Non nobis Domine

by Dsarker


Prima Secundae Partis - Non Nobis

Two days previous...


In the city of Canterlot, there is a section of the Library that is locked and bolted. Within that section, magical spells not seen anywhere else in the world still do their work to keep the place secret and impregnable. Mundane traps fill the entire section, and every scroll in that section is unlabelled, bolted down, and sealed in lead chests. There is not a light anywhere within it, and no windows shine into it.

If one were foolish enough to enter into that place, and lucky enough to evade the countless traps and spells that filled it, and were able - somehow - to open one of those chests, and unbolt the scroll, and read it, that person would be reading the future, written down by ancient seers and diviners from ages beyond ages in the past.

This place was sealed - and rightly so - by the elder tribes when first the city was founded. For the next nine generations, nobody entered it except by express order, and for the sole purpose of refining and rebuilding the defences of the place. It was thought a given that knowing the future only secured it, and that knowledge of the prophecies could drive even the strongest-willed pony insane.

However, there has been one who has opened that section.

The alicorn princess Celestia of Equestria opened it last over one thousand years ago. The disappearance of her sister was enough to drive her into reading the future. Though she did eventually find the future she was looking for, there was a single scrap that she read before. A prophecy from the Year of the Turrets ascribed to the ancient and wise Starswirl the Bearded.

It is because of that remembrance that she had entered the forbidden section once more. The diamond dogs had been seen on the move and causing more trouble than Celestia liked, and if what she could recall of the prophecy was true, it was in the process of happening.

Making her way through the ancient traps and nullifying the guardian spells, she went over to the opened chest, and pulled up the scrap of paper. It read: as follows: The Ring of Omens shall be found when iron is made flesh and the hound betrays the master. The unicorn of the village will restore the people of the city. Upon the Night of Omens, in the Mountains of Ghosts, the Blade of Mercy shall slay the Guardian of Lamps. The Three in One shall sweep the Elders aside, and their servants on two legs shall wreak vengeance on the Oppressor. So sayeth Starswirl the Bearded.

Although it spoke in deliberately hidden words, the meaning was not impossible to divine. Obviously, the hound referred to the diamond dogs. In addition, this betrayal was obviously their failure to live up to the terms that the ponies had imposed on them. Who was the unicorn of the village...? Perhaps it was her student, Twilight Sparkle. Moreover, the city could only be Canterlot. The Guardian of Lamps was the only clear part. The title of the ruler of Equestria was not merely 'princess'. Instead, their name was 'Caretakers of the Lights'. That was merely a difference in word usage there.

She left at that instant, and brought together her advisors. For too long she had left the diamond dogs alone after the war. If the prophecy was as it said, then they would rebel. That she could not allow, for the prophecy said they would kill either her sister or her...


It had been a pretty terrifying morning for Scootaloo.

It had started off pretty well, when she had gotten up pretty early with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They had tried to see if they could get a cutie mark for adventuring, by finding their way into the place where Rarity had escaped the diamond dogs. Without, naturally, telling anypony else.

That had gone pretty well, up until the moment that the diamond dogs had found them. When they spotted the foals, they seemed pretty intent on scaring them off. She had managed to get out of the quarry where they had been going, but she hadn't seen what had happened to Sweetie Belle or Applebloom, and the diamond dogs had kept chasing her.

That was, at least, until she ran into these new folks, people who walked on two legs like the diamond dogs, but unlike them were peaceful; at least they were to her, anyway. They had protected her from the diamond dogs, too - but more violently than she had even thought of. She could still see echoing in her minds the sheer efficiency of the strokes. They had not intended to do anything less than what they did.

Yet something about them had entranced her. Despite their willingness to... to kill, they had not done anything but protect her. And part of her mind whispered that the diamond dogs had not intended anything different to them. Perhaps they were right to do it.

They had just defeated a group of timber wolves, which scared even her (the diamond dogs, at least, were kind-of normal). They didn't even seem fazed by the magic that held the beasts together. So clearly, in addition to being expert warriors, they understood magic as well. The one question that Scootaloo had to ask was what they wanted with her, and what they were saying.

They were talking a lot, in a different language. It didn't sound anything like Equestrian, and even less like the languages that Zecora spoke. And clearly, they didn't understand what Scootaloo was saying either. They had tried to speak to Scootaloo, and although she'd been a bit shocked by the blood, she'd remembered enough of her manners to say "Hello.” Then the Timber Wolves had interrupted them.

Scootaloo had found some shelter with five horses that had been with these other beings, but despite her best efforts, they didn't appear to understand her any more than the other things did. That or they just didn't speak at all. They certainly hadn't responded to her.

Now the other things had spent the last ten minutes speaking to each other. A fifth member came to the group, but it didn't carry any weapons. Yet even so, the other members of the party seemed to treat it with respect. In fact, it was that one who came up again to Scootaloo. It had its hands out, and Scootaloo shied back a little bit. She had seen what the other had done to the dogs, and although they didn't seem to mean her any harm, she didn't want to take that chance.

At once, it stopped, and after a moment, it had put its hands behind its back. At that, its intention was clear - it had showed its hands to show that it didn't mean any harm. Scootaloo let it come closer.

It stopped a pace away from Scootaloo, and took one hand from behind its back; it pointed to itself, and said a single word. It didn't sound like anything Scootaloo had ever heard before. It waited for a moment before pointing to itself and saying the word again. After Scootaloo remained silent, it repeated the word a third time. At last, it became clear. It was trying to say its name. Scootaloo pointed at it, and repeated the word as best she could. It nodded, a gesture that seemed suspiciously similar to how ponies would affirm something. Then Scootaloo pointed to herself, and said "Scootaloo." It repeated her, and she nodded in turn. It beckoned to one of its fellows, and it drew close, before lying down, and snoring too loudly for Scootaloo to think it was anything but deliberate. The standing one, which had pointed and spoke its name, pointed at the one now lying down and said a new word. Scootaloo repeated it, and then said, while pointing at it, "Sleeping." It repeated her, and both of them nodded. Scootaloo felt a little better now, as the things obviously didn't seem to mean her harm so much as want to learn.

But to what end? It probably wasn't going to be helpful to them to speak just a little to her.


"Well, now we've got two words," Frederick said with a little smile. "That's better than what we started with."

"But it's not enough. If this... Scootaloo has its own language, then where did it get it from?" asked Johann, shaking his head. "Maybe I was just wrong about it being able to speak."

The priest shook his head in response. "No, I don't think so. I think what's more likely is that there are other beings like it. Like those things that attacked us. It seems that we've wandered from royal persecution into a fairy tale royal." He smirked at the joke. "I think our next move would be to find out if there are others. Perhaps there is a village or town. Even we will have to find a new place for food soon."

"Yes... Well, father, if you could..." Johann stopped short. The pegasus foal had beckoned to them, and then had started moving into the forest. "I think we'd better follow that pegasus. Quickly! Get the horses loaded up, and let's move out!"


It wasn't difficult to follow the five things that Scootaloo was leading indiscriminately towards the village of Ponyville for Shining Armour. What was difficult was wondering how he would stop them. Even the diamond dogs would usually shy away from attacking a village, while these butchers either didn't know or didn't care.

It would have to be down to force. These beings didn't seem to understand anything other than force, and they were very capable of resisting that which he could present. The only pony nearby that he knew would be capable of stopping them was his little sister, Twilight.

If he could only get there before they did, he would have a chance. But that would be difficult. Although Scootaloo had to lead the beings through the forest, she knew it better than he did. It would be touch and go.


Twilight knew she had only a short amount of time after Shining Armour left until the rest of her family would arrive. What that meant was that she would have to clean and get the food, and her family would put all the preparations that she had begun to make to the test.

She had left the house under the care of Spike, while she rushed around Ponyville, looking for all that she needed to get and do for the party: the cakes, from the Cakes, the decorations from, and a repeated apology to, Rarity. Then, after dropping them at home, she was off again to the station to wait for her family.

As she walked into the station, she thought it sounded rather quiet. Her eyes narrowed. Too quiet. Either Pinkie Pie had been absent from Sugarcube Corner, or unusually quiet... Could it be? She stepped through to the platform, half-expecting Pinkie's party cannon.

Nothing. Hmmm. She shrugged, and shook her head ruefully. Not everything quiet was suspicious. She sat down, and waited for the train that would be carrying her sister, mother, and father to come in. It had been a little less than a year since she had last seen them - her parents at the wedding, and Cadence (and Shining Armour) in the events surrounding the return of the Crystal Heart.

Had they changed? How would they react? Even at the wedding, she hadn't seen her parents much (for obvious reasons...) and that was enough to make her worried. It wouldn't be too bad, surely, but how would they react to where she was living? She couldn't remember if they'd met her friends. If they hadn't, what would they think of them?

Thankfully, her pre-occupation with the future was stopped... because the train was about to arrive! It came down the track, whistle blowing. It slowed and eventually came to a gentle stop at the platform where Twilight was waiting. Twilight stood up, and headed to the carriage door. It opened, and out first were two pegasoi of the Royal Guard.

They stood either side of the door of the train, and after them came Princess Cadence. She smiled as she saw Twilight, and started walking towards her. Behind her came two more Royal Guard pegasoi, who seemed to be wearing the single expression they all had. "Twilight!" called Cadence, her tone joyful. "It's so good to see you again. Happy birthday, dear!"

"Thank you, Cadence," Twilight replied as she moved in to embrace Cadence. "It's good to see you too. But where are-" Twilight's question was cut short by her parents stepping off the train. It was just as she feared: They hadn't changed at all.

Instead, Twilight had to force a smile as her mother began to fuss over her. "Oh, Twily, it's been so long!" she said, as her father stood behind her waiting. "And you haven't been writing us letters. How were we to know how you were doing?"

Cadence hid a smile behind a hoof as Twilight's expression changed. "Mum, you know I can handle myself. You don't need to keep worrying about me," said Twilight, trying to keep her exasperation out of her voice. "And besides, I still write you once a month." Belatedly she remembered the other reasons she preferred to leave her parents to themselves. Well, there was no helping it.

Thankfully, her father stepped in at that point. "Velvet, dear, we didn't come here to castigate the mare. And besides, she speaks rightly - she is well into her majority, as difficult as it may be for you to bear." He looked over Twilight with a critical eye. "And she looks like she's seen a lot more than either of us have." Twilight gave him a grateful smile.

"Well, Twilight," said Cadence, "lead away!" Her happy disposition did at least a little for Twilight to take away from the unfortunate presence of her mother, and she smiled.

"Right away. Follow me!" said Twilight in response, and she led the ponies into the town, looking back every so often to make sure they were keeping up. Cadence was walking a little slowly, but at least the parents were keeping up.

"And that's Sugarcube Corner, which is run by Mr and Mrs Cake," said Twilight, as she pointed out the different points of interest in the town. "Pinkie Pie, one of my friends, lives and works there. And then there's Quills and Sofas. That's where everypony in town gets their quills. And their sofas." She didn't know how her parents were taking it, but at least Cadence seemed to be genuinely interested at the little parts of the town she was pointing out.

It was somewhat of a relief when they reached the library. As Twilight opened the door, she saw that Spike, somehow, had miraculously put all the decorations up as she'd asked. She let a small sigh of relief out, and walked on in.

Inside, the library was decorated, with the decorations focusing around a round table, which had been set for the six people who were to be at the celebration. On the centre of the table was the cake that Twilight had picked up from the Cakes. Also on the table was a pair of salads, a jug of juice, and a bowl of soup, with steam gently rising from the top. Twilight guided the other ponies to their seats, as Spike came in and joined them. "Shining Armour still hasn't come back yet," he said quietly to Twilight. "Will we wait for him?"

Twilight nodded. "I think we'd better. Let's hope he finishes whatever he's doing soon."


Shining Armour had made good speed for the town. The Everfree had been less difficult than he'd imagined, and from what he'd heard from the invaders, they had not found it to be the same way.

As he emerged into the light, he looked at the sky, and jolted. Surely, he hadn't taken that long on that little errand. If the time was right, then the train with Cadence and his parents would have arrived, and Twilight would be waiting for him...

He surged forward as the implications made themselves obvious. His wife, and his parents, was now in danger. He had to get Twilight's help, and now. He galloped off to the library, hoping beyond hope that he would get there in time.

When he got there, he slowed to a walk. Judging by the four guards outside the library, his wife and family were safe. He hadn't failed them.

Shining Armour kept moving, and after the guards had let him through, he opened the door to the library. Inside, Cadence and his parents were at table with Twilight. They had turned to face him, and with no further ado, the others launched into a birthday song.

He went along with it, forcing a smile onto his face, but as soon as it had finished, he said "Twilight, we need to talk, now," and he indicated out the door. She frowned, but nodded and got up.

"What about?" she asked as she walked to the door with him.

"Something very dangerous," he said quietly as he opened the door.


The forest was certainly thick. So much so, that Johann did not really know if the little pegasus was leading them rightly or not. Every direction looked as likely to him as any other did. It was not the best situation, admittedly.

Nevertheless, part of him trusted the foal. It was not anything that he could put his finger on, but he did not think the foal meant him, or the others, any harm. After all, it could easily have run away from them if it was afraid, and left them lost in the forest, but it hadn't. It had stayed with them, waiting for them to catch up when they fell behind.

He still did not know what the foal was leading them to, but if, as Frederick thought, there was a society of them, perhaps it was leading them to it. Only time would tell, but judging by the thinning of the trees, they were leaving the forest.

After a few more minutes walking, they emerged from the forest. Over a small bridge, a little further into the distance, was what appeared to be a small town. Scootaloo continued to lead them into the town, and Johann's eyes widened. There did indeed appear to be a group of these beings -brightly coloured ponies filled the streets. Some of them had wings, others horns like a unicorn, and still others had neither. As he looked around, he could see that the adults appeared to have a marking on their sides, as if they had been painted.

They were staring at the Templars as they walked, and the town was quiet. It was clear from their surprised reaction that they had never seen their like before. It was almost as if they did not really believe their eyes, and for his part, Johann could not blame them. The ponies looked like out of a dream, and he was sure that if he had been told he would see such things he would not believe it. However, this had been too long for a dream.

Slowly, as they continued their walk into the town, he could see a change. The ponies were nowhere to be seen, and the doors and windows of the houses were closed and shuttered. Presumably, it was because of them. Caution of the unknown could be either good or bad, but if it was, as it appeared, because of the threat of raiders and animals from the forest, then it could mean they would be unhelped.

Then, up ahead of him, as it appeared Scootaloo was leading them, there was a house, seemingly built into a tree, and in front of it were five ponies in armour and another wearing (as seemed to be the practice) nothing. Strangely, of the five in armour, only one carried a weapon. What sort of warrior would have no weapons?

Scootaloo hurried over to the pony with no armour, a purple unicorn, and started talking, but at a word from the unicorn stopped, and started looking to Johann and the others, and then back to the other ponies. Whatever this was about, it did not seem to be good.

The five armoured ponies walked forward, slowly. They were spread out, fanning out around the Templars, and Johann felt a hint of surprise. These surely did not mean to actually attack them, did they? To attack them with but a single weapon?

The purple unicorn came forward, and Johann could almost swear that she was frowning. However, she was not looking at them, but at the horses behind them. Belatedly, Johann realised what a faux pas he had committed, in bringing what must have appeared to be slaves into the village. He was about to say something when the unicorn's horn lit up, on fire with purple flames.

He gasped, and took a step back. The sergeant on his left, Jacques, put his hand on his sword. Frederick, behind them, said something about the bridles burning, but the one thing that stood out for Johann was the silence of the fire. It was unreal, as if the sound itself had caught fire. He crossed himself, and took a step forward. The one pony with a weapon (it was a spear) poked it at him, clearly warning him to stand back. Johann did not step back, but stopped moving forward. What could this silent fire mean?

All the while, he could see Scootaloo trying to talk to the purple unicorn. However, that did not appear to be going anywhere. Whatever it was, these beings obviously did not think it too unusual. That made Johann shiver. The purple unicorn spoke in a voice, which sounded angry, to the one spear-carrying unicorn, who looked like the leader if the different armour meant anything, and he lowered the spear, as the silent fire disappeared, as if it had never been.

Johann still did not know what had happened, but at least the non-burning flames seemed like a sign, of sorts, to him. He remembered the story of Moses, and the similarities seemed too close to be a coincidence. He could guess that Frederick, at least, would see them as well.

However, this seemed to be a moot point for now. The purple unicorn went around the group, and as Johann followed it with his eyes, it went over to the horses. Johann saw, to his shock, that the bridles had been removed from the horses, dropped on the ground uncaringly. Then the unicorn spoke to the horses. Whatever response it was looking for, it did not seem to get it. Their ears flicked up, but otherwise they did not seem to care much about what the unicorn was saying.

There was the sound of hoofbeats, coming closer, and Johann turned. There was another unicorn, white, and an orange pony coming towards them. He wondered what they were coming for, and noted down something. The ponies in armour looked... different from the ones not in armour. Perhaps there were two sorts of these intelligent ponies?


Scootaloo felt powerless, as she usually did when around adults. And she felt like she'd done these people a great disservice. Instead of helping them, as she'd thought Twilight would do, she'd ignored them completely, only stepping in to tell the Guard captain to stop pointing his spear at them. Admittedly, when she'd first seen them, she'd been afraid too, but they had protected her. Why wouldn't Twilight listen to her?

It was, as usual, a great frustration to be around adults. Only Rainbow Dash and Cheerilee were different. Rainbow Dash, because she was cool and heroic, and she still was happy to spend time helping the Crusaders out. Cheerilee, because she never talked down to her or the other ponies. Even Pinkie Pie wasn't as supportive as either of them had been. And neither of them were here.

Instead of being useful, Scootaloo just had to stay there, and be quiet. It plain annoyed her. Why couldn't she and her friends be as 'intelligent' as the adults could? Was it just because they were young? It wasn't as if they were really all that much younger than Twilight was. It was just unfair.

She was still stewing in her thoughts when she saw Applejack and Rarity coming up. Neither of them looked happy, and she felt her mood drop even more. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom must have told them what they had done, and they did not look happy. She resigned herself to more lectures about how what they had done was not safe, that they had worried so much, and, of course, never to do it again. She almost knew these lectures by heart now. At least Rainbow Dash didn't just yell at them.

Sighing, and thinking that she might as well get it over with now, she went up to the two. About to sit into the 'I'm being lectured' position, she was shocked at the first words out of the two ponies' mouths.

"Have you seen Sweetie Belle? Or Applebloom?" asked Rarity.

"Have you seen Applebloom? Or Sweetie Belle?" asked Applejack.

It took Scootaloo a second to come out of her shocked position. "What? Do you mean they haven't come back yet? I thought that's why you were coming here, to yell at me. But... They're still out?" she said, her voice threatening to break in concern. She'd seen the diamond dogs chasing them... But she had thought they'd gotten away. She mentally facehoofed. Of course not. Those diamond dogs had chased her into the Everfree Forest. Why would they stop for the others?

"Scootaloo, where have y'all been going?" asked Applejack, her concern now mixed with a hint of her lecturing tone.

"Well... We went... to the quarry. Where Rarity ran into the diamond dogs. We were adventuring," answered Scootaloo, now worried for her friends. "But we ran into the diamond dogs. We lost each other, and I found these people, who protected me from the diamond dogs who were chasing me." She pointed at the strange beings who Twilight and Shining Armour were still arguing over.

"So... Sweetie Belle and Applebloom might still be held by the diamond dogs?" asked Rarity, whose face was now a good deal more anxious than previous. "We've got to rescue them, then. Applejack, if you get Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, I'll get Twilight and Pinkie Pie."

"Wait, Rarity, I have an idea," said Scootaloo, as Applejack hurried off. If her idea worked, Twilight and the other ponies would have to trust them. They wouldn't have any other choice.

She turned to the same one that she had first talked to. This would require some acting. She walked over, coughing to grab its attention. When it turned to face her, she pointed at the guards, and then at last the captain, saying "Friends." Then she pointed at the other beings with it, and then it at last, and said "Friends," again. It looked at her, and although she couldn't see its face, she thought that it was thinking.

It repeated the word, pointing at the others and then itself. Then it pointed to Scootaloo and itself, and repeated the word. Scootaloo smiled. It definitely had it. She nodded her head, and then she bit her lip. Step one of the plan had succeeded, but what was step two?

The idea came to her in a flash of insight. She started drawing Applebloom and Sweetie Belle's faces in the dirt. She pointed at herself, and then pointed at the two pictures, and said "Friends." Then, she drew a picture of a diamond dog in the dirt, and pointed at the diamond dog, and then at the pictures of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Then, she pointed at herself and her friends' pictures, and said "Friends?" shrugging as she did so.

"Friends," it said, pointing at itself, and then at the pictures of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Then, it lifted its leg high, and stamped the picture of the diamond dog into the dirt, squashing it. "Friends," it said, and shook its head.

Scootaloo nodded, and waved to them to follow her. "Twilight," she called out, half expecting no answer, “I'm taking these people and we're going to rescue Applebloom and Sweetie Belle!" Then, turning her back on the adult ponies, she started leading her new friends out of the town.


Shining Armour was broken out of his argument with his sister about these things that she seemed to think were harmless... when they started leaving. "Twilight, we can finish this argument when this is over. But for now, we need to follow those things. What if they hurt somepony?" Leaving the question unanswered, he and the pegasoi guards started following the leaving things.

Twilight shook her head in frustration. "He's just about the most pig-headed pony I've ever met! Why doesn't he get that these things can be trusted! He talked about how they're dangerous, but if they were with Scootaloo alone and didn't hurt her, why would they hurt anypony else?" she said, mostly to the thin air but also a bit to the horses they had had with them... and now Rarity. The horses still didn't reply, and she was about to turn around and go back to her house when Rarity called her name.

"Twilight? We need your help, and it's urgent!" she said, her voice betraying her concern. "The diamond dogs are back - and this time they foalnapped Sweetie Belle and Applebloom! You've got to help us rescue them!"

Twilight stopped turning back, and nodded. "Alright, I can do that. One moment." She continued turning round, and ran back into the library. Opening the door, she beckoned Spike over from the table, where he had been making small talk with Cadence and her parents.

"Spike, we've got a situation. Keep them occupied and happy while I'm gone. And look up speaking and language spells - it might be more difficult than it already appears."

Spike nodded, and Twilight smiled, and turned. As she shut the door, she hurried back over to Rarity, who had waited. "Let's go," Rarity said. "We've still got to get Pinkie Pie, and meet up with the others at the quarry. And... They might be waiting for us."

"Don't worry," Twilight said, confidently. "We've got my brother and the Royal Guard here. As annoying as he can be, he's sure to protect us from any harm, and rescue those two foals." Inwardly, she knew it was true - and yet still, something foreboded dark days upon Equestria. And she didn't know what.


Johann followed Scootaloo at speed. The third word that it had taught them was, he thought, the word for companions. He was thankful for this little detour, even though it did seem serious. From what he could tell, those same things that had tried to attack Scootaloo and the Templars that morning - only a couple of hours ago - had captured Scootaloo’s companions. If those things were as cruel and cowardly as they appeared, he did not like to think about what could happen to Scootaloo's friends.

His examinations in the town only seemed to vindicate his prior belief, that Scootaloo was quite young. What kind of society did not tell their children about the borders of safety? Moreover, what society did not keep those borders well enough to prevent external foes from entering? Nothing here made sense, and yet it must. For him and his own companions' sake, he would have to find out how it worked, and what would happen to them.

Even though this could just as easily be the wrong move to make, he did not regret it. Freeing slaves, especially children, could only be a good thing. Especially if these foes were anything like the Turks were like, enslaving children to turn them into fanatic heathen soldiers.

Only one thing was for sure, though, and that was that whatever was coming, he would soon find out.