//------------------------------// // Dark Tidings // Story: The Shadow of the First Star // by moguera //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Dark Tidings "Good gracious," said Firefly as she set down her teacup. What had started as an impromptu explanation about how Twilight had gotten Spike had turned into a recounting of how Twilight and Spike came to Ponyville and the various adventures they had gotten into then. "You've certainly had an eventful life," she observed, turning to look at Rainbow Dash, who had been helping with Twilight's story. Spike had kindly made tea for the group and he and Zephyr waited off to one side while the three mares talked. Spike covered a yawn. Naturally, the adventures Twilight and the others had been on were all old news to him (although he had gotten more than a little embarrassed when the story of him growing out of control the day after his birthday had come up). But Zephyr listened with rapt attention to their stories, finding them much more amazing than the books in the library. Twilight looked up and was suddenly aware of the time. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, "I completely forgot about the time. We should stop for now so that Rainbow can take you around and introduce you to the others." "Oh shoot!" snapped Rainbow, "That totally slipped my mind. Come on you two! We've gotta get going!" Firefly laughed and pushed herself away from the table while Zephyr got to his hooves with considerably greater reluctance. He was beginning to feel comfortable here. He liked the library and he found that he liked listening to Twilight Sparkle. She knew the most amazing stories. Nonetheless, he knew that Firefly and his new big sister weren't going to let him out of meeting the others that Rainbow was constantly talking about. Turning to Spike and Twilight, Zephyr ducked his head. "Um...goodbye." He quickly turned towards the door but stopped as Twilight called out to him. "Zephyr, I'm guessing that you're too old for school," she smiled, "In fact you're probably around the same age as me and Rainbow aren't you?" Rainbow Dash's jaw hit the floor. They hadn't brought up the topic of Zephyr's age at all. Even Firefly looked surprised. "How did you know that?" asked Rainbow incredulously. Twilight scratched the back of her head while grinning sheepishly. "Well, actually...I've been reading up on pony-dragon crossbreeds recently and I learned a few things." While there was an unspoken question in Firefly's gaze, the implications of what Twilight had said went completely over Rainbow's head. "Oh yeah, from a book. Typical Twilight." "Anyway," continued Twilight turning her attention back to Zephyr, "You're always welcome here. I could even find a job for you to help with if you like." "Thank you," said Zephyr softly. Even though it was barely audible, she could sense the sincerity of his tone. Twilight smiled warmly at the half-dragon. "Ponyville is your home now and you're family to a very important friend of mine. We'll all do our best to make you welcome here." Zephyr was blinking away tears as Firefly led him out the door. Spike looked up at Twilight in confusion. "Did you know that Zephyr was coming to Ponyville?" he asked. "No, I had no idea he or Firefly even existed before today," replied Twilight. Spike scratched the top of his head. "Then what were you doing, reading about half-dragons?" Twilight sighed. She hadn't been expecting to have to talk to Spike about this so soon. But now that the issue was on the table, she figured now was as good a time as any to bring it up. "Spike...there's something we need to talk about." "So," said Firefly as she, Rainbow and Zephyr took to the air, "That dragon friend of yours. Is he in some sort of special relationship?" "Well," mused Rainbow, "He's cool and all. He's Twilight's personal assistant. We're all good friends with the little guy. And he feels the same way about us...except for Rarity." "Ah yes, you mentioned her before. What, pray tell, is so different about Spike's relationship with your friend, Rarity?" Even as she was asking, Firefly could guess the answer. "Oh, Spike has a huge crush on Rarity. He acts like it's some sort of big secret, but everypony from here to Canterlot already knows...including Rarity." "I see. That explains it then." "Huh, explains what?" "It explains why she was researching the nature of half-dragons," Firefly explained, "Otherwise the timing would be rather suspicious. I would almost think you'd told her we were coming except that you had no idea that I was coming and you certainly didn't know about Zephyr yet." "I guess that makes sense," said Rainbow as she started putting two and two together. "So she was thinking about Spike and Rarity and..." she paused and looked at Zephyr, who would have tried to hide behind something except that they were flying, "...ohhhh." "That took a bit of work for you, didn't it?" observed, Firefly. Rainbow looked down. "Um well, it's just that...I haven't exactly given it all that much thought. I mean, I don't even have a very special somepony yet, so I've never really thought about stuff like having a foal or a family like that." "That's alright Rainbow Dash," said Firefly, "I'm sure that you'll find your very special somepony someday." "Um sure...oh look, there's Fluttershy's place." Rainbow surged ahead, eager to put distance between herself and an uncomfortable subject. Firefly and Zephyr were both surprised to discover the idyllic cottage that was serving as Fluttershy's home, outside of Ponyville and rather close to the wilds of the Everfree Forest. "Now, I'm sure she'll be happy once she realizes it's you," Rainbow Dash told Firefly, "But she gets nervous around new ponies. She's sort of like somepony we both know." The two of them looked at Zephyr, who gave them a confused expression in response. Rainbow Dash shrugged and knocked on Fluttershy's door. "Fluttershy," she called, "Are you home?" "Yes," came a soft voice from the other side of the door, "Is there something you need, Rainbow Dash?" "Come on out," said Rainbow in her usual assertive tone, "There're a couple of ponies I'd like you to meet. You're in for a big surprise." "Oh," said Fluttershy. The sound of the door being unmatched could be heard before she paused. "Is it a nice quiet surprise or is a Pinkie Pie surprise?" "A nice surprise," groused Rainbow, "Now hurry up and get out here." The door slowly opened and the three Pegasi waiting outside could see Fluttershy's head, with the majority of her face hidden behind her pink mane, peak out from inside. As she glanced out, she saw Firefly and her eyes widened with recognition. Slowly, she opened the door and came out. By this time, Firefly was covering her mouth with on hoof, her eyes wide in amazement. "Oh my," whispered the older Pegasus, "Oh you've grown up into such a beauty." Fluttershy blushed heavily before throwing herself at Firefly and the two of them embraced. Rainbow Dash sniffed and had to wipe away an errant tear. While Firefly was not Fluttershy's parent or caretaker, the two had known each other because of Fluttershy and Rainbow's friendship in Flight School. Firefly had always been a source of warmth and encouragement for the shy little Pegasus, something that had been a big help for Fluttershy when she had been troubled about her weakness in Flight School. Zephyr was moved by the display of affection as well. In fact, he was so moved that he briefly forgot his own shyness and advanced a step. However, one hoofstep was enough to get Fluttershy's attention, which prompted her default response to a pony she had never met before. "Eep!" The yellow Pegasus squeaked and jumped, diving back into her cottage and hiding behind the doorframe. Her outburst prompted Zephyr to jump as well and dive behind Firefly's flank. As Rainbow Dash and Firefly watched, Fluttershy peaked her head out from behind the doorframe while Zephyr peaked his head out from behind Firefly...in perfect unison. Upon seeing each other, they let out startled exclamations and dove back behind their respective covers...in unison. Rainbow couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing, prompting Fluttershy and Zephyr to peak out from the hiding places and stare at her...in unison. This only made her laugh harder until she couldn't even stand up. Even Firefly was chortling as she watched the two very similar ponies act like perfect mirrors of one another. Confusion and a certain degree of agitation prompted the two shy ponies out of their hiding places to get a better look at Rainbow Dash, who was rolling on the ground. They turned to look at each other...in unison. Then they looked back at Rainbow...in unison. Then slowly, they smiled at each other. And before long, they were laughing too. Celestia's court was rather monotonous, all things considered. Early in Equestrian history, it had been the place where she handled matters that pertained to the day, passed judgments over issues and disputes and listened to the problems and difficulties of her children and do what she could to solve them. But Equestria had now grown far too large for Celestia to address every problem personally. Many of these were handled under the guidance of a battery of ministers and bureaucrats who managed matters according to the laws that had been laid out millennia ago, laws that were updated occasionally to ensure that they were always relevant. While this meant that Celestia was no longer bogged down with the day to day problems of her little ponies, it came with its own price. Celestia had long ago lost the feeling that she did anything of substance during her court. She suspected that once ponies overcame their fear enough to begin attending Luna's court, she too would soon be feeling as though she was accomplishing little of note. Celestia stifled a sigh. Oh how she wished she could invite artists and musicians to share their newest creations with her. Her nation was filled with marvelously talented ponies who could move her spirit in many ways. One of her greatest pleasures in Equestria's earlier years had been seeing and fostering the new nation's culture. But now that was out of the question as well. The location of her court was automatically biased towards ponies who lived in Canterlot and even if she tried her best, it was still unlikely to be fair to the poor struggling, but talented artist in Manehatten who couldn't afford to miss the days of work it would take to come to Canterlot and go back. Celestia loved her subjects and didn't want to play favorites if she could help it. Although that certainly didn't apply when it came to Twilight, she thought sourly. Even though she tried to avoid it, she did have to admit that Twilight was one of her few favorites. Celestia loved her faithful student like a daughter. But it also hurt her to realize that in doing so, she had raised Twilight above the rest of her subjects in some ways, even if she tried to do otherwise. In the end, I can't be perfect, no matter how hard I try. That's just fine though. Imperfection is what we wanted after all. That is much better than being like Him. So now her days consisted of endless ceremonies, petitions by nobles, announcements of charities and reports by scholars and ministers about the minutiae of her nation's maintenance. It was dull, dreary, boring... ...And it all came crashing to a halt when the doors blew open right in the middle of Prince Blueblood's bragging (she refused to acknowledge it as a report) about his latest "acquisitions." Celestia would have been grateful for the interruption had it been some other pony and not the one who came trotting calmly into the hall. There was no ceremony in his actions, no protocol, only the barest pretension to the most basic respect. But Celestia also knew (or rather feared) that if push came to shove, she had no chance of making him do otherwise. "Hello Princess," said the Archmage briskly as he came before her, striding past Blueblood as though he hadn't seen the white Unicorn who was now blustering about his ruined dignity. After a few seconds, the Archmage seemed to realize that Blueblood was there and gave the prince the slightest glance out of the corner of his eye. "Hello Blueblood. Goodbye Blueblood." "Now see here!" snapped the prince, "I don't know who you think you are, but I will not abide such poor behavior. You've made a mockery of my presentation. I cannot accept this affront to my dignity. You must ever apologize or answer to me on the dueling grounds." The jet-black Unicorn didn't even acknowledge Blueblood's challenge, seeming to have forgotten that he was even in the room. Instead he was now looking at the guards stationed around the room, many of whom were rolling their eyes covertly at the prince's antics. "Hello guards. Goodbye guards." The guards turned their gazes to Celestia, who only sighed and nodded. She was unsettled. Normally the Archmage was content to simply ignore the guards and even whoever's court session he happened to interrupt when he entered. If he was dismissing the guards (and Blueblood) then the situation must have been important and for her ears only. As the guards filed out, she turned her attention to Blueblood, who was still trying to get the attention of the Archmage in order to get an answer to his insult. "I'm sorry Blueblood dear, but I'll listen to your report at tomorrow's court. Please leave us for now." "But Auntie..." Blueblood directed a plaintive look up at the Princess. Celestia shook her head in response to her unspoken question, silently feeling a little guilt for being so amused at her pretentious nephew's futile attempts at getting the Archmage's response. She loved him, of course, but he really needed to learn more humility. "Be a good chap and fetch Luna if you would," said the Archmage as though it had been an afterthought. "Uncouth swine!" snapped Blueblood before storming out of the throne room. The doors slammed shut behind him. "Swine...really?" The Archmage raised an incredulous eyebrow. "I never thought anypony would stoop so low as to insult swine in so heinous a manner." In spite of herself, Celestia suppressed a giggle. While she could appreciate the Archmage's humor, she still distrusted and even feared the eccentric pony before her. He wielded magic that was alien not only to Equestria, but this world itself. He had come to her barely a century after Nightmare Moon had been banished and in spite of the hundreds of years that had passed, had shown no signs of aging beyond his close-cropped white mane and his equally close-cut white beard, as well as the matching color of his tail. His physique was just as lean and toned as it had been when he had first come to Canterlot to introduce himself to Celestia. His dark-brown eyes were just as sharp and clear as that day. He had lived through the lives of dozens of ponies and yet he was a mere Unicorn. "So what brings you here today?" asked Celestia, deciding to dispense with the pleasantries as she always did with the Archmage, "Are you here for more students?" "Would I have bothered dismissing your guards for something so banal?" countered the black stallion sharply, "Besides, I have a student right now and she's all that I can handle at the moment." It took all of Celestia's control to keep her jaw off the floor. In past visits, the Archmage had taken up to half a dozen students in one swoop. He usually returned them after a brief term in varying degrees of mental and physical health. For just one student to require all of his attention was an unprecedented occurrence. But before Celestia could comment on this, the doors to the throne room opened to admit Luna, who flapped her wings to fly to her throne, positioned next to Celestia's. "Sister, is this the Archmage you spoke of?" asked Luna, staring at the strange Unicorn. "I'm glad that we finally get to meet, Princess Luna," said the Archmage, offering the first formal bow he had given in the Royal Court since he originally came to Canterlot, "I can already tell that we will get along much more pleasantly than I do with your sister." Luna blinked in surprise as her sister glowered. "And why is that?" she couldn't help but ask. "I have spent a great deal of my time working with your Rangers. And through them I've developed and appreciation for your subtlety," replied the Archmage, "Oh Celestia can be clever when she wants to. She's devised all manner of convoluted plans for that student of hers. But she can never resist revealing what she has masterminded. She always has to show off and claim the credit. "You, on the other hoof, are not merely content that most ponies will go to their graves not knowing what you have done for them, but are proud of it. That kind of subtlety, I can appreciate." Both Princess Luna and Celestia were taken aback by this. It was a response neither of them had expected. Although, it did ring with what Celestia knew of the Archmage's doings. Even though she had made no secret of his existence, the Archmage had never gone out of the way to advertise his presence, perfectly content with the fact that most of Equestria didn't even know he existed. "But enough with the pleasantries, I'm sorry to say," said the Archmage, interrupting himself, "Because what I have to say will be the furthest thing from pleasant." "What could be so important?" demanded Celestia, a sinking feeling nesting in the pit of her stomach. If it was an issue that the Archmage was compelled to take seriously, the news couldn't be good. "Somepony has tampered with one of the Six Seals." That was worse than she could have ever expected. The response was drastic. Celestia's varicolored mane and tail lost their glow, dissolving into their natural pink coloration. Likewise, Luna's starscape mane and tail dropped back into their normal pale blue. The shock of the news caused both of them to lose their hold on their divine appearance. "Are you certain?" asked Celestia softly. The Archmage nodded, his expression severe. "I examined the Seal myself after the situation was investigated by Rangers Oceanus and Silverbrook. Apparently, Ranger Silverbrook ran afoul of the culprit, a Unicorn by the name of Pyre, one of my former students as it turns out." "So this Pyre is the one behind the problem?" asked Luna. The Archmage shook his head. "No. If anything. She is merely an agent of somepony else. Pyre was far too interested simply in the art of burning and destroying to be capable of any such machinations on her own, not to mention that the spell used to tamper with the Seal was clearly devised by a different pony." "Can you divine their objective?" asked Celestia. "Are you seriously hoping that I will tell you something other than the obvious?" asked the Archmage in an annoyed tone, "As much as I would like to say otherwise. There is only one possible objective that these ponies could be seeking to accomplish as there is only one thing that could be done with the Six Seals. "In other words, they aim to unlock the Six Seals and release the Star of Creation into the world once more." For a brief instant, the sun froze in the sky. It was so brief that there was no conscious recognition of the occurrence by anypony in Equestria. The only indicator to them was a brief feeling of wrongness, as though the entire world stood still for the barest instant. Inside their throne room, silence so absolute as to be deafening descended; a silence that was only broken as Princess Luna began to whimper. After the initial silliness of their introduction, Fluttershy and Zephyr got along quite well, although Fluttershy's animals were as shy around Zephyr as they were around most other ponies. After a few minutes spent on getting to know each other, Rainbow took Firefly and Zephyr on to their next destination, Sweet Apple Acres. Being able to fly, Rainbow saw no reason for the group to take the long route to get around to the farm's main entrance and instead took them straight across the rolling orchards until the Apple Family residence was in sight. Unsurprisingly, neither Applejack nor her other family members (aside from Granny Smith, who was napping in the living room, so Rainbow Dash wisely decided not to disturb her) were in the house. After taking a few seconds to listen, Rainbow Dash was able to detect the distant thuds of somepony applebucking. "This way," she said to her two companions and they headed off over the fields to see the orange Earth Pony bucking the apples out of a tree. To Rainbow's surprise, Big Macintosh was there as well, loading down a nearby wagon with baskets filled to overflowing with the delicious fruit. As she finished with her current tree, Applejack spotted the three flyers coming in. "Howdy Rainbow," she said cheerfully, tilting her hat up slightly, "What brings ya here? And who're yer friends there?" "Hey AJ," replied Rainbow Dash as she landed in front of Applejack with Firefly and Zephyr following, "I just wanted to introduce you to these two. This," she gestured to the pink and blue Pegasus, "Is Firefly, who took care of me when I was little, so she's basically my mother." "Well Ah'll be," breathed Applejack, "In a hundred years Ah never expected to meet yer family like this Rainbow Dash. Ya never said a word about them." Rainbow shrugged and grinned nervously. "Well, it was a bit of an awkward subject so I never really got around to telling any of you about it. It always felt weird to say anything, especially since your family is so...normal." "Ain't a problem sugarcube," replied Applejack with an easy smile as she trotted up to Firefly. "It's a fine pleasure to meet ya, Miss Firefly. Ah'm Applejack and this here," she gestured to the massive red pony coming up behind her, "Is my brother, Big Macintosh. We're mighty pleased to meet a member of Rainbow Dash's family." She shook Firefly's hoof vigorously, prompting an amused laugh from the older mare. "Well, they certainly don't lie about the Apple family's hospitality," said Firefly cheerfully, "It makes me happy to know that Rainbow has a friend like you." Applejack nodded in agreement before leaning to look around Firefly to see Zephyr, who, as usual was crouching behind Firefly, looking out nervously. "And who are you, sugarcube?" she asked with the gentlest smile that she reserved for when she was playing her loving big sister role "What's yer name little fella?" "Z-Zephyr." The half-dragon managed to take a few shaky steps away from Firefly and out into full view. Applejack's eyes widened as she finally got a good look at his draconic features. "Landsakes. Well, ain't you a sight kiddo?" The colt let out a sharp yelp and dived back behind Firefly again. Applejack chuckled good-naturedly. "It's okay little fella, nopony here is gonna hurt ya." Once again, Zephyr nervously crept out into the open. Applejack nudged her elder brother. "Big Mac, why don't ya go and see if these two would like to try some of our apples." The large stallion nodded. "Maybe Ah should take 'em back to the house and see if they can get a samplin' of Granny's cookin'." "Why don't ya go and do that. Ah've got some things to talk to Rainbow about for a minute." She gave Firefly a meaningful glance. "If ya don't mind Miss Firefly." Firefly nodded, appearing to understand what Applejack was asking her to do before following Big Macintosh, who led her and Zephyr on a path that would lead them back to the house. "So what's up, AJ?" asked, Rainbow, aware that there were some sensitive topics in play, "You don't have a problem with Zephyr do you? Because if you do..." Applejack shook her head. "Naw. Ah learned mah lesson after Zecora and done learned it again with those greencloaks. Ah'm through with laying down a judgment on somepony just because they seem different from us. And besides," she cast a smiling glance in the direction of her brother and his two companions, "Ya don't need to be an expert on ponies to see that colt there is one sweet little fella. He may be on the shy side, but Ah can tell he'd never willingly hurt somepony." Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief. "Well that takes care of one issue. But what is it you wanted to talk about then." "Well, Ah take it ya know about Pinkie's party," said Applejack. Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. You got the invitations already." "If there's one thing that girl doesn't hold off on, it's gettin' the word out. But Ah'm more concerned about Bloom and her friends." "Your sister? Why?" Applejack shook her head and wondered how dense her friend could be at times. "That colt's flank is as blank as the day he was born." The realization hit Rainbow Dash unexpectedly. "Oh it is isn't it." She quailed a bit under Applejack's glare. "Sorry, I was distracted by, you know, the whole half-dragon thing." A sigh escaped the orange farmer. "Ah swear sometimes Rainbow, ya wouldn't recognize a snake if it bit ya. But that aside, mah point is that Bloom and her two friends are gonna be all over that colt once they notice." Thinking it over, Rainbow Dash imagined what Applejack was talking about and winced. "Given that he's around our age, that's gotta be a difficult topic for him." "What? Really?" Applejack was taken aback by this new piece of information. "Well that certainly make's things interestin'. But mah main point is that that there boy is mighty shy and mighty fearful." "Yeah. He acts a lot like Fluttershy doesn't he?" Applejack shook her head. "From what Ah can tell, if anythin' it's worse than that. Fluttershy's a mite skittish to be sure, but that colt ain't just shy. He's plumb scared for his life if Ah've ever seen it. Ah don't know what he's been through, but Ah can tell that poor fella ain't had the best of times with other ponies." Thinking back to Zephyr's panic attack in the library, Rainbow was forced to agree. "Yeah. Firefly hasn't told me a whole lot yet. I think she's saving that for later. But she's dropped some hints. She even said that some ponies have tried to kill him." Applejack hissed in sympathy. "That is bad. Which is why the last thing we want is fer mah sister and her friends to swamp that poor fella. That means that you and me have to head 'em off at the pass and make darn sure they keep themselves under control durin' that party." "What do you need me for? It's your sister, isn't it?" "Yeah, but Ah'd like fer ya to talk to Scootaloo. She looks up to ya, so she'll probably be more inclined to listen if ya talk to her." "I can do that," agreed Rainbow, "And after this, we're heading over to visit Rarity, so she can talk to Sweetie Belle." "Right then," said Applejack, "It's a plan." She lifted her hoof and bumped it against Rainbow's before the two of them took off to join the others at the farmhouse. "Calm yourself Princess," said Kaleidoscope flatly as Luna began to hyperventilate. "Calm!" snapped the Princess of the Night, "You can't be serious! If the Seal is broken...if He gets out...it's going to be the end of everything! How can I possibly be calm about this? This is the worst! Possible! Thing!" "You will calm down because dealing with this calmly is the only way we are going to be able to prevent that from happening," replied the Archmage coolly, "A panic attack here in the throne room will not stop the enemy from continuing their efforts. Keep in mind that we have a strong advantage here." "And what advantage is that?" asked Celestia as she took a deep breath and restored her mane and tail to their varicolored state, blowing in the solar wind generated by her divine power. "Our enemy's work is far from complete. But whoever he or she is, they have already tipped their hoof. Now that we are aware of the threat, we can anticipate their movements. "I can tell from the nature of the working that was laid upon the Seal in the Thotep Pass that they are components of a much larger working must be laid upon the other five Seals as well. This means, if nothing else, we know exactly where they will be heading next." "Have you identified the nature of the working?" asked Luna, finally managing to get herself back under control and restoring her own godly appearance. "It is but a fragment of a larger one, but I believe that when combined with the workings that need to be placed on the other Seals, they will form a counter seal that will serve to unlock your Seal and release Him." Luna shivered visibly, but managed retain her composure. The Archmage trotted over to one of the large windows set into the wall of the room and looked out over the palace gardens. "We could detail the Rangers to keep a watch on the Seals, but Pyre was dangerous enough to overwhelm Silverbrook and he is one of our most able combatants." "You said that this Pyre pony was one of your students," remarked Celestia, "But how much did you teach her?" Kaleidoscope grinned ruefully. "I never got around to teaching her more than the basics. A pity really. She was one of the few students I deemed capable of actually making it all the way through my training intact. Unfortunately, she lost interest in her studies very quickly." "Perhaps you aren't the most enthralling of teachers," Celestia pointed out wryly. "Perhaps," replied the Archmage, letting the jab slide off him, "But it's more likely that she was too interested in finding new ways to make things go kaboom. That was her passion in life; another piece of evidence that clearly shows that she is not the mastermind of this endeavor. The problem is that we don't know what other pieces our adversary has in play and they may be even more dangerous than she is." "Perhaps if we mobilized the Rangers in force," suggested Celestia. This time, it was Luna who objected. "We can't do that sister. My Rangers are spread quite thin as it is. If we try to mobilize enough of them to effectively guard the Seals then there will not be enough to continue to monitor the monstrosities we have locked away in Equestria as well as keep an eye on our neighbors." "Which is another area of concern," remarked the Archmage, turning back to look at the sisters, "While we are aware of our enemy's purpose and objective, they are also aware that we are aware. That means that in order to lay down the remaining components of the counter seal, they must come up with some means to keep our eyes off the remaining five Seals long enough for them to finish their purpose." "And what is that?" asked Celestia. "War." That one word was enough to make both Princesses gasp. Thanks to their diplomatic efforts as well as the occasional alternative means employed by the Rangers, war had never been experienced in Equestria's history. Never once had Celestia or Luna even given a thought to creating an army of any kind to deal with such threats. They remained adamant in their stance that their subjects would not be exposed to such atrocities. "But with the Rangers guarding the borders, no enemy force could possibly work its way into Equestria," Luna pointed out. "Of course," agreed the Archmage, "However, no one has attacked us thanks to their work behind the scenes, which is our primary tool of deterrence against conflict. And while the Rangers could indeed route an army, doing so would require that we mobilize all of them to that purpose, exactly the kind of action that would lower our guard around the Seals and allow our enemy to finish their work." "In other words, the next step the enemy will take will be to trigger a war between us and a neighboring country," mused Celestia. "And it falls to our Rangers to head that off before it can happen," added Luna, "But they can't be everywhere at once." "And in the worst case, we cannot allow the Seals to be left unguarded," finished Celestia, leaving the last part of her statement unsaid. Even if that means letting Equestria burn. "Oh darling, I just adore your coloring!" gushed Rarity as she examined a very tense and still Zephyr, "That beautifully subtle pattern in your coat is marvelous to behold and I love the way the scale pattern gradually gives way to actual scales. Oh it's such a pity you weren't born a filly. I could come up with such an inspired dress for you." "Rarity!" admonished Rainbow. The last thing a sensitive colt like Zephyr needed was to have a pony expressing disappointment about the nature of his birth. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I've said too much." Rarity clamped her hooves over her mouth. "Actually..." Rarity and Rainbow Dash turned to see that Zephyr was...blushing. "That was kind of a compliment to me." That makes sense, mused Rainbow sardonically, I bet a lot of ponies have wished different things about his birth. The statement seemed to rekindle Rarity's enthusiasm. "Hmm. I've thought about branching out into male apparel once or twice. A darker, earthier tone is just perfect for stallion-wear. And those wings of yours are simply too magnificent to go to waste. And those spines...hmm." "Um, while it makes me happy that you're so inspired," said Zephyr, "I don't think you'll have much in the way of customers if you design a line around a half-dragon like me." Yet again, Rainbow Dash had to pick her jaw up off the floor that day. She had almost never heard the colt use more than two words together, much less speak in complete sentences. Not only that, but he was being uncharacteristically outspoken and his tone spoke of a dry sense of humor that she just couldn't imagine Zephyr as being able to express. Looking over, she saw Firefly who was in silent hysterics. Clearly she was much better acquainted with Zephyr's wit. Rarity simply laughed out loud. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you have a point there. But still, I would just love to see what I can do with the pattern of your coat. I do hope you'll let me examine it sometime. Even if it's not for you, I'm practically bubbling over with ideas of how to fit that scale pattern into different color and design schemes." "That sound's wonderful," interjected Firefly, as she came to stand next to Zephyr while wiping tears out of her eyes. Rainbow was beginning to think that Firefly was enjoying the humor of the situation a little too much. "It truly has been a pleasure to meet you two," said Rarity as she showed them out the door, "I'm certain we'll be able to get to know each other even better at Pinkie Pie's party." As they headed out, Rainbow Dash hung back with Rarity and shared the plan that she and Applejack had come up with to keep the Cutie Mark Crusaders under control. Rarity agreed to talk to Sweetie Belle and ducked back into her boutique to get ready. Meanwhile, Rainbow went on to guide Firefly and Zephyr to the Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie's party awaited them. "I believe I may have some possible countermeasures to our problem," said the Archmage. "What kind of countermeasures?" asked Celestia, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "As of right now, our greatest problem is the lack of a force that we can use as a deterrent against foreign attackers. The Rangers serve this purpose, but their role is meant to be purely covert and mostly preemptive, heading off problems before they have a chance to get out of control. Obviously, the only logical solution is to expand the martial resources that you have at your disposal." "We are not building an army," said Celestia in her firmest tone. "Nor do I suggest that you create one. After so many millennia of ardent pacifism, such an action might be taken as an acknowledgment of weakness at best and an indicator of future aggression at worst." "Then what is it that you suggest?" inquired Luna. "I have been working on some ideas to recreate some of the more interesting things I have seen and encountered during my travels," explained Kaleidoscope, "And I would be more than willing to put the results at your disposal once I have finished with them. But I will need your help. "I will provide you with a list of criteria. You Princesses need to find at least five ponies who fit those criteria. Search wherever you please. Once you do, send them to me and I will take matters from there." The Archmage seemed to pull a scroll out of thin air and levitated it over to Princess Luna. As she read the contents, she frowned. "I don't see what your objective is." "What I'm trying to do will become clear in due time," said Kaleidoscope, "With any luck, I will have the chance to conduct my experiments and you will have the opportunity to reap the rewards. It's the best of both worlds." Celestia frowned as she got a chance to look at the list as well. "It is going to be difficult to find ponies who meet your requirements." The Archmage gave her a smug smile. "Only the best after all." "I have to ask," said the Princess of the Sun, "Why you are going through all this trouble for our sake. Even helping with the Rangers is nothing more than a hobby for you. Do you really have any personal stake in this whatsoever." The black Unicorn grinned. "As you have deduced, I am doing this mostly for my own amusement. However, I certainly see no profit in allowing the Star of Creation to escape. As little investment as I have in your wellbeing Princess, I have grown rather fond of this world and don't care to see it destroyed. Most of my stuff is here anyway." He turned and began to make his way to the doors. "By the way," he said, looking over his shoulder, "You might want to consider telling the Bearers your secret within secrets. After all, if the worst does happen, it will fall to them to deal with it." The Archmage lifted his head up and brought his horn down in a slashing motion. An array of colors glittered in front of him briefly as the newly formed split in space refracted the visible light spectrum before giving way into a colorless tear in the fabric of reality. Without the slightest hesitation, the Archmage stepped through, sealing the tear behind him. Celestia signed, relaxing a bit now that the Archmage was gone. "What a mess we are in." Luna looked over nervously at her. "Sister, what do you think? Should we tell Twilight Sparkle and the others?" "We should," admitted Celestia, "As much as I am loathe to admit it, the Archmage is right. But I cannot feel certain about how to approach it. This is a very heavy matter and I would like to keep them from getting involved if at all possible." "Perhaps you should let them decide. They will want to protect their homes and friends. We should give them the right to act on that desire." Celestia lowered her head. "We should. They deserve to know what might someday be asked of them. I just need to decide how to do it." "Now are ya listenin' Bloom?" asked Applejack firmly as she blocked the way into the Sugarcube Corner. Applejack had only just informed Apple Bloom about the presence of the new blank-flanked colt. The filly was unquestionably excited about meeting the new pony, who, like her, had yet to discover his special talent. But as Applejack had predicted, that was exactly the problem. Fortunately, she had acted swiftly enough to keep Apple Bloom from rushing right inside. "Ah have no problem if ya want to be friends with Zephyr. Celestia knows, he needs a few badly. But ya need to understand that that there colt has had a hard life. And he ain't the type to trust ponies real easy, especially if you and yer friends get too excited around him, he's liable to split." "Why is that sis?" asked Apple Bloom, her voice laden with innocent naïveté. Applejack lowered her head with a sigh. "Ah ain't been told the details, but Ah can tell that that poor fella's had ponies who've tried to hurt him fer somethin' that's no fault of his own and that he can't change. That means yer gonna have to be mighty careful about what ya say around and to him until he's a lot more comfortable in Ponyville. And don't ya be givin' him too much trouble about havin' no cutie mark. He might not look it, but he's actually close to mah age, maybe a year or so of difference, so it's probably sensitive fer him to talk about." "But sis," protested Apple Bloom, "How can he be so close to yer age and not have a cutie mark yet?" "Because he's half-dragon. That means he grows up way slower than most ponies." "A half-dragon!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, "Wow! How cool! Ah wanna see him right now!" Applejack slammed her hoof into the ground almost right in front of Apple Bloom's nose, making the filly rear back and settle down into startled silence. "Now that's what Ah was just warnin' ya about," she snapped, "And don't think yer the only one. Sweetie Belle is gettin' the same talk from her sister and Scootaloo is hearin' this from Rainbow. Ah would love fer y'all to be friends with Zephyr. Shoot, that's probably the best thing fer him. But Ah have to ask ya this Bloom." Applejack lowered her head until she was eye to eye with her little sister. "Be gentle with him...please." Looking suitably chastised, Apple Bloom responded with a heartfelt, "Okay." "And one more thing," added Applejack, leaning forward slightly so that she was now whispering into Apple Bloom's ear, "Do her best to keep those two rotten apples ya keep tellin' me about away from him." "Ya mean Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?" Applejack nodded gravely. "Given how they treat ya and yer friends, the last thing we want is fer them to think they can start pickin' on poor Zephyr. And..." she leaned in closer still, her whisper dropping even lower, "...Don't tell anypony ya heard this from me, but if either of those two crosses the line and goes too far, ya have mah permission to buck 'em good." Apple Bloom stared with wide eyes at her elder sister. "Really?" Applejack nodded. "But only if they really cross the line. Ah mean it! Yer an Apple and that means ya have self-control. But if those two fillies take things too far, and Ah know ya know what Ah mean by that, it's gonna be up to you to show 'em we don't put up with nonsense like that here in Ponyville." "Okay," said Apple Bloom resolutely. Applejack smiled at her sister and leaned back up and got out from between her and the door. "Now that that's settled, let's go in and give these new ponies a good old fashioned Ponyville welcome!" "Yay!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, shooting through the door before Applejack could even flinch. The orange Earth Pony shook her head as she watched the filly go, hoping that her words had had some impact. "So what did you do that kept you away from Rainbow Dash for such long periods of time," asked Rarity as she sipped delicately from the cup of punch she had poured for herself. Firefly nibbled on a cupcake. "I was attached to the embassy on Talon Mountain. I did a lot of work there as a diplomat." "A diplomat, really?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "And does this have something to do with how you came to be little Zephyr's caretaker? Was he a child of embassy staff." The pink Pegasus shook her head. "Actually, his father, whose home I tended to go past to and from my job, asked me to look in on him. When I did, I found him alone. The poor boy he just lost his mother and was practically at the mercy of the worst kind of ponies." "How terrible!" exclaimed Rarity before casting a furtive glance in Zephyr's direction, hoping the colt hadn't overheard their conversation. He appeared to be otherwise occupied she noted with some degree of gratitude. It seemed that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had roped him into a game of Pin the Tail on the Pony. She was glad to see that the three fillies seemed to be reining in their enthusiasm and that the four ponies were laughing quite good-naturedly at the varying results of their attempts. Quickly, she turned to look back at Firefly. "And how could his father have simply allowed such things to go on?" Firefly sighed, her smile taking on a sad tone. "He was worried. But honestly, he knew that anything he tried to do to help would probably just make things worse." "How could he have known that?" "Having an elder Sky Dragon swoop down on a town because his son had been bullied would be more likely to cause a riot than change their views." Rarity's hoof snapped up to her mouth as she realized what she had just asked. That was foolish. I should have known that one of his parents had to be the dragon. "Really?" Firefly chuckled. "Kushala has had relationships with more than a few ponies, so he knows how things work. Besides, he also has diplomatic obligations to the Princesses. He may not be a member of a foreign nation, but he respects the Princesses all the same." "An elder dragon," Rarity whispered in shock. Her face turned bright red. "Why he must have been enormous! How in Equestria...?" Firefly broke down laughing at the stunned look on Rarity's face before the white Unicorn had the presence of mind to glare at her. "I'm sorry," said Firefly between chuckles, "I should have told you." "Told me what?" "Dragons are natural magicians, like Unicorns. Quite a few can use magic to take on a pony's form." "Is that so?" asked Rarity. Again she cast a look in Zephyr's direction. "Bit for your thoughts?" asked Firefly as she noted the unusually pensive expression on Rarity's face. "So that's how it works hmm?" "I beg your pardon?" Rarity let out a quick, nervous laugh before responding. "Oh nothing! Now dear, you really must tell me about what the Griffins are like. Rainbow's friend Gilda was only with us briefly and frankly it was the worst of first impressions. But is their society really as rough and tumble as I've heard...?" "Something wrong, Spike?" asked Twilight, coming to stand next to the little dragon. True to form, Spike had spent most of the party watching Rarity. However, his usually straightforward lovestruck expression was replaced by a much more thoughtful one. Occasionally his glance would shift to Zephyr, who was listening with rapt attention to the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they regaled him with stories of their antics in their quest to obtain their cutie marks. Oh I see, she thought. Spike had indeed taken their little talk to heart after seeing Zephyr. It was one thing to talk about the future as an abstract concept of things that may or may not happen. But it was another entirely to have a living demonstration of the potential consequences of one's actions. "And what do you think?" asked Twilight, "I know that most of us in Ponyville wouldn't mind one bit. After all, everypony here knows and loves you (even after that thing with your birthday), so I don't think you would have any problems in the long run." "It's not just that," explained Spike, "But that talk we had today helped me realize what I was getting into. I mean, I forget that at the end of the day, I'm still just a baby. And now that I've thought about it, I've never really put much thought into how Rarity feels about me. I mean, she's kissed me on the cheek a couple of times. But I'm probably just a baby in her eyes too." "Oh Spike," whispered Twilight, leaning down to nuzzle him fondly, "Yes you're a baby dragon. But you're a lot more mature than quite a few ponies I've met (Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie spring to mind)." "It's just that, I've never really thought about Rarity's feelings," said Spike, slumping down, "Whenever I'm around her, all I can think about is how she makes me feel. But how do I make her feel? Does she even remotely think of me that way? Does she just think I'm annoying or at least useful some of the time? Oh..." He clapped his hands over his mouth for a moment. "Just listen to me!" he moaned, "Even when I try to think about her feelings the only thing I seem to care about is how she feels about me." Twilight swept the little dragon into a tight hug. "Oh Spike, I am so proud of you." "But why?" asked Spike, "I'm so selfish and immature." Twilight shook her head emphatically. "Not near as much as you think," she said, "Yes, you're selfish and you still think a lot like a baby. But tonight you took a big step. You put aside your own feelings and realized your own selfishness. You're growing up so fast. If you keep this up, then Rarity will be the luckiest Unicorn in Equestria. Just don't rush things, Spike. Be patient and be yourself." "I don't understand," said Zephyr, "Why do your attempts always end with you covered in tree sap?" "You know, we haven't worked that out yet," said Scootaloo sheepishly. "And it's not always," protested Sweetie Belle, "Only mostly." "And what have you tried?" asked Apple Bloom, "Ya must have tried a few things to find yer special talent." "Um," said Zephyr sheepishly while looking down, "Not really." "What?" asked a shocked Scootaloo, "You mean you've never tried to find out what your special talent is?" "Yes, well," Zephyr shifted uneasily, "I was always a little too busy." Scootaloo was about to ask what Zephyr was so busy with when Apple Bloom clapped a hoof across her mouth. Confused, the orange Pegasus looked over at her friend. Apple Bloom shook her head. Oh, realized Scootaloo, This must be one of those topics that Rainbow Dash warned me not to ask about. "Anyway," said Sweetie Belle, "Do you want to try and find out what your special talent is with us?" "Um, well," muttered Zephyr, "I'm not sure..." "It'll be alright," added Apple Bloom, "We promise not to force ya to try anything dangerous or scary." "Yeah, that's just what Scootaloo's into," sniped Sweetie Belle. "Hey!" "Um..." "Pleeeeeeaaaaasssssse!" cajoled the three fillies, simultaneously putting on their most powerful puppy dog eyes. Zephyr sagged in defeat. "Fine." "YAY!!!" shrieked the three fillies, prompting a yelp from Zephyr as he dove behind the nearest piece of furniture, in turn prompting a series of swift apologies from the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they attempted to convince their newest member to come out of hiding. "Sorry about that," said Sweetie softly as the colt finally crept out. "We get a little carried away sometimes," Apple Bloom admitted. Scootaloo's head shot up. "Hey! I just heard that Ditzy's making bubbles!" "Really!" exclaimed the other two fillies. "Yeah look!" Scootaloo pointed over to where the wall-eyed mailmare was mixing together a solution of soap and water before cutting up straws. There were already several other foals gathering around her. "Come on!" shouted Apple Bloom eagerly, grabbing Zephyr by the foreleg and pulling him in that direction. "Yeah!" added Sweetie Belle, "There's nopony who can blow bubbles like Ditzy!" Zephyr found himself being dragged off by the enthusiastic trio before he had a chance to protest. "How's the party Dashie?" asked Pinkie as she bounced over to her rainbow-maned friend. "Pretty good," replied the Pegasus before giving Pinkie a grateful expression, "Thanks for reining it in. It look's like Zephyr's having a good time." "Oh I'm so glad," said Pinkie, "I was worried that it might be too much for him." "Well don't worry, you did great," said Rainbow. She looked up and checked the clock on the wall. "It's getting late," she observed, "We should probably start wrapping up soon. The foals have to get to school tomorrow." Pinkie looked over to where the foals in question were playing with the bubble-making implements that Ditzy Hooves had made for them. The gray mare was even giving Zephyr a few pointers as he struggled with his. The half-dragon looked strangely at ease in Ditzy's company. But then again, even if her tendency to misalign her eyes occasionally caused the mailmare to lose her depth perception (with equally occasional disastrous results), she was still one of the warmest and most friendly ponies in Ponyville and a favorite of the foals, who were enamored with her natural talent for blowing bubbles, as evinced by the cutie mark adorning her flank. Following Pinkie's gaze, Rainbow smiled fondly at her brand new little brother. "Well," she said, "Maybe we can wait a little longer." The town was eerily silent. It had only been a single night since the incident was reported. Oceanus knew now that he needn't even remove his cloak to enter. There was no one left to see. Anxiously he looked around. The buildings were empty without the slightest sign of life. Their condition varied. Some looked completely untouched. Others had been ripped apart, either from within, without, or both. There wasn't a single body to be found. But there was plenty of blood. It was spattered everywhere, dying normally cheery colors a shade of dark, rust red. Its smell filled the air, mixing with something reminiscent of festering sewage. Oceanus glared at the damage as he trotted down what had once been the town's central avenue. This town had been like countless others around Equestria. But now it was a pit of decay. Something horrid had happened here. He paused as he sensed movement in his peripheral vision. Taking a moment, Oceanus inhaled and then released a burst of mist that expanded to cover a large radius around himself. "There's no need for that." Another hooded pony stepped into his field of view. Oceanus relaxed a little bit as he recognized the voice. "Mountain Breeze." The light-purple mare with snow-white mane and tail fluttered her wings underneath her cloak, lifting it briefly enough to display the the snow capped mountain cutie mark that matched her name. "I've flown over a dozen circuits around the area, but found no survivors." "Likewise," added another Ranger, blue with a red mane and tail under her cloak, as she stepped up in front of Oceanus. "Star Sapphire." Oceanus nodded carefully to her. Although. He was senior to both of them, he still treated them with respect. He had seen their skills for himself and knew that they could be relied upon. "I thought you were up at the Thotep Pass this morning," said Star, "That's a long trip to make." Oceanus shook his head. "I traveled by mistform. It's draining, but the news sounded urgent." The Earth Pony sighed. "Unfortunately, you seem to have wasted a trip. I've searched the entire town, top to bottom, and there's not a single soul to be found." "What about the tracks?" "We did find the tracks of an unknown pony entering the town, but couldn't discern if he left," replied Mountain Breeze. "And yet our mysterious stranger is not here." Mountain Breeze nodded. "We didn't find pony tracks, but we did find tracks of some kind. Come and see what you make of this." They led him across to the southern edge of the town. Here, the ground had been torn apart by some strange appendages. The rotting smell of sewage was even more omnipresent now and even with all his experiences at encountering the foul things that dwelt in the dark corners of Equestria, Oceanus had to fight back the impulse to gag at the scent. As before, the scent was accompanied by the metallic tang of blood. "This resembles nothing among the tracks we know," said Star Sapphire, "As you have more experience, can you place it?" Oceanus shook his head. "It looks like nothing I recognize," he admitted darkly, "And it doesn't match the patterns of any of the creatures we have sealed in this region." He turned his head to Mountain Breeze. "I trust that you have confirmed that all the seals in this region are still in place." "Yes, they are all intact and holding. So one of those monsters couldn't be responsible." Oceanus turned his head back to the tracks and noted their bearing. "I will send a report to Princess Luna and the Archmage immediately. Mountain Breeze," he turned to regard the Pegasus, "Fly on ahead and reinforce the Black Bog Seal. Star Sapphire," he turned his gaze to the Earth Pony, "You and I will follow this track and try to overtake whatever made it." "You believe this has something to do with the incident from this morning in the Thotep Pass," said Star Sapphire. It was not a question. "Given the bearings and the indicators that a pony was responsible for this, I believe it unwise to think otherwise," replied Oceanus as he pulled parchment and a quill from his saddlebag. He looked over at Mountain Breeze. "Go." The Pegasus nodded sharply and took to the air without further prompting. Oceanus wrote his report down before exhaling a puff of mist on it. The parchment dissolved into fog and shot off, dividing in two before streaking off in separate directions. His work completed, Oceanus nodded to Star Sapphire and the two took off at a healthy pace. "So this is it," said Rainbow Dash as she, Firefly and Zephyr alighted on the front porch of her cloud house, "Welcome home." "Oh Rainbow, it's lovely," said Firefly as she marveled at the classical columns, the streams of rainbow and the artful arrangement of the building that hung a short distance above the ground just on the outer edge of Ponyville. "Did you build this yourself?" "Yeah," replied Rainbow, bashfully, "I mean I had some help from some other Pegasi when I first moved in. I remodel every now and then to keep things fresh...which reminds me, I need to add an extra room." "We can worry about that tomorrow," said Firefly, "I'll share a room with Zephyr tonight." "Okay then," said Rainbow, "Come on in and let's get you two settled." Owing to the malleable nature of the clouds themselves, houses like the one that Rainbow built were easily modified and if she wanted a change of scenery, it only took an afternoon's work. On top of that, if she wished, she could move the entire building around as the mood struck her, although she needed to clear its new position with the mayor's office and the weather bureau when she did so. Rainbow Dash opened the door to her home and was greeted by the slow, plodding tortoise who now lived there. Tank looked up at his owner and gave her a very slow and gentle smile that served to bring a smile to Rainbow's face. She had to admit that even though his nature was practically the inverse of her own, Tank never failed to brighten up her day. "Hiya Tank," she said cheerfully, "I've got some ponies I want to introduce you to. They're family, so be nice." Telling the tortoise to behave himself was about as unnecessary as telling Celestia that she needed to raise the sun in the morning. Unlike Fluttershy's bad-tempered rabbit, Tank was gifted with natural good behavior and patience (although the latter went without saying). Firefly was only too happy to meet the pet that served as such a marvelous contrast to her adopted daughter's energetic nature. Zephyr actually seemed to find Tank's presence comforting and the two took an immediate liking to one another. Zephyr let out a yawn and Firefly took him up to the guest room after Rainbow told her where it was. They would get around to making a proper bedroom for him in the morning. In the meantime, Firefly and Rainbow Dash settled into the kitchen while Rainbow made a couple of cups of hot chocolate for her and her mother. "So," said Rainbow, "You're staying." "I am," said Firefly, "If you'd have me." "Of course!" exclaimed Rainbow before settling down, "But what about your job." Firefly smiled sadly. "I retired. I'll miss it, but I felt it was time. And not long afterwards, I found Zephyr and decided to take him in." "Can you tell me?" asked Rainbow cautiously, "I mean, what did he go through? Even Fluttershy isn't as bad as he is when other ponies are around. And there was that episode in the library." Firefly looked down into her mug. "It's an unpleasant story. But you have a right to know, if only in part because you're his sister now and I hope that you will look after him when I can't. There may also be repercussions that could come from this, even here in Ponyville; although I have to say that I'm very pleased with the welcome that you and your friends have given us. Are you sure you want to know?" Rainbow Dash nodded gravely. "Tell me about my brother."