//------------------------------//
// Trials and Lessons 
// Story: It Takes Six 
// by Goldfur 
//------------------------------//

The six companions braced themselves for trouble but the thestrals that blocked their path seemed focused on just one of them.  Penumbra frowned and took a pace forward to be practically in the face of the thestral who had spoken.  “Who are you to call me a traitor?” she spat.  “I am a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard, sworn to serve and protect Princess Celestia and her subjects.  I have not nor ever would betray my oath to the Crown!”

The females hissed and flapped their wings while the male snarled.  “You are a thestral of Queen Nightmare Moon’s army!  You owe your loyalty to her and not the Day Tyrant.”

“That army has not existed in a thousand years!” Penumbra rebutted.  “And while many of our kind may call Nightmare Moon our true leader, that is the foolish thinking that has held our tribe back for centuries.  Those of us who have seen the futility of that path have built a better life, but thestrals like you have sabotaged our efforts to the point that we are regarded with fear and suspicion.  I joined the Royal Guard to prove to both them and myself that we can be so much better than that.”

“Better?  We already are!  Her Majesty created our race, uplifting us from the lesser ponies, and making us her mighty legion.  We have no higher calling than to serve her will.  A few dissidents change that not at all.  You would have benefitted our cause better by preparing for this day. Your true Queen has returned!  Abandon these fools, return to your brigade, and join us in taking back the country in the name of Nightmare Moon!”

Penumbra blinked and frowned. Brigade?  Those had not existed since Celestia had disbanded them centuries ago.  Had Nightmare Moon already managed to reorganize them already?  But the Grand Catacombs were so far away; surely, she could not have done so already?  And then there was that remark about a few dissidents.  A whole separate town was hardly something to be so trivialized. Something stank and it wasn’t bat guano. She needed to test her suspicions. “Alright – who do I report to?”

There was a gasp of surprise from behind Penumbra but she ignored it in favor of studying the thestral’s reaction. He frowned and hesitated before replying.

“How could you not know your commanding officer?”

“Oh, you mean Captain Torn Ear?”

“Of course!”

“I suppose he’ll expect me to sing our company’s battle song – We Shall Prevail by Moonlight.  He always made me sing the lead.”

The thestral nodded.  “A stirring tune to get thestral warrior blood pumping.”

Penumbra grinned.  “Which warrior’s feats performed in the name of Nightmare Moon since her cruel and unjust banishment do you feel brought the most glory to our mighty queen?”

The stallion’s mouth opened but no reply was forthcoming.

“You don’t know, do you?” Penumbra said with a smirk.  You also don’t know that there’s no such Captain Torn Ear.  In fact, Torn is a childhood friend and a mare.  And that song was a not a battle hymn but a tune written about a successful moonlight harvest after a harsh winter that had been the death of many thestrals in our entire town full of thestrals that have no allegiance to Nightmare Moon.”  She prodded the stallion hard in the chest with her hoof, meeting little resistance.  “You are a fraud – an apparition sent by the Nightmare to sway me from my cause.  You know nothing of thestrals today.  We have matured and changed over the last thousand years.  We are strangers to you now.  How could we ever feel allegiance to someone who is mired deep in the past and does not know our needs and desires?”

All three thestrals threw their heads back and screeched, causing everyone to cover their ears to block the painful noise.  Then the stallion snarled at Penumbra, “Fool!  You could have been part of a greater glory.  Now, if you or any of your companions come any closer, I will kill you all.”

“Not pretending anymore, Nightmare Moon? Good.  As a loyal member of the Equestrian Royal Guard, I vow that I will do everything within my power to see that you are defeated once more, and Princess Celestia is freed from your grasp.”

The stallion snarled once more before all three thestrals dissolved into a dark mist which rapidly dissipated.

Penumbra gave a sigh of relief before turning to face her companions.  “Thank you all for accompanying me this far, but now it is obvious that Nightmare Moon knows where we are and what we are doing.  It is time for you all to turn back.  It’s not worth risking your lives further.”

Gilda rolled her eyes.  “I suppose you think you’re going to continue on and hope that you accomplish your mission all by yourself?”

“Of course – it’s my duty.  I’ve sworn an oath to protect Equestria.  I have to fight Nightmare Moon.”

The griffon poked a talon into the thestral’s chest.  “No, it's not your job to fight Nightmare Moon.  It's your job to win.  You have us as resources to help you do that.  Now are you going to do your job or not?”

Big Mac narrowed his eyes.  “Do you think anywhere will be safe if Nightmare Moon succeeds?  Crops will die.  Trees will wither.  Food stores will run out.  Am I gonna watch my family starve?  Nope. Better to fix the problem right now, whatever it takes.”

Penumbra swept a hoof in the direction of where the false thestrals had been standing.  “You heard her – she will kill anyone who continues on this quest. That’s a promise she will do her utmost to keep.”

Gilda scoffed.  “We’re already corpses as far as she’s concerned.  She just wants to deter us for now and deal with us later.”

“It’s still a better chance than sacrificing your lives here and now.”

The griffon prodded the thestral again. “Look who’s talking.  Listen up, Penny – you have a duty to get intel back to the Royal Guard and the EUP, but you’re not going to be able to do it by yourself.  The truth is you’re marked.  Moony obviously can find you and you’re no real threat to her.  Only by working together are we going to stand any chance. We all know what’s at stake here and we all have a lot to lose.  And unless I’ve read these creatures all wrong, not one of us is going to let you go on by yourself.”

There were murmurs of assent from the other four.

Penumbra frowned at the griffon. “You’re a pain in the plot, you know? But, you’re right.  I can’t do this on my own.”

“Yeah, yeah.  That’s hardly the first time I’ve been called that, and often for the same reason.  Truth hurts.”

Big Mac said, “If we have all decided to go on, instead of yammerin’ and makin’ ourselves an easy target, can I suggest that we get the buck out of here?”

“Trixie agrees.  She is tired of seeing that full moon glaring at her.”

Despite the gloom of the forest, everyone could empathize with the unicorn.  The moon was Nightmare’s domain and they felt naked in its sight.  They hastened to continue.

Shortly after they had left the glade and were once more surrounded by trees, Big Mac said to Penumbra, “Tell us about that there town o’ yours.”

The thestral turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.  “You really want to know?”

“Eeyup.  I like to learn about my friends and I’ve never heard about a thestral township.”

Penumbra shifted her attention back to their path but she was pleased that somepony had found her home of interest. “It is called Libertas, an ancient word for freedom.  It was established by the thestrals who were disaffected by the obsessive adherence to the goals of a defeated alicorn and her insane ideas.  We thestrals love the night, but even we know that you need the sun to grow food.  Food that we had been stealing from farms when we weren’t cowering in the cold caverns that we had proudly named the Grand Catacombs.  Gradually, the saner among my ancestors chose to leave the caverns and start a settlement elsewhere.”

Big Mac asked.  “Where did they find the land?”

“Out to the west beyond White Tail Woods.  Equestria was young back then, and there was plenty of unclaimed territory distant from other pony settlements.  Of course, it was also far from any pegasus village and thus they had no weather control. Sadly, when Nightmare Moon changed pegasi into thestrals, my species lost that ability while gaining others more suited to the Nightmare’s needs.  Anyway, life for those pioneers was difficult, although it gradually got easier as more and more thestrals joined them to add their contributions. Unfortunately, the hardcore of those loyal to Nightmare Moon maintained their stance and continued to raid farms. That caused Libertas and its citizens to gain an unfair reputation for being thieves with nasty dispositions. Any of us who strayed into nearby towns were treated with hostility and bigotry despite doing nothing to deserve it. And so, Libertas grew in isolation from the rest of the nation.  I believe that the only reason our community was not wiped out long ago was because Princess Celestia had forbidden it.  She never blamed us for the actions of Nightmare Moon.”

Trixie said, “Princess Celestia blamed herself for Nightmare Moon.  She could not turn her back on those affected by the Nightmare’s actions.”  At the surprised looks from the others, she continued. “What?  Did you not know that Nightmare Moon was once Princess Luna, Celestia’s sister?”

“Sister?!” was the common expression of shocked surprise from the others.

“How do you know that?” asked Irwin.

The unicorn smiled smugly.  “The Amazing Trixie studied under Princess Celestia before deciding on a different life path.  She learned many things including how Celestia’s pride and neglect caused Luna to get jealous and resentful.  That opened up the Moon Princess to the seductive temptations of the Nightmare who merged with the alicorn and started a rebellion.  Celestia firmly believes that if she had not ignored her sister’s needs, Nightmare Moon would never have happened.”

Zecora added, “And the dark magic that fills the Everfree would not have ever come to be.”

Irwin asked, “Does that mean there would not have been Timberwolves like Blossom if not for Nightmare Moon?”

The zebra replied, “They are the wood spirits of old corrupted.  It is my belief Blossom has reverted.”

Big Mac said, “So, Libertas is either unknown or ignored by most ponies.  It must have been hard establishing a community without earth ponies to assist with farming.”

“It was very harsh. Some thestrals died but we persevered.  Fortunately, we discovered early that we had some talent for growing fruit, and today our orchards rival those of Sweet Apple Acres.  We grow far more varieties of fruit though.  No offense, Mr. Macintosh but nopony lives on apples alone.”

The large stallion chuckled.  “I know, but don’t tell my sister that.  And please, call me Big Mac.”

“Anyway,” Penumbra continued, “Libertas today is not so different from Ponyville except that no rail line passes through and the road there is barely a track due to infrequent use.  And, of course, we mostly labor during the night and sleep through the day.”

Irwin said, “It must have been hard for you to switch to daylight hours after joining the Royal Guard.”

The thestral shrugged.  “I’m a bit weird – I like the warm sun, and my shades look cool.  Besides, I am usually stuck with the night shifts.  Most ponies are glad to leave those to me.”

Gilda said, “What surprises me is that there are only thestrals.  Why didn’t Nightmare Moon convert unicorns and earth ponies as well as pegasi?”

“What makes you think she didn’t?” Penumbra replied.

“Oh?  If she did, where are they?”

“The Nightmare’s dark magic corrupted the unicorns’ and drove them mad.  Just like the beasts of the Everfree, they were a danger to everypony, not just Celestia’s followers.  They were the Nirik – creatures of unstoppable flames. Those that did not destroy each other were captured and cleansed to the best of the mages’ abilities. Today, their peaceful alternate form – the Kirin – live in another isolated community among the Peaks of Peril.”

Big Mac asked, “If they are peaceful, why do they keep away from other ponies?”

“I believe it is because of the lingering effects of their transformation.  They are extremely passionate beings and easily revert to their nirik form.  They choose to live away from those that can be harmed by them.”

“Trixie has heard of the Kirin but not of their origins.  She has heard nothing about the earth ponies though.”

Penumbra said, “They were called the Alastors but for some reason, the dark magic did not linger.  Some speculate that it is their very connection to the earth that drained the dark magic from them.  Anyway, those ponies eventually reverted and returned to their normal lives.  However, that does not mean that they were completely unchanged.  Did you know that no earth pony could manipulate rock prior to Nightmare Moon?  That battle-useful ability has apparently been passed on to their offspring.”

Big Mac gaped and blinked for a moment. “Does that mean I could have some of that ability too?”

“The talent has had a thousand years to disseminate among the earth pony population.  Have you ever tried to shape rock?”

“Umm… well… plowing fields has always been easy for me, and I’m exceptionally strong even for an earth pony. Removing boulders is no trouble at all.  So, maybe?”

Irwin said, “It seems that we have had three outcomes for each of the three tribes of ponies changed by Nightmare Moon.  We have the thestrals who are shunned and feared.  The Kirin choose to live in anonymous isolation.  And the Alastors have blended back into the pony population. The thestrals definitely got the worst of it.  I’ve had some poor interactions with ponies because I’m a minotaur, but I’m not a pony and it’s not hard to understand the fear of some creature that is not your kind.”

Zecora said, “I also know what it is like to have ponies lash out and strike.  In me, they saw a pony who is striped, and it took much time before I was liked.”

Big Mac nodded.  “I remember when you turned up in our village for the first time and caused fear and panic.  But you kept coming back and selling your products.  But it wasn’t until the year when an epidemic affecting foals swept through our town that attitudes toward you completely changed.  The healing potion you provided saved many lives – far more than in other towns without the benefit of your services.  And you gave it all without asking anything in return.  It’s no wonder that you are so liked and respected now.”

The zebra smiled gently. “Generosity should always be the Equestrian way.  If we fail to invest in our children, then we’d surely pay.”

Penumbra frowned.  “You managed to overcome prejudice because you got the opportunity to show your worth.  I’ve been trying for most of a decade with nothing to show for it,” she said bitterly.

Zecora raised an eyebrow.  “Have you not often proved your worth in every way? When you give your best for others, it is a good day.”

“And yet, thestrals as a whole are still reviled.  I have accomplished nothing.”

“I admit my status owes something to luck.  Without the disease, I might still be stuck.  But even so, I would have persevered, and I would show I was not to be feared.  The more we treat others like family, the better neighbors we all soon would be.”

Irwin said, “I can empathize with that attitude.  Kindness and generosity can go a long way toward building trust.  I might have been considered strange by my fellow minotaurs, but they knew I could be relied upon.”

Gilda said, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.  Be true to yourself because people can spot a phony.  It might hurt sometimes but betraying yourself hurts worse.  Your goal is worthy, and frankly I admire your tenacity.”

“And don’t forget to laugh even if everything seems set against you,” Trixie said.  “The greatest lesson Trixie learned was bringing joy to others brought it into hers as well.”

Big Mac grinned.  “I think I can safely say that we all support you in our own ways and we think of you as a friend.”  He held out a hoof.  “Will you be mine?”

Penumbra regarded the hoof for a moment before clopping hers against his.  With tears welling in her eyes, she replied, “I am honored to be your friend.”

A moment later, all the others came up to exchange hoof-bumps with the thestral.  They grinned at each other knowing that they all had formed a bond in their endeavor.

After a long pause while they absorbed this affirmation of their status, Penumbra wiped the moisture from her eyes and turned back to the path.  “Our task is still dangerous but we can do this together.  Be careful because I do not wish to lose my new friends so soon.”

With a chorus of agreement, they continued onward.

The dark forest continued to get more oppressive as they progressed, and a dark mist built up around the group. It happened so gradually that no one noticed.  The six who had resumed their quest with revitalized spirits slowly lost their enthusiasm.  Their steps felt leaden and weariness descended upon them.  When the way was barred by the rampant undergrowth, it became ever harder to push through.  Eventually, Gilda sank to the ground, exhausted and numbed.  She was quickly joined by Zecora and Irwin.  Big Mac’s strength seemed to abandon him but he did not care.  He slumped to the earth with a moan.  Penumbra’s determination only carried her a few more paces before it too failed.

“Must rest… for a moment… before…” Her sentence never completed.

Trixie was not unaffected, but the fog was having a harder time slowing her down.  Despite its depressing effects, her knowledge of unicorn magic told her that this was no mere tiredness from their hours-long efforts to penetrate the dense forest.  This had to be a trap laid by Nightmare Moon.  “Get up, everypony!  Don’t let this dire mist smother your spirits!”

That only evoked some half-hearted efforts which quickly failed.  Worse yet, Trixie could barely stir herself anymore.  With a great effort, she reached into her saddlebag with her magic and brought out one of her stage pyrotechnics.  Designed to be shot high into the air and burst into a spectacular sparkling fireball, instead, she threw it a mere few yards away.  The firework exploded, nearly deafening them.  However, the shock had its intended effect.  Hearts were sent racing, pumping adrenalin through everyone.  The unicorn let off a continuous display of some smaller pyrotechnics that lit up the area and displaced the mist.

“Go!” Trixie yelled.  “Get as far away from here as you can!  Penumbra – you have a mission!  You can’t stop now.  Big Mac – use that strength of yours to help Gilda.  Irwin – help Zecora.  Move it!” The others struggled to their feet and hooves and shambled away from the fireworks.

With every word, Trixie’s weariness and depression dissipated more and more and her confidence grew.

“This will be the Amazing Trixie’s most important performance – the defiance of Nightmare Moon!  Not even the evil alicorn can overcome Trixie’s Great and Powerful magics!”

Trixie laughed and lifted her hooves into the air.  Streamers shot overhead with a triumphant musical accompaniment.  Her companions shook their heads, dispelling the fog in their brains.  Their pace picked up until they had left the spirit-crushing mist behind. Nevertheless, they continued to run, unmindful of the undergrowth whipping their faces.  No one wanted to fall victim to that trap again.  They only came to a halt when they reached a canyon that crossed their path.  A collapsed bridge prevented any further progress.

“Look!  There’s the castle!” Penumbra cried.  “We’ve made it.”

“Not quite.  First, we need to cross this,” Big Mac said.  He sighed.  “I suppose I’ll have to be carried over again.”

“Actually,” Gilda said from aloft where she was scouting the area, “I see steps carved into the side of the rock. You can walk down and we won’t have to tire ourselves out carrying you.”

That was a far more acceptable alternative to both Big Mac and Irwin and they immediately headed down the indicated stairs.  

“These steps must have been carved before they built the bridge,” the minotaur speculated.

When they reached the bottom, they crossed to the other side.  They looked around for a matching set of stairs but found none.

“What was the point of those steps if you can’t get up the other side?” asked a very perplexed Big Mac.

“Maybe there’s something else down here,” suggested Trixie.

“Perhaps, but we are supposed to be looking for Nightmare Moon.  Exploration can come later.”

Gilda looked up at the steep sides of the canyon and groaned.  Merely carrying the stallion over the river had been hard enough, but lifting him vertically all the way up to the top was going to be awful.  “I suppose we’d better get this over with,” she said with a sigh of resignation.

“Wait,” Penumbra said.  “Big Mac – we talked about rock-shaping.  Want to give it a try?”

The stallion eyed the rock face.  “I dunno.  Never tried anythin’ quite like that before.  How do I do it?”

“From what I have heard, it’s merely a matter of visualizing your intent,” the thestral explained.

Trixie said, “I get it.  Think of it like when you buck apple trees to make the fruit drop exactly where you want them to go.  It’s magic – intent shapes the spell.”

“Okay.  I’ll try.”  Big Mac turned so that his rear was toward the rock face.  He took a long moment to imagine the result he wanted, then he bucked with all his might.

The canyon shuddered with the impact and crumbling rock began falling.  Everyone hastily retreated from the cliff face until the sound of falling stones ceased and the dust cleared.

“Well, I’ll be hornswoggled,” declared Big Mac.  “It worked!”

While not the careful craftsmanship of the other stairs, a perfectly serviceable set of steps now led up to the top of the cliff.

“After you,” Irwin said with a grin, waving Zecora on.  Trixie quickly followed, then Irwin and Big Mac.  Penumbra and Gilda elected to fly up, both happy not to need to lift their companions.

The group walked up to the stone wall that surrounded the ancient castle and paused at the gateway.

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Gilda asked.

Penumbra replied, “If Nightmare Moon is here as we suspect, it’s a given that she knows we’re here.  The noise Big Mac made would have betrayed us even if she didn’t before.  However, I don’t believe she can pinpoint us if we keep under cover.”

“What about when we met those fake thestrals or the mist trap?” Irwin asked.  “Nightmare Moon found us then.”

Trixie replied, “The latter was an area-of-effect spell.  It was broad enough to cover virtually any approach to the castle from our previous contact.  As for the former, we walked out into a moonlit glade in the middle of a dark forest.  We kind of stood out.”

“Exactly,” Penumbra said with a nod. “So, stealth is the word.  The castle is big, so I suggest that we split into two groups to check out more places.  I’m going to look for Luna’s former suite in case she’s made herself at home there once more.  Big Mac – can I get you to lead the other group elsewhere?  I suggest the throne room.”

“Eeyup,” he replied.

Penumbra swept her gaze over all the others.  “Remember – we are only here to confirm that Nightmare Moon has made this her base. If you can observe any other useful details at the same time, that is a bonus.  You are not to take unnecessary risks doing so.  The point is to bring intel back to Canterlot so that we can return with forces prepared to deal with the threat.  So, be careful!”

They decided that Gilda and Trixie would accompany Big Mac while Irwin and Zecora would go with the thestral.  They wished each other luck, entered the castle grounds, and split up.  Both groups headed for the nearest cover and they soon lost sight of each other.

Penumbra only had a few scraps of knowledge to determine her destination, but her best guess had her heading inside to find a stairway to the towers where the princesses had been reputed to have their suites.  Meanwhile, Big Mac set his sights on a partially collapsed vaulted roof that could be that of the throne room.  Gilda took to the air and was almost completely silent.  Despite his size, the stallion was fairly light on his hooves and made much quieter steps than Trixie.  Nevertheless, they could alert Nightmare Moon to their approach.  Then a thought occurred to him – maybe there was more to bending rocks to his desire than bucking them.  He willed that the stone floor stop making noise and their hoofsteps faded to near inaudibility.  The stallion was both surprised and shaken by his success.  Could he really be descended from an Alastor as Penumbra had speculated?  Would the Nightmare sense this?

Mac’s companions had been equally startled by the sudden cessation of sound from their steps.  However, the ability to creep through the hallways in silence more than made up for it.  They passed room after empty room before reaching the huge double doors that they presumed led to the throne room.  One door was slightly ajar and, after carefully pushing her head through, Gilda could see no one beyond.  She squeezed the rest of the way through and Trixie followed a moment later.  The gap was far too narrow for the big stallion though, but there was no other way for him to progress further.  Big Mac decided to risk opening the door a bit more, but not before he told the other two to take cover.  Taking a deep breath, he carefully pulled on the door.

The effect was horrendous.  The hinges screeched, sending the noise through every corner of the ruins.  Through the enlarged gap, Big Mac could clearly see that this was not the throne room but a huge ballroom.  A dried-up fountain with decorative balls was at the other end, but that view was quickly replaced by the sight of a dark swirling mist that congealed into the form of Nightmare Moon.

“Oho!  What have we here?  Any pony who ignores my warning is either very foolish or very brave.  Perhaps both.” The malevolent alicorn strode toward the terrified stallion.  “I will reward thy bravery with a quick death.”


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