluded. Hawkeye was speechless. She took a few minutes to register everything in her head. Maybe this would be what gave her the recognition she desired from her family.

“And what’s the complex answer?” she asked.

Celestia smiled at the Pegasus. “I think time will tell in due course.” she replied. Hawkeye felt rather uneasy about the answer, but said nothing more about it.

“Where should I start?” she asked. Worried faces began to form on the alicorns’ features and Hawkeye knew immediately that something was up.

“We believe we know who the Element of Magic is. Frankly, we’re torn between wanting him to be such and wanting him to remain where he is.” Luna said, shifting in her throne. Celestia did likewise. Hawkeye began to wonder who this mystery pony could be and how he could inspire such nervousness in both Princesses.

“You’re not talking about Golden Armour, are you? As Captain of the Guard, it’s understandable you’d want him to retain that role and devote himself fully to the job…” Hawkeye observed the worried looks on the Princesses and began to grow rather scared.

“No, Golden isn’t the Element of Magic. His cousin is; at least we believe so. It would make sense since he’s a direct descendant of Twilight Sparkle.” Hawkeye gasped as she heard this mysterious pony’s ancestry.

“I thought High Mage Twilight’s bloodline had died out long ago?” there was a pause that shifted the uncomfortable air around, making the throne room almost unbearable.

“Well… not exactly. This pony is the last of the bloodline. Nopony knows about him because he went into… protective custody at an early age and was believed to be dead. We neither confirmed nor denied the rumours and did our best to drop the subject.” the caution in which the Princesses took when describing this pony added a dangerous feeling to his mention.

“Where is he?” she asked. There was another pause. Celestia closed her eyes and looked away, seemingly too ashamed to utter a reply. Luna was left to respond. The answer wasn’t very assuring to Hawkeye.

“Canterlot Asylum. He’s a patient there. He went of his own free will and is free to leave as he pleases, but he chooses not to, thank goodness.” Celestia cleared her throat, the sound revealing evidence of restrained sorrow.

“If he’s as bad as you make him sound, why allow him the option to leave?” asked Hawkeye.

Luna actually laughed at the question. “There are many reasons. One being that he’s not the sort of pony you can restrain forcefully. He knows magic better than anypony we’ve ever known. That stallion could give Starswirl a run for his bits. Another reason is that we don’t have it in us to force him. Celestia and I both owe Twilight our lives and to oppose her descendant is… unspeakable. If anypony could overthrow us, it’s him. Our hearts couldn’t take it.” It was as Luna spoke those words that Hawkeye began to see how much time had worn these two down. The flare had gone from their eyes and they seemed to view themselves as little more than role models and idols. They weren’t the goddesses that they seemed to be; they were simply ageless and powerful Alicorns whose hearts were on the verge of breaking thanks to their close attachment to Twilight Sparkle and her bloodline. It then dawned upon Hawkeye that the same pony they were talking about was in fact a distant relative of theirs. Twilight was their niece in-law. She knew that the Captain of the Guard was royalty in his own right, but this new pony that she’d never heard of was something else entirely. The logic of familial heritage confused Hawkeye and distracted her from the task at hoof.

“I… shall go immediately to request his aid.” she said. The Princesses both seemed off in their own little worlds and barely acknowledged Hawkeye’s departure; something Hawkeye was used to.

The receptionist at the Canterlot Asylum looked up as a grey Pegasus with a dark blue mane and tail approached. She bore the armour of the royal guard and had the strangest eyes. The receptionist halted what she was doing and proceeded to address the guard before her.

“Good evening, ma’am. How might I help you tonight?” she asked. The guard just scratched her head and looked around the room.

“Um… I’m here to see somepony. It’s official business.” she said.

“You’ll have to give me more to go on, honey. There are a few here that refer to themselves as somepony. They went so far as to abandon their names.” The Pegasus sighed, unsure what else to say.

“Oh man… I never got a name. All I know is that he came here voluntarily and is actually free to leave whenever he wants.” The receptionist’s face drooped as she realised who the guard was there to see.

“Oh, him. Good luck getting anything out of that one. He’s started spouting gibberish and singing rather morbid songs that sound like they belong back in the sixties. Hang on, I’ll buzz you through.” the receptionist then proceeded to press a large button on her desk and the door next to the guard opened up. She went through and waited for the receptionist to lead the way along with a big surly security stallion in tow.

“Why the muscle?” the royal guard asked. The receptionist shrugged.

“I feel safer when there’s security around, especially with him. He has that look in his eyes, like he’s waiting for an opening so he can strike.” The security guard shivered as he recalled an event that remained unsaid.

“Door sixty-six.” the security guard called, sticking his horn through a hole in the door. It lit up with a complex system of runes and symbols placed on the door.

“For somepony who’s free to leave whenever he wants, you sure have him locked up tighter than any other patient here.” the Pegasus said. The Receptionist laughed at this.

“This isn’t a barrier keeping him in; it’s a barrier keeping us out. Night Light here is using his magic to request permission to enter.” The grey Royal Guard went wide eyed as the runes and symbols began to move in circular rotations, each one stopping upright as they made sounds like an unlocking door.

“We’re in.” Night Light said, stepping aside to allow the guest entry.

The room was dark and Hawkeye could barely see a thing. Somehow, the light from outside was being blocked and couldn’t pass through the doorway. She tested it with her hoof and it grew pitch black as she passed it through the threshold.

“This is amazing. A spell that bars light from outside.” she stepped all the way in and looked behind her. She could see the light from outside, but couldn’t see herself until her hoof passed the threshold once more.

Hawkeye jumped as the door closed on her, trapping her inside. She suddenly felt very claustrophobic. The feeling of being watched added to her discomfort.

“Hello?” she called out within the darkness. There was a slight jangling sound as something moved within the darkness. Hawkeye wanted to retreat into her armour. She wanted to shrink to a near invisible size and hide somewhere she couldn’t be seen.

“I-is anypony in here?” what a stupid question. Of course there was somepony inside. But how many, that was a different question altogether. Perhaps the receptionist and security guard had tricked her and had now offered her to a cannibalistic pony or a psychotic pony with a tendency to kill cute things. Hawkeye never saw herself as cute, but she figured somepony else would.

“The… thoughts running through your mind… still a better read than the Dusk saga, with the sparkling vamponies.” a voice called back. Hawkeye almost jumped.

“You can read my thoughts?”

“Well… not read exactly… More like… view them. What do you want?” he asked, the jangling sound resounding once again.

“I-I want to ask for your help. Princess Celestia sent me to–.”

“Just Celestia?”

Hawk eye pasued for a moment. “No, Princess Luna as well-.”

“Did they tell you my name?”

Hawkeye shook her head before realising that even he probably couldn’t see in this darkness, but before she could verbally give her response, he spoke again.

“I didn’t think so. I imagine it was difficult for them to mention me at all. Still, that’s what happens when you throw an Ursa Minor into the sky and send it to the moon.” Hawkeye thought he was making sense until he mentioned the Ursa Minor.

“They have reason to believe that you’re the Element of–.”

“Magic, I know. They’re correct, I can see it. And you are Loyalty. So they believe I’ll be able to track the remaining bearers of the elements. Smart of them, and unoriginal.”

“Sorry?”

“They’ve done this almost all their lives. It started with previous Elements of Harmony. Celestia has a habit of sending her friends in to do the dangerous and dirty work for her. Nightmare Moon, also known as Luna’s resurrection, she sends Twilight to Ponyville to gain friends and become the bearers of the Elements. Again with Discord, she has Twilight and her friends solve Discord’s riddles, and then lets them suffer disharmony. And don’t get me started on the Crystal Empire. The list is almost endless. And now she’s repeating the cycle with you and I. She’s easy to read, is my Great Aunt.”

Hawkeye remained silent, searching for the source of the voice among the darkness.

“Would you mind lifting this veil? It’s getting a little uncomfortable.” There wasn’t a response, but the request was answered when she began to see the light from the runes around the walls.

“It’s a self-sustaining spell. All it requires is a little magical energy with the intent in one’s mind and the runes act accordingly.”

It was then that Hawkeye gazed upon the Stallion that had hidden himself away from Equestria and unnerved both princesses, and as soon as she saw him, Hawkeye saw why. A White stallion with a dark purple mane was bound from the neck down in restraints, preventing his movement. His eyes were dark and lifeless, distant even. He was looking directly at her. Hawkeye began to feel a force weighing her down on the spot, as though his mere presence caused the gravity to increase.

“Hello, Loyalty. My name is Grimoire, and I’m the Element of Magic.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUN9CKt6VL4)

Chapter 2: Mistakes Were Made

“You’re… Twilight Sparkle’s descendant?” Hawkeye asked as she felt her physical energy vanish from her body. The white stallion nodded, showing next to no emotion to the title.

“Are you surprised? I’m not that different from my Great Grandmother. She too was insane in her own way. Always the pedantic pony hell-bent on doing things as efficiently as possible and always on time. If she failed, she’d go crazy. If she failed Celestia, however. Oh, do not be around for that.”

Hawkeye watched as the Stallion looked beside her and grinned at a seemingly invisible pony.

“I know you don’t like it when I act the chronicler and reveal your worst moments. But you’re dead, and I’m ever so bored in here.” he added. It became clear to Hawkeye that he was talking to Twilight herself from beyond the grave, or at least he thought he was talking to her. Regardless, she felt uncomfortable having a potential spirit standing next to her so closely and she stepped a few steps to the right, getting some distance between herself and the ghost.

“Mr Grimoire, would you be willing to help me find the other Elements of Harmony? You are my only lead and without you, I don’t know where to go from here.” she asked, drawing the Stallion’s attention.

“It’s quite easy really. Just search for ponies that closest resemble the elements; somepony who’s always honest, happy, generous, kind. You know, the whole friendship shtick.” he replied, shifting in his seemingly uncomfortable restraints.

“Nevertheless, will you come?” Hawkeye urged.

“No. I don’t like you enough…yet. Besides, now is not the time. Come back when you’ve found Honesty and something that can make me want to leave.” he replied, shifting on his bed. Hawkeye watched as he rotated around and used the wall he was against to shift upside down.

“What do I need to give you?” she asked, understanding bribery all too well. Grimoire hesitated for a second before smiling with glee.

“What’s white, sticky and often goes all over your face when you try to eat it?” he asked.

It took a moment for Hawkeye to register the question and come up with an answer to what he was implying. Needless to say, she was revolted. She scrunched up her face and yelled at him.

“You sick bastard!! How could you even think I would go that far to get your help in this mission? I wouldn’t do that with you if you were the last Stallion in Equestria!” she then stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving Grimoire in the dark once more.

“All I wanted was a salad with mayonnaise on top.” he said calmly, but Hawkeye was out of earshot.

The guard stormed out of the asylum and made her way back to the castle. She’d have to look for a new lead if she was going to find the other elements. Her mind was fuming with rage as she passed her fellow guards at the entrance, ignoring their worried questions.

“The nerve of that guy; wanting me to do that with him! I’d sooner bed with the Captain than…that!”

“I’m not sure whether or not to take you up on that offer, or be insulted as it sounded like the second worst thing you would ever do.” a familiar voice reached Hawkeye’s ears and she stopped in her tracks, her ears dropped to the ground. She turned her head around to see the Captain himself; Golden Armour standing behind her with a quirky expression on his face. He was a tall pale yellow Stallion with a light blue mane and Tail. It had a streak through it that was famous throughout his bloodline. It was a darker shade of blue than the rest of his hair. He wore golden plates over his body with the royal crest of Celestia engraved on the chest. Hawkeye dropped her jaw as she realised she’s spoken aloud.

“C-captain! I’m so s-sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that b-b-bedding with you is a bad thing. I think it would be a good thing – not that I think about bedding with you, although it would be a nice thought – oh somepony shut me up!”

Golden Armour smiled as he watched his subordinate trip over herself. He began to laugh as she blushed redder than a tomato.

“I see. Very well, Lieutenant, let us move on to the other part of the subject. What exactly is…that?” he asked, bringing her back to her senses. Hawkeye frowned as she remembered what it was that had ticked her off so much.

“Some crazy stallion that wants me to do something with him in exchange for his help in finding the other Elements of Harmony.” she replied. Golden Armour considered her words and leaned in closer to her.

“I figured that much, but what is this… something you mentioned.” Hawkeye knew he wasn’t going to let her go without telling him. She grew red again and looked away shyly.

“It’s too embarrassing, Captain. I don’t feel comfortable with this.” she replied. Golden Armour sighed and nodded.

“Very well, who was it then? Perhaps I can speak with him.” Hawkeye sighed with relief as she looked her Captain in the eye.

“His name’s Grimoire and–.”

The guard was cut off by a loud shout from Golden. His seemingly calm and carefree features turned dark and angry. “WHAT?!” he shouted, drawing some of the guards’ attention from their posts. Hawkeye flinched and curled up under his gaze.

“You went and saw Grimoire? For what purpose?” he demanded. Hawkeye was growing scared. Golden Armour was ruthless when out in the field and in battle, he was easily the strongest of the guards. But never in his service did he snap like he had now.

“H-he’s the Element of Magic. The Princesses ordered me to seek his help in searching for the remaining four elements.” she replied timidly.

“There are six elements, there should be five remaining.” Golden said, his tone still threateningly angry.

“I’m Loyalty. Four remain to be found.” Hawkeye clarified. She was beginning to shake on the spot as she covered her face with her hooves.

“Of course that crazy bastard would be the Element of Magic. And he wanted you to perform some horrendous act with him in exchange for his help?”

Hawkeye began to feel as though the Captain’s anger was no longer directed at her. She stopped shaking and dared to look back up at him. He no longer bore an angry expression, but one of irritation.

“As well as find the Element of Honesty without him.” she said. The conversation ended with the Captain storming out of sight, off to wherever he went to calm down no doubt. Hawkeye stood in the middle of a hallway with a few guards standing around, curious about the event that just took place.

Back at the asylum, Grimoire was happily singing to himself as he watched the hundreds of energy veins swirling around with power in them. He could see everything; the events going on outside his room, the crimes going on under ponies’ noses, even the conversation that had taken place between his cousin and that guard from before. He looked away from the veins and rested his eyes on the spirit of Twilight.

“So she did misunderstand me.” he said. Twilight chuckled.

“Of course she did. Why would she storm out of the room in anger because you wanted a mayonnaise covered salad?” the previous Element of Magic asked.

“I don’t know. Ponies are weird, they do all sorts of things.”

“You’re weird, Grim. Everypony else is normal. But being weird doesn’t make you a bad pony. That’s entirely up to you. I think the next time Hawkeye visits, you should help her; salad or no salad.”

Grimoire sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “And how are we going to tell him that?”

Twilight shrugged and disappeared like a waft of smoke. “Feign ignorance.” her words echoed through his head. He smiled as his wit came up with a response.

“Ignorance to what exactly?” there was no response from Twilight, but the cousin made his own kind of statement by kicking the door open. Light didn’t shine through, but that didn’t matter.

“Who’s there? Captain. Captain Who? Captain, you’re paying for my door.” Grimoire looked up to see his cousin, Golden Armour, standing at the doorway.

“Don’t act all casual with me Grimoire! You hit on one of my guards.” the yellow unicorn accused. Grimoire didn’t move.

“Define guard…” he said, looking back up at the ceiling. Grimoire growled at him.

“You told Lieutenant Hawkeye to do something in order to get your help!”

“It’s a world of reciprocity, cousin. We all give in order to get. Unless she gives me what I asked for, she won’t get the remaining Elements of Harmony.”

Golden Armour leaped up onto the bed and pinned Grimoire down onto it. “How do you know she won’t find them without your help?”

Grimoire grinned at his cousin. “Because upon meeting her, I found her to be a tad…stupid.”

“Look, Grimoire; you can hit on mares, I won’t deny you that right, but you do not blackmail my guards!”

“Isn’t it funny when bad things happen to good ponies?” Grimoire asked.

“Huh?” Golden waited a second for clarification, but the roof above them caved in and Golden took the brunt of the damage.

Hawkeye had managed to make her way back out of the palace. Something was bothering her and she needed to fix that before she could devote herself fully to the task at hoof. On her way home, she heard two fillies talking.

“Come on! Golden Armour’s fighting with some white Stallion at the Asylum They’ve taken it to the city square.” one of them said. With the mention of the white Stallion, Hawkeye knew Golden Armour had confronted Grimoire about the problem she’d had with him. Quickly, she took to the skies and made her way for the city square.

Grimoire threw his head around and Golden followed shortly afterward, caught in a light blue glow. The Guard Captain was thrown into the Trotfalgar Square fountain, dousing him in water.

The restraints around Gromoir’s legs had come loose and he was able to walk freely. His body and cutie mark remained covered by the restraints that were still firm around his body. He walked casually toward the fountain as Golden Armour stepped out.

“You always were a shameful twig on the family tree.” he growled, shaking himself. Grimoire just walked past him and huffed.

“Twilight thinks otherwise.”

“Twilight is dead! What you see is just another crazy illusion your mind brings to the table of insanity, not her.”

“Believe what you want, cousin. I know the truth, and the truth is what I see. And what I see, is the world and how it thrives, despite all the anger and hatred that exists under the disguise our Great Aunts have placed on us.” Grimoire took a drink from the fountain.

Golden saw this as an opportunity to strike, but Grimoire drew a circle in the dirt and before Golden knew it, he was winded by an invisible force as he came within a meter of his cousin. Grimoire finished drinking and savoured the water.

“I’m a disgrace, I’m insane. You say these things over and over again every time you come to visit me. You know what I have to say to that? Boo-frickety-hoo!” Grimoire made a motion to wipe his eyes like a crying foal. Golden reared his head back.

“I accept your judgements, I know what I am and I know my place in the world. Yet you seem fit to rub it in my face every chance you get. My only conclusion is that I must possess some redeeming quality that you are jealous of.” Golden scrunched his face and growled at Grimoire who shrugged it off as a confirmation.

“So what is it? My ability to see everything as it truly is? A map of the Butterfly Effect, so to speak. I distort one piece of reality and something terrible happens that’s connected to it in some way. Is that what you’re jealous of?” Golden lurched himself forward, prepared to tackle Grimoire who jumped into the air and remained there without wings. Everypony watching the two gasped, as did Hawkeye. Such a feat was surely impossible.

Grimoire noticed the mare and smiled. “So did you get my salad with the mayonnaise, and the Element of Honesty?” he asked. Hawkeye was aware of his question and started as she realised that she’d made a mistake. Golden seemed to realise this too and stood down from the fight.

“That’s what you wanted? A salad with mayonnaise?” Hawkeye cried as she approached the airborne Unicorn.

“I hate salads but they’re good for me, so mayonnaise gives it a better flavour.” he clarified. Hawkeye hovered in front of him and growled.

“You do realise I took your riddle the wrong way? The Captain could have killed you!” she shouted at him.

“Please, that colt hasn’t won a fight against me in his life.”

Golden growled up at Grimoire. “That will change soon enough, Grimoire.” then he walked away, returning to the castle. Hawkeye saluted the Captain before returning to Grimoire.

“You don’t look so scary in the light of day.” she said. Grimoire looked up at the sky and sighed.

“Appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes, the scariest things can be the safest.” he replied.

“Speaking of which; how are you able to stand in the air like that?” she asked. Grimoire looked at his footing and chuckled.

“A little invention of mine. It fuses telekinesis with anti-gravity. Creating a sort of invisible disk for me to stand on and move around at will.” he explained. As he did so, he began to float around the Pegasus with ease, going so far as to flip over her.

“Okay… And why do you want me to find the Element of Honesty without you? Why not another element?” Hawkeye asked. Grimoire stopped floating and lowered himself to the ground, followed closely by Hawkeye.

“Because trust is hard to come by in this day and age. I can only trust a pony who can’t lie in good conscience. And as you plainly saw, family is also not an option.”

“But I can’t find the other elements without you. Please, help me?” she asked. Grimoire looked Hawkeye directly in the eye. He then smiled.

“I can tell that you’re not lying. You do need me to locate the other Elements of Harmony. Very well, since you’ve completed half the bargain, I will help you find the others.” he said. Hawkeye grew confused.

“Huh? Half the bargain? I haven’t found the Element of Honesty, and I haven’t had the chance to get you a salad, now that I know that’s what you wanted.” she said. Grimoire placed a hoof on her mouth.

“If you recall, I asked you to bring me honesty. I never actually stated I wanted you to give me the pony representing the element.” he smiled at her then and extended his hoof.

“You have my skills at your disposal, Lieutenant.” Hawkeye was stunned for a moment when she realised he’d played with her yet again. She took his hoof and shook it.

“Thank you, Grimoire.”

Chapter 3: Family History

Celestia and Luna both sat at their thrones as Hawkeye emerged with the seemingly calm Grimoire. He was looking around the throne room as if a butterfly was circling him in strange fashions.

“Well done Lieutenant. I see you managed to sway Grimoire into joining you.” Celestia said. Grimoire just grinned as he looked at one of the windows that showed Twilight and her friends defeating Discord. Hawkeye leaned away from him slightly.

“Actually, I think he’s just tagging along for the fun of it, Princess. I don’t really know what’s up with him. I mean he says that he’s at my disposal, but I assume that’s just for as long as he’s interested.”

The white Stallion lay down on the stone floor and yawned, closing his eyes and going to sleep on the spot. Hawkeye was flabbergasted at his casual and unprofessional display in front of everypony’s matriarchs.

“You could at least pretend to be respectful, Grimoire.” she growled at the Unicorn. Grimoire said nothing as he lifted his rump, making look like he was bowing down before the two Princesses. Luna chanced a giggle at the display, receiving a bemused glance from Celestia. The dark princess cleared her throat and addressed her descendent.

“Grimoire,” she began, receiving an opening eye from the Stallion. “As you probably know, we are requesting your aid in finding the Elements of Harmony. It has also come to our attention that you caused somewhat of a ruckus in the city earlier today, fighting with Captain Golden Armour.” The stallion stood up again and smiled.

“Wondered when you’d bring that up. I was expecting it to be the first order of business. You’re going to ask me whether or not placing crystal magic blockers is going to affect my ability to detect the other Elements of Harmony.” he stated matter-of-factly. Luna simply nodded. Hawkeye noticed that she wasn’t shocked at having been so easily read by the Unicorn. It was as though she was used to such conversation between them.

“Truth be told, I don’t know. I’ve never searched for the Elements before so I don’t exactly know how it will affect my tracking skills.” he said, smiling in a casual manner.

Hawkeye began to feel as though the conversation had transformed into one between relatives, instead of a formality between Princess and Subject. She felt out of place.

“Nevertheless, the Captian has recommended we block your magical powers for a certain amount of time as punishment for causing havoc in the streets. Do you accept the punishment?” Celestia asked. Hawkeye wanted to protest. If such a punishment did bar their progress in finding the Elements of Harmony, it would interfere with her mission. But she kept her tongue in her mouth as Grimoire just smiled again and nodded.

“If it is what your majesties believe to be the best option.” He was surprisingly sane as he conversed with his Great Aunts. It almost scared Hawkeye to think that his sanity was when he was at his worst. Celestia rose from her throne and went through a transformation Hawkeye had never seen before. Her eyes changed colour, going from that soft Lavender colour to blood red. Her sclera turned green and a purple smoke left her eyes. Her horn glowed a mixture of black, purple and green and fired it at Grimoire who pointed his horn at the beam. Seconds later, Celestia returned to her majestic self and Grimoire had small black crystals growing around his horn. Hakeye had never seen such a power before, and it frightened her to think that her Princesses could harness such dark power.

Grimoire shook his head, shaking off the residual after effects of the dark magic from his body. Through his eyes, he could see the veins of energy throughout the room growing erratic around the Princess.

“You overdid it. The area’s stained with disarray. It’ll take some time before things feel the same again.” he said, looking around the room. Celestia returned to her throne and nodded to Luna who approached the now displeased Unicorn. Grimoire stopped looking around and rested his eyes on Luna.

“Grimoire, be a good boy while you help Hawkeye, okay? I’m counting on you to help us. I’m scared and I need your help.” she sounded sincere. Hawkeye almost believed it if it weren’t for the fact that she didn’t believe Luna herself would say something like that with sincerity. Grimoire tilted his head slightly, causing Hawkeye to think he didn’t believe her either.

“Okay, Luna. I’ll help, for you.” The two then touched noses and hugged each other. It was almost romantic had they not been related in some way. How they were related, Hawkeye no longer cared. The mission had barely begun and she was already beginning to grow sick of it, the stress was too much.

“Luna’s the only one Grimoire ever trusted during his colthood. She foalsat him for his parents and they got on swimmingly. He’s like a little brother to Luna and She’s the sister figure in his life. She visits him in the asylum more than I do. I’d go more often, only duty demands my attention. I’m sorry about that, Grimoire.” she said.

“That’s alright, Aunt Celestia. I just think of it as you giving Luna more time to see me.” he replied.

Hawkeye cleared her throat, bringing everypony’s attention back to her. Grimoire and Luna both separated from their hug and stared at her.

“If it’s all the same to you, Grimoire, I’d like to get started.” she said. Grimoire grinned at her and nodded.

“Excellent. I can’t wait to make some new friends.” he said. Hawkeye thought he sounded a little sarcastic when he said that. Luna quickly kissed his cheek before letting him go. Hawkeye followed the seemingly energised Stallion out.

“Okay, what was with her? Are you and Princess Luna an item or something?” the Pegasus asked as they casually walked down the long hallways to the main entrance.

“No. We’re just very close relatives. I sort of fill a void in her heart. I’m something she’s always wanted but could never have, what with her being barren and all.” the unicorn was casual as he spoke, oblivious to the shocked expression Hawkeye grew on her face as she realised a truth about Princess Luna.

“She’s barren?” Hawkeye whispered back to him. Grimoire reciprocated by homering her and whispered back.

“Yeah. It was a low blow when she found out. I think in the long run, I was the one foalsitting her; or she foalsat me while I filled the role of the son she would never have.” Grimoire stepped out the front entrance and began to float in the air with ease, moving around in no particular pattern. Hawkeye had difficulty both keeping up with him and figuring out how he could be so casual about being like a son to Princess Luna herself.

“Aren’t you honoured to have her considering you as her own? I know I would be, not to mention many other ponies in Equestria.” Grimoire stopped moving around and floated beside the Pegasus.

“She’s not allowed to think of me as her own. The bloodline won’t allow it.” he replied. Hawkeye considered him for a moment.

“What, because you’re related to the bloodline of Princess Cadence?” Grimoire turned to face his fellow Element and smiled at her.

“That’s just one branch of the family of which I am descended. It goes all the way back to Twilight. It’s because of what happened to her that I can’t claim lineage of the throne. But it doesn’t matter.” the Unicorn never lost his smile as he spoke. His demeanour toward the subject at hoof confused her to new lengths. He truly was crazy, to not care about whether or not he could potentially become Royalty. It was as if Princess Celestia or Luna themselves claimed they no longer cared for the occupation.

“Grimoire… How did you become the way you are, or were you born crazy?” she asked. Grimoire chuckled and shrugged.

“Nopony remembers their birth. Probably a good thing too; such a scene would scar them for life. The whiteness of the hospital room, the laboured panting of the mother coupled with the curses she throws over to the father,” Grimoire chuckled again. “That rubber covered hoof rubbing your chest to force you to breathe, and the instant you do, you’re trapped in life itself.”

“You remember it, don’t you? If anypony could remember their birth, it would be you.” Hawkeye followed the Unicorn as he led her towards Ponyville.

“You presume to know me already? You think I would remember my birth? I have seen births while locked up in my room, and I have watched every foal cry. I wonder why they cry instead of just breathe, because being forced to live is a burden nopony likes until later on. Life is always new and scary when it begins.”

“So even you don’t remember?”

“I didn’t say that.” the Unicorn increased speed, causing Hawkeye to struggle to follow due to her armour.

“Slow down a bit!” she called. Grimoire looked back and sighed. He returned to her side and kept his eyes on hers.

“You’re too slow.” he forced more magic into his hovering spell and supported Hawkeye underneath. The Pegasus felt the invisible platform touch her hooves and she retracted her wings, letting blind faith keep her from falling. Fortunately, she was right in presuming that Grimoire had expanded his hover platform so she could fit. It was like riding on a magic carpet, a story which always stole her heart.

“Look mom, no wings!” Grimoire called out in a mock impersonation of her voice. The innocence of it all made her giggle, something she hadn’t done in a long time. She stood next to Grimoire, flying through the land without the use of her wings. It was so strange to her, but it was interesting as well.

“This is amazing!” she called over the wind. Grimoire said nothing but continued to look around as if searching for something. “How far are we from the Element of Honesty?”

As they flew over the border into Ponyville, Grimoire began his descent. “We’re close.” he said, coming to land right in the town square. Ponies of all kinds stared at the pair, wondering how they both managed to fly.

Hawkeye stepped forward. “We’re here on official business. We have reason to believe that one of the Elements of Harmony is here. We ask for your cooperation while we search for them.” she spoke with an authoritative voice that drew even Grimoire in. He quickly shook off the effect her voice had and began looking around. He could see dozens of energy veins flowing freely. He smiled as he saw them. These were the purest veins he’d ever seen. Nothing was tainted in Ponyville, most likely purified by the Elements of Harmony, Twilight and her friends.

“This is a lively town indeed, so much happiness within it.” he looked around, searching for any sign of the Element of Honesty. Fortunately he came across an energy vein that stood out from the others. While most of them had a blue hue to them, this one was orange. He grinned as it revealed the path to their objective.

“Found it.” he called to Hawkeye who followed the seemingly random pacing unicorn. He led her through alley ways and behind houses, through gardens and along the forestline. He finally came to a stop before a farm. Grimoire had lost the trail at the edge as it broke out into a swarm of energy lines of the same colour.

“Home base.” he said, stepping onto the property. Hawkeye followed behind him, looking around the farm.

“This is the Apple family farm. I thought Applejack didn’t have kids.” Hawkeye protested.

Grimoire continued forward. “She didn’t. She pursued a sexual relationship with Pinkamena Dianne Pie. Her sister however, continued the family bloodline. Big Macintosh, sadly was neutered after his grandmother mistook him accidentally tripping over Applejack as a sign of incestuous tendencies.”

Hawkeye hissed sympathetically at the long dead Macintosh. “Poor guy.”

“Not really. He buried her alive in the back corner of the barn the next day in revenge.” Hawkeye cleared her throat and moved closer to the white unicorn.

“How do you know all this?” she asked.

“I’m looking at the family history right now.” he replied, stopping at the door to the farmhouse. He knocked three times and waited before he and Hawkeye were greeted by a young orange Earth pony with a red mane and tail. She sported a Stetson hat that looked like it had seen better days. The farm pony looked up at the two guests and smiled.

“Howdy folks! What can Ah do ya for?”

Chapter 4: Freedom And Responsibility

Applejuice opened the door to greet a Unicorn stallion and a Pegasus mare in Royal Guard armour. She began to wonder what would bring two Guards to her family’s farm.

“Howdy folks! What can Ah do ya for?” she asked, addressing the two ponies before her. The Unicorn leaned in closer to her and seemed to eye her all over. Before anything else could be said, the cowpony cringed at the sound of her father’s voice.

“AJ, get back here an’ get your daddy another drink!” he called. Applejuice whimpered.

“Ah’m answerin’ the door, daddy!” she called back. The distinct sound of a chair’s springs rising could be heard and a green Earth pony opened the door further to address the two guests.

“Can Ah help you two?” he asked. Even from behind Grimoire, Hawkeye could smell the cider on the stallion. She pushed her comrade aside and addressed the father.

“Good evening, sir. My associate and I are here on official Canterlot business. We have reason to believe that one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony are here.” she said, keeping her tone formal.

The green stallion just huffed. “Ya’ll are a couple generations too late. My Auntie Applejack was the Element of Honesty. An Ah sure as apples ain’t been honest mah whole life, Ah’m sad to say.” Hawkeye wandered where to go from here, when Grimoire spoke up.

“It’s the girl. Your daughter’s the next Element of Honesty.” he said. Applejuice looked at her father with seemingly nervous eyes. The father seemed unhappy with the news.

“Excellent. What’s your name, miss?” Hawkeye asked. Applejuice reiterated her name. “Excellent, Applejuice. We’d like to ask you if you would mind coming with us for a while. We’re searching for the other Elements of Harmony, and we’d like your help.”

Before Applejuice could reply, her father spoke up. “No. My daughter ain’t goin’ nowhere. She’s got duties to fulfil here at the farm.” he said. Applejuice’s ears drooped and she seemed defeated. Grimoire groaned and lowered his head towards the ground in front of Applejuice.

“Duties not involving the farm itself. You poor girl, to have such a father as him who would abuse the gift of a child by abusing the child directly.” As difficult as Hawkeye found his words to be, she caught on quickly to what he was saying. So did the father, it seemed.

“How dare you assume Ah’d hurt my girl!” he roared at the unicorn.

“Not hurt physically, but emotionally. Such acts can scar a filly.” The father prepared to challenge the insinuations when the young mare ducked out of the house and hid behind Grimoire.

“It’s true. Everything you said is true; my daddy’s the worst daddy in Equestria.” she said, burying her head into Grimoir’s coat. The stallion seemed uncomfortable with the physical contact, but did nothing to push her away.

“We’re taking your daughter into protective custody, sir. Try to take her back and I’ll see to it you never see her again.” Hawkeye stuck a hoof to the green stallion’s chest. Grimoire turned to Applejuice and faced her.

“Now, the choice is yours. You can come with us, or you can make your own way from here. But given the laws we all stand by, for safety reasons, your father cannot take you back until he is deemed fit to do so.”

Applejuice nodded and said nothing as she buried herself into what she thought to be her saviour. Grimoire looked to Hawkeye, unsure what to do about the young mare cutting off his blood flow. Hawkeye smiled at the display before drawing the farm pony’s attention.

“Come on, AJ. Let’s get you back to Canterlot for some dinner and a good night’s rest.” The orange mare released Grimoire and entrusted herself to Hawkeye.

“Ah ain’t lettin’ you take my daughter from me.” Applejuice’s father began to follow after them, but Grimoire kicked one of his legs up and made contact with his face.

“If you ever want to be a good father, then let her go.” the tone of voice Grimoire used silenced the earth pony as he looked to his daughter one last time. A ring of dust blew around Grimoire, Hawkeye and Applejuice and in an instant; they were hovering in the air.

“Woah now!” Applejuice yelped as she was unused to the feeling. Hawkeye chuckled and nodded to Grimoire who exhaled heavily before forcing the trio forward. Applejuice held onto her hat as well as Grimoire.

With Canterlot in sights, Grimoire slowed the magic platform down and began looking around. He spotted something that was of great interest to him. Without warning, he jumped back and flipped over the edge of the disk, falling to the ground. Hawkeye spread her wings in anticipation for the platform to disappear beneath their hooves and grabbed Applejuice accordingly. But the platform never vanished. They watched as Grimoire, only visible through the light his horn radiated slowed his descent and landed in the middle of the plains.

“Grimoire, what’s up?!” Hawkeye called out to the unicorn. Grimoire didn’t reply immediately, but chose to examine what appeared to the others to be thin air.

“A disturbance in one of the energy veins!” he called back, examining it thoroughly. Hawkeye groaned in annoyance.

“Energy vein this, energy vein that, he’s obsessed with the bloody things.” she said to Applejuice who just giggled. “Is it really important?!” the guard called again.

“They’re all important! Every one of them is connected and if one goes bad, it can spread!” he replied. He knew Hawkeye wouldn’t grasp the full importance of the veins until something terrible happened to one of them. But he felt that it was better for her to know ignorance than experience the consequences personally.

“How do ya fix it?!” Applejuice asked.

“Alter the future for the better. Sadly, I can’t fix this one because it’s naturally occurring. A forest fire will start because of a stray lightning bolt tomorrow night!” Hawkeye sighed in annoyance as she waited for the insane unicorn to finish his little side-project.

“So what’s up with him anyway? Is he a few crumbs short of the biscuit?” Applejuice asked the Pegasus.

Hawkeye chuckled. “More like a few biscuits short of the jar.” she replied, tapping her head with her hoof. Applejuice reciprocated the chuckle and looked down at the strange white stallion. It was then that Hawkeye noticed something interesting.

“Say, you didn’t get a sense of…danger when you saw him the first time, did you?”

Applejuice just shook her head, careful not to shake her Stetson loose. “Nope, but then again, Ah already felt like Ah was in danger. Actually, Ah feel free more than anything else.”

“What about the gravity, did you feel heavy at all?” Hawkeye pressed. AJ shook her head once more, looking Hawkeye in the eye.

“Why? Did y’all feel those things when you met him?” she asked. Hawkeye nodded and shuddered at the memory.

“It’s difficult to tell what sort of pony he truly is. The princesses themselves fear him more than anything, and yet he seems so innocent right now, despite our first encounter.”

“Ah’ve been meanin’ to ask about those restraints around his body. Where’d you meet him?”

“Canterlot Asylum.” Hawkeye replied. Applejuice went dead silent as her ears pinned themselves back.

“You mean the one where all the d-d-dangerous ponies go?” she asked, losing her sense of safety. Hawkeye wasn’t sure where to go from there. She knew it was too late to turn back from the conversation. Instead, she settled for just nodding.

Grimoire rose again, joining the two mares. He was about to resume the trek when he noticed the strange looks he was being given.

“Something wrong?” he asked, sitting down to make himself look less threatening, were that the problem. Applejuice spoke up, wanting confirmation.

“Are you really from Canterlot As-s-sylum?” Grimoire’s eyes shot over to Hawkeye who had the guiltiest look Grimoire had seen so far. Realising the situation, he replied.

“Yes, I am. Because I’m so highly attuned to magic, I was considered a potential threat to Equestria, should my allegiance to the Princesses shift. As a result, I grew up socially awkward compared to the general populace. So I’m stronger and smarter, and clinically insane.” there was a pregnant pause. “Is that alright?” he asked.

“Yeah.” AJ replied rather quickly.

“Good.” Grimoire tried smiling at the filly and it seemed to do the trick. As Grimoire started up the ride again, Hawkeye was left wondering what in Celestia’s name just happened.

"I see you've found the first of the Elements. Well done, Grimoire, Hawkeye. It's a shame that she's just a filly, even if she is a member of the Apple Family. Still, I'd rather not put her in danger, and I suspect this journey will be very dangerous." said Celestia as Grimoire and Hawkeye entered the throne room with Applejuice in tow.

"Princess, I assure you; Grimoire and I will do the best we can to keep her safe should you decide if she must join us or not." said Hawkeye, bowing low as she addressed her Princess.

"I've no doubt in my mind that you will do everything in your power to protect her, Lieutenant. It's him I worry about." Celestia replied, nudging her head over to Grimoire.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing, Princess." commented the stallion.

"No doubt." Celestia retorted. "Nevertheless, she must accompany you. The fact is; the Elements of Harmony rely on the power of their hosts' friendship with each other, it's the proverbial chain that binds them together. As such, your friendship with Applejuice as well as her friendship with the others affects the Elements' performance and therefore, it is important that she strengthen the bonds she makes along the journey, much like your Great Grandmother did, Grimoire."

"My Great-Aunt too Princess? Applejuice asked.

"Yes, my little pony. Your Great-Aunt too. Applejack was a very truthful and understanding pony She liked to see the best in all of us. When my sister first began to reach out to our subjects, Applejack was among the first to give her a chance. I believe she even introduced Luna to the games traditionally played on Nightmare Night." The Princess turned to Luna who nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, Applejack introduced me to 'fun'." Luna mused. "Anyway, our sources tell us of another Element of Harmony beyond Equestria's borders. A pony living in the Dead Zone."

"A descendant of Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash's number one fan, successor to her Wonderbolts Captaincy and eventually, adopted daughter." Grimoire pointed out. Looks were shared between the royal sisters.

"How could you know that?" Celestia asked.

"Luna's words literally said it all for me. The filly's history is etched in the spoken words." he replied. Hawkeye began to rub her head in confusion and fatigue.

"Will I ever get the hang of talking to you?" she asked.

"That depends on whether or not you hit your head three years from now." he replied simply.

"Grimoire. take your new friends and search for this pony. If what you said is true then she too would be a filly, little older than Applejuice here. The Dead Zone is no place for anypony, let alone a foal." Celestia ordered.

Grimoire bowed low. "As you wish, Princess." He then turned with Hawkeye, leaving Applejuice to hesitate, bow and scurry off after them.

"Well if you know who the pony is, do you have a name?" Hawkeye asked as they passed the Main gate out of the castle.

"Yes, we're looking for Skyfall." he replied simply, lifting the three ponies up on the magical disk.