//------------------------------// // The Vacation: Day 3 Part 1 // Story: The Overworked Alicorn // by BreakDown //------------------------------// The Vacation Day 3: Twists and Turns... -- Dream Valley, perhaps the most peaceful and wonderful land in all of Ponyland. It is a place where many ponies have gathered in order to enjoy the safety and protection of the wonderful Princess Majesty. It is sunny and warm, with plentiful food and water for every pony. The Pegasi dance and play in the skies above, while the earth-ponies and unicorns gallop in the fields below. And at the very heart of Dream Valley is Majesty's castle. Majesty's castle was not grand, no, it was actually a very simple castle. Four simple stone walls with a tower at each corner, a fifth tower in the center in which Majesty lived, the typical battlements along it's walls and and atop its towers as seen on many castles. The castle had no true door, only a draw bridge which Majesty lowered or raised and a sparse few windows around it. Within this refuge is a small library, and within that small library a magenta colored lizard with a pink underside and triangular green spines sleeps quietly on one of the book shelves, his arms crossed under his chin. "Spike! Spike!" A mare's voice cried and a baby dragon blinked, yawned and looked down from his perch on top of a series of shelves. Leaning over to look down, the baby dragon saw an off white mare with a short unruly red mane and tail, a series of bandages wrapped partially around her left hoof and leg, a quill and inkwell Symbol on her flank, green ribbon tied into a bow at the base of her tail, bright sapphire colored eyes, and a broken horn at the center of her forehead. "Spike get down here!" The mare shouted and the baby dragon stretched for a moment before scurrying down the shelf with practiced ease. "Alright Faust I'm down, what'd I do this time?" The baby dragon asked in a nasally voice, the significantly young Faust fixing a stern look on the baby dragon. The mare then trotted to the side and grasped a book in her mouth, she then brought it over to the baby dragon and dropped it at his claws. "Mind explaining why this book is half burnt?" The unicorn questioned in a strained tone, her eye twitching while Spike took several steps back. "Uh... well I didn't do it on purpose, I just kind of sneezed and..." Before he was forced to finish his explanation, the baby dragon bolted, scurrying away from the mare as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Oh no you don't!" Faust growled and lunged after the baby dragon, galloping out of the library and through the castle. "You won't get away this time you little troublemaker!" Faust cried out as she chased the surprisingly fast Baby Dragon through the castle, although mentally admitted with how often she chased him he was likely getting better at it. "Ha! You'll never catch me!" Spike crowed in response with a determined look in his eyes, speeding through the castle and towards the central tower where Majesty did dwell. Said royal unicorn walked out, her white coat immaculate and violet mane curled perfectly, she spent little to no time on it and yet somehow it always looked perfect. The royal mare idly read a scroll before she glanced from the corner of her eye and smiled upon seeing Faust and Spike. "Good Morning Spike." Majesty said pleasantly to her "Pet", sitting down as the baby dragon passed her by. The magenta dragon turned on his claw for only a moment to grin at his mistress. "Morning Majesty!" He cried, then turned back around and ran off through the castle, Faust hot on his tail. "Good morning my faithful student." Majesty offered cheerfully as Faust passed her as well, the off-white mare stopping and bowing her head to Majesty. "Good morning Majesty. Now if you'll pardon me, I have an unruly lizard to catch." Faust growled and galloped after the baby dragon, Majesty raising a hoof to attempt to hide her giggles as her "Pet" lead her Most Faithful Student on a merry chase through the castle. Smiling cheerfully, the mare went on her way, still reading the scroll which was simply a request for an audience from Sparkler, who was still insisting on making her a crown... Meanwhile Spike looked behind him to check if Faust was still following him, the baby-dragon grinned when he thought he'd escaped her wrath, only to gasp upon seeing her come around the corner. "Feet don't fail me now!" He cried and lunged off towards the kitchen. Within the kitchen, a certain pink Earth-Pony with a dark pink candy colored mane and tail was preparing a rather delicious looking cake, a series of pale flakes colored her flanks and a purple ribbon tied into a bow around the base of her tail, her purple eyes sparkled as she beheld the sweet snack and she licked her lips and opened her mouth to take a bite of her cake. However before she could enjoy her treat a certain Baby Dragon hopped onto the long table and somehow slid through her cake. "Sorry Cotton Candy!" Spike cried out while the pink mare sat there silently, tears practically welling in her eyes at the loss of her treat. A moment later Faust passed her, only to stop and then wince when she saw the look on Cotton Candy's face, not to mention the mess left in Spike's wake. "Uh... don't worry Cotton Candy, I'll catch Spike and make him clean this up, okay?" Faust offered and yet the other mare was silent, the unicorn silently backing away. "Er right, well I better get off then, heh heh..." Faust mused aloud and then quickly rushed off after Spike, leaving the shell shocked mare behind. Faust narrowed her eyes and steeled her resolve to catch the trouble making lizard. Keeping her eyes open for any sign of the lizard, Faust growled when she saw a scaly tail make it's way out of the castle. "Oh no you don't!" She growled and galloped out across the draw bridge in hot pursuit of the troublesome lizard. Across the bridge an orange pony with a messy blond mane and tail stood on a stool and trying to reach the last apple in a tree. She stretched upwards and tried to bite into it, however Spike scurried passed the mare, his tail accidentally knocking into her stool and causing her to loose her balance as she often did. A moment before she would've tumbled to the ground, the mare fell on top of Faust, knocking the wind out of the mare as she hit the ground with an oomph. "Well golly, that sure was a lucky save, thanks Faust!" Applejack offered the off-white mare with a bright smile, Faust letting out a groan and looking up to her orange friend. "No problem Jackie... but could you please get off my back!" Faust demanded and Applejack chuckled nervously and started to get off of the younger mare. "Ow! Watch the Horse Shoes!" Faust shouted and the apple-mare shot off of Faust's back and looked at the other mare sheepishly. Releasing a breath Faust rose back to her hooves and stretched for a moment before looking around for Spike. "Great, I'd love to stay and chat Jackie, but I have a pesky lizard to catch!" Faust stated and then shot off, Applejack scratching her head and shrugging as she left. Faust continued after Spike, and eventually saw the Baby Dragon panting and half leaning into a nearby tree. Grinning widely, Faust lunged after the tiny terror. "... k out below!" A voice came a moment before a magenta Pegasus mare rammed into Faust from the air and both were sent tumbling to the ground. Releasing a groan of pain Faust glanced up and found her friend Fire-Fly on top of her. "Really Fire-Fly, couldn't you wait like five more seconds before crashing into me?" Faust asked the mare irritably, and growled when she saw Spike scampering off. "Uh sorry, I was working on my Double Inside Out Loop again. I want to be able to do it whenever I want instead of just when you guys are in trouble." Fire-Fly admitted sheepishly and helped the off-white mare to her feet and glanced up to her broken horn. "I uh... I didn't break anything did I?" Fire-Fly questioned worriedly, while she knew Faust's horn had long been broken, she was worried about hurting her even more. "No, I should be fine." The off-white mare replied while brushing herself off, then glanced to the side as a green Pegasus mare landed beside them. The mare was mint green with a darker curly green mane and tail, dark green musical notes for her Symbol, and minty colored eyes with a dark green ribbon tied around the base of her tail. "Oh dear, are you two alright?" Medley questioned of the two in concern, Fire-Fly waving it off while Faust got back to her hooves, again, and brushed herself off, again. "Pfft, we're fine." Fire-Fly assured and Faust nodded her head and then glared in the direction Spike had scampered off. "Sure, now if you'll excuse me I have a certain mischievous Baby Dragon to catch..." Faust stated and lunged off, Fire-Fly and Medley looking to one another for a moment before flying back into the air. Faust on the other hand continued after Spike, the baby dragon clearly slowing down from exhaustion. "Ha! You may be spry, but I've got you beat in endurance!" Faust noted aloud with a grin, then looked to her side to see a white unicorn mare with a shooting star Symbol, her mane and tail a mixture of blue and light blue, a purple bow around the base of her tail and roller-skates on her hooves. "Hi Faust." The mare stated while leisurely skating beside of the mare, Faust giving a slight smile in response. "Good morning Glory, what brings you out here?" Faust questioned of the other mare and Glory shrugged while turning on her hooves and rolling backwards. "Not much, just out for a little fun around the castle." Glory replied honestly and then turned on her hooves and rolled off into the distance. "See you later!" Glory cried out as she skated towards a cliff and rolled up it's length and nearly flew into the air. Shaking her head Faust turned away from the other mare and focused on catching Spike, the baby dragon slowing down. Spike let out several panting breaths as he tried to push forward, only for Faust to leap forward and wrap her forelegs around the baby-dragon's torso. "Ha! I gotcha this time buster!" Faust happily crowed while Spike tried desperately to pull free. "Wait no! Let me go!" Spike shouted and flailed futilely in the mare's grasp. "Oh no, you are in so much trouble! Not only are you going to apologize to Cotton Candy, but you're making her a new cake, and after that you're helping me re-shelve the library, and after that..." Faust shouted at the baby dragon who slumped in her arms, pouting childishly in her grasp... -- Faust yawned as she walked down the stairs of Rarity's home and place of work. The dream of her younger days still on her mind as she remembered the past a bit more. She still had to wonder what it was about Ponyville that seemed to bring out so many old memories. Yet she couldn't help but reflect on how similar, yet equally dissimilar things were. She had yet to put her disguise back on, mostly because she got better sleep when she wasn't using her magic. Keeping a transformation spell like that going for a full day wasn't exactly straining, but it did leave her with quite the headache. The off-white mare trotted into the boutique's kitchen and winced when she saw Rarity nursing a cup of coffee, her mane a mess. Faust silently entered, Rarity glanced her way for only a moment, before quickly returning her gaze to her steaming mug. The Alicorn Archivist mentally groaned and used her magic to check the mare's shelves. "Third cabinet to the right..." Rarity mumbled and Faust offered her a grateful smile, before pulling a mug from the preferred cabinet and trotted over to the coffee pot and made sure there was still some left. The mare then poured herself a cup and gathered a little sugar for it, it was too bitter black, and sat down at the table in front of Rarity. The said Fashinista silently watched her for several moments, briefly opening her mouth as if to say something, but closed her mouth a moment later and shifted in her seat. Faust on the other hand shifted on the cushion for a moment, inwardly thinking it was just a tad too small to be comfortable. However she also glanced down and wondered if the mass of sweets she'd had with Pinkie might've exasperated her weight gain a bit. Faust shook her head of such thoughts and glanced back at Rarity to see her looking at her, only to look away when she was noticed. The off-white alicorn let out a sigh at this and brought her hooves up to rub the sides of her face and then took a sip of her coffee. She couldn't help but think it was far too early for her to deal with this, she'd need a lot more coffee before she would be able to really deal with this. Explaining to a known gossip that she was an ages old alicorn from a time forgotten was going to be hectic... "So, how should we start this?" Faust finally questioned of Rarity and the unicorn shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "S-Start what dear?" Rarity questioned nervously and Faust groaned and took a sip of her coffee. It was clearly going to be one of those days. "My explaining to you what's going on." Faust replied and Rarity made a slight noise of acknowledgement and then returned to staring into her mug of coffee. "I-I'm not sure. Thankfully Sweetie-Bell is with our parents today or I'd worry about her barging in unexpectedly." The white mare replied and shifted her hooves over the mug. The mention of Sweetie-Bell got a smile from Faust as she idly remembered similar fillies from when she was actually young. "Let me guess, she's adorable but always seems to get into trouble?" Faust questioned and Rarity rolled her eyes and nodded her head. "Oh you have no idea darling, and I honestly have to wonder where all that sap keeps coming from." Rarity replied and Faust chuckled and took a sip of her coffee. "Actually, Luna was the same way when she was little. I swear, when she wasn't trying to find her Symbol... err, Cutie-Mark, she was off on make believe adventures, there was this one time she actually took one of my books and used it as a saddle, took one of my maps and made it into a little "Cartographers Hat" and went out exploring. It took me weeks to get all the mud and grime off of her when she was finally done with her adventure." The off-white alicorn noted and Rarity snorted and tried desperately to hold in her laughter. "Oh dear, Luna was really like that then, you aren't just making it up?" Rarity questioned and Faust rolled her eyes. "I wish, and Celestia wasn't much better when she was a filly. I swear she actually looked for a spell that would show her what her Symbol... err, Cutie-Mark would be." Faust admitted with a shake of her head and Rarity giggled quietly and tried to imagine the almighty god-empress of Equestria looking like an adorable filly looking for her cutie-mark... "Oh dear, did she actually manage it?" Rarity questioned with a smile and Faust snorted and giggled. "No, she just turned herself pink for a few weeks." Faust admitted and both mares fell into a fit of laughter imagining Celestia after she turned herself pink. "Oh, and Luna was so loving it, she even called her "Pinklestia" for another month after it happened." Faust stated and Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth as she snickered to herself. Even she could admit that the sight of Celestia turning pink would be absolutely hilarious, especially if she was full grown. It was cute if she was a filly, maybe a little amusing, but an adult Celestia being turned pink would absolutely slay her. "Then there was the time the girls tried to get me a colt friend..." Faust noted and shook her head with a grimace. "Let's just say there's a reason I don't go looking for a husband and leave it at that." The off-white mare noted with a shudder and Rarity giggled to herself again and smiled to the older mare. "I must admit miss Faust, you really aren't what I'd expect of Celestia's mother." Rarity noted and Faust rolled her eyes. "Really, then so what did you expect?" Faust questioned with a raised brow and Rarity chuckled nervously. "Well... I actually don't know. I never really gave any thought to the princesses even having a mother." Rarity admitted and Faust chuckled in her throat and took another sip of her coffee. The fashion pony then looked away from the mare and glanced at a clock worriedly. "You know Darling, perhaps you should put your disguise back on. Much as I like speaking with the mother of Celestia, should some pony come by unexpectedly we might have a few, err... problems." Rarity noted with a grimace and Faust idly nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah." The older mare agreed and got back onto her hooves, Rarity following her lead. "So do you have a mirror I can borrow? Visualization really helps with this spell." Faust questioned and Rarity nodded her head and led the older mare into her into the main room of her boutique. Walking over to a full length mirror, Rarity was only slightly surprised that Faust was a bit too tall for it. "Oh dear, you certainly are much bigger than most ponies." Rarity noted and Faust nodded and then concentrated on her spell, her horn glowing bright crimson red. A moment later their was a flash and she was small again, however resembled Fluer-de-Lis... "Seriously! Ugh, why does it always take me so long to get this spell right?" The off-white mare demanded of no pony while Rarity silently watched her. With another flash, Faust was small and her body closer to an average ponies, her horn and wings were also sized proportionally with her smaller frame. "Ah, much better." Faust stated with a nod, then rolled the sleeves of her green sweater up and rubbed her chin. "Maybe I should do something with my mane?" She wondered and with a sudden flash her mane changed to be curly, Rarity's jaw practically dropping as she watched with wide eyes. "No, I got enough of that ages ago." Faust noted with a shake of her head and with yet another flash her mane and tail were short and unruly, much like they were in her younger days. The off-white mare idly raised a hoof to her mane and frowned for a moment before shaking her head. "It's been a while since I've used this style, but no..." She stated and with a flash her mane was back to being straight yet a little messy. "Eh, why mess with a good look?" Faust mused with a smile and then looked to a shocked Rarity. "Th-There's actually a spell for styling your mane?" Rarity asked in both awe and utter disbelief and Faust nodded her head with a smirk. "Yeah, I helped Princess Majesty develop it. She was never one to take her time and brush out her mane every day, so instead we came up with a spell for it. She used it every morning and her mane was always immaculate, though how she always kept her coat so clean when she was stark white, I'll never know." Faust replied while running a hoof through her mane, and then grinned at Rarity. "So Rarity, how about I teach you the spell and you keep me being an Alicorn a secret?" Faust questioned and took a step back when the fashion pony nodded her head with a wide grin. "Oh yes yes yes yes yes!" She declared happily while bouncing around the older mare in pure joy. However, Rarity quickly came to her senses and blushed and looked away from the older mare when she realized how she'd just behaved. "Err, what I meant to say was, yes, I would very much love to learn such a spell." Rarity said with a slight bow of her head then looked away from the off-white mare. "Oh, and do excuse my earlier reaction darling. I honestly don't know what came over me." The unicorn pleaded and Faust giggled and nodded her head. "No Problem Rarity, now then, this spell is fairly simple to use and to learn, but pay attention, last pony who got it wrong ended up setting their mane on fire. Although admittedly it was only a cosmetic change, it did look pretty cool though." Faust began to explain with a shake of her head, idly remembering that pony... who strangely enough kept her mane on fire and was happy with it afterwards. She would honestly never understand some ponies. -- Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria galloped through the tower like a pony possessed. The amount of distress on the mare's face was clear as she slid at a corner and bolted down the next hall. "Where is it, where is it!" The princess demanded as she tried desperately to locate the "Golden Door" she and Luna had discovered earlier. She turned at another corner and ran down another hall, only to slide to a halt and gape. Where the door should be, she found only a normal door instead. "What!?" She demanded with disbelief in her tone, then turned and bolted down the corridor, only to ram into Luna, the smaller princess crumbling beneath the weight of her older sister. The two were locked together for a few moments before struggling and trying to pull free. "Tia get off!" Luna growled while trying to kick her sister off of her person, Celestia letting out an unladylike grunt as she rolled off of the younger princess and looked all around. "Honestly Tia, thou needs to..." Luna started only to groan and shake her head, idly tapping a hoof to the side of her skull and shifting her eyes back onto her sister. "You really need to limit your cake intake." The younger alicorn stated and Celestia idly nodded her head and then looked around with a very worried expression. "Luna, have you noticed that the halls in the tower have changed?" Celestia questioned of her sister worriedly and the lunar princess idly glanced around before nodding her head. "Aye, we... I noticed it a short while ago. It seems mother's tower is a bit more playful than you give it credit for." Luna noted and Celestia rolled her eyes before looking around urgently. "I know, but it doesn't make any sense that a door like that would just move!" Celestia exclaimed and her sister clicked her tongue and glanced around. "Actually it makes perfect sense. The halls of the tower change so that intruders cannot find their way through it." Luna mused and Celestia stopped to consider that possibility. "And if that be the case then it would also stand to reason that as the tower's one true mistress, only Mother is able to properly navigate it." Luna added while Celestia was lost in her thoughts when a sudden realization hit her. She widened her eyes as she realized that not only would that be a good way to protect the tower, but also. "It could keep anything inside the tower futilely searching for an exit forever!" Celestia shouted with her eyes darting in all directions as if to spot something that was watching her, her entire body shaking like a leaf. Luna blinked for a moment and then reached to her sisters side to gently pat a hoof against her side. "It will be fine Tia, I'm certain that Mother's tower would not wish to hold us here. And even if we don't find a way out, certainly some pony will notice we are gone by now." Luna reminded the solar princess and Celestia inhaled several deep breaths as she tried to calm down. But unfortunately the ever present feeling of being trapped had become all too much for the solar princess to bare. She hated being trapped in small places, she'd always hated it, thanks in part to her foalishness when she was just a filly. She had been playing with one of Faust's chests for the sake of amusement, turning it into a makeshift boat or something. Her memory of the event was a bit hazy, but she knew that she'd been trying to entertain herself while Faust had been caring for Luna, foals needed more attention is what Faust had said at the time. Regardless, she did remember that she had caused the chest to shut on herself and she'd been trapped inside of it for several hours before Faust had finally found and released her. "L-Luna, think about it. If the t-tower changes itself to keep p-ponies trapped. Then the r-reason we have yet to find a way out, is because The Tower itself isn't letting us find one!" Celestia stated while continuing to look all around, now almost entirely certain the Tower itself was somehow watching them. Taking a moment to glance around herself, Luna shivered at the distinct feeling that the Tower actually might be watching them before looking back to her panicking sister. "I understand that Tia, but if we don't find that Door who knows what could happen!" Luna reminded and Celestia bit her lip and nodded her head in agreement. As much as the idea of The Tower keeping her trapped terrified her, the idea of an evil dragon escaping The Golden Door and destroying Faust's tower was far more frightening. While she wasn't as adamant that Faust was their mother as Luna, she was just as terrified of the mare being disappointed in her. "Right... then let's go and find that door." Celestia stated and Luna nodded her head in agreement with her sister as they both trotted into the depths of the tower. The halls now clearly changed with each turn they made, Celestia growing more and more nervous the further they went. The sisters soon found their way to a staircase that lead further down into the tower, both princesses looked down into it before looking back to one another. "This doesn't seem all that safe." Celestia noted and Luna quietly nodded her head in agreement with the solar princess. "Perhaps not, but we must locate the door so that nothing more gains it's freedom." Luna replied and Celestia released a sigh before trotting down the stairs with Luna following behind her. The two glanced to either side and noticed that torches had been inset a ways into the ground, lighting the way down without blinding them. "I wonder who designed this tower, the architecture is really quite impressive." Luna noted aloud, more for the sake of distracting her sister from the idea that she was trapped than anything else. "True, but I'd say that its likely as old as Faust so I would suggest asking her about it." Celestia urged while keeping her eyes trained forward so that she didn't trip and fall. "Why do you insist on calling her that? She raised us Tia!" Luna reminded the older alicorn and Celestia took in a breath and then exhaled. "She raised you, I wasn't a foal when she found me." Celestia retorted and the lunar princess snorted and glared at her older sister. "You may not have been a foal but you were still too young to care for yourself." Luna reminded the older mare bluntly and Celestia visibly winced and wilted. "Yes, I know..." Celestia replied and took a deep breath through her nose. "Is there something you wish to tell me sister?" Luna questioned of the older alicorn and Celestia shook her head. "It's nothing Luna..." Celestia replied and the younger sister resisted the urge to growl and shake her sister. She loved Celestia dearly, but she really wished that she would just talk to her about her problems. "If thou insist, sister." Luna replied in the old tongue, a frown marring her features while Celestia silently trudged down the stairs further and further. Keeping her eyes open the lunar alicorn eventually noticed that the stairs would loop around every now and again as they went down. "Sister, have you noticed that this stairway is far too long?" Luna questioned seriously and Celestia shook her head as they continued down yet another loop of stairs. "The Tower is probably having more fun at our expense." Celestia mumbled with a frown, then glanced around in an attempt to find out just how The Tower was watching them. "I'm starting to realize that it's just as childish as you earlier assumed." The Solar Alicorn replied with a frown, and Luna couldn't help but agree with her sisters assessment of The Tower. It seemed that while it was born of magic, it had taken very little from their mother in terms of personality, and instead acted a bit more like Discord for some reason. "Perhaps Discord has had something to do with how The Tower is acting." Luna suggested while looking around as they went further and further down into the depths of the tower. Celestia merely made a slight sound of acknowledgement, although glanced at the walls every now and then with a shiver. The halls in the upper portion of the tower were quite spacious, and while the stairway was far from tiny, it was still a far cry from being as open as she would have liked. The downward spiral eventually came to an end, Celestia slowly trotted out onto a cold stone floor and looked around with narrowed eyes. The room she walked into was dark and cold for only a moment before large fire pits were suddenly lit and illuminated everything. "Oh my..." Celestia whispered seeing what looked like a suit of iron and brass armor split into just under a dozen pieces and left chained to multiple stands around them. The armor was clearly ancient and had been made in the old style of guard armor. Unlike current age armor which was more for appearances, this armor was designed to maximize protection both physical and magical. It had Iron "Gauntlets" which would nearly encase the forelimbs, Iron "Greaves" which would almost totally cover the hind limbs with Brass knee guards, a Iron / Brass Helmet with a false horn that left only the eyes visible, a large Brass chest-plate with a Brass Gorget at the neck, Wing-Guards that were made from Brass and Iron, a tail-plate that was equal parts brass and iron, and the "Saddle" portion of the armor for the back and hind quarters of the wearer which was almost entirely made from iron. "An Iron suit of armor..." Celestia whispered quietly, the armor surprising her greatly since her mother was never the violent type, and it had a Symbol on it's flank. The older alicorn walked further into the room and approached the armor, a frown crossing her features as she looked it over. It was a Brass Flame at the "Flank" portion of the Greaves, an Omega cut out of it. "That seems so familiar." Celestia noted to herself and trotted over to the Gauntlets / Greaves and found Brass Horse-Shoes covered the bottom of the armor. "Sweet moon above, what is all this then?" Luna demanded as she trotted into the room as well, and Celestia hummed lightly while rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Brass and Iron had only been used in Early Equestian times, back when they had first taken rule and more than a few unicorns wanted them dead. The Iron armor's nullification of magical attacks had been used by their guard to great effect, although only the most hearty of ponies could possibly wear it. "I'm not sure, I know this is one of our old Guard Armors, but I haven't seen one made from Iron in centuries." Celestia replied distractedly and then glanced at the stands and chains the armor was bound to. Her eyes narrowed on the chains suspiciously and a quick scan confirmed her suspicions. The chains were enchanted to absorb magic, the stands were enchanted to bind magic, and over all it was clear that Faust hadn't wanted this armor getting loose... but for what purpose it was held, that was any pony's idea. "Tia, is it just me or does this armor seem really familiar?" Luna questioned, breaking the older sister from her musings, while the Lunar Alicorn looked at the brass chest-plate. She idly tapped the omega symbol on it for a moment, and took a step back when there was a sudden surge of power from her hoof into the chest plate. The Lunar-Alicorn narrowed her eyes, a worrying sense of familiarity as the Omega began to glow a deep crimson for a moment. The crimson glow did not last however, as the chains seemed to sap the strength from the chest plate, pulling the power out of it and causing it to dull. "I've actually noticed that as well, and it also seems as if Faust didn't want this particular suit of armor to escape." Celestia noted aloud, while Luna looked away from the chest plate and marched over to the armor's helmet with a scowl. "She actually has more enchantments on it than I've ever seen before, I see magical absorption charms, magical entrapment charms, more binding charms than I can count, more than a few disruption charms." The solar alicorn noted aloud as she continued examining the armor, idly trotting around the room to do so. Luna on the other hoof found the helmet, and her eyes narrowed in recognition. She knew this armor quite well, after all, she and Celestia had had it commissioned for their captain of the guard in ages passed. Unfortunately that was before a certain Earth-Pony with delusions of grandeur had come around. "Tia, I suggest that you come look at this." The lunar alicorn urged and her older sister looked to her with concern. "Is something the matter Luna?" The solar alicorn questioned and Luna nodded her head gravely, eyes narrowed onto the helmet dangerously. "It's War-Helm." She stated darkly, Celestia's eyes widening before a stern look crossed her face. "Ah, well now that would certainly explain all the chains and charms then." Celestia admitted, before trotting over to stand next to Luna and look at the empty helmet. The Solar Princess Narrowed her eyes and glared into the empty eye-holes of his helm for a moment, before taking notice that his armor looked much as it had when last they met. "He hasn't changed much since we last saw him." Celestia noted with a smirk and Luna snorted derisively. "Hardly Tia, when last we saw him he was still whole and setting fire to our subjects homes for little more than amusement." Luna replied with a scowl, Celestia glaring at the helmet again at the reminder of the pony's crimes. However both sisters suddenly jumped back as a pair of crimson red eyes briefly flashed within the depths of the helm. "Sweet merciful sun! He's still alive!" The lunar alicorn cried in shock, while Celesita snorted and brought a wing over her sister's back. "Calm yourself Luna, War-Helm hasn't really been what I would call "alive" since he possessed that suit of armor in ages passed." Celestia reminded her sister pointedly, however that did little to calm down the lunar princess. "What part of the fact that an undead, potentially immortal, pony wants us both dead supposed to make me feel better?" Luna questioned of her sister bluntly, the solar alicorn chuckling nervously when she realized her sister had a point. As much as she hated admitting it, having an undead spirit possessing a suit of iron armor was probably the worst part about War-Helm. He was very near impossible to stop, his ancient rampages having literally been the stuff of legends and had earned him the name "The Black Pony Knight". In fact, now Celesita really wished she knew just how Faust managed to subdue the psychotic spirit in the first place. "Well in any case, at least in this sorry state he's found himself in, he can hardly be counted as a threat." Celestia offered, Luna snorting for a moment than idly nodding her head in agreement with the older alicorn. She considered War-Helm a threat even in this sorry state, insane or not, War-Helm had always been a force to be reckoned with. If not for the iron armor that made up his body, then for the fact that he was practically immortal in his current state. "Tia, I suggest we touch nothing more and return to our search for The Golden Door. Lets allow War-Helm to continue to exist in this sorry state, I have no desire to see him released." Luna stated bluntly, and Celestia sighed but agreed with the younger alicorn, both making their way back to the stairs and leaving the suit of armor behind. Yet as they left, a pair of glowing red draconic eyes opened within the helmet before narrowing dangerously on the retreating alicorns. The individual pieces of armor moved for only a moment before falling still, and the eyes closed with a strangled cry of fury echoing within the helmet... -- In her own personal opinion, Twilight had waited more than long enough, more than a day had passed and still Celestia had yet to respond to her letter. She was beside herself with worry for her teacher, and greatly concerned with the mare named Faust who several of her friends had met thus far. And with that thought in mind, the lavender unicorn with purple dragon in tow marched to Rarity's with a stern frown on her face. Approaching the boutique the mare calmed herself, not wanting to come off as too forceful or suspicious when she met the mare. Knocking on the door, Twilight awaited her friend Rarity to answer with Spike rolling on his heels at her side. Glancing to the baby dragon, Twilight gave him a look and her calmed down and stood still. Turning back to the door as it opened, Twilight was surprised to see a white mare in a green sweater with a straight red mane instead of her friend. "Umm... hi." Twilight offered with a raised hoof and the mare smiled pleasantly and waved a hoof. "Oh hello, you must be Twilight Sparkle. Nice to finally meet you." Faust offered pleasantly and Twilight frowned for only a moment before offering a slight smile of her own. "Hello, and yes, I am Twilight Sparkle. I take it you're Faust then?" Twilight questioned and the off-white mare nodded her head before glancing down at Spike. She was silent for a moment, her eyes cloudy like she was lost in thought before shaking her head. The off-white mare then smirked and leaned down to meet Spike face to face, the baby dragon raising a brow as he looked at the mare. "And who might this little fellow be?" Faust questioned while looking up at Twilight, the lavender unicorn rolling her eyes and patting the baby dragon on his head. "This is my number one assistant, Spike." Twilight stated plainly and only just saw the wince on the face of the off-white mare. "I see, well he certainly is a cute little guy." Faust noted quietly and rose back to her hooves to step aside. "Please come on in, I was actually trying to show Rarity a spell." Faust offered and Twilight calmly walked inside, Spike following behind her. Faust's eyes were drawn to the baby dragon and she couldn't help but notice some of the scales on his back looked a bit odd. Ignoring that Faust closed the door to the boutique behind Twilight and Spike and trotted into the main room where Rarity was greeting her friends. "Oh why hello Twilight! And Spikey-Wikey too. How are you doing darlings?" Rarity questioned from a cushion and Twilight glanced to Faust to see her calmly trotting over to a cushion to have a seat as well. "I'm fine Rarity." Twilight replied and took a seat on a nearby cushion while Spike zipped over to Rarity with a wide grin. "Yeah, everything's A-Ok back at the Library, we just figured we could visit." Spike supplied and Twilight nodded her head in affirmation, still taking a few quick glances at Faust. "Oh I see, well that certain is nice darling, I was actually learning an interesting spell from Miss Faust here." Rarity stated while nodding to the off-white mare who simply nodded her head. "Did you know there's actually a way to style your mane with magic?" Rarity questioned and Twilight raised a brow and glanced back at the off-white mare. "Isn't that kind of a waste of magical power?" Twilight noted plainly and Faust scoffed and waved her off. "Pointless maybe, but for mare's who really don't have time to brush and brush and brush it can make all the difference." Faust stated with a nod of her head and Twilight seemed less than pleased while Spike looked back to Rarity. "So you want to learn the spell so you wont have to take as much time to style you mane?" Spike questioned and Rarity clicked her tongue for a moment. "Well not exactly, I suppose I could but it would also be helpful if I ever wanted to style some-pony else's mane." Rarity replied and then let out a sigh. "Unfortunately the spell is a bit more complicated than Faust suggested, but then again I suppose for a mare with a lot of time to read and learn it wouldn't seem too complicated." Rarity noted while shooting Faust a look, the off-white mare merely shrugging her shoulders. "In my defense, I did warn you that the worst case of that spell going wrong had a mare turning her mane and tail into living fire." Faust pointed out and Rarity nodded her head, Twilight looked more than a little disturbed, and Spike tapped his chin in thought. "So basically they looked like Twilight when she gets really mad?" The baby dragon questioned, much to Twilight's embaressment, and Rarity and Faust's amusement. "Ugh, Spike! Don't say that!" Twilight grumbled while covering her face with a forelimb as Rarity and Faust snickered quietly. "Oh I know dear. Hopefully I'll be able to get it mastered sooner or later." Rarity mused to herself before frowning and looking at Faust questioningly. "Though I have to ask if it always seems to randomly jump between styles?" Rarity questioned of the off-white mare and Faust shook her head. "Not always, if you just use it to look for a style it'll jump between like fifty of them until you know what you want." Faust replied honestly and Rarity nodded her head in understanding. Twilight on the other hoof stared at Faust and Rarity, but couldn't see anything strange about either mare. "Ah, so then it's like narrowing down your choices until you know which one you want?" Rarity suggested and Faust nodded her head, Twilight idly paying attention and inwardly admitting it might be nice to not have to brush her mane in the morning to be rid of her usual bed mane. "Pretty much. There was this one time I ended up with a dozen different styles for my mane before I just put it back like this." Faust stated while raising a hoof to her straight, albeit slightly messy, mane. Rarity giggled slightly and smiled to the older mare, before looking to Twilight. "Oh dear me, I'm sorry Twilight, did you have anything you wanted to talk to me about?" Rarity questioned and Twilight grinned nervously and shook her head. "Actually no, Pinkie just mentioned a new pony was in town and I was surprised she hasn't had a party yet." Twilight replied and Rarity nodded her head in understanding. "I must admit that is a bit odd, why is it that Pinkie hasn't thrown you a party yet miss Faust?" Rarity questioned of the older mare curiously, then tapped at her chin. "After all, she seemed awfully taken with you yesterday." Rarity noted and Faust nodded her head and smiled. "I convinced her to throw me a "Slumber Party" the other night since it was too late for her to throw me a proper party. And yesterday morning we were baking a bunch of sweets..." Faust noted aloud which Twilight assumed had something to do with The Cake's recent surplus. "And after that we went to the spa for most of the evening, and I came by Rarity's for a dress fitting after that." The in-disguise Alicorn continued and then smiled cheerfully. "So I guess she just hasn't had time to throw me one is all." The off-white mare mused with a shrug of her shoulders and Twilight hummed quietly to herself. "Given how Pinkie throws parties so ponies will meet new friends, you should probably expect her to throw you one tonight." The lavender unicorn mused aloud and Faust nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I guessed as much." Faust admitted and then glanced at a nearby clock, got up and looked to Rarity with a sigh. "Well in any case, it's been fun Rarity but I probably shouldn't take up anymore of your time." The off-white mare mused and then grinned. "But I hope I'll get to spend some more time with you latter, last night was surprisingly fun." Faust told the white unicorn with a smile and Rarity chuckled and nodded her head. "Certainly darling, I always have time for friends." Rarity assured and the off-white mare trotted off, Twilight narrowing her eyes for a moment before getting up as well. "Miss Faust, would you mind a bit of company?" Twilight questioned of the mare quickly and Faust glanced back and her with a raised brow. "I know you're new to Ponyville, and while Pinkie is excellent at welcoming new ponies perhaps you wouldn't mind a tour with some pony who isn't so... random." The lavender unicorn offered with a pleasant smile while hoping that the mare wouldn't think it odd that she was offering. Faust considered Twilight's offer for a moment, and while she was curious about Celestia's student on a personal level, she glanced at Spike with a bit of concern. "While I would love to have you tag along Twilight, I have to ask what you'd want to do about Spike?" Faust questioned and the lavender mare looked to the older mare with a confused expression. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked and the off-white alicorn in disguise let out a sigh and smiled kindly. "I'm just saying that I don't think it's such a good idea for a Baby Dragon to try and keep up with us. After all, they aren't exactly known for their stamina until they get bigger." Faust explained and Twilight made an oh with her mouth, although was very surprised that Faust knew anything about Baby Dragons as such information was exceedingly rare in Equestria. 'There's yet another sign that she's not all that she seems and knows way too much to be normal.' The lavender Unicorn thought to herself while turning to Rarity. "Rarity, do you think that you can take care of spike while I'm out with Miss Faust?" Twilight asked her fashionista friend and the white unicorn waved a hoof with a smile. "Certainly darling, I'm always happy to have Spikey-Wikey over to help." Rarity replied while bringing a joyful baby dragon into a tight hug. Rolling her eyes Twilight looked to Spike with a decidedly amused smirk as the baby dragon nearly melted into the hug from his "secret" crush. "So Spike, would you mind staying with Rarity for a while?" Twilight questioned while already knowing the answer as the baby dragon grinned widely. "You'll get no complaints from me, Twilight!" The baby dragon replied happily and the lavender mare rolled her eyes and looked back to Faust. "There you go, Spike's all taken care of." Twilight stated and Faust nodded her head in agreement. "Well alright then, I was actually just going to look around town for a bit." The off-white mare noted and smiled to Twilight cheerfully. "But if you really want to tag along I wont stop you." The off-white mare noted while making her way out of the Boutique with Twilight following after her and leaving Spike and Rarity behind. Closing the boutique's door behind her, Twilight took a moment to scrutinize Faust a bit more properly in the light of the sun. 'Hmmm... she's a bit tall and slender for a normal pony, she has wings and a horn but I've yet to see her use any magic, although Applejack, Pinkie-Pie, and Rarity have suggested she can use magic anyways so she's probably just a winged uniocorn. She's also supposed to be moderately powerful, although I don't know to what extent exactly.' Twilight thought to herself while following behind the off-white mare and then blinked when Faust turned to look at her. "So Twilight, your Sym... I mean Cutie-Mark is for Magic isn't it?" Faust questioned curiously, Twilight narrowing her eyes and frowning at the new slip. 'She has noticeable stress lines under her eyes, clearly she is tired and I suppose her being on vacation is credible. But she was about to say Symbol just now, but Ponies haven't called Cutie-Mark's Symbols since The Pre-Classical Era.' Twilight noted inwardly but smiled to the off-white mare and nodded her head. "Yeah, it's actually why Princess Celestia accepted me as her personal student." Twilight replied proudly, and watched the off-white mare as she smiled brightly. "Makes sense, I can't think of any pony better to teach a mare with a special talent like yours." Faust stated cheerfully and Twilight smiled awkwardly at the praise. 'Is she just trying to get on my good side or something?' The lavender unicorn wondered before noticing the Cutie-Mark on Faust's flank. "So if you don't mind my asking Miss Faust, what's your cutie-mark stand for?" The lavender unicorn questioned and Faust glanced back at her flank and smiled to the younger mare. "It's for writing, or as some of my friends used to tell me "Creativity"." Faust replied and Twilight idly nodded her head, but frowned internally as that seemed perfectly reasonable. "So I've heard from Pinkie that you're an Archivist." Twilight noted aloud and the off-white mare nodded her head. "Yeah, I've been doing it for what almost feels like forever." Faust replied cheerfully and Twilight nodded her head. "Well I'm not just Princess Celestia's personal student, I'm also the Ponyville Librarian." The lavender unicorn stated quote proudly and Faust giggled. "Well from an Archivist to a Librarian, I hope that you have a way to make sure books aren't burned away. Spike is a Baby Dragon now, but as they get older their fire breath can get a little sporadic." Faust noted and Twilight blinked and then stared at the off-white mare with a frown. "How do you know that? Baby Dragons aren't exactly common in Equestria." Twilight noted plainly, her eyes narrowed on the off-white mare as she chuckled nervously. Faust had actually forgotten about that bit, she'd only wanted to help Twilight prevent some of the situations she remembered from her own days with Majesty's "Pet" baby Dragon Spike. The off-white Alicorn in disguise thought quickly however and came up with a reasonable enough explanation. "I know, but it's really just logic when you think about it, most Dragon's breath fire and so could potentially do so at almost any time." Faust replied calmly and Twilight inclined her head, giving the off-white mare that much at least. "Personally, I'd suggest simply marking the books with a Burn-Away Charm and then linking it to their place on the shelves." Faust suggested and Twilight frowned and considered the idea. She knew of The Burn-Away Charm, which Celestia used for the notes she and Spike sent back and forth, but she'd never really considered it for uses beyond letters to the Princess. "That actually makes sense, but what about when you have to re-shelve or even replace books, taking the charm off could prove more of a problem than just putting them on." Twilight replied curiously, honestly curious about the other mare's knowledge in magic. More so she could gauge how much of a threat she was than anything, but she was also curious about ways to protect her books from spikes flames. Faust herself frowned as she thought about Twilight's point, having once been a librarian of sorts she knew what the mare was talking about and idly nodded her head in understanding. "Good point, I guess I never had to worry about that since I basically just archive books..." The off-white mare admitted and then tapped her chin with a thoughtful frown. "What about a Fire-Repelling Charm, not quite as simple as the Burn-Away Charm but just as effective." Faust suggested, and the lavender unicorn blinked and rubbed her chin with a thoughtful frown. Fire-Repelling Charms were not new, by any means, but as Faust said they were fairly more complicated than the Burn-Away Charm she had suggested. The difference was that a Burn-Away Charm was basically tacking a teleportation spell on top of a minor preservation spell. As such when the book was burned the teleportation spell activated while the preservation spell basically preserved the message so that it was legible when the note reformed. A fire-repelling charm was far more complicated because it had to actively protect a book or piece of paper from fire, therefore it had to make the flames bend around the book and also keep the heat itself from igniting the paper. "That could work, but I've never had much luck with Fire-Repelling Charms, they're pretty advanced as far as Enchantments go." Twilight repelled honestly, Faust frowning and clicking her tongue for a moment. She liked Twilight, the little mare really reminded her of herself when she was young, albeit with more magic than she ever had and without the broken horn... "I see. Well if that's the problem I could cast them for you, charms and enchantments are actually kind of my magical specialization." Faust admitted truthfully, Charms and Enchantments had always been easier than some of the other branches of magic. Through sheer power she could cast most spells but she had always had an easier time learning and casting charms and enchantments. Twilight was honestly caught off guard by the offer, she hadn't had any pony offer her help with magic since she was still a filly, mostly because she was Princess Celestia's student. "Uh... are you sure that wouldn't take time away from your vacation?" The lavender unicorn questioned, she was still suspicious of the mare, but she did seem a bit tired with those stress lines under her eyes. "Oh it's no problem at all. I have fun casting charms, I've actually charmed and enchanted a majority of my home." The off-white alicorn replied with a wave of her hoof, and she really had charmed most of the tower. The majority of those charms however had been simply to ensure nothing destroyed the place on the off chance any of her more... err... destructive, tenants got loose. "Well if you really wouldn't mind I guess that would be okay." Twilight replied, before smiling as a certain gleam came to her eyes. "Oh! And maybe you could give me some pointers on charms." Twilight practically gushed and bounced on her hooves, Faust giggling behind a hoof and smiling at the lavender mare. Realizing what she was doing Twilight quickly looked to the older mare with a nervous chuckle. "Uh sorry about that, Miss Faust." Twilight said sheepishly, Faust merely waving it off and grinning at the younger mare. "Oh it's no problem at all Twilight, but please just call me Faust. I'm old, but I hope I don't really look like a "Miss Faust"." The off-white mare pleaded, Twilight nodding her head although internally frowning as she looked at the older mare. 'She really does look young. I know magical power keeps a pony appearing young, but she barely looks my age! Just how much magic does Faust really have?' The lavender mare wondered inwardly, before smiling and nodding her head. "Right, mi... er, Faust. And thank you for the offer to charm my books. It'll really be useful when Spike starts sneezing in spring." Twilight admitted aloud, and thought of the couple of books that Spike accidentally burned over the years. She never blamed Spike for it, he wasn't always able to control his sneezes after all. And with Faust offering to not only enchant her books but teach her a little about charms, she could potentially learn how powerful the other mare really was. "Let me guess, the little guy gets Hay Fever?" The off-white mare questioned with a smirk, Twilight groaning and looking at the older mare pleadingly. "Please don't call it that. My mom once called it that and Spike really thought hay was causing him to sneeze back when he was still little." Twilight groaned, Faust giggling in amusement and bumping the younger mare's flank with her own. "Oh really, so was he only that gullible back then or is he still gullible now?" Faust questioned curiously, Twilight frowning as she thought about it for a moment. "Seems to depend on his mood. He can be gullible sometimes, and others he's able to surprise you with how world wise he is." Twilight replied with a shrug, and Faust whistled lowly and turned back towards town. Much like the day before, ponies were basically giving her a wide berth, which Twilight was quick to notice of. "You'd think they never saw a Winged Unicorn before." Twilight noted with a shake of her head, Faust looking at the younger mare with more than a little surprised. "Well I'm surprised that you actually know about them." Faust stated honestly and Twilight rolled her eyes. "I grew up in Canterlot, the majority of the guard are Pegasi and most civilians are Unicorns, Pegasi Unicorn couples are really common and as a result so are Winged Unicorns and Horned Pegasi." The lavender unicorn explained, Faust smiling happily until she noticed Twilight looking at her strangely. "Although I have to admit, you are the most well balanced Winged Unicorn I've ever seen. Most of them have smaller wings." Twilight admitted with a frown, Faust grinning and chuckling nervously in response. "Yeah well, what can I say, I was really lucky to be born this way." Faust replied, Twilight silently nodding her head in agreement while continuing to watch the mare. 'Is it strange that she is so... so likeable? I mean, she even knows a bit about magic which is rare in Ponyville but I'm supposed to be making sure she isn't evil!' Twilight thought inwardly, before glancing away from the off-white mare. "So Faust, why did you want to come to Ponyville for you vacation?" Twilight questioned curiously, hoping that the mare might make a slip. "I mean I know it's a small out of the way town, but we are really close to The Everfree Forest, not to mention it seems like something crazy happens around here almost every week." The lavender unicorn noted, but Faust merely smiled in response. "Yeah I know, but in all honesty I just wanted to get away from it all and this seemed like the perfect place for that." Faust replied, Twilight mentally agreeing that Ponyville was a good place to escape to if one wanted to get away from it all. Most other places in Equestria were much larger, barring Shady Hollows, but it still struck her as odd that the older mare had wanted to come to Ponyville. "So you didn't have any other reasons?" Twilight inquired of the mare, Faust merely shrugging her shoulders in response. "Not really." The older mare replied honestly, Twilight sighing in resignation before glancing up to see that they were approaching her library. "Well in any case my library is over there." The lavender unicorn stated, while pointing a hoof over to the massive tree. Faust merely smiled when she saw the Library, and grinned down at Twilight. "Well what are you waiting for Twilight? We've got work to do!" Faust declared with a slight whinny, then happily galloped off to the library. Watching the older mare silently for only a moment, trying desperately to understand why she was so happy, Twilight then followed after the off-white alicorn in disguise. Clearly, figuring out what was up with Faust was going to be a lot harder than she had originally believed... -- TBC...