//------------------------------//
// Around the Block 
// Story: Mordane Stronghoof 
// by Mr Stargazer 
//------------------------------//

I am a leaf tumbling through the wind. Buffeted and twisting in the current. I am a ship of which only I am the captain, turning in the everlasting breeze. Only I can define myself. 
 
The vast divide. Tips rising into the sky higher than most pegasi could fly, the divide hung over the southern lands. Even near a hundred miles from the divide it dominated the horizon. 

In the city of Irona, Commander Ice Wing sat hoofing through an ancient journal. The short statement was written alone on a page as if to be a reminder. It gave him pause.

In his pack, a group of items were bound up tight. Engraving tools, a book of magical formula and more. Those other things had given even him pause, from their stark observations and sent flashes of a dark room and slow moving knife through his mind.

Detailed drawings of pony anatomy and spells to rip apart souls, and bind flesh to service. He had heard the rumors of Mordane being a necromancer, but hadn’t believe them. Yet in these notes he had found the proof. Though, it was also confusing.
 
‘Blackheart really was a bastard.’ read a note on one page. ‘Logically I can understand why it would be easier to make a zombie from someone still living, but to control them you would need to strip away most of their soul… Still, the ability to rip souls apart also implies the power to hold them to the body. As such I shouldn’t forget this.’
 
Who was Blackheart? Mordane wrote as if he both lived the experiences and was dissecting them. Deciding what he would keep. That would imply memory stealing. Which was something Ice Wing found nearly as horrifying as necromancy.


Currently though he wasn’t reading that. He was reading a journal that claimed to be from the lunar diarch herself. The mare of the night. The one true ruler of the Equestrian throne. Before, he would have probably burned such a book as foolishness. The alicorn were legends brought on by the odd pegasi/unicorn hybrid births. No pony could actually contain the magic of all three races.
 
That was until he had seen it himself. Mordane was an alicorn, the magic had been inside. His magical eye had seen them twisting around each other.

So Ice Wing was forced to take the journal far more seriously. If he did that… If Luna existed, then another alicorn would exist as well.

Flames burning high into the sky. Pale white like death. 

Those impressions flashed over him. Stories of Celestia.

With a sigh he placed the journal back into his bag.

These journals are dangerous. I will need to keep them with me.
 
His second in command walked into the room. 

“Sir!” Iron Quill saluted before sliding into at ease. “We have finished role call and inventory. Four ponies are unaccounted for upon arrival. Inventory was thirty percent below expected levels and morale is described by the other captain as ‘low’. I expect the long journey and low rations have taken their toll, on top of the losses we sustained.”

“Indeed Captain Iron Quill. The enemy was fierce. The soldiers should be proud.”

Iron Quill saluted again before producing a letter. 
 
“A message arrived from the council. You have been called to the main chamber to speak.”
 
Ice Wing winced as he took the letter and read it. A short reading, no mark of congratulation, or request for a later dinner. An official order from them to come and report.

By Luna, they really intend to blame me for this whole thing He swallowed before turning to the young captain. 

“They are likely going to have my commision for this.”

“It would be a loss to Irona sir.”
 
“Indeed. Any news on that pony?” Ice Wing flipped open a trunk and began to place on his official uniform. Taking it slowly as he satisfyingly adjusted small straps and stepped forward into it.
 
“None sir, after him being spotted heading into the arena we heard nothing.”
 
He sighed.

“Thank you Iron Quill. Please go check again before I return.”

“Yes sir.”
 
Ice Wing stepped out of the barracks and into the encampment. It was the fielding area for Irona’s army.
 
He strode through it toward the city gate and listened to his ponies.

“Bloody river, I missed my colt’s birthday.”

“I hear the commander is still keeping track of the Stronghoof commander…”
 
“Never bury somepony on the side of a hill dumbo.”
 
“Why in the Tartarus can’t we go!? What do you mean political unrest?” He heard it all and continued. 

Coming up on the gate he found it already open and strolled right in.

The town hugged a navigable river and regularly traded with the griffon kingdom territory to the northeast via it. Going down the river and up the coast then back. Some said that it was this colonies support that kept them free of the Tietus king.
 
He of course officially declared this as ridiculous.

Privately, his brother had made it clear that this was actually reality. He claimed to have heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend, who was there when the rebellion was forming.
 
That was over a generation ago though.
 
As he walked through the streets, many ponies noticed him, but said nothing. They choose instead to turn away and few even flicked their tails at him.
 
He loved this city. He had been born here and now it seemed, in the hearts of the ponies at least, that he had already been ostracized from public life.

It fell like a ton of bricks onto him. Ponies he had seen around for decades were turning away in shops.

He swallowed and straightened his shoulders.

Trotting toward the conciliate. It stood tall and stark against the far more modest city. It had been built originally as a pleasure palace of the Tietus king. Its construction had been paid for with taxes taken from Irona, to the desolation of the local economy. 
 
Instead of simply burning it down it had been converted into the conciliate. 

And then back into a rotting mess. 
 
He entered through the main gate and proceeded quickly to the main council doors. Carved from single oak tree in two large pieces they were adorned with carving depicting the revolution. A picture of his own great grandfather was there. Each door was six ponies tall and two wide. Usually it took an earth pony to open them. On the other side he could barely hear muffled shouting as he took a moment to breathe.

Nopony was there to meet him, or to open the door.
 
They insult me.

He growled lowly before reaching into his mane and taking a small swig from a flask. 

Fine then. No subtlety.
 
He threw the alcohol onto the ground and pressed the ends of his wings against the massive doors and pushed. 

Firmly placing his hooves into the ground, he stepped forward with the doors swinging open. His back and calf muscles bulging at the exertion as he pushed. Sparks traveled down his wings, and the alcohol began to pile up and freeze. He willed the liquid into rolling columns to help him push.

The entire chamber went dead silent as he entered. It was large for a council chamber. Fully two hundred of the most influential business ponies, military generals and noble families all had seats, but only the inner council had voting power.

The whole room was splayed out from the door. Stone steps went up to the back from the center, allowing easy access to the stage for many to speak.

With all the strictness of his training, he stepped through the double doors and pulled the alcohol off the ground, and back into his bottle before stepping onto the central platform.

Pausing for a moment he then went into a bow.

“I have been summoned by the council and so, I have presented myself. What is this councils will?”
 
“Our will?!” Shouted Lance Light “Our will was that you defeat the pathetic mercenaries and gain victory! You-”
 
“Councillor! We will follow procedure. Ice Wing is an officer returning from the field and so will hear his report.” His brother Iron Wing glared.  “Before that though, I would have this chamber sealed.”
 
The crowd roared. Sealing the chamber meant that only voting members would be able to stay. But Iron Wing would hear none of it. With a mighty pump of his wings, he created a loud clap that must have been heard all the way to the edge of town.
 
“Silence!” He roared. “I have heard your concerns and still ordered it, and so, it shall be done. The chambers are to be sealed!”
 
Slowly, painfully, the vast majority of ponies filed out, leaving the twenty inner council members behind. The doors shut. One of the unicorn council members remaining, cast a spell and runes of silence flared to life.

“Begin.” Iron Wing said. “And dispense with any formalities.”
 
“Sir, upon leaving the capitol I marched my forces to intercept the enemy army. Upon arrival at the town where they were stationed I found they had retreated and so gave chase, pausing only to put out the fire on the bridge, that had been built, before it burned to nothing. Chasing them, we found them held up in the Lunar Fortress.-”
 
“Lunar Fortress?” One of the councillors spoke up.

“My officers informed me that it was the central command fortress of the Lunar Empire. The mercenaries established a base there and raised their defences to the extent of reactivating the magical arrays-”
 
“Stop.” Spiraling Lights cried “I must object, no spell matrix can last for over a thousand years. Where would the power come from?”
 
“As best as we could tell the matrix was tied directly into a multilayered self maintaining nexus, that drew heat from a pocket of magma under the mountain… furthermore it should be noted that this fortress was severely damaged along with the matrix. Even so it was still operating though not at its peak… there were also the issue of nightmares.”
 
“Yes. Nightmares. Did your soldiers needed some mare’s milk before going into battle?”
 
Several of the councillors chuckled and Ice Wing bit his tongue to prevent himself from complaining.

“After Lance Light’s arrival I was ordered to launch a full scale assault.”

“An action you should have taken immediately upon arrival.” Snorted Lance Light. “Before the enemy had time to entrench.”
 
“He was entrenched upon arrival-”
 
“JUST” Lance Light cut him off again, “like it took you so long to return to Irona.”
 
“That would be due to supplying issues at the Flowthrought river. We were camped for two months waiting for resupply.”
 
“You were not at war Ice. Your ponies could have gone hungry for a few days.” Iron Wing said.

Ice Wing paused. His own brother had just rebuked him. Why would he do that?
 
“I suppose...” Ice Wing responded, not sure how to continue “Though I should say that I did try a probing attack shortly after arriving and found the defences I mentioned earlier. When I launched a full assault… I lost a significant number of ponies. Following the return to Irona I received the figures as one in three lost.”
 
The council burst out into yelling, cursing and various threats on just what they would do to him. Before Iron Wing sent a blast wave again. Shocking the council back into silence.

“Continue…” 

“...After the battle I captured the commander who lead the fight against us during the siege. He bore both wings and horn, odd, rare, but not unheard of. What was strange, was that he used both magic and flight. At first I thought it a complex spell, but… After having him examined the doctor informed me that he possessed equal amount of traits from pegasus, unicorn and earth pony. In short, he was an alicorn.”
 
Silence.
 
“That” Spoke up Lance Light “brings us to what you did to the alicorn.”
 
“We are… certain it was an alicorn?” Iron Wing said.

“Yes, we are.” Lance light replied. “And your brother has let that valuable asset go!”
 
“I claimed him by my right!”
 
“You had no rights to such a thing.” Iron Wing roared suddenly, stunning Ice Wing into silence. “A captured alicorn is something that would belong to all of Irona.”
 
The council nodded as Ice Wing could do nothing but sit once again in stunned silence as his brother continued. His horror slowly growing with every word.
 
“After you sent that alicorn to Tietus, the fools actually sent him to the arena. Where he defeated a grand dragon! A grand dragon! Now he has been given nobility in Herridon! Beyond our reach!” Shouted another counselor suddenly. “You have brought shame onto the Wing household.”
 
Ice Wing’s mouth fell open.
 
 A grand dragon!? How is that possible? I fought him not four months ago. How could he have become so strong? And how did King Fancy get involved?
 
“That he has not.” Iron Wing said suddenly. “I would hoof down his punishment first though, before addressing that.”
 
Ice Wing had no time to consider that, when the punishment was handed down.

“General Ice Wing, for your blatant failures as a commander, for your near treasonous greed. For your disrespect toward your position and all it stands for, you are stripped of your rank, and cast out of the military. Your private lands are to be sized by the state, or respective families. Your privileges revoked and your previous honors whipped away. You are declared a nonpony to be never given​ birth again.”
 
The sentence hit him deep into his soul.
 
 No, brother… I expected dismissal, but not being a nonpony. This is my home. How could you let this happen to your own blood?
 
But then Iron Wing continued.
 
“Furthermore, as I have presented to the whole of the council earlier today, I will declare that you are no son of the Wing clan. It has become known that you were a bastard of my mother, that you share no blood with the Wing elders.”
 
Something inside of Ice Wing broke.

“Brother! How can you-”
 
He had no time to react. Iron Wing traveled from his podium to right in front of him in an instant and struck him across the face, throwing him across the room.

“You are no brother of mine!” Iron roared before attacking, kicking Ice Wing as he was down and began ripping at his uniform. “You lack the blood of my father and the Wing elders! Now go, leave this land and never return! I banish you, bastard!”
 
Ice Wing stumbled to his hooves and out the door, he passed through the barrier. His fine suit was destroyed and he in shock.

Iron Wing had disowned him. Worse, he had claimed he was never of the Wing bloodline. A bald face lie. Yet without their father around, who could deny it though?

He stumbled down the hall and when seeing the first open window he took to the sky.

Running on automatic he angled toward the ancestral Wing home. Arriving less than a minute later he found his personal slaves waiting for him.

“Sir Ice W-...My master, we have prepared your things as per Iron Wing’s orders…”
 
The two ponies stood next to an ornate carriage. Inside he could see several cases and a small chest. From the top of wealth he had fallen to only this.

“Help me…” He swallowed. “Help me change.”

The two slaves moved to his side and began pulling off the tattered clothing.

“Keep it.” Ice wing said. “Wrap it all and put it away… leave the satchel with me.”
 
One of the servants presented a bucket of water, his face blushing.

“I’m sorry master they… wouldn’t let me pack up the silverware.”
 
“Of course.” Ice Wing sighed. “And I assume my personal funds in the chest as well?”
 
“Ah…” The two ponies exchanged looks before turning back to him. “Actually no… we hid those. They found only an empty chest.”
 
Ice Wing nodded, checking and confirming that the chest now contained perhaps ten thousand bits. A sum he had been saving for a victory banquet, but now was his only wealth in the world.

Looking over at the pile of clothes, he made a quick decision and sorted through them. Choosing only three outfits he hoofed the rest over to the faster one.

“Take this and sell them. You should get at least three thousand. Meet us at the west gate if you don’t want to be left behind. I’m sure my brother would claim you in that case.”
 
The pony swallowed and shook his head.

“N-No sir, I have only one master.” He turned and sped off barely keeping the pile of expensive clothes on his back.

The other slave headed to the front and hooked himself up.

Ice Wing settled into the comfortable seat. 

Then it hit him. He had been dishonored, banished, disowned. His life was gone. His brother had cast him out personally. 

This pain, swirling blackness that seemed to be pouring into his heart.
 
He remembered a phrase he read in Mordane’s notebook.
 
He went for it quickly, finding the page a few moments later.
 
I am a leaf tumbling through the wind. Buffeted and twisting in the current. I am a ship of which only I am the captain, turning in the everlasting breeze. Only I can define me.
 
He breathed in.
 
The words that had struck out to him as nonsense earlier, suddenly came into focus.

He remembered that even now at his lowest he still had control. Remembering he pulled out a map of the southern lands.

His hoof traced down to Herridon.

A thought entered his head.

As the cart traveled he could see the consulate and his brothers words raged in his mind.

With sudden abandon he growled. His shoulders began to shake and he grit his teeth.

“One day brother, I will cut your black heart from your broken body.”
 
______________________________________________________________
 
The stink of cow manure was everywhere. An earth pony moved silently in the dusk, past the barn where the cows slept. 
 
His frame was ragged and bony, as he trotted he saw a light down the road, and ducked behind some conveniently placed barrels.

The soldier passed without seeing him and the pony continued onward.

He came to a nondescript house and made his way to the back. Tapping for a moment on a stone with a particular sequence he kept lookout as the stone was pulled away.

He quickly slid in three long packages he had been carrying before trotting away into the night.

Inside the basement of the house, six ponies worked quietly.

Three moved through the motions of swordplay silently, as another taught. Another elderly pony sat counting coins, carefully floating them with his horn.

A tiny colt sat in the corner reading notes and missives. He seemed far too small for the task but he was the leader of their still living rebellion.

Even at the age of twelve his mark stood proud. A checkerboard, with two chess pieces behind it.

“Sir Ground Berry” Said the unicorn whispering. “Here is our take for this month.”
 
The young colt read over the missives and nodded to the unicorn. His eyes turning back to the wall map.

 So Mordane, you've killed a dragon and gained a title. I wonder if you remember me, or the advice you gave.

He stood up and walked over to the map placing his hoof onto Tietus he traced it down to Herridon.

I wonder how you will fair with the high unicorns of Herridon.
 
The farmers continued their silent motions. Slowly turning themselves into soldiers.
 
____________________(Three months, three days earlier)_____________________________
 
Twilight dangled the necklace over her head, as she snuggled comfortably into a cloud. The sun was shining high in the air, its rays catching in the broken edges of the crystal. ”I miss you” 
 
She placed the necklace back around her neck. Remembering the first time that she had received it from Mordane.

It had been her birthday and Mordane had presented the gift so suddenly. He had spent the entire evening in the corner reading and occasionally talking to Spike, or the CMC before getting up to present it to her.

“Here you go Princess Twilight.”

“Oh Mordane, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
 
“No, but I want to.” he smiled. thrusting the small box toward her. “For being such a great teacher.”
 
“Oh my stars is that an ice sapphire?” Rarity gasped, gawking at the pendendent.

“Err, yes.” Mordane said. “It seemed… appropriate.”

The necklace was beautiful. It was shaped from bronze into a small star, with a near white tinge of blue sapphire in the middle.
 
Her heart caught into her throat.
 
“Oh Mordane,I love it.”
 
Then her eyes focused on the crack.
 
The sound of the diamond dogs retreating. Celestia, brilliantly​ appearing on the wind of her rising joy.

Mordane was there a bright smile on his face, his wings standing at full
 
His wings
 
His eyes locked onto hers, then he shot off into the sky.
 
She had stood there stunned. Unable to understand what she had seen. 

“Twilight! Follow Mordane!” Celestia shouted. “I’ll follow shortly!” She turned to finish off the last few pockets of Diamond dogs.

“Yes Celestia!”
 
Twilight took to the air a mile a minute. She hadn’t seen where he had gone, but took a guess and aimed for his shack.

A minute later she arrived to find Mordane standing in front of his own shack, that was ablaze.
 
"Mordane? What are you doing and how do you have wings!?"
 
A sudden shockwave from the blazing shack had thrown Twilight into the air as her wings caught the blast.  However, Rainbow Dash had taught her to recover well.

Mordane seemed to be trying to run, so she blinked toward every direction he turned. She saw him square his shoulders when he realized that wasn’t going to work. His face twisted in part anger, fear and dread. They began to circle each other as she landed.
 
"Let me pass, Twilight." he said, voice dripping with malice.
 
It was only afterwards, in these silent reflections that she had taken his anger to mean he was under some kind of spell. His tone of curt dismissal as if she was just an obstacle.

And once again she asked herself, if she would have been able to change his mind, if she had known what he had been really thinking. And maybe she would have known what he was thinking, if she had paid more attention, or been more assertive-

She stopped for a moment and breathed in deep, while bringing her hoof to her chest, and performed the relaxation technique Cadance had taught her, before allowing herself to remember again.
 
"Mordane, you need to calm down, we have to find out why you have wings." 

She tried to guess at what was going on. To pull in her faithful student, that she believed, had to be still there. 
 
"Stay out of my way Twilight. I don't want to hurt you."
 
Twilight’s heart felt as if a knife stabbed into it. She felt her forehoof begin to tremble as she replied.
 
"Hurt me? What are you talking about? Look, let's just sit down and talk about this..." she trailed off as his eyes narrowed and she felt his power start to gather. The stallion’s horn glowed. Twilight prepared her most powerful barrier. This strength was more than Mordane should have been able to use. 
 
"Mordane, something is wrong with you. If this is because of some kind of magic, then you need to let me help you. You don't have to worry about accidentally hurting me; you know that I'm strong enough to stand up to your magic. Mordane please..." The stallion's eyes turned pinkish and watery. His face twisted as if trying to chew a lemon.
 
"I'm sorry Twilight."
 
A purple pulse flashed out of Mordane's horn. She raised her shield and was surprised as the pulse passed through, both it and her, seemingly causing no injury.
 
"What did you-" She was cut off as her strength began to fade away. Confusion filled her until her eyes caught a red glow.
 
Looking down, the amulet Mordane had given her for her birthday sparkled with red and purple sparks. She collapsed to her knees, as the amulet took its toll. The last words she heard from her student, before slipping into unconsciousness, seemed to claw out of that growing darkness and into her present mind.
 
"I didn't want to do this Twilight. But I won't be a slave to Celestia. I'm so sorry... I thought of you as my second mother."
 
Twilight shivered. A mother. 

For years she had grown closer to the young colt. Seen him grow into a young stallion. She had tried to teach him and instill in him the elements of Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness. To make real friendship.
 
Yet… she had failed. He had lied to her since the first day, rarely laughed, kept knowledge from her, betrayed them, heartlessly trapped the best gift he had given her. 
 
He had not been a friend… but he had still said that she was like a mother to him.

“Twilight!”

“Ah!”

Twilight nearly jumped out of her fur.
 
“Rainbow Dash! What?”
 
Rainbow laughed, twisting upside down and around Twilight's cloud. 

“Come on Twilight. I’m done for today. You going to just sit there or do you want to hang out?”
 
Twilight sighed and looked up at her friend with her ears drooping.

“Oh I’m sorry Rainbow, I have a lot of work to do today.” She perked up a bit. “How about I meet you at Fluttershy’s cottage tomorrow? You can have tea with us.”
 
“Sure thing Twi! See you around” She smiled before rocketing off.
 
Twilight watched her go and stretched before heading home to her meeting.

Arriving at the castle, she asked Spike to go get the filled out paperwork and bring her a coffee, before heading to her new office. It had been set up three months ago, after a series of scathing articles, saying twilight was not a princess. 

When claims had come up, that she was not a true princess, since she had no land, Luna had commented ‘Twilight's kingdom is the dutchy of Ponyville’. Many had taken this as a joke, before some enterprising newspony checked the records.

It turned out that Luna had quietly transferred the duchy to her, the night she had ascended. Twilight had nearly put her hoof through her own head when she had heard. Realising the title of duchy that Luna had given her was no honorary title.
 
What's worse was that old laws exempted princess titles from the nobility accords and union documents. Technically Celestia still held total direct control over the Everfree and Luna of the Nightingale city state. So she was in complete control of Ponyville. Literally. Her little duchy didn’t have to answer to any other equestrian power, save Celestia and that, only if she called them to war.

It was a nightmare.
 
Twilight walked into the office to find her captain and Mayor Mare fighting.
 
“We must meet the other territories recruitment and mobilization standards if not exceed them!” Captain Winter Charge shouted. 
 
“That would require a tax increase and I doubt-”
 
Twilight sighed and walked in. It was going to be a long day.
____________________________________________________________
 
Twilight waved goodbye to Mayor Mare and Winter as they left. The sky was tinging with orange, as the sun began to tip below the horizon.

She was glad this week's meeting was over.

“The twilight looks pretty beautiful today.” Spike said.

“Thank you Spike.” Twilight snorted. “That joke certainly never has gotten old.”
 
He chuckled and patted her on the shoulder.

“Try to get that order done Twi. I think it would be for the best.”
 
Twilight tensed a little, but nodded and smiled before waving goodbye, as Spike left to go to his and Rarity's house.

She turned and trotted through the empty castle. Her hooves clip clopping off the walls. Empty echoes sounding through the building. Most of the rooms were unused. Once she got to her bath she took her time in the hot water.

Before going to bed, she saw the form on her bedside.

It was a form granting permission for the Ponyville government to sell the ruined remains of ‘his’ shack. 

It hadn’t been an issue until last month when somepony had decided they wished to rebuild it.
 
She sat on the edge of her bed. She floated it over as well as a quill. It wavered in the air for a full moment before she placed it down again.
 
Stepping out of bed she hesitantly made her way downstairs and to her basement.

The walls were covered with the most advanced machinery available to ponykind and a computer with a hundred megabits of ram. It was the latest model built in Canterlot not forty years before.

She went over to her chalkboard and sat down in the chair in front of it. 
 
Hours later, eyes heavy with exhaustion, Twilight made her way back up to her room.

Crawling back into bed she turned off the light and went to sleep.

_______________________________________________________
 
 
The next day Twilight woke up on time and made her way over to Fluttershy’s. Waving to Rainbow who passed her on the way.

The sky was cloudy​ and lumpy. It roiled as a fast prevailing wind was driven over the town.

Twilight knew though that it would not rain. After all, she had approved the minor change to the weather schedule. Not that she had much choice. It seemed that since her little duchy had been given to her, the Cloudsdale Weather Board had decided that Ponyville would be a good place to act as a release valve for the rest of Equestrian weather plans. The fact that Ponyville was no longer under their jurisdiction, of course, had nothing to do with it.

Just like the ‘accidental’ hailstorm in the middle of summer would just be released toward Las Pegasus next week just as the summer rush happened. Totally unrelated of course.

Twilight sighed. Much of her life had become such political maneuvering, strong winging the various government agencies to not give Ponyville the short end of the stick now.
 
She smiled though, remembering that she was off today, and would get to spend time with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

As she continued to  Fluttershy's cabin. Rainbow came back, landed and trotted up to her. Her brow was furrowed and seemed obviously upset about something.

“Hey Twilight. Thunderlane just tracked me down. Cloudsdale decided to let loose that cold shower to the north, outside of schedule. I’ll have to go work with the rest of the team, to prevent our schedule from being thrown out the window.”

“Okay Rainbow.” Twilight smiled “You head on out and don’t worry about the overtime pay, I’ve already budgeted this.”

“Awesome Twilight!” Rainbow jumped in and gave her a hug “I’d never been able to get the old Ponyville district board to do that!”

“I’m glad you’re happy Rainbow. I know you have trouble with the Everfree.”
 
Twilight waved goodbye as Rainbow Dash shot off into the sky. Twilight watched her go. When she was out of her sight Twilight's ears drooped and she slowly began to trot down the road.

At least I’ll be able to still have some tea with Fluttershy. 
 
The path passed under her slowly. Soon though she arrived. Fluttershy was floating up in the leaves of a tree laying down nuts for squirrels and seeds for her bird friends.

She waved to Twilight and motioned her toward the cottage as Twilight waved. Twilight trotted up and into the house and over to her stove and began to prepare the tea. Fluttershy came in a few minutes later, a twig in her hair and having a bit of ruffled fur. She sat down and took a cup of tea.

“Hello Twilight.” She said quietly taking a sip of her tea “I hope you’re doing well.”
 
“I am Fluttershy. Just a bit tired.” Twilight sighed drinking her strong tea. 
 
“Oh, were you busy with princess’s things last night?” 

“Yeah…” Twilight smiled, but Fluttershy's​ raised eyebrow made her sigh. “Just, working on… the project.”
 
“Twilight! You said you wouldn’t be obsessing over th-that anymore!” she stuttered “You promised Spike and everything!”

“I know.” Twilight's ears drooped. “I just can’t stop myself. It just feels like he could walk through-”
 
The front door slid open and there was Mordane.
 
There he stood with a frown on his face. His dark brown coat and ice hard blue eyes. Looking back at her as if cutting through time.

“Twilight. Fluttershy.” Mordane walked in. His horn glowed and floated a cup from the cupboard before pouring himself some tea. “Good news. I”m back!”

Twilight thought for a moment she had gone crazy but she glanced at Fluttershy and saw her mouth hanging open. Her eyes were pinpricks and her teacup was frozen halfway to her mouth. He snorted before pulling up on his cloak.

 Its real. It's really him. 

“M-mordane?” She whimpered. 

“Yes Twilight.” Mordane said giving a soft smile. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long. I just had a few thing I need-”

Twilight didn't let him finish. She shot into Mordane like a sparkly rocket. She wrapped her wings around him and silently swore to never let go. Her tears broke loose. All the sadness, all the worry, all her feelings came rushing out of her at once.

Even as Mordane slowly began to shift.

As his form flowed and became taller. His hoof changed into a claw and a single tooth poked back out from under his lips. Not smiling like he usually would his ears drooped and eyes darkened.

He looked at Fluttershy for help, but only received a stare scathing enough to scald boiling water, to which he could only hang his head lower in shame.

His arms encircled the mare whose sobs only deepened. Picking her up and taking her over to her chair again.

“There, it's okay.” Fluttershy said hugging her. “Let it all out.”
 
Slowly but surely Twilight's tears subsided. Discord sat there in front of Fluttershy trying to leave, but finding glares from Fluttershy to be more binding than even the greatest magic.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy.”

“Oh Twilight.” Fluttershy hugged her, small tears at the edge of her eyes.

“It. It's just I thought he was back. I always felt he could walk through the door at anytime and… he was back.”
 
“I’m… sorry Twilight. I did not realize that would make you react that way…”
 
“What did you think I would do?”
 
Discord titered back slightly before reaffirming himself. He decided honesty might be the best choice right now.

“I...thought it would make you mad at me. I thought that would be funny.” He closed his eyes. “What you did, wasn’t funny. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Fluttershy nodded her head, as Twilight teared up again.

“I-I just...” She stopped and looked down, barely above a whisper she sobbed “Can you bring him back?”

Discord winced away. He began to shrink, down until he was shorter than any of the ponies and swallowed.

“Even at the height of my power I couldn’t do that and now…” He swallowed again.

“Now?” Fluttershy whispered.

“Now… Well let's say you don’t have to worry about me taking over the kingdom again. My magic has been on the decline.” He began to sniffle. 
 
“Oh Discord.” Twilight stepped up and hugged him again. 

Discord shook his head.

“Its due to my new… friendships I think.” He grabbed and squeezed Fluttershy's shoulder. “But while I cannot bring Mordane back to life. I can… help you deal with your feelings.”
 
“How would you do that?” Fluttershy asked.

“By showing you his death.”
 
Fluttershy gasped.

“Discord!”

“It's the only way I think that could help her Fluttershy. She must accept… that he is never coming back.”
 
“That's true, but showing her-”
 
“Yes.” Twilight said suddenly. She looked up at Discord, her eyes red and puffy “Show me.”
 
________________________________________________
 
Discord had to spend a minute preparing. Such a spell was far harder when one had not been there and just as much was his decreasing strength.
 
Twilight didn’t say anything. Warping reality and connecting it to a ghostly playback of the past was magic beyond her. This wasn’t just time travel. It was perhaps a half a dozen high class spells all at once.

The image around her stabilized.

It was Ponyville, guards landing and helping the citizens. 

Discord snapped his talons again and the image shifted. Now they were at Mordane’s burning shack/house. She was laying on the ground as Rainbow Dash landed to pick her up.

Then, finally, they were in the sky. 

And there he was. Mordane was pumping his wings. The sight of it sent a shiver down Twilight's spine and made her own wings itch. She could feel the unnatural way he flew, twisting the wind with his horn and only using his pegasi magic a bit.

They were perhaps a hundred feet off and Twilight raised her hoof. As if she almost wanted to reach out and pluck him from the air. Discord, though, covered her hoof and shook his head.

They could only watch as Celestia closed in. Her teacher was taking long and confident strides through the air. She was calling out to Mordane, though Twilight suspected he couldn’t hear. However her student looked back anyway. 

Upon seeing Celestia his eyes shrunk to pinpricks and he dove. Twilight gasped as Mordane swooped through the trees, his wings snapping branches as he tried desperately to escape.

As they shot into the Ghastly Gorge, a massive thundercloud was rolling overhead.

“You don’t have to see this Twilight.”

“No. I do.” Twilight's ears folded back.

Mordane was sweating. He hovered under the rolling storm. His eyes staring at the incoming Celestia as his horn began to glow.

“Don’t do it.” Twilight whispered.

Celestia was getting close and her eyes widened at what Mordane was doing. Her lips seemed to part to warn him.

But it was too late.

Suddenly five, ten, fifteen bolts of lightning lashed out at the single pony.  Twilight's eyes stayed glued on the bright flash, not blinking as the brightness was lessened by Discord.

One moment Mordane had been there and then he was gone.

Twilight's eyes turned away and she began to sob again.

Discord waited a few moments. Watching her sob.

“Do you miss him Twilight?”

“Of course I do.” Twilight sniffed before looking up at the shaken Discord. “Have you ever missed someone?”
 
Discord said nothing. Electing instead to stare off into the distance. After a short time he spoke up again.

“Are you ready to go back?”
 
“Ye-”
 
Discord snapped his fingers.

Floating, there he was alone. His eyes staring at the nothing where Mordane used to be. He raised his talon and then stopped for a moment, before proceeding to snap.

A familiar study. Books stacked high along the walls, a boiling caldron on the room side.

There he stood. At least he thought it was him. He couldn’t really remember. It just seemed right. Somehow.

He was… young but already wore that ridiculous hat. Standing in front of him were two small ponies.
 
“Hi! I’m Celestia, and this is my sister Luna.”

Discord snapped again. He was back in the modern times, floating above the field, breathing raggedly.

Those little eyes still stared back up at him.

__________________________________________________

Twilight arrived at her home an hour later. The weather outside was clearing up. Twilight had spent a long time being comforted by Fluttershy. 

She turned and trotted through the empty castle. Her hooves clip clopping off the walls. Empty echoes sounding through the building. Most of the rooms were unused. Once she got to her bath she took her time in the hot water.

Before going to bed she saw the form on her bedside.

It was a form granting permission for the Ponyville government to sell the ruined remains of his shack. 

It hadn’t been an issue until last month when somepony had decided they wished to rebuild it.
 
She sat on the edge of her bed. She floated it over as well as a quill. It wavered in the air.

 Why can’t I do this?

The image of Mordane, hit by the lighting flashed before her eyes once again.

She gritted her teeth and signed the page. 

Placing it down on the night stand she floated over a glass of water after drawing it from a pitcher, raising it to drink. Still, the image burned before her eyes. Just how quickly Mordane had vanished. She paused in mid gulp.

 Could’ve he? No. It is impossible. He couldn’t channel that much energy. His will just wasn’t that strong.

Mordane handing the necklace to her. Nothing showing on his face as she laid the trap on her own neck.

He didn’t know a full blown teleportation spell. He had barely mastered blinking.

Mordane, wings outstretched. His eyes, turning toward her.

Twilight crushed the glass. Its shards hung in the air as the water rushed out onto her bed, all over her.

He would have come back.

‘I won't be a slave to Celestia.’

She threw the shards against the wall. Each shard shattering into even smaller pieces.

“You can’t do this Twilight. You can’t keep worrying about him.”

Standing, Twilight flashed to the room's door. Then stepped into the hallway, before blinking to the stairwell. Looking down the steps, she saw the bottom floor and blinked there. From there to the kitchen, opening the last door to the basement which she blinked down to.

Looking around her lab, she thought for a few moments, then reached out and erased the board.

An hour later she stepped back. Formula proving the possibility she had thought of. 

“Detecting him… is impossible. I have no idea where he could be… if he is anywhere.” She swallowed. “At any great distance there is too much interference.”

From a cupboard she drew a small jar of magic labeled Mordane. Something she had gained from him years ago. More than half of it was gone from dissipation, but Twilight still opened the jar and drew out a small amount.

It was a simple spell. Return to source.

The magic floated up but then dissipated into nothing.

Twilight hung her head. This didn’t answer the question. It could mean he was dead, or so far away her spell couldn’t reach him.


But if he is an alicorn...

A series of looping coils, large sensors and testing apparatuses. 

“If there is a strong enough burst. If he taps into that plane of magic then it just might be…”
 
Twilight's magic reached up and began to disassemble, and reassemble. She formed a sensor like few ponies had ever thought, or conceived. It could only be tuned to one signature and nothing else.

The machine came together slowly, but a few hours later she finished it. Sweating, she floated the jar over once again.

She breathed deep. Mordanes face floated once again behind her eyes, as she drew in.

The magic twisted around her horn and shot out to bath the walls, forming a bubble, but she didn’t stop there. She drew on more and more power. The process was slow. It took over two hours, until she had enough to pierce the veil.

Her eyes glowed and she began to float up into the air. Her mane took on an ethereal quality, waving in the eternal wind of the greater magic.

Her magic twisted and collided upon the jar. She pulled out the boiling magic, completely enveloping it in hers and the jar fell to shatter on the ground.

Mordanes magic began to shrink. Its color began to fade as the regular magic boiled away, only the magic that resonated with her own alicorn magic remained.

It was barely a thimble sized amount, that Twilight loaded into the machine, as she turned it on.

No visible change occurred. No sudden shifting of lights, but Twilight felt a weight lifting off her shoulders. She knew that if he ever touched that plane, she would know.

Slowly she went up to bed.

_________________(Three months, two days later)____________________________
 
Twilight was returning from lunch, when she passed by the basement. Something she had done a hundred times, since turning on the machine. She had grown to think of it less and less as time went on.

As she passed this day, her ear twitched and for a second she couldn’t place the loud beeping noise she heard. 

Then it hit her like a train. She rushed down the steps to be sure. There, she saw the green light indicating the detection sensor. 

Twilight gasped her eyes growing wide and filling with sparkles.

“He's alive!”
 
She smiled, her eyes shining. She floated the jar of magic over.

In a moment she teleported right up the steps and out an open window. Landing on one of the spires of her castle she took a few moments to charge a long range teleportation spell. She felt the sudden spinning and rushing, as she came out about two miles away. Looking toward Canterlot she repeated the spell. Than eight more times. It left her feeling running ragged, but she made it. 

So excited she was that she teleported straight into Celestia’s chambers.

“Mordane is alive!”

_____________________________________________________________________

Celestia shook her head at Twilight's antics, as she hopped around the room. Her eyes absolutely gleaming as she chanted again and again, while she floated a jar with a bit of Mordane’s magic.

“Mordane is alive! Mordane is alive! Mordane is alive!”

Celestia dismissed the guards who opened the door to check on the ruckus, before turning back to Twilight.

“Twilight.”

“Mordane is alive! Mordan-”

“Twilight please” she said a little firmer.

“Mordane is alive! Mordane is alive! Mor-”
 
“Twight!” Celestia snapped and immediately after, she blushed, and covered her mouth, as Twilight froze mid bounce and gasped.

“I’m sorry Twilight. I do not know what came over me.”
 
“It has been a long time since I’ve seen you get angry sister.” Luna said “You used to do that all the time when you were uncertain.”
 
Celestia sighed and hung her head.

“I’m sorry Twilight. It's just- I’m not sure what to do.”
 
Twilight shook her head before staring at her mentor for a few moments before coming in closer.

“It's okay Celestia. We will figure this out. My machine said that Mordane was somewhere very, very, very far south, beyond even the great divide.”

Celestia frowned slightly.

“You made a machine to detect alicorn magic?” She paused for a moment “Please see to it that it is dismantled and your notes on it classified Twilight.”
 
“Yes Princess Celestia.” Twilight said automatically.  “I mean. Of course Celestia.” 

Celestia smiled as Luna chuckled under her breath.

“That being said.” Celestia went on. “The beginning to make any decision, is to assess the situation. So… what do we know?”

“We know that a colt alicorn is flying around who knows where.” Luna sniffed.

“Luna! I didn’t expect such sexism from you. What does it matter that he is a he?” Twilight gasped. “I thought I told you such… attitudes disappeared hundreds​ of years ago Luna.”

Luna snorted.

“Very well then. We have an alicorn colt, who has spent his life hiding alone.”
 
“He… wasn’t a good flier” Celestia added.

“Mordane was a promising mage. If he turned his magic toward evil…” Twilight mumbled.

The three of them paused to look at each other. Each acknowledging the unknown nature of this pony. 

“Perhaps we should go to the map room.” Celestia said already moving to go there.

The other two nodded in assent and the three of them left the room, and went down a series of hallways. In the distance, construction could be heard going on, to accommodate the expanding bureaucracy of Equestria.

Deep in the mountain, past armed guards and special wards, the three princesses settled into, and sealed up the room.

Celestia poured a glass of tea, from a pot already waiting and dismissed the servants, and guards.

“Now.” She said. “Since we have had time to think, what do we know about Mordane?”
 
The three mares spent a few moments in silence each thinking back before Twilight spoke up.

“Well, obviously we know he is an alicorn, where he grew up and where he spent most of his last eight years.”

“We know about what happened to Star Charmer...though I am starting to wonder about that...After all he lied about his war magic bond.”

“He did.” Twilight swallowed “and he was always reserved. I know he’s knowledge in magic.”

Twilight went on to describe what she knew of Mordane as a pony. He was diligent, reserved, secretive, untrusting. Yet the stallion she knew had come across as honest, ambitious and gregarious.

“Spike told me that even he didn’t know much about Mordane, but that he had been a good friend.” Twilight's ears wilted. “I just don’t understand why he would do all this.”
 
“I know that Mordane knows of S- Discord’s origins and how I fell.” Luna swallowed from her own tea cup. “And of war magic.”
 
“Yes, I could feel him using it.” Celestia said. “He grew up at the very edge of my influence in an isolated village. His parents were immigrants from the southern lands.”

“What do we know about those lands?” Luna asked. “The last memories I have of them is before the wall.”
 
“The wall?” Twilight asked.

“The great barrier mountains which Celestia raised.”

Twilight gaped at Celestia who smiled slightly.

“It was a difficult thing to do Twilight. The spell took nearly a full year to prepare and it wasn’t easy to… abandon the old lands. As for its current condition” Celestia trailed off, biting her lower lip as she turned and used her magic to open a cupboard before floating out a map.

“This map was purchased in the city of Tietus by a contact there.”

Celestia spread out the map. 

“Our intelligence says that the southern lands have split into a nine to twelve warring states. Each with its own government all claiming their legitimacy comes from.” Celestia looked at Luna “The lunar princess, Nightmare Moon.”
 
Luna straightened​. She breathed in, with eyes closed, before opening them again. 

“I see. Am I still considered the rightful ruler there?”
 
“...yes.” 

“Then…” Luna breathed again. “We will need to correct their misunderstanding and bring them back into the fold.”

“Luna, we can’t.”

“Why not?” Asked Twilight.
 
“Because we would need to dismantle the great barrier and that would take a year of preparation. Then there's the weather effects. The Badlands used to be green plains but it and many areas of Equestria currently have different climates because of the change. It would mean destro-”
 
“Sister.” Luna said suddenly. “We must reunite Equestria. We can survive the cost.”
 
“...You’re right sister. I’ll have to pull up the old maps, repair the infrastructure… maybe claim the land for the government where cities will have to be moved.”
 
“If we don’t know anything about Mordane. What do we do?” Twilight asked.

Luna sighed.

“It seems we will have to gain more info another way.” Celestia said

“What do you suggest?” Luna asked.

“Twilight. Can you please give me the sample of Mordane’s magic?”

“Of course Celestia.” Twilight said floating over the jar. “What do you intend to do with it?”

“It seems we will have to use a transcontinental scrying spell.”

Luna groaned, cupping her face in her hooves.

“A what?” Twilight frowned 

“Transcontinental scrying spell. Much like the spell you devised but for looking and hearing at a long distance. With this, we can confirm where he is and see him uncontested.”

“Indeed.” Luna said “ It is necessary, although the strain will be immense. I dare say that even with all three of us it may not work. Plus it will use up any of that magic still in that jar.”

Twilight frowned but nodded.

“I’d rather see where he is.”
 
__________________________________________________________________

Preparing the spell took hours. The magic required had to be stored and directed from the crystal lattices under Canterlot. The energy required to maintain the spell for an hour would be enough to support the Canterlot siege barrier for two days. Twilight was very aware that if any normal unicorn had been involved they would in all likelihood have burned out. 

The unicorns of Canterlot each paused as the spell began to draw all the ambient energy. Most resorted to not casting anything at all, rather than try to pull from the flow of energy, to the heart of the mountain.

In the Crystal Empire, Cadance stopped mid sentence, when talking to her guard, to turn toward Canterlot. She made a split second decision and told the guard to mobilize. If Celestia didn’t answer her soon to be sent message, they may be under siege.

In the chamber, all three princesses stood still as statues, as their magic poured into a small sphere of light.

Unseen to most pony eyes, great streams of branching magic reached out over the badlands and the mountains to the southern lands. There the magic split off, connecting a thin strand to every living being and comparing it to the reference in Canterlot.

As the spell reached over Tietus, one such string connected to a pony laying prone on a stretcher and the two others around him.

Twilight, Luna and Celestia’s eyes snapped open as the spell matrix collapsed along with all the strings of magic, save the one match.

On the wall a window seemed to open showing only blackness.

“Did something go wrong?” Twilight asked as Luna's horn lit up to check the spell.

“It appears not. It would seem instead, that Mordane is in darkness.”
 
“Let us be quiet.” Celestia spoke up. “So that we can hear what is going on around him.”
 
The blackness was not quite all that was coming through.

“-lighter than he looks.” Grunted a gruff voice

“Yes, are you sure we are heading the right way?”

“Aye, should be right up here.”

There was grunting and creaking before a flash of light came through, revealing Trixie and One Eye and on a stretcher laid Mordane.

Twilight gasped, Celestia covered her mouth and Luna grimaced. Twilight's eyes watered as the ponies maneuvered Mordane out through an opening door and out into an empty space surrounded by buildings.

“Perfect! This is exactly where I thought we could come out. Is the ship near here?”
 
“If this is where you said it was then it should be very close. Mr. Charon should have already prepared the ship.”

“Hate not knowing, but there ain’t much hope any other way. Ponies have been acting crazy trying to get their hooves on ‘em.”
 
The three princesses had continued to focus on Mordane and his companions to this point. Each taking a few moments to get their bearings. Twilight floated over a quill and parchment. “Broken horn, wrapping on ribs, rear hoof in sling, wings appear unhurt, Various cut all-all over his body.”
 
“It seems he has had it rough sister.”
 
“Agreed. Do either of you recognize those ponies he is with?”

“I don’t know any of them.” Luna spoke

“The mare looks familiar.” Twilight said. “Though I can’t place her.”
 
“Rather skinny looking mare.” Luna commented.

“And that stallion seems quite rough.” Celestia added.
 
The two ponies in the screen picked up Mordane, the blue coated mare floating her side, while the earth pony stallion balanced his on his shoulders.
 
“Ponyfeathers.” The mare cursed. “Looks like we will have to push through a crowd. A bunch of them are around the ship.”

“Let me take the front.” 

The two ponies switched places, with the one eyed pony taking front.

“Out of the way! Coming through!”

The one eyed stallion began to push through the crowd rushing the ship. As they neared, the crowd waiting for them spotted them and surged out to meet them.

“Is that Stronghoof?!” “I want to see him!” “Alicorn!” “Let me give him this!” “Dragonslayer!” “Take me Stronghoof Simpi!” “I wish to follow you Alicorn!” “Out of my way!” “Stronghoof I met you a few months ago!” “I believe you're an alicorn Stronghoof!” “Buck you bastard!”

The blue mare did her best to push ponies back with her magic, but many still got close. Reaching out, some only touched Mordane, others grabbed a feather and tried to pull it. Still others tossed a flower, or letter onto the litter.

The stallion holding him continued to push, punch, kick and spit his way through the crowd. Biting at hooves that tried to grab Mordane’s letter from him.

“Whats going on?” Twilight asked. Her ears splayed back. “Are they trying to hurt Mordane?”

“I don’t think so.” Celestia said. “It reminds me of an earlier time in Equestria. When we didn’t have the royal guard.”

“I’ve heard dragonslayer” Luna said. “It's been a long time since I’ve heard that title. Mordane has grown that strong?”
 
“Is that how he became this injured?” Twilight asked.

“Most likely”

“His horn appears to be an older injury however.” Celestia commented. “Which would mean he defeated a dragon while lacking unicorn magic.”

“The alicorn magic?”

“Also likely.” Luna commented.

The blue mare and the stallion made their way up a plank and onto a ship. Onboard a half pony/dragon seemed to be waiting for them.

“Charon!” The blue mare said. “Pull up the plank!”

“There appears to be too many ponies to do so.”

“What are we going to do then?”

“Do you have any guards for this ship?” One eye asked suddenly.

“No, I didn’t think we would need any. I only hired sailors.”

“I have an idea” The stallion grinned.

He stepped to the edge of the plank before giving a snort.

“Who amongst you want to work for Stronghoof!”

The crowd’s voice died down for a moment, before surging again.

“I do” “What?” “YES!” “Does he need a concubine?” “Stronghoof!”

“Those of you who want it, remove the others from here! If you can’t do that then Stronghoof gots no use for yah!”

Several ponies frowned, others flashed to anger, about one in four though grinned and got to work.

“Get out of here you!” “What the buck!?”

Hooves collided with faces and others were pushed back, as about thirty ponies forced fifty away from the ship.

“How barbaric.” Luna said frowning.

Twilight continued to stare and take notes.

Celestia only stared as her mouth drew into a thin line.

Soon the crowd was dispersed, thirty odd ponies stayed, many would be having a new bruise, or had a bloody nose.

“Well there you go.” The one eyed pony said.

“That's too many.” Charon said. “Max we can take with current cargo would be fifteen.”

Stepping forward he looked over the ponies waiting.

“We have limited supplies. As such any pony who join us will only be given tak and water for the two weeks we are under way and we will be leaving immediately. If you aren't ready to walk onto this ship and leave this city, then turn around and leave.”

Eight of the ponies left immediately, many grumbling.

“I should also mention.” The blue mare spoke up. “Coming on the ship is only a guarantee of a job from here to where we are going. It will be up to Mordane to decide if you are to be hired permanently.”
 
Many more ponies turned and left. Leaving only eight ponies behind. 

“Welp. What are you eight waiting for. Get on. Come up here.”

As each pony passed, the monocular stallion did an inspection of them, turning away two which he said were too old, leaving six on the ship. One unicorn, two pegasi and three earth ponies. Half of them were wearing rags. Two had suspiciously collar shaped impressions on their necks. 

“Alright you maggots! If you're going to serve Mordane then you are going to be worth something! I want push ups!”

The ponies jumped to obey, only taking a few glances at the alicorn as the blue mare floated him from the litter and into the cabin. It was a large if barren space containing a desk and bed alone. 

The blue mare laid Mordane down on the bed and left the room.

“That was-” Twilight caught herself and covered her mouth. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Celestia walked over to the trembling Twilight and wrapped her wing over her. She looked down at the smaller mare and gave a small, tight smile, and pulled her close.

“Such acts… I am ashamed.” Luna hung her head.

“It is not your fault Luna. Ponies make their own choices.”
 
“Do not give me platitudes sister!” Luna spat “They are alone by my choice.”

“And mine.” Celestia said. “It was after all, I that raised the divide. Don’t do this to yourself sister.”
 
Luna breathed in deep and let herself sigh out.

“Okay. I won’t my sister. I just wish that I hadn’t done it.”

It was at that time, that they heard a groan from the screen.

Mordane began to move and slowly he rose up in his bed. Blinking he took in the room. Celestia noted his blue eyes had a different look than she had seen before. His eyes seemed more sharp, than when she had last seen them. 

“Mordane.” The blue mare walked into the shot carrying a pitcher of water. “It's okay, we are on your ship.”

Mordane reached past the cup and took the pitcher, taking a long haust from it and spilling a bit on the bed while the mare waited patiently for him to finish. He let out a little gasp and sat in on the window sill.

“What happened.” He croaked.

“After you killed the dragon, you slipped into unconsciousness. I entered the arena to help you… I- I thought you were dead and-”

“I wasn’t, it seems. What happened next?” Mordane cut in. As his eyes seemed to scan the room, his brow furrowed at something. The blue mare frowned but continued nonetheless.

“I, with the help of some guard, moved you back underground. King Fancy’s servant, Charon, came with a magical healer who said you needed​ to spend a few weeks off your hooves. Me and Mr.Charon spoke and I asked him to go ahead and get materials for the journey. Then One Eye arrived and we devised a way to get you to the ship. I had no choice but to trust them both.”

“Very good.” Mordane said. Suddenly he smiled and looked her in the eye. “Thank you.”

“Thank you.” The blue mare replied blushing slightly. “Tr- I am glad your alright.”

“Yes and I’m glad you are with me.” Mordane said. He leaned forward eyes locked onto hers. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“M-mordane?” She stuttered.

Mordane leaned in close drawing an ‘eep’ from Twilight who blushed.

“Surprising” Luna commented.

Mordane wrapped his forehoof around the blue mare's head.

“No-I mean I’m not ready.” The blue mare stammered, but Mordane pulled her close.

And kissed her head.

The spell matrix shattered as the long reaching line of power snapped back to the source and caused an explosion.

Each of the princesses stood where they had been before the small explosion. Twilight and Luna quickly patting out the small fires, that had gotten on their manes.

“What happened?!” Twilight yelled as guards rushed into the confined room.  None of the princesses could answer though as all of their eardrums had been busted from the concussive wave. Luckily the flame was pulled instinctually in, by Celestia preventing any burns.

A few short minutes later, after the castle medics had cast magic to heal their ears, Twilight could get her answer.

“It would seem Mordane noticed our spying.” Luna, she was sitting on a bench in the hallway beneath a blanket with a small cup of coffee floating before her, said. 

“Indeed. I would say he broke into that mare's mind and used her magic.” Celestia replied as she sat across from her, with Twilight and similar blankets on both. 

“I never taught him how to do that.” Twilight whispered “That's dark magic.”

“Indeed. Unfortunately, It seems we will have to think of another way of finding out about Mordane.” 

Celestia sighed and rubbed her temple. The cost of repairing the situation room would be astronomical and Mordane was loose in the southern lands, and somehow in possession of wealth. Considering how it had barely been a year since he had left, that was disturbing.

She would have to take Mordane seriously. Maybe even speed up her plans.

______________________________________________________________

Trixie snapped away from Mordane before slapping him. Her eyes were smoldering and her back was stiff as she turned and stormed out the door.

Mordane sighed and rubbed his cheek. There was no reason to explain why he had broken into her mind. He had pushed the understanding on her while inside. It had been a rough transfer, being one way as he had forced her to cast the spell he wanted.

“Weigh anchor, set sail!”

Mordane heard the call and poured himself a glass of water. 

It was a long trip to Herridon and it seemed some ponies were looking for him. He grinned at the thought of the nasty surprise he had sent back. He was glad to see his passive spells were working again. Tentatively he touched his horn.
 
The door opened and in stepped Charon carrying a small basket. He frowned once seeing Mordane sitting up. 

“I see the healing magic assisted you well.”

“Indeed” Mordane replied. “Is that for me?”

“Yes, it's some of the mail thrown onto your litter, I took the liberty of checking them to make sure they were safe.” He walked to Mordane’s bedside and pulled a particular letter out ”This one I am bringing you, is from the King of Herridon. I assumed you would wish to have it as soon as possible.”

“Thank you Charon. Please send someone with a broth of some kind. I’m quite famished… See if you can sneak some fish in as well.”

Charon nodded his head and left. Mordane didn’t watch him leave, instead picking up the envelope.

It was of superb quality. The paper was of the kind meant to last. The seal was a coat of arms he assumed was the king's. Grabbing a thin letter opener left in the basket Mordane broke the seal from the envelope. 

Inside was a folded letter and a bank slip for the amount King Fancy had promised. Opening the letter Mordane slowly began to smile.
 
King Fancy the third, King of Herridon, Lord of the Hinterlands, Tenth of his line does bequeath this wrote of nobility to Mordane Stronghoof. That he is a noble of Herridon and so is of right to all the privileges, and duties that this does entail. The king does decree that he is of clean blood.

So it is written and so it is.

Thus decrees King Fancy the third, King of Herridon, Lord of the Hinterlands and tenth of this line.

Mordane read through the letter twice then once again for good measure. Carefully he folded the paper and placed it back in the envelope. 

Looking out the window he watched as the ship began to pull away from the dock. It would be a week at least before he was ready to get out of bed. Until then he would… relax. For the first time in a year he would finally rest.