Equestria, for the better part of a millennium, had been a divided land.
In the birthing gasp of pony civilization, the ponies claimed hearth far from the northwestern haybasket of Tall Tale, the ancestral pony homeland: the numerous herds of earth ponies found fertile soil in the east; the then-few unicorns sought isolation in the mineral rich lands of the north; and the flocks of pegasi claimed the warm winds of the south. There was no greater factor in the separation of the Three Tribes than their diaspora, but there was also no greater reason for unification than this shared ancestry.
And yet, in the formation of the Kingdom of Equestria, the land remained divided; the friendship of the Three Tribes had created a kingdom, but it had not united it. The ponies required a precursor, a component of their newfound friendship that they had yet to understand.
Discord, the Lord of Chaos, answered their call.
And Harmony thanked him with stone.
“…and a messenger serving the ‘King of Halihoof’ arrived last night.”
Starswirl slid from his memories and into the world of the present, his ears flicking about.
Celestia’s teacup clinked against her desk. “Halihoof, you say?”
The taupe earth pony shuffled in place. “Er, yes. My apologies for not mentioning this earlier, Your Majesty. I did not believe it to be of importance.”
Starswirl spun with such haste that some of the standing ponies jolted. “It is of utmost importance! You truly speak of the petty kingdom?”
The earth pony turned, and cocked an ear. “Petty kingdom?”
Starswirl gawked. “Mister Glass, are you to tell me that you have never heard of Halihoof?”
Glass looked about the room for support, of which he found precisely none. “I… I’m afraid I haven’t, Chamberlain.”
“Please, do continue, Mister Glass.” Celestia’s voice was steady and calm, but even the untrained eyes in the room could see her subtle lean. “What did the messenger say?”
The stallion licked his lips. “They requested an audience with you in their court.” The other councilors became visibly unsettled. Glass continued. “Your Majesty, it is of my opinion that you do not seek these ponies out.”
“Mister Glass, you are out of line,” Potts said, his voice dripping with distaste. “Mind who you speak to.”
Celestia tapped a hoof. “Thank you, Mister Potts. And duly noted, Mister Glass. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”
“My Liege.” The armored charcoal pegasus at the side of the group stepped forward and saluted with a hoof. “Shall I bring the garrison to alert?”
“It is a surprise to be sure, but not an unwelcome one. Your loyalty is appreciated, Chief Gale.”
The pegasus bowed low. “I do not question your word, Princess, but if I may be so bold: where do we stand with this ‘petty kingdom’?”
Celestia’s response was swift. “They are of no threat to us.”
“Of course, My Liege.” The pegasus returned to his spot near the wall without another word.
Starswirl rubbed at his temple. “Halihoof… after all this time. It begs to reason that something ill has brought them to call for you.”
“Chamberlain,” Potts interrupted. “If you are so wise to the history of this kingdom, perhaps you could share your knowledge with those less-affirmed?”
“That information is disclosed as I see fit.”
Celestia gave the bearded pony a beaming smile. “Starswirl, would you kindly take the floor and inform them?”
Starswirl put on a flat look. “Very well.” He faced his audience, and spoke without passion: “Halihoof is a nation as old as the Three Tribes. An earth pony enclave, if you will. They live and occupy much of the Undiscovered West, which would be the foremost reason as to why many of you have never heard of them.” His dark violet eyes landed on Glass. “But this should be knowledge gleaned in passing by most earth ponies.”
Celestia sipped at her tea. “Those were in the days of yore, Starswirl. They wouldn’t know.”
“In spite of storied oral tradition? I find that hard to believe.”
“But why seek us now?” Glass queried. “The messenger came alone, and without fanfare. A cloak, saddlebags, and nothing more. Surely this kingdom must be little more than myth?”
“It could be a ploy,” Ink Potts theorized.
Starswirl shook his head. “No, they seek peace just as much as we do.” He turned to Glass. “And they’re a rough, resilient sort. They live modestly, and don’t venture far from their fields and forests. But their lands are so thick with untamed magic that they would have felt the extent of our troubles. It would be a minor miracle if they were bereft of damage.” His head sank low and he grasped at his beard. “Perhaps they have only just recovered…”
“And where is this messenger now?” Celestia asked.
“They left as soon as their messaged was relayed to me,” Glass answered. “I invited them to speak in the court come ‘morn, but it seemed they wished to champion the woods at night.”
“Then I suppose a meeting may be of short-order.”
“Are you certain, Princess?” Potts asked, his voice slicked with worry.
“It would not be long. From here with a modest entourage… the journey should not take more than a week to away and return.”
Starswirl nodded thoughtfully. “It has been quite some time since you’ve set off, or even left the castle. And with Luna’s return, this news could not have come at a better time.”
“I agree. Miss Song?”
The yellow pegasus’ head bounced at the princess’ call. She recovered as she spoke, slow to stow her wings away. “Yes, Princess?”
“Once we’re finished here, please see to preparing a caravan for my purposes. As you will, a fortnight’s worth of supplies for a small party, no more than ten.”
Song bowed, her posture now crisp, and refined. “It will be done, Princess.”
Potts tugged at his collar. “It brings me a great deal of discomfort to have Your Highness so willing to depart for a hitherto unknown kingdom.” He straightened out. “But rest assured, I will maintain and ensure your offices remain productive in your absence.”
“‘Our’ offices,” she corrected. “Thank you, dear.” Celestia’s coo was rewarded with a diminutive blush. “And thank you once again, Mister Glass.”
“Now, are there any further developments, or has our moment of excitement passed?” Nopony spoke. “Very well. I expect to depart following our adjournment on the ‘morrow. Be well.”
As the collected councilors made to leave, Starswirl paused for Celestia. “I won’t be joining you today. I have matters to attend to in my study.”
Celestia frowned. “Your work is more important?”
“Yes, actually.” He stood. ”I’m glad you finally agree.”
Celestia took a sip of her tea to hide her smile. “Be well, Starswirl.”
He bowed his head. “And the same for you.”
Celestia’s attention shifted to one of the servants in the room, and Starswirl took the moment to escape; his bells rang out as he strode quickly into the hall. After a brief spat of squinting around, his face lit. “Miss Song!” he called, trotting to catch up to the flustered pegasus.
“Chamberlain?” the mare asked with a touch of worry. “Is something the matter?”
“Not at our present moment,” Starswirl started. He came to a stop beside her. “I simply wished to discuss some requisitions.”
The mare gave him a look. “Shouldn’t you be dining with the princess?”
“Dining? This is no unicorn castle, Miss Song. We break fast in the throne room.” He nodded. “But I see. I can speak with you when you are able.”
Song shook her head and smiled. “Oh, no, that’s not what I intended at all, Chamberlain. I’ve just always seen you by the princess’ side.”
Starswirl raised a brow. “You have been here for how long, Miss Song?”
“I see your point,” she conceded.
“Well, if you aren’t grievously occupied at present…” Starswirl began to trot along the hall, and Song walked with him. “Then I must ask that you have no fewer than ten reams of scroll parchment and binding paper delivered to my quarter. Any combination of them will do.”
Song blinked. “That is an awful lot of material, Chamberlain.”
“Indeed.”
“…May I ask what your plans are for all of it?”
“That is a private royal prospect of no concern to you.”
“But I’m working in the royal court now, am I not I?” Starswirl turned his head to Song. She winced, her ears folding flat. “I’m sorry, Chamberlain. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
He smiled at her. “No, you’re right, Miss Song. And I suppose I can’t blame a pegasus such as yourself for being curious.”
The mare blinked, her expression unsure.
Starswirl faced forward again. “Tell me, how much do you know about our current state of affairs?”
“Er… our affairs? From what we spoke of from within the cabinet, all seemed well in the realm.” Starswirl said nothing, so she continued. “I heard plenty of positive reports from villages and towns across the land, though there were a few calls for aid in more magic-oriented matters. There was some discussion of our countrywide reconstruction efforts, and proposals for a new office to handle all of the land reclamation projects. Oh, and an overview for the newest additions to the castle were brought up by Mister Potts.”
“And I will stop you right there, Miss Song. Tell me, how much of this castle stood six months past?”
For a moment, the only sound were two sets of hoofsteps.
“None?” Song tried.
“Exactly right. It was one month before we could utilize this Everfree castle as a place to oversee the realm in any meaningful capacity. One month that was not without hardship. It was a far cry from the relative peace we work in, now.” Starswirl met the mare’s look. “Celestia made of special note that you were a top-ranking member of the Nimbusia levy. Was she correct?”
Song hesitated, then nodded. “The princess spoke of me?”
“Yes, and with much discussion, as with the rest of your peers.” They turned a corner in the hall. Starswirl managed to keep the mare enthralled with his words. “You were one of the many ponies to answer our summons. Ponies willing to aid us in court and council, to aid us in protecting and fostering Equestria. And again, as with the rest of your peers, you were chosen for your veterancy in service to authority.” Starswirl had already looked away, but Song still nodded. “In fact, one of your own number, Chief Gale, relinquished his rank to serve as our head logistician.”
Song’s eyes widened. “That was Commander Gale? I hardly recognized him! He was the logistician you called for me to replace?”
“Indeed, though I advise that you restrain the knowledge I’ve shared with you. He is privy to mentions of his personal affairs. Regardless, should the need arise, Chief Gale remains more than capable of reprising his role as head logistician.” Starswirl frowned. “Things aren’t as perfect as what ponies hear, Miss Song. We’ve had to make many compromises.”
Her ears flicked. “I believe…” She bowed her head. “I believe I see what you mean.”
Starswirl appeared to mull over his words. “You can be sure of it.” His tone was measured and slow. “Would you join me for a short detour, Miss Song?”
Her face twisted with conflict. “I need to check up on the quartermaster.”
“I only ask for the briefest portion of your time.”
Song cast a glance back down the hall. “Well… if only for a moment, Chamberlain.”
They continued on, but it was little less than a minute before Song cracked the onset silence.
“Are you a historian by trade, Chamberlain? There hasn’t been a moment in your presence without a passing mention of the past, and you don’t hide your intimacy with the details.”
“We should always strive to remember, Miss Song. Our history is as vast and influential as the wellsprings of magic beneath our hooves.”
She smiled. “I agree, of course. But I find it so interesting that a pony such as yourself cares about the separate histories of the Three Tribes.”
“‘A pony such as myself?’” Starswirl’s tone lacked the veracity Song had expected.
“Well… a wizard. Like the unicorns who controlled the sun and moon, and preached that, above all, magic was everything.”
“Oh but it is, Miss Song. Magic is, in fact, everything. A pony ‘such as yourself’ would never understand that.”
She winced.
“But—!” Starswirl spun on his hooves, and Song careened to a halt. “I am nothing like those Canterlot hermits who dare to call themselves wizards. Even as a collective, they lack the conscious mind required to understand just how much magic there is within Equestria. No, I have tread o’er water, earth, and sky, and come to discover that we are all made of the same magic. We are as integral to the land as the sun is to grass. And I could allay you with all manner of information on the thaumological aspects of generative cultivation and full-breadth weather manipulation, but that is much more a scholarly pursuit, a likeness for me that has long since passed.” Song trot carefully behind Starswirl as he returned to his prior pace. “All curiosities lead to magic, Miss Song. And to truly know magic, one must look where others have tread.”
Song spent several minutes with her face locked in an unreadable expression.
When they rounded the final corner, her visage gave way to surprise.
There was a set of large stone doors, flanked by no less than half a dozen guards; the group was a balanced mix of all the pony tribes. Starswirl led Song past them. By the time the two unicorns had lit their horns, Starswirl had bounded up onto his hindlegs and leaned into the doors with a grunt. They swung outward into the symphony of the outside. Song followed wordlessly, and doors bellowed shut behind her.
Starswirl turned, flat-lipped. “The Two Sisters once did roam, and it was their historical curiosity that brought you to this end.”
In dark green woods of the Everfree Forest, a circle had been cleared, the castle adjacent. It was its own veritable city of skyward, stone walls, and it brimmed with the life and blood of those most loyal to the Two Sisters: heavy armor shifted and clinked up and down the sturdy ramparts, their wearers pausing only to peek through the many arrowslits; above, a steady heartbeat of rattling chains clung to the pegasi vested with them; and in the center of the grounds, a smaller circle of unicorns poured over it all, shifting with constant motion. The earth of the grounds lacked greenery, the soil overturned, and pressed to dust. It was only the large paving stones placed about that brought any semblance of peace to the desolate keep. But there was a threat that loomed here, one that kept all the ponies moving for fear of withdrawing peace from the land they’d sworn to protect.
As she nearly collapsed to the stones beneath her, Bright Song choked up a whisper from her wailing heart. “By the stars…”
The Lord of Chaos, his form racked by laughter, stood frozen in stone.
Song could hardly draw her eyes from the looming statue in the center of the clearing. It was only when she realized Starswirl was still in front of her that she could flap her wings and stand. “I… why did you bring me here?”
Starswirl’s voice—in spite of his stoic disposition—came soft. “You rebelled when none would. And in return for your lives, he stripped you of your legacy.” He turned to face the statue, who’s captured laughter came louder in silence. “I brought you here so that at least one of you would remember. The chaos and calamity that befell your city was nothing short of monstrous, and yet my opinions fall short of the court’s own. Even the voice of Chief Gale, who was averse to acknowledge him. They are adamant that we keep his continued existence hidden from the greater kingdom.”
Song wiped at her eyes and crept up behind him. “What was his name?”
“Discord.” Starswirl didn’t turn. “You knew him as the Lord of Chaos.”
The pegasus chewed on her lip, hung her head, and wiped again. “I’m so sorry for crying like a filly…”
“Miss Song. You are more than welcome to cry, now.” Starswirl came about, and gave her a warm smile, not too distant from that of the sun she adored. “The Sisters wept when you could not.”
And now, she did.
Starswirl looked about, watching for straying eyes. The only looks the mare knelt before him received were from a pair of descending pegasi, both solemn. They were non-Nimbusian, as with all of the pegasi in the castle garrison, but they had all heard the plight of the scattered Nimbusian warriors, and the collapse of the great cloud city they’d sworn to protect.
Song continued to weep; Starswirl quietly escorted her back into the castle proper, this time allowing the posted unicorn guards to do their duty. As with when they had walked through the halls prior, they were spared from prying eyes. Song clutched to the robes of Starswirl, and he allowed her to cling to him without contest. He walked her through the blackness of her eyes, his hooves never straying from the ground.
They stopped at the junction where they’d begun their detour. Starswirl stood calmly, waiting until the pegasus had unwound her neck and wings from him.
“Do you feel that your curiosity was rewarded?”
The mare almost began to cry again. Instead, she forced her emotions into a broken, tired laugh. “Chamberlain… that was far more than I expected.” She shook her head, and looked off down the empty halls. She fixed her mane with a hoof, her wings twitching with discomfort. “Tell me—truthfully, please. Why did you take me aside for all of this?”
Song felt a hoof on her withers. She looked back, a little stricken by surprise.
“I have made an exception for you.” Starswirl set his hoof back on the floor. “You have seen more than any pony rightfully should, but you are not alone. The loss of your legacy is but one wrong that I seek to right, and I’m hopeful for your aid in doing so.”
Song faced him completely. She stared into him with her light green eyes. Finally, a weak smile graced her features. “Of course. Thank you, Chamberlain.”
Starswirl bowed his head, then lifted it. “And you have my thanks.” He made to leave, but stopped mid-trot and briefly turned back. “When you are able, ten reams. Be well, Miss Song.”
She didn’t tarry; the quartermaster had waited long enough.