//------------------------------// // The Most Mysterious Mentor // Story: Solar and Lunar // by marmalado //------------------------------// As the moon sat high in the sky, Izzy let her wings take her soaring across grassy fields, through thick woods, and past all sorts of ponies. Her suitcase levitated beside her, and she made sure to be careful with its contents as she did all sorts of aerial stunts she had never dreamed of doing but seemingly came naturally to her. The moon and stars seemed to provide her with power that she never had before, in both unicorn magic and Pegasus flight. Where before she felt hostility and hesitance at her new change of race, she now felt freedom and acceptance. She felt like she could fly forever in the night, doing midair swirls and enjoying a nice change of scenery from her dreary Bridlewood hometown. She stopped and made a bit of a rough landing, doing another faceplant on the ground. Clearly, those were what she needed to work on the most -- she was never the most graceful pony in Equestria. She got up and rubbed dirt off of her face before eyeing her surroundings. Although she had no idea where she was going, it wouldn't matter if she got lost. After all, it would be more time spent with her hooves off the ground and away from her parents. Several ways into her journey, she became lost, and started to worry. Trotting along a rocky path through some woods, she heaved a sigh. She hadn't accounted for her wings growing tired enough to give her a lack of support, forcing her to land and make part of the trip on hoof. Maybe I should go to sleep, she thought, gazing up at the moon that shone as bright as it always did. Being tired won't do me any good. Suddenly, her horn began to glow brighter. She widened her eyes, knowing that she herself wasn't strengthening the grip on her suitcase that remained levitating at her side. "What's going on?" she asked aloud, bracing herself for the worst. In an instant, she felt herself being dragged forcefully down the trail she was walking...only she was going back the way she came, not forward. Her suitcase, now wrapped up in a more fierce magical aura, followed suit. Izzy, realizing that it was "shiny magic thingie in the castle, lemme grab it and see what happens" all over again, didn't bother to fight, instead stifling a groan. Well, I guess one good thing is that I'm not going fast... A yawn escaped her. And I am getting sleepy... As she emerged from the woods, she could see the moon and the stars watching over the whole of Equestria. She had to wonder if they were the cause of this, but she had been hit with a wave of drowsiness and she was forced to put the thought aside for now. Her eyes slowly closed, and she could have sworn she saw the stars twinkling a special "good night" message to her as she was swept away into dreamland. Sunny strained against the weight of the sun. Although she was attempting to work with it, for some reason, it just didn't want to come up this morning. After much struggle, the sun eventually rose, and the little filly could relax. "Daaaaad!" she whined. "When am I gonna be able to move the sun without it fighting with me?" "In time, Sunny-bunny." Argyle called from where he was standing in the doorway of their home. "Now come inside and have some breakfast. We need to finish packing." "Okay!" She got up and started to walk towards the house, but stopped. She wondered if this would be a good time to practice her flight skills -- after all, if she was going on a journey to meet the source of the mysterious voice, flying would make it go by much quicker. Extending her wings, she slowly flapped them, and was surprised when they lifted her off the ground. Perhaps even more surprising than that was the revelation that she had gotten surprisingly better at flying. It felt more natural to her now than it had before, and she couldn't help but give a hearty laugh as she soared across her front yard. She made a mental note to have some fun with flying later, instead stopping the fun early and parking herself at the doorstep. "Dad, Dad, did you see me?" she asked, closing the door behind her. "No, I didn't. What happened?" "I was really really flying! It was soooo much fun!" Sunny trotted in place. "I wanna fly all the time!" Argyle chuckled. "You're doing wonderful." Sunny made her way over to the kitchen table and took a seat, eyeing her rather delicious breakfast of sliced-up chocolate chip pancakes, her favorite kind. She glanced at the fork that sat next to the plate, then got an idea. Her horn lit up with magic, capturing the handle of the fork in its illustrious aura and moving it towards the pancakes. She took a piece and levitated it up to her mouth, relishing the taste of it when it hit her tongue. I did it? Oh my gosh, I really did it! A smile formed on her maw as she chewed and swallowed. Eagerly, she tried her hoof at eating the other pancake pieces using only her magic, and was surprised at how easier it was over using her hooves. "How is it?" Argyle asked, sitting down across from his daughter and proceeding to eat his own stack of pancakes. "It's so good!" Sunny swallowed her final piece of pancake. "Thanks, Dad!" "Don't mention it." Argyle nodded. "Go get ready, okay? I'll see you off." Sunny hopped down from the table and raced to her room as fast as her little legs and hooves would carry her. Most of her stuff was packed already -- all she needed were a couple more essentials. She took the lantern her father had made for her and slipped it inside her saddlebag, knowing that it would help on dark nights spent in caves, if she just so happened to stumble across one. Her stuffed bear, her rollerskates and a couple snacks she had also went inside the backpack. She emerged from her room just as her father had finished washing the dishes. "Okay, Dad, I'm ready!" "All right. Now, let's go to the edge of Maretime Bay." "Why there?" "You'll see." It was all he said as he left the house, Sunny following suit with her saddlebag in tow. Sure enough, after about a minute of walking, her horn began to glow a bright orange. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged along the ground just as the amulet had dragged her across the ground before, her horn shimmering with magic. "Dad, what's happening?!" she cried, extending a hoof out to her father, simply trotting along as he kept pace. "The sun is guiding you, Sunny-Bunny. If you don't know where you're going, it'll help push you in the right direction. Or, well..." He chuckled. "I guess pull you in the right direction." Sunny flapped her wings aggressively, hoping that her Pegasus powers would win against her unicorn powers in this war of attrition. Unfortunately, they did about as much damage as a pebble thrown at a brick wall. "Don't try to fight it." Argyle advised. "Just go with the flow. It'll take you to where you need to go." He stopped trotting, leaving Sunny in dismay as she extended a hoof to him. "I'll be back soon, Dad! I love you!" "I'll miss you every second, sweetie! Love you too!" Argyle waved as he watched his daughter become nothing more than a speck in the distance, the flash of her horn also becoming a speck with it. His smile, once plastered proudly on his face, slowly but surely turned into a frown as he made his way back home. How long will it take her to come back? Across the span of a couple days and nights, Sunny and Izzy made the journey over to "the edge of the daisy fields". Sunny, being empowered by the sun, traveled during the daytime, when the warmth would guide her and her horn would lead her to her destination. The only time she stopped was at night, usually to eat, to sleep, or to go to the bathroom. Izzy, being empowered by the moon, traveled during the nighttime, but only because that's when her horn would actually work and drag her along the ground towards her destination. For some reason, it adamantly refused to do it during the daytime, meaning that if she wanted to continue on her journey then, she had to rely on her Pegasus flight or keep her hooves on the ground, and risk getting lost no matter what option she picked. As dusk fell across Equestria, Izzy approached "the edge of the daisy fields", and marveled at their beauty as she stroked one with her hooves. Flowers were quite a rarity back in Bridlewood -- after the loss of magic, nopony was motivated to start or maintain a garden -- so whenever she passed by some, she made sure to smell them and even pick some from time to time. "Izzy Moonbow." Izzy immediately looked up, and saw a rather mysterious cloaked figure approaching her. Behind the figure was none other than Sunny Starscout, wearing a rather bashful face expression. Slowly, the mysterious figure took the brown cloak off, revealing an alicorn with purple fur and light blue tints, on both her body and her large, elegant wings. Her mane and tail were both ethereal storms of color, bearing stripes of light, dark and navy blue, as well as stripes of purple and pink. Her cutie mark was of trees, gusts of wind, fire and water, creating a circle around a pink heart. It shone so radiantly that both Izzy and Sunny couldn't help but notice. "Y-y-y-you're an...alicorn?!" Sunny's eyes grew to be the size of saucers, and her jaw dropped. She almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Indeed." "What...how?" Izzy asked. "There aren't any alicorns in Equestria! I mean, besides us, of course. And you." "That is where you are incorrect." the alicorn said. "Many moons ago, there lived four alicorns: Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Each alicorn was in charge of a certain aspect of Equestria -- Celestia ruled the sun, Luna ruled the moon, Cadence ruled over love, and Twilight ruled over friendship." Izzy shared a glance with Sunny and shrugged, knowing that she wasn't as much of a history buff as the orange filly was. "Under their reigns, Equestria lived in harmony for a long time. But that harmony was broken when a unicorn decided to spread mistrust and division instead of love and devotion." "Wait! Can I ask you a question? Pretty please?" Sunny took a couple steps forward. "Of course." "Do you know...do you know what happened to the princesses?" the alicorn filly asked. "My dad doesn't know...he's researched the princesses for years, but he has no idea what happened to them." The mysterious alicorn remained silent, merely looking ahead at the daisy field that surrounded them. After a minute or two had passed, a sigh escaped her lips. "They passed away." "Passed...away?" Izzy tilted her head. "What does that mean?" "They died." Sunny responded, her voice cracking as she tried to process the news. "I know what you are thinking. You think alicorns are immortal, do you not?" The mysterious alicorn chuckled. "Sad to say, that is but a myth. Alicorns do pass away in due time, like any other creature." "So Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight...all died?" "That is correct, Sunny Starscout." The mysterious alicorn nodded. "All from old age." "So how are you still alive, then?" Izzy asked. "I am a rather complicated case." the mysterious alicorn said. "Please, do sit down, and I will tell you my story." Sunny and Izzy did as they were told, sharing a glance with each other once more before opening up their ears to hear their mentor's tragic tale. Prior to becoming an alicorn, I had been nothing more than a simple Earth pony who often studied the world we lived in. I was rather fascinated with the planet I called my home, and I would spend hours telling creatures about its hidden wonders. I was born during the great reign of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Under their rule, Equestria was peaceful, with nary any strife. Any threats that came our way were swiftly dealt with. One day, I bumped into Princess Twilight in Canterlot by complete chance. Growing up in one of Equestria's most elite cities, I heard endless talk about royalty. Meeting the Princess personally was one of the greatest honors bestowed upon a creature, and so, I decided to take this chance to get to know her. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry!" I backed up, my eyes growing wide as I saw whom I had bumped into. "I didn't mean-" "Relax, my little pony." Twilight soothed. "It's all right. Don't worry about it. What's your name?" "I'm...Terra." "Terra. What a lovely name." Princess Twilight tilted her head. "Why 'Terra'?" "I, um...I love Equestria!" I exclaimed. "I study it all the time. A-and the world we live in, too, as a whole." "Hmm?" An expression of thought crossed the Princess's face. In that moment, my heart was racing. I had no idea how she would react. "How interesting. What say you stop by the castle for some tea, and you can teach me all about what you've learned?" Any nervousness I had completely dissipated. "Really?" "Of course. It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know one of my subjects better." "Oh, yes! Thank you so much, Princess! Um, I'm available tomorrow. Around 2:00. Would that work?" Twilight thought for a second, and then nodded. I was thrilled. I had somehow planned a tea time session with the ruler of Equestria. Other creatures could not care less about what I had to say about our world, but here was a pony who seemed completely invested in it, and I could not be happier. The very next day, I showed up early to the castle. Princess Twilight and I had a wonderful time together. But it was what she said at the end of our session that stuck with me. "Terra, I have been thinking about the land beyond our home." she said. "You said it yourself: the world is vast, and there are many places which haven't yet been explored." Her face then fell. "My domain is Equestria, and always has been. But I believe there is somepony that is willing to go further than Equestria. To protect the world we live in, and all of the cities, countries and kingdoms that reside within it." She held my neck with her hoof. "I believe you are that pony." "M-me?" "However wrong it is of me to place my trust in a pony I only just met..." Her gaze was stern, but warm. "I trust that with your knowledge and your passion, you will do a fine job." The next thing I knew, I had been somehow transported to this other realm. A realm that few ponies had been in before. And then, within the blink of an eye, Princess Twilight's magic encompassed me, bathing me in a cocoon. I woke up with wings on my back and a long, elegant unicorn horn on my forehead. "Wait...Princess..." I had said, feebly extending a hoof as she walked away. "Does this...I mean...I have so many questions..." "I am willing to answer them another time, Terra. I'm so sorry, but I must go." And with that, she had left, leaving me rather dizzy and confused. It would not be until the following month that I would get the answers I was so direly seeking. Princess Twilight had made me an alicorn, like she was, although I was not named a princess. My duty was to travel across the world, assisting other kingdoms and other creatures outside of Equestria. And so, that is what I did, for many years. In my travels, I had gotten wind of a mysterious unicorn who was sowing the seeds of fear and mistrust among the ponies of Equestria, and I had also gotten wind of Princess Twilight sealing the world's magic into the Unity Crystals. The tragedies that came about as a result of the mysterious unicorn also affected me, and the cities and countries I visited. Some I had visited were wiped out completely when I returned for a second visit, both in land and in population. Many moons later, I was summoned back to Canterlot. I had expected this summons was going to be a rather serious one, and that it was. The Princess was on her deathbed. She gazed up at me with glossy purple eyes that lacked any sort of life. "Terra..." "Yes, Princess Twilight?" "You must...you must..." A round of coughing interrupted her words. "You must protect Equestria." "P-protect Equestria?" I blinked. "But I am not a princess like you are. You never named a successor." "That I did not. And that is because Equestria is in another era of harmony. One that I expect to last for many years after I'm gone." I sat on her words for a moment. She was right -- following the Unity Crystals' creation, things had been rather peaceful. Perhaps it was for the best that she had not named a successor, if Equestria was expected to remain harmonious. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had long since passed away, meaning that she had no more co-rulers left. "Please. Protect Equestria. Protect our world. And keep the Unity Crystals safe..." Her eyes slowly closed, and what tumbled from my lips was a question I knew I would not get an answer for. "How?" I watched with my own two eyes as the ruler of Equestria died. I knew that it was not from illness or some outside force -- it was due to natural causes. Age had caught up with the Princess and had taken her life, just as it did for every living creature in this world. The funeral for her was a heartbreaking ordeal in more ways than one. Although Equestria remained peaceful, it was quite clear that most creatures were in a state of grief and sadness that wouldn't go away. To some, I was believed to be the next ruler, and was mistakenly referred to as such. As much as I wanted to entertain such fantasies, I had to break the news that I was nothing more than an alicorn without a title, who was directly ordered by Princess Twilight to travel across Equestria. As I traveled across the world, I came to a realization. Perhaps one day, Equestria could be a more happier and livelier place. Not gripped in the thralls of depression and grief, but gripped in the thralls of joy and excitement instead. I made my decision to see this through, and using a few spell books that served as remnants of Princess Twilight's legacy, I mastered a spell that would allow me to freeze myself for many, many moons, with no repercussions. By using this spell in a remote location, I remained frozen where no creature could find me and thaw me out. I emerged, in time...but it seems this world is not as joyous and full of life as I had expected it to be. "You're right." Sunny explained. "The ponies here lost their magic. Now, Earth ponies, Pegasi and unicorns live in three separate cities, and they all hate each other!" "Lost their magic...so the Unity Crystals were separated?" Sunny and Izzy both shrugged. Terra took a moment to think, but it didn't last long, as Izzy piped up with another question. "So how do you know about us?" "Hm?" Terra tilted her head. "A short while after Princess Twilight had passed away, a scroll was found that told of a group of ponies who would be the new saviors of Equestria if it ever fell into turmoil and disharmony again." Sunny's eyes widened as she glanced at Izzy. Well, there's Princess Izzy...but who are the other ponies? She had to admit, she didn't know of any other ponies besides Hitch Trailblazer, her best friend. Is he one of the "group of ponies"? "...five ponies." Sunny was brought back to her senses by Terra finishing up an explanation to Izzy, whom had most likely asked another question. "What about five ponies?" "That is how many are in the group. I could recite the scroll from memory, if you so prefer." "Yes please!" Sunny and Izzy said in unison, nodding furiously. Terra cleared her throat. "In times of uncertainty, in times of division, in times of mistrust, five ponies will rise up and save the wondrous land of Equestria from collapsing. Together, these five ponies will develop a bond of friendship unlike any that has been seen before, and will serve as the new saviors of Equestria for many moons to come." "Is there a picture?" Sunny asked. "Of the five ponies?" Terra shook her head. "You two are some of the saviors. But I do suspect..." Her gaze swept across the fields again. "If Princess Twilight's group was comprised of two Pegasi, two Earth ponies, and two unicorns...then perhaps this group will have the same ratio." "So two alicorns, two Earth ponies, and one unicorn?" Izzy tilted her head. "Or two alicorns, two Pegasi, and one Earth pony?" Sunny gasped. "Wait! But...with magic gone, all three races were separated. How are we gonna convince two Pegasi and one Earth pony to work with us?" "You carry traits of all three races. There is little doubt in my mind that will be the key to bringing you all together, and restoring peace and unity to Equestria once more." Terra waved her leg free of a fly that had decided to make it a good resting spot. "In the meantime, I would like to train you both in the ways of being an alicorn." "Huh?" "Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow. You are but fillies who have just recently become alicorns. Trust me when I say you both have a long way to go until you master your new abilities and powers." Terra explained. "I expect you to have a more firm grip on them when you are fully grown, and as an alicorn myself, I would like to help you get there." Izzy's eyes widened, and she nodded furiously. "Yes!" Sunny, on the other hoof, was rather hesitant. "But what about our families? My dad-" "Do not worry. I will send a letter to both of your families. I am sure they will be very understanding." With her horn alight, Terra conjured up two scrolls and two quills, and got to writing. "Izzy?" Sunny glanced at her friend. "What about your family?" The alicorn filly merely scoffed. "My dad wanted me to come here, but my mom didn't. She thought I would get stolen. I'll miss them, I guess, but..." She gazed at the sky. "I wanna become the bestest princess Equestria's ever seen! And I trust Terra to help me!" "That's the spirit." Terra chuckled. "Although I would not refer to yourself as a princess just yet. That title must be earned." "Aww." Izzy kicked the ground with her hoof. "And where are we gonna stay?" In response to Sunny's question, Terra extended her front leg towards a rather large tree, fully in bloom with pink leaves hanging on its branches. "I have carved out a home in there." "Ooh, can we go see it?" Izzy asked. "Of course. But first, I believe you need to do something." Terra pointed at the darkening sky. "Why don't you try moving the moon this time?" "Um...well, I would, but...I don't know how." "Lemme help you!" Sunny smiled as she sat next to Izzy. "Use your magic and latch onto the moon, then work with it as a team in lowering it. Don't force it!" Izzy let out a soft groan as she lit up her horn. The moon appeared to be caught in her magic, although she couldn't see it. She watched as Sunny's horn also lit up before she began to lower the sun. She's so great at it already... A pang of jealousy began to grip her heart, but she fought it off and tried to focus on her task. Following her friend's movements as closely as she could, she successfully raised the moon just as Sunny lowered the sun. "Wonderful job. I see you are already making a fine duo." Terra nodded. "Now that we have our duties out of the way, follow me, please." She began to take flight and headed off towards the tree. Sunny and Izzy, taking their items with them, quickly followed suit, using their own wings to keep up with the much bigger alicorn. What met the two fillies upon arrival was a rather elaborate and homely tree house, complete with a living room, functional kitchen, and stairs leading to a second floor that housed three large bedrooms. Sunny commented that "it's like you just built this", and Terra explained that "you are right -- I built this with my magic as soon as I thawed out." Sunny and Izzy put their luggage in their new rooms as Terra encouraged them to decorate them however they liked. Once that was done, the alicorn mare got to work cooking a meal for the two of them. "Hey, Terra..." Sunny asked. "How do you get stuff you need? Like food?" "After Princess Twilight's death, I began reading about all sorts of spells, knowing that if I were to thrive in an improved Equestria, I would need a strong magical arsenal." Terra sighed. "The Princess taught me how to control and use my new magic and flight abilities, but she never taught me any advanced magic. So I took it upon myself to learn some. One of the spells I learned was the ability to disguise yourself as another pony. When I thawed out, I used that spell to transform into a Pegasus, Earth pony or unicorn pony to buy needed items in other towns." "But how did you know the three races were separated?" Izzy asked. "I flew across Equestria to see what it was like. What I found was separation and fearmongering, in addition to a lack of magic." Terra emerged from the kitchen, levitating three bowls of macaroni and cheese. "Here you are." "One of my favorites!" Sunny eagerly lit up her horn and levitated her bowl. "Thank you!" "Thank you." "It is no problem at all. It is hot, so be careful." Terra took a seat in a chair on the other side of the room, watching as the fillies happily scarfed down their meals as though they hadn't eaten for weeks. Once they were done, the trio headed outside, where the moon and the stars shone brightly in the sky. "What do you feel, Izzy?" Terra asked. "I feel..." The filly placed a hoof on her heart. "So powerful. Like I can do anything." She let out a holler as she soared into the air, Terra following suit. "The moon enhances your powers. Likewise, the sun enhances Sunny's powers." she explained. "You both have plenty of power already, but the moon and the sun make it stronger." "Really? That's so cool!" Izzy exclaimed. "Do you know any cool nighttime spells?" "Yes. I'm more than happy to teach you some. But let's do it tomorrow night. I'm sure you must be very tired from your journey here." Terra and Izzy both descended, finding that Sunny's eyes were half-lidded. "I feel fine, though." Izzy complained. "Even the future Princess of the Night needs her rest. Now come on." Terra took off towards the tree house. It was a minute or so before the two fillies followed her, eager to get some sleep and learn more about alicornhood from this kindhearted and wise mentor who definitely wasn't so mysterious anymore. Argyle watched the sun go down and the moon go up, a small smile forming before he began to make his way back inside. The second he stepped hoof in the house, a scroll magically appeared in front of his face and dropped to the floor. To whom it may concern: Your daughter, Sunny Starscout, has much to learn about being an alicorn. In order to help her succeed in becoming a future ruler of Equestria, I have decided to take her under my wing for the foreseeable future. Please, do not be alarmed -- I am not your enemy, but instead, I am an ally. I promise that I will keep her safe, protected, and healthy, and I hope that you may see her again when she is fully grown and fully accustomed to her new destiny and her new role. Argyle's eyes widened as he read the note over and over, just in case he was missing something important. After a moment of panic, however, the smile returned to his maw. My little Sunny-bunny...I hope you grow up to be the kind and regal alicorn I know you can be. Take care, and have fun with your new teacher. He made his way to the kitchen and started making dinner, for one this time. He had to admit that it would be lonely without Sunny running around the house, interrupting him during his research with her requests to play with him. But he held hope that someday, she would return to him all grown up, more powerful than anypony in Equestria while still having a soft heart for the one who had raised her. As he laid a pot full of water on the stovetop, he glanced at the front door. I wonder if I should stop by Scarlet's house tomorrow and tell Hitch...it would be nice for him to know where his friend has gone. Many a playdate between the filly and colt was supervised by Argyle, and he was always grateful that Sunny had at least one friend that didn't shun her or tease her for her broad-minded views. Yes...perhaps it's best if I go over and break the news. How to go about it without causing alarm, though... The evening went by like most any other evening. Argyle spent time in his Research Room, hoping to accrue enough knowledge about ancient Equestria to pass along to his daughter when she returned. It was around 2:00 in the morning when he realized that it was getting late, and decided to turn into bed. On the way to his room, he passed by Sunny's room, with her door still ajar. It was a bit of a mess at the moment, with toys of the Guardians of Harmony littered all over. It seemed she hadn't cleaned it even after he had told her to. After a couple minutes passed, he sighed and closed the door. Lying in bed, with his room illuminated by the moonlight, he looked at the picture frame he had on his nightstand. It was of Sunny as a foal, being held by her mother with Argyle posing beside her, his leg draped around her. Oh, honey...I wish you could see our daughter now. You would be so proud of her, always cheering her on as she masters complex spells like a unicorn and soars through the air with all the grace of a Pegasus. Another sigh left him. He almost felt like crying in that moment, the same way he did when the Maretime Bay Police showed up at his door that fateful day and informed him of her death. It had taken him quite a while to grieve -- he could still remember the mixed wave of emotions he felt for months afterwards, wondering how he was going to take care of Sunny. But he had done a great job so far, or so he thought. Although it was a lonesome and daunting feat, he knew that Sunny was going to grow up to be a great pony, and he knew that he was doing the best he could for her. His eyes slowly closed, the memories of his late wife playing in his head like a movie as he slipped into unconsciousness. Another agonized scream rippled through La Villa Izzy. Astral Crown dropped his fork into his salad and let out a groan. She's been doing that for hours... "Where is she?! Where is Isabella?!" Stella marched down the stairs. "Astral, we need to find her!" "Would you just calm down?" Astral rolled his eyes. "Izzy is fine." "No she's not! She could have been abducted by one of those Earth ponies and eaten by them! Or- or killed by one of those nasty Pegasi! Or-" Astral perked up when he heard a pause in his wife's hysterical tirade. He paused in his eating and trotted into the living room, finding her reading a scroll. To whom it may concern: Your child, Izzy Moonbow, has much to learn about being an alicorn. In order to help her succeed in becoming a future ruler of Equestria, I have decided to take her under my wing for the foreseeable future. Please, do not be alarmed -- I am not your enemy, but instead, I am an ally. I promise that I will keep her safe, protected, and healthy, and I hope that you may see her again when she is fully grown and fully accustomed to her new destiny and her new role. Stella's breathing quickened with every sentence she read. Astral, likewise, was wracked with panic when he took a look at the scroll for himself. "Our daughter...she's..." "Not coming back?!" The sheer volume of Stella's scream could knock down the entire house if it wasn't weaved and built into a tree. "No. No, this can't be! This thing...this creature...this ugly, vile creature has taken our daughter!" Astral opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't get a word in edgewise before Stella rested a hoof on his chest. "This is what I was so concerned about, Astral. My suspicions were right. She was abducted, and certainly not by a unicorn." "You don't know what race they are." "What unicorn in Bridlewood would go and steal somepony else's child? In case you haven't noticed, nopony has wanted to do anything since magic has disappeared." "Honey, you are being completely unreasonable about this. You're not thinking rationally." "I am thinking perfectly rationally." Stella began to head for the front door. "And just where do you think you're going?" "To find our daughter. To take her back from her abductor, maybe give them a piece of my mind while I'm at it. I'll bring her back home even if it kills me." "But you don't have magic! How are you-" The slam of the door interrupted Astral, and he let out a sigh as he rubbed his forehead. Honestly, with how paranoid she's been, I'm surprised she hasn't announced a divorce yet... But we have Izzy to care for. He picked up the scroll and read it over and over again, making sure that he hadn't misread or misinterpret anything. Sure enough, Izzy had been taken in by a strange ally. Moving over to the couch, he picked up the note that his daughter had left, and read it once more. Mom, Dad, I'm leaving. To the edge of the daisy fields. I dunno when I'll be back, but I hope I'll see you soon. Don't worry too much about me. I can handle my own. And if I don't return...then someday, I hope I make you proud. Love, Izzy Moonbow A sudden pain gripped his heart, and he felt tears pricking at his eyes. As paranoid as his wife was, he couldn't deny that her intentions were noble and partially justified. She loved Izzy with all of her heart just as much as he did. Unfortunately, her mental health had been in a declining state ever since the loss of magic, and the ponies of Bridlewood losing their luster certainly didn't help matters. Many times, Astral had thought about helping her get better, but abandoned the thoughts when they all circled back to the same old question of "how can I help her?" He certainly couldn't go to other towns for help -- no doubt they'd freak out about seeing two unicorns walk into town, even if they were begging for assistance. He returned to the kitchen and ate his salad, looking out the window as depressed fillies, colts, mares and stallions passed by. With his wife and daughter gone, now he was the only unicorn who wasn't depressed, and it made him feel rather lonely. The only thing keeping him from succumbing into despair was the hope that was alive in his heart -- the hope that someday, Stella and Izzy would return home, safe and sound. As he placed the empty bowl into the sink and made his way upstairs, he stopped to look at the family pictures that stood on a cabinet full of porcelain unicorns that his mother had collected. Some were from happier times, while others were from times where magic had disappeared. He couldn't help but smile at the memories. Maybe it's for the best that this "ally" trains Izzy. She's an alicorn now, after all. I know she wouldn't get abducted by some crazy Pegasus or some stupid Earth pony. I hope you're well, sweetie. A yawn tumbled from his lips, and he came to the realization that it was most likely pretty late. He slipped into the bathroom and began to get ready for bed. When he finished, he made his way to the bedroom and made his way towards the window, looking up to see if there was any sign of the moon. It took him all of five seconds to realize that he was in a forest, and that if he wanted to see the moon, he would have to venture outside of Bridlewood, something that he didn't have the energy to do. At least...not tonight. He made a mental note to go out and see the moon every night, starting tomorrow. He felt it was the least he could do, if he wasn't going to travel across Equestria to find his daughter and instead allow her to return to him. He slipped into bed and closed his eyes, a smile forming on his face as he tried to think back on the happy memories he had with Stella and Izzy. The memories that he so longed to relive. The memories that would carve a path towards the creation of new and happier ones. The memories that fought off the foreboding despair emanating from the other unicorns. The memories that he hoped Izzy would cherish, no matter where her new destiny would take her.