It was a late autumn afternoon when Emerald Edge returned from a quest, riding Foxtrot up to the castle gates to report to King Dawn Saber. She and Sir Agramane had been tasked with clearing out a dangerous cave of trolls, and Emerald was there to tell her king that the quest had been a success.
On the way to the stables, she caught sight of a familiar face: Moon Tide and the three Canterlot Muses were gathered around a horse, talking in low voices. Smiling, Emerald trotted Foxtrot over and dismounted.
“Hello, everypony!” Emerald said cheerily. “How is everyone doing?”
“Emerald!” Sonata said, perking up and turning around. “I haven’t seen you in days!”
“Well, I was out on a quest for king and country,” Emerald shrugged. “What are you all doing out here? Isn’t the Mages’ tower more of your gathering area?”
Moon Tide stepped forward. “Ah, that is up to me to explain, Emerald. Word has reached Canterlot that a village to the south called Hoofshire has been suffering from some magical ailments. Apparently there have been reports of evil spirits and possession. I’m sending the muses out to scout ahead.”
“Can you do that?” Emerald wondered. “Just take the king’s muses, I mean.”
“I’m sure my brother, His Majesty will understand,” Moon Tide said confidently. “He knows that we all have to do our part to protect the kingdom. Missing out on a few days’ music is a small price to pay for investigating malign magic.”
“Are you sure it’s not the druids this time?”
“Fairly certain,” Moon Tide said languidly before returning her attention to the muses. “Hoofshire is a half day’s horse ride from Canterlot, so I’ve packed you food and water for the journey. Once you are there, feel free to do whatever it takes to, ahem, gather information on what’s going on. I’ll join you in a day or two.”
The mage busied herself with packing the horse’s saddlebags and the muses’ own satchels before helping them up into the saddle.
“Now remember, girls, I just need you to look around the village. Show them the scroll from King Dawn Saber; that should cover the costs of staying at the inn. I’ve also given Adagio a small purse of bits, in case you need to use them.”
“Thank you, Moon Tide,” Sonata said, rocking back and forth in the three-person saddle. “We’ll look into this disturbance for you!”
“Oh, yes we will,” Aria said somewhat smugly, fingering her ruby pendant. “You can count on us.”
Emerald and Moon Tide walked the muses’ horse over to the castle’s front gates, where Adagio dug her heels into the horse’s side and they galloped off into the distance. Emerald and the mage waved until the three girls were out of sight.
“Now,” Moon Tide said. “I suppose I had better get back to the Mages’ tower before I’m missed. And you have a meeting with the king, do you not, Emerald?”
Emerald nodded. “It was nice seeing you today, Moon Tide.”
The mage laughed as she walked away. “Likewise.”
“...Sir Agramane and I cleaned out the troll nest, and then we set fire to the cave to prevent any trolls from moving back in. Trottingham should be safe for now,” Emerald concluded, sitting at her spot at the round table. Sir Agramane was also seated there, smiling to himself.
“You have done well, my loyal knights,” King Dawn Saber said, nodding approvingly. “Those trolls would have caused no end of trouble for Trottingham’s people.”
There was a smattering of congratulations from all around the table.
“Well, that concludes the meeting for this week,” King Dawn Saber rose to his feet. “I shall see you all back here in seven days, unless you are out on a quest.”
After the king left, the rest of the knights got up too, retrieving their gear from behind their seats and splitting up.
“Ho, Lady Emerald,” Sir Trotivere called out. “That was quite a tale, of you and Agramane taking care of those trolls. Mayhap next time I could come along? I am getting tired of fighting bandits.”
“Maybe we can ask his majesty the next time we meet,” Emerald suggested. “I’d like to fight by your side.”
Sir Trotivere laughed. “Ha! Maybe I will ask next time.”
After a little more small talk, Sir Trotivere remembered that he had some letters to answer and bid the spymaster goodbye. Emerald went back to her own quarters and sat down on the bed. She drew her sword, Amore. The blade was still a little stained from the fighting that she had done on her most recent quest, and Emerald quickly removed her armor, leaving her in her lighter tunic and breeches, though she kept her hidden blade gauntlets on. Taking Amore, Emerald made the long walk from her quarters to the training grounds, where she spent the better part of the afternoon scrubbing down her blade, cleaning all the dried blood and dirt off its surface and returning it to a sharp silver gleam.
Satisfied, she sheathed her sword and went back up to her quarters to wash up. She ran a cold bath, giving herself a good scrubbing with a brush to make sure she was clean. The whole process took about half an hour, including washing her hair. No matter how many times, she washed it, her hair retained that shimmery, sparkly quality that differentiated her from the humans. Emerald had often wondered if there was anything else about her that was different, but so far her inspections of herself had turned up empty.
Drying herself, Emerald looked out the window, where she had an excellent view of the Mages’ tower and the training grounds that lay between it and the castle. The sun was on its way down, and Emerald was content to sit by the window and watch it set, accompanied by the fiery autumn leaves.
Letting her mind wander, Emerald’s thoughts turned to her earlier encounter with Moon Tide and the muses. It was good of them, she thought, to take such an active role in ensuring peace in the kingdom. She had never had too much experience with malign magic before, but she trusted Moon Tide. She was a mage, after all, and was used to dealing with magic.
Once the sun had completely sank behind the horizon and the stars began to come out, Emerald stirred herself and got dressed for dinner.
The next morning, after breakfast, Emerald Edge went about her daily training, going down to the castle’s courtyard to spar with some other knights. After about an hour of swordplay, the former pegasus went over to the well for a drink.
“Good morning, Emerald,” came a familiar voice. Emerald looked up.
It was Moon Tide, holding a bucket in the right hand. Her left was outstretched, and there was a small furry black creature hanging off of it.
“Hello, Moon Tide,” Emerald greeted. “What’s that?”
“Oh, this? It’s something I’ve been working on in my spare time.” Moon Tide prodded the creature, which squeaked. “It’s a potion that attracts various animals. This one flew into my quarters last night and has taken a shine to me.”
The bat chirruped and went back to sleep, wrapping its wings around its small body.
“Anyway,” Moon Tide continued, lowering the bucket into the well with one hand. “I shall be departing tomorrow for the village of Hoofshire, and could use a knight to accompany me. I do not suppose you are available?”
“Oh, of course!” Emerald said immediately. She had nothing planned for the next few days besides looking for more artifacts, and she had been planning to talk to Moon Tide about it anyway. There would be plenty of time together if she went along to Hoofshire.
“That’s good news,” Moon Tide smiled, pulling the bucket up and inspecting the water. “Then we shall leave… tomorrow morning? An hour after sunrise.”
“I can do that,” Emerald said. “Do you want to come get me, or…?”
“I shall meet you at Canterlot’s main gate,” Moon Tide replied. “It’s a half day’s ride from here to Hoofshire, so pack some food and water.” Emerald nodded. “Well, if that is all, I’ll head back to the Mages’ tower. See you tomorrow morning, Emerald.”
Still suspending the bat, Moon Tide took the bucket in her free hand and walked away.
The rest of the day was spent by Emerald scurrying around the castle, acquiring all the things she would need for a long trip outside of Canterlot. While the cooks were all too happy to supply various vegetables and bread for food, finding a way to transport water was more difficult. Finally, she enlisted Spectrum Song’s help, and the young squire had ducked off for about half an hour, returning with two filled waterskins. Trying not to think too hard about what the waterskins were made of, Emerald put them with the rest of her supplies. By the time everything had been put together, Emerald was about ready to go to sleep.
Emerald awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn, springing out of bed and getting dressed in a flurry. After a quick breakfast of bread and strawberry jam, the knight saddled all her supplies and rode Foxtrot out to Canterlot’s gate, where Moon Tide was waiting.
The mage had her own horse, a sleek tan mare which was packed with several large saddlebags. Moon Tide had her staff with the green crystal at the top, and was standing next to her horse, giving Emerald a friendly wave as she rode closer.
“My, my. You are right on time, Lady Emerald.”
“Of course!” Emerald grinned. “What’s in the bags?”
The mage shrugged. “Magical reagents. Medicinal herbs and potions. Food. We won’t be able to ride at full speed with all this stuff, so we might not reach Hoofshire until evening. Is that all right with you?”
“That’s fine,” Emerald agreed.
“Then let’s go! Hoofshire is depending on us.”
As Moon Tide predicted, it was a long ride from Canterlot to their destination. Fortunately, it was a bright, sunny day with just a few clouds to cover up the sun and keep it from getting too hot. Emerald loved the feeling of the wind in her hair and the smell of the countryside. The scent of grass and the fields filled the former pegasus’ nose, and brought a smile to her face.
They rode at half-speed, to keep the horses from getting tired out, stopping only once for a brief lunch. Along the way the two women talked of many things, ranging from the state of the kingdom to (and this was Emerald’s favorite topic) any rumors of artifacts. Moon Tide had indeed heard of whispers of magical items, but she warned Emerald not to put too much stock in those stories, as townsfolk were a superstitious lot, and tended to over-exaggerate things that they heard. They talked about King Dawn Saber and how he still had no heir to take over the kingdom when his time was up, and this seemed to both amuse and embitter Moon Tide at the same time.
The day passed by in a blur of green and brown, and just as the sun was beginning its descent to the far horizon, the town of Hoofshire came into view. It was a squat, wide village, built mostly on dirt next to a river. There were no houses taller than one storey, and fields of sheep and goats dominated the surrounding land.
“Well, the town’s still standing,” Moon Tide remarked dryly. “That’s a good sign.”
Emerald surveyed the town in the twilight. There appeared to be some kind of commotion near the river, with a lot of humans milling about there. There were torches, she could see.
“Where do you think the muses are?” Emerald asked as they approached the town gates.
“They will be wherever the crowd is,” Moon Tide replied. “Come. We’d better go find them and see what they’ve found out about the rumors of dark magic.”
Slowing their horses to a leisurely trot, the two women rode in, finding the town oddly deserted. There were no guards at the gates, and a strange fog swirled around the horses’ hooves. It appeared to be almost green.
“I can sense it,” Moon Tide said to Emerald quietly. “There is a nasty kind of magic at work here. It’s affecting the villagers.”
“How do you know?” Emerald asked curiously.
“I’m a mage,” Moon Tide said patiently. “It’s only natural that I know such things.”
Emerald shrugged, satisfied for the time being. Making a note to later ask about what mages could and couldn’t do, she and Moon Tide wound their way through Hoofshire, trotting along for almost ten minutes without encountering anybody.
Finally, Emerald saw a woman in a simple brown dress standing outside a house, clutching her hands together and looking about nervously.
“Greetings,” Moon Tide said, pulling her mare to a stop. “I am Moon Tide, mage of King Dawn Saber, and this is Emerald Edge, Knight of the Round Table. We were wondering where everyone was.”
“They are all down at the riverbank,” The woman said nervously. “There was a festival there yesterday, but everyone’s gone mad! All they do now is argue and fight! Please, you must help us.”
“So, we have found our dark magic,” Moon Tide mused. “Come, Emerald. We’re needed at the riverbank.”
Turning their horses, Emerald and Moon Tide set off at a brisk pace toward the river. As they neared it, the sounds of people’s raised voices could be heard. Winding their way through the last row of houses, Emerald beheld what must have been the town’s population, gathered at the edge of the river, and they looked furious. Sounded furious too.
“You dastard! I never liked you!”
“Oh yeah? Well I never liked you first!”
“Pumpkin face!”
“Waste of skin!”
No one seemed to notice the two women as they approached. However, there, at the edge of the bickering crowd, were the three muses. They appeared to be singing.
“Ahhh, ahh-ahh, ahhh ahhh,” they went softly.
Moon Tide directed the horses to the muses, dismounting when she got close.
“Ah, here you are. How goes the investigation?”
Signalling for Aria and Sonata to keep singing, Adagio Dazzle stepped forward, a lazy smile on her face.
“Oh, there’s plenty of negative energy about, Moon Tide. We’ve been feeding-” She noticed Emerald and coughed. “That is, we’ve been feeling around, and we think that the dark magic has affected the people and spread disharmony throughout the village, resulting in the mess here.” Adagio’s fingers toyed with her red pendant as she spoke.
Moon Tide nodded sagely. “I see. Have you three eaten?”
“Oh, yes, we’re all quite full,” Adagio replied smugly. “I think you can work your magic now.”
At that, Adagio signalled for her sisters to come closer. They did, ceasing their singing.
“Emerald, could you please retrieve my enchanting bowl from the left saddlebag?” Moon Tide asked before stepping toward the bickering crowd.
“Greetings!” the mage shouted. The crowd didn’t respond, their argument fat louder than Moon Tide’s voice.
“Er, Hello?”
Still no response.
Clucking her tongue, Moon Tide reached into her robes and brought out a leather glove and a small pouch. Slipping the glove onto her hand, Moon Tide reached into the pouch and threw a pinch of powder skyward, clicking the fingers on her gloved hand at the same time.
There was a sudden explosion of fire above the crowd, which stopped arguing to look at the conflagration. Emerald raised her eyebrows. That was a very similar trick to the one the Stupendous and Almighty Beatrix had pulled during the tournament. She wondered who had come up with it. Then she went back to searching for the enchanting bowl.
Taking advantage of the momentary quiet, Moon Tide stepped forward and said, “Greetings! I am Moon Tide of Canterlot’s Mages’ tower. I have come to deal with the dark magic that is affecting Hoofshire!”
There was silence for a moment.
Then a man’s voice came from the crowd.
“What dark magic?”
“A curse has been cast over Hoofshire, a curse that spreads chaos and disharmony. Do you not see the effects? Here you all stand, fighting amongst yourselves. How long before it escalates to blows, then to brother killing brother? I have come to free you from this curse, if you will permit me.”
The nearest villager stepped forward. “It’s true that we have been fighting amongst ourselves a lot more than usual, but it only started about two days ago. Is it really magic?”
Huh. Two days ago? But Moon Tide said the town had dark magic before that, Emerald thought, then shook her head. Must be village superstition.
Moon Tide put a hand on the villager’s shoulder.
“I’m afraid it is.”
Moon Tide took off her leather glove and stuffed it back in her pocket.
There was a muttering in the crowd. The muses began singing again, softly, though this time the tune was different, more slow and melancholic. Emerald suddenly felt calmer listening to the singing, and apparently so did the crowd, their voices stopping as Emerald passed a large ceramic bowl to Moon Tide. The bowl was inscribed with arcane runes and swirling patterns, painted in blue and red. Setting the bowl on a nearby boulder, Moon Tide went to her horse and began to retrieve ingredients from her stash, returning with an armful of jars and bottles. These she carefully set around the base of the stone and began mixing various components together in the bowl, grinding it all together with a pestle.
After about five minutes of this, Moon Tide lowered her gloved hand over the bowl and clicked her fingers. Sparks flew, and the contents of the enchanting bowl lit up like a torch. Pale blue flames crackled in the air, casting an eerie cerulean glow over everyone present. The flickering flames painted Moon Tide’s face with an ominous light.
Moon Tide raised her arms to the twilight sky. “Oh spirits of the past, hear my plea!”
Surreptitiously reaching into the folds of her robe, Moon Tide produced a small glass vial and poured its contents into the bowl.
Instantly, the flames leapt higher, licking up at the sky and turning a bright royal purple. The crowd of villagers gasped in amazement and collectively took a couple of steps back.
“Hoofshire is in the grip of an evil curse!” Moon Tide bellowed to the sky. Emerald watched, impressed. She didn’t know much about curses, but she wagered that Moon Tide’s performance was good enough to match Beatrix’s.
“Oh, spirits, I beseech you to answer me!” Moon Tide continued, stretching her hands up to the sky.
Emerald heard the muses begin to sing louder. She watched on, feeling more than a little uneasy about the way things were going. Could Moon Tide actually lift the curse on Hoofshire? Who were these spirits she was talking to? The crowd was in rapt attention, the entire village swaying back and forth in time to the three girls’ song.
“I feel it…” Moon Tide gasped, pouring more liquid into the roaring purple fire, which grew in intensity. The closes villagers stepped back away from the heat, but Moon Tide was undeterred. “The dark magic is within my grasp!”
The crowd murmured nervously. Some of them made hand signals, seemingly to ward off evil. Emerald leaned back against a cottage, watching Moon Tide work her magic.
Moon Tide exhaled, and pulled both her sleeves back to the elbow before plunging her hands into the fire. The closer villagers let out exclamations, but none dared interfere. The flames immediately turned a bright, poisonous green. She scooped out a globule of fire and held it up in her hands for all to see, the viridian tongues of flame licking at her hands but somehow not consuming them. Emerald’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t known that Moon Tide was capable of holding fire. Perhaps it was a spell, or these spirits she kept talking about.
“Behold! The spirits have heard my plea!” Moon Tide shouted over the sound of the flaming bowl. “Oh, spirits, grant me the power to break the curse on Hoofshire and return harmony to the land!”
And with that final proclamation, Moon Tide hurled both handfuls of fire skyward, where they exploded in a dazzling flash that lit up the riverbank.
Silence reigned.
Moon Tide sagged, her sleeves falling back down to her wrists. “It is done,” she announced with a tired smile. “Hoofshire is no longer under the effects of the curse. This town is safe.”
Emerald noticed a wave of relief sweep over the crowd, all the tension melting away. Without being asked, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk scurried forward and retrieved the enchanting bowl, putting out the remaining fire inside with a splash of water from a waterskin.
The villagers began to move forward, surrounding Moon Tide as she pulled on a pair of gloves.
“Lady Moon Tide, that was amazing!”
“You have freed us. I do not feel the urge to fight anymore!”
“Let us treat you and your companions to dinner, as thanks!”
Emerald smiled to herself as she and the muses were swept up in the crowd, carrying them to the village inn for an impromptu evening meal. It felt good to help people, and Moon Tide was the perfect example of why she fought for Canterlot.
The next morning, Emerald, Moon Tide, and the muses saddled up their horses to leave for Canterlot. Most of Hoofshire turned up at the front gates to see them off with great amounts of cheering and exultation.
“Aahh…” Moon Tide sighed contentedly once they were on the road again. They rode at a slower pace than before, as there was no emergency to get to. “All that gratitude and love. Some days I just love my job.”
“You don’t get enough of that working at Canterlot?” Aria asked from her horse.
“Well, I get enough to keep me going, but it’s nice to have a change of… menu, from time to time,” Moon Tide glanced at Emerald. “Thank you for accompanying me, by the way, Emerald. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”
Emerald nodded. “I do. First one, how did you know the village was cursed to start with?”
“I heard rumors of unrest,” Moon Tide said. “It does not happen often, but when it does, I send the muses to scout ahead of me.
“Oh. I didn’t know the muses were trained in curse identification.”
“I’ve taught them quite a lot of things,” Moon Tide replied with a smile.
“Okay, fair enough,” Emerald said with a smile. “Second question. How did you do that with the fire? Isn’t pyromancy more Secret Fire or Beatrix’s territory?”
“Most mages know how to work with fire. Making it change color is no challenge for someone as skilled as I, even though it is not my specialty.” The mage pushed a strand of blue hair out of her face with a gloved hand. “Call it multi-classing.”
“Besides,” Adagio added. “Moon Tide is the only mage who can touch fire and not get burnt. It only makes sense she’d capitalize on that.”
“True,” Emerald nodded. “What about the spirits you asked to help you last night? Do the usually come when called?”
At that, Moon Tide glanced over to the muses and grinned. “Oh, those spirits. Well, that’s a mage’s secret, Emerald. But I will say this: when I call for spirits to help me, I do not do it lightly. It’s a bit of a chore to summon them correctly, and summoning them can take a lot out of me. Does that answer your question?”
It didn’t really, but Emerald shrugged and said, “I suppose so.” Feeding a carrot to Foxtrot, Emerald and the others journeyed on in silence for a while, with only the birdsong and the sounds of their horses’ hooves to punctuate the quiet of the road.
“You’re a good human, Moon Tide,” Emerald said to herself as they rode on. “I’m honored to have met you.”