In the warmth of the golden sun did Celestia follow Silver Tongue, her coat painted with rainbows beneath the glassy canopy of the woods. Luna sat upon the alicorn’s back, her head turned skyward as the prismatic fireflies darted about.
“It’s fortunate you awakened so close to my home,” Silver said. “The Crystal Vale is the safest place in all of Clydestale. No monsters, no existential threats… just the wildlife, the foliage, and me.”
Celestia, keeping pace with Silver, stared out into the underbrush ahead. “Are there no other ponies in this land?”
“Oh, there are! Just not here,” Silver said.
“That sounds terribly lonely…” Celestia muttered.
Silver let out a gentle laugh. “It is. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you two.”
“Waiting for us? Was there some kind of prophecy or something?” Celestia said.
Luna’s eyes filled with wonder, a grin spreading across her face. She cleared her throat. “When the stars align, two princesses arrive…” she said. She paused for a moment and frowned in concentration. Her smile quickly returned, however. “For artifacts three, will our heroes strive!
Silver’s eyes widened. “Well now, we’ve got a little poet in our midst. Not bad at all, especially for your age!” she said.
Luna raised her head in pride, the shadows of the branches passing over the travelers as Celestia smiled. “So… is there a prophecy?”
Silver’s eyes glanced to the side. “Well… no. But your mother told me many, many long years ago that, some day, when Equestria was in great danger, you two would come here.”
“Years? Luna and I are still fillies… how long ago was this?” Celestia asked.
“It’s hard to say! I think I lost count somewhere around 300 years.”
Celestia’s mouth dropped. “300 years-!?”
“Yup! 300 years of patience and silence. I’m not sure how much time has passed back in Equestria since your mother and I last spoke,” Silver said.
“Wow! So you must be like… super old!” Luna said.
Celestia winced. “L-Luna! You don’t just call somepony old!”
“No, no, she’s right!” Silver chimed. “But since I’m an alicorn, 300 years is a mere drop in the bucket. I’d be long gone if I were still a unicorn.”
“Still a- wait… you mean you used to be a unicorn? Just like in the story?” Celestia asked.
“Oh, whoops, I was going to save that explanation for later… seems my pacing is a bit rusty,” Silver muttered under her breath. “See, the artifacts can make all sorts of fantasies come true. One of the first things I did when I got my hooves on them was turn myself into an alicorn!”
Luna gasped. “You can DO that??”
Celestia only scoffed as the trees thinned out around them. “Of course she can, Luna… anything written with the artifacts of imagination becomes real.”
Silver bit her lip as she led Celestia up a hill. “It’s not quite that simple, but yes. It was with that same power that I created the Crystal Vale.”
At this point, hardly anything surprised little Celestia, but this left her stammering. “Th-the entire vale?” she squeaked.
“That’s right! Everything you see here - from the edges of the Emerald Desert to the borders of Mount Frostmare - was all penned by yours truly. Impressed yet?” Silver said.
Celestia blinked in disbelief, before turning her attention to the top of the hill. She galloped past Silver to look out over the ridge, taking in a breath as the land sprawled out below.
She squinted in the unfettered brilliance of the light. To the left, the forest gave way to increasingly rocky foothills, a river tearing through the moors and diving over cliffs in a mist before spreading out into the wooded valley like branches. The highlands broke against a cliff face that towered into a sky-piercing mountain, a dense layer of snow coating its highest peaks. Beyond the moors and the fields, the sky seemed to darken with the approaching cover of night, stars twinkling in the distance.
The elder princess took a seat as Silver Tongue trotted up beside her, Luna taking in a huge, gasping breath at the scenery. “Woah… what a view…!” she said.
Celestia said nothing. She only let out the lightest awe-struck chuckle. “So… this is your home?”
“Sure is, little one. My treehouse lies just a little further ahead at the riverbend.”
“It’s so beautiful…” Celestia whispered.
Silver grinned. “You sure changed your tune quickly. Isn’t this world just begging to be explored?”
The little princess didn’t say a word. She was beginning to understand what Luna had meant when she said it all felt like a dream. Once upon a time, only in her own imagination could she have envisioned such a sight. Now, a vast and magical realm lay sprawled before her like a carefully woven tapestry.
Finally, Celestia cleared her throat and pulled her gaze away to meet Silver’s. “W-well… I’m still nervous. We’ve both lived in the castle our whole lives. We’re not adventurers.”
“You are right to be nervous,” Silver said. “The world is as terrifying as it is beautiful. Which of those you choose to focus on, however, is up to you.”
Celestia smiled. “Well… I guess that’s why mother wanted us to meet you, huh?”
“Yup!” Silver said. “With a little practice and a helping hoof to guide you, you two will be heroes of your own tales before long, mark my words!”
A gentle breeze rippled through the grass as Celestia, Luna, and Silver Tongue approached a gigantic tree, its branches reaching down before curling back up as if to catch the sun’s rays. The rushing waters of a river nearby graced their ears as the alicorns admired the tree above.
“Here we are, little ones. My not-so-humble abode,” Silver declared, raising a hoof.
Within the tree’s branches, Celestia could make out white wooden beams and walls. Diamond-shaped windows with clear glass and crystal flowers resting upon their sills gave tiny glimpses into the treehouse. Lavender vines decorated with fireflies hung from the uppermost layers of the tree, some of them draping over the slanted roofs of the house.
Luna hopped off Silver’s back. “Wow! I always wanted a treehouse… but mother said there aren’t any good trees for them back home,” she said.
“How do we get up?” Celestia asked.
“We fly, of course,” Silver said, spreading her wings.
Celestia’s heart skipped a beat as Silver took to the skies with a burst of wind, turning around to face them and hovering above.
“Come on, there’s so much I want to show you!”
Luna’s smile had vanished. She had shrunk back a bit, lowering her head and making reluctant eye-contact with her elder sister. Celestia could see the pain and fear in her eyes. “Uh… Silver Tongue…?”
“Don’t tell me you two can’t fly…” Silver said quietly in disbelief.
“We can! It’s just… well…” Celestia hesitated a moment, and Luna only nodded. With a sigh, Celestia faced Silver above. “Luna’s afraid of flying.”
“Afraid of-” Silver looked indignant for a moment, before her gaze softened. “Oh… I see… uhh… give me a second!”
With that, Silver took off and into the treehouse, landing on a balcony before darting inside.
Celestia turned to her sister again. “It’s okay, Luna. We’ll find another way up!”
“I-I hope so…” Luna said. “I’m sorry, sister.”
The elder princess looked into her little sister’s eyes, the glimmer of excitement now gone from those sapphire gems as Luna shuddered. Celestia reached out and nudged her. “Hey… you might not be able to fly like me, but you’re really good at magic!”
Luna cracked a bitter smile, lifting her head ever so slightly. “I guess… but I wanna be good at both.”
Celestia looked around anxiously, her mind scrambling to comfort and encourage the little alicorn. “U-uh… maybe Silver Tongue can help you learn!”
Luna frowned, looking away and pouting a bit. She mumbled something inaudible under her breath. Celestia tilted her head and leaned in. “S-sorry?”
“Helloooo down there!” Silver’s voice pierced the air again, prompting the fillies to return their gazes to the treehouse. Silver stood upon the balcony tightening a rope tied to a wooden bucket, before tossing the bucket over a sturdy branch. The rope whipped with a TWANG as the bucket pulled it taught, now swaying in front of the princesses. Silver was grinning from ear to ear, her tail moving side to side. “Hop in! I’ll pull you up!”
The girls exchanged a glance, Luna’s face wrought with concern. Celestia couldn’t help but mirror that nervousness, but put on a brave face. “Come on, it’s better than flying, right?” she said, spreading her wings as she pushed herself up into the air and floated down into the bucket, which shuddered as the branch sagged before returning to its position.
Luna didn’t seem convinced, but presented with no better option, she trotted up to the bucket, sizing it up and circling around it for a moment, before jumping at it. Her upper body slumped over the rim, wings fluttering violently as she scrambled before clambering into it with a grunt. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle as her sister popped up like a gopher, looking around as she brushed up against her sister.
“Ready?” Silver called to them.
Celestia nodded. “Uhuh!”
With a creak, the bucket lurched upwards, eliciting a squeak from Luna, who grabbed Celestia in a remarkably powerful embrace.
“A-ack- L-Luna, it’s okay!” Celestia muttered.
Luna loosened her grip. “S-sorry…”
Up, up and up the fillies rose, the slightest sway to the makeshift lift. The vines drifted past them, the foreign object scaring a few fireflies away. Luna let out a quivering sigh, her gaze locked on the treehouse above, refusing to look below. “I… want you to teach me how to fly…” Luna muttered.
Celestia, still trapped in her sister’s death grip, felt her heart warm within her chest. “O-... oh… I-I’m still learning too, so I don’t think I can really teach you-”
Celestia silenced herself as a crestfallen Luna turned to her. The elder princess thought fast. “B-but I could teach you what I do know!”
Once more, Luna’s smile returned, the little princess wiggling a bit as she pulled Celestia in closer. “Thanks, Tia…”
Celestia stifled a sigh of relief as she once again repelled her sister’s looming angst. Gosh, is THIS what mother has had to deal with when raising us?
Before long, the princesses were level with Silver, who bit her lip as her magic swung the bucket back towards the balcony.
Once they were on stable ground, the fillies hopped out, Luna giving the balcony a firm stomp or two to make sure it was stable. Silver wasted no time, trotting over to the door and inviting the girls inside. “Come along! I promise I’ll keep it brief.”
Celestia took the first steps. The soft goldenrod light of a lantern dangled from the ceiling, illuminating the interior of the cabin. A desk covered in papers lay just to the side of a spacious window that was indented into the wall. Beside the window was a board with even more scattered parchment and scribblings pinned to it.
Just beyond the desk, a pair of bookshelves stood side-by-side, the uppermost shelves covered in dust and populated by only a few thin tomes, while the lower shelves sagged with enormous leather volumes that had loose pages sticking out of them.
Furthest from the door, a flight of stairs lead up to a loft above where a feathered bed lay unmade, covers hanging off one side and a pillow with a distinct indent in its center hanging dangerously close to the edge.
Celestia’s gaze was drawn to the board of scrolls, squinting at the cursive. “This place is… uh… w-when was the last time you cleaned?”
Silver entered with Luna, an awkward smile across her face. “I never really have guests, so I never bothered!”
Luna was practically vibrating, her eyes wide with wonder. “It’s just like my room!” Luna exclaimed excitedly, prancing forward and nearly colliding with Celestia, who yelped as she tumbled backwards and into the board.
With a rattle, the board came loose and fell from the wall, laying partially overtop of Celestia as a few scattered papers floated down on top of her.
“S-sorry, Silver… I’ll fix this,” Celestia muttered, glaring at Luna, who had already galloped her way up to the loft.
Silver only chuckled as she lifted the board off Celestia’s head and leaned it up against the wall. “Worry not, little one. Perhaps having two fillies around will give me a reason to clean this place up of any… hazards.”
“You live here, Silver? This place is awesome!” Luna exclaimed as she dove into the bed, immediately vanishing inside the plush covers and rolling around in it.
“Well I would have sooner used the word… ‘spectacular’, or ‘stupendous’, or perhaps ‘resplendent’, but I suppose ‘awesome’ will suffice,” Silver mused. “From here, I come up with all sorts of adventures and mysteries. I’ve got everything I could ever want here: writing tools, a comfortable bed, a cozy workspace, and-”
There was a series of abrupt, frenzied chirps and whistles as something whizzed past Celestia’s face. The princess ducked as a crimson blur whirled about the room, squealing bloody murder before crashing into a cupboard and sending a bounty of pots and pans clattering to the floor. A high-pitched, muffled voice screeched from within the cupboard. “Children? CHILDREN? IN THESE HALLOWED HALLS!?”
A portly parrot burst out of the cupboard again, sending a flurry of feathers into the air, before the bogey landed on a chair by the desk, its feathers all ruffled as it shook its head violently. Silver beamed as the little bird flapped its wings and let out an irritated chirp. “And some company!” Silver said, finishing her thought. “Excellent narrative timing, Calliope!”
“Silver Tongue! What manner of mischief is this? I demand an explanation!” Calliope chirped.
“Easy there, friend! These two fillies have come from Equestria in search of the artifacts of imagination. Isn’t that delightful?”
“Delightful? You are already two days behind your writing quota! You don’t have time to-...” The parrot stopped herself as Luna trotted down to join Celestia. Calliope tilted her head 90-degrees and stared at the fillies with one beady eye. “Did you say… Equestria…?”
Silver only nodded. “Calliope, meet Celestia and Luna, Stella’s daughters!”
Luna’s jaw hung open in silence, while Celestia cleared her throat and bowed slightly. “A pleasure to meet you, Calliope!”
Calliope’s wings extended outwards as she let out a squawk. “Well pluck my plumage and twist my tailfeathers, our months of mediocrity have come to a close at last!” the bird exclaimed. “I am Calliope, muse of myriad memoirs and eloquent emissary extraordinair.”
Luna finally snapped out of her stupor. “A talking bird??”
Calliope jumped off the back of the chair, her talons lightly click-clacking against the floor until she stood before Luna, gazing up at her furiously. “‘A talking horse??’ Humph! The nerve! Look in a mirror, you malodorous malefactor!”
Luna blinked in confusion, and Celestia only stared as she tried to comprehend the parrot’s words.
Calliope looked indignant, raising her head. “I am insulting you! Act insulted!”
Silver began to snicker as Celestia narrowed her eyes. “Insulting us… how?”
Calliope only narrowed her eyes right back, before letting out a huff as she took off into the air, landing on Silver’s back. “I hate children.”
“In their presence, your verbose vocabulary avails you not. You may need to drop the poetic devices and speak plainly, little bird!” Silver sneered.
Calliope opened her mouth for another retort, but only grunted and looked away.
Satisfied with this response - or lack thereof - Silver returned her attention to the two princesses. “Calliope is my partner in crime. She travels the land and finds me all sorts of fascinating fancies to write about. As such, she knows more about Clydestale than anyone else.”
The gears began turning in Celestia’s head. “Does that mean she knows where the artifacts are?”
Silver looked over her shoulder at the bird. “Well?”
Calliope let out a sigh. “Put the board back on the wall and clear some of those papers off. I’ll show you.”
Silver grinned with glee. “Celestia, if you would be so kind?”
The elder princess nodded as her horn glimmered gold, her magic enveloping the board and lifting it back up. She stuck her tongue out in concentration, wiggling the board about until it snagged. Letting it hang, she quickly straightened it before taking a step back. “There!”
Silver’s own aura began pulling papers down off the board, removing little clips and pins to free the parchment and slowly revealing a map behind them. The mare took extra care to roll the scrolls back up and place them on the dusty upper shelves of the bookcase.
“What are all these papers for, anyways?” Luna asked.
Silver didn’t make eye-contact with Luna, continuing to gently put the scrolls away. “A-ah! Well… these are the silver scrolls; my theses on the craft of storytelling!”
“So they’re all about how to write a story?” Celestia asked.
“Sort of! It’s mostly a collection of my observations about what makes a narrative compelling and interesting,” Silver explained.
Celestia watched as the scrolls were magic’d over to the shelves, catching glimpses of silver ink within them. “Can we see them?”
“We can take some of them with us once we depart, so long as you promise not to read the ones written in gold,” Silver said.
“Why not?”
“I’m still… working on those ones,” Silver muttered, before admiring the map upon the board. “There we are! Where are we headed, Calliope?”
“Such a rush you’re in! Planning an adventure is not so simple as knowing your destination, you know,” Calliope scolded as she took flight, hovering in front of the board.
The dark, blotchy ink on the map painted an unfamiliar landscape in front of the fillies, who both took in a breath as they read the words ‘The Crystal Vale’ within the center. The central continent branched out in every direction as though looking at a tree’s canopy from below. Rivers, lakes and inlets shaped the landmass, the northernmost regions showing a smooth coastline, while the southern coasts were jagged and almost appeared like fingers and claws.
Calliope sized up the map for a bit, before picking up a pin from the desk and jabbing it into the map. “The Starfield Ink is being kept here,” Calliope stated.
The alicorns both leaned forward, finding the first pin placed in the ocean far to the north. Little black specs decorated the sea beyond the central continent. Luna was the first to speak. “In the middle of the ocean?”
Silver sighed, narrowing her eyes. “If only it were that simple. That is the sea of stars, which can only mean one thing…”
“Precisely,” Calliope said. “The Starfield Ink is appropriately under the protection of the Neighva, the starbound artists.”
“What a pain…” Silver grumbled. “But you’ll find no greater wielders of magic. If learning is your lean, the Neighva will be happy to provide it. The food there is also quite exquisite…”
Luna immediately looked at Celestia with a twinkle in her eye. “Hear that, Tia? Just think of the kinda magic we could learn!”
Celestia gave her little sister a bitter sweet smile. “Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt! Especially if we’re going on an adventure like this.”
“As for the Quill of Tales…” Calliope said, retrieving another pin. Veering to the right, she squinted, before placing the pin on what appeared to be a dense forest. “The Melodine of Oakenbray are its keepers.”
Silver lit up a bit at that. “Oh, delightful! I can’t remember the last time I attended a Melodine concert! I wonder what sort of musical epics they’ve created since my last visit…”
Celestia gazed at the map, drawing a mental line from the vale to Oakenbray. “But it’s so far away…”
Calliope nodded. “Indeed; between us and them lies the dunes of the Emerald Desert, and the ashen wastes of Vulcanheim.”
Silver’s cheerful expression melted away in an instant. “Oh, I’d forgotten about Vulcanheim...”
“What’s wrong with Vulcanheim?” Luna asked.
“What isn’t wrong with Vulcanheim?” Silver muttered. “It’s filled with craters and crevices, many of which are filled with lava, and the heat is searing. Last time I was there, I thought my feathers would burn clean off!”
Celestia gulped nervously. “I-is there another way?”
“No way quite so quick, little filly,” Calliope declared. “Do not worry, I’m sure your coat will only be mildly singed.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, Calliope…” Silver said. “What about the Book of Light?”
Calliope paused for a moment, glancing back and forth between the map and Silver. “Erm… the Book of Light… of course… uh…”
Silver narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know where it is, do you?”
“Nonsense! Of course I know where it is! I think…” Calliope trailed off as she retrieved a pin. She scanned the map again as the alicorns waited patiently.
“Now isn’t the time for guesses,” Silver chided.
“Here!” Calliope suddenly lurched forward and stuck the pin into the map, flapping her wings viciously as she pulled away to let the others take a look. “Or at least… somewhere in that area!”
The pin was far to the south-west, right in the middle of a mountain range. Silver’s eyes widened with surprise. “You mean to say it’s with the Bronco’nuks?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Calliope confirmed.
Silver bit her lip. “That explains your uncertainty…” The mare turned to the princesses with a look of concern. “The Bronco’nuks are a nomadic folk… they never settle in one place for long. As a result, I fear it may be difficult to locate them. They never leave the frigid southern regions of Clydestale, and few care to seek them out due to their nomadic nature.”
“So we’d have to search for them? In all of that area?” Celestia asked, lifting a hoof and waving it in front of the southern mountains and tundras.
Luna groaned. “I don’t like the cold…”
“Yes, it will be no easy task, but between Calliope’s scouting and a few favors I need to call in… we should be able to find them,” Silver explained.
“I sure hope so,” Celestia whispered. “We are not prepared for this at all…”
Silver gazed down at the fillies, inspecting them. “Hmm… I wouldn’t be so sure. As much as I hate to admit it… I think our first destination should be the Sea of Stars. Our route there takes us through the moors of Cobnshire, which is home to a folk I am particularly close with. They will be able to help us reach the Sea of Stars. What’s more, it’s by far the safest of the three journeys. Perfect beginner adventurer material!”
Luna wiggled a bit with excitement. “And you’ll come with us, right?”
“Of course! I’m not about to send a couple of fillies into the unknown… what kind of mentor would I be then?”
“Mentor? You’re acting as their mentor??” Calliope exclaimed. “Mentors DIE in coming-of-age stories like this, you fool!”
Silver’s eyes widened as she whipped around. “Not all the time! And don’t say things like that in front of the fillies! They’re scared enough as is.”
Celestia’s mind raced back to at least one or two tales involving a crucial mentor-student relationship. She shuddered. “But… this isn’t a story, right?” Celestia asked.
Silver blinked as she faced the filly, before a soft smile spread across her face. “Well… maybe not in the traditional sense, but… everyone’s life is a story in its own right, isn’t it?” Silver said. “Don’t worry, little one. I have no intentions of making any heroic sacrifices or final stands.”
Calliope scoffed. “No one ever does…”
“Quiet, you. As for the Neighva… their domain lies far beyond the clouds, where the very stars themselves are within reach,” Silver explained. “Not even an alicorn’s mighty wings can carry you that high.”
“How will we get there, then?” Celestia wondered aloud.
“With an ancient and powerful magic. If you’ve read my journal, you may already know about the rising falls. It is by awakening the Light within the waters that the falls will rise once more and carry us into the heavens,” Silver explained.
“I remember! I remember!” Luna exclaimed, quickly opening up the journal and flipping through its pages. “You were… what’s the word… investigating the magic there!”
Silver beamed, leaning down to look at the journal over Luna’s shoulder. “That’s right! It’s truly extraordinary. No finer sights will you see in all the realm.”
“So… we’re heading north, then?” Celestia clarified.
“Precisely. We will set out in 30 minutes!” Silver declared.
Celestia’s eyes widened and she shook her head in surprise. “S-so soon?”
“I concur…” Calliope said. “Aren’t you being a little too enthusiastic, Silver Tongue?”
Silver tilted her head. “I don’t see why there’s any cause to delay. A fast paced adventure is an exciting adventure!”
Celestia grimaced a bit as Luna vibrated beside her. “But we still need time to adjust to… well, all of this! Not all stories are so quick!” Celestia said.
A look of surprise washed over Silver’s face as she stared at Celestia wordlessly. Calliope’s gaze also settled upon her, and the elder princess found all eyes on her. Celestia cleared her throat, fumbling over her words. “I-I uh… a story doesn’t… have to be fast to be interesting, does it?”
Calliope chirped looking up at Silver. “A storyteller in the making, it seems.”
Silver smiled as she rolled her eyes. “I suppose our tastes differ… very well! We shall slow down… but tomorrow morning, we depart.”
Celestia let out a sigh of relief as Luna brushed up against her. “So does that mean… we’re having a sleepover?”
Silver trotted over to the kitchen. “We will be having many sleepovers, my little ponies. We’ve got a long road ahead of us, after all!”
Luna cantered on the spot, a wide grin across her face. “Yesssss! I’ve always wanted to have a sleepover!”
Celestia only stared as her sister pranced back up the steps to the loft. The elder princess sighed as Luna dove into the bed above again and Silver began putting away the pots and pans that had been disturbed earlier.
A slight gust of air passed over Celestia’s left ear, causing it to flick. She turned to find Calliope landing on the seat of the desk chair beside her, the parrot’s head jerking to the side and eyeing the princess up. “You are right to be stressed,” Calliope said. “Being the ‘voice of reason’ is a heavy burden.”
“H-huh? Voice of reason- no, I’m just… if we aren’t careful, we’re gonna get hurt,” Celestia muttered.
Calliope nodded sagely. “Right you are… and yet, a life without risk is a life without growth… and a life without growth, is an empty life indeed.”
Celestia’s mouth hung open a bit, the world around her melting away a bit. “But isn’t that asking for trouble?”
“Not with a little discipline. Growth is not about seeking risks, but rather overcoming them when they arrive.”
“I see… I just hope my sister doesn’t go jumping into danger in the presence of Silver,” Celestia said.
“Do not worry, princess. Just as you bring your sister down to earth, so too shall I bring Silver Tongue to heel,” Calliope said.
Celestia gave Calliope a painful smile. “Thank you… I’m glad you’re here. Silver seems a bit…”
“Wild and unhinged?”
“Out of control,” Celestia said. “Maybe she just… really wants to do something exciting for once, just like my sister. We’ve lived in the castle our whole lives and are always under constant watch, so we haven’t been in any real danger until today.”
“Hmm… perhaps it is because you are older that this danger is more real to you,” Calliope reasoned.
“Maybe…” Celestia said as she looked at the floor. “I just hope it finally clicks for her before she gets herself hurt.”