//------------------------------//
// Problem 10: Moondancer's Magical Mystery 
// Story: The Alicorn Problems 
// by TheTimeSword 
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Moondancer felt her nervousness subside once she stood inside the Crystal Empire. Since the city had been one of the Society of Secret Sorcery's targets—a terrible flood—she expected to see remnants of the disaster. On her way in by train, she saw nothing of the sort. The city's unrest also appeared contained thanks to Twilight Sparkle, and Moondancer wondered if her friend remained in the city. Regardless, she felt at ease knowing ponies would not be going crazy during her time here. 

Of course, her nervousness stemmed from failing Twilight. The normalcy of the city proved that Twilight could do anything she put her mind to. Had Moondancer not given up on the society, she might have been part of something as equally terrible as the flood. That one change gave her a new start and a better outlook on life. Never before had she been to the Crystal Empire, and now here she was, solving mysteries of complex lineages and species. The change, for Moondancer, had been more than just new wings.

The trains still ran, thankfully, and that allowed her time to construct a plan. The crystal ponies had been lost for over a thousand years, and it only made sense that they'd have literature from long ago. 

The library would've been the first place she'd visit, yet that was the second place to stop on her list. The first being the castle—something not hard to miss by how it towered over the crystalline homes. Moondancer looked on, impressed by the architecture of the homes. They were all low buildings and quaint designs. She knew the history of the empire—lost a thousand years to an evil king. She found it interesting to see homes built so long ago. Canterlot's homes were the opposite, and Ponyville couldn't really be counted in the same vein. Even Twilight's castle looked incredibly different to these crystal buildings.

As she made her way to the castle, Moondancer saw quite a few ponies out and about. They weren't shopping or testing their new powers, but they all chatted in groups of two, three, and sometimes more. Several times Moondancer heard the name of the evil king who stole the empire, yet the reason behind the talk remained a mystery. She wondered if he would've become an alicorn too—and that made her curious as to how many ponies who lusted for power believed they deserved their alicornhood. A confirmation of their egos. 

But that thought became one of many that rummaged through Moondancer's brain on her walk. She had many unanswered questions about differing species, but with no resources to study on the matter, she could only make assumptions. That left her time to think of other things that Twilight and her friends might face in the future—that she might face. She was Twilight's friend, after all—that had to mean she would be included. Right?

Of course, saying she and Twilight were friends to the guards standing outside the castle made little difference. When she asked if she could see her they promptly told her Princess Twilight Sparkle had gone to Canterlot. Very important princess business. They didn't give her more than that, even refusing questions on why Twilight had come to the Crystal Empire in the first place. But as chance had it, somepony came out of the castle just at that time. A pony Moondancer recognized, though his name slipped her mind.

She had met the stallion on the day she'd gone with Minuette to Ponyville. A round table of seemingly random choices by Moondancer's account, yet this stallion had come with Twilight's brother. An orange stallion with white around his mouth, glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a short beard recognized her as well. "Ah, Twilight's friend—" he greeted, nodding his head to her. "What brings you to the Crystal Empire this fine day?" He held a book in one of his hooves, a cloth bookmark sat limply in the middle.

"I came to see how Twilight handled things here. Princess Cadance's letter sounded quite distressing. I heard she's gone to Canterlot, though. Is everything back to normal?"

He blinked, and his head tilted back so quickly his tiny glasses skirted down his nose. As he pushed them back up, he asked, "Is what back to normal?"

Moondancer stared at him for a long moment, bewildered. She then shot a look to the two guards who rolled their eyes and waved hoof signals to one another. "From my little understanding, the city fell into chaos," she told the orange stallion. "She brought Spike with her to make sure things would settle. We assumed the change had been the cause, though I'm sure Twilight solved whatever had happened."

"Spike's here?" the orange stallion gawked, and then looked back at the two guards. "What chaos?" When neither of them answered him, he turned back to Moondancer. "Well, I suppose that's what I get for all my studying. Not that I wish to share too much, but I'm a bit of a recluse, you see. I've been buried in books ever since the—what did you call it? The change?" He flexed his wings, and the starry cape on his back fluttered up to reveal the glorious white wings on his back. He was orange except for the white on top of his snout, his hooves, and his wings—and Moondancer found it quite cute. On top of that, he studied all the time. The book in his hoof looked thoroughly read, though she wondered what it could be.

"I'm actually here because of it—I'm looking for a book or two on the origins of ponies, specifically crystal ponies. Though any ancient text regarding old races might aid in what I'm looking for," she said. "On behalf of Twilight Sparkle, that is. She's appointed me to research the change and why it only affected our species."

"You'll definitely want the best library in the Crystal Empire then. I'm heading there now, if you'd like to join me."

Moondancer wouldn't refuse such an escort, though his name eluded her. As they strolled through the crystal city, she interjected into a lull of conversation to ask his name. "It's a bit bothersome to admit, I've forgotten your name. Not that we officially met more than through Twilight—and that day was rather unpleasant," she stated, remembering Minuette, who had thrown her eggs into the society's basket. She had not seen Minuette since the day the change occurred and the Elements of Harmony were lost. Those members who weren't the Masters were sent home after Twilight concluded they had been mislead, and punishment wouldn't be given to the unaware.

"Oh, that's a relief," the stallion replied. "Your name slips my memory too." He stopped and reached his free hoof out. "I'm Sunburst."

"Moondancer." She took his hoof and stared up into his eyes, which had their own little lines of smiles at the edges. Where had Twilight hid this stallion, and why had he come with Shining Armor to the meeting? Somepony so pleasant shouldn't be so far north and out of the way from the rest of the world. He did call himself reclusive, however—and out of the way was perfect for ponies like that. "Tell me, Sunburst. Are you a crystal pony?" she asked as they continued walking. The library couldn't be far, but maybe she could convince him to stay, if only to learn about crystal ponies.

But he wasn't a crystal pony. "No, I came here after the return. Only a hoofful of crystal ponies had been in the city when the evil king Sombra made it disappear for a thousand years. It left lots of empty homes and plenty of space for ponies to take up residence. I just wanted somewhere secluded, though."

"I might want to talk to the crystal ponies while I'm here. I'm sure they are a wealth of information," Moondancer remarked, though she would've preferred to stick with books.

"Actually, the crystal ponies don't remember much prior to Sombra's rule. A casualty of being wrung out like time's wet towel and his terrible brainwashing. Tradition stuck with them, but you'll only find information about their past in their library. I say, it's a good thing you bumped into me. I've read every book in the grand library multiple times, so I should know exactly what you might want. Is it just the crystal ponies you're interested in?"

She shook her head gingerly. "No. My research began with Zecora, a zebra, who has no horn nor wings. The change didn't affect zebras. Through her, however, I learned that I need to search the past. Specifically, I'm curious about one answer. Who had been the first to raise the sun?"

"That is quite the, uh—well, I'm not sure of an answer," Sunburst stated with a nod of his head. "I do know three books that might aid in your research off the top of my head. They all entail the origin's of the empire and the crystal ponies, but there's little difference between them and regular ponies like us. Though now I wonder how Saddle Arabia is dealing with the change—though would it have even reached that far?"

"It reached the Crystal Empire, so I don't see why not," Moondancer stated. "I've tried categorizing all the various species of pony I could deduce, as my original goal was to find why the zebras and ponies are different. I've read all of Canterlot's collections, but original texts and old copies are rare there. The only other ponies I could ask about such things are Princess Luna and Princess Celestia—and I'm not ready for that. No matter how chummy I am with Twilight."

"Did you try the restricted section of Canterlot's library?" Sunburst asked.

"The what?" Moondancer squinted through her glasses at him.

Sunburst tilted his head from side to side, as though debating on his words. "It's not really important, I suppose. But I've witnessed first hoof that the Crystal Heart, the Crystal Empire's prized relic, affects all ponies. If a thing from a thousand years prior does it for regular ol' me, why would the change be any different?" He started to say more, but stopped himself upon arrival to the library. "Here it is." He pointed to the building they stood in front of, two griffon statues on either side of the entrance.

That lit a curious flame in the middle of Moondancer's brain. Why were griffon statues outside a pony library in a thousand year old city? They certainly didn't look new. "Do you think the change brought anything to the griffons?" she asked Sunburst as they entered the library, and Moondancer immediately forgot the question.

The library's large size rivaled Canterlot's Library of Magic, yet the design outdid Canterlot's structure in almost every way. Sleek reflective floors and crystal glass guardrails were certainly fancy. The shelves were a bit ordinary, but there were three—no, four—six floors? It troubled Moondancer that she couldn't tell how far the library climbed. It didn't circle around on every floor, it couldn't. But how many floors held how many books—that was the ultimate question, and helped her understand why Sunburst had chosen the empire for his home. "Amazing," she said under her breath.

"Quite pleasant, isn't it? Though I should not say it so proudly as if it were my own," Sunburst said, taking the lead into the library. "Still. I have spent many days in here, snooping through all the knowledge I could. There's quite a remarkable amount of history here, from days long since forgotten by some of our records. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have their own section of works, though there is a distinct lack of the days Sombra took over, and the war that followed."

"Shame. I'll bet a bunch of history was lost when that stallion took the empire." She could only imagine what books the evil king would've burned to hide such details about any ruler other than himself. "What were those three books you had in mind? I might be able to find a few more here that I might want to read—and not just on pony species."

Sunburst made his way up to the second floor. "First one is technically four. The first four volumes of the Equestrian Cultures and Camaraderie," he replied.

"Actually, I've already read those, and five through eight as well," Moondancer said. 

"Really?" He stopped and turned back to her. "I hadn't thought they were available outside the empire—perhaps I'm more of a recluse than I assumed." Pushing back his glasses, he gathered himself. "Well, no matter. The second one on my list is actually incredibly uncommon, I know that for certain. I'm sure you've heard of the Understanding Medieval Equestria series, yes?" He waited for her to nod. "Well, the Crystal Empire has the original basis for those books. Understanding Equestrian Pre-History. All about life of the three tribes."

Moondancer raised her hoof and waggled it at him. "Additional copies were made last year and sent to Canterlot. I actually own two copies—one with the original mistakes spelling Star Swirl's name." She saw his surprise, his mouth agape. "Mint condition," she added, and his eyes bulged too.

"Well," he said and his feathers ruffled, perhaps in annoyance or pleasure. "I'm unsure how much help the last one will be, but it's the only one with pony species in mind. Have you heard of Marking Cutie Mark Mysteries? It's written by Spring Song and her husband, though her name is only associated with that book."

She blinked. That name and author didn't sound familiar. "No. Cutie marks? Does it have much to do with the three tribes?"

Sunburst's face broke apart in a wide smile. "It might be worth the read even if it doesn't! Come, let's visit the librarian. She'll known where to find it." They returned to the front desk where an older mare waited, and didn't appear to be doing anything other than just that. She did occasionally pick at her wings—they must've been new to her—until the mare saw Moondancer and Sunburst coming toward her. "Good day, Amethyst. I'm in need of your assistance!"

"And good day to you, Sunburst," Amethyst replied most courteously with an incline of her head. "Come to check out something else without returning it?" she asked in a mostly jovial voice. She slightly tilted her eyebrows to imply he couldn't wiggle out of such a question.

"I—" Sunburst started before snapping his mouth closed. Moondancer saw his face flash with a pink hue of embarrassment before he continued. "Not check out, per se. Simply examine within the confines of the library." He forced a smile, showing too much teeth to be anything other than anxious. "Marking Cutie Mark Mysteries—might you know where we can find it?"

Amethyst stared at him for a moment, and Moondancer knew the old mare wanted him to stew in his shame. Finally, she dug a book out from behind the counter and opened it to the middle. "Spring Song?" she asked, and Sunburst gave a nod, though Moondancer assumed the question rhetoric. Amethyst made a disgruntled noise deep in her throat, then pulled out a second book. After some time of peering through it, she stopped and her eyes turned up to Sunburst. This time, she forced a smile, though it could've been more of a self-satisfied grin. "It seems that one has been checked out already—by you, Sunburst—and is overdue. Enlightening Shadows and Burdens is also overdue."

Sunburst gulped, and Moondancer saw him pull the book he'd carried here closer to him. She could barely make out the binding's title, something Shadows and Burdens, and did her best to try to contain her laughter. "Very good," Sunburst said in a rush. "Moondancer." He turned to her, almost to the point of keeping Amethyst completely from his view. "I do believe the book would be quite useful to you, in fact I have no doubts. Would you care to join me for another walk?" He then roughly said over his shoulder to the older mare, "Once it serves its purpose I suppose I'll have it ready to be returned to the library."

"Don't forget to bring bits to pay the fine," Amethyst said in response, and went to return her two catalog books to the underside of her counter. "The royal castle will eventually grow tired of picking up your tab, after all."

That made Sunburst shudder, then stiffen. Moondancer had never seen a pony jump without actually jumping, but Sunburst had done it, and a look of horror crossed his face. He quickly regained composure, though he did hasten out of the library as fast as he could without actually running. Moondancer jogged to keep up until they were in the street, past the griffon statues. 

"So, a recluse and a thief," Moondancer said with a slight mocking tone and a face to match it. 

"Thief!?" he shouted, and looked abashed. "I return every book—eventually."

"I'm sure you do." Moondancer liked the way he became defensive. "Just don't tell Twilight. She's got a high record back in Canterlot for always returning books on time. I think she might just berate you over the course of a few days just to make sure you learn your lesson."

"Oh, dear." He sounded concerned by that, and the worry quickened his step more so than before. "You won't tell her, will you?"

"Of course not," she replied, trying her best to sound innocent. "A secret between friends." Moondancer would get to know Sunburst more later. Twilight did often come to the forefront of her mind, and she had a duty first, before fawning over a fellow book lover. That wasn't to say she couldn't do both—though perhaps that was the young filly in her speaking. There had been too few colts at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

Thinking about school day colts wasn't on the agenda, and the handsome stallion next to her made it more difficult. Out of necessity, Moondancer pushed it to the back of her mind and concentrated on her task. She would not fail Twilight. Not that failing Twilight would end of the world—this certainly wasn't as desperate as dealing with the secret society's mysteries. Time wasn't a constraint, and perhaps Sunburst would prove a wonderful study partner. Of course, that notion along with the colts of her school days came into one brief thought. She realized where Sunburst brought her. "Here we are. Let me get my key," he said, and his cape blew as if the wind had ruffled it. A key levitated out.

The quaint blue-green home had a roof in the shape of a wizard hat. The door held a symbol of the sun, its rays being lowered. Moondancer had grown quite annoyed with doors that held strange markings on their front. "Your home?" she asked, though she knew the answer.

"Yes, I hope you will not hold my mess against me," he said, shying away from her eyes. "I try my best to keep things tidy. Time tends to run away from me."

Entering the home, Moondancer would've said she'd entered her own home. Books were scattered everywhere in piles. Scrolls and writing material were strewn about atop the piles and in their own little holes. Some scrolls were open and written, though incomplete. Research notes, magical ingredients, historic work, and a few grocery lists. "This is your best? Is your bedroom littered with similar capes about the floor? If it's not, you've already got me beat."

"Then I guess that puts us on even ground. Rare to meet someone my equal in being a hermit. Starlight may surpass my skill in magic, but she is also caring of her environment, so I assume the two go hoof in hoof," he remarked with a grin that went from ear to ear. 

"You know Starlight Glimmer? Twilight's—" Moondancer couldn't be certain what Starlight was to Twilight, other than the simple truth of being friends.

"Of course. Her and I are foalhood friends! She never told you? It's quite a funny story. We lost our friendship for several years as I went to Canterlot after obtaining my cutie mark. She went on to have a string of unfortunate events—unfortunate for others, I should say. But things have a way of working out it seems, and she popped up out of the blue one day to reignite our friendship. You'll have to hear her side of things, it's quite amusing."

"Sounds like a familiar story for Twilight and I," Moondancer noted, but she made sure to keep her eyes on anything other than Sunburst. A stack of books, a mess of papers, a quill with ink dried on the end. "You two are friends? Close friends? Starlight hadn't mentioned you at all while I stayed in Ponyville. I hope that isn't something rude of me to say, I'm simply out of the loop, is all."

"Oh, close friends, yes," he nodded in agreement, though it wasn't clear if he implied what she didn't want him to imply. "You see, she really didn't get friendship. Her tale, you need to hear it from her. Suffice it to say, she almost broke the world because of it. To think—my friendship with her could have been the cause of the end of the world. Sounds a little ridiculous when I say it out loud." His muzzle scrunched in a show of perplexed embarrassment. "Right. Anyway. The book? I believe I have it in my study. Yes, here it is. I knew I needed to return it, though it's out of view from the entryway. I try to put things in my line of sight as I leave to know they may be necessary." He rambled, though not rushed or forced. To Moondancer, it certainly didn't sound like Starlight and him had rekindled more than a foalhood friendship. 

"Sunburst," she said, trying to soften her voice as best she could. "Do you know what's in this book? I'd love to hear you talk about it as I read. I do hope you can keep up." She smiled at him, and stared deep into his eyes. "I'm a fast reader," she stumbled to add, not wanting to sound as though she implied anything. Why did she continuously focus on silly foal crushes? Stallions were tiresome in that sort of way. She needed to stay on track.

The stallion practically whinnied in delight at the prospect of sharing knowledge. He levitated a stool and brought her to his study. Unlike most of his home, the table looked pristine, though the shelves around it remained unkempt. Moondancer gathered that, even though things seemed disheveled, he knew exactly where everything was. She sat at the table with the book, opening it to the first few pages. Sunburst sat on the stool, his chin pushed up with dignity, and his eyes closed. He said he stayed in Canterlot before. That certainly reminded her of some noble she once had the displeasure of speaking to.

"Cutie marks are often the source of talent within the world," he began with a voice of confidence. As he spoke, she tried to focus on what he said, but got lost in the inked words of the book. He couldn't keep up with her reading speed as it turned out. Unfortunate, but his voice soothed her as she read, and he did push ahead to keep up as best he could.

There was a ton of useful and useless information pertaining pony species. Especially considering the idea that unicorn and earth pony cutie marks could never be one that a pegasus might obtain. Nor could an earth pony or pegasus have something that relates to unicorn magic. The book lacked history, as Sunburst explained, but it tried its best to go into where cutie marks started. Whether or not ponies had always had them. Philosophical questions like that interested Moondancer, but were unrelated to her main query. Or so she thought. 

As the book went into mysteries related to the history of cutie marks, it referenced a book that Moondancer did not recognize. The source book was named The Champion of Forethought. She furrowed her brows at that. It wasn't impossible to conceive that she had not read every book in the world, yet two in one day annoyed her. And Sunburst simply skipped over it without pause. "Sunburst. What is this book? The Champion of Forethought? Do you have that?" Apparently, the book contained information about the past meant to be pushed forward to future generations.

He had been cut off mid-sentence, and stumbled to answer. "Forethought? No—what?" The stallion rose from his stool to come to Moondancer's side, examining the reference. As he did, Moondancer found that he stood practically cheek to cheek with her. She could nuzzle against him and claim it accident. "I don't have that one," he said and pulled back, much to Moondancer's displeasure. "If it had been in the library, I would've. I do know of another who might have it—there's a bookstore here in the empire that sells antiques of the sort. I often try to obtain such works for the library, mostly as payment toward my—uh, fines."

Moondancer rose too. "I'm willing to bet that book might have a clue that'll lead me to discovering why only ponies can become alicorns! Can you take me there, Sunburst?" She wanted his company more than anything. His voice had been so soothing.

But he blinked at her request. "It's a little late, they'll be closed," he said, glancing to the window. Moondancer followed his eyes, surprised by the orange hue growing outside. "It seems we spent all day searching and reading. Quite a normal day for me, I suppose!" He chuckled, stifling it with his hoof. "Do you need a place to stay?" Moondancer could feel herself grow hot, her face must've been a flush of red. It only grew worse when Sunburst saw the redness, as his face also became a vibrant color, though his orange fur diminished the sight ever so slightly. "I mean, to say, I can get you a place in the castle! I'm the royal crystaller, I can ask for you. Since you're Twilight's friend I'm sure Cadance and Shining Armor would be happy to oblige."

"That'd be great," she blurted out as quick as she could. Her face remained hot, but she knew it wouldn't get any worse. Especially not when she had been disappointed that he had not meant staying here. The Society of Secret Sorcery had one thing right—nice hoods and long cloaks to hide in. Moondancer averted her eyes anywhere else but at the stallion before her blushing would stop, and that took the entire walk back to the castle.

She found no problem gaining entrance to the castle this time with Sunburst at her side. Moondancer got a room, though she didn't get much time to speak with Shining Armor. Nothing less than a pleasant night's stay, and a remarkably uneventful slumber. Both Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor busily dealt with the city's resolved turmoil. That left little room for an audience, but she got to meet baby Princess Flurry Heart, and that more than made up for it.

The next morning, Moondancer made a hasty trot to the bookstore using Sunburst's directions. She debated on knocking on his door to ask if he wanted to join her, but she ignored that feeling until it went away. By then she reached the store. A lot of her thoughts in the night had been on the stallion rather than on her goal. She needed to keep her head away from such distractions, no matter how enchanting they were.

Upon entry to the antique bookstore, the bell overhead rang. A rather young colt sitting at the register behind the counter greeted her immediately. "Greetings and salutations!" he bellowed, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Anything I can help you with, ma'am?"

"Maybe," Moondancer replied, blinking at him with curiosity. "I'm looking for a book—" she began, but the colt cut her off.

"Well you've come to the right place!"

"Uh, right." She kept silent for a moment, and he stared back with a slack-jawed, expectant expression. "Do you have a copy of The Champion of Forethought?"

The colt looked to search his thoughts for a moment. He then slammed both hooves on the counter in front of him and screamed at the top of his lungs. "Mom!" His yell surprised Moondancer, startling her into taking a step back.

"Dear? What is it, dear?" A mare came out from somewhere further into the store. A green apron around her torso and a red bandana pulled her mane back. A few splotches of ink sat on the bridge of her nose. "Oh, a customer. Sorry about the wait. Can I help you?" She stepped behind the counter, shooing her son off the stool. 

Getting to deal with somepony older and wiser left Moondancer feeling relieved. "Hi there, I'm looking for a copy of The Champion of Forethought."

The mare reached down behind the counter and hefted out a very large black book. For a moment, Moondancer thought that might be it, but when the mare opened the cover it turned out to be the store's general ledger. "I know that particular book. If it's the one I'm thinking of—" the mare trailed off. Her face turned into a grimace as she read through some of the pages. "Yes. That's the one, I'm afraid."

"What is it?" Moondancer asked, growing slightly worried.

"We have a special customer, he makes it his prerogative to purchase specific books. It's only a few selections, but The Champion of Forethought is a major one on his list. I have a copy he hasn't come by to pick up, but he pays for them all in advanced. I can't sell it to you, unfortunately," the mare said, closing the ledger.

Moondancer debated this for a moment, then asked, "Do you think I can pay double what he did and get it from you?"

That prospect intrigued her, but she shook her head. "I'm afraid that would look bad for business. I can't allow that."

"I'm working under orders from Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I'm certain I could get authority from Princess Cadance or Prince Shining Armor. Would the addition of a written request from them be enough for the purchase?"

That got the store owner to blink, her mouth fell agape. "Well, I'd be inclined to help out the princesses. Unfortunately, I don't think that would satisfy my client either. He's very aggressive when it comes to getting his hooves on these antiques. I believe he wants to collect them all, though I'm not certain why. However, I can give you his name and address so you might be able to wrangle a copy out from him." The mare took a pen and notepad and began to write. As she did, the bell over the door rang. "Mister Starsong is his name," the mare told Moondancer.

"Really? That's my name too," a stallion chuckled, and Moondancer glanced back at the pony who had entered. She turned to face him, repulsed by what she saw. He had a matted blonde mane, pale pink fur that didn't appear washed, and dirty, thick-framed glasses. On top of that, he stood at least a quarter taller than Moondancer. Then she noticed he kept a light blonde mustache that didn't connect in the middle of his upper lip.

"Ah, what luck! Mister Starsong, we have somepony requesting a copy of one of the books you collect."

The stallion named Starsong made a dismissive grunt that could've been a laugh. "A collector is never beaten. Which one?"

"The Champion of Forethought," Moondancer replied for the store owner.

His eyes went wide for an incredibly brief moment that Moondancer wasn't even sure it had happened. Starsong then gave an appraising look over Moondancer, and he seemed to like what he saw. His grin disgusted Moondancer, but she needed to read that book, so she forced a smile back at him. "Well," he began, "I'm an avid collector, so I wouldn't part with it for anything. But perhaps you'd like some company and we can read it together."

Moondancer wondered if her time would be wasted. Would the book have anything she needed, or would it be another dead end? The thought of spending it around this stallion made her uncomfortable, but she found her resolve. It was for Twilight, and for solving a great mystery. If anything, however, Moondancer felt she made a great sacrifice agreeing to this. "That would be—" she gritted her teeth "—wonderful."