The halls of the castle never lost their awe no matter how many times Twilight made her way through them. She suspected it was much the same for her friends, though in their cases, they likely didn’t pass through them nearly as often as she did. A part of her wondered if she should envy them, given the number of times she’d walked these halls due to a crisis facing Equestria. This time, at least, was for now a much more pleasant affair.
The doors to the throne room swung open before their party, and a fanfare sounded before a mare clad in the armor of the Night Guard called, “Presenting Princess Twilight Sparkle and her party.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Celestia stepped down from her throne and approached them, with Luna at her side. “It’s good to see you, all of you.” Her gaze focused on the two unicorns. “Lyra Heartstrings, Moondancer, you have our thanks for lending your assistance to these efforts.”
“Indeed.” The Princess of the Night looked exhausted, and carried a cup of coffee in the crook of her hoof, but her smile made clear her gratitude. “It pleases us to see that our sister’s former students are quick to support one another.”
Lyra tried her best to not be nervous as she ventured, “Well, forgive my being frank, but isn’t that what friends are for?”
Celestia laughed. “Indeed. And no forgiveness is necessary, Lyra. You and Moondancer may not have been my personal students, but you were nonetheless my students all the same, and I’m glad that we can be at least a little casual.” She then turned her attention back to Twilight. “Though speaking of friends, I’m glad that your research led you to discovering the truth about Mage Meadowbrook.”
“I am too, but I think Luna deserves more credit than I do.” Twilight tried to steer conversation back to the matter at hoof and continued, “In any case, I think we’re in a good position to bring to light much more than the facts behind Mage Meadowbrook. I haven’t had nearly as much time as I’d like to go over her journals, but what little I’ve found so far has been very promising.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Twilight, but I would refrain from elaborating before the rest of your research team arrives.” At her former pupil’s confusion, the elder alicorn explained, “Once Luna informed me about what had been uncovered in Neigh Orleans, I thought it sensible to contact another pony who I thought could be of some assistance in your efforts.”
“And that’s ignoring the potential treasure trove of information that we have yet to dive into here.” Luna smirked in her sister’s direction and snarked, “If only some pony had seen fit to share this information sooner.”
Celestia barely had time to roll her eyes before another fanfare sounded, and the same Night Guard mare called out further new arrivals. “Presenting First Lieutenant Flash Sentry of the Crystal Guard, and Mister Sunburst.”
Twilight and her party turned about in surprise, with the young princess’s attention naturally upon her coltfriend before Lyra’s voice cried out in elated surprise. “Oh my gosh, Sunburst!”
Even Moondancer looked surprised. “Wow! It’s been forever!” She laughed. “I like the beard. And the cloak.”
The stallion who approached them managed a nervous smile, the unease in his blue eyes magnified by his glasses. “Thanks. I’m just surprised that you all remember me.”
“How could we forget you?” Lyra turned back to Twilight and prompted her. “C’mon Twilight, it’s Sunburst! Remember him?” At the young princess’s clear unease, the minty green mare suddenly became anxious. “Twilight?”
“Don’t be too hard on her, Lyra. Twilight had a lot on her plate during her early days of being my personal student.” Celestia turned regretful as she admitted, “And for quite a while afterwards, no thanks to me.” She then turned to her young mentee and explained, “Sunburst became a student at the School for Gifted Unicorns at the same time as you and your friends, Twilight. Though I’m afraid your path and his didn’t cross very often.”
“And they didn’t have a long time during which to cross.” The stallion managed a nervous laugh before he offered a hoof. “Good to meet you again, Princess Twilight.”
The mare gave an apologetic smile as she accepted the hoof. “And you, Sunburst. I hope that you’ve been okay since you left school.”
“I have, for the most part.” The stallion laughed as he explained. “Ended up in the Crystal Empire eventually. Working in their library, helping to integrate it into the modern systems.” As Twilight’s eyes lit up with interest, he added, “It’s fascinating work.”
“And he helped to keep all the residents of the Crystal Empire that weren’t native crystal ponies safe during that recent magical anomaly.” Flash Sentry smiled. “Saved a lot of lives.”
Twilight laughed. “Well, that’s a pretty good résumé. Glad to have you onboard.”
“And given the fact that three of you have an assigned member of the Royal Guard for your security, it’s only fair that the fourth does as well.” Luna turned to the very mare that had announced their arrival and declared, “First Lieutenant Sunny Flare.” The mare stood at attention. “Until such time as we declare otherwise, you are to act as escort and security to Miss Lyra Heartstrings and assist in the efforts of this research mission.”
The mare nodded and removed her helmet. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.” She then shared a brief smile with her comrades before she turned to Princess Twilight. “Now, if you’ll forgive my ignorance, what is the purpose behind this research mission?”
“I’m curious about that myself.” Sunburst gestured to Flash and explained, “All the lieutenant told me on the way was that my help was needed on a research project here in Canterlot involving the princesses.”
Celestia nodded, and with a gesture, the remaining guards departed the throne room. “What is about to be discussed here is to be kept in the strictest of confidences. Talk of it is to be kept in private as much as possible, for reasons that I hope will become clear.” She then turned to Twilight, and nodded.
The young princess took a breath. “Some of you already know about what’s going on, in part if not in full, but now, you all need to be brought into the picture. I assume you all remember what happened during the recent Summer Sun Celebration?” At the nervous nods of the three civilians and the curt nod of the one Guardsmare, Twilight explained, “Well, something very important happened that day, and it played a big part in why we’re all here.”
-
Deep bangs sounded against the door, and Rockhoof braced himself against the bookcase he’d used as a barricade. “For a bunch of wee little furballs, they push pretty hard!”
“Well, this sickness is making them more aggressive than usual!” As Meadowbrook and her mother worked feverishly upon the potion that would end their current calamity, she idly noted, “Usually you don’t have to worry about being headbutted by a bunny!”
That prompted a laugh from the mighty stallion. “Now you’re just encouraging me to go out there and face them myself!”
“Darlin’, this potion should be purple, not pink!” The elder healer looked to her daughter as the cauldron before her boiled and bubbled. “We’re missin’ something!”
“On it, Mama!” She plucked a potion from the shelf and poured it into the cauldron. “We’re almost there, Rockhoof!”
“Good, because – !” Rockhoof’s response was interrupted as one bunny tore through the door. The rabbit had somehow garbed itself in blue war paint and a strap of leather as a makeshift bandolier, and screamed out in rage before Rockhoof headbutted it. The concussed rabbit was then tossed back outside as he continued, “Because we’re reachin’ the breakin’ point! Stygian, I could some help!”
“Right, sorry!” Upstairs, Stygian looked over the various potions and considered his options. He found one labeled with a picture of a tree, then tossed it and hoped for the best. “Have a taste of whatever this is, vermin!”
The bottle landed and cracked a small distance into the horde of approaching critters, its green contents bubbling into the ground. Seconds later, the ground rumbled, and a tree erupted out of the earth and became full-grown in a matter of seconds. Several of the attacking critters were trapped in its branches, and were too far away to climb into the window, so Stygian considered it a victory.
He then pulled another potion from the racks and tossed it out a little closer to home. This potion steamed once it reached the ground, and as the critters breathed in its fumes, they began to teeter and sway about in confusion.
“I think I’ve got the hang of this!” Stygian laughed and tossed out another potion, which conjured up illusory images of butterflies. These served to distract more of the onrushing horde, and the scholar took another go at it by tossing a fourth potion, this one marked with a bull’s head.
He suddenly realized that he’d made a terrible mistake as he saw the results of the potion, and rushed down the stairs. “Everypony, I fear I’ve just made things a lot worse!”
“Stygian, I doubt very much that anything you’ve done has – !”
Rockhoof’s reassurances were interrupted as the door was banged open, he and the bookcase barricade sent flying in the other direction. Standing on the other side of the door, the freshly-grown tree now an improvised battering ram, were a number of squirrels and rabbits, enlarged and granted musculature of almost cartoonish proportions.
The mighty earth pony regained his senses. “Alright, perhaps you did make things more difficult, but not to worry, I…”
“It’s ready! Out of the way!”
Neither stallion needed to be told twice as Meadowbrook and her mother dumped the cauldron in the direction of the attacking horde. Fumes from it wafted into the air as the liquid splashed over the afflicted critters, and many shook their heads in surprise before fleeing into the forest.
Meadowbrook herself heaved a sigh of relief. “If that potion worked the way it’s supposed to, then all those critters should be coming to their senses now. All the fungus was already collected, so they can’t eat more. All that’s left is for us to wait for nature to take its course and the last traces of it to get flushed from their bodies.”
“And maybe make more of this potion, just in case a few critters out there still need a dose of it.” Meadowbrook’s mother frowned at the state of her door. “Now as for this…”
“Oh, perhaps I can help with that.” Stygian’s horn glowed, and the door was almost instantly mended. “That’s a temporary fix at least.”
Rockhoof, meanwhile, busied himself with resetting the bookcase. “Aye, an’ perhaps while we clean up the mess we’ve made, Stygian and I can tell you of his plight.”
Meadowbrook had already reset her cauldron even as her mother had found a mop and bucket. “Ah would be more than happy to hear it. Ah only hope that ah can help.”
Stygian smiled. “I’ve no doubt that you can, my lady.”
-
All things considered, those ponies who had been metaphorically read into the secrets regarding the Elements of Harmony, the Tree of Harmony and Twilight’s research into its origins were taking things well. It helped that three of the four had at least a little knowledge of the surrounding events, though as for the relative newcomer…
Sunburst splashed himself with another cup of water, then took a second to dry his face before replacing his glasses and cloak. “I’m sorry, this is a lot to take in.” He turned back to the rest of the group and admitted, “I mean, a research project is one thing, but the fate of Equestria could very well depend upon what we’re able to discover. It’s… well, more than a little daunting.”
“And I would not have asked for your presence if I didn’t think you capable of providing assistance, Sunburst.” The scholar bowed his head slightly in embarrassment at Celestia’s reassurance. “And even if it doesn’t lead to the Chest being opened, these efforts have and will shed light on parts of Equestrian history that have been all but forgotten. That alone makes these efforts worthwhile.”
“To say nothing of what has already been discovered.” Luna turned to Twilight and smiled. “I assume that you brought with you copies of Meadowbrook’s journals?”
“Among other things yes, but I haven’t had a chance to go over them in depth. One edition had something in it that I thought would be very relevant, though.” At the dark-colored alicorn’s raised eyebrow, Twilight explained, “It mentioned her meeting Rockhoof and a pony named…”
“Stygian?” At the younger mare’s nod, Luna laughed. “I remember the aftermath of that little adventure!”
Celestia managed an enigmatic smile. “As do I. The scolding Star Swirl gave us for following after them.” She laughed. “But I think we’re getting sidetracked. The reason I summoned you here was that, in addition to Star Swirl’s athenaeum, he also kept a small study here in the castle. After some discussion with Princess Luna, I decided that it might well be time to investigate it, in the hopes that it would help further the research efforts.”
“Star Swirl had a study here in the castle?!” The youngest of the three alicorns looked between her two fellow royals in shock. “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?!”
“My sister didn’t mention it because up until this point, she didn’t believe that anything within it was of immediate concern.” Luna gestured to Moondancer and explained, “As you and your classmate are aware, Star Swirl kept the details regarding his magical research and the artifacts he crafted in his athenaeum. He reserved his study for other projects.”
“And my hesitance to bring it up was partly a desire to respect his privacy and partly due to my not having had a chance to examine it since his disappearance.” Celestia gestured to her sister and explained, “I had a great deal on my mind at the time.”
“That’s right, Star Swirl vanished within weeks of…” Sunrunner caught herself. “Excuse me for speaking out of turn, your Highnesses.”
“Your apologies are unnecessary, Lieutenant, and please, feel free to contribute your thoughts.” She looked over the other Guardsponies. “That goes for all of you.” Celestia then turned back to Twilight and explained, “In any case, now may well be the time to finally open his study. I’m certain he would protest were he here, but given the fate of Equestria may well depend upon what we find, he would likely understand.” She produced a set of keys and held them aloft with her magic. “Please, follow us.”
The two elder alicorns then led the gathered research team through the castle to one of its towers, where they found a locked wooden door. It was swiftly opened, for the first time in perhaps a thousand years, and stale air briefly mixed with fresh.
The group briefly coughed as the unicorns among them cast air freshening spells. Once the fit ended, however, the more academically-minded among them gasped. The study wasn’t nearly as grandiose as Star Swirl’s athenaeum had been, but the walls were packed with shelves filled with books and artifacts of all sorts, with closed chests sitting on the floor. Hanging from the ceiling was a globe ringed with models of the moon in its varying phases. On the opposite end of the room from the door was a writing desk adorned by a globe, a single circular window hanging above it.
“This is amazing!” What unease he had earlier was forgotten, and Sunburst eagerly looked over the chamber before he spied a mouse scurrying about. He let out a small gasp in shock as the mouse vanished, then turned squeamish. “That’s…not a good sign.”
“Hang on, let me try something.” Twilight’s horn glowed, and a soft light swept through the room. Cobwebs vanished, and all obvious traces of vermin or pests or anything that didn’t belong in the study vanished. “Now, let’s just hope that Star Swirl had the good sense to put in preservation spells.”
Twilight entered, and the rest of the group followed her in. Celestia and Luna brought up the rear, with the latter closing the door behind them as the former explained, “Star Swirl would often retire to these chambers, either to collect his thoughts at the end of the day or to simply ease his nerves after dealing with his two wayward charges.”
Lyra’s eyes went to one shelf marked by a placard. She frowned as the recognized the language, but couldn’t read it herself. “Hey guys, this looks important! Important enough to label in Old Ponish, anyway!”
Sunburst approached and read aloud the translation. “‘Legends of Magic’.”
Celestia smiled. “Star Swirl was quite fond of myths and legends regarding ponies of exceptional power. When he came across a story or song or legend, he would transcribe it. It wouldn’t surprise me if that was his collection.”
Luna laughed. “I recall him telling us some of them as entertainment. Most were tall tales, but a few had kernels of truth to them.”
“Looks like there’s a…” Sunburst paused as he took note of what was transcribed on the bindings. “Princess Twilight, you mentioned that Meadowbrook’s journals had her meeting Rockhoof, didn’t you?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well, both of them have entries here on the shelf.” Twilight approached as the scholar continued, “I’m also seeing ones for Mistmane, Somnambula and Flash Magnus, as well as Star Swirl himself.”
“Sounds like some of those stories weren’t tall tales or legends, but proper transcribed accounts.” Sunny Flare turned to the two elder princesses. “We do know that he met and worked with at least a couple of them, after all.”
“Indeed Lieutenant, he met all of them.” Luna yawned. “Now, if everypony will excuse me, I must return to my slumber, so that I may be rested for my duties this evening.”
“Of course, Luna. We’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow?” At her sister’s nod, Celestia smiled. “Good. Enjoy your rest.” As her sister opened the door behind her and departed, the elder alicorn noted, “And I fear that I must return to my duties as well. I’ll be back to check on you all in two hours’ time. If you need anything, you know what to do.”
“Reach out over the radio.” Her mentor nodded at her summation before she departed and closed the door behind her, and Twilight turned to her gathered team. “Alright everypony, let’s get to work. Sunburst, how about you, Lyra, Flash and Lieutenant Flare go over those volumes you pointed out? The rest of us will check over the rest of the room.”
Sour Sweet turned to her charge and asked, “We aren’t forgetting about Mage Meadowbrook’s journals, are we?”
“No, but I want to wait before diving back into them, at least until we have a better idea of what’s in here.”
The gathered ponies nodded, and the group set to work.
-
After an evening spent enjoying the hospitality of Meadowbrook and her community, the newly-expanded party set forth with full bellies and raised spirits. Rockhoof, in particular, was of bright mood as their journey continued.
“I hope that you don’t take this the wrong way, lass, but never have I seen so hearty an appetite in so fair a mare as yourself!” The mighty stallion laughed as he reasoned, “You must lead a very active life!”
Meadowbrook took the compliment as it was meant. “Well, Ah’m not quite as active as Ah once was. After Mama and Ah stopped an outbreak of swamp fever, Ah set out across the land to expand mah knowledge and help whoever Ah could. At least, until that village of zombie ponies encouraged me to be more of a homebody.”
Stygian’s face lit up with both shock and interest. “Zombie ponies?”
The mare laughed. “A legend for another time.”
Rockhoof joined her. “Aye, I can understand wantin’ to return home.” He briefly turned back as he admitted, “Should I be fortunate enough to live that long, I could see myself retirin’ to a place like this, away from the hustle and bustle.”
“Not to your own home?”
The mighty stallion frowned. “Lass, as much as I wish otherwise, my home is at the foot of a volcano. It may not happen today or tomorrow or for a hundred moons hence, but one day, the village I grew up in will be gone. I’ll fight tooth and hoof to hold that day off as long as I can, mind, but time comes for us all. And a peaceful end is hardly a terrible one. Better to do it surrounded by nature’s splendor than its fury.”
“I can relate to that, given the number of storms my village has seen.” Stygian bowed his head. “The day all of this started, I was supposed to help one of my neighbors with preparations for a harvest. Weeds needed to be pulled, baskets woven…” He sighed. “They may not even be there by the time this is done.”
A gentle hoof found itself upon his shoulder, and the scholar turned to the healer. “Don’t fret over what’s beyond your ability to change, Stygian. You’re here, acting to save your village. And it will be there waiting for you.”
“Aye, and we’ll trounce this beastie before it attacks anywhere else!”
Rockhoof’s enthusiasm was infectious, and Stygian’s mood brightened. “Indeed we shall, but we’ll need the help of others yet. Ponies who are swift and brave, and I know of one who fits that description perfectly.”
The party continued onwards, days passing by. Much like Rockhoof, Meadowbrook made for pleasant company, but more and more, it felt as though Stygian was less of a presence. He had mixed feelings about that, never having really wanted to stand out and glad that the two were getting on so well, but still…
In any case, some weeks after their departure from the Hayseed Swamps, the group closed in on their destination, Stygian at the head even as his compatriots continued on their latest topic.
“You really haven’t given thought to your own children?” Meadowbrook smiled in a teasing way at Rockhoof. “You seem to me the sort to enjoy being a grandpappy.”
The mighty stallion blushed. “Well, a life like mine…”
Stygian cleared his throat at the trio crested a hill. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve arrived at last!”
“Ah, excellent!” Rockhoof sounded relieved at the change in subject. He then looked about and groused, “This is the training grounds for the Cloudsdale Royal Legion? I don’t see a single soldier here! What sort of lax discipline is this?!” Meadowbrook tapped his shoulder, and he followed her raised hoof upwards. “Ah. Never mind then.”
High above them in the sky were barracks and buildings comprised of cloud, with many armored pegasi flying about among them. Some were in formation, clearly on exercises of one sort or another, while others moved individually between one building or another.
Before any of them could ask how to get somepony’s attention, a voice called out from above. “Halt!” One of the pegasi swooped down to regard them, “Who goes there?! State your business!”
Stygian was too intimidated to speak, so Rockhoof stepped forward. “Who goes there?! I should be asking that question of you!”
The pegasus turned indignant. “I am Grimhoof! Fifth-fastest flyer in the Royal Legion and Watch Commander for Headquarters!”
“Oh, you’re a guard then!” The mighty stallion snorted. “Did the wind blow away all the scarecrows?! Look at you, skin and bones! You cannae guard a secret!”
Grimhoof scowled and barked, “Who in the Maker’s name do you think you are?!”
“Rockhoof! Hero of the North and a soldier of the Mighty Helm!”
“Oh, some big shot from the backwater, huh?!”
“Backwater?! The Mighty Helm is the wall that keeps this nation safe!”
“And you look like you’d fly about as well as a wall!”
“Stallions, please!” Stygian’s shout caught their attention, and he calmed down as he continued, “We aren’t here to start a fight!”
Grimhoof regarded the scholar with a blank look before a laugh escaped his muzzle. Rockhoof joined in as the pegasus asked, “Not soldiers, are they?”
“Nay! A scholar and a healer, but as brave as any soldiers I’ve met!” The mighty stallion regained himself and shook his head. “No Stygian, I’m just giving Buckethead here a hard time.”
“Yeah, if we were going to fight, we wouldn’t have spent so much time talking!” At their confused expressions, the pegasus sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I do need to know what business brings you here.”
“Aye, of course. We’re here to ask for the assistance of one of your comrades. Flash…something or other.”
“Flash Magnus.”
“Aye, that fellow. Do ye know him?”
Grimhoof nodded. “I’ve served alongside him. He’s perhaps the bravest stallion born in Cloudsdale, and an inspiration for all of us.” His tone turned curt. “But I’m afraid you can’t speak with him. Flash has gone to the front.”
“The front?” Meadowbrook approached. “But Equestria’s at peace.”
“For now, ma’am, yes, but war’s right on the horizon, and we need every able soldier in the air to head off the start of it.”
Stygian shrank nervously. “This can’t be happening! We can’t…!”
Rockhoof flashed an eager smile. “Fret not. We’ll have this won before it even starts.” Rockhoof turned back to Grimhoof. “Point us to where this war’s going to start, lad. I’ll take care of it.”
The pegasus looked less than confident at the mighty stallion’s boast. “With all due respect, I doubt that.”
Rockhoof laughed. “Lad, have ye even heard of me? I fought a volcano and won! I’ve shifted the course of rivers! I’ve fought lumber bears, Ursa Majors, and even normal ones! I’ve eaten an entire boat’s worth of oats in one sitting! Whatever’s threatening Equestria, I can handle it!”
-
“So I guess scuttlebutt was right after all.” Flash Sentry gave Sunny Flare a surprised look, and she responded with a grin. “You and Princess Twilight?”
Twilight briefly paused as Flash blushed. “I don’t see a problem with it.”
“Nor do I.” She then turned to the princess and remarked, “You take care of him, ma’am. He’s a rare breed.”
Sunburst looked at the pair in confusion before Flash clarified, “We went to the Academy together.” He then tipped his head to the other two Guardsponies in the room and explained, “All four of us did, just like all four of you went to Princess Celestia’s school.”
The scholar turned, and the lone unarmored Guardspony turned. “First Lieutenant Sour Sweet. I was assigned to Princess Twilight’s security detail some weeks ago.” She then turned her attention to Sunny and noted, “Speaking of assignments, looks like someone’s fulfilling the family legacy after all.”
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes. “I suppose it was a no-brainer, me ending up in the Night Guard. Still, if I ever get the chance to transfer, I will.”
Sunburst shook his head. “No offense, but I think that’s enough surprises to drop on me for now.” He opened a tome and inspected the contents. “Anyway, it looks like Star Swirl put some very strong protection spells on these books. I’m not seeing any degradation to the elements.”
“That’s a relief.” Twilight’s attention turned to a chest that rested near the opposite wall to the bookshelf that Sunburst had been inspecting, one that Moondancer was already looking over. “What’s wrong?”
“Star Swirl had no problem leaving those books out in the open, right?” The mare’s horn was already glowing as she magically swept over the lock. “Well, what do you think that implies about the contents of this chest?”
“Step back and let me handle that, ma’am.” Moondancer complied as Sour Sweet approached the chest.
As the rest of her group busied themselves with the chest, Sunrunner slipped off her helmet and tucked it into one of her panniers. “All of a sudden, I feel as useful as the ‘g’ in lasagna.” She noticed a sympathetic sigh from Sunburst, before the scholar gave her a quick double-take. “Something wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Sorry.” Sunburst turned his attention back to the books before him and remarked, “Anyway, these are amazing. This volume here, the one Star Swirl transcribed about himself? I’m seeing entries here about experiences he had both before and after the founding of Equestria. There’s even entries here about his time instructing Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”
“Really?!” Twilight stomped her hooves gleefully. “I’ll need to make a copy of that! If we can corroborate it with the journal Celestia and Luna left in their castle…eee!”
Moondancer raised an eyebrow in Twilight’s direction. “I thought that you’d lost that hero worship for Star Swirl.”
The young princess’s enthusiasm ebbed. “A little, somewhat.” One of her hooves brushed against the floor as she admitted, “I’m well aware of Star Swirl’s faults and flaws. But the fact remains that he was still a genius when it came to magic, and learning about his life and how he touched those of other ponies? I can’t pass that up, now can I? Besides, Equestria deserves to know the complete truth behind the ponies who helped to found it, warts and all.”
Sour smiled as she unlocked the chest and gently opened it. “Well, for all his faults, he knew how to protect records. Scrolls like these would’ve easily been food for moths and rats.” She stepped aside as Moondancer pulled one such scroll from the chest and unfurled it. “Any idea what’s on them?”
“They look like genealogical charts.” Moondancer pressed the scroll flat as she could and gestured with one hoof. “Names, date markers, tribes, everything.”
“Whose family is the chart for?”
“It doesn’t name a family, but it’s marked ‘Lineage of the Pillar of Hope’, and I’m seeing Somnambula’s name here.” The scroll was rolled back up as Moondancer surmised, “These could very well be the recorded family trees of each of the ponies Stygian gathered to fight Basso Profundo.”
“I’m going to want a look at those too.” Twilight grinned with a blush as she admitted, “I’ve put together genealogical records for myself and as many ponies as I know going back as far as I can. For all I know, somepony here might be among their descendants.”
That caught Sunburst by surprise. “You mean one of us could be related to Star Swirl?”
Twilight shook her head. “That’s probably not the case. From what Celestia told me about him, Star Swirl didn’t have any sort of romantic inclinations. He might well have been asexual.”
“Well, there’s seven scrolls in here, so we’ll see.” Sour Sweet shut the chest, then turned to Twilight. “With all due respect, ma’am, I think we might be getting sidetracked. All of these are no doubt of great historical value, but we need to tighten our focus. Otherwise, we won’t find anything relevant to the Tree of Harmony.”
Twilight frowned, then nodded. “You’re right. One rabbit hole at a time.”
“Well, maybe we should start with what we know is relevant?” Sunburst plucked a trio of books from the shelf and explained, “These two are the entries for Rockhoof and Meadowbrook, and this third one is regarding Mistmane. And if you’ll give me a second…” His horn glowed with a light yellow aura, and not only did the selected volumes take on a similar glow, so did the remaining ones on the shelf. “There we go. Magic highlighter spell. It won’t have any lasting effects on the books and it can be removed without any trouble, but they should help us find any relevant words or phrases for the search.”
“Nice thinking, Sunburst!” Twilight claimed the entry for Meadowbrook as the other two selected tomes went to Moondancer and Lyra. “Was that an adaptation of the Googleplex Search spell?”
“Yes! Oh, and…” Another bit of spellwork, and the volumes glowed once more. “Maybe combined with the Wicker Speedy enchantment, that might point us to collaborative evidence. I’m surprised you recognized them on sight.” He caught himself and admitted, “Well, maybe I shouldn’t be…”
“I live in and run a library. And after the trouble I had finding the one book I needed on the Elements of Harmony when I needed it, I figured knowing spells like that would come in handy.” Twilight smiled. “And I’m not surprised that you know about them. You did attend Princess Celestia’s school, and you probably continued your magical training at whatever other school you transferred to.”
That caused the stallion to shrink slightly. “Right. Transferred, yes.”
That prompted some interest from the other ponies present, particularly Lyra and Sunrunner. The former approached and gently prodded, “Sunburst? You did transfer schools, didn’t you?”
Embarrassment became clear on the scholar’s face as he admitted, “No. I flunked out.” As his former classmates looked at him in shock, he explained, “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got all sorts of magical knowledge. Learning spells, recognizing them based on their intended effects, reconstructing them, I can do all of that easy. You ask me to write an essay, no problem, but practical applications beyond the basics? That’s way out of my league.”
“But how did you get into Celestia’s school in the first place?” Moondancer gestured around as she explained, “I mean, we all took a written test, but there was a practical too. We all had to try and hatch a dragon egg.” She turned to Twilight. “And some of us did more than just ‘try’.”
Sunburst shrugged. “I managed to generate a little bit of heat around the dragon egg. That seemed to be enough to satisfy the ponies overseeing the test.” He slumped and admitted, “Beyond that, I didn’t manage much. Couldn’t manage much. Eventually, I just couldn’t keep up anymore and went home. I’m just glad that Princess Celestia pointed me towards a different school shortly afterwards, one where I could get a library studies degree. Thank the Maker for that.”
Sunrunner tilted her head to one side. “Let me guess, your family was less than thrilled about what happened?”
“Actually, my father was pretty supportive. My mother…” The scholar frowned. “Don’t get me wrong, I love her, but my mom can be…driven. And controlling.”
“Kind of a Type-A personality?”
Sunburst nodded. “It was her decision that I go to the School for Gifted Unicorns. And after I came back, she went crazy over what I was going to do next. ‘You have to have a plan, Sunburst! You can’t just bury your nose in books, Sunburst!’ She still sends me letters, trying to micromanage my life!” He groaned. “If it wasn’t for my grandparents, I’d think she was trying to have me live up to some crazy family legacy, or stack up against my cousin.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. You don’t need to hear about my family drama.”
Twilight flashed a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, we don’t mind.”
“In fact, your story sounds more than a little familiar.” Lyra giggled at Sunrunner’s summation as the mare continued, “Next thing you’re going to tell us is that you had a childhood friend that you lost track… of…” She recognized the look on Sunburst’s face, groaned and face-hoofed. “Don’t tell me.”
“Her name was Starlight Glimmer. What I lacked in spellcasting talent, she had in spades. We did everything together. I hardly remember us ever being apart, until the day I got my cutie mark.” Sunburst turned somber as he admitted, “We were playing together in her house. You guys know that game with the blocks? You take one out of the stack and put it on top, and keep doing that until the tower falls? We were doing that with books, until the tower fell.” He lifted the hem of his cloak to reveal his cutie mark, a sun with rays shining forth to the right and dotted with small four-pointed stars. “I acted on instinct, caught every book in my magic before the tower could fall on her and put all the books back on the empty shelves. Got this in the process.” The cloak fell as he continued, “And the first thing I did was rush right past her, find my parents and show off my new cutie mark, never mind even checking to make sure that she was okay.”
Flash laid a hoof on his shoulder. “You were young, a kid. Kids make mistakes.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t even get a chance to see her again before I got whisked off to the SfGU. I tried to reconnect after I came back, but by then, she’d gotten her own cutie mark and left for parts unknown.” The scholar sighed. “She’d already been through enough before then. Her mother had died, her father was distant, and then I was gone. She must’ve thought that I’d abandoned her.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Flash tried to give the other stallion a supportive smile. “Regardless, what she did or didn’t do is on her, not on you.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. Still, if either of us should’ve gone to Canterlot…” Sunburst sighed and shook his head, then turned to Sunrunner. “How did you know that was coming? My life story isn’t that clichéd, is it?”
Sunrunner managed a half-smile. “No, but my coltfriend and I lived through something similar. You and he have a lot in common.” She laughed. “Still, he and I found each other again. Maybe you and her will too.”
A sad smile formed on Sunburst’s muzzle before Sunny Flare coughed. “Well, if we’re done with this impromptu sharing session, perhaps we can get back to work?”
“Yeah, let’s do that before the coincidences add up even more.” Lyra laughed. “Next thing we know, that cousin’s gonna be Sunset Shimmer.” At the surprised expression on Sunburst’s face, she and Sunrunner cried out in unison, “OH COME ON!”
-
Rockhoof’s bluster faded as he faced the challenge before them. “You know, I may have spoken too soon.”
The trio, now joined by Grimhoof, looked up at the sight before them. Pegasi of the Royal Legion were arrayed in the air, their numbers growing with every passing second. Opposite them, however, were at least a dozen dragons. Some looked little different from winged serpents at this distance, but the one that appeared to be leading them clearly had arms and legs in addition to wings, so bulky were they compared to his serpentine body that they couldn’t be noticed.
“The treaty is clear!” High above, an amber-colored pegasus shouted loud enough to be heard. “If dragons cross this line, then they are at war with Equestria and her allies! The Royal Legion will allow you to go no further!”
“HUZZAH!” roared the gathered pegasi.
The lead dragon seemed less than impressed. “Listen to you! Flash Magnus thinks he’s some kind of hero just for surviving going up against the dragons! You may have wings, pony, but the skies belong to us! You get in our way, and you get burned!”
“YEAH!” roared the gathered dragon horde.
Stygian’s eyes darted between the two forces. He doubted very much that either Grimhoof or Rockhoof would be able to claim Flash Magnus’s attention, especially with several fire-breathing dragons right on the verge of attacking. But they had to do something to put a stop to this. The danger posed by Basso Profundo was perhaps greater than the dragons. If only there was a dragon who could…
“If that’s your answer, then so be it!”
An idea flashed through the scholar’s mind, and he prayed that it would work as he dashed forward.
“Prepare to burn, little…!”
“KNUCKERBOCKER!” Both Flash Magnus and the lead dragon halted their advance and turned their attention to Stygian as he called out, “I invoke the name of Knuckerbocker to request a temporary cease in hostilities between the Royal Legion and the dragons!”
Both the pegasus and the dragon looked perplexed, though the latter recovered enough to respond. “How do you know of Knuckerbocker, unicorn?”
“He provided aid to me in my quest, and I am here to ask for that of Flash Magnus in order to defeat a terrible evil which may threaten both our races!”
The dragon rolled his eyes. “That sounds unlikely.”
By this point, Flash Magnus was sufficiently de-perplexed to respond. “Now is not the time to be making requests, unicorn! This place is about to become a battlefield! Head home before you get hurt!”
“Now listen here you hard-headed, fancy-feathered, sky-trotting, glorified cloud-pusher!” Rockhoof stepped forward, stood at his friend’s side and bellowed, “You’ve got a lot of nerve shouting down a pony half your size! D’you think you’re big enough to shout me down?!”
The dragon turned to Flash Magnus in disbelief. “Do you know these ponies?”
“No.” The pegasus then turned his attention back to Stygian and Rockhoof and noticed his comrade among them. “Grimhoof, kindly explain to these earthbound ponies how unwise it is to meddle in an argument between pegasi and dragons!”
“Oi! I’m not talkin’ to him or the oversized iguana! I’m talkin’ to you, you namby-pamby pretty colt!” Rockhoof’s shouts were clear as day as he continued, “And you want to talk about unwise?! Ignoring Rockhoof, Hero of the North, is about the most unwise thing a pony can do! Now get your feathered flank down here, or I’ll drag you down here myself!”
The dragon quirked an eyebrow at Rockhoof. “There are only two things keeping me from incinerating that pony right now. The first is that I’m actually impressed with his sheer audacity, and the second is that his friend invoked Knuckerbocker’s name. It’s the rare dragon that doesn’t treat him with respect, and the few who don’t are all too young to know better.”
Flash Magnus groaned. “Then I guess I’ll have to handle this. I won’t be long.”
“Of course. Take your time, we’ll be waiting.”
Flash Magnus then flew down to address the group properly. “Alright then, state your business.”
Rockhoof gave his friend and encouraging push, and Stygian stepped forward. “My name is Stygian, sir. I seek your aid against a creature that has attacked my home village.”
“What kind of creature exactly?”
As his two associated conversed with one another, Stygian explained. “We’ve come to call it a ‘Siren’. It’s like a kelpie, but vastly more powerful. It’s placed the entire population of my village under its hypnotic spell and is causing them to fight one another whilst simultaneously draining them of their magic.”
Flash Magnus landed. “Like a kelpie? So you think it came from the sea?”
“Yes, and it entranced my friends and neighbors in hardly any time at all, just by singing.”
The pegasus pondered that. “Well, that does sound like it could be a threat to Equestria. That being said, the Royal Legion is dedicated to protecting Equestria’s skies. Belligerent dragons, rogue griffons, the occasional roc, all of those are in my purview. How close to the coast is your village?”
“About an hour’s trot. And the Siren can fly.”
“Alright then, but why me specifically? Why not the whole legion?”
“Lad, sendin’ an entire army of pegasi against this thing, best case scenario, is going to see a lot of ponies killed.” Rockhoof stepped to Stygian’s side and elaborated, “Worst case, they’ll be put under the monster’s spell. Either way, they’ll fuel that thing’s appetite and be of no help. And that’s assumin’ somepony higher up the chain doesn’t interfere. A small group of heroes is what’s needed here, and the three of us fit that description.”
“Alright, fine, but how did you escape? For all I know, you could be under that thing’s influence and leading us into a trap.”
“I had beeswax stuffed in my ears. The song couldn’t affect me because I couldn’t hear it.”
“And if’n the lad were under the creature’s spell, then he wouldn’t have helped myself and Meadowbrook with our troubles. Speaking of, if we were to propose a peaceful solution to this matter with the dragons, would ye be willing to lend your aid to the quest?”
Flash Magnus considered that. “Well, better no fight and everypony going home whole than a lot of dead and injured any day.” He turned to Stygian and noted, “And you invoking the name of one of them seemed to help set a truce. But…” Then something clicked in his mind. “Wait, Meadowbrook? As in Mage Meadowbrook, the healer?!” He turned to the mare. “That’s you?!”
The mare nodded. “Indeed, and Ah believe if you give me the chance to talk to the dragons’ leader, Ah might be able to solve all of this.”
Flash Magnus thoughtfully rubbed his chin with one hoof, then turned about and called, “Hey, you mind coming down here for a second? The mare here would like to talk with you!”
The lead dragon did as requested, then turned to the mare. “Explain yourself, earth pony.”
“Sir, Ah noticed that the membranes of your wings appear to be thinning.”
The dragon blinked in surprise. “You have exceptionally keen eyesight.” He then spread one wing and gestured with his claw. “Indeed. I and my clan are afflicted with a disease we call ‘wingbreak’. It causes the scales in our wings to rot away. Without the membranes, we cannot fly.”
Flash Magnus and Grimhoof both looked at one another in surprise before the former turned back to the dragon. “Wait, you came here because you’re sick? Why here?!”
“Because the only cure for wingbreak is a plant which only grows in this area. We’re fully aware the treaty bans dragons from passing through this region save for specific circumstances, migrations and the like, but we hoped to collect what we needed and be gone before we could be noticed.”
“Okay, fine, but why not just explain yourselves? We could’ve saved a great deal of trouble!”
The dragon scowled. “Because we didn’t think you ponies would be crazy enough to fight a horde of dragons! Our wings might be infected, but we still have claws, teeth, and we can still breath fire hot enough to reduce a pony to ash!” The scowl deepened as he admitted, “And if the infection is present too long, then the wings don’t grow back. Time wasn’t on our side, at least not enough to make a proper diplomatic request.”
Rockhoof rolled his eyes. “Bureaucracy. It’s the bane of all our lives.”
The dragon nodded as Meadowbrook continued, “Well, Ah admit that Ah’ve never treated a dragon before, but Ah’ve seen similar symptoms in other creatures. Crocodiles, for example, sometimes get a condition that Ah know as ‘scalerot’. It’s possible that the two conditions are one and the same, or at least within the same family.” She reached into her bags and produced a vial. “This potion cures it in them practically overnight, and the ingredients are easier to grow than weeds.”
The dragon claimed the vial and inspected it. “Do we drink it, or rub it on the membranes?”
“You drink it. One dose is usually enough for a crocodile, though Ah’ll admit, Ah don’t know the exact dosage for a dragon.”
The dragon studied the vial, then turned and whistled. “Skar!” One of the other dragons, thin and reed-like compared to the leader and clearly further along in their condition, landed. “Drink this. If this works as well as the pony says, then you’re cured.”
Skar did as told, popped the cork from the vial and downed it in one gulp. The skinny dragon then shivered and commented in a feminine voice, “Chilly going down…” Her attention then turned to her wings as she stretched them, then flapped them. The dead scales sloughed off, and new, healthy flesh emerged underneath. “Holy fewmets! My wings haven’t looked this good since my molt!”
At his companion’s gleeful inspection of her wings, the lead dragon then turned to Meadowbrook and asked, “I don’t suppose you have a recipe on you?”
As Meadowbrook set about transcribing the inscription, Flash Magnus then turned to Stygian with some relief. “It seems my issue has been dealt with. So where exactly is your village?”
“Near the South Luna Ocean, but we aren’t heading there yet. Our next stop is New Anugypt.”
The pegasus shrugged. “Fine, but we’re going to need to stock up.”
“That dry desert country? No joke, lad.” Rockhoof turned to Grimhoof and asked, “I dinnae suppose you can point me to a merchant who sells water pouches?”
As Grimhoof gave him directions, Flash Magnus turned back to Stygian and asked, “Finally, how did you know that invoking another dragon’s name would work?”
“Truthfully, I didn’t. It was the only thing that I could think to do.”
Magnus smiled. “Well, I’m glad that it did. Better a laugh over this than a funeral any day.”
-
After a round of laughs, especially from Lyra and Sunrunner, the group finally calmed down and dove into their work. Twilight carefully extracted the materials that she’d brought with her from Ponyville from her panniers and those of Sour Sweet and Lyra, and replicated the spells that Sunburst had performed on their new resources upon them. She turned to the Guardsponies among them and offered, “There’s plenty to go around if anypony wants to step in.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Sunny Flare pulled the remaining entries from the shelf, then passed the one dedicated to Flash Magnus off to the two pegasi among them before joining Sour Sweet with the remaining volume. “That being said, we’re soldiers, not scholars.”
“Scholars don’t know everything, Lieutenant. You might find something that we miss.”
That satisfied the other mare, and work proceeded in silence until a voice called forth. “Halt, you reading this book!” Heads turned to the Mistmane volume as the unfamiliar voice continued, “Yes, you! Do not read the tales of Mistmane in your cramped study surrounded by spiders and dust!”
Lyra frowned and turned the volume about to reveal a picture of Star Swirl. “Twilight, I think Star Swirl might’ve enchanted this volume.”
Twilight and Sunburst gasped and approached the book as the illustration continued, “Honor the memory of the great sorceress. Take this book into the gardens and read in the beauty that reflects her own.”
That caused the two ponies to balk. “But we can’t! Ultraviolet radiation will damage the book!”
“Not to mention the bugs, and lying in the grass…” Sunburst whined. “Do we have to?”
Twilight flipped a page in her magic, only to flip several more and see a picture of Star Swirl scowling at her and the text replaced with a perfectly legible “Go Outside”. She groaned. “I guess.” She then pouted and declared, “But not right this second! We’ll do it when we’re good and ready!”
Lyra frowned, but closed the book without further protest. “You’d almost think that Star Swirl didn’t want any of this found.”
“Well ma’am, he does seem the secretive sort.” The volume was placed back on the shelf, and Sunny Flare suggested, “Maybe you can continue where Princess Twilight left off with Meadowbrook’s journals instead for now?”
Lyra nodded. “That’s a compromise I can work with.”
“You might want to start with this one.” Sour gently set one volume down in front of the minty green unicorn and explained, “That’s the journal that elaborates on when Meadowbrook met Stygian and Rockhoof.”
The mare sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
Fortunately, none of the other entries had similar enchantments in place, but as time passed, the scholars and soldiers halted one by one and closed their volumes. Sunburst was the first to do so as he looked up from the volume on Star Swirl and Twilight’s copy of the Journal of the Two Sisters. “Well, the good news is that there are entries in these two books that line up with one another, but there’s nothing in Star Swirl’s accounts of his exploits about the Tree of Harmony.”
“And I never found anything about it in his athenaeum either.” Moondancer idly went through the pages of the volume before her. “I think these might just be entries regarding their solo adventures, rather than anything about their meetings or collaborations. We already know that Rockhoof met Meadowbrook, but I’m not seeing any mention of her here in the stories Star Swirl collected about him.”
“Same here with the entries he wrote about Meadowbrook. No mention of Rockhoof or anypony else.” Twilight turned to the Guardsponies. “What about all of you?”
“Well, nothing about anypony else in Somnambula’s book, but none of these stories are ones that I’ve read before.” Sour shrugged. “Admittedly, she’s probably the most obscure of the ponies we’re researching here, other than Stygian.”
“And Flash Magnus’s book isn’t…” Sunrunner tilted her head curiously, then looked to Twilight. “Princess, you said that chest had genealogical records in it, right?” At Twilight’s nod, she asked, “Can you cast those same spells you used on the books with those records, and the ones you brought with you?”
Flash gave her a puzzled look. “Even if this was a good time, Warbler, I don’t think digging through family trees is going to get us anything.”
“Maybe not, but…” The flame-haired pegasus flashed a hopeful smile. “Humor me?”
Twilight shrugged, then opened the chest and repeated her spell work on the scrolls therein. “What’s brought this on?”
“Well, I saw a name come up in one of the stories recorded here, one I’d never heard about Flash Magnus, and that got me curious.” Sunrunner approached the chest and carefully extracted the scrolls until she found the one she was looking for, then went to the records Twilight brought with her. “I’m guessing all of you know who Flash Prance was?”
“The unicorn general who defeated a horde of dragons when they attacked Baltimare?” Sunburst adjusted his glasses. “Of course, a spell was named after him. But he lived and died long after Star Swirl and everypony else we’re researching vanished.”
“I know, but there’s a line from a movie I saw when I was a filly.” She found two more scrolls among those Twilight brought and smiled. “They all have families.” She then looked about and asked, “Can somepony put these up against the wall? Flash Magnus’s scroll in the middle, the other two on each side.”
Sour did as her comrade asked, and Flash Sentry sat up and took interest. “Hey, one of those is my family tree!” He then shrugged and admitted, “Well, part of it anyway.”
Sunrunner grinned as she explained, “There’s a pony mentioned in one of Flash Magnus’s recorded tales, a mare in the Cloudsdale Royal Legion named Nimbus Dash.” She gestured to the genealogical record for Flash Magnus to details recorded for a pony to his right. “My Old Ponish probably isn’t as good as anypony else’s here, but…”
Twilight gasped. “Oh my gosh! They got married!” She followed the lines and realized, “And they had children! And that’s ignoring Flash Magnus’s siblings and their children!”
“And when this record ends, four generations have passed. That’s, what, a hundred years or so?”
“And generational spans have grown since then along with pony lifespans.” Moondancer tilted her head as she studied the chart. “But I’m not seeing where you’re going with this.”
“Here.” Sunrunner gestured with one wing to the lowest listings. “Among Flash Magnus’s great-grandfoals is a male unicorn, born 101 UE.”
Moondancer’s eyes widened briefly as she translated the entry. “Flash Prance.” She then turned to Sunrunner and offered, “Don’t you think you’re reaching a bit?”
“Hey, reaching got us this far. If nothing else, the timeframe fits.” She then gestured with a wing back to the top. “Anyway, there wasn’t a single line of descent. Another line produced a pegasus stallion named Stratus Dash.” She gestured to the chart to the left of Flash Magnus’s and pointed to one of the ponies near the top. “Now, I can buy that more than one ponies could have the words ‘Stratus’ and ‘Dash’ in their names, but two ponies born on the same day of the same year, with that same name? Both stallions? Both pegasi? That’s stretching coincidence just a little too far.”
“Okay, fine, but…” Moondancer’s eyes drifted to the bottom of the scroll. “Wait a second, this is Rainbow Dash’s family tree! You’re not saying…!”
“That she and Flash Magnus are related.” Sunrunner gestured to the other chart and grinned at her fellow pegasus Guardspony. “And she’s not the only one.”
“Really?” Flash Sentry looked over the dates as he admitted, “I mean, it’s not impossible, but I don’t have as much information to go on as Rainbow Dash did, and besides, the pegasi in my mom’s family are rare. Same with unicorns.”
“Genetics is a very complicated science, Hopper.” Sunrunner grinned. “Just saying.”
The stallion considered that, then nervously laughed. “Well, I guess it is possible, but it’s not like we could do a DNA test.”
A knock sounded at the door before it opened to reveal Princess Celestia. “Hello everypony. Any progress?”
“Less than we’d like.” Twilight turned nervous as she admitted, “We’ve found some interesting information, even come up with some theories regarding family lines, but…”
“Family lines?” Celestia’s eyes went from the genealogical charts to the chest. She pulled the remaining scrolls from it and examined them until she found one in particular. “Oh my stars, I can’t believe…” At the curious expressions on her subjects’ faces, she smiled and unfurled the scroll so that all could see. “Star Swirl didn’t just keep family records for his fellow heroes. He kept them for my sister and I as well.”
Sunburst looked at the scroll’s header, and translated from Old Ponish. “The House of Everstar?”
“Mine and Luna’s ancestral house, our family line among the alicorns.” The elder alicorn turned wistful as she admitted, “We were the youngest of eight siblings. I think that made things easier for our tribe politically when Star Swirl came and sought us out to assume the throne of Equestria. Even easier when our two next-oldest brothers came with us.” She gestured to pictograms depicting two alicorn stallions parallel to those depicting herself and Luna. “Cosmos and Astron have long since passed, but their legacies live on. Most of you have even met one of Astron’s heirs.”
Sunrunner grinned. “Let me guess, Prince Blueblood?”
“The very same. Astron and Princess Platinum made for quite a pair.”
“It’s good that you remember them.” Celestia turned to Lyra to find her looking conflicted. “Sorry, it’s just been so long and…”
“And there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” At her former student’s nod, Celestia frowned. “Do you wish to speak to me about it? In private?”
Lyra stood up and asked, “Could Twilight accompany us? Please?”
Celestia noticed the hopeful look on her fellow alicorn’s face, and nodded. “Of course.” She then noticed the lone tome left on the shelves and sighed. “Star Swirl put an enchantment on that one, didn’t he?”
Moondancer nodded. “We can’t read it unless we’re outside.”
The Princess of the Sun sighed. “Him and his enchantments.” She then turned to her former students and explained, “I’m afraid the enchantment will only allow you to read the book’s contents once its conditions are met.”
Sunburst plucked the book from the shelf with some frustration. “Out in the sunshine then.” He turned to Twilight with an anxious look. “You’ll catch up with us later?”
“Of course. Go ahead.” Twilight then turned to Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare. “Could the two of you wait outside please?”
The two Guardsponies briefly regarded her, but acquiesced at Celestia’s nod. Once the door closed behind them, Celestia turned to face the remaining pair and asked, “Now, what’s all this about?”
“Princess, I…” Lyra mustered what courage she could and explained, “Recently, I found out that somepony tampered with my memories. I told Twilight about it, and we were hoping that you might know something about it.”
“Not that you were responsible or anything, of course.”
Celestia shook her head. “I know what she meant, Twilight. Don’t worry.” She grew reserved as she admitted, “And unfortunately, I don’t think this is the place to discuss it. We need to head somewhere else, the Restricted Section of the Canterlot Library.”
That caught Twilight’s attention. “Restricted section?”
“Yes. I have a theory that I want to test first, but if I’m right, there’s something there that will shed light on Lyra’s condition.”
Twilight nodded and packed up the research material that she’d brought with her. “Then let’s go.”