Djinn of Equestria

by morbiusgreen

4: Reunion

Opheda was taken aback by just how beautiful Equestria was. She and Verbana had taken a train from Griffonstone to the nearest station to Mt. Everhoof, which was a small mountain town called Rainbow Falls. They’d arrived just after the sun set, and while the ponies who did live there were initially wary of them, they changed their minds once Verbana aided them in a small crop problem. Apparently, the two deer had arrived during some kind of festival the coincided with the first day of summer. Something called the Summer Sun Celebration.

The two deer were escorted to a lovely inn where they were both fed and given a place to sleep for the night free of charge. Since it wasn’t too late, Opheda and Verbana had time to explore the town. The clouds that were made of what looked like liquid rainbows glowed in the night with their multicolored hues, casting a warm light over the town. The celebration here lasted a week according to the town’s mayor. It was a paradisaical city, full of life. Opheda felt jealous of what the ponies had. They lived in a fertile and beautiful land. It was something she hadn’t even expected despite knowing a bit about Equestria from her studies as an Acolyte.

Opheda and Verbana were walking through the town, looking around at all of the festival preparations. There were stalls where one could use a thin and easily breakable paper racket to catch goldfish to take home as pets. There was a game called katanuki which was where rectangular candy molds were given to participants so that they could remove the shapes in said molds without breaking anything while having to use only a toothpick. There was a game called water balloon yo-yo where one had to use a stick to carefully pull said balloon out by a string with a loop around the end.

There were many other games there, along with amazing food, ponies performing to music, a bonfire where ponies danced around, and much more. Opheda could practically feel the excitement radiating off of the ponies in town, and found it infectious. She and Verbana tried out several local foods with the bits Gabby had given them, but made sure not to go overboard. They enjoyed the performances by the ponies, which mostly were reenactments of Nightmare Moon’s defeat at the hooves of Celestia a thousand years ago.

The only downside, which wasn’t too bad, were the foals. They were everywhere, many wearing masks of some kind and always asking the two of them what they were with foal-like curiosity. Verbana always took these questions in stride while Opheda grew tired of it quickly. Still, she knew that they were just foals so she couldn’t be too mad at them.

At one point late in the night, Verbana and Opheda were sitting at a table drinking a local alcoholic drink called saké while simultaneously drinking water. Verbana had explained that alcohol was dehydrating, and that to avoid a hangover one should drink an equivalent amount of water. They were looking out at the festival, Verbana with bemusement and Opheda with a thoughtful look. Her old town had some celebrations, but to her eyes, the town here, despite being so far north, had a wealth and prosperity that she could only ever imagine.

Verbana must have noticed her look because she asked, “Something on your mind, young one?”

Opheda, having not anticipated a question as she was so deep in her thoughts, jumped a bit. “Ah, nothing important,” she said once she recovered.

“Every thought has its own importance,” Verbana said, “even if it seems not to be so to another. Even the most unusual thoughts.”

Opheda looked at Verbana. She couldn’t make sense of this strange and powerful deer-like creature. She was an enigma, but still she didn’t feel the same kind of animosity that she felt from others back at the Order. She sighed and took another sip of her saké, looking back at the crowd. “I don’t think the ponies know just how good they have things here,” she admitted.

“How so?” Verbana asked with an inquisitive tone.

“Have you seen the state of our old land recently?” Opheda asked. “We used to be a prosperous nation during our golden age. Now, after the Age of Strife, we’re scattered, some of us living as nomads while others live in poor villages. These ponies live in a paradise compared to where we live now. It seems to me that they should be able to share some of that wealth.”

Verbana looked thoughtful at this, nodding as she listened. When Opheda had finished her speech, she replied, “It might interest you to know that this kingdom wasn’t always like this.”

“I know the history of Equestria,” Opheda replied as she sipped on her water next.

“Not all of it,” Verbana replied.

“The three tribes united together after the windigos nearly brought about their own destruction,” Opheda said.

“Do you know that the creation of the Accord Flames precisely coincide with the emergence of the World’ Eye?” Verbana asked.

Opheda raised an eyebrow. “No, that I didn’t know.”

“Did you know that each side was in the middle of a three-way bloody battle in the icy land they called home when it happened?”

Opheda’s eyes shot wide open in astonishment. “Battle…?”

“The battle didn’t just end because the windigos were sealed away,” Verbana explained. “It took the combined efforts of Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy to convince their leaders to stop the war. Not only that, but with the founding of Equestria came the first multispecies herds. Clover formed a herd with Smart and Pansy, and Commander Hurricane started one with Chancellor Puddinghead and Princess Platinum. Back then, marriages were more of a political move than they are today, and this formation of a herd solidified Equestria.”

“How do you know all this?” Opheda asked.

“I was there for the weddings as an honored guest,” Verbana said, “and I was also there when the Equestria Carta was signed. I blessed the land to bring forth bountiful harvests for the first ten years to get them started before leaving.”

Opheda stared at her with her jaw almost on the table. This deer was older than the princesses of Equestria?! She found this hard to believe for a bit, but when she remembered her origin story, she quickly reconciled herself. “I had no idea…”

“Many deer have forgotten the specifics, I’m sure,” Verbana said with an understanding nod.

“Can you tell me more?” Opheda asked.

“Another time, perhaps, but yes,” Verbana said as she sipped on her drink. “Right now, my mind is elsewhere.”

“Where?” Opheda asked.

Verbana turned towards the east, looking towards a tall snow-covered peak illuminated by the nearly full moon. “I want to be sure that certain things remain buried and forgotten.”

Opheda looked over in the same direction, curious as to what she was hoping to find. “So…what time are you going to leave tomorrow?” she asked.

“As soon as I can,” Verbana said. “The mayor told me that there’s no train that stops near that mountain, so I’ll need to walk there.”

Opheda was about to reply when her vision suddenly went dark.

When her vision returned, she was no longer in Rainbow Falls. Instead, she was in front of the entrance of a dark cave on top of a mountain. The cave entrance was surrounded by a glowing gold magical shield. She passed through it suddenly and was inside the cave. She moved through the cave for several seconds only to come into a vast cavern with six stones placed in a circle. The stones were engraved with glowing runes she couldn’t identify, but what was in the center of the stones was what caught her attention.

A large and ancient looking evergreen colored bell hovered above a circular stone platform, encased in a dim glowing spherical shield identical in color to the one surrounding the cavern’s entrance. The bell had several cracks on its surface and looked like it might fall apart. However, she could feel an incredible amount of magic coming from it even in this state, magic that seemed to surpass her own or possibly even Verbana’s.

As she watched, she heard hoofsteps coming from behind her. She turned and saw a hooded pony unicorn, but one who was much taller than any pony she’d seen. The pony, their face hidden in the darkness under their hood, raised their horn, which glowed a dark green. The runic stones around the bell shattered, and the bell fell to the platform with a clatter. The unicorn walked up and picked the bell up in their magic. Opheda could see the unicorn smirk beneath the hood as they placed a chain around the bell, hanging it around their neck before leaving.

Her vision shifted again, and this time she was floating in a large bedroom, one more ornate than anything she’d ever imagined. It was empty, but that changed quickly when the door opened. A pair of unicorns in armor came in, both using their magic to carry a figure in. Behind them, the now too familiar form of Princess Celestia walked behind them along with a shorter alicorn mare of several blue hues. Both had looks of concern on their faces as the armored ponies placed the figure in the bed before covering said figure in a blanket. As the guards stepped back, Princess Celestia and the other alicorn stepped forward, the former adjusting said figure in the bed.

“Will this creature be alright, dear sister?” the shorter alicorn asked. “We are as of yet unable to cast the dreamwalking spell to see into the minds of anypony.”

“He hasn’t slept in nearly one thousand years, Luna,” Princess Celestia replied, reaching up and placing a hoof on the head of the figure gently, running it through the figure’s long hair which seemed to move in a similar fashion to the royal monarch. “It would appear as if his temporary release from the Djinn’s Prison has given him that ability back. I suspect he will sleep for a while.”

The alicorn referred to as Luna walked up to the figure, and when Opheda watched this, she caught a glimpse of the figure’s face for the first time. She gasped as it was the same bipedal creature who had begged for her help in the vision before. Unlike before, however, this creature, the Djinn she’d seen a year ago as well, looked a bit more peaceful as he slept.

“We are quite astonished he hath not gone on a rampage,” Luna said, “for to be without sleep for such a long time would be detrimental to anypony’s health.”

“He is no pony,” Princess Celestia said.

“Anycreature, then,” Luna added. “A Djinn is no exception.”

“I agree,” Princess Celestia replied, “but the magic binding him to his magical curse has forced him to remain sane.”

“He hath been tormented? This is unlike anything we hath read about Djinns,” Luna replied in alarm.

“Indeed not, sister,” Princess Celestia said. “It would appear there is much more to know about these creatures than old pony tales would say.”

“When we hath recovered, we shall delve deep into these matters,” Luna said, giving the sleeping Djinn a look of pity and empathy. “We were lucky to sleep in our…imprisonment. His torment is far beyond our own.”

Princess Celestia stepped back and put a wing around Luna. “I would appreciate the help in his recovery,” she said. “I may not be able to help as much as you can. You can relate to him a bit more.”

Luna looked down at the Djinn, then slowly nodded. “We shall do what we can, sister.”

The world around Opheda began to swirl and darken once more…

“…eda? Young Opheda?”

Opheda jumped, a bit startled by Verbana shaking her. The young doe looked at the older deer, then blinked. “Ah, sorry,” she said, picking up a hoofkerchief with her magic and wiping her face, “I was just…ah, lost in thought.” She was about to tell Verbana what she’d seen, but then remembered how Maerise and Santhea had reacted. She wasn’t too sure that she could trust anyone in the moment, so she dismissed it.

Verbana looked at her with some curiosity. “Thinking about what?” the older doe asked.

Thinking quickly, Opheda said, “Ah, the journey ahead for me. Just…wondering what waits for me in Canterlot.”

Verbana looked closely at Opheda for a moment, looking like she was thinking about something. The younger doe felt a bit uncomfortable, but when Verbana sat back and smiled slightly at her, Opheda wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Tell you what, young doe,” Verbana said, “why don’t you stick with me for the present? When I have confirmed what I need to confirm on the mountain, I will travel with you to Canterlot. I have not been to that city since it used to be a small town of miners. I am curious to see how far it has grown.”

Opheda wasn’t sure what to think about this at first. For one, she was scared of going alone to find out why she was seeing this Djinn creature in her dreams and now daydreams. On the other hoof, she didn’t know this Verbana very well and her kind actions aside, she wasn’t too sure what her intentions were. Her trust in elders had been shaken as of late, but she also was terrified of going alone. “I…I don’t want to go up the mountain,” she said worriedly.

“Then perhaps you should stay in the town until I return,” Verbana said.

Opheda thought about this for a bit. She didn’t mind being alone, but she also wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone. She might not know much about Verbana, but she didn’t quite want to be alone at the moment. Verbana had been everything that Verbana hoped Maerise would be. “I…I don’t know…”

Verbana smiled kindly at her. “It’s your decision, young doe,” she said, “but I will let you know that I must head to Mt. Everhoof. Time for me is of the essence. Nevertheless, I promise that I will not leave until after you wake tomorrow and I also promise that after my business on the mountain is complete, the two of us will travel to Canterlot together.”

Opheda nodded, taking another sip of her drink. It would appear that she would have a lot to think about tonight…

Maerise was on the first train to Rainbow Falls the very next morning. Having never been on one before, she found herself in awe at the technological marvel she sat in. She wondered if she could bring the idea back to her kind, but with the amount of metal and steam necessary for this sort of technology she doubted that it would be easy.

She was more worried about the former Acolyte. The kind griffon who had let her stay the night in her house was very informative, telling Maerise that the younger doe seemed to be in good health when she saw her, and that had been a massive relief to the older Priestess. Still, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Her inaction and lack of oversight into Opheda’s training had led to her being ostracized by her peers and even her teachers.

She promised herself that when she and Opheda returned to the Temple of True Accord, she would beg the High Priestess to make an exception for Opheda to take her test once more. She knew Opheda was ready, but it was those daydreams of hers that had caused her to slip.

As she sat in the booth, she thought back to the times that Opheda had told her about her dreams and visions. Maerise had passed them off as simple dreams, but the fact that the one she’d had during her final test while awake gave her pause. She thought back to her studies of Clairvoyance. She wasn’t sure why she was thinking about this, but if her student had one of those gifts, she had to know.

She knew that the High Priestess had the ability, although she used the Eye to do so. On the other hoof, nodeer had ever shown to be a Clairvoyant of the Second Level for many years. She concentrated on her studies of Arseleon once more. When she’d thought about it that one night a couple days ago, she had gone to sleep firmly considering the possibility that Opheda could have a similar ability. However, she forgot about it the moment she woke up, something unusual for her. Normally, the first thoughts in her mind were a continuation of the last thoughts before she went to sleep.

She concentrated on the stories of the ancient buck once again. The more she thought, the more the memories of the night where she’d initially thought about it returned. She’d never had a lapse in memory like that before, and it concerned her. Why was she unable to remember until just now?

Since she had a few hours until she reached Rainbow Falls, she concentrated on the problem at hoof. Was it truly possible? Maerise couldn’t just dismiss the possibility, but if that were the case, wouldn’t the High Priestess have sensed it the moment Opheda was brought into the Temple?

She held her head in her hooves, a headache beginning to form. She drank from her canteen which she’d refilled from Griffonstone’s brand new reservoir, finding the water to be pure and cold. She drank heartily, but it seemed as if the more she thought about Arseleon and the possible correlation between him and Opheda, the worse her headache got. She gritted her teeth and pushed through, trying harder to concentrate, but it was growing harder.

“Are you alright, miss?”

Maerise jumped at the sudden voice, turning to see a dark mauve pony wearing some sort of blue uniform and blue hat. The earth pony stallion had a look of concern on his face. She took another drink from her canteen and nodded, the headache slowly receding as she focused her attention on the pony. “Sorry, yes, I’m alright,” she replied with a nod, “I was just fighting off a headache.”

The pony looked concerned and asked, “I know we have a doctor on board. Want me to get them for you?”

Maerise was about to say yes, but then stopped. The headache had completely vanished now. She felt that bothering a doctor at the moment would just be rude, so she looked at the stallion. “Thank you, but I’m fine now.”

“Well, if you’re sure, then alright,” the stallion said. “If you need any assistance, let me or any of the other staff know and we’ll call that doctor.”

She nodded slowly. “Thanks,” she said as she smiled gratefully at the stallion, who nodded back and then turned to walk away, checking on other passengers. She wanted to think about…whatever she’d been thinking about, but she was tired, and with a few more hours to go, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The noise of the station jolted her awake and she looked around. A voice had just said something from the air, and as she wiped the sleepiness from her eyes, she heard the voice again. “Welcome to Rainbow Falls. Anypony who wishes to disembark must do so within the next ten minutes before we get underway. Next stop is Galloping Junction.”

Maerise got herself together and looked out of the window. She was stunned by the beauty and color she saw. The falling rainbows were certainly something she had never seen before. The only rainbows she knew happened after a rainstorm or rain shower. The rainbows here were more vibrant and solid than the ones she knew of from back home.

Not to mention the ponies themselves. They were many different hues of color and she saw, for the first time in person, cutie marks. Honest to Accord cutie marks! Despite the urgency of her quest, she couldn’t help but feel excited. She’d always hoped to travel to Equestria at some point to study pony magic, but her duties as a Priestess in the Temple kept her from traveling abroad.

She was just sad she had to travel to Equestria under such dire circumstances.

As she looked around, she saw something that made her heart soar. Walking through the town was the object of her quest. Opheda was walking next to the most colorful and majestic doe Maerise had ever seen. Without missing a beat, she grabbed her belongings and ran out of the window itself, galloping over to where the two deer were walking. With a cry of relief, she called out “Opheda!”

The deer turned and before she could get anything out, Maerise tackled the younger doe in a hug. “Oof!” was all that she got out before she felt her former matron hugging her. “M-Matron Maerise?!”

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” Maerise exclaimed over and over again, her emotions finally boiling over. She began sobbing as she held the younger and very confused doe, apologizing over and over again. “I should have stood up for you! I failed you as a teacher and a matron! I’m so sorry!”

“Young doe, who is this stranger?” a soft feminine voice asked from above the two.

Maerise heard Opheda reply, “She’s…my former Matron from the Temple of True Accord.”

Maerise felt magic surrounding her and separating her carefully from the younger doe. She was placed down in front of the colorful deer she’d seen earlier. The doe’s legs and barrel were a bright green, the upper part of her body was a bright yellow and her neck and head were an autumn orange. Her eyes reminded Maerise of the trees during autumn. Her ears and tail looked like leaves and there were leaves and a few types of fruits hanging from her antlers, which themselves looked like tree branches. The doe looked at Maerise with a stern countenance. “So,” she said, “you’re the one who failed my current traveling companion here.”

Maerise felt her ears and tail droop. She looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. “Yes,” she admitted, “I’m the one who failed her. I failed her so much…”

“And now you’re here to, what? Bring her back?”

Maerise looked up slowly towards the ancient looking eyes of this doe. She took a breath, then said, “I was hoping so, yes,” Maerise said before turning to Opheda. “My dear, I promise things will be better than before. I’ll teach you myself if you want! I can even ask the High Priestess-”

“Fuck the High Priestess,” Opheda spat in rage, “she’s the one who dismissed me without giving me a second chance! And you sat there and did nothing!”

“I can get you another chance!” Maerise exclaimed.

“Fuck another chance!” Opheda shouted. “Fuck the Order! Fuck the Temple! It’s buckshit anyway!”

Maerise felt her headache return, and she pleaded once more. “Please, the High Priestess wants-”

“Enough,” the voice of the older multicolored doe interrupted the Priestess. She took a spot between Opheda and Maerise. “You are in no position to tell this young doe to do anything.”

Maerise winced as the headache only increased. “I can help more-!”

“I said ENOUGH!” the older doe said. She didn’t yell, but her voice seemed to reverberate in Maerise’s head.

“I’m not going back,” Opheda snapped.

Maerise tried to stand. She had to bring Opheda back, she just had to! She looked pleadingly at the young doe. “Please…I know we made a mistake, but we can protect-”

“Does the word ‘NO’ mean anything to you?” the older doe asked.

“I can make sure things are okay-”

“Why are you pushing this?” Opheda asked. “You’ve never been this insistent before.”

Maerise paused. Why was she pushing this? She tried thinking of a reason why. She was definitely afraid for her former student and wanted to ensure her safety. She knew the Temple was safe with all of its enchantments and magic. She knew that the High Priestess cared about all of the deer in the Temple and believed that she could help Opheda with the dreams or visions-

When she thought of the word visions the headache returned in full force and she winced. No, they weren’t visions, she told herself. Or did she? She held her head in her hooves, sitting on her haunches and wincing as the pain returned. She heard someone calling out to her, not in anger now but in concern.

Just dreams, she thought, and the headache subsided. However, she suddenly found herself encased in magic. Looking up at the deer who was holding her, she saw that the older doe wasn’t looking so much at her as through her. Her horns glowed a bright orange and she felt the magic coursing through her. She closed her eyes and began hearing a whining noise in her ear, and the sound of the town around her along with the voice of the two other deer began to fade away. The noise became a piercing shriek that she fought for as long as she could before she heard a loud exhaling of breath. Instantly, the noise and pain vanished and she opened her eyes, only to see a black mist with cold blue eyes for the briefest of instants before it vanished. With that, she was released and gently placed on the ground.

Opheda’s face came into view, a worried look on her face. Behind her, the stalwart face of the older doe appeared. Sounds came back to her and she heard Opheda asking if she was alright.

Maerise slowly sat up, trying to come to terms with what had just happened to her. She had never felt anything so painful before, but now that it was gone, she felt more clear-headed than she’d felt in the past couple of days. For those days she’d been focused on bringing Opheda back, and while she still hoped to convince the young doe, her thought felt clearer about the matter. Opheda was an adult, and if she couldn’t convince the young doe to return, then she’d respect that decision.

“I feel a lot better,” Maerise admitted.

“I should say you should,” the older doe said, “the spell you were under was quite malicious.”

“Spell?” Maerise asked.

“Correct,” the older doe said, “a spell I haven’t seen in an age. It was a Noctis.”

“What’s that?” Opheda asked.

“They’re a subspecies of an Umbrum,” the older doe explained. “They are not intelligent like us, but they can be trained or enslaved to a master to do their bidding over great distances. This one seemed to have infected you. They can influence the thoughts of others to become singular minded or can force them not to think about something.”

“Me? But why would anyone infect me?” Maerise asked, wondering just what kind of monster would infect her with something so devious. She couldn’t think of anydeer or anyone who would be cruel enough to do such a thing. The doe was unsure what to make of what she’d just encountered. She had never heard of a spell or a creature that had the effect it did on her. Deciding to try something, she focused her thoughts on Arseleon and Opheda, and to her relief the headache didn’t return. But her relief gave way to confusion. Why would anyone want her to not think about that? Unless…

She turned to Opheda, eyes widening in realization. Whoever had placed this spell on her knew, or at least suspected, that Opheda was similar in a way to Arseleon. She was still a bit dizzy from whatever the older doe had done, so her thoughts were all a jumble. However, if the older doe had indeed healed her and gotten rid of this Noctis creature, she suspected that some sleep would help clear her mind.

She stared at Opheda, feeling like a fool for ignoring her own desires. Slowly standing, she said, “If you won’t return to the Temple, then I can’t make you,” she said, “but perhaps I can do the next best thing and join you on whatever journey you’re on.”

Opheda looked startled by this, but she simply smiled a bit, turning to the other doe. “Would you be okay with her coming along with us?”

The doe looked at Maerise with an appraising glance. Maerise waited for this doe to finish whatever she was looking for. When she sighed, Maerise was afraid she’d be denied, but instead she said, “We’re heading to Mt. Everhoof and then to Canterlot. Are you willing to scale a mountain?”

Maerise’s eyes widened and she nodded eagerly. She wanted to make sure her former student was safe, after all. “Of course!”

The older doe nodded, then extended a hoof. “My name is Verbana.”

Maerise’s eyes widened. She’d heard the name in her earlier studies as an Acolyte herself and had read a few stories about an ancient deer who had magic beyond anything anydeer had. She thought back to her readings, and an image from an old tome popped into her head. The colors on the page were nearly identical to this Verbana in front of her. She wasn’t sure if this deer was the same individual or a descendent, but the fact that she’d helped Maerise be freed told her that the Verbana in front of her was a powerful Magus in her own right.

Maerise reached her hoof up and touched Verbana’s. “I’m Maerise,” she said as means of introduction. “Thank you for looking after Opheda. I’ve been so worried about her.”

Verbana nodded, and a hint of a smile formed on her muzzle. “Your former student is a remarkable doe,” she said, “but we can discuss this at a later date. We were about to leave for Mt. Everhoof. Come, we will talk on the way.”

Sanathea frowned as she felt the presence of Evasia suddenly returning to her side. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the black shadow with ice blue eyes appearing in front of her. She had been in the middle of looking south towards a warring faction of two deer clans, trying to decide which of the Magi to send to hopefully quell this battle and bring peace and order back to their area of their former lands when Evasia returned.

The blind High Priestess reached out and summoned the creature to her, accessing its memories with her Clairvoyance. She watched as the shadowy creature’s hold on Maerise was broken by a doe of many colors, a doe that Sanathea could only acknowledge fully was the somehow returned Verbana. The spell Verbana had cast would not allow Evasia to keep a close eye on the Priestess Maerise anymore, so she had to take some other measures. So, she summoned her most trusted deer in the Order.

Priest Tharos walked in after being summoned. Sanathea could hear him kneeling before her. “High Priestess, what can I do for you?”

“Young Tharos,” she said, “I have a task for you.”

“I am yours to command, High Priestess,” the buck said.

Sanathea nodded in approval. “There is a certain former Acolyte we must bring back to the Temple immediately…”

When he next opened his eyes, Damian found that he was no longer leaning against Princess Celestia. He was, instead, lying on a very soft and comfortable bed. He instantly sat up, looking around the room he now found himself in. The bed he was in was a canopy bed with the curtains drawn. With his Djinn magic, he pulled the curtains back only to realize that it was nighttime already. He swung his legs over the side and looked around, taking stock of himself. He was wearing the same clothes that he had always worn, but they felt a bit different.

It quickly came to him. They’d been washed. That meant he’d been seen naked. He felt his boxers as well and noted that they’d been washed to. He looked around, then saw his shoes near the closed door along with his socks. He reached up and snapped. Instantly, the socks and shoes were on his feet and he stood. The socks had been washed, and it appeared as if the shoes he wore had been cleaned. There was some magic running through them that made them feel brand new.

He reached up and a dim light appeared above his head, illuminating the room just enough that his light sensitive eyes could see better. He was in a bedroom, that much was certain. His bed was on one side of the room with a nightstand on either side. Each had a lamp on both and some drawers on each. The ceiling slanted upward in a cone shape with a chandelier hanging from the center. There was a balcony to the left of his bed and a door to the right. On the opposite side of his bed was a fireplace, currently dark and cold, with a pair of comfortable chairs sitting in front of it. There was a second closed door to the right and an open door to the right which apparently led to a bathroom of sorts.

Next to the balcony door was a large ornate desk and chair, one clearly made for ponies. With a snap, the desk grew to fit him. On the other side of the balcony door was a large dresser, or bureau as it had been called in the books he’d read.

Damian took this all in within a few seconds, memorizing the entire layout of the room before he walked out to the starry night, looking up at the heavens. He knew the stars well, especially since he’d seen them move during his imprisonment. With little movement on his part, he began to lift off of the ground, moving up as a black cloak formed behind him.

As he flew into the air, a distant calming electronic hum began, followed by calming piano music. Said music surrounding the entire city with its otherworldly beauty, and with it came a light enchantment that granted restful and peaceful sleep to those who were asleep who heard it. To those awake, it granted them a sense of serenity and, if they would be trying to fall asleep soon, it would grant them the same serenity in slumber.

He flew up into a cloud, passing through it and sitting down on it comfortably. He looked down at the city below and its surrounding landscape. The Maretterhorn was a massively tall peak, that much was obvious. He’d even been able to see it from the tallest spires in his prison. He saw it turn from a small settlement to a magnificent palace with each visitor he received.

As the music began to fade, he lay on the cloud, comparing the experience of being on a real cloud with being on a Djinn fabrication. He noted that it was much more comfortable than his attempts in his prison. The height also allowed for it to be much colder. He stared up at the stars, having not seen twinkling stars in nearly a millennium. The stars he knew were always static. The moon was up and waning now, and he guessed that he’d been asleep for longer than just a few hours.

Sleep…the concept of him actually having slept was foreign to him. After nearly a thousand years without it, he hadn’t been expecting it. Could it be the effect of being free of his prison and in the real world? He didn’t feel tired at the moment, but the fact that he’d slept was interesting.

He looked up and saw a bright blue star in the night sky. He focused on it, narrowing his eyes as the view of the star began to get bigger in his magic sight. It grew, becoming a blue-green orb with three smaller ones near it. He zoomed in further, spotting a massive forest of green mushroom-shaped trees. There were large reptilian-esque creatures lounging on the branches as the tree along with some passing insects that looked like aerial jellyfish. He watched as some of the lounging creatures opened their mouths only for a long tongue to lash out, grabbing at the passing airbound jellyfish, snapping them in their teeth. This was the first time he’d been able to observe the life on the fourth planet of Equus’ star system while in motion.

“I figured you were behind that lovely music,” a serene voice said from behind where he lay. The view of the alien forest zoomed out and he found himself lying back on the cloud above Canterlot. Looking up, Damian saw the upside-down face of Princess Celestia looking down at him. She was wearing no regal regalia, and her mane looked a bit disheveled. Still, she had a warm smile on her face as she walked up and lay down beside him, her forelegs hidden beneath her in what he remembered some bronies called a ponyloaf. She looked up at the night sky, then gave a wistful smile. “The small enchantment was a nice touch. It even affected me, and the music woke me up.”

“Everyone deserves a pleasant night’s sleep,” he replied.

“How true.”

“Sorry to have woken you, though,” he said apologetically, “that wasn’t my intention.”

“No need to apologize, my young Djinn,” she said gently, “all is forgiven.”

Damian looked back up at the stars. Opening his eyes wider, the sky began to brighten until he saw things as if he was seeing them using an astrophotography lens. He saw the planetary nebula in all its rainbow glory in the north, the soft pink glow of a nebula known as the Teapot and Teacup in the south, although his astrophotographic vision revealed more to the nebula than just its typical appearance. To the east, he saw a bright globular cluster which in his current state shone brightly like the images he’d seen from the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. The illumination of the galaxy was unlike anything he’d seen before on Earth.

If he had to guess, Equus and its star system was higher above the galactic plain than the Sol System was. This had the effect of better revealing the spiral of this galaxy much more so than any image humans had taken of the Milky Way. Still, despite this, the galactic coordinates of this world weren’t too high above the galactic plain as the sky was still ablaze with nearby and faraway stars and interstellar phenomenon. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be here for long, he was curious to see the constellations and other phenomenon during the winter months.

“Do your eyes normally glow at night?” Princess Celestia asked him.

Damian blinked, and slowly returned his eyes to normal. “I was looking at the night sky as if I was seeing them through the lens of a long photographic exposure,” he explained.

Celestia looked down at him with a raised eyebrow full of curiosity. “Long photographic exposure?” she asked.

“You have cameras here, right?” he asked.

“We do,” she said.

“Do you know how they work?” he asked again.

She closed her eyes, apparently thinking. “I’m not too familiar with the specifics, I’ll admit,” she said, “but I believe that light enters a lens and hits a piece of film in the back, capturing a moment in time.”

“More or less true,” Damian agreed. “Human technology has advanced beyond that, although analog photography still exists. One thing that digital photography can do is to not just capture a single snapshot, but that lets in light for an elongated period of time.”

“Would that not make the image brighter and more blurred?” the princess asked.

“Well, yes, if not placed on a tripod,” he explained. “Here, let me show you what I saw.” He reached up his hand and snapped.

Instantly, Celestia’s eyes began to glow. She looked up at the sky and her eyes went wide. Her wings popped up in an instant and her jaw dropped. “My goodness…” she said in an awestruck tone. “If my sister saw this…”

“I’m sure I can show her sometime,” he said as he snapped and her eyes slowly lost their glow. “I’ve also managed to see close up to some of the other planets in this solar system. When they were visible, that is. You have a beautiful star system here.”

Celestia looked down at him with a look of awe. “You truly do have some unique and powerful abilities,” she said.

“‘Magic is a powerful tool, but that is all it is: a tool. It can be useful in our society, but without the right mind behind said power, it can either be a boon or a destructive force on the world’,” Damian quoted. “Clover Dale, otherwise known as Clover the Clever.”

“You read his works?” Celestia asked.

“I read everything in the library,” he explained. “Everything I could find. Hundreds of times.”

He saw her ears droop at that. “Right, you were unable to sleep,” she said.

“My favorite book in there is this one.” He snapped and a book appeared. The Misadventures of Vertigo the Pegasus hovered between the two of them on a dark green cloud of magic. “I’ve read it a total of 62,983 times.”

Celestia chuckled. “I’ve read that book a hooffull of times myself,” she said. “Did you know that the author wrote two sequels to that book?”

Damian looked at her. “No, I didn’t,” he said. “Did it happen after the events with Nightmare Moon?”

She nodded. “In my opinion, those sequels are good, but they aren’t as good as the original. Still, I can have somepony bring you those books if you’re interested.”

“I am interested,” he said, “so please.”

“Consider it done,” she said.

The two resumed looking up at the starry night. The silence between them was comfortable, and the clouds beneath them moved softly. After a few minutes, Celestia turned to him. “Did you have a good sleep? You’ve been asleep for more than two days.”

Damian nodded. It explained now why his clothes had been removed. “I slept very well,” he said. “It’s been so long since I felt exhaustion so I didn’t recognize it before I fell asleep on you. I apologize for that, by the way.”

Celestia tittered slightly. “No need,” she said, “although you’ll be interested to know that Miss Pinkie Pie has shown interest in throwing you a party.”

In a flash, a very colorful envelope appeared in front of Damian, who caught it and looked at it. The words You’re Invited, Dami! were written in glittery ink on the front. He created a letter opener with his magic, held the envelope away from him, and cut the top open. Sure enough, an explosion of confetti erupted out of the open letter, falling down through the clouds. Damian waved a hand, and the confetti gathered up in a paper ball which he took and placed in his pocket before reading.

Damian read it over and over again. He knew that this would be a dream come true for many, if not every, brony and pegasister back on Earth. To have a party given to them by Pinkie Pie, Ponyville’s premiere party pony would be one of the best things to ever happen to them, but for him, he wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. He knew he only had four years with them, so he was sure he’d see Discord’s return, the return of the Crystal Empire, the invasion of Canterlot by the changelings, Twilight reach alicornhood, and many other events from earlier in the show, but there were only four years he had to work with, and there was no way he could be freed from his prison permanently.

Still, he knew it’d be rude to blow an invite from anyone off. He wasn’t planning on living in Ponyville anyways, so there was little chance for him to interfere in events that were destined to play out. He might have been powerful, but he wasn’t omniscient. He could make things worse, for all he knew.

He held up the invite, turning to Celestia. “Well, are you and your sister free on noon on the 26^th?”

“Free for what?” another feminine voice asked from behind the two.

Damian looked up behind him once more and saw the still diminutive alicorn mare walking up behind the two. He and Celestia both stood and faced her, although she was looking at Celestia with some curiosity in those deep blue eyes of hers. “What hath we missed?”

Celestia spoke first. “Damian here was just invited to a party in Ponyville and he was inviting us to come along.”

Luna’s ears drooped a bit. “Thy offer is most generous, good stallion,” she said to Damian with a polite nod, “but we…are unsure if we would be welcomed. Ponies still fear us.”

“I’ll be there too, Lulu,” Celestia said.

Luna frowned. “We do not wish to be held within thy shadow again,” she said a bit sharply before her voice caught and she lowered her head. “We beg forgiveness,” she said in a solemn tone, “we did not mean-”

“No, you’re right,” Celestia said, walking over, leaning down, and nuzzling Luna affectionately, “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. You’re my sister, Lu, and I want to keep you safe. Maybe socializing right now is too early.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “We wish to learn more about this new era before we go forth and greet our subjects,” she said. She then looked at Damian briefly before continuing. “But enough of that. What else hath transpired up here?”

Celestia’s smile returned, and this time it was one of excitement. “Damian here showed me a view of the night that I’ve never seen before.”

“Truly?” Luna’s eyes shifted to Damian. “A view of our night we hath never seen before?”

Before Luna could say anything, Damian nodded and snapped his fingers. However, instead of affecting her eyes, it affected an area around them in the shape of a dome. The three faced the sky again as it brightened once more. With a swift wave of his hand, music began playing once more. A single horn began, then a glockenspiel joined in after a couple seconds. With some strings beginning to play some seconds later, the two princesses stared at each corner of the sky, drinking in every detail that they could.

Damian held back, watching the two sisters observe the majesty of interstellar space as he saw it. While they were distracted, he gave a soft wave of his fingers in Luna’s direction. Magic swirled around her, encapsulating the unsuspecting mare. She grew taller, her fur and mane began to darken, and magic began flowing through said mane and tail as she finally reached her show counterpart’s height, and then surpassed it. She soon became as tall as Celestia, majestic in her form. Her magic had been completely restored.

Celestia was the first to notice as the song that they heard began to end, the choir that sang fading out with the strings. Her eyes widened. “Luna! You’re taller!”

Luna, brought out of her reverie, looked down at herself. She lifted a hoof and her eyes widened. “We…we feel complete again…” she said in awe. She turned to Celestia. “We were told by the Royal Healer that it would take months until our full magic would return.”

Celestia nodded, then turned to Damian. “You…?”

Damian didn’t say anything, simply nodded. Luna turned to face him with an astonished look on her face. “Thou wouldst do this for us? Prithee, tell us why.”

Damian simply shrugged. “Because I felt like it,” he said, “and besides, I only have less than four years before I’m imprisoned again. Being able to use my abilities without those damned horrible consequences being forced on someone is…refreshing.”

Celestia moved quickly before Damian could say anything more. She flung her forelegs around him, holding him close. Damian was a bit caught off guard by this, but slowly wrapped his own arms around Celestia. She felt warm and comforting to him, “Thank you,” the solar monarch said.

Damian felt a surge of slight emotion coming up from him, and his grip on Celestia tightened for the briefest of moments before he relaxed said grip. “You’re welcome,” was all he said.

After the two broke apart, it was Luna’s turn to approach. Her dark blue mane shimmered with the inner light of the stars above. She didn’t hug Damian, but she did stand tall and proud. “We thank thee, Djinn Damian Price,” she said in a regal voice, “and for thy deed, we shall grant thee a boon of thy choice to be redeemed at any time.”

Damian inclined his head politely. “Thank you for the offer, your Highness, but there is no need-”

“Nay!” Luna exclaimed, stomping on the cloud below her with finality. “Our word is final! We will hear none of this from thee! We owe thee a debt, and honor and tradition dictate that we honor said debt!”

Damian raised his hands in defeat. He didn’t want to make her more upset, so he decided that the best course of action was to just accept it. “Then, in that case, I graciously accept your offer, your Highness. I will have to get back to you on that one, though.”

“‘Get back to us’?”

“He means he will give you his request after he’s thought about it,” Celestia explained.

“The modern vernacular is most confusing to us,” Luna admitted with a frustrated frown. When she looked back at the stars, however, her smile returned. “Still, we had never guessed that our night could be more beautiful.”

“Just wait until you start learning more about how your solar system works,” Damian said. “Still, I am surprised you still say you control the sun and moon when you really control the planet’s rotation.”

Celestia nodded. “We both have been very careful with our wording,” she said, “but the misconception is being addressed by some modern ponies, like Gallop Leo.”

“Still, your powers are incredible,” Damian said. “To be able to move almost six septillion kilograms of mass with the ease you do is no small feat.”

“Pray tell, what is a kilogram?” Luna asked.

“Pardon, I guess you’d be familiar with thirteen septillion pounds of mass,” Damian corrected.

Celestia nodded. “We still use the Equish System. But where did you get that number?”

Damian pointed at his head. “I have a perfect recollection of my life, and one of my memories was of looking up the mass of my planet. I was simply under the assumption that this planet is similar in mass to my own.”

“For a Djinn, you have a very unique mind,” Celestia smiled.

He shrugged. “I had nearly a thousand years to read everything in that old library,” he said, “and not only that, but I read books and other pieces of literature that I had read from my Earth memories hundreds of times.”

Celestia’s smile faltered a bit, but then she walked over, putting a wing over Damian’s shoulder. “There is an entire library in the palace and in Canterlot that is available for you to read,” she said.

He gave her a very soft smile and a nod. “I look forward to reading as much as I can.” He looked down at the ground below, then back at the cloud. “This cloud’s about to break apart,” he said, “so perhaps we should head back to the castle.”

Celestia and Luna both nodded, then the former raised her head. Her horn glowed brightly, and in a flash, they were all in a large open hallway inside the castle. Damian took note of how different the teleportation spell felt from his own. As his black cloak vanished in dark green mist which returned to his body, Luna spoke, catching his attention. He turned to her as she said, “Sir Damian, we thank thee for thy gift of a new sight of our night. Do not let it slip thy mind that we hath gifted thee a boon.”

“I won’t forget,” Damian promised.

Luna nodded, then put a hoof to her mouth, yawning. “I beg thy pardon, but the night hath not yet ended. We must retire to our new abode until the morning. Even with our body being back to more than our full strength, we still require time to acclimate. Sleep well, dear sister. And Sir Damian, we hope that thy time with us is pleasant.”

“Good night, Lulu,” Celestia said.

“Thank you, your Highness, and sleep well,” Damian said.

As Luna teleported away, Celestia turned back to Damian. “It’s almost midnight right now,” she said. “Are you planning on going back to sleep?”

“I’m no longer tired,” he said, “so I was considering taking you up on your offer of being allowed to read the library.”

Celestia smiled, then teleported the two of them into a darkened room with the only light coming from a hint of moonlight entering from a nearby window. Celestia illuminated her horn and lamps began to light up around them, revealing a massive library with at least six different levels of bookshelves. The bottom level had reading chairs and tables, some with books still sitting there. The walls had lamp sconces on them which glowed a warm white glow similar to a candle. There was an unlit fireplace in one corner of the room along with a large couch for reading. There were several large arched windows with curtains drawn.

Damian began floating around. He could almost feel the knowledge around this room. Books began flying gently off of the shelves and surrounded him, opening up as they were encased in his dark green misty magic. He looked at glimpses of the pages, intrigued by the new books he saw. He placed the books back on the shelves before continuing to float around the room.

While he could probably absorb the knowledge with his Djinn powers, there was something to be said for the slow method of reading. This library was thrice as big as the one in the old castle he’d spent nearly a millennium in, and he knew that there was so many more books here. The size of the library here reminded him vaguely of the library from Beauty and the Beast, although he doubted that the library there was even as big as this one. He doubted that there was even a library that matched this size and scale on Earth. He looked back down at Celestia. “I think I’ll enjoy being here,” he said, enjoying the actual echo of a voice around the library.

“Good,” she replied. “I’ll let the librarians know that you will be here.”

“I’ll try not to get in anyone’s way,” he said as he sat in the corner couch near the fireplace. “Sleep well, your Highness,” he said.

“Enjoy your time here,” she replied as she gave him a wave then teleported out.

“I will,” he said as he reached out and summoned a book to his hand. He looked down and smiled slightly. “The Misadventures of Vertigo the Pegasus Part 2: The Search For Balance, huh?” He summoned some warm tea to the table beside the couch, then opened the first page just as a distant clock in Canterlot struck twelve.

With a flash of magic, the beige Saddle Arabian unicorn mare appeared on the ground floor of Thanatos. She’d appeared in the middle of a small field of corn being grown by the farmers. She scanned the area, looking for the source of the magic she’d felt upon her return from the former area that was the capital of the Crystal Empire. The farmers around her gave her no notice as they continued tending to their crops while she walked through the corn stalks. Above them, the crystal ceiling was slowly beginning to brighten as morning came on the outside. There were several small clouds being pushed into position by pegasi to prepare for a light morning rain over the crops. The crystal spire in the center of Thanatos stood tall and proud, looming over everyone in the underground city.

The mare didn’t acknowledge any of this. Instead, she strode with purpose towards a small building near one edge of the city, one that hadn’t been there when she’d last been in the city. To her eyes, it looked like some sort of shop, and this was only confirmed when she spotted a sign in Equestrian labeled QUILL’S CURIOUS CURIOS. The magic surrounding the shop was of a type she had never felt before, and it intrigued her.

When she stepped inside the shop, she heard the ringing of a bell. She looked around and saw just how dim the place really was. It wasn’t dim enough for her, though. She’d grown up in darkness and her dark green eyes had always adjusted to darkness much more than the light. She quickly realized that this shop was full of many different types of items, each of which were imbued with magic of different sorts.

“Well, well, well,” a male voice said from nearby, “it’s been many moons since I had a Saddle Arabian in my shop.” The mare turned to see a blue eutherian pony standing behind the counter, right where he hadn’t been moments before. This pony, she noticed, had a horn, but she felt nothing coming from it. “Welcome to Quill’s Curious Curios. I’m Quill Heart, the proprietor. Is there anything I can help you find today?”

The mare looked at him with a raised eyebrow before she turned away and continued looking around. This place was swarming with different magics, but she’d come here because she felt something. Something extremely powerful. She raised her horn, its dark green glow surrounding her horn like a mist as she felt out with her magic to find the source of this feeling of power. Closing her eyes, she spread out her sixth sense, her sense of magic, which spread out from her like a bubble. It passed through every object in this shop, then through the eutherian with the false horn, then towards a very well hidden door. Her magic passed through it and she could sense a staircase. Her magic reached down to a number of chests.

She locked onto one, and her eyes shot open. Turning towards the eutherian, she gave him a glare, then walked up to the location of the invisible door. Quill was immediately by her side, a worried look on his face as the mare pointed towards the invisible door. “Open it,” she ordered in a stern voice.

“Ah-m-miss,” he stammered a bit, “what’s down there isn’t to be-”

She whirled around and raised her horn, encasing him in magic. The eutherian’s eyes went wide, then blank as the spell seeped into his brain. Once he was under her control, she said, “Now then, open the door.”

He nodded and replied, “Yes, mistress,” before reaching out and touching something on the wall. Twisting his hoof, a small circular part of the wall turned before a door appeared out of nowhere.

“You will stay here until I return,” she commanded.

“As you command, mistress,” he said.

The mare walked downstairs into the darkness, her hoofsteps echoing in the stairwell. When she reached the bottom, several torches sprang to life, revealing a large basement room. In rows on the floor in front of her were several locked chests of varying sizes. Each one, she could determine, held one or more varying artifacts of immense magical power. She raised her horn again and scanned the room with her magic. She was quite surprised when she felt the calling she’d felt earlier coming from one of the smaller chests.

Walking up to it, she noted that it was locked up very securely. She frowned and looked back up at the stairwell. Sending a telepathic order up to him, she was satisfied when she heard the distant clopping of hooves walking away, then return a minute later, steadily approaching the bottom level. The eutherian approached, a key of rings in his hoof. “Here are the keys, mistress,” he said.

She pointed to the chest, then looked back at the pony under her command. “Open it,” she ordered.

He seemed to hesitate a bit, but upon seeing this, the mare increased her hold on his mind. He stiffened, then nodded. “As you command, mistress.” With that, he found the appropriate key and opened the chest, lifting it.

The mare looked inside and her eyes went wide. Sitting in the center of the chest, surrounded by red cushions, was a three colored crystal. In the center was a circular clear crystal which itself was embedded in an emerald-colored crystal in the shape of two wings. The dark blue crystal on the top pointed up like the point of a star. The crystal was also glowing brightly, shining a white, emerald and blue glow around the room.

“Well, now this is interesting,” she said as she lifted the crystal up with her magic, looking at it with a grin. “I didn’t expect to find this crystal here, of all places.” She turned back to Quill. “You will lock this chest, go upstairs, and go to sleep. When you next wake, you will remember nothing of our encounter. Is that understood?”

“Yes, mistress,” the eutherian said before he began locking up the now empty chest. She watched him finish the job then turn away and head up towards the main level.

She raised her horn and with a flash she was standing in front of the same display which held the three crystals and gems she’d already collected. Finding the appropriate spot, she placed the multicolored crystal in its place. Stepping back, she grinned. “Four down, eight to go. I will claim you as my own, my dear, just you wait.”

Quill woke with a start and quickly sat up. He looked around his bedroom, a bit dazed and confused. He had a strange dream, but the contents of it were gone now. He wondered what time it was, and upon looking at his watch he noted that he had slept long past his alarm. That was unusual for him, but he simply sighed and reset the alarm for the following night before getting up. It was later than normal, and he needed to be ready for the day.

Changing into his normal cloak, he shuffled down to make himself some coffee. As he reached his kitchen, however, he began feeling the subtle shift of his shop. That was odd, he thought to himself. He hadn’t even had a single customer and the shop was going to teleport again before he was even approached?

The light from his window shifted, becoming brighter again. He walked away from his kettle and over to the front door. Opening it, he saw that he was now in a quaint looking country town with Canterlot to the north. He saw ponies walking down the streets of this town, not even giving his shop a glance.

Closing the door, he sat down on a nearby chair and tried to think. He’d only been in Thanatos for a couple days at most, and during that time nopony had come to visit. Not only that, but he hadn’t gotten an inkling as to why he was in the city in the first place. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the whistling of the kettle on the boil for a while.

After making his coffee and sipping it, he went to the counter. Just like before, he had no idea why he had been summoned to this small town, but he’d rather be in this place than Thanatos. He continued thinking hard, trying to figure out not only why he was in this new town but also why he’d been taken to Thanatos. This was highly unusual, and it worried him slightly. He knew his enchanted shop well, having lived in it for a few decades, and this new change was even more confusing for him.

Feeling slightly hungry, and not knowing when he’d be in a nice town like this again, he decided to think more about it later as now would be as good a time as any to go shopping for some food. Places like this always had good food at cheaper prices. So, he grabbed his saddlebags and the key ring from where it always hung on the hook next to his shop door, locked it up, and strode out into the bright sunlight.