In the Eye of the Storm
by SPark
Chapter Four
It was a beautiful summer day in Ponyville. The library's door was open to let in a warm breeze. Birds were singing in the branches of the library tree, and Dale and the other Companions were lounging on the grass just outside the door, keeping out of the way of Elspeth, Twilight, and Luna, who were having a fairly intense magic lesson.
"Woo hoo!" Rainbow Dash came tearing past the library, her trademark streak of rainbow trailing out behind her. Dale just smiled to see it. He was past being surprised by anything these ponies did anymore.
Skif went rocketing after her, his wings a blur, and Dale smiled more broadly. The thief-turned-Herald-turned-pegasus seemed to be enjoying his flying lessons. "I may not be able to fly when I get home, but it would be a shame not to enjoy it while I can," he had said earlier. And Rainbow Dash had been more than willing to teach him, though Dale suspected she was just enjoying the chance to show off a little. She'd had to work hard to keep ahead of Skif though, he picked up physical skills quickly, a legacy of a childhood spent learning how to climb houses, pick pockets, and do other demanding tasks.
Inside the library there was a small explosion, and Dale winced. Elspeth, on the other hand, wasn't learning magic as easily as she'd hoped.
He peered in the door to where Luna and Twilight were both patiently coaching Elspeth. The tip of her horn was slightly scorched, and she looked very cross and impatient. "You're still letting your old habits influence you. Unicorn magic is different." Twilight scolded her gently.
Elspeth sighed. "I know, I know. But it's easier said than done."
"Well as they say, practice makes perfect. So let's try this again. First gather your power in your horn."
Elspeth nodded and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow.
"Very good. Now remember to reach through the horn, not through your hooves this time."
"Right," muttered Elspeth. A moment later a glowing bubble surrounded her.
"Oh very good!" said Twilight. "Very good! That one took me nearly as long, even without the bad habits."
"I don't suppose I could learn the actual gate spell next?" asked Elspeth, the bubble still glowing around her.
"Hold the spell now," said Twilight. Then she added, "No, not until you're completely at ease with unicorn magic. You do not want to have a gate spell go bang on you the way that shield bubble just did. Isn't that right Luna?" Twilight looked over at the third pony in the room.
"Huh?" She blinked at them, then shook her head. "Oh yes, right. Gate spells are pretty powerful, you could blow yourself to bits."
"Is something wrong, Luna?" asked Twilight, sounding concerned.
"Nothing is wrong. There's just... something. I can sense it. I'm not sure what it is, but it somehow reminds me of the moon."
"Is that... bad?" Twilight looked nervous.
"I don't know. It's coming from that direction," Luna waved a hoof at the Everfree Forest, "so it might be some forgotten artifact in the old palace, or any number of other things."
"Could it be a creature?" asked Elspeth. The distraction made her mind wander and the bubble spell vanished with a "pop!"
"I suppose it could be a creature, yes," said Luna. "Why do you ask?"
"Because something attacked us right after we came through the gate. A huge monster. I don't know what connection it might have to magic, or to the moon, but it was in the ruins there."
"What sort of creature was it?" asked Twilight Sparkle.
"It was, well... it was a giant rabbit. Only with fangs, and claws like a cat, and horns, and a long tail."
"Hmm. I think..." Twilight's horn glowed and a book floated over to her. She leafed through it. "Ah, yes! It's a giant wolpertinger!"
"Ah, of course," said Luna. "The forest has always had a large population of wolpertingers, so getting one of the giant ones isn't that surprising."
"What is a wolpertinger?" asked Elspeth.
"Just what you said, it's mostly a rabbit, but they're predatory, and the small ones can fly."
"This one had wings, but they were too small, thankfully. Otherwise we'd never have escaped from it."
"They're mostly small creatures, but there's a peculiar magic in them, so that every now and then you get one that just grows and grows and never stops growing. So if nothing kills it, it will eventually be huge. I heard of one once that got nearly as big as an ursa major."
"It must have been while I was on the moon," said Luna, "if that really happened, otherwise I think I'd remember it. An ursa major is pretty big."
"Not the biggest thing there is though," said Twilight as she flipped through her book. "World snakes get bigger. But you never see them, they spend nearly all their time sleeping. They sleep so much that mountains grow on them."
"Would the wolpertinger be what you sensed, Luna?" asked Elspeth.
Luna shook her head. "No. A giant wolpertinger's only magic is its size. I sensed something magical. I still sense it, in fact. It's very faint, but it's there."
"Should we go investigate?" asked Twilight sparkle.
Luna hesitated. Then she shook her head. "No. Whatever it is, it's far off and not causing any problems. If it gets stronger maybe, but right now it's just another bit of magic in a forest full of bits of magic. Not worth the effort."
"Do you sense all those other bits of magic too?" Twilight Sparkle's eyes were wide with curiosity.
Luna smiled. "Yes. An alicorn is very sensitive. We have to be, in order to do our jobs. We have to know when there's new magic in Equestria. That's why I flew out here, after all. Stargazing with you was a wonderful bonus, and meeting so many friends has been amazing, but I came to investigate the portal magic that my sister and I sensed."
"So this thing you sensed is new?"
"Yes. But small. Or very far away. It's not big enough to worry about. If we went and checked on every single bit of new magic, we'd do nothing else. It's only the strong magic, or the magic that seems particularly harmful, that we investigate."
"You could send other ponies to look at the smaller magics," said Elspeth.
Luna considered that. "Hmm. Not a bad idea, actually."
"You two do a lot of things yourselves, don't you?"
"There are a lot of things only we two can do."
"But you do delegate some things, I hope?"
"Oh yes! Most of the everyday ruling matters of the nation get dealt with by various other ponies." Luna smiled. "I'd go completely around the bend if I had to get involved in all the politics and bureaucracy. Although I used to do most of the archives." She sighed. "I did always love scrolls, and doing all the statistics. I was a quick hoof with an abacus, back in the day. But Equestria is larger than it was, and there's a whole herd of ponies who manage all that now."
"That's good. A good leader always knows how to delegate. That's really the whole reason for the Heralds. We're the ones who do all the things the Queen would do, if she could be everywhere."
"That sounds like a very sensible way to run things," said Luna thoughtfully. "Can you tell me more about what Heralds do?"
"Most Heralds do what we call 'riding circuit.' They have an area of responsibility and they circle around it, stopping at every village. They bring news with them, and changes to the laws. But mostly they hear disputes, report on problems, and generally keep things orderly. They'll deal with small attacks by bandits or wild animals, and do what they can in cases of sickness and plague, both to help cure and to contain the spread of such things. They do whatever they can to help, wherever they are."
"You said most Heralds. What do the others do?"
"Well, some are teachers, training new Heralds. And there are a few special tasks. The archivist is a Herald. So is the weaponsmaster. And there's the Queen's Own. Or King's Own, when there's a king, but right now my mother Selenay reigns."
"What do they do?"
"Well, there's a certain amount of trivial stuff that comes from being the highest ranked Herald, but mostly what they do is to be there for the Queen. A ruler needs somebody they can take off all their masks with."
Luna nodded solemnly, thinking of Celestia.
"And a ruler needs somebody who's not going to be subservient to them, who can tell them if they have a particularly bad idea. The Queen's Own is technically equal to the Queen, he or she has the right to veto any idea the Queen has. Of course that doesn't get used very often, the idea of it is the really useful thing. It's very easy to get a swelled head when your every word is law. Knowing that somebody can shoot you down makes a difference.
"And of course the Queen's Own is the one person at court who has no personal agenda. They don't have any ties to the court itself, they're not usually a member of a noble family or anything like that. And since they're a Herald, Chosen by a Companion, they're completely trustworthy. I think sometimes that's the most important thing. They're a listening ear who's there to care about the Queen, and not to push their own politics. That's a very rare thing at court. At least in our kingdom."
"It's a rare thing here in Equestria too," said Luna. "And I think that in a peculiar sort of way Twilight Sparkle and I, between us, have been doing that sort of thing for my sister this last year."
"Me?" Twilight Sparkle looked surprised. "But I'm not equal to the Princess!"
"No. But I am. And you're somebody trustworthy, with no ties at court. I know Celestia looks forward to your letters as a welcome break from all the back stabbing and politicking she deals with every day."
Twilight blushed. "Really?"
"Yes. She's always very happy to get them."
A frown crossed Elspeth's face. "If you're like the Queen's Own for your sister, what's going to happen if... when you come with us to Valdemar?"
Luna looked at Elspeth, her expression troubled. "It's definitely 'if' and not 'when', Elspeth. I don't know, I really don't know if I can go. I'm not just another pony. I should... I should be the Bringer of Night, I should be raising the moon, as my sister raises the sun. I'm not now because... because of a lot of things. So maybe I could go. But if I do, I give up being everything I've ever been, or ever hoped to be. And I guess probably Heralds have had to do that before, but I really don't know if I can."
For a moment Elspeth's frown deepened and she looked rather annoyed, but then she sighed. "Sorry. I'm afraid I'm used to Valdemarans being Chosen, it's rare for somebody not raised around Heralds to be Chosen, though it's been happening more often of late, with our recent alliances with other nations. It used to go without saying that a Herald will accept their duty and come to Haven for training. And Heralds are always Chosen for their sense of duty."
"I do have a sense of duty. The problem is that it includes my duty to my sister. I... I'm grateful to be Chosen, I know it's an honor, and I wouldn't want to give up Dale for anything. But I just don't know if I can go. I really don't. Yes my sister has handled my duties for a very long time, but maybe that's all the more reason for me to take them up again." She sighed. "I've been wrestling with this even before I was Chosen. Now it seems like twice as much of a problem, and I have no idea what the right choice is."
"I guess I can understand, a bit. I've been torn between duties too, when I was still the heir, before I gave it up, but I knew what I really wanted to do. It was just difficult arranging things so that I could do what I felt I should. It would have been a lot harder if I hadn't been so certain."
"I'm sure you'll be able to choose what's best when the time comes," said Twilight Sparkle with a warm smile. "You have plenty of time left to think about it, if the way these lessons are going is any indication."
Elspeth laughed ruefully "Very true. I guess I won't feel bad for taking so long to master magic, in that case."
"Don't think that means you can slack off on your lessons though!" said Luna with a giggle. "Speaking of which, let's try the shield bubble again."
"Right." Elspeth turned her attention back to magic.
Dale turned his gaze back to the streets of Ponyville, but his thoughts kept worrying over the problem of what to do with Luna. It was true that a prince of another kingdom had been Chosen, and not very long ago. But prince Daren had been easily spared from his brother's court. And he had not been just another Herald. He had become the Queen's royal consort, very much her equal and as vital in his own way as the Queen's Own was.
But there were no such positions going begging now. Luna would be just another Herald. And there was the issue of what would happen if she turned into a mortal human. She would lose not only everything she ever wanted to be, but all the years should could have lived. And more than that, she was something very close to a goddess. She had told him about being trapped on the moon, but that was next door compared to going to Valdemar. Would it harm this whole world if he took a goddess away from it? He didn't know. I should be sure of this. I've Chosen, and my Chosen is meant to be a Herald! What point in Choosing if Luna just stays here? Heralds exist for a reason!
He sighed. It was just not that simple. But between them he and Luna had to figure out what was best for both worlds.
The Valdemarans had been in Ponyville for two weeks when Luna announced that she needed to leave. She and Twilight had been stargazing again, while Dale lurked nearby as he tended to do.
"Celestia needs you?" asked Twilight, looking somewhat dismayed.
"No, I'm not headed to Canterlot. I'm going the opposite direction." She gestured towards the Everfree Forest. "The new magic I sensed has been growing. Very slowly, but very steadily. Either something is gathering power, or something quite powerful is moving closer. At this distance I can't tell which it is. But in either case it's gone on long enough that somebody needs to investigate. I'll leave in the morning."
"Can I come along?" asked Dale.
Luna frowned at him. "I was planning on flying, and you're an earth pony."
"You've lifted me with magic before. Could you carry me with you?"
"I wouldn't think you'd enjoy that very much," said Luna doubtfully. "All the earth ponies I've known prefer to have their hooves on the ground."
"I don't mind. I want to come with you."
"All right," said Luna.
They slept in the spare bed in Twilight's room once again, or rather Luna did. Dale, who insisted that he was used to such things, slept standing. The ponies of this land didn't seem to know how, but he's slept on his feet in a stall most of his life, and didn't see it as any sort of hardship.
It was late morning by the time they woke. Twilight and Spike went down to open the library, while Luna and Dale made breakfast for the four of them.
"Is this thing you've sensed likely to be dangerous?" asked Dale.
"I have no idea," said Luna. "The last thing I went to investigate proved to be you, so if past history is any indication it will be harmless but troublesome."
Dale laughed. "Harmless but troublesome, hm?"
"Yep." She grinned at him. "But really it could be anything. Even with as long as I've lived there are still things I've never seen. I've never seen a world snake, for example. I've also never seen a pony who eats as much as you," she added as Dale dug into his food.
Dale grinned. "I'm a growing boy, got to keep my strength up."
Luna's eyes widened in mock-fright. "Celestia forbid you grow any larger! I won't be able to lift you if you do!"
Dale chuckled. He had always been one of the larger Companions, and here he was bigger than any pony he'd met so far, except for Big Macintosh. Luna was taller than average for a pony, but he was as tall as she, and much stockier.
Banter and breakfast both completed, they cleaned up the dishes and went outside. Twilight Sparkle said goodbye and excused herself to go tidy the perpetually messy library.
Luna didn't hesitate any longer. She spread her wings and launched herself into the air. A moment later her horn glowed, and Dale felt himself lifted. It was admittedly a bit unsettling to be floating with no apparent support, but he wasn't going to let Luna go off to investigate something potentially dangerous without him.
Luna sped towards the Everfree forest, the wind whistling around her as she flew. Dale closed his eyes. They were going very fast and it was a little bit dizzying. But he found that closing his eyes made it worse, so he opened them again. The wind buffeted him, and he tucked his legs up as though he were jumping. That helped a little bit. Trees flew by below them. Already they were past Ponyville and the fields and orchards surrounding it. The Everfree Forest stretched out, dark and green and seeming to go on forever. He caught a glimpse of crumbling stone spires, probably the same ruins the gate had dropped them at. The ruins were past in a blink and they were still accelerating. Dale's eyes watered and he squinted. Ahead in the distance rose a range of low mountains.
"It doesn't seem to be in the forest," shouted Luna. "I'm going to triangulate on it. Hold on."
Dale had a moment to wonder, hold on to what? Then they made an abrupt right angle turn that made his stomach lurch. Luna streaked over the forest for several minutes in the new direction. "Wow, that's a long ways off!" she shouted. "Going forward again! Hold on!"
Dale decided that what he needed to "hold on" to was his lunch. Another sudden turn and they were headed once more for the mountains in the distance. They went faster and faster and faster, until Dale had to shut his eyes again, the wind was too much. Still they streaked on, for what felt like an eternity, before finally Dale felt the wind slacken slightly. He opened his eyes again. They were soaring over craggy peaks. They flew through a pass between mountains that held a dusting of snow on their highest slopes, even though it was summer. They arched downward, following the land, until Luna landed on the crest of a rocky ridge in the foothills of the range. She set Dale down next to her, and he resisted the urge to throw himself flat and kiss the ground. It was very good to feel solid earth under his hooves again.
"There it is," said Luna.
Dale looked around, but saw nothing. They were standing on a high point, with the mountains towering higher behind them, but the land in front sloping down to a rolling plain, dotted here and there with groves of trees. A river snaked past in the distance. He could see nothing moving.
"I don't want to get any closer, it's very strong, and something about it makes me uneasy."
"I don't see anything," said Dale.
"There," gestured Luna with one hoof.
Dale peered into the distance in the direction she'd pointed, and eventually made out a black dot in the distance, nearly on the horizon. "That little speck?"
"Ah, I forget you don't have pegasus sight. Here, let me try something." The air in front of Dale's eyes wavered strangely, and suddenly he could see the speck clearly, as though it had been magnified by a telescope.
It was something a little bit like a pony, though perhaps more like a deer. Quadrupedal, with slender legs ending in cloven hooves. There was nothing to give scale, so Dale couldn't tell how big it was. It was greenish brown, but an ugly, black, mold-like mottling covered it. It had a single horn, like a unicorn, but curved back rather than straight. Its sides seemed to be covered in scales, though its neck was furred, almost thickly enough to be called a mane. Its face was that of a deer, with scaled ridges like a dragon's over its eyes. The eyes were pits of blackness, and it was fanged, the fangs stained and dripping red as though it had just killed some hapless prey.
It plodded steadily forward, its face expressionless. Where its feet fell the grass blackened and died, and it left a spreading trail of rotting death behind it.
Dale shuddered. "What is it?" he whispered.
"I don't know," said Luna. "I've never seen anything like it." She banished the spell that was letting Dale see it. He felt a sense of relief to no longer have the horrible thing in front of his eyes. But he could still see it out there, that little speck. He shuddered again.
Luna was equally unnerved. She felt chilled, even though the sun was high overhead. Once again she found herself thinking of the moon, and the cold lifelessness there. She tried to shake the feeling off. "I need to triangulate again. I'll be right back." Luna leapt into the air, shooting straight up. Dale gazed after her. She flew a little ways towards the thing. Then a little to one side, then a little to the other. When she landed again her expression was grave.
"It's headed this way. If I'm correct, and if going over the mountains doesn't divert it, we're going to have some problems."
"It's headed for Ponyville?"
Luna shook her head. "No. It will pass close by, but it won't go through the town itself. It's headed for Canterlot. In fact, if I'm calculating correctly it's headed directly for my sister's palace."