Chapter 3 : Arrival

The pegasi had taken Black and Daring Do into the university. The room was poorly lit, for being the place that it was. The older pegasus turned to face them. "Celestia ordered us to tell you to wait here if you arrived early. A third will be joining you shortly."

Black looked up at him. "Can I at least ask for your names?"

The elder turned away, but the younger one stayed a little longer. "Sorry, we have direct orders from the princess not to disclose any, and I repeat, ANY information about this. You understand, don't you?"

"Sure.. I guess."

The colt smiled and turned away, vanishing in the seemingly endless hallway. The moments that passed felt like hours, and the eerie silence of the dark library only made things more convoluted.

"So..." Black began, trying not to peeve the already annoyed pegasus any further; she still was a little sour of what transpired earlier. "...are we just going to twiddle our hooves until this other guy arrives?"

She didn't respond, Daring Do stared blankly into the voidly darkness.

"Hey, are you okay?" Black looked a little concerned, "I haven't seen you this still since... ever!"

Daring opened her mouth to respond, but when she began to speak in a demonic tone, she quickly trailed off to the sound of clattering hooves outside the library. They stood to meet a unicorn. He was grey and almost as tall as Black. Out of his chin and lip protruded a magnificent beard. As he entered the room, candlelight began to flicker on abruptly, illuminating the library. Two figures stood in the back of the room, behind a table. Both were extremely large for ponies, and had both wings and horns. The first was midnight blue, with a wavy mane of the stars. The second, was cream white, and had a flowing pastel mane. Black, however, was so fixated on the fact that the first one had both wings and a horn, he didn't notice the second.

"Wha- how- pega- corn- pony- hybr-" His stuttering was quickly when a golden mist clamped his lips together.

This is when Black saw the second pony.

After several sputters, the blank flank fell to the ground, unconscious. Daring Do slowly put her nuzzle into her hoof.

Moron.

The white mare stepped forward, and gave each of them, even Black, a warm smile.

"Hello, my little ponies; I am Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna."

A cold breeze swept through the room, and the door slammed behind Daring Do. Something is off here.

"You called us each here for something, and it better be a damned good reason." Daring growled, and the unicorn standing next to her nodded in total agreement. Celestia expressed impatience.

"News has not reached far, I see." Celestia paused and looked down at Black. "I will answer questions when everypony is ready. Until then, the guards will escort you to your private quarters; I must speak with Black personally."

She cut her attention from them in favor of a small parchment, and Luna simply nodded, and left to go someplace else. The door swung back open, and the same two guards were standing before them. Daring Do turned back around aggressively at Celestia.

"Just who in the hay do you think you are, anyway? If you bring me all the way out here, I expect some damn answers!"

Celestia slowly placed the parchment back on the table, stood up and walked over to Daring Do. However, she didn't open her mouth, just stared colder than a Wendigo with a snow blower.

"You're not fooling anypony with that look!" Daring had a vicious scowl on her face. "I. Need. Answers."

Celestia simply stood taller. "This isn't the pony I brought to my castle. I wanted Daring Do, a famed explorer both patient and cunning. If you're not here to help; do everypony a favor and get out of my sight."

Daring Do felt struck, and couldn't help but feel hypocritical. With her head held low, her and the gray unicorn followed the pegasus guards down the hall. Doors and hallways overlapped seemingly infinitely, the corridors of the castle were giant! They finally came to a stop at a small metallic door. The guards shoved them inside and slammed the door. Inside the room, there were three beds, the leftmost one had her cutie mark imprinted on the head-rest. The right-most was the unicorn's, and the center was blank.

"Hey, what's going on with you?"

The unicorn called to her, she looked up. He had a concerned and worried look on his face.

"What's it to you? Nothing I say or what you would know can change the situation."

"Because I am Starswirl the Bearded. Godfather of Magic, and creator of Discord."