The Last Descendant

by Cup of Coffee


Chapter 51 - Journey to Hollow Shades

The next few days went by in a blur now that a date was set. Magnus was released from his job to prepare for his travel to Hollow Shades, but there wasn’t really much to do other than packing. The only burden imposed on him was his own thoughts.

What should he say when he met Brilliant Star? He spent many days pondering this simple yet difficult question. No words or speeches he imagined would suffice or held any real meaning for such a first meeting. How had people dealt with this before, when they found out they had relatives previously unbeknownst? Alas, he couldn’t call upon their experience, and thus an answer to his quandary eluded him.

He did find some minor comfort in the letter Brilliant Star had personally written to him. Her words were simple and honest, yet warm and welcoming. He had read through it dozens of times after he had received it up to the day of his departure from Canterlot. What also surprised him was the fact that Brilliant Star was making a family gathering out of it, and that she had several children yet none was hers, according to Luna. Personally, he felt as if he had no business attending such a gathering, but it was too late to change his mind now.

Another problem, though minor, was the necessity of turning his sleeping schedule around. Hollow Shades was a bat pony village, thus all the inhabitants were nocturnal, even the local baroness. What this meant was that Magnus had to wake up at six in the afternoon and then stay awake until around 10 or so before noon. Safe to say, it wreaked havoc on him, and even on the day of his departure, his body still hadn’t quite adjusted. Tiredness and minor naps now and then was a constant companion of his.

***

The day of departure had arrived at last. Hefting his backpack onto his shoulder, Magnus checked himself over to see if he had everything.

‘Backpack? Check. Bit bag? Check. New jacket?’ Magnus tugged on his new bomber jacket. The outer layer was made out of brown faux leather and was waterproofed while the inner lining was made out of a thin layer of wool. In other words, not too warm and not too cold.

‘Check.’

Making his way down to the entry hallway, he peered out the windows, realizing the moon was already high in the sky. The past few days had done a number on him; forced sleeplessness, large amount of caffeine, and a fraying of his nerves and temper. Not exactly his usual modus operandi.

Arriving at the entry hall, he spotted Celestia as she waited for him. “There you are,” she said with a smile. “Did you remember everything?”

“Pretty sure I have everything.” He patted his backpack.

Celestia nodded, then noticed his jacket. This was the first time he had worn it after picking it up yesterday. “That doesn’t seem like something Rarity would make.”

“She didn’t, Creative did. I gotta be honest, I prefer Creative over Rarity. She tends to add gemstones to everything, and I’m not a fan of sparkling clothes, at least when I’m the one who has to wear them.”

“Well, we all have our own tastes.”

Magnus nodded as he looked around. “Isn’t Luna here yet? Won’t we miss the train?”

“We are not traveling by train.” Magnus turned around and saw Luna approaching with two of her guards. “Tonight we shall travel by chariot.”

“Chariot?” Magnus questioned, remembering the black and dark blue Gothic Batmobile flying chariot Luna had visited Ponyville in. “Does it have seat belts?”

Luna chuckled. “You will find it difficult to fall off, unless you wish for it.”

‘Well, that’s comforting at least.’

“Now then, before you leave, while Brilliant hasn’t specified how long your visit would be, I know her well enough to say that you can stay for as long as you like,” said Celestia. “Luna and I will visit when we can, and if you at any point wish to return with us, then you may. You have already told us of your plans to settle in Canterlot. Has that changed?”

“No, it hasn’t,” Magnus answered. Canterlot simply had better job opportunities than anywhere else he knew, even if living there was a bit more expensive than, for example, Ponyville. Besides, a city usually had more to offer than a small village in the woods.

Celestia nodded. “I understand. Then I believe there is not much for me to say than enjoy Hollow Shades, and I sincerely hope you and Brilliant will grow closer as each day goes by.”

“We’ll see,” Magnus replied, not too sure about the future. The best that could happen was most likely he’d get to know some old mare in the woods.

“Then we shall make our leave. Come, Magnus, tis time to fly,” Luna announced with a smile as her wing gently guided him towards the doors.

“Wish I had wings to fly with. Be seeing you, Celestia,” Magnus said as he and Luna walked towards the door. Behind them, Celestia waved them goodbye with a wing.

Out in the castle courtyard stood Luna’s ‘batmobile’ with four bat pony guards stood ready to pull it, ten more there as Princess Luna’s escort. Without waiting, Luna climbed aboard her chariot and patted the spot next to her.

Magnus gave her seat-slash-throne a single glance. “Yeah, a pony and a human in that seat will be a tight fit. I’ll just sit on the floor.”

Luna stared at her seat, and after a moment to consider, she gave a nod. “Perhaps you are right. Now, embark and we shall be off.”

After climbing aboard and finding a suitable place to stuff his backpack, Magnus sat down on the floor of the chariot, making himself as comfortable as he could.

Luna’s guards sprang into action at her command; the guards pulling the chariot first started at a gallop, then gradually sped up until they began flapping their leathery wings. Slowly but surely, the chariot took off as smooth as an airplane taking off. The escort guards quickly took up positions around the chariot, some behind them, some at their sides, and two taking the lead. As soon as the chariot crossed over the castle wall, they turned north and within a minute they left Canterlot behind.

Although not secured with seat belts or rope, Magnus felt some kind of force holding him firmly to the chariot despite the wind causing some minor turbulence. He had no problems moving despite what kept him onboard; his arms and legs were free, and even when he shifted his weight to sit on his knees, he could not feel any force pushing him down. Whatever this magic was, it only made sure he wouldn’t fall out.

Any concerns with the enchanted chariot was a passing thing, though, as the scenery below caught his attention. Canterlot at night was a multitude of lights from street lamps, every window emanating a warm glowing light, and the ponies still outside going for an evening walk. Canterlot definitely had a nightlife. And before them was Equestria by night, illuminated by the moon and the stars, a spectacle to behold.

“See? This is why I wish I had wings!” Luna merely chuckled at his enthusiasm.

Leaning back and enjoying the ride, Magnus buttoned his jacket as the wind began to nip at his skin. The chariot was still climbing higher and it was bound to get chilly.

Princess Luna noticed Magnus sudden silence and asked, “Are you nervous?”

Magnus gave a barely perceptible nod. “Yeah… Been nervous for days now. Been asking myself a lot of questions. Almost went to see you and Celestia to call this visit off a couple of days ago.”

“Why? Do you not believe it will go well? Do you fear that Baroness Star will turn you away?”

“I believe a lot of things, that’s why I’m so nervous.”

“Well, I for one believe you worry too much. Sit back and relax, and try to remain positive. All manner of outcomes can result from this meeting.”

Magnus mumbled a reply in his native language and remained silent for a long time as the journey continued, simply enjoying the ride while looking down at the land below. What a sight it was.

A curious sound made itself heard onboard the chariot, one that the guards and even Princess Luna hadn’t heard before. While the princess turned around to locate the source, Magnus simply put his hand in his jacket pocket and picked up his strange otherworldly device which had made the sound. The entire front of the device was covered in a soft blue light as were its many symbols. A small illuminated square had appeared on the device.

“Your… instrument? I believed it to be not working anymore. Does it not need lightning to work?” Luna commented as she leaned closer to check what Magnus was doing. His fingers moved across the screen with practiced speed.

“It nearly was, but Discord made it work somehow with his magic. He helped me save the pictures I had on it. I have no idea if he meant for it to happen, but my ~phone~ is, well, it’s sentient now. I haven’t used it in a couple of days now so it’s hungry for attention,” Magnus said.

“Discord,” Luna nearly hissed. “No wonder it reeks of his foul magic.”
“Come on, Princess Luna, it’s not that bad. He’s—aww, look, you hurt his feelings.” Magnus held his phone up to Luna. The screen had a square white box on it with the following symbols:

:-(

“Besides, this lil’ guy loves to play. Give him a chance. Here, you take him and ask him to play something that you might like.”

Luna stared at the phone. While Discord was an ally of Equestria now, she had little love of him due to his past actions. “I would rather not. I am wary of his tricks, and your device may contain more of his trickery.”

Magnus shrugged. “Well, I tried. Okay then, lil’ buddy, how about some Crush the Castle?”

Focused as he was on his phone, Magnus didn’t notice Luna giving his phone short glances as he started the game. Intrigued, she leaned just a bit closer to see what it was and saw something she recognized from long ago. It was a trebuchet that flung boulders at strangely built structures. Stranger was, Magnus controlled the siege weapon deftly with his fingers by touching the screen.

“This is a game?” Luna asked as a boulder fell through the roof of a shoddy castle right on top of a human that vanished with a scream and a splatter of blood.

“Yeah, I used to play this all the time a few years back.” Magnus offered Luna his phone and started the game from the beginning. “You wanna try?”

***

“Are we there yet?”

Luna peered up from the phone, now having learned how to use the game with the tip of her silver-shod hooves. “Not yet—we have only flown for an hour. It takes five hours by chariot to Hollow Shades, almost twelve by train.”

“‘kay.”

“Huzzah! Another castle bites the dust! Thy architects art fools and thy masons cannot carve a stone to sink!” Luna cheered as she completed another level.

Magnus chuckled and sunk back to his silence, mostly so that he could watch the landscape below pass by. From this high up, he could see for miles in all directions. Rarely did he see a house stand alone on the gigantic plains that made up central Equestria. Instead, there were many smaller villages and communities, farms for the most part. Ahead loomed a mountain range, a far cry from the Rockies back home, but still tall enough to provide for a fun activity, namely hiking.

But Magnus also knew that behind those mountains was the forest called Hollow Shades, and within that forest, the village that went by the same name.

“Luna?”

“Hm?”

“Tell me about Hollow Shades. When was it founded?”

Princess Luna put a hoof to her chin, obviously thinking back. “As a village, it was founded over fourteen centuries ago by the bat ponies. Before that, the forest had no name, but over time, it adopted the name the bat ponies gave it.”

“And the Galaxy family? When did they get there?”

“Just after the unification of the three tribes, nearly five millennia ago. The nobles of the old tribes gathered to carve up the new land into fiefdoms, one for every noble family. Starswirl’s children chose the grand valley that would become Hollow Shades and there built homes for themselves, and several decades later built the first Stargard Castle.”

“The first?” Magnus queried.

“Oh yes. You see, the first castle was added unto many times over the years. The current structure is not the original, I believe nothing remains of the first castle after so many new additions and repurposing. Nevertheless, Stargard castle is still impressive and majestic, which you will see for yourself when we arrive.”

***

The chariot had just passed over the mountain range and into the forest, and the land below them was covered in darkness. Although flying high above it, Magnus felt as if the forest was alive somehow. He could feel it; he was being watched.

It didn’t take long before a light became visible in the distance. It was simply a few scattered lights, like fireflies over a meadow, blinking in and out of existence. Magnus surmised that the trees probably blocked the lights from houses.

As they drew nearer, however, Magnus heard something coming from the forest below. At first he thought it was a nightly creature, but the screeching sounded different from anything he’d heard before.

“EEEEEEEEE!”

The last sound came from directly below them, and Magnus leaned out of the chariot in order to see what was below. All he saw was darkness.

“What was that?”

“The children of the night,” Luna answered calmly with a serene smile. “Bat ponies playing; it sounded like foals. Mayhaps they are playing hide and seek this night.”

“So why are they screaming?”

“Bat ponies have excellent sight in the dark, but they are also capable of seeing with sound, which is called echolocation. When they screech, they listen to the sound as it returns to them and can thus interpret their surroundings better. I believe you can call it a ‘mental image’ of sorts. This makes bat ponies the greatest fliers when it comes to unknown terrain; no pegasus can match their skill in the woodlands or even the darkest caves.”

After thirty more minutes of flying, they flew over the village itself. Although the forest canopy covered most of the town, he could still make out some details. The streets were lined with street lamps, and from the dim lights he spotted what seemed like a market square with ponies wandering around. Even in the light, the bat ponies blended in, making them even harder to discern.

There were houses too, and from up high, they looked like stone or brick houses built at the trunks of trees. However, some of the lights came from somewhere up in the trees as well. Just for a split second, Magnus swore he saw windows amidst the dense cover of leaves, a window on the tree itself.

“Do the bat ponies build treehouses too?” Magnus asked while still gazing down, seeing more windows set into trees.

“Sometimes they do,” Luna affirmed, “but bat ponies are also highly skilled when it comes to hollowing out large trees without killing the tree itself. One such tree once existed in Ponyville, and Princess Twilight Sparkle resided there. Sadly, the tree was destroyed by Tirek during his rampage.”

Magnus scratched his head while wondering how the bat ponies could even do that. While some trees weren’t exactly fragile, hollowing out a tree would be a sure way to make the tree die, no matter was species it was.

Continuing on, over, and away from town, the chariot travelled north until the bat ponies began a controlled descent, occasionally circling to scrub off some speed. Then, suddenly, it was there.

In a large clearing in the forest, at the foot of a small mountain, it stood; Stargard Castle. From his vantage point, Magnus could drink in the entire structure. Although just a fraction of the size of Canterlot Castle, Stargard was still impressive. It stood next to the mountain, a steep cliff behind it and a wall surrounding the main structure in the shape of a horseshoe, with the ends of the walls connecting to the nearly 90 degrees angled cliffs, making a natural wall. The main (and only) building, the keep, stood in the middle. The moonlight gave away its colours, that of aged grey and black stone. Two round towers rose from the far ends of the keep.

The chariot finally touched down on a dirt road outside the castle, coming to a careful stop. Magnus was the first to disembark, taking his backpack with him. He began to stretch his legs and arms, his back in no better shape either.

Luna jumped off and smiled as she looked to the castle. “Shall we?” Magnus gave a nod and began following her and her guards.

They approached the wall, and now that Magnus’ eyes had fully adjusted to the night, he could clearly see the state it was in. It certainly wasn’t a defensive wall anymore. You couldn’t keep a cow out of this place. The walls had collapsed in some places and plant life had taken root.

An iron gate was set into the stone wall, and the gates stood wide open. The more Magnus looked at the gate, the more certain he became that it had once been a gatehouse, as there were signs of it once having a portcullis. However, what made him stop for a closer inspection was the symbol set into the gates. It resembled an artistic representation of a galaxy. It was a black disk with silver arms coming from a white gem in the centre, and tiny gemstones in different colours everywhere on the disk.

“The Galaxy family’s crest,” Luna said wistfully, having noticed where Magnus’ attention lay.

They moved beyond the wall and another aging wonder greeted Magnus. Although the courtyard was somewhat dilapidated, it still bore marks of ancient royalty with the cobblestone road leading up to the keep, the fountain in the middle of the courtyard itself, and the overgrown garden itself. Even the keep was an aging wonder of gothic architecture: flying buttresses, complete with arched windows, carved stone, and even gargoyle-esque statues on the roof.

“Looks like the Addams family lives here,” Magnus commented offhandedly.

“No, this is the ancestral home of the Galaxy family, Stargard Castle,” Luna replied as she walked ahead up to the door and turned around, oblivious to the joke. “Now the next step is yours.”

Swallowing, Magnus made his way up the steps to stand in front of the door. Raising his hand, he hesitated. Luna touched a wing to his back. “Go on, everything will be fine.”

He gave her a sideways glance before inhaling deeply and used the brass door knocker.

The seconds ticked away slowly as he waited, each second feeling like ten minutes. It was too late to reconsider now. He looked to Luna for support, and all she did was wait like he did and smile.

A crimson magical glow appeared around the door handle, and the hinges creaked as the door began to open. And there she stood; Brilliant Star. She looked old, even older than Granny Smith, and she was rail- thin and frail-looking, but appeared slightly taller than most unicorns. Her coat was a shade of off-white, leaning towards very light brownish-yellow, and her mane and tail had gone completely white with age. Her tail was long and fell straight while her mane was a bit curly at the tips and fell down to her neck. She wore small half-moon glasses on her muzzle, and even though her eyes seemed old and tired, there was kindness in them.

Her entire face radiated hospitality and warmth. Not even once did she seem surprised to see Magnus. Most ponies would stare at him the first time they saw him, but Brilliant was completely unfazed.

Brilliant looked up at him with a smile. “Hello,” the old mare said with a clear yet weary voice. “I’ve been expecting you. And good evening to you too, Princess Luna.”

“Good evening, Baroness Star,” Luna greeted with a short nod.

Brilliant nodded and smiled at the princess, then turned to Magnus. “I think you must crouch so I can reach you, young colt. I’m not as young, as you can see.”

Magnus didn’t say a word, but he did crouch until he was at eye level with the old mare. She reached out with a hoof towards him, and hesitating just a second, Magnus reached out with his hand and gave her hoof a gentle squeeze.

“Hello, my name is Brilliant Star,” she said patiently.

“Hello, Brilliant. I’m Magnus Powell.” He was impressed that his voice did not shake.

“Magnus,” Brilliant said with a slow nod. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” She finished by giving his hand a final shake. “Come in, can’t stand out there all night.”

Magnus smiled at her hospitality and stepped through the tall doorway, and was greeted by the castle’s entrance hall. It looked like a Victorian era manor’s hall yet different somehow, as if it was constructed in a manner far older, with artistry on the walls, dark wooden interior, and of course paintings, all of which looked centuries old. The lofty ceiling was more than three times as tall as Magnus, and each door he saw in the hall was tall enough that he could step through without having to bend over.

“What elegance,” Luna murmured softly. “As if I stepped back in time.”

Brilliant led Luna and Magnus through a door in the entrance hall that led to a large living room, one that looked newer, quite comfortable and homely to his tastes. After he and Luna found a place to sit, Brilliant floated over a tray with tea and cups and began pouring tea.

“Now then,” Brilliant said as she sat down on a small chair next to Magnus, turning her kind eyes to him. “Let’s take a look at you.”

For a long while, she did just that. Up and down, sometimes focusing on one specific part of his body. His hooves for example, and even his ears.

“Well well, aren’t you an interesting one,” she began as she sipped her tea. “I do see some family resemblance here and there. You have long fetlocks; it runs in the family, you know.” She wiggled her hind legs just a bit, showing off her own. “And your ears too; that little extra length at the tips.” Magnus looked at her ears; true enough, the tip of her ears were just a little longer than most ponies he had seen.

Magnus had trouble finding the right words, eventually saying, “I’m uh… not sure what to say.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Brilliant laughed in the way only old women could. “Neither am I. I simply try to find something interesting to say,” she admitted. “I have thought so hard all of yesternight and tonight on what I should say, and now, all I can say is that you have long fetlocks and we have the same ears too.” She leaned back in the chair and laughed heartily. “Well, there we have something in common. It’s a start.”

Feeling a bit more at ease, Magnus sipped his tea. It was a strange yet pleasant mix of berries. This mare wasn’t a stern ass like those nobles he had faced in Canterlot weeks ago; this mare was actually nice and didn’t have that ‘holier-than-thou’ vibe. She didn’t wear fancy clothes that screamed ‘look how rich I am’ and she wasn’t afraid to admit how she had felt about this encounter. Things looked promising. All the while, Princess Luna was a silent supporting bystander.

“Now then, young colt, tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up?”

“In a country called the United States of America. I lived in a small rural town.”

“Hmm, a farming community, I believe? What about your parents?”

“Dead.” Magnus sighed. “My mom died shortly after I was born. My dad left me shortly after. He died several years later.”

“Oh! Oh dear, I’m so sorry.” Brilliant gently placed a small wrinkled hoof on his knee, patting him.

“It’s okay. My grandfather raised me well. I owe him everything.” Magnus patted Brilliant’s hoof back, eliciting a smile from the old mare.

Meanwhile, Luna watched the two. Celestia had indeed been right; Brilliant was an unusually welcoming pony.

“Please, tell me about your grandfather. What was he like?”.

Magnus didn’t waste a second. “The best man I’ve ever known.”

Brilliant nodded. “That’s good. What about your grandmother?”

“Also dead, I’m afraid. I never knew her, but after she died, my grandfather never looked at another woman.”

Brilliant smiled as she gave a slow nod in reply. “Ah, love, true love, the one that makes all other mares and stallions grey in comparison, no matter how beautiful they are. So precious and rare in this world.”

Brilliant was keen to know all about Magnus, especially where he grew up, and she, like all others, had much to ask about. This continued for another half an hour or so.

“You said in your letter that you have family, Mrs Star, and that they would be here.” So far, he hadn’t seen hair or hide of any other ponies around.

“They will be here tomorrow night. Some of my family actually live in the town,” Brilliant answered. “That reminds me...”

Her horn lit up and from the wall came several photos floating down. “Look, this is almost all of us.” She held one of them in front of Magnus. Brilliant was surrounded by a group of ponies, a majority of them bat ponies, but also pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns of varying ages, even a few toddlers. “That one was taken around… oh, five years ago if I remember correctly.”

The next one was an aged black and white photograph, showing Brilliant as a young mare, dressed in a turn-of-the-century-looking frilly summer dress and a sunhat. “And this one is of my parent herd and me. I was around twelve when this one was taken.” Magnus had to stop himself from going ‘aww’, due to how adorable Brilliant looked. Her father was a tall and skinny unicorn with a huge moustache and a top hat, though his coat and mane colours were impossible to tell due to being a black and white photo, but he did look old, and the other mares also looked like they were above child-bearing age. The other mares in the picture were all unicorns, also wearing dresses and fashionable hats.

“My mother,” Brilliant pointed out a mare, one with long curly locks of hair. “Her name was Aurora Night, and that is my father, Quick Quill. Those two were my herdmothers, Gossamer Mist and Beauté. Beauté was Prench, you know, awfully fussy about her looks.” Brilliant chuckled.

The only one in the photo that didn’t smile was Brilliant’s father. As a matter of fact, he appeared awfully stern. “They look happy, but your father looks like he didn’t want to be in the picture at all,” Magnus commented.

Brilliant laughed. “Oh no, he was never one for taking photos. He was a hardworking stallion, working from dusk till dawn, and often past then. And he was always so serious; I can’t seem to remember him laughing often either. He was what they call a workaholic.”

“I see. But, were you an only child? Do you have siblings?” Magnus asked. One male plus three females should equal more than one child.

Brilliant smiled as she took her time to pour another cup of tea for them all. “I once had a half-brother and half-sister. My father married late; he met my mother when he was fifty-five years old, and when I was born, he was over sixty. By that time, my mother was too old to birth any more foals. They met Beauté the next year and Gossamer Mist two years later. Gossamer had two adult foals from a previous herd and had passed her foal-bearing age when she met my father, and poor Beauté was barren, the poor dear. She was so very fond of foals. Did you know she was the teacher here in Hollow Shades for several years? Oh, I can still remember her smiling when she went to work early in the evenings and being so sad when she came home in the middle of the night. She wanted a foal of her own so much, it hurt her to work around the little ones at school. How she could go on like that every single day, I can never understand.”

The atmosphere of the room grew more sombre as Brilliant narrated her family’s ancestry. Magnus glanced over at Luna, who looked like she was also affected by the story, seeing how her smile had turned into a sad frown.

“What about Gossamer Mist’s children? Have you had any contact with them?” Magnus asked carefully, trying to steer the conversation away from Beauté’s sorrow.

Brilliant shook her head slowly. “No. By the time I was born, her children had moved to Prance with their parent herd, grown up and started families on their own. Gossamer often sent letters to her children, but she missed having them close. She always suspected that the parent herd moved just to get back at Gossamer, those vengeful old nags and that useless old gelding.”

Magnus was taken aback at Brilliant’s strong language, having an inkling that this issue had been on her mind for a long time. Not to mention what a complete dick move pulled by the parent herd. It wasn’t just humans who would go to great lengths for the sake of vengeance.

Then suddenly, Brilliant clapped her forehooves together. “Oh, listen to me prattle about a sad past when this is supposed to be a happy occasion. I almost forgot to show you this.” Brilliant’s smile returned in full as she levitated another picture from the wall down. The picture was of a younger-looking, but still elderly Brilliant, flanked by a stallion and two mares, all of them appearing to be senior citizens, and this picture was in colour. Judging by the buildings in the background, the picture was taken in Canterlot. Brilliant was easily recognizable standing in the middle, and next to her stood a dark grey bat pony stallion with an elegant upturned moustache and neatly combed hair, half between grey and faded purple, and with a red tie and bowler hat. Of the other two mares, one was a bat pony mare while the other was an earth pony. The bat pony had a playful look about her, despite her age. Her coat was a deep grey and her mane and tail white with age. The earth pony was tall and elegant with a golden coloration, and her long and straight mane and tail had a hint of red in them despite all the grey hairs.

“My herd,” Brilliant whispered. She smiled, sniffled, and wiped at her eyes with a hoof. “My husband, Evening Wind. My wives, Midnight Flower and Mossflower. Oh heavens…”

It took no time for Magnus to understand that they were no longer amongst the living.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his hand hovering an inch above Brilliant’s withers, unsure of what he should do. Magnus was fully aware of ponies being rather touchy-feely, but he just didn’t know if it was appropriate as he was a stranger to her. He eventually placed his hand on his knee again, an action that was noticed by Princess Luna.

“Thank you. It’s been years, but I just miss them something awfully now and then.”

“You do look happy with them.” Somehow, the four ponies in the picture looked like they belonged together, something about the way they stood so close, shoulder to shoulder.

“Oh I was. Faust knows I was. I lived in Canterlot for a time long ago. It was there I met them. Midnight Flower was such a flirt; it was her I met first. Then she introduced me to Mossflower, a good and down-to-earth mare, and then both of them introduced me to their stallion. Evening looked so handsome in that tie and hat of his, and stars know he knew how to charm a mare. I was married into the herd four years later.”

Slowly, Brilliant placed the picture on the table and sighed while smiling sadly. “But time takes away things over the years, even those we love most. Such a cruel thing it is.” She turned to face Magnus. “And I’ve been told you have lost loved ones too. It’s not easy, is it?”

Magnus shook his head. “No, it’s not.” He pulled out his wallet and took out some of the pictures he kept within and showed them to Brilliant. “This was my grandfather.”

Brilliant’s sad smile turned to a curious one. “Oh, I see. The way he smiles, he looks like a kind one.”

“He was; kind, caring, and my father figure,” Magnus chuckled and showed her another picture, this one of him and his friends. “That’s me and those guys and girls went to the same class as me, and some even lived on the same street. We pretty much grew up together. In fact, we grew so close over the years that I at one point began referring to them as my siblings. I got to know their parents pretty well too; my grandfather and I even began spending a few holidays with them.”

Brilliant smiled as she looked at the picture, tilting her head to the side. “They look… strange. I guess humans come in all different shapes and sizes.”

“But not as varied as us ponies,” Princess Luna interjected. “From what I have seen in his dream, I am inclined to say we are more colourful. All of Magnus’ friends had nearly the same skin colour.”

“You’re correct, Luna. But humans can vary in skin colour, from very dark to very pale, almost white. Our hair colours also differ, from various shades of blonde, black, brown, and red,” Magnus added.

He then showed Brilliant the last picture. It had been beautifully restored by magic. No creases, bends, or colour faded anymore. This picture especially made Brilliant take a closer look, and for a few good moments, she scrunched her face while inspecting the two humans in it.

“They are your parents, aren’t they?” she finally concluded.

“Yes. That—” Magnus pointed out his tall, burly, and bearded father, “—is my dad, Hrafnar, and that is my mother, Julia. My mom was my grandfather’s only child.”

Brilliant carefully scrutinized the picture for a while. “You know, I almost recognize your mother. Some of her facial features… if I imagine her as a pony…”

Brilliant then stood up and levitated the photograph back to Magnus with an excited smile. “Come. There is something I wish to show you.”

Magnus and Luna followed Brilliant out of the living room. Leading the way, Brilliant first headed into the entry hall and wandered past the doors down a long hallway. The walls were covered in panels made of lacquered wood with an intricate and mystic pattern, brass sconces illuminating their way with sunstone. Brilliant even had old suits of equine armour on display in shallow recesses in the hallway, with the helmets having holes for their horns, and even plate covering their tails. Some were full suits of plate while others were chainmail or even scalemail. There were also other decorations on the walls, such as tapestries and paintings of landscapes and ponies in powdered wigs and articles of clothing that looks like they belonged to the Renaissance and Victorian era.

“Are you an art collector?” Magnus asked.

“Not really, but some of my ancestors were,” Brilliant replied. “My late husband painted most of the landscapes you see on these walls. He was quite proficient and very patient, and when he was focused on painting something, you could shout in his ears and he still wouldn’t hear you. It got worse in later years when he was almost deaf,” she finished with a chuckle.

Magnus laughed too and checked over his shoulder. Luna followed but seemed distracted. She watched the walls, the ceiling, and the paintings, but had a faraway look in her eyes.

“You okay there, Luna?”

“...What? Oh, yes. I was… It has been a very long time since I was a guest here. Still I remember these halls with perfect clarity. But the last time these walls were bare stone, and instead of brass, the sconces were gold. Some of the portraits we have passed by, the ponies in them, they walked these halls alive and well.”

“Oh.” Magnus looked at the wall, an old painting of a unicorn in a robe that made him look like a pimp my ride version of Gandalf. It was strange to think that he was in fact related to these ponies.

They reached their destination, an otherwise inauspicious double door, and applying her magic to them, Brilliant opened the door and walked in. She stopped a few steps in, turned around, and said, “Welcome to the Grand Gallery.”

Magnus made it two steps before he froze in place and could do nothing but stare as he was rendered speechless.

To say the gallery was huge was a clear understatement. From floor to ceiling, Magnus estimated it was more than eight meters, from wall to wall a distance of perhaps twenty five meters, and the length was at least double the width.

However, the size was nothing compared to what the room was filled with.

Every single wall in the gallery was filled with paintings, some new and some that looked centuries old. There were even wood prints of ponies on canvas, a method that was over a thousand years old! On the wall at the far end stood two large windows that went from the floor and all the way up to the ceiling, with parts of the glass made out of coloured glass of many hues. But that wasn’t all that hung on the walls.

Old tapestries depicting a number of ponies, banners, and standards, and each and every one had the Galaxy family’s crest on them.

An entire length of wall was dedicated to shelves, filled with a number of books and even scrolls. A lectern stood next to them with a comfy-looking chair in front of it. Along the walls stood weapon racks secured behind glass, where spears, halberds, axes, swords, maces, daggers, and a number of other old weapons, both familiar and exotic, some known to Magnus and some that eluded his understanding. There were even several glass display cases in the room where strange items stood on display, chief amongst them a huge display case which held a full suit of exceptionally ornate brownish-yellow armour for a pony, inlaid with gold, silver, and gems, and carved with intricate patterns, complete with a similarly styled helmet with a hole in it for the horn, an oversized rectangular shield of the same material, design, and colour, as well as a long shining spear and a short sword in a scabbard.

Finally, in the centre of the room, there stood a freestanding cast iron oven, surrounded by couches, chairs, and end tables. From the ceiling hung several chandeliers, illuminating the room in warm light.

However, as Magnus hoisted his jaw back into place, he began noticing several little things that betrayed the splendour of his room, namely that it seemed a bit broken down. Some of the glass display cases had cracked glass, the furniture looked well-worn and had small holes, as if they were modern and new a century or more ago. Even the bookshelves were a bit wonky, sagging on one side, and the wood they were made of had cracked. Even the carpets decorating the room had small holes in them and their colours were heavily faded.

It was then that Magnus understood something. ‘I see now. Brilliant’s not using this room as much, but the living room looked just fine. Maintaining all this must cost a fortune. I guess she’s only maintaining the rooms she uses on a daily basis, while all this is falling apart. It’s a shame. All this would be better off in a museum.”

“Glorious!” Luna exclaimed with glee, the first to break the silence. She eagerly began pacing the room, looking at this and that, all while having a content smile on her face. “I remember this was the banquet room once. My sister and I were hosted here by Countess Dusk long ago. Here we enjoyed a bottle of fine wine from the green fields of Prance and had Calissons as an after-dinner treat.”

“You are indeed correct, Princess Luna. It was rebuilt a little more than seven centuries ago by Count Silverdust. It was one of the last major refurbishments done to the castle,” Brilliant stated.

“This is great, it’s like a museum,” Magnus said, now having found his voice. “Is this part of a collection or something?”

Brilliant chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Of a sort. Nearly all these items are part of the castle’s collection. Artwork, literature, and some items that belonged to my ancestors. Now, come over here, Magnus, I want to show you something.”

Magnus walked over to Brilliant, who stood in front of a painting hanging high up on the wall. Using her magic, she carefully levitated it down. The painting was of a young mare with long raven black hair in a thick braid, amber coat, and with a cutie mark of a silver spiral with a star in the centre embroidered on a long elegant white dress, and was depicted resting on a couch that looked very similar to the ones in the room.

“Who is she?” asked Magnus.

“My great-great-grandmother, Baroness Pirouette,” Brilliant replied. “I thought she looked like your mother, if your mother was a pony.”

Taking out the picture of his parents, Magnus looked at it before looking at the painting of Pirouette. He studied the painting, then his mother, and the painting again. If he could just imagine his mother as if she was a pony; the same hair colour, the eyes, and something about their mouths....

“It’s weird, but I can almost see a slight resemblance!” he laughed. “They have the same eyes and the same hair colour! Their smiles even look a bit similar too!”

“Indeed they do,” Luna added, having walked over them. “Shall we call this coincidence or a family likeness then?”

“Oh, coincidences happen all the time, but eyes never lie, Princess Luna,” Brilliant objected.

Magnus had to agree; this seemed a bit more than coincidence. From the strange dream he had with Star Swirl, he vaguely remembered seeing his mother, and in that dream, she had amber coat on her legs and arms, just like Lady Pirouette. Could it be that coat colours were genetic?

“There is also something else I want to show you, Magnus, and this I think will tickle your interest.” The elderly unicorn suddenly jolted him from his musings.

She walked over to the far wall where a long tapestry was hanging from all the way up under the ceiling between the two large windows. As Magnus craned his head to look up, he noticed that the tapestry was rolled up into a thick bolt and that a metal rod ran through it. There were also metal rails on either side of the bolt that ran right down to the floor

Brilliant then began to operate an old metal crank with her magic on the floor, and slowly the bolt began to unfurl down towards a metal rod near the floor where it was rolled up. For a moment Magnus wondered what it could be, but as soon as the roll began to display the roots of an elaborate stitched tree with an enormous number of branches and names, it suddenly became clear to him.

“It’s a family tree?!”

Brilliant nodded as she unveiled the enormous fabric art. “This family tree was started four-and-a-half millennia ago by one of my ancestors. All the names of the family are on this, from the early days of the Unicorn Kingdom over six millennia ago, all the way to the present day.”

She continued cranking, unveiling more and more of the family tree. The background was split in half down the middle, one side being the shade of a night sky complete with sparkling stars, auroras, a full moon, and even an artistic rendition of a galaxy, and the other half decorated with a golden sun, blue skies, rainbows, and clouds. The tree itself, ornately stitched and decorated, was of a deep brown coloration and had branches sprouting from it everywhere, complete with green leaves of many different green colorations, from bright viridian to dark green. Situated on each branch was a fabric nameplate in golden yellow colours in the shape of a waving flag, like those found on coat of arms, and inside each nameplate was a name stitched in a highly stylized font. The first name began at the trunk, but the font was so difficult to read, Magnus couldn’t make out the name.

“What does that first name say?” Magnus asked as he knelt by the family tree to inspect the name.

“The first known name of our line.” Brilliant smiled as she sat down next to Magnus, pointing out the different letters. “It says Oaken Scroll, first Baron of Shimmering Peaks. Born in the 5th year of rule under King Falling Star the 2nd, died in the 20th year of rule under Queen Gem the Prosperous. Year 340 - 414 in the 3rd Dynasty.”

“The founding father then?”

“Just so. I don’t really know much about him, I’m afraid; knowledge has a tendency to wither away as the years go by.”

Luna walked to stand by Brilliant. “The Galaxy Tapestry Tree… It still exists!” She seemed absolutely gobsmacked.

“I take it this is famous then?” Magnus asked. It had to be in order to elicit such a response from Luna.

“More than famous; it is nearly a fairy tale,” Luna replied, still spellbound by the tree. “The price of this artwork cannot be counted in gold, silver, or gems. If I remember correctly, the threads are made of dyed star-spider silk, and enchanted to never wither. The sun embroidery is made of golden threads, and the moon and stars from silver. A continuous line, unbroken. This is the second time I have seen it. To be honest, I believed it to no longer exist.”

“You know more about it than me, princess.” Brilliant chuckled. “I’ve added a bit to it and re-enchanted it once, but star spider silk is nearly impossible to come by these days. Those little critters are only found in difficult places such as the Everfree Forest, and I’m too old to go gallivanting around that scary place.”

“Still,” she touched a hoof gently onto the tapestry, “I make an effort now and then in order to make it presentable.”

She continued cranking, revealing more and more names.

Magnus, likewise, was awestruck. “This is unbelievable. And magic keeps it all from falling apart?”

“Not only magic, young friend. Star-spider silk is quite durable, and it allows for enchantments due to the spider’s magical nature. This makes the silk a perfect fabric that will last for ages. It was considered the pinnacle of luxury clothing ages ago. Celestia and I once received such dresses made of this silk at our centennial celebration as Princesses of Equestria,” Luna replied.

“And my ancestors knew how to take advantage of that silk. They bought land which had star spiders in them, guarded them well, and provided for the spiders with insects so that they could harvest the silk the spiders otherwise would have used on their webs. They clothed themselves in it as kings and queens and sold it to all who could afford,” Brilliant added while cranking.

Name after name revealed themselves, mares and stallions alike. The years, centuries, and even millennia passed by slowly as Brilliant cranked. Star Swirl’s name then came up and Brilliant stopped as his name reached the bottom.

“I have to add an extra branch here, maybe have it wander off the tapestry and then enter again closer to the top.” She touched a hoof to Star Swirl’s branch while turning to face Magnus.

Magnus frowned. “I can’t really stop you, can I?”

Brilliant’s smile faded. “Celestia told me that you are angry with Star Swirl. Does it really run so deep?”

“More than you know,” Magnus murmured.

Brilliant just shrugged and began cranking again. “Well, get rid of that anger. You are in my house now, and I won’t have any sour faces in my home.”

Magnus still frowned but after a little while he forgot about being angry as there was something far more interesting in front of him. While Brilliant cranked, Luna informed him of various ponies whose name was on the tapestry.

There was Comet the Elder, who pioneered magic conservation by rewriting a number of spells. Firestar, the mare who enlisted as a lowly town guard despite being nobility, and later ended up as knight and commander of Equestria’s eastern military forces. Lady Sunshine and Lady Moonlight, the identical female twins who ruled the Council of the Moon and Council of the Sun in order to raise the sun and the moon, without a doubt the most powerful unicorns in their time. The brave knight Count Bronze Lance, who defended Equestria against a griffon invasion by the Ironfeather Kingdom with his 3000 soldiers until Princess Luna arrived with the main army, and consequently crushed the invaders. Opal Shine the wizard, who became an Arch Wizard of the Four Towers Magic Council at the age of fifty five, and held the position for another thirty years.

Oh yes, the Galaxy family tapestry had many famous names on it. Knights, counts and countesses, barons and baronesses, wizards, and the unimaginable wealth, power, and influence that came with those positions. The Galaxy family had it all.

Even those they didn’t want to acknowledge, who brought shame on the family, which Magnus came to be aware of as Brilliant cranked away, one branch revealed itself with the name burned away, leaving only a large black mark.

“Wait, hang on. What happened here?” Magnus asked, pointing out the burned spot. Judging by how localized the burn was, he doubted it was damaged in a fire. There were no other burn marks on the tapestry.

Brilliant and Luna looked to the spot he pointed at. “I tried to find out who that was long ago. The archives have the mother and father listed, but the page mentioning the child was torn out. I can only guess he or she did something horrible or brought great shame to the family. Many noble families did this in ages past. The child was essentially banished and forgotten.”

Magnus nodded as he planned to leave it at that. Then he saw Luna. Her ears stood straight, her eyes narrowed as she blew a light stream of air through her nostrils, and she scuffed a silver shod hoof over the carpet. Her entire stance signaled aggression.

“Luna, do you know who that pony was?”

Luna stared at the burned spot, then gave Magnus a slight glance. “Yes. It was a bad pony. Never ask again.”

Her curt answer said it all, though it made Magnus feel as if he was the object of her displeasure. He wisely decided to follow her advice and left the topic alone.

***

Hours went by as Brilliant, Magnus, and Princess Luna once more returned to the living room. Much was spoken of, such as how Magnus felt about being in Equestria, how he felt about staying forever, and even about what his plans were. He replied as honestly as he could to all the questions. His staying forever was a topic he wasn’t comfortable with, seeing as how he missed Earth and his ‘siblings’; the homesickness was still too fresh. His plans, however, were still just plans, nothing set in stone yet.

Brilliant listened raptly as he continued relaying the events of his life. As expected, Magnus demonstrated his magic for her. Although weak, it wasn’t something Brilliant even mentioned. What drew her attention was the white magic ribbon flowing around his horn. When Magnus hesitatingly mentioned how it happened, Brilliant didn't say a word, instead she just smiled knowingly as she chewed on a biscuit.

And while Brilliant and Magnus spoke, Princess Luna was a bystander, observing how these two beings, although family and separated by inconceivable distances and time, interacted as simply two ponies. Brilliant was including and warm, and she treated him as simply another pony. Magnus, although being a bit reserved when they first arrived, slowly opened up as the night progressed; he smiled more and spoke eagerly as the hours passed by.

Oh yes, this bode well for both of them.

It was in the very early morning hours when Luna felt it was time to depart. Magnus was in good hooves here in Stargard Castle. Besides, in only an hour, it would be time for the moon to set and the sun to rise.

After announcing her plans to return to Canterlot, Magnus and Brilliant followed her to the door to say goodbye.

“Tell me, Magnus,” Luna said as she paused in the doorway and turned to face him. “Do you still feel as a stranger in Baroness Star’s home?”

Magnus thought for a few moments before saying, “I really don’t know.”

Luna smiled at hearing his answer. “I hoped to hear you say that. Listen to Brilliant; she is a good pony. Listen, watch, and learn. I have no doubt that you will return to Canterlot with an altered mindset towards both her and your extended family.”

She then addressed Brilliant Star. “Baroness Star, I will now leave Magnus in your capable hooves. Should you or he require anything special, the Crowns will be more than willing to help.”

“Oh, I think we will be just fine,” Brilliant replied with a smile. “Hollow Shades is a quiet town, not like Ponyville.”

“Then I believe I am done here. My sister and I will return in one week to visit and see how things have progressed. Goodbye, Magnus, Baroness Star, and may the forest protect you.”

Magnus and Brilliant stood side by side as Luna walked towards the gate, her loyal guards in tow, until the Princess of the Night crossed through the gate and vanished from view.

“‘May the forest protect you?” Magnus parroted. “What was that about?”

“An old bat pony saying, common in Hollow Shades.” Brilliant chuckled as she closed the door.

Town, yeah. Magnus was a bit interested in seeing town itself. However, if Hollow Shades was somewhat opposite of the rest of Equestria, most of the stores would probably be closed by now, as it would be late afternoon for the bat ponies. Not to mention, Magnus was still partially running on normal daylight time. He never really did get it right to turn the days around, which explained why he was a bit tired.

“Are you sleepy already?” Brilliant asked after seeing Magnus yawn.

“A bit. I had to change my sleeping schedule a couple of days ago in order to fit in better here,” Magnus explained.

“Then let me show you to your room.” Magnus’ backpack suddenly came floating through the door of the living room, glowing crimson of magic, and landed in his open arms.

For a second Magnus was confused. Shouldn’t unicorns need to see the object they wanted to levitate in order to make it levitate?

While pondering this, Brilliant wandered towards the staircase and Magnus followed. The stairs were large and tall and it would be a challenge for an old mare such as Brilliant.

“Do you want so—” Magnus got no further as Brilliant’s horn lit up, the magic enveloped her, and the old mare suddenly lifted off the ground, levitated up the stairs, and landed safely on top of the stairs.

“What did you say? I’m afraid my hearing isn’t so good,” Brilliant asked, holding a hoof up to her ear.

“Oh, it was nothing.”

Hurrying up the stairs, Magnus followed Brilliant through the second floor hallways to the right. The second floor hallway was short and similar to the first floor one, minus the armour standing in recesses, and only had six doors, three on the right and three on the left, and one door at the end.

“This is the main bedroom wing. My bedroom is the first one on the right. The bathroom is the door at the end,” Brilliant explained as they went.

They reached a door, last on the right, which Brilliant stopped at and opened with her magic.

“This will be your room,” she said as she stepped through and a light turned on inside.

While not a huge room like the one he had in Canterlot, this room was far from cramped. He had a canopied bed large enough for three people, a chair and desk, a shelf, dresser, and a large window facing out towards the courtyard. The walls were covered with pastel wallpaper, and the floor had a large rug on it.

Magnus stepped inside and he almost wanted to sigh. His own bedroom back home on Earth was so small, and here in Equestria, everything was large. Was he being spoilt on purpose?

“Thank you, Brilliant. This is more than good enough.”

He placed his backpack at the nightstand and sat down on the bed to test it. Oh yeah, he’d sleep well here.

Brilliant smiled. “No need to thank me, Magnus. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Can’t have you sleep outside under a tree now, can I?”

“Who knows? If I don’t behave, I might have too,” Magnus quipped.

Brilliant laughed a little. “Don’t be silly. I would never do that to a family member.”

Magnus smiled out of amusement, but he didn’t fail to hear what Brilliant said: Family member. Was she really seeing him that way, after just a few hours? She was very nice to him, very polite, and really wanted to know more about him. The more he thought about how the night had gone, the more he felt as if he had spent the night talking with an old relative he hadn’t seen since he was a boy.

But truly, that had never happened to him before. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I’ll leave you to sleep then. If you wake up before me, the kitchen is the room next to the living room downstairs. You’re welcome to help yourself. There’s bread and fruit in the cupboard if you get hungry, and milk and butter in the refrigerator.”

“Next to the living room, got it. Thank you again, Brilliant. I think I’ll just sleep now.”

Brilliant smiled and left the room. Just as she closed the door, she said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning… I mean, night, or… What do you say around here? I’m confused.”

“Good morning in the morning, and good night during the night. Good morning, and sleep well.”

The door closed and Magnus was alone in his bedroom in a five millennia old castle.

“That sounds clarifying and confusing at the same time,” he told himself as he laid down on the bed.