Motivations: Relics of Antiquity

Chapters

Chapter One: Ballad
Chapter Two: Bonded
Chapter Three: Bias

Chapter One: Ballad

Seeming to spend yet another day of cleaning up after one of Twilight's all-night study sessions, Spike was nearly finished with his chores. All he had left to do was find a place to hide the quills that Twilight hadn't managed to break the night before. It would seem as though some of the assignments she has been getting from Princess Luna have lately been more stressful than others.

Spike just hoped that she'd stop taking her frustrations out on her quills. If she started destroying random upholstered furniture instead of her writing utensils, then there wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Why does that guy even stock so many sofas anyway?" Spike muttered to himself, thinking about the owner of the local specialty shop known as 'Quills and Sofas,' whose title accurately reflected what happened to be its only two products. "Well, well, what have we here!"

He had finally found a good place to stash the extra quills. Twilight rarely looked through her own desk for anything, 'Especially if I take out her schedule planner and placed it on top.' Spike thought mischievously as he began to dig through the contents of the desk drawer in search of the tome. Feeling a book-like object within his grasp, he pulled it out only to be disappointed that it wasn't the document that he was searching for.

"You're not a planner. What are you doing in the desk?"

Spike pulled back the blank cover to see if he could discover the location the book's actual home.

"Wait a minute. I remember now! This is one of Twilight's old projects, but what's it doing in here?" The dragon remembered Twilight going on and on about the exploits of Starswirl the Bearded back when she was copying his journal into Modern Equestrian. If his memory served him, and it did, the old unicorn had several impressive feats under his bell-laden hat.

Spike recalled that one of the last stories that Twilight had told him about, before he had started to ignore her lecturing, was about Starswirl trying to fight a ferocious dragon. Not being able to remember exactly what had happened after that, now doubt due to Twilight's droning, Spike began flipping through the volume in an attempt to find out how it ended.

"Lets see here: ' Swarm of Fireflies...' Nope. 'A plan of attack...' Almost." Spike started turning the pages in earnest, skimming only the briefest portion of each page before turning to a new one. Eventually the word he was looking for caught his eye, "Ah, here we go! Dragon." He went back to the start of the sentence for clarification, "After I stowed the dragon eggs away... Wait. Dragon eggs? As in more than one? I wonder what happened to them?"

He looked back at the quills he had forgotten on the desk. Thinking back to his original task of hiding the quills before Twilight could destroy any more of them, he reached back into the desk drawer and pulled out the planner as a visual snare for his caretaker, should she come looking nearby. "There, that should do it."

Spike still held Twilight's copy of the journal in his claw, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I don't think Twilight'll mind if I borrow this for a little while. I don't think she's touched it since she started studying under Princess Luna anyway."

"Who?" Called a certain owl, who had just woken up for the evening.

"Not now, Owlicious. Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Who."

"Nevermind." he said, taking the book to one of the darker corners of the library. Once he found a suitably comfortable position, Spike opened the journal back up.

~~~@~~~

I've tried everything that I can possibly think of! Mage's Fire, actual fire, and even some rather dangerous, volatile substances, but all to no avail. I'm beginning to think that I'll never figure out how to artificially hatch one of these dragon eggs, short of convincing another dragon to do the work for me. I just don't know what it is about a dragon's fire that makes it so different from anything I can seem to conjure up.

Without more information regarding the nature of the eggs, I'm afraid I can no longer continue this line of experimentation. Thinking about it, perhaps it would be in the best interest of the study if I were to take a break and clear my mind. I dare say that I've forgotten what color the sky is with as much time as I have spent indoors recently. Since the last letter I've received from Surprise only spoke praise of small inn where she worked in neighboring Gibrhalter, I think it might be time for me to pay her another visit.

But back to the issue at hoof, I believe that determining the nature of the eggs themselves is the next logical step in my research. Thinking about it, most of what I've learned of the magical nature of things is from first-hoof experience alone. I need to see if there is a way to determine the nature of something without witnessing its direct effect on the local environment. I'll send off some messages to see if anypony I know can shed some light on the issue before I go vacationing in Gibrhalter.

~~~~~

I have forgotten just how refreshing fresh air can be! It has been all candle smoke and dusty shutters of late. This trip will certainly help clear my mind. I've brought along the Scrying items left to me by the Alicorn sisters should they need to contact me, of course. If I weren't so caught up in my egg study I might have tried to figure out how this scry spell they've given me actually works. I'd be tempted to test some theories I have about it during this very trip if I wasn't so limited on the liquid required to perform the spell. Maybe I should spend my upcoming free time trying to figure out how to conjure up some more.

~~~~~

While It wasn't my first time through Gibrhalter, I must say that the 'City of Crossroads' seems a bit different than the last time I was here. This city has always been known for its rowdiness at times, but now it is quite a bit quieter than before. Granted, I was a little sidetracked during my last visit, so maybe I'm just over-thinking things now.

Conditions outside notwithstanding, my arrival at the inn where Surprise worked was met with a small party deserving of her name. I still have no idea how she manages to learn of my arrival, I thought that I'd neglected to mention my intention to travel. Either way, I appreciated the gesture.

I'm now resting on my cot in one of the guest rooms of the Wandering Spring Inn, and now that I'm here, I must say that I am actually looking forward to having a few days' rest at my disposal.

~~~~~

Deciding to revisit the basics of my magical theories at some point during my stay, I thought it wise to bring with me some of my usual supplies in addition to one other item. An old manuscript written by some philosipony regarding his thoughts on the nature of magic. The document was written in a time before the current taboos were so strictly enforced. Their perceptions of magical interactions were understandingly limited back then, having only observed two classifications, or forms, of magic. They referred to these as simply destruction and creation. These two branches were assigned to a great number of influences outside of the realm of pure magic, however.

For example, they'd also attributed such things as natural births and deaths to being a part of a natural magical cycle that began at birth(creation) and ended with death(destruction). Whether or not this can be seen as the cause of the current animosity towards magic research was due to this particular religious aspect of the past or something else, I cannot be certain. What I do know, is that there are far more than just two archtypes of magic available to proficiently trained unicorn. Not to mention that there are even forms of latent magic that only a pegasi or an earth-pony can use.

I'd like to continue this study a bit further, but it looks as though Surprise is going through with her promise of forcing me outdoors if I dwell inside the inn for too long a time.

~~~~~

I've kept today's serious studies to a minimum in hopes that I might avoid Surprise's enforcement of my vacation. Taking a long walk through the various sections of the city, I mused over some solutions concerning the construction of a device that might help with all of this magic classification business. I'm fairly certain I can create an enchantment that would emulate the Clairvoyance and Alteration that the Gem Family uses, only altered to detect a specific type of magic. The only problem I can think of is that I'm uncertain as to the set-up required if I am to see multiple types of magic used within a more, complex spell.

One solution I can think of, is to have multiple enchantments, one for each type of magic, and then use them together in sequence. I would just need to find a way to keep each enchantment from interfering with any of the others. Maybe some of my contacts can help with providing materials so that I can test that approach.

As I returned to the Inn in, just in time for the evening meal, Surprise did her best to question me about how my vacation was treating me. She may have been referring to the work I was doing instead of trying to relax, I'm not entirely sure what her motivations were. After futilely hoping that she would leave it firmly within the realm of 'it being no concern of hers', she refused to leave me be without an answer. This brought me to the point of trying to explain the reasoning concerning the importance of my research, although I may have gone into too much detail. Admittedly, I should have known that some of the more advanced topics might be lost on her, but at least I think she's managed to acknowledge that my work is very important to me.

I'm not sure how I feel about Surprise's apparent concern for my well-being. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And besides, I'm the one who supposed to be keeping my eye on her!

Maybe trying to sidetrack myself for a few days wasn't the best idea.

~~~~~

I left the Inn early this morning to return home. My efforts to concentrate on something other than the conversation between Surprise and I, which had occurred the night previous, were met with much difficulty. Should I remain concern myself with how she worries over my affairs or should I just attribute her actions to her visibly outgoing personality? I'm a bit out of my depth when it comes to such topics.

Eventually though, I managed to place these thoughts away for later consideration. With some more time to ponder things whilst making my way towards the capital, I think I might have come up with a novel solution to my other problem. I think I'll put the enchantments in a series, probably using some sort of hollowed out object that allows me to remove the enchantment stones individually. Depending on which stones are placed in the cylinder, I should be able to determine which types of magic are present in whatever I point the device at.

I think I'll stop by some storefronts once I reach the city and see if I can find some construction materials before returning home.

~~~~~

With some of the supplies I've gathered, I have everything I need to create the base, the main mechanism, and several of the enchantments. Everything, that is, except the stones themselves. I've received some replies to my earlier inquiries, but I have yet to go through them all. I spent so much time wandering around the city in search of my supplies that I did not get back to the tower until it was already dark.

I'll look over the responses tomorrow, in hopes that somepony might have found something useful. I'll probably start building the magic viewer's base as well, provided nothing comes up.

(Reminder to self: Think of a better name for the magic viewer.)

~~~~~

What good fortune! The Stone Family's letter held a description of a stone with fairly peculiar properties. Gem states that they run into a specific type of rock that alters their familial spell just a bit, and that is not the most interesting, or useful, information pertaining to it. She goes on to say that every time that they are digging for a specific gem, and they run into this stone, they know to alter their tunneling course by a few hooflengths to find their gem. The best part, is that the family knows exactly how far to change their course depending on the direction of the stone's visible structure.

That means that I should be able to enchant these stones, which Gem refers to as Calcite, forcing them to separate different magical energies with little effort! If I can find enough suitable samples of this Calcite, I should even be able to accurately measure these energies in addition to simply classifying them.

To that effort, the base of the device is nearly complete, so I should have plenty of time to look for some Calcite samples tomorrow.

On another note, it's apparent that this project isn't going to be small enough to carry around. While I am sure that it will prove to be quite useful in the long run, I should probably start trying to figure out how to make a more-compact version. Oh well, one project at a time.

~~~~~

I quickly discovered that most merchants of the jeweler trade had absolutely no idea what Calcite was. I wasted nearly the entire day searching for the stones. As it turns out, I was searching through all of the wrong stores. Calcite is better known as a Sunstone to those who use them. Apparently, adventurers have been using them to locate the sun during cloudy days for some time. I'm told that they can use the sun as a fixed point during certain times of day, and with this knowledge, the adventurers can find their location even when far from civilization.

When I learned of this, I headed to a nearby mercantile store and the first thing I see is a pile of Sunstone just sitting there, mocking me. I bought every last one they had. Now I should have enough to finish the current viewer as well as a few to help build a smaller model.

~~~~~

While I was attempting to test my new viewing device, a message was delivered to my door from an old acquaintance. The instrument maker named Tunewise, whom I rescued from a cockatrice some time ago, sent me a request on behalf of the leader of Strotland. Ensemble, as he calls himself, has apparently taken an interest in my studies and wishes to discuss an important matter with me.

Strotland isn't exactly close, but I'm sure I can spare a few more days in order to meet with him. After all, it should give me some time to rethink how I'm using the Sunstones.

On another note, I remember that my exchange with Tunewise was quite brief, I don't even recall ever giving the poor merchant my name when I saved him. Although I suppose that I might have forgotten such a minute detail due to the stress of the situation, I would like to think that I'd have retained such an event with a higher level of clarity.

Regardless, I believe that I shall head out to Strotland sometime tomorrow.

~~~~~

The first portion of my trip requiring me to pass through Gibrhalter once more, I decided to stay at the Wandering Spring Inn for the night. I must say that I can see why Surprise likes the place. Unfortunately, Surprise herself was kept occupied elsewhere, and I was unable to speak with her. I do hope she isn't mad at me for leaving so suddenly the last time I was here. I suppose that there's no way of knowing without talking to her, and with any luck, I should be able to do just that before I continue on my journey.

My path from here towards Strotland cuts through the very forest that I was able to rescue Tunewise from. While I have no intent of succumbing to a Cockatrice's magic again, and I'm fairly confident that I can handle anything else that the forest might have to offer, even if the forest itself isn't exactly known for it's hospitality. I should probably try and get some decent rest before attempting tomorrow's trek, regardless.

~~~~~

It's my first night in the forest. I'm glad for the small shelter provided by an abandoned building built in the middle of a small clearing. Why the structure isn't currently being used is beyond me. Various documents laying about lead one to the conclusion that the building was, at some recent time, utilized as a sort of outpost or checkpoint operated by the citizens of Strotland.

The only suggestion I can think of is that, perhaps, the urgent business that Ensemble wishes to discuss with me is far more urgent than I was led to believe. Why else pull guards from a checkpoint such as this unless they would prove more useful at some other location? Strotland does sit upon the only mountain pass to the Crystal Empire after all.

This still leaves me with more questions than answers, however. If there is something troubling regarding our neighboring nation, why wouldn't news of such an event have made it to the Capital? I'm not too familiar with the actions of those within that distant empire, but I don't recall them ever being troublesome or hostile towards any under the patronage of the Platinum Crown.

If only Penny and I were still on speaking terms. Maybe then I might have a better grasp of the situation, if indeed there is one.

~~~~~

My arrival in Strotland was met with very little fanfare or welcome. Everypony I could see was apparently too busy with their business about town, and no small number of them were working on some sort of construction project upon the cliff-side opposite the small stream that cut through the town. The various shapes that formed the outer structure of their project kept me from easily guessing its use, and its presence only added to the mystery surrounding my summons here.

I attempted to stop one of the industrious ponies, so that I might inquire about a place to stay during my visit, only to have everypony within earshot immediately stop their tasks and begin to listen attentively to my questions. As if that wasn't odd enough, instead of just simply pointing me towards the nearest inn as I'd asked, the pony abandoned the load he was carrying and personally escorted me to an establishment. As we were walking towards our destination, I chanced a glance back at the recently discarded package only to see it picked up by one of the other inhabitants, who then proceeded to carry on as though the my interruption had never occurred.

A strange place indeed. My 'patron' (who seemed reluctant to complete his end of introductions) led me to a decent establishment if outward appearances were any indication. Inside, however, no servicepony was anywhere to be found. Instead, my patron took it upon himself to see me checked into a room.

The thought crossed my mind that this pony might actually be the owner of this place. At least until he inquired about my purpose in town. When I informed him of my summons by Ensemble, I noticed a visible shift in the noticeably somber expression the pony previously wore. The change of expression didn't last long enough for me to grasp its meaning though. Patron-pony then said something about informing Ensemble of my arrival before trotting off and leaving me to my devices.

My room was on the second story of the inn with a view overlooking the main street in town, which was possibly one of the most impressive views of the small community. Looking out at the streets below, I was greeted with a perspective that seemed to reveal that nopony in town was lazing about. Every single pony in sight seemed to be going about their tasks in a most vigilant a manner as possible.

It was then that I noticed the faint sound of music drifting in through the window. I tried listening to it intently, but the music's source eluded me. As much as the activity was out of place compared to the rest of the village, at least it proved that somepony around here wasn't working so hard. A shame that at least one of the musician's notes appeared to be off-key, if only ever so slightly.

When Patron (I honestly still do not know this pony's name...) returned I was informed that Ensemble would send somepony to escort me to him after I had rested from my journey. A suggestion my hooves undoubtedly agreed with, and as much as I would love to have my questions answered, I dare not try argue with them.

~~~~~

I had a dream last night that I can't seem to remember. While normally not something I would consider important, the fact that I awoke in a cold sweat could only mean that the dream was not a pleasant one. The difficulty that resulted from such dreams meant that my sleeping was not as refreshing as I would have liked it to be. As I went to open my window to gain access to some fresh air, I noticed that the townsfolk had already started to begin their tasks for the day. Unusual, since it was still quite early, even my former family had not started to raise the sun yet. An odd town indeed.

Not long after waking, I hear a knock on my door and I soon find myself in the custody of two guards that had been ordered to bring me to Ensemble's headquarters, hidden away among some of the older buildings in the settlement. Once there, I was properly introduced to my host. Ensemble carried himself much as expected of somepony in his position. His coat was dark brown with a slate-grey mane and tail that he kept quite long, yet straight and well-groomed.

We exchanged introductions and I inquired to the whereabouts of Tunewise. He was our mutual acquaintance, after all, and proper protocol, when dealing with nobility, dictates that the mutual acquaintance either be present in order to be the one to properly introduce us or send some form of introduction letter. Not that I cared much for such matters myself, but the fact that one such as Ensemble was disregarding them would be considered highly unusual in the noble circles.

In order to answer my question, my host only asks if I'd seen the towns project being built across the stream. Tunewise is apparently one of the ponies in charge of design and construction. Ensemble goes on to express just how important and time-consuming Tunewise's work is. Silently dismissing the subject for the time being, I inquire as to why my presence was needed there.

Ensemble goes through his tale in great detail. Apparently his brother, Sombre, has fallen to some sort of dark magic and has forced the citizens of the Crystal Empire to do his bidding. If Sombre isn't stopped soon, Ensemble postures, then the army he is creating will soon storm over Strotland whilst on its way towards the Capital. The construction project in town is designed to fill the role of some sort of defensive mechanism.

Seeing as he had still not managed to form an exact answer my question, I attempt to ask Ensemble what he needs me for, precisely. He says that his brother specializes in something called Crystal Magic. Using this form of magic, he hopes to create an artificial army using special materials for his evil constructions. Materials that he has started using the Empire's populace as slaves to mine. Of course, Strotland's people are depending on their construction project for their primary defenses, but with my arrival, Ensemble hopes to strike at Sombre first.

When I question why he hadn't already voiced his concerns to the Capital's Tribunal, or even the Platinum Crown itself, Ensemble informs me that he had, only to be turned away. They said that they would need proof of an imminent attack before they could spare some troops. It's not really surprising, after all, their normal stance of 'what happens within the borders of another country is of no concern of ours' is what usually what seems to take precedence with these types of matters. At least when the Tribunal is involved anyway.

Regardless, after trying desperately to convince the authorities to help, Ensemble managed to have had the pleasure of hearing about my daring rescue of Tunewise. Indulging his curiosity, and what with his lack of other available options, Ensemble did some research of his own into my character. My knowledge of enchanting, he said, should prove to be instrumental in stopping his brother.

I was hesitant when he asked for my assistance. I'm not sure exactly why, but something about this entire situation was bothering me. I asked Ensemble if I could take some time to think about my response. I now have until the end of the day to return to him with my answer.

The first thing I attempted to do, was try and locate Tunewise and hear his take on the matter. There must have been something substantial going on in order to convince him to help with all of this. Too bad that I seemed to be unable to get anywhere near the town's special project, and nopony nearby was volunteering to assist me this time. That left me with one final option, my Scrying Spell.

Back in my room at the inn, I set up the materials I needed to contact the Alicorn, Celestia. When the spell activated, I first got a hold of her sister Luna instead. After exchanging some pleasantries, I asked if her older sister was available. I recall her showing me her most convincing pouting face before complying with my request. Once Celestia was present, I informed her of the events and information that had been revealed to me regarding Strotland, the Crystal Empire, and the brothers, Ensemble and Sombre. I also conveyed my suspicions that something seemed a little off about the whole situation.

It was apparently the first that Celestia had heard of such transgressions against the crystal ponies. If what Ensemble said was indeed true, then somepony must put a stop to Sombre's actions. On the other hoof, it was still true that no actual evidence had been presented to support Ensemble's claim. After relaying that she would be unable to assist me anytime soon, she told me to be careful. I acknowledged her opinion, and thanked her for her input, before ending the spell.

I think I now have an answer for my host.

~~~~~

Where to start? The last time I wrote anything down was just before my second visit to Ensemble's headquarters. I was firmly intending to tell him that I would have to reject his offer, at least until he was able to provide solid evidence that could support his actions. That's when things, well, went downhill.

As I was brought back to Ensemble I noticed that he had been playing a quiet tune from a small flute, made from some sort of blue stone. While attempting to explain the situation that he was putting me in, I rejected his proposal, and he seemed understanding for the most part. Apologizing, at first, he said that he wished that things didn't have to be this way. The way he said it, I half-expected his guards to rush in and seize me, but none came. Ensemble simple put his instrument to his lips and began to play once more.

The song quickly, and effortlessly, filled my head, making my body feel heavy, tired. The next thing I know I've fallen to the floor, the numerous bells of my cloak resounding from my crash, disturbing the song and temporarily breaking me free of its effects. After that, I assume that instinct kicked in, for my next conscious thought occurs as I'm looking over my shoulder just as I pass the outskirts of town. Everything about the oddities of the place finally clicking together as though they were pieces of some foalish puzzle.

First, there is the peculiar behavior of the other inhabitants of Strotland. Something about their collective demeanor was certainly not natural. Next, my disturbed sleep and the odd song, which I am now positive, holds some connection to Ensemble's song itself. Some form of magic he is using has somehow forced my body to sway to his command. I assume now that his magic involves some method of controlling the townsfolk. This leads me to think that the construction project in town is some way to further Ensembles ambitions, whatever they might be.

I'm still not sure his claims of reprimanding his brother stem from some sort of sibling rivalry or what not, but what I am sure of, is that Ensemble's song nearly had me under his hoof without me even being able to put up a fight. That kind of power to bend a ponies will to their own terrifies me to no end.

I ran through the rest of the night. I'm not sure how far Ensemble's influence reaches, but I dare not try to find out without some sort of counterspell. These unsettling events only bring me to realize how incredibly important a portable magic viewer would be. Once I reach Gibrhalter, and with it, the relative safety of the Wandering Spring Inn, I shall try to find a solution to oppose Ensemble's unsettling magic.

~~~~~

When I was finally able to return to the inn, my ever-present fears were the only thing keeping me from collapsing from exhaustion. I needed to warn somepony, anypony of what was happening. Almost needless to say, I was quite astonished to learn that Surprise already knew that something was wrong. Some how, I felt relieved that she did, even if I didn't know how or why. I suppose that is just one more topic of study that I simply have no time to explore. I preceded to tell her of the state of events in Strotland. The thought of how close I was to succumbing to the control of Ensemble's magic still sends shivers down my spine.

Surprise listened intently to every detail, questioning some things that needed further explanation, as well as reporting what her thoughts concerning certain portions of my rendition. I must say that it was nice to have some actual feedback for a change, even with a subject as dire as this.

When I finished my tale, Surprise told me of her speculations about a pony such as Ensemble and what his motivations might be. How, all of his actions up until his unprovoked attack, revolved around the eventual defeat of his brother. Whether the intense sibling rivalry was brought about due to Sombre being the 'more-favored' during his childhood, or that maybe he had received too few presents a colt was definitely a subject of discussion between us.

While it wasn't perfect, and it would most certainly be dangerous, our talk left me with an idea. Before I can carry out such a plan, cunning as it might be, I require supplies. Not only will I need to pick up some enchanting equipment for this operation (or waste time traveling back to the Capital for them) I also need to gather the materials for another Scrying spell.

In my haste I left Strotland with only what I had tucked away within my cloak. The Scrying gear was among the gear left in my room, and I think that the Alicorn should receive an update about everything. Provided that they aren't too busy of course. If there is a chance that my plan may fail, then I hope that they, at least, might still prove useful.

~~~~~

After acquiring everything I needed to bring my plan to fruition, and sent word to the Alicorn to advise them of my intentions, there is still one thing left to do. I'm leaving this journal in the capable hooves of Surprise so that nopony else might gain knowledge of my plans before I can act upon them. I'll be instructing her to attempt contact with Celestia as well, should I not return in four days.

Hopefully, if my plan does fail, there will not be enough time for Ensemble to prevent or interfere with any messages of duress on their way to those who might still be able to stop him.

~@~

"Spike?" Twilight called aloud for her dragon assistant. When she didn't receive an answer she tried again, only louder, "Spiiiike!?"

She listened intently for an answer but none came. Breaking her concentration completely, Twilight decided to look around the library for young dragon. She didn't have to search for long.

"There you are, Spike. Didn't you hear me calling for you?"

"Huh, what? Oh! Twilight!" Spike jumped, turning around to face the unicorn in mid-air. "When did you get back?"

"I've been her for hours already." Twilight replied, pointing to the clock hanging on the wall. "What have you been up to that's got you so distracted?"

Spike looked at the book that he still grasped in his claws. Quickly, he tried to hide his contraband behind his back. "Oh, um, nothing Twilight, nothing at all..." he assured her using his best innocent smile.

"Spike, why are you trying to hide that book behind you?" Grasping the article in question with her telekinesis, she pried the book from the dragon's claws and pulled it into view.

"No! Wait, I can explain!"

"Let's see... Wait a minute. This is that copy of of Starswirl's journal that I made. Where did you find this Spike?" Twilight asked accusingly.

"Um, well..." Spike gulped audibly before continuing, "The thing is, I was, um, trying to find you some quills for your next study session and, because of that, I ended up going through you desk. That's when I found the book, and I was going to put it back, but then I remember how you used to go on and on about Starswirl's adventures, but then after a while you stopped talking about him completely. So I figured I'd look for that part about the dragon again-'cause it was the last thing that I remembered-and I guess I got caught up in it. I was going to put it back when I was done, I promise."

"Oh Spike, I'm glad you've finally taken in interest in history, and I'm really glad you found something that you decided to read on your own, but I'm not even supposed to have this book in the first place. Besides, Starswirl's stories aren't exactly fit for a baby dragon after all." Twilight turned around with the intention of secreting the journal away once more.

"But, but I wanted to know what happened to all of those dragon eggs!" Spike cried out, surprising even himself, if only a little.

Startled a bit herself, Twilight turned to look at her assistant once more, only to become entrapped within Spike's puppy-like gaze. "Oh, all right," she said, handing the journal back to him, "But remember, nopony is supposed to know about this, so try to keep quiet about it. Okay?"

"Sure thing Twi! You can count on me!" shouted the now exuberant dragon.

"Pinkie Promise." Twilight said in complete seriousness.

Now it was Spike's turn to be a little concerned. Twilight had never asked him to do something under the threat of one of Pinkie's promises before now. She was definitely serious. "Alright, if you insist. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." he said while completing the accompanied motions, "There. Are you happy now?"

"That'll do for now, I suppose. But before you head off for more literary exploration, I need your help with what I was originally calling out your name for..."

~@~

My return to Gibrhalter was, I think, less than triumphant. While my overall mission was a success, the ponies that fell to Ensemble's influence now have a difficult road ahead of them. Since this is supposed to be an accurate account of my life, I should probably set out to describe everything that occurred while Surprise was watching over this very journal.

After my preparations were ready, I had set out to Strotland once more. Upon reaching the once-abandoned checkpoint, I was surprised to find that it was fully staffed, probably as a consequence of my earlier escape. I didn't attempt to resist capture, after all, it was part of my plan to be taken as Ensemble's prisoner. If he wanted me under his control, he would have to face me again, or so I hoped.

Once the guards had seen to my being properly apprehended, they carted me off to Strotland. During this entire process, and having nothing else to do except focus on my captors, I was able to note some of the limits to Ensemble's controlling magic. For one thing, the guards almost always acted together as a group. I'm not sure about the reasoning behind this, but none of the guards was left alone during the entirety of my detention. Even when returning me to the city, they had to abandon the checkpoint again.

It was almost as if they couldn't operate on their own at such an extreme distance from the music that controlled them. As it was, I can only assume that their orders were simply 'bring any intruders to the town dungeon.'

I ended up sitting in that damp and musty jail cell for over a day. Even though I made it known that I was only there to talk with Ensemble once more (his 'subjects' observable competency notwithstanding), I'm not entirely sure that my wait was caused by the drones. If I were in Ensemble's horseshoes, I'd probably want to ensure that a visitor such as myself had arrived alone as he had claimed.

An entirely reasonable approach, all things considered. Although I also consider myself lucky in the fact that they didn't try to strip me of my belongings. The gift I brought with me in, hopes that it might buy some leniency, was meant for Ensemble alone, and I'd hate to think what would happen if somepony else had managed to mess with it before I could give it to their leader.

Eventually, it was decided to bring me before Ensemble during his evening meal. The dining hall was surprisingly opulent for such a small town. It was also empty save for Ensemble, the guards escorting me, and myself, something that tilted the odds of whatever was about to happen into my favor. There were, of course, more guards just outside, but with what I had planned they would not matter. My escorts were ordered to remove my cloak before any dialog could begin. No doubt so that my bells would not be able to interfere with my host's spell again.

But I obliged anyway by removing the cloak, waiting only until after I had removed my gift and placing it on the table between Ensemble and myself. After I was seated, my host started the conversation by exchanging some forced pleasantries, which I returned. Some agonizing silence followed and Ensemble decided to get down to the heart of my return, questioning my motivations.

I opened up the case that held the pendant and offered it to him as a form of apology, suggesting that our earlier encounter had us both starting out on the wrong hoof. Picking up the trinket, Ensemble was seemingly pleased with what he saw.

That was, until Ensemble placed the pendant at his side instead of trying it on. He mentioned that he knew all about my enchanting and he wasn't about to risk getting caught up in any scheming of mine. Clever. After motioning for his guards to hold me down, he pulled his flute out of his jacket.

I did the only thing I could in such a position. I stalled for time by asking him about his plans. Would he release those under his influence after his brother had been defeated? I needed to know what his long-term goals were. Ensemble admitted that having everypony doing their best to fulfill his every whim was the best thing that could happen to anypony. When I asked about the condition of those he controlled, whether they still had any bit of free will at all, he stated that his "Sway Sonata" was perfect. Nopony could do anything without his say so. Nopony would ever be able to defy him willingly again.

I brought up my concerns about how my advanced knowledge would be useless to him if I was as dull as those under his sway, but the dark unicorn just laughed my concerns away as he picked up his flute again. I pulled on my magic to set up a shield for protection. Noticing this, Ensemble just laughed some more, knowing that his magic would be completely unaffected by a mere magical barrier.

That's when things got really interesting. My shield wasn't for him or his magic, it was for what awaited inside of the pendant.

The enchantment etched upon its surface was designed for a delayed reaction, one that was set to stir up the ingredients sealed deep inside the heavy trinket. Ingredients that, from my attempts to hatch the dragon eggs, I knew were quite potent.

The pendant glowed red and Ensemble turned his attention toward it just before it's contents violently blew it into pieces. The shock it caused knocked Ensemble clean off of the now-demolished chair, as well as knocking everything not behind my barrier all about the room. The ponies holding me down now lying dazed at my feet, I rushed to secure the dark unicorn before others could arrive and investigate.

Seeing the effects of my dangerous device, I'm kind of glad Ensemble chose to not wear it. The damage it had caused him was quite significant. I didn't think that it would be this powerful, but it's not as though I had time to properly fine-tune the mixture beforehoof. The right side of Ensemble's face was covered in blood and singed flesh, and I could tell that he would never again be able to see out of that eye on the right side of his face. I only meant to stun him!

Still conscious, he tried to reach for his flute that had landed nearby. It was almost completely destroyed, but I couldn't risk anything. I crushed what was left of the instrument beneath my hooves before casting a calming spell upon the stallion. Content enough to fall asleep, his pain forgotten, I retrieved my cloak and bound Ensemble's legs with a small rope I had tucked away.

I tended his wounds as quickly as I could, but not as complete as I felt comfortable with, because the other guards were attempting to burst through the door. Apparently my host had foresight to lock them on my behalf, so as to prevent an easy escape. Ensuring Ensemble would not bleed to death on the floor, and making sure the other ponies in the room would survive as well, I made my way to a door that wasn't actively being pounded on. I still needed to find the machine that was controlling everypony in town, after all.

If I could hear its music from the inn then the device should be placed somewhere so that its sound could easily carry over the village's buildings. That could only mean that it was placed somewhere up high, like in the attic or upon the rooftop itself. I only hoped that there were not more of these devices hidden around Strotland.

I raced through the hallways, attempting to avoid the guards along the way. There was no way to be sure of what they might try to do, but I assumed their orders were something along the lines of 'stop anypony that isn't Ensemble or under his spell.'

Attempting to listening for the source of the faint music, I realize that I cannot hear it over the ringing in my ears. Eventually, however, I came across the entrance to the attic from where I suspected such an odious machine would be located. Sure enough, by opening up the door, I was instantly greeted with a headache despite my perceived deafness. Braving it as best I could, I found the device sitting next to a set of open windows, so that the noise it produced might carry farther.

The machine was quite impressively intricate. Several funnel-shaped pieces were attached to a central mechanism, I assume this is what allowed the sound to resonate as it did. The main mechanism itself consisted of a spool of hardened, etched wax that had a needle following in its grooves while it spun about a central axis. The whole device seemed to be powered off of some internal enchantment, probably even something of my own design.

As much as I admired such an interesting machine, I still had a job to do. Not wanting to risk a similar situation in the future, I simply cast my Flare spell, melting the wax initially, and after a short time the bits holding the machine together started to melt and burn. And not a moment too soon, my pursuers had reached the attic entrance just as the music had stopped.

The abrupt halt to the magic that was keeping them under control caused everypony that had been under its effects to fall unceremoniously into unconsciousness. Every last one of them. I made my way back to the dining hall to ensure that my captive remained where I had left him, I also hoped to find something to eat. I hadn't been given anything that could be considered subsistence while I was being held in that cell.

Ensemble, thankfully, still lay where he fell, using his remaining eye to scowl at me with such a hatred as I had never known before. I'll admit that I was sorry for physically harming him as I had with my pendant. It was an accident. Whether or not he could hear me as I attempted to justify my reasoning or not, I could not tell. As it was, the ringing in my ears had only then began to die down, and I had been fortunate enough to be shielded from the brunt of the dangerous magic.

It did not take long for the townsponies of Strotland to awake from their brief rest, as I could hear the start of a commotion taking place in the streets. They were free of the Sway Sonata for the first time in who-knows-how-long, but from the sounds of things not a single pony was happy with what had been done to them. I assume that Ensemble could hear them now too, as the look on his face changed from hatred to fear as loud, threatening calls were being made for his head. A mob had even began to form at the doors, with pitchforks and everything.

The situation called for me to do that which I hated most. Diplomacy. Ensuring that my prisoner's bounds were still tight, I picked him up with my magic and carried him with me towards the door. I set my captive down, out of site in the foyer, before I opened the door to greet the growing mob of angry citizens. Their animosity already at it's climax, I calculated that, should they try to attack the now-helpless Ensemble, I likely would not be able to fend them off.

I was almost grateful to learn that it was none other than Tunewise leading the charge. At least he was being quite a bit more reasonable than the rest of the majority that had gathered. Through him, I was able to learn of more of the atrocities that Ensemble had committed during his magic-induced reign, and with more detail than even I would have preferred. The list of things that some of these ponies were put through breaks my heart. Worst of all, they remembered everything in vivid detail as they were forced to do anything that their master pleased, and may the heavens help any young mare who happened to catch his eye.

They had every right to want Ensemble dead. I almost even let them have him. Then I thought about he had said of his brother. If any of it was true, then he might still possess information that the authorities did not. Information that would help nopony if lost. After no small amount of heated discussions, I was finally able to convince them to send for representatives from the Capital so that punishments might be handled in a fair and just way.

The only thing left, after the crowd had calmed down a bit, was to see to the destruction of the giant controlling machine that they had labored on while under Ensemble's control. Seeing the task as a way to vent their frustrations, they were all too happy to see to its demise.

After the majority had left, I entrusted Tunewise to keep watch over Ensemble, as I had to return to Surprise before my fast-approaching deadline had passed. The old instrument maker seemed to be the only one to be truly thankful for my efforts in breaking the town from the Sway Sonata. And, getting his word that no further harm would come to the fallen unicorn, I left for Gibrhalter.

Which brings me to today, I'm still staying at the Wandering Spring Inn, and I've had to report my version of recent events several times over. The Alicorn and the Capital representatives wanted to know my opinion on how the situation should be handled. Surprise has just happy to know that the situation was resolved, even if she didn't much care for my solution to threat that Ensemble personified.

It's her belief that nopony is beyond salvation, and that, if given enough time and love and whatnot, even one as evil as Ensemble might be brought to the light. I could probably just summarize that as Surprise just being herself, but I did get the feeling that Ensemble was at least a little delighted when I returned to meet with him that night. He was still a monster, and deserves whatever punishment he is sentenced with, but maybe there were parts of him that weren't so terrible.

Either way, Surprise has deemed it necessarily for her to return with me when I decide to head back to the Capital, so that I might learn of the values of friendship or some such thing. Not that I'm entirely against it, she's volunteered to help me out around my tower in exchange for letting her stay there. I've reserved my judgment on the matter until she has proven useful, but I would welcome having more time to perform my research, and not be bogged down with various chores.

When I asked her about whether or not it was a good time to leave her current employer, Surprise simply stated that she was only working at the inn to help a friend. Now that it seems that I could use her help more, and her other obligations are more or less complete, it seems that I have very little else to say on the matter of her accompanying me.

It's starting to look like the only respite I can get anymore is when I'm working on one of my own projects.

~~@~~

Yet another late night of studious endeavors was just beginning for the bookish unicorn when she was interrupted by Spike, the dragon whom she was certain had been put to bed hours ago.

"What are you still doing up Spike? Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just... Twilight, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing, Spike. Ask away."

"Well, it's about the egg you hatched me from. Do you know where it came from?"

Spike could almost see the gears turning in Twilight's head.

"I'm sorry, Spike, but I don't know where exactly your egg came from. I do know that hatching your egg was part of the entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorn, but with everything that happened that day it just never occurred to me to ask."

"Oh..."

"This is about the journal isn't it? Listen, if it'll help, you can ask Princess Celestia about it. It is her school after all, if anypony would know where your egg came from it would be her."

"Thanks, Twilight."

"It's not a problem. Just try not to mention the journal when you ask, the fewer ponies that know about it, the better."

"Don't worry Twilight. I still remember my Pinkie Promise." Spike said as he acquired the materials he needed to send a message to the princess. Hopefully she would be able to shed some light on whether or not his egg came from the same brood as Starswirl's collection.

Author's Note

Aha! Done in time to start concentrating on mid-terms. At least this portion of the arc is done, anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Bonded

The train car rocked slowly back and forth as it sped through the encroaching darkness towards its destination. The swaying motion was almost enough to put Spike to sleep, his sheer excitement was the only thing keeping him awake. Even though this wasn't his first solo trip to Canterlot, it was certainly the first time he making the trip for personal reasons.

Celestia had agreed to take time out of her schedule in order to talk with Spike personally. Even if he had yet to tell her exactly what it was he wanted to ask, her attitude towards this meeting filled him with hope. Important questions, especially with regards as to the origins of one's own egg, was something that should be done face-to-face, after all. Spike was certain that the princess would tell him if she knew.

Holding a private meeting with Princess Celestia wasn't the sole cause of Spike's excitement, however. There was his firm belief that, if one of the dragon eggs mentioned in Starswirl's journal and his egg were one in the same, then Spike might have siblings somewhere. While Spike had never really considered anyone outside of Twilight to be his family, and the fact that he considered this sort of thing to be too 'mushy' for his tastes, the thought that there might be other dragons like him out there somewhere left Spike with many things to think about.

Would they like him? Are they like him? Questions, as important as 'who they would be,' or even something as mundane as 'what they did with their free time,' were now constantly running through his mind.

'Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.' Spike thought to himself, 'I don't even know that my egg was a part of StarSwirl's collection...'

Spike turned away from the veil of darkness that had finished obscuring his view of the passing countryside. Knowing that the Canterlot station was still nearly an hour away, Spike found himself looking around the cabin for any activity that might be suspicious, and after he had decided that the train car was safe enough, he pulled out the journal he had previously secreted away in his bag.

Even though he had promised not to tell anypony about it, Spike still had his reasons for holding on to the book. Namely, he had yet to finish reading it. He could almost hear Twilight scolding him for not learning how to read faster, but the books she generally picked usually turned out to be some of the driest literature ever bestowed upon ponykind.

Letting out a short sigh, Spike acknowledge the fact that Twilight would be proud that he was actually reading something, even if she didn't know that he had brought the journal with him. Opening the tome, Spike began to delve into Starswirl's chronological recordings once more.

~@~

I think Surprise is starting to wise up to my actions. In trying to study her predictive behaviors, I've tried to hide my intentions as best as I could, for it wouldn't help my observations if the Pegasus was aware of them. At least, that was my intent. I now find myself hesitant to declare that she knew nothing of my studies, and, after the considerable amount of time I've spent on the subject, I suspect that she may have known all along.

As for my actual observations, I have been able to determine some of limits to Surprise's abilities. Mainly predictive in nature, these powers only seem to activate within a very narrow window of time. I've not been able to determine an exact timing for such an event, but I am confident that most of the predictions I've witnessed have not predated their associated events by more than an hour.

In order to test Surprises behavior, while still maintaining a healthy distance, I've enchanted the egg bowl in the kitchen to fall off the shelf at predetermined intervals. Surprise's reaction to why the bowl seems to have a mind of it's own notwithstanding, the results of this test were clear. The prediction only triggers by either physical proximity to Surprise or by association to something that can be tied to her directly, such an important item, or even myself, getting in harm's way.

Many eggs were sacrificed in order to complete this endeavor.

Trying to summarize the results into a coherent theory has proven difficult. At first I suspected that her abilities might share some connection to her innate Pegasus magics (probably something akin to incredible agility). Her brother, however, had never displayed anything remotely resembling predictive behavior. I've even tried to view Surprise through the Gradestone to verify whether or not her abilities are magical in nature, but to no avail.

The most unusual aspect I’ve witnessed, is that something seems to impede my every attempt to study her abilities discretely. I’m not sure if this is also a part of the ability, but the distractions happen with such frequency as to not be mere coincidence. Short of asking Surprise directly about her abilities, I'm not sure what else I can do on this front.

Another reason I suspect that Surprise's 'sense' (for lack of a proper term) may be a form of magic is the fact that her predictive behavior only seems to activate when Surprise herself in close proximity. Although there might be some evidence suggesting that distance is of no consequence when the subject of a particular prediction is important to her, I’ve no way to track these special cases with certainty. Regardless, my reasoning is based on my recent studies involving the effects of emotion on magical ability. Granted, there are only so many combinations of emotions and spells that I can try out personally, but I know that basically every spell can be altered via emotions.

All of this speculation is for naught if this 'Sense' is Pegasi in nature, since even basic emulation of the race's magic has left me almost entirely drained of power. Short of attempting that again, I shall endeavor to think of additional explanations for Surprise's abilities.

~~~~~

We had some visitors today. Surprise, of course, was first to the door, and while not an event that's completely unheard of around here, as Celestia likes to check on my work occasionally, my guest today was a pony that I haven't seen in ages. Penny. I haven't seen hide nor hair from her since that day on the mountain. I'd originally thought that her reluctance in seeing me was part of some political ploy or whatever it is they do in the higher circles of the Capital these days. It wasn't until later that I'd learned of her marriage to the Tribunal's son, and since then I've stopped all attempts of communicating with the mare.

While I stood there, dumbfounded as to the reason for her appearance, Penny answered my present question by stepping aside. She wasn't alone. Hiding behind the mare as best as it could was a small filly, her child, Clover, whom I was apparently meeting for the first time.

I let them both inside, and sent Surprise into the kitchen for refreshments with the little one in tow. I attempted to ask about Penny's sudden interest in my little tower. Instead of answering my question, she starts to tell me about how Clover's been asking to meet me. It turns out that my 'adventures' have been the child's bedtime stories for some time now.

As Amusing as the thought of my life-and-death experiences in life are being used to put children to sleep is, I knew there had to be more than that for Penny to visit me herself. Being associated with somepony of my status notwithstanding, I'm sure more than a few nobles up there are capable of coming to the conclusion that we had feelings for one another once upon a time. While I don’t rightly care what the noble families think of me, Penny does have a reputation to care for.

Penny was asking if I could take on Clover as some sort of student when both Surprise and the child in question returned from the kitchen, snacks in tow. No longer the frightened child hiding behind her mother I can see now that Clover is trying earnestly to take in every detail of my home. I notice something else about her as well, something familiar. The truth is, I have been thinking of taking in anypony that was willing to risk the taboos of magical study. Deciding I need some more time to think about the issue, I suggest that Clover be tested for her magical aptitude.

Clover readily accepted, excitedly stating that she's ready for any challenge. The filly even declared that she had been practicing, a statement that elicited a concerned look from her mother. I offered the child the tome of magical spells that I've been working on, with instructions that she is to protect the book with her life while it is in her possession. It is, after all, the only copy. I promised her that, in one week, we will see if she's ready for my tutelage.

As the two began their ascent back up the Capital’s steps, I whispered to Penny that, upon the filly's return, I wanted to know the real reason that she would allow her child to be thrown in with the likes of me, possibly forfeiting any political career she may have as a member of a Tribunal's family. Penny only nodded her head in response as she turned to chase an overly-excited Clover up the steps.

~~~~~

To be honest, I've spent the entire week just trying to find the perfect test to measure the filly's abilities. I could simply just have her try to cast any spell in the book, but I think that would get me mixed results. Either I could pick an easy spell, where the act of passing such an easy test would do little in the way of preparing a student for the proper use of magic, or I could pick a spell that Clover would have no chance of mastering in such a short time. Both of these are less than ideal, I think. Not to mention how dangerous it would be for an untrained Unicorn to attempt to cast such advanced spells.

In the end, I believe that the test I did choose is the best for not only Clover but any other applicant that may want to apply.

When the mother and child pair arrived, I told Penny to wait with Surprise inside the tower while I conducted the examination around back. When Penny attempted to protest, I warned her that magic, by nature, was resistant to control. The more ponies that were present while attempting to determine Clover's abilities, the more ponies that would be in danger if something went wrong. Probably not the best thing I could have said to alleviate the worried mother, but it would be better for me to have only two to protect rather than four. Clover piped up with the surprisingly deep insight about how her mother wouldn't always be there to protect her, and that she should try to learn how to help herself.

There may be hope for this child after all.

With those not involved with the test safely out of the danger zone, and more importantly earshot, I pulled Clover around to building to the area I had prepared for her arrival. I could only imagine what must be going through the filly's mind as I took her to a rather unassuming table on which sat an even less-interesting box. Instructing Clover to sit down in front of the box, I asked her one final time if she felt she was ready to test her skills.

An agonizing moment passed before she finally shook her head. Yes. I opened the box and watched as recognition crossed her face when she glimpsed the object inside. Proving that her bedtime stories were at least partially accurate, she immediately pointed out that it was, indeed, the egg of a dragon. I told her that it was her job to hatch the egg using her magic. A slight panic took her over before she steeled herself for her task. There was no possible way that she could have studied for this, and yet here she was, given a task that even I was unable to do. Clover didn't know that of course, and began to pour every last ounce of her concentration into solving my puzzle.

There was no possible way that she would be able to hatch that egg. Even if Clover knew how to perfectly mimic the magic of a mother dragon, she could never have had the energy needed to perform such a spell at that age, and after a desperate hour of throwing every spark of magic she possessed at the egg, I think she knew it too. Tears in her eyes, Clover finally admitted that she had failed my test. And she would have, had that been the true goal of the exam.

By giving the child an impossible task I could easily learn not only of their exact level of magical ability and power, but I could guarantee that I would learn how the pony would act under pressure. In my eyes, Clover admitting that she knew nothing about how to solve a problem was the first step in the right direction. If one doesn't know there is a problem, how can they possibly go about fixing it?

Returning to the mares inside, I made the exhausted, and admittingly addled, filly promise to never forget what she had learned today. I also made her promise that she was never to speak of the exact details or purpose of the exam. It would only work if the hopeful student didn't know of the test's true nature, and if Clover was going to be an apprentice of mine, she may very well have to give such a test her own students one day.

Still a bit confused by the details of her new situation, Clover still managed to recognize that she was now officially my student, and she seemed very excited to tell her mother of her accomplishment. I gestured for Surprise to take the filly to get some refreshment after such an arduous exam. This was so that I could talk to her mother, who still owed me an explanation as to why it was so important for me to mentor her daughter in the first place.

I never actually got to ask my question. When Clover was safely inside of the tower, Penny started the conversation by immediately apologizing for her actions that day on the mountain. Her family, at the time, had already offered her up as a means to a political relationship between the Platinum family and the current Unicorn Tribunal. When she had heard of my plight, she thought that, if she could run away from her problems, she might be better off. What better way to do that then by joining a lost soul like mine out on the borders of civilization?

Everything changed when she visited, for both of us, it would seem. Seeing me in the wretched state I was in had left it's mark on her. For the first time in her life, she was able to see that nopony was perfect, not even me. Penny recognized in that moment that our destinies had parted somewhere along the way, and that it was time to return to her reality. She says that she has always regretted leaving me the way she did, with no explanation for her actions, hoping I would understand. Hoping that someday I'd forgive her.

The truth is, as much as I hated the situation, I've never held anything against her, and deep down I think that I’ve always known that she would choose her familial obligations over an outcast like me.

Penny went on to the topic of Clover's apprenticeship. Unbeknownst to those of my station, things have been getting rather lively in the politics of the capital. The empty threats that were once tossed around as if part of some national pastime are starting to become less and less 'empty'. Penny's connections to both the Platinum Family and the increasingly unpopular Tribunal have made her position rather uncomfortable, the situation being something that she would like to keep her daughter as far away from as possible. When I attempted to question her about specifics, the mare only reached a disturbing level of quiet, saying far more about the situation than she probably would like to admit.

I offered to help, but Penny refused. It's not like I'm allowed at a tribunal meeting anyway, so I propose to take Clover in as soon as possible. I tell my old friend that, if the filly isn't planning on bringing any personal effects with her, she could probably stay in Surprise's room until a more permanent solution can be found.

Thanking me for my hospitality, Penny turns to head inside, the conversation obviously wearing on her nerves. Before she can fully disengage, I ask her one final question. Does her husband know that his child isn't his? I never got an answer, but her hesitation before heading inside was enough.

~~~~~

Clover is doing her best to help around the tower when she isn't practicing her basics. I think Surprise enjoys having somepony to converse with who isn't only interested in magical studies. It’s not my fault that my studies consume so much of my time, but what am I to do?

Normally, I make it a priority to neglect acquiring knowledge of a certain political climate, but with Penny going out of her way to ensure Clover's safety got me to thinking. Save the Alicorn, I've received no news whatsoever about the whole Crystal Empire situation, and even Celestia has been quiet on that front as of late.

I decided to investigate. A quick Scrying Spell later, and I was almost back where I started. Celestia's apparently been trying to increase the Alicorn influence among the three tribes, but in trying to mediate between the factions her investigations into the Crystal Empire have been put on hold. I can't say as I blame her. If what she told me is true, and with Penny's recent actions (As if I need a reason to believe otherwise), saying that conditions among the Tribunal are 'Volatile' is a massive understatement. To think that there are unscrupulous individuals willing to attempt an assassination in this day and age!

Still, even with the political climate here, managing to calm things down will mean nothing if Enseble's predictions come true. With Celestia otherwise occupied I'm afraid I have no choice but to venture to the Crystal Empire myself. A trip that is almost twice as long as the journey to Prance.

Before I go, and since I suspect that it will be too dangerous to take her, I need to make sure that Clover is set in her studies while I'm gone. While she may be one the best natural conjurers that I've ever met, save myself, I’d sooner step into Tartarus than see her skip the basics of handling her magic. At least Surprise will still be here if she needs anything.

~~~~~

I passed through Strotland's gates earlier today. Tunewise informs me that there was a group of Pegasi that had headed out that way some time ago, but that nopony else has been through here since. At least somepony has taken interest in this matter, although it is a bit worrying that they've neglected to keep contact with Capital. I was sure to make it clear that The Dark Brother's magic was not to be trifled with when I briefed the authorities. For the most part, I seem to have been largely ignored by the Tribunal, so I can only wonder who else might have taken an interest in the Crystal Empire.

I sure hope that nothing has happened to them.

~~~~~

The weather around here has taken a turn for the worst. Worrying in its own right, the terrain around here does nothing to alleviate the storm's ferocity. I just hope that the snow dies down when I leave this outcropping tomorrow.

~~~~~

It's been days. I'm fairly sure I should have at least seen some evidence of the Crystal Empire by now, but all I can see is snow. If I don't start rationing my supplies, I'm not sure how much longer I'll last out here. Thankfully I've still got my cloak with me. It's almost as if I can't feel the cold anymore.

~~~~~

I'm such a fool. One of the most powerful magi of the age, and I almost fell to the very elements over which I call myself ‘Master’. Were it not for my rescuer, I would probably be dead under some snowdrift spawned from this seemingly ever-present storm. My savior is an Earth Pony mare with a gray-ish brown coat and a dark-brown mane who goes by the name of Enigma. How she managed to find me or drag me back to her cottage amid all of that snow is beyond me.

When she found me, Enigma(She hasn’t given me her full name) rushed me to her home in hopes that I might be saved. When I did come through, dazed and confused, awakening to an unfamiliar room while sharing a cot with some stranger, it gave me quite the shock. So completely out of my wits, I quickly made a complete fool of myself in mistaking her intentions of trying to warm me back up as something else entirely. I don't believe I'll ever live down the awkwardness of that conversation. At least she seems to be good-natured about it.

I am immensely grateful to her for rescuing me. How idiotic of me to not have fully prepared for this trip in the first place. From what Enigma tells me, storms such as this were not always a common occurrence, but have been happening with fairly predictable frequency lately. I'm told that it may take a few more days before I can continue my journey.

Not that I'm complaining about staying here for a while. I feel miserable, and if Enigma is content with not kicking me back out into the cold, I would appreciate her hospitality all the more.

~~~~~

For an Earth Pony, that I first thought of as a simple mare, trying to scrounge up a decent living in this frozen wasteland, Enigma really knows how to hold a conversation. After I was done writing down my last entry, she asked me what I was doing so far from civilization. Seeing no reason to deny my rescuer anything, after all, it's not likely that she'd have received many visitors as of late, I started by telling her that I was trying to investigate the Crystal Empire.

Nearly the entire day had passed before I had realized that I had just about divulged my entire life's story to the poor mare. I'm not entirely sure why, but I feel as though she understood quite a bit of my rambling tangents of dialogue regarding the laws of magic. There’s almost no chance that anypony out here might study the things I do, let alone a non-Unicorn, but it was a curious feeling.

Speaking of curious things, another thing that mystifies me is that, when Enigma goes to prepare our meals, she goes outside to visit her shed. While it's not impossible that the tiny structure is quite suitable for housing ingredients for long periods of time, I believe that I have never seen stored vegetables that seemed so fresh. I’m pretty sure that the carrots she brought in still had clumps of dirt defiantly sticking to them. It was almost as if they had just been pulled from the ground only moments before she carried them inside. Maybe it's my imagination, or I'm still partly delusional from my being almost frozen, but I'm fairly certain that there is no way crops so fresh would be available during winter, much less during a blizzard such as this.

For all of the mysteries surrounding the aptly named Enigma, her cooking is possibly better than Surprise's, although I'd hate to think of what the Pegasus would do to me if she ever heard me mention that aloud.

~~~~~

Finally! the clouds over the cottage have started to break. I should be able to return to my trip's original intent again by early tomorrow.

Seeing as I can actually catch a glimpse of the Crystal Empire's fabled spires today, I asked my host what she thought of the situation. Surely being so close to both, an empire that is supposed to have been almost completely enslaved its populace, and a town with the madpony Ensemble trying to control its citizens, things must surely have had an affect on the mare.

Her story pretty much mirrored Ensemble's. One day almost out of the blue, Sombre just took control of the Empire's capital. The Empress nowhere to be found, and some important relic of theirs held hostage by the usurper. There was little that the anypony could do. When I asked if she knew anything about Sombre's magic, Enigma said that most of his magic involved the manipulation of crystals.

I knew that something was still missing, and I knew that Enigma was at least smart enough to recognize that moving a crystal here and there wouldn't be enough to suppress an entire population, but she was hesitant to go into any further detail. Maybe there is something about being situated between these two mad Unicorn that has her stressed out.

When I told her of my intentions to head out the next morning, Enigma was nearly pleading with me to stay. I can only assume that she means well, and I have found myself enjoying her company. In fact, she's one of the most intriguing mares I have ever known, but as much as I would like to stay for a while longer, I still have a job to do.

~~~~~

Enigma has volunteered to take me to where the Pegasi have set up camp outside of the city. I hope I can repay her kindness once this is all over. She says that we should reach their camp before noon tomorrow provided that the weather holds.

~~~~~

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I'm quite sure that Tunewise had said that far more Pegasi had traveled through the pass than what I had seen today. Little did I know, I would run into not one, but two familiar faces here. The first was none other than Luna herself. Apparently, after I had discussed the matter with her sister, Luna had taken it upon herself to assist me. Had I not stumbled into camp today, she had worried that I might have been lost to the storm. Without my presence in this operation, Luna says that she would have a fairly difficult explanation ahead of her, trying to give her sister a reason as to why she had left the confines of their home without an escort.

I always thought that Celestia had a bit of an over-protective streak in her.

The other of my acquaintances was none other than the pony who had kept me from burning alive after I had slain the dragon. Private Hurricane. Although he's now Captain Hurricane, the Squall Squadron I left him with disbanded shortly after the incident. So now Hurricane is working for the Pegasopolis Regulars, and he's in charge of this operation, or what's left of it anyway.

Not long after they were able to question Ensemble following his apprehension, the Pegasi military had sent a small group along for confirmation of Ensemble's confession. Flying all the way here, they first set up camp and Hurricane ordered that the group split up into reconnaissance groups for some initial intelligence gathering. Standard procedure, I'm told, until one of the groups got too close. Hurricane assumes that they have fallen under whatever magic that Sombre is using, and not any of his crystal manipulation stuff.

Hurricane informs me that Sombre's magic is similar to my reports on his brother's Sway Sonata, only it doesn't need a song to take hold. A quick glance toward a suddenly shy Enigma, who had yet to return home, proves that she indeed knew more about what was going on than what she told me earlier.

Anyway, when Hurricane's forces attempted to rescue their comrades, they lost a few more, but not before they were able to forcibly bring back one of their own. The pony they tried to rescue only wanted to return to his slave labor, the poor soul fully under Sombre's influence.

When I asked to observe the converted Pegasi, Hurricane made it clear that me throwing my orders around would not be tolerated. If it weren't for my previous pursuits with Squall Squadron and the fact that he isn't receiving official reinforcements anytime soon, the Captain would probably have thrown me out of camp right there. Not that I think that throwing me anywhere in front of one of the Alicorn would do Hurricane any favors. I know for a fact that Luna has plenty of powerful political connections through her sister, even if she doesn't realize it. Either way, Hurricane needs whatever help he can get.

Hurricane led us to the tent where they were keeping the poor Pegasi they had managed to recapture. With so few troops, the only method they had make sure their comrade didn't try and rejoin Sombre's thrall again was to tie him up. Even bound, the soldier under the spell was eerily similar to that of Strotland’s inhabitants during the incident. The look that crossed my face probably matched the one on Enigma. I could tell that the Earth Pony had seen this magic before.

I pulled the Gradestone out of my cloak in an attempt to study the magics being used on the soldiers, but to no avail. None of the settings on the tool were able to tell me anything definite on the afflicted Pegasis. After no small amount of frustration spent on trying to get even a small reading on Sombre's magic, Enigma decided to chime in and tell me that it wouldn't be of any use. When asked why she knew my device wouldn't work, she agreed to tell us. Only, not in front of the recaptured soldier.

Intrigued as to why she would choose delay such information, we moved back to the Captain's tent so that Enigma could divulge what she knew. Once she had our full attention, she started her tale at the beginning.

Weather directly outside of the Crystal Empire had been notoriously cold for centuries. It’s outer reaches constantly under the cover of snow and ice, rumors had started to grow that there were things of value that had been hidden beneath, treasures from civilizations long forgotten. Whether true or not, these rumors had drawn the attention of a young couple and their two children. The family of Unicorn had traveled to the wastes in hopes that they might claim whatever riches that lay beneath the ice.

Initially excited by the thrill of discovery, continuous failure and bad weather had started to have adverse effects on the father's health. Until, one day, the older stallion never returned from his ice-mine. After that, the mother did the best she could to provide for her family. She made her living selling chunks of ice to the inhabitants of warmer climates. Things were decent for a time.

The recent family of three weren't the only ones looking for treasure in places far removed from the close scrutiny of civilized societies, and it wasn't too long before the family had a run-in with less than desirable company. The small family never stood a fighting chance against the thugs and were quickly overrun. Finding that the family had nothing of value for them to steal, the bandits found another way to sate their desires.

Another foal was the result of a mother desperately trying to keep her family alive. She never fully recovering from her ordeal, and months after she had given birth, the mother succumbed to her sorrows.

The elder brothers did their best trying to provide for their youngest sibling. They tried to get help from the locals, but were turned away from most. Soon they found themselves angry at those who rejected them, then angry at their father for bringing them out there in the first place. They were angry at the bandits for hurting their mother too, but most of all, they were angry at themselves for not being able to prevent any of it.

They were just about to give up hope, until the day that destiny smiled upon them. The day that the Stranger came to their door. The Stranger spoke of ancient things, secret things, and the brothers listened. Soon they found that they were no longer turned away when they begged for help. They had their first taste of power, and they'd relished its flavor.

The only thing that the locals seemed to notice was that a group of bandits that had plagued the wastes for years had suddenly disappeared. Never to be heard from again. It didn’t take long for the once no-name beggars from the wastes to suddenly find themselves in small positions of authority. Things were finally starting to look up for what seemed like the first time in their lives.

The eldest brother, who was the only of the two colts to fully master the stranger's magic, decided that the power he had was not enough. The result: the Crystal Empire suddenly found itself without its empress, and only Sombre was left to take her place. He declared himself King. Those who questioned his authority soon found themselves under the direct influence of his magic.

The younger brother didn't like what his elder brother was doing, taking the empire for himself, and not for the both of them. Ensemble had never truly managed the Stranger's magic, but he had managed to emulate it. With his knowledge he left for distant lands, not to fetch help for the Crystal Empire, but to one day overthrow his own brother.

That left the youngest of the family, a poor Earth Pony who had no magic of her own. She was given the name of Enigma, for none knew who sired her. She too knew of the Stranger's words and how they affected her brothers. The dark magic that was gifted to them was special, but with no magic to call her own, she was largely ignored. Even so, she managed to understand portions of the Stranger’s teachings.

The forces of the world, when altered by magic, are again altered by the emotions of the casters themselves. To maintain harmony with the elements, one must master the emotions within. Love, anger, lust, there are many feelings present in our world, but the Stranger's dark magic focused on one emotion in particular. Control. Imposing one's will on another with such force that they can do nothing but comply.

This was the key to the brothers’ abilities. This was their secret.

Following Enigma's revelations about her past, everypony gathered decided that it was time to head outside for some air. Cold, brisk, air.

I would never have thought that control was an emotion, but upon hearing the truth, it all makes sense. My Gradestone was set to find any trace of the normal types and classifications of magic. But to recognize pure force of will as a form of magic spell? No wonder that the magic was dark by nature. That kind of power has no place in the hooves of anypony!

Luna shared my sentiments, but she was unwilling to trust Enigma completely. If this Stranger's words were enough to poison the thoughts of two young ponies, why not three?

Captain Hurricane did not care about the reasoning Enigma and why she was telling us everything. He was content as long as he was able to recover his Pegasi and finish his mission.

Enigma herself only wanted it all to end. The mother she never knew had already been avenged. She didn't think that it was right to force another to do her bidding. I believe that she speaks the truth when she says that she only wants her brothers to return home one day, only without the influence of the Stranger.

While I can't say that Ensemble will be going anywhere anytime soon, if there's a way to bring Sombre back to the light, then I have to find it. For Enigma's sake as well as those of the empire.

~~~~~

There were still a few things that I needed to know in order to pull a plan together. I needed to know about Sombre's other magic, the crystal manipulation, including the maximum range for both it and his dark magic. Some of other things that I still needed to know, were the number of forces at his disposal, and how much ‘motivation’ it would take to get Sombre himself to leave the palace and fight. The final piece of information I needed, was knowledge on just how deep the ice is that surrounds the city.

Each piece of information, when pulled together, should play its part in removing the tyrant from power. That is, if I can convince Captain Hurricane to help support my plan. He still holds me partly responsible for the losses sustained when we fought the dragon. Luna claims to be a competent mage and, thankfully, can be of some use. As for Enigma, once I get the rest of the details of Sombre's magic from her, I think it would be best if she returned to the relative safety of her cottage until things calm down.

Under the cover of a storm created by whatever clouds Hurricane can round together, I need to go out and set up my trap using the ice. When activated by none other than Sombre himself, the trap should keep him isolated enough so as to prevent him from easily using his magic against us. At least that's the plan, I'm still unsure exactly how I'm supposed to lure Sombre from out of the city and into the trap.

~~~~~

The answer to our Sombre problem lies in a wall. Or rather the appearance of one. With so few ponies to assist, the task of building an actual wall of that scale will be quite impossible, I’m afraid. Captain Hurricane will divide his troops into two groups. One to help 'construct' our wall, and the other to make sure that nopony from the city ever gets close enough to the see through our ruse. Most of the wall will be made of an illusion spell that's designed to be as showy as possible, so that it looks as though it's being conjured by a number of mages, and not just Luna and myself casting it. The key part of this wall is the only part that will actually be built.

Hurricane's troops will help gather as much ice as they can manage from the area just before our construction site. With a little help from myself, this bit of wall will look just as real as the fake wall. After some time has passed, and if Sombre hasn't tried to attack us, we sabotage our actual wall to look like a breach that will take all of our might to fix. If that chance at 'escape' doesn't lure Sombre out, I'm not sure what will. At least not without an awful lot more troops showing up to threaten him with.

The good news is that, should Sombre attempt to attack one of our fake walls, his attacks should pass harmlessly through, and with any luck it will look as though the wall itself can absorb his magic. If he decides to attack our actual wall, he'll be in for a surprise even if we aren't entirely ready for him.

As for the bad news, If Sombre's crystalline forces started attacking anywhere along the wall in force, even my plan may not be able hold them off.

~~~~~

With the preparations completed under the cover of a small Pegasi-controlled flurry, Luna and I have started our illusion spell. We're splitting shifts at the moment, but I don't think we'll have to wait long. As unimpressive as our wall is from the outside, what should be visible from the inside is enough to cause the day-to-day operations within the city to change drastically.

Concerning the construction of our physical decoy, the materials have already been gathered from my ice-cave beneath it, so it takes nearly no effort to add to the wall's height. Provided Sombre doesn't have any additional surprises in store for us, we will probably see the successful end of this operation within the week. Either way, Sombre should be gracing us with his presence before too long.

~~~~~

The first attacks to probe our growing constructions were poor groups of Crystal Empire inhabitants sent to do their master's spying. Seemingly random and mostly uncoordinated, these groups were easily routed by Hurricane's forces.

Then Sombre started sending in members of his fake army, his Equinculi, who appear to be even less capable than the city's living residents. What they lack in brain, they more than make up for in brawn. The Pegasi aren't equipped to fight these creatures for extended periods of time, so Luna and I have been assisting with the defenses as best we can in our down time. Thankfully, Sombre's crystal forces do not appear too numerous. I should hate to have to face more of these things than I have too.

There is something that is unequivocally disturbing about them. Their cold, lifeless faces notwithstanding, I believe it is the way they move about that seems the most unnatural. It is almost as if they were some poor attempt at copying the internal mechanisms that allow the living to operate, by somepony who had only had such things described to them in the broadest of terms.

At least Sombre's random magical attacks against the wall have passed harmlessly through them, as predicted, but if any of the forces under his control are able to reach the wall themselves, then our ruse will fall.

Tomorrow we shall enact the final part of our plan to draw out Sombre from his crystalline tower. The illusion spell, and our forces, need only to hold out until then.

~~~~~

We decided to 'break' our wall about midway into Luna's shift so that she would still have some energy left, and I would at least be half rested, should things get out of hoof. The plan was to let the wall fall partially through the ice, creating an opening. If Sombre still believed that the wall was solid it would mean that this would be his only possible chance of escape.

Just as I was getting ready to destroy the icy structure holding our wall above ground, Sombre decided to make his move first, sending out waves of his dark crystals to test almost every sector of our illusion. One of them managed to clip Luna, and it's a testament to her species that her spell did not falter in the slightest. I almost went immediately to her aid, until she reminded me that getting Sombre trapped would be better than prolonging this standoff any longer.

I went to the small ice cave near our real wall and began to pour my magic into the enchanting glyphs I had carved earlier. I could still hear Sombre's attacks coursing through the ice overhead. Waiting until I could hear another one pass closely, by I finished the spell. Strategically placed pillars were the only things supporting the wall, and when the glyphs activated, the supports melted away in a flash of magical steam. My work done for the moment, I made my ascent towards the surface.

For the next few events I could only observe. While the Pegasi troops doing their part in trying to keep the wall from toppling over too soon, Sombre spotted his chance at breaking free from the wall. Exactly as expected. As the king and his Equinculi started moving into position, I began to head back down into the ice to begin the next phase of the plan. It was then that I was interrupted by the most unusual noise. Starting as a dull rumble, but quickly increasing in volume, at first I thought that Sombre had unleashed some new attack. It didn’t take me long to realize that the sound was coming not from beyond the wall, but from above my position. Far above.

I managed to look towards the sky in time to see an object bathed in a luminous veil. Once the object stopped, and with its sudden deceleration, a burst of excruciating sound, I was able to see that our mysterious visitor from the sky was none other that Celestia herself. She surveyed the area until, I suspect, she sighted Luna. Judging by Celestia's actions after that, Luna's injuries may have looked far worse from the air.

Everypony was frozen in place, Sombre included. Judging who had attacked her sister, Celestia quickly moved to a position directly above his army. By the time anypony realized that they might be in danger, it was already too late, Celestia had already charged an attack backed by some untold power. Power aside, I recognized the fundamentals of my own Solar Flare spell. The only thing I could do was shield my eyes, it was beyond my abilities to convince her to stop. The Alicorn unleashed every ounce of stored energy directly towards Sombre's position.

I doubt that even I would survive a direct assault comparable to the one I had just witnessed. The heat, combined with the attack's shockwave, was enough to create a giant, audible crack in the Ice Wall next to me. Before the effects of the attack had settled the wall had started its descent into the very crater that Sombre's army, if any of it still existed, now occupied. The force and velocity with which the uppermost of the wall's ice blocks carried with them when they collided with the Earth was enough to ensure that there would be no survivors. The ice we had harvested from the caves below, had been returned to them in a slurried mixture of ice, water, and crystal.

Her attack complete, Celestia descended to Luna’s position. Whether I had been struck deaf from the noise or not, I was able to observe the two sister exchange glances in silence before Luna dropped the illusion spell and turned her head towards the ground. Celestia then turned her angry gaze towards me before covering her sister with her wing, following her movements by brilliant flash of light. I look again, and the two Alicorn had vanished from my sight. The soot and steam that lingered in the air following the destruction of Sombre's forces was the only indication that they had been here at all.

I left Hurricane and his troops to do whatever it was that they had set out to do, while I headed out towards the city. I still needed to recover the magic focus that Sombre had been using to build his army. Enigma had claimed not to know of any such artifact, but I believed that there was a reason that Sombre did not wish to leave the confines of his castle, and I don't believe that it had anything to do with safety or fortification. It had to do with his magic.

As I made my way through the city, I noticed that all of the inhabitants were soundly asleep. Not unlike the events of Strotland, it will take some time for the ponies here to regain their energy. Seeing as how Sombre's magic was a more powerful and direct form of Ensemble's I estimated that the Crystal Empire would quite possibly sleep well into the next week.

The artifact I was looking for happened to be located at the very base of Sombre's incredibly tall, and ominously black, crystalline tower. Only, The Artifact wasn’t the only thing that I found. Enigma happened to be nearby, anxiously looking for something. Startled, when she noticed my presence, she asked me accusingly why I was there. As if she didn't know.

I pointed to the artifact, that just happened to be floating in the air behind her, and told her that it must be secured away from those who would use it for evil purposes. She said that she wouldn't let me, saying that she knew that a simple touch was all it took to corrupt a Unicorn's magic. I tried reasoning with her, telling her that her brothers were probably already under the influence of the Stranger that had visited them. She would have none of it, Enigma told me that, if I wanted to take what she was calling the "Icon," I would have to fight her for it. Besides, she said, who knows what will happen to the city if it's magical power source was simply disrupted.

Enigma explained that the housing beneath the tower was only a conduit. Without the original focus, something called the "Crystal Heart," to replace the Icon, it would only be a matter of time before the city's protective magics wore out. The only problem was that Sombre had hidden the Crystal Heart away, and now there was nopony alive who knew where he had placed it.

Before I could decide what to do next, Enigma made my decision for me. Apologizing for what she was about to do, she leapt towards the Icon, forcing it from the magical conduit that held it in place. She was forcing me to choose between trying to save the Crystal Empire and chasing her for the stone she now carried. I made my choice. Luna was right not to trust the mare, but I let my feelings get in the way of rational thought, and as consequence of that, I had no reasonable choice but to rush into the tower to look for the Crystal Heart. Even before I had entered the castle, the ground began to shake beneath the city.

It wouldn't be long before the magical conduit on which the tower was built would start wreaking permanent havoc on the area. Precisely what it would do was a mystery to me, but the former slaves of Sombre deserved, at the very least, a chance to enjoy their newly won freedom. I tried to search as many rooms as possible, but to no avail. Just as I got the idea to try the Gem Family's gem finding magic, but before I could act on the idea, I found myself suddenly falling through the air.

The Crystal Tower and had vanished, and along with it every building within the empire. Suddenly losing firm ground beneath my hooves, it took all of my strength to ensure I didn't fall into a solid sheet of ice on my way down. After I crawled out of a newly formed lake of water, I lay on the ice. Completely exhausted, the events of the day had finally caught up with me and I lost consciousness.

When I awoke, I found myself within Hurricane's camp once again. While better than freezing on the ice, the Captain was not pleased with my actions at all. I learned that, when the city disappeared, The denizens of the Crystal Empire vanished along with it, this happened to include the Pegasi troops that had fallen to Sombre's spell. Hurricane, of course, blamed me for his losses. As soon as I am rested I am to be ejected from his camp.

I could tell him of Enigma's involvement, and how it was her actions and not mine that had ultimately doomed the Empire, but I withheld the information for some reason. As it stood, as much as I tried to help, I still failed to find the Crystal Heart. I failed to help all of those ponies who were counting on me. And for what? History would probably forget about the Empire's existence before too long and I don't think that there is a thing I can do about it. At least not yet.

My next course of action is to locate Enigma and take the Icon from her. Maybe then I can set things right.

~~~~~

When I arrived at Enigma's home it was of no real surprise that I found it abandoned. Even though there were still some mementos here and there, It was clear that the mare would not be coming back to the hut. I didn't find anything of importance anywhere in the house, but then I remembered the little shack that Enigma had been using for storage.

Only it wasn't ‘just a shack’ at all. Just beyond the door, there laid a path that descended into the ground below. The narrow path opened up into an icy cavern that housed all manner of flora. The ice ceiling was carved in such a way so as to let in the light needed for the plants to grow. Simply amazing, and certainly not what I was expecting. Off to the side along the wall, I found a desk strewn with all manner of documents concerning the growth and caretaking methods of various plants.

I almost believed that Enigma might have left some important information in her haste to leave, but when I found a letter addressed to me, I knew that she had planned everything out with as much care as I would have. Seeing the letter forced me to realize just how small of a chance it was that she had forgotten some piece of information, some clue, that I might be able to follow in order to find her again. Enigma had ensured that she would be able to disappear as thoroughly as the Empire itself had done, and that it would be nearly impossible to find her unless she wanted me to.

The letter was full of apologies for her actions. Whether they were written before she took the Icon, or after, I couldn't tell. Enigma truly believed that mere possession of the Icon was enough to sway the hearts of most magical creatures, including myself, but while her actions were supposedly to keep me from turning to darkness, she had another reason for taking the artifact. Even though the mare had enjoyed our time together, she claimed that she knew that it would be impossible for us to continue the way we were. She believed that I would eventually abandon her just like everyone else had. Her mother and her brothers had left her, betrayed her. Long ago she had invented a plan to solve her problems. She knew how to manipulate all sorts of plants. Enigma could get them to grow exactly how she wanted them to. What she lacked was the power to create something new. But with the Icon that would change. The mare claimed that she could create a new life. One that would never abandon her.

I almost felt pity. To think that I was defeated by a mare who is insane enough to attempt to alter the natural order of the world, just so that she can feel needed. But then again, maybe I am not so different. Looking around the greenhouse, I can see many types of fruits and flowers that I've never seen before. It is possible that some of them might not exist anywhere else at all. Enigma was clearly a scholar where plants are concerned and everything she has in the cave is neatly labeled. One of the plots lays empty, however, and its title reads 'Echo Seed.'

~~~~~

As I make my way back home, this time infinitely more aware of the weather’s changes, I'm left with only time to think about the things that have occurred. I've never been one to follow such archaic things as destiny, after all, I was once supposed to follow the path dictated by my family, but now I'm not so sure. I think that there was a reason that I was introduced to Enigma, and whether good or bad, I’m sure I'll find out the answer to that question soon enough.

For now though, I'll wonder about other things, like the Empire's vanishing act. Not some mere magician's sideshow, the city simply slipped out of existence and I've got no real answer as to why, or how. Was everything destroyed? Moved? If it still exists then where did it go? If this is the case, then I can only think of two places it could have gone. Either it was moved to a different location or a different time. The how and why of any such answer escapes me for now, but I think I might have a good idea where to start my inquiry.

~@~

Spike paced nervously back and forth outside of Celestia's royal study. Some issues had arisen earlier in the day and the sun Princess was only now finishing up. Spike only hoped that she still wanted to meet with him when she was done, and he doubted that he'd be able to go on much longer without an answer to his questions. After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the doors to the study opened, revealing both Celestia and her visitor.

Prince Blueblood nearly blew right over Spike as he forced himself into the passageway, his mood even more unpleasant than normal. Even as Spike moved out of his way, the prince haughtily thrust his nose into the air as though it was the dragon's fault that his meeting with Celestia seemed to have failed to accomplish whatever it was he wanted.

The princess held her smile until the Blueblood was out of sight. Following a heavy sigh, Celestia greeted her guest, "I'm sorry for the delay Spike, I know that you have been waiting patiently for an audience."

"Don't mention it Princess, I know how Blueblood can be. If you don't mind my asking, what did you tell him he couldn't do this time?"

"Ah, Spike, proving once again why you are my student's number one assistant. Paying attention to detail is a skill that few seem develop to a satisfactory level these days."

"True, but Twilight's not your student anymore. She studying under Luna now, remember?"

"Of course, but once my student, always my student." Celestia replied, her face turning serious for the briefest of moments before returning to her normal, regal, posture. "Regardless, I have had a busy day. Instead of having our discussion here in the study, how would you like to accompany me to the dining hall."

That is exactly what Spike wanted to hear. In his excitement he'd forgotten to eat anything all morning. "Lead the way! Do you guys still have any gems laying around?"

"Oh, we still have a few, if only to keep young dragons such as yourself from trying to eat the decor." Celestia said as she jokingly gestured to the various jewel encrusted pieces of decor that were placed along the walls.

~~~~~

"Mmmmm. Mmm, Mmm. That hit the spot! What did you say these were again?" Spike asked just before he tossed another one of the multicolored gems into the air so that he could catch in his mouth.

"Those gems are called Opal. This particular variety comes all the way from Saddle Arabia."

"Oh! I've had Fire Opal before, but they were nothing like this!"

After watching the dragon eat a few more gems, each in a different way, Celestia decided to get down to business. "Well Spike, I know that you didn't come all of this way just to discuss the varieties of edible stones that we keep here at the castle. Do you care to explain what brought you here today?"

Spike nearly choked on his last gem, "Right, that." Spike looked down towards the tablecloth as though it would help him phrase his question properly. When nothing turned up, Spike decided that he couldn't hold this off any longer, proper phrasing or not. "What I wanted to ask was, well, when Twilight was trying to enter your school she had to hatch an egg. My egg, I mean. Well, I what I mean is-"

"Calm down Spike. There's no reason to hurry." Celestia said in a calming tone.

Spike hesitated for a moment before continuing, "It's just that, I came from an egg that was used to test a Unicorn's magical skill, right? I just wanted to know if there were any other dragons out there that were like me."

"Well Spike, I can tell you that there are no other dragons that were hatched by any pony. Just between you and me, as it's not supposed to be known outside of the administration of the School for Gifted Unicorn, but the entrance exams are supposed to be impossible to complete. That is why we were so surprised when Twilight had managed to actually pass it."

"So then I'm really the only one?"

"I did say that you are the only one that had hatched..." Celestia rose from her cushion and motioned for Spike to follow her. "I believe that now is the time for me to show you something."

Celestia led the young dragon to a vault that was hidden within the various depths of the castle. Curious, Spike asked where it was that the Sun princess was taking him.

"I'm showing you to a storage room." The princess replied. "Artifacts that need to be kept isolated are usually brought here before they can be made safe. Or destroyed." Celestia used her magic to unlocked the vaulted, but otherwise unassuming, stone door that sealed the vault. Once the doors had ceased movement, she turned to the dragon. "What I'm about to show you must remain a secret."

"You don't have to worry about me princess, I keep secrets all the time for Twi-" Spike stopped himself in time to see Celestia raise an eyebrow, "I mean, I promise not to tell anyone anything, ever."

"You would be wise to do so. Come this way."

The room was lined with wooden crates that hid their contents from Spike. Every so often he thought he recognized the faint hum of magic emanating from the boxes. When Celestia found the item she was looking for, she carefully moved it off of the shelf and onto the floor, without using her magic, Spike noted.

After blowing years worth of dust off of the top Celestia removed the lid from the crate. Before the lid had been fully removed, Spike was sure that he knew what was kept inside.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"It most certainly is. Your egg was not the only one we were using for the School's entrance exams. When Twilight succeeded in hatching you I thought it necessary to remove this one from being used, even if it meant that I would have to discover a new method to test promising students."

The was similar to his own egg with exception to its color, both the spots and the shell were a darker shade of purple than his had been. "Can I?" Spike asked if he could hold the egg. With Celestia's permission, he pulled the egg out from the straw packing. It wasn't as fragile as he had suspected, no, the egg was as hard as granite. It was also warm to the touch. "It's alive!" he exclaimed.

"Indeed it is, Spike. Dragon eggs were once thought to survive forever, waiting for another dragon's flame to hatch. Since you were hatched by Twilight's magic, I dare not use my own magic around one."

Spike found himself thinking about the life he held in his hands. "What kind of dragon will you turn out to be little guy?"

"That will be up to him. Or her, whatever the case may be."

Looking at the egg, Spike realized that he had forgotten to ask one very important question, a question he still needed to figure out how to ask without revealing Twilight's secret. Finally, as he formed the words he thought he needed, Spike turned pleading eyes towards the Sun Princess. "Where did our eggs come from? Are there any others?"

"I'm afraid I cannot be entirely certain. What I do know, is that these eggs are quite old by pony standards. They were gifted to the royal house sometime after Discord's reign, and most information before then was lost."

Spike's focus faltered. There was no way that this egg and his own could be part of the same brood, or even part of Starswirl's collection. Could they?

Celestia noticed Spike's reaction to the news. "Those are the things that I can confirm, but I suspect that both this egg and your own are related."

"What about the others? Are there any more?" Spike felt hopeful once more. Until he realized what he had just let slip. When Celestia hesitated to answer his question, Spike quietly prepared himself for a trip to the moon.

But instead, the Alicorn decided to let it pass. "I do not know if the others might still exist, hatched or otherwise. In place of this information, I will offer you a deal. I will leave the decision, on whether or not this dragon will be brought into this world, up to you."

At first, Spike thought that such a choice was almost too easy, but the more he thought about it the harder his decision came. He put the egg back in it's crate.

"Is that the choice you've made?"

"No. I don't plan on leaving this guy here forever. But I know that I'm not ready to handle that type responsibility. Every other dragon I've met was a jerk, and if I'm going to try to get this one to be nice to everyone, then I'm going to need to give it everything I've got. And right now, I don't think I have enough to give."

"Wise words, my young dragon. I will keep the egg here for when you change your mind. A word of advice: If you wait until everything is perfect, it never will be."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Spike said as he placed the crate back on the shelf.

"Before you go, I have one other thing to say." Spike looked at the princess with a questioning look. "Please, tell Twilight that everything will be all right."

Author's Note

Aha! My longest chapter yet. Is it just me or are back-stories awfully dark around here?

Chapter Three: Bias

The young dragon had a dilemma on his claws. Ever since he had hatched from an egg he had never been given a proper name. His entire life had been spent under the tutelage of his master, and guardian, who had decreed that his student shall pick a name for himself. Such was the nature of the dilemma, for the he certainly did not want to be known as student, or worse, young dragon, for the rest of his life. Everyone else in town had their name chosen by their parents at birth as dictated by equine customs, but since the dragon had no living parents, there was no-one who felt that the responsibility fell on them to name him. Only his master, the one who had awoken him from his egg, had been present. The elder dragon, known as Spike, felt the conviction to give that decision to the newly hatched dragon instead.

Before the young whelp had finished his ascent into adulthood, he would be allowed to choose his own name. Based on his own ideals and merits, his new name would represent who he was as an individual, and perhaps more importantly, it would be the first thing that he would be able to call his own. Until such a day arrived when he decided upon a name, the young one was allowed the moniker of Whelp.

Whelp had spent many evenings wondering if he would ever find the perfect name for himself, and tonight was no different. The dragon found himself sitting on the rail of the nearly empty flight deck, watching as dusk began darkening the hills as they passed by below. Aboard the airship known as the Excelsior, Whelp discovered that, besides his normal duties to his master, he had little else to do for the duration of the trip. The ship itself was destined for the Old Lands under the direction of Spike’s direction.

An odd enough mission for such a ship to perform, theExcelsior boasted a crew consisting of some of the oddest personalities that Whelp had ever had the chance to meet. From the eccentric Captain to the lone Gryphon up in the crew's nest, everyone and everypony on board seemed to know exactly what they needed to do to run this ship. Everyone had a job to do. A calling. Everyone except him.

The dragon was so lost in thought, that he barely noticed when a looming figure snuck up behind him.

"Always lost in thought..."The taller dragon said as he removed the hood of his cloak.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all. It just stirs up some old memories."

Whelp watched as his master's gaze lost focus, as if he could see something that others could not. The same look seemed to cross the elder dragon’s face whenever a subject from his earlier days was brought up. The young dragon had learned long ago to not interrupt such events, and thankfully, the moment soon passed.

"Anyway, have you decided on a name yet? Or is there something else that brings you out here at night?"

Flinching at his master's accurate assessment, Whelp eventually shrugged in confirmation. "Trying to pick out a name that I'll have for the rest of my life is hard. There's so many names out there that I could choose from, but how will I know if I've picked the right one? What if I pick the wrong one? Everyone else has it so much easier than I do!"

"Do they now? Do you honestly believe that, just because their names are given to them, their lives are so much easier than yours?"

"Ponies have their Cutie Marks or whatever! They know exactly who they are supposed to be. I don't even have a name!"

"And what of the Gryphon? They don't have identifying marks on them either, yet you throw them into the same category. There are reasons I didn't give you yours.

"Like what? Couldn't think of one at the time? Or is it that you just don't care?"

"I've never not cared, young one. I’ve spent many years researching the subject, looking for answers as to how I might be able to raise another of my kind. The reason you don't have a name is the very same reason that you own nothing else. Dragons are often consumed by greed. To prevent this, I came up with a way to ensure that you would not fall to the same evil path that almost took me. The first thing you are to receive is something that should be earned. I could think of no better way to accomplish this other than having you choose your own name once you've reached a certain level of understanding."

"But then why is it so difficult to find something that fits?"

"Because, by its nature, finding out which name will fit you best requires you to understand what makes you, you. I knew it would be difficult, but you must believe me when I say that I had only the best of intentions."

"That doesn't make it any easier."

"Fair enough, but you must understand that, just because things may appear difficult for you, things may not be any easier for those who do know what they stand for. A pony's cutie mark isn't always a direct interpretation of who they are."

"How so?"

"Well for instance-" the elder dragon paused, "You know what? Instead of trying to describe it to you I have a better idea."

The two dragons left the open-aired deck of the ship and made their way to the Master's study. Once there, the elder dragon pulled out an old, page-worn tome. Unlike the other books in the room, this one had no identifying features on it’s cover, not even a title.

"This book contains the life works of a very special Unicorn who lived a very, very long time ago. His name was Starswirl the Bearded."

"I think I've heard that name somewhere before. Was he famous or something?"

"In a way. Any Unicorn who has studied magic in any length will know who I'm talking about. Some even consider him to be the founding father of magical science."

"If his life was so great, then how will it help me?"

"Because, while he may be known for his achievements now, back in his day things were much different. In fact, he wasn't known as Starswirl the Bearded at all. He was originally called Starswirl the Banished."

Whelp took the book that his master offered.

"I want you to read this, cover-to-cover, and when you've finished come back and tell me that your life is hard because of my decision. If you can do this, then I will admit that my reasoning was flawed. I will even release you from my service and my tutelage if you’d so desire."

"You'd really do that?"

"I would have no other choice."

While Whelp considered opening the book there and now, a curt knock came to the cabin door. "Lord Spike, sorry to disturb you, but the captain requests your presence."

"Very well, Tell him I'll be along shortly."

"Yes sir."

Spike turned to his student. "Remember that I am only letting you borrow this book until you have finished reading it. Until then, it is yours to care for."

As the cabin door closed behind him, Whelp opened the unadorned book and began to read.

~@~

For a moment, I almost considered not writing this down. It pains me to say it, but it seems as though my dear Penny's fears have come true. Penny and her husband, the Tribunal, were found dead earlier today. Princess Platinum delivered the news to Clover personally. The filly's aunt also requested that she come stay with them until things quiet down. Even with her sister dead, the princess only seems to care about her own political ambition. My only hope is that Surprise can manage to calm Clover down.

The princess also seems to think that I'm incompetent enough to believe her story about how Clover’s family was killed by a rogue griffon clan. While I may not have evidence to the contrary, I at least know something for certain. The Platinum Family is now in charge of the Tribunal's position. A position that would be solidified if Clover decides to take their offer to heart.

My anger at the situation is only worsened by the fact that Celestia has refused to speak with me since the incident. She was supposed to be the one who was trying to calm things down up there, and now I can't even confirm how her sister is doing! Let alone ask how something as bad as today's events could occur. It's frustrating to not have all of the answers. And now my Penny is gone.

She's the one who convinced me to start writing these things down in the first place, and now I'm not sure if I have the heart to continue.

~~~~~

I've decided to continue writing these entries in honor of Penny's memory. It's what she would have wanted, I think. That, and I've been doing this for so long that I'm not sure that I could stop even if I wanted to.

At least Clover has began to accept the death of her parents. I don't think that she's ready to commit to moving in with the rest of the Platinum Family just yet, but I do hope she is able to give it some serious thought. As much as Surprise and I would miss her, and as much as it would pain me to see her used as a political tool, if she is able to gain a supportive role to the new 'Tribunal', then she has a chance of making some real changes to this world.

I couldn't hope for anything better, honestly. As long as she uses the knowledge she's gained here, she should have no problem competing against those fools in the Capitol. Any of this is still up in the air at the moment, but with any luck her aunt will at least give her some time to grieve before pressing the issue again.

As for myself, I'm not sure If I'll even be allowed at the funeral. If that's the case then I'll just have to deal with things as I have always done, by losing myself in my research.

~~~~~

I was forced to leave both Clover and Surprise at the gate to the garden where Penny's funeral was being held. I don't know if Clover will ever be able to understand why I had to leave.

Returning to my laboratory isn't what I wanted to do, but I went anyway. Before the terrible news had arrived a few days ago I was trying to calibrate my Gradestone. I’ve been tempted to change it's view from a very focused one into something that can see everything at once. Maybe then I'll finally be able to answer some of the questions that have been accumulating lately. At the very least I should get some confirmation on whether or not the Crystal Empire has moved through time or space. Surely an item of that magnitude will have had an effect on the world's magical currents.

Calibration didn't take nearly as long as I had hoped, and before long the Gradestone was ready to perform it's new role. Activating some of the new enchantment's I'd made, I peered through the viewing lens. The first thing I saw was confusing and chaotic, almost beautifully so, with vast amounts of energy haphazardly moving in every possible direction. I soon realized that there were minute patterns to some of the magical bands of energy that were moving about. I tried adjusting my focus towards one of the streams that I appeared nearby. It was impossible to tell where, exactly, this particular stream was located, but the instant I looked directly at it, the current vanished.

The most disturbing thing about the magical current's behavior was that I was unable to duplicate it. After the first observation, the other magical streams didn't respond to my observations. They don't even seem to acknowledge any of my attempts to interact with them at all. There might be more to these streams than I thought at first, They’re certainly not the simple conduits of energy I’d thought them to be, because it seemed as if the first stream had been looking for something. For what I haven't a clue, but I'm certain that it disappeared as soon as I singled it out.

How accurate this assessment was would only be revealed to me later, when, after the funeral proceedings, I found Celestia herself escorting Clover and Surprise back to the tower. The Alicorn finally wanted to talk.

Celestia is concerned that I'm losing my focus on my research, at least on the studies she funding anyway. She told me that studying the fabric of our world is dangerous, and that there are other, more important, topics that I should be looking into. With the Tribunal being in a weakened state, I should be looking for a way to unite the clans. With the exceptions of Surprise and Clover I don't think that there are too many ponies out there willing to listen to me, let alone anypony who might consider themselves above my station.

The Alicorn really pressed the subject of me stopping my research into time and space. She even went so far as to threaten to bring an end to our agreement if I didn't stop my pursuits in those areas. Interestingly enough, when I asked if Luna shared her sentiments, I received nothing but a stern glance. I don't think that the two sisters are seeing eye-to-eye as much as Celestia would like. I can only assume that, while Luna's actions might not have been the first sign of dissent towards her sister, it must remain a point of tension between the two. With Celestia keeping me in the dark on both fronts of that particular conflict, there is nothing I can do.

I'm not entirely sure why Celestia has taken a sudden interest on where my studies are taking me, as she’s never done so before, but I think that errant magical stream might be connected to her in some way. If true, then I think my best course of action would be to play along with this little game of hers while I try to work out these problems of mine. Besides, if I'm the first pony to ever delve into this type of magic, how would she know the dangers of it's use anyway?

~~~~~

That errant magical stream returned to it's position last night. I’m positive now that it is some sort of monitoring spell. Being unable to get close enough to inspect it, I'm unable to gather enough data to replicate the spell, so it must remain a theory. I wouldn't want to give Celestia the satisfaction of catching me red-hooved in violation of her mandate, after all.

With the errant stream in place, I won't be doing anything other than indirect observations of the streams. Their seems to be a pattern in the overall behavior of the combined streams, but without some intense scrutiny there is no way for me to determine what the pattern is supposed to do.

The Tower is still quiet today. With Clover still grieving over her loss, and Surprise consoling her, the silence is deafening.

~~~~~

My indirect observation method has paid off, Celestia's stream doesn't spend all of its time in one place. Because of this I've been able to determine the best times to perform my experimentation based on when her 'view' might be obstructed by other streams. So long as she stays with the same pattern, that is. As a precaution, I need to devise an unobtrusive way to alert me of the observation stream’s approach. Until then, occasional observation is still all I am able to do between stream obstructions.

Clover has started to calm down for now. She's still got a long ways to go before she fully recovers from her loss, but I think she will be fine. I believe her grief has even managed to have an effect on Surprise too. I've never seen the mare act so solemnly before. I suppose it may have something to do with her highly empathetic nature, but I can never be sure in these situations.

Although it would explain why Surprise is often devoted to making everypony as happy as possible.

~~~~~

The other streams still refuse to cooperate with any of my attempts to alter them. As if there were some sort magical mechanism that locks them in place. Each attempt at circumventing this has left me almost completely drained of energy. Thankfully, life is starting to return to normal in the tower, albeit quietly, and I've been able to recuperate after each attempt.

As I’ve predicted, the streams hold vast amounts of magical energy within them. So much even, that my own magic seems to get lost in the currant before I can even attempt to match the correct frequencies. Not that I know what those correct frequencies are just yet... I’ll need to find a way to store more magical energy than my enchantments currently allow if I am going to crack into one of these streams.

In other news, it seems that Clover plans to accept the princess's proposal. I've wished her the best of luck. If she believes she can handle herself amongst those fools on the Capitol, then there isn't much I can do to convince her otherwise.

~~~~~

As I watched Clover walk up the path towards her new home, I almost called out to her. I wanted to tell her that she would be better off staying here, that she would always be safe. I'm her ~~Fa-~~ No. I didn't tell her. Penny wouldn't have wanted me to anyway. That was one of the few things that that mare has given me, and now I choose to take that secret to the grave. Just three simple words that I am too ashamed to utter, and it could have been all over.

I've never been able to say those words to anypony. How many of my personal problems could have been solved with a simple 'I love you,' Huh? I guess now I'll never know. And to think that Celestia wants me to study the magic shared between friends. How exactly am I supposed to do that when they keep leaving me. When I let them go…

I have plans for another project. A machine, the likes of which have never before been dreamt. With it, I should be able to break into the magical currents and alter them as I see fit. If I find the stream one that connects this world to another time and place, I might even find the Crystal Empire again.

But even with this new idea I can't seem to bring myself to start working on it. Not today.

~~~~~

A message arrived by a most unusual method. Appearing abruptly from Surprise's cooking flame, no less. The scroll was wrapped in a cloak of magical flame that prevented the scroll from burning. It was sent from Luna herself. My curiosity piqued from her refusal in using our established communication methods, I unfurled the scroll immediately. The letter concerned some dire news.

Enigma had been located by the Alicorn sisters more than a week ago. Luna reports that Celestia chose to keep this information from me in order to keep me from attempting pursuit. She also reports that this new communication spell is something she was forced to make in order to send messages discretely. Apparently, the scrying spell may have listeners.

If I'm to recover the Icon, and apprehend Enigma, I’ll need to travel to the desert East of Prance. At the very least, I shall be able to visit the Stone family once again, even if that is just before my trip into desolate Firefly territory.

This turn of events does raise some interesting questions though. If Celestia is the one monitoring the Scrying system, then why has she felt the need to bar me from conversing with her sister? There is only one thing I know for certain, that as long as I choose to go and find Enigma, Luna strongly emphasized that I am to leave the Scrying gear behind.

~~~~~

When I departed this morning, second thoughts nearly caused me to turn back towards home. Why was I so eager begin my search for Enigma? Of course she has the Icon, and artifacts of that power should be kept safe, but was there some other reason to go? I feel as though the artifact isn't my only motivation for pursuit. Even if I still have Enigma's last rejection written down on a piece of parchment somewhere, I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced of it’s message.

Seeing as I haven't turned back, nor have I figured out my own feelings on the matter, I've set my priority on recovery of the Icon. There's no telling what kind of influence it might have had on Enigma. Maybe once that's done, I can try and reason with her.

~~~~~

I tried to keep my visit with the stone family as short as Politely possible. Suffice it to say, Gem's family has gotten a little larger since the last time I was here, or at least it will be larger in another month or so. While I wish I could stay, I don't think any rest is in order until the Icon is safe, maybe then I can properly congratulate the happy couple.

My brief encounter with the family has forced me to remember that, even though things may seem bleak, life still manages to continue on. Just as I plan to do...

I’m told that there's a small pass that should take me through to the Wastes just outside of town. Gem warns that the area is dangerous. Even in-between Firefly migrations, there is very little of what one would call subsistence or shelter out there. I've prepared for this, however, and I plan to keep a very close eye on my surroundings this time. There's even less of a guarantee of rescue out here than there was in the Crystal Empire.

~~~~~

Oddly enough, the Wither Wastes are not as nearly as hot as I had expected them to be. More arid than hot, the wasteland is filled with towering columns of wind-weathered rock, in between which lie small sandy dunes that are the same reddish color as the columns. There is a substantial amount of sagebrush around, but it is almost entirely dead and withered.

How Enigma has managed to make any sort of living out here is beyond me, but it wouldn't be the first time she managed to coax life out of a wasteland.

~~~~~

Day three into my search, and I've finally managed to find a trace of life out here. Not a pony's tracks, but rather that of some large four-legged creature that has paws instead of hooves. I'm not sure what to make of these findings just yet, but maybe the tracks will lead to other, more useful, leads.

~~~~~

After following these tracks for a while, I'm certain that their owner is searching for something. Every few steps it seems to stop and shuffle about, as if looking around or sniffing the air from several directions.

I fear that I am not the only one looking for Enigma.

~~~~~

The first thing I noticed was that there was a change in the track's pattern. They steps no longer stopped at regular intervals, and soon I was able to conclude that the creature's stride has become quite elongated. I didn't know what this creature was looking for, but whatever it was, the beast was now hot on it's trail.

I knew that I shouldn't be stressing myself out in this climate, but when I noticed the creature's change of pace, I quickened my own. A terrible feeling, emminating from my very soul, seemed to tell me that something was wrong. As if by some divine intervention, my trail led me directly to the secluded hideaway that I assumed belonged to my quarry. I immediately noticed that the doorway had been torn aside, no doubt destroyed by the very creature whose path I had been following.

I made my way inside as cautiously as possible, fearing that this awful beast might still be inside. This structure's interior was nearly identical to that of Enigma's old laboratory, save fact that every plant was being watered from a natural spring instead of dripping ice. Destruction seemed to follow the direct path of the beast as it searched for Enigma.

She wasn't here, but neither was the beast.

After a quick search I found a back door that leads back into the Wastes. With no time to spare, I hurried out into the night to continue my pursuit. As I left I was met with the frigid temperatures that are associated with the region’s nocturnal cycle. Throwing my earlier caution to the wind, I continued my search under nothing but starlight.

I'd thought I'd lost the trail several times throughout the night, but as the day started to break, I was certain that I had been on the right track. As the darkness scurried to safety amongst the sandy dunes and rocky pillars I soon learned that my journey had finally came to an end, but I was far, far too late.

In stark contrast to the rapidly revealed terrain, lay Enigma's prone form. I kept myself at a distance, afraid that my worst imaginings were true, that it was all a bad dream. Even from where I stood, paralyzed, I could tell that there was nothing that I could do.

Just as I started to turn around, head hung in failure, an unusual noise broke the cruel silence of the Wastes. I quickly looked about fearing that the creature had returned for round two, but that didn't make any sense. It sounded like a small child. That's when I realized that Enigma's body wasn't alone.

I approached as carefully as I could whilst avoiding looking at Enigma's broken frame. I found the child held within the deceased mare’s grasp, as though it was Enigma's final act to protect her filly from danger. This child was almost a spitting image of her mother.

At least it did until she noticed my presence. Upon seeing me, the filly attempted to back away in fear, but in doing so, the image it used as its form began to waver until it matched one that looked like me. Or at least what I would have looked like if I were still young as it was.

This child is what Enigma had sought to create using the Icon, and in her final moments had fought to keep from harm. I still wasn't sure what to make of the poor girl, but she had just lost her mother, and I'd be damned before I let anyone else die out there.

Convincing the child I meant no harm, I picked her up and set her down on my back. Levitating Enigma's body out of the child's sight, I carried both back to Enigma's lab. One was in need of a burial, and the other a bath.

Assuring myself that I knew what I was doing, I performed the burial as best as I could. Regretting all the while that I never got a second chance to converse with the mare. Maybe If I knew her better I could have produced some more encouraging words for the dearly departed. The child still hadn't said a word since we had returned, but her form has remained that of my doppelganger. As I stood there looking down upon the fresh grave, I felt nothing. Even after I had convinced myself that there might be something to my admittedly odd relationship with Enigma, now that she was gone I could feel no emotion whatsoever. Not even hatred at myself for failing to save her. After enduring a moment of silence, we both went back inside.

A long tiring few days spent, I think I'll continue my investigation tomorrow.

~~~~~

The little child still hasn't spoken a word to me since we met. At least now she no longer looks like me. In what I now believe is her true form, the child is as far from a pony in everything but basic outline. She's got a shiny outer shell, like that of an insect, complete with a pair of translucent, insectoid wings that are green in color. It would almost be frightening to look at, had the creature been fully grown, but for now I'll leave her be. She is only part of the issue, and to finish the rest of this puzzle I need to investigate what went on here.

From what I could tell, Enigma had seen fit to prepare her new home as thoroughly as possible. A whole family of ponies could live here without problems. Plentiful amounts of food was growing inside with the help of the underground stream and whatever Earth-pony magic she had imbued the place with. I was almost happy to discover that everything was just as neatly labeled as Enigma's former residence because it allowed me to find out what had transpired before the attack.

Enigma had fled the Crystal Empire with only the Icon and what she called her Echo Seed. She had spent years identifying what her Earth-pony magic did to her plants, and to the earth itself. Her research in coaxing life from matter had failed on all previous attempts, her magic was simply not enough. Enigma knew that her only chance of success lied in the artifact that remained in the possession of her brother, Sombre.

She continued to believe that her rescue of me was purely accidental, but the opportunity that it offered her was too good to pass up.

Arriving in the Wastes, Enigma wasted no time in setting up a lab nearly identical to her previous one. Modifying local fauna to fit her needs, she was soon ready to begin her experimentation anew. She altered the interior of the Echo Seed using the energy from the Icon until the seed was- something else entirely. Not a plant by any definition anymore, the life inside the echo seed was a mix of several types of creature. Most of its external features were insectoid in nature, something I had witnessed when its image faltered. This type of magic was something that Enigma had titled 'Changeling Magic' and it allowed the creature to take the form of a loved one. Or in my case, in which the image chosen was being used as kind of defensive mechanism.

If her magic is based on the feelings of others, as Enigma believed, then the child would not be able to hold my image for long, as I have had trouble feeling anything lately.

Anyway, once her changeling had hatched, Enigma turned to the Icon, and in a moment of clarity, sought to destroy it. She knew that it was capable of corrupting a unicorn's magic, but the mare now feared that its usage might corrupt her own magic as well. As best as she could, she shattered the stone, but in doing so, the artifact's creator was somehow alerted to its demise. No sooner than when she broke the Icon apart, she thought she could feel a malevolent presence looking in her direction. She never described how she felt the presence, only that she could.

Enigma claims that the Stranger was not working alone, but that he was only a messenger for some greater evil. And now that evil was about to turn its focus onto her for destroying one of their artifacts. Judging by the lack of entries in her journal after the fact, I believe that, before she could plan her escape, the creature had already begun tearing through her door. And I was too late to stop it. Again.

Sure enough, one of the makeshift tables had not been torn to pieces by Enigma's hunter, as I had first thought, but seems to have met its fate when she destroyed the artifact. Looking around the debris a glint of light caught my attention. Whatever Enigma had done to the pieces of the once-powerful artifact I am uncertain, but I do know that she missed one.

I dared not use my magic to bring the shard to light, lest the mare's predictions prove true, and instead used one of the nearby pieces of shattered table so that I might get a better look at it. The piece looked to be a part of the Icon's outer edge, having been polished to a sheen on its largest face. Opposite from the polished surface the fragment got darker the deeper it would have been inside of the whole artifact. Curiously, these edges were not sharp, as one would expect of a shattered gem, but rather soft. It was almost as if the piece I had discovered was halfway between melted and not.

I had no intention of carrying the Icon back to the Capitol without taking some safety precautions, but I was halfway worried that the enchanted cloth bag I had brought would be incapable of holding my prize. I was relieved to find that the fragment seemed to disassociate with other materials. Provided it didn't try to finish melting before I could reach the tower, the fragment should remain intact.

Such an item as this, and I'm only left to wonder why it would be created in the first place. Not to mention why it would just be given to the first pony who would choose to use it for his own gain. I don't know what the Stranger's motivations are, or if he's even working for his own interests, but I do know that his methods are not to be trifled with.

No small amount of effort or energy went into making this artifact. There's also the monster that they sent after Enigma to consider. These things only seem to add themselves to the darkness and destruction attempting to spread throughout the land. I'm not even sure that the turmoil that's been coursing through the Tribunal isn't, in some small part, due to this scheming. If true, then I should endeavor to return to the Capitol as soon as possible and warn them of what is in store.

Maybe with this new evidence, they might finally halt their bickering for a moment and listen to me.

~~~~~

The changeling spoke to me today, if only so that she could inform me of her intent to stay where her mother was buried. She said that, because I held no love for her, only for her mother, it would be of no use to come with me. The creature insisted that she would be fine out here on her own, that it would be better if she stay by her mothers side, at least for a little while. Enigma said that she wanted somepony that would love her forever, little did she know that her actions would give her exactly what she wanted.

I remained struck in awe for a moment by the child’s sense of observation, at least where Enigma and I were concerned, but I was soon able to turn away. Before I left, the little changeling told me her name, Chrysalis, and said that it was nice to have met me, even if I didn't have any love for her.

I never turned back.

~@~

Whelp awoke to the warm sunlight filling the cabin. Still groggy from reading into the early morning hours, the dragon rubbed the remainder of sleepiness from his eyes. There were still some chores to be done, even if they could be done in a few minutes.

Absentmindedly, Whelp began to put his book back upon the shelf, as he usually did with all the books he had borrowed from his master. It wasn't his after all, but something about Master Spikes demeanor the night before kept the book in his claws. Whelp went out of his way to keep his master's things intact, Spike knew this and yet still explicitly instructed him to take care of the journal.

The young dragon wasn't done reading it anyway, and so believed it would be best if he brought the tome with him for the time being. He'd have to ask Spike about it when he had finished with his daily chores.

After he had finished cleaning up the sleeping cabin that he shared with his master, Whelp set out to find Spike, the book secreted away within one of the empty satchels they had brought with them. It was apparent that the elder dragon had not slept in his quarters since the night before, which meant that he was probably still on the bridge for whatever the captain had needed him for the day prior.

The only problem was that Spike wasn't on the Bridge either, or in the Mess Hall, or anywhere that Whelp had looked. Running around aimlessly in search for his master, Whelp was eventually stopped by a passing crewman.

"Oi! Where ya off to, boy?" said the large, muscular pegasus who worked the Excelsior's rigging. "Gallivanting abou' like yer doing is askin to go sailing over the edge."

"I'm not 'boy.' And I'm looking for Master Spike! have you seen him?"

"I know who ya are, boy. Whelp was it? Anyway there's no use runnin around lookin fer Lord Spike, he left hours ago."

"What? Why?"

"Where've you been lad? Haven' ya heard about the ol' dragon clans takin’ an interest in our little ship 'ere? Spike left ta go smooth t'ings over with 'em."

"Oh, why didn't he tell me he was going?" Whelp had forgotten that Spike could fly. Although it didn't help that his master wore such a concealing cloak everywhere they went. With Spike gone for who knows how long, Whelp would have nothing but free time on his claws.

'I wonder what the other dragons are like?' Whelp asked himself as he continued wandering about the ship, albeit at a slower pace than before. 'I wonder how they get their names?' Before long, instead of finding himself looking over the rails of the Main Deck as he often did when bored, the young dragon found himself looking upon the door of his master's study. With nothing better to do, Whelp pulled the journal from his satchel and opened the door.

~@~

Before I could even begin to fully process what had just happened, I-I don't even know what I was about to do. First Enigma's death, and then everything I've ever done, taken from me while I was away. My research equipment had been seized, and Surprise had been taken by Celestia herself to ensure that my experiments could not continue. It was as if a flood of every emotion that I'd been holding back had rushed forward all at once, too much for any damn to hold. I was angry, and for a moment I was going to be sure that nopony would ever cross me, the most powerful unicorn to have ever existed, again.

I almost turned my own tower to dust before I'd regained control of my faculties. After all of my friends had sacrificed so much for me I was about to throw it all away for some petty feud between myself and the Alicorn. Even after Enigma had gone to such great lengths to keep another Unicorn from falling prey to the madness of the Icon, I'd nearly finished what it's creators had started without so much as a fight.

No, I wouldn't choose the easy way. I know full well that I can't take Celestia on directly, and Luna can't be counted on until I learn how to communicate whilst I remain underneath her sister's gaze. No, I need a new plan of attack, one the likes of which that nopony has ever witnessed nor imagined before. If Celestia thinks she can control me so easily she'll be sorely mistaken.

~~~~~

When I lost control the other day, it seems as though something broke inside of me. I'm now plagued by these constant, insufferable headaches. At first I thought I'd just sprained something during my outburst, but I've yet to recover from this ailment. The headaches aren't even the worst part of it. I seem to no longer have any precise control over my magic. None at all.

Whatever I did to myself caused me to unleash dangerous amounts of magic in a short amount of time, of that I am certain. And for some reason, I can now call upon this amount of power often, seemingly in lieu of my normal magic. I could only imagine what this level of power could have helped with when I needed it so many times in the past, but even though I have it now, I can't seem to control it to any satisfactory level. I can barely use simple levitation anymore. A simple spell that any foal can do, and It takes every last ounce of concentration just to keep myself from crushing the object.

I've started making plans to get back at Celestia, but If this keeps up, I don't even know how I'll be able to carry out any of them.

~~~~~

The headaches seem to coincide with a buildup of my increasing levels of magic power. I can make them go away by wasting unprecedented amounts of magic, but I can only throw around large boulders for so long. If I don't find a way to get my magic back under control, I'm not sure what will happen.

Nothing has ever scared me more than that.

~~~~~

In my search for a solution to my control issue, I've come across a fairly novel way to dissipate my excess energy. I was trying to verify that the fragment I'd recovered was not the cause of my condition, and I got to thinking about how so much magic was stored in the crystal to begin with.

Taking one of the fire-opal I'd had stashed away, I waited until another surge had welled up. Releasing the energy as fast as I could into the crystal, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the stone had readily absorbed it. Well most of it, the scorched stone floor around it didn't fare so well. I'm glad I didn't need to etch an enchantment into the gem for it to hold the energy, as I have no idea how to approach an enchanting something of such unusual properties.

Since I can no longer muster the precision needed for enchantment, I've no idea how to draw from the magical energy that would be stored inside. Not that I really need to, but it feels wrong to just let all of this power go to waste. One problem at a time, I suppose. At least now I can cross 'levitate increasingly large boulders' from my list of things to do each day.

~~~~~

Not enchanting the stone has caused my charged fire-opal to undergo some interesting, albeit unusual, changes. Usually the enchantment and quality of stone determines how many spell charges the stone can have. Overcharging the enchantment usually caused the gem to crack, ruining the whole thing. After this stone's fifth session, it too started to crack, but from the inside. The internal patterns were quite spectacular to witness, as they progressed, ever steadily towards the surface, they tended to refract passing light into countless patterns. Once the cracks had reached the surface, I was afraid that the gem would shatter into dust, or worse, explode with all of the force of the magic sealed inside, but that’s when the most interesting development happened. The gem simply lost its geometric structure, dissolving into something between liquid and solid. Almost like the Icon's fragment.

I have no doubts that my new discovery was in any danger of corrupting me, unlike the other fragment, because the magic inside the substance was entirely my own. I'm still at a loss as to how I can use the substance, but my portable Gradestone tells me that it is the perfect example, no the pure embodiment of, the fire elemental branch of magic. This might explains why some of the magic energy was wasted on my poor floor, the Fire-opal is unable to absorb any other type of magic. I think my next experiment should be to use a collection of enchantment grade gems and see what types are capable of repeating the process.

In the meantime, I've put my liquid opal in a jar. When it liquefied, it was on my table, which is now stained a fluorescent red color.

~~~~~

Clover stopped by the tower today. She had just heard the news about Surprise. Clover had also heard of my earlier 'outburst' (I can only imagine the stories that are being passed around outside...) and was wondering how I was handling things. Her concern was evident, but I did my best to alleviate it. I told her that I would be fine and tried to send her on her way.

Before she left, she tried to tell me about her new job in some sort of advisory position to the Platinum Crown, but I could hardly acknowledge it. During the course of our conversation, I happened to glance down at the stain on the table, and an idea about how I might use the charged opal. The semi-liquid gems couldn't hold an enchantment since it would be impossible to carve anything on their surface, but seeing the stain seep into the cracks and chips of the wooden table has given me an idea.

I might be able to carve out a new form of enchantment, one that pooled together magic from the magically altered crystals themselves. Thankfully, Celestia had left most of my library intact. I needed one of the books that helped me develop a fire-resistance enchantment that other ponies could use, more specifically I needed the book that detailed the symbols used in ancient alchemy. The author of this particular tome believed that the signs used in his art were more than mere instruments in his search for gold, but that they, themselves, held power. Granted, his forms were nearly useless when I built my enchantments earlier, but now I may be able to give the author's creations more power than he could possibly imagine.

If this works, I might finally be able to use magic again.

~~~~~

So much for that idea. The alchemist calculations were almost entirely unusable. The only thing that didn't require a total reworking were the basic elemental forms. It's no wonder their search for gold failed, their experiments consisted of making something from nothing. While this still holds true, creating matter from energy is the basis of conjuration magic. Once I finish integrating my new calculations into the basic forms, I should be able to make a symbol that emulates my old magic.

I only wish that my condition didn't require me to relearn the basics. I've no doubt that Celestia is still keeping an eye on me, and the longer it takes me to figure out how to evade her surveillance, the harder it will be to carry out my plan.

~~~~~

I think I've got the basics down when it comes to using these Glyphs as I've come to call them. Unlike the usual hierarchy of magic, the roles of elemental alignment and spell type are reversed, with the element being the basis of the Glyph. Of the three types of elemental magic I've managed to contain within the crystals so far, I only have enough of the liquefied Fire-Opal for a few tests. Whether due to constraints of the stones’ alignment or not, I cannot tell. The tests I have managed to run indicate that, even with the massive amounts of magic contained in the gem, the Glyph’s elemental alignment is what controls the reaction. Because of this I'll be limited to performing fire based elemental spells until the rest of my gems finish their transformation into their new forms.

The Glyphs themselves, being based off of older alchemical models, will consist of at least one or more concentric rings. Branching off of various points are the geometric patterns that will control the effects of the spell. Changing the formation of this pattern will be used to control how powerful the spell is and how long the spell will last. Since these glyph will be carved onto a flat surface on the ground, anypony should be able to use them, just like an enchantment, so long as enough magical energy resides in the liquid crystal.

The only benefit that these Glyphs have over my previous enchantments is that their spell will not be limited in power. So long as there is a supply of the charged crystal substance ( Note to Self: Think up a name for this stuff, possibly something monosyllabic...), the spell can be as powerful as the caster deems necessary. The only real downside with this new spell casting method, besides the fact that I might be the only unicorn that can make the charged crystals myself, is that the Glyphs are basically permanent, non-movable enchantments. Once filled up with their charging liquid there's no real way to turn the glyph off without destroying the Glyph itself.

Drawbacks aside, at least I will be able to perform my magic again. Well, by proxy anyway. Once I've perfected my Glyphing system, I'll be able to concentrate on my real goals.

~~~~~

Now that a few of my other gems have undergone changes similar to the Opal, I've got a total of three elementally aligned sources of magic. So far I've had only minor problems with the new Glyphs I've been able to form. Nothing major, but I am starting to run out of room on my floor with which I can carve out the symbols.

On a side note, there was another stone that underwent the liquefaction process. As a control, I had placed a Sunstone next to the others when I poured my magic over them. My original thought was that it's unique magical lensing properties would keep it from absorbing my magic, and in a way, it did. The Sunstone managed to concentrate my magic to a spot directly beneath it, causing the regular stone to behave like the charged gems! Only, there seems to be almost three to four times the amount of the substance when compared to the others. This might just have something to do with the available volume of material available for the change, but the dissimilarities between this liquefied stone and the gems doesn't end there. Instead of a faint glow, it doesn't emanate light nor does it share the same color as the stone that bore it. Instead of the average blue-grey that makes up the majority of my tower, this substance is white with a silvery sheen running through it.

I have yet to figure out a use for the substance. It doesn't seem to have an elemental alignment from which to match a Glyph to. Although I'm not sure I want to contaminate any of my other Glyphs by pouring it into one of them just yet, there's no telling what would happen if I started combined the different crystals together.

~~~~~

I think I've settled on a name for my new substance. While the term Flux isn't as flashy as some of my other nomenclature, it seems to aptly fit the characteristics of these magically charged materials. I've had to make a sort of sand-box to continue my experiments with the Flux due to my increasing lack of floor space. Using the finest sand I could find, I should be able to use the box to test several Glyphs before the sand becomes saturated with magic. The additional leeway the box gives me should also allow me to create designs that will work if I combine the various types of Flux together, if they can even be combined together at all.

While all of the three basic elemental tests have performed as expected, I still have yet to discern the abilities of the White Flux. It shows no reaction to any of the Glyphs I've designed so far, but that may be due to it's lack of elemental alignment. Hopefully it doesn't require emotion or some other equally-ridiculous notion to work. I don't even know how to start mapping that into a Glyph.

My reclaiming some sort of magical aptitude aside, I've received the "official" word stating that I'm never allowed to see Surprise again. I will miss her deeply, and it enrages me to no end to think that the Alicorn would think such actions were in everypony's best interests. Not only was she my friend and, at times, my caretaker, but I think that her abilities either interfered with or bypassed the currents of magical energy that encircles the world. Without her presence, there's no way to confirm my hypothesis, but I believe that her abilities may very well be a key to solving at least one of the mysteries of our world. At the very least, with Surprise's help, I would have been able to confirm whether or not the Crystal Empire had vanished into a different time or space.

Without her help I will be forced to find another. A character such as hers is so rare that I may very well spend the rest of my days searching for another, and if the rumors are true, time is not something that the Alicorn concerns herself with. So that means my plans need to revolve around keeping Celestia in the dark as long as possible, longer perhaps than any mere mortal has any right to witness.

I'd write more, but filling a box with any substantial amount of sand is surprisingly tiring work.

~~~~~

With my magical abilities starting to resemble something useful once more, I need to get started making some preparations. If I'm to continue using this Flux for the rest of my life then I need a stable supply of gems, and that should be taken care of with another visit to the Stone Family. I also need to set up another place of operations. While I don't think having an alternate place will hide me from the Alicorn's gaze, I believe that I will be able to use both locations to test one of my theories out. Since Celestia herself showed me that near instantaneous transit through space was possible, I've been thinking about how her spell worked. Testing anything out has been a little difficult as of late due to my condition, but the Flux I've created has opened up some unique possibilities. Not only should I be able to reproduce her spell, I think I can make some undoubtedly impressive improvements to it.

~~~~~

I've reached an agreement with Gem. In exchange for some minor magical work, I get to keep a percentage of whatever gems that I can mine myself. I also get to use one of the lesser-used sections of the mine for my own use. This arrangement should prove quite beneficial. The mine shaft I’ll be borrowing still needs some minor repair work before I can get started, a task that I will have to do myself. It turns out that several of the Earth Ponies that worked the Stone's mine have left for one of the colonies down south, leaving the mine a little short-hooved. It's for the best, if it means that I get my second lab.

Not that I expected any difficulty, I'm practically a part of the family.

~~~~~

With a few decades worth of grime and debris cleared away, the mine is starting to look almost like a second home. Except for the smell and lack of windows anyway. Before I left the tower, I had left a piece of my experiment behind. Eager to test out my hypothesis, I carved a Glyph into the stone floor. It was an identical match to a Glyph carved upon the Tower's floor where my rug used to be. If my sandbox prototype was any indication of how accurate my calculations were, then these two Glyphs would link up immediately upon activation.

I poured some red Flux into the Glyph and activated the spell from a little distance away, as I was still unsure as to the effective radius of this design. One can never bee too careful. Upon activation, the damp air of the mine began to fill with sound of wind, followed soon after by a flash of light and a sharp, popping sound. Once the magic had faded, I looked upon the results of my test.

Lying on the floor was one of the chests I used to store a dragon egg. I had left on the floor of the tower on top of the Glyph. I checked to ensure that the egg was still 'alive' as it were, but I could find no obvious defect imparted upon the surface of the egg. I would have called the experiment a complete success if it weren't for one small detail. The floor of the mine immediately surrounding the glyph wasn't the rough stone of a mine at all, it was instead the smooth, worn stone of my tower's floor instead! The Tower-floor was perfectly intact with the exception of it not being anywhere near it’s original location, almost as if the two had simply exchanged places.

While I can design further experimentation around this 'feature', I'd hate to think of what would happen to somepony unfortunate enough to only be partially within the Glyph's area of effect.

~~~~~

Everything is finally in place for the next phase of my plan. I've let it be known that I intend to journey into the Wither Wastes once again in search of some rare magical reagent. Once I've confirmed that the gap in Celestia's monitoring is in place, I'll make a Translocation Glyph that matches one in the Mine. In the Time it'll take for the Alicorn to realize that I'm not where she believes me to be, I'll be well on my way towards a place she would least expect.

It is known that the Alicorn sisters have made their keep far to the south, hidden within a lush garden of untold beauty (if the rumors are true, that is. I highly doubt that anything can compare to what I've seen of Enigma's projects.) While I'll no doubt be caught if I attempt to enter their home, I don't intend to. I just need a place where I can keep an eye on the Alicorn while I perform my work.

~~~~~

It looks as though my journey south will be easier than expected. More and more homesteaders have been making their way south hoping for warmer weather. While discussing the theories behind the steady fall in temperatures lately, I've made friends with a nice, newly-wed Earth Pony couple while we were staying at the same inn. I'd forgotten how nice it could be to have a pleasant conversation about such mundane things.

Anyway, it looks as though I've been invited to be apart of their small caravan for the time being. While I look forward to more inane conversations during our trip, I must remember to not let out any information that might reveal my true identity. The measures I've taken to die my coat and mane can only go so far, after all. That being said, I just couldn't bring myself to part with my beard just yet. Hopefully the pink color will be as distracting for others as it is for me.

~~~~~

There was an accident on the trail today. Thankfully nopony was injured, but through a most unusual set of circumstances, a bit of the white Flux got mixed together with some of the red. I'm not sure exactly how, but the mixture caused a little piece of copper-ish ore to literally grow from it. The material was seemingly created from a very small amount of mixed Flux, using up the mixture in the process. I know that such a thing seems impossible, even though the old alchemists would like to believe otherwise. But perhaps there is an explanation for this process that does not involve violating the laws of nature.

I've taken the sample with me for now, but more research is needed when I reach my destination.

~~~~~

I believe that I've found what I've been looking for, a fairly barren plot of land that has an unobscured view of the Alicorn's home. I'm told that the plot is available to be claimed simply due to the fact that it seems incapable of sustaining crops, not that that bothers me any. In fact, the less ponies showing interest in my little plot of land, the better.

After saying my goodbyes to my traveling companions, I've started planning the placement of a few simple structures. I don't know how long this illusion will need to last before I make my move, but it's best to be prepared in case somepony decides to start asking questions.

~~~~~

I suspect that this might be my last entry as I move onto the Final Phase of my project. The events I've set into motion with news of my disappearance are moving into a position that I can use. Over these past few months, I've been declared missing, and my study of both Flux and of the Cockatrice native to this area will allow me to perform the final step of my plan. With the help of the Stone Family, a statue will be made to honor my work after I have been missing long enough to be declared dead. With any luck, this statue will be safely passed through time in either a park or a museum. Instead of an actual stone carved in my likeness, I will attempt to encase myself in stone, halting all of my life functions, awaiting the day that my Awakening Spell can be completed.

The Awakening Spell is designed to pull information off of nearby sources of written information. Once it finds a specific set of keywords, a magical signal will be sent to the statue pedestal, reviving me from my stone slumber. I've already managed to tuck the Awakening Spell so that it will be near the most optimal sources of information. Masquerading as ink, I've penned the spell into the binding of several copies of my magical reference books. Anytime a Unicorn uses levitation on the book, the Glyph should pull enough energy to continue performing its magic. Having multiple first-editions of my spellbook with the spell hidden inside should also increase the likely-hood of at least one tome surviving the ravages of time. I’ve done everything I can to minimize the chances that I never wake up, and I have consigned myself to take this one chance at continuing my research.

I've left almost everything I own to Clover. The tower, and the books within will belong to her soon enough. I've also left her two of the dragon eggs if she should decide to take on students of her own. The other eggs, and anything that might be inherently dangerous, I've placed in the caches linked to the mine's Translocation Glyphs. With all knowledge of the Flux held inside my head alone, I doubt that anypony else will be able to activate the spells.

All that's left is to ensure that the Stone Family gains control over the land above my lab. I don't foresee any problem in enlisting their help, but it helps to cover every possibility. I have no time to test my theories gem cultivation techniques, but perhaps Gem can find a way for her Earth Pony workers to use them.

If, perhaps, this journal should find its way into the hands of somepony, know this: I don't regret any of the actions I've taken, but the events surrounding my life are only the preface of a greater change. I can feel it. The air is colder, yes, but I fear that there is something even worse on the horizon, and I worry about the future generations who may have to suffer through it in my absence.

~~~~~

[The other pages are blank.]

~@~

Whelp had finally finished reading Starswirl's journal, and just in time for the Excelsior's crew to begin digging through the ruins. He had managed to find the story interesting, even though it wasn't what he would normally read. As for what Spike wanted for him to learn from the text, whelp still had no idea. Other than the fact the Conjurer almost never did as he was told, even going so far as to directly disobey princess Celestia, Whelp was still unsure how to apply any of it to his own life.

Maybe it had something to do with what the dragon still felt was missing. Either some part of the story wasn't written down, or there was a key fact he still wasn't getting. One way or the other, a single fact still remained. Whelp still couldn't decide on what to use as his name. Oh sure, he understood that ponies, even with their given names, often did things that failed to follow where they thought their 'destiny' would take them. Starswirl in particular seemed to have more than his fair share of defying his name.

"Whelp, it's time to disembark. Gather the supplies and meet me near the excavation tent." Spike said before he disappeared down the passageway.

As Whelp peered down the Gangway of the anchored airship, he noticed that their dragon 'escort' was still circling above. Part of the reason the Excelsior was allowed to encroach on dragon territory was that the dragons were promised a portion of any treasure that the crew managed to find. Thinking that they looked like a bunch of sharks surrounding a hapless victim, Whelp made his way towards the campsite.

A final briefing was held outside of the main tent. The ruins that lay around them belonged to the city of Prance before it had been abandoned during the Great Equestrian Exodus over a millennia ago. Only one location in particular was of any interest to Spike's expedition, an ancient tunnel that lied just outside of the ruins. The entrance to a mine that once belonged to a Unicorn family by the name of Stone. With everything set, a group was chosen to accompany Spike into the mine, Whelp among them.

Descending into the depths of the earth, Whelp turned back towards the entrance, watching as the harsh sunlight that stopped just a few feet into the tunnels entrance, started to recede into the distance. Just outside, he could see that the dragon escort had settled down at a point just beyond the camp.

"What about the other dragons? If they want treasure so badly, won't they follow us in?" Whelp asked his mentor.

"No, I think not. The other dragons prefer not to delve too deep around here. For one thing, the elder dragons have trouble moving around in the narrow pony tunnels." Spike said as he squeezed his frame between a few stalagmites that had formed within the shaft. "There is also the fact that these mines have fallen to Diamond Dogs, no doubt drawn by the very gems that made this mine famous."

"Surely Diamond Dogs are no match for a few dragons?"

"Normally you would be correct, but down here, the canines have the advantages of superior maneuverability on top of their large numbers. Their hardened claws allow them to make new tunnels whenever they see fit to do so. Not only would it be easy to get lost in their seemingly random network of tunnels, but an attack could come from any direction. Even if it were possible for a few clever dragons to surpass these advantages, I've found that very few dragons are willing cooperate long enough for them to accomplish anything."

"What about you two then?" asked one of the only pegasi in the group, obviously annoyed at being stuck below ground. "What are you gonna do if some of those Dogs manage to get the jump on us?"

"I'd prefer not to engage them at all. If my source is correct, we shouldn't have to delve deep enough to run into their den to disturb them."

"I thought you said this was a gem mine, why wouldn't the dogs be up here looking for treasure?"

"For the same reason that the chamber we are searching for had, at one time, been used as a storeroom. The ponies had already managed to mine up most of the gems in the upper levels many years prior to their Exodus." Spike stated.

Before long the group came upon a large chamber. Many shafts branched off into various directions from the central room. It was decided that the group make short trips into each one, looking for signs of the secret chamber as they went. If nothing was found in any of the tunnels, they would set up for what would no doubt be a dangerous, deeper descent into the mines.

Nothing revealed itself in the first few narrow tunnels. The grey monotony of the stone walls had been steadily sapping away any imaginative thought from Whelp's mind. After a while, the absence of light broke the young dragon out of his stupor. His mindless gait had caused him to lag behind the group as they had headed back to the main chamber once more, and now Whelp found himself alone in the darkness.

"Master Spike!?" he called, panic quickly beginning to rise up from within. Nothing but the pitch blackness of the abandoned mine around him. Breathing heavily and shuffling about in the darkness trying to find a wall, Whelp sneezed, his uncontrolled dragon fire consuming the centuries of dust that he had managed to stir up. That simple flash of light was enough for him to regain his senses. He was still in the main chamber, and the others had to return to him eventually. All he needed to do was remain calm and use his fire to see.

It quickly became apparent that Whelp needed to spend more time working on his fire-breathing, his puny flame barely holding its own against the oppressive darkness. Finally, the dragon flame died into a flicker when he tried to catch his breath. Inhaling breath for some more fire, something caught the dragon’s eye. Another light.

The glow was faint, and at first Whelp thought it belonged to the torchlight of the returning group. When he realized it wasn't coming from one of the shafts, the dragon rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. Moments later, he was certain that the other light existed and was not a figment of an overactive imagination, With his eyes now attuned to the light, Whelp made his way to the spot on the ground that was emitting the glow.

Near the wall, almost hidden from view, lay the clue that had expedition had been looking for. Whelp recognized that the concentric circles and inlaid symbols matched those of the descriptions in Starswirl's journal. The glow from what could only be Starswirl's Flux substance was so faint it was easily overpowered by the light from the group's torches. The dragon pressed the glyph, but there was no response.

"There must not be enough power." Whelp said, almost saddened by the his discovery of the lifeless rune, without more flux, nothing could be done.

Just then, he heard his master's voice coming from the only tunnel that had started to glow with torchlight. "Whelp! Where are you?"

"I'm right here in the central chamber!" he answered. "And I think I've found what we're looking for!"

It was then that Whelp felt what seemed to be an ominous rumble coming from far beneath him. "What's going on?"

The ponies and dragons were now regrouped in the chamber. "Where is it, Whelp? We haven't much time!" Spike said in a rush.

"It's right over there by the wall." The young dragon said, pointing in the direction of the Glyph. "What do you mean we don't have any time?"

Spike hunched over, attempting to exam his student's discovery, "We didn't notice that you had gone missing until we had already decided to turned back. While we were calling for you, we seem to have alerted some of the Diamond Dogs. It won't be long now until we're up to our necks in trouble."

Pulling a tube out of his pouch, Spike poured its contents into the glyph. Now restored it back to its full power with a new batch of Flux, the elder dragon motioned for the groups only unicorn, "Starbright, would you be so kind as to lend me some magic."

"Now? Shouldn't we be trying to escape?" She said, voicing her worry.

"We may never get another chance. Now hurry up, just like we practiced."

"Alright," Starbright said uneasily, "here I go." Instead of forming her magic into a spell, as every unicorn is taught to do the moment they learn to control their magic, she was pouring her magical energy directly onto the Glyph. An action that went against everything she had ever learned about magic. Eventually, all of the Unicorn’s magic had drained into the runes and activated the spell within. The wall behind the Glyph parted open with a grating sound.

Spike caught the unicorn before she fell over from exhaustion. "Good work Starbright, well done. Alright, you three take her back to the ship. She'll be fine as soon as she gets some rest. As for you," he said pointing to the last pony in the chamber, "I want you to lead Whelp out of here and get the captain to break camp. Tell him to head back to Canterlot as soon as possible. And if any of the dragons start asking about their cut, tell them that there isn't any treasure here that isn't already owned by the Dogs." Taking his cloak off, Spike stretched to his full height, at least as far as the mine would allow, "Take this with you, the key in my pocket to open up the chest in my study. The clans can be bribed for safe passage, and anything the dragons don't take can be split with the crew."

"No!" Whelp said, surprising himself at the thought of going against his master's wishes. "Um, what I mean is, I want to stay."

"It'll be too dangerous here in a minute, you must go!." Pleaded the elder dragon.

"I said no! I want to see this through. Besides you know you're too big to fit through that little hole," Whelp said, pointing to the recently opened passage, "but I can walk right in. I might even be able to open it up a bit more form the inside."

Spike eyed his student for a moment before sending the pony ahead without them. "Alright then, We'd best get started."

Squeezing himself through the crowded, rough passage. Whelp motioned for spike to hand him the torch once he was on the other side.

"You need to see if you can find a Glyph on your side that looks like the one out here, only bigger." Spike whispered through the crack after the torch had been passed through.

"How do you know that there is one over here."

"The book said that this used to be a storeroom, remember? That means that there must have been a regular size passage somewhere."

"Right. Got it."

It didn't take long for Whelp to spot the Glyph he was looking for.

Whelp returned to the crack, "I think we might have a problem... I found the glyph, but it's half covered in stalagmite now. I can't see the whole thing!"

"Calm down!" Spike snapped "Did it look like it has enough power to activate?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's definitely brighter that the first one."

"Good, then all you need to do is dig it free. You can do it Whelp, I'm counting on you."

Returning to his task, Whelp began chipping away at the deposited rock with his claws, careful not to disturb the intricate carvings beneath.

"Are you almost finished? I can hear the Canines, they are almost here."

"Almost...got...it..., And there!" Whelp could see the Glyph in its entirety now, "I need some more of that stuff-"

Spike's satchel was tossed through the crack before it closed up behind them.

"Spike what's going on!"

Through the rock wall came the sound of his master's muffled voice, "If you can't get the door open in time I want you to find the Glyph that looks like the one drawn in my bag."

"But what about you?"

"I'll hold them off for as long as possible, but it won't take them long to figure out that I'm guarding something. Once they figure that out the Diamond Dogs will start looking for you. They’ll probably stumble into the room you're in only a few minutes after that."

'No! I won't let that happen!' Whelp thought to himself as he poured the contents of the like-colored vial onto the Glyph. With the carved lines refilled, the dragon placed his foot on the Carving in an attempt to activate it. Nothing happened. Again and again he pushed on the floor carving, desperately hoping that it would do something, anything, but it remained silent.

The dragon sat on his rump, trying to think of why it wasn't working like it did earlier, when it finally came to him. Whelps touch was missing the magic required for the Glyph to activate. Unicorn, or course, could use their magic alone, and both Pegasi and Earth ponies had inherent magical touch, but dragons had neither. The only thing magical that he had was, "Fire!"

Getting back up, Whelp decided to give the Glyph one more try. Controlling his dragon fire enough so that its magical properties could be used was something that he'd only had to use a few times, since his master could send his own messages. He would have to concentrate on keeping the heat low to prevent damaging the flux, while giving enough pure magical energy to activate the runes.

Inhaling, building up power, Whelp exhaled his Fiery breath onto the Glyph, flames licking every exposed surface. Suddenly, the wall disappeared in front of him, revealing his master, whom upon seeing his student, threw himself through the passage. With a quick flip of his claw, Spike cut threw the Glyph, gauging the stone and effectively disrupting the spell, sealing the wall behind him once more.

"Master Spike I got it-" Whelp started before being hushed quiet.

Spike leaned close to the wall, listening. After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Spike addressed his pupil. "Way to think on your feet Whelp, using your fire on the rune. I wasn't sure you would figure out how to use the Glyphs in time, not being the kind of creature they were made for and all. I swear we'll make an adventurer out of you yet! Now come on, before those canines realize that they're chasing a coat."

The young dragon relished in the praise his master was bestowing upon him, and he didn't wish to waste a moment of it, but the duo still had a job to do. Walking past several rows of decaying crates, Whelp could see that several minerals and gems deposited in each. None of the items appeared to have any appreciable value.

"This is Starswirl's Treasure? I thought there would be more priceless artifacts or something"

"I've heard that everything that wasn't explicitly dangerous was given to his heir before he died. There are two things that we needed to find here however."

"The other dragon eggs?"

"Correct. They should be around here somewhere. Either way, the last thing we need is neither an item nor a trinket. Ah, here we are!" Spike said, carefully wiping away the accumulated dust from a spot on the floor. "Here, and over there, too. Help me out with these, one of these Glyphs should match the drawing in my satchel."

Digging through Spike’s bag revealed a piece of parchment that had a pattern pattern drawn on it. Besides from the same initial design, this drawing contained enough differences to set it apart from the other Glyphs that whelp had seen so far. "What are all of these Glyphs supposed to do?"

"I believe that this assortment of marks form a sort of transport station. Provided that each Glyph here has a twin somewhere else, of course. Starswirl referred to them as part of his Translocation Spell. And it seems as though we're in luck!" Spike said, wiping the grime from a familiar looking carving, "This one matches a glyph we've already found."

"So we can use these to get out of here?"

"Correct. Hand me my bag so I can fix this up real quick, in the meantime, see if you can find the eggs."

The next few moments passed in silence. Whelp found himself thinking about what kind of dragons would be inside the eggs once they had hatched. Would they share any of his interests, his hobbies, or his concerns? Would they be forced to pick a name for themselves as he did? Even after trying to guess what their futures might hold, the dragon figured that he was literally counting his eggs before they hatched, and decided to focus on the search instead.

It didn't take long to for him to finish his survey. There weren't many containers of appropriate size to look through to begin with, and Whelp eventually found his unhatched siblings tucked away into a comparatively dry corner of the ancient storeroom. The chest that they had been placed in was beyond repair, evidence of what was once straw was scattered beneath three distinctly egg-shaped objects. "I think I've found 'em."

"Good work Whelp. I'm just about finished over here, so you can start by placing them on the edge, there." Spike instructed his student by pointing to portion of the Glyph that was now full of Flux once more. "Once I've finished this, we can be on our way."

"What about all of these other boxes? Aren't we going to take any of the treasure with us?"

With a gentle nod towards the two eggs that his student had already carried over, "Why? We've already got the most important treasure here! Besides them, our only other objective was to re-establish the link between here and Equestria. Let the pony researchers look into it, Whelp. In all honesty, everything here belongs to them, not us."

Whelp could feel a tug, a pull. 'All of this treasure lying around, and Master Spike is barring us from taking any of it. Just like he always does. With everything! It just doesn't feel right to leave the gems and the gold here all alone by itself-' The dragon stopped and vigorously shook his head. "What the heck am I saying? Rocks getting lonely..."

"Hmm? Did you say something Whelp?"

"Nope, nothing!" Whelp said with an overly emphasized grunt as he carefully lowered the last egg onto the glyph. 'Nothing that makes sense anyway' he mumbled to himself.

"Good, then let’s get out of here."

Spike turned away from his pupil and the other eggs, and preceded to carefully blow his magically charged flame onto the Glyph. Upon activation, the damp air of the room began to tear at everything within the sealed chamber. A loud pop sounded, followed by a blinding flash, and the hidden room lay silent once more. Completely dark, save for the feint red glow of the Glyph on the now-mismatched, stone floor.

~~~~~

Upon their arrival, Spike instructed the hired guardsponies to assemble, with instructions that they were to secure the room beyond the Translocation Glyph. With any luck all of the treasure could be recovered before the Diamond Dogs managed to find the room. Orders given and everypony doing as instructed, Spike turned to check on the real prize.

Whelp was doing his best to bundle the eggs together, but returning to safety seemed to cause his adrenaline to finally give out. The poor dragon was barely awake. Scooping up the eggs in one arm and the younger dragon in the other, Spike left the Glyph room for home, The Ponyville Library.

~~~~~

After the weeks away from home, Whelp was glad to have some regular chores to do for a change. The simple-mindedness of the tasks gave him ample time to think about all that had happened to him. The young dragon knew he would need to speak with his master about returning Starswirl's journal. After all, he had finished reading it even before they had entered the mine. There was also the matter concerning the choice he had to make.

Whelp still wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Sure, he felt differently about the hardships of others, but did he really want to pass up the opportunity of leaving Spikes service just yet? After a few days, when the task of categorizing the treasure was nearly complete, Whelp knew one thing for certain, he had stalled long enough. It was time to have a talk with Spike.

Spike was in his private study, no doubt finalizing his report to Canterlot. Whelp hesitated before knocking on the door. Doubts over whether or not he was ready for this particular conversation coursed through his head. Before he could make up his mind, his master spoke.

"It's about time Whelp, I was beginning to think you had forgotten about our little chat."

'Too late to turn back now, I guess', the younger dragon thought to himself as he entered the study. The room itself was messy, but organized. Just the way Spike liked it. The study was one of the few places that Whelp was not tasked with cleaning regularly.

"Don't just stand there Whelp. Take a seat." Spike stated as he gestured toward one of the special chairs that were normally reserved for guests. Unlike the pillows or sofas that would normally accompany an office setting, Spike had designed these chairs to be comfortable for both ponies and dragons alike.

"Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to apologize. I never meant to put you on the spot like I did back on the airship. Contrary to what you might think, I too have had some difficulties in finding out who exactly I am, and what it is that I would like out of life. That being said, I've decided that remaining in my service need not be based on whether or not you've had a change of heart."

"So... what does that mean exactly?"

"It means that I have no right to keep you here if you feel that our arrangement is holding you back. If you wish to leave my service, then I cannot hold your decision against you."

Whelp wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that. He was free to leave, to do what he felt was necessary for a change. On the other claw, however, he didn't know what was best for him. Not yet. "Thanks, I guess. I should probably apologize as well. I know that you've only tried to do what you've thought was best. The truth is, I do appreciate what you've done for me, and while I know that the only one that can find myself is me and me alone, if there's anything I've learned over these past few weeks, it's that I'm not ready to leave just yet. There's still so much that I need to learn about being a dragon and you're the only dragon I know who's willing to teach."

"I think we're even as far as apologies are concerned then, and I'm pleased to learn that you recognize your own shortcomings. It means that you're beginning to mature. That being said, have you decided on a name yet?"

"Sadly, no I haven't." Whelp said in a dejected tone. Glancing down at the journal he was still holding, the young dragon came to the sudden realization that it didn't matter. "But I have been thinking about it, maybe I don't need a name that perfectly describes what I want to become. Maybe I can earn a title through my actions. You said it yourself that Starswirl's name wasn't the one he was given, but in the end nopony knows about the bad stuff that happened to him. So, while I have yet to think of a name, there's no reason that I can't make a name for myself through my actions instead."

Silence filled the room for more than an uncomfortable moment. Finally, Spike spoke, "Maybe our little adventure did more for you than it did for me. Actions have always spoken louder than words, young one, never forget this. You must also remember that the road to Tartarus was paved with good intentions. Starswirl is a prime example of this. His intentions to bring magic to the masses brought with them the destruction of one, maybe two whole civilizations, not to mention his indirect involvement in the death of a dear friend of mine." Another pause as the Elder dragon delved into his memories once more, the silence only increasing the chances of his words being taken to heart. "In the end though, his actions have saved us all, and there are so very few of us who know of this simple truth..."

"Was it Twilight Sparkle?"

"Hmm? My friend? Oh yes, I'll have to tell you that story too someday. At least what I know of it. She tended to keep most of the details from us, as it was her belief that complete understanding of the situation was fatal. That story, however, can wait until we've had something to eat. Shall we?" Spike said, motioning for the both of them to get up, a signal that the heaviest portion of their conversation had now passed.

'How is that even possible?' Whelp thought to himself, "Oh wait! Before we go, would it be alright if I borrowed the Journal for a little while longer? I know I've already finished it, but for some reason, I don't think I'm ready to put it down just yet."

"I don't see why not, my boy. That story is far better than what I chose to read as a child."

Again, hearing his master's praise brought a grin to Whelps face as he picked up the journal and ran towards the door that Elder was now holding open. "I do have one question though, what happened to the recipes and letters that were mentioned in the beginning of the journal? I couldn't find a single one."

After thinking for a moment, Spike only said, "Now you know why I said that Starswirl indirectly lead to the demise of Twilight Sparkle..."

The End

Author's Note

Wither Wastes- A wasteland known for it's incredibly dry terrain and unique rock structures. Not necessarily hot but the lack of water makes the area almost entirely inhospitable. It is suspected that Firefly reside here in between migration cycles.

P.S. Took long enough, but I've finally finished it. Between school and writing another story while I was working on this one (Spike/Whelp interactions are hard >.<) The entire Observations Story arch is now at a close. It's been a real learning experience for me and I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck around to see my work. I don't know If I'll write anything for the fandom anytime soon, but I'll have you all know that this is the first time I've been motivated to write anything like this.

That's not to say that I won't stop writing, as I have another project that I'm gearing up to work on. Long before MLP had ever aired, I've been slowly piecing together my very own sci-fi epic. And it's thanks to my readers hear that i'll finally be able to start writing atop what I've built.

Keep being awesome!

Tolerance

(P.P.S. Maybe now I can start reading other peoples fics that I've been putting off until mine was finished...)