//------------------------------// // chapter 12 part 2 // Story: Field trip... // by More Dakka //------------------------------// One second… that’s all it takes… ... Just one spark of clarity, one moment’s hesitation and everything that had once seemed so clear, so certain, crumbles before your eyes, leaving nothing but a deep cavernous silence in its wake…. … And, for Princess Luna, that moment struck the second she stepped hoof before the two creatures she’d spent so much time, so much effort, searching for, and as everything that once seemed so clear to her turned to dust before her eyes, all the Alicorn had left to cling to, was a single, sarcastic thought…. ‘Well, I have not yet been attacked… that is a… good sign…’ Indeed it was a “good sign”; in fact, it was the very sign her sister had been praying for. But, instead of offering relief or comfort, that very same ‘good sign’ had done nothing but leave the Alicorn staring blankly at what seemed like an endless sea of lost and confused eyes. You see, when she had been perched atop her cloud and peered down the creatures as they began their clumsy, desperate escape, the princess could all but hear her next move ring in her royal ears like it was the soft chime of a bell. ‘Simply place yourself between the creatures and their path of escape and then they would- oh so graciously -provide you with all the justification you would need to strike… Then, this matter could be continued when the beings which had caused you so much worry were… properly restrained.’ ‘After all,’ the princess had reasoned ‘it would be better to give some half hearted apology, than to do nothing and see that nightmare come into fruition… But alas, when she left her cloud, felt her hooves kiss the cracked ground below and began her slow, deliberate approach; the two creatures hadn’t seen fit to cooperate…In fact, they hadn’t really done anything as far as she could see… Instead of attacking like she had predicted, the only… response the creatures had to offer her presence was to stand their ground as she continued to draw ever closer- twisting their strange limbs into even stranger contortions, leaving only silence to ring in her royal ears as her guard, and the creatures themselves, all looked to her to make the next move… A move she didn’t have… And so, for one of the longest moments she had ever suffered through, Princess Luna just stood there glaring at the two creatures that not only cause her so much worry, but didn’t even seem to possess the courtesy to see that worry through. ‘It’s almost like you knew.’ she seethed with silent venom, ‘like you knew my sister would judge everything I do here, and so you spite me by doing nothing just to tempt my hoof…’ But, despite her now burning ire and the threatening demeanor that Luna could all but feel against her fur, the Alicorn made no such move to strike. It wasn’t fear of the creatures themselves that stayed her hoof, or even the fear of her sister’s disapproving frown. There was another, underlying reason which had crept around her hooves and held them stronger than any shackle ever dare hope to match…. While she was performing her sacred duty and she peered into that dark, abyss-like dream cloud, what Luna found was something that she could only ever describe as daemons- dark omens of fury twisting the very elements to their whim as they tried to rend each other with each thunderous blow. But now, that very same “omen” stood in front of her, and as the nerves that were once raw with dread began to numb through confusion, she couldn’t help but admit a wave of disappointment had rolled over her, extinguishing their last lingering glow with a sharp, drawn out hiss…. The truth was, now that she actually saw them with her own eyes, Luna found these creatures to be strange rather than outwardly threatening. To their credit they hadn’t withered in her presence like so many had before them, but at the same time to her royal eye their long, almost feeble limbs that branched off comically into even frailer looking digits and tiny eyes that sat rooted in equally tiny heads made the defiant air surrounding them seem like nothing more than an impotent visage. But still, as the Alicorn continued to soak in the creature’s cold, insolent glare, she had to admit, those tiny, eyes held an edge that some dragons would probably envy, and both of the creatures proje…. Wait…no, on second glance, it seemed only the taller of the two creatures actually possessed a nerve bold enough to meet that eye with its cold, insolent glare. The other creature merely stood like the other while its head was left to hang low, its eyes hidden behind the clumped patches of its lifeless mane. Luna felt her attention linger on the other creature, the apparent flash of weakness having brought her a new twinge of hope, and the longer she looked, the more it bloomed until she could all but taste the clue she needed on her tongue. The stance it held seemed firm but was also set slightly askew, with its seemingly miniscule load held under a solid but strangely awkward bearing. Its lower limbs were spaced wide apart within its long, loose fitting cloth while it held the other two in front of its shallow face, in a way that, to Luna’s eye at least, seemed less reminiscent of a stance tempered by the heat of conflict and more like that of a puppy begging its owner for a treat. Yet, despite its strange stance, and the fact it seemed unwilling to meet her eye, it was the creature’s tattered cloth which had cemented this sickly visage in Luna’s mind. The way it’s rusty red cloth wrapped loosely around the creature’s pale, pasty skin unearthed memories of a much loved pet she had once owned, and the cloth she had tenderly wrapped around its furless, mange-filled body. As she looked on, the earnest memory threatened to make a smile spread across Luna’s muzzle, but just as she felt it begin to tug weakly at its sides, a sudden, sharp flash of light pierce her eye, tearing through the tender memory, replacing it with nothing but a painful, white daze. In that brief second, an order for her guards to strike tried to push its way past Luna’s teeth, brought on by the thought that the creatures had finally made the bold move she had been waiting for. But instead of letting the command free, Luna felt the painful shroud fall away and her eye fell back over the larger of the two creatures… and the sword it dared to wield in her presence. The blade flashed again as the creature drew a short, impatient breath and the Alicorn matched its breath with a short hiss of air through her teeth as the glare from her sister’s namesake was caught in the face of the polished metal. ‘Two blades?’ Luna couldn’t help but wonder dismissively to herself as they tried to shield her eye from another sting of light. But the blades themselves held her attention for no more than a second. She’d always considered such weapons to be of little consequence to an Alicorn… No, it was the creature’s other, empty limb that had ensnared her eye. The limb held an almost delicate air in its tiny digests stretched out towards her, offering its unseen threat as if it was a gift…. Despite its frail air, the sight made Luna’s all but forgotten unease rush back into her mind with the force of a sudden, crashing wave and pulled at her mind with shallow, icy tendrils. Even though part of her knew the gesture was lost to her guard, she also knew all too well that the threat held by this seemingly empty limb was all too real… The seemingly innocuous threat held within this creatures strange limb was the sole reason she’d weathered the small eternity it had taken to find it, and even if they both appeared so much lesser now when compared with that dream, that in no way meant they were harmless. The memory of that huge stone city falling under an ocean of flames, like a beach falls before the rising tide, made it a hope she couldn’t risk clinging too…. ‘This stalemate has gone on long enough;’ Luna decided with cautious finality, ‘and even if I am now lost in this matter. I must take action now or I risk losing the advantage...’ And with that final thought, the Alicorn straightened herself under the creature’s eye… and prepared to speak. Now, as she did this Luna was well aware that Equis was thought to be a tongue foreign to the ears of these creatures- that was assuming those strange fleshy protrusions jutting from the side of their head had any purpose at all. But at the same time she had always been sure to invest more trust in what her own royal ears told her, rather than in the words of another pony. So, after drawing a long, calming breath she curled back her lips and let the words come forth, all the while making sure they stayed unmarred by the very same wisps of doubt which fueled them. “I am Princess Luna, Sovereign of Equestria and Mistress of the Night. You are trespassing upon Equestrian lands. Stand down immediately and state what purpose you have here!” As the last word passed her lips the princess couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride rise within her chest. They were a testament to all the time, all the effort she’d spent in front of her chamber mirror, tirelessly working to emulate the pose, gentleness, but also the authority her sister’s words seemed to inspire naturally. And as she savored the small warmth her moment of pride offered the Alicorn didn’t even bother to squash a small ember of hope that, for just a second, made her stand in wait for that answer. But...that one second soon became two, then three, and when Luna turned her eye towards them in silent demand It seemed that only one of the creatures even saw fit to offer the sum of her efforts any response at all, and that response was the briefest flash of a confused glance, before its face was consumed by the same cold glare. A shallow sigh passed Luna’s muzzle, carrying with it all the warmth that once filled her chest and her next thought came with a twinge of silent resignation… ‘Very well…’ she thought with a tranquil rise, ‘if you are unable or unwilling to simply give me the answers I seek. Then it will be just as simple enough a matter for me to reach out and take them…’ With one last glance towards Shining Armour, followed by a final, nervous breath, Luna called for her magic and she let out a deep, contented sigh as its calming warmth washed through her horn. When she let that same warmth reach out into the creature’s mind, the Alicorn could almost swear that, for a just a second, it’s face shed its cold glare to expose a look of complete and utter surprise. But, that second soon faded, along with the rest of the world, into the soft confides of a dull, greyish hue…. Letting her magic reach out further, Luna searched for the thin veil which surrounds every being’s mind. But strangely, as she scoured the empty caverns, that was all she could find… a dull haze of empty grey stretching out endlessly in front of her. She let out another tired sigh, ‘Insolent speck, where are you?’… ‘Wait what is…? ‘Huzza!’ Casting its form against the grey backdrop, a large swirling mass pulsated between faint shades of grey. It swelled out towards the Alicorn as dots of black seeped into its form, like little droplets of ink falling onto a cotton ball, before the whole mass spooled in on itself and faded back to a faint shade of milky grey. She watched as the mass seemed to begin fighting with itself, struggling to hold a vague shape which, to her at least, resembled a storm cloud trying vainly to imitate one of the ‘brain’ diagrams she had found within one of the modern ‘biology’ books her sister had forced her to read after her last attempt to aid her subjects… The less said about that day the better… No longer holding back her smile, the Alicorn let her magic gently touch against the swirling mass. But, to her shock, nothing at all seemed to happen. As soon as it touched the swirling mass the magic fell away from its surface like water thrown over a glass sphere… Another swell of indignation rose in her throat, and with a sharp growl the Alicorn reached out again, pushing all her frustration at the swirling mass of nothing that dared shroud the answers she sought. This time, the ribbon of magic met the skin of the cloud in a single concentrated point and instead of just falling away; it pushed against the veil with all the force of the Alicorn frustration. But instead of falling under the force of her magic, Luna felt her jaw loosen as she watched the mass gave a quick shudder before the veil pushed back. The action was almost too fast to register, and it wasn’t the fleeting moment of resistance that passed as a pony's mind adjusted to her presence. This was something different. There was a loud snap followed by a sudden violent push against her very presence and the sheer force of it almost tore the weave of magic from her horn. Luna gave a startled yell as a thunderous bolt of pain shot through her skull. Her magic seemed to shudder through her horn as a strange heat began to grow within its base, building to be near searing as she fought to keep it from ripping itself free of its very core… But then, just as soon as it came, the pain began to numb, dwindling away until there was nothing left but a faint ringing which echoed faintly against the edges of her skull. For the longest moment Luna just stared… it was really all she could think to do as her numb eyes looked unmoving at the veil’s hypnotic writhes and spasms…Then, before she could even ponder why she did it, Luna let her magic reach out again. The wisp of her power made contact and she drew a sharp pre-emptive hiss through her clenched teeth in silent trepidation for the pain that would surely follow. But instead of pain, or anything she was expecting. The defense seemed to just crumble away and the mass gave only a slight quaking shudder to betray that it was even under her touch…. With the same timid air, Luna pushed through the veil and peered through to the other side. A cold wash rushed through her as she open her mind’s eye. But that cold shudder soon gained an icy edge when she found… nothing. Unlike the minds of her ponies there was no great tapestry of tangled threads sparkling as if to greet her, no rhythmic swirling of soft, dreamlike clouds to draw her in before cradling her like a warm blanket, only a deep colorless void which stretched out endlessly in every direction she cast her mind’s eye. ‘Did the spell fail?’ was her first stuttered thought. If it was, then it would be the first time it had. But even with her mind held under the dulling ring, Luna knew it hadn’t. She was walking within this creature’s mind, she knew it; every breath, every beat of its heart, and every spark of thought told her so. Yet, even though she could hear every one of them, even though she could feel them buzzing around her, the apparitions stayed just out of her reach, hidden behind the strange, endless mass of… nothing which stretched out boundlessly in every direction she cast her mind’s eye, smothering her in its cold, oppressive embrace. Grinding her teeth Luna tried to push further into the creature’s mind. The void gave way under her reach but only seemed to close in around her, crushing against her efforts with building force for every ‘inch’ she gained, until Luna found herself floating listlessly amidst the strange, empty mass. Slowly, surprise faded into gnawing confusion and Luna found herself tugging weakly at the thread of magic that linked her to this… nothing, and for a brief moment she felt a frustrated surge that almost drove her to simply rip the spell free. Just as she was about to act on that impulse the faintest flicker of movement caught the furthest corner of her attention. The magical thread dropped amidst the endless caverns as it darted across the void’s blank, endless expanse. It had no form or evident purpose, beyond its mere existence, yet it tugged at her mind’s eye for that very reason, like the shadow cast behind an eyelid when a limb move between a closed eye and a very bright light. The Alicorn watched, with silent curiosity, as the strange apparition began to grow. It danced against the cold empty black as a single speck of color shot up its side like a flame. Faint wafts of red, yellow and orange began fading in and out, pooling together to cast a dim warm glow into the cold void before it was swallowed by the caverns of endless black. Just as her eye began to numb against the movement, another shadow began to pull at it, and unlike the one before, this shadow didn’t flicker. Instead it moved with a drawn out, fluid motion… turned sharply…and moved straight towards her. A flash of instinct made Luna pull magic into her horn as the shapeless figure drew towards her, collecting more and more form as it did. But when she tried to release it, the swell of magic only drained into the spell already being cast and the apparition gave only a quick shudder as it continued on, passing her by as if she was nothing but a shadow to it. Luna watched as the shadow continued on towards its unseen destination and in its wake the faintest of whisper began to tickle her ears. Like a faint hissing, it followed the creature and seemed to resonate against every stretch of black before they found her ear and touched it faintly enough to make her question if she’d ever heard them. Her ear only swore by one at first, but as it repeated a second time, another followed, as if to answer, then another and another. As they grew, the whispers began to tug at Luna’s gaze, pulling it back and forth until it fell back on the original shadow. The strange shadow seemed different now. Instead of being nothing but only a formless, incoherent swath of movement, its form now awkwardly mirrored the creature’s strange, lanky frame that seemed twisted into a brash, confident gait. But instead of the sharp but strangely foal-like features of the other two, this figure’s features were completely blank and its movements were rounded and jerky- almost like a puppet set upon loose strings. One of its limbs began to rise in a slow, deliberate arch until the almost shapeless form hung in front of its face. The action invited a swell of the soft whispers to burst out into the void and brush against Luna’s ears once again. One more whisper followed the others, and when it did, the void seemed to come alive with rhythmic, flowing movements. The whispers began bleeding together, joining to create an almost deafening noise. Then, the inky blackness of the void seemed to turn to ash before her eyes, slowly peeling away to reveal more of the faint shadows standing and moving just like the first- strange puppets moving to the whim of an untrained master. The first shadow began to twist and change again, sharpening before Luna’s eyes until it resembled a less…crude caricature of one of these creatures. Its face was set it a smug glare as listless, stone-like, glassy eyes stared off into a distance further than she could see. And when she felt the need to take her eyes away, Luna found many of the blobs had also began to take shape, appearing much like the first shadow had only a moment ago. Several of them were gathered around a grey square and they sat around the formless table with the first one standing over them. A long thin stick hung in one of its gangly limbs, which it moved with a slow, focused confidence. And as it moved, a small figure was pushed along the recesses of the table and spoke in a low, gravelly voice. Although she could find no meanings behind them, the words were carried by an oily, almost seething tone which made a claw of unease flitter down Luna’s spine and sank into her shoulders with long, icy talons. When it finished, and the whisper faded into cold memory, another followed almost immediately. Luna’s eyes moved towards the new sound to find another of the creatures. This one seemed to be much older than the others. A long white beard hung lowly around its crossed lower limbs and it dragged against the ground as it leant forward to speak. As it spoke Luna, let a silent curse pass her lips- one long forgotten by the ears of ponies… ‘If only I could know what they were saying’ she cursed again as the creatures strange whispers scratched at her ears. But, even though the words held a meaning that was hidden to her, she could swear it soft, yet gravelly voice held a deep root of confusion. Luna turned to see the standing creature spoke again; its sentence was short and sounded almost deadpan, but soon its tone twisted into an oily hiss that made Luna suppress another shudder as its voice wrapped around those same icy talons digging in her mind, making them sink another inch further into her calm. She fought to push the shudder aside as another voice touched Luna’s ear. It was much higher than the others and carried with it surprise and anger that left her discomfort all but forgotten. Yet even though it carried anger, enough to give her pause, at the same time, the voice seemed so much weaker when compared to the others. ‘Almost like a foal’s voice….’ The thought made the Alicorn eyes swing around to the source of the new voice, and the princess found a smirk pulling at her lips as she looked curiously to find what the foals of these strange creatures would look like. But when her eyes stopped and the image soaked in, she was surprised to find herself staring at the creature whose mind she now occupied. And the more the sight soaked into her eye, the more Luna felt that same growing discomfort build within her… Something felt wrong, the creature before her was almost exactly the same as the one she stood in front of when she cast her spell. Yet at the same time it wasn’t. The eyes that looked through her lacked the sharp edge that she felt on her fur, and its face war free of the scar which marred the left side of its flesh. But, strangest of all was how much smaller it seemed when compared to the others…. And how it was no shorter than when it stood in front of her… The thought made the creature’s voice ring through Luna’s memory again. But the faint echo wasn’t what haunted her in that moment; it was something that went unspoken…This was a memory… Even though it was too fresh, too vivid, to be a memory, it had to be. But that didn’t make sense. The only way that could be true was if it had happened only moments ago… or if it was so often visited it burned itself into the creature’s very mind, the puppets changing a little with each retelling. Luna's attention came back to the ‘memory’ just as a thick, deathly stillness fell over it. Every pair of stone-like, grey eyes, or mist-like, blank face turned towards the creature, smothering it in a cold, glassy stare. They stayed there as the seconds ground passed, the creature itself letting its eyes flick between them as if it was searching for validation. Then, a sharp crack ripped through the silence, and Luna felt a shudder rock through her bones as the once still air seemed to rain down around her. A raw nerve pulled her now closed eyes over to the source, and when the proud Alicorn found the will to pry them open, the sight she found made her rattled bones seized under the skin- as if she was a mere rabbit caught under the shadow of a starving dragon. A huge, roaring fire twirled and danced atop a low pyramid of formless stairs. A black silhouette sat within its center, casting its shadow against the vivid, yellow flames, and in that moment, the immortal Alicorn was nothing more than another pair of shocked eyes which stared vacantly as the phantom slowly rose, and began to speak. Its tone was hollow, almost lifeless, and even though the words held no meaning to her, the looks of shock- and even what looked like glee gave Luna all the information she needed… Her shocked gaze flicked back to the one who owned this memory and found that the creature merely looked around the room with a questioning eye- though its face was unlined with what Luna assumed was a seed of determination. The seed of determination seemed to bloom across the creature’s face as its eyes glanced over the standing creature and it spoke one last time, its voice full of prideful confidence…. Then the memory seemed to give way and Luna found the void seeping back into her mind’s eye. The apparition began to fade away, and Luna felt an impotent call rise in her throat as the creatures blurred and slowly began to dissolve, leaving a thin, almost ash-like trail to rise slowly where they once stood. Once again, the Alicorn found herself staring into an empty void. But, fortunately, she didn’t have to wait more than a moment before new shapes and shadows began to form. She watched as a long narrow podium grew up from beneath her hooves with a silent groan, pushing her up with it as it did. When the podium ceased growing and stood firm against the dense sea of oily black, a ripple of color slowly began to return to the world around it. At first, it formed small, dim flames which hung from the walls atop shapeless lanterns, but slowly, Luna watched her surroundings grow clearer as the light from the flames spread out, taking the color with them. The first thing Luna saw were faces- dozens of faces sporadically jerking between the blank, puppet-like masks and the stone-like, grey features, devoid of all expression. Each one seemed to peer through her, inviting a chill to shoot up her spine with every blank, glass-like eye she met. The chill fell away and she realized the creature’s glassy stares weren’t aimed at her. Instead, their cold, glossy eyes were fixed over the two creatures kneeling at each end of the podium. They knelt with their backs to her, and to each other, as more whispers passed between the endless mass of faces surrounding them, and Luna felt her eyes drawn to the creature on her right as it stirred and slowly stood with steady determination. A strange piece of cloth fell from their shoulders as the creatures both turned to glare through her, and when she met that glare, Luna felt yet another a chill run down her spine as a look of pure shock spread across the creature’s face, and, as if someone had just cut its strings, the creature fell to its knees. The Alicorn was struck with the sudden need to speak out to the creature, but again she soon realized that it was blind to her. But then what made it fa…? The question withered before she even had a chance to finish as a low growl came from behind. Slowly she dared to turn her head, the joints feeling like they had fused as the muscle strained to follow her curiosity…But it was a curiosity Luna soon regretted, because when her eyes caught the same sight the creature had Luna almost felt the same weight push her to her own knees. Slowly walking down the podium, right towards her, was the very creature that had been stood atop the great metal beast. Its eyes were set within a dead, glass-like stare that grew more intense with every step it took. Again, Luna tried to call her magic to defend herself, but found only a sharp pain shoot through her head as the apparition continued on unabated, flickering lazily as it walked straight through her. As it continued, the creature spoke as it closed in on the other. Its words carried by a low growling hiss that for just a fleeting second almost sounded like a plea to her ear. But the plea fell away a little more with time the words were repeated, and when the creature on its knees whined something in reply which only seemed to temper the walking creature’s tone. Its final words were all but spat as it loomed over the cowering being below it, inviting the feet of a thousand insects to rake at Luna’s fur as the larger creature spoke it’s unintelligible words with a final calm, but seething, hiss… And finally, when the last word was spat out, the creature’s limb began to rise with slow, menacing purpose. Luna felt her eyes widen before she ripped them away. Even though she couldn’t dare see what happened next… the scream that followed meant she didn’t have to…. When she finally let her eyes open again, Luna was greeted by the same black void. Its endless confines now masked a thousand questions, each one buzzing in her ear like an endless swarm, fighting to be the one that buzzed loudest… But their buzzing soon died as the Alicorn noticed something unexpected, something about the void now felt different. Whereas before it was harsh and rigid, now it felt almost malleable under her touch… Spurred on by this welcome, if not all but alien sensation, Luna pushed her magic forward, pushing against the void which followed her reach, flowing behind her will like she was dragging a spoon through thick honey. She reached out again, feeling around blindly for anything her magic could cling too, but the void flowed over her reach each time, leaving nothing but another swell of disappointment. With a growl, Luna let her magic retreat, and she let herself stare blankly at the stretch of nothing in front of her… ‘The mind of this creature is so strange.’ she thought as the memory of the creature kneeling in fear drifted past her own mind’s eye, ‘and so far the only thing it has revealed to me is yet more questions to answer.’ She closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment for the question’s errant buzzing to die away. ‘My effort may prove all for naught anyway. For even if I could hold the memories I seek, they would be nothing but gibberish and… ‘Wait….’ With a quick, sharp breath, The Alicorn pushed her magic out again. But this time, rather than focusing it into a narrow reach; she let it spread out evenly into the void and in all directions, and blindly, her will continued on, brushing against every cavern, bringing with it random images, sights, sounds, and smells, each one sending a flash of color behind her eyelids and all of them just being less than unbearable. Finally, Luna let a quick shudder rock her as a flood of whispers filled her ear… ‘There!’ She hissed through gritted teeth as she pulled at her magic, narrowing its wide thread into the single point. The flood of whispers slowly grew louder until Luna felt her teeth begin to rattle in her jaw, each one bringing with it the sharp flash of a random image or emotion…. Letting out a final, silent scream, a flash of heat pierced her eyelids and the Alicorn lost her grip on her magic as it spilled out of her horn with a sharp, ringing crack. The crack lingered dully in her ears as she felt her teeth strain under the force of her jaw locking itself into a painful grimace. When the ringing finally began to die away, Luna opened her eyes, but instead of finding the creatures standing in front of her, she found only an endless, white… nothing stretching out in front of them. For a moment she stared dumbly, and then a flash of panic shot through her mind with barbed edges, and the panic only began to twist and writhe, the Alicorn tried to blink the shroud away but found she couldn’t dislodge it. It was in that second, while she was trapped within that literal blind panic, that Luna found a second spark of clarity- and the cold pang of dread that clawed at her mind soon gained an even icier chill when Luna tried to feel for her magic but found only a pan of exhaustion wash through her, followed by a pain she hadn’t felt since she was a foal, and she tried to pull her namesake across the sky for the first time. She had no magic… the realization hammered down on her skull like an anvil, and the sharp ring it left dulled her mind to any reason. All it could focus on was the fact that she was now standing in front of the creatures, blind and with no means of defending herself. A faint shadow passed by Luna’s smothered vision and the movement made her panic dim ever so slightly. She peered through the blinding veil and caught a glimpse of the rim of one of her night guards’ helmets. In her moment of need, it seemed they had sensed something was wrong and moved themselves between her and the creatures. It took only three more seconds for the white shroud to leave her eye completely, but to Luna, each one felt like a small eternity. But she would never have words to describe the burden that had lifted when the shapes and shadows built up and slowly tempered themselves to reveal the creatures standing before her… Just where she left them… Both of them still stood in the exact same spot they had when she cast the spell… But, now, the taller of them stood with its jaw locked in the same painful grimace that had only just released its grip on her and it let out a hiss that made her guard twitch nervously. Luna readied a quick word to calm her guard, but the one she held froze in her throat when the creature swayed slightly where it stood. And the Alicorn stomach seemed to twist as the shorter creature let out a panicked yell as the other creature buckled under its own weight and hit the floor… But despite what had just happened, something made Luna pause. As soon as it touched her ear, the sound sent a flood of whispers into Luna’s mind, and she almost leapt with glee as the word formed in her mind… ‘It worked… I did it, the spell worked!’ She wanted to dance, right in front of the creatures, but, almost fortunately, at the same time, something felt strange… Like rush of clarity that quickly numbed into a long, aching strain as a word sat stubbornly on the tip of her tongue. And for Luna, the tip of her tongue was now the uneasy perch of every word the creature knew, each one straining against the other, wanting desperately to be said, but each one still sitting just out of her reach. But more than anything else, the word brought a swell of emotion in her. Anger was the strongest and strangely shame… but also… recognition… ‘Its name…’ she suddenly realized ‘it was the creature’s name! But… why in Equestria would it carry shame for such a thing?’ Well, that would just have to be one of the first questions she asked wouldn’t it? Straightening herself once more, Luna began to temper a few more words in her mind, but again, what she was about to say died before they even reached her throat. The creature had shed its defiant air, now it stood limply with a limb clutched over its middle and the other held up to the side of its head, wrapping it in a grip that seemed just waiting to crush it. The smaller creature had noticed the other’s distress, and had moved to place itself between Luna and its partner, half kneeling and standing in a way that seemed even more guarded than before. ‘Oh no,’ the Alicorn recoiled, ‘if it believes I have caused the other harm then all this will be for naught!’ The creature stood firm under her pinked eye. It took a long angry breath and slammed its ‘frail’ limb into the earth and Luna felt the air leave her guards lungs as a huge slab of stone followed and hung in the air in front of them. A similar swell of panic returned, Luna still couldn’t feel her magic and despite the rumor she would not demand her guard to shield her from a threat… she would not ever admit herself as weak by doing so. Instead she could only look on in panic as the block of stone crashed into the ground making the earth beneath it twist into a shallow wave that flowed forward and stripped her guard of their balance and she threw the whispers against the corners of her mind. Desperately wracking through them as she searched for the right one... “Wait!” When it finally made itself known the word all but scraped across Luna’s tongue as she dragged it past her teeth with tortured effort. But as soon as it was uttered it the creature stopped, leaving the mass of stone hanging eerily still in front of her muzzle… Feeling the moment slipping through her grasp, Luna pulled frantically at the whispers, searching for any that she could use, “No … Harm…us… No… harm… you…” Trying to push each word from behind her teeth felt like trying to speak backward on a whim, the language felt so strange, so alien and each one all but scraped across her tongue. But… thanks to the spell, at the same time it held an almost haunting air of familiarity. For a moment, it just stood there, as still as the air around them, its face twisted into an expression the Alicorn couldn’t place. But then it's hairline lips curled back and it spoke to her in a soft, but very reserved sounding tone. Once again, the words sounded like little more than a garbled mess. But after a slow second was allowed to drag past, the strange sounds weaved themselves around her ear and revealed their meaning. ‘It wants to know who you are…Ok, you can do this’ “Princess… Moon” This time, when Luna spoke the words came easier, but only by a fraction. And incidentally she thought it would be best to go with a shorter title and chose as close of an approximation of her name that this strange language would offer her. As soon as the first word was spoken, Luna saw the creature flinch. It was so slight most would have missed it, but the flinch was there all the same, and the instant she saw it Luna felt the now all but familiar pang of dread shoot through her spine, as she couldn’t help but wonder if the creatures had heard of her… Or more importantly heard of her fall… But, what followed surprised the Alicorn, instead of becoming timid, or even moving to strike, the creature straightened itself under her eye and barked something at her in that same hoarse tone. It took another agonizing moment for Luna to filter through the strange babble. Well, in reality it was a moment she didn’t actually need, because the utterance of one single word made the rest of them shine with meaning. ‘Oh, obviously it wants to know what has been done to the other creature…’ But in truth, the clarity Luna found only served to provide her with a new problem. Namely, how could she explain the situation with her tongue chained by this strange language? The simple, honest answer was she couldn’t, If she had more time then maybe, but a mere glance at the way the creature held itself told Luna that she was on a time limit. So, she drew a quick breath and spoke the only words she had any real grasp on… Pointing to the other creature Luna slowly shook her head in a pacifying motion… “No… hurt…" The Alicorn opened her eyes and settled them back on the creature, waiting for its response. It stood there for a moment, but soon enough the creatures slowly let out a tired snort as its limbs fell to its side and the Alicorn let out a sigh as the slab of rock fell at her hooves. ‘It probably believes that is all I can say’ Luna mused with her own tired sigh, but at the same time she couldn’t help but feel she was at least making progress. Sure, it was agonizingly slow progress that made her struggle for every inch gained, but it was progress nonetheless, and the sweet taste of it made her next words jump slight to the point. “You… come… with… us…” As soon as the words were let slip, the creature’s visage hardened before Luna’s eyes, and the seed of annoyance held on its face soon blossomed into a cold scowl- bringing with it another twinge of panic. ‘Oh no, it must think I am commanding it to yield’ When the realization struck, Luna couldn’t help but draw a nervous hiss through her teeth- Her sister would soon be analyzing everything she does here with a fine tooth comb, just searching for an excuse to berate her. And worse she had just given the creature the perfect excuse to strike… while she was defenseless… The thought made the breath freeze in her lungs as the creature give a very short, but firm, reply… then without lowering its guard it slowly began to back away, taking with it whatever credibility she had in her sister's eyes. “Wait!” Once again, the strange word passed her tongue before Luna even realized it, but when it did the creature stopped- if for no other reason than to face her with the same cold scowl. But still it hadn’t made a move to strike and that fact alone made Luna feel the dim ember of hope glow a little brighter in her chest. Her eyes soaked in the way it held itself, its disheveled looking appearance… In that single word she found a ray of hope… it was a long shot, but it was the only one she had. She raked at the whispers now buzzing inside her head, grabbing hold of one she choked out what Luna prayed would fit her impression, “You… need… help? We… Give…help…” The creature remained still, and for another long, painful moment Luna worried that she would be shot down again. But that fear lifted as one of its strange limbs found its way across the creature’s middle. A scowl spread across its face, but unlike the previous scowl it wore this one seemed to betray some unheard question it seemed to be struggling with. Then, finally, its shoulders sagged as a huff of air dislodged its mane and gave Luna a glimpse at its milky glass like eyes. Then it turned its head away as it muttered something just loud enough to be heard. Luna knew whatever it said was directed at her, a question, but the words it used made ear twitch, was it a euphemism perhaps? Well if it was then her chances of understanding it were less than before she even had the guiding whispers in her ear. She replied to its word with a simple ‘what?’ And the creature let out another indignant huff of air, before it spoke again and this time the words were clear, but the tone that carried them almost dripped with annoyance, sounding almost oily compared to its usual high pitched voice. It wanted to know what she wanted from it… “Questions,” The Alicorn replied in as soft a voice as she could muster, “Just… questions.” Once again, the air grew still, and Luna felt her fur stand on end as she waited for the creature’s answer. At first, it seemed to muse over her words, staring vacantly at the ground through the tiny gaps of its lifeless, milky white eyes. ‘Well, at least it seemed to be consider-’ Her thought was interrupted as the creature’s limb gave a sharp jolt, leaving the strange appendage to hang in front of it, and giving Luna a glimpse of what she swore was the faintest hairline smirk pulling at the corner of its flat, hairline mouth. Then suddenly, the end of its limb flicked around, and Luna fought a nervous flinch as a deep groove appeared across the earth just in front of her hooves. The Alicorn could only stare with a shocked expression as the creature pointed one of its spindly digits back towards her, then to the line as a commanding tone filled her ear… But just when she thought she couldn’t be any more surprised, the creature slowly turned its back to her and began to walk away. By the time she was able to pry her shocked eyes away, Luna found Shining Armour pushing his way through the mass of equally shocked guard to stand at her side. “Princess,” the pony greeted with a quirk nod, which Luna returned after she finally managed to shake her surprise loose, “I take it your plan worked?” As she heard that, Luna felt her teeth grind again. The sarcastic tone Shining Armour held would normally have at least earned him a scowl, but it seemed luck was on the pony’s side this day because her tiredness meant it only served to sharpen her own tone… “I have succeeded in dispelling the creature’s hostilities, if that is your meaning, Shining Armour.” She replied, not at all bothering to mask the pride she held. The captain’s right eyebrow slowly rose towards the rim of his helmet, and his eyes flicked back the creatures just as a Pegasus guard tried to take a step over the line, and found the creature pointing a sword at him from where it sat. “And the reason the guards are being held off at sword point?” “-a simple issue of trust” Luna answered sharply “one that will soon be remedied, providing you keep your guard from antagonizing it any further.” When she finished, Luna gave the captain a curt smile, and quickly turned her head away as his eyebrow found its way back to his helmet. To her side she heard the captain give a weak cough, “Should I send a guard to find your sister, Princess?” “No!” Luna barked out before she remembered herself “... Err” she coughed into her hoof, “That won’t be necessary, Captain. I have this matter entirely under my control,” she said quickly, before silently adding ‘and this time my sister will not swoop in and take the credit for my successes…’ Shining gave another nervous cough “Well then, I feel I must apologize, princess,” he said, this time with only hollow sincerity, “because I already sent for a pony to find her as soon as my shield spell was broken… I just thought the action was proper and frankly… I’m still not sure how it broke it in the first place.” Just like that a wave of anger crashed over her, and Luna snapped her head around to glare at the captain, expecting to find him peering at her with a smug expression… But when her eyes settled on the unicorn, she found him staring nervously at the two creatures. The sight made her anger seep out of her through gritted teeth, and she formed the last ounce of breath into words, “Well, at least now you understand why I was worried?” Shining gave a slow nod, not letting the creatures leave his eye, and he spoke without moving, “So what do we do now?” Luna felt herself smile again, “We simply wait for the other one to awaken” she said with the same pride swelling her voice, “and when it does, I will finally receive my answers, and we can take the situation from there…” “And if Princess Celestia arrives before that happens?” At that, Luna turned her head towards the guard and found that his eyes were waiting to meet hers. Then they both turned them back to the creatures… “A worthy question…” She replied, “We have a fragile situation here, and the sudden… intrusion of my sister would only strip us of what little trust we hold in their eyes.” She turned and set her gaze back over the pony guard, waiting for him to match it. “Captain, send out another guard. Tell them to inform my sister of the situation here. And be sure he stresses that I have everything under control and that her presence would be detrimental to that fact.” The captain gave a hesitant nod and Luna let her eyes drift back over the creatures as the pony took his leave. Slowly, her nerves began to calm and she took the opportunity to scrutinize her success… ‘Well it did not go… exactly as I had planned, but I’d like to see you do better, sister. Now all I need to do is… Urge… what is it doing?’ The Alicorn flicked her now inanimate blue mane from her eye and let the strange sight just soak in. The taller creature was now lying on the earth, its back propped up against a rock as the smaller creature sat next to the other while its face was aimed at the dry earth between them. The two swords were held across its… lower legs, which themselves crossed over each other in a way that made the princesses stomach churn just by looking at them. As she looked on she stretched her hind legs one at a time, lazily trying to shake away a phantom ache the sight brought to it, and when her eyes was able to overlook the strange way it sat, Luna couldn’t help but notice something else strange about the creature. Whenever a guard even moved near the line it had drawn in the earth, the creature always reacted to their presence without fail. But when it did it never raised it eyes to meet the pony who disturbed it, Instead it only ever seemed to turn the side of its head in their direction and lay on of its front limbs onto the ground. ‘I wonder if more of its kind shares this bizarre attribute. Or am I just lucky enough to have found a strange one? ‘She wondered idly as the last word bled from her mind and into the cracks below her hooves, making room for a strange sense of elation. ‘Now all I need do is make sure I am prepared for when the other one awakens…’ It was just a shame that the welcome sense of calm didn’t last very long. Because as soon as it began to offer her a moment of needed tranquility the sense of elation was stripped away as Luna found herself staring at the unmistakable sight of her sister’s golden chariot as it hung lowly over the horizon. ‘No…No not again, I won’t let you ruin this, sister!’ Quickly the alicorn turned towards her night guard, about to order them to go out to meet her sister, but at the last moment Luna stopped herself. ‘She got the message all right’ she seethed again ‘But she more likely just chose to ignore it… so when everything goes wrong, she can swoop in and claim the elation of her ponies by ‘salvaging my failed efforts’…’ By the time the chariot touched down, Luna was seething outwardly, to the point where the creature’s reaction went unnoticed to her but she still made out a muffled gasp which escaped its mouth; almost like it didn’t notice their presence until the last second. The thought was washed away as Luna watched her sister slowly fade into view, slowly stepping hoof off the chariot while wearing that same old smile that never failed to make her feel lesser. The smile ebbed somewhat when the white Alicorn looked from her and found the creature standing with a blade in each of its two front limbs and Luna let her eyes flick back to her guard. The pony stood next to her sister with a nervous look gripping his face, one that only grew as her look turned into a glare. “S-sorry Princess…” The night guard stuttered, “I passed on the message like you asked. But Princess Celestia insisted that you would need her help…” “Indeed,” the Alicorn confirmed. Luna looked up with an accusatory eye to meet the older Alicorn, “Well if you had just listened, sister, then you would have realized that was true only because you have arrived…” she said with growing anger. But at the second it was about to boil over, a voice made itself heard. “Princess,” It interrupted and every pair of eyes broke off to find Shining Armour looking nervously towards the two creatures, “I think it’s waking up.” the captain finished, pointing a hoof to the side. Luna felt herself smiling again, and she was more than happy to aim it at her sister as turned and began to walk towards the line, “Excellent,” she said with new found cheer “It seems that you will be able to watch me handle this myself after all, sister…” “Actually,” Celestia interrupted as Luna found a white wing between her and the creatures, “I feel it would be best if you wait here, sister…” As soon as she heard that, Luna felt her hooves stick to the dry earth as her rising mood seemed to evaporate from her very fur. She stood there for a brief second aimlessly trying to work her jaw then what she wanted to say came out as nothing more than a shocked squeak. “Excuse me?” Even though her tone was calm, when Luna heard those words she wanted to scream. Her sister was doing it again, just like Luna knew she would. Pushing her into her shadow just so she could shine in front of all her subjects… “I merely feel,” Celestia began, “that our… visitors would be better suited in seeing a fresh face.” Celestia's eyes wandered back to the creatures, but Luna didn't pay it any mind. She could only stare vacantly at that same smile. “I know that you still wish to help in this matter” Celestia continued slowly “and I have told my student what your guard told me. But that is also why I feel I should be the one who speaks to them now.” “No!” Luna spat before she could lock her tongue behind her teeth “All it is you want is to take my rightful dues…” As soon as she let the words slip, Luna saw something that not many ponies can truthfully claim they had seen…. A small crack appeared in Celestia's kindly visage and her voice gained a calm edge as she spoke and a tone that was void of its usual motherly glow, “No…” Celestia said in a slow, monotone voice that made fur on Luna’s neck curl, “You asked me to trust you when you wanted to travel ahead and I did…” “But I had to do something, they were about to escape.” Luna interrupted, once again caging her tongue just a second too late. “Well,”Celestia replied, “then I ask you now Luna, take a much deserved rest and offer your aid to my student in her task.” Luna still wanted to say no, but she recognized that tone. It was the tone her sister used when she offered no room to argue. So she just let out a defeated sigh and began to walk away with as much dignity as she could salvage. Luna’s heavy mood almost seemed a little lighter when it met the beaming face of Twilight Sparkle. The mare held a wad of scrolls in her magic and appeared to be doing her best to drive the little dragon at her side to a nervous breakdown with giddy enthusiasm. Luna let herself wear a knowing smile as the young dragon looked to her and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’. The knowing smile then turned into a grateful one when the purple mare noticed her presence and gave Luna a warm greeting followed by a low bow. She felt her mood lighten a little more when the mare began to gush over the wad of notes, and in the moment Luna even found herself listening to about... half of it. “…and I mean really, I get to help translate a whole new language!” the mare beamed again, “I mean, imagine all we could learn about them and where they come from. Imagine all we could learn from the ponies there and…” Luna’s attention faded back out just about there, and just in time to see the mare let out a squeak of all things… But she shook her head and cast an eye back to her sister. The taller creature was still lying on its back while the smaller stood between it and her sister. And in that moment she couldn't help but feel a small twinge or respect for it. Few could stand in front of her sister like that when she put on her “game face” as she’d called it and most of those “few” were ponies who had been veterans of the day guard. But there it stood, not at all intimidated, and the dark alicorn couldn't help but let a grin pull at the side of her muzzle as she saw her sister visage crack ever so slightly in surprise as she stood there. ‘Well, it seems you too expected them to wilt in your presence,’ Luna thought smugly, ‘guess you should have listened to me after all.’ “Twilight,” Luna called to the mare still chattering beside her, “I hate to interrupt, but I believe my sister would do well to have that spell working now.” ‘Lest she blame me for that as well’ she added silently. “Oh right... so how will we do this?” the mare asked. “I will place an echo of the knowledge into your mind. Like always with such spells, the effects will fade quickly, but it should last just long enough for you to weave the knowledge into the fabric of your own spell. But be ready, Twilight sparkle, the feeling may seem a little… overwhelming at first.” “Okay, princess… is there anything else?” Luna thought for a moment, and she bit her lip as she remembers something that may soon prove to be a problem. “Yes, I fear there is. We may need to think of a different way for the spell to hold. The one I used lasted only a few moments yet it seemed to drain my entire pool of magic in that short time. Any spell we cast might simply wear off before you even open your eyes.” The mare looked on as the words seeped in. Then Luna watched as her face looked panicked, then full of contemplation, and finally realization and all in the span of a second. Luna followed Twilight’s eye to her sister’s chariot. Then, after a moment they lit up as a beaming smile almost cut the mare's head in half. “Could we weave the spell into a gem, princess?” Luna mused over the unicorn’s words, then she found herself nodded slowly, “We could, but may I ask to what end?” “Well,” Twilight began “if we can’t use the spell on them directly, then we could weave it into a gem. Then if they wear it, the spell would work passively making whatever they say sound like Equestrian and vice-versa.” Luna mused on it for another moment, and then she let a smile pull at her lips, “It seems my sister chose well when she endeavored to find a student.” The mare beamed again, producing that strange squeaking sound again, then the mare bit her lip slightly, “Though It might cause a small delay when they speak, or hear us speaking. But it shouldn’t be much of a problem, at least until we find something better.” “Indeed, and because of you, we will most likely get the chance.” Luna beamed and turned her eye back to her sister. The standoff was still in effect. But it seemed Shining Armour was wrong and only the smaller creature was standing against the older Alicorn, and unlike its companion, the smaller creature only held the blade loosely at its sides, and not like a coiled snake when it was in her midst, waiting to strike. Her sister was stood just behind the line the smaller creature had drawn in the dirt, and there she waited, with patient reserve, as the creature almost began to look bored. That is, until the other creature let out a groan… … …