Stories in Stone, Memories of Twilight

by TDR

“Everybody, needs somebody...”

Stories in Stone
Memories of Twilight
by TDR

Journal entry 1,

My assistant has suggested I write these notes for the prosperity and potential book deals that may come from the success that will be had. Quite the optimist that we will find anything at all. Normally, I would not bother with such a thing, but she is most persuasive, and I have little else to do on this ship right now. Perhaps she is correct. At any rate, I suppose I should start from the beginning.

My name is Crystal Crusade. I am an explorer and cartographer for Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. The year is 6407 or 6407 AD. A number of pundits are attempting to change the yearly cycles to AN or ANM. The Princess is refusing to accept that, though the defeat of Nightmare Moon would be a significant event, perhaps one fitting of a new age. In any event, if the writers succeed, then this will be 23 ANM. Personally, I prefer AD; “After Discord” sounds much better than “After Nightmare Moon”.

I apologize for my rambling. I have never bothered to make notes of an expedition before. This will be the first. so I best explain it. Flying scouts have reported that a new mountain has appeared in the center of an area of land called the Hayseed Swamp, named after the first pony to explore it centuries ago. Granted, it was called the Hayseed Forest until the events of Nightmare Night flooded the region. Ours will be the first expedition into the swamp since those events, so we have a full team with us in this exploration. There is no telling what we will find.

I am the lead of the expedition, primary cartographer, and primary mage.

My assistant, Golden Glow, is the secondary cartographer and second in command of this mission, as well as our aerial scout. She is also the primary medic, having trained with the rather legendary King's Cross before coming into my employ... and, ahem, other things...

Charming Chime is another from the explorer’s league. He was primarily responsible for the full exploration and subsequent discovery of numerous mineral veins in the newly-raised Foal Mountains. To be honest, I am surprised I was named head of the expedition over him; his track record is much longer than mine. His primary place in the group is as an adviser, mineral expert, and practitioner in some of the more esoteric forms of magic, having studied both dragon and zebra spells while he was in the Royal Guard. Needless to say, the small group he has brought with him is also armed to the teeth in case we encounter trolls, rogue dragons, stragglers from the Lunar Republic, or any other assorted nastiness. While nervous about the griffon and zebra company he keeps, I trust that we are very well-protected.

Velvet Moss is our earth pony botanist and zoologist. To be perfectly honest, I do not think there is anything that grows or moves that she does not have near-encyclopedic knowledge of. Given her rather excessive age, I did not expect she would accompany us on this mission, though for her age, she is still quite spry and sharp as a tack. She seems to be hoping to find something she has never seen before in this newly formed land. Perhaps more than some sort of life form adapted to a new environment.

I do hope she finds something, considering she is the reason this entire trip even got off the ground. Years ago, she presented the Princess and her husband a wedding gift of a single phoenix egg. Since then, the Princess has offered to bankroll anything Moss wished. I am forever grateful that she decided that my trip was worth calling in that favor.

==============================================

“Spike! Spike? Are you even here?” Twilight shouted, pushing the door to the library open.

“Yeah, I'm in the kitchen, Twilight,” a voice shouted from the other side of the library.
Twilight sighed and let the saddle bags and the Brilliant Dawn fall off her sides and thud loudly on the ground. At least nothing here had changed. Had it only been two weeks since Fluttershy was attacked? Time was rushing past with as many trips as she had been forced to go on. It didn't help that even three days after the events in the volcano, her head was still killing her from all the casting she had done. She looked wearily at the stairs leading to her bed and opted instead to move over to the much closer couch and collapse on that.

“Well, you've looked better,” Spike commented. “I guess everything went alright. Where's every pony else?”

“Well we won, though Chrysalis was rescued by Sombra, so we can expect to see them again. Most everypony stayed in Canterlot, though Rhede is still at the volcano. Only AJ and Fluttershy came back to Ponyville with me. Sooo tired and I have to go back to Canterlot tomorrow to report...”

Twilight barely opened her eyes to look at her friend, though for some reason, she thought he looked apprehensive about something. Maybe she was imagining it.

“Well, it's good to know everyone’s alright. Rarity came back from Canterlot yesterday and has been locked up in her shop ever since. I've been worried sick about what was going on and no one told me anything. Anyway, I've got something really important to tell you: I found Silv-... you're already asleep and not listening to anything I say anymore... great...” Spike grumbled, heading back into the kitchen and leaving Twilight passed out on the couch.

”Probably better if I keep that to myself for now, anyway.”

=========================================================

Journal entry 2,
3-17-6407 AD

Our third day aboard this ship. We have been traveling the coastline looking for a suitable place to go ashore. A small river was thought to be a likely landing point, but it was far too shallow. The long boats would likely not manage to traverse it, either. Perhaps in time, it may grow to be a mighty river, but for now, we need to find another landing point.

Pity, as it seems that little river might have run right up next to the new mountain.

=====================================================

Rhede trotted among the ponies and griffons that had been scouring the changeling hive, looking over the things they had found with interest. Lion Heart had informed all the troops that if they wanted to keep anything, they needed to let Rhede and some of the unicorn mages look at it first to make sure it wasn't dangerous. He was also given a small group of guards to help him dig through the place for any sort of information.

The griffons’ leader was rather curious as to what Rhede was doing, let alone who he was, and also left a few of his own troops to aid and watch him. Rhede would not have minded a bit of help from the diamond dogs as well, but as soon as the battle was over they packed up and left.

Most of the other guards were loading the statues of the changelings onto the ships for transport to the Canterlot gardens until there was some way to cure them. While a typical Celestia tactic, Rhede figured that to be more trouble than it was worth. He doubted there would be any way to save them, and if Chrysalis or Sombra managed to figure out a way to un-stone them, they would have a readymade invasion force already in the heart of Canterlot. Unless Celestia had something else in mind, this was a bad idea.

Strangely, while there were a large number of injuries, there were only two deaths in the forces attacking the changelings.
One was a Diamond dog who fell off the ship and drowned before even finding the river and the other was an earth pony killed in a rock slide after the battle was already over. The changelings had done exactly as predicted and done little more than try to capture everything. The only time they started to use lethal attacks was when protecting their queen, and by that point, it was too late.

Rhede was a little worried that those seeking trophies of their victory would hide what they were really taking. Having Lion Heart hint that some things might be cursed as well as letting most of the trophies go helped make this a bit easier. Very few guards had collected things he was looking for to take home and place on their mantles.

Rhede sighs as he looks over the last batch of things. A troll skull, some archaic pottery, and what he assumed was a dragon scale. Nothing of any real interest until what a young griffon wanted caught his attention. He almost passed her and the small dagger she had by; in fact, he had taken several paces past her before backpedaling to look over the weapon again.

The blade was old, possibly even before his own time, very intricately done and the grip was made of jade. It had not been wrapped, either, which hinted that it was used by creatures that had use of hands or claws. The blade itself was the issue, however.

Star metal.

The other troops he let keep what they found, though as they filed out, he made sure the griffon stayed. This was going to be a bit tricky; with the griffons, he normally had to explain why he wanted something in great detail before they would give it up. The ponies followed orders; the griffons were loaned from another force and tended to be somewhat temperamental if asked to give something up.

A book or some script, even something strange that no one understood was easy enough to claim as needed to investigate the changelings. A simple richly decorated dagger would not be that easy.

“I take yer are interested in this thing, huh?” the griffon began, twirling the blade in her clawed hand. “Any special reason? Not much to it, but it would be a fairly good trophy. ‘Specially with all this jade on it. Though I guess you noticed that.”

“It is the blade itself that is important. If you want the handle, you can have that, but the blade is connected to a few of the notes I have found, and until I figure those out ,I would like it to remain with the other items I have gathered, errr miss?”

“Dusty, though my call sign is Dust Devil; don't ask. And who might you be? Only name that I have heard dropped around you is Pelt, or Sexy Tail by that dragon of yours.”

Rhede slapped his face with a hoof. “Do ignore what Bleu calls me. My name is Pelt; Rhede Pelt, to be exact. I am an... investigator for Princess Celestia, though your commander was informed of that when he set you to work for me.”

“Not quite right there, Rhede...” Dusty smirked, scratching her chin with the pommel of the dagger, ruffling up her white feathered head a bit. “We were sent to help you, but not work for you. I rather like this toy, and I'm not willing to give it up without you giving me something else I want in return.”

Rhede raised an eyebrow. The dagger was important, to be sure, but depending on what she asked, he might simply let it go. Still, he was amused the black-furred and white-feathered griffon was trying to put one over on him. It was also clear she had no idea about the significance of what she held. However, if she brought it before the griffon god who was in charge of their expedition, she would find out rather quickly.

“Alright, what is it you might want?” Rhede stopped, a little unnerved by the griffon’s grin. It reminded him a good deal of Bleu's smirk when she wanted something.

Dusty slowly walked around him, her grin remaining the same. She was quite a bit smaller than he was, though that was not saying much, as nearly everyone was smaller than he was. Though she was also smaller than most of the other female griffons he had seen.

“Yup, I think you will do nicely. Unless you're one of those racial purity snobs.”

“Not sure I follow,” Rhede muttered, though in truth, he had caught on just from the looks she was giving him, though he was quite content to let her take lead and pretend to simply be pleasantly surprised. Griffon females, in his experience, did tend to enjoy taking the lead in such things.

“We just got finished with a big battle; sex and violence always tend to go together. As for why you, well, let’s just say I picked up some interesting tastes hanging around Equestria. I know pegasi are judged on wing size and hope earth pony is height. I mean you have griffon dick,” she spread the claws on one hand apart as if to show a size of something, “then you have pony dick.” She spread both her hands apart to show size.

“Really? That seems a bit small,” Rhede mentioned idly, turning to look over some papers on a crate he was using as a desk. The griffon's expression at that line was priceless. “Hmm, I suppose that is acceptable, though I do hope you would not get attached. I am not looking for anything long term over a simple dagger I need for my task. This would be only a one-time thing.”

“Ahh, no deal then, I suppose,” Dusty sighed.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, dagger this nice should be good for a couple rolls in the hay while were stuck in this rock, don't yah think?”

Rhede smiled, not able to help himself. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

=======================================================

Journal entry 3,
3-19-6407 AD

It has been slow going, as we stop every so often for inland treks to test the feasibility of landing points. So far, we have had no luck in this regard. This land is naught but marshlands. Much further along the southern coast, however, we have come across something strange.

A very large swath of the forest is clear and the land exposed all the way down to the rock. The edges of this strange formation are raised where the swamp itself has been pushed aside into an earthen barrier. This great furrow has created a natural bay that the ship can easily moor in. This strange path seems like something had gouged the very earth itself in a long line. In all my years of cartography, I have never seen its like, nor has anyone else aboard the ship.

Charming Chime and his team disembarked to investigate and came back as confused as those of us with no knowledge of
minerals. He claims he at first thought it was a lava path and that the mountain most likely was a volcano, but it made no sense that there was only one path to the sea, and nothing along the route had been burned— merely pushed aside. The path that was left, however, seemed to lead directly to the mountain, and the bed rock was a solid path that we could follow easily without worry of the swamp.

This mystery is a most perplexing one, though I suppose we shall not find out the true answer of what it is until we investigate the mountain itself.

Thankfully, it seems that fortune has smiled on us and provided a clear path directly to our goal.

==========================================

[“I do not see what the issue is, auntie. He seems in perfect health aside from the exhaustion,”] Zecora stated, glancing back at the door to Jer'rahd's hospital room.

[“Physically, he is fine, which is a surprise in itself, considering his track record, and he has been what one could consider a model patient,”] Velkorn commented, rubbing her face with a hoof.

The two zebras started to head down the hall towards the dining hall to grab something to eat as they talked.

[“I am still not seeing the problem. Why are you so worried about this, Auntie? Everything seems to be perfect.”]

[“It is perfect. TOO perfect. Jer'rahd is one of the worst patients I have ever dealt with. He doesn't listen; he doesn't stay in bed or do anything he is supposed to do when injured. He has been in much worse states than this and he was up and back in combat before the blood from the first wounds was even dry. That all he is doing now is sitting there following my instructions is frankly rather terrifying,”] Velkorn sighed.

[“Ahh, now I see the issue. Perhaps age has mellowed him some?”]

[“I could only hope it was that. Unfortunately, I do not see it being the case.”]

==================================================================

Journal entry 4,
3-23-6407 AD

Disembarking has taken more time than anticipated. We have set up a primary base camp on the edge of the clear land. There are forty-six of us in the party, each with our own role. Several members of the crew seek to curry favor with us should we discover something valuable, and have offered to aid us in setting up the forward base. The ship’s captain and most of his crew will remain on the ship moored in the bay for the next ten days before returning to the harbor in Fillydelphia. He shall return every three months as per our agreement with fresh supplies and crew as needed depending on what we find.
He agreed to wait the ten days simply in case we did not find anything of interest. Moss, however, already has shown that this time was unnecessary, as a number of things have caught her eye. She has already filled a notebook with sketches of strange plants she claims to have never seen. They all seem like weeds to me, but that was never my area. I am more interested in the idea that this is some sort of volcanic eruption, particularly one that could change the terrain in this strange sort of way. I have already started to sketch a few maps of the landscape.

I will say even if the rest of this expedition is a failure, it is nice to see the old mare’s last trip was not for nothing.

======================================================

Sleep would not come, and he was rather glad of that. He knew what he would be seeing if he did fall asleep, and witnessing the foal's death once in his mind was bad enough. Velkorn and her niece had just left; Pinkie and Bleu had all but been thrown out a few hours before that.

The pair had done their best to try and cheer him up, but after repeated failures, their mood had gone south as well. Velkorn refused to deal with the pair of depressed pranksters and threw them both out.

Jer'rahd was simply content to lie back in bed and stare at the ceiling. He had been through bad situations before, but he was usually too busy for any sort of depression like this. Now he had seen what could have been. Every detail of another life had been laid out before him. He knew what had happened was a false memory, and the real one was there too, but all it took was one event to change and his life would have been entirely different. He likely would have circled back to making himself feel worse from the beginning when the door swung open again.

“Forget something, Velkorn?” Jer'rahd muttered questioningly.

“Well, it is good to see you are alive, Kaisur, but no, she is still gone,” a rather subdued voice responded.
He turned his head, sitting up suddenly and wincing at the sudden head rush that brought. “Princess Luna... what are you doing here?”

Luna sighed, glancing back at the door as she closed it behind her quietly, but she did not move any closer to his bed. “Lay back down. You do not need to hurt yourself further just because I am here,” Luna softly commanded. “I came to see how you were doing after all that has happened.”

“I am fine...” he laid back down with a huff, his head hitting the pillow with a little more force than he intended. Of all ponies, he did not wish to see her right now.

“That is good to know.”

“I did not expect you cared on my state after the last time we spoke.”

Luna winced a little. “I apologize for what was said, and how I was not in a proper state of mind the last two times we spoke.”

“You spoke quite a bit when you sat before us while we were statues.”

The princess’s eyes widened and she flattened her ears, looking away even though Jer'rahd had not moved his gaze from the ceiling.

“Despite everything, I still felt that you five were the only ones I could speak with. I was unaware you were able to listen.”

“I was awake from the point of the battle in the garden. Before that, I was asleep, though Velkorn was awake the whole time, I believe.”

“I did not know...”

“I wouldn't expect you to have known, and before this, you never bothered to ask. That doesn't matter now, I suppose.”

“I see.”

“I don't blame you for anything, Princess. I cannot say that for the others, but you don't need to apologize to me for anything you have done. I am quite aware I deserved it. Was that the purpose of you coming here? I know you did not just show up to check on me. You could have asked any pony in the hospital and they would have told you, yet you waited ‘til I was alone. Why?”

“I ... I did not wish any of this Kaisur... I just...”

“Ahh, I see... I am sorry that I caused you any concern with my failure. I should never have gotten caught. This whole operation could have been avoided if I kept running with the others rather than try and fight. How many were lost trying to save my sorry flank? No one else will tell me.”

“What... No, that's...” Luna sighed. “Just two, and neither of them from the conflict itself.”

“Just two? That is a record for anything I wind up being involved in. Guess I was a shitty leader after all.”

“Do shut up a moment, Kaisur. I do not know what you underwent, but you were not a poor leader. You never would have reached the rank you did if you were not skilled.”

“Never thought I deserved any of that. There are a number of things from the past that I don't feel add up. Everything you did for me and what I did to you... I feel I still owe you for a great number of things; it is unlikely I will ever feel we have broken even in that.”

Luna sighed, her ears flattening to her head. “I will agree with that. We never will be 'even' in what we have done, Kaisur. However, I only came here to check on you. I did not come to dredge into the past. I am curious as to what you were subjected to, however.”

“A perfect life.”

“What?”

“Never mind, it is not important. Nothing worth troubling you over.”

“As you wish, then,” Luna sighed, turning to leave.

“Princess.”

“Hmmm?”

“One last question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Do you think Bleu might have succeeded?”

“In what?”

“Trying to get the two of us together.”

Luna went quiet a moment, not turning from the door.

“I have no answer for that, Jer'rahd. Too much has happened since then. Perhaps if Canterlot had not been attacked, we may have had time to explore the possibility. I do confess an attachment for you, though it never truly progressed beyond that. As Nightmare Moon, I used the affection I knew you had to keep you in line. So do not judge that as how I felt.”

“I see. It was nice of you to visit, at least.”

“I would not call this visit ‘nice’, Kaisur. ‘Depressing’ and ‘futile’ are more fitting words,” Luna muttered as she stepped outside and shut the door behind her with a faint tug of her magic.

====================================================

Journal entry 5,
3-29-6407 AD

It has been some time since I have written here, though with the travel and setup of the forward base camp, it is an understandable delay.

The trek to the foot of the mountain was a rather uneventful one. The cleft in earth formed fairly high walls of dirt, which kept
the swamp water from retaking the furrow and made our travels easier. We left most of our team to watch the main base camp and fifteen of us followed the gouged rock. Chime stated that it looked very much like a glacier had been dragged across the land with how it was ripped up, though he had never thought of a glacier so small nor one that moved away from the sea and up a slope towards the mountains. There was speculation that an iceberg or floating island had been thrown onto the land in the midst of Nightmare Night, though the mountain had only been in sight for perhaps a little over a month, not the years since that horrific event.

Less than a day’s travel from the mountain, the smell hit us. The great scent of rot and decay, coupled with rancid sea weed, as if some great sea creature had beached itself and was left to dry in the sun. Progress was slowed, and little by little, we became used to the odor, though most of us tore strips of cloth and soaked them in wine or perfume to cover our muzzles with. Moss thought we all looked like some sort of roguish bandits and laughed a great deal when Chime gave her his best pirate impression.

It seems nothing can spoil the old mare's good mood, and thankfully, it is quite infectious.

============================================================

The Princess of the Night sighed, glancing back to the door of Jer'rahd's room. She managed a few steps before a weight suddenly dropped down onto her back. A tail flicked over her face, stifling a yelp before a small pair of claws pressed into her mane and a blue reptilian face leaned over her head to meet her gaze.

Luna's eyes narrowed as the tail loosed from her mouth and she hissed at the dragonling. “Bleu, what in Equestria are you doing? I could have blasted you from existence!”

“Not likely. Your combat skills suck when you’re depressed. Plus, with that whole ‘woe is me’ shit you have going on right now, you're hesitant about even using your magic.” Bleu snarled. “I was hoping your visit would cheer him up, not depress him further. I am regretting even letting you into the room now.”

“Why are you even guarding his room?”

“Rhede thinks after that threat he made to Sombra and the Queen, he's gonna be a target for them.”

“They did not target Shining Armor and Cadence again after they were defeated. I doubt they will after losing such a large percentage of the hive.”

“Was that a bit of optimism in your voice?”

“Bleu, please get off my head before anyone sees you. This is rather undignified.”

“Since when did you give a crap about that? What happened to the overly efficient princess I used to know and torment?”

“A great deal has changed in a thousand years.”

“You mean in two years? ‘Cause that's all you have been free more than us,” Bleu stated, sliding down to sit between the princess’s wings.

“You are acting much more bold than usual. I am still royalty, Bleu.”

“Yer a royal pain in my scaly flank is what you are, Luna. Besides, I'm a dragon. You don't hold a lick of sovereignty over me
past what I am willing to deal with. I am sure you realize the whole reason we even agreed to be turned to stone was because we felt sorry for turning on you when you went crazy.”

“I am aware of that, yes.”

“Good, then I don't need to explain that, and can get right into calling your sorry flank out. Right now, I don't give a shit about you forgiving me. Honestly, you deserved to get smacked around ‘til you stopped being a bitch.” Bleu glanced up at the back of Luna's head, seeing her ears droop. “To add to that, how you have treated Boss since being cured puts you on my little list. I never considered regicide before, but you are trotting that fine line, and you know damn well I am more than capable of pulling it off.”

Bleu glared at Luna, who didn’t respond, before continuing.

“Now let’s add to that; because of you, Starfall lost any chance of making up with her daughter, Rhede lost his entire family, and that last dragon you killed— turns out she was my grandmother, the first dragon outside of Celestia's school that I was actually starting to like.”

“If your goal was to make me feel even worse about my actions, Bleu, then you have succeeded marvelously.”

“Good. Now wrap your mind around this: after all you did to us, possessed or not, Boss and the others still want you to forgive them for turning on you to save the world. And you can't be asked to even do that? Now you see why I am so pissed?
But there are a few reasons I am not about to write you off as hopeless.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Don't bother; I plan to tell you anyway,” Bleu stated as she hopped down off Luna's back. “First off, Boss would be in even worse shape if something happened to you. Do you know what he saw while he was under Chrysalis's control? He saw himself married to your sorry flank and you had a kid. A little alicorn filly he called Venus. Chrysalis showed him the kid getting killed. The idiot has been dwelling on that since we saved his ass.”

“So that is why he asked that... No, I did not know that. He said nothing of the sort... Though that is not possible...”

“Like that matters in a dream? What Aqua did to him is still affecting him, and now after this crap, the nightmares have even more fuel to buck with him about.”

Bleu glared up at Luna, who refused to meet her gaze.

“Another reason I have yet to so much as slap you silly is I know what you were talking about in there. When Boss said there was no way to be even, you agreed, but you weren't talking about him owing you, were you? You don't think he owes you, but you feel you owe him. That, at least, is a step going the right way.”

“So you heard that...”

“Hey, I'm watching for changelings— I pay attention everything. Another interesting thing: changelings don't have a smell. You, however, do, which brings me to my third point in all this, and this is the one that actually makes me smile.”
Luna blinked, looking to the little dragon as she hopped over to dig into her flight bags sitting against the wall. Bleu whirled about suddenly, slapping something onto Luna's head.

Luna jumped back, her magic yanking it off her head with a glare at Bleu, but she froze as she recognized the purple wide-brimmed fedora the dragonling had put on her head.

“You ran off so quick, Luna, you forgot your hat.” Bleu grinned. “I know what Celestia told you, and I know you ignored that to come anyway. It means there's some hope for you after all.”

=======================================================

Journal entry 6,
3-30-6407 AD

It was as we were setting up the forward base camp at the foot of the mountain where things got a little odd.

The mountain itself is quite large, though what we took as a jagged stone edifice from a distance instead seems to be a massive collection of dead coral and limestone. This cover is so thick that the structure looks like a massive white tower of stone. In fact, the upper part of the monolith seems almost carved under the coral. The lower part of the mountain, however, bears a striking resemblance to an oversized cow pie.

All of it is swarming with birds. Birds of all types, including a number that Moss said were so rare, she had never seen them before. Despite that interest in the rare ones, it was the reason they were gathered that confused her.

The birds seemed to be eating the rock and dirt at the base of the castle, drinking up the oily tar that seeped from the rocks and devouring strips of the stone and earth. Upon closer examination, it was discovered the rock and soil they were feasting on was, in fact, some sort of flesh and blood creature. Quite deceased, though clearly not for very long.

It was a young sailor that had tagged along with us from the ship that finally gave us our first clue. The young pegasus claimed his mother told stories about these sort of things from her time in Dullahan Keep. It seems his mother had been a specialist on the creatures of Discord that resided on the other side of that great wall. He claimed it was called a Discord's Castle, and that it was, in fact, very similar to a massive snail in its existence.

His information was laughed off at first, until Moss confirmed that she, too, had heard of this sort of creature, though she had assumed all of them were destroyed when the Darklands fell into the sea. We sought to question the young pegasus further, but he only spoke of the horrors that his mother said such places contained, and we would all be smart to flee. He himself took the first opportunity to wing his way back to the ship as fast as he could.

A rather ominous portent, but after consideration, the four of us decided to investigate the mountain anyway. Moss was even more excited to think these massive creatures could still exist. Golden was clearly curious as to how it may have gotten here, as well as what treasures might be inside. Chime was up for a challenge, and even I was intrigued by what sort of magic might dwell in such a feared place. We were not worried about the young pegasus's warnings.

After all, with unicorns of mine and Chime’s skill about, there would clearly be very little we would have to fear from magic.

================================================

“Next time you send me on a mission, you had best give me more information. I was nearly caught by the Element Bearers in there,” Scarlet snarled, glaring at the zebra, who simply grinned.

[“I am sorry. I was under the impression you were competent enough not to get caught,”] Bloodtail explained. [“Now that I know otherwise, I shall endeavor to give you much less important tasks in the future, like taking out the garbage or making Claymore a sandwich.”]

Claymore didn’t bother to hide his laughter as Scarlet seemed ready to burst into flames in anger. Nocturne ignored them, looking over the table before her and the four books seated on it— The Red Tome, the Teal Text, the Gray Grimoire, and now the Silver Script. Four of the six books were in their possession.

The Gray Grimoire had a few spells, though was mostly a book on the rituals. The Red Tome was a book of dark magics and vile power. The Teal Text was a book of history of the books, along with a listing of all of those who had successfully used the books. The Silver Script was a book full of foul acts and summoning spells that pulled evil creatures from Tartarus to do the caster’s bidding. All of them had a part of a ritual to attain godhood within their pages, though each of them added a small measure to the puzzle that the others did not.

The Gray Grimoire added locations of ritual sites that added to the power of the spell. The Red Tome explained how more
than one individual could use the same ritual to gain power. The Teal Text explained why the Elements of Harmony were also needed as filters for the power. And the Silver Script showed ways for the ritual to be performed with almost no materials to be gathered.

Bloodtail watched the alicorn as she compared the notes between the books. He did not like the idea of the power the mare might gain by learning all the spells in those tomes. Even though he learned the scant spells in the Teal Text, he could make neither heads nor tails of the spells in the other books. However,the alicorn did not seem to be able to cast the spells that were in the Teal Text, either, so he had hoped there was something in the Silver Script he could use.

“I have deciphered the location of the next book,” Nocturne stated suddenly, the squabbling between the two ponies stopping dead.

[“So where is this one? In the belly of a giant whale?”] Bloodtail muttered.

“No, it is in the lands south of Los Pegasas, beyond the San Palomino Desert near the edge of the zebra lands,” Nocturne stated, as if not catching the snark in Bloodtail's voice. “This also confirms that there are a total of six of these books.”

[“According to Discord’s book, the other two were destroyed.”]

“Yes, the Teal Text and Silver Script were the ones supposedly destroyed, and as you can see, we possess those.”

“So what’s the plan, then?” Claymore questioned.

“You and Silver Claw go retrieve the book,” Nocturne ordered.

“Don't think that's gonna happen. He's got some plan of his going right now that he can't leave. That's why he ain't here. I'll take the stripe head and the bird with me. Both of them have been too lazy as of late, anyway,” Claymore explained.

“Fine. I do not care who goes so long as it is retrieved. Each book has more parts to the ceremony. While all of them say what is needed to perform it, they all leave out certain details that the others cover. I wish to gather all the books to have a full understanding of this before we proceed.”

“Make sense to me.” Scarlet shrugged.

Claymore stareed at Scarlet and sighed. “Alright, since yer all avoiding it, I'll ask. What the hell is up with that goofy looking outfit ,mare?”

“I don't have to tell you shit, Claymore,” Scarlet snapped, still wearing the Mare-Do-Well outfit, sans hood and hat.
[“I will admit to a bit of curiosity myself.”]

“Hmm, why are you wearing that? Judging by the state it is in, armor is not the reason, and you need not any aid to hide with your skills,” Nocturne pointed out.

“Bah, fine... Like our lizard, I have a contact. Unlike Silver Claw, my contact is in Canterlot. This costume is of someone that the papers consider a local hero. I have a bit more freedom running about in Canterlot with it because of that. If, by chance, I am seen, no one is going to bother a local hero or even consider it suspicious. I wore it hoping that the effect would be the same on the Canterlot Guards at the volcano, thinking a hero came to help or something like that. I didn't expect Pelt and the others to show up as well. My intel also did not include the information that Jer'rahd was a captive of the Love Cursed Ones.”

“That was unexpected, though considering what we saw him do in the garden, it is easy to see why Celestia would send a force to rescue him. If he was turned to the changelings, we may even have fallen to the swarm,” Nocturne stated.
Scarlet sighed. “Do we know who has used the books? I do not want any more surprise gods dropping on my head.”

“The Teal text lists several. I am unsure if this is all of them, but there is quite the list,” Nocturne replied, flipping open the book to the list. “Jer'rahd Kaisur, Princess Luna, Queen Crystal, King Sanguine. There are a host of various names here— several pages’ worth; not many that are recognizable, though. Queen Aqua, Andrew the Brobdingnagian, Queen Clopopatria, Discord, some princess named Aviana and a host of others. To be honest, there is no telling if any of them are still alive or dead. As such, we must proceed with caution and expect any of these to possibly be near the books.”

“Yes, that is news I really wanted to hear,” Claymore cursed. “Fine, guess it's better than sitting around here. Get yer shit together, stripes; soon as we find the bird, we're going on an adventure.”

[“Oh yay...”]

====================================================

Journal entry 7,
4-04-6407 AD

We have come across an entrance that we may be able to use. It has taken us some time to bring the rest of the camp to the forward camp. The main camp will still be used for those who cannot deal with the smell of the rancid carcass as it rots, though I have been here long enough that I can barely remember what fresh air smells like.

We saw the ship off, though before it left, I offered the young colt some bits to keep the discovery to himself and perhaps try and persuade his mother to come with the next supply run to offer information on the structure. He refused the bits and explained that his mother had been killed in the events of Nightmare Night, and would not have helped them anyway. He warned us again to leave, and when he was refuted, he refused to have any more to do with us.

The captain was informed it was a dormant volcano by Chime, and that we would be staying to survey everything, and that supplies would still need to be delivered as per the agreement.

We did not bother to watch the ship sail out of the bay. Chime and I returned to the forward camp as rapidly as we could; the crew was only waiting for our return before breaching the entrance.

On our return, there was a great deal of panic going on. The birds had all gone and the remains of the creature were calcifying into a strange bone-like rock rather rapidly. The change had happened so suddenly that several birds that had been trying to feed were caught in the newly formed stone, trapped in the rock.

Moss was doing her best to rouse the team to save as many as they could, though a large number of them were mired to deep in the rock and expired before they were able to be freed.

The samples we had taken remained rotting flesh, so likely, whatever had caused the strange process was focused on the main body under the towering monolith. Golden pointed out that it made a twisted sort of sense: even if the creature the castle was built on died, the structure would not fall if a solid foundation was created below it.

Truly Discord was a mad creature to have concocted this sort of thing.

==============================================

“Twilight, you're headed out already?” Spike asked, watching the unicorn as she started packing things into her already-overloaded saddle bags.

“I need to. The Princess is waiting for a full report from me on what happened and what’s going on, and she wants me to meet the ambassadors form Saddle Arabia as well. Besides, you know I can't leave that lot alone for very long. Zecora is keeping an eye on them for me right now, but who knows what’s going to happen,” Twilight responded as she continued packing. “In the state Jer'rahd is in, there's no telling what’s going to happen.”

“Right... oh, before I forget, you got a letter from Octavia.”

“Really? That's kinda odd. What did it say?”

“She says that the opening of the new music school in Canterlot is coming up on... let’s see, the seventh... wait, that's tomorrow. She says the last album that was made from the first Platinum Swan concert did so well, they managed to create a music school for Platinum in Canterlot rather than just donate the money to other schools. It says that Princess Luna actually extended the Pelt Grant to include music scholarships for the new school. She sent us two tickets to the opening. There's going to be a festival with live music for the opening featuring the Platinum Swan, and being headlined by... HOLY BUCK!!! Pontera is going to be playing!”

“Who? Never mind. Send her a letter thanking her but... it's tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Can we go?”

“A School for Platinum... I think Bleu would love this, and it might cheer her up. I never even told her about anything I've done with the music. This is perfect. Maybe it will get Jer'rahd out of whatever state he’s in, too. Thanks Spike. Now I gotta go; I have a train to catch.”

Spike blinked as the tickets were yanked out of his claw, along with the letter, by Twilight's magic as she rushed out the door, leaving the little dragon standing there staring after her.

“ But...Yeah... not like I really wanted to go, anyway...” Spike sighed.

=========================================================

Journal entry 8,
4-05-6407 AD

The entry was discovered during a small scouting mission around the base of the castle. On closer examination, it is quite clear that this thing was a castle at one point. Its time at the bottom of the sea since the Darklands sunk turned it into some sort of strange mobile reef. It was the creature’s movements that made the furrow in the earth. A large mound of rock and dirt was piled before it, covering the forward half of the dead creature. Its movements and weight had simply pushed the soil up before it as it moved. The question remained as to why, however.

The doorway was a curiosity, as it was clearly not part of the castle originally. A great double door of some unknown metal seemed to have been bolted into a frame that may have once held a much more normal door. The doorway was covered with runes and marks in a language I recognized as Aquian, or Sea Pony.

The warnings struck me as odd, as they were common symbols for various undersea threats, sharks lava vents, and other dangers. They all seemed to have been written by more than one hoof, or fin in this case, but there was no clear information on what was inside— just multiple warnings to keep away.

Chime thought perhaps it was a way of marking ‘no trespassing’ to those under water. Since the creature was dead and we were on dry land, then there should be no problem, with half of the dangers listed and the other half would likely be dead by the time we got to them inside.

I agreed, and work on opening the doors began.

====================================================

Rhede sighed, taking a sip of his ‘coffee’, as it was called. It was nasty stuff, really, but he had never felt this awake in his life.

The journal was an interesting read, though it was not telling him anything useful yet. There were a number of pictures of wildlife and maps that had not aged well, though the artistry of them was the same as the image of the book, and all save the maps were initialed with a VM. This confirmed what he had deduced about the changeling hive being a Discord's castle. The sea pony writing was a bit odd, though everything else made sense. With the normal wear and tear of weather, the limestone and coral would have worn and collected enough sediment to look like a mountain in a thousand years.
Still, this did nothing yet to tell him about the Silver Script and what it might contain. Several pages were missing from the journal, though a few had been recovered and he had pieced the disintegrating paper together carefully enough to copy a transcript.

It was slow, tedious work, though the occasional distraction from his new companion did help break up the monotony more than a little. Not to mention he now was in possession of a star metal dagger that had somehow escaped Celestia's purge of the element.

Of course, Dusty still claimed that she had not been paid in full yet, and he was not one to complain about that.
He had expected some sort of subterfuge or attempts at information gathering on the griffon’s behalf. Instead, she seemed solely fixated on exactly what she said she wanted.

A refreshing bit of honesty, though he still was not fully trusting of her motives.

========================================================

Journal entry 9,
4-07-6407 AD

Well, that was a rather unexpected event. We have two ponies injured who will be headed home on the next supply delivery. One of the porters broke both his back legs and the other suffered a mild concussion and an eye injury. The rest of us gathered about the door received minor injuries; those two were the ones who opened the doors. As soon as the seal was broken, the ocean itself came to meet us.

The door was sealed with some sort of mud and stone mix that the sea ponies used. Moss stated it was taken from the adhesive that barnacles clung to ships with. As soon as that seal was broken, the double doors all but blew off their hinges, causing the injuries and sending the rest of us tumbling down the hill with the force of the draining water.

We spent the next few days collecting all the items that had rushed out of the castle along with the water.

There was nothing of any real value: a few grinning statues of who I assumed was Discord, a great many sea pony furnishings and art, and a great many ruined tomes and surface items, likely stolen or salvaged.

There were also a large number of live fish and at least fifteen nearly skeletal sea pony bodies.

Any thoughts of a fish dinner quickly died when we figured out their food source.

Water is still flowing out of the front doors, though with not any notable force, the mass of water seems to be pushing towards the swamp rather than the furrow caused by the castle's passage. This is a boon for us, as that is where we set up both camps. It would be a waste of time to move them again.

We are already behind the schedule we were trying to set due to the injuries. It has been four days now, and we have accomplished very little.

The suspense is what is getting to me.

==================================================

“...GAAAAH, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?” Rainbow Dash shouted, landing on a cloud and glaring at Starfall.

“Err, nothing… umm, why do you ask?” Starfall muttered, landing on another cloud.

“Bull crap. I don't know what you saw in the volcano, but you’re the only one who seems to have anything wrong aside from that Jer'rahd guy.

“Bleu is actually rather depressed as well.”

“Yeah, well…Wait, that’s not the point! What is causing you to be chicken now?”

“I am not being chicken.”

“You freaked out when I did a simple stunt and you've been trying to get me to stop by saying they were too dangerous. Those were my warm up exercises! Then you refused to show me a couple of moves that you promised you would before. I wanna know why the heck you are doing this sort of crap now.”

“Umm, no reason...”

“Oh, come on! You wielded the Element of Honesty. You suck at lying, just like AJ, so stop trying.”
Starfall winced, withering a little under the menacing glare the younger pegasus was giving her.

“Well... umm, your friend Twilight...”

“Yesss, what about Twilight?”

“Well she told me that we were related... like my grand, I dunno whatever a thousand years is, granddaughter.”
Dash blinked, staring at the other pegasus, then slapped her face with a hoof.

“Oh for buck’s sake! Why did she tell you that? Geez! That explains why you suddenly turned into a wuss around me.”

“Hey, that's not fair...”

“No, you listen. I read the book, I know how you are. And I am stopping it right now. I don't need a mother,” Dash snapped, her ears flattening to her head, “so get that thought out of your head.”

“Twilight said your own mother abandoned you so… I thought…”

“GAH, WHY DID I TELL HER THAT?! Look ,I never met my mother, and my father only came by the orphanage a few times to try and pretend to be a dad. After I threw a fit over Cloudsdale not hosting the Equestrian games, I never saw him again. Evidently, all he wanted was a perfect angel, and that's not me. I don't need or want a mother. And if this sort of crap is what you are going to do when you’re in that mother hen mindset of yours, I can go train on my own again. I don't need or want that sort of crap.”

“But...”

“NO BUTS! I 'm gonna have to slap Twilight upside the head over this. When you just thought of me as a skilled flier, it was a different story, I might have learned something and you were pretty cool. If today is any indication, that's over. Yer trying to show me stuff I mastered in grade school ‘cause it's safe. GAH, forget it. I'll train myself from now on, you go do whatever it is that leader of yours wants you to do and leave me alone.”

“I just...”

“Look, I AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER! She's a thousand years dead and gone. The faster you get that in your head, the better off you'll be.” Dash growled, kicking off the cloud and leaving Starfall alone.

=================================

Journal entry 10,
4-09-6407 AD

The search of the castle has been rather slow going. Nearly all of the closed rooms are still filled with water and much of what was in them, not of seapony make, is ruined. Rather disappointing, really, or it was until we found that the uppermost parts of the castle were dry— untouched by the sea.

We set out to have a look over everything before we started a more thorough search of the dry area. A few sea pony bodies were in this area, though they seemed more ripped apart than simply gnawed on by fish. That should have been our first warning.

It was Chime and his team who discovered the cause; unfortunately, the discovery cost one of his group’s number their life. They were exploring the uppermost section of the castle when they were set upon by dozens of monstrosities. They lost one of the griffons before they realized what was going on and counterattacked.

I will say this about Chime's troops: they are very skilled, and if they have a purpose, they are bloody effective. The death of one of their own gave them the purpose. By the time the rest of the group got up there after the first scream, a dozen of the monsters lay dead and the group was fanning out seeking the rest, destroying them where they hid.
Looking over the bodies of the creatures and the one dead member of the team was done in total silence save for the scream of the monsters and the rage of the warriors that were killing them.

Moss broke the silence with one word, a word that gave name to the monsters and mad the castle all the more threatening by its utterance.

'Trolls.'

=============================================

“Forget it. I have no plans to go anywhere, Sparkle.” Jer'rahd muttered.

“Jeez; trust me, this is for your own good. You and Bleu need to get up and go to this,” Twilight fussed.

“Hey, if Boss ain't going, neither am I,” Bleu stated, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Oh no, I might accept a ‘no’ from this lout, but you are going to this festival if I have to drag you by your tail, Bleu,” Twilight snapped.

“Sounds like a good idea. I really don't need an angry and depressed dragonling around me right now, anyway,” Jer'rahd stated. ”She's getting annoying.”

“What was that, emo colt? I'm surprised you aren’t listening to angsty teen music and wearing black eyeshadow yet!”

“What the heck is an emo? Some kinda bird?” Jer'rahd asked, frustrating Bleu further.

“Never mind. Let's just go, Sparkle Butt; I can't handle being near mopey pants here much longer, either,” Bleu snarled, hopping on Twilight's back.

“We'll be back later to check on you, Jer'rahd,” Twilight added.

“Don't rush,” Jer'rahd replied as the pair headed out the door. He sighed lightly, looking to the open window across from him, his eyes narrowing.

“I can hear you out there, Starfall. Go ahead and come in before somepony spots you and tell me what the heck has got you bawling like a foal.”

===================================================

Journal entry 12,
4-17-6407 AD

As I stated in my last note, the troll bodies were odd. Moss has spent quite a bit of time studying them and deduced that they were some sort of aquatic variety, having fins and gills. They seemed to be surviving on the fish that were trapped in the tower. At least, that was the first thought. In one of the flooded rooms, we found a pit still filled with water that led down into a jagged rocky cavern that seemed to tunnel under the castle. We soon realized that the rocky tunnel was the petrified remains of the creature that made up the castle. The trolls had been eating the castle from the inside out. That would explain why it had left the sea and tried to forge inland before it died; it had been driven mad by the pain of slowly being eaten.

We removed the bodies of the trolls and sea ponies, burning both in a pyre well away from the castle. Chime set his troops on full guard and would not allow any of us to go anywhere without at least one of them until he was sure the keep was clear. No pony had any problem with this.

================================================

“So you were left again?” Silver Claw muttered. “Not exactly what I would consider a fair situation, particularly since all the work you put into the books and she gives the ticket to another, ignoring your obvious desire to go to this festival.”

“I know, right? She didn't even listen to me the short time she was back. I still have no idea what even went on or if everyone is alright,” Spike sighed, dropping his chin into his hands as Silver Claw stretched out on a large rock across the clearing, soaking up the sun. “I get that Jer'rahd is alright, but I have no clue about any of the others.”

“If she managed to come home to sleep, then I am sure they are fine. At least she let you know that much,” Silver Claw muttered letting the dragonling rant.

“Bah, she only came back to grab a couple of books, then she took off again as soon as she woke up,” Spike sighed. “Not fair in the slightest. It's like she doesn't even care so long as I keep the library running.”

“She is simply busy with all that is going on. I am sure she has never done anything like this before,” Silver Claw commented idly.

Spike winced and sighed. “More and more often, it seems. Not the first time she’s run off to do something fun and left me to do her work for her.”

“It cannot be that bad, or I am sure you would have left before.”

“Yeah, that didn't work out too well. Almost got eaten by another dragon.” Spike grumbled. “She had to run up and rescue me along with that owl of hers.”

“Well she did save you, so there is that.”

“Yeah, but her ignoring me is what started that whole thing to begin with.” Spike threw his hands in the air. “It's not like I expect her to fawn over me , but a 'nice job Spike', 'thanks for the help Spike' or at least allowing me to tag along to some of the stuff she does would be better than being stuck at home. Of course, it's not like I can do much of anything about it for a good number of years yet.”

“Well, you are still a hatchling for all purposes, god or not. You still have not even discovered what you are the god of. I have not noticed anything odd about you save for the energy you radiate that marks you as a god. Well, that and your ability to tolerate all the annoyances in your life.”

“See? Even you are pointing out I can't do anything.”

“Not entirely true; while your rambling is somewhat annoying, I am quite cheered due to your apparent commitment to learn more about your kind. I still hope you plan to aid me with the rebuilding of our race.”

“I am still on the fence about that. I mean, I've read a lot of what was done, and I've seen how the dragons act nowadays. Something needs to be done; I still don't think I am the one to do it. And I still don't trust you.”

“Good. I have done little to actually earn your trust, though I have also done nothing to betray it, unlike those you currently call friends, if your rambling is any indication.”

“Just ... stop... I'm not going to help you with that. It's bad enough I am still coming out here three days after finding out who you are to talk.”

“I told you I will handle that part on my own. I only need your aid in rebuilding the dragon empire. I may also have a way to aid you and that task at the same time. I have other caves from my time as Mustang; I made a number of lairs around Equestria. Most of them have been found out this far in the future, but several have not, including one not far away in the Everfree Forest that is of significant importance.”

“Why is that one important? It have your horde there or something?”

“Some of it, though that is not the reason. This lair was not found and remained sealed. It contains my personal library.
While not as large as the one lost in Cindervale or even as large as the one you now reside in, it has a number of tomes that give the history of the Dragon Empire, as well as the rules and codes created in the Empire’s heyday. There are a number of a pony books as well, and a fair amount of books of a fictitious nature, including a rather insulting one about the tale of Kaisur and his sidekick. I am highly amused that bit of smut survived.”

“Yeah, so what about it? Does this mean you have a few books for me to read instead of just your word?”
“Indeed I do, though with how rare they are, I will not be risking them outside of the cavern. However, if you wish to study them, you are more than welcome to go there. This will keep you out of the coming conflict and give you time to decide on if you wish to aid with the rebuilding of the empire or not.”

“Why would I want to go anywhere with you?” Spike grumbled.

“Considering how much you complain about your current living conditions, I thought a change might be good for you. It is not as if I need to watch over you all the time, and I know you understand the care of rare books. If it is not to your taste, it is perhaps a day’s journey back to Ponyville and the comfort of your solitude in the library and your foal sitting duties, but the choice is up to you. Learn what it means to be a proper dragon, or stay with those who treat you as little more than a pet or an inconvenience. Unlike them, I could truly use your help to rebuild what my race has lost,” Silver Claw remarked. “The only thing stopping you from learning more about dragons is you, and the ties you have to those who do not seem to feel the same.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Journal entry 17,
6-07-6407 AD

We have finally completed our months’ long exploration of the tower. We have sent our dead and injured back on the supply ship. A wave of new ponies has come as well, and our expedition has swollen to a rather large sixty-three members.
At Chime’s and Moss's insistence, we have sent no word back on what we have found and the few sent back have been silenced with a sizable collection of bits, as well as the agreement to acknowledge their contributions when the time to reveal our findings comes. All of the new team members have agreed to the same treatment.

A rather sizable trove of random artifacts of both Discordian and sea pony make has already been recovered, as well as a rather large collection of precious metals and gems.

Moss was quite excited with the finds in some of the still-flooded areas. She also had plenty of notes to take on the trolls and sea ponies before they were disposed of.

Chime and I, however, made the greatest discovery in a half-destroyed chamber the trolls had been using. The chamber looked to be prepared for some sort of ritual— strange lines and archaic writings covered the place. We first thought it Discordian, but the runes were proven to be sea pony. In the center of the chamber was a large pedestal with a single book in the middle of it.

While investigating it, we found that it was written wholly in some sort of dialect of sea pony, though as Chime and I watched, the script changed itself to Equestrian. It was at that moment that the pair of us first heard the voice.

It had a feminine tone to it, and Chime seemed to be certain it was being flirtatious in its discourse with him. With me, it was rather straight to the point. It asked that it be called by its proper name.

'The Silver Script.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sparkle Butt, what the heck is all this?” Bleu questioned, standing up on Twilight's back and looking over the mass of ponies, griffons, and other creatures filling the large park in front of a massive stage.

There were vendors everywhere, selling everything from ice cream to flugelhorns and everything in between. A number of small stages, that were little more than planks stacked on barrels in some cases, filled all the other open spaces. Each had a performer of some kind atop it, the mish mashed melodies drowning out normal conversation anywhere near the impromptu stages and joined with the other performers to create a mad cacophony of noise everywhere else.

Bleu resisted the urge to fly up and check everything out, wondering exactly was going on. The main stage was little more that an open platform with the wings hidden by curtains. A large building behind the stage was partially covered as well, with a massive curtain hiding the entire front of the building. A few small statues were scattered around on pedestals in the park. Bleu did not recognize any of the names of them, though most were depicted with an instrument of some kind and a small plaque depicting what they were best known for.

“It's a music festival, Bleu,” Twilight explained.” A rather special one at that, now if only I could find the... ahhh there she is. SCRATCH! MISS SCRATCH, OVER HERE!”

Bleu looked to the pony Twilight was yelling at— a white unicorn mare with wild blue hair and a pair of purple sunglasses covering her eyes. The mare grinned, trotting over to the pair of them.

“Yo grape flavor, what’s up? Didn't think you would make it when we didn't get any sort of response from you,” Vinyl chuckled, looking up at Bleu. “Hey who's this? Yah trade in the purple assistant for a newer model with wings or something?”

“No, this is Bleu; Spike is still at the library. He wanted to come, but you only gave us the two tickets.”

“Babe, this whole deal is thanks to you. If you'd have told us to let the entire Canterlot guard in for free we woulda done it. Shoulda brought him any way.”

“Ooh I hadn't thought of that... maybe I should try to get him an autograph or something. He seemed interested that Pontera or whoever was playing.”

“Hah, little dragons a Pontera fan. Figures. You can ask Tavi ‘bout that one; I was supposed to meet her here someplace.
She and the lead singer kinda hit it off; bet she’s back stage now giving that lucky colt some special encouragement for a good show.”

“Watch your tongue, Vinyl. You should not be gossiping about someone else when most of your trysts are near public knowledge, or need I remind you about that debacle with Spitfire?” Octavia snapped, trotting up behind Vinyl.

“Heh, speak of the devil. So what kept you? A little sucky-sucky five bits on yer new colt friend?”

“Certainly not!”

“Then what’s that white stuff on your face?” Bleu remarked in mock seriousness.

Twilight slapped her face with a hoof as Tavi blushed, rapidly wiping her already-clean face. Vinyl simply fell over, laughing her flank off.

“That was great! I like you, little lizard,” Vinyl gasped out between her laughter.

“Scratch, do you not need to be in the sound booth with the show this close to starting?” Octavia muttered coldly.

“Oh yeah. Later, li’l lizard; nice seeing yah again. Grape. A genius's work is never done.”

“That explains why you are often unemployed,” Octavia snapped at the retreating Vinyl.
Bleu chuckled. “I like her. She's silly.”

“Yes, well, ‘tis a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Sparkle, though I did expect you to bring Mister Spike along with you. Who might this be?”

“This is Bleu Scale,” Twilight stated again.

“Ahh, nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Scale. I am afraid I do not know of many dragons, though you are the second one I have heard of with that name. Is it a common one?”

“Not that I know of. I was the only one I ever knew named Bleu Scale, and I had other dragons refuse to acknowledge it as a real name cause my sister gave it to me,” Bleu remarked.

“Sorry to hear that. I see nothing wrong with the name. though I would like to welcome you and Miss Sparkle to the opening of ommmph,” Octavia started, stopping as Twilight put a hoof to the gray earth pony’s muzzle.

“Sorry, but I don't want her to know what this is about until it’s fully revealed.” Twilight commented, getting a strange look from both the pony and the dragonling.

“Well, I suppose... though you could have refrained from shoving your hoof in my mouth.”

“Sorry,” Twilight remarked. “Oh, Vinyl said you could help with getting an autograph or something from this Pontera group?”

“Um yes, well, the lead singer and I… well, I suppose since he is in costume, I should use that ridiculous stage name he has of Bloodmoon, met some time ago when we were first trying to publish the music you gave us. He pulled a few strings with his record label, Black Shuck, and made it happen. Since then, he has been supporting this endeavor rather single mindedly. Despite his appearance on stage, he is quite the quiet shy type with a strong interest in all musical types.”

A loud guitar riff from the curtained stage followed by a mass of fireworks drew everyone’s attention, along with a loud cheer. Octavia smirked and gestured for the pair to follow her.

“Did I say single-mindedly? I meant dramatically, as when in costume, he seems not to have any other way about him. Frankly, I find it rather annoying, though I can see the appeal of it for the younger generation. I still prefer him out of costume; he is much calmer. I am sure he would be willing to sign something for Mister Spike.”

She trotted up a ramp into a large booth standing on stilts before the stage. Vinyl and another white unicorn mare were already up there working the sound boards and firework triggers, both wearing large ear phones. Vinyl glanced to them as they climbed up, smirking with a nod, though the other unicorn ignored them.

“Be sure not to touch anything in here or Bass will throw us all out, I am sure,” Octavia commented, getting a rude gesture from the mentioned unicorn. “At any rate, Pontera playing here is one of the reasons the crowd is so large. There is only going to be one song, though it is a preview track from one of their albums that has not come out yet. After they are finished, the Platinum Swan shall preform a number of songs before it finishes with the song that started this being sung by Fleur of all ponies with Pontera offering back up accompaniment. At the end of that I will conduct the opening ceremony.”

“Wait, the Platinum Swan? The Platinum Swan? Sparkle Butt, what the heck is going on here?” Bleu comments bouncing about on twilight's back.

“Can you shush and just listen, Bleu,” Twilight snapped, ignoring the glare from the dragonling. That glare faded as a strange rhythmic twanging started from the stage as the curtain was raised.

The stage was dark, save for a spotlight on a black suited pony playing a strange instrument that was giving off the rather eerie music. Bleu and Twilight both stiffened at the sight of the tall, lanky pony. He had no face, and tendrils of darkness emerged from his back to wave about in time with the music.

“Wha,.. what is that?” Twilight questioned.

“Oh, one of the band’s costumes. Bloodmoon tracked down a pony from Saddle Arabia who could play the sitar solely for this song. The costume is some creature from his homeland called Slender pony or some such rubbish. I warn you, the other band members are all in very realistic alicorn costumes. Bloodmoon is really a pegasus, while his brother on the bass is a unicorn, the drummer is a earth pony. Jerrad, Nico, and Percussive respectively. Now shush,” Octavia commanded.

A soft voice with a rather smooth tone reverberated from the darkness as a spotlight illuminated a black alicorn stallion with dark blue hair that fluttered and flowed about his head, not unlike Princess Luna's.

“There must be some way out of here
Said the zebra to the chief.
There's too much confusion
and there is no relief...”
“The ponies they clear my vines
Plow mares dig my earth.
Cutting along my tree line,
Exposing more of the earth.”

The drums kicked up with a thunder as a soft bass and guitar began to play, backing up the sitar player. A white alicorn with flaming orange hair was on the bass, his magic pricking across the strings. A brown alicorn sat at the drums, his black hair flicking across the spectrum of visible light as he laid into the drums.

“No reason for you to worry
the chief he kindly spoke
there are ponies among us
who do not fear the poison joke
But we both know a cure for that
our words still carry weight
these lands do not suffer for now
We can change its fate.”

The sitar and guitar started, for lack of a better term, wailing, before the music built into a crescendo. The singer dipped his head a little, his wings flicking across the powder blue guitar he held.

“All along the Everfree
Princess kept the views
while all the ponies came and went
element bearers too.
Outside in the forest
A manticore growls
The forest began stirring,
And the wind began to howl, YEAH!”

The music kicked up again from the crescendo, and the band laid into the end of the song fully.

“All along the Everfree.”

The music slowly began to die, ending with a last few energetic notes before dying out completely to the scream and carrying on of the crowd.

Bleu stared at the stage and the band, her mouth agape as Twilight rubbed her ears.

“Well, that was certainly loud. No wonder Spike likes them,” Twilight muttered.

“Well, it was an attempt at an environmental song about the rapid deforestation of certain parts of the Everfree, though he feels the message won't carry unless it, as he puts it, 'has a kick-ass song to go with it.'” Octavia sighed. “Frankly, I do not share his opinions of what is good, let alone kick-arse.”

“Get over yerself, Tavi, you know you love it,” Vinyl laughed. “Anyway, is Lyra gonna be able to handle your spot with the Swan?”

“She only specializes in the harp; she is a talented pony who can play a number of things. I have had too much else to do with setting everything up here to have practiced with them for this,” Octavia commented, looking to Bleu. “Not to alarm you, Miss Sparkle, but your companion seems to have gone catatonic.”

“I am surprised she lasted this long; this will be the first new music she has probably ever heard, let alone music with this sort of style. Once the Platinum Swan starts, I am sure she will be fine,” Twilight replied.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF LUNA'S FIRM SLAPPABLE RUMP WAS THAT!?” Bleu shouted, falling off Twilight's back.

“Or sooner,” Twilight sighed.
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Journal entry 19,
6-17-6407 AD

Chime and I have been studying the tome we found. Apart from the rather creepy ability it has to speak with us, it is filled with a number of names and rituals for various purposes, few of them benign. It is with some interest that I take note of the names Princess Luna and Jer'rahd Kaisur in this tome.

We questioned what had happened, and it simply explained that it was once part of a collection with three other tomes in Queen Aqua's library. With the destruction of Neighlantis, it was cast adrift with a number of survivors who sought shelter in this sunken tower. They resided in the tower for a short time before they were beset by Scrags, or aquatic trolls.
In desperation, the few surviving sea ponies tried to enact a ritual within its pages. The ritual had been used by the queen and her consort. The queen had gained tremendous power and her consort had become the behemoth protector of Neighlantis until they were defeated by the treachery of the Princess of Night using the stolen power of the other tomes.
The group had started the ritual with hopes to gain power, and perhaps their own god-like abilities with which to rebuild the nearly destroyed sea pony race, when the Scrags found their way inside and fell upon them, killing nearly all of the sea ponies present. The few survivors sealed the door and fled, leaving the ritual incomplete and the book in the claws of the Scrags.

The book was unsure how the castle had wound up on dry land, though it was aware of the Scrags feeding on something. It lay undisturbed on the pedestal for what it assumed to be years before we recovered it.
Chime collaborated a bit of its story, knowing that Nightmare Moon had indeed beset the city of Neighlantis; that encounter was what brought about the events of the dreaded Nightmare Night.

The story had interest for me as well, though not in the explanation of history or what happened in the castle. I was rather curious about this ritual that could make gods of mortals.

A pipe dream, really, as I had no belief that it could be done, although...

It is best I not continue this train of thought. This thing is an artifact that needs to be brought to the princess to let her deal with it. If even half the power in its pages was true, then it was something far beyond what we should have access to.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So that's what happened?” Jer'rahd mused. “Sorry.”

“Don't be. I brought it on myself. I just hope I can fix it somehow. I don't want someone else hating me like that,” Starfall muttered.

“She is not your daughter, Starfall; you know this. Trying to make her into something she’s not will not end well for you,” Jer'rahd sighed.

“I know, but....”

“Starfall. Just be glad you even had a daughter to be missing. Mine was not even real, and I am still depressed over it.”

“Yeah, that is pretty bucked up. So what do we do?”

“Well, if Rhede was here, I am sure he would tell us to just fuck and get it over with.”

“Sorry, General, you are not my type. You need a decent pair of wings before I would even consider that.”

“That's fine, my next mare friend is going to die anyway if the pattern holds true.”

“Luna didn't die, General; she just turned into a monster.”

“Close enough to death; she no longer existed, and the mare that holds her name now is not the same one we once knew, either. Our Luna is dead, and Nightmare Moon betrayed our belief in her just as we betrayed her to Celestia.”

“Fine, I am too depressed to have this argument. So what, should we just track down some training weapons and spar ‘til we get over this crap? That's the usual plan for you after something happens. At least, it has been since you can't drink anymore. I do feel like working out some frustrations.”

“No, I have a better idea this time.”

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Journal entry 20,
6-24-6407 AD

It seems I have made a mistake. Chime and I were going to be tight-lipped on the results of our study with the book, though I let what we found slip while basking in the afterglow of one of Golden and my... liaisons.

She was far more interested in the possibilities than she should be. The concept of immortality likened to the Princesses or other gods was a tempting fruit. To be able to live to see what the future held, to experience history as it happened, to chart the world with no fear of injury or age that would stall mortals.

Suffice to say, Golden's descriptions of what could be done with an immortal lifetime were much more vivid than my own.
Perhaps the book bears more consideration.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a brief explanation of rock music from Octavia, with snide comments added by both Vinyl and Bass, Bleu went silent.
Twilight was a little worried at first on how the dragonling would react, though as the classical music playing Platinum Swan took the stage, Bleu went silent. Twilight noted it was not from anything wrong, but from rapt, and somewhat judgmental, attention she was paying to the group’s playing.

Octavia seemed rather concerned with what Twilight's reaction to the music was, though she seemed to be surprised at the rapt attention Bleu was paying the playing.
Vinyl, at this point, had dozed off.

When the last few deep cords of the cello faded for the song, Bleu finally spoke.

“Not bad, not bad at all, though it's all wrong,” Bleu muttered.

“What do you mean?” Octavia asked.

“They had three songs, and they only played orchestra pieces. Not familiar with the composers of any of them, but seriously, is that all they play? Just orchestral?”

“Usually, yes. This is not the whole group, though the Platinum Swan is the premier orchestra in the world.”

“Impressive accomplishment, I suppose, though they missed the point.”

“Then what was the point?” Octavia watched the dragon, clearly getting rather miffed at Bleu, though she let the dragonling speak.

“Music itself is the point. They were never supposed to play only one type of music. There's hundreds of cultures and races with their own taste and their own styles of music. I mean, the Platinum Swan's first play list pulled from pony, griffon, zebra and dragon music types... okay, so the dragon culture was represented by me and I’m a terrible dragon, but still. We also altered the griffons’ song to fit better with our audience, but that's not the point, either. The goal was to play a bit of everything. Yeah, this orchestra stuff is nice, but it's too strict, too set in one path. Not everyone is gonna like it, so it fails in what the point is,” Bleu ranted. “Least, that was how it was supposed to be. Guess this is the end result... pretty, but diluted.”

“While rather poetic, I must say you have quite a bit of hubris to claim to know exactly what the Platinum Swan should be about. I apologize for my ire, Miss Sparkle, but who does your companion think she is?”

“One of the founders of the Platinum Swan. And the partner of the one the group was named for.”

“What!?”

“Miss Octavia, when I introduced her as Bleu Scale, I meant she is THE Bleu Scale. She is one of the founders of the Platinum Swan and the main singer in the last collection I gave you and Miss Scratch.”

“Yeah, I thought she looked a little familiar, but all lizards look the same to me,” Vinyl snarked.

“If yah took off yer glasses every so often, you might see stuff apart from a purple blur, Scratch,” Bass grumbled with a chuckle.

Octavia seemed stunned at the revelation, and Twilight was sure Bleu was going to lay into her when the first few strains of a new song filled the air.

“Woop, looks like Pontera and the swans are set up, and there's Fleur,” Vinyl commented, sliding her hoof over a few switches.

Bleu's eyes widened as the notes were repeated in the sound check as a rather lithe white unicorn mare trotted onto the stage wearing a rather ornate gown. The mare stopped before the mike in the center stage. The lights on the stage dimmed until she was the only one visible, humming the first lines to herself as the band finished the set up.

“Wha... that song.... I know that song... Sparkle, HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT SONG?!” Bleu shouted, glaring at the Purple unicorn.

“We do not have the real name for it, so it was simply called Platinum's Last Song when it was published,” Octavia commented, still reeling from the revelation of who Bleu was, her focus fully on the dragonling now.

A visible shiver ran down the dragonling’s spine as the music began again, the clear notes of Fluer's voice filling the air.

“A falling star fell from your heart...”

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Journal entry 21,
7-04-6407 AD

Things have taken a rather predictable turn. It seems I am not the only one with loose lips. I was confronted by Moss today.
She had spoken with Chime while the pair was taking a respite from their work.

Chime did indeed have a weakness for alcohol and Moss had happily provided som,e only for a drunken Chime to let slip what we had found.

The elderly mare was positively brimming with excitement, though she wanted more details. It seemed she and Golden shared the idea of wanting to extend their lives so that their work might continue indefinitely. Moss was interested enough she confessed almost planning out how she would live if immortal. She would get to see her granddaughter grow up and have her own children, and she would be able to teach them everything she knew about animals and plant life.

I must confess the old mare rambled for a time, seeming to have forgotten she and her daughter were not on the best terms due to her marrying of a pegasus. Though as excited as Moss was, perhaps this was not the time to bring that up.
Still.

With both Moss and Golden clearly for attempting this ritual, my own hesitation was quickly slipping away.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Rhede sighed, shifting in his seat as the train pulled away from the station. This was a dire situation after all. Scarlet had one of the cursed books— one that was supposedly destroyed. Assuming she was working for Nocturne with the others, it was clear they seemed to be seeking information.

Twilight's history book, now the Silver Script? How had they even known where it was? The only book’s location that was listed in the history book was the Red Tome and the Gray Grimiore, both of which were supposed to be in Tartarus...

Rhede blinked, his ears flattening. According to Twilight and the book Bleu found, Sombra and Chrysilis were also supposed to be in Tartarus. The rant Twilight had overseen made it seem that Sombra had gotten out first and been trapped by Luna and Celesita, along with the Crystal Empire. It was a known fact that Chrysalis’s first appearance in Equestria in this age was an attack on Canterlot and a disruption of a wedding as she sought to take over.

Could it be that the escapees already went into Tartarus and stole the red and gray books, freeing Chrysalis in the process? Exactly how the Crystal Empire suddenly returned after Sombra supposedly cursed it was also in question. Were all these things connected?

He needed to speak with Twilight, Jer'rahd, and Celestia and drill them for every scrap of info he could. There was something there; he knew there was a connection and a reason for what they were doing, but too many pieces were missing.
He would need to scour more of Twilight's library, and the one in Canterlot as well. He needed to know more about Tartarus; hopefully, Celestia still had access to Discord's Book of Blue, though he was not very hopeful on that. That strangely worded little guide might be a wealth of information that he missed last time he read it.

He had not been in the frame of mind to do more than skim it before, and with as smart as Twilight and some of her friends seemed to be, their insight might shed more light on this.

It would be tomorrow morning before the train made it back to Ponyville. He would check on everyone there before heading to Canterlot.

They finally had a hint of a lead as to what Nocturne was doing, and he would not let it slip past him.

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Journal entry 24,
8-17-6407 AD

As I have stated in my last few entries, a consensus has been reached among the remaining crew. There are perhaps forty of us left. A conflict broke out among the crew over who would be involved in the ritual.

There was a rather large number of the expedition that did not want any part of this. Some who considered it profane and threatened to inform the Royal Guard as to what we were planning.

I regret their loss, but the gain far outweighs any risk. Chime and his crew should be finishing the graves of those who would try and stop us now. It seems there is no turning back, though once our goal is achieved, what we have done here will only be an unpleasant memory as we move through time unaffected by its cold grip.

The others have started to hear the book speak as well. It is attempting to prepare us for the ritual and what we must endure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia's ears perked up at the sound of conflict outside the throne room where she was holding a meeting with the griffon god. King Sharp Talon bristled, hearing the sound of conflict as well, his eyes widening as an armored guard was sent barreling through the double doors to crash in a bruised heap, followed by several other guards and a couple of griffons as well.

“Pathetic!!” a voice shouted.

“Seriously, you weren’t kidding. Jeez, the training dummies put up more of a fight. How the heck did they manage to storm a volcano without stabbing themselves?”

Celestia groaned, burying her head in her hooves. King Talon looked at her reaction, then back at the door as a pair of ponies trotted in.

A gray unicorn stallion with a sandy blond mane and tail, with a double bladed sword resting on his side strode in first. He sidestepped suddenly, avoiding a griffon diving at him from above. The solider backpedaled in the air to keep from crashing into the ground and slammed head-first into a shield created above it. The impact caused even Celestia to wince as the griffon tumbled to the ground unconscious.

The other pony was a light gray pegasus with a short-cropped mane and tail wearing what looked to be two massive scabbards on her back. A pegasus guard launched himself at her and was casually flung aside with a bat of her wing, sending the armored pony to crash into another guard trying to attack from behind.

“What is the meaning of this!?” King Talon shouted.

”Calm down, Talon. These two are on our side... mostly.” Celestia rolled her eyes as the pair approached. “While I am happy you have recovered, could you simply set up an appointment like everypony else, Kaisur? I do not like having half the Royal Guard applying for medical leave every time you come to see me.”

“Kaisur? This is the pony your strike force rescued?” King Talon growled. “This is the due he pays you for this rescue— attacking your own? Why bother to save him at all?”

Jer'rahd cricked his neck, gesturing back to the mass of unconscious ponies and griffons filling the hall behind them, as well as a few terrified guards and griffon troops were peeking into the throne room, urging each other to try and do something.

“I did that without drawing my blade,” Jer'rahd commented. “Did you really want to see what happens if I get serious? Think of the result if Chrysalis controlled me.”

“We did that, General, though honestly, I expected a bit more fight from the birds,” Starfall sighed. “Did everything go soft in the last thousand years?”

“I told you,” Jer'rahd stated.

“Would you stop patting yourselves on the back long enough to tell me why you interrupted the royal court this time, Kaisur?” Celestia groaned. “And please do not adopt his disregard for authority, Starfall. I do not need two of him.”

“Errr, sorry, Princess. Kinda got caught up in it.” Starfall smirked sheepishly.

“You the one leading the griffons who helped in the fighting at the volcano?” Jer'rahd asked, looking at King Talon.

“I am. What of it?” King Sharp Talon bristled.

Jer'rahd looked him over a moment before nodding. “Thanks for the assist. We'll let you add a few troops to this training as well.”

“I disagree with that General,” Starfall snapped.

“Give it a rest. They are supposed to be on our side this time, and if they turn out not to be, you will have more of a challenge taking them out,” Jer'rahd commented.

“KAISUR!” Celestia shouted. “Why are you here?”

“The request you made before I left for the Crystal Empire. We accept. Training begins tomorrow. Pick your best and his best, and I'll weed out the ones worth a damn. But there are conditions.”

“While that is uplifting news, I doubt I will enjoy your conditions.”

“Only three for now.”

“And?”

“We train them our way.”

“I shall have the medics all on standby.”

“We get our ranks back.”

“General is no longer an existing rank. Guard Captain is the highest rank in the Royal Guard, and there are only three of those at a time. Currently, they are held by Shining Armor, Nicker Fury, and Silver Sword. I am not placing another in that rank.”

“Then put me back to the last rank I served with you as. That's higher than any of those, anyway.”

“Fine, though you shall not be of general rank. You will only be allowed a rank above the guards you are training. The Guard Captains will still be your superiors, and since you will be back in my employ, you will actually listen to what I tell you to do.”

“Fine. Unless you or they order something that I disagree with.”

“That is not how it works.. . gah... What is the last one?”

“You reinstate the 42nd as a valid force.”

“The 42nd were stricken from the Guard record when they all followed you to the Lunar Republic.”

“Then un-strike them. The ones that pass are going to be the new 42nd. I refuse to let anyone that manages to make it through my training be anything as simple as a Royal Guard.”

“You still have issue with the guards?”

“Bleu calls them Rent-a-cops. Not sure of the meaning, but it sounds degrading enough to fit.”

“I do not like the idea of reviving that unit, Kaisur.”

“There are six members of the 42nd alive right now, Celestia, if you count your sister. It has no need to be revived, just reinstated. If the idiots you send our way can be taught, then there will likely be more than enough to make it a proper unit again. Luna's Hoof has gotten dusty and depleted. I plan to bring it back to what it should be.”

“Fine. Though it is a stupid name.”

“You had one of your Royal Guard units calling themselves Celestia's Tail. I don't want to hear it,” Starfall chuckled, covering her mouth quickly and pretending she didn't say anything. “Err, sorry, princess.”

“If the dogs want in, too, tell them to send their best. We have our own task, so once we start, it will be a rush job. We can only spare a week or two tops, maybe less depending on what Rhede has found out. We'll go set up a training spot, you get what you need going, Celestia.”

The pair turned and strode out, sending the few guards still up running for cover. Starfall offered a slight bow to Celestia, ignoring the griffon, though Jer'rahd offered the King a small nod and ignored Celestia.

King Talon watched them as they left, then glared at Celestia as she sighed, sinking down into her throne more.

“Who in your lands were they? I have never heard of such insolence and disrespect. Demanding to have what they want as if they themselves were royalty? I know of the 42nd— they were a unit of your sister’s when she was possessed by the malevolent spirit. What logic would have that fool wish their restoration?”

“King Talon, you have a very interesting distinction. You are the only non-pony god to meet those two and not be either imprisoned or slaughtered. That Kaisur thanked you is possibly unheard of as well. “

“That explains nothing, Princess. Why do you let them speak to you as such? Your own subjects?”

“They are not my subjects. No matter how my sister denies it, they are hers. Jer'rahd Kaisur, also known as The Demon of Dullahan. Starfall Silvertail, also known as the Light of Death. Two of the Five Beasts of the Moon.”

“The Beasts of the Moon? They live? How?”

“A long story, I am glad you actually recall them. Few to none do anymore.”

“I was born after the events of Nightmare Night, princess. I grew up during Equestria's civil war. You may have hidden what they did from your own people, but the griffons and other races remember. This will cause just as much trouble for you as your sister returning, if not more so. That both Princess Luna and The Five Beasts are free will cause no end of panic in some circles. That they seek to restore the 42nd as well.”

“I know. I expect that, though. They will be a great help with what lies ahead. I trust that none of them will fall back to what they were before.”

“You seem far too confident of that.”

“There is a reason why I am not worried about a return of the Lunar Republic.”

“Then you best start explaining that now, Princess. I do hope that your reasons are just, or you will have violated your own treaty. Those who remember the War of Night will not sit by for it to happen again.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Journal entry 27,
9-01-6407 AD

Tonight is the night. We have gathered all we needed from the castle itself. The seaponies clearly were prepared to invoke the ritual multiple times with all the ingredients gathered.

The book suggested that we utilize them all, as our group was rather large. Its seductive voice had gotten quite strong now, and I could hear it even in my sleep.

I write that I experience a great deal of regret and worry. This is a change that shall perhaps shake the very fabric of the world. Thirty-two new gods suddenly created— the other nations likely would not be tolerant of such things. It was unlikely Princess Celestia would, either. Though she would not seek to destroy us, at worst, we would be imprisoned for a time.
I informed the ship’s captain at his last supply drop that there was an issue with trolls and a number of our expedition was killed. This should give the families of those we had to kill some closure. The last of the funds, as well as a good amount of the treasure we recovered, was sent to the families of those dead as per the agreement.

The die has been cast. When we do not meet the captain at the next supply drop, he will likely assume we have all fallen to the trolls. In truth, we shall be on our way to other lands with our immortality. Once all who would link us to the expedition have passed on, we shall return to Equestria as previously unknown gods. Celestia may remember us, though perhaps the act of ascension will render us unknown to even her.

We can hope, though we may also simply pressure her into leaving us be. Thirty gods against one, no matter her supposed power, would still place the odds in our favor.

It should not come to that, howeve; the Princess does prefer peace to conflict.

---------------------------------------------------

“Alright, Sparkle. What is going on?” Bleu questioned, wiping tears from her eyes as she looked down at the softly smiling unicorn. “Why do they know that song? No, better still, why do they know it so well? That was almost spot-on.”

“I am needed on stage, Miss Sparkle, if you will excuse me. Please do not depart. I wish to speak with both of you again,” Octavia said, slipping out of the booth.

“When I was studying the past, I heard a great many bits of music and songs I had never heard before. At the time, I asked Princess Celestia if there was a way to copy them. She showed me a way to copy the music into a crystal. She also contacted Miss Octavia and Miss Scratch here to help me with what to do with the songs once copied.”

“You... you have a copy of the song... sung by Platinum?” Bleu asked shakily.

“Yep, word for word and tone for tone. Got published real quick, too; made a small fortune with just the single. A voice from the past was the compilation. Most of that money was invested in music schools to help finance some students... then we got another message from Grape here,” Vinyl chuckled, flipping her sunglasses up and looking the dragon and Twilight over.

“That album had a few more songs on it, but damned if it didn't sell even better that the first one. It was enough bits for this.” Vinyl pointed out to the stage where Octavia stood, having just finished thanking everyone involved.

Octavia, the members of the Platinum Swan, Pontera, and Fleur-de-Lis all stood on stage as a pegasus flew over, handing a cord to Octavia. The rope draped over the top of the stage to the massive curtain covering the building behind it.

“The funds of that album were turned into this,” Vinyl finished as Octavia pulled the cord and the curtain fell from the building.

The marble structure practically glowed gold in the setting sun. A massive multistory window took up most of the front of the building. Simple metal braces and lines crossed over the glass and reinforced it, but all of them were strategically placed, and the giant window looked like a page of sheet music.

Bleu swallowed hard, recognizing the song that was displayed by the window.

“I would like to welcome you all to the grand opening of the Platinum School of Music,” Octavia announces to a massive cheer from the crowd.

------------------------------------------------

Journal entry 28,
1-19-6408 AD

This was a horrid mistake. We never should have done it this… this is an abomination.

I must write this down before my wits fully take leave of me as they have the others... even my Golden...

The ritual was completed successfully, though the book did question if any of us had borne the Elements of Harmony before. The artifacts were lost some time ago during the war of Night, so none of us had done so. The book explained there were some side effects to former wielders and urged we progress.

The ritual was performed and finished as it should be, though none of us felt the slightest bit different after it was done.
Chime was the first to test our supposed immortality, drawing his blade and running it across his foreleg. We all watched as the wound rapidly healed itself before our eyes and left no scar or sign there was a wound, save for the blood on his fur.
We rejoiced, taking the Silver Script’s laughter as participation in our merriment.

It was not the case.

Moss was the first one afflicted, as she was the most ill of health out of all of us. Her temper soured and her anger grew. One day, she vanished into the woods, leaving the bodies of two of our number torn apart on the ground. It was a stark proof that our immortality was not what had been promised.

The book itself had stopped talking to us, yet its laughter was still heard. Others vanished into the woods, compelled by the same madness that took Moss. As the months passed, our numbers dwindled, either to the madness or the trolls that had come to stalk the woods. The few unicorns seemed to be resistant to this madness, though even they eventually lost themselves or were killed by the trolls.

My own Golden succumbed to the madness just before the fall of the new year. I spent much of my time comforting her after the horror we were witnessing. One night, she turned, leaning close, as to whisper something in my ear, before she bit it off and attempted to kill me.

I fended her off and before I could stop her, she fled into the woods. All Chime and I could find of her the next morning were her wings and patches of her fur that seemed to have been peeled off.
I wept at discovering the patch that held her cutie mark.

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Velkorn's ear twitched as she looked over the empty room. Zecora and the mass of balloons and deserts that was Pinkie Pie took a few steps back away from the clearly-annoyed zebra.

“Where did Bleu and grumpy-head go, Zecora?” Pinkie asked.

“To be honest, I do not know. This is the first movement I have seen Jer'rahd show,” Zecora mutters.
Both of them winced as Velkorn screamed, clutching her head with her hooves.

[“Auntie?”]

“Though it is clear he is better, I must be quite frank: when I see that fool Kaisur again, I am kicking his flank!” she shouted.

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Journal entry 29,
1-21-6408 AD

Chime was my last companion, and he took his own life yesterday. I plan to do the same; I am the only one left now, and the madness has started to come to me in fits. My ear and the wounds Golden inflicted upon me have healed, though it is not the ear of a pony that adorns my head now, nor are the wounds healing with the flesh and fur that should be my own.

The long, whip-like ear on my head is more akin to a troll’s, as is the flesh that covers my scars. I fear this is what happened to the others. The trolls that harried us are not some random encounter, nor were the Scags in the castle attackers. They were the sea ponies that completed the ritual, just as the ones in the woods outside now are the remains of our expedition.

I... I can barely think straight now. I can no longer even concentrate fully on writing. I am finishing this warning with my hoof
writing as my magic is gone, my horn simply fallen off my head to reveal the sickly troll flesh. I am not sure how much longer I can write. I will not be ending my life as I first expressed, though that would be the proper way. I am giving into the change so
I might still, at least in body, be with my Golden.

My skin feels like it is covered in fleas. So itchy... all I hear is that book’s laughter, though I wish I had the foresight to bury Chime's corpse. The smell of it is making me… rather hungry... even as it rots... it seems so tasty...

Itchy.

Tasty.

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Claymore was pissed, though there was nothing new there; it was becoming a constant state for him.

Due to the bird being on another task, his plans to seek the next book would be delayed for a time. That gave the stripe head more time to try and weasel his way out of work. That thought and the boredom of waiting put him in a foul mood.

He had a new sword, he had a mission, and yet he was still in the process of hurrying up to wait. He thought he got away from that shit when he left the guards, but noooooooooooo. His boredom was not helped by the fact that his latest toy had killed herself several nights ago. He had thought she was properly broken in, but she still saw her own death as a way to escape him. It was clear he had not broken her enough.

Nocturne was too damn skittish after her encounter with Sombra or whatever his name was. She was always cautious, but her reluctance to do anything without looking it over twelve ways was grating. This was a new height of paranoia for the damn mare.

Scarlet was off at Canterlot again with some contact or another. Claymore didn't know who she found, but if they trusted that bitch, they were fools.

Silver Claw was focused on that new protégée of his, and the dragon was never really that good of company to begin with.
The stripe head was buttering up to Nocturne as it was. Stupid racist bastard made himself out to be better than anyone else by the sheer fact he was born with a rock in his forehead and a monochrome coat.

He needed to get out of that hole, and since no one was stopping him, he set out. There was a small town not far from the hideout along the road leading away from Ponyville. A couple of unicorn brothers ran a bar there, Flick and Flame or some such nonsense, he didn't care. The booze was strong and cheap so anything else didn't matter. Maybe he could find a new pet in that place like he did last time.

The faint clack of hooves on the trail ahead of him caught his attention. He paused at the top of the hill, looking down at a
single cloaked figure trotting along the road heading towards Ponyville. The sway of her form and her canter gave him the impression that this was a female.

He considered ignoring her and pressing on to the bar, though he seemed to have a spring in her step that was a sign of confidence and youth. He smiled darkly his scared face scrunching up hideously. He might not have to go to the bar for a bit of fun after all.

He stood in the path watching her approach, either she did not see him as a threat or had not seen him at all, as she continued on as if he was not there .

A swift twist of his body moved his massive blade within reach of his mouth. He whips the blade from his back slamming it down before her blocking her path, the grin on his face widening as she comes to a stop.

“Well, well, what’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here all alone this time of day. Night's coming, mare. You looking to end up in some monsters belly or some ruffian’s bed being out like this?”

“You do not know with whom you speak, knave. Be gone before what good humor is to be had in your antics flees.”

“Seems you don't know who the heck yer messing with, either.” Claymore grinned. This one was haughty; he was already picturing what he would need to do to make her more pliable.

“Thou were warned.” A soft glow appeared under the mare’s hood and both Claymore and his sword were lifted into the air and flung out of the road to crash into some bushes.

A unicorn, of course. He gripped his blade, leaping at her and bringing the massive weapon around with a growl, planning to knock her across the road with the flat of his blade. The weapon clanged loudly, stopping dead and rattling his teeth in his skull to the point he was forced to drop the weapon.

“What the bucking hell?” Claymore growled, looking at the red shield around the mare.

“You do not know when to give up, do you?” the mare laughed, a wide grin crossing her face.

A shield suddenly formed around Claymore, squishing him into a ball. The tiny prison bounced a few times, bludgeoning him about in its confines. He curseedprolifically as the mare lifted his sword with her magic, taking a few test swings. She grinned under her hood, a lock of white hair framing the pale blue fur of her face. She swung the blade, suddenly connecting with the shield and rocketing the globe into the air towards the Everfree Forest like a baseball headed for the bleachers.

“Let that be a lesson to you brigand, one that Twilight Sparkle will learn soon enough. You do not mess with THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!”