Hand in Hoof

Chapters

Chapter 2: A Child in the Crystal Empire
Chapter 3: A Child beneath the Canopy
Chapter 4: A Recruit in the Boot Camp
Chapter 5: Full Equine Jacket
Chapter 7: Catharsis and Recollection
Chapter 8: Hello, Goodbye
Chapter 9: Smoke, Snow, Shadows, and Sunshine
Chapter 10: Fireside Fables
Chapter 11: Sinking Shadows and Rising Suns
Interlude I: Musings of a Moon Mare
Chapter 12: All Natural
Chapter 13: Shadow of Terror
Chapter 14: Attack on Titanis
Chapter 15: Familiar Faces
Chapter 16: Machines and Magic
Chapter 17: I Now Pronounce You Lance and Strife!
Chapter 18: Golden Hearts and Iron Stomachs
Chapter 19: The Garden and the Duel
Chapter 20: Theater of the Mind
Chapter 21: Caged Birds
Chapter 22: Saddle Tendency
Chapter 1: A Cradle in Celestia's Court
Chapter 6: All Work and No Play

Chapter 2: A Child in the Crystal Empire

Princess Celestia must have something important to ask Cadence and I to come to Canterlot. It's a shame that we had to interrupt a honeymoon, but I suppose that's the problem with being a prince. Royal duty comes first and foremost, just as family does. After all, she's my aunt-in-law. Whatever this kid is, it must be pretty weird if it needs a seasoned caretaker for it. Let's hope that it's not as weird as I think it is...

As I make my way for the chamber, I notice a conspicuous amount of fruit crates being loaded into the boxcar behind me. I suppose it might be on Celestia's orders. Can't exactly fault her logic; She wants to make sure that the baby has food, after all. Although, the amount in question is kind of suspect. I'm sure there's plenty of food back in the Crystal Kingdom, so why load more? I guess the baby may not be able to eat food meant for Crystal Ponies, so it might be good to at least have a backup in case.

Naturally, the guards salute me, calling me by Captain, rather than Prince. It must be something they're doing out of respect, but I don't quite mind. It's hard to forget being a soldier, especially being a captain. I guess it must be harder for ponies to forget somepony like me. I salute back and go on my way.

Princesses – or rather, Aunts Celestia and Luna – greet me as I smile and bow towards them during my entrance to the throne room. In the middle of the two thrones, there's a cradle, where a pair of strange appendages are reaching out, some noises not unlike those of a foal ringing out.

“Ah, Shining Armor! I was wondering when you might come,” Celestia chuckles, flicking her horn upward to shut the doors behind me. “I apologize if this seems to be short-notice.”

I shake my head and smile formally.

“It's nothing, Princess. I know it must be of great importance if you've asked my wife and I for assistance.”

“You can call me Aunt, you know,” Celestia chuckles curtly.

“I know, Celestia. It's a force of habit,” I reply, approaching them closer to exchange hugs. “So what exactly is so off about this baby that you needed our help, anyway?”

Her smile shortens as he directs one of her hooves to the cradle. I drift my sight to where she's pointing, and what I see is quite strange.

From what it looks like, it's some kind of strange, ape-like thing, only smaller. It doesn't have a lot of hair, except for a little brown tuft on the top of his head. His eyes gleam like emeralds as it extends a hand to reach for my horn. I don't know why he's adamant on taking a hold of it, but – Whoa! Well, for such a little tyke, he's certainly got a tight grip. I'm not sure if a baby this young is supposed to be this strong, but that's the grip of a champion right there. Maybe if he gets a little older, I might teach him how to use a sword.

“I don't know exactly how he ended up here, Shining Armor. All that I know is he was left outside the royal gates last afternoon without even a note as to who it originally belonged to. I can't look after both him and my kingdom, and while I'm certain I could hold my nursemaids to a vow of secrecy on this matter, I feel that they may not be entirely qualified to deal with an infant this foreign as Cadence should be.”

So she really does think Cadence may be best for this kind of task. But, it does raise the obvious question.

“But what about Cadence? She and I have our own kingdom to run, after all. Are you one of your nursemaids isn't able to care for him?”

“I know the Nursemaids may be better suited to care of him here, but Canterlot is only a few leagues away from Ponyville and other adjacent towns. If one of them let the secret of this creature's existence out, it could spread like wildfire, and believe me when I say that we don't want the tabloids to discover somepony is harboring a very strange child on order of the Princess of the Sun.”

I would comment further on that, but she's got a good point. This... person, as far as I understand it, is all but alien to this world. If there does exist another, we haven't heard of it for perhaps the same reason we haven't told anypony else. If somepony managed to discover this, then there could be an uproar. Then again, most Equestrians are fairly open-minded folk, the incidents with the Zebra and Buffalo tribes aside. Either way, I suppose it would be in the child's best interest that we keep him safe.

“So while Cadence and I keep watch over him, what are you aiming to do?” I ask.

“In the interim, I aim to perform research about this creature. If not I, then perhaps Twilight may be able to learn this creature's origins, and perhaps we may find out if there are any more of his kind out in the world, and perhaps see if we can see him to his proper home. Until we are able to ascertain this much, he is to remain in your care. Am I making myself clear?”

I nod, smiling calmly.

“I understand, Princess. I will protect this life with my own until he is ready to stake his claim in the world, as many a pony has. Cadence and I shall pass on the lessons we have learned, and show him the wonders of the Crystal Kingdom.” I say, bowing my head.

“Are you sure he should go out into the world, Shining? Nopony in Equestria, as far as my knowledge goes, has ever seen a creature like this. Would it be safe to expose them to it?” she asks, a look of worry over her muzzle.

“I believe it may perhaps be better for him to slowly reveal himself than for us to make a public revelation of his existence. This way, they can slowly learn of him and become more accepting as time grows on. If he is the last of his kind, a good first impression is paramount to his survival.”

Celestia lowers her head in thought, then nods to me.

“I understand, nephew. Do what you must to prepare him. I have dubbed him Lance Petal, and I bequeath him to you in the hope that you can keep him safe and ready to face the trials of the world. Until Twilight and I are able to find any information on his ilk, he is your responsibility.”

I once again bow, as I take the cradle up in my magic.

“Understood. I won't fail you.”

With that, my aunt dismisses me, and I make my way back for the train, the cradle floating as I look to the baby with a smile.

“Lance Petal... I can only bet you'll grow up to be just like me...”

Hey again, guys. It's me, Lance! It's been a while. I think Auntie Cadence told me it's been about Five Years. She says that's a long time. It didn't feel all that long to me. I can't remember a thing from that far back. I just remember a big white pony and a smaller blue one. I think that must have been Cele...Cellu....Celly... Celestia! That's a hard name to say. Brr! I forgot to mention, it's really cold here. And I'm naked. I dunno why, but Uncle Shiny wanted me to do this. He says he's naked too, but why's he wearing a scarf? Maybe I should ask him.

“Uncle Shiny?”

“Yes, Lance?”

“Why do I have to stand naked outside again?”

“Well, usually, most ponies here don't wear clothes. You're probably the only one in the world who does on a normal basis. Well, that, and the upper class kinds of ponies up in Canterlot. Plus, you need to be able to get used to the cold weather. See, ponies have fur to keep them warm most of the time, so clothes aren't always needed. You don't have much but skin. So, it's better to help you adjust without wearing clothes for a little bit they don't become a crutch for you.”

“If you say so...”

A few Crystal Ponies pass by and giggle at me while I put my hands over my wee wee. I don't know why I am, but I just don't feel right showing it. At least the sun's out. All I can hear around me is the wind blowing, and the ringing of bells. Then, I hear a bang as a door opens up from behind me.

“Shiny! Lance! Time for breakfast!” Auntie Cadence yells from behind as she wraps a towel around me, bringing me to her.

“I swear, Shining Armor. It's almost like you're trying to make him into a jaybird. I know ponies don't usually wear clothes, but Lance isn't a pony.”

“Then what am I?” I ask.

“You're special. So special, we can only call you by your name.”

She always says that whenever I ask that. I keep asking her what I am, and she never says anything else. It keeps making me think...

What am I?

Cadence made pancakes with butter and syrup today. She always makes some of the best breakfast. Is as she always says: she puts her love into every last bite! As I eat, I start wiping the snow off my feet. They're so cold right now. I'm scared they're gonna freeze!

“Why don't you go upstairs and get dressed, sweetheart? It must have been cold out there.” she asks.

“Okay!”

I dash up the stairs to my bedroom like a jaybird and close the door behind me.

This room isn't as warm as it is downstairs, but it sure is pretty. Everything's all crystal-y and stuff. I've got a big, soft bed with blue sheets, a nice big window, a big window, a desk, a big box full of toys, and all sorts of things! The dresser's made from some stuff called quartz. It's tiny, light green, and it's got some weird things scratched into it. I go inside it to get some underwear and pants. They're both nice and white. Hoof-made, too. After those are on, I run to my closet to get a nice, red shirt. Uncle calls it a polo. Whatever that means.

Once I'm all dressed up, I go back down where Uncle Shiny is waiting for me.

“Well, that was fast,” he says with a smile. “Are you sure you're not forgetting something?”

He points his hoof at his teeth.

After a moment, I go back upstairs to the bathroom and go to brush my teeth. After all, I have to look pres... presser.... presentable! It takes me a little bit, but at least now, my teeth are nice and shiny.

Now that I've done all that, I head back down and give my uncle my best smile.

“Attaboy! That's what I like to see!”

Uncle smiles back at me as I start to walk outside with him.

“Remember, once you get out today, we're headed to the stadium to practice.”

“Practice? What kind of practice?”

“You'll find out once I come to pick you up.”

I don't really get Uncle Shiny, sometimes. He's so strange, a lot of the time. I know he's a good guy, and I think I've learned a lot of good things from him, but the way he teaches me stuff is so weird, sometimes. Who else would try and make someone more used to the cold by making them stand naked in the snow?

Maybe it'll all make sense when I'm older.

The empire's lovely this morning. Everything's made from crystals here. The houses, the lights, even the big heart we're passing by. I hear it's there to keep meanies like King Sombra from coming back. I don't know who he is, but I've heard a lot of nasty things about him. Whenever I ask anypony, they get a little scared.

The school's pretty small. It's a nice, blue thing made out of something called Sapphire. At least, that's what my teacher told me. Her name's Quartz Core. At least I think it's a her. It's kinda hard to tell. I sit in the middle, with everypony else around me. Even with everypony around me, I still feel kind of lonely.

Is it because I’m so special?

The teacher comes in before I can try and say hello to anypony.

“All right, dears! Today’s going to be a short class, but we’ll be talking about a very special mineral.”

Ms. Quartz takes out a bunch of shiny rocks, most of them some kind of green.

“This, class, is a mineral called jade. It’s a rather famous gem, both for being beautiful and for being very useful. In lands far east from Equestria, this gem wasn’t just used for jewelry, but it was used to make armor and weapons to help in battle. It’s one of the hardest gems known to ponies, and one of the easiest to work with, so it can be used for almost anything!”

The teacher begins to pass out different pieces of jade for us to look at.

“Most jade is usually green, but it can also be violet, white, and even blue!”

The ponies pass around the jade to each other, but they’re all passing it around me.

Why would they not want me to see it?

“Hey, can I see it when you get done, please?” I ask, hopeful.

Even though I ask nicely, the ponies around me still seem unsure about it. They give me weird looks, and then look back at each other. And just like that, my question just gets ignored.

I just don’t get it. They’re fine passing it to other ponies, but not to me. But why are they? Do they think I’m weird? Am I weird? I ask again, but I get the same answer; Weird looks and nothing else. After about the third or fourth time, I feel ready to give up and lay my head down.

But, just as I start to do that, a hoof holds me up.

“What’s wrong, Lance?”

Oh, it’s Sparkling Spring. She’s been my friend for a long time. She’s as clear and as sparkling as the fountain near the castle, and just as pretty, too. She’s blue like the sky, with deep, purple eyes that look like the prettiest gems I’ve ever seen. She’s like a diamond, inside and out. Even her horn shimmers like a jewel.

“Nopony will let me see the jade, Spring. I feel kind of left out…”

For a moment, she doesn’t say anything, but then I see her smile as she ducks under her desk to get something out of her saddlebag. I try and bend over to see what it is, but I can’t see anything. I try again, but now she’s hidden something behind her back, her horn shining with a light hum.

“Close your eyes.” she says, beaming a smile to me.

I don’t really know where she’s going with this, but I listen to her, anyway. I feel a tugging on my hand as something’s dropped into it. It feels small, but when my fingers start to feel around it, it’s also kind of soft. When I start to try and figure out what it is, Spring giggles.

”You can open your eyes now.”

I open my eyes, and in my hand is a necklace with a small jade crystal inside it. It looked like it was hoof-made, and as I held it up to the light, it shined a cool light that made my heart feel lighter.

“My mother gave it to me when I was just a foal,” She chirps, holding my hoof for a moment. “I want you to have it.”

“Me? But why give it to me?”

She giggles again, smiling as she looks me right in the eyes.

“Because nopony should ever have to feel left out. Not even you, Lance.”

My smile begins to grow even bigger as I put the necklace on, hearing it jingle as it slips onto my neck.

“Thank you, Spring. I’ll take it wherever I go.”

The rest of class seems to blur on by. All I can think about is this necklace.

Nopony should have to feel left out. Not even you.

Did she really mean that? Even though I was probably the weirdest… thing there, she wanted to make sure I got to have a piece of jade, since nopony else wanted to share with me. I wasn’t even a pony, but she still treated me nicely.

Before I know it, I hear the bell ring, and it isn’t until then I start to catch up with the rest of the world. I start to pick up my things and walk out to the front door, but suddenly, I get a big hug from Spring before I see the outside.

Before I can even talk again, she runs off, and all I can hear is her shouting, “You’re welcome!”

I can’t find anything to say or do in response but to watch her run home. I just stand as stiff as a tree until Uncle Shiny gets my attention again.

Today will be a day that stays with me forever.

***

“Come on, Lance! You can’t just swing wildly!”

I hear my uncle calling to me, but his voice is lost in the wind. My eyes are covered by a black blindfold. I find myself turning about, my ears twitching as I try and hear hoof beats. I have a staff in my hands made from bamboo.

“Remind me again why I’m doing this blindfolded?”

I hear a chuckle to my left.

“There may be times where you find it too dark for you to see. During those times, you’ll have to rely on your other senses to tell you where it your opponent might be. Your sense of hearing is perhaps one of the most useful of them, second only to your sense of smell.”

I nod, and keep listening, my feet spacing apart as another gust of wind masks my uncle’s beats again. Even though I’ve come to grow quite a lot in these last five years, Uncle Shiny still has a way to outmatch me when it comes to fighting close up. I keep on my toes, my feet dancing about as I keep my staff at the ready.

Then, in a moment, I hear the distinct sound of a hoof scraping against dirt. It’s right behind me! My body seems to jerk as my staff swings from my arm, my legs fanning out as a distinct thud sounds in the air. All goes silent, save for the settling of dust and the spring breeze.

My staff had only connected with ground.

I can’t celebrate too soon; another scraping noise comes from my left as I pull back on my pole, spinning it in my hands as I thrust it near the source. My only is the rush of wind as it swings about.

For a moment, I concede, my staff staying still in my hands as I focus on purely the sound itself. Time seems to slow as I feel the sound circling me like a hurricane. The winds stop howling, and all that I hear is just that one sound. In this instant, I feel at peace, my staff trembling in my hands as I begin to let it spin again, before eventually bringing myself into motion, fanning its length outward as I hear a new sound. Not a thud, nor a bang, but something of a poof. I also hear a groan of pain as I lift away my headband.

“Good shot, kid,” my uncle tells me, wincing as I see a red flushing on his barrel. “You got a nice, clean hit on me. Although you could have held back just a little. We’re only training, after all.”

“I’m sorry, uncle. I guess I just got caught in the moment.”

Uncle places a hoof upon my shoulder and smiles.

“Don’t worry about it, Lance – the important thing is that you were able to focus. You focused on the sounds around you, and used it to guide your strikes. That focus is what will get you through the academy. You’ll need to be able to hone your mind and your body to be as sharp as your weapon if you want to really excel.”

There he goes again, preaching about the academy. I won’t deny, while it’s fun to be able to hang out with him like this, I feel like he’s pushing me to do this. I know he’s the Captain of the

Canterlot Royal Guard, but I’m just a kid. Am I really old enough to fight?

“You won’t be going into official training just yet, though. You’re not old enough.”

I stare at him with a blank face. “So what has all this training and exercise been for?”

Suddenly, Shining Armor beams a smile to me.

“Why, it’s to get you in shape for the Colt Scouts, of course! A good knight doesn’t just know how to fight. He also knows how to work with other knights, how to survive in the wilderness, and a how to be a just and noble man. The Scouts teach all this, and more.”

Part of me wants to be excited, but another isn’t sure what to think. Nervous? Yeah, that seems like a good feeling right now. I’ve never gotten to see a lot of the world outside the Crystal Empire, so maybe this would be a good time for me. Then again, Sombra might still be out there. I know most ponies say he’s gone for good, but I can’t take my chances. Besides, there are all kinds of bad things out there, like Ursa Minors and timber wolves! Am I really going to be able to deal with one if they come up?

What am I saying? I’ve been taught by the Captain of the Guard how to fight! If push comes to shove, I can rely on my wits!

I’m not sure if that’ll be a good thing.

Author's Note

Sorry it took me so long to post this. Blame the difficulty that comes in writing in First Person Present Tense. Expect to see this story take an action turn soon, and if you'd like, seeing as I'm quite partial to having tone-setting tunes in my fics, do suggest some music for certain moments so I can add them in!

Just don't expect updates to be completely frequent.

Thanks for reading so far~! ;3

Chapter 3: A Child beneath the Canopy

The Crystal Empire looks so far away from here. I’m riding on a train called the Friendship Express, Equestria’s premier railway system. I’m on my way to my first camping trip for the Colt Scouts. Uncle Shiny made sure I packed my bags properly for not just the train, but the entire trip. Since the Empire isn’t near any natural forests, I have to make a trip to Ponyville and make a beeline for the campsite in Whitetail Wood. Even by train, it looks pretty far away from the map I’m reading. I’ve never been on such a long trip, and already I’m feeling homesick. Come to think of it, it’s also gotten warmer since I boarded the train this morning. I guess I should have expected it to be warmer, since it’s not surrounded by ice.

Actually, come to think of it, it’s kind of beautiful out here. Hills of green, animals running around freely as the clouds roll by. I can see something kinda like a rainbow somewhere off in the distance, but it’s too far to get a good look. It’s all quite pretty, but while I do enjoy it, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of boredom as my ears are greeted by a song of animal cries and train tracks.

I decide to check my rucksack and see what Uncle packed for me. As I should have guessed, he seems to have put plenty of food and clothes in here. But, as I dig further in, I find a small rod with a sort of grip on it. It’s covered by some scroll that’s been wrapped around it. I try and remove it, and my twisting causes the rod to extend so quickly, it actually manages to startle me and the ponies around me. I think one end got a poor unicorn right in the face.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t know it would do that!” I beg, trying to comfort the pony I just poked with my pole.

“It’s fine, kid. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Boy, do I have egg on my face now. Thankfully, the pole shortens back if I twist it the opposite way, so that’s good. Now, as for that scroll…

***

Dear Lance,

If you happen to be reading this, then Happy Birthday. I wanted to make sure your gift was a surprise, so I hid it in your rucksack for you to find later. It’s a collapsible pole! I figured that it might come in handy while you’re out in the woods. It’s about ten feet long, so you should find more than a few uses for it aside from whacking things. As to what those are, I’ll leave you to figure it out. Just remember to keep your wits about you while you’re out there. White Tail Wood might be one of the more peaceful forests in Equestria, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. Remember, the most important tool in a soldier’s arsenal isn’t his weapon; It’s his mind.

Your Uncle,

Shining Armor

***

Well, that’s a rather strange way of giving somepony a birthday present. In hindsight, I probably should have waited until I got off the train to open it. Nevertheless, I stuff the steel shaft back in my pack and look outside.

Directly to my right, I see a large range of rolling hills and mountains, capped with snowy peaks. As I crane my neck to get a better look, I see a city in the clouds with rainbows spilling outward. Some ponies are flying around it. I think they’re called Pegasi. They pass by the train a few times, and I wave at one of them, to which I get a wave back. They seem to be interested, but another one interrupts them, and they leave, allowing me to see the city clearer. If what I’ve read in books is right, than it has to be Cloudsdale. I suppose that means Ponyville isn’t far away from here. I tug at my collar in the hopes of settling the heat that’s been pooling in my shirt.

I’ve been in this train since perhaps four in the morning. Most of the cold I’d felt from boarding the train in the cold of the Crystal Empire’s gone away now. I can only hope my brief trek through Ponyville won’t attract any attention, but at this point, that seems very unlikely to pass.

Nevertheless, I heave on my backpack, part my bangs, and put on a brave smile as I take hold of the iron bar in front of me, standing up as I lean my tired form against it.

This whole trip, I’ve heard not a peep from the other passengers. Then again, I’ve been rather quiet myself. Maybe if I just stay low profile, I should be able to get by with little problems. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m talking monkey. Or would I be an ape? I’m not entirely sure which makes more sense.

As I leave the train, I take a moment to inhale the spring air, a hand at my brow to filter away the sunlight. It’s a fair ways into the morning, but the chill is much less profound than it was when I got on some time ago. I start to walk around, stretching as I do so, I can’t help but notice the odd looks I’m starting to attract. Granted, I was met with these looks back in the Empire, but these pony folk look really creeped out by my being here. I try to be polite and introduce myself, but most of them seem rather… flighty about me.

I’m not particularly surprised that they’d be cautious around me, but this is just odd. Nevertheless, I press on, hoping that I don’t get stopped and asked questions.

“Excuse me, but is your name Lance?”

Faust have mercy, why did I even open my mouth?

I turn, and my eyes meet a lavender alicorn with a mane and tail of a darker shade, accented by a stripe of dark pink. Her cutie mark is, from what I can tell, a bunch of stars.

I recognize this pony. It’s Twilight Sparkle, Uncle Shiny’s baby sister.

“Um…” I begin, placing a hand behind my head as I scratch nervously. “Yes?”

As soon as I say this, the mare’s eyes shimmer like a night sky as I find myself being nestled in her wings.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” she starts with a smile. “My brother told me you’d be coming.”

“Did he?” I ask, continuing to scratch my head before offering my free hand. “I’m Lance. Lance Petal. I guess that makes me your nephew, huh?”

Twilight chuckles as she lets me go.

“I guess it does,” she snickers, gesturing for me to follow. “You must be exhausted from the train ride. Would you like to come in for some tea?”

I really shouldn’t dawdle… But, I don’t want to be rude, either.

“That sounds lovely,” I reply, taking a big stretch as I enter what looks to be a rather large house built into an even larger tree.

The whole place is rather interestingly designed. It’s a library that seems to have been made almost entirely out of the tree. How the tree itself can still blossom, in spite it being hollowed away, is beyond my understanding. As I take a look around, scanning the shelves for books, my eye catches another lavender creature. It’s a dragon, to be more precise. Although, what I’m seeing doesn’t look quite like I’ve seen in books. It lacks wings, and seems to be more the kind to dig holes. I almost don’t want to bring him up, but curiosity gets the better of me.

“Who’s the dragon?” I ask, finding a book on wildlife and plants.

The dragon takes interest, and smiles as he steps down from a ladder.

“I’m Spike,” he says, offering a claw to shake with mine.

I nervously extend my hand to shake his. His scales feel cold and slick, but warm up rather quickly.

“Lance,” I reply, returning his smile before sitting down, laying the book down nearby.

As I sit down, I note the smell of boiling tea as a pair of cups is placed on the table near me. A kettle is lifted by magic as the drink is poured into the cup, steam rising from the liquid.

“Let it settle a bit before you drink it, Lance,” Twilight tells me, smiling as she pours her own cup. “I just took it off the burner.”

I nod, taking a moment to enjoy the smell as I flip through the book. I suppose if I’m going to be spending some quality time in the woods, I may as well get familiar with the wildlife and plants. It’s good to be prepared, at least.

“I take it you like to read?” Twilight asks, chuckling.

“I just like to know what to expect before I go anywhere.”

“I see,” Twilight hums, carefully taking a sip from her cup, waving away the steam. “Well, it’s good to know you like to be prepared.”

We share a few minutes of quiet as I share the tea Twilight made for me, taking in the ticks and tocks of the clock, and the shuffling of books across shelves.

“So, did my brother ever teach you any magic?”

Part of me freezes up at the mention of that word. I personally don’t trust magic. I don’t know quite why, but it seemed that it affected me differently that it did ponies. Like when Aunt Cadence used her magic to heal a nasty scratch I got when I was little. I don’t know exactly why, but it seemed to work better. That was all well and good, but when somepony threw a magic snowball at me, it felt like it had a rock in it.

“I guess that’s a no, huh?”

I shake my head as I finish my cup, standing up as I get my things together.

“Leaving so soon? You haven’t even had a scone!” Twilight calls as I near the door.

“I know, and I’d love to,” I reply, waving as I make a hasty escape, realizing I still had an appointment to catch. “But I have to get to Whitetail Wood as soon as I can. I have a camping trip to get to.”

I can vaguely hear her calling for me be to be safe, but it’s too faint for me to hear. By this point, I’m making a dash to the campsite. As I run as fast as my little legs can carry me, I notice ponies looking me over. Well, all except for one mint-colored unicorn, who seemed largely uninterested as she resumed drinking something.

I know I should have probably seen it coming, but running through a crowded town is starting to scare up some attention, and definitely not in a good way. I’d better try and make for the forest before I get mobbed for being the odd one out. I swear that I just saw a blur of pink rush by, but I don’t have time to play!

I look around to try and find the colors of scout uniforms, but the huge rainbow of ponies makes it more than a little difficult to do so. My eyes try to pick out even the tiniest little speck of green or tan. If I can find even that little bit of the signature vest, I’ll find the camp site.

As if something has heard my thoughts, a pegasus has found me, calling to me as I end up being scooped up in his forearms.

“We’ve been looking all over for you. Where have you been, Lance?”

I looked up to the pegasus who picked off my feet, then down at the ground. I don’t know exactly how high we are, but it is definitely making me a little airsick. The ground seems further from my feet.

“Hello? Terra to Lance?”

“I was – having tea with my aunt.” I state, shuddering as I feel myself sinking. “She saw me coming into town and had me for a few minutes. I didn’t see it coming.”

“Is that all?” The pegasus asks, before laughing. “It’s all right, Lance; Just remember to send a message out if you’re going to be late again.”

I only nod as we begin to lower to the ground with the rest of the scouts, taking a few deep breaths.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, everypony. I just had to rustle up one last straggler.”

The ponies here don’t look nearly as nervous as the ones I knew back home. They were much different. There were all kinds of ponies here! They looked a bit annoyed I took so long, but I don’t blame them. I really should have told Twilight I didn’t have time for tea.

“Um… Hi, everypony.” I hum nervously, waving as I adjust my backpack.

Most of the other ponies just wave back, except for a red-colored pegasus colt, who puts a hoof out to me, smiling.

“How’s it going, new kid? I’m Robin.”

A part of me doesn’t know how to respond to him, but I start to figure out how, and I ball my hand into a fist to meet his hoof.

“I’m Lance. Lance Petal.” I reply in a cheerful tone.

“It’s good to meet you, Lance.” Robin chirps before falling in line again. “Let’s be sure to do our best, okay?”

I smirk back and nod. “Sure! I won’t let you down, Robin.”

“I should hope so,” the pegasus from before says, before taking his place at the front of the herd, clearing his throat.

“Hello, everypony, and welcome to the Colt Scouts field trip. For this trip, we’ll be spending a weekend in Whitetail Wood. I’m Eagle Eye, and I’ll be your scoutmaster. We’re going to be learning about a good number of plants and wildlife, so be sure to take note of whatever you find. I’ll lead us to the camp and tell you about the plants we find along the way. Are we clear?”

The other colts salute their scoutmaster, as do I, and we reply cleanly, “Yes, Scoutmaster Eagle Eye!”

On that note, the troop marches onward as I watch the sun move across the sky. The scoutmaster muses on about the various flowers and animals that are all around, like the daisies and the squirrels and the many birds that were flying around. I’ve never seen something so beautiful. Back in the Crystal Empire, there weren’t a lot of trees in bloom. At least, not a lot that weren’t crystal. All kinds of greens and browns and reds… I’d never seen such beautiful foliage before. Everything was more solid. The colors were more vibrant, and I could see much more detail in the leaves and flowers! It’s all so breathtaking. My heart’s all aflutter! I can’t help but be amazed at all this! I get so caught up in sightseeing that I start to fall behind the group. I manage to get my mind back on the right track just in time to get back in line, though.

My new friend Robin comes to join me.

“Have you ever seen trees this green, Lance?” He asks, his wings stiff from excitement.

“To be honest, no,” I say in response, a hand behind my head. “Where I come from, there’s not much but crystals and snow. I don’t mind, though; It’s just cold.”

Robin nods to me. “I know how that feels. There’s not much plantlife up in Cloudsdale, either.”

The two of us share a long conversation while the Scoutmaster drones on, before eventually, we find our way to the campsite. There’s a fire pit surrounded by tan tents that have already been set up for us. Somepony must have done this ahead of time. I guess it would be a real pain to try and pitch a tent with your hooves and teeth under pressure. Then again, given what I’ve seen of crystal ponies, I doubt it would be that difficult of a task.

“Well, we’re here, everypony. Feel free to have a walk around, if you feel willing. Don’t wander off too far, though; this may be one of the more peaceful forests in Equestria, but there are still a good number of wild animals around, and I don’t think they’d like a bunch of colts messing with them.”

“I understand, Scoutmaster. I’ll make sure not to wander too far.” I respond, saluting.

“Good. Now, who wants to roast marshmallows?”

“Oooh, me, me!” shouted an enthusiastic colt.

***

Night falls quickly as I and the other scouts play and enjoy marshmallows and s’mores. I haven’t seen a night with the stars so clear or with the moon so bright. Robin and I take time to find the constellations. I can see Virgo, Capricorn, and Cancer. I can even see some of the ponies that live in the stars. I've always heard stories about how brave and noble ponies would earn their place in the sky as a star all his own. I've heard that's where Star Swirl went.

To join the stars... That's what I want to do some day.

The the light warming us and the fellow scouts isn't as bright as it was earlier. I decide to pick myself up and dust myself off.

“The fire looks like it's about to go out.” I say as I take a deep stretch. “I'm going to go and get some kindling.”

“At this time of night?” Robin asks, concerned.

“Would you rather sleep in the dark?” I ask back, putting a creepy tone to my voice.

You should see the look on Robin's face. It's just priceless!

“N – No...”

I give my best smile and turn about-face.

“Good. I'll be back in a few minutes. You can come with me, if you want. You can be my lookout.”

Robin thinks on it for a moment. He seems uneasy about it, but nods and takes to the sky.

“I'm not a strong flier, but I can keep a good eye above the treeline. Is that okay?”

I nod in reply, giving him my thumb up.

“That's just fine.”

***

With our minds made, we make for the forest, searching for kindles down below while my new pegasus friend keeps a sharp eye out above. Strangely, there's a lot of fallen twigs and branches for spring. The wood's also fairly recent.

Is that natural?

I don't really put too much thought into this as I stuff kindles carefully into my backpack, the moon barely lighting my way. I try and be careful not to catch my shorts on any fallen branches, but in the process, some twigs end up snapping under my feet. Eventually, I come across a really big branch.

I'm sure I can keep the fire going with this piece of wood!

But, just as I go to reach out for the branch, I hear an even louder snap. I'm not sure if it's from my foot, or from that of another, but it startles me, and sends a big chill up my spine as I start to back away.

As my luck would have it, I come across none other than a bear. An big, angry one, at that. It's a brown bear, with some red, furious eyes.

Oh... pony feathers…

♪

For a moment, I was frozen, unable to get my body to move an inch. However, as my heart began to race, and I started making a mad dash away from the bear. Heavy footsteps chase my path, and I hear the piercing growl against my back.

And just like that, I go from Lance Petal, Colt Scout to Lance Petal, Derby Runner. There's no way I can make him go away by myself! I have to get as far away as I can, and fast! Unless...

My pole!

I keep running as I desperately fish through my backpack for the pole Uncle Shiny gave me, twisting the handle as I spin it into my hand and come to a dead stop, facing the big bear.

Now, how do I chase off a bear...?

Before I can think, the bear tries to bear his weight on me, and my body naturally brings my new pole up to those claws of his, the soles of my feet and shoes digging into the dirt.

Remember, the most important tool in a soldier’s arsenal isn’t his weapon... It's his mind!

A new idea comes up as I manage to misdirect the bear's attack, causing him to trip, giving me a perfect chance to escape.

My legs are going as fast as they can, but even with my counterattack, I'm still not able to make a good distance between me and it. Rocks, pebbles, branches and twigs click, crack, and snap at my feet. I can hear the dirt's puff as I put as much strength into my legs as they can take. I look to the sky, praying one of the warriors of the stars might hear me, but all I can only see a shooting star and a slightly brighter moon. As I look down, there's a trail of white guiding me, and soon enough, I see a large river near the horizon.

It's too far for me to jump! I have to find some other way to get across, or I'm toast!

My eyes catch a small hole in the forest floor and in a fit of inspiration, I wedge the pole inside, vaulting as best I can over the river.

At this moment, time seems to slow down. I can only hear the rushing water and the splashes of fish shooting above the surface, one of them just barely missing my face as I bring the pole out from its hole and in front of me. I start to tuck myself into a ball as I hope to myself that I don't mess up and break something in me. Things begin to speed up again as I manage to roll onto the other side, barely skimming the water. The pole almost twists out of my hands, but I’m able to pull on it and pop free of the hole.

For a moment,I think I’m safe, but then my short moment of relief is ended by the bear still giving chase, wading through the water after me.

That run took a lot of out of me! I can't keep this up much longer...

I've exhausted most of my options now. I don't have a choice but to try and hold the bear off. I brace myself into the dirt, my legs spreading apart as my heels dig in. I spin the pole my uncle gave me in my hand, getting ready to tussle with that big hulk of muscle.

If I can't run, I'll have to stand and fight!

Just before I can charge the bear like the brave knight I picture myself to be, a bolt of holy light shoots down between us. The flash blinds both the bear and me, and I end up falling onto my butt from the confusion. As the light that blinded me goes away, I see a big blue pony in front of me. A darker splotch of blue covers her flanks, a crescent moon on them both. Her wings are unfurled proudly as her horn lights with a magic flame. The wind around me begins to kick up as I use the pole to anchor myself, trying to shield myself from what may come.

“BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE, THOU IRATE URSINE! SUFFER NO LONGER THIS CHILD OR FACE THE TRUEST WRATH OF THE NIGHT!”

Ow! My ears. Are they – Yes, they are in fact ringing.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. Aunt Luna, in all her dark glory, is right in front of me, telling off a bear with her famous Royal Canterlot Voice. I'm so close that I can both hear every word she's saying and not hear a word of it from being deafened by its loudness.

The bear was equally shocked, turning and running away before Luna faces me. I'm too frightened to move. My loss of hearing causes me to fall again, only to be cradled in Luna's magic and stood upright. Afterward, she wraps a wing around me, rubbing her face against my neck, to which I do the same. Not long after, she stands, looking both concerned and angry.

“Are you hurt?” she asks, looking over my body. “Anything cut? Anything bruised or broken?”

“N – No, ma'am...” I stutter, blushing nervously.

“What were you doing out here, Lance? Do you not know the time? Colts like you should be taking shelter beneath the blanket of stars, not cavorting off into the forest.”

I have to be honest. I wouldn't want to make her cross.

“The fire at the campsite was starting to go out, so me and Robin were out here getting kindling and firewood. Robin was taking a bird's-eye view to make sure I was safe. Then I found a really big piece of wood, and I ended up crossing paths with that bear...”

“Aye, and you were smart to avoid a direct confrontation and flee. A foal your size cannot hope to defeat a creature of such magnitude.”

“I know... I was about to face it myself from how tired I was getting. Then you showed up and saved my skin.”

I half await Luna to punish me, curling into a ball as I look up at her, only to find her look wasn't angry, but of concern. She sits down beside me, hugging me again.

“Do not despair. You are not going to be punished. Your brief encounter with death should be punishment enough.”

Oh thanks. That makes me feel so much better.

She takes a breath as she directs my eyes to the stars, pointing to a particularly bright one.

“Lance, you are possibly the only one of your kind. As my fellows would say, 'Live your best life, for you walk the earth but once.'”

I have to speak my mind now. That same question returns to my mind, and I feel Luna may be one of the few ponies I could talk to about it.

“Auntie Luna, what am I?”

Luna sighs yet again, her eyes still fixed on that star.

“Lance, as much as I would love to answer that question, neither I, nor Celestia, nor even Twilight Sparkle quite know the answer yet. Ever since we first found you, we've been doing our best to try and find that answer. We have yet to find it, but I can promise you this. But, for today, you are little more than yourself, and until you truly discover yourself, let not a single pony nor griffon nor dragon tell you what you are. You are Lance Petal, and you are a child of Equestria, destined to become a brave and noble stallion.”

Part of me can't help but fall silent at Luna's explanation. While it's not all that better from the original, I can find a strange sense of comfort in knowing that I might figure out who, and maybe what I am. As I think about what she says, she smiles, and picks me up, lowering me onto her back.

“Come. You look haggard. I will return you to the campsite so that you may enjoy the rest of your excursion. Perhaps when it's over, you might want to see Celestia and I for a trip to the Royal Guard Academy? Shining Armor has told me often how you are making great strides in your training.”

Part of me can't help but smile. I've almost never been to Canterlot, except when I was a baby. To get to go there again and see the place Uncle Shiny had told me I'd be going is a dream come true.

“I'd love to, Auntie.”

On these words alone, Luna makes a mighty flap with her wings, flying into the moonlight as the forest seems to fade away like a long-gone memory.

Chapter 4: A Recruit in the Boot Camp

Man, time can fly rather quickly, can't it? I guess the anticipation of seeing the Canterlot Military Academy made butterflies in my stomach. Robin and I have spent a lot of time together since my escapade with the bear. Did he call Luna to help, or did Luna see me during my running away and come down to scare it off? Maybe when I see her later, we can talk about it.

I'm on my back now. The clouds are rolling past as Robin and I imagine what they might look like. One of them looks like a pirate ship! I've always kind of wanted to be a pirate.

“You know,” Robin starts, pointing at the cloud I'm looking at, “There are some ponies up in Cloudsdale that get paid to sculpt clouds. Maybe I could get a job doing that some day.”

I chuckle as he sighs and lies on his back again.

“What about you, Lance? What are you wanting to do when you grow up?”

I smiled as I pointed to a cloud that looked like one of the ponies of the royal guard.

“I'm gonna become a brave knight, just like my uncle,” I say heartily, showing my flying friend the pole I was given.

“Really?” Robin chirps back. “Who's your uncle?”

I stand up, using the pole to help me stand as I put on the most knightly expression I can make.

“Only the Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor!”

And yet again, Robin makes one of his trademark faces of surprise as he falls over.

“You're kidding, right? That can't be true!”

“It is, Robin. I was adopted into the family when I was just a foal.” I replied bluntly, lying back on my back.

“How do you know that?” Robin questions again.

Hah. Look who's kidding around now.

“Do you really have to ask that kind of question? Have you even looked at me?”

The both of us share a good laugh together.

“I guess you've got a point. Although, it makes me wonder. If you're not a pony, then just what are you?”

That question again... How can it always find its way back to me?

I sigh, leaning on top of my pole.

“That's the big mystery of my life, right now,” I start, my eyes focused on that knightly cloud. “As far as Luna's told me, I'm the only one of my kind in this whole entire world. Right now, the only thing I am is me, and nopony is going to call me anything besides my name.”

A fire burns in my heart as I raise my staff high to the air, as if I were trying to pull the sun out of the sky.

“That name is Lance Petal. Remember that name, Robin, because one day, that will be the name that echoes in the minds and hearts of everypony I pass.”

I hold the pole out to Robin as if it were a sword, the end touching his neck

“I'm going to become a knight under the flag of Equestria one day, and with the princesses as my witnesses, I'll spread friendship and harmony all over the world!”

Robin snickers, then laughs at me.

“Boy, your mind's really set on this, isn't it? Have you thought about having a squire?”

“A what?”

“A squire! You know, a sidekick! Every knight has at least somepony watching their back. Its almost like a rule of all these stories.”

“And you'd want to be my squire, I'm guessing.”

Robin puts a hoof to his chin as I lay back down.

“I don't know. I don't really like to fight. I'm more about sculpting clouds and all that junk.”

I chuckle as I keep looking at the clouds.

“So what, you'd want to make a statue of me or something?”

We both share another laughing fit.

“Hah, maybe once you get famous, I will!”

I smile as I turn to look him in the eye.

“You swear on that, Robin?” I ask.

“I swear, Lance.”

“Pinkie swear?”

Robin smiles as he sits up, the both of us chanting the swear as we do the moves together.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Gah! Dang it, I've gone and poked my eye out. I hold my hand over my eye as Robin looks concerned.

“You alright, kid?”

“Just peachy.”

Robin decides to giggle this time around and picks me up.

“Come on. Let's blow this lovefest and make some s'mores. You feel up for it?”

I smile and rest one of my hands on his neck.

“Anytime.”

***

My stay at the camp has ended almost as quickly as it came. Robin and I exchange our addresses before we split up. Part of me wonders if I might see him again, but as I take just one last look at his smiling face, I can tell that we're definitely going to see each other some time. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, we'll cross paths.

I just hope he remembers me by that time…

Aunt Luna told me to wait by the Ponyville fountain for her. I don't quite understand why, but I guess it's because it'd be the easiest place for her to look.I can only assume she told Uncle Shiny I'd be late today. At least, I hope so. I wouldn't want Uncle to get mad at me for not being on the train when he thought I would be.

I'm still getting those same looks. Those looks of curiosity. Those kinds of looks that make you wonder if you said or done something wrong. You know, that look that makes you really anxious.

I wonder what they'll think when Luna picks me up…

As if she was waiting for me to think that, Aunt Luna's shadow washes over me as she gently glides down to me. I can almost feel how tense everypony becomes, even as she smiles to wrap her neck around mine to hug me.

“I apologize for the wait. Are these ponies bothering you?” she asks.

I press my pointer fingers against each other and shake my head.

“No, ma'am. They're just giving me these funny looks.”

Luna chuckles as she helps me onto her back.

“Pay them no heed, dear Lance. You are unique, and they simply don't know what to make of you.”

Part of me tries to find something to say, but I can't really think of much.

“Understand that I cannot show you the whole of the academy,” Luna reminds me. “You are too young for such a thing. I can show you the main training grounds, however.”

“I understand, Luna. I just need to know what I should expect when I go in a few years,” I reply, hanging on for the ride.

“I hope good things of you, Lance; Shining Armor tells me you are becoming quite a capable spearman. To think something of your dexterity will serve under the royal banner is something to be excited for.”

“I know... I just hope I'm good enough for them...”

“If you are, you will know, Lance. Knowledge is an unending journey; the destination but a formality of it. You'll never truly be done from being a warrior, or a troubadour, or a magus. It is something you will remember in your mind, your body, and your heart.”

“I understand, Luna. I'll do my best,” I reply, patting Luna's back with a smile.

“I should expect nothing less, nephew. Just don't overstep your limits. I would rather not have to stave off another bear.”

The both of us laugh as we begin to fly near a big, white building. Right outside, I can see ponies in golden armor doing formations with spears in their forehooves. As Luna drops down, they all stand stiff as boards, their spears hanging beneath them. One stallion stood stiff as a rock as he barked his orders.

“Look alive, everypony! Her Royal Majesty approaches!”

The guard removes his helmet and bows.

“Greetings, Princess Luna. To what do I owe your gracing this facility?”

Luna bows as I slide off from her back.

“It is of little consequence, Major Steady Line,” she hums as she wraps a wing across my shoulders. “I am here because I wish to show my nephew Lance the facility.”

The earth pony known as Steady Line gives me a rather mean glance.

“With all due respect, Your Royal Highness, he seems a bit queer to be your nephew.”

Luna frowns and stares him down.

“He is of a kin all his own. He is perhaps the sole member of his kind, and as such, he should be able to know how to defend himself and his country, at least for long enough that he may find another of his own.”

The guard pony seems a bit scared by Luna's words, and to be honest, so was I.

“I apologize. I was not aware he was under the royal banners,” he stammers, his spear standing upright.

“You would be wise to educate yourself on current events more often, Steady Line,” Luna chuckled before releasing me. “Should you have the chance, please see to it that Lance is given a concise tour of the facility. He will be joining your ranks many moons from now.”

Steady Line puts a hoof to his head.

“It will be done, my Princess.” Once she says this, Aunt Luna makes for the castle itself, leaving me in the Major's care. I do that thing he did with his hoof as best I can, and he smiles.

“Sorry for the trouble. We usually don't see colts around here.”

He looks toward his group.

“At ease, ponies.”

At his command, the other guards raise their spears and sigh.

“C'mon, kid; I'll give you the tour.”

On his orders, I follow the armored pony. Though I hadn't initially noticed, there was a red stamp on his chest. I can make out a symbol kinda like the royal emblem on it. Hanging from it are two small sheets of paper, with words I can't exactly make out. As it so often does, my curiosity gets the better of me, and I find myself asking him what it is.

“Sir Steady Line...” I squeak, before clearing my throat. “What is that on your armor?”

As if I had said something very naughty, the Major pony stops dead in his tracks. For a moment, I can hear the whistle of the wind as it blows through the stones that made up the walls of the place. He turns to me, wearing a frown at first, but his tough act almost seems to chip away a little as his eyes and mine meet. He has an almost freezing stare with his blue eyes, but as I see his pupils get bigger, I feel much warmer. He takes off his helmet for a moment to brush a hoof through his hot mane before putting it back on, pointing to this stamp.

“This,” he begins, his voice a little dry, “is a seal of purity. My commanding officer gave it to me ages ago. Each of these seals is given to a Guard, blessed by either Her Royal Majesties, the princesses, when we are asked to complete a special task for them, or if we are to survive something we might not come back from. If we return from it successful, the blessing has held true, and we are given the right to bear it as a sign of our purity and devotion to our brethren and our rulers.”

He then leaned in to whisper to me.

“It also keeps the boogie ponies away. Kinda like a night light. Minus the light.”

I feel a strange sense of wonder as I look at that red seal. Steady notices this and ruffles up my hair.

“Maybe someday, you'll earn one too,” he says with a smile as he gets back to his walk.

The first thing I see in one of the rooms as we enter into the next hallway is a bunch of ponies wrestling each other, jabbing at each other with their hooves.

“Everypony in this service must learn some form of hoof-to-hoof fighting. You might find yourself in a time or place where you don't have or can't use your weapon, so you may need to go in close and get your hooves dirty.”

For a moment, I see one of the ponies tackle the other into the ground, kicking up dust in the sandlot they chose to practice in.

“Or in your case, your hands.”

We move swiftly onward to a nearby room where many more ponies were fighting with poles, including pegasi and unicorns!

“If your name is anything to go by, Lance, I suppose you're the type who likes his polearms,” Steady snickers. “As you can see, you're not alone on this; In fact, in recent years, we've come to create a new type of weapon called a shootstick. In many ways, it's like a spear, but it also has the ability to fire a small charge so that you can hit bad guys from further away.”

He waves me to come inside and look, and quite a few ponies are in the room. Out of all of them, one sticks out like a sore thumb. It's a kinda-faded pink Pegasus with a matching set of pink eyes and a striking purple mane. She's wearing a suit of armor that looks quite different from the golden plate armor I've been seeing. Instead, hers looks like it's made of leather with a steel trim. I can make out a symbol like that of wheat. Or is an ear of corn? I can't really tell.

Whoever this mare was, she flew with a lot of skill and grace, when with a pole in her mouth.

A moment later, the Pegasus notices me and Steady and swoops down.

“Sir?” She sighs, her voice calm and cold. “What brings you here?”

Suddenly, I feel a hoof pat my back.

“We've got an up-and-comer touring the facility for the afternoon, Firefly,” Steady grunts gleefully. “His name's Lance. He'll be joining the corps in a few years. He's apparently quite the spearman. Think you can show him a few tricks?”

Firefly's eyes drift to me, and they give me this really edgy look. They drill into me deeply. It’s a gaze that seems to ooze confidence and power.

She looks tough. I bet she could kill me, if she wanted to!

The pink pegasus shrugs, and I see a small smirk come up.

“I've got a few minutes; Let's see what this rookie's got.”

Almost out of instinct, I pull out my extending pole, turning it from a little rod to a powerful pole in but a mere flick of my wrist. Firefly simply cocks an eyebrow and has me follow her to a less crowded part of the room, where there's a simple sandpit. She picks up the pole she dropped earlier, carrying it in her teeth as she drops into a low stance.

I try to copy her form as best I can, but settle for crouching.

Almost like a wolf, she lunges at me, taking the pole in her hooves and swinging upward. I barely have enough time to block before she sends me skidding backward. She moved with calculated grace as I try to counter her attacks.

It's like she can read my moves! She's too quick to hit!

But then, a stroke of inspiration comes to me.

Wait! If I can't get to her, I'll let her get to me!

I closed my eyes, instead relying on my hearing. I can hear the sounds of wings unfurling and beating, becoming more & more climactic with each stroke. The winds whip around me as I remember what Uncle Shiny taught me. I let my hearing take over for my sight, trying to get a feel for where Firefly's going to come next.

Another flap comes nearby, and I try and get a fix on where it comes from, before jamming my pole behind me, hearing the puff of metal against muscle. I can hear Firefly grunt as she lands on the ground. I wait a minute before taking my blindfold off, smiling.

“How...” she choked, coughing for a moment. “How did you do that?”

I smile as I help her up, putting my pole back in my pack.

“It was a trick Uncle Shiny taught me a few years ago,” I reply curtly.

“Uncle Shiny?” Steady Line asks, more than a little surprised. “You mean Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard?”

For a moment, I stretch before answering him.

“Yes, I do,” I chuckle. “Luna put me under his care when I was a foal, and he taught me all of his tricks!”

Naturally, much like Robin was, Steady Line is amazed to hear that Uncle Shiny trained me, and then proceeds to pat me on the back.

“So young, and already showing some impressive skills!” he heartily shouts. “Son, you've got the makings of a great guard, and you're just a boy. Keep it up, and once you step back in these doors, you'll graduate in no time!”

Part of me just can't help but let out the goofiest little grin my lips can muster as I find myself being led into what I can only guess is the mess hall as I see tons of ponies in plate mail eating. Thankfully, they seem to not really be all that interested as they continue eating.

“I guess you're not one for hay and oats, are you?” the Major asks as he grabs a tray of apples and invites me to the empty table.

“Well, I like oatmeal, if that's what you're asking me.”

The Major gives me an apple, which I cut into slices. Naturally, I'm given an odd look.

“Not going to eat the thing whole?” he asks as I nibble on a slice.

“I was raised otherwise, sir.”

The armored pony laughs as he slams his hoof gleefully down on the table as I keep calm and eat on.

“I like the cut of your jib, kid,” he barks. “You're a real proper kind of boy, showing respect to your elders and your superiors alike. Just what I'd expect by a member of the royal family.”

I just smirk and chuckle. “Thank you, sir; It's an honor to hear that. My uncle always held a special place in his heart for you all.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Steady Line chuckles as he eats his own apple. “The boy was a military prodigy. Real good with defensive magic. He once put a big shield around Canterlot to keep the changelings at bay so that he could have his wedding.”

“Changelings, sir?”

“Oh, yes. Real gnarly folk. Imagine a pony crossed with a beetle and shot full of holes, and you've got a basic idea of what they look like. Little buggers feed on the love of others. Pray you don't ever meet one, boy; They can take the form of anypony they want, and they'll usually turn into the pony you trust most. Of course, not all of them are evil. I keep hearing about this one group that appealed to Celestia herself to prove otherwise. I don't know where they are now, but pray that if you ever do cross paths with a changeling, that it happens to be one of theirs.”

I nod, nibbling another wedge of apple.

“So how long have you been learning how to use a staff?” Steady asks as he takes another crunch into his apple.

I think for a moment, trying to remember from as early as I can when I started my training.

“I think since I was about five.”

The major then seems to choke on his chunk of apple, but quickly manages to cough it up quickly.

“You mean to tell me Shining Armor had you using a staff when you were just a foal?!”

I laugh for a moment before telling him, “That's nothing. He also had me standing naked in the snow at that age, too!”

Oh my goodness, you should see the look on his face right now! He's got a thousand-meter stare going on and everything.

“That's... that's insane... that's usually punishment here.”

Well, it wasn't exactly punishment for me.

I take the chance for silence as soon as I can, preferring to eat the rest of my apple quietly. I've always enjoyed apple wedges. How juicy they are, how many different kinds grow... I hear there's a pony around Ponyville who farms these. Maybe when I come back here, I'll go and see her.

My thoughts soon change as I notice the sun has almost said its goodbyes to me.

Oh good gracious!

I shoot up from my bench and say as calmly and as quickly as I can, “Sir Steady Line, I need to leave now; The sun's almost down.”

The major manages to snap out of his coma long enough to understand me, and comes to his senses.

“R-Right!” he snaps, leading me out from the mess hall to the outdoors again, as my eyes are greeted by an expanse of stars, the last fading bits of sunlight going down into the horizon as the moon grows.

Luna is standing patiently outside, a smile creeping along her face as she sees me.

“Ah, Lance,” she hums as she cradles me in her wing. “I trust your visit was enjoyable?”

I bow my head and smile back.

“Yes, Auntie Luna!” I chirp, showing her a wedge of apple I still had, which she gingerly ate.

“I am glad to hear you enjoyed yourself,” she says, lifting me onto her back. “Come; I shall ferry you to the station so that you may return home.”

I nod and take hold of auntie's back as I feel the both of us lift off of the ground before taking flight. As I watch the academy disappear into the distance, a single thought runs through my head.

What has Uncle Shiny gotten me into?

Chapter 5: Full Equine Jacket

You know, I could have been an apple farmer, or a gemcutter, or some other easy, safe job, but here I am, representing the odd one out in a crowd of at least two hundred ponies in matching armor out in the baking sun.

Dear Celestia, why did you have to make the summer so blazing hot?

Almost five years after my brief tour of the Canterlot Military Academy, I found myself performing numerous different stances with a wooden short spear. However, due to most of my peer lacking fingers, it became difficult to emulate them. Perhaps if I had been raised in the company of Griffons, I would have a much easier time learning their style.

Naturally, Steady Line was watching the proceedings like a vulture circleing a dying body, and soon enough he stopped to see me.

“You're getting sloppy, Private Petal. Something wrong?”

I tried to steel myself, my eyes almost trembling as his piercing golden eyes met my green irises.

I gulped down a knot lingering in my throat before replying, “I'm finding it difficult to emulate the drills, sir. They're designed for ponies... And I'm not exactly a pony.”

For a moment, I feel his stare bore into my heart before I felt his head crash into mine, sending me reeling backward. I resisted the temptation to speak against him, but rubbed my temples regardless. For a moment, I swore I heard him laugh before he extended a hoof to help me up.

“Your skull's about as hard as one,” he chuckled, guiding my arms as he showed me a certain position.

“You're different from the rest of us, Lance; Where we ponies must wear heavy harnesses to allow us to use our spears effectively, you aren't limited by that. You're able to stand for yourself, and use your spear without the need of special equipment or wings, or even magic,” he told me as he continued his guidance. “Adapt what they're doing to suit your body, and work from there.”

Steady Line's face reset into a more serious demeanor as he returned to his facade and left me to my drills.

Although I had no idea what he'd meant by adapting myself, it came to me as I watched some of the other compatriots in my class thrusting and swinging. The pegasi provided me with particularly clear information on how to use my weapon. The spears that they (and by extension, myself) were flourishing were carried in thrusts and swings, the edge whipping about as the air around it was sliced in twain. The way the ends of their forelegs wrapped around the shaft gave me a clear enough indication of how to hold it, at least. There was also the fact that they were using their wings much like I’d use my hands.

With a better understanding of my stance, I spaced my hands along the shaft, my main hand behind my off hand as they slid across the lacquered wood, my feet following in kind. Soon enough, I was thrusting forth with gusto as my peers looked in inquiry. They had some interest in my technique, but in the interest of not being similarly admonished by our instructor, they resumed their own drills.

From there, I was able to slowly, but surely adapt the techniques of my peers into a useable format, up until the shrill cry of a whistle rang out of amongst the group. Upon cue, all of us stood at attention, our spears held stiff as boards.

“That's enough for drills,” Steady Line shouted, taking to the front of the crowd. “Now, I know you all have been working hard, and that you've gotten to know a lot of your peers as a single unit. However, from this point onward, you will be undergoing specialized training in accordance to your particular tribe.”

He motioned towards three large flags. One was blue, with a horn. One was green, with a pair of wings, and the last was red, with a horseshoe.

“If you will, file beneath your respective tribe's banner and you will meet your instructor for the remainder of your training.”

Following a salute, my fellows departed to their flags in single file, but just as I was about to follow the earth ponies, I heard a voice call to me.

“Lance, I'd like you to stay here a moment; I'd like to have a moment of your time.”

This is it, I thought. This is the day that I get booted out.

The two of us walked away from the other groups and out of earshot before he spoke again.

“Lance, I know that you've been working hard to live up to your uncle's expectations, but I've been noticing that due to your, shall we say, unique body structure, you've been having a hard time learning techniques.”

I said nothing and simply followed my superior's lead.

“Thus, I feel it is only appropriate that you be given tutelage by somepony who might be better suited to the task of shaping you into a more capable soldier.”

I was going to ask just who that somepony was, when I found what looked to be a dog standing on its back legs, two massive fists holding him upright. Strangely enough, he was wearing armor not too unlike that of the Guards, save for it being shaped to fit his form. His coat was auburn, with a white breast and a darker shade on his muzzle, which had flaps of skin hanging off. His eyes, though sunken to some extent, were a light, hazel shade, and though not piercing, his gaze certainly had impact in my heart.

“Sound off, soldier!” Steady Line barked, to which the dog saluted.

“Specialist Brutus, Major!” woofed the dog.

“At ease.”

Steady Line stood by the dog named Brutus and motioned toward him.

“Private Petal, I'd like to introduce you to Specialist Brutus. He is a diamond dog we recruited from the Appleloosa Mountain Range. He's our inside stallion in all matters between diamond dogs and ponykind, and he'll be supervising your training from here on in on the grounds that the two of you share similar bodily structures. Therefore, he should be perfect to teach you. Don't you agree, Brutus?”

My arm was yanked into the diamond dog's arms as he sniffed and scrutinized me, pinching my skin. He wiggled my arm to some degree, testing my fingers before turning his gaze to Steady Line again.

“Big Ugly lean,” he growled, letting me go. “But Brutus work with this. Brutus make him strong.”

My former supervisor saluted to us both.

“Then I leave him in your paws, Brutus. Train him well.”

Brutus saluted as well, attempting to smile before resetting his expression and turning to me.

“First lesson for Big Ugly,” ruffed the diamond dog as he pointed to the ground. “Dig.”

“Dig?” I parroted, squatting down. “You mean, with a shovel?”

Brutus shook his head.

“No, no shovel,” he grunted. “Dig with hands!”

I looked to my hands, comparing my slender fingers to his meaty paws. I shared a glance with the dog before acquiescing, getting onto my knees. The ground wasn't too hard to break, but it was difficult to dig, at first. My hands just weren't made for it, like the Diamond Dog's was. I just crouched there, my nails being filled with dirt as I made a pathetic little divot in the dirt. After a while, all I had was a hole big enough to perhaps trip an inattentive recruit.

I looked up sheepishly at the diamond dog, whose face was buried in a paw.

“Even my kind can't dig through water.”

***

The next day had started unlike the usual grind I had been used to in basic training. After my rather pitiful attempt at digging a hole from the prior day, Brutus had me move into a cave that he had ostensibly dug many moons ago. I was given the bare necessities of furnishings and expected to lie on cold, smooth stone. While not the worst night's sleep in my life, it did not do my back any goodwill. It didn't help that I was awoken by the timbre of Brutus' howls before the sun had even risen.

As my hands glided across the smooth stone and I pulled myself up to a conscious state, I found myself bathed in the last lights of Luna's silvery moon as the curtain of evening was pulled away to reveal the dawn's early light.

“We got a lot of work today, big ugly,” Brutus snarled. “Hands weak. We gonna make them strong.”

Without a word in edgewise, I found myself being forced to my feet as I was marched out to the sunlight. It was warm this morning, with the stone much warmer at the mouth of the cave, much to my comfort. However, my sunbathing would have to wait as a large weight was placed upon my shoulders. Specifically, a heavy bag of what I assumed to be filled some form of grains or beans. The weight nearly threw me off balance, had I not barely caught myself.

“First, we work on upper body. You carry sack up mountain face,” Barked my new instructor, running ahead of me. “Come to me with bag, we move on.”

I was going to ask him a few questions, but before long, he was already gone up the mountain. As I looked about, I noticed two things. First, I was somewhat high, even considering where this cave was. Second, the mountain face was rather narrow, making it difficult for me to progress. The weight of the sack did not help matters. I had to inch my way up the mountain with little time for respite as another summer's sun belted down upon me. Though it was by no means easy, the initial effort was relatively without incident.

My first challenge came when I saw a series of stepping stones.

There were two main ways for me to die on this cliff. One was falling, and the other was falling. The key was in where I stepped. You see, if I decided to die right away, I'd have stepped on the loose rocks up ahead that had nothing but cliff until I hit the ground. If I wanted it to be slow and agonizing, with a small chance of survival, I'd have stepped on the loose rocks that were nearing my feet slide towards the edge, and fall towards what appeared to be a large body of water down below.

I was not particularly keen on dying either death. It was imperative that I survive this encounter.

The weight of the large sack still upon me, I hopped onto one of the stones, cringing as I heard a crumbling noise upon my landing. I then skipped onto the next stone, nearly losing my footing as I jumped further forward. I cringed as the rocks seemed to give way, leaping onto what I hoped to be solid ground. After feeling the stone stand strong, I heaved a sigh of relief and reclined into the rock face, carefully lying down the bag as I caught my breath.

The sun had almost barely moved. It hadn't changed its course or went any higher or lower. It just stood where it was for an instant, as if it were mocking me. It hanged there in a stagnant pause, taunting me with how little progress I had achieved. I wasn't staring at it so much as it was staring at me.

I wasn't going to let a mass of gas and fire best me.

With wind restored to my lungs, I rose to my feat, hoisting the bag onto my shoulders as I pressed onward. Along the way, I briefly removed my helmet.. The sun continuing to tease me with its warmth, I ascended the steep mountain face with renewed resolve, my sack hoisted over my shoulders like a newborn foal.

As I carried on, I began to hear the sounds of flowing water. The roar of a waterfall caught my ears as I inched along the wall of the mountain. Knowing the water would soak the contents of this bag, I shifted the weight from my back and held it to my chest. I crept around the corner, seeing a column of heavy water spraying down onto another set of stepping stones. There looked to be a gap in the water's flow that I could slip through, but it seemed too narrow for me to cross it with the sack in hands.

Nevertheless, I made the attempt. I held the sack to my breast like a mother would cradle her child and began to shuffle beneath the steam, my back to the wall. I began to shuffle against it, the burlap bag close to me as I felt the water across my face. A refreshing coolness washed over me as I took a sip of the freshwater jubilantly. Ever so gently, I scuttled across, making sure this bundle of burlap didn't leave my arms. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I narrowly lost my footing on the ledge, but I managed to stand firm as my arms clutched around this bundle of possible grains as if my life depended on it. As I yanked myself backwards, I found myself crashing on my behind into what appeared to be a cavern.

In retrospect, it was much less a cavern, and more like a tunnel.

Perhaps Brutus had dug it out at one point?

Not one to pass up an opportunity to evade further tribulation, I took the shortcut presented to me with joy. Much like the canine who was siring me, I shook away the moisture of the waterfall, proceeding up the cavern as I welcomed the embrace of the warm sun. Though I had shunned it the day before, now, it's warmth was a blessing. I suppose one could say it was both a curse and a blessing for me.

And speaking of curses, it seemed my luck was accursed. Before me now was a length of rope. It looked strong enough for me to use it to ascend upward, but there was a single complication:

The sack.

Knowing Brutus, he expected me to climb this with the sack in tow. So, for my first attempt, I hoisted the sack across my shoulders as I try to shimmy up the length. As I made a few lengths up, I felt the weight come off my shoulders as the sack pathetically puffed onto the ground. I groaned to myself and rappelled down. I had to think of another way to ascend. In another attempt, I picked the sack up between my legs and attempted to do so that way. While I managed to get further in this attempt, as I did, I felt the sack slip past my thighs, and soon after, the sack fell again.

I quickly began to detest this sack. It was as if it were specifically made to test me.

However, as a wise man had once said, “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.” This in mind, I decided to attempt one of the most idiotic, yet strangely logical plans of my time as a squire.

Much like I had for the waterfall, I positioned the sack in front of me. Carefully, I held the top between my elbows, with the bottom between my knees. With my hands and feet, I gripped the rope, and inched upward like a caterpillar. It was slow, it was difficult, it was tedious, but it was efficient. Higher and higher did I climb, beads of sweat mixing with what remained of the water from the waterfall as I carefully made my ascent.

Eventually, through some stroke of luck, I was able to make it to the top. And as expected, Brutus was there waiting, gnawing away at a bone.

“So,” he snarled. “Big ugly make it to the top with sack in hands!”

For no real reason, the Diamond Dog tossed the bone off the cliffside and smiled.

“Test almost done. Just need to do one more thing,” he growled, looking to me.

“And what,” I panted, “Would that be?”

In response, I saw the dog shed his armor and throw it on the ground.

“You and me wrestle. Test your might. No weapons, no armor. Just us.”

Part of me thought he was crazy. This dog wanted me to strip to my bare essentials and wrestle him? I had read in books of the rather odd training regiments of pegasi and other such militaristic peoples, but I never did bat much of an eye about the concept of fighting nude. It was how most ponies were bred, and it was partially how I was raised. But to fight someone of a species close to my own, with nothing but my skin? I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea.

However, seeing I had little choice in the matter, I complied, removing my own armor, baring myself to the hot sun and the cool stone. My legs spaced apart as I dropped into a low stance. Some primal instinct seemed to come to me as I stared into Brutus's eyes. I had done this before. My opponent and I would circle around, our front appendages raised to each other before we began the clash.

At first, my hands meshed with his paws like a set of cogs. I tried to push back, but found myself being tossed to the other side of the cliff, only barely able to catch myself as I landed on my feet, charging the dog as he attempted to pounce me, scoring a respectable hit to his stomach. Such a hit did not stop him long, however, as he quickly attempted to swipe at me. I was barely able to evade his claws, one of them grazing my face, a modicum of sanguine fluid leaving my cheek.

I replied in kind with a thrust of my fist, crashing it into Brutus' exposed countenance as he reeled back. Not one to be outdone, Brutus charged again. This time, however, I was prepared, tackling him as he made the attempt. As I had him clinched beneath me, I landed a succession of punches on his body before he had managed to kick me off and drill down into the stone like a mole.

For a moment, the battle ceases. An errant wind carries it way through my ears as my feet shook to seek out the dog beneath me. Vibrations carried up my legs as I prepared to endure the worst, bracing my arms across my face. Sure enough, Brutus breached the stone like a dolphin from water, and I felt his large, meaty fist crash against my arms, tearing away at my defense and leaving me ever more exposed to attack. As I heaved myself back into a fighting form, I cleared my throat, spitting out another modicum of blood.

“Big Ugly is tougher than I thought! Maybe you're worthy of Brutus' secrets after all!” the cocky canine chuckled with a toothy grin.

He was allowed only a brief moment to enjoy calling me by that demeaning moniker as I rightfully knocked the wind from his lungs with a swift buck to the groin, causing him to whine rather effeminately. Not but an instant after, I rammed him back into the stone. It was time to show him what happened when I was pressed too hard.

I seized his collar and proceeded to pummel the lupine with a particularly passionate series of punches, punctuating my last few poundings with a single boast:

“My name,” I began, bringing my knee into Brutus' belly, followed by a stern strike against Brutus' left eye. “Is Lance.”

And then, for a brief instant, time slowed as my definitive blow of my right fist crashed into Brutus' black fur as if it were being propelled by a rocket.

“PETAL!”

For a moment, I simply remained straddled on top of him, before letting a heavy breath exit my throat, my body rolling next to the supine form of my superior. A silence took our makeshift arena, and we simply gazed at the sun. The only sound that remained was the sound of a mountaintop's wind whistling into our ears and our own weary breaths.

At least, until I heard the dry, wheezing laughs of Brutus break the tension.

What is he laughing about?

“Brutus... did not expect Big U- Lance to be so strong,” he chuckled, beginning to stand as he neared the sack. “Brutus proud. Lance not so weak after all.”

The diamond dog brought his claws to the sack, tearing it open as a wave of dark, bitter-smelling beans spill out on the surface.

“We train more tomorrow,” Brutus woofed, smiling, “But today, we eat, we drink, and be happy.”

In my exhaustion, I found it hard to sit up, but as I did, I took a few of the beans in my hands curiously.

“What are these, Brutus?” I quipped, taking a whiff of their rather bitter scent.

“Coffee Beans,” Brutus tersely replied, beginning to grind the beans into grains. “Brutus use them to make coffee. Nice and warm. Helps keep Brutus awake after long day.”

I smiled and nodded, watching as he created a strange concoction using an even odder set of tools, pouring the drink into two cups, serving one to me.

“Careful,” He warned as he took a sip. “Coffee hot.”

I almost couldn't hear him as I took a swig. Almost immediately, I regretting doing so, spitting out the bitter substance as I look to Brutus.

“What is this stuff?” I asked, looking to the steaming broth in my hand.

“Bitter,” the dog replied, chuckling. “Brutus got used to it.”

I didn't quite understand Brutus' statement, but I nonetheless continued to drink.

And so ended a rather strange day of training for me. What was originally a test of strength and endurance became a friendship forged in the fires of battle, and my evening nude coffee break with Brutus was a standing, if awkward, symbol of it.

***

A few months passed since that faithful day with Brutus. Though Brutus did not relent in his rather spartan method of training me, I can't say that his efforts weren't fruitful. I did gain a good deal of muscle mass for my trouble, and if nothing else, I at least know how to systematically dig holes with almost machine-like efficiency. That, and he was as good of a sparring partner as he is a personal trainer.

Today was an eventful day for me, just as much as it was for my fellow soldiers-to be. After months of arduous training physically, mentally, and emotionally, the day finally came to graduate to become true soldiers. In celebration of the occasion, I and my peers were clad in our finest evening wear. Gold and silver tuxedos for all of us. However, I was perhaps the only one in the assembly wearing any pants. Not that I minded, though; I thought it made me more distinguished, considering my stature. I was stood in the middle of the crowd, a head above the rest of the congregation as the mare I called my mother took her place behind the podium, her polychromatic mane and ivory coat clear in the late afternoon sunlight.

A hush fell over us all as she cleared her throat.

♪

“Thank you all for coming, my loyal subjects,” she began, bowing her head. “Today is a very momentous day for you all. A few years ago, you all came to this castle. Your eyes were bright with the passionate fire of youth, and you believed yourselves worthy of being members of the Royal Guard. We gave you a sobering taste of reality, snuffing that flame out so that we would rekindle it anew with the flame of a warrior's heart.

“You've all been tested in some way. Some of you in body, others in mind, and others still in spirit. We've put you through your paces, rebuilding you from the ground up into true soldiers. Each and every one of you brought your very best to these training exercises. Thank you for your hard work. Now, never forget what you've learned here - on the battlefield, it could spell the difference between life and death. I pray we meet again someday."

With this, she nodded, smiling ever so gently.

“With that, I humbly dismiss you; you have earned a good rest.”

At her royal cue, I and my compatriots saluted to her, our stern expressions hiding our relieved elation. Immediately, they filed away, and I merely watched them. Perhaps I could have gone to my bunk, or retired to watch the setting sun, but before I could do either of the two, that same velveteen voice that had addressed me and countless other ponies called to me.

“Lance,” she hummed as she came to me with a tender smile. “Before you leave, I would like for you to see me in the throne room tomorrow. There is something very important that I and Aunt Luna would like to discuss with you.”

I looked to the mare whom I called my mother with curiosity. “What might that entail?”

Celestia simply responded to my query with a calm, noble chuckle. “That will be revealed in due time, Lance. You really should rest.”

She patted my head with her wing, touching my forehead with her horn.

“I understand, mother,” I sighed, stretching. “You know what is best, after all.”

Mother smiled again, her ethereal mane caressing my chin.

“You always were such an obedient one, Lance,” she said clearly.

And so, with her informal dismissal of me, I departed to my room, my armored feet shuffling across the cobblestone. I pondered her words in silence, half-excited and half-anxious for what would come soon.

Chapter 7: Catharsis and Recollection

Following the rather crushing intervention between myself and mother—not to mention, an education on things most unbecoming for this recounting—I had found myself eating breakfast. On any other occasion, I took glee in enjoying such an essential part of the morning ritual. Yet, following such an awkward series of events with a morning’s meal proved to only make the situation ever more so. There was very little in the way of words between us that morning. There couldn’t be. I was told by my own mother that I was a foreign entity, and that I could only emulate the species that raised me. Perhaps that may not have been mother’s intent, but it shared the same sting.

There was a certain irony in the event itself. The sun was not as blindingly bright as my hangover had initially made it out to be. The sunflowers in the royal garden were beginning to blossom their golden petals. The birds were lively as they fed their kin, singing their sweet melodies. The outside world seemed so much cheerier than I and my family were. Such a strange juxtaposition could not be achieved anyway else. Part of me wondered where I learned such a term as “juxtaposition”. No guard talked with such a diverse vocabulary as I. Was I really so divorced from the rest as mother had implied?

Mother tried to say something, but as we exchanged glances, neither of us could muster a word. The most either of us needed to do was apologize, but the words to convey such a thing were lost to us. Aunt Luna decided to call the Chancellor to her side, whispering in a tone too low for me to register. Part of me filled with worry, but the rest of me simply remained silent and continued to eat. Please, let it not be over the birds and the bees. I recalled those as Luna’s last words prior to breakfast.

That was, until the Chancellor rested a hoof upon my shoulder.

“Lance,” he asked, turning me to face him. “Would you care to come with me a moment?”

I rested a hand upon his hoof, sliding it off from my shoulder.

“Why do you ask?” I murmur, rubbing away the dryness from my eyes.

“I want to talk with you for a few moments,” the chancellor replied. “Nothing too serious; just a private conversation between two stallions.”

It was tempting enough simply to refuse his offer and continue eating. But, as we silently stared between each other, I could tell he was as concerned as the rest.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” I sighed, clearing my throat. “May I bring my breakfast with me?”

“I don’t see why not,” chuckled the chancellor dryly as he smiled. “My name is Silver Quill, by the way.”

I nodded, scooting out my chair and taking my platter in my hands.

At this point, I feel I should elaborate on the chancellor. While at this point, I now knew his name, for much of my youth, I knew him simply as an old stallion who shadowed mother. Prior to my indiscretions last evening, I had always been able to identify his silver quill on his flank. Though we’d rarely ever shared a formal exchange, what few times I spent talking with him, he spoke with a gravitas that came only from the muzzle of an experienced scribe. He carried an aura of his age that spoke more volume than I could ever know of anypony else. He was a cream-colored unicorn, clad in a slicked mane of silver sheen and icy blue eyes. Part of me assumed that at some point, mother had seduced him.

Apropos of nothing, I timidly spoke again.

“How is your flank?” I asked, being mindful not to lose my balance.

In a vain attempt to hide his shame, the chancellor was clad in a great coat of a crimson color. I had removed his cutie mark from my own flanks some time ago, but it seemed to be growing back on its own, if at a slower pace than I would’ve anticipated.

“Thankfully, there was no serious damage,” Silver Quill sighed, looking to me. “It will grow back.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle for some reason as my cheeks began to flush pink.

The two of us stopped at a door, Quill casting a cantrip over the handle to open the door, escorting me into the room within, shutting the door as he followed me. He motioned for me to sit at a nearby sofa, to which I acquiesced quickly. The tray left my hands and drifted onto a nearby side table, a glass of orange juice brought to my hand.

“So what did you wish to talk about, Mr. Quill?” I asked, taking a sip of juice, recoiling at its tartness.

“Simply put, I wanted to inquire about last night, and perhaps the nights prior to it,” Quill said, taking a seat behind a desk, taking a quill and parchment in his magic. “I wish to get an understanding of what led to last night’s proceedings and see if I can’t help you.”

“Help me?” I parroted, confused. “How could you help me in any way?”

“Well, it’s clear as day that you are quite disconnected from your peers,” Quill replied, dipping his eponymous quill into an inkpot. “Remember, I said that this was stallion to stallion; I realize that being raised without a proper father, you’ve had... few male role models to talk to. Your sergeants and teachers are not exactly... sociable.”

“And?”

“And, I’d like to be that role model for a little while, starting with last night. Tell me, what do you remember from that evening?”

A sigh left my lungs as I rubbed my temples to muster even a faint memory.

“I remember retiring to my bunk in the barracks following mother’s invitation to speak later,” I began, taking another sip of juice. “I was rather tired from having to stand at attention until the speech.”

“As I recall...you had just graduated, right? What exactly were your plans to celebrate?”

“I planned to rest my heels and ponder what mother wanted to talk about.”

“Really? That was all? No plans of going drinking or cavorting with young mares?”

“No. A Royal Guard shouldn’t stray from his work. At least, that’s what I was taught.”

“And that’s all well and good, but to that, I give you this old saying; ‘All work with no play makes Jack a dull colt.’ ”

I quirked an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Quill chuckled, scribbling down on his parchment. “Not to insult you, but you sound like a wet blanket. Perhaps you were invited because of that. Every party needs a pooper, after all.”

I gave Quill a piercing stare. “That sounds incredibly insulting.”

Quill kept chuckling and smiled. “I’m only poking fun, Lance; nothing personal. But in all seriousness, even a guard has to have a little fun outside the battlefield every now and then. If all they did was stand vigil at the gates, they’d end up going mad long before they reach tenure.”

“You can’t possibly be serious,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Are you implying I needed to get drunk off of my ass last night?”

“To be completely honest, yes.” Quill replied, pausing his writing. “Even ponies like Shining Armor took at least an hour out of their day to enjoy themselves. Heck, he even ended up married!”

“I’m honestly not sure which is worse; shellshock or wedlock.”

“At least the latter gives you somepony to talk to.”

“What’s your point?” I sighed with a deadpan tone.

“The point I’m trying to make here is that ponies are social types,” Quill said back. “Even the guard are social ponies. When they aren’t standing guard, they like to poke fun at each other’s stance, or their weapons or what have you. They have a brand of humor that you don’t seem to have picked up.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” I quipped. “I thought being task-oriented was a trait all of us had to have.”

“And it is,” Quill snipped, pressing his hooves together “But when it’s your only good trait, it can mean very bad things, should you ever be given charge of a phalanx.”

“How so?”

“Simply put, being part of a Phalanx means not only keeping your mind on the task at hand, but also trusting your fellow stallions and mares with as much of your life as you would give your own family. In a way, the members of your Phalanx are more than just brothers and sisters in arms; they are practically your family, and you should treat them as such.”

Quill took a pause and gave me a rather deep gaze.

“To put it bluntly, Lance, you treat just about everypony outside of Princess Celestia and Luna as if they were complete strangers,” he said with a very dry, clear tone. “You don’t make fun, you don’t learn their names, you don’t even make a single word of small talk. And I wish to know just why exactly that is.”

The two of us remained silent for a few moments, and Quill began to scribble what I had said so far..

“Let’s start from the beginning,” Quill insisted, his face softening. “What were your early years like, Lance?”

“You mean, what was my infancy like?” I asked, shifting my back further up the sofa as I stretched.

“If you’d like to start from there, I suppose,” Quill said with a soft smile. “As far back as you can care to remember.”

I tried to muster my memories, taking another sip of orange juice.

“From what I can remember, I was found just outside the royal gates. The guard found me in a manger, and brought me to Celestia’s attention. While she couldn’t immediately take me beneath her wing, she managed to arrange for me to stay with Cadence and Shining Armor. At least, that’s what I was told.

“Most of my earlier years were spent in the Crystal Empire. It was cold in the mornings, but around midday, the light from the crystals and the warmth of the Crystal Heart kept even the chilliest of winters at bay. My aunt and uncle had a number of complications in raising me, particularly in my diet and exercise, but they were quick to pick up my habits. However, Uncle Shining would often try to impose Equestrian values, some of which were rather...bohemian.”

“He had you stand outside naked, didn’t he?”

My eyes shot wide as I sat up. “How do you know about that?!”

Silver Quill doubled over laughing. “Your uncle was never one to keep things secret.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Anyway, when I was of age, I attended the local academy near the castle grounds. It took some time for me to grasp just what exactly my hands were useful for, they proved to be indispensable for my penmanship. I learned the usual reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as geology and history, with the addition of mythology for good measure. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what mythology had to do with the rest of my studies, but something in me took a particular pleasure in the subject.”

“Any particular story come to mind?” Quill asked, his ears perking up.

I put a finger to my chin, pondering.

“I think my personal favorite was the legend of the Crystal Queen. According to ancient myth, before Aunt Cadence became the Crystal Princess, and before Sombra ruled the Empire with an iron hoof, a mare named the Crystal Queen ruled over the Crystal Ponies. Her true name has been lost to the ages, but many ponies recall her common name as Mag’ne the Radiant. She was allegedly a peerless sorceress, whose skill in both the mystical and martial was rivaled by few. For over five hundred years, she led the Empire into a golden age of peace and prosperity, her Justicars protecting the realm without fail. That was, until she mysteriously departed.

“Nopony knew where she came from or where she went, but in her wake, the Empire grew weak, and Sombra took the reins in her stead. For a time, his rule was just, but at some point, something changed in him. He became hungry for power, and wanted nothing more than to bring everypony beneath his hooves. He enslaved the Crystal Ponies, and forced them to toil endlessly. For a thousand years, his rule was unchallenged, until my mother and aunt took to the forefront.

“With their celestial magics, they fought back against the shadow king, reducing his form to little but a black vapor and sealing him within the mountain range.”

“The rest, as they say, is history,” I concluded, clearing my throat.

Quill chuckled, more lightly now, and smiled.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, looking uneasy.

“With the way you’re able to tell stories, I’m surprised you became a soldier and not an orator,” Quill snickered. “But I digress; did you make any friends during your time at the Crystal Academy?”

I fell into a hush, my eyes falling onto the jade necklace I still kept about my neck. For a moment, I took it into my hand, sighing wistfully.

“Just one,” I mumbled. “Sparkling Spring.”

“And how was she?”

“Well, she was the only filly to ever really give me the time of day,” I replied, letting the necklace fall limp. “Probably one of my only real friends there, too. For some reason, she took a lot of interest in me, and helped me out more than the other kids did. I don't know if they were scared of me or just didn't like me, but for some reason, everypony but her just seemed...uneasy around me. Where everypony else had their own little lunch groups, she was the only one who bothered eating with me. She wasn't afraid of me. Rather, she was... curious. Curious to figure me out, while the rest wondered if I was some kind of monster.”

“Interesting,” Quill hummed, his quill continually aloft. “Any particular moments you’d like to cite from your time with her?”

“Just one,” I said with a smile. “It was a long time ago—I think I might have been five or six then. My geology class was talking about jade that day. All the different kinds, the history behind them, what ponies used them for. When she finished her lecture, she started handing out pieces of it for us to see. But, for some reason, nopony would pass me a piece to look at. It made me feel really left out. I was about to just lie down and nap it off, but Spring held me up. I told her what was wrong, and she told me to close my eyes. When I opened them again, she gave me the necklace that’s on my neck right now.

“When I asked her why, she said ‘Because nopony should have to feel left out—not even you.’”

“Well, that was very sweet of her,” the chancellor cheerfully chuckled. “Have you seen her much since school?”

I shook my head. “Not since graduation. But the necklace has always been a kind of memento of her. Ever since she gave it to me all those years ago, I’ve almost never taken it off. Even when I exposed myself to the elements, I never took that necklace off. It just feels too important to part with.”

“Well, it’s always important to cherish things like that, Lance. After all, if she were as close of a friend to you as you make it sound, the necklace must be more than just a keepsake.”

I hush for a few minutes. I bring the end of the necklace again into my palm, gazing wistfully at the tiny reflection of myself inside. For some reason, staring inside of it gave me a feeling of catharsis and nostalgia the likes of which I’d not felt in ages. Something just felt right with me when I held onto it. Like it was something I should treasure with my life.

“Were there any other friends besides her?” Quill asked, looking curious.

“Robin,” I replied, wiping away an oncoming tear. “A camping buddy of mine when I joined the Colt Scouts.”

“Really, now? And what was he like?”

“To be honest, a lot like me. He was a dreamer. Where I wanted to be a knight, he would’ve wanted to be my squire or my scribe. Had we not parted ways, I might’ve taken him up on it. He was kind of like a sidekick to me, for how little time we spent. Our first major adventure came around the first night at camp. The fires were going out, and pretty much everypony else was off asleep. So, daring as any other child might be, I volunteered to get firewood, and he volunteered to spot me. We set off into the wood, and before I knew it, I made a bear pretty mad. I’m not sure what Robin was doing, but I didn’t see him while I was running. But as I fled, I heard the voice of my uncle remind me of my capacities, and some divine intervention saved me from getting mauled. Soon after, I met Aunt Luna for the first time, and after that, the trip just sailed away like a pirate ship. Much like Sparkling Spring, I didn’t see much of him afterward.”

“I see...” Quill hummed, the feather of the quill brushing against his bottom lips. “And what did you do since?”

“Well, Aunt Luna gave me my first tour of the royal guard academy, and I sparred with a mare named Firefly. Somehow, I managed to win, much to the surprise of the others. It was an overall short tour, but I appreciated it nonetheless.”

“So in all this time, you only ever made two friends, and the rest of your life was devoted to becoming a proper soldier?”

I sighed. “That’s pretty much the gist of it, yes.”

Quill seemed to be very interested in me for a moment. His eyes scanned across his paper, and his next question was just a single word.

“Why?”

I was confused for a moment, scratching my head.

“Why, what?”

“Why spend all your time learning how to fight instead of making friends?”

I gave him a flat look for a few seconds, and heaved another sigh.

“You really want to know?” I asked, exasperated.

“That’s why we’re here, yes,” Quill quipped, pushing up his reading lenses.

I sat up, arching my back as I let out a tired roar.

“The truth is, the reason why I chose the path I did was simple,” I began, looking toward a faded recruitment poster. “For the majority of my life, I grew up feeling like an outsider. Even with my noble upbringing, I was never given the saturation of friendship and affection that most ponies got. I constantly wondered to myself what I was, and nopony gave me a straight answer. Nopony seemed to want to have anything to do with me. So, at the behest of my uncle and my own judgement, I decided to join the guard. I reasoned that, if I could not be recognized for my upbringing or my race, I would be recognized through my actions. I trained every day, pushing myself further and further, adapting to the zeitgeist of my peers, yet shutting myself away from the majority. If my social skills wouldn’t earn me anything, then my martial ones would. Any other soldier would be just that. But not me; I want to be the one that ponies will remember. If and when I join those old ones in the sky, I want people to remember me not as a pony, or as some ape.”

I stood up, thrusting a finger to the chancellor, a fire of passion rekindled in my emerald eyes.

“I want them to remember me as Lance Petal, Knight of Equestria! Descendent of Mag’ne the Radiant!”

Quill didn’t say a thing. He pressed his hooves together, a grin cocked on his face.

“Well, Lance, I’d say you’ve got quite some lofty dreams,” he chuckled, pushing up his frames. “I’m glad we could have a nice, personal talk about this.”

“Same here,” I happily sighed. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a personal moment like this.”

“There’s just one more thing before you go,” he said, holding up a hoof. “And this involves that drake, Spike.”

“What about him?” I asked, sitting down a moment.

“While I can’t say the same for the rest of Her Royal Majesty’s rant, one detail that she did get right was about Spike,” he answered, opening the curtains behind him ever so slightly. “Spike went on a journey some years ago during the Great Dragon Migration. Though nopony gave a lot of solid details about his journey, he did reach the Badlands. In his time, he most surely met a number of different cultures and communities. He’s nothing if not well-traveled. Having said that, he also has a quality that may help you even more than that.”

“That being?” I queried, finishing the rest of my juice.

“Simply put, he is unfailingly loyal,” Quill chimed, no longer writing on his paper. “He has been Twilight Sparkle’s retainer for quite some time, and soon enough, he’ll start to enter his next phase in life. He’s growing up just as much as you are, and as far as I can see, the two of you would be a perfect match. Especially considering his clerical skill.”

“You mean his letter-writing capabilities?”

“Precisely, my boy; Along this journey, you should take the time to sit down and report your findings. Tell us what you learned, and if need be, send for help. Just don’t go too overboard with it—the last time somepony did that, Ponyville had a massive riot over a stuffed toy.”

I gave the chancellor a deadpan look, cocking my brow.

“I wish I were joking then,” Quill chuckled.

He sat up, rolling up the scroll and smiling.

“Well, I think that this has been a rather productive morning, Lance,” he proudly proclaimed. “No need to pay me, boy; I’m only happy to be of assistance.”

As the two of us returned to the dining room, mother's face warmed up with a smile, her wings fanning out to greet me.

“I can see that you're in much better spirits, Lance,” she cooed as her wing wrapped around me. “I take it your talk with the chancellor went well?”

“Indeed, Your Royal Highness,” said Quill, producing a scroll before her. “He and I had a bit of a heart-to-heart to get to the root of his troubles, which I've documented in this scroll.”

Celestia's lips pursed as she took the scroll in her magic.

“I see... I will have a look at this later,” she noted, placing it neatly on the table. “For now, feel free to leave us.”

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” Quill replied, bowing as he dismissed himself.

As the chancellor made his departure, mother nuzzled me as a frown came to her muzzle. She seemed upset, and turned away for a moment.

“Lance, about this morning...” she sighed, her wings becoming limp. “I realize that my wording was rather...unbecoming of me, to say the least. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I said what I did. What I meant to say earlier was simply, even if you aren't a pony, there are some things that transcend species. There are many things that life can teach you. Things that cannot be learned in a classroom or a barrack.”

“What kind of things?” I asked, curious.

“Things like one's nature. Things like one's true character,” Mother replied. “What makes us individual and what makes us unique. The things that bring us together and set us apart. Though you are not of my blood, you are family to me all the same, Lance.”

We observed another silence, very nearly at the edge of tears.

“Lance?” she asked, masking her sadness with a straight face.

“Yes, mom?” I asked in return.

“Will you forgive me?”

There were no words from me. Not a one. Instead, I stepped away to get at least a meter or so of space. Then, mustering all my bittersweet will, lunged at my dearest mother, my arms wrapped around her withers. I buried my face in her alabaster coat, squeezing her as tight as my arms would allow. I held on with the vice of a crab, hoping that my loving embrace would seep through her hide and fill me with warm affection.

I felt her neck wrap against mine as we both shared a tender moment of togetherness. We were in each others' embrace. No words, no tears, not even whispers. Just a quiet moment of catharsis between a mother and her son. A moment that could last practically forever.

Soon enough, I found myself being lifted onto mother's back with a golden glow.

“Come; I want to show you something,” she said with a sniff.

I rode upon mother's back, trying to keep her ever-flowing mane from getting too close to my body, my hands against her neck. Mother ambled to what looked to be a rather impressively-sized library. Shelves of books and scrolls stretched as high as my eyes could drift, all neatly arranged. A titanic hourglass took the center of the room, grains of tan sand trickling down as the sunlight shone through a skylight above.

“Many years ago, my former student and your aunt, Twilight Sparkle, spent many of her days in this very library,” Mother started, her hooves grazing a few of the more worn books and scrolls along the shelves. “Day after day, she would just sit here, wiling away the hours with books. She would fill her brain with all sorts of knowledge, be it magic, history, science, or whatever subject came across her mind. This was her sanctuary, cut away from the rest of the world in solitude. Then, one one particular day, she learned the legend of Nightmare Moon, and warned me about her return on the thousandth anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration. Knowing that even I wouldn't have the power to stop her, I sent Twilight to Ponyville to make sure the celebration would be in order.”

“Why would you do that?” I wondered aloud. “Wouldn't you want to make sure everypony was safe?”

“Because if there's one thing I know about friendship, it is that crisis can often bring even the least likely of companions together. When Twilight and her friends journeyed into the Everfree Forest, she was challenged to trust in her friends, and ultimately, through their help, freed my sister of the corruption in her mind. Then, some time later, when Discord reared his head again, it was this same friendship that freed her of disharmony and returned him to his stone prison once again.”

Mother chuckled a moment. “In a way, she used to be a lot like you are now, Lance.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“She used to fawn over me and look up to me as if I were the best mare in the world. To her, I was all that mattered. So long that I was content with her, she'd be over the moon. Then, once Twilight's heart was opened to the magic of friendship, she found a group of friends that filled her life with joy and camaraderie that only the best of friends could have.”

As mother helped me off of her back, my eyes drifted to the skylight.

“That, my son, is why I'm asking you to embark on this journey,” she said, looking up to the skylight with me, “A life without friends is one incomplete. Once you find somepony to care about... Somepony to protect as if they were your kin... Then, I think you'll be one step closer to understanding yourself, and to unlocking the mysteries of your existence.”

I looked up at the clouds from the skylight and shut my eyes.

“So you want to send me on a journey of self-discovery, much like you had with Twilight?”

“Exactly,” mother replied. “Experience can be a wonderful teacher, Lance. One of the best ways to learn about the world is to explore it for yourself, whether it's the breadth of the Equestrian Continent, or far beyond it. You never quite know what to expect once you leave home for the first time, and that can be just as fun as it is scary.”

“And you're sure I'm ready for this?” I asked, my hand grazing the glass of the hourglass.

“Only if you are.”

Stillness took the library as we both pondered the situation. This was a lot for me to swallow, and I couldn't quite make up my mind on what to do. Part of me was just as afraid of what would lie beyond my home as it was the consequences of not leaving it. Even in my indoctrination, I was still rather inept when it came to social dealings. For some reason, the idea of going truly alone was scary to me.

Then, from left field, mother suggested a rather mad idea.

“Would you like to have a party?”

I was taken aback at just how spontaneous the suggestion sounded.

“A party?” I parroted. “What for?”

“Well, to see you off, for one,” Celestia chuckled. “That, and I think it is due time to finally reveal you to Equestria in full.”

“I won't have to it naked, will I?”

“Only if you wish to,” she teased, rubbing a hoof through my hair. “Just like you can call me Princess Celestia if you wish to; It's your choice, and I will love you regardless of what that choice is.”

My choice, huh? I pondered for a moment. This could have been my chance for everypony to know me for who I am, rather than what I am. This could be my chance to fling open the doors to my mind and heart, which had both become locked away. I felt inside me a warmness like the fires within the sun. I held my chest for a moment, looking the sand dribbling down the hourglass as my eyes drifted away.

Celestia's hoof cradled my shoulder as she lowered her head, smiling gingerly. My fingers seemed to absentmindedly run through her ever-moving mane. The locks danced across my back as we simply inhaled our own scents. We both smelled of rich lavender soaps of such rich decadence that for a moment, it caused us to lose ourselves to what we were originally speaking of.

As if a whip had cracked at the back of my head, I suddenly remembered what brought this whole moment on. My arms drifted to my head, one of them extended to mother in an open palm. Mother was confused at first, but smiled as her foreleg cradled itself into my hand.

“I think that's an excellent idea,” I said as I began to smile in return.

I had a feeling in my heart at that moment that everything was going to be just fine.

Author's Note

For those wondering what Lance might be looking like right now, I've made a blog post recently about it! You can find it right here.

As for a voice, think something along the same vocal range as Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo Kurosaki, Lelouche Lamperouge, Vash the Stampede, Yu Narukami, etc.), Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke Uchiha), or Doug Erholtz (Squall Leonhart).

Chapter 8: Hello, Goodbye

“This was a stupid idea.”

I had a sinking feeling everything was most definitely not going to be fine.

At this point, I found myself standing behind a stage curtain. In the time between my invitation to host this altercation and the actual altercation itself, I had been fitted for some new traveling attire. It was an affair of blues, navies, and purples that blended military function with everyday fashion. A good mix of form and function for the conditions I was to be facing in the future.

For some reason, even with all this clothing and armor, I felt incredibly naked. And before you start, there's a difference between being in the nude and being naked; the former refers to literally being without clothes, while the latter can mean any kind of discomfort, regardless of one's state of dress. Considering that most ponies are nude by default, the analogy of imagining the audience naked wasn't exactly helping assuage my stage fright. I suppose imagining them completely shaved would have helped, but it was too late for that.

So, as I stood behind the curtain, I began to reminisce on the circumstances that brought me to this stage to begin with.

***

Getting fitted for this outfit was somewhat awkward. I was tailored by a unicorn named Rarity. Evidently, she's some friend of my aunt that does a lot of charity work, and upon hearing that she was going to be doing some work for royalty, her eyes must have lit up like stars in the sky. Naturally, I had to be mostly nude for the occasion so that I could be measured properly. It was nothing new for me to have to undress, but it never was too comfortable. Even this unicorn's ginger touch didn't help me get comfortable, nor the mirrors at each side of me. There was always that moment of discomfort when the tape passed below the waist, but at the very least, this seamstress knew her manners well.

I suppose as a way of easing the tension, she decided to make small talk. At least, small talk of the same type that a dentist might give you while she's drilling into your teeth; Most of what she says is rhetorical, but she talks about it anyway. “You know, I love going off model every now and again, Lance,” she said, in a casual, but refined tone. “Sure, it takes a little extra work to get the measurements right, but in the end, it's so much more rewarding.” She mused for a moment as she examined the manikin nearby. “If you'd be willing, you could stay a while longer and make a manikin for future reference.”

I was unsure of how to reply, so I simply nodded, my hands to my sides.

“I can't help but notice that you're quite a lean fellow for somepony who's a member of the Royal Guard,” she noted, pouting as she wrapped a length of tape about my leg. “How do you get such a slender figure, dear? Is it something in your diet?”

I chuckled. “Well, my dentist tells me I've a good set of teeth,” I said with a tentative smile. “My pediatrician thinks I'm perhaps meant to eat meat, but given the typical Equestrian meal is mostly grasses and roots, that kind of thing is a little out of the question.”

Rarity chuckled nervously as she measured out my chest. “Though I can't speak from experience, I do hear the Griffon Kingdoms have exquisite meat. Should you ever visit there, do tell me how it tastes.”

“I'll try and write home whenever I can,” I replied earnestly. “After all, I'll be having a certain assistant tailing me on my travels.”

Another chuckle came, this time more amused. “I do suppose that's something of a gift. Spikey-wikey is nothing if not a dutiful assistant. I can't even begin to tell you how much he's done for me. He practically saved my life on more than one occasion!”

I returned her chuckle. “You talk about him as if you have some kind of love for him.”

“Well, the dear has a crush on me,” Rarity replied, extending my arm. “And I honestly think it's something quite adorable.”

My eyes drifted to an easel nearby. It had an image of my outfit to be. I couldn't identify what it aimed to be, but it was certainly a far cry from typical Royal Guardsman armor. It seemed to be a simple linen outfit at its base, with tiled armor atop it. The pants were noticeably roomy looking, and the plating seemed to be made with comfort, protection, and aesthetic pulled into a single ensemble. I didn't expect the seamstress to have also been an armorer, but then I remembered that this work was ostensibly a collaborative one.

“I can't help but notice the outfit that you're making me isn't the typical uniform the Guard wears,” I noted as the unicorn measured my chin and neck.

"Oh, I'm quite aware, darling," Rarity replied curtly. "While I can appreciate the aesthetic and protective value of a stallion in proper uniform, the old designs are just that—old. There's not as good a balance between form and function in the traditional attire. To that end, I've decided to go for a more blended aesthetic and design. While I assure you, I'm no armorer by trade, I can certainly tell you that the designs such armors as those worn by Saddle Arabian knights, along with other military forces in the Orient, have a much more balanced mix of style and safety." The purple-maned mare flushed red for a moment, biting her lip. "That isn't to say that I'm obsessed with the look or anything."

I and the armorer shared a brief chuckle.

"I must say that the trousers look especially comfortable." Rarity looked down to the lower half of her design sketch and smiled. "It it is such a shame that you should feel the need to wear such things, though. To cover up such a well-kept figure is such a waste."

I cocked my head a moment.

"Were I in your position, I'd stay as I was born," Rarity mused as she hid another pair of flaming cheeks. "Then again, if everyone followed that line of thought, it would leave yours truly out of a line of work."

For some reason, with the encouragement that this marshmallow-hued mare gave me, it made me feel somewhat more at ease in my undress. She seemed to understand my body, in spite its alien curves and shape. The way she measured was ginger and soft. It was almost motherly, in a strange sense. In spite being a near-complete stranger to me, she seemed just as much like family as the princesses were.

The one detail that her design seemed to leave out was the idea of headgear.

"Miss Rarity," I queried with a tad bit of worry. "what about my head? Should there not be some way of protecting it?"

"Never despair, my dear." Rarity presented a beret and scarf to me. "This should give you some lovely protection for that darling little face of yours."

The beret was simple enough. A navy piece of head wear that, for some reason, had a phoenix plume nestled in its drooping frame. Along with it was a scarf that seemed to made to hide my face. Just dark enough to presumably hide my face.

"A beret and scarf?" I asked, curious as to what the meaning of it was. "What good would these do?"

Rarity smiled as she gingerly caressed my face. "It's not just for keeping your head safe, my dear. Out there, if anyone were to get a good look at your face, they would be able to spot you in a crowd easily. With this hat and this scarf, your true face will be hidden—and by extension, so will you." She gave me another glance. "Your identity is a sacred thing, Lance. Even such simple attire such as this is a good way of keeping it so."

"I'm not sure if a mask would hide me any better," I pointed out, grimacing. "It's not that hard to spot a bipedal creature just a few apples shorter than a minotaur. Not to mention much more slender."

"Well, if nothing else, it will keep your face hidden," Rarity giggled. "That's the key to this lovely hat. While on your head, you will be able to see as clear as day, while to others, you'll appear as little than a shadow."

I looked to the hat again with curiosity before setting it down. "Thank you, Rarity. I think it's indeed quite a lovely hat."

Rarity sighed happily. "You're most welcome, my dear; Fashion is my passion, and my passion burns like a glorious flame!" She set the measuring tape down and smiled proudly. "In any case, I think I have most of your measurements squared away. Now, I simply need to find the fabrics to design it properly, and soon enough, you'll have an outfit that will bewilder and dazzle many a passerby!"

I smiled back as I stepped down from the platform she had provided for me, putting on the clothes I'd worn on my way to the boutique.

"So, now that that's taken care of, what's left to do?" I asked, stretching out.

"Well, for one, we simply must get you to a spa," Rarity pointedly proclaimed. "Though your complexion is quite remarkable, you both look and feel tense. When I was measuring you, I felt like I was running my hooves across some kind of bronze statue!"

"Are you implying I'm some kind of work of art?" I joked back.

"No, I'm implying you're as hard as stone."

For some reason, I couldn't help but look down and blush.

"Well, you're quite a pretty mare, and I was a little shy..."

Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled. "I've already got one boy swooning over me, Lance. While I do love the attention, I'd rather not double it."

The two of us shared a good fit of laughter as she guided me outside and lead the way to the next stop in her itinerary.

***

What soon graced my eyes was perhaps the most verdant of sanctuaries I'd ever beheld. This one particular part of Ponyville was provided plenty of flora and fauna to the town, and animals happily skittered and scampered across as Rarity and I made our way to the cottage in the center. Something about this place seemed to comfort me. The animals, though shy, looked upon the two of us with curiosity as Rarity rapped at the door.

A hush fell upon the wooden cot, the only sounds to be heard being the din of the critters surrounding us. The chattering of the squirrels, the squealing of the bunnies, the songs of the birds, and the buzzing of the bees formed a natural symphony. The staccato of four hooves clopping to the door blended in strangely well with the song that nature seemed to sing. Soon, the door inched open, and a butter-yellow pegasus peeked out from it. Even looking into those sweet cyan eyes of hers evoked a strange form of pathos from me.

"Oh, hello Rarity," the pegasus squeaked meekly. "Is it that day of the week again?"

"It is, indeed." Rarity replied earnestly. "I've even brought a special someone who'll be enjoying it with us."

For an instant, our eyes met again, and the pupils within those of the pegasus widened gradually. She began to inch forward to me and took one of my arms curiously, feeling up the individual fingers of my hand. She didn't look directly at me, instead vying for the option of scrutinizing me with the wonder of a zoologist. She seemed rather transfixed in the action, murmuring to herself as she did so. Then, when we finally did make official eye contact, she blushed and backed away.

"Oh, my… Am I making you uncomfortable?" She pleadingly asked. "I don't mean to; It's just that I've never seen something like you before."

I chuckled nervously and smiled. "It's okay, miss; I'm quite used to it these days." I offered my hand again, which she took a bit more eagerly.

"Well, seeing as you two are getting acquainted quite quickly, I feel we should keep this introduction brief," Rarity said with a careful smile. "Fluttershy, this is Lance. He's come from Canterlot to prepare for his forthcoming adventure across Equestria. He's under the banner of the royal family, and he was sent to me for some tailoring. We just recently squared away the measurements for new outfit, and I couldn't help but notice that he felt unbelievably stiff. So, I decided, since today just so happened to be our usual spa day, I'd bring him with me for a little rest and relaxation."

Fluttershy's cheeks burned slightly more red.

"My goodness," she mumbled timidly, taking hold of my hand. "I'm sorry for being so rude. I'm Fluttershy."

"It's nothing, really," I reassured her, brushing a pink bang from her face. "If anything, you and Rarity are perhaps the first of very few ponies to actually take some interest into what I am, rather than just avoiding me. It actually makes me feel a bit more at home."

"Well, of course, dear," Rarity snickered. "A rarity such as yourself should be examined and treated carefully. From what the Princess has told me, you're something that's quite one of a kind to Equestria. Therefore, the more we can get to know about you, the better we'll be able to understand each other as a whole. After all, we're no strangers to queer and wonderful happenings in this town. Zebras, minotaurs, dragons, and all sorts of things tend to rear their heads here. We're something of a magnet for oddities that way."

I smiled as Fluttershy released me. "Hopefully, I'll be able to find many amazing things on my adventure. When I have the time, I'll try and document my findings to all of you."

"I should hope so, dear," Rarity humbly hummed. "Be sure to inform me of the fashion trends of whatever cultures you happen to run into along the way." The unicorn pointed to the pegasus then. "As for my dear friend Fluttershy, her passion happens to lie in zoology. I'm sure she'd love to hear about the different flora and fauna you happen to find."

Gee, I wonder where I got that impression from…

"I suppose that's enough dawdling for now then, darlings," Rarity declared. "It's time for us to hit the spa and enjoy some nice relaxation!"

Fluttershy squeaked out a meager "Yay" as we proceeded along the path.

As we walked, Fluttershy became gradually less intimidated by my stature, smiling more and more as she prodded me with question after question. The usual list of where I come from, what I eat, what my particular talent happens to be, and several other topics whizzed by as Rarity giggled along. It was becoming increasingly blatant that the pegasus was a consummate zoologist. Even with someone such as me, a being that, from my own understanding, was absolutely alien to this world, she seemed to understand me much better than a lot of pony folk did. Eventually, once she had exhausted the lion's share of her questionnaire, Rarity spoke up again.

"So, Lance, Princess Celestia told me you were previously acquainted with Twilight Sparkle," She began. "Tell me, have you met any more of her friends?"

"Aside from the two of you and Spike?" I quipped back. "Nopony, really. I do remember back when I came here a few years ago for a camping trip, though. I remember having to run away from some pink earth pony that was stalking me."

Suddenly, a roar of laughter interrupted the three of us. A terrifying tittering made us stop in our tracks and look around. I was particularly perturbed as my impulse kicked in, preparing me to protect this pair of ponies. My eyes and ears searched around, trying to pinpoint the location of the laughter, only to be confounded with paranoia. Then, from the brush, popped out a protrusive pink earth pony that pounced upon me like a puma.

"Speak of the Pinkie, and the Pinkie shall appear!" proclaimed the earth pony in a particularly proud fashion.

"Pinkie Pie! Where are your manners?!" Rarity gasped incredulously. "You scared us half to death! Especially Fluttershy!"

As the two of us looked to examine, Fluttershy had keeled over, frozen in place like some kind of taxidermy.

The pink mare burned red a moment and promptly pronked off from my prone form.

"Sorry about that," Pinkie replied, rubbing her hooves together. "I just heard somepony talking about me, and my ears started burning. So I rushed over and now I'm here!"

For a moment, yet another pair of blue eyes bore into me.

"Say…you're a lot taller than I remember," she remarked, giving me the once over. "Oh, that reminds me! I forgot to give you my "Welcome to Ponyville" song!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Here we go again..."

Before I could even question the forthcoming greeting, a large cart stood before me. Much like the owner, it was an entirely pink affair. With a push of a button, the cart exploded to life, an oven with confectionery treats presenting itself with a salute of trumpets and flags. A merry tune began to kick up, and suddenly, the pink pony was clad in a slew of instruments.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome,

A fine welcome to you!

Welcome, welcome, welcome,

I say, how do you do?

Welcome, welcome, welcome,

I say hip, hip, hooray!

Welcome, welcome, welcome,

To Ponyville today~!"

The perky pony slid forward on her rear legs, shaking her hooves feverishly as she beamed brightly at me.

"Wait for it..."

Once again, I was interrupted before I could speak again. Before even a single word came from my mouth, I found that it had stuffed full of a copious amount of chocolate cake, knocking me on my bottom as frosting spattered against my shirt. I could barely see out my eyes, but Rarity looked very much aghast.

"Pinkie Pie, how could you?!" she cried incredulously. "You've gone and sullied a perfectly good set of clothes!"

Pinkie Pie frowned, her mane appearing to deflate and droop slightly. "I was only trying to be nice and give him a warm welcome..."

"And that couldn't have waited until the party?"

And then, just like that, the fun-loving pony inflated again with a gleeful gasp.

"A party?!" she parroted, shaking with anticipation.

"Yes, Pinkie, a party," Rarity sighed. She began to examine my soiled ensemble and tutted away in disapproval. "Though it seems like Lance will need to spend some time in his birthday suit beforehand."

I sighed along with her as I disrobed once again. It was at this point that I considered the possibility of some celestial conspiracy to keep me unclothed as often as possible. To end up in total undress twice in one day was almost too much of a coincidence. At the very least, my socks and shoes were spared, giving me at least some minor comfort as I stood up, blushing. Fluttershy simply squeaked and blushed along with me, Rarity giggled with a hoof to her muzzle, and Pinkie Pie simply cocked her head in confusion.

"That's a birthday suit?" Pinkie pondered. "I thought it'd look fancier than that."

I couldn't help but blush.

"There's no need to be shy, dear," Rarity giggled as she approached me, nuzzling my chest. "Nothing I haven't already seen before."

I shrunk for a moment. "But I'm naked."

"So?" Pinkie Pie quipped back, pointing to me and her friends. "You're naked, I'm naked, and both of them are naked! What's all the fuss about?"

"I've never been like this in front of three mares before," I groaned. "Not to mention, I'm going to have to walk out in public like this."

"You were going to have to disrobe when we got to the spa, anyway," Rarity reminded me. "If I were you, I'd embrace the opportunity. It's a lovely day out, and a little extra tanning wouldn't hurt."

I frowned, but as the pegasus and unicorn flanked me, my discomfort slowly began to wane.

Rarity collected my discarded clothing and placed it onto Pinkie Pie's back, smiling tenderly.

"Pinkie, if you would be so kind, would you take these clothes to the laundromat?" she asked. "After that, I believe the Princess may have want of your party planning capabilities."

Pinkie Pie saluted and beamed. "Can do!"

With that, Pinkie darted away, leaving only a pink puff of smoke in her wake. As soon as she was out of eyesight, Rarity jabbed my hip with her ankle.

"Quickly now," she urged. "The spa awaits."

I nodded quickly and rushed off with the two of them, my hands at their necks as we went along our merry way. Thankfully, they were both incredibly courteous, and though I garnered a few odd looks—notably, one mint-green mare who was particularly keen on observing me—I was safe for the duration of our walk.

The spa itself stood out as one of the more unique buildings in the hamlet of Ponyville. A building with upturned, apparently cloth roofing, a small amount of topiary, and a sign of a pleased looking pony with a frame similar to the princesses hanging just above the door. Just adjacent the spa was a joke shop that had sign a pony wearing a prop of an arrow going through her head. The shop itself resembled a jester's hat. Yet another strange juxtaposition in my lifetime.

As we entered, two earth ponies sharing the colors of blue and pink greeted us. They appeared to be an ideal pair, acting as two halves of an equal whole, even down to their coloration. The blue one greeted us with a smile as her eyes turned up from her clipboard.

"Ah, Miss Rarity," she cooed as she approached us. "I see you've brought a new guest."

"I have indeed, Lotus," Rarity declared. "This young stallion is Lance, and he's in sore need of a good old fashioned spa treatment. My treat, of course."

"Right away, Miss Rarity," The spa mare chuckled as took me along with a smile. "And the usual for the two of you, as well?"

"Please," Rarity curtly concurred. "You'll treat him well, won't you?"

"You don't have to worry about a thing," Lotus assured as she took me to the other pony. "Aloe and I are professionals. It's our job to help soothe what ails our clients and mold them into works of art."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Rarity sighed as she waved to me. "Have fun, dear!"

"Oh, he will!" Aloe replied as she took me by the shoulder. "Come along now, big boy. Let's get you into a nice, hot bath."

My senses seemed to dull at this point as I was escorted into a room of billowing steam.

***

You would think that a pair of hard hooves would do very little good to someone with such a tense set of muscles as mine. You would think that they wouldn't be able to ease out all the tension with how strong a pony's ankles typically are. You wouldn't think that such hard appendages would be able to knead such an alien form like a ball of clay. I thought the exact same thing when I was laid into a tub of steaming hot water, having soap and shampoo slathered across my scalp and skin.

That first contact between the beautician's hoofs and my back quickly dispersed those falsehoods. As if they were the hooves of an ancient master, I felt their touch release so much pressure from my back, sending a wave of bliss down my shoulders as my whole body seemed to slink back. My mind suddenly goes blank as I focus only on the sensation of my blood and some other energy flowing ever more free in my body. Much like the bath I was in, my mind became little more than a haze that eclipsed all but my internal cries of ecstasy. In this instant of time prolonged, I felt at ease.

As I stared vacantly into the ether of the bath, I could swear that a pair of lights were watching me. As I blinked, they seemed to blink with me, and soon enough, they faded away. Something about them made me visibly shiver, startling the spa mares.

"Is something wrong?" Lotus asked, worried as she looked down. "I didn't press too hard, did I?"

"No, you didn't," I shuddered. "I just thought I saw something in here. It was probably my imagination."

The two looked around for a brief moment. Once they were assured that we were alone, the massage continued.

For whatever reason, those eyes seemed familiar. Like I'd seen them some time before in some distant memory. Something about them bore into my heart and took hold of my soul. And yet, with such a piercing gaze, it also seemed very tender. Those two shapes, barren of almost all detail, seemed to convey more emotion than a complete pair of eyes ever could. The mystery of their existence teased the periphery of my thought to no end.

As the heat of the bath lapped against my skin more and more, I could feel the tingle of lethargy taking me. My body seemed to recline into the tub as the haze continued to build, lulling me into a slumber. I was unable to resist as my head leaned back to the edge. Soon enough, I felt myself drift away, and the expanse of the sleeping world awaited me...

o_O_o

A sun-drenched mountain face greeted me as my conscience found its footing at the foot of a vast spire of stone. Much like how I was when I entered the spa, I was devoid of clothing. The sun felt particularly hot, and the path that coiled around the mountain looked particularly long. As I looked around, there was little but a vast expanse of desert to greet me. Thus, with no other option, I began to climb this mountain of many steps.

There was no railing around the structure, forcing me to hug the wall during my ascent. Like a snail, I slunk upward, my heart sinking with even the most minor of losses of footing. Something about this tower both terrified me and excited me. It was a spire of blue crystal, the stairs snaked around it like a piece of string upon one's finger. The height of the structure made me question my progress. The structure itself seemed eerily familiar as the sunlight gleamed through it, showering me with prismatic light.

As time wore on, I ended up reduced to crawling. Then, eventually, I was left to drag my weary form the rest of the way up. My body screamed for me to capitulate, but I had endured much worse. I would make it to the top come Tartarus or flood alike. If there was something to be found, I would not let myself be stopped trying to find it. Not until I saw what was up there.

Eventually, I was granted reprieve at the peak. What was left for me was an oddity; a figure clad in a white mantle stood in the center of an empty observatory, staring vacantly into the expanse. As I got onto my feet, gasping for breath, I could see her turning to face me. Its hands reached toward its hood, and it slowly removed the white cloak. But, just as our eyes were to meet, a blinding light eclipsed it. I couldn't see a single part of its figure, only feeling its embrace as my hands tried in vain to block out the searing light.

Then, suddenly, the light was gone. The light, the tower, and practically all else around me became a featureless void, that same pair of piercing eyes looking toward me. They seemed concerned as I felt something clutch me against something else.

"Do not be frightened," cooed a definitively feminine voice. "Do not falter nor fear. In searing light and blinding shadow, you must not let your resolve crumble. Be wary, however, that the light that has sheltered you is fading fast. Soon, the shadow will come again to swallow whole the fires of love and harmony."

The feminine spirit clutched me what was apparently her breast.

"My time in this plane is short, and the story is extensive," she whispered. "But, you are not alone. At least, you will not be for long. Cherish all the bonds that you make, for they will keep you strong."

I tried to speak, but I felt something seize my lips.

"Please," urged the voice. "Be safe."

Then, as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. No soft whispers in my ear, no embrace to calm me down, and no crystal tower. The unending expanse of the void was all that remained. I was left nude and prostrating, with only my own inner thoughts as comfort.

And then, a light began to peek out beneath me. Then, another joined it. The blackness was pierced with a light much more comforting, abolishing the shadow from beneath my feet. In its wake, I knelt before a stained glass flooring of a heart laid inside a snowflake. Both symbols seemed eerily familiar, but I couldn't quite find the correlation.

Then, to further compound the oddity of this illusory world, the filtered light began to change. The tiny flecks of dust soon became solid petals, which fluttered across the expanse and began to whirl around me. Like a miniature tornado, they engulfed me, carrying my body from the glass floor and pushing me upward. I was too tired to resist the power of these pastel petals, and soon surrendered to their whim. A light began to appear before me, engulfing me in its warming rays.

o_O_o

The next things to greet me were a blinding light, a flagrantly fuchsia towel, and a string of ponies looking over me.

"Y'all right, sugar cube?" asked an orange pony clad in a rather wide-brimmed hat. "I tell you what, I haven't seen a stallion that out of it since the time Big Macintosh had that run in with—"

"Returning to the matter at hoof," Rarity interjected, her voice raised slightly. "It's good to see you come to, darling. You could've pruned badly."

A groan escaped my throat as I shifted myself upward. I held a hand to my forehead and asked,

"How long have I been out?"

"About two days," cackled a cyan pegasus nearby, who promptly received a jab to her chest from Twilight.

"It's actually been two hours," Twilight told me in a more honest voice. "You seemed kind of spaced out, and we didn't want to wake you."

Fluttershy nodded in response. "You looked so precious... almost like a baby."

I held my tongue and stood up, working my neck slightly and stretching.

"So," I asked, holding the towel against my midsection. "Is there any particular reason why about eight mares are all huddled around a mostly-nude young adult?"

"We just wanted to make sure you were okey-dokey!" Pinkie Pie proudly proclaimed, "After all, it's hardly much of a party if the guest of honor's not around to enjoy it!"

Her friends concurred as they cuddled around me, which had the combined effect of soothing my fears and making me feel ever more naked simultaneously. I can only thank their chastity for the fact of me not being part of a horse harem. A hoof soon holds my hand, and Rarity pulls me from the string.

"While you were resting, I had the time to work on your outfit," Rarity said, taking me into a changing room."

"In two hours, you were able to stick together a full outfit through magic?" I replied dryly.

Rarity clicked her tongue . "I wouldn't go doubting a veteran vestimancer like myself, darling."

"Okay, you just made that word up," balked I.

"Perhaps I did, but at least it fits me," Rarity curtly chuckled. "After all, it wasn't just stitching it all together. Twilight and I had a few clever additions to this outfit that I think you'll find to be of good use for an adventurer in the making such as yourself."

Within a few moments, I was guided behind a changing curtain, and was presented with my ensemble from earlier that day, now looking much more than just a mere conceptual drawing on an easel. It hung from a series of hangers, and seemed to emanate a slight tinge of magic. I looked around to assure no one could see me before proceeding. Then, sure in my solitude, I suited up.

First to slip on were the undergarments, a simple pair of black socks and boxers. Second were the pants, which had larger, more roomy legs that narrowed down at the knees. Then came the undershirt and white gloves, the former feeling like it was made of rubber more than some form of linen. Up next was the coat, a double-breasted piece of top wear with a high collar, pointed sleeves, ten buttons, and a built-in belt. After that, the epaulets were fastened into place, along with a small mantle over my left shoulder. That done, I curled my scarf around my neck, sitting my beret gingerly on my head. Finally, I slipped into a pair of sturdy boots that appeared to have a steel toe in them.

When I turned to face the mirror, I was awed at the professionally casual look and began making a few slight adjustments for comfort's sake. As I did so, I noticed that some parts of the outfit—notably, the sleeves, boots, and the bottom parts of my coat, had a rhinestone pattern of gray patches. I also noticed that parts of the outfit, such as the mantle, had slight cyan lacing to them. Truly, the level of minute detail here was rather staggering for unicorn work.

My personal inspection done, I took a deep breath and walked out boldly , striking my best modeling pose.

"How do I look?" I asked, a hand to my hip.

"Like a young Bray Guevara," Rarity replied, blushing as she seemed to realize who she was referring to. "But only in appearance."

"I'd have to agree," Twilight said with a nod. "You look like someone ripped straight out of a Daring Do novel."

I chuckled for a moment and joked, "Perhaps I'll end up raiding tombs very soon."

The whole room erupted into a laughter for a good few moments before they all relaxed. As I looked around, I quickly realized someone was missing from this altercation.

"Where's Spike?" I asked, curiously.

"He's back at the library," Twilight told me. "I'm having him pack for the trip. Food, maps, shelter. The typical inventory for some intrepid travelers."

Rarity nodded as she paced around me. She then asked, "If I might ask one thing of you, darling?"

"What might that be?" I asked back.

"Well, Spike is such a precious little thing. Though I'm more a fan of fashion, if anyone so much as scratches one scale on his cute little head—"

The piercing stare of two blue eyes struck me dumb.

"Destroy them."

I was not alone when we all joined in a collective gulp.

"Now then, seeing as your ensemble has been sorted out, shall we head to town hall and prepare the big event?"

We all chuckled nervously and followed the seamstress to the center of town, my footsteps having perhaps the largest amount of noise.

***

And so we come full circle to the major event of this particular evening. There I stood, shaking in my boots in full uniform, unable to compose myself. A good few years of military training all squandered in a single moment of public speaking. I was almost inclined to turn tail and run off before things got started, but I found myself reconsidering even that. I turned to face Princess Celestia and made my thoughts clear to her.

"I'm not sure if I can go through with this," I bluntly stated, looking to the curtain. "I'm fine and dandy around a few ponies watching me, but talking in front of an entire crowd?" I paused for breath. "I just don't know if I can stand the attention."

"Oh, Lance," Celestia sighed, bringing me close to her chest. "What you're feeling is perfectly normal. You're just having a bit of stage fright." She called Luna over for a moment and directed me to her. "I'm sure Luna might be able to help you."

"Indeed," Luna replied, coming near to me. "I will offer a terse tutorial on the elements of public speaking."

She approached me and looked me in the eyes, straightening my back.

"First, stand up straight," she began, glaring deep into my eyes. "Look directly at your audience and keep a calm countenance. Speak loudly and clearly, and do not show hesitation."

"Could you possibly show me an example?" I asked, a bit unnerved by her gaze.

Luna smiled and nodded.

"Surely."

She took a deep breath. What came afterward was a surprisingly subdued, but confident voice.

"Greetings, Citizens of Ponyville. My name is Lance, and I am a young stallion under the care of the Royal Family. Starting today, I shall be embarking on a personal journey of self-discovery, and I would very much appreciate your support."

"Something to that effect, yes," Celestia chuckled. "You don't have to be quite so formal. Just stay calm and be yourself. These ponies won't hurt you. The incident with Zecora aside, they tend to be quite accepting types."

I held my tongue and stretched out reflexively.

"I'll make the opening introduction for you," Mother said with a smile. "When I call for you, be ready to put on a nice smile."

With an exchange of bows, mother was off to address the public. In the interest of being on cue, I kept my ears open to listen to her speech.

"My faithful subjects, today is a day of revelations," she began, her voice calm and uniform. "For several years, I and the rest of the royal family have harbored a secret from the general public. It is not a shameful secret, or a harrowing secret, nor is it the most well-kept of secrets. In fact, you may have already seen this secret before you arrived here. Today, I will formally disclose this secret to you all, in the hopes that you will understand and accept it. I would like to introduce mine in love, though not in blood, Lance Alexis Petal."

With a deep sigh, I composed myself as I stepped through the curtains.

Before me came a wave of applause. Several ponies of varying creeds, agendas, and appearances greeted me, marveling my figure as I tugged away the scarf from my face. The cheers respectfully died down as I approached the lectern, clearing my throat as a microphone jutted out in front of me. I tried it a few times to confirm it was working and gave a brief pause before continuing.

"I give my sincerest of gratitude, Mother," I happily started, waving to my matriarch. "I would first like to give my thanks to all of you for being here for this occasion. It honestly makes me feel a lot more comfortable to be up here. Today is a very important day for me. Though it isn't my birthday—and I am honestly still unsure of when that day precisely is—it is still a day that will mark the beginning of something I doubt I will easily forget.

"Today, I make leave of Ponyville to go on a journey of self-discovery and exploration. I have lived my entire life here in Equestria, as I'm sure many of you may be aware, so I don't know what I'll find. I will make my start at the border of the Crystal Empire, and may likely make my trip one across this entire world! Along the way, I will try and inform you all of my progress and tell you of all the things I've learned across the way.

"But before I officially begin this undertaking, today, I invite you to eat, drink, and be merry with me! Today, we're going to have a good old-fashioned 'Best of Luck' celebration to truly see me off. I have met a number of very nice ponies here in this town already, and I'd like to get to know many more before I give my fondest farewell."

For a moment, I paused, throwing my scarf over my shoulder.

"So, what do you say we get this party started?!"

Judging by the surprisingly warm reception, I didn't think I needed to tell them twice.

***

After perhaps one of the most enjoyable fiestas of my life and an even better siesta, Spike and I found ourselves standing at the Ponyville Station Platform, awaiting the next train to the Crystal Empire. Most of the attendants of the party had returned to their normal routines, leaving only the six mares formally known as the Elements of Harmony to see us off.

"I'm honestly really surprised, Pinkie Pie," I said with a smile. "I thought I was going to be booed off the stage, but that had to have been one of the best parties I've ever had!"

"That's super!" Pinkie cheered with glee. "Another satisfied customer!"

"You really shouldn't be so worried," Twilight said with a tender smile. "This town sees a lot of crazy things on a weekly basis! A mad god, a rogue cerberus, an Ursa Minor, a swarm of Parasprites..."

Twilight kept going for quite a while up until Rainbow Dash nudged her.

"I think he gets it, Twi," Rainbow groaned.

"The point is, this town's seen just about everything you could throw at it," Applejack surmised.

"At this point, a feller like you ain't even close to being called a monster. You're just a little weird, is all."

"I think I'd prefer to call him 'exotic', personally," Rarity replied.

Fluttershy simply nodded.

"You know, you kinda look like something I saw in a dream once," Pinkie Pie remarked. "Only not as colorful."

"Really? Do you know what it was?" I asked, curious.

"Nope."

Twilight looked a bit curious as she smiled.

"You know, I think I know what Pinkie Pie's talking about, but I don't know what they were actually called," she said. "If you'd like, maybe I can tell you about it sometime."

I gave the idea some thought, but respectfully declined.

"Maybe later," I said with a smile. "I want to find out a little more about myself before I ask anyone else."

"Fair enough," my aunt noted. "It's a pretty good story."

Soon enough, the familiar hiss of a train screeching to a halt greeted our ears, and the conductor soon poked out from it with a stopwatch.

"All aboard for the Crystal Empire!"

I took a final sigh and smiled.

"Well, it looks like it's time to begin this journey at last," I said, opening my arm. "Group hug for good luck?"

Though I did not dislike the hug, I immediately found myself regretting having made the offer as all six of them piled on top of me for a tender embrace.

"Hugs!" Pinkie Pie gleefully exclaimed. "Hugs are always good!"

With the tender moment complete, I began to wave goodbye as Spike and I boarded the train.

"Wish me luck, girls," I said with a chuckle. "Something tells me I'm going to need it."

Twilight put a hoof to my shoulder. Once I turned around, she brought me into a more private embrace.

"Good luck, Lance." She said, giving me a tight squeeze. "I hope you learn a lot during all this."

I held Twilight's hoof in my hands and squeezed back.

"I will, Twilight," I assured her with a smile. "And I'll keep Spike safe at any cost."

With a final farewell, the two of us boarded the train with a fire in our eyes and a song in our hearts.

Now, the adventure truly begins.

Author's Note

My goodness, this beast took a while. Two months of procrastination, writer's block, and video games finally allowed me to complete this chapter.

With this chapter, the first arc of Hand in Hoof draws to a close.

What adventures shall our human and drake embark on? Stay tuned.

In addition, feel free to choose your own intro song. Personally, one song I kept going back to was "-Into Free- Dangan" by B'z, better known as the Menu Theme from the US release of Dragon's Dogma.

Chapter 9: Smoke, Snow, Shadows, and Sunshine

Chapter 9: Smoke, Snow, Shadows and Sunshine

As I had promised the citizens of Ponyville, I began my journey at the border of the Crystal Empire. I had thought to myself that if I was to start in any particular location, I would make that start my hometown, so to speak. Not long after Spike and I disembarked from the Friendship Express, we began to think of possible courses to go.

"Seeing as you're apparently the more well-traveled of the two of us, I'm trusting you to lead the way," I told Spike as we sat down, examining the map that the princess had kindly provided us.

"No problem," Spike said with a yawn, looking closer at the map. "We've got plenty of ways we could go about this." He then pointed towards what looked to be an approximation of a cityscape on the northeast corner of the map. "If keep northeast, we'll be able to reach Manehattan in a few days. From there, we could take a boat to Canterbury and trek across the Equestrian Union."

"Equestrian Union?"

As Spike dragged his finger across the map, part of Equestria disappeared into the left border of the map as another continent appeared before us. He spread his fingers apart, bringing more focus to it.

"It's a huge continent off to the East where most of Equestria's allies are," Spike explained, pointing to various regions. "Countries like Canterbury, Trotterdam, and Prance lie there. There's also a few members off southwest, too, which we call the Occident."

"And how exactly do you know all this?"

"Trust me, if you'd have had to live with me and Twilight, you'd learn a lot of things you wouldn't think you needed to know," Spike dryly replied. "Alternatively, we could go Southeast and into the Dark Lands. It's where a lot of Zecora's people live, but I think we'd be better off avoiding it for the time being. A good bit of it is desert, and there's apparently some political problems going on there."

I nodded, and allowed him to continue.

"We could also go West and into North Amareica, but not a lot of ponies have really settled it," the drake continued. "There's also South Amareica, but it's pretty much got the same problem. Not to mention the jungle."

Our options before us, we began to think of possible routes. Eventually, we decided on the first option on the basis of it having the most civilizations. Though it may have been more adventurous to go northwest or southwest and see what we could find, it would probably have been in our best interests to stay in territory that was at least somewhat familiar. After all, it wouldn't be much to write home about if most of our journey was spent wandering through forests and battling with the wildlife.

Our course laid out, we began to proceed through the mountains. Though it wasn't particularly freezing, I could still feel the chill of the mountain air through my clothes. In fact, seeing Spike with nothing but the scales on his hide actually surprised me to some degree. You could say it bothered me, to the point where I couldn't help but pop another question.

"Hey Spike," I asked as I cradled my spear against my shoulders. "How exactly can you stand the cold like that?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Spike chuckled. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Every dragon has a fire in his heart?'"

"No," I said back. "What does it mean?"

"It means that we can be just as hot on the inside as we are on the outside," Spike said with a smile. "We're made to survive in extremes, hot and cold."

I nodded in acknowledgment as we pressed on. Not but perhaps ten minutes into our travels, and already, I'd learned something about dragon physiology.

Much of the trek through the snow was, as expected, uneventful. That was, until we began to see some darker patches in the sky. A black, cloud-like pillar extended upward from afar, and an ashen smell took the air. It was faint, but still somewhat noticeable through the haze. As one might expect, this strange sight gave us both pause.

"Smoke?" Spike wondered aloud. "Who'd start a fire way up here?"

“No clue," I quipped back "But whoever it is, they might need our help. Let's go investigate."

We nodded to ourselves and ran in the direction of the smoke pillar. As we got closer, the smell of burning filled our noses and narrowly choked us of breath. Discarded pieces of tarp and tent poles laid abandoned in the snow. At the heart of it all was a royal purple earth pony who had made a nest of blankets in front of a large fire. She had a cropped cream mane whose tips had become ashen, and was clad in a bright yellow shawl. The hood was an equally bright scarlet, drooping behind her neck. Judging by the weave, she was a fire mage. She also happened to have a fire axe slung across her back.

"What are you doing this high up, Ma'am?" I called out. "Don't you know how cold it is up here?"

"Not really," snapped the mare, turning to face us. "I have fire spells to keep me warm. And the smoldering remains of a treacherous tent."

"Treacherous?" I parroted, cocking my head. "What makes you say that?"

"It collapsed on me and I almost suffocated," the mare snapped back. "So I returned the favor."

The both of remained silent for a moment.

"Did you tie it down properly?" Spike asked. "Or for that matter, drive the stakes in?"

The purple pony lowered her head with an angry frown. "I knew I forgot something."

The two of us shared a fit of internal laughter before righting ourselves.

"It's nothing, miss," I said, kneeling down as I searched through my pack. "I have a spare tent in here. I'm also on a bit of a journey of my own, and I'd be glad to share them both with you."

"Really now?" the mare replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I was just wondering what you were doing in the mountains. And for that matter, just what you are."

Boy, isn't that the question of the hour?

"Well, I supposed it'd be a good place to start. I'm on a quest to learn about friendship and other such things," I stated simply. "As for what I am, I'm not entirely sure. I'm not a race that most ponies seem to know about. That fact alone is about the extent of my knowledge." I placed a hand to my forehead. "I am Lance Petal, a Knight-Errant from the Crystal Empire."

"I'm not sure what kind of friends you'd make up here," the apparent pyromaniac replied. "Only frost giants, ice demons, and feral griffins are in these mountains. They're more likely to see you as a meal than as a comrade.”

The both of us audibly gulped down a lump in our throats.

“If I were you, I’d keep my lips tight about where you’re from,” she suggested, her eyes scanning from the periphery. “That place hasn’t existed for hundreds—maybe even thousands—of years. Not that they would care, of course, but someone out here might think you’re out doing espionage work, and that train of thought could make you quite the target.”

"I suppose I can get your name later, if that's the case," I shuddered, looking around. "Call it a hunch, but I think we might have eyes on us already."

"Oh? Just what were you hunting?" asked the arsonist.

"I wasn't hunting anything," I denounced. "I just have this feeling someone's about to—"

Before I had the chance to finish, a heavy rumbling interrupted us. We all looked about and tried to figure out what the source of it was, and as if on cue, a number of figures shot up from the snow. As the haze whipped around, we were surrounded by a pack of diamond dogs. They looked to be wearing rather warm attire, and their eyes were all aglow with a burgling intent. They also seemed quite a bit burlier than the norm.

"I just had to open my mouth, didn't I?" I groaned as I spun my spear into position. "Might as well skip the conversation and get to the action, then."

Spike seemed eager to get into the fray as he charged forth. I'll give the little guy credit, he's got quite a bit of spunk, but it quickly became apparent they were moving too fast for us to land a direct hit. Even with my experience with Brutus, he was just one. This posse must have been about four or five strong. Even as I swung what was sure to be a glancing blow, it missed entirely.

"Damn!" I grunted, scanning around as fast as my eyes could follow before centering on the earth pony. "Think you can give it a try?"

She nodded and began to weave together a spell. While it looked promising, something stopped it short of completion. Because of this, it ended up backfiring, leaving her face covered in soot. The diamond dogs were not amused, and soon began to circle us closer.

"Well...this is awkward," I noted, looking to her. "Shall we run?"

“Yes, let's," the mare agreed, turning tail and fleeing.

I was about to join her, before one of them pounced on me. He had me pinned down, making it impossible for me to reach for a weapon. Unfortunately for him, I was trained in case of such an event. I soon began to struggle against his pressure, pushing him back. Once I'd made an opening, I quickly seized it, hooking my arms around his. Then, with my hands against his back, the both of us went down with a suplex, giving me the chance to flee before they could catch up.

As I snatched up Spike, he looked fairly awed at what he just saw.

"Whoa," he gasped, looking at me in wonder. "What was that move?"

"Tiger Suplex," I gasped as we ran near to the earth pony. "Learned it from my trainer, Brutus."

Though it wasn't exactly my idea of a baptism by combat, it was good to finally get to use what I learned. I'd have to write this down once I made camp.

***

After running ourselves ragged in the cold snow and icy winds, we finally found refuge in a town called Snowpoint. From the looks, the town appeared to have been made of almost entirely thatched housing, supplemented by stacks of warm, glowing stones. As we caught our breaths, the earth pony looked to me with wide eyes. Our breaths hung in the cold air like a haze as we both took a large gulp of air.

"Let's never do that—again," the arsonist wheezed, knocking at her chest.

"Agreed," I replied back, sitting down as spike joined us. "In all that chaos, I never got around to asking for your name."

"The name's Napalm," she said flatly. "Nice to meet you."

I chuckled to myself for a moment "I suppose it fits."

Then, not long after, a scream pierces the air. As our heads turned, an emerald green crystal pony was defenestrated from the second story of what appeared to be a local inn, crashing to the ground in front of us. He bounced a single time as he neared us, and laid stagnant after.

"Well," I noted, backing slowly away from the body. "I think I'll pass on making sure he's all right. I'm sure he's made of sterner stuff than we are."

"I sure hope so!" Napalm gasped, also backing away. "That looked like it hurt."

"What's with that donkey over there?" Spike interjected, pointing to a nearby jackass near the door.

He looked to be a quite haggard fellow, clad in little but a black and white reverend's attire. By the dry look in his eyes, he'd seen much better days than this. I thought that perhaps some company might lift his weary spirits, and thus, I approached him with care.

"Well met, sir!" I called, waving. "Do you know what happened to this stallion?"

"I—don't know anything about that," murmured the stallion in a bit of a slurred tone. "Truly, I don't."

"Oh, goodness, you're drunk, aren't you," I asked flatly.

"Not quite there, I'm afraid," the stallion chuckled back. "Just a poor drifter, looking to have a roof over his head for the night."

"Do you mind sharing some booze?" Napalm offered.

The donkey nodded and passed his tankard over.

"I am Lance, a knight-errant of the Crystal Empire on a journey of discovery," I spoke clearly. "Perhaps you might fancy joining my friend and I?"

"Perhaps," hiccuped the stallion, looking to me with a slight glaze. "If...you answer me one thing, Sir Knight."

"What might that be?" I asked, curious.

"Just what sort of devil are you?"

It was at this point that I seriously began to consider wearing a name tag that read, "Hello, my name is Lance Petal. I don't know what I am, so please don't ask." Regardless, I sighed and gave him my most earnest of responses.

"I'm not entirely sure, sir," I said honestly. "Most ponies are settled on calling me a hairless ape."

"Hairless ape, eh?" chuckled the donkey bitterly. "I've known devils to take many a form. I will join you on your quest—to see how right I am. Let's hope you prove me wrong."

"Speaking of which, just where are we headed off to?" Napalm asked, breaking the flow as she downed what remained of the tankard.

"Wherever the roads take us," I replied with a bit more gallantry. "The best adventures always seem to be the more spontaneous."

"Knight, I've wandered these roads for quite a while, and I know only a few with my time," the donkey noted. "This may prove to be a new experience for me."

As our banter persisted, we began to catch wind of idle chatter.

"Did you hear about that changeling enclave outside town?"

"Yeah. Heard it may be some splinter group that formed a few years ago. I hear they might be guarding something."

"You mean that axe? The one that's said to drain the life of any it touches?"

"Yeah. Didn't it belong to that ram Grogar or something?"

The chatter went on for a few minutes before Napalm got a gleam in her eye.

"Well, gentlemen," She started with a smirk. "I think we've found some gainful employment."

She approached the group discussing the matter with a smile.

"Did you manage to gleam the location of this group?" she asked, looking over their shoulders.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" one of them stammered. "It's in the woods just outside the town limits."

Napalm smirked and turned to us.

"Well then," she offered, passing us with a flick of her tail. "What are we waiting for?"

"You mean you're actually going through with this?" Spike asked, looking up to me with concern.

"Well, we can't pass up a chance to help these ponies," I said as I crossed my arms. "Let's be off."

Spike seemed ready to object, but nodded in resignation.

"Very well, then," replied the donkey under his breath. "Lead on...devil."

With a new member in our party of four—our new jackass preacher henceforth will be known as Roughshod—we made leave of the tavern and to the city gates.

***

As was to be expected from poking one's head in the proverbial hornet's nest, the four of us were not greeted with warm reception. In fact, judging by the way these two changeling drones bore their fangs at us, I'd be inclined to think that they looked particularly unhappy to see us.

"Well, this is a warm welcome, isn't it?" I ponder aloud as my arms arc into a combat position.

Not missing a beat, one of the changelings immediately lunged for Roughshod, managing to sink his teeth into his hide.

"Oof!" grunted the donkey, trying to shake it off. "Filthy beast!"

For some reason, part of me got a chuckle at seeing a weathered jack like Roughshod trying to shrug off the equivalent of a big, equine-shaped tick. Napalm apparently had a similar thought in her head as I saw a spark igniting on her hoof.

With a calculated strike of fire and axe, Napalm was able to force the drone off our poor pastor's back, while I readied myself to retaliate.

"Hold still, you ass," I warned as I came near. "I'll lance this chitinous wart where he stands."

For a moment, time felt like it was crawling along. In this small confrontation, I felt something between myself and my weapon. As my eyes scanned across the battlefield, I seemed much more aware of my surroundings, as well as of weak points in my foes. Turning my spear to its broader side, I swung with an uncanny amount of precision. A single strike to the neck of my, and he was laid out upon the snow.

"Perhaps that will make you reconsider trifling with me," I stated, pointing my spear towards the other.

Roughshod, with his flank now freed of changeling fangs, began to take deep breaths. The aging mule gave a soft cough, the phlegm dislodging from his throat down to his esophagus as he did so. He stamped his hoof into the snow, his gaze the same texture as aging ironwood. His legs spaced apart as he turned his gaze to Napalm. With a spark igniting in those hardened eyes, he gave a shuddering, but resolute cry.

"Napalm!" he cried out. "I can smell the smoke from your robes. I've seen your magic flames burn bright, hot as the white of the sun. Burn these blasphemers to cinders!"

Napalm's eyes glimmered ever brighter, the flames of her passion becoming ever more apparent as fire pooled in her hooves. A grin came to her face as she gleefully examined the flood of power surging through her body.

"I think I have a better idea," she purred as she doused her fireball. "Why don't we press this one for information about the hive?"

I smiled back and looked to Roughshod, holding my chin.

"That does sound like a good idea," I agreed. "Might you have something that might help us persuade him?"

The weary pastor gave me a nod and began to lean in close to the changeling. Much like the rest of us, his cheeks rose and his lips curled upward. However, where our smiles were cocky grins and confident smirks, this grin was decidedly toothier. On the surface, he appeared jovial. But the more I looked at it, the more unnerved that I—and by extension, the remaining changeling—became. The air seemed to get colder as he walked near the drone, the smile never once fading as his eyes seemed to widen.

It was the kind of smile most sane men would never bear.

"Do you wish to brave the fires of purification?" he asked, leaning in close to the changeling.

The changeling cringed, and began to back away slowly, beads of sweat glistening off his chitinous hide.

"Tell us where your hive is, and I will spare you the wrath of the gods!"

At this point I could swear I saw the drone's resolve snap in two like a twig. What had once been a somewhat threatening guard was broken into a groveling mess. I practically felt sorry for the poor creature, especially having to see him be reduced to such a miserable state.

"The hive is near the rabbit warren!" he cried out, holding his face. "It's heavily guarded, though; we have Diamond Dogs on watch!"

I was going to make a comment about how trivial this first undertaking appeared to be, but it was quickly interrupted by Napalm soundly smashing the changeling over the head with the blunt end of her axe.

"There," she stated simply. "Now they won't follow us."

"Perhaps they will," replied Roughshod. "Perhaps they will."

"Not if we hurry out of here," Napalm countered.

"I doubt that they will return to their home until after we've left," Roughshod said as he looked into the cave. "Then again, I have been wrong before."

With our first minor conflict resolved, we set off in search of the warren to continue our quest.

***

Sure enough, as we made our way to the hive, there were diamond dogs on guard at the entrance. I had to make the assumption that this lot was here on the prospect that they'd get a cut of the profits that this supposed weapon of mass destruction would garner as ransom. After all, if there was one thing that could drive and persuade such folk more than anything, it was things like gems, jewels, ores, and coins; essentially, anything shiny of great value. As we made our approach, they looked particularly ready to tussle.

That was, until I allowed RoughShod to flex his oratory muscles.

"You, dogs!" He called out, pointing at them like some angry sergeant. "Why are you lazing about?! You have a post to guard, and we have business to attend to inside!"

Through what I could only call the "Bridlevarian Fire Drill", the diamond dogs actually took his full attention and complied. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, here's a personal tip if you ever find yourself in need of getting someplace important and don't really want to waste time fighting security; make yourself look and act as important and authoritative as absolutely possible. If done correctly, no one will challenge you, and you can save precious time in your adventure. Though it is not guaranteed to work every time, it can get you most anywhere you need to go. It can also be used to hail assistance in an emergency.

"Really?" one of them asked, scratching his head. "We didn't knows you were coming. Go right ahead!"

Roughshod smiled as he poked a particularly tired looking guard in the chest. "Look sharp, now!"

“Yes, mister loud donkey, sir!"

“Come along now," the pastor prattled, motioning for us to follow him. "Inside we go!"

As we walk past, deeper into the hive, the changelings looked absolutely baffled to see that we had managed to inside with impunity. The number of jaws dropped in that room was almost too priceless to document. That was, until one of them managed to snap out of their shock and return to his senses.

"Stop there, intruders!" he hissed. "You are not meant to be here."

While I had seriously hoped it would work a second time, it looked like the number of changelings in the room was giving the poor pastor a bit of performance anxiety.

"We—" he started, coughing. "We are indeed, yes."

With a bluff so meager and pathetic, the soldier knew very clearly that Roughshod was lying through his teeth, and he and his brood began to close in. One of them was looking at Napalm with particularly hungry eyes. Much like one of them had done to Roughshod, Napalm got to experience a similar pain of being clung onto by a changeling knocking into her backside.

"Sodding bug!" she cried out, trying to fling the creature off as another one of them managed to sink into my back.

As I tried to throw the creature off my shoulders, a stabbing pain brought me to my knees.

"Get off of me, you damned parasite!" I called, trying to get him off my body.

Whilst all this chaos was commencing, Roughshod gave Spike a glance. He had mostly been bringing up the rear for most of this encounter, making note of what we were doing and where we were going. As he looked deep into the dragon's green eyes, he got a familiar smirk on his face.

"Spike—" he started, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Though I know not of your experience, I can see it in your eyes. You have seen what these creatures can do. You have a warrior's heart inside you, brimming with the heat of passion! I ask you now to aid us, and show them searing heat of your unflinching resolve!"

As the two maintained eye contact, Spike stood there, hands at his hips. Our journey had only just begun, and yet now, his moment to shine was upon him. His claws curled up into fists, shaking with the tremors of burning force throughout his veins. A growing growl raised from his throat as he grit his teeth, a spark igniting in his mouth. In an instant, he pushed the priest away, grinning as he spread his legs apart, fanning out his arms.

Then, with a titanic breath, the room was filled with brilliant green flames. Dancing in a hot-blooded inferno, one of the changelings was engulfed by the heat of draconic flame. Seeing one of his compatriots be swallowed whole, attempting in vain to douse the flames, the parasite that had made his home upon my back detached, while the others stood firm in the face of danger. One of them charged after Roughshod, but tripped before he could go full tilt. Soon enough, only the four of us and the one changeling were left standing as Spike grinned toothily.

"Like ants with a magnifying glass." he grunted, his eyes sparking with emerald flame as he cracked his knuckles.

Part of me felt a pang of regret for what was about to happen to the one of the changelings. As the high of his bravado continued to fill his senses, Spike's eyes caught the failed charger. Crouching down and preparing my shoulder, he shot forward, the changeling's body against his as he sent the both of them to collide into a nearby wall. With a force of adrenaline he hadn't even known he'd had, Spike very nearly plastered the poor creature to the wall, leaving an imprint into the wall. The fact that he'd somehow still managed to keep standing was something of a miracle.

With a sigh of relief, Roughshod smiled.

"Lads and Lasses, let's tend to these wounds," he offered as we all gathered around him.

For the next few moments, the priest worked to mending any wounds we had incurred, sending warm, stinging recovery through our veins.

"By the sisters, I hope that we've cleared out the lot of them," I groaned as the old jack began to work his hooves over my back.

"That bastard bit me," Napalm hissed. "I hope I don't turn into some kind of lycan-changeling thing or some horse apples like that."

"Most likely not," I refuted with a chuckle. "We should be careful, though; those were drones, and where there are drones, there's almost always a queen."

"I worry not for some little bug devils," Roughshod scoffed. "They do not worry me."

"Won't that be fun?" Napalm giggled in a manner was supplemented by her hefting her fire axe. "I have my gift for her highness right here."

As if on cue, a piercing call rattled the walls.

"Who dares to tread upon my land?!"

Sure enough, the broodmother of the swarm appeared. She was flanked by two drones, both of which looking particularly powerful. Just by the look in her eyes, she cast an aura of a mare most certainly not meant to be trifled with. They looked prime to strike, and if we were to fight them, it would be a difficult encounter. Fortunately, the fickle fingers of Fortuna took fancy to us today.

Roughshod decided to step forward and put on his best ruse. Though I could see he was lying his way through another hairy situation, for some reason, something about that look in his eyes told me he wasn't just trying to bluff the queen.

"Your Highness, you are in great danger," he began in a stern tone. "There are things in this world that lurk beyond our normal perception. They wish to take you and your subjects under their control. We tried to exorcise them from your children, but they could not be saved."

Not surprisingly, by some marvel of his silver tongue, the queen bought his explanation like a cupcake freshly baked from Sugarcube Corner. Her eyes grew wide as she looked to me. Whether it was the success of Roughshod's ruse or some unknown familiarity this creature had towards me, she nodded towards her two subordinates.

"Stand down, you two," she barked as she neared me, her pupils widening as she approached me with a strangely genuine smile. "I believe diplomacy is in order. This one looks familiar to me..."

As she brought a perforated hoof to my chin, I gulped down a knot in my throat. Spike didn't look particularly pleased, either.

"Familiar?" I asked, my eyes scanning across the room. "I don't think we've met before."

"That may be," the changeling replied, gazing deeply into my eyes with her own purple pair. "But you remind me very much of a companion of mine. Someone I met long ago."

I had no idea what she was talking about at the time. But, I wasn't about to pass up a chance at avoiding a potentially fatal encounter.

"I apologize for my inhospitality," the queen cooed as she whisked a hoof through what was apparently her mane. "We set up this outpost in order to protect the townsfolk nearby. I had hoped that the pony folk would stay away for their own safety, but given that you have apparently dispatched my cadre of soldiers with impunity, I gather you must not be locals."

"N-No ma'am, we aren't," I stammered, trying to keep a brave face. "We came here because of rumors about your presence, and hoped to do something about the alleged weapon here."

The queen scoffed as she smirked. "Well, you've certainly found both. The axe is in fact here, but it is heavily tainted with a dark aura. Even with my cadre, efforts to cleanse it have been unfruitful. If you'd like to take a stab at aiding me, I would be more than grateful."

I gave pause for a moment. If such a weapon were so tainted, then what good would it do to try to claim it for profit? Who in their right mind would even take it? Would it be better to preserve it, or would it be best to destroy it? And just what would be the reward of either?

In a fit of impulsiveness, I clenched my fist and smiled a little too eagerly.

"We'll help you any way we can," I replied.

Judging by the reactions of my companions, they were none too pleased to see me so gung-ho about this.

"Did you even give this any thought?!" Napalm shouted, her mane appearing to briefly catch fire.

"About thirty seconds of it, to be exact."

I could tell that my friends weren't too pleased of my willingness to help such a homely matriarch. In fact, judging by the way that their various appendages grasped their faces, I would say they were most displeased.

"So, shall we proceed?" asked the queen as she winked at me.

"We are ready when you are, miss," I replied, leading the way as my spear drooped.

As the four of us joined the queen in the upcoming chamber, a chill ran across our shoulders. It was an almost deathly cold that nearly stopped the lot of us dead in our tracks. Though the two guards that stood with their queen looked stalwart as ever, the rest of us could definitely feel a sense of foreboding as we stood in awe at the objective of our endeavor.

A massive axe stood blade down in a massive platform of stone. A two-handed behemoth of a weapon, a single edge was driven into a black rock slab like a woodsman's timber axe, while a barbed pick jutted out from the other end. Glowing runes were etched across the entirety of it shape, a dull din filling the room. The cavernous structure of the hive served to make the noise much more maddening than it had any right being. If there were ever a candidate for “most obviously evil weapon to ever exist”, this would dropped from the running for being too professional.

“Well, whoever made this weapon must have worn his heart on his sleeve,” Roughshod grunted. “Even being in its presence makes my hide crawl.”

"You aren't alone there, 'Shod," grumbled Napalm as she began to rub her hooves together.

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this, Lance?" Spike asked, holding me by the shoulder. "I don't like the feel of this place... It feels like death."

Part of my conscience made me honestly wary of what I was about to engage in. I swore I could hear it screaming at me not to go through with what I was about to do. Were I a less naive sod, I may have actually listened to it, too. However, I had made a commitment, and I was going to honor it. I tried to put on my most comforting smile as I slid Spike's claw off my shoulder.

"We may as well get this over with," I said, readying my spear in my hands.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, then..."

And so, as the four of us gathered with the queen, we stood ready to face the massive implement of murder before us. Like a heavy fog, darkness billowed from its surface, reaching out to the entrance of its lair. Like some beast determined to trap its prey, the shadow conceived a seal to keep us cornered in. Too quick for thought, we were trapped like rats before we even had time to scurry back out. Though fear ran in our hearts, all we could do was face the coalescing darkness and fight it as best we could.

Soon enough, the shadows began to form a towering colossus. A creature of flaming shade took hold of the great axe as two massive, spiraling horns began to whirl at the sides of its head. Piercing red eyes stared us all down as four legs stamped into the stone and snow, a firm, almost stone-like body taking shape. It's form whipped to and fro as it stamped an ethereal hoof into the floor, smoke billowing from his muzzle. A low growl filled the cave as he reared up, prepared to strike.

The more I looked up at the towering beast before us, the more that doorway looked enticing in hindsight. I wasn’t expecting to have to exorcise a demon through combat.

The changeling broodmother was the first to take action, firing a bolt of eldritch lavender energy at the giant shade. A purple plume of flame splashed against the shadow, bouncing off his body like a burst of water. Though it wasn't the strongest looking burst, the colossus staggered slightly. However, it wasn't going to take that lightly, by the looks. As retaliation, the shadow buck reared back, his neck craning as he slammed down the axe with great fury, sending a wave of pressure to knock us back against the wall with a slashing gale.

With the aid of Spike, I was helped up to my feet, and the lot of us stared down at the beast that assaulted us.

"You'll pay for that, you fiend!" The drake called out, standing ahead of me as he entered the fray more personally.

Much as he had done prior, Spike reared back. A spark caught in his teeth as a ball of jade flame collected in his jaws. His body fanned outward, claws splayed as his legs stood firm, his spade-like tail bracing down into the ground. A guttural growl grew from his throat as he stood erect before the giant shadow. As we were wise to do, the majority of us stood back to refrain from getting caught in its blast. Judging from the amount of air that appeared to be drawing into his mouth, it was going to hurt.

A sphere of piercing jade shot from his mouth, a ring terminating behind it. It slammed into the body of the black ram, causing a considerable shift in his position as it briefly lost its footing. Its back smacked against the wall, and the two changeling guards were quick to take action. Bolstered by their queen's presence, they charged two-abreast into the creature, binding it to continued exposure. It writhed in the piercing light of two eldritch emerald flames, but was completely defenseless.

Napalm was quick to suggest a mode of action.

"The big guy's pinned!" she called out, flames roaring in her hooves that had yet to be truly unleashed. "Let's go for the finishing blow!"

I don't think any of us needed much incentive to oblige her. The five of us, including the queen, prepared our strongest offense possible. With careful aim, I tossed my spear forward. In turn, Napalm unleashed five plumes which orbited the spear during its flight path. The queen tipped the blade with her ethereal flames, and the rest was covered by a cone of Spike's draconic breath. Roughshod chanted something barely understandable, channeling his piety into the massive bolt we had constructed together. Our combined attack crashed into the giant with unrelenting force. What resulted was a shockwave of immeasurable force, a light of blinding intensity, and an almost unbearable heat.

It was as if we'd created a miniature bomb with the explicit purpose of cleansing this small part of the world.

Soon enough, the smoke cleared. In that short instant, the two guards had managed to miraculously pry themselves away in time to survive the blast. The shadow was gone, and most of its weapon had been reduced to little but slag from the heat. Spike aside, we soot covered us all. As we dusted ourselves off, all that we had to show for our accomplishment was a singed handle, glowing dimly before becoming an even shade of black. As Spike grabbed the remains of the weapon, Napalm grimaced.

"I guess that we won't be selling it, then?" she pointedly complained.

The queen smiled as she bowed to me.

"We cannot thank you enough," she said. "For your efforts, you're welcome to ask for any reward you choose."

As Roughshod reluctantly began healing the two guards, Napalm moved in close.

"Let's ask for lots of gold," she whispered.

"I doubt they have any," I whispered back. "But I think I know what we can do."

I approached the queen with a smile.

"If it is any consolation, we are sorry for intruding upon your land," I began in a calm tone.

"However, we came because of hearsay. It may not be safe for you here. If I might, I'd like to help you get to a safer place."

A smirk came upon the queen's face, while Napalm and Spike looked rather uneasy.

"I would be most grateful if you were to do so," the queen replied. "I have a husband back in the town of Pasofino that may be dying to see my face once again."

Napalm rolled her eyes.

"So we're backtracking, then," Spike noted, checking his map, showing that the town in question was back near central Equestria.

"It appears so," I replied.

Meanwhile, Roughshod appeared to be sprinkling some dust on the hilt.

"What are you doing over there?" I called, confused.

"I'm stabilizing it for transport," the donkey grunted. "We don't need its power flaring up, and it must be rendered fully inert."

I would have asked a follow up question, but I had decided it was an exercise in futility and decided to sit down and rest a moment. Spike gave the queen a careful look.

"You better not try and stab us in the back," he said, pointing to his eyes. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"You've got nothing to worry about, big boy," The queen assured. "I'll have you know I'm quite well known in Equestria."

Spike simply grumbled in response and sat with me. Today had been exhausting, and with our task mostly completed, I resigned this calm aftermath to take stock with Spike.

~~~

Dearest Mother,

Today, I have learned that first impressions can be deceptive things. Though the very notion of such a thing might be anathema to the purebred socialites back in Canterlot, I bore witness to the sight of an earth pony proficient in pyromancy. Fittingly enough, her name is Napalm, and appears to be quite mercurial. I can't say for sure, but I think she may have a few screws loose, as the saying goes. I sincerely hope that the next time we make camp, she doesn't set the tent ablaze.

I have also made acquaintance with a donkey by the name of Roughshod. Though I'm not certain of his religious standing, it is very clear that this is a man who must have had a great deal of faith. His voice, haggard though it may be at times, appears to be able to sway many folk. When we first met, he seemed to be intoxicated, and mistook me as some form of demon. Yet again, this spurs me ever more to find at least some evidence as to the nature of my people.

Finally, in my first quest—if it could even be called such—I've met a changeling queen for the first time. I do not know her name, but she calls my appearance as familiar to that of a companion of hers. She had made an outpost near a local town due east of the Crystal Empire's capital, and makes claim that she had done so as a precautionary measure to the villagers. Though the cursed battleaxe we discovered in said outpost may give credence to her statement, I am going to be wary for the moment. She claims her husband is in the town of Pasofino, and that she has a reputation in Equestria proper.

I am ambivalent as to the meaning of this, but for this writing, I will keep both my hopes and my guard equally high.

Yours In Love,

Lance Alexis Petal

Author's Note

Finally, I get this chapter out. First off, I'd like to give shout-outs to Krass McWriter and EracTick for the inital creation of Napalm and Roughshod, respectively. Second, I'd like to thank you for your patience, and hope that this chapter was worth the wait. Third, we get to see a familiar face in this chapter. Older fans of mine might recognize her. And finally, starting with this chapter, I'm going to be adding little tidbits of world-building and character information to these author's notes. The intent here is to act as a form of compendium of details that may be interesting to learn about concerning the world, the inhabitants of a region, and so on. For this chapter, I'll have some quick character snippets.

Lance Alexis Petal
Blood Type: A+
Signs: Aquarius/Tiger
Arcana: The Star

Spike
Blood Type: AB+
Signs: Libra/Pig
Arcana: Strength

Napalm
Blood Type: B-
Signs: Scorpio/Snake
Arcana: The Magician

Roughshod
Blood Type: O+
Signs: Leo/Goat
Arcana: The Tower

Chapter 10: Fireside Fables

Night fell on the snow-covered peaks. Though Napalm had burned hers, we had been able to afford tents and bedrolls for everyone. The queen and her subordinates had the good sense to wear disguises, at least. I suppose that was the benefits of the three of them being changelings. Although, the one concern that got me was the question of warmth.

Though most of my current party had coats of hair to keep warm, I wasn't as lucky. For that reason, while most everyone else slept in relative comfort, I was wide awake and shivering. Though I had spent much of my childhood up in the mountains, the cold was one thing I never quite enjoyed. It kindled a desire for warmth as hot as the campfire outside. As I walked out into the fire, I happened to notice that Spike was also wide awake, but appeared to be perfectly fine.

"Oh hey. Evening, Lance," he sighed, yawning. "Can't sleep?"

I shook my head. "I can't really get much sleep in this cold. I honestly don't know how you stand it."

"Dragon blood, my hairy bro," Spike replied impishly. "Dragon blood."

"Then how exactly are you up?" I asked, shuddering as I held my hands in front of the fire.

Spike said nothing at first. His violet cheeks started to burn a tinge of red as he twiddled his thumbs.

"I guess..." Spike stammered, trying to keep collected. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"Well, you aren't exactly alone there, Spike," I replied, looking up to him. "There's still a lot I haven't gotten sorted out yet. There's still a lot of questions in my head that just won't go away. Questions like 'What am I?', 'Where did I come from?', 'Who did I come from?'. Questions that, right now, even my dearest of family can't give an answer to."

"I've been there before," Spike said, nodding in understanding. "Way back when, I went on a journey just like this one. Back then, I was just a little baby dragon, and the great dragon migration was in full-swing. Just like you want to know more about your kind, I wanted to learn more about mine. But, when I got to see live dragons, they were all a bunch of selfish, greedy jerks. Though I didn't come any closer to understanding what I was, I got a better understanding of who I was."

The dragon placed his claw on my shoulder.

"I know how it feels to not know what you really are," he grunted, his breath tinged by a warm haze. "Just know this; In the end, no matter what happens, you're only what you make of yourself."

A smirk came to my cold face. For some reason, I found his voice to be quite uplifting.

"There you go, Champ." he chuckled, patting me on the back. "Remember, we're in this together. If you ever need somebody to talk to, I'm here for you."

A pause took the two of us as a cold breeze passed over the camp. The two of us shivered a tad as we drew closer in the cold. A fog was rolling in, and I could swear I saw a bipedal figure deep into it. As much as I desired to divine the silhouette, it became indistinct as retreated into the mist. As I wrapped my scarf about my face again, another nagging thought reared its head.

"Hey Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Spike's eyes grew wide. He seemed to be struck dumb as his claws pressed together in trepidation, a lump forming in his throat. I could hear him mumble as he nodded.

"Y—Yeah..." He murmured, clearly not happy to entertain the thought. "Why?"

"Well, just before we left Ponyville, Rarity took me to the Spa to get ready for the party. I'd never gone to one before, and I guess Aloe and Lotus have really firm hooves. They made me feel so good, I guess I must have passed out. I ended up having a really vivid dream. I was climbing up a mountain.

"At the top, some figure awaited me. She looked vaguely of my kin, but she wore a white hooded mantle. Before she could reveal herself, I was blinded. She snuffed out the light for me, and held me like a mother holds her child. She told me that, in searing light and blinding shadow, I mustn't let my resolve crumble. She also told me that the light has been fading fast, and that soon the shadow will swallow the fires of love and harmony. She wanted me to cherish any bonds that I make, for they're apparently going to make me stronger. She didn't stay long after that, but I could swear that she and I have some connection. I keep seeing her eyes in the haze. As if she's watching over me, like some kind of divine guardian..."

"Do you think she might be like a guardian angel?" Spike asked. "Or maybe some kind of goddess looking out for you?"

"I can't say for sure, Spike." I said with a shrug. "But if what she told me is true, then I should at least send a warning."

"We probably should," the drake agreed. "But we'd best wait for sunrise. At this hour, the Princess is probably asleep."

"Good point."

Another awkward silence followed. Spike began to absentmindedly scribble on a scroll with an eerie calm.

It is at this point I feel I should clarify something about my dear retainer. Though I'm sure the fact may be obvious enough from the prior chapter, I should point out that Spike is a quite large fellow. When I first met him, the man was but a wee lad that only came up to my thighs in size. Now, he's a head taller than myself, and with a far more imposing visage. In fact, I'm fairly certain that he could break my spine over his knee, if he so desired. The mere thought of that alone makes me glad that he's on my side.

"Do you think it could be a snow mare?" Spike interjected.

"Don't be ridiculous!" I chided, chuckling nervously. "There couldn't be one of those all the way up here...could there?"

"I don't know," Spike shuddered. "But I think we should get inside. They say they come out when it really gets cold."

I looked back at the tent, uncertain of how to interpret his reaction.

"You mean... Sharing a tent together?"

"Well, yeah," Spike snorted, giving me a strange look. "I can tell from looking at you that you're pretty cold. Seeing as I'm pretty warm, I thought we could huddle together. You know, so we could both sleep comfortably."

"But we're—" I choked a moment, my throat cold and dry. "Guys."

"And?" Spike quipped in an earnest tone. "We're both adults here, relatively speaking, and Equestria's not exactly one to judge on gender preferences."

"I'm not sure, Spike..." I stammered. "It's just... I've never been that close with someone before and—"

"Wait. You mean you've never done…that?"

"Done... what?"

"You know, that thing two ponies do when they're alone at night..."

My cheeks were practically burning.

"Oh, you mean that?!" I stammered. "No! Goodness, no!"

"You mean you've never been with a mare? Like, at all?"

I hung my head in defeat. "No..."

Spike buried his face in his claw. "There's one for the bucket list, then."

"What bucket list?"

"You seriously need to get laid," Spike snapped flatly. "You're like, what, fifteen years old, and you haven't been with somepony?"

My body felt a lot warmer, but not in a good way. I couldn't find the words to respond. Only gestures of utter bewilderment and defeat as my embarrassment took hold.

“It's not like I have much in the way of options," I muttered somberly, my voice only barely eking itself from my throat. "What, with the whole 'only one of my kind' problem."

Spike sighed, frowning as he held my shoulder, helping me inside as he produced a small kerchief.

I felt absolutely pathetic. Loneliness once again took my heart as that nagging fear returned. I curled up in a mix of melancholy and coldness, my arms around my knees as my forehead retracted itself into my thighs. For several minutes, I just sat there, wallowing in whatever I was meant to wallow in. I didn't make much of a sound, aside from the whimpers my throat let out.

It was then that two claws grasped my chin, and a pair of green eyes stared back at me. The owner of said eyes didn't say much of anything, instead vying to hold me tight, my head brushing against his chest. Spike's spade-like tail snaked around my waist as he gingerly grasped me, wrapping a blanket around us as he started to unbutton my shirt, intent on sharing his warmth with me.

I couldn't protest, even I wished. For some reason, the heat of his chest burned away my cares as one of his claws held my head.

"I'm sorry," he grumbled as he tossed aside the blue top wear. "I didn't mean to upset you."

I remained silent, nodding into his chest as I began to listen to his heartbeat.

"I'm not exactly a grand slam, myself," he muttered. "Truth be told, I haven't been with a mare, either. I've got my sights on one, sure, but the most I've gotten is a kiss."

I looked up at him, curious.

"You mean Rarity?" I whispered, wiping my eyes with the cloth.

Spike nodded, loosening his grip as we laid down.

"I don't think I have to tell you she's a knockout of a gal," Spike chuckled. "I just haven't gotten the chance to ask her."

I smiled and turned around, letting him wrap his arms around my waist.

"I'm sure you'll find a special somepony someday," he assured, his chin against my shoulder.

As strange as it was to share his embrace, I slowly began to feel more and more comfortable inside it. True to his word, his scales felt warm against my back, and as burly as he was, his caress was gentle and restrained. As queer as the sensation of sharing a bed with another guy, I felt at ease with Spike. To me, he seemed like a big brother, wanting to keep me safe. And if I'm to be completely honest, I was okay with that.

"Just so we're clear, this a brohug," the dragon grunted between his teeth. "Emphasis on bro."

The two of us shared a brief chuckle before drifting off to sleep.

)) O ((

What my eyes beheld now was a small room of blue velvet. In front of me was a panel of buttons arranged neat rows. Most of them were dim, while the topmost one from the right, emblazoned with a changing moon, was lit. A small panel above that one indicated I was rising upward. Behind me was a silver railing, which I grasped expediently as I got back on my feet. After looking around, I confirmed I was in some form of elevator.

A chime sounded as the rising room jerked to a halt. The light on the button panel flickered off. Two doors pulled apart as twelve subsequent chimes followed, revealing a rather impressive loft. Shelves of books and several doors lined the walls as the shadow of a pony stood out in the moonlight. A table with a large stack of cards laid before me as I took a seat, my hands in my lap.

"I shall be with you in a moment," called the pony as she drew a pair of equally-velvet curtains behind her.

Suddenly, with only the faint glimmer of magic, the cards shuffled themselves, five laying out before me. On their backs lay a mask, one half black, the other white. They briefly flashed before laying stagnant on the tablecloth. The mare's shadow passed through the curtains, revealing the dark coat of Princess Luna as she joined me at the opposite end of the table.

"Apologies for making you wait, nephew," she stated calmly. "I was merely admiring the moonlight."

"It's nothing, really," I replied, a hand behind my head. "But if I may ask, where exactly am I right now?"

Luna smiled as she flicked the lights on, bathing a softer shade of blue, revealing a few other amenities to the room, including a billiards table, a sofa and coffee table, and an ebony piano whose keys moved by some unknown force.

♪

"We are in a place that exists between dream and reality," she began, turning over one of the cards to reveal a golden tower, split apart by a bolt of lightning. "A place that serves as a neutral venue for the subconscious. A place of guidance and wisdom to those who choose to seek it." Another card turned, revealing a crescent moon. "A place from which the greatest knowledge can be divined."

She paused before turning the two cards back over, shuffling them back into the deck.

"I welcome you, Lance, to the Midnight Lounge."

A set of twenty-two cards flashed onto the table, as Luna kept her jubilant grin.

"I take it those cards were referring to some kind of trouble?" I asked, curious.

Luna chuckled in surprise. "A sound interpretation, young one. The Moon represents illusion, fear, and bewilderment, while The Tower can often refer to a sudden change or troubling event."

"Much like you...right?"

Luna gave a bittersweet ditter. "In a sense, yes. But, the two can also refer to a crisis to which the answer is not fully understood."

"What do you mean?"

"With every life, there is a journey," Luna explained, turning over the first card of the set, revealing a beggar at the edge of a cliff side, a dog nipping at his fetlocks. "We all begin as fools, simple souls with an innocent faith."

The card began to slide to the center of the table.

"Foolish though he may be, The Fool is not one to be taken lightly," she noted. "The Fool is number zero for a reason. He is the empty void from which infinite possibility is born."

Several other cards flipped over, revealing a wide variety of imagery, from a unicorn holding a pyre in his hands to an alicorn holding staffs in its hooves.

"From these twenty-two cards, much can be divined—one's future, one's present, one's friends and rivals..." Luna trailed off as the cards slid into one stack again, three cards facing me once more."Even one's own self."

With a flick of her hoof, three cards flipped over. The card to my left was The Moon, a card I had previously seen. The card to my right was The Hermit, depicting a stallion holding a lantern. In the center was The Star, depicting an image not far from the cutie mark of Twilight Sparkle.

"A fitting combination," Luna noted. "A conflict of extremes, with serene hope in the center."

"And this is good, right?" I asked, unsure of how to read the cards myself. Luna chuckled.

"In you, I see a definite potential," she said in a calm town. "But it is yet to be refined. Only when tempered by bonds pure and true, and by a journey of discovery and trials, can it be truly realized."

I sat quiet, unsure of how to respond.

"Much as you are, Twilight and her companions are eking out their own journey," the princess continued. "As friends, they collaborate towards a shared goal. However, as they work, foes of many kinds lie in wait to strike at a moment's notice. Though the call to adventure is not answered by all folk, its heralds are many."

"So there might be others doing what I am?" I asked, curious."

"Oh, most assuredly." Luna replied. "It's only a matter of whom."

I tilted my head, confused.

"What exactly am I doing here, Aunt Luna?"

The lunar princess chuckled as the deck shuffled itself once more.

"As a warden to the sleeping, I often guide rambling ponies," she explained, floating a new triplet before me. "Along your journey, should you seek my guidance, I shall offer you my wisdom, and allow you to plan for the future."

A pair of ponies, a divine symbol, and a sagely pony revealed themselves on the card faces.

"It seems that you will come to meet somepony soon," she began, her eyes glossing over the set. "They shall hold some significant wisdom, and will help to guide you."

Luna smiled as she retracted the cards back into the deck, nodding to me.

"Before you leave, I must make certain you understand something," she pleaded as she allowed me to stand. "Though the Arcana are the means by which all is revealed, their revelations can hold meaning much later than you may expect them. Much as Twilight had learned from her encounter with her future self, preparing for what could be imminent disaster, without knowing what lies ahead, can lead to unforeseen consequences. Sagely, though my advice may be, it should also be taken with a grain of salt."

I nodded, shaking the princess's hoof. "I will keep that in mind."

"Then you are dismissed," Luna declared as the chime of the elevator sounded again. "Until we meet again, nephew."

I smiled as I waved goodbye, walking into the elevator calmly, if a little confused.

Perhaps this journey shall prove interesting.

Author's Note

Well, this certainly escalated quickly. At least, it did for me. What wonders a dirty mind can conjure when Persona's on the brain. Not as long as my usual fare, but I feel I've accomplished something nonetheless. In any case, on with the compendium! For this one, I've got two entries.

Snow Mares: Also known as Yukki-Onna in Neighpon, Snow Mares are a form of Wendigo. Much like the Kitsune, there are stories both good and ill of this spirit of snowy mountain types, ranging from helping wayward travelers lost in blizzards to dooming them to the icy chill of death. As its name implies, it takes the guise of a snow-colored mare, often wearing loose clothing, if anything at all.

Gender Preferences: Due to a balanced, but disparate gender ratio, it is not an uncommon sight to see homosexual or polygamous relationships in Equestria. In fact, though it has become more common in recent years, a single mare and stallion in a relationship was once considered to be quite taboo, if not outright selfish for both parties.

Chapter 11: Sinking Shadows and Rising Suns

As I left the Midnight Lounge, I was treated to the sight of the hallway, in all its utilitarian glory. I suppose it would fit that such a boring hall would be the one that I walk. Having no other options, I made my way across and greeted the elevator once more. With that same chime that they made before, the doors slid open, welcoming me inside. I glided my hand across the frame as I stepped inside, holding onto the railing as the doors shut before me.

As I slouched against the railing, the panel of buttons caught my attention again. Upon further inspection, I had discovered that there were at least twenty-two numbered keys, not counting the changing moon button at the top or the typical array of buttons at the bottom. The majority of them were written in the same font as the one found on the face of Ponyville’s clock tower, with most of them dim, with the sole exception of the eighteenth button. Though I will go on record that I am not exactly an expert in the field of divination, the fact that this particular light was apparently on when I entered was fairly telling. It made me wonder just who had been in here before me. My only choices were either to stall the elevator by pressing another button, or to simply wait it out. Though neither choice was particularly enticing, I chose the lesser of two annoyances and let it proceed downward.

Another chime sounded, and the doors opened shortly thereafter.

Before me now was a much colder hallway, which ended at a wooden door. The door seemed rather old, and bore a queer-looking knob. It appeared to be made of brass, and was spherical, as opposed to the flat lever shape most doors in Equestria were known to sport. Flecks of decaying paint seemed to be peeling away with merely my stare alone. The doors behind me had already shut, and curiosity bore at me like a starving wolf.

"I suppose I don't have much choice but to see what's inside," I murmured to myself as I turned the knob.

The door opened a crack, a single finger of light creeping across the floor of the room. It tapped lightly against the room's centerpiece: an empty crib. My ears pricked at the sound of a gentle crying, echoing throughout the room. They were not the wails of a forlorn babe, nor were they the shrieks of a scorned toddler. The sound of muffled, fearful sobs came from the center of the room.

As I cast a glance from side to side, searching for some source to the weeping, I opened the door ever so slightly. A single step into the room increased my vulnerability, but also gave me precious, precious information. The volume of the sobbing remained unchanged.. A single bulb hung above me, the light dim and flashing. I gave a whispered curse at the damage my night vision would suffer from its flickering. I approached the cradle, peripheral vision focused and sharp, and leaned over the plastic bars carefully.

A single doll lay in the bed, discarded and dirty. Ragged ears hung from a moldy, half-stitched head. Patches of the skin were missing, most of the stuffing missing. And still a voice came from the crib, sniveling to itself. I swallowed as I picked the doll up.

That was when I heard footsteps approaching from the door.

Facing me now was what appeared to be a small child. His countenance was a ghostly pallor, his skin as pale as moonlight. His hair was deeper shade of brown to my own, almost to the point of being black as pitch. His eyes seemed to be sunken in, as if he'd not been laid to rest in years. Yet, what appeared to be the most distinct contrast between the two of us were the uncannily bright pair of blue eyes he wore. A shade of great saturation and brightness, they shone almost like those a cat would have. And yet, though his irises were in great relief, he seemed to lack any pupils; only a dark gradient where such things could have been.

Neither of us made an attempt at conversation. Perhaps it was out of fear of what the other would say in response. Perhaps this child of indeterminate origin was as timid of me as I was in turn. Whatever the reason, the sobbing persisted. He looked to me blankly, his lips halfway between smiling and frowning as he extended an arm to me. His finger was aimed at the doll I now had hanging limp by an arm in my off hand. In turn, I knelt down to meet him at eye level, presenting the disheveled doll to him. Much like how a dog might grasp a treat from his master, the child took hold of the toy in ravenous trepidation.

"They're coming, you know," he whispered in low monotone.

My eyes grew wide as I looked to the child in disbelief. "Who?"

The child became silent again. Not another word past those four came across his lips as he turned his head toward the nearby window. He remained quiet as a mouse, simply staring out. Then, upon approach, he vanished. His form collapsed into dust, miscellaneous bones, and what looked to be rocks of sidereal origin.

As I turned to better observe what he was viewing, I caught sight of the moon. Though it was full, something was clearly off. It seemed larger than I'd previously known it to be. The normally white celestial body had been tinted a shade more green and appeared to have a small corona glowing off of it. Its maria were far more visible, yet seemed to be fading the closer I looked.

Turning back, I walked briskly to the elevator, being prudent not to step in the remains of the child. The door shut behind me as I made my way down the hall. An urge to hasten myself took control as I mashed my finger onto the singular button on the panel next to me. As the doors opened, I darted inside like a rabbit ducking into a burrow. I hammered the button to close the door with great fervor, hoping it would seal me away from any further madness.

At first, I heaved a sigh of relief as the din of the elevator's descent filled my ears. Then, in an instant, the whole thing jerked to a halt. The screeching of metal against metal and the whine of a failing pulley shivered my timbers like a banshee's cry. My heart rate shot up as I hugged the railing, hoping it would give me something to hang onto.

And then, with a lashing snap, my body began to float to the ceiling. I hung desperately to the rail, my legs raising up as I hooked my arm around as best I could. My grip, though tight, was already beginning to falter, my fingers gradually slipping away. Try as I might, I couldn't hold on for much longer. Eventually, as I felt my tips tense up, I returned to free fall, unable to find anything else to brace myself against. I found myself trying to reach the ceiling and pop open the emergency hatch.

And yet, no matter how hard I tugged or pushed, the latch of the hatch just wouldn't budge. As much as I wished to do so, I couldn't get the thing to move. With each failed attempt, I felt more and more desperation sink into my heart. The lights began to dim, and my resolve began to fade with it. A bone-chilling sensation of dread poured inside of me as darkness began to cloud my sight, sapping away at my resolve little by little...

And then, as if from nowhere, a voice rang in my head. A voice similar to, yet equally distinct from my own.

Don’t forget.

Always, somewhere,

someone is fighting for you.

As long as you remember her,

you are not alone.

A thud rang in my ears. The sound of metal being ripped apart roused me from my lethargy. In the vaguest periphery of my vision, I saw the faint appearance of a hand grasp my arm. Though I was barely conscious, I could feel a tight, yet tender grip pulling me out from that accursed contraption. Then, as my head broke the surface of the emergency hatch, all became clear again.

A loud crash rang through the shaft, and I found myself floating above the wreckage of what could have very well been my coffin, were it not for the mysterious figure's intervention. As I looked around, not a single trace of my savior remained, save for the chill of snowflakes grazing my shape. As I lifted my face in search of whomever helped to spare me from my doom, all that awaited was a radiant mass of lavender light at the top.

As it dragged my body forward, I felt a warm embrace surround me, covering every inch of my body as I was consumed by it's star-like power.

***

I woke with a start to a whistling wind and a crackling flame. A brisk breeze brushed my chest as I was slowly into consciousness. Quickly, I righted myself and put on my shirt and coat, making sure everything fit snugly. My beret quickly followed, and as I made my exit from the now-empty tent, I flicked my scarf across my face.

A mild tension welcomed me as I saw my companions surrounding a fire. As the crunch of snow resounded, Napalm tittered, her gaze fixed upon me.

"Hey there, monkey boy," she chuckled, holding a hoof to her mouth. "Enjoy your night with—"

Spike quickly stayed the earth pony's tongue with a jab of her shoulder.

"What we did last night is none of your business," Spike grumbled. "It was just a personal moment between brothers."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Napalm muttered.

The changeling queen's eyes went wide as saucers as she saw my face.

"Goodness, child!" she, looking upon me closer. "You look as though you've seen a ghost!"

"To be honest, I'm starting to think I did," I replied.

"Care to tell us about it?" Roughshod mumbled as he balanced himself on a cane.

I nodded as Spike handed me a mug of cocoa.

"Careful," the dragon warned. "It's hot."

I nodded as I took a sip.

From there, I began to recount in as accurate a detail as possible my recent dream. As I'm sure you're aware, dreams can often be quite difficult to remember in full detail, unless you happen to have eidetic memory. Given what I experienced, however, it would be pretty difficult to forget. To be honest, the way I was able to describe what I experienced made me wonder why I chose to be a soldier instead of an orator or bard. I could tell that my traveling company was more than a bit at intrigued the events I detailed to them.

"Well, Luna visiting ponies in their dreams is nothing really new," Spike stated. "Though, I don't think I've ever heard of her setting up some lounge just to have a personal talk with somepony before."

"Nor have I ever heard of a child that looked remotely like what you just described," Roughshod rumbled. "To me, it seems like a personal problem."

"There's definitely something personal about that spirit you mentioned, too," Spike noted. "This is the second time you've had a dream involving her so far. There has to be some connection between her and you."

I nodded, looking longingly into my cup of cocoa before taking another gulp.

"What gets me is what the boy said," I replied. "What could he mean by 'they're coming"?’ Who could he be referring to?""

"Well, considering he was pointing to the moon, there's only one thing it could be," Roughshod grunted.

"And that would be?" The queen asked, her brow quirked up.

"The Nightmares," Spike spat sourly.

Our attention was now fully on Spike by this point. I'll admit, I was probably the most curious by Spike's conclusion, and I doubt I was alone in wanting to see where it went.

“Where do you get an idea like that?” Napalm asked, essentially mirroring our collective thoughts.

“It’s happened before,” the dragon began. “A good few moons ago, Twilight and her Ponyville friends were having really bad nightmares. Nopony could get any sleep, so we decided to have a sleepover as a means of figuring out just what the hay was going on.

“Everything went pretty well that night, until we started falling asleep. That was when Rarity started screaming and woke us all up. We could barely see it, but she was being swallowed up by this eerie black smoke, and she disappeared into the moonlight. We didn’t know what to do until Luna showed up. We hooked a big rope to the moon and—”

“Now wait a minute,” Napalm interrupted. “You’re telling me that instead of teleporting to the moon, you took a big rope and just lassoed the moon closer?”

“Have you ever tried teleporting to the moon,” Spike refuted. “It isn’t exactly a close target. Not to mention, they could have had something that prevented direct magical contact to to the place. If we actually tried, we may have ended up starved for air and burned alive in the vacuum of space.”

I gulped, trying to keep my brain from composing the image of six hollow, burned bodies scattered on the lunar maria.

“Anyway, we hooked a big rope to the moon and used it to enter the Lunar Dreamscape,” Spike continued, “There, we encountered the Nightmares in pony. They tried to force us into submission by showing us our worst fears. Thankfully, none of us were willing to give an inch. That was, until Rarity showed up, looking just like Nightmare Moon! She was everything my darling wasn’t, and she nearly drove us all apart. If it weren’t for our strong bonds, we may have lost against them long before they took the fight to Ponyville.”

“Fair enough, but what does this have to do with my nightmare?” I asked.

“Well, think about that spirit we fought yesterday,” Spike replied. “Maybe that spirit was a Nightmare.”

“If that’s the case, then what was it doing inside of an axe?” the queen quipped.

“That’s simple,” Spike said. “It must have not been able to live inside another living thing, so it put itself in that axe. Then, when it got destroyed in our fight, he splintered off and part of it must have gotten onto you."

My eyes shot wide open when Spike concluded his theory. I clutched a hand to my chest, unsure of how to respond. A chilling fear took me as I kept my eyes on the dragon. Was I contagious? Was I in danger? I didn’t know what to think. I’d never been told about the horror of a Nightmare, and yet the very thought of having one inside me was harrowing.

“So what can be done?” I asked, my heart feeling very hollow in my breast.

“I’m not sure, Lance,” Spike responded. “The last two times that this happened, both Luna and Rarity were almost completely taken over. Heck, it took an army to both drive back the Nightmare forces and cleanse Rarity, and we’re just a ragtag bunch of misfits! Granted, Twilight and the gals weren’t exactly fighters to begin with, but it wasn’t exactly easy either way.”

“Then is there at least some way to prevent it?” I asked, worry beginning to build up inside of me.

"There's not much that can be done," the queen replied. "Just as we are creatures who feed upon love, the Nightmares exude and propagate hatred and fear. We do not yet know for sure if you're under the thrall of one, however."

It was then that the queen left a hoof upon my shoulder.

"If it is advice that you seek, I can offer you only this," she whispered. "Keep yourself in high esteem. These creatures will exploit any weakness and make any bargain they can to assume control. Do not, under any circumstances, show weakness to them. Fill yourself with hope and chase away the specter of despair."

As I looked upon the queen, she had taken the guise of a crystal pony, her body shining, shimmering, and splendid. Her coat was a bright amethyst, her eyes a slightly darker shade. Her mane was wispy, a gradient of pink and violet that swept across her back. For whatever reason, it reminded me of a blooming wisteria.

“The Nightmare is a beast that will wait until you’re weakest, Lance,” the queen continued. “Don’t let it have that opportunity. Even to your final breaths, stand tall and wear a smile. Save your tears for the end and set your fears to the wayside. Defy the will of fate and carve your own path.”

To be completely honest, the rhetoric of the queen was starting to seem rather odd. Though it did lift my spirits considerably, the way she seemed to speak brought to mind a wizened mystic more than a reagent displaced from her home. I assumed she took the form of a crystal pony to establish a sort of “hope springs eternal” message. Though most of it seemed superfluous, the point was made, and we prepared to set off shortly thereafter.

Once we’d packed up, we set along the mountain trail and began to make idle chatter to pass the time. Though it was not as arduous as I’d expected, the wind chill was definitely a formidable force. It brought back to light old memories of having to endure the cold winds of the Crystal Empire bereft of my clothes at Uncle Shining Armor’s behest. Though it wasn’t exactly unpleasant, the feeling of exposure from those days was wearing at me, making me yearn more for the warmth of civilization. Failing that, some form of sanctuary better than our makeshift camp would do us all a world of good.

***

For most of our trek, we were unmolested, but we found ourselves stopped in our tracks at the sight of a strange mare standing at the nearby vista. Her form was tall and lithe, almost like a nymph in structure. The majority of her upper body was covered in a lavender cloak, her face hidden by a high collar. Save a wisp of golden locks, her head was masked by a hood. The cloak itself wasn’t even a particularly large one, either. Just large enough to reach down at the waist, revealing that it was in fact a biped like myself. I could see brief glimpses of her mane tied up behind her, a small portion poking out from her cloak and flowing onto her tan tabard. She was also sporting chainmail, as well as what could only be half-plate greaves and gauntlets.

On one of her hips, a scabbard hung limply, a sword resting inside away from the cold. However, in the mare’s off-hand was a spear. The shaft was made of a particular wood that I’d recognized as being native to the Empire, with an edge styled after the spoke of a snowflake, with a center blade and two smaller blades jutting out from it. Etched into its shaft was a spiraling pattern shaped like the winter winds, while its blades carried a strange runic pattern. The scabbard was a bold crimson, contrasting to most of her outfit.

There was something…familiar about this mare, but I couldn’t point my finger on what. All I could do was try to make contact with her, spurred with eagerness.

“Excuse me, miss,” I called out calmly, waving my hand. “Are you lost?”

The mare’s head crooked over to me, her spear turning in suit. I could feel some odd sense of pressure coming off her body. I could see a vague tuft of white frills across her hood, and an ephemeral flash of some strange power.

“Lost?” she asked in reply. “Not particularly.”

“Then what are you doing up here?” Spike asked.

“Nothing of consequence,” the mare responded, turning to face us proper. “Just admiring the view while I take a rest.”

Something felt strange as the mare eyed me up. She bore eyes that seemed both innocent and heavenly, yet cold and calculating. A look of interest and determination took her face before she leveled the edge of her spear to me.

“You look like a hard type,” she murmured, her eyes cast down across the blade as they met mine. “What say you to a duel?”

“A duel?” I parroted. “All the way up here?”

“You have an objection?” the mare asked, idly rolling her wrists.

“Well, for one, we’re complete strangers,” I replied, my spear lowered. “I wouldn’t want to fight someone I’ve only just met.”

“I see,” she said with a straight face as she lowered herself into a proper stance. “Then allow me to offer you some encouragement: Face me in a duel, and I’ll tell you my name.”

Part of me felt a bit wrong with facing a member of the fairer gender in combat. But, as memories of sparring against Firefly all those years ago returned to the forefront of my conscience, I quickly realized that it would be a hypocrisy to refuse her challenge.

“Very well, then,” I responded, flinging off my scarf. “En garde, you Jane Doe.”

The mare smiled, making an odd gesture with her off hand before getting into a proper stance.

“I’ll allow you the opening strike,” she said with a smirk. “I expect you to hit me with your best shot.”

Naturally, I obliged her request, thrusting at her as a fencer would with his foil.

The mare responded in kind, using the forked blades of her own spear to parry mine, locking me in place as she brought me closer. Then, as she had me in her grasp, she spoke again.

“Just so you know, there’s no running away from this,” she warned, bringing a palm near my chest. “I’ve set up a barrier around our little battlefield. No one comes in our out until one of us goes down.”

“How far does it go?” I asked, cringing slightly.

The mare smiled. “You’ll know it once you feel it.”

With a surge of power, I was sent crashing into a wall of force, a rippling surface meeting my back as it cushioned my descent. A deep spike of pain shot through my back as I began to slide against the surface. Through some miracle, the pain didn’t last nearly as long as it likely should have. By the time I was back on the ground, I was able to shrug off what remained and get back to my feet, with a little stagger.

“Admirable resistance,” the mare complimented. “Recovery’s a bit shaky, but it’s sooner than I would expect. Though I suppose that attack was a bit unfair. From here on, I’ll keep strictly to melee combat.”

Gee, seems a bit late for that, don’t you think?

I pursued the sorceress swiftly, swinging my spear with great speed, attempting to strike sure and true. However, she appeared to be particularly prepared, riposting it expertly. Our two spears clanged into each other with great force, flecks of sparking metal shooting off from the resulting clash. The two of us were now locked at the blade, pushing against one another to press an advantage of some sort.

However, it appeared that either one of us was going to have to make their own advantage, or we’d both have to disengage.

The mare seemed content with doing just that, backing up just a tad before rearing her blade into mine again, this time twisting it in her hands. Then, with a sharp yank, my weapon was ripped from my hands, leaving me exposed.

Quickly, I drew my longsword, taking the hilt with one hand as I braced my hand against the broad end of the blade. The forked edge of her spear clashed against my blade, and in a deliberate gambit, I placed my edge between the blades, aiming to repeat what she had done. With a sharp twist, I wrenched the spear out of my opponent’s hands, sending it spiraling into the ground. The sorceress-swordsman drew her own blade in response. a confident smirk on her face.

“I have to say, I’m impressed!” she called out, her naked blade between her eyes. “For someone who doesn’t appear to know a thing about magic, you certainly do know how to to turn a battle around.”

I smiled a bit myself, swiping my sword’s edge with my sleeve.

“Now it comes down to a contest of skill,” I replied, pointing my blade to the mare “What decides this will be a matter of our own experience.”

With a nod, we approached each other, swords in hands. We peered between our blades, our eyes fixed on one another as we paced about. For several moments, we strafed around our invisible ring, careful of our footing. We didn’t know who would make the first strike, but we both carried a certain paranoia as we scanned each other. Whoever went first would be able to press an advantage, if they had the skill to do so.

Then, with a scrape of stone against our boots, we stopped. Our eyes were locked, and we each entered our own stance. The magi dipped low, her legs bent close to the ground, and I raised my sword near my shoulder, the edge of it tapping my collar as I spread my legs outward. A silence fell on our battlefield, broken only by the shrill of a high mountain wind whistling in our ears. It was quiet enough to hear the beating of my own heart, and I could hear an indecipherable whisper in my ear.

Then, with plumes of dust kicking up past our feet, we charged towards each other. My sword trembled in my grip as I thrust forth the edge towards my challenger. For a moment, my eyes were shut, and not a single sound graced my ears. Sweat dripped down my face as I exhaled for a brief moment of reprieve. Something didn’t feel right, however. I didn’t hear the clash of metal against metal, nor a cry of pain as metal cut into flesh. Instead, a dead silence greeted me.

Then, a strange sensation filled me. A prickling filled my body. Though I was sure I was awake, I felt as if pins and needles were pricking away at me, as if I were recovering from a body-wide case of paresthesia. I didn’t know why it was happening, but something told me that its instigator was closer than I’d care to acknowledge.

In an instant, I felt my body jerk to one side, and felt a sting of pain across my brow. It happened so fast, it took me a few moments to even register that I’d been hurt in the first place. Several gasps filled the air as my left hand cupped my face instinctively. My eyes shut, and I felt the rasping of a blade back into its scabbard.

A concerned hiss greeted me as I felt a cool hand touch my forehead.

“Sorry about that,” the woman sighed as she leaned into me. “Looks like first blood. Doesn’t look too deep, though. It’ll heal easy.”

A rustle brushed against my ear as I felt something being wrapped against my head.

“In any event, you put up a good fight,” she continued as she dressed my wound. “Your recovery time was quick, you managed to parry against my spear well enough to disarm me, and save for that strange stumble, you kept yourself unscathed.”

I chuckled for a moment. “I’m not sure what came over me. I must have had some kind of spasm.”

“Don’t sweat it,” the sorceress said with a snicker. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out in due time.”

The mare helped me up, taking me by the arm and helping me gather my things.

“In any event, I’m a woman of my word,” she announced with a bow. “I am Megan.”

“Wait, you’re telling me your name?” I asked, incredulous. “But I lost.”

“I never said anything about winning,” the mare now known as Megan giggled dryly. “I said that if you faced me in a duel, I’d tell you my name. Now that I have, I’d like to know yours.”

I gave an awkward bow in reply, my dark skin flushing equal parts pale and red.

“My name is Lance Petal, Miss Megan,” I stammered, trying in vain to hide my embarrassment.

Megan giggled again, apparently trying to stifle laughter.

“How cute,” she squeaked, “Well then, Lance, seeing as our little duel has concluded, I suppose I’ll be on my way.”

With a snap of her fingers, I could hear a faint rippling noise, and my companions quickly joined me.

“Where are you headed?” Spike asked, his eyes scanning between the two of us.

“Wherever the winds see fit to lead me,” she sighed as she stretched out. “I’m sure that we’ll meet again soon.”

For a moment, Megan looked back to me.

“Before I head off, I’ll give you some advice,” she spoke as she pointed her spear in the direction of the nearby pathway. “I met a zebra mystic while I was getting a lay of the land. She was apparently heading to a temple devoted to Luna, and looked to know a thing or two about magic. If I were you, Lance, I’d be wise to take her tutelage.”

“Why would he do that?” Napalm asked snappily “We’ve got two casters already.”

The woman shrugged.

“I can see potential in him,” she replied simply, dusting herself off. “Besides, you never know what’s out to get you, so having plenty of options wouldn’t hurt.”

“And just where do you get the impression he can learn magic, exactly?”

I felt Megan’s hands caress my hands tenderly.

“There’s just something I can feel in him,” she said, standing up again. “The way that his eyes glimmer. The way the his fingers seem to twitch with energy. The way that arcane energy seems to form an almost rain-like aura around him. It’s tells like those that show the potential in a mage.”

“You really think I have it in me?” I asked, unsure of how to react to her commentary. “But I’ve never cast a spell in my life!”

Another chuckle from the wizard. “You need not be so modest; you can accomplish much if you’re willing to open your horizons. You may not know it yet, but I can feel a lot of potential in you, Lance.”

It was then that Megan walked near the edge, her arms outstretched as she looked out to the sky. She seemed to jerk for a moment, as if a jolt of lightning had struck her from behind. There wasn’t a flash of light or a bang of thunder as just stood there, stunned. Then, as crystals began to form at the soles of her feet, she dropped off like a stone. The seven of us rushed to the edge, and yet when we looked down, there was no sign of a body to be found. Neither a thud nor a splash greeted us as we huddled about. It was as if she’d disappeared…

As we stared down to the vista, a thought struck me. Something about that woman’s name smacked of something familiar to my lips. I’d heard a name like that before, but my mind wasn’t able to realize it until moments later. As we kept on our merry way, I had been given time to ruminate on that name.

Megan, I thought to myself. Now why does that name sound so familiar?

For almost half an hour, that name rattled around my conscience, trying to find some connection to a familiar memory.

Then it hit me. That conversation I had with the chancellor. I had told him that legend. I had regaled him with an account of an alleged matron. In the throes of my travels, I had pushed the memory aside to focus on the path ahead. Now, my mind couldn’t help but stay on that one moment.

In a heartbeat, I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath was seized, my muscles tensed, and a great clarity came to me in a brief, ephemeral flash. Nostalgia flowed through me, and I found my hands clasping my head as the realization dawned upon me.

I had just had a chance encounter with a goddess.

It was then, for a sparse few seconds, that the mountain juddered with the primal cry of a single interjection.

“Fuck!”

***

As night fell on the mountain, we eventually found the alleged temple that Megan had mentioned prior to her sudden disappearance. As we neared it, Roughshod’s expression began to sour.

“Something the matter, ass?” I asked, trying my hardest to keep in good composure.

“Old problems… these types and me,” Roughshod muttered, looking particularly avoidant.

“Problems concerning your faith, I assume?” I asked, a brow quirking up.

The donkey sighed as we took another brief stop.

“We had…differences,” he started, his face drooping down more than usual. “A stupid rivalry between me and a few corrupt devouts of Luna.”

He then produced what looked to be a pendant of quartz.

“This was once a beautiful pendant,” he continued, “A family heirloom, smashed in rage.”

I could tell from the hardened look in his eyes that this memory was fairly taxing on him.

“They raided my home, and burned my hovel to the ground,” he choked, putting the shard of quartz beneath his black shirt. “So, I am now forced to roam in poverty.”

I was bereft of words. I couldn’t form a reply for a good few moments after that.

“I apologize if this might be an uncomfortable experience, then,” I told him, trying to sound reassuring. “This looks like it’s the nearest temple for a few kilometers.”

“That’s fine,” the priest replied, “I doubt that I will run into such lunatics again.”

As we enter, my eyes catch a peculiar mare. Her coat was grey, striped with a slightly darker shade. She had orange eyes and wore her mane in a tight, striped weave behind her ears, fastened together with bands. A black mantle was wrapped around her, and she was polishing an odd-looking staff. The shape was vaguely ankh-like, but it looked more like a cross, with a few feathers dangling out at the sides.

“Greetings and good tidings…” Roughshod grumbled.

“Greetings and well met, fellow travelers,” chirped the zebra as she spread her front hooves in joy. “I trust that you have come from afar?”

“Sort of,” Napalm muttered, a hoof scratching the back of her head. “We’re from the Crystal Empire.”

“I have a relic that needs to be maintained,” Roughshod added. “I need to speak with whomever’s in charge.”

“A relic that you wish good care?” quipped the zebra as she pointed. “Perhaps then, you should see the monk over there.”

The priest nodded, taking out the hilt—which had been wrapped in terry cloth—to present to the monk, a chipper young thestral stallion.

“Greetings traveler,” says the monk with a gentle countenance. “Was is this you offer me?”

Roughshod unwrapped the hilt. “I have an artifact that needs special care, a heavy lockbox, and as many runes of protection and purification as you can spare.”

“I see,” the monk notes as he examines the hilt in more detail. “So this must be a very tainted item you give me.”

A few moments passed, and the monk looked upon us, taking keen interest in me.

“You lot look weary,” he noted. “Perhaps you and yours could seek refuge here for the evening?”

Roughshod grabbed the monk by the shoulder gently.

"Listen when I say this,” he murmured, trying to keep inaudible to my ears. “This hilt may have good purpose at a later time. But for now,it may be very dangerous. Please, lock it up tight and spare no lock nor spell to secure it."

“I understand,” the monk replied, taking the hilt into one of his pockets. “I shall see it be done.”

“Good,” snorted Roughshod, turning away slightly.

"That thing you have with you,” the monk queried, his eyes aimed to me “Is he in need of securing, as well?"

“I’m standing right here, you know,” I pointed out in a rather cross voice.

“I can manage him,” Roughshod grumbled. “Just lock up the relic.”

“Right, but I would recommend your friend see one of our more experienced monks,” the monk warned. “If he is not a demon, then he looks as if he’s seen a number of ghosts.”

“Such as myself, Brother Tall Grass?”

In an instant as quick as the blink of an eye, Aunt Luna stood in full relief behind the monk. Roughshod said nothing, only standing mouth agate before the lunar mare. The monk was barely even aware of her presence, even as it loomed over him with a substantial shadow. It was only until the jackass had finally stepped away to join me that he realized something was amiss, and turned to meet the matriarch. In an instant, a jovial, if somewhat wary, monk was reduced to a groveling peasant by only an exchange of looks.

Luna was looking a tad bit more formal than she usually was. She was wearing her requisite tiara and shoes, as well as her moon-emblazoned peytral. However, what stood out were the two saddlebags hanging from her back. It was a striking white, made of what appeared to be silk, with a symbol of a changing moon stitched in ebony thread on the body. It seemed to shimmer in the pale light of the temple.

“Y-your royal majesty!” he exclaimed, unable to compose himself. “I didn’t expect you be visiting!”

“Nor did I expect to pay a visit,” Luna replied, flapping her wings for a moment before allowing them to rest at her sides.

“To what do I owe this impromptu reunion. Aunt Luna?” I asked, standing up as I began to address my bandages.

“Nothing of dire consequence,” Luna assured as she cast a glow of her horn to her saddlebags. “Sister wished for me to deliver something to you.”

It was then that Luna presented a rather plain looking box. It was simple affair so spartan in its design that it lacked even wrappings, having only the simplest strips of grey tape to keep the box shut.

“A parcel?” I asked, cocking my head. “What’s the occasion?”

“Consider it a belated birthday gift,” Luna replied, smiling chipperly. “We believe it has been long overdue.”

The box had at first my interest, but now it had my full attention. My fingers crept along the lid, tearing it away gingerly before discarding it at my feet. Inside, there laid a golden diadem. It seemed to be a three-pronged sort, with a four-pointed star in the center. As I looked closely at the star, I found that it was in fact an inlay of what I could only assume was amethyst. Upon further examination, it had a simple etching I recognized as mother’s cutie mark on the reverse end of it.

“A diadem?” I asked, looking up to my aunt. “Why do you gift me with such a thing?”

“Though you may not yet be of age, my sister and I feel that we have largely ignored one of the most important facets of life as one of our own,” Luna explained, her tone simple and sweet, “With this, we officially recognize you as a noblesse underneath our banners."

I shrunk considerably at those words. For all this time, I had considered myself a soldier under my mother’s command. I had been taught the ways of combat and chivalry, but never once considered myself anywhere close to royal. And yet, here and now, that realization began to dawn on me. Though it was true I had no blood connection to them, according to official documents, I was not only their son, but their next of kin. My eyes remained fixated on the piece of regalia, a teeny reflection of my face shining within the star.

“I’m not sure if I’m quite fit to wear this, Aunt Luna,” I whispered, holding the headpiece in my hands. “Now just doesn’t feel like the right time.”

“Are you certain?” Luna balked, slightly wounded by my rebuking. “Sister had it crafted just for you. She felt it was due a lot sooner.”

“I understand that, Auntie,” I shuddered, my hands starting to tremble. “I’m just not sure if I can call myself a prince just yet.”

“You need not make that statement so soon, my nephew,” Luna replied, holding my chin. “We are aware that such a revelation as this may seem daunting. However, if you feel you unfit to wear the title of prince at this moment, then perhaps you would like to do something worthy of such a status?”

I warmed up slightly to my aunt’s offer, my anxiety now slowly being overtaken by curiosity.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

Luna smiled and helped me to stand.

“As you should likely be aware, the Kingdom of Equestria is but one of many great powers of this world,” she began, her voice now more gallant than before. “And as such, keeping in contact with neighboring civilizations and powers is important towards our stability. Seeing as we are occupied with our own duties and you are on a journey already, perhaps you would like to be our emissary?”

“Emissary?” I repeated, cocking my head.

“A representative,” Luna replied. “A messenger of sorts. We are preparing a summit with our allies near and far, and we would like to send a relatively unbiased stallion to appear in our stead and extend goodwill. As you are fresh to the ways of world travel, you would make a fine representative for Equestria.”

She then beckoned Spike, seeking out our map.

“When you have delivered your traveling company back to Pasofino, we would like you to make for the Griffon Kingdoms,” she instructed, placing a scroll in my hand. “In the city of Griffonstone, you must seek out Kaiser Gloria and deliver this missive for the event. Once you have done so, report to me through letter, and I shall task you further.”

“Understood, Aunt Luna,” I replied, bowing for a brief moment. “I shan’t fail you.”

Auntie giggled, and the hum of magic took the air again.

“I would advise you to wear the diadem upon your arrival, if only as a means for the guards to recognize you as nobility,” she chuckled, wrapping the golden regalia on my head.

I nodded, looking back to the box for a moment. It seemed I had missed something. Peeling away another layer of paper, I discovered two gauntlets packed away inside. They seemed to have a leather glove with gilded metal plates linked together. Etched on the backs of the palms were two pentacular symbols, painted ebony to contrast against the gold. The knuckles appeared to have more pointed surfaces, and as I slipped them on, I noticed there was a slight padded lining inside to make them fit more comfortably.

“And these, Aunt Luna?” I asked, pulling my hands further down the gauntlets to make sure my fingers fit snugly.

"In the event some nay-sayer should decide to challenge your status by combat, they should be handy,” Luna chuckled.

I wasn’t sure if I should chuckle at Luna’s quip or be concerned for my own life.

Her delivery done, Aunt Luna brought her front hooves across my shoulders and smiled.

“Tis good to meet your traveling company in person, Lance,” she sighed. “However, I must cut the pleasantries short for now; I am late to rise the moon.”

With this, she released me and turned about-face, disappearing in a silvery shimmer before us.

Shortly thereafter, the zebra approached me, a hoof near my bandages.

“Sir knight, you appear unwell,” she murmured, looking me over closely. “Perhaps your iils, I can quell.”

Roughshod, looking dreary, attempted some odd waving motion with his hoof.

“You may not wish to do that,” he mumbled, as if half-asleep.

“I understand that you are under a bit of stress,” the zebra continued. “Allow me to aid you on your quest.”

“A zebra that worships Luna,” the queen cooed with intrigue. “Isn’t that something else?”

"I do not worship the mare of the moon,” refuted the Zebra. “I'm simply taking refuge this afternoon."

“I see,” Napalm noted with a nod, “So, what’s a zebra doing all the way out here, anyway?”

“Ah, that is simple, my dear mare,” the zebra replied, “The light of the moon brought me here. I am Nia, a mystic who travels the land. I’ve journeyed through brush, grass, and sand.”

“Huh,” Napalm hummed, cocking her head. “So how’s being homeless working out for you?”

“I am typically one comfortable in the embrace of nature,” Nia responded, smiling. “But as of late, I’ve come to miss civilization’s nurture.”

“Understandable,” the queen noted. “And what of your rhyming?”

“Ah, I apologize for speaking in verse,” Nia lamented. “If you prefer, I will use conventional means with which to to converse.”

I nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”

“I assume you are Lance, correct?” The zebra asked, checking my bandages. “What caused this wound on your head?”

“He got into a fight with some mare named Megan, and ended up getting it by accident,” Spike explained. “In fact, she actually told us about you.”

“A woman’s blade caused this injury than directed you to me for inquiry?” The zebra asked in reply. “Interesting.”

“Still rhyming, you know,” the queen pointed out.

“My apologies. It is a force of habit.”

For a moment, there was a pregnant silence.

“If it would be acceptable, could you leave him with me?” Nia asked, unwrapping my bandages. “I may be able to brew a natural remedy.”

The party looked to themselves, then to me. A few of them seemed ill at ease to consider the aid of a stranger, but Spike seemed all for it, giving me a thumbs up. I think Roughshod must have fallen asleep at this point. Napalm decided to meander off through the temple, and the zebra began to grind various plants into a powder in a bowl near my lap as I sat down. I watched her technique carefully as she used her hooves like mortar and pestle. Eventually, she began to take some of the powder into her hooves, gingerly applying it to my bleeding brow, causing a sizzling hiss to start from it. My teeth began to gnash as a stinging pain burned in my forehead. Though I could tell she meant it in goodwill, Nia’s makeshift medicine was doing a lot more hurt than help. Then again, even the most effective medicines are the ones that are least pleasant to use.

After a few painfully extended moments of displeasure, the sizzling subsided, and the initial pain which had troubled me prior to arriving at the temple was gone, instead replaced by a cooling sensation that made my head feel a tad bit heavier than it had been prior. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, mind you; it was much more preferable to having a soaking cloth against my forehead, and I could definitely feel myself being reinvigorated.

“That was… surprisingly effective, Nia,” I sighed, patting my forehead contentedly. “How did you manage this?”

“When you’ve been roving about as a mystic as long as I have, you learn a few things,” Nia replied eagerly. “Alongside my martial acumen, I am also skilled in cures, charms, and medicines.”

“Okay, now you’re just trying to make rhymes out of habit,” I countered, chuckling a tad.

Nia chuckled.

“So that mare of two legs referred you to me,” she pondered, examining me. “For what reason did she do this?”

“She believes that I might be able to learn magic,” I replied, holding my hands out in interest. “I’m honestly not sure where she sees it.”

Nia nodded, removing my gauntlets to caress my hands with her hooves.

“Understandable,” she murmured, checking my musculature. “Your body is firm, to the point of slender. You are of a shape most would not consider typical of a mage.”

The zebra then locked eyes with me, giving me a soul-peering stare.

“Your eyes tell a different story, however,” she said, holding me close. “I can see an untapped well of power amongst the darkness that seems to be building. You are anxious, and yet a glimmer of hope shines in the smallest corner of your heart. You may not think it, but I can see deep within a great potential power.”

“So you’re saying I might actually be able to do this?” I asked, a tad uncomfortable from the look she was giving me.

“Perhaps,” the zebra replied. “However, there must be a reason as to why she brought you before me; there is something I can provide that would prove essential to you that neither unicorn, elk, nor even deer may be able to provide. If you are willing to trust me, I can show you the ways of the arcane.”

“You mean it?” I gasped, slightly happier than I believe I should have been.

“I give you my word,” the zebra replied. “When we are someplace more comfortable, we shall begin your training.”

Part of me wanted to just jump up and tackle the zebra into a hug, but my better judgement wisely protested against it. Instead, I merely smiled and accepted the mare’s kind embrace. Shortly thereafter, I freed myself from her grip and met up with Napalm again.

“Hey, Lancie-poo,” Napalm cooed in a manner I wasn’t sure was genuine. “How’d things go between you and Stripes?”

“She’s offered to teach me in her ways for now,” I replied, a little more confidently. “Given what she said earlier, I think we have a new member to our little group of misfits.”

Napalm scoffed. “Good. We could definitely use another level headed mare in our group. I’m starting to get a little tired of being the voice of reason.”

“Implying that’s not already my job?” Spike interjected.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. I think I’m starting to understand where I get this strange sense of humor from.

“I think it’s about time we write home for the night,” I said, stretching out. “Got your quill?”

“Right here,” Spike said, preparing some parchment.

***

Dearest Mother,

I received your gifts this evening, courtesy of Luna; I’m quite grateful, but I question the meaning behind them. Luna has also tasked me with emissarial duties while I’m on my journey. We’re headed for Griffon Kingdoms. Prior to that, we had a run-in with a strange woman. She called herself Megan. She looked bipedal, like me. We had a duel and I got a bit of a scar. I have good reason to believe she may be that goddess Mag’ne from Equestrian myth, but I wonder what she may be doing out here. She pointed us in the way of a temple and we’ve gained the aid of a zebra mystic. By the woman’s instructions, I’m going to make an attempt towards finally learning magic.

Keyword being, attempt.

I think I might be dealing with a Nightmare. I’m not sure how strong it is right now, but the idea of being inside of me is scary enough. I fear I may not be able to deal with it at this point, and I’m starting to worry. If you can, please try and find some way for me to excise this creature, or at the very least forestall it. It has only been a couple of days since we started this trek, and I’d hate to lose myself out here.

I’ll try to keep in touch. Right now, I’m hoping the holiness of this temple will give me sanctuary from another bad night’s rest.

Yours,

Lance

Author's Note

It's a March Miracle! I finally update this bitch! With the aid of my new editor Amneiger, I have finally completed this new installment in the story. Expect the next chapter to be a little different, and for revised versions of the prior ten chapters to come in the very near future. And now, for the world-building notes.

On Nightmares (1): It is a commonly accepted notion that Nightmares often begin their cycle of parasitism by first contextualizing themselves to their host. Fear is an important part of their diet.

The Midnight Lounge: As a way of linking the collective unconsciousness of Equestria's citizenry together for ease of access, The Midnight Lounge was created. Sitting atop a massive hotel complex—itself called Hotel Nocturne—the lounge serves as a hub for dreaming folk, with Equestrians currently its primary tenants.

On Megan: Much of Megan's existence is disputed after her rule as the Crystal Queen. The only constant in most recordings of her existence is that she was an incredibly potent wizard whose power has been reputed to have slain the dreaded centaur Tirek.

Her spear and sword are known as Sirius and Polaris, respectively.

On Religions: Though the royal family of Equestria does not typically condone being worshiped as deities, it is a common sight throughout much of Equestria to see shrines devoted to each of the princesses. However, the vast majority of these shrines are dedicated less to the actual princesses themselves and more to the ideals and domains that they represent. It is currently unknown where most "divine" magic draws its power from, but many speculate that they originate from older folk deities.

Interlude I: Musings of a Moon Mare

To paraphrase the words of an iconic comic of Canterbury, it is time now for something completely different. I feel as though some of you may be scratching your heads and wondering what my business was with my dearest nephew. As a service to those readers, I, Princess Luna, shall tell my part of this tale. I will attempt to be as laconic as possible. Not because this is a particularly long story, but because if I were asked to use more lurid descriptions and vernacular, this vignette may last far more pages than it should have any right to.

It began, innocently enough, about a day following Lance's departure from Ponyville. In the denouement of the festivities, my sister and I naturally had many questions to answer for. Questions such as, "How long have you been hiding this colt?", "Where did he come from?", and most pressingly of all, "What sort of creature is he?"

The both of us were reached for comment, and by the time that I was reached for the last question, it was clear that something had be done.

When we returned to Canterlot, I immediately took to the archives. I made my greetings to the guards as I passed and told them to only interrupt me if there was a matter too important to ignore. As soon as I was past those doors, I began soaring through the halls. Following a path not traveled by most, I found myself near a familiar door.

DARK MAGIC
DO NOT ENTER

Of course, being one of the princesses of the castle does come with its advantages. Through a quick entrance and a brief conversation with the receptionist, I was swiftly pouring through tome after ancient tome. Through mythological texts, archeological and scientific journals, research compendiums, historical memoirs, I searched for any possible link that Lance may have had to this world.

Diagrams, pictures, and mounds of text were spread across the floor as my eyes scanned rapidly across each page. For almost an hour, I sat in seclusion, scrawling notes as details of interest made themselves known. In solitude I did research, trying to come up with some logical answer, but with little to go on but these texts and the vestigial memories of my sister’s galavanting across dimensions.

Soon enough, however, the distant creak of a door greeted me.

“Luna?” called the familiar voice of my elder sibling. “Are you in here?”

Part of me—out of desire to keep my matters private—had considered keeping quiet. However, knowing my sister, she would come in regardless of me saying anything at all.

“I am over here, sister,” I called back. “Just follow my voice.”

Sure enough, Princess Celestia found me, and her countenance immediately soured as she saw the mess of paper I’d begun to leave in the floor.

“Just what are you up to, Luna?” she asked, concerned as she sat down with me. “You seemed in a hurry earlier.”

“I apologize if I have worried you, Celestia,” I replied as I looked to her. “It is just that the ever growing influx of inquiry about our son has begun to spur me towards seeking answers.”

A wing caressed my withers.

“I understand, sister,” she sighed, looking upon my progress. “I too question our little one’s origin… As a matter of fact, I was wanting to discuss something I believe we’d overlooked.”

I looked to my sister inquisitively. “Aye? And what may that be, pray tell?”

Celestia paused a moment, perhaps trying to recall what she meant to say.

“We have made great pains to establish he is ours, yes?” she asked as we began to take leave of the library, moving into a more private location with but a wink and a prayer.

“We have, sister,” I replied, quirking my brow. “Why is it you ask?”

“Well, seeing as he is our son, that means that there are some rights that he is entitled to,” Celestia explained, her eyes casually observing the stained glass that was now before us. “Including one right that we have so far largely ignored.”

“And that would be?”

My sister stopped. Perhaps it was her intention to stop at this spot in particular, but outlining her frame in the light was the portrait of Twilight Sparkle’s ascension.

“Though I am doubtful of just how powerful he is, in our adoption of him, Lance is officially a Prince of Equestria,” she declared, her voice simple and mildly grandiose. “However minor that position is.”

I was bereft of words for a good few moments. The realization seemed to crash into me like an errant bison on a stampede. For over a decade—almost two now, in hindsight—this colt we had fostered as our own could very well be standing upon the shoulders of giants as we spoke.

“You cannot be serious, Tia!” I balked, my eyes wide. “He is barely as old as Twilight was! He has only just begun his journey!”

“So it may seem,” Celestia replied, a slightly somber chuckle following her breath. “But one should remember; legendary accomplishments need not be the only path to exaltation. After all, look at Blueblood.”

I concede, as pointed a joke as it was, I had to actively suppress laughing in response.

“I suppose you have a point,” I sighed, looking to the portrait. “But do you really think he is ready for such a responsibility?”

“I’m more than certain, Luna,” Celestia concurred. “As a matter of fact, I think it has been overdue.”

I stood focused on the glass for a few moments more. “What is it that you propose we do then?”

Celestia smiled as we began to approach our throne room.

“I suggest we give our little one something to help him find his way,” she said, presenting a scroll. “There is an important event to come soon. One that involves the gathering of many of our benefactors and neighboring states. Seeing as we are going to need some daring pathfinders and adventurers to send our missives where our magic isn’t able to reach, I propose we give young Lance a piece of the pie, so to speak.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Tia.” I replied, cocking my head.

“What I’m saying is, the world is quite large. Too large for just one company to handle in any expedient manner. Even my own magic only goes so far,” sister explained, presenting a globe before me. “Thus, it stands to reason that since Lance is already on a journey, some courier work may help to incentivize travel. After all, what better way to get an understanding of the world then to make deliveries?”

My brow quirked. “Would that not be exploitation?”

“Perhaps,” Tia tittered teasingly. “But it’s always good to have a clear sense of where you need to be.”

“I see,” I responded, looking to the scroll. “And how will we keep him on this path, exactly?”

Sister winked towards me. “I have someone special for that.”

“And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me, are you,” I replied flatly.

“Nope!” sister curtly chirped. “I assure you, I have that contingency planned for.”

“And what of his actual status?” I asked, curious. “I assume you must have something for that as well?”

“I’ve asked a smithee to prepare some finery as we speak,” she answered, putting one some clothes. “Nothing too extravagant; just a simple pair of gauntlets and a diadem.”

“No necklace?”

Tia shook her head. “I don’t think it’ll be needed; the gloves alone will likely make a good enough impression on their own. I don’t think he’ll be hard to mistake as an emissary.”

“Are you certain? How do you know that others will recognize him as royalty?”

A smirk came to sister’s face. I usually wasn’t very fond of when she smirked in reply to a question. The manner in which she was smirking now was especially worrying. It was the smirk she usually wore when revealing some grand, elaborate gambit.

“Because you are going to deliver it, as well as his first missive.”

“You are certain that I should do this, sister?” I asked, not quite certain myself. “What of the research?”

“There will be plenty of time upon your return,” sister replied. “In the interim, Twilight and I will take over and report any findings we have when you get back.”

I gave my sister a queer look.

My sister laughed in a particularly coy manner. “Luna, have I ever been one to lie to you?”

I gave my sister a cross look in reply. “You have been known for worse.”

The two of us shared a simple silence for a good few moments. I looked to the stained glass portraits once more, letting my mind wander back to what few notes I had managed to gather. So many questions had been left unanswered, and I so greatly desired closure. However, there was one question that had sprung to mind.

“Sister, why is it that only now you are so concerned for your son?”

Celestia froze. Her face grew paler than even her own coat. Her confident smile was quickly shattered, and I saw an expression that was not often worn by her.

“I suppose…” she began, trailing off slightly. “Part of me is wanting to owe up for past transgressions.”

I cocked my head.

“For some time now, I’ve left his care in the hooves of those of others, cloistering him away to more secluded parts of the world to make sure he’d grow up safe from persecution. In so doing, however, I ended up leaving him with few people to trust, including even myself.

“The fact that I had at one point taken it upon myself to foster him, only to leave him in someone else’s care for most of his life just fills me with shame. It wasn’t but a short ago that I actually started caring about my son’s personal development, and even then I needed somepony else to help set things straight.”

Sister ended her explanation with a sigh. “I suppose, at the heart of it all, I feel I’ve all but neglected what should be my pride and joy.”

I said nothing at first. Her words carried this particular weight to them that seemed to bring a damper upon the mood of our conversation. To see my sister in such a state was a rarity, and it made it all the more depressing. However, the weight soon lifted as she rose her head above to the stained glass.

“I aim to change this,” she declared. “I aim to do better for him, starting today.”

I smiled. To see my sister so resolute in making a change for the better warmed my heart.

Then, something hit me.

“How exactly am I supposed to know where to deliver it?”

Sister’s trademark chuckle returned as she pointed to her head. I wasn’t quite sure what she was referring to until I began to ponder over it. Even then, I still wasn’t quite savvy.

“You go into dreams, remember?”

I briefly brought my hoof upon my face. To have to be reminded of my own position was a humiliation I hadn’t experienced since very early into my return to Equestria.

“Forgive my mental lapse, Tia,” I groaned, feeling my hoof grind a groove against my temple. “It appears all these revelations have caused my brain to briefly cease function.”

Yet another titter. “All is forgiven, sister. We all forget what we are capable of from time to time.”

As I relaxed my hoof, I began to take inventory of what I had done recently. Recalling recent memories, I began to form an idea.

“Perhaps you are onto something, sister,” I muttered, concentrating. “Perhaps by analyzing his more recent dreams, I may be able to divine where he is.”

Sister smiled and embraced me.

“You don’t need to go right away,” she reminded me. “It will take some time to make sure the regalia is ready. I’ll be sure to remind you when the time comes.”

I nodded and retreated from her embrace.

“In the interim, I shall resume research,” I stated, turning towards the library once more. “Perhaps… you would like to join me?”

Sister gasped derisively. “Joining my sister in a night of research? Sounds almost like something Twilight would do.”

The two of us shared a laugh as we sauntered to the library once more.

Chapter 12: All Natural

At this point, I was almost certain that the universe was on a continued campaign to expose me at any opportunity it could.

In case it hasn’t been very clearly established, I never was one to cavort around uncovered unless it was in a place in which such things were a necessity. Perhaps it was the fault of my upbringing, or maybe just an extension of my own fear of exposure. I wasn’t quite sure by this point, yet here I was, yet again bereft of clothing, made to hold a pose by my newly-acquired Zebra acquaintance, while at the same time having to grin and bear the snickering of my peers.

I swear, my skin must have flushed a shade of tan not typically found in nature.

“Is there any particular reason that I need to be completely exposed for this?” I mumbled, fighting my own instinct to immediately plaster my hands over my loins right then and there. “I’m pretty sure we could just do this without having to strip me down straight away.”

Nia didn’t answer at first, simply doing slow, careful movements as she stood on her hind legs. Only after performing a hoof spring did she turn to face me.

“The first step to gaining a connection to the elements is to remove any potential barriers between them,” she explained, walking over to me to help direct my movements. “Clothing as intricate and tight as yours may tamper with the flow of your natural energies.”

I could hear Napalm scoff. “Whatever the reason is, I don’t mind the view!”

Stars above damn that mare. It was already fairly uncomfortable being out in the open, but knowing one of them was already getting a kick out of it only served as salt in the metaphorical wound. Granted, I’m not exactly ashamed of my body, but having it on display like this still wasn’t a concept I was entirely content on entertaining.

Regardless, I had to follow through, pushing back my instinct to just tear off into the woods and get dressed and trying to enjoy the exercise of opening up my chakras.

My own nudity aside, there was a certain beauty in the forest we’d occupied. We made leave of the temple some hours before, and from the mountain, that lush, verdant green had a certain allure to it. Such virgin soil and abundance of life made this place seem…comforting. Safe, even. And yet, as I began to ponder it, I then realized that very same abundance of life also logically meant that my audience was much larger than initially perceived. Such realization quickly took the wind from my sails of curiosity and forced an anchor of anxiety to grab a hold of me.

Such thoughts weren’t exactly helped by the fact I was being looked upon by a pyromaniac, a washed-up jackass, and a dragon that was several years (and inches) my senior.

“You know, now that I have a good enough look at you, you don’t have the looks of a devil,” Roughshod mused. “You seem more of a dead-ringer for something of fey origin.”

“I’m afraid I’m not familiar,” I replied, my eyes more focused on trying to match the mystic’s form than my own body. “But I’m going to go ahead and assume that’s some form of improvement.”

“I’d certainly say so!”

All five of us proceeded to jump out of our skins as we were greeted with the countenance of a goat-headed...thing that had suddenly joined our company, clad in what appeared to be a chef’s attire. In his incongruent grasp was a mound of clay, that he was somehow sculpting with a frying pan that was glowing red hot.

“What the hay are you doing here?!” I asked, finally breaking down into full humiliation mode. “Shouldn’t you be in Ponyville?!”

The strange creature huffed. “Well, shouldn’t you be wearing pants?”

I shot a glare. I had hoped in vain that by concentrating my shame and anger into a single point, I might be able to cause this anomaly against all things orderly and pure to catch fire. Sadly, I was not yet at that level of arcane understanding.

“I was just minding my own business when I saw a delightful shade of brown amongst the green and I just had to investigate,” the creature explained, sloughing off another layer of clay which somehow shattered like a glass plate. “When I got a good luck, I just had to capture that magnificent form in clay!”

Oh good, how very flattering. This thing was so fascinated by my nakedness that he was now trying to make a replica of me.

“And you aren’t worried that somepony is going to notice that a draconequus like you is so far away from home?” Spike snappily asked.

“Not at all!” the confirmed-draconic creature replied, carving in a new detail into his mound of clay. “I’ll have this done post-haste, and I’ll be back to—”

Before he could finish, the draconequus inadvertently sloughed away a significant portion of the clay, which proceeded to plop onto the forest floor and crack like an egg.

“Oops,” he said, before producing a tripod camera from what appeared to be absolutely nowhere. “Oh well. Guess I’ll just have to use a picture instead.”

Before I could even protest, a bright flash and a scent of magnesium greeted me. A slip soon came out, and as he examined it, he appeared to swoon.

“Oh, how exquisite!” he called out, kissing the photograph. “Now I have just the thing I need to make this!”

Further compounding all rules of logic and nature, a giant pillar of marble crashed forth from the heavens, just inches away from my feet. After a quick inspection, he produced what appeared to be a jackhammer and went to town. With a hail of falling stone and a mist of dust, I was greeted with a replica of myself in a more inquisitive pose.

“Magnifique, non?” he asked, blowing an imaginary kiss. “I was thinking I’d capture more of an ‘Ancient Fertility Figure’ kind of look. What do you think, my dear boy Lance?”

“I think you’re a pervert and that I should take this thing and bash it over your head,” I replied crossly. “How do you even know my name?”

“You said it yourself, kid.” he replied. “You mentioned I should be back in Ponyville, and as it was, I happened to be in the audience when your mummy showed you off to the town.”

I blinked. Had I really not noticed this thing amongst the crowd?

“But, since we hadn’t had a proper introduction, I suppose I’ll introduce myself,” the draconequus said with a smile somewhat sincere. “I am Discord, master of chaos, aspiring performance artist, and bane of space-faring captains for over two millennia.”

At this point, I wasn’t exactly sold on his first impression. In fact, the way in which he introduced himself made me ever more wary.

“Now that we’re acquainted, I believe there's a nice spot in the royal statue garden for this lovely little masterwork," Discord proclaimed before opening a previously-unseen zipper in the air.

"Wait, what?!"

Before I could get a word in edgewise, however, he was gone. I was rendered speechless for a few moments as I slumped onto the ground in embarrassment. In my woe, I made a mental note to cave that bastard’s nose in the next time we met.

“Well, that was awkward,” Spike noted. “At least he managed to capture your good looks pretty well.”

I glowered to Spike. “Not the time.”

Spike cringed, easing away.

I had a feeling this day was only going to get more awkward.

***

As the day proceeded, even with the audience being reduced to myself and Nia, I couldn’t avoid that nagging feeling of exposure. I tried to follow Nia’s motions, but with each step, turn, pivot, and kick, my body seemed to continually rescind its actions. My mind kept trying to cover me, bringing my limbs to my private parts while my body wished to keep itself unbound and follow through. What resulted was an uneasy tempo that trembled with each step.

Nia was quick to notice, and promptly stopped me.

“Is something the matter?” she asked, examining my movements closer. “Chills? Fever?”

I shook my head.

“Still not quite comfortable?”

I slumped a tad, sitting down with a shudder.

“If there is something wrong, Lance, you’re free to tell me,” the zebra assured, sitting with me bearing a look of concern in her eyes. “As a mare of spiritual inclination, I am obligated to help lift the hearts of all I am with.”

I looked into her amber gaze. “You’re sure you want to hear it?”

Nia brought her ears forward.

I sighed, changing my position to one of crossed legs.

“I guess I’ll just be blunt,” I began, barely making eye contact as I stared at the dirt beneath me. “I’m not sure I feel entirely safe right now.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“I'm not sure I feel all that comfortable practicing some esoteric arts naked in front of a pyromaniac, a wrinkly jackass, a trio of shapeshifters, a dragon many years my senior, and a mystical waif I only just met a few hours ago,” I explained, my cross feelings from earlier returning anew. “Not to mention all the animals that are doubtlessly stalking the woods as we speak. I’m honestly not sure how you lot can be so carefree about it.”

The zebra put a hoof to her chin.

“So you are curious as to why it is the lot of us are less perturbed by a lack of clothing?"

I kept quiet, tucking myself close.

"There is a difference in thought between us, it seems,” she began simply, joining me at my side. “Most of this world's kin are ever content with their bodies being exposed for all to see. To most of us, clothing is merely a ceremonial or ornamental thing, like the robes you saw me wear.

"But you...you must have some fear. You may not know the origin, but we have all experienced it; that fear of our weakest points being on display for all to see, for any to exploit. That feeling as if eyes are all about your person, even when you are truly safe. Even on the warmest summer, you can't seem to bear parting with your garbs.

"Though we both detest the winter, and shelter ourselves in furs and blankets to keep warm, most of the world shrugs away such garments by the spring. For us, it is a novelty and desire, and yet you seem to depend on it.

"In the end, I suppose it can be summarized into a single question: Are you afraid? There is no shame in admitting you're scared, but I implore you to be honest. Put your faith and trust in me, and in the earth and sky. In the end, they will always protect you."

I turned to make eye contact to the zebra, who bore a kind expression on her face. My lips quivered as I tried to find an answer, only to just sort of mumble incoherently. It took me a few tries before I actually found myself able to work up the bravado to speak clearly.

“I guess there’s no real other way to put it, is there?” I sighed. “My mind keeps telling me I shouldn’t leave myself like this, but my body spurs me to keep on going. I can’t find a middle ground, and it scares me. Having so many eyes on me...watching and judging… It just makes me want to vanish.”

The zebra’s smile persisted as she snuggled me.

“It’s okay to be scared; it can be a little frightening the first time you let your defenses down,” she assured, rubbing my back tenderly. “But what matters is that you have faith and believe that you will be safe. Put your trust in your companions, and in the spirits of this place.”

I accepted the embrace more readily and began to stand.

“You’re sure about this?” I asked.

“Cross my heart,” she promised, joining me. “Now shall we resume? I believe there’s a river nearby.”

“How do you know that?”

Nia chuckled and scraped the ground with her hoof.

“My kin are adept at dowsing water,” she explained as she dug up a small hole. “We can find sources by pawing at the ground.”

I nodded in understanding and proceeded to follow her. I was still nervous, but I kept thinking of what Nia said, finding ways to distract my mind away from the metaphorical pachyderm in the living room.

Soon enough, a moderate expanse of water streamed before my toes. My eyes gazed upon its breadth and my jaw dropped. The way that the rocks dotted across the water glistened with seafoam seemed to catch my eyes in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long while. The bubbling of the current against the shallow shore created a soothing song that harmonized with the errant cries of various birds that were doubtlessly standing sentinel over us. The two of us bowed before the river and took a quick sample of the water, our thirsts briefly slaked.

“Beautiful, is it not?” Nia asked, running her hoof against the current. “To think that such a simple thing as this could be the key to life for most every being on this planet. To know it is such a mercurial, ever-changing force that can sustain life through its many forms. The life-giving air that we breathe, the thrist-quenching fluid that we drink, and the soothing frost that allows us to endure the warmest of days with ease.

“That is the element of water in its purest essence; a freely changing energy that can be as soft or as rigid as it needs to be. A calm, yet fierce power that is the keystone towards all life on this planet. Water is freedom. Liberation. Life. To understand water is to understand life.

“The blood in your veins right this moment—thick as it may be—is much like water. It can boil and freeze, flow fast or slow. It is able to be controlled, and it is full of energy. Thus, the key to unlocking your innermost power is to master the flow of that energy and learn to control it for yourself. And the first step to understanding the element of water is to experience and respect it first-hoof.”

With this, the zebra offered me her hoof and guided me into the river with her. As water sprayed against my ankles, a shiver carried up my spine that left me numb for but a fleeting moment. Carefully, the two of us found a footing on the rocks. Stretching outward, our backs caught the rays of an approaching noon sun. Our joints began to pop as we began to limber up, the cool breeze passing through us.

“Make your motions slow and steady,” she instructed, standing up on her hind legs as she began to push at the air with her front hooves. “Act as though you’re trying to push forward an invisible wall and move like the current beneath us.”

I nodded, crooking one of my knees to better balance myself as I brought my palms together. With a slow breath, I brought them to my chest, as if I were trying to seize some of the bountiful energy for myself. Then, with a slow exhale, I pushed outward, exerting a steady force against the wind.

“That’s the way,” Nia encouraged. “Take in a little at a time. Nice and gentle.”

From there, we began something of a slow waltz across the river, our bodies beginning to make a slow stride in the direction of the current. Our sights flipped between the water ahead of us and each other, the both of us trying to emulate the other’s motions in an improvised dance. Eventually, the rocks gave way to cool water, causing a stinging in our legs as the scratched portions of our feet and hooves descended beneath the surface. In the random symphony of nature, we continued to dance in the river, our bodies circling and sweeping in a an almost childlike display of joy.

In I fell into a reverie, the passion of youth guiding my steps as our pugilistic pageantry paraded ever onward.

However, in our excitement, we’d failed to take stock of the fact that we were headed in the direction of a lake at the mouth of the river until we had found ourselves neck-deep in it.

Funny how sobering it can be to feel the ground beneath you suddenly end.

The two of us found ourselves in an impromptu dive, our bodies now descending into the drink. I admit, I’m not the best swimmer in the world, but I’d sure as hay like to see you try and bounce back from dropping feet-first into a lake. Actually, no—don’t do that. You’d likely nearly kill yourself like I did.

The only reason I managed to survive was a combination of stupidly-high luck, the fact that I had an acquaintance nearby, and a sudden spark of crisis-divined inspiration.

Quickly, I brought my hands to my chest, holding inside my breast as much breath as I had left. Then, I drifted towards Nia, getting close enough that our backs were touching. When I felt my back give purchase to hers, I began to concentrate. As I hooked my arms with her forearms, I began to try and sort out the chaos in my head. I recalled the words Nia had used to guide me.

Take in a little at a time...Be gentle.

Carefully, I began to slowly release my stockpiled air, cupping my hands against the current of bubbles as one began to take hold between them. Then, gingerly, I began to spread it wide like a balloon, feeding a little bit of myself into it. A faint teal spark gathered around my hands, resulting in a teeny shimmer that my eyes could only barely make out in the water. In the periphery of my vision, iridescent, almost glass-like salmon began to brush against my ankles, and the glow in my hands seemed to refract off of them, causing the clear water to glow in a faint rainbow as the bubble expanded around our two bodies.

As it encapsulated us, the dull rumble of the water subsided substantially, and the two of us now lay on the lake floor, beholding the salmon as their bodies continued to shimmer in the sunlight. A brief, shallow gasp filled our lungs as we slowly began to rise back to the surface. A shower of multicolored lights dazzled us both, leaving us speechless until the bubble made its way to shore.

Quickly, we clambered along to the ground, panting as we rolled onto our backs to dry in the grass. As our eyes gazed upon the lake once more, it almost seemed to become a prismatic pond, its hue ever changing as we looked upon it in the myriad of different angles. Eventually, the colors faded, and the water was a simple sheen once more. The worst now behind us, we were now faced with the question that pried at our minds.

“How is it that you did that?”

I looked again to my hands, seeing that faint glimmer of arcane magic betwixt my fingers.

“I…” I stammered, still trying to compose myself. “I don’t know. We were in trouble, and something in me just clicked.”

“Clicked?” Nia asked. “Surely, it cannot be so simple. The spell itself, certainly, but weaving something like what you conjured takes more skill than you’d think.”

I paused a moment. There was little I could say to try and make sense of such a spontaneous event.

“I guess it just...came to me.” I replied. “I’m not sure how much better I can explain it than that, right now.”

Nia gave me a curious look, studying my hands with her hooves for a moment.

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed as we helped each other to our feet. “Oftentimes, in panic, we find ourselves capable of so much more than we are aware. I am sure in time, we will be able to deduce how you managed such a feat.”

Our looks turned back to the lake, and the shimmering fish within. Nia saw an opportunity and began to snap a few errant branches and vinery from the trees near by to fashion into a set of makeshift fishing rods.

“I suppose, while we are here, we may catch some fish for dinner,” she proposed.

I cocked an eyebrow. “You eat fish?”

“Not I,” Nia replied. “But, I’m certain that you and your dragon friend might have an appetite for them. You certainly have the teeth for them.”

“And you’re okay with killing another animal just to feed a few of us?” I asked, uncertain as I held my stomach. “Seems kind of...grim, don’t you think?”

Nia looked to me with a sincere expression.

“You’ve nothing to worry about,” She told me. “We’ll only be taking what will be needed to feed the two of you; the rest will be berries and nuts.”

“And the fish?”

“They will return,” Nia assured. “So long as we leave enough of them behind, they will replenish what was lost. As goes the circle of life.”

I contemplated asking a follow-up question, but decided against it. It was best not to dwell on these things too much.

“Once we have our catch, we’ll continue training,” she continued. “We may not be fortunate to replicate the conditions of that spell you cast, but we may yet work towards finding the intricacies of it.”

And so, the two of us sat at the shore, makeshift rods in our hands as we awaited our catch. The water rippled and bubbled slightly, and my hands trembled slightly. My legs were crossed like a pretzel as I watched the string shudder. I felt it being tugged, and in impulse, tugged back. In response, I found myself being yanked slightly off of my perch. I found myself returning to a stand and began to contest the force that now resisted my capture.

“Something’s on the line already?” Nia asked. “I didn’t think we’d get a bite so soon.”

“You and me both,” I grunted, planting my feet as I reared back back in defiance of my quarry.

With each twist and yank, I reciprocated, trying to predict where it would go next. Like a serpent, the string left a trail of ripples in its wake as it danced beneath the surface. I knew not what force grasped the end, but with ever greater fervor, I sought to overpower it. Even as my heels were dragging in the dirt and my footing was fading fast, I didn’t want to let go of the trembling piece of wood that was clamped in my vice-like grip.

I can’t let it go, I thought, fighting to regain my stance with each second. It’s challenged me now. To quit now would be a heresy to myself and to my prey.

Soon, I found myself running along the bank, not once taking my eyes off my quarry. This tease of a fish was not getting away from me if I had a say in it. I was determined to seize it for myself, come Tartarus or high tide. I cared not where it was taking me, so long as I could make it mine. All that stood between myself and that goal was the shallow road of water just inches at my feet and the string the fish had gripped in its mouth.

As it pulled me along, I found myself running ahead, overtaking my prey and leading it along as if I were its master. Perhaps through outpacing it, I pondered, I might be able to overpower it.

Quickly, I yanked the rod upward, lashing it towards me in an effort to rip out clean out of the water. For a brief instant, the water thrashes as a blinding light flashed before my eyes. The glimmer of a clear, prismatic shape caused my fervent gaze to falter, forcing me to place my forearm against my brow to shield it.

However, in so doing, my traction was halved rather sharply, and the fish must have known this. Hastily, it darted back from whence it came, taking me along with it.

Before my brain could even register it had happened, my body began to scrape along the river floor. A stinging, burning sensation tore at my senses, my eyes clamped shut as I continued to hang on dearly to the fishing rod. In my panic, I wasn’t able to figure out how to do the bubble spell a second time. The fish had turned the tables against me, and was now somehow towing me along the current. I could vaguely hear the muffled cries of Nia amidst the rushing water flow, but they were too difficult to discern. Not that it mattered at the moment, seeing as I was adrift.

I attempted to wrap my hands further up the pole, hoping to at least try and curtail the crystalline carp’s locomotion. However, as it became more aware of this, it began to pick up its pace, making the task wholly more difficult. Having to work with my eyes shut wasn’t helping matters, either. I wasn’t going to allow this thing to beat me, of course. I was determined to get this fish, and not a damn thing was going to get in my way.

I clawed my way up the rod, grabbing the string with crab-like fervor. In response, the fish began to juke and thrash, hoping to throw me off before I could seize it in my hand. It would have no such luck, however; I was growing closer, and I wasn’t going to be shrugged off so easily. Just as it was trying its hardest to flee, I was trying equally hard to seize the fish. The two of us were within one step of each other’s goals, and it was down to the final motion to decide which of us was going to be the victor.

With a final thrust forward, I snatched the fish into my grasp. I clamped my fingers around its scaly hide and held it tight as I could muster. I could feel my nails digging into the fish’s scales ever so slightly between the wriggling hide, and I relished a moment of brief victory.

Of course, as my luck would have it, I would not be so lucky to enjoy this success for very long before I became more aware that the ground beneath me was getting ever shorter. Out of instinct, I let the rod drift downstream, keeping the fish in my hands and near my chest as I prepared to see what was to come.

What came before me was a waterfall, which I proceeded to fall from.

A rushing, whistling noise whizzed past my ears. The cool winds lashed at my body like hundreds of tiny, wispy whips. My body loosened and my hands tightened their grasp on my catch. Somehow, while my heart raced on, my mind was clear, calm, almost serene. Perhaps it was merely the adrenaline rushing to my head, or just the blood flooding into my brain. Either way, I savored my success for those brief few moments in which I was still conscious; knowing I had won out in one of my first true contests against nature was enough for me to rest on.

I kept my eyes shut, and my other senses soon followed as I embraced the calm of my subconscious.

***

When next I knew relative consciousness, I found myself lying on what felt like a mossy stone. A cool breeze danced across my body, and I found myself staring into the familiar visage of that child who’d so cryptically left me behind an evening ago. He was clad in a simple plaid robe, and seemed hunched over my body. A smile crept along his face as he offered a hand to help me up.

“Thank goodness you are well,” he said in a sincere tone. “I was almost certain that you’d met a terrible fate.”

Confused, I accepted his help and got to my feet again.

“I’m sorry for leaving you so soon,” he murmured, a disappointed look on his face. “It was rude of me to depart without even telling you my name.”

“You didn’t exactly give me a chance to introduce myself, either,” I replied, dusting myself off, noticing I was now clad in a pale, silken tunic. “My name is Lance, son of Princess Celestia. If I’m not mistaken, it’s my brain you’re occupying at the moment.”

“Sorry to intrude,” the boy chuckled, holding out his hand. “Call me Iando.”

“Certainly,” I scoffed. “But let’s move on from formalities, shall we? I may not be an unfriendly type, but I’m not exactly one for unexpected company, especially when said company is as motley as yourself.”

Iando grimaced. “Well, that’s an awfully ignoble way to greet a guest. Especially one who has done you such a courtesy and provided you with some finery.”

I crossed my arms. “As befitting a guest who arrived unannounced.”

Iando replied by nervously gripping his right arm. “I didn’t exactly have a choice; I was in a panic, and needed a place I could feel safe and comfortable.”

“Consider yourself lucky, then,” I sighed. “At the moment, I don’t have much option but to keep tabs on you.”

Iando snickered. “You make it out like it’s a bad thing.”

I quirked my brow. “Implying it can be worse?”

“Well, think of it this way,” he suggested, sitting down. “While we’re together, I can keep you company. Think of me as companion. A...provider. A guardian, if you will. I think we might be able to help each other out.”

“And just what makes you think I’ll trust you?”

“You said it yourself, Lance. Neither of us has a choice in this, so either we can get through this together, or we can just pretend we don’t exist and doom each other to eternal boredom.”

“Truth be told, I think I’d rather have the latter,” I growled. “Then again, better the devil you know.”

Iando smiled. “That’s the spirit. Don’t you worry; you won’t even know I’m here.”

“I should hope so.”

Following that altercation, I decided to have a walk in my subconscious domain. Anything to keep from countenancing that odd little stranger who I was now cursed with having to chaperone. Unlike the last time I was here, there was no elaborate hotel or divine tower in my sights, but an ever expanding void dimly illuminated by tiny motes of light no larger than fireflies. They were perhaps my only company along my walk, aside from a few vague flickers of a slightly lighter shade.

I stopped for a moment, trying to follow that shade with my eyes. However, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, leaving me alone and confused.

That was, until I felt a brush against my shoulder.

In reflex, I turned around, greeted by the visage of Princess Luna.

“Apologies for sneaking up on you, Nephew,” Aunt Luna said formally. “I could not help but notice that you were meandering in your subconscious.”

“Anywhere I can be alone with my own thoughts is fine by me,” I responded, looking behind me. “As nice as that child—whom I’ve got a hunch is a manifestation of the Nightmare in me—is, I don’t feel very comfortable holding a conversation with him.”

Aunt Luna nodded. “Aye; it can be troublesome to deal with such trying creatures. The best you can do for now is grin and bear it.”

I groaned internally.

“Or,” she added. “I can help you gain an edge over your captive guest.”

I looked to Luna curiously, crossing my arms. “Go on.”

Aunt Luna looked about her surroundings, as if to confirm that we were not being eavesdropped upon, before flicking up her horn and spiriting us away to what appeared to be a room in a similar pattern to the Midnight Lounge. Surrounding us were coolly lit shelves lined with dark tomes and texts.

“I would imagine it is not a distant stretch to assume that most Nightmares are creatures of shadows and fear,” she began, pulling out a large black book. “They are beings whose sustenance lies in probing the depths of our psyches. They worm their way inside, finding what it is that makes us cringe and cower, and exploiting them to the point where their unfortunate host grows too weak to resist. They will cajole and pester you into subjugation, preying upon your most primal fears and desires.

“Then, when you are at your weakest, they will offer you a taste of power. Even if you refuse, a Nightmare is not one to take ‘no’ for an answer. They will ask time and again, sweetening the faustian bargain ever more with each passing offer.”

Luna paused, looking down at what was assumed to be the floor. “Eventually, they will tire of waiting for your approval, and decide to make the offer irrefusable.”

I gulped down a rather large knot in my throat. After a brief moment of silence, Luna looked to me in a manner more direct.

“Though, at the moment, we lack a means to properly remove this apparition from your mind—primarily due to the only surefire means of doing so currently the only thing keeping an equally-troubling threat to our home at bay—we do have a means of coping with this predicament of yours until such a means can be found.”

A hopeful smile graced my face. “And that might be?”

Luna placed a fairly large book at my feet. It was at least the size of a historical textbook, bound by a hardcover made of what looked to be black velvet, with several scintillae of dust stained across its surface. Embossed upon its front cover was a circular arrangement of the lunar cycle that surrounded an arcane pentacle. What could be assumed were a title and some symbolic words, but they were printed in an odd typeface. An eerie air seemed to form around it, beckoning a chilling wind where we stood.

The smile began to melt away rather quickly.

“This is a Book of Shadows,” she explained, placing a hoof upon the book and flipping open the front cover. “It is a sacred text that has been upheld by a brave few mares and stallions, and holds the secrets to an art not easily practiced by the faint of heart.”

“Necromancy?” I quipped, shivering a tad.

Luna gave me a cross look. “Of course not! I may deal in arts dark and mysterious, but even I have standards.”

“Well, what else could be in something called a ‘Book of Shadows’?

Luna smirked. “The art of Umbramancy.”

“Shadow magic?” I asked. “How is that any less suspicious than raising the dead?”

Aunt Luna kept her smile and took my side.

“In times of yore, as a young celestial matriarch, my dominion was much more vast than the mere command of a giant orb in the sky and acting as the warden of dreams,” she explained, pointing me up to the sky. “I commanded stars. I wove the night sky and all its shadows into an elegant tapestry that dazzled my patrons. I created paths and roads in the constellations for travelers to follow. I created patterns that gave hope and inspiration to many. And when my subjects needed peace of mind and body, in my shadow they would find comfort.

“Eventually, I’d come to amass a respectable following. Ponies near and far came to me for guidance and understanding. They came to me, not in fear, but in curiosity. They wanted to better understand the splendor of the silent, sacred darkness. So thusly, I obliged, showing my curious companion the ways of shadows. Through my teachings, we formed a philosophy together. In this philosophy, we defined a series of words to guide followers current, past, and future.”

“What would these words be?” I asked, now genuinely intrigued.

“There are but five words that persist to our art to this day: Truth, Temperance, Conviction, Eminence, and Serenity,” Luna explained. “As a Shadow Mage, it is your duty to come to an understanding on their meaning as you go along your journey, as your trials take you further across the moonless path. Once you come to a true understanding of the shadows, you will find they can divine many things for you.”

I held my chin, curious. “So you mean to tell me that this form of magic could actually help me better how to perform magic?”

Luna smiled. “Precisely. It is a magic that will help you understand the language of spirits, and the ways in which coordination aids your casting. Its abilities will support you and yours, and have many applications that may come as useful to you. When you awake, you should find the book I’ve shown you near your person. May it serve you well, and I should hope to hear good word of your progress in the future.”

I sat up, wrapping my arms around my aunt’s neck.

“I understand, Aunt Luna,” I whispered into her ear. “I shall not fail you.”

“I should certainly hope not,” Luna chuckled as she began to turn away to make her leave of me. “Before I away, I have one last bit of information you should be privy to.”

My eyes darted upward. “What might that be?”

“I can feel another presence here, existing alongside the two of us and your...guest,” she said, her voice a bit pensive. “It feels similar to the presence I felt during our last altercation. It seems…familiar, both to your own presence, and to the presence of someone of significantly untapped potential.”

I thought back to our last meeting. Beyond the presence of the spirit whom I would later meet as Megan, I did feel someone else in my harrowing encounter with the Nightmare. It was a faint whisper, warm and calming in its inflections.

“Have you been able to place it?”

Aunt Luna shook her head. “I have seen a fair amount of glimpses, but like a firefly, each glimpse is ever ephemeral. I have not been able to see it for long enough to give you any conclusive evidence.”

“So what is to be done?” I wondered, looking about.

“Seek it out yourself, of course,” Luna replied, rubbing my head in a gesture of affection. “You should follow the lights which resemble fireflies. At the moment, this presence is rather underdeveloped and immature. However, I feel that if you interact with it more, it may reveal more of itself to you.”

“I see,” I murmured. “So you think this thing may have some connection to me or something like that?”

Luna nodded. “The feeling it gave me reminds me much of you.”

Part of me felt slightly uneased by that comment.

“I’ll see what I can do."

Luna nodded, and proceeded along her way. As she was about to leave me, a thought struck.

"Wait, if you're here, then what is Celestia doing right now with that statue?"

Luna glanced to the side. "Well..."

***

I did not know what I was looking upon. Of all the statues that had graced my royal garden, this one was by far the oddest one of all. Among all the statues of famous figures both fictional and actual, the latest addition was by far the oddest one of all. Standing sentinel proudly above them all was a great colossus devoted to my son. Carved from marble and clad in nothing but virile pride, its design all but baffled my senses.

Any words I could’ve used to express my opinion slurred away into an indecipherable mush of nonsense. My eyes were halfway between befuddlement and awe. My nose caught the mustiest draft. A strange saltiness gathered on my tongue.

And then, my concentration—or rather, the bewildered lack thereof—was broken by a giggle.

“I take it you might need a second opinion?” asked a familiar voice from afar.

I quickly wheeled around to greet none other than Twilight Sparkle. For a while, I had considered her to be family, but lately, I had sensed a spark of something new. I had felt she’d been growing ever closer and fonder to me, even now. The way in which she regarded me on this day only served to make that connection ever more tangible.

“Twilight,” I stammered, taken a bit by surprise. “I hadn’t expected your visit.”

Twilight tittered. “I came to see if I could help in the research efforts concerning Lance’s origins. Judging by the large statue behind you and that look on your face, I guess I came at a not-so-good time.”

"Twilight! What an unexpected surprise! How have the studies on Lance been going? I hope you have been well..." I sputtered, now in a rather unbecoming state.

“Relax, Celestia. I’m not going to judge,” Twilight assured. “If anything, I think it captures his likeness very well.”

I heaved a sigh of relief as a green plume of smoke whirled in front of me.

“Ah, that must be from him now!” Twilight chirped, smiling. “Why don’t you we see to that, then we start working a bit more closely on the matter?”

“Right, right,” I chuckled nervously. “Let’s see what we have here.”

***

Dearest Mother,

Today was...awkward, to say the least. Though it was a learning experience, I felt like I’ve really had to step out of my comfort zone more than I’d like to. Even as we speak, I’m trying smoked crystal salmon.

We’ve made camp in the woods near Neighagra Falls, and from the looks of it, we’re but a stone’s throw from both Manehattan and Fillydelphia. We also have noticed there’s stirrings of a potential township to the south. We don’t know if there’s any kind of civilization there, but I feel it may be worth further looking into.

My magical training is going… serviceably. I am unable to do much of significance, but through some miracle, I managed to put up a protective barrier up to protect myself and my teacher. I have plans to figure out how to repeat the process, as that may be of use to me in the future.

Perhaps as an aid, Princess Luna has sent me a guide to a more specific field of magic called Umbramancy. I have my reservations on whether or not it will be effective, but anything to help me come to grips with such a foreign art as this is appreciated.

I feel kind of sad having to eat this fish. While it was delicious, I can’t help but feel a pang of guilt from eating it. Should I be concerned at all? It’s not bad for me, is it? I hope it goes through me okay. I suppose as karma, I ended up taking a dive from a waterfall. Thank the stars Nia managed to pull me out of the water, but I've got cuts and scrapes all over me from my attempts to catch it. I'd like to think it was worth the effort.

In hindsight, I probably should have asked this upfront, but do you think Twilight may have some advice? After all, magic is her speciality. At this point, I feel some worthwhile insight may be in order.

Sorry that this letter is a bit threadbare for commentary. Today wasn’t much beyond trust exercises and such. Perhaps I should hold off on writing until I have some more worthwhile content to provide.

Before I end it, however, I’d like to make an addendum to my last letter. It seems that I am indeed not alone in my mind, as Luna has all but confirmed that I have a nightmare living inside my head. There’s also some more abstract presence that Luna claims is familiar to mine. I’ll try and report more on it in the future, but for now, the only thing I can say for sure is that it resembles fireflies.

Hopefully, my next letter should prove a bit more rich for details. For now, I’m just glad I had something to send to you, however little it was.

Until next time,

Lance

***

As Spike and I stood before the fire, he sniggered.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, partially gritting my teeth to bear the sting of powdered antiseptics.

“You’re sounding a lot like Twilight,” Spike said with half-sincere smile. “Always worried about the opinion of Her Royal Majesty for fear of failing her. Never wanting to approach her empty hooved. Never wanting to present anything less than your best.”

“Are you implying we’re alike?” I growled, unamused.

“Kind of,” he muttered, holding a head behind his back. “At least you never enchanted a doll to make everyone fight over it so you’d have a problem to fix.”

My eyes widened. “She actually did that?”

“Oh, yeah! It was crazy! Pretty much the whole town was in a frenzy!”

“All over not having a letter to send?”

“Pretty much,” Spike said with a shudder. “Twilight’s a really sensitive, neurotic type. She’s prone to freak outs, over-thinking, and just generally worrying more than she should be. I don’t know where she’d be right now if she didn’t have such great friends to keep her in check.”

I gave the idea a moments thought, and then proceeded to join Spike in cringing.

“Scary, huh?” Spike hummed. “The point is that you shouldn’t let a small problem turn into a bigger problem, and that you shouldn’t brush off a friend’s concerns, no matter how small they are.”

I looked down for a moment.

“In hindsight, I haven’t really gotten to know the others quite yet.” I sighed, looking towards the crackling flames. “Does that make me a bad friend?”

The others looked to me with a more genuine concern. Napalm was especially worried.

“You? A bad friend?” she asked, between looking at the fire and looking at me. “Don’t be so naive. Sure, first impressions between us weren’t exactly a rolling start, but it takes more than that to judge someone. At least, that’s the way I see it.”

Roughshod hung his head. His expression was solemn as he balanced on a cane. His eyes bore a glaze as he mumbled to himself.

“Something you want to say?” The queen asked, now in a more normal guise.

The old ass grumbled.

“I suppose if we are to atone for first impressions, now is as good a time as any,” he rumbled, looking up to me. “If it is still possible, I’d like to apologize for the insults I leveled against you. I was a drunk, embittered old jack who saw something too queer for his own eyes and made a knee-jerk assumption on it. From now on, I’ll try to keep to a name basis, if you’re willing to grant me that.”

I looked to the donkey, somewhat incredulous.

“Are you serious?” I asked, my eyes wide as tea saucers.

Roughshod nodded. “I swear on my honor as a great holy stallion.”

I cracked a small smile. “That’s… really considerate of you, Roughshod. Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it,” he grunted. “Consider it me making up for prior sins.”

The queen cooed for a moment. I wasn’t sure whether she was mocking the warmth of the situation or praising it.

“Ah, I can feel a warm flame igniting inside my heart,” the changeling queen sighed, as if the vibes we were generating had swept her away.

“It is rather pleasant, seeing a friendship being kindled,” Nia concurred with a smile. “It makes me yearn to be cuddled.”

Suddenly, in agreement, one of queen’s subordinates brushed against me like a kitten. Then, in short order, the others, to varying degrees of ease, joined into a somewhat intimate, friendly hug.

All except for Spike, who lurched over, holding his stomach.

“Ugh,” he groaned, seemingly in disgust. “I think I’m gonna be sick—HURP!”

Suddenly, Spike let out a large belch, a whirling green flame spiraling towards me as a scroll popped into existence into my lap. Tied by a golden ribbon and held together by the unmistakable wax seal of Canterlot royalty, it immediately beckoned my attention.

***

Dear Lance,

Today, Princess Celestia’s given me the opportunity to message you in pony, and I have to say, I think it’s great to see you’re getting into a habit of writing home every once in a while! It’s good to keep in touch when you’re far away. The princess wanted me to answer this time around on account of some more personal questions you’ve written out. Things between us have been going great, by the way.

On the matter of your diet, I’d say you don’t have much to worry about; seeing as Fluttershy caters to animals of many dietary archetypes, it’s not exactly a damnable act to fulfill your dietary needs. Not to mention, I kind of have experience with creatures not too dissimilar to yourself. They didn’t all subsist off of nuts, berries, and grains. After all, variety is important in a growing stallion’s diet.

As for your study of magic, I feel honored that you’d want to seek my advice so soon. I suppose it would be fitting to preface this by stating that, for most creatures who have the ability to use it, magic is a very personal force. Most ponyfolk—unicorns especially—are born with a very narrow arcane focus. Therefore, the first step is to figure out what your primary focus is. Assuming you’re like me, and have some type of pedigree that allows more broad study, this won’t exactly be an easy task.

That, I believe, is where Luna’s book will come in handy.

While most magic is mutually exclusive to one’s talents, arts such as Alchemy are widely considered to be called “hedge magic”. They’re traditionally arts that are learnable by most folk, so long as they fit a particular prerequisite. Speaking as somepony who pores over many a tome of eclectic, mystic lore—and as a teacher of arcane sciences to both an alchemically-savvy earth pony and aspiring unicorn—while these arts may require more intense study than the magic that comes naturally to you, having a more focused study may help augment your future research.

As for your...shall we say, guests in your head? At this moment, we currently don’t have many ways to deal with nightmares. With the Elements of Harmony now resigned to keeping the great Tree of Harmony, we have only have the magic of friendship to see us through. The only advice I can give to that end is that you treasure your traveling company and get as acquainted as you can with them and hope you can summon a miracle to get the nightmare out of you. As for the other presence, in the name of arcane science, I suggest you figure it out to the best of your ability. You may end up finding out more about yourself in the process.

If this is getting too long-winded for you, I'll try and summarize: No, you shouldn't worry about this fish you ate, so long as it isn't wholly intelligent and is a part of your natural diet. Magic is primarily a personal force, and you should try to find where your talent lies as you use a more eclectic art to hone your core skills. And lastly, be sure to become familiar with your friends, including the one that might be inside your head; they may see you through these troubling times.

Here's hoping my advice helps you while you make your way around Equestria and beyond.

Best Wishes,

Twilight

Author's Note

On Nightmares (1): Most Nightmares have some identity to themselves. They are personae into and of themselves, and occaisonally even have genders and distinct appearances, when they choose to inhabit a host. It is unknown how they procreate. They often try to make a form that is appealing their host in order to better persuade them to a bargain.

Chapter 13: Shadow of Terror

Our forest excursions went along swimmingly. The forest near Neighagra Falls was serene, calm, and a pleasure to traverse. The relative ease of pathfinding through the forest gave plenty of leeway for small-talk.

“So, through all this travel, I don’t think we ever got your name, Your Highness,” I asked, my spear relaxed against my shoulder. “Since we’re on the path to where you evidently hang your laurels, wouldn’t it be polite of you to tell us your name, at the very least?”

The queen chuckled. It was difficult to register if it was one of casualness or one of nobility.

“Well, since you’re granting me that same etiquette, I suppose I can extend that dignity to you,” she replied, her violet eyes twinkling as she whisked a hoof through her silken mane. “I am Archnid, after the word “Arachnid.” I am a skilled seamstress.”

I regarded the queen’s figure for a moment. I had seen changelings in books years ago, but the queen bore a significant discrepancy from the images in my head. Though she maintained that same black, chitinous hide and membranous hair and wings that many of her peers had, both she and her entourage bore a strange… wholeness to them. Their bodies didn’t have that same decayed, emaciated, near-corpse like look to them.The queen’s horn, which in most books was usually a jagged, saw-like terror, was a single uniform blade. Her mane and tail were a single, uniform sheet that flowed like proper hair. It all came together in a rather fetching glamour. Her subordinates were similarly adorned, their figures more complete and their horns’ edges smoothed out to a finer finish.

“You and your brood look so much different than typical changelings,” Roughshod noted. “Through what blessing did you manage that?”

“Uhuhuhuhu…” Archnid tittered. Stopping to place a hoof against her muzzle as she assumed the shape of a mauve pegasus in a violet flare, her entourage taking navy and gamboge forms of the other two tribes. “‘Tis a long story, and I don’t feel it is appropriate to talk about here. When we get to Pasofino, you’re free to get your answer then.”

“Fair enough,” he grumbled. “Speaking of that town, how far are we from there, Spike?”

We stopped and checked our bearings for a moment.

“We’re in luck,” he said with a smile as he unfurled the map. “Once we get out of the Hollow Shades where that village is, we should be able to use a train to get to Pasofino.”

“Know anything about the Hollow Shades?” Napalm asked.

Spike shook his head. “The only thing the map tells me is that it’s a somewhat secluded village.”

“Interesting,” I mused as I scratched my chin. “Then we should proceed there with caution. We don’t know how much contact they may have with the rest of Equestria proper. And considering that it’s in a forest, we’ll need to be wary of any incendiary spells we lob off.”

Napalm glowered. “Just when we were getting out of the cold.”

“Just be glad that we’re not too far in,” Spike said. “A fire can spread pretty darn fast if you’re not careful.”

Napalm scrunched her face. “I know, I know; I just like to burn things.”

“Kind of figured that, given your name.” Roughshod murmurred.

Soon enough, the canopy and greenery gave way to a massive, sprawling, grassy hill. From this shallow vantage, we could see two sets of train tracks in the distance, hearing the distant roar of a steam engine’s whistle as it rumbled into view. It was not the boxy, homey Friendship Express, but the polygonal, jagged, almost serpentine Diamondback that hailed from the Crystal Empire. There were no freight cars attached to it this particular time it passed; only a uniform serpent carved of precious crystals that snaked along the railroad.

As it roared along past us, we had another opportunity to pass time with idle chatter.

“What was it like in the empire, by the way?” Spike wondered. “I never did ask.”

“I didn’t mind the time I’d spent there, if that’s what you’re asking,” I replied. “It’s nice and bright during the daytime, the ponies are nice and friendly, and the atmosphere is almost certainly uplifting. The only downside is that it takes a good while for the lights to go out.”

Spike gave an empathetic cringe. “I know what you mean. It’s a wonder how they can sleep.”

A brief pause came as I rubbed my eyes.

“So, what about you, Napalm?” I asked. “Any memories from your hometown?”

As I turned to her, she was turned away from me, her tail curled over her flank in a shamed look.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she sighed. “Not now, at least.”

I was about to ask a follow up question, but the pained look on her face dissuaded me. I decided to let it be for now.

Thankfully, the train was almost past us, saving us the trouble of trying to make small talk. Not for lack of trying, mind; we just didn’t have much common ground to talk about just yet.

That was, until Roughshod decided to speak up.

“Pray tell, boy, where did you get a necklace like that?” he asked, pointing to the glimmering jewel that was hanging from my neck.

As I held the necklace in my hand, a thought came to me in a wistful sigh. A memory of my younger years gave me calming nostalgia as it became ever clearer to me.

“A friend gave it to me in elementary school, many years ago,” I said in a calm, happy tone. “Her name was Sparkling Spring. She gave this to me when we were having a lesson on jade.”

“Whoa-ho-ho…” Spike chuckled. “Did you have a little crush back then?”

I blushed, my hand clasping over the necklace.

“Not exactly,” I denied, looking away. “We were just friends. She saw me being left out when everyone else was passing jade around, and gave it to me so I wouldn’t feel left out.”

“Aw, that’s sweet…” he cooed, patting my back. “Do you know where she is now?”

I shook my head. “By the time I was getting ready to join the scouts, we sort of went our separate ways. By the time of my first camping trip, I’d already made another friend in a pegasus named Robin. Goodness knows where either of them are.”

“Who knows,” Spike said with a shrug. “Maybe we’ll run into them at some point along the way. Sometimes, the friends you make when you’re really young are the ones that may end up saving you when you need them most.”

I grasped my necklace a little tighter. A small hope filled in my chest as the wind whipped my hair back. Maybe I would find them later on along the path I was headed. For now, however, only the path ahead was of importance. There would be time to rekindle past relations in the future.

Spike waved over to me from the other side of the tracks. “Come on; it’s clear.”

Quickly, I snapped back to reality and deftly made my way across the rails, following the rest of my party off into the thick of the shades.

Inside, there was definitely a much eerier aura around the environs. Though the odd frog or bird called out into the wilderness, there was never much of a reply. The odd fleck of a firefly’s light passing by lit the way in an otherwise hollow and dark place. The further in I proceeded, the more apparent that this place had been named the Hollow Shades with good reason. Perhaps in a show of empathy, we all began to bunch together in a tight formation, our eyes scanning around us in the hopes that we were not being spied upon.

So naturally, when we ended up bumping into a rather bulky straggler, we all collectively jumped out of our skin.

Before us was a Diamond Dog. He was of a cream and white palette, and possessed an almost infectiously cheery countenance. Such expression stood in rather stark contrast to the rather morbid paraphernalia he was armed with. Armor made from scales and furs, weapons crafted from claws and bones, and a helm made from the hollowed head of a beast shaped in such a way to make everyone—Spike in particular—somewhat uneasy.

His response only compounded things further.

“Oh, pardon!” he politely pleaded. “I didn’t know someone else was in this forsaken forest.”

“Forsaken?” Roughshod asked, cocking his head. “In what manner?”

“There is unrest of a monstrous nature near the settlement deep in these woods.” he warned. “Unless you are feeling brave, I suggest turning away now.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Napalm scoffed. “And just who the hay are you?”

“Kenta,” he replied. “I am a traveling smith and hunter.”

“A hunter of what?” Spike asked, incredulous. “Colossi? Titans? Wyverns?”

The smith shrugged “I’m not picky. Anything big, fearsome, and harmful to potential patrons.”

“How not picky?” Spike asked, leering down at the dog.

“Relax, I don’t hunt indiscriminately,” he assured. “I only go after the ones who are actively endangering civilizations.”

“Do you have anything about this creature that you can share?” I asked, looking closer at his attre.

“Nothing much,” he grunted, rolling his shoulder. “It stands not much higher than you do right now, and is faster than my eyes can track.”

“You mean you can’t see this thing?” Napalm snapped.

Kenta shook his head. “Even if I could, I would rather live to tell the tale than die to see the visage of a monster.”

I nodded in understanding. “And you were by yourself, I’d wager.”

Kenta seconded my nod. “This creature is too much for a lone hunter like myself to handle. If you think you can handle it, feel free to try.”

“When was the last time you saw it?” The queen asked.

“It disappeared about an hour ago,” said the dog. “I am still not certain what it is after, but given the bones that lay upon the path, it can’t be good.”

I froze for a moment. The very mention of the possibility of death made my heart skip a beat as my hand instinctively reached for my scabbard.

“This may bear investigating,” Roughshod grunted. “We may yet have a window of opportunity to gather information before this beast rears its head again, and in the name of helping the ailing innocent, we should take it.”

“And you’re okay with the possibility of this dooming us to a terrible fate?” I asked.

Spike then proceeded to give me perhaps the coldest glare I’d ever been given.

“I… was a dog once.”

A pregnant pause soon followed, our thoughts stopped cold by the rather sudden revelation from the dragon. One of the subordinates cleared his throat.

“So what may we receive should we do you the favor of felling this fiend?” I asked.

“Assuming you leave plenty for salvage, I’d be happy to use the spoils to more appropriately outfit you lot,” Kenta replied. “As you might be able to see, most of my equipment is crafted from genuine monster hides. Surely, a creature as swift as this may be more than suitable for you to wear.”

“Will you be staying long?” Archnid asked.

Kenta shook his head. “Not in this forest, I won’t be. I’ll be camping out someplace safe by the threshold of the forest.”

The queen nodded. “And we’ll be able to find it?”

Kenta gave a reassuring smile. “Shouldn’t be hard to miss. When in doubt, follow the smoke.”

“We’ll be sure to remember that, sir,” I said. “Best of luck to you.”

“The same to you,” Kenta replied, tipping his hat. “Take good care of yourselves.”

We parted ways, hastily heading towards the village hidden in the Hollow Shades.

***

A strange, ambient silence greeted us as we entered the small village. The sound of rustling wind was the only sound that dared stand against the quiet. The road was empty, the prints of many ponies littered across the dirt. Nia trotted up to one of the paths of hoof prints and examined it.

“These were recently laid,” Nia concluded. “The residents must have fled for safety, likely to their homes. We should be tactful.”

Spike nodded. “Roughshod, do you think you can handle this?”

The donkey gave a tired, if confident, grin. “I’ve dealt with weary villagers many times before. Perhaps the sight of a holy jack will ease their troubled minds.”

Quickly, Roughshod approached the doorstep of the nearest house and rapped slowly at the door, so as not to frighten whomever resided within. For a brief moment, silence returned. The rattling of an olden knob and the squeak of well-worn hinges scratched against our ears as a young mare appeared in the crack of the doorframe.

“Please,” she pleaded. “Leave us be. We have nothing to give. The beast took from us most everything we had.”

“You mistake me for something else, miss,” Roughshod hummed, a hoof to his chest. “I am not here to plunder, but to protect. We are here on word of a hunter whom we passed along the path here.”

“We?” asked the mare as she began to peek out. “Who else is with you?”

Roughshod took a few steps back, allowing the mare to better see the rest of us. With a quick tug, I removed the scarf that had been covering my face, wrapping it against my shoulders. As a matter of respect, I also removed my beret. Spike held a claw against the spines at the back of his head. Napalm tried her best to look casual, and Archnid and her two subordinates took to being more formal.

I made a brief mental note to test the autonomy of the two drones; referring to them by their rank or profession began to tire on me. Perhaps I was being silly to question it, but considering how quiet they were being up to this point had at least made me curious. A matter for another time, I reasoned.

I took a calm bow.

“Well met, milady.” I greeted in as noble a fashion as I could muster. “I am Lance, an Emissary of Northern Equestria.”

The mare seemed to shy away for a moment, fiddling with the locks and bolts on her door. As she finally exposed herself, I was able to gain a visual on the poor dear. She was an auburn Earth Pony, clad in a red bandanna that hid away a slightly ratty mane. Her hazel eyes bore a slight undershadow typical of at least a week of restless nights. She bore a look of desperation and squalor.

Cautiously, she neared me, her hoof held out as she examined me. Typically, I would have sooner rebuked such an invasion of privacy. However, given I had recently given full disclosure of most everything beneath the very thin barrier between my flesh, being examined by the hooves of a curious mare was perhaps the better option than trying to answer the question of just what I was before a town of people ravaged by another nameless beast.

“I understand if you are curious of what I am,” I murmured, looking down. “I have certainly wondered what I am more than once. However, we were hoping you might be able to tell us what you know of the beast that has plagued your town.”

The mare looked to me, her irises wide and her pupils narrow.

“Please, sir,” she sighed. “I shudder every time I think about it. I don’t want to relive that moment again.”

“I cannot say I am able to know what you’ve gone through,” I whispered. “But, if you can tell me what you know—or at least direct me to someone who can—I promise you we will do everything we can to help you.”

The mare took a sharp breath, and I saw that a few tears had been shed upon my coat.

“You’ll want the village elder,” she stammered. “He has seen the beast closely. He may have the knowledge that you seek.”

“If you could take us to him, we can get to figuring out a plan of action,” Spike assured.

“Of course, Sir Dragon!” The mare marveled, a twinge of hope in her voice. “Please, follow me.”

As the mare led us to one of the larger buildings, I looked about, seeing other villagers peek out of their homes and regard my party and I with varying degrees of interest and wariness. Some were as aged as the trees, while others barely stood as high as my knee. All of them had looks ranging from melancholy, to despair, to even the faintest bit of faith. They all wore somewhat simple clothes, wearing at most a shirt, if even that. There was almost no jewelry on any of them, even on the most well-kept mares at the street. Were it not for their palettes, I would have had a hard time telling them apart, especially considering the massive zebra presence.

However, there was no mistaking who the village elder was. A distinctly sky blue stallion with wispy, beige locks approached us. His face bore the telltale wrinkles of a pony who’d gone through considerable tribulation. His eyes were glazed and grey, wizened by decades of labor and toil, and the horn that adorned his face barely even glinted with any kind of thaumaturgical power. He was very clearly not a very happy pony, and he was none too pleased by my being in his line of sight.

“You had best provide a good explanation for why you have brought outsiders before me, Nutmeg,” he grumbled. “You do not know from where they hail.”

Roughshod cleared his throat as he motioned for me to step aside.

“Good elder, we have come on word of the plight that has plagued your poor colony,” he explained, putting on his sincerest of vocal ranges. “A hunter has told us you’ve been having troubles with a beast, and as the altruistic sorts we are, we thought we’d try to help.”

The Elder rose an eyebrow. “You and your ragtag bunch of misfits?”

Spike then decided to speak up.

“We’re no mere misfits, sir!” he called out, trying his damnedest to sound gallant. “We’ve already dealt with at least one monstrous evil before this, so we aren’t exactly greenhorns.”

The elder paused for a moment, a hoof to his forehead. His eyes shut as he stroked his beard, as if wracking his brain on a decision. Sour nothings were muttered between his teeth, and I could vaguely hear at least one vulgarity mixed in. When he finally came upon a thought, he stamped the ground firmly.

“Very well then,” he spat, looking down to himself. “What will you need?”

I smiled. This had come slightly easier than I had initially expected.

“We’ll need as much information, resources, and courtesies as you can provide us,” I answered. “Give us shelter, and I promise you, we will see the fall of whomever is doing your village wrong.”

The Elder glowered. “How can I be certain you will keep to your word?”

“I was raised beneath the banners of royalty, good sir,” I assured. “I am a man of honor and dignity, a noble lacking either is not one I’d like to have the pleasure of meeting.”

The two of us shared a good long stare between each other. Perhaps the elder was testing my words, and my resolve. Making sure that I was not about to turn about face and literally ram a spear into his backside. When he was certain of this, he backed away from me and gave a half-hearted smile.

“I will hold you to your honor,” he rumbled, her hoof to my chest. “May we bind this contract to our names.”

I smiled in turn, bowing before him. “I am Lance, Emissary and son of Celestia.”

The Elder’s eyes rose, and he mirrored my bow, his horn down to my knees.

“Forgive my indiscretion,” he mumbled in surprise. “I am Elder Berry.”

I kneeled down and offered my hand. “Well met.”

Elder Berry took my hand and rose back up.

“About the creature, then,” he coughed. “It stands perhaps far larger than even you, larger than most of our homes and is as swift as the wind. Its feathers were black as pitch, and its talons were covered in such horrible filth. Barely any trace of it was left but a single shed feather. When it dared to take a life, it was swift, shattering the skull and flaying apart the flesh in a manner almost too quick to see. I am not sure of its intellect, but it is a crafty fiend, nevertheless.”

“How many has it taken prior to our arrival?” I asked.

The elder lowered his head. “All too many. Even the loss of one life in this town leaves a deep scar in my heart.”

“When did it last make a strike?” Nia asked, tapping her staff against the ground.

“Last evening. It came from practically nowhere, and to nowhere did it swiftly return.”

Nia looked down to the ground. “Then we may have to keep ears to the ground.”

“Do you have a place where we can sleep?” Napalm yawned. “Somewhere where we can keep watch?”

“Of course,” Elder Berry replied. “There’s a small lodging nearby you’re free to stay in. It doesn’t have much for furnishings, but it should serve as a suitable place of respite for you.”

The elder motioned for us to follow him, and we were led to a simple little domicile. Nothing about this building was particularly extravagant. A simple structure of wood with only the basic creature comforts. Enough space to set up the bedrolls and get a comfortable amount of rest and preparation done.

“Thank you for allowing us a place for respite, sir.” Archnid purred. “We can assure you that we will do what we can to help you.”

“And we will do what we can to help you help us,” the elder replied. “So long as you are able to do what you have promised.”

I knelt before the elder and lowered my head.

“You’ve nothing to worry about, sir. We shall dedicate our time to helping you as best we can.”

With this, the elder left us to our own devices, closing the door behind him. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief as we sat down.

“You have a plan for this, don’t you?” Spike asked me.

A beat passed by.

“Horseapples.”

***

Night soon descended upon the quiet village. I was the only soul in that small little shack that was still awake. Taking as many precautions to unencumber myself, I sat with my legs crossed, Book of Shadows in lap, and a finger scanning across the pages. In a cursory flip-through, only a few of the initial pages were readable to me, with the rest being in a language I’d yet to understand.

“To walk the moonless path is to dedicate one’s self, in mind and in body, to the pursuit of meaning behind the Five Dark Words. This journey will help you to define for yourself these ancient tenants, developing yourself in turn.

“In opening this book, you now have been trusted with a power few others possess. Perhaps you sought it yourself, or perhaps somepony else granted it or thrust it upon you. As you take your first tentative steps down this road, you must seek to understand the Truth of this power you may hope to possess.

A candle flickered next to me, and my eyes scanned feverishly across the darkened pages, as if binding me by some enchantment. A strange, calming effect washed over me, as if an errant wind blew past me. I shuddered, but kept my eyes glued onto the book.

“You may come to find several sayings and phrases where there ought to be incantations and descriptions. This is perfectly normal; a Book of Shadows is more than a mere book of thaumaturgical lore. It is meant to be a text that inspires you to find your own path towards unravelling the secrets behind this ancient craft. Let the instructions and inspirations of those who had used this tome before you serve as a guide down the moonless path, and may the shadows grant you safety.”

As I turned to the candle, I took note of the way its shadow danced on the floor. Such a small flame cast a substantial shade near me, just barely covering my thigh.

As I looked down on the quotations, one particular statement caught my attention.

“A common misconception is that Umbramancers manipulate the darkness around them to blot out the light. What most novices of this craft seem to not be aware of is the fact that a shadow is not a pure darkness. Much as yin is to yang, darkness and light are opposite, but equal. One simply cannot exist without the other, and the shadow is the ideal union of the two forces. The shadow is the darkness that is cast when light is brought into existence. To understand shadows, you must understand how to play with light and darkness. Only when you discover the truth of their interplay can you discover what shadows themselves can offer.”

I beheld the shadow at my thigh, extending one of my hands to it. A coldness greeted my palm, and goosebumps started to rise on my skin. For a brief instant, teeny little tendrils extended from a pool upon my thigh. Like caterpillars, they wriggled across my skin. I could only hold this effect for a moment before I had to stop myself. I shuddered, my mind calling out a volley of negatives as my hand trembled. Something was…off about this force I’d evoked, and I simply couldn’t stand it.

That night, I decided to curse Luna for damning my sleep.

***

One of the supposed advantages of a restless sleep, I would suppose, is that it allows you a sense of alertness that keeps you ready for any eventuality.

Of course, some divine entity up there must have seen I was tense, and just to further spite me, decided to liven things up a bit by introducing their little friend to me.

Early into the day, I was roused from my bedroll to the wonderful sounds of the shrill cries of a child. It was a cry for help too loud and too grating to be ignored. Without even the thought of adorning myself, I charged out of the shack, my eyes stretched considerably wide.

A young filly had been backed into a corner by a titanic avian. A creature of such massive size that its full profile overshadowed the tallest buildings in the vicinity. Extending from his head was a beak of a hatchet-like shape, tipped like a miner’s pick. Its eyes were furiously golden, with savage, jagged pupils staring down at the poor child, and angular crest adorned its head. Its legs were not too far off from that of a pony’s, but were scaly, repugnant, and tiger-taloned. Its body was covered in purple plumage that stuck out at every angle possible, with a fan of sharpened quills at its tail.

It was a sight and a smell that seized my steps and stole away my breath.

This creature was like a nightmare made flesh.

Within an instant, the filly its eyes were fixed on was gone. A crackling like the sound of a nutshell being cracked filled the air, and a fine red mist danced down to the dirt. The poor child was lucky, in a way. At least he was spared a torturous death.

The beast began to feast. All I could do was watch, mortified. It feasted in a fashion so feral and brutal that even describing the act nauseates me with but a passing thought. That horrific vision filled my eyes, my feet rigid as if filled with clay. My spear dared not to move, only trembling very slightly in my hand as my body refused to tear itself away. In more than one respect, I felt naked before this beast, my senses seizing as I stood frozen from what I’d witnessed. For a moment, I felt my conscious self dip, my ego collapsing into itself like a neutron star. My legs very nearly gave way, until my vision was clouded by a dense field of purple.

I found myself snapped back to reality when my head decided to have a lovely altercation with Madame Dirt. Directly in front of me was Spike, who was now straining to keep the beak of this terrifying bird away from me. As my brain started piecing together what in Tartarus was going on, the dragon looked behind himself to me, his eyes burning with the embers of protection.

“What are you doing?!” he growled, his throat rattling with exertion. “Get up and get moving!”

“What about you?” I called out.

“I’ll be fine,” Spike grunted, heaving the bird’s maw shut as he stood sentinel over me. The young dragon’s resolve was clear in the way his heels dragged trenches in the dirt. He kept his palms firmly clasped around its beak, and wasn’t keen on letting it get near me. “I’ve been through a lot worse than this! Just get someplace safe and get ready!”

Needing no further instruction, I scurried back to the shack, hurrying to gather my belongings and arm myself. I never let Spike drift too far from my sight, and I rushed back out the door. Spike, perhaps wanting to lead the beast away from the village, made a mad dash towards me, opening one of his arms to get me in his grasp, pulling me into cover where the others kept watch. After a few tense moments, it seemed the beast had lost interest, going off into the forest as quickly as it had arrived.

“By Celestia’s beard, this thing’s fast!” I gasped. “How are we supposed to keep up with something like this?”

“We probably won’t be able to,” Roughshod grumbled. “We’ll have to focus on leading it away from the villagers and start preparing what we can.”

“How can we hope to manage that?!” I protested. “That thing showed up out of nowhere, and I doubt we’d be able to land a square blow on it.”

Napalm and Nia, however, seemed pensive. They had a particular look on their faces that hinted at them having more than a few ideas.

“Perhaps this battle need not be fought through sheer force.” Nia mused. “Instead, perhaps we direct its course?”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Spike asks.

“It’s simple, really,” Napalm said with a slightly too cheery expression. “If there’s one thing that draws in and repels animals most, it’s fire. Seeing as fire’s my bread and butter, why don’t we try luring him out from the village and throwing him on a wild goose chase?”

“I can’t imagine that’s safe,” I answered. “This whole village is surrounded by forest. There’s a good chance we could set the whole forest ablaze and cause even more damage than that beast ever could.”

“You saying I can’t cast a good Flare spell?” Napalm asked, a bit insulted by my quip. “I might be a pyromancer, but I’m not reckless.”

“And you’re sure you can do this?” Spike asked. “Where exactly do you intend to get this thing to go?”

“Far enough to do what we can to prepare for when he comes back,” Nia replied. “We should be able to direct him a far enough distance away from the village to prepare countermeasures.”

We rolled out a map and made quick note of our position. Spike groaned for a moment, holding his chest. The two of us shared a short glance. By the look he gave me, he seemed none too worse for wear aside from a brief exhaustion.

“We should get a plan going,” Spike grunted. “If we aim to survive this without loss of life and limb, we should at least figure out how we’re going to go about this.”

“Good thinking,” I noted. “Nia, Napalm, since you two are critical to this, I’m having you out in front. Then Roughshod behind them to keep us all in good form, and then Spike and I to act as the moving shield.”

“Sound reasonable enough,” Napalm said. “Problem is, I doubt any of us could keep up with a thing that fast. We should probably keep the formation loose and try to kite him about until we send him running.”

“Indeed,” Nia concurred. “Through my mysticism, I may be able to help guide this creature down the path of least resistance.”

“How good of a range can you invoke your spells, Roughshod?” I asked. “We’ll likely need to keep spread out so as not to be so easily stamped out.”

“My power of my benefactors’ divinity can carry as far as my voice,” the pastor promised. “So long as I can draw a breath, my power can reach as far as it is needed.”

“That’s good,.” I smiled. “I feel we might need that divine aid both soon and in the future.”

“And you’re sure you can do this?” Spike pondered. “I’ve seen friends make spontaneous plans; they don’t always pan out so well.”

“So long as we stick together and stay collected, we should be able to make this work and have some breathing room to make a better plan than this one,” I replied. “Fortune favors the brave and the bold.”

“That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in me.” Spike said flatly.

I gave Spike a sharp eye, intent on showing him the fires of conviction that burned inside my heart. I clasped his scaled shoulders in my hands, gripping them firm and tight, and met his gaze with mine, searing my passion into him with the most cocksure smile I could muster. Our faces were so close that our brows were but mere inches from colliding against each other.

“I understand this whole thing might not seem the most surefire undertaking,” I assured him, trying my best to form a rousing voice. “But I can be sure of one thing; if that thing lays even one scratch on you, I will promise you that it will feel my retribution soon thereafter. For now, all I’m asking is that you trust me.”

A beat passed by. The rest of us were silent, up until Archnid and her entourage spoke up.

“I believe you forgot about us,” she chimed, chuckling. “Do you believe you can make room for three more?”

I took a breath in surprise, then held my chin to rework my plan just a bit.

“Your Highness, seeing as you are of great potency in your magic, I suggest you join Nia and Napalm up front.” I ordered. “The drones should flank Roughshod and keep him protected. That should give us a solid formation.”

“Excellent.,” the queen cheerfully chirped. “Now all we need to do is act.”

I mashed my fist into my hand with a confident smirk.

“Let’s get into position, everypony,” I announced. “We bell the cat in but a few moments.”

***

The dullest din of silence rang in the ears of our party. Each of us had taken cover, waiting for just the right moment to lash out. The rustling of leaves and shrubbery only barely cut the tense quietness as we kept an eye on the bird. For reasons not immediately clear, and to our great serendipity, the bird had left the village as quickly as it came. We knew that time was of the essence, but we also knew that a hasty approach could prove fatal. We had to be precise and methodical. As it turned towards the forest, I rose my arm, wavering tentatively with a firm palm, as if to applaud the heavens.

“Wait for it…”

Soon, the staccato of two taloned feet shook the earth. A foreboding presence neared us, and it seemed as though at the slightest provocation, it would lunge out to snatch the interloper nearest to him. As it neared me, I shuddered, knowing I was so danger-close. One errant twitch would doom me, and I had to make my next move count.

Then, when the chill of the foul beast blew past me, I knew the time was now.

My arm came down like an axehead, and not but a short breath after, the forest filled with mystical flame, an orange-green flare that burst in a loud, sparkling display. The bird craned its neck up, and another plume shot up into the sky as we dashed right past its field of awareness. One after another, the sky filled with color as we moved into position. Spike and I took to the front, being mindful to not get too close to the monster’s beak. Roughshod pulled ahead, the drones crossing between us in a figure eight to watch his flanks. Nia, Napalm, and Archnid took to the front, Archnid taking the crown of the formation.

Roughshod kept his voice firm, even as his very breath grew more and more taxed from the strain of dashing for his very livelihood.

“Foul beast of wings black as the twisting nether!” he called back to the bird. “Know that the weight of your sins is soon to come crashing down upon you like a ball of wrought iron! Know that soon, the blinding embers of the sun and the exposing light of the moon shall be shining down upon you in judgement, and the retribution of the heavens will rain upon you like fire!”

As if it had taken offense to that comment, the bird lunged toward us, just barely missing Spike and I as it narrowly nipped Roughshod’s tail.

“This is getting a little close for comfort!” Spike called out. “Do you think we can hurry this up?!”

“We just need a good clearing!” I shouted back. “One slip up, and this whole forest could be up in flames!”

“We’re coming up to one as we speak!” Napalm barked from the front. “I think I’ve got a good idea!”

Archnid gave a plain look.“Judging by that look on your face, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

Napalm scoffed. “Trust me, I’ve got a good grip on how to do this; when I give the word, I want you all to shut your eyes and take cover!”

“That isn’t exactly helping your case!” Archnid gasped.

“We may just have to run with it, Your Highness!” I called from the rear. “At the rate we’re going, we won’t be able to keep ahead of him for long!”

The queen looked to me for a brief moment, then to Napalm. Perhaps in resignation, she sighed, as if no other good choice seemed to remain.

“On your signal, then,” she told Napalm, returning to proper running posture.

As the scalding puffs of hot breaths danced across our backs, scattered beams of sunlight greeted us as the walls of the forest began to part into a clearing. As we began to enter, Napalm turned about face with a fierce glint in her eyes.

“Everypony to the ground, now!”

Acting thoughtlessly, we all collectively dived into the grass, as a warm radial aura began to circle around Napalm. A hot wind began to pool as the surrounding area rose in temperature. The air seemed thicker, hazier as waves of power radiated around us. Spike seemed to shield me from the building pressure and heat. Bless his draconic heart; he must have wanted to protect me.

From the haze of building heat, a fierce, scorching nova erupted into being, singeing the grass around it as the crackling ball of hot fury flashed outward. I could only bear to look upon it for the briefest of moments before the intense brightness of it forced me to look away. A shrill cry pierced the air, and the smell of burning shortgrass and plumage acridly wafted into my nose. I could hear and feel the large wooshes of the bird thrashing and flailing around, trying to shake away its confusion. Eventually, the rapid, thundering footfalls filled the air, drifting away as anguished cries faded away into the setting sun.

When the dust settled, we all looked about, noticing a distinct black mark with a purple pony lying exhausted inside it. Much of her body was riddled with flecks of ash and soot, and her breath was deep and ragged. The lot of us rushed to her side, Nia frantically producing poultices and Roughshod murmuring prayers and invocations.

As I examined her, she let out a whooping cough.

‘Yeesh, that look a lot out of me,” she groaned, trying to tiredly get to her hooves. “I’ve never done something that intense.”

“Can you stand?” I asked, offering a hand.

As I tried to help the pooped pyromancer to her hooves, her legs wobbled and buckled wearily under her exhausted weight like a newborn foal.

“Pony feathers,” she dejectedly sighed. “I don’t think I have the strength to even stand up.”

My finger curled around Napalm’s hoof as I wrapped my arms against her forelegs. With a quick heave, I slung the exhausted pyromancer onto my back, gasping in exertion.

“Then don’t exhaust what little you have left,” I grunted, holding the mare against my back like a rucksack. “Let’s just get back to the village and take stock of damage; we can worry about the bird when we’ve given the fallen their last rites.”

Spike groaned and nodded. “Good thinking; we better get a move on. We don’t know how long that thing will be gone.”

With a quick look to one another and an affirmation that we were all well and accounted for, our party made haste for the village hidden in the Hollow Shades, constantly looking back to assure we were not being trailed. Our hearts raced, our nostrils burned with rushing air, and our minds filled with trepidation.

Little had we known, however, that the worst of our troubles had yet to make itself known.

***

It was a somber return when we arrived to the village. Though it had appeared to have been spared any lasting wounds, the looks upon the villagers’ faces knowing that another young flame had been so unrighteously snuffed out cut into me like a thousand needles. As I looked upon them, ashamed and half-defeated, my only course of action was to prostrate myself before them all.

“I am...sorry,” I choked, hanging my head. “I was ill prepared for this threat, and in my trepidation, I allowed an innocent colt’s blood to be spilled.”

There was a hush over the populace. The villagers all turned their gazes toward me, and my companions looked on with concern.

“I will not try to excuse my failings,” I continued, holding in my sorrows. “I was just as afraid of it as all of you could be, if not more, and I wasn’t able to act because of that fear.”

I rose to one knee, my head slowly craning up to face the Elder Berry.

“For the moment, however, I and my companions have chased the beast away. We should be able to rest a little easier, and perform any rites and preparations we can before it returns.”

The elder looked upon me, as I bowed my head before him. He trotted towards me, a hoof to my head.

“It is a shame that another poor soul had to be lost this day,” he rumbled, cradling my chin to look me in my eye. “But, there is a saying that has been passed through the hooves of many a civilization, this one included—Give one life today, and you save a thousand more in the morrow.”

I blinked, uncertain. “What do you mean?”

“The loss of one life can ensure the safety of many more,” he replied. “The child’s passing will be mourned and remembered, and his sacrifice will hopefully not have come in vain.”

Spike walked up to me, limping slightly as his minor injuries started to flare up.

“So you aren’t angry at him? Or us?”

Elder Berry looked between the two of us and sighed.

“Truly, in a fairer time, such despair would not befall us pony folk,” he shuddered. “But as this colt has stated, the youngling’s passing allowed for a chance for you lot to come to our aid, and with this window of opportunity now open, the heavens may yet grant you the favor needed to slay such a demon.”

After this, no one spoke. Not even a murmur among the villagers was heard as we regrouped. As I lodged my spear into the dirt shaft-first, I pondered the recent happenings.

Inside my thoughts, Iando decided to speak.

”You felt it too, didn’t you?” He asked. ”That strange energy.”

I shuddered, holding my face in my palm.

”I did feel something,” I somberly thought back. ”But I am not certain of what, and right now, I don’t feel I am in any capacity to make theories.”

It was then that I spoke up again, this time with a heavier voice.

“Spike,” I snapped, looking to Napalm. “Gather Napalm and the girls and retire to the shed. I’ll join you shortly while Roughshod helps with the mourning efforts.”

Spike looked to me, a look of unease on his face until our eyes met. He didn’t need to say a word to confirm my command, and nodded, gathering the others and making his way back.

As I looked to the setting sun, I clutched my necklace in my hand once more, seeing the tiny reflection of myself within and picturing those I might have myself lost. Though I knew not whom he was, the colt that passed away today would both haunt my sleep and push me towards the coming dawn.

In the nadir of that day, I swore to myself, however silently, that not another life would go to that beast again.

Chapter 14: Attack on Titanis

I’m not sure if I even fell into a deep enough sleep last night to dream. Between poring over my grimoire, being haunted by the memories of the prior day, and having to think up a plan of action for what might have been my last day on this soil, I had little time to rest. My mind knew no ease or comfort, and even among pleasant company, I could feel my stomach retreating further and further down inside of me.

Was this what it felt like to know true, mortal fear?

Dawn came with a crimson sky. A fitting premonition of things to come. The air was cool, almost bone-chilling, as it danced across my bare skin. I had barely retained any of my reading, and even as I tried to organize my thoughts into a concise weave of mental patterns, I couldn’t divorce the good thoughts from the ill ones.

Thankfully, I was in pleasant company.

Napalm approached me, looking surprisingly timid.

“Good morning,” I whispered, stretching outward.

Napalm bitterly chuckled. “Doesn’t feel like much of one, does it?”

In spite my poor morale, I chuckled. Napalm placed her hoof in my hand, looking up to me.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a few days,” she started, shying away slightly. “But I think that, since this might be the last day we spend alive, I think we ought to share our stories, so that we can at least get to know each other better.”

I clasped my hand over Napalm’s hoof and smiled.

“I’d like that.” I said, wiping my face to hide any potential tears.

Napalm smiled to me and gave me a brief hug.

“I know you must be scared out of your mind,” she assured, trying to be tender,. “But remember; you’re not going in alone. Not if we can help it.”

I looked up toward the window for a brief moment, letting go of Napalm and clasping my hands to whisper sweet nothings to whatever divine entities would listen to me.

I could only hope that I would be answered.

***

The eight of us gathered into a semicircle, basking in the light of a lantern full of fireflies as we looked to one another. The way we regarded one another made for a very melancholy atmosphere as Napalm took to the center of the grouping.

“So,” she started, looking around. “It must be odd to see an earth pony whose special talent flies in the face of everything we usually stand for, huh?”

We simply nodded along.

“Like a lot of earth ponies, though, I started things pretty simply,” she continued. “I lived in a small, unassuming farming village near the Unicorn Range. My parents were Nicola and Nadine, and I was originally named Desiree.

“As our names might imply, we were potato farmers. Or at least, my parents were. Most of my childhood was spent tilling the fields and taking care of our livestock. I don’t think I even had a proper bedroom. I slept with the livestock, on a bed of hay. For quite a few years, we were sure that I was going to be following in the family’s hoofsteps.

“That was, of course, until a thunderstorm decided to roll up to our little village. I’m not sure if it was engineered by the pegasi, or simply unmanageable in its size and magnitude, but it was massive. So massive that it practically blotted out the moon with its size. It was the dead of night, and almost nothing was stirring. It was all shockingly quiet.

“Then, faster than anyone could bat an eye, the sky was practically cleaved asunder by one fierce bolt of lightning that struck the weathervane so hard, it nearly crashed through the roof. That alone was enough to rattle me, but then the bang of thunder that came after sounded practically like the world’s largest bomb exploding right on top of me. My heart felt like it was going to shoot out of my chest, and the area around me started to feel hot. Then, another flash and bang rang against the roof, and before I knew what was going on, the whole barn was aglow with embers. And then… the world as I knew it went up in flames and smoke. While the animals fled away, I was stuck inside, the flames whipping around me.

“While I was certainly already scared out of my wits and without a clue as to what was going on, the thing that stuck out to me was that, while I was practically boxed in by it, the fire never touched me. It wrapped around me, it bended out of my way, and it got really, really close to me, but it never touched me or burned me. In fact, if anything, it acted as if it needed a master. Part of me wanted to leave, but I was stuck where I was, confused and in awe. I just couldn’t help but marvel at how I remained untouched and untouched by the chaos around me.

“By the time that my parents saw the commotion, they couldn’t believe what they saw. Before them was a right heap of trouble, and dead center of it all was little ‘ol me.”

Roughshod looked down to the lantern. “I assume your parents did not take this well.”

Napalm hung her head. “Not at all. In fact, they were all but horrified by what they saw. At first, they thought the lightning caused the fire, but as they tried so desperately to put it out, they soon began to realize that the fire was far from normal. Once they finally connected the dots, all my family’s eyes turned to me.

“The next few weeks weren’t much better. Nopony wanted to be anywhere near me. They feared just being within ten paces of me would mean going up in flames. Everypony I knew tried to come up with some explanation for where this power came from. Some thought I had made a pact with a demon, some thought I was born from one, and others thought I outright was a demon.

“I tried to return to the everyday grind, but every time I tried to lend my hooves to work again, I was shooed away for fear of my newfound powers rendering the crops infertile and useless. I wasn’t allowed near the animals for fear I would burn them alive. I wasn’t even allowed to retrieve water, for fear that even the water would catch aflame. I felt like a stranger in my own hometown. All because they were afraid of me, and thought me a monster.”

“So when did you end up in the mountains?” Spike pondered.

“I’m getting to that!” Napalm snapped. “Eventually, I was getting tired of being shunned by the people who were supposed to be supporting me. So, when the night was dark and full of silence, I stole away into the evening, heading off into the mountains with as much tack and feed as I could carry. I thought that perhaps if I left home, I might be able to learn to control this power I have and prove to them that I’m not just a freak of nature. I hoped that I could show them that I could not simply be stamped out. Like napalm, I’d burn bright and long.”

Napalm paused for breath, her gaze turning to Spike and I.

“However, as these two can attest, I wasn’t exactly very experienced going out on my own on the roads.”

I admit, I chuckled a tad. “You must have not found your talent for very long, I take it.”

“My outdoors skills are lacking, I admit,” Napalm nervously tittered, her cheeks burning up red. “In all honesty, I’m actually really glad you two found me. If you hadn’t, I’d probably have been in some real deep horseapples.”

“There’s just one thing that doesn’t quite check out,” Spike chimed in. “The way you seem to put it, you seem to have been at this for only a short while now, and you make it out like you’ve only recently come to grips with your power. How is it you’ve got such good control of this power?”

Napalm shrinked. “It’s kinda hard for me to explain...”

I crossed my legs. “I’d like to hear you try. As someone who’s in the process of learning magic himself, maybe there’s something from you to be learned.”

“Well, if you think I can be of help…” The pyromancer placed a hoof to her lower lip and gave a quiet hum. “Well, imagine it sort of like this;. Most unicorns—or for that matter, anypony whose source of power comes from pure magical energy—will tell you that magic in this world is kind of like a force. And like any force, people have different ways of approaching it and working it. To some extent, magic can be controlled, and depending on who you are and what your background is, something might work differently for you.”

“I follow you so far,” I nodded. “But where do you fit into this, exactly?”

“Well, think of it like cooking. Most mages you’re likely to have heard about fiddle with formulae and recipes other mages have made certain works. Even Star Swirl the Bearded did that, to some extent. But, for a lot of magi, especially ones like me, who are only just starting out, it works more like a home-cooked meal. You’re not sure how it works exactly, but you’re sure you can make it work with your own gut feelings and instincts. Heck, some even do both.”

“So are you implying you just sort of feel it out and work from there?” I asked.

Napalm shrugged. “Kind of. I just go with the way the ether flows and work from there. If I want a fireball, I try for a fireball. If I want to blow something to kingdom come, I put as much thought towards blowing it up. It’s kind of a intuitive, focus-y thing. I think about what I want and try as hard as I can to make it happen.”

“So you just go with what feels right to you, then.” Spike said.

“That’s about the gist of it,” Napalm answered. “If you ask me, it’s the better way to get an idea on how magic works. Just try and sync yourself to the flow of the magic, and if you’re lucky, you can make some real cool stuff happen.”

I hummed with understanding. “That sounds simple enough; I’ll try and keep that in mind.”

It was then that Archnid decided to speak up.

“If we’re going to be sharing stories, may it be prudent of me to share my own?” she asked. “I know that I promised to tell it once we reached Pasofino, but given the circumstances, we may not live for me to be able to speak of it.”

I flourished my arm in a gesture to permit her the floor to speak.

“My story—or, at least the part of my story that is most relevant to the fingered one—begins in the San Palomino Desert, a short while following the sound defeat of Queen Chrysalis. As you can imagine, the news did not come to my hive as anything good. If anything, it had been a sign of worse days to come. Without a stable source of nourishment aside from the odd berry harvests and what little fauna grew out in the arid wastes, and with the number of mouths to feed growing by the week, we were nearing the edge of starvation.

“That was until Alric, one of my right-hoof men, and his lieutenant Cedric happened upon a rather surprising discovery of fauna. As far as they knew at the time, the creature was alien to the native wildlife. To say it briefly, the creature was essentially of your breed when we had discovered him. Thankfully, it—or rather, I should say, he—was not dead, but rather exhausted from lack of hydration. The two of them brought him inside, and sure enough, he came to.

“Oh course, following on my most basic of natures, I acquainted myself with our new acquisition, and did my best to familiarize myself with him. He told me quite clearly what he was, but not whom. If I could recall what he called his kin, I would, but unfortunately, the stains of time have blotted it from my memory. Nevertheless, I had these two provide the male with some refreshment, but they made the mistake of feeding him Hypnos Berries…”

“Hypnos Berries?” I queried.

“Simply put, they are a common type of berry typically found more arid climates. While they are incredibly refreshing, they are commonly known as a natural sleep aid, as the juice contains a potent sedative which induces sleep within moments of ingestion.”

“I am well-aware of this berry,” Nia chimed. “Its benefit to medicine is quite extraordinary.”

Archnid nodded and continued on.

“Yes, well not long after he passed out, I had him moved to my bedchambers. As the hivemind would later inform me,the stallion had attempted to escape, but relented when he realized it would not benefit him if he left. We shared a bed together, and when morning came, I showed him around my home, and then performed my royal duties.”

“You mean to say that you drained him.”

The queen shied away slightly.

“In a manner of speaking, yes…” she murmured, a hoof to her muzzle. “However, for the sake of keeping decent in private company, I will spare you the sordid details.

“Up to our altercation, I had taken great pains to assure he was comfortable, even attempting to adopt his guise at least once. While my attempts were not without imperfections, and I did give the stallion reasonable cause for alarm, my efforts were appreciated. As I showed him around, he came to an understanding of our species. He had even helped me in the harvest willingly, showing me an unprecedented amount of compassion and care. And when we finally did complete our harvest, this was reflected in the love I had acquired from him. It was purer, fuller, more complete. There was a zest and body to its flavor that made it so much more wholesome than any love I’d tasted up to that point. I genuinely felt beloved from the taste of it, rather than simply feigning it for my own profit.”

“I think I know where this is headed,” Napalm interjected. “The love you felt was mutual, I’m assuming.”

Archnid nodded in confirmation. “This stallion made me feel a great number of things: angst, regret, passion and even love.

“Though it went against every edict and law that my forefathers had written, I had genuinely felt an attachment and a desire to be truly committed to him. He had caused a profound effect on my moral fiber, and I had to figure out if he felt it as well.

“It was then that Alric helped to provide an important decision. I could offer the stallion a chance to return home and be with his native kin, or perhaps more daringly, I could allow him to stay, and perform an ancient ritual. One of such eclectic, occult nature that few had ever dared to try it. It was a ritual that took the souls of two lovers and split them in two, piecing them back together with the half of their mate. The risk was great—if anything went wrong, the both of us would have died.

“However, thanks to the bond we shared, we had managed something that could only be described as a miracle; though the two of us imparting a piece of ourselves in both body and soul, we had made ourselves into potent hybrid entities, and with that transformation, we formed a true arcology, independant of any other swarm.

“The stallion, now having officially bound himself to this plane, chose the name Recluse, and the two of us lived in relative happiness for a great while.

“Of course, the story didn’t end there. Even with the two of us now more able to sustain our hive, we were in need of more territory.

“Recluse, being the patriarch he was, was quick to suggest ideas. When I first heard his plan, I thought he was daft. He suggested that we make a beeline straight for Canterlot and throw ourselves at Celestia’s hooves, knowing full well what became of Chrysalis. I had thought him insane at first, but when he explained his intentions, my confidence rose.”

“What exactly did he say?” Roughshod asked. “What exactly managed to sway both you and Our Royal Majesty to make this endeavor work?”

“He helped me to understand the alternative ways in which our kin could subsist on emotions,” Archnid explained. “While it’s an open secret that we typically take love directly from someone, we are also fed and empowered by the adoration and praise of our peers. Not only that, but while love is our primary source of food, any strong emotions will get us through, and social intercourse proved to be a much more wholesome way to keep fed.

“Of course, Recluse had to word himself differently. When we made it to Canterlot, he calmly stated his business and was all but happy to accept being cuffed and thrown in a cell.

“When we were brought before the two sisters, I was almost taken aback with how cocksure my dear king was. He was brave enough to banter with Princess Celestia, of all ponies. He explained to her his story, and by extension, that of our hive. He spoke of how alike we were to ponykind, and how our innate connection to emotion allowed us to understand one another at a closer level. He also spoke of how important community was to our kin, and how the past sins of a fallen individual don’t reflect on the whole of a race.

“Admittedly, it may sound tired, but the delivery was what managed to save him. The way he carried himself, under threat of banishment and even execution, wracked with pressure, gave the princess great pause.

“When the negotiations were all settled, I swear that it almost felt like a dream. We were allowed to make our home in Pasofino, but on a condition.”

“What was the condition?” we all wondered aloud.

“Princess Celestia had given us diplomatic protections, but she expected us to keep on our best behavior, on punishment of banishment or worse,” Archnid stated. “From there, we found ourselves a new home and took to adapting our skills to the culture. If you can believe it, we actually adapted quite well. One of the benefits of being a protean race is that it allows us to take forms and shapes that please the locals.”

The queen let out a brief titter. “And as my hubby and I discovered, it works especially well for character comedy.”

“Well, that’s all well and good, but where in this story did you end up in the Crystal Mountains guarding some Nightmare-infested axe?” Roughshod asked.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Archnid answered. “We were thinking of settling someplace new, and in our search for a new home, we found ourselves attracted there due to the dark force inside, wanting to investigate the disturbance. As for our hostility… well, we didn’t want anyone to be harmed potentially chasing something that could be dangerous to them.”

“Is your husband still alive?” I asked, curious. “He may have answers to what I’m seeking,”

“Of course he is!” Archnid balked. “He has the blood of a changeling! I’m sure he’d be more than willing to talk.”

For a good minute or so, we remained silent to allow the full breadth of the two stories shared to the collective. A cough or errant breath would occasionally break the silence, but we were brought down to awkward stares.

I decided to clear my throat and continue the proceedings.

“Well, with that last statement as a segue, I think it’s time to discuss our battle plans, now that we have at least one good reason to make it out of this alive.” I stated, rolling out the map. “Let’s review what we know.”

Nia rose a hoof. “We know that it is swift, and with enough momentum, can leave most anyone adrift.”

“We also know sight may be its most important sense, seeing as the thing all but one-eightied after being blinded,” Napalm added.

“It can tear us apart with beak and claw like we were made of paper,” Spike said.

“And to compound all of this even further, given the foreboding aura and calculated striking, we are likely dealing with another Nightmare,” I finished, looking grim. “And given we don’t yet have the means to expel such things, we may need to deal with it the old fashioned way.”

Roughshod looked down. “Such unfortunate times we live in.”

“Any good plans, then?” Spike asked.

“Well, there’s the matter of the collateral damage we might incur,” I started. “So at least one of us should try and clear out the villagers to keep them from being potential casualties.”

“Aye, we should keep it clear,” Nia noted. “But what will we do when the beast gets here?”

“Simple,” I stated. “We face the beast head-on, keep it away from any innocents we can, and defeat it with jolly cooperation!”

Blank stares met me.

“You know, if you didn’t have a plan, you could’ve just said that,” Spike grumbled.

“Well, if I did that, I’d be a lot less comfortable with my odds,” I replied.

I took a brief pause for thought.

“Actually, I’m still not sure,” I muttered. “Shall we make a plea for luck?”

It was at that point our early morning congregation was reduced to a huddling mass of frightened children.

***

Part of me dreaded that I agreed to this. Another part of me berated the first part for cowardice. I had made an oath, and if I was to own up to my upbringing, I had to keep it. Nia helped to escort the villagers while I tied a length of rope to my spear. Archnid, Alric, and Cedric, along with Spike and Napalm were gathered around me in a loose party, and Roughshod had joined some of the village shamans and priests in a prayer for protection.

“You’re sure you can handle this, Lance?” Spike asked, claw against my shoulder. “I know we got pretty lucky the first time, but do you really want to try it a second time? You’re not exactly a monster hunter.”

“That may be, Spike, but what I am is an aspiring spellsword with the company of three psionically-adept changelings, a pubescent dragon, a wizened cleric of what I can only believe is some sun-fearing order, a mystical zebra who seems quite in tune with the world, and possibly one of the most potent pyromancers known to Equestria,” I replied. “Not to ruin our odds, but I’m pretty sure we have at least some chance of success, however small.”

“You do realize that if you die, you may be taking your species—whatever it happens to be—with you?” Alric asked. “Not to mention the fact that this is quite possibly the worst diversion from the path we could have took?”

“My word is my oath, Alric,” I snapped. “If I can’t make good of either, than what merit of a nobleman am I?”

“My, somepony’s rhetoric is looking particularly purple today,” Archnid chuckled, as I grabbed a strand of my hair into my off-hand.

“You can blame Princess Luna for that,” I retorted. “She used to read me epics to get me to sleep.”

With a tug, I turned to face the queen.

“Would you mind helping me trim my hair?” I asked. “If this is to be my last day, I’d rather not die a dandy.”

The queen smirked, her horn awash with a faint purple mist. “It would be my pleasure.”

With a quick jolt of concentrated eldritch fire, the hair I’d amassed was singed off. While it wasn’t a clean cut, it was practical for the time being. I’d have time to adjust if I didn’t end up in a monster’s stomach. However, part of my scalp was taken with it, leaving me with a stinging burn in the back of my neck.

“And now I’m smelling burnt flesh,” I groaned, holding the singed part of my neck. “I immediately regret having asked for that.”

The queen giggled like a filly at me. “Well, there’s no going back on it now.”

“Any ideas on how we’re gonna take this thing down?” Napalm groused.

“It’s simple,” I replied, training my spear to be at the ready. “We go for the eyes, we keep out of harm’s way of the beak and claws, and we put down the bad guy.

“You act as though it will be easy.” Cedric muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Actually, I’m about as scared as anyone else here is right now,.” I shuddered. “I’m just keeping cheerful outlook on the situation to prevent my psyche from cracking under the enormous pressure we’re under.”

“You don’t have to hide anything from us, Lance,” Spike assured. “You said it yourself—we’re all scared. But, so long as we keep our cool and put our trust in our friends, we might be able to get through this.”

I looked to Spike as the others rejoined us. Then my eyes turned to the faces of the last residents of the Hollow Shades on their way out. They were counting on us to make it through this fight with this maleficent menace and make sure it never did another innocent pony harm.

With a deep breath, I took some loose clay from the ground and smeared it against my cheeks.

“Then let’s show this thing what we’re made of.”

While there was renewed confidence in me for a few short moments, it was quickly dissipated by the onset of rapid, heavy footfalls. As my ears tried to form a good idea of from where it was coming, my brain had other plans to carry out.

WIthout even thinking, I pushed my companions away, just barely saving us from being bowled over by the unstoppable force that rushed into view. For a few spare moments, the bird scanned the area, trying to find its quarry, only to see us. As I stared into its sharp, felid eyes and black, oily feathers, I could only back away, fanning out one of my arms to my friends in protection.

“I’m afraid that there will be no more food for you, fiend of feathers,” I called out, swallowing any of my doubts as I stared this deathly terror in the face. “And I am not keen on letting you eat my friends!”

Perhaps as a rebuttal, the bird of terror lashed out with one of his claws, and as I jumped out of the way, part of my ensemble shielded me from the damage, leaving slight scars upon my chest. While the physical damage was superficial, the bird had made a damning mistake by injuring my clothes.

In retaliation, I peeled off my top and entered a combative stance, motioning to the others to join me. Napalm, needing no provocation, promptly flung a bolt of fire clean into the beast’s eye, forcing it to recoil.

Unfortunately, she must not have counted on the thing going after me and dealing a goodly amount of subdual damage. Had it not been for Spike being able to dive to catch me, I probably would have suffered more grievous harm.

In the distance, I could see the changelings firing away their best salvos of magical energy whilst Roughshod ran ragged to make sure his bolstering cries could reach everypony. All the while, Nia was darting towards the bird’s knees, lifting herself with a gust of self-made wind to buck it at the joint.

While the zebra’s strike was enough to bring the beastly bird to a brief stagger, it was clear this thing would not be so easily felled. However, Napalm’s outburst of flame divined in me a simple, but fair idea.

“Spike, give me a light,” I demanded, holding out my spear.

Spike turned to me with an incredulous look. “Are you out of your mind?! No!”

“Look, I may not be very good at making plans before a battle, but I’m smart enough to find out things during one!” I chastised. “Now please give me some fire!”

“You realize anything that it hits is likely to get sent to Celestia, right?” he called back as we ran in a parabolic curve around the beast. “Are you sure you want to send her something like this?”

“If it means that we deal with this threat in a more decisive manner, then I’ll accept whatever consequence it takes that assures our and others’ safety,” I yelled. “I’ll have time enough to explain the details when I’m not actively being careful not to get mauled by a giant killer bird!”

Spike and I were locked in an intense stare for but a few seconds before Spike heaved a sigh of reluctance.

“I guess it’s the best we can do right now,” he groaned. “Just… raise your spear up good and high, alright? I really don’t want to burn you doing this.”

I nodded, standing up to bring my spear as high as my arms would allow me. With a wince, I held it aloft as green draconic flame wrapped around the head. As it crackled like a torch, I gave a nod of assurance.

“Much obliged, Spike,” I chimed, twirling the spear so its edge faced the beast. “Now run.”

Spike looked to me with the amount of distrust I’d expect from such a command. “Why?”

I smirked, and cupped my off hand around my mouth, taking a deep breath.

“Hey, tall, dark, and beaky!” I called out, tauntingly.

Predictably, the bird turned to face me, cocking its head towards me before rearing up to run.

“How about I make you dinner?” I asked, cocking my arm back. “I was thinking a nice kebab!”

With a forceful toss, the flame-wreathed spear sailed from my hand, soaring through the air at great speed. A solid thunk into the flank gave me a small hope that I had done a goodly amount of damage, but the ease at which it shot straight out made me regret having put so much force behind it.

As I squinted to inspect the damage, the bird craned back quizzically before giving me the look of someone who was clearly not very amused by my display. It didn’t look very hurt by my offense.

With not even the slightest hint of flinching, the avian made his charge against me, even shrugging off the salvos of radiant green energy the changelings were volleying against it. Quickly, Spike and I rejoined the rest behind an improvised palisade, and it was at this point that Iando must have realized things were going to require a bit of input from him.

”It appears you may need some help,” he chimed in, his choice rebounding against the walls of my psyche.

“Gee, nice of you to contribute,” I groaned, debating whether or not to risk my sword in another attack. “Please, do enlighten me; what could I be be doing to better end this battle?”

”I’m glad you asked,” Iando relied, apparently failing to detect my dripping sarcasm. “I am not sure if you’ve noticed, but your little assault did in fact impair him, if only by a slight margin.”

“I can’t really tell, but you’ve my attention so far,” I responded, attempting to think on my feet.

”Think back to yesterday, if you will.” Iando invited. “As you and the others observed, the creature is highly photosensitive, and one of its greatest assets is its speed and momentum. By impairing one, you’ve made an opening, and with the ability to impair the others in equal measure, you may be able to press an advantage.”

“But you saw what that spear did to him!” I objected. “Even with a blast of dragon’s fire, it went through him like it was nothing but a hot knife through butter!”

Iando chuckled. “While yes, it did seem ineffectual, I assure you, there is more that you can do to create an advantage. For example, take a look at the ground.”

Following his lead, I inspected the ground. It was mired in prints of hooves, feet, claws and talons, and looked to have been trodden bare. There were also several minor cracks in the dried dirt that had been presumably been made by the terror bird’s weight. The terror bird itself was trying to find us, fortunately not able to pick up our scents.

“Notice how the ground is a bit less flattened here,” He noted, in an elementary tone. ”Perhaps if we were to weaken its structure just a bit more, we may be able to create a sizeable divet.

“You mean a like a pit trap?” I asked.

“Heavens to Celestia, no!” Iando balked, as if offended. “We needn’t go to that extreme. Just something large enough to cause a significant stumbling.”

“So you’re basically suggesting me to make a tripping point?” I queried. “I don’t think I have the power to make a big enough hole…”

“I never said you had to do it alone.” Iando tittered.

I kicked myself for having forgotten the obvious.

“Okay guys, I think I have a plan,” I snapped., scrambling to try and make a visual reference. “It’s going to need all of you to work, though, so be sharp.”

My companions leaned in as I began to draw a crude formation, keeping an eye on the bird as it continued to search for me, looking through the buildings.

“Right, I’ve managed to slow this thing down some, but we’re going to need a concentrated effort to really take it down,” I started. “So, Napalm, I want you, Cedric, and Alric going for the eyes. Archnid will provide you with suppressing fire to keep it at a safe distance.”

Napalm looked to her axe and smiled. “Gladly.”

“Roughshod, I’d like you to beseech your benefactor’s aid with a litany of fortune,” I asked, performing an offering gesture.

Roughshod balanced upon his cane and gave an understanding nod. “I can assure you that the sun shall smile upon us.”

“And Nia, you are capable of earth magic, yes?” I asked, pointing to her.

“As equal as any other is my power from the earth mother,” Nia replied, before blushing as she realized she was slipping into her natural habits.

“Excellent,” I mashed my fist into my palm. “Then you, Spike, and myself will make a break for some of the more cracked parts of earth and dig ourselves up a nice trench to get the beast off guard.”

Nia balked. “But we’ve not yet covered the basics of earth magic! What makes you so sure you can manage a feat like this?”

“I have faith in your skills as a teacher to be able to teach me the essentials,” I assured. “If there’s one skill I have, it’s being a quick learner.”

“And if this goes horribly wrong?” Spike asked.

I smiled as I shrugged off my pants. “Then I’ll be tiptoeing through the flowers in the Summer Lands.”

Spike looked betwixt my legs for a moment before looking back up at me. “You know this is insane, right?”

“I never claimed it wasn’t,” I retorted. “Besides, this ensemble was already ruined.”

I’m not sure about how sane I was at the time. I can only assume the fear of rapid onset death was making me lose my very sanity. However, I was in that comfortable state of illucidity that I was able to make plans on the spot that at least sounded sensible in my own head.

With my plan now figured out, we needed only to execute it.

Quickly, I darted from cover, exposed and alert, as salvos of orange and green flames peppered the face of the feathered fiend. A final large burst sent the bird reeling back, allowing my trio to get into a triangular formation, running abreast to the most dilapidated part of earth. The wind whipped against my body, with my shoes being the only protection from the elements. In the brief window of time I had, I decided to take leave of those as well, so as to assure that I was able to make as solid a connection to the elements as possible.

As we got into a position where we felt relatively capable, Nia began to enter a grounded stance, and I slowly began to follow her kata.

From afar, I could hear the weathered pipes of Roughshod calling out his prayer.

“Oh, glorious Celestia, whose sun graces us on this day with its precious light,” he began, rearing up as if to embrace the very sun itself. “I, a champion of your gracious ideals, do ask for your aid! For we are beset upon by a beast of maleficent darkness who has taken to doing harm to the villagers of this land from which we call! We ask for your benediction as we prepare an exacting ritual to cleanse away the evil that burdens this land!”

Nia and I were in a slow, dance-like formation, the end of which had us poised to strike the earth.

“This last step requires an intense amount of focus,” the zebra instructed, attempting to maintain calm while oncoming doom loomed just nearby. “Concentrate, and allow the energy within to expand and grow. Let it flow from your feet like roots to bind you to the ground, and let your palm gather the power of the earth itself. Then, when you feel it pool to its xenith, bring it down upon the floor with as much focused force as you can.”

I nodded, bringing my eyes back to the ground. I took several deep breaths, attempting to find my center amongst the chaos. I tried to empty my mind of thought and allow the energies of my body to seep down into the earth. As my striking arm raised and lowered like the piston of a well-oiled machine, I intermittently looked up to the topmost part of peripheral vision to check on the others’ progress. While the volley I had arranged was keeping its attention, it was getting wiser and wiser to our plot.

As I heard its footfalls starting to turn to me, my mind started to whiz into a mania. I was trying in desperation not to allow the elephant in the room to completely trash my concentration, but I couldn’t tear myself away.

Then, the beast began his approach.

For a moment, every thought in my mind bottomed out. My eyes went wide and glassy. In a passing moment’s time, I was staring Death squarely in his face like a fawn caught in the palest of moonlight, surrounded by countless predators. I felt myself within a hair’s breadth of dismemberment.

And then, something began to reveal itself in my subconscious. Not merely an instinct or reaction of fear, but something more strange. In my almost blank state of mind, I felt something. The tingle of a magical ether surrounding my limbs, a burning sense of alacrity and awareness in my head, and a power worming its way to and from my very heart. I could hear my own pulse as it began to slow to an almost sleep-like rhythm.

Though I could only scantily make it out, I felt as though someone from within me was holding my body now. Someone alien and yet strangely familiar. This was not the motherly presence that had previously saved me from subconscious peril before. I wasn’t sure what it was, to be honest. But it was a presence that had assumed control over my body, like a divine interloper.

My open palm crashed against the ground in one firm thrust, meeting it at roughly the same time as Nia, Spike watching nearly in awe as the cracked ground began to yaw open like a spiderweb. Much of the floor before us began to sink and crumble, and before the beast was remotely aware, it was trapped in a sizeable crater. Spike had decided to use the now loosened stones as throwing weapons, and began using his own draconic strength to hurl them like baseballs with great fervor.

That alone should have been enough to press an advantage, but the golden force within me thought otherwise.

My palm still pressed against the edge of the crater, I felt even more arcane power pass through it. A roar left my throat as I beheld several wriggling thorny masses emerging from the earth, entangling the bird at its legs and claws, with another few wrapping around its fearsome beak. Now trapped, the monster writhed and bucked, trying desperately to rip its way out, only to be impaled by thorns and forced to go limp.

For a few strained seconds, I held that primal stance, taking in deep, ragged breaths. My body seemed to crackle with previously untapped power as my vision began to become more lucid and solid, and as my mind began to catch back up, I gasped in astonishment, looking to my companions.

I wasn’t sure how exactly I had managed it, but in one fell swoop, I had not only succeeded in what I’d set out to do, but I’d done so with almost miraculous results. The sheer sight of it took our our collective breaths away.

As the energy began to fade away, we regrouped around the beast, and I quickly unsheathed my sword. I leapt onto the bird’s back and made my way to its head, taking the sword in both hands in preparation. The blade pointed down, and a good, hard lunge downward would put it out of our and the village’s misery.

And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to make the killing stroke. Perhaps out of fear I would not cut deep enough, or the desire for a more peaceful resolution, I couldn’t make the final cut. My hands trembled as I tried to force myself to drive it in, but my arms just wouldn’t follow through.

This was, of course, compounded by an unexpected development.

A deep, rumbling breath had nearly thrown me clear off the beast, and I could hear moans shuddering outward.

And then, with a moan, it spoke.

”Do it…”

The lot of us froze upon hearing it. It was a voice deep, but unmistakably feminine.

“You…” I shuddered, nearly at a loss. “You can speak?”

The bird let out another cry.

”Please,” she pleaded. ”End me now, while I am in my right mind.”

She looked to me with eyes sopping in desperation. I tried to heed her wish, but still I was unable to grant it.

“I can’t do it,” I cried. “Not yet. Not until I know why.”

The she-bird looked to me incredulously before sagging its head back into the dirt.

“If that is what it will take to be absolved, then I will be quick,” she sighed. “I won’t be able to tell you much, but I will tell you how I came to be this way. I was part of a tribe whose food supply was dwindling. I was young and inexperienced, unable to hunt well enough on my own. My kin fell upon hard times, and eventually, I was doomed to starve until a shadow descended upon me. It promised that with its help, I’d not go hungry.”

“And what of the rest of your kin?” I asked. “What will be done for them?”

“If you should see fit to, go to the Veldt of Claws,” she said. “If they ask your business, tell them that you found Aylen, and that you helped her find a better place than this.”

I hung my head, nodding only slightly. A few scant breaths gathered in my chest as I raised my blade again.

“Do you have a dying wish?” I asked, in a calm tone.

I wasn’t sure if I could see it, but the terror bird named Aylen seemed to smile.

“Make sure that what remains of me is put to better use than it was here,” she asked. “With my last breath, I wish to have the sins of this body to be redeemed in service to one of stronger conviction than I.”

I closed my eyes to take in a deep breath and harden my nerve. Slowly, I took my sword in both hands, raising the hilt above my head as its steel glinted ever so subtly.

“Aylen of the Titanis, the sins that you have committed against this town were grievous indeed,” I began, trying to keep from shuddering. “Though it was no willing act, it cannot be so easily apologized for. However, I can see it your eyes and hear it in your voice that you are repentant.”

I rose the hilt over my head now, rearing back in grim preparation.

“With this stroke, I release your cursed soul to be cleansed in the healing light of the sun, and pray that you find peace in the world beyond this one.”

With a heavy thrust, it was over. One clean stab which left a thick black ichor. I couldn’t bear to see what else I’d done, and as soon as I had done it, I had to leave.

My party quickly followed, but when they saw the look of pain and sorrow in my eyes, they knew that I was unwell.

To this day, the death of Aylen haunts me. Though I knew her for but a few short moments, the story she told would stay with me until the day I’d leave this realm. A chilling reminder of how close I was to meeting a similar, damned fate.

***

For three days, I did not leave the home which Elder Berry had allowed us. Barren in mind, body, and heart in equal measure, I sat in a corner to myself, knees to my face as I let my thoughts wander aimlessly in every direction possible.

Perhaps it was a testament to my youth and inexperience, but after having to exact such a grim justice against what could very well have been an innocent cursed to do the will of evil, my moral compass seemed to not be able to right itself. Not since before I left Canterlot did I feel such bewildering confusion.

A rapping came to the door.

“I’m coming in,” called a familiarly-aged voice.

In came Roughshod, his eyes downcast as he carried a bowl in his mouth. Vapors of steamed carrots and potatoes wafted in my nose, and brought me briefly from my stupor.

“You must be hungry,” he said as he laid the bowl down at my feet. “We thought to bring you something to help bring your strength back up.”

I looked down to the platter and smiled slightly, bringing it to my hands as Roughshod offered the utensils.

“You have my thanks,” I said as I prepared to eat. “You’re free to leave me; I should have no trouble eating.”

“Actually, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stay and offer my aid,” the donkey rumbled in reply. “You must be troubled by some terrible inner demons to not be able to leave this room.”

I scoffed as I cut open the potato, dicing it so that I could fit a piece into my mouth.

“That’s rich, coming from the ass who only recently stopped calling me a demon or faerie at any opportunity he gets.”

Roughshod looked down, his ears flopping with him.

“Actually, that was part of the reason I came,” he huffed, scuffing his hoof against the floor. “While we’ve gone over this before, I’ve come to explain myself in a bit better detail.”

I narrowly avoided choking on a piece of carrot.

“You’re not serious are you?” I balked, looking at him with wide eyes. “What’s the occasion?”

Roughshod let out a sigh and looked me square in the eyes.

“When we first met, I didn’t know what to make of you,” he started. “Your appearance was like something I had only seen in my most horrifying night terrors. You were so alien to anything I was familiar with. Because of that, my mind jumped to conclusions, and my zeal got the better of me. From there, I spoke what my mind believed of you. For that, I am sorry.

“However, your recent events have shown me that my first impression of you may not be accurate, nor my second or third. Your actions with Aylen helped to confirm that. You could have easily brought the creature low without a second thought. You could have purged her and left it at that. But you held back; even though you had a firm reason to put it to an end, you couldn’t make that decision without hearing her out. You let her tell her story, and you let her make a final wish. You allowed her to be given mercy, and gave her a swift, merciful end.”

I looked to Roughshod, conflicted in emotion.

“But was it really the right thing to do?” I asked, wiping my face. “It was clearly in its right mind when I did that. Surely there could have been some other way?”

Roughshod hung his head a moment.

“There may have been another way,” he somberly replied. “But, we lack the great, miraculous power needed to see such a thing through. With the Elements of Harmony keeping the more untamed tracts of land in check, we have only our own skills to save us.”

He then placed a hoof against my shoulder

“That said, if you want my opinion, given what options you had, you did the best good you possibly could,” he assured, cracking a smile. “And for my bits, that’s all that matters.”

I drew a short breath, meeting his eyes. “Do you really think that, Roughshod?”

Roughshod then, in a move I had no expectation of him doing, scooped me into a rather tender embrace.

“You did good, Lance,” he whispered. “Don’t go telling yourself otherwise, else you might be next in line.”

Roughshod then released me and turned for the door.

“Don’t tarry with that food, now. Kenta’s wantin’ to see you for measurements. Said he’s working on something that should be real nice for an up-and-coming eldritch knight like yourself.”

I nodded with a slight smile and allowed him to leave. Though my spirit was slightly dampened by the reminder that I was toeing the line myself, to hear praise from Roughshod, of all folks was a welcome moment of heartwarming. While I would have to be somber in writing home, I would be able to do so with greater confidence.

***

It seems that, even when you’ve been the ruler of a nation for over a thousand years, there always seem to be new secrets hidden within your borders.

It seemed that Starswirl the Bearded was one who preferred to keep the secrets of the world well-hidden from prying eyes. Even with my knowledge of the whole of the library and Twilight’s own inquisitive nature, neither one of us had managed to find anything more telling than scant, cryptic verses of two-legged shepherds.

Of course, while such lack of progress was frustrating, I was working in very enjoyable company.

Poring through the shelves with my former student is an activity I cherish as much as the intent behind it. The smell of old dust covers, the musk of ancient paper, the way the light makes the room look crisp and distinguished, and just that air of bygone ages was all wonderful.

All that paled when compared to the young, brilliant light of Twilight’s mind.

“It feels like old times, doesn’t it, Twilight?” I asked, nuzzling my student’s neck.

Twilight chuckled, her cheeks bubbling with flecks of red. “I guess old hobbies never really fade. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about this place. Ever since I got the new castle, I’ve always missed all those first editions and hardcovers I’d managed to acquire. When I decided not to sell them at the Rainbow Falls Trader Exchange, I did so with a yearning heart that didn’t want to part with the things that helped me become the mare I am today.”

She hung her head for a moment. “Then Tirek happened, and in one fell swoop, it all disappeared.”

The two of us shared a comparable moment of silence. We mourned the loss of another good tree. After about 30 seconds passed, I let out an impish chuckle.

“You must have been angry,” I tittered.

Twilight scrunched her face in the most adorable fashion. “Oh, like you wouldn’t believe! I had half a mind to to punch his big, dumb, red face in!”

The two of us then burst out into a hysterical fit of laughter.

“Oh, the bits I would have paid to see that with my own eyes.”

Our eyes returned to the shelves as we held back further laughing.

“You know something else that’s funny?” I asked, somewhat rhetorically.

“Feel free to share, Princess,” Twilight replied back, blushing as she realized she’d called me by rank yet again.

“I knew Star-Swirl for most of my life, and most of his, to boot,” I said, as I hoofed through some of his older editions on magical theorem. “I’ve seen him perform what could only be described as the greatest acts of thaumaturgy that have only recently been matched. I have seen work himself to the bone to preserve balance and order, and unite folk not just of our world, but other worlds. I went with him on many of his excursions, brief as they were, and saw worlds that sometimes vastly differed from our own. I’ve had encounters with folk queer of form and strange of manner.

“And yet, even in the scantest parts of my memory, I can still recall him having vague interactions with the very people Lance may have come from. And now, when I’m actively seeking out this information for greater detail on those people, everything comes up as dry.”

Twilight let out a playful giggle.

“Maybe it’s like something out of H.P. Lovecolt,” She joked, rolling her eyes, “Perhaps all of this is part of some big list of ‘things ponykind is not meant to know’.”

The two of us giggled like little children for a moment.

Between my giggles, I told her, “If that were true, then we’d be molested by beings slender and tall.”

As we kept searching, I held a hoof to my horn. A chill came to my temple as my withers shivered. An eerie feeling came over me for but a few ephemeral seconds before it melted away like a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer sidewalk.

Twilight, quick as she was, noticed my pause almost immediately.

“Something wrong, Princess?”

I shook my head, trying to dispel whatever that feeling that dominated my subconscious was.

“I sensed a strange force,” I told her. “Like a great shadow coming down upon the earth. Great and powerful. I felt it for but a few brief seconds. Then, just like that, it faded away, as if retreating into even larger shadows around it.”

“That’s a vague, yet awfully specific thing to feel,” said Twilight as she held a hoof to her chin. “Do you know where it might have been?”

I placed a hoof to my temple. “It felt a fair ways off. Near the Hollow Shades. It’s gone now, though.”

Twilight bit her lip as she paced about, clicking her tongue to the rhythm of her hooves.

“You think it could be Lance?” she proposed. “It must be something pretty big if you can feel it from here.”

“It may just be,” I smiled, confident that my son could handle himself.. “But, seeing as the feeling’s gone now, whatever it was must have been handled.”

“You seem pretty sure of yourself, considering the two of you weren’t exactly as close as you and I are.”

I bit my lip for a moment, my ears drooping.

“That’s true,” I sighed. “In retrospect, I probably should have been more involved. But, considering the mare you turned out to be, I’d like to think we’re getting on better terms as well.”

“Oh come now,” Twilight teased. “You and I’ve always been close to each other’s hearts!”

Twilight then gave me a playful jab as I eyed a familiar plume of green flame.

“That must be him now!” I chirped, my spirits lifted slightly from the minor bruise to my ego that Twilight dealt in jest.

Twilight quickly snuggled up to my side as the message popped into being. As my magic quickly snapped apart the wax seal, the two of us quickly set to reading.

***

Dearest Mother and Aunt,

I write to you today in less than optimal conditions. These past few days have taxed me, mentally, physically, and thaumaturgically, and even now, it is a miracle that I can compose my thoughts with any kind of eloquence. So instead, I’ll cut to the chase:

Blood was spilled this week. Not mine, but the blood of innocent foals and a maiden trapped in her own body by the very thing that’s taken me. A terror bird was terrorizing the Hollow Shades, and being the altruistic sort that my party was, we ended up having to meet this thing in combat. The thing was aptly named, and the fact that we’d managed to survive with minimal injury is nothing short of heavenly luck.

Two things had caught me off guard during this encounter. First, I felt that other presence from before. With it guiding my hand, I managed to evoke a great magic upon the earth that trapped the beast where it stood. I still am no closer to understanding who or what it is, but it is great, powerful, and terrifying. Whatever it is—whomever it is—, it appears to be more of a benefactor than Iando. Perhaps it’s some odd contrast.

Second, when I had the bird on the ropes, the damnedest thing happened.

It spoke.

I almost couldn’t believe it, myself, and I couldn’t bring myself to make the final stroke. She was practically begging me to end her, but I couldn’t work the nerve until I knew what happened to her. When I learned the reason, it made the eventual climax even more harrowing. In the end, it had become less the slaying of a monster and the mercy-killing of a trapped soul seeking absolution.

I almost couldn’t budge after that. I kept thinking to myself, “Was it really the right thing?”

But, thankfully, I was never alone through this. I have my friends to thank for that. I’ve had their support through all of this. While I’m no tactician, nor am I an inherently social person, I can’t help but feel glad to know that I’m not the only person in our little group that’s suffered a lot. All save for Spike and Nia, almost all of my companions have either lost something or made a sacrifice.

The Changeling Queen—Whom I know now by the name of Archnid—made a number of sacrifices for the one she loved. Roughshod and Napalm were forced to wander, one for his faith, and the other for her freedom.

Spike’s gone through a lot, too. I can tell it in his eyes, and the way he sticks by my side. He clearly values my safety greatly, even acting as the shield to my blade whenever I go rushing in. He seems to carry that over from Twilight.

At this point, I’m rambling, so I’ll bring this to a close.

If there’s a take-home message for this past week, it’s that sometimes along the road, we’re faced with hard choices. Choices that change the roads we walk and the lives we lead. Choices that we sometimes aren’t sure about if and when we ever make them. Sometimes, we’ll second-guess ourselves even long after we’ve made them.

But, so long as you have friends to help you see the right path, the road ahead will always be a little clearer. And to be honest? I’m glad I have friends, now more than ever.

Yours in Love,

Lance.

***

The both of us were at a loss of what to say as we set down the parchment. The message my son had left was a great deal longer than we’d expected, and its contents were...exceptionally bittersweet. The way the text was inked in such a scrawling, uneven, and in some places damped font suggested that he was at a loss during the process of writing it, unable to keep composure.

As my eyes turned to Twilight, they were slightly downcast as she moved to the window, as if to look upon where his nephew might be.

“Are you worried for him, Twilight?” I asked, unsure of how to word myself.

“A little,” she replied, turning over her left shoulder. “I’m more…empathetic.”

“As in, you understand the position in which he might be writing this?” I pondered. “I can certainly name a few times when friendship has helped a certain someone out of a tight bind.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she pondered as I approached. “But what about what he did with the terror bird? The letter speaks as though he wanted to find another way, but couldn’t.”

“It did, indeed,” I confirmed, looking out with her as I began to set the sun before her. “If anything, I think that shows his upbringing has made him a lot like us. He wanted to resolve this without hurting anyone, but when he was faced with a situation in which there was no wholly positive outcome, he had to find good reason in the choice he made. Thus, when the bird begged to be released, he took the only choice he could, and did so with a very heavy heart.”

Twilight looked down. “I see… And what of that presence?”

“It is too early to make theories beyond that it must have some link to him,” I stated, trying to call upon old wisdom. “Though given what he’s written, it must be thamaturigical in nature.”

Twilight looked to the shelves again, curious. “Do you think we might be able to find anything in this library about that?”

I put a hoof to my chin. “Stranger phenomena have been recorded. Surely we could find something on this.”

The two of us shared a comparable silence, watching as the moon began to be set in place.

“Do you think we’ll ever be able to find the answers he’s looking for?” Twilight wondered.

I lowered my head, biting my lip.

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” I told her, shaking my head. “Though my mind may see images of things that Star Swirl and I may have seen regarding his kin, time was worn them down to blurry stills in my mind.”

The two of us looked to the stars, searching for constellations.

“But,” I said, slightly less bitter, “I am glad that he is well, at the very least. He isn’t alone, and if I know him as well as I know you, his friends and his curiosity may lead him closer to the truth than any amount of books could hope to. Until then, we can be there for him, if in spirit, to help him see his way through. At least here, we can do him some good.”

Twilight bundled up to me, looking up with a smile.

“I’m just as happy to be here with you, Princess.” she said. “All this time we’ve been spending in trying to solve this mystery about him feels like it’s brought us closer together. As family, as friends, as princesses… I just feel like he’s helped us grow, just as we’re helping him to grow as a friend and as a person.”

I could see the stars twinkle in Twilight’s eyes as the reflection of the night sky glowed with her. The two of us shared a warm embrace.

“Maybe we aren’t so different after all.” I whispered, my lips curling into a warm smile.

Chapter 15: Familiar Faces

I must admit, for being of a species with perhaps the stubbiest, most inarticulate appendages I’ve seen, the workmanship that Kenta put into this most recent project of his was astounding. Yet again, I was stripped down, but this time, I had a dog that barely came to chest-height sniffing and slobbering as he wrapped measuring tape against my form. I also had my companions, whom were all talking amongst themselves nearby. Seeing as I was left with little else to do while being idly scrutinized by this tinker, tanner, soldier and smith, I started making small talk.

“So Kenta,” I started, raising my arms as he measured my breast. “How does a Diamond Dog like you get in this kind of business?”

Kenta’s ears perked up almost immediately. “Do you think you have the time?”

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” I chuckled, my lips curled into a generous smile. “Besides; it’ll help this go by a little faster.”

The smith chuckled, clearing his throat.

“The story’s not long, but it started like this,” He woofed. “When I was about your age, I was a mining boy for my clan. Most boys my type were destined for that, given our apt digging claws and natural sense of direction deep in those deep, dark mines. But, as tends to happen in more frontiers-y areas, my clan got into a territory dispute with that of a neighbor, and I ended up being pulled from my digging duties to help with the clan battle.”

Kenta looked down for a moment, chuckling bitterly at himself. “As you might expect, mountain ledges tend to be quite narrow, and during the skirmish, poor ol’ me ended up falling off of one of them. I ended up taking a number of nicks and cuts on the way down. Even bumped my hand before I hit the surface of a lake.”

I winced empathetically. “I know the feeling of a rough fall all too well.”

“So what happened next?” Spike asked, one of his arms crossed against his chest.

“I’m getting to that, boy,” he barked. “When I came to, I was in the camp of a clan called the Marauders. Their scouts found my body beached along the shore and took me in for their medical attention. I had no idea where my people were, or where I was, but the Marauders took me in as their own and gave me a place among their ranks.

“I was quickly put to work as a smithee, and from there, I learned a trade that I would find I was very good at. Anyone could learn to wield a weapon with enough training, but it takes a special kind of talent to work a forge and make tools and weapons from the finest wrought iron and coronium, forging axe-heads and spear tips from red-hot steel! From my first days on the job, I came to find my greatest calling of all: Blacksmithing!”

“And at what point did hunting monsters get into the equation?” I pondered.

Kenta chortled. “Well, like any smith, sometimes you come to a point where traditional materials just don’t cut it. Sometimes, when you need something effective, the best resources are the ones you collect off the backs of queer beasties! I found this out when our party was stopped in its tracks by a manticore. Thing was keen on keeping us right where we were, but I wasn’t having it. Most folk wouldn’t have had the guts to face such a beast alone, but I was far from most folk. I met that beast face to face, and we had the fight of our lives. He gave me a rough battle, but by the end, I had a beast ready to be taken apart and built into all manner of useful tools and tack!”

I frowned for a moment, remembering the beast I’d felled not long ago.

“Do you…” I stammered, looking down. “Do you ever regret having to do things like this?”

Kenta stopped his measuring for a moment as he jotted down some notes.

“There’s never a day where I don’t have a little tinge of regret, lad,” he said, somewhat down himself. “Good or ill, it never gets very easy. But, when the deed is done, that’s when I start to work on a new bit of kit. I’m not sure if I’ve told you, but I’ve got a policy of never wastin’ a single bit of a monster I’ve slain. Same goes for this build.”

I chuckled bittersweetly. “Funny… that’s what Aylen wanted.”

“I’m just eager to oblige,” Kenta yipped. “Plenty of fodder to work with. I even get to use my purification set.”

Roughshod cocked his head. "Purification? Are you a holy stallion as well?”

“Not at all,” Kenta rebuked, shaking his head. “Just someone who pays fair debt to the dead.”

With that, the diamond dog took a few sniffs of me for whatever reason and removed the measuring tape from my body, jotting down some notes.

“Right, I’ve got your measurements down,” he said, guiding me down from the pedestal he had me standing on. “It will take me a fair bit of time to construct this piece, however; feel free to use the time to have a nice bath; you smell like you haven’t had one in days.”

I glared daggers at the dog. “Gee, that makes me feel loads better.”

As I tried to perk myself up and search for something to wear for after my bath, I bumped into Spike, who gave me a concerned look.

“What’s up, Lance?” he asked. “Need help with something?”

I groaned. “Apparently dog breath thinks I need a bath. Know of a good lake or something where I could wash this stink off me? I’d rather not return to civilization smelling like death itself.”

“I could take you there,” Nia offered. “I have some wonderful soaps that could do wonders for your skin.”

I smiled and gestured my arm for her to take the lead. “Please, feel free.”

Sometimes, it’s great to have friends.

***

While I feel a mite guilty taking advantage of a friend’s natural talents, having a friend who was a natural water dowser was an all-too handy asset. As we passed through the trees, Nia taking point, I had a chance to clear my head. With all that had happened to me in the past few days, I needed some time with someone I could trust to get my mind right. I’d been near the bottom of the abyss, and I needed the help of a few friends to pull me out again. Now that that I was out, I felt…different. My mind was frayed and I wasn’t quite sure how to put it back together.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through it on my own.

When the two of us stopped, Nia’s natural dowsing skills had succeeded by a decent margin. Before us was a small pool surrounded by a ring of numerous wild flowers—thankfully without poison joke—that, while not terribly wide, was decently deep. The two of us had a quick look around, keeping our equipment near the shore in case of trouble. I had previously managed to retrieve my old clothing and weapons, but the upper parts of my clothes had been tattered by the kerfuffle, and while my spear was still in one piece, I doubted the dried blood was doing its condition any favors. Still, while I doubted I would need them, having them was like a nightlight in a dark room; not really necessary, but it’s nice to have anyway.

The two of us waded into the water, shivering as it reached our knees. Nia held a block of soap in her teeth, being careful not to to taste it, and she rose up on her hind legs.

“Thankfully, I also mixed in aloe vera with this blend, which should help treat some of these wounds,” Nia cooed, beginning to brush the soap against my shoulders. “If it stings, that’s just the aloe.”

“Thank you, Nia,” I replied, spreading my arms out. “I’ve sorely needed something like this.”

The two of us spent a fair while rubbing ourselves with the homebrewed bar of cleanliness, enjoying the sun as it started to warm us up. We weren’t ashamed, embarrassed, or uncomfortable in our ritual. We were just two friends sharing a nice, calm, relaxing bath together. Considering the alternatives, I was happy to enjoy what I had.

Then, Nia came to a stop, looking to me with concern.

“I can see that you still have doubts about your earlier actions.”

“It doesn’t take a mystic to see that,” I said, heaving a heavy sigh as I dropped my arms into the water. “She begged me, again and again to bring her to her end, and gave me explicit instructions for what was to be done with her, and I still feel like I shouldn’t have done it.” I looked to my reflection in the water. “Is it truly just to end a life whose evils weren’t even wholly its own volition? Is it right to slay a reluctant monster, and then wear its remains as armor?”

Nia shook her head. “I’m afraid that such a question isn’t as black and white as my coat. Things as murky as this can only truly be answered by the one asking the question.”

Nia cradled me as gently as she could.

“Ask yourself,” she whispered. “Do you think what you’re doing is right, in your heart of hearts?”

I sank down, looking to my forlorn reflection in the lake.

“No.”

Nia turned to face the lake with me.

“If you would like me to, I have a story that might help you,” she said, looking to my reflection. “In the time before I came to know Equestrian soil, I was the student of a mystic named Dejen. When the two of us had met, my family was the victim of a murderer, and I was one of the few survivors. He had taken me in and given me a place to call home, and offered to teach me in an art he called the ‘Way of Four Winds’. Wanting to avenge the wrongs done upon my family, I took the chance willingly.

“But, Dejen was wiser than I’d given him credit for. When he came to notice my motivation for learning to fight, he sat me down and talked to me about my largest ills, and he taught me an important lesson; while righting what is wrong is a noble intention, it should never be done purely out of malice or despair. While it may be the right thing to avenge your family’s passing, what would happen then? What reason would I have to fight again?

“It was then that he helped me to realize that in order to see the path to bettering one’s self, both from within and without, one has to look deep inside themselves and be certain of their true goal. Good things may happen to Ill people, and vice-versa, but harmony and virtue are a balance. To see the way forward, you have to seek the balance and question the righteousness of your choices.”

Nia smiled and placed a hoof upon my shoulder.

“In other words, he taught me that the greatest voice of reason you can find in the world is inside of you. If you ever doubt yourself, look within, and you’ll find your way in time.”

I looked down, now a small bit relieved as I looked upon myself.

“What became of Dejen?” I asked.

Nia gave an odd form of smile. It wasn’t completely happy, nor entirely heartbroken. If I had to describe it in a word, I suppose “bittersweet” would be best.

“Master Dejen was many things,” she sighed wistfully. “He was strong, compassionate, and full of virtue and wisdom. But the thing he never was, even in my knowing him, was long for this world. Thankfully, with what little time he had in his life, he was able to pass on his wealth of knowledge onto me before he was eventually taken back by the spirits.”

I turned away from Nia, looking to the sky.

“I apologize,” I whispered. “I didn’t know he’d passed away.”

“Don’t be,” Nia assured. “The time between his passing and my meeting you is too long for me to spend in mourning. Dejen was long-lived, and the virtues and lessons he taught me will stay with me even after I eventually join him. Until then, I can work to pass what I know to a new generation and do whatever good I can in this life.”

I stayed quiet for a while, taking in the sounds of nature as I thought about all that I’d said and heard. I was still reticent about my deepest thoughts on the more recent matters, but having someone with which to talk them out with somepony helped me to open up. The two of us remained silent, understanding the weights we bore as we continued to wash our troubles away in the pond. There was a lot for both of us to process, and we moved in autonomous patterns, multitasking our mental and physical duties. Focusing on one thing was taxing for my psyche.

And then, upon a tangent, my mind spoke for me.

“Could you perhaps demonstrate your style to me?”

Nia looked at me like I was daft. I suppose she didn’t expect me to ask that kind of question so very soon after hearing her own life story, but following a moment’s contemplation, she gave a smirk and raised one of her hooves.

“Only if you believe you’re in a good enough condition to handle it,” she challenged, wagging her hoof towards her in beckoning.

I flashed a smirk back to her, clenching my fist and thrusting it out with tenacity, wincing as my bruises flared up for a moment.

Nia chuckled. “Perhaps later then.”

The two of us then resumed bathing, content on enjoying the moment of peace we’d been blessed with.

***

Chalk it up to either the skill of the craftsman or my lost track of time, but by the time we’d returned, Kenta had managed to complete most of the ensemble. I was beside myself, both disgusted and amazed at the craftsmanship of the smith. Feathers, bone, claws, and other bits had been fashioned into an impressive suit of armor that was very nearly completely plate-based. Kenta himself looked chuffed at his work, a toothy grin on his face.

“Looks nice, yeah?” He asked, leaning on his work with the biggest dirt-eating look adorning his countenance “It’s always easiest to work with fresh materials!”

I held my arm, turning into my red tunic to try and avoid looking at the ensemble. After coming to understand the weight of what this work of armorsmithing meant to me, it left an disconcerting aura in the air that made me cringe even being near it.

“Yes, it looks…really well-made,” I whispered, trying my best to remain inoffensive.

Kenta quirked his brow. “Something wrong? Do you not like it?”

I bit my lip. My mind scrambled to try to say the truth in a soft, sugary manner, but a burning sensation in my cheeks told me there was no beating around the bush to be had.

“I have some concerns,” I blurted bluntly. “To put it simply, I feel guilty even considering wearing this. I was the one who had to put this creature down, and even then I couldn’t bring myself to make that last cut until I had a good reason to. Everything about this just feels wrong to me.”

Kenta looked me over, holding my chin as he looked into my eyes. I couldn’t help but squirm and try to hide away. Again his nose probed me, and after affirming with himself one last time, he nodded.

“I think I get what you mean,” he grunted. “Don’t feel right wearing something that reminds you of one big bad thing you did. I’ve known the feeling.”

I blinked, both surprised and a tad confused.. “You aren’t mad?”

“Mad?” woofed Kenta. “Of course not! As a hunter, I’ve had this happen many a time in my career. I can’t expect others to be as hardened as I am!”

I looked down, kicking up dirt as a pang of guilt came over me. “But it must feel like such a waste, to go to the trouble of making this and not seeing it go to use.”

Kenta gave me a queer look, cocking his head before he started to break out into a hoarse chuckling fit. One paw went to his stomach as he tried to hold his sides.

“Lance, my boy, I promised to make something of this salvage, and I did,” he gasped, trying to compose himself out from his laughter.. “I never said you had to use it. Heck, if anything, I’m just glad to have had something to keep my paws busy.”

That last line got the internal machinations of my brain turning. An idea had come to me in a sudden burst of alacrity that I could only liken to the rays of sunshine piercing through a thick murk of fog. I had an opportunity to make someone’s day, and with not a moment’s thought, I reached out to seize it.

“So you’ve been having a lack of things to do?” I asked. “If that’s true, then why not come with us?”

Kenta gave an inquisitive growl. “Why the sudden invitation?”

“Well, the way I see it, somepony good with their hooves—or paws, in your case—would be a valuable asset to any traveling company,” I replied, making a gesture with my hands to mimic a scale. “Especially someone with a wealth of outdoorsman’s skills. Stars know we’re likely to run into times where we need to make upkeep, and having someone skilled in the arts of craft would help do just that!”

Spike’s jaw nearly dropped in what seemed like earnest surprise.

“That...is surprisingly prudent of you, Lance,” he gasped, almost at a loss for words. “I honestly didn’t expect that from you.”

I couldn’t help but smile with my newly restored confidence. Kenta held his chin, presumably weighing his options.

“Well, prudent as it may be, I have concerns of overcrowding,” Roughshod retorted.

And right back down my confidence went. I hardly knew it. Instead of trying to one-up the old ass, I simply threw up my arms and admitted defeat. I honestly had no snappy comeback, because in all honesty, he was entirely in the right.

“With that fresh in mind, I feel I have to ask,” Archnid interjected. “When can we expect to return to Pasofino?”

“As soon as we hear the word from our canine friend here,” I declared, fist to my chest. “So how about it? Would you like to join us and see your talents go to good use?”

Kenta’s face had scrunched in concentration by this point. He seemed hard-pressed for options, the way his face had wrinkled. I could hear an audible hum in his voice as he seemed to lean into his paw. Eventually, however, his ears perked and his arms came up in a shrug.

“Why not?” he woofed. “Hunting’s a lonely profession, and I suppose some traveling company might give me plenty to do during the downtime.”

“Wonderful!” I said, giving the dog as tender and masculine a hug as I could. “We make leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“Sure thing, kid.” Kenta gave a smile, pointing with his thumb to his creations. “Just give me a few minutes to pack up shop and we’ll be on our way like a cat chasing a fieldmouse.”

I smiled and waved him away as I turned towards the horizon before us. Napalm soon joined up with a catty grin on her muzzle.

“You know, I’m starting sense a pattern,” she noted pointedly. “For every good idea you have, it seems to be undercut by your lack of forethought.”

I turned to Napalm, never once letting my smile go away.

“You might be right,” I told her, sounding chuffed as cherry pie. “Maybe I’m too quick to make friends. All of this may end up coming back to bite me later, but for now, I’m just happy to enjoy the moment.”

Napalm’s brow furrowed. “You do realize it’s likely another couple of days before we make it to Pasofino, right?”

It was at that point that I immediately began to regret my decision.

***

If ever a record was made of all the stupid things my impulsive nature has led me to do, it would likely exist simply to illustrate that I am perhaps the most fortunate fool in the known universe.

I am not certain as to how we managed the feat of making it to the town of Pasofino on such meager supplies—I suppose the villagers of the Hollow Shades are the ones I owe most for that—but within the span of another forty-eight hours, we managed to arrive at the entrance, weary both in mind and body. By the time the arch marking the town met our eyes, the comfort of a nice hostel bedroom was all too alluring.

The following morning, we decided to take just a small moment to rest on our laurels and dial back, having finally accomplished one of our original goals. We enjoyed a plethora of breakfast pastries, from succulent scones to creamy crepes and strudels, and even sweet, sweet muffins and cinnamon rolls. All of this was scarfed down to the tune of some hot, rich dark coffee and the din of some early morning table conversation.

“So Archnid, is there anything we need to know about your husband before we go and reunite you two?” Spike asked, his seat directly to my left.

“I don’t think you’ll need to expect much more beyond him having a wealth of questions for dear little Lance,” Archnid said, tittering. “A countenance like his is all too familiar to him.”

I chuckled, crossing my arms. “Then he should expect disappointment, because I have just as many questions to ask of him.”

“At the very least, it should be fun to watch you two badger one another for information.” Roughshod cackled.

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Napalm asked. “Let’s blow this place and get ready to watch some fireworks go off!”

I smiled, stretching outward before I got out of my chair, somewhat roused by Napalm’s enthusiasm. After a great deal of digression, I felt a renewed ardor to get something productive done for a change. But, even with this fresh font of hype, I was in too good a mood to let food go to waste. So, I promptly sat back down and enjoyed the rest of breakfast while we all enjoyed our little reprieve.

Of course, having the time to stop and take in the sights was always nice, too. Pasofino was a particularly bustling, industrious town, at first glance. While they were only just setting up as we were eating, this was definitely a place where things were done, and they were done with gusto. It seemed particularly productive in trade goods, as many of the stalls were stations where hoof-made works were on display.

In other words, this was a place for ponies with a desire to occupy their idle hooves to be able to something productive for the community. A bit like Ponyville, if perhaps a bit better in social engineering.

The air of productivity proved to be infectious, luring our merry band into the streets so that we could properly marvel at the hustle and bustle about the town. While the town itself had a modern aesthetic throughout, individual buildings hinted at much more humble beginnings with a distinct variety of antiquated architecture. Then again, given the nature of Equestrian real estate on the whole, you come to expect mismatched and anachronistic designs outside the major cities.

The house which Archnid directed us to had a strong influence of tudor design. It was a two-story affair with a jettied upper half. It was painted off-white, with its half-timbers giving it a cosy look that a cream-tinted brick chimney helped to complete. All in all, it was fancifully built, but humbly designed. Not entirely what I or the rest of us had expected, but commanding of respect nonetheless.

“Awfully modest house for a king, don’t you think?” Napalm quipped.

“Well, you know the old saying,” Kenta ruffed. “A man’s home is his castle.”

The lot of us shared a collective chuckle and meeting of our appendages to our foreheads before I proceeded to to the door. I collected myself and took a few breaths before righting my posture and rapping against the door with the back of my hand.

After a few seconds, the door creaked open to reveal a figure tall, dark, and riddled with more holes than I thought possible for a living creature. At first blush, he looked like what Archnid might look like if she assumed a guise like my own. Though he lacked the distinguishing marks of my kin, I could still recognize his changeling heritage, along with that vague hint of my own.

There was no denying it. This had to be Recluse, in his natural state.

Of course, I was not the focus of his attention. As his flight lenses flipped up and he caught glance of Archnid, the look upon his face was the kind I’d find on a young colt that had just found his long-lost dog. It was a grin so wide, I was afraid that his face might rip clean open. However, as made his way past the doorframe, his arms widening, he embraced his wife, wordless save only a delighted chuckle.

“Oh, what a sight for my wizened eyes,” rumbled he as he looked upon his wife, possibly welling up some well-warranted masculine tears. “To see my dearest safe and among the company of such diverse fellows brings me great happiness.”

I placed a head behind my head, my cheeks puffing a little as I let out a chuckle myself.

“It was nothing, sir,” I said, trying to be humble. “If anything, we’d only found her by chance.”

Recluse chuckled as he turned to me.

“Chance might not be the right word, coming from the likes of you,” he chided in jest. “Given the folk who delivered her, I might be tempted to call it destined.”

As he cradled Archnid in his arms in a ballroom-worthy embrace, the two shared a brief, deep nuzzling before Recluse regarded me again.

“But where are my manners?” he apologised. “I shouldn’t yet be celebrating such a momentous occasion without first learning the names of the fine fillies and gentlecolts who granted me this blessing.”

I smiled, adjusting my tunic and trousers as I gave my fellowship room to get into order.

“I’d be happy to oblige you, Your Majesty,” I replied, remembering my courtesies. “But may we enter your home first and settle in? Perhaps over tea?”

Recluse gave a bawdy laugh and placed a taloned hand upon my shoulder.

“Of course!” he roared, stepping aside to beckon us inside. “It’s terribly rude to have such company out here. Come inside, and we’ll share stories by the hearth!”

And so, with that invitation, did our fellowship enter the house, happy to have finally brought a forlorn couple back together again.

***

While the exterior of Recluse’s home had impressed me greatly, the interior was especially interesting. Through a number of marvelous feats in design, the cozy-looking looking house looked significantly more open from within than it seemed. As Archnid looked about, I heard her sigh, presumably relieved to finally be in familiar territory.

“How I did miss this place, my darling Recluse,” she cooed, brushing her head against her spouse’s chest. “How it makes my heart go aflutter once more.”

“The feeling is mutual, my dear.” Recluse replied as he turned to Alric and Cedric. “The two of you should be commended for accompanying her, along with this group. At ease, gentlemen; I expect your families will be quite glad for your return.”

The two drones returned the lord’s gesture with a salute before leaving for the door.

The lot of us gathered in a dining hall as the reunited couple prepared a kettle of tea.

“So what do they call you, boy?” Recluse queried, sitting down in the chair nearest to the range, one leg crossed against the other as he folded his arms. “I’m surprised someone with a visage that stands out like yours hasn’t been mobbed with questions.”

“You would be surprised,” I chuckled, offering my hand. “I am Lance, of the House Celestial. I am Celestia’s in love.”

Recluse’s lips curved into a coy smile. “So you’re a royal bastard, then.”

Ouch. Another notch against my pride.

I held my arm and broke eye contact for a moment.

“I was taken in by High Royal Highness Celestia when I was but a babe,” I replied. “I am still currently searching for the ones who birthed me.”

Recluse’s smile improved as he offered a more sympathetic look.

“So you’re a legitimized bastard, then,” he inferred. “Wonderful to know. What of your companions?”

I perked up slightly as my group gathered together.

“Shall I introduce them?” I asked. “Or would you rather they introduce themselves?”

Recluse shrugged. “It matters not; so long as I am made savvy to their identities.”

Spike pounded his chest, positively brimming with bravado.

“My name’s Spike!” He proudly declared. “Seneschal and number-one assistant to Princess Twilight Sparkle herself!”

Napalm tittered, playing with a spark she held in her hooves.

“You can call me Napalm,” she snickered. “Former farmhand and up-and coming pyromancer.”

Roughshod cleared his throat, letting out a brief cough.

“I am Father Roughshod,” he grumbled. “Roving reverend who speaks the word of our most glorious royal family.”

Nia stretched out, getting into a position that seemed to imply she was preparing to find her center again.

“You may call me Nia,” she told the reagent. “I am a mystic hailing from the land of the Zebra.”

Kenta appeared to be absentmindedly cataloging the scents around the room before he realized it was his turn to speak. When the thought finally reached him, he turned to face the changeling king, his tail wagging behind him.

“And I am Kenta!” he barked, his more canid instincts seeming to override his courtesy. “Smith extraordinaire and professional monster hunter!”

Recluse looked around the table, a fist now on the table as he assessed the lot of us. He had a look of amusement that only grew as he processed all of what he saw.

“Well, aren’t you lot an eccentric bunch?” he commented, holding back a strong laughing fit. “I suppose those possessed of wild talents find a way of coming together.”

I shared Recluse’s sentiment, drumming my fingers on the table.

“Your wife spoke about you at great length a few days ago,” I mentioned, clasping my hands as I leaned forward. “Given we are of, shall we say, similar backgrounds, I believe we are in a unique position to discuss our kin.”

“Of course,” Recluse replied as he worked to pouring tea. “Did you have any particular questions in mind?”

“Just one,” I said, holding up an index finger. “Do you know the name of our kin?”

Recluse bit his lip. He brought his hand to his temple, as if wracking his brain to find a proper explanation. I could hear him ‘um’ and ‘ah’ to himself as he dug deep to find even a tiny nugget of an answer for me. However, he slumped over, placing his opposing hand in union with the original as he buried his face between them, rubbing his forehead.

“How I wish I could give you the answer to such a question,” he groaned. “But, it would appear my memory is failing me.”

I rose an eyebrow, leaning further inward. “You don’t remember what you are?”

“It doesn’t matter, to be frank.” he responded, correcting his posture. “I am a Changeling, if one of differing stature to my subjects. To spend time trying to remember my old self would be wasteful by now.”

I felt a pang of disappointment as I received a glass of tea. A chance to finally get some answers, and the first possible source comes up empty.

“What brought up the question, if you don’t mind me asking?” Recluse quipped.

After taking a short, mouth-burning gulp of tea, I set my cup upon the saucer and stretched out.

“My reason is quite simple, Your Highness,” I said bluntly. “I have grown up without a single inkling as to my origins. The closest thing that I could see as related to me is you and a potential goddess in the form of a knight most eldritch. The one thing I am searching for is a name for the kinship to which I originated.”

“A noble desire, to be certain,” Recluse chidley chuckled back. “But, unfortunately, I cannot give you a name. What I can give you, however, is something of potentially greater value.”

“And what, pray tell, is worth more than the name of my native kin?” I pondered aloud.

“A name is cheap.” Recluse remarked. “A culture, on the other hoof, now that is worth knowing. And I have word from a good friend of mine of what I’m to believe is a relic of an old culture.”

Suddenly, everyone at the table was intrigued. Perhaps they were catching the itch of adventure. I can’t say I blame them; I was growing interested in seeing more of the world myself. It was, to some extent, my assigned task. I supposed that one more diversion wouldn’t hurt me.

“He didn’t tell me much,” the king explained. “But it is apparently a temple that may hold some lost technologies. He’s had a vested interest in exploring it, but his current living situation makes such an expedition beyond his capacity.”

I then decided to ask where this friend of his lived.

“Not far from here,” he answered. “He’s a local tinker; one of the Royal Engineers, possessed of an engineering skill unmatched by many unicorns in this town.”

It was then he took a calm, deep swallow of tea and smiled.

“If you’d like, I can point you in his direction.”

I rose a hand in dismissal. “It can wait until the tea is finished.”

Though punctuality was to be expected with the work of a courtier or knight-errant, time was something I felt I had in abundance, so what more harm could a single more diversion do? Perhaps I might find something to aid me in my journey, I thought.

Little did I know at then that accepting such a chance to explore my potential ancestors would prove to be one of the most significant undertakings I’d chosen since I initially left quaint little Ponyville a short while ago…

***

The storefront that Recluse kindly lead us to was an attractively-painted, large, and homey affair. It had a look of tender crafting and a friendly appearance. It was the kind of store you’d pass by, then double back and step inside due to how inviting it was.

As we entered, the shelves were lined with a wide assortment of contraptions, curiosities, and recreational creations crafted from clockwork. Wind-up soldiers marched back and forth across the shelves, clocks of all frames ticked in asynchronous rhythm, and ornithopters hovered about like lazy little hummingbirds around us. Were I a tad younger when I came upon this place, I might have called it heaven. But, even as I was coming of age, I found a strange sense of wonder in window-shopping. Of course, if I had more spare coin on me, I might have been inclined to treat myself. But, that was not my intention for today.

No, the attention of my company was on a yellow unicorn who seemed to be knee-deep in the rear of the store. Though I could only view it from the back, he bore hair of the color you might see on a traffic pylon, frazzled from what looked like countless nights poring over the schemata that surrounded us. Upon his flank was an egg with a gear having hatched from it, presumably to represent him hatching his interest in engineering. He was particularly engrossed in his business, but as our footfalls near the vendor’s counter, he snapped up to attention and regarded us swiftly.

“Oh, how wonderful!” he cried, adjusting his cyan goggles to get a closer look at his patrons. “You lot look in need of some fine gadgetry, judging by how well-traveled you seem! What can this Royal Engineer do for you today?”

“I was actually looking for some information I heard from Lord Recluse, sir,” I replied. “He told me you knew something about a derelict temple?”

“Oh, that old thing?” he asked coyly. “It was something I found while field-testing my surveillance drones. The whole thing looks to be at least a thousand years old, and it doesn’t look entirely pony-made.”

“What gives you that impression?” asked Roughshod.

“Well, I haven’t had a good enough look of the interior,” the engineer stated. “However, judging from some of the indentations at the top of the structure—as well as the height of the entrances and the structure as a whole—it may hold something the size of a large airship.”

“An airship?!” Spike yipped excitedly. “That could get us to the Griffon Kingdoms really quick!”

“Do you even know how to fly an airship?” Napalm remarked.

Spike pressed his fingers against each other. “I’ve flown a hot-air balloon around a lot.”

“To continue,” the engineer interjected. “While my drones haven’t gotten much further in—mainly due to them running dangerously close out of my remote’s range—I have a good feeling that it potentially holds some the oldest technology known to Equestria!”

“And you’re fine with us handling the information?” I asked. “Is there anything you would have us do while we’re there?”

“Nothing you wouldn’t already do,” The engineer assured. “Investigate the temple, take note of any findings, and should you find any juicy technological goodies, report them to me, and I’d be glad to appraise them. Who knows? Maybe I can get some long lost marvels working for this modern age.”

I smiled and nodded along with intrigue. “And how do you suppose we’ll keep in touch?”

“Ah, you see, I thought of that very contingency!” the engineer declared, rummaging through his stores to produce a large box with a long antenna and a small, pocket-sized square gadget with a smaller antenna attached to it. “I made this transceiver many moons ago, and it can transmit signals and messages to me from this workshop. If I can’t hear your voice clearly, just find a nice open space and use the little button right below the large one to get a message out to me in morse code. Once I have your location, I’ll make arrangements to meet you there with my equipment and we’ll see what we can do.”

Spike produced the map, offering it to the engineer.

“Care to mark its location for us, sir?” asked my dragon friend. “We have some pressing business to attend to after this, and we’d like not to get lost.”

The engineer smiled, his bottle-brush moustache curling up in the most joyous of ways as his horn grabbed the map and a quill.

“Certainly, my boy!” he cheered, scribbling with practiced ease. “And I must thank you for taking this undertaking for me; while I may be older than I look, this job of mine doesn’t leave much room for adventuring. So having some go-getters help find the things I’m not able to is always nice.”

I gave a cheerful laugh and placed a hand to my hips. “Anything to help learn the things that have been kept away from the world.”

With a hum of approval, the engineer returned the map to us and gave a big, beaming grin.

“I look forward to seeing what you find, fillies and gentlecolts.”

“As do we,” I replied, a hand in the air to signify my goodbye as I and my company prepared to leave. “Take care, engineer.”

However, before I neared the door frame, the engineer spoke again.

“One last thing before you go, boy,” he interjected. “While I notice most of your companions appear relatively well off, your equipment looks a bit shabby. You wouldn’t happen to be a Royal Guard, would you?”

I cocked my head. “What gave you that impression?”

“You’ve got that tell-tale fighting man’s physique,” The engineer chuckled as he gave my body a once over. “That’s not something you can mistake.”

I took a look at myself, noting my current physique before returning the compliment with a smile and nod.

“It would be a waste to go into such uncertain territory without the proper protection,” he warned. “I have a contact with the Guard. If you’d be kind enough to give me your name, I could hail her and she could requisition some new equipment for you.”

“My name?” parroted I. “It’s Lance. Lance Alexis Petal.”

The engineer let out a healthy smile as he set to preparing a new message.

“You’re free to go now,” he said, waving us off. “I assume you’ll be staying the night at the hostel?”

I nodded, confirming the engineer’s assumptions.

“Wonderful!” he cried. “If I’m quick, you should see a package within twenty-four hours.”

I stretched outward, arching my back and threading my fingers together.

“It was good meeting you, Engineer,” I groaned, shaking out the doldrums as I tapped my toes against the floor. “I look forward to meeting you again in a few days, provided I don’t die from a mummy’s curse or something worse.”

With that, we departed the Royal Engineer’s workshop. As we headed back in the direction of the hostel, a thought struck my dragon friend’s mind.

“Where’d that bit about mummies come from?” he wondered. “Doesn’t that seem a little far-fetched?”

“Spike, you believe in the existence of zombies,” I snapped back. “Given the kinds of thing we see on a daily basis, I’d be surprised if we didn’t see a mummy.”

“Oh, aye,” Roughshod testified, nodding along. “Once we set out for the Griffon Kingdoms, I could tell you at least a dozen stories of the things I’ve seen.”

The idea of hearing harrowing tales of horror had me slightly harried. However, considering my most recent encounter, I thought I could handle a lesser terror. With this in mind, I had plans on how to end my night, preferably by attending to unfinished business.

***

Nighttime in Pasofino was quiet. It was quiet in that secure way, as opposed to that suspicious silence that stalks the uncertain. This sort of peace and tranquility was something I was glad to have after what I had experienced. For once, I felt comfort in stripping away my clothes and prying open the black velvet tome that my aunt had graciously gifted me. Even as my companions—or perhaps more kindly, my friends—slept, I felt like I had a chance for progress.

There was one spell I’d neglected to cast under this first chapter, and unlike the previous two spells, this one had something of a practical application. Not that forming objects and words from shadows or dousing nearby flames without a breath weren’t practical, but having something with a more directly useful application was handy.

The spell in question was known as Shadow Sense, and the incantation told me all I needed to know. With a calm whisper and a quivering hand, I murmured a sleepy incantation.

“Oh shadows of sun, moon, and star, grant me hearing both near and far…”

Crackles, pops, and rings filled my ears like the buzz of feedback from a microphone against a speaker. White noise briefly assaulted my ear canals, subsiding into a more clear droning of nothingness. The flames of candlelight crackled cleanly, the wind whispered ever-so-softly to tinkling chimes, and I could even make out the flapping of distant birds as they filled the night sky.

Though these pleasant sounds had to share aural space with the rumbling of snoring friends, it was more than welcome to share that space. There was plenty to go around.

I always found something slightly hypnotic about white noise. There was a security in hearing the nature’s sonata continue far into the evening that just made me want to lay back and let it lull me to sleep like a siren’s song. Even as the cold aura of shadowy magics softly ebbed from me, where it previously frightened me, there was now a more soothing appeal to it. It was like a fluffy blanket, making me feel comfortable and safe. This comfort eventually brought me to rest, and as the ring of clarity faded, so too did my vision as I drifted off into sleep.

)) O ((

The dull hum of machinery greeted me in my dreams. Again, I was in a familiar room of blue velvet, my eyes staring at the panel of buttons as the changing moon button glowed brightly before me. The gentle rising feeling of the room coming to its topmost floor helped to bring my subconscious senses up to speed. I hung my arms against the handrail, pulling myself up as I examined myself. Immediately, my cheeks went aflame as I covered myself. I realized very quickly that I was bereft of clothing, and as soon as the doors opened, so would anyone else on the other side.

While I did state earlier that I was growing slightly more comfortable sharing my natural state with others, it came with the corollary that they were already familiar enough with me to trust while I was most vulnerable. However, whoever was waiting never saw me in such a way, which led to some reflex in my mind to want to cover up as quickly as possible.

Then it dawned on me, however, that I was actually going to a somewhat familiar location, and that reflex rescinded itself slowly thereafter.

The ding of a bell reminded me of how close that location was, and I quickly assumed a slightly more proper posture. As I awaited the opening of the doors, I clasped my hands over my nethers to keep warm, still flushing red at the oncoming prospect.

As the doors slid apart, Aunt Luna was there to greet me, a pitcher of an indeterminate tea and a pair of cups with complementary saucers spread upon the table, as well as a platter of teacakes. I wasn’t sure if the look on her face was her happy to see me again, or she was holding back a righteous burst of laughter at the sight of her nephew in the nude. Whatever her motive, I shuffled along and sat before her, taking some comfort that the tablecloth was now obscuring me suitably.

“It is good to see you again, Lance,” Luna regally rejoiced. “I trust you are doing well?”

I looked down, trying not to look her in the eye as she poured me a cup of tea and placed a teacake on a folded napkin

“More or less,” I stuttered. “Though I could do much better and much worse.”

“There is no need to be reticent with me,” she assured, tilting her head as her face loosened up “Sister told me everything. I am sorry that one must endure such a hardship.”

“So you know about—”

Luna held up a hoof to stop me. “Yes. I must say, it is quite unfortunate.”

I took a sip of tea and nibbled a corner off the teacake to try and ease the tension, taking a few quiet breaths before composing myself again.

“I think it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” I said, my eyes fixed on the table. “Even standing before you, as vulnerable and exposed as can be, doesn’t harrow me nearly as much.”

Luna smiled, placing her hooves together. “So you aren’t afraid of our current situation?”

I could swear for a moment that the whole of my body was flaming red.

“Not really…” I stammered, looking for a window to gaze at. “Just embarrassed.”

Luna kept her smile as she got up, wrapping her forelegs around my shoulders to embrace me in a tender hug.

“Then I must congratulate you.”

I blinked, losing all thought for a moment as I reciprocated the snuggle.

“Congratulate me?” I asked, trying to process the rather sudden comment. “For what?”

Luna’s horn lit up with an azure aura as my book of shadows poofed into existence.

“By acknowledging and coming to terms with your fear, you have come to understand the meaning of the First Word of Shadow: Truth,” she explained, nudging the book open to reveal a set of pages filling up with fresh new content. “To control and combat the power of Shadow, you must cast away fears and doubts, and trust that the shadows that you command will guide you safely and surely. Though the spells the First Word had granted you were very simple, they served to prove this point.”

As she laid the book down, a nebulous black gemstone suddenly materialized atop it.

“With this, you are ready to understand the second word,” she said in a manner most official. “Temperance.”

I picked up the gem, looking closer into it to find nothing but cloudy shade. It lacked much definition, its edges and fringes rough and unpolished, as if it were freshly plucked from a mining vein.

“What you hold in your hands now is a Black Diamond,” Luna said, pointing to it for emphasis. “To we umbramancers, it is symbolic of ourselves as we journey along our moonless path. Our journeys chip away at this gem, refining it and making it more brilliant and beautiful. Even as it cracks, its healing tempers the gem, making it ever stronger.”

I looked into the imperfect diamond, somewhat entranced at the smoky interior. Staring into it was like looking into a snow globe or a lava lamp; simple, yet infinitely enticing.

“So this is like my soul?” I asked, looking up to Luna’s cyan eyes.

“In a way, yes,” she replied, taking it into her telekinetic grip. “Think of it as the center of your current power. If you should ever need it, focus its image in your mind, and it will help with whatever ails you.”

At the mention of my ills, I looked about, noticing that a certain someone was conspicuously absent from our altercation.

“Where is Iando?” I asked.

Luna turned to the window, guiding me to look out with her. The moon was large and beautiful as usual, and the glass fogged with my aunt’s sigh.

“Such maleficent spirits are not welcome in this place, Lance,” she answered, looking down at the fog surrounding the building. “I have taken precautions to make sure such an incident like our previous meeting less likely. Regardless, you must always remember that, for all the good he can do for you, he can do just as much evil. While I cannot completely excise him from your conscience, I can keep him away from this place. So long as you are here, he cannot harm you.”

Reflexively, I covered my nethers again, keeping my eyes on the moon. Luna turned to me, holding a hoof to her muzzle to muffle a chuckle.

“I must say, you are developing quite well, it seems.”

I shrunk away at that comment, crouching down to try and curl into a ball and hide my shame.

“Is there any reason why I’m… like this?” I shuddered.

“Simple,” Luna said with a smirk. “The state in which you depart the waking world is often the state in which you enter the sleeping one. Not that seeing in you in this state is any matter of mine, of course.”

Luna offered a hoof to help me up, draping one of her wings around my body to keep warm. She guided me to the elevator, her feathers tickling my rear as I shuffled along. The feathery embrace of my aunt kept me warm, even more so than the calming smile she wore as she escorted me. As distant as our current relationship was, the fact that these sensations felt as real as they might have felt in the waking world reminded me that I was closer to Aunt Luna than it seemed.

“I am glad we had a chance to speak again, my nephew,” she sighed with a contented grin. “The fact that I am able to keep in touch with you on a personal level such as this gives me—oh, what is the phrase—the warm fuzzy feelings.”

I cuddled against my aunt’s neck, sharing her love as she willed the call button to activate.

“I hope that our next meeting is in more pleasant conditions,” she whispered, returning my hug.

The elevator’s bell chimed, the doors opening with a pleasant sliding noise.

“So do I,” I whispered back.

I backed away into the elevator, never truly taking my eyes off my aunt as she gave me an assuring smile. She waved to me in a last gesture of well-wishing as the doors closed before me. The lights of the control panel came on in a pattern that indicated I was to be going to the ground floor. While I was a bit apprehensive about the idea of seeing just what the outside of the Midnight Lounge, I was equally intrigued at what lay beyond its walls.

For what it was worth, at least this altercation ended better than the last one. I may have been as naked as I was in birth, the room may have been cold, and I may have died a little internally, but knowing I was making progress through it all was a welcomed relief.

I supposed, if I had to take something away from all of this, it’s that friends and progress can be two of the greatest motivators in life.

Chapter 16: Machines and Magic

As the elevator reached its lower floors, it began to reveal large paned windows. Outside seemed to be strikingly rural, compared to the rather modern appearance of the building I was in. Though I couldn’t make out how tall it as, foliage full and thick was growing along the path. It was only when I arrived to the ground floor that their true height and density became clear to me.

The fields around the path were as high as I was tall, and almost silvery in color. They looked like wheat, but with a more off-white tinge to them. A light breeze made them sway lazily forward and back. In the light of a bright full moon, I stood completely exposed. Dotted along the fields were wooden horses with bales of hay strapped to them. Scarecrows, I presumed. They stood sentinel on their stalks, surveying me with suspicion as I walked about. They were all dressed in a curiously plain manner, almost lacking even the most basic of accoutrements for faces save for their button eyes.

As artificial and lifeless as they appeared, their gazes still left pins and needles dancing up my spine.

I kept along the path, my feet mashing into the dirt. My eyes darted from side to side, as if I was crossing busy lane after busy lane. Though I was assured I was safe, the shivers that rattled me were not simply from my exposure to the elements.

Call it experience or intuition, but something was most definitely amiss.

The creaking of wood broke the stagnant air, followed by the susurrus of topsoil being kicked up from an errant gust and the whisking and swishing of stalks of grass. No whispers. No moans. Nothing that could come from mortal mouths.

Again, I scanned the path, pushing away the thought of turning back when the road ahead of me appeared so clear.

Such disregard was a grave mistake, and one that was swiftly punished for upon looking over my shoulder; my eyes met black, soulless buttons and stitched-on smiles. The scarecrows said nothing to me. They didn’t need to. They let their own macabre visages do the speaking for them, and their message was succinct and clear:

They wanted me to replace them as the lifeless husk that kept the crows at bay.

I was surrounded by the constructs before my mind could count them all. Ten, maybe twenty of them circled around me, trying to find the ideal points from which to pin me down. I tried to flee, but one of them pounced onto me, grabbing my leg and dragging me down as one of its friends climbed onto me. Another gets atop me, blotting out what I can see and leaving my body covered in abrasions of straw scraping against me. Button eyes and scratchy hay surrounded me as I struggled to break free. Rustling straw was the only noise I heard as I tried to force my way out. Believe it or not, hay is an incredibly heavy thing to lift.

I was surely overwhelmed within moments, and I was certain that in this more lucid state, I would be at death’s door.

And then, nothing. The noise had all but faded, the scratching ceased, and what few injuries I had were all that remained of what I endured.

I peeled open my eyes slowly, to make sure of my safety. Where there was once itchy straw and hay, there was now only open sky and gleaming stars. All signs of conflict were gone from the area, replaced now by golden motes of light, not too different from fireflies. Remembering some prior advice for Luna, I swiftly set to pursuing it.

However faint the light was, it left a discernible trail that eventually led to a most intriguing sight.

A gold figure stood at the clearing of the field. It took the shape of a unicorn, though only in shape, with a golden brown aura glowing from its horn. As it turned to me, it tipped its head upward, presumably to beckon me closer.

“You would do well to remember that this is a dream,” it spoke, the tone of its voice confirming its gender to be male. “However lucid you feel during it, it is still your dream. By learning to control it, you have an edge that can chase away the nightmares.”

The glow of the unicorn’s body grew as bright as the sun.

“By learning control from within, you can gain control without.”

From there, there was nothing more but blinding light, as the rest of this reality blurred away from me.

)) O ((

The morning was quiet, as I would have expected from a more homely city such as this. I was the first one to wake up, still as naked as before, with an open grimoire spread against my lap. Thankfully, my clothing was nearby, and I was able to adorn myself without waking my companions.

The quiet did not last long, however, as a firm knocking at the door soon roused everyone else in the room with a start. Kenta in particular started raising a fuss before Spike rushed to calm him down. In the chaos, everyone was rabbling on indeterminably to everyone else.

“Ugh, who knocks that loudly on the door this early in the morning?” Napalm groaned, rubbing her eyelids.

Maneuvering my way around my friends, I answered the door promptly.

Standing outside it was a pony I had not expected to see in years. Wearing a striking crimson coat, light blue eyes, and a pair of wings spread wide as his smile, there was no mistaking who this was.

“Robin?” I asked, smiling as I opened my arms to invite a hug.

I was afraid that the pegasus’ face would rip right off from how much wider his smile got. I could hear him squeal in a way that reminded me of air escaping from a balloon, his eyes aglimmer with practically irrational exuberance. Very faintly he mumbled under his breath, trying to form words, eventually settling on the only three I think he needed.

“Oh. My. Gosh!”

Without warning, Robin pounced onto me, squeezing his hooves around my shoulders in a tight embrace as he cooed dearly. There was a certain degree of tenderness in the way he held me, the warmth of his body worming its way down into my heart, giving me a warm, tingly feeling that was only matched by the tender embrace of a mother’s love.

“What are the chances?” he called out, swaying me side to side with a surprising amount of strength given our difference in size. “It’s been so long, mate! You haven’t aged a day!”

“Good to see y—ugh—hey...” I said, my breath wheezing out of me. “Robin! Robin! Too tight!”

Robin paused for a moment, looking down at me and noticing my flushed appearance before promptly releasing me, my body hitting the hardwood floor with a distinct thunk.

“Sorry about that,” he stammered, scratching the back of his head with his right hoof. “It’s just been so long, I guess I must have gotten carried away.”

I waved my hand with a smile. “It’s nothing; I’m happy to see you, too.”

Robin continued to beam as he went back to the door to retrieve a noticeably large box, plopping it down before me as he planted his hooves across the top.

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t send for me sooner,” he said as he gripped the handle of the box with his mouth. “If I’d have known you were in town and hurting for gear, I’d have rushed over in a heartbeat.”

“Sorry about that,” I blushed, breaking eye contact. “I’ve been out on the road for a little while now, so I only had a chance to reach you when I made it here.”

My smile returned after a moment’s thought as I turned my attention back to my old familiar again.

“If it’s any consolation, I’m really happy to see you again. Especially since you get to meet my friends.”

“Don’t sweat it, man,” Robin scoffed as he opened the case up in front of me, “I’m just thrilled to see my old camping buddy again. The fact you’ve gotten friendlier since I last saw you’s a bonus, in my book.”

The two of us shared a brief laugh as my friends woke up, introducing themselves in lazy, half-awake hums.

“I’m surprised you never got this stuff, Lance!” the pegasus pointed out. “They must have had this waiting for you since graduation.”

I arched my brow. “Didn’t you say you were going into cloud sculpting with the weather team?”

“I did say that, yeah,” he replied. “Then I thought about it for a while. I thought to myself, ‘I bet Lance would get awfully lonely going to boot camp by himself.’ So I went and joined the EUP, instead!”

My eyes widened considerably. “You went to all that trouble for me?”

Robin smiled and patted me on the back.

“Of course I did!” he boasted. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

I looked down, the gravity of Robin’s words weighing considerably on me. I had a chance to keep a friend, and I ended up squandering it by the time we parted ways.

“Shame we ended up in different divisions, though,” the pegasus sighed. “I bet you and I would have had loads of fun together.”

I kept my head down, bittersweetness pooling in my mind. I didn’t look directly at Robin for a while, merely leaning into his general direction as he unpacked the contents of the box.

Perhaps I was being too obvious with my feelings, because after a moment Robin took notice.

“You don’t look so good, man,” he noted. “What’s eating you?”

I let out a deep breath before I shared a look with him again.

“I think I feel some of that shame, too,” I said bluntly. “You were one of my first friends, and I never got the chance to spend time with you.”

Robin smiled, holding my chin up.

“Water under the bridge, Lance,” he said, cuddling into me as he did so. “What matters is we’re here now, and I can see you’ve got some guys and gals who have your back.”

He tapped my back another two times and gestured to the unpacked box.

“Now why don’t we lose the languishing and let’s talk loot.”

Robin first introduced me to a brassy-gold spear, which extended in a way like my childhood staff.

“This baby’s a lightning spear. It’s made from coronium, so it has a shine like gold, weight like a feather—”

Robin gave the spear a deft toss. It missed the lot of us, save for nicking some hairs from our heads, and sunk over a foot into the wall behind us.

“And a cut like steel.”

“And you had to demonstrate that by nearly impaling us?” Napalm groused.

“Too right,” Roughshod agreed, patting his body to make sure he was still one piece. “You could’ve bloody well taken our heads off.”

I went to go pluck the spear from the wall as Robin gave the next item—a brown bodysuit with a few metal plates attached to it—a few shakes.

“And here we have a dragonskin—”

“Dragonskin?!” Spike blurted out.

“Relax, scaly,” Robin assured. “It’s just a term; this is a full-body suit made to dampen impact. The name comes from its scaly look.”

He gave the suit a couple of pats, eliciting solid thuds both times, each sounding more so than the last.

“It’s also designed for high-altitude use,” he mentioned. “This is air force-level stuff.”

I picked up a pair of goggles that were previously untouched. “And what do these do?”

“What any other pair of goggles do, silly,” Robin replied. “They keep your vision safe and clear.”

As I took mental note of all the equipment, fiddling with the spear in my hands idly, I smiled. It was good to have contingencies, and it was even better knowing that a friend had gone the trouble of bringing it to me.

I held the completed set in my lap for a while, admiring the craftsmanship.

“So, gonna try them on?” Spike asked.

I smirked. “Are you alright with me changing here?”

Spike blushed for a moment, but nodded quickly.

I’m not sure why I bothered asking that question. Everyone save Robin had seen me in full display at least once, and most ponies didn’t care less about clothes in the first place.

This in mind, I quickly peeled off my tunic and trousers, laying them on the ground as I did my undergarments. I shivered for only a few brief moments from the early morning chill, but it was negligible at best. I could notice Robin blush as I bent down to pick up the dragonskin suit, pulling down the zipper as I did so.

With a deep breath, I plunged my legs into the suit, my arms following suit. As my body sank into it, I admired the extra work done to accommodate my anatomy. They even stitched the hands! Now that’s attention to detail. I then sucked up my gut, pulling up the zipper and relishing the sound it made as it reached the top of my breast.

Then, I adjusted the goggles slightly before giving the elastic band a stern tug and wrapping it around my head. I winced as the band snapped against the back of my head, but I found it and the suit to be a snug fit after a few adjustments. It felt like practically nothing at all, really.

I turned about and gave a few stretches and poses to make sure of the fit, trying not to come off as too showy, before giving a hum of approval.

“Fits like a glove,” I said, giving a confident flex. “I’m glad I sent for it.”

Robin smiled. “Anytime.”

It was then that a thought came to me.

“You know, we were actually about to leave town,” I told Robin. “But, would you like to share breakfast with us before we go?”

Robin’s eyes lit up like the lights ‘round the houses on Hearth’s Warming eve.

“I’d love to!” he gleefully giggled. “I’ll treat you guys, even!”

“Sweet!” Napalm shouted, pumping her foreleg. “Thanks a bunch.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Robin replied. “Any friend of Lance is a friend of mine.”

I nodded. “Here, here.”

“What’s keeping us, then?” Roughshod grumbled, swirling a hoof over his stomach.

On that notion, the lot of us gathered our things and filed out of the hostel room. As we left, I gave the room a final look back and briefly reflected on the matter.

Once again, I was glad to have made at least one friend, as the rewards of connections were showing through beautifully.

***

The breakfast with Robin had gone like a dream. We enjoyed doughnuts, and danishes, and coffees with cream. We told tales of our exploits to him, and he shared his own tales with us over the din of a sleepy morning clientèle. While his were humbler than my own, he too appeared to have had more than his fair share of adventures.

From what he’d told me, Robin spent a great deal of time in aerial patrols on gunships and zeppelins. Much like myself, we was also tasked with doing deliveries. I supposed it was only fitting that he was also negotiating with foreign powers. It seems he’d become quite the courier. And here I was still in pony territory.

Of course, I was more reticent regarding more recent events, only mentioning them in passing, but I think Robin understood well enough how much it pained me even to abridge them. I suppose, in spite of our long-term estrangement, he had a way of knowing when not to dig too deep. Call it him being conscientious, or perhaps merely considerate. Either way, I was grateful.

When we were done talking about what we’d been doing in the past, we finally had a chance to speak of current events.

“So, you said you were about to leave town,” Robin noted. “Where are you headed?”

“We were told there’s a derelict temple not far from here,” Spike explained, pulling out his map and unfurling it to point to the recently-made markings. “We’re going to scope it out and see if we can find this airship the royal engineer was talking about. That way, we can take flight for the Griffon Kingdoms.”

Suddenly, Robin planted his forehooves on the table, lifting himself up gleefully.

“So you’re becoming sky pirates?!” he gasped. “That’s awesome!”

I blushed and made a lowering gesture with my hand, pinching my fingers together.

“It’s less ‘pirates and privateers’ and more courtiers and couriers.”

Robin’s glee deflated as he crossed his hooves in disappointment. “Lame.”

“I’ll promise you this, though,” I said. “If I find this ship, the minute I get there and back again, I’m bringing you and the rest of my friends along for a nice little cruise. You know, take you someplace nice for holiday.”

“You’d do that for me?” Robin asked, perking up slightly.

I smiled and nodded, placing a hand over Robin’s. “You did me a wonderful favor, so it is only fitting I return it.”

Robin then smiled back, a glint of his teeth showing as he pumped his hoof.

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Lance,” he swore. “As soon as you get back, right?”

I performed a familiar gesture of oath. “Cross my heart and hope to fly.”

Robin pulled me into a tender embrace, letting me go after a few seconds.

"I'll be ready and waiting for you when you get back."

The two of us shared sizable grins before we stood up from the table, inviting my friends to stand with us.

"Well, this breakfast was really nice,” I said, patting my stomach. “We should do this again when we get back.”

“No kidding!” Spike added, prior to eking out an impressive burp of flame.

“I’ll make sure to save a place at the table for you,” Robin joked, laughing as we left the restaurant in town.

As we neared the town border of Pasofino, our packs filled with provisions and our hearts with hope, Robin and I shared a final farewell, promising each other that we’d meet again sooner rather than later. We waved goodbye and went our separate ways soon after, Spike taking point to lead us towards our next encounter.

***

“Well, this place looks inviting,” Napalm rolled her eyes at the sight of this temple.

Before us stood a squared pyramid. It appeared to have made from adobe bricks, with a roofed entrance near the top. It had to at least be twenty, maybe thirty feet high, with steps lining all four sides. Moss, vine, fungus, and general erosion had taken it for stars know how long. The cold stone had been made jagged at the edges and smooth at the walls through what must have been centuries of wind and rain. Tiny little holes dotted the surface, with more creeping vines and shrubbery seeping through the cracks. We could also notice scant amounts of insect arcologies having formed.The whole structure had this air of something that was lost to the ravages of time. Something ancient and foreboding that could have only been made complete with a layer of fog to eclipse its majesty.

As our eyes were drawn to the apex, we all breathed a heavy sigh, knowing full well that we were going to be in for a harsh time. Thank goodness we’d had our coffee that morning.

In keeping with my conscientiousness, I decided to pull out the transceiver that the royal engineer gave us to make sure it worked. Examining it, I noticed that it had a relatively simple design. There were buttons on the side and front—presumably for vocal and morse communication, respectively—as well as a dial for changing the frequency and the aforementioned retractable antenna. I assumed in good faith that the engineer had already tuned this thing properly, so, with a deep breath, I pressed the side button.

“Testing, Testing,” I spoke slowly for good measure. “Can you hear me?”

A familiar, hearty laugh returned my signal, almost making it impossible to hear. It was doubtless the voice of the royal engineer.

“Loud and clear!” his enthusiasm was practically seeping from the front speaker. “I assume you’ve made it to the temple?”

“We are,” I looked back to the top. “Looks like it’ll be a heck of a delve, though; I doubt we’ll be able to keep in touch once we’re inside.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured. “Just focus on getting what you can and coming back in one piece.”

“Understood,” I replied. “Wish me luck.”

Following a simple sign off, I pocketed the transceiver and had a few quick stretches to limber up.

“We’ll decide party formation once we reach the top,” I decided, arching my back in one large bend. “For now, let’s get a move on.”

Looking out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Kenta was scrounging around in the foliage nearby.

“What are you doing over there?” I called out.

Without missing a beat, Kenta stopped and dashed up to me, presenting loads of berries, herbs and natural sundry.

"Foraging!" he yapped excitedly. "A good hunter always searches their environment for useful materials and food!”

“Then be quick about it, mutt,” Roughshod grumbled. “We’re here to investigate a temple, not pick flowers and berries.”

Kenta laughed in reply. “You say that now, but just you wait. A little outdoorsmanship never hurts.”

“Whatever you say, happy paws,” Napalm scoffed.

After a few more moments of scrounging, Kenta returned to the party, and we began to make the climb. While we were all in relatively top form, with exception to Roughshod we were all fairly young and spry. Not to mention, given that this structure lacked any sort of protective railing, a single misstep would result in some rather nasty injuries on the way to the bottom.

This, of course, meant that we had to take our time, giving the priest ample time to follow along and keeping our eyes mostly focused on our legs to make sure we weren’t about to trip over ourselves and bust our respective asses—pun somewhat intended. This also meant that the ascent was mostly quiet, as small talk would have also potentially distracted us and set up terror in potentia.

Thankfully, after what felt like at most an hour, we arrived at the top and took a moment to catch our breath.

“Okay—” I huffed, stretching out on the floor in a manner not too dissimilar to that of a housecat, “Here’s how I think we should go.”

I raised pointing fingers to Spike and Nia.

“You two, stick with me, and we’ll be the back team,” I explained. “Roughshod, you, Napalm, and Kenta will be our front group and scout ahead for anything suspicious.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Napalm protested. “Why are you sticking me with Dog Breath and Mr. Sunshine here?”

“Because you’re the one with the light source, Kenta has the sharpest senses, and Roughshod’s probably been in enough tombs to recognize trouble when he sees it,” I answered back readily.

“He isn’t bluffing,” Roughshod grunted. “In my day, I delved in pyramids twice the size of this in Saddle Arabia!”

Seeing no counter, Napalm simply crossed her hooves and let out a sigh of acquiescence.

This accounted for, we then took to searching for an entrance, scanning the stones for any alcoves or switches. We carefully dusted the surroundings, and eventually, Kenta proved his senses were of great use by sniffing out a recess in the floor below us. It appeared to be a retracting slab which, to my surprise, Kenta was able to move almost entirely with his strength alone. The rest of us did pitch in, however, to make sure we didn’t disturb whoever might still be inside.

As the stone slab slid out of place, stagnant air and dust poured out, blinding us briefly and giving everyone a generous coughing fit. As we looked down, Spike coiled out a rope ladder and began to fish it down inside the hole, tying the opposing ends to the nearest columns.

“Alright, fillies and gentlecolts,” Spike said, clapping the dust off his hands. “One at a time, lightest first.”

We all shared a quick nod and carefully filed down into the darkness below, Napalm going first and the rest of us going in turn, helping to cushion each other’s descent if we slipped. Once everyone was down, we lit a lantern and noticed the walls within were lined with sconces, presumably to keep the halls alight.

Seeing this, Napalm lit up—metaphorically, that is—at the sight of something she could guiltlessly burn. I waved Spike and Nia to join her, and together with a coordinated blast, the three of them filled the area with torchlight in a matter of seconds. The resulting darkness gave way to a hallway lined with many open spaces that held empty door frames. There may have been proper doors at some point, but there was no evidence to support it beyond some wear on the frame. The hall was wide enough to hold us, but it seemed the only obvious path was a T-shaped intersection at the end. The hall behind us seemed to only go in one path, compared to the fork ahead.

“I’m surprised that these torches still have fuel to burn,” I marveled. “Given the dust about, these halls must not have seen visitors for decades.”

Kenta punctuated this statement by letting out a rather loud sneeze that reverberated against the walls and gave us all pause.

“Sensitive much?” Spike asked, having covered his ears.

“Apologies,” Kenta sniffed. “This sense of smell comes with its downsides.”

Looking upon the wall, we noticed the walls had been lined with carvings. However, instead of what looked to be a written language, it seemed to be mostly pictographs. Familiar bipedal creatures. were sparsely depicted on the walls, but whenever they were, they seemed to be in momentous occasions, like victories in battles against corrupted ponies, demons, and other dark forces.

“Curious, is it not?” Nia pondered aloud. “Whomever made these must have expected company."

Roughshod recoiled at an odor in the air. "The stench of those long gone tells me we shouldn't expect any ourselves."

The lot of us shuddered and pressed on.

"Whatever the case, we should tread lightly," I cautioned.

Everyone gave me a look of confusion, save for Spike and Kenta.

"It's a figure of speech," Spike explained. "He means 'be careful'."

Everyone oohed in understanding and pressed on. I made a mental note to try and use more species-neutral expressions in the future.

Before we began to delve deeper, in keeping with their inner pathfinders, Spike, Nia, and Kenta came upon the idea to make a rudimentary post and attach a length of rope to it. That way, we could easily keep track of our progress and—if the need arose—retrace our steps and try a different route.

Many of the rooms in the hall seemed to be living spaces, with space reserved for beds and bureaus, as well as bookshelves and writing desks. In these rooms there were far less carvings, with what few there were presumably belonging to those who'd lived in them. As for the carvings themselves, they seemed to indicate certain events or gatherings that had happened like meetings of councils and historic battles. As we wandered the halls, we stopped to try and glean meaning from the hieroglyphics.

“If I’m reading these right,” Nia muttered, “then your kin must have been at least before the time of Sombra. Perhaps even before then.”

“You mean when the tribes had only just been formed?” “Spike asked.

“Well, if the myth regarding Megan is to be believed, she ruled as queen in the height of the Empire’s power,” I noted. “So it would be a good bet that our species would have been around at that time as well.”

“Where did you even hear that myth, anyway?” Spike wondered.

“It was a story I found by chance when I was a boy,” I recalled. “I was big on mythology when I was young, and I ended up finding it buried under goodness knows how many other stories.”

Spike chuckled. “I swear, you and Twi would get along great.”

The two of us shared a chuckle as I looked onward. In one section of wall, I saw a group of two-legged figures standing in strings of ponyfolk holding what looked to be a shepherd’s crook. All of them were dressed in robes that obscured their faces. Either that, or the artist could not carve such details into the stone.

“Do you think this is saying that his kin were guides to Ponykind back then?” Nia asked

“The symbolism certainly agrees,” answered Roughshod. “It seems fairly blatant.”

“If that’s true, then why is it there’s so little known about them these days?” Napalm asked back. “Why would whoever carved this go into such detail if no one would remember it?”

“It’s probably the wheel of time working its magic,” Kenta suggested. “You know, memories to legends, legends to myths, and when the time for it to come full circle, no one remembers the myth except those who were there to see it and write it down.”

“If that’s true, then why is it we’re apparently the first people to go into this temple and find its secrets?” I scratched my chin, pondering. “You would think that at least one pony would dare to plumb these depths for the sake of knowledge, even if next to nopony would believe them.”

“You mean like Lyra?” Spike asked. “I hear she’s into this sort of thing.”

I looked back at Spike. “You think she’d be so proactive to try and go alone in a place like this, where no one would be able to find her if she were trapped?”

Spike thought about his statement for a brief moment, then hissed through his teeth when the realization kicked in. “Okay, yeah. That does sound really unlikely.”

Eventually, after passing several rooms with nothing of note in them, we came upon a room with a significantly larger interior. Squared shelves inset in the walls filled with books of unknown purpose greeted us as we entered. The dull hum of machinery rung in our ears as we examined the inside. It looked to be some sort of research facility, in the middle of which there stood what appeared to be a large typewriter—one, I should note, with significantly more keys than the two-button ones mounted inside a column. Above it, a blank window filled with an ethereal void, save for a blinking square and some text describing some arcane mechanism it had been programmed to use. Napalm was amused by the warm glow coming from the machine, her hoof feeling around parts of it to feel its heat while Spike looked to the array of keys with an odd form of familiarity.

“You know, I think I saw a machine like this when Twilight and I went through the mirror,” he noted, holding his chin. “I think I might be able to get this thing to do something for us.”

“We’d best check the room first,” Roughshod peered about with a slight paranoia. “Nothing good can come from fiddling with arcane devices without an understanding of what it’s connected to.”

Nia nodded in agreement. “A sound judgement.”

The lot of us scoured the room for things of use. In the shelves we found technical manuals and strange discs, the bulk of which we handed to Spike for investigation. Posters and papers were plastered on the wall, full of schematics and propaganda of a bygone age lining the majority of them. The two most noteworthy things were a design schematic for some form of mechanical pony, and a nested, pod-shaped apparatus. Dust marred the surface, which Kenta and I wiped off frantically.

Inside was perhaps the most astonishing discovery in this place yet.

Nestled inside the pod was a white mare, her forelegs crossed over her chest. Her mane was a goldenrod affair kept short and simple, and a circular bevel adorned her forehead. On her chest was scaled armor with a large ring-shaped buckle to keep it secure. On her hooves and shoulders were further armored accoutrement, all in remarkably well keep for its age. Springs and gears were discretely placed in the crooks between its knees and elbows, and the glint that came off of her body when light shined upon it suggested that there was more machine than mare to be found here. She seemed to be in rest, as if this thing were her coffin. Looking down, we saw large lengths of cables, all of which seemed to run across the room. Though what power was running through them, where it was coming from, and how it was being generated, was up for debate.

Nevertheless, after poring over the manuals and fiddling with the discs enough to gain a general sense of what he was working with, Spike hailed us over to examine the new display of text that had come upon the screen.

Reading aloud, it appeared the architect of this machine had anticipated scavengers.

“If you seek the contents in this room,” Spike began, squinting his eyes from the monitor’s glaring contrast, “then you must first solve this riddle:

“I am that for which stars are given purpose. I am the will of the ideal, the soul of change asked by those never truly satisfied. I am the hope that adorns the night sky, the dream that sees each passing year go forward. I am that which must be held secret, lest I never get a chance to become real. Futility, Desire, and Aspiration.

“What am I?”

A curious puzzle indeed, thought I. A question like this needed some decent thought behind it, not only to write it, but to solve it.

“A goal?” Napalm asked.

Spike quickly typed out the answer onto the console, but was returned with bold, red text.

“Looks like that’s a no,” he grumbled looking over his shoulder. “Any other ideas?”

“A politician?” Kenta asked back.

Another frenzied series of keystrokes to no avail. “Bupkis.”

Nia took the chance to meditate on the riddle. I admit, I’d not seen her do this since we’d brought her into the party, but I could feel a calmness radiating from her as the rest of us paced about, reading the various books we’d overlooked. Her ability to focus in spite the clutter and tight space was something worth appreciating.

After a healthy amount of rumination, she stood up and cleared her throat.

"The answer is simple, my friends," her voice unerringly calm. "It is describing a wish."

"A wish?" Spike rose an eyebrow. "Why 'a wish'?"

"Think about it," Nia implored. "How many times do we make wishes upon the stars, or when we welcome our birthdays? How often do we wish for something to happen, only for it to never come to be? There's nothing else it could be."

"Good point," Spike nodded along, typing in the answer.

This time, he was greeted by green text instead of red, and his face scrunched in delight.

"Looks like we're in," He chuckled with pride.. "And if I had to guess, this thing's hooked up to that pod. I think it's some kind of security terminal."

"Well go on, then," Roughshod grumbled. "What does it say?"

Spike examined the text closer as we huddled around.

WELCOME, ADMINISTRATOR. LAST KNOWN LOG-IN...NOT FOUND. PLEASE SELECT AN OPTION

RECOMPILE ACTIVITY LOG

DOWNLOAD FILE “SKA.BAT”

ACTIVATE “JUNO”

"Looks like we should be able to get a look inside that thing and see if she still works." I noted, looking over Spike's shoulder."

"After all this time?" Napalm pondered. "Probably not."

"And just what makes you certain it's female? Can machines even have such a thing as gender?" Roughshod asked.

"It has the general design figures of a female," I retorted. "Rounded muzzle, cleanlier fetlocks, smaller frame, things like that."

"Well, whatever the case, we may as well pop the lid," Spike said, making a few strokes to select an option labeled "Activate "Juno"."

"One wonders who would name it Juno," Nia murmured

"Well, whomever made the choice, they had good taste," Kenta commented with a chortle.

The terminal clicked and whirred as further mechanical noises filled the room. The hiss of pressurized air, the thrumming of energy running through the cords, and the creaking of long-unused machinery met our ears as we turned to face the pod. While it had been at a reclined angle on first inspection, it began to level to the floor as the door opened up like a bird's wing. Dust from disuse billowed out into the room, which the lot of us had to fan away before we could take a good look at the mare inside.

Strangely enough, she didn't budge when we released her. We heard no sounds of limbs whirring and buzzing to life, no synthetic voice, no glowing eyes.

"Maybe all this time in holding's got it stuck," Roughshod hummed, tapping his hoof "Maybe we need to give it a nudge?"

"You mean percussive maintenance, right?" Napalm seemed particularly wary. "Because I don't think I wanna go touching that thing."

"I'll do it," I stepped forward, Spike coming near.. "I'm the one who suggested we go into this temple, so it's only fair I stick my neck out for you guys."

Slowly, I crept up to the machine, Spike flanking me as I leaned in to get a closer look. I placed one hand behind the mare's head to elevate, another hand brushing her cheek. I then brought my ear to her chest, hearing only the faintest of ticking.

That should have been my clue that something was still working in this machine. However, moment that truly clued me in what when, as I went to check her forehead, a sharp protrusion not unlike a horn ended up cutting into my skin as it sprang out.

I hissed, holding the wound as I went to Nia and Roughshod.

"Who the heck designed this thing?!" I grunted between my teeth. "It just sprung a horn out of nowhere!"

"Maybe it's defective," Spike suggested.

"That can't be right, though," I refuted. "The thing was ticking when I went to check where its heart might be. It's still got something left."

"Well, whatever it has, it doesn't look keen to show us," Roughshod grumbled. "Best we leave it be for now. If we're lucky, it won't go attacking us later."

"If we're lucky?!" Napalm growled. "That thing could have impaled him!"

"It didn't budge, even when we woke it." Nia leaned in, looking closely at it. "We should be relatively safe."

All eyes turned to the automaton in disbelief. It didn't budge another inch, only falling back into position thanks to gravity.

Kenta huffed, "If that thing starts to chase me with a vacuum, you're going to pay dearly for it."

On that lovely note, we decided to follow Nia's wisdom and leave it be.

***

As we delved deeper inside, we came across a rather large room. Judging by a central carving on the floor upon which light from the sun shone down in a tiny beam to cast a pointed shadow on the floor, this was likely a meeting place, with the middle carving serving as a sundial. Further raised portions of the floor were likely put in place as designations for pillows and other such seating arrangements.

Across the wall, a much larger mural had been carved.

The story, far as we could interpret, was of a time when a darkness descended from the moon. It was not Nightmare Moon, but something more damnably transcendent, which terrorized ancient pony folk like a specter. A shadow of sidereal origin and sinister intent that twisted all it fell over into powerful agents of unspeakable sins. They did not have champions or talismans with which to defend themselves from such nebulous terrors in these ancient days.

That was, until a figure that we believed was Megan, intervened.

Working a great magic that it seemed even the artist had difficulty rendering, she was able to drive the moon-crazed horrors back from whence they came, and the ponies revered her for her power.

It was for this that she was made into a ruler, and it was this that lead to her becoming a queen.

"So this was her first act upon this world," I gasped.

"Real shame the first time we met her, she handed you your ass," Napalm chided.

"She overestimated me!" I snapped. "That was the equivalent of a first-level Fighter against a twentieth-level Magic User. It was an obvious mismatch."

"You're just mad it came to a draw," Napalm nickered.

"There is a saying for such things, Napalm," Nia chimed. "'Even in failure, one can glean knowledge.'"

Kenta nodded in agreement. "When you fall, get right back up. Many a hunt of mine required persistence to succeed. You'll face her again in time, I'm sure."

"I should certainly hope so," I sighed. "You would think that in a place like this, she might also be down here."

"And I would think such folk would be foolish to enter here."

That voice was not from any of us. We looked about the room, trying to see where it had come from before we attempted to find the nearest door out. But, the instant we tried to draw near any of them, they all slammed shut, trapping us in.

"You have wrought great ire by treading on hallowed grounds as these," called the voice. "What gall you should have to bring one of those traitors into this hall like a bunch of common thieves."

"Oh, you want ire?!" Napalm shouted. "Because you can't spell 'fire' without it! Why don't you come out and face us like a man, huh?!"

"You shall know your punishment in due time, intruders," said the voice in return. "For now, know penance as you remain here, caught like flies in a web."

The voice then went silent, and we were left to ourselves.

“Well, that’s just great,” Napalm growled, crossing her hooves in disdain. “We’re boxed in like rats.”

“Maybe not,” Spike hoped. “There must be some way out of here, I’m sure. I’ve gotten out of tighter messes than this before.”

Spike neared one of the doors and crouched down, trying to lift the door out of place. He tried to lift his knees, groaning with strain as he tried to get it to budge. Kenta eventually came to try and aid him, as did I, but no matter how much elbow grease we contributed, it just couldn’t be budged.

“No good,” the dragon groaned, rubbing his wrists. “Looks like we’re in for a long wait.”

The lot of us shared a collective sigh and huddled together.

“At the very least, the light of the sun still reaches us,” Roughshod smiled. “We are safe so long as Her Royal Highness’ divine light graces us.”

Nia chuckled. “I must ask, if don’t mind, why do you treat the sun as something so divine?”

Roughshod croaked out a laugh. “Now that’s a story I haven’t told in ages. That is, if you care to hear it.”

“Nothing better to do,” Kenta woofed.

“Simply put, I was a traveling bard,” he started. “I would go town to town, sharing my pieces with all who cared to hear them. It was a simple life, but it was mine. I was independent, like any jack worth his salt. The songs I sang, the poems I wrote, and the stories I told kept my coinpurse full. I never did stay in one spot, if only because complacency does nothing good for creativity.

“Because I liked to keep my costs low, I kept myself on foot most of the time, only buying provisions for travel on hoof. Perhaps then I was a masochist, or some spoony idealist who wanted to prove he could make a sustainable living as an artist.

“Of course, we all know that the life of an artist on the move is not always profitable or sustainable. That was a harsh lesson I learned when I went off the beaten path.

“On my way to entertain the folks of the recently built Appleoosa, I had grossly underestimated the supplies I’d need to make the journey. I could have taken the train, but I was the type who never was one to do things easily. By the time I was a quarter ways into the San Palomino desert, the sun had gone down. As I’m sure you’re all aware, the desert has a way of going from blindingly hot to blistering cold. I was running low on provisions, and I was sure I wasn’t going to make it through the night. I tried my best to stay warm through the cold, but my hopes were low.

“Bundled under what I could scrounge together, I prayed in my sleep that I would live to see the morrow.

“What luck then, when I awoke the next day, shivering and cold, to see none other than Her Royal Highness cradling me in her wing. I was awestruck to be right by her side, and when I asked her what she was doing there, she told me the words that would inspire me for the rest of my days:

“‘Isn’t it rather silly to walk such a wide road alone?’”

“That was the word she used. Not ‘stupid’ or ‘spoony’ or ‘suicidal’, but silly.

“‘Nopony is an island, all to themselves,’ she kept on. ‘Even when you think you are alone, when you look upon the sky, the sun is always watching. I am she who moves that sun, for it is an extension of me. If you should ever be lost again, look to the sun, as it rises east and sinks west, and you will come to find your way again.’

“With those words, she rose and brought me to Appleloosa personally. From that day onward, I had a muse to keep me going for the rest of my years.

“While I told the others the rest of my story long ago, it is worth recalling for posterity. With my newfound purpose, eventually I put down roots in a small town that seemed relatively out of the way, from which I spoke the gospel of our princess. I did not see her as a deity; rather, I championed her ideals, teaching people about the importance of the sun and what it could do for others. I saw myself as a bringer of light to darkened hearts, and the ponies loved me for it.

“Of course, as is the case with any faith, there was discord. However, where most disputes of philosophy are rather peaceful, in the times before her return, those who had faith in Luna were...adamant, to speak politely of them.

“It was a quiet night; the moon was full, the stars were bright and beautiful, and I was certain that there would be peace. Then, like hunters, moon-crazed lunatics attacked my home. They wanted none of my preaching, and ravaged my cozy house like savages. Barely anything was left of that place when they were done.”

Roughshod pulled out the piece of quartz he showed to me previously.

“This was one of the few things I managed to take with me,” he said in a somber tone. “From the day I lost my home, I made it a mission of mine to find the men who did this injustice and exact just punishment upon them. But, in this older age of mine, that goal may as well be meaningless.”

Roughshod then smiled, his frog-like mouth curling up. “But, so long as I can bring the song and light that inspires others, I can live what remains of my life happily.”

The lot of us were awestruck. While I had heard a snippet of Roughshod’s time before meeting us, none of us had heard his story in full. Spike had a tear in his eye, and Kenta seemed to just curl up. Even Napalm, as hot-blooded as she seemed, took a moment of silence.

“And what of you, Nia?” Roughshod asked the zebra. “I am not unfamiliar to Zebra theology, but I’d like to hear a little about your faith.”

“My faith is a simpler story to tell,” Nia chortled. “Lance in particular knows it most well.”

I felt a blush come upon me and placed a hand behind my head.

“To put it simply, my culture is more of an animist one,” she explained. “To us, everything has a spirit, and we invoke that spirit through masks and rituals. Of course, switching masks in the middle of a combat is not always practical. When I underwent training under Dejen, he taught me that there were other ways to evoke spirits and gods beyond ritual and rite. Through evoking aspects of them through my stances and techniques, I found in myself a greater harmony that allowed me to harness their power seamlessly.

“It is that same teaching I have been passing onto Lance, for it may be more intuitive and personal than tomes and tutors.”

I smiled, crossing my legs. “I’ve been enjoying it, I know that much.”

A silence came upon us then. Kenta tried pawing at the walls and floor for a switch, but to no avail. We had told our stories, becoming more familiar with each other, and now with nothing else to tell, the room simply grew quiet.

I looked inside my pack, retrieving the regalia Luna had given me.

“It’s funny,” I remarked. “I don’t think I’ve put these on since I was given them. I guess, since we’re headed into unknown territory, I should probably start getting used to wearing them.”

Resolute, I placed my diadem upon my head, strapping my gloves on.

Napalm chuckled. “Lookin’ real princely, there.”

“Just remember, kid,” Spike reminded me. “It’s not just wearing the crown that matters; it’s what you do beneath it.”

“I feel that may be important later.” I nodded.

The doors opened again, and our eyes were drawn to a pony whose appearance was equally familiar and alien to us all.

The pony was a unicorn mare of pink coat, purple eyes and white mane. She reminded Spike and I of Twilight, but the cutie mark was a cluster of six stars. She carried a gravitas of someone who had been in this place for longer than most of us could count, and it reflected in the way her eyes had sunken and her posture had firmed. With each step, the atmosphere got ever colder and more somber.

“You have some nerve to traipse around such sacrosanct ground,” the pink mare said, staring me in the eye. “To think that your kin were so loyal to us in days of old, and now one of you is so callous to try and claim what little you didn’t take with you when you left us to fend for ourselves.”

I held my arms up in surrender.

“Miss, I have no idea what you’re referring to!” I shouted in defense. “My party only recently entered this temple, and we were led to believe it was abandoned!”

“And that gives you the right to loot it like common thieves?!” she shouted back. “I’ve half a mind to reduce you to a burn mark across the floor! What is your name and business here? Answer me!”

“You wanna talk burns, lady?!” Napalm barked, coming between us. “You touch him, you’re getting toasted like flatbread!”

The unicorn scoffed. “A black-lip like you, stand a chance against me? Such foolish bravado.”

The lot of us gave the unicorn a cross look. Well, not exactly cross—it was actually more confused anger. Given the context, we assumed it was meant to be a slight about a non-unicorn casting magic.

Whatever the case, Napalm wasn’t going to have it, and let slip a thunderous roar as she lobbed a bolt of flame at the unnamed unicorn. However, with professional ease, the unicorn raised a forward barrier, the bolt whisking off like a deflected bullet.

The mare smiled as she walked towards Napalm.

“Appreciable power but pitiful performance,” she yawned. “Such is the folly of one who tries to grasp an art never meant for them.”

Napalm’s infuriation was practically steaming as this Twilight look-alike approached me.

“And now, we come to you,” she sneered, looking me dead in the eyes. “What delusions have they imparted upon you, child, that makes you think yourself a king?”

“Awfully coy of you to assume such a thing,” Roughshod muttered.

“Don’t test me, ass!” the unicorn snapped before returning her attention to me. “Your name and business, now.”

I kept my hands up, clearing my throat.

“I go by Lance, miss,” I answered. “My group and I came here to research what may be my culture, and to investigate rumors about an airship of some sort.”

The mare who was decidedly not Twilight grimaced. “So you are here to steal not only material goods, but appropriate a long-past culture?”

“Miss, we didn’t come here as thieves,” Nia interjected. “If you would give us your name, we would be happy to negotiate.”

Not-Twilight gave Nia a cross leer. “I do not negotiate with traitors and trespassers.”

“If this has something to do with something people of my kin have done to you in the past, I am sorry,” I said, “I can’t, however, apologise for sins when I myself have no context of when or why they were committed..”

“Of course you can’t,” Not-Twilight snapped. “But ignorance of your transgressions is not absolution.”

The unicorn looked very threatening as its sharp, gleaming horn pointed at me. Spike’s eyes went wide, and before I registered it, he dove to shield me from a blast of eldritch force. I attempted to replicate the tomb-keeper’s feat, remembering the episode with Nia, but the blast was too powerful to dissipate, and it sent the both of us on our butts from the sheer power of it.

“Oh how cute,” she cooed. “The lean, mean dragon dove to save his dear friend. How valorous. However, that makes you an accomplice, as it does for the rest of you. I will exact just punishment on you all.”

“I think that is quite enough justice dealt, Twilight Twinkle.”

All eyes turned to the doorway, revealing that Megan had somehow found her way in. The lot of us gaped at the sight of her return, the weight of her power becoming more apparent. Flanking her, to further surprise us, was the machine pony we had previously activated. Her outfit hadn’t changed much from the previous encounter with her, but she had traded her corseque for a gnarled wooden staff topped with a violet crystal.

“You are endangering one of my own, Twilight,” she warned, the staff glimmering with arcane light. “He comes here seeking only knowledge and a means to reach that knowledge.”

“Really now, dear Traitor Queen?” Twilight asked. “And what authority do you have to stop me? What proof do you have that renders this child innocent? What makes him one of yours?”

After a few whirs and beeps from the mechanical mare, she stepped forward.

“These two share a similar genetic code,” explained the golem, walking towards me. “However, compared to the other genetic samples I have stored in my collection, this one is fairly recent.”

Megan crossed her arms. “In layman’s terms, assuming the age of this unit, he could not have been around during the events for which you hold him responsible.” She walked behind me, her left arm wrapping around my shoulders. “He came here seeking culture and a means to reach further culture. Had he been informed you were still among the living, he likely would have asked.”

Twilight’s mouth scrunched. “But..” After a few half-formed syllables, she stamped her hoof in consternation, now having been made aware of her own failings. “If that is true, then I apologize. However, if you are serious in your intent, I would like to offer an accord with you.”

Spike held out his hands in disbelief. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. After nearly trying to kill us, now you’re apologizing and wanting to make a deal?”

Twilight pointed a hoof to me. “If it means allowing this one a chance to understand his lineage and the things it has done, then yes.” She motioned with her head to guide us along the halls this time, paying little mind to the inscriptions as she lead us through the winding passageways. “In exchange for your word of honor and the promise to fulfill my favor, you will be given my full pardon, and the use of the airship you were asked to find by your employer.”

A few minutes walking gave way to what amounted to a frankly massive hangar. Fiddling with some indentations on the walls, Twilight brought light into the room, flicking a switch upon the wall and blinding us with a huge white flash before awing us with the sheer magnitude of the ship inside.

Looking at it, it was a purple galleon, accented with blues and violets on the trims to the bow and stern. Along the sides and the mast at the stern were yellow-green sails that looked somewhat like wings from a dragon. Its two most striking features, however, were the strange ring shape surrounding the base and a figurehead of some winged biped clad in a robe that covered all but her hands, feet, and face.

Twilight beamed with the pride of a true aeronaut.

“Fillies, gentlecolts, and others,” she declared, letting her inner showgirl out in her voice. “I present to you the Mysterious Melissa. Or as some prefer to call it, the ‘Missy Lissy’.”

We had to take a few moments to let the full majesty of this ship sink in. While the rest of us picked up our jaws, Nia smiled.

“It is a beautiful ship indeed,” she sighed. “And what is this favor we should heed?”

Twilight Twinkle smiled. “It is simple, I promise.” She approached me, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “I’m certain it goes without mention, but this is not the only temple of this sort out there,” she said in a matter-of-factly manner. “There are at least three others. Each of them has one of my compatriots.” She approached the yet-unnamed machine mare. “They also likely house a terminal which this one can access. I don’t know what remains in them, but the folk of my time had suggested they may lead to wherever your kin fled to.”

I swear that my heart lurched into my throat at the notion of my kin potentially having a more lasting presence.

“What I want you to do,” she concluded with professional poise, “Is to visit these temples in as systematic a manner as possible, visit my compatriots, and collect the rest of the data from the terminals. What you do from there is your business, but I should hope you share your findings with the world.”

Megan cracked a small smile. “I’m sure he would be happy to lend his aid,” she said, patting my back. “It’s been a long time since our kin has seen the shores of Equestrian folk. Perhaps we’ll soon see a day of peace.”

“We may see it soon indeed,” Twilight agreed. “But it should not come without remembrance of the past. You should know of the times that came before you, so that you do not repeat them in the future.”

I nodded. “I’ll try my best, Miss Twinkle,” I said, shaking her hoof. “I plan to head for the Griffon Kingdoms first; I have diplomatic business there, and if one of these alleged temples is there, I would be happy to investigate for you. Do you have a general idea of where I should look?”

Ms. Twinkle—as I shall henceforth refer to her, for the sake of differentiating her from the one we are familiar with—shook her head.

“I couldn’t tell you for certain,” she lamented. “All I know in relation to that region is that the closest temple the Shepherds built in that region was nestled into the Highlands; you would have to find it yourself.” Her expression perked up slightly with cautious optimism. “But, the temples were all built in accordance to a standard design, so you should be able to spot it without much trouble.”

“And what about little miss tick-tock here?” Napalm asked, pointing to the robot pony. “If we’re gonna be taking her along, we’re gonna need her name.

“My designated name is Juno,” the machine replied, her tone cold and disjointed. “I was given that name to reflect my purpose as a companion and protector.”

Then, as an attempt to display trust, Juno wrapped herself around me in an embrace, apparently unknowing of just how tightly she was gripping onto me.

“I promise to keep you safe for as long as I am operational,” she continued, grasping me ever tighter. “From this point, I defer to your judgement as my master.”

I tried to choke out a cry for help, but the most I could do was flail my limbs and bang on her chassis in attempt to convey the message to her. Thankfully, whomever constructed her made her intelligent enough to register this signal, and she quickly released me.

“Apologies, Master,” she said, looking down, the spot on her forehead glowing a soft green. “I will reassess my parameters for future displays of affection. Do you require medical attention?”

I shot up as quickly as I could, crossing my arms in disapproval. “I’m fine, I swear!”

Juno’s eyes lit up, and her horn sprung out again, this time bathing me in a ray of light before whirring to herself a few times. “Chance of lie, fifteen percent. Conclusion, Master is stable.”

“I’ll be sure to introduce you to the others when we’re topside.” I groaned as I got up, holding my back at the hip. “I thank you for your boons, Miss Twinkle. I’ll see to it that they remain in serviceable condition when I return them.”

Miss Twinkle waved her hoof dismissively. “Keep them; I’ve no use for either of them these days. The gesture is appreciated, however.”

“And yourself?” I asked with concern. “Surely you could come along with us and see the world? Goodness knows how long you’ve been down here.”

Miss Twinkle kept her dismissive gesture. “I’m afraid I cannot follow you. I have been in this place for too long to leave it. Perhaps another day.”

Megan looked upon the ship for a moment, laying her hand on the cheek of the figurehead before returning to us.

“Well, now that all that is sorted,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, “You lot should really be going.”

I reached out my arm. “But I have so many questions, now!”

“And those questions will be answered in due time,” she promised, her tone calm and restrained. “Right now, you have business elsewhere. When you are not busy, I’ll be happy to explain.”

My lips drooped in a frown. While I knew full well she was right to remind me of my duties, being denied answers to the things that kept me up many a sleepless night certainly discounted my morale. Unfortunately, I could do nothing about it; needs of the many and all that.

“I promise, I’ll tell you what I know soon,” Megan placed a hand on my shoulder, retaining that almost motherly mannerism as her staff cast a brighter pink light. “For now, I’ll do you this kindness.”

Before I could ask what she meant, the world around us blinked out of view, and with a shower of pink sparkles, we were outside the temple, ship and all now lying in the grass. Everyone—with exception to Megan and Juno—was thrown off-kilter by the sudden displacement, stumbling as we attempted to regain our bearings. As I looked to Megan, she appeared practically unfazed. From what I learned in my academy training, mass teleportation was an often exhaustive power thought only possible by unicorns of Starswirl the Bearded’s caliber.

And yet, this maiden, whom I knew only in myth and name, managed such a feat as if it were second-nature. She didn’t even seem winded by it! From where did she have this wellspring of power, I wondered to myself.

Perhaps taking advantage of my pondering, Megan was already near the edge of the woods when I returned my attention to her.

“Just a moment, please!” I reached out to try and grab her shoulder. “When can I expect to see you?”

“You’ll see me when the time is right,” she waved a hand in farewell, her eyes focused on the road. “Neither too early nor too late; When next we meet, we’ll set a few things straight.”

And then, as mysteriously as she appeared, she vanished into the space between the trees, like the passing of a storm. We all spent a few moments trying to find her, with nary a trace of her to be found.

“It appears the female has dispersed,” Juno reported. “Thaumaturgical residue remains, but the reading is too faint to trail. Conclusion: Subject has fled the area.”

Spike held his face in his palm. “Thanks for the analysis, Neighmax.” He then turned to me. “So what do we do now?”

“Only one thing left to do, Spike.” I smiled, reaching into my pack for the transceiver. I checked to make sure it was still in tune before activating it again. “Situation Report—Investigation successful. Ancient technology has been confirmed. We have a queerly-designed airship and what appears to be a pony gynoid in our custody. Additionally, we can confirm the temple has at least one living occupant, whom appears to be...temporally displaced, to put it politely.”

“Oh ho ho, that’s wonderful news!” The shrill, hearty laughter from the engineer was loud enough to drown the speaker out. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes to inspect the findings.”

“We’ll be looking forward to it.” I smiled, glad to see some fruitful progress. However, in the interest of getting at least one pressing question answered, a thought struck. “Before you get your things sorted, could I ask your name?”

“Certainly, my boy!” Slightly more subdued laughter filtered through the speaker. “You can call me Kintobor.”

A warmness filled in my heart as I held the transceiver closer to my face. “Charmed.”

I had a distinct feeling things were starting to look up for us. Seeing the sky clear and blue, the sun shining kindly above us, with another helpful asset in our ranks, certainly helped in that department.

I suppose it would be a forgone conclusion to say that the sky's the limit.

Chapter 17: I Now Pronounce You Lance and Strife!

While the royal engineer now known as Kintober had already established himself as an eccentric stallion, I have reason to suspect that eccentricity was his way of hiding his superior intellect. This fact was made ever more clear by the vehicle which he used to reach us. While most sensible stallions would arrive by carriage, balloon, or even their own four hooves, Kintober arrived in a steel grey pod of egg-like shape. Around the rim there was the classic black-and-yellow safety line, while along the front was a large, conical light like one would find on a mining cart, with a decorative black stripe along the center. Propelling it was a large arcane motor with a rotor spinning at the bottom. It seemed like a hot-air balloon, minus the balloon.

To be honest, I half-expected Kintober to drop iron weights from it.

Slowly the pod descended into the grass, the propeller tucking itself inward as the unicorn clambered out. Though I could not see how wide his eyes swelled through his azure spectacles, his smile certainly illustrated it just as well.

“Color me pleasantly surprised!” he gasped. “I knew there was something marvelous in that temple, but my expectations were not so high!” The engineer approached Juno with a curious eye, almost completely ignoring the airship. “The ship is wonderful on it’s own, but is this an autonomous robotic service equine you’ve found?”

The men among us had a giggle at the inadvertent acronym. Juno was not so pleased as the engineer approached her, her eyes flashing a scathing red as two large wings shot out from her back.

“Unauthorized approach detected,” Juno droned, entering a fighting stance. “Engaging deterrence protocol.”

Kintober covered his head in surprise as I stood between the two. “Stay your hooves. He’s not going to hurt you. He’s simply an engineer who wishes to examine you.”

The red glare of Juno’s eyes began to fade as she examined the both of us closely. As she neared us, I had noticed another distinctly artificial part in her design. Looking at her eyes, it was less designed like a proper eyeball and more like the lenses of a camera painted in such a way as to look like one from a distance. Whomever built this golem must have been aware of that valley between the hills of what is artificial and what is genuine and made a concerted attempt to stay decently away from it.

Once she seemed sure I was telling the truth, she nodded. “Permission granted. Examine as you wish.”

I heaved a sigh of relief as I sidled out from between them, watching as the good engineer used a number of spectacles and lenses to see as much as he could of Juno from as many angles as he could reach. The ways in which he looked so longingly at her frame made me think he had some fetishistic enjoyment of machinery.

A shudder echoed in my mind as I considered that thought.

“Fascinating,” sighed the engineer as he looked between her seams. “Whomever built you must have been a machinist of a caliber equal to or greater than my own.” He gave her chassis a quick few knocks, solid thuds ringing out. “And they must have built you very well internally, to boot! I daresay it almost puts my work to shame.”

Juno’s head turned, the lights in her eyes blinking curiously. “You have encountered units like myself before?”

“Encountered them?” Kintober chortled. “I’ve built them, my dear! I remember days when I had to get by through building little helper drones in a cave! With a box of scraps, even!”

Juno squinted her eyes. “I have doubts that statement is accurate.”

Kintober shrugged his hoof in dismissal.“Nonsense! It’s the mark of a truly excellent machinist to be able to work with meager materials and make something great of them.”

Spike casually threw his arms up. “Whatever you say, gearhead.”

After Kintober had gotten his fill of ogling Juno, he retracted his tools and dusted the automaton off. “I must say, you are quite the intricate little piece of work! I’ve never seen such a finely-crafted, intelligent mare like you. I would die to find the schematics that went into making you!”

Juno turned away, presumably having been humbled by the compliment. “I believe the schematics are hidden somewhere in my database. However, long-term deactivation has caused many of my non-essential files to become fragmented. Therefore, I must dedicate time to defragment and recompile them.” She kicked up some dirt out of instinct. “My apologies.”

“They marked your system schematics as ‘non-essential’?” Kintober furrowed his brow. “Either somepony was smart enough to make it harder to copy you, or so stupid that they left vitally important data that could be useful for maintenance in a place where it could get mangled.”

“We can discuss the intentions of this later,” Roughshod grumbled. “For now, why don’t we do something a bit more productive and take stock of this ship we now have at our disposal?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Kintober took a moment to laugh to himself. “I was so caught up in examining Miss Juno that I nearly forgot about your other little discovery. Shall we go and have a peek?”

At his invitation, we followed Kintober onboard the ship. As we’d noticed before, the ship’s main form of propulsion was some form of ring-shaped thruster that circled around the center of the ship. If we had to guess, it was meant to be a means of giving the mainsail enough wind to carry the ship in less stable seas, if we were keen to sail them. We didn’t have a clue as to how we’d launch this ship, however, so Kintober’s inspection would be of great help to us.

Naturally, our first stop was the ship’s control center at the aft end. There, we could see the typical ship’s helm, as well as two levers to the left and right of it.

Kintober scratched his moustache. “If I were a betting man—which I’m not, but for the sake of argument, let’s pretend I am—I’d assume one of these levers controls the speed of those thrusters on the ring, while the other tilts them up and down, with the helm obviously controlling the horizontal movement.”

“So in other words, this thing can move in three dimensions while in the air?” Spike cracked a grin. “Sweet.”

“I’ll say,” Napalm chuckled. “You bet if we got high enough, we could see a good chunk of the world?

Nia let out a wistful sigh as her eyes turned skyward. “It would certainly be nice to get above the clouds and taste the crisp, cool air all the way up there.”

Kenta, on the other hand, seemed less enthusiastic to get airborne. He looked particularly pale as he crossed a paw against his throat.

As we went below deck, we’d found that the cargo hold was exceptionally spacious, as befitting a galleon. There was also a healthy supply of port and starboard cannons in the event we’d have to repel pirates. Shame we didn’t have the crew to make the best use of it, on reflection. Still, if I ever wanted to get into the business of trading once it was all said and done, this was the perfect ship for it.

Napalm let out a low whistle by the time we reached the quarters. “You think we lucked out, guys?”

I flashed Napalm a smile. “And then some.”

“She’s a fine vessel, that’s for sure,” Roughshod added. “Now all we need is some seaworthy spirits and we’ll be set to sail.”

“So you need provisions, do you?” Kintober let out a wry chuckle. “Well, since you’ve been so much of a help to my research, I’ll call in a favor and get you set up for at least three months’ sailing.”

Kenta practically slobbered at the idea of having a ready stock of food to eat. “No fooling?”

Kintober smiled as he gave a fanciful bow. “It’s the least I could do for some fine fillies and gentlecolts like yourselves.”

I bowed in gratitude, mimicking the engineer’s polite gesture. “We will not forget this, Kintober.”

“Anytime,” Kintober replied as he made his way back to his pod. “I should be back in two hours, at the quickest!”

As the pod ascended, kicking up dust as the rotor whirred to life, the lot of us—save Juno, who may not have known the significance of the gesture—waved the engineer goodbye. As he regarded us one more time, he smiled and burst out into his signature fit of throaty laughter.

As the ship dashed off into the horizon, we could hear him shout to us from above, “Pleasure doing business with you!”

When he was gone, the lot of us had our own laugh.

“Man, that guy is weird,” Napalm said, before cracking a smile. “But, he’s the good kind of weird.”

Nia nodded in agreement. “My master always told me that the most worthwhile knowledge can often come from the sources you least expect.”

Roughshod took a moment to noisily clear his throat. “I’d less call it knowledge and attribute it more to fortune; perhaps fortune is rewarding us for our good works.”

Spike flashed a dashing smile. “Guess we shouldn’t jinx it then.”

“You’re not wrong, Spike,” I replied, wrapping an arm around his back in a perfectly platonic manner. “We’re heading into territory most pony folk haven’t dared venture into; there’s no telling what we’re bound to face.”

“Well, if we’re to be prudent,” Nia said as she approached me, “Then it may be a good idea to practice what we’ve learned. I do believe you’d wanted a duel at some point.”

I gave Nia a sincere nod, my lip curling up slightly from amusement. “Nice to see you remembered.”

Nia nickered as she entered a fighting stance. “What good a master would I be if I did not uphold the obligations made by my apprentices?”

The others quickly made room for our engagement, while Juno decided to move between us.

“May I supervise this encounter?” she asked, her inflection like an innocently curious child. “This type of data could prove useful for my protection program.

The forwardness of her question took me aback for a brief moment. However, after thinking about it for a few moments, I gave her a nod. “You have my permission, Juno.”

“Acknowledged,” she chirped, her eyes blinking red for a brief moment. “Recording software prepared; begin the combat at your discretion.”

I gave a hum of approval as I turned to face Nia, entering the grappling stance I’d learned in training as I sized her up.

Nia’s brow arched up.“You’re not going to undress this time?”

“It’d be a waste of perfectly good outfit.” I gave my new suit a few hard slaps. “Besides, I wanna see just how effective this baby is at taking hits.”

“So be it, then.” Nia rolled her shoulders with a confident smirk. “I suppose that means you don’t expect me to go easy.”

I curled my fingers in beckoning. “I wouldn’t expect anything less of you, master.”

Nia’s composure slipped ever so slightly at being addressed by rank. However, she didn’t allow it time to fester as she dug her hoof into the ground, a determined puff of steam shooting from her nostrils.

“Then let us see what you have learned.”

Without missing a beat, Nia lunged towards me, the earth splintering as she charged forth, her hooves surging with power as she reared her hoof towards my chin. I was only barely able to hop away as a solid spear of stone shot out from beneath me. Noticing my opening, Nia wheeled around and cocked her leg back, a powerful kick shooting into my stomach and sending me reeling further back.

Hoping to press an advantage, she leapt to try and move us both closer to the ground. I managed to catch her in her dive with a quick grapple and direct her aside. With a quick sweep of her leg, the earth buckled beneath me, forcing me to turn away as though there were a split in the stream. As I spun away, I found a direction from which to flow back and retaliate, thrusting my arm out like a lashing snake. But, in spite all the force I’d put behind it, Nia barely budged from my strike, and shot a devious smile as she scraped her hoof against the ground.

Before I could retract my arm, I caught the brunt of a shoulder charge that drove me across the ground. For at least a few feet I clung on, digging my heels as deep as I could make them, before finally coming upon a counter. I began to squat down, changing the placement of my arms as I wrapped them across my master’s legs before, in one mighty heave, flinging her weight from me in a rolling throw. I could hear her hide scrape across the dirt as I returned to my feet.

“I see you have done well in understanding the methodology of the water style,” Nia noted as she sprung back up herself. “But tell me, what have you noticed between your style and mine?”

I relaxed my stance a bit. “It would seem yours is more rigid and unyielding. Where I would turn your offenses against you, you weather through mine and wait for the ideal moment for a counterattack.” I paused to wipe the sweat from my brow. “In other words, while we’re both acting on the defensive, I’m more active and adaptive, while you’re more passive and patient.”

Nia smiled in appreciation. “So you have noticed. The water shifts its flow when the earth obstructs it, but the earth neither moves nor yields; it simply waits for its next chance to split the stream.”

“I think I understand,” I huffed. “Then that charge just now—was that you splitting the stream?”

“In a way, yes.” Nia entered into a more relaxed posture, her legs crossed. “You overextended yourself, giving me an ample opportunity to strike your exposed flank. Though you eventually found a way to turn the situation in your favor, I believe the message of this exercise came through true enough.”

“What might that be?” I pondered aloud. “That there are some situations where you can only find the answer to a problem once you’ve been through the worst of it?”

“Something like that,” Nia chuckled. “While the water style’s ethos is in changing things to suit one’s needs, or to turn the tides in your favor, those who aim to master the earth must learn to be like the earth; when force is put upon you, you can’t allow it to push you. You can’t allow it to move you. You have to stand firm and show those who would dare to make you yield that you are not so easily swayed.”

Nia pointed to the nearest horizon. “Where we are headed, you are likely to face much more adversity than you did in pony lands. Gryphons are naturally combative. They will look upon you and regard you as strange or queer. They will try to obstruct your path, try to push you aside, and try to prey upon your insecurities.

“When this happens, don’t let them stay you, don’t let them sway you, and most importantly, don’t let them break you. Stand mighty, firm, and unbreakable before them, and when you spot a moment to strike back, show them just how mighty your will truly is.”

I joined Nia in relaxing, laying down and staring at the clouds. “I think I get the gist, Nia. I have a feeling I’ll have to learn to hold my tongue when we reach their territory; I don’t think any of us want to be the one who starts an intercontinental incident.”

Spike patted his chest with his fist. “Well, whatever happens, I’m ready to help in any way I can!”

I gave the dragon a calm thumbs-up. “Glad to hear it.”

As we all retired for the moment to stare at the clouds, we’d felt equal parts relief from having finally gotten back on track and anxiety for the road ahead.

I had a feeling that things would become markedly more interesting than they already were. We were headed across the ocean to a place entirely new to the lot of us. Who was to say what we’d find there? We had few plans in our heads aside from the task at hoof and my own personal agenda, and the more adventurous part of me liked that perfectly fine.

***

Anticipation made us exceptionally jittery as we stood atop the deck of of our newly-acquired airship. None of us, save our resident dragon companion, had ever flown before. As the ship was stocked with as much cargo as the people of Pasofino had to offer—thanks in part to its citizens helping to load it themselves—we weren’t certain if it would fly at all. But, nothing in this world can be done without a little risk, and this was a risk we had to take for our journey.

Thankfully, the good Kintober had given us more than a fair share of stock. Citrusy fruits, spiced breads and cheeses, barrels of beverages both sensible and saucy, and enough vegetables to feed an impoverished foal’s orphanage for the better part of a season. While it was lacking in the way of meat, we’d probably be able to find something Kenta could eat.

As Spike stood behind the helm, even he had a modicum of anxiety. At least, enough to jump when he heard two big thuds shudder against the ship.

“She’s all loaded up and ready to soar!” called Kintober from below. “Just holler when you’re ready for take-off, and we’ll be sure to give you a wide berth!”

I waved down to the crowd below with a smile. “Will do!”

Spike shuddered as he placed his hand on the throttle. Though he'd claimed to have had experience with aviation, he couldn't hide his inexperience with a vessel like this. It was quite the contrast to the man's man he'd made himself out to be.

Roughshod approached him with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Take her nice and easy, son, like a fine young maiden.”

Spike’s trepidation only grew from that choice of words. Regardless, he steeled himself, trying to steady his hands as I bent down from the railing to hail the onlookers.

“We’re prepared to launch! Please clear the way!”

“Can do!” Kintober called as he guided the crowd away. “Best of luck to you overseas!”

“I wish you luck in your research!”

“I’ll be sure to send you the details!”

Giving the fellows below a final farewell, I approached Spike, holding his shoulder.

“We’re clear to launch now. You shouldn’t have any trouble so long as you take it easy.”

“Easy for you to say!” Spike balked. “I’ve never flown one of these things before!”

Spike took a deep breath, this muscles tensing as he tightened his grip on the controls. With a careful push, the engines began to hum to life, and the ship began to tremble from its power. With a gulp, he then proceeded to tug on the next lever, causing the ship to slowly cut its ties with the ground beneath it. The ship shook slightly as it left the ground, and for a few precious seconds, we were worried we’d be bucked off the ship. However, once Spike had a decent feel of the controls, he managed to keep it from capsizing, and we quickly found our footing.

Now a bit more confident, Spike relaxed his breath and muscles, drumming his fingers against the levers and wheel. I could see his lips curl up as he more eagerly manned the helm.

“You see, Spike? You’re a natural pilot!”

“I’ll say,” Napalm added. “I guess the guy just has it in his blood to fly.”

Spike pointed his thumb up in approval towards me as he positioned his hands more properly.

“Alright, fillies and gentlecolts,” he grunted, virility flowing through his veins once more. “Better hang on to something, because this might be a bumpy ride.”

The professional part of me didn’t quite like the tone that Spike was taking, but a more daring side quite enjoyed the prospect as he watched Spike reach for the levers.

With a good hard pull of one lever and a mighty thrust of another, the Mysterious Melissa shot into the sky. The majority of us were thrown off our feet, save Juno, who somehow managed to ground herself enough to not be stirred or shaken by the force of the ship. Speeding winds lashed against the lot of us as we drew closer and closer to the clouds and into the blue horizon. Spike let loose a primal roar as he deigned to pierce the heavens, and as cloud after cloud popped away, he eventually slowed to a halt as we entered the stratosphere.

For several moments, none of us could speak. None of us had known our world from so high up, where the vast expanse was made truly clear to us. The sky’s true beauty hung above us now, while the clouds drifted below like an ocean whilst the true ocean lay further down. This magnificent panorama served to make clear a single, glorious point:

We had entered what felt like a whole new world, rife with possibilities.

For perhaps the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words or thoughts. I stared at the world below, awestruck and amazed, a primal stirring rattled in my heart, and my mind raced with feelings and moods that all seemed so foreign to me. While I was still young, I hadn’t felt this kind of zest for adventure since childhood. And yet, here I was now, staring at the great big openness before me, experiencing an emotion I hadn’t had so strongly in a long while.

I was excited, and rightfully so.

As I made my way to the bow, I threw my arms up in the air, relishing the wind as it brushed past me as I let out a loud, careless cheer of sheer unbridled joy.

My companions were equally excited, and Napalm approached me with an appreciative grin.

“Sounds like somepony just felt the glorious sensation of hype.”

Nearby, the sounds of Kenta hurling his guts out over the portside gave us a shudder.

“Sounds like somepony else is experiencing the awful sensation of airsickness,” Roughshod spat.

I chuckled for a moment as I held my forehead. “Nia, do you mind tending to him below deck?”

Nia smiled in reply as she helped carry Kenta below to sick bay. “Not a problem.”

I was then approached by Juno, who tapped my shoulder before giving a stately salute.

“Master,” she pleaded, her tone every bit as childlike as before,. “May I take ascend to the crow’s nest to scout ahead?”

The inflection in her voice honestly warmed my heart a little. It was just one of those voices where you honestly felt bad if you had to tell it “no”. So, I instead humored her with a bow and directed her to the crow’s nest near the mainsail.

“I understand. Please, excuse me.”

With a flap of her clockwork wings, Juno flew to her post and began looking out like a watchful dog.

Back to our own devices, the lot of us who weren’t preoccupied gathered to the bow, taking in the crisp air and breathing a collective sigh of relaxation.

“Sure is a sight, isn’t it boy?” Roughshod asked, looking fairly chipper. “Judgin’ by that look on your face, I take it you’ve never been this high up in the sky. Never seen the ocean either, I’ll bet.”

I shook my head. “Never; I rarely was so blessed to see such things, given how often I was studying or training.”

“Suppose that’s just her way, eh?” Roughshod chuckled sweetly. “She must have had good intentions for you. She had enough faith in you to leave you to your own devices. She only stepped in when there was something in serious need of her intercession. She must have had a good reason to send you off. You certainly got more friends this way, didn’t ya?”

Spike’s stories of Twilight echoed in my mind. “Sounds awfully familiar to me.”

“Don’t take it personally, Lance,” Roughshod said, patting me on the back. “You’re getting a rare opportunity right now—not everypony gets to travel like this, especially not as part of their job. Have a little pride in that. I’ve got a feeling that’ll be important for ya later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as I crossed my arms over the railing. “I’m just grateful that we’re finally on the move. Not that I mind the diversions, of course; I’m just glad to be back on the main road.”

“Nice to have your priorities, I guess,” Napalm said with a shrug. “Since we’re gonna be here awhile, want to watch to the clouds?”

I stared out to the clouds with her and gave a warm smile. “Sounds just fine to me.”

Observing the passing clouds proved a particularly powerful pastime, as before we’d known it, a couple hours had passed, and we’d been spellbound from calling out all the shapes we came across. It was like calling out birds you see flying around; a simple, but addicting little distraction.

We were so engrossed, in fact, that it took the repeated warnings of Juno from on high to snap us out of it.

“Unidentified griffon fliers inbound!” she called, her tone surprisingly natural and alert. “Five of them in total, four of them armed with repeating rifles!”

I looked in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, a cadre of griffons carrying rifles with what looked to be revolving chambers flying in our direction, the lot of them clad in a simpler form of flight attire, consisting of chain and cloth armor fastened on tight to reduce drag. Each of them was adorned in a tabard emblazoned with an imposing bird of prey that glinted in the sunlight.

“Their attire is too uniform to be a band of brigands,” Roughshod groaned. “Guardsmen, more likely. Privateers, even.”

“Whatever they are, they look to be spoiling for a fight,” I replied, hands busy readying my weapons. “All hands, prepare to repel attackers!”

As quick as they could hear me, everyone save Spike and Kenta rushed to the deck, ready to counter as quickly as they could. However, for as well as he Roughshod could carry a rallying shanty, it didn’t help that between the lot of us, we had exactly two ponies who were any good against ranged assailants, and their projectiles weren’t exactly as potent as gunpowder and bullets.

Quicker than our magi could sling their spells, a hail of calculated gunfire peppered the deck, many of the shots bouncing off the wood. Errant sparks stung our sides as they unloaded shell after shell in rapid succession. For a change, I was glad to be wearing armor, but at the same time damning my lack of arcane knowledge or archer’s prowess.

Their shots didn’t seem to be directed at us or the ship, however. Most of them hit the deck, but nothing else, and seemed mostly designed to keep us pinned in one spot. Then, to further add to the shock and awe, suddenly canisters of acrid, blinding smoke rained down from above, covering the deck in a matter of moments. Before any of us had any idea what they were trying to do, I found two vices clamping down on my shoulders and my body unceremoniously snatched off the ship. I could not see my captor, but amidst the chaos, a few voices stood out.

“Sweet, we got one!” a female voice cried.

“He’s one of those two-leg kinda guys, too! How’s that for exotic?” asked another.

“I dunno, girls; he looks a bit plain to me. Still, if he’s rolling with a ship that fancy, he can’t be that lame.”

“Guess we’ll know when we get him across the border!”

Amongst the banter, my captor groaned to herself. “Can we save the chit-chat for when we’re home free?”

I could hear her subordinates whine to themselves as they started to pick up the pace, and I became increasingly more paranoid of my situation. I tried to shake myself free, but no amount of thrashing loosened her grip.

“Hold still, will ya?!” the lead griffon shrieked. “You’re heavy enough already, and that thrashing around isn’t exactly helping.”

I tried to reach for my sword, but a sharp squeeze kept me from drawing it.

“You draw that sword, you go in the drink!”

“So you expect me to go along with this?!”

“If you don’t want a free saltwater enema and a watery grave, you’ll pipe down and keep your head up!”

As I looked back, I couldn’t see the ship behind the obfuscating smoke. My heart sank at the possibility of my life being in the talons of a gang of glorified thieves. Being robbed of all but my armor certainly didn’t help matters. Unfortunately, my captor had a point, and it was one which I sadly had no choice but to accept. How ironic it was to have felt true freedom only to have it so quickly stolen away.

Then, the riflemen gasped as something shot out from the smoke. Blasting from the top was Juno, her wings spread wide and her eyes aglow with fierce, bright, furious power.

“I will not allow you to get away!”

One of the riflemen giggled in amusement. “Oh look! He’s got a bodyguard!”

“Stick to the plan!” roared the head Griffon as she picked up speed. “Take her down and get back to me.”

The rifleman closest to her gave a quick salute. “Aye, aye, boss! Good luck getting home!”

“Thanks,” the leader replied as she quickly adjusted her grip on me so that her arms now hooked around mine, clamping down at the chest. “But I won’t need it.”

Then, before I could call out another protest, the leader quickly jolted into high gear, shooting off like mad for what I could only assume was her native territory. The velocity she sped along at was so great that it forced my eyes to shut tight from the sheer force of the wind battering at me. The sounds of battle were far from me now, and dread filled me as I wondered what would come next. I felt myself getting light-headed as one of her arms wrapped against my throat. This, combined with the generally thinner air from being so high up, spelled a quick and steady loss of consciousness as all feeling faded away.

My final lucid thought echoed in my head.

Where will I wake next…?

***

Snap, snap, snap.

These were the first new sounds I heard as I started to come to my senses. I felt sore and cold, though the latter was honestly not as much of an issue. I wasn’t sure if I was fully in my right mind, as the sound was all too far from its source the first few times I’d heard it. Still, a primal instinct forced me to wake, and when I did, I truly became familiar with the appearance of my captor.

The avian half of her body was black as pitch, save for her breast, which was a strikingly golden yellow that matched the ends of her wings. The feline part of her was more simple, a pure white backside that contrasted her front quite strongly Her eyes were of such a dark shade of brown, they more resembled drops of the darkest, richest chocolate ever crafted, and her talons were akin to ash. The most striking detail, however, were the two large enamel-blue plumes that extended from her brow like a tribal headdress. Around the two of us was a simple room of stone with a flat bed and the barest of essentials, including a small window behind me and another inside the door.

She was a sight just as terrifying as she was beautiful. Even as she smiled, I couldn’t be sure if it was out of relief for my well-being or the anticipation of what she could do next. At least she stopped snapping her talons.

“Oh, sweet,” she said, stretching out. “Looks like you’ve still got some life left in you.”

”This doesn’t bode well, boy,” urged Iando, speaking for the first time in what felt like a decent while. ”I don’t think it would be wise to try and fight her; try and talk this out.

“You mean negotiate with a kidnapper?” I muttered beneath my breath, none less irate than I was before,. “Are you mad?”

“She’s got a pointy beak, sharp claws, and looks like she could cleave a bloody swath through a horde of five hundred stallions. I think you’ll have a higher chance of survival if you talk this out.”

“You realize she could be committing an act of war right now, right? That we could end up starting a massive intercontinental incident if we make even the slightest error?”

”If she’d wanted you dead, she would have killed you while you were still aboard the ship. Just trust me for once and talk this out!”

“I trust her about as much as I trust you!”

The griffon cleared her throat. “You okay, dude? I can give you a minute, if you need it.”

“I am perfectly fine!” I shouted, eyes wide and wild as I took a moment to catch my breath. “What I would like to know is what your business is abducting me without any provocation.”

“What my business is?” The griffon almost keeled over from laughter. “What are you, some charming prince from one of those romantic fantasy novels?”

I gave the griffon the most intense glare I could. “Believe it or not, I am a prince—if only by way of adoption—and I’d appreciate if you told me what you plan to do with my friends and I.”

The griffon scoffed. “You’re bluffing. No way you’re a legit prince.”

“If you believe so, then have your women examine the ship,” I ordered, none too eager for the griffon’s gall. “You’ll doubtless find a diadem and letters of emissarial importance. I’m doing the work of an ambassador, if the ship was any indication.”

The griffon held her chin as she tapped her talons against the floor, humming to herself as she thought things through. Then, with a smirk, she flapped her wings.

“Guess I’ll just have to take your word for it then, kid,” she agreed, her tone markedly more casual. “Sit tight for a little bit, then. I’m gonna go check on my girls and make sure your friends know what’s up; wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

I crossed my arms. “I’d say it’s a bit late for that, miss.”

“Miss?” the griffon snickered. “The name’s Gloria, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay put.”

I blinked. “Gloria? As in, Kaiser Gloria?”

Gloria rolled her eyes. “Kid, I’m not a Kaiser; that’s my dad.”

“So what does that make you?”

“About one marriage away from an unwanted partnership,” Gloria replied in a flat tone as she took to the air. “Just bear with me for a little bit, okay? I’m not gonna hurt you or anything.”

“You do realize this could be considered an act of war?” I scowled at her with as much contempt as I could muster. “Unlawfully abducting a child of the royal family?”

Gloria held her beak and grumbled to herself. “Look, just keep quiet for a few minutes and I’ll clear things up when I get back.”

With that, she disappeared into hallway, sparing not another word more. I was alone again a dark, stony place with only my cerebral companion for company.

“So this is my fate, then,” I curled up, cursing my turn of luck. “To be a prisoner of a foreign power.”

”Well, at least you’re safe,” Iando assured me. ”Something about what Gloria said makes me wonder, however.

I furrowed my brow. “You mean the way she kept demanding we be still, or the fact she explicitly brought up she was apparently soon to be wed?”

”Both. If I were a betting man, I’d say she needs you for some form of plot. Nopony would be so specific in their choice of captive unless they needed them for a specific purpose.”

“Well, we won’t know until she returns,” I sighed, slumping against the wall. “In the meantime, what are we to do?”

“Well, if you’d like to entertain me further, perhaps we could continue this in your subconscious?” Ooffered the shade in my head.

I shook my head. “I think not. There are more productive things to do than mill about in slumber.”

“Spoilsport,” teased Iando. “At least your vocabulary is improving, so that’s good.”

I stood up, stretching my body and jumping about to liven up idle muscles.

“I suppose if I’m not to leave this room, then I should cultivate other skills with this spare time,” I reasoned, cracking my knuckles. “I may not have my implements, but I’ve plenty of other things to work on.”

Thus, having little else to do, I took to some training. This time, I’d decided to try work on my magical ability, hoping to get in tune with my developing abilities. After I took a moment to assure my privacy, I dressed myself down and took a few deep breaths.

“Okay,” I said as I stretched my hamstrings. “You’ve got plenty of space, and nopony will be coming for a while.” I gathered some phlegm in my mouth and spat it out onto the ground. “Let’s see what wonders we can make.”

I cleared my head, bringing my thoughts towards bubbles, spheres, and domes. Considering it was the first spell I’d ever cast, I thought it prudent to try and attempt the spell under more normal circumstances, considering it would likely in handy. Focusing my mind on the shape, my hands swirled around as if I were smoothing out a ball of clay. Then, placing my hands upon it, I spread it out into a fine sheet, focusing on wrapping it around my immediate vicinity like a blanket. “So far so good,” I mumbled to myself, trying not to break concentration as I bit my lip. “Now let’s see if I can get this right.”

With a deft flick of my wrists, the sheet expanded into a cylinder about me. A sweep of my hand expanded the base while the other closed the top. The field of energy was thin now, and focusing my mind to keeping it stable was a top priority. It was only through this focus that the dome was sustained, and as I beheld it, I was in awe once again. My only wonder then was how I could expedite the spell itself, and it was then that I had a brilliant idea.

I allowed the spell to fizzle away as I took my thoughts to something scholarly. I remembered the structure of a hoofball, and how it consisted of two shapes which were easy to remember connected together. This in mind, I focused on the shape of a pentagon as I raised my palm into the air. From there, I had a focal point, and I began to will hexagons to extend from it, occasionally linking those with pentagons for stability. Within a few seconds, I had a proper barrier erected, and I spent more than a few minutes replicating this spell at least a dozen or more times for the sake of getting the feeling and thought in perfect form.

I felt especially proud in what I’d managed to accomplish, as though I’d cracked some ancient cipher. Part of me seemed to connect more to the hidden depths within, and in so doing, gave me a greater sense of clarity.

Of course, as the saying goes, pride comes before the fall. Yet again, I was distracted to the point of ignorance. But, depending on who you ask, the result of this ignorance was either not as bad or far worse than before.

Gloria’s face flushed with blood, and she very nearly tripped over herself from the recoil of tearing her eyes away from my exposed form. As the two of us made eye-contact, the shield promptly crumbled away, and the two of us shared a collective gasp of lost innocence. Her initial shock didn’t last long, however, and she resolved to cover her face with her talon.

“I leave you alone for thirty minutes, and come back to you butt naked, playing with with your wizard!” she called out, trying her best to remain coherent. “If I’d known you were that kinky, I would have left you alone!”

“I’m so sorry!” I thought you’d be gone a little while longer!” Perhaps sharing her embarrassment, I covered myself with my hands. “See, I’m not used to magic, so I’m trying to learn it with as little encumberment as possible.”

Gloria muttered something under her breath I couldn’t make out. “Whatever floats your boat, dweeb.” She then blindly tossed a hooded mantle to me, turning around as a show of modesty. “You’re lucky I thought to get this before I came back; tell me once you’ve got it on and I’ll explain what’s going on.”

Without a thought, I quickly slipped the mantle on. “A thousand pardons, miss; that was most unbecoming of me.”

“Save the fancy claptrap for the ‘rents, Gawain,” the griffon squawked. “Here’s the skinny: Your friends are alright; minute I was outta sight, my girls let your guys in on what’s up. Your fancy little clockwork buddy took a while to come around, but once she and the others knew what I was up to, they calmed down.”

“If I might hazard a guess, would what you’re up to involve me playing the exotic young suitor from across the pond?”

Gloria was gobstopped . “What gave it away?”

“Well, it’s quite simple, really,” I reasoned, trying my best to not reveal my body through my gestures. “You were especially concerned for my well-being, even though for all intents and purposes, you could have left me in a far worse state. You also explicitly brought up the fact you were going to be getting married.” I gave Gloria a quick shrug. “It honestly wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

Gloria seemed to be at an impressive loss. “I..well, you see...It’s like—” She let out a moan of defeat. “Alright, you got me. I was gonna try to ease into this—you know, to get you warmed up to it—but I guess that’s out of the question.”

“Well, what I’d personally love to know is, why me?”

“You want an honest answer?” Gloria gave me an affectionate prod in the chest. “It’s because you’re a wildcard. A rogue element, if you catch my drift. Someone nobody would see coming.”

“I see.” I moved Gloria’s talon back down to the floor. “So, what does this have to do with me? How am I to play into all of this?”

Glora’s beak curled in a smile. “Getting to brass tacks real quick; I like that.” She took a moment to clear her throat. “The short version is, my folks were starting to get Griffonstone back into shape and reconnect with our guys in the east. But, the guys east of us wanted a show of our good faith and wanted to seal the deal with one of those fancy political marriages. Of course, since I’m next in line, I was offered up as the bride.”

I crossed my arms. “I suspect that the problem lies in the groom?”

Gloria chuckled. “You catch on quick. The guy’s named Gottfried. Smaller than the average griffon, but has an ego at least three times bigger than him. He’s all snow-white, and he has a thing for making himself bigger if he thinks you’re a threat.”

I cocked my head back for a laugh. “It sounds like he has a lot to compensate for.”

Gloria rolled her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I think the guys behind him wanted him to get married so he’d stop bothering them.”

“So what is it you want me to do, then?”

“You pretty much know the gist of it already,” replied the griffon. “I need you to pose as a challenger to Gottfried. The way these things work is, as long as there's somebody of high enough status to challenge the groom, he has a shot at the bride. If he wins, he gets to decide what to do with the bride."

"Even if he's, by many accounts, a foreigner?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure Griffons have next to no clue about you," Gloria reasoned, scratching her head. "That said, this makes the first impression really important, so keep up that prim-and-proper thing.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, milady,” I said with a bow. “Though I don’t believe I introduced myself properly. I am Lance Alexis Petal of Equestria, son-in-love to Princess Celestia.”

“Like I said, save the theatrics for the ‘rents.” Gloria scoffed. “Guess I’ll have to add “teach how to talk normally” to the list of things I have to do to get you ready.”

I frowned slightly at Gloria’s comment, but shook it off and nodded along. “I’ll certainly try my best.”

“Good, then let’s not waste any more time.” The black griffon quickly gathered my belongings and draped them across her back before pressing her wing against mine. “You’ll get to see your friends in a little bit; first, I’ve got to make sure you look presentable.”

“Well, you’re not wearing much, yourself,” I remarked, a catty grin on my face as I gathered my belongings.. “Surely it would be a show of good faith if I went unadorned as well?”

Gloria grimaced. “Very funny. I wouldn’t stop you, but I think the higher-ups would prefer a man who’s not hanging out with his privates out.”

With our awkward encounter at a close, I was prepared to behold Griffonstone in all its glory and to see familiar faces once again.

***

Griffonstone, at first glance, gave the impression of a place whose past wounds were barely visible. It was lived-in, but lively, with stalls erected all across the street. The scent of hot scones and succulent sweets had me smacking my lips with delight. I was feeling naked, not having my coin purse on my person. I tried to remain dignified and refrain from drooling, but hunger superseded manners, it seemed.

Gloria slapped her forehead. “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t eaten much, have you?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, Your Highness. I assure you, I’m perfectly well—”

My stomach decided to rumble like a mad beast then, interrupting me thusly. Gloria gave a guffaw and slapped me on the back with a cat-ate-the-canary grin.

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” she said as she guided me into a nearby tailor’s establishment. “I’ll go get you something and round up the gang while I have my girl here hook you up with something better than that lame bodysuit.”

I felt especially flattered. “I appreciate your generosity, Glora. You have my thanks.”

“I just figured I’d make up for all the trouble I’m putting you through.” Gloria shrugged one of her arms. “No big deal.”

“I only hope that neither of us ends up in any major trouble from this.”

“Relax; so long as everyone back home knows you’re okay, we should be fine,” Gloria approached the counter, reaching for her own coinpurse. “Yo, Gabby! You in today?”

“Is that who I think it is?” cawed a distant voice. “Yeah, gimmie a sec!”

A reddish-brown griffon greeted us now, dressed in a wool cardigan of checkered pattern. The tufts of plumage at her brow were tinged a rosy red, and her eyes were gold like rolling fields of wheat. Her eyes glimmered like copper when she met eyes with Gloria.

“Aw, sweet!” she exclaimed, leaping to embrace Gloria. “I knew that was you. What’s your pleasure today, girl?”

Glora placed a talon on my shoulder. “Got a fresh catch that needs dressing. It’s on me.”

Gabby cocked her head. “Why’s he in a cloak?”

“Let’s just say he’s a little…” With one swift tug, Gloria my mantle off my body, sleeves and all. “Underdressed.”

“Kinky,” Gabby giggled. “So you say you’re payin’ for this?”

Gloria rubbed her neck nervously. “Sorry to say, I don’t think the kid had his coin purse with him when I got him.”

“It’s all good,” Gabby shrugged a talon in dismissal, her eye never far away from me. “For a case this special, it wouldn’t be fair to charge. Especially not for royalty.”

“Thanks, Gabby,” Gloria bowed her head. “Goodness knows the kind of nonsense I’m gonna be dealing with today.”

“Don’t sweat it; just do what you got to do and let me work my magic. If everything goes alright, I should be done in an hour.”

“Thanks a ton, Gabby; I won’t forget this.” Gloria smiled graciously as she neared the door. “Take good care of him for me. I’m gonna go see about getting him something to eat; his stomach was growling like an angry dog when he came around.”

Gabby laughed heartily and nearly raked my naked back in joy. “You got it, Gloria! See you in a bit!”

With this, Gloria excused herself, and Gabby lead us further inside to a room filled to bursting with mirrors and assorted cloths and fibers. Closets and cubbies lined the walls, and in the center was a raised platform, much like the one I’d taken stage on at the Carousel Boutique. It had a familiar feeling to it, one that called forth memories of home. The moment the tape was brought to my skin, soothing nostalgia washed over me.

“So what’s your story, kid?” Gabby asked as she wrapped the tape at my waist.

“You’re sure you want to know? I’m not sure you’d believe it.”

“Kid, I’m lookin’ at you with my own two eyes; pretty sure any story that comes out of your mouth is just as real.”

I gave a sigh and stretched out. “You may want to get a chair then, this could take a while.”

“We’ve got a whole hour, sweetie.” Gabby gave a quick bow. “Let’s hear it.”

Thus, I recounted to the griffon the story as we know it thus. While I did abridge certain parts of it for time, she nodded attentively at every passage, practically immersed in the narrative. Then again, perhaps she was merely using my story to help herself work through the monotony. By the time I’d caught her up to speed, she was already drafting a design for an outfit, smallclothes and all.

Gabby giggled to me, “Well, it’s certainly one of the more interesting stories I’ve heard from a patron. Sounds to me like momma set you up for a long haul.”

“So it seems,” I sighed. “But, such is her way, apparently; given how others speak of her, she’s very hooves-off about the development of her successors.”

“Well, lemmie ask you this, then,” Gabby chirped. “Are you glad she put you up to this? Are you enjoying what you’re doing for her?”

I held one of my sleeves. “In a way, I suppose I am. I mean, I’m getting a chance to see the world with her blessing, and as it stands, I have at least an inkling of what I am.”

Gabby wagged a talon at me with a wink. “And that’s what makes adventure and travel worth it, kid; you learn things about the world and where you fit in it. Walking the earth does things to people. It changes them in a way that by the time they get back, they might not even be recognized again. A boy might start his life tilling fields, then the next thing you know, he’s taking whole armies on by himself, dressed to the nines in armor while wearing a sauce pot on his head.”

I blinked, the brief aside registering as something non-sequitur to my ears.

“Point is, the experience that seeing the world gives you ain’t like anything you’ll see in a library,” she surmised. “Book smarts’ll get you pretty far, but sometimes, you need a whole other kinda savvy to win the day.”

“That’s...awfully profound, coming from a total stranger.”

Gabby shrugged. “You wanna play the game of thrones, it helps to know how it’s played and who you’re up against.”

“I see,” I hummed, stretching out. “That said, while you’re designing, do you know anything about this Gottfried guy?”

“Only as much as Gloria knows of him,” she replied, shaking her head. “You got my vote, either way; better a monkey like you than a bird-brain like him.”

Again with that choice of wording. I sighed, resigning to maintain composure. I felt I’d need plenty of it later.

Within a few more minutes, a knock came, and Gloria returned with a large cloth sack, filled with

a steaming something that was cause for salivation.

“I’m back, ladies!” she called, inviting herself inside. “Heads up, Lance!”

The moment she finished her sentence, she tossed the bag underhand to me, which struck me like having a decently large dog come leaping into my arms. It felt particularly warm, presumably because it was full of freshly-picked goods. As I opened it, a slap of hot air made my stomach gurgle with anticipation.

“I didn’t know what you ate,” she said, strutting over to us, “So I got you a little bit of everything. Think of it as a sampler of what we’ve got on offer.”

Thinking quickly, Gabby produced a plate upon which I emptied the contents of the bag. Inside was a plethora of sweet and savory snacks. Lean strips of meat and fish, scrumptious scones and sweetmeats, and golden potato wedges queued up to me, and the smell of them made it hard for me to contain myself. With their permission, I tried each of them, savoring every succulent bite that I took with great gusto. Part of me did feel a twinge of guilt from eating the lean meat of what was no doubt an innocent creature, but the primal part of my brain reminded me that I was able to eat this.

I wasn’t quite certain whether the two griffons were appalled or amazed at how quickly I finished my meal. Maybe it was both? I remembered their beaks were wide enough to let a fly inside, which made me shrink slightly.

“Have I offended you?”

Gloria’s beak quivered. “Dude. That was…awesome!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy eat that much as quick as that!” added Gabby. “You weren’t hungry, were you?”

I wiped my mouth and smiled. “Is it not considered polite to finish any food given to you?”

The griffons shared a nice laugh amongst themselves as I put on my suit again.

“Well, seeing as everything’s in order here,” I reasoned, dusting myself off. “Might I trouble you to see my friends again?”

“Sure thing,” Gloria gasped, trying to contain her laughter. “It’ll probably take Gabby a little while to make your piece, anyway. Gives you guys time to see the sights.”

“Wonderful!” I cheered, clapping my hands together. “I do hope things improve between us; as nice as you two have turned out to be, I can only wish we’d met in less troublesome circumstances.”

Gabby offered her talon to shake. “Well, I’ll be sure to make this piece extra special, then.”

I accepted her shake kindly and gave her a fond farewell as Gloria lead me out of the store.

Gloria had offered to bring me to my friends with a quick flight, but I decided against it for the sake of keeping a low profile. Then again, I doubt a man of my stature was any less conspicuous on the ground than in the air. The only true difference it made was that I’d be getting to my destination later than I’d wanted. Thankfully, where the port to which we were headed wasn’t very far to begin with, so we’d made it in decent time overall.

My friends were all gathered round the ship, which was being kept safe by Gloria’s gunmen, whom all regarded me in a surprisingly casual manner. Every shared glance was met with a casual salute at the brow, letting me by as if I were a close friend. Then, when my proper friends took notice of me, their elation was understandably large. They all rushed down to meet me, their eyes looking every which way they could to assure I was unmarred before sighing in relief. Juno was noticeably leery of the folk for whom we were playing guest, though not without good reason.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” Spike said, clutching me like a concerned older brother. “They didn’t hurt you too badly, did they?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. If anything, after the initial shock, they’ve been quite cordial towards me.”

“I would prefer if it remained that way from here on out,” Juno growled. “We did not appreciate the unwelcome battery.”

Gloria, in her attempt to save face, bowed her head before the robot.

“Please understand that I do not ask complete absolution for this,” she implored, her beak all but level with the ground. “I only ask that my actions from this point make up for our initial misgivings.”

“So long as you keep your word regarding what you told us earlier, we should have no problem,” Roughshod rumbled.

“Right…” Gloria looked off to the side. “Well, now that we’re all squared away, may I show you where you’ll be staying?”

“Good idea,” Napalm said with a yawn, “I can sleep away all this horse hockey and hit the town in the morning.”

Nia gave her joints a popping and nodded in agreement. “After the day we’ve had, I’d say a good rest is exactly what we need.”

Once the lot of us were in agreement and had our things gathered, Gloria led us on her way, her girl gang following her dutifully as we followed her lead. While my expectations weren’t sky-high, I didn’t believe Gloria had it in mind for us to stay at a local inn. This suspicion was quickly confirmed when we neared an especially palatial piece of real estate perched in a particularly powerful-looking tree. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it was made out of it, but it was certainly made of sterner stuff than any tree I’d known—and this is counting Twilight’s old library!

“Seeing as you guys are political guests, you’re going to spend the night here at the King’s Roost,” the presumed princess explained. “We have a special suite for diplomats.”

“Sweet,” Napalm quietly cheered. “Maybe the beds will be better this time.”

“What was wrong last time?” Spike asked.

Napalm leered. “Maybe the fact there weren’t any beds at all.”

Spike scratched the spines on his head, his scales seething red. “Oh. Right. That.”

After showing us the way inside, Gloria and her gang guided us to the aforementioned suite, and the moment we’d laid eyes on it, we swore we’d all simultaneously died and gone to the promised land of milk and honey. The den was spacious, with tables, sofas, and chairs strewn all about, all hemmed from cozy satin and silk. The kitchen was small, but had most everything needed for whipping up a decent meal. The windows were large enough to bathe the whole room in light, even in the afternoon. In other words, it was the most opulent suite I think any one of us had seen, and it seemed too beautiful for a room of such specific purpose.

“She’s all yours for the night, guys,” Gloria said, inviting us inside. “If you need anything, just give us a shout.”

“We’ll be sure to let you know,” I said with a smile as they left us be.

As we shut the doors, we knew we were safe and sound once more.

Chapter 18: Golden Hearts and Iron Stomachs

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. Camp NaNo and computer troubles got in the way hard this month.

Chapter 18: Golden Hearts and Iron Stomachs

Chapter 18: Golden Hearts, Iron Stomachs

Even in the most comfortable of beds, I was not immune to the molestation of my subconscious. While my body rested peaceably, my mind was ever restless, buzzing with activity, half of which was not my own. Iando's presence in my mind was growing, and it showed quite visibly when I ventured into the realm of dreams once more.

While the tower of the Midnight Lounge was still standing sentinel in the distance, the fields of silver wheat had been replaced by a hollowed, bone-white orchard of weeping willows, the leaves an obsidian black. Motes of potentially fae light and beauteous butterflies drifted lazily past as I watched. The trickling of a babbling brook hung in the air as I ventured inside, eyes looking back and forth as I walked.

For a being of such fell origin, Iando certainly had a fond appreciation for nature. He could very well have made this realm as foreboding and dark as he was, but he’d instead made this tranquil forest, gleaming with brilliant nightly light. He even went to the trouble of populating it with monochrome creatures like ravens, squirrels, and deer, all of which surprisingly docile. The whole thing was incredibly peaceful.

In fact, it struck me as too peaceful. Call me paranoid, but when someone goes out of their way to make things cozy for their host, it's usually because they want something from them.

"What do you want from me now, Iando?" I asked, my tone dreadfully unenthusiastic. "Surely you must have some request, if you've gone to this much effort."

Iando appeared from beneath the shadow of a tree, snickering coyly.

"Come now, dear Lance," he said with a playful smirk. "Must you always assume the worst of me? Can I not render a service to a dear friend?"

I stared Iando down. "First, there is nothing 'dear' about our relationship. And second, to call yourself my friend is a massive overstatement."

"I only wanted to appeal to your love of nature." Iando shrugged his shoulders. "Would not a child such as you take solace in the freedom nature provides?"

"The last time I was here, Iando, I was molested by scarecrows," I quickly pointed out. "And before that, you decided to be all cryptic and play some kind of prophecy card on me. Needless to say, I'm not very confident in your goodwill."

"It kept you from being torn to shreds by griffons, did it not?"

I looked down to my feet. "So it did."

"Still, I feel I should humor you," Iando admitted. "I'll be forthright this time; while I am admiring your growing skills in magic, your pace leaves something to be desired."

"And I take it you have something to offer me?"

Iando shrugged a hand. "More or less. I just aim to make good on what I said a little ways back."

I crossed my arms. "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"It is no secret that the magic that aunt of yours is having you learn shares a common origin with that of my kin," Iando explained. "So, why don't I help you improve upon your technique?"

My eyebrow wrinkled up like an inchworm. "What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing too complicated," he assured. "It's right at your level, I promise."

"So what is it, then?"

"It's a very simple technique, really." Iando smiled, keeping at arm's length. "It is a magic which allows you to become more difficult to apprehend. Like sand and tide, you can't grasp a shadow; it merely slips through your fingers."

"So it makes me more slippery?" I scratched my head. "Excuse me if I don't quite see the use of it."

"People often overlook the fundamentals out of boredom," Iando chuckled. "But without this skill, you've no hope of getting any further."

"So what's the incantation?"

"This spell has a very simple mnemonic," Iando replied with a smile. "My body is beyond your grip, for in the shadows I now slip."

I repeated the mantra to myself a few times for clarity's sake. My mind whirred to life, focusing on the mantra as my fingers tingled at the tips. A subtle, misty aura cast itself around my hands, and my body began to take a darker tint, subtly flickering like candlelight as the ritual went on. My body also felt less heavy, though to a negligible degree. Iando looked upon me with approval and smiled.

"See?" He placed a hand on my back. "Simple, but effective."

I pulled Iando's hand off me, keeping a light grip on his wrist. "Was that all you wanted to see me about?"

"Such impatience, Lance," he chided. "For shame."

"I am not ungrateful for your advice," I told Iando, "but I don't exactly consider you trustworthy, and I'm not likely to for a while."

Iando looked down with slight dejection. "Such is the way of those suckled by the teat of ponykin, I suppose; always concerned with keeping everything under control, never trusting of the wild and the unknown." He gave a deviously toothy smile. "But you would know plenty of being misunderstood and untrusted, wouldn't you? All those awkward moments, dodging questions of your origins, all the times you've had to be likened to other primates because no one had an idea as to what you actually were?"

My brow scrunched. "That is none of your business."

Iando tried to pat me on the head, but he was met with a slapped hand and a cold glare.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm headed to familiar territory," I grumbled. "While the work you've put into this place is admirable, your behavior needs far, far more of it."

Iando shook his head in a "tut-tut" manner, but didn't bother to stop me. He had patience, if nothing else. My patience, however, was growing quite thin. As I trudged my way out of the forest, I paid as little mind to the creatures around me as they did to me. At least it was an undisturbed trip back. As the tower came closer and the forest faded from view, the feeling of eyes behind me went with it.

I doubted Luna was available for counsel. Not that it would make much difference, of course. I roamed aimlessly, uncaring of the direction as I sprinted along. The moonlight-soaked field and forest faded away, my body moving more of its own accord than mine as my feet met carpet and tile.

A cavalcade of creatures not unlike myself slowly crowding around me. They were all dressed in a way similar to pony-folk in Canterlot, and each of them had some kind of weapon, either strung to their hip, or concealed out of sight. None of them seemed to pay me much of any mind as I passed them, giving at most a cursory glance as they took sips from hand-sized chalices. None of their faces were familiar to me on a personal level, but I couldn't have cared less; the mere sight of others like me kept my heart running a mile a minute. My every step was like featherweight, my eyes soaking in every sight, my ears relishing the sound the crowd made as they chattered along. People, dozens of them, were around me as if it were a normal evening out. The sheer excitement made me not want to stop. I just kept on moving, taking in all the folk around me, awed by all that I was seeing.

Civilization sprawled out before me in an excellent display as a stallion held a door open before me, welcoming me into a ballroom. It was an opulent affair, floored with blue suede and supported by marble columns. Golden patterns of olive branches and sunflowers were etched into the carpet, which made every step I took plush and quiet as I made my way inside.

Most everyone was entwined in twirling dances. The hum of bass and twinkling of piano brought an air of sophistication to the room. While I was decently dressed, compared to the more formal attire of my peers, I might as well have been naked. The room was packed with noblemen dressed in elaborate ensembles emblazoned with heraldries and house symbols from wolves to deer and even unicorns and griffins. The atmosphere was filled with an air of intrigue and mystery; there was as a very clear order to the dance, the scale of which leaving me pinned at the entrance, unsure of where to go or what to do. The crowd tip-toed to and fro in guided pairs, leaving space for the spares to try and find a partner for themselves. And yet, at first, I saw none but myself as I dared wade through, the crowd giving way as I passed. Not a soul in sight was without someone to complete them, save myself.

And then, amidst the clambering of loafers and heels, the staccato of heavy, hurried footsteps clicked into my ears, dispelling the fog of melody and mystique. The stirrings of suspicion resounded around the room as the band played heedlessly on. My eyes tried to lead me to the source, but it wasn't until the new guest was right at my face that I'd found it. She was a mare of fair complexion, her hair kissed by silver and her eyes flavored like hazelnut. Her dress was cloud-white, dotted with fringes and frills that hung off of her like sheets of permafrost. Her face was dotted with a spattering of tan spots, leading to a countenance equal parts cheery youth and taciturn maturity. I suppose the two of us had a natural pull to one another, being the odd ones out. The mare offered a hand, and the moment I returned it, she drew me into arm's length, placing my other hand against her hip as she did the same to me.

"It's awfully rude to invite someone to dance when you don't yet know their name," I said, the whole bottom of my face flooding red. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Terribly sorry about that." The girl gave a squeaky giggle. "They call me Maria. What do they call you, stranger?"

"Lance," I answered back as we entered into a spin. "I'm honestly surprised to find this place. I'm quite excited to meet others of my kin."

"That makes two of us," Maria leaned in close, lips to my ear. "Truthfully, this prim and proper lot just isn't for me."

My hands lost purchase."Y-you misunderstand, miss!" With a quick pull, I maintained my balance. "I meant that I've never seen anyone like you in my--"

Before I could finish, Maria stole a chance to seize my lips with her own. Time seemed to stiffen, sound and movement growing still as if to hang upon this moment. This newfound kinsman made her boldness readily clear, and it left me bereft of speech and sense. My skin flushed red, my hands grew cold, and before I knew it, the world around me began to fade away from me as I fell into the nothingness below.

Whether it was but a simple dream borne of desperation or a premonition to things to come, I couldn't say for certain. All that I knew was that such a kiss as the one I'd just had felt too real to have been just a dream.

***

My eyes peeled open slowly, the room dark and grey as dawn's light pierced the veil of curtains. The sounds of the others snoring and sniffling snaked into my ears as I rose bottom-first like a patriarchal lion. Spike was at the other side of the bed, back turned as Juno kept between us, her grip gentle and light. Roughshod and Napalm shared a bed, surprisingly intimate with one another as Nia and Kenta laid back to back. The whole place was comfortably calm, and I appreciated it greatly. I slithered out of bed, hoping not to wake my friends as I took my bearings of the room. There was certainly luxury to be found here, though none so great as peace between friends.

Alas, such peaceful solitude was short lived, as Juno whirred to life once again, eyes becoming bright with tiny lamplight. "I see you are awake, master," she observed, carefully edging off the bed herself. "Was your rest well?"

"Not so loud," I whispered as I made a downward gesture with my hand. "I slept fine, Juno. Better than I have in a while, in fact."

Juno's head ratcheted to the side. "Is that so?" she asked, approaching curiously. "I've never known what a dream is like before. Would you care to tell me what yours was?"

I summarized the dream as well as I could remember it. While the more lucid part of my dream was more easily recountable, the part that was less in my control was left vestigial memories in my mind. Such is the way of dreams, I suppose.

Juno, still as a statue, nodded her head in understanding. "Intriguing," she said, a stately smile upon her face. "What you initially describe is more of a lucid nightmare, but it ends with a dream. I will file this in my databanks for reference." Her head panned across the room like a sentry. "Perhaps the others might be keen to share their dreams?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so," I refuted. "You're still new, and your behavior so far likely has them hesitant to give away any vital information."

Juno shied her head away, wincing as if she were harmed by my comment. "I do not comprehend," she said with a sag. "I made an attempt to do my protective duties, however poor it was. Surely, that is enough to prove my loyalty?"

"To me? Certainly. But the others may need time to warm up to you."

Juno tilted her head in confusion. "Warm up? That does not compute; all subjects in this room are warm-blooded, including the dragon."

I placed a palm to my face. "It's a figure of speech, Juno."

Juno blushed. "Forgive me, master," she pleaded. "I am not accustomed to modern vernacular."

"Don't worry about it." I reached down to stroke Juno's mane like a favored pet. "I find that innocent demeanor of yours rather adorable."

Juno blinked, a smile slowly carving into her cheeks. "You think that I am cute?" She covered her face with her knees and turned her cheek to me. "Am I...attractive?"

My skin blanched rather quickly at the forwardness of her comment. "Well, I suppose so. You're nicely put together, but I'm not sure if 'attractive' is the proper word."

"Do you mean to say that I am..." Juno pressed her hoof to her mouth meekly. "Pretty?"

I smiled, cradling her chin in my hand. "I'd say you were built pretty, Juno."

I wasn't certain if it was from a leak or some hitherto unknown design feature, but I swore I could see a tear welling in Juno's eye. "I will remember this compliment, Master Lance. Thank you."

I chuckled quietly as I tussled Juno's mane. "You're very welcome, Juno. Now, shall we wake the others?"

"Actually," Juno held one of her legs, as if to scratch an itch. "If you would allow me to, could we return to bed, if only for a few minutes more?"

I looked outside, seeing that the sun was still decently low on the horizon.

"I think that can be arranged."

Thus, the two of us spent a few more minutes to rest and allow the others some more beauty sleep. Part of me felt particularly glad to have a little leeway in how I spent my time here, given the rush we'd been in a short while ago. My body certainly enjoyed the extra rest, at least.

But, as a wise man once said, time waits for no one, and the time for us to wake drew ever closer. I decided to save the contents of my dream for later, hoping that Juno's mechanical mind would hold it better than mine did. Everyone else awoke in large stretches and deep yawns, with the occasional look of shock at the realization of who they'd shared the bed with to make the morning more interesting.

Perhaps as a show of good timing, a knock came at the door. Juno, eager to show her devotion, took to answering the door, where Gloria waited on the other side. Gloria looked down to Juno, slightly surprised, before giving the lot of us a two-taloned salute.

"Morning, boys and girls," she said, her tone back to the more casual one she'd taken with me. "How are we doing today?"

"I'll tell you one thing," Napalm called from across the room. "I haven't slept in a bed this comfy before."

"Agreed," added Roughshod, joints popping like sinewy bubble wrap as he stretched out. "These old bones of mine owe you their deepest thanks."

Gloria's beak crooked into a grin. "Glad you liked it," she yawned, covering her mouth discreetly. "Well, when you're ready, Gabby's almost done with your set, Lance. We shouldn't dawdle here for too long."

I bowed my head to Gloria. "Yes, Your Highness."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "First name basis is fine, thanks.'”

"Right. Thousand pardons, Gloria."

Spike got up behind me, hand over my chest. "Would it be okay if I came with? I'm his plus-one."

Gloria's face puckered particularly promptly at that statement, eyes widened and cheeks a delicious apple-y shade of red. She hissed between her teeth, as if the comment knocked the wind out of her lungs. "I didn't know it was like that."

The way Spike's face returned the expression in kind honestly made it hard to contain my uproarious laughter. "No way it is!" he snapped. "I mean that I'm his bodyguard!"

Gloria heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she gasped. "I was about to say, if it were like that, then this whole thing would've gotten super awkward."

I put my hands up in defense. "I swear to you, it's not what you think," I replied. "We're strictly on the 'honorary brothers' level of things."

Gloria wiped her brow clean. "So long as you can keep up the act, we're good."

With that momentary awkwardness done with, the three of us, along with Juno, made for the streets of Griffonstone. The city was greatly more abuzz this time around, perhaps due in part to the forthcoming festivities. Whispers of "those folks from the east" came around as we made our trip to Gabby's, with the intermittent glance from passersby at Juno and Spike, for reasons that should likely be blindingly obvious. No amount of acting casual would make our difference in stature any less noticeable. At the very least we weren't stopped by even the occasional curious commoner.

Once we'd made our way inside Gabby's establishment, the feeling of being watched quickly faded away. Gabby took quick note of us, beaming with excitement as she rushed over to nuzzle the princess.

"Gloria, you made it!" she cried with joy. "Today's a big day for everyone, huh?"

"You know it, Gabby," Gloria replied. "You got the goods?"

"Oh, have I got the goods today," Gabby giggled giddily as she briefly disappeared into the back room. "It was a long night in the making, but I think it turned out pretty good. Never designed for many bipedal types, so this as a nice little challenge." Then, with a flamboyant flourish, she unfurled a lordly little ensemble, reminiscent of the one Rarity had previously woven for me. "Ta-dah!"

Spike eyed me with a brotherly form of envy. "Looks like she hooked you up good."

"I don't see a hook on master's body," Juno said, her tone uncertain. "Or was that a figure of speech?"

"This is going to be a long day," I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I suppose I should introduce my two companions. The dragon fellow is Spike, while this currently humourless mechanical mare is Juno."

"Nice to meet both of you," Gabby said with a smile. "I've got to say, I didn't expect a diplomat from Equestria to be rolling with a posse like yours. Then again, I don't think anybody expected Equestria to be represented by a non-pony either."

"I would prefer to be called by my name, if at all possible," I snipped. "Matters of species are part of the reason I'm here in the first place."

"Right, touchy subject, I got ya," she replied, putting her talon in a gesture like my own thumbs-up. "Why don't we take care of business and see you wear that thing now, huh?"

I carefully claimed the clothes with one hand. "Point me to a dressing room?"

Gabby pointed to the back, to which I quickly retreated. Once out of sight, I had a moment to better examine my new ensemble.

It was a modest two-piece arrangement that, if I had to sum it up in terms of what it evoked, was less "soldier-prince" and more "dilettante swashbuckler". It was a bright scarlet affair with a short-sleeved duster coat, a frilled white dress shirt, a pair of relaxed fit trousers, some impressively long boots, and a wide-brimmed hat with a stupidly long, fluffy plumage. While it did mean I would have to hide my diadem beneath it, at the very least my gauntlets would be easily complemented by this outfit. In this private space, I exchanged the two outfits, folding up the flight suit neatly before stepping out to flaunt my new fashion. The griffons bore approving looks while Spike grinned with virile praise.

"Dude, I think you lucked out this time around," he said, his voice rumbling with vigor. "Those dignitaries are in for a surprise."

"In more ways than one," I said as I smiled and tipped my new hat. "I must say, Gabby, for someone who's never tailored for the likes of me, you outdid yourself splendidly."

Glora rolled her eyes in that cock-sure way a master craftsman would. "It was nothing. I just wanted to make something that might suit your character."

"I'm not really certain if this does fit," I replied, lifting my coattails for tidiness' sake. "But, I suppose if I'm to play the part of a daring young suitor, I may as well work on my act."

"Ooh, ooh!" Spike raised his hand enthusiastically. "Since we've got that ship, why don't we say you're a privateer serving under the crown? You could get your sword and your spear and act all pirate-like and everything!"

I snapped my fingers with gusto. "Brilliant idea, Spike! I've always considered piracy when I was little."

"The name might need changing, though," Gloria added. "The name 'Lance' is good and all, but if we're gonna play up the act, we need something that'll get those snobs snivelling. Something that could go down in legends."

"Well, there are two ways I could go about it." I rubbed my chin ponderously. "Either I modify my given name to something with more flair--Lawrence, for example--, or I do something similar to my middle name of 'Alexis' to 'Alexander'."

"Just a name would not suffice, master," Juno advised. "As I recall in my databanks, many pirates of yore had a title attached that described them. It could be a color, a quality, or a social status."

"You're not wrong, there," I replied, nodding along. "Given my get-up, I feel something like 'The Dread Pirate Lawrence’ might do me well."

"That's a start," Gabby joined in the chin-rubbing. "But it's not quite original."

"What if we added something to the front, instead?" Spike suggested. "Like Royal Red Lawrence, or, or--wait! I got it! Let's call you ‘Lawrence the Red'!"

"Marvellous!" I stamped my fist into my hand. "A name like that will certainly turn heads."

"Not a bad choice," Gloria agreed. "But, a name like that needs a backstory to go with it. Something that'll live up to the name."

For a good while, we brainstormed a potential story to tell the dignitaries. The more just part of me wasn't certain if this was the proper way to go about this issue, but if I was to act out a role, I'd be damned if I didn't take the extra mile and truly have some fun with it. Heavens know I desperately needed to live a little and enjoy myself for a change. For the sake of keeping track, we had Juno record the details as we requested of her, so as not to catch ourselves flat-footed when the time came. Once we had our story straightened out, we regrouped at the King's Roost and prepared for the party ahead.

***

Let me get one thing straight for you dweebs out there: I don't like weddings. Like, not at all. That’s just not how Gilda does things. The only reason I let this go on is because I preferred it over a war with my brothers in the east. If I had any other choice, I would've taken it.

But that's neither here nor there. You wanna hear about how it went, right? You might wanna get a chair, because this is a bit of a doozy.

So there I was, butt parked firmly in a big old chair at the back of the room, listening to a bunch of snobs as they prattled on about matters of state, territory acquisitions, and all that other political junk. The two guests of honor--Gottfried the Pale-faced and Goddard the Frog-mouthed--were preening each other like a couple of bros, snickering to themselves as they squawked on.

"You truly have such fine taste in women, sir," Goddard said, his mouth making him look like a puppet. "That dark coat of hers will suit you perfectly."

"I am a man with a passion for the exotic," Gottfried replied, stroking his crest with anticipation. "To see that black beauty draped in white finery would be my dream come true."

Then, from out of nowhere, the doors to the main hall come bursting open, and everybody in the room just falls into a stupor. All that bright sunlight flooded the place like the damn thing just blew up. People dropped what they were doing, pulling their attention to the door and pointing as they started speculating amidst the mayhem.

"Is that Princess Gloria?"

"It must be, but who's that he's with?"

"Nevermind that, who invited the dragon?!"

The light starts to calm down, and the crowd follows with murmurs of suspicion. Once it was dim enough to see again, I caught an eyeful of what all the fuss was about.

Gloria was there, of course, gussied up in royal dress, but she wasn't the one who was turning heads. No, it was the gang she had flanking her. She had a Celestia-damned rainbow of species, with the leader all kitted up in red. Even I didn't have a clue what he was. It wasn't the Arimaspi, for sure. Whoever this dude in red was, he came ready to rumble with a sword at one hip, a spear on his back, a pair of golden gauntlets, and a swagger to his step.

I'll give the kid this: He damn sure knows how to make an entrance.

Not a single pair of eyes in the place peeled their eyes off of the gang. Not one of them tried to speak up, either out of surprise, fear, or some mix of both. No one except, of course, the two stiffs we were hosting for.

"What is the meaning of this, Gloria?" Gottfried growled, eyes all squinty and mouth all agape. "The wedding draws near, and you have the audacity to not only come in the wrong attire, but you bring these, these--misfits with you?!"

"Misfits? Hardly." Gloria gave a dry laugh, rolling her head back. "I think I'll let big red here introduce himself."

"You have my thanks, Your Royal Highness." The dude in red gave the court a bow, not even flinching. "They call me the Lawrence the Red. I'm sure you've seen my vessel, the Mysterious Melissa, docked at the port?"

Gottfried narrowed his eyes. "I noticed the ship, but the captain was mysteriously absent."

"Terribly sorry about that, sir," Lawrence replied as he tapped the toe of his boot against the floor. "It would seem your dearest fiance was so smitten by yours truly, she couldn't wait until I was properly anchored. Practically swept me off my feet, she did."

"That's preposterous!" gasped Goddard. "What would such a refined, elegant beauty want with some loathsome rogue?"

"As if that were up to debate," Lawrence replied with a laugh. "You must have the heart of a lion and the brain of a hare if such a partnership strikes you as so foreign."

Gottfried wasn't about to have this go on right in front of his face. Guy all puffed up and made a charge against Lawrence, he reached for his sword once he was about a foot away from him. Then, quick as a flash, Lawrence let his own sword loose, tip right up against the guy's neck. Talk about baiting him right into his hands.

"I take it you must be Gottfried?" Lawrence asked, teasing the edge of his sword against the white dude's trachea. "Surely you're a smarter griffin than this to try and bring this all to blows so quickly?"

Gottfried was shaking like a leaf. Before he could back up, the dragon dude flanked him, boxing him in. Gottfried whimpered, "What do you want from me?" like a scared puppy.

"Firstly, I'd like you to calm down," the pirate demanded. "It's terribly indignant to look so cowardly on such a momentous day." Then he lowered the sword to his chest. "And second, I'd at least like to attend a dinner service, so that I might have words with you and your associate about this little kerfuffle of ours."

Gottfried's talons shot up in surrender. "Whatever you want! Please spare me!"

Lawrence kept his blade up, probably trying to make sure he wasn't about to try anything funny. His flunkies kept a sharp eye on him, the metal one looking real rough and tumble compared to the rest. Once he was sure Gottfried wasn't gonna pull a fast one, he held his offhand up and lowered his sword.

"I am holding you to your word, good sir," he said, sheathing his sword. "I'd really hate to sully such a wonderful palace with that blue blood of yours."

Gottfried clammed up, clambering back to his seat.

Lawrence waved his crew along, Gloria not far from his side. "Take heart, lads and lasses," he shouted, scanning the hall. "Find a seat and we'll attend to our business here over brunch."

I know what you're probably thinking; why didn't I step in? Truth be told, I just wanted to watch this play out. Things definitely took a more interesting turn when he strolled in, and I knew it had to get even better as it went on. That said, I made sure he had a nice seat right across from Gottfried, just to see how he'd react. That, and to get a closer look at him.

Lawrence had a real earthy tone to him, his hair a shade darker and real roughly cut. His eyes were rich and green, and his smile nice and bright. I'd thought he'd look familiar, but only his right-hand man rang any bells. As he started sampling the food, him and those two snobs started jawing off.

"So where exactly do you hail?" Goddard wondered as he munched on a muffin. "You look too well dressed to be a lowly freebooter."

Lawrence gave a coy grin. "The place of my birth is yet unknown to me," he answered, digging into a teacake. "The place where I was raised, however, should be familiar to you. Till I was old enough to serve the crown, I lived in the Crystal Empire. Lovely place, really, if one that was terribly bright in the summer months."

"And just what is your business here?" added Gottfried. "All that panache and sabre rattling must have some purpose."

"Isn't it clear by now?" Lawrence thumbed his hat. "Your fiance has found another. If that didn't cross your mind by now, then you really are hare-brained. Were I you, Gottfried, I'd challenge me for her hand in marriage, yes?"

"Why you--" Gottfried's face scrunched up as he stood, his wings curling inward like a big cape as he stared Lawrence down. "You impudent bastard of an ape! You think I'll just let you waltz into this place with my rightful wife and make demands of me like this?! I ought to lay you down where you stand!"

Lawrence didn't say much back; at least, not at first. He just sat there, still as a tree with his arms resting on the back of the chair, not moving a muscle or batting an eye. At first, I thought he didn't hear a word of what he said.

Then he laughed. At first, it was all quiet, like he just remembered a good joke. Little by little, it picked up in loudness and audacity until, on the spot, the guy must have completely lost his sides. He guffawed his guts out, making sure the whole room heard it as he struggled to hold it in.

"Such disrespect!" Goddard growled. "What gives you the right to treat your betters like that, you dastard?"

Lawrence took a few seconds to reign himself in as he stood up, putting his main hand against his offhand. "It's funny you should use those words," he chuckled, slowly peeling off his gauntlet in front of the crowd,. "Because it so happens that this bastard of an ape has quite the intimate relationship with Her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia of Equestria. A mare whom, need I remind you and your corpse-like cohort, is responsible for giving you louts the sunlight that allows you to carry out your loathsome lives every wretched day."

Lawrence practically vaulted the table, reaching over to slap Gottfried's chest with the flat of his gauntlet in two hard smacks. "I would say that gives me enough authority to challenge you myself."

Everyone at the table took sharp breaths, all of them full-on floored by the balls this guy had on him. He dropped the gauntlet like it was an iron weight, waiting for how Gottfried would answer with crossed arms.

"What would your challenge be?" Gottfried spat. "A battle to the blood? To the pain? Perhaps a game of wits?"

Lawrence shook his head. "I'm afraid the former would be too violent for a reception like this, while the latter might be too uneven." His hand reached down to grab a scone off the table. "No, I believe the best test of our capacities is one that appeals to the great equalizer of mortal men. I propose not simply a battle of brawn or brains, but of bowels. It is no secret that griffons are possessed of a great talent for food, so would it not be fair that we see just how well either of us can stomach such succulent sweets?"

Gottfried gave him a real deadpan stare . "Are you mad?"

"As a hatter!" Lawrence replied with a laugh. "But I am not joking, good sir; they say the best way to one's heart is their stomach, so let our stomachs do battle to win that mare's heart, lest I steal it from you without contest!"

Gottfried grumbled beneath his beak, eyes going back and forth between Goddard and Lawrence's golden gauntlet. The crowd hung on to the edge of seats, some of them stuffing their faces like it was some kind of performance piece. He searched around the room, probably trying to find some kind of way out. But, there were too many witnesses, too much security, and too few doors; he didn't have much choice. Gottfried groaned, scraping his talons against the table.

"So I'm caught like a rat in a trap," he said, grabbing the gauntlet with a frown. "So be it; the challenge is set. What will be the stakes?"

"The stakes will be as such," Lawrence explained. "Should I be the winner, then you are to return from whence you came, and I am given license to do whatever I wish with Lady Gloria."

Goddard grinned. "And if you lose?"

Lawrence bowed low to Goddard. "Then I shall leave Griffonstone posthaste, and this wedding you came here for will proceed as if I were never here."

"You had best hope, then, that your stomach is as strong as your loins," Goddard replied, poking Lawrence square in the chest. "You'll be needing it."

For a couple of minutes, the whole place went quiet. Everybody was waiting for that next big development. When it didn't come, a few sighs of disappointment flew around the room before everything practically went back to normal. Or at least, as normal as it could be after all of what happened.

Whatever Lawrence's deal was, he was playing to win.

***

I’m not certain if Celestia would have expected this of me, but given the stories I’ve heard of her sense of humor, I’m inclined to think she’d not be too disappointed. The lot of us had been moved into a private room to prepare for the feast ahead. The whole lot of us shared accomplished chuckles as the pressure of our work finally started to fade away. Spike and I shared a high five (with Spike giving me a playful noogie), Nia and Roughshod shared a few chants with one another, and Napalm and Kenta shared a jaunty jostling. The only pony who wasn't celebrating fully was Juno.

"You should be happier than that," I said, pinching her cheek. "We managed to pull that off beautifully!"

"Master, the chances of that plan succeeding were thirty-two point three three repeating," Juno replied coldly. "Logically, it should have gone wrong somewhere."

"Believe me, he does this a lot," Napalm added. "Tends to jump the gun, only to figure out just what he needs to do to take the day."

Roughshod nodded. "Sometimes, you just have to press your luck and roll the dice. Anything better than zero-percent's worth givin' that fightin' chance."

"So it is better to take the chance you have than to accept failure?" Juno stroked her chin. "I am...unsure of the practicality of such thought."

"You're still new here," Spike leaned over to scratch Juno's head. "Once you start learning more about us and our world, you'll be a real go-getter before you know it."

"I am a bit curious," Nia said to me. "How did you know that this plan would work?"

"Gabby said it herself," I told her, shrugging my hands. "Any story I could tell would be believable, given how I looked. I just decided to embellish the truth a little just to spice things up."

Roughshod smiled. "Well, lad, you're certainly not a bad actor."

"I actually had a good time with that, all said." I patted my coat with pride. "It feels good to carry myself with a little more panache. Makes me feel really daring."

Spike patted me on the shoulder. "Just remember to keep it up; don't let those snobs back there try and break that mask of yours."

"I'll certainly try to." I turned to Gloria, who was hanging around near the entrance. "So, what all do griffons make in terms of sweetmeats?"

"Lots of things," Gloria replied, counting with her talons. "Eclairs, scones, truffles, chocolates, pretty much anything you can make by hand, we've got it."

I held my mouth, wincing. "I hope we have enough toothpaste. And some insulin."

Glora scoffed. "Don't worry; so long as you outlast Gottfried, the sugar intake shouldn't be too much trouble."

I held my stomach. "I should hope so."

"Just keep your stomach good and empty," Kenta chuckled. "You're gonna need plenty of room."

"Thanks for the advice," I replied, smacking my belly. "Wish me luck."

"With our record?" Napalm gave a good guffaw. "You've got this! And you bet your ass I'm gonna be right there, watching it go down."

Roughshod tapped his cane against his temple. "And you can be sure I'll be leading the cheers. Give it all you've got, boy; we'll be waitin' for you when it's over."

Though the pit of my stomach wasn't the easiest thing to bear, the way my heart was lifted made it almost negligible in comparison. Even with Juno's uncertainty, this change of persona felt good--great even. I can't help but think that this personality shift really helped me in the long run, no matter how foolish it might have been. It was one of those things that just felt right in my heart of hearts. A sense of pride filled me, and excitement pooled in the back of my head.

I took pause for a moment, placing a hand on my chest, picturing the black diamond within, shining subtly inside my mind. It was still unrefined, a precious ore yet unearthed, but ever beautiful in its own right. With a new resolve in my conscience, Nia and I took to having a brief exercise to prepare for the bout ahead.

***

Water churned in my stomach, saliva moistened my mouth, and vigor filled my throat. As I sat at the end of a long table, my feathered foe opposite me, my brain quivered with possibilities. What if I can't do it? What if I spit it out? What if my body can't take it?

I may have graduated from Guard Academy, but no amount of martial training could steel my stomach or gird my loins. This was a very abstract kind of fear, with only one clear objective:

Keep. It. Down.

Out came the chefs, wheeling in stacks of scones as high as I was tall, all steaming hot and scrumptious. Their weight didn't seem to trouble the servers as they laid a platter of them at each of our spots. Their smell alone made me want to skip all pleasantries, but I held my tongue firmly in my cheek for the sake of fairness. In between our two positions stood a golden griffon in a monochrome striped shirt, while the assumed Queen sat overwatch above us.

"We will begin the eating contest soon," he announced, holding up a talon. "But first, I will establish the conditions for our participants.

"Upon each of your tables is approximately one hundred-fifty scones, freshly baked by our chefs. In the interest of fairness and in consideration of the dietary requirements of our two contestants, they have not had any filling or topping added to them, and you may not request one be added.

"You will have 8 minutes to consume as many of the scones as possible. Should you complete one platter, another will be laid down. He who consumes the most scones will be declared the victor.

"In the event either participant suffers a reversal of fortune, then they shall be disqualified, and the opposing participant will be declared the winner."

"Reversal of fortune?" My head snapped behind me. "Guys, what does that mean?"

"It means don't yak, or you're out," called the matriarch from upon her throne. "I really hope it doesn't come to that, 'cause I just had those floors waxed yesterday."

"Very well, then," I removed my hat, tossing it over to Spike for him to wear for the time being. "Then shall we get on with it, Gottfried? Or have you lost your stomach?"

"You certainly talk big for someone raised by ponies," called Gottfried from afar. "All the more satisfying once I eat you under the table!"

I thumbed my nose at him. "We'll certainly see, won't we?"

The presumed judge cleared his throat, and our eyes were on him thusly. He rose a talon up, straight as an arrow. The crowd drew into a hush as he readied a starting whistle. The tension thickened such that you'd have to chop it with an axe. The muffled noise of someone somewhere chewing their nails off could be heard in the distance.

Just remember your ends, Lance, I told myself. It's her sake before yours.

Then, with a swoop of his arm and the shrill screech of a whistle, the madness did ensue.

Snappily, the both of us snatched up scone after scone, wolfing them down one after another. Our throats strained pushing each one down as we chewed only as much as we needed to and stared each other down like a gunfight in Dodge Junction. The sound of our blood pumping in our ears was the only one audible amidst the ruckus around us. The cheering of the spectators and supporters may as well have been white noise.

Neither of us took much time to savor the flavor. Instead, we opted to mash the things in our hands and wield them in bushels just to save ourselves time. As each one made its way down, the sound of our stomachs groaning and gurgling made us cringe. Sweat poured down from our brows, our minds desperately wrestling control of our bodies as we filled our gullets like true gluttons. As our throats became flushed with the baked goods, we had to use our noses to keep our breaths steady. To an extent, that was the only thing keeping them down besides sheer force of will.

But, I suspect Gottfried was up to something. His platter was almost half finished, and he hadn't paused for a second. I'm not so certain about the oral physiology of Griffons, but something about his pace seemed suspicious. He wasn’t chewing his food as often as I was. He was filling his gullet much quicker, mashing the scones in his hands and gobbling up the paste.

My stomach tensed in pain, and my ears rang, deaf to the sounds around me. My vision blurred, and I could feel something lurching back up. My sweat ran cold, and my blood nearly froze. My stomach was reaching capacity, and it took sheer force of will to keep it down.

Gottfried was winning, and he was grinning like a magnificent little bastard.

My stamina was fading fast, my knees getting wobbly as I tried to cram another scone into my mouth. It was getting harder to stay upright as I held my stomach, hoping the knot that formed would go away quickly.

Then did the image of the black diamond shine with brilliant shade yet again. In my mind, cries of "Do it for her!" The noise of the crowd returned, and as I shut my eyes, the roars of my friends echoed deep in my ears.

"You can't give in now, lad! Not when a maiden's freedom hangs on it!"

"Yeah, show this snob what you're made of!"

"Don't let your strength falter, Lance! Steel your gut, and stand firm like stone!"

"You can hold a lot more than that, boy! I know you can!"

"Your stomach capacity is not yet reached! You still have a chance of victory!"

"It ain't over till it's over, partner! Give that punk all you've got!"

My eyes snapped open, my nostrils burning hot and my hearing as acute as ever. My platter and Gottfried's were even, and two minutes remained on the clock. With my fists clenched around those sweet cakes, I let the fire in my stomach be whipped into a blaze. I wasn't about to let this pale-faced poof best me.

A primal surge raced through me as I shoveled down scones with reckless abandon. I let my cheeks fill up like a chipmunk as I worked every grieving muscle my poor throat had. The crowd was screaming with glee at the spectacle, and my friends were cheering me all the way. The name "Lawrence" echoed in the hall as the time drew ever closer to ending. My mind kept itself anchored on one point, and I chased it down with all the strength my body would allow.

The whistle brought everything to a halt. The crowd fell into a sharp silence, and the air grew cold and stagnant. The dull ring of nothingness droned in my ear as my eyes were drawn to my platter.

Naught but crumbs and debris remained now. Looking up to Gottfried, he had half of a scone left to eat, and it was all too late to finish. Gottfried glared, unbelieving as he held his half in his gaping mouth, dripping down his chest half-chewed. The judge quickly surveyed the platters, and I felt something lurch in my stomach.

I strained myself desperately, holding in my stomach like a girdle, grinding my teeth. Just a moment longer. Please!

"It is decided," declared the judge. "Our victor is clear!"

My stomach groaned loudly, and I grasped my throat in the vainest hope of buying a few precious seconds more.

"By way of cleanest platter, the victory goes to..."

The judge snapped the hand bracing my throat up, holding it above my head as the rest of me held itself together

"Lawrence, from Equestria!"

The crowd was whipped into a fervor, absolutely thrilled by the down-to-the-wire conclusion. The sheer volume of their cheers made my moans of agony naught by background noise. Spike and the others practically placed me on a pedestal with how high they rose me.

"That's the way we do it!" Spike roared. "Nice one!"

I held my gut in with gnashed teeth. "Oh dear sweet Celestia in summer, don't shake me," I groaned. "For all that is good, please take me to a bathroom, and swiftly."

With sympathetic nods, I was stretched out like a patient in a gurney and delivered away from the hall with speed. As I let my body relax, my conscience made me wonder if this whole grand charade was worth the toll to my body.

For what I was able to do with it, it was worth its weight in gold.

***

"Yet another sudden plan successful, eh boss?"

A searing light burned my eyes from above. My arm shot up to guard me from the glare, but nothing could quell the stress in my stomach. A heavy groan crawled out of my throat as I thrashed around the bed. I was beside myself, split between wallowing away the pain and facing the day fighting. Thankfully, a knock at the door helped my decision handily.

"Yo, the champ still with us?"

"Hurting something awful, but he's alive."

The door creaked open, and before us stood Griffonstone's queen. She was the practical paragon of her people--feathers clean and white, fur trimmed and tan, eyes gold and strong. Like Gloria, she wore a mask half made of composure and half of tenacity. In her arm, she held a large bouquet, flush with fresh-cut roses and forget-me-nots.

"I figured I'd come congratulate the champ," she said, making her way over there. "Gotta say, I didn't see it coming."

"Neither--agh! Did I," I replied, pained. "What are the flowers for?"

"You're kidding, right?" the queen chortled. "They're your wedding bouquet, dude! Didn't you go through all this to marry my daughter?"

I shook my head. "Not quite, Your Highness." I winced as I adjusted my posture. "I said that if I won, I would have license to do whatever I desired with Gloria. Though it might include marriage, my aim was simply to free her from an unwanted wedlock."

The queen's face became particularly cross for a moment. Her eyes shot to Gloria, who meekly turned away, not wanting to keep direct eye contact. An invisible spark arced across the room, and for a tense few seconds, I felt as though I'd made a great mistake. That was, until she scooped her into a tight squeeze.

"You little sneak," she teased, rubbing beaks with her. "Just like your mother; fixing problems inside with help from outside."

Gloria blinked in surprise. "So you aren't mad?"

The queen rolled her eyes. "Mad? Hardly." With a quick wheel around, she approached me again. "If anything, I should be thanking you, Lawrence. I doubt the dignitaries will like what happened, but you got my kid out of a real bind. I owe you one."

"It was nothing," I admitted. "You can call me 'Lance', however. 'Lawrence' was but a handle I assumed, Miss--"

"Gilda," the queen answered readily, offering a talon. "Pleased to meet ya."

"The pleasure is all mine," I told her, trying to maintain good humor. "Though if you're offering favors, I have one I'd like to ask of you."

"I'm all ears, kid."

I briefly explained to Gilda about my concern with the temples, describing the shape of the previous one and asking where she might know of one.

"Ancient temples, huh." Gilda preened her feathers. "Might be one due west of here in that mountain range just before you hit the border. Not sure you'll find an awful lot, but you're free to go lookin'. Not really my thing anyhow."

I nodded knowingly. "You have my thanks."

Gilda smiled, looking particularly pleased with herself. "No prob." She eyed the clock for a moment, realizing the time. "I should bounce. Gotta go mess around with politics and sort this thing out."

"Far be it for us to stop you, Your Highness," Spike replied.

Gilda gave us a quick two-talon salute and made her way out. Private once more, we all had a nice laugh. Myself excluded, of course; laughing only made the stomachache that much worse. I was laughing on the inside, believe me. It wasn't as potent a medicine, but it didn't cause me all manner of tearing pains.

Of course, time was the healer of my wounds in the end. By the time I was able to walk on my own again, waterskin in one hand and bouquet in the other, I'd almost regretted wanting to leave. But, business was business; pursuits of romance could wait. I stood watch at the port, legs dangling from the pier as I watched the sun sink in the west. My mind wandered off to speculate on the next temple, and about my next encounter with Megan. Will I be able to meet her expectations? Will I be able to put up a decent fight? Will I find anything more of my origins?

I lost track of time for a while, save the brief moment of lucidity needed to keep my balance. The others were busy preparing to leave, and here I was, trying to drink in the vista for a little while longer.

"Real sight, isn't it?" Gloria approached from behind, taking a seat next to me. "A few years back, this place was a shantytown. Nobody wanted nothin' from nobody else except bits. Even having somebody save your life cost you a fortune."

I chuckled lowly. "And yet now they can hold feasts like those."

"Just goes to show how important connections are," Gloria summarized. "You should probably be up there with your guys, chatting it up instead of staring off into space."

"Maybe." I gave a loud groan as I stretched. "I just wanted to take in what I could of this sunset before I left. After all the hustle, I need some time to unwind."

Gloria nodded. "Fair enough, I guess." A redness filled her face for a moment as she nervously scratched her chin. "Say, about what you said in the clinic."

"Yeah?"

"I know you meant you didn't want to marry," she said, seeming to strain herself as she talked. "But, if you're single and all...maybe I could be your special someone?"

I froze. First I was the one to free her, and now I was the one she wished to bind herself to? To say nothing of turnarounds. I didn’t relish the thought of turning her down; she had gone to so much trouble to seek me and everything. And yet, I couldn't be so hasty to accept. But, seeing no easy way to put it, I decided to be earnest in my feelings.

"Gloria, I'll be direct with you." I gave a sigh as I placed a hand on my shoulder. "You are perhaps one of the most beautiful women I've yet seen in my travels, inside and out. The way you can combine royalty and casualness honestly amazes me. You'd make anyone a proud husband.

"But, while I'd be happy to have that opportunity, I am still young, and I've much more that needs to be done first. Tombs to explore, summons to deliver, places to visit, adventures to be had, and friends to make. I suspect you've got things you need to do as a fledgeling princess, too. So, instead of a proposal, I leave a promise: If, at the end of my journey, neither of us have found that better half to make our lives truly whole, than may it be with each other that we find everlasting harmony."

Gloria shied away again, uneasy. She placed a talon behind her head, scratching away her misgivings.

"Wow, man," she stammered. "That's, like, super cheesy."

"I have a flair for the theatric," I admitted as I waved my hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about."

Gloria clutched my hand, smiling as she pecked my cheek.

"At least it came from an honest heart," she said, drawing me into a hug. "I'll be waiting for the day, big guy."

I stood up, bringing Gloria up with me. "While you wait, might I trouble you to come to the Grand Equestrian Summit? You know, to represent Griffonstone?"

Gloria nodded swiftly. "I'd be glad to."

I parted hands with her thusly, waving her farewell as I boarded the Mysterious Melissa. "Then I hope I can make it there to see you again."

"Just a second!" Before I reached the peak, Gloria stopped me at the wrist again. "Before you go, I wanted to give you one last thing."

Hastily, she fetched something from a bag that I'd only now noticed she was wearing. It was a haphazardly-wrapped, curious long box, inside which held a miniaturized version of the rifles that her girls used, alongside another smaller box and a large pouch, bulging with what I assumed were bullets.

"Figured I'd leave you with something to remember me by," she said, taking the firearm out and demonstrating the revolving mechanism for me. "It's one of my best pistols; I call him Grendel. He's real good for dueling. You could probably hit an apple from 5 meters with it."

"I'm afraid this isn't really my sort of weapon." I shook my head. "I did learn of Equestrian firearms, but I never could use them."

"That's why I'm giving you one of mine," Gloria grunted. "It's a side-arm. In that box is all the stuff you need to keep that thing nice and load it. Ideally, you shouldn't have to use it, but I hope it comes in handy."

I held the pistol aloft cautiously, not daring to have my fingers anywhere near the trigger. It was decently heavy, but not unwieldy. I could see it being useful, though I wasn't certain of it at the time.

"I suppose I've got no choice, then," I chuckled, putting the new weapon safely away, unloaded. "I appreciate the gift; I'll be sure to hang onto it."

I quickly made my way onto the ship as the engines started. Gloria's grin was wide when we started to embark. From what was once a captor, I now had a potential companion. Not merely a friend, but a lifelong partner. Forged by the flame of happenstance, it might not be quite the best encounter, but given how it turned out, I couldn’t complain; especially not with a new memento to go along with it.

The morrow certainly held good omens for quite long after, in the end.

Chapter 19: The Garden and the Duel

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 20: Theater of the Mind

"You know, as much as I'm getting used to being like this, is there any particular reason I have to be nude again?

Nia and I were sat in a room around a pattern of tall, waxy scented candles that were set up in a traditional arcane hexagram, with Juno sitting outside of it for observational purposes. The smells of vanilla, jasmine, lavender and hemp left a distinct haze in the air as Nia folded her legs.

"The type of therapy I am about to attempt is one that is spiritually invasive," Nia explained as she moved her forelegs to an inaudible rhythm. "In essence, I am going to channel a small portion of my chi into your body through the focal points of your magical circuit in order to try to clear it of obstructions and blockages."

I clutched my body defensively. "That sounds incredibly dangerous."

"The process does possess some danger, yes," Nia replied with a nod. "In essence, it is much akin to flooding a beaver's dam; while it will restore flow to stagnant waters, the sheer force required can be quite disruptive."

I began to squeeze myself tighter out of some barely suppressed instinct. "That's not exactly inspiring confidence in me, Nia."

"I am aware of the dangers, Lance." Nia whispered, leaning in close. "I would normally never do this to someone, but if what you have is a cancer, then I am effectively about to perform chemotherapy."

I could feel my blood running colder, my nostrils burning from the sudden chill in the room. "Am I going to die?"

As Nia positioned me in a manner of relative comfort, she gave an almost sisterly smile.

"I would not be performing this procedure if I was not aware of the risks," the zebra replied, standing over me as she rubbed her hooves together. "This process is certain to be quite taxing on your body. I will do everything in my capacity to keep you from anything life-threatening, but I make no promises that this will be painless or effortless.

"And so I must ask you one question: Do you trust me?"

I nodded quickly, sweat running down my forehead. "I trusted you enough to train under you."

"That is not enough," Nia snapped, her tone much deeper. "To trust in someone's ability to teach is one thing, but to entrust your very life to them is another. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you!" I barked back, staring into those intense amber eyes of hers.

"Do you trust in my ability to save you from death or worse?" she asked, softer now as she noticed my trembling.

"My life is yours, master." I replied, calmed by the change in depth her eyes took. "Please, help me through this!"

"Then open yourself to me," she demanded, hooves at my chest and forehead. "Leave nothing between us and allow me your spirit to cleanse."

For but a few scarce moments, we looked to each other with ambition and fear in each other's eyes. Then, as the fire within them calmed, I let my arms return to their sides, taking a large sigh as I laid back.

"I'm yours, Nia," I breathed, eyes fixed to the ceiling. "But before you bring me under, I'd like to speak with Juno."

"What is it you need, master?" she asked, her voice equally tinged with concern.

"For right now, I'm making you Nia's nurse," I told her, trying my hardest to remain composed as I spoke. "Watch over us very carefully and follow every order she gives you. If anything goes wrong, intervene as needed. You've been a great help to me so far, and today, I'm entrusting you with a great task. Can I count on you?"

Juno knelt down, holding my hand in her hooves. "Yes, master," she promised with an affirmative shake of her head. "I will assist as well as I am able. I wish you the best of luck."

I smiled as I looked to her, her eyes looking as deep and as mysterious as any other mare, if only for a brief moment. She was a machine, but one that could think and feel like a pony. She was made to guard me, and for the first time since I'd had her, I gave her a chance to fulfill her duty.

"Thank you, Juno," I sighed, closing my eyes. "I hope the next time I get to see your face, it'll be with fresh, clean eyes."

"Please, do not worry," Juno pleaded. "I will be paying close attention."

As I closed my eyes, I felt Nia's cold, hard hooves touch my body, they felt like stethoscopes against my skin, probing me like metal. At first, there were calm, soothing pulses coming from all about me. Then came a feeling of static electricity arcing across my skin as though I'd been unraveled from a blanket onto a bed of metal doorknobs. Then the electricity sizzled across my sinew, seizing my strength and commanding my muscles to spasm. Within me surged a storm too fierce in power and too immense in size for words to be described in simple terms. It was an excruciating sensation of hundreds of thousands of tiny, infinitesimal needles that were pinning down every fiber in my being in a cross-weave like a seamstress's stitch. Seconds passed like minutes, minutes like hours, and the strain seemed nigh impossible to bear. Some may even be inclined to call it torture disguised as therapy.

Then, for a few sparse moments, everything stopped. I heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing. All sense and sensation were stripped from me, even the very beating of my heart. The cold, dim stillness of the world about me caused me to wonder if the shock of it all had done me in. There was nothing but pristine, quiet void to greet me now.

And then, a beat. A thump resounded around me. As feeling returned, I felt...lighter. Not in the sense of having lost weight or mass, of course, but rather that the tension that once wound my muscles together had been undone. I'd become like a spring finally uncoiled; a font of force and power, ready to be primed and released at my own will. Though I could not see them, my fingers flittered gleefully as awakened power flowed freely from them like little fountains, and I could hear the pitter-patter of rain against some indeterminate floor. With a raise of my hand, a light cast away the darkness, revealing before me a blindingly bright field of white flowers. I couldn't tell you what they might have been; for all I know, they could very well be the kind which bleed for fallen heroes. What I was certain of, however, was that the applauding shadow that stood tall amongst them most definitely was not welcome there.

"Well, isn't this just splendid?" called Iando from afar, just barely visible against the flowers "You've finally come upon the truth, have you?"

"As if it were any grand revelation?" I chided back. "The fact that you are most assuredly a blight was never exactly up to debate; the fact that you may have played a part in the the slaying and corruption of my kin, however, has given me much better reason to suspect you."

"You know, for a lad your age, you can be awfully grim," the shadow said back. "You know well enough that I'm too weak to do anything to you and you're too strong to be controlled." He sat down, plucking one of the flowers and giving it a sniff. "It's really kind of amusing to see how adamant you've been about this affair, even when I've been nothing but helpful for you."

I turned away, folding my arms. "Only because I'm likely more use to you alive than dead, is that right?"

"Ooh, how savvy!" Iando shook his fists gleefully. "You must think yourself a clever boy."

"I am clever," I snapped back as I walked away, not even so much as sparing a glance. "Too clever to be swayed by your semantics."

Iando simply threw his head back and laughed. "You say that now boy, but one of these days, you will be tempted. And when you are, it will be I that bears that illicit fruit."

"Then you'd best be patient!" I yelled, stamping my feet as I darted away. "I'm not going to be one of the men who sold the world!"

I didn't hear what Iando said next. I busied myself fleeing from the field. Was my running in vain? Maybe, but any place away from him was preferable to seeing him. Now that I knew in better detail the threat he posed to me, I'd made a goal of putting as much relative space between him and myself as I was able to.

Within minutes, I was into the thick of the storm, knee-deep in a lightning-scorched prairie. Rain spattered over my streaking form, and between blinks, I could see two things for certain: That familiar flash of black and blue in the clouds, and an equally-familiar golden-brown visage of the unicorn who had saved me from scarecrow harassment. With each blink, the shining silhouettes drew closer to me and grew brighter more brilliant. Then, like a spear of divine judgement from an angry god, a bolt of lightning cracked down from the sky, striking the earth and setting ablaze the grass. Like a plague, it spread across the grass, nearly engulfing me in a snake-like coil. Infernal cords lashed out at me like the whip of a balrog as I sought to defend myself, only to cringe when the coil became tighter and tighter. Amidst the flames, I could see the unicorn's outline just in front of me. With a deft flick of his head, he cut a mighty swath of the flame, upturning the soil around him to starve them of air. When I blinked next, he was face-to-muzzle with me, staring me down with stern sagacity.

"That would be the second time I have had to intervene," he hummed, baring a stare so scathing that it pushed me to my back. "Must you be reminded that you are able to control this realm?"

I shuddered away from my savior, his aura feeling like pure anathema to me. "Just because I'm capable of controlling this place, that doesn't mean I can just change it with a thought."

"Of course," growled the golden spirit. "Even when one is lucid to his subconscious, one requires focus to make it truly their own."

I scrambled to my feet, focusing on getting back my composure.

"Just who are you, anyway?" I asked, hands at my sides.

"I have no name," said the spirit, shaking his head. "But if you have to call me something, let it be Schrodinger."

I rose an eyebrow. "Why Schrodinger?"

When next I blinked, the pony wanting to be called Schrodinger was barely a speck on the horizon.

"Because through some fault of this world of ours, I both exist and don't exist."

"What does that even mean?" I balked, calling out to the stallion.

Then, within my next few blinks, he was gone, swallowed by the dark. Though the thunder and lightning persisted, the fire was gone now, and even the light of the storm was not enough to see. Once again, I'd been reduced to stumbling in the dark. Time and direction were useless as I trekked in vain hope of catching that golden glimmer once more. Alas, no matter how much I persisted, I was lost on the moonless prairie.

"I'm blind in this darkness," I panted, nearly tripping over myself as I stopped for breath. "I can't see a thing anymore."

"It is not the lack of light that forbids you from seeing in the dark, dear Acolyte," suggested a matronly voice nearby. "Rather, it is because you do not allow yourself to see."

"Luna?" I whispered. "Is that you?"

"It might be," she teased. "But you will never know for certain until release your sight from its bondage and allow yourself to see the world as it truly is."

"But how do I manage that?" I asked. "Surely it can't be that simple."

"All you need do is guard your eyes from false visions," she answered. "Shut them, and when you open them next, know in your heart that you can see."

I admit, I was apprehensive of trusting such a honey-tongued voice. However, considering my circumstances and the fact that this voice was the only one with even a modicum of sensibility, I had no recourse. I shut my eyes, whispering "I will see clearly" to myself as I cleared my head.

And then, as my eyes fluttered open, I did indeed see again. I could see naught but black and white, but even in the monotone, Princess Luna's smiling visage greeted me from beneath a silken umbrella.

"And so the black iris yawns wide at last," she sighed, bringing me under her shade. "And with it, you now know Temperance. By learning to control the darkness, the darkness is clear as day to you."

Luna pointed off into the distance, where a keep laid in wait. "Go now, my dear mage. I am certain you can find your way now. May the next words and their power come to you in due time."

With a stretch of her wings, Luna seemed to jump between the shadows with barely even a gleam from her horn. I was tempted to follow her, but the steady structure ahead seemed much more worth investigating. I wasn't as concerned about my appearance, but as I neared the keep, I felt exceedingly more naked.

The spires of the keep before me spiraled up like toppings on a cake, with banners that were billowing in a battered way against the winds. Each was emblazoned with a heraldry that looked somewhat of a unicorn, but of a sort I'd never been familiar with. It was slender and tall, with tail more like a lion's and hooves more like a goat's, and with a more curved horn. On the windows, I saw scenes of these types of unicorns acting peaceably with my kin, who knelt before them with smiles and olive branches, invited them to feasts, and in one particular image, fighting alongside one another against a tide of shadow. It all gave me a strange feeling of deja vu. Not the images, but the castle they were attached to. This place felt familiar to me, and yet when I tried to search my head for a reason why, I came up empty.

Thankfully, by the time I neared the door, I didn't need to think.

Before me stood two watchmen, dressed in padded linens and wielding halberds. They bore the icons of the banner, though I couldn't make the colors out due to my current state of vision.

"Ho there," barked one with a steely-eyed stare. "What is your business?"

I held my arm behind my head. "I was wondering if you'd seen a unicorn pass by here. You seem to be quite familiar with them?"

"Unicorn?" asked the other, looking to his partner. "I believe one passed by here not long ago, but he didn't pay us any mind. He just walked right past this outpost."

The first guard crouched down to get a better look of me. "Say, be you that starkers fellow who was with Lady Maria at the ball?"

I'll admit, the fact this place had a continuity to speak of was a rather odd surprise. Though to frank, I was more surprised that of all the people who I saw in my last big dream, it was these two that remembered my state of being.

Regardless, I simply nodded, failing miserably in looking unashamed as I felt a slight burning in my skin.

"Isn't really the type of weather for a skyclad vigil, lad." sighed the other, tipping his wide-brimmed hat. "But, nothin' for it, I suppose. Hold here a moment; I'm sure the lady will be glad to see you."

Celestia, sear me in your summer light now and be done with it.

Within a minute or so, the familiar silvery mane of Maria welcomed me again, whose freckles lit up at the sight of me.

"Lance!" she squeaked, lunging into a tender cuddle. "I didn't think I'd see you tonight, little jaybird. What brings you here?"

Maria's grip on me froze me where I stood for a scant few moments before my throat had any inclinations to speak.

"To be honest, I've not been feeling well," I said my voice low. "In light of recent discoveries, I fear for my well-being, and that of my friends. I've been made privvy to some rather grim prospects, and I'm not certain I'll be able to avoid them.

"Poor thing." Maria pursed her lips, letting go of my back as she took one of my hands. "Maybe I can help. I was actually wanting to show you someplace special, but you vanished before I had the chance."

Looking to the guards, they seemed indifferent to the both of us. Their eyes were focused ahead for danger, rather than at the sight of two younglings discussing mortal affairs. The storm kept going overhead, the rain falling heavier, the thunder growing louder, and the lightning getting brighter. It wasn't going to let up for at least a little while.

"Any old port in a storm, I suppose," I replied, shaking off some of the wetness. "I should really get something to cover up in, though; I don't want to catch cold."

Maria smiled, leading me along with a skip. "You don't have to worry; you're safe with me."

I wasn't certain if I could trust Maria, While she was perhaps the most outwardly friendly figure to be in any of my dreams, I wasn't certain of her motives. Iando wanted to tempt me, and Schrodinger wanted to educate me, but what were Maria's intentions? Was she real? Was she some figment my mind made up to give me some form of companion within my species? Was the castle itself some giant coping mechanism? Was it a happy place? I couldn't help but wander as she lead me down the hall. The visuals were nearly the same as our first encounter, just with far fewer crowds.

"So tell me, Lance, where are you from?" Maria asked as she slowed her pace. "It must be nice weather, given the way you dress. Or don't dress, I guess."

"As far as I know, I come from Equestria," I told her promptly. "I was raised in pony hooves in midwinter."

"Really?" gasped Maria. "Just ponies? What was that like?"

I lowered my head. "I wouldn't call it awful, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't without incident. Being the odd one out kind of lends itself to that."

Maria nodded. "I understand; I guess it's not easy growing up in a society that doesn't wear pants all that often."

I stopped dead in my tracks for a moment. A tickling feeling settled in my tummy, which I held with my free hand. I could feel my cheeks puff up and my lips curl into a grin. Then, almost immediately, I burst into laughter. It wasn't the first time I was made to laugh, but to have it come out from one like Maria just made it feel...stronger, in a way. I wasn't really sure why that was, but when Maria joined in, I felt the melancholy just trickled right out of me.

"So what about you?" I wondered aloud. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, just some vassal state in the woods," she replied. "It's a really tranquil place. Good place to connect with nature."

"And where are we headed, exactly?"

"It's a surprise!" she snickered. "Just keep moving."

We made our way down the hall, the drumming of the rain and the banging of thunder following us down from one end to the other. The strength of her pull could move boulders with how fast she moved us along. It wasn't even ten seconds before we reached the door, which she threatened to tear clean off the hinges with how snappily she yanked it open. Then she pulled me along with such force I was scared she'd tear my arm clean from its socket.

Out from the back of the castle was a shallow hill, along which a smooth dirt path was carved out. About halfway down stood a gazebo of astonishing keep for a wooden building. Even as the rain beat down upon it, it stood strong, the brightly-painted roof and slightly dimmer base as if it had only dried that day. A few yards from the foot of the hill was a set of bright, almost pearlescent square obelisks in the vague shape a horseshoe, etched with symbols too far away to read from afar.

Perhaps as a way of being merciful, Maria slowed down, taking the hill nice and slow. She skirted along, holding me close so I wouldn't trip. Not that it was a major risk with my bare feet, but I appreciated the care she took by this point. We tiptoed together like we did in the ballroom, eventually finding shelter from the rain as we sat down in the gazebo to catch our breath.

"I never took you for the type who could enjoy rain," I panted. "What did you want me to see?"

Much to my astonishment, I turned to see Maria working to remove her dress right at my feet. She didn't even flinch or shudder about it, either; it was just on one moment and off the next with nary a scruple about it. The face I made must have been the oddest thing, given how loudly she started laughing. The lack of shame or care as she rocked her head back was equal parts endearing and disturbing.

"And here I thought you didn't have a concept of shame," she chuckled. "You're perfectly fine with being skyclad, but the minute you see someone like me do it, you turn a cute shade of red."

"I seriously doubt that people like us are ones to drop their clothes at the drop of a hat," I reminded my female friend. "Especially not in this rain."

"It's okay, Lance," Maria said, putting her hand against mine. "It's a summer rain. No chance we'll catch a cold like this. We're just skyclad, is all."

Before I could ask her what that meant, she pulled me back to my feet and dragged me between the arch shaped pillars. Rain flicked off us both, and parts of us bounced and jiggled with each hurried step. By the time we were inside, it felt as though we'd stepped into a whole new territory. Though the storm poured outside, it seemed all but gone inside. Inside the pillars, I saw symbols too complex to be cutie marks, but not simple enough to be runes. A striped horseshoe with a horn and wings, a griffon's talon, a dragon's wings, and other such iconography surrounded us.

"What is this?" I wondered aloud. "What are we doing here?"

"This place is where the tribes would gather." Marina spun, her hair swirling around with her. "They had priests who petitioned the spirits for help and fortune.

"And what exactly does the nudity have to do with this?" I asked, looking in awe as the pillars glowed ever faintly. "Is that what those guards meant by 'skyclad'?"

Maria shook her head yes, wheeling around on her toes like a true ballerina. "It's exactly what it sounds like; we're wearing nothing but the air around us. Nothing's standing between us and the universe."

"But what's the function of it all?" I asked, shaking off the rain. "Surely whatever gods and spirits are watching above aren't particular with what their subjects are wearing."

"It's not just for the gods." Like an eagle, Maria swooped in and snatched me in her arms, putting our chests as close as she could bring them. "When the clerics would convene here, they leave behind any signs of status, wealth, and material connection. In exposing their bodies, they also opened their minds and hearts."

Maria's hazel eyes snaked deep inside me. Her grip tightened like an anaconda, and soon our lips were but nanometers apart.

"The same can be said of this dream," she whispered, suckling on my lip. "Only when you open yourself--all of yourself--to the infinite expanses of your subconscious, you can be prepared for all that the waking world has in store for you."

The strange awareness that Maria had in this situation gave me great pause. "How do you know this is a dream?"

Maria gave me a teeny peck on the lips before pulling my ear close. "Do you really think everyone dreams alone?"

My eyes shot wide as silver bits. "Does that mean you're real?"

My female friend let go then, raising her arm out by her side. A piercing cry not unlike that of the red hawk split the air, and in a glorious flash of lightning, the thunderbird that captivated my waking life swooped down onto her arm as though it were a trained falcon. The lids of her eyes dropped to a come-hither stare, and she held me by the chin.

"Why don't you come awake and find out?"

The bird screeched square in my face, its cries inviting the bang of thunder and the flash of lighting. Electrical snakes shot down from the pillars, coiling around us into a predatorial embrace. I heard the voice of the storms in this dream, and it was a language much softer-spoken and poetic than its violent origins implied. Before I knew it, I was being taken into the belly of the beasts, being torn into bits and giblets for their delectation before my ephemeral form faded away into nothing.

And yet, even as I looked upon myself slowly dying, I felt neither fear or loathing. Instead, I understood life and its beauty much more acutely. I felt hope, and nothing that I knew could keep me from it now. I felt might the likes of which was once lost to me.

When I saw again, I was again in a void. Armed with my new vision, I could see a crowd of pony folk racing towards me like a wave, a rainbow of unity and solidarity that could not be split, even by my hand. As it neared me, the distinct roar of the ocean came upon me like the breath of a dragon. It was a force so great and powerful that I could do little but brace myself against its might, shielding myself with my arms as the wave threatened to knock me off my feet. The weight of hundreds of pony hooves trampling me appeared inevitable, only for the crowd to make an eerily even fork all around me, standing on their hind legs as they did so and becoming beings of my shape by the time they were clear of me.

Yet one pony hadn't followed the crowd. A single shining stallion stood silent in the distance, and even from so far away, his piercing gaze struck a familiar chord with me.

"So you finally have eyes which see in the yawning maw the dark," Schrodinger noted with a nod. "Perhaps there may yet be hope for you."

"I'm glad I had a vote of confidence," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "But what'll become of you when all of this is over?"

Schrodinger lowered his head. "I don't know. Though I've been a part of you for a considerable stretch of time, I am not certain as to where I come from or where I will go."

He clopped his hoof against the ground twice, though why he did so was beyond me. "All I can do with certainty is do my best to guide you. Considering your progress, I have hope in our continued cooperation."

I couldn't help but smile a tad at the way Schrodinger was regarding me. He sounded like one of those teachers who really disliked you in grade school and just recently saw you ace one of their most recent tests.

"I wish you good luck in the land of the minotaur, friend." Schrodinger waved high and wide. "My strength is with you."

Then, as many medically-induced dreams tend to do, it cut to nothing.

***

Eyes. Eyes about five-pair all stared down upon me like medical microscopes, lights of hope shining like tiny stars deep in pupils. Five warm breaths and a machine mare's exhaust beat down on me like a midsummer heat. My body was cripplingly sore, my own eyes feeling like they'd been sealed by cement and I groaned trying to pry them fully open. I felt a distinct dissonance between what I wanted my body to do and what it was actually doing. Where I wanted to raise my leg, I could only twitch my toe. Where I wanted to wave my hand, I could only spread and contract my fingers. My skin felt like it was the only thing actively moving, even though I never intended it to.

Then there was the splitting pain in my head.

"I feel like I've been dragged behind a wagon for hours," I groaned, my throat especially hoarse. "What happened?"

"Very nearly died, that's what," Roughshod whickered back. "Not but maybe a half-hour since you lot went below deck, I heard you screaming bloody murder. Frankly, I think it's a miracle you're still talking."

"Well, that would explain why most of you are here," I said, straining to lift an arm. "But why can't I move?"

"Your body was outputting an especially powerful electric current," Juno replied with an odd smile. "By my analysis, your body had a potential energy of about six hundred-thousand millivolts?"

Napalm rose an eyebrow. "Translation?"

"That's about the same voltage as an electric eel," Kenta explained. "With that kind of juice, I'm actually surprised he's alive. Then again, I've taken bolts from a Lagiacrus with more voltage than that."

Nia carefully rubbed her hooves against my body. "I'm afraid that such sustained magical use has caused your muscles significant strain," she said as she invited some of the others to help me up. "As such, you'll have to stay in bed. You don't have to sleep, but your muscles need time to rest and compensate."

I bit my lip. "Is this permanent?"

Nia waved her hooves nervously. "Not at all. You just need time for your nervous system to heal. That aside, are you feeling any improved?"

As I made an attempt to lift myself, I frowned. “I can’t be certain if the treatment worked. I still saw Iando, and he taunted me for my findings. I had a vision of Maria again, too. But, on the bright side, I can see in the dark now.”

Juno was especially keen on helping me to bed, even going so far as to tuck me in and pull my arms over the covers.

"I will maintain surveillance," she swore with a smile. "You are safe now."

"That's sweet of you, Juno," I said, staring up at the ceiling. Then a thought crossed my head. "Did I happen to say anything while I was out of it?"

Juno shook her head. "Nothing but high-decibel screaming and incredibly verbose epithets demanding the mercy of death at the hooves of the royal pony sisters."

It took a large amount of force to push down the cork-like lump in my throat. "Well, good to know that none of you took me up on the offer."

"With the way you were sparking?" Napalm asked incredulously. "I wouldn't go near you with a rubber suit!"

"Very funny," I groused. "Any idea on when we'll make landfall?"

"Spike said about four to eight hours, boss," woofed Kenta. "Want me to take over for 'im? I've got some shipmaster's experience, and I bet he'd love to see that you're okay."

"I'd like that, Kenta," I sighed as Juno put another pillow beneath my head. "He must be worried to death."

Kenta gave a quick salute and a doofy grin. "Aye aye."

The hunting hound hurried to the helm, and after a few minutes of muffled negotiations, Spike speedily stamped his way down into the quarters.

"You know, when I heard all that screaming, I thought someone hooked you up to a torture machine," Spike gasped, stretching out. "If I knew somepony else could pilot this ship, I'd have come running in a heartbeat."

I turned my head over to Spike. "Well, I'm glad you're here now." I tried to bring my arms up, but a sharp sting kept me from doing anymore than a twitch. "I'd hug you, but I'm paralyzed from the neck down right now."

"Oh." Spike slunk a tad. "Well, can I get you anything?"

"Got any comics?"

"Do I!" Spike replied cheerily. "Hang on, I'll get my trade paperbacks of Power Ponies! You'll love it, I promise."

Spike raced off to his room, and quick as a flash, he returned with at least two shelves' worth of technicolor periodicals.

"Which do you wanna read? Crisis on Infinite Equestrias? Secret Mares? Contest of Equestrians?"

"Whichever you want, Spike. Just put some coffee on."

Spike was absolutely beaming at the invitation. Before I knew it, I had the warm aroma of sweet mocha wafting in my nose, and I had two assistants collaborating for an impromptu reading session. I wondered to myself if this is where Twilight gained such a love of books. While I was fond of reading, I admit that all this globe-trotting left me with little time for it. Now that I had precious little else, the simple joy of a glossy, four-color trade paperback felt like the most exhilarating entertainment in the world. Spike would stop from time to time if he needed to explain something to me, and I hung onto his every word while Juno projected the images onto a nearby wall. It was almost like being in a cinema, in a way. For just a short while, I was able to to just relax and enjoy myself.

Really, if there was a worry I had, it was that I'd have to ruin my body a second time, and given where I was going, I thought it wise not to dwell on it.

***

"Alright, up we go, boss. We gotta disembark."

Kenta, proving especially capable for his stature, took the task of helping me off the ship. While I was back in standing form once again, I was in little condition to take anything strenuous. Clutched tightly to Kenta, we stepped off the boarding ramp and had a good look at the land. The cobbled roads, a veritable bounty of docks, and that unmistakably crisp saltiness in the air told me this was most definitely a port town, and a major one at that. Burly men with hooved legs, tapered horns, and broad shoulders stood shoulder-to-shoulder with leaner-looking wives with arms that could break watermelons. Some of them were missing legs, others having hooks for hands, and a number of them were wearing patches across their eyes. If there was one thing that they all shared in spades, it was an air of pride. When all eyes turned to the port and saw me hobbling along, they gave glares that pinned me at the feet.

"Look what we got here, boys!" yelled one. "A drunken sailor, maybe?"

"He doesn't have the swagger to be one," scoffed another. "By the looks of it, poor lad can't even walk on his own."

Roughshod stamped his way in front of me, cane at the ready.

"If you have any sense in you, you'll leave 'im be!"

One of the larger ones strode up to him. Compared to Roughshod, he was a towering behemoth. Between his nostrils was a ring of cast-iron, and strapped across his back was an axe that made Napalm's look puny. It was notched intentionally, perhaps during forging. If he swung that over his head, he could've easily broken Roughshod clean in half.

"And what'll you do if I don't, little ass?" grunted the minotaur, cracking his knuckles. "Shout me down?"

"I wouldn't jest, if I were you," I warned the minotaur. "His words are backed with a power far beyond our understanding."

The warrior and the priest both looked upon each other. A fire burned in their stares, their chests puffing up like hot-air balloons as they grit their teeth and scraped the ground. An audible growl grew between the two of them, and the crowd looked on with folded arms and curious eyes.

Then the Minotaur rocked his head back and let out a roaring laugh.

"You've got some balls, old man!" he said, polishing his bicep. "Who's your limpin' friend?"

"An envoy from Equestria," I called out. "I'm Lance, and I'm here to see your leader for an invitation to Princess Celestia's grand summit."

A squall of snickers stole the wind from my sails. Even the slimmest of steers couldn't resist openly lambasting me, cupping their hands over their faces to try and keep from a catastrophic cackling fit.

"And just what's so funny?" Spike snarled.

"Oh, it's nothing," one of the cows chuckled. "It's just that in Rinth, our politicians have to fight it in the arena."

Spike lowered his guard. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"You'd think that, brother," snorted a deep, booming voice, "But once you see who you're squaring with, you're gonna wish you hopped back on that boat so you didn't have to take the pain train!"

The look on Spike's face told me he knew well enough how this particular steer was. He was a powder-blue fellow with a swagger of confidence in his step and a tacky azure tie round his neck. He also so brazenly wore his heart on his sleeve that I swear you could see a telltale swelling in his bicep. Staring into his eyes, I saw a shine of confidence the likes of which I knew in far few folk. The way he glanced down at me was a cocktail of pity, pride, and empathy.

"I feel sorry you gotta get thrown to the wolves, kid," he said, never once lowering his tone. "But down here, we don't live by strength of voice alone. For your sake, I hope you've got a good therapist."

"Now just hold on a minute," Spike spat. "You mean he's gonna have to fight just to get an invite across? That can't be fair!"

"Well, sorry to say, but this is just how we do things," replied the minotaur, leaning down. "You can make an appeal with the master of ceremonies, but one of you's gotta fight if you expect to have any weight around here."

Spike and the others drew their eyes to me, Juno looking especially concerned as she stepped in front of me. And yet, with what little strength I had, I strode forward.

"If that is the way I must earn the right to counsel," I reasoned, hissing as my every step stung with a needling pain, "Then I shall see fit to provide you a champion worthy of your time."

"Master, you should reconsider," Juno gasped. "You are barely able to stand. You should not be engaging in combat!"

I turned to Juno, a cringing smile on my face.

"Who said I'd be the one fighting them?"

The minotaur gave a toothy grin, putting an arm around me. "That's the spirit, kid! C'mon. Allow Iron Will to escort you to the Arena."

The name the minotaur had rang somewhat familiar, though I couldn't place where or how. There was just a familiar aura about this steer that just itched my brain something awful. Chalk it up to deja vu, I suppose. With his help, we did at least find our way to a building that on first examination looked like a forum, requisite marble etched columns included. Here, steers, calves, and cows alike gathered in chatter, coins clattering as they changed hands.

"Welcome to the arena, boys and girls,' roared Iron Will, his every muscle pulsing as he spoke. "Or as I like to call it, the proving grounds. If there's one thing that we like more than mazes and ships, it's a good old-fashioned slobberknocker. You'd best be ready to get pushed to the limit, because we don't listen to anypony who's got even an ounce of quit in 'em."

"While I appreciate the spectacle," I grumbled. "I would like to have words with the master of ceremonies before my muscular system fails me a second time."

"Oh, right." Iron Will scratched his head. "Give me a minute to get you set up."

With that, the bull made a mad charge inside, leaving us to wonder just what to expect from our visit.

"You know, I've been with you for some crazy things, Lance," Napalm noted, "but this here? This is pretty nuts."

"Don't worry, I think I have a plan to deal with this," I assured my pyromantic partner. "I may not be able to fight, but I have the perfect replacement."

"But who could stand a chance against one of those big dudes?" Spike wondered. "I mean, between the seven of us, only two of us are anywhere near the same body type as them; you and--"

As if an anvil had just fallen on his head, Spike came to realize just what was in store for him.

"Sometimes I hate being the number-one assistant," he grumbled.

"That, my friend, is precisely the reason I've picked you," I told the dragon, propping myself against his shoulder. "See, for a while now, you've merely been the assistant, the number-two. You've carried us far, and with little complaint. But I know you; you want to be the hero. You want the chance to prove your mettle and lead the charge. You've supported us for this long, and now I'm giving you the chance you've always wanted to shine."

Spike gave me a half-lidded stare. "You just want me to go so you don't have to be the one who has all his bones broken."

I gave Spike a so-so sign. "A little. Plus you're just the right weight class for this kind of thing."

Spike leered at me for at least thirty seconds before proceeding to tip his arms back and forth as he weighed his options. All the while, he kept humming along to a tune I wasn't quite familiar with. Then, with an enthused grunt, he smacked his fist into his hand.

"Alright, I'm in," he roared proudly. "Where do I sign?"

"Right here!" bellowed Iron Will, waving a clipboard as he sprinted back to us. "Just put your name right there, and we'll head in and set up."

"Sweet!" Spike squealed as he scribbled down on the sheet. "I hope it's like how they do it in the movies!"

Iron Will guffawed giddily. "Kid, you don't know the half of it! C'mon, let's get inside."

Thus, at his behest, the lot of us filed into the facility, a maze-like complex with hallways it seemed only our guide knew the right way through. Not once did his proud stride let up as he marched us down, onlookers curious at their new company. At this point, stares of confusion and curiosity were common to me, but I believe Spike was feeling some pressure from having so many strangers giving him such odd stares.

"Seein' as you're from outta town, we gotta play up your image," the minotaur mused. "You know, really market yourself to the masses and give the crowd someone they can remember."

"I know plenty about making an entrance," I offered. "Kenta and Napalm are good with explosives, and the ass is good at speeches."

Roughshod groused. "I know the term "ass" can refer to my kin, but it's very hard to tell if you're using the term with sincerity."

"Got anything in mind?"

I gave a bold grin. "And how."

The grin on Iron Will's face was a welcome sight as we filed into a green room, heads abuzz with ideas.

***

In the tradition of repeating trends, I was yet again behind an entrance in anticipation for another public performance. Unlike last time, I had only Spike and Iron Will with me.

"And you're sure we'll be able to see the others?" I asked, taking a peek behind the curtain.

"Don't sweat it," the minotaur made sure. "I got your buddies the best seats I could find. You'll be able to see 'em, no problem."

"Can we go over the script one last time?" Spike twiddled his thumbs. "I'm not sure if I've got it down."

"No time for that, little buddy," Interrupted the minotaur. "They're about to call us."

"Today, we've got a very special match for you, folks," called a hearty voice over a booming loudspeaker. "They've just flown in all the way from Equestria, and they look ready to lock horns in a diplomatic duel of destiny! For today's brawl, please give a warm welcome to Spike the Dragon and his partner, Lance!"

With a swift slap on the back, Iron Will ushered us out, Spike hauling me up onto his shoulders. a swell of screeching guitars, booming drums, and scorching pyrotechnics filled the runway as the two of us barreled down. A wave of cheering masses greeted us with gusto as we neared a decently large square ring. While Spike vaulted over the ropes, I took the nearby stairs and tried my best to climb the nearby turnbuckle.

By the time I caught eye of our challenge, I was suddenly a lot less confident of my champion's chances.

You know the phrase "Mess with the bull and get the horns?" This man was that bull, and his horns were something I'd be wise to stay far, far away from. This was not the type of man you'd find hiding in an alleyway, but rather the type that would be standing outside it, blocking the way. His horns were long enough to be weapons all on their own, and polished to an ivory sheen. His hide was shiny and golden, like a living statue. If you'll forgive the morbid imagery, I imagined his arms were large enough to give a pack of wolves dinner for at least a school week. The upper half of his body was a delicately-carved mountain, a wall of swollen fresh and iron bone that could likely flatten me if he ended up falling atop me. Even his legs, tiny as they were by comparison, were throbbing with power.

"I sure hope you have a plan of attack," Spike simpered through his teeth as he leaned into me. "I'm really not liking my odds here!"

"Don't let the referee hear that," I whispered back, nudging him in the arm. "He's coming right for us."

"So!" called a winsome calf in a monochrome-striped shirt. "Any words from our lovely contestants before we begin in earnest?"

Without a second thought, I snatched the microphone from his hand.

"To say I did not expect this would be a legendary understatement," I said, slinging myself onto the ropes for support. "I am typically a diplomat first and foremost, though the ways of combat are not foreign to me. While I would typically be the man in the arena, I am unfortunately still recuperating from from some rather intensive medical treatments. However, should the champion I've given you fall to that of your own and I should happen to regain my strength, I will happily take his place and give you the show you came here to see."

A wave of applause washed over the room as I made my way around the turnbuckle, waving to the crowd with a smile. The referee happily took the microphone back and spent the next few moments whipping the crowd into a fervor, practically soaking in the hype. Then, with a raise of his hand, he brought them all back to silence.

"Well, it's good to know the challenger's tough enough to stay at ringside," called the referee, sprinkling so much ham and cheese into his delivery that my heart very nearly seized up then and there, "but will his champion be able to survive hell in a cell against our five-time heavyweight champion?! Cows and gentlebulls, give it up for Oro!"

Oro flexed his muscles with such vigor that his veins were ready to tear off his muscles like licorice. As the crowd showered him with praise, he spun around like it was fresh summer rain. He revelled in the attention as a giant cage closed us in and flames like dragon's breath spewed from the turnbuckles. I was lucky that I didn't ruin my body any further trying to duck away from the flames, but the cage that surrounded us bore an ill omen. Then, a loud bell rang out, and the crowd fell into an excited murmur. I clambered back up to the top rope, giving Spike a thumbs-up as he approached Oro. The two of them circled the ring in a manner most gladiatorial, huge spotlights shining over them as they sized each other up.

Then, like two charging bison, the two charged at one another, locking together and pushing each other in a clash of forces. As much as Spike had an impressive start, the strength of his opponent was too great for him. In trying to duck between Oro's legs, he left himself open to being lifted off the mat and dropped on his back with enough force to cause a thunderous sound and an impressive ripple. I cringed as he bounced, but I was more happy that his spines didn't bust a hole in the mat. Thankfully, Spike was a tough nut to crack, and he shakily returned to his feet, letting out a growl of excitement as he charged the bull again, grabbing him by the horns. He dug his feet as deep into the mat as he could, creating ripples in the mat as he bore down, holding the line as best he could.

As I watched them go at it, I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander in search of my friends, who were getting just as hyped up as the rest of the crowd. Napalm was hollering with popcorn kernels stuck in her teeth, Nia and Juno were watching the match with a close eye, Roughshod seemed to be desperately wanting the place to be quieter, and Kenta just sat there, panting wildly. Good of them to enjoy the culture, I supposed.

Oro maintained a terrifying physical advantage, pushing Spike into the ropes, threatening to topple him clear over the topmost one if he could. But where Oro was a large, stern presence, Spike’s smaller stature and sleeker figure allowed him a chance to squeeze out of danger, catching the steer flat-hoofed as he stumbled into a turnbuckle. Spike didn’t have long to center himself as Oro charged full-tilt for him. Spike only barely managed to dive out of the way, ankle and fetlock grazing as they crossed one another. While Oro rebounded off of the rubbery ropes, Spike caught hold of the turnbuckle, snapping around to catch the minotaur as he slingshot his way into him. The two kissed the mat again, locking themselves at the legs in a terrifying tangle. Spike strained his calves considerably, hoping that Oro’s more svelte extremities would give out before his own.

To his dismay, Oro’s lower body proved far more formidable than he’d foreseen, his upper body undoing the knee knot before mounting atop Spike and wrapping his arm around the dragon’s neck. While admittedly a fair strategy, Oro had forgotten perhaps the most fundamental rules of fighting a dragon:

Never, under any circumstances, leave the mouth unrestrained.

A puff of emerald flame wooshed across the bull’s face, filling it with ash and forcing him to recoil, releasing Spike with a hiss as his hands flew to his flustered face. Seeing an opportunity too good to waste, Spike sprang for the ropes, throwing as much of his weight onto them. The ropes creaked with the stretching rubber, forming a noteable arch that captivated the gasping audience. Like a slingshot, the bend grew larger and larger.

Then, with a loud, thunderous twang, Spike shot out towards the minotaur, legs out like a spear in a mighty dropkick that landed true on the bull’s chest with a thunderous thud. The force of the impact was enough to make the bull stagger, if only for a few feet. The crowd showered the dragon in praise, whooping up a frenzy as he hit the mat with a bounce. While he wasn’t actively playing up his actions, he certainly knew what hyped the crowd up.

Shame that he didn’t take time to condition himself beforehand, else that might not have taken so much out of him. Oh, he was able to get back to his feet, but not without a half dozen shakes and more puffing than a bakery’s smokestack. Oro dusted himself off, practically unfazed by Spike’s kick. He even cracked a smile as he patted his chest.

“Nice try,” he grunted, ducking down. “Now let me show you how a man uses the ropes.”

The steer wheeled around on his heel, rushing full-tilt in the ropes and bouncing into them with one mighty leap. Then, like a bullet from a sling, he surged forth. As he flew, he brought an arm out, catching the flat-footed dragon in his bicep and bringing his face into the turnbuckle with a hard smack. I and at least one other patron recoiled as we saw a red spatter stain the mat. Spike only barely stayed up, his forehead bruised and bloodied as he hung himself up on the ropes. I could tell from the look in his eyes and the thickness of his breath that he’d need some help getting the wind back in his sails.

“Keep it together, Spike!” I shook the ropes with the enthusiasm of a chipper chimpanzee. “You’re not gonna let this goliath walk all over you, are you? I know you’re tougher than this!”

As Spike pushed himself back onto his feet, the scales on the sides of his head twitched. For a few precious seconds, he stood there, taking in the din of the crowd and searching for his center. He barely moved at all, and when he did, his motions lacked any kind of rhythm or reason. It was as though the head trauma made him forget where he was, like he needed a moment to remember what he was doing.

Thankfully, the telltale clang of a ringside bell helped to return him to his senses, despite what little seemed to remain. He dragged himself back to our corner, where he cringed trying to recline against the turnbuckle. He let out a hiss as I wiped the blood off his face with a cloth from my pocket.

“Okay, big guy, that round could have ended better,” I sighed, dabbing the blood off as best I could, “but what’s important is, you’re not down yet.”

“But how am I supposed to take someone like him down?” Spike whimpered, motioning to the minotaur. “He’s massive!”

I spun Spike around swiftly and looked into him with a steely eye. “Compared to what you and I have seen before, this guy’s nothing.”

Spike stared into me for a moment before nodding knowingly. “What’s the plan?”

“Simple,” I replied, pointing to Oro’s legs. “Minotaurs, much like bulls, rely heavily on their ability to maintain momentum. The legs, therefore, are both its greatest asset and its worst hinderance. What I want you to do is use his momentum against him and tap into that draconic power inside you.”

“But how do I do that?” Spike puffed, looking to his claws. “I can’t just wish to get stronger, just like that!”

“Yes you can!” I shouted, squeezing his shoulders. “You just have to want to. All you have to do is channel that will inside you to succeed, that desire to be the hero, and that determination to see it through to the end.”

I pulled him close to me, close enough to see the white in his eyes. “Now, do you want to win?”

“I want to win,” Spike replied flatly.

“Louder!” I demanded, shaking him by his collarbone. “Do. You Want. To Win?”

“I want to win!” he shouted back.

“Put your heart into it!” I roared. “Are you going to win?”

“I’m gonna win!” Spike roared back.

“Then get out there,” I cheered, pushing him back onto his feet. “Get out there and show this crowd what kind of fire burns in that heart of yours!”

With a proud growl, Spike reared his head back, and mustering all his power, let slip a glorious green cloud of fearsome fire. The crowd’s newly-rejuvenated hype cut the air like a bombshell, forcing me to shield my face from its sheer intensity. When I lowered my arm, I felt a noticeable change in the air. An invisible fog weighed around the arena, and there was a certain pressure radiating off the recuperated drake. It was a warmness that seemed to emanate from his muscles as he steeled himself.

“Alright, big guy,” Spike growled, wiping himself off with a returned smirk. “What do you say we turn up the heat?”

As he lifted himself up, Oro let out an incredulous snort. “You’ve got a big mouth, for someone who got his head bashed in,” he chortled, cracking his joints. “Let’s see if you can handle a second round.”

With that, the ringside bell clanged to life briefly once more, and the two closed in on each other again. Spike’s steps made the mat sink markedly deeper than before, thudding along with voracious vim and vigor as the two met chest-to-chest. A certain, unseeable power flowed around the ring. It was an aura of strength that seemed to radiate from their bodies like the mist from their sweat. Their infectious bravado filled me with a peculiar strength and vitality that helped keep me on my toes.

Then, that mass of testosterone and bravado detonated with the violent clash of the two toned titans’ fists. Spike kept hopping on the mat, his feet shuffling in a dizzying tango as he buffeted the bull with a barrage of blows to the abdomen. Oro answered his attack by tensing his muscles, turning his abs into a steel curtain as he wrapped his arms around the dragon. Spike reciprocated the embrace, wrapping around Oro’s waist and using his head as a wedge to force him into the corner. Then, with the grace of a stag beetle, he wrapped his foe in his arms and reared back, chucking him with a terrifyingly fierce suplex. While he wasn’t thrown significantly far, the shift in momentum was enough to give the bull pause. Before he even had the chance to get his bearings, Spike lunged at him, bashing his forearm across his forehead.

The crowd gasped, this sudden turn causing them to grow quieter in anticipation.

It was then that Spike decided to do something reckless. Something incredibly reckless, at that. Something so reckless it looped in on itself and became brilliant.

He started climbing the cage.

Forcefully, he clambered his way up, trying his best not to bend the bars. Each rung he climbed was greeted with the whine of straining metal and creaking turnbuckles. The cage shuddered violently the further up he reached, a nagging worry for his safety and mine growing ever louder in turn. Even if I’d wanted to flee for my own safety, I was just as trapped inside as he was. I could only pray that the cage fell away from me in the event of its forthcoming structural failure.

As he reached the apex, at least ten times his body length, Spike freed one of his arms to dangle like a big, scaly gorilla. A symphony of shrill cheers shrouded the the arena as he cupped a hand around his ear, taking in the thrill of the moment. He took a deep breath, his pectoral muscles tensing as he jutted his elbow out, bracing his arm against his head and peering down at the long drop he was about to make.

Finally, after licking the sweat from his lips and whispering an inaudible prayer to a higher power, he leapt from the wall and allowed gravity to take the reins.

Bang. A deep, thunderous boom of distorted tarpaulin rattled the arena, causing both rope and cage to shudder furiously. Fearing the inevitable, I dropped off the edge, holding my arms over my head at the guttural groan of structural destruction. My knees creaked and crackled as I struggled to kneel down, the adrenaline high only barely keeping me from giving way. I shut my eyes as tight as I could and held my breath.

Of course, had I not been so caught up in the mania of self-preservation, I would’ve remembered that cages don’t typically collapse inward. I suppose mistakes like that happen when you’re in a panic for your own safety and the vast majority of your body’s still effectively numb and vulnerable.

The great cacophony of crashing metal swarmed around me, making a noise so loud that the ringing threw me off-balance and forced me to the ground. For a brief instant, I was engulfed in total bedlam, everything around me slowed to a slither as my brain tried desperately tried to make sense of the mayhem. Amidst the chaos, I could only pray that whoever helmed the machinations of my fate was feeling particularly kind or merciful.

Then at last, after what felt like an hour, the storm of steel and debris ceased. At my heels were the tarp that hung around the arena, at my back its ropes, and in my ears the empathic roar of the crowd managed to cut through the wall of noise to shower the room with praise. I craned my head around as best I could, wincing as still-healing nerves jolted in protest, and saw my friends hopping out of their seats in a wild hype over what had transpired.

Meanwhile, Spike groaned back to his feet again as he dusted himself off. Though it took him a moment to understand what all he’d just done, once he was cognizant of his conquest, he was cheering just as loudly and proudly as the rest. After a few beats, the dragon’s priorities swiftly shifted back to me, rushing to my side in a frenzied sprint.

“Oh geez, are you okay?” He wheezed, his overexertion starting to catch up with him. “You’re not hurt are you?”

“Well, besides all of my nerves screaming internally, I’m perfectly fine.” I replied hoarsely. “You may want to make sure the man you just speared with your elbow from a four-meter drop is fine, though.”

Spike’s eyes nearly popped right out of his head as he hooked his arm around my waist and slung me over his shoulder. “Shoot, you’re right. Just stay on while we check.”

“Not like I have much choice,” I mumbled back.

Spike hurdled over the rubble like a mighty gazelle and quickly put his head to Oro’s chest, hoping he hadn’t seriously hurt him. As I hung limply from his shoulder, I kept a keen eye on that chest, looking for any signs of breath. His stomach was still rising and descending—however shallow it appeared—so he must not have been mortally wounded. At the very least, we were keeping him company while we waited for professionals to arrive.

And arrive they did, the wail of a powered guitar screaming around the arena as geysers of flame and sparks shot up from the runway. At the summit appeared a minotaur whose size was yet larger than Oro, his bronzed abs statuesque and his gold-tipped horns keen enough to punch through a tree with impunity. Accompanied by two buxom attendants, he strode down, a long violet cape draped across his shoulders as he welcomed the adoring cheers of the public. Across his face streaked the sweat of a man who would never allow himself to buckle beneath the burden placed on his shoulders.

As I stared weakly into this bull’s eyes, I was left with no doubt that this was a bull who commanded great respect.

“Young man, I am impressed!” the steer snorted. “It’s not everyday I see a cage match end that intensely.”

Spike rubbed the spines on his head with a nervous sweat. “Y-yeah. Sorry about that.”

The bull guffawed, rearing his head back for a guttural laugh that sent ripples all across the arena that the audience rebounded in waves.

“Kid, you’ve got nothin’ to be sorry about!” he declared proudly. “You managed to best the people’s champion with all that the Powers gave you, and you looked damned good doing it.”

The crowd affirmed the king’s praises, trickling down a wave of whistling and whooping. I was certain Spike would be cringing, but I suppose having to carry someone on your shoulders might require one to accept flattery just a touch more willingly. Then again, Spike had probably been in this scenario just a tad bit more than I had, so what did I know? He had his moment in the spotlight for a change and I was happy.

“Ah, but where are my manners?” The king asked with a blindingly radiant smile. “I am Vince McBullion, master of ceremonies and lord of this fine realm.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” I groaned, craning my head up. “I’d shake your hand, but I think most of the adrenaline that was keeping me up is gone now.”

“That’s nothing to worry about,” Vince replied with a rumbly chuckle. “What’s important is the matter at hand. Your champion has bested mine fairly in this hallowed ring. As is our tradition, his entitles you to my personal attention. Name anything you’d like, and I’ll see to it that it is fulfilled.”

Spike smirked cheekily. “You might want to get a quill.”

Author's Note

Well, it certainly took far longer than I'd anticipated—a myriad of personal and creative struggles definitely helped to contribute to that—but this big bastard is finally done.

To say it wasn't a labor of love would be a lie, however. The major inspiration for the latter half of this chapter, if you couldn't already tell, was the WWE, in particular the Attitude Era and the SmackDown vs RAW era. While I don't follow Sports Entertainment as much as I used to in my youth, I definitely wanted to give a tribute to one of the more often-overlooked mediums of fiction, as well as engage in something a bit more vivid and exciting than normal. At least, for me.

I want to give big thanks to my editor, Amneiger for sticking around to its completion. Believe me, I'd been writing this chapter since at least October of 2015. What I've been doing from then to now has been made very clear in my blogposts, so if you're curious as to what took me so long, check there for details.

All in all, I wish to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who stuck around waiting for this beast to update once more. While I can't say we're nearing the absolute end of the story, this arc is at least over, and the next one is another one that I've really been itching to do for a while. The only thing I can see stopping me from writing that arc in a timely fashion is the need to find a decent translator to make sure the dialogue is accurate.

Thanks for sticking around, guys. It really does mean a lot to me.

Also, happy 20th chapter and all that. :yay:

Chapter 21: Caged Birds

Author's Note

Welcome back, at long last, to Hand in Hoof. It's been well over a year, I know. I wish I had some kind of excuse or explanation of why it took so long, but I can perhaps most plainly say that life got a lot busier between then and now. Day after day, I would remember this work still needing completion. I'd remain taunted by its cliffhangers and its points unrevealed.

But, such is life.

In case you didn't see the word count before, I will be frank; this chapter is goddamned long. I figured that seeing as there was a long gap between updates, I may as well reward those of you who were patient enough to wait for me with a nice, big, juicy cut of a plot for you. This is gonna be a bit of an angsty chapter, lads.

Going forward, I'm going to try and make more concise chapters. But, I make no promises.

Enjoy yourselves, lads, see you when the next one's done.

Chapter 21: Caged Birds

The loud and bombastic extroversion King Vince showed in the ring didn't seem to end backstage, either. Perhaps he was energized by the excitement that two foreigners brought to his people. His assistants were certainly eager to keep me upright in their arms. Whatever the reason for his mood, his courteousness was a welcome relief.

"We're getting your friends settled in the VIP room," the king said, adjusting his tie. "We'll talk business there."

"I appreciate the escort, Vince," I said with a weak smile. "A bit firm for my liking, but I can appreciate a woman with a blessed upper body."

"I expect nothing less from my divas," Vince replied, smirking back at me. "I like a woman who can kick my ass."

Spike scratched his head. "That's...nice."

"Well, I suppose strength of body is just as important as strength of heart," I added, now beading with sweat as I trembled subtly between the two escorts.

One of the two eyed me with a giggle, squeezing me ever so slightly.

"Don't sweat it, little man," she whispered, wiggling my arm in her embrace. "I've still got my woman's touch.'

Shockingly, hearing such assurance from a woman whose biceps were as thick as grapefruits didn't prevent me from squirming with mild embarrassment.

Fortunately, we reached a star-marked door a few moments later. As it opened, my friends sighed at the sight of us. Juno rushed up to me, her camera-like eyes scanning my body with great rapidity as she searched me for injuries. After a quick pat-down, she nodded, turning to the group inside.

“It would appear Master Lance has not sustained any further injuries,” she declared, a tinge of pride in her tone.

“Well that’s just peachy,” Roughshod muttered. “I admire your bravery, kid. Personally, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near that ring if I’d have gone through half the crazy stuff you’ve put yourself through.”

“At the very least, he’s conscious,” Napalm noted. “It’s actually kind of a miracle, when you think about it.”

“Well, of course it is!” Roughshod snapped back, pointing his cane at Spike. “This madman of dragon climbs to the top of a steel cage and let gravity drive a stake clear into that steer’s chest! I’m surprised both of them walked away without a scratch on ‘em, much less Lance.”

I chuckled weakly. “As much as I’d love to watch you two carry on, I’m fading fast as it is. If you’ll make room, I’d like to finish up our business here and get back on the trail.”

The two divas brought me inside, exchanging teasing looks with the three mares in our midst as they laid me on the sofa whilst Vince sprawled a map across the table.

“We’ve known about this temple for a good while,” he began, pointing to an outcropping in the middle of a forest. “Unfortunately, we can’t tell you an awful lot about it; survey teams have tried to get a more intimate look of the place, but the inside was too cramped for any of my men to get too deep.”

“So what do you know as of now?” Nia asked as she worked her hooves on the individual joints in my fingers.

“Well, from how far they could get in, the survey team reckons it might have been some kind of animal sanctuary,” Vince continued, circling around the surrounding forest. “Either that, or it was overrun some time ago and its original purpose is unknown.”

“Great,” scoffed Napalm, “Another mysterious dungeon because the scouts were too big to fit in the door.”

“It can’t be helped,” Roughshod replied with a shrug. “We should at least be grateful they were able to get any information at all.”

I gave the map a glance, trying my best to commit the coordinates to memory whilest Juno’s eyes flashed like the bulb of a camera.

“If that’s all you have for us, Mister McBullion, I think we’re done here,” I said, wincing as I picked myself up again. “For what it’s worth, I enjoyed your company.”

“Likewise,” Vince replied with a broad grin. “You’re welcome back anytime. Maybe when you’re healed up, I can get you into a proper match.”

“Just so long as you pit me against someone near my weight class,” I chuckled.

The room was joined in laughter. In spite my near-paralysis, I couldn’t help but laugh myself, if only as a temporary panacea for my physical problems. While I had some longing in the back of my mind to have contributed more to this leg of our adventure, seeing all my companions—Spike especially—so happy and relieved gave me assurance that I had done more than enough this time around.

***

Sleep was scarce that night. The inability to move into a comfortable position in my bed was bad enough, but the aftermath of the melee I had been spectator to kept my heart at a hare’s pace. The din of a still feverish public still echoed in my mind, and as I lay on my back, eyes glued open from dryness, I was left with only my thoughts to occupy me. In an attempt to distract myself, I scanned my lodgings.

The floor was wall-to-wall soft, almost plush red carpeting, with gold and marble in every wall, windowsill, and curtain rod in sight. None of my party had to share a bed; even dear old Spike had his own king-size four-poster to sleep on. Judging by the way the mattress cradled his body, he must have been sleeping like a hatchling. Napalm and Roughshod were sprawled out, their blankets in shambles as both let out discordant snores that were mercifully low enough to ignore. Kenta was curled up at the foot of my bed, with Juno in the corner nearest to me. Then there was Nia, as quiet and still as a mouse, nearly swallowed whole by her blankets.

Everyone else was resting, and yet there I laid, rigid like a plank, eyes fixated on the peculiar shine in the sky that flitted through the curtains. If I squinted, I swore that I could see a flicker of blue, not unlike what I had seen aboard the airship. Could the bird have been following me this whole time? Was it an omen, or merely a figment of my own exhausted mind? Whatever it was, it fascinated me to no end to watch that flicker dance across the curtain. To my frustration, however, such light had no hypnotic effect on me, and after a while, I was forced to watch it fade away, leaving me alone again.

Then, as if to taunt me, a familiar irritant reared his ugly head.

“My, you seem to have quite the knack for inducing spectacle wherever you seem to tread, hm?”

Luna’s love, why do you forsake me so?

“Hello, Discord,” I grumbled through my teeth, desperately keeping my voice low. “To what do I owe your inopportune arrival?”

“Well now,” scoffed the draconequus with a shade of mock offense, “That’s certainly no way to greet a friend, is it?”

“Discord, the last time we met, you made a nude effigy of me in marble and plonked it right in the center of the royal gardens,” I snapped back. “Were I not effectively paralyzed from the neck-down, I would find wherever your spine is in that long body of yours and break it over my knee.”

“My, someone has a dark imagination to them,” Discord said, eyebrow raised slightly. “I admit, that would have been fun to watch had you done that in the ring.”

I jerked my head up. “You saw that?”

Discord smirked, producing a bag of popcorn kernels. “That I did, my boy. Quite a fun spectacle, too. Some really should have told Spike what kayfabe was, though.”

“Is there a particular reason as to why you’re here?” I groused, trying to turn my head away. “Or have you come simply to humiliate me as you did last time?”

“Well, it’s just that,” he replied, lounging upon thin air as though a chair were right there, “You see, in light of recent events on the homefront, I’ve started to reflect upon my past actions. With that, I’ve come to realize how—cripes, what’s the word I’m looking for—well, routine I’ve been getting. The chaos I’ve cherished for so long has effectively become mundane, even dull. Trying to keep up that charade of spontaneity just ends up turning it into something I feel obligated to do.”

“What a tragic irony,” I murmured, my eyes briefly spinning in their sockets. “The exalt of entropy becoming unremarkably uniform unbeknownst to himself.”

Discord furrowed his brow, “Look, I know you’re not in the best shape, but at least lend me your ears while they still work.”

I tried to gesture my acquiescence, but was met with only frustration merely trying to get my shoulders to shrug.

“My point is, I’m starting to realize just how much life in Equestria is changing me,” he continued, popping kernels into his mouth and crunching them like sunflower seeds. “If this was Her Royal Highness’s plan to make a better man of me, I’d be lying if I said if it didn’t take in some regard.”

“So why is it that you came to me of all folk to vent your woes?”

Discord crossed his legs. “Well, as odd as it may sound, I find in you a kindred spirit of sorts.”

“You must be joking,” I replied as my cheek hit the pillow. “How are we in any way alike?”

“It’s simple, really,” the draconequus assured. “Our equine benefactors see in us a potential to realize goodness, in spite of whatever maladies weigh on us. No matter what we’ve done, she would rather see dastards live and have a chance to change than to fall at her hooves. Myself, Tirek, her own sister, and others. To her, only the truly monstrous and unrepentant are deserving of the worst of her power.

“To put it simply, I’d like to help you, much the same way your dear caretakers have helped me.”

And just like that, all thought seized up in my mind. I was certain that I had lost it then and there with how everything froze around me. A brief falling sensation wracked my body as my jaw hanged agape in unremitting awe. This appeared to both amuse and concern Discord, who began waving his lion paw in my face repeatedly.

“Blast, I think I sent him into cardiac arrest,” he snapped as he cracked his knuckles and pursed his lips. “Time to resuscitate.”

For a brief instant, my legs jolted back to life, shoving my body up against the headboard.

“I assure you, I’m fine!” I blurted painfully. “I just needed to let my brain overcome the massive weight that statement just put on it.”

“Well, at the very least you’re honest,” Discord huffed as he crossed his arms. “So, anything I can do for you now that the cards are on the table?”

I wriggled a little further up the bed. “Well, if you’re any good at diction, I’d appreciate your help in penning a letter back home.”

With a snap of his talon, the draconequus produced a pen and parchment. “Shall I write it in cursive or print?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Just listen close.”

Discord’s eyes spun like a cartwheel. “Is this is a letter home or your last will and testament?”

***

Dearest Mother and Aunt,

As I lay paralyzed from the neck-down in a terribly cozy bed in the land of the Minotaurs, it has occurred to me that I haven’t written to either of you in quite some time. You all must be worried sick! Do forgive me; much as I’d love to regale you with my progress, I doubt a full parchment would be able to fully capture everything. What’s important is Griffonstone and Rinth will be visiting for this year’s summit, and it’s been a very educational experience overall. In Griffonstone, I learned that good humor and a smile do wonders in sensitive situations. As for Rinth, I learned that when a friend needs your support, one of the best things you can do is be there for them. Even if it’s only to cheer them on, simply being at their side can be one of the greatest blessings you can give them.

Unfortunately, there were also some not-so-fortunate findings. In exploring these lands, I have found temples that appear to be connected to my people’s civilization. At first, it appeared that we were friends with ponykind, but as I have recently come to find, something happened. Something awful that forced them to flee. Given what I heard in my last excursion, all signs point to a battle. One strikingly similar to what became of Luna all those years ago. I don’t yet know the full extent of what happened, but it does not bode well for my current condition. Though I am growing closer to finding the roots of my heritage, I fear that the maleficent spirit is not yet gone from me, and in my last attempt to rid myself of him, it has left me uncomfortably numb.

But, I won’t let this fear take me yet. It’s happened to Luna, and it has no doubt happened to many others. If I survive to make it home, I have utmost faith in both of you that I might be freed from the same fate that befell my kin. I’ve but one last nation to meet, and two more temples to delve into. I’ve seen visions of benefactors of my own kin and yours, and in the past few days, a thunderbird has been following my trail. I can only hope that it may be a good omen.

I can see the light at the end of this tunnel, mother. I need only the strength to reach it, and with my friends at my side, I am certain I can make it. I know that you believe in me. I see it every time I look at the sky. If you can see me in turn, I implore you:

Don’t let that light fade.

I’m sorry if this letter is bittersweet. I really am happier than this. I just hope that this journey ends happily.

I wish the both of you the best of luck in your research. Assuming Luna hasn’t kept you privy to what I’ve been doing, I can only hope my discoveries embolden your efforts.

Yours in Love,

Lance

***

Discord looked up from the paper, slightly aghast. “Do you...need a moment, kid?”

I buried my face in the pillow, desperately vying to obfuscate the fading facade of composure I’d taken such great pains to construct. My throat was growing narrow, and I could feel my eyes drowning in pitiful wetness. Every attempt I made at vocalizing resulted in shameful whimpers audible to only myself. Even with my back turned, I could tell Discord was drawing closer to me by the way the air shifted around.

“Oh dear,” the draconequus mumbled, his paw at his muzzle. “Now I just feel awful.”

I craned my neck to look at him. His visage was half-blurred by the moisture building up in my eyes as I shook my head. “It isn’t your fault. Not this time.”

Discord produced a rope of handkerchiefs from a place I’d best not think too deeply about. “Come now, Lance; just what’s eating at you? I swear, I’ll keep it in strictest confidence.”

I laid my head back down. Silence dominated the room as I let my composure come undone before the redeemed aberration at my bedside. Faintest murmurs of half-formed sentences and unremitting tears filled the pillow, the sounds muffled by the padding in spite of my loudest moans. For a while, I ended up just going dead silent for fear that any further attempt at communication would only exacerbate my anxiety. Eventually, there was simply nothing left to let out. My eyes were arid once more, my throat barren, and my shame utterly annihilated.

I rose my head up, my eyes boring into Discord’s, trying to find any hint of deception or ill intent in him. Yet his eyes merely reflected my own; red, glassy, and abyssal. Seeing him stare back at me, his brows lifted in a mix of concern and confusion, gave a queer sort of comfort. After a prolonged period of deafening quietness, I strained to turn onto my back to face him proper.

“No use hiding it now, huh,” I lamented hoarsely. “You swear to keep this between us?

Discord (perhaps jokingly) performed a scout’s salute. “On my honor.”

I cleared my throat a few times as I tried to prop myself up. Yet again, I was the patient of an armchair psychologist.

“I’ll give you the short version,” I started, struggling to keep my eyes open. “I would tell you the whole story, but this has already kept me awake for far longer than it needed to. For a while now, I’ve been dealing with some...less than welcome entities in my mind. One of them regards itself a paradox, and the other a dark benefactor. The latter of the two, as I mentioned in the letter, may not be gone. He certainly wasn’t when I was last asleep.

“He’s been more and more forward lately, offering his help, but part of me knows he’s waiting for even that tiniest moment of weakness before assuming total control of my being. He’s saved my life at least twice over, but I’ll bet bits to biscuits that it was because I’m more useful to him living than dead.”

“So I’ve heard,” Discord hummed, weaving his hands together. “But pray tell, what caused that little meltdown just now?”

My head drooped slightly. “My most recent discovery reminded me just how short my life may end up being.”

Discord’s brow rose curiously. “So you fear dying early, than.”

I attempted to shoot the chaos avatar a needling gaze, but with how my eyes had just been exhausted, it felt far less impactful. After about thirty seconds, I just resigned to looking up at the ceiling again.

“Can’t say I blame you, kid,” he continued, producing a pipe that seemed to produce vapor from nothing. “It’s only natural that you’d find your predicament harrowing. Everyone—pony, griffon, minotaur and otherwise—is afraid to die. Even folks like Celestia and Luna are afraid of it. Even I get chills just thinking about the idea of it; we just don’t show it because we’ve had so much more time to reflect on it than most mortals get to.”

Discord then laid a hand on my shoulder, as if he were assuming the role of a wise uncle.

“At the same time, though, that fear of death is perhaps the greatest tool any living thing has in its employ. Especially when it comes to those of your ilk. I’ve heard many a story of your kinfolk, Lance; all those ancient fairy tales of brave stallions who lived long and fought to their last breath, wishing only that their lives ended meaningfully. All those great monuments and hidden caches of lore and history, the wondrous machines and devices, all those lingering remnants of their great past. That drive to leave something behind for the generations to come is exactly the reason you’re even here today. Some fortunate son made sure that you survived long enough to see this day in the hopes you’d get to see so many others.”

He gestured to all of my friends in the room. “But the best part of living, Lance, is you don’t have to go it alone.”

I blinked, my heartbeat unusually steadied by Discord’s soliloquy. “That’s...oddly profound from someone like you.”

Discord’s smirk widened. “When you’ve been alive for eons, you have quite a lot of time to think about such things.”

I shifted my view back to window, hoping to perhaps see another glimpse of the thunderbird. While it was long gone, the moon was happy to stand in its place. I all but forgot that Discord was there for a few sparse moments, just taking in the detail of the moon. Just looking at it, knowing that somewhere, Princess Luna was likely watching over me relaxed me in a way that I may not have felt since childhood.

When I looked to Discord again, he’d put on a coat and hat and was carrying a suitcase with him. “Well, by the looks of it, my work here is done.”

“Wait, so did someone send you here?” I blurted with a start.

The draconequus shrugged. “Not really. I just happened to remember you while I was pondering things to do today. Given what I just saw, it’s safe to say I came at just the right moment.”

I tried my best to smile to Discord, but my facial muscles were so well worn that I could only manage a tiny smirk.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say it, but thank you, Discord,” I sighed. “I really needed that.”

“Think nothing of it,” he replied, before producing a glass of chocolate milk from a deft wave of his paw. “Here. To help you sleep.”

I gave the glass a cautious glance. “That’s all?”

Discord crossed his heart. “I swear, I’ve done nothing to it. Besides, exploding chocolate milk is so last season.”

With a snap of his talon, a misty blue monolith appeared before him. It glowed like a light at the end of a long tunnel, through which he stepped as though it were a door. Then, as the tip of his dragon’s tail whisked inside, the monolith descended from once it came, as quickly as it had been summoned. Just like that, Discord had left, and all I had to remember this fateful little encounter was a glass of milk.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have expected anything more.

***

Sleep was uneventful when it finally came. Perhaps it was something in the milk. Maybe Iando was hiding out now that he was becoming more well-known. Honestly, I think my brain was so densely-packed with existential madness that it was devoting all its processing power towards trying to sort it all out. Whatever the case, I didn’t dream that night, which came to be an unexpected relief.

As an additional relief, the minute I turned to look at the window, I had Juno staring back at me, her lenses zoomed far in to look closely in my eyes.

“It would appear you’ve suffered mild eye strain,” she stated, tilting my head closer with her hoof. “Was your sleep cycle not sufficient?”

I shuffled upright with a groan. “Well, between a sudden growth in popularity and an irritating paralysis that leaves me nearly unable to move my body in any helpful way, why don’t you guess?”

Juno shrunk before me. “That was sarcasm, wasn’t it.”

I tried to pat the robotic pony on the head, but the most I could do was an attempt at nuzzling her cheek with my own. “Don’t worry, Juno. I’m not as bad as I was earlier; just a little frustrated about this whole mess I’ve gotten myself into the last couple of days.”

Juno tilted her head. “I don’t understand. Are you angry at me, or are you angry at yourself?”

“It’s not really something I can really explain,” I told her, raising my hand with some strain. “Ever since that procedure, I’ve just felt stuck. My body wants me to be still and my mind wants me to quit, but my heart wants me to press on and on and on.”

Her head tilted a few clicks further. “So it is a matter of not wanting to stagnate?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” I concurred, resting my fingers on the bridge of my nose. “I just hate being stuck, I guess.”

Juno took my hand in her hooves, caressing it as carefully as she could. She nuzzled it, her cheek rubbing tenderly against my knuckles as she closed her eyes and gave a soft smile. Even as I attempted to pull away, she kept possession if it. Part of me thinks she must have accidentally recalled memories of playing with a cat.

“This will pass, master,” she assured me with a warm look. “It may pass as easily as a round peg through a square hole, but it will pass.”

And thus, the two of us stayed put for a good few minutes. She anchored me to the bed, refusing to let go until everyone else had woken up. By the time the rest of the gang had woken up, my whole forearm had become limp and numb, much to the confusion of all who saw it.

Spike rubbed his eyes. “Are...we interrupting something?”

“Nothing, Spike,” I blurted. “Juno was just giving me some bedside manner.”

“Well, when you’re ready, let’s get going,” he advised, helping me up. “I’d rather not get trampled by fangirls on the way out.”

I chuckled, stretching out. “Right. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Spike and the others helped me out of bed. Though I staggered upon initially getting on my feet, they finally started to support my own weight again. Granted, I still felt like I was walking on tacks and caltrops, but it was something.

“Well, it’s better than yesterday,” I groaned, wincing between steps. “How long will it take to prepare Melissa?”

“Shouldn’t be more than an hour, boss,” Kenta barked, raising a paw to his temple in salute. “I’ll make sure you have a wide berth.”

I nodded, wrapping an arm around Spike to brace myself. “Thank you, Kenta; I’m glad to know I’ve got someone beating them back for me.”

“Y’know, in any other situation, I’d probably eat this up,” Spike chuckled. “But, I can settle for the old ‘people’s champ’ angle for now.”

“Let’s just make sure I survive for the rematch, eh?”

As we made our way outside, the two of us shared a laugh that could be heard all through the arena. When we stepped out into the open once more, the looks that the public gave us had changed considerably. What once were skeptics and naysayers looked onto us with surprise and awe. Even as I continued to lean on Spike, I wasn’t ridiculed nearly as much as before. If anything, I helped “put him over”, as the promoter had put it. People actually came over to help us and show their support, and while mine weren’t in as great a number, I had a nice contingent of fans escorting me all the way to the docks.

When the lot of us arrived at the docks, both sides of the street had been lined with sailors and what I could only presume to be fellow wrestlers, each in wildly different states of dress. Some wore colorful masks that covered all but their horns and noses, others wore tights with gripping designs, and some wore singlets that left a scary scarcity of covering to the senses. Beyond their attire, though, they were the picture of their society in its most ideal: the spitting image of strength and machismo, be it masculine or feminine.

As we neared the boat, the biggest of the steers stood clear in my way. His eyes were dim and distant like a lighthouse at the end of a foggy lake, the air around him all but frozen into an icy vapor. His was a stature that was somehow even greater than that of Oro. This was a figure so terrifyingly large that I feared if he slammed me to the ground with any force at all, I might very well die.

You could imagine my relief and surprise when this monster of a man extended an open hand to me. With some reasonable trepidation, I returned the gesture, shaking the steer’s hand slowly.

“To whom do I owe the honor?” I asked, knees now shuddering ever so slightly.

"Astaroth," grunted the minotaur, seemingly unaware of how tightly his hand gripped mine. "I was near the front when your friend was in the ring."

My eyes screwed up to meet his, trying to keep myself from buckling from awe at this giant of a wrestler. "You were? What did you think?"

I could note a frozen timbre in Astaroth's chuckle. "The same thing that my fellows did; It was an auspicious beginning for him, and for you as well. Perhaps a bit too much too soon, but for introductions there are few better ways to get heat for a new talent."

I looked to the other wrestlers for a moment, my cheeks now reasonably inflamed as I cocked my head. "That's a good thing, right?"

Astaroth nodded. "It's a very good thing. In our world, that means you've gotten the audience's attention and care."

Spike was absolutely beaming. While I knew that he'd already become something of a local hero in the Crystal Empire, I'm certain the compliments had inflated his ego to the size of one of those inflatable tube dancers that I'd occasionally see outside the more ritzy stores back home. Given my current state, I wasn't about to spoil his fun. To think that they regarded my limp grandstanding as worthy entertainment, however, left me with a meager blossom of resolve and pride. As we made our way onto the gangplank of the ship, the other wrestlers shared handshakes with us all, patting us on the back as we passed them one by one. The way they looked upon me was like that of a newly-made friend, the gleam in their eyes hoping for my swift return as the gang all made it aboard.

Astaroth pointed one long, thick finger at me, an eerie smile stitched to his face. "I want to see you back here before long. If what I saw was you at only a fraction of your strength, then it stands to reason you must be especially strong. When you're free, you and I are going to have a heck of a dream match; anything less would be a disgrace to that arena."

I admit, the prospect of being challenged to a potentially legitimate battle against a creature at least twice my size gave me quite a bit of pause. Then again, Spike's words from yesterday rang true; until something topped that bird, I would have little fear of anything larger than me. This in mind, I answered his challenge with a raised thumb. "You have my word. When my other obligations are fulfilled, I'll be back. You can certain that I'll be even better than I was before."

The others replied with applause so loud, thunderous, and strong that it was like a thunderstorm. I could see books and various curios ever slightly shifting, jumping as the odd item suddenly smacked to the ground.

"So how many obligations have you made so far?" Napalm groaned, rolling her eyes. "Pretty sure we're up to three or four by now."

I rounded my shoulders. "Nobility obliges, it seems. To me, it just seems fair that I play by their terms."

"Well, I don't know about politics," Spike chuckled as he helped me down to a more comfortable spot," but having friends in positions of power never hurts. Rarity's practically a master of it."

I rolled my head back with a muted guffaw. "You would know about that, wouldn't you."

The swollen, tomato-red complexion left on the dragon's face was well worth the near-fatal seizing in my gut from my fit of manic laughter.

***

Once we'd finally set sail again, I finally found myself with time to properly relax for a moment. Or perhaps that was merely a spot of delirium from the change in air pressure. Honestly, I'd have welcomed either by now. Given my rapidly-declining mental stability, it would be hard to tell the difference between the two.

Kenta helmed the ship again, Spike returning once more to his day job as a humble steward. This time around, he chose to read from some of the books I'd packed for the journey. The Tome of Shadows lay on a table next to my bed, its yellowed pages inviting inspection as its ebony cover gleamed in the more prominent midday sunlight. Not now, I whispered to myself. Not when I could invite him again. I had to keep reminding myself, in spite my worries and fears, that the magic in that book wouldn't doom me. And yet, Iando had helped me that one night. He'd advanced my training another stage, yet so did Luna. Who was I to truly trust, if neither the mare who gave me this tome nor the possible catalyst of my eventual demise?

I shook my head, hoping to distill the clouds of doubt and disorder in my mind. Best not to fixate on this. It's already bad enough for my conscience as is.

Spike looked up from the pages of a compilation of epic poems, squinting at me. "Uh, dude, are you keeping up? You seem kinda distracted."

"Uh, yeah!" I blurted, eyes snapping to the pages as I tried to look engaged. "My eyes are just a little tired. That's all."

Spike furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to me. "Still worried about that thing, huh?"

"It's really that obvious?" I sigh, leaning back in the bed. "I can't stop thinking about it. Barely slept at all last night. I know I really shouldn't worry about it. It's just that for some reason, any time someone tells me that, I'm never really content with it. It's as though I can't really believe them; how can they be so sure if they've never been in my shoes?"

A familiar weight pressed on my shoulder.

"Believe it or not, I've been in the same kinda mess you were in," Spike said, turning me to face him. "When I was a little younger, it was my birthday. That day, I got more presents than I'd ever seen before. Each time I got a new one, it made me feel great, and I wanted more and more. It started doing things to me—scary things. I turned into a monster for the better part of an afternoon, all because I couldn't get enough." His eyes turned down for a moment. "I got better, but to be honest, I was kinda scared yesterday. I know you were psyching me up, but I could feel that side of me in the back of my head, wanting to worm its way out."

I rose my arm to try and give an inquisitive shrug. "So what stopped you there?"

Spike's mouth curled up, one of his fangs poking out with a blinding gleam as he patted my shoulder. "I remembered what I was fighting for. I remembered that I wasn't the only one riding on this. Everypony was counting on me—especially you."

My head drooped a little bit, my stomach briefly fluttering with laughter as I rubbed my temples with my good hand.

"Is it wrong of me to say that's a little—what's the word you'd use—cheesy?"

Spike chuckled back, dragging me into his chest.

"A little, yeah," he acknowledged, tussling my hair. "But that's just what I'm here for; as long as I can help you keep on goin', that's all I need."

We continued reading for a little while longer after that. I hadn't bothered keeping up with the time by then; just being that close to him gave me a nigh-familial comfort. Though we'd shared in this form of kinship earlier on in our travels, the sensations from this one were...calmer. The warmth of his sturdy, sleek arm around my limp form offered a sense of security I'd been lacking of late. While I was painfully aware that he could be doing this merely of his obligation, the tenderness with which he held me made me certain of his feelings. In him I was assured a kindred spirit, which was all I could honestly want.

Naturally, by the time Nia had come to check on us, the sight that greeted them was of questionable sexuality.

"Have I..." Nia brought a hoof to her eye out of reflex. "Come at an awkward moment?"

The two of us separated in record time, eyes spasming to avoid contact with each other as I turned them towards her. "N-not at all! Spike was just keeping me company with some pleasure reading. I was starting to go a bit limp, so he propped me up. We're fine, honest!"

The zebra gave a dry chuckle as she approached my side of the bed. "All is well; It's not my place to make assumptions." She offered a hoof to me. "I just came down to inspect how the treatment's progressed. I saw you'd regained some of your freedom of movement, so we may be able to get you up and moving again before we land."

I returned her gesture, sliding to the edge of the bed with my feet meeting the deck. "As much as I appreciate the concern, I'm not sure that—" Thump. Right down to all fours I went. "—my legs are quite able to hold my weight just yet."

"Well, here," she offered, lifting me by the chest with her head. "Try and support yourself on the wall for a moment."

I nodded, growling as I plastered my palms against the wall nearest me. My fingers held fast onto the wood, but my knees wobbled like a gelatin platter as they left the floor. By the time my toes were on the floor, the whole of my form was poised to come crashing down again. Whether through bravery or pure obstinence, I firmed myself up, tightening my abs and heaving the rest of my body up with one good roar. Despite my wavering stability, I grit my teeth, planting my feet firmly. Standing proudly once again, a sense of vindication welled in my lungs.

Naturally, this was immediately undercut when my non-dominant knee gave out five seconds later. Small victories, I suppose.

Nia clapped her hooves with a chortle. "Well, it's a start. As your body is only starting to regain its strength, it's normal to feel discouraged or weak. For what it's worth, I believe you are making excellent progress."

I hung my head low, slightly deflated from the compliment. "There's no way I can face Megan like this, though. I dueled her to a draw last time, but now I can barely stand on my own feet for more than a few seconds."

Nia fanned her hoof with a scoff. "You're putting unreasonable expectations on yourself. You said it before; she's of a significantly higher caliber to you. Even if you were at your peak, it would be difficult to best her. I don't recall her even mentioning a duel last time. Given what happened when you last crossed paths, she probably won't try to test you so rigorously. If anything, I think she'll be willing to help you do what's currently beyond my power."

My eyes turned up. "And you're certain of that?"

"As certain as my stripes are black," the zebra joked, helping me get upright once more. "Come, let's get you outside; some fresh air will do you some good."

"Right, right," I consented as Spike followed close behind. "May as well see what we have to look forward to when we land. Much as I love these poems, I probably should keep moving if I want to be through this."

The clouds were all but absent topside. As the lot of us neared the railing, we were met with steely gray mountain ranges mottled with verdant deciduous forests aplenty. The air gave a crisp, pleasant burn in my nose with each breath I took. Each time the winds picked up, the whistling was a wondrous tune that tickled the ears. Even the calls of what few brave birds followed us made were in a lovely tune. In spite the mild chill, it all came together into a soothing experience, if only for myself.

Though, perhaps spending my formative years in one of the coldest places in Equestria and juggling two bitterly opposed personae inside my conscience was making me ever so slightly mad. It would definitely explain a few things.

"Y'know, nice as this weather is, I'm not too keen on it myself."

Behind us was Napalm, who was carrying a sizable kettle in her mouth. What it contained wasn't within my knowledge, but given the smell it wafted and what I'd learnt of her, it was safe to assume potatoes were likely involved.

"Figured you might need a quick fix," she mumbled as she set the kettle on the deck. "Probably ain't as fancy as whatever you had in court or whatever, but what can you do."

I crossed my palm over my throat. "So long as it's not hay, I'm certain anything you make will do."

Napalm smirked as she opened the kettle. A plume of steam whisked into the sky, the smell of hot air and vegetable oil welcoming our noses as a wondrous blend of spices tempted our noses. Inside was a medley of sliced potatoes, fried to golden goodness and garnished with a plethora of herbs I hadn't recognized before. They were cut into longwise strips about as thick as one of my fingers and as wide as my thumb. Even as we took turns taking some onto our plates, they still billowed with steam, nearly sizzling as they touched our platters.

"I wasn't aware you were skilled in culinary arts," I noted, eagerly treating myself to one of the strips.

Napalm snorted in surprise. "Of course I can cook! What, did you think I wandered off into those mountains without knowing how to feed myself? Only an idiot would do that!"

"And yet you didn't know how to set up a tent," Spike countered with a cheeky smile.

Napalm whipped her head to Spike, staring at him in some vain hope that he might combust right in front of him. Realizing the potential danger that posed, Spike backed away with his arms raised.

"That's one of the handy things about having pyromancy as your talent, though," the earth pony noted. "Never have to worry about having a heat source to cook. This was a little tricky, though; you ever try and oil fry something with just your mouth?"

While I nodded along, my eyes widened when I noted the sudden emptiness of my platter. In due time, the others soon followed, leading Napalm to gain a chuffed grin as she gleefully refreshed us. "Given how quickly ya'll wolfed it down, I'd say I did a pretty good job."

"Good?!" Roughshod spat, his voice brimming with a frightening amount of vigor. "These are some of the best potatoes I've had in ages!" The donkey snapped Napalm up in his hooves, swinging her into a tango like dance. Everyone recoiled, the lot of us almost literally floored by the sudden burst of energy in the old ass. It wasn't until a few revolutions and Napalm's furious thrashing that he realized what he was doing. With a cough, he let Napalm down, scrambling to return to his typical surly demeanor. "Right, pardon that. Just hadn't had something like that in a good while."

Napalm scratched her scalp. "Oh...kay, gonna make a note there; old man likes to eat. And dance, apparently."

The rest of us shrugged and kept eating, myself voraciously tearing through handfuls of the fried delicacy.

This, as I soon discovered, would be a damning error. Within minutes, my tongue kindled a terrible heat. My eyes watered, clamping shut as the burning spread to my cheeks. Seconds later, my face was drenched in sweat, and my throat begged for refreshment whilst the others were somehow unaffected.

"Napalm, what kind of spices did you put in these potatoes?" I wheezed, clutching my neck.

Napalm pointed to the kettle. "In there? Stuff we picked up in Rinth. Guy who got it to us said it'd give us more endurance or something. I don't know; I wasn't paying all that much attention."

It was at that moment that I was floored proper, gasping desperately for breath before being soaked from a bucket of milk emptied right on my head. A few gut-wrenching coughs later, and a coolness slipped down my throat. My eyes immediately swept the deck for any sign of my savior.

Lo and behold, it was Juno, eyes flickering with a blank stare like a confused dog. "According to my data, when somepony is under spice-related distress—especially of the type concerning capsaicin—that the most common form of relief is to consume milk." she leaned in to look closer. "Given your level of distress, I reasoned that the most effective method of delivery was to douse you indirectly."

Once my throat was sufficiently cleaned out, I righted myself. "Your assistance was very much appreciated," I replied, pounding my chest to clear out any remaining guff. Then I approached her and held her by the shoulders, holding her tenderly. "However, I'd prefer if you refrained from using that particular method. You did the right thing, mind—just not in the most optimal of ways."

Juno gave two quick nods. "Acknowledged. I will attempt to be more delicate in my response to that scenario." The robot cocked her head a few notches to the right. "Is there anything else I can provide for you?"

"A towel, please."

This next stop was going to be quite a special one for me, I felt.

***

As the ship came to a hover, the lot of us peeked over the decks to get a good view of the environs.

I bent over the rails, standing on my toes. "This clearing looks a bit too large to be natural," I noted, fingers clinging tight in an attempt to prevent vertigo. "Which must mean we're in the right place.

"Too right about that," Roughshod agreed, peeking down with me. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was clear cut some time ago. Stumps probably got removed, too." He poked his chin in a rhythm I couldn't place. "Either this place is some kind of docking area for those shepherds, or whatever lives here needs a lot of room to move."

Spike rounded his shoulders whilst Kenta brought the ship down to dry dock. "Whatever the case, we need to be ready for anything," he added, putting a claw on my shoulder. "Soon as we get to the door, we need to come up with a plan."

I nodded, fixing my eyes on the door. "From what we know, it's likely going to be tight inside."

I waved everyone down to the deck, keeping close to Spike as we leapt to met the ground. While my knees shook from protest, they didn't buckle quite as immediately as before. While the others disembarked, I cleared my head, trying to feel for anything out of the ordinary as I rubbed one of my temples.

Roughshod chuckled as he passed me. "Trying to find her before she finds you, eh?" He shrugged a hoof, ushering me forward. "Come. She'll arrive when she knows you're here."

Once we were all on the ground, Spike and Nia took turns helping me regain my posture. Nothing too drastic, mind; just basic stretches and posing to help wake sleeping muscles. All the while, I had my eyes skyward, in search of the thunderbird. In my head, I was certain it hadn't yet strayed from our course. It'd be too hard to shake me, given how much power I felt I was radiating, even in my weakened state. Perhaps my weary body and restless mind had left me desperate for that errant spark's shine to brighten my mood. Wishful thinking was certainly more helpful than constant dread, at least.

Eventually, a familiar shift in the air swiftly caught my attention. Sure enough, Megan had appeared once more, still in rather immaculate dress and armed with her prior equipment. As we all came to recognize her, her face turned up into a bright grin.

"It would appear that I'm right on time," she noted, approaching me with a steady gait. Her eyes scanned my body, pursing her lips as she held my cheek. "Odd. I don't see any overt signs of sickness, but it looks like your strength has all but left you." The mage shifted to address Nia. "I presume you might have been involved in that, yes?"

Nia hung her head. "I am guilty as charged," she admitted as she touched my chest. "In light of our last meeting, I had attempted to open up his arcane pathways to try and flush out any dark energies in him." She then lifted one of my arms and let it drop limp to illustrate my condition. "However, in so doing, it caused him a great deal of pain and left his body practically paralyzed from the neck down."

"You did what?" Megan's eyes took the size of polo balls. "That could very well have killed him!"

Napalm kicked her head back with a hearty guffaw. "Given the way he was screaming, he was all but begging for it."

The lot of us shot a glance at Napalm, which provoked a cringe from her. "Right. Sorry. Not helping."

Megan returned to me, her fingers aglow with the glimmer of magic. "Right, let's see if I can't assess the damage," she said, working the buttons of my clothes. "Will you allow me to see you in your smallclothes? I'd like to get a better look of you." She held up an open palm. "I swear, it is strictly medical."

I was hesitant at first. While the others had seen me in full undress before, something about being in such a state with Megan seemed off to me. I'd been naked before another one of my kin, yes, but that could have merely been a fantasy for all I was aware. Yet as I looked deeply at her expression, I found nothing but an intimate concern. The ginger way she handled me reminded me of how I was cared for at home. She kept a calm smile about her, her eyes gleaming with hope.

With a deep breath, I nodded to her. "Very well. I have faith in your skill."

With a few deft motions, the suit I'd worn from Griffonstone was reduced to a neat pile on the ground, my full musculature on display. Megan stood me up, producing a wall of force to prop me against as her fingers ran the span of my body. "Your body's incredibly tense," she noted, testing the range of motion in my leg. "It's a wonder you can stand at all." When her fingers reached my abs, she pursed her lips. "Even so, there's quite a lot of energy that's built up."

Resolute, she turned to Nia. "I believe I can explain what happened with your treatment."

"Is that so?" Nia's ears perked with intrigue. "Please, I'd love to know."

"To begin, I believe you said the intent of said treatment was to try and purge the body by increasing the circulation of Lance's natural mana flow," she started, caressing my spine as she highlighted the area with a blue light. "In theory, that would allow his own innate magic to try and overpower that of the Nightmare's." She then pointed to my heart. "However, there's two problems with that treatment method. First, there's the fact that Nightmares are most affected by positive energy—that of most things considered 'holy' or 'good'. Most mortals can channel or draw that energy, but they don't produce it naturally."

"Like the Elements of Harmony?" Spike queried.

Megan nodded. "Indeed. As for the second problem," she continued, pointing to my head now, "this one has quite a bit more mana than usual; even by the standards of more naturally-gifted magi. So much, in fact, that when it was all let loose, it very likely overtaxed his nervous system, filling him with so much energy that his body couldn't properly distribute it."

"So the procedure made him stiff and ache y," Napalm confirmed. "We knew that much, so what's all this mean?"

The mage cleared her throat. "Put simply, his body's so full of mana that his body literally doesn't know what to do with it all."

Nia put a hoof to her chin. "I see. So what can be done to fix this?"

Megan looked particularly chuffed as she set down her packs. "Luckily, I have something which just may help this situation." She kneeled down, reaching deep inside to the point where her head was face-deep inside. "Given that he has so much energy, it stands to reason that the best course of treatment is to find a way to discharge it all." With a gasp of exertion, she produced a clear orb in her hands, only slightly tarnished by dust and lint. "Didn't think I'd find a use for this thing; it was utterly worthless for divining."

Spike cocked his head, pointing to the orb. "A crystal ball? How's that going to work?"

"Simple," Megan replied, sitting behind me as she placed the ball in my lap. "This ball is inert; It lacks any form of energy or power, making it effectively an empty vessel." Her hands cupped around mine, wrapping my fingers around the ball as though we were collaborating in clay sculpture. "I'm going to have you try and place your excess energies inside this ball, Lance. I promise, it won't hurt."

Goosebumps ran up my arms as I peered down at the orb, flecks of my worn face reflecting back at me. Its weight felt as though it was made of lead than a hunk of clean crystal. When my grip tightened on it, I couldn't shake the odd feeling I had while holding it. This subtle offness of holding such a nearly-perfect thing and the idea of violating it with my impure energies struck me as ever so slightly wrong. Regardless, I took a deep breath and nodded my head. "So how are we doing this?"

Megan's fingers crossed over mine. "Keep breathing, for one," she added, her head now peering over my shoulder. "Hone your focus on your blood-flow, starting at the head. Then work your way down from the chest to your fingertips. Picture your energy like water flowing through your veins." She slowly matched her breaths with mine, working us both into a steady rhythm as a tingling sensation rippled through my arms. "Once you have a good visualization of your mana flow, guide it into the orb."

The tingling progressed steadily until my hands turned numb, the only sensation coming from the energy that was pooling inside of them. My fingers began to glow like Megan's were, the orb following shortly thereafter. My heart pounded steadily harder and harder, the air around me tightening like a vacuum. I shut my eyes, gulping as it began to pulsate with increasing vigor. As more and more power flowed inside, I felt a part of me being drawn into it, leaning in as though it were a child in my arms. Like a heartbeat, the orb pulsed, faster and faster to meet my own. My every hair stood at attention, what few active muscles I had tensing in anticipation, and then...

Bang.

In a split-second, all the breath was stolen from my lungs. The crystal ball let out a deafening boom, a beam of bright gold erupting from it like a volcano. A second boom came as it hit the clouds, cutting a clean round swathe into the sky and spooking flocks of at least thirty birds. The force with which they detonated rocked all but Megan and I to the ground, Juno being driven to her knees. Trees around us snapped back, nearly being uprooted from the magnitude of the shockwave.

What dust and debris had once dotted the ball was gone now. What was once a reflective, empty void was now a surging mass of electricity, a literal case of lightning in a bottle. The way the energy swirled around in the orb, multiple tendrils of light arcing inside it, was simultaneously terrifying and inspirational. The aura it projected was full-bodied and strong, standing as physical evidence of the power I'd let free from my body. Then, when I went to grab it, the tendrils all pointed at my fingers.

"Holy hay..." Napalm gasped, eyes wide in astonishment.

Spike approached me, poking the orb with his claws, cringing as the tendrils met the tips harmlessly. "Unreal," he whispered, prodding it with amusement. "Dude, I think you just made a plasma globe! I used to see these all the time in Canterlot!"

I caressed the orb with my fingertips, looking to Megan with concern. "Was this your intention?"

Megan balanced her arm out. "I was honestly either expecting a more subtle reaction or something more extreme, but it looks like it worked."

"How will I know?" I asked, voice slightly hoarse.

The mage lifted her palm up. "Stand up. You should have more freedom to move now."

I nodded, pushing myself up with my arms. But, the instant I was on my feet, my balance was thrown way off kilter, forcing me to the ground again. While I winced in pain for a moment, the surprise that moment gave me quickly sublimated into joy. Finally, I thought to myself, freedom of movement, at last! Where before I was so strained I could barely manage a hobble on my own, I now felt practically featherweight. Cackling like a happy goblin, I fluttered my legs and jabbed the air. The gloom and worry that had weighed on my heart dissipated, if only for a moment, as I reveled in my returned strength.

Napalm smirked and turned to Nia, "Well I don't know about you, but it looks like he's got his mojo back."

"Looks like it, huh," Spike murmured as he continued to rub the orb in his hands. "So what is this thing supposed to do now?"

Megan rested her knuckles beneath her chin. "Well, if I were a proper artificer, I might try and fashion something of it." She pointed to the sky with her other hand. "However, given the amount of energy he just shot up into the sky, I'd suggest we get inside."

I shot my head up. "What? Why?"

"There are two possibilities, Master," Juno noted, helping me to my feet. "Either the energy dispersed has spooked the local wildlife away from the area around us, or it has given predators and dangerous persons a clear indication of our position." The robotic pony hugged my arm. "Though I do not doubt our capabilities as a whole, you are still not in fighting condition. I recommend we proceed with our current mission."

I opened my mouth in preparation for a counter-argument, but I quickly grew silent. There was work to be done, and the time for doing it was now. That in mind, I quickly got dressed, waving everyone to follow as I stuck close to Megan.

"I assume you must know more about this temple than the scouts from Rinth, yes?" I asked her, pointing to the doorway.

"Let me try and remember." Megan rubbed two fingers between her brows. "I believe it was meant to house exotic beasts—things not native to this realm. We meant to house them here to prevent them from becoming extinct or invasive species during the war." She then shook her head, as if clearing out mental cobwebs. "Unfortunately, I am not familiar with what all lives in there. They may end up attacking us, seeing as it's been ages since our kind have last set foot inside."

"About those creatures," I interrupted as we reached the summit. "Do thunderbirds flock here?"

Megan chuckled. "It's a possibility. Though it's more likely now than before we arrived. If we're lucky, perhaps we'll be graced with one."

Her response got a smile from me. The way she responded gave me a sense of closure and hope. Perhaps I'd have something else to discover once this was past me.

"Right, let's get our formation in order," I stated whilst taking a moment to stretch my calves. "Seeing as Megan is likely the expert, she'll be taking point. I'll follow close behind, using my new vision to get an idea of what's ahead. Juno and Spike, you'll be behind me with Juno taking the front position. Kenta, you're on scouting duty. Roughshod will be in the middle, and Nia and Napalm will be the rear guard. Does that sound fair to everyone?"

"Better than being stuck with meat-breath," Napalm scoffed, making a gagging expression with her hoof.

Roughshod shrugged. "Can't see no fault in that. Little curious as to how your vision is going to work in a dark space like that."

"Simple." I put a hand in front of my face as though I were donning a mask. With a sharp breath, I flung the hand outward and my vision faded to monochrome. "This spell's relatively simple to maintain. I learned it not long after Nia's treatment. It should help us find our way if the torches go out."

Megan raised a brow in amusement. "Yet again you prove an impressively fast learner. To be that far into Umbramancy already takes dedication."

I shyied away a moment, face turning slightly red. "I guess I'm just a quick study," I chuckled as I moved on, trying to pull myself together.

As was the case in the prior temples, pictograms were etched along the walls. They were in remarkably legible condition for their age, and were made to suit the purpose the temple had been built for. This time, we were greeted with images of my people's interactions with animals. Some of them were fairly familiar to me—the domestication of wolves into service dogs, the use of birds as couriers and scouts, and the use of livestock for milk and grazing.

One image in particular, however, gave me considerable pause. It was image of a shepherd dressed in plate armor, riding atop the back of what looked to be a pony. However, it was larger—similar in stature to a Saddle Arabian—and appeared to lack a cutie mark of any kind. There were images of similar design along the walls, showing groups of them in military formation carrying battle standards. Curious, I pressed my fingers along the etchings in the wall, turning to Megan.

"Ah, yes," Megan answered, her voice turned up in realization. "You've never seen what our horses look like, I wager."

"They look nothing like Equestrians," I noted, focusing on the flanks. "They look so much taller. They seem so much...plainer."

"Yes, well..." Megan rubbed a shoulder, turning her head down with an uncharacteristically guilty look. "How do I put this politely," she mumbled, pacing about as she held her temples. "You see..." she clapped her hands together, her thumbs meeting the bridge of her nose.

The mage spent a good minute's worth of false starts, massaging her head to try and coax the most sensitive words she could muster, giving increasingly more pronounced groans of frustration each time she failed to speak. Eventually, she gave a heavy sigh.

"There's no two ways about it," she snapped dryly. "Our equines were never really bright. They were just as wild and as capricious as any other animal in the world."

"So you trained them to carry you?" Spike stammered, himself now oddly red. "Isn't that slavery or indentured servitude or something?"

Megan shook her head, hiding her face. "In the same way it might be for a dog to herd sheep or a cat to catch mice."

I crossed my arms with concern. "I imagine it didn't sit right with early Equestrians."

Megan nodded, biting her lip. "It was a point of contention for several years, actually. We were accused of exploiting their simpler-minded kin for our own gain. It took us many rides through the still-wild continent before they came to terms with how our horses trusted us." she turned away, now more ashamed than embarrassed. "This must all seem so odd to you; you must have a different idea of cavalry."

"Perhaps it's best we keep moving," I suggested, moving further ahead. "We'll discuss it later."

Megan just nodded. The lines in her face as she glanced at me gave me a distinct impression that this was an issue that she'd had to deal with for quite a while. The distance she gave me and the others left a terrible dead air about our delve. Though her body seemed completely untouched by the ravages of time, that lack of luster in her eyes as she kept her eyes forward showed a different story. She seemed to be constantly trying to look past the bitter memories this place evoked, but each picture we passed slowed her pace more and more. It was as though the floor was quicksand, drawing her deeper to a standstill.

After a point, she just stopped dead in her tracks, resting her face on a nearby wall. Her haggard pants painted the walls, her legs trembling at the ankles. She murmured something beneath her breath, the words beyond understanding as she knelt down. Her forehead kissed the wall, as though she were trying desperately to meld with it. As I neared her, her anxeiety washed over me, spreading her tremors to myself. By the time I was at her level, the expression that was painted over her face told me all I needed to know.

Her eyes, which were once steely and reflective of the world about her, had become vacant. Her pupils were almost abysmally deep, and her irises felt cold and empty. She bore that ghostly pallor of someone who'd watched a favorite pet or dear friend be brought low before her. All sense of composure and grace was drained from her cheeks, now drooping with dread and melancholy. Even the way she was knelt showed little else but bitter anguish. As soon as she fixed her gaze on me, I felt as though she were trying to go straight for my heart with some invisible force.

"I should not have come here."

It was a hoarse, cold statement. A summation so stark that it left a stinging chill in the air. It was like she'd compressed all this despair and anguish down inside her for ages, only for it all to slip out in one short burst. To see a beacon of power and confidence brought to such a low was so bleak, it nearly froze us where we stood. Yet, as I stared into those empty eyes, I found myself drawn in, holding her at arm’s length as I turned her to face us.

"Megan, this isn't like you at all," I whispered, my eyes never wavering from hers. "What's all this about? You weren't like this at all in the other temples."

Megan's eyes were desperate to play keepaway. They shook as though there were magnets pulling on them, juttering every which way until finally settling back on me with slightly wider pupils. The frightening pace her chest had taken earlier relaxed, some of the warmth returning to her form as she leaned against the wall. Then, with a resigned breath, she addressed me.

"This one is different," she began curtly. "While it was still built for a particular purpose—the care and housing of species that are not native to Equestria—as you may have guessed, they're also shelters for particularly important ponies."

"And given how they've reacted to you in contrast to us, they must be very familiar with you," Roughshod spat, recalling our previous encounters with Twilight and Applejack.

Megan nodded, pulling her knees up. "You'd be correct in thinking that. But, I worry we have little time for me to elaborate here." Bracing herself against the wall in much like I had, she yanked herself to her feet. "I think it's best I show you for now; let's keep moving."

A wave of equal parts frustration, concern, and disappointment sloshed around in my head as we proceeded. Megan felt so much colder and more distant now, her aura bringing everyone silent as we kept on down the cavernous passages of the temple. The deeper we delved, the more something felt...off. True, I had ventured into temples this empty before, but it was especially egregious here. Us aside, it was practically barren, the echoes of our footsteps our only company. Had something happened prior to our arrival? Was the place truly deserted? Were we simply so starved for new stimuli that we were hearing phantom noises off in the distance? It was hard to consider at the time.

Luckily, Spike decided to break the ice.

"So, if this is an animal shelter..." Spike trailed off, scratching his chin. "Then where all are the animals?"

"Deeper underground," Megan replied tersely, pointing at the floor. "These halls are too narrow for any more than a couple of oxen to pass through, so we have them in specialized facilities down below."

The more I heard about my kin's relationship with animals, the more it tempted me to get in touch with Twilight's friends to hear their take. By the time we had finally reached a doorway, my mind was abuzz with a hundred questions, but was starved for time for any of them. Instead, my attention was focused squarely on the door.

In keeping with the trend of this temple being more difficult than its predecessors, the doorway this time was closed shut. There didn't appear to be any kind of handle for either species or any kind of groove in the stone. Instead, there was only a rather primal-looking etching of a tree drawn in a spiral manner with some equally-ancient writing beneath it. Dotted around the tree were six small holes, each about the diameter of my ring finger, gleaming faintly in the torchlight. Whoever made this door must obviously have valued their privacy quite a bit, as none of us had any good idea as to what it all meant. Megan ran her hand along the writing, eyes narrowed to better examine the way it was carved.

"Speak softly, friend, and bear a patient heart," she hummed. "Reminds me of something I read in a book many moons ago."

"So you know the answer?" Spike gasped.

"I do indeed," she chuckled vainly, nearing the door again. "Mellon."

Initially, the door remained stubbornly shut. I expected Megan to be disappointed, but she seemed oddly at ease as she backed away. We all shared odd glances as she crossed her arms. At first, I was certain she was simply trying to maintain her sagely facade by guessing the answer, but her unflagging expression told me otherwise. The rest of us, meanwhile, broke off to try and find other rooms while I stayed behind. Decently confused by her certainty, I examined the wall.

"Are you sure that's the answer?" I wondered aloud, peering in every nook and cranny around the frame I could spot. "It still seems to be shut."

Megan chuckled. "Be mindful of the writing on the door, Lance. Bear a patient heart."

I didn't quite understand her meaning upon first hearing that. But, sure enough, when I examined the actual door, it had become slightly ajar, a tiny crack revealing another room on the other side. As I returned to the wall, I called the others back, now anxious to see what was inside. The others tilted their heads, Spike nearly falling over from how far he was leaning to try and see inside the crack. Before long, we all caught side of a butter-yellow shape behind the door, a green eye peering out.

"W-who's there?" whimpered the shape in a distinctly flighty, feminine voice.

Megan neared the door, keeping her smile light. "It's me. I've brought someone I think you'll be delighted to meet."

Once the door was three-quarters open, we all got a good look at the mare behind it. At first blush, she was a near spitting image of Twilight's friend Fluttershy. The heart-like molding of her mane, the eyes that seemed to look every which way but forward, the body that was desperate to shrink away to nothing, everything seemed the exact same. And yet, two things were conspicuous in their absence. For one, this mare was an earth pony. And perhaps most importantly, the cutie mark was a flower rather than a set of butterflies. The instant she laid her eyes on me, her eyes practically shined like a lighthouse on a distant pier.

"Is that..." the mare whispered, approaching me incredulously. "Is this the one I was hearing about?"

"The genuine article," Megan replied, putting a hand on my shoulder as she motioned to the pony. "Lance, meet Posey."

I knelt down to get to the earth pony's level, a twinge of unease crawling through me as I offered my hand. Her gaze was wrapping all about me, checking every corner of my being as she made absolutely certain that I was actually before her. Her cheeks were lightening to a peachy shade as she felt my hand, a giggle escaping her cheeks as she explored the joints. "This is incredible," she said, brightening up little by little as she extended my arm. "It's been ages since I've seen one of you in person. You're a bit darker than I imagined, but it's wonderful to finally get to see you!"

"It's...nice to meet you, too," I stuttered, patting her on the back. "Forgive me if I'm being too forward, but may we come inside? We have some important business here."

Posey nodded in a manner almost too eager to please. "Of course! Anything for someone who knows Miss Megan!"

Posey led us inside single-file. Her face was beaming with that eagerness one sees in a child preparing to present their most prized collection of toys. While this room had the familiar trappings we'd seen, there was a veritable trove of biology and ecology texts stacked with gentle care and organized in such a way that made the intellectual in me squeal in delight. The whole set was practically immaculate, even after all this time. The only disappointment I had was a lack of any books that pointed to my own kin. Or at least, any that were obvious to me.

"Amazing, isn't it?" she asked, perhaps sharing in my enthusiasm. "I only wish I had books on you, but I think they forgot to stock them."

"That's quite alright," Megan insisted, heading to a corner of the room where a terminal was situated. "He's as interested in finding out about his brethren as you are. As a matter of fact, he's here to collect another piece of those coordinates we left."

Posey bit her lip, clicking her hooves together. "There's just one issue with that."

Spike rose an eyebrow. "That being?"

"Well..." Posey shrunk down a bit, her neck going limp as she scratched the floor with her hoof. She slowly approached the terminal, popping open a small latch beneath the console to reveal a tiny switch inside. With a quick jab of her hoof's nail, the button let out a teeny "click", but the machine connected to it remained eerily silent. "I haven't been able to get it working for ages. I think a thunderstorm from years ago may have drained its power or something."

"That can't be right." Megan shook her head. "These things are meant to withstand the force of a crashing dragon. It seems off that a thunderstorm would do it in."

Posey curled into her hooves, a wave of red surfacing from her fur. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I wish I could find a better explanation, but that's all I can think of."

"Then this doesn't bode well." Megan tapped the toes of her boots to the stone. "We need to find a way to restore the power to it. Without the files from that terminal, we can't complete the program necessary to find our homeland again."

My eyes were drawn to the orb Spike was holding. The energy that ebbed from it greased the gears inside my head. I extended my hand to Spike, my grin decidedly more wicked than I remembered it being.

"You look like you have a plan," he said, passing the orb to me, "but I'm not sure this'll fit in there."

"Oh, I'm not planning on using this to power it," I clarified, pointing to the orb. "Megan, you said that we may be more likely to attract thunderbirds with that outburst of energy, right?"

Megan crossed her arms together. "I said it was a possibility. What did you have in mind?"

I pointed to the ceiling. "There's one that's been following our ship. If my hunch is correct, it's likely still nearby. If I could find some way to discharge some of this energy the same way I put it in, we could get it to come to us and see if it can't get something flowing through here again."

Posey peeked up from her hooves, eyes brightening up. "That...might work. I can probably talk to it if we got it down here."

"Of course, I can't just go out there on my own," I reasoned, nearing the door. "So, I'm going to need one of you to assist me." I beckoned Megan over. "Come. I think you'll do well for this."

"Me?" Megan pointed to herself in surprise. "Why?"

"Because you're the resident expert of magic," I replied, now cradling the orb like a kitten. "I trust you with this thing far more than myself."

I admit, I was speaking a half-truth then. Not to mean I was lying, of course; I just didn't want to speak my true intentions at that moment. Everyone else seemed in agreement, given the lack of objection from the others. Spike just shrugged when I eyed him from the doorway. Realizing she'd been cornered, Megan shook her head and followed behind, sparking off a mote of light with a snap of her fingers. I made it a point to walk quickly, just fast enough to not raise suspicion. Every time I looked back to check on her, Megan was more focused on the walls beside her than the halls ahead. Once we were topside, I swore I heard a sigh of relief.

"I swear, the air around this place weighs on me more than I recall."

"About that," I interjected. "What was all that about in there? I've never seen your composure break so spectacularly."

"No way out of that, I suppose." Megan covered her face with a hand, as though she were donning a mask. "You want to know the truth? Posey wasn't the only pony in that temple. There was someone else—someone very special to me. Someone of such significance that without her, I may never have made it to this point. I was almost certain she'd be here, but I haven't seen a single trace of her. Not even a feather or a lock of hair or anything. I hoped I'd be able to make amends with her for all that happened now that I'd found you, but it looks like she got tired of waiting." Her eyes drew skyward. "To say that I feel guilty about it all is an understatement."

"So who was she?" I said, shrugging an arm. "Maybe I came across her at some point and she never realized who it was."

"Her name was Firefly," Megan answered, her gaze still away from me as she crossed her arms. "She was the leader of all the other ponies we've met, in a sense. When this world was desperate, she reached out to us and our kin, with me being her first contact. All those stories you may have heard about me are true in some extent. I helped defeat Tirek, brought the early Crystal Ponies to civilization, and I played a part in helping form Equestria as you know it."

"Well if that's true, then why do so few books even mention that you existed? That we existed?" I begged, my throat now straining from disbelief. "I saw Firefly with my own eyes when I was just a child. She could have told me everything! Why did she never say anything?"

"Just because we're immortal doesn't mean we're immune from the strains of time." Megan swiftly turned to me. "By the time she saw you, it may very well have been centuries since that war. She could very well have forgotten, just as the rest of that kingdom forgot me. If I were to walk into Canterlot right now, chances are, all I'd get are the same questions you've had to run afoul of. That's the tragedy of immortality, Lance; eventually, only your memories will survive when everyone else's fades to myth." She placed a hand on her chest. "I wish I could just start from where we left off, but it just isn't that simple; not when there's so much time lost between then and now."

From there, we froze up. As I looked at Megan, her eyes were leaking out, her breath now all but gone from her as she struggled to pull herself back together. Her hair was drooping with sweat, and she gazed at me with a piercing glare that went straight through me. She was balling one of her hands into a fist, trying to squeeze out as much of her anger and frustration out through her fingers as she could. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more, just continuing to stare at me like she was trying to place some kind of curse on me. It wasn't until a minute had passed that I finally worked up the nerve to respond to her.

I opened my arms wide, opening my palms.

"Then why not start at the beginning?"

Megan took a sharp gasp. The blood was pooling in her face, her cheeks boiling strawberry red as she focused her efforts on breathing. Her eyes drifted to the open hand over her chest, raising and lowering as she took deep, slow drags of the moist air about her. She paid me little mind, now focusing on rebuilding the shattered mask of her composure. The fingers of her fist were losing their hold with each cycle, soon going limp as they rested on her hip. With a deep intake, she turned up to face me again, her expression blank as she regarded me with half-lidded eyes.

"So what is it you want to know?" she sighed, her agitation not quite gone from her voice.

"Well first, I'd like to get something important off my mind," I replied, carefully trying to close the distance between us. "When we met at that first temple, Juno said that we 'shared a similar genetic code'. There's plenty that could be gleaned from that, but I think it's best if I be frank."

With a heavy gulp, I let loose perhaps one of the heaviest set of words to ever come from my lips.

"Are you my mother?"

Megan had barely changed when I'd said that. Her eyes had gone cold again, the pupils now boring into me as she crossed her arms. She turned her head away, clearly wanting to avoid the topic. The way her body tremored only very slightly gave me a clear impression that she was holding something strong back.

And yet, in my time seeing her, I was never truly ready for what she did next.

Without a single tell, without warning or hesitation, she drew me in by my arm and brought me into a tight, chest-bumping embrace.

While I'd seen her in anger, pride, and now recently frustration and sadness, I'd never quite seen her in such a state as this before. Before, her emotions were precise, calculated, always metered out and dispensed in careful doses to maintain her queenly persona. But here she was now, holding me so close now that I could hear her breath and the beating of her own heart. An odd sound was coming from her now, half between a sob and a chuckle; an utterance that dripped with relief as she gripped me with bear-like vigor.

"I have waited far too long for this moment," she hiccuped, never once loosening up. "I am at a loss for what to say."

For a brief moment, I had shared her sentiment. This sudden swerve in mood had sent my train of thought so far off the rails that the ensuing wreckage may well have ruined an nearby station. Here I was, embracing the woman who I now knew as my mother, who was now in such a state of intense grief that it had come back into happiness. She just held me as though I were about to die, uncaring of the world around her. It was a tenderness and affection I'd not seen since my youth.

"Right, well." I gave a short cough to clear the air. "Now that we've established that, I suppose I should ask who the father was."

"A very bold man, for one." Megan chuckled, wiping her face. "You would have loved to meet him. I knew him as Alexis. He was in almost every measure my equal. He couldn't cast a spell to save his life, but few men I knew could handle a blade quite as well as him. Wasn't that good with words, but his sword sung the most glorious hymns."

I lowered my eyes. "I assume something unpleasant happened to him."

Megan nodded slowly. "During the exodus, he was part of the phalanx that helped shield us while we fled for the boats. Last words I ever heard from him were, "Make sure he knows what we've done."

"And that's why you've had me on this little sidequest, is it?" I reasoned, standing up. "To try and understand what all happened?"

"Exactly. Before anything else, we wanted to make sure you knew everything. That way, when the time comes, you won't have to live through the same horrors we did."

My eyes returned to the orb, the energy that crackled through it reminding me of my original intent.

"I suppose, then, that we shouldn't keep this waiting anymore."

After nodding to one another, we cradled the orb together. We each held a half, our fingers intertwined and our eyes focused on the power within it. I breathed deeply, steadying myself as I let my rekindled spirit ebb inside of it. Megan joined in shortly thereafter, our energies blending with the one presently inside it to form a sort of double-helix, coiling around it without ever coming to meet the other. Then, like the strands of a rope coming as one, our powers united, the orb now gyrating faintly under the strain of containing it. Our brows creased, sweat dissipating off the orb as its power radiated a hearthlike flame. In hindsight, it would've been prudent for me to have worn gloves. And then...

Phoosh. A verdant green flare burst from the orb, an arcane cannonball that shot up into the air with the speed of a rocket. It screeched up, proud and powerful, before detonating like a firework, leaving a bright little ball of a beacon. It drew in electricity from nearby stormclouds, robbing of them of their essence and adding to its own as it thumped to an enigmatic rhythm. The lightning that expanded it formed into a bubble, shimmering with each beat.

"And now we play the waiting game," Megan sighed, shading her brow with her hand. "This should give it a nice big beacon to follow."

The two of us took the opportunity to rest as I shared my stories up to that point. Though I struggled to maintain my own composure recounting the contents of the letter, she couldn't help but chuckle at my escapades in Rinth.

"Sounds about on the mark, that," she hummed, folding her knees in. "Probably would have been fun to watch. I'm sure your father would have appreciated it, too. He always was a scrappy one."

Once that was out of the way, she gave me a quick primer on various blocky runes and alchemical symbols used for traditional casting rituals used in protective charms and evocations. Though I couldn't foresee myself holing up to see what kinds of spells I could craft in the dead of night, it was worth knowing in case I needed to throw together something in the heat of battle. The thought of fighting hadn't entered my mind again up to that point; now that I was aware of both my parents' careers, the idea of me embodying both struck me as oddly fitting now. If only I had the skill to properly match it.

A half hour went by before we heard a loud cry cut through the air. Clouds had gathered now, and that familiar blue ball of energy rapidly approached.

"There she blows," Megan declared triumphantly. "Took the bait like a hungry salmon."

Anxiety bubbled in my stomach as I gazed up to view it. "How do I get it to come to me?"

"Show it a display of your power," Megan answered, raising her finger to it. "Let out some of the energy that led it here, and it should come to you swiftly."

With a nod, I rose my open palm to the sky. In an instant, a spark shot out from my fingers, fluttering off like a butterfly to greet the orb in the clouds. The orb took note of the spark rather immediately, but to my surprise, it didn't react with the sense of immediacy I had expected it to. At first, it had merely orbited the spark, curious as to where it came from. Then, it approached at a glacial speed, its presence becoming ever more apparent as I witnessed its aura fade away before my eyes. Before long, it had revealed its true self, now fixing its intense gaze upon me.

This was a magnificent azure creature, possessing the head of a harpy eagle, the breast of an owl, the wings of a falcon, and the tail of a peafowl. Its wingspan was massive, large enough to engulf my entire head. Its eyes were a bright, icy turquoise that burrowed deep into me. Every beat of its wings was long and powerful, creating a tiny gust in each flap that forced my eyes shut. Even then, I refused to shield my face in its midst. Instead, I lowered my off-hand near it, letting a current flow gently through it as I crooked my elbow. Then, as a show of respect, I went to one knee.

Try as I might to hide it, tremors shook all across me as the bird came closer. Every hair on my person was at attention as it robbed every ounce of static in the air, cooing in curiosity. As it extended its long lean legs out to me, its sleek talons bared, the weight of this creature's presence nearly flattened me. Yet, when it finally clutched my forearm, the motion was quick. It was a tiny, deliberate motion that shook my arm as its talons found purchase in it. The gleam in its beady eyes suggested it was aware of my efforts, its weight shifting as it crooked its neck to eye-level. Its piercing gaze never left me, judging me with folded wings.

Then, after a worrying pause, it bowed its head without a sound.

I was at a loss with how to respond. I didn't want to make any sudden moves in fear of disturbing it, but I needed to find a way to ingratiate myself to it. With great trepidation, I lifted two fingers from my free hand to caress its head. In one slow, careful glide, my fingers slid down its neck, just barely avoiding its wings. After a second pass, it was undeterred. Once I'd done it a third time, a glimmer of relief shined in my mind. Feeling more daring, I scratched its breast gently, chuckling to myself. The bird pivoted its head up, making a soft coo at me as it leaned in.

Megan smiled, crossing her feet. "Looks like you made a good impression with him. Good work."

I smiled back, giving the bird one last caress. "I guess so," I chuckled, folding my arm so the bird could get close. "I hope we'll make a good team together."

"With that, I think we should get going," Megan insisted, gesturing to the entrance. "Much as I'd love to watch your growing kinship with this beautiful creature, I think we've been out here too long as it is."

"Oh, right!" I blurted, nearly spooking the bird as I cringed. "Let's hurry! They have to be worried sick!"

With that, the two us hurried back inside, our spirits galvanized by a further strengthened bond.

***

When we'd returned to Posey's room, everyone gawped in awe at the bird on my arm.

"That's a thunderbird?" Spike gasped, barely containing a grin. "That's wicked!"

"Aye, definitely," Roughshod agreed. "Didn't think you'd manage it, but here we are."

I raised my hand to quiet everyone. "We can save the celebrations and such when we're out of here." Tickling my new companion by his breast, I turned him towards the computer. "Think you can give this thing a boost?"

The bird cocked its head towards me, then back to the machine. The glossy sheen in his eyes demonstrated at least a partial understanding as it made a few cautious flaps to the machine, its talons clicking on top of the area where the monitor had been mounted. Its feathers ruffled as what little charge was left inside the metal was stolen into its form. Its neck craned down, curious to see its own reflection as it cooed. It cautiously tapped the screen with its beak, only to be answered by clinks from its contact. It brought its gaze back to me, as if to gain some insight from me. The most I could use to give him a clue was to rub my index finger and thumb together, letting a teeny spark arc between them.

Unfortunately, the bird appeared unsure of how to fulfill my request. Knowing this, I gestured to Posey, bowing towards the bird. The earth pony nodded in response, walking to it with an easy smile.

"Hello, Mister Thunderbird," she hummed as she got close. "Maybe I can help you out. See, this thing you're perched on is really tired. So tired, it can't wake up. Do you think you could give it a little jolt? Not too much—just enough to get it going again."

The bird's head righted swiftly, expressing its understanding with a triumphant trill. It fanned its wings proudly, pulling away the loose static of the room into its feathers as they ruffled. In an instant, a bright flash and thunderous boom filled our space, accompanied by the slow whirring and whizzing of once-deceased machinery winding back to life once more. By the time our vision was returned, our eyes were blessed with the raptor's magnificent radiance, its plumage now gorgeously gleaming as the monitor beneath it flickered back on. Lost for words, we could only express our amazement with hums of amazement and delight.

"Looks like that did the trick!" Posey chirped, clopping her hooves together giddily as she stepped away. "Hopefully, what you're looking for is still on there."

"Unless this machine had a surge protector installed, the chance of recovery is low," Juno's replied, head swiveling to make eye contact. "If it was not active during that time, however, then that chance is significantly higher."

Spike cracked his knuckles as he approached the keyboard. "Looks like we're up and running, so here's hoping."

A flurry of mechanical clicks littered the air as he and Posey accessed the computer. Posey helped guide him through the tree of folders and file paths. I peeked over the dragon's shoulder, taking in as much of the black-green outputs as I could, trying to fix myself on any word or phrase that sounded of importance to us. After a few minutes of careful scanning, we came across two particularly intriguing files.

Alongside the familiar ".BAT" file from our previous excursions, a new type of file had been included in this machine:

"Deathblossom.wmv."

The name commanded immediate attention. It was a name that struck a cord with me in its brevity, and held a weight that begged investigation.

"Posey," I asked, pointing at the text. "Do you have an idea as to what this is?"

"It's a video file," she chirped quickly. "I'm wasn't supposed to open it until one of you made it here."

"So that means you've been waiting on us," I reasoned. "Any idea who left it? Who it might of been for?"

"Guess we'll know in a moment," Spike growled as he typed the command out.

To our surprise, the file wasn't under any protection. The instant he confirmed the activation command, the screen blanked out. Within seconds, a timestamp of 0200 flashed in the bottom left. Front and center was a sharp-faced man. He was lit up by a bonfire near him, showing off a ragged black mop of a mane and a freshly-grown stubble. Perhaps most telling, however, were the nearly all-consuming shadows around his eyes and the thin streaks of blood coming down from his brow. His breath was slow and wet as he rested on one knee, leaning against a sheathed sword.

"Shepherd's Report. Two Hundred Hours, Day One o' Eight of Shadowfall. Captain Alexis rep—"

Suddenly, he snapped to one of his companions, just a leg away from being out of frame.

"Is there any damn point in this anymore?" he shouted, his voice strained considerably. "Not like anyone's gonna be watching this in a couple hundred years or however long it takes."

The video remained silent for a moment as Alexis hacked some red liquid from his mouth.

"I'll just be blunt—it's looking pretty grim here," he grumbled, wiping his face. "While most of the important people are safe on the island thanks to the exodus, we haven't made any kind of dent in the number of these bastards. The weaker ones, sure, but now that they have some of ours in their stock, it's getting a lot harder to beat them back."

The voice rang eerily familiar to me. It bore the same timbre and weight as the one that had been recorded in Applejack's temple. It might have been that this recording followed the earlier one, and the voice I had heard belonged to my late father. In considering that, my chest grew heavy.

"No longer can we rely on the sanity, rationality, or even the decency of those whom we once called our fellow man, he sighed, standing up now as he clutched his sheath in one hand. "So now, while I wait out this long, terrible night, I may as well give a few last words.

"I never honestly expected our time here to end like this. I thought when we came here, we might be able to get away from all the heartache and pain the old world left us. Maybe we'd finally find some kind of peace in this fairytale kingdom. For a while, I guess we sort of did. Back before all this happened, all this stuff seemed so much easier. Sure, we weren't armed to the teeth, but we didn't need to be; Why would you when magic was able to fight the threats that steel and fire couldn't?

"Maybe this was just some god's idea of karma; maybe we got too close to the sun and they wanted us to get a taste of the most bitter medicine they had."

He fished something from underneath his shirt, pulling out a locket that folded out.

"If by some miracle you're watching this, Meg, I want you to know that I love you," he sighed, peering down at the trinket. "I only stayed behind because I wanted to make sure you and the others didn't end up making that trip in vain. If things had been better, maybe I could have gone with you. Sad to say, I think it's too little too late."

Alexis went grimly silent after that, leaving the locket open. Maybe he wanted to shed a tear into it as some kind of final farewell to the woman he held most dear. Then, after a few short, shaky breaths, he snatched it shut, swinging his blade free.

"I really wish I could have stayed for his sake," he growled, eyes now dimly alight with passion. "But what kind of man would I be if I couldn't secure a future for my son?

One last time, he faced the camera, kneeling down.

"If he learns anything important, Meg, let it be these two truths," he said, raising his fingers for emphasis. "First, make sure that he knows everything that happened here. And second? Let him know that in the earth of this beautiful kingdom lies the blood, sweat, and tears of the man who stood to the last to make sure he could live to see it."

With a guttural roar, he slapped an arm around his friend, raising his blade proudly.

"You bastards want a fight?!" he shouted, proud and defiant. "Then come and get it! I'll be waitin' for ya! If I'm going out like this, it'll be a top a mountain of you godforsaken fiends!"

The video cut out after that, leaving us with a blank screen.

I was left at a loss. This was my father, in his final hours, making some sort of last stand in the middle of the night and saying what few farewells he could. He was bloodied, tired, and genuinely seemed shaken by his days. Yet, even in such harsh times, he did not wish for a quiet death. Even in his most desperate of moments, he still found the strength to go down fighting. In seeing this, I felt ever more resolute to moving forward, knowing now more than ever that I had to see this to the end.

"So that was him," I said, clenching my fist. "That was my father, wishing us goodbye."

Megan held my shoulder. "Just like I said; scrappy to the end. At least you got to see him this time."

"So what happens now?" Spike wondered, shrugging his shoulders.

"What else?" I quipped back, turning to Juno. "We go forward. Grab the file and let's get moving."

Juno nodded, plugging herself in. "Downloading 'BR.bat."

Within minutes, we were topside again, the sun nearing nearing dusk as we stepped out. The air had grown more humid, and the lot of us were grateful to be back in fresh air. Posey had joined us on the way out, reeling at the sunlight as she stepped out, but otherwise unharmed.

"I'm so glad I was able to help you, Lance," she sighed, taking a rather deep breath for possibly the first time in years. "Is there anything else I could do?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where the last of your friends is?" Roughshod grumbled.

Posey shook her head. "I'm sorry. With the computer being down for so long, I might not be able to find it in time."

"Don't sweat it," Kenta huffed. "WIth our luck, we'll bump into her soon."

"Which reminds me," I realized as we made our way up the gangplank. "Where are we going now?"

"Looks like we're near Neighpon," Spike said back, checking the map. "Shouldn't be too rough."

"Then we should press on," I insisted, clenching my fist proudly. "We can't let this momentum go to waste."

Megan smiled as she looked up to us, waving farewell.

"I'm glad to see you've got a bit of your father's spirit in you!" she called. "Let's hope it stays for our next bout!"

"I guarantee it," I beamed, pumping my arm. "The next time we see each other, I'm not holding back a single blow."

"Such confidence!" Megan cried with false-shock "How will I ever be able to contend with such a furious foe?"

With that, the lot of us shared a long laugh as the ship ascended into the vast sky. In spite the grim prospects that may have laid ahead, I pursued what may have been the last of my destinations with a passion I'd not felt since my earliest days. I was dead-set on seeing it through, now more than ever.

Little had I known just how much more morbid my journey would soon become...

Chapter 22: Saddle Tendency

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 1: A Cradle in Celestia's Court

Hi! My name is... Well, I'm not sure what my name is. I don't know where I am, either. I know I feel nice and warm, though! My head's on something really soft, and I'm wrapped in a soft, warm thingy. Everything around me looks so big! If I wasn't in this funny-looking round thing, I could take a closer look. There's a bright thing over there, but it's going away. My tummy's rumbling, too. No matter how much I try and make it stop, it won't stop!

I can't see anybody around here. I just see a big, creaky thingy. Maybe I should make some noises, too! Somebody should come if I make noises! What kind of noise would get them to notice me? Maybe I should yell as loud as I can!

“W-WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAA–”

Hey, I think someone's coming! It looks big, and it smells weird. I keep hearing strange sounds while it's coming to me! I don't think he liked my yelling. He looks mad. He’s got a friend with him, too. They keep mumbling something, but I can’t understand a single word of it. Wait... what’s a word? Wait, where are they going? Come back!

Great, I’m alone again. That wasn’t very fun at all! At least the creaky thing moved a little. What is it, anyway? What were those people? They looked kinda spooky. I hope they’re nice. What was that stuff on them? It was so shiny and pretty! They looked like the same person, too... Am I still dreaming? If I am, then I like this dream. This big thing looks nice and shiny. There’s a big lady up there. She has a wavy thing on her head, and she’s got shiny stuff all on her! I think she sees me!

“Hi! Can you see me? Hi!”

Aww, she’s gone! What was she? Who was she? I hope she’s nice. Those other two people looked really mean. Shiny, too, but mostly mean.

Oh, hey! The pretty lady’s down here now! She looks even prettier up close! She’s got a big face, and pretty eyes, and that thing on her head just keeps waving and waving! It’s making me a little dizzy...

That look she’s got on her face... does she like me? It doesn’t look like an “I like you” face. It looks like a “What is this” face. There’s something else on her head, too. It’s shining! Woah, what’s happening? I’m flying! Wheee! Where are we going, pretty lady? Is it fun? I like fun things. Can she even hear me?

There’s a lot of big people here. They’re all holding pointy things and looking at me and the lady. I can see another pretty lady over there! She’s not as bright as the other one, but she’s got a wavy thing on her head and a pointy thing, too. She’s got shinies all over her!

They’re talking funny like the big people were. I still don’t know what they’re saying, but they don’t sound happy. They sound sad. I wish I could talk like them. Maybe they’d pay attention if I did.

Whee! I'm flying again! The light lady's using her pointy thing to help me fly. She's even making the warm thing fly with me! It's going all around me! She's put me somewhere on her. I don't know what she's got on her, but it feels soft and fluffy. She feels warm all over. I don't know who or what she is, but I feel safe around her. She's smiling at me. The wavy thing is really cozy. It keeps tickling me! Is she making it do that? I wish I knew.

That wavy thing is making me sleepy again. I guess it must be nap time already. Maybe this will make sense later. Good night, pretty ladies.

This is perhaps the oddest foal I've ever seen. It doesn't have a coat anywhere on it's body. It has a mane, but I don't see a tail anywhere. I suppose that explains this blue suit it's wearing. It must be male. It looks like an ape, but even apes have some kind of fur or hair. It makes me wonder how long it was laying in that cradle, much less outside the castle gates.

The foal coos at me inquisitively, and I wrap a blanket around him.

For that matter, who would choose to leave a foal on a Canterlot doorstep, much less that of the highest authority in Equestria? Why would they do so? How long ago did this child appear here? Was this a deliberate move? All these thoughts are racing in my head right now. I've never had to rear a foal. I am a Princess, for Faust's sake! I am meant to lead a kingdom, and yet here I am, cradling an alien child in my magic.

Luna is giving me a strange glance. It seems she notices my concern. Her expression mirrors mine.

“Sister, art thou considering adopting this foal?” she asks.

“I don't have much choice, Luna,” I reply earnestly. “This child was dropped upon our doorstep. Nopony in their right mind would simply leave a foal here, even if it were just happenstance.”

“So thou wouldst take the foal as thine own?” Luna spoke, sternly. “We have a kingdom to raise, sister! We cannot put the life of a foal above that of Equestria, much less one as foreign as this!”

I check the foal's forehead. It is mildly warm, but not feverish.

“We cannot abandon this life either, Luna,” I whisper back. “Whoever or whatever chose to deliver this child to us, like it or no, he is our responsibility now, and we must act his parents. It is our duty as princesses to care for every subject in our kingdom, large or small, regardless of what form they happen to possess.”

Luna looks as if she is about to attempt to counter my argument, but she then sighs, knowing she’s been defeated. She does have a point, however. I have a kingdom to run. There’s no way I’ll be able to manage the logistics of Equestria on top of raising a child. At least, not one so young. I’ll have to find a sitter to watch him when I’m working. But who would be willing to watch a baby such as this? I doubt the maids would be able to keep a secret such as this. Then again, I’ve known them and their families for hundreds of years. I’m sure they could be held to a vow of secrecy, at least until I’m comfortable with letting the secret out myself.

He doesn’t seem fond of the royal guard, either. He looked a bit insecure. Remind me to tell him they mean him no harm when he’s older.

His age is the primary concern, I feel. He looks to be no older than a newborn foal, and weighs just as much as one. I’ll need to hire the services of a pony who has had a long-standing stint of experience when it comes to foalsitting. But who would be the pony for the task...

Cadence! Of course! She’s raised plenty of foals, Twilight included! But should I really bother her? She’s on her honeymoon with Shining Armor! Can I really bring myself to interrupt such an occasion for another foal for her to raise? Then again, I have heard her talk about her wanting a foal for her own. Perhaps this might make for the ideal child for her. Thank Faust that we’re able to keep in touch so easily. Where’s the ink and quill...

“Dear Princess Cadence,

As much as it pains me to have to interrupt such an occasion as your honeymoon, I must ask of you favor. As of writing this message, the guard has informed me of an anonymous foal that has mysteriously arrived upon the doorstep of the Royal Castle. While I am aware that you are due for the Crystal Empire in a few months, I am also otherwise engaged. I’ve always heard you’ve wanted to have foals, and I suppose happenstance granted your wish. If you are willing to return as promptly as you can, I will turn the infant into your care and allow you to continue from there. I hope you understand the ramifications of this undertaking and await your quick reply.

Your Dearest Aunt,

Princess Celestia”

There. Now to just focus my magic for a few moments and... There! She should be getting it soon. I’ll need to get supplies together, but I don’t even know what this baby eats. Fruits? I can’t tell with the lack of teeth. It must eat something like monkeys eat. The kitchen isn’t far from here.

As I make my way into the kitchen, the royal chef bows before me with grace and poise.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. The cake is just about ready! Would you like some?” he asks cheerily.

“No thank you, Tea Measure. I was going to ask if you would prepare a few crates of fruits and vegetables. I’ll be sending a child abroad soon.”

“But of course, Princess! Follow me.”

Tea Measure leads me to a large pantry, carefully extracting a modicum of crates of fruit, loading them onto a hoofcart as he brings it out covertly from the kitchen. Did he know the child wasn’t a pony? Could he tell by the way I inflected my voice? Is my facade beginning to fade? No, of course not. There’s no way somepony like Tea Measure would know.

“So if I might ask, who’s the child this is all for, anyhow?”

Damn it all. Then again, that does raise an interesting question. Does this infant even have a name? Should I try and come up with a name before Cadence arrives? After all, I can’t just call him a mystery baby his whole life. But what name would fit him? His mane is a dark shade of brown, almost the color of tree bark. His eyes glow like emeralds, and he carries with him a great deal of innocence. At least I would think so. He seemed to open up to me from the moment his eyes met mine... I suppose naming him in my likeness would be apropos, but I must have tact. If it is too obvious, then the common pony will surely take notice. Then again, he’ll also be under the care of the Captain of the Guard and the Princess of Love.

I think I’ll call him Lance. Lance Petal. A flower of elegance and strength. I can feel it in his heart. He has potential, and I feel that with Shining Armor as an Uncle, he’ll become a wonderful warrior, as much as he will a guile gentleman.

I’ll tell Cadence in the morning. I should tuck the foal in and let him rest. He’ll be in for a long journey soon. He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep. Foals always look so graceful when they’re sleeping. It’s small wonder Luna is so keen to observe their dreams. It only makes me wonder what this child is dreaming of. I suppose it won’t hurt to let him sleep with me. He seemed at ease with me. As I lay him within the covers, he wriggles like a caterpillar in a chrysalis. It's rather adorable, really.

Hopefully Luna will be well while I retire for a good night's rest. Knowing Cadence, she should be here by dawn. Until then, I suppose I can protect this foal...

Good night, everypony. May Luna grace your dreams tonight.

I feel that as the princess of the night and vanguard of the sleeping realm, it would only be appropriate to see the foal off to a good night's rest. As I keep watch over the night sky, allowing the moon to rise, I turn to the sleeping infant and lower my horn upon its forehead. Carefully, I implant myself into his subconscious, an image of myself projecting into his thoughts.

The foal's dreamland is rather basic, as expected for the subconscious of a newborn. It has abstractions here and there, but it is otherwise simple. I can see vague representations of ponies circling him, giving him comfort as he reaches to stroke one of their manes to no avail. Unlike how he appeared while awake, he is devoid of clothing here, bare as a winter fir. As his eyes meet my visage, a gleeful grin adorns his face as he hopelessly rushes toward me, falling over multiple times before finally shadowing himself behind my left foreleg. Alien though this creature may be, I feel a strange sense of wonder as I return his comforting gesture. 'Tis a shame I may not see him this often come the morrow, but I am sure that so long as he has dreams to inhabit, we shall not be estranged.

I can only hope, however, that he can adapt to his new home. Though the threat of Sombra has long since passed, dangerous forces lie north. Perhaps under the tutelage of Shining Armor, he may become ready to face what dangers may come. Under the shadow of the sun and the embrace of the moon, he will be ever watched and protected. If he is the only one of his ilk, then it is imperative he knows how to survive in this world, lest whatever species he belongs to dies with him.

Hopefully, beneath the watch of the Crystal Princess and the Captain of the Guard, he will be able to mature and become a wonderful adult. I can see in the stars that he has a grand journey ahead of him. While I am not entirely sure as to what his journey will entail, I am sure that with proper care and guidance, he will become something he never would have anticipated.

The sun, the moon, and the stars shall guide him until that fateful day comes, and will continue ever further.

I can only wonder what will become of him until then...

Chapter 6: All Work and No Play

I was not granted an easy sleep last evening. It could have been that my body was restless. Or that my mind was freshly reeling with dread for what was to come in the morning. Or perhaps the rumbling of loud, whining music was keeping me awake. It was the sort of music that I personally wouldn't give the grace of calling it as such. Its tone and volume practically shook the walls of the bunker, and trying to sleep through it would have been a feat of the same caliber as sleeping during a hurricane.

Defeated, my body tossed to the other end of the thin mattress. Both hands of mine held moved to hold my aching back. I sat upright and I minded my head, ducking beneath the railing of the top bunk. The music, as previously stated, was undeserving of the distinction. Whatever it ostensibly was, it was comparable to a combine harvester and a trash compactor in the throes of intercourse. Certainly, somepony found this music to be of some entertaining value, but in my ears, it was nothing more than grating gutter trash denying me an unmolested rest.

My feet met the floor, and I myself clad in little else but barest of necessities. I reasoned that if I was to spend the remainder of my night, I would do so in my proper outfit. I made for the footlocker, making haste to get myself dressed. The hat stayed where it was as a formality, resting at the bottom of the locker. In my uniform, I retired from the bed to leave the barracks. In my mind’s eye, if I wore my uniform, it would make me less conspicuous if somepony were to find me outside.

The barracks were abandoned on this particular evening. Empty as a cookie jar in the hooves of a foal. The beds were devoid of their occupants. Most all the covers were haphazardly strewn about as everypony had made way to the celebration. The music still shook the walls, and forced me to reconsider wearing my cap, even in knowing it would do little to muffle it. I covered my ears and I made my way to the hallway.

Instantly, I regretted leaving the barrack. The music continued to drone and whine in my ears, sending me reeling. It was a rather bass-heavy song, emphasizing a whirring sound that sounded as some ponies had told me was “wubs”. I was not unfamiliar to the music; A certain white unicorn mare graced - and I use the term loosely - most every Canterlot event with it. It was irritating to my ears, nonetheless. My hands still firmly covered to my ears as I tried to reach an area outdoors. In a frantic dash to find auditory shelter, I ended up bumping into, of all things, a crystal pony. She was of an orange hue, with a straight, light brown mane. Her locks drooped across her face, and she had a mark of a baton bearing a pair of bright, glowing flames. Her eyes were of a slightly brighter orange, and they looked to me with curious worry.

“Are you alright?” she asked, helping me up up. “You seem to be tense; There's a party going on in the mess hall, would you like to come with me?”

A sigh billowed from my throat as I dusted off my uniform.

“I’m afraid I must decline,” I tersely spoke, stretching out. “I was merely wanting to get some fresh air, seeing as I can’t sleep tonight. The princess expects me tomorrow.”

The amber-colored mare chuckled as she swished her tail to me teasingly.

“I think she can wait. Besides, I don’t think I’ve seen you having a lot of fun around here,” she replied, trying to take my hand.

“But-”

Before I could make a reasonable reply, a burly, grey earth pony stallion scoffed, a guttural laugh rumbling from his throat.

“Ah, come on, you wuss!” he snorted, brushing his mane from his face. “You barely spend time with any of us after hours.”

I felt his hoof pat my back as I seemed to be forced in the direction of the mess hall.

“Come on, kid! I’ll buy the first round!”

I stared daggers at the stallion who had just decided to push me along the way.

“You just need me to be your designated driver, don’t you?”

“Eyuup.”

The sad part of it all was that he was completely in the right; I didn’t know either of these guard’s names. I had spent a good few months, if not a couple years in their company without even knowing anypony. And yet everypony knows who I am - I’m the special guard. The odd one out. The one who had to spend overtime just to keep up with everypony else. While I wasn’t any happier in retrospect for being forced into doing this, his rationale was sound.

As soon as I was guided inside, I swore that my ears very nearly decided to divorce themselves from my head.

A new song was playing, this one of very deep, slow, reverberating whines and wubs. It was as if somepony decided to record the sound of one of those pulp fiction rayguns on a stereogram and put it to music made from a failing arcade cabinet. Banners of golds, reds, violets, blues, and whites were strewn along the railing. That same white mare from before was propped upright against a turntable. Many of my peers were dancing with reckless abandon. My two chaperones decided to make for a table filled to the brim with foods, drinks, and snacks. Iridescent light blanked the featureless floor, turning it to an aurora filled sky.

Incidentally, one of the reason I was not one to attend most social gatherings? What would qualify as Equestrian cuisine was, to me, quite unpalatable. For quite a few weeks, I would end end up leaving the latrine filled with more green than brown, if that makes any sense. Thankfully, fruits and sweets were not beyond my consumption, and there was plenty of that to spare.

Trying my best to avoid being swallowed by the miasma of merriment going on, I made my way to the snack table. I decided to indulge in perhaps one of the most immaculately white cakes I’d ever laid eyes on. For a military gathering, no expense seemed to be spared for the catering. As I reclined against a nearby wall, politely consuming the confection in my mouth with a fork and knife. The two ponies who saw it their duty and right to escort me here returned, one of them giving me a drink.

“Here,” croaked the stallion as I took the cup. “Take a few swigs of that. It’ll get you in the right mood for this.”

Curious, I decided to waft the drink a moment, unsure of what it was. Based on the aroma, it was a definitively apple-based beverage. For some reason, apples were quite a common commodity among pony society, even its most ardent socialites. Absent further thought and still brimming with lethargy, I took a sip. Then another soon followed. For whatever reason, the taste of this drink seemed to keep me to it, in spite of it being a mix of appetizing and repugnant. It was a robust drink, though not exactly what I would prefer to quench my thirst in the summer.

I would soon discover, however, that it was not the taste that the stallion intended to win me over with. Before long, I began to feel my conscious self slip away. The room seemed to spin and lose focus, as did the music. My cheeks flushed with redness and a frankly rather dopey grin adorned my face.

Before I knew it, I had gone from the wallflower to the party starter of the evening. Most of my memory from this point was rather hazy. I distinctly remember having danced a storm, adapting some of the stances and movements from my training into a rather unorthodox style that seemed to woo much of the crowd. I could have sworn a few mares - and more disturbingly, stallions - were swooned by my stupor, and made an advance or two upon me. I was enthralled by the beverage, and I became increasingly more aware of that fact, downing ever more of it. Eventually, my body couldn’t withstand what it was receiving, and most of my conscious self decided to close off shop for the evening. My final moments blurred away into the ethers of inebriation.

***

In what I could only assume to be several hours later, I found myself awakening to a splitting pain in my cranium. My eyes first beheld a red, satin carpet emblazoned with a familiar icon of the sun. It was clad with tendrils of solar winds as a bright emblem to greet me. I attempted to check the nearest window, but the light was glaring, forcing me to cover my face to avoid blinding myself. As I attempted to make sense of what had happened, I attempted to take stock. My eyes drifted upward, and I met the purple orbs of a face I was not particularly hoping to be greeted by.

“Good Morning, Lance,” the familiar voice of my mother cooed, sounding eerily serene. “I trust last evening was fun?”

“Last evening?” I parroted, my fingers now swirling about my temples. “What went on last evening?”

“Well, let me see if I can remember,” mother replied, her tone not changing even slightly, remaining cool and collected as she donned a pair of spectacles and unfurled a scroll. “Ostensibly, you danced like a madman in the mess hall, left a rather remarkable hole in the nearby wall, spray painted my walls to read ‘Princess Celestia is so fat because she eats so many cakes’, spent much of the evening without pants on, thereby garnering you an entourage of other inebriated fillies and colts, used a ten-foot pole to spy on the mare’s showers, sent a letter to Twilight concerning one Sentry Flash, convinced Flash Sentry to indulge in illicit activity, and shaved the cutie mark off of my chancellor to make it look as if you yourself had one in an attempt to please me.”

Mother finished her rather exhaustive list of last evening’s crimes with, “And then proceeded to cry until you lost consciousness.”

She lowered her face to meet mine at eye level and frowned. “Perhaps now would be apropos to have a rather important talk.”

Suddenly, what was once confused pain now became a rather sobering, saddening realization of the fact that I had become rather intoxicated, and proceeded to lose myself. Inside me were demons. Demons that I was not aware even existed nor that I had even repressed them. That list had such levels of perversions and infractions that made me very much wonder why I had not a mare at my side now. Do cutie marks grow back? I would think so.

Speaking of which, oh dear sun above, I still had the Chancellor’s attached to my thighs.

Mother kindly drew curtains acrossed the stained glass portraits and took a seat at her throne of gold.

“Lance, since you came into our life so many years ago, I and the rest of the Royal Court have seen you blossom into a fine example of a proper soldier in improper conditions. However, what we have also noticed is that in your attempt to better your physical capabilities, your mental—least of all your emotional and social ones—are very lacking. Your superiors consistently note your lack of interaction with other ponies. They use such words as ‘ascetic’ and ‘loner’ to describe you. While it is true that a soldier - much less a Royal Guard- must certainly be careful of standing alone, they are at their best when their friends, allies, and comrades stand with him. And up until last evening, you stood alone.”

I felt a sadness pang in my heart as I hung my head low. Mother responded with a much softer countenance.

“I asked a guard to gather your friends to confirm what happened,” she sighed.

A nearby guard looked curiously to me. “He has friends? He has the personality of a plasticine potato.”

Mother shook her head. “They can very much confirm what went on last night as true,”

In an unexpected twist, I found mother’s wing draping across my shoulders as she supported me upward.

“I understand that you are not a pony. To this day, even my dearest student cannot yet find the terminology or history of what exactly you are. You aren’t a pony. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn what it means to be a pony, and learn how to become friends with one..”

Mother nodded to a guard waiting at the door. He replied in kind and opened it, inviting a familiar purple-green drake into the room.

“Hence, since you are one who prefers more personal education, I have enlisted the aid of Twilight’s faithful familiar, Spike,” she announced in a low voice, to avoid exacerbating my symptoms any further. “He has been in a similar state as you, and has learned what it means to be a pony and chosen to be a part of pony society. Therefore, he should be able to help you.”

“Help me?” I asked, my tears only barely restrained by the embrace of her wing. “How can he help me?”

Celestia smiled, and released me. She produced a large scroll and laid it out before me. The scroll contained a large map detailing Equestria’s topography and that of the lands neighboring it.

“Spike, in his youth, had at one point went on a journey to find his true nature. He went to places far and wide away from Equestria’s borders, and discovered his identity. Today, I invite you to do the same,” she gallantly replied, her wings outspread. “It matters not for how long you travel, nor how far you go. What matters is that you see the world through your own perspective, as Spike once did, and that you are better for it. For this purpose, he will accompany you on this journey of yours.”

“Me?” Spike quipped. “But what about Twilight?”

“Twilight will do well in your absence, Spike,” Celestia curtly chuckled. “She’s not a young filly anymore, nor you a young drake. Although, if you’d like, you may send her and I both letters along your travels to keep us informed of your accomplishments.”

The both of us replied simply, “I see.”

“And what about you, Mother?” I asked, worried. “Do you not worry of my well-being? I could get killed going outside of Equestria! I have heard many stories of dangerous folk that lie beyond our borders.”

“And I am aware of this,” Mother replied. “Believe me when I say that I am only acting in your best interest.”

“And your best interest is to send me outside Equestria on what could very well be my death march?”

The room went silent at that remark, as did I, once I realized what I had just said.

“I am... aware of the ramifications,” Celestia sighed, her horn going to my shoulder. “You need not embark on this journey just yet. I will give you as much time as you need.”

I felt mother’s warm mantle cover me in its golden light.

I tried to run what mother said through my head again to make sure I was lucid. She was sending me on a journey to better myself, after just finishing a rather exhaustive rant on how much I had already failed. I had shaved the cutie mark off a grown stallion, and this was her idea of helping me?

A quick look at mother’s rather stone-faced countenance confirmed that not only was she serious about this, but she was also presenting me with little option of refusal other than prolonging the inevitable.

Celestia offered her hoof to me, which I took timidly as she rose me from a pathetic bow to a more dignified kneel.

“Know this, Lance,” she told me in a voice soft and calm a flock of doves. “Should you ever be at a loss at any point during your adventures, I and Aunt Luna will be with you every step of the way.”

Oh, so you aim to spy on me?

She rose her horn to align with the emblem of her and her sister circling the sky together.

“All you have to do is look up.”

For whatever reason drove me to do so, I lost all other thought and buried my face in mother’s chest, letting my sadness out free and wild.

“There, there,” she sighed, wrapping a wing around me once more. “Just let it all out.”

A pregnant pause took the room for a good while before either of us shuddered a word again.

Wait. If she just said she would be watching me... would that mean? No wait, I do that at night...

Suddenly, the doors creaked open again.

“When you are done tending to Nephew’s squalor, perhaps it would be prudent to educate him on ‘The Birds and The Bees’, as they call it these days.”

My face remained as red as an apple for much of the morning after.

Author's Note

There was a missing piece of dialogue from this scene; it has since been re added.