//------------------------------//
// Chapter Nineteen: Tale 
// Story: CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence, Book 2 
// by GanonFLCL 
//------------------------------//


Two Days Later


Havoc relaxed in her hospital bed, mostly upright but still in a comfortable, leisurely position. Her eye surgery had gone as well as could be, though she would still be taking another day or two to finish recovering and integrating the technomagic "software" or whatever it was. 

For now she was able to be mostly casual and carefree, despite still being confined to the hospital. The only bandages she had left were those over her left eye socket, since the new eye wasn't ready for use yet and wouldn't be for another day or two. After that, she'd pretty much be ready to leave the hospital, a day she was looking forward to immensely. Talking with Blackburn about all the secrets was one thing on her to-do list, but more importantly was officially bonding her life with Cotton's.

Anyway, this meant that she was allowed to have visitors, and since Blackburn had had her moved to one of the larger rooms for her recovery, it meant she could have several visitors at once if need be. Like tonight, for example. Joining her in the room, all seated or standing in a circle near and around Havoc's bed, were Blackburn, Lockwood, Gadget, Crossfire, Gray, Flathoof, and to Havoc's genuine surprise, Dawn.

Apart from Dawn and Flathoof, everypony had a drink—mostly beers—in their hoof. Well, Havoc didn't either, but that was because she wasn't allowed to drink until she left the hospital, otherwise she'd be drinking it up too. The mood was relatively jocular, a pleasant, friendly atmosphere filling the room like a fragrant aroma. The time for mourning and sadness had, for the time being, passed; now was the time for happy reflection.

Briarthorn's funeral had been as far from a subdued affair as Havoc could imagine, which fit right in line with the kind of pony he was. She hadn't been there herself, of course, but had watched it on the room's quality television set via a feed provided by Gadget. It wasn't exactly a public funeral, but anypony and everypony Briarthorn knew—a large number, from how Lockwood explained it—were invited. Most of them came, too, so it had been pretty crowded.

But Havoc had only half-listened to the eulogies and ceremonial displays, if only because she had still been exhausted from the most recent administration of drugs and magic into her system to help her new eye work properly. Well, that and because she couldn't bear to watch through most of it. She still blamed herself for Briarthorn's death. If only she'd been a little faster, a little stronger, maybe he'd still be alive.

Now, though, everypony had gathered here with her, as these were the ponies who knew Briarthorn best, at least those who were present in the city. Velvet was the only pony that Havoc felt should be here that wasn't, which was just a matter of too many things happening all at once and there not being enough time to arrange it. The feed Havoc had watched earlier had been recorded to give to Velvet later, just to provide some closure until she could visit and pay her respects properly.

The purpose for everypony being present now was simple: remembering Briarthorn as he lived, and sharing happy memories of their time together with him.

Blackburn went first, casually drinking from her beer as she did. "Briarthorn always enjoyed getting rise out of ponies. Liked to do things to elicit reactions, get others talking, shake things up. Otherwise, life was 'boring', he said. Always with good intentions, of course, though sometimes…" She took a breath and smirked. "Didn't think it through.

"Remember time when we were still dating, before my first trip to New Pandemonium. Both of us, young, foolish, excessively hormonal. Went to the movies one night; Crossfire, Gadget, Briarthorn, myself. Exact seating order. Big premiere of final film in favorite trilogy. He ordered largest tub of popcorn they had."

Gadget groaned in dismay. "Oh no, not this story…"

Blackburn tilted her head, amused. "Didn't think anything of it at first. Set popcorn tub in his lap, 'easy for us both to share from' he said. Did not know he had discreetly cut hole in bottom of tub, large enough to fit his… himself into," she said, taking another drink. "Was shocked at first, then amused, then, well, excited."

Havoc's good eye widened. "Whoa whoa whoa, don't tell me you jerked him off? Right there in the theater?"

"And into the popcorn, yes." Blackburn tilted her head slightly towards Gadget. "Did not expect Gadget to want to share snacks."

Gadget blanched. "Golly, I'm still traumatized by it. I had to wash my mouth out with my entire soda once I found out that no, the theater was not using a new flavor of butter."

"Haaa ha ha!" Havoc guffawed, slapping the side of her bed. "That is both the grossest and most hilarious thing I've ever heard! You must've been so embarrassed!" She pointed at Gadget, still chuckling. "You got a second-hoof mouth load! Ha! Ha ha!"

Gadget took a tiny sip of her hard lemonade, giving Havoc the best evil eye she could manage. "Har har har, laugh it up, laugh it up." She directed the glare at Blackburn next. "Really, Blackburn? It had to be that story you told about him? Really?"

Blackburn shrugged, nonchalant. "Was most amusing one that came to mind. Exemplified our relationship: fast, loose, sexual… and unthinking at times. Tell your own, get back at me if you want."

"Psh, I don't have any stories about Briar that would embarrass you. You wouldn't bat an eye if I told them the story about that time we were all at his place and he sneezed while you two were making out and damn near bit off your tongue."

"Ah. No, not embarrassing," Blackburn said, nodding and sipping her beer. "My fault anyway. Learned to be less…  aggressive after that."

Lockwood scoffed. "Less aggressive? Tell that to my back."

"Well, not with you. You like aggressive."

Gadget rolled her eyes. "The only story I have about Briarthorn that was particularly amusing, at least to me, was when we were all just getting to be old enough to drink. I mean, legally drink. We used to sneak liquor out of the palace storeroom all the time before we were old enough.

"Anyway, once we could all drink in public and such, I remember that Briarthorn always goaded Crossfire into drinking contests," she continued, tilting her bottle towards the larger stallion, who chuckled and rubbed his recovering shoulder. "Poor sap didn't realize what he was getting into. I mean, look at the guy. Tell me that any of you would try to drink Crossfire under the table."

Blackburn shook her head. "Tried once, never again."

"Nnnope, even if I were a drinker, I doubt I'd even hold a candle to him," said Flathoof with a grin. "You mean Briarthorn tried? More than once?"

"Oh, all the time," Gadget answered. "When we were younger it was what, twice a week that he tried?"

Crossfire nodded. "Sometimes three. That colt weren't too keen on bein' anythin' but the best at it. Sure, he got better 'n' better, but some ponies just got a natural skill for holdin' their liquor, and some ponies just got the right kind o' build for it. I happened to get both, I tell ya what. Not to brag, o' course."

"He was pretty good at it, from what I can tell," Havoc said with fond remembrance. "Handling his booze, I mean. I've seen his picture on the wall at the Wyrm's Head before. He's like a local legend at the joint or something, isn't he?"

"Was always his favorite place," Blackburn said with a smile and a nod. "Never felt embarrassed to call himself 'town drunk' at times."

"Heh, I even remember you tryin' to get into one o' our contests early on," Crossfire said, nuding Gadget gently. "So don't be so rough on him for tryin' to hold his own against me."

"Psh, just the once," Gadget muttered, taking another tiny sip of her hard lemonade. "Learned pretty quick that I'm a total lightweight, didn't I?"

"That's putting it mildly," Havoc chortled. "You pass out after three of those hard lemonades on a good day. I can't imagine you got more than one shot in while trying to compete against Briar and Crossfire."

Blackburn grinned. "She tried for two. Had to carry her back to the palace that night."

"I didn't know tequila shots were so strong!" Gadget exclaimed, hooves in the air.

"Sounds to me like most of your fond memories of Briar end up with Gadget's suffering," Lockwood chortled.

"To my immense disappointment, yes, that does seem to be the case. It's not fair, is what it is."

"If it makes Gadget feel better, I've got one that ended with him goin' through the wringer," Crossfire said with a grin. "Y'all know I like cookin'. So sometimes, when I got the itch, I'd make dinner for me 'n' Gadget 'n' Blackburn while we was growin' up. Briar was always invited o' course, after he 'n' Blackburn started datin'.

"So one time, he joined us for dinner when I was makin' teriyaki eggplant wit' fried rice, figured I'd give somethin' more exotic a try. Well, uh, that's the night we found out Briarthorn had a serious soy allergy that he never mentioned before or maybe didn't know about, 'cause he only got 'bout two bites into the rice before we had to get him to the hospital."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Gadget said with a smile. "We never got to the teriyaki eggplant, did we?"

Crossfire shook his head. "Nope. Damn shame, too, 'cause it was delicious. I've made it a few times since then but I guess I just always skimped on the soy sauce in case Briarthorn wanted to give it a try again. Never quite comes out the same."

"I've never had a problem with it," Lockwood said. "But then I guess I never tried the original recipe. You oughta give it a try one of these days."

"You got any good stories about Briarthorn, Dreamboat?" asked Havoc.

Lockwood chuckled. "Yeah, sure I do. My favorite one was from a very long time ago, before Blackburn and I were dating. Briar and I didn't know each other that well, but since he was supposed to be one of my shipping contacts with Hope's Point back in the day, I figured it might be a good idea to know him a little better.

"Well, I invited him to share a drink and some lunch with me at New Pandemonium's airport's terminal bar. We got to talking a bit, and I told him about all the charity work I did and all the ponies I was trying to help get better lives so that nopony had to risk death to find happiness elsewhere. A 'pipe dream' he called it. Nopony believed then that we could do what we've been doing lately.

"Him, though, he mostly talked about how much he liked flying and how cool it was to smuggle things in and out of New Pandemonium to make Hope's Point better and better. But mostly…" Lockwood paused, then smiled tenderly at Blackburn. "Mostly, he bragged about this mare he had back home that made him happy."

Blackburn hung her head slightly, a soft smile on her lips.

Lockwood then cracked a big grin. "More than anything though he bragged about how they had a, uh… 'understanding', and then he invited me back to the ship he was flying for at the time, the Southern Sun, for a little 'alone time'. At the time I thought he was just drunk by that point, but after hearing how much of a drinker he was I realized that was just how Briarthorn was."

Havoc's eyes widened. "Briarthorn propositioned you?" She paused, eyes darting between him and Blackburn. "Did you, uh… take him up on it?" she asked, part of her hoping that the story wasn't over yet. She was totally over Lockwood, sure, but a mare could fantasize now and then.

Lockwood laughed loudly. "Ha! No no no, that's not my thing at all. I let him down gently, of course. Normally I can't spot somepony hitting on me if my life depended on it, but Briarthorn was so direct that there was no misinterpretation of what he was getting at."

"What, did he just straight up ask you if you wanted to fuck?"

"Too direct, even for Briarthorn," Blackburn chortled.

Lockwood shrugged. "Well, beyond complimenting my eyes like nopony else did before, he told me to let him know if I ever changed my mind and wanted to, quote, 'strap in and feel some good G-forces'."

Gray, who'd remained quiet up until now, snorted loudly. Havoc figured that nopony likely found the line cornier than Gray did, if only because Gray knew what real G-forces were. Well, perhaps Flathoof would know too. Havoc had no idea why her mind suddenly went to wondering how her sister's sex life was going. Maybe she was just desperate to get out of this hospital so she and Cotton could enjoy one another's company?

"One of his weaker lines," Blackburn muttered, rubbing her chin. "Amusing, though. Never told me he'd propositioned you."

Lockwood raised an eyebrow. "I didn't? I could swear I did."

"No, you did. He didn't. Just remembering that he never did." Blackburn hummed and nodded. "Embarrassed by failed attempt, probably blamed pick-up line. Hence the amusement. Usually not shy about admitting when he got turned down. His philosophy: flirt with everypony, because for every nine that say 'no', one will say 'yes'."

"I don't know if that's sad or inspiring," Havoc said, scratching her head.

"Golly, Briarthorn never was one to be shy away from talking about his sexuality, I know that much," Gadget huffed. "I'm just glad that he wasn't some universal horndog, though. I know he flirted with Crossfire a few times over the years but he never flirted with me."

Havoc gave Gadget her best shit-eating grin. "Well I mean, he probably figured since you already choked down—"

Gadget's eye twitched angrily. "It was one piece of popcorn! One! Piece!"

"One piece covered with Briar's love gravy."

"If you weren't in a hospital bed, Havoc, I'd strangle you."

Lockwood cleared his throat and turned to Gray and Flathoof. "Uh, I don't suppose you two have anything to share?"

The couple looked at one another, smirked, then gave a lighthearted shrug in unison. "I didn't know him as well as any of you," Gray said, "but I knew him well enough to have a story about him. We both do, actually."

"The same story, in fact," Flathoof noted. "See, when Gray and I got married, everypony brought us wedding gifts to help put together our new home."

"I know, I bought you a toaster," said Havoc. "Nothing says 'home' like making your own toast. Making breakfast in general, actually. It's gotta be the number one sign you two are shacked up together."

"Yeah, same thought. That's why I bought them a coffee machine," said Gadget with a nod. "Why, what did Briar get you? Let me guess: a case of beer? To try and convince Flathoof to give drinking a try?"

"No, not quite," said Gray, glancing at her husband. "Briarthorn's gift was… different. Same concept as yours—Flathoof and I coming together as a married couple and making a new home for ourselves—but a little less 'kitchen appliance' and a little more 'bedroom accessory'."

"Not to kill the suspense, but he got us one of those novelty 'sex coupon' books," finished Flathoof.

"The fuck is a 'sex coupon'?" Havoc asked.

Gray, a little red in her cheeks, took a drink of her beer then said, "Well, you and your partner are supposed to use one of the 'coupons' to do something together to help spice up your sex life. I mean, at first we didn't exactly need it, but uh… we've used a few of them over the years."

"Y'know, fun things like 'do one of your chores naked'," said Flathoof, tugging nervously at his collar. "Or 'share a shower together'. Things like that. Some were a little more… involved, but yeah, all in good fun."

"That definitely sounds like a gift Briarthorn would give somepony on their wedding day," Gadget scoffed. "I can't decide if it's tacky or funny."

"Oh, that's not even the best part," Flathoof continued. "One of the coupons in the book was 'invite a third party to join you in the bedroom'. Briarthorn was keen to show us that one himself, and uh, not at all subtle that he was volunteering himself as the 'third party'."

"What did he say, exactly?" Gray asked, tapping her chin. She brightened as she recalled it. "Ah! 'I offer myself up as tribute'! I think he figured that between me and Flathoof, he'd end up with a broken neck or back or something."

"Or something for sure," Havoc scoffed.

"Okay, that definitely sounds like Briarthorn," Gadget chuckled.

"And before anypony asks, no, that coupon is still in the book," Flathoof hastily added, looking around the room.

"The only one left in it, in fact," Gray added with a blush.

Lockwood smirked. "Well, if you ever want to lend that coupon out, I'm sure Blackburn and I could find a use for it."

Blackburn snorted loudly and playfully slapped her husband's shoulder.

"Kidding! Kidding." Lockwood then turned to Havoc. "How about you, Havoc? Got any amusing anecdotes about our favorite pirate?"

Havoc smiled. "Nothing quite as amusing as knowing Gadget ate cumcorn, but I've got something, sure."

Gadget glared at Blackburn again. "I'm never gonna live that down now, thanks."

"Y'know, when I first met the guy, I thought I had him pegged. He was maybe a bit of a sleazeball, maybe not, but definitely a little too touchy-feely for his own good. I threatened to burn his balls off if he even thought about trying to mack on me."

"Obviously took your warning to heart," Blackburn said, eyes a little wider than usual. "Would have heard about it otherwise. Impressive; he's usually harder to dissuade."

"Yeah, well, after a few months of getting to know him, I found out he wasn't so bad, actually. A bit of a horndog, sure, but his heart's in the right place." Havoc shrugged. "I'll be honest, I seriously wouldn't have minded one bit if Velvet had his foal. Not that they were gonna get hitched or anything, but I know Velvet liked him enough to ask him and be serious about it."

"Agreed," said Gray, lifting her bottle. "Velvet's got odd tastes sometimes, but she knows what she likes and she's not dumb."

"Anyway, one time, he invited me out for drinks to watch one of your local skyball games, 'cause he knew I liked the sport but that you don't get New Pandemonium game broadcasts down here. Your local teams are pretty good, by the way. I mean, not Rockets good, but then who is, am I right?"

"He was a pretty big fan of the sport," Gadget said, taking a sip of her hard lemonade. She looked to Blackburn. "Didn't he have an autographed ball signed by like sixteen different players?"

"Seventeen, as of last year," Blackburn confirmed. "Best players in our local championships. Ball worth thousands of bits. Kept it in special glass case, prevents moisture from ruining ball, smudging signatures. Prized possession."

"Makes you wonder why he never played," Havoc said, eyebrow raised. "I mean, I've seen him fly before, and he'd have made a great player, easily professional-level up north, and I'm not talking reserve spots. I guess being a pilot was just more his calling? He never said exactly why he wanted to do that rather than play the sport."

Blackburn shook her head. "Will admit, never told me either. Could make guesses, speculate, but will never know for certain."

"Huh. Damn shame, though. I'd have gotten a kick about playing against him." Havoc then turned to Dawn. "How 'bout you, sis? Since you're here I figure you've got a story to tell too, right?"

Dawn, who'd remained silent this entire time, looked mildly uncomfortable when the others in the room all turned their attention to her. She hadn't been expecting to be involved, that was obvious. Havoc knew damn well why, which was why she'd pressed the issue: Dawn didn't actually care much about Briarthorn and was only doing this to be polite, basically to try and make a diplomatic showing. 

She didn't need Dawn to admit it; Havoc knew it in her heart just by looking at her sister's face.

"I… hmm," Dawn muttered, nervously glancing between Blackburn and Lockwood while also attempting to somehow glare at Havoc. "I must enumerate my dearth of anecdotes relating to the late Captain Briarthorn. I only ever interacted with him during my preliminary journey to Hope's Point. All other interactions with him were indirect via conversations with others about him."

Lockwood gave her a small smile. "I remember that first meeting. It was fun to see his wordplay in action. I'd always seen him as an excellent wordsmith, if a bit jumbled at times. I thought for sure you two would find some common ground in that."

Dawn raised her nose in the air. "'Common ground'? Hardly. My first impression of him was that of an idiosyncratic, capricious individual with a severe deficiency in regards to professional mannerisms and qualities befitting an envoy. His demeanor was juvenile at best."

Lockwood's smile faded immediately. "Oh. Uh… I see."

Havoc glanced about to see varying looks of disapproval going Dawn's way, from the mild sort that Flathoof and Gray were giving her to the barely-concealed anger in Blackburn's eyes. Dawn had fallen right into the trap, sure enough, because she always had to show off how smart she was; she just couldn't decline to share or comment.

Lockwood then cleared his throat—if anypony else could see that Blackburn was half a second away from snapping, it was him. "Well! Uh… I think it's getting pretty late, and um, Havoc needs to get her rest." He turned to Havoc and gave her a quick, friendly nod. "Sorry to keep you up so late."

"Hey, no problem, Dreamboat," Havoc said, waving away his concern. "But yeah, it is getting kind of late, isn't it? I figure if everyone wants to get going, I'm certainly not gonna keep 'em here."

Blackburn snorted, downed the last of her beer, then gave Havoc a brief look. "Rest well. Wish to have conversation with you once recovery is finished, best not to delay it, hmm?"

Everypony else mumbled and muttered their goodbyes to one another and to Havoc, then left the room one at a time. Dawn was the last to leave, and Havoc had readied herself for her sister's coming tirade towards her about everything that had not only just happened, but that had happened over the past few days. She'd been waiting for it ever since she found out Dawn had been keeping secrets for no good reason.

To Havoc's surprise, Dawn just gave her a terse glare, then walked out of the room without a word.

Havoc didn't mind one bit.


*****


Early in the morning, Sunspire sat at the end of the hall outside the secure chamber that housed the mysterious alicorn mare. He knew he wasn't allowed inside—the alicorn was an unknown factor and could be dangerous—but that didn't stop him from doing his best to monitor the situation. Queen Blackburn seemed like a strict mare, but flexible enough to permit Sunspire to at least remain in the hall and do what he could to feel useful.

He was under the ever-watchful eyes of Commander Pinpoint, a pegasus soldier who served Hope's Point and was certainly dedicated to his job from what Sunspire could tell. The soldier remained perched in an alcove near the hallway, out of sight to anypony who didn't already know that he was there. Sunspire didn't need to search hard to find him; the pegasus had a minute magical aura about him, just like any other pony did when using their talents. His talent was apparently having eyes like a hawk.

Speaking of magical auras, that was Sunspire's main reason for being here: watching the magical aura that filtered out through the door to the forbidden chamber. The alicorn's magic had gone mostly unchanged ever since he first saw it, with only little flickers of activity here and there like it always did. But he knew that if anything about that aura changed significantly it might mean something important, maybe that she was waking up. He wanted to be the first pony to detect the change. 

He felt that it was his duty, now that Winter and Hourglass had ventured back out into the field. He'd wanted to go with them, but they'd left suddenly and hadn't asked for him to come along. Miss Dawn said it was because they'd be gone a long while—the next month, probably—and couldn't "take care of him"; he was certain those words hadn't actually been used, but he didn't argue it.

Sunspire then heard hoofsteps coming from the stairs leading down into the hallway. He didn't need to turn to see Pinpoint adjust his rifle to keep an eye on whoever was approaching. Sunspire figured it was Queen Blackburn and Miss Gadget coming to check on the situation, to see if any changes had occurred that might be of interest. The only other pony that visited… well, wasn't a pony at all, but was Lorekeeper Gilderoy, and the old gryphon's steps made a distinct metallic noise because of his artificial talons; this definitely wasn't him.

To Sunspire's confusion, the pony that came down the stairs was a large, well-built earth pony colt, his coat and long mane different shades of green. He wore a simple jacket that was a little tight against his frame. Sunspire wasn't sure how old the colt was based on just looks alone; with his height and muscle structure, he looked like he was maybe a few years older. 

There was something familiar about him though… wait, Sunspire recognized the aura around him. Every pony's was unique, after all.

"Green Guard?" Sunspire asked as he stood up, tilting his head. "Is that you?"

The large colt seemed surprised at the sudden recognition, taking half a step back. "Oh, um… yeah, it's me. H-hi, Sunspire. Long time no see?"

"It certainly has been, hasn't it? Nopony's heard anything from you since you left with Miss Gray. Miss Velvet gives little updates occasionally to ponies that ask, from what I understand." Sunspire stepped forward and offered his hoof politely. "It's good to see you again."

Green stared at the offered hoof for a moment, then gave it a firm grip and light shake. "Likewise."

Sunspire's eyes widened as he saw the muscles in Green's forelimb up close. "Wow, you've put on an awful lot of muscle, haven't you? I remember you used to train with Missus Gray all the time, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised if you've been maintaining that regimen." He even tapped his hoof on Green's broad chest. "Yes, definitely been maintaining it. And then some."

"Oh… y-yeah, thanks," Green said, his face reddening slightly. "You, um… got taller."

"I mean, I suppose that goes without saying," Sunspire said, lifting his hoof up to measure himself against Green. "Not compared to you, though. You're an ideal physical specimen, if you don't mind my saying. I think that's what Overseer Pedigree might say on the subject, at any rate. You're even bigger than Caramel!"

Green gulped, but said nothing.

"And I'm certainly not too tall compared to most of the colts in our class. I'm about average height, relatively speaking." Sunspire tilted his head. "Though given our genetic engineering, I suppose that still puts me at above-average height for my age. I still don't have your muscle structure, of course. I believe I'm what they call 'lanky'?"

"R-right."

Sunspire smiled. "So what brings you down here, hmm? Come to try and sneak a peek at our mysterious alicorn?"

"Oh, um… n-no. I came here to see you." Green's face reddened more. "I mean, m-my mom told me you were in town and that I should, uh, say hello. So… 'hello'."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, my mom." Green blinked, then his eyes widened as he seemed to realize Sunspire's confusion. "Oh! That's right, you might not know, but Missus Gray adopted me, kind of like what Miss Velvet did for Caramel?"

"Aha! Well, that's wonderful news," Sunspire said with a pleasant grin. "I'll admit that the prospect of having an official 'parent' has never been of particular interest to me, but I'm aware of several of our classmates who wouldn't be opposed to the concept. I imagine it's a pleasant change of pace?"

"It's… nice," Green said with a small smile. "Mom and Dad have their own daughter, too, so I have a little sister now. Rosewater."

Sunspire tapped his chin. "That's right, I recall Miss Velvet giving us the news that Missus Gray had a filly of her own. That's wonderful news for you! Knowing about Miss Dawn and her sisters has often made me curious about having siblings." He shook his head. "You said you came to visit me, though? How come?"

Green blinked. "Oh, um… b-because I haven't, y'know, seen you or any of our classmates in a long time, so… Mom thought it'd be a good thing for me to do. I know I didn't have any friends back north, but… still…"

"Well I for one think it's wonderful seeing you again. I'd often wondered what life was like here in Hope's Point, particularly what it's like growing up here compared to the tower, or even compared to the ponies our age in the city." Sunspire nodded sagely. "Yes, I think sharing some time with you would be an enlightening experience. For us both!"

"For us… both?" Green asked, tilting his head.

"Yes indeed! I know you flew here with Missus Gray on an airship, but I came here by land."

Green's eyes widened. "You did? Wow. I heard it's dangerous out there. And, um… I know Miss Havoc didn't escort you."

"Ah… no, she didn't," Sunspire said with a frown. "I heard she was injured recently. I haven't had any good opportunities to leave my, um… post, I suppose you could call it? To visit her, I mean."

"Mom says she's coming along great and will be out of the hospital within the next couple of days, if not sooner."

"Wonderful! I don't know if any of our classmates know about it yet, but I imagine if they did or do, that sort of good news will bring a smile to some faces, hmm? Particularly the Junior Skyball team."

"The what?"

"Ah, right, you've been gone a while. Several of our pegasus classmates formed their own skyball team and they train with Miss Havoc and her professional players." Sunspire tapped his chin. "Let's see… Rebel Noise, Heatblast, Razor Wing, Wildcard, Skybreaker, and Hypercharge. I'm certain those were the six."

"Six? Isn't that one player short? Obviously I don't play it, but I still know the rules of skyball."

"Well, yes, but I believe they're still trying to get a seventh."

"Ah. Um… so anyway, if you didn't come here with Miss Havoc, who did you come with?"

"Oh, Miss Dawn's acquaintance, Winter Glow, and her apprentice, Hourglass. They had an important job to do out in the Wastelands, which is what led them to find the alicorn," Sunspire said, gesturing towards the forbidden chamber. "I assisted them in finding the source of their troubles, which was that very alicorn, it turns out."

"Wow. Sounds like quite an adventure."

"Indeed it was!" Sunspire beamed, then gestured towards his saddlebag. "Ooh! I've made some sketches of the sights I've seen on my travels. Would you care to see them?"

Green smiled and nodded. "Sure. That sounds nice."

Sunspire fetched his small sketchbook out of his bags and sat down next to Green Guard, who scooted away just a little so that they weren't so close together. That wouldn't do—the sketchbook was too small to see clearly without a closer look—so Sunspire scooted closer so that they were flank-to-flank and opened up to the first page. 

He wasn't sure why Green's face was so red, though. Allergies, perhaps? It was getting pretty windy out there, after all.

The first few pages of his book contained numerous sketches of his friends from Pandora Tower that he'd been working on for the past year, mainly his closest friends like Black Bolt and Silver Spots, including a couple of luchador masks that he was helping them design; the two wanted to petition Miss Velvet to let them form an actual wrestling club. 

Sunspire doubted it would get any traction outside of the two of them—and himself as an organizer or secretary, or maybe treasurer?—but it was their passion and they gave it their all.

Serendipity had a few sketches too, as Sunspire always considered her a friend and spent more time with her than almost anypony else besides Bolt and Spots. It had taken him a few tries to get her facial birthmark just right, but he was confident he'd managed it eventually. He couldn't exactly show her to get a comparison; he felt embarrassed about doing so for some reason. 

He did know he wanted to tell her all about the adventure he'd been on, more than he wanted to tell anypony else. She'd be happy to know that he'd made new friends.

The next page was a very basic map that he'd been adding to as he, Winter, and Hourglass traveled. He knew the layout of the northern continent fairly well from the atlases he'd researched in the past, but there was just something different about chronicling the journey by hoof rather than using a premade map from a book.

On the next page was the first new sketch: the Gate for New Pandemonium City, a large metal structure situated on the southernmost section of the city's wall. The details were scarce, as Sunspire had done the sketch mostly from memory after he, Winter, and Hourglass had journeyed a fair ways away from it. It was essentially an uninteresting hunk of durasteel, anyway, but it certainly looked imposing enough.

The second and third sketches were of Winter and Hourglass themselves, respectively, which Sunspire had drawn while the trio sat down for lunch on their first day together. Sunspire never considered himself a great artist by any means, so the sketches weren't of the greatest quality. Good enough to capture their look, certainly, but not enough to evoke their inner selves, as a true artist would be capable of.

"Sorry if these aren't exactly the best," he said to Green, a little sheepish.

"I think they're wonderful," Green said with a small, proud grin. "You're very talented."

Sunspire grinned back. "Well, thank you. That's kind of you to say."

Green's redness intensified, and his eyes instantly went back to the sketchbook and stayed there.

The fourth sketch was of the Goldridge Mountains from a distance. The fifth was of a fascinating rock formation that Sunspire had seen as they passed along the mountainside towards the Checkpoint building. The sixth was a plain piece of the flat, featureless expanse of the Wastelands themselves; Sunspire had been feeling inspired that day to try and capture the essence of the arid plains, and honestly felt he'd done a good job of it. That might not sound like a complement, but it felt like one to him.

"The terrain out there isn't particularly fascinating, much to my disappointment," Sunspire muttered as he flipped between the sketches. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given what I've read about them and seen in books, and what we're taught in school. "

"It looks different up close though," Green said, tilting his head to get a better look; his chin practically on top of Sunspire's head. "Is it really just a whole bunch of nothing?"

"I'd say that's more than accurate. The Wastelands definitely live up to their name."

The next three sketches were of the Checkpoint building itself, of the caretaker, Pewter, and of the room that Sunspire had been given during their night there. Sunspire had wanted to capture the cozy feel of the place, and how safe and warm it was compared to being exposed to the elements out in the Wastelands. The place had made him feel like it was possible for somepony to actually live out there, and Pewter's prosperity only proved it.

"The Checkpoint was a pleasant stop to make on the journey," Sunspire said, fondly looking over the sketch of his room. "I'm disappointed that there weren't any other guests there when we arrived. I would have loved to have the opportunity to interview them, to gather their opinion on the journey thus far."

"I'm sure Miss Havoc could give you a lot of information, if you asked her," Green suggested.

"Hmm… I'd never considered that before. Maybe I'll do that once she's feeling better."

The next sketches were of several different caverns within the Goldridge Mountains, with their gemstone-encrusted walls and ceilings, the underground rivers and lakes, and the twisting, winding passages. The sketches were all done with simple pencil tones and so there was no color, which was probably the biggest tragedy of all.

"I couldn't quite capture just how beautiful those caverns were," Sunspire muttered, putting his hoof on one of his favorites from the collection. "The gems here were all rubies, I believe, or at least appeared to be. They reflected the light of Winter's magic in all directions, as if the entire cave was bathed in red."

"They sound amazing," Green said softly. "Do you ever want to go back out there? On another adventure?"

Sunspire sighed and shook his head. "I'd love to have the opportunity, but with everything going on I doubt that I'd be given such a chance. Maybe when I'm old enough to leave the tower on my own."

Green was silent for a moment, then nodded, and so Sunspire continued.

The next sketch was of the Gargantuan nest that the trio had stumbled upon en route to the ruins. Sunspire had had to do the entire thing from memory, of course, and he'd been too frightened during the entire ordeal to really focus on too many details. As such, it was probably the least intricate of all of his sketches.

"An actual Gargantuan nest? With a queen and everything?" Green asked, awestruck. "Wow… you're very brave for going through there at all."

Sunspire smiled, feeling his cheeks grow a little warm at the compliment. "It wasn't that big of a deal. It's not as though I had any other choice in the matter."

"Still, I don't know if I'd have been brave enough to go through all of that. The queen actually touched you?"

"Yes, she did. I'm still perplexed as to why she reacted in the manner that she did afterwards. Even Winter lacked any kind of satisfactory explanation for it. I believe that's one of the main reasons she and Hourglass left back into the field, actually."

"You think they're going back to the nest?"

"Oh, definitely. Finding out about what caused the anomaly related to this alicorn is certainly of utmost importance, but those mutated Gargantuans are just as important to the situation, at least that's what Winter seems to think." Sunspire tapped his chin. "I think she believes they're related."

He then shrugged, and made to turn to the next sketch, which would have been of the "hub" of the gryphon ruins, but then his attention turned elsewhere: to the magical signature of the alicorn in the forbidden chamber. It was fluctuating slightly, doing so in a rhythmic pattern not at all different from a heartbeat.

"Is something wrong?" Green asked, looking at where Sunspire was looking but obviously not seeing what Sunspire saw.

Sunspire didn't answer the question; there was no time to waste. He instead rose to his hooves and called out to the pegasus soldier: "Commander Pinpoint! I'm seeing something strange happening here. Could you notify Her Majesty?"

The commander leaned his head ever-so-slightly out of the alcove, but he obviously couldn't see anything either. He didn't question it, though, just lifted up his communicator and pressed a number of buttons on it with one hoof in rapid succession. Sunspire had heard him do it before, and had come to understand that it was some sort of code. The commander never spoke that Sunspire had ever heard, and he was beginning to suspect that he was actually unable to do so: a mute.

Sunspire packed away his sketchbook, then gave Green a sympathetic smile. "Sorry we have to cut our reunion short, Green. It was nice getting to show you my sketches. You're the first to see them, other than Winter and Hourglass."

Green frowned for a moment, but then nodded, his smile returning. "Maybe, um… m-maybe you can show me the rest some other time? I mean, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure! Perhaps later today, or sometime tomorrow if time permits? Oh! I should make a sketch of you, come to think of it. It would be a good way to chronicle your growth, and perhaps I could show the others? I bet the Overseer would love to see how big you've gotten."

"Y-yeah. Yeah, that sounds… nice." Green gulped, then gestured towards the stairs. "I, um… I should get going, though. This all sounds like something I don't have much place in…"

Sunspire gave a little wave. "I'll see you later then, Green, once this is all settled, hmm?"

"Yeah… see you later."

Green headed off and up the stairs, leaving Sunspire behind to watch as the magical fluctuations in the air grew more intense. Something was definitely amiss; he hoped the adults didn't take too long to arrive.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long, as within a few minutes of notifying Pinpoint he heard a clamor of hoofsteps from the stairwell. The collection present was smaller than Sunspire had expected, but then he supposed that Queen Blackburn wanted to limit who would be exposed to any danger that might be present. As such, it was just the queen, her bodyguard Miss Gadget, Lorekeeper Gilderoy, and Miss Dawn.

Sunspire hadn't seen Gilderoy since yesterday afternoon, but he was surprised to see that there was already a change in the old gryphon. Namely that the technomagic construct over his chest had a new attachment on it, one with a more modern design. Miss Gadget had said that she was going to take some time to make some repairs and adjustments to the gryphon's outdated tech, and this was apparently the first step.

"Commander Pinpoint claimed you noticed something strange?" the queen asked, giving Sunspire a serious look. "Explain."

"The magical signature is fluctuating, Your Majesty," Sunspire said, gesturing towards the door to the forbidden chamber. "Something is happening in there, happening to her or because of her. Either way, it's definitely different compared to how it's been since we got to the city."

Blackburn nodded, then gestured for the group to follow.

Miss Dawn gestured for Sunspire to do the same. "Come, Sunspire."

"Yes, ma'am," Sunspire said with a nod as he gathered his things.

Blackburn snorted and turned towards Dawn, leveling her with a glare. "No. He is a young colt. No place for him here. Potentially dangerous."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, Sunspire's ability to detect fluctuations such as these are the only reason we are even aware of this sudden development with this level of punctuality," Dawn said, glaring right back at Blackburn. "He should be present to inform us of any further changes. Forewarning may prove prudent."

"I don't like the idea of placing a young pony in such danger either, Your Majesty," said Gilderoy with a respectful bow. "But Miss Dawn has a point: Sunspire can detect these changes quicker than any of us. If there is a potential danger, he may be capable of warning us."

Blackburn eyed Gilderoy for a moment, then turned her gaze—softer now—to Sunspire. "You will remain behind Shadow Associate Dawn at all times. Inform us of any change in behavior of alicorn's magic. Understood?"

Sunspire bowed slightly; he hadn't wanted to start an argument, but he was at a loss for why the adults would want to argue in the first place. "Yes, Your Majesty."

He followed along with the adults to the entrance to the chamber, which Blackburn opened with a series of security locks that included a retinal scan, hoofprint analyzer, and even a complex password. When the doors opened, everypony—and Gilderoy—prepared themselves for the worst to happen.

Instead, they were greeted by the still-sleeping form of the alicorn mare. She hadn't even moved an inch.

"Hmph. Disappointing," Blackburn muttered. She turned to Sunspire. "Certain you witnessed change?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I can still see it," he replied, looking right at the alicorn. "Her magic is fluctuating… or rather, pulsing. Not growing stronger or changing in any outward capacity, but becoming more active. The rhythm resembles a heartbeat."

"Has it changed at all since you contacted us?" asked Gadget.

"Yes. The pace is growing faster. When I first contacted you all, the 'beats' were several seconds apart. Now, they're about one second apart, give or take. I can't measure it as precisely as Winter could."

"A pity that she has departed and will not be present for anything that might occur," Dawn muttered, shaking her head. "Her opinions could be—"

Sunspire's eyes widened. The beats adjusted substantially, beating so fast now that he couldn't tell them apart. "Something's happening!"

Gadget drew her sidearm; Gilderoy, his wand. They appeared to be prepared for anything that might happen.

Sunspire felt that nopony believed what would happen next to be so… gentle. So quiet.

The beats within the alicorn's magic reached a point where they suddenly stopped, and just as they did so, the alicorn moved. First with nothing more than a brief stirring in her neck, then slight movement from her hooves as they attempted to feel around her. Her eyes fluttered open gently, revealing the most beautiful, mysterious blue eyes that Sunspire had ever seen in his life.

She glanced about for a moment, then rose slowly to her hooves. She didn't seem to be in any pain or distress, but did appear substantially confused, more than Sunspire had ever seen anypony be confused before, and he'd seen some of his classmates try to parse through his introductory algebra books while they were still struggling with long division.

From her eyes alone, though, Sunspire felt at ease, more so than seemed appropriate when faced with somepony that radiated such power. There was always something about the alicorn's magic that inspired an odd sense of comfort in him. Not exactly peaceful, no, more akin to contentment, a knowledge that even if things did go wrong, they'd turn out alright in the end. It was difficult to describe. But her eyes, they just magnified that sensation a thousand fold.

The alicorn glanced about the room briefly, then turned her gaze to the ponies and gryphon before her, the confusion in her expression growing as she looked upon every face present. Then, to the group's surprise, she spoke. "This… is not the Dreaming. Where am I?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed. "'The Dreaming'? That is the metaphysical realm designated for alicorns, specifically—at least until recently—for Harmonia and Nihila. Your appearance resembles the latter. Are you her?"

"Harmonia…" the other alicorn murmured, closing her eyes and stepping about tentatively. "Where are you, sister? I cannot feel you here. Something must be amiss within the Dreaming—"

"You are not within the Dreaming," Dawn said swiftly, drawing the alicorn's attention back to her. "This is the mortal realm, the material plane. Harmonia is not present here."

"The material…? No, that cannot be," the alicorn said, shaking her head gently. She then looked at the assembled group again, tilting her head, still confused. "Can it? How is that I have come to be here, young ones? Why am I not within the Dreaming?"

"A long story," said Blackburn. "Will explain it to you. However, question remains unanswered: are you Nihila?"

The alicorn tilted her head the other way, more confused. "This name, 'Nihila', I do not recognize. I do recognize Harmonia, however. She is my beloved sister, who shares the Dreaming with me as we watch over the mortal realm." She looked about again. "The mortal realm in which I now reside, or so you claim?"

"Harmonia shared the Dreaming with Nihila," Dawn said, her expression firm and almost… angry? "You resemble Nihila as I last witnessed her, and yet you assert that you do not recognize the name. A justification of your claims is required."

"Indeed," said Gilderoy, who had lowered his wand by now, seemingly unafraid; perhaps the alicorn's gentle eyes instilled in him the same ease that they did Sunspire? "If you are not Nihila, then who are you, exactly?"

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "Such a perplexing question. Though I suppose I should not disparage it from you, good sir gryphon, as your empire does not venerate me or my sister as the ponies do." She looked amongst the ponies. "But you ponies do not know of me, either?"

"Please, enlighten us," Dawn requested.

"Hmm… perhaps this is some bizarre dream within the Dreaming. My sister may yet know more," the alicorn muttered, unsure. She shook her head. "Very well, I shall humor you, though I still consider it most odd that you know of my sister and yet not of me. I am Pandemonia, the Alicorn of the Dark and the Moons, Goddess of Adversity."

The room was silent for a long moment, and Sunspire watched as confusion washed over the entirety of the group he was with, Gilderoy most of all.

"Would you care to repeat that declaration?" Dawn said, eyes wide with disbelief.

The alicorn tilted her head again. "Most perplexing, you all are. I state again that I am Pandemonia, the Alicorn of the Dark and the Moons, Goddess of Adversity."

"I have no knowledge of any such alicorn," Gilderoy muttered, looking completely lost. "As far as my kind were ever aware, there were only two alicorns: Harmonia, the Alicorn of the Light and the Heavens, Goddess of Harmony, and Nihila, the Alicorn of Darkness, Goddess of Disparity."

"Again, I know nothing of this 'Nihila' of whom you speak," said the alicorn, who was so certain that she was Pandemonia that Sunspire would simply refer to her as that. "And forgive me, my good sir gryphon, but you have misappropriated my sister's titles as well. She is the Alicorn of the Light and the Sun, and Goddess of Prosperity."

"Just going in circles," Blackburn sighed. "Will take claims at face value. You are Pandemonia, not Nihila. Claim to be unaware of the latter's existence. Very well. Also express confusion as to why you are in the material plane. Believe yourself to belong in the Dreaming. Requires explanation."

"I would certainly agree with that, my good mare," Pandemonia said. "If this is not some sort of bizarre dream within the Dreaming, if I truly am within the mortal realm, then I suppose I would appreciate an explanation as to why I am here." She looked around again, frowning as she glanced at one of the walls. "And within a place with such strange architecture."

Dawn and Gilderoy looked at one another briefly, then Dawn said, "We possess no explanation as to why you have been granted this physical form. If your claims of not being Nihila are genuine, then the circumstances are exceedingly perplexing to me."

"Perhaps you can tell us the last thing that you remember?" Gilderoy suggested. 

Pandemonia blinked, then adjusted her jaw as she considered the question. "The last thing that I remember? A simple question. I remember that… that I…" She paused, looking concerned. "I remember… very little. I feel as though I am enshrouded in a fog. What has happened? Why can I not remember?"

"Try," said Blackburn. "Information is crucial."

"Please?" Sunspire chimed in, earning a sharp, brief look from Dawn. He knew he should be leaving this to the adults, but he'd been unable to help himself from asking politely.

"I… shall try," Pandemonia said, briefly making eye contact with Sunspire. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the ceiling. "I remember… it was spring, I believe. Yes, a beautiful spring. Many of the common ponies that venerated my sister and me were seeking prospective mates for the heat season, as is tradition amongst the peasantry.

"I remember my Warden. Peach Blossom." Pandemonia's eyes widened with glee. "Oh! If this is the material realm, then surely my dearest Warden is present somewhere." She turned her attention to the ponies. "One of you, could you fetch Warden Peach Blossom for me?"

Dawn and Blackburn shared a brief glance. Blackburn tilted her head towards Gadget. "Check city manifest, find a 'Peach Blossom'."

Gadget nodded and fetched her datapad out of her pocket. "Right away, Your Majesty." 

"That title… are you a queen?" Pandemonia asked, gesturing towards Blackburn.

"I am," Blackburn replied with a nod. "Queen Blackburn of Hope's Point, in full."

"'Hope's Point'? Hmm… I do not recognize the settlement. Strange. If it is large enough to follow the leadership of a monarch as I know the zebras do, then surely I would know of it."

It took Gadget less than a minute to find the information needed, and she passed her datapad over to Blackburn once she was finished. "Here you go, Your Majesty, one 'Peach Blossom' as requested."

Blackburn took the datapad and showed it to Pandemonia, who eyed it curiously. "What manner of enchanted tablet is this?" the alicorn asked with a curious smile. "Such a clear image. What fascinating illusion magic."

"Not an illusion," Blackburn said. "A photograph within electronic database."

Pandemonia smiled sweetly and shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't understand any of those words, Your Majesty. I see that you are not a unicorn, however, so perhaps you are mistaking the usage of illusion spells as some sort of other magic?"

Blackburn paused; the comment had surely not meant to sound condescending, but it likely came across that way to the queen. Then she just grunted softly, sighed, and pointed at the picture displayed. "This mare in the photograph is the only Peach Blossom we know. Is this 'your' Peach Blossom?"

Pandemonia raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the photograph for a moment before shaking her head, confused. "No, this isn't her. It doesn't look anything like her in the least. This illusion magic isn't quite perfected yet, I would assume?"

Dawn took a step forward. "It is not illusion magic. It is technomagic, based upon the developments of the gryphons."

"Ah, now I understand," Pandemonia said with a smile, turning to Gilderoy. "I commend you on your invention, good sir gryphon, and on the strides your kind have taken to emulate unicorns. Once it has achieved perfection, I am certain it will prove of use, whatever its purpose might be. I know little of what goings-on occur on the Elysian Islands, so this was quite a pleasant experience."

Gilderoy tilted his head, then smiled softly as if coming to a realization. "My Lady Pandemonia, I think that the situation we find ourselves in is becoming clearer by the moment."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Do you happen to know who the current Primarch of the Gryphon Empire is?"

"An odd question from a gryphon," Pandemonia said, eyebrow raised. "Primarch Graeson, of course, from what I last heard from my dear Warden. I believe that he only recently took the position."

"I see, I see." Gilderoy rubbed his temple; Sunspire could read his expression clearly: he was dumbfounded by her words. Not in an upset way, no, but more… interested. Worried? "And your Warden, Peach Blossom. What is the last thing that you remember about her?"

Pandemonia tilted her head. "As soon as you summon her here, she can explain it herself, likely more succinctly than I could."

"If you would humor an old gryphon like myself?" Gilderoy asked with a light grin. "Please?"

"Hmm, very well. The last thing I remember about Peach was… well, as I said, it was spring. A cool spring, yes, but beautiful nonetheless. I seem to recall that I had tasked her with a tremendous undertaking… but what was it?" She tapped her chin in thought, then her eyes widened. "Ah! Yes, I remember. I sent her to negotiate with the minotaur kingdom."

"The what?" blurted Gadget.

"The minotaurs, of course," Pandemonia said with a smile. "Ah, we must not be in one of the coastal villages. I would not expect ponies so far inland to be aware of the minotaurs' raids on our coasts. Though it took many years, eventually my sister and I managed to open up the possibility of diplomacy with them, to put an end to the violence and abductions.

"I had sent Peach Blossom to the northern continent to negotiate with their King Magnus, for they had requested that I send my Warden, not Harmonia's. As this was our chance to reach a peaceful solution to our troubles, I accepted. The last thing that I remember is her boat arriving in the minotaur capital city, Athenos." She frowned, shaking her head. "I… don't remember anything after that."

"Can you make even a modicum of sense of her tale, Lorekeeper?" asked Dawn, looking desperately between him and the alicorn.

Gilderoy stroked his beard. "Hmm, yes, and no," he said after a moment. "I cannot answer the question as to why she is here or how this came to be, but I can certainly answer a question that is just as important, at least to her: where she is now, and more crucially, when."

"What?"

Gilderoy stepped towards Pandemonia briefly, taking a breath as he did so. "My Lady Pandemonia, I fear that the situation we find ourselves in now is excruciatingly complicated, and your answers here have only exponentially increased the complexity. Through no fault of yours, of course, but such is the case."

"I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning, good sir gryphon," Pandemonia said.

"The reason that we cannot summon your Warden Peach Blossom is because she is long gone from this world. While I know not if the cause of her death was due to the burden of old age or through some other means, I can say that, barring some exceptional circumstances, she is no longer living."

Pandemonia narrowed her eyes. "Speak clearly. Why would you dare to claim such an awful thing?"

"Because, My Lady, the minotaur kingdom supposedly collapsed into the northern sea over two thousand years ago." Gilderoy shook his head. "When the gryphons moved north to found Aeropolis, the minotaurs were considered little more than a fallen empire, and they'd left behind nothing substantial enough to prove they'd even existed. Most gryphons considered them a myth.

"What's more, the Elysian Islands have long been dormant in the south. We abandoned them long, long before the Beacons were erected, shortly after founding Aeropolis here in the north. Many moons have passed since those days, My Lady." With a sigh, he added, "As it stands, I am the last of my kind. The only gryphon yet living that walks this world."

"What nonsense is this?" Pandemonia huffed. "Explain yourself, good sir gryphon, and do so more clearly as I requested. The gryphons are in an age of discovery and invention, perhaps too soon to call a 'golden age' but one of thriving prosperity. I understand that gryphons and ponies do not quite see eye-to-eye, but I should hope you would not joke about such things."

"I cannot possibly explain it more clearly than that, but I will give you reason to understand why I know it to be true. You spoke of Primarch Graeson. He began rule of the gryphon empire in the gryphon calendar year 512 A.D., shortly following our first technomagic invention. The current year, again utilizing the gryphon calendar, is 2789 A.D. I understand that ponies utilize a different calendar but the point stands."

Pandemonia paused a moment, then shook her head. "That… that is preposterous. I know that the memory is foggy, but it is clear enough to me that it could have occurred no earlier than this very day. I remember Peach Blossom entering the temple. I remember her boat docking at the port. I remember!"

"I do not claim your memories to be false, My Lady Pandemonia, but something has happened that I cannot explain, and you now find yourself here, on the material plane, over two thousand years later." Gilderoy shook his head softly. "I wish I could provide more concrete answers, but that is the situation that we find ourselves in."

"Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

The voice had come from directly beside Sunspire, so he'd jumped when he heard it. It was both Miss Dawn's voice as well as that of a much more imposing stallion, speaking together in unison. He looked up to see that there was something more than a little odd with Miss Dawn at the moment, namely that there was some sort of astral projection of another pony overlaid upon her.

The stallion was enormous, larger than everypony in the room including Pandemonia, though only just. His coat was a silvery white, and his mane and tail were a brilliant gold. One of the stallion's eyes was a pleasant, cool blue; the other was pure gold in its entirety. There were no clothes on the astral projection whatsoever.

Oh, and he was an alicorn. That was a critical fact.

To Sunspire's surprise, he and Pandemonia were the only ponies present that were genuinely astounded or confused by the situation; even Gilderoy seemed unsurprised with it all, though his expression was mildly sour. Sunspire couldn't imagine how anypony could see what he was seeing and not be utterly mystified. Even Empyrean's astral projection magic wasn't this… perfect.

"Who are you?" Pandemonia asked, not stepping back but clearly wary.

"First, if I might ask you a question just for clarity's sake: do you recognize me?" the stallion—and Miss Dawn—asked in unison. It was clear that it was the stallion speaking, not Dawn, but then why was she saying the same thing at the same time?

"If I recognized you, my good stallion, I would not have asked," Pandemonia said simply. She tilted her head slightly. "Wait… there is something familiar about you. I can feel you, your magic. It feels… similar to mine, and yet not. How is this possible?" 

She reached out with a hoof, then looked at her own hoof as if just now realizing that she had actual limbs. To the genuine surprise of everypony present except Pandemonia, her hoof actually made contact with the projection rather than just phasing through it as expected. Even the male alicorn seemed genuinely taken aback by it, though it only lasted until she pulled away.

He recovered from the surprise quickly. "A curious question, and one that I cannot provide an answer to beyond mere conjecture. The important thing to me is that you do not know me in any capacity. Sensing your intentions, your truth, is more difficult to do in your case than it is for mere mortals." He smiled slightly. "But I can still sense it. You truly do not recognize me."

"What are you getting at?" Gilderoy asked gruffly. It was odd seeing the old gryphon act with such antagonism considering how he'd been acting ever since Sunspire knew him.

The alicorn stallion wheeled—well, Miss Dawn wheeled, and the alicorn did so in unison?—on Gilderoy. "Simple, Lorekeeper: if she does not recognize me, then she truly isn't Nihila. You can all rest assured in that confirmation, because that was the most crucial piece of information we needed answered.

"This one," he continued, gesturing towards Sunspire, much to the colt's surprise, "presented that as his theory when Pandemonia was first discovered. Her magical signature is utterly different from Nihila's; it is not the same Darkness that resides in the northern Beacon, or within himself and his companions. An astute observation, young one."

Sunspire felt a swelling of pride in his chest from having his theory be so resoundly praised, but at the same time it felt hamstrung by the fact that despite seeing Miss Dawn's mouth saying those words, it wasn't her that was actually saying it. There was also something about this stallion's words that seemed so cold and logical, and it made Sunspire… uncomfortable.

"I believe we have succinctly answered that question already," Gilderoy interjected.

"Maybe you put your own mind at ease, but I was not satisfied. Now, I am. Forgive me if I required more substantial evidence." The alicorn stallion then turned towards Pandemonia. "My Lady—"

"You are an alicorn," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Explain this to me. My sister and I are the only alicorns of this world. Even the zebras, with their pantheon, do not claim any others of our kind to exist, for Harmonia and I know it to be true beyond all doubt. We have no… 'brother'. And yet I can see that this is no illusion, that what I see before me is genuine, real. Explain."

The stallion smiled, then nodded slightly. "The story is complex and spans many centuries, but I believe I can explain the turning point in an expedient manner. There were two alicorns of this world, yes: Harmonia, and Nihila. I served as the Warden to the former first, then as the Warden to the latter. The latter Wardenship, however, was a deception to lure Nihila into a false sense of security, to put an end to her evil.

"Seven years ago, with the help of my daughters, their friends, and a gryphon's ritual, I summoned Nihila into our world within a mortal, physical body. As part of the ritual, I destroyed that physical body of hers and absorbed her magical power within myself, becoming the alicorn you now see before you. I have ascended into the Dreaming, and speak to you now—"

"Through your Warden," Pandemonia finished, eyes wide as she looked at Dawn. "I recognize the manner in which your essence has manifested now. I have performed it myself many times to speak through my own Wardens to those in need of my direct guidance." She tilted her head. "But who are you, that has served as Warden to my sister and to another? I still know not who this 'Nihila' is."

"My name is Lord Silvertongue," he replied with a polite, genuine bow. "Now, there is a curiosity of this situation that I find most troubling. I have explained to the others present here before that I can sense your essence. Your magic is pure Darkness, untainted by any other presence. Can you sense mine?"

She nodded slowly, her expression curious. "Yes. The Darkness within you resembles mine, but there is another presence there, a Light. That is yours, from before you performed this ritual?"

"Yes. Hence the conundrum. The ritual destroyed Nihila's physical body and absorbed your magic, and somehow, seven years later, you developed a physical body with no ritual of any sort performed, manifesting near the prototype of a device that exudes pure Darkness but had not yet been fueled with the magic of Nihila."

He then turned to Sunspire. "Young one, can you tell me what Pandemonia's essence looks like in your eyes?"

Sunspire gulped and nodded. "Um, yes, of course. Her aura is purple."

"Hmm," Silvertongue hummed. "As I suspected. It was for a brief moment, but when I first saw the Dreaming, I witnessed a purple 'spark' that then vanished." He gestured at Pandemonia. "I believe that you were that spark. Call it a hunch, if that better pleases your palate."

Gilderoy nodded sagely. "A most perplexing predicament, indeed. But not as perplexing on who Pandemonia truly is." He turned to the alicorn mare and shook his head sadly. "As the Lorekeeper of the gryphons, it is my duty to chronicle our history, to maintain it and ensure that it lingers on. But in all my years, I never came across your name."

"If memory serves, the gryphons did not even acknowledge the existence of Harmonia and Nihila until… 1771 A.D. of the gryphon calendar?" Silvertongue asked.

"Correct. And we did not exactly chronicle the history of ponykind, either. We only started obtaining and researching their records in 762 A.D., when we extended an olive branch to ponies and zebras alike." Gilderoy gestured at Pandemonia. "And from what I've heard, Pandemonia cannot remember anything from that time period."

Pandemonia shook her head, confused and disturbed. "I… I do not understand. What has happened to me, if your words are true? Why can I not remember the past… two thousand years? Why do you all refer to me as this 'Nihila'? What has happened that I now possess a physical form, while Silvertongue resides within the Dreaming?" She hung her head, sad, maybe… frightened? "Where is my sister?"

"To all but the last question, I have no answers for you, none that would be absolutely concrete in their truth and certainty," Silvertongue said. "As for Harmonia, the reason you cannot sense her, cannot reach out to her, is because of the Beacons. That itself is a long tale, so let us keep it simple: our world is divided into the north and south, and the Dreaming with it. Even I cannot contact Harmonia as-is."

"Minotaurs," said Blackburn, surprising Sunspire because she'd been quiet for quite a while. "They would possess answers." She gestured at Pandemonia with certainty. "Last memory was of your Warden traveling to their city. Where is it?"

"The minotaur civilization supposedly existed on the southern coasts of the northern continent," Gilderoy said, stroking his beard. "But absolutely nothing was left to suggest they even existed, as I stated earlier. My ancestors believed that the rumors of attacks by their kind were fabrications and fables made up by ponies."

"On land, perhaps."

"They are real!" Pandemonia said, looking desperately between Gilderoy and Blackburn. "Athenos! Their capital city is Athenos! Or… Blackcliff, perhaps? I know that many ponies nicknamed it as such, for the architecture was made of a sort of black marble."

"Will find what remains of 'Athenos' or 'Blackcliff', then," Blackburn said with sheer confidence. "Deep-sea exploration vessels in preparation. Will be ready to deploy in a few weeks. First assignment: find evidence of minotaurs' civilization. Seek answers to what happened there to Peach Blossom, why Pandemonia cannot remember anything past that point."

"If they were a coastal civilization, wouldn't that imply that they had trade routes of some kind?" Sunspire suggested. "Maybe we could inquire of the southern coastal cities if they ever traded in the past, or if they even remember doing so? Or maybe they just traded among their own kind here in the north?"

"Yes, potential evidence of vessels, could predict routes utilized for coastal trade, narrow down possible locations," Blackburn confirmed with a quirked eyebrow. "A wise, logical suggestion. Was about to suggest it myself."

"You possess the means to explore the ocean floor?" Gilderoy asked, awestruck by the implications yet again. "My my my, you ponies certainly have improved on our technomagic developments, haven't you? We in Aeropolis never believed it was possible to venture far below the ocean surface."

"While Queen Blackburn seeks answers about the minotaurs, my daughters shall investigate what has become of Nihila," Silvertongue said firmly. 

"Oh? To what ends?"

"The evidence as we have it suggests that there is more to the Goddess of Disparity than it seemed, and that she and Pandemonia were entirely separate entities rather than some misunderstanding of names. And… I am concerned that Galdorhoff's ritual was not as perfect as it should have been given the situation we find ourselves in."

Gilderoy shook his head. "No, seemingly not. Galdorhoff had always been hasty with his research, cutting corners when a more thorough approach was necessary. I cannot blame him for being unaware of these strange circumstances, but had he been more cautious, this could have been avoided."

"Agreed," Silvertongue said with a nod. "I myself ensured that the ritual was performed with utmost care, employing every possible avenue to ensure that there were no mistakes whatsoever. I imagine that, had I too been desperate enough to rush, something might very well have gone wrong. Who is to say what those consequences might have been?"

Silvertongue then turned to Pandemonia. "As for you, My Lady, I suggest that you rest yourself, and of course that you get acclimated to your newfound physical body. There is no telling how long you may remain in that form or if there is some way to reunite you with Harmonia, whether in the Dreaming or some other way."

"Why are you helping me?" Pandemonia asked, tilting her head. "I can see your heart, Lord Silvertongue. There is substantial ambition there, even for one who has accomplished so much. Raw ambition, unfettered and unrelenting. You gain nothing from aiding me. If anything you risk losing what you now have, should events conspire to return me to the Dreaming, to my proper place instead of you."

Silvertongue smiled gently. "My only ambition is to bring balance to our world, My Lady Pandemonia." With a brief glance at Gilderoy, which was returned by a sneer, he said. "At any cost."

Gilderoy snorted. "Then as the pony saying goes, Lord Silvertongue, you had best start putting your bits where your mouth is."

"Oh, I plan on it, Lorekeeper. When have I ever given you reason to doubt what I am willing to do to ensure victory?"

"Then we are agreed," Queen Blackburn said. "Situation requires utmost discretion, caution. Will devote all of my resources to the cause. Pandemonia can remain here in Hope's Point to recuperate. Will arrange more appropriate lodging."

Pandemonia gave a small nod to Blackburn. "I thank you, Your Majesty. You are most kind." With a small shake of her head, she added, "I only hope that no harm comes to this world because of all of this… mess. I know not who this Nihila is, but your words have all suggested to me that she is a deplorable sort."

"The most deplorable there is, My Lady," Silvertongue said with a slight sneer. "Rest assured, all of my power will be devoted to uncovering the cause of this mystery. If Nihila somehow survived the ritual that should have destroyed her, then I will find her, no matter how deep or dark the hole she hides in."


*****



Three Days Later


The Redblade Mountains had, over the past seven years, undergone very little change. The perpetually active range of volcanoes had if anything only intensified in activity, spurred on by the rising winds of the Wastelands that blew through the region. The lava flows were barely kept in check these days; many geologists that studied the region believed that within the next decade, the volcanic activity would eventually pose a threat to Hope's Point and New Pandemonium alike.

Grit and his dear brother Grime were counting on it.

The two brothers walked through their painstakingly-built "cabin", which was situated along the side of the largest volcano in the region. It, and the other smaller ones that made up the little camp they'd established, had been crafted of specially-made durasteel and then enchanted by mundane spells and equipped with technomagic monitoring and cooling systems; the undertaking was expensive and complicated, but necessary and worthwhile. Though it was still incredibly warm within most of the camp, it wasn't lethally hot.

They followed behind one of their fellow worshippers, a cobalt-coated pegasus mare, Sister Blue Belle, their pace as eager as hers was. "The laborers found it this morning, Leaders," she said as she led them through the halls. "I've spent the last few hours making them clear out a section around the site so that I could show you what they found. I'm positive it's what we've been looking for."

"Wonderful news, wonderful indeed," said Grime with a smile. "Years of relentless searching finally at a close. This is a red letter day."

"Indeed it is, dear brother mine," Grit added with a smile of his own. "Our Dark Lady will be most pleased with this turn of events, oh yes."

The two followed Belle through a tunnel that led further into the volcano, whereupon they came to a door, besides which were a number of lockers. Grit and Grime opened theirs, and Belle hers, to take out and don special full-body gear that had been developed to withstand the heat of the volcano. They resembled the hazardous environment suits that technicians wore in certain Foundry facilities, but were more sophisticated and effective.

Once they'd all donned their gear, they opened the door from the locker room into the vestibule, then sealed it behind them as they exited out into the hoof-dug tunnel beyond. The tunnel descended into the heart of the volcano, where the lava had been contained by a techomagic "net" that would prevent it from interfering with their work. Even as the volcano rumbled gently beneath their hooves, the trio was not afraid of an eruption.

Grit glanced off to the side to watch some of the workers mining away at the volcanic iron that populated the area. The material was inherently infused with minor amounts of magic that made it exceptionally strong compared to common iron, but it was difficult if not impossible to mine effectively because of the region in which it was found. Even with protective gear, ponies simply couldn't withstand the environment for the extended periods needed to do so.

But Grit and Grime and their followers had found an incredibly fortuitous solution: 

The locals.

It was not ponies that mined the volcanic iron, no, but a pony-like species that called themselves "kirin". Grit and Grime had encountered them in the deepest recesses of the Redblade Mountains, where they lived hidden away from the rest of the north, undisturbed by even the most daring of visitors. A secretive bunch they were, woefully unprepared for Grit and Grime's discovery of their settlement.

Their kind possessed odd lion-like manes and tails, and scales upon their backs that could well be mistaken for saddles. They otherwise resembled their pony "cousins" quite closely, particularly unicorns, for the kirins all possessed horns which were capable of magic to some degree. They could not use them for spells in the same fashion as unicorns could, no, but they still possessed magical properties.

Each and every horn had its own unique shape, curving gently like hooks or scythes in some cases or jutting at straight angles in others. Even twin kirins, from what Grit had seen, did not share similar horn shapes. It provided a simple method for identifying individuals without names, a convenience since he and his brother frankly didn't care for their names whatsoever. They were just too bizarre to care much for, but some of the others in their collective still used them at times.

All of these kirin had bizarre "K" names that resembled butchered Common Equine words. One of the village leaders, for example, had the name Khasm, and his daughter had the name Kwake. Others had names like Krystal and Klash, Krush and Krust, Kleave and Karve; they had no way of discerning familial relations other than appearances. Grit was certain by now that all non-pony cultures had such bizarre nomenclature; even the antiquated zebras all had names which started with "Z".

The workers that mined the volcanic iron all belonged to one of the two "tribes" of kirin that had been found, whose metallic horns resembled iron or steel. The magic within their horns possessed powerful healing properties, even capable of rapidly healing life-threatening injuries. The magic was practically inexhaustible so long as the horn remained attached to the kirin's head. Grit and his brother had learned quickly that the magic lingered even if the horn had been separated, but was significantly weaker, barely able to even heal a paper cut.

As such, the iron-horned kirin were relegated to the relatively easier work of mining the volcanic iron, and worked in shifts like any other worker would be expected to. Oh, they weren't compensated to any degree, of course, besides being allowed to live and to have food provided so that they wouldn't starve to death, but that was the extent of it. They were still punished for speaking or stepping out of line, but such was to be expected. Yes, they were treated as fairly as any slave should be treated.

As Grit and his brother followed Belle down into the depths of the volcano, they passed by a smaller camp made for the taskmasters that ensured the slaves were kept in line. Each of them was a unicorn of respectable talent, and each was also equipped with some of the best military-grade weaponry that they'd been able to smuggle out of the city. There had been an uprising or two over the years, all of which had been quashed swiftly and brutally.

Beyond the camp, the tunnel descended further, and it was here that Grit saw the second tribe of kirins working to expand the tunnel outwards. These kirins' horns resembled obsidian, and it was their magical property that had intrigued Grit and Grime the most. 

Nullifying a unicorn's magic was normally not a trivial task. Anti-magic fields were difficult to craft and exhausting to maintain, and disappointingly limited in scale and scope as well. Runic seals were more effective, but even they were still limited by being stationary and predictable. Anti-magic was seen as a waste of time by most unicorns to bother with; it was more effective to best a rival unicorn whose magic surpassed one's own to utilize wits rather than brute strength.

But these kirins' obsidian horns? They inherently nullified magic to a startling degree. A simple touch was enough to completely sever a unicorn's ability to utilize magic, and they only needed to touch the unicorn's magic to do so, not their body or even their horn. 

The effect was strikingly effective even against technomagic, and as such had made their tribe capable of putting up a resistance for a few months before non-magical weapons could be brought to bear against them.

Best of all, the horns retained that effectiveness even if no longer attached to the kirin in question. It didn't quite last as long, and more powerful unicorns could overpower the effect in a short time, but that wasn't a problem. Their horns could be crafted into other shapes to serve a purpose. 

A dagger, for example, would not only injure the victim but shut down their magic entirely. Even better, a ring could be placed around a unicorn's horn and completely nullify their magic as long as the ring was worn.

Because this tribe's horns were technically more valuable when removed from the kirins themselves, Grit and Grime didn't care that they weren't treated as kindly as the iron horns were. They worked in more dangerous portions of the caverns that risked cave-ins, slaving away at all hours of the day until they collapsed from sheer exhaustion, and were only permitted the bare minimum amount of food and rest necessary to keep them working. 

If they died, it was no real loss; the corpse would be disposed of and the horn severed and salvaged to be put to further, better use. The crate full of horns at the entrance to the tunnel was a reminder to the slaves that their lives were effectively meaningless.

At the end of the tunnel, Grit and Grime saw that Belle's words had been true: the kirin had found their prize. Grit's eyes widened in wonder as his eyes beheld the beautiful sight. "It's true. They found it. The blessings of our Dark Lady are upon us indeed."

"Was there ever any doubt, brother mine?" Grime replied with a cocksure grin. "Her guidance has brought us here at last. With this, She may soon bathe this world in fire and blood, as She has foretold. Oh yes indeed, this is a glorious day. Truly glorious."

A dome-shaped chamber had been dug out around their prize, which now resided in the center of the room. The prize in question was, to the untrained eye, just a rock. An odd rock, to be sure, but still just a rock. 

It was perfectly egg-shaped, textured like volcanic rock and colored to match. "Cracks" in the shell seemed to leak lava into the chamber like drippy yolk, though it seemed to cool the instant it touched the floor. It rested upon an outcropping of actual volcanic rock, which functioned as a sort of cradle. The sheer size of the "egg" dwarfed even the largest ponies in the room by a factor of nearly five-to-one.

"The kirin have been vocal with their disapproval," said Belle with a small smirk. "I have ensured those with too much lip have been put to better use elsewhere."

"Disapproval?" asked Grit. "Do tell."

"This volcano is sacred to them. We have already committed 'great sacrilege' by forcing them to mine the volcanic iron, but they have long since stopped protesting that fact. Watching their fellow kirin die tends to have that sort of effect."

"Indeed it does, indeed it does. And yet they still speak up about this, despite knowing they invite death upon themselves and their kin?"

"They do, yes. I had to order two executions in the past hour alone." Belle gestured over to the side, where one of their own workers was currently separating horns from a pair of kirin that had clearly been shot to death. "They've been at it since we started getting the tunnel this far down, actually."

"Why?

"Well, the whole volcano is sacred, they say, but the ground we tread on now is beyond merely sacred to them. There isn't a singular word for it in Common Equine, so the closest I've been able to translate it as is 'Cradle of the Mother', or something to that effect." She tilted her head slightly. "You wouldn't happen to know anything more than that, would you?"

Grit smiled and set his hoof on Belle's shoulder. "Sister Belle, my dear brother knows all there is to know about our Dark Lady's Great Purpose. She has spoken with him on many occasions." He glanced at Grime for a moment, particularly the faraway look in his eyes. "Even now, She speaks to him."

Belle glanced at Grime as well, her eyes wide with glee. "Truly? Our Dark Lady speaks to him at this very moment?"

"Indeed She does, indeed She does. I have seen my brother's expression change like this when She speaks directly with him. I envy my dear brother for his gift, but still I am proud that our Dark Lady has granted one of us this wondrous station in Her service. There is no greater honor than being the brother of Her Warden."

Grit watched then as Grime wordlessly approached the "egg" and, to his surprise, set his hoof upon it. Only for a moment, though, before sharply drawing it back; evidently, it was hot to the touch even through the protective gear. He then tried again, and this time kept his hoof firmly in place, seeming almost relaxed. No, not relaxed; euphoric.

"Dear brother, what tidings does our Dark Lady bring?" Grit asked, stepping alongside Grime.

"Fire and blood, brother," Grime said breathlessly. "With this, She will drown this world in fire and blood. There will be nothing left but ash."

"What is it, though?" asked Belle, tilting her head. "It looks like some sort of egg. Is there something inside?"

"There is, oh yes," muttered Grime, setting his other hoof on the egg. "And once it has been taken within our Dark Lady's grasp, nothing in this world will be capable of stopping Her. Vengeance will be Hers at last."

"Fire and blood for The Dark Lady," Grit said with a sinister smile. "Long may She reign."

Grime's eyes glowed black, and then his voice was not entirely his own. "Yes. Long may I reign."