Chapter 1

Prelude to the Deluge

"Lost time is never found again."
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Two young humans, both no older than seventeen, stood in front of a wooden gate. Behind the gate was a farm, and although neither of the men really had a clue as to why the farm should be guarded, they didn’t complain. They wore light leather armor, although the reason for it was again beyond them. One happened to be much taller than the other, and his name was Lawrence.

“Psst...” came the obnoxious whisper of his companion, shattering the daydream Lawrence was engrossed in. He quickly swept the fragments into the corners of his mind and placed his full attention on ignoring his comrade.

"Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssst!" A drop of spit clung to the side of the tall man's face.

"Enough!" the man barked, finally turning his head towards his friend. "Simon, friend, I do know you are impatient, but we cannot abandon our posts. You know as well as I do that you'll have to go in your armor, unless Giles comes to relieve yo-"

"No no, mate. Ah just dunno what we'll do when the kid makes his way over ‘ere." Simon interrupted. He held up a gloved hand and pointed down the dirt path. They both leaned slightly forward, straining to get a good look at the child strutting towards them.

The boy looked to be about five years of age. His dirty, poorly groomed blonde hair bobbed on his head as he walked down the path, attempting to mimic the gait the higher-ranked guards used. Against one shoulder he held a thin stick, grasping the thicker end like a sword. His small tunic flapped against his legs as the autumn winds rolled through the hillside.

Completely forgetting about his previous adventure as the noble guard of the kingdom, the boy charged towards the two. Lawrence and Simon couldn't help but smile, at least until their eyes flicked up once again to the other man. The guard-turned-child stabbed his stick into the ground as he stopped, grinning up at the two. His father was still a ways behind, so Lawrence spoke up.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of seeing the young lord today?" he asked, knowing full well that the boy only thought of them as two silly guards with odd accents. It never hurt to be polite, he figured. The child plucked his stick out of the ground, only to slap the side of it against Simon's shin.

"Owwwuh! Honestly!" Complained Simon, wincing. Lawrence only glared at him, wishing at least one of them could disappear altogether. Catching his eye, Simon shrugged, brushing a bit of the red hair out of his eyes. "Well thah..." His eyes dropped to the ground, blood rushing to his face. "Well just s'prised me is all."

Lawrence looked back at the kid, eyes flicking once up to his approaching father. He opened his mouth, holding the stick like a sword again. "Father says he has ah new job for you." Lawrence stood straight up, staring wide-eyed at a still red Simon.

"You don’t think he aims to put us on the pig duty again, do yah Lewris?" Simon asked with his voice frozen in fear, eyes far wider than Lawrence's. The only immediate reaction that Lawrence had was to continue staring at his friend, before finally sighing.

"Law-rence, Simon," he said, over enunciating his name for the thousandth time before he looked back at the ground. "I refuse to worry about it, and if we are put back in charge of that horrific job, I'm taking the night shift." He looked back up and gave a wry smile in Simon's direction.

"Thas not fair, them pigs are always awake during the day!" Simon said, with his voice on the verge of cracking. "Oh," he whispered, eyes going wide again as he snapped to attention. Lawrence followed, hearing the heavy footfalls of their superior.

"Now, Richard, did you scare these two fine soldiers?" joked the tall form of a man. He wore a brown, almost gown-like shirt and leggings with a cape draped over his shoulders. His pants were tucked into his leather boots, his normal attire when he wasn't hosting a feast. Lawrence certainly remembered their last feast, even if it was years ago.

"Oh he weren't bothering us, Sir Theobald," Simon said impassively, taking a moment to glance at the striking figure as he stopped behind his son. "But he did say somethin’ about you giving us ah new job, dint he Lewris?" Lawrence didn't answer, only biting at his lower lip in annoyance.

Theobald laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "I see he did, judging from the looks on your faces before I arrived. There is nothing to fear, and stop standing so straight all the time. You'll break your backs. You're just lookouts, you know." Simon almost instinctively breathed out a small sigh and let his shoulders relax, a content smile appearing on his face. Lawrence kept ready, silently assuming it was some sort of test.

The lord continued, smiling warmly. "I was on my way to the blacksmith when my son reminded me I needed to speak to you two. We have no more need for these fields to be guarded. The griffon camp has moved east," Lawrence glanced at Simon, who had a slightly worried look creeping onto his face, "which is the reason you are both being moved up to the regular ranks. Giles will be down here tomorrow with your new armor and weapons. Lawrence, you are an expert bowman, I hear."

Lawrence couldn't suppress the small grin on his face. "Yes m'lord. I believe myself to be an excellent bowman and an adequate swordsman. Simon is-" Lawrence lowered himself a bit, shoulders dropping slightly as Theobald interrupted him with a raised hand.

"Yes, I know your friend is good with an axe, youngest son of a woodcutter and all." Lawrence glanced over at the now-beaming Simon, who was fidgeting slightly in his armor. "As I said before, you'll both be getting new armor and weapons. You may accompany me to the blacksmith to be fitted, if you wish." Theobald turned around, waving one hand at Richard. "Come along, son."

The boy turned around and lazily walked after his father. Lawrence stared at Simon for a moment, both grinning. For them, finally, the long and tireless hours of standing guard over the fields were over. Lawrence wouldn't waste his efforts shooting down wolves or foxes who got too close, and Simon wouldn't have to continue complaining about how his armor itched. Being in the regular ranks of Retsamoreh's guard was considered an honor... as well as a bit of a relief.

Lawrence adjusted the shortsword hanging from his belt and marched after the two ahead of him. Simon jogged to his side, still grinning. "An this means we get extra rations, right, Lewris?" Lawrence dropped his smile as his friend spoke, taking a moment before nodding. Several meters ahead of them, Theobald raised a hand and stopped, turning his head to address the two.

"You two, if you could pause for a moment. I forgot what day it is." Theobald lowered slightly to the ground, his cape folding against the dirt. He held one arm around Richard, the other pointed towards the sky. "She’ll be here, son. Keep looking."

The child drew his attention from his stick to the sky, staring eagerly at the few clouds in it. Lawrence and Simon stopped, their grins wiped from their faces. Simon shuffled closer to his friend, leaning a bit to whisper, "He don mean what I think he does, does he?" Lawrence stared at Simon, wondering why they had the misfortune of being paired together.

"There!" Theobald said, grinning to his son before looking back up at the sky. The other three followed his gaze. A small yellow dot burst through the clouds above, scattering bits of white as the cloud dispersed. Richard simply stared in awe at the sight.

Lawrence and Simon frowned. "No rain again, m'lord," Simon said. It was a glum, almost whispered statement. Simon and Lawrence both stared at the ground. No rain seemed to be the new status quo for the past few months.

Theobald nodded, reaching into his pouch for something. "Yes, I expected to do this in a more private area but my timing has been off. Have you ever spoken to a pegasus, Simon?" He pulled out a small square mirror and held it above him, slowly turning it to catch the light of the sun.

Simon and Lawrence both looked up. "No m'lord, ah don think Lewris 'as either," Simon said. Lawrence lightly bit his lower lip again. Richard continued gaping at the yellow creature flying above, tearing the clouds apart.

The pegasus stopped, and Lawrence felt its gaze. Like a rock, its descent was nearly instant. Lawrence and Simon flinched at the speed, faster than any arrow Lawrence had ever fired. In moments they could make out the details. Yellow fur and feathers, mostly. A wild maroon mane flowed behind it, bouncing as the pegasus landed merely two meters from Theobald, the tip of its head at level with the man’s chest.

"Hey, why the flashy thing? I can’t do my job if I can't see!" it barked in an aggravated female tone. She ruffled her wings a bit, glaring expectantly at Theobald, eyes growing wider as she studied him. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Theobald. It's been so long," she sputtered out, sitting on her haunches and using one hoof to move her mane away from her face. "Why'd you need me down here?"

Theobald frowned. He still crouched on one knee, so he was eye level with the pegasus. "I need to ask why we haven’t been receiving the rain that’s normally on our schedule. It currently isn't a problem, but I still feel the need to ask." He paused, still holding one hand on his son's shoulders. “However, that can wait. Introductions are needed. This is my son, Richard." His grip tightened around his son for a moment, everyone but the two guards smiling. "Richard, this is Sunset Dancer. She rules over our skies and delivers our rain."

Sunset bowed in front of Richard, making him giggle. Lawrence and Simon took a few tentative steps back to give Theobald some space to talk without them leaning over his shoulder. Richard reached out to the pegasus, grinning. “Can I feel your wings?” he asked, craning his neck to get a good look at Sunset’s side.

“I, ah....” Sunset looked up at Theobald, who nodded. “Sure, kid.” She turned to her side, and lifted one wing out for Richard to touch. She looked up and addressed Theobald as Richard ran his small hands through her feathers. “He’s nice, Theobald. You and your wife did well.”

Theobald responded with a sad smile, and waved his hand dismissively. “Indeed. How have you been? It’s been years since we last spoke, what with your constant traveling between Skyhome city and here, and merely to push a few clouds around....”

“It’s really no trouble, and I’m- Ow! Don’t pull on that! Ah, um, I’ve been fine, Theobald. I got engaged.”

“Really?” Theobald comically stroked an invisible beard, grinning. “As long as it has been, I specifically remember you saying you didn’t plan on that. Alas! We may discuss these matters in private, later.” He turned to look at the two guards shifting uncomfortably behind him, "these two fine men are Simon and Lawrence,” he said, still wearing his diplomatic smile. Lawrence offered a small grin and a nod towards Sunset, and Simon took a deep bow.

“Allo, miss,” Simon said at the same time. Theobald fully turned his back to the pegasus, and pointed at the two.
"Could you entertain Richard for a moment? I must discuss private matters with Sunset."
Lawrence opened his mouth to reply, “ye-”

"Yes m'lord, will do," Simon interjected. Lawrence sighed as Theobald and Sunrise walked away. For a while, the awkward group stood there, staring expectantly at one another. Simon blinked a few times, and Richard blinked back. Lawrence glanced up at Sunset, who hovered at Theobald's eye level, exchanging words that grew quiet as the two stepped away.

Richard huffed, picking up his stick and thwacking it against Simon's shin a second time. Simon gave a low growl in the direction of his assailant, both of them grinning. "Arruh! I'm ah bear and I hungers fer little lords today!" he roared. Richard laughed, running down the hill past him, dropping his stick sword as he pumped his short legs. "Raahh! COME'ERE YOU!"

The town of Retsamoreh remained nearly the same for a good amount of time. It wasn’t until the 16th year that the gradual, almost unnoticeable decrease in rain became apparent.

On behalf of Theobald, Sunset Dancer begged the nearest pegasus city, Skyhome, for rain. They denied her, and in her spite she dropped everything and moved to Retsamoreh with her husband and foal. Her husband later fell ill and died.
With drought hanging over the town, it fell into chaos. Other towns and cities stopped trade due to the loss of the crops and other tradable goods, and the townspeople began losing hope. Stephan and Fordwin, the two most clever men living in Retsamoreh, proposed the idea of making the dangerous and long journey to seek the favor of the two gods residing in the great city of Kuiper. Theobald, seeing no other way to save his people, brought his best guards and his advisor together and set off to Kuiper in a last-ditch attempt to save his people.

This is not that story.

Kuiper had always been an especially safe place. Not because of the Pegasus Guard which constantly patrolled the streets and walls, nor the isolation from danger, nor the imposing marble walls themselves. Certainly, the guards had their effect on the populace, and the city’s distance from danger also helped. Much rather, Kuiper housed five of the most powerful living beings on the planet. Four of them were considered to be gods in different parts of the world.

However, the denizens of Kuiper didn’t refer to the first two as gods, they called them “King” and “Queen”, just as they always had. The other two were “The Princesses” as a pair, or otherwise just “Princess”.

The Kuiperians called the last one “Sir”. His real name was Morning Star: Royal Advisor to the King and Queen of Equestria. As the Steward of the palace, his duties revolved around tending to visiting dignitaries and relaying important messages, but he also watched over the two princesses residing within the palace walls.

The palace, also known as “the Great Tower”, was located in the middle of the city and could be seen for miles away in any direction. As isolated as it was, Kuiper was no stranger to imposing architecture, and the impossible height of the Great Tower could send a pegasus into cold shivers. It had to be a frightening place to live, most ponies agreed, and they had no idea how the royal family could stand it.

To be honest, the Royal Family didn’t. They loved it. The Princesses had always adored the simple joy of being higher in the air than everypony else. The air wasn’t too thin, and it was easy to get used to, even after a single night. The King and Queen never really paid the height any mind, or, if they did, they never showed it.

The Princesses had shown great interest in astronomy, and being closer to the sky allowed for a better study of the stars. They would often perform observations and studies from a private balcony, far above the lights and noise of the city below.

"He's just so stuffy all the time, isn't he?" Celestia said, resting her head on the desk in front of her. The only other occupants of the desk were several books and a messy looking star chart.

"Yes," Luna muttered, sitting on a pillow near to her sister. She craned her neck to peer at the chart. A bronze telescope stood a few feet next to her.

"Truly, I can understand a little bit, being the captain of the guard, but really! It's not like Gallant has real combat experience. He’s practically useless!" Celestia cast her sister a sideways glance.

"Do be fair, he does try, sister," Luna said softly. The chart zipped from the table and floated next to her head, and she turned around to face the telescope. “You really ought to give him some slack.”

"I suppose he does..." Celestia stood up, following her sister to the telescope. She peered curiously down at the young Alicorn. "You do realize there won't be any stars out for a few hours, right?"

"Mom always says to be prepared," Luna replied, slowly moving the telescope into position. "So I wanna be prepared." She pressed one eye against the lens, closing the other.

Celestia tapped her hoof to her chin for a moment, before promptly saying, “did Morning Star tell you anything about the human Lord who’s supposed to reach us tonight? Mom and dad made me sit through court again. Very dull."

Luna looked away from the telescope and moved back to the desk, levitating the chart next to her. "Actually, he should be here by now. He and his party are probably all being escorted to the throne room at this very moment. Mom, Dad, and Morning Star all agreed to meet with Theobald right before they were let into their guest rooms. He said we could watch, if we wanted.”

Celestia looked at her sister for a moment, before turning back to the low archway that led back into the personal living room and general study for the two Princesses. "Really? That would be interesting... I haven't seen a human since Lockewin was invited for a feast celebrating the final defeat of the griffon army. That was years ago. I was so young, and you weren't even born yet."

"You told me that already, you know," Luna said, slowly walking next to Celestia's side, “and are we going to go meet them or not? This is rather exciting, and I’d rather not wait any longer." She beamed up at Celestia, who returned the gaze with equal force. They walked in-step, Celestia shutting the balcony doors behind them.

The study was a mess, as usual. Papers, books, various mathematical instruments, and empty inkwells were strewn across the tables, and the bookshelves were just as chaotic. Hours before, a certain captain of the guard named Gallant Venture had chastised the Princesses about it, saying that if the humans saw the junk they might think littler of them. "Princesses," he had insisted, "are not sloppy."

A silky voice drifted from the hallway outside, the same one that woke the girls up each morning. Morning Star, talking in the most regal, profound, and scholarly tone they had ever heard, which was surprisingly easy for him. "This floor is mostly dedicated to the two Princesses, Luna and Celestia."

"Sir Star, is that- Oh, hello there," Luna said, sticking her head out the door. She caught sight of the tall unicorn stallion and his retinue of even taller humans. All of them wore thick leather garments, each looking weary and bored. As soon as they saw Luna, though, they instantly straightened, looking curiously at her. They began sputtering greetings and impromptu bows.

"An honor to- Simon! Don't talk to her like that!" The tallest of them glared at a short, red-bearded man, jabbing him in the ribs with an elbow. Luna giggled and gracefully walked the rest of the way into the hall, which wasn't much of a hall- more of an inner-balcony. The Great Tower was mostly hollowed out, with various marble walkways bridging the open spans in an odd chaotic order that only the architects knew. It was designed, of course, so that one could look straight down and see the two thrones of the King and Queen.

Celestia followed closely behind Luna, eliciting more bumbled greetings from the visitors. Both of them stopped in front of Morning Star, each staring curiously at whichever human looked to be interesting, which happened to be all of them.

Morning Star was a glass-like unicorn, not bulky or muscular in any way, shape, or form. His white coat and silver mane only exaggerated this fragile appearance. His mark was a simple, seven-pointed gold star, seemingly nothing special at first glance.

"The human Lord, Theobald, is still downstairs discussing things with your parents. These are his loyal guards. They've had a long trip, and I imagined that giving them a tour of 'The City of the Gods' would be a nice break."

"A pleasure to meet you all. I am Princess Celestia," the elder and taller of the two Alicorn Princesses said, proudly holding her head high. She wasn't fully grown, certainly not yet, but that didn't stop her from appearing any less regal. "This is my sister, Princess Luna." She paused, carefully eyeing the closest of the guards, the short one with the beard. "Your names?"

The tall guard next to him straightened his shoulders and puffed his chest out, staring impassively at the Princesses. Celestia could tell he held his appearance in higher priority than some of the other guards. His long, light brown cloak looked completely un-torn, though obviously weathered from travel. A bow was draped around his back, still strung. The ends of a few arrows stuck out from the quiver. "Lawrence, your Majesties," he deadpanned, giving only a curt nod. The act reminded Celestia of the many palace guards she ran into during her daily routine, making her smile.

Each gave their own bow or nod of the head, and a few awkward moments passed before Morning Star spoke up. "I could pause the tour and take you all down there. By the time we reach the throne, they'll have most likely finished the, ah... negotiations. Would you all find that to be acceptable?"

"Fine with us," they said in unison, each stepping to a side of the balcony to let the Princesses and Morning Star pass.

"Royalty first, 'ah course," Simon said, gesturing for the Princesses to pass. Luna smiled at him as she and Celestia walked to the front of the party with Morning Star a few steps behind them. The group began the steady trek down the inside of the tower, and the sounds of foot and hoof on marble echoed around the vast interior.

"I take it your trip went smoothly?" Celestia asked, glancing quickly at the guards. The one that called himself Lawrence lightly tapped a hand on Simon's shoulder before speaking up.

"For the most part, yes. We ran into some trouble in Neighton, and after we left, but that was to be expected."

"What happened?" Luna questioned, earning a quick glare from Celestia for her inconsideration. Lawrence coughed into his hand, clearing his throat, and he glanced nervously at his companions. The other guards just nodded, silently electing Lawrence as their voice.

“Almost a day after we left the town, we were ambushed by a griffon raiding party. We've never fought griffons, but we held our ground... We lost Hugh and Theobald's advisor, Alard."

"Another unfortunate victim was a brilliant pegasus bard named Lyric. He had offered his services as an entertainer, and.... It really wasn't a fair fight. I'm surprised we got out of it without losing more. Couldn't have done it without Simon and Fulk. They're brilliant warriors."

"Shush, you. Anyways. The rest of the journey was tame in comparison. Just traveling, and sometimes stopping the entire group for one of Simon's 'tinkle' breaks.” Lawrence stopped short, swallowing nervously at the slip of tongue. “Some of these men are an asset when it comes to the battlefield, but drive you insane when it comes to long trips."

Celestia chuckled, taking a turn and leading the group through a longer stairwell. "You are here now, though, are you not? We will be sure to provide you with comfortable accommodations.”

There was a long pause as Celestia steered the group directly down the stairs. Slowly, they lost their formation. Celestia lead, with Lawrence and Simon walking on either side of Luna. Morning Star walked in the middle, a few of the guards trailing behind him. Luna looked up at Lawrence, who towered over both Celestia and herself, and grinned. "So how many griffons did you kill, Sir Lawrence?" she asked.

"Four," he answered, "of course, Simon has convinced himself that I 'stole’ one of them, so you can make of that what you-"

"He did!" Simon complained, earning a grimace from both Celestia and Lawrence. Luna just stared on in an innocent awe. "An Ah got ten of the buggers!" he finished with a smug smile, raising a thick finger in the air for added emphasis.

"How very grim. You sound like you enjoyed it, and you did, didn't you?" Celestia piped up from the front, glaring back at Lawrence and Simon without a single misstep.

"Part of the Retsamoreh Guard Oath is to never enjoy such an act,” Lawrence said. “We strictly.... eh. It's complicated. Simon just likes his job, thinks that every griffon he offs means he's saving a life. I really wish we didn’t have to resort to violence with them, but sometimes defending yourself is simply the only option."

"Well that's very noble, then," Celestia said before staring hard at Luna. "Don't ask any more awkward questions, please," she hissed.

"T'aint really awkward," Simon muttered absent-mindedly. Luna moved up next to Celestia, looking up at the elder Alicorn with big, beaming eyes. Celestia held her ground with an iron will, and after a minute or so Luna gave up.

Wherever there was space on the inside of the Great Tower, the higher-ups had decided it fit to place a statue. Specifically, statues of whomever they deemed important enough to make statues of. War heroes and previous leaders, mostly. Anyone could tell that whoever made the statues favored ponies, as there was a notable lack of griffons or dragons, and only four humans.

A pair of towering humans stood hand-in-hand in the long line of statues, each adorned with a small crown. Celestia glanced at them as the group passed, and her mind drifted to years past. Morning Star had made sure to give them all the information possible on the two, known as Omir and Siromi. The two, as Morning Star had told them, were the first human leaders to set foot in Equestria. “Anypony with a basic knowledge of Equestrian history would know about them and the historic founding of the human city of Solis,” he had said. “What they wouldn’t know, of course, is that the legend that Omir was blessed by your parents was indeed true, though not the reason Solis thrived as the legend suggests.”

Her eyes and thoughts were drawn to the third human statue. Most ponies wouldn’t know who he was, unfortunately, but “Such was life,” Morning Star explained, “However,” he had dryly stated, walking over to an oversized map in their study, “it’s no lie that Equestria would be very different without Sir Lockewin. His strategies revolutionized warfare as we knew it and still play a vital role in our defense today, as his politics have lasted until now, keeping the peace between us and the griffons. It is a shame he faded into obscurity so quickly.”

She spared only a half-second glance at the last of the statues. It had perplexed her and Luna during their studies, and Morning Star had admitted even he, an adviser to the rulers of the country, did not have any knowledge of its identity other than the simple plaque reading “The Knight” at its base. When she and her sister had questioned her parents about it, her father had simply raised an eyebrow and smiled bemusedly down at them. “That statue is of a friend,” he had said, “it does not concern you nor Morning Star.”
"HALT!"

Everyone, pony or otherwise, instantly moved to peer over the side of the railing. Luna and Celestia looked towards the thrones, and everyone else looked at Theobald, who stood straight in front of the thrones with an outstretched arm from which an obscured, roundish object hung - Theobald, who stood now in front of two very stone-like Alicorns resting still on their thrones. Their bodies were now devoid of all color, and their long manes not longer flowed from an invisible wind. Definitely statues.

The pegasus guard surged into the rest of the throne room, headed directly for Theobald. The Lord of Retsamoreh turned around slowly, simply holding out the object in the direction of the onrushing guard. The white stallion began skidding to a stop, a silent scream plastered onto his face. His body stopped in front of the human, the white of his coat and silver of his armor dulled to stone grays. A low, almost metallic chuckle emanated from Theobald.

Luna and Celestia stared on in horror, faces blank and mouths hanging open. Morning Star, as well as all of the Retsamoreh guards, were now standing about ten meters back and off to the side, staring at the two Princesses with cold eyes. A quick nod was shared between the humans and the royal advisor, and Lawrence stepped forward, coughing into one fist while the other one drew the bow draped around his back.

"Excuse me..." he said, reaching for the contents of his quiver. The two young Alicorns turned around just in time to see him pull the arrow back. Beside him stood Morning Star, wearing a completely unreadable expression. Simon and the other guards reached to their sides and gripped their weapons, unsheathing their swords in almost complete unison. "I'm afraid, as beautiful as your eyes are.... I’m sorry."

"What? B-but why?" Celestia sputtered, trying to wrap her mind around the situation. She gave a horrified look at Morning Star, who only stared right back with a stone cold expression. "Sir Star.... y-you're with them. W-why?"

"Because," he said, a sliver of a frown playing upon the corner of his lips, "your parents are - were, tyrants. You love them too much to see that the choices they've made have put the entire planet on the verge of disaster. The unneeded drought in Retsamoreh was the last straw. There is nothing more to be said, other than that I’m sorry it had to come to this. Goodbye."

Celestia glanced down at Luna, only to see her sister frozen in place and staring at Lawrence. She followed her younger sister's gaze, realizing that the arrow was pointed directly at Luna's head.

"No...." she said, closing her eyes in concentration. Lawrence and Morning Star stared as her horn began to glow, beams of light bouncing off the marble inside of the Great Tower.

"Simon," Lawrence muttered through the corner of his mouth. Without a word or even a grunt in acknowledgement, the burley red-bearded man lunged, one arm swinging his massive broadsword as he closed the distance between him and his target. Lawrence let go, and the first and only arrow in the five-minute rebellion was fired. Simon launched himself into the air with surprising agility. The arrow flew without a sound, and there was a terribly ghastly silence.

There was a terribly ghastly noise that sounded exactly like two princesses briefly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, accompanied by an explosion, and a clatter as an arrow smacked into the floor.

There was a terribly ghastly silence, and it continued for what felt like ages. Celestia kept her eyes clenched tight, shivering from both fear and the strain of the magic she had just used. For the briefest of moments, her mind went completely blank.

"S-sister?" Luna asked, gently prodding the stark white young Alicorn with her hoof. Celestia's eyes sprung open, and she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. She looked at their surroundings, brain overloading with information as her vision swirled in a mess of dark foliage.

"I- Uhm. Y-yes?" Celestia staggered to the side, coming into contact with a hard, rough surface. She slid down it until her right legs were splayed out and her left legs were curled under her. Luna appeared from the blur of reality, bending down to look worriedly at her fallen sister. The feeling of the bark rubbing into her skin seemed distant, as did the other woodland sounds. There was only Luna's voice calling out to her.

"What- What's wrong? What happened?" Luna gasped out, looking around worriedly before setting her sights back on her sister, both taking ragged breaths. Luna stared down at Celestia, Celestia stared out at nothing, and they stayed that way for what felt like hours.

Luna blinked. Their breathing had returned to normal, and Celestia had closed her eyes. Luna took a deep breath of the dry air, and slowly lowered herself to the ground. With her legs curled under her like wilted flowers, she leaned on her sister. The forest was still quiet save for the gentle swaying of the branches and the occasional chirping of a bird in the distance. It felt dry, unnaturally so for the woods, and the faint smell of pine wafted through the trees.

The forest was silent, save for the muffled, ragged sobbing of a dark blue princess.

"Tia. Wake up," Luna said, prodding her sleeping sister in the side, just above the wing. It was dark, and even darker clouds obscured the moon. The only light in the forest was the dull blue glow of Luna's illuminated horn, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Lighting things was her sister's specialty. She tentatively prodded the unconscious form of her sister once more, and suppressed a whimper.

A gale ripped through the forest, bending the trees and causing a shiver to run down Luna’s spine. In the distance, lightning snapped, lighting the sky for a moment. Heavy droplets smacking against the treetops reached her ears. The storm was coming closer.

"Tia... please wake up," she begged, grimacing as she forced down tears, "I don't want to have to carry you...."

The glow on the tip of Luna’s horn faded to nothing, and she began casting a levitation spell. The unconscious princess was carefully lifted off of the ground and bobbed gently next to Luna. Lightning flashed again, and in moments later Luna felt the sharp sting of raindrops as they pelted her back. Celestia, even in the rain, refused to awaken.

"It's not safe here," Luna whispered to herself, looking around the darkened trees. Each one seemed to menace her, as if she and her sister were unwanted interlopers and the trees themselves wished them gone. "We should get to a clearing...." she muttered, barely hearing herself as thunder roared overhead.

Luna sniffled, and brought a bare hoof up to brush the sopping wet mane out of her eyes. Her eyes tightened as she mustered up all of her courage before walking deeper into the mob of trees. They seemed to loom directly over her as she made her way around them, simply waiting to spring upon and destroy the intruders. The tiny alicorn flinched as lightning flashed above her and a wave of thunder rumbled around her. Any moment now, she reasoned, Theobald's thugs would come from the trees and strike her down. They would take Celestia away from her just like Theobald took her parents.

No, she told herself, they won't. They won't get away with it. Her hooves scraped at the ground. I won’t let them. She pressed onward, finally stumbling upon a small clearing of short grass. The wind roared like a hurricane, and she could sense they were in the middle of the storm. The large raindrops had long since battered her senseless. She made way to the middle of the clearing, and set Celestia down.

Trembling before her sister’s limp form, she gathered a deep breath. "Hello?" she called out, her voice strained and mind racing, "Help! Somepony, help us! Can anypony... hear us? ... Help...."

She pointed her horn at the sky and at the menacing clouds over her. The sky answered with another roar of lightning and thunder. Her horn flashed once, and a sphere of dark blue light launched upwards, exploding into a deep blue light. She did it again, and then again, and so many times she lost count. As long as there was a chance someone would find them, she continued. She had to. The rain pelted her, and the wind bit at her, and ever so slowly, the cold crept up her legs and through her coat. Her conviction crumbled away, and the alicorn slumped down. The blackness descended upon her, enveloping the world, and it tipped her into oblivion.

"Fordwin, I appreciate your aid but I really have to be going to meet with-" Thud. Another book fell into the young man's already overflowing arms, making his shoulders drop from the added weight. "-because if I don't he'll be irritated and he's already barely calmed down from yesterday's incident in the bakery and I really just need the one book-" Thud. Another heavy tome fell from the tutor's hands and into his arms. "-so if you could please just give me it because like I said-" Thud. This time the new book began sliding forward, and the talkative man was forced to stop mid-sentence in order to secure the sliding book with his chin.

There was a brief, tense silence as the other man descended the library's ladder. He wore a simple robe, as was customary for the wizened-in-age and the knowledgeable. His beard touched his chest, and the thin grey wires of his surviving hair clung to his bald head. An almost mocking smile appeared as he held up a small brown leather book. His voice sounded weary, as would that of any man who had lived long enough, but it still had spark - a sense of hopefulness that clung to every word.

"Edwin, my child, you must know those books by heart before you can even open this one." He quickly pushed the book into his robe, setting it inside of a hidden pocket, the weight of the book showing a bulge on the outside of the coat.

"Et least giff me something teh holl them wiff," Edwin muttered, face going red from strain and the embarrassment of inhibited speech. Fordwin chuckled, pointing a thin finger at a nearby table. Edwin frowned and shuffled over, a relieved breath escaping as he dropped the pile onto the dull wood, and he chose a book at random and tucked it under the crook of his arm. "Alright, okay. I'll be back here tomorrow to pick these up because I'll have to grab, probably, a wheelbarrow or get one of the farmhands to pull a cart, or pull the cart myself... No, that would make me sweaty, I loathe being sweaty. Anyways, tomorrow, because I have to-"

"You never told me why you wanted this book in the first place," Fordwin interrupted, the sly smile still hanging on his face as he circled around the table. His eyes glanced at the bookshelves around them, though he knew by heart where each book would be placed.

"Ah. Um. Richard wanted it, actually. He asked me to research it for him while he consults the new guards with Giles. I just didn't know it'd be so much work, 'cause you know I'm used to working hard but that is a lot of readin-" He cut himself off. Fordwin hunched over the table, eyes downcast. The ancient scholar let out a deep breath and looked up at Edwin, a frown set in his wrinkled face.

"Is, um, something the matter, Fordwin? I... Uh..." Edwin balked and bit his lower lip. Fordwin didn't answer, but looked solemnly down at the table again. After a few more awkward seconds, Edwin Edwin waited uncomfortably for a response, but Fordwin’s gaze remained fixed downard. Well, it seemed this conversation was over. He shuffled over towards the large oak door, opening it wide. He stopped, looking back at the other man. "I'll just... Uh, make sure to tell Richard that I'll start tomorrow and then I'll be back with the cart or the-" He quickly shut the door, the sound echoing through the empty hall he had stepped into. "-bye." he muttered, mostly to himself.

Edwin faced the window adjacent to the study's door, looking straight at the sun. It was about six in the afternoon, he figured, and then walked off. The sound of his boots on the stone floor reminded him of how empty the place had been for the past year, growing more empty since Theobald and the guards had left.

Edwin absently nodded in respect as he passed a painting of the lord and his son. He mostly remembered the day the piece was made, though the memory was riddled with holes, but he could not forget its entirety. He had stood alongside the painter, a wealthy man sent all the way from Cira, and handed him extra brushes or paints whenever he called for them. Edwin never liked the painting itself, but he always felt a sense of accomplishment when he passed the piece. The nod was in respect for himself for enduring an entire day of standing around and doing nothing, of course, not Theobald or Richard.

The hallway ended with another door, and he paused in the late afternoon sun. There were no flowers, nothing but dry grass and the smell of waste hovering near the pig farm. Home, he thought as he pulled open the door.

The door shut with a low thud as he turned to look at the old building. Home, he thought again, seconds before mentally scolding himself. Edwin turned, sparing a glance at the few buildings on the other side of the road before beginning to walk. It's temporary, you fool. Stop thinking you'll live here happily ever after, because before you know it Theobald is going to come back empty-handed and we're going to pack up and move to the coast. You'll probably be separated from Richard and end up as - "Some random student mulling about the nearest library, because he's not going to be able to pay for your-" Edwin stopped in his tracks, biting the inside of his cheek in frustration. He had begun talking out loud again. Desperate for something to distract him from his thoughts, he pulled the book out from under his arm and started walking once again.

The leather was dyed blue, not uncommon for the newer books of the age. Some sort of fad in Cira must have caused the sudden love of blue dyes. The title, The History of Magic-based Artifacts, had been written in gold ink on the front. At least he had grabbed one that might be interesting. Edwin opened the book down the middle and flipped past a couple pages, waiting until a new section started.

Somebody in the real world called out to him, and he ignored it. He knew who possessed the voice, a lovely women named Clarice that he sometimes saw sneaking food to Lawrence and Simon. Nevertheless, he was in a hurry and couldn't afford idle chat, not like he cared for her anyway. The town didn't even need guards.

Edwin looked down at the page, continuing to ignore his surroundings as he walked down the road. The clusters of buildings shrank and the road thined as he left the more heavily populated area. The dirt turned into dead grass that stretched over the hillside, exactly where he was headed. Edwin kept the majority of his concentration on his book, leaving it to his subconscious to direct his legs where he wanted to go. Unknown to him, he began to read aloud.

"The Scabbard of Ulthwitz the Trivial Master was then passed down to his son, Lawrence of Gandera. There were several years of peace before the remnants of the Griffon army descended upon the city. Lawrence was killed during the battle and the scabbard was lost in the ruins and has not been found. Along with preserving the sharpness of swords placed in it, the scabbard also had the uncanny ability not to suffer the effects of time. Historians propose that it is most likely buried somewhere in the ashes, and will probably be found at some point in the future." He stopped talking, suddenly aware of another presence. He had a pretty good idea of who it was, so he simply kept walking, this time silently.

After another ten seconds of walking, an annoyed voice came from his left, “why'd ya stop reading, Edwin?"

He simply refused to look down, knowing the consequences he would suffer if he did. All he could do was snap at the childlike voice, narrowing his eyes as he forced himself to glare at the ground a few yards ahead. "I'm sorry, but you know how I feel about reading out loud, and you know how I feel about you, Sunrise. I thought your mother ordered you to never bother me again." At that he gritted his teeth, face turning slightly redder.

"Well, mom did say I needed to stop bothering you, but she's off at Skyhome to get something. Said if I was bored I should talk to mister Richard or mister Fordwin, but Richard is off doing things with sir Giles and Fordwin is creepy. I promise I won't bother you too much, alright?!" He took a moment to think of a reply, eyes thoughtfully scanning the horizon of the hill they were ascending.

Edwin sighed, closing the book and putting it under his arm in one fluid movement. He finally spared a glance at the yellow filly beside him. The oversized blue eyes boring into his own. "Most of them end like that one," he deadpanned, desperately attempting to avoid a long discussion, even if he knew it was coming. "In fact, yes, most of them do end like that. Maybe except a few you've already heard about, like Omir and Siromi's crowns. But I think most of them just end with the hero dying and the magic item being lost to history. In fact, a lot of regular stories end like that as well. I personally love the tragedy of it-"

"Those are stupid endings," Sunrise said, forcing Edwin into silence as he thought his next words over carefully. Sunrise's mother would toss him off a cloud if he told the filly that not having a happy ending was just like real life, but years of Fordwin commenting on his loose tongue getting him into trouble eased him into a reluctant silence. His respite lasted only a few moments, unfortunately. Sunrise piped up a new topic as they crested the hill.

"You think they'll give mom some rain this time?" came the innocent-sounding question, and Edwin pondered for another few steps. He looked down at Sunrise to reply. She was staring indignantly at a patch of rough-looking grass with such an unexpected intensity that Edwin half-expected it to burst into flame. Uhg, fire. The last thing they needed was a fire.

Edwin couldn't help but chuckle. Another moment passed before he thought he could speak properly again. "I can't say I know what the grass tastes like, so I'll have to go with your opinion, Sunrise." His mind shifted to different, rambling thoughts again, flashes of mental pictures that went by faster than he could properly catch them.

They began the slow trek down, the angle so shallow it could hardly be called a descent. Along their left side stood a long wooden fence, broken or crumbling in several places. There were no animals of any kind to be seen behind the fences, only the dull green of dead grass and sometimes the tall head of a weed. There were no bugs buzzing, no birds chirping, and the sound of water flowing down the creek embedded in the right side of the path was long absent. The sound of silence was normal, except to Edwin and a few others who always found it unsettling, and today was no different for him. He turned to Sunset, who was still diligently following him, and reluctantly attempted to begin conversation in order to retain his sanity.

"How have you and the others been holding up?" He asked, trying to sound somewhat normal. They passed another destroyed section of the fence, old splinters strewn across the road. Edwin kicked a large splinter, and the piece landed a few yards in ahead of them. He mentally slapped himself from continuing his question, doing his best to utilize the self-control Fordwin always ordered him to use.

"Oh. Everyone is acting like they're fine, but Daffodil is planning on leaving for... Uh, Neighton, I think. He said there's a lot of other good earth ponies there and since there's a river near it he'll always have water, I think. Chrys... Chrysanthemun.. Chr-"

"-Yea, Chrysanthenumum, she said if Daffodil goes she'll go with him. I like her a lot so I'll miss her if she does leave, but Daffodil is already packing..." Sunrise looked at the ground, frowning in thought. "And Roots said we only have enough bread to last until next year anyways... Something about the soil being dead here."

Edwin adjusted the neckline of his shirt. His eyes scanned the trees for smoke, the telltale sign of where Giles and Richard would be. Far off to the right of where he knew the path lead, he could see the thin tendrils sneaking over the woods. He mentally marked the spot and continued walking.

The silence already ebbed at his mind, and he wondered why Sunrise hadn't countered with a few questions of her own. It's everything that's been happening, he realized. Every other family is packing up and moving to the nearest human or pony town, for the sakes of their own children. Sunrise Chaser had already lost several of her good friends. That explained her recent interest in constantly bothering him. The epiphany made his mind reel, and he attempted to start another conversation.

"How is your flying progressing? Your mother told me she was teaching you whenever she could, alas I know she has her duties to carry out, being the only pegasus in the town," he asked, smiling down at her. Sunrise instantly brightened, returning the smile to him after her mind registered the question.

"Oh, yea! I can get off the ground now and hover a little. I can't really move forward though. Mom said I should just keep practicing until she comes home. Wanna see, Edwin?" she chirped. He sighed, and the only response he could give was a solemn shake of the head.

"Not now, Sunrise," he said, but quickly decided to add something when he saw the smile drop from her face, “but you can show me when we get to Richard, you know it'll take him a while to take off his armor, so you can do it then, alright?"

"Just remember not to bother him if he tries strikes up a conversation on the way back. I'm his advisor before your friend," Edwin said as they entered a darker area of the woods. The sun was beginning its descent. Beams of light were shining through the leaves, showing Edwin and Sunset all of the dust floating through the air. He tried his best not to sneeze at the sight of it all, but he did anyway and Sunrise giggled.

Edwin’s mind stopped in its tracks, but somehow his legs wandered on with a mind of their own. Meanwhile, his mind rifled through its library, gazing over every dictionary and thesaurus it had at its disposal. On one hand, he found Sunrise annoying with her constant interruptions while he was reading, or running errands. The other hand felt the weight of his earlier epiphany; if this kept up, Sunrise would have no one to turn to but her mother, and Sunset was almost constantly gone.

He looked forward. "Yes." He said solemnly, doing his best to sound sincere. He mentally drilled that answer into his mind, just to ensure he didn't do something stupid later on. As soon as he said it, the two turned along the path to see the smithy standing out amongst the trees. An L-shaped barn towered next to it, painted a dull grey and with a shield hanging over the double doors. The smithy itself was minuscule in comparison to the barn, and it had a simple design. The shield bore three seven-pointed gold stars, each one smaller than the other, placed on the shield in an awkward looking triangle.

Fordwin's teachings came back to him as he stared at the shield. The real Shield of Lockewin hung inside the manor study, the sign of their town, and each guard bore the star etched into the back of their earlobe.

It was a delicate task, the etching, but the scars meant something to each guard. It gave them something tangible to hold on to -to fight for- even if no major conflicts had arisen since the Griffon Wars, which Lockewin himself had fought in. The brotherhood of the guard still stood, proudly marching under the banner of Retsamoreh. The guard was human based, as Giles and Theobald had no idea how to teach a pony how to fight and neither of them knew one who could. It had been that way for a long time, but no one complained. Not many of the ponies liked violence anyway, as if it screamed against their nature.

He lost view of the shield as they took the last steps towards the large door, and turned his thoughts towards what he would do if his call remained unanswered. He chose to simply, as the pegasi sometimes said, "to wing it".

"Giles! Richard!" Edwin shouted at the door, the sudden sound making Sunrise flinch. He ignored the young filly’s discomfort and rapped the door several sharp blows with the bottom of his fist. He underestimated his own strength and the door swung open a foot. He sighed and opened it the rest of the way, eyes peering cautiously inside. To his front was a simple desk, piled high with various charts and sketches of swords; measurements and codes that looked like gibberish to Edwin lay there as well. To his left was a shelf, several half-finished bits of weaponry placed on it.

Edwin closed the door before Sunrise could glimpse through. Without saying a word, he instantly drudged towards the barn building. His mind brimmed with possible outcomes and probabilities as dozens of scenarios played out in his mind. Tactics was the only subject that Fordwin taught Edwin and Richard at the same time, and Richard thought ahead at least seven steps. It was a good thing Edwin knew Richard like a good book.

He stopped at one of doors, and turned to a slightly confused Sunset. "They're in the woods, probably sparring." He pulled at the metal handle, a resounding click rewarded him. The door swung open with a groan as he stepped inside.

The first room of the "barn" threatened to burst with weaponry. Several pikes, spears, swords, and various polearms glinted on the armory shelves. It was not the most magnificent sight as quite a few were weathered from vigorous trainings; the newer and better weapons were always taken to the guardhouse near the manor. In the middle of the room stood a table, whereupon sat a pile of shields.

Edwin sighed and turned to an awed Sunset, suddenly realizing she had never been allowed into the armory. He silently cursed himself as he walked to one of the racks. "Stay there, Sunrise," he muttered, fingers sliding along the length of a worn scabbard. "Richard hates not finishing things, so I'll have to intervene and stop it myself." He glanced at her still-puzzled face and grinned. "I mean, he and Giles are pretty evenly matched out there. They could be at it for a long time once we get to them, and Richard would be incredibly cross with me if he found out I let him slip out of schedule. Therefore, I must place myself in the match to stop them."

He picked out a round shield from the table and ran his fingers along the edges, looking at it longingly. He paused for a moment before he continued speaking. Sunrise stared at a menacing-looking axe and ignored him. Edwin stopped talking and stood in the doorway, staring blankly at a still-awestruck Sunrise.

"Mom never lets me come out here," Sunrise stated while trotting to Edwin. They left the barn side by side. He looked down at her, gently biting his lower lip in thought. "Cause of the danger."

"The wolves? Nobody told her that we drove the last of them out just recently?" Edwin asked, raising an eyebrow. He spun on his left heel and walked the long length of the barn, towards a line of trees that marked the border of a small clearing. Sunrise took a breath as if to say something, but Edwin quickly moved to interrupt. "Well, or she is talking about the armory. In fact, that's probably it, isn't it?"

"Yea! She said that Giles is a bad influenza, or something, but Richard is okay because he's gonna be the new lord if Theobald never comes back." Edwin winced at the mention of Theobald, and made a silent prayer to the gods that they'd all return safely. He didn't have the experience to become an official advisor yet.

They both stopped at the tree-line, tensely staring at each other. Edwin was in thought, choosing his words carefully. The filly huffed, scrunching up her face in impatience.

"Yes, yes that would make sense. You pegasi are, well, according to Fordwin and his books, very arrogant and elitist, but normally stray from violence..." he said, looking through her. "Anyways," he said quickly, snapping back to reality and resuming his walk into the forest, “it's best we get moving before the sun sets, and Richard cannot be late for the meeting and I'll be held responsible if he is late. Then I'll get yelled at by Fordwin and will probably have to sit through another few lessons about diligence," he said, his voice gradually sounding more and more stressed as he thought about the situation. Sunrise giggled.

Edwin and Sunrise kept silent for a minute, working around a large fallen tree. Through gaps in the thick trees before them, he could see they were headed down into another small clearing. Memories of events from long ago grabbed for Edwin's attention. Edwin soon found himself in the middle of tall grass. At its tallest point, it came to his chest. Sunrise Chaser stood awkwardly beside him, nearly hidden and camouflaged by the tall, pale grass.

For a moment he stared at the ground, both his arms going limp as his mind wandered. Sunrise left him there, and began absentmindedly chewing on a blade of grass that taunted the filly by poking her in the face.

"We do a lot here, you know. Mostly training, but talking as well," Edwin said abruptly. He reached out, with his right hand, plucking one of the wheat-like blades from the ground. Sunrise peeked up at him for a second, before continuing her revenge on the grass.

"This is boring, where's Richard?" Sunrise quipped. She stared at Edwin as if he had been ignoring her for the past few minutes. He pursed his lips and glared at her, with surprising speed he brought up the blade he plucked earlier and balanced the blade on her muzzle. She sat on her flank, giggling up at it and Edwin, her orange mane bouncing.

"He's in the trees, preparing to execute his poorly thought out trap," Edwin said, smiling knowingly. He straightened up and spun around. Sunrise's eyes bulged, shrinking at the sudden change.

"Now would be a good time to do that hovering thing you learned," Edwin said, glancing back at Sunrise. His eyes grazed over the trees, looking and listening for the smallest changes. "Richard, you are absolutely horrible at traps and we both know it. Just come out so we can get this over with," he called, face suddenly set in a concentrated grimace. Sunrise stared into the air, her small wings outstretched and her face scrunched up in concentration.

From opposite sides of the clearing emerged two men. One was tall and thick. He wore old, scratched leather armor that looked slightly too small. He was bald, and bore an almost unnoticeable scar from his forehead to left ear. Mean, tough, and overall rugged, as Fordwin often described his unofficial nemesis, for the two constantly quarreled over which methods of teaching were best suited for Richard and Edwin.

Giles stood in an aggressive stance. He smiled as he unsheathed his own broadsword. The other man was nearly as tall as him, but far leaner. His leather armor wasn't old or worn, but was painted grey, and looked one size too large. The metal pieces gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting brightly across the grass.

Richard, who raised a hand to move the scraggly blonde hair from his eyes, laughed. "Yes, but I love traps."

"You see, Richard, traps are best done when the enemy least expects it. I can understand your logic, expecting that I would be far too sentimental about this place to notice you giggling in the trees, I nearly was. However, you forgot that we play chess together. I know all your strategies."

"Eh, fine. Do you surrender?" Richard shrugged, rolling his eyes and halfheartedly pointing his sword at Edwin. The black-haired student nodded, and was rewarded with both men sheathing their swords. "Glad to see you, Edwin." Richard laughed, and they walked to meet one another. Edwin clapped his hand on Richard's back in the embrace and quickly drew away.

"Ah, and you as well, fair Sunrise Chaser," Richard said, moving over to where Sunrise hovered eye-level with Giles. The blacksmith stayed silent, and his teaching day was over and that meant it was time to operate by the only-speak-when-spoken-to motto. He and Sunrise stared quizzically at each other, as if they were in one of her "staring contests", something Edwin had always abhorred, thinking it far too frivolous for his tastes.

"I'm glad to see you've made such dramatic progress on your flying skills. A tad late for a pegasus, but given your mother's recent job-oof," Richard said, interrupted by a sharp elbow to the side courtesy of Edwin. They glared at each other for a moment before Richard followed the silent advice. "I'm proud of you."

Giles turned, disinterested, and walked back to the smithy. Sunrise dropped to the ground and trotted over to Richard, who in turn knelt to hug her. The embrace was brief, but it was enough time to make Edwin smile before they let go. "I'm very serious, Sunrise. I am proud," he whispered, ruffling a bit of her orange mane before facing Edwin.

"Now, you need to tell me about this meeting," he said, lapsing into a commanding voice that Edwin knew all too well. The three followed behind Giles as he explained the reason for the sudden gathering.

"Alard sent back his falcon, Richard. It's dated two days ago, but it confirms that your father and the rest of them are nearing Kuiper. There was a fight near Neighton, though. They lost Hugh, and their guide, and Alard was badly injured." Richard nodded solemnly, paying his silent respects to the well known guard. "In the letter, Alard estimated that they would be in Kuiper within two days. Do you know what that means, Richard?"

They grinned at each other, knowing the question didn't need answering. Sunrise had gone ahead to attempt conversation with Giles, who mostly grunted at everything she said.

"Added on to that, the letter also said that they got their hands on some sort of magical artifact on the way there. Alard said he suspected he knew what it was, but he didn’t give any hints." Richard raised an eyebrow, no doubt just as confused as Edwin was when he read the letter earlier in the day. "So I went to Fordwin, and asked him about it. He said that Alard couldn't possibly be talking about 'what I think he's talking about' and didn't even answer me, so I had to use the excuse that you wanted me to research it for you,” Edwin paused, letting Richard chuckle at his impression of the old scholar. "The only thing he offered was a bunch of books on magical artifacts, and then mentioned that there was a book that happened to mention whatever it was, but I had to read all the others first. Kind of annoying if you ask me." Edwin kicked at a fallen branch, sending it flying into the side of a nearby oak.

"I guess I'm just mad he's keeping this all hush-hush and mysterious, you know how he is, right? He made it sound as if this thing is pretty sodding important. In fact, I think it is important. Probably some ancient forgotten relic with impossible power. Maybe Theobald can use it to bargain with the gods? Stephan said they love collecting artifacts..." Edwin trailed off as they arrived at the armory, Richard and Giles breaking off to remove their armor. Edwin waited patiently beside Sunrise, awkwardly shuffling one foot .

"So Sir Theobald made it to Kuiper? Whadder we gonna do if they don't give him rain?" Sunrise questioned, looking quizzically up at Edwin. He slid down against the wall so he could face Sunrise at eye level, and smiled.

"Tell you what, you can come to the meeting if you stay quiet, got it? I don't think Fordwin or Stephan would mind... at least as long as you stayed quiet, right? You can listen to our plan there," he whispered. Sunrise responded by taking a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks, and nodding vigorously.

"What you're suggesting is ludicrous, Stephan. We cannot simply abandon the town while we're so close to fixing this. Entire. Mess," Richard barked, slamming his fist on the table in frustration. His eyes turned to slits, and the weathered priest glared back defiantly. "Where would we even go, Solis? Neighton?" He spat the last word.

"We'd never even make it to Solis, and Neighton still carries decades-old grudges. The only thing we-" Richard argued. A sharp grunt from Stephan breaking into his speach. Richard sighed and buried his face in his hands. Edwin, sitting on the far end of the table with a half asleep Sunrise in the chair next to him, moved his gaze from one man to the other. His mind was stuck and no matter how much he wanted to voice his opinion, nothing seemed to come out other than a sharp sigh. Stephan shattered the silence.

"I have many friends in Neighton, Richard, and I could easily make a request to merge our populaces. Otherwise we cannot-"

"I could care less if those greedy merchants love us, the people there will not accept our lot, to them we are but struggling farmhands! Fat lot that opinion did them when we stopped trade. Hah-"

"-day you take rule from your father!" Stephan and Richard huffed, both leaning over the table. Only a foot of distance separated them, and they were panting hot breath in each others’ face. In the corner of his eye, Richard could see that Edwin had slightly slumped into his chair, mind reeling from the urge to do something.

Fordwin, sitting in the chair farthest from the group, stood up. The moon shined from behind the window, illuminating his grey hair like a white halo. "Excuse me, but we have not discussed the two last things on the schedule," Fordwin said, and everyone shifted simultaneously, offering their attention. Stephan and Richard eyed each other, but slowly slid down into their seats. "The first matter is what we will actually do if Theobald succeeds in convincing the gods to lend us a helping... hoof, and the second is something far beyond many of you." Richard blinked. "Stephan and I will discuss it alone." Richard snorted, rolling his eyes. No one paid it any mind, except Giles, who chuckled to himself.

"Now, Richard, I know you have a lot to say about this first matter, but Edwin came to me earlier and said he had a few thoughts." Fordwin stretched out an open palm in Edwin's direction. The young advisor straightened in his chair, one hand scratching at the stubble on his face.

"Erm, yes. You know that several families, of both our species, have left for the closest town or ... city, though I'm not sure anyone has actually bothered to leave for Solis..." This elicited several nods from those present. "We might not be able to get them back, even if the drought ends and all.... Ah, yes. We might be able to send out an invitation or apology or something-"

"Good riddance, I say," Richard interjected. Stephan glared at him, and Edwin didn't continue speaking until Richard coughed into his hand and muttered an apology, "go on."

"I estimated how long it might take for any rain to come at all, and it's been roughly a week. A day for negotiations, a few more to send messenger hawks or pegasi out to build the rainclouds, and then another few for them to get here. We might lose another family or two during that, so we might need to warn them."

"We haven't had one of those since Theobald left, and before that we had one every other four days. The townsfolk have fallen out of that habit, and might decide it best not to come," Stephan said dryly.

"We could put a ban on leaving, use the few guards we have left to make sure nobody leaves," Richard thought aloud. Everyone stared at him wide-eyed, causing him to bite his lower lip in frustration. Why did you even bother to think that, Richard? Edwin thought.

"I think we should stick with the town meeting idea, Richard. Erm, if you'll consent to lead it," Edwin said, his voice raised only slightly above a murmur.

"Alright." Edwin made a gesture, opening the table for debate. Richard found himself growing impatient. Hurry up and speak already, he thought. "Good. Now, say next year we're back to normal, well, the first normal. Not the now normal... Ah, should we take up trade with Neighton and the outlying villages again?"

"Absolutely not," Richard said instantly, slapping his hand on the table. He could see Stephan grimace, and gladly returned the look. Taking advantage of the silence, Richard continued, "they abandoned us when we first began asking for water, so we stopped trading what little crops we had left. That's how it goes."

"Richard, I must remind you that your father placed me in charge, not you. Offering to trade with Neighton and further improve their dwindling trade empire may gain us good favor," Stephan pointed out.

"Their merchants can rust in their sleep for abandoning us, that's what my father said, and I'm following him," Richard muttered through clenched teeth. Edwin understood his position. Neighton and Retsamoreh had always had tense relations, tense relations lasting so long that nobody remembered why they were so tense in the first place.

"We will be taking up trade with Neighton whether your pride can take it or not," Stephan said with finality. The room hung in silence for a while, “anything else, Edwin?"

Richard slowly stood up, still glaring at Stephan. "Well, gentlemen. I believe we've finished here. Time to leave Fordwin and Brother Grouch to their own discussions." He looked at Edwin and gestured towards the half-asleep filly in the chair beside him. "You'll be responsible for Sunrise tonight. Now let's go."

Edwin only nodded in reply, the long day suddenly weighing down on him. He unceremoniously plucked Sunrise from the chair and cradled her in his arms. By the time he had gotten to the door, Richard was already halfway down the hallway and the heavy oak door slammed shut behind him. Edwin sighed and pushed it open with his back, spinning back around only to see the agitated face of Richard Heir of Retsamoreh, tapping his fingers against his side.

"Stephan is a t-tough nut to crack, eh?" Edwin managed to stutter out, doing his best to attempt a smile. “I mean, he’s really stubborn and sometimes that can be a problem-” He failed, and Richard was inches away in mere seconds, hissing into his ear.

"You are my advisor, Edwin. Don't you ever forget it. We are not friends in that room, we are partners." With that, Richard turned and stormed down the rest of the hallway. A resounding thud could be heard as a door slammed somewhere else in the building. Edwin sighed, Sunrise blinked wearily. A few words seeped through from the Stephan’s conversation with Fordwin, each muffled by the thick door.

He trudged down the winding hallways of the manor he called home, weighed down by both Sunrise and his own thoughts. The musty air in the house felt a lot heavier than usual. Light from the candles didn't seem to be as bright as it should be.

Legs and body falling into autopilot, Edwin backed into his bedroom. Dust floated around in the dim candlelight and the only thing heard was the creaking of the floorboards. The room was brown, save for an old maroon rug. A simple bed sat in the far left corner, a dresser on the right, and a desk and chair in the middle. Edwin knew every nick and scratch on that desk. The desk was new when he got his hands on it, and he spent hours studying on the dark wood surface, sometimes taking his quill and scratching at the edges. He stood there for a long time, staring out the dirty window and into the dying forest below.

It was one of those moments where a man made the decision to keep thinking about something, or take action and think later. He gently set Sunrise onto his bed. He didn't bother to pull the covers over her, and the room was always hot during the summer and tonight was no exception. The wooden chair he sat on offered no comfort, the edges digging into his skin.

Edwin sat in that chair for the entire night, his thoughts sometimes drifting off to his relationship with Richard, or flowing back to the future of the town. He couldn’t keep his eyes open for long, the siren call of sleep dragging him down into a deep slumber.

Everyone in the town, human and pony, fell asleep that night. This wasn't a common occurrence, as Fordwin or Stephan would often stay the night in the observatory, staring at the stars. However, clouds rolled in at about the same time Edwin closed his eyes, preventing any stargazing. The guards, or at least the two Theobald left behind, had decided that that night would be a good night to sleep through.

Those two guards were the last in the town to fall asleep and the first ones to wake up. They awoke laying against a bit of the manor designed to look just like a castle wall’s battlements, something Fordwin argued gave the building “flair”. They knew what would happen the next day, too. Fordwin would most likely be up early, smacking them on their heads and offering some rude words that they'd soon forget. That was a routine they had performed over many days.

Normally, anyone who awakes soaking wet in the middle of a drought will be surprised and possibly agitated or even furious at their assailant. These two guards were not an exception when they woke up to just that.

Suffice it to say, they were rather surprised at what they saw when they did wake.

Standing Tall

by Retsamoreh

Chapter 1: Prelude to the Deluge