//------------------------------// // II: Different Lands // Story: Gates to Renascence // by Material Defender //------------------------------// C h a p t e r 2 : D i f f e r e n t L a n d s The Paragon of the Sun is what we called her, and what we still know her as. In one of our ancestors’ darkest hours, in the midst of a losing battle against the legions of chaos, she came forth from her own lands to help combat the great evil of the Trickster, her golden armor and resplendent form an awe-inspiring spectacle to all who viewed her. Though she did not directly defeat the Trickster, we could not have been victorious without her. She will be remembered forever in the history of our Empire, and for that, we have constructed the Obsidian Spire as a tribute to her heroism, a single sun etched into each side as reverence for her deeds. -Liberation: The History of the Empire and the Paragon, Historian Markus, 1332 RY “So, tell me, my liege,” Artim asked as he dug around Kandro’s notes, as the others waited in the courtyard of Fort Kahir outside, preparing for their journey to Equestria on foot.. “What do you know about Equestria?” Their group had departed from Renascence at their earliest convenience and under the cover of night, so that they could travel unhindered. Ghiraza and the Imperial Council would be given the authority to rule over the military and domestic affairs, respectively, but the transition was not needed; the Council had been ruling in the Emperor’s stead for the months past, but all were quite terrified to know that the Trickster was involved. “Well, for one thing, they don’t seem to like sandrunners... they are a vegetarian people, correct?” Kandro said. “Indeed, you are correct, sire,” Artim said. “Due to the abundance of fertile land and edible vegetation, they are able to sustain themselves quite readily through such foods alone, and the prolonged maintenance of sandrunners and their diet of meat would only cause problems in the long run. What else do you know?” “Well, I’ve heard that—” Artim clicked his tongue. “No, my liege, I’m not asking what about you’ve heard. I’m asking about what you know. What else do you know about Equestria?” Unhappy with the state of the light in the room, he ignited the unused candles on the tabletop with a wave of his hand. “I... do know that the lands are green. Very green, almost strangely so,” Kandro said. “And that they can control the weather and move around clouds as if they were nothing but another boulder in desert.” “Both true. The Equestrians have almost complete control of their magic to the point where they can control even the functions of nature. Here in the Empire, rainfall is a blessing, but most of our farmlands sit along the Roaring River that runs through the center of our lands.” “Yes, and directly by Renascence, providing the majority of the irrigation for our farmlands. How long has it been since we’ve contacted the Equestrians?” Artim shook his head at Kandro’s notes and beckoned them to move outside, exiting just behind a pair of soldiers carrying down bags full of dried provisions for their journey. “With lack of a better explanation, my liege, too long,” Artim said. A glow of magic surrounded his hands as he levitated his packs to himself, giving a nod to Tehin as they began to move towards the rarely-used eastern gates. “There’s no telling what to expect, but last I heard, they did have a recent rash of chaos energies being unleashed in their own world. Aside from that, it’s been completely quiet... hence why we are all coming along with you.” “I wonder if they use bows in Equestria,” Reugas wondered out loud. “They don’t have hands, so...” He patted his back, a trio of quivers stuffed to the brim with arrows. “Can’t be too sure, right, sire? I might just end up having to use all of these!” He laughed heartily as he walked to the gate, the only one amused at his own joke. “That man’s sense of humor worries me,” Sehyia said. “It is all in jest, Sehyia,” Tehin said, lumbering over after the ranger. “Though he does have trouble knowing when to use his humor...” Yhimit stood unmoving, merely observing the rest of the Pillars’ conversations as he moved along their group’s direction. His nondescript face mask aside, Yhimit’s appearance with his hood and swords almost made him seem inhuman... his reputation had certainly alluded as such, detailing hundreds of griffon casualties at his blade, and subsequent brutality as Yhimit was the only one in the entire Empire who was willing to do the most insulting of acts to their enemy: he clipped their wings. “...sire?” Sehyia touched Kandro on the arm, bringing him back to reality. “Are you alright?” “Yes, I’m fine, I was just... thinking,” Kandro said, thankful now that Yhimit had not decided to stare back at him... though there was definitely the odd feeling that he most certainly was. “Let us depart immediately.” “Good,” Artim said. “The length of Kahir Pass will span almost entirely through the Blackridge Mountains. If our visibility isn’t reduced to near-zero conditions in all the winds and blinding sand, we might be able to make it through within a half-day, at least.” Soldiers hollered to each other in the towers as the sound of ancient metal quaking to life began to shudder the aged stone walls of the fortress. The massive gates slowly parted, revealing the stretching passage beyond. Reugas simply whistled in response. “That’s going to be one damn long walk,” he said, looking over his shoulder and rubbing the top of his leather cap. “It’s no wonder why no one’s tried to walk through here... a single accident could leave a man stranded in there for days.” “We are six, and I doubt that we will have much in the way of problems,” Kandro said. His boots crunched on dirt untouched for decades, as he walked ahead of the group, staring down the length of the pass. “We certainly have our task cut out for us.” “Of course, sire,” Reugas said. “We bring back the Elements, kill the Trickster—again, and permanently this time—then we bring back magic into our lands, we all celebrate and have good times, and everything’s all fantastic, right? Why, nothing can go—” “Shut up,” Sehyia said. “Or we’ll be cursed to fail before we even begin due to your blabbering mouth.” “Ah, you wound me, Sehyia,” Reugas sarcastically responded, imitating a pose as if he had been stabbed. “But, fine, if you don’t want me to offend your superstitious sensitivities, then I’ll refrain from tempting fate for the remainder of our mission.” “Really, Reugas,” Tehin said. “Were it not for your great skill as a ranger, you would have lost your tongue long ago. You’re even worse when you’re drunk, and I’ve seen you drunk enough times to know to leave when you are.” “Yes, sometimes I forget that I’m a ranger, too,” Reugas said, chuckling. “But don’t worry, my prince, I shall be the first to plant a line of arrows into anything that so much as growls in our direction, you have my word on that.” He tapped the bow stored on his back. “I’m sure we can count on you,” Artim said, patting the ranger on the shoulder as he walked past him. “Bravely fighting the hordes of chaos as he stands behind his valiant and willing comrades raining down arrows in safety.” “Aw, come on... I’m no coward. I can still fight with... swords... and things... and what about you? Shooting magic from your fingertips like some sort of wizard.” “The proper term is arcanist, Reugas, and the few that are like me prefer utilizing our magic up close. Harder to miss that way, and you get to see the results of your handiwork up close. Now, stop talking, and let’s move. We’re burning daylight here.” The journey was mostly uneventful, almost to the point of mind-boring insanity had they not been saved by Tehin’s never-ending treasure trove of hilarious stories that he had experienced during his time in the legions. Skies remained mostly unobscured the whole time, at least giving them the privilege of getting their bearings during both day and night. For the most part, their entrance into Equestria was quiet, and without much fanfare. The lush forest they entered practically covered them in shade as they first stepped in uncertainty, Artim being the only one gutsy enough to walk through the trees without much wariness. “Ugh... it stinks,” Reugas immediately commented. “The stench is practically everywhere. What in the name of my undergarments is that smell?” “That, my friend, would be the smell of trees,” Artim said. “Lots of them.” He kneeled down, scooping up a handful of dirt as he brought it to his nose. “Dirt... not sand. Certainly not dry at all...” “There are lots of inquisitive eyes watching us,” Reugas said, his eyes darting around the bushes near them as he caught curious forms moving from brush to brush, but keeping their distance. “Animals. They all seem to act all the same, when you get down to the basics...” “Uh, Artim...?” Sehyia nervously asked. “The sun is going down, um... did we happen to bring any torches, by chance?” “Why, no, I’m afraid not, Sehyia,” Artim said. “But fear not, we can simply make do with what we have.” He snapped off a stick from a nearby tree and wrapped a single end with a ball of vines swiped off from some hanging branches. “Oh, how wondrous it must be to live in a land where nature gives you everything you need to survive...” “What are you doi—oh,” Reugas said as Artim ignited the vine-wrapped end, creating a makeshift torch. “I keep forgetting how you can throw around fire like we breathe air... should be careful if you learn how to ignite the air in our lungs,” he muttered to himself. “Years of practice,” Artim said. “And lots of burn marks, as you can evidently tell from my bandages. Fire took the longest to master because it was the most unforgiving of mentors. Mistakes often leave permanent reminders on how to channel the magic. And now... well, that’s a problem.” “What’s wrong?” Tehin asked, his hands already working on making his own torch. “Well... take a look at the ground,” Artim said. “I don’t mean any offense to our equine friends here, but I don’t think they bothered to keep the road leading to the Empire in working condition. Or at all, really. Was there even a road here? I forget.” “It raises questions as to whether or not they are aware that this is a completely unprotected road leading to a nation who has seen its fair share of wars and then some,” Tehin said. “Perhaps our liberators merely had faith placed in us to... well, not attack them.” “True. We have no reason to attack the Equestrians, and more than owe them our lives for essentially stemming the tide of extinction from swallowing our people whole,” Artim said, handing over another freshly-made torch to Sehyia. “Still, an overgrown forest as our first sight isn’t exactly reassuring. I had assumed there to be another fort here, perhaps, a sister to Fort Kahir at the opposite end. Yet there is nothing.” “They probably have their own affairs to attend to,” Reguas said, batting away several bugs that now began to flitter around his torch. “Damned insects.” He walked forward a few steps and heard his foot step into something squishy, before giving a groan and continuing forward. “I think I liked it back in Kradrin better. Drier than hot sands, but at least we didn’t have to deal with stepping into turds all the time.” “Feel anything that wants to tear our guts out for dinner, Reugas?” Tehin called. Reugas laughed loudly. “Ha! Surprisingly, no. I know golden lions and savannah leopards would gladly take any moment we stop to brutally flank us from all directions and tear us limb from limb, but here... there is nothing. Perhaps the Equestrians have greater hold on their animals than we do.” “So, then...” Kandro said, drawing his sword. “Anyone have any suggestions to where we should go?” “Simple,” Reugas said. “We go east. See, we have the pass’ entrance over there, we’re standing over here, so all we have to do is walk in the opposite direction, right?” “Perhaps, but I brought a map,” Artim said, reaching into his pack and retrieving a scroll that looked like it was about to fall apart. “Uh, this is about a century old, an old map gained through trade with an extremely questionable merchant, but I believe the geography should have remained the same.” “So, which way do we go then?” Kandro asked. A rogue vine flew by his face and he responded in shock by cutting it through it with a clean swing. “The sooner we can get out of this forest, the better...” “We head... hmm... east. It says there’s a recently settled town by the name of Ponyville nearby,” Artim said, rotating the map left and right as he tried to make sense of it. “But it’s probably a proper town by now, though, given how much time has passed. Now, come on. Let’s hope we can find a town before we end up running into something that wants to take a bite out of us.” “That makes about... how long now? Honestly, my boots are too thin to be dealing with such uneven terrain...” “Sehyia, if you’re going to keep complaining, how about I just carry you on my back?” Tehin offered. “Oh, um... that’s... not really needed. I think I’m fine. Thank you for the offer, though.” “Artim, does the map say just how big this forest is?” Kandro asked, holding his torch above his head to see if the tree canopy was still as thick as it had been when they first arrived. A tiny speck of bright moonlight shone through above him, though the covering of thick leaves still prevented guidance through the skies. “It’s... well, I’m not really sure. This map was certainly not drawn to scale,” Artim said angrily. “It even says that in the bottom right... fires ablaze, I am going to replace this map with a new one after this is all said and done. The entire cartography department will be combing through this entire forest!” “I smell something... fruity,” Reugas said. “You smell plenty of things,” Tehin said. “I’m surprised the first thing you smelled didn’t happen to be alcohol, given how you also seem to be having some whenever I see you.” “Time and place for everything, Tehin, and now is not a good time for alcohol,” he said. “Now shut your trap and open your nostrils. Can you smell that? Fruit, and some musk of... vegetables, of some sort. We must be getting close to a settlement.” “How are you able to smell that?” Kandro asked. “Years of practice,” Reugas said, smiling. “You pick up lots of things when you train to become a ranger. Like, for instance, that there has been a pack of animals, predators most likely, following us since... oh, I don’t know... the last time I coughed.” “That was probably... hours ago, at least,” Sehyia said. “Is that why you hold your bow now?” “Indeed. They know that I know, that that’s all that matters. Only a foolish animal would dare attack a predator that readily expects its approach.” He notched an arrow into the string. “And they seem to be growing bolder as they observe our journey. Be ready for them.” Yhimit tapped Artim on the shoulder, directing the arcanist’s attention towards an eastern direction with a point of his finger. Several whispered questions were answered with a nod before Artim stored his map, no longer requiring the services of outdated cartography. “Well, it would seem that Yhimit has found a way out.” “How so?” Kandro asked. “I see nothing of the sort in that direction.” “Well, not from where you’re standing. But from here, I can see something, and it looks like a wooden shack.” “A wooden shack? This place is full of dangers,” Reugas said. “The ponies must be brave or stupid to have settled down so close to this forest. So, you say it’s that way...?” He stepped forward, squinting through the darkened treeline as he caught the faded red of a painted shack in the moonlight. “Hmm, I think you may be onto something there, Yhimit.” A rustle in the bushes behind them turned their heads, the dim light revealing a pair of glowing eyes and wooden faces staring back at them. The newfound wolves began circling them, determined to confront them but still holding their distance as they continued to size them up. “Those wolves...” Artim said slowly. “...are made of wood.” “Yeah...” Kandro said, waving around his torch to deter the creatures. “And wood burns, doesn’t it...?” “What’s the problem here?” Tehin asked. “It’s just a small pack, only five of them. We could easily—” He turned his head right as he heard louder growling, a larger pack of more than a dozen wolves entering their clearing. “Damn. Well, that’s going to be a problem.” “Sword and torch,” Sehyia said to Kandro. “I doubt this will be much of a problem. We already have such ample experience fighting against quadruped creatures through our conflicts with the griffons alone.” “Not wise to underestimate beasts, Sehyia...” Reugas said, pulling back his bowstring and holding a solid aim on one of the larger wolves. “They don’t give in to bluffs as easily as griffons do...” The sound of metal grinding against metal ringed through the area as Yhimit stabbed his torch into the ground, unsheathing his own swords. Curved blades glinted in the moonlight as intimidating visage caused the wolves to step back, his emotionless white mask preventing them from gauging the disciple’s reaction. “Yhimit certainly has the right idea,” Reugas said. “But this can go one of two ways: they will either see it as a challenge... or they will realize that we are more trouble than we’re worth, and they will back off.” The lumbering alpha wolf behind the lines of the lessers snarled at them and howled. “...and it looks like they’re taking the challenge,” Artim said. “Enough is enough.” His hands glowed orange as he began to channel the element of fire through his hands, crouching down to deliver a powerful stream of potent flames at the wolves. “Stand back, all of you... this is going to get ugly.” “Ah, right,” Reugas mused casually. “I keep forgetting we have an arcanist with us. Yeah, sure, just go ahead with it, I guess. Nothing deters predators more than being spontaneously lit on fire.” They quickly moved behind Artim as the arcanist’s hands pulsated with blinding orange light now, and with a stretch of his arms and the telltale sound of flames rushing forth, he ignited a line in the ground directly in front of them, catching several of the wolves in the process. The burning creatures howled in pain as their comrades quickly shrunk back, unwilling to meet the same fate as their friends. Standing at the perimeters, they continued to circle them until Artim's hands began glowing again, inadvertently catching his torch in the process and causing the wolves to flee. Whimpers echoed throughout the forest as they quickly retreated back to their dens, leaving them alone in the darkness. “Well, that went well,” Artim said, tossing the chunk of ash that used to be his torch to the ground. “I’d use my own hands as a torch, but as you can see, that’s probably not a good idea. Fire doesn’t like to stay put.” He chuckled as the last of the wolves disappeared into the deep woods, tails between their legs. “Worth the results, though, if one can manage it.” “...um, excuse me...?” a meek voice called from behind them. They turned around to see a yellow pegasus standing there, watching them with nervous eyes from behind her pink mane. “I saw what happened and... um, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t do that to the wolves...” The group merely exchanged confused glances between each other until Reugas broke the awkward silence. “Damnit, Artim, look what you’ve done. You’ve gone and woken up one of the locals.” “Oh, my...” Fluttershy said, as Tehin graciously poured her another cup of tea. “Thank you, mister. So, all six of you are from... out northwest, beyond the Everfree Forest?” “Is that what they call it now?” Artim said loudly. “Damn... now there’s going to be a lot of reorganization at the library after we’re done with this place...” he muttered, scribbling frantically in the piece of parchment he had before him. “Indeed we are,” Kandro said. “We are here to ask something of your ruler, the Paragon of the Sun. We need her help, and it is extremely important that you bring us to her, Miss Fluttershy.” “I think I can help... if it’s really that important, I can get my friend Twilight to help you. She’s the personal student of this, um... paragon. She is our princess here.” “A princess? So she’s taken up a title...” Artim said, nodding as he again scribbled in his notes. “Ah, where is she situated at, I might ask? Er, to clarify: where is her seat of power and primary city of residence?” “Where she lives?” Fluttershy asked, shooing away Angel as he gave the entire group of humans the stink eye; one which Tehin heartily laughed at and Reugas eagerly returned. “Oh, um, she lives up at Canterlot... that’s the city right on the side of the mountain, but it’s kind of hard to see at this time of night...” “Right... mm-hmm...” Artim continued. “Well, I suppose that’s enough for now. It’s important that I get all of these down, you understand... accurate representation and all that for the books. If you wouldn’t mind, could you perhaps fetch your friend Twilight for us? If the night is not safe, one—or perhaps all of us—can escort you.” Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you, but I—” The door slammed open as a sky-blue pegasus stood with a smile on her face. “Hey, ‘Shy, I got all the girls and—guh!” Yhimit, who had been waiting next to the door had drawn his sword as soon as she had opened her mouth, holding it precariously under her throat. “Uh...” she said, her eyes looking around the room as she smiled awkwardly. “What’s going on in here, ‘Shy?” “Fluttershy, what’s going on in there?” another unicorn mare called from outside. “Who are these... things? And why do they all seem to be wearing armor? Oh, I can’t complain with that shade of red, though...” “Hmm, someone has refined taste,” Sehyia sang. “Yhimit, lower your blade. We’re not here to cause an incident.” Yhimit complied, nodding as he sheathed his sword and gave the pegasus some breathing room. “I’m sorry, Dash,” Fluttershy said, “but I found them in the Everfree Forest and they were trying to fight off some timberwolves, and then I found them and they asked me for help, so... I brought them to my treehouse.” “And what a treehouse it is,” Reugas said. “Imagine that. Making homes. Out of trees. Practically impossible where we come from, but mostly because we don’t really have trees.” “Oh, my goodness,” said another unicorn, stepping in front of Dash and excitedly looking around the room. “Are you all from the... Renascent Empire?” “Yes, we are,” Kandro answered. “I believe introductions are in order. I am Prince Kandro, heir to the throne of the Renascent Empire, and these are my companions: Artim, Tehin, Reugas, Sehyia, and Yhimit.” “Wow, I can’t believe you’re actually here...” Twilight said. “Oh, goodness, I need parchment and a quill...” “I have some,” Artim said, procuring a set of parchment and a quill from his own pack. “Immediate inclination to take notes... are you a scholar, by chance?” “Well, I guess I sort of am...” the unicorn said, chuckling as she smiled to herself, jotting down a few notes on the paper. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia. I see you’ve already met Fluttershy, and gave an, um... interesting welcome for Rainbow Dash over there.” “Celestia... so that’s her name...” Artim said, adding the note. “So many things we don’t know! Imagine the exchange of information we could have! The history we could learn! The notes we could share!” “I know, right?” Twilight said, frantically writing in her own notes as she kept giving repeated glances at the humans, adding in crude sketches on their attire. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked the Princess about your lands! I should really get around to that now, actually...” “Seriously, what’s with the get-up, you guys?” Dash asked. “You look like you came to... oh, I don’t know, slay monsters or something. You wear more armor than Celestia’s royal guard!” “And look at that feller,” an orange earth pony said. “He’s even bigger than my brother!” “Applejack, it’s rude to stare, even if he does seem to be some sort of walking tower of steel,” the alabaster unicorn said. “Oh, where are my manners? I am Rarity, Ponyville’s local fashionista. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” “Wow!” A pink earth pony appeared over Tehin’s shoulders, giggling as the man nearly jumped at her sudden appearance. “He’s really tall! You know what would be great right about now? A party! I mean, we were already going to have a party because tonight was supposed to be game night at Fluttershy’s house, but this is totally better!” “Pinkie Pie!” Applejack said. “Get down from his shoulders this instant! Don’t you know it’s rude to just walk around and hop up on strangers’ shoulders like that!” “It’s fine,” Tehin said. “So, you say you like parties?” “Yeppity-yep! I’m Ponyville’s premier party pony!” she exclaimed. “Everypony that’s new in town gets one! Even if they aren’t a pony!” “Haha, I like your exuberance, pink one!” Tehin said, tossing her up into the air as Pinkie happily squealed. “How big are these parties you host?” “Really big! Everypony in town is invited for parties, especially if it’s for someone new!” “Is there alcohol?” Reugas asked, ever the blunt one. “Sometimes,” Pinkie responded, laying on top of Tehin’s helmet. “That’s usually a contribution from Berry Punch, Ponyville’s alcohol provider. She likes it a lot herself, actually.” “Then I shall challenge Tehin to a drinking match when we get the chance,” Reugas said, shaking his fist at him. “I will beat you this time! I wasn’t known for being able to drink everyone in Kradrin under the table for a reason, you know!” “Then we shall do it with Equestrian liquor,” Tehin challenged. “May the First bless you in your feeble attempts to out-drink me!” “Please, you two, can we get back to business?” Sehyia asked, frowning. “We do have a crisis on our hands here. Lest you wish the Emperor was here to whip you into doing your duties.” “Fine,” Tehin said, setting Pinkie down on the couch next to him. “Let us conduct business!” “Um, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “Prince Kandro here needs to talk to the Princess as soon as possible. He says it’s really important.” “Oh, yeah?” Dash asked. “How important? How do we know that you guys aren’t just some team of ninjas sent here to kill the Princess? I mean, you’re all carrying swords and stuff!” “I swear on my honor,” Kandro said. “And those of my comrades. They came along to guard me in this mission. If you require further proof,” he said, detaching the sigil on his armor, “then simply present this to her. It is the seal of our Empire, and I hope it still holds meaning to her. If not, then do mention that the followers of the Paragon of the Sun wish to speak with her.” “Paragon of the Sun...?” Twilight said. “Wow... I haven’t heard that name used for the Princess since old times, back during her conflict with Discord.” “Discord,” Artim sharply said. “Who or what is that? Please, tell us, for it is very important that we know that information.” “Uh... Discord?” Dash said. “You know... Elder God of Chaos and Disharmony? He got released a long while back, totally threw everything for a loop for a bit.” Artim looked at Kandro worryingly, making Twilight curious. “So... why do you need to know?” she asked. “What’s going on over there?” “So he... that bastard! Why is an incarnation of the Trickster still alive?” Kandro asked. “We thought we had banished him years ago, yet now we learn that he’s had an alternate form running amok for some time now.. If this is true, then the release of Discord from his prison has only made matters in our homeland even worse. This Discord is possibly the catalyst for the release of the Trickster!” “The Trickster?” Twilight asked. “Discord isn’t really that bad,” Twilight said. “Sure, he just wants to plunge the land into chaos, but most of the time, from what the Princess had told me, he just wants to play pranks like turning clouds into cotton candy and rain chocolate milk.” “That’s what my father was trying to warn me about,” Kandro continued. “This Discord’s presence with his energies of chaos have awakened the Trickster in his banishment. Please, Twilight, the Trickster is nothing like your kind have ever known. You may have heard tales of his reign of terror in the olden days, correct?” “Yeah, but those were mostly just foals’ tales to scare the youngin’s into behavin’, right?” Applejack said. “It’s not like it was true or anythin’.” “Oh, it is very true,” Artim said. “The Trickster ravaged our home with entire armies full of chaotic creatures in the ancient times. His reign of terror lasted for many days and nights, driving our own kind to the brink of extinction as he siphoned the magic from the lands of our home to fuel his conquests elsewhere.” “Like Equestria,” Twilight said, holding a hoof to her mouth in realization. “Indeed. He still had the means to fight us at home, though, and that is why we could not stand against him; his armies were too strong, too great for us to fight, and he relished in the purest form of chaos: war and other such brutal means were his preferred methods for doing so, and we suffered the worst of it at the hands of himself and his minions... namely, the griffons.” “I’ve heard of wars going on in the west,” Rarity said. “Mostly whispers of things to come from the grapevine of higher society. Many of our upper-crust have investments in griffon ventures, so it must have been greatly important.” Reugas laughed sourly. “Important, yes. Our Empire has been at war, or at the very least, maintains high tensions with the griffon state. They are the spawn of the Trickster, brought to wage war on us, taking thousands of lives. We have not forgotten what they have done.” “This is just... overwhelming,” Twilight said, continuing to take notes with shaky hold on her quill. “I had no idea that the griffons did such things. I mean, I know that they were around even back then, but to think that Discord—er, the Trickster used them to harm others is just... wow.” “Our relations with them have never been nice,” Artim reiterated. “But they are not the cause of our current problems. We need to speak to the Princess immediately, for we need her help. Can you help us, Twilight Sparkle?” “I’ll do my best.” She turned to look at Dash, who was merely lazing about on the couch. “Dash, go fetch Spike. And tell him to bring parchment and ink. We’re going to need them.” “Yes, ma’am,” Dash said, saluting. She exited the door and took off into the night for the town of Ponyville, leaving the group in a palpable silence. “So... what do you know of the Elements of Harmony?” Artim asked quietly. “The Elements of Harmony...?” Twilight asked slowly, unsure of what to give for an answer. “Well... I know that there are six of them: honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, loyalty, and... magic.” “Of course, like in the books,” he said, nodding. “All six are needed to live a life free from the terror of the Trickster, and as such, were paramount in his defeat. However, it seemed that the Elements themselves are not capable of destroying such powerful evils, and the requirement of a powerful relic from one of our past rulers was needed to seal him away.” “Well, then why not use that instead?” “It’s complicated," he stated; it was a simple answer for an extremely complicated incident. “The trouble is that we cannot find where the weapon is located. The tomb of that very ruler was built in the desert, but over the years, its reputation and location have changed many times, to the point where many believed that it is cursed.” “Cursed?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Cursed how?” “Cursed as in all who seek the Tomb of the First Emperor are not only doomed to fail, but to also lose their lives. At first, it was a small number of scholars, eccentrics dedicated to finding a possible solution to our Empire’s absence of magic in its lands. Then, eventually, as magic became a controlled commodity, we needed a way to bring back our lands and make them habitable again. Many years were spent looking for solutions, and the belief that the relic held great magical power that could revitalize what was lost came to a fever pitch." “...and so my father launched the infamous Lost Expedition,” Kandro took over. “It was a massive one, filled with a plethora of great minds and brave soldiers, and launched just a over half a century ago. When they ventured into the desert, all contact was lost with them, and all of their supposed tracks in the desert were completely wiped out.” “That sounds terrible,” Twilight said. To lose oneself in the pursuit of something greater had sounded like something poetic to her... when put like this, she wasn’t sure she thought that anymore. “What happened afterwards?” “The rumors of it being cursed spread. That the expedition itself did find the tomb, but all were lost within, to join the ranks of the deceased inside. The tomb supposedly has magical properties, allowing it to shift its location and deter any curious explorer with heavy sandstorms, which in themselves are already very capable of taking lives. That is why we dare not search for it, and would rather prefer to use the Elements of Harmony instead.” “I see...” Twilight said, nodding. “Then I’ll do my best to help.” Kandro handed her the sigil as she began to write her letter, until the sound of shouting could be faintly heard coming from outside. Yhimit opened the door to investigate, only to dodge out of the way for the incoming form. “...coming through!” a voice shouted from outside. A blur of sky-blue feathers and a screaming purple dragon came blowing in through the open door as Yhimit quietly closed it after them. “Twilight, I... I got him!” Dash huffed. “Sheesh, what’s with the rush...?” Spike asked, opening his eyes to see more than just ponies staring back at him. “Oh.” Twilight ended her letter with a quick flourish, rolling it up around the sigil and handing it to Spike. “Spike, send this letter to Celestia. It’s important.” “Sure, Twilight.” With a belch of green fire, the scroll disintegrated, taking its accompanying metal object along with it. “So, what’s the hurry with—urgh.” With another belch, another scroll came flying from his maw, smacking straight into Twilight’s face. The unicorn quickly unrolled it, ignoring Spike’s moans and looked directly at Kandro, who eagerly awaited her answer. “Princess Celestia wants to speak with you immediately.”